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Full Episode: Defense News Weekly, Oct. 1, 2017On the Oct. 1 edition of Defense News Weekly, get a look at America's future nuclear missiles, how to stop explosive-packed drones and the military's new handgun.35 hours ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/01/full-episode-defense-news-weekly-oct-1-2017/ | 2022-08-13T12:30:29Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/01/full-episode-defense-news-weekly-oct-1-2017/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
10 Caisson Platoon soldiers earn new Military Horseman badgeCharlsy Panzino reports on 10 soldiers of the Army's "Old Guard" being the first to be awarded the Military Horseman badge--in recognition of their unique--and solemn duty. (Photojournalist: Ben Murray/Editor: Jeff Martin)35 hours ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/03/10-caisson-platoon-soldiers-earn-new-military-horseman-badge/ | 2022-08-13T12:30:35Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/03/10-caisson-platoon-soldiers-earn-new-military-horseman-badge/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Bowe Bergdahl expected to plead guilty, avoiding trial.
5 years ago
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Bowe Bergdahl expected to plead guilty, avoiding trial.
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How GAO went from a small accounting office to Congress’ supreme auditor in 100 years | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/06/bowe-bergdahl-expected-to-plead-guilty-avoiding-trial/ | 2022-08-13T12:30:42Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/06/bowe-bergdahl-expected-to-plead-guilty-avoiding-trial/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Sections
Management
Acquisition
IT & Networks
Federal Oversight
GovCon
Your Career
Thought Leadership
Pay & Benefits
Management
Budget
Leadership
HR
Career
Federal Oversight
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Congress
Watchdogs
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Regulations
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U.S. military halts some exercises with Gulf allies over Qatar dispute.
35 hours ago
Latest Videos
U.S. military halts some exercises with Gulf allies over Qatar dispute.
Trending Now
Federal worker wages could cap military pay raise
Vaccine mandate for federal employees awaits court ruling
Long-term care insurance: Does the federal plan have you covered?
Why do federal pay raises lag the private sector?
How GAO went from a small accounting office to Congress’ supreme auditor in 100 years | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/06/us-military-halts-some-exercises-with-gulf-allies-over-qatar-dispute/ | 2022-08-13T12:30:48Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/06/us-military-halts-some-exercises-with-gulf-allies-over-qatar-dispute/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AUSA 2017: The Trump effectFrom next-generation tanks to the impact of a Donald Trump presidency, Defense News land warfare reporter Jen Judson breaks down what to expect at this year's AUSA Annual Meeting and Exposition. (Christian Garzone and Alan Lessig/Staff)5 years ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/08/ausa-2017-the-trump-effect/ | 2022-08-13T12:30:51Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/08/ausa-2017-the-trump-effect/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
C4ISRNET Editor Amber Corrin discusses National Cyber Security Awareness Month with Essye Miller, the Pentagon’s deputy chief information officer for cybersecurity, and how Miller’s office is working to help protect the military from cyberattacks. (Daniel Woolfolk/Staff) | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/08/dods-deputy-cio-talks-cybersecurity/ | 2022-08-13T12:30:58Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/08/dods-deputy-cio-talks-cybersecurity/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Who will be the Army’s Best Warrior?Defense News’ James Williams joins competitors on Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, as they strive to become the Army’s next “Best Warrior.” (James Williams and Daniel Woolfolk/Staff)5 years ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/08/who-will-be-the-armys-best-warrior/ | 2022-08-13T12:31:04Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/08/who-will-be-the-armys-best-warrior/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lessons learned from pilot tests at the Census BureauCensus' technology leads explain what the bureau has learned from pilot tests in preparation for the 2020 census.35 hours ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/09/lessons-learned-from-pilot-tests-at-the-census-bureau/ | 2022-08-13T12:31:11Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/09/lessons-learned-from-pilot-tests-at-the-census-bureau/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Skill 59: Barricade an outward-opening doorKeep an active shooter out of a room that uses an outward opening door.35 hours ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/09/skill-59-barricade-an-outward-opening-door/ | 2022-08-13T12:31:17Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/09/skill-59-barricade-an-outward-opening-door/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
What are the Army's six major modernization priorities?Maj. Gen. Robert Dyess, the acting director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center, offers a look at the service's top priorities when it comes to modernization.35 hours ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/09/what-are-the-armys-six-major-modernization-priorities/ | 2022-08-13T12:31:24Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/09/what-are-the-armys-six-major-modernization-priorities/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Take a look at Roboteam's TIGR robotShahar Abuhazira, the CEO of Roboteam, speaks with Defense News Executive Editor Jill Aitoro about the company's latest bomb disposal robot at the 2017 AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.35 hours ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/10/take-a-look-at-roboteams-tigr-robot/ | 2022-08-13T12:31:30Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2017/10/10/take-a-look-at-roboteams-tigr-robot/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Afghan vet on Kabul "mess" and why problems there may be "baked in"Gil Barndollar, a veteran of the Afghanistan war and a senior fellow at Defense Priorities, weighs in on the turmoil facing the nation.35 hours ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2021/08/23/afghan-vet-on-kabul-mess-and-why-problems-there-may-be-baked-in/ | 2022-08-13T12:31:37Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2021/08/23/afghan-vet-on-kabul-mess-and-why-problems-there-may-be-baked-in/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Keynote: Lt. Gen. Michael GroenThe commander of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center says the Pentagon has to overcome its stovepipes when it comes to AI.4 months ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2022/04/20/keynote-lt-gen-michael-groen/ | 2022-08-13T12:31:44Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2022/04/20/keynote-lt-gen-michael-groen/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Northrop wins $3 billion missile defense contractNorthrop wins $3 billion missile defense contract and Honeywell gets $100 million for an Indian trainer jet.29 hours ago | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2022/08/12/northrop-wins-3-billion-missile-defense-contract/ | 2022-08-13T12:31:50Z | federaltimes.com | control | https://www.federaltimes.com/video/2022/08/12/northrop-wins-3-billion-missile-defense-contract/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As part of activities to mark this year’s International Youth Day, the Executive Chairman of Itire-Ikate Local Council Development Area, Hon (Dr) Ahmed Olanrewaju Apatira has organised training in livestock breeding and exhibition to empower the youth in Lagos State.
Themed, “Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating A World For All Ages”, the International Youth Day one-day training program was held in conjunction with the National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, Itire-Ikate LCDA chapter and YEFADOT group of companies.
The youths, Apatira said, are the hope of the future and an integral part of every society that are crucial to national growth.
Speaking on how to secure and sustain a better future for the teeming youth population, the council boss said, “Youths are integral parts of every community and nation. They are the active population whose numbers determine the future and economy of every nation.
Nigeria, being the most populous country on the continent of Africa has an army of youths who unfortunately are unemployed. To secure their future and bail them out of uncertainties is why our administration has organised this one-day livestock training and exhibition program.
Like a coin with two sides, the youths, when productively engaged can be agents of positive development and generational change but if misused, they can be destructive and chaotic.
I, therefore, urge the government at all levels to invest massively in the future of our youths, as we have always in Itire-Ikate LCDA, in order to bring their potential to reality.
As we celebrate this year’s International Youth Day, I am also urging Nigeria’s youths to stand for everything positive. They should stand for positive growth, good governance, justice, equity, peace, unity, love and patriotism.
I want to advise them to shun acts that could threaten their future and becoming.
They should say no to cultism, hooliganism, drug addiction, thuggery, armed banditry, terrorism and other forms of social vices that are capable of tearing apart the country’s garment of unity, peace and progress.
I, on behalf of the entire people of the LCDA and the management of the council, join the world, to celebrate the younger generation for adding positive values to governance in the district over the years.”
The council boss called for synergy between government at all levels and the youths, saying, “I call on our political leaders to synergise with the youths to build a platform that supports a better and brighter future.
It is our collective responsibility to bridge the gap between the youths and the older generation to inspire genuine support, productive values, the flow of opportunities and valuable experiences required to achieve their goals in life. We salute our diligent and virtuous youths. Happy International Youth Day, Nigerians!”
International Youth Day is observed on August 12 every year to create awareness and draw attention to issues affecting youths across the globe.
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- 2022 Int’l Youth Day: Lagos council, NYCN train youths on livestock breeding, exhibition | https://tribuneonlineng.com/2022-intl-youth-day-lagos-council-nycn-train-youths-on-livestock-breeding-exhibition/ | 2022-08-13T12:34:36Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/2022-intl-youth-day-lagos-council-nycn-train-youths-on-livestock-breeding-exhibition/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ebonyi landslide: Over 65 households to evacuate as FG approves reconstruction — Umahi
The Federal Government has approved the request of the Ebonyi State government to assist in the reconstruction of the retaining wall of the Ogwuma Edda, a section of the Ebunwana-Ekoli Edda road in Afikpo South Local Government Area affected by the landslide.
Governor David Nweze Umahi announced this at the weekend when he inspected efforts to clear earlier blocked by the slide which occurred two weeks ago.
According to him, over sixty-five households inhabiting the hill along the retaining wall would be relocated to pave way for remedial work on the road. He then appealed for understanding from residents of the area to enable government to handle the situation.
He, however, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for immediate approval of the request for intervention.
“Let me thank our dear President very highly and I want the Edda people to thank him too.
*I did not even see him. I just wrote a letter to him while in Abuja and he immediately approved an intervention.
“What will happen is that we will get a place to resettle these people.
“We need to have a kind of small estate where these people will have to settle.
“Work will start immediately from Monday. We will know the houses that will be going and we will mark them.
“You will indicate where these people are going to be relocated and I want you people as Edda Community to help those people who will no longer stay here because when they stay here, not only that their lives will be at stake but also it will cause more slide.
“Slide is a very dangerous thing. It gulps a lot of money to remedy. So, let those who are staying near there be evacuated.
“We need to be our brother’s keepers.
Governor Umahi further directed the Chairman of the Council, Dr Eni Uduma Chima to secure a new settlement for residents of the affected area for onward evacuation.
“65 houses must have to leave that place. There is nothing else we can do than save the life of our people.
“We will support you within the limit of our resources.”
Earlier, the Council Chairman, Dr Eni Uduma appreciated the Governor and the Federal Government for their timely intervention and pledged to partner with the government to tackle the ecological challenge.
Some residents of the area including Ezeogo Charles Azuenya, and Ezeogo Dickson Okorie among others, lauded the Governor for coming to their aide and promised to comply with the directive of the State Government.
Recall that the Ogwuma landslide occurred a few miles from the multi-million naira Inyere Edda bridge being constructed by Governor Umahi.
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How Workplace Sexual Harassment Forces Many Out Of Their Dream Jobs
Despite several laws prohibiting sexual harassment in Nigeria, many victims are forced to quit their dream jobs while others suffer depression as a result of unsolicited sexual advances from colleagues. FAITH ADEOYE reports. Over 65 households Over 65 households
If you want to keep your job and excel in your career, you need to do as I say,” Janet Abegunde’s boss said to her one fateful day. Miss Abegunde, a 24-year-old accountant who had just gotten her first job in one of the new generation banks, said she fell into depression after her boss sexually harassed her.Over 65 households. Over 65 households | https://tribuneonlineng.com/ebonyi-landslide-over-65-households-to-evacuate-as-fg-approves-reconstruction-umahi/ | 2022-08-13T12:34:49Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/ebonyi-landslide-over-65-households-to-evacuate-as-fg-approves-reconstruction-umahi/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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There are several events within your locality and beyond that can be life-changing. A life-changing event in this context could be a virtual or physical one.
With every life-changing event, you attend, you seem really excited and full of energy to take on the world with how much information you’ve been exposed to. However, after a while, it may seem as if you have not made a lasting change in your life. Regardless, you can still get the best of the event if you are intentional about putting certain things in place.
1. Know the theme of the event
It is expected that you come to an event with the knowledge of what it is about. Let’s start from there first. Why would you go to an event without knowing what the event is about?
If you attend a “life-changing” event without knowing what the event is about, then this act begs the question, “What are you doing there?”
Doing research on the theme of the event before going shows that you have a sense of direction. It is proper for you to get familiar with the theme, and get acquainted with the profile of the guest speaker(s), the dress code (if there’s any), and other relevant information pertaining to the event.
2. Create desires and expectations
If you have decided to attend this event that you think will be a defining moment for your career, relationships, or life in general, you shouldn’t go without your desires and expectations in mind, and your journal.
It is not overzealousness that makes you create desires before going to a life-changing event. Desires and expectations help you identify problems and questions that need solutions and answers, and above all, they help to direct your focus through the event.
3. Avoid lateness
In Africa, there is a popular saying, “African time”. This saying is assumed to mean that, when invited to an event, you make it a habit to come late to the event. You intentionally decide to avoid the fixed time.
Being late to a life-changing event makes you miss out on the defining moments that should not be missed. It makes you miss out on important information and important parts of the event. If it’s a virtual event, get data and ensure that your alarm is ready to notify you about the event in case you might want to forget. If it’s a physical event, you should get your outfit ready way before the event, and get other important things to be in place before the D-Day.
4. Have a journal
The brain has the tendency to forget. It also has a way of tricking you and making you believe that you will always remember details of the event whenever you’d like to.
Regardless of how life-changing an event might be, it would be thoughtful of you to journal points that resonate with you. Track important information with your pen, or in your notepad. The importance of this is that it would be pretty easy to refer to your notes and get reminded of those truths you have tracked in your notes.
It is also important to take down notes because of whenever you want to implement them.
5. Pay rapt attention
In order to get the most out of a life-changing event, you shouldn’t give in to the temptation of just writing to fill up the pages of your journal or notepad. It’s important for you to also pay rapt attention to what is being said in real-time.
It is impossible to track every word that is said at an event, but you can get on the safe side by paying rapt attention and writing cogent points.
When you pay rapt attention, you’ll know what needs to be written and what doesn’t need to be written.
6. Networking
Networking does you a lot of good. You get to connect with like-minded people. You could get opportunities, work on projects with people that you meet, build friendships, and do other good and relevant things that you could get by networking, etc.
Networking sure does build your social capital. So, if you want to get the most out of that life-changing event, network. Don’t leave the way you came.
7. Implementation
Of what use is the knowledge that is not applied? Your life will NOT show the result of things you have not implemented. Only knowledge that you put to use will yield results. The prove that you attended a life-changing event is in the results and the changes that can be traced to you.
Nothing will change, maybe a little will, if you don’t implement what you’ve learned.
Conclusively, for it to be a life-changing event, it means that the speakers have fed you well. Put to GOOD use what you have been fed with. While it’s important to create desires and expectations before the event, you should set up a plan for implementation after the event.
What have you not been doing before? What will change now?
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The Kogi State Commissioner of Police, Edward Egbuka has ordered for an investigation into the case of an alleged kidnap, killing and disappearance of body parts of a young lady identified as Miss Sherrifah, a fifteen-year-old girl in Idah by her father.
According to a source, a man identified as Dauda Ibrahim, her father, Staff of Federal Polytechnic Idah in the department of Works and fire Services unit of the Polytechnic conspired with one Isah Adams of the same department and one other person known as Adah in kidnapping and killing of his daughter.
Miss Sherrifah was said to have been kidnapped on 4th August 2022 at their residence in Okenya along Itayi street of Igalamela/Odolu Local Government area of Kogi State.
Her remains were a few days after discovered with the body mutilated and some parts missing.
The suspects Dauda Ibrahim and Isah Adams are currently in Police custody at the Area Command Office Idah while the third suspect Adah is currently at large.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Williams Ayah, said the Commissioner of Police has directed that the matter be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department in Lokoja.
He assured that the command would carry out a thorough investigation into the matter with the aim of unravelling the circumstances leading to the death of the kidnap and death of the deceased.
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GRANDVIEW — Payton and Rylee Turner are 11 and 9, respectively, and feeling a mix of emotions. The day is young, but they’ve been plenty busy. Their parents, Jordyn and Michael Turner, run 4 Turner Farms in the West Valley, and the family woke up at 5 a.m. to drive to the fair.
The sisters cleaned and swept their animals’ pens, washed their goats and showed two goats apiece at the Yakima Valley Fair and Rodeo’s Livestock Market Sale in Grandview.
By 10 a.m. Friday, the family was resting in the shade. The sisters were excited. Payton won grand champion for her market goat. Winning, said Rylee, was the best part.
But other emotions were welling up. Their goats were sold and selling is sad.
“Because I love him,” Payton said.
That sentiment was shared by other 4-Hers. Levi Mercer, 10, was fresh off selling his reserve champion market goat, Crackers. He was happy about doing well, but emotions were swirling. As Levi puts it, he’s losing a good goat.
The young entrants into the livestock industry understand what’s at stake, though. Michael Turner said his daughters have raised their goats since birth (of the goats) and they’ve known that this day would come. More than 250 animals were on display at the Livestock Market Sale. It’s the culmination of months of work for kids aged 9 and older, who have raised goats, swine, lambs and steers in 4-H or FFA programs for auction at the fair.
Businesses and community members gathered to bid on the livestock and support the kids. Each child led a single animal into the display area to show the crowd. Bids came hot and fast, ranging from a few dollars a pound to more than $20 a pound for the champion livestock.
The buyers decide whether to send the livestock to a butcher for the meat, take the animals home or turn it — selling it at a prearranged price to a meat processor.
The young people spent months feeding and watering, cleaning pens and taking responsibility for animals. The sale was a chance see the fruits of their labor.
Chris Van Bell is a livestock director at the fair. He points out that the project provides more than just money.
“They buy it, they feed it, they sell it,” Van Bell said. “It’s breaking them into business.”
Lessons to learn
Organizers and parents agree that the job of raising an animal for sale teaches important lessons. There’s the practical knowledge — caring for livestock. Payton is now familiar with goats’ anatomy and physical needs. At the same time, there are overarching lessons in responsibility that are slowly, but surely, being imparted. Michael and Jordyn Turner said their daughters have had to learn to work together and build schedules for caring for the animals.
Andy Schlenker’s daughter showed two animals on Friday. He said the project showed her how to take care of animals.
“It sets a good foundation for responsibility,” Schlenker said.
It’s hard-earned experience. Owen and Allison Hartliep both raised goats since April for this year’s fair. It’s their second year at the livestock market sale, and they said it’s not always easy.
“Usually there’s a few escapes,” Owen said. “Cleaning the pen on hot days, it’s not fun.”
But the siblings enjoy the community. Owen is using the opportunity to save money for college.
“They learn so much about everything. About finance — you have to keep record books on your project. They know how much they spend and how much they make,” said Bob Fay, who’s helped organize the fair for more than 40 years. “Whether they make or lose money, they learn responsibility, they learn the animal is dependent on them.”
Community support
The livestock sale is also an opportunity for the community to come together and show its support for its youth. Schlenker was planning to lodge bids on the livestock.
“Most of it is just a donation,” he said. “We’re just here to support the kids.”
His friend, Tony Jones, also planned to make a few bids. It’s an important way to give back to the livestock and agricultural industries, he said.
“You grow up in the Valley, so you get to know a lot of these farmers and ranchers and you want to support them,” Jones said.
He added that it was important for the kids to get something back. “Their work is being paid for.”
Van Bell said that many of the winning bids end up come from local businesses that want to be active in the community.
“That, to me, is America as we should see it and it should be. Families supporting families and communities supporting families,” Fay said. “We get a lot of that right here, we get really good support from the whole Lower Valley.”
Those opportunities are here to stay. The kids will keep coming back. This is the Turner family’s second year raising livestock. Even though Payton Turner is sad about selling her goat, she said she will be back again next year. Levi Mercer won grand champion for his goat last year, and he will likely return in 2023.
“We’ve gotten there, we’re still here and we’re going forward,” Fay said.
The Yakima Valley Fair and Rodeo runs through Saturday, Aug. 13, when it will end at midnight. Contests will take place throughout the day on Saturday. The rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m., with a concert to follow. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/lower_valley/kids-learn-about-responsibility-livestock-at-yakima-valley-fair/article_52d1f6a2-1a70-11ed-b45b-2f23c5f8f239.html | 2022-08-13T12:49:54Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/lower_valley/kids-learn-about-responsibility-livestock-at-yakima-valley-fair/article_52d1f6a2-1a70-11ed-b45b-2f23c5f8f239.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A federal judge on Friday unsealed the search warrant and property receipt from the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
The search, documents show, was an evidence-gathering step in a national security investigation about presidential records at Mar-a-Lago. Trump owns the sprawling estate, and it is his primary residence as well as a members-only club and resort.
The FBI recovered 11 sets of classified documents from its search, including some materials marked as "top secret/SCI" -- one of the highest levels of classification, according to documents from the search warrant that were released Friday.
It identifies three federal crimes that the Justice Department is looking at as part of its investigation:
- violations of the Espionage Act
- obstruction of justice
- criminal handling of government records.
The inclusion of the crimes indicates the Justice Department has probable cause to investigate those offenses as it was gathering evidence in the search. No one has been charged with a crime at this time.
Here are some key lines from the search warrant and receipt.
'Receipt' of removed items
One of the newly unsealed documents is a search warrant "receipt" listing the items that the FBI collected from Mar-a-Lago.
That document reveals FBI agents removed more than 20 boxes from Trump's resort and residence in Palm Beach, as well as binders of photos, sets of classified government materials and at least one handwritten note.
According to the search warrant receipt, federal agents seized:
- 1 set of "top secret/SCI" documents
- 4 sets of "top secret" documents
- 3 sets of "secret" documents
- 3 sets of "confidential" documents.
The warrant receipt didn't detail what such classified documents were about.
Among the items taken:
- A document about pardoning Roger Stone, a staunch Trump ally who was convicted in 2019 of lying to Congress during its probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election. The Stone-related material taken from Mar-a-Lago was listed in the warrant receipt as "Executive Grant of Clemency re: Roger Jason Stone, Jr."
- Material about the "President of France."
Trump pardoned Stone before leaving office, shielding him from a three-year prison term. It's unclear how the Stone-related document seized during the search is tied to the broader criminal probe into Trump's potential mishandling of classified materials.
Areas authorized for search
The judge authorized the FBI to search what the bureau called the "45 Office," as well as "all other rooms or areas" at Mar-a-Lago that were available to Trump and his staff for storing boxes and documents.
"The locations to be searched include the '45 Office,' all storage rooms, and all other rooms or areas within the premises used or available to be used by FPOTUS and his staff and in which boxes or documents could be stored, including all structures or buildings on the estate," the warrant says, using the acronym "FPOTUS" to refer to the Former President of the United States.
The FBI's warrant application to the judge specifically said that federal agents would avoid areas being rented or used by third parties, "such as Mar-a-Lago members" and "private guest suites." Trump owns the sprawling estate, and it is his primary residence as well as a members-only club and resort.
"It is described as a mansion with approximately 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, on a 17-acre estate," FBI agents told the judge in their application, describing the Mar-a-Lago property.
MORE: Read the search warrant for Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort
Timeline of the search warrant execution and release
Friday, August 5: Federal Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart signs the search warrant at 12:12 p.m., according to the warrant.
Monday, August 8: FBI agents execute the search warrant.
Thursday, August 11: Attorney General Merrick Garland announces that the Justice Department will ask a judge to unseal some of the search warrant documents, for the sake of transparency. Trump says in a late-night post on his Truth Social platform that he will "not oppose the release of documents" related to the search.
Friday, August 12: Reinhart approves the unsealing of the warrant, at the Justice Department's request and after Trump's lawyers agreed to the release.
CNN has reported that there has been an uptick in violent rhetoric against Reinhart on the pro-Trump internet. Amid those threats, the official website for the Southern District of Florida removed Reinhart's biography page, his contact information and his office address, CNN previously reported.
CNN previously did not name Reinhart because of the security concerns, but is doing so now because his name is now part of the public court record.
MORE: Timeline of DOJ's criminal inquiry into Trump taking classified docs to Mar-a-Lago
Trump team's response
The warrant receipts were signed by Trump attorney Christina Bobb, who has since spoken out about her presence at Mar-a-Lago during the search.
Bobb has complained that she and other Trump lawyers weren't permitted to observe the search while it happened, but it is not standard FBI procedure to allow observers during a search.
She signed two "receipts for property," which lists the items that the FBI took from Mar-a-Lago. Bobb signed these receipts at 6:19 p.m., when the federal agents were wrapping up their all-day search.
Bobb is a well-known promoter of pro-Trump conspiracy theories, including during her previous position at OAN, a far-right TV channel. CNN has previously reported that Bobb played a leading role in the Trump campaign's efforts in December 2020 to put forward slates of fake GOP electors in seven states.
Kash Patel, who has been designated by Trump to handle issues with his presidential records, blamed the General Services Administration (GSA) for boxes being at the resort, claiming on Fox that it "mistakenly packed some boxes and moved them to Mar-a-Lago."
A GSA spokesperson responded Friday that the responsibility for what is moved when a president leaves office "rests entirely with the outgoing president and their supporting staff."
Patel, a former national security official in the Trump administration, said that Trump declassified sets of documents at the end of his presidency. He wouldn't say whether the boxes recovered at Mar-a-Lago were part of that declassification.
When asked about the declassification process, Patel said that while there is a "normal" process for government employees, the president has "unilateral classification authority to classify or declassify. If he says something is declassified, that's it, then it's declassified."
There are federal regulations that lay out a process for a president to declassify documents.
This story has been updated with additional details Friday.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/key-lines-from-the-search-warrant-and-receipt-for-trumps-florida-home/article_23b3226b-d4a6-5d0e-a874-80abb5d77aad.html | 2022-08-13T12:50:04Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/key-lines-from-the-search-warrant-and-receipt-for-trumps-florida-home/article_23b3226b-d4a6-5d0e-a874-80abb5d77aad.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Photos taken at the scene of the fatal helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others were shared by a Los Angeles County firefighter during the cocktail hour at an awards ceremony a month after the crash, according to witness testimony.
On Wednesday, the trial was launched for a federal civil lawsuit filed by Bryant's widow, Vanessa Bryant, which claims that photos from the January 2020 crash were shared by county fire and sheriff's department employees in settings irrelevant to the investigation, including at a bar.
Former emergency medical technician and wife of a Los Angeles firefighter, Luella Weireter, testified in court on Friday that during the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California's Golden Mike awards in February 2020, she saw LA County firefighter Tony Imbrenda share photos of Bryant's remains and other images from the crash site with ceremony attendees.
Many firefighters attended the media event, which was also honoring fire department public information officers for their work informing the public about wildfires.
After a small group of people at her table convened to look at images on a cell phone, in what Weireter characterized as being like a party trick, she testified about seeing one firefighter break away from the group, saying, "I can't believe I just looked at Kobe's burnt up body, and now I'm about to eat."
After that comment, Vanessa Bryant could be seen in the courtroom with her head in her hands, rocking back and forth, crying.
Weireter is the cousin of Keri Altobelli, who, along with her husband John and daughter Alyssa, also perished in the helicopter crash.
About two weeks after the awards ceremony, Weireter drove to a county fire station in Malibu and filed an official complaint with a battalion chief, she testified. That same day, the LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone called her to follow up.
Also Friday, Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Deputy Doug Johnson testified that he was instructed to document "the entire scene," including taking photos of human remains.
Johnson, who was the first of two deputies to arrive at the crash scene, said he took about 25 photos at the site on his personal cell phone because he was not issued a work phone, and about one-third of the images contained human remains.
Photos shown to the courtroom were graphic in nature, depicting severed limbs and deceased children.
Johnson said it is a common practice to text close-up photos of dead bodies to other deputies, and he had received numerous similar photos throughout his career without ever being disciplined.
"I know I didn't do anything wrong," he testified, adding that he does not regret what he did and wouldn't have done anything differently.
He sent the photos to the command post and airdropped them to a fire department "supervisor" he was unable to identify. This person has not been identified by anyone else in the court up to this point, leading the plaintiff attorney to suggest the photos could still be accessible somewhere.
Johnson said he deleted the photos he took the night of the crash once he got home as well as the text thread with a deputy at the command post with whom he had shared the photos.
Vanessa Bryant was not present for Johnson's testimony.
Bartender describes seeing photos
On Thursday afternoon, Vanessa Bryant walked out of court during testimony that described photos taken at the scene of the crash. She became emotional when Victor Gutierrez, a bartender, was asked if he had seen the body of her daughter, Gianna Bryant, in the images. Gutierrez had been describing what he saw in the photos shown by a Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputy at a bar on a prior date.
Vanessa Bryant cried, stood up and her attorney asked the presiding judge permission for her to leave the courtroom.
Bryant did not return for the remainder of Gutierrez's testimony, which continued with a series of surveillance clips from the bar he was working at on January 28, 2020 -- two days after the crash and a month before the awards ceremony. Gutierrez described wincing at the photos and then admitted to telling the condition of the victims' bodies to five sets of people.
The trial is expected to last about two weeks and witnesses will likely include Vanessa Bryant and LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva. The suit, which was filed in September 2020, seeks undisclosed damages and claims civil rights violations, negligence, emotional distress and violation of privacy.
A jury of six women and four men was selected for the case. They include a nun, someone who works in TV production for NBC Universal, a college student, a real estate investor, a pharmaceutical researcher, a computer science professor and a restaurant host.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/kobe-bryant-crash-scene-photos-were-shared-during-awards-ceremony-cocktail-hour-witness-testifies/article_8f862ac4-9bd4-53d9-8341-41499868ee30.html | 2022-08-13T12:50:10Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/kobe-bryant-crash-scene-photos-were-shared-during-awards-ceremony-cocktail-hour-witness-testifies/article_8f862ac4-9bd4-53d9-8341-41499868ee30.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ASDA has released its budget range Just Essentials to mixed reactions. The new budget (Just Essentials) range was released in response to the cost of living crisis; the range includes household products (such as toilet rolls or kitchen rolls), meat, fruit, vegetables and frozen items (such as fish fingers or vegetables), snacks and breakfast items, to just name a few.
There was uproar at the initial release as customers thought the bright branding was embarrassing for those who wanted to save money. Here are some shopper's reactions:
Imogen says: "I don't have an issue with the packaging. I have an issue with people with less who are unable to afford to eat healthily and then are supposed to feel grateful for it."
Read More: Have your say: Should parents be charged for baby scan photos?
While Mands says: "So after seeing the #ASDA yellow package tweets... I am not a food snob. Their steak £2 omg delicious the cheese the kids' love, pizza kid's love"
ASDA responded to the allegations by saying people should not be "embarrassed for saving money". After ASDA addressed the social media complaints, we decided to check it out for ourselves. I set myself a budget of £10 to try and get Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner.
My experience
When I first arrived, I took a walk around the supermarket to check out where everything was. The bright labelling stood out and helped find things. Although it was brilliant, I felt like it looked like any other of Asda's packaging. Perhaps it would have taken me a lot longer if it had not been that colour, and I was in a rush.
I was really impressed by the prices and the range of products within the Just Essentials catalogue. From toiletries to treats, ASDA had it covered. There were, however, areas, such as breakfast items like cereal, where I thought they could do much better.
I started trying to get breakfast items, there is no exact science to this, and I think I could have got something a little more substantial for £5 more. However, I bought porridge for 70p, which I thought was good. I have it with bananas and milk, but you can add more or less at your discretion.
I then got some ham for a ham sandwich for £1.69. I thought it was pretty good, 400g worth as well. Of course, you might want to get crisps which you can get with the Just Essentials range for 82p.
Dinner is always the hardest, but Asda does a lot of frozen stuff and meat. I was thinking more about how much I could get, and I could get 20 sausages for £1.10 and a bag of mixed veg for 72p. Of course, you would need stuff like gravy or potatoes, but I did not manage to pick these up.
The variety of juices was notably disappointing, with only orange juice at the store I went to. Also, I thought more vegan and vegetarian products would be lovely, such as milk alternatives being included in the range. Similarly, I sympathise with those saying about the quality and health concerns, I cannot comment on the quality, but I can say the value is great!
Final thoughts
Overall, with my £10 budget, I was under, but I could have got a proper breakfast, lunch and dinner with a little bit more money. I would say it is worth going and having a look; you could be trimming the fat on your weekly shop.
I do not know, but I think I would go here instead of Lidl and Aldi; I think you can get a lot more and still have some of your favourite brands on the side. I do believe that although the marketing of the products is bold, it does make it easier for any shopper in a rush to get their shopping done.
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- Industrial units and trees go up in flames in Dartford | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/reviews/tried-asdas-just-essentials-range-7452360 | 2022-08-13T12:56:43Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/reviews/tried-asdas-just-essentials-range-7452360 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Blue singer Lee Ryan has apologised for his recent behaviour during a flight to London. The singer was arrested after reportedly "going crazy" after being refused alcohol by cabin crew.
Lee, 39 who lives in Chatham has apologised for the incident in a statement posted to the band's Facebook page, and says that he will be seeking professional help.
The statement says: "Over the last few days, I have had a lot of time to think about my behaviour and how it affects people around me. As it has been well documented I have always had my struggles with alcohol and often say or do silly things as a result of that, which in turn has caused problems for myself and those around me.
Read more: Police name man charged after Ramsgate crash that killed two and injured others
"For that I want to apologise to everyone I have upset or offended. Last week, I acted inappropriately on a flight to London and I want to say sorry to the airline staff, everyone on the flight, as well as my band mates, my family and our fans.
"The time has come for me to take ownership of the root cause of these problems and for that reason I am reducing my schedule for the time being to seek professional help and spend time with my family. I am aware of how my behaviour affects others and by starting this journey of working on my mental health I hope to emerge a better person for it.
"Thank you to everyone that has sent me messages of support and I am sorry to everyone I have let down. Lee x"
Speaking shortly after the incident, one passenger apparently told The Sun: "Never mind singing with Blue, he turned the air blue with his language.
"He became aggressive with the air hostesses once it became clear he wouldn’t get given alcohol. At one point he left his seat and started walking up and down the aisle despite being told to sit down — he even ran behind the cabin crew curtains. It was crazy behaviour."
Cabin crew are believed to have radioed ahead before police boarded the flight in London on Sunday (July 31). They made an arrest on suspicion of public order offences.
Lee formed Blue in 2000 with Antony Costa, Duncan James and Simon Webbe. They have sold 14 million records.
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- How hot it will get in Kent as heat health alert issued across England
- The quiet sandy beach with tidal pool and stunning views
- Kent's hidden African-safari trail that puts you metres away from elephants
- Boyfriend of tragic soldier dies just weeks after her death at army base
- Industrial units and trees go up in flames in Dartford | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/whats-on-news/chathams-lee-ryan-blue-apologises-7460173 | 2022-08-13T12:56:54Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/whats-on-news/chathams-lee-ryan-blue-apologises-7460173 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Nope: Could UFOs really exist and how would they fly?
UFOs are a frequent trope in science-fiction, but could they actually exist?
Think of an alien spaceship and it’s likely that the first image to come to your mind is a flying saucer, possibly darting across the sky in grainy footage, or abducting a farmer in the interests of little green men.
It is such an enduring idea, in fact, that it has survived all the way until Nope, the new film from Jordan Peele, which is set around a ranch that is being terrorised by a UFO. But how feasible are the existence of flying saucers? And even if they did exist, would they be able to fly?
“There have been attempts to develop ships that looked like flying saucers,” says astronomer Colin Stuart, author of books such as How To Live in Space. “In the 1950s, the US Air Force were working with a [now defunct] Canadian company called Avro to build the VZ-9 Avrocar. The point of it was that taking off and landing on a runway is quite restrictive, whereas a flying saucer could take off and land vertically. It would be more flexible.”
According to declassified documents, the designers of the Avrocar had hoped to achieve vertical take-off and landing using propulsion jets along the rim of the disc, which would be fed air from a jet engine in the centre, to control and stabilise the ship.
They also believed that the aircraft could reach a top speed between Mach 3 and 4, climb a ceiling of 100,000 feet and have a maximum range of about 1000 nautical miles. In reality, however, various iterations of the Avrocar struggled to get more than a few feet off the ground, and couldn’t fly faster than 35 MPH. Its central jet engine was also monstrously loud and subjected the pilot to intense temperatures.
“It’s not as aerodynamic a shape as say, your classic fighter jet with the point at the front that’s tearing through the air,” says Stuart. “You see a lot of flying saucers in fiction where the propulsion seems to be underneath the ship. But whichever way you’re firing out of the nozzle, you’re going the other way. So if you’re trying to go through the air, you need to put your propulsion in a very small area around the rim. But how do you then put that propulsion system in? Your space is limited with that design.”
In 2008, there were reports of a small, unmanned saucer-like design that would cover the craft in electrodes that could ionise air to create plasma. That plasma would then be accelerated by a magnetic field to generate lift. “That’s the most likely way of doing it,” says Stuart.
“Because we do that already: we have ion drives which we use in normal spacecraft. The Dawn mission that went to Ceres and Vesta, the two asteroids, was the first mission to go into orbit around two solar system bodies in the same mission. And part of the reason they could do that was that the gravity of these two asteroids was quite small, but part of it was that the craft was nimble because it had an ion drive. That propulsion is similar to how you would use flying saucers.”
As for the question of whether an alien species has cracked the design themselves, and are flying around our atmosphere for the hell of it, Stuart is sceptical.
“If you think about UFO sightings,” he says, “why did they only start really kicking off in the 40s and 50s? Because that’s when we started building military jets that could go really fast. That’s not a coincidence. There weren’t that many UFO sightings before the age of flight. It also isn’t a coincidence that the sightings mostly come in countries that have developed militaries, or that the rough size of a UFO is about the same size to fit a human inside. The idea that an alien would be exactly the same size as a human is unlikely. Because their planet might be very different to ours. If their planet had stronger gravity they’d be shorter, if their planet had weaker gravity, they’d be taller.”
And even if aliens had come up with working flying saucers, the chances of them having travelled across interstellar space in them to visit us are slim.
“You would need two different means of propulsion,” says Stuart. “You can use the plasma ion drive in space. We did that with Dawn. But the issue is if you wanted to get across from another star system to our star system, the amount of acceleration that you can get from an ion drive is quite low. If you wanted to travel meaningful distances, you would struggle. Instead, I think you would need two systems: a kind of cruiser, or rocket, that would transport the flying saucers into the solar system, and then you could manoeuvre down into the Earth's atmosphere.”
Given how much that sounds like an invading fleet, the only thing we have to say to that is: Nope.
About our expert, Colin Stuart
Colin is an astronomer and public speaker. He is currently a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and has won multiple awards for his work. He's spoke about space on Sky News, BBC News and Radio 5Live.Read more Popcorn Science:
Authors
Stephen Kelly is a freelance culture and science journalist. He oversees BBC Science Focus's Popcorn Science feature, where every month we get an expert to weigh in on the plausibility of a newly released TV show or film. Beyond BBC Science Focus, he has written for such publications as The Guardian, The Telegraph, The I, BBC Culture, Wired, Total Film, Radio Times and Entertainment Weekly. He is a big fan of Studio Ghibli movies, the apparent football team Tottenham Hotspur and writing short biographies in the third person.
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The NYPD increased its presence near the Greenwich Village dining sheds that are being used for sex and drugs, but that hasn’t stopped vagrants from continuing to bed down in the shanties.
A patrol car has been parked at times at the end of Cornelia Street after a front page exposé by The Post on the illicit going on inside sheds on the street, according to a neighborhood resident.
Yet video taken Wednesday shows brazen homeless men sacked out in two empty dining structures, one fast asleep on top of flattened cardboard boxes.
“The sheds are impossible to control,” the resident said.
Emmeline Zhao, the proprietor of the Silver Apricot restaurant in whose shed a couple was caught on video in a sex act, put up temporary fencing after The Post article to try to keep out horny interlopers.
She told The Post she has also called the cops many times to report intruders who are “probably high and taking up the space, leaving human sh-t everywhere.” She said the calls were fruitless.
In fact, stains from a pile of human feces that had washed away were visible on the shed’s outdoor plywood wall this week next to a pile of trash.
City Councilman Erik Bottcher and officers from the 6th Precinct visited the street Wednesday to survey the situation, a resident said.
“The 6th Precinct will continue to perform directed patrols and anyone observing these types of behaviors is asked to call 911 or 311 so that police can respond and address the community’s concerns,” a police spokesperson said.
The city is facing two lawsuits over the outdoor dining sheds, which sprung up during the pandemic to help the struggling restaurant industry. The most recent suit from 35 residents contends the dining program is no longer necessary and the sheds have become eyesores that block sidewalks, attract rats and serve as outdoor toilets. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/13/cops-patrolling-on-love-shacks-after-post-expose/ | 2022-08-13T12:57:16Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/13/cops-patrolling-on-love-shacks-after-post-expose/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The torrential downpour that caused some of Las Vegas’s most iconic hotels and casinos to be consumed with floodwater turned deadly after two lifeless bodies were found.
Emergency services and firefighters removing debris from a flood channel near Las Vegas Boulevard discovered a man’s lifeless body laying in floodwater Thursday night, Clark County Fire Department said.
Another body was found on Friday in a flood-control channel near the south end of the Strip.
It is unclear if the deaths were a direct result of the flash floods at this time.
Thursday night’s intense downpour consumed the iconic Strip’s casinos and restaurants, with video footage showing the city’s most famous locations, such as Caesars and Planet Hollywood, unable to contain water pouring through the ceiling.
The Department Of Public Safety Las Vegas said emergency services had several responses as a result of the “heavy monsoon rainfall.”
“There were 3 total responses for stalled vehicles in flood waters,” they said in a statement to The Post. “All occupants were evacuated to safety with no medical needs or patient transport required.”
“There were two other minor weather-related responses, one for a downed tree and another for some ceiling damage at an apartment complex,” the statement added.
Diners in Caesars’ indoor restaurant were showered with floodwater in video footage shared with The Post.
Caesars Entertainment declined to comment.
The National Weather Service called this the most “restless” summer monsoon season in the city has faced in a decade.
The city’s entire Strip suffered major water damage on Thursday night as videos shared on social media showed casinos turning into rain gutters.
The massive flooding has also caused the city to suffer major power outages as over 17,000 NV Energy customers were left without power, 8NewsNow reports.
The weather service says the last time summer was this wet was in 2012. It said the storms could occur through next week.
Las Vegas usually receives about 4.2 inches of rain per year. The monsoon season this year has delivered 1.28 inches of rainfall so far, according to a tweet from Las Vegas City Hall.
“The sheer amount of water made one of my friends very nervous – she was very concerned about the possibility of more water coming in or a partial ceiling collapse,” tourist Richard Henderson, who witnessed the floods in Caesars Palace, told The Post.
With Post wires | https://nypost.com/2022/08/13/las-vegas-flood-2-dead-amid-restless-downpour-as-hotels-casinos-suffer-water-damage/ | 2022-08-13T12:57:53Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/13/las-vegas-flood-2-dead-amid-restless-downpour-as-hotels-casinos-suffer-water-damage/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Gerry Keene was about 20 minutes into his caving excursion in the Tom Moore cave system near Perryville, Mo., when one of the kids with him said there was a dog ahead of them.
Dogs don't usually dwell in caves, but sure enough, there was a dog curled up on the mud floor.
"She didn't look real good," Keene said. "I mean, she had 11 people walk by her with lights and she just basically lifted her head, but she wouldn't move at all."
It was clear the dog was not in the right place, so Keene left the cave and started going to nearby houses with a photo of the dog to try and find its owner. Word got around and the dog's owner met Keene at the entrance to the cave and identified her as his dog Abby, who had been missing since June 9.
The owner was shocked to hear his dog was alive. Since Abby had been missing for so long, he told the rescuers that he assumed she was likely gone forever.
Keene called one of his friends, an assistant fire chief, to come help with the rescue mission. As they were about to go back into the cave system, Rick Haley, another experienced caver, came out of it. They quickly recruited him to help.
"We didn't want to leave Abby down there any longer than we had to," Keene said.
It wasn't clear how to get the dog out of the cave
But figuring out how best to get the dog out of the cave took a bit of brainstorming since the rescue equipment on hand was really meant for humans. Haley had the idea of using a duffle bag and a blanket to move the dog like a package.
Then, they began the descent.
"It is an entrance to the cave that is a little technical," Haley said. "It's vertical in places. It's windy. It's very tight."
The assistant fire chief stayed at the first constriction and Keene and Haley continued on. By the time they got to where Abby was, Haley estimates they were 500 feet from the entrance.
"Once we reached her, I did a quick assessment to see what kind of injuries she had. It was evident she had been there a long time," Haley said.
Abby was malnourished and lethargic and Haley said she didn't show much emotion as she was approached by people.
"She was just trying to stay as comfortable as she could, which was hard down there because it's very wet and it's 58 degrees or so," Haley said.
Haley and Keene tried to see if Abby would walk toward the entrance, but once it was clear that was not feasible, they decided to put her in the duffle bag. They put out the bag and the blanket and Abby moved right on top of it
She was probably glad to have something soft and warm to sit on and likely knew that she was being helped, Haley said. She laid down and seemed to go to sleep.
"You could tell that the blanket was a big comfort to her as she sat in the duffle bag," he said.
The newly-minted trio then began the journey back together, with Keene and Haley moving Abby foot by foot and handing her over to each other until they got out of the cave.
In total, the rescue mission took about an hour and a half.
A reunion and a beef stick
Once they were out of the cave, it took some time for Abby to adjust to the light. While they were waiting for her owner to return, they gave Abby a beef stick which seemed to rejuvenate her a bit and she appeared "ready to go up for another adventure," Keene said.
After she was missing for almost two months, Abby was reunited with her owner on Aug. 6 and is recuperating. Haley has kept in contact with the family, who said she's still weak and a bit wobbly when she walks around, but her spirits are much better.
Haley said the cave project for the weekend didn't go exactly as planned and the project cavers will have more to do next time, but "if it weren't for the project weekend, we'd have never found the dog."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.kcur.org/2022-08-13/a-missouri-caving-project-became-a-rescue-mission-after-a-dog-was-found-500-feet-down | 2022-08-13T13:00:41Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/2022-08-13/a-missouri-caving-project-became-a-rescue-mission-after-a-dog-was-found-500-feet-down | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Jackie Nguyen didn’t mean to end up in Kansas City. The Broadway performer from San Diego, California, came here by way of New York during the pandemic and never looked back.
In October of 2020, Nguyen opened Café Cà Phê, the city’s first Vietnamese coffee shop.
It began as a single table pop-up, and Nguyen began operating out of a truck soon after. Since then, she’s been doing pop-ups all over the city as well as residencies in the West Bottoms and the Westside.
Now her first brick-and-mortar location, and the neighborhood’s first ever coffee shop, is open in Columbus Park.
Since moving to Kansas City, Nguyen has fallen in love with Columbus Park. The historically Italian neighborhood north of Independence Avenue and just east of the River Market is one of the oldest Kansas City. It also houses the city’s largest Vietnamese community.
“[Columbus Park has] always been somewhere where I wanted to have our coffee shop no matter what,” Nguyen says. “When I first moved to Kansas City in the pandemic, Columbus Park was one of the first places that I went to because of Vietnam Cafe. And I was like, ‘oh, there's a huge Vietnamese community here.’ I just thought the neighborhood was super quaint and a hidden gem – and I'm all about hidden gems.”Visibility for the Vietnamese community
Nguyen and her coworker Manager Madoka Koguchi ate at Vietnam Cafe every Sunday when Café Cà Phê first opened because it reminded her of her own family. Eventually, she became close friends with the restaurant’s owners.
“I got to speak Vietnamese when I went and I got to communicate with the owner and all the workers,” Nguyen says. “It just made me feel very comfortable and made me feel like I could have a sense of home.”
That relationship turned into a mentorship as she grew the cafe. Nguyen wants to make Café Cà Phê a second home for others like her.
“I'm part of the first generation, where all of our parents are immigrants and refugees. There's not anywhere for us who are American but also identify as Vietnamese,” Nguyen says. “So I'm trying to open my doors to that version of the Vietnamese community, but also there is a huge Vietnamese population here. For a while this was known as Little Saigon of Kansas City. I don't know for what reason it kind of died out, but I'm hoping I can kind of bring that back.”
Bui, who did not want to use his full name, has lived in the neighborhood for more than 30 years. He says he’s excited to see more growth within the Vietnamese community. He and his wife own Lee Alterations, a small shop nearby.
“I think this area is on the grow, it grew up a lot,” Bui says. “So a business right [on 5th street], it should do very well. The people will go to the markets and shop and stop by there.”
He hopes that another business will help grow the community and bring new residents to the area.
Caffeine-induced development
For longtime residents, Café Cà Phê brings much needed development, which has stagnated for years. Columbus Park Community Council President Kate Barsotti thinks Nguyen’s business will be a turning point for the neighborhood.
“I am just gobsmacked at this woman,” Barsotti says. “I've watched her be very transparent about her setbacks and her successes. She is extremely intentional about the community she wants to build. I think people are attracted to that because it gives permission for them to do it too. I don't think we can support her enough, honestly.”
Many of the businesses in Columbus Park are concentrated near 5th Street, which connects to the River Market, but the area still suffers from a lack of foot traffic. Because of that Swoon Bakery, next door to Café Cà Phê, is currently open only one day a week. But Owner Sofia Varanka Hudson thinks the new coffee shop will grow the retail opportunities nearby.
“I just love the idea of having the amenities in our neighborhood that can support our neighborhood and stay in our neighborhood,” Hudson says. “It has been difficult, because of the lack of foot traffic, to keep regular retail hours. Right now we are open one day a week, but we're hoping with Café Cà Phê opening that we can really build a vibrant retail community.”
Beyond bringing new people to the neighborhood, residents are excited to have a new gathering space. Jo Marie Guastello has lived in Columbus Park her whole life. Sitting at Happy Gillis, which used to be her father’s corner store, she said the coffee shop will be a positive presence and provide neighbors somewhere to socialize.
“With the coffee shop, you're there to visit and relax and shoot the breeze. Anytime we get a business in the neighborhood where we could plop as neighbors and invite other people in, it's going to be a plus. So once they're introduced to it, I think that will be the same with the coffee shop,” Guastello says.
While Café Cà Phê is a new concept for the neighborhood, Barsotti thinks Nguyen’s shop will also connect people to Columbus Park’s history.
“It's a destination. It's not just any coffee shop. It's great to have someone from the Vietnamese community come back because that community's been very integrated with [the neighborhood]. Some people tell you that around the ‘70s, bringing in Vietnamese immigrants probably saved this neighborhood. They’re an extremely important part of this history,” Barsotti says.
Hudson, who is an immigrant herself, is excited for the cafe to be an entrance for people to discover the multifaceted neighbrohood.
“I think it's a great coming together point for the whole community, for Columbus Park as a neighborhood and also for the immigrant community,” Hudson says. “I love the idea of having this place where everyone is welcome and they're highlighting their own community but also welcoming to all.”
Throughout the months-long renovation of the cafe, Nguyen says she and her team did everything with intentionality.
Everything they sell in the shop is made by or supports Asain businesses. Nguyen said she knocked on neighbors’ doors to make sure their thoughts were included in the project as well.
“I was very mindful about not changing the architecture of the building – I wanted to preserve the history of the building,” Nguyen said. “I didn't change the authenticity of that. I just put a coat of paint on the walls.”
The building – with its terrazzo floors, Italian-style roof tiles and a Vietnamese flag painted on the side – is a physical representation of the cultural blend Nguyen wants to promote in the largely Italian and Vietnamese neighborhood.
“Columbus park is perfect because espresso is very Italian,” Nguyen says. “So what is more perfect than blending the Vietnamese community, Italian community with Vietnamese coffee.”
When people walk into the brightly-painted shop, Nguyen hopes it will feel safe and comfortable. She wants the shop to welcome people – just like Vietnam Cafe a few blocks over did for her when she moved to Kansas City.
“I want them to feel welcomed first and foremost,” Nguyen says. “I want them to feel warm. I want them to feel like they have a space here that is fun – like a piece of home. That's the type of feeling that I want.” | https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2022-08-13/cafe-ca-phe-is-finally-opening-and-neighbors-say-its-breathing-new-life-into-columbus-park | 2022-08-13T13:00:47Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2022-08-13/cafe-ca-phe-is-finally-opening-and-neighbors-say-its-breathing-new-life-into-columbus-park | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This story was first published in KCUR's Creative Adventure newsletter. You can sign up to receive stories like this in your inbox every Tuesday.
It's August, the Sunday of summer, and it sure feels like we’ve hit a high point as far as climbing temperatures go — the result of a “heat dome” over much of the Southwest and central U.S.
In any case, Kansas Citians seeking relief from the blazing hot sun might find shelter in one of the small wineries, breweries or distilleries listed below.
August brings summer traveling, too, or perhaps an influx of friends and relatives visiting from out of town. Of course, Kansas City has a lot to offer in the way of large-scale breweries. Boulevard — and its lovely brewing space on Southwest Boulevard — comes to mind. (Shout-out Tank 7.)
KC is also home to the J. Rieger & Co. and Tom’s Town distilleries in East Bottoms and Crossroads, respectively. But if your group wants to hang out in more intimate digs, we’ve devised a collection of five smaller alcohol purveyors.
This is by no means an exhaustive list — lucky for us, Kansas City is one of the fastest-growing “craft beer destinations in the country.” Cheers to that!
Kansas City Wineworks
Crossroads seems to be the poppin’ destination for crushed grapes and distilled spirits, and Kansas City Wineworks totally lives up to the hype.
As a favor to us all, the winery and tasting room served up boozy to-go slushies amid the chaos of the pandemic. The drinks came in soft plastic pouches, each attached to thin, crispy breadsticks wrapped in plastic. Snacks are a must-have if you’re imbibing (and hydration is key).
Guests can still take bottles to go, such as the signature semi-dry 2019 Crossroads White Blend or the Crossroads After Dark, a dry red with vanilla notes and a 50/50 fusion of Chambourcin and Norton grapes.
In September, check out the East Crossroads Field Day, and play bar games at eight different Crossroads locations, including KC Wineworks.
Vine Street Brewing Co.
Speaking of popping bottles, Vine Street Brewing Co. will soon celebrate its opening as the first Black-owned brewery in Kansas City.
Located in one of the historic limestone buildings at 2000 Vine Street — across from the City Workhouse Castle — the brewery sits at the edge of Kansas City's 18th and Vine district, allowing for a creative junction of Black art, music and craft brews.
Musician Kemet Coleman and brewers Woodie Bonds and Elliott Ivory have worked hard to make their dreams a reality, designating their brewery as “a steward of the city’s rich cultural heritage and potential, as well as an appealing safe space that welcomes all.”
Vine Street Brewing already has an assortment of eye-catching merch available for purchase, including tie-dye and rainbow-themed t-shirts, plus tote bags, hats and embroidered patches. The brewery has partnered with several local microbreweries and recently teamed up with Boulevard to collab on the malty, fruity Street Sign Stingo, now pouring at Boulevard’s Beer Hall while supplies last.
Lifted Spirits Distillery
If you’re searching for innovation and experimentation, consider giving Lifted Spirits Distillery a try. The Crossroads staple is known to walk on the wild side, even listing “tinkering with tradition” as one of its strong suits. Honestly? Same.
Take the freshly-bottled-for-summer Jalapeño & Herb infusion vodka, for example, with classic notes of mint, herb and green pepper, and unusual notes of sandalwood, palo santo and hay. Imagine all that with a little lime juice and simple syrup.
Although, perhaps parts of the Lifted Spirits experience stick to convention. Guests can try the distillery’s take on Absinthe Verte, the first-ever absinthe distilled in Kansas City. In the tasting room, it’s prepared in the traditional way, using a brouilleur — or “scrambler” in French — to drip ice-cold water into glasses of green liquor.
For $4, you can take a tour of the distillery, “uncovering the creation process of intricately beautiful spirits.” Lifted Spirits was originally a stable for the Smith Brothers Steam Bakery, and the second floor of the building stored feed and bedding. As always, history has a hand in Kansas City culture.
Amigoni Winery
To swirl and sip the vino at Amigoni Winery is to be a sophisticated human. Yet the vibe inside the old Daily Drover Telegram Building is approachable and unpretentious. You may recall that the winery was featured on "Queer Eye" seasons three and four, when the Fab Five came to Kansas City.
Located in the historic Stockyards District, Amigoni uses traditional European grape varietals to create its Cabernet Sauvignons, Chardonnays and Viogniers. And those are just a few available for purchase and tasting.
The winery utilizes grapes from the northern portion of California’s Central Valley to create some of its wines, but also harvests from its own vineyard, just 60 miles east of town in Centerview, Missouri.
Amigoni does much of its own production, too — crushing, fermenting, barrel-aging and bottling the whole-cluster fruit at its facility in West Bottoms. The first grape vines grew in Michael and Kerry Amigoni’s backyard in Leawood, Kansas. Pretty charming, right?
Casual Animal Brewing
What’s better than cold beer? Cold beer with a cause. Pull up a stool at Casual Animal Brewing Co. and participate in the microbrewery’s “give back tap,” which it calls Local Motive. Every two months, the Local Motive beer changes and $2 of each pint sold goes to a different local nonprofit.
Casual Animal has a solid snack menu, but customers are welcome to bring in food or have orders delivered to the space. On Thursday evenings, you can enjoy tacos, elotes and tetelas courtesy of Tacos Valentina, a pop-up shop that operates in different spaces, including Casual Animal.
Additionally, you can fill up a 25-ounce “crowler” for $9 — instead of using glass, the microbrewery pours these in recyclable aluminum cans, so you could theoretically take one to the pool. The casual animal is also an accommodating one.
In the spirit of Kansas City — and especially Crossroads — you may notice the extensive taproom art, all done by Kyle, Casual Animal’s head brewer, who worked as a graphic designer in a past life. Do you ever stop being a graphic designer? Nah.
Also, there’s a deliciously crisp hard cider on tap right now. It’s called Vipers in the Garden and is the perfect drink to help you escape the summer heat.
Want more adventures like this? Sign up for KCUR's Creative Adventure Email. | https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2022-08-13/need-to-cool-off-try-some-of-kansas-citys-craft-breweries-distilleries-and-wineries | 2022-08-13T13:00:54Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/arts-life/2022-08-13/need-to-cool-off-try-some-of-kansas-citys-craft-breweries-distilleries-and-wineries | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Kansas City has become a hotspot for short-term rentals in recent years — with many failing to comply with the city’s code.
An ordinance took effect in Kansas City on Aug. 6, 2018, regulating and requiring permits for short-term rentals.
Four years later, there were only 164 short-term rental permits issued in Kansas City, according to CompassKC, the city’s permit portal.
That figure is less than 10% of such short-term rentals available in the city.
In June, the number of active listings of short-term rentals in Kansas City on both Airbnb and Vrbo — two popular short-term rental platforms — reached 1,796, according to data from AirDNA. AirDNA is a company that compiles analytics on vacation rentals around the world.
Last Thursday, City Auditor Doug Jones presented plans for an audit of short-term rentals at a City Council business session.
The audit, to be released in November, aims to answer two questions:
- “Are short-term rental hosts complying with city registration regulations?”
- “Do short-term rentals impact city convention and tourism taxes and the arena fee?”
The audit is being done, in part, in response to complaints from residents.
“Short-term rentals are a topic of public discussion and the city receives 311 complaints about the illegal operation and disturbances related to short-term rentals,” Jones said during the business session. “The public also suggested that we audit this program.”
Jones also noted that the ordinance is almost five years old, making it a good time to check on it as well as to look at the impact on the city’s tourism-related taxes and fees.
Short-term rentals in Kansas City
Airbnb is a platform specializing in short-term rental listings. It had more than 6 million listings worldwide as of March, according to its website.
While other short-term rental platforms like Vrbo and TurnKey are available, Airbnb dominates the Kansas City market. In April, Airbnb had 1,613 listings — more than 95% of the total offered by Airbnb and Vrbo rental listings that month, according to data from Inside Airbnb and AirDNA.
The number of listings has continued to rise past pre-pandemic levels, and since that citywide short-term rental ordinance took effect in 2018.
While data on listings before June 2019 isn’t readily available, Diane Binckley, deputy director of the City Planning Department, estimated more than 800 short-term rentals were in the city during a recording of a city Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee meeting on Jan. 17, 2018.
The surge since then has largely affected particular neighborhoods.
Fourth District Councilman Eric Bunch said there has been a massive influx of short-term rentals in his district as well as along the KC Streetcar extension.
“Like in some cases, the majority of the houses — single-family homes — on a single block are short-term rentals,” Bunch said. “And I think that's problematic.”
Data on Airbnb listings from April showed a heavy concentration of listings in and around Midtown.
According to data collected by Inside Airbnb, the 64111 zip code had the fifth highest number of Airbnb listings in Missouri, behind zip codes in Branson, Osage Beach, Ridgedale and Lake Ozark in April. Inside Airbnb is described as a “mission driven project that provides data and advocacy about Airbnb's impact on residential communities.”
The 64111 zip code, which includes Midtown, is also home to neighborhoods, like Volker, that have witnessed an increase in short-term rentals in the past two years.
“It seems to be ramping, especially over the last 24 months,” said Patrick Faltico, president of the Volker Neighborhood Association.
Volker’s boundaries stretch north to south from 31st Street to 43rd Street. Its western boundary is State Line Road, and the eastern boundary is Roanoke Road north of 39th Street and Southwest Trafficway south of 39th Street.
According to Bunch, the issues with rentals that lack permits are also primarily isolated to a handful of neighborhoods not far from Westport, the Country Club Plaza and downtown.
Concern also exists regarding the hosts and how available they are to address concerns or issues at the rentals. In the Volker neighborhood, Faltico said he hears a lot from residents about Airbnbs being operated by out-of-state entities that don’t care about their neighborhood.
Of the over 1,600 Airbnb listings documented as of April, the top three hosts with the highest number of Kansas City rentals were not listed as being in Kansas City, according to data from Inside Airbnb. The majority of listings were hosted by Kansas City locals.
The Airbnb platform shares some information about hosts, including their first name, number of listings and where they are located.
“They don't know anything about the neighborhood. They just see it as investment dollars,” Faltico said. “As a real estate investor myself, I understand that rationale, but that's not working for the neighborhood, clearly.”
Mark Rodriguez, treasurer for the Volker Neighborhood Association, said there are responsible Airbnb operators, too. One across from his house was renovated and the owner made sure to notify neighbors. This makes it easier to contact them in case of an issue.
“We can get a hold of them. That hasn't been an issue,” Rodriguez said. “A lot of them don't say anything. They tried to hide in there.”
Permits and process
An analysis of records in CompassKC, the city portal for permits, showed a total of 509 applications entered into the system for short-term rental permits as of Aug. 5.
Of those, 164 had a status listed as issued. Of the rest, 141 were listed as voided-city, which means they were duplicated, canceled or not acted upon.
In the portal, 89 were also expired and seven were listed as ready for issuance. The rest were listed under other permit statuses such as ready for issuance, hold, pending, in review, denied, inactive, canceled, revoked and renewed.
Of two revoked permits in the portal, one was revoked due to a forged signature of an adjacent neighbor, according to the CompassKC portal. The other includes an attached letter in the portal, explaining the revocation, “due to the property failing to meet the provisions of Chapter 18-Kansas City Building and Rehabilitation Code of Ordinances.”
Faltico, who also is a real estate investor, recently went through the process himself to get the proper permits to operate a short-term rental. He said he has insight into both sides of the issue with the permitting process.
“It's not a real simple thing to do,” Faltico said. “So I think just the fact that it's not really simple is kind of a hurdle for probably some folks.”
In Faltico’s case, his short-term rental is located next to his home, so while he needed to obtain signatures from adjacent properties for permission to operate, he already knew his neighbors.
“For people who are out of town or property owners that don't live in the neighborhood, (it) takes a much different ask,” Faltico said. “Not saying they shouldn't do it. But I think I start to understand why maybe people don't.”
Faltico obtained a type 2 year-round short-term rental. In the city’s ordinance, permits for short-term rentals are broken down into type 1 and type 2 permits. Type 1 permits are for owner-occupied short-term rentals, while type 2 permits are for non-owner-occupied short-term rentals.
Type 1 permits are defined by city ordinance 88-321 as, “a principal residential dwelling unit that is occupied by the resident (who may be either the owner or the tenant/lessee of the owner authorized by the owner to offer the unit for short term rental) for a cumulative minimum of 270 days per calendar year.”
Two different permits also exist within the type 2 permit. Year-round permits for non-owner-occupied short-term rentals are rented more than 95 days a year, and seasonal short-term rental permits are issued for rentals operating fewer than 95 days a year.
To be issued a type 2 permit and operate year-round, 55% or more of adjacent property owners to the short-term rental must agree and provide a signature.
The permit process is outlined on the city’s website and includes the necessary forms to fill out for each permit type.
While a spokesperson declined to comment for this story, Airbnb offers guidance to hosts on its website about different types of local regulations.
“We're committed to working with local officials to help them understand how Airbnb benefits our community. Where needed, we will continue to advocate for changes that will allow regular people to rent out their own homes,” said the page about regulations on Airbnb’s website.
Enforcing the ordinance
Enforcement of the short-term rental ordinance remains a concern for residents, especially in highly concentrated areas like Volker.
“It's not that the city refuses to do it, it's that they just can't because there are not enough resources,” Faltico said.
“So my hope is that as a neighborhood advocate, I can help organize and muster support for encouraging the City Council to make changes to how we compensate and try to retain these employees,” Faltico said. “Because we need them. This is ridiculous that we have so many short-term rentals that are not licensed.”
Residents like Rodriguez have taken on a role in their neighborhoods to report short-term rentals that are not in compliance with the ordinance.
In addition to being treasurer, Rodriguez also helps neighbors by filing short-term rental complaints for those who are afraid of facing retribution by a landlord. Some live in duplexes that are part long-term and part short-term rental.
Rodriguez has reported four unpermitted short-term rentals in Volker. One has been addressed by the city, Rodriguez said. The complaint was dismissed, with the city issuing a status of, “insufficient evidence to proceed.” Rodriguez filed the complaint on May 3 and it was closed on June 30.
The planning department currently has two investigators that enforce the zoning ordinance in the whole city, Joseph Rexwinkle, division manager for the development management division of the City Planning Department, said in an email. There are only six planners who issue permits.
The department is in the hiring process for more investigators and one additional planner, the planning department’s Binckley said in an email, also noting that planners issue multiple types of permits.
During the council business session last week where the short-term rental audit plan was presented, Bunch commented on the investigations, saying that there was no need for the planning department to send someone out to a rental. All they needed to do was check if a listing exists.
“And if they're not registered with the city, it’s the same thing as them actually renting it out,” Bunch said at the business session. “So there is no investigation needed, which for some reason the planning department is still sending out people on like a Tuesday afternoon to see if there was any activity that looked like, suspiciously like a short-term rental.”
An exact number of complaints about short-term rentals overall or for what specific reasons is not easily documented. For example, when “short term rental” is searched in the code case category, 200 results show up as of Aug. 5. When “Airbnb” is searched, 145 results are returned.
“The data we have is dependent on the language used by the complainant. As an additional complication, any one property may have, for example, 1 complaint or 20 complaints,” Binckley said in an email.
Part of the short-term rental audit will include categorizing the 311 complaints in addition to comparing short-term rental registration and listing data, evaluating the short-term rental registration process, analyzing sales tax and room night data, and to also review the laws on the collection of taxes related to short-term rentals, according to the audit plan.
The audit, which began in May according to Jones, is set to be published in November of this year.
“Like some of the other process improvements (the City Planning Department) has made in recent months, we are interested in and working toward streamlining and updating to meet current needs,” Binckley said in an email when asked about how the ordinance is working.
This story was originally published on Flatland, a fellow member of the KC Media Collective. | https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2022-08-13/midtown-kansas-city-is-being-overwhelmed-by-unlicensed-airbnb-rentals | 2022-08-13T13:01:00Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/housing-development-section/2022-08-13/midtown-kansas-city-is-being-overwhelmed-by-unlicensed-airbnb-rentals | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Thekkady: The Union Government will file a review petition with the Supreme Court on the latter’s earlier verdict calling for creating a 1 km buffer zone around all protected forest areas and wildlife sanctuaries, assured Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav.
He was inaugurating a programme to mark the World Elephant Day celebrations at Periyar National Park in Idukki.
The Union Government has completed collecting public opinions on the verdict. The Minister said he hoped to convince the Court about the ground situation.
Stating that he has been informed of the rising wild animal attacks in the Idukki, he said, a guideline has been already issued in 2021 regarding the prevention of wild boar attacks.
“The Chief Wildlife Warden of Kerala has been given powers under Section 11 of the Wildlife Protection Act to mitigate the problem. I believe he must be exercising the power to mitigate the wild boar problem,” the Minister said.
The buffer zone is also termed Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ).
State Minister absent
Kerala Forest Minister A K Saseendran stayed away from the programme held in Thekkady.
It is alleged that Saseendran missed an opportunity to present and bring the Union Minister’s attention to Kerala’s demands on the ESZ.
In response, Saseendran said, he has already discussed the matter with the Union Minister and brought his attention to it several times.
He said he could not participate in the programme due to certain inconveniences.
Saseendran, who was in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, had released a media handout later in the evening welcoming the Union Minister’s remarks during the programme at Thekkady. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/buffer-zone-centre-file-review-petition-SC.html | 2022-08-13T13:02:32Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/buffer-zone-centre-file-review-petition-SC.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Thiruvananthapuram: A sum of Rs 48 crore has been sanctioned for renovating 13 District Collectorates and making 28 village offices smart. This includes the renovation of the Revenue Divisional Court (RDO) at Thiruvananthapuram from where a mainour was stolen.
Out of the Rs 22 crore earmarked to make village offices smart, Rs 20 crore will be spent on building offices and Rs 2 crore for acquiring land.
A sum of Rs 13 crore will be allocated to renovate Collectorates and create facilities at the collectors’ camp offices. The Wayanad District Collectorate is not part of the upgradation plan.
For the construction of the camp office of the Thiruvananthapuram District Collector, Rs 4.42 crore will be spent, while Rs 4.60 lakh will be utilized for renovating the Magistrate’s chamber and the court hall in the RDO’s Court.
A total of Rs 28.29 lakh will be used to construct a new room at the RDO Office at Fort Kochi which considers many cases pertaining to converting the status of land.
For the construction of the house of Alappuzha District Collector and his camp office, Rs 1.95 crore has been set apart. Also, sanction has been given for spending Rs 50.86 lakh for the repairs of Kollam Collectorate conference hall, Rs 2.98 lakh for the renovation of the camp office of Idukki Collector, Rs 60 lakh for Thrissur Collectorate renovation, Rs 1.23 crore for the renovation of Palakkad Collectorate and conference hall, Rs 87.75 lakh for the modernization of Kozhikode Collectorate by bringing an e-office cubicle and another Rs 21.30 lakh for the renovation the Collector’s camp office, Rs 1.15 crore for Kannur Collectorate conference hall and Rs 52 lakh for the renovation of Kasargod Collectorate and the Collector’s camp office.
A sum of Rs 12.74 lakh has been set apart for building a video conference hall at the Land Revenue Commissioner's office, while Rs 44 lakh will be used for renovating the chamber, office library, and conference hall of the Land Board Secretary. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/collectorates-makeover-village-offices-smart.html | 2022-08-13T13:02:45Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/collectorates-makeover-village-offices-smart.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Palakkad: Three office-bearers of the Highrange Rural Development Society (HRDS) have been granted conditional bail over a belated case registered over the alleged encroachment into tribal land and burning of tribal huts in Mannarkkad in Palakkad district a year ago.
Judge K M Retheesh Kumar of the Mannarkkad-based Special Court for Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act cases granted bail to the trio — fifth accused and HRDS president Swamy Athma Nambi, fourth accused and HRDS vice-president K G Venugopal, and second accused P J Joy Mathew.
HRDS, which is an NGO, was in the news recently for its association with Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case.
They surrendered before the court and secured bail the other day at a time when the temporary bail given by the High Court was about to end.
As per the terms of the conditional bail, they should appear before the inquiry officer every alternate Saturday.
The accused cannot travel abroad without the permission of the court. The accused should not try to contact the witnesses in the case either directly or over the phone.
The case
The case is that the accused, including HRDS Foundation Secretary Aji Krishnan, encroached into tribal land, burnt tribal huts and abused tribesman Raman at Vattilakki hamlet in Sholayur panchayat in Attappady on June 21, 2020.
The police registered the case one year after the incident. Aji Krishnan was arrested on July 11, 2022. Later, he got bail.
The HRDS was in the spotlight recently after Swapna Suresh, who made serious allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was recruited by it.
The police registered a case against the HRDS over the 2020 incidents and arrested Aji Krishnan in a dramatic manner when he went to the police station to give a complaint citing security issues after Swapna was given a job at the HRDS.
Political games, says Aji Krishan
Aji Krishnan responding to the media soon after his colleagues were granted bail on Friday. The courts in Kerala were seeing through the political games played out in the State, he said.
Swamy Athma Nambi said that it was for the first time he was embroiled in such a case. He also claimed he didn't even know anything about the case. "The case was baseless and politically motivated. The government should refrain from such vendetta," Nambi asserted. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/hrds-offic-bearers-get-bail-over-tribal-land-encroachment-case.amp.html | 2022-08-13T13:02:52Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/hrds-offic-bearers-get-bail-over-tribal-land-encroachment-case.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Palakkad: Three office-bearers of the Highrange Rural Development Society (HRDS) have been granted conditional bail over a belated case registered over the alleged encroachment into tribal land and burning of tribal huts in Mannarkkad in Palakkad district a year ago.
Judge K M Retheesh Kumar of the Mannarkkad-based Special Court for Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act cases granted bail to the trio — fifth accused and HRDS president Swamy Athma Nambi, fourth accused and HRDS vice-president K G Venugopal, and second accused P J Joy Mathew.
HRDS, which is an NGO, was in the news recently for its association with Swapna Suresh, the key accused in the diplomatic baggage gold smuggling case.
They surrendered before the court and secured bail the other day at a time when the temporary bail given by the High Court was about to end.
As per the terms of the conditional bail, they should appear before the inquiry officer every alternate Saturday.
The accused cannot travel abroad without the permission of the court. The accused should not try to contact the witnesses in the case either directly or over the phone.
The case
The case is that the accused, including HRDS Foundation Secretary Aji Krishnan, encroached into tribal land, burnt tribal huts and abused tribesman Raman at Vattilakki hamlet in Sholayur panchayat in Attappady on June 21, 2020.
The police registered the case one year after the incident. Aji Krishnan was arrested on July 11, 2022. Later, he got bail.
The HRDS was in the spotlight recently after Swapna Suresh, who made serious allegations against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, was recruited by it.
The police registered a case against the HRDS over the 2020 incidents and arrested Aji Krishnan in a dramatic manner when he went to the police station to give a complaint citing security issues after Swapna was given a job at the HRDS.
Political games, says Aji Krishan
Aji Krishnan responding to the media soon after his colleagues were granted bail on Friday. The courts in Kerala were seeing through the political games played out in the State, he said.
Swamy Athma Nambi said that it was for the first time he was embroiled in such a case. He also claimed he didn't even know anything about the case. "The case was baseless and politically motivated. The government should refrain from such vendetta," Nambi asserted. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/hrds-offic-bearers-get-bail-over-tribal-land-encroachment-case.html | 2022-08-13T13:02:58Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2022/08/13/hrds-offic-bearers-get-bail-over-tribal-land-encroachment-case.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New Delhi: National Cricket Academy (NCA) head V V S Laxman will be India's acting head coach for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe as there is only a short turnaround time between the series and the Asia Cup starting on August 27 in the UAE, Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah said on Friday.
"Yes, V V S Laxman will be in charge of the Indian team in Zimbabwe for the three-match ODI series. It's not like Rahul Dravid is taking a break. The ODI series in Zimbabwe finishes on August 22 and Dravid along with Indian team will reach the UAE on August 23. Since there is little gap between the two events, Laxman will be in charge of the Indian squad in Zimbabwe," BCCI secretary Shah told PTI on Friday.
"Since only KL (Rahul) and (Deepak) Hooda are there with the ODI squad in Zimbabwe, it was only logical that the head coach would be with the T20 squad."
The three ODIs in Zimbabwe will be played in Harare on August 18, 20 and 22.
Shah also informed that Rahul and Hooda will directly fly from Dubai to Harare as they are part of the Asia Cup squad.
The convention in BCCI has been that second string or 'A' teams have always been monitored by the head of the NCA and hence Laxman will be with the Indian squad when the first team is on assignment elsewhere.
When the Indian team was in the UK in June-July, Laxman was with the T20 squad in Ireland when Dravid was with the Test squad in England.
Rahul is making a comeback in the national squad after recuperating from sports hernia surgery.
He was initially not supposed to be a part of the Zimbabwe squad but since the medical team has deemed him fit, he is going to be with the team for the three ODIs, which will be good practice for him ahead of the Asia Cup. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/cricket/2022/08/13/laxman-to-be-head-coach-in-zimbabwe.html | 2022-08-13T13:11:13Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/cricket/2022/08/13/laxman-to-be-head-coach-in-zimbabwe.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dubai: Australian legend Ricky Ponting believes India have the depth to prevail over Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
"I'll stick with India to win that clash against Pakistan. That's taking nothing away from Pakistan because they are an incredible cricket nation that continue to present out-and-out superstar players," Ponting said in the latest episode of The ICC Review.
The Asia Cup will be held in Dubai and Sharjah from August 27 to September 11 and Ponting picked India as the favourites to win the tournament.
"It's always hard to go past India in any tournament, not just an Asia Cup, but I think every time we talk about the T20 World Cup which is coming up, I think that India will be right in the thick of it there," the 47-year-old said.
"Their depth is definitely better than the other teams and I think India will win the Asia Cup."
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan haven't competed in a bilateral series for nearly a decade now.
"To be totally honest it's one that we've been starved of, haven't we looking back the last 15 or 20 years," Ponting said.
"As a cricket lover like I am and a cricket observer, any time those sorts of battles come up it's almost always nice to sit back and watch because everything just goes up a notch, doesn't it?
"When I think about rivalries, Australia and England and Ashes cricket is the pinnacle I've always thought of for our Test match game. I'm sure India and Pakistanis will say the same about that and the actual rivalry would be the pinnacle of Test match cricket for those two countries as well."
Ponting also feels Mohammed Shami's strength lies in the longest format and there are better quick bowlers in India's T20 set up, weighing in on his absence from the Asia Cup squad.
India have picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh as the three specialist fast bowlers with all-rounder Hardik Pandya being the fourth pacer in the 15-member squad.
"He's (Shami) been a very, very good bowler for India for a long time now. If you look at his strengths, his Test cricket is probably where he thrives the most," said the two-time World Cup-winning captain.
"I think there are better fast bowlers in Indian T20 cricket than Shami and they've only named three (for the Asia Cup). So if there's potentially four named in the squad he might be the fourth man in."
With Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel nursing injuries, many felt Shami might have been included to share the new-ball duties.
"I would think they'll probably only have the four quicks coming to Australia. They'll still want to bring a lot of spin here even though the wickets are probably not that conducive," Ponting added. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/cricket/2022/08/13/ponting-backs-india-to-beat-pakistan-win-asia-cup.amp.html | 2022-08-13T13:11:19Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/cricket/2022/08/13/ponting-backs-india-to-beat-pakistan-win-asia-cup.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Dubai: Australian legend Ricky Ponting believes India have the depth to prevail over Pakistan in the Asia Cup.
"I'll stick with India to win that clash against Pakistan. That's taking nothing away from Pakistan because they are an incredible cricket nation that continue to present out-and-out superstar players," Ponting said in the latest episode of The ICC Review.
The Asia Cup will be held in Dubai and Sharjah from August 27 to September 11 and Ponting picked India as the favourites to win the tournament.
"It's always hard to go past India in any tournament, not just an Asia Cup, but I think every time we talk about the T20 World Cup which is coming up, I think that India will be right in the thick of it there," the 47-year-old said.
"Their depth is definitely better than the other teams and I think India will win the Asia Cup."
Arch-rivals India and Pakistan haven't competed in a bilateral series for nearly a decade now.
"To be totally honest it's one that we've been starved of, haven't we looking back the last 15 or 20 years," Ponting said.
"As a cricket lover like I am and a cricket observer, any time those sorts of battles come up it's almost always nice to sit back and watch because everything just goes up a notch, doesn't it?
"When I think about rivalries, Australia and England and Ashes cricket is the pinnacle I've always thought of for our Test match game. I'm sure India and Pakistanis will say the same about that and the actual rivalry would be the pinnacle of Test match cricket for those two countries as well."
Ponting also feels Mohammed Shami's strength lies in the longest format and there are better quick bowlers in India's T20 set up, weighing in on his absence from the Asia Cup squad.
India have picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan and Arshdeep Singh as the three specialist fast bowlers with all-rounder Hardik Pandya being the fourth pacer in the 15-member squad.
"He's (Shami) been a very, very good bowler for India for a long time now. If you look at his strengths, his Test cricket is probably where he thrives the most," said the two-time World Cup-winning captain.
"I think there are better fast bowlers in Indian T20 cricket than Shami and they've only named three (for the Asia Cup). So if there's potentially four named in the squad he might be the fourth man in."
With Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel nursing injuries, many felt Shami might have been included to share the new-ball duties.
"I would think they'll probably only have the four quicks coming to Australia. They'll still want to bring a lot of spin here even though the wickets are probably not that conducive," Ponting added. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/cricket/2022/08/13/ponting-backs-india-to-beat-pakistan-win-asia-cup.html | 2022-08-13T13:11:25Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/cricket/2022/08/13/ponting-backs-india-to-beat-pakistan-win-asia-cup.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
C-47 rides offered at Willow Run
BELLEVILLE – You have one last chance this summer to take a ride in the WWII airplane, Hairless Joe, on August 21st at Hangar 1 at the Willow Run Airport.
The C-47, Hairless Joe, is owned and operated by the Yankee Air Museum and was one of the most vital pieces of military equipment in winning the war according to General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The C-47 Skytrain was developed from the Douglas DC-3 civilian airliner. One of the most mass-produced aircraft in history with 11,000 manufactured before and during WWII, there are still 172 of the aircraft flying today. Also known as the gooney bird, the C-47 was built to last.
For thrill seekers desiring a once-in-a-lifetime experience, public rides on the C-47 are available on August 21st at 11 a.m. and 12 noon. The ride is a 20-minute experience and costs $225 per person.
Order now at https://yankeeairmuseum.org/fly/#c47 or take a chance and walk up the day of the flight at the Museum’s Hangar 1 located at 801 Kirk Profit Drive, Ypsilanti, MI 48198. | https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/2022/08/13/c-47-rides-offered-willow-run/10297126002/ | 2022-08-13T13:21:27Z | monroenews.com | control | https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/2022/08/13/c-47-rides-offered-willow-run/10297126002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Library of Michigan needs Monroe County's history
The Library of Michigan collects family documents and historical items from all 83 Michigan counties.
It has few items from Monroe County.
“We certainly do our best to collect materials from (all) communities,” Adam Oster, community engagement librarian for the Library of Michigan, said. "As far as I can tell, I don’t believe we’ve received any donated items or publications from anyone from the Monroe County area of the last few years. Nothing has come our way from any residents or institutions from Monroe County.”
A variety of items are accepted, including: Brochures and flyers, Michigan newspapers and periodicals, minutes from Michigan organizations, complied cemetery transcriptions, published vital record information, society newsletters, yearbooks, fiction and non-fiction by Michigan authors, papers (including letters and journals) by Michigan authors, published family histories, maps and more. For a full list of items needed, visit www.Michigan.gov/LibraryGift.
Sometimes, unique and rare items are given to the Lansing institution.
“Dickinson Wright law firm gave us several large volumes of Baist Survey atlases for the Detroit area that are really hard to come by. We’re soon going to be getting several boxes of yearbooks from Marshall District Library that cover schools in the Marshall area,” Oster said. "Hopefully more people in the Monroe area will learn that we’re looking for material, and folks will start reaching out to us."
To learn more about the program, call Library of Michigan at (517) 335-1477 or email Librarian@Michigan.gov. | https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/2022/08/13/library-michigan-needs-monroe-countys-history/10246923002/ | 2022-08-13T13:21:33Z | monroenews.com | control | https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/2022/08/13/library-michigan-needs-monroe-countys-history/10246923002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
New midway, Wild Mouse coaster coming to Cedar Point
SANDUSKY, Ohio – The excitement and nostalgia of Cedar Point’s classic lakeside experience will be celebrated in a whole new way in 2023 when the park opens The Boardwalk, a new themed area just steps away from the very Lake Erie shoreline that made Cedar Point famous.
The Boardwalk is a modern interpretation of the Cedar Point of yesteryear. New ride, dining and entertainment experiences for the entire family will round out the improvements coming to the former Lakeside Midway.
More than an amusement park, Cedar Point continues to expand its attractions, signature events and festivals, year-round overnight accommodations and multi-day offerings, giving families so many reasons to explore the park and create new memories while solidifying their annual traditions.
“The Boardwalk is our vision of what the classic Cedar Point Boardwalk would have felt like long ago: the sights, the sounds, the electricity of the experience – this new area captures it all,” said Carrie Boldman, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point. “Lakeside attractions have always been a part of Cedar Point’s 153-year history, and that tradition lives on. We can’t wait for our guests to enjoy this stunning new centerpiece of summertime fun.”
Wild Mouse Roller Coaster
Cedar Point’s legacy of roller coaster thrills continues with the addition of the Wild Mouse roller coaster. A nod to the park’s original Wild Mouse coaster, the modern version will provide a ride experience the original couldn’t – its cars will spin 360 degrees as they navigate the ride’s 1,312 feet of bright orange track.
The spins, dips, drops and hairpin turns of Wild Mouse will thrill coaster lovers young and young-at-heart. Standing 52 feet tall, the Wild Mouse ride experience is an unpredictable game of “cat and mouse,” complete with six mouse-themed cars and one cheese-themed car. The coaster’s free-form spinning action changes with the number of riders aboard each car, providing one-of-a-kind experiences with no two rides being exactly the same.
Riders must be at least 42” tall to ride with a supervising companion, or 48” tall to ride alone. Wild Mouse is manufactured by Zamperla® and joins Cedar Point’s unmatched ride collection as the 18th roller coaster at America’s Roller Coast®.
Cedar Point’s Grand Pavilion
Serving as the anchor to The Boardwalk, Cedar Point’s Grand Pavilion commemorates the park’s original Grand Pavilion entertainment space, which made its debut back in 1888.
In 2023, Cedar Point’s Grand Pavilion will take many cues from the original. The bi-level complex will be home to a new restaurant featuring culinary items not found anywhere else in the park (plus many traditional favorites), a lake view bar for relaxation and conversation, indoor and outdoor seating plus viewing decks with unparalleled panoramas of Cedar Point, the Cedar Point Beach and the Lake Erie shoreline.
More Family Fun
Guests will be immersed in the evocative nostalgia of The Boardwalk with a full collection of family rides that are quintessential Cedar Point. Two existing family attractions, Matterhorn and Scrambler, will be relocated to The Boardwalk with Scrambler receiving a refresh and new name: Atomic Scrambler. The Tiki Twirl spinning ride will also be refreshed and renamed as former park classic Calypso. These rides join Wild Mouse, Giant Wheel, Troika, Dodgem, GateKeeper and WindSeeker in the park’s new hub for a full range of pint-sized to giant-sized thrills for the whole family.
$99 Gold Pass Returns
Guests can enjoy admission for the rest of the 2022 season and all of next summer at The Boardwalk with a 2023 Gold Pass, on sale for only $99 (plus applicable taxes and fees) for a limited time. The Gold Pass includes unlimited visits to Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores Waterpark, free parking, in-park discounts and unlimited visits to HalloWeekends®.
Guests who wish to add Early Entry, a benefit that includes access to some of the park’s most popular attractions one hour prior to park opening, can purchase the Platinum Pass. In addition to Early Entry, unlimited admission and parking to Cedar Point and Cedar Point Shores Waterpark, the Platinum Pass includes admission and parking to the entire Cedar Fair family of parks across the U.S. and Canada.
2023 Gold and Platinum Season Passes are on sale now and available at their lowest prices. Guests should act fast – prices will go up on Tuesday, Sept. 6. To see the full lineup of Season Pass options and to take advantage of the best prices of the season, visit cedarpoint.com.
The Boardwalk is set to debut on the park’s opening day in May of 2023. For information on the project, including construction updates, guests are encouraged to follow the park on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. | https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/2022/08/13/new-midway-wild-mouse-coaster-coming-cedar-point/10297196002/ | 2022-08-13T13:21:39Z | monroenews.com | control | https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/2022/08/13/new-midway-wild-mouse-coaster-coming-cedar-point/10297196002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Siena Heights in Adrian welcomes Bedford High School for summer camps
Life is full of challenges and Cory Meggitt was thrown a big one earlier this year.
After nearly two decades of making Sauk Valley Farms Resort in Brooklyn, Michigan, the summer camp home for the BHS Marching Band, Meggitt, director of Bedford Public Schools’ bands and chair of the district’s Music Department, had to scramble to find a new location after being told that Sauk Valley was out of the camp-hosting business.
“I explored about a dozen other locations but none of them worked out due to location, date, cost, etc.,” Meggitt said.
Fortunately, he had a connection at nearby Siena Heights University in Adrian.
“I know the Siena Heights band director, Dan Kesterke, and sent him a message. Siena Heights was very excited to host us on their campus and worked closely with me to make this a successful experience for our students and program,” Meggitt said.
Kesterke explains, “After Cory reached out looking for a place for band camp, I met with our dining service, Resident Life, Athletics, Public Safety and Events and looked to see how we could accommodate Bedford’s request.
“With SHU’s team and Bedford’s team we figured out what needed to happen and worked together to provide the best possible experience for the students by offering our services and facilities,” Kesterke said.
In late July, with the location set, nearly 90 students packed school trucks with luggage and instruments, boarded buses and, along with more than a dozen marching band staff and volunteer parent chaperones, headed to SHU.
The theme for this year’s halftime show is 1970s Band Vibes, featuring the songs “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “That’s the Way I Like It,” “Country Roads Take Me Home” and “YMCA.”
In addition to the new location, this year’s band camp was shortened by a day.
“This year’s camp was an overall success, especially since we were given such a short amount of time. We were able to finish all of our music and chart the majority of our halftime show on the field,” said senior Mason Olvera, a first-year drum major.
While the music and the moves are important lessons for the BHS marching band, there are other positive aspects of camp.
“One of the most important aspects of camp is the positive relationships that are formed between the band members, and the memories that are created through the shared experience of camp itself,” said senior Lorelei Wilburn, who is in her second year as a drum major.
“While the goal is ultimately to learn the show as best as we can, the friendships and camaraderie that are fostered within the program help create a strong team as well as an overall positive community,” she added.
The third drum major leading the band is sophomore Jessie Wood.
“Camp this year as a drum major was quite a switch after being a freshman marcher last year,” Wood said.
“As a freshman, I was new to the world of marching band, and I didn't know much. Now, I'm one of the go-to people for answers when someone has a question. It was a strange switch, but I couldn't be happier. I love being able to help people to the greatest capacity possible, which is why I think drum major is such a great fit for me,” Wood said.
Meggitt said he was pleased with the 2022 summer band camp.
“I was happy with our camp experience at Siena Heights. Everyone worked hard at camp – students, staff and chaperones. I'm excited to see our band perform later this season,” he said.
Kesterke concurred.
“We feel the camp went extremely well,” he said.
“This was our first time hosting a marching band other than our own, so we really strived to anticipate the band’s rehearsal needs and activity needs first. There is quite a difference from rehearsing at an outdoor camp to a college campus and we are very proud of our staff, services, and facilities.
“We hope Bedford chooses us again in the following years and invites other schools to reserve some time at Siena Heights University for their band camps,” Kesterke added.
The Bedford community will have the first opportunity to see the Kicking Mules Marching Band perform in public on Friday, Sept. 2, when the BHS varsity football team hosts Pioneer at Grogan’s Towne Field at Bedford Community Stadium. | https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/education/2022/08/13/seeking-new-heights-siena-adrian-welcomes-bhs-summer-camps/10307376002/ | 2022-08-13T13:21:45Z | monroenews.com | control | https://www.monroenews.com/story/news/education/2022/08/13/seeking-new-heights-siena-adrian-welcomes-bhs-summer-camps/10307376002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Superorganism reaches into all the musical corners of the Earth on 'World Wide Pop' By Daniel Estrin Published August 13, 2022 at 6:07 AM PDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email NPR's Daniel Estrin talks with Superorganism's singer, Orono, about the band's latest album, "World Wide Pop." Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-13/superorganism-reaches-into-all-the-musical-corners-of-the-earth-on-world-wide-pop | 2022-08-13T13:24:42Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-13/superorganism-reaches-into-all-the-musical-corners-of-the-earth-on-world-wide-pop | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The FBI recovered classified information in its search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago property this week. Unsealed court filings are offering clues about the investigation.
Copyright 2022 NPR
The FBI recovered classified information in its search of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago property this week. Unsealed court filings are offering clues about the investigation.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-13/unsealed-documents-tell-the-what-and-why-of-the-fbis-search-of-trumps-property | 2022-08-13T13:25:00Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-13/unsealed-documents-tell-the-what-and-why-of-the-fbis-search-of-trumps-property | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Diaa Hadid chiefly covers Pakistan and Afghanistan for NPR News. She is based in NPR's bureau in Islamabad. There, Hadid and her team were awarded a Murrow in 2019 for hard news for their story on why abortion rates in Pakistan are among the highest in the world. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-13/what-daily-life-in-afghanistan-looks-like-1-year-after-the-taliban-takeover | 2022-08-13T13:25:12Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-08-13/what-daily-life-in-afghanistan-looks-like-1-year-after-the-taliban-takeover | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
I only have one brother. Chinaza is ten years older and so in my earliest memories of him, he was already a teenager. "Leave my room" is a phrase he uttered several times to me.
I remember him as loud but nerdy. He didn't have many friends and he didn't have a date for prom. He was 15 when he left Nigeria for boarding school in the U.K., which would have made me around 5. I was potty-trained but still learning how to read. I hadn't lived long enough for us to have much in common.
We met properly when I was a young adult and he was taking his first steps into a career in private equity. By this time, I was in boarding school in England and he had returned to Lagos to become a full-time "hustler," the name tag given to eager young entrepreneurs in Lagos. In Lagos, it's natural to have more than one job. I have friends who are lawyers by day and make-up artists, wig sellers and DJs in the evenings. Chinaza was no different. In addition to his 9 to 5 private equity job, he and a few friends started a film production company that would go on to produce films for the Nigerian cinema, Netflix and Amazon Prime.
I've always been curious about Chinaza's move to Lagos. How did he hack it after living the soft life abroad? The infrastructure more or less works in England. There's a free health service, constant electricity and a decent public transport system. What I take for granted in London can be a luxury in Lagos.
My curiosity is tinged with self-interest. Every few years, I grow discontent with my predictable life as a writer in London and wonder if I should move back to Lagos, where all the action seems to be happening. Music, film, fashion and art from the city is spreading across the globe. If you're creating anything today, surely Lagos is the place to be.
I worry I no longer have what it takes to cope with the erratic power supply, rising crime rates and endless traffic jams that make up daily life in Lagos. And yet, it's the city that has fed my imagination and the stories I tell as a writer. In Lagos, everything is heightened.
But can I live at that feverish pitch for longer than a 3-week holiday? What does Chinaza think? I want to know.
After talking to Chinaza for an hour, I realize that there are quite a few things about my brother I don't know. I've assumed that Chinaza got his determination from Lagos but listening to him tell his story, it seems that he got some of that grit from coming abroad. At university in America, he was no longer the smartest kid in the room and after his postgraduate degree from the U.K., he didn't get the swishy job he was expected to. His failure to make a success of life abroad didn't dent his confidence but it taught him perseverance.
I do find it interesting that Chinaza doesn't even wonder if race might have been a factor in his failing to get a job after he graduated. On paper at least, he was the perfect for the corporate jobs he applied to. After all, he has two degrees from elite institutions.
The more I listen to him speak about events that are over a decade old, the more I question my brother's interpretation of events. The discourse around structural racism in the early oughts wasn't as nuanced as what we have today. A 2019 study carried out by Oxford University found that "applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds have to send 60% more applications to get a positive response from an employer than white British candidates." Perhaps there was more to why Chinaza didn't get a job than just mere chance.
And yet I find my brother's point of view strangely liberating. He refused to be crushed by failure and instead let the obstacle redirect his path. His confidence shielded him from any long-term effects of passing through a structurally racist hiring system.
When he moved back to Lagos, his psyche was baggage-free. He knew what he had to offer and if you failed to hire him, that was your loss not his. This extreme confidence is typical of Lagosians. Sometimes, I find my own self-confidence eroded by living in London where I am an ethnic minority. I need some of that Lagos mentality. If you doubt my abilities because of my race, that's your problem not mine. I know who I am. I know what I'm capable of. If you don't recognize it, gerrarhere as Lagosians put it — get out of here.
During our conversation, Chinaza narrates a near death experience with a danfo, the ramshackle buses used to transport a large portion of Lagos's population. The blasé manner in which he recounts the story is typical of Lagosians. There's a certain badge of honor to almost dying and then carrying on as if nothing has happened.
Lagosians don't just have a stiff upper lip. Their upper lips are made of concrete. But at what cost? When I hear such stories, I wonder if half the city should be in therapy.
What do I love most about my trips to Lagos? I lose my self-consciousness there. If I stand out, it's for something other than my skin color. Also, my sense of what is possible expands when I am in Lagos. Maybe it's because I've watched my brother build a world class production company with distribution deals on multiple global platforms. There are not that many Black producers in Britain that you can say that about.
After two hours of talking to Chinaza, I still don't know if I should move to Nigeria. My brother isn't an oracle. He can't peer into the future and tell me if I will thrive in Lagos. But our conversation has settled something restless in me. My desire to move to Lagos has always stemmed from a Texas-sized FOMO that I am missing out creatively by living outside of my city of birth. After talking to Chinaza, I'm stumbling toward the realization that creativity is not about geography: It's about belief. Living in Lagos won't make the work I produce more worthwhile. Believing in my craft will. What I need is inside me not outside.
Born in 1991, Chibundu Onuzo grew up in Lagos, moved to the U.K. in 2005 and signed her first book deal at 19. Published in 2012 by Faber, her, first novel, The Spider King's Daughter, won the Betty Trask Award and was shortlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize and the Commonwealth Book Prize. Her second novel, Welcome to Lagos, was published in 2017 and her most recent novel, Sankofa, was selected by Reese Witherspoon as her October 2021 book club pick.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-08-13/my-brother-made-it-in-lagos-and-taught-me-lessons-about-my-life-in-london | 2022-08-13T13:25:37Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-08-13/my-brother-made-it-in-lagos-and-taught-me-lessons-about-my-life-in-london | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
He got rich without dying.
When it comes to epic hip hop stars, there are few who have gripped the world and conquered the music industry more than rapper 50 Cent.
With iconic hits since he took the world by storm in the early 2000s, 50 Cent, 47, has gone on to prove that his legacy isn’t just made with music, it’s a global empire built upon his entrepreneurship, personality and entertainment. With an immense high-net worth, the powerhouse is known for his unapologetic lifestyle—stirring the pot with major celebs like Madonna and Lil Kim as well as throwing down cash to tip big.
Then there’s his empire he’s built with shows like “Power,” which continues with the latest premiere of the spin-off in the series “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” which debuts August 14th, as well as products like Path of Kings (Chemin du Roi) Champagne, Branson VSOP cognac and his Green Light Gang fashion line. This titan just can’t be stopped. Having performed at the 2022 Superbowl and with a huge tour and many new projects in the works, 50 Cent has a very bright and mighty future ahead of him.
So what makes him such a king? Was he always meant to dominate and own his share of the world? Join me as we dive into his stars because I’m a pop culture astrologer and I can see it all.
50 Cent’s birth chart shows how he conquered life’s challenges to conquer the world
50 Cent was born on July 6, 1975. This makes him a strong-willed Cancer Sun with an intelligent Gemini Moon. When it comes to elemental energy, he is heavily composed of both Air and Fire. When someone has a great deal of these kinds of energies, they often possess a dynamic, extroverted and witty personality. They tend to have a theatrical edge to them, as they thrive on passion, ideas and interaction. Keeping them boxed in a cage doesn’t work well because they thrive on spontaneity—and all of this can be seen within 50 Cent.
When analyzing his astrological aspects, we can see several different themes present themselves repeatedly throughout his birth chart. First, with the way his planets meet, we can see that ultimately 50 Cent is tremendously original and inventive. His Venus, the planet of art, links to Uranus, the planet of rebellion, which shows that he is immensely creative and thrives on having multiple interests and explorations. He demands freedom of expression and lifestyle and is boldly independent. He can be unconventional in some of his attitudes, but he is unbothered by the opinions of others because he knows he is a titan.
His Mercury, the planet of communication, links to Uranus, too, which allows him to have a brilliant and penetrating mind, granting him the ability to pick up new concepts rapidly and then make them his own. His Mars, the planet of energy, and Jupiter, the planet of luck, both stand opposite Uranus, too. He has immense resources of energy and demands to explore new horizons rather than ever being limited. He has an action-oriented personality, which makes him a nonconformist, totally living and abiding by his own code of ethics.
Next, we can see why 50 Cent is also so charming and charismatic. His Mercury dances with Jupiter, making him very clever and generally good-natured, as well as having a bright sense of humor. His Sun, ruling his life force, smiles upon Jupiter, bringing him a courageous and loyal temperament, as well as fortune and favor especially in regards to the material realms of life. His Venus spins with Mars and Jupiter, granting him a lively personality with a genuine sense of kindness and magnetism, as well.
Yet, the last theme that can be seen running through his birth chart is that 50 Cent ultimately has faced significant challenges repeatedly in his life that have made him stronger. The stars above have not made it “easy” for him, as they have for many other celebrities out there. In fact, he’s had to face hurdles, enemies and drama time and again. First, we can see that his Moon stands obscured by Neptune, which has caused deception to sometimes stand before him. He may have idealized certain people, relationships and situations to only realize they were an illusion.
His Jupiter clashes with Saturn, which has made him very ambitious, but has often shown that his rise to the top has at times hit barriers that he has had to surmount. His Sun is crushed by Saturn, too, which has created blockages and at times made him feel like his energy has been drained and his sense of hope lost. His Sun then is attacked by Pluto, the planet of darkness and enemies, which has caused him to face insecurity on the deepest of levels so he could transform that pain into power. Overall, 50 Cent used these hurdles to drive him toward success.
What are predictions for 50 Cent?
So what lies ahead for 50 Cent? More glory—or more challenges? Luckily, he has a brighter road ahead of him over the next several years. To be honest, one of his darker periods lasted between 2017 to 2020, when he felt the weight of the world. Mighty Pluto, the planet of rebirth but also shadow, has stood across the sky from him since 2008 and will soon leave this arena and will never return here again in his lifetime. Life will improve yet again. Mighty Jupiter, the planet of expansion, sings at the crown of his chart from May to October 2022 and will once again return in the first five months of 2023.
This ensures great success and more acclaim, as he revels in what he has built. But even better news comes beginning the summer of 2023, as he will see his fan base expand, as well as collaborates with many of his closest friends and business partners. This period will be as if he is lifted to the stars and celebrated in ways he hasn’t felt in over a decade. His income will also grow because of this, too. May he continue to thrive like the king that he is. You heard it here first.
Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars
- The 12 zodiac signs
- What are the astrology houses?
- Here’s what each planet represents
- Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3
Kyle Thomas is a globally recognized pop culture astrologer who has been featured in “Access Hollywood,” E! Entertainment, NBC & ABC television, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Hulu, Bustle, Elite Daily, Marie Claire and more. He is known for his cosmic guidance for celebrities, business executives and prominent influencers. His work harnesses the power of the stars in regards to entertainment lifestyle and trends affecting people worldwide. For more information, visit KyleThomasAstrology.com. | https://nypost.com/article/50-cents-birth-chart-rapper-honed-his-power-to-earn-millions/ | 2022-08-13T13:32:34Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/article/50-cents-birth-chart-rapper-honed-his-power-to-earn-millions/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Patton Oswalt, left, and James Morosini are an estranged father and son in “I Love My Dad.” (Magnolia Pictures/TNS)
This eight-part series makes a couple of nods to the beloved 1992 film, including a Rosie O’Donnell cameo and a twist on the immortal line about no crying in baseball. But creators Abbi Jacobson and Will Graham have a more ambitious game plan. Jacobson, one-half of the “Broad City” team, plays a small-town catcher who must confront her own racial prejudices and sexual orientation as she tries to lead her Rockford Peaches to a championship. The writers’ social agenda often overshadows the action on the diamond. But the cast of seasoned pros, including a terrific D’Arcy Carden (“The Good Place”), will keep you rooting for the team no matter your political leanings. Friday, Prime Video
‘I Love My Dad’
Come for the clever idea, stay for the icky execution. Patton Oswalt stars as a man, estranged from his adult son (writer/director/star James Morosini), who catfishes him, pretending to be a beautiful young woman. It’s intriguing to see the men get to know each other via texts and social media and Oswalt is terrific as the negligent pop. But the cringe factor is high when Morosini visualizes their online interactions in scenes that feature “father” and “son” envisioning each other naked and having sex. Friday, On demand
‘I Am Groot’
The “Guardians of the Galaxy” may be on leave, but Baby Groot is still causing mischief. These clever three-minute shorts owe more to Harpo Marx than Stan Lee, with our vocabulary-challenged hero surfing on soap bars, battling a bonsai tree and challenging his “twin” to a dance-off. Bradley Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon makes a cameo. Disney+
‘Never Have I Ever’
When we first met Devi two seasons ago, she was paralyzed by the death of her father and her fear of boys. It was easy to be on her side. Our allegiances to her get tested in this third season as Maitreyi Ramakrishnan’s character reveals more superficial, self-centered tendencies. That may upset viewers who thought they had fallen for a standard teen rom-com. But give Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher credit for creating a hero inspired by real life rather than a John Hughes movie. Friday, Netflix
‘Licorice Pizza’
Cooper Hoffman and Alana Haim make smashing movie debuts in Paul Thomas Anderson’s sorta romance about creative oddballs who find each other. Like “Boogie Nights,” another perfect movie from Anderson, “Licorice Pizza” captures bursts of life on the fringes of ‘70s Hollywood. But unlike “Boogie Nights,” it’s a song of innocence. Energy and youth burst from every vivid frame, with its characters often shown running to their next adventure. Prime Video | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/5-shows-to-watch-a-league-of-their-own-tv-series-pitches-a-whole-new/article_c2dc5aa5-fa36-5045-b1c3-fd94fdf6cbdf.html | 2022-08-13T13:36:29Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/5-shows-to-watch-a-league-of-their-own-tv-series-pitches-a-whole-new/article_c2dc5aa5-fa36-5045-b1c3-fd94fdf6cbdf.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
'Secret Headquarters' review: Family superhero movie finds its powers
A superhero comedy for families with more than a few genuine laughs, “Secret Headquarters’” superpowers are in the way it plays to its target audience.
It doesn’t pander to teens – ahem, young adults – but rather it meets them where they’re at, and it’s made with warmth rather than cynicism. That makes it stand out among contemporaries that are either too cool or too out of touch to realize how to talk to kids.
Walker Scobell, recently seen hamming it up alongside Ryan Reynolds in Netflix’s teeth-grating “The Adam Project,” is put to much better use here as Charlie Kincaid. He’s a 14-year-old who is shuffled between the homes of his divorced parents who doesn’t understand why his father never has time for him.
When he and his friends – including Berger (“Good Boys’” high-pitch squealer Keith L. Williams), Lizzie (Abby James Witherspoon, Reese’s niece) and his crush Maya (Momona Tamada) – discover his father’s underground sci-fi man cave, they start to put the pieces together. Turns out Dad (Owen Wilson) is The Guard, a superhero who has helped curb global crime, who has a wealth of neat-o gadgets at his disposal. So at least he has somewhat of an excuse for being absent all the time.
Charlie and his friends help themselves to these supertools and use them to become heroes in their own worlds, throwing heaters in Little League Baseball and cheating on tests. But they soon become targets of Ansel Argon (Michael Peña, game as always), a defense contractor who has been looking to harness The Guard’s power source for years.
”Secret Headquarters” is harmless, good-natured fun, and the script by Christopher L. Yost (“Thor: Ragnarok”), along with directors Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman (the original “Catfish”) and Josh Koenigsberg, has a welcome silly streak. It has more in common with “Sky High” than it does the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but in a genre that has become way overblown, “Secret Headquarters” is a welcome return to Earth. Pass it on. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/secret-headquarters-review-family-superhero-movie-finds-its-powers/article_2a58722e-49c2-5215-8a15-de71dda18480.html | 2022-08-13T13:36:35Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/secret-headquarters-review-family-superhero-movie-finds-its-powers/article_2a58722e-49c2-5215-8a15-de71dda18480.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In light of recent controversy surrounding the banning of books in Wyoming public school districts, as well as school districts around the U.S., the Wyoming Tribune Eagle spoke with a selection of Wyoming authors to weigh with their perspectives and recommendations for “banned book” reading.
Craig Johnson
Author of: the “Longmire” book series
Once mostly known well around the state of Wyoming, Johnson has gained significant traction since Netflix optioned his 21-book series that follows the adventures of Sheriff Walt Longmire into one long-running series, titled “Longmire.”
“Obviously, as an author, I’m against it,” Johnson said in an interview with the WTE. “The thing that I laugh about is, I mean, just for the fun of it, I looked up to see what was the most banned book in the United States, and it was ‘1984,’ the George Orwell book, for goodness sake.
“I’m always consistently amazed by this, because I guess my first question to these people that are trying to ban these books would be, ‘Have they read them?”
In “1984,” Orwell presents a a totalitarian society controlled by a fascist government through the limiting of information, be it conveyed through speech, literature, historical documentation and even, thought.
For those who haven’t read the novel, or don’t quite remember the plot, the main character gets wise to the injustices of the society through the acquisition of a book that reveals the true purpose and methods of control utilized by the governing party.
Among other banned books that flabbergast Johnson are the works of John Steinbeck, “Of Mice and Men” and “Grapes of Wrath.” The latter of the two was heavily criticized for what was identified as promoting socialist ideals.
Johnson recalls visiting Monterey College, where the school erected the National Steinbeck Center in the author’s name. Every time he walks into the well appointed building, he remembers that nearby is the town square, where residents burned copies of “Grapes of Wrath” when it was originally released.
“One of the great things is that young people are extraordinarily intellectually resilient and extraordinarily rebellious,” he said. “The more you tell them you can’t read there’s more they’re gonna want to. I remember as a kid, all the things that I wasn’t supposed to be involved in or supposed to be doing or whatever, those are the first things I was drawn to.”
Johnson’s most recent book in the Longmire series, “Daughter of the Morning Star,” received backlash due to the subject matter focusing on the issue of murdered and missing indigenous women. One reader wrote and expressed his disappointment that Johnson was getting “too political.”
The reader did eventually read the book and cited it as one of his favorites in the series upon completion. Books are meant to have a message, whether that reader agrees the with message or not. So Johnson is avoiding becoming “airport fodder” – paperbacks lining airport book stands – by ensuring each of his books makes a statement.
He specifically puts Walt Longmire in situations that Wyomingites are familiar with.
“I tend to refer to it as the ‘Burr-Under-the-Saddle-Blanket School of Literature.’ You have a sense of injustice when there’s something wrong or there’s something that you think needs to be addressed,” Johnson said. “I’ve discovered that that’s one of the best fuels for me as a writer – when I’m a little disgruntled about something.
“That burr under the saddle blanket is there, I can feel it and the horse can feel it, neither of us like it, so I’m gonna have to deal with it.”
Suggested reading: If it’s banned, read it.
Final comment: “Read things that are going to get you out of your comfort zone or things that you normally wouldn’t pick up. Read about the things that are going to stretch you as a human being, things that are gonna be of interest to you. You may be surprised at what you’ll gain.”
Mark Spragg
Author of: “Where Rivers Change Direction,” “The Fruit of Stone,” “An Unfinished Life,” “Bone Fire”
Spragg feels strongly about the issue of banning books.
“It seems to me it’s about control, and always under the guise of being somebody’s savior,” Spragg said. “The savior from sexual input, the language input, the war scenes, whatever. It’s been interesting looking over these lists of (top banned) books.”
Prior to his interview, Spragg sent a document briefly compiling his stance on the matter of banning books, particularly in Wyoming.
“Banning books is, more accurately, an effort to ban thought, opinion, and perspective,” the statement reads. “I believe that those who urge the banning do so because they are fearful that their point of view will be discovered as untenable, disgraceful, able to exist only in an intellectual or religious vacuum.
“Censorship is the tool of dictators, of bullies, of cults, of the intellectually timid.”
The majority of it is dumbfounding to him. In light of recent events, Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale” is as important as ever, and restricting “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee seems “blatantly racist.”
Book banning is an act that has occurred since mankind began writing and documenting history. He references how the Visigoths sacked Rome in the year 410 and burned every book in the empire. It’s one of the prominent book burnings among other instances in history – ancient china, the Bolshevik revolution and Nazi Germany.
Raised in Cody, Spragg has always thought of Wyoming as a place where though he “might not always agree with his neighbors,” but it was never his right to tell them “what they could think, believe, or read.”
Suggested reading: “A Brave New World,” by Aldous Huxley; “Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck; “The Handmaid’s Tale,” by Margaret Atwood; “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain; “Beloved,” by Toni Morrison; “The Color Purple,” by Alice Walker; “The Satanic Verses,” by Salman Rushdie; “Slaughterhouse Five,” by Kurt Vonnegut; “The Awakening,” by Kate Chopin.
Final comment: “I think people are more fearful. Fear – that’s the root of banning books. You’re fearing another voice in the world, another opinion, another perspective, and you find that somehow threatening because it’s satisfying to make somebody that you aren’t, the other.
“The solipsism of it is what always startles me. If you don’t like to go swimming, don’t drain the pools. There are other people that want to get in the water.”
Kathleen O’Neil Gear and W. Michael Gear
Authors of: The “People” series
The Gears, a longtime husband and wife writing duo, echoed the majority of Spragg’s beliefs on the subject.
As authors, they’ve had a number of their books challenged and even banned in school districts. In their interview with the WWTE, they wanted to approach the subject as anthropologists, an occupation in which they’ve both received awards for their work.
Where, they with Spragg is that the country is currently seeing a revitalization of book banning and in an attempt to control the flow of creative information due to increased political polarization from both extremist conservatives and extremist liberals.
“What we’re seeing out there is what anthropologists call a ‘revitalization movement,’” O’Neil Gear said. “What that means is, when people feel threatened, because of disease or violence or warfare, what they tend to do is, any idea that is new becomes threatening, and books that represent those ideas are the scapegoats. Therefore, they start banning books.”
There’s the classics listed previously in the article, but then there’s newer works, like the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, that have faced pushback in the school system. The Gears go as far to say that the school system has struggled in recent years to push students to think critically about the works they’re reading.
It spawns from the fear brought on by a changing world, the idea that your truth is the only truth, and no other’s belief is viable.
However, there is one point where they might disagree with Spragg on the use of banning books as a method for acquiring power.
The method of revising history and limiting the creative work of the past is nothing new, as O’Neil Gear argues that history has always been written by the conquerers. When more information is discovered about the past, and as we come to understand past events through a more enlightened lens, then those events need to be reframed.
“It’s not always just a power struggle, it’s about getting it right,” O’Neil Gear said. “Mike and I have been doing archaeology for most of our lives, and every day we find something revises our understanding of America. You have to revise that understanding.”
When it comes to the Gear’s “People” series, of which there are over 20 entires spanning since 1990, the series focuses entirely on Native American culture. They’ve received pushback for their “mythological” depictions of Native American beliefs in “Children of the Dawnland” and “People of the Wolf.”
Their other work, “Alpha Enigma,” was described as being censored by Penguin Random House for insensitive language – the use of the word “skinny,” describing a small hills as looking like “boils” or saying that a character has a “hispanic accent.”
Mike Gear estimates that every book they’ve released has garnered some sort of pushback, and the reality is that authors simply have to get used to upsetting someone, no matter how innocent a reason.
“The first time it was so shocking and concerning,” Gear said about their first disgruntled reader. “That I answered the door with with the .45 caliber pistol in my waistband and Kathy was around the corner with her nine millimeter. It was that frightening.”
Suggested reading: “Fahrenheit 451”, by Ray Bradbury; “To Kill a Mockingbird,” by Harper Lee; “Grapes of Wrath” and “Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck; “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain
Final comment: “This has a religious component in the anthropological sense. People who want to ban books believe that they have ultimate truth that they have revelation, whether it be religious or political,” O’Neil Gear said. “When you have ultimate truth then it’s very easy for you to decide what other people need and what they should be doing.”
Tim Sandlin
Author of: “Skipped Parts,” “Sorrow Floats,” “Sex and Sunsets” and “Social Blunders.”
On the other end of the argument, Sandlin is all for the banning of books.
Heck, he’s hoping some of his work get banned some time soon.
“Well, I think it’s horrific for the librarians and the teachers that have to put up with the abuse. Small-town communities, they get ripped in half by these things,” Sandlin said over the phone. “From the point of view of the writers and the kids, I disagree with the other writers, I think it’s great.”
While Sandlin manages to pull a good amount of humor from his observations, there’s some truth to this idea – the fastest way to get a book on the best seller list is to get it banned. At one point it was the classics, like “Slaughterhouse Five” and “Catch 22,” which Sandlin gravitates towards for their humor, that were taking the majority of the blame.
Even “The Lorax,” by Dr. Seuss, garnered pushback in the Northwest because of its pro-environment, anti-logger message, Sandlin said. He also jokes that some of the stories from the Old Testament of the Bible would be banned in schools if he had written them today.
Literature that focuses on experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as other ethnic perspectives of the American life, are under fire as of late.
“I never heard of a straight kid who decided to be gay because he read one of those books,” Sandlin said. “Maybe (these people banning books) don’t want the gay kids to have to think that they’re not alone and that everybody’s against them, but it’s sure not turning straight kids gay.”
The effect on the community is a much more serious matter.
“For teachers and librarians that have to take the brunt of this stuff, then it’s a bad thing,” he said. “You know, book burning throughout history has been a bad sign, it means there’s certain people trying to control what you think and what the kids think.
“Even though the writers are gonna make a lot of money if they get on the list, it’s still not something I would encourage.”
Suggested reading: “The Lorax,” by Dr. Seuss; “Slaughterhouse Five,” by Kurt Vonnegut; “Catch 22,” by Joseph Heller; “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” by Mark Twain.
Final comment: “If you tell a bunch of high school kids it’s illegal to eat an eggplant, the eggplant sales will just boom.”
Nina McConigley
Author of: “Cowboys and East Indians”
McConigley, an award-winning author and writing professor at the University of Wyoming, offers not only the perspective of an author, but as a teacher. She regularly pushes her students to experience literature that they might not agree with.
In her class, which focuses on non-traditional narratives of the American West, she requires students to read “The Laramie Project,” a play published in 2001 that is centered around events following the torture and murder of UW student Matthew Shepard in 1998.
“Brokeback Mountain,” by Annie Proux, which explores the sexual relationship between two Wyoming cowboys in the 1960s and ‘70s, is also in the curriculum. In the past, students have refused to read these two works, opting instead to take a failing grade on the assignments associated with them.
Perspectives that conflict with one’s pre-set beliefs are often the most powerful.
“I heard a lot about the Vietnam War, but the first time I ever really understood the Vietnam War was what I read ‘The Things They Carried’ by Tim O’Brien,” McConigley said. “You understand it, and the perspective is completely different from all the facts and figures in history that I’ve ever read about the Vietnam War.
“I myself write about race in Wyoming and I’ve gotten so many book clubs in Wyoming where people are like, ‘I never thought about race in Wyoming.”
The one that confuses her is the Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel “Maus,” by Holocaust survivor Art Spiegelman, which depicts a rendition of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany through a struggle between cats and mice. Students, in her experience, have loved the book, but it was one of the books most recently banned in school systems.
In a perfect scenario, challenging books spawn discourse between students. In a sense, it’s part of the teachers responsibility to teach the literature in a fashion that clarifies the message of the book.
Suggested reading: Maus I and II, by Art Spiegelman; “The Bluest Eye,” by Toni Morrison; “1984,” by George Orwell; “Captain Underpants,” by Dav Pilkey.
Final comment: “It’s people’s fear of the unfamiliar. It’s people’s fear of the unknown. I see that so much as a teacher. I’ve had students who are resistant to those kinds of books and then they’re like, ‘Oh, actually, this is amazing.’ They connect completely with something that they didn’t think they would.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/wyoming-authors-offer-banned-book-suggestions/article_7b786e57-e53e-570b-aa42-98dc6ab19113.html | 2022-08-13T13:36:54Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/wyoming-authors-offer-banned-book-suggestions/article_7b786e57-e53e-570b-aa42-98dc6ab19113.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Daniel and Christine Aneiros of Laramie will celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary Aug. 19.
She’s a homemaker, bookkeeper and works in social services for the St. Paul’s Newman Center in Laramie. She also volunteers for Laramie Interfaith and says she never plans to retire from doing what she loves.
He was an engineer for Sinclair Oil Corp. for 43 years and officially retired in 2010. But like Christine, Daniel says he’s never really going to retire. He now volunteers for the local Meals on Wheels program.
They are the parents of Michelle (Eric) Worden of Laramie; Christopher (Juliana) Aneiros of Reno, Nevada; and Teresa (Jason) Whitney of Helena, Montana. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/announcements/anniversaries/anniversary/article_43883a20-527b-586b-bac4-8d29903aa407.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:00Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/announcements/anniversaries/anniversary/article_43883a20-527b-586b-bac4-8d29903aa407.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
The Federal Communications Commission requires phone companies support the 988 number for people to call to reach an existing suicide-prevention hotline, including in Wyoming.
A new phone number has come online for anyone in a mental health crisis with potentially suicidal thoughts.
The new number, 988, replaces the 1-800-273-TALK option for the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The 1-800- 273-TALK number will remain available as well as 988.
To access the free service, call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or text “WYO” to 741-741 for the Crisis Text Line. The number is staffed with full-time Wyoming-based coverage 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Wyoming-based coverage and simplified call-in number launched last month.
If someone may be considering suicide, ask outright, “Are you feeling suicidal?” said Tracy Young, community engagement consultant for Albany County.
Ask if they have a plan, if they have been thinking about it. If someone answers “yes,” ask how to help, check in with them, and if there is a fear of imminent death or injury, notify emergency services, she said.
In addition to 988, another national resource is:
Trevor Lifeline, with emphasis on LGBTQ issues, Text START to 678-678 or call 1-866-488-7386
Local resources include:
Ivinson Memorial Hospital Behavioral Health Services, 307-742-0285
Cathedral Home, Laramie Youth Crisis Center, 307-742-5936
University of Wyoming University Counseling Center Mental Health Crisis Intervention, weekdays during business hours, 307-766-2187; weekends or after hours, 307-766-8989.
Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988, Select 1. Text 838255 to start a confidential chat any time. Many of the responders are veterans themselves. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/988-goes-nationwide-suicide-intervention-is-wyoming-based/article_2123c4fa-73c6-59c5-9af3-c2407ce48e7a.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:12Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/988-goes-nationwide-suicide-intervention-is-wyoming-based/article_2123c4fa-73c6-59c5-9af3-c2407ce48e7a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Rock Springs volunteer Pat Sisneros assists a Sweetwater County student in need of a pair of new shoes for school.
ROCK SPRINGS — When a family barely has enough money for food after paying household bills, preparing their children for the new school year can be stressful. Some children return to school without the materials they need to succeed.
But this year, there are a few organizations that are connecting kids in need with the supplies required in classrooms.
Volunteers from a local church kicked the week off by giving the gift of opportunity that many children will not receive otherwise.
The inaugural Back to School Blessing Shoe Drive took place at The First Assembly of God in Rock Springs on Sunday, Aug. 7.
Assisting young students from Pre-K to eighth grade, volunteer shoe fitters greeted them in the main lobby area, ready to help them find the perfect fit.
Members of the church partnered with Sole Mission for training. Sole Mission is dedicated to giving new well-fitting shoes to low-income children in the United States. They host shoe drives in Riverton, Lander and Laramie as well.
“We want to make sure kids are getting the right fitting shoes,” said Kelly Ward, facilitator of Sole Mission. “Kids can grow two or three sizes a year in shoes.”
About 250 new shoes were donated for the event. Bomba brand packaged socks were also available on tables in the next room.
“For every pair of socks that Bomba sells, they give a pair away for free,” Ward shared. “They’re very generous.”
Green River Pre-K student Zaylee Winn smiled as she found shoes with her favorite colors on them. She said “they will match her clothes and they feel great.”
The back-to-school drive began at 2 p.m. but according to Pastor Nicole Heidt, families were arriving by 12:30.
“It’s exciting to do this for the community,” Heidt expressed. “We really didn’t know what to expect since this is our first time doing this.
“We hope it would be a blessing for them. We want to help those who are struggling because of rising costs in food, gas and whatever makes it difficult for them to buy school supplies and shoes.”
She added, “Getting ready for school is such a huge economic investment. We just hope this makes it a little easier.”
She noted that some families may not even be able to afford $10 socks.
“That’s why we’re doing it,” she said. “I hope this is the beginning of something. We have a great partnership with Sole Mission and we’re looking forward to doing it every year.”
The children also had the opportunity to pick out a free backpack and a fresh-from-the-grill hot dog.
Volunteer Kitty Johnson recalls how difficult it was for her parents to buy school supplies and shoes for her and her siblings as “the new school year started to sneak on them.”
“It feels really awesome doing this,” said Johnson. “It’s not easy to prepare the little ones for school, especially for those families with more than one child these days. Kids in our community need all the help they can get.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/easing-the-burden-shoe-drive-helps-kids-step-into-new-school-year/article_d703c95b-6c9d-5e88-8488-d24230bbd7f1.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:24Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/easing-the-burden-shoe-drive-helps-kids-step-into-new-school-year/article_d703c95b-6c9d-5e88-8488-d24230bbd7f1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
1 of 2
Thomas Faber of Laramie with his $1,000 award from Albany County Democrats for winning the 2022 Be the Change Scholarship, which he’ll use while studying at the University of Wyoming.
Welcome to the first of many Life Hacks columns, the Boomerang’s twice-monthly community bulletin board-style roundup of local events, happenings and achievements.
As you saw with last week’s first Weekend edition, our new bulked-up Saturday print editions features a Laramie Life section the second and fourth weekends of the month, with Business the first and third.
If you haven’t read it already, today’s cover story — and informative sidebars — on the local impacts of suicide is don’t-miss community journalism.
Faber receives Be the Change Scholarship
Laramie High School Class of 2022 graduate Thomas Faber has been awarded a $1,000 Be the Change Scholarship from Albany County Democrats, which he’ll use when he attends the University of Wyoming to pursue a double major in international studies and history.
Through his studies, Faber hopes to advocate for effective and informed foreign policy, according to a press release announcing the scholarship.
“Thomas is a young person who earns the respect of faculty and peers through his tireless work ethic and ability to onnet to classroom material and real-world applications,” wrote LHS counselor Bryon Lee in a letter of support.
All students are encouraged to apply regardless of party affiliation.
Raffle benefits abandoned, abused animals
Laramie Home on the Range recently held the drawing for the group’s Summer Fun Raffle, raising nearly $2,400, the nonprofit reports.
“This will help pay rent and feed for a month!” said Home on the Range President Pam Brekken in an email to the Boomerang.
The local animal sanctuary is dedicated to feeding, caring for and provided a forever home for 23 abandoned, neglected and abused animals.
Winners of the raffle are: Madoka Grenvik, Matt Gray, Bill Anderson, Joseph Hussand and Tom Larson.
A University of Wyoming graduate students was among the inaugural group to attend the Western Governors’ Leadership Institute in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, last month.
Christie Wildcat, who is Northern Arapahoe on her maternal side, is in her second year of graduate school studying anthropology and political science, according to a Western Governors’ Foundation press release.
She was one of 21 state delegates chosen for the first class of the institute.
The initiative included a leadership development forum with a host of current and former governors from around the region.
Wildcat also attended the WGA’s annual meeting.
Life Hacks is a semi-monthly column featuring notable milestones and happenings inthe Albany County community. Send your LifeHacks items to editor@laramieboomerang.com. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/entertainment/laramie-student-receives-1-000-award/article_9bceccc9-167f-5e03-930f-f65dc9346191.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:31Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/entertainment/laramie-student-receives-1-000-award/article_9bceccc9-167f-5e03-930f-f65dc9346191.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
The Wyoming Territorial Prison in Laramie will host a Western show Aug. 20 as a continuation of its 150th anniversary celebration.
Wyoming’s unique place in Western history will be presented with songs and a spread at the Wyoming Territorial Prison Historical State Historic Site next week.
“The Legacy of Wyoming” is a presentation by Buffalo Bill and Dr. Jo, musicians and singers Bill Boycott and Joanne Orr. The folk duo present cowboy and folk music representing the Rocky Mountain West using a variety of instruments, songs, stories and what they describe as “world class yodeling.”
The Aug. 20 event is being hosted as part of the Territorial Prison’s 150th anniversary celebration, said Lynette Nelson, visitor services supervisor for the site.
The experience begins with a meal served outside by the Albany County Cattlewomen from 5-7 p.m. After dinner, Buffalo Bill and Dr. Jo will present the hour-long “The Legacy of Wyoming” in the Horsebarn Theater on the prison grounds.
Participants will have an opportunity to tour and learn about the history of the “ranchland,” a movie-style Old West town replica on the park’s grounds. They also will be able to tour the prison and grounds.
Cowboy Joe, the University of Wyoming mascot, will also be at the event.
“We are very excited to bring Buffalo Bill Boycott,” Nelson said. “He is a well-known artist. This is a way to celebrate the progress we have made in Wyoming.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/entertainment/territorial-prison-offers-dinner-and-a-show-cowboy-style/article_a59b19a1-2d4d-5cae-a642-dafde5d64d8a.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:37Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/entertainment/territorial-prison-offers-dinner-and-a-show-cowboy-style/article_a59b19a1-2d4d-5cae-a642-dafde5d64d8a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As Laramie Police Department Chief Dale Stalder prepares for retirement, Laramie City Council reviewed and discussed the department's 2020 annual report.
The LPD and council hosted a work session Wednesday to examine the results of the report completed. The meeting was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but was postponed because of an unexpected power outage.
The outage, which turned off power for nearly 9,800 customers for hours beginning at 1:35 p.m., was caused by an arc in a local substation that damaged a switch, according to a PacifiCorp, parent company of Rocky Mountain Power.
Some central themes of the 2020 report were demographic issues, training and comparing local and national statistics. Stalder said that many new features in the 2020 report were in response to local input, specifically demographic information on traffic stops.
“Our stop rate on traffic stops absolutely matched our local demographics for racial and (ethnic) groups,” said Stalder.
Some data specific to LPD’s Computer Aided Dispatch Record Management System (CAD/RMS) will not be available for about 60-90 days and was unavailable this week, Stalder said.
Call for mental health responses also were part of the report, with total calls for service decreasing by about 2,000 between fiscal years 2016 and 2017. They were about the same from 2017-20, according to the report.
Mental health calls for service are commonly referred to as welfare checks, and the annual report says they’ve generally increased in Laramie in recent years. Mental health calls for service increased from about 530 in 2016 to 635 in 2020.
Mental health also has been a high-profile topic for law enforcement around the nation, as well as Albany County and Laramie. Stalder was on the Albany County Mental Health Board and provides officer training specific to mental health crises.
As a result of increased training, some City Council members said they are curious to see more information about training in all areas of policing, especially compared to national statistics.
“I would love to see training called a little bit more out to see what certifications our officers have, what percentage of the force has them and how that might relate to national averages,” said council member Fred Schmechel. “Additionally, the amount of funding that we spend on the efforts of training would be helpful so we can understand what it takes to maintain that level of preparedness.”
Mental health services for officers through the LPD chaplaincy program also were detailed in the annual report. Chaplaincy offers spiritual and emotional support through the use of pastors, rabbis, imams and other religious leaders, most commonly in military bases.
Stalder said peer support teams were formed in 2020 as part of the local effort, which “provide all PD personnel with an ‘ear’ when they may want to talk through an incident but aren’t sure they would like to see a professional counselor,’” according to the report.
Use of force also was detailed, including cases where officers displayed a gun or pointed it at a person. Stalder said this data is hard to compare to that reported by other police forces, as there is national debate on whether or not these instances count as a use of force.
In 2020, seven use-of-force reports followed department policy while 15 did not include sufficient entry, the report says. No instances where an officer used force fell outside of department policy in that fiscal year.
Citizen complaints were also recorded in this data set, and were investigated internally within LPD.
“The police department stopped doing annual reports probably in 2002 or 2003, and it is something that I picked back up in 2015,” Stalder said about a gap in historical data.
Stalder said the LPD annual reports from 2015 to 2020 provide “pertinent and valuable information” on the department’s potential bias issues, along with information on the makeup of calls.
He said future reports will include National Incident Based Reporting System information as well as bias incident calls. LPD added bias incident call classification for noncriminal and criminal offenses to provide a place for targeted groups to report incidents that may or may not fall into a criminal category, such as the hanging of a Nazi flag in a community space or noncriminal harassment.
Looking forward to future annual reports, some council members inquired about whether or not annual reports would continue with a new police chief, with Stalder focusing on his confidence in the continuity of this process. With a national search that includes internal candidates, Stalder did not express any major concerns.
“I’ve been very much involved in the process to find a replacement for myself,” he said. “(The annual report) is going to be up to the next person.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/mental-health-response-part-of-annual-lpd-report/article_9b55b07e-a568-50df-a120-54c6cd6f3618.html | 2022-08-13T13:37:49Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/mental-health-response-part-of-annual-lpd-report/article_9b55b07e-a568-50df-a120-54c6cd6f3618.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
The Cheyenne FBI office on Airport Parkway is the target of a planned protest Sunday in response to the federal agency's search of former President Donald Trump's residence in Florida.
CHEYENNE – A rally is planned for this weekend at the FBI's Cheyenne office in protest of recent actions by the federal bureau.
A post by Don Odom in the Facebook group "Cheyenne and Wyoming News" says a "rally in support of President Trump" is planned for noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at the office, 1109 Airport Parkway. Odom is a Republican candidate for state House District 61.
Former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence was searched Monday by FBI agents. Trump and his supporters have expressed outrage about the search.
Odom, using his campaign page, also created a Facebook event for the rally. He said in an interview that he was not the organizer, but that he created the event page to help promote the event.
"Join us at the Cheyenne FBI field office in protesting the political use of the FBI. The current administration is going after President Trump because they know he will defeat them if he runs," the event description reads. "They have tried to destroy him since he came down the escalator and announced he was running the 1st time. They have not given up after 6 years of lies, fake scandals, and hoaxes. Come show your peaceful dissent against the FBI and your support for President Trump!"
In a Thursday interview with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Odom said he doesn't buy Trump having classified documents at his residence.
"I just believe that we need to stand up for what we believe in, and I believe the FBI has overstepped, and whether it's orders from above or not, I just see this as a political move," the candidate said.
Odom said he didn't know how many people to expect at the Sunday protest.
Local law enforcement and the FBI's regional office said Thursday they're aware of the planned rally.
"The FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights. We advise individuals taking part in protest activities to remain aware of their immediate surroundings and to report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement," Vikki Miyoga, public affairs officer for the bureau's Denver field office, wrote in an email Thursday.
Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco said his department has "been in discussions with the FBI" about the planned event. He said the federal agency has not requested help from the Cheyenne Police Department.
"We'll make our officers aware of it and request some extra patrol as they have time," Francisco said in an interview. "Unless something more serious draws our attention to it, we don't plan on particularly staffing the event or anything like that."
On Thursday afternoon, a man was shot and killed by law enforcement after he allegedly attempted to break into the FBI's Cincinnati field office while armed, according to the Associated Press and other media reports. As of that time, the man's motives were unclear.
Miyoga on Thursday afternoon sent a statement to the WTE from FBI Director Christopher Wray and the FBI National Press Office in Washington, D.C. She said it was "not specifically about any situation in Colorado or Wyoming."
"Unfounded attacks on the integrity of the FBI erode respect for the rule of law and are a grave disservice to the men and women who sacrifice so much to protect others. Violence and threats against law enforcement, including the FBI, are dangerous and should be deeply concerning to all Americans," the statement said. "Every day I see the men and women of the FBI doing their jobs professionally and with rigor, objectivity, and a fierce commitment to our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. I am proud to serve alongside them." | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/rally-at-cheyenne-fbi-office-planned-for-sunday/article_c57ec96d-66af-5188-acde-8c187b65c416.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:14Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/rally-at-cheyenne-fbi-office-planned-for-sunday/article_c57ec96d-66af-5188-acde-8c187b65c416.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A WyoFile investigation of the three candidates vying to be Wyoming’s next secretary of state reveals marked differences in professional experience, political backing and even history of compliance with the very laws and regulations enforced by the office in question.
Secretary of state is the second highest office in Wyoming’s executive branch behind only the governor.
The four-year position oversees elections; registers and authorizes businesses operating in the state; records state agencies’ rules and the proceedings of the Wyoming Legislature; regulates the state’s securities industry and enforces securities law; and serves as Wyoming’s de facto lieutenant governor, ready to step in should the governor die, leave office or be unable to fulfill duties.
The secretary also serves on the powerful State Board of Land Commissioners, State Building Commission, State Loan and Investment Board and as the chair of the State Canvassing Board.
WyoFile sought interviews with all candidates and submitted written questions when requested. The same original request for academic and professional experience was asked of each candidate along with follow-up questions that varied depending on the candidates’ initial responses. Staff also relied on public records tied to the professional endeavors and commercial enterprises of the candidates.
Rep. Chuck Gray (R-Casper) declined to answer questions about his employment, professional experience or other qualifying attributes for the complex job.
Gray has represented House District 57 in the Wyoming Legislature since 2017.
He has listed Mount Rushmore Broadcasting, Inc. as his sole employment — initially working as a program director, then later as an operations manager — on each of his requisite elected official financial disclosure forms.
According to records from the secretary of state’s office — and later confirmed by a department spokesperson — Mount Rushmore Broadcasting was administratively dissolved by the state almost two decades ago for failing to file annual reports and pay its license fees to Wyoming. Gray’s father, Jan Charles Gray, is president of the Delaware-based entity, according to state records. The entity uses a registered agent in its Wyoming filings, but 2016 documents from the Federal Communications Commission indicate that the elder Gray is also owner of the corporation.
Like all out-of-state entities, it was required to obtain a certificate of authority from the secretary of state’s office before transacting business in the state. It did so in 1993, according to state records, but failed to file requisite annual reports and pay yearly fees based on its assets located and employed in Wyoming. Mount Rushmore entered into a 24-month period during which it could have paid a reinstatement fee, as well as what was already owed. But the company did not comply within the two-year window, after which Wyoming statute does not allow entities to be brought back into good standing.
During a July candidate forum in Casper, Gray said he became a permanent resident of Wyoming in 2012. He spent his childhood summers here with his father after his parents divorced, he said.
Prior to going to work for his father, Gray graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with bachelor’s of science and bachelor’s of arts degrees, according to his lawmaker bio.
When WyoFile approached Gray to clarify his professional experience immediately following the forum in Casper, he declined to answer questions, but said he would respond to written questions over email. WyoFile sent several written questions to the lawmaker, including a request for more details regarding his duties as an employee of Mount Rushmore Broadcasting and how his academic and professional resumes qualified him for the position. Gray responded with a statement about ballot drop boxes and ballot harvesting — he feels both are threats to election integrity — but no further information on his background. WyoFile sent a subsequent email asking about his employer conducting business in Wyoming without a certificate of authority. The lawmaker did not respond.
Mount Rushmore Broadcasting is currently the licensee for two AM stations and five FM stations in Wyoming, according to Federal Communications Commission records. Most of those stations are in Casper, and all but one of those can currently be heard on the air.Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Gray’s candidacy, as have Reps. John Bear (R-Gillette), Jeremy Haroldson (R-Wheatland), Mark Jennings (R-Sheridan) and Wyoming State Treasurer Curt Meier. Gun Owners of America have also endorsed him.
Sen. Nethercott, a Cheyenne attorney, has represented Senate District 4 since 2017.
Since 2013, Nethercott has been late six times to file annual reports with Wyoming for her in-state corporation, Tara B. Nethercott, P.C. At no point did she exceed the 24-month compliance window, and the attorney’s business remains in good standing, according to state records. Nethercott is also properly authorized to practice law in the state, according to Wyoming state bar records, and has no history of disciplinary charges or public discipline.
After growing up in Fremont County, Nethercott said she earned three degrees from the University of Wyoming, including her Juris Doctorate in 2009. From there, she said she began a private practice in Cheyenne and spent about a decade with Woodhouse Roden Nethercott. The firm relied on federal pandemic relief through a PPP loan of $111,000 in order to retain nine employees. Nethercott voted against the same ARPA allocation bill that Gray did, but said her vote was due to what was left out of the bill and she would not have voted against it had the vote been closer.
She currently practices with Crowley Fleck, and much of her legal work involves business organizations, according to the lawmaker.
“I am the most qualified candidate running for a variety of reasons,” Nethercott said, pointing to her numerous leadership positions, including as co-chairperson of the Legislature’s Joint Judiciary Committee during the 66th Wyoming Legislature and chairman of the board of directors for the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce in 2018. In 2021, she was awarded Legislator of the Year by the Wyoming County Commissioners Association. The Wyoming Business Alliance gave her a similar award last week.Mark Armstrong, the third candidate in the race, has spent his career working as a geologist, and he said that’s an important distinction between him and his competitors.
“These people in government [who] aren’t scientists, they don’t know what good science is,” Armstrong said. “It’s extremely difficult to hold them accountable for inappropriate actions. And I can take care of those things as secretary of state.”
Armstrong has earned degrees from several universities, including the University of Wyoming, the Colorado School of Mines and Stanford University, he said.
In 2010, Armstrong’s license to practice geology in Wyoming expired when he did not renew it. He made the decision to let it lapse after the Wyoming Board of Professional Geologists “would not enforce a blatant ethics violation,” he said. Since then, his geology work has been based in California, where he remains professionally licensed.
Armstrong does not have legal training, but he has legal experience from a lengthy court battle with his former employer, the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality, he said.
According to court documents, Armstrong began work in 2005 as an environmental analyst for the state agency, inspecting and issuing permits for waste facilities. While an employee, Armstrong told the director of DEQ that he thought his supervisor was improperly influencing a permitting decision involving a Casper landfill. However, the state fired Armstrong in 2007 for incurring $2,500 in personal charges on his state-issued cell phone. The state’s Office of Administrative Hearings reinstated Armstrong in 2008, but the DEQ appealed that decision. Armstrong found different work in Montana — another position related to environmental waste — but the legal battle continued, with Armstrong representing himself. Eventually, he appealed to the Wyoming Supreme Court. His case was dismissed for “failure to follow the Wyoming Rules of Appellate Procedure,” according to the opinion written by former Justice William Hill.The way Armstrong sees it, the process gave him courtroom experience that would be valuable to the secretary of state role.
During another debate in Casper, Gray accused Nethercott of failing to disclose her campaign finance information. At the time, neither candidate had provided such information to the state.
“Our campaign reporting filings are due tomorrow. And the whole public can see them tomorrow,” Nethercott rebutted.
Gray, Nethercott and Armstrong all met the Tuesday deadline. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/secretary-of-state-hopefuls-vary-on-compliance-issues/article_750dd84c-2433-591c-952e-e9c3a91aade9.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:20Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/secretary-of-state-hopefuls-vary-on-compliance-issues/article_750dd84c-2433-591c-952e-e9c3a91aade9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Decades before millions of viewers began tuning in to "The Voice" on national television, Wyoming was hanging on every word of "The Voice of Wyoming." Chances are many in Cowboy State haven't met Bob Beck, but most know him nonetheless.
The veteran Wyoming Public Radio news director has spent the better part of four decades creating, hosting and producing award-winning programming and reporting stories and issues that have shaped multiple generations of Wyominigites.
Now the Laramie journalist and co-host of the popular news magazine "Open Spaces" is close to signing off permanently his his impending October retirement.
Beck’s legacy is reflected in a variety of work, including high-profile legislative issues, species restoration and Wyoming’s greatest losses. His focus in recent years as been public policy and state government. But he said his success in reporting nearly any subject stems from his beginnings as a sportscaster.
“I look at the Legislature kind of like covering sports,” Beck said from his Laramie office. “There’s a game plan, there’s a result, there’s a strategy in that.”
While he’s spent decades at Wyoming Public Media, which operates WPR, Beck said he didn’t initially expect to find a home in Laramie. He and his late wife originally intended to stay for a couple years while she got her master’s degree. He moved to Laramie to work for another radio station, but eventually moved to WPM to work in its news department.
“When I came in 1988, I was the only full-time professional news person. Everybody else were students or interns,” Beck said of the local radio news scene. “Eventually we added on, but it was sort of fun. It reminded me of when I was in college.”
Like many journalism students, Beck found himself enjoying time with radio stations near his university. He spent several years in Illinois not far from his alma mater, Southern Illinois University, until he moved to Sheridan at the recommendation of former coworkers. From there, Beck moved to Laramie and WPM, helping the organization build its reach and reputation.
“It’s funny. It’s like there’s different chapters of my Wyoming Public Radio time," Beck said. "There was the smaller station, when we were starting to build ourselves a reputation.
"Then there’s the point where we started having four people, and eventually seven and eight people working here, where we kind of grew into this really big, statewide presence and we were able to do a lot more.”
Like many journalists, Beck has learned to deal with the emotional challenges of living in a community he reports about. When eight University of Wyoming cross-country runners were killed by a drunk driver in 2001, he reported on it despite being too close to the issue for comfort.
“I had seen that cross-country team the morning they were killed,” Beck said. “They were going for a workout in the Snowy Range Mountains and I was taking my dogs up to the mountains that Saturday morning as well.”
In addition to being in close physical proximity to them, he knew their coach, followed the team during its season and felt a close connection to the student-athletes as a former cross-country runner himself.
“We had been at the same bagel place," he said. "The only reason they were available is because their meet got canceled because of 9/11. I was at church (with) my wife — seemed like a good week to go to church.
"Somebody stood up in the prayers and concerns section and said, ‘I need you to pray for my roommate. Her brother and all the cross-country runners were killed last night.’”
Before that tragic event, Beck led the station through its coverage of gay UW student Matthew Shepard’s murder in 1998, a case that shook the country.
Beck said that he was thankful for the opportunity to provide high-quality coverage of the case, criticizing the way many television news stations and big-name print publications handled the story. Something that separated WPM’s coverage from making those mistakes is the connection each intern, reporter and news employee had to the community being based in Laramie themselves.
It's that connection to the people in the Cowboy State that resonates with listeners, Beck said. People can tell they're getting information and stories from one of their one, someone who understands Wyoming and Western issues and attitudes.
“Talking to people in Wyoming over the years has actually been one of the pleasures, because many are outspoken and will tell you what they think,” Beck said. “They’re willing to let you invade their lives sometimes to get a good story.”
Over the years, Beck said he's seen journalism, and especially radio journalism, shift in unprecedented ways. The quality of audio content is one of the most notable changes for audiences, but the challenges of the job also have changed significantly.
“I used to have to use razor blades and tape to do longer pieces and to edit things down," he said about working with physical audio tape as opposed to digital recordings. "The quality now is just so much better. We go back and listen to stories and I can always hear the hisses.
"These kids today don’t have any idea how hard it was and how long it took to put together a feature.”
With the elimination of cassettes and the introduction of digital media, Beck said his priorities have remained the same: report fairly and make relationships with the community you report on. As a professor at UW, he was able to educate a generation of new journalists, teaching them the ins and outs of ethics and pushing them to break the suspicion facing reporters and produce content that benefits their communities.
“So many of the people that have come here, they’ve left and worked for major radio stations like NPR,” Beck said. “They’ve worked across this country and they’re carrying a legacy that I’m very proud of.”
Reflecting on his time as a journalist and the future of journalism, Beck said he understands news work to be a very difficult profession, one that requires a lot of sacrifice. For young journalists or those looking to enter the field, he encourages them to prioritize their health and be sure that they're getting everything they want out of their chosen profession.
“You better love it, and if you don’t love it, get out of it,” Beck said.
When his final broadcast is done in October, Beck said he doesn't have any grand plans — at least not right away. First on the to-do list is spending a few months just following sports and relaxing with his fiancee.
He also said he has no regrets when reflecting on a long, eventful career. He joked about wishing UW’s basketball team had made it to the Final Four, but otherwise, he said he'll retire satisfied and happy.
“I’ve covered everything," he said. "For a time, I knew the vice president of the United States personally. I don’t know what I haven’t done ... (and) I don’t think there’s anything I didn’t get a chance to do.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/the-voice-of-wyoming-from-matthew-shepard-the-uw-8-and-the-legislature-bob-beck/article_51f56c08-6e84-5fe5-8d50-9db70f3d9ac2.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:27Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/news/the-voice-of-wyoming-from-matthew-shepard-the-uw-8-and-the-legislature-bob-beck/article_51f56c08-6e84-5fe5-8d50-9db70f3d9ac2.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Longtime readers of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle know we have a rich history of endorsing candidates in various high-profile local, state or federal races. These recommendations were made only after our editorial board completed thorough interviews with the candidates in the race — usually in person.
Unfortunately, time and resources don’t allow such a thorough vetting of candidates at this time. But in one key race at the state level, one candidate is so obviously the wrong fit for the job that he has earned our first-ever “non-endorsement,” a recommendation that Wyoming voters choose anyone but him.
No, we’re not talking about Chuck Gray in the secretary of state’s race (although it was tempting to make this a twofer based on his ridiculous, unsubstantiated statements about Wyoming election integrity alone).
Instead, the focus of our opposition at this point is “incumbent” Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder.
This will come as no surprise to those who have read these pages over the six months since he was appointed by Gov. Mark Gordon to fill the remainder of Jillian Balow’s term when she resigned to take a similar position in Virginia. That’s because nearly every time he has spoken publicly about an issue, Mr. Schroeder has earned a “Thumbs Down” from the WTE Editorial Board.
Each time, the “down” was well-deserved, and we even showed some restraint by not giving them to him in consecutive weeks. But regardless of whether he received them at the time or not, the evidence points to Mr. Schroeder being possibly the worst person Wyoming voters could put in a position to lead the state’s public school system. (Yes, even worse than Cindy Hill, believe it or not.)
The main reason he’s the wrong fit is Mr. Schroeder comes from a private, military school background and seems hell-bent on making our public schools look and feel like those institutions. That’s fine if you choose to send your child to such a school, but not appropriate for the vast majority.
Next, he clearly believes his main purpose isn’t to focus on the details of supporting the state’s 26 K-12 school districts, it’s to appeal to the far-right base that sent him to Cheyenne in the first place. (It wouldn’t be appropriate to blame the governor for inflicting Mr. Schroeder on us, since the other two finalists offered by the Wyoming GOP had even less professional experience in education or none at all.)
Among the other evidence:
Within his first few weeks in office, Mr. Schroeder was testifying in committees of the Wyoming Legislature, but not in support of more funding for K-12 education or higher pay for teachers. Instead, he publicly supported one bill to ban teaching critical race theory, even though he acknowledged it wasn’t being taught at the K-12 level in Wyoming. He supported another “prohibiting biological males from athletic teams and sports designated for females in public schools,” saying he considers transgender identities part of a “social contagion.”
In late May, he held an event at Cheyenne’s Evangelical Free Church promoting charter schools. During the event, he said it was alarming how U.S. public schools have become one of most toxic places for children before being challenged by someone in the audience and clarifying that he didn’t mean Wyoming schools.
Later, he said, “The evangelists of secularism saw two institutions, government and education, as the perfect twin vehicles through which they would remake society in their image. Once more, through this quiet revolution, they anticipated the American people would be sleeping at the wheel, and by the time they woke up, it would be too late.”
He said the end result would be that the federal government would sink its hooks deeper into public schools, with a growing number of strings attached.
In June, Mr. Schroeder loudly proclaimed that Wyoming would not comply with a USDA Food and Nutrition Services mandate that requires states to comply with nondiscrimination policies that include new provisions for gender identity and sexual orientation.
If he were able to follow through on this statement, the state would have to come up with $40 million a year to cover the federal government’s share of funding for school lunches. He said there is no way he would deny any student a meal; instead, this is about pushing back on Biden administration mandates, and “We categorically reject gender ideology and will not bow to the coercive will of a bully government.”
Earlier this month, he said he wants Wyoming to have a law that would prevent teachers from discussing some sexual and gender-related topics with young children. Modeled after Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act — referred to by critics as the “don’t say gay law” — this legislation would keep teachers from mentioning these topics to students in kindergarten through third grade.
That’s just the high-profile positions he’s taken. No doubt, he has many more deeply held, ultra-conservative beliefs he hasn’t yet had the opportunity to share on a public stage. But it’s more than enough to know he’s the opposite of the inclusive, accepting and supportive leader that LGBTQ students and staff of all gender identities — as well as the rest of Wyoming residents — need.
Of course, we know there are many in the state who will support Mr. Schroeder because they agree with him on these issues. Chief among them are the leaders of the Wyoming Republican Party who have gone out of their way to show their support, even though there were four other Republicans seeking the position until Sheridan military college professor Thomas Kelly (one of the three finalists for the job initially) announced his withdrawal from the race earlier last week.
As the most high-profile candidate in the race, Mr. Schroeder has to be considered the favorite to advance to November’s general election. He certainly has statewide name recognition – something none of the other three remaining GOP candidates can claim.
We just hope that notoriety leads voters who value the integrity of the K-12 public education system to pick someone — anyone — else.
If so, the amount of time Mr. Schroeder has to inflict his idea of “leadership” on our public school system will be limited to less than 12 months. If not, brace yourselves, folks. We’re afraid his “shock-and-awe” trampling of the rights of certain Wyoming students and his politicization of the office has only begun.
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Aug. 6 | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/a-non-endorsement-who-not-to-pick-for-state-superintendent/article_2117e162-ac59-5291-87e6-4b8dfb95dd6b.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:39Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/a-non-endorsement-who-not-to-pick-for-state-superintendent/article_2117e162-ac59-5291-87e6-4b8dfb95dd6b.html | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 2 |
Longtime readers of the Wyoming Tribune Eagle know we have a rich history of endorsing candidates in various high-profile local, state or federal races. These recommendations were made only after our editorial board completed thorough interviews with the candidates in the race — usually in person.
Unfortunately, time and resources don’t allow such a thorough vetting of candidates at this time. But in one key race at the state level, one candidate is so obviously the wrong fit for the job that he has earned our first-ever “non-endorsement,” a recommendation that Wyoming voters choose anyone but him.
No, we’re not talking about Chuck Gray in the secretary of state’s race (although it was tempting to make this a twofer based on his ridiculous, unsubstantiated statements about Wyoming election integrity alone).
Instead, the focus of our opposition at this point is “incumbent” Superintendent of Public Instruction Brian Schroeder.
This will come as no surprise to those who have read these pages over the six months since he was appointed by Gov. Mark Gordon to fill the remainder of Jillian Balow’s term when she resigned to take a similar position in Virginia. That’s because nearly every time he has spoken publicly about an issue, Mr. Schroeder has earned a “Thumbs Down” from the WTE Editorial Board.
Each time, the “down” was well-deserved, and we even showed some restraint by not giving them to him in consecutive weeks. But regardless of whether he received them at the time or not, the evidence points to Mr. Schroeder being possibly the worst person Wyoming voters could put in a position to lead the state’s public school system. (Yes, even worse than Cindy Hill, believe it or not.)
The main reason he’s the wrong fit is Mr. Schroeder comes from a private, military school background and seems hell-bent on making our public schools look and feel like those institutions. That’s fine if you choose to send your child to such a school, but not appropriate for the vast majority.
Next, he clearly believes his main purpose isn’t to focus on the details of supporting the state’s 26 K-12 school districts, it’s to appeal to the far-right base that sent him to Cheyenne in the first place. (It wouldn’t be appropriate to blame the governor for inflicting Mr. Schroeder on us, since the other two finalists offered by the Wyoming GOP had even less professional experience in education or none at all.)
Among the other evidence:
Within his first few weeks in office, Mr. Schroeder was testifying in committees of the Wyoming Legislature, but not in support of more funding for K-12 education or higher pay for teachers. Instead, he publicly supported one bill to ban teaching critical race theory, even though he acknowledged it wasn’t being taught at the K-12 level in Wyoming. He supported another “prohibiting biological males from athletic teams and sports designated for females in public schools,” saying he considers transgender identities part of a “social contagion.”
In late May, he held an event at Cheyenne’s Evangelical Free Church promoting charter schools. During the event, he said it was alarming how U.S. public schools have become one of most toxic places for children before being challenged by someone in the audience and clarifying that he didn’t mean Wyoming schools.
Later, he said, “The evangelists of secularism saw two institutions, government and education, as the perfect twin vehicles through which they would remake society in their image. Once more, through this quiet revolution, they anticipated the American people would be sleeping at the wheel, and by the time they woke up, it would be too late.”
He said the end result would be that the federal government would sink its hooks deeper into public schools, with a growing number of strings attached.
In June, Mr. Schroeder loudly proclaimed that Wyoming would not comply with a USDA Food and Nutrition Services mandate that requires states to comply with nondiscrimination policies that include new provisions for gender identity and sexual orientation.
If he were able to follow through on this statement, the state would have to come up with $40 million a year to cover the federal government’s share of funding for school lunches. He said there is no way he would deny any student a meal; instead, this is about pushing back on Biden administration mandates, and “We categorically reject gender ideology and will not bow to the coercive will of a bully government.”
Earlier this month, he said he wants Wyoming to have a law that would prevent teachers from discussing some sexual and gender-related topics with young children. Modeled after Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act — referred to by critics as the “don’t say gay law” — this legislation would keep teachers from mentioning these topics to students in kindergarten through third grade.
That’s just the high-profile positions he’s taken. No doubt, he has many more deeply held, ultra-conservative beliefs he hasn’t yet had the opportunity to share on a public stage. But it’s more than enough to know he’s the opposite of the inclusive, accepting and supportive leader that LGBTQ students and staff of all gender identities — as well as the rest of Wyoming residents — need.
Of course, we know there are many in the state who will support Mr. Schroeder because they agree with him on these issues. Chief among them are the leaders of the Wyoming Republican Party who have gone out of their way to show their support, even though there were four other Republicans seeking the position until Sheridan military college professor Thomas Kelly (one of the three finalists for the job initially) announced his withdrawal from the race earlier last week.
As the most high-profile candidate in the race, Mr. Schroeder has to be considered the favorite to advance to November’s general election. He certainly has statewide name recognition – something none of the other three remaining GOP candidates can claim.
We just hope that notoriety leads voters who value the integrity of the K-12 public education system to pick someone — anyone — else.
If so, the amount of time Mr. Schroeder has to inflict his idea of “leadership” on our public school system will be limited to less than 12 months. If not, brace yourselves, folks. We’re afraid his “shock-and-awe” trampling of the rights of certain Wyoming students and his politicization of the office has only begun.
Wyoming Tribune Eagle
Aug. 6 | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/a-non-endorsement-who-not-to-pick-for-state-superintendent/article_2117e162-ac59-5291-87e6-4b8dfb95dd6b.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:39Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/a-non-endorsement-who-not-to-pick-for-state-superintendent/article_2117e162-ac59-5291-87e6-4b8dfb95dd6b.html | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 2 |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Wyoming editorial
Wyomingites should not be deterred from voting by bogus fraud claims
There is a paradox in Wyoming politics concerning voter participation.
We live in a state that is dominated by one political party, which makes the primary election often more important than the general in deciding who will take office. Consider that Gov. Mark Gordon slogged through a tough Republican primary in 2018 only to coast to victory in November 2018. And every election, there are state legislative races with several Republicans battling in the primary, only for them to run unopposed in November.
Despite the primary’s importance here, considerably fewer voters participate in it. Since 2000, voters have cast 2.46 million ballots in Wyoming’s general election compared with 1.35 million in the primary. The elections that matter the most sometimes have dramatically less turnout.
This year, it’s all the more critical for voters to not wait until November to make their voices heard. The Aug. 16 primary – early voting has already begun – will decide one of the most watched congressional elections in the nation: the battle between Rep. Liz Cheney and natural resources attorney Harriet Hageman. There’s also a gubernatorial primary, a race for secretary of state that lacks an incumbent and a slew of legislative contests that have been influenced by the redistricting process.
We hope, as the election approaches, that voters aren’t swayed from participating in the democratic process by misleading claims about election integrity. Our state has long had a reputation for fair and efficient elections, with results often coming soon after the polls closed. Unfortunately, some politicians are stoking fear and doubt in our elections system. Their ranks include Rep. Chuck Gray, who is running for secretary of state. That post oversees elections in Wyoming, and past officeholders, including Republican Ed Buchanan, have dispelled voter fraud falsehoods while encouraging turnout.
Gray says he’s running to stop voter fraud, though the practice is exceedingly rare here. Since 2000, there’s been four cases in 3.81 million votes. Gray says he will ban ballot drop boxes in Wyoming, but there is no evidence that their use has caused problems in Wyoming. Gray, while he was running for U.S. House, also made a point of visiting a partisan Arizona recount that sought to rehash unfounded claims about the “stolen” 2020 presidential election, but in the end, only reaffirmed Joe Biden’s win.
Gray is not alone. Hageman has for some time refused to acknowledge that Biden was legitimately elected. Then on Wednesday, she went even further, claiming the election was rigged to make sure Trump could not be reelected. That message is not only inaccurate. It’s proving corrosive, according to interviews with voters who now believe — without a shred of actual evidence — that the system here is suspect. Those unfounded fears have even driven a movement in Park County to implement a hand-counted ballot system. Mark Armstrong, another Republican secretary of state candidate, is also making unfounded claims about absentee balloting and voter fraud.
But none of the people who are worried about election integrity in Wyoming can point to an actual election in our state where voter fraud has come anywhere close to changing the outcome. Ask yourself: Why are politicians who are sowing doubt in our elections system not concerned that their own election victories are valid? Why aren’t they citing a clear case of fraud or abuse in Wyoming? It’s because our system is safe and secure.
Early voting has already begun, and in a matter of days, people will head to the polls for Election Day. When they fulfill that sacred process of choosing our next leaders, voters should not be deterred by fears of fraud. All the evidence suggests we have a system that voters can feel confident participating in.
Your vote counts. Don’t let anyone suggest otherwise. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/wyomingites-should-not-be-deterred-from-voting-by-bogus-fraud-claims/article_b7e45142-1b5c-5818-b149-571a5a779915.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:51Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/wyomingites-should-not-be-deterred-from-voting-by-bogus-fraud-claims/article_b7e45142-1b5c-5818-b149-571a5a779915.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
“Facts First” is the tagline of a CNN branding campaign which contends that “once facts are established, opinions can be formed.” The problem is that while it sounds logical, this appealing assertion is a fallacy not supported by research.
Cognitive psychology and neuroscience studies have found that the exact opposite is often true when it comes to politics: People form opinions based on emotions, such as fear, contempt and anger, rather than relying on facts. New facts often do not change people’s minds.
I study human development, public health and behavior change. In my work, I see firsthand how hard it is to change someone’s mind and behaviors when they encounter new information that runs counter to their beliefs.
Your worldview, including beliefs and opinions, starts to form during childhood as you’re socialized within a particular cultural context. It gets reinforced over time by the social groups you keep, the media you consume, even how your brain functions. It influences how you think of yourself and how you interact with the world.
For many people, a challenge to their worldview feels like an attack on their personal identity and can cause them to harden their position. Here’s some of the research that explains why it’s natural to resist changing your mind – and how you can get better at making these shifts.
Rejecting what contradicts your beliefs
In an ideal world, rational people who encounter new evidence that contradicts their beliefs would evaluate the facts and change their views accordingly. But that’s generally not how things go in the real world.
Partly to blame is a cognitive bias that can kick in when people encounter evidence that runs counter to their beliefs. Instead of reevaluating what they’ve believed up until now, people tend to reject the incompatible evidence. Psychologists call this phenomenon belief perseverance. Everyone can fall prey to this ingrained way of thinking.
Being presented with facts – whether via the news, social media or one-on-one conversations – that suggest their current beliefs are wrong causes people to feel threatened. This reaction is particularly strong when the beliefs in question are aligned with your political and personal identities. It can feel like an attack on you if one of your strongly held beliefs is challenged.
Confronting facts that don’t line up with your worldview may trigger a “backfire effect,” which can end up strengthening your original position and beliefs, particularly with politically charged issues. Researchers have identified this phenomenon in a number of studies, including ones about opinions toward climate change mitigation policies and attitudes toward childhood vaccinations.
Focusing on what confirms your beliefs
There’s another cognitive bias that can get in the way of changing your mind, called confirmation bias. It’s the natural tendency to seek out information or interpret things in a way that supports your existing beliefs. Interacting with like-minded people and media reinforces confirmation bias. The problem with confirmation bias is that it can lead to errors in judgment because it keeps you from looking at a situation objectively from multiple angles.
A 2016 Gallup poll provides a great example of this bias. In just one two-week period spanning the 2016 election, both Republicans and Democrats drastically changed their opinions about the state of the economy – in opposite directions.
But nothing was new with the economy. What had changed was that a new political leader from a different party had been elected. The election outcome changed survey respondents’ interpretation of how the economy was doing – a confirmation bias led Republicans to rate it much higher now that their guy would be in charge; Democrats the opposite.
Brain’s hard-wiring doesn’t help
Cognitive biases are predictable patterns in the way people think that can keep you from objectively weighing evidence and changing your mind. Some of the basic ways your brain works can also work against you on this front.
Your brain is hard-wired to protect you – which can lead to reinforcing your opinions and beliefs, even when they’re misguided. Winning a debate or an argument triggers a flood of hormones, including dopamine and adrenaline. In your brain, they contribute to the feeling of pleasure you get during sex, eating, roller-coaster rides – and yes, winning an argument. That rush makes you feel good, maybe even invulnerable. It’s a feeling many people want to have more often.
Moreover, in situations of high stress or distrust, your body releases another hormone, cortisol. It can hijack your advanced thought processes, reason and logic – what psychologists call the executive functions of your brain. Your brain’s amygdala becomes more active, which controls your innate fight-or-flight reaction when you feel under threat.
In the context of communication, people tend to raise their voice, push back and stop listening when these chemicals are coursing through their bodies. Once you’re in that mindset, it’s hard to hear another viewpoint. The desire to be right combined with the brain’s protective mechanisms make it that much harder to change opinions and beliefs, even in the presence of new information.
Train yourself to keep an open mind
In spite of the cognitive biases and brain biology that make it hard to change minds, there are ways to short-circuit these natural habits.
Work to keep an open mind. Allow yourself to learn new things. Search out perspectives from multiple sides of an issue. Try to form, and modify, your opinions based on evidence that is accurate, objective and verified.
Don’t let yourself be swayed by outliers. For example, give more weight to the numerous doctors and public health officials who describe the preponderance of evidence that vaccines are safe and effective than what you give to one fringe doctor on a podcast who suggests the opposite.
Be wary of repetition, as repeated statements are often perceived as more truthful than new information, no matter how false the claim may be. Social media manipulators and politicians know this all too well.
Presenting things in a nonconfrontational way allows people to evaluate new information without feeling attacked. Insulting others and suggesting someone is ignorant or misinformed, no matter how misguided their beliefs may be, will cause the people you are trying to influence to reject your argument. Instead, try asking questions that lead the person to question what they believe. While opinions may not ultimately change, the chance of success is greater.
Recognize we all have these tendencies and respectfully listen to other opinions. Take a deep breath and pause when you feel your body ramping up for a fight. Remember, it’s OK to be wrong at times. Life can be a process of growth. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/biases-biology-help-explain-why-facts-dont-change-minds/article_d9d1e8d5-5f19-56d5-a8c4-a4b049e9e7b3.html | 2022-08-13T13:38:57Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/biases-biology-help-explain-why-facts-dont-change-minds/article_d9d1e8d5-5f19-56d5-a8c4-a4b049e9e7b3.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
In its recent decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court denounced judicial resort to the doctrine of substantive due process to pour the foundation for the fundamental right to access contraceptives, abortion and same-sex marriage. Since then, the “reading public,” to borrow from James Madison, has expressed deep interest in the origins of the doctrine.
A search for the early development of substantive due process will reveal the Court’s landmark ruling in 1905, in Lochner v. New York. In Lochner, the Court declared the existence of the “liberty of contract” doctrine, a fundamental right protected by the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. The Court’s pronouncement of “liberty of contract,” derived from substantive due process, undercut at the turn of the 20th century, the authority of states to exercise their police power to promote the health, morals, welfare and safety of its residents.
Lochner was not the first case in which the Court had employed substantive due process, but it represented a historic moment for its influence on constitutional law for the next three decades. The Court had first resorted to the use of substantive due process in 1856, but Lochner cemented the practice.
Joseph Lochner had been convicted for violating a New York law by requiring a worker in his bakery to work more than 60 hours in one week. The statute prohibited bakery employees from working more than 10 hours per day or 60 hours per week. Lochner challenged the statute as an unconstitutional exercise of the state’s police power to regulate the health, morals, welfare and safety of the people.
Lochner v. New York proved to be a difficult case for the Court. Initially, the justices voted by a bare majority to uphold the law. Justice John Marshall Harlan was assigned to draft the opinion. Justice Rufus Peckham wrote a strong dissent. Before the Court finalized its opinion, one of the justices – likely Chief Justice Melvin Fuller – switched his vote. Peckham’s dissent became the opinion of the Court, and Harlan’s opinion became a dissent.
Fuller concluded that the maximum working hour law was an exercise in “featherbedding,” that is, “paternalistic and depriving both the worker and the employer of fundamental liberties.” It has been suggested that Justice Joseph McKenna, whose father owned a bakery, persuaded Fuller to switch his vote on the ground that bakeries posed no health threats, which meant that the law’s premise was a sham.
Justice Peckham, who viewed state regulation of the economy as an exercise in socialism, agreed that employment in bakeries represented no danger or health threat, wrote for a 5-4 majority, that the statute unconstitutionally interfered with “right of contract between the employer and the employee.” The liberty protected by the 14th Amendment, he said, included the right to purchase and sell labor. Thus, any statute interfering with the right would be invalid “unless there are circumstances which exclude that right.”
A valid circumstance would be reflected in a valid exercise of the police power, but the statute, in Peckham’s view, was devoid of any health concern and thus represented little more than a labor regulation. The majority’s opinion ignored the wealth of evidence collected from health professionals by a legislative committee that demonstrated numerous diseases and other health threats to workers who toiled in bakeries beyond the limits imposed by the legislature.
In essence, the Court substituted its own medical “expertise” for the testimony of health professionals, which led critics of the opinion to accuse the Court of behaving like a super-legislature. In time, this practice earned the opprobrium of “Lochnerizing.” The Court’s infusion of “substance” – its own sense of justice and fairness into procedural aspects of due process of law – when deciding whether the state could regulate business and labor, opened the floodgates to judicial activism. The Lochner brand – conservative judicial activism – would govern for the next three decades until the Court’s composition changed with appointments made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
As the “reading public” knows, the introduction of substantive due process to assist and defend conservative versions of economic liberties would, in time, give way to judicial defense of more progressive or liberal values emphasizing personal liberties. This practice would support, for example, judicial rulings that upheld the fundamental right to contraceptive devices, reproductive decisions and same-sex marriage. Observers of this practice might well conclude that what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Lochner’s invitation to judges to impose their own views, values and preferences – economic, social and political – proved galling to Peckham’s colleagues, including Justices John Marshall Harlan and Oliver Wendell Holmes. They filed historically famous dissents that proved influential in the development of other constitutional law doctrines. We turn next week to those dissents.
David Adler, Ph.D., is a noted author who lectures nationally and internationally on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and presidential power. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/lochnerizing-supreme-court-cements-substantive-due-process/article_b5d167ae-5475-5629-8cd7-b393471c4508.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:10Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/lochnerizing-supreme-court-cements-substantive-due-process/article_b5d167ae-5475-5629-8cd7-b393471c4508.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This is big folks, really big!
Our small election in our small state is a really big deal across the country and around the world.
The Liz Cheney-Harriet Hageman race for our lone U.S. House seat in the GOP primary is being covered breathlessly by media and watched nonstop by political junkies from just about everywhere.
For example, news organizations have even reached out to our tiny local coffee group in Lander, the Fox News All-Stars. These dozen guys have been featured in a full-page spread in USA Today and in the large Danish newspaper Berlingske. Just before the election, a TV crew from Japan will be filming our guys pontificating on the race.
This type of national news coverage is happening all over Wyoming. The world is fixated on the Cowboy State because of the personal feud between Cheney and former President Donald Trump.
Cheney voted to impeach Trump. She also is vice-chair of a congressional committee blaming the former president for the riot that happened at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. She has been outspoken in her efforts to knock down the former president.
Trump has singled out Cheney as “despicable” (his word). He has been to Wyoming once to help Hageman. Might he drop by again just before the primary? If polling shows Harriet in trouble, he will be back. This is personal to him.
As Election Day approaches, I see two possible conclusions that would be totally unprecedented in Wyoming history.
First, there is going to be unprecedented crossover voting in Wyoming in Tuesday’s Republican Primary. I earlier predicted 15,000 such crossovers. I reached out to some other knowledgeable Wyomingites with my speculation that maybe 30,000 might do so. Nobody agreed with me on the higher number. Today, I think that higher number might be in reach.
Secondly, the money being spent here is over the top. I thought the 2018 GOP governor primary would be hard to beat when three candidates each spent more than $2 million.
Cheney might be spending that much in a single month! How does she spend that much? By hiring highly qualified people to convince individual voters one at a time to support her cause. This might be the only time in American election history that this strategy has been tried.
It could only work in a primary election in the state with the lowest population. It is a great tactic, and it might work.
Originally, it seemed like the biggest asset for Cheney was the power of incumbency, but it pales compared to the results of the millions of dollars being spent. The barrage of TV ads, digital messages and direct-mail pieces has been unrelenting for months.
For years into the future, I predict political strategists will look at this campaign to see how Cheney pulled it off — if she wins.
Another two considerations will be big in this election.
Voter apathy will come into play. Although it is mind-boggling to think anyone would knowingly stay away from the polls in this highly-charged election, we need to remember that this is an off year politically from presidential years. This would hurt Hageman and help Cheney.
Voter motivation will be big. Trump haters despise the former president so much they might just move heaven and earth to vote against him. This election is a proxy war on Trump. The folks wanting to poke him in the keester are legion. This will also hurt Hageman and help Cheney.
So, let’s discuss in a little more depth about apathy and motivation.
Despite these dog days of summer and the doldrums that come with them, could not the argument be made that anti-Cheney voters might be just as eager to vote for Hageman as the anti-Trumpers are eager to vote for Cheney? Polls seem to indicate this. However, I still am not convinced of the accuracy of these polls.
And are not the Hageman voters motivated, too? Besides being pro-Trump, a great many believe Cheney has abandoned Wyoming for the national stage. They believe she should move on and they intend to help her do that by voting for Hageman.
Election Day is drawing near, and this campaign is nearing its end. To me, it looks like a dead heat with Hageman seemingly losing momentum because of voter apathy. And I see Cheney quietly gaining ground thanks to crossover voting.
There are only 581,000 people in Wyoming. But at this time, in this place, millions of people across the country and the world are watching.
Folks, this is really big! | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/the-whole-world-is-watching-wyoming-politics/article_98e29959-4e86-5a3a-9892-24a27fba6ffa.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:16Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/the-whole-world-is-watching-wyoming-politics/article_98e29959-4e86-5a3a-9892-24a27fba6ffa.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This is a story told by Fredrick Douglas Dixon, director of the Black Studies Center at the University of Wyoming. It’s adapted to reflect the times in which Wyoming will elect a congressman.
Once upon a time, Truth and The Big Lie crossed paths in Wyoming.
Each acknowledged it was a fine Wyoming day. “It may rain,” said The Big Lie. “The sky is clear,” said Truth, as both looked at the clear blue sky overhead. Soon, they happened upon a small pond. Truth said, “The water is inviting.” The Big Lie smiled deviously, “Should we go skinny-dipping?”
They undressed, left their clothing on the bank and jumped into the cool water. Suddenly, The Big Lie scurried out from the pond, grabbed Truth’s clothes, put them on and ran away. Truth hurried from the pond, chasing The Big Lie, hoping to retrieve her clothes.
Buck-Naked Truth, older, thus slower than The Big Lie, was last seen breathlessly chasing The Big Lie down the Wyoming campaign trail. Election Day was near, and there were some salt-of-the-earth Wyoming folks along the road, watching the chase. When they saw the Buck-Naked Truth, they turned their eyes away.
So it was that The Big Lie ended up traveling the state, campaigning as Truth, and we are left to wonder whether there are enough people willing to look upon the Buck-Naked Truth to save our democratic Republic.
Tuesday night, we will know.
Until Trump, it would have been impossible to comprehend what happened at Jonestown in 1978. Those 900 bodies, bloating in the hot sun after drinking the Kool-Aid, some having poured it down their children’s mouths. Incomprehensible, until now.
The question Tuesday is whether our republic will join those rotting corpses.
Sissela Bok is a philosopher and an ethicist. She’s written a relevant book titled simply “Lying.” She argues persuasively that not all lies are created equal. Some are considerably more damaging than others, particularly political lies.
The “principle of veracity” is what she calls “a minimally necessary basis for a functioning society,” a lowest common denominator. It is no small thing that authoritarians lie while free people prefer truth. Bok says, “trust in some degree of veracity functions as a foundation of relations among human beings; when this trust shatters or wears away, institutions collapse.”
Jesus knew that, taught it, promised it was the truth that would set us free. Bok suggests the political lies that will enslave us.
The premise of Bok’s writing is that political lies interfere with the voters’ duty to make the right choice. The intentional deception gives power to the liar and takes it away from the deceived. She believes that employing large-scale lies as a weapon eventually deprives voters of the inherently necessary ability to make the right choice.
We can’t have a free country when choices about who will lead it are the product of lies.
It’s why no one wants to play chess or golf or anything else with a cheater. It really isn’t chess or golf if the winner cheats his or her way to victory. It really isn’t a free election if one side uses dishonesty as the basis for their appeal to the voters.
Cheating at chess means the best players can’t win. Lying to win an election means the lesser, least worthy of the candidates comes out on top. It devalues the rules in favor of those who don’t follow them. It makes losers into winners.
In chess or golf, you can quit playing with a cheater. Walk away. Find honest companions and play the game with them. At Jonestown, it wasn’t that easy. Neither is it that easy in a democratic republic.
Tuesday, when you walk into the voting booth, the choices will be clear. There is a Liar and there is a Truth Teller. If, by Election Day, Buck-Naked Truth hasn’t caught up with The Big Lie, we will all be losers, and our republic will be one step closer to its demise. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/will-truth-catch-up-with-the-big-lie-by-tuesday/article_2562fc89-b0f0-5733-824d-57c4112b6588.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:22Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/guest_column/will-truth-catch-up-with-the-big-lie-by-tuesday/article_2562fc89-b0f0-5733-824d-57c4112b6588.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Larry and Mona Weeks of Gettysburg Drive celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary on June 3. They were married at Tolt Congregational Church in Carnation, Washington in 1967.
Larry and Mona met during the Seattle Seafair Festival in August, 1966, at a United Services Organizations (USO) dance on the World’s Fair Grounds at the base of the Space Needle.
Larry was in the US Navy, stationed in San Diego, CA, but his squadron was invited to the Seattle Seafair by the Governor of Washington, who had served on his ship during the Korean War. After many letters and long distance phone calls, Larry and Mona were engaged at Christmas time and were married the following year.
After honeymooning in Victoria, British Columbia, Larry and Mona lived in Long Beach and Santa Ana, CA, while Larry finished out his enlistment with the Navy. They settled in Larry’s home state of Iowa upon his discharge.
After traveling for many years between Iowa and Washington to visit Mona’s family, the family moved to Ft. Collins, Colorado in 1986. They moved to Cheyenne in 2004 where they have enjoyed the amenities that come with a smaller community.
Now both retired, Mona is actively involved in quilting, while Larry is an avid fly-fisherman and woodworker.
Their children are Thomas Weeks of Republic, Washington; Anne Weeks of Loveland, Colorado. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/milestones/anniversaries/weeks-55/article_15f24838-9d0a-5d22-9f60-0fb10ab6e936.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:35Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/milestones/anniversaries/weeks-55/article_15f24838-9d0a-5d22-9f60-0fb10ab6e936.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of southeast Wyoming, including the following
areas, Central Laramie County, Central Laramie Range and Southwest
Platte County, East Platte County, Laramie Valley, South Laramie
Range and South Laramie Range Foothills.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas.
Low-water crossings may be flooded.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
“I voted” stickers on a table at the Laramie County Courthouse in Cheyenne, on Friday. Alyte Katilius/Wyoming Tribune Eagle
CHEYENNE – Offices of the Laramie County clerk, except for real estate and recording, will be closed for business on Tuesday due to the primary election. The reason for the closure is that staff will be managing and assisting election judges at vote centers during the primary voting.
Offices closed on primary election day are Motor Vehicle Titles, Marriage Licenses, Administration, Finance, and the Records Center.
The clerk’s election office will respond to voters’ questions on election day. The office will continue to receive absentee ballots until 7 p.m. on the day of the election.
Voters can also deposit their absentee ballots in the official ballot drop box located outside the Laramie County Governmental Complex, on Carey Avenue between 19th and 20th streets. The drop box will close at 7 p.m. Absentee ballots delivered after the 7 p.m. deadline will not be counted.
Voters with election day questions may call 307-633-4242.
Normal business hours for all offices of the county clerk will resume on Wednesday. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/county-clerk-details-office-closures-during-primary/article_b24a8275-5430-5207-a310-491903593a94.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:47Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/county-clerk-details-office-closures-during-primary/article_b24a8275-5430-5207-a310-491903593a94.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – In the face of some distrust by Wyomingites of the integrity of voting systems, election officials want to reassure the public that upcoming votes are secure.
And should there be any issues of alleged criminal acts, or even calls to local authorities, law enforcement officials said they will be ready to intervene. However, they are not planning on proactively monitoring polling places.
Outgoing Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan and Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee stressed, in interviews with the Wyoming Tribune Eagle this past week, that voters should have confidence in the upcoming Tuesday primary election.
“If you don’t trust law enforcement, for example, if you don’t trust your elected officials, if you don’t trust your courts, if you don’t trust your elections – all of those things are the foundations that are integral to a properly functioning democracy,” Buchanan said.
Both Buchanan and Lee described the numerous checks and balances to ensure a secure and accurate tally of votes.
Lee explained that the state’s voter registration system is a database checked against Wyoming Department of Health records to remove people who have died. Voter registration is also checked against Social Security numbers, state driver’s license numbers and criminal records in cases of people with felonies who may be ineligible to vote.
Wyoming voters are also required to show proof of identification when they vote, whether a driver’s license or state-issued ID, a passport or a military ID. Residents can present an ID issued from another state, as well, and there is no requirement to how long someone needs to have lived in the area to be able to vote.
Wyoming’s voter ID law went into effect last July. A full list of accepted documents are on the secretary of state’s website at sos.wyo.gov/Elections/VoterID/Default.aspx.
A chain of custody is established for any materials that leave the county clerk’s office and travel to voting locations.
“We know who brought it, who delivered it, what time, what date, we know when it’s brought back – we know who has done that, and what time and date,” Lee explained. “Everything has security seals on it,” whether tamper-evident seals, or wire seals that are “uniquely numbered,” with records “that are checked and rechecked at every step of the process.”
Offline
Wyoming’s election machines are not connected to the internet, the two officials said.
Lee suggested people can think of voting machines as “an expensive pencil” marking on a paper ballot.
Electronic voting machines can help eliminate common voting errors, such as selecting too many candidates, and minimizes confusion that can result from inadequately bubbled or punched physical ballots, or illegible handwriting. Machines can make it easier for people with disabilities to vote, allowing anyone to enlarge text, change the font or adjust the screen’s contrast.
“The voter uses that to mark their choices for the ballot, and then the paper ballot is produced (and) the voter can examine and verify that, yes, those are the selections I made before actually casting that ballot in the tabulator,” Lee said. “The votes are tabulated from that paper ballot, and they’re also auditable from that paper ballot.”
Speaking separately and on Friday, Buchanan said the state’s ballots are kept for almost two years following an election so they can be recounted or examined, if needed.
When it comes to physical security of voting machines and ballots, Lee said “it would be very evident” if someone were to tamper with the equipment, and all of it is under video surveillance.
Lee encouraged people to get involved with elections and ask questions of reliable sources.
Law enforcement
Local law enforcement say they don’t plan to have any officers stationed at polling places.
Representatives from the Cheyenne Police Department, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and the Wyoming Highway Patrol each said separately their departments would be available if called upon to respond to an incident.
Officials said incidents or disruptions involving elections seem to be rare in Laramie County, and in Wyoming as a whole.
Close to 60% of voters surveyed in a recent University of Wyoming poll said that they are “very confident” that votes in the state’s primary election “will be accurately counted this year.” Those who are “somewhat confident” make up 32%, and those who are “not too confident” and “not confident at all” totaled just 4 and 3%, respectively.
This is despite the same poll saying 43% of those surveyed believe “there is solid evidence that there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election,” and 40% who said President Joe Biden was “not legitimately elected.”
Taking questions
Although Buchanan works to communicate the accuracy and security of election systems to voters, he said he never backs down from questions.
“I welcome the questions, because I know the national narrative has created some seeds of doubt,” Buchanan said. “And so I start by saying, ‘It’s understandable that you have questions. If I weren’t in this business, I would have the same questions. So let’s talk about those.’”
He addresses those questions “one by one,” explaining exactly how Wyoming’s voting machines work.
After a recent presentation in Moorcroft, the secretary said, he stayed afterward for four hours until all elections-related questions were exhausted.
Answering these questions is vital to maintaining or building confidence in democratic systems, Buchanan said.
“We didn’t dismiss things out of hand, and we were proactive in going out and educating people about our election systems, because we wanted them to know that we could answer all their questions, and wanted them to know that they could have confidence in these systems,” he said. “I recognize that if any of us lose confidence in those institutions that are the foundation of our republic, then you’re gonna cease to have your Republic – you’re gonna cease to have your democracy.”
Debunking misinfo
Buchanan, a Republican, has repeatedly touted efficacy of Wyoming’s voting systems, and in public presentations has refuted misinformation the 2020 election was “rigged.”
He has spoken against MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell, a Minnesota businessman who has promoted the theory that voting machine companies Smartmatic and Dominion worked with foreign countries to rig machines and prevent former President Donald Trump from being re-elected.
The machines used in Wyoming since 2020 came from Election Systems & Software, which is based in Omaha. Buchanan said the head of security at the company is a Navy veteran from Scottsbluff who worked for years as security expect for the military and the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.
ES&S machines are tested before use, both by the federal government and independently in Idaho. The machines are checked for vulnerabilities to things like hacking, and then must “flawlessly” count a million ballots before they’re part of a real election, Buchanan said.
“People will say, well, ‘We trust what you’re telling us, but what you don’t know is...’ ‘Companies, you may trust them, but I don’t trust them,’ etc. Well, I’ve gotten to know these people personally, met them,” the secretary said.
The state’s top election official also encourages Wyomingites to become poll workers, who are always in demand.
“I have found that people that go and become poll workers learn even more about the election process, and when they do that, they have more confidence than other citizens, because they actually worked in the process and saw exactly what went on with their own eyes,” Buchanan said. “And they usually come away with a greater appreciation and confidence in the system.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/election-officials-reassure-public-of-voting-security/article_cd314131-9142-5ca0-8fa7-fca33be954ee.html | 2022-08-13T13:39:59Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/election-officials-reassure-public-of-voting-security/article_cd314131-9142-5ca0-8fa7-fca33be954ee.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Recently arrested by the Cheyenne Police Department:
Jozlyn J. Dickinson, 29, of East 16th Street for misdemeanor driving under the influence (alcohol, second in 10 years) and no proof of liability insurance at 11:46 p.m. Wednesday in the 1800 block of Cheyenne Place.
Scott L. Boicourt, 40, of East Lincolnway on a probation/parole violator arrest without a warrant at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday at his residence.
Dominique K. (Cathcart) Stanford, 48, of Drew Court on a misdemeanor probation/parole violator arrest without a warrant at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Cheyenne-Laramie County probation and parole office, 1934 Wyott Drive.
Kelly A. Chavez, 50, transient, for misdemeanor unlawful entry onto property at 3 a.m. Wednesday in the 200 block of East 23rd Street.
Raymond J. Medina, 31, of Stanfield Avenue for misdemeanor domestic battery at 1:33 a.m. Wednesday in the 200 block of Stinson Avenue.
Ronel D. Olmstead, 53, of Thornton, Colorado, on a misdemeanor warrant out of Platte County for failure to appear at 12:58 a.m. Wednesday in the 2200 block of East Lincolnway.
Stephen D. Asbridge, 35, of Desmet Drive for misdemeanor DUI (alcohol, second in 10 years) at 12:10 a.m. Wednesday in the 500 block of Desmet Drive.
Jeremy C. Kelsey, 28, of Central Avenue for misdemeanor interfering/obstructing, on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear and a felony warrant out of Albany County for failure to appear at 5:55 p.m. Tuesday in the 1400 block of Hugur Avenue.
Andres M. Lopez, 28, of Grove Drive for misdemeanor DUI (alcohol, second in 10 years) and careless driving at 5:25 p.m. Tuesday at Ames Avenue and Parsley Boulevard.
Alejandro B. Otero, 28, of Denver for misdemeanor disturbing the peace/property at 4:15 p.m. Tuesday in the 2200 block of Warren Avenue.
Anne M. Mawk, 34, of Mancos, Colorado, for misdemeanor interfering/obstructing, on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear, and on misdemeanor warrants out of Cortez County, Colorado, for failure to appear and contempt of court at 2 a.m. Tuesday at West Lincolnway and Carey Avenue.
n
Recently arrested by the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office:
Cleeche S. Copeland, 34, of 13th Street on a felony warrant through Laramie County District Court for failure to comply and a felony warrant for theft (pick pocketing, greater than $1,000) at 9:05 a.m. Wednesday at the Laramie County jail, 1910 Pioneer Ave.
Rocsand P. Bocanegra, 42, of Windmill Road for felony second-degree murder at 12:20 a.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of Mitchell Court.
Jackey D. Vasquez, 26, of 11th Street on a felony warrant out of Colorado for parole violation at 11:10 p.m. Tuesday in the 1100 block of Lake Place.
Susan L. Shiery, 60, of Kirby on misdemeanor warrants for failure to pay and probation violation at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday at the Laramie County jail.
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Recently arrested by the Wyoming Highway Patrol:
Justice A. Stehlin, 27, of East 20th Street for misdemeanor DUI (combination controlled substance and alcohol), failure to maintain single lane, speeding (exceeds 80 miles per hour by 6 mph or more) and possession of a controlled substance (3 ounces or less) at 5:10 p.m. Wednesday at mile marker 18.5 on southbound Interstate 25.
Philip G. Guilford, 50, of Russell Avenue for misdemeanor driving without a required ignition interlock device, driving without a valid license, no seatbelt and speeding (40 mph in a 30 mph zone) at 10:32 p.m. Tuesday at Central Avenue and East First Avenue. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/police_blotter/police-blotter-8-13-22/article_f5aec96c-714a-5658-945d-a66a9a0bdc5d.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:05Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/police_blotter/police-blotter-8-13-22/article_f5aec96c-714a-5658-945d-a66a9a0bdc5d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
What an amazing new experience I encountered this past week! I flew from Cheyenne Regional Airport to California, and I have to say it was brilliant.
The trip started with free parking at our new airport terminal, then a quick TSA security check, a 20-minute flight to Denver and a connecting flight to Bakersfield.
Lately, I have come to hate the drive down Interstate 25. I find when I travel, the hardest part is the drive home from Denver International Airport. When I’m tired, the I-25 drive is intolerable. However, this trip was a smooth 20-minute flight from Denver and a 10-minute drive back to my house. I love supporting Cheyenne and our airport, and it was a great experience across-the-board. To anyone who flies, I highly recommend you fly from our airport.
Throughout the week, I receive a lot of letters from folks in our community. One letter that stood out from the rest was dedicated to praising Debbie Martinez and her photography that documents life in Cheyenne. I’m not on social media, so our PIO pulled up her Facebook page, and immediately I was in awe of her work. It was like looking at a colorful pictorial history of events that happen in Cheyenne. I can’t say it enough, I really appreciate folks with artistic abilities, and her pictures are definitely in this category. Thank you for alerting me about Debbie’s beautiful work.
There’s a huge number of unpaid parking tickets we have in Cheyenne. Last winter, we did an amnesty period and then started to immobilize vehicles that had very large unpaid balances. In the first four months, we installed the Barnacle System 21 times and collected $30,249 from parking tickets. The Barnacle System requires at least five installations monthly to break even on the cost of the system.
Today, we have 3,400 unpaid parking tickets in the amount of $204,000. Starting immediately, the city will be looking at vehicles with three or more unpaid parking tickets. When we find them, they will be immobilized with the Barnacle or the old-fashioned “boot.” If you have unpaid parking tickets, you can avoid the boot by paying the tickets or entering a payment plan. Going forward, our parking officers have a new goal: five Barnacles installed each week, until we get the money owed.
We met with Jason and Sam from our Community Recreation and Events Department. I always enjoy our time together. A new home for our gymnastics program was one of the big topics. Currently, our program is housed in the old Carey Junior High School gym. I am so thankful that the school district has allowed us to use this site. It is not perfect, but our gymnasts have a place to practice their craft. We reviewed the options and are now working to find a permanent solution.
We also discussed the Civic Center and how we will manage the facility with Andrew and his family moving to Saratoga. Andrew has been a fantastic technical director for our team, and he will be missed. Our Civic Center has gone from a dozen shows a year to over 100. Our crew is vital to making the venue the experience we all expect.
The United Way is a vital part of our community that helps take care of the most vulnerable as part of its mission. I had three meetings with them this week. First, we met to discuss the city taking part in this year’s campaign. I told them I was all in! United Way has 24 partner agencies that are focused on helping with education, financial stability and health. They focus not only on the programs, but also the outcomes, ensuring our dollars are well spent.
Thursday, I attended the United Way kickoff breakfast at Laramie County Community College. I am so appreciative of the team who was there to volunteer. This year, Bryan and Sara Pedersen, along with their children, are our campaign chairs. Our economy is tough, and especially so for many in our community. I would ask you to consider donating to United Way this year, either through your job or just by calling and making a donation. Judy and I will join you.
The city has an investment committee, and we met this week. We are blessed to have two community volunteers. Patrick Fleming and Jeff Prince are two investment professionals who volunteer their time to help make our program successful. Times are tough for investors; our 401(k)s will show that. Nonetheless, I was pleased to learn the city is doing better than most, and our investment team beat the benchmark handily. I am talking about volunteers again – the people here rock!
The Enhanced Use Lease is a private/public partnership between the Air Force and a private developer. I am excited about the EUL and the affordable housing that will be built there. It is located next to Little America, on the land where Frontier Days has its park-n-ride. I met with Tony O’Brien and Daniel from Little America to discuss the project and how it might impact their beautiful facilities. I was pleased to learn they are willing to work together to see this important project move forward. It is always a treat to drive through Little America. The beautiful trees, lawns and landscaping make it an oasis.
Neil Theobald used to be the president of the University of Wyoming. He retired from that position and wants to end his career teaching. Currently, he is traveling throughout the state to learn why teachers are leaving the profession. As part of that conversation, he came to interview me about my impressions of our school system and the challenges our teachers face. I really enjoyed the conversation. Neil has a love for teachers and the profession. I hope he figures out how to make teaching in our local schools more appealing to the best teachers in our region. What could be more important?
Chief Kopper from our Fire Rescue department stopped by to give me an update on the new fire stations we hope to start constructing this fall. As with every big project, there are ups and downs. What I appreciate most is the way our fire crew acknowledges the challenges in working to overcome them. The good news is we are almost done with the bidding process and hope to start the projects this fall. When we are completed with the construction of the three new fire stations, our emergency response will be improved.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization is a federally funded program that funds the planning for our transportation system within the city and county-metro areas. We met this week with MPO, in a work session to discuss the proposed plans for the next fiscal year. Plans for county impact fees, greenway access to the base, Allison Road, Southwest Drive and safe routes to school are just a few of the plans discussed.
The MPO policy committee is made up of the mayor, Commissioner Thompson and Ralph Tarango from the Wyoming Department of Transportation. I did not think I would enjoy being a part of this committee that much, but I have found the subject fascinating and the team fun to be with. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/mayor-s-minute-parking-ticket-scofflaws-put-on-notice-about-unpaid-fines/article_e5439dd4-0818-5e73-b3fc-e313c96fdd68.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:18Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/mayor-s-minute-parking-ticket-scofflaws-put-on-notice-about-unpaid-fines/article_e5439dd4-0818-5e73-b3fc-e313c96fdd68.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This is a story told by Fredrick Douglas Dixon, director of the Black Studies Center at the University of Wyoming. It’s adapted to reflect the times in which Wyoming will elect a congressman.
Once upon a time, Truth and The Big Lie crossed paths in Wyoming.
Each acknowledged it was a fine Wyoming day. “It may rain,” said The Big Lie. “The sky is clear,” said Truth, as both looked at the clear blue sky overhead. Soon, they happened upon a small pond. Truth said, “The water is inviting.” The Big Lie smiled deviously, “Should we go skinny-dipping?”
They undressed, left their clothing on the bank and jumped into the cool water. Suddenly, The Big Lie scurried out from the pond, grabbed Truth’s clothes, put them on and ran away. Truth hurried from the pond, chasing The Big Lie, hoping to retrieve her clothes.
Buck-Naked Truth, older, thus slower than The Big Lie, was last seen breathlessly chasing The Big Lie down the Wyoming campaign trail. Election Day was near, and there were some salt-of-the-earth Wyoming folks along the road, watching the chase. When they saw the Buck-Naked Truth, they turned their eyes away.
So it was that The Big Lie ended up traveling the state, campaigning as Truth, and we are left to wonder whether there are enough people willing to look upon the Buck-Naked Truth to save our democratic Republic.
Tuesday night, we will know.
Until Trump, it would have been impossible to comprehend what happened at Jonestown in 1978. Those 900 bodies, bloating in the hot sun after drinking the Kool-Aid, some having poured it down their children’s mouths. Incomprehensible, until now.
The question Tuesday is whether our republic will join those rotting corpses.
Sissela Bok is a philosopher and an ethicist. She’s written a relevant book titled simply “Lying.” She argues persuasively that not all lies are created equal. Some are considerably more damaging than others, particularly political lies.
The “principle of veracity” is what she calls “a minimally necessary basis for a functioning society,” a lowest common denominator. It is no small thing that authoritarians lie while free people prefer truth. Bok says, “trust in some degree of veracity functions as a foundation of relations among human beings; when this trust shatters or wears away, institutions collapse.”
Jesus knew that, taught it, promised it was the truth that would set us free. Bok suggests the political lies that will enslave us.
The premise of Bok’s writing is that political lies interfere with the voters’ duty to make the right choice. The intentional deception gives power to the liar and takes it away from the deceived. She believes that employing large-scale lies as a weapon eventually deprives voters of the inherently necessary ability to make the right choice.
We can’t have a free country when choices about who will lead it are the product of lies.
It’s why no one wants to play chess or golf or anything else with a cheater. It really isn’t chess or golf if the winner cheats his or her way to victory. It really isn’t a free election if one side uses dishonesty as the basis for their appeal to the voters.
Cheating at chess means the best players can’t win. Lying to win an election means the lesser, least worthy of the candidates comes out on top. It devalues the rules in favor of those who don’t follow them. It makes losers into winners.
In chess or golf, you can quit playing with a cheater. Walk away. Find honest companions and play the game with them. At Jonestown, it wasn’t that easy. Neither is it that easy in a democratic republic.
Tuesday, when you walk into the voting booth, the choices will be clear. There is a Liar and there is a Truth Teller. If, by Election Day, Buck-Naked Truth hasn’t caught up with The Big Lie, we will all be losers, and our republic will be one step closer to its demise. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/mcdaniel-will-truth-catch-up-with-the-big-lie-by-tuesday/article_3238015c-8a7d-5d34-ab8b-d5475c12ec92.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:24Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/mcdaniel-will-truth-catch-up-with-the-big-lie-by-tuesday/article_3238015c-8a7d-5d34-ab8b-d5475c12ec92.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In the short time I have lived here, I have been continually impressed by the lack of attempts at media manipulation I have faced locally.
In virtually every other city where I have been a journalist over the last 30 years, and especially in the last decade-plus, media manipulation has increasingly become the norm, conducted by people of all backgrounds and with any degree of influence. One of the latest flavors involves regular consumers themselves trying their hand at influencing how they are portrayed by the news media.
This occurs when someone a journalist interviews, or some organization a reporter writes about, tries to shape news coverage, often through less-than-aboveboard means.
Some may be inclined to blow this off as what we in the media industry refer to as inside baseball. I disagree.
The more what you hear, read and see is covertly shaped by the very people with a vested interest in this, the less likely you will get a somewhat objective version of what transpired. Without getting the straight news (what you read about in the other sections of this publication), you may never know what actually took place.
Ignorance is not bliss.
Media manipulation
Media manipulation can take place when someone insists on anonymity, even though what they are saying is completely anodyne.
There certainly are times when a journalist should consider keeping someone’s name out of the public domain. On these rare occasions, it’s usually done because someone would face personal risk for speaking out.
With institutions – a government, a company, a religious organization, even a nonprofit – shaping the media message is a big business. There are thousands of people in the U.S. whose job is to do just this, and these entities have the money to pay these molders of opinion. To be sure, there are many PR people who do not try to manipulate the media, it is just that, at least in other cities where I have worked, they are a vanishing breed.
Here in Wyoming, it has been a refreshing experience to be a journalist. I can count probably on one hand the number of times someone has tried to sway what I am writing in manipulative ways. (It has never succeeded.)
Two recent experiences reminded me of this, and particularly the difference between being a journalist in Washington, D.C., versus here in Cheyenne.
My first reminder came last week, when a journalism publication posted online a story about ways in which public relations experts, working for public agencies, try to shield YOUR government from media scrutiny. The author of this Columbia Journalism Review story, Kathryn Foxhall, has spent years advocating against what she appropriately calls “censorship by PIO.”
PIOs
PIOs are public information officers, the government spokespeople who discuss the police, public health issues, regulatory proceedings and much more.
Foxhall contends, academic research shows and my own investigative reporting in Washington has found (such as is online here) that more PIOs are increasingly trying to censor what their government bosses want to keep secret.
If you care about how your tax dollars are spent, or how the government exercises its authority, you should be wary of this trend. When these government PR representatives withhold information from journalists, they are also withholding it from YOU.
By way of disclosure, Foxhall in her CJR article briefly quotes me. She and I have been on a journalism association local board together.
Just about every government representative I have dealt with in Wyoming is refreshingly honest. They pick up the phone. They respond to emails. They mostly answer most of my questions. They do not monitor interviews I conduct with their colleagues. They do not try to dissuade me from doing my job. When they disagree with my reporting, they act like adults and calmly discuss their concerns with my boss, Brian Martin, and/or with me.
In short, these folks are not guilty of censorship by PIO. They have my respect. I hope I am earning theirs.
Bizarro world
This week, in our newsroom, we encountered a situation so bizarre, I was tempted to immediately write it off. After thinking about it overnight, I decided to write this.
A political candidate here in Wyoming engaged in just this sort of media manipulation, with this newspaper. Black was white and up was down with this person.
The politico contended that we had not reached out to them before we published a news report. Apparently, our several phone calls and emails were not received. (This sort of thing does sometimes actually happen, I just have no evidence that it did here.)
When I again reached out to this person, calling and using this time a different email address, I got no questions answered. Instead, this person doubled down on their false allegations.
After the primaries on Tuesday, I intend to write more about this, and to identify the person and to try to get their side.
So stay tuned. And please go vote.
Jonathan Make is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle’s assistant managing editor and editor of the Wyoming Business Report. He can be reached at jmake@wyomingnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @makejdm. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/my-side-of-the-story-media-manipulation-and-elections/article_11b5697c-eabf-586a-b1ed-f2053317a117.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:30Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/my-side-of-the-story-media-manipulation-and-elections/article_11b5697c-eabf-586a-b1ed-f2053317a117.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Our disabled veterans are grossly undercompensated. They've been asking various Congresses and administrations for fair and adequate compensation since the end of World War I in November 1918, 103 years ago.
In 2022, a totally disabled veteran with no dependents is compensated at the ridiculous rate of $39,984.72 annually. The National Average Wage Index (NAWI) for 2020 was $55,628.60 per annum, and the median income for 2020 was $67,521. The per capita GDP in 2020 was $63,416, among the highest in the world.
They are only compensated for projected lost wages and not including a "loss of quality of life" payment, which is now the norm in personal injury cases in court.
Disabled veterans realize that they are being manipulated by our tax-evading elites, who use campaign donations to congresspeople in order to keep veterans' compensation low so as to ensure a low tax rate for themselves. It is open, but legal theft from the poor and disabled by the rich and powerful by the investor class of wealthy elites who constantly get something for nothing from a willing Congress.
So … We can levy at least a penny tax on every dollar traded on the stock market to pay for the compensation due to our disabled veterans. The New York Stock Exchange alone traded about 1.46 billion shares a day in 2019. There are presently 13 separate stock exchanges operating in the USA.
This is now a national security problem.
Once our youth fully understand that should they enlist in the armed forces and subsequently be seriously injured or sickened in the line of duty, then they are looking at a lifetime of near poverty, this realization among our young people will cause the armed forces to collapse quickly. In fact, this has already started.
No one wants to be played for a fool, not even a young person. And that is what we are doing to our youth.
We have no right to expect our youth to make a lifetime sacrifice like this so that our elites can evade proper taxation. Be warned. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/failing-to-adequately-support-disabled-vets-is-a-national-security-problem/article_81812c7b-0d7b-5c61-b4ad-28615834bb95.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:43Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/failing-to-adequately-support-disabled-vets-is-a-national-security-problem/article_81812c7b-0d7b-5c61-b4ad-28615834bb95.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Country
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People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/rammell-should-drop-out-of-the-governors-race-not-bien/article_9b4b5030-413a-54d9-a863-fc1cfb572d58.html | 2022-08-13T13:40:49Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/rammell-should-drop-out-of-the-governors-race-not-bien/article_9b4b5030-413a-54d9-a863-fc1cfb572d58.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Amid reports that a billion-barrel oil reserve had been discovered in central Wyoming, the company behind the find was quick to explain that it has not, in fact, doubled the known volume of recoverable oil in the state.
Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd., an oil and gas company based in Alberta, estimated in January that federal leases it holds in Natrona and Converse counties overlie most of a reservoir containing 1.5 billion to 1.9 billion barrels of oil.
The company announced last week that a report it commissioned from an independent consultant, Ryder Scott Company, found approximately 993.5 million barrels of oil in the reservoir, supporting its internal findings. Only a fraction of that oil is recoverable with current technology.
“There’s really a misunderstanding between resources and reserves,” Arthur Millholland, COPL’s president and CEO, said during a call with investors on Monday.
Reserves refer only to oil that can feasibly be extracted. The majority of the oil in the reservoir cannot.
The company’s internal analysis now indicates that the reservoir holds between 1.7 and 2.1 billion barrels of oil, higher than Ryder Scott’s findings. It expects wells to extract about 8-10% of that oil, or 133 to 207 million barrels, before the underground pressure falls too low.
Secondary oil recovery — injecting water or gas to raise that pressure and force more oil out of the ground — typically releases another 10-30% of a reservoir’s oil.
COPL, targeting the high end, hopes the reservoir will ultimately produce about 666 to 826 million barrels of oil (but is unlikely to declare all of that oil recoverable).
Millholland said in a Friday statement that the report from Ryder Scott “validates what we announced at the start of the year and highlights the significant potential of our fantastic Wyoming asset.”
The Star-Tribune was unable to reach a Ryder Scott office familiar with the report.
As some in Wyoming celebrate the discovery, others await more proof. State officials have not yet corroborated the company’s numbers.
The Wyoming State Geological Survey, which regularly appraises oil resources throughout the state, has identified proven reserves — oil with a high likelihood of profitable extraction — of roughly 700 million barrels statewide.
Christina George, the agency’s outreach and publications manager, said in an email to the Star-Tribune that it “does not have additional information to provide” about the COPL discovery, “other than that the upper sands in the Frontier Formation have received a lot of interest in the recent past, and we expect discoveries of reservoirs in Cretaceous-age rocks to continue in the Powder River Basin.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/big-oil-discovery-can-t-all-be-drilled/article_0c137789-3b51-5f56-b7e0-969de44309a6.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:07Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/big-oil-discovery-can-t-all-be-drilled/article_0c137789-3b51-5f56-b7e0-969de44309a6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
With less than a week before primary day in Wyoming, state candidates’ fundraising numbers were released, giving a look at how much money they’ve been collecting and spending.
Wyoming’s midterm elections are taking place Tuesday, when offices like governor, secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction will be on the ballot.
In two of those three, there is not a true incumbent running, opening up the field to heated races.
Secretary of State Ed Buchanan is not running for reelection, having sought and obtained a position as a judge in Goshen County. Now, Sen. Tara Nethercott, R-Cheyenne, is battling it out with Rep. Chuck Gray, R-Casper for the secretary’s seat.
Former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow resigned to take the same job in Virginia earlier this year, which meant that the Wyoming Republican Party was tasked with filling the seat.
The party’s central committee selected three candidates, of which Gov. Mark Gordon appointed Brian Schroeder, who is now running to be elected to the post.
Because Schroder is unelected but has held office for a few months, he has some advantage of incumbency on his side, but likely not as much as someone who served a full term in office and was elected by voters.
Former President Donald Trump threw his support behind the two most hard-line Republicans in those races: Schroeder for superintendent and Gray for secretary of state.
Gov. Mark Gordon, on the other hand, is facing multiple challengers to his right in his run for reelection.
Gray’s campaign collected roughly $528,000 to Nethercott’s $333,000, according to campaign finance reports released by the secretary of state’s office.
But Nethercott collected more in individual donations ($181,350) than Gray ($17,480).
Gray’s father, Jan Charles Gray, donated $500,000 to his campaign, the records show. Gray himself donated $10,000 to his own campaign.
Nethercott also loaned her campaign $95,000, which she says was “necessary to start [the] campaign.”
“I am humbled and grateful for the financial support from the generous and hard working men and women of Wyoming,” she said. “This campaign would not be possible without their support.”
Excluding Gray’s or Nethercott’s own donations or immediate familial donations (Nethercott also had a cousin who donated $2,500) Nethercott out-raised Gray by roughly 10 to 1.
Both candidates have just over $96,000 left in the bank to spend.
Some of the big names that donated to Gray were Dan and Carleen Brophy, two wealthy political donors, in addition to Susan Gore, founder of Wyoming Liberty Group and the Gore-Tex heiress, who was accused in a New York Times investigative piece last year of funding a political spying operation in the state.
Gray also received donations from Rep. Tim Hallinan, R-Gillette, Sen. Tim French, R-Powell as well as Donna Rice, a member of Wyoming Republican Party leadership.
Nethercott received donations from over a dozen Republican legislators plus three Democratic lawmakers: Rep. Andy Schwartz, D-Jackson, Rep. Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie, and former Sen. Liisa Anselmi-Dalton.
Nethercott also took almost $55,000 from political action committees, the records show. Gray collected $500 in PAC money.
“President Trump has endorsed our campaign because I support voter integrity measures and passed the voter ID bill,” Gray said in a statement. “But the insider establishment has big money in Wyoming to support candidates like Liz Cheney and Tara Nethercott, including with PAC dollars. They’re teaming up with the Star Tribune to put out false, defamatory stories that serve as a contribution to the Nethercott campaign worth hundreds of thousands of dollars — l’m grateful to my family for stepping up to counter these liberal attacks with funds from family businesses that I helped to build.”
Gray and Nethercott have emerged as candidates on opposite sides of the debate on election integrity.
Gray is running as a 2020 presidential election skeptic, saying that there was more fraud than the margin of votes between Trump and President Joe Biden. Gray is pushing to ban ballot drop boxes, which have become a target after the movie “2000 Mules” was released, a film that alleges widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election. Gray has also sponsored numerous showings of the movie throughout Wyoming while on the campaign trail.
Nethercott says that there is “no objective evidence” to prove that the 2020 election was stolen for President Joe Biden, and she repeatedly emphasizes her confidence in Wyoming’s elections.
According to a database maintained by the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, Wyoming has seen just three instances (involving four people) of voter fraud in 40 years, and none since 2014.
Once again, Gordon is facing multiple opponents to the right of him politically.
The governor brought in about $541,000. Of that, $392,800 of that came from individual donors — the sitting governor received $100,000 in loans from his wife and $45,000 from PACs (about 80% of that came from PACs outside Wyoming).
In the 2018 gubernatorial primary, Gordon came out on top of a crowded field with only 33% of the vote, helping to spur an unsuccessful movement from the right to enact run-off elections.
Gordon is not well liked by some on the far right in Wyoming. Multiple times during a recent gubernatorial debate, Gordon made sure to point out that he is “a Republican, and a conservative Republican at that.”
Gordon is being challenged by retired Marine Brent Bien who reported nearly $100,000, records show. Over a third of that was from him or his immediate family. Bien himself donated over $31,000.
From individual donors, Bien garnered about $54,000.
“Brent and Sue have been blessed to have great careers that have allowed Brent to pursue service including using his own money to travel the state and meet voters where they are,” said Sam Rubino, Bien’s campaign manager. “This campaign has always been about the hard working people of Wyoming, not millionaires and political donors.”
Veterinarian and serial political candidate Rex Rammell, on the other hand, only raised $9,200 from individuals while loaning his campaign over $66,000.
Rammell has a colorful history, including criminal charges and multiple bids for office in Wyoming and Idaho. He ran for Wyoming’s governor in 2018 as a Constitution Party candidate and made multiple runs in Idaho.
During the recent debate, Rammell used his closing statement to accuse Bien of not meeting state constitutional requirements needed to hold the office of governor.
To run for governor, a candidate must reside in the state for five years, but according to the state constitution, residency is not lost by military service, and Bien — who recently moved back to Wyoming after serving in the military — said he maintained his residency throughout his time in the Marines.
Rammell filed a complaint with the Wyoming Secretary of State’s office, which responded by closing it without taking action because the complaint “seeks a legal analysis of the term residency which goes beyond that contained in the current statutes.”
Megan Degenfelder, formerly chief policy officer at the education department and currently the government and regulatory affairs manager for Morningstar Partners Oil & Gas, raised nearly $130,000 from individuals, plus about $10,000 from her immediate family and $70,000 in loans of her own money.
“It is clear that Wyoming voters want conservative elected officials they can count on, who have actually lived in and contributed to our communities and who focus on issues that matter to our state. As a lifelong Wyomingite, I am that candidate. I will be accountable to the taxpayers of this state and I will work tirelessly to prepare students for successful futures in Wyoming,” Degenfelder said in a recent press release.
She also received a significant amount of PAC money — $23,050.
“The primary PAC donations came from Wyoming industries that represent the workforce that students are eventually going to be entering into,” Degenfelder said. “It shows that they’ve decided that I’m the candidate who’s most likely to understand the needs of industry.”
Like Schroeder, Degenfelder also applied to be the interim superintendent when Balow resigned, but ultimately got fourth in the central committee’s vote.
Degenfelder also received the endorsement of former U.S. Sen. Al Simpson, a Wyoming political icon who recently received the presidential medal of freedom, U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis and more than 20 current lawmakers, according to a campaign press release.
Trump-endorsed Schroeder trailed Degenfelder in individual donations, raising less than $27,000 from individuals who aren’t himself or family. Some of that money came from Gore, Hallinan and former state representative Marti Halverson (who was also a finalist for the superintendent position earlier this year).
Schroeder is the former head of Veritas Academy, a private Christian school in Cody, and has experience as a family and youth coordinator and as a teacher and administrator in private schools in California, Wisconsin, Michigan and Wyoming.
He’s deeply conservative; he’s called for Wyoming to enact a law similar to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which, among other things, “prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in certain grade levels.”
He advocates for more parental control in public schools. He opposes the teaching of critical race theory (which is not currently taught in Wyoming public schools).
The other Republican candidate in the superintendent race is Casper-based substitute teacher and cosmetologist Jennifer Zerba, who raised only $300 from two individuals.
While fundraising is one indication of a candidate’s viability, it is not infrequent that those who outraise their opponents lose the election. Early voting is ongoing and primary day is Tuesday. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/campaign-finance-numbers-released/article_dee9a9ee-9834-5329-8efa-b4c041a3ca43.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:14Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/campaign-finance-numbers-released/article_dee9a9ee-9834-5329-8efa-b4c041a3ca43.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It rises amid the Great Divide Basin, going from 6,500 feet to over 9,000 feet in elevation over a distance, as the crow flies, of about 5five miles. Green Mountain is aptly named, being one of the few timbered areas for miles around.
While there’s Crooks Mountain to the west and Ferris Mountain to the east, Green Mountain offers the only developed woodland recreation facilities within several hundred square miles.
If you’ve never heard of Green Mountain, you’re likely not alone. Maybe you recall a lone Bureau of Land Management sign pointing its direction along Highway 287 about 6 miles east of Jeffrey City.
I had not been up Green Mountain in years, although I go to the adjacent Sheep Mountain on the western edge of Green Mountain, every year in my work as a wildlife biologist. I’d not taken the time or had an opportunity to return to Green Mountain. It was time for a return visit to see if anything had changed.
My first surprise came just before I turned off Highway 287 onto Green Mountain Road. Amid that sea of sagebrush and looking completely out of place, a cow moose and her calf were in “we’re lost” mode. They likely wondered how to get to the nearest willow bog. Typically, young bulls are the ones out wandering, not a cow with a calf.
Last time I was on Green Mountain I explored the area while searching for routes to include in my “Mountain Biking Wyoming” guidebook. That’s been a while, since that book was published by Falcon Press in 1999.
I recall my trip there. I drove up the rough road to the mountain summit. It was early season when many areas remained wet and soggy. I pulled into an old clear-cut to camp for the night. To my utter surprise, my truck immediately mired in mud up to both axles.
I had no hope of digging my way out, so I just camped there for the night figuring I’d get out one way or another the next day.
Luckily, since I was exploring potential mountain bike routes, I had my bicycle with me. At that time I was accompanied by Darth, my first Australian shepherd. Darth ran alongside as I biked the rolling summit ridge of Green Mountain before taking the loop road back down the mountain towards the lone campground.
Descending, I discovered the road washed out. I bike-hiked through the debris, and then hopped back on my bike to continue to the campground.
Once there, it was slim pickings. Two campsites were occupied, but I smiled when I realized one was “that guy.” He had a camper, a big truck and an ATV parked nearby. The man sat at a picnic table with his two kids.
To make a long story short, this wonderful man helped me out. He drove up the mountain (taking the route that wasn’t washed out), pulled me out of my mud bog and then waved as he drove out of sight. He actually seemed happy to have a little adventure with his kids.
Since those days, Green Mountain got a facelift. The rough gravel road — making that loop up, across and back down the mountain — is improved. It remains a slow route, pocked with potholes, but there’s no hint of where the road once washed out.
The rather stark campground from 25 years ago changed. Now the 18 campsites, arranged in a row going up the mountain, are spread out. Timber between the sites offers more privacy and rather attractive accommodations.
The route up Green Mountain is a “lollipop” loop, separating near the bottom. One fork goes to Cottonwood Creek Campground maintained by the BLM. The other side goes by a mewer campground run by Fremont County. It is more open, offering a less picturesque setting.
Once on top, there are plenty of dispersed camping areas. This time of year, I had plenty of elbowroom. I’ve also been on Green Mountain during hunting season when it is crowded and very busy.
Bring a mountain bike, binoculars for birding, hiking shoes and maybe a fishing pole. While there aren’t any established trails, there are plenty of old logging roads to explore. Brook trout can be caught in the small Cottonwood Creek, but the mountain lacks any lake or major waterway.
Bike or drive to Wild Horse Point. It now has a picnic area, complete with an outhouse. It gets its name from the fact that wild horses abound in this region and occasionally make their way up the mountain.
Footpaths continue from the parking area up to a clearing with views that span across the valley below.
It is worth checking out, as is all of Green Mountain. It likely gets busy on the weekends, so is a better weekday destination. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/green-mountain-a-woodland-oasis-in-the-great-divide-basin/article_65f0e23d-39ba-5461-8be4-5938510c6371.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:26Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/green-mountain-a-woodland-oasis-in-the-great-divide-basin/article_65f0e23d-39ba-5461-8be4-5938510c6371.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Laramie resident Susannah Heller walks through areas of the Mullen Fire burn on the west side of the Medicine Bow Mountains near the North Platte River. Research will study how cheatgrass, a common invasive grass, can out-compete native species following fire.
Laramie resident Susannah Heller walks through areas of the Mullen Fire burn on the west side of the Medicine Bow Mountains near the North Platte River. Research will study how cheatgrass, a common invasive grass, can out-compete native species following fire.
Courtesy File Photo/Tanner Hoffman
Two sagebrush plants (green) which are native to the West, are being overrun by non-native cheatgrass.
Jennifer Strickland/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service File
PINEDALE — In time to account for this past calving season and this summer’s grazing, the Farm Service Agency just upped the ante for losses of very young beef cattle and bison by raising compensation for young under 250 pounds, in the Livestock Indemnity Program.
The Farm Service Agency already helps reimburse producers whose livestock are killed by wolves and bears in the state’s predator management zone — and with good record-keeping — poisonous plants, drought and bad weather.
FSA Administrator Zach Ducheneaux of South Dakota announced the increase for a beef calf under 250 pounds from $175.27 to $474.38 per head. For bison, compensation rose from $336.84 to $599.15 per head.
Updated LIP payment rates take effect immediately and will be applied retroactively starting Jan. 1, 2022, for all eligible causes of loss including excessive heat, tornado, winter storms and other qualifying natural disasters.
Under the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the FSA offers a wide range of federally funded programs, including pre-filled applications for emergency loans and grants. FSA compensated for above-normal costs to haul water to drought-stricken livestock and added compensation to haul feed to livestock and livestock to forage or other grazing acres.
FSA will invest $10 million for agriculture-oriented taxpayer education plus $4.5 million in outreach for the Conservation Reserve Program’s "Transition Incentives Program to help beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers access land.”
In Wyoming, FSA also announced the new Big Game Conservation Partnership pilot that “rewards landowners for providing valuable ecological services for the public good, including direct compensation through 10- to 15-year habitat leases.”
In Sublette, Teton, Lincoln, Park, Fremont and Hot Springs counties, USDA is investing $15 million for stewardship activities:
Conserve big game habitat and sustain working ranches for future generations through the Agricultural Conservation Easements Program to ensure land is not subdivided, mined or developed.
Enhance rangeland and water resources for wildlife and livestock through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program to help landowners repair wet meadows or eroding streams, get rid of invasive weeds and replace or remove fences so wildlife can move easily.
Foster healthy native plants and productive grazing land through the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program, paying landowners an annual habitat lease in exchange for keeping native grasslands intact while still grazing livestock. This novel pilot rewards landowners for providing valuable ecological services for the public good, including direct compensation through 10- to 15-year habitat leases.
With a habitat lease, ranchers can make “a reasonable livelihood producing agricultural products while also keeping habitat healthy and whole.”
This Wyoming pilot also allows landowners to receive Farm Bill payments from both the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Agency for the first time. A rancher could use EQIP to manage invasive cheatgrass and then use Grasslands CRP to maintain native plants after weed treatment.
The USDA collaborates with Wyoming Game and Fish, the Wyoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust and others.
For more information about this USDA pilot, contact Jennifer Hayward, NRCS conservationist, at 307-367-2257. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/landowners-ranchers-can-pair-nrcs-fsa-programs/article_074c3e99-bd0e-5751-b89b-8d48dcc6a188.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:32Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/landowners-ranchers-can-pair-nrcs-fsa-programs/article_074c3e99-bd0e-5751-b89b-8d48dcc6a188.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Witness: Elk chases tourist who got too close
JACKSON (WNE) — The bull elk was standing in the rain, grazing, when Adam Collins pulled into the parking lot Friday to see the Chapel of the Sacred Heart in Grand Teton National Park.
The 44-year-old visitor from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, stopped the car and got out to take a few photos, making sure to keep his distance as the elk moved toward the Teton Park road. But other people didn’t keep their distance, including one man who went out on the road, started taking pictures and inching closer and closer to the elk.
As Collins watched, that man got within 10 feet of the hoofed and horned ungulate. That’s when the elk appeared to decide it wasn’t having it.
“He kneeled down on one knee to take a picture and the elk turned, reared up and started charging him,” Collins said.
The man split, running backward through a grove of four trees to avoid getting gored. The elk got within 5 feet of the man, Collins said, but his decision to run through the trees turned out to be a good one. The elk stopped on one side. The man kept running.
“This guy was almost in arms’ reach of getting the antler end of the elk,” Collins said.
From what Collins saw, the man who narrowly dodged the elk’s horns didn’t appear to be injured.
But the incident comes after a stretch of bison gorings in Yellowstone National Park earlier this summer, and serves as a reminder that wild animals — not just bison and bears — can be dangerous, especially when humans get too close.
The rules for observing wildlife — and maintaining distance from toothy, four-legged, and furry creatures — in the southern national park are the same as in Yellowstone, Grand Teton’s larger, northern neighbor. Both parks require visitors to maintain at least 25 yards from all wildlife, and the parks’ rules warn that animals “are wild and may act aggressively if approached.”
Avoid harmful blooms in Shoshone National Forest waters
JACKSON (WNE) — The Shoshone National Forest advises recreationists to be careful at Brooks Lake and certain other lakes in the Wind River Ranger District because of harmful cyanobacterial blooms in the water.
Where blooms are present, people and their dogs should avoid any contact with the water, a forest press release said.
Advisories are in effect for Brooks, Upper Brooks, Upper Jade and Rainbow lakes. Other water bodies are being investigated for possible blooms: Pelham Lake, Scouts Pond, some lakes in the Dunoir area and small lakes off the Burroughs Loop Road, Forest Service Road 510.
“HCBs may be green, brown, or blue green in color and may appear as discolored water, small grass clippings, scum, floating mats or spilled paint,” the forest release said. “HCBs can occur on or in the water, either floating or attached to plants, rocks or other material.”
According to the Wyoming Department of Health, “people or animals that have direct contact with the contaminated water by swimming, breathing in aerosols or swallowing the contaminated water can experience symptoms.”
Symptoms vary depending on the method and length of exposure and the particular toxin involved.
People may experience skin, eye, throat and respiratory irritation. In pets, the symptoms may be more severe: excessive salivation, vomiting, fatigue, staggered walking, difficulty breathing, convulsions, liver failure and death within hours to days of the exposure, the Health Department’s website says.
Its suggested precautionary steps include the following:
• Avoid contact with water in the vicinity of the bloom, especially in areas where cyanobacteria are dense and form scum.
• Do not ingest water from the bloom. Boiling, filtration or other treatments will not remove toxins.
• Rinse fish with clean water and eat only the fillet portion.
• Do not allow pets or livestock to drink water near a bloom, eat bloom material or lick fur after contact. If people, pets or livestock encounter a bloom, rinse the affected area with clean water.
Wild horse adoption maintains 100% success rate
The Bureau of Land Management and Mantle Adoption and Training Facility adopted out 15 wild horses and two burros during a Saturday adoption event.
Since expanding the adoption at Cheyenne Frontier Days in 2015, the BLM has had a 100% adoption rate for horses and burros at the event.
This year’s adoption was held at Lion’s Park inn Cheyenne and drew large crowds for daily wild horse demonstrations.
The highest adoption bid was for a 2-year-old saddle-started gelding named Benjamin.
“Our adoption events during Cheyenne Frontier Days offer a unique opportunity to showcase the work being done by the BLM to keep our horses, burros, and rangelands healthy,” said BLM Wyoming State Director Andrew Archuleta. “Our main priority at adoption events is to find good homes for the horses and burros under our care.”
The next live adoption event in Wyoming is Aug. 19 at the Wyoming State Fair in Douglas and will feature halter-started horses trained at Mantle’s Wild Horses. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/out-and-about-aug-13-2022/article_b21aa31d-d004-532d-834a-109ad1b505ef.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:45Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/out-and-about-aug-13-2022/article_b21aa31d-d004-532d-834a-109ad1b505ef.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CASPER — Competing ideas about how the U.S. should safeguard its energy resources continue to fuel a largely partisan debate about the value of fossil fuels compared with their low-emissions alternatives.
“Our world is facing an energy crisis that has been brought about by the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Mark Brownstein, senior vice president of energy at Environmental Defense Fund, said at a recent panel discussion in Washington.
“We’re struggling to respond to that crisis,” he added, “but make no mistake about why we’re in an energy crisis today: It’s the act of an autocrat.”
Brownstein noted that the European energy shortage brought on by Russia, which the U.S. is trying to help alleviate, has added to the strain on the global economy at the same time that the effects of climate change are causing harm worldwide — including record heat in Europe and historic flooding across the U.S.
The price of oil is set internationally. Though natural gas prices tend to be regional, they’re also influenced by lasting disruptions elsewhere. Anyone who uses those energy sources is therefore vulnerable to the whims of unstable political leaders, argued Ray Mabus, former U.S. Secretary of the Navy under President Barack Obama, during Thursday’s event.
“By continuing our dependence on fossil fuels, we keep autocrats — dictators — like Vladimir Putin armed, arrogant and affluent,” Mabus said.
U.S. production of oil and gas has been slow to rebound from the pandemic. And while drilling decisions in the U.S. are made at the company level, beyond President Joe Biden’s control, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and the remaining 11 member countries of oil cartel OPEC decide together how much oil to produce in order to manipulate its price.
Biden has called repeatedly on U.S. oil companies to increase output, and has tried in recent months to convince other major oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, to do the same, in an effort to bring down gasoline prices.
The latter move was criticized sharply by Republican leaders.
Many, including U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., think the solution is to generate so much oil in the U.S. that OPEC loses its ability to influence prices, and export enough natural gas to Europe that the continent no longer depends on imports from Russia, its primary supplier.
Republicans also want the Biden administration to make more public land available for drilling and expedite the permit- ting process for new oil and gas infrastructure.
“America would be better off and more prosperous if we turned to our own energy producers,” Barrasso said in a Wednesday statement. “No cartel will save this administration from its terrible energy policies. It is high time to unleash the resources this administration keeps trapped in the ground. It is time to make America energy dominant again.”
Thursday’s speakers disagreed. They pointed instead to Democrats’ nearly $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act, which was then being finalized and has since cleared the Senate in a par- ty-line vote, and aims to facilitate the growth of renewable and low-carbon electricity sources, electric vehicles and energy-efficient buildings while reducing carbon emissions from oil and gas production.
“It’s the beginning, not the end,” Sen. John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., said at the panel. “It’s not going to solve our efforts towards address- ing climate change, and create cli- mate rescue. It’s not sufficient. But it’s a huge first step.”
The bill introduces funding for oil and gas companies to reduce how much methane, a greenhouse gas much more potent than carbon dioxide and the primary component of natural gas, escapes during extraction and transport. It also imposes new fees on the methane that is still lost or released.
According to Barrasso, new constraints are the opposite of what the embattled industry — or the rest of the country — needs. “Instead of pleading with dictators in other countries to increase oil and gas production, we should expand American production,” he said in the Senate ahead of the bill’s passage.
Paul Eaton, a retired Army major general and another panelist Thursday, argued that conserving methane at existing wells would “get the most out of what we’ve already drilled.”
State and federal regulations already cap the release of methane and try to minimize leaks. A handful of companies operating in Wyoming have taken things further. In November, the United Nations commended Jonah Energy’s efforts to measure and report its methane emissions. PureWest announced in May that it would help researchers study novel monitoring technologies.
“We’re not at the point yet where we can say that renewables can serve all needs in all situations,” Brownstein said. “That’s absolutely true. But the trend is clear.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/parties-differ-on-energy-solutions-blame-for-high-prices/article_0a5a1e2f-2420-5a04-ab92-cff9770846a3.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:51Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/parties-differ-on-energy-solutions-blame-for-high-prices/article_0a5a1e2f-2420-5a04-ab92-cff9770846a3.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
BUFFALO — Eight months after Fourth Judicial Court Judge William Edelman dismissed a libel lawsuit filed by the Patriot Conservatives of Johnson County PAC against the Buffalo Bulletin, the case has finally concluded after the PAC's bank account was garnished to pay court-ordered sanctions.
Chris Wages, attorney for the defendants, said that ordering a plaintiff to pay sanctions is a “pretty extraordinary measure."
Attorney Nick Beduhn represented the PAC.
“The initiation of the legal action in the first place was flawed and I made a concerted effort to bring that to the attention of the attorney for the Patriot Conservatives,” Wages said.
“Aside from the fact that I didn't believe the substance of the suit was a strong cause of action, they sued parties that could have nothing to do with the case, which I thought was irresponsible and poor legal practice,” he said. “I notified the plaintiff's attorney, and given the opportunity to fix it, they did nothing. So innocent parties were required to spend time, energy and money defending a frivolous lawsuit. The judge recognized all those factors and made an award in favor of the defendants that were erroneously sued.”
While Edelman ordered the sanctions in December, the PAC had failed to pay their debt. Ultimately, the Bulletin asked the court to garnish the PAC's bank account to collect the debt.
“While I am happy that this case has finally come to an end, I find it really sad that in addition to fighting a frivolous lawsuit, that we had to go to extreme measures just to collect the court- ordered sanctions," said Robb Hicks, publisher of the Buffalo Bulletin.
Last August, the Patriot Conservatives of Johnson County — recently renamed the Patriot Conservatives of Wyoming — filed a libel suit against defendants Eclipse Media, Inc., the Weiser Signal American Inc., the Buffalo Bulletin Inc., Pronghorn Publishing Inc., and Frontier Newspapers Inc. claiming the PAC was defamed by the Buffalo Bulletin newspaper.
In November, Edelman dismissed the the complaint against defendants Weiser Signal American Inc., the Buffalo Bulletin Inc., Pronghorn Publishing Inc., and Frontier Newspapers Inc. because either the entities no longer exist or there is connection between any actions taken by the defendants and any injury alleged by the plaintiff.
Eclipse Media, Inc. is the publisher of the Buffalo Bulletin.
In December, Edelman ruled that the PAC had failed to “allege or identify any oral communication made by Eclipse Media, Inc., which is required for a claim of slander.”
Edelman ruled that even if the allegations in the complaint are true, the plaintiff has no cause for action for defamation because the PAC is considered a public figure that inserted itself into a public controversy and they failed to make any credible claim for economic damages.
Edelman also ordered the PAC to pay $8,942 in sanctions to the defendants and defense counsel for failure to dismiss charges against uninvolved parties after the PAC's attorney Beduhn was made aware that those parties were not involved.
However, the Patriot Conservatives never paid the court-ordered sanctions.
"These people are not conservative," Hicks said. “They are just bullies with a podcast and a sign. It is not a conservative value to file frivolous lawsuits. It is not a conservative value to not pay your bills. It is not a conservative value to disregard the rule of law.”
“The fact that we were forced to garnish their bank account is demonstrative of these people's lack of character,” Hicks added. “At any point, David Iverson (the PAC's chairman) or John Dematteis (the PAC's listed treasurer through June 2022) or Roger Bronnenberg (the PAC's current treasurer) could have penned a check to pay their court-ordered sanctions. Instead they forced us to play a game to find out where they had their money hidden. At that point, the court garnished their account to pay their debt.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/patriot-conservatives-account-garnished-to-pay-sanctions/article_f490fc01-42d5-587e-8d27-83be03bf14ad.html | 2022-08-13T13:41:57Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/patriot-conservatives-account-garnished-to-pay-sanctions/article_f490fc01-42d5-587e-8d27-83be03bf14ad.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
This large bronze sculpture titled “Breakin’ Through’ is on the northwest corner of the entrance to War Memorial Stadium on the University of Wyoming campus. UW trustees are discussing ways to “break through” to attract and retain students and faculty.
Members of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and UW Foundation talk about creating endowment funds during a retreat in Pinedale in July. The group will discuss the idea further during a September meeting.
This large bronze sculpture titled “Breakin’ Through’ is on the northwest corner of the entrance to War Memorial Stadium on the University of Wyoming campus. UW trustees are discussing ways to “break through” to attract and retain students and faculty.
Greg Johnson/Boomerang File
Members of the University of Wyoming Board of Trustees and UW Foundation talk about creating endowment funds during a retreat in Pinedale in July. The group will discuss the idea further during a September meeting.
The University of Wyoming Board of Trustees will consider creating endowments for faculty and students when it meets next month.
The idea is part of a university initiative to focus on expanding its competitiveness by retaining high-quality faculty and students. The money would go to better supporting faculty and students with a goal of fostering a sense of security and encouragement within the university community.
“We’ve had successive budget cuts over the years,” UW president Ed Seidel said during a Board of Trustees retreat last month. “We’ve had administration changes. Both of those have combined to lower morale. ... We have to build back.”
Chairman John McKinley presented the idea that the university could create three new endowments: one for student scholarships, one for faculty work and support and another for research at all levels.
He proposed that the Board of Trustees and UW Foundation each contribute $5 million to each of the endowments, resulting in three $10 million endowments that could then generate additional money from private donors.
The concept was at its beginning stages during McKinley’s presentation in July. Some suggestions of how the money could be used included increasing the number of endowed deanships, chairs and fellowships.
These types of positions can allow faculty members to access more financial resources for conducting research and other work. With money available to invest in starting research projects and programs, the faculty could bring in additional money from donors to the university in the long term, Seidel said.
UW Foundation President John Stark and the budget committee was tasked with working through the ideas to bring a more specific plan to the table in September.
Building prestige
The endowment money fits into a larger university plan to invest in programs that will make UW more competitive. Programs listed as high priority for the university include the Science Initiative program, the School of Energy Resources, engineering, tourism and outdoor recreation, agriculture, entrepreneurship and computing.
“We still need buildings and facilities, but it’s about the people,” Seidel said.
This list encompasses aspects the university has been focusing on the last few years, Seidel said. Investment into the areas of arts and humanities also could be considered.
Trustee Michelle Sullivan raised concerns that the priorities outlined in the proposal don’t mesh with the university’s plan to better align the disciplines of arts and humanities and the hard sciences with their respective areas of study.
“There are major colleges which aren’t reflected in these priorities at all,” Sullivan said. The College of Arts and Humanities “is a new college and we need to be setting that as an area of focus while we fundraise.”
Seidel said that the university would work to cover as many of its priorities as possible, but would “be opportunistic” in how it accepts money from willing donors who may want to offer assistance for programs lower on the priority list.
“Where we really have success is where a donor’s interest in providing private support overlaps with the university’s,” Stark said. “That’s the secret sauce.”
He said that if this alignment could extend to the Wyoming Legislature as well, the university would be in an even better position.
Money from the endowments also could be used to expand scholarship options for students who may not be eligible for higher-level scholarships and to offer opportunities for more undergraduate and graduate research, Seidel said.
McKinley added that any money the university saves on its current scholarship funding mechanism could be applied to student programs that enhance the university experience and increase student success.
“For every dollar that we’re able to generate in student scholarship funds, it frees up a dollar in wagers and discounts that the university is already doing,” McKinley said. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/uw-board-mulls-30m-in-new-endowments/article_d75849b6-9a45-5bda-9354-8758dc75fa06.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:28Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/uw-board-mulls-30m-in-new-endowments/article_d75849b6-9a45-5bda-9354-8758dc75fa06.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DOUGLAS — On the morning of Aug. 3, two gentlemen in dressed-to-kill sport coats walked into the Converse County Courthouse prepared to meet with the five county commissioners. With their presentation ready, it was indisputable that this discussion was of great relevance to the citizens of Converse County, considering Douglas’ mayor, police chief and city officials were also in attendance.
Founder and CEO of 307 Horse Racing, Jack Greer, and COO of Wyoming Financial Group Kyle Ridgeway were there to discuss pari-mutuel wagering, more specifically, the legalization of off-track horse race betting in Converse County.
The idea obviously sparked some interest from the county commissioners, who have already drafted a resolution to place the measure before voters on the November general election ballot.
While the commissioners won’t decide whether to approve the resolution until Aug. 16 (coincidentally on primary election day), to have pari-mutuel betting in a county requires a public vote.
However, Commission Chairman Jim Willox cautioned it is not a done deal but simply a placeholder for the commissioners to discuss it at their next regular meeting, so it may or may not show up on the November ballot.
Currently, there are two additional companies with facilities located in the state focused on horse racing and off-track betting: Wyoming Downs and Wyoming Horse Racing. However, 307 Horse Racing is the first Wyoming owned and operated entity.
And with five successful facilities currently up and running in Gillette, Casper, Cheyenne, Rawlins and Sheridan, its sights are now set on Converse County.
“I talk about this like I was around in the ‘70s when horse racing was a big deal in Wyoming and we had all these tracks like I was there. I wasn’t there. But I have read the history about that,” Ridgeway said. “In Wyoming, (the late) Sen. (John) Schiffer and (state Rep.) Sue Wallace and the folks in the legislature looked at some models of other states and they brought the horse racing industry back. And they passed these laws in 2013 where we have this alternative form of pari-mutuel wagering.”
According to Ridgeway, the ‘70s and ‘80s brought about the idea of simulcasting, which allowed people to bet on a live track from somewhere else.
“ They’ve now taken a lot of that historical horse racing data and turned it into what are known as historical horse racing terminals,” Ridgeway explained. “What these terminals do is they basically ‘gamified’ betting on a horse race, but they still allow you to essentially bet on a de-identified historical horse race.”
Although pari-mutuel wagering has been legalized in Wyoming, each county is given some regulatory authority.
As Ridgeway explained to the commissioners, the first step to having pari-mutuel wagering in Converse County is to have an election by the citizens.
And if passed, both Ridgeway and Greer would visit yet again to discuss obtaining a resolution for a specific site.
To sway the commissioners, both men dove right into the benefits a 307 Horse Racing facility would bring to the county.
One of those benefits goes to those who breed and raise race horses in the county, with .3% of the total bet collected via a tax.
“It’s called the Wyoming Breeders Fund, and it’s a pool of money to raise and breed horses in Wyoming. This year I think we’re going to hit $5 million in this .3% for the fund. That’s a huge number; it’s a huge incentive to breed and raise horses here,” Greer said.
Ridgeway added that as the gaming locations grow, as the bet grows and as the industry matures, the number in this breeding fund goes up.
In addition, 1% of the total bet goes directly to the county, and if a facility resides within a city or town borders, such as Glenrock, Douglas or Rolling Hills, the 1% is split 50/50 with the municipality.
“To give you an example of what numbers would look like, our Rawlins facility is relatively a similar-sized community to Douglas, so if we do a facility here, then that’s projecting to generate $75-$100,000 per year for each entity. So, the city receives $100,000, and the county receives $100,000. So, that . . . basically, (the) gaming commission sending you that check,” Ridgeway said.
County Commissioner Robert Short questioned the type of crime experienced in these facilities, as well as if there will be an increased need for law enforcement.
Ridgeway said 307 Horse Racing’s model has been to partner with the nicest place in each community they are able to find.
The Wyoming Gaming Commission requires these facilities to operate with security cameras and to have access to those cameras at all times. The facility will also be subject to random audits from the gaming commission and its law enforcement, and all locations require the employment of federally background checked employees.
“In our experience, these are the safest facilities you can have in a community if liquor is available, because most bars don’t require a background check, drug testing, and all of these other types of things you must have,” Ridgeway said.
“The speech that I give to everybody is, I can only speak about our operation. We were informed that Teton County commissioners and the Chief of Police in Jackson did a bunch of research on our facilities, and, based on their research on every community we’ve been in, there has been zero impact,” he added. “And I think the quote was, ‘We have no greater use of police resources than any other business.’”
According to Ridgeway and Greer, these horse race betting facilities have terminals that cost $25,000-$35,000. With 30 to 40 terminals per facility, they are averaging a seven figure investment per location.
When considering the addition of federally background checked employees and the amount of eyes necessary in terms of cashing out winning bets, they referred to these as “professional, first-class facilities.”
And to add a sense of family engagement, most of their facilities offer a restaurant that is completely segregated.
“I took my 2-year-old down there (Casper) with my family on Monday and had dinner, and it’s because gaming is on a different side,” he added. “We haven’t been able to do that in every facility, but you can do it in a way that allows people to eat.”
Greer currently operates his live horse race events at the Cam-Plex in Gillette, which is part of the requirements of having a live events license.
“ The way it works in Wyoming is you have to get a live events license first to be an operator in the state. Then you have to run a minimum of 16 live race days,” he explained. “That gives you the ability to hold a HHR (Historic Horse Racing) simulcast license.”
Greer encouraged those interested to visit the CamPlex, noting his races average a few hundred attendees.
“Every local community has its own thing in Wyoming. We try to approach each of these communities with the sensitivity of what they are,” Ridgeway said.
Both gentlemen concluded their presentation by stating yet again that their presence was to request for the commission to pass a resolution authorizing a pari-mutuel wagering question to be placed on the 2022 general election ballot, and the commission agreed to draft the resolution. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/wanna-bet-that-may-be-a-question-for-voters/article_6659d768-b5a8-5621-81ab-7a89330e091e.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:34Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/news/wanna-bet-that-may-be-a-question-for-voters/article_6659d768-b5a8-5621-81ab-7a89330e091e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
I keep learning a lot from the majesty of the mountains, the wisdom of AA and the simplicity of the Commandments, all 10.
I keep learning about what it means to see myself in a larger whole, and yet find peace in the recognition of our humanity.
“It’s not about me” is my favorite statement when I am nervous before a funeral, a wedding or where I feel uncertain about the “ground” where I need to stand. I keep trying to be humble and seek a peaceful way.
So, I take the liberty to write about Wyoming. Now, more than in many years past, who is on “the ticket” can influence us all for two, four, 10 years. And I return to the wisdom of AA and our need for a higher power.
The first step in any recovery, from addictions to cellphones, sports, alcohol and sex is recognizing a higher power. What that means not only echoes how often I find comfort in knowing how many ways I try and fail, but also the First Commandment: “Thou shalt not have any gods before me.”
The struggle of the first humans, Adam and Eve, was that they wanted to “play God.” No matter what happens to us, no matter what happens to our desires, no matter what happens to our plans, we did not make this world and we are not in charge of it.
That is the providence of God alone.
Perhaps the clearest statement of our human vanity is the poem “Ozymandias,” penned under a different tyranny. The poet writes, “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings. Look on my works, ye mighty and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay of the colossal wreck, boundless and bare.”
That statue now lies in the desert of Egypt, where the wind blows the pharaohs’ power away.
To see oneself as part of a larger whole has always been a problem, but especially for tyrants who think their wishes should rule the state, the nation or the world.
Higher power simply says, “We cannot play God.”
So, what is at stake for us in Wyoming is letting go of our proud isolation. We don’t have a copyright on the pure, white light. Moreover, we can rise above the insidious calls on social media to “play God.”
Those calls include bullying, lying, fomenting division and self-promotion, all of which imply, “I alone have the answer. I, alone, want to be in charge.”
As a Wyomingite since 1982, I have seen the politics of self-promotion play itself out in many ways. But today, I take the challenge to say that playing God is not just the providence of Republicans or Democrats. It is the work of either party which choses to believe, “I can bully people. I can practice deceit. I can claim I am the only one with an answer for our economy.”
They cannot say in public what they really mean: “I can play God.”
Both a Democrat, John Kennedy, and a Republican, Abraham Lincoln, proclaimed the national need for unifying our nation, in spite very differing views. Kennedy started the Peace Corps at the height of the Cold War and Lincoln sustained the vision of one nation at the height of the Civil War.
It wasn’t political parties, but the presidents who knew we had to come together in the face of social pressures.
Both Lincoln and Kennedy were assassinated because they believed in a union beyond differences and a wisdom beyond party lines.
They kept reaching to a higher power, and so can we. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/guest_column/higher-power-and-the-politics-of-self-promotion/article_65f65439-b336-5453-af98-37bcdb161b54.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:47Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/guest_column/higher-power-and-the-politics-of-self-promotion/article_65f65439-b336-5453-af98-37bcdb161b54.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Have you ever felt a knocking on your heart, a feeling like you know you should reach out to someone? You know you should help. You know should make eye contact, say something, touch their arm or give them a hug. Your heart is telling you to do it, but you don’t.
You miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that you can never get back.
These opportunities happen all the time to all of us. It only takes a second to miss them.
Her nail polish was cheerful turquoise. It matched the bright, happy color of her headband; however, everything between the nail polish and headband spoke of sadness. Her teenage shoulders were bent from weakness as if they had carried years of stress. Her blue eyes rarely connected with mine as she took my order and prepared my sandwich.
It was a quick lunch stop for me as I was driving home from a speaking event. In and out. That is what I wanted. It was late in the afternoon and only hunger could interrupt my determination to get home. A fast sandwich and then back on the road. I paid, thanked her and hustled away with my lunch.
The whole time her despair was knocking on my heart’s door screaming: “Help, help, let me in!”
I ran through the rain to the safety of my car and began the drive again. With every bite I took and every mile I drove, I thought of her. The knocking was still there, and the heaviness of her sadness.
Guilt grew with every swish of my windshield wipers. I felt guilt for keeping the words I wanted to say to her inside,, beating them down deep into my throat because I didn’t want to take the time.
My mind was going faster than the speed limit with thoughts of, “Why didn’t I?”
Why didn’t I talk to her? Why didn’t I ask about her day, her family, her life?
The shop was slow. I could have taken the time to talk to her, to help her, if only by showing I cared.
Why didn’t I?
How many times have I missed an opportunity to help a stranger, or even someone close to me?
The heart knocks happen in small ways. A word. A look. A feeling. They are easy to miss and easy to ignore.
And yet, it is so easy to take a moment to smile, to ask, to give words of encouragement or a hug. It’s so easy to let someone know you care.
Life lessons are hard to learn, especially when you miss the opportunity and there isn’t a do-over.
This is one I won’t forget. Her turquoise sadness I won’t forget. Next time I feel that knocking on my heart from someone in need, I will take the time.
Pennie’s Life Lesson: Never miss a chance to care, help and show kindness or a chance to love.
Pennie Hunt is a Wyoming-based author, blogger and speaker. Contact her atpenniehunt@gmail.com. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/guest_column/never-miss-a-chance-to-care-help-and-show-kindness/article_bc329265-66b5-57cd-b1c9-b15fc1afd1bf.html | 2022-08-13T13:42:59Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/guest_column/never-miss-a-chance-to-care-help-and-show-kindness/article_bc329265-66b5-57cd-b1c9-b15fc1afd1bf.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON MDT TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
EVENING...
* WHAT...Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall will be
possible.
* WHERE...A portion of south central Wyoming, including the
following areas, Central Carbon County, North Snowy Range
Foothills, Sierra Madre Range, Snowy Range, Southwest Carbon
County and Upper North Platte River Basin.
* WHEN...From Noon MDT today through Sunday evening.
* IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers,
creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations.
Area creeks and streams are running high and could flood with
additional heavy rain.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.
&&
Someone wrote a letter generating the headline "Cheney a traitor, not a hero."
To whom is she a traitor? Is it the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys of the Wyoming Republican Party? The ones who parade in flak jackets and ammunition or ride in the back of pickups with guns and flags?
This group of little people support a fascist who will destroy the Constitution and democracy of the United States. Not one source of media has avoided showing the fascist planning, leading and guiding the crowd to the Capitol on Jan. 6 to "put him in power." Those who choose to be deaf and blind are quite pitiful, really.
Liz Cheney is not a member of this group. Is this what makes her a traitor? Liz still supports killing the grizzlies and wolves, polluting energy sources, limited economic development, cutting benefits to veterans. She's a true Wyomingite in these respects. I totally disagree with her on the majority of her positions.
So why am I voting for Liz in this election?
As Liz has said, "truth matters." Truth has to be fought for, protected and honored. Our country is at risk. Our freedom is challenged. Many of us are children or grandchildren of World War I, World War II and the Korean War, as well as peers and classmates of Vietnam veterans.
For the veterans who shared their stories, their horrors and their trials, we are eternally indebted. These are the true fighters, protectors and honorable men and women. We never found this history "boring" or learned about it through video in history class. We lived it.
Our freedoms, constitution and democracies have never been free. The veterans earned them for us. If lies, badgering and mockery put our country at risk of demise, facts have been presented and are still developing to stop those who threaten our country.
Liz Cheney is supporting the work and sacrifice of the veterans we called dad, grandpa and brother. Their work is invaluable to the stability of the United States as it kept the fascists out of power. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/letters_to_editor/cheney-anything-but-a-traitor/article_47ab9faf-a43c-58fb-9f4e-5e2db871029e.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:05Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rawlinstimes/opinion/letters_to_editor/cheney-anything-but-a-traitor/article_47ab9faf-a43c-58fb-9f4e-5e2db871029e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Schools not listed here did not provide information to WyoSports. Please email sports@wyosports.net to have your information included in future listings.
HIGH SCHOOLS
All athletes must have a physical dated after May 1, 2022 in order to participate in practice. Athletes without completed physicals will not be allowed to practice.
Cheyenne Central
All families should visit central.rschoolteams.com and fill out the online activity registration form. Families can upload physical and sign registration forms on that website. Those forms must be filled out before athletes can practice.
Football: Practice started Aug. 8.
Golf: Practice started Aug. 8.
Tennis: Practice started Aug. 8.
Cross-country: The first practice starts at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15. Runners should meet in the parking lot on the west side of Central High.
Girls swimming and diving: The first practice will start at 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 in the Central natatorium. There is a second practice starting at 3 p.m. the same day. Athletes must bring a swimsuit, cap, goggles and towel.
Volleyball: The first practice starts at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 in the Central Fieldhouse. Sophomores, juniors and seniors also will have a second practice starting at 4 p.m. the same day.
Cheyenne East
Fall sports registration also can be completed by using the Athletic Registration tab at www.cheyenneeastathletics.com.
Football: Practice started Aug. 8.
Golf: Practice started Aug. 8.
Tennis: Practice started Aug. 8.
Cross-country: The first practice starts at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15 at Brimmer Park, 3056 Windmill Road.
Girls swimming and diving: The first practice starts at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 in the East High natatorium. There also will be a second practice starting at 3:15 p.m. the same day.
Volleyball: The first practice runs from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Aug. 15 in the East main gym. Athletes should bring a sack lunch.
Cheyenne South
All families should visit www.cheyennesouthbison.com and fill out the online activity registration form. Families can upload physical and sign registration forms on that website. Those forms must be filled out before athletes can practice.
Football: Practice started Aug. 8.
Golf: Practice started Aug. 8.
Tennis: Practice started Aug. 8.
Cross-country: The first practice is Monday. Aug. 15.
Girls swimming and diving: The first practice starts at 6 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 at the South natatorium. There will be a second practice from 3-5 p.m. the same day.
Volleyball: The first practice starts at 8 a.m. Monday, Aug. 15 at the South main gym. There will be a second practice at noon the same day. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/lcsd1-2022-fall-sports-start-times-copy/article_603dbab1-3d68-5063-9724-bd55e45c779d.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:30Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/lcsd1-2022-fall-sports-start-times-copy/article_603dbab1-3d68-5063-9724-bd55e45c779d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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LARAMIE — The start of the season is almost here for the University of Wyoming’s fall sports teams.
UW hosted its fall sports media day Friday at War Memorial Stadium’s Wildcatter Club, with players and coaches from the cross-country, soccer and volleyball teams providing insight on what to expect in 2022. Here is a look at each program with the fall quickly approaching.
Excitement surrounds cross-country
With an accomplished group returning and the Mountain West championships coming to Laramie for the first time in more than a decade, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding Wyoming cross-country this season.
One of the things UW coach Scott Dahlberg is looking forward to most is building off the historic success of last season. The Cowboys and Cowgirls both finished sixth at last year’s MW championships, with a bevy of student-athletes making their mark on the school record books.
“We have top-10 lists that we have on the outside of our office for every event in track,” Dahlberg said. “From the distance events for men and women, indoor and outdoor, we had 25 performances that ended up on the top-10 list. To put some perspective on that, you look at the next year that had the most entries, and it was 10. Looking at the last four years, the average was two for the distance events.
“To have 25 in one year, we were really excited about. We knew it was coming, so I think that just generated a lot of excitement, and it was a good catalyst for what we were going to be doing in the summer. The athletes have carried that (over), and they’ve been training their tails off.”
Katelyn Mitchem, a fifth-year senior from Broomfield, Colorado, is confident that experience on the roster will translate to more success on a team-wide level.
“Especially with cross-country and building up mileage, I feel a lot more confident in my training and everything,” Mitchem said. “Every year, I’ve been able to build on mileage and summer training, and that’s just something that takes a lot of time to develop. I’m really glad I got a fifth year, because I’m not ready to be done.”
This year, UW hopes to benefit from a home-field advantage when the conference championships roll around.
The last time the event came to Laramie was 2010, with Dahlberg noting that, if the MW stays with its current rotation, it won’t return until 2034. The coach added that, with it taking place in late October, conditions could range anywhere from perfect weather to snowfall.
Familiarity with such conditions, as well as the school’s elevation, could provide UW with an edge.
“It’s really exciting,” Dahlberg said. “There are a lot of sea level schools that aren’t excited about it. We just know that we have a support system. The athletic department, the campus, the community, it’s something special. Not every school has what we have in that capacity, and our athletes are excited to be able to do it on our home turf.
“There are a lot of cool things besides the altitude equation that goes into why we want to host it. It’s really special, and I hope we get to do it again in the future.”
Trip bonds volleyball team
With a total of eight high school signees and transfers on the roster, the UW volleyball team has as many newcomers as it does returning players.
Fortunately for the Cowgirls, chemistry doesn’t seem to be an issue. A 10-day trip in June to Croatia and Greece is largely to thank for this.
“We gained a ton of experience and a ton of team bonding,” associate head coach Kaylee Prigge said. “Our newbies got to come with us on that trip, so that was just exponential in our growth as a team. We feel like we’re way ahead of where we would be otherwise on day four of preseason.”
The departure of five-time All-MW honoree Jackie McBride will undoubtedly hurt, but the Cowgirls feel confident with where they stand heading into the upcoming season. There’s also a sense of unfinished business.
Typically one of the most consistent teams in the MW, an 8-10 showing in league play marked the program’s first time posting a conference record below .500 since 2010. Senior outside hitter Hailey Zuroske and junior outside hitter Naya Shimé both note that the struggles of last season have given the Cowgirls a chip on their shoulder heading into 2022.
“We have something to prove to ourselves and everyone in our conference,” Shimé said. “Everyone has a little bit of fire in them right now, because we want to prove something. We don’t have anything to lose, so I think it’s going to be really fun.”
Added Zuroske: “I was actually watching film a few days ago, and it just gets me so fired up. I feel like we have so much to prove after last year, because nobody is happy with where we were. As a whole, we’re all so excited to have that new opportunity and give it all we got.”
Soccer eyes Year 2 under Corbin
The UW soccer program found itself in an unusual position at the start of its 2021 campaign, with Colleen Corbin being hired as head coach barely a month before the start of the season. There were some positive moments, including a 6-1 rout of Nevada and a 3-1 win over Border War rival Colorado State to close out the year, but there were also some growing pains amid an 8-10-1 season.
Part of the challenge was learning a new system — senior midfielder Hannah Hagen said “there was a lot of kick and run” under their former coach, while Corbin’s scheme has more structure and is “very fundamental-based.” Fifth-year midfielder Jamie Tatum believes that the new approach meshes well with the Cowgirls’ roster, and is excited to see what 2022 holds after growing more accustomed to how their coach wants them to play.
“The biggest thing I first noticed when I got here as a freshman was that there were a lot of talented girls, but I don’t think they were really utilized in the right way,” Tatum said. “The style of soccer wasn’t suited to what we had here, so with (Corbin) coming in, it’s actually a style of soccer I was used to playing from club.
“It’s really nice and I think it fits the players a lot better. Where we were at last year to where we’re at now is so exciting, and everybody is super confident to prove everybody wrong. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s finally here.”
Corbin feels a full year of her and her coaching staff working with their team has also helped improve team chemistry. Around this time last year, she was still figuring out what roles various players needed to fill on the pitch. Now, there’s a sense of comfort in terms of knowing what different players are capable of, as well as in how they’ve gelled together.
This chemistry was on display last week, as they defeated Kansas State in a scrimmage.
“I’m super proud,” Corbin said. “I told our girls the other day in film that I think the thing I’m most proud of when I look at our roster is the team chemistry, and how deeply they support one another. When you have a roster of 31 girls and 11 are playing at a time, that can be really challenging. From a culture and a team environment standpoint, it’s just been really fun to watch.
“They’re a really good group of kids and it’s fun to be around. They’ve been able to generate a really awesome balance between being competitive, and challenging and pushing each other, and also being able to spend time away from the soccer field together and grow those relationships.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/other_sports/wyoming-fall-sports-teams-prepare-for-upcoming-seasons/article_56d60f22-fee7-5330-9129-273b090483ef.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:49Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/other_sports/wyoming-fall-sports-teams-prepare-for-upcoming-seasons/article_56d60f22-fee7-5330-9129-273b090483ef.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LARAMIE – The start of the season is almost here for the University of Wyoming’s fall sports teams.
UW held its fall sports media day Friday at War Memorial Stadium’s Wildcatter Club, with players and coaches from the cross-country, soccer and volleyball teams providing insight on what to expect in 2022. Here is a look at each program with the fall quickly approaching.
Excitement surrounds cross-country
With an accomplished group returning and the Mountain West championships coming to Laramie for the first time in more than a decade, there’s plenty of excitement surrounding Wyoming cross-country this season.
One of the things UW coach Scott Dahlberg is looking forward to most is building off the historic success of last season. The Cowboys and Cowgirls both finished sixth at last year’s MW championships, with a bevy of student-athletes making their mark on the school record books.
“We have top-10 lists that we have on the outside of our office for every event in track,” Dahlberg said. “From the distance events for men and women, indoor and outdoor, we had 25 performances that ended up on the top-10 list. To put some perspective on that, you look at the next year that had the most entries, and it was 10. Looking at the last four years, the average was two for the distance events.
“To have 25 in one year, we were really excited about. We knew it was coming, so I think that just generated a lot of excitement, and it was a good catalyst for what we were going to be doing in the summer. The athletes have carried that (over), and they’ve been training their tails off.”
Katelyn Mitchem, a fifth-year senior from Broomfield, Colorado, is confident that experience on the roster will translate to more success on a team-wide level.
“Especially with cross-country and building up mileage, I feel a lot more confident in my training and everything,” Mitchem said. “Every year, I’ve been able to build on mileage and summer training, and that’s just something that takes a lot of time to develop. I’m really glad I got a fifth year, because I’m not ready to be done.”
This year, UW hopes to benefit from a home-field advantage when the conference championships roll around.
The last time the event came to Laramie was 2010, with Dahlberg noting that, if the MW stays with its current rotation, it won’t return until 2034. The coach added that, with it taking place in late October, conditions could range anywhere from perfect weather to snowfall.
Familiarity with such conditions, as well as the school’s elevation, could provide UW with an edge.
“It’s really exciting,” Dahlberg said. “There are a lot of sea level schools that aren’t excited about it. We just know that we have a support system. The athletic department, the campus, the community, it’s something special. Not every school has what we have in that capacity, and our athletes are excited to be able to do it on our home turf.
“There are a lot of cool things besides the altitude equation that goes into why we want to host it. It’s really special, and I hope we get to do it again in the future.”
European trip bonds volleyball team
With a total of eight high school signees and transfers on the roster, the UW volleyball team has as many newcomers as it does returning players.
Fortunately for the Cowgirls, chemistry doesn’t seem to be an issue. A 10-day trip in June to Croatia and Greece is largely to thank for this.
“We gained a ton of experience and a ton of team bonding,” associate head coach Kaylee Prigge said. “Our newbies got to come with us on that trip, so that was just exponential in our growth as a team. We feel like we’re way ahead of where we would be otherwise on day four of preseason.”
The departure of five-time All-MW honoree Jackie McBride will undoubtedly hurt, but the Cowgirls feel confident with where they stand heading into the upcoming season. There’s also a sense of unfinished business.
Typically one of the most consistent teams in the MW, an 8-10 showing in league play marked the program’s first time posting a conference record below .500 since 2010. senior outside hitter Hailey Zuroske and junior outside hitter Naya Shimé both note that the struggles of last season have given the Cowgirls a chip on their shoulder heading into 2022.
“We have something to prove to ourselves and everyone in our conference,” Shimé said. “Everyone has a little bit of fire in them right now, because we want to prove something. We don’t have anything to lose, so I think it’s going to be really fun.”
Added Zuroske: “I was actually watching film a few days ago, and it just gets me so fired up. I feel like we have so much to prove after last year, because nobody is happy with where we were. As a whole, we’re all so excited to have that new opportunity and give it all we got.”
Cowgirls soccer eyes Year 2 under Corbin
The UW soccer program found itself in an unusual position at the start of its 2021 campaign, with Colleen Corbin being hired as head coach barely a month before the start of the season. There were some positive moments, including a 6-1 rout of Nevada and a 3-1 win over Border War rival Colorado State to close out the year, but there were also some growing pains amid an 8-10-1 season.
Part of the challenge was learning a new system – senior midfielder Hannah Hagen said “there was a lot of kick and run” under their former coach, while Corbin’s scheme has more structure and is “very fundamental-based.” Fifth-year midfielder Jamie Tatum believes that the new approach meshes well with the Cowgirls’ roster, and is excited to see what 2022 holds after growing more accustomed to how their coach wants them to play.
“The biggest thing I first noticed when I got here as a freshman was that there were a lot of talented girls, but I don’t think they were really utilized in the right way,” Tatum said. “The style of soccer wasn’t suited to what we had here, so with (Corbin) coming in, it’s actually a style of soccer I was used to playing from club.
“It’s really nice and I think it fits the players a lot better. Where we were at last year to where we’re at now is so exciting, and everybody is super confident to prove everybody wrong. It’s been a long time coming, and it’s finally here.”
Corbin feels a full year of her and her coaching staff working with their team has also helped improve team chemistry. Around this time last year, she was still figuring out what roles various players needed to fill on the pitch. Now, there’s a sense of comfort in terms of knowing what different players are capable of, as well as in how they’ve gelled together.
This chemistry was on display last week, as they defeated Kansas State in a scrimmage.
“I’m super proud,” Corbin said. “I told our girls the other day in film that I think the thing I’m most proud of when I look at our roster is the team chemistry, and how deeply they support one another. When you have a roster of 31 girls and 11 are playing at a time, that can be really challenging. From a culture and a team environment standpoint, it’s just been really fun to watch.
“They’re a really good group of kids and it’s fun to be around. They’ve been able to generate a really awesome balance between being competitive, and challenging and pushing each other, and also being able to spend time away from the soccer field together and grow those relationships.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/wyoming-fall-sports-teams-prepare-to-kick-off-seasons/article_f7657e99-4176-59aa-84ed-f36dbe20ca8c.html | 2022-08-13T13:43:55Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/university_of_wyoming/wyoming-fall-sports-teams-prepare-to-kick-off-seasons/article_f7657e99-4176-59aa-84ed-f36dbe20ca8c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AMHERST, Mass. (WWLP) – Researchers from UMass Amherst and other institutions collaborated to discover that enhancing the release process and maintaining treatment continuity may help to prevent opioid overdoses among those that are incarcerated.
Tufts University School of Medicine, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and UMass Chan Medical School-Baystate discovered there is a need for changes in at least three crucial areas as prisoners go from prison to the community.
“Continued treatment reduces the risk of death and leads to improved health and social outcomes,” says Liz Evans, professor of public health at UMass Amherst and co-principal investigator of the study, along with Dr. Peter Friedmann, professor of medicine at UMass-Baystate. “Many people with opioid use disorder engage with the justice system, making it a critical place to offer evidence-based treatment. As people are released from jail, their ability to continue life-saving treatment largely depends on innovative collaborations that have been established between community treatment providers and jails.”
In Massachusetts, those who are released from jail or prison have a 120 times higher risk of overdosing on opioids than the general population.
The Massachusetts Legislature established a new opioid use disorder treatment program that was implemented in seven county jails in 2019 to lower that danger.
The initiative consists of a broader five-year study called the Massachusetts Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN), which gives inmates access to methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone for treating opioid use disorder (MOUD).
International MOUD treatment programs have shown considerable potential in lowering the danger of deadly overdoses once someone is released from jail; they are uncommon but growing in U.S. correctional facilities.
“But here in Massachusetts, we learned that many individuals were released after-hours or late on Friday, after community treatment centers are closed, and they may be left not knowing where their next treatment will come from,” says Thomas Stopka, an epidemiologist and associate professor at Tufts School of Medicine and first author of the study, which was published Aug. 11 in theInternational Journal of Drug Policy.
“Most correctional settings detoxify clients with MOUD, lowering their tolerance and raising the risk of overdose right after release,” Dr. Friedmann says. “Prior research has shown that the period immediately after release from jail or prison is a critical time to ensure that persons with opioid use disorder receive MOUD to mitigate that risk. This study highlights the challenges of that period immediately after release from jail, as well as best practices to ensure continuity of MOUD care.”
“It’s a long way until Monday if the treatment center they believe they are going to is closed,” Stopka says. Even with a prescription in hand, they may not have a driver’s license or other federal ID they need to pick up the medication. “Many also don’t have a cell phone upon release to call a community treatment center or for someone at a community treatment center to reach them to schedule a first appointment,” adds Stopka.
The majority of inmates in American prisons and jails are there for drug-related charges. “We believe this research has uncovered clear ways the Massachusetts program can be improved. The effort can save hundreds if not thousands of lives,” Stopka emphasizes.
According to the team’s investigation, three things require improvement:
- Bridge doses: Individuals being released from jail need medication to cover them until they can connect with a treatment program in the community.
- Better communication: Solid, consistent communication is required between staff working with an incarcerated person, while inside the jail, and the community-based staff outside to facilitate a smooth transition.
- Phone access: Individuals who are released must be given access to a cellphone so they can connect with an outside treatment program.
There are 36 medical, administrative, and supervisory staff members from 18 MOUD treatment programs that accept patients who have been referred from jail that were interviewed for the qualitative study.
However, 14 of the people who were interviewed worked as independent contractors for a community-based organization that offered addiction services inside nearby jails. Patient navigators in prisons assist inmates in overcoming obstacles to receiving adequate medical care and obtaining the financial, legal, clinical, and social support they require.
The interviews also revealed that some jail officials still have reservations about utilizing drugs to treat opioid addiction that were once thought to be illegal. And for those who have completed therapy in jail, a variety of other issues may prevent them from routinely attending programs for treatment outside of jail. “Lack of housing, money, food, a job – all of these forces conspire to make it hard for a person in recovery to continue treatment,” Stopka says.
In order to determine how the three important areas may be improved, the researchers are collaborating with state agencies.
“People are dying from an opioid overdose more than ever before,” Evans says. “To tackle this problem, Massachusetts jails are leading a huge shift in our nation’s drug policy, showing how the justice system can work together with community-based healthcare to make communities safer and healthier. Learning lessons from this innovative program can help to refine it, with immense potential for better public health.” | https://www.wwlp.com/news/umass-amherst-finds-ways-to-reduce-opioid-overdoses-among-incarcerated-individuals/ | 2022-08-13T13:47:25Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/umass-amherst-finds-ways-to-reduce-opioid-overdoses-among-incarcerated-individuals/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Effective altruism: From grassroots to Big Philanthropy
Effective altruism, or EA, has become an institutionalized arm of Big Philanthropy, complete with billionaire megadonors and six-figure incomes for a slew of Western white-collar professionals.
Why it matters: That's a big, fast change for a movement that started out about 10 years ago on a much more grassroots level, focused on things like veganism and giving away most of your earnings.
The big picture: EA in general has come a long way from the early idea that if $4,000 can save a life in Uganda, perhaps by providing a simple tool like mosquito nets, then I have a moral obligation to send that $4,000 to Uganda, rather than, say, spend it on travel or restaurants or art.
- The bed-nets philosophy is exemplified by GiveWell, and is characterized by rigorous quantification of lives saved (or massively improved) per dollar spent.
- GiveWell's biggest early donors, Facebook and Asana billionaire Dustin Moskovitz and his wife Cari Tuna, have since expanded into much more conventional philanthropy, like giving millions of dollars to a Washington think tank, or funding "a summer boot camp for PhD students on the economics of innovation", all under the increasingly broad umbrella that is EA.
Sam Bankman-Fried, or SBF as he's universally known, is possibly an even richer EA, depending on how crypto is doing. SBF's conception of EA has expanded to include old-fashioned political donations, or even buying sports arena naming rights for $135 million.
- The idea is that the naming rights will prove profitable for his crypto company, FTX, and thereby generate more money for important causes, even as the naming-rights money is put towards fighting gun violence and poverty in Miami.
Driving the news: EA's leading thinker, Will MacAskill, has been doing a media tour in advance of the publication on Tuesday of his new book, "What We Owe The Future"; he's written a good précis for the BBC, and a slightly longer version for the NYT. Even though MacAskill's "longtermism" is highly controversial within philanthropy circles, nearly all of the coverage has been positive.
- What they're saying: MacAskill's thesis is provocative, builds on centuries of moral philosophy, and is unafraid to come to unintuitive conclusions. "If you could prevent a genocide in a thousand years, the fact that 'those people don't exist yet' would do nothing to justify inaction," he writes. "The future is just as real as the present or the past."
- Go deeper: The New Yorker's Gideon Lewis-Kraus has the best profile of MacAskill, including a short history of EA and explanation of where it has ended up.
Between the lines: As EA moved from late-night Oxford grad student conversations to Silicon Valley billionaire strategy decks, it inevitably grew in ambition, and flipped from one extreme to the other of the charity-philanthropy spectrum.
- Simply saving lives of people living today is no longer enough; the new emphasis is on saving or improving the lives of people who might not even be born for hundreds of thousands of years. That project, naturally, involves funding a lot of academics.
- Somehow, the result seems to be, in the words of Lewis-Kraus, that "a group of moral philosophers and computer scientists have happened to conclude that the people most likely to safeguard humanity’s future are moral philosophers and computer scientists."
The bottom line: The funding decisions made at the big EA shops — Open Philanthropy and the FTX Future Fund — undoubtedly have internal logic. They can also look quixotic and driven by the founders' personal whims, just like the decisions made at most other large philanthropies. | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/13/institutionalized-altruism-philanthropy-strategy | 2022-08-13T13:52:06Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/2022/08/13/institutionalized-altruism-philanthropy-strategy | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Hot homes: 5 houses for sale in Denver starting at $340k
Whether you're on the hunt for a cozy condo or a modern mansion, this week's roundup runs the gamut.
1057 N. Emerson St. Unit A — $340,000
Why we love it: This light-filled one-bedroom condo is tucked inside a 19th century Victorian.
- Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
- Specs: 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 629 square feet
- Listed by: Zahra Al-Arahawi at Price and Company
- Features: French doors, fireplace, exposed brick walls, spacious bedroom with two closets.
2729 W. 28th Ave. #208 — $560,000
Why we love it: If you're on the hunt for a new build in a walkable location, this Jefferson Park condo might do the trick.
- Neighborhood: Jefferson Park
- Specs: 2 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, 1,153 square feet
- Listed by: Katie Muller at RE/MAX of Boulder
- Features: Open layout, modern kitchen, neutral finishes throughout, community rooftop.
3496 E. Nielsen Ln. — $775,000
Why we love it: With an open layout, garage and fenced-in yard, this stylish ranch-style home is ideal for families.
- Neighborhood: Wellshire
- Specs: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1,453 square feet
- Listed by: Tonya Weekley at Lynn Real Estate
- Features: Restoration Hardware marble vanity, green kitchen cabinets, remodeled primary suite.
4523 Clay St. — $865,000
Why we love it: From the welcoming covered front porch to the remodeled open kitchen, there's a lot to love about this charming bungalow.
- Neighborhood: Sunnyside
- Specs: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 1,704 square feet
- Listed by: Matt Clark at Thrive Real Estate Group
- Features: Two-car garage, fenced-in yard, two en-suites.
3307 N. Humboldt St. — $1,345,000
Why we love it: This modern home is stunning, but the star feature is sliding door in the kitchen which allows you to have indoor-outdoor entertaining space.
- Neighborhood: Cole
- Specs: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, 2,028 square feet
- Listed by: Emily Lemere at Unique Properties LLC
- Features: Bonus space with kitchenette above garage, custom cabinetry, private balcony off primary bedroom.
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Carnival Cruise Line removes pre-cruise testing for vaccinated guests, unvaccinated guests welcome to sail
Carnival Cruise Lines announced on Friday that they have updated their protocols to meet public health goals regarding COVID-19.
In a release Friday, the cruise line said they're making it easier for more guests to sail with simplified vaccination and testing guidelines, including no testing for vaccinated guests on sailings less than 16 nights, and eliminating the exemption requests process for unvaccinated guests.
RELATED: CDC drops quarantine, screening recommendations for COVID-19
The following guidelines will be in effect with cruises departing on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 or later:
- Vaccinated guests must continue to provide evidence of their vaccination status prior to embarkation. Pre-cruise testing is no longer required, except for cruises to Canada, Bermuda, Greece and Australia (per local guidelines), and on voyages 16 nights or longer.
- Unvaccinated guests are welcome to sail and are no longer required to apply for a vaccine exemption, except for cruises in Australia or on voyages 16 nights and longer.
- Unvaccinated guests or those who do not provide proof of vaccination must present the results of a negative PCR or antigen test taken within three days of embarkation.
- All policies are subject to local destination regulations.
- Guests under the age of five years are exempt from vaccination and testing requirements from the United States and under the age of 12 from Australia.
"Our ships have been sailing very full all summer, but there is still room for more of our loyal guests, and these guidelines will make it a simpler process, and make cruising accessible for those who were not able to meet the protocols we were required to follow for much of the past 14 months," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. "We’ve got lots happening, with Carnival Luminosa and Carnival Celebration joining our fleet this November and more to come in 2023. Whatever the ship, homeport or itinerary that works for you, our great onboard team is ready to deliver a fun vacation – something we all look forward to even more nowadays!"
Voyages of 16 nights and longer will still continue to have vaccination and testing requirements that are specific to the itinerary. Requirements for long voyages and destination-specific protocols can be found here. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/carnival-cruise-line-removes-pre-cruise-testing-for-vaccinated-guests-unvaccinated-guests-welcome-to-sail | 2022-08-13T13:56:26Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/carnival-cruise-line-removes-pre-cruise-testing-for-vaccinated-guests-unvaccinated-guests-welcome-to-sail | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
River North shooting: Woman, 19, shot in back while sitting in vehicle
CHICAGO - A woman was shot while inside a vehicle in River North Saturday morning.
The shooting occurred in the first block of West Ohio.
Just after 5 a.m., a 19-year-old woman was inside a vehicle when she was shot in the back, police said.
She was transported to an area hospital in stable condition.
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No one is currently in custody.
Area Three detectives are investigating. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/river-north-shooting-woman-19-shot-in-back-while-sitting-in-vehicle | 2022-08-13T13:56:50Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/river-north-shooting-woman-19-shot-in-back-while-sitting-in-vehicle | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
R. Kelly accuser to give key testimony on trial-fixing charge
CHICAGO (AP) — R. Kelly’s federal trial in Chicago that starts Monday is in many ways a do-over of his 2008 state child pornography trial, at which jurors acquitted the singer on charges that he produced a video of himself when he was around 30 having sex with a girl no older than 14.
There’s one big difference: This time, prosecutors say, she will testify.
Kelly goes into Chicago federal court already sentenced by a New York federal judge to 30-year prison term for a 2021 conviction on charges he parlayed his fame to sexually abuse other young fans.
Among the most serious charges the Grammy Award winner faces at his federal trial is conspiracy to obstruct justice by rigging the 2008 trial, including by paying off and threatening the girl to ensure she did not testify.
Testimony by the woman, now in her 30s and referred to in filings only as “Minor 1,” will be pivotal. The charges against Kelly also include four counts of the enticement of minors for sex — one count each for four other accusers. All are also slated to testify.
Even just one or two convictions in Chicago could add decades to Kelly’s New York sentence, which he is appealing. With the New York sentence alone, Kelly will be around 80 before qualifying for early release.
Prosecutors at the federal trial plan to play the same VHS tape that was “Exhibit No. 1″ at the 2008 trial. While it was the only video in evidence 14 years ago, at least three other videos will be entered into evidence at the federal trial.
Prosecutors say Kelly shot the video of Minor 1 in a log cabin-themed room at his North Side Chicago home between 1998 and 2000 when she was as young as 13. In it, the girl is heard calling the man “daddy.” Federal prosecutors say that she and Kelly had sex hundreds of times over the years in his homes, recording studios and tour buses.
Before the 2008 trial, Kelly carried a duffle bag full of sex tapes everywhere he went for years, but some tapes later went missing, according to court filings. In the 2000s, bootleg copies of some videos appeared on street corners across the U.S.
Kelly, who rose from poverty on Chicago’s South Side to become a star singer, songwriter and producer, knew a conviction in 2008 would effectively end his life as he knew it.
On June 13, 2008, Kelly shut his eyes tight and bowed his head as jurors returned from deliberations. As a court official read the jury’s decision and it became clear Kelly would be acquitted on all counts, tears streamed down his cheeks and he said over and over, “Thank you, Jesus.”
Two Kelly associates, Derrel McDavid and Milton Brown, are co-defendants in Chicago. McDavid is accused of helping Kelly fix the 2008 trial, while Brown is charged with receiving child pornography. Like Kelly, they have also denied any wrongdoing.
Double jeopardy rules bar the prosecution of someone for the same crimes they were acquitted of earlier. But that shouldn’t apply to the Chicago federal trial because prosecutors are alleging different crimes related to Minor 1, including obstruction of justice for fixing the 2008 trial.
Minor 1 first met Kelly in the late 1990s when she was in junior high school. She had tagged along to Kelly’s Chicago recording studio with her aunt, a professional singer working with Kelly’s music. Soon after that meeting, Minor 1 told her parents Kelly was going to be her godfather.
In the early 2000s, the aunt showed the parents a copy of a video she said depicted their daughter having sex with Kelly. When they confronted Kelly, he told them, “You’re with me or against me,” a government filing says.
The parents took it as a threat.
“Minor 1′s mother did not want to go up against Kelly’s power, money, and influence by not following what he said,” the filing adds.
Kelly told the parents and Minor 1 they had to leave Chicago, paying for them to travel to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico. When they returned, prosecutors say Kelly sought to isolate Minor 1, moving her around to different hotels.
When called before a state grand jury looking into the video, Minor 1, her father and mother denied it was her in it. Prosecutors say an attorney for Kelly sat in on their testimony and reported back to Kelly what they said.
Prosecutors from the Cook County state’s attorney’s office chose to push ahead with charges and to take the case to trial in 2008 despite what they knew was a major hurdle: their inability to call the girl in the video to testify.
Any confidence Kelly may have had of beating similar charges a second time were likely dashed when he learned Minor 1 was now cooperating the government. With more resources, federal prosecutors also boast conviction rates of more than 90% compared to around 65% for their state counterparts.
In 2008, his lawyers argued the man in the VHS video who appeared very much to be Kelly was not Kelly. They showed jurors that Kelly has a large mole on his back, then played excerpts of the video in which no mole was visible on the man.
One of Kelly’s attorneys, Sam Adam Jr., told jurors during closings that no mole on the man’s back meant one thing: “It ain’t him. And if it ain’t him, you can’t convict.”
Some 2008 jurors told reporters after the trial that they weren’t convinced the female in the video was who state prosecutors said she was.
That shouldn’t be an issue at the Chicago federal trial. Prosecutors say both the girl and her parents will testify.
What defense Kelly’s legal team will present this time isn’t clear.
The defense is likely to say Kelly’s accusers are misrepresenting the facts. Kelly was more blunt in a 2019 interview with Gayle King of “CBS This Morning,” saying about the women: “All of them are lying.”
__
Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at @mtarm.Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/13/r-kelly-accuser-give-key-testimony-trial-fixing-charge/ | 2022-08-13T14:07:38Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/13/r-kelly-accuser-give-key-testimony-trial-fixing-charge/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Agriculture Department Reminds Poultry Owners to Be Vigilant to Protect Against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Department of Agriculture on Friday is reminding all poultry owners–backyard flocks and commercial producers–to keep their guard up to protect their birds from highly pathogenic avian influenza.
After a lull of several weeks in detections, Pennsylvania has a new confirmed case of avian flu, the state’s first in a non-commercial, backyard flock. A duck and chickens from a flock in Upper Mount Bethel Township in Northampton County were confirmed to be infected after a dead turkey vulture was found on the property. Wild birds are known to be the source of the infection elsewhere.
Poultry and eggs continue to be safe to eat. Human health is not at risk.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, avian influenza does not present an immediate public health concern.
“Poultry and eggs in Northampton County bring in $141 million in sales to support the county’s economy,” Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “Backyard bird owners should recognize that this disease is deadly to their birds. Protecting their birds helps protect neighboring poultry farms and the families and jobs that depend on those businesses.”
The department has quarantined the farm and established a Control Area around the farm. Control Areas are the 10 km perimeter around an infected, quarantined farm. Poultry owners in Control Areas are subject to testing requirements and must have permits to transport products. Work is underway to clean and disinfect the farm and safely dispose of potentially infected material.
Anyone within 3 km of the infected farm may not transport any poultry or egg products. The farm’s Control Area includes a portion of New Jersey and the department is working in conjunction with New Jersey agriculture officials to identify and notify other poultry and egg producers and backyard bird owners in the area of their responsibilities.
Redding reminded backyard bird owners and poultry and egg producers to stay vigilant, especially as wild bird migration season picks up again in the coming weeks.
– Practice excellent biosecurity every day.
– Everyone on the farm should clean clothes, and scrub boots or shoes with disinfectant and wash hands before and after contact with animals.
– Keep equipment and vehicles clean, including all those entering your property.
– Control birds and rodents who can carry and spread disease.
– Keep your birds inside whenever possible and minimize the chance of contact with wild birds.
– Clean under barn soffits and eliminate possible entry points for wild birds.
– Eliminate standing water that may attract wild birds.
For detailed information on biosecurity and protecting your flock visit the USDA APHIS | Defend the Flock Program.
Recognize the disease symptoms. Report suspected cases and any unusual deaths to the department at 717-772-2852. A veterinarian is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Sick or dead wild birds should be reported to the Pennsylvania Game Commission at 610-926-3136 or [email protected]
Last week, Secretary Redding announced the details of $25 million in direct relief to poultry producers to support recovery from the avian influenza outbreak. The 2022-23 budget invests an additional $6 million to the PA Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System to support ongoing testing needs.
For a complete listing of confirmed infections in the U.S. visit the USDA’s website, aphis.usda.gov.
To learn more about avian influenza, including whether your farm is within the Control Area of an infected farm, visit the department’s website, agriculture.pa.gov.
Copyright © 2022 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited. | https://www.exploreclarion.com/2022/08/13/agriculture-department-reminds-poultry-owners-to-be-vigilant-to-protect-against-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza/ | 2022-08-13T14:08:38Z | exploreclarion.com | control | https://www.exploreclarion.com/2022/08/13/agriculture-department-reminds-poultry-owners-to-be-vigilant-to-protect-against-highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Clarion County Photo of the Day
Saturday, August 13, 2022 @ 12:08 AM
Copyright © 2022 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited. | https://www.exploreclarion.com/2022/08/13/clarion-county-photo-of-the-day-8-13/ | 2022-08-13T14:08:45Z | exploreclarion.com | control | https://www.exploreclarion.com/2022/08/13/clarion-county-photo-of-the-day-8-13/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Franklin Native Looking to Catch Big Break as Actor
FORT MYERS, Fl. (EYT) – A Franklin native is trying to break into the film industry after moving over 1,200 miles across the country to pursue a career in acting.
(Photo above: Kris Roberts pictured on the far left.)
Kris D. Roberts, formerly of Franklin, recently spoke with exploreVenango.com to share his journey to Fort Myers, Florida, to pursue a career in acting.
A car detailer by trade for most of his adult life, Roberts said he ran out of career options in the automotive business in the area about a year ago, motivating him to make a change.
“I decided that (in Florida), there are a lot of airplanes and boats, and this and that, to work on,” he said. “So, I figured there would be more opportunity down here and I have, in fact, doubled my salary.”
“I also knew that if there was any hope in the film industry, I would have to come to a place where I would be able to have more access or more exposure.”
It’s safe to say Roberts neither “quit his day job” nor did he put his all of his eggs in one basket. Instead, he kept his job and has now been involved in nearly a dozen films, including:
– Secret Society 2: Never Enough (2022);
– Mexican Connection (2022);
– The Junior Squad Returns (2023);
– and Obsession (2023).
Generally, Roberts says he has drawn the most interest in roles for villains, or tough guys, but he’s prepared for nearly anything.
“There’s a lot more that goes into the nuts and bolts of the craft as far as there’s a way that you go about establishing an understanding, not only of your character but of the characters you are working with on the scene as well,” Roberts explained. “There is actually a lot of footwork in building a character, becoming the character, and all the preface work of research, if you will. It’s certainly a refining process.”
Despite his personal success in both the acting field and his regular trade as a car detailer, Roberts has already had his fair share of tough luck when it comes to getting heavily sought-out gigs. Yet, he refuses to get discouraged and remains focused.
“The toughest part about the whole thing that I’ve been experiencing recently is that you’re going to be told no a lot,” he said. “I’ve been told more times than not by a casting director that they’re going to go another direction. That’s a nice way of them saying, ‘thanks, but we don’t need you.’”
“But again, you’re up against a pool of hundreds of thousands of people.”
Roberts admitted he doesn’t have much experience in the movie industry prior to moving to Florida, but in 2019, he tried out as an extra through a casting agency in Pittsburgh for an upcoming Jason Momoa film.
Although he was just an extra, the opportunity gave him a good taste of the industry and made him hungry for more.
Roberts also draws inspiration from a job he had in 2005 when he was hired as a civilian contractor by the U.S. Military.
“I did a job for the military that was what they call a ‘role-playing job,’” he said. “As far as TV and movie, I didn’t have any experience, but at the same time, I portrayed a terrorist extremist for military training purposes in Louisiana.”
“(The job) was kind of redemption because I tried to go active-duty when I was in my early 20s, but I got disqualified because of my eyesight. So, later on in life, to have been able to have the opportunity to go work with the military was phenomenal for me because, like I said, I missed that opportunity at a young age to serve.”
Ideally, Roberts would like to end up in a “Die Hard-Bruce Willis-type” movie. For now, however, he’s going to soak up as much as he can, take what comes to him, and to just have fun with it.
“I was cast for a fight scene, so I showed up and I had on really expensive clothes because this is a Hollywood guy,” Roberts chuckled. “I wanted to make a good impression. Well, when I get there, I come to find out that I’m going to get bloody, due to the special effects. Long story short, I spent the afternoon on set in my boxer shorts.”
To keep up with Roberts and his upcoming projects, visit his IMDb page.
Copyright © 2022 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited. | https://www.exploreclarion.com/2022/08/13/franklin-native-looking-to-catch-big-break-as-actor/ | 2022-08-13T14:08:57Z | exploreclarion.com | control | https://www.exploreclarion.com/2022/08/13/franklin-native-looking-to-catch-big-break-as-actor/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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