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NEW YORK, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Spark451, advised by JEGI CLARITY, has been sold to Jenzabar.
Based in Westbury, NY, Spark451 is a full-service marketing and technology firm providing enrollment strategies for the higher education market. The firm specializes in enrollment marketing, student search, creative services, and digital media, serving over 200 higher education institutions. Since its inception in 2011, Spark451 has been renowned for its creative enrollment marketing strategies.
With the acquisition of Spark451, Jenzabar can offer even deeper enrollment strategy expertise and full-service marketing capabilities, including more complete support for institutional enrollment, retention, operations, management, and digital transformation initiatives. The addition of Spark451's renowned use of data and strategic marketing techniques, including analytics and predictive modeling, helps colleges build or rebuild their brands, which has proven to achieve far-reaching enrollment goals by attracting a new student demographic.
Commenting on the transaction, the Spark451 Founders said, "The JEGI CLARITY team helped us cast a wide net and manage a thorough process to position Spark451 with a partner that will accelerate our distribution and growth. The team demonstrated a thorough understanding of our industry and was energized to learn more and present the business's strengths. Their work helped us describe our business clearly. A dedication to remain unbiased while moving us towards the best outcome was core to their approach and made for constructive dialogue and decision making along the way. Contemplating a combination for one's business could be daunting or unthinkable. JEGI CLARITY's approach and range of abilities made the process manageable and ultimately fruitful. We could not have dreamed up a better team."
About JEGI CLARITY
JEGI CLARITY is a pre-eminent M&A advisory firm for the media, marketing, information and technology industries. With a global reach from New York, London, Boston, Sydney and San Francisco, we have closed more than 800 transactions during our 30+ year history. For more information, visit www.jegiclarity.com.
Contact: Kelsey Kovachik, Marketing Director
+1 212 754 0710 | kkovachik@jegiclarity-us.com |
www.jegiclarity.com
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SOURCE JEGI CLARITY | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/jegi-clarity-has-advised-spark451-their-sale-jenzabar/ | 2022-04-13T22:26:58 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/jegi-clarity-has-advised-spark451-their-sale-jenzabar/ |
The Springville Senior Center at 209 Robinson St. will be having a bake sale for Easter on Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Go by and get your Easter goodies and support a good cause. Also, the center will be having a silent auction next month from May 11-14. Make your plans now. The auction starts at 8 a.m. on May 11 and ends at 10 a.m. on May 14. There will also be a yard sale outside. The tables for the yard sale are $10, and only seven tables are available. Any local businesses who would like to donate, please call the Senior Center at 205-467-6022. Proceeds from both events will go to the bus fundraiser.
The Springville AL-126 Civil Air Patrol squadron has something fun and exciting for your 12-18-year-olds. There are several areas of study, including aerospace, leadership, fitness and character development. There are also orientation flights that provide an opportunity to fly a plane. The squadron meets every Tuesday night at the Springville armory at 6 p.m.
The Springville Public Library will be open this Saturday, April 16, and every first and third Saturday from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful Easter. Remember the reason for the season. If you are looking for a sunrise service this Easter, Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church will be having one at 6 a.m.
Your news must be submitted to me by the Sunday before the next Thursday's paper. Send your news to springvillenews35146@gmail.com. Till next week. Cheers! | https://www.annistonstar.com/the_st_clair_times/springville-news-senior-center-to-host-easter-bake-sale-on-sunday/article_331ffb5a-bb5d-11ec-a5d9-efe0118f7951.html | 2022-04-13T22:27:00 | 0 | https://www.annistonstar.com/the_st_clair_times/springville-news-senior-center-to-host-easter-bake-sale-on-sunday/article_331ffb5a-bb5d-11ec-a5d9-efe0118f7951.html |
Veteran industry executive to direct Washington, D.C. office, spearhead resiliency funding opportunity
NEW ORLEANS, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Entergy today announced that John O. Hudson III has been named senior vice president, federal policy, regulatory and government affairs. He will report to Marcus Brown, executive vice president and general counsel, and will join the company effective April 22.
"John brings proven executive level utility leadership and a wide range of critically important experiences to this role," said Brown. "We are excited to welcome John as a new leader. In particular, he will help us listen to and engage our stakeholders as he drives important conversations around federal policy related to the reduction of carbon emissions and investments in electric infrastructure and resiliency."
Hudson will be responsible for several key groups focused on Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issues, sustainability and environmental policy, federal governmental affairs and corporate social responsibility. Of particular importance will be John's strategic direction of a recently established team directing the company's efforts to secure infrastructure funding through the federal government's $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The law includes $62 billion targeted specifically for clean energy and resiliency investments that could further serve as an economic development engine for the communities in Entergy's service areas.
"A major component of implementing this law will be stakeholder engagement and coordination," added Brown. "John will oversee those vital efforts and partner with senior leaders, technical team members and others throughout the company to ensure alignment and accountability as we serve our customers across the Gulf South region."
Hudson will replace Mike Twomey, who is retiring from Entergy after having served in several roles over the last 20 years.
Prior to joining Entergy, Hudson served as president and chief executive officer of Nicor Gas Corporation, Illinois' largest gas distribution company, which reached more than 2.2 million customers. Previously, Hudson was executive vice president and chief external affairs officer at Southern Company Gas, where he was responsible for the company's external affairs, customer operations, environmental affairs, corporate communications, and marketing efforts.
Hudson received an MBA from Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, a Juris Doctor from Miles College School of Law, and a bachelor's degree in political science from Alabama A&M University. He also completed the executive accounting and finance program at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and the Young American Leaders Program at Harvard Business School.
About Entergy
Entergy (NYSE: ETR), a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New Orleans, powers life for 3 million utility customers across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy is creating a cleaner, more resilient energy future for everyone with our diverse power generation portfolio, including increasingly carbon-free energy sources. With roots in the Gulf South region for more than a century, Entergy is a recognized leader in corporate citizenship, delivering more than $100 million in economic benefits to local communities through philanthropy and advocacy efforts annually over the last several years. Our approximately 12,500 employees are dedicated to powering life today and for future generations. Learn more at entergy.com and follow @Entergy on social media. #WePowerLife
Download a high-resolution Entergy logo here.
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SOURCE Entergy Corporation | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/john-o-hudson-iii-joins-entergy-senior-vice-president-federal-policy-regulatory-government-affairs/ | 2022-04-13T22:27:05 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/john-o-hudson-iii-joins-entergy-senior-vice-president-federal-policy-regulatory-government-affairs/ |
Wendell Dallas named president and CEO of Nicor Gas
ATLANTA, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- John O. Hudson, III, president and CEO of Nicor Gas, will be retiring effective April 22. He has accepted another executive position with Entergy Corporation.
In his more than 22 years with Southern Company, Hudson, who served in executive leadership roles at Southern Company Gas and Alabama Power Company, has made significant contributions in many areas of the company.
"John is a respected leader who has been instrumental to several important company, customer and community initiatives that have been integral to our organizational evolution, growth and success," said Kim Greene, chairman, president, and CEO of Southern Company Gas. "He has brought creative thinking and a passion for innovation to the forefront of our business, and I know he will continue to be successful in his new position with Entergy."
Prior to serving as president and CEO of Nicor Gas, Hudson served as executive vice president and chief external and public affairs officer at Southern Company Gas. Before assuming that role, Hudson served in several executive positions at Alabama Power.
Dallas takes over at Nicor Gas
With Hudson's retirement, Wendell Dallas has been named president and CEO of Nicor Gas, the largest natural gas distribution company in the state of Illinois, serving more than 2.2 million homes and businesses in over 650 northern Illinois communities.
"Wendell is uniquely qualified to take the reins at Nicor Gas having spent more than 25 years in the natural gas industry," Greene said. "His broad experience across operations, marketing and engineering — as well as his external focus on customers and communities — makes him the ideal person to lead the organization at this crucial time. I am confident that under his leadership, Nicor Gas will continue to thrive, not only providing clean, safe, reliable and affordable natural gas, but also serving as an innovator and economic driver as well."
Dallas most recently served as vice president of sales and marketing for Georgia Power Company. In this role, he led the implementation of the company's topline revenue growth strategy. He was responsible for new product development, product distribution, e-commerce, sales management, and energy efficiency.
Prior to his role at Georgia Power Company, Dallas served as vice president of operations for two Southern Company Gas subsidiaries, Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas. In this role, he was responsible for ensuring the company's operational excellence in delivering clean, safe, reliable, and affordable natural gas to more than 700,000 customers in five Georgia and Tennessee regions. He also served as Vice President of Economic Development.
Very active in the community, Dallas has served on several non-profit, community and energy industry boards including serving as co-chair of the Georgia Literacy Commission, a business-led commission of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education and Literacy For All. Wendell is a gubernatorial appointee and board chairman of the state of Georgia's Workforce Development Board. He's also served on the boards of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Auburn University Engineering Alumni Council.
A native of Opelika, Alabama, Wendell earned a degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University. Additionally, he is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Atlanta and Leadership Savannah.
About Southern Company Gas
Southern Company Gas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE:SO), America's premier energy company. Southern Company Gas serves approximately 4.3 million natural gas customers through its regulated distribution companies in four states with more than 600,000 retail customers through its companies that market natural gas. Other businesses include investments in interstate pipelines and ownership and operation of natural gas storage facilities. For more information, visit southerncompanygas.com.
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SOURCE Southern Company Gas | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/john-o-hudson-iii-retires-southern-company-gas-accepts-external-executive-position/ | 2022-04-13T22:27:11 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/john-o-hudson-iii-retires-southern-company-gas-accepts-external-executive-position/ |
BOSTON, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Below is the March 2022 Monthly Update for the Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. (NYSE: ASG)
Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc.
Ticker: ASG
Monthly Update, March, 2022
Investment Approach:
Fund Style: All-Cap Growth
Fund Strategy: Combines three growth style investment managers, each with a distinct capitalization focus (small-, mid- and large-cap) selected and continuously monitored by the Fund's Investment Advisor.
New Holdings
Ecolab, Inc.
US Physical Therapy, Inc.
Holdings Liquidated
Apria, Inc.
Meta Platforms, Inc.
The net asset value (NAV) of a closed-end fund is the market value of the underlying investments (i.e., stocks and bonds) in the Fund's portfolio, minus liabilities, divided by the total number of Fund shares outstanding. However, the Fund also has a market price; the value at which it trades on an exchange. If the market price is above the NAV the Fund is trading at a premium. If the market price is below the NAV the Fund is trading at a discount.
Performance returns for the Fund are total returns, which includes dividends, and are net of management fees and other Fund expenses. Returns are calculated assuming that a shareholder reinvested all distributions. Past performance cannot predict future investment results.
Performance will fluctuate with changes in market conditions. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data shown. Performance information shown does not reflect the deduction of taxes that shareholders would pay on Fund distributions or the sale of Fund shares. Shareholders must be willing to tolerate significant fluctuations in the value of their investment. An investment in the Fund involves risk, including loss of principal.
Sources of distributions to shareholders may include ordinary dividends, long-term capital gains and return of capital. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2022 for tax reporting purposes will be made after year end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. Based on current estimates no portion of the distributions consists of a return of capital. These estimates may not match the final tax characterization (for the full year's distributions) contained in shareholder 1099-DIV forms after the end of the year.
All data is as of March 31, 2022 unless otherwise noted.
Liberty All-Star® Growth Fund, Inc.
1-800-241-1850
www.all-starfunds.com
libinfo@alpsinc.com
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SOURCE Liberty All-Star Growth Fund, Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/liberty-all-star-growth-fund-inc-march-2022-monthly-update/ | 2022-04-13T22:27:18 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/liberty-all-star-growth-fund-inc-march-2022-monthly-update/ |
Focusing on removing the stigma associated with hearing health, fio™ is a product engineered with the consumer in mind.
FORTWORTH, Texas, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of their continued customer-focused approach Lucid Hearing launches one of the industry's most technologically advanced hearing aids. Developed by leveraging over 20 years of hearing health experience and a focus on the main consumer concern around discreet fit, fio, is Lucid Hearing's smallest in-canal, rechargeable hearing aid.
"Fio is focused on delivering the most comfortable fit and function for the active individual who is looking to maximize every moment of their lives. Hearing health is a right of every individual and our goal at Lucid Hearing is to simply help people hear better" said Jason Kidd, CEO Lucid Hearing "and part of that responsibility is to make products that are ready for use, discreet in nature and empower the end user to customize their hearing profile."
Compatible with LucidShape™, fio allows the user to develop custom hearing levels for all types of environments making wearing fio a way to bring the user back into the conversation.
For more information visit fiohears.com
About Lucid Hearing:
Lucid Hearing's mission is to advance hearing healthcare holistically across our family of brands that encompass hearing enhancement, enjoyment, protection, detection, and wellness. We believe every human should have access to better hearing, and we are proud to offer free online and in-store assessments at over 500 Lucid Hearing clinics nationwide.
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SOURCE Lucid Hearing | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/lucid-hearing-launches-one-industrys-most-discreet-in-ear-hearing-devices-consumers/ | 2022-04-13T22:27:24 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/lucid-hearing-launches-one-industrys-most-discreet-in-ear-hearing-devices-consumers/ |
DALLAS, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Match Group (NASDAQ: MTCH) will webcast a conference call to review its first quarter 2022 financial results on Wednesday, May 4, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). After the close of market trading on Tuesday, May 3, Match Group will publish its first quarter results along with supplemental investor materials, which may include certain forward-looking information, at https://ir.mtch.com.
The live webcast and replay will be open to the public at https://ir.mtch.com.
About Match Group
Match Group (NASDAQ: MTCH), through its portfolio companies, is a leading provider of digital technologies designed to help people make meaningful connections. Our global portfolio of brands includes Tinder®, Match®, Hinge®, Meetic®, OkCupid®, Pairs™, PlentyOfFish®, OurTime®, Azar®, Hakuna™ Live, and more, each built to increase our users' likelihood of connecting with others. Through our trusted brands, we provide tailored services to meet the varying preferences of our users. Our services are available in over 40 languages to our users all over the world.
Match Group
8750 North Central Expressway, Dallas, TX 75231, (214) 576-9352 https://mtch.com
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SOURCE Match Group | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/match-group-webcast-q1-2022-earnings-conference-call/ | 2022-04-13T22:27:30 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/match-group-webcast-q1-2022-earnings-conference-call/ |
VANCOUVER, BC, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Ritchie Bros. (NYSE: RBA) and (TSX: RBA) invites interested parties to participate in its First quarter 2022 earnings conference call, occurring on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time / 8:00 a.m. Pacific time / 4:00 p.m. BST. During the call, company executives will discuss Ritchie Bros.' earning results and answer questions from analysts and institutional investors. The Company's First quarter 2022 earnings results will be released after NYSE and TSX markets close the day prior, on May 9, 2022.
Analysts and institutional investors may participate via conference call, using the following dial-in information:
1-888-664-6392 (toll-free North America)
08006522435 (toll-free UK)
1-416-764-8659 (Toronto & overseas long-distance)
Please ask to participate in Ritchie Bros.' First quarter 2022 earnings call, and quote conference ID 15588553 if prompted.
Media and other interested parties may listen to the conference call via webcast, by selecting the First quarter 2022 earnings call webcast link at https://investor.ritchiebros.com.
Please note that there will be presentation slides accompanying the earnings call. The slides will be displayed live on the webcast, and will be available to download via the webcast player or at https://investor.ritchiebros.com/events-and-presentations the morning of the call.
A replay of the conference call can be accessed after 2:00 pm Eastern time / 11:00 am Pacific time / 7:00 pm BST until June 10, 2022, at 416-764-8677 or 1-888-390-0541 (using passcode 588553 #).
About Ritchie Bros.:
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. (NYSE and TSX: RBA) is a global asset management and disposition company, offering customers end-to-end solutions for buying and selling used heavy equipment, trucks and other assets. Operating in a number of sectors, including construction, transportation, agriculture, energy, mining, and forestry, the company's selling channels include: Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the world's largest industrial auctioneer offering live auction events with online bidding; IronPlanet, an online marketplace with weekly featured auctions and providing the exclusive IronClad Assurance® equipment condition certification; Marketplace-E, a controlled marketplace offering multiple price and timing options; Ritchie List, a self-serve listing service for North America; Mascus, a leading European online equipment listing service; Ritchie Bros. Private Treaty, offering privately negotiated sales; and sector-specific solutions GovPlanet, TruckPlanet, and Kruse Energy. The Company's suite of solutions also includes Ritchie Bros. Asset Solutions and Rouse Services LLC, which together provides a complete end-to-end asset management, data-driven intelligence and performance benchmarking system; SmartEquip, an innovative technology platform that supports customers' management of the equipment lifecycle and integrates parts procurement with both OEMs and dealers; plus equipment financing and leasing through Ritchie Bros. Financial Services. For more information about Ritchie Bros., visit RitchieBros.com.
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SOURCE Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/media-advisory-ritchie-bros-host-first-quarter-2022-results-earnings-conference-call-may-10-2022/ | 2022-04-13T22:27:37 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/media-advisory-ritchie-bros-host-first-quarter-2022-results-earnings-conference-call-may-10-2022/ |
BURNSVILLE, Minn., April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Uzma Samadani, A Minneapolis neurosurgeon renowned for spine tumor resection and complex neurotrauma repair has completed 4 percutaneous navigated spine fusions with the Inspired Spine OLLIF technology. Dr. Samadani is the first surgeon in Minneapolis and among the first in the country to perform fully percutaneous, single position, navigated anterior/posterior spine fusion. Dr. Samadani explained "Outpatient percutaneous spine surgery represents the future and I am happy to be able to offer it to my patients. The Inspired Spine procedure reduces surgical time, muscle and soft tissue disruption, and blood loss to enable faster healing and mobilization after spine fusion. The total blood loss for my first 4 cases averaged less than 25 cc per patient."
Dr. Hamid Abbasi, Neurosurgeon and CMO of Inspired Spine who developed the OLLIF procedure and its instrumentation noted "Spine care is very complex and even in 2022 most spine surgeries are performed via large open incisions with cauterization of underlying tissues, retraction and blood loss. We live in a pivotal moment as the spine field transitions to true MIS, which tremendously benefits our patients. We provide training and support for Spine Surgeons around the world, and are proud to help local surgeons like Dr. Samadani to bring this truly marvelous technology to our patients right here in our backyard in Minnesota." Dr. Abbasi has been training surgeons from around the world on the OLLIF technique since 2012 and is expanding the Inspired Spine Network nationally and globally.
The OLLIF procedure is a true minimally invasive lumbar fusion technique that employs an incision of 15mm, produces up to 90% less blood loss than a traditional fusion, and requires no muscle detachment to access the disc space.
Many patients are ambulatory within hours after surgery and are often discharged the same day. No deep infections have occurred during the first 1,500 procedures. By tremendously reducing the risks associated with surgery the procedure can be performed safely in elderly patients and patients with high BMI.
Inspired Spine has published 9 peer reviewed studies demonstrating significant reduction in the cost of the surgery, hospital stay reduction in MN from 4.2 days to 1.6 days, and a 20-fold lower likelihood of infection.
Inspired Spine is a Minnesota based company with 3 centers in Minnesota (Burnsville, Alexandria, and Crookston,) and is planning to open up nationwide centers in California and Texas in the next 12 months.
Dr. Samadani is a neurosurgeon who operates at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, North Memorial and Maple Grove Hospitals. For an appointment call 763 588 0661.
Call Inspired Spine at 952-405-6714 or visit www.inspiredspine.com for more information on the procedures or to set up a complimentary MRI review.
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SOURCE Inspired Spine | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/minnesota-neurosurgeon-among-first-country-perform-navigated-spine-fusions-with-inspired-spine-ollif-technology/ | 2022-04-13T22:27:44 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/minnesota-neurosurgeon-among-first-country-perform-navigated-spine-fusions-with-inspired-spine-ollif-technology/ |
SAINT JOHN, NB, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Moltex Energy Canada Inc. (Moltex) and SNC-Lavalin Group (TSX: SNC) are pleased to announce a strategic partnership to advance clean nuclear energy. SNC-Lavalin, a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world, will support the development and deployment of Moltex's innovative nuclear technologies.
"Canada and the world will need to explore all nuclear technology options to meet net zero commitments. Given the scale of the challenge, it is important that we work on the deployment of Gen III SMRs and grid-scale reactors and look to the future and support the development of Gen IV reactors. Moltex's unique Gen IV molten salt design can not only help achieve net zero carbon, but it can also help to reduce nuclear waste," said Joe St. Julian, President, Nuclear, SNC-Lavalin. "SNC-Lavalin is pleased to support Moltex as it pursues a project to license and construct the first of a kind (FOAK) waste-burning reactor in New Brunswick, Canada."
Moltex will draw on SNC-Lavalin's world-class network of experts in engineering, licensing and regulatory affairs, cost estimating, supplier qualification and management, quality assurance, and construction and operation planning. SNC-Lavalin will collaborate with Moltex to attract new customers and promote Moltex's business goals.
"SNC-Lavalin's partnership with Moltex is a resounding endorsement of our nuclear technologies," said Rory O'Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer, North America, Moltex Energy. "SNC-Lavalin has an impeccable record of delivering projects on time and on budget and will be an invaluable partner as we progress the development of our technologies and grow our business."
In addition, Mr. St. Julian has accepted a seat on the Moltex board of directors, where his experience and leadership will be greatly valued.
The agreement has also garnered recognition and support from the provinces of New Brunswick and Ontario.
"New Brunswick welcomes investment in clean energy, especially as it builds on the province's established core of expertise in nuclear technology," said the Hon. Mike Holland, New Brunswick Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Development. "This agreement contributes not only to the growth of long-term, high-quality jobs in New Brunswick's energy sector; it also recognizes the leadership role of both Moltex and the province in advancing the next generation of nuclear technology."
"I'm thrilled to welcome this new partnership between Moltex and SNC-Lavalin that builds our provincial energy industry, one renowned for its talented workforce and strong nuclear supply chain," said the Hon. Todd Smith, Ontario Minister of Energy. "We know the world is watching us when it comes to SMRs. This partnership enhances our clean energy advantage and reputation as a global hub for SMR expertise, making Ontario an even more attractive place to do business and create jobs."
Moltex is a private company developing breakthrough nuclear technologies, including a Stable Salt Reactor - Wasteburner (SSR-W), which uses recycled nuclear waste as fuel; a Waste To Stable Salt (WATSS) process for recycling nuclear waste; and GridReserve thermal energy storage tanks that allow the reactor to complement intermittent renewables. Moltex is developing first-of-a-kind units for NB Power in New Brunswick, Canada, and intends to build further units across the country and abroad.
Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, technology and data to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects. We deploy global capabilities locally to our clients and deliver unique end-to-end services across the whole life cycle of an asset including consulting, advisory & environmental services, intelligent networks & cybersecurity, design & engineering, procurement, project & construction management, operations & maintenance, decommissioning and capital – and delivered to clients in key strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Nuclear, Operations & Maintenance and Capital. News and information are available at snclavalin.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Media contacts:
Erin Polka
Vice President, Communications
Moltex Energy
erinpolka@moltexenergy.com
Daniela Pizzuto
Director, External Communications
SNC-Lavalin
media@snclavalin.com
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SOURCE Moltex Energy | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/moltex-snc-lavalin-announce-strategic-partnership-advance-clean-nuclear-energy/ | 2022-04-13T22:27:51 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/moltex-snc-lavalin-announce-strategic-partnership-advance-clean-nuclear-energy/ |
RANDOR, Pa., April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP (www.ktmc.com) informs investors that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed against PLAYSTUDIOS, Inc. ("PLAYSTUDIOS") (NASDAQ: MYPS; MYPSW) f/k/a Acies Acquisition Corp. ("Acies") (NASDAQ: ACAC; ACACW). The action charges PLAYSTUDIOS with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. The lawsuit also includes claims relating to a merger transaction with Acies and asserts claims on behalf of investors who held Acies common stock as of May 25, 2021, were eligible to vote at Acies' June 17, 2021 special meeting, and who exchanged their shares of Acies stock for PLAYSTUDIOS stock in connection with the merger. As a result of PLAYSTUDIOS' materially misleading statements to the public, PLAYSTUDIOS' investors have suffered significant losses.
CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR PLAYSTUDIOS LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/playstudios-inc?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=playstudios
TO VIEW OUR VIDEO, PLEASE CLICK HERE
LEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE: JUNE 6, 2022
CLASS PERIOD: JUNE 22, 2021 THROUGH MARCH 1, 2022
CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:
James Maro, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ktmc.com
THE CLASS INCLUDES: Investors who (1) purchased or acquired PLAYSTUDIOS securities between June 22, 2021 and March 1, 2022, including, but not limited to, those who purchased or acquired PLAYSTUDIOS securities pursuant to the offering of the private investment in public equity; (2) held Acies common stock as of May 25, 2021, and were eligible to vote at Acies' June 17, 2021 special meeting who exchanged their Acies stock for PLAYSTUDIOS stock; or (3) purchased or acquired PLAYSTUDIOS common stock pursuant or traceable to the Acies' Registration Statement and Proxy Statement issued in connection with the June 2021 merger.
Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.
PLAYSTUDIOS' ALLEGED MISCONDUCT
On February 1, 2021, Acies, a special purpose acquisition company, announced that it had reached a merger agreement with "Old Playstudios," a privately-held gaming company (the "Merger"). PLAYSTUDIOS' flagship game was Kingdom Boss. PLAYSTUDIOS told investors that "Kingdom Boss, which began development in 2020, will launch as expected in the second half of 2021."
On June 17, 2021, Acies held a General Meeting where Acies shareholders were asked to approve
the Merger. The Merger closed on June 21, 2021, and on June 22, 2021, PLAYSTUDIOS stock and warrants began publicly trading on NASDAQ.
The truth began to be revealed on August 11, 2021, when PLAYSTUDIOS released its financial results for the second quarter of 2021 wherein PLAYSTUDIOS revealed for the first time that the Kingdom Boss launch was being delayed until later in the year and that investors should expect decreased revenues and profits during the year as a result. These quarterly financial results were finalized on June 30, 2021, just nine days after the Merger closed. Thus, defendants knew or recklessly disregarded prior to the merger close (June 21, 2021) and prior to the merger vote by the Acies shareholders (June 17, 2021), that Kingdom Boss would not be ready to launch within just a matter of weeks. Following this news, PLAYSTUDIOS stock price fell $.66 to close at $5.09 per share on August 12, 2021, a decline of 13%.
Then, on February 24, 2022, during an earnings call for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2021, PLAYSTUDIOS' CEO, much to investors' surprise, disclosed that Kingdom Boss would not be launched at all. Following this news, PLAYSTUDIOS stock price fell $.24 to close at $4.86 per share on February 25, 2022, a decline of 5%. Two days later, on February 26, 2022, PLAYSTUDIOS' CEO attributed the failure to meet the projections made for revenue and earnings to the failure to launch Kingdom Boss, and revealed that Kingdom Boss was not only delayed, but indefinitely "suspended."
WHAT CAN I DO?
Current PLAYSTUDIOS investors and/or former Acies shareholders may, no later than June 6, 2022 seek to be appointed as a lead plaintiff representative of the class through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP or other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages PLAYSTUDIOS investors and/or former Acies shareholders who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASE
WHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?
A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.
ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLP
Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaint in this action was not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com.
CONTACT:
Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
James Maro, Jr., Esq.
(484) 270-1453
280 King of Prussia Road
Radnor, PA 19087
(484) 270-1453
info@ktmc.com
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SOURCE Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/myps-equity-alert-kessler-topaz-meltzer-amp-check-llp-announces-that-securities-fraud-class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-playstudios-inc/ | 2022-04-13T22:27:59 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/myps-equity-alert-kessler-topaz-meltzer-amp-check-llp-announces-that-securities-fraud-class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-playstudios-inc/ |
-- Exhibitors from 38 countries, one-fourth of attendees expected from outside the U.S. --
WASHINGTON, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NAB Show the world's largest annual conference for broadcast , entertainment and technology professionals, will host attendees from 154 countries and exhibiting companies from 38 nations at the 2022 NAB Show, held April 23 – 27 in Las Vegas, Nev.
Attendees from outside the U.S. make up nearly one-quarter of all pre-registered 2022 NAB Show attendees, which closely mirrors the 2019 NAB Show percentage.
"At a time when content can travel around the world in a blink of an eye, there is nothing like NAB Show to help the content community discover the tools, trainings and insights that will unleash the next global phenomenon," said Chris Brown, NAB executive vice president and managing director of Global Connections and Events. "We are excited to welcome back our friends and partners from all across the globe as our industry gets back to doing business in-person."
NAB Show participates in the U.S. Department of Commerce's Trade Event Partnership Program, which recruits international trade delegations to select U.S. trade shows and connects international buyers with U.S. suppliers.
Delegations attending NAB Show include Brazil, Columbia, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, Turkey, Vietnam and more.
NAB Show's exhibit floor, located in the North Hall, Central Hall and the newly constructed West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, will host 358 exhibitors from 42 countries outside of the United States, including United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Belgium and France. The exhibition will also host the following pavilions:
- Bavarian Pavilion - Central Hall
- Brazilian Pavilion – North Hall
- French Pavilion – West Hall
- Great Britain & Northern Ireland Pavilion – North Hall
- Global Trade Show Row – West Hall
Additionally, several international organizations, including the Brazilian Society of Television Engineering (SET), will host meetings for their members at NAB Show. Demonstrations of global technologies currently deployed outside of the U.S. will also be conducted by broadcasters and other media and entertainment companies throughout the Show.
Register as press for the 2022 NAB Show.
About NAB Show
NAB Show, held April 23 – 27, 2022, in Las Vegas, is the premier event for content professionals in the media, entertainment and technology ecosystem. It is the ultimate marketplace for those seeking to create superior audio and video experiences. From creation to consumption, across multiple platforms, NAB Show is where global visionaries convene to bring content to life in new and exciting ways. For complete details, visit www.nabshow.com.
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.
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SOURCE National Association of Broadcasters | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/nab-show-ready-welcome-exhibitors-delegations-around-world/ | 2022-04-13T22:28:07 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/nab-show-ready-welcome-exhibitors-delegations-around-world/ |
WASHINGTON, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will provide coverage of spacewalks Monday, April 18, and Thursday, April 28, as Russian cosmonauts venture outside the International Space Station to activate a new robotic arm attached to the Nauka module.
Coverage for both spacewalks will begin at 10 a.m. EDT each day on NASA Television, the NASA app, and agency's website. Each spacewalk is scheduled to begin around 10:25 a.m.
Expedition 67 Flight Engineers Oleg Artemyev and Denis Matveev of Roscosmos will conduct Russian spacewalks 52 and 53. They will begin each seven-hour excursion by exiting the space-facing Poisk module of the station's Russian segment.
During the first spacewalk, the cosmonauts will install and connect a control panel for the European robotic arm, a 37-foot-long manipulator system mounted to the recently arrived Nauka multipurpose laboratory module. They will also remove protective covers from the arm and install handrails on Nauka. The arm will be used to move spacewalkers and payloads around the Russian segment of the station.
On the second spacewalk, the duo will jettison thermal blankets used to protect the arm during its July 2021 launch with Nauka. They will also flex the arm's joints, release launch restraints, and monitor the arm's ability to use two grapple fixtures.
Artemyev will wear a Russian Orlan spacesuit with red stripes. Matveev will wear a spacesuit with blue stripes. This will be the fourth spacewalk in Artemyev's career, and the first for Matveev. It will be the fourth spacewalk at the station in 2022 and the 249th spacewalk for space station assembly, maintenance, and upgrades.
Additional spacewalks are planned to continue to outfit the European robotic arm and to activate Nauka's airlock for future spacewalks.
Get breaking news, images and features from the space station on Instagram, Facebook, and @space_station and @ISS_Research on Twitter.
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SOURCE NASA | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/nasa-sets-coverage-russian-spacewalks-outside-space-station/ | 2022-04-13T22:28:14 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/nasa-sets-coverage-russian-spacewalks-outside-space-station/ |
LAVAL, QUÉBEC, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. ("Neptune" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: NEPT) (TSX: NEPT), a diversified and fully integrated health and wellness company focused on plant-based, sustainable and purpose-driven lifestyle brands, today announced that Michael Cammarata, Chief Executive Officer, will participate in an exclusive interview at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference on April 21, 2022.
To schedule a one-on-one investor meeting with Neptune's management team, please contact a conference representative or KCSA Strategic Communications by emailing Neptune@KCSA.com.
Headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Neptune is a diversified health and wellness company with a mission to redefine health and wellness. Neptune is focused on building a portfolio of high quality, affordable consumer products in response to long-term secular trends and market demand for natural, plant-based, sustainable and purpose-driven lifestyle brands. The Company utilizes a highly flexible, cost-efficient manufacturing and supply chain infrastructure that can be scaled to quickly adapt to consumer demand and bring new products to market through its mass retail partners and e-commerce channels. For additional information, please visit: https://neptunewellness.com/.
About The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference
The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, renowned for being the premier gathering of cannabis entrepreneurs and investors in North America, returns for another edition, recharged with an impressive list of speakers. Check out the full lineup here.
Disclaimer – Safe Harbor Forward–Looking Statements
Neither NASDAQ nor the Toronto Stock Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
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SOURCE Neptune Wellness Solutions Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/neptune-ceo-michael-cammarata-participate-exclusive-transforming-brands-next-generation-consumers-interview-benzinga-cannabis-capital-conference-april-21-2022/ | 2022-04-13T22:28:21 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/neptune-ceo-michael-cammarata-participate-exclusive-transforming-brands-next-generation-consumers-interview-benzinga-cannabis-capital-conference-april-21-2022/ |
Conference Call and Webcast Scheduled for Wednesday, May 4
SAN DIEGO, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBIX) announced today that it has scheduled its first quarter 2022 financial results conference call and webcast for 5:00 a.m. Pacific Time (8:00 a.m. Eastern Time) on May 4, 2022.
The schedule for the press release and conference call / webcast is as follows:
The webcast can also be accessed on Neurocrine Biosciences' website under Investors at www.neurocrine.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on the website approximately one hour after the conclusion of the event and will be archived for approximately one month.
About Neurocrine Biosciences
Neurocrine Biosciences is a neuroscience-focused, biopharmaceutical company with a simple purpose: to relieve suffering for people with great needs, but few options. We are dedicated to discovering and developing life-changing treatments for patients with under-addressed neurological, neuroendocrine and neuropsychiatric disorders. The company's diverse portfolio includes FDA-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, Parkinson's disease, endometriosis* and uterine fibroids*, as well as over a dozen mid-to-late-stage clinical programs in multiple therapeutic areas. For three decades, we have applied our unique insight into neuroscience and the interconnections between brain and body systems to treat complex conditions. We relentlessly pursue medicines to ease the burden of debilitating diseases and disorders, because you deserve brave science. For more information, visit neurocrine.com, and follow the company on LinkedIn. (*in collaboration with AbbVie)
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SOURCE Neurocrine Biosciences, Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/neurocrine-biosciences-announces-conference-call-webcast-first-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-04-13T22:28:28 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/neurocrine-biosciences-announces-conference-call-webcast-first-quarter-2022-financial-results/ |
Exclusive attributes will allow collectors to gain photographs and journals from voyage
TROMSØ, Norway, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On April 18th, 2022, a group of Swiss and American explorers will untie from Old Harbor in Tromsø to embark on a carbon-neutral two-week exploratory journey across the Barents Sea. Guided by legendary skipper Rasmus Jacobsen, the crew will sail the S/V Linden, Scandinavia's largest sailing vessel, to the Svalbard Archipelago, one of earth's most fragile and at-risk ecosystems. The wind-powered three-masted schooner will allow the group to move quietly, employing a "leave-no-trace" philosophy, entering a region controlled by no nation, where polar bears, bearded seals, and beluga whales rule.
Simultaneous with the group's departure will be the release of the world's first exclusive NFT auction of Expedition Tokens, designed by Rara Data, an Australia-based company that recently produced (and sold out) NFTs for several international brands. As the Linden moves northward, Rara will make available 5000 Expedition Tokens to the public, each with specific attributes and badges allowing collectors to gain access to physical artworks created along the journey – including film negatives and prints from Red Bull photographer Jordan Rosen, and longhand journal pages from New York Times and Patagonia climate change writer Brendan Jones. In accordance with the philosophy that the future of adventure travel looks a lot like the past, Rosen will be photographing on analog Kodak film, while Jones will use weatherproof journals to make a record of the voyage.
Though the exact route of the trip will depend on currents, weather and winds, the Linden will plan to anchor at "Bjørnøya," a pristine and solitary island at 74 degrees North, before continuing on to the coastline of Southern Spitsbergen. The explorers, including a world-class ski guide and an active duty JSCO Special Forces soldier, will deploy inflatables to approach glaciated fjords, wind-scoured mountains, and thawing permafrost. Along the way the group will also investigate abandoned whaling stations, seal rookeries, and the ruins of Soviet-era coal mines to create a record of how this thawing land – once a tropical home to dinosaurs – reacts in real-time to climate change.
The carbon footprint of the expedition will be offset by Aerial, an official partner for the expedition. Clothing is provided by high-end Colorado-based purveyor VOORMI, while Buck Knives will ensure crew members will each have a sharp blade handy.
The Svalbard expedition marks the first journey in a series of Expedition Token projects, as creators embark on human-powered journeys to bear witness to – and make a record of – at risk-ecosystems across the planet. The tokens associated with the journeys will continue to create utility and value for collectors as future projects unfold.
About Expedition Token
Expedition Token is a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that partners with elite expedition teams built out of frontline scientists, artists, and seasoned adventurers. https://expeditiontoken.com/
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SOURCE Expedition Token | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/nft-expedition-tokens-wind-powered-arctic-journey-drop/ | 2022-04-13T22:28:35 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/nft-expedition-tokens-wind-powered-arctic-journey-drop/ |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nivel Parts & Manufacturing Co., LLC announced late Thursday afternoon that it has successfully acquired EPI Performance, a leading UTV clutch kit, drive belt, and driveline component supplier. The purchase combines Nivel's manufacturing, sourcing, and distribution capabilities with the reputable EPI brand. EPI Performance products are distributed worldwide by major powersports distributors and dealers.
Nivel aims to continue growing the business with a seamless transition of EPI's talent, vendor relationships, and distribution partnerships. Jeff Supinski, EPI's Operations Manager, said, "We are very excited to join the Nivel team; the opportunity is a great fit for EPI. Nivel's resources will position EPI to further accelerate our 30+ years of product innovation and brand strategy and will strengthen distribution relationships."
Nivel recognizes the growth in the UTV market and understands the importance of offering products and brands that are appealing to all UTV segments. Through the acquisition of EPI Performance, Nivel expands into the UTV clutch, drive belt, and driveline markets with a well-recognized brand built on providing an unparalleled customer experience and unique, high-quality products.
Nivel CEO, Brett Hankey, commented, "We are so excited to bring EPI Performance into Nivel's family of brands. EPI's innovation coupled with its promise to deliver well-tested, high-quality products has positioned them as a leading brand in the UTV aftermarket parts industry. We look forward to continuing to build on this success and delivering quality products to our UTV enthusiast customers."
About Nivel
Founded in 1968, Nivel is a global manufacturer, distributor, and seller of aftermarket parts and accessories for vehicles in the Personal Transportation Vehicle (PTV), Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV), Heavy Duty, and Automotive sectors. It is a trusted business partner to thousands of dealers, distributors, and consumers in the US and international markets. Nivel owns the most valuable brands in the aftermarket niche vehicle parts and accessories categories:
MadJax, RedDot, GTW, Jake's, Reliance, Seizmik, Highlifter, and Falcon Ridge.
About EPI Performance
EPI Performance designs, develops, and manufactures high-performance CVT clutch calibration kits, drive belts, and other quality driveline replacement components for the UTV market. The EPI Performance brand has been a recognized leader for over 30 years in the ATV/UTV industry. EPI Performance has raised the bar in product innovation, design, and performance, earning preferred shelf space at dealerships worldwide.
Media Contact: media@nivel.com
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DENVER, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PointsBet, the leading sportsbook for live betting, today debuted its online casino product in Pennsylvania, following the launch of the company's mobile app and digital sports betting product in the state in February of this year.
In accordance with Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board requirements, PointsBet's casino product is currently available in a soft launch environment.
Following successful launches in Michigan, New Jersey, and West Virginia, Pennsylvania marks the fourth state in which PointsBet offers its iGaming platform. The gaming operator first unveiled its online casino product in Michigan in May of 2021.
"Just a few short months after launching PointsBet in the state, we're excited to now be able to introduce the Pennsylvania market to our innovative online casino product," said Aaron O'Sullivan, Pointsbet's VP of Online Casino Revenue. "At PointsBet, we pride ourselves with our ability to not only deliver our users with the best-in-class sports betting product but the best-in-class casino content as well – creating a holistic PointsBet user experience."
In January, PointsBet's wholly owned subsidiary PointsBet Pennsylvania, LLC ("PointsBet") was awarded sports wagering and interactive gaming operator licenses by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. PointsBet users in the state will have access to games from IGT and Evolution.
PointsBet currently operates its sports betting product in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania with online casinos in Michigan, New Jersey, and West Virginia – and now Pennsylvania.
About PointsBet
PointsBet is a corporate bookmaker listed on the Australian Stock Exchange with operations in Australia, the United States, Canada and Ireland. PointsBet has developed a scalable cloud-based wagering platform through which it offers its clients innovative sports and racing wagering products, advance deposit wagering on racing (ADW) and iGaming.
Media Contact
Jeffrey Altstadter
Director, Publicity
Jeff.altstadter@pointsbet.com
Janelle Laignelet
Communications Manager
Janelle.laignelet@pointsbet.com
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SOURCE PointsBet | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/pointsbet-debuts-online-casino-product-pennsylvania-heels-state-launch-february/ | 2022-04-13T22:28:47 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/pointsbet-debuts-online-casino-product-pennsylvania-heels-state-launch-february/ |
PLANO, Texas, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ribbon Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: RBBN), a global provider of real time communications software and IP optical transport solutions to service providers, enterprises, and critical infrastructure sectors, today announced that it will report financial results for the first quarter of 2022 after the close of the market on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. Following the release, Ribbon Communications will host a conference call with the financial community at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss the results.
The Company will offer a live, listen-only webcast of the conference call via the investor section of its website at investors.ribboncommunications.com, where a replay will also be available shortly following the conference call.
Conference call details
Date: Wednesday, April 27, 2022
Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
Dial-in number (Domestic): 877-407-2991
Dial-in number (International): 201-389-0925
Instant Telephone Access: Call me™
Replay information:
A telephone playback of the call will be available following the conference call until May 11, 2022 and can be accessed by calling 877-660-6853 or 201-612-7415 for international callers. The reservation number for the replay is 13727656.
About Ribbon
Ribbon Communications (Nasdaq: RBBN) delivers communications software, IP and optical networking solutions to service providers, enterprises and critical infrastructure sectors globally. We engage deeply with our customers, helping them modernize their networks for improved competitive positioning and business outcomes in today's smart, always-on and data-hungry world. Our innovative, end-to-end solutions portfolio delivers unparalleled scale, performance, and agility, including core to edge software-centric solutions, cloud-native offers, leading-edge security and analytics tools, along with IP and optical networking solutions for 5G. To learn more about Ribbon visit rbbn.com.
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SOURCE Ribbon Communications Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/ribbon-communications-report-first-quarter-2022-financial-results-april-27-2022/ | 2022-04-13T22:28:55 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/ribbon-communications-report-first-quarter-2022-financial-results-april-27-2022/ |
IRVING, Texas, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE: DAR) today announced that it's health brand Rousselot®, the global leader of collagen-based solutions1, launched GMP grade GelMA. X-Pure® GelMA is the first gelatin methacryloyl, or GelMA, on the market to be produced under GMP conditions2.
The production of X-Pure GelMA under GMP conditions is a major step forward for companies that require GelMA for clinical use and in body medical applications. Up until now, research grade GelMA was the only available option. The GMP process ensures that Rousselot X-pure GelMAs are consistently produced and controlled according to strict quality standards, including consistent chemical modification and purification methods.
Because X-Pure GelMA has been designed for use throughout the entire product life cycle, from early-stage research through to clinical trials and marketed products, it supports a faster route to market by minimizing the risk of having to revalidate data. Batch-to-batch consistency and quality is guaranteed at any scale.
"We are proud to be the first in the market to offer GelMA produced under GMP," says Kathleen Jacobs (PhD), Regulatory Affairs Director at Rousselot Biomedical. "In less than two years, we developed a research grade as well as an X-Pure GelMA produced under suitable GMP. This marks our commitment to support customer needs. By creating reliable gelatin products with optimal properties and quality, we are helping customers to achieve success."
Research grade X-Pure GelMA was launched in June 2020 as a premium alternative to standard research grade GelMAs. It offers ultra-low impurity levels (including endotoxins, methacrylic acid and DNA), batch-to-batch consistency and tunable mechanical properties. It is ideal for a wide range of in vitro and in vivo research and development applications, particularly regenerative medicine applications such as tissue engineering, 3D bioprinting and 3D cell culture.
The product launch is being announced at the 6th edition of Rousselot's Innovation Days, which are taking place on 13th and 14th April 2022 in Ghent, Belgium. This major event for Rousselot takes place every two years, enabling our customers and partners to gain exclusive insights into the latest research in collagen-based innovations.
To find out more about Rousselot Biomedical and X-Pure GelMA, please visit our website: www.rousselot.com/biomedical
References:
1. Global Gelatin Market Insights Forecast to 2026 Calibre Research, 2020
2. IPEC PQG Good Manufacturing Guide for pharmaceutical excipients (2017)
About Darling
Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE: DAR) is a world leading producer of organic ingredients, generating a wide array of sustainable protein and fat products while being one of the largest producers of renewable clean energy. With operations on five continents, Darling collects waste streams from the agri-food industry, repurposing into specialty ingredients, such as hydrolyzed collagen, edible and feed-grade fats, animal proteins and meals, plasma, pet food ingredients, fuel feedstocks, and green bioenergy. Darling Ingredients named one of the 50 Sustainability and Climate Leaders in 2021, to learn more Darling Ingredients: The greenest Company on the planet - 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders (50climateleaders.com). The Company sells its ingredients around the globe and works to strengthen our promise for a better tomorrow, creating product applications for health, nutrients and bioenergy while optimizing our services to the food chain. Darling is a 50% joint venture partner in Diamond Green Diesel (DGD), North America's largest renewable diesel manufacturer, which products reduce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by up to 85% compared to fossil fuels. For additional information, visit the Company's website at http://www.darlingii.com.
Rousselot® Biomedical
As the most recent strategic segment within Rousselot, we have drawn upon Rousselot's 130+ years of worldwide expertise and proven track record of pharmaceutical gelatins and collagens to develop innovative ranges of purified, modified and non-modified gelatins and collagens for biomedical applications. Offering unique advantages to assure performance, quality and safety from bench to clinic, Rousselot® X-Pure® and Rousselot® Quali-Pure™ provide consistent quality and are backed by strong scientific data and on-going research. Rousselot Biomedical is committed to support end-to-end partnerships to help "Advancing medical science". https://www.rousselot.com/biomedical
Rousselot
Caroline Brochard-Garnier
Director of Communications & PR, Rousselot
E: caroline.brochard-garnier@rousselot.com
Sciad Communications
Maria Patey / Sophie Protheroe
E: rousselot@sciad.com
T: +44 (0)20 3405 7892
Suann Guthrie
VP, Investor Relations, Sustainability & Communications
(469) 214-8202
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SOURCE Darling Ingredients Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/rousselot-biomedical-darling-ingredients-brand-announces-worlds-first-gelma-produced-under-gmp/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:01 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/rousselot-biomedical-darling-ingredients-brand-announces-worlds-first-gelma-produced-under-gmp/ |
NEW YORK, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE) announced today that it will release its financial results for the first quarter 2022 on Thursday, April 21, 2022, prior to market open.
The Company will host an earnings conference call reviewing these results and its operations beginning at 10:00 a.m. ET. This conference call will be broadcast live and can be accessed by all interested parties through Safehold's website, www.safeholdinc.com, in the "Investors" section.
The dial-in information for the live call is:
A replay of the call will be archived on the Company's website. Alternatively, the replay can be accessed via dial-in from 2:30 p.m. ET on April 21, 2022 through 12:00 a.m. ET on May 5, 2022 by calling:
Safehold Inc. (NYSE: SAFE) is revolutionizing real estate ownership by providing a new and better way for owners to unlock the value of the land beneath their buildings. Having created the modern ground lease industry in 2017, Safehold continues to help owners of high quality multifamily, office, industrial, hospitality, student housing, life science and mixed-use properties generate higher returns with less risk. The Company, which is taxed as a real estate investment trust (REIT) and is managed by its largest shareholder, iStar Inc., seeks to deliver safe, growing income and long-term capital appreciation to its shareholders. Additional information on Safehold is available on its website at www.safeholdinc.com.
Company Contact:
Jason Fooks
Senior Vice President
Investor Relations & Marketing
T 212.930.9400
E investors@safeholdinc.com
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SOURCE Safehold | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/safehold-sets-first-quarter-2022-earnings-release-date-webcast/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:07 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/safehold-sets-first-quarter-2022-earnings-release-date-webcast/ |
NEW YORK, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global Inc. announced today that Daniel Yergin has been appointed Vice Chairman of the company following the completion of its merger with IHS Markit. He will serve as a member of the leadership team and report directly to S&P Global President and CEO Doug Peterson. Previously Vice Chairman of IHS Markit, Yergin's appointment became effective at the close of the merger.
"Daniel Yergin's strong track record as an award-winning author and highly respected authority on energy, international politics and economics make him a tremendous addition to our leadership team," Peterson said. "I am pleased to welcome him as Vice Chairman and look forward to his insights on key issues related to the global economy."
"I am honored to serve as Vice Chairman of S&P Global following the combination with IHS Markit to form what will be an extraordinary firm under Doug Peterson's leadership," Yergin said. "S&P Global already plays a unique and vital role across the global economy, and it is a privilege to join the leadership team as the company continues to evolve its role in providing essential data and analytics to the markets."
A renowned author and historian, Yergin's latest book is entitled The New Map: Energy, Climate and the Clash of Nations. His book The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil Money and Power was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and became a number one New York Times best seller that has been translated into 20 languages. He is also the author of the bestseller The Quest: Energy, Security, and the Remaking of the Modern World and co-author of Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World Economy. Both The Prize and Commanding Heights were made into award-winning television documentaries for PBS and BBC, which Dr. Yergin co-produced, co-wrote and helped narrate.
Dr. Yergin is co-founder and chair of CERAWeek – presented by S&P Global – which is regarded as the world's preeminent energy conference. Dr. Yergin served on the U.S. Secretary of Energy Advisory Board under four U.S. Presidents. He is a director of the Council on Foreign Relations and a trustee of the Brookings Institution and serves on the Energy Advisory Council of the Dallas Federal Reserve.
Dr. Yergin is on the Advisory Boards of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative and the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. He is a member of the Energy Governors of the World Economic forum, the India Petroleum Ministry's Think Tank, and the U.S. National Petroleum Council.
Dr. Yergin holds a BA from Yale University, an MA from Trinity College, Cambridge University, and a Ph.D. from Cambridge University, where he was a Marshall Scholar. He has received honorary degrees from Dartmouth College, the Colorado School of Mines, the University of Houston, and the University of Missouri.
About S&P Global
S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) provides essential intelligence. We enable governments, businesses and individuals with the right data, expertise and connected technology so that they can make decisions with conviction. From helping our customers assess new investments to guiding them through ESG and energy transition across supply chains, we unlock new opportunities, solve challenges and accelerate progress for the world.
We are widely sought after by many of the world's leading organizations to provide credit ratings, benchmarks, analytics and workflow solutions in the global capital, commodity and automotive markets. With every one of our offerings, we help the world's leading organizations plan for tomorrow, today.
Contact:
Ola Fadahunsi
+1 332-210-9935
ola.fadahunsi@spglobal.com
Jeff Marn
+1 202-560-0776
jeff.marn@spglobal.com
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SOURCE S&P Global | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/sampp-global-appoints-daniel-yergin-vice-chairman/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:14 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/sampp-global-appoints-daniel-yergin-vice-chairman/ |
NEW YORK, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Antares Pharma, Inc. ("Antares" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: ATRS), in connection with the proposed acquisition of the Company by Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: HALO) via a tender offer. Under the terms of the merger agreement, the Company's shareholders will receive $5.60 in cash for each share of Antares common stock owned. The transaction is valued at $960 million.
If you own Antares shares and wish to discuss this investigation or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, visit our website:
https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/atrs
Or please contact:
Joshua Rubin, Esq.
Weiss Law
305 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10007
(212) 682-3025
(888) 593-4771
stockinfo@weisslawllp.com
Weiss Law is investigating whether (i) Antares's board of directors acted in the best interests of Company shareholders in agreeing to the proposed transaction, (ii) the $5.60 per-share merger consideration adequately compensates Antares's shareholders, and (iii) all information regarding the sales process and valuation of the transaction will be fully and fairly disclosed. Notably, the merger consideration is below the $6.50 median price target set by analysts, and at least one analyst set a price target for the Company of $8 per share, $2.40 above the per-share merger consideration.
Weiss Law has litigated hundreds of stockholder class and derivative actions for violations of corporate and fiduciary duties. We have recovered over a billion dollars for defrauded clients and obtained important corporate governance relief in many of these cases. If you have information or would like legal advice concerning possible corporate wrongdoing (including insider trading, waste of corporate assets, accounting fraud, or materially misleading information), consumer fraud (including false advertising, defective products, or other deceptive business practices), or anti-trust violations, please email us at stockinfo@weisslawllp.com
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SOURCE Weiss Law | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/shareholder-alert-weiss-law-investigates-antares-pharma-inc/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:20 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/shareholder-alert-weiss-law-investigates-antares-pharma-inc/ |
NEW YORK, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
If you own shares in any of the companies listed above and
would like to discuss our investigations or have any questions concerning
this notice or your rights or interests, please contact:
Joshua Rubin, Esq.
Weiss Law
305 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10007
(212) 682-3025
(888) 593-4771
stockinfo@weisslawllp.com
Tivity Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: TVTY)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Tivity Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: TVTY), in connection with the proposed acquisition of TVTY by funds managed by Stone Point Capital. Under the terms of the merger agreement, TVTY shareholders will receive $32.50 in cash for each share of TVTY common stock owned. If you own TVTY shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us at one of the numbers listed above or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/tvty
TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of TEGNA Inc. (NYSE: TGNA), in connection with the proposed acquisition of TGNA by an affiliate of Standard General L.P. ("Standard General"). Under the terms of the merger agreement, TGNA shareholders will receive $24.00 in cash for each share of TGNA common stock that they hold. Additionally, TGNA shareholders will receive additional cash consideration in the form of a "ticking fee," the amount varying depending on the date of the closing of the transaction. If you own TGNA shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us at one of the numbers listed above or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/tgna
Meritor, Inc. (NYSE: MTOR)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Meritor, Inc. (NYSE: MTOR), in connection with the proposed acquisition of MTOR by Cummins Inc. Under the terms of the merger agreement, MTOR shareholders will receive $36.50 in cash for each share of MTOR common stock that they hold. If you own MTOR shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us at one of the numbers listed above or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/mtor
Tenneco Inc. (NYSE: TEN)
Weiss Law is investigating possible breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of law by the board of directors of Tenneco Inc. (NYSE: TEN), in connection with the proposed acquisition of TEN by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo. Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, TEN shareholders will receive $20.00 in cash for each share of TEN common stock that they hold. If you own TEN shares and wish to discuss this investigation or your rights, please call us at one of the numbers listed above or visit our website: https://www.weisslaw.co/news-and-cases/ten
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SOURCE Weiss Law | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/shareholder-alert-weiss-law-reminds-tvty-tgna-mtor-ten-shareholders-about-its-ongoing-investigations/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:26 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/shareholder-alert-weiss-law-reminds-tvty-tgna-mtor-ten-shareholders-about-its-ongoing-investigations/ |
NEW YORK, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLP, an investor rights law firm, is investigating the following companies for potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties to shareholders relating to:
Sierra Oncology, Inc. (NASDAQ: SRRA)'s sale to GlaxoSmithKline plc for $55.00 per share in cash. If you are a Sierra Oncology shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Antares Pharma, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATRS)'s sale to Halozyme Therapeutics, Inc. for $5.60 per share in cash. If you are an Antares Pharma shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Origin Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: OBNK)'s merger with BT Holdings, Inc. (BTH). Under the terms of the agreement, BTH shareholders will receive an aggregate of 6,828,390 shares of Origin's common stock in exchange for all outstanding shares of BTH common stock, subject to certain adjustments. If you are an Origin shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options.
Halper Sadeh LLP may seek increased consideration for shareholders, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders.
Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email sadeh@halpersadeh.com or zhalper@halpersadeh.com.
Halper Sadeh LLP represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Halper Sadeh LLP
Daniel Sadeh, Esq.
Zachary Halper, Esq.
(212) 763-0060
sadeh@halpersadeh.com
zhalper@halpersadeh.com
https://www.halpersadeh.com
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SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/shareholder-investigation-halper-sadeh-llp-investigates-srra-atrs-obnk/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:32 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/shareholder-investigation-halper-sadeh-llp-investigates-srra-atrs-obnk/ |
PITTSBURGH, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SSB Bancorp, Inc (OTC: SSBP – news) (the "Company"), the holding company for SSB Bank (the "Bank"), today announced the Company's consolidated results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021.
Net earnings for the year ended December 31, 2021, was $1.1 million or $0.51 per basic share and $0.50 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $1.4 million or $0.66 per basic and diluted share for the comparable prior year. Net earnings for the year ended December 31, 2021, were impacted by a decrease in gain on sales of loans of $1.1 million due to compressed margins when compared with the prior year. Also, noninterest expense was higher in 2021 due to an increase in salaries and employee benefits of $689,000 when comparing the year ended December 31, 2021, with the prior year. The increase in salaries and employee benefits is attributed to the addition two mortgage loan officers, one management position, and other staff.
Total assets increased by $975,000 to $234.9 million at December 31, 2021, compared to $234.0 million at December 31, 2020. Cash and cash equivalents decreased by $28.3 million over the period and was converted into loans, driving net loans to increase by $31.8 over the same period. The Bank was considered well-capitalized under applicable regulatory capital guidelines at December 31, 2021. The Bank had no other real estate owned at December 31, 2021.
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are not historical facts; rather, they are statements based on the Company's current expectations regarding its business strategies and their intended results and its future performance. Forward-looking statements are preceded by terms such as "expects", "believes", "anticipates", "intends" and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. Numerous risks and uncertainties could cause or contribute to the Company's actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from those expected or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause or contribute to these differences include, without limitation, general economic conditions, including changes in market interest rates and changes in monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government; legislative and regulatory changes.
Because of the risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on them, whether included in this report or made elsewhere from time to time by the Company or on its behalf. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.
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SOURCE SSB Bancorp, Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/ssb-bancorp-inc-reports-financial-results-year-ended-december-31-2021/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:38 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/ssb-bancorp-inc-reports-financial-results-year-ended-december-31-2021/ |
TORONTO, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Sun Life Financial Inc. (the "Company" or "Sun Life") (TSX: SLF) (NYSE: SLF) has been notified that Obatan LLC ("Obatan") has made another unsolicited "mini-tender offer" to purchase common shares of Sun Life at a price that is significantly lower than recent market prices for Sun Life shares on Canadian and U.S. stock exchanges.
Sun Life is not associated with Obatan and does not recommend or endorse acceptance of this unsolicited offer. Shareholders are not required to sell their shares to Obatan.
Sun Life cautions that Obatan's most recent offer has been made at a price that is significantly lower than recent market prices for Sun Life shares. This offer represents a discount of 35.7% below the closing price of Sun Life's common shares on the TSX and NYSE on April 7, 2022. Obatan has offered to purchase up to 50,000 common shares of Sun Life.
Securities administrators in Canada and the United States recommend that investors exercise caution with "mini-tender offers". Mini-tender offers are designed to avoid disclosure and procedural requirements applicable to most bids under Canadian and U.S. securities regulations. Canadian Securities Administrators and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have expressed serious concerns about mini-tender offers, including the possibility that investors might tender to such offers without understanding the offer price relative to the actual market price of their securities.
The SEC has indicated that "bidders make mini-tender offers at below-market prices, hoping that they will catch investors off guard if the investors do not compare the offer price to the current market price."
According to Obatan's offer documents, Sun Life shareholders who have already tendered their shares can withdraw their shares at any time before 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on May 31, 2022 by following the procedures described in the offer documents. Shareholders are cautioned that the terms of the Obatan offer may be varied, and the cash consideration offered may be decreased. In such a case, shareholders who have already tendered to the offer may have limited notice of such change and limited time to withdraw their shares from the offer. There are also no assurances that Obatan will buy the shares delivered under the offer.
Obatan has also made other discounted offers to Sun Life's shareholders in the United Kingdom and Ireland. For more information on these offers, please visit: https://www.sloc.co.uk/en/latest-news/warning-on-obatan-llc-mini-tender-offer-/
Shareholders and policyholders should carefully review the Obatan offer documents, consult with their Sun Life advisor or investment advisor to discuss any offer they may receive and review all options they have for their investment in Sun Life shares. If you are in Canada and do not have a Sun Life advisor and are interested in finding one, please visit www.sunlife.ca/en/find-an-advisor/.
If you received your Sun Life shares as a result of demutualization of Sun Life or Clarica and would like to sell your shares, you may be eligible to do so through the Sun Life Share Selling Service. Under this service, shares are sold by TSX Trust Company on your behalf at market price, as opposed to the significantly discounted price offered by Obatan.
Sun Life has stock transfer agents providing shareholder services in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong and the Philippines. These local agents provide services directly to our registered shareholders and can provide information on share account management, direct deposit of dividends, dividend reinvestment and share purchase plans. Please email sunlifeinquiries@tmx.com or call 1-877-224-1760 for more information.
If you were not aware that you own Sun Life shares, please contact sunlifeinquiries@tmx.com to verify your ownership and understand your options on dealing with your shares. You can also visit www.verifymyeligibility.com/SunLife, our online search tool to determine if you have unclaimed shares and dividends.
Sun Life requests that a copy of this news release be included in any distribution of materials relating to Obatan's mini-tender offer for Sun Life common shares.
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance, and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of December 31, 2021, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.44 trillion. For more information please visit www.sunlife.com.
Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.
Note to editors: All figures in Canadian dollars
Media Relations Contact:
Krista Wilson
Director
Corporate Communications
T. 226-751-2391
krista.wilson@sunlife.com
Investor Relations Contact:
Yaniv Bitton
Vice-President, Head of Investor
Relations & Capital Markets
T. 416-979-6496
investor_relations@sunlife.com
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SOURCE Sun Life Financial Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/sun-life-cautions-investors-regarding-obatan-llc-bid-shares/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:46 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/sun-life-cautions-investors-regarding-obatan-llc-bid-shares/ |
Virtual event for small and medium-size businesses to focus on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
DUBLIN, Calif., April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TriNet (NYSE: TNET), a leading provider of comprehensive human resources for small and medium-size businesses (SMBs), today announced plans to hold its first annual Small Business Week Summit. The virtual event will run May 2-5, during the nation's weeklong celebration that honors the vital role that entrepreneurs and small businesses play in driving the U.S. economy forward.
The Small Business Week Summit will include informational sessions with powerful small business thought leaders and conversations with innovative small business owners. Over the course of four days, many different topics will be covered related to strengthening small businesses, including finance, HR innovation, new ways of working, and the ultimate HR know-how.
"At TriNet we pride ourselves on helping small businesses achieve success," said TriNet President and CEO Burton M. Goldfield. "Entrepreneurs and the people who work for them take incredible risks, and now, more than ever, they need the insight and resources to arm them as they move forward. This is what the TriNet Small Business Week Summit aims to provide."
TriNet's Small Business Week Summit schedule is as follows:
Monday, May 2 at 11:00AM PT/2:00PM ET: Accessing Capital for SMB Growth & Success – Experts in SMB finance discuss borrower strategies and lending options and provide a 2022 market outlook that addresses inflation and other top of mind issues.
Monday, May 2 at 11:45AM PT/2:45PM ET: Fashion Forward: Staying Ahead of Trend and Agile While Powering Through a Pandemic - Award-winning fashion designer Maria Cornejo and her Zero + Maria Cornejo brand business partner Marysia Woroniecka discuss their path to success and the challenges they faced over the last two years, with TriNet Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing & Chief Communications Officer, Michael Mendenhall. Zero + Cornejo, a TriNet customer, and champion of women in the fashion industry and beyond is guided by the idea of creating wearable luxury for real women.
Tuesday, May 3 at 11:00AM PT/2:00PM ET: Taking a Human Approach to HR Technology – Lisa Reeves, TriNet's Chief Product Officer discusses how to deliver a great experience to an increasingly mobile and distributed workforce. What are the unintended consequences of today's work arrangements and how can businesses adapt and equip their teams to thrive amid change? Lisa will also share how TriNet is enhancing its product to help SMBs deal with these issues.
Tuesday, May 3 at 11:45AM PT/2:45PM ET: Menu For Success: Organic Food Restaurateur on Innovation & Growth – Laurent Francois, CEO & Co-Founder of Le Botaniste, the only 100% organic, plant-based, and carbon-neutral restaurant in New York City. Laurent speaks with TriNet Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing & Chief Communications Officer Michael Mendenhall about the obstacles that the pandemic created for his business as well as the lessons learned. Founded in Ghent, Belgium in 2015, Le Botaniste, a TriNet customer, now has three locations in Belgium and four in New York City. Each of the restaurants offer quick, healthy, easy-going and comforting food, focused on quality, freshness, and organic ingredients. These core elements have allowed the team to consistently adapt and encourage smarter and healthier consumption.
Tuesday, May 3 at 12:30PM PT/3:30PM ET: California Employment Law Challenges to Keep Top of Mind and What's New in 2022 - Von Boyenger, Senior Deputy Labor Commissioner State of California and Doug Riegelhuth Vice President & AGC, Employment Law TriNet will engage in a helpful discussion about California labor laws impacting small and medium-size businesses, and updates to be mindful of in 2022.
Wednesday, May 4 at 10:00AM PT/1:00PM ET: Small Business Digital Alliance Presents Recruiting and Onboarding in a Virtual World – TriNet, a National Member of the Small Business Digital Alliance (SBDA), is participating in the SBDA's second National Virtual Webinar to talk about best practices for recruiting and onboarding an empowered and diverse workforce in a virtual world. TriNet Executive Director of Talent and Org Management Kristine Gunn discusses why SMBs must evolve how they hire and onboard talent, if they hope to attract and retain the best and the brightest.
Wednesday, May 4 at 11:00AM PT/2:00PM ET: Scale It Right – Samantha Wellington, TriNet's Executive Vice President Business Affairs, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, speaks with an expert in commercial office real estate about the new age of the workspace and workforce. Growth is often the goal, but growing pains are often part of the process. Learn how to scale right based on experiences scaling their own business as well as through helping thousands of SMBs.
Wednesday, May 4 at 11:45AM PT/2:45PM ET: Agility and Innovation in a New Economy – Darren Byer, Co-Founder and Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Qolo and Michael Mendenhall, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer & Chief Communications Officer, discuss the ever-evolving manner in how small businesses must operate in a constantly changing world.
Thursday, May 5 at 11:00AM PT/2:00PM ET: Market Dynamics Impacting Compensation in 2022 - Salary.com Vice President of Consulting David Turetsky and TriNet Executive Director of Talent and Org Management Kristine Gunn will talk about the latest issues around compensation. The in-depth discussion will dive into the pressures that employers are facing with inflation and how they're coping, market pay trends like higher wages and wage compression, and new pay equity and wage transparency legislation to prepare for.
TriNet's Small Business Week Summit will take place online at: TriNet.com/smallbusinesssweek, where attendees can register for free, starting today, for streaming access when the event kicks off.
About TriNet
TriNet (NYSE: TNET) provides small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) with full-service HR solutions tailored by industry. To free SMBs from HR complexities, TriNet offers access to human capital expertise, benefits, risk mitigation and compliance, payroll, all enabled by industry leading technology capabilities. TriNet's suite of products also includes services and software-based solutions to help streamline workflows by connecting HR, Benefits, Employee Engagement, Payroll and Time & Attendance. From Main Street to Wall Street, TriNet empowers SMBs to focus on what matters most—growing their business and enabling their people. TriNet, incredible starts here. For more information, visit TriNet.com or follow us on Twitter.
Contacts:
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SOURCE TriNet Group, Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/trinet-launches-inaugural-small-business-week-summit-may-2-5/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:52 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/trinet-launches-inaugural-small-business-week-summit-may-2-5/ |
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The suspect in a February Southside homicide has officially been charged by police.
Police charged 20-year-old Richmond resident Marquise Whitaker with the killing of 25-year-old Vidal Smith. Smith died at the hospital after being found shot at Southside Plaza on Feb. 26.
Whitaker was formally charged with murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony and shooting within an occupied building.
Anyone with further information about this homicide is asked to call Major Crimes Detective M. Gouldman at 804-646-3915 or contact Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000. | https://www.wric.com/news/crime/police-charge-richmond-20-year-old-with-murder-after-fatal-southside-shooting/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:53 | 0 | https://www.wric.com/news/crime/police-charge-richmond-20-year-old-with-murder-after-fatal-southside-shooting/ |
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Richmonders with $19 million dollars burning a hole in their pocket finally have something to spend it on — 14-and-a-half acres of land in the James River known as Mayo Island.
The island, which was named after John Mayo Jr., the man who constructed a rudimentary bridge on the site, was put up for sale by local real estate agent Alan Shaia of Charter Realty.
The island is currently being used by VCU as an auxiliary parking lot, but Shaia told 8News they declined to renew their lease this year.
“We thought it was the right time to to put it up for sale,” he said.
The island is currently zoned for light industrial uses, but the Richmond 300 plan, which lays out the city’s vision for future development, envisions it as a “public open space.”
Shaia respectfully disagreed with that plan. He says the city hasn’t been in contact about purchasing the land, and he anticipates a buyer will seek to develop the site.
“We’ve had a couple of prospects on it in the past,” he said, adding that proposals have included offices, apartments and retail stores.
While there’s no buyer lined up at the moment, Shaia anticipated that the island’s location between densely populated downtown Richmond and up-and-coming Manchester would lend itself to mixed-use development.
“If you had some development there alongside the parks, it’d be a win-win,” he said.
Interested buyers (or those simply wanting to get a peek at the property) need only drive across the Mayo Bridge and glance out their car window. | https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/got-19-million-richmonds-mayo-island-in-the-james-river-could-be-yours/ | 2022-04-13T22:29:58 | 1 | https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/got-19-million-richmonds-mayo-island-in-the-james-river-could-be-yours/ |
Did you sell or otherwise dispose of securities of Twitter between March 24, 2022 and April 1, 2022? If so, please visit Twitter, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com to discuss your rights.
NEW YORK, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bernstein Liebhard LLP announces that a securities class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who sold or otherwise disposed of the securities of Twitter, Inc. ("Twitter" or the "Company") (NYSE: TWTR) between March 24, 2022 and April 1, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and alleges violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Elon Musk ("Musk") is the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, and according to Forbes, is the richest person in the world.
Beginning in January 2022, Musk started to acquire shares of Twitter. By March 14, 2022, Musk had acquired more than a 5% ownership stake in Twitter.
Pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act and SEC Rule 13d-1 promulgated thereunder, 17 C.F.R. § 240.13d-1(a), Musk was required to file a Schedule 13 with the SEC within 10 days of passing the 5% ownership threshold in Twitter, or March 24, 2022.
Musk did not file a Schedule 13 with the SEC within the required time and instead continued to amass Twitter shares, eventually acquiring a 9.1% stake in the Company before finally filing a Schedule 13 on April 4, 2022.
When Musk finally filed the required Schedule 13, thereby revealing his ownership stake in Twitter, the Company's shares rose from a closing price of $39.31 per share on Friday, April 1, 2022, to close at $49.97 per share on April 4, 2022 – an increase of approximately 27%.
Investors who sold securities of Twitter stock between March 24, 2022, when Musk was required to have disclosed his Twitter ownership, and before the Monday, April 4, 2022 disclosure, missed the resulting price increase as the market reacted to Musk's purchases and were damaged thereby.
By failing to disclose his ownership stake via Schedule 13, Musk was able to acquire shares of Twitter less expensively during the Class Period.
If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 13, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as lead plaintiff. If you choose to take no action, you may remain an absent class member.
If you sold or otherwise disposed of TWTR securities, and/or would like to discuss your legal rights and options please visit Twitter, Inc. Shareholder Class Action Lawsuit or contact Peter Allocco at (212) 951-2030 or pallocco@bernlieb.com.
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Mr. Jaillot brings more than 25 years of ingredients and specialties focused industry experience.
DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Univar Solutions Inc. (NYSE: UNVR) ("Univar Solutions" or "the Company"), a global chemical and ingredient distributor and provider of value-added services, today announced the appointment of Tony Jaillot as vice president of global Beauty & Personal Care. In this role, Mr. Jaillot will lead the company's sales, marketing, technical and product management efforts across the Beauty & Personal Care end market. He joins the global Ingredients & Specialties channel led by Nick Powell, president of Ingredients & Specialties, and reports to Matthew Ottaway, senior vice president of Consumer Solutions.
"With decades of experience in driving growth across the Beauty & Personal Care market combined with his passion for sustainable products, Tony is a perfect fit as we continue to deliver the solutions our customers and suppliers demand," said Nick Powell, president of Ingredients & Specialties. "Tony has a passion for building multicultural teams and delivering innovation, as well as an unwavering commitment to collaboratively matching our suppliers' products with customer needs."
Through a dedicated sales and technical team supported by a global network of Solution Centers, Univar Solutions is well positioned to readily help Beauty & Personal Care customers and suppliers innovate and grow through a footprint of local formulation laboratories as well as marketing and distribution capabilities.
"Tony brings leadership and expertise to a global Beauty & Personal Care solutions team dedicated to providing customers with unmatched support and expertise across the globe by leveraging Univar Solutions premier product portfolio," said Matthew Ottaway, senior vice president of Consumer Solutions.
"I am excited at the opportunity to join what I believe is the global leader in ingredient and specialty distribution within the beauty and personal care industry," said Mr. Jaillot. "I believe the premier product portfolio, global sales and technical network, along with cutting-edge clients positions Univar Solutions to continue our leadership position in this market."
An experienced industry professional, Mr. Jaillot joins Univar Solutions having held previous senior beauty care leadership roles with BASF, Cargill, Ciba as well as IMCD and is a renowned industry consultant. He holds a bachelor's degree in organic chemistry from Chemistry University of Marseille, France and a master's degree in cosmetic science from the University of Pharmacy in Nantes, France. Mr. Jaillot also has extensive education in business administration and strategy with master's degrees from IAE France and INSEAD.
About Univar Solutions
Univar Solutions (NYSE: UNVR) is a leading global commodity and specialty chemical and ingredient distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world's leading producers. With the industry's largest private transportation fleet and technical sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools, the Company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries, and applications. While fulfilling its purpose to help keep communities healthy, fed, clean and safe, Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and focus on Growing Together. Learn more at univarsolutions.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain statements relating to future events and our intentions, beliefs, expectations, and predictions for the future, which are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations and assumptions. A detailed discussion of these factors and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Potential factors that could affect such forward-looking statements include, among others: the ultimate geographic spread of the COVID-19 pandemic; the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to address or otherwise mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the potential negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and our customers and suppliers; the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations and financial condition; other fluctuations in general economic conditions, particularly in industrial production and the demands of our customers; significant changes in the business strategies of producers or in the operations of our customers; increased competitive pressures, including as a result of competitor consolidation; significant changes in the pricing, demand and availability of chemicals; our levels of indebtedness, the restrictions imposed by our debt instruments, and our ability to obtain additional financing when needed; the broad spectrum of laws and regulations that we are subject to, including extensive environmental, health and safety laws and regulations; an inability to integrate the business and systems of companies we acquire, including of Nexeo Solutions, Inc., or to realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions; potential business disruptions and security breaches, including cybersecurity incidents; an inability to generate sufficient working capital; increases in transportation and fuel costs and changes in our relationship with third party providers; accidents, safety failures, environmental damage, product quality and liability issues and recalls; major or systemic delivery failures involving our distribution network or the products we carry; operational risks for which we may not be adequately insured; ongoing litigation and other legal and regulatory risks; challenges associated with international operations; exposure to interest rate and currency fluctuations; potential impairment of goodwill; liabilities associated with acquisitions, ventures and strategic investments; negative developments affecting our pension plans and multi-employer pensions; labor disruptions associated with the unionized portion of our workforce; and the other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "plan," "seek, "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Any forward-looking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise, except as required by law.
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Net revenue grew 26.1% quarter over quarter to $23.2 million from $18.4 million in Q4 2021. Net revenue was primarily driven by provincial sales which increased by 36.7% in Q1 2022 as compared to Q4 2021
Q1 2022 demonstrates Valens' underlying business has passed an inflection point
Became a top 10 licensed producer in Canada, with a 3.1% market share as of February 2022
B2C revenue lines of provincial sales and Green Roads accounted for 68.5% of net revenue in Q1 2022
Valens reiterates its objective of achieving positive adjusted EBITDA by Q4 2022
KELOWNA, BC, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - The Valens Company Inc. (TSX: VLNS) (Nasdaq: VLNS) (the "Company", "The Valens Company" or "Valens"), a leading manufacturer of cannabis products, is pleased to report its first quarter fiscal year 2022 financial results for the period ended February 28, 2022.
Tyler Robson, Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder and Chair of The Valens Company, said: "The results from the first quarter demonstrate that Valens' underlying business has passed an inflection point. Valens delivered strong top line growth despite many headwinds in the marketplace. This performance reinforces the importance of Valens now diversified business lines across provincial sales, B2B LP sales, and Green Roads sales. Diversified business lines are now allowing us to deliver more sustainable growth. To that point, we delivered another quarter of strong provincial sales as we continue to grow our recreational market share, with the launch of Versus and Contraband. We are also pleased to report that our B2B segment has returned to growth, and we remain optimistic that this platform will continue to strengthen as our partners optimize their manufacturing processes amid both industry and economic headwinds. Our Green Roads US CBD business saw a modest decline in revenue primarily due to normal seasonal trends, with December being historically its slowest month.
Robson continued, "As expected, adjusted EBITDA declined quarter over quarter due to an inefficient cost structure that had not yet benefited from our Integration Initiatives announced in late February and a change in sales mix that saw a lower percentage of sales come from our higher margin Green Roads business and greater percentage of our sales come from our B2B customers. In addition, we took the opportunity to exit some higher priced inventory through the B2B channel and reposition our holdings to better support the anticipated growth in future quarters. These factors also resulted in lower gross margins in the quarter. Importantly, subsequent to quarter end, we are already seeing the benefits of our Integration Initiatives and anticipate realizing improvements to our cost structure in the back half of the year. It was also encouraging to see gross margin improvements in provincial sales despite significant retail price compression and increases in supply chain costs in the quarter. Overall, our business remains on track to deliver on our objectives in 2022, and we reiterate our target to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA in Q4 2022."
First Quarter Fiscal 2022 Highlights:
- Net revenue increased 26.1% to $23.2 million in Q1 2022 from $18.4 million in Q4 2021, benefiting from strong Canadian operations, which represented 73.7%of total sales in the first quarter
The following table of financial highlights is presented in Canadian dollars, except for percentages
- Valens became a top 10 licensed producer by market share in Canada:
- BC God Bud #1 best-selling SKU across all product categories in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Saskatchewan during the first two months of 2022 as per Hifyre data
Operational Cost Efficiencies
Valens has made significant progress with approximately $9.5 million of the first $10 million in annual cost efficiencies now actioned. The Company expects to realize these benefits towards the end of the second fiscal quarter of 2022, after accounting for one-time costs, with the majority expected to be realized in the second half of fiscal 2022.
Of the $9.5 million actioned, approximately 67%, or $6.4 million, of the cost savings are coming through SG&A, of which almost half were driven from synergies of acquisitions, while the remaining were related to organizational realignment at Valens. This is expected to positively impact SG&A in future quarters, after accounting for one-time costs. Approximately 33%, or $3.1 million, was driven by operational efficiencies including automation, process standardization and supplier optimization which is expected to positively impact margins in the second half of the year. Valens remains on track to achieve a total of $20 million in annualized cost savings run rate by the end of fiscal fourth quarter of 2022.
First Quarter Fiscal 2022 Corporate and Operational Highlights:
- Commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market, positioning Valens and its shareholders for greater access to liquidity, increased corporate visibility, and a broader shareholder base in 2022 and beyond.
- Enhanced adult recreational market portfolio with the launch of two new brands, Versus and Contraband, designed to meet the needs of target consumers in the value and premium markets respectively. The Versus launch follows Valens' acquisition of Verse Cannabis in September 2021 and the subsequent repositioning of the value brand to better align with its consumer base. The Contraband launch follows the acquisition of Citizen Stash and leverages its catalogue of premium genetics, expanding its reach to the evolving consumer base in the fast growing, premium market segment.
- Signed the first beverage manufacturing partnership agreement since the launch of the Pommies facility and successfully completed first shipments of cannabis-infused beverages to Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta Manitoba and Yukon.
- Accelerated Valens' international expansion strategy by entering into two strategic agreements with PMI Mexico, a subsidiary of Merger Group, and one of the main drug suppliers of the Mexican government. Under the terms of the agreement, Valens will manufacture CBD-infused and uninfused Predilife probiotic products for PMI globally.
- Subsequent to quarter-end, Valens closed its previously announced CAD$32.3 bought deal public offering (the "Offering") of units of the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to continue to pursue strategic growth initiatives in North America, providing funding for working capital and for general corporate purposes.
Financial Summary
- Net revenue of $23.2 million in Q1 2022, representing an increase of 26.1% over Q4 2021.
- Valens had cash and marketable securities of $20.2 million at the end of Q1 2022 and subsequent to quarter end raised $32.3 million in gross proceeds.
- Adjusted gross profit(1) was $3.4 million, or 14.6% of net revenue in Q1 2022, compared to $6.3 million, or 34.1% of net revenue, in Q4 2021.
- Adjusted EBITDA(2) was $(17.6) million, in Q1 2022 compared to $(13.3) million in Q4 2021.
The following table of financial highlights is presented in thousands of Canadian dollars, except for percentages, per share figures and Canadian recreational market share.
- Management utilizes this measure to provide a representation of performance in the period by excluding the inventory impairment measurement adjustments and impacts of biological asset changes as required by IFRS. Adjusted gross profit is a non-GAAP ratio, which management believes provides useful information as it represents gross profit for management purposes based on costs to manufacture, package and ship inventory sold, exclusive of any impairments due to changes in internal or external influences impacting the net realizable value of inventory and non-cash items. See reconciliation of "Adjusted Gross Profit (non-GAAP measure)" in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended February 28, 2022.
- The Company has identified adjusted EBITDA as a relevant industry performance indicator. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure used by management that does not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Management defines adjusted EBITDA as loss for the period, as reported, adjusted for financing costs (net), recovery of income taxes, depreciation and amortization, share-based payments, fair value and realized biological assets changes, foreign exchange gains, inventory valuation allowance, remeasurement of contingent consideration, restructuring charges, gains and losses on disposal of capital assets, gains and losses on marketable securities and derivatives, and non-recurring and transaction costs. Management believes this measure provides useful information as it is a commonly used measure in the capital markets to approximate operating earnings. See reconciliation of "Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP measure)" in the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the three months ended February 28, 2022.
Outlook
Key Performance Indicators and Revenue Guidance:
Key Objectives for 2022:
- Grow adult recreational market share in Canada by seeking to become a top 5 Player in vapes, edibles and beverages and a top 10 player in flower products.
- Unlock our potential in the U.S. and international markets through the Green Roads platform acquired in April 2021.
- Seek to achieve positive adjusted EBITDA by Q4 by improving the gross margin and SG&A profile of the business through our Integration Initiatives which are based on a combination of cost efficiencies, realization of M&A synergies and greater levels of automation and process standardization.
- Reduce cash burn through improvements in adjusted EBITDA, working capital management and monetization of non-core assets.
- Development of the Company's U.S. THC strategy as permissible under federal regulations.
Revenue & EBITDA Guidance 2023:
- Minimum revenue of CAD$225 million
- Adjusted EBITDA margins greater than 10%
Jeff Fallows, President of The Valens Company, said, "In Q1 2022, we took action to align our Company to current market conditions and deliver the value we saw in the acquisitions and other strategic changes we made in 2021. More specifically, we implemented a series of Integration Initiatives aimed at driving efficiencies throughout the organization and right sizing our cost structure to ensure we remain nimble and aggressive in a competitive market. With these initiatives now firmly underway and following our recent CDN$32.3 million financing we believe we have the branded product portfolio, manufacturing capabilities and balance sheet strength to pursue our key strategic objectives in 2022."
This press release is intended to be read in conjunction with the Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the period and the accompanying Financial Statements and notes, available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and the Company's Form 6-K, which will be furnished on EDGAR (www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml).
Q1 2022 Conference Call Details
The Company will host a conference call tomorrow, Thursday, April 14, 2022, at 11:00 AM Eastern Time / 8:00 AM Pacific Time to discuss the financial results and business outlook.
Participant Dial-in Numbers:
Toll-Free: 1-877-407-0792
Toll / International: 1-201-689-8263
*Participants should request The Valens Company Earnings Call or provide confirmation code 13728569.
The call will be available via webcast on the Valens investor page of the Company website at https://thevalenscompany.com/investors/ or at this link. Please visit the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to register, download, and install any necessary audio software. A replay of the call will be available on the Valens investor page approximately two hours after the conference call has ended.
Tyler Robson, Chief Executive Officer, Sunil Gandhi, Chief Financial Officer, Jeffrey Fallows, President, and Everett Knight, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and Capital Markets, will be conducting a question-and-answer session following the prepared remarks.
At Valens, it's Personal.
About The Valens Company
The Valens Company is a leading cannabis consumer products company, with significant expertise in manufacturing cannabinoid-based products and a mission to bring the benefits of cannabis to the world. Valens provides proprietary cannabis processing services and best-in-class product development, manufacturing, and commercialization of cannabis consumer packaged goods. Valens' high-quality products are formulated for the recreational, health and wellness, and medical consumer segments and are offered across all cannabis product categories, with a focus on quality and product innovation. Valens also manufactures, distributes, and sells a wide range of CBD products in the United States through its subsidiary Green Roads, and distributes medicinal cannabis products to international markets through its subsidiary Valens Australia. In partnership with brand houses, consumer packaged goods companies and licensed cannabis producers around the globe, Valens continues to grow its diverse product portfolio in alignment with evolving cannabis consumer preferences. Through Valens Labs, Valens is setting the standard in cannabis testing and research and development with Canada's only ISO17025 accredited analytical services lab, named The Centre of Excellence in Plant-Based Science by partner and scientific world leader Thermo Fisher Scientific. Discover more on The Valens Company at http://www.thevalenscompany.com.
Notice regarding Forward Looking Statements
All information included in this press release, including any information as to the future financial or operating performance and other statements of The Valens Company that express management's expectations or estimates of future performance, other than statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking information or forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date hereof. Forward-looking statements are included for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Wherever possible, words such as "plans", "expects", "scheduled", "trends", "forecasts", "future", "indications", "potential", "estimates", "predicts", "anticipate", "to establish", "believe", "intend", "ability to", or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "should", "could", "would", "might", "will", or are "likely" to be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of these words or other variations thereof, have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Specific forward-looking statements include, without limitation, all disclosure regarding future results of operations, future outcomes of transactions, economic conditions, and anticipated courses of action. Investors and other parties are advised that there is not necessarily any correlation between the number of SKUs manufactured and shipped and revenue and profit, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information.
The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others, cannabis regulatory risk, risks relating to the regulation of hemp in the United States, U.S. entry restrictions, the uncertainties, effects of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, reliance on Canadian licenses, reliance on Australian licenses, the illegality of cannabis under federal law in the United States; catastrophic events; competition; the recent development of the cannabis industry and market in Canada; price compression in the cannabis industry; maturation of the cannabis market; dependence on supply of cannabis and reliance on other key inputs, material weakness in the Company's internal controls over financial reporting, dependence on senior management and key personnel, general business risk and liability, regulation of the cannabis industry, change in laws, regulations and guidelines, compliance with laws, foreign operations, reliance on a limited number of facilities, limited operating history, TSX and Nasdaq continued listing requirements, vulnerability to rising energy costs, environmental regulations and risks, conflicts of interest, unfavorable publicity or consumer perception, product liability, risks related to intellectual property, product recalls, difficulties with forecasts, management of growth and litigation, many of which are beyond the control of The Valens Company. For a more comprehensive discussion of the risks faced by The Valens Company, and which may cause the actual financial results, performance or achievements of The Valens Company to be materially different from estimated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking information or forward-looking statements, please refer to The Valens Company's latest Annual Information Form filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com or on The Valens Company's website at www.thevalenscompany.com. The risks described in such Annual Information Form are hereby incorporated by reference herein. Although the forward-looking statements contained herein reflect management's current beliefs and reasonable assumptions based upon information available to management as of the date hereof, The Valens Company cannot be certain that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information. The Valens Company cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. The Valens Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Nothing herein should be construed as either an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or sell securities of The Valens Company.
In addition to the foregoing assumptions, the 2023 revenue guidance of C$225 million referenced above is based on the following assumptions: (i) that the Green Roads business in the United States in 2023 achieves revenue consistent with pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels (many of the bricks-and-mortar retail locations that Green Roads sells to experienced challenges related to COVID-19 but are now resuming normal operations); (ii) a slight percentage increase in the Company's market share of the Canadian recreational cannabis market associated with new branded product launches (such Canadian recreational cannabis market based on a third-party data analytics company covering the cannabis industry), and reflecting a typical wholesale discount to reflect that Company sells to provincial distributors; (iii) the Company's B2B business in 2023 generating revenue consistent with current levels; and (iv) the Company's Pommies business and Valens Labs as well as its revenue from foreign operations outside of the United States, in 2023 achieving revenue from ongoing initiatives and consistent with the Company's previous disclosure.
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JERSEY CITY, N.J., April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Veris Residential, Inc. (NYSE: VRE) (the "Company"), a forward-thinking, environmentally- and socially-conscious real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily owns, operates, acquires, and develops holistically-inspired, Class A multifamily properties, today announces that it will host its first quarter 2022 financial results webcast and conference call on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at 8:30 a.m., eastern. The Company will release its results after the close of market on Wednesday, May 4, 2022.
The webcast can be listened to via the Internet by accessing the Company's website at http://investors.verisresidential.com/corporate-overview. The conference call is also accessible by dialing (646) 828-8073 and requesting the Veris Residential first quarter 2022 earnings conference call or by using confirmation code 6283762. It is recommended that participants log on or dial in to the call approximately 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
Replay: Audio replay from the conference call will be available on Veris Residential's website at http://investors.verisresidential.com/corporate-overview.
About Veris Residential, Inc.
Veris Residential, Inc. is a forward-thinking, environmentally- and socially-conscious real estate investment trust (REIT) that primarily owns, operates, acquires, and develops holistically-inspired, Class A multifamily properties that meet the sustainability-conscious lifestyle needs of today's residents while seeking to positively impact the communities it serves and the planet at large. The Company is guided by an experienced management team and Board of Directors and is underpinned by leading corporate governance principles, a best-in-class and sustainable approach to operations, and an inclusive culture based on equality and meritocratic empowerment. For additional information on Veris Residential, Inc. and our properties available for lease, please visit https://www.verisresidential.com/.
Investors
Anna Malhari
Chief Operating Officer
investors@verisresidential.com
Media
Amanda Shpiner/Grace Cartwright
Gasthalter & Co.
212-257-4170
veris-residential@gasthalter.com
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CARLSBAD, Calif., April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, was recognized by two global organizations, LinkedIn and Ragan, as a top company to work at in the United States.
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn Top Companies list is a ranking of 50 companies that are investing in their talent and helping people build careers that will set them up for long-term success. Viasat ranked within this prestigious list, which included an evaluation of the following seven key pillars: ability to advance, skills growth, company stability, external opportunity, company affinity, gender diversity and educational background.
- Ragan: Ragan's Employee Communications & Top Places to Work Awards acknowledged Viasat for their exceptional internal communications campaigns, content and initiatives that kept their workforce—remote or in-person—engaged and informed. Viasat champions their diverse workforce and provide resources and support to help employees grow and succeed in their careers.
"The world has changed over the last two years, and we are very proud of how our leaders and our teams have quickly evolved with us to meet these new challenges," said Melinda Kimbro, chief people officer at Viasat. "With some of the best talent in the industry we're bringing connectivity to everyone, everywhere and doing it in such a way that will help to sustain space for generations to come. It's our people – committed to that purpose, that unites us and makes it all possible. We are immensely proud of our global team and for this recognition from LinkedIn and Ragan."
Over the course of the pandemic, Viasat has increased its career development and wellness efforts to accommodate employees and boost recruitment. Employees are encouraged to think innovatively and are supported with tuition reimbursement, mentoring, personal wellness benefits and more. Their new wellness offerings include a mediation/mental health app, flexible time off for eligible U.S. employees and enhanced Family Care leave coverage. Viasat also launched Workday Learning, with a library of course offerings for all employees, offered new leadership training programs, and revamped their mentorship program. Additionally, over the course of the last year, the Company has offered additional resources and training opportunities for how to navigate the pandemic across its hybrid/remote workforce.
Viasat also supports a culture of giving, matching donations and providing several ways for employees to get involved in volunteering. In 2021, one in six Viasat employees volunteered or gave to a charitable organization; 1,182 global organizations received support from Viasat employee programs; and more than $1.6 million was donated through donation and volunteer match initiatives and employee giving. For a list of current job opportunities, candidates can visit Viasat's LinkedIn page for additional information.
Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 35 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com, go to Viasat's Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube.
Copyright © 2022 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks of Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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The new REACH, Prop 65, and EU MDR substances
OTTAWA, ON, 13 April 2022 /PRNewswire/ - On 27 April 2022, Claigan Environmental Inc. (www.claigan.com) will present a webinar on the new REACH, Prop 65, and EU MDR substances. This webinar will discuss the new substances, their use and applicability to articles (physical products), and relative risk of presence.
Each year the EU REACH SVHC, EU REACH Restriction, California Proposition 65, and EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) restricted substance lists are updated. It is difficult for most product compliance primes to easily digest and understand the risk of each new (and often complicated named) substance.
In this webinar, Claigan will discuss each of the most applicable new substances, what materials will commonly have regulated levels of these substances, and how to handle the risk of their presence in your products. The discussion will include 2021 & 2022 REACH SVHC updates, regulation of PFAS under EU REACH, new California Proposition 65 substances for 2022, and EU MDR Adaptation to Technical Progress 14, 15, and 17.
The main topics to be covered in this webinar are -
- REACH SVHC updates
- California Proposition 65 Updates
- PFAS and REACH Restrictions
- EU MDR ATP 14, ATP 15, and ATP 17
Due to the interest in these topics, two (2) webinars will be held on April 27 to accommodate a larger audience.
Date: 27 April 2022
Time: 10am and 2pm EST
Duration: 1 hour plus Q&A
To Register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/6501595196315219214 or on Claigan Website at www.claigan.com/webinars
Register now or send an e-mail to webinar@claigan.com. For more information on Claigan Environmental's restricted materials services - see Claigan's services at www.claigan.com
About Claigan Environmental (www.claigan.com)
Claigan is the leading provide in Prop 65 compliance. Claigan has tested thousands of products for Prop 65 compliance and being the technical support for numerous Prop 65 notice defences. Claigan is an ISO 17025 certified laboratory and is dedicated to providing practical solutions for supply chain due diligence and social responsibility. At Claigan, we believe in 'More Results. Less Journey.'
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SOURCE Claigan Environmental Inc. | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/webinar-what-are-new-restricted-substances/ | 2022-04-13T22:30:30 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/webinar-what-are-new-restricted-substances/ |
DUBLIN, Ohio, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN) will release its first quarter 2022 results before the market opens on Wednesday, May 11. The Company will host a conference call that same day at 8:30 a.m. ET, with a simultaneous webcast from the Company's Investor Relations website at www.irwendys.com. The related presentation materials will also be available on the Company's Investor Relations website. The live conference call will be available by telephone at (866) 211-4759 for domestic callers and (647) 689-6752 for international callers. An archived webcast and presentation materials will be available on the Company's Investor Relations website.
About Wendy's
Wendy's® was founded in 1969 by Dave Thomas in Columbus, Ohio. Dave built his business on the premise, "Quality is our Recipe®," which remains the guidepost of the Wendy's system. Wendy's is best known for its made-to-order square hamburgers, using fresh, never frozen beef*, freshly-prepared salads, and other signature items like chili, baked potatoes and the Frosty® dessert. The Wendy's Company (Nasdaq: WEN) is committed to doing the right thing and making a positive difference in the lives of others. This is most visible through the Company's support of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption® and its signature Wendy's Wonderful Kids® program, which seeks to find a loving, forever home for every child waiting to be adopted from the North American foster care system. Today, Wendy's and its franchisees employ hundreds of thousands of people across approximately 7,000 restaurants worldwide with a vision of becoming the world's most thriving and beloved restaurant brand. For details on franchising, connect with us at www.wendys.com/franchising. Visit www.wendys.com and www.squaredealblog.com for more information and connect with us on Twitter and Instagram using @wendys, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/wendys.
*Fresh beef available in the contiguous U.S., Alaska, and Canada.
Contacts:
Investor Contact:
Greg Lemenchick
Sr. Director - Investor Relations & Corporate FP&A
(614) 766-3977; greg.lemenchick@wendys.com
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SOURCE The Wendy’s Company | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/wendys-company-report-first-quarter-2022-results-may-11/ | 2022-04-13T22:30:36 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/wendys-company-report-first-quarter-2022-results-may-11/ |
KATY, Texas, April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Representing 35 countries, rice farmers, millers, researchers and other allied industry members will meet in Cancun, Mexico for the Rice Market & Technology Convention, May 31 through June 2, 2022. The conference will take place at the Hilton Cancun, a recently opened all-inclusive resort located on the beautiful Maya Riviera.
The conference has seen a large early registration from companies not only from throughout the Western Hemisphere, but also from other corners of the rice world marketplace. Marcela Garcia, President & CEO of the US Rice Producers Association, cited the market conditions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and current world events as key incentives driving the interest in this year's event.
"The list of companies already registered at this time is extremely impressive and includes numerous major and well-known businesses," Garcia said. "It is obvious the rice trade wants to connect and network about the on-going market situations."
A special seminar titled "Follow the Money – Closing the Rice Milling Profitability Circle", sponsored by Superbrix and Applied Milling Systems and featuring the highly regarded milling engineer Norris Bond, will take place on May 31, just prior to the conference opening reception.
The conference features an array of talented speakers on a variety of subjects, beginning with popular economist Dennis DeLaughter who will set the tone for the conference in his presentation titled, "The Law of Unintended Consequences: Embracing Change." Other speakers will address sustainability and retail markets, rice grain quality, Central American market developments, and the impacts of higher agricultural input values and competitive pricing on the rice sector, among other topics.
Visit www.ricemtconvention.com to learn more and register for the event. Use the promotion code SAVE50 to save $50 on delegate registration.
The US Rice Producers Association, representing rice producers in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas, is the only national rice producers' organization comprised by producers, elected by producers and representing producers in all six rice-producing states.
CONTACT: Mollie Buckler
(573) 380-7936
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SOURCE US Rice Producers Association | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/western-hemisphere-rice-trade-headed-mexico/ | 2022-04-13T22:30:43 | 1 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/western-hemisphere-rice-trade-headed-mexico/ |
Agreement marks second UGA collegiate athlete Zaxby's signs to NIL deal
ATHENS, Ga., April 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zaxby's, the Georgia-based, premium quick-service restaurant franchise known for its new Signature Sandwich, Chicken Fingerz™ and flavorful signature sauces, has inked a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with University of Georgia tight end and 2021 SEC Freshman of the Year Brock Bowers for the upcoming 2022-2023 college football season.
"We're pleased and proud to extend our support for UGA football with Brock Bowers as our next brand ambassador," said Zaxby's chief marketing officer Joel Bulger. "Because Zaxby's is an Athens-based brand, our ties with the University of Georgia football program are strong, and we're happy to welcome Brock to the Zaxby's family."
The announcement comes as the 2022 Bulldogs prepare for the annual G-Day game this Saturday, April 16 in Sanford Stadium. It is the first time as many as 92,000 fans will get a chance to see the team live in action after winning the national championship. The intrasquad scrimmage will air on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. and will be one of three games the sports network features on one of its main ESPN channels.
The new NIL deal includes appearances of Bowers on behalf of Zaxby's at corporate and philanthropic events, as well as on social media. Bowers will also share Zaxby's-branded content from his personal social media accounts.
Zaxby's was one of the first premium quick-service restaurants to sign a college student-athlete under the new NCAA sponsorship parameters when the brand tapped J.T. Daniels at the start of last year's National Championship winning season. With this new partnership, Zaxby's is continuing its endorsement deals with collegiate athletes at the University of Georgia, becoming even more deeply embedded in the college sports community. Zaxby's established its headquarters in Athens and targeted other college towns for early restaurant locations as part of its initial expansion strategy.
Bowers, a four-star recruit from Napa (Calif.) High school is entering his second season with the Bulldogs after an outstanding freshman year. While earning Associated Press and Coaches All-SEC First-Team honors, he was named the SEC Newcomer of the Year and a Second-Team All-American. As a freshman, Bowers set the UGA record for single-season receptions (791) and touchdowns (11) by a tight end. Bowers caught 10 passes against Alabama in last year's SEC championship game, a career-high and SEC championship game record for a tight end.
"Ever since I committed to Georgia, I have been a fan of everything Athens has to offer. That goes doubly so for the Athens-based Zaxby's. To that end, I couldn't be more excited to announce that we are teaming up. From charity events to community fundraising, Zaxby's shares my passion for making a positive and lasting impact on the lives of our community. Plus, the chicken is fire," said Bowers, a native of Napa, California.
About Zaxby's
Founded in 1990, Zaxby's is committed to serving delicious chicken fingers, wings, sandwiches and salads in a fun, offbeat atmosphere where customers are considered friends. Zaxby's iconic Signature Sandwich won Thrillist's 2021 Fasties Award for Best Fried Chicken Sandwich. Zaxby's has grown to more than 900 locations in 17 states and is headquartered in Athens, Georgia. For more information, visit zaxbys.com or zaxbysfranchising.com.
Media Contact:
Jacob Teetzmann
Tombras
1.423.494.3673
jteetzmann@tombras.com
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SOURCE Zaxby's | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/zaxbys-taps-uga-tight-end-brock-bowers-brand-ambassador/ | 2022-04-13T22:30:50 | 0 | https://www.1011now.com/prnewswire/2022/04/13/zaxbys-taps-uga-tight-end-brock-bowers-brand-ambassador/ |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Compared to March, New York is seeing a slight rise in the percentage of positive COVID tests.
After positivity rates hovered around one and two percent last month, recent days are showing rates in the four percent range. Since April 7, New York actually hasn’t been below four percent.
In Western New York, this increased prevalence is also being seen, even more so than the state average. From Sunday to Monday, the positivity rate for the region went from 9.2 percent to 13.3 percent.
The Finger Lakes aren’t far behind, at 10.3 percent.
Last month, Erie County rarely saw a day where new daily cases exceeded 100. In April, it hasn’t seen one below it.
On Tuesday, the Erie County Department of Health says there were 443 new cases, not including self-reported, at-home results. In the past week, there have been 2,090 cases.
County Executive Mark Poloncarz said that Erie County is now in the “medium risk” categorization for COVID-19 transmission. That’s due to the current case average for the past seven days, which is 219 per 100,000 residents.
“Thankfully, hospitalizations remain low: 43 in total, only 18 for COVID,” Poloncarz wrote on Twitter.
Health officials have been looking into newer variants, including “XE” and “BA.2,” the latter of which has also been deemed “stealth omicron.”
BA.2, has been called “extra contagious,” but the same Associated Press report says it “doesn’t seem to cause more severe disease.”
Looking at XE, the World Health Organization, as of Tuesday, has not called it a variant of interest or concern, according to the AP report.
COVID-19 News
- Erie County now at “medium risk” of COVID transmission
- Pentagon plans for next pandemic as COVID mission ends
- Appeals court reinstates Biden federal employee vaccine mandate
- Mark Poloncarz delivers Erie County State of the County address
- Students will breathe easier: Erie County to give new air filters to school districts
Evan Anstey is an Associated Press Award and Emmy-nominated digital producer who has been part of the News 4 team since 2015. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter. | https://www.wivb.com/health/coronavirus/erie-county-now-at-medium-risk-of-covid-transmission/ | 2022-04-13T22:31:04 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/health/coronavirus/erie-county-now-at-medium-risk-of-covid-transmission/ |
HUDSON, Fla. (WFLA) — Mike Keech says he was humiliated when a server asked him to leave a Florida restaurant because his service dog was not allowed.
Keech, who is blind, says he showed the server at Overtime Sports Bar & Grill a certification card that explains the Americans with Disabilities Act, but he was still asked to go.
“The bartender came from around the bar and said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t serve you,’ before we even tried to order,” Keech recalled. “And I said, ‘That’s not right.’ This dog is protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
The law prohibits discrimination based on disability. The law defines a disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.”
Keech, who was there with his stepson and dog, Nicco, said, “I don’t have to take this. I just wanted a hamburger with mushrooms and a couple of Budweisers — that’s it.”
Cindy Smith, the bar and grill’s owner, said she wasn’t there that day, but her server called her. She takes responsibility for making the decision to ask the group to leave but says she didn’t realize Keech was blind.
Smith says she’s cracking down on support animals, not service animals.
“In the past week, someone came in saying they had a service dog and it almost bit a customer,” Smith said. “We have dogs trying to sit in their laps, sitting on stools, trying to eat off their plates, and it’s a little difficult in recognizing what’s legitimate and not legitimate.”
Smith apologized and said Keech and Nicco are welcome back and that she’ll give Keech a burger and beer on the house.
In the meantime, she said she’s training staff to tell the difference between a service dog and a support dog.
Keech said he accepts the apology but doesn’t believe that anyone would mistake his dog for a support animal.
“I’m walking with my white cane, which is standard for the blind, and I’ve got the dog, which has the harness with, ‘Please do not pet me, I’m working,'” Keech said. “I’m wearing sunglasses and a hat in the building. What do you think?” | https://www.wivb.com/news/blind-man-and-service-dog-kicked-out-of-florida-restaurant/ | 2022-04-13T22:31:07 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/blind-man-and-service-dog-kicked-out-of-florida-restaurant/ |
HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) — A former bank employee from Forestville, N.Y. was sentenced to time in jail Tuesday for stealing money from the accounts of several elderly customers.
According to the DA’s office, Breanna Rohauer, 37, admitted to making several unauthorized withdrawals, stealing a total of $124,736 through fraudulent transactions between Nov. 17, 2017 and Feb. 4, 2019 at a bank in the Town of Hamburg.
Rohauer pleaded guilty to six counts of grand larceny in the third degree, a Class D felony, and one count of grand larceny in the fourth degree, a Class E felony. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail followed by five years of probation.
Victims were reimbursed by the bank and Rohauer was ordered to repay full restitution to the bank.
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/crime/former-bank-employee-sentenced-for-stealing-nearly-125k-from-accounts-of-elderly/ | 2022-04-13T22:31:08 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/crime/former-bank-employee-sentenced-for-stealing-nearly-125k-from-accounts-of-elderly/ |
NEW YORK (WIVB) – Brian Benjamin spent fewer than eight months as Lieutenant Governor before resigning in the face of allegations he took part in a bribery scheme. When Governor Kathy Hochul picks her next second-in-command, she promised Wednesday to do things differently.
“We are going to do a much better vetting process,” Hochul said. “We have a very powerful vetting process that will be underway for this. But in terms of what we knew at the time, it did not rise to the level of what we’re dealing with here today.”
In their documents charging Benjamin, federal prosecutors said the former lieutenant governor lied on a questionnaire prior to his August appointment.
“Benjamin falsely stated, among other things, that he had never ‘directly exercised [his] governmental authority (either as a Legislator or Executive official) concerning a matter of a donor [he] directly solicited,'” the paperwork says.
“We did not have the truth at the time the decisions were made,” Hochul said.
But the governor’s political rivals aren’t letting her off the hook.
Speaking in Buffalo Wednesday, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who is challenging Hochul for the Democratic gubernatorial line, said, “The current governor’s response to former Governor Cuomo was, ‘I didn’t know what was happening.'”
“The answer was I didn’t know,” Williams continued. “The answer now is, ‘I didn’t know.'”
Rep. Tom Suozzi, also seeking the Democratic line in the June primary, said, “We’ve done research on Brian Benjamin. A straight-forward Google search saw that over the past year and a half there have been all kinds of questions.”
In a statement Tuesday evening, Benjamin’s attorneys argued his actions in question were laudable, not criminal.
“He looks forward to when this case is finished so he can rededicate himself to public service,” Benjamin’s attorneys said.
Still, he has resigned from office and suspended his campaign as Hochul’s running mate. There are, however, few ways to remove his name from the primary ballot.
“There’s still nothing to prohibit the Democratic state Legislature from coming back and passing a new set of rules which could change the whole playing field,” said Erie County Elections Commissioner Ralph Mohr.
While in the November General Election, voters cast one ballot for a Governor-Lieutenant Governor ticket, they vote separately for those two offices in the June primary. This means if successful in that primary, Hochul could end up with someone else’s running mate on her ticket.
Ana Maria Archila, Williams’ running mate, joined him in Buffalo Wednesday.
“If Governor Hochul is the one that wins the primary, I will endeavor to partner with her,” Archila said. “But my commitment has always been to the people of New York.”
Diana Reyna, Suozzi’s running mate, echoed a similar sentiment.
“After the primary, should I continue, I will work with whomever is Governor,” Reyna said. “Right now, (Suozzi and I) have a path to victory.”
Chris Horvatits is an award-winning reporter who joined the News 4 team in December 2017. See more of his work here. | https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/hochul-promises-much-better-vetting-process-for-next-lieutenant-governor/ | 2022-04-13T22:31:11 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/hochul-promises-much-better-vetting-process-for-next-lieutenant-governor/ |
(WIVB) — Niagara County dispatch received a call from a boater around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, reporting a body floating in the Lower Niagara River.
U.S. Coast Guard retrieved the deceased male from the water and brought the body to the Coast Guard station in Fort Niagara State Park.
It is unknown how old the deceased male was, but the Niagara County Sheriff’s office said it appears he was in the water for a long period of time. The office asked that anyone with information on the incident call Investigator Finley at (716) 438-3336.
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/niagara-county/body-found-in-niagara-river-3/ | 2022-04-13T22:31:12 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/niagara-county/body-found-in-niagara-river-3/ |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The American Red Cross is working to prevent tragedies by launching its annual Sound the Alarm campaign.
The organization is teaching people about the importance of having a working smoke alarm in their homes.
Red Cross volunteers canvased the Fillmore district on Wednesday, letting people know about the importance of smoke alarms and offering them the chance to get one installed for free in May.
The Sound the Alarm campaign not only gives people access to free smoke alarm installation it also educates about home fire safety.
While installing alarms, volunteers help families create two-minute escape plans.
Over the years they’ve installed thousands of alarms and saved 43 lives.
They say home fires claim seven lives each day in the U.S. and having a working alarm can cut the risk of death from a home fire in half.
The Red Cross installs free smoke alarms all year round, but each year they make an extra push during this campaign.
Volunteers and Buffalo Common Council member Mitch Nowakowski knocked on doors in the Fillmore district getting people signed up to receive a free alarm next month.
“Having a smoke alarm is so simple that there’s no reason no one should have access to it so I think getting out interacting with the people is very important it’s the least thing I can do,” said volunteer David Comstock.
“We also need to grow in our fire safety measures more than just ‘stop drop and roll’ in kindergarten we need to make sure that we’re also implementing fire safety plans and making those that are seniors and those with disabilities understand how to exit their home safely during a fire,” Nowakowski said.
Buffalo Red Cross volunteers responded to 390 incidents last year alone, majority of them were home fires. They helped 655 families.
Anyone interested in a free smoke alarm can find the information here.
The installation event is happening May 7.
Kayla Green is a reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2021. See more of her work here. | https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/red-cross-wny-launches-campaign-to-install-free-smoke-alarms/ | 2022-04-13T22:31:24 | 1 | https://www.wivb.com/news/local-news/red-cross-wny-launches-campaign-to-install-free-smoke-alarms/ |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Teammates typically feel like brothers on the field, but for the Lancaster boys lacrosse team, they literally are.
The Legends have three sets of brothers on the team: the Lens, the Suchyna’s and the Flecks, for a total of seven of the 24 guys on the team.
“It really helps everybody get together more, we mess with each other all the time, especially me and my brother. I’m trying to get him better, he’s playing both shorty and long stick so just having me around is helping him get to where he wants to be,” Lancaster senior Ryan Len said. “Luke and Noah (Suchyna) are both veterans, so with their leadership combined it’s even better. The brotherhood, it’s what makes us a stronger team than other ones.”
“Me and Ryan have played football together, hockey, this is our last sport playing together. It’s pretty cool because he’s driving me to practice, we can work together, he watches me, I watch him, and we can work together. It’s pretty cool,” Lancaster junior Brad Len said.
“I’ve been playing with my brother pretty much since I started, so it’s definitely the easiest to play with. I know how he plays, he knows how I play,” Lancaster senior Luke Suchyna said. “With the Lens and the Flecks, I definitely haven’t played on a team like that with that many people who are related. I don’t think it’s made a huge difference to me personally, but them playing together, you can definitely tell that they’ve been around each other for a long time. It’s fun to watch.”
“It’s really fun because I haven’t played with him in a while, I started playing my own age group. Now playing in high school with him, it’s the first time in a while,” Lancaster sophomore Noah Suchyna said. “I think it’s nice because everybody is a lot closer. Obviously siblings are closer, so it’s cool having a lot of siblings on the team.”
Luke and Noah Suchyna currently lead the Legends in points, with Luke leading the team with 15 on seven goals and eight assists, and Noah close behind with 12 on nine goals and three assists. Ryan Len ranks third on the team with 10 points, touting eight goals and two assists of his own.
None of the brothers say they have played on a team with this many sets of siblings before, but with a senior in each of the sets of brothers, they are all sure to be soaking up their final months on the field together. | https://www.wivb.com/sports/lancaster-lacrosse-led-by-brotherly-bond/ | 2022-04-13T22:31:30 | 0 | https://www.wivb.com/sports/lancaster-lacrosse-led-by-brotherly-bond/ |
Does your pooch have the chops to appear in Orlando Ballet’s next production? The dance company’s first ever “in-puppy” auditions are coming up.
No dancing is required to fetch the role of Fido in Orlando Ballet’s upcoming production of “The Great Gatsby,” but there is a strict weight limit — the dance world can be brutal. The company seeks a dog of no more than 10 pounds to appear onstage during the production.
Based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic story, the Orlando Ballet production will open April 28 at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando. The role of Fido is not a speaking part, the ballet points out, and the lucky performer will not need to follow any commands. No sitting, no rolling over, no playing dead. (That last one will be reserved for a different character.)
However, no doggy divas, please. Auditioners must be well-behaved, comfortable with noise and lights, up to date on vaccines and not mind being carried by a person — in the case, a ballet dancer.
The audition is a two-step process that starts on social media. Check Orlando Ballet’s Facebook or Instagram pages on Friday, April 15, for instructions on how to submit a photo or video of a dog you are sure could be a superstar.
On Wednesday, April 20, Orlando Ballet will announce the finalists. Those pooches will have a live audition at Harriett’s Orlando Ballet Centre on Friday, April 22.
Commissioned nearly four years ago by Pittsburgh Ballet, Orlando Ballet artistic director Jorden Morris spent 18 months working with composer Carl Davis to create an original and compelling jazz-infused musical score for the story of lavish living during the age of Prohibition.
“I’m so excited to present ‘Gatsby’ during my first season as artistic director with Orlando Ballet, and having a little fun with the production makes it even more special,” said Morris in announcing the call for dogs. “Auditions are always interesting; this will surely be that.”
For more information on “The Great Gatsby,” go to orlandoballet.org.
Find me on Twitter @matt_on_arts, facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theater and arts news and reviews? Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/arts-and-theater/os-et-orlando-ballet-dog-auditions-great-gatsby-20220413-2orx3kwatrfsffgftrvwkeryia-story.html | 2022-04-13T22:34:00 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/arts-and-theater/os-et-orlando-ballet-dog-auditions-great-gatsby-20220413-2orx3kwatrfsffgftrvwkeryia-story.html |
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida woman described as a bookkeeper for international “child modeling” websites that sexually exploited young Eastern European children has been sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.
Tatiana Power, 41, of Weston, Florida, handled many financial aspects of a business called Newstar Websites, the U.S. Justice Department said in a news release Wednesday.
The sentence was imposed by Tampa U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven after Power pleaded guilty earlier this year to a money laundering conspiracy charge.
Prosecutors say the company recruited people under age 18 from Ukraine, Moldova, and other Eastern European countries under the guise they would become “child models” on the websites. In fact, prosecutors say, they were used to make about 4.6 million exploitative videos and images that were sold on the websites to customers in 101 different countries.
The children, some as young as 6, were engaged in sexual conduct wearing outfits like police and cheerleader costumes, transparent underwear, pantyhose and miniskirts, officials said.
The business used fraudulent bank accounts to launder some of the $9.4 million it made. Officials have disabled Newstar’s servers and are seeking forfeiture of that money.
Power was one of six people charged in connection to the case. Two have died, two others were sentenced to prison and the last defendant is not in U.S. custody. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/florida/os-ne-fl-woman-prison-child-modeling-20220413-bzrocopmzbgfbgp2l5cwm4s7fq-story.html | 2022-04-13T22:34:04 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/florida/os-ne-fl-woman-prison-child-modeling-20220413-bzrocopmzbgfbgp2l5cwm4s7fq-story.html |
GAINESVILLE — Florida shooting guard Kowacie Reeves, the Gators’ top recruit in 2021, plans to enter the transfer portal and explore his options, a source confirmed.
The 6-foot-6 Reeves was expected to be a key piece during coach Todd Golden’s first season in Gainesville, but now could end up elsewhere during as a sophomore. Reeves, a native of Macon, Georgia, averaged 5.5 points and 1.4 rebounds last season but emerged late, scoring 49 points during the final three games.
Reeves signed with former coach Mike White and was recruited by former assistant coach Erik Pastrana. Both left last month for Georgia.
Big man Colin Castleton’s plans to return to Gainesville for a fifth college season was big news for Golden and the new staff.
Reeves’ future remained in limbo, but a source said he had been going through team workouts and spending time at the team’s practice facility.
This past weekend, the Gators added Belmont guard Will Richard, who averaged 12.1 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals last season.
Richard spoke to 247Sports’ Jacob Rudner about Reeves.
“He’s committed,” Richard said. " He’s looking forward to the future of the program.”
The Gators roster is in flux as the program transitions to Golden.
Shooting guard Myreon Jones could return for one more season, using the extra year of eligibility the NCAA granted athletes impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Forward CJ Felder is expected back following hip surgery while center Jason Jitoboh continues to recover from a serious eye injury suffered in on Jan. 26 at Tennessee.
Guards Niels Lane and Elijah Kennedy also are set to return to the Gators.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com oraafollow him on Twitter at @osgators. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/florida-gators/os-sp-gators-basketball-kowacie-reeves-transfer-0414-20220413-ryx7zjmkhbf4ja6mjrw37tfjgy-story.html | 2022-04-13T22:34:10 | 1 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/florida-gators/os-sp-gators-basketball-kowacie-reeves-transfer-0414-20220413-ryx7zjmkhbf4ja6mjrw37tfjgy-story.html |
Big rig driver dies in fiery I-5 crash north of Redding
The California Highway Patrol is investigating Tuesday afternoon's big rig crash on Interstate 5 that killed the driver.
The driver was traveling north on the freeway at 2:09 p.m. Tuesday when the CHP said the International box van crashed into the center divider just north of the Bridge Bay exit.
The truck overturned to block the northbound lanes and caught fire.
"It was later determined that the driver was still in the vehicle and was deceased at the scene," the Redding-area CHP said.
The name of the driver is pending identification by the Shasta County Coroner's Office.
Flames spread to the hillside and the northbound lanes were closed for firefighting efforts by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
After the crash, all northbound traffic was stopped at Fawndale about 10 miles north of Redding. One lane reopened before 4 p.m. and both lanes were open about 7:30 p.m.
The CHP says it's still investigating the crash and anyone with information about what happened is asked to call the Redding CHP at 530-225-0500.
Mike Chapman is an award-winning reporter and photographer for the Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif. His newspaper career spans Yreka and Eureka in Northern California and Bellingham, Wash. Support local journalism by subscribing today. | https://www.redding.com/story/news/2022/04/13/big-rig-driver-dies-fiery-interstate-5-crash-north-redding/7303766001/ | 2022-04-13T22:34:12 | 0 | https://www.redding.com/story/news/2022/04/13/big-rig-driver-dies-fiery-interstate-5-crash-north-redding/7303766001/ |
GAINESVILLE — The Florida Gators will stage their first spring game since 2019 due to the pandemic and first ever on Thursday night in the Swamp as first-year coach Billy Napier aims to generate more interest.
Hoping to engage students, Napier pushed to avoid potential conflicts with Easter weekend travel. Napier also did not want to compete for eyeballs around the SEC.
The spring game generally has been played at 1 p.m. Saturday, other than a failed Friday night experiment under Jim McElwain. Several SEC teams, including heavyweights Alabama and Georgia, also will stage their spring games this weekend.
UF now gets an exclusive time slot, streaming on the SEC Network+.
Five things to keep an eye on for those who attend or tune in:
QB competition
Anthony Richardson was scintillating in small doses as Emory Jones’ backup QB last season. Ohio State transfer Jack Miller II rarely got a chance to play as second fiddle to Heisman finalist C.J. Stroud. The two Gators vie to take the first snap Sept. 3 against Utah. Each has received favorable reviews, but Thursday night is a chance to stage their competition for public consumption. At 6-foot-4, 235-pounds and blessed with a strong arm and breakaway speed, Richardson has considerable physical tools yet must display better durability and decision-making. While the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Miller is a pocket passer his running skills has surprised. However the QBs perform in the spring game, it will be discussed and dissected until fall camp opens.
Potential playmakers
Whoever the quarterback is, he will need a supporting cast to emerge. Returning players scored just 13 of last season’s 53 touchdowns, including three by Richardson. Veteran tailback Nay’Quan Wright is back and looking for a bigger role, but Louisiana transfer Montrell Johnson has generated more buzz than any offensive player. Justin Shorter and Xzavier Henderson must develop into go-receivers who consistently get open. Keep an eye on redshirt freshman Daejon Reynolds in the slot. Explosive pass rusher Brenton Cox Jr. eyes Alex Brown’s sacks record (13 in 1999), yet has underachieved for two seasons. Inside, Gervon Dexter has slimmed down and is expected to anchor an inexperienced interior. Cornerback Jason Marshall pushes to become the Gators’ next star DB, while physical freshman safety Kamari Wilson was the plum of Napier’s first recruiting class.
Improved format
Napier looks to deliver an actual game, not a circus or eyesore. Napier and his staff drafted teams for a four-quarter contest. One welcomed tweak: There will be a running clock other than the final 4 minutes of each half. During the allotted time, two teams will line up and compete. Former coach Dan Mullen focused on providing entertainment. The 2019 game, a 60-35 shootout, was set up for offensive fireworks, including 762 yards passing. In 2018, Mullen had former Gators All-American defensive back Lawrence Wright sprint off the sideline and catch a touchdown. Fun to some, a farce to others, but better than the product McElwain offered. McElwain’s did not chose teams because of injuries, pitted the first and seconds teams, and featured 11-on-11 situational drills. An actual spring game will be refreshing while the move to Thursday gives Florida an audience with top high school recruits.
Clues to the future
Spring game revelations often arrive in hindsight, not necessarily in a-ha moments. After all, is it fair to place much in a scrimmage staged months before the season? Two recent spring games, however, proved to be harbingers. The 2016 game was a nightmare for first-year freshman quarterback Feleipe Franks, who tossed 3 interceptions in four attempts. Franks’ decision-making and overreliance on arm talent would remain issues. The back end of the Gators’ defense was the primary victim during the 2019 shootout. Mullen blamed coordinator Todd Grantham’s vanilla scheme and a lack of pass rush. Yet, Florida’s safeties were out of position and a step slow all day — and never caught up, proving to be the Achilles heels the following fall. In fact, the back end of the Gators’ D remains a major question three years later.
Clean operation
Mistakes are going to happen as players learn new schemes, refine techniques and develop chemistry. But an abundance of penalties annoyed Napier during last weekend’s scrimmage. “The first way you win is you don’t beat yourself,” he said. Another flag-fest would be frustrating, if not concerning. Napier sets a goal of just one penalty per 30 plays. Meanwhile, the Gators ranked 13th in the 14-team SEC with an average of 70.9 penalty yards last season and led the league in penalties in 2018, 2016 and 2012. Napier looks to clean up a longstanding problem.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Edgar Thompson at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com oraafollow him on Twitter at @osgators. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/florida-gators/os-sp-gators-football-0414-20220413-x3jzlthkevd2zngw3poad4t6pi-story.html | 2022-04-13T22:34:16 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/florida-gators/os-sp-gators-football-0414-20220413-x3jzlthkevd2zngw3poad4t6pi-story.html |
An NCAA representative recently called Terry Mohajir to check in and see if the UCF athletics director had any concerns. With the window present, Mohajir expressed his thoughts on a litany of items.
“I spoke for about 30 minutes with this particular individual,” Mohajir said. “We just discussed the college landscape with NIL [Name, Image and Likeness], transfer portal and the feedback I’m getting.
“You asked us a question and wanted to check in, so I unloaded.”
There’s been a lot to unpack lately in college athletics, with much of the attention spent on issues such as NIL, a subject that has become a concern for Mohajir.
“The way some schools handle their business is not something I want to be a part of,” he said. “I love NIL. I love it. I think it’s great. I don’t like the way some schools are applying it, and it’s not the spirit of the rule or what the legislators were intending for it to do.”
These types of issues were on the minds of many of those attending Bowl Season’s annual conference in Orlando this week and Mohajir was one of those to speak on a panel along with fellow ADs Michael Kelly (USF), Michael Alford (Florida State) and Nina King (Duke).
The Orlando Sentinel caught up with Mohajir to discuss a variety of topics. Here is an abridged version of that discussion.
Q: What have you seen from NIL so far?
Mohajir: “I love the idea that our student-athletes can get more doing individual things, whether personal appearances or a camp. I love that. But just to pay an incoming student-athlete that doesn’t have a market value at all, that’s not what NIL is. NIL is supposed to be for kids who have been here and produced and have created some notoriety for themselves to profit off that. I’m 100% in favor of that and behind it, but not the other way. I’m concerned for the student-athletes, too, because I’m already hearing horror stories about being promised certain things and then not getting it, or they don’t start and it comes back on the coaches. I’m concerned about it.”
Q: Any update on the ongoing discussions on an exit from the American Athletic Conference?
Mohajir: “We’re still working through it.”
Q: Do you feel like you’re any closer to a solution?
Mohajir: “We’re getting closer to a deadline that we really need to make a decision and they are, too. They’ve got incoming teams and we need to be collegial about this and to be sensible about this: collegial and sensible. I think [AAC commissioner] Mike Aresco is collegial about it. They’ve got to try to move their conference forward as well.”
Q: Do you have in mind when you would like to get this process sorted out?
Mohajir: “We need to have something finished by May.”
Q: You recently went through a search for a women’s basketball coach. What did you make of that process?
Mohajir: “I like the women’s basketball coaches and I wish they would have stayed. We gave a significant offer for her [Katie Abrahamson-Henderson] to stay, but I can tell that was something that they were looking to do. I wish them the best of luck and I like their staff. Am I disappointed in some of the girls that are following and some of the signees? Yeah, I’m very disappointed. It’s partly because you grew close to the girls on the team, and you grew to love them, so it’s a little personal. It’s a challenge to work through, but I believe that [new UCF coach] Sytia Messer will do a fantastic job.”
Q: How important was hiring a coach with a Big 12 background?
Mohajir: “It was important to have someone who understands the Big 12. To understand, navigate and have been in those gyms and been to Allen Fieldhouse, been to Iowa State, and Texas Tech. She was a great guard, and she was an MVP. A high-level athlete and a high-level person with a high level of integrity. I couldn’t be happier with her accepting the job.”
Q: On the men’s side of things, what’s your assessment of the job Johnny Dawkins has done?
Mohajir: “Johnny keeps having winning seasons. They beat two teams in the Sweet 16 and had some injuries at the end of the year. We’re excited for Johnny and the future of the program. There’s nobody that knows basketball better than Johnny. As a player, a coach and a high-level athlete. He knows what the Big 12 will be like and how tough the AAC is, and he gets it. So he’s got a lot of opportunities ahead of him and we’re going to support him and believe in him.”
Q: You were speaking with USF AD Michael Kelly earlier. Do you feel like there’s a possibility that you can work out a nonconference football series between the schools once you’ve left for the Big 12?
Mohajir: “It’s getting hard. We’re trying to look at dates, but it’s getting harder depending on when we go to the Big 12. It looks like it’s going to be a nine-game schedule. I’ve got games I’ve been trying to schedule, so it’s hard to fit them. It’d be great to play them again, but I’m not sure.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel. | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/ucf-knights/os-sp-ucf-athletics-director-terry-mohajir-talks-big-12-knights-20220413-csbkbnfxjfggdgnaa64ubmqmoa-story.html | 2022-04-13T22:34:23 | 0 | https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/ucf-knights/os-sp-ucf-athletics-director-terry-mohajir-talks-big-12-knights-20220413-csbkbnfxjfggdgnaa64ubmqmoa-story.html |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — Unhappy with her arrest, the mother of two young boys resisted going into the “cage” in the squad car, then got so angry she kicked the bars on the window and the camera, breaking it.
A blood chemical test two hours later indicated Hailey Woodward, 30, had a blood alcohol level of .187%, more than twice the legal limit of .08%.
Woodward was charged Wednesday with two counts of neglect of a dependent, operating a vehicle with an alcohol level of .15% or more, operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction and operating a vehicle after being a habitual traffic offender with misdemeanor resisting law enforcement and criminal mischief. She was released on her own recognizance, according to a jail spokesman, and is due back in court Monday.
Police responded around 3:30 p.m. April 7 when a caller reported he’d seen Woodward drive her 2004 Volvo into the parking lot at the Covington Memorial Cemetery in the 8400 block of Covington Road and she appeared to be intoxicated.
When the officer got there, he reported Woodward couldn’t keep her balance without help, had a strong odor of alcohol and red watery eyes. When the officer tried to arrest her, she refused to turn around and put her hands behind her back, court documents said. The officer grabbed her and tried to put her into custody, but she tensed up. The officer then pulled her to the ground to handcuff her.
Woodward pushed her body against the officer to try to prevent going into the cage and when she finally was placed in the cage, started kicking, court documents said. Not only did she kick the bars on the window and break the camera, but she damaged the door enough that it wouldn’t shut properly. | https://www.wane.com/news/crime/court-docs-woman-broke-cops-car-camera-during-arrest/ | 2022-04-13T22:34:30 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/crime/court-docs-woman-broke-cops-car-camera-during-arrest/ |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The Fort Wayne Parks Department is considering making changes to the golf course at Foster Park and is seeking input from the public on what should be done.
Director Steve McDaniel told WANE 15 the department is considering changes because Foster Park Golf Course is nearing its 100th anniversary and they want to make sure the course can last another 100 years while also keeping up with more advanced players.
“We want to have that legacy that we’ve had for the last 90-something odd years, but want to make sure we’re preparing us for the future,” McDaniel said.
McDaniel said they’ve hired a golf course architect who will come up with designs once they make a decision on what they’d like to do.
He said things they’re considering are: reconfiguring the course to add a driving range, more tee areas, adding a water hazard, and ways to make sure water drains quickly since Foster Park is in a flood plain.
“We’re at the very beginning process of it,” McDaniel said. “The first part of any master plan is to talk to the public and get that input, and that’s what we’re looking for.”
The public can offer ideas for possible changes at two public meetings or via a questionaire that will be available on the department’s website.
Both meetings will be held in the Sears Pavilion at Indian Village Park. The first meeting is on April 21. The second is on May 19. Both are scheduled for 6 p.m. | https://www.wane.com/news/fort-wayne-parks-department-to-consider-making-changes-to-foster-park-golf-course/ | 2022-04-13T22:34:36 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/fort-wayne-parks-department-to-consider-making-changes-to-foster-park-golf-course/ |
WARNING: This story contains graphic details that are not suitable for all readers
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – When Fort Wayne police officers entered room 154 of the north side hotel last summer, they found the mother crying with her baby daughter in her arms.
The child – a little more than three months old – had blood, vomit and mucus around her nose and mouth and on her clothes. She had no pulse; she was cold to the touch.
Responding medics had no choice but to pronounce her dead at the scene.
Wednesday, Allen County prosecutors charged the child’s mother in connection to her death and also accused the woman of neglecting her other three children when police arrived at that hotel room last July.
Emily Marie Tudor, 37, who is listed in Allen Superior Court documents as homeless, is now facing a felony count of neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury and three felony counts of neglect of a dependent where the defendant places that dependent in a dangerous situation.
She also had methamphetamine and amphetamines in her system and admitted to being on a three-day drug binge at the time of the child’s death, according to court documents.
A warrant has been issued for her arrest but she has yet to be booked into Allen County Jail.
Police and medics were called to the Quality Inn at 1734 W. Washington Center Rd. a little after noon on July 10.
Once there, they met with a hotel employee who told them the day before a young child was found on the second floor running around without adult supervision and knocking on doors, according to court documents.
The child had only a pull-up diaper on with no other clothing.
That employee tried calling room 154 about 10 or 15 times, she told police in court documents, but she was unable to get a response. The employee then decided to go to the room. There, she found Tudor and two other children on the bed.
The employee said she pounded on the wall and called out several times to get Tudor’s attention, but she refused to stir. Finally, the employee went to the bed grabbed Tudor’s leg and shook it, she said in court documents.
When Tudor turned over slightly, the employee saw the baby.
Tudor may have been partially laying on the child, the employee said in court documents. She also told police Tudor was disoriented and did not show emotion when told one of her children may have been missing and running around in the halls of the hotel.
It’s unclear whether the baby was still alive at that point, but nobody called police.
Later, in an interview with detectives, Tudor said in court documents she fell asleep on the bed with the baby in her arms. Her other three children, whose ages were not given in court documents, were on both sides of her.
She told detectives she had not had good sleep from being homeless and spending nights in her van prior to getting the hotel room. Tudor admitted in court documents to having a methamphetamine addiction but – despite using meth on the morning of July 9 – she claimed to not get high around the kids.
Tudor further told detectives that when the employee woke her up she knew something was not right with her baby daughter. The girl, Tudor said in court documents, was cold and may not have breathing.
Still, Tudor fell back asleep.
When she woke up on July 10, she told detectives she began to panic. She held her baby for a long time. She called the child’s father, only for him to tell her she killed their baby, Tudor said in court documents.
She then called her mother, according to court documents, who urged her to take the child to a hospital. That’s supposedly when Tudor finally called 911.
A review of her cell phone, though, painted a slightly different picture, according to court documents.
Tudor sent one message to a man about 10 minutes before police were called to the hotel that read “she is definitely dead,” according to court documents. That man encouraged Tudor to call 911, but also said he would stop by to “get all the drugs and paraphernalia” out of the room.
In response, Tudor sent a message telling the man she had a “(expletive) ton of drugs.”
She did eventually call 911, according to court documents.
Later, the Department of Child Services administered a drug screen on Tudor which came back positive for methamphetamines and amphetamines. That’s when she admitted to child services officials that she had to clear paraphernalia out of the hotel room before calling 911, according to court documents.
A cause of the baby’s death was not listed in court documents, and until she is booked into Allen County Lockup, it’s not clear when Tudor will appear in court.
She could face a maximum of 16 years in prison for the neglect charge connected to her daughter’s death – though nine years is typically an advisory sentence – and up to two-and-a-half years in prison for each of the other neglect charges levied against her, according to Indiana law. | https://www.wane.com/news/prosecutors-mother-in-the-grip-of-a-drug-binge-neglected-baby-now-charged-in-childs-death/ | 2022-04-13T22:34:42 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/prosecutors-mother-in-the-grip-of-a-drug-binge-neglected-baby-now-charged-in-childs-death/ |
LAREDO, Texas (Border Report) – Texas is scaling back truck inspections at its shared border crossing with the Mexican state of Nuevo Leon after both governors signed a memorandum of understanding to improve border security.
But Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said the enhanced inspections would continue at all other border crossings leading to his state until he gets assurances from Mexican leaders they will step up security measures.
Those inspections conducted by the Texas Department of Public safety so far have revealed safety violations – from faulty brakes to bad tires – in one in four trucks checked. Those trucks have been taken off Texas roads, he said.
“As per the agreement today […] DPS can return to its previous practice of random checks, in this bridge from Nuevo Leon to Texas, effective immediately. It will remain this way as long as Nuevo Leon abides by this agreement,” Abbott said at a news conference with Nuevo Leon Gov. Samuel Garcia.
Garcia promised to increase police presence along the small stretch of border that Nuevo Leon and Texas share.
“We have begun a series of checkpoints on our border, on our river to make sure our 14 kilometers with Texas will be continuously patrolled by our police,” Garcia said.
Abbott said his office has received calls from the governors of Chihuahua, Coahuila and Tamaulipas and that he’s looking forward to working with them “to achieve results.”
“Until those agreements are reached with those states, DPS will continue to inspect (trucks) in every state except Nuevo Leon,” Abbott said.
On Wednesday, truck traffic remained halted in Pharr, Texas, where truckers in Reynosa on Monday formed a blockade in retaliation for the extensive inspections and that led U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to shut down the bridge.
Delays at that bridge average 20 hours and caused trailers full of food to spoil and used costly diesel fuel, business owners and trucking experts told Border Report.
Responding to widespread criticism that the truck checks have created delays up and down the Texas border that are adding to supply chain woes in North America, Abbott deflected the blame to the Biden administration.
“I understand businesses’ concern, but I also know well the frustration of my fellow Texans and fellow Americans caused by the Biden administration not securing the border,” he said. “The only way to relieve a clogged border is to call President Biden and tell him to maintain the Title 42 expulsion policy.”
Laredo Mayor Peter Saenz called the agreement a “bold move” and said he was hopeful the governor of Tamaulipas, which borders his city, would reach a similar agreement because the city shares several bridges with that northern Mexico state.
The Tamaulipas border is bigger and will require a much bigger commitment to beef up police border patrols on the Mexican side.
After Abbott’s news conference, truck traffic appeared to be moving more steadily through Columbia bridge.
Garcia said his state plans on building a new bridge connecting Nuevo Leon and Laredo and to make this a booming truck traffic corridor, adding that that’s why he acted quickly to act on this memorandum of understanding.
Border Report’s Julian Resendiz contributed to this report. | https://www.wane.com/border-report-tour/texas-gov-greg-abbott-scales-back-border-inspections-with-nuevo-leon-state/ | 2022-04-13T22:34:48 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/border-report-tour/texas-gov-greg-abbott-scales-back-border-inspections-with-nuevo-leon-state/ |
An eyewitness captured the moment a pre-Inca fortress wall collapsed in Peru on Monday (4/11). Heavy rains had hit the area in the days leading up to the fall. Researchers say they believe the structure was built between the 10th and 12th century.
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WHITLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WANE)–The Columbia City police department is gearing up to implement more safety measures for students riding school buses.
On Wednesday, the police department announced that there will be officers positioned along bus routes in the morning and the afternoon to be on the watch for stop-arm violations, speeding and other forms of reckless driving. This comes as part of State’s Stop Arm Violation Enforcement (SAVE) program, which aims to prevent reckless driving in school zones.
If drivers disregard a school bus stop arm, they could pay a fine of up to $10,000, have their license suspended for up to 90 days for the first offense or up to 1 year for a second offense.
“Every time you see a bus, slow down, be ready to stop and watch for children,” said Chief Parrett. “If the overhead lights flash red and the stop arm extends, you are required by law to stop. Under no circumstances, should you speed up in an attempt to beat the bus. That’s beyond reckless and puts every child boarding or exiting the bus in danger.”
The department is urging drivers to slow down and never pass a bus that has it’s lights flashing and the stop arm extended, but with one exception. On highways divided by a physical barrier, vehicles traveling in the same direction as the school bus are required to stop.
“School buses have several highly visible indicators to let drivers know when to stop,” said Devon McDonald, ICJI Executive Director. “The only way you’re going to miss those—the activated stop arm and flashing lights—is if you’re on your phone or not paying attention to the road. That choice can be deadly.” | https://www.wane.com/news/columbia-city-pd-double-down-on-school-bus-safety/ | 2022-04-13T22:35:00 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/columbia-city-pd-double-down-on-school-bus-safety/ |
(KTLA) – A 50-year-old Los Angeles man who appeared in “Game of Thrones” was arrested last week after detectives said he was engaging in “online sexually explicit communication” with a minor victim who lived in another state. Now, investigators are looking for other possible victims.
Joseph Gatt of Los Angeles was arrested on Wednesday, April 6, after authorities served a search warrant at his home in Beverly Grove.
LAPD’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force began investigating Gatt after they received a tip that he was engaged in sexually explicit communication with the minor victim.
Gatt also had an outstanding felony warrant for a similar crime involving communication with a minor, police said.
Investigators are now looking for any additional victims who may not have been contacted.
Gatt, who was born and raised in London, played Thenn Warg in “Game of Thrones,” according to his IMDB page. Other acting credits include the live-action “Dumbo,” “Star Trek Into the Darkness” and “Thor.”
Anyone with information about this case or any other alleged victims is encouraged to contact detective Denos Amarantos at 562-624-4027. You can also submit an anonymous tip at lacrimestoppers.org.
If you have knowledge or suspicion about someone making inappropriate contact with a minor, or if you know of child sexual abuse material online, you are urged to contact local law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678. | https://www.wane.com/news/game-of-thrones-actor-arrested-on-suspicion-of-sex-crimes-against-child-lapd/ | 2022-04-13T22:35:06 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/game-of-thrones-actor-arrested-on-suspicion-of-sex-crimes-against-child-lapd/ |
Warning: This article contains video that shows the moments leading up to Patrick Lyoya’s death. Viewer discretion is advised.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Promising transparency and a thorough investigation, police in Grand Rapids, Michigan, released video Wednesday that shows an officer pulling over Patrick Lyoya and a long struggle between the two that ends with the officer shooting and killing Lyoya.
The shooting happened the morning of April 4 on the city’s southeast side. GRPD previously said Lyoya, 26, tried to run away from an officer because he was worried about being arrested, after which there was a “lengthy fight.”
Grand Rapids Police Department showed four videos: from a dashboard camera, a body camera, a doorbell camera and a cellphone. The video blurred the faces of bystanders but not Lyoya’s face, nor the face of the officer.
GRPD says it has nine source videos, including four from the doorbell camera. Its release of video shortened some of those sources so as not to include the aftermath of the shooting, which the department said “was done to expedite their public release in the interest of transparency.”
Opening the city’s Wednesday afternoon press conference, City Manager Mark Washington called it a “sad day for our city, our state and our country.”
WOOD is not using video showing the moment of death. You can watch the full GRPD press conference with the full video on the city’s YouTube channel.
Dashboard camera and body camera video shows that the officer pulled Lyoya over after realizing that the plate on the car he was driving didn’t match the vehicle. As soon as he stopped Lyoya, Lyoya got out of the car.
The officer told him to get back in the car, but Lyoya didn’t. The officer asked him if he had a license. Lyoya seemed confused. The officer asked if he spoke English and Lyoya said he did.
When Lyoya stepped away, the officer grabbed him. A long struggle ensued.
The officer drew a stun gun and its deployment can be heard in the video, GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom says though the stungun was fired twice, neither shot hit Lyoya.
The bodycam video also shows Lyoya grab for the stun gun. Winstrom said the officer and Lyoya appeared to struggle over the weapon for about 90 seconds.
In the video, the officer can be heard repeatedly telling Lyoya to let go of the stun gun.
The cellphone video also shows the officer pull his gun. Once more, he tells Lyoya to let go of the stungun. Moments later, a single shot is fired.
Winstrom said Lyoya was shot in the head. He noted he did not have the full autopsy report, which is not yet done.
The video shows the officer backing away from Lyoya and reporting the shooting over his radio.
Chief Winstrom noted that the investigation is still in its early stages and investigators’ understanding of what happened may still change. He also said that at this point, he is not prepared to make a determination about whether the officer was justified or followed department policy. The only conclusion he would make was that he “view(s) it as a tragedy.”
Winstrom has only been the police chief in Grand Rapids for 37 days. Washington said Winstrom is an expert in the use of force and noted he is also an attorney, so he is positioned to “find answers, identify accountability and propose improvements.”
“We acknowledge that this is a necessary process. But the city has embraced to ask the tough questions and answer those questions and operate with full transparency and accountability to ensure that justice prevails,” Washington said.
Michigan State Police is investigating the shooting, which is standard procedure anytime a local officer uses deadly force. The agency said Monday it hopes to get its investigation to the Kent County prosecutor by the end of the week, though that’s not set in stone. The prosecutor does not expect to reach a decision about whether the officer was justified in his use of force or whether charges are appropriate this week.
“Following the Grand Rapids Police Department’s release of video related to the April 4 officer-involved shooting of Mr. Patrick Lyoya, I once again ask the community for patience in this matter. The Michigan State Police independent investigation into the incident is not complete. This is an extremely critical incident, and one that everyone involved in the investigation is taking very seriously. The Michigan State Police are doing everything they can to complete the investigation in a timely manner, however it takes time to carefully gather the evidence. We do not have all of the evidence for review. I don’t have an opportunity to review a case until I have all the evidence.
“To provide context, the Kent County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an incident from March 31, 2022, where a homeowner reportedly shot and killed an intruder. That incident occurred days before this one, yet we have not received the reports from that investigation. I offer this incident to demonstrate, a thorough investigations take time, we are asking that the appropriate time be given here.
“It is important to note, while the videos released today are an important piece of evidence, they are not all of the evidence. Our office has never made, and will not make, a decision based on partial evidence. By law, we are required to review all available evidence before we consider whether charges should be filed, and if so, what appropriate charges should be. This careful consideration of all evidence is a very important step in our criminal justice system.
“Once the Michigan State Police turn over the evidence to our office, we will begin a thorough review. That process will include review of all witness statements and all video that pertains to this incident, including body-worn camera video, in-car video, and any home video that may be available. In addition, as in any case involving a death, we will review the autopsy and toxicology reports, radio traffic, and reports from the crime scene.
“As I have said in a previous statement, I have one goal – the pursuit of truth – and I am committed to that. We must follow legal and ethical guidelines to ensure the integrity of this process. We cannot do anything until the investigation is complete, and we have all the information we need to make an informed decision. This will take time and I once again ask for the community’s patience.”
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker
Brandon Davis, the director of the city Office of Oversight and Public Accountability, said at the press conference that his agency is keeping an eye on the internal investigation from GRPD. He promised a post-action inquiry from OPA that would look at what happened and how GRPD responded.
“However, right now, the most important thing for my office to do is to monitor this investigation to ensure that there is truth and accountability,” Davis said.
Davis stressed that neither the city nor GRPD have any authority to decide whether charges are appropriate in the case. He said that is the responsibility of MSP and the prosecutor.
Autopsy report
In a statement early Wednesday afternoon, Kent County Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Cohle said that he conducted Lyoya’s autopsy April 4 but the report was not yet available to the public. The medical examiner is awaiting toxicology and tissue test results. Cohle said those results can take 60 days, though he has asked for a rush. Even once those results are back, the full autopsy report won’t be released until after the police investigation is finished.
“This is the standard operating procedure to ensure the integrity of the investigative process,” Cohle stated.
He added that his office is still holding Lyoya’s body pending instructions from the family on whether to release it to a funeral home or an independent agency if the family requests its own autopsy.
“My office understands that the families we work with are grieving,” Cohle’s statement said. “We strive to ensure every family is treated with dignity and respect and is supported with compassion and honest information to help them make appropriate arrangements. I have personally spoken with Mr. Lyoya’s father (via interpreter), and my office stands ready to assist him with the release of his son’s body when the family has reached a decision on the arrangements.”
Preparation for protests
In anticipation of demonstrations over the next few days and this weekend, Washington said in a statement that he “fully support(s) our residents exercising their First Amendment rights” and also that he was working with organizers to make sure those protests happen “in a safe and productive manner.”
“Due to the focus of the protest being on our police department, we have taken some precautionary measures around that facility to facilitate continued access and uninterrupted operations,” Washington’s statement continued, referencing the concrete barriers topped with chain-link fence installed around GRPD headquarters Tuesday. “This not only secures the facility but ensures we’re able to provide public safety continuity of service for the entire community. I understand these precautions may be alarming to some, I can assure you that we have no current indication of an imminent threat.”
He added that the city “does not anticipate any threats to people or property in the downtown area.”
“Following (the) video release, we will continue to prioritize the safety of our community and provide additional direction if necessary,” the statement concluded.
Temporary chain-link fences were also put up around the Kent County Courthouse downtown.
A couple of businesses down the street from GRPD headquarters have boarded up their windows.
In a statement released to News 8 Wednesday morning, Lyoya’s family called for the community to avoid protests for the time being.
“No protests at this time. We don’t want violence out there. We want to avoid any violence.”
Lyoya family
Family attorney calls for officer’s firing
The attorney for Lyoya’s family, Ben Crump, who also represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, will hold a press conference Thursday afternoon addressing the footage.
In a Wednesday statement, civil rights attorney Crump said the officer used excessive force.
“Patrick Lyoya immigrated to the United States from the Democratic Republic of the Congo to pursue the American Dream and provide a better and safer life for himself and his family,” Crump said in his statement. “Instead, what found him was a fatal bullet to the back of the head, delivered by an officer of the Grand Rapids Police Department. The video clearly shows that this was an unnecessary, excessive, and fatal use of force against an unarmed Black man who was confused by the encounter and terrified for his life. It should be noted that Patrick never used violence against this officer even though the officer used violence against him in several instances for what was a misdemeanor traffic stop.”
Jimmy Barwan, also an immigrant from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said he had been friends with Lyoya for 14 years and treated him like a brother. He wondered why the officer drew his gun.
“They got somebody on the ground; they got somebody on the ground already sleeping. Why couldn’t you just handcuff him or something,” Barwan told News 8 after watching the video. “Yes, I understand there was a Taser and I know all that stuff, but why not use any other legal force, you could’ve called for backup, anything… Why shoot him? Why kill him?” he continued. “What did he do to deserve that? And he was unarmed, no gun.”
He said he was overwhelmed by grief.
The mismatched license plate for which Lyoya was stopped is not a felony. The police chief said that to his knowledge, the only weapons on scene were the officer’s Taser and the officer’s firearm, though he qualified that by saying he didn’t have all the information that Michigan State Police have. Winstrom said he didn’t know why the officer made the stop alone.
Asked why the officer didn’t simply let Lyoya go rather than fighting him, the chief said he didn’t have the answer to that question because the shooting is not GRPD’s case.
News 8’s Kyle Mitchell, Jacqueline Francis, Whitney Burney, Susan Samples and Joe LaFurgey contributed to this report. | https://www.wane.com/news/michigan-police-release-video-of-officer-shooting-man-during-traffic-stop/ | 2022-04-13T22:35:13 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/michigan-police-release-video-of-officer-shooting-man-during-traffic-stop/ |
HICKMAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – Deputies rescued a woman from an alleged kidnapping and domestic violence situation in Tennessee Sunday after a convenience store customer noticed her discreet signal for help, according to Hickman County Sheriff’s Office officials.
The woman ran into the Twice Daily store and gave a signal with her hand by crossing her thumb over her palm and repeatedly covering her thumb with her four other fingers, witnesses said. The hand signal was made famous on the social media platform TikTok and is reportedly used to signal the need for help during a domestic violence situation.
Deputies responded to the scene and found a pickup truck leaving the parking lot as they arrived. Witnesses told deputies to follow the truck and when the deputies did, a pursuit ensued.
The pursuit lasted for around 10-15 minutes before the truck crashed in neighboring Dickson County. The driver, identified as 31-year-old Jonathan Smith, got out of the vehicle and ran before being tased and taken into custody. The woman was not injured.
Twice Daily customer Eric Streeval recalled seeing the woman enter the store and look over at him, also mouthing the word “help.” Streeval is a part of a motorcycle group that helps women in domestic violence situations. He credited the woman for reaching out.
“If you see something, say something,” Streeval said. “Domestic violence is a bad thing here in Tennessee. The victims, a lot of times they’re too afraid to speak out. And I credit the young lady in this situation with having the world’s most courage of actually speaking out because who knows what would have happened.”
Streeval said he’s since reached out to the victim on social media and hopes to put her in touch with local resources.
“I would just tell her lean on family if she’s got family, [or] find a complete stranger. If someone’s willing to listen, talk to him. Don’t think everything bundled up inside. Reach out to somebody and just believe the good in somebody.”
Smith is currently charged with aggravated kidnapping and aggravated domestic assault, with more charges pending, according to investigators. | https://www.wane.com/news/woman-uses-hand-signal-popularized-on-tiktok-to-escape-kidnapping-officials-say/ | 2022-04-13T22:35:20 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/woman-uses-hand-signal-popularized-on-tiktok-to-escape-kidnapping-officials-say/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — Wide receiver is the Indianapolis Colts’ biggest area of need as the NFL Draft nears.
On this week’s episode of the Colts Blue Zone Podcast, Mike Chappell, Dave Griffiths and Joe Hopkins begin the show with news, including a significant free agent coming to Indianapolis.
The gang then discusses the Colts’ interest in drafting a quarterback as the team will reportedly visit with two of the top QB prospects this week (13:37).
The fellas then debate Purdue receiver David Bell, who recently attended Indy’s local pro day (24:19).
Finally, the trio breaks down WR prospects the Colts could target in rounds 2 and 3 of the draft (34:18).
Follow the podcast on Twitter @ColtsBluezone for all things Colts, and subscribe to the podcast through your favorite app so new episodes go directly to your listening device.
Click here for Google Podcasts
Be sure to join us next week as the Blue Zone crew continues to cover the Colts’ offseason. | https://www.wane.com/sports/indianapolis-colts/colts-blue-zone-podcast-episode-204-colts-must-address-receiver-through-draft/ | 2022-04-13T22:35:26 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/sports/indianapolis-colts/colts-blue-zone-podcast-episode-204-colts-must-address-receiver-through-draft/ |
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – At five-foot-nine and 181 pounds, Anthony Petruzzelli isn’t the biggest guy out there on the ice – but he might be the toughest.
When the Komets captain suits up for Friday’s game in Wheeling it’ll mark his 250th straight regular season game for the K’s, a testament to the durability and intensity that the 28-year old forward brings to the game.
So far this season, Petruzzelli’s tallied 26 goals (tied for the team lead with Will Graber) and 29 assists for a total of 55 points.
The Komets play Friday in Wheeling then turn around and host the Nailers on Saturday night in their final game of the regular season. | https://www.wane.com/sports/komets/summit-citys-iron-man-nearing-250th-straight-game/ | 2022-04-13T22:35:33 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/sports/komets/summit-citys-iron-man-nearing-250th-straight-game/ |
The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.
There’s a part on the underside of your vehicle that thieves have been targeting more and more lately.
It’s your catalytic converter, or “cat,” a component of the car’s exhaust system that makes the pollutants produced by the vehicle less severe. It sits between your engine and your muffler.
Catalytic converter theft on vehicles has steadily risen in recent years in conjunction with the value of the metals that are used in making them. But with the effects of COVID-19 on the global economy and record inflation, thefts have skyrocketed even further during the pandemic.
This Roadshow YouTube report has a great overview of the problem.
Why Do Thieves Want Catalytic Converters?
Catalytic converters are wanted by thieves because they are potentially worth a lot of money. It’s not the actual device but rather the precious metals contained inside that can be pulled out and sold. The conversion work done by your car’s catalytic converter is aided by trace amounts of palladium, platinum and rhodium. Those three metals “aid in the chemical reaction that makes exhaust pollutants less harmful,” according to Cars.com.
While the device doesn’t contain a lot of those precious metals, even just an ounce of any of them can make thieves a handsome profit. Cars.com says that the price of platinum went from about $530 per ounce in 2001 to about $1,100 per ounce in 2021. Palladium rose from an average of $600 per ounce in 2001 to almost $2,400 in 2021, and rhodium has jumped to an outrageous price.
“After averaging roughly $1,600 per ounce in 2001, it jumped to an average of about $18,000 in 2021, with a high that year of nearly $26,000,” Cars.com reported. “By contrast, gold went from about $300 per ounce in 2001 to roughly $1,800 in 2021, a sixfold increase.
Besides containing valuable metals that can be resold, catalytic converters are also fairly easy to remove from cars, especially if they are higher off the ground, such as on most pickup trucks. A common electric saw for getting through the exhaust pipe, and a drill for removing a few bolts, are essentially all that’s needed to remove one. The part can come off in just a couple minutes.
Thefts of catalytic converters seem to be a problem nationwide, from Hawaii to New Jersey and everywhere in between.
If you own a Honda Accord, Toyota Prius or Toyota Tacoma, you’re driving one of the most targeted of vehicles for these types of thefts. Priuses are targeted especially because they have two catalytic converters that often show less corrosion because they are hybrids.
Catalytic converters aren’t cheap to replace, either, often costing in the thousands of dollars, especially as the prices of the precious metals used to make them keep rising. If your catalytic converter is stolen, report the theft to police. This helps insurance companies, law enforcement and others lobby for new laws to raise the penalties for catalytic converter theft and create more regulations on the sale of the parts.
Thankfully, there are a few tactics you can use to protect your car’s catalytic converter.
How To Prevent Catalytic Converter Theft
One of the most obvious deterrents to catalytic converter theft involves how and where you park your car. If possible, park your car in an enclosed garage, or park it in a way that makes it difficult for someone to get underneath it, such as next to a wall or close to other cars.
An effective car alarm will also help if you have to use street parking where you live. Also try to have a motion-activated light or security camera in the area where you park your vehicle, as an extra deterrent. The camera may not prevent theft but could aid in helping police track down the missing part and the people responsible.
Speaking of police, they often recommend getting under your vehicle and etching your license plate or VIN number onto your catalytic converter. Car shops can often do this for you and some police departments have even started campaigns to paint and etch the parts themselves.
Anti-theft devices for catalytic converters are available but are often vehicle-specific, so you’ll likely need to research the right anti-theft part for your vehicle’s make, model and year. Here are a few options you can find on Amazon that have good ratings.
Wsdcam 113dB Wireless Bike Alarm
This Wsdcam wireless alarm may primarily be designed for bicycles, but it also makes a great catalytic converter alarm system as it’s set off with vibration. Attach this to an area near your catalytic converter so that anyone jacking up your vehicle or simply messing around underneath it will set it off. At $17.49, it’s one of the most cost-effective security options you’ll find.
One Amazon reviewer said that after his catalytic converter was stolen, despite him having a metal plate over it, he added this alarm to the plate. Another said they’d seen it attached by a cable away from the heat of the engine but still close enough that it would be set off by thieves under the car.
Cat Security Catalytic Converter Protection Shield for 2010-2015 Toyota Prius
This Cat Security plate currently sells for $160 and fits on a common range of Toyota Prius models. There’s also one for even older models. While it doesn’t guarantee that thieves won’t be able to get the shield off or work around it, the idea is that thieves looking for an easy job may be deterred.
“I guarantee some thief has looked under my car since I installed it and thought it wasn’t worth the time or risk,” said one Amazon reviewer.
Amazon also has shields for the Honda Element and the Toyota Tacoma. Run a search for your vehicle and maybe you’ll find a shield that fits.
Cat Clamp
The Cat Clamp ranges in price from $176-385 and is a recommended anti-theft device that works on various models of cars. It’s unfortunately out of stock at Amazon right now but can be bought directly from the Ohio-based manufacturer.
One Amazon reviewer said that after he has his catalytic converter stolen twice, he installed a Cat Clamp.
“Last weekend, they tried again but only cut one cable and put a cut in one of the converters,” he wrote. “I’m sure they determined it was going to take them too long to finish the job. Replacing the converters would have cost me $1,300 rather than just the cost of welding the damage done. Well worth the investment.”
Another Amazon reviewer wrote that he saw on his security video footage that when a thief went to try and steal his catalytic converter and saw the Cat Clamp, he gave up.
“I had peace of mind once I had this installed and this just reinforces the fact. A determined thief will be able to cut their way through anything, but most will give up and move on for an easier target.”
A similar idea is the CatStrap, which is a device that covers your catalytic converter and triggers an alarm if someone tries to cut it. It sells for $279.99 directly from the manufacturer.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories. | https://www.wrtv.com/catalytic-converter-thefts-how-protect-yours | 2022-04-13T22:36:04 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/catalytic-converter-thefts-how-protect-yours |
The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.
If you’re a lover of the outdoors and enjoy hiking, camping or any other activities that often keep you outside for long periods of time, making sure you have access to clean drinking water is a must. Many water filtration systems are complex, but the LifeStraw personal water filter from Amazon is small, efficient and easy for anyone to use.
The LifeStraw personal water filter can be used as a straw to drink directly from a body of water that may be contaminated with bacteria, parasites and microplastics. The straw does not contain chemicals or iodine; it works by removing unsafe bacteria and parasites, so you can drink from a lake, stream or other body of water if you’re in an emergency situation and don’t have another water source.
The LifeStraw personal water filter is designed to remove 99.9999% of bacteria including Escherichia coli (E. coli), campylobacter, Vibrio cholera, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, shigella, salmonella and 99.9% of protozoa, including Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum and Entamoeba histolytica. Weighing less than 2 ounces, the straw can easily be backed in a backpack if you’ll be hiking or camping, or stored easily in a safe place at home or in your car in case of a natural disaster like a hurricane, earthquake or tornado that may leave you without fresh water.
Priced at $65 for a 5-pack, each straw is able to process up to 1,000 gallons of clean and safe drinking water, which is enough to last one person for more than five years, the company says. It has an unlimited shelf life, so you can use it multiple times. LifeStraw says it has been tested all over the world in the harshest conditions to make sure it works everywhere.
Because they last a long time, if you want fewer straws, you can buy a 3-pack for $45, two-pack for $35 or a single straw for $17.47. If you find yourself in situations that make it more likely you may end up stranded without water, your best best is to go for a pack of straws so you can keep them in multiple locations. Buying a multi-pack is also cheaper, as the straws end up being just $13 each when buying the pack of five.
LifeStraw was initially created in 1994 to help the fight against Guinea worm disease, which at the time was in 18 countries spanning Africa, South Asia and the Middle East. In 2020, LifeStraw donated 390,500 LifeStraw Guinea worm filters and by the end of the year, there were only 27 cases in six countries, down from 100,000.
Today, people all over the world have purchased the straw, using it while camping, hiking or traveling, or simply keeping it on hand in case of an emergency. For every straw purchased, LifeStraw says they’re able to provide a child with safe drinking water for an entire year.
With nearly 100,000 reviews on Amazon so far, customers have given the straw a rating of 4.8 out of 5, with 84% of reviewers (more than 75,000) giving it a perfect rating of 5 stars. Customers say while they hope they never have to use the straw, it gives them peace of mind just knowing they have it. Reviewers say it’s easy to use, can save your life and many mention keeping the straws in an emergency kit.
One 5-star review says the straw is a “must-have for outdoor excursions,” with the reviewer writing that they frequently hike and camp in the backcountry all over the U.S.
“Carrying the amount of water that I need to survive during these trips is just not feasible due to the weight. In the past I always carried a General Ecology First Need XL water purifier and refilled nalgene bottles with it. Since getting a LifeStraw I most likely won’t be doing that any longer since the LifeStraw is smaller and lighter than the First Need XL,” they wrote. “I recently took a LifeStraw out for a test on a backcountry hike in the Rocky Mountains. Every stream, lake, or other water source that I came across I stopped for a drink. I was drinking fresh snow melt and also from lakes that are home to beavers and other wildlife. There was no added taste to the water and I didn’t get sick during or after the trip.”
Another reviewer who gave it 5 stars says they are an Army veteran who believes everyone should have at least one straw per person in their household for unexpected events.
“Forget the water boiling when water advisories are on….Just use one of these,” they wrote. “Always try to prepare for the unexpected, Your very life may very well depend on it someday.”
There are a handful of negative reviews, however, with some customers saying it’s difficult to get a lot of of water from the straws and others saying they experienced clogs, so you may want to test the straw before taking it on trip just to make sure it’s functioning correctly in case you end up needing it.
While Lifestraw is one of the most popular straw filters, it is not the only one on the market. The brand Membrane Solutions has a six-pack of similar straws for $70.
With close to 30,000 reviews so far, the straws have a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars, with customers saying they’re lightweight, easy to use and fit on the top of a water bottle so you can store your filtered water.
You can also get this Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System for $25. While you can use the straw to drink directly from your water source, it also attaches to an included drinking pouch, standard disposable water bottles or hydration packs.
The system includes one Sawyer mini filter, a 16-ounce reusable squeeze pouch, a 7-inch drinking straw and a cleaning plunger. Reviewers give it 4.7 out of 5 stars overall, with 82% of customers giving it a full 5-star rating.
If you’re looking to filter more water than you can get from a straw, Lifestraw has a variety of other products as well, including water bottles with an integrated filter and water pitchers tested to protect against bacteria, parasites, lead, mercury and other chemicals.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories. | https://www.wrtv.com/lifestraw-personal-water-filter-essential-camp-gear | 2022-04-13T22:36:10 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/lifestraw-personal-water-filter-essential-camp-gear |
GALENA, Mo. — Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt's office has refiled involuntary manslaughter charges against three men in connection with the sinking of a tourist boat that killed 17 people, including nine members of an Indianapolis family in 2018, ABC News reports.
The victims, including nine members of the Coleman family from Indianapolis, died when the duck boat capsized and sank on Table Rock Lake near Branson on July 19, 2018. There were 31 people total on board.
Members of the Coleman family who died included five adults and four children. Only two members of the family survived.
On April 5, Stone County Judge Alan Blankenship dismissed first-degree involuntary manslaughter charges against Kenneth Scott McKee, 54, the captain of the boat; Curtis P. Lanham, 39, the general manager at Ride the Ducks in Branson; and Charles V. Baltzell, 79, the operations supervisor who was a manager on duty when the boat sank.
The charges were dismissed without prejudice, making it possible for charges against all three men to be re-filed.
Two days later, Schmitt refiled 17 involuntary manslaughter charges against each of the men. McKee also faces 12 counts of endangering the welfare of a child, ABC reports.
“As I’ve said previously, my office is committed to fighting for justice on behalf of the 17 people that were tragically killed in 2018 — that’s why we re-filed the charges in this case," Schmitt said in a statement Wednesday.
Prosecutors said the tourist boat went into the lake despite warnings of storms in the area. The boat sank after it was swamped by waves caused by the winds, ABC reported.
Attorneys for the three defendants have argued that the men were not aware of the severity of the storm and did not intentionally put their passengers in danger. When he dismissed the charges, Blankenship said there was no evidence the men knew about the strong winds associated with the storm.
When the criminal charges were filed last year, an affidavit from an investigator said McKee ignored concerns about an approaching storm when he took the boat onto the lake. Lanham and Baltzell were accused of failing to communicate weather conditions and to stop operations after a severe thunderstorm warning was issued, ABC reported.
The duck boats, which operate on land and water, were a longtime popular attraction in the tourist town of Branson. The ride closed down after the tragedy and the boats have not returned to the lake.
WRTV Real-Time Editor Michelle Kauffman contributed to this report.
PREVIOUS | Missouri judge dismisses state charges against three duck boat employees related to 2018 tragedy |Preliminary hearing for 3 charged in duck boat accident | Duck boat survivor Tia Coleman asks for justice after charges against company's employees are dropped | Bill inspired by 2018 Missouri duck boat tragedy passes U.S. House | 9 members of an Indianapolis family among victims of Missouri duck boat accident | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/charges-refiled-in-2018-missouri-duck-boat-sinking-that-killed-17-including-indianapolis-family | 2022-04-13T22:36:16 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/charges-refiled-in-2018-missouri-duck-boat-sinking-that-killed-17-including-indianapolis-family |
INDIANAPOLIS — The man accused of killing his son Nakota Kelly nearly two years ago asked a judge to throw out evidence linking him to the boy's death that was found when officers searched his apartment without a warrant.
Anthony Dibiah, prosecutors say, smothered his 10-year-old son on July 18, 2020, disposed of the body and fled Indianapolis. Police arrested him the next day in Missouri, according to court records.
During a hearing Wednesday in Marion Superior Court, defense attorney Brian K. Lamar asked Magistrate James Kevin Snyder to suppress evidence found in Dibiah's apartment, including hair, blood smears and brain matter. Officers, Lamar argued, should have obtained a search warrant before entering the home.
Deputy Prosecutor Michelle Sharpe argued the "exigent circumstances" gave officers the legal authority to enter the apartment and check on the boy's welfare.
Prosecutors argue the law allows police to enter private property when they have reason to believe a person's life might be in danger. In this case, officers got the keys to the apartment after two witnesses told police that Dibiah had called them and confessed to killing his son.
Retired IMPD Officer Dennis Nike testified Wednesday that he was among the first to enter Dibiah's unit that day. Nike described getting a master key from the apartment office, opening the door and entering the small studio apartment.
"I'm thinking there's possibly a dead child in the apartment or an injured child who we need to check on," said Nike, who now works as an officer with the Butler University Police Department.
Nike said he and two other officers entered carefully, announcing themselves and checking all areas where a person might be hiding. They opened a door to the bathroom, Nike said, and found a blood smear and brain matter on the floor.
Officers backed out of the apartment, guarded the entrance and called for homicide detectives, Nike said.
Dibiah was arrested in Missouri on July 19, 2020. Officers have still not found Nakota's body.
Attorneys have until May 4 to provide written arguments to the court. The ruling on whether the evidence will be suppressed could be announced during a May 11 pretrial hearing.
Dibiah's trial is scheduled for May 23, but Lamar said Wednesday he might be seeking a delay.
Last week, Nakota's mom Hayley Kelly filed a lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Child Services for its failure to protect her son despite repeated claims that he had been abused or neglected by his father.
Read the WRTV exclusive Nakota's story:
Part 1 | Love and lies: How a single mom from Wabash fell in love with a man with five names;
Part 2 | 'Unsubstantiated': DCS investigated at least five abuse complaints against Nakota Kelly's father;
Part 3 | The last visit: Nakota Kelly's short life ends in violence at his father's home
More: 'If they had just listened to Nakota': Mom sues DCS for failing to protect Nakota Kelly | Trial delayed for man accused of killing his son Nakota Kelly
Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor.ryckaert@wrtv.com or on Twitter: @vicryc. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/dad-accused-of-killing-nakota-kelly-claims-police-search-was-illegal-wants-evidence-suppressed | 2022-04-13T22:36:22 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/crime/dad-accused-of-killing-nakota-kelly-claims-police-search-was-illegal-wants-evidence-suppressed |
FISHERS — The annual Fishers Summer Concert Series, hosted by Fishers parks, is back in 2022 with a long list of national and local music acts visiting the area.
The concerts, which will take place at the Nickel Plate District Amphitheater in downtown Fishers will include eight free concerts and five separate ticketed events.
The five ticketed events will feature touring acts Houndmouth on June 18, Colony House on July 16, Waxahatchee on August 5, The Main Squeeze on August 19 and Lawrence on August 27.
Tickets to these shows can be purchased at npdamp.com.
The series’ eight free concerts begin on June 7 with Cool City Band performing.
Other free concerts include Mike & Joe on June 14, White River Wind Symphony Orchestra on June 21, Dave & Rae on June 28, Fool House on July 4, The Big ‘80s Tribute Band on July 12, My Yellow Rickshaw on July 19 and Toy Factory on July 26.
Outside alcohol is not allowed at the Amphitheater, but chairs and blankets are welcome. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/fishers/fishers-summer-concert-series-lineup-announced | 2022-04-13T22:36:28 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/hamilton-county/fishers/fishers-summer-concert-series-lineup-announced |
INDIANAPOLIS — As the opioid crisis continues, Eskenazi Health is providing more places for anyone to have access to a potentially lifesaving medication.
Through a partnership with Overdose Lifeline, a naloxone vending machine is now at Eskenazi Health Center West 38th Street, and ten NaloxBoxes are now outside Eskenazi Health Centers across Indianapolis.
Naloxone is a nasal spray medication that temporarily reverses opioid overdose.
Each kit inside the vending machine includes a single dose of naloxone, instructions for use and a referral to treatment for substance use disorder. Each NaloxBox contains six to eight naloxone kits.
MAP: NaloxBox locations and Naloxone distribution centers around Indiana
Dr. Tyler Stepsis, chief of emergency medicine with Eskenazi Health, says no training is needed to give someone naloxone.
"The nice part is unless you somehow spray it outside of the body, you're doing it okay. You don't need any special medical training; you just need to know where the nose is and how to direct the spray into the nose," Dr. Stepsis said.
He says it takes awhile for the antidote for work, so the person may not wake up right away. The goal of using naloxone is to get the person breathing again.
Stepsis says Eskenazi's emergency room sees "a fair amount" of people who have overdosed or suffer from opiate use disorder.
"We know that access to naloxone saves lives," Dr. Stepsis said."The hard part is that the stigma still remains."
He says you don't need to be afraid that you're giving it to the wrong type of person; naloxone has no side effects if given to an unconscious person who is not overdosing.
"If you can be in a place where you can use it and maybe help someone, by all means do it," Dr. Stepsis said.
These Eskenazi Health Centers now have NaloxBoxes outside their facilities:
- Eskenazi Health Center Blackburn — 2700 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St.
- Eskenazi Health Center College Avenue — 1650 N. College Ave. Ste. B
- Eskenazi Health Center Forest Manor — 3840 N. Sherman Dr.
- Eskenazi Health Center Grassy Creek — 9443 E. 38th St.
- Eskenazi Health Center North Arlington — 2505 N. Arlington Ave.
- Eskenazi Health Center North Illinois Street — 1660 N. Illinois St.
- Eskenazi Health Center Pecar — 6940 N. Michigan Rd.
- Eskenazi Health Center Pedigo — 1112 Southeastern Ave.
- Eskenazi Health Center West 38th Street — 5515 W. 38th St.
- Eskenazi Health Center Westside — 2732 W. Michigan St.
RELATED: Naloxone vending machines help Hoosiers struggling with addiction | Naloxone vending machine unveiled in Indiana | 'It’s an uphill battle': Leaders say overdoses across Indiana on the rise | Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose in minutes, and it's becoming more accessible | Indiana to receive up to $40.2 million in national opioid settlement | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/indianapolis/eskenazi-health-adds-naloxone-vending-machine-10-naloxboxes-to-expand-access | 2022-04-13T22:36:34 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/local-news/indianapolis/eskenazi-health-adds-naloxone-vending-machine-10-naloxboxes-to-expand-access |
INDIANAPOLIS — We've seen the violence in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. The war is forcing many Ukrainians to flee their country.
Despite all of the tragedy, there are signs of unity.
People from Poland, including a former Center Grove exchange student, are stepping up to help Ukrainian refugees.
Eric Levin and his wife Kamila Grabka-Levin, have turned what used to be a center for youth education in Poland into a hostel to house 72 Ukrainian refugees.
He said it was something he felt he needed to do.
"They all had normal lives, everyone had a home, families, jobs," Levin said. "Now they are here and they had to leave everything."
His wife said they knew the Ukrainians needed help.
"We had no doubt that we needed to help these people," Grabka-Levin said. "That there would be refugees who would come to Poland as our neighbors, as our friends. It's our duty to help them."
Kamila is teaching refugee children how to speak Polish so they are able to be immersed in the community.
Yulia Szyabiieva is a Ukrainian refugee and described the moment her family decided to flee the county.
"When the war started, and the bombs began to fall, we had to leave our home," Szyabiieva said. "We waited until the last minute to leave. We were hoping we could stay. But after the bomb fell and demolished my child's school — that was the moment we decided to run."
Valentina Szvedova, also a refugee staying at the hostel, echoed her sentiments, adding she left because she was scared for her child's safety.
“Sirens would go off every hour and we would have to go hide in the basement and spend a lot of time in the secure place," Szvedova said. "We couldn’t handle it anymore and had to make the decision to leave."
Levin said most of the refugees now have access to healthcare, banks and schools. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/man-with-indiana-ties-helping-ukrainian-refugees-at-polish-hostel | 2022-04-13T22:36:40 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/man-with-indiana-ties-helping-ukrainian-refugees-at-polish-hostel |
NEW YORK (AP) — Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. has pleaded guilty to forcibly touching a woman at a New York nightclub in 2018.
The guilty plea came nearly three years after the Oscar-winning actor was arrested.
The case experienced several delays as Gooding Jr.'s lawyers sought to get charges reduced or dismissed.
Gooding pleaded guilty to one of three allegations that he violated different women at various Manhattan nightspots in 2018 and 2019.
He told the judge he “kissed the waitress on her lips” without consent at the LAVO New York nightclub.
“I apologize for ever making anybody feel inappropriately touched,” Mr. Gooding said in court, according to The New York Times.
Gooding Jr. is not expected to face jail time under the plea agreement. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/actor-cuba-gooding-jr-pleads-guilty-to-forcible-touching | 2022-04-13T22:36:46 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/actor-cuba-gooding-jr-pleads-guilty-to-forcible-touching |
Amazon announced on Wednesday that the company will add a 5% "fuel and inflation surcharge" to fees it charges third-party sellers who use the retailer's fulfillment services as the company faces rising costs.
The company said in an announcement on its website that the added fees will take effect on April 28 and are subject to change. Federal data released Tuesday showed inflation hit 8.5% in March, its fastest pace in more than 40 years. Amazon said its new fees will apply to both apparel and non-apparel items. The fees will also apply to products ordered before April 28, but are shipped and delivered after that date.
The Associated Press reported on federal data released on Tuesday which showed an 8.5% jump in inflation for the month of March, said to be the fastest pace in over 40 years. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/amazon-adds-5-fuel-and-inflation-surcharge-to-certain-seller-fees | 2022-04-13T22:36:53 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/amazon-adds-5-fuel-and-inflation-surcharge-to-certain-seller-fees |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A Buffalo woman admitted she fell for a scam that drained her retirement savings. The retired nurse did not want to be identified, but said a computer pop-up led her to send more than $43,000 to scammers via wire transfer and Bitcoin ATM.
The woman said when she was recently on her work computer, she got a pop-up saying her computer was locked. The fake ad, which she felt seemed real, had a number for her to call. She said when she called that number, she was then told her bank account had been hacked, and the money had to be moved.
The woman said she then withdrew $43,130 in cash and proceeded to follow the scammers convincing instructions.
She wired $13,700 to a bank in East Asia, and deposited $29,430 into the Bitcoin ATM inside a Buffalo, N.Y. shop. The Buffalo woman said she was fired from her part-time job because she gave scammers access to her work computer by accident.
"It's a travesty," said AARP's director of fraud prevention Kathy Stokes. "This is organized crime. She is up against a sophisticated criminal operation. They got the money, the time, the playbook, they have employees and it's us against them."
"It's not her fault," added Stokes. "[Hackers] know what to do to get us under a highly emotional state. They call it 'getting under the ether.' Could be fear, love, excitement."
"If you feel yourself getting excited or upset from an email, phone call or whatever, try and connect that with an 'OK I have to be skeptical here,' because once there it's hard to back out," explained Stokes, who urges potential victims to ignore these interactions.
Wire transfer has been around for a while, but how do scammers get your money through a Bitcoin ATM?
First what is a Bitcoin ATM? It looks like a regular ATM, and you can insert cash to buy Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency - Also referred to as crypto, is any form of digital or virtual currency. It uses cryptography to secure transactions and is not upheld by the government or any bank. Its value has made users thousands upon thousands of dollars.
Bitcoin - A form of crypto that is in a Bitcoin wallet, which is digital. The wallet can be viewed on a Bitcoin ATM.
"Bitcoin is only supposed to go to your wallet," said Todd Maher, president of Bitsource AML Solutions. His company is a boutique consultancy that focuses on financial crime investigations involving Bitcoin ATM's.
Bitcoin ATM's have given consumers an avenue to buy the hot commodity of Bitcoin. However, just like banks, the world of cryptocurrency has criminals hacking the system.
The Buffalo woman said that the scammers gave her a barcode that she scanned at the ATM. She then deposited money into the ATM, which basically went right into the scammers' wallets.
Maher said at a Bitcoin ATMm you can insert cash and receive Bitcoin to your digital wallet. You can also send Bitcoin to the ATM and receive cashback for its current value. He said there are warnings on machines to make sure consumers aren't sending money to third-parties.
Maher said anytime someone asks for payment through a Bitcoin ATM, you should know, "Zero percent of the time is that legitimate."
The woman scammed has filed a police report, but unfortunately, Maher said it's impossible to reverse a Bitcoin ATM transaction. The victim said the transaction on the Bitcoin ATM was tracked to Kolkata, India. She's hoping for her money back, and also to help others with her story.
"There's always going to be scams, there's always going to be bad people," said Maher. "The best thing we can do is make sure the Bitcoin ATM companies are doing what they say they're doing."
Stokes said more regulations need to be done to stop scammers from getting away with this fraud. She said scams in the digital world are becoming the newest trend for scammers.
"It's all fake, they're really good," said Stokes.
To get information on the latest scams in the crypto world or outside of it you can head to AARP.org/watchdogalerts
You can also call AARP at 1-877-908-3360. You don't have to be a member.
This article was written by Michael Schwartz for WKBW. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/buffalo-woman-loses-retirement-savings-in-bitcoin-atm-scam | 2022-04-13T22:36:59 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/buffalo-woman-loses-retirement-savings-in-bitcoin-atm-scam |
BERLIN, N.H. — Amid a nationwide nursing shortage, schools across the country are looking for creative new ways to get students quickly into the health care job pipeline, as post-pandemic life begins to come into clearer view.
Sarah Baillargeon is a long-time nurse herself and now serves as the nursing program coordinator for White Mountains Community College in Berlin, New Hampshire.
Barely 700 students are currently enrolled in classes here. But this small school community college is trying to make big inroads when it comes to addressing the current nursing shortage crisis.
"From California east and from Mexico north I have recruiters calling me from all over. Offering bonuses, offering to pay for their schooling," Baillargeon said.
There's one rural hospital in this town of ten thousand. They are in desperate need of all kinds of nurses including Licensed Practical Nurses or LPNs.
"Community colleges really come from the point of view of educating people in our community," Baillargeon added.
White Mountain Community College didn't have an LPN program to help feed the pipeline, so this year they started one.
Chuck Lloyd is the President of White Mountains Community College. He is constantly trying to better adapt education programs here to address community needs.
"They're calling us and saying we need employees can you build that curriculum," Lloyd said.
Unlike Registered Nurse programs, LPN programs can get students in and out the door in under a year. From New York to Alabama to the Dakotas, more and more community schools are adding LPN licensure programs to address nationwide staffing needs.
Anne Woods is Wolters Kluwer’s Chief Nurse and studies the industry as a whole. She sees this as a larger post-pandemic trend. Many hospitals now moving away from traditional 12-hour shifts.
"We have to fill the pipeline so we have to find alternative ways of doing it," she said.
Back in the White Mountains the end of the semester is very quickly approaching. Sarah Baillargeon hopes that the end of spring out here ushers in a new season of healthcare as well.
"We’re kind of the heartbeat of healthcare." | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/colleges-get-creative-to-address-nurse-shortage | 2022-04-13T22:37:05 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/colleges-get-creative-to-address-nurse-shortage |
An extremely emaciated mountain club is being treated at the Oakland Zoo after hikers spotted her at the Thornewood Open Space Preserve in San Mateo last week.
The zoo said Rose is about five months old and weighs just about 8.8 pounds, but veterinarians say she should weigh around 30 pounds at her age.
Hikers, who spotted Rose on April 5, contacted Midpen wildlife biologists and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to rescue her. They set up cameras and patrolled the area daily.
For five days, the cub was elusive, but they found her on Sunday and brought her to the zoo.
She was covered in fleas and ticks and had a meager red blood cell count.
"If her red blood cell count remains low, the plan is to give Rose a blood transfusion, using one of the Zoo’s previously rescued mountain lions, now a permanent resident and fully grown healthy adult, as a donor," Dr. Ryan Sadler said.
The zoo said Rose is currently receiving fluids and hydration intravenously.
Since she won't be released back into the wild after she's recovered, the zoo said they'll work with CDFW to find her a good home. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/extremely-emaciated-mountain-lion-cub-being-treated-at-oakland-zoo | 2022-04-13T22:37:11 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/extremely-emaciated-mountain-lion-cub-being-treated-at-oakland-zoo |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Video footage released by the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Police Department shows an officer shooting Patrick Lyoya in the back of the head following a struggle.
GRPD released video footage from multiple sources showing what happened last Monday when an officer fatally shot Lyoya during what the department said started as a traffic stop.
Cellphone footage from a witness shows the officer shooting Lyoya in the back of the head after telling him to let go of the taser.
GRPD said the deadly shooting happened on Monday, April 4, after what police described as a “lengthy struggle.”
Dashcam footage shows the officer walking up to Lyoya and telling him to stay in the car. The two appear to talk for a few minutes before Lyoya starts to walk away. The officer grabs his wrist and Lyoya pulls his arm and tries to run. The officer tackles Lyoya and a struggle ensues. Lyoya and the officer move out of the view of the camera before the shooting hapens.
Video captured by a neighbor’s security camera shows the entire encounter between Lyoya and the officer.
In the bodycam video, you can hear the officer ask Lyoya if he has a license. Lyoya told the officer he did and that it was in the car. Bodycam footage shows the officer using a taser on Lyoya. Lyoya appears to grab the taser and the officer tells him to let go of it. The bodycam footage also does not show the deadly shooting.
GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom says the officer will not be named at this time.
After the release of the videos, the Kent County prosecutor released the following statement:
As I have said in a previous statement, I have one goal – the pursuit of truth – and I am committed to that. We must follow legal and ethical guidelines to ensure the integrity of this process. We cannot do anything until the investigation is complete, and we have all the information we need to make an informed decision. This will take time and I once again ask for the community’s patience.
Following the Grand Rapids Police Department’s release of video related to the April 4 officer-involved shooting of Mr. Patrick Lyoya, I once again ask the community for patience in this matter. The Michigan State Police independent investigation into the incident is not complete. This is an extremely critical incident, and one that everyone involved in the investigation is taking very seriously. The Michigan State Police are doing everything they can to complete the investigation in a timely manner, however it takes time to carefully gather the evidence. We do not have all of the evidence for review. I don’t have an opportunity to review a case until I have all the evidence.
To provide context, the Kent County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an incident from March 31, 2022, where a homeowner reportedly shot and killed an intruder. That incident occurred days before this one, yet we have not received the reports from that investigation. I offer this incident to demonstrate, a thorough investigations take time, we are asking that the appropriate time be given here.
It is important to note, while the videos released today are an important piece of evidence, they are not all of the evidence. Our office has never made, and will not make, a decision based on partial evidence. By law, we are required to review all available evidence before we consider whether charges should be filed, and if so, what appropriate charges should be. This careful consideration of all evidence is a very important step in our criminal justice system.
Once the Michigan State Police turn over the evidence to our office, we will begin a thorough review. That process will include review of all witness statements and all video that pertains to this incident, including body-worn camera video, in-car video, and any home video that may be available. In addition, as in any case involving a death, we will review the autopsy and toxicology reports, radio traffic, and reports from the crime scene.
Lyoya’s family has disputed the police's account. Lyoya's family stated they believe it wasn't a traffic stop at all and that he was outside of the vehicle when the officer made contact. The family of Lyoya saw the dash camera and bodycamera video of the incident prior to the public release and has stated it shows him being shot in the back of the head.
“To see that the police officer hold my son and kill him like an animal,” Peter Mashingo Lyoya, his father, said. “When he got my son he put him on the ground and his hand was behind his back. From that moment he took the gun and he shoot him in the back of the head.”
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump called for video footage of Lyoya’s death to be released at a rally in Grand Rapids over the weekend.
Crump has represented the families of George Floyd, Jacob Blake and Grand Rapids native Breonna Taylor.
Lyoya, 26, leaves behind two children, a 2-year-old and a 3-month-old.
There have already been a number of demonstrations protesting the shooting of Lyoya. All have remained peaceful. There are more demonstrations planned this week.
Here's a timeline of events related to the shooting death of Patrick Lyoya:
How we got here:
Man shot, killed by officer during traffic stop in Grand Rapids
Man identified in Grand Rapids officer-involved shooting
Family demands answers, remembers life of man killed in GR officer-involved shooting
GRPD Chief on delaying release of video: this is not a cover-up
Kent County prosecutor: GRPD can share video of officer-involved shooting without his approval
‘I’m bleeding. I’m hurt:’ Father wants video of deadly officer-involved shooting released
Hundreds march against killing of Patrick Lyoya by a Grand Rapids police officer
Vigil for Patrick Lyoya, man who died after being shot by GR police officer
National and local leaders hold forum after Patrick Lyoya shot and killed by GR police officer
Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump calling for police video of Lyoya’s death to be released
Officer who killed Patrick Lyoya has not been interviewed 1 week after shooting
GR Mayor speaks after death of Patrick Lyoya, asks community to trust the process
Group plans to march to Grand Rapids City Commission meeting following shooting death of Patrick Lyoya
Multiple videos of deadly officer-involved shooting to be released
Barricade goes up outside Grand Rapids Police headquarters
Group marches to Grand Rapids City Commission meeting
People demand answers at GR City Commission meeting following Lyoya death
What we know ahead of GRPD 3 p.m. video release of Patrick Lyoya killing by officer
Kent County medical examiner releases statement regarding Patrick Lyoya's autopsy
This article was written by Karie Herringa for WXMI. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/footage-shows-michigan-officer-shooting-man-in-the-back-of-the-head | 2022-04-13T22:37:17 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/footage-shows-michigan-officer-shooting-man-in-the-back-of-the-head |
A California appeals court has upheld a lower court ruling that Johnson & Johnson must pay penalties to the state for deceptively marketing pelvic mesh implants for women, but reduced the amount by $42 million to $302 million.
Johnson & Johnson had appealed in 2020 after Superior Court Judge Eddie Sturgeon assessed the $344 million in penalties against Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Ethicon.
Sturgeon found after a non-jury trial that the company made misleading and potentially harmful statements in hundreds of thousands of advertisements and instructional brochures for nearly two decades.
California's Fourth District Court of Appeal issued a ruling Monday that $42 million in penalties assessed for the company’s sales pitches to doctors were unjustified because there was no evidence of what the sales representatives actually said.
But the appeals court said Sturgeon received ample evidence that Ethicon knowingly deceived both physicians and patients about the risks posed by its products, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Ryan Carbain, a Johnson & Johnson spokesperson, told the Chronicle that the company would appeal the appeals court ruling to the state Supreme Court.
The instructions for use in all of the company's pelvic mesh implant packages “falsified or omitted the full range, severity, duration, and cause of complications associated with Ethicon’s pelvic mesh products, as well as the potential irreversibility and catastrophic consequences,” Presiding Justice Judith McConnell of the appeals court said in a 3-0 ruling upholding the $302 million in penalties.
She rejected the company’s claim that the fine was excessive, saying it amounted to less than 1% of Johnson & Johnson’s net worth of $70.4 billion.
The products, also called transvaginal mesh, are synthetic and surgically implanted through the vagina of women whose pelvic organs have sagged or who suffered from stress urinary incontinence when they cough, sneeze or lift heavy objects.
Many women have sued the New Jersey-based company alleging that the mesh caused severe pain, bleeding, infections, discomfort during intercourse, and the need for removal surgery.
The condition is estimated to affect 3% to 17% of women and it sometimes becomes severe after age 70.
Johnson & Johnson, the world’s biggest maker of health care products, is contesting other lawsuits over drug side effects, its role in the U.S. opioid epidemic, and allegations its baby powder caused cancer in some users.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/johnson-johnson-ordered-to-pay-302m-in-pelvic-mesh-case | 2022-04-13T22:37:23 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/johnson-johnson-ordered-to-pay-302m-in-pelvic-mesh-case |
A Mississippi library is on track to receive its full budget, months after a mayor threatened to withhold money because the library displayed LGBTQ books for young readers.
Ridgeland and the Madison County Library System agreed this week to end the dispute. They said in a joint statement that libraries should present "all points of view." The Madison County Library System director, Tonja Johnson, said in January that Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee said he would withhold $110,000 from the Ridgeland Library because he received complaints about LGBTQ books.
The Republican mayor said, "sexual connotations are not appropriate for children when they enter the library."
The city of Ridgeland and the Madison County Library System said in a statement, “Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Our libraries are a repository of knowledge and culture, providing far more than access to books.” | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/money-disagreement-resolved-over-lgbtq-books-at-mississippi-library | 2022-04-13T22:37:29 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/money-disagreement-resolved-over-lgbtq-books-at-mississippi-library |
SALADO, Texas (AP) — Nearly two dozen people were injured when tornadoes swept through central Texas as part of a storm system that was expected to spawn more twisters and damaging winds Wednesday.
The storms caused widespread damage Tuesday in Salado, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Austin. Bell County Judge David Blackburn said 23 people were injured, one of them critically. Twelve of the injured were taken to hospitals, Blackburn said.
“There’s not much left,” said Blackburn, the county’s top elected official. “Large trees are uprooted and overturned and stripped. Buildings really reduced to rubble. … Power lines, power poles, are scattered all over the place. It’s pretty devastating.”
Photos on social media showed grapefruit-size hail associated with that storm.
Tornadoes were also spotted Tuesday in Iowa, but there were no reports of serious injuries. In Lincoln, Nebraska, powerful wind gusts knocked down tree limbs and caused some roof damage. A possible tornado also caused damage in the small southern Minnesota town of Taopi near the state’s border with Iowa.
Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik said dispatchers began getting calls from residents trapped in their damaged homes not long after a tornado warning siren sounded at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. There were no reports of serious injuries. Weather service crews were assessing damage in the area Wednesday.
More tornadoes were in the forecast Wednesday for parts of the mid-South and in the Mississippi River Valley, the Storm Prediction Center said.
Hurricane-force winds, intense tornadoes and large hail were possible in Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee, Missouri, Kentucky, Mississippi, Indiana, Louisiana and Alabama, forecasters said. Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, were among the cities that could see the worst weather Wednesday, the Storm Prediction Center said.
Elsewhere, the North Dakota Capitol, schools, government offices and interstates remained closed Wednesday as a blizzard continued to bear down on the state.
A blizzard warning issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect through Thursday for most of western and central North Dakota where up to 2 feet (60 centimeters) of snow was expected. | https://www.wane.com/news/23-injured-in-texas-storms-more-tornadoes-forecast-in-us/ | 2022-04-13T22:37:31 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/23-injured-in-texas-storms-more-tornadoes-forecast-in-us/ |
PALO ALTO, Calif. — At Hamilton Studios, Jonathan Cormur walks us down the rabbit hole to a small, dark room where he voices the many exuberant characters in his podcast.
"Dorktales Storytime" is a storytelling podcast for children. It features slightly wacky retellings of classic fairy tales with important life lessons and untold stories about the hidden heroes of history.
"There's two main characters in Dorktales," Cormur said. "There's Jonathan, who is a more Mr. Rogers-esque version of myself and Mr. Reginald Hedgehog. He's my talking hedgehog sidekick."
Though he says it doesn't define him, Cormur is unique because he's on the autism spectrum. He was diagnosed when he was a young teenager and his life experience was the inspiration behind his podcast.
"Deep down, I kind of always knew I was different, and when I was growing up, different wasn't always a good thing, especially amongst my peers and so that's why I wanted to, you know, encourage kids like don't be ashamed of who you are," Cormur said. "You know, just kind of make it your own. And that could build confidence. And confidence is what really attracts people."
His mother, Jodi Murphy, says the family's mission is acceptance for all. Acceptance is something Jonathan didn't receive from bullies at school until they saw him in a community theatre production.
"He had the kids who wouldn't invite him to the party, he had the bully that was watching him, and they were rolling in the aisles," Murphy said. "And I'm standing in the back and I'm crying because I thought, 'You've won, Jonathan. You found you found your gift and what you're good at. And, you know, from there, you are just going to go places and do really great things.'"
Cormur and his mother know people have misconceptions about autism.
A recent landmark study published by the University of Bath in the United Kingdom is revealing findings that its authors believe will shift the way that society thinks about autism. Associate professor of psychology Dr. Punit Shah says the study, which is the largest of its kind, compared the mental processing of autistic and non-autistic people by giving them brain puzzles.
"We found actually quite a striking similarities," Dr. Shah said. "Similarities between autistic and not autistic people. It showed almost identical levels of intuitive and this sort of deliberative processing, suggesting that these sort of fundamental ways in which we go about thinking about the world are actually quite similar. Between these two groups, autistic and non-autistic people."
The study concluded that autistic people think as quickly and as rationally as non-autistic people, making both groups more similar than previously thought.
"Now that they're we they know who we are, I think it's the next step is sort of dismantling the the the the stigmas, the stereotypes, and kind of getting rid of the fear," Comur said. "And that will hopefully lead to acceptance."
When you mix acceptance with evidence-based research, Cormur says people can then focus on supporting people on the spectrum and being more inclusive in society.
Murphy says with a few accommodations, people on the spectrum can do great things to the benefit of organizations.
"Maybe they need some extra time to take some breaks because there's just so much sensory overload that they're experiencing," Murphy said. "Or maybe they need initially someone that they can trust and tap into to help adapt to the work environment. Maybe they need to work at home."
"Dorktales Storytime" has brought a world of opportunity to Cormur, and he's excited to see what's ahead in the next chapter of his life. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/podcaster-on-autism-spectrum-using-his-voice-to-build-more-inclusive-society | 2022-04-13T22:37:35 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/podcaster-on-autism-spectrum-using-his-voice-to-build-more-inclusive-society |
NEW YORK (AP) — As the year began, New Yorkers shuddered at a subway crime straight out of urban nightmares — the death of a woman shoved onto the tracks by a disturbed stranger. The city’s new mayor vowed to “make sure New Yorkers feel safe in our subway system.”
But commuters Tuesday morning faced an attack that evoked many riders’ deepest fears. A rush-hour train car filled with smoke as it pulled into a Brooklyn station. Gunshots — at least 33 of them — rang out, wounding at least 10 people.
Frightened riders fled, and so did the gunman.
Authorities on Wednesday afternoon said they arrested a suspect, Frank R. James, 62, in Manhattan’s East Village.
Much is still unknown about the attack, but it was a searing reminder of the city’s unyielding battle with gun violence and the specter of terror-like attacks that hangs over New York City — and particularly the subway system that is its transportation backbone.
Police and security officials have made many attempts to harden the city against such attacks, putting officers on trains and platforms, installing cameras and even doing rare spot checks for weapons on passengers entering some stations.
Yet the sprawling system, with nearly 500 stations, largely remains like the city streets themselves: Too big to guard and too busy to completely secure.
Public officials say the subway system is crucial to the city’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, which saw many New Yorker avoiding mass transitduring its peak. Typical daily subway ridership fell from 5.5 million riders to less than a tenth of that.
But as more people return to offices, ridership is increasing. On Monday, estimated ridership was 3.1 million, according to the MTA, which operates the system.
Even as the gunman was still on the loose Wednesday morning, commuters like Ana Marrero were on their way again.
“You have to be more vigilant of your surroundings. But scared? No,” said Marrero, who has taken the subway to work for 30 years. “You think of the tragedy and the people that were hurt, but you have no other choice and do what you have to do.”
In Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood, several riders said they prayed for safety as they returned to the 36th Street station, reopened a day after the shot-up trained pulled into it.
“I didn’t want to come to work today,” said Jonathan Frias, a construction worker, “but I had to.”
Dan Dzula, who lives four blocks from the station, stayed home Tuesday after receiving an alert on his phone about the shooting. The next day, he encountered a crowded yet quiet platform on his commute into Manhattan.
“It’s a little spooky,” Dzula said. “I have to be here and I want to. No one likes feeling threatened.”
Gov. Kathy Hochul posted a photo on social media showing her riding a train after the shooting, and Mayor Eric Adams pledged to increase patrols in subway stations.
“We know that this hurts the mindset of many New Yorkers who are afraid of what happened, but we’re a resilient city. We’ve been here before,” Adams told MSNBC on Wednesday.
Even before the attack, the mayor had vowed to increase subway patrols and launch sweeps of subway stations and trains to remove homeless people using them as shelters.
In a rambling video posted on YouTube, James replayed recent speeches by Adams and Hochul and mocked their efforts to address violence as weak and futile.
“Their plan is doomed for failure,” James said in the video.
In the 1980s, New York City’s subways were a symbol of urban disorder: graffiti-covered, crime-plagued and shunned by tourists.
Like the rest of the city, though, the subways have since cleaned up their act. Before COVID-19 hit, the main problem with the trains wasn’t crime but overcrowding and breakdowns related to aging infrastructure.
After the Sept. 11 terror attacks, New Yorkers learned to live with the worry that the subways or other parts of the city could be a terror target.
In 2017, an Islamic State group sympathizer detonated a pipe bomb strapped to his chest in a subway station near the Port Authority Bus Terminal, injuring several bystanders.
That same year, the city began expanding the use of vehicle-blocking sidewalk barriers after two attacks. In one, a man who prosecutors said was also supportive of IS drove a rented truck down a bicycle path along the Hudson River, killing eight people and maiming others. In another, a psychologically disturbed man drove a car at high speed into pedestrians in Times Square, killing one and injuring at least 20.
In 2016, a man who prosecutors said sympathized with Osama bin Laden set off homemade bombs in Manhattan and New Jersey, injuring some bystanders, before being captured in a shootout with police. And in 2010, a man tried to set off a car bomb in Times Square, only to have it fizzle.
Christopher Herrmann, a former city police officer who is now a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, said episodes like Tuesday’s are bound to provoke a new round of anxiety, especially among subway riders.
“With 9/11, you have a specific target: the World Trade Center,” Herrmann said. “A lot of people can wrap their heads around that.”
But the seeming randomness of Tuesday’s attack “really invokes a lot of fear and worry,” he said, “because most people don’t consider themselves a target.”
“There’s a lot of things that happen out of your control,” said Alexi Vizhnay, who considered boarding a ferry across the East River after work Tuesday but decided to take his chances on the quicker subway. “As tragic as it is, all I can do is remind myself to be vigilant and be cautious.”
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Associated Press journalists Jennifer Peltz, Michael R. Sisak, Seth Wenig and Joseph B. Frederick contributed to this report. | https://www.wane.com/news/anxieties-resurface-as-gunfire-erupts-on-nyc-subway/ | 2022-04-13T22:37:38 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/anxieties-resurface-as-gunfire-erupts-on-nyc-subway/ |
Stocks closed broadly higher on Wall Street on Wednesday, ending a three-day losing streak as an upbeat report from Delta Air Lines sparked a rally for companies in the travel industry.
The S&P 500 rose 1.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1% and the Nasdaq rose 2%. Travel-related companies had some of the biggest gains. The S&P 500 is coming off three straight losses brought on by persistent worries about inflation and how the Federal Reserve will respond to it.
The government reported that surging energy costs pushed wholesale prices up a record 11.2% last month from a year earlier. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/wall-street-ends-higher-as-stocks-break-a-3-day-losing-streak | 2022-04-13T22:37:42 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/wall-street-ends-higher-as-stocks-break-a-3-day-losing-streak |
WASHINGTON (AP) — A major effort to overhaul care for people in the United States with mental health and drug problems is gaining traction as Congress and the Biden administration work on overlapping plans to address concerns across dividing lines of politics, geography and race.
Top goals include responding to the mental health crisis among youth, increasing the supply of professional counselors and clinicians, narrowing a persistent gap between care for physical and mental health problems, and preserving access to telehealth services that proved their usefulness in the pandemic.
COVID-19 has laid bare the need.
The U.S. was already in a mental health crisis, with suicide rates climbing and chronic problems accessing treatment. The opioid epidemic had a firm grip on cities and small towns. But the coronavirus made everything worse.
An analysis of government data found that about 4 in 10 adults reported symptoms of anxiety or depression in the first year of the pandemic, compared with about 1 in 10 before that. More than 100,000 people died of drug overdoses from May 2020 to April 2021,a record for lethality, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Trying to translate need into action, the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee are working to produce bipartisan legislation this summer.
Leaders of the Finance Committee have enlisted pairs of senators — one Democrat, one Republican — to develop policy ideas in five broad areas. The committee has jurisdiction over major government health insurance programs while the other committee oversees private insurance and public health.
“I think everybody understands the challenge of threading the needle in a 50-50 Senate,” said the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. But, he added, “the most important takeaway for me is that the urgency is different … more people are falling between the cracks.”
President Joe Biden seems to be on the same page.
He released a comprehensive mental health and drug treatment plan as part of his State of the Union message. “Artificial distinctions between physical health and mental health are really not sustainable or relevant in the 21st century,” White House domestic policy adviser Susan Rice said in a recent speech to the Brookings Institution think thank.
House committees are also at work.
“There is a very nonpartisan aspect to this — I wouldn’t even say it’s bipartisan,” said policy expert Hannah Wesolowski of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “The need for a rapid scale-up of mental health services is one of the few issues where the parties can come together.”
It’s happening as the government plans to roll out 988 — the new three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline — in July.
While lawmakers acknowledge the need for government action, details remain contentious. Democrats want bold strokes. Republicans are wary of new federal mandates and looking to restrain costs.
“This committee has a strong track record of generating consensus-based bills,” Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, the top Republican on Senate Finance Committee, said earlier this year. “I truly believe we can replicate that success here.”
A key player is noncommittal.
The office of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky had no comment on efforts in that committee. If McConnell were to oppose legislation, that would greatly complicate the prospects.
Nothing seems to have rattled policymakers more than a sharp increase in mental health problems among youth. Isolation and loss in the pandemic compounded the usual trials of passage into adulthood. Emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts increased, especially for adolescent girls, according to CDC.
As illicit drugs are routinely laced with potent fentanyl, new research shows a striking jump in overdose deaths among 14- to 18-year-olds.
The Finance Committee is considering increased spending on in-school mental health services, broader use of telehealth for youth and more financial support to train youth mental health workers. Young people in rural areas and minority communities have more difficulty getting services. Biden’s plan calls for more money for school-based services, along with new social media safeguards for kids — also an issue of interest on Capitol Hill.
An overarching focus both for the White House and lawmakers is the widely recognized shortage of mental health professionals. Plans would invest billions in building up the workforce by supporting training and education, but that could take years. There’s discussion about immediately increasing the supply of counselors by allowing a wider range of professionals, including family and marriage therapists, to bill government health programs.
There’s also support for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, a relatively new care model that offers services 24/7 to people dealing with drug and mental health crises. Centers rely on peer counselors, often in recovery from their own addictions.
A glaring inconsistency lawmakers want to address is the coverage gap between mental health and physical conditions. Parity is required by U.S. laws, but the reality can be far different. Some insurers honor parity on paper only, maintaining“ghost networks” of mental health providers who are not taking new patients — a dead end. Even Medicare falls short on parity. The program has a 190-day limit on inpatient psychiatric care.
Many Democrats would like to spell out mental health coverage requirements for private health insurance. But Republicans do not support new mandates. A compromise could involve civil fines on insurers that ignore legal obligations to cover mental health care.
One area where there does not seem to be much disagreement is telehealth, which was expanded in the pandemic. Video counseling and even voice-only sessions are becoming standard tools for mental health and drug treatment counseling. Making that coverage permanent would involve a cost. But lawmakers, particularly in rural areas, like the flexibility.
While there is clear momentum, that does not guarantee results in Congress. “I don’t know how it’s going to end up,” said Reyna Taylor, policy and advocacy chief for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing. “What I am happy to see is all the communication that is going on between the committees of jurisdiction.” | https://www.wane.com/news/bipartisan-push-on-mental-health-crisis-that-covid-worsened/ | 2022-04-13T22:37:46 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/bipartisan-push-on-mental-health-crisis-that-covid-worsened/ |
TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Cochise County (Arizona) Sheriff's Office reported a Mexican woman died after illegally attempting to cross into the U.S.
Sheriff Mark J. Dannels confirms she was climbing over the border fence off near Douglas, Ariz.m late Monday evening.
That's when she got stuck in the ropes and trapped upside down for far too long.
"These types of incidents are not political, they are humanitarian realities that someone has lost a loved one in a senseless tragedy," Sheriff Dannels shared.
Mexican authorities soon alerted American authorities, but it was too late.
Emergency crews took the 32-year-old to a local hospital where medical staff pronounced her dead.
"We have to do better in finding solutions to the challenges facing our border, and we have to do it for the right reasons," Dannels added. "Regardless of opinions, it is the facts that should direct our progress and we will keep working towards a shared goal of border safety and security."
Notice of her death was sent to the Mexican Consulate, which led to the sheriff's office identifying her.
This article was written by Caleb J. Fernández KGUN.
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Caleb Fernández is a digital content producer for KGUN 9. Born and raised in Southern California, Caleb has always had an affinity for creative collaborations. After earning his bachelor's degree from Pennsylvania State University in Advertising/Public Relations, Caleb went straight to New York City where he learned the necessities of production assistance, photography and art direction. Share your story ideas and important issues with Caleb by emailing caleb.fernandez@kgun9.com or by connecting on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/woman-dies-after-getting-stuck-upside-down-while-climbing-border-wall | 2022-04-13T22:37:48 | 0 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/woman-dies-after-getting-stuck-upside-down-while-climbing-border-wall |
The lawyer of a woman who fatally stabbed her boyfriend earlier this month at their Miami condo says she acted in self-defense.
On Monday, Frank Prieto said his client Courtney Clenney was a victim of domestic violence and stabbed Christian Toby Obumseli, her boyfriend of two years, in self-defense, CBS Miami and NBC News reported.
According to the Miami Police Department, officers responded to a domestic violence incident involving a stabbing on April 3 just before 5 p.m. Obumseli died. He was being transported to a local hospital.
The department said a preliminary investigation determined that the woman and Obumseli had been involved in a physical altercation.
The Miami Herald and NBC News reported that Clenney was hospitalized after the incident. She was released into her parents' care.
Prieto told the newspaper that "this is a tragedy for all involved, but it was not criminal conduct."
During a press conference, Obumseli's family said they don't believe that this was a case of self-defense, CBS Miami and NBC News reported.
According to the news outlets, Clenney is a popular OnlyFans model and Instagram influencer.
No charges have been filed. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/woman-in-florida-fatally-stabbed-boyfriend-in-self-defense-lawyer-says | 2022-04-13T22:37:54 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/national/woman-in-florida-fatally-stabbed-boyfriend-in-self-defense-lawyer-says |
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Members of California’s first-in-the-nation reparations task force convened in a historic African American church in San Francisco on Wednesday, making their own history as they work to educate the public and develop a restitution proposal for the people harmed by the institution of slavery.
The two-day meeting at the Third Baptist Church in the city’s Fillmore district was the first time the nine-member task force gathered in person since its inaugural meeting nearly a year ago. The meeting comes mere weeks after the group voted to limit restitution to descendants of enslaved Black people.
Morning attendance was light, but the emotions largely jubilant. About a dozen speakers lined up for public comment, some thanking the task force members for undertaking its critical work.
“Everybody in here is a part of history,” Chris Lodgson of the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California, a reparations advocacy group, said before the meeting. “I couldn’t be more excited and blessed, really, to be here.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation creating the two-year reparations task force in 2020, making California the only state to move ahead with a mission to study the institution of slavery, educate people about its findings and develop remedies. Reparations at the federal level have not gone anywhere, but cities and universities across the country are taking up the issue.
Wednesday’s meeting was held in a neighborhood once thriving with African American night clubs and shops until government redevelopment forced out residents — a prime example of how local policies decimated a Black neighborhood.
Third Baptist Church was founded in 1852, the first African American Baptist congregation founded west of the Rocky Mountains, according to a city landmark designation awarded the church in 2017. Its pastor is the Rev. Amos Brown, task force vice chair, longtime civil rights activist and president of the San Francisco chapter of the NAACP.
More than three dozen people were in the wooden pews for the all-day meeting, which included testimony from experts in disparities in education. On Thursday, the committee is scheduled to discuss a report to be made public in June that shows how the institution of slavery continues to reverberate throughout California, including in the form of disparities in household income, health, employment and incarceration.
In a dramatic vote last month, California’s task force split 5-4 to limit reparations to people who can show they are descended from enslaved or free Black people in the U.S. as of the 19th century. Those who favor broader eligibility says lineage-based reparations unfairly shuts out Black people who have also suffered systemic discrimination.
But Josiah Williams, a member of the Coalition for a Just and Equitable California in Oakland, said the vote validated African Americans who have striven throughout history to make society more equitable for everyone else, only to watch as some minority groups received compensation but not them.
“This isn’t about excluding anyone. It’s about making sure we get what we need for our own people. Like, we’re just trying to breathe,” said Williams, 37. “We’re just trying to get repair for the first time.”
Several members in the audience were with his coalition, which worked on the legislation to get the task force created. But others were learning about the state’s reparations efforts for the first time — as well as the possibility of having to collect paperwork to prove their eligibility for restitution.
Oakland native Terrill Johnson, 41, showed up Wednesday after a friend told him about the meeting.
“I didn’t even know this was an actual topic that was going on,” he said.
Attorney Cheryce Cryer, who had traveled from Los Angeles to attend the meeting in person, turned around in her pew to advise Johnson to start researching his lineage to enslaved ancestors.
“Don’t assume,” Cryer advised him. “Get your documentation together now.”
Committee member Cheryl Grills, a clinical psychologist and professor at Loyola Marymount University, said before the meeting that the task of turning reparations into reality is daunting given that advocates will have to craft a plan that will be approved by lawmakers and funded by the government.
But she acknowledged the excitement.
“We’ve never seemed to get this close to actually being acknowledged, being seen, being understood, being empathized with,” she said. “This country has never done that.”
Since its inaugural meeting in June, the nine-member panel has dedicated much of its time to hearing from experts in weighty areas such as housing and homelessness, racism in banking and discrimination in technology.
Task force members were appointed by the governor and the leaders of the two legislative chambers. A plan for reparations is due to the Legislature in 2023. | https://www.wane.com/news/california-reparations-panel-to-meet-in-san-francisco/ | 2022-04-13T22:37:53 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/california-reparations-panel-to-meet-in-san-francisco/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — The 2022 Legislative Session wrapped up a few weeks ago, but already, there are people looking toward the 2023 session.
Senator J.D. Ford says he and his colleagues have heard from several of those people. They're urging him to support a bill similar to what the state of Florida passed, Parental Rights in Education, which has been dubbed the Don't Say Gay Bill because it bans public school teachers from discussing gender identity or sexual orientation in the classroom.
"It's troubling, disheartening, but I'm not surprised to see it," Sen. Ford said. "I think this is an attempt to put this on the radar for legislators to start writing a bill for the 2023 session."
Sen. Ford says all the emails are written relatively the same which makes him believe there's a larger group sending out talking points for people to send to their legislators.
Indiana Legislators had the chance to pass a bill like the one in Florida. Senate Bill 415 is very similar to it, but the bill never made it out of its committee this past legislative session.
Andrew Downs, a Political Science Professor at Purdue University Fort Wayne, says it's not a coincidence similar controversial bills are being proposed in different states lately.
"The ready availability of information, the way people have a better understanding of what state is like their state, it sets this thing up to happen on a regular basis," Downs said.
This phenomenon goes beyond education bills.
"Look at something like Constitutional Carry, even things that don't make it through," Downs said. "For example, there are people who looked to other states for legalization of marijuana or at least decriminalization of marijuana."
Despite knowing this is all a part of politics, Sen. Ford believes bills that aim to censor or stop conversations about certain groups of people shouldn't be part of the legislative discourse. He points out how valuable time, in his opinion, was wasted this past legislative session debating and passing bills like HB 1134 and HB 1041, a classroom censorship bill and a transgender girl sports ban bill.
"We had the opportunity to talk about student mental health in the 2022 legislative session," Ford said. "We had the opportunity to talk about bullying and harassing students. Child care costs are expensive. Healthcare costs are expensive, but we didn't talk about the kitchen table issues that affect Hoosiers. We got caught up on the socially divisive issues that puts people against each other." Sen. Ford said. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/politics/another-controversial-bill-could-be-introduced-next-legislative-session | 2022-04-13T22:38:00 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/politics/another-controversial-bill-could-be-introduced-next-legislative-session |
BEIRUT (AP) — The chilling scenes from Syria of victims twitching and gasping for air after chlorine cylinders were dropped from helicopters in towns and villages were broadcast over and over in the course of country’s civil war.
Legal and moral taboos were shattered. Hundreds were killed, including many children, in dozens of poison gas attacks widely blamed on President Bashar Assad’s forces under the protection of his chief ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Several years later, concerns are growing that such weapons could be used in Ukraine, where Russian forces have been waging a devastating war for weeks.
As the conflict drags on, Western officials and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have warned that Putin could deploy chemical agents.
“The world must react now,” Zelenskyy said.
Officials say they are investigatingan unconfirmed claim by a far-right Ukrainian regiment that a poisonous substance was dropped in the besieged city of Mariupol this week. The claim could not be confirmed by independent sources, and Ukrainian officials say it could have been phosphorus munitions – which cause horrendous burns but are not classed as chemical weapons.
LOWERING THE THRESHOLD
Putin has threatened to broaden the Ukraine war into a nuclear conflict, but it is unclear if chemical agents will be used to support his military operations. Analysts say the Syria war set a horrific precedent in terms of deploying chlorine, sulfur and the nerve agent sarin, completely disregarding international norms and with no accountability.
“From what we’re seeing now, it seems that Russia has drawn the conclusion that it’s safe to continue this modus operandi from Syria in the Ukrainian context as well,” said Aida Samani, legal adviser with Civil Rights Defenders, a Sweden-based group.
“Of course, that undermines the international regulations that we have in place and lowers the threshold for the use of such weapons,” Samani added.
She has joined with other nongovernmental organizations to file a criminal complaint on behalf of a group of Syrians living in Sweden against the Syrian government for war crimes and crimes against humanity related to its use of chemical weapons.
Western officials say Russia may be looking to borrow from the Syria playbook, where Assad’s forces tested the international community’s resolve by gradually ramping up the brutality of attacks and methods.
Part of the equation in Syria was the difficulty of proving anything in the aftermath of such attacks, largely due to the lack of immediate access. Assad, with Russia’s backing, consistently cast a cloud of confusion, accusing the opposition of fabricating evidence or deploying poison gas themselves to try to frame him.
An investigative mechanism set up by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons blamed Syrian government forces for multiple chemical attacks in Syria, including the use of chlorine and sarin in an attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in April 2017 that killed about 100 people. At least one mustard gas attack was blamed on the Islamic State group, which held territory in Syria and Iraq for several years during the war that killed half a million people.
In comments reminiscent of Syria, Russia accused Ukraine of running chemical and biological labswith U.S. support, leading to accusations Moscow was seeking to stage a false-flag incident. Ukraine does have a network of biological labs that have gotten funding and research support from the U.S. — but they are part of a program seeking to reduce the likelihood of deadly outbreaks by pathogens, whether natural or manmade. The U.S. efforts date to the 1990s to dismantle the former Soviet Union’s program for weapons of mass destruction.
RED LINES
The assault early on the morning of Aug. 21, 2013, on the rebel-held suburbs of Damascus known as Ghouta shocked a world that had grown largely numb to the carnage of Syria’s civil war.
Fueling the international outrage were dozens of online videos showing victims in spasms, gasping for breath and foaming at the mouth. The attack crossed what then-U.S. President Barack Obama had called a “red line” for possible military intervention in the Arab country.
Obama came close to ordering U.S.-led military strikes but abruptly backed down after failing to secure the necessary support from the U.S. Congress and instead struck a deal with Moscow to eliminate Syria’s chemical arsenal.
By August 2014, Assad’s government declared that the destruction of its chemical weapons was completed. But Syria’s initial declaration to the OPCW has remained in dispute, and the attacks continued.
In 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump launched several dozen cruise missiles at a Syrian air base in retaliation for a suspected nerve gas attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun in rebel-held Idlib province that killed about 100 people. Experts from the U.N. and the chemical weapons watchdog blamed the Syrian government for the attack.
As Moscow pushes its offensive in Ukraine, world leaders and policymakers are grappling with how the West should respond to a Russian battlefield use of chemical or biological weapons. Members of Congress said the Biden administration and its allies will not stand by if that happens.
Unlike Syria, however, Russia is a nuclear power. Any reaction risks triggering a nuclear confrontation, which Putin has already alluded to.
ACHIEVING JUSTICE
Samani, of Civil Rights Defenders, faults the international community for not making a real effort to seek accountability for the chemical weapons attacks in Syria.
“There hasn’t really been any political appetite to explore how, for example, a special tribunal could be set up for Syria,” she said.
Last week, she and a group of NGOs presented new information relevant to the sarin gas attacks on Khan Sheikhun in 2017 and Ghouta in 2013 to investigative authorities in Germany, France and Sweden.
But justice appears to be a long way off.
“Holding the perpetrators of these crimes accountable for the use of illegal weapons is the first deterrent to ensure that they do not recur,” said Haneen Haddad, project leader for the Syrian Archive, a Syrian-led project that documents human rights violations and other crimes committed in Syria.
“Without meaningful accountability, cruel actors and their enablers think that they can do terrible things without real consequence from the international community.”
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.wane.com/news/chemical-weapons-use-from-syrian-war-stokes-ukraines-fears/ | 2022-04-13T22:38:00 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/chemical-weapons-use-from-syrian-war-stokes-ukraines-fears/ |
GARY — The body of a missing Gary woman whose family members had been trying to find for than a week was found early Wednesday, police told ABC 7 Chicago.
Ariana Taylor, 23, was reported missing earlier this month.
Last weekend, Taylor's SUV was found crashed and badly damaged near the junction of Interstate 80/94 and Interstate 65 in Lake County. The car was empty, and investigators said it wasn't clear if Taylor was driving at the time of the crash, ABC 7 reported.
On Sunday, an object that was initially thought to be a body possibly connected with Taylor's disappearance was discovered. Police later said it turned out to be a "lifelike mannequin," ABC 7 reported.
Taylor's body was found in a ditch while a canine team searched an area near the 2800 block of Colorado Street in unincorporated Lake Station. Police said her body was found about a mile south of where her car was found, ABC 7 reported.
Taylor's mother told ABC 7 she has a 4-year-old son. Taylor's family say they believed foul play is involved.
An investigation is ongoing. | https://www.wrtv.com/news/public-safety/body-of-missing-gary-woman-23-found-after-more-than-weeklong-search | 2022-04-13T22:38:06 | 1 | https://www.wrtv.com/news/public-safety/body-of-missing-gary-woman-23-found-after-more-than-weeklong-search |
HELSINKI (AP) — European Union nations Finland and Sweden reached important stages Wednesday on their way to possible NATO membership as the Finnish government issued a security report to lawmakers and Sweden’s ruling party initiated a review of security policy options.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24 triggered a surge in support for joining NATO in the two traditionally militarily non-aligned Nordic countries, with polls showing a majority of respondents willing to join the alliance in Finland and supporters of NATO in Sweden clearly outnumbering those against the idea.
Finland, a country of 5.5 million, shares the EU’s longest border with Russia, a 1,340-kilometer (833-mile) frontier. Sweden has no border with Russia.
Russia, for its part, has warned Sweden and Finland against joining NATO, with officials saying it would not contribute to stability in Europe. Officials said Russia would respond to such a move with retaliatory measures that would cause “military and political consequences” for Helsinki and Stockholm. One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reasons for invading Ukraine was that the country refused to promise that it would not join NATO.
Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, speaking Wednesday in Stockholm in a joint news conference with her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson, said Finland is ready to make a decision on NATO “within weeks” rather than months following an extensive debate in the 200-seat Eduskunta legislature.
Marin stressed that Finland and Sweden, two neighboring Nordic countries which have close economic, political and military ties, will make independent decisions regarding their security policy arrangements, including whether to join NATO.
“But we do that with a clear understanding that our choices will affect not only ourselves but our neighbors as well,” Marin said, adding that she would prefer seeing both Finland and Sweden becoming NATO members.
Andersson said Sweden and Finland would maintain “a very close dialogue and have a very straightforward and honest discussions” in the coming weeks over their countries respective choices on NATO.
The only real option to NATO membership could be an enhanced bilateral military cooperation added with the United States and Nordic NATO member Norway, Finnish experts have said.
Marin and Andersson lead the ruling Social Democratic Parties in their respective countries. The parties are expected to announce their NATO views in early and late May, respectively. Parliaments in both countries are ready to finally decide the matter — something that could happen in Finland in late May and a bit later in Sweden.
Complicating things in Sweden is the general election in September, which is likely to be dominated by the NATO issue.
In Finland, President Sauli Niinisto said he was convinced that his country’s decision on NATO will be ready well ahead of NATO’s June 29-30 summit in Madrid, Spain.
On Wednesday, the Finnish government issued a much-awaited report on changes in Finland’s security environment that lawmakers will start debating after the Easter break. The report addresses the pros and cons of Finland’s possible membership in NATO, focusing on supply threats, economic effects, cybersecurity and hydrid threats.
“The war started by Russia endangers security and stability in entire Europe,” Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said as he presented the report. “Russia’s attack on Ukraine will have a long-lasting impact on our own security environment. Trust in Russia has plummeted.”
Andersson said Wednesday that the Swedish government is working on a security environment analysis together with all parties in the 349-seat Riksdag legislature. She said the report is due May 31 but could be finished earlier. In addition, Andersson’s Social Democratic Party has initiated its own separate review of Sweden’s security environment.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.wane.com/news/finland-sweden-move-ahead-toward-possible-nato-membership/ | 2022-04-13T22:38:07 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/finland-sweden-move-ahead-toward-possible-nato-membership/ |
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Flooding in South Africa’s Durban area has taken at least 259 lives and is a “catastrophe of enormous proportions,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said Wednesday.
“This disaster is part of climate change. It is telling us that climate change is serious, it is here,” said Ramaphosa, visiting flooded areas of Durban and the surrounding eThekwini metropolitan area.
“We no longer can postpone what we need to do, and the measures we need to take to deal with climate change,” he said.
The death toll is expected to continue rising as search and rescue operations continue in KwaZulu-Natal province, officials said. The province is about to be declared a disaster area by the national government, said Ramaphosa.
“KwaZulu-Natal is going to be declared a provincial area of disaster, so that we are able to do things quickly. The bridges have collapsed, the roads have collapsed, people have died and people are injured,” said Ramaphosa.
He said one family had lost 10 members in the devastating floods.
Residents have had to flee their homes as they were swept away, buildings collapsed and road infrastructure severely damaged. Durban port was flooded and shipping containers were swept away into a jumbled heap.
Authorities were also seeking to restore electricity to large parts of the province after heavy flooding at various power stations.
Rescue efforts by the South African National Defense Force were delayed as the military’s air wing was also affected by the floods, Gen. Rudzani Maphwanya said. The military was able to deploy personnel and helicopters around the province on Wednesday, he said.
The South Africa Weather Services has warned of continued winds and rains and the risk of continued flooding in Kwazulu-Natal and other provinces over the upcoming Easter weekend. South Africa’s Eastern Cape, Free State and North West provinces could be affected, it said. | https://www.wane.com/news/flooding-continues-in-south-africas-durban-area-259-dead/ | 2022-04-13T22:38:14 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/flooding-continues-in-south-africas-durban-area-259-dead/ |
YAHIDNE, Ukraine (AP) — The Russian soldiers forced more than 300 villagers into a school basement. Then, during weeks of stress and deprivation, some began to die.
Residents of Yahidne, a village 140 kilometers (87 miles) from Kyiv, told The Associated Press about being ordered into the basement at gunpoint after the Russians took control of the area around the northern city of Chernihiv in early March.
In one room, those who survived wrote the names of the 18 who didn’t.
“An old man died near me and then his wife died next,” Valentyna Saroyan, a weary survivor, recalled Tuesday as she toured the darkened basement. “Then a man died who was lying there, then a woman sitting next to me. She was a heavy woman, and it was very difficult for her.”
Village by village, town by town, Ukrainians in areas where Russians have withdrawn continue to unearth new horrors. More are feared.
The residents of Yahidne, which is on the outskirts of Chernihiv, said they were made to remain in the basement day and night except for the rare times when they they were allowed outside to cook on open fires or to use the toilet.
The health of the captives suffered.
“Here’s a chair, and that’s how we were sitting for a month,” Saroyan said, recalling her aching legs.
As people died one by one in the basement, neighbors were allowed from time to time to place the bodies in a mass grave in a nearby cemetery.
Each time, they passed through a doorway marked in dripping red paint with the plaintive words “Attention. Children.” The glare of a flashlight shows bright drawings on the walls.
The Russians could be cruel, surviving villages said.
Svitlana Baguta said a Russian soldier who was “either drunk or high” made her drink from a flask at gunpoint.
“He pointed the gun at the throat, put the flask and said, ‘Drink,’” Baguta said.
Julia Surypak said the soldiers allowed some people to make a short trip to their homes if they sang the Russian state anthem. “But they didn’t allow us to walk much,” she said.
The Russian forces left the village at the beginning of April, part of a regional withdrawal from northern Ukraine Russia’s military ordered in anticipation of after a large offensive in the east.
A message scrawled on a wall of the Yahidne school marked April 1 as “the last day” of their presence.
The soldiers left behind unexploded artillery shells, destroyed Russian vehicles and rubble.
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Follow the AP’s coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.wane.com/news/forced-into-a-basement-in-ukraine-residents-began-to-die/ | 2022-04-13T22:38:22 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/forced-into-a-basement-in-ukraine-residents-began-to-die/ |
GREENWOOD, Miss. (AP) — A former Franciscan friar was convicted Wednesday of sexually abusing a grade school student during the 1990s at a Mississippi Catholic school.
A Leflore County jury deliberated less than an hour before finding Paul West, 62, guilty of one count of sexual battery and one count of gratification of lust, the Greenwood Commonwealth reported.
West was accused of sexually abusing La Jarvis Love, now 39. Circuit Judge Ashley Hines sentenced West to 30 years on the first count and 15 years on the second count, to be served consecutively.
Love began crying when the verdict was read.
“I want to thank the state. I want to thank everybody that represented us,” Love said. “I just want to thank God, the provider, the creator. He restored my faith today. I really appreciate him, and I believe again.”
Gaunt and relying on a walker, West made no comment when escorted by deputies from the Leflore County Civic Center, where the two-day trial was held.
As first reported by The Associated Press in 2019, La Jarvis Love and his cousin, Joshua Love, now 38, had accused West of numerous instances of sexual abuse while they were students at St. Francis of Assisi School in Greenwood.
Both Loves testified Tuesday of repeated abuse by West beginning when they were in the fourth grade. They testified the abuse occurred both at the school and on trips to New York and to Wisconsin, where the Franciscan Friars of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary are based. West was a member of the religious order.
West was also charged with two counts of abusing Joshua Love. It was not immediately clear why the jury did not act on those charges.
A third man, Joshua Love’s younger brother, Raphael Love, also alleged that West sexually abused him. He reported the abuse to church authorities in 1998, after which West returned to Wisconsin and left the order.
Mark Belenchia, volunteer state coordinator for Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said church officials should have taken more decisive action after learning of Rafael Love’s allegations.
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” Belenchia said. “This should have happened 20 years ago.”
West has been held in Mississippi’s Leflore County Jail since September 2020, when he was extradited from his home state of Wisconsin to face two counts of sexual battery and two counts of gratification of lust. He pleaded not guilty.
La Jarvis Love now lives in Senatobia, Mississippi, with his wife and four children. He identified West in the courtroom as his abuser and said this was the first time he had seen him in person in more than 20 years.
La Jarvis Love testified that he was in third grade when he first encountered West, who was his physical education teacher. West later became principal of the school, Love said, and received permission from Love’s grandmother to use corporal punishment, such as paddling.
La Jarvis Love said the sexual abuse began when he was in fourth grade, with touching, groping, and what he called “extra friendly” physical activity. The abuse lasted until eighth grade, he said. He also said West began calling him to his office, showing him pornography on West’s computer, and fondling him. La Jarvis Love testified that the abuse included oral sex and anal penetration.
La Jarvis Love said his grandmother allowed him to work various jobs at the school, which he said gave West more opportunities to abuse him. He said the only person he told about the abuse was his grandmother, who confronted West but was told nothing out of the ordinary was happening.
He said the abuse has left him with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
When asked by West’s attorney, Wallie Stuckey, why he didn’t tell anyone, La Jarvis Love said he feared West.
“When you’re being groomed, you think everything is OK,” La Jarvis Love said.
Joshua Love, who lives in Greenwood, testified that West set himself up as a mentor and began abusing him when he was in fourth grade. He also said that his grandmother granted West permission to paddle him and said this began in 1996.
Joshua Love said the first instance of abuse he could remember happened in the school cafeteria, where West was going to paddle him for misbehaving. He said West excused the cafeteria workers before taking him to a back room to fondle him.
Joshua Love said the abuse included oral sex, anal penetration and showing him pornography. He also said West attempted to have him and La Jarvis Love perform sex acts on each other during a trip to New York.
Both cousins testified they never spoke to each other about the abuse at the time.
Joshua Love alleged that West threatened to kill him if he told anyone about the abuse. He said he did not know La Jarvis Love had been abused until he told church officials about five years ago.
After Joshua’s testimony, the prosecution rested its case. The defense declined to call witnesses, and West declined to testify. | https://www.wane.com/news/former-franciscan-friar-convicted-of-1990s-child-sex-abuse/ | 2022-04-13T22:38:29 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/former-franciscan-friar-convicted-of-1990s-child-sex-abuse/ |
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Activate your digital account | https://www.redding.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redding.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2022%2F04%2F13%2Fredding-restaurants-covid-19-pandemic-inflation-food-groceries-california%2F9476386002%2F&gnt-tng-s=1 | 2022-04-13T22:38:33 | 0 | https://www.redding.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.redding.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2F2022%2F04%2F13%2Fredding-restaurants-covid-19-pandemic-inflation-food-groceries-california%2F9476386002%2F&gnt-tng-s=1 |
PARIS (AP) — French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen warned Wednesday against sending any more weapons to Ukraine, and called for a rapprochement between NATO and Russia once Moscow’s war in Ukraine winds down.
Le Pen, an outspoken nationalist who has long ties to Russia, also confirmed that if she unseats President Emmanuel Macron in France’s April 24 presidential runoff, she will pull France out of NATO’s military command and dial back French support for the whole European Union.
Macron, a pro-EU centrist, is facing a harder-than-expected fight to stay in power, in part because the economic impact of the war is hitting poor households the hardest. France’s European partners are worried that a possible Le Pen presidency could undermine Western unityas the U.S. and Europe seek to support Ukraine and end Russia’s ruinous war on its neighbor.
Asked about military aid to Ukraine, Le Pen said she would continue defense and intelligence support.
“(But) I’m more reserved about direct arms deliveries. Why? Because … the line is thin between aid and becoming a co-belligerent,” the far-right leader said, citing concerns about an “escalation of this conflict that could bring a whole number of countries into a military commitment.”
Earlier Wednesday, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal said France had sent 100 million euros ($109 million) worth of weapons to Ukraine in recent weeks as part of a flow of Western arms.
Earlier in his term, Macron had tried to reach out to Russian President Vladimir Putin to improve Russia’s relations with the West, and Macron met with Putin weeks before the Russian invasion in an unsuccessful effort to prevent it. Since then, however, France has supported EU sanctions against Moscow and has offered sustained support to Ukraine.
Le Pen also said France should strike a more independent path from the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.
And despite the atrocities that Russian troops have committed in Ukraine, Le Pen said that NATO should seek a “strategic rapprochement” with Russia once the war is over. Such a relationship would be “in the interest of France and Europe and I think even of the United States,” she said, to stop Russia from forging a stronger alliance with world power China.
She did not directly address the horrors unfolding in Ukraine.
Le Pen was speaking at a press conference Wednesday to lay out her foreign policy plans, which include halting aid to African countries unless they take back “undesirable” migrants seeking entry to France. She also wants to slash support for international efforts to improve women’s reproductive health in poor countries, increase minority rights or solve environmental problems.
At the end of the event, protesters held up a poster showing a 2017 meeting between Le Pen and Putin. One activist was pulled out of the room. Anti-racism protesters also held a small demonstration outside.
“The election of Madame Le Pen would mean electing an admirer of Putin’s regime, an autocratic regime and an admirer of Putin’s imperialistic logic,” said Dominique Sopo, head of the group SOS Racism. “It would mean that France would become a vassal to Putin’s Russia.”
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Follow all AP stories related to France’s 2022 presidential election at https://apnews.com/hub/ french-election-2022.
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Follow all AP stories on Russia’s war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine. | https://www.wane.com/news/frances-le-pen-warns-against-sending-weapons-to-ukraine/ | 2022-04-13T22:38:36 | 1 | https://www.wane.com/news/frances-le-pen-warns-against-sending-weapons-to-ukraine/ |
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday defied mounting pressure to end truck inspections that have gridlocked the U.S.-Mexico border for days, backing up cargo for miles and spoiling produce shipments, saying he would not repeal his new policy at all bridges until there are more assurances of security.
Abbott did lift inspections at one international bridge after announcing what he said was an agreement for more enhanced security with Nuevo Leon Gov. Samuel García, whose Mexican state is across the border from Laredo.
But the most dramatic backups of commercial trucks along Texas’ 1,200-mile border have occurred at other bridges that do not share a border with Nuevo Leon. That includes the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, which has been effectively closed since Monday by trucker protests.
Abbott said he hoped other Mexican states would follow Nuevo Leon and also reach agreements with Texas.
Pressure on Abbott had continued to mount, including from allies of the two-term governor.
The Texas Trucking Association, which has endorsed Abbott for reelection, said that the current situation “cannot be sustained” as the delays postponed deliveries and threatened to empty store shelves.
The Mexican governors of Coahuila and Tamaulipas, which both border Texas, also sent Abbott a letter calling the inspections overzealous and “creating havoc and economic pain” on both sides of the border.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — One of the busiest trade ports on the U.S.-Mexico border remained effectively closed Wednesday as frustration and traffic snarls mounted over orders by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott requiring extra inspections of commercial trucks as part of the Republican’s sprawling border security operation.
Since Monday, Mexican truckers have blocked the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in protest after Abbott last week directed state troopers to stop and inspect trucks coming into Texas. Unusually long backups — some lasting 12 hours or longer — have stacked up elsewhere along Texas’ roughly 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) border.
The Mexican government said that Abbott’s order was causing “serious damage” to trade, and that cross-border traffic had plummeted to a third of normal levels. On Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki called Abbott’s order “unnecessary and redundant.”
The gridlock is the fallout of an initiative that Abbott says is needed to curb human trafficking and the flow of drugs. Abbott ordered the inspections as part of “unprecedented actions” he promised in response to the Biden administration winding down a public health law that has limited asylum-seekers in the name of preventing the spread of COVID-19.
But critics question how the inspections are meeting Abbott’s objective, while business owners and experts complain of financial losses and warn U.S. grocery shoppers could notice shortages as soon as this week.
Frustration is also spreading within members of Abbott’s own party: Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, a Republican, called the inspections a “catastrophic policy” that is forcing some trucks to reroute hundreds of miles to Arizona.
“I do describe it as a crisis, because this is not the normal way of doing business,” said Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, whose county includes the bridge in Pharr. “You’re talking about billions of dollars. When you stop that process, I mean, there are many, many, many, many people that are affected.”
The shutdowns and slowdowns have set off some of widest backlash to date of Abbott’s multibillion-dollar border operation, which the two-term governor has made the cornerstone of his administration. Texas has thousands of state troopers and National Guard members on the border and has converted prisons into jails for migrants arrested on state trespassing charges.
Abbott warned last week that inspections would “dramatically slow” border traffic, but he hasn’t addressed the backups or port shutdowns since then. The governor planned a press conference for Wednesday afternoon in Laredo.
In a video posted to Instagram, Nuevo Leon Gov. Samuel García said he planned to meet with Abbott on Wednesday and reassure him that “he has no reason to worry over drugs, nor migration.” The video showed aerial shots of the Colombia port of entry upriver from Nuevo Laredo and images of Mexico authorities inspecting trucks. He said Mexico would implement “specific checkpoints” on Thursday “to show that there is not a single trailer carrying any of the two issues that we know worry him.”
The disruptions at some of the world’s busiest international trade ports could pose economic and political threats to Abbott, who is seeking a third term in November. Democrat Beto O’Rourke, the former presidential candidate who is running against Abbott, said during a stop in Pharr on Tuesday that the inspections were doing nothing to halt the flow of migrants and were worsening supply chain issues.
He was joined by Joe Arevalo, owner of Keystone Cold, a cold-storage warehouse on the border. He said that although Texas troopers have always inspected some trucks crossing the border “they’ve never, ever, ever held up a complete system or a complete supply chain.”
An estimated 3,000 trucks cross the Pharr bridge on a normal day, according to the National Freight Transportation Chamber. The bridge is the largest land port for produce, such as leafy green vegetables, entering the U.S.
Mexico supplies about two-thirds of the produce sold in Texas.
“We’re living through a nightmare, and we’re already suffering through a very delicate supply chain from the pandemic and to try to regrow the business,” Arevalo said.
The additional inspections are conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety, which said that as of Monday, it had inspected more than 3,400 commercial vehicles and placed more than 800 “out of service” for violations that included defective brakes, tires and lighting. It made no mention of whether the inspections turned up migrants or drugs.
Jerry Pacheco, executive director of the International Business Accelerator and president of the Border Industrial Association, said the protests were costing businesses millions of dollars a day.
“It’s going to affect all of us, all of us in the United States. Your car parts are going to be delivered late, your computer — if you ordered a Dell or HP tablet, those are going to be disrupted.”
Ed Anderson, a professor at the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin, compared the disruptions to those caused by February’s trucker blockade in Canada that forced auto plants on both sides of the border to shut down or scale back production.
Anderson said consumers would likely begin noticing the effects by the end of this week, if not sooner.
“Either prices are going to spike or shelves are going to be low,” he said.
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Associated Press reporters Acacia Coronado. Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Mark Stevenson in Mexico City contributed to this report. | https://www.wane.com/news/frustration-grows-over-truck-backlogs-at-texas-mexico-border-2/ | 2022-04-13T22:38:43 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/frustration-grows-over-truck-backlogs-at-texas-mexico-border-2/ |
BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s Interior Ministry said Wednesday it has authorized raising the rainbow flag at federal government buildings on some occasions, a move meant to end discussions about unclear rules and signal acceptance of diversity.
The ministry said that flying the rainbow flag “must be related to a concrete date,” such as Pride marches or the June 28 anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall uprisings in New York that helped propel a global LGBTQ movement. There are some national holidays and other days when it won’t be allowed.
The ministry said that, until now, there had been no rule formally allowing the flag, “which in the past has frequently led to discussions.”
“We are a modern and diverse country,” Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement. “It is high time that we as state institutions also show that more clearly.”
“We want discrimination against people because of their sexual identity to end in all areas of society,” she added. “We want to show solidarity with all those who still experience exclusion.”
Faeser’s decision comes as Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition of three socially liberal parties, which took office in December, pursues an agenda of social reforms.
The government has launched a drive to remove from the country’s criminal code aban on doctors “advertising” abortion services. Among other things, it also wants to legalize the sale of cannabis for recreational purposes, ease the path to German citizenship and lift restrictions on dual citizenship.
The government also wants to scrap 40-year-old legislation that requires transsexual people to get a psychological assessment and a court decision before officially changing gender, a process that often involves intimate questions. It is to be replaced with a new “self-determination law.” | https://www.wane.com/news/germany-oks-raising-rainbow-flag-at-government-buildings/ | 2022-04-13T22:38:50 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/germany-oks-raising-rainbow-flag-at-government-buildings/ |
A longtime friend and next-door neighbor of Johnny Depp testified Wednesday that Depp’s ex-wife, Amber Heard, had told him the movie star threw a phone at her and hit her inside the couple’s Los Angeles penthouse.
But Isaac Baruch said he never noticed any evidence of abuse on Heard’s face, both when he first saw her in the hallway or the next day in the sunlit lobby of their art deco-style building.
“She’s got her face out like this to show me, and I’m looking, and I inspect her face,” Baruch said of the encounter in May 2016. “And I don’t see anything. … I don’t see a cut, a bruise, swelling, redness.”
Baruch is the second witness called in the trial over Depp’s allegations that Heard falsely portrayed him as a domestic abuser. Depp says that an opinion piece Heard wrote for The Washington Post in 2018 indirectly defamed him.
Heard refers to herself in the article as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.” It doesn’t name Depp. But his attorneys argue that it clearly referenced a restraining order that Heard sought in May 2016, right after Depp told her he wanted a divorce.
Depp denies abusing Heard.
Baruch, a painter, has been friends with Depp since 1980. He also worked at the Viper Room when the “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor partly owned the famed Los Angeles club. Baruch said Depp has financially supported him, providing him with places to live and giving him about $100,000 over the years.
Baruch testified that he noticed no makeup on Heard’s face when she said Depp hit her. But during cross-examination, Baruch conceded he didn’t know if Heard — who worked with cosmetics giant L’Oreal — had applied any concealer, foundation, powder or tint.
At one point, Baruch got emotional, stating that Heard needs to “take responsibility and move on.”
He said he never saw violence from Depp.
“His family has been completely wrecked by all of this stuff, and it’s not fair,” Baruch said. “It’s not right, what she did. … It’s insane.”
Baruch also testified that he saw security video showing Heard’s sister Whitney throwing a fake punch at Heard’s face while the two waited for an elevator in the building where he and Depp and Heard lived.
“And then they start laughing,” Baruch said.
Depp’s attorneys argue that the sisters were practicing for a real punch to to feign abuse from Depp.
But Heard’s lawyers have said the evidence will show that Depp physically and sexually assaulted Heard on multiple occasions. And they’ve argued that Depp’s denials lack credibility because he frequently drank and used drugs to the point of blacking out and failing to remember anything he did.
The first witness called for the trial was Depp’s older sister, Christi Dembrowski, who faced a barrage of questions from Heard’s lawyers about Depp’s alcohol and drug use.
When she took the stand Tuesday, Dembrowski said she and her brother endured a difficult childhood in which Depp learned to hide from an abusive mother. Dembrowski, who also worked as Depp’s personal manager, said she saw the same pattern in Depp’s relationship with Heard, adding that she would book an extra hotel room for Depp if Heard started a fight.
But Dembrowski struggled on cross-examination when asked why she sent texts to Depp in February 2014 that said, “Stop drinking. Stop coke. Stop pills.”
Heard’s lawyers asked similar questions Wednesday, zeroing in on a text exchange between Heard and Dembrowski in February 2014.
“Ms. Heard says, ‘JD is on a bender,’ and your response is, ‘Where are the kids?’ — correct?” J. Benjamin Rottenborn asked.
Dembrowski said that was correct. She also confirmed a 2014 email exchange she had with a doctor who treated Depp’s addiction to pain medication.
“You believe that your brother needed help with drugs and alcohol?” Rottenborn asked.
Dembrowski responded that she was concerned about Depp’s use of one medication but didn’t believe that he had a problem with drugs or alcohol overall, or that he romanticized drug culture.
Both Depp and Heard are expected to testify at the trial in Fairfax County Circuit Court, scheduled for six weeks, along with actors Paul Bettany and James Franco and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.
Heard’s lawyers had sought to have the case tried in California, where the actors reside. But a judge ruled that Depp was within his rights to bring the case in Virginia because The Washington Post’s computer servers for its online edition are located in the county. Depp’s lawyers have said they brought the case in Virginia in part because the laws here are more favorable to their case. | https://www.wane.com/news/heard-lawyers-zero-in-on-depps-drug-and-alcohol-use/ | 2022-04-13T22:38:56 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/heard-lawyers-zero-in-on-depps-drug-and-alcohol-use/ |
Actor Cuba Gooding Jr. pleaded guilty Wednesday to forcibly touching a woman at a Manhattan nightclub in 2018, according to the Associated Press. The sexual misconduct allegation was among many made against Gooding, who was arrested three years ago by the New York Police Department.
The AP reported that Gooding, 54, previously pleaded not guilty to this charge and several other misdemeanor counts. The Washington Post has reached out to his representatives for comment on Wednesday’s plea.
Gooding was arrested in June 2019 on a misdemeanor charge after a woman told police he touched her without her consent a few days earlier at the Magic Hour Rooftop Bar & Lounge. A few months later, according to ABC News, two more women came forward and accused him of forcibly touching them in 2018 at Tao Downtown and the Lavo New York nightclub, respectively.
In Manhattan Criminal Court Wednesday, Gooding told the judge that he “kissed the waitress on her lips” without her consent at the Lavo nightclub, according to the AP, which added that the plea deal does not call for any jail time. Had the case gone to trial, prosecutors would have been able to seek testimony from two women whose allegations did not lead to criminal charges, and who were among 19 additional people who have also accused Gooding of misconduct, AP reported.
Gooding, who broke out with 1991’s “Boyz N the Hood,” is best known for his Oscar-winning turn in the 1996 film “Jerry Maguire.” He earned an Emmy nomination in 2016 for playing the title role in “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.” He appeared to take a break from acting after his 2019 arrest but has since starred in a few films, one of which is in postproduction.
In January, Reuters reported that Gooding asked a federal judge to dismiss a $6 million lawsuit from 2020 claiming he raped a woman twice in 2013. Gooding has denied the allegations.
The auto show, expected after two years of lockdowns to drive off into an irrelevant sunset, isn't dead yet. Following the vibrant Munich auto show in the fall, the New York International Auto Show will open to the public on Friday, April 15, at Manhattan's Javits Center and will run through…
The Kremlin said on Wednesday it categorically disagreed with President Joe Biden's description of Russia's actions in Ukraine as "genocide," and it accused Washington of hypocrisy.
The debut of train sets intended to replace Amtrak's Acela fleet will be delayed another 18 months, according to the passenger rail service, citing "rigorous" testing requirements to operate the high-speed technology for the first time in the United States. | https://www.unionleader.com/actor-cuba-gooding-jr-pleads-guilty-to-forcible-touching/article_10174652-6a72-5d09-9c4b-7a3ed8fcc67f.html | 2022-04-13T22:39:04 | 1 | https://www.unionleader.com/actor-cuba-gooding-jr-pleads-guilty-to-forcible-touching/article_10174652-6a72-5d09-9c4b-7a3ed8fcc67f.html |
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Patients at the flagship hospital in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region are dying amid shortages of life-saving drugs and oxygen, according to health officials.
At least 60 patients with kidney disease have died since July, the result of a lack of supplies needed for regular dialysis, a doctor at Ayder Hospital in Mekele, Tigray’s capital, told the Associated Press.
Another 81 patients have died “directly because of a lack of oxygen” since the conflict between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or TPLF, erupted in Nov. 2020, the doctor said.
The doctor spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
Tigray, in northern Ethiopia, has been cut off from the rest of the country since the TPLF recaptured most of the region in late June. Its road networks, banking services and phone lines are all severed, a situation the United Nations has described as a “de facto blockade” imposed by Ethiopia’s federal government.
Ethiopian authorities didn’t respond to a request for comment on dwindling supplies at Mekele’s Ayder Hospital. The institution is a federal teaching hospital, meaning the education ministry in Addis Ababa, the federal capital is responsible for allocating its budget.
The hospital’s 3,600 staff have not been paid for months and many do not have enough money to buy food, hospital officials said, highlighting challenges that reflect a wider humanitarian crisis in the region.
More than 90% of Tigray’s 6 million people require humanitarian assistance, including 115,000 children who are severely malnourished, according to U.N. figures.
Some shortages have been alleviated by aid flights operated by the World Health Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which have flown in 438 metric tonnes (482 tons) of medical and nutrition supplies since late January.
But these supplies represent just 4% of what’s required, according to experts.
As a result, staff at Ayder Hospital say they have resorted to washing and reusing surgical gloves and treating patients with expired medicines. They are also recycling plastic breathing tubes and items used for dialysis.
“This is really risky for the patients; they can die of infections and other complications,” said the doctor. “Doctors elsewhere in the world would be shocked to hear we are doing this.”
The hospital also has been forced to cancel surgeries because of power cuts and a lack of supplies. Some services have been forced to close altogether, including the cancer center, which has treated 1,769 patients since Nov. 2020 but has now run out of drugs for chemotherapy.
“Since July we received no chemotherapy drugs at all,” he said. “We just tell the cancer patients to go back home and they die. There is nothing we can do for them.”
A surgeon at the hospital, who also asked not to be named for safety reasons, said the stock of intravenous fluids has run so low that colleagues have resorted to making their own using “different chemicals” from the hospital’s store.
“It is not ideal,” the surgeon said. “It means when patients go into shock, you can’t resuscitate them. It is so frustrating. You need to insert an IV line and give fluids, but there are no fluids.”
He said shortages are so dire that some patients’ relatives must personally buy medicines from private pharmacies at inflated prices and bring them to the hospital before their family members can be treated.
Patients with kidney disease are currently receiving dialysis once a week, down from three times a week before the war, while the hospital is unable to admit new patients with kidney disease due to a lack of supplies, the doctor said.
Ethiopian authorities declared an immediate humanitarian truce on March 24, a move they said would allow aid to enter Tigray. But since then just one convoy of 20 aid trucks and one fuel tanker have entered Tigray, far short of the 100 trucks the U.N. says must enter every day to meet the region’s needs.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the war, according to estimates by international aid groups.
But there is little hope for peace talks as Ethiopian authorities have outlawed the TPLF, effectively making its leaders fugitives on the run. | https://www.wane.com/news/hospital-in-ethiopias-tigray-struggles-to-treat-patients/ | 2022-04-13T22:39:03 | 0 | https://www.wane.com/news/hospital-in-ethiopias-tigray-struggles-to-treat-patients/ |