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Which high-waisted leggings are best?
High-waisted leggings are an enduring style of athleisure wear that’s considered universally flattering. They feature thick waistbands that give the wearer both tummy control and coverage.
Whether you’re wearing them to a yoga class or to brunch, you want a pair that fits perfectly, so they’re comfortable but don’t slide down. For a slimming pair, Skechers Gowalk Skinny Leggings are the top choice.
What to know before you buy high-waisted leggings
Uses
High-waisted leggings are versatile and can be worn as loungewear around the house or as athletic wear. Leggings are also now an acceptable form of casual wear, so feel free to pair them with a sweatshirt and head out to the grocery store.
Material
Some leggings are better for exercise than others, and this is largely determined by the material. If you’re wearing leggings for working out, look for a thick pair that resists breaking under tension.
High-waisted leggings that stretch with your body for yoga are also called yoga pants. These are made from nylon-elastane or nylon-Lycra blends that are breathable and won’t lose their shape when stretching. More budget-friendly pairs are made from polyester blends that have decent stretch but aren’t as breathable. You’ll see rayon, cotton or spandex included in these blends.
Leggings that contain a high percentage of cotton, a natural fiber, are the most comfortable but may not be suitable for working out, since they can lose their shape. They may be better for hanging out. Cotton blends are highly breathable, but are not moisture wicking like synthetic materials.
Waist
High-waisted leggings are defined by their high rise. The waistband extends up above the belly button, offering ample coverage. The measurement between the crotch inseam and waist is between 10 and 12 inches for a true high rise. Some pairs, however, have a shorter rise and extend just up to the belly button.
Waistbands on high-waisted leggings are thick — between 3 and 5 inches — and may provide a compressive panel for tummy control.
Size
Because of the popularity of high-waisted leggings, you can find them in an inclusive range of women’s sizes from XXS to 6X. Not all brands, however, offer extended sizes, and sizing can vary from brand to brand. Be sure to check the sizing guide and compare it to your own measurements for an accurate fit.
What to look for in quality high-waisted leggings
Length
It’s important to check leggings’ length before you buy because they can be difficult and costly to hem. Select a length that you feel comfortable in and consider what activities you’ll be engaging in. High-waisted styles come in a variety of lengths: capri, cropped, seven-eighths and full length. Look for petite and tall sizes if you’re short or tall, respectively.
Pockets
If you have separation anxiety from your phone, many pairs of leggings offer side pockets that can fit a smartphone. Just be sure it can accommodate your model of phone. Not all consumers like the look of these external pockets, but you can also find pairs with a hidden pocket in the waistband that can fit small items such as a key or folded up cash.
Color
Leggings come in every color imaginable, from neutral to bright hues. Black leggings are widely available and hide sweat stains the best. Dark colors such as charcoal, navy, purple, olive and burgundy are also popular for this reason. They are also less likely to be see-through. Still, light colors including shades of pink, beige and gray are popular as well.
Patterns
While solid colors are easy to find, you can also find leggings with patterns. Space dye is popular and has a subtle multi-colored blurred pattern. You can also make more of a statement with leopard print, bold floral prints, camo or marbled leggings. You can pair patterned bottoms with a matching sports bra, if offered, or a solid-colored top.
How much you can expect to spend on high-waisted leggings
High-rise leggings cost between $13-$98.
High-waisted leggings FAQ
What is the ‘squat test’?
A. Some leggings can be sheer, but that can’t be determined unless you try them on in front of a mirror. Squat and bend over to see if the material in the rear stretches too thin and reveals your underwear.
Can I put leggings in the dryer?
A. While the majority of leggings are machine-washable, not all can be tumble dried. This is especially true of high-performance athletic leggings, which need to be air dried. Check the care instructions before washing and drying your leggings.
What are the best high-waisted leggings to buy?
Top high-waisted leggings
Skechers Gowalk Skinny Leggings
What you need to know: These leggings are so comfortable for working out that you’ll end up wearing them all day.
What you’ll love: The very high waist keeps everything in place and is slimming. Many consumers say these are their go-to leggings for the gym and the best pair they’ve ever had. The high-rise style comes in six muted colors that are easy to match.
What you should consider: They run slightly small.
Where to buy: Sold by Macy’s and Amazon
Top high-waisted leggings for the money
What you need to know: If you don’t want to break the bank on athleisure wear, these high-waisted leggings are buttery soft and highly functional.
What you’ll love: The quality and fit is comparable to luxury yoga pants. The high rise is truly high and stays up. The material is very soft, passes the squat test and comes in over two dozen colors.
What you should consider: These full-length leggings may be too long for shorter wearers.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
The Gym People Thick High-Waisted Yoga Leggings
What you need to know: These popular yoga pants feature highly rated pockets that securely hold your phone and cards.
What you’ll love: They come in both full-length and capri styles, and every color and pattern you can imagine. The tummy panel provides compression, and these leggings stay snug and, most importantly, up.
What you should consider: The waistband can cut into skin uncomfortably.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Ana Sanchez writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/apparel-br/bottoms-br/best-high-waisted-leggings/ | 2022-04-12T21:55:41 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/apparel-br/bottoms-br/best-high-waisted-leggings/ |
What are the 10 most popular Nars products at Sephora?
With its high-end black packaging and award-winning products, Nars Cosmetics is one of the most recognizable brands at any beauty store. What started as a line of 12 lipstick shades now includes a full range of beauty products for all skin tones and types.
Since many Nars products have become cult favorites, it might be hard to choose just one. Luckily, you can find almost their entire line at Sephora, which has stores all over the world. If you’re wondering which products to start with, here are the 10 most popular Nars products at Sephora.
How to choose Nars beauty products
Skin tone
Nars Cosmetics is known for being one of the first beauty brands to have an expansive shade range suitable for a wide array of skin tones. For example, most of their foundations have 40 shades, and there are options for cool, warm or neutral undertones. To figure out your undertone, look at the veins on your wrist.
- Cool undertone: If the veins on the inside of your wrist look blue, you’re most likely cool-toned.
- Warm undertone: You probably have a warm undertone if the veins on your wrist appear to be green.
- Neutral undertone: If you see both green and blue veins on the inside of your wrist, you most likely have a neutral undertone.
Skin type
There are four main types of skin — dry, normal, combination and oily.
- Dry: If your skin appears dull and often flakes or feels rough, you likely have dry skin. It may also feel tight or itchy at times.
- Oily: Those with oily skin often feel like their face looks greasy or shiny. People with oily skin are also more prone to acne.
- Combination: If your skin has both dry and oily areas, that’s known as combination skin.
- Normal: Normal skin doesn’t feel dry or oily. It’s not particularly prone to acne or flaky patches.
What to consider when buying Nars products at Sephora
Size
When buying Nars beauty products, one feature to consider is the size. Remember that the packaging may be much larger than the product within.
Ingredients
Many Nars products include quality skin care ingredients like vitamin C or hyaluronic acid, which benefit the skin. However, if you have sensitive skin, you might want to avoid products with added chemical fragrance.
Coverage
If you plan to create a full glam look, you probably want to consider a foundation with full coverage or blush with high pigment. On the other hand, a sheer lipstick or light coverage tinted moisturizer is better for those no-makeup look days.
Most popular Nars products at Sephora
With 40 shades, this foundation has a match for just about every skin tone. It offers medium coverage that provides a natural no-makeup look but can also be built up for a full coverage look. The formulation includes a few skin care ingredients, including vitamin C and turmeric.
Sold by Sephora
This best-selling concealer brightens and corrects for a radiant finish that lasts up to 16 hours. The medium coverage can be built up for full coverage or worn alone for a natural look. From dry to oily, all skin types can appreciate this perfecting concealer.
Sold by Sephora
After a swipe of this award-winning blush, it’s not hard to see why it’s beloved around the world. There are a variety of shades in shimmer, matte or satin finishes. Since it’s formulated with superfine micronized powder pigments, you’re sure to get a seamless finish.
Sold by Sephora
If you have dry skin or dislike powder blush, this liquid blush that comes in a matte, shimmer or sheer finish is a great alternative. Tamanu oil provides extra moisture and allows it to glide on the skin. Additionally, the formulation is free of parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde and sulfates.
Sold by Sephora
Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer
Cream concealer is ideal for blurring imperfections on the face, and this option provides a full coverage in a matte finish. You’re also getting the benefits of skin care ingredients, including peptides, hyaluronic acid and antioxidants with vitamins A, C and E.
Sold by Sephora
Nars Air Matte Liquid Lipstick
This liquid lipstick is formulated with a color-diffusion complex that instantly diffuses color for a soft and comfortable finish. The matte color is buildable and blendable with the custom-designed applicator. It comes in nine shades.
Sold by Sephora
Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Those who prefer lightweight, sheer coverage with moisturizing benefits will enjoy this tinted moisturizer. It comes in over 15 shades and has vitamin C in it to even out your skin tone and brighten your complexion. Plus, it features broad spectrum SPF 30.
Sold by Sephora
Whether you want to sculpt your face or add a healthy glow, this bronzer powder is a top choice. It comes in four different shades with a radiant finish, and it’s free of mineral oil, phthalates, parabens and gluten.
Sold by Sephora
Nars Velvet Matte Lipstick Pencil
If you don’t enjoy using liquid lipstick but want to add color to your lips, you’ll love this velvet matte pencil. It delivers the bold color of a lipstick with the convenience of a pencil. It’s enriched with vitamin E and emollients for a nondrying, long-lasting and creamy texture.
Sold by Sephora
Nars The Multiple Cream Blush, Lip and Eye Stick
This multipurpose stick is perfect for on-the-go, quick makeup looks or those who prefer a natural makeup look. It comes in five colors with a shimmer or radiant finish, and it can be used on the eyes, lips or cheeks. The cream-to-powder formula features vitamin C and acai oil.
Sold by Sephora
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Bre Richey writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/face-makeup-br/10-most-popular-nars-products-at-sephora/ | 2022-04-12T21:55:50 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/face-makeup-br/10-most-popular-nars-products-at-sephora/ |
Which red matte lipstick is best?
If there’s one statement-making lip product you should have in your makeup collection, it’s red matte lipstick. And make no mistake: There’s a shade for everyone.
With so many shades to choose from — and especially if you’re new to wearing red matte lipstick — you should be ready to try several colors. Mac Cosmetics Retro Matte Lipstick In Ruby Woo, one of the bestselling lipsticks of all time, is highly pigmented and lasts all day.
What to know before you buy a red matte lipstick
What matte lipstick is
Matte lipstick has a shine-free finish because it has a higher concentration of wax than oil. With that said, it’s far from lackluster — matte is a bold formula choice because its color is highly saturated.
Not only do most matte lipsticks require fewer swipes to achieve opaque color, but they also offer longer wear times than cream or satin lipsticks. This is partly due to their ultra-dry formulas, which causes pigment to stick to lips instead of migrating or transferring.
Shades of red
From Dior to Revlon, just about every makeup brand has at least one red matte lipstick shade in its collection. Certain brands, such as MAC Cosmetics, even have dedicated “reds” collections featuring a few red matte shades.
As you explore the wide world of red matte lipsticks, you might be surprised at the variety. To narrow your choices, it’s helpful to categorize red shades based on undertone. Some shades are cooler with blue undertones, whereas others are warmer with orange undertones. And somewhere in between are pinkish reds, with traces of berry, fuchsia or magenta.
What to look for in a quality red matte lipstick
Formula
In the past, most red matte lipsticks were available as classic bullet formulas. Although they’re still popular, red matte shades are now mainstays in liquid and mousse lipstick collections, too. Formula preference is subjective, and it usually boils down to overall wear experience.
- Bullet: These formulas typically have the longest wear times because they’re more drying than others. You may end up with chapped lips or feathering, difficult to conceal unless you wipe off the lipstick completely and reapply.
- Liquid: Liquid lipsticks are more nourishing than bullet formulas, making them less likely to leave lips chapped. Because their wear times aren’t as long, you’ll need to reapply them every several hours.
- Mousse: These luxurious formulas fall somewhere between liquid and bullet lipsticks in terms of dryness. Although mousse is supposed to be a lightweight formula, certain varieties feel thick or tacky.
Wear time
Wear time refers to how long a lipstick lasts before reapplication is necessary. Most matte lipsticks stay put for up to eight hours, and some formulas last as long as 16 hours or longer. Because reds are more saturated than most, they usually last longer than other shades.
Hydrating ingredients
Several red matte lipsticks are infused with hydrating ingredients that keep lips soft and smooth. Some of the most popular ingredients include hyaluronic acid, shea butter and lanolin. Many prestige and luxury red matte lipsticks contain floral and herbal extracts, ranging from red peony to avocado. While these ingredients soothe lips and minimize chapping, they occasionally decrease wear time.
How much you can expect to spend on red matte lipstick
Drugstore red matte lipsticks cost $4-$14, while you’ll pay $18-$28 for prestige formulas. Red matte lipsticks made by luxury makeup brands are the most expensive, ranging between $30-$65.
Red matte lipstick FAQ
Do I need to use a lip liner with red matte lipstick?
A. Many people apply lip liner with red matte lipstick to help it stay put longer. Lip liner also creates a “border” around lips that minimizes smears and transfers. Certain lip liners intensify lipstick color, as well.
How does red matte lipstick look on camera?
A. Red matte lipstick doesn’t reflect light, which eliminates excess shine on camera. Because their color is saturated, it emphasizes your lips when you speak, and depending on the shade, can make your teeth appear whiter.
What’s the best red matte lipstick to buy?
Top red matte lipstick
Mac Cosmetics Retro Matte Lipstick In Ruby Woo
What you need to know: Ruby Woo, a universally flattering shade, is one of the world’s best-selling lipsticks.
What you’ll love: The shade has blue undertones that flatter all skin tones. It’s a fade-resistant formula that doesn’t come off when you eat or drink, and it rarely requires reapplication during the day. The formula is made without harsh chemicals.
What you should consider: It’s a drying formula that may leave your lips chapped later in the day.
Where to buy: Sold by Ulta Beauty and Macy’s
Top red matte lipstick for the money
Revlon Ultra HD Matte Lip Mousse In 815 Red Hot
What you need to know: Revlon’s budget-friendly formula doesn’t compromise on wear time, considering it stays put for at least 8 hours.
What you’ll love: Although it’s a matte formula, it’s creamier and less drying than other options. It doesn’t take more than a couple of swipes to achieve a vibrant red. The formula is less likely to feather and transfer than other liquid matte options.
What you should consider: Color may fade or transfer after several hours, and reapplication is necessary.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
Dior Rouge Dior Refillable Lipstick In 951 Cabaret
What you need to know: This luxurious red matte lipstick is one of the collection’s most popular shades.
What you’ll love: Cabaret is a rich, brick-red shade that can be worn day or night. It’s infused with red peony extract to nourish and soften lips. The bullet lipstick’s unique shape offers easy application around the bow of the lip and corners of the mouth.
What you should consider: A few people said color wears off much sooner than expected.
Where to buy: Sold by Sephora
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Sian Babish writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/lip-makeup-br/best-red-matte-lipstick/ | 2022-04-12T21:55:58 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/lip-makeup-br/best-red-matte-lipstick/ |
What are the best Dr. Barbara Sturm products at Sephora?
Science-backed skin care products are always a wiser investment than formulas based on trends and marketing hype. Dr. Barbara Sturm products are certainly expensive, but as the name implies, the brand’s founder is a doctor, with her own medical clinic and an impressive roster of celebrity clients, including Cher and Kate Moss.
Dr. Barbara Sturm products are formulated to hydrate the skin and combat inflammation to deliver a healthy, glowing complexion. They include formulas that work for all skin types and tones, so you can find products that work for your particular skin issues.
If you’re looking to splurge on a product or two from this luxury skin care line, here are the most popular Dr. Barbara Sturm products you can find at Sephora to take your skin care routine up a notch.
Most popular cleansers and toners
This gentle cleanser is suitable for all skin types, removing dirt, makeup and other impurities to prepare the skin for your favorite serum. It features purslane, an ingredient that prevents free radical damage and encourages skin regeneration. The included aloe and panthenol help calm and soothe the skin.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser
This two-in-one cleanser helps remove dirt, makeup and excess oil and gently exfoliates dead skin cells for a truly deep clean. It also contains antioxidants to help protect and firm the skin. The formula works especially well for oily, combination and acne-prone skin.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Balancing Toner
This gentle, alcohol-free toner helps remove any remaining residue after cleansing and balances the skin’s pH. It also helps minimize the look of pores and soothes stressed or irritated skin. It’s vegan and cruelty-free.
Sold by Sephora
Most popular serums
Dr. Barbara Sturm Clarifying Serum
This potent serum helps clear and strengthen acne-prone skin. It contains albatrellus ovinus extract to reduce redness and irritation. It also has hyaluronic acid, which hydrates and plumps the skin to minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Darker Skin Tones Hyaluronic Serum
This hyaluronic acid serum is formulated specifically for darker skin tones. It contains highly concentrated forms of both long- and short-chain hyaluronic acid to provide all-day hydration. It also features lumicol, an algae extract that evens out the skin tone and leaves you with a healthy glow.
Sold by Sephora
This soothing, repairing night serum helps strengthen your skin while you sleep. It has hyaluronic acid for hydration, and it also contains poria cocos and beta-glucan to fortify the skin barrier. The plankton extract helps soften fine lines and wrinkles, while the senna alata extract aids in the skin’s natural repair process. The serum works for all skin types.
Sold by Sephora
Most popular moisturizers
Dr. Barbara Sturm Dark Skin Tones Face Cream
This lightweight moisturizer is formulated for the needs of darker skin tones and works well for normal, combination and oily skin. It contains magnolia and whitewood bark to help minimize the look of pores and control oil production. It also helps boost the skin’s radiance and soothe irritation.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Brightening Face Cream
This cream moisturizer provides intense hydration while helping to brighten the skin. The formula slows melanin production to prevent dark spots for a more even complexion. It also contains ginseng extract to provide protection from environmental stressors.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Face Cream Rich
This rich cream moisturizer offers all the hydration that dry or mature skin needs. It contains antioxidants that help protect and smooth the skin, as well as avocadin, a plant-based butter, for hydration. It’s non-irritating, so it can work for sensitive skin.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Brightening Face Lotion
This lightweight moisturizing lotion absorbs quickly into the skin, making it a great option for normal, combination and oily skin. It helps even out and brighten the skin to give you a healthy glowing complexion. It also features vitamin E to provide effective antioxidant protection.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Super Anti-Aging Eye Cream
If you’re tired of fine lines and wrinkles around your eyes, this eye cream helps reduce their appearance. The formula features biomimetic lipids to strengthen the skin barrier function and Persian silk tree extract to brighten under the eyes and cut down on puffiness. The cream is gluten-free.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Anti-Aging Body Cream
Make sure your body is just as moisturized as your face with this lightweight body cream. It doesn’t just hydrate — it can help tighten the skin, so it looks firmer. It also aids the skin in looking more elastic and supple.
Sold by Sephora
Most popular treatment products
This soothing, hydrating mask provides an instant boost of moisture right when you need it. It contains aloe vera and chamomile to calm and hydrate the skin. The formula works extremely well for stressed skin when traveling.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Clarifying Mask
With kaolin clay and zinc to absorb excess oil, this face mask can help keep combination, oily and acne-prone skin clear. It has a calming effect on the skin to reduce redness and inflammation and provides some hydration to prevent the skin from drying out.
Sold by Sephora
Dr. Barbara Sturm Clarifying Spot Treatment
This spot treatment can help clear up whiteheads, blackheads and other blemishes. It features a combination of tea tree oil and zinc oxide to provide anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties and soak up excess oil. The formula is tinted, so it helps conceal redness.
Sold by Sephora
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Jennifer Blair writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/luxury-skincare-br/15-most-popular-dr-barbara-sturm-products-on-sephora/ | 2022-04-12T21:56:06 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/beauty-personal-care-br/luxury-skincare-br/15-most-popular-dr-barbara-sturm-products-on-sephora/ |
How to manage seasonal allergies
Spring is in full bloom, and plenty of pollen is swirling around the air triggering seasonal allergies. If you’re looking for ways to manage your symptoms, including congestion, a few products can help you breathe more easily.
Stuffy noses can leave you coughing, sniffling and sneezing. To get relief, you’ll need to open up your nasal passages. Besides popular over-the-counter allergy medicine, many people invest in everyday products and devices that can help them breathe better. And depending on your symptoms, it may be worthwhile to invest in a few of these during peak allergy season.
What to know about managing seasonal allergies
What are seasonal allergies?
Seasonal allergies, or allergic rhinitis, occur when you breathe in allergens, including pollen, dander, mold and dust. When the body responds to these allergens, it may cause coughing, sneezing, congestion or other symptoms. Spring weather, in particular, is often connected to an uptick in allergy symptoms, especially on warmer days when pollen is more likely to circulate.
Seasonal allergy treatments
Many people manage seasonal allergies with a broad range of nonprescription and noninvasive treatments, including products that minimize congestion or improve indoor air quality.
- Nonprescription medicine: Over-the-counter allergy medicine may minimize allergy symptoms, including antihistamines and decongestants. Some OTC medication is taken daily, whereas others are taken as needed.
- Devices: Certain devices may improve air quality for easier breathing, such as humidifiers, air purifiers and fans. Many of these devices are portable, and you can easily move them from room to room.
- Aromatherapy: Many people turn to aromatherapy products, such as essential oils or body balms, to open nasal passages. These products typically have potent peppermint, menthol and eucalyptus scents.
- Bedding: Hypoallergenic or breathable bedding helps some people breathe better while they sleep. Hypoallergenic bedding is made without chemically treated fibers, while breathable bedding promotes airflow around the body.
- Nasal products: Nasal congestion is often treated with OTC nasal relief products, such as antihistamines, corticosteroids and saline sprays. Most of these sprays are travel-sized, so you can keep them in your pocket or bag to use them as needed.
When to see your doctor about seasonal allergies
It’s recommended to speak with your doctor about seasonal allergy symptoms to determine the best course of treatment. Although many people manage symptoms independently, certain cases may require prescriptions or specialized treatment plans.
How much do seasonal allergy treatments cost?
Nonprescription medication is the most affordable seasonal allergy treatment at $3-$10, whereas nasal relief products cost $10-$35. Aromatherapy products run between $5-$18. The most expensive options include devices and bedding for better breathing, and you can expect to spend $25-$250.
Top seasonal allergy products that help you breathe easier
Levoit Smart Bedroom Humidifier
Humidifiers add moisture to the air for easier breathing. This smart Levoit model, which works with Alexa and Google Assistant, has an extra-large tank and runs for up to 60 hours between refills. It’s a popular choice for main bedrooms and other large rooms.
Sold by Amazon
If you need to clear your nasal passages quickly, reach for this Vicks inhaler. It delivers a quick, potent burst of menthol and camphor. And because it’s pocket-friendly, it’s a top allergy treatment option among travelers and commuters.
Sold by Amazon
BodyRestore Eucalyptus Shower Steamers
These eucalyptus shower steamers release soothing vapors in hot showers. Besides slowly opening nasal passages, they help you enter a state of deep relaxation. Each tablet dissolves without leaving residue around the shower.
Sold by Amazon
Breathe Right Original Nose Strips
For those with nighttime congestion, these Breathe Right strips gently lift nostrils to allow better airflow. The soft, flexible strips are made with nonirritating adhesive, making them suitable for sensitive skin.
Sold by Amazon
Dr. Bronner’s Organic Magic Balm
The Dr. Bronner’s Magic Balm is a topical treatment you can rub on your chest, pulse points and clothing for long-lasting relief. The quality formula is made with USDA Organic products, including beeswax, jojoba, avocado and hemp oil.
Sold by Amazon
GermGuardian 3-In-1 True HEPA Air Purifier
This GermGuardian air purifier filters up to 99.97% of allergens, including pollen and dust, up to 0.3 microns. It also has an activated charcoal filter that neutralizes odors, and because it runs quietly, it can be placed in nurseries and bedrooms.
Sold by Amazon
If you have a stuffy nose, Sinus Plumber Nasal Spray is a natural, non-GMO formula made with horseradish, cayenne pepper and wintergreen. It’s also said to be effective at relieving allergy-related headaches and migraines.
This six-piece sheet set is hypoallergenic and has OEKO-TEX certification, which means they’re free of harmful toxic substances. The cool-to-touch sheets have an ultra-soft weave suitable for sensitive skin, and they’re backed by a 180-night guarantee.
Sold by Amazon
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Sian Babish writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/health-wellness-br/seasonal-allergy-products-to-help-you-breathe-easier/ | 2022-04-12T21:56:14 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/health-wellness-br/seasonal-allergy-products-to-help-you-breathe-easier/ |
Best cat carriers
It’s likely that neither you nor your cat is a big fan of pet carriers — most cats hate the sight of them, while most cat caregivers hate trying to wrangle their cat inside. The best pet carrier for cats, however, has features to make the process at least slightly less of an ordeal.
Armed with the right cat carrier, it’s easier to transport your feline friend, whether you’re taking them on vacation with you or to the veterinarian’s office for their inoculations.
When do you need a cat carrier?
More often than not, you’ll find yourself using a cat carrier for quick trips to the vet. Of course, you’ll also need a cat carrier for longer journeys, such as road trips with your pet, air travel and rail travel. Some people even hike with their cats, but not all cats enjoy it.
Pet carrier features
Consider these features and you’ll find it easier to find the best carrier.
- Soft-sided vs. hard-sided: Soft-sided carriers are lighter and easier to carry, while hard-sided carriers are more durable and easier to wipe clean.
- Ventilation: All pet carriers must be well-ventilated so enough fresh air gets inside. Carriers should have large areas of ventilation (either mesh, in soft carriers, or ventilation holes in hard carriers) on at least two sides for short journeys, and on at least three sides for long journeys.
- Top-loading: Many people find it easier to get their cats in through the top of a carrier, rather than through a door in the front, so it’s nice to have a top-loading option.
- Airline approved: If you’re traveling by air, choose a carrier that’s airline approved for either cabin or hold use, depending on where your cat will be traveling.
- Foldability: Foldable cat carriers take up less space when not in use and are easier to store.
Best soft-sided pet carriers for cats
Top soft-sided pet carrier
Sherpa Original Deluxe Airline-Approved Pet Carrier
What you need to know: Perfect for both long and short trips, it has a spring wire frame that can be compressed for storage or to fit under airline seats.
What you’ll love: It’s comfortable, with a soft fleece lining, and well-ventilated. It has top- and front-loading options to get your cat inside as easily as possible.
What you should consider: It’s a little tricky to clean thoroughly and remove odors from.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy and Amazon
Top soft-sided pet carrier for the money
Frisco Basic Dog and Cat Carrier
What you need to know: This carrier is well-ventilated and has a comfy fleece lining.
What you’ll love: It features both a handle and shoulder strap for easy carrying. There’s a small mesh window for easy access and the front opens up completely to get your cat inside.
What you should consider: You can’t load your cat through the top of it.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy
Best hard-sided pet carriers for cats
Top hard-sided pet carrier
What you need to know: This carrier is great for times you need something sturdier than a soft-sided model.
What you’ll love: Tie-down straps help secure it in the car or for air travel. The carry handle makes it easy to lift. It has ventilation on four sides.
What you should consider: The larger sizes are better suited to dogs than cats.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy and Amazon
Top hard-sided pet carrier for the money
What you need to know: Since it’s foldable, it’s perfect for people who want a hard carrier but don’t have much storage space.
What you’ll love: Thanks to the extra-large size, it’s perfect for big cats or two small to average-sized cats who’d prefer to travel together. It’s easy to set up and pack down.
What you should consider: It can be slightly tricky to get cats inside.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy and Amazon
Best backpack cat carriers
Top backpack cat carrier
What you need to know: It’s a great option for taking your cat to the vet on foot or for traveling with.
What you’ll love: This backpack is extremely sturdy and well-made. It has a waterproof bottom in case your cat has an accident and a comfortable cushion inside that’s removable and washable.
What you should consider: Although it’s airline approved, it could do with more ventilation for long journeys.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy and Amazon
Top backpack cat carrier for the money
What you need to know: This roomy pet-carrier backpack comes at an affordable price.
What you’ll love: It has front and top loading options, so you can get your cat inside however it’s easiest. There’s plenty of mesh ventilation for reliable airflow.
What you should consider: Some tall wearers find the straps too short for comfortable use.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy and Amazon
Best rolling cat carriers
Top rolling cat carrier
Snoozer Roll-Around Pet Carrier
What you need to know: If you struggle to lift a cat carrier, this rolling version is ideal.
What you’ll love: In addition to rolling it around on wheels, you can also use it as a backpack, car seat or pet bed. The telescoping handle is comfortable for people of varying heights.
What you should consider: It could do with a handle on the top.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy and Amazon
Top rolling cat carrier for the money
Pet Gear I-GO2 Sport Rolling Carrier
What you need to know: This affordable rolling carrier doubles as a backpack.
What you’ll love: It’s well-ventilated and comfortable for cats. The two zippered external pockets let you store pet essentials.
What you should consider: It feels slightly flimsy.
Where to buy: Sold by Chewy
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Lauren Corona writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/pets-br/crates-carriers-containers-br/which-pet-carrier-is-best-for-cats/ | 2022-04-12T21:56:23 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/pets-br/crates-carriers-containers-br/which-pet-carrier-is-best-for-cats/ |
Which balloon pump is best?
If you love to throw parties for your friends and family and love balloons, you need a balloon pump. Balloon pumps make quick work of a job that would be time-consuming and tedious if you tried to blow them all up with just your own lung power.
The best balloon pump is the ID Idaodan Portable Dual Nozzle Electric Balloon Pump. It’s affordably priced, and the airflow is regulated to be safe for a child to use.
What to know before you buy a balloon pump
Electric vs. manual balloon pump
It may seem like electric balloon pumps are the only way to go, but manual pumps have their benefits too.
- Electric pumps are best for inflating large amounts of balloons quickly and regularly. Some have enough nozzles to let multiple people fill balloons at once, increasing your balloon-filling potential. Most are designed to pull air from around them but some are specialized to work with helium tanks.
- Manual pumps are best for inflating a few balloons at once, or if you don’t plan on inflating balloons very often. Their output rate is small and they require more effort, but they cost a fraction of an electric pump’s price and can be used anywhere.
Noise generation
Electric balloon pumps can generate a tremendous amount of noise. In professional settings, extended exposure to high noise-generating pumps can damage your hearing. In personal situations, the noise can disturb your family or give away the game if you’re trying to make it a surprise.
What to look for in a quality balloon pump
Ease of use
Electric and manual pumps each have their own ease-of-use aspects.
- Electric pumps’ ease-of-use is all about portability and intuitive design. The easiest to use are lightweight and have handles for carrying, since the best place to inflate your balloons is where the party will occur. They have nozzles spaced far enough apart not to interfere with one another and offer quick access to the power button.
- Manual pumps’ ease-of-use is about limiting the effort required. Easy hand pumps force air into the balloon in both pull directions rather than having one direction prime air and the other force it in. Easy foot pumps have long enough tubes to enable use without hunching.
Controllers
For electric balloon pumps, controllers determine how air is pumped into your balloon. Most are triggered by pressing a button, which takes a hand away from the balloon and can make things more difficult. The best use either a foot pedal or a pressure-sensitive nozzle that starts and stops the airflow as needed, without taking hands away from balloons.
How much you can expect to spend on a balloon pump
Manual pumps rarely cost more than $10. Electric pumps usually cost $20-40, though a few professional-grade pumps cost $50 or more.
Balloon pump FAQ
Can I use a balloon pump to inflate other objects?
A. Technically a balloon pump could inflate other objects, but two factors typically prevent this. First, balloon pumps just aren’t that strong. They’re designed to inflate a tiny object, not your mattress. Secondly, balloon-pump valves aren’t meant for objects that aren’t balloons. You might be able to jury-rig something, but it’d be much easier just to get a matching pump.
Can I use other pumps to inflate balloons?
A. Once again there’s the issue of mismatching valves. Also, a non-balloon pump is likely to be too powerful and cause your balloons to immediately burst.
How quickly can a balloon pump inflate balloons?
A. That depends on if it’s manual or electric, and how powerful an electric pump is. Manual pumps have the greatest variance in inflation rates. How the pump operates, and how easy it is to remove and tie off a filled balloon, can make inflating a single balloon take as long as a minute. Meanwhile, even the weakest electric pumps can fill a balloon in seconds.
When you factor in most electric pumps having multiple nozzles, if each nozzle has someone working at it, electric pumps can fill hundreds of balloons in an hour. The only slowdown is how quickly one can tie off a filled balloon.
What’s the best balloon pump to buy?
Top balloon pump
ID Idaodan Portable Dual Nozzle Electric Balloon Pump
What you need to know: This is perfect for non-professional balloon lovers.
What you’ll love: It has automatic and manual modes so you can blow up just a few or a whole bushel of balloons with speed. It has two nozzle sizes to inflate a wider range of balloons. Users were impressed by the low noise generation.
What you should consider: It doesn’t have the power or long-term durability for professional party throwers. A few consumers received U.K.-based plugs rather than U.S.-based ones.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top balloon pump for the money
Control Balloon Products Tota Handheld Two-Way Dual Action Balloon Pump
What you need to know: This is perfect for smaller events.
What you’ll love: It lets you push air into the balloon while pumping in both directions, saving time and energy. It’s roughly a foot long and 2.25 inches thick, making it easy to use for both older kids and adults.
What you should consider: It takes up to an hour to inflate roughly 40 balloons, making it best for small events. The nozzle isn’t compatible with all balloon types.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
LiKee Electric Balloon Pump Kit
What you need to know: The pig-like design makes this a fun family pump.
What you’ll love: The pink pig design is perfect for tricking your kids into helping you blow up balloons for their own birthday parties. Inflation is triggered by pushing down on the nozzle and stopped by releasing pressure, so there’s never wasted air or excess noise.
What you should consider: This pump can’t be hooked up to helium or hydrogen. Some consumers noted it can become hot quickly, though not hot enough to burn.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Jordan C. Woika writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
Copyright 2022 BestReviews, a Nexstar company. All rights reserved. | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/best-balloon-pump/ | 2022-04-12T21:56:31 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/reviews/br/toys-games-br/best-balloon-pump/ |
LOS ANGELES — Gilbert Gottfried, the actor and legendary standup comic known for his raw, scorched voice and crude jokes, has died. He was 67.
Gottfried died from a rare genetic muscle disease that can trigger a dangerously abnormal heartbeat. his publicist and longtime friend Glenn Schwartz said in a statement.
“In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor,” his family said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Gottfried was a fiercely independent and intentionally bizarre comedian’s comedian, as likely to clear a room with anti-comedy as he was to kill it with his jokes.
He first came to national attention with frequent appearances on MTV in its early days and with a brief stint in the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in the 1980s.
Gottfried also did frequent voice work for children’s television and movies, most famously playing the parrot Iago in Disney’s “Aladdin.”
“Look at me, I’m so ticked off that I’m molting,” a scratchy-voiced Gottfried said early in the film as his character shed feathers.
He was particularly fond of doing obscure and dated impressions for as long as he could milk them, including Groucho Marx, Bela Lugosi and Andrew “Dice” Clay. He would often do those voices as a guest on the Howard Stern show, prompting listeners by the dozens to call in and beg Stern to throw him off.
In his early days at the club the Comedy Store in Hollywood, the managers would have him do his impression of then-little-known Jerry Seinfeld at the end of the night to get rid of lingering patrons.
Gottfried was especially beloved by his fellow comedians and performers.
“I am so sad to read about the passing of Gilbert Gottfried,” actor Marlee Matlin said on Twitter. “Funny, politically incorrect but a softie on the inside. We met many times; he even pranked me on a plane, replacing my interpreter.” (Gottfried bore a close resemblance to Matlin’s American Sign Language interpreter Jack Jason.)
“Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander tweeted that “Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift.”
Gottfried was interviewed by The Associated Press last month following Will Smith’s Oscar night slap of Chris Rock. While he took the attack seriously, saying it might imperil other comedians, he couldn’t resist wisecracks.
He said that before on stage, he “just had to worry about wearing a mask. Now I have to worry about wearing a football helmet.” He later added: “If Will Smith is reading this, dear God, please don’t come to my shows.”
The year has already seen the loss of several beloved comedians, including Louie Anderson and Bob Saget.
In January, Gottfried tweeted a picture of the three men together, with the text, “This photo is very sad now. RIP Bob Saget and RIP Louie Anderson. Both good friends that will be missed.”
Gottfried was born in Brooklyn, the son of a hardware store owner and a stay-at-home mom. He began doing amateur standup at age 15.
He thought he was getting his big break when he landed a spot on “Saturday Night Live” alongside Eddie Murphy in 1980. But he was given little to do on the show.
He later said a low point was playing the body in a sketch about a funeral. He would last only 12 episodes.
But he would find his own way, doing bits on MTV and as a both beloved and hated guest on talk shows.
He had roles in “Beverly Hills Cop II” and the “Problem Child” films and presented bad movies as host of “USA Up All Night” from 1989 to 1998.
And he had recurring voice roles on “Ren and Stimpy,” “The Fairly OddParents” and several spin-offs of “Aladdin.”
Gottfried’s schtick wasn’t always popular. In 2011, Aflac Inc. fired him as the voice of the duck in its commercials over tasteless tweet the comic sent about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Less than a month after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, at the Friars Club Roast of Hugh Hefner, Gottfried made jokes about planes making stops at skyscrapers, and was met with boos and shouts of “Too soon!” He responded with an especially foul version of the comedians’ inside joke “The Aristocrats,” which many in the audience took as a message that he believed it was the comic’s job to remain crude at all costs.
“To me, funny is funny,” he told the AP last month. “I’ll regret a bit I do that just doesn’t get a laugh, because it’s not funny or an ad lib that doesn’t work. But if it gets a laugh, I feel like, I’m the comedian and that’s my job.”
He made many notorious contributions to televised roasts, his harshness and love of old-timey standup style making him a perfect contributor. He took famously cruel and relentless jabs at roastees including George Takei and Roseanne.
“Like most monsters she goes by one name,” he said at the Roseanne roast in his signature style, leaning into the microphone, hands spread apart, shouting himself hoarse. “And that name is Rozilla.”
“I shall miss you, my friend, my sometimes foil, my always pain in my side, usually from the belly laughs,” Takei said on Twitter Tuesday. The heavens are a great deal louder with you out there now, I’m sure. Keep ’em shaking their heads and smiling, Gilbert.”
Gottfried is survived by his wife Dara, sister Karen, 14-year-old daughter Lily and 12-year-old son Max.
___
AP Television Writer Lynn Elber contributed to this report.
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/12/gilbert-gottfried-actor-and-comics-comic-dies-at-67/ | 2022-04-12T21:57:44 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/12/gilbert-gottfried-actor-and-comics-comic-dies-at-67/ |
By JIM MUSTIAN, JENNIFER PELTZ and MICHAEL R. SISAK
NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman in a gas mask and a construction vest set off a smoke canister on a rush-hour subway train in Brooklyn and shot at least 10 people Tuesday, authorities said. Police were scouring the city for the shooter and found a rental truck possibly connected to the violence.
A scene of horror unfolded as frightened commuters ran from the train as others limped out of it. At least one rider collapsed on the platform.
“My subway door opened into calamity. It was smoke and blood and people screaming,” eyewitness Sam Carcamo told radio station 1010 WINS. Smoke poured out of the train car as the door opened, he added.
Five people were in critical condition but expected to survive. At least 29 in all were treated at hospitals for gunshot wounds, smoke inhalation and other conditions.
The gunfire erupted on a train that pulled into a station in the Sunset Park neighborhood, about a 15-minute ride from Manhattan and predominantly home to Hispanic and Asian communities.
Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the attack was not being investigated as terrorism, but that she was “not ruling out anything.” The shooter’s motive was unknown.
Authorities gave officers a photo they believed to depict the gunman, and the Arizona license plate number of a U-Haul truck to look out for, two law enforcement officials said. By early evening, police found a matching, unoccupied U-Haul van in Brooklyn, one of the officials said.
Police were closing off a street about four miles from the shooting scene and clearing nearby businesses while awaiting a bomb squad and the highly specialized emergency services unit.
Investigators recovered a handgun at the scene, along with multiple smoke devices and other items they are analyzing, said the officials, who were not authorized to discuss the investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity. They said the suspect is believed to have had at least two extended magazines.
Investigators believe the weapon jammed, preventing the suspect from continuing to fire, the officials said. The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has completed an urgent trace to identify the gun’s manufacturer, seller and initial owner.
The attack unnerved a city on guard about a rise in gun violence and the ever-present threat of terrorism. It left some New Yorkers jittery about riding the nation’s busiest subway system and prompted officials to increase policing at transportation hubs from Philadelphia to Connecticut.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced last fall that it had put security cameras in all 472 subway stations citywide, saying they would put criminals on an “express track to justice.” But the cameras apparently malfunctioned in the station where the train arrived, Mayor Eric Adams told WCBS-AM.
One rider’s video, shot through a closed door between subway cars, shows a person in a hooded sweatshirt raising an arm and pointing at something as five bangs sound. In another video, smoke and people pour out of a subway car, some limping.
“Someone call 911!” a person shouts.
Other video and photos from the scene show people tending to bloodied passengers lying on the platform — some amid what appear to be small puddles of blood — and another person on the floor of a subway car.
Rider Juliana Fonda, a broadcast engineer at WNYC-FM, told its news site Gothamist that passengers from the car behind hers started banging on the connecting door.
“There was a lot of loud pops, and there was smoke in the other car,” she said. “And people were trying to get in and they couldn’t, they were pounding on the door to get into our car.”
As police searched for the shooter, Gov. Kathy Hochul warned New Yorkers to be vigilant.
“This individual is still on the loose. This person is dangerous,” the Democrat said at a news conference just after noon. “This is an active shooter situation right now in the city of New York.”
Fire and police officials had responded to reports of an explosion, but Sewell said at the press conference that there were no known explosive devices. Multiple smoke devices were found on the scene, mayoral spokesperson Fabien Levy said.
After people streamed out of the train, quick-thinking transit workers ushered passengers to another train across the platform for safety, MTA system chief Janno Lieber noted.
High school student John Butsikaris was riding the other train when he saw a conductor urging everyone to get in. He thought it might be a mundane problem until the next stop, when he heard screams for medical attention and his train was evacuated.
“I’m definitely shook,” the 15-year-old told The Associated Press. “Even though I didn’t see what happened, I’m still scared, because it was like a few feet away from me, what happened.”
No transit workers were physically hurt, according to their union. Besides gunshot wounds, the injured riders were treated for smoke inhalation, shrapnel and panic.
In Menlo, Iowa, President Joe Biden praised “the first responders who jumped in action, including civilians, civilians, who didn’t hesitate to help their fellow passengers and tried to shield them.”
Adams, who is isolating following a positive COVID-19 test on Sunday, said in a video statement that the city “will not allow New Yorkers to be terrorized, even by a single individual.”
New York City has faced a spate of shootings and high-profile incidents in recent months, including on the city’s subways. One of the most shocking was in January, when a woman was pushed to her death in front of a train by a stranger.
Adams, a Democrat a little over 100 days into his term, has made cracking down on crime — especially on the subways — a focus of his early administration, pledging to send more police officers into stations and platforms for regular patrols. It wasn’t immediately clear whether officers were already inside the station when the shootings occurred.
Danny Mastrogiorgio of Brooklyn had just dropped his son off at school when he saw a crush of panicked passengers, some of them wounded, running up the stairway at the nearby 25th Street station. At least two had visible leg injuries, he said.
“It was insane,” he told the AP. “No one knew exactly what was going on.”
Allan Lee was running his business, Cafe Nube, when a half-dozen police cars and fire vehicles suddenly converged on the block that contains the 36th Street station.
“Then they started ushering people that were on the block to the adjacent block and then closed off the subway entrance,” Lee told the AP. When he noticed bomb squad officers and dogs, he was certain it was no everyday subway problem.
___
Associated Press reporters Michael Balsamo in Washington and Karen Matthews, Julie Walker, Deepti Hajela and Michelle L. Price in New York contributed to this report. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/12/nypd-locates-van-sought-in-brooklyn-subway-shooting/ | 2022-04-12T21:57:50 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/12/nypd-locates-van-sought-in-brooklyn-subway-shooting/ |
Minnesota health officials are again urging anyone at risk of severe COVID-19 to seek treatments that reduce serious illness if they become infected with the coronavirus.
Both antivirals and monoclonal antibodies have proven successful at preventing hospitalizations and deaths in high-risk COVID-19 patients. But the availability of the drugs has been inconsistent during the pandemic because of demand and varied efficacy of particular treatments.
“COVID-19 medications are now more widely available and acting right away by getting tested is important because treatments need to be started early to work,” Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist, said last week.
The drugs Paxlovid, an oral medication, and Remdisivir, which is administered intravenously, are currently the preferred treatments for high-risk COVID-19 patients. But Bebtelovimab, also given via an IV, and Molnupiravir also are used, state health officials said.
Minnesota received about 54,000 doses of those treatments through the end of 2021. Allocations are typically on a weekly basis and last week the state received more than 2,800 total doses.
Federal regulators have discontinued the use of other drugs in recent months because they are not as effective against the omicron strain and its subvariants. Omicron BA.2 is believed to be responsible for the majority of recent infections.
Health officials say it’s essential that residents who are high-risk get tested quickly if they believe they have been exposed. Those who are infected should contact their care providers to access COVID-19 treatments.
More information about COVID-19 treatments is available at: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/meds.
Lynfield added that it remained important residents do everything they can to slow transmission of the coronavirus including getting vaccinated and boosted, regularly washing their hands, staying home if ill and following other guidelines.
“COVID-19 treatments are a very valuable tool in our toolbox, but preventing infection is more effective than treating infection,” she said “We have the tools to prevent infection, which prevents transmission and helps to keep levels of COVID-19 down in our communities.”
Health officials’ reminder that COVID-19 treatments are again widely available comes just months after the state resorted to a lottery to allocate available drugs. The weighted random selection process considered several factors to identify patients who would most benefit from treatments.
Minnesota’s coronavirus outbreak declined precipitously after the early 2022 spike that was driven by the original omicron variant. However, cases are again on the uptick with the newest subvariant, BA.2.
Health officials do not expect the latest rise in cases to be anywhere as extreme as the spike in January, which was the worst of the pandemic. Yet, they urge caution as SARS CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, continues to evolve. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/12/with-covid-19-medications-widely-available-high-risk-patients-should-get-tested-early-seek-treatment-mn-health-officials-urge/ | 2022-04-12T21:57:56 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/12/with-covid-19-medications-widely-available-high-risk-patients-should-get-tested-early-seek-treatment-mn-health-officials-urge/ |
4-H Club Kids Learn at Agricultural Day
The 4-H Club is a youth development organization that teaches kids community involvement and life skills.
Being a part of 4-H can increase their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
The 4-H Club is a diverse organization that brings kids together.
Esther Boe is proud to help children grow and learn.
Children learned about fire safety and how to make their own food.
She hopes they learn how to apply this knowledge to their lives.
Children experienced stem and wildlife activities.
They were taught proper nutrition and how to take care of animals.
The kids learned how to safely ride an ATV and keep from getting injured.
Students were excited to learn about various topics.
Being a part of the 4-H Club can positively affect their lives.
4-H Club is a great way to connect with each other and learn about the world around them.
If your kids are interested in joining 4-H club, talk to their local school and sign them up. | http://klax-tv.com/4-h-club-kids-learn-at-agricultural-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=4-h-club-kids-learn-at-agricultural-day | 2022-04-12T21:59:50 | 0 | http://klax-tv.com/4-h-club-kids-learn-at-agricultural-day/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=4-h-club-kids-learn-at-agricultural-day |
Alexandria Middle Magnet concerned about teacher shortages
Members of the Louisiana Board of Regents (Regents) and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) received a preliminary report from the Teacher Recruitment, Recovery and Retention Task Force (Task Force), elevating discussions of solutions to address multiple years of declining enrollments in teacher preparation programs around the state and across the nation.
Exit interviews with teachers leaving the profession in Louisiana indicate 74% of teachers are retiring, transferring to another school system or leaving the profession due to personal reasons. Meanwhile a national survey showed 32% of teachers say they plan to leave the classroom earlier than expected, suggesting burnout post-pandemic. (Source: Gosner, 2021) | http://klax-tv.com/alexandria-middle-magnet-concerned-about-teacher-shortages/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alexandria-middle-magnet-concerned-about-teacher-shortages | 2022-04-12T21:59:57 | 1 | http://klax-tv.com/alexandria-middle-magnet-concerned-about-teacher-shortages/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=alexandria-middle-magnet-concerned-about-teacher-shortages |
APD arrests murder suspect
Alexandria, La. (April 8, 2022) – Alexandria police have arrested Derrick Swafford, 27, of Alexandria, in connection with the shooting death of Jason Clovis on March 27. Swafford surrendered to Alexandria Police today and has been charged with one count of second degree murder.
Detectives are still looking for his car, a 2021 black Dodge Charger equipped with a Scat Pack package with Louisiana license plate 748-EJV. The car may have bullet holes and is considered part of the crime scene. If anyone finds the car, they should contact APD immediately.
If anyone has any information about this case or any other crimes in the Alexandria area, please contact the Alexandria Police Detective Division at (318) 441-6460. | http://klax-tv.com/apd-arrests-murder-suspect/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=apd-arrests-murder-suspect | 2022-04-12T22:00:04 | 0 | http://klax-tv.com/apd-arrests-murder-suspect/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=apd-arrests-murder-suspect |
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 9 percent of drivers 15-19 years old involved in fatal crashes in 2019 were distracted.
To stay safe while texting, pull over and park your car in a safe location.
Designate your passenger as the “designated texter.”
Do not scroll through social media apps.
Put the cell phone in the truck or in the backseat.
ADP Public Information Officer Lane Windham warns drivers to stay distracted-free during driving.
You can receive a citation of up to $500 for texting while driving.
He hopes people realize how dangerous it is.
Louisiana law says if you’re under 18, you can’t speak or text on a cell phone while driving.
Windham says young drivers are more likely to text and drive.
He says Jackson Street and the traffic circle off MacArthur have the most accidents.
Saving your life and others is more important than answering a text message.
Learn to stay focused on the road and not on your phone.
Ask your friends in joining you not to text and drive and share your pledge on social media with #justdrive. | http://klax-tv.com/april-is-distracted-driving-awareness-month/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=april-is-distracted-driving-awareness-month | 2022-04-12T22:00:12 | 0 | http://klax-tv.com/april-is-distracted-driving-awareness-month/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=april-is-distracted-driving-awareness-month |
Gov. Edwards, CLECO Announces $900 Million Emission Reduction Project At Central Louisiana Power Facility
BATON ROUGE, La. – Gov. John Bel Edwards and Cleco Corporate Holdings LLC President and CEO Bill Fontenot announced the company will invest $900 million to significantly reduce carbon emissions at the largest of its nine electric generation units in the state, Madison-3 at Brame Energy Center in Lena, Louisiana.Cleco Power, a regulated electric public utility that serves 291,000 customers in 24 Louisiana parishes, will build a carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) facility to remove and compress 95% or more of the CO2 emitted by Madison-3 and permanently store it in geological formations under the site. The company has named the project “Diamond Vault,” and estimates it will create 30 to 40 direct new jobs and an average of 1,100 construction jobs in central Louisiana over a three-year period.“Today’s announcement is an important milestone on Louisiana’s path to a cleaner energy future,” Gov. Edwards said. “Our state has attracted significant investment in the construction of new facilities that minimize emissions. Cleco’s investment reduces existing emissions, which moves us even more rapidly toward our goal of Net Zero emissions by 2050. I applaud Cleco’s initiative, and challenge other businesses in the state to be aggressive in their response to Louisiana’s Climate Action Plan. Doing so will strengthen our environment and our economy, especially in our rural communities.”Cleco secured a $9 million congressional appropriation, to be administered and disbursed by Louisiana Economic Development, to help defray the cost of a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study. After the study, Cleco plans to raise capital funding of approximately $900 million through tax credits, Department of Energy grants and private equity investment.“Cleco’s Project Diamond Vault will ensure a clean and sustainable power solution for Cleco customers, while creating and retaining jobs for the communities we serve,” Fontenot said. “In Louisiana, we have the natural resources, the ingenuity, the geology, the people and the infrastructure to transform the power industry as we know it. Cleco is thankful for the support of Gov. Edwards, Sen. Cassidy, Louisiana Economic Development and other Louisiana leaders.”The FEED study is expected to be complete by the end of 2023. Permitting, which follows an environmental impact and public review process, is expected to be complete during the second half of 2025. Construction would begin immediately thereafter and commercial operations are planned to begin no later than 2028.“Cleco’s Diamond Vault project positions both the company and the region for new leadership roles in the emerging green energy economy,” Louisiana Central President and CEO Jim Clinton said. “The potential for job, wealth and enterprise creation could trigger a new era of growth and prosperity for the region. Diamond Vault can be a breath of fresh air for the planet, a growth driver for Cleco, and a big opportunity for our people and businesses.” | http://klax-tv.com/gov-edwards-cleco-announces-900-million-emission-reduction-project-at-central-louisiana-power-facility/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gov-edwards-cleco-announces-900-million-emission-reduction-project-at-central-louisiana-power-facility | 2022-04-12T22:00:19 | 1 | http://klax-tv.com/gov-edwards-cleco-announces-900-million-emission-reduction-project-at-central-louisiana-power-facility/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=gov-edwards-cleco-announces-900-million-emission-reduction-project-at-central-louisiana-power-facility |
Harry Silver dies at the age of 100
Mr. Harry Silver passed away on Friday, April 8th.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 13 at Alexandria City Hall with Rabbi Carol Davidson and Rabbi Raina Siroty officiating.
Interment will follow in the Jewish Cemetery on Main Street in Pineville under the direction of John Kramer & Son Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 3:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12 at Alexandria City Hall.
Pallbearers will be Michael Silver, Robert Weeks, Matthew Laborde, Zeb Winstead, Patrick Sowell, and Azar Kayal. Honorary pallbearers include Michael Bindursky, Charlie DeWitt, Trey Gist, Martin Heyman, Dr. P. K. Kaimal, Judge F. A. Little, Greg O’Quin, William B. Owens, and Ralph Sisco.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Harry B. Silver Fund at the Central LA Community Foundation, P.O. Box 7432, Alexandria, LA 71306; or to a charity of your choice.
Harry Silver is survived by his wife of 73 years, Marilyn Levy Silver; children: Kathy Silver Hussey (David), William Roy Silver, Ted Michael Silver (Ann Brame) all from Alexandria, and Amy Helene Silver of Baton Rouge; three grandchildren: Emily Silver Weeks (Robert), Michael Louis Silver, & Kate Silver Laborde (Matthew); five great-grandchildren: Weiss Kirkland Weeks, Wells Kristopher Weeks, Wick Kelley Weeks, Mary Miller Weeks, and Levy Robert Laborde; brother Roy Silver (Sandy) & sister Joan Silver. He is preceded in death by his parents, David and Rose Silver, and brother and sister-in-law, Mort & Marsha Silver. | http://klax-tv.com/harry-silver-dies-at-the-age-of-100/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=harry-silver-dies-at-the-age-of-100 | 2022-04-12T22:00:27 | 1 | http://klax-tv.com/harry-silver-dies-at-the-age-of-100/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=harry-silver-dies-at-the-age-of-100 |
Louisiana’s Unclaimed Property Program Receives National Attention
BATON ROUGE, LA – Last week, during the Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization (UPPO) Annual Conference, Louisiana’s Unclaimed Property Program was awarded the prestigious UPPO Members’ Choice Unclaimed Property State of the Year Award.
“I am incredibly proud of our Louisiana Treasury Unclaimed Property Program and staff who work hard returning unclaimed property to its rightful owners,” says Louisiana State Treasurer John M. Schroder. “Over the last four years, our Unclaimed Property Program has gone from being ranked 38th in the nation to being among the top for outcomes. In addition, we have seen a 632% increase in the number of checks issued.” Louisiana’s Unclaimed Property Program went from issuing 77,000 checks to more than 564,000 checks over the last four years.
The UPPO Members’ Choice Unclaimed Property State of the Year award honors a state with a business-friendly approach including a user-friendly website, accessibility to pertinent compliance information, and a commitment to engaging the holder community. Louisiana’s Unclaimed Property Program was recognized for being professional, courteous, and supportive in assisting companies in complying with the law. Additionally, they were acknowledged for their newly revamped, user-friendly website that allows companies to easily access, upload, and pay online.
“We strive to provide excellent customer service and assistance to companies on the compliance side of Unclaimed Property, just like we do to individuals on the claims side,” says Unclaimed Property Director Kathleen Lobell. “Our holder reporting team is led by Gayle Horton, who does a great job of assisting holders with questions and problems.”
The award is voted by UPPO membership, comprised of businesses and corporations required by law to report unclaimed property to states and the consultants who work on their behalf.
Louisiana State Treasury’s Unclaimed Property Program returns money, securities, stocks, and bonds to people and businesses across the state. Currently, there is more than $900 million waiting to be claimed. Go to LaCashClaim.org or call us toll-free at (888) 925-4127 to see if money is owed to you. | http://klax-tv.com/louisianas-unclaimed-property-program-receives-national-attention/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=louisianas-unclaimed-property-program-receives-national-attention | 2022-04-12T22:00:34 | 0 | http://klax-tv.com/louisianas-unclaimed-property-program-receives-national-attention/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=louisianas-unclaimed-property-program-receives-national-attention |
Tennis — Northwestern State sweeps Nicholls to win outright Southland Conference title
NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State set its sights on a Southland Conference regular season title, and the Lady Demons didn’t waste any time Saturday against Nicholls.
NSU rushed to a 7-0 sweep in under two-and-a-half hours to raise its first regular season championship since 2014.
The Lady Demons (13-4, 6-0 SLC) didn’t drop a set in singles as the program completed its second perfect season in its SLC history. NSU finished 11-0 in 2010, the last time the Lady Demons were outright champions.
NSU won its fifth SLC title overall, posting 2022 next to 1989, 1994, 2010 and 2014. The Lady Demons won a Gulf Star title in 1986.
“I loved the way the girls competed today, and for senior Pati Polanska to clinch it on Senior Day, it’s like it’s out of a book,” said second-year NSU head coach Jonas Brobeck. “We found a way at every spot, and I’m super duper proud of this group.
“After finding a way to win that UNO match on the road (in the second weekend), something clicked and we started to get all six girls competing super hard. We’re tough to beat when we compete and fight like that, fight like Lady Demons.”
The day started with the celebration of lone senior Patrycja Polanska, who will end her home college career Tuesday vs. Louisiana Tech.
Polanska chalked up her 25th career singles win as she handled Constanza Cruz for the clinching point (6-2, 6-3).
“I’m feeling all the emotions right now – happy, excited and can’t wait for the SLC Tournament,” Polanska said. “I’m thankful for this team.
“We were all fighting together. I didn’t realize I was the clinching point because I was focused on my match, and I wanted to win and give the team the most energy I had.”
Off the court, Polanska was instrumental in melding together the three freshmen (Rozalie Dohnalova, Tjasa Klevisar and Ayu Ishibashi) with more experienced pieces like herself and sophomores Mariella Minetti and Viktorie Wojcikova.
“Every match we were fighting and doing out best, and we have a very good connection on and off the court,” Polanska said. “We’re always giving each other energy in practice and making each other better. We’ve done a great job of improving throughout the season.”
The ball started rolling Saturday as NSU crashed the doubles point with a 6-1 win from Dohnalova/Wojcikova over Nicholls Jesse Mount/Laura Lopez and a 6-2 take from Minetti/Klevisar against Carla Bouygues/Cruz.
The only match NSU didn’t win was at No. 3 doubles with Polanska/Ishibashi trailing 5-3 against Sophia Sara Safarova/Morgan Forshag when the point was clinched.
NSU has claimed the last nine doubles points while dropping just one match.
Klevisar picked up her fourth straight singles win with a 6-3, 6-1 decision over Safarova to push NSU’s edge to 2-0.
The Lady Demons quickly closed the next two points as Polanska and Minetti finished off their opponents.
Minetti won her eighth straight singles match with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Jesse Mount.
NSU tacked on the final three points with wins from Ishibashi, Dohnalova and Wojcikova.
Ishibashi handled Laura Lopez (6-1, 6-2), Dohnalova defeated Simona Maksimovic (6-4, 6-3) and Wojcikova outlasted Carla Bouygues 7-6 (4), 6-4.
Ishibashi (eight straight) and Wojcikova (seven straight) also extended lengthy singles winning streaks.
NSU will finish the regular season Tuesday against Louisiana Tech, hosting the Lady Techsters in a 2:30 p.m. match before turning its attention to the Southland Conference Tournament.
The Lady Demons secured the No. 1 seed in the tournament, which runs April 22-24 at UNO. | http://klax-tv.com/tennis-northwestern-state-sweeps-nicholls-to-win-outright-southland-conference-title/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tennis-northwestern-state-sweeps-nicholls-to-win-outright-southland-conference-title | 2022-04-12T22:00:42 | 1 | http://klax-tv.com/tennis-northwestern-state-sweeps-nicholls-to-win-outright-southland-conference-title/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=tennis-northwestern-state-sweeps-nicholls-to-win-outright-southland-conference-title |
Local Headlines United for Alice , LA Foundation Reports Children Living in Financial Hardship April 12, 2022 Jacque Murphy 0 Comments Tweet Tweet | http://klax-tv.com/united-for-alice-la-foundation-reports-children-living-in-financial-hardship/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=united-for-alice-la-foundation-reports-children-living-in-financial-hardship | 2022-04-12T22:00:49 | 0 | http://klax-tv.com/united-for-alice-la-foundation-reports-children-living-in-financial-hardship/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=united-for-alice-la-foundation-reports-children-living-in-financial-hardship |
(The Hill) — Former President Trump is facing a dilemma: when — or even whether — to endorse the 2022 reelection bid of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, one of his biggest potential rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
Since leaving Washington last year, Trump has issued a long, if not sporadic, list of endorsements that includes other prospective presidential hopefuls such as South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Tim Scott, R-S.C.
But absent from that list so far is DeSantis, a steadfast Trump ally and rising conservative political star who is seen as a front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nod, especially in the event that Trump decides against another run for the White House.
It’s unclear exactly why Trump hasn’t issued an endorsement in his adopted home state’s gubernatorial race. One Republican donor suggested that the former president may be holding back because DeSantis hasn’t yet pledged to defer to Trump should he run again in 2024.
“I think with the president, you don’t get anything for free,” one Republican donor said. “He wants DeSantis to come out and say that he won’t run if [Trump] runs. I think once he does that, an endorsement would probably come pretty quick.”
Speculation has swirled for months that the once-close relationship between Trump and DeSantis has grown rocky amid the latter’s rise within conservative political circles and chatter that he may be eyeing the White House in 2024.
Trump himself has floated the idea of launching another presidential run, and has repeatedly suggested that any potential rival should think twice before challenging him for the GOP nod.
In an interview with The Washington Post last week, the former president waved off the possibility of DeSantis challenging him for the 2024 nomination, saying that he’s responsible for the Florida governor’s political success in the first place.
“You know Ron was at 3 percent, and the day I endorsed him, he won the race,” Trump told the Post, referring to the 2018 race for Florida governor, when DeSantis was locked in a heated primary runoff against then-Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam.
“As soon as I endorsed him, the race was over,” he added.
Both men have sought to dispel talk of tensions in their relationship. DeSantis has repeatedly said that he’s focused only on winning a second term in the governor’s mansion, while Trump has offered some public praise of DeSantis, telling the Post that he has been a good governor.
“I have a good relationship with Ron, I have a good relationship with all the names you mentioned,” Trump told the Post. “Would they run against me? I doubt they would run against me. I doubt it.”
Still, DeSantis’ growing influence within the GOP is clear and multiple Republican sources said they have little doubt that he has political ambitions beyond the Sunshine State.
While early polling shows Trump as the heavy favorite among Republican voters for the 2024 presidential nomination, DeSantis routinely polls in second place among would-be GOP presidential hopefuls and gains significant ground when Trump is taken out of the running.
That trend was made clear at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando in February, where a straw poll of attendees showed that 59 percent would support Trump for the 2024 nomination, while DeSantis finished in second place with 28 percent.
Without Trump on the ballot, however, DeSantis is the clear favorite for the nomination. Sixty-one percent of CPAC attendees said they would back the Florida governor in Trump’s absence.
There’s also DeSantis’ massive fundraising power to consider. The Florida governor raised more than $100 million last year, according to filings with the Florida secretary of state. That puts him in the same league as Trump, whose affiliated groups raised around $140 million in 2021.
“Obviously, assuming Ron wins his reelection bid, which is a very good bet, we are looking at a Trump vs. DeSantis battle for the Republican nomination,” one Republican operative allied with Trump said. “Both men have the admiration of the rank-and-file voters in the Republican Party and they both have the two largest coffers.”
“I think both of them recognize that the inevitable is that they’re going to face each other [in 2024],” the operative added. “So for Trump, he’s gotta ask, do you really want to elevate DeSantis even more when he’s already doing so well?”
Ford O’Connell, a Florida-based Republican strategist and former congressional candidate, suggested a more mundane reason for why Trump hasn’t endorsed DeSantis’s reelection bid, noting that the state’s primaries are still more than four months away and the governor faces only nominal opposition for the GOP gubernatorial nomination.
DeSantis also appears to be the heavy favorite in the general election. While the November election is still nearly seven months away, polling shows him leading his highest-profile Democratic rivals, including Rep. Charlie Crist and state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried.
“If DeSantis finds himself in trouble, I’m sure Trump will endorse him, and I would bet that he probably eventually will,” O’Connell said. “When you look at most of the races where Trump has endorsed, they’re competitive primaries and that’s where Trump has the most sway.”
“I’m just not sure that Trump’s endorsement is a top priority [for DeSantis] right now,” O’Connell added. “That doesn’t mean he wouldn’t like Trump’s endorsement. Of course he would.” | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/trump-faces-tough-decision-on-desantis-endorsement/ | 2022-04-12T22:06:39 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/trump-faces-tough-decision-on-desantis-endorsement/ |
CHICAGO — Chicago firefighters have pulled at least two people from the rubble following a partial building collapse on Chicago’s West Side.
WGN News has learned that one adult remains buried and is in critical condition.
Multiple emergencies crews remain on scene in the 3400 block of W. Jackson. Bystanders who spoke with WGN News say people were sitting on the porch at the time of the collapse.
Circumstances on what led to the collapse were not immediately known.
Paramedics say at least two people were rushed to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
This is a developing story. Stay with WGN News for updates. | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/at-least-2-pulled-from-rubble-following-partial-building-collapse-on-west-side/ | 2022-04-12T22:06:45 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/at-least-2-pulled-from-rubble-following-partial-building-collapse-on-west-side/ |
(NewsNation) — Investigators in Utah have tracked down a man accused of faking his own death to avoid a rape charge.
The man in question, who was reportedly found in Scotland, is maintaining his innocence and insisting police have the wrong guy.
The man identified by authorities as Nicholas Alahverdian, who claims he is a different man, was arrested in December for a 2008 sexual assault allegation in Orem, Utah. According to prosecutors, he invited a woman to whom he owed money to his home, saying he would pay her back but instead raped her.
The registered sex offender is under investigation in four states for sexual assault and kidnapping. He also faces charges for fraudulently obtaining credit cards in his foster father’s name, amassing $200,000 in debt.
Many people in Rhode Island, including reporters, local politicians and members of his own family, believed Alahverdian died in February 2020 from cancer. Someone claiming to be his wife confirmed the reported death and had an obituary published for him. His life was even eulogized at the Rhode Island State House, where he was praised for his work on behalf of children. But it turns out, authorities say, he was alive.
“I’m shocked. Honestly, I feel like that I was used a little bit. I went along with it, you know, meaning I was unaware that this was a setup,” uncle Michael Alahverdian said.
Law enforcement officers say they tracked Nicholas Alahverdian down in December. They say he was in a Scottish hospital on a ventilator being treated for COVID-19. Scottish investigators and staff at the Glasgow hospital reportedly worked with the Utah County Attorney’s Office to identify Alahverdian based on tattoos and DNA evidence.
While it may seem like the case was nearly closed, they soon learned it was just the beginning.
The man identified as Alahverdian claims his name is actually Arthur Knight and that the entire ordeal is a big misunderstanding. The man saying he is Knight insists he has never even been to the United States and a woman claiming to be his wife backs up his story.
Still, the man claiming to be Knight has not been able to produce a birth certificate to authorities. He also refused to roll up his sleeves when a BBC reporter asked to check his arm for tattoos.
Knight appeared Monday on NewsNation’s “Dan Abrams Live” via Zoom, but his breathing device made him hard to understand. He did show parts of his arms during the interview. And as for DNA evidence, his attorney Craig Johnson says prosecutors don’t have it.
“There is no DNA. That’s inaccurate. (The prosecutor) is inaccurate and we’re looking forward to proving that beyond a reasonable doubt,” Johnson said.
Johnson said he just returned from spending time with Knight. According to Nexstar’s WPRI, Johnson is not representing Knight in the U.K. proceedings.
“I just got back from spending four days in Scotland with him and his wife. I was able to see his arms as proof that he does not have the tattoos supposedly, that Mr. Alahverdian had,” Johnson said. “In addition, during those entire time with him, some 12- to 16-hour days, I never saw him off of his oxygen mask, it all seemed genuine to me. There were times that I had to help him out of his wheelchair into a sitting chair for dinner and things like that into his car. And so from my perspective, he is not Mr. Alahverdian. He’s never been to the United States and they have the wrong man.”
Johnson previously worked for the Utah County Attorney, and a Salt Lake Tribune article from March 2020 reveals that he and two other prosecutors resigned amid an investigation into whether they received inappropriate gifts from a defense attorney.
Even with Johnson’s arguments, prosecutors are not backing down. They say in the past, Alahverdian was able to avoid law enforcement by giving multiple aliases. Officials believe there may be more victims of Alahverdian in multiple states. | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/man-accused-of-faking-own-death-found-maintains-innocence/ | 2022-04-12T22:06:51 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/man-accused-of-faking-own-death-found-maintains-innocence/ |
TAMPA (WFLA) – A heroic teacher at a New Jersey school was caught on surveillance camera saving a student who was choking on a water bottle cap in class.
According to WABC, Robert, a 9-year-old student at East Orange Community Charter School, was in his math class Wednesday when he needed a sip of water.
When Robert attempted to open up a bottle of water with his teeth, the force of the water from him holding it caused pressure which lodged the bottle cap into his throat.
The 9-year-old tried to get the cap out on his own as he ran to the back of the classroom but he realized he could not breathe and he quickly ran to his teacher Ms.JaNiece Jenkins.
Jenkins quickly administered the Helmick maneuver and was able to dislodge the bottle cap from Robert’s throat and save the day. | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/watch-teacher-saves-3rd-grader-choking-on-water-bottle-cap/ | 2022-04-12T22:06:57 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/watch-teacher-saves-3rd-grader-choking-on-water-bottle-cap/ |
MISSISSIPPI (NBC) – An umpire in Mississippi is recovering after being punched in the face following a softball game for 12-year-old children.
Kristie Moore says she was filling in for an umpire who got sick. She has been calling games for 10 years.
During the game, a mother was cursing so badly during the game that Moore asked her to leave. Eventually, the coach made the mom leave, but instead of going home, the woman is accused of waiting to confront Moore after the game, punching her and then running away.
The mother, Kiara Thomas, was arrested and charged with simple assault.
Moore said some parents are out of control and make it harder and harder for umpires to do their jobs.
“It’s ridiculous. The verbal abuse and even now, I mean, it’s, it’s turned into physical abuse now also at this point, and, I mean, enough is enough. I mean, I also staff every USFA tournament for the state of Mississippi with umpires, and it gets harder and harder and harder every tournament to staff these tournaments because nobody one wants to listen to the verbal abuse and run the risk of what happened to me happening to them,” Moore said.
A bill was introduced in the Mississippi legislature earlier this year that would make assaulting a referee or umpire a felony as aggravated assault. That bill, however, died on the calendar.
Moore said she hopes that, after this, lawmakers will take a second look. | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/woman-arrested-after-punching-umpire-in-the-face-at-12-year-old-softball-game/ | 2022-04-12T22:07:03 | 0 | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/woman-arrested-after-punching-umpire-in-the-face-at-12-year-old-softball-game/ |
TULSA, Okla. (KFOR) – A woman was taken into custody after she allegedly assaulted a worker at a fast-food restaurant for taking too long.
Around 10 p.m. on April 9, officers with the Tulsa Police Department were called to the Sonic near 59th and S. Lewis for an assault with a weapon call.
Investigators say Stacy Minihan was waiting in a Ford Expedition at one of the stalls at Sonic.
When the carhop delivered her food, witnesses say she became upset because the order took too long.
As the carhop tried to explain that the restaurant was short-staffed, witnesses say Minihan got out of the car and slapped the tray of food out of the carhop’s hand.
At that point, she allegedly punched the carhop in the chest.
When Minihan left the restaurant, a witness attempted to follow her to get her license plate number.
Investigators allege that Minihan pulled over, got out of her car, and shot the witness in the face with a pepper ball gun.
The victim was hit multiple times and was bleeding from the head.
Miniham was taken into custody a short distance away.
Authorities say they found the pepper ball gun, nearly 30 grams of methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia.
Minihan was arrested on complaints of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery, and trafficking meth. | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/woman-attacked-sonic-carhop-for-taking-too-long-police-say/ | 2022-04-12T22:07:09 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/national/woman-attacked-sonic-carhop-for-taking-too-long-police-say/ |
WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — When the bipartisan-passed No Surprises law took effect at the beginning of the year, the goal was to protect consumers from surprise medical bills. But now that it’s in effect, 6 lawsuits have been filed by medical associations.
The No Surprises law is meant to protect Americans from unanticipated, out-of-network bills that can total thousands of dollars.
The law, said Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, “protects Americans from being broadsided, surprised, by unexpected medical bills. We’re going to be vigorous in enforcement of that law.”
But the Biden adminitration is now facing six lawsuits from medical associations that disagree with the proposed rules for implementing the law.
Various medical associations bringing the suits declined on-camera interviews but said they’re not challenging the portions that affect consumers’ out-of-pocket expenses.
They argue Congress wrote the law to allow for an independent dispute resolutions process to decide how much insurance companies should pay and that the Health and Human Services rules don’t allow for that.
Patricia Kelmar with the US Public Interest Research Groups said the rules crafted by the Biden administration serve as important guardrails.
“You can imagine what happens when you take a away a very lucrative billing practice from providers. They’re very upset,” Kelmar said. “When out-of-network providers can charge whatever they want with no regard to a market value, then all consumers, all insured consumers are paying those added costs.”
She said in the end consumers will pay higher premiums to pick up that cost. | https://www.wfla.com/news/washington-dc/med-associations-sue-over-no-surprises-billing-law/ | 2022-04-12T22:07:15 | 1 | https://www.wfla.com/news/washington-dc/med-associations-sue-over-no-surprises-billing-law/ |
In the history of the Watergate scandal of 1972 — arguably the most egregious instance of government corruption in the nation’s history — one of the consistent narratives involves the cold political calculation reached by embattled President Richard Nixon that he was shielded from impeachment because Congress was horrified at the prospect of a President Spiro Agnew.
Nixon is said to have characterized his vice president as “my insurance policy,” telling close associates and his White House staff that for Congress the political risk of elevating Agnew to the presidency was greater than the risk of opposing impeachment proceedings.
Nixon’s insurance policy was cancelled when Agnew resigned from office in October of 1973 after pleading no contest to income tax evasion charges. Facing certain impeachment, Nixon resigned less than a year later.
Substitute President Joe Biden for Nixon and Vice President Kamala Harris for Agnew and the parallels are similar.
Obviously, Biden is not threatened by impeachment, nor is there any evidence that he shares Nixon’s “insurance policy” belief, but the growing concern over his misstatements and verbal blunders has re-ignited speculation over whether his cognitive abilities have declined to a dangerous point, casting doubt on his serving his full first term or seeking re-election in 2024.
Departing office prematurely would turn the office over to Harris, who would lay claim to the Democratic nomination in 2024, an outcome that keeps Democrats awake at night.
In recent weeks, Biden’s communications staff and Cabinet members were propelled into frantic damage control mode to clarify or rescind his comments and reassure allies that his pronouncements did not represent changes in American policy.
From his remarks that the United States would respond “in kind” if Russia deployed chemical weapons in their invasion of Ukraine, or his suggestion that Russian President Vladimir Putin should be toppled from power – an argument for a policy of regime change – Biden’s responses to the war in Ukraine have been a rhetorical minefield.
While Harris shattered the glass ceiling of race and gender, her tenure as vice president has been a rocky one. Her public speeches and responses to media questions have often been disjointed ramblings. She frequently appears unprepared and unsure of herself, lapsing into nervous laughter at inopportune moments.
Her public approval polling numbers have fallen below even those of Biden, and she is not associated with any major initiatives or administration successes.
Early in the administration, she was tasked with dealing with the immigration crisis at the Southern border and with shepherding voting rights legislation through the Congress — contentious issues that defied solutions and were guaranteed to reflect poorly on her.
Her relationship with the president’s staff has been described as testy, and her involvement in developing major policy initiatives as insignificant.
Granted, the vice presidency is a subordinate position and its occupant must tread lightly to avoid upstaging the president.
In the event the Republican Party, as anticipated, sweeps the midterm elections and regains control of the House and potentially the Senate, the Biden legislative agenda is dead in the water come January 2023.
With a punishing rate of inflation driving the cost of living to unprecedented levels, voters are expected to unleash their anger on the president and his party. If a gallon of gas continues to cost more than a pound of ground beef, a grassroots rebellion is inevitable.
In the absence of a Biden candidacy, the Democratic Party leadership will confront an extraordinarily difficult choice — coalesce behind a candidate or acknowledge that Harris holds a legitimate claim on the nomination despite their belief she is not presidential material.
The roster of Republicans eager to make a serious run at what they perceive to be a wounded administration without accomplishments or deep national support will be a lengthy one.
The political environment clearly favors Republicans and a Harris presidency or candidacy enhances the prospect of a White House they occupy and a Congress they control.
Biden is certainly not Nixon, and Harris is just as surely not Agnew. And, while the analogy may not be perfect, the landscape is familiar. | https://www.djournal.com/opinion/columnists/biden-harris-present-a-shaky-future-for-democrats/article_815b6a7e-7678-54db-b0ff-386aeb695ee5.html | 2022-04-12T22:08:52 | 0 | https://www.djournal.com/opinion/columnists/biden-harris-present-a-shaky-future-for-democrats/article_815b6a7e-7678-54db-b0ff-386aeb695ee5.html |
STARKVILLE • On a day where he lost two guards to the transfer portal, new Mississippi State women's basketball coach Sam Purcell has brought a new piece in.
Former Florida State guard Kourtney Weber is transferring to Mississippi State, according to a 247Sports report. She has one season of eligibility remaining — her extra COVID-19 season.
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Weber, who averaged 2.9 points per game in her senior season last year, saw a dip in production from her junior season. In the 2020-21 season, she scored nearly 12 points per contest, shot nearly 40% from deep and started all 18 games for the Seminoles.
She started just nine of 28 games last season, shooting 30% from the field and 14.6% on 3-pointers.
Purcell is familiar with Weber having coached against her six times the previous four seasons in the ACC while he was an assistant at Louisville.
Weber is a New Orleans native who attended Ursuline Academy.
MSU saw the departures of Ashley Jones and Alyza Winston on Tuesday following Myah Taylor's entrance into the portal March 30.
With signee Debreasha Powe coming in and the addition of Weber, Mississippi State has 10 players on its current roster. Purcell can add five more players and likely will in the near future with his staff assembled and recruiting.
STEFAN KRAJISNIK is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at stefan.krajisnik@djournal.com. | https://www.djournal.com/sports/college/mississippi-state/mississippi-state-adds-florida-states-kourtney-weber-from-transfer-portal-per-report/article_eba05e83-acb1-5ad1-bfb8-f5206feffa4f.html | 2022-04-12T22:08:58 | 0 | https://www.djournal.com/sports/college/mississippi-state/mississippi-state-adds-florida-states-kourtney-weber-from-transfer-portal-per-report/article_eba05e83-acb1-5ad1-bfb8-f5206feffa4f.html |
OXFORD – Ole Miss guard Jarkel Joiner – an Oxford native and the team’s leading scorer last season – has entered the transfer portal, he announced on social media Tuesday afternoon.
Joiner is a senior who has an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He starred at Oxford High and was one of the top scorers in the nation at 36.5 points per game. He began his career at Cal State Bakersfield and averaged 13.2 points per game over two seasons.
Joiner played in 51 games at Ole Miss and averaged 12.5 points per game. He missed time during the season 2021-22 season with a back injury but averaged 13.2 points per game.
Join the conversation in our exclusive Facebook group for Rebel fans
Joiner is the sixth player to enter the transfer portal for the Rebels this offseason.
Ole Miss signed Jackson State’s Jayveous McKinnis Tuesday morning and is set to return star point guard Daeshun Ruffin and fellow blue-chip recruit Matthew Murrell.
Ruffin suffered a torn ACL during the season but averaged 12.6 points per game as a true freshman. Murrell averaged 12 points per game last season as a sophomore. Jaemyn Brakefield (7.7 points per game) will also be back.
MICHAEL KATZ is the Ole Miss athletics reporter for the Daily Journal. Contact him at michael.katz@djournal.com. | https://www.djournal.com/sports/college/ole-miss/ole-miss-leading-scorer-jarkel-joiner-enters-transfer-portal/article_5999ee45-5e8e-5b13-858b-8002ac3a1520.html | 2022-04-12T22:09:04 | 1 | https://www.djournal.com/sports/college/ole-miss/ole-miss-leading-scorer-jarkel-joiner-enters-transfer-portal/article_5999ee45-5e8e-5b13-858b-8002ac3a1520.html |
The gruesome task of exhuming the bodies of Ukrainian victims from mass graves in Bucha on the outskirts of Kyiv was underway Monday as trucks filled with body bags of the dead transported them to sites for forensic analysis.
Among them was a Ukrainian soldier wearing camouflage, his shriveled hand raised; many others of the hundreds killed were civilians, including young children.
Elsewhere on the edges of the capital, mounds of destroyed and burned vehicles were piled on top of each other. Local residents climbed atop an abandoned and damaged Russian tank. A boy walked by unexploded Russian shells in the village of Andriyivka, on the outskirts of Kyiv.
All were evidence of the destruction and death left behind by the retreating Russian forces following a weekslong occupation. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/ap-photos-on-day-47-exhumed-bodies-on-outskirts-of-kyiv/ | 2022-04-12T22:10:46 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/ap-photos-on-day-47-exhumed-bodies-on-outskirts-of-kyiv/ |
Gov. Tim Walz voluntarily released his family’s 2021 income tax returns on Monday, showing he and his wife, Gwen, a teacher, earned a combined $159,696 last year.
According to the returns, the Walzes paid $22,111 in federal taxes and $7,885 in state taxes. That means the couple paid an effective tax rate of about 19 percent.
“Minnesotans need to be able to trust their leaders, and that starts with transparency and accountability,” Gov. Walz said in a statement. “Candidates from both parties have committed to releasing their returns in previous elections, and I am releasing mine today to maintain that commitment to transparent elections. I encourage all candidates running for governor to release their tax returns so Minnesotans can make informed choices in this election.”
Walz previously has released more than 10 years of tax returns, dating back to his time in Congress. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/gov-walz-releases-family-tax-return-showing-159696-in-income/ | 2022-04-12T22:10:52 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/gov-walz-releases-family-tax-return-showing-159696-in-income/ |
Minnesota’s largest police association has endorsed state Sen. Paul Gazelka, R-East Gull Lake, for governor in November.
Monday’s announcement by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association is noteworthy because the top competitors in a crowded field of Republicans are trying to distinguish themselves as law-and-order candidates at a time when crime is perceived to be a major problem, especially by Republican voters and perhaps by key swing voters.
The group’s endorsement of Gazelka isn’t limited to the Republican field; if Gazelka were to advance to the general election, he’d hold their support as he goes against Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat who is seeking re-election in November.
“He is an extraordinary supporter of first responders and public safety officials and stands against attempts to defund and dismantle the police,” MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters said of Gazelka in a statement. “He will always promote public safety proposals that keep communities safe.”
There has been no proposal within the state Legislature or from Walz to defund or dismantle the police, but ideas like that gained enough traction in the left wing of the Democratic party — and in a failed Minneapolis ballot initiative to reinvent the police department — that it has become a popular way for police groups and their staunchest allies to frame the issue.
Former state Sen. Scott Jensen, a Republican physician from Chaska who has gained a national platform endorsing dubious ideas about COVID-19, is widely thought to be the front-runner in the race for the GOP endorsement.
The Republican field also includes state Sen. Michelle Benson, R-Ham Lake, former business owner Kendall Qualls, former Hennepin County Sheriff Rick Stanek, Lexington Mayor Mike Murphy, and physician and business owner Neil Shah. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/mn-police-association-endorses-paul-gazelka-for-governor/ | 2022-04-12T22:10:58 | 1 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/mn-police-association-endorses-paul-gazelka-for-governor/ |
Sitting against a side wall of a former West Seventh Street fire station now known as “a livingroom for the homeless,” tow truck driver Robert Pinto shook his head at the news that Freedom House would be closing its doors in less than a month, victim in part to a legal challenge brought by neighborhood bars, businesses and building owners.
“You think the business owners now complain?” said Pinto, 49, moments before helping to break up a heated verbal altercation between two guests. “All you’re doing is pouring gasoline on a fire that doesn’t need to be fanned.”
Since early January 2021, the drop-in day shelter at 296 West Seventh St. has offered guests free showers, television, games, crafts and access to computers and visiting social service partners, as well as three hot meals a day between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., seven days per week.
That ends May 8, “and not by choice,” said Sara Fleetham, development director for Listening House, the nonprofit that opened Freedom House as its larger satellite location at the request of city and county officials who approached them in November 2020.
At the time, a homeless crisis had spilled over into sizable clusters of tents parked on public property across from St. Paul City Hall and situated on other empty lots, woods and parkland throughout the Twin Cities. In response, St. Paul city and county officials used federal American Rescue Plan funding to relocate everyone they could into rented hotel rooms or new or existing shelters set up seemingly overnight.
PANDEMIC-ERA SHELTERS ARE CLOSING
As federal relief funding runs out, many of the temporary shelters set up in the early days of the pandemic are now closing. On May 31, Ramsey County will wrap up its lease at Bethesda Hospital, which the county rented from Farview Health Services for 100 traditional shelter beds and 32 beds dedicated to respite care for homeless residents with COVID.
That means dozens of residents will need to be relocated from that site alone.
“We are winding down operations at Bethesda and plan to have relocated our guests to other shelter spaces earlier in May,” said John Siqveland, a spokesman for Ramsey County. Fairview is eyeing the former hospital for a possible mental health specialty center.
In June, county beds that opened during the pandemic at downtown Mary Hall and Stub Hall at St. Paul’s Luther Seminary will also lose their county funding. Last November, Ramsey County ended its lease at hotel rooms at a Best Western and other sites.
The closures have brought a literal chill to St. Paul’s homeless community.
“You leave a dog outside in the winter, you can go to jail for that,” said Dewayne Parker, 58, sitting alongside Assumption Parish outreach volunteer Joe Scanlan. “These are human beings. They’ve lost fingers, toes to frostbite.”
TEMPORARY RESTRAINING ORDER
In late March, a Ramsey County District Court judge granted a temporary restraining order against Freedom House following legal action by the owners of Tom Reid’s Hockey Pub, Patrick McGovern’s Pub, Irvine Park Towers, Art Farm Advertising and a handful of other plaintiffs who said they had lost business due to nuisance activity.
In a legal affidavit, Patrick Boemer, owner of McGovern’s, said car break-ins at his parking lot had become a weekly occurrence since the arrival of Freedom House, and panhandlers had begged and harassed customers and used his bar bathroom for “legal and illegal activities.”
Tom Reid’s affidavit spelled out 121 incidents of open drug use, prostitution, loitering and other challenges. Given that various types of crime increased during the pandemic, skeptics have questioned whether all of those problems could be attributed to the drop-in shelter.
While acknowledging the “cumulative impact” of various public safety concerns, Judge Patrick Diamond noted the testimonies are mostly silent on “time, location and how the incident relates to Freedom House,” and some situations appeared to be hearsay reported secondhand by customers and neighboring business owners, or overlapping accounts of the same crime.
Diamond delayed his March 23 restraining order from taking effect for 45 days, granting the city until early May to host a public hearing on the use of the fire station as a homeless facility, which falls outside the zoning code that was in effect at the time it opened.
Among the various issues in the 43-page order, Diamond cited a lack of proper public notification in the St. Paul Legal Ledger, which is published by Minnesota Lawyer and carries the city’s official legal notices.
The next court date in the case is May 9, but instead of amending zoning to allow Freedom House to stay, city officials have shown little interest in fighting to keep the site open. Freedom House plans to shutter the day before.
The St. Paul City Council is scheduled to discuss the temporary restraining order during a private closed-door session on Wednesday, but council members privately acknowledged that by then, the discussion may be moot.
“I think that the council always was looking for a higher and better use of that public facility,” said Council President Amy Brendmoen on Monday. “Obviously, the (homeless) services are needed and appreciated, but perhaps there’s a better location.”
LISTENING HOUSE ISN’T ENOUGH
Listening House has for years maintained a weekday drop-in space in the basement of First Lutheran Church on Maria Avenue in Dayton’s Bluff, but patrons on Monday called the church basement smaller and less well-equipped to handle their many needs.
Listening House, which currently opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, will extend service until 5 p.m. Pinto said he’ll soon start a job as a tow truck driver, working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., so he’ll be heading to work well before the doors open and coming back after they close.
“I’m going to lose a lot,” said Pinto, who suffers from bouts of depression. “I won’t be able to wash clothes. I’m going to have to spend my food stamps. It’s nice to have a quality hot meal instead of cold crap. I can get mail here, get all my hygiene stuff. This is going to be a big impact on me.”
Dawone Boclair, 46, was equally skeptical that closing a facility for the homeless would boost foot traffic for business owners.
“Was it really having a financial effect, or was it because of COVID?” said Boclair, while eating a chicken sandwich from the Freedom House lunch line. “They could have helped out. They could have come down here and hired people.”
Based on recommendations from the city’s Planning Commission, the St. Paul City Council last year loosened zoning rules to allow drop-in day shelters for the homeless citywide, with certain conditions. Among those conditions, sites larger than 7,000 square feet would need to apply for a conditional use permit. Freedom House spans 17,000 square feet.
It’s unclear what the city will do with the former fire station, which once housed the city’s EMS Academy, a training program geared toward introducing young people to a potential career as an EMT-paramedic or firefighter.
Council Member Rebecca Noecker, who represents the area, said the St. Paul Fire Department has expressed interest in reclaiming the site for general emergency use, as well as its new CARES mental health and social service response. Looking out longer term, it could go on the market for sale, she said. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/st-pauls-freedom-house-to-close-may-8/ | 2022-04-12T22:11:04 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/st-pauls-freedom-house-to-close-may-8/ |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) – An Erie County probation officer and their supervisor are suspended without pay after failures with the case involving Kente Bell, who is accused of leading police on a chase last month that ended in a shootout.
Bell was on probation for a 2020 gun-related conviction when the chase happened March 29.
Multiple law enforcement sources told News 4 the Erie County Probation Department received a tip about Bell in February. The tip stated Bell had a gun and made a threat, both of which would be a violation of his probation.
The probation officer and supervisor went to Bell’s home in Buffalo to follow up on the tip, but he wasn’t there. The officer and supervisor never followed up, the sources said.
Bell is charged with trying to kill three officers during the shootout. He continues to recover at ECMC after being shot during the chase.
The Buffalo News first reported details about discipline against the probation officers.
Previous updates in this story
- Buffalo PD: Three officers shot during pursuit
- Buffalo Police releases names of 3 officers shot
- Buffalo Police continue to investigate high-speed chase after three officers shot
- DA Flynn reveals new details on high-speed chase, man accused of shooting 3 BPD officers
- Man charged with shooting at police arraigned on another charge
- Buffalo police officer shot last week released from hospital
Dave Greber is an award-winning anchor and reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here. | https://www.wivb.com/news/crime/probation-officer-supervisor-suspended-after-failing-to-follow-up-on-man-who-led-chase/ | 2022-04-12T22:11:10 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/crime/probation-officer-supervisor-suspended-after-failing-to-follow-up-on-man-who-led-chase/ |
U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, a Democrat from Minnesota’s south suburban 2nd Congressional District, announced Monday that her campaign raised more than $1 million in the first quarter of 2022.
Craig reported she has raised $3.6 million so far in this two-year cycle and now has $3.67 million in cash on hand.
Craig’s Republican challenger, Tyler Kistner of Prior Lake, was endorsed Saturday by the 2nd District GOP. He ran against Craig in 2020 and lost by 2 percentage points in the fifth-closest U.S. House race in the nation that year. Both candidates have been targeted by their respective parties as top priorities in this fall’s elections.
Craig, an Eagan resident who is seeking a third term, raised $5.4 million and spent $4.4 million in her 2020 campaign. Kistner raised and spent nearly $3 million on that race. He has not yet reported how much he raised during the first three months of this year. | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/u-s-rep-angie-craig-announces-fundraising-total-as-gop-endorses-kistner-in-rematch/ | 2022-04-12T22:11:11 | 0 | https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/11/u-s-rep-angie-craig-announces-fundraising-total-as-gop-endorses-kistner-in-rematch/ |
POMFRET, N.Y. (WIVB) — A Chautauqua County man was arrested Monday night around 10 p.m., following what the County Sheriff’s office described as “a physical altercation” at a residence in the Town of Pomfret.
Chautauqua County Sheriff’s deputies and State Police responded to a report of a disorderly person at a Berry Road residence. Cody Rodman, 25, reportedly got into an altercation with two other individuals. He was placed in custody and taken to Brooks Memorial Hospital for an evaluation.
After being released from the hospital, Rodman was taken to the county jail for arraignment. He was charged with strangulation in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree and aggravated harassment in the second degree.
He will return to the Town of Pomfret Court at a later date.
Adam Duke is a digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of his work here. | https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/western-new-york/chautauqua-county/chautauqua-county-man-arrested-on-strangulation-imprisonment-harassment-charges/ | 2022-04-12T22:11:16 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/western-new-york/chautauqua-county/chautauqua-county-man-arrested-on-strangulation-imprisonment-harassment-charges/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — As FOX59 gears up for our spring Pack the Pantries drive, Midwest Food Bank joined us to explain the three ways they help feed the community.
The food bank’s three core programs are local feeding and relief, disaster relief for the Salvation Army, and assistance to school children. A donation of just $50, for example, can provide a child a package of food to take home every weekend for the entire school year.
Last year, Midwest Food Bank distributed about 33 million meals in the state of Indiana, according to John Whitaker, the current executive director. They supply food to about 300 agencies in 62 counties.
For every $1 donated, more than $55 worth of food can be distributed, he said.
“We’re really appreciative of the folks in the community that step up and help,” Whitaker said. “We just want them to know that when you send a dollar, there’s about a week’s worth of meals going to an individual.”
In addition to monetary donations, Midwest is in need of volunteers, said Marcie Luhigo, the incoming executive director.
Learn more about our Pack the Pantries donation drives at fox59.com/packthepantries. | https://fox59.com/indy-now/pack-the-pantries-midwest-food-bank/ | 2022-04-12T22:14:29 | 1 | https://fox59.com/indy-now/pack-the-pantries-midwest-food-bank/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — Amanda Wright Swanger is not only a fan of knitting but also heavy metal.
Her business, Wilder and Rhys, specializes in selling handknitted and crocheted items such as animals, hats and handbags. To see all of the available products, click here.
Wilder and Rhys is currently offering a promotion for Indy Now viewers. By using the promo code INDYNOW10, customers will receive 10% off their purchase as well as free shipping. | https://fox59.com/indy-now/wilder-and-rhys-offers-handcrafted-knit-items/ | 2022-04-12T22:14:35 | 0 | https://fox59.com/indy-now/wilder-and-rhys-offers-handcrafted-knit-items/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — The Department of Public Works isn’t the only group trying to fix the roads. On Tuesday, eight community organizations in the city were awarded funding to improve streets and walkways.
The money is coming from the Indianapolis Neighborhood Infrastructure Partnership. Projects range from adding curbs along sidewalks to resurfacing streets through several neighborhoods.
The Department of Public Works matches the funds that organizations apply for, allowing them to complete more projects than they’d be able to alone.
“This is really what it’s all about. If I could sort of get a picture of the smile on your face when you first walked in when you said that you got funded, that’s what this program is really all about,” said DPW director Dan Parker. “Neighbors bringing their projects to us, as the mayor likes to say, to kind of move up that list to get it done.”
Using the funding, three intersections along Lafayette Road will be improved. These are the intersections with Roberta Street, Kessler Boulevard North Drive, and 21st Street. The improvements include added sidewalks, accessibility ramps, and crosswalks, thus increasing accessibility to the nearby Kessler Boulevard multimodal trail as well as nearby bus stops.
Other projects being funded by the program include:
The Oaks Academy
The Oaks Academy is a school serving student from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, and it is located at 1301 E 16th Street. The school received a partnership grant in 2021 to repair sidewalks in front of the school where children are picked up and dropped off. This year, the school’s infrastructure project includes new curbs to go with the new sidewalks.
Indianapolis Public Transportation Foundation
Supporting IndyGo’s initiatives for safe passage of pedestrians to and from transit stations, the IPTF proposed to design and construct safe pedestrian crossings at three intersections on Lafayette Road. This project is in tandem with IndyGo’s plan to make stops from 16th through 30th streets along Lafayette Road fully ADA compliant. Funds will result in HAWK signals being installed at existing bus stops, as well as new sidewalk connections and crosswalks.
Hearthstone HOA
The neighborhood, located at 91st Street and Masters Road, was built in 1982 and the roads have not seen significant rehabilitation since they were built. This project includes resurfacing areas within the neighborhood, including Fireside Drive.
Misty Woods HOA
This Franklin Township neighborhood was completed in the early 2000s. The neighborhood roads have not been rehabilitated since they were built. The roads identified for resurfacing include Misty Woods and Autumn Breeze lanes.
Pacers Bikeshare
Since opening the bikeshare in 2014, riders have logged more than a million miles throughout the city. Funds received through the partnership will be used to upgrade and increase capacity at a variety of bikeshare stations.
IUPUI
The university aims to keep students, employees and visitors by resurfacing roads within the campus. The project includes resurfacing University Boulevard, from Indiana Avenue to New York Street; and Limestone Street from Hine to Vermont streets.
Greenbriar Neighborhood Association
This neighborhood near W 79th Street and Ditch Rd wishes to repair more than 1,600 feet of sidewalk in the neighborhood. Many of the sidewalk panels in this neighborhood are original to the neighborhood which dates back to the mid-1970s.
Southeast Neighborhood Development Inc. (SEND)
The organization requested support for new sidewalks to be built on the north side of Hanna Avenue to support Hanna Commons, a supportive housing development currently in development near Keystone and Hanna avenues. This project is conditional upon the limits of the public right-of-way surrounding Hanna Avenue, currently being surveyed. | https://fox59.com/news/indy-neighborhoods-get-funding-to-improve-streets-and-walkways/ | 2022-04-12T22:14:41 | 1 | https://fox59.com/news/indy-neighborhoods-get-funding-to-improve-streets-and-walkways/ |
BUENOS AIRES -- Some of the world's top women polo players compete this week in Argentina in the sport's first-ever female World Cup, the culmination of years of growing opportunity in a game known for its equestrian allure and high-society sensibilities.
The woman's polo World Cup got under way last Saturday at the Cathedral stadium in the leafy Palermo neighborhood of Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, and will conclude on April 16 after the week-long tournament. The competition features teams from the home country, the United States, Brazil, England, Italy and Ireland.
"In recent years, the growth of women's polo has been so impressive," Clara Cassino, a top Argentine player, told Reuters. "Each year it grows so much, more so for women's polo than for the men," she added, in a nod to the addition of women's tournaments in Argentina and beyond.
An earlier tournament known as the Women's Polo Open kicked off in Buenos Aires five years ago with its own player rating system, or handicap, and is held each year concurrent with a men's tournament, which dates back more than a century.
The women's tournament is credited with inspiring similar competitions in recent years in Britain and the United States as the game has grown in popularity.
Polo, often dubbed the sport of kings, is believed to be one of the world's oldest known team sports, but traditionally only open to men.
It was brought to Argentina's sprawling plains, or pampas, by British immigrants in the late 1800s, where it found a home alongside the South American country's iconic gaucho cowboys.
Today, Argentina is among the top countries where polo is played, as well as being a major exporter of horses specially bred for the sport.
The game is played with teams of four horse-mounted players who aim to score points by hitting a ball through goal posts with long wooden mallets at the ends of the 300-yard-long (274-meter) grassy field.
Modern polo combines high-tech innovations, including horse cloning, with artisan-made studs, saddles and boots, and now new opportunities for women who want to play.
In an interview, Azucena Uranga, a 20-year-old member of the Argentine national team, cheered the chance to compete in the first World Cup.
"It gives us our own place and an incredible opportunity, one that maybe we'll only fully realize in a few years," she said.
Delfin Uranga, Azucena's father and the president of Argentina's polo association, stressed that the country's international leadership in the sport is especially important because other nations often follow its lead.
"It sends a message to the world," he said, "to give women an opportunity to compete at the same level as men." | https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/in-argentina-the-mecca-of-polo-women-swing-mallets-in-first-world-cup/article_af72b46c-efe4-5f3f-8720-9610219194e0.html | 2022-04-12T22:15:41 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/back_page/in-argentina-the-mecca-of-polo-women-swing-mallets-in-first-world-cup/article_af72b46c-efe4-5f3f-8720-9610219194e0.html |
WASHINGTON -- President Joe Biden Tuesday unveiled plans to extend the availability of higher biofuel blends of gasoline during the summer to curb soaring fuel costs and to cut reliance on foreign energy sources, senior administration officials said.
The move represents the administration's latest attempt to tamp down inflation, which hit a new 40-year high on Tuesday. Biden's poll numbers have sagged under the weight of higher consumer costs and inflation is seen as a significant liability heading into the November mid-term elections.
The decision also represents a win for the U.S. corn lobby by likely expanding demand for corn-based ethanol, and a setback for oil refiners that view ethanol as competition.
The measure will allow Americans to keep buying E15, a gasoline that uses a 15% ethanol blend, from June 1 to Sept. 15. While E15 is only 10 cents cheaper on average and is less "energy dense," meaning drivers would need to buy more fuel, it should still help lower expenses, the officials told reporters on a call previewing the announcement.
"Those savings can add up, especially during the summer months, when fuel is elevated and as the supply emergency caused by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin aggression continues," a senior administration official said.
The decision comes after several weeks of internal debate within the White House that pitted environmental advocates like Gina McCarthy against Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.
The summertime ban on E15 was imposed over concerns it contributes to smog in hot weather, though research has shown that the 15% blend may not increase smog relative to the more common 10% blends sold year-round.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine and sanctions and boycotts that followed launched retail gasoline prices to record highs, a vulnerability for Biden's fellow Democrats in November's congressional elections.
Biden last month announced that the United States would sell 180 million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at a rate of 1 million barrels per day starting in May, the biggest release from the stockpile since it was created in the 1970s.
Corn vs. Oil
Biden will make the E15 extension announcement during a visit to POET Bioprocessing, the largest biofuels producer in the United States in major corn producing state Iowa.
"We applaud President Biden and his administration for recognizing that low-cost, low-carbon ethanol should be given a fair opportunity to strengthen our energy security and reduce record-high pump prices,” Renewable Fuels Association President Geoff Cooper said.
Representatives of the oil industry slammed the administration for the decision.
"Americans are looking for long-term solutions, not short-term political fixes (to high gas prices)" said Ron Chit, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's main lobbying organization.
"The best way to ensure Americans have access to the affordable and reliable energy they need is to promote policies that incentive U.S. production and send a clear message that America is open for energy investment," he said.
The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFP) industry group questioned whether the expansion of E15 sales was lawful.
To make the change, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to issue a national emergency waiver closer to June, the administration officials said. The EPA is also considering additional action to allow for the use of E15 year-round, the White House said.
"Emergency fuel waivers are short term and reserved for very specific unforeseen events and regionally acute supply disruptions, such as those resulting from a hurricane," AFP Chief Executive Chet Thompson said.
The courts struck down a prior bid by Biden's predecessor, Republican Donald Trump, in 2019 to extend a waiver that allowed year-round sales of E15.
The officials previewing Biden's announcement said his administration would us a different "approach" and "authority" than Trump, but did not offer details.
They also said the EPA would work with states to ensure that there would be no "significant" negative impact on summer air quality due to the extended sale of E15. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/economy/biden-to-tap-ethanol-to-lower-fuel-prices-as-consumer-inflation-surges/article_f0543c95-cd71-5c24-9b79-0631af57f751.html | 2022-04-12T22:15:47 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/economy/biden-to-tap-ethanol-to-lower-fuel-prices-as-consumer-inflation-surges/article_f0543c95-cd71-5c24-9b79-0631af57f751.html |
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People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/southern-new-hampshire-health-names-mchugh-ceo/article_31ac4622-fb9d-56d7-b4ad-781f306928d5.html | 2022-04-12T22:15:59 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/southern-new-hampshire-health-names-mchugh-ceo/article_31ac4622-fb9d-56d7-b4ad-781f306928d5.html |
Sentiment among U.S. small businesses slid for a third month in March to the one of the lowest levels of the pandemic as soaring cost pressures induced the worst economic outlook on record.
The National Federation of Independent Business optimism index declined to 93.2, the lowest since April 2020, from 95.6, the group said Tuesday. The March reading was weaker than all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
The net share of owners expecting better business conditions in the next six months plunged to minus 49%, the lowest in monthly data back to 1986.
Some 31% of respondents reported that inflation was their biggest operating challenge in March, up from 26% a month earlier and also the largest share since the mid-1980s. The report showed more firms are having greater success raising selling prices -- 72% in March after 68% in the prior month.
Just two of the 10 components that make up the small-business optimism index rose last month. The biggest drag on the gauge was the decline in respondents who expect the economy to improve, followed closely by a drop in sales expectations. A net minus 18% of small firms, the worst since May 2020, said they anticipate stronger sales in coming months.
Plans for capital expenditures also deteriorated slightly, NFIB said. While small businesses had some success in hiring last month, the share with unfilled openings remains close to a record. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/u-s-small-business-optimism-slides-to-almost-two-year-low/article_cb8c34e2-dc2b-5d4b-b293-02c349473324.html | 2022-04-12T22:16:05 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/business/u-s-small-business-optimism-slides-to-almost-two-year-low/article_cb8c34e2-dc2b-5d4b-b293-02c349473324.html |
WASHINGTON -- An April 2023 jury trial has been scheduled in Dominion Voting Systems Inc.'s $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit accusing Fox News of trying to boost its ratings by falsely claiming the voting machine company rigged the 2020 presidential election against former President Donald Trump.
In a short written order issued on Friday, Delaware state court Judge Eric Davis said he was scheduling Denver-based Dominion's lawsuit for trial on April 17, 2023. Fox, part of Fox Corp., had asked Owens for a trial date in early 2024.
Owens set aside five weeks for the trial, which could be the first of several involving baseless claims made by a variety of news outlets and individuals about Dominion's technology. Dominion filed its lawsuit against Fox News in March 2021.
People associated with Trump's campaign, including lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, floated conspiracy theories that Dominion rigged vote totals in the weeks after the Nov. 3, 2020, election in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated Republican Trump.
Dominion has filed defamation lawsuits against several Trump allies, including Giuliani and Powell, as well as conservative television networks Newsmax and One America News. Another election technology firm at the center of conspiracy theories, Smartmatic, has filed similar lawsuits.
The defendants have said they were commenting on matters of public concern and their remarks are free speech protected by the Constitution's First Amendment.
Davis in December ruled against a Fox News request that he dismiss Dominion's lawsuit. Owens wrote in his ruling that it was "reasonably conceivable" that Dominion has a viable defamation claim, and allowed the company to continue to seek documents and witness testimony from Fox.
Fox News representatives have called Dominion's lawsuit "baseless" and have said the network remains committed to defending itself.
"As we have maintained, FOX News, along with every single news organization across the country, vigorously covered the breaking news surrounding the unprecedented 2020 election, providing full context of every story with in-depth reporting and clear-cut analysis," a Fox spokesperson said in December.
Fox News and Dominion representatives did not immediately reply to requests for comment on Tuesday. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/trial-date-set-in-defamation-suit-against-fox-news-over-u-s-election-claims/article_b29ff730-1b33-5b04-971d-29ca333d9478.html | 2022-04-12T22:16:11 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/trial-date-set-in-defamation-suit-against-fox-news-over-u-s-election-claims/article_b29ff730-1b33-5b04-971d-29ca333d9478.html |
BOSTON -- A U.S. judge on Tuesday questioned whether allowing Mexico to sue U.S. gun manufacturers for facilitating the trafficking of weapons to drug cartels would open the door to other countries suing them, including Russia over firearms used by Ukrainians in the ongoing war.
U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor in Boston raised that prospect as he weighed whether to dismiss Mexico's $10 billion lawsuit seeking to hold gun makers including Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Co responsible for a deadly flood of weapons across the border.
Mexico in a lawsuit filed in August accused the companies of undermining its strict gun laws by designing, marketing and distributing military-style assault weapons in ways they knew would arm drug cartels, fueling murders and kidnappings.
It said over 500,000 guns are trafficked annually from the United States into Mexico, of which more than 68% are made by the gun makers it sued, which also include Beretta USA, Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, Colt's Manufacturing Co. and Glock Inc.
"They know how criminals are getting their guns," Jonathan Lowy, a lawyer for Mexico, argued during the 90-minute virtual hearing. "They could stop and they choose to be willfully blind to the facts."
But Saylor questioned whether Mexico's stance would mean the protections gun makers typically enjoy under the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) from lawsuits over their products' misuse is "completely hollow."
He asked why if Mexico could sue the gun makers other countries could not too, such as Italy over mafia killings, Israel over attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas, or even Russia over the deaths of its soldiers in Ukraine if the companies' guns were used.
"If Ukrainians are using United States manufactured military weapons or Smith & Wesson revolvers for that matter to defend themselves, can the government of Russia come in and say you have caused us harm?" he asked. "I mean, why not, if your theory is right?"
Steven Shadowen, another lawyer for Mexico, said other foreign countries could sue too if they met the requirements, though he said U.S. courts could refuse to hear a case if it presented a political question.
But Andrew Lelling, a lawyer for Smith & Wesson, said it would be "absurd" to conclude the federal law only bars lawsuits over injuries in the United States and not Mexico's allegations over the trafficking of guns to Mexican criminals.
He said it was too much of a reach for Mexico to sue the companies over gun sales that were legal in the United States to wholesalers who in turn sold them to retailers before criminals smuggled them.
"They would have to argue that Congress intended for this robust statute to apply if an independent criminal actor shot somebody in San Diego, but not if he slips over the border and shoots somebody in Tijuana," Lelling said. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/u-s-gun-makers-urge-judge-to-throw-out-mexicos-10-billion-lawsuit/article_ecbb2b80-e4a4-53f4-91a5-9fedc3d9b023.html | 2022-04-12T22:16:18 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/courts/u-s-gun-makers-urge-judge-to-throw-out-mexicos-10-billion-lawsuit/article_ecbb2b80-e4a4-53f4-91a5-9fedc3d9b023.html |
BOSTON -- Boston officials will increase the number of police around subway stations ahead of Monday's Boston Marathon after a mass shooting in a New York subway but stressed there was no known threat to the race and voiced confidence in it going ahead.
A gunman wearing a gas mask set off a smoke bomb and shot 10 people in a New York City subway car during Tuesday's morning commute, authorities said. None of the wounded had life-threatening injuries, they added, and a manhunt for the perpetrator was underway.
"There is no known credible threat to the marathon. Like everybody else, we're monitoring the situation in New York," Boston Police Superintendent-in-Chief Gregory Long told a news conference on Tuesday, adding that his department had been in touch with their New York counterparts and the FBI.
"In the short term you can expect to see an increased police presence around MBTA stations the next couple of days through the weekend. In terms of Monday, depending on what kind of information we have and intelligence, we'll adjust our assets accordingly around the marathon," he said.
Security is of top concern for local authorities with heightened measures put in place after the Boston Marathon bombing attacks of 2013.
The Boston Police Department will have uniformed and undercover officers along the marathon route on Monday, and set up cameras and checkpoints along the Boston part of the race to monitor the crowd.
The city is expecting especially large crowds on Monday because the marathon is returning to its traditional April race date for the first time in three years following pandemic-related disruptions, while baseball's Boston Red Sox will also be playing at home that day.
Boston Athletic Association (BAA) President Tom Grilk expressed his confidence in the ability of the city authorities to safeguard the event.
"We are the grateful beneficiaries, we at the BAA and all involved in the marathon, of the work of all the agencies you see represented here and many others. So concerned? Not concerned in any unusual way," he told the same news conference.
"Alert, vigilant in every possible way. But knowing that that vigilance is in the hands of all the right people we're very comfortable to proceed." | https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/boston-to-boost-police-presence-at-subways-ahead-of-marathon/article_d069979b-086b-591a-b818-81bffa707fbc.html | 2022-04-12T22:16:24 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/boston-to-boost-police-presence-at-subways-ahead-of-marathon/article_d069979b-086b-591a-b818-81bffa707fbc.html |
Prosecutors have charged Kayla Montgomery with receiving stolen property related to a gun theft in the fall of 2019, the latest charge against the stepmother of missing girl Harmony Montgomery.
Montgomery, 31, had been offered a plea agreement for charges that she had received welfare benefits for Harmony after the girl went missing in 2019, but she now faces the additional charges.
Montgomery's new charges are related to a theft of firearms that occurred in the fall of 2019 in Manchester, according to a news release from the Attorney General's Office. She is being held at the Hillsborough County House of Corrections.
Montgomery's estranged husband, Adam Montgomery, was charged last week with several related firearms crimes. Prosecutors alleged he stole a rifle and shotgun in 2019 from a person prosecutors identified as C.F.
The new charges against Kayla Montgomery allege that in the fall of 2019, she received or kept the stolen firearms that belonged to C.F., and knew or believed they had been stolen.
There is no evidence of any connection between the stolen firearms and the disappearance of Harmony Montgomery, prosecutors said.
Police ask anyone with information about Harmony Montgomery's disappearance of whereabouts to call the Manchester Police Department’s 24-hour Harmony Montgomery tip line at 603-203-6060. | https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/kayla-montgomery-facing-stolen-property-charges/article_16d7867a-d4f1-5b74-9bd0-e341b3557fc6.html | 2022-04-12T22:16:30 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/kayla-montgomery-facing-stolen-property-charges/article_16d7867a-d4f1-5b74-9bd0-e341b3557fc6.html |
LONDON -- President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday peace talks with Ukraine had hit a dead end, using his first public comments on the conflict in more than a week to vow his troops would win and to goad the West for failing to bring Moscow to heel.
Addressing the war in public for the first time since Russian forces retreated from northern Ukraine after they were halted at the gates of Kyiv, Putin promised that Russia would achieve all of its "noble" aims in Ukraine.
In the strongest signal to date that the war will grind on for longer, Putin said Kyiv had derailed peace talks by staging what he said were fake claims of Russian war crimes and by demanding security guarantees to cover the whole of Ukraine.
"We have again returned to a dead-end situation for us," Putin, Russia's paramount leader since 1999, told a news briefing during a visit to the Vostochny Cosmodrome 3,450 miles east of Moscow.
Asked by Russian space agency workers if the operation in Ukraine would achieve its goals, Putin said: "Absolutely. I don't have any doubt at all."
Russia will "rhythmically and calmly" continue its operation but the most important strategic conclusion was that the unipolar international order which the United States had built after the Cold War was breaking up, Putin said.
Putin said Russia had no choice but to fight because it had to defend the Russian speakers of eastern Ukraine and prevent its former Soviet neighbor from becoming an anti-Russian springboard for Moscow's enemies.
The West has condemned the war as a brutal imperial-style land grab targeting a sovereign country. Ukraine says it is fighting for its survival after Putin annexed Crimea in 2014 and on Feb. 21 recognized two of its rebel regions as sovereign.
Putin dismissed the West's sanctions, which have tipped Russia towards its worst recession since the years following the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union, as a failure.
"That Blitzkrieg on which our foes were counting did not work," Putin said. "The United States is ready to fight with Russia until the last Ukrainian -- that is the way it is."
Putin, who had been ubiquitous on Russian television in the early days of the war, had largely retreated from public view since Russia's withdrawal from northern Ukraine two weeks ago.
His only public appearance in the past week was at the funeral of a nationalist lawmaker, where he did not directly address the war. On Monday he met the visiting chancellor of Austria at a country residence outside Moscow but no images of that meeting were released.
'Bucha is fake'
Putin dismissed Ukrainian and Western claims that Russia had committed war crimes as fakes.
Since Russian troops withdrew from towns and villages around the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, Ukrainian troops have been showing journalists corpses of what they say are civilians killed by Russian forces, destroyed houses and burnt-out cars.
Reuters saw dead bodies in the town of Bucha but could not independently verify who was responsible for the killings. Ukraine says Russia is guilty of genocide and President Joe Biden has accused Putin of war crimes and called for a trial.
Putin said he had told Western leaders to think a little about destruction by the United States of the Syrian city of Raqqa, the former de facto capital of the Islamic State caliphate, and in Afghanistan.
"Have you seen how this Syrian city was turned to rubble by American aircraft? Corpses lay in the ruins for months decomposing," Putin said. "Nobody cared. No one even noticed."
"There was no such silence when provocations were staged in Syria, when they portrayed the use of chemical weapons by the Assad government. Then it turned out that it was fake. It's the same kind of fake in Bucha."
Putin, who says Ukraine and Russia are essentially one people, casts the war as an inevitable confrontation with the United States, which he accuses of threatening Russia by meddling in its backyard.
Sixty one years to the day since the Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin blasted off into the history books by becoming the first man in space, Putin drew an analogy between Soviet space successes and Russia's defiance today.
"The sanctions were total, the isolation was complete but the Soviet Union was still first in space," said Putin, 69, recalling his own wonderment as a schoolboy learning of the achievement.
"We don't intend to be isolated," Putin added. "It is impossible to severely isolate anyone in the modern world -- especially such a vast country as Russia." | https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/putin-says-peace-talks-with-ukraine-are-at-dead-end-goads-the-west/article_c7ca70c7-dc62-558e-bfcf-f67623a88fde.html | 2022-04-12T22:16:36 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/crime/putin-says-peace-talks-with-ukraine-are-at-dead-end-goads-the-west/article_c7ca70c7-dc62-558e-bfcf-f67623a88fde.html |
CONCORD — Advocates for a broad range of causes from gun control to animal rights fondly recalled eight-term state Rep. Katherine Rogers as a fierce-but-respectful advocate for her causes.
Rogers, 67, lost a long battle with cancer Sunday afternoon, passing away in her home, surrounded by her friends and beloved pug, Romeo.
“Kathi was brilliant, skilled and tenacious in everything she did, but most of all, she was loyal to her friends who she considered family,” Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley said Monday.
Rogers’ cancer had advanced during the COVID-19 pandemic, but during that time she insisted on attending in person many hearings on the House Finance Committee, where she served for several terms.
She had a cadre of legislators, lobbyists and political activists who gave her rides and performed other duties at home for her so Rogers could continue to take part in public life.
“Our hearts are broken. We will keep our promise to continue her fight,” said Buckley, her closest friend of nearly 50 years.
The loss comes a month after House Democrats lost their leader, Hampton Rep. Renny Cushing, 69, who died due to advanced prostate cancer and complications from COVID-19.
In June 2021, former House Majority Leader Doug Ley, D-Jaffrey, died after a liver cancer diagnosis.
Gifted campaign operative early in her career
A native of Concord, Rogers became known to Democratic Party activists long before she was ever elected to public office.
She had worked as a staffer on a variety of statewide political campaigns and was widely viewed as one of an elite group of activists who brought immense value to a candidate.
“New Hampshire is stronger because of Rep. Kathi Rogers. It was an honor to know her and to serve with her,” said state Sen. Tom Sherman, D-Rye, a candidate for governor in 2022.
The late U.S. Sen. John Durkin, D-N.H., had often said Rogers’ political advice and tenacity during campaigns was invaluable to him.
Rogers’ sense of humor and allegiance to fair play made her popular among many Republican legislators, which helped Rogers achieve legislative successes even when the GOP was the majority party.
“The Senate mourns the passing of Rep. Katherine Rogers,” Senate President Chuck Morse, R-Salem, said in a statement. “Her dedication to public service was only matched by her brave fight against cancer. She will be missed, but her legacy will surely live on.”
House Democratic Leader David Cote said Rogers was the conscience of his caucus.
“I knew her for 40 years and admired greatly her keen intellect and fearless commitment to the public interest,” Cote said. “This commitment was such that she commanded the respect of all who knew her, irrespective of party affiliation or passing disagreement.”
Rogers served eight terms on the Concord City Council, one term on the Merrimack County Commission and one term as Merrimack County attorney.
At the time of her death, Rogers was chairman of Concord’s legislative delegation.
Later in her career, Rogers became a mentor of many young elected officials and campaign workers.
“Rep. Kathi Rogers was a faithful friend and a loyal Democrat. She always had a great story, a hilarious anecdote and wisdom/advice to share,” said Rep. Matt Wilhelm, D-Manchester, who chairs the House Democratic Victory Campaign Committee.
“Even during her final battle with cancer, Kathi fought for the underdog,” Wilhelm said. “A heartbreaking loss for the New Hampshire House and all who loved her.” | https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/kathi-rogers-champion-for-the-underdog-passes-away-at-67/article_2914c1e7-5ab8-5caf-ba67-7d07f1ac4213.html | 2022-04-12T22:16:42 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/kathi-rogers-champion-for-the-underdog-passes-away-at-67/article_2914c1e7-5ab8-5caf-ba67-7d07f1ac4213.html |
HANOVER -- The Hanover Fire Department held a regional training Saturday for multiple departments at the former senior assisted living residence Outreach House, which is making way for a new home for the developmentally disabled.
“We rely on our mutual aid very heavily in this area,” Lebanon Fire Department Training Officer Jim Wheatley said. “So us getting to know the capabilities and the resources of the other departments and them getting to know us, it just really streamlines and makes everything more fluid when we actually have a true emergency that we respond to together.”
The firefighters were divided into teams, made up of a mix of career and on-call firefighters, and took turns rotating through the three different training scenarios, including forcing a door open and rescuing a missing person through a second-story window.
“They’ve been practicing putting a ground ladder up and climbing up and entering into that bedroom where there is a report of someone missing in that bedroom, which is a technique we don’t really get to practice often in the real world,” Hanover Fire Capt. Josh Merriam said during the training Saturday. “If we arrived on scene … there might be a situation where somebody presents themselves outside and says, ‘That’s my kid’s bedroom, they’re in bed and I can’t get to them.’ You might make the tactical decision to send someone over a ladder without a hose first to do a quick search. So we are practicing that.”
The third training scenario had firefighters running through the front door of the house with a hose, up the stairs and to the second floor to find an orange cone, which represents the fire. The difficulty is the narrow stairway and the thick smoke generated by a smoke machine, Merriam said.
“It’s a difficult environment to operate in,” Merriam said. “The stairwell’s super tight. The stairwell is not ADA compliant, that’s why (the house) is coming down. With all your equipment on you can barely fit and it’s very difficult especially when you can’t see. It’s just good training.”
The nonprofit Visions for Creative Housing Solutions owns the property, 11 South Park St., and plans to open its third residence there next year.
“(Outreach House) was for seniors assisted living and they closed in 2019,” Visions founder and executive director Sylvia Kluge Dow said Saturday. “They gave the property to us because it was a nonprofit and they needed to find another nonprofit with a similar mission. So it was a perfect segue to give it to Visions.”
Since 2019, Visions has been planning and raising money for the project.
“We have to raise $3 million. We’re halfway there and we’ll probably start construction by the end of this year,” she said.
It was the demolition permitting process in town that brought the property to the attention of the Hanover Fire Department.
“A lot of people don’t know the fire department’s looking for training opportunities when they are in the middle of a teardown,” Merriam said, and with construction and demolition schedules it’s not always possible to organize the time and access to the property for firefighters.
“We’re always looking for structures for training. So if somebody is tearing something down it’s an opportunity for us to get in there and work. I hope this is the start of something, for sure, in the region,” Merriam said.
While Hanover has been using the house for training for the past several weeks, Saturday was Hanover’s first chance in a long time to hold a training with its mutual aid partners in the region, Merriam said.
“We’re a career department and we train regularly in the region with our other career counterparts, which would be Hartford (Vermont) and Lebanon,” Merriam said. “The gap that we’ve identified in training is we’re not training on the regular with our call-in volunteer departments.
"Well, in our region if there’s a first alarm fire there is an automatic call for mutual aid, so we are working with them on the regular. Our trainings typically are on weekdays, during the day, because our staff, this is what they do for a living, and we weren’t able to meet the needs of the on-call volunteer departments. The invitation’s there, but the availability isn’t.”
Upper Valley firefighters from nine different departments at the training included firefighters from Hanover, Lebanon, Lyme and Grafton as well as Vermont firefighters from Norwich, Thetford, Hartland, Windsor and Strafford.
“We need each other here, so we embrace each other,” Hanover Fire Chief Martin McMillan said. “I think that’s the attitude in the Upper Valley with everybody. We just come together as a group. … It’s just advantageous when you have a group of people working together on a regular basis.”
The demolition will allow for the construction of a new ADA-compliant, energy-efficient residence for 12 individuals with developmental or similar disabilities.
“It will be for 12 individuals. It will have studios and two-bedroom apartments,” Dow said.
Visions opened its first residence in 2014 at Sunrise Farm in Enfield, where Dow’s family had a family home and inn.
“My family owned an inn so it was the perfect location. We converted the inn,” she said.
Then in August, it opened its second residence in Lebanon.
Visions was founded by Dow and her husband, David Dow, out of the need they saw in their community as well as in their family.
“We just opened up our second site in Lebanon, so we have a lot going on,” Dow said. “We have such a long waiting list. It’s such a need in our state. I am a parent, of two daughters with developmental disabilities, and I’m getting old and trying to think about what would happen to them if there was no one there to care for them, and one of my daughters needs that 24/7 care and it was exhausting to tell you the truth and the state doesn’t offer really any good options for people. The only option really is the home care provider model, which is like adult foster care, and it’s not an ideal situation.”
Dow said Visions was happy to give the Hanover department access to the property for several weeks this March and April.
The department hands the property back to Visions on Thursday and demolition is taking place in about a month.
“They are very community-minded and orientated,” Merriam said of Visions. “They were all about getting us in here to do this,” Merriam said. “I think their mission statement sort of speaks for itself and the fact that they’ve been so willing to work with us while they are in the middle of this fundraising campaign is just another example of them giving back to the community.” | https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/hanover-fire-dept-hosts-regional-training-at-future-home-for-developmentally-disabled/article_07a4cd47-c3ff-5674-9565-7c19012e9c58.html | 2022-04-12T22:16:48 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/news/safety/hanover-fire-dept-hosts-regional-training-at-future-home-for-developmentally-disabled/article_07a4cd47-c3ff-5674-9565-7c19012e9c58.html |
(Adds CNN report of 29 people treated at area hospitals; mayor confirms media reports of security camera malfunction)
By Maria Caspani, Jonathan Allen and Rami Ayyub
NEW YORK, April 12 (Reuters) - A gunman wearing a gas mask set off a smoke bomb and opened fire in a New York subway car during Tuesday's morning commute, injuring at least 17 people, authorities said, prompting officials to renew calls for steps to combat a surge of violence in the city's transit system.
Police said the perpetrator, believed to have acted alone, fled the scene. The attack unfolded as a Manhattan-bound subway train on the N line was pulling into a station in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood, setting off an intense manhunt by local and federal law enforcement.
Ten people were hit directly by gunfire, including five hospitalized in critical but stable condition. Authorities said seven others were injured by shrapnel or otherwise hurt in the chaos as panicked riders fled the smoke-filled subway car, some collapsing to the pavement as they poured onto the platform of the 36th Street station. The fire department said two of those hurt were treated at the scene.
According to CNN, a total of 29 people who suffered various injuries in the incident turned up at area hospitals, though most of them appeared to have been emergency room walk-ins who were treated and discharged.
The suspect was described by police as a man of heavy build, wearing a green construction-type vest and a hooded sweatshirt. CNN, citing internal law enforcement emails, said the New York City Police Department (NYPD) was searching for a U-Haul van with Arizona license plates in connection with the shooting.
NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said the shooting was not being investigated as an act of terrorism, although authorities would not rule anything out as a motive.
Sewell said the suspect was seen donning a gas mask in the train car as it was about to enter the station, then removed a canister from his bag and opened it.
"The train at that time began to fill with smoke. He then opened fire, striking multiple people on the subway and in the platform," she added.
Outside the station, in an area known for its thriving Chinatown and views of the Statue of Liberty, authorities shut down a dozen or so blocks and cordoned off the immediate vicinity with crime-scene tape. Schools in the neighborhood were placed under security lockdowns.
John Butsikares, a 15-year-old who passed through the 36th Street station soon after the incident, said the train's conductor ordered everyone on the station platform to get on board.
"I didn't know what happened. It was a scary moment. And then at 25th Street (the next station) we were all told to get off. There was people screaming for medical assistance," said Butsikares, who was going to school.
'SURGE OF CRIME'
New York, the nation's most populous city, has seen a sharp rise in violent crime during the pandemic, including a string of seemingly random attacks on its subways. The system is one of the world's oldest and most extensive.
The subway violence has included a number of attacks in which passengers have been pushed onto the tracks from platforms, including a Manhattan woman whose murder was seen as part of a surge in hate-driven attacks against Asian Americans.
Mayor Eric Adams, a former NYPD captain and Brooklyn borough president who took office in January, has vowed to improve subway safety by increasing police patrols and expanding outreach to the mentally ill.
Speaking to CNN, Adams said Tuesday's incident "was a senseless act of violence" and pledged to double the number of officers on subway patrol.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul pledged "the full resources of our state to fight this surge of crime, this insanity that is feeding our city." The White House said President Joe Biden had been briefed on the incident, and that assistance was offered to local officials.
Transit investigators found containers with gasoline and additional, unused smoke canisters on the train carriage, television station WNBC reported, citing city transit sources.
CNN, citing law enforcement sources, said multiple high-capacity ammunition magazines and fireworks were found in the subway station with the gun, which apparently jammed.
Brooklyn resident Yayha Ibrahim said he saw people running from the station, and decided to walk down into it to see what was happening.
"I saw a lady, she was shot right in her leg and she was screaming for help," he said. Rescue workers "did a good job of coming quick and fast, and the ambulance came in and they took her."
(Reporting by Maria Caspani and Jonathan Allen; additional reporting by Aleks Michalska, Brendan McDermid, Andrew Kelly and Tyler Clifford in New York; Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; David Shepardson, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu and Sarah N. Lynch in Washington; and Andrew Hay in Taos, New Mexico; writing by Rami Ayyub and Steve Gorman; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman) | https://www.unionleader.com/wire/national/update-8-gunman-shoots-10-in-new-york-subway-after-setting-off-smoke-bomb-manhunt/article_4fbb77af-c97e-57ba-9410-1e3538f45a5f.html | 2022-04-12T22:16:54 | 0 | https://www.unionleader.com/wire/national/update-8-gunman-shoots-10-in-new-york-subway-after-setting-off-smoke-bomb-manhunt/article_4fbb77af-c97e-57ba-9410-1e3538f45a5f.html |
Babysitter arrested after putting 4-year-old boy in dryer, police say
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. (Gray News) -A babysitter in Florida has been accused of putting a child who was under her care in a dryer.
Authorities in Lake County, Florida, report Amber Christine Chapman, 35, has been charged with aggravated child abuse.
Investigators say that a 4-year-old boy was taken to the UF Health Leesburg Hospital on Feb. 1 and told medical staff that “Miss Amber” had put him in the dryer with towels, and he spun around.
Staff noted multiple areas of bruising on the boy’s head, back and both ears, as indicated by police.
In a recorded interview with the child on Feb. 7, police said the boy told them that Chapman placed him in the dryer, closed the door, and he spun around. The boy also said Chapman opened the door, closed it again, and then went around again.
On Feb. 2, the boy was examined at the Children’s Advocacy Center, according to police. Injuries were found on the boy’s head, abdomen and back.
The team was unable to determine if being placed in the dryer caused the boy’s injuries, but the team told police that the injuries to his back, face, forehead and ears were consistent with what he had told doctors of what had happened.
Police said the boy had frequently been watched by Chapman in the past.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/babysitter-accused-putting-4-year-old-dryer-child-sent-hospital-police-say/ | 2022-04-12T22:25:50 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/babysitter-accused-putting-4-year-old-dryer-child-sent-hospital-police-say/ |
Child with autism dies 2 months after adoption
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - Aaron Carter was 6 years old when he left his foster family to go live with his newly adoptive parents. Two months later, he died.
KWCH investigative reporter Alex Flippin spent the last year asking questions about the death, about who failed the child and what needs to be done so it doesn’t happen again to someone else.
When Aaron came to stay with foster parents Jamie and Tina Miller just before his third birthday in April 2017, any communication at all was unthinkable. He only started to learn to communicate when he was 5 years old.
“When we got him, they said he was ‘normal,’ but there was absolutely something terribly wrong,” Tina Miller said. “He would go along the wall and run his hand down it and just follow and just circled the entire day, nonstop. And he didn’t talk.
“He didn’t look at you, and if he did, he looked right past you like you didn’t exist.”
He was a boy with autism who had made his way into the foster care system after a rough start to life. The Millers tried their hardest to give Aaron what he needed, even when he had no way to tell them.
“He didn’t have any form of communication,” Jamie Miller said. “If he got upset, he would yell and scream or throw a tantrum, but that’s the only way he could voice any of his feelings or opinion or anything was by throwing a tantrum. He was definitely a challenge.
“The most, I would say he was the most difficult child I was ever around, but he taught me the most of being a parent of any child I’ve been around.”
As foster parents, the couple estimate they have welcomed somewhere between 30 and 50 children into their home. They currently have 10 kids, and three of them are adopted.
Jamie Miller said when they first brought Aaron home, they had decided not to adopt him.
“After he’d been here for three years, we started rethinking that,” he said.
“I said, ‘I can’t let him go,’” Tina added. “(Jamie) was like ‘I’m glad you said that. I feel same way.’”
The Millers worked to find Aaron the therapy experts say was paramount to his development. Three years in, gone was the little boy who looked right through you.
They developed important routines and took precautions for his safety. Aaron began wearing a helmet to protect him during tantrums. It wasn’t the “normal” they may have been used to, but it was a new normal that they say was working.
He learned to communicate, both verbally and by using a special iPad. He helped with chores, at least as much help as any child his age could.
The dream of making Aaron a permanent part of the family, though, was wiped away by the reality of what it would take to do that.
“(Aaron) was assigned a case manager, so I was able to call her. And I asked her, I said ‘Well what if he was to be adopted, what services will carry over’?” Tina Miller said.
The Millers said they learned that if they adopted Aaron, they could not afford to provide what he needed. Shortly after, a Wichita couple said they could.
Jamie Miller said they were believers, lifting Aaron up in prayer every day and hoping when he went to his new family it would be what he needed.
The couple were young and recently married. They had three dogs and other pets but no children.
The Millers met them, shared dinner and then Aaron had some overnight stays to their home. Jamie and Tina Miller said they saw red flags.
“It was apparent immediately that they weren’t interested in the consistency and doing the things that we knew, we had proved over those years, that he needed,” Jamie explained.
The Millers say the couple felt Aaron didn’t need the helmet he wore to protect him during outbursts. The routine Aaron had come to rely on, they say, wasn’t followed during his visits to the couple’s home.
A pre-adoption family assessment by the Kansas Department of Children and Families, obtained by KWCH, stated one of the prospective parents struggled with methamphetamine and amphetamine addiction.
That parent also had a history of being “quick to anger.” The other parent struggled when people were disrespectful, the assessment stated.
The adoption process continued, and overnight visits with the Wichita couple continued as well.
The Millers said he left them Dec. 18, 2020, on what was supposed to be a four-day weekend with the couple before coming back to them for Christmas.
“But he never he never came back home,” Jamie Miller said.
The Millers say Aaron got sick, and he stayed in Wichita over concern it may have been COVID-19.
By Feb. 16, 2021, he was gone. An adoption specialist delivered the unthinkable news to his foster parents.
“She said that Aaron passed away. He is deceased. That’s pretty much all I heard, and I was just screaming at her on the phone,” Tina said. “I was just like, ‘I knew it. I knew this would happen. You all killed him. You put him there. You knew he didn’t belong there.’ And like, ‘He never should have left.’”
The person on the other end of the phone then asked if the Millers would like to bury Aaron at the state’s expense. They had no idea what they would learn by saying yes.
“His face looked horribly deformed,” Tina explained. “He just had bruises all over his face.”
“Every visible part that we could see was bruised,” Jamie added.
The Department of Children and Families summary of Aaron’s death is seven sentences in length. The autopsy reads that Aaron “had a tantrum” while taking a bath and hit his head on the tub.
It also details 68 other injuries covering his entire body. No cause of death is listed.
There is an open investigation by Wichita police, and DCF will not discuss the case. The foster agency, St. Francis Ministries, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the couple who planned to adopt Aaron.
Aaron’s foster parents said they are angry at the state, who they say set a young couple up for failure.
“The people that made the decision to move Aaron should have known, should have had the training, should have had the experience to know this isn’t going to go good,” Jamie said. “There were so many blatant things, blatantly obvious things that said, ‘No, no, no, no, no.’ And everybody said, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’
“I feel like he died to keep other people safe, because there are so many kids out there that could end up just like him if things don’t change.”
The people he leaves behind are left to wonder what happened and what needs to change so that it doesn’t happen again. What can the state do to set up parents, prospective parents and kids like Aaron to live and thrive?
“I firmly believe that Aaron won, because he’s in heaven now, and he can talk, he can communicate, he can ride a horse. He liked horses. He can do anything he wants to, so he won. That’s the way I see it see it,” Jamie Miller said.
In the second upcoming part of this story, KWCH sat down with an expert in the field of autism research to hear about current challenges in the state dealing with autism within the foster care system and what needs to change.
Copyright 2022 KWCH via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/child-with-autism-dies-2-months-after-adoption/ | 2022-04-12T22:25:58 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/child-with-autism-dies-2-months-after-adoption/ |
COVID-19, overdoses pushed US to highest death total ever
NEW YORK (AP) — 2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, and new data and research are offering more insights into how it got that bad.
The main reason for the increase in deaths? COVID-19, said Robert Anderson, who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s work on death statistics.
The agency this month quietly updated its provisional death tally. It showed there were 3.465 million deaths last year, or about 80,000 more than 2020′s record-setting total.
Early last year, some experts were optimistic that 2021 would not be as bad as the first year of the pandemic — partly because effective COVID-19 vaccines had finally become available.
“We were wrong, unfortunately,” said Noreen Goldman, a Princeton University researcher.
COVID-19 deaths rose in 2021 — to more than 415,000, up from 351,000 the year before — as new coronavirus variants emerged and an unexpectedly large numbers of Americans refused to get vaccinated or were hesitant to wear masks, experts said.
The coronavirus is not solely to blame. Preliminary CDC data also shows the crude death rate for cancer rose slightly, and rates continued to increase for diabetes, chronic liver disease and stroke.
Drug overdose deaths also continued to rise. The CDC does not yet have a tally for 2021 overdose deaths, because it can take weeks of lab work and investigation to identify them. But provisional data through October suggests the nation is on track to see at least 105,000 overdose deaths in 2021 — up from 93,000 the year before.
New research released Tuesday showed a particularly large jump in overdose deaths among 14- to 18-year-olds.
Adolescent overdose death counts were fairly constant for most of the last decade, at around 500 a year, according to the paper published by the Journal of the American Medical Association. They almost doubled in 2020, to 954, and the researchers estimated that the total hit nearly 1,150 last year.
Joseph Friedman, a UCLA researcher who was the paper’s lead author, called the spike “unprecedented.”
Those teen overdose deaths were only around 1% of the U.S. total. But adolescents experienced a greater relative increase than the overall population, even though surveys suggest drug use among teens is down.
Experts attributed the spike to fentanyl, a highly lethal drug that has been cut into heroin for several years. More recently it’s also been pressed into counterfeit pills resembling prescription drugs that teens sometimes abuse.
The total number of U.S. deaths often increases year to year as the U.S. population grows. But 2020 and 2021 saw extraordinary jumps in death numbers and rates, due largely to the pandemic.
Those national death trends affect life expectancy — an estimate of the average number of years a baby born in a given year might expect to live.
With rare exceptions, U.S. life expectancy has reliably inched up year after year. But the CDC’s life expectancy estimate for 2020 was about 77 years — more than a year and a half lower than what it was in 2019.
The CDC has not yet reported its calculation for 2021. But Goldman and some other researchers have been making their own estimates, presented in papers that have not yet been published in peer-reviewed journals.
Those researchers think U.S. life expectancy dropped another five or six months in 2021 — putting it back to where it was 20 years ago.
A loss of more than two years of life expectancy over the last two years “is mammoth,” Goldman said.
One study looked at death data in the U.S. and 19 other high-income countries. The U.S. fared the worst.
“What happened in the U.S. is less about the variants than the levels of resistance to vaccination and the public’s rejection of practices, such as masking and mandates, to reduce viral transmission,” one of the study’s authors, Dr. Steven Woolf of Virginia Commonwealth University, said in a statement.
Some experts are skeptical that life expectancy will quickly bounce back. They worry about long-term complications of COVID-19 that may hasten the deaths of people with chronic health problems.
Preliminary — and incomplete — CDC data suggest there were at least 805,000 U.S. deaths in about the first three months of this year. That’s well below the same period last year, but higher than the comparable period in 2020.
“We may end up with a ‘new normal’ that’s a little higher than it was before,” Anderson said.
___
The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/covid-19-overdoses-pushed-us-highest-death-total-ever/ | 2022-04-12T22:26:04 | 1 | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/covid-19-overdoses-pushed-us-highest-death-total-ever/ |
Juvenile prisoner escapes guard on the way to Tennessee hospital, recaptured in Georgia
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - A sheriff’s office in Georgia on Tuesday morning recaptured a juvenile prisoner who escaped custody while on the way to a Tennessee children’s hospital Monday evening.
On Saturday, police in Nashville, Tennessee, said the teen led officers on a chase after he reportedly stole a Ford Raptor truck.
Police deployed spike strips to stop the vehicle, leading the juvenile to jump from the moving truck before crossing the spikes. The truck crashed and the teen sustained injuries, WSMV reported. Police said he was put in a neck brace before he was arrested and taken to a juvenile detention center in Nashville.
On Monday night, authorities said the juvenile was complaining of seizures. He was then transported by ambulance to a Nashville children’s hospital, accompanied by a guard.
While he was being taken out of the ambulance, authorities said the 16-year-old freed himself from his restraints and ran off toward a nearby intersection where an armed accomplice was waiting in a black Chevy Avalanche, which was reported as stolen. He then jumped into the getaway truck and sped off.
Sometime later, police found the Avalanche truck on fire.
After abandoning the truck, police said the teen and his accomplice carjacked a gold Chevy Malibu outside of an apartment complex. This vehicle was also found crashed and unoccupied by police sometime later.
Around 5 a.m. early Tuesday morning, the Nashville Police Department said the juvenile was arrested along with 22-year-old Tunisia Carey by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. The two were traveling in Carey’s Nissan Altima when they were apprehended after a traffic stop in Cartersville, Georgia.
Carey and the juvenile remain in custody in Georgia and will be transferred back to Nashville this week, according to WSMV.
Detectives are working to identify each person who contributed to the teen’s escape.
Nashville authorities said they intend to charge the juvenile as an adult.
Copyright 2022 WSMV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/juvenile-prisoner-escapes-guard-way-tennessee-hospital-recaptured-georgia/ | 2022-04-12T22:26:11 | 1 | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/juvenile-prisoner-escapes-guard-way-tennessee-hospital-recaptured-georgia/ |
Pay it forward: Daughter paying off mother’s house after winning $1M lottery prize
PENSACOLA, Fla. (Gray News) - A Florida woman says she plans to “pay it forward” with her recent lottery winnings.
Tenesia Hollins, 41, of Pensacola, Florida, became the Florida Lottery’s latest millionaire as officials said she claimed a $1 million prize from the new 500X THE CASH Scratch-Off game on April 6.
Hollins said she purchased her winning ticket from a Winn-Dixie supermarket. According to lottery officials, the retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning scratch-off ticket.
Lottery officials said that the 41-year-old chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $820 million.
When asked what she plans to do with her winnings, Hollins told lottery representatives that the first thing she wants to do is pay off her mother’s house.
“She’s done so much for me growing up; this is the least I can do for her,” Hollins said.
Lottery officials said the 500X THE CASH scratch-off game features the largest prize of a $25 million jackpot for scratch-offs in the state, and the game has the best odds to become an instant millionaire.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/pay-it-forward-daughter-paying-off-mothers-house-after-winning-1m-lottery-prize/ | 2022-04-12T22:26:18 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/pay-it-forward-daughter-paying-off-mothers-house-after-winning-1m-lottery-prize/ |
Strong storms Tuesday night; Cold temperatures through the weekend
Severe threat Tuesday night into Wednesday morning
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – Strong to severe thunderstorms are possible late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. The highest potential for severe storms will be to the south of I-90.
Areas in pink have a level 4 out of 5 threat level tonight. Storms will begin to develop around 7 p.m. west of I-35. Supercell thunderstorms will be possible with the first initial development. These will primarily be the areas in pink. Storms will race to the east-northeast and eventually form into a long line of thunderstorms.
All modes of severe weather are in play tonight. Hail appears to be the highest threat with how strong updrafts could be. We could be looking at the potential of baseball-sized hail, especially in areas south of I-90. Strong winds and tornadoes are also likely Tuesday night.
Timing:
The timing for initial thunderstorm development will be around 7 p.m. for areas west of I-35 in Iowa. Storms should reach Hwy-52 by 9-11 p.m. and near the Mississippi River after 11 p.m.
Rochester should begin to see the threat of storms after 9 p.m.
Nick
Copyright 2022 KTTC. All rights reserved. | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/strong-storms-tuesday-night-cold-temperatures-through-weekend/ | 2022-04-12T22:26:24 | 0 | https://www.kttc.com/2022/04/12/strong-storms-tuesday-night-cold-temperatures-through-weekend/ |
BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — Benton County will help prepare citizens for severe weather through a live Zoom event to explain the countywide BC Alert system.
On Thursday, April 14, Benton County will host a live Zoom event that will explain how BC Alert works and show people how to sign up for the weather alert system. The event will be streamed on the Benton County Facebook and begins at 6 p.m. Click here to register.
Emergency Manager Michael Waddle and Communications Director Melody Kwok will host the event. Waddle will go over how and when the BC Alert system sends notifications, and Kwok will go through the signup process step-by-step. After the presentations, residents will be encouraged to ask questions.
BC Alerts notify users of events through a phone call, text message or email with the number of messages received depending on how many types of alerts are signed up for and how many events occur in your area. Users can change the number of alerts they receive at any time.
RELATED: Fayetteville Salvation Army to be remodeled and expanded, nearly doubling rehabilitation bed count
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/community/beton-county-zoom-event-explaining-alert-system/527-7afcd007-e97b-47f2-8998-58246edd324b | 2022-04-12T22:30:17 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/community/beton-county-zoom-event-explaining-alert-system/527-7afcd007-e97b-47f2-8998-58246edd324b |
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Salvation Army announced the housing-focused Shelter and Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Program in Fayetteville will begin a massive expansion and remodel.
The remodel will separate the Addiction Recovery Program from the shelter and nearly double the shelter capacity, expanding from 26 to 48 total beds and increasing recovery program capacity.
The remodel will increase the women’s dorm from eight to 18 beds, the men’s dorm from 12 to 18 beds, and the recovery program from 20 to 26 beds. The existing family dorms will also be converted into two efficient apartments with 10 to 12 beds for families, which will include private bathrooms and a shared kitchen.
The Addiction Recovery Program will be moved to a separate building to include a lounge area, shared kitchen, and restrooms.
The shelter expansion will also include a brand-new computer lab, to assist guests in finding work, taking classes, or reconnecting with loved ones. An expanded dining area will also be added to serve additional guests during the evenings.
“This will help maximize the number of people we serve in Fayetteville,” said Captain Joshua Robinett, Northwest Arkansas Salvation Army Area Commander. “By nearly doubling our capacity and adding essential resources that our guests normally don’t have access to, we can continue serving the most vulnerable and meet human needs without discrimination. This entire project will allow our shelter guests to feel more comfortable and provide an overall higher quality of living. We are grateful for our donors and everyone involved in making these much-needed renovations possible.”
For more information on The Salvation Army in Northwest Arkansas, click here or call Joey Jackson at (479) 521-2151.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/community/fayetteville-salvation-army-remodeled-and-expanded/527-73615af2-5929-41e3-9c9b-fd84946bf1e8 | 2022-04-12T22:30:21 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/community/fayetteville-salvation-army-remodeled-and-expanded/527-73615af2-5929-41e3-9c9b-fd84946bf1e8 |
Authorities are investigating a shooting that took place in the Cagan Crossings apartment complex near Clermont Tuesday afternoon, resulting with one man dead.
Lt. Fred Jones with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said authorities responded to several 911 calls regarding gunshots being fired around noon. When officers arrived, they found a man dead with multiple wounds inside a third-floor apartment. A confrontation occurred at the doorway of the shooter’s apartment, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Jones said an investigation is underway with officers on the scene interviewing the shooter, a 36-year-old man whose identity has not been disclosed. Investigators have not yet determined the identity of the deceased man, but believe he is in his mid-30s.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the shooter and the victim knew each other. A motive for the shooting is not yet clear, Jones said.
“They must have interviewed about a dozen witnesses,” Jones said. “It could have been Stand Your Ground.”
No arrest has been made at this time.
arabines@orlandosentinel.com | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-ne-clermont-shooting--20220412-kbavgvxdxrdfbmtgrxujbqo32m-story.html | 2022-04-12T22:37:07 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/breaking-news/os-ne-clermont-shooting--20220412-kbavgvxdxrdfbmtgrxujbqo32m-story.html |
A Kokomo man accused in the shooting death of another man in October 2021 was sentenced to one year in the Indiana Department of Correction, with credit for time served and the balance suspended to supervised probation.
The sentencing against 26-year-old Mycah Fowler stems from a January plea agreement and motion to dismiss other charges of voluntary manslaughter, a Level 2 felony, and reckless homicide, a Level 5 felony.
Fowler was originally arrested on those charges after the Oct. 23, 2021, shooting death of 27-year-old Harvey Lenoir, whose body was found by officers in the 900 block of West Monroe Street.
Lenoir had reportedly sustained multiple gunshot wounds, and investigators believe a physical altercation between the two men led to the incident.
January’s motion to dismiss the voluntary manslaughter and reckless homicide charges cited additional evidence obtained in the investigation into Lenoir’s death, including Lenoir’s autopsy report and evidence located at the crime scene, though the filing does not go into detail about what specifically those discoveries were.
But during Tuesday’s sentencing, Judge William Menges did allude to them.
“If he was in fear, he had every right to defend himself,” Menges said, referring to Fowler. “… Then the first act of shooting was justified. But I have a problem in continuing to shoot. … It’s a classic definition of criminal recklessness.”
Fowler also addressed the shooting in a recent statement filed through the Howard County Clerk’s Office, in which he acknowledged that what he did was a “dangerous act.”
“It is obvious that I fired shots at the victim (and others) as they ran away down the alley after the altercation on my porch,” Fowler wrote, adding that it even created bullet holes in a nearby garage. “My firing a gun at them while they ran away created a risk of harm to those individuals and was reckless on my part.” | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/kokomo-man-gets-probation-in-2019-death/article_0b934d4e-ba9f-11ec-a7cc-97d77add8af2.html | 2022-04-12T22:38:59 | 0 | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/kokomo-man-gets-probation-in-2019-death/article_0b934d4e-ba9f-11ec-a7cc-97d77add8af2.html |
EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – More than 2,000 U.S.-bound trucks are stranded in Juarez as truckers frustrated with “slow” inspections on the American side blocked access to the commercial lanes of the Ysleta Port of Entry for a second consecutive day.
Late Tuesday morning, the head of Juarez’s largest trucking associations said a second border crossing, the Santa Teresa port of entry, was also being blocked from the Mexican side in protest.
The truckers began their protest Monday afternoon after waiting up to nine hours in line to cross into the United States. The delays were first reported on Friday and coincided with the start of the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Enhanced Border Inspections.
The inspections are part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s initiatives to stem human trafficking and other illegal activity and to ensure trucks coming over from Mexico are safe.
But the truckers on Tuesday said they won’t move until inspection times on the U.S. side go back to normal. “Some get paid by the trip, so if they don’t deliver (merchandise), they don’t get paid,” said Randy Cardiel, a trucker from Chihuahua, Mexico.
The drivers aren’t the only ones affected by lengthier inspection times or the shutdown.
U.S. run factories in Mexico are also losing money, said Thor Salayandia, president of the Juarez Chamber of Industry and Manufacturing.
“This is primarily a political issue that is detrimental to the border area. Mexico and the United States are being affected by the Texas inspections,” Salayandia said. “Two-thousand trailers are stuck at the border. If a single truck carries $50,000 in merchandise, then we’re talking about $100 million (in commerce) being held up at the border.”
Juarez has about 300 factories that manufacture components and products for Fortune 500 businesses in the United States, including automakers and tech companies. Those factories operate on a “just in time” schedule, which means delays at the border overwhelm storage capacity and deprive companies in the United States of parts necessary to make and deliver products to American consumers.
“We hope the government of Texas realizes that the most affected by this are U.S. factories that have a presence in Mexico, and the border economy,” Salayandia said. “We talk about free trade treaties and the flow of merchandise. This does not go in line with free trade.”
In a Monday visit to El Paso, Abbott spoke about the need to keep Texas communities safe in the face of record migration and the announced termination of the Title 42 order, which has allowed border agents to quickly expel 1.7 million newly arrived migrants.
He did not address the impact of the enhanced border inspections by DPS.
Juarez business leaders since late Friday are urging truckers to try alternate crossings to avoid delays. Trucks could be seen coming non-stop of the Santa Teresa, New Mexico port of entry on Tuesday morning. New Mexico is not applying enhanced inspections at the border.
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, called Texas’ enhanced inspections a “political stunt.”
“Once again, we’re seeing the Governor enact directives that demonstrate a fundamental lack of understanding of the complex issues we face on our border. Political stunts, like ‘enhanced inspections’ and Operation Lone Star, have no place in El Paso, in Texas, or in public policy,” Escobar tweeted.
RELATED STORY: Truckers in Mexico blocking commercial lanes to Ysleta Port of Entry
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For local and breaking news, sports, weather alerts, video and more, download the FREE KTSM 9 News App from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. | https://www.cenlanow.com/border-report-tour/bridge-blockade-strands-2k-u-s-bound-trucks-in-mexico/ | 2022-04-12T22:38:59 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/border-report-tour/bridge-blockade-strands-2k-u-s-bound-trucks-in-mexico/ |
The developer for a 172-unit single-story apartment development proposed for the city’s far southeast side has pulled out of the project.
The Kokomo City Council was scheduled to vote Monday on a rezoning request for Redwood Apartment Neighborhoods, but the item was pulled from the agenda.
That’s because Greg Sheline, executive director of the Kokomo-Howard County Plan Commission, said the developer crunched the numbers again and decided the project wasn’t financially feasible due to rising construction costs.
“Unfortunately, they’re pulling out of the development, which is a shame because I thought that was going to be a really good development for the city,” Sheline said. “They ran the numbers again, with the increase in cost of everything and costs going up as it is, their model just wasn’t going to work for the city of Kokomo.”
The property owner, Steve Schreckengast, has requested a 30-day continuance on the rezoning request to give him time to try and find a new developer for the project.
“I don’t know if that would be possible in 30 days, but he wanted to have an opportunity,” Sheline said.
If a new developer isn’t able to be found, the City Council will have to formally vote down the rezoning request. Otherwise, Council Attorney Corbin Kin said, the request is automatically approved if no action is taken within 90 days.
Redwood Apartment Neighborhoods would’ve been a 172-unit single-story apartment community aimed at young professionals and empty nesters on 24 acres located just north of Walnut Creek Apartments and east of Brooke Road.
The apartments, according to a concept plan, ranged in size from 1,294 square feet to 1,620 square feet, depending on what layout the apartment is. All apartments were to be open-concept, two-bedroom, two-bath, with a den space, a two-car garage, a driveway, private back patio space, large windows, washer and dryer hookups, energy-efficient appliances, walk-in closets in both bedrooms, granite kitchen countertops and no steps or stairs.
Rent would’ve been between $1,500-$2,000 a month. | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/local_news/developer-of-redwood-apartments-pulls-out-of-project/article_f8d1d950-ba62-11ec-9aeb-8ba17ec3ddd6.html | 2022-04-12T22:39:01 | 0 | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/local_news/developer-of-redwood-apartments-pulls-out-of-project/article_f8d1d950-ba62-11ec-9aeb-8ba17ec3ddd6.html |
Northside Park will be getting a new amenity this year.
A pump track will be installed this year at the park, located at 2201 N. Main St., replacing one of the two youth ballfields. The project was first announced by Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore at his State of the City address last June, but details of the pump track were first discussed at Tuesday’s Park Board meeting.
A pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and other features designed to be ridden by riders “pumping” — generating momentum by up and down body movements, instead of pedaling — and is usually traversed via bicycle or skateboard, though the city’s pump track will be open to roller skates and scooters as well.
The pump track will include three sections — a beginner, intermediate and advanced — according to a rendering presented by Torrey Roe, Kokomo Parks Department superintendent, and will be made of concrete with a light broom finish so it doesn’t get slick when wet.
The beginner section will be the shortest of the three tracks and will include just a few rollers. The intermediate portion will be longer with higher and more rollers that will allow riders to get some air. The advanced course will include even higher rollers and banked turns.
“It’s something we’re really excited about,” Roe said.
The city has budgeted $500,000 for the pump track, all of which will be paid with American Rescue Plan funds.
The project is expected to be bid out within the next month, with construction starting sometime this summer. Roe said he expects the pump track to be completed in the fall at the earliest.
In addition to the pump track, there will be restrooms installed into what is now the press box.
Once complete, the pump track will complement the city’s downtown skatepark located in Foster Park. The two amenities will be connected by the Industrial Heritage Trail that runs near both Foster and Northwest parks.
“I think it’s going to draw people in because they’re able to hit two locations,” Roe said. “You can park at one and get to another within seven minutes on bike.” | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/local_news/pump-track-coming-to-northside-park/article_595e3abc-ba6c-11ec-bbbf-3b0d5281d57a.html | 2022-04-12T22:39:04 | 1 | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/local_news/pump-track-coming-to-northside-park/article_595e3abc-ba6c-11ec-bbbf-3b0d5281d57a.html |
TIPTON — Tipton County has entered into a lease with a local day care center that will allow the business to operate on the city of Tipton’s south side.
The Tipton Board of Commissioners on Monday unanimously voted to enter a 36-month renewable lease with Christi Dolezal for her to operate ABC & Me child care center out of the most northern building in Doctors’ Park, at 410 Fairground Road, located just west of IU Health Tipton Hospital.
As previously reported by the Tribune, ABC & Me received a $100,000 grant earlier this year from Early Learning Indiana, the state’s oldest and largest early childhood education nonprofit, to operate a day care in the county.
Dolezal, who operated ABC & Me for around 17 years before closing the day care five years ago, applied for the funding after two providers in Tipton closed last year, leaving the city without any licensed early learning options.
She told the Tribune in January that she was not planning on reopening her day care, but felt she had to because the day care situation in Tipton had become so dire.
“It was one of those things where I knew the need was great and I knew how to do it, so I decided I’d apply for the grant, and if I got it, I’d do it,” she said at the time. “And everything fell into place.”
Dolezal, who has worked as a state child care inspector for the past five years, will have to go in front of the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals in May and receive their approval before she can begin to renovate the building and begin operations.
She told the commissioners she’s wanting to begin renovations and open as soon as possible.
“The contractor is ready,” Dolezal said.
The commissioners’ approval of the lease came just minutes after the board unanimously voted to allow IU Health Tipton out of its lease for all three buildings located at Doctors’ Park. In exchange for the early termination, the hospital is giving the county $30,000.
Except for the soon-to-be day care building, the upkeep of the other two currently vacant buildings at Doctors’ Park will fall on the county. As a result, the commissioners said it would be in their interest to try and fill those buildings with businesses. Doctors’ Park has sat vacant for years now.
“If we’re taking these buildings back, then we need to aggressively find tenants for those buildings so those buildings don’t sit empty because a building sitting empty is no good,” Commissioner Nancy Cline said.
Commissioner Tracey Powell agreed.
“We do need to get aggressive on this,” he said. “Plus, it’s going to be good for the community if we can get some other businesses or people in there.” | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/tipton-county-day-care-center-enter-into-lease/article_81d30f12-ba63-11ec-9e61-7f49b85b2692.html | 2022-04-12T22:39:05 | 0 | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/tipton-county-day-care-center-enter-into-lease/article_81d30f12-ba63-11ec-9e61-7f49b85b2692.html |
(The Hill) — Last month’s domestic flight prices were 20 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to data released Tuesday.
The analysis from Adobe Digital Insights reveals that travelers are already experiencing significant price hikes. In February, flight prices were only up 5 percent from the same period in 2019, while January prices were 3 percent lower than pre-pandemic levels.
The uptick is driven by a recent boom in bookings that coincided with low COVID-19 case counts. The analysis found that customers spent $8.8 billion on tickets online last month, a 28 percent increase from pre-pandemic levels and a 32 percent increase from February.
“The unleash of pent-up demand has been a major driving factor, as the desire for air travel is coming back more aggressively than anticipated,” Adobe Digital Insights lead analyst Vivek Pandya said in a statement.
Experts have advised travelers to book their flights soon, warning that prices will only rise further as demand outpaces supply. Major airlines already weren’t seating as many passengers as they were before the pandemic, and they’ve recently cut down on their schedules to account for higher fuel prices.
The cost of jet fuel in North America rose by 30 percent over the last month and is up 158 percent from one year ago, according to data from S&P Global. Prices spiked following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and remained elevated in recent weeks, even as the price of crude oil dropped.
Another analysis from flight booking website Hopper released last week found that domestic flight prices have increased by 40 percent since the start of the year and are expected to rise another 10 percent next month. | https://www.cenlanow.com/business/us-flight-prices-surged-in-march-analysis/ | 2022-04-12T22:39:06 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/business/us-flight-prices-surged-in-march-analysis/ |
TIPTON — The Tipton County Commissioners on Monday approved a short-term moratorium on large-scale, commercial solar farms to give themselves time to draft an ordinance regulating future solar projects.
The board’s vote comes just a few days after the Tipton County Plan Commission voted to give a favorable recommendation to the commissioners regarding the moratorium.
The moratorium will last six months or until the county approves a solar ordinance.
While the county has regulations on wind power projects, it does not currently have an ordinance regulating large-scale, commercial solar farms.
The need for one has increased in the past year as the number of solar companies targeting Indiana for large-scale, commercial projects has increased. That said, no solar farm projects targeted for Tipton County have formally been announced.
ENGIE, a French multinational utility company, is proposing a 1,874-acre solar farm just southeast of the town of Greentown.
The largest solar farm in the U.S. — at 13,000 acres — is being built along Starke and Pulaski’s county lines. Aptly named Mammoth Solar, the project is expected to be completed by 2024 and is estimated to cost $1.5 billion. | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/tipton-county-oks-short-term-solar-moratorium/article_5e622b8a-ba63-11ec-8be0-0755a9f06c0a.html | 2022-04-12T22:39:11 | 1 | https://www.kokomotribune.com/news/tipton-county-oks-short-term-solar-moratorium/article_5e622b8a-ba63-11ec-8be0-0755a9f06c0a.html |
VIDALIA, La. (KTVE/KARD) — On Sunday, April 10, 2022, Vidalia Police was dispatched to the Town Place Suites in reference to alleged inappropriate activities occurring between a juvenile and adult male. Upon arrival, officers made contact with Tyler L. Dayton.
According to authorities, they arrested Dayton based on evidence they discovered at the scene. Dayton was charged with Third Degree Rape and Contributing to the Delinquency of Juvenile. | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/denham-springs-man-arrested-for-third-degree-rape-of-a-juvenile/ | 2022-04-12T22:39:13 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/denham-springs-man-arrested-for-third-degree-rape-of-a-juvenile/ |
Sunday night is the Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library’s annual “Night of Vonnegut” celebration at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. It is always a wonderful event celebrating Indiana’s greatest author, and as far as I’m concerned, Indiana’s greatest artist of any kind.
While he told many different kinds of stories, and inspired fans for many reasons, his humor must be at or near the top of that list. That’s probably why the Kurt Vonnegut Humor Award was created in 2014. Past winners include Alec Baldwin, NPR’s Peter Sagal and comedian Gary Gulman. At this year’s celebration, Gulman will take a break from his “Born on Third Base Tour,” and show the crowd exactly why he won the award.
Vonnegut was hilarious, sure, but that is not why I love reading his books. I read them because there is a meter, a rhythm or cadence to the way he tells stories that makes me wish they would never end.
And that is the same reason I read Michael Koryta’s books.
I picked up my first Koryta novel after I “discovered” him when I happened to come across a small article in The Bloomington Herald Times or The Indiana Daily Student about his then-new book, “Never Far Away,” last year. I have tried to relocate that specific article, but it turns out Koryta is famous, and that little article is like the proverbial needle in a haystack. I read that first book primarily because I thought I should. You know, the local talent who made it big. I read "Slaughterhouse-Five" a few years ago for the same reason, I thought I should. But in that case I was also a little embarrassed I hadn’t read it already.
When my wife and I came out of a movie a couple of weeks ago, we passed the line of “now playing” movie posters on the wall and I saw the one for “So Cold the River.” I said, “hey, that looks like West Baden right there.” She agreed, and we spent the walk home googling the movie, confirming the connection, and learning that much of it was filmed at the historic Indiana landmark. Then we made the important discovery, that the movie was based on the 2011 novel by Koryta.
Stop everything. I had to read the book immediately, so I could then get to the theater and see the movie before it leaves.
The book was another Koryta classic I discovered. It was only a New York Times Best Seller more than a decade ago, who knew? But the story is not just loosely connected to some random historic hotel that serves as some random thriller’s setting. In many ways the book is about the French Lick Valley and it’s history, told through the vehicle of a creepy and believable ghost story. If you have spent much time there, as I have, you will likely agree that the two historic hotels and all that surrounds them is an area crying out for a ghoulish tale like this one to be told. Koryta was the exact right person to tell it.
For someone unfamiliar with the area, the movie adaptation might look like a typical horror flick, a genre I don’t normally seek out. And it may appear that the grand setting of the film is actually some fictitious Hollywood simulation of a hotel that can’t possibly be real. Why would there actually be such a place? But for many Hoosiers, we know it is real.
If you are a fan of ghost stories, read this book, watch the movie, then immediately book a night at West Baden. OK, maybe stay at the French Lick hotel and just tour West Baden, it might not be the most restful night sleeping so close to where it all happened.
Aside from that creepy opportunity the story creates, the book is truly fun to read because there is so much in it that is absolutely true. The reader might confuse what is history and what is fantasy. I know a fair amount about the valley, and I have resisted the urge to go back and separate Koryta’s fiction from reality. I now prefer to just accept his entire story as the true one.
But if my wife gets exposed to it, we won’t ever get to go back there. So, please don’t tell her about any of it.
Let that be my one warning. If you scare easily, and love the resorts in Orange County, stick to “Never Far Away.” Most of that one happens in Maine. | https://www.kokomotribune.com/opinion/michael-leppert-so-cold-the-river-is-a-real-hoosier-horror/article_6917f52e-ba8f-11ec-ac74-67c5561caac7.html | 2022-04-12T22:39:19 | 1 | https://www.kokomotribune.com/opinion/michael-leppert-so-cold-the-river-is-a-real-hoosier-horror/article_6917f52e-ba8f-11ec-ac74-67c5561caac7.html |
OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) — Additional charges and an additional arrest have been made in the ongoing case of a Eunice nursing home identity theft dating back to 2021.
Tranessa Compton, 30, of Mamou, was originally arrested in January of this year on multiple counts of credit card fraud and identity theft. Sheriff Bobby Guidroz confirmed this morning that she has been arrested again and given additional charges related to another complaint from a Eunice Manor resident. Arrested on April 7, she faces one count of exploitation of persons with infirmities, 112 counts of access device fraud, 57 counts of identity theft, and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. Her bond was set at $22,000.
St. Landry Parish deputies confirmed that these charges are in addition to previous charges Compton faces from her January 31 arrest, including 259 counts of access device fraud, 16 counts of identity theft, and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile
Jonas Wayne Patin, 35, of Mamou, who shares an address with Compton, also faces two counts of exploitation of persons with infirmities, 64 counts of access device fraud, and six counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. His bond was set at $27,500. An arrest warrant for Patin was originally issued Feb. 15. He was also arrested April 7, said Guidroz.
The fraudulent activity allegedly committed by Patin and Compton occurred between Nov. 17 and Dec. 20, 2021. Detectives were first tipped off to the alleged activity on Jan. 3, 2022. On Feb. 22, Guidroz said a second victim came forward after being notified of a past-due balance on a card that should have had no debt.
Guidroz said detectives found the second victim’s card had a total of 44 fraudulent transactions totaling $3,553 and 68 attempted transactions totaling $12,548. Compton also allegedly attempted to open a new line of credit using the victim’s identity but was declined.
As in Compton’s previous arrest, she was allegedly captured on phone recordings identifying herself as the victim and also using supplied the victim’s personal information, including credit card number, date of birth, photo identification card and Social Security number.
“When questioned by detectives on April 7, 2022, Tranessa Compton initially denied any involvement and later replied that she made a ‘mistake.'” said Guidroz.
Guidroz said Compton and Patin were observed on surveillance footage using the credit card that belonged to the Eunice Manor victim, in some cases in the presence of minors. Patin was allegedly responsible for 60 transactions and one attempted transaction totaling $3,609. | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/more-charges-and-additional-arrest-made-in-eunice-nursing-home-identity-theft-case/ | 2022-04-12T22:39:20 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/crime/more-charges-and-additional-arrest-made-in-eunice-nursing-home-identity-theft-case/ |
(WGHP) — Gilbert Gottfried has died at 67 after a long illness, according to a statement released by his family.
“We are heartbroken to announce the passing of our beloved Gilbert Gottfried after a long illness,” the family said. “In addition to being the most iconic voice in comedy, Gilbert was a wonderful husband, brother, friend and father to his two young children. Although today is a sad day for all of us, please keep laughing as loud as possible in Gilbert’s honor.”
Gottfried died from a rare genetic muscle disease that can trigger a dangerously abnormal heartbeat, his publicist and longtime friend Glenn Schwartz said in a statement.
Gottfried is most well known for his role in Disney’s “Aladdin” as the parrot Iago and as Digit LeBoid in the PBS kid’s show “Cyberchase.”
He first came to national attention with frequent appearances on MTV in its early days and with a brief stint in the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in the 1980s. He was particularly fond of doing obscure and dated impressions for as long as he could milk them, including Groucho Marx, Bela Lugosi and Andrew “Dice” Clay.
Gottfried was especially beloved by his fellow comedians and performers.
“I am so sad to read about the passing of Gilbert Gottfried,” actor Marlee Matlin said on Twitter. “Funny, politically incorrect but a softie on the inside. We met many times; he even pranked me on a plane, replacing my interpreter.”
“Seinfeld” actor Jason Alexander tweeted that “Gilbert Gottfried made me laugh at times when laughter did not come easily. What a gift.”
Gottfried is survived by his wife Dara, sister Karen, 14-year-old daughter Lily and 12-year-old son Max.
His final film, “Hassle at the Castle,” is currently in pre-production.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/comedian-gilbert-gottfried-dies-after-long-illness/ | 2022-04-12T22:39:26 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/comedian-gilbert-gottfried-dies-after-long-illness/ |
(NEXSTAR) — Netflix unveiled its latest feature on Monday: the Double Thumbs Up, which the streaming giant says allows users tell its algorithm they love (not like) certain shows and movies.
But how does a Double Thumbs Up change your recommendations versus a Thumbs Up?
Netflix’s Director of Product Innovation Christine Doig-Cardet writes: “Consider Double Thumbs Up as a way to fine-tune your recommendations to see even more series or films influenced by what you love. A Thumbs Up still lets us know what you liked, so we use this response to make similar recommendations. But a Double Thumbs Up tells us what you loved and helps us get even more specific with your recommendations.”
Doig-Cardet explains Thumbs Up will push content that’s similar in genre or mood to the top of your recommendations, while Double Thumbs Up would prioritize content starring a show’s specific actors and creators.
Netflix’s top film last week was the Ryan Reynolds sci-fi action movie “The Adam Project.” With Netflix’s Double Thumbs Up, if you double-liked this movie you might see more Reynolds action movies (the 2019 Michael Bay thriller “6 Underground” and 2011’s critically panned “Green Lantern” adaptation) or more show episodes/movies involving “The Adam Project” director Shawn Levy (“Stranger Things” and “Shadow and Bone”). | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/what-does-netflixs-new-double-thumbs-up-do/ | 2022-04-12T22:39:32 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/entertainment-news/what-does-netflixs-new-double-thumbs-up-do/ |
ALEXANDRIA, La. (April 12, 2022) — Family members of late Alexandria City Councilman Louis J. Marshall were on hand Tuesday morning as the City of Alexandria formally dedicated the Louis J. Marshall Bike/Walking Trail at the North 16th Street trail entrance.
“It is fitting that we dedicate this trail in Louis’ memory. He was instrumental in creating the vision and working for the construction of a bicycle and walking path. He saw the benefits it would have, not just for the health of the residents, but for the health and growth of the community,” said Alexandria Mayor Jeff Hall. “Working with his devoted wife, Winnie, the two created a lasting legacy of service.”
Marshall served as the District 1 representative on the Alexandria City Council for two terms, serving from 2000-2008. Two former councilmen who served with Marshall, Roosevelt Johnson and Everett Hobbs, were in attendance for the dedication ceremony along with current District 1 representative Reddex Washington and District 3 representative Cynthia Perry.
Prior to his service as a City Councilman, Marshall served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Locally, he was active in neighborhood projects and worked with the South Alexandria Revitalization Committee.
A plaque honoring Marshall was dedicated during the event and will be placed at the trail site. | https://www.cenlanow.com/local-news/city-dedicates-louis-j-marshal-bike-walking-trail/ | 2022-04-12T22:39:38 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/local-news/city-dedicates-louis-j-marshal-bike-walking-trail/ |
(NewsNation) — The vast majority of Americans blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for skyrocketing gas prices, a new ABC poll found this week, but nearly as many also blame oil companies.
Despite the overwhelming majority of respondents pointing the finger at Putin and Big Oil, there was plenty of blame to go around, with a slim majority saying Democratic policies and President Joe Biden were also causing factors in pain at the pump. Similarly split views were seen in a recent NewsNation poll.
Gas prices have become a hotly debated partisan issue in Washington, D.C.:
- Biden and his party blame the ongoing war in Eastern Europe and a resulting ban on Russian oil imports. The Democrats also blame oil companies who they accuse of prioritizing profits over the well-being of the American people.
- Republicans point out that oil prices were on the rise even before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and instead blame the president’s energy policies, arguing they have hindered the oil companies from being able to ramp up production and drive down prices.
“I think both sides are vastly overstating their positions,” said Patrick De Haan, lead petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.
So who, or what, is really responsible for the increase in gas prices?
The war?
Last month, Biden accused Putin of “hitting Americans at the pump” and warned that gas prices could continue to rise as the war in Ukraine continues. In part, that’s because the U.S. has banned oil imports from Russia in an attempt to hit Putin’s most lucrative industry.
Prior to the ban, only about 8% of U.S. petroleum products came from Russia; the biggest importer of such products is Canada.
Although gas prices had been rising before the war, De Haan says it has contributed to rising prices but it’s hard to know exactly how much when compared to other factors including COVID-related labor and supply chain issues.
“Part of the reason we went so high is because of the unpredictable war on Ukraine and any further escalation that’s unexpected could cause oil prices to flare back up,” De Haan said.
Last month, Biden ordered the release of 1 million barrels of oil per day from the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve. It’s a move De Haan says will have a positive impact on prices, though not as significantly as factors that are pushing oil prices up like surging consumer demand.
As of Monday, the average price for a gallon of regular gas was $4.11, down from $4.33 a month ago, according to auto club AAA.
Oil companies?
Congressional Democrats have been quick to point the finger at large oil companies, accusing them of “ripping off the American people” and intentionally keeping oil production low in order to maximize profits.
“At a time of record profits, Big Oil is refusing to increase production to provide the American people some much-needed relief at the gas pump,” Rep. Frank Pallone, D-N.J., said at a congressional hearing with oil executives last week.
Despite House Democrats’ claims, industry experts point out that domestic oil production has ramped up in recent months. In September 2021, the U.S. produced about 10.4 million barrels of oil a day, far below the 11.8 million barrels that have been produced each day this month.
De Haan expects the uptick in oil production to continue as long as companies can overcome pandemic-related setbacks that have also affected other industries.
“The headwinds are very similar across the economy that are affecting the oil and gas sector, as well — things like labor, steel, drilling rigs, all of this is in very short supply,” De Haan said. “As some of these kinks get smoothed out, I do expect U.S. oil production to continue going up.”
De Haan also pointed out the boom-bust nature of the oil industry and said current criticism does not take into account the recent, extremely volatile, history.
“This oil sector was also the sector that was losing tens of billions of dollars early on in the pandemic and nobody was complaining about that then. So it’s not really fair to blame oil companies for selling at the market price today when we didn’t complain about oil companies selling at the market price in 2020 and 2021,” he said.
Biden?
On the other side of the aisle, Republicans are citing the cancellation of the Keystone XL oil pipeline and a moratorium on new drilling leases on federal lands as the cause of the problem. They argue that Biden’s energy policies have led to lower oil production, which has reduced the overall supply and caused higher prices.
But while it’s true domestic oil production is lower today than it was right before the pandemic, it’s unclear how much can be attributed to Biden’s policies. The president’s drilling moratorium was struck down by a federal judge last June.
So then, what’s the cause?
Instead, De Haan says long-tail effects from the COVID pandemic are more likely to blame.
“President Trump is not responsible for COVID and President Biden is not responsible for the continued imbalances that are persistent from COVID,” he said.
In February 2020, U.S. oil production hit a record-high 13 million barrels a day before plummeting to 10.5 million barrels a day in August 2020 — a direct response to the pandemic.
Americans stopped driving, airlines stopped flying and the demand for oil all but disappeared. At one point in April 2020, oil became effectively worthless as the price for a barrel of West Texas crude dropped below $0.
Oil companies responded by producing less.
Now, demand has returned but production has not been able to keep pace, yet.
In recent months, domestic oil production has ramped up to 11.7 million barrels a day but for the same reasons many industries have been slow to bounce back, overall production remains off record highs.
“This won’t be permanent. I think as things continue to normalize, as supply chains reopen, we will see an increase in U.S. oil production. For that I have no doubt,” De Haan said. | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/biden-putin-or-big-oil-who-is-to-blame-for-high-gas-prices/ | 2022-04-12T22:39:44 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/biden-putin-or-big-oil-who-is-to-blame-for-high-gas-prices/ |
(The Hill) – Longtime political columnist and commentator George Will quipped that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is “ready to be 1/435th of the House of Representatives,” adding that if she won election to the House it “doesn’t really matter much.”
Will made the remarks in response to a question from NewsNation host Ashleigh Banfield on Tuesday during Nexstar Media Group’s corporate management meeting in Dallas. Banfield asked Will if Palin, who recently announced a run for Congress in her home state, was ready for another job in government.
“Ready to be 1/435th of the House of Representatives? Sure,” Will said. “Because in the grand scheme of things, that doesn’t really matter much.”
Palin announced her candidacy for the seat vacated with the passing of the late Alaska Rep. Don Young (R) just 45 minutes before the filing deadline for the race.
She was endorsed by former President Trump earlier this month, who called her “tough and smart” in his statement backing her.
Will said he would not be surprised to see Trump endorse candidates who are likely to win House and Senate races during this year’s midterms, as an effort to shore up his “prognosticator” brand and build support while mulling a potential run for the White House again in 2024.
“You notice he’s not saying anything about the Senate race in Ohio,” he noted.
Will, during separate remarks, proposed a new way of creating better, less polarizing candidates for president, including “disqualifying anyone who has served as a senator,” from running for the White House.
“It would improve the Senate remarkably,” Will said. “You wouldn’t have all those people just biding their time there. Second, it would improve our pool of presidential candidates. We used to get our presidents from governors, who have run something larger than a Senate office, who have been accountable for more than 1/100th of a legislative body.”
The Senate, Will argued, “has become a purely performative stage where people strike poses, issue statements, and make gestures — but it’s not involved in serious government.”
Part of the ambition seen in modern politicians dovetails with an increasingly partisan cable news landscape, Will suggested.
“We’re suffering from an epidemic of confirmation bias … and an addiction to synthetic anger … People don’t watch cable news for information, but for ratification of their beliefs,” he said.
A columnist at The Washington Post for years, Will was hired by Nexstar Media Group in January to serve as a senior contributor to cable outlet NewsNation’s nightly news program. Nexstar Media Group purchased The Hill last fall. | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/george-will-dismisses-palin-quips-senators-shouldnt-be-able-to-run-for-president/ | 2022-04-12T22:39:50 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/george-will-dismisses-palin-quips-senators-shouldnt-be-able-to-run-for-president/ |
(NewsNation) — Skyrocketing prices on essentials are forcing some older Americans out of retirement as U.S. inflation continues to hit new highs.
In just the past six months, about 480,000 adults over 55 began looking for a job, according to reporting by the Wall Street Journal. That’s compared to the 180,000 adults looking in the six months prior to the pandemic. This increase is credited in part to the outsized impact inflation is having on the ability of people to retire.
The government’s consumer price index, released Tuesday morning, showed prices shot up 8.5% in March compared to 12 months earlier, according to a report by the Labor Department. This marks the fastest year-over-year inflation rise since December 1981 and surpasses the 7.9% 12-month increase in February, which itself set a 40-year high.
One out of four adults said that inflation is the single greatest threat to their retirement plans in 2022, according to Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. That’s more than concerns about health care costs, outliving your money or job security combined.
Even before the pandemic, the economic health for some retirees varied. Older workers without a college degree only had about $9,000 in retirement savings on average, compared to the $167,000 for those with a college degree.
In just February, 3% of retirees re-entered the workforce, a trend that is expected to continue for months according to Indeed. | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/inflation-forcing-retirees-back-into-jobs/ | 2022-04-12T22:39:57 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/inflation-forcing-retirees-back-into-jobs/ |
(NewsNation) — An unimaginable tragedy is sending chills through a small Georgia community.
On Saturday, someone walked into the Lock Stock and Barrel shooting range in Granville, about 50 miles outside of Atlanta, and gunned down owners 75-year-old Richard Hawk and his wife and their 17-year-old grandson Luke.
The local coroner made the gruesome discovery that the shooting victims were his parents and his son.
Investigators say the three were killed in what appears to be a ruthless robbery. The person responsible got away from the range with an estimated 40 guns, plus the security footage from the shop.
While authorities returned to the range Monday afternoon looking for clues, Blake Harr stopped by to pay his respects.
“These people went out of their way to help others and it’s just senseless for his to happen,” Harr said.
While investigators track down leads, the close-knit community is in mourning.
“Hurt, frustrated, confused. Why this place, why these people?” Harr said. “Those guns weren’t worth the lives that were lost.”
The shooting suspect is still on the run. Authorities say there is a $15,000 reward for information leading to the person responsible for the deadly shooting. The investigation continues. | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/manhunt-underway-after-georgia-coroner-finds-family-dead/ | 2022-04-12T22:40:03 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/manhunt-underway-after-georgia-coroner-finds-family-dead/ |
(NEXSTAR) — A ride operator at a county fair in Florida is recovering from his injuries after getting stuck between metal plates on the platform of an amusement ride on Friday.
The employee reportedly became stuck while attempting to “recover some property” for one of the patrons on the ride at the Clay County Fair, according to Chief Jeff Johnson of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office.
“Long story short, the operator was trying to do a good deed. And he had bad timing,” Chief Johnson said at a press conference on Saturday.
Footage of the victim trapped under the plate — with only half of his upper body visible above the ride platform — was shared to Facebook by a guest at the fair. The victim could also be heard calling out in pain while several people attempted to get help.
The victim remained trapped under the plate for around 15 minutes, Clay County Fire Rescue Chief David Kuykendall said. He was transported to the hospital after first responders were able to maneuver the plates to allow his body to “slide right out,” according to Kuykendall.
A representative for the Clay County Fair said the employee was expected to recover.
“We are happy to hear that the employee will make a full recovery and only small injuries were reported,” a spokesperson told Nexstar.
Officials in Clay County were also quick to confirm that the ride itself was functioning properly at the time of the accident.
“The ride had nothing to do with this … all the agencies that needed to be contacted were contacted, and the ride is up and running today,” Johnson said Saturday.
News of Friday’s incident comes only weeks after Tyre Sampson, a guest at Orlando’s ICON Park, was killed after he fell from a tower ride in late March. An accident report released in the wake of Sampson’s death revealed that his harness was still in a “down and locked” position when he slipped from the seat.
The ride’s manual also indicated that Sampson may have exceeded the weight limit for the ride, and should not have been allowed to get on. | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/ride-operator-at-florida-county-fair-becomes-stuck-in-metal-platform-suffers-injuries/ | 2022-04-12T22:40:09 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/national/ride-operator-at-florida-county-fair-becomes-stuck-in-metal-platform-suffers-injuries/ |
BATON ROUGE, La. – The LSU-Lamar baseball game scheduled for Tuesday night has been postponed due to the forecast of inclement weather in the Baton Rouge area.
LSU officials will work to schedule a make-up game to be played later this season.
LSU’s next game will be on Thursday in Fayetteville, Ark., as the Tigers face Arkansas in a three-game SEC series. All three games may be heard live on affiliates of the LSU Sports Radio Network.
Game 1 of the LSU-Arkansas series will start at 6:30 p.m. CT Thursday, and it will be streamed on SEC Network +. Game 2 begins at 6 p.m. CT Friday, and it will be televised on the SEC Network. First pitch for Game 3 is 2 p.m. CT Saturday, and it may be viewed on SEC Network +.
Live audio is available at www.LSUsports.net/live and live stats may be found at www.LSUstats.com.
LSU’s next game at home will be played on Tuesday, April 19, when the Tigers participate in the Wally Pontiff Jr. Foundation Classic against UL Lafayette in Alex Box Stadium, Skip Bertman Field.
The Pontiff Classic game is not a part of the LSU season ticket holder package, and individual-game tickets may be purchased now at www.LSUtix.net.
(Release via LSU Athletics) | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/geaux-nation/tuesdays-lsu-baseball-game-vs-lamar-postponed/ | 2022-04-12T22:40:15 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/sports/geaux-nation/tuesdays-lsu-baseball-game-vs-lamar-postponed/ |
NEW IBERIA, La. (KLFY) — Iberia Parish Sheriff Tommy Romero said his deputies are searching for a missing woman last seen March 30.
Angela Toms, 56, is described as six feet tall, weighing approximately 200 lbs. While she was last seen March 30, her employer reported phone contact on April 5.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Toms is urged to contact the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office at (337) 369-3711 or submit a tip on the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s App. | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/iberia-parish-sheriffs-deputies-looking-for-missing-woman/ | 2022-04-12T22:40:21 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/iberia-parish-sheriffs-deputies-looking-for-missing-woman/ |
LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) – Senator Bill Cassidy and colleagues recently introduced the Law Enforcement De-escalation act.” The bill will allocate $70 million annually for law enforcement to receive training to respond more effectively to people with mental or behavioral health issues.
Right here in Lafayette, a local organization is also working with law enforcement to easily connect sufferers with the right resources.
“Training is always needed. There are always new techniques. New thoughts and new ideas that come.
We want to continue to have really good law enforcement that know how to react in a lot of different situations,” said Holly Howat, founder and director of Beacon Community Connections.
The organization works with law enforcement departments across Lafayette Parish.
“The project was to not wait until someone showed up in jail and then try to fix the problem,” Howat said, “but really help law enforcement officers give them another tool that they can use when they encounter somebody with a mental illness.”
Joshua Hamburg is the community resource specialist. He works directly with referred clients.
Hamburg said he talks with clients about what’s going on and asks them what kind of help they need, then he connects them to resources.
His most common cases are substance abuse and suicidal cases. So far, law enforcement officers have referred over 500 clients to Beacon Community.
Initially, clients have reservations about working with law enforcement and Beacon, Hamburg said, but in the end, they are grateful.
“Recently I had a suicidal client that I’ve been working with,” Hamburg said. “I was able to connect her to someone. She called me from the facility and told me how thankful she was.”
Sheriff Mark Garber with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office works closely with Beacon Community Connections. Carencro Police Chief David Anderson has also personally referred clients to the organization.
“When I heard that this program was expanding, I knew it would help the people of Carencro,” Anderson said. “My officers and I want to help people, and by partnering with Beacon, we can help them.”
Beacon Community not only works with law enforcement but local hospitals as well. They also help provide resources for basic needs. | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/new-bill-to-bridge-the-gap-between-law-enforcement-and-mental-health-crises/ | 2022-04-12T22:40:27 | 0 | https://www.cenlanow.com/state-news/new-bill-to-bridge-the-gap-between-law-enforcement-and-mental-health-crises/ |
WASHINGTON (Nexstar) — When the bipartisan-passed No Surprises law took effect at the beginning of the year, the goal was to protect consumers from surprise medical bills. But now that it’s in effect, 6 lawsuits have been filed by medical associations.
The No Surprises law is meant to protect Americans from unanticipated, out-of-network bills that can total thousands of dollars.
The law, said Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, “protects Americans from being broadsided, surprised, by unexpected medical bills. We’re going to be vigorous in enforcement of that law.”
But the Biden adminitration is now facing six lawsuits from medical associations that disagree with the proposed rules for implementing the law.
Various medical associations bringing the suits declined on-camera interviews but said they’re not challenging the portions that affect consumers’ out-of-pocket expenses.
They argue Congress wrote the law to allow for an independent dispute resolutions process to decide how much insurance companies should pay and that the Health and Human Services rules don’t allow for that.
Patricia Kelmar with the US Public Interest Research Groups said the rules crafted by the Biden administration serve as important guardrails.
“You can imagine what happens when you take a away a very lucrative billing practice from providers. They’re very upset,” Kelmar said. “When out-of-network providers can charge whatever they want with no regard to a market value, then all consumers, all insured consumers are paying those added costs.”
She said in the end consumers will pay higher premiums to pick up that cost. | https://www.cenlanow.com/washington-dc/med-associations-sue-over-no-surprises-billing-law/ | 2022-04-12T22:40:33 | 1 | https://www.cenlanow.com/washington-dc/med-associations-sue-over-no-surprises-billing-law/ |
Police investigating fatal shooting on Monroe Street in Eugene
Police are investigating a fatal shooting that left one person dead on Monroe Street in Eugene early Tuesday morning.
Eugene police responded to reports of a shooting outside homes on Monroe Street, just north of the intersection with 19th Avenue, at around 4:47 a.m., according to a news release from EPD spokeswoman Melinda McLaughlin. Police found one person dead, and EPD's violent crimes unit and the Lane County Medical Examiner's office are investigating.
McLaughlin did not sayif there had been any arrests, but said in the release there was no ongoing threat to the community. She did not have additional details a little after 9 a.m.
Investigators put blue tarp up around a small area in the middle of Monroe Street, and closed down the road between 19th and 20th avenues. Sandra Gill, who lives across the street from the shooting, said multiple neighbors heard shots early Tuesday morning. She described the aftermath as "really gruesome-looking."
Barbara Thompson, who lives further south on Monroe, said she heard three shots Tuesday morning.
"It's very distressing," Thompson said. "It's a nice neighborhood."
EPD is asking anyone with relevant information, home surveillance or vehicle camera footage related to the incident call the department at 541-682-5111 and reference case number 22-05713.
Louis Krauss covers breaking news for The Register-Guard. Contact him at lkrauss@registerguard.com, and follow him on Twitter @LouisKraussNews. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/04/12/1-dead-police-investigating-fatal-shooting-outside-homes-in-monroe-street-neighborhood-eugene-oregon/65349865007/ | 2022-04-12T22:43:14 | 0 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/04/12/1-dead-police-investigating-fatal-shooting-outside-homes-in-monroe-street-neighborhood-eugene-oregon/65349865007/ |
'No impact' from temporary suspension of Lane County DA's license to practice law
A temporary suspension of Lane County District Attorney Patty Perlow's law license for failing to file a form with the state bar association will not have an impact on cases, she said.
"By statute, the Deputy DAs have the full authority of the District Attorney," Perlow wrote in an email Friday afternoon. "I was out of the office on a planned vacation when I received the notice of the suspension and have been reinstated."
Perlow was one of more than 300 attorneys to receive notice on April 2 that they'd had their license suspended after they failed to file forms verifying their compliance with Interest on Lawyer Trust Account rules.
Perlow doesn't take money from clients and does not have a trust account, but she and other government lawyers and judges who also don't have those accounts still have to submit a yearly form to the Oregon State Bar certifying they don't have a trust account.
Around 20 attorneys in Lane County received the notice of suspension, according to a letter the Oregon State Bar sent to the state's Supreme Court.
That number included Perlow and two others in government offices:
- Suzanne Bruce, a prosecutor for the city of Eugene. Her license has been reinstated.
- Katherine Green, a senior prosecutor assigned to the major crimes division within the Lane County District Attorney's Office. Her license has been reinstated.
- Travis Smith, the lead prosecutor for the city of Eugene. His license has been reinstated.
While Perlow was on vacation and said her suspension wouldn't have an impact, it wasn't immediately clear whether Bruce, Green and Smith were practicing law with a suspended license or whether there could be an impact.
Perlow didn't immediately respond to a follow-up email asking about Green's suspension, and a city spokesperson hasn't responded with answers about Bruce and Smith's suspensions.
The Oregon State Bar also hasn't responded to a question about the possible impacts.
The suspension affected "a very small percentage" of the organization's more than 15,000 members, said spokesperson Kateri Walsh. Almost everyone who received notification of the suspension fixed the issue promptly, she added.
After receiving the notice of suspension, both Perlow and Smith said they filled out the necessary form and submitted a readmission form along with $100 from their personal funds.
Perlow said she had "received no notice" before the suspension, and many attorneys told The Oregonian that reminders had gone to their spam folder. According to a news release from earlier this year, the state bar transitioned to a new email system.
Contact city government watchdog Megan Banta at mbanta@registerguard.com. Follow her on Twitter @MeganBanta_1. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/04/12/lane-county-district-attorney-patty-perlow-license-suspended-oregon-state-bar/65349555007/ | 2022-04-12T22:43:20 | 0 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/2022/04/12/lane-county-district-attorney-patty-perlow-license-suspended-oregon-state-bar/65349555007/ |
Lane County coronavirus update, April 12: 38 new cases, 8 deaths reported
The Register-Guard is making this daily update related to the coronavirus free to read. To support important local journalism like this, please consider becoming a digital subscriber.
Lane County Public Health reported 38 confirmed or presumptive new cases of COVID-19 and eight new COVID-related deaths Tuesday, raising the countywide case count to 57,492 and the total local death count to 522.
The past week's average new case count is 23.
Last week, Lane County Public Health spokesperson Jason Davis warned that many at-home positive tests are going unreported. At-home positive tests can be reported through the county's website.
Even though there are likely more cases in the county than are being reported, the virus's prevalence in the community remains low. To get a clearer idea of how the virus is impacting the community, residents can look toward hospitalization rates.
The number of county residents reported hospitalized for the virus Tuesday was nine, down five from Monday, with one person in intensive care, unchanged from Monday, and one on a ventilator, up one from Monday. Of the nine people hospitalized, 66.7%, or six, are not fully vaccinated.
As of last Monday, the most recent update, 276,291 people in Lane County — 72.45% of the total population — received first or second vaccine doses with 667,258 doses administered in Lane County, according to the Oregon Health Authority.
As more precautions ease, the county is seeing more cases of influenza. Public health officials are encouraging residents to get their regular immunizations and flu shots, especially ahead of the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
— The Register-Guard | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/coronavirus/2022/04/12/lane-county-oregon-coronavirus-update-april-12-8-deaths-38-new-cases-reported/65349887007/ | 2022-04-12T22:43:32 | 0 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/coronavirus/2022/04/12/lane-county-oregon-coronavirus-update-april-12-8-deaths-38-new-cases-reported/65349887007/ |
Eugene City Council to hold work session on banning future natural gas infrastructure
Eugene city councilors will be presented with options for banning future construction using natural gas.
At a work session Wednesday, city staff will discuss plans to change city code limiting newly constructed residential, industrial and commercial buildings' use of fossil fuels. The construction code change would take effect Jan. 1, 2023.
Moving away from natural gas infrastructure in favor of electrification is part of the city's overall climate strategy.
In meeting notes for the work session, city staff indicated consultation with attorneys and the state building codes division suggests the council could ban natural gas in new construction through an ordinance adding a new section to health and environment codes. Staff indicated more limited options than an outright ban also could be possible.
'We need to be tough':Eugene officials will discuss requiring all-electric in new building projects
"The code amendment could simply state that 'natural gas infrastructure is prohibited in newly constructed buildings,' ” the City Council's work session notes read. "Staff can provide additional information regarding a more limited prohibition on natural gas use, such as applying a natural gas prohibition to one or two building types."
The council voted unanimously in November to hold the work session. Councilors in that meeting also voted to have staff develop a road map to decarbonizing buildings in the city by 2045 and present a draft by June 30.
Meeting notes include various examples of similar ordinances from California cities, such as an all-electric code for new buildings in Santa Clara with "minimal exemptions" and a Sacramento ordinance requiring newly constructed. buildings under three stories be all-electric by 2023 and extending that mandate to all new construction by 2026.
A complete ban on new natural gas infrastructure does not conflict with state rules but requires state approval.
The work session is scheduled for noon Wednesday and can be watched online at eugene-or.gov/3360/Webcasts-and-Meeting-Materials. Councilors will not vote on an ordinance at the work session.
Contact reporter Adam Duvernay at aduvernay@registerguard.com. Follow on Twitter @DuvernayOR | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/environment/2022/04/12/eugene-oregon-natural-gas-infrastructure-ban-electrification-construction-fossil-fuels-climate/65349513007/ | 2022-04-12T22:43:38 | 0 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/environment/2022/04/12/eugene-oregon-natural-gas-infrastructure-ban-electrification-construction-fossil-fuels-climate/65349513007/ |
President Joe Biden for the first time referred to Russia’s invasion in Ukraine as a “genocide” Tuesday.
Speaking in Iowa at an event about steps his administration is taking to staunch rising fuel costs because of the war, Biden termed the conflict, which has seen Russia carry out atrocities against Ukrainian civilians, as a “genocide.”
Said Biden: “Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide a half a world away.”
Biden has previously stated that he did not believe Russia’s actions amounted to genocide, as Ukrainian government officials have argued, but rather were “war crimes.”
This is a live update. Click here for complete coverage of the crisis in Ukraine. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/biden-says-russia-is-committing-genocide-in-ukraine/3643050/ | 2022-04-12T22:43:56 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/biden-says-russia-is-committing-genocide-in-ukraine/3643050/ |
An attorney for a man who took a coat rack and a bottle of liquor during the U.S. Capitol attack argued to a jury on Tuesday that former President Donald Trump "authorized" the Jan. 6 assault on the building by convincing "vulnerable" people like his client that the election was stolen.
Dustin Thompson, a 38-year-old from Ohio, is the third Jan. 6 defendant to face a trial by jury after the convictions of Guy Reffitt and former police officer Thomas Robertson.
Thompson faces six charges, including obstruction of an official proceeding and theft of government property.
For more on this story, go to NBC News. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/trump-authorized-assault-on-capitol-jan-6-defendant-argues-at-trial/3643037/ | 2022-04-12T22:44:04 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/trump-authorized-assault-on-capitol-jan-6-defendant-argues-at-trial/3643037/ |
A dolphin was caught on camera attacking a trainer during a performance at Miami Seaquarium on Saturday.
A man named Shannon Carpenter was watching the Flipper show at the Seaquarium with his family when he recorded the moment a dolphin named Sundance suddenly turned on its trainer.
"There was obviously some type of struggle and the crowd seemed to know something wasn't right," said Carpenter. "The trainer swam to the dock pretty quickly and she just kneeled there for the rest of the show while they kind of closed it down."
Jared Goodman, an Animal Law attorney at the PETA Foundation, says this is not new.
"This is really just adding to the litany of problems that there has been at the Miami Seaquarium recently," said Goodman. "Reportedly, the same dolphin rammed another trainer about two years ago."
Goodman also says this is not even the first incident of dolphin aggression that has occurred this past week.
In a statement to NBC 6, Miami Seaquarium said: "A dolphin and trainer accidentally collided in the water on Saturday while performing a routine behavior as part of the Flipper show. This was an uncomfortable interaction for both of them and the dolphin reacted by breaking away from the routine and striking the trainer."
U.S. & World
Carpenter said he was worried when he saw the dolphin strike the trainer.
"These are wild animals so you never really know what to expect," said Carpenter. "But of course, all of them seemed very well trained."
Miami Seaquarium also told NBC 6 that Miami-Dade County safety authorities were contacted as a precaution.
"Our family extends to include animals in our care, our team members, and our guests," said the Seaquarium. "While there is no apparent serious injury, a careful watch and follow-up evaluations will ensure the best care for all."
For now, the Seaquarium has not suspended any shows and is continuing business as usual.
Besides this dolphin incident, the fate of Lolita the Whale has been up in the air since a new company took over the Seaquarium recently.
"The US Department of Agriculture for decades had licensed the Miami Seaquarium," said Goodman. "Even though the conditions of which at a minimum for Lolita the Orca is held do not meet the legal requirements of federal law."
For now, Lolita the whale is not performing at the Seaquarium and it's unknown if she'll be released into a sanctuary. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/video-shows-dolphin-attacking-trainer-during-miami-seaquarium-show/3643078/ | 2022-04-12T22:44:10 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/video-shows-dolphin-attacking-trainer-during-miami-seaquarium-show/3643078/ |
Boynton Beach residents fight back against rising rents
A tight housing market and steep rent hikes are prompting neighbors inside a Boynton Beach rental community to take action.
Several residents who live at the Sealofts at Boynton Village apartment complex are now banding together to keep from getting priced out of their homes.
"In order for us to renew, we're gonna have to pay an extra $1,500 a month," said resident Nick Christensen.
The large increases prompted residents to host a Tuesday night meeting to fight the pricey proposal.
"It's about $18,000 a year that they're expecting us to come up with that," Christensen said. "It's been challenging just to keep up with [the cost of] gas and food."
Christensen and Eric Hisle are leading the call to action.
"We're willing to fight and push back," Hisle said.
They haven’t reached out to the property owners yet but say their concerns resonate through the community.
"It's our fight. It's the neighbors' fight," Christensen said. "I think if we stand united ... I think we have a good shot at getting to the negotiating table and discussing this with corporate."
Real estate attorneys say corporate-owned rental complexes are unlikely to budge on the price.
"It's tough in situations, especially large, corporately-owned apartment complexes where it's just an asset," said Adam Seligman, an equity partner at Ward Damon Law in West Palm Beach. "They have vacancies. They have tenants to fill it. There's really no questions asked."
Christensen and Hisle said Tuesday's community conversation is their first step toward curbing the rental hike.
"Our main objective is to get this corporation to come to us and renegotiate a fair rent, that's it," Hisle said. "We love it here. We don't want to break up our community."
WPTV reached out to Sealofts at Boynton Village for comment but has not heard back.
Scripps Only Content 2022 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/boynton-beach-residents-fight-back-against-rising-rents/ | 2022-04-12T22:45:25 | 1 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/boynton-beach-residents-fight-back-against-rising-rents/ |
Child with autism dies 2 months after adoption
WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH/Gray News) - Aaron Carter was 6 years old when he left his foster family to go live with his newly adoptive parents. Two months later, he died.
KWCH investigative reporter Alex Flippin spent the last year asking questions about the death, about who failed the child and what needs to be done so it doesn’t happen again to someone else.
When Aaron came to stay with foster parents Jamie and Tina Miller just before his third birthday in April 2017, any communication at all was unthinkable. He only started to learn to communicate when he was 5 years old.
“When we got him, they said he was ‘normal,’ but there was absolutely something terribly wrong,” Tina Miller said. “He would go along the wall and run his hand down it and just follow and just circled the entire day, nonstop. And he didn’t talk.
“He didn’t look at you, and if he did, he looked right past you like you didn’t exist.”
He was a boy with autism who had made his way into the foster care system after a rough start to life. The Millers tried their hardest to give Aaron what he needed, even when he had no way to tell them.
“He didn’t have any form of communication,” Jamie Miller said. “If he got upset, he would yell and scream or throw a tantrum, but that’s the only way he could voice any of his feelings or opinion or anything was by throwing a tantrum. He was definitely a challenge.
“The most, I would say he was the most difficult child I was ever around, but he taught me the most of being a parent of any child I’ve been around.”
As foster parents, the couple estimate they have welcomed somewhere between 30 and 50 children into their home. They currently have 10 kids, and three of them are adopted.
Jamie Miller said when they first brought Aaron home, they had decided not to adopt him.
“After he’d been here for three years, we started rethinking that,” he said.
“I said, ‘I can’t let him go,’” Tina added. “(Jamie) was like ‘I’m glad you said that. I feel same way.’”
The Millers worked to find Aaron the therapy experts say was paramount to his development. Three years in, gone was the little boy who looked right through you.
They developed important routines and took precautions for his safety. Aaron began wearing a helmet to protect him during tantrums. It wasn’t the “normal” they may have been used to, but it was a new normal that they say was working.
He learned to communicate, both verbally and by using a special iPad. He helped with chores, at least as much help as any child his age could.
The dream of making Aaron a permanent part of the family, though, was wiped away by the reality of what it would take to do that.
“(Aaron) was assigned a case manager, so I was able to call her. And I asked her, I said ‘Well what if he was to be adopted, what services will carry over’?” Tina Miller said.
The Millers said they learned that if they adopted Aaron, they could not afford to provide what he needed. Shortly after, a Wichita couple said they could.
Jamie Miller said they were believers, lifting Aaron up in prayer every day and hoping when he went to his new family it would be what he needed.
The couple were young and recently married. They had three dogs and other pets but no children.
The Millers met them, shared dinner and then Aaron had some overnight stays to their home. Jamie and Tina Miller said they saw red flags.
“It was apparent immediately that they weren’t interested in the consistency and doing the things that we knew, we had proved over those years, that he needed,” Jamie explained.
The Millers say the couple felt Aaron didn’t need the helmet he wore to protect him during outbursts. The routine Aaron had come to rely on, they say, wasn’t followed during his visits to the couple’s home.
A pre-adoption family assessment by the Kansas Department of Children and Families, obtained by KWCH, stated one of the prospective parents struggled with methamphetamine and amphetamine addiction.
That parent also had a history of being “quick to anger.” The other parent struggled when people were disrespectful, the assessment stated.
The adoption process continued, and overnight visits with the Wichita couple continued as well.
The Millers said he left them Dec. 18, 2020, on what was supposed to be a four-day weekend with the couple before coming back to them for Christmas.
“But he never he never came back home,” Jamie Miller said.
The Millers say Aaron got sick, and he stayed in Wichita over concern it may have been COVID-19.
By Feb. 16, 2021, he was gone. An adoption specialist delivered the unthinkable news to his foster parents.
“She said that Aaron passed away. He is deceased. That’s pretty much all I heard, and I was just screaming at her on the phone,” Tina said. “I was just like, ‘I knew it. I knew this would happen. You all killed him. You put him there. You knew he didn’t belong there.’ And like, ‘He never should have left.’”
The person on the other end of the phone then asked if the Millers would like to bury Aaron at the state’s expense. They had no idea what they would learn by saying yes.
“His face looked horribly deformed,” Tina explained. “He just had bruises all over his face.”
“Every visible part that we could see was bruised,” Jamie added.
The Department of Children and Families summary of Aaron’s death is seven sentences in length. The autopsy reads that Aaron “had a tantrum” while taking a bath and hit his head on the tub.
It also details 68 other injuries covering his entire body. No cause of death is listed.
There is an open investigation by Wichita police, and DCF will not discuss the case. The foster agency, St. Francis Ministries, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the couple who planned to adopt Aaron.
Aaron’s foster parents said they are angry at the state, who they say set a young couple up for failure.
“The people that made the decision to move Aaron should have known, should have had the training, should have had the experience to know this isn’t going to go good,” Jamie said. “There were so many blatant things, blatantly obvious things that said, ‘No, no, no, no, no.’ And everybody said, ‘Yes, yes, yes.’
“I feel like he died to keep other people safe, because there are so many kids out there that could end up just like him if things don’t change.”
The people he leaves behind are left to wonder what happened and what needs to change so that it doesn’t happen again. What can the state do to set up parents, prospective parents and kids like Aaron to live and thrive?
“I firmly believe that Aaron won, because he’s in heaven now, and he can talk, he can communicate, he can ride a horse. He liked horses. He can do anything he wants to, so he won. That’s the way I see it see it,” Jamie Miller said.
In the second upcoming part of this story, KWCH sat down with an expert in the field of autism research to hear about current challenges in the state dealing with autism within the foster care system and what needs to change.
Copyright 2022 KWCH via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/child-with-autism-dies-2-months-after-adoption/ | 2022-04-12T22:45:31 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/child-with-autism-dies-2-months-after-adoption/ |
Deerfield Beach vet warns rabbit owners to vaccinate against new disease
A South Florida veterinarian is warning rabbit owners about a fatal virus that is spreading in the United States.
"There, is that good? Is that super deliciously wonderful and you're the best girl in the whole wide world."
Dr. Susan Kelleher, known as Dr. K on the National Geographic Wild network, cares for all kinds of animals.
"This little chinchilla is going to get neutered today," she said. "One of the cool things that I love about my practice is I have these animals with these incredible life spans. Like who has a pet that's 58 years old."
WPTV first told you about the RHDV2 virus back in January, with local veterinarians providing a vaccine.
"So, there's a disease that has gotten into the United States called rabbit hemorrhagic disease," said Kelleher. "It's very hardy in the environment and hard to get rid of."
Kelleher is a doctor at the Broward Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital. Right now, she's most worried about the life span of pet rabbits, which she says averages between seven and 12 years.
"This is a disease that is 100 percent deadly to the rabbits, and it's a really scary death," she said. "They die very suddenly, with a high fever, with blood coming out of their nose and mouth."
Kelleher says she has 3,000 bunny patients. Since January, she has vaccinated hundreds.
Even though she says you cannot control the wild rabbit population, you can care for your pet.
"It's important that we vaccinate our domestic rabbits. This virus as I mentioned is very hardy," she said. "It can come in on our shoes, it can come in on food items, it can be carried around in the environment."
And with the Easter holiday, people tend to buy rabbits. She said make sure they're vaccinated.
"There are some wonderful organizations that have adoptable rabbits and most of them are vaccinated for this disease," she said.
If your rabbit is not vaccinated for RHDV, Kelleher highly recommends doing so.
"I would strongly urge you to get in touch with veterinarian who specializes in avian and exotics that would have the vaccine available," she said.
Kelleher will vaccinate rabbits with appointments on April 16 and April 23.
To make a vaccination appointment for your rabbit, call Broward Avian and Exotic Animal Hospital at 954-968-7171.
Scripps Only Content 2022 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/deerfield-beach-vet-warns-rabbit-owners-vaccinate-against-new-disease/ | 2022-04-12T22:45:39 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/deerfield-beach-vet-warns-rabbit-owners-vaccinate-against-new-disease/ |
Juvenile prisoner escapes guard on the way to Tennessee hospital, recaptured in Georgia
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV/Gray News) - A sheriff’s office in Georgia on Tuesday morning recaptured a juvenile prisoner who escaped custody while on the way to a Tennessee children’s hospital Monday evening.
On Saturday, police in Nashville, Tennessee, said the teen led officers on a chase after he reportedly stole a Ford Raptor truck.
Police deployed spike strips to stop the vehicle, leading the juvenile to jump from the moving truck before crossing the spikes. The truck crashed and the teen sustained injuries, WSMV reported. Police said he was put in a neck brace before he was arrested and taken to a juvenile detention center in Nashville.
On Monday night, authorities said the juvenile was complaining of seizures. He was then transported by ambulance to a Nashville children’s hospital, accompanied by a guard.
While he was being taken out of the ambulance, authorities said the 16-year-old freed himself from his restraints and ran off toward a nearby intersection where an armed accomplice was waiting in a black Chevy Avalanche, which was reported as stolen. He then jumped into the getaway truck and sped off.
Sometime later, police found the Avalanche truck on fire.
After abandoning the truck, police said the teen and his accomplice carjacked a gold Chevy Malibu outside of an apartment complex. This vehicle was also found crashed and unoccupied by police sometime later.
Around 5 a.m. early Tuesday morning, the Nashville Police Department said the juvenile was arrested along with 22-year-old Tunisia Carey by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia. The two were traveling in Carey’s Nissan Altima when they were apprehended after a traffic stop in Cartersville, Georgia.
Carey and the juvenile remain in custody in Georgia and will be transferred back to Nashville this week, according to WSMV.
Detectives are working to identify each person who contributed to the teen’s escape.
Nashville authorities said they intend to charge the juvenile as an adult.
Copyright 2022 WSMV via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/juvenile-prisoner-escapes-guard-way-tennessee-hospital-recaptured-georgia/ | 2022-04-12T22:45:45 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/juvenile-prisoner-escapes-guard-way-tennessee-hospital-recaptured-georgia/ |
Pay it forward: Daughter paying off mother’s house after winning $1M lottery prize
PENSACOLA, Fla. (Gray News) - A Florida woman says she plans to “pay it forward” with her recent lottery winnings.
Tenesia Hollins, 41, of Pensacola, Florida, became the Florida Lottery’s latest millionaire as officials said she claimed a $1 million prize from the new 500X THE CASH Scratch-Off game on April 6.
Hollins said she purchased her winning ticket from a Winn-Dixie supermarket. According to lottery officials, the retailer will receive a $2,000 bonus commission for selling the winning scratch-off ticket.
Lottery officials said that the 41-year-old chose to receive her winnings as a one-time, lump-sum payment of $820,000.
When asked what she plans to do with her winnings, Hollins told lottery representatives that the first thing she wants to do is pay off her mother’s house.
“She’s done so much for me growing up; this is the least I can do for her,” Hollins said.
Lottery officials said the 500X THE CASH scratch-off game features the largest prize of a $25 million jackpot for scratch-offs in the state, and the game has the best odds to become an instant millionaire.
Copyright 2022 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/pay-it-forward-daughter-paying-off-mothers-house-after-winning-1m-lottery-prize/ | 2022-04-12T22:45:53 | 0 | https://www.wflx.com/2022/04/12/pay-it-forward-daughter-paying-off-mothers-house-after-winning-1m-lottery-prize/ |
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal jury convicted a former Virginia police officer of storming the U.S. Capitol with another off-duty officer to obstruct Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
Jurors on Monday convicted former Rocky Mount police officer Thomas Robertsonof all six counts he faced stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, including charges that he interfered with police officers at the Capitol and that he entered a restricted area with a dangerous weapon, a large wooden stick.
His sentencing hearing wasn’t immediately scheduled.
Robertson’s jury trial was the second among hundreds of Capitol riot cases. The first ended last month with jurors convicting a Texas man, Guy Reffitt, of all five counts in his indictment.
Robertson didn’t testify at his trial, which started last Tuesday. Jurors deliberated for several hours over two days before reaching their unanimous verdict.
One juror, who spoke to The Associated Press only on condition of anonymity, said as she left the courthouse, “I think the government made a really compelling case and the evidence was fairly overwhelming.”
Defense attorney Mark Rollins said Robertson will appeal the jury’s verdict. “While Mr. Robertson disagrees with the jury’s decision, he respects the rule of law,” Rollins said in a statement.
A key witness for prosecutors in his case was Jacob Fracker, who also served on the Rocky Mount police force and viewed Robertson as a mentor and father figure. Fracker was scheduled to be tried alongside Robertson before he pleaded guilty last month to a conspiracy charge and agreed to cooperate with authorities. Fracker testified Thursday that he had hoped the mob that attacked the Capitol could overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Robertson was charged with six counts: obstruction of Congress, interfering with officers during a civil disorder, entering a restricted area while carrying a dangerous weapon, disorderly or disruptive conduct in a restricted area while carrying a dangerous weapon, disorderly or disruptive conduct inside the Capitol building, and obstruction. The last charge stems from his alleged post-riot destruction of cellphones belonging to him and Fracker.
During the trial’s closing arguments Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Risa Berkower said Robertson went to Washington and joined a “violent vigilante mob” because he believed the election was stolen from then-President Donald Trump. He used the wooden stick to interfere with outnumbered police before he joined the crowd pouring into the Capitol, she said.
“The defendant did all this because he wanted to overturn the election,” Berkower said.
Rollins conceded that Robertson broke the law when he entered the Capitol during the riot. He encouraged jurors to convict Robertson of misdemeanor offenses but urged them to acquit Robertson of felony charges that he used the stick as a dangerous weapon and that he intended to stop Congress from certifying the Electoral College vote.
“There were no plans to go down there and say, ‘I’m going to stop Congress from doing this vote,’” Rollins said.
Fracker testified that he initially believed that he was merely trespassing when he entered the Capitol building. However, he ultimately pleaded guilty to conspiring with Robertson to obstruct Congress.
Under cross-examination by Rollins, Fracker said he didn’t have a “verbal agreement” with anybody to obstruct the joint session of Congress. Fracker said he believed everybody in the mob “pretty much had the same goal” and didn’t need for it to be “said out loud.”
Robertson and Fracker drove with a neighbor to Washington on the morning of Jan. 6. Robertson brought three gas masks for them to use, according to prosecutors.
After listening to speeches near the Washington Monument, Fracker, Robertson and the neighbor walked toward the Capitol, donned the gas masks and joined the growing mob, prosecutors said. Robertson stopped to help his neighbor, who was having trouble breathing. Fracker broke off and entered the building before Robertson, but they reunited inside the Capitol.
Defense attorney Camille Wagner told jurors that Robertson only went into the Capitol because he wanted to retrieve Fracker, who entered the Capitol a few minutes before Robertson. Wagner said the U.S. Army veteran was using the stick to help him walk because he has a limp from getting shot in the right thigh while working as a private contractor for the U.S. Defense Department in Afghanistan in 2011.
Jurors saw some of Robertson’s vitriolic posts on social media before and after the Capitol riot. In a Facebook post on Nov. 7, 2020, Robertson said “being disenfranchised by fraud is my hard line.”
“I’ve spent most of my adult life fighting a counter insurgency. (I’m) about to become part of one, and a very effective one,” he wrote.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Aloi told jurors that Robertson was charged for his actions, not his political beliefs. Wagner also said Robertson should be judged by his actions, not his words.
The town fired Robertson and Fracker after the riot. Rocky Mount is about 25 miles south of Roanoke and has roughly 5,000 residents.
Robertson has been jailed since Cooper ruled in July that he violated the terms of his pretrial release by possessing firearms.
More than 770 people have been charged with federal crimes related to the riot. Over 250 of them have pleaded guilty, mostly to misdemeanors.
Robertson’s trial is one of four so far for Capitol riot defendants. Two others had their cases decided by bench trials before the same judge.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden convicted New Mexico elected official Couy Griffin last month of illegally entering restricted Capitol grounds but acquitted him of engaging in disorderly conduct. On Wednesday, McFadden acquitted another New Mexico man, Matthew Martin, of all four charges that he faced. | https://www.wane.com/news/ex-officer-convicted-of-storming-capitol-to-disrupt-congress/ | 2022-04-12T22:46:21 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/ex-officer-convicted-of-storming-capitol-to-disrupt-congress/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Farms that rely on irrigation from a depleted, federally managed lake on the California-Oregon border, along with a Native American tribe fighting to protect fragile salmon, will both receive extremely limited amounts of water this summer as a historic drought and record-low reservoir levels drag on in the U.S. West.
More than 1,000 farmers and ranchers who draw water from a 257-mile-long (407-kilometer) river that flows from the Upper Klamath Lake to the Pacific Ocean will have access to roughly one-seventh the amount they could get in a wetter year, a federal agency announced Monday. Downstream salmon will receive about half the water they’d get if the reservoir was full.
It’s the third year in a row that severe drought has impacted farmers, fish and tribes in a region where there’s not enough water to satisfy competing demands. Last year, no water at all flowed through the Klamath Reclamation Project’s main irrigation canal, and thousands of downstream juvenile salmon died without reservoir releases to support the Klamath River’s health.
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the irrigation project, announced $15 million in relief for affected farmers and $5 million for Native American tribes as a result of its decision and warned farmers not to take water beyond what was ordered or risk further irrigation reductions and legal action. The agency decides the allocations each year, taking into account court rulings that require certain lake levels to support two federally endangered fish species.
Across the American West, a 22-year megadrought deepened so much last year that the region is now in the driest spell in at least 1,200 years — a worst-case climate change scenario playing out in real time, a study found last month.
Inflow to the Upper Klamath Lake is at a record lows, water managers said, and water allocations could drop further if drought conditions worsen this summer.
“We wish we had better news today. Obviously there are no winners in this critical year as all interests are suffering — fisheries, farmers tribes and waterfowl alike — but given the current hydrology that we have to work with, we did the best job we could,” said Ernest Conant, the bureau’s regional director.
Irrigators reacted with shock and anger to the news and said they weren’t sure they could survive another growing season without adequate water supplies. The amount of water available is less than 15% of what the farmers need, said Ben DuVal, president of the Klamath Water Users Association, who operates a farm in Tulelake, California.
“We have 170,000 acres (68,800 hectares) that could be irrigated this year, and we’re ready to get to work,” he said. “On a single acre, we can produce over 50,000 pounds (22,700 kilograms) of potatoes, or 6,000 pounds (2,700 kilograms) of wheat. This year, most of that land will not produce any food because the government is denying water for irrigation.”
Klamath River water that is dammed in the Upper Klamath Lake is the linchpin of the nearly 200,000-acre (80,940-hectare) Klamath Reclamation Project, a major agricultural powerhouse of more than 1,000 farms and ranches. Today, farmers there grow everything from mint to alfalfa to potatoes that go to In ’N Out Burger, Frito-Lay and Kettle Foods.
But the reservoir water is also source of conflict among competing demands, and amid historic drought in the carefully managed river basin there hasn’t been enough water to go around in recent years. Before 2020, the last time water allocations reached such a boiling point in the Klamath Basin was in 2001, when the U.S. government sent federal marshals to the area during a drought year and farmers threatened to breach the head gates.
Under the law, the lake’s water must be kept at a certain level to protect its sucker fish, a key species to the heritage of the Klamath Tribes in southern Oregon. This year’s water decision order irrigators to keep the lake’s water above a certain level for sucker fish spawning in April and May and then at a different level for the remainder of the summer — but even at those levels, the lake will not meet federally mandated minimums for the spring months.
Farmers can start drawing the limited water on Friday.
But federally threatened coho salmon that live in the lower Klamath River, below the reservoir, also need pulses of water from the lake to keep at bay a deadly parasite that thrives in warm and slow-moving water. The salmon are revered by the Yurok Tribe, California’s second-largest Native American tribe.
One so-called “flushing flow” of water that’s about half the normal amount — and half what farmers will get — will be released Friday also.
Yurok Vice Chairman Frankie Myers said the fact that salmon, sucker fish and waterfowl are competing for the region’s water was a “direct sign of the ecological collapse brought by water withdrawals.” He said the Yurok would never stop working to save the salmon.
“Although we are gratified that the river is afforded minimal protections under this plan, it is no time for celebration. Salmon runs will continue to suffer under these conditions, and as climate change intensifies, such protections will become increasingly important,” Myers said.
The slashed water allocations to the Klamath Reclamation Project also will impact two national wildlife refuges in the region that are replenished with irrigation runoff. The refuges host tens of thousands of migratory birds along the Pacific Flyway. Last year, environmentalists and farmers used pumps to combine water from two stagnant wetlands into one deeper one to prevent another outbreak of avian botulism like the one that killed 50,000 ducks in 2020.
Hundreds of domestic wells impacted by the increased groundwater pumping have also gone dry since late last summer. | https://www.wane.com/news/farms-fish-on-dry-california-oregon-border-see-scant-water/ | 2022-04-12T22:46:28 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/farms-fish-on-dry-california-oregon-border-see-scant-water/ |
PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — The South Dakota House on Tuesday impeached state Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg over a 2020 car crash in which he killed a pedestrian but initially said he might have struck a deer or another large animal.
Ravnsborg, a Republican, is the first official to be impeached in South Dakota history. He will at least temporarily be removed from office pending the historic Senate trial, where it takes a two-thirds majority to convict on impeachment charges. The Senate must wait at least 20 days to hold its trial, but has not yet set a date.
Ravnsborg pleaded no contestlast year to a pair of traffic misdemeanors in the crash, including making an illegal lane change. He has cast Joseph Boever’s death as a tragic accident.
In narrowly voting to impeach the state’s top prosecutor, the Republican-controlled House charged Ravnsborg with committing crimes that caused someone’s death, making “numerous misrepresentations” to law enforcement officers after the crash and using his office to navigate the criminal investigation. A Senate conviction would mean Ravnsborg would be barred from holding any state office in the future.
“When we’re dealing with the life of one of your citizens, I think that weighed heavily on everyone,” said Republican Rep. Will Mortenson, who introduced the articles of impeachment.
A spokesman for Ravnsborg did not reply to a request for comment after the vote. Tim Bormann, the attorney general’s chief of staff, said his staff would “professionally dedicate ourselves” to their work while Ranvsborg is forced to take a leave.
Ravnsborg, who took office in 2019, was returning home from a Republican dinner in September 2020 when he struck and killed Boever, who was walking along a rural highway. A sheriff who responded after Ravnsborg called 911 initially reported it as a collision with an animal. Ravnsborg has said he did not realize he hit a man until he returned the next day and found the body.
The Highway Patrol concluded that Ravnsborg’s car crossed completely onto the highway shoulder before hitting Boever, and criminal investigators said later that they didn’t believe some of Ravnsborg’s statements.
The House rejected the recommendation of a GOP-backed majority report from a special investigative committee, which argued that anything wrong he did was not part of his official duties“in office.”But even Republican lawmakers who argued his actions did not meet constitutional grounds for impeachment said Ravnsborg should resign.
“He should have stepped down, should have done the honorable thing,” said House Speaker Spencer Gosch, who oversaw the House investigation and voted against impeachment.
The articles of impeachment required approval from a majority of the 70 members of the House and passed by just one vote.
Of the 36 people who voted in favor, eight were Democrats and 28 were Republicans. The 31 against it were all Republicans. Republican Rep. Scott Odenbach recused himself because he had given legal advice to the attorney general after the crash. Two other Republican lawmakers were absent.
Ravnsborg, who had been largely silent about the crash and was not present for the vote, sent lawmakers a pair of defiant letters Monday night urging them not to impeach him.
“In a few hours, your vote will set a precedent for years to come,” Ravnsborg wrote.“No state has ever impeached an elected official for a traffic accident.”
He also accusedRepublican Gov. Kristi Noem of interfering in the investigation and of supporting impeachment because of the attorney general’s investigations into her behavior.
After Ravnsborg fell out with the governor following the crash, he pushed a pair of ethics complaints against Noem to the state’s Government Accountability Board. His office is also investigating whether an organization aligned with the governor broke campaign finance disclosure laws.
Noem lauded the vote on Twitter, writing that the House “did the right thing for the people of South Dakota and for Joe Boever’s family.”
The decision brought some relief for his family, who his wedding photo as they watched from the House gallery during the vote. They have decried the criminal prosecution as a “slap on the wrist” for Ravnsborg.
“We’re a step closer to justice. We’re not done,” said Boever’s cousin, Nick Nemec.
“Now we just need the Senate’s help on this because these laws need to be changed badly,” said Jennifer Boever, who was married to Boever. “People are getting hurt and killed, and the pedestrian has no self-defense against a 4,000 pound (1,814 kilogram) vehicle.” | https://www.wane.com/news/south-dakota-house-to-vote-on-impeaching-attorney-general/ | 2022-04-12T22:46:35 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/south-dakota-house-to-vote-on-impeaching-attorney-general/ |
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. official spearheading global vaccination efforts against the coronavirus said Monday the number of countries where 10% or less of the population has been vaccinated dropped from 34 to 18 since January and called for accelerated progress to end the pandemic.
Assistant Secretary-General Ted Chaiban told the U.N. Security Council that with over 6 million lives lost to COVID-19 and just over 1 million new coronavirus infections reported to the World Health Organization in the last 24 hours, it is urgent to increase vaccinations in countries where it wasn’t possible to boost rates in 2021.
“The next six months are critical,” he said. “In 2022, we must take the rapid action needed to accelerate vaccination. The window of opportunity is gradually closing. We risk losing the momentum and failing on vaccine equity.”
Chaiban said more than 11.1 billion doses of vaccines have been administered globally, and 124 of the 194 WHO member nations have vaccinated more than 40% of their populations and 51 countries have reached more than 70%.
However, in low-income countries the rate is only 11%, he said. In WHO’s Africa region, 83% of the people remain unvaccinated, and in its eastern Mediterranean region, which includes Afghanistan, 51% haven’t gotten a first jab.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Chaiban, a senior official at the U.N. children’s agency UNICEF, in February to lead a U.N. team to ensure an effective global response to the pandemic and help close the gap in vaccine availability and distribution. It will also provide financial and technical assistance to overcome vaccine bottlenecks.
Chaiban said a just ended campaign in Ethiopia increased vaccination coverage from 4% in January to just over 20%, including in some conflict-affected areas. In the conflict-affected Central African Republic, he said, strong community engagement including focus group discussions, TV and radio spots with leaders and influencers and the mobilization of young people has led to almost 19% of the population being vaccinated.
Chaiban told the council he was speaking by video link from Congo where this week the U.N. team will be meeting with government officials and key partners “to better address the urgent needs and bottlenecks to expanding vaccination coverage across this country of nearly 100 million people.”
Dr. Esperanza Martinez, a senior adviser to the director-general of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said vaccinations and other health-related activities “are incredibly difficult to carry out” in conflict-affected areas.
“The good news is that as the supply of vaccine doses grows, the potential to get jabs in arms grows, too,” she said.
To achieve this, Martinez said, the Security Council should ensure that international humanitarian law requiring the protection of health workers and facilities is respected, makes coronavirus vaccinations part of broader efforts to improve health and strengthens the health systems of conflict-affected countries. He said community involvement in vaccination activities is key to gaining public trust.
“We have seen vaccines expire on airport tarmacs in Afghanistan, Nigeria, South Sudan and several other places,” Martinez said. “Some of these vaccines were wasted because they arrived with too short expiry date, others because the receiving country’s health systems were not ready to distribute them.”
To address the significant vaccine equity gap, the U.N’s Chaiban urged the council to continue supporting two resolutions it adopted calling for cease-fires and increased global cooperation to facilitate access for vaccinations in major conflict areas.
He urged countries to turn $4.8 billion in pledges at a virtual summit Friday to help lower income countries boost vaccinations “into tangible support” now.
Chaiban also urged council members to advocate for and help guarantee unhindered humanitarian access to deliver vaccine supplies and administer doses and to invest in primary health care “as a key element of future pandemic preparedness.” | https://www.wane.com/news/un-official-urges-acceleration-in-coronavirus-vaccinations/ | 2022-04-12T22:46:42 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/un-official-urges-acceleration-in-coronavirus-vaccinations/ |
BEIJING (AP) — The U.S. has ordered non-emergency government staff to leave Shanghai, which is under a tight lockdown to contain a COVID-19 surge.
Many residents in the city of 26 million have been confined to their homes for up to three weeks as China maintains its “zero-COVID” strategy of handling outbreaks with strict isolation and mass testing.
But people living under the restrictions have described an increasingly desperate situation, with families unable to leave their homes or obtain food and daily necessities, while people who test positive for the coronavirus have been forced into mass quarantine centers where conditions at times have been called crowded and unsanitary.
Authorities on Tuesday said another 23,342 people in Shanghai tested positive for the virus over the previous day, just 994 of whom displayed symptoms. Total infections have topped more than 200,000 in the latest wave, although no additional deaths have been reported.
The State Department said the order announced late Monday is an upgrade from the “authorized” departure advisory last week that made the decision voluntary. The order covers non-emergency U.S. government employees at the consulate in Shanghai and their family members. Consular officers will remain on duty at the consulate.
“Our change in posture reflects our assessment that it is best for our employees and their families to be reduced in number and our operations to be scaled down as we deal with the changing circumstances on the ground,” the announcement said.
The State Department also issued a series of advisories for Americans in Shanghai, including that they ensure they have a “sufficient supply of money, medication, food, and other necessities for your family in the event of sudden restrictions or quarantine.”
China’s government and the entirely state-controlled media are growing increasingly defensive about complaints over the COVID-19 prevention measures.
Beijing responded angrily to last week’s voluntary departure advisory, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian saying China was “strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to the U.S. side’s groundless accusation against China’s epidemic response.”
In that announcement, the State Department advised Americans to reconsider traveling to China due to “arbitrary enforcement” of local laws and COVID-19 restrictions, particularly in Hong Kong, Jilin province and Shanghai. U.S. officials cited a risk of “parents and children being separated.”
Despite that, and indications the hardline policy is being dictated by head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping, China has rejected any notion that its response is political in nature. Xi has demanded social stability above all else in the runup to a key party congress later this year at which he is expected to bestow on himself an unprecedented third-term as party leader.
Shanghai authorities also say they have secured daily supplies for residents, following complaints about deliveries of food and other necessities being unavailable or inadequate to demand.
Shanghai says it will gradually lift some restrictions on neighborhoods where no new infections have been reported over the past two weeks. Residents will be able to travel around their districts but not meet in groups. Others will be restricted to their immediate neighborhoods. | https://www.wane.com/news/us-orders-consular-to-leave-shanghai-amid-covid-outbreak/ | 2022-04-12T22:46:49 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/us-orders-consular-to-leave-shanghai-amid-covid-outbreak/ |