text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ns, tz=UTC] | source_domain string | group string | id string | in_blocksbin int64 | in_noblocksbin int64 | tag string | minhash_count string |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NEW YORK — Nearly 50 years after Sacheen Littlefeather stood on the Academy Awards stage on behalf of Marlon Brando to speak about the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood films, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences apologized to her for the abuse she endured.
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Monday said that it will host Littlefeather, now 75, for an evening of "conversation, healing and celebration" on Sept. 17.
When Brando won best actor for The Godfather, Littlefeather, wearing buckskin dress and moccasins, took the stage, becoming the first Native American woman ever to do so at the Academy Awards. In a 60-second speech, she explained that Brando could not accept the award due to "the treatment of American Indians today by the film industry."
Some in the audience booed her. John Wayne, who was backstage at the time, was reportedly furious. The 1973 Oscars were held during the American Indian Movement's two-month occupation of Wounded Knee in South Dakota. In the years since, Littlefeather has said she's been mocked, discriminated against and personally attacked for her brief Academy Awards appearance.
In making the announcement, the Academy Museum shared a letter sent June 18 to Littlefeather by David Rubin, academy president, about the iconic Oscar moment. Rubin called Littlefeather's speech "a powerful statement that continues to remind us of the necessity of respect and the importance of human dignity."
"The abuse you endured because of this statement was unwarranted and unjustified," wrote Rubin. "The emotional burden you have lived through and the cost to your own career in our industry are irreparable. For too long the courage you showed has been unacknowledged. For this, we offer both our deepest apologies and our sincere admiration."
Littlefeather, in a statement, said it is "profoundly heartening to see how much has changed since I did not accept the Academy Award 50 years ago."
"Regarding the Academy's apology to me, we Indians are very patient people — it's only been 50 years!" said Littlefeather. "We need to keep our sense of humor about this at all times. It's our method of survival."
At the Academy Museum event in Los Angeles, Littlefeather will sit for a conversation with producer Bird Runningwater, co-chair of the academy's Indigenous Alliance.
In a podcast earlier this year with Jacqueline Stewart, a film scholar and director of the Academy Museum, Littlefeather reflected on what compelled her to speak out in 1973.
"I felt that there should be Native people, Black people, Asian people, Chicano people — I felt there should be an inclusion of everyone," said Littlefeather. "A rainbow of people that should be involved in creating their own image."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-08-15/the-academy-apologizes-to-sacheen-littlefeather-for-her-treatment-at-the-1973-oscars | 2022-08-16T00:47:35Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-08-15/the-academy-apologizes-to-sacheen-littlefeather-for-her-treatment-at-the-1973-oscars | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — UPDATE: Traffic on Interstate 29 has reopened following a crash involving a semi.
According to Iowa 511, the lanes between Exits 174A and 144 on southbound I-29 were cleared around 4:37 p.m. after a semi crash blocked two right lanes.
PREVIOUS: Traffic on Interstate 29 have been partially blocked due to a crash Monday afternoon.
According to the Iowa DOT, two lanes on southbound I-29 have been blocked following a semi crash between Exit 174A and Exit 144 around 4 p.m.
This is a developing story and will be updated when more information is available. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/two-lanes-blocked-on-i-29-following-crash/ | 2022-08-16T00:50:37Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/local-news/two-lanes-blocked-on-i-29-following-crash/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(The Hill) – More than 5 billion would die from starvation in the event of a full-scale nuclear war between the United States and Russia, a new study has found.
That’s the worst-case scenario in a Nature Food study published on Monday that examined the indirect death toll caused by soot from burning cities and forests entering the atmosphere.
The Rutgers University team arrived at that death toll by estimating how much global crop yields would suffer as the drifting clouds blocked out the sunlight that feeds plants that feed people, according to a statement accompanying the study.
First, researchers estimated the quantities of ash that would be thrown up by nuclear wars of varying size, as major cities in India, Pakistan, the United States or Russia burned. Then they loaded that into a U.S. government-sponsored climate forecasting tool to track how that ash would move around the globe — and where and how much it would impact food production.
In the event of a U.S.-Russia nuclear war, the model found that the planet’s wind patterns would bring circling clouds of smoke and particulates to the skies above major food exporters like the U.S., China, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Crashing crop yields in those countries would trigger a cascade of escalating consequences that would draw the rest of the world into the crisis. With harvests collapsing, so would food exports — spreading famine across Africa and the Middle East that depend on imported food for survival.
Under that scenario, three-quarters of people on Earth would be starving within two years after the missiles stopped falling — and that would only be the beginning.
By three or four years after the nuclear exchange, global crop, animal and fishing yields would have dropped by 90 percent — spreading famine, disruption and collapse further, and triggering other feedback loops.
Much of the details of the extent to which crops would fail under such an exchange remains unclear, co-author Lili Xia of Rutgers said.
“For instance, the ozone layer would be destroyed by the heating of the stratosphere, producing more ultraviolet radiation at the surface, and we need to understand that impact on food supplies,” Xia added.
Such a war would need to reach the scale of a full-scale exchange between superpowers to spread famine far beyond the blast zone.
Even in the most limited nuclear war the team examined — a localized nuclear exchange between India and Pakistan — global food production dived by 7 percent from soot and ash from the explosions entering the atmosphere.
That number is far smaller than the crop failures the model found for the U.S.-Russia case study. But it’s also bigger than any disturbance to world food supplies since the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization started tracking them.
Such a disruption would detonate against a world already facing the prospect of falling crop yields from climate change.
A NASA study last year — also in Nature Food — found that corn yields would begin to fall by 2030, suggesting that “major breadbasket regions” would begin to face the risks from human-caused climate change “sooner than previously anticipated.”
The conclusion of the new research was clear: that nuclear war would “obliterate global food systems,” co-author Alan Robock said in a statement.
“If nuclear weapons exist, they can be used, and the world has come close to nuclear war several times,” Robock said. “Banning nuclear weapons is the only long-term solution.”
He pointed to the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which has been ratified by 66 nations but none of the nine nuclear states.
“Our work makes clear that it is time for those nine states to listen to science and the rest of the world and sign this treaty,” he said. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/billions-would-die-from-starvation-in-nuclear-war-research-finds/ | 2022-08-16T00:50:50Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/billions-would-die-from-starvation-in-nuclear-war-research-finds/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – Concerns are circulating throughout the local education community after the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to raise MCAS requirements.
There are worries from both parents and teachers that less students will be able to graduate as a result. Ryan Viglione, a former educator in western Massachusetts, recalls the stress MCAS testing put on students, “They lose that spark for education. Definitely stresses them out, definitely stresses the teachers out, and then after the MCAS is over and they are totally done.”
Massachusetts high schoolers will need to score higher in order to graduate after the state board of education voted to raise the minimum score. Students will now have to earn a scaled score of 486 in both English and Math or score a 470 with the completion of an educational proficiency plan. Currently, the score threshold is 472, or 455 with an educational proficiency plan. These new requirements will be impacting the classes of 2026 through 2029.
“In the past decade, more than 50,000 students have left high school without a diploma because they couldn’t pass one of these high stakes tests,” said Max Page, President of the Massachusetts Teacher Association. He told 22News this will only create education inequality in the state, “To now raise those scores is only going to cause more students not graduate, which is going to hurt their chances of going to college.”
Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jeff Riley, in a memo last week said in part that its critical to “believe students are capable of meeting the higher standard and the Commonwealth and its educators will support them to do that.” | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/local-educators-concerned-over-new-mcas-requirements-for-students/ | 2022-08-16T00:52:04Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/local-educators-concerned-over-new-mcas-requirements-for-students/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Finding a good airfare deal in the first half of 2022 was no simple task. Airfares for the first quarter of 2022 were up 17 percent year over year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. They started cooling off in June and July and, thankfully, airline ticket price predictions for the fall indicate travel is about to be even more affordable.
Travel booking app Hopper reports that average round-trip domestic airfares for September and October are down 37 percent to $238—or $142 below average summer round-trip domestic flights and 3 percent below 2019 prices. Round-trip international airfares for September and October have dropped as well, to an average of $754, down 19 percent (or $179) from summer prices.
“Demand for flights and hotel stays slows each August as Americans head back to school and work after a summer of vacations. As demand slows, airlines and hotels drop prices in an effort to drive bookings and reservations during this slower period. This low price period between peak summer months and expensive holiday travel season is called the fall shoulder season, and offers budget conscious travelers incredible deals,” Hopper explained in its Fall Shoulder Season Travel Guide.
While the pandemic completely threw off traditional booking and pricing trends, such as peak summer and holiday airfares versus lower fares during slower “shoulder” periods (in the late winter, spring, and early fall), the new data from Hopper suggests that more traditional booking patterns—and pricing—may be returning.
The drop in prices will likely come as welcome relief for travelers who have been grappling with the effects of inflation on their day-to-day consumer spending. It didn’t help that air travel has also been less than ideal—flying in the first half of 2022 was not only pricey but also marred with cancellations, delays, hours-long airport lines, and mountains of lost luggage.
Thankfully, in addition to prices finally starting to ease, airline performance has been improving as well. In July, flight cancellations were down to just 1.6 percent of total scheduled flights, compared to 2.7 percent of flights canceled in June, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.
Those looking for a good domestic deal this fall may want to head West. According to Hopper, these U.S. destinations are experiencing the biggest price drops:
- San Diego: average round-trip airfares of $252, down $230 from summer averages
- Portland, Oregon: average round-trip airfares of $314, down $218 from summer averages
- Seattle: average round-trip airfares of $301, down $191 from summer averages
- Los Angeles: average round-trip airfares of $246, down $189 from summer averages
As for international travel, some appealing European cities and several island destinations are seeing the biggest dips, according to Hopper.
- Grenada, Spain: average round-trip airfares of $483, down $460 from summer averages
- Zurich, Switzerland: average round-trip airfares of $691, down $275 from summer averages
- Prague, Czech Republic: average round-trip airfares of $704, down $299 from summer averages
- Male, Maldives: average round-trip airfares $1,183, down $431 from summer averages
- Bali, Indonesia: average round-trip airfares of $1,389, down $465 from summer averages
Hotel prices are easing as well this fall, with the biggest declines in average nightly domestic rates reported by Hopper in Maui, Hawai‘i (average of $572 per night, down $365 from summer); Nashville, Tennessee ($207 per night, down $122 from summer); and Pensacola Beach, Florida ($303 per night, down $135 from summer).
Globally, destinations with the biggest declines in average nightly rates are Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (average of $545 per night, down $265 from summer); Mykonos, Greece ($228 per night, down $136 from summer); and Paradise Island, Bahamas ($330 per night, down $120 from summer).
To score the best airfare deal, Hopper recommends booking at least three weeks in advance for domestic travel and at least four weeks in advance for international trips. Departing on a Tuesday or Wednesday can save you more than $35 per flight and booking into hotels midweek will also result in savings. | https://www.afar.com/magazine/airline-tickets-for-the-fall-will-be-much-cheaper | 2022-08-16T00:58:11Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/airline-tickets-for-the-fall-will-be-much-cheaper | 0 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | 1 |
Finding a good airfare deal in the first half of 2022 was no simple task. Airfares for the first quarter of 2022 were up 17 percent year over year, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. They started cooling off in June and July and, thankfully, airline ticket price predictions for the fall indicate travel is about to be even more affordable.
Travel booking app Hopper reports that average round-trip domestic airfares for September and October are down 37 percent to $238—or $142 below average summer round-trip domestic flights and 3 percent below 2019 prices. Round-trip international airfares for September and October have dropped as well, to an average of $754, down 19 percent (or $179) from summer prices.
“Demand for flights and hotel stays slows each August as Americans head back to school and work after a summer of vacations. As demand slows, airlines and hotels drop prices in an effort to drive bookings and reservations during this slower period. This low price period between peak summer months and expensive holiday travel season is called the fall shoulder season, and offers budget conscious travelers incredible deals,” Hopper explained in its Fall Shoulder Season Travel Guide.
While the pandemic completely threw off traditional booking and pricing trends, such as peak summer and holiday airfares versus lower fares during slower “shoulder” periods (in the late winter, spring, and early fall), the new data from Hopper suggests that more traditional booking patterns—and pricing—may be returning.
The drop in prices will likely come as welcome relief for travelers who have been grappling with the effects of inflation on their day-to-day consumer spending. It didn’t help that air travel has also been less than ideal—flying in the first half of 2022 was not only pricey but also marred with cancellations, delays, hours-long airport lines, and mountains of lost luggage.
Thankfully, in addition to prices finally starting to ease, airline performance has been improving as well. In July, flight cancellations were down to just 1.6 percent of total scheduled flights, compared to 2.7 percent of flights canceled in June, according to flight tracking service FlightAware.
Those looking for a good domestic deal this fall may want to head West. According to Hopper, these U.S. destinations are experiencing the biggest price drops:
- San Diego: average round-trip airfares of $252, down $230 from summer averages
- Portland, Oregon: average round-trip airfares of $314, down $218 from summer averages
- Seattle: average round-trip airfares of $301, down $191 from summer averages
- Los Angeles: average round-trip airfares of $246, down $189 from summer averages
As for international travel, some appealing European cities and several island destinations are seeing the biggest dips, according to Hopper.
- Grenada, Spain: average round-trip airfares of $483, down $460 from summer averages
- Zurich, Switzerland: average round-trip airfares of $691, down $275 from summer averages
- Prague, Czech Republic: average round-trip airfares of $704, down $299 from summer averages
- Male, Maldives: average round-trip airfares $1,183, down $431 from summer averages
- Bali, Indonesia: average round-trip airfares of $1,389, down $465 from summer averages
Hotel prices are easing as well this fall, with the biggest declines in average nightly domestic rates reported by Hopper in Maui, Hawai‘i (average of $572 per night, down $365 from summer); Nashville, Tennessee ($207 per night, down $122 from summer); and Pensacola Beach, Florida ($303 per night, down $135 from summer).
Globally, destinations with the biggest declines in average nightly rates are Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (average of $545 per night, down $265 from summer); Mykonos, Greece ($228 per night, down $136 from summer); and Paradise Island, Bahamas ($330 per night, down $120 from summer).
To score the best airfare deal, Hopper recommends booking at least three weeks in advance for domestic travel and at least four weeks in advance for international trips. Departing on a Tuesday or Wednesday can save you more than $35 per flight and booking into hotels midweek will also result in savings. | https://www.afar.com/magazine/airline-tickets-for-the-fall-will-be-much-cheaper | 2022-08-16T00:58:11Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/airline-tickets-for-the-fall-will-be-much-cheaper | 1 | 0 | green-iguana-35 | 1 |
Some delight in relaxing on the sand with a book or cocktail in hand for a week. For others, boredom sets in swiftly. It can be hard to find a beach that appeals to different travel styles, but around the world there are destinations that offer time in the ocean and a bit of culture, too.
From Indonesia to Israel, these 10 sun-kissed destinations offer picture-perfect beaches along with a healthy dose of local arts and culture.
1. Positano, Italy
The cliffside village of Positano conjures up images of blue- and orange-striped beach umbrellas in neat rows beside the Mediterranean. While this idyllic image is not too far from the truth, there’s plenty more to explore, including the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, whose famous majolica tiled dome sits in the foreground of the landscape.
Hike the five-mile Path of the Gods, an old mule route that runs through Amalfi hillside villages—from Bomerano in the west to Nocelle in the east—and offers memorable views. Day trips to Sorrento, which has train access to Pompeii, and the island of Capri are also musts.
Read more: Amalfi Coast Travel Guide
2. Coronado, California
A short bridge across from San Diego, Coronado Island features five glittering beaches (the sand literally sparkles thanks to the mica deposits in the area). The iconic Victorian-style Hotel del Coronado has hosted presidents like William Taft and FDR and celebrities such as Cary Grant and Katherine Hepburn, plus Marilyn Monroe during the on-site filming of Some Like It Hot. The landmark hotel boasts its own museum (in the former ice house) exhibiting artifacts and memorabilia.
Surf, kayak, and build sand castles by day, or explore the art galleries, bookstores, and cafés along mile-long Orange Avenue. Leave time for a live theater show at the Coronado Playhouse or Lamb’s Players.
3. Barcelona, Spain
Laid-back Barcelona sits in a prime location along the Mediterranean Sea in Catalonia in northeastern Spain and has several sandy stretches. Head for the popular Barceloneta Beach, with an esplanade running along it, or the family-friendly and bar-lined Bogatell Beach in the Poblenou neighborhood. Or maybe ditch the sand and sail around the harbor on a catamaran cruise.
Soak up some culture with your daily dose of sun with visits to Antonio Gaudi’s fantastical modernist marvels, including Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, and Casa Batlló, as well as the Picasso Museum, which houses 4,200 of his works in a set of Gothic buildings in the Ribera neighborhood. Among the collection’s highlights is Picasso’s Las Meninas series, a cubist reinterpretation of Diego Velaquez’s original.
Read more: The Essential Guide to Barcelona
4. Tel Aviv, Israel
With more than a dozen golden-sand beaches, vibrant and cosmopolitan Tel Aviv certainly knows how to take a break by the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea. Among the most popular are Bograsha, Jerusalem, Mezizim, and Hilton Beach (named for the seaside hotel there).
It would be remiss to visit Tel Aviv and not venture to the cobblestone streets of Jaffa, the old port city; the trendy Neve Tzedek neighborhood, with its boutiques and fine dining restaurants, or the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Jerusalem and its many historic and sacred sites, such as the Temple Mount, Wailing Wall, and Tower of David citadel, are only an hour drive away.
Read more: The Essential Guide to Tel Aviv
5. Goa, India
This stretch of India’s western coast and the resorts of North Goa attract plenty of overseas revelers along with India’s own booming middle class. (South Goa’s beaches tend to be quieter and more secluded.)
Along with lazy days on sandy stretches like Palolem beach, there’s plenty of culture to take in, thanks in part to the intermingling of Portuguese and Indian traditions. Stop at UNESCO World Heritage site Basilica of Bom Jesus and the Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception churches, stroll the colorful Latin Quarter, or drop in at Moda Goa, a history and costume museum in a 450-year-old Goan villa that was the vision of late Indian fashion designer Wendell Rodricks.
Read more: Goa Travel Guide
6. Nice, France
The French Riviera city of Nice is practically synonymous with joie de vivre. Camp out on the sand and people watch as the southern French coastline attracts those wanting a picturesque walk on the Promenade des Anglais.
After swimming and sailing, explore Nice’s Roman ruins or take a cooking class and learn to make socca, chickpea pancakes the region is known for. Save time for day trips to Toulon, where you can catch a production in the second largest opera house in France outside of Paris, and to inland Provence to see the lavender fields and post-impressionist painter Paul Cezanne’s studio. Explore open-air markets, churches, and ancient ruins throughout the region, including UNESCO-recognized Roman monuments and the Albi Cathedral.
Read more: French Riviera Travel Guide
7. San Juan, Puerto Rico
With beaches, nightlife, the El Yunque tropical rain forest and 500 years of history, Puerto Rico seemingly has it all. Enjoy the sun, swim, snorkel, and paddleboard at the three main beaches: Condado, El Escambron, and Ocean Park.
After a few days of sun and sand, delve deeper into Puerto Rico’s history and culture. The Taino, the Indigenous people who lived on the island for hundreds of years before Spanish explorers arrived, called their home “Borinquen”—meaning Land of the Valiant and Noble Lord—which is why Puerto Ricans often refer to themselves as boricuas. The Spanish named the island Puerto Rico (literally rich port) due to the island’s plentiful natural resources and strategic location. See some of this colonial past at the San Juan National Historic Site, which includes the Castillo San Felipe del Morro (fortification to prevent sea attacks) and Castillo San Cristobal (fortification to prevent land attacks), as well as most of the city walls. Don’t miss ambling along Old San Juan’s colorful cobblestone streets.
Read more: Puerto Rico Travel Guide
8. Denpasar, Indonesia
As Bali’s capital, bustling Denpasar is the gateway to the island and the splashy beach resort areas of Semiyak, Jimbaran, and Nusa Dua. In southern Bali and on the Bukit Peninsula, hotels such as the Four Seasons, Six Senses, Alila, and St. Regis are ideal for beach lovers.
It’s worth stopping at a few of the 20,000 Hindu temples on the island such as Tanah Lot, Goa Lamah, or the Saraswati Temple in Ubud. A Balinese cooking class (where you can master dishes like the grilled satay) or dance performance—Legong Dance and a Ramayana ballet are staged nightly at Ubud Palace—are ways to learn more about Indonesian culture.
Read more: Bali Travel Guide
9. Todos Santos, Mexico
Stylish Todos Santos, along Baja California, is an underrated town with pristine beaches, attractive hotels, and restaurants spotlighting the region’s produce. The charming destination was designated a Pueblo Magico in 2006 by the Mexican government, in recognition of its cultural and artistic legacy.
By day, take surfing lessons through Mario Surf School or spot whales through Todos Santos Eco Adventures. After a morning enjoying the beach, spend the afternoon scoping out art galleries, designer boutiques, and the original mission across from the main square.
Read more: The Perfect Weekend in Todos Santos
10. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Copacabana and Ipanema beaches have had their share of the spotlight among international audiences (cue “The Girl from Ipanema”), but a few other white-sand beaches in Rio to consider are Prainha, a crescent-shaped stretch within a protected nature area, or Joatinga, which can only be accessed during low tide and is a favorite of surfers.
Beyond the beaches, check out Rio’s larger-than-life Carnival celebration, in which five days of parades, floats, and samba dancers take to the streets before the start of Lent. Get a panoramic view of the water on a hike or train up to Corcovado mountain, where you’ll find the Christ the Redeemer monument. Another alternative to splashing by the beach is to watch a soccer match at the Maracanã Stadium, where legends such as Pele and Ronaldo have played.
Read more: Rio De Janeiro Travel Guide | https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-beaches-for-exploring-local-culture | 2022-08-16T00:58:18Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-beaches-for-exploring-local-culture | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The first time I visited Spain, I was an eager exchange student studying abroad in Madrid. On my humble college budget, a bottle of vino was a luxury, and the type of varietal never mattered. Decades later, a lot has changed, including my love for good wine. I’ve been exploring French wine for the past two years, and too often have overlooked the extensive and often relatively affordable (in comparison to French wine) world of Spanish wines. So, I head back to the land of rioja for a weeklong trip through Catalonia, armed with a little more knowledge and the same curiosity I had years ago.
The trip kicks off on a good note, literally, when my Delta flight attendant poured a glass of 2012 Vivanco Rioja Crianza. This wine represents all the elements I’ve grown to love about Spanish tempranillos: fruit driven, with aromas of vanilla and spice, and available in many U.S. stores for under 20 bucks. A few hours (and a few glasses) later, I land in Barcelona, checking into the W Hotel near Barceloneta beach. The sail-shaped building houses 473 rooms, all with panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea, and a rooftop bar that attracts just as many residents for cocktails as hotel guests.
Book Now: W Barcelona
The next morning, my first stop is Raventós Codorníu, located about an hour drive outside of the city center. The winery has a special place in Spain’s wine producing history; it’s the oldest wine (and cava) producer in the country. In 1872, Josep Raventós Fatjó used the traditional French method of creating champagne to produce the first cava in Spain. Over 450 years later, the Raventós family still owns the brand, while winemaker and technical director Bruno Colomer cultivates the grapes that produce a range of prestige cavas that can be shipped worldwide.
“Cava is a versatile drink that pairs with the vast majority of cuisines from most cultures. It also contains a lively and refreshing factor that helps reduce the heaviness effect caused by some sparkling wines,” says Colomer. My favorite lineup of the day is the Blanc de Blancs Reserve 2017 from the Ars Collecta collection, which includes chardonnay, Xarel·lo and Parellada del Penedès grapes. Codorníu also produces Raimat wines, with a focus on sustainable agricultural practices and vineyards that are organic certified. I visit its vineyards in Lleida, located just under two hours driving time from Barcelona. Here, I taste a classic albarino that bursts with flavors of mango and nectarine, as well as a tempranillo with velvet tannins and notes of cocoa and spice that would be the perfect accompaniment to roasted turkey.
Last year, the wine estate opened Raimat Natura, a protected natural area that offers trails and more than a hundred species of fauna plus over a hundred more species of flora. Nearby, I check into Raymat Castle, a restored 12th-century building managed by Elena de Carandini Raventós, who also heads Raimat Lleida Community Foundation’s initiatives to fund nonprofit organizations in the region. Some of those initiatives include a lab that helps startup companies achieve environmental sustainability goals and an annual art festival that highlights gastronomy and artists in Lleida. The castle sits on 7,413 acres of its own 100 percent organic vineyards and is a welcome retreat from the busy streets of Barcelona for the night.
The next day, the oenophile in me is giddy beyond measure to visit Priorat, about 80 miles southwest of Barcelona. Here, vineyards that sit as high as 2,400 feet were once the home of Carthusian monks from France who ran a monastery and planted vineyards on the steep slate-based slopes of the region. Today, Cellers Scala Dei—which literally means “ladder to God”—is the oldest winery in Priorat and produces some of the best red varietals in Spain, including a Cartoixa blend of garnacha and cariñena that sings on the tongue with ripe tannins and intense, toasted black fruits. I brought my tried-and-true FlyWithWine on the trip, a very durable suitcase that includes removable inserts for carrying wine, and it’s being put to good use with six bottles coming home with me.
Back in Barcelona, I’m ready to see what the city has to offer in the world of wine. I check into Mercer Hotel, located in Barcelona’s Gothic quarter and a short walk to most major sites in the city. The 28-room boutique hotel provides the intimate experience I seek in large cities, and a quiet courtyard draped in orange trees and a rooftop pool with umbrella-covered loungers is a quiet oasis without the crowds. A bottle of cava welcomes me in my room, and the hotel’s concierge Mauro Torres directs me to some of the best tapas meals I’ve had in Spain, including Gourmet Sensei, where a tuna tataki and vegan roasted “chicken” croquettes with curry mayo pair perfectly with an Ilercavo.
Book Now: Mercer Hotel
On my last day in Barcelona, I head to ElDiset, a wine bar that my friend who lives in the city calls her favorite hangout. I grab a seat at an outdoor table, still a bit awestruck that the world has opened up again to travel and allows for my favorite pastime: people watching. Ninety percent of the wine menu here is produced in Catalan, and I settle on a La Figaflor 2021 garnache that’s had four months with contact on the lees in the barrel. It’s as zippy and energetic on the mouth as the people who walk by me, each of us, happily in our own world.
How to get there:
Delta recently launched daily nonstop service between Atlanta and Barcelona. The flight takes about eight hours. From the airport, the Renfe train or taxis are available from Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport for the 30-minute drive into the city center.
For tasting information and appointments:
Visits and experiences Codorníu | Codorníu (codorniu.com)
Visita Las Bodegas (raimat.com)
Visit de celler – Cellers ScalaDei (cellersdescaladei.com) | https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-wineries-to-visit-in-barcelona-and-beyond | 2022-08-16T00:58:24Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-wineries-to-visit-in-barcelona-and-beyond | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
“Hampton? A tourism destination? No way.”
Two of my oldest friends, Judy and Brandon, stared at me, disbelievingly, over chips and margaritas at the El Diablo Loco Cantina & Tequila Bar in the Phoebus neighborhood of Hampton, Virginia. Our coastal town, home to about 137,000 people, isn’t well known as a tourist spot. That’s Virginia Beach—a 40-minute drive south—or Colonial Williamsburg, the largest outdoor educational museum in the United States. But there’s a storied past among these streets.
Locals will not-so-gently correct people who say that basketball legend Allen Iverson is from Philadelphia. Years before Reebok shoe deals and his top-pick status in the 1996 NBA Draft, Iverson dominated on the court at Hampton’s Bethel High. They even named a gym in his honor.
And it was local mathematician Katherine Johnson’s calculations at NASA’s Langley Research Center that sent the first American to space. But long before athletes made it big and Black women “computers” sent men into orbit, the city of Hampton played a pivotal role in the founding of what became the United States.
As a Hampton native, I’d like to be able to say I knew this, but it wasn’t a fact I’d learned in my school’s history or from neighbors or elders (many of them didn’t know the full story, either). Instead, I found out the truth more than 12 years later, hundreds of miles away, while reading the 1619 Project in the New York Times.
Like many young professionals who left home after high school and never really looked back, I have a complicated relationship with Hampton.
It’s home, where I spent years cracking crabs at Buckroe Beach and eating my way through the Bay Days festival. Yet there was something there the Childhood Me never questioned, like why I attended a Robert E. Lee Elementary school, honoring the Confederate general, and why streets like Kecoughtan, which runs through the city, were named after the Native Americans driven out by the British.
As an adult, if anyone asked where I was from, I’d tell them I was from the D.C./Maryland/Virginia area. No one knows where Hampton is anyway, I rationalized, even with the Hampton Roads metropolitan area serving as home to nearly 2 million residents. But more than that, it felt small, and it seemed like no one tended to leave. As a kid, I’d look up from the sprawling yard of my childhood home and yearn for the day I’d be in one of the planes flying overhead. Once I left, I rarely looked back. Hampton was where I’d lived—where my grandma, my aunties, my cousins, my church, and my neighbors taught me how to navigate life in Hampton and outside of it—but I always sought home in other places.
But here I was, back in Hampton to reconcile with a history under my feet in a town I’d sworn to move on from. I was here to reckon with the past—and to learn what scholars and historians were doing to teach that past to tourists and locals alike.
To begin to understand Hampton, Virginia, is to consider the soil on which it rests.
On a guided history tour promoted by the city, one can learn about the Emancipation Oak, which spans more than 100 feet in diameter at what is now Hampton University. The tree itself is a historic landmark; underneath its sprawling branches, newly freed enslaved people gained respite from the oppressive Virginia heat and the cruelty of chattel slavery. This is where abolitionists, including a Black teacher named Mary Peake, taught the newly freed to read and write. In 1863, the Emancipation Oak was the site of the first Southern reading of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Seventy years later, five miles away, Aberdeen Gardens began in 1934 as a model resettlement community for African American families. It was the only such community in the United States—“built by Negroes for Negroes”—by a Black architect and contractors. It was a lesser known, but just as important, part of the Civil Rights Movement when Hampton Institute students staged a sit-in at a lunch counter to protest Jim Crow laws in 1960.
But perhaps the most pivotal year was 1619. It was the year the first enslaved Africans—“20 and so odd Negroes,” wrote the English colonizer John Rolfe—arrived on the shores of Old Point Comfort at modern-day Fort Monroe, on the far tip of what was then called the Colony of Virginia, forming the basis of chattel slavery in the United States.
Stories about Old Point Comfort’s role in the forming of U.S. slavery were passed along by word of mouth through families and throughout neighborhoods. Some educators would deviate from the official standards of learning exams to explain how the first Africans arrived. But growing up, I don’t remember learning any of this history. For starters, there have long been financial reasons for overlooking Hampton: Tourism is a boon for Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg, which draws history buffs from around the world. Tourists spent $728 million in Greater Williamsburg in 2020, $446 million of which was spent in the city proper. In comparison, travelers spent $263 million in Hampton in 2019. And while Hampton does have unique points of interest for tourists, it was, ultimately, overshadowed by glossier destinations in the region.
That began to change in 2019, when thousands of people arrived in Hampton in August 2019 to commemorate the 400th year since slavery began. Adorned in white, they cleansed their hands and bodies at Buckroe Beach and called upon the dead through song, dance, and prayer.
For young people who have called this city home, like myself, there’s pain, anger, and acute sadness derived a history that was, for whatever reason, kept from us.
“We just didn’t know,” my friend Brandon said as we looked back through a decade’s worth of history classes, comparing lessons from years past over drinks only a mile away from where our history began.
The last time I’d visited Fort Monroe, in 2010, it was an active Army installation.
There’s something to be said about a location that was so heavily guarded being the birthplace of a history that was so closely guarded.
It was a cold, rainy day and military police, armed with long guns, meticulously searched the cars we drove in. Now, Fort Monroe is no longer an Army base, but part of the National Park Service after being decommissioned by then-President Barack Obama in 2011. There are coffee shops, summer concerts, stately homes that people can rent—but not buy—and million-dollar water views. It closely resembles a college campus, not the military base it once was or the port of entry for the enslaved Africans who arrived in 1619, naked and shivering.
The first Africans, taken from Angola, were not even supposed to be in North America. They were originally aboard the San Juan Bautista when it was attacked by the White Lion and then transported to Point Comfort in exchange for food and other supplies.
To better understand the past and present, I visited the Fort Monroe National Monument. It was here that I met Eola Dance, a native Hamptonian and superintendent for the National Park Service, and Phyllis Terrell, the director of communications at the Fort Monroe Authority. I asked what draws people here.
“A lot of [national] parks have one day [in history]. A battle that took place or a key event or movement. Fort Monroe continues to be this place that is important over time,” Terrell said.
As to why so much of Hampton’s history has been buried, historians point to the mid-20th century, when organizations like the United Daughters of the Confederacy and Sons of Confederate Veterans pushed for revisions with regard to teachings about slavery in public schools. The UDC, in particular, advocated for the “Lost Cause” theory that slavery was immaterial to the Civil War.
“We mostly would have learned about Jefferson Davis’s imprisonment and Robert E. Lee being an engineer here. Outside of that history, we would not have heard about anything else—women’s history or Native American history,” said Dance, whose office at Fort Monroe is in Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s former home.
“Sometimes there are agreements in history,” Dance added, “and sometimes your work challenges agreements—that is what we’re witnessing right now.”
The 1619 Project, which won the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for commentary, sparked debates nationwide about the role of critical race theory, or CRT, in classrooms. Virginia educators and historians I spoke to told me they’re carefully watching what comes from Richmond. The new governor, Glenn Youngkin, sworn in this past January, campaigned on an anti-CRT platform, and his first action in office was to establish a hotline to report educators accused of teaching it. A month later, Youngkin visited Fort Monroe, writing on Twitter that it was important “to tell all our history”—indicative, some believe, of the tug-of-war that pundits and politicians have played with history.
“What we are experiencing—that’s normal, that’s what we’re supposed to do,” Dance said, referring to debates about CRT. “We’re supposed to have different perspectives. People use different methodologies and different resources.
“What I see in this moment is the beauty of how history, journalism, archaeology, anthropology, sociology, and history—in terms of public history—all come together and help us to see the whole picture.”
I wanted to learn more about how educators were teaching this history, so I reached out to Fredricka Conyers-Brinkley—whom I affectionately call my “Mama”—an African American history teacher at Phoebus High School, my alma mater. Over beers at the 1865 Brewing Company, a Black-owned brewery and speakeasy located in the Phoebus neighborhood, I discovered many kids have far more questions about the past than I did as a child. And they aren’t afraid to challenge those entrusted to teach them.
“I had a conversation with a student recently, and they were upset because they felt like [the 1619 commemoration] was a celebration of slavery. I had to explain to them the difference between a celebration and a commemoration. When you know your history, you walk with your head up high—there’s a whole different sense of self-pride,” she said.
For people who call Hampton home, it’s that self-pride that sparks them to share “their” Hampton, with tourists and locals alike. William Comer, 1865 Brewing Company’s founder, says he’s benefited from tourism to Hampton, largely from people paying homage at Fort Monroe.
“It’s a beautiful city,” he told me across the bar of the brewery on a balmy April afternoon. “It’s growing. This is why they say Phoebus [has] come alive because it came from nothing.”
It is a beautiful city—as it is complicated and intriguing. And it’s becoming a tourism destination for travelers seeking to pay homage to and recreate the path of those 20 and odd enslaved souls 400 years ago. The city now offers driving and bus tours for interested travelers who come to Hampton, and online tours for those who can’t make the journey.
As a journalist, I returned to the city to get a better understanding of exactly why 1619 seemed like a secret to residents. I left with as many answers as I arrived with questions. But like the travelers who visited Buckroe and Point Comfort in 2019, I departed with a greater understanding of myself and the forming of this country. And, for the first time ever, I missed home when I left. | https://www.afar.com/magazine/hampton-virginia-history-tourism-destination | 2022-08-16T00:58:30Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/hampton-virginia-history-tourism-destination | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Amid the flashy, high-profile hotels of Mexico’s capital, a growing number of retreats—many of them independent and owner-led—reveal a more intimate side of the city. They’re located not just in much-loved neighborhoods like La Roma and Condesa but also across the city, from the historic downtown to swanky Polanco. These are the best hotels in Mexico City for a truly local stay.
Las Alcobas
- What to expect: An intimate, design-forward stay minutes from cultural institutions
- Neighborhood: Polanco
- Book now
Las Alcobas has long been a hub for high-end travelers with a keen eye for design. Set in a former private residence in Polanco with only 35 rooms, the handsome, intimate hotel was recently overhauled by Yabu Pushelberg, the team behind the original design. Interiors in earthy tones have luxury accents like fine Italian bed linens and spa-like marble bathrooms with tubs and rain showers. One of the hotel’s most striking elements is the rosewood spiral staircase at the entranceway. While the inviting interiors and service alone are worth checking into Las Alcobas, the convenient location is just as much of a draw: It’s wedged between the sprawling Chapultepec Park and Presidente Masaryk Avenue, Mexico City’s answer to Fifth Avenue, lined with shops and cultural institutions like Museo Soumaya and the Colección Jumex.
Condesa DF
- What to expect: A beloved classic in a 1928 mansion
- Neighborhood: Condesa
- Book now
Over the past two decades, Mexican hotelier Grupo Habita have opened a string of properties across the country while gaining a cult following. But one of its most loved properties is still Condesa DF, which opened in 2005. Set in a 1928 French neoclassical mansion on the edge of Parque España in tree-lined Condesa, the hotel is a firm favorite among residents, who are drawn to the rooftop terrace where cocktails flow and music plays long into the night. Travelers who want to tap into Mexico City’s swank party crowd can stop by for a drink or book one of the 40 chic white and wood-paneled rooms; some have terraces facing a canopy of jacaranda trees. In the mornings, breakfast is served on the open-air palm- and ivy-filled patio.
The Alest
- What to expect: London meets Mexico City in a chic retreat
- Neighborhood: Polanco
- Book now
The bright red chairs and bistro tables outside the Alest’s black-framed, street-facing windows feel reminiscent of a British storefront, while the red entry door is like one you’d expect to find in London. Designed by Mexican interior designer Sophia Aspe with nods to Britannia, the 19 cozy rooms also have distinctly Mexican touches, with art by local artists like Arantxa Solis and furniture sourced from around the country, including handprinted side tables from Michoacan. One of the hotel’s biggest drawing cards is the bar, 45. Its menu—featuring experimental cocktails like the Julio Verne made from tequila, sake, and grapefruit syrup—was designed by well-known Mexico City cocktail bar Limantour.
Casa Pani
- What to expect: An architectural gem on a quiet street
- Neighborhood: Juarez
- Book now
It’s rare you get to sleep in a house designed by a legendary architect. That’s why architecture enthusiasts flock to Casa Pani, a space designed by the late Mexican modernist Mario Pani, known for his innovative urban design. The team behind the project includes architect Miggi Hood, Yola Mezcal cofounder Yola Jimenez, and entrepreneur Marie Cazalaa, who together purchased two Pani-designed houses and overhauled them, creating a cool guesthouse in the less-touristed Juarez neighborhood. Hood breathed new life into the modernist space while still respecting its heritage. Six bedrooms all have enormous windows and en suite bathrooms. Each room has its own distinctive character, whether it’s a private terrace shaded by a jacaranda tree, a bathroom with a giant tub, or an orange wingback vintage lounge chair. There’s also a courtyard, communal kitchen, and living area where guests often meet and mingle.
Circulo Mexicano
- What to expect: A contemporary, Shaker-inspired hotel in the city’s historic heart
- Neighborhood: Downtown
- Book now
Most foreigners flock to neighborhoods like Roma or Condesa, but a stay in the historic part of downtown is just as rewarding. Once you arrive on the doorstep of Circulo Mexicano, you’ll realize there’s plenty to explore in the surrounding area, including the majestic National Palace. Set in a restored 19th-century building, the ground floor courtyard is home to two restaurants from much-loved Mexico City chef Gabriela Camara and a collection of artisanal shops selling ceramics and textiles. Upstairs, the 25 rooms are minimalist and roomy with neutral Oaxacan textiles and wooden furniture by local design studio La Metropolitana. On the rooftop, guests can sip cocktails while soaking up history and viewing the Metropolitan Cathedral, National Palace, and Templo Mayor.
Casa Polanco
- What to expect: A tranquil and tasteful mansion house
- Neighborhood: Polanco
- Book now
When Polanco entrepreneur, real estate developer, and resident Octavio Aguilar purchased an old mansion house a decade ago, his first intention was to rent it to an embassy. But he had a change of heart when he found papers that permitted it to be used as a hotel. With the help of architect Claudio Gantuz, the original mansion was renovated into Casa Polanco. A new wing was added, and the entire property has been transformed into a hotel that feels like a private home. There are 19 individually designed rooms with high ceilings, some with terraces, others with oversize tubs. There’s ample communal space where guests can lounge: Sip a glass of wine on the front terrace, read in the library, or partake in daily high tea in the light-filled indoor courtyard. There’s also a spa cabin on the rooftop, where treatments like massages can be booked.
Ignacia Guest House
- What to expect: A reimagined Beaux Arts residence
- Neighborhood: Roma
- Book now
Mexico City has no shortage of reimagined mansions, but Ignacia Guest House is particularly stunning, thanks to the design-driven finishes of the 1913 Beaux Arts building. At the center of the hotel is a courtyard, where guests can relax in a garden of cacti. On one side of the courtyard is the restored house with one black-themed room, a pink lounge, a library, and a kitchen and dining space with French doors that lead onto the courtyard. Opposite the main house, in contrast, is a sharp and shiny new building with four guest rooms painted in shades of yellow, rose, black, or green. Wherever you choose to stay, don’t skip Ignacia’s morning meal. With a selection of artisanal conchas (sweet Mexican bread), fresh fruit, and house made sopes and tamales, the breakfast spread is worthy of a leisurely morning.
Octavia Casa
- What to expect: A restorative retreat with ryokan vibes
- Neighborhood: La Condesa
- Book now
From the founder of the local women’s wear label Octavia Casa comes a sleek minimalist seven-room retreat in La Condesa. Even the outside of the building, which has a wooden lattice facade and leafy plants that add life and color to the natural corners, has a calming feel. Inside, neutral, light-filled rooms and large white beds promote a sense of tranquility; all ceramics, glass, and linens are sourced from local brands like Onora, Encrudo, and Entei. While the hotel is firmly rooted in Mexican design, from certain angles you could almost mistake it for a ryokan in Japan.
Four Seasons Mexico City
- What to expect: A grand, hacienda-style property with a leafy courtyard
- Neighborhood: Juarez
- Book now
Despite its location on Paseo de la Reforma, the bustling main artery that runs through Mexico City, Four Seasons maintains an air of tranquility. Behind the grand walls that face the street, a peaceful courtyard is filled with citrus trees, banana plants, and a tinkling fountain, around which the hacienda-inspired hotel is centered. Looking out onto this space are the 240 guest rooms, with white linens, printed headboards, and burgundy footstools. Also facing the courtyard is the ground floor bar and Zanaya restaurant, which serves a seafood-inspired menu on an inviting terraced patio. On the rooftop, there’s a fitness center, spa, and pool where guests can retreat after a day exploring one of the continent’s busiest cities.
Casa Teo
- What to expect: An apartment-style stay with serious culinary connections
- Neighborhood: Casa Polanco
- Book now
When renowned chef Enrique Olvera had to move his multi-award winning Pujol restaurant in Mexico City into a larger space, his team turned the original spot into a mezcal bar, Ticuchi. He bought the two-bedroom apartment upstairs and turned it into Casa Teo, a place where he can host artist residences so that creative minds from a variety of fields can come together to exchange ideas. Centered around an open kitchen and a communal dining table for 10, Olvera often brings in chefs from out of town for special dinners bookable by the public and hosts regular talks, events, and workshops. Those who want some extra time to get their creative juices flowing—or just a truly unique base in Mexico City—can book the Casa Teo apartment via Airbnb. Simple and airy, with fluffy white beds and neutral hues, it’s perfect for relaxing and clearing your mind.
>>Next: The 10 Best Hotels in Montreal | https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-best-hotels-in-mexico-city | 2022-08-16T00:58:43Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-best-hotels-in-mexico-city | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Red flags are flying for democracy and democratic values. We need to pay attention to the threats — and also to signs that we can work together to preserve our freedoms.
This summer’s primary elections are making it clear that our rights and freedoms are threatened by the rising power of extremists within the Republican Party.
Consider the Aug. 2 primaries in Arizona. President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory in the state sent many Arizona supporters of former President Donald Trump down a deep hole of lies and conspiracy theories about the election. They engineered a ridiculous “audit” that stirred up election-deniers from across the country but failed to undermine Biden’s victory.
Responsible Republicans defended the election and its outcome, but on Aug. 2, they were outvoted by Trump’s troops. Mark Finchem, who claims against all evidence the election was stolen from Trump, won the nomination to be secretary of state.
He has called for the 2020 election to be decertified. He wants to get rid of early voting and restrict voting by mail — and give legislators the power to override voters. Finchem, who was at the Capitol on Jan. 6, is a member of the Oath Keepers, the far-right group whose members were involved in planning and leading the assault. A state Republican consultant told The Atlantic, “I would absolutely expect Finchem to both bend the meaning of laws and throw up roadblocks to the normal election procedures.”
Arizona Republicans have also nominated Blake Masters for the U.S. Senate. Masters’ campaign was backed and funded by far-right billionaire Peter Thiel, who has openly said he no longer believes in democracy. Masters has blamed gun violence on “Black people.” His campaign has generated excitement among the white nationalist crowd that was energized by Trump.
In the Arizona governor’s primary, Trump endorsee Kari Lake won the Republican nomination and will face Democratic nominee Katie Hobbs.
Lake, an election conspiracy advocate, calls President Biden “illegitimate” and has said if she wins, she will instruct the attorney general to seize all voting equipment in the state.
Arizona is also home to politicians who openly embrace white nationalists, including U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar and state Sen. Wendy Rogers, who both won their primaries.
Other extremists have picked up Republican nominations this summer, including election conspiracy theorist Doug Mastriano, who has campaigned with QAnon activists in his bid for governor of Pennsylvania; Trumpist election denier Dan Cox for governor of Maryland; Confederate sympathizer Michael Peroutka for attorney general of Maryland, who has said laws passed by the state legislature are illegitimate because in his eyes, legislators broke God’s law by embracing marriage equality; and Big Lie promoter Kristina Karamo for secretary of state in Michigan.
The list goes on — too many to name in a single column.
This is bad news. In a political system dominated by two political parties, it is dangerous to have one party taken over by the kind of truth-rejecting, voter-suppressing, authoritarianism-embracing people who are still driven by the same lies and rage that fueled the Jan. 6 attack on our country.
But Trumpists aren’t winning all their races. We have seen examples of courageous Republicans standing up to the Trump mob.
And voters in Kansas gave us another big bright spot on Aug. 2, when they rejected an anti-choice referendum by more than 20 percentage points.
After the Supreme Court’s hard-right majority overturned Roe v. Wade, anti-choice legislators have rushed to pass more extreme anti-abortion bills targeting health care workers and even friends and family who help someone needing abortion care. Those bills represent the wishes of powerful religious right groups that have a lot of influence in the Republican Party, but they don’t represent the public, which overwhelmingly supports access to abortion.
Given a choice about whether to strip abortion rights protections out of the state constitution and give legislators a green light to pass a ban, Kansas voters overwhelmingly voted no.
That victory for privacy, freedom and bodily autonomy was driven by huge voter turnout and the organizers who worked to achieve it. It is a promising sign that many Americans can be motivated to vote this year by the Supreme Court’s harmful embrace of a restrictive and regressive social agenda.
Let’s make it so.
Ben Jealous is president of People For the American Way and a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. | https://www.stlamerican.com/news/columnists/arizona-could-be-major-threat-to-democracy/article_666b59ea-1cb1-11ed-a313-1bf210c11a09.html | 2022-08-16T00:59:32Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/news/columnists/arizona-could-be-major-threat-to-democracy/article_666b59ea-1cb1-11ed-a313-1bf210c11a09.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The year 1972 was groundbreaking for women’s sports with the passage of Title IX, a federal gender equity law that increased participation of girls and women in athletics.
During the 50-year anniversary of this game-changing legislation, the St. Louis American has been celebrating the talent and achievement of women in sports from several generations.
In my final installment of the summer, I’ve assembled a St. Louis metro area girls’ basketball team from 1980, the year I first moved to the area, to the present. Here is my team, listed in alphabetical order.
Rita Adams (East St. Louis, 2000): Adams was a star point guard at East St. Louis Lincoln and East St. Louis in the late 1990s. As a junior in 1999, Adams led Lincoln to a berth in the Illinois Class AA state championship year. She went on to have a stellar four-year collegiate career at the University of Kentucky.
LaShonda Albert (Wellston, 1994): A 6’1” guard who was one of the most talented players ever to lace them up in the St. Louis area. She scored 69 points in a district championship game against Orchard Farm in her senior year, which she led Wellston to the Class 2A state championship. She averaged 29 points a game as a senior. She went on to play collegiate ball at Central Missouri, where she was a NCAA Division II All-American.
Angelina Bonner (Southwest, 1981): The first true star player from the Public High League, she was Ms. Show-Me Basketball as a senior. She averaged 30 points in the state tournament, including 40 in the state championship game. She went on to enjoy a stellar collegiate career at Kansas State.
Felicia Chester (Incarnate Word Academy, 2006): The versatile 6’2” forward led IWA to the Class 5 state championship in 2006. She went on to have a stellar collegiate career at DePaul, where she made the All-Big East Team. She was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in the WNBA in 2011.
Napheesa Collier (Incarnate Word Academy, 2015): The 6’2” Collier is the most decorated player ever from the St. Louis metro area. After leading Incarnate Word to three consecutive state championships, Collier was selected to the McDonald’s All-American game in 2015. She went on to have a stellar four-year collegiate career at national powerhouse UConn, where she helped the Huskies to two NCAA national championships. She was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx of the WNBA, where she was the Rookie of the Year in 2019. She was also a member of the USA’s gold-medal winning team at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
Kristin Folkl (St. Joseph’s 1994): The 6’2” Folkl had the most dominant high school prep career in the history of St. Louis sports, male or female. From 1991 to 1994, she led St. Joseph’s to four consecutive state championships in both basketball and volleyball. Folkl led the Angels on a 71-game winning streak in basketball. She went on to play both sports in college at Stanford, where she was an All-American in both. She also helped lead the Cardinal to the NCAA Tournament Final Four in basketball twice.
Tara “Peaches” Harris (Gateway Tech, 2000): A 5’9” point guard, Harris was a four-year starter for the Jaguars during their dominant run during the late 1990s. She was the floor general of the Jaguars’ two state championship teams in 1997 and 1999. She went on to play at the UNC-Charlotte where she set records for 3-point shooting.
Tina Hutchinson (East St. Louis Lincoln, 1983): The 6’3” Hutchinson was one of the most talented players we’ve ever seen in this area. She was a tremendous athlete who could play all five positions. She was the Parade Magazine National Player of the Year in 1983. As a freshman at San Diego State, she averaged 30 points and six steals a game. If not for a knee injury, she would probably still be the NCAA career leader in scoring.
Niele Ivey (Cor Jesu, 1996): The 5’7” point guard led Cor Jesu to the Class 4 state championship and an undefeated season in 1995. She went on to have a great college career at Notre Dame, where she led the Fighting Irish to the NCAA national championship in 2001. She played in the WNBA and is currently the head coach at her alma mater, Notre Dame.
Petra Jackson (University City, 1981): The 5’9” Jackson was a star shooting guard for U. City who went on to set collegiate records at Southern Illinois University. She was inducted into the SIU Hall of Fame. She is currently the head coach of the St. Louis Surge.
Theresa Lisch (Althoff, 2004): Lisch enjoyed a great career at Althoff, where she led the Crusaders to a berth in the IHSA state championship game as a senior. She went on to have a record-setting collegiate career at Saint Louis University. She is a part of the very talented Lisch basketball family.
Sug Sutton (Parkway North, 2016): The talented point guard was a McDonald’s All-American selection in 2016. She led the Vikings to the Final Four of the state tournament in 2015. She had an excellent four-year college career at Texas. She was drafted by the Washington Mystics of the WNBA.
Tammy Wilson (Hazelwood Central, 1985): Another one of the great stars from the 80’s, Wilson was an athletic 5’11” forward who could do it all. She led the Hawks to back-to-back Final Four appearances in 1984 and 1985. She was an All-American player at Central Missouri State.
I’ll put this high school team against any in the nation, dating back to 1980. | https://www.stlamerican.com/sports/sports_columnists/inside_sports/i-ll-put-my-all-title-ix-team-against-any-group-in-the-nation/article_5b2285ea-1cca-11ed-8aac-37e5eaf88809.html | 2022-08-16T00:59:38Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/sports/sports_columnists/inside_sports/i-ll-put-my-all-title-ix-team-against-any-group-in-the-nation/article_5b2285ea-1cca-11ed-8aac-37e5eaf88809.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Case against Alex Jones can proceed, Connecticut judge says
BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (AP) — A federal bankruptcy judge on Monday cleared the way for a defamation lawsuit in Connecticut to proceed against Infowars host and conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
The case was filed by relatives of some victims of the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Jones has falsely claimed the nation’s deadliest school shooting — which killed 20 students and six educators — was a hoax.
Jones’ lawyer had sought to transfer the case to a federal bankruptcy court, rather than continue the case in Connecticut state court. That brought the first day of jury selection to a sudden halt earlier this month.
However, Monday’s ruling by Judge Julie Manning essentially allows the plaintiffs to continue the defamation lawsuit against just Jones as an individual, without Free Speech Systems, a company owned by Jones and a defendant in the Connecticut case.
“The plaintiffs’ rights to have that process continue in the Connecticut Superior Court should not be disturbed,” Manning wrote in the decision, adding that the plaintiffs’ claims for damages were ready for trial.
A message was left seeking comment with Jones’ attorney, Norm Pattis.
Chris Mattei, an attorney for the plaintiffs, praised the bankruptcy judge’s decision. “We’re grateful the bankruptcy court saw through Alex Jones’s brazen effort to block a jury from being empaneled and holding him accountable. We look forward to trial,” he said in a written statement.
Free Speech Systems, along with Jones as an individual, filed for bankruptcy in Texas about a week before Jones’ lawyer sought to have the Connecticut case transferred.
A Texas jury this month ordered Jones to pay $45.2 million in punitive damages to the parents of one of the children killed at Sandy Hook, in addition to another $4.1 million he must pay for the suffering he put them through by claiming for years that the shooting was a hoax.
Jones’ attorneys plan to appeal and try to lower the amount. Meanwhile, besides the case in Connecticut, a trial for damages is pending in Texas that was filed by the parents of another child killed at Sandy Hook.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/16/case-against-alex-jones-can-proceed-connecticut-judge-says/ | 2022-08-16T01:03:39Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/16/case-against-alex-jones-can-proceed-connecticut-judge-says/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Franklin woman celebrates 70 years of playing liturgical organ
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) - Judy Owens has worn many hats in her 84 years; mother of four, nurse, and church organist.
“I took piano for years, and my mom encouraged me to get into the organ when I was probably 10 years old. Then I got to playing just the hymns in church, a few hymns first,” Owens said.
Owens has been playing the organ since, going on 70 years. Over half of which have been spent playing at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Bowling Green.
“I’m really anxious to serve that serve the Lord that way and I miss it if I don’t play”
Despite all her time devoted to it, Owens admits it’s not always easy.
“So much is going on in the church, we have a lot of liturgy and just a lot of people maybe walking in and out.”
Still though, she wouldn’t trade it for anything.
“I get keyed up sometimes,” Owens said, “A plumber was here one day and he came out and said, ‘would you play Amazing Grace? I’ll sing,’ And he did.”
Owens doesn’t teach the organ, but does hope that others will pick it up.
“I just encourage anybody to play. Especially the piano, get started early.”
Owen’s organ can be heard Sunday mornings between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church during their worship.
Copyright 2022 WBKO. All rights reserved. | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/16/franklin-woman-celebrates-70-years-playing-liturgical-organ/ | 2022-08-16T01:03:53Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/2022/08/16/franklin-woman-celebrates-70-years-playing-liturgical-organ/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK and TORONTO, Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. ("iAnthus" or the "Company") (CSE: IAN) (OTCPK: ITHUF), which owns, operates, and partners with regulated cannabis operations across the United States, today reported its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022. The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, which includes its unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and six months ended June 30, 2022 and the related management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations, can be accessed on the Securities and Exchange Commission's ("SEC's") website at www.sec.gov, the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and on the Company's website at www.iAnthus.com. As a result of the Company becoming a U.S. reporting company in February 2021, the Company's financial statements are reported in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"). All currency is expressed in U.S. dollars.
Second Quarter 2022 Financial Highlights
- Revenue of $43.5 million, a sequential increase of 2% from Q1 2022 and a decrease of 20% from the same period in the prior year.
- Gross profit of $19.7 million, a sequential decrease of 13% when compared to Q1 2022 and a decrease of 37% from the same period in the prior year.
- Gross margin of 45.2%, reflecting a sequential decrease of 733bps from Q1 2022 and a decrease of 1,251bps from the same period in the prior year.
- Net loss of $373.6 million, or a loss of $0.65 per share, compared to a loss of $10.1 million or a loss of $0.06 per share in Q1 2022, and compared to a loss of $15.3 million, or a loss of $0.09 per share, in the same period in the prior year. The net loss in Q2 2022 was driven primarily by of a one-time, non-cash loss on debt extinguishment of $316.6 million resulting from the Company's consummation of its previously announced recapitalization transaction (the "Recapitalization Transaction").
- Adjusted EBITDA(6) of $2.3 million, a sequential decrease from $3.4 million in Q1 2022 and decrease from $13.5 million from the same period in the prior year. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. Reconciliation tables of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as used in this news release to GAAP are included below.
- On June 24, 2022 (the "Closing Date"), the Company closed the Recapitalization Transaction pursuant to the terms of a restructuring support agreement dated July 10, 2020, as amended on June 15, 2021, by and among the Company, all of the holders of the 13.0% senior secured convertible debentures issued by iAnthus Capital Management, LLC ("ICM"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, and a majority of the holders of the Company's 8.0% unsecured convertible debentures and pursuant to the terms of the amended and restated plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) approved by the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
- On the Closing Date, the Company entered into a Third Amended and Restated Secured Debenture Purchase Agreement (the "Secured DPA") with ICM, the other Credit Parties (as defined in the Secured DPA), Gotham Green Admin 1, LLC, as collateral agent, and the lenders party thereto (the "New Secured Lenders") pursuant to which ICM issued the New Secured Lenders an additional $25.0 million of 8.0% secured debentures, which accrue interest at the rate of 8.0% per annum (increasing to 11.0% per annum upon the occurrence of an Event of Default (as defined in the Secured DPA)), with maturity date of June 24, 2027.
This release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined by the SEC. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP are included in the tables above. This information should be considered as supplemental in nature and not as a substitute for, or superior to, any measure of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.
In evaluating our business, we consider and use EBITDA as a supplemental measure of operating performance. We define EBITDA as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. We present EBITDA because we believe it is frequently used by securities analysts, investors and other interested parties as a measure of financial performance. We define Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA before stock-based compensation, accretion expense, write-downs and impairments, gains and losses from changes in fair values of financial instruments, income or losses from equity-accounted investments, changes in accounting policy, non-recurring costs related to the Company's Recapitalization Transaction, and litigation costs related to ongoing legal proceedings.
The terms EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not defined under GAAP, and are not a measure of operating income, operating performance or liquidity presented in accordance with GAAP. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA have limitations as an analytical tool, and when assessing the Company's operating performance, investors should not consider EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA in isolation, or as a substitute for net income (loss) or other consolidated income statement data prepared in accordance with GAAP. Among other things, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA do not reflect the Company's actual cash expenditures. Other companies may calculate similar measures differently than us, limiting their usefulness as comparative tools. We compensate for these limitations by relying on GAAP results and using EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA only as supplemental information.
iAnthus owns and operates licensed cannabis cultivation, processing and dispensary facilities throughout the United States. For more information, visit www.iAnthus.com.
The Company may be impacted by business interruptions resulting from pandemics and public health emergencies, including those related to the ongoing novel coronavirus disease ("COVID-19"). An outbreak of infectious disease, a pandemic, or a similar public health threat, such as the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, or a fear of any of the foregoing could adversely impact the Company by causing operating, manufacturing, supply chain, and project development delays and disruptions, labor shortages, travel, and shipping disruption and shutdowns (including as a result of government regulation and prevention measures). It is unknown whether and how the Company may be affected if such a pandemic persists for an extended period of time, including as a result of the waiver of regulatory requirements or the implementation of emergency regulations to which the Company is subject. Although the Company has been deemed essential and/or has been permitted to continue operating its facilities in the states in which it cultivates, processes, manufactures, and sells cannabis during the pendency of the COVID-19 pandemic, subject to the implementation of certain restrictions on adult-use cannabis sales in both Massachusetts and Nevada, which have since been lifted, there is no assurance that the Company's operations will continue to be deemed essential and/or will continue to be permitted to operate. The Company may incur expenses or delays relating to such events outside of its control, which could have a material adverse impact on its business, operating results, financial condition, and the trading price of its common shares.
Statements in this news release contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of management, are not guarantees of performance and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. These forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various important factors, including those set forth in Company's reports that it files from time to time with the SEC and the Canadian securities regulators which you should review including, but not limited to, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 filed with the SEC. When used in this news release, words such as "will," "could," "plan," "estimate", "expect", "intend", "may", "potential", "believe", "should" and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements relating to the Company's financial performance, business development and results of operations.
These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as predictions of future events, and the Company cannot assure you that the events or circumstances discussed or reflected in these statements will be achieved or will occur. If such forward-looking statements prove to be inaccurate, the inaccuracy may be material. You should not regard these statements as a representation or warranty by the Company or any other person that it will achieve its objectives and plans in any specified timeframe, or at all. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company disclaims any obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this news release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release.
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE iAnthus Capital Holdings, Inc. | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/ianthus-reports-second-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 2022-08-16T01:04:12Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/ianthus-reports-second-quarter-2022-financial-results/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
From Emergency Water Damage Restoration, Flood Cleanup, Mold Removal and More, M&G Water & Fire Restoration Can Handle It
SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Joel Gracia, the founder of M&G Water & Fire Restoration Services Inc., is pleased to announce that when it comes to water damage restoration services in San Jose, California, his company is definitely one that customers can trust.
To read more about the water damage restoration services that M&G Water & Fire Restoration Services offers, please visit https://sanjose.mgwaterfirerestorationservicesinc.com/water-damage-restoration-service-for-san-jose-ca/.
As the blog notes, M&G Water & Fire Restoration Services Inc. is the locally owned and operated professional water damage company that has proudly been serving San Jose and the Bay Area for years with a comprehensive menu of superior water damage remediation and restoration services.
When a San Jose home or business owner notices water damage from a plumbing leak, burst pipe, severe weather or other cause, they can rest assured that the team from M&G Water & Fire Restoration Services Inc. has what it takes to get the job done quickly and correctly.
"We are proud to offer water damage recovery that not only fixes the immediate cause of the damage, but also helps to prevent it from occurring again while preserving and restoring as much of your property to like-new condition as possible," the blog notes.
Some of the many water damage restoration services the company offers includes:
- Air duct cleaning
- Content cleaning, rehabilitation, repair, and restoration
- Disaster restoration
- Electrical backups
- Emergency water damage restoration
- Excess water extraction
- Flood damage restoration
- Grout cleaning
- Mold remediation
- Mold testing and detection
- Natural disaster recovery
- Odor removal
- Rug cleaning
- Sewage cleanup
- Storm damage
- Water damage recovery
- Water damage remediation
For years, M&G Water & Fire Restoration Services Inc. has offered high-quality water and fire restoration and mold removing services. Clients can expect to work with consummate professionals who are highly trained and experienced. All of the company's technicians are certified by The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration (IICRC). They're well versed in the specifics involved in water and fire recovery and restoration. For more information, please visit https://mgwaterfirerestorationservicesinc.com/bay-area-water-damage-experts/.
View original content:
SOURCE M&G Water & Fire Restoration Services Inc. | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/mampg-water-amp-fire-restoration-services-inc-offers-water-damage-restoration-services-san-jose-residents-can-trust/ | 2022-08-16T01:04:52Z | wbko.com | control | https://www.wbko.com/prnewswire/2022/08/15/mampg-water-amp-fire-restoration-services-inc-offers-water-damage-restoration-services-san-jose-residents-can-trust/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FOXBORO, Mass. (WPRI) — The Patriots hit the practice field for one final time Monday before the Panthers come to town.
Beginning on Tuesday, the teams will hold joint practices at Gillette Stadium ahead of their preseason matchup Friday night.
Speaking to reporters, the Patriots players and coaches agreed that having another team to compete against helps change the pace and predictability of their practices.
“It breaks up the monotony of training camp,” linebackers coach Jerod Mayo said.
“You’re no longer going up against your defense, you’re no longer doing one-on-ones against your guys,” center David Andrews said. “It’s really the Patriots versus the Panthers, and so that’s what it will be. It’s great competition, it’s ways to see different looks.”
Head coach Bill Belichick said it’s important for players to see new individual matchups and schemes.
“With a new team, everything’s kind of new,” he said. “It kind of keeps you on your toes and forces more communication and more awareness, and we need that.”
Offensive assistants Matt Patricia and Joe Judge wouldn’t speak on who’s calling the team’s plays, since Belichick has yet to name an offensive coordinator.
“I think for me, since I’ve been here long enough, I’ve learned to enjoy the process,” Patricia said. “We’ll talk tomorrow on how to handle the next couple days.”
Several players were absent from Monday’s practice, including OT Isaiah Wynn and CB Malcolm Butler.
Kickoff for Friday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on The CW Providence. | https://www.wpri.com/sports/patriots-new-england-nation/patriots-to-host-joint-practices-with-panthers/ | 2022-08-16T01:06:19Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/sports/patriots-new-england-nation/patriots-to-host-joint-practices-with-panthers/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MUSKEGON COUNTY, MICH. — A Muskegon County commissioner has served for decades, and during that time she’s had a lot of firsts in her career.
Recently, she celebrated a milestone birthday and shares her journey and secret to living a long, successful life.
Rillastine Wilkins was born in Oklahoma on July 24th, 1932. At just 18 years old she ran away to Muskegon, Michigan.
“One night I told my sister, I said, 'I'm leaving in the morning,'” said Wilkins. “I got up and I might have had $34 or something like that, and my bus ticket was $27.”
She had an aunt who lived in Muskegon, who didn’t even know she was coming. Wilkins was hoping to escape the segregation that plagued her family daily. But more than a thousand miles away from home, she faced the very thing she ran away from.
“When I got here I was shocked, I thought when you go up north 'here's the freedom land,'” said Wilkins.
She explained that during that time, Blacks had to go through back doors and oftentimes couldn’t eat in the restaurants they were allowed to work at. Even the home she bought with her husband in 1961 — and still lives in today — was targeted.
“Brick came through that window because we were the first Blacks that moved in this area,” said Wilkins.
But in the face of adversity she persevered; developing a passion for politics. She didn’t know she wanted to be involved in government, but was active and looking to improve her quality of life and others like her. Wilkins took on positions, like becoming Muskegon Heights' first female city council member in 1974, serving for 25 years — the first Black female mayor in 1999, serving for eight years —and currently serving as a commissioner for District 1 in Muskegon County.
She was also the former President of the Progressive Democratic Women’s caucus and National Black Caucus of Elected Officials. Totaling more than 30 years of dedication and service to government and politics that continues today.
“You have to help so many people you know, and I've been poor for too long and I came from a family of 10 kids, and my father was an alcoholic,” said Wilkins. "But I had a very strong mother, and my mother delivered 200 babies with no education."
Now at the age of 90, Wilkins says her secret to living a long life is simply doing the right thing.
“You have to make the difference when opportunity arises, and I think that that was my main goal,” said Wilkins. “ As I look back over my life, that's what I've done and that's why people like me, because I believe in being fair, giving them a fair chance.”
Her day usually starts around 6:30am with a cup or two of coffee and her calendar nearby to stay on track. As for her diet? Well, she eats what she wants. And when it comes to her future in politics –
“I think I've served enough and I see enough young people out there now that's doing what we needed done back then,” said Wilkins.
In the end, she says she does not regret running away to Muskegon. She’s also looking forward to finally retiring soon. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/90-year-old-muskegon-county-commissioner-reflects-on-milestone-birthday-and-decades-of-service | 2022-08-16T01:09:08Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/90-year-old-muskegon-county-commissioner-reflects-on-milestone-birthday-and-decades-of-service | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Opening up the butterfly doors of his Tesla Model X never gets old for Ron Zarbock. The lifelong Utahn bought an electric vehicle five years ago because he wanted to help the environment.
"It's very inexpensive to operate, there's no maintenance costs except for tires," Zarbock said.
And more people are following his lead. In July, Consumer Reports found a majority of Americans would buy or are considering getting an electric car — are still skeptical.
In a similar survey from market research firm JD Power, nearly a third hesitated because they just didn't know enough about EVs.
"I do like the savings as far as gas mileage, but I do have to find out more about them," said Pam Taylor, who's shopping for a new car.
Price is another speed bump.
More than half of shoppers told Consumer Reports they were put off by the costs of owning an EV.
It's true that electric cars are generally more expensive than gasoline cars.
Data from Kelley Blue Book this year puts the average electric car at around $63,000.
That's $15,000 higher than the auto industry average. And what about fuel-ups?
The price to charge your EV can run about a third of the cost to fill up on gas each month. But if you're charging at home, you might see a $30-$60 bump in your energy bill.
Plus, 30 states charge hybrid and EV owners a fee to make up for the money they're not paying in gas taxes, which help cover infrastructure costs.
Jack Marchbanks is the director at the Ohio Department of Transportation.
"Up until this point, if you were driving an EV or a hybrid to the extent that you are not using gasoline, you were not helping support the system on which you depend," Marchbanks said.
And you won't have to spend money on gas or changing your oil and filters. Last year the Department of Energy found EVs have lower scheduled maintenance costs than gas cars; a difference of $0.04 per mile.
That may sound small, but one analysis found that it could save you over $8,000 during your EV's lifetime.
Plus, there are government rebates for owning an EV, although they are limited.
"You have a tax credit based on which type of vehicle you buy. Some have run out, for instance, the Teslas have run out because they were oversubscribed, but all the new models have the opportunity to generate a personal tax incentive," said Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada.
Even if more people were able to afford the cars, one-third of those surveyed by JD Power said they wouldn't have any place to charge at home or at work. The Department of Energy says there are nearly 43,000 charging stations nationwide, with around 120,000 individual ports.
But they're not spaced out evenly, leading to a phenomenon dubbed range anxiety.
Scott Fink is the owner of Volkswagen Wesley Chapel.
"We don't get range anxiety with gas because there's a gas station every mile," Fink said.
Government data shows in some states, there are as few as three charging stations for every 100,000 people.
And California has nearly the same amount of charging stations as the 39 states with the lowest count combined.
Arizona is getting over $76 million in federal dollars to boost charger accessibility, but leaders say it's not as easy installing more of them.
Alexa Scholl is the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce Director of Government Affairs.
"One of the concerns is the cost. Also, the availability of the materials to install the infrastructure, with all the labor and supply chain shortages we are experiencing right now," Scholl said.
Americans may also be holding off on EVs because of their love of big cars.
According to data from Edmunds, a car shopping website, 80% of the top 10 selling vehicles in the U.S. are either trucks or SUVs.
EVs are typically smaller.
But, a recent survey from Recurrent, the world's leading analyst of EV battery health, found that pre-sales for some electric trucks and SUVs are passing lifetime sales for older EV models.
EV salesmen acknowledge range was limited in the past.
But they say there are more makes and models that can fit drivers' needs.
Hooman Shahidi is the president of Evpassport.com.
"It's imperative that we understand what the vehicle that we're driving is used for. There are vehicles out there with a hundred miles of range. There are vehicles out there with over 300 or with over 500 miles of range," Shahidi said.
States are now in the driver's seat to solve consumers' biggest concerns.
Like in Indiana, where the Department of Transportation is developing the world's first wireless charging highway, with magnetic fields embedded in the road.
Or the Electric Highway Initiative, which aims to build the largest corridor of charging stations in the nation between eight western states.
"When you travel from Salt Lake City, Moab, Boulder or Zion, that you know when you get there, you'll be able to charge that vehicle, keep playing and then make it home," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
Hesitation could wane as the government ramps up production efforts.
The White House announced this year $7.5 billion of the infrastructure bill would help buy new EV chargers.
President Joe Biden also issued an executive order last year, calling for half of all new cars to be electric or plug-in hybrids by 2030.
And popular car brands are plugged into the need.
Like General Motors, which declared that it will only produce electric-powered cars by 2035.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/a-look-at-why-more-electric-vehicles-are-not-on-us-roadways | 2022-08-16T01:09:14Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/a-look-at-why-more-electric-vehicles-are-not-on-us-roadways | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
(e.g. yourname@email.com)
Remember me
Forgot Password?
U.S. Marine Corp Band members play during an airshow on Marine Corp Base Hawaii, Oahu, Hawaii, August 12, 2022. The airshow displayed numerous military aircraft and was open to the public. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Wyatt Moore)
This work, U.S. Marine Corp Band Have Some Fun [Image 2 of 2], by PFC Wyatt Moore, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7371658/us-marine-corp-band-have-some-fun | 2022-08-16T01:12:02Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7371658/us-marine-corp-band-have-some-fun | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Carnival Corporation’s luxury cruise operator Seabourn has removed the vaccine requirements for most voyages onboard the six ships in the fleet. The cruise line will also be easing testing requirements for fully vaccinated passengers. The new procedures for cruises under 16 nights will be effective starting September 6.
The steps taken by Seabourn follow similar moves by other cruise lines under the Carnival Corporation group of cruise brands, such as Carnival Cruise Line, Princess, Holland America, and others, which all changed their protocols in the last week.
Seabourn Eases Health and Safety Requirements
Starting September 6, Seabourn will simplify the health and safety requirements for guests onboard one of the company’s six ultra-Luxury cruise ships.
For most cruises under 16 nights, fully vaccinated guests will no longer need to submit a pre-cruise test. Unvaccinated guests are welcomed aboard, but must provide results of a negative medically supervised or self-test taken within three days of embarkation.
“Our goal is to offer a luxury vacation experience that is unmatched in quality, safety, and joy,” said Josh Leibowitz, president of Seabourn. “These updated guidelines reflect our ongoing commitment to protecting our guests, the people in the communities we touch and serve, and our shipboard and shoreside employees. We look forward to welcoming all guests on board and delivering unforgettable Seabourn Moments.”
For voyages that are 16 nights in length or longer, vaccinated guests must still submit a medically supervised COVID-19 test with a written negative result. This test must be taken within three days of embarkation.
Unvaccinated guests cannot sail on these longer cruises. Guests must either be vaccinated or can try to request an exemption from Seabourn.
Which Cruises Are Included?
While the new protocols seem to cover the majority of cruises onboard the Seabourn ships, some exceptions have been introduced.
The new protocols do not apply to itineraries for countries where local regulations require vaccinations or testing, such as sailings to and from Canada, Greece, and Australia.
Exceptions are also in place for cruises with a unique, more high-risk character, such as Panama Canal transits, transatlantic cruises, and designated remote voyages.
This will likely affect cruises onboard the cruise line’s newest ship, Seabourn Venture. This ship, which sailed on her maiden voyage last month, operates in some of the most remote areas of our planet.
Cruise Lines Changing Protocols
In July, the CDC dropped all requirements for cruise ships regarding testing for COVID-19 and vaccine mandates that were in place onboard. Although the cruise industry could have changed protocols immediately after this, many waited to see how the situation would evolve and who would take the first step to drop protocols.
In the last two weeks, most cruise lines felt the time was right to make significant changes. This meant changing testing protocols, or as is the case with Seabourn Cruise Line, even letting go of vaccine mandates.
That being said, the situation is far from back to normal. It could very well be that an increase in cases will lead cruise lines to reinstate vaccination mandates on shorter cruises and demand a stricter testing regime.
Those that have waited for many months to sail again will need to keep a close eye on how cases evolve during the autumn. If there is a significant rise in cases ashore or onboard cruise ships, enquire about what the cruise line intends to do.
The possibility of a canceled cruise is still very much a real possibility, despite the positive news from the last months. | https://www.cruisehive.com/another-carnival-cruise-brand-removes-the-vaccine-requirement/79080 | 2022-08-16T01:18:01Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/another-carnival-cruise-brand-removes-the-vaccine-requirement/79080 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A retired Los Angeles County fire captain, who allegedly took photographs of human remains at the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others and then sent the images to at least one other employee, testified on Monday, Aug. 15, that he was ordered to take the pictures.
In awkward testimony that ranged from conflicted to hostile, Brian Jordan said he had little memory of the day or of seeing horrific scenes that “are gonna haunt me forever.”
Jordan was called to the stand in the federal civil lawsuit brought by the Laker star’s widow and another family. Vanessa Bryant and Chris Chester are suing the county for negligence and invasion of privacy over the photos.
Bryant’s husband and 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and Chester’s wife, Sarah, and 13-year-old daughter Payton were among the nine people killed in the crash.
Jordan was criticized by the Los Angeles County Fire Department after it determined his photographs from the crash scene had “no legitimate business purpose” and “only served to appeal to baser instincts and desires for what amounted to visual gossip,” according to court records.
Before he could be terminated from his job, Jordan retired, in early 2021, citing his mental health, court papers show. Steven Haney, Jordan’s attorney, wrote in a filing that his client was “simply obeying orders” when he snapped the photos at the scene of the Jan. 26, 2020, crash.
Jordan was clearly troubled when he appeared in the seventh-floor courtroom where the trial has been playing out since Wednesday. He had trouble answering questions and carried on asides with U.S. District Judge John Walter, who at one point advised him to “hang in there” and “do the best you can.”
He said he did not remember whether he used his personal cell phone or a county-issued device to snap photos, what he took pictures of, or even if he had been at the crash scene at all.
When an attorney for Chester described the catastrophic injuries suffered by his client’s wife in an attempt to jar Jordan’s memories, the witness snapped: “Excuse me, I need to take another break,” and quickly walked off of the stand and out of Walter’s courtroom.
When he returned, Jordan told jurors that he was “ordered” by a superior officer to go to the accident site, take photos, “and cover up a particular person,” meaning the remains of Bryant.
“I was there, (but) I do not remember being there,” he told plaintiff’s attorney Jerry Jackson. “So please do not keep describing that scene to me.”
Jordan explained to an attorney for the county that his emotional problems stem from “the injury I suffered from whatever I saw up there (at the crash site).” After a long pause, he added, “My memory is not clear.”
The plaintiffs accuse Los Angeles County’s first responders of taking cellphone pictures of human remains at the remote Calabasas crash site for “souvenirs” and sharing them with other law-enforcement personnel and members of the public.
The county contends all images taken by its sheriff’s deputies and firefighters were quickly destroyed, no longer exist in any form, and never entered the public domain.
Also Monday, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Joey Cruz testified that on the night of Jan. 28, 2020, he went to the Baja California Bar & Grill in Norwalk and showed his bartender friend crash-site photos containing human remains stored on his personal cell phone.
“Some of my photos had, like, a torso, another one had a leg, another one had a hand,” he told the jury, which includes a nun. “That’s the most I remember about the photos.”
Cruz said that none of the victims could be identified from the photos. However, in a March 30, 2020, videotaped interview conducted with Sheriff’s Department investigators that was played for jurors, the deputy indicted that he could identify Bryant’s body in one of the photos from his “skin tone.”
Jurors at the trial heard on Friday from a sheriff’s deputy who was among the first to arrive at the crash scene and testified that he snapped 25 pictures on his cell phone, a third of which contained close-up images of body parts.
Deputy Doug Johnson said he hiked for more than an hour through remote, brush-filled terrain to get to the site, and taped off the area before snapping photos to “document” the devastation at the request of a deputy at the command post.
Bryant and Chester say they suffer from emotional distress at the possibility of pictures of their family members’ broken bodies one day surfacing on the internet.
Under questioning by a lawyer for Bryant, Johnson testified he texted the 25 photos to the command post deputy and airdropped them to a county fire supervisor.
As for the phone itself, he said he lost it the following year in Las Vegas.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs contend that after Johnson sent the photos, the images spread to at least 10 others, with some displaying them for members of the public.
Two other families with loved ones on the helicopter settled somewhat-similar claims for $1.25 million each. They also accused county first responders of improperly sharing photos of their dead relatives.
Join the Conversation
We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/15/ex-fire-captain-says-he-has-little-memory-of-kobe-bryant-crash-site/ | 2022-08-16T01:18:07Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/15/ex-fire-captain-says-he-has-little-memory-of-kobe-bryant-crash-site/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Carnival Cruise Line has teased more details about its upcoming Excel-class Carnival Celebration, due to join the fleet in November 2022, sailing from Miami.
The extraordinary vessel will include extraordinary options for relaxation, with multiple spa options, private retreats, and more for passengers to kick back, chill out, and rejuvenate while on their cruise vacation.
Three Exclusive Relaxation Spaces
Carnival Celebration will feature three exclusive relaxation spaces with multiple options for guests to enjoy – the luxurious Cloud 9 Spa, the exclusive Loft 19, and the ever-popular Serenity.
“While every Carnival ship has places to relax, we took all of the fan favorites from across our fleet and brought them to Carnival Celebration to make her the ultimate space to unwind and enjoy your vacation,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
“From our popular Cloud 9 Spa and adult-only areas to the new spaces designed just for relaxing, there will be nothing like feeling pampered while enjoying endless ocean views and vibes on Carnival Celebration.”
Cloud 9 Spa
The first space is the popular Cloud 9 Spa, already a hit across the Fun Ship fleet for offering both traditional massages, facials, body wraps, and other pampering treatments as well as innovative wellness therapies such as acupuncture, thermal suites, and a hydrotherapy pool.
Aboard Carnival Celebration, the Cloud 9 Spa is located on decks 5 and 6 forward.
The Cloud 9 Spa also has an expansive fitness center with the latest cardio and weight-training equipment to cater to all conditioning levels.
A wide range of instructor-led exercise classes and wellness programs will be offered, and the full service salon features hair services, barbers, manicures, pedicures, and other treatment options for guests to look their very best.
Loft 19
Loft 19 – appropriately enough on deck 19, forward – is a secluded, retreat-style experience first introduced on Carnival Cruise Line’s flagship, Mardi Gras.
Ideal for soaking up the sun with breathtaking views, Loft 19 includes full bar service, an infinity whirlpool, sun loungers, and private spacious cabanas, available for rent by day or voyage.
Loft 19 attendants are available to help with guests’ needs, such as providing plush robes, lunch delivery, chilled towels, and fresh fruit.
While the cabanas are available for anyone onboard to rent, guests staying in Carnival Excel-level suites will enjoy complimentary access to Loft 19 and receive priority cabana reservations.
Serenity
The familiar, fleet-wide Serenity Adult-Only Retreat is found on deck 18 (forward) aboard Carnival Celebration. There, guests age 21 and older can escape to a private space where they are able to grab a drink at the bar or take a dip in the pool, surrounded by peace and tranquility.
Serenity features a private pool and two hot tubs, plentiful loungers, and the best possible spaces to soak up the rays and ease into the ultimate vacation relaxation mode.
Even More Spaces to Relax
In addition to these exclusive spaces, guests aboard Carnival Celebration have other options to find their perfect relaxation spot.
The ship includes a variety of pool areas with sweeping views throughout the ship’s zones, including the patio pool in Summer Landing, the tides pool in Lido, and the Havana pool exclusive to guests booked in Havana staterooms and suites.
Guests can also enjoy their own private balconies – Carnival Celebration features more than 1,600 balcony staterooms in a variety of categories, from luxurious suites to both forward- and aft-view balconies, extended balconies, cove balconies, and more, each one providing guests their own intimate space to relax.
Of course, not all guests want a quiet, secluded space to relax, and Carnival Celebration will offer all types of fun options for all types of relaxation.
From the cruise line’s second BOLT roller coaster to energetic lounges to dynamic shows to indulgent dining options, every guest aboard is sure to find their own way to relax on Carnival Celebration. | https://www.cruisehive.com/new-relaxing-spaces-revealed-for-upcoming-new-carnival-ship/79102 | 2022-08-16T01:18:07Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/new-relaxing-spaces-revealed-for-upcoming-new-carnival-ship/79102 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
INDIANAPOLIS — Thousands of cases of wild cherry Capri Sun are being recalled due to cleaning solution possibly being mixed into the popular children's beverage.
Kraft Heinz announced a voluntary recall of approximately 5,760 cases of Capri Sun Wild Cherry Flavored Juice Drink Blend beverages.
The voluntary recall comes after diluted cleaning solution, which is used on food processing equipment, was inadvertently introduced into a production line at one of Kraft Heinz's factories, the company said.
The company discovered the drinks were contaminated after receiving several complaints from consumers who said their Capri Suns tasted different.
Kraft Heinz said it's working with retail partners and distributors to remove impacted products from circulation.
However, if you have Capri Sun in your fridge or cabinets, you'll want to check it. The affected products are only the wild cherry flavored Capri Suns that have a "best when used by" date of June 25, 2023.
If you find you have one of the affected Capri Sun packages, the company said you should not drink it and can return it to the store where it was purchased.
Consumers can contact Kraft Heinz from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, at 1-800-280-8252 to see if a product is part of the recall and to receive reimbursement.
Recall roundup
Several other recalls were announced Monday, including one for millions of infant swings and rockers, and another for King's Hawaiian pretzel products.
Pittsburgh-based 4moms is recalling about 2 million MamaRoo swings and 220,000 RockaRoo rockers in the U.S after reports that one baby died and another was hurt after getting tangled in hanging straps, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Monday. Another 70,000 of the products are being recalled in Canada.
According to the recall notice, the swings and rockers were sold at BuyBuy Baby and Target stores nationwide from January 2010 through August 2022 for between $160 and $250. They were also sold online on 4moms.com and Amazon.
King’s Hawaiian has issued a recall for its pretzel products due to concerns over possible bacteria contamination with an ingredient from one of its suppliers.
The recall covers all King's Hawaiian Pretzel Slider Buns, Pretzel Hamburger Buns and Pretzel Bites products. According to the company, the move is a precaution after an ingredient used in the pretzel products was recalled by Lyons Magnus for possible contamination.
The recall doesn't impact any other King’s Hawaiian products. The company said it plans to resume producing pretzel products once it has confirmed the safety of all ingredients and made sure all the current product has been thrown out. | https://www.krem.com/article/money/consumer/capri-sun-wild-cherry-drinks-recalled-possible-cleaning-solution-contamination-kraft-heinz/531-21f3d4bf-4fdb-4a8c-98a3-6d74060ee3e2 | 2022-08-16T01:18:16Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/money/consumer/capri-sun-wild-cherry-drinks-recalled-possible-cleaning-solution-contamination-kraft-heinz/531-21f3d4bf-4fdb-4a8c-98a3-6d74060ee3e2 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE, Wash. — Jury selection began Monday in the trial of a former Spokane police officer accused of raping two women.
Nathan Nash, 38, is accused of raping two women on two separate occasions in 2019 and 2021. For the Oct. 2019 case, Nash is charged with second and third-degree rape as well as official misconduct. In the most recent case that occurred in 2021, Nash is charged with rape and unlawful imprisonment.
Last year, a Spokane County judge ruled the two cases would be merged into one.
Some of the similar details between the two cases are outlined in a probable cause affidavit filed in Spokane County Superior Court. Investigators said in the documents Nash met both women while responding to calls where they were assault victims, and the alleged rape happened when he followed up with the victims alone to take photos for evidence.
The victims said Nash responded alone during the "follow-up" contacts and sexually assaulted them.
Nash was terminated by the Spokane Police Department (SPD) for charges related to the 2019 incident. He was charged with second-degree rape, third-degree rape and official misconduct after he allegedly violated a woman during a domestic violence investigation.
Opening statements are set to take place on Tuesday afternoon.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/nathan-nash-spokane-trial/293-20a3d551-312e-4af8-be1d-cf6e40112750 | 2022-08-16T01:18:22Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/nathan-nash-spokane-trial/293-20a3d551-312e-4af8-be1d-cf6e40112750 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The surgeon who was accused of building a luxurious life on the backs of often-desperate drug users eager to make a buck — even if it meant enduring unnecessary surgeries, getting unnecessary lab tests and receiving unnecessary injections for inflated prices — pleaded guilty to several charges in two separate cases on Friday, Aug.12, according to court records.
Randy Rosen ran Wellness Wave, a surgical center in Beverly Hills, and girlfriend Liza Vismanos owned Lotus Laboratories, a toxicology lab in Los Alamitos. Over the course of just a few years, they billed health insurance companies some $676 million for medical procedures and tests and collected millions in reimbursements, according to court documents that paint a picture of unrepentant greed and callous disregard for human suffering.
Before landing in the Orange County Jail, they were remodeling a $3.2 million mansion — with “jetliner” views of the Pacific Ocean, Santa Monica mountains and downtown Los Angeles; complete with lap pool and wine cellar — high in the hills of Brentwood. They had high-priced cars, expensive purses and jewelry, eclectic art and bars of silver and gold, prosecutors said in court documents.
Rosen pleaded guilty to several counts of submitting fraudulent insurance claims with an aggravated white collar crime enhancement, while scores of other charges were dismissed. He faces 10 years behind bars, but will get credit for the two years he has already served as the cases progressed through the justice system.
Vismanos pleaded guilty on Friday to insurance fraud and had dozens of charges dismissed.
“This is the largest prison sentence for a provider in a California workers’ compensation insurance fraud,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer in a prepared statement. “Dr. Rosen used vulnerable sober living patients who were desperately trying to battle their demons as an ATM machine to make a buck. He didn’t care about his patients; he only cared about making as much money as possible.”
Rosen’s time behind bars was itself a source of controversy.
Rosen got COVID-19 in late 2020, and a judge released him to his multi-million dollar home to recuperate, for fear of underlying medical conditions.
Rather than enduring lock-up in Orange County’s main jail, Rosen paid $100 a night to stay at the kinder, gentler Huntington Beach City Jail in 2021, raising questions about justice for the rich, and for everybody else.
Rosen’s attorney didn’t respond to requests for comment by deadline.
“I refuse to allow these body brokers to traffic human beings as part of a thinly disguised plot to strike it rich,” D.A. Spitzer said. “People battling addiction and the people who love them are looking for a lifeline to help save them. Dr. Rosen not only grabbed the lifeline out of their hands, he billed the insurance companies to do it.”
Join the Conversation
We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/15/rehab-doctor-randy-rosen-pleads-guilty-to-insurance-fraud/ | 2022-08-16T01:18:25Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/15/rehab-doctor-randy-rosen-pleads-guilty-to-insurance-fraud/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Four men connected to the 31 who were arrested in downtown Coeur d'Alene in early June appeared in court on Monday afternoon. All four men pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to riot.
The following men appeared in court Monday:
- Devin Wayne Center (Fayetteville, AR)
- James Julius Johnson (Sioux Falls, SD)
- Lawrence Alexander Norman (Prospect, OR)
- Spencer Thomas Simpson (Ellensburg, WA)
Simpson was the only one who appeared in court in person. The three other men appeared virtually.
The four men were part of 31 with ties to the white nationalist group Patriot Front. The men were arrested after they were found in the back of a U-haul trailer and accused of planning to violently disrupt a Pride celebration on June 11 in Coeur d’Alene City Park.
In total, 13 of the 31 men have appeared in court. All of them have pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to riot.
Those arrested come from 13 states, including Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, Alabama, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, South Dakota, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas. Only two of the men are from Idaho while four are from Washington state. Three of the men have ties to Spokane.
The remaining suspects are expected to appear in court over the coming weeks.
Misdemeanor conspiracy to riot is punishable by up to one year in jail, as well as by a $5,000 fine and up to two years of probation.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/patriot-front-cda/293-09f2f827-785d-4c51-873c-c0c71f80c19e | 2022-08-16T01:18:28Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/patriot-front-cda/293-09f2f827-785d-4c51-873c-c0c71f80c19e | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE, Wash. — David Joseph Osinski, 57, based in Arlington, Texas, has been indicted with six counts of conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering. His crimes cost the victim, an elderly man from Spokane, $345,000 back in 2021.
“Internet scams, often perpetrated outside of the state, are a recurring problem which cause significant harm and hardship to residents here in Eastern Washington,” said U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref.
Osinski framed the scam through a relationship with a fake art dealer named “Kathleen” based in Dubai. Through a series of messages, Osinski and his co-conspirators convinced the victim to send an initial payment of $189,000 to an account in Dubai for the purchase of art. An additional $156,640 was sent to a Dallas-based account owned and controlled by Osinski. Osinski then withdrew the amount to purchase cryptocurrency.
“Unfortunately, fraudsters and scammers frequently target elderly members of our community. This case is an important part of our efforts to seek elder justice and fight elder fraud in Eastern Washington. In order to make Eastern Washington communities safer and stronger, we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute scammers and their conspirators,” said Waldref.
If convicted, Osinski faces a possible 30-year sentence on the conspiracy charges, 20 years on the wire fraud charges and 10 years on the money laundering charges for a total of 60 years.
Editor's note: In the original version of this story, the victim was identified as a female.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: Search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/spokane-dallas-man-art-scam/293-0463849b-8bed-4a80-9c16-d7d46a6be52a | 2022-08-16T01:18:36Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/spokane-dallas-man-art-scam/293-0463849b-8bed-4a80-9c16-d7d46a6be52a | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SEATTLE — Police believe a recent spike in Kia vehicle thefts throughout Seattle could be tied to a series of videos shared on TikTok.
The Seattle Police Department investigated 36 reports of stolen Kia's this July, up from five in July 2021. Investigators believe suspects may be using a method learned from TikTok that involves using a USB drive, cable or other tools in place of a key to start a vehicle.
Police said Kia models Optima, Soul, Sorrento, Forte and Sportage were stolen throughout the city in July. The vehicles were manufactured between 2014 and 2021, according to police.
Two teens were arrested earlier this month after reports of several suspects driving a stolen Kia. Investigators said the suspects were on a residential street in northwest Capitol Hill when they tried to steal a second Kia.
Police said three suspects in the car fled from officers but two were eventually caught. A 17-year-old boy carrying a loaded "ghost gun" assembled from a firearm kit sold online and a 16-year-old boy were arrested, authorities said. The two teens were arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a stolen vehicle.
In a separate case, police found a stolen Kia in South Seattle and found evidence linking the theft to the same 16-year-old from the Capitol Hill incident. Police learned the 16-year-old reportedly learned to steal Kias through watching TikTok videos.
Investigators have made several arrests tied to recent Kia thefts in the city. Authorities recommend owners of Kia vehicles to park in well-lit or secure areas when possible. Steering wheel locks and after-market ignition kill-switch can be deterrents against theft. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/tiktok-videos-may-causing-recent-spike-kia-thefts-in-seattle/281-f1adc70c-e3eb-44cb-bad8-51b0ff0f6999 | 2022-08-16T01:18:36Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/tiktok-videos-may-causing-recent-spike-kia-thefts-in-seattle/281-f1adc70c-e3eb-44cb-bad8-51b0ff0f6999 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON — U.S. officials said they are able to ship out more monkeypox vaccine doses than previously planned — because of a strategy shift that allows more shots to be drawn from each vial.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services had previously anticipated allowing 221,000 doses to be ordered starting Monday. But officials said they would release 442,000 doses for order by state, local and territorial health departments.
The accelerated release was only possible because U.S. health officials said last week that they would stretch the nation’s limited supply of Jynneos monkeypox vaccine by giving people one-fifth the usual dose, injected just under the skin. Previously, each vaccine dose required a full vial injected into deeper tissue. They cited research suggesting that the reduced amount is about as effective.
The 442,000 doses would equate to about 88,000 vials.
Officials said the new approach allows them to make hundreds of thousands more doses available now while they gather data about how the shots are being used. That will help the government make sure doses are being administered to the places and people that need them most, officials said.
U.S. officials previously shipped more than 630,000 doses, though not all have been used.
Federal health officials have suggested they would need about 3.2 million shots to vaccinate all those considered at highest risk of monkeypox. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/health/monkeypox/us-monkeypox-vaccine-shipment/507-2e440f89-c3a2-44a6-a377-91dff43140c2 | 2022-08-16T01:18:37Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/health/monkeypox/us-monkeypox-vaccine-shipment/507-2e440f89-c3a2-44a6-a377-91dff43140c2 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE, Wash. — The homeless camp near I-90 and Freya continues to grow, as do the concerns among people who live nearby.
Frustrated by the hundreds of tents and RVs taking up an entire city block, those concerns are now spilling into Spokane's West Hills neighborhood. That's where Catholic Charities is moving forward with plans to buy the Quality Inn to house some of those campers.
Neighbors gathered outside Spokane City Hall on Monday, trying to get the attention of Mayor Nadine Woodward and the Spokane City Council, who signed on to the plan with Catholic Charities to use state commerce funds to buy the Quality Inn.
Protestors claim that there was absolutely no outreach regarding this plan and that they had no opportunity to share their concerns with the city. The protest has grown to a point where a large banner now hangs over an overpass on Sunset, stating "No Camp Hope on Sunset" in big black and red letters.
One neighbor, Annie Iishi, knows several people who are so upset about the plan that they've already listed their homes.
"This is the biggest, most catastrophic news that has landed on us in the 30 plus years I have lived in the same home here," Iishi said.
If this deal goes through, Catholic Charities said the hotel will be transformed with enough room for approximately 100 people. Those people will have to be referred and interviewed and only those with a high likelihood of success will be allowed in. If they break the rules or cause issues, they will be kicked out.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/homeless/neighbors-business-owners-catholic-charities-quality-inn/293-ad4e5ef6-e405-4019-9a2c-816d71449bc7 | 2022-08-16T01:18:56Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/homeless/neighbors-business-owners-catholic-charities-quality-inn/293-ad4e5ef6-e405-4019-9a2c-816d71449bc7 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPOKANE, Wash. — The Mead School board is set to discuss new policy for teaching students about critical race theory and banning some books that address LGBTQ+ topics in elementary schools at its meeting on Monday.
Mead School Board Director Michael Cannon has introduced a policy that sets parameters for discussing critical race theory in class. Part of that policy says the following statements should not be made in classroom discussion, except in age-appropriate settings where there can be more than one perspective.
· One race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex
· The United States is fundamentally racist or sexist
· Any individual should feel guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of their race or sex
Spokane NAACP President Kiantha Duncan shared concerns about the policy in a Facebook live. “Not having it in your schools, not talking about what actually happened does not mean that it didn’t happen,” Duncan said.
Cannon has also introduced a first reading of new restrictions in elementary school libraries. The proposed addition is “Such resources must be age appropriate and shall not include references to gender identity, gender fluidity, the gender spectrum, or gender-neutral ideology in any form in Elementary libraries.” It is up to the superintendent to decide a process for how to select library materials. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/mead-school-board-to-discuss-critical-race-theory-gender-identity-policies/293-c68e8549-930f-4d22-9de7-b8ad93fd9065 | 2022-08-16T01:19:02Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/mead-school-board-to-discuss-critical-race-theory-gender-identity-policies/293-c68e8549-930f-4d22-9de7-b8ad93fd9065 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The FBI searched former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, on Aug. 8 as part of an investigation into potential violations of three different federal laws, and recovered “top secret” and other sensitive documents.
Since the search, many Republican politicians publicly denounced the law enforcement agency’s actions, calling it an overreach or “corrupt.”
But a video clip that’s making the rounds on Twitter appears to show Florida’s Republican governor defending the FBI’s search.
“Ron DeSantis went on Hannity and things got SPICY,” Twitter user Timothy Burke wrote in a tweet that has been shared tens of thousands of times.
In the video clip, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis appears to be a guest on Sean Hannity’s show on FOX News. He seems to respond to Hannity’s comments about the FBI search by saying, “It’s not a raid. They were serving valid process, in accordance with the laws and the constitution of the United States and the state of Florida.”
Lara Trump, former President Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, is also in the clip and appears to speak out against the Mar-a-Lago search.
Some people on Twitter claimed the clip is edited.
THE QUESTION
Did Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis defend the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago on “Hannity”?
THE SOURCES
- Fox News host Sean Hannity
- Spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis
- Original episode of “Hannity” that aired on Tuesday, Aug. 9
- Reports from WPTV and CBS Miami in Florida on a December 2020 press conference from Gov. Ron DeSantis
THE ANSWER
No, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t defend the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago on Hannity. The clip shared on Twitter was edited and uses footage of DeSantis from an unrelated press conference in December 2020.
WHAT WE FOUND
Sean Hannity responded to the viral post in a tweet on Aug. 13, confirming that the video clip showing himself, DeSantis and Lara Trump is edited.
“WARNING IF YOU SEE THIS ON TWITTER IT IS EDITED FAKE NEWS! They spliced in comments the Governor made years ago,” he wrote. “Twitter needs to step in and remove this immediately.”
A spokesperson for DeSantis also called the edited video “disinformation.”
Twitter flagged the video as “manipulated media,” but has not removed it from the platform.
Lara Trump did appear on an episode of Hannity’s show alongside Fox News contributor Ari Fleischer on Tuesday, Aug. 9. The edited clip features real responses from Lara Trump about the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, but Fleischer has been replaced with the edited clips of DeSantis.
VERIFY was able to trace DeSantis’ comments in the altered video to a press conference he held in December 2020. Video of that press conference was shared on several local media sites.
The governor was addressing reporters’ questions after law enforcement seized computer equipment at the home of Rebecca Jones, who previously served as Florida’s coronavirus dashboard manager. Jones was accused of illegally hacking into the state Department of Health’s emergency alert system.
At three seconds into the edited video shared by Timothy Burke, DeSantis is heard saying, “It’s not a raid, with all due respect.”
DeSantis speaks the same words at nine seconds into a Twitter clip shared by WPTV, a South Florida news station, and about 30 seconds into a news report from CBS Miami in December 2020.
“It’s not a raid. With all due respect, what you just said is editorializing,” DeSantis said when a reporter referred to the search of Jones’ home as a raid.
The altered video also uses other soundbites from DeSantis, including the following at about seven seconds in: “It’s not a raid. They were serving valid process, in accordance with the laws and the constitution of the United States and the state of Florida.”
DeSantis says these same words at 42 seconds into the WPTV clip.
In the altered clip of DeSantis, his shot freezes in place while Lara Trump and Hannity are speaking. He doesn’t move or react to their comments the way someone would during a live or taped interview.
Additionally, DeSantis’ background in the altered video is the same as the one in the December 2020 press conference clips. He’s also wearing the same tie and jacket in the doctored video and genuine 2020 clips.
Since the FBI searched Mar-a-Lago, DeSantis has also openly criticized the FBI’s actions, writing in a tweet that it is “another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the Regime’s political opponents.” | https://www.krem.com/article/news/verify/social-media/florida-governor-ron-desantis-didnt-defending-fbi-mar-a-lago-search-hannity-edited-video/536-4d537635-9832-4673-b53a-0045b3314205 | 2022-08-16T01:19:20Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/verify/social-media/florida-governor-ron-desantis-didnt-defending-fbi-mar-a-lago-search-hannity-edited-video/536-4d537635-9832-4673-b53a-0045b3314205 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks agreed Monday to trade defensive back Ugo Amadi to the Philadelphia Eagles for wide receiver/tight end J.J. Arcega-Whiteside.
The deal involves players who haven't completely lived up to the expectations their teams had when they drafted them. Amadi has played mostly as a nickel cornerback and backup safety for the Seahawks. Arcega-Whiteside has struggled to get involved offensively for the Eagles and was switched to tight end this offseason.
Seattle is likely to keep Arcega-Whiteside as a wide receiver due to the team's depth at tight end.
Amadi was a fourth-round pick in 2019 and has started 12 of 47 regular season games. Seattle signed nickel cornerback Justin Coleman in the offseason and has used rookie Coby Bryant in that spot during training camp.
Arcega-Whiteside was a second-round selection in 2019 and has been maligned for his lack of production while the likes of DK Metcalf, Dionte Johnson and Terry McLaurin were selected after him. Arcega-Whiteside has 16 career receptions in 40 games played.
"He was a heavier wide receiver, and it's not going to be hard for him to put on some weight and take his athleticism over to the tight end side where he can create a little bit different mismatches there against safeties and linebackers as opposed to corners and nickels. So, I think that will help J.J.," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said in April. | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/nfl/seahawks/seahawks-send-ugo-amadi-to-eagles-for-jj-arcega-whiteside/281-3b390bc8-4563-46f9-b3bb-99a4dcff7afd | 2022-08-16T01:19:33Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/nfl/seahawks/seahawks-send-ugo-amadi-to-eagles-for-jj-arcega-whiteside/281-3b390bc8-4563-46f9-b3bb-99a4dcff7afd | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Jennifer Walters’ Law Firm Releases a New Ad Ahead of She-Hulk’s Debut
It’s a little ironic that She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is premiering a few days after another beloved legal series, Better Call Saul, airs its finale on AMC. But just like Saul Goodman, Jennifer Walters is leaning into the shamelessness of legal commercials. To get fans excited for She-Hulk‘s debut episode, Marvel has released a fake advertisement for Jen’s law firm. You can check it out for yourself below.
The ad details the services offered by Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg, and Holliway (GLK&H), specifically the new Superhuman Law Division spearheaded by Jen herself. Comic fans will recognize the name of the firm from writer Dan Slott’s She-Hulk run in the early 2000s. The names of the firm’s senior partners should sound familiar as well: Goodman is a reference to original Marvel Comics publisher Martin Goodman; Lieber refers to the full last name of Stan Lee and his brother, Larry; and Kurtzberg is a nod to Jacob Kurtzberg, the birth name of Jack Kirby.
Don’t get angry – get a lawyer! #SheHulk pic.twitter.com/4WmAZdkJAf
— She-Hulk (@SheHulkOfficial) August 15, 2022
RELATED: New She-Hulk Promo Leans Into a Law & Order Parody
The firm’s sole remaining co-founder, Holden Holliway, was introduced by Slott and artist Juan Bobillo in 2005. In the series’ first issue, Holliway began specializing in superhuman legal cases to defend his granddaughter, a small-time supervillain named Southpaw. Although we’ve seen Jen’s boss in trailers for She-Hulk, it’s still not clear if this is Holliway or a new character created just for the show.
Additionally, the commercial includes a working phone number for the Superhuman Law Division: 1-877-SHE-HULK (743-4855). Calling the number plays a recording of Jen listing reasons to hire legal counsel, whether her clients have been “fined for thousands of dollars” in property damage, or “accidentally created a sentient robot who got the feels and tried to destroy the world.”
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law will premiere on Disney+ this Thursday, August 18.
Would you hire GLK&H to handle your legal defense? Let us know in the comment section below!
Recommended Reading: The Savage She-Hulk Omnibus | https://www.superherohype.com/tv/517892-jennifer-walters-law-firm-releases-a-new-ad-ahead-of-she-hulks-debut | 2022-08-16T01:22:38Z | superherohype.com | control | https://www.superherohype.com/tv/517892-jennifer-walters-law-firm-releases-a-new-ad-ahead-of-she-hulks-debut | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – Candidates for the deputy director of public service position at the Laramie County Library System will present to the public on Thursday and Friday at 4:30 p.m. in the library’s Willow Room.
Members of the public are encouraged to attend both presentations and provide feedback to the hiring committee. Comment forms will be available during the presentations.
The deputy director of public service will be responsible for the public service aspects of the library, and will oversee the adult services, circulation and branch services, computer center and cataloging services, and youth and outreach services divisions. The person in this position will work to ensure that Laramie County residents are provided with an exceptional library that always strives to meet its mission to be a hub for engagement, literacy and learning, and lifelong curiosity and discovery, according to a news release.
Candidates were asked to prepare a presentation on one of two topics: the candidate’s experience with Makerspaces, public programs using that technology, and other forms of “making” in a library or the candidate’s vision for how Laramie County Library System could be positioned in the county five years from now, compared to its positioning today. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/library-s-deputy-director-of-public-service-candidates-to-present-to-the-public/article_1bc8a44d-0d30-52a4-bb42-f32d873e20c0.html | 2022-08-16T01:24:30Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/library-s-deputy-director-of-public-service-candidates-to-present-to-the-public/article_1bc8a44d-0d30-52a4-bb42-f32d873e20c0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – Beginning Thursday, the KCYS WSR-88D radar operated by the NOAA National Weather Service in Cheyenne will be down for approximately seven days for the replacement of the generator, fuel tanks and accompanying components.
According to a news release, this activity is important to support the radar’s operation during periods of commercial power outages, specifically when hazardous weather is present.
This generator update is the fifth major project of the NEXRAD Service Life Extension Program, a series of upgrades and replacements that will keep the nation’s radars viable into the 2030s, according to the release. NOAA National Weather Service, the United States Air Force and the Federal Aviation Administration are investing $150 million in the eight-year program.
The first project was the installation of the new signal processor, and the second project was the transmitter refurbishment. The two remaining projects are the refurbishment of the pedestal and equipment shelters. The Service Life Extension Program will be complete in 2023.
Radars are critically important in remote sensing severe storms, snow, wildfire smoke, and weather forecasting for critical watches and warnings. NWS forecasters will use surrounding radars and satellite information to continue issuing any warnings, when needed. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/national-weather-service-radar-to-be-down-for-7-days-for-upgrades/article_23654ae6-d4f4-5ea4-a36c-eafda593d33b.html | 2022-08-16T01:24:36Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/national-weather-service-radar-to-be-down-for-7-days-for-upgrades/article_23654ae6-d4f4-5ea4-a36c-eafda593d33b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
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/news/local_news/revenue-committee-seeks-public-proposals-for-k-12-education-revenue/article_50f85c91-f6d7-5c6d-aee9-aef3d8f56c8e.html | 2022-08-16T01:24:42Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/revenue-committee-seeks-public-proposals-for-k-12-education-revenue/article_50f85c91-f6d7-5c6d-aee9-aef3d8f56c8e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Primary Election in Sweetwater County is set to be on Tuesday, Aug. 16.
The “City of Rock Springs Government” Facebook page recently shared a graphic outlining what voters can expect at the polls and what they need to bring with them.
Upon arriving at the voter’s polling location, they will be asked to provide basic information such as name and address in order to ensure the poll worker can find their record.
Additionally, voters will need to provide a poll worker with one of the acceptable forms of identification.
Any of the following forms of identification will be accepted:
Wyoming drivers license or ID card
Tribal ID card
U.S. passport
U.S. military card
Drivers license or ID card from another state
University of Wyoming student ID
Wyoming community college student ID
Wyoming public school student ID
Valid Medicare insurance card
Valid Medicaid insurance card
If a voter does not have their ID with them, they can leave to retrieve the ID and then return to vote or vote a provisional ballot.
A provisional ballot allows a voter to vote “right then and there.” However, the voter will need to bring the acceptable identification with them to the county clerk’s office by the end of the next business day in order for the vote to count.
Voters who vote by absentee ballot are not required to provide any additional form of identification. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/heading-to-the-polls-primary-election-set-for-aug-16/article_89e96515-b11f-5760-9415-9e2288cf9809.html | 2022-08-16T01:24:49Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/heading-to-the-polls-primary-election-set-for-aug-16/article_89e96515-b11f-5760-9415-9e2288cf9809.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – The Department of Family Services has announced that money will be available for qualified community college students, to assist them with the cost of child care during the fall 2022 semester.
The emergency child care assistance grant provides funds for students enrolled in a degree, credit diploma or certificate program, whether they take those classes in person, online or in a hybrid, said a Thursday news release from the state DFS. Citizens, non-citizens and international students all may qualify.
Qualified students must also experience one or more of the following hardships related to child care costs:
They must be underemployed
Unemployed
Be taking a reduced college course load
Have reduced credits earned in the prior academic term
Be at risk of reduced credits in the upcoming academic term
Face prohibitive child care costs
The level of assistance depends on the age and number of children. Grant awards are prorated based on student enrollment, meaning the level of the award depends on the number of credit hours a student is enrolled.
"DFS is excited to partner with community colleges across the state to provide essential child care support for students working to achieve their educational goals and enter the workforce as a valuable resource to Wyoming communities,” said Roxanne O'Connor, the DFS Support Services Division's senior administrator. “We are very grateful for the work and collaboration that the community colleges and the Community College Commission put towards this innovative and much needed program. Since we know that child care is a cornerstone of economic strength, the widespread impact of these dollars will be realized by students, educational institutions and employers throughout Wyoming."
Applications will be available at the beginning of the fall semester. Funding is limited, and awards will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Funding is provided through American Rescue Plan Act child care discretionary dollars. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/economy_and_labor/child-care-assistance-available-for-community-college-students/article_c0d76d8e-1ce2-11ed-a6d7-ff780a97c253.html | 2022-08-16T01:24:55Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/economy_and_labor/child-care-assistance-available-for-community-college-students/article_c0d76d8e-1ce2-11ed-a6d7-ff780a97c253.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – The Wyoming Department of Transportation issued a reminder Friday that advertising signs cannot be placed in the state right-of-way.
"With the upcoming elections, we’ve seen an increase in the number of signs our maintenance crews are having to remove from the right-of-way fence or from the right-of-way itself,” said WYDOT area maintenance supervisor Clint Huckfeldt of Thermopolis.
“Wyoming law and WYDOT policy prohibit placement of signs in those areas, so when our maintenance crews come through an area, they pick them up and take them to the area maintenance office," the agency official went on to say, in a news release. "Whoever owns the sign has two weeks to claim the sign, and then we dispose of the sign if it is not claimed.”
Wyoming statute 24-10-104 states that outdoor ads must meet certain conditions for placement. Fines and even jail time can be meted out to those who don’t comply with the law.
"This applies to political candidates, real estate representatives and residents advertising garage sales. Posting these signs along roadways is illegal within the right-of-way of rural highways and interstates," Huckfeldt said.
This procedure also applies to people who erect private memorials within the state right of way, or decorate an existing roadside memorial sign. The state of Wyoming has made similar reminders in the past year, for people to not put up campaign or commercial signage in this manner.
Business people and citizens who believe their signs may have been removed by WYDOT crews may contact the nearest maintenance office of the agency to make arrangements to pick up the signs. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/campaign-and-ad-signs-not-allowed-in-state-right-of-way/article_d604ad02-1ce2-11ed-912a-7bddf4ab037d.html | 2022-08-16T01:25:01Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyomingbusinessreport/industry_news/government_and_politics/campaign-and-ad-signs-not-allowed-in-state-right-of-way/article_d604ad02-1ce2-11ed-912a-7bddf4ab037d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In what is the beginning of a unique partnership for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization of South Florida (EO South Florida) and Front Row Motorsports (FRM), FRM has formed a partnership to allow for eight very special companies to join the NASCAR Cup Series highlighted by supporting Todd Gilliland at the Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on October 23.
Eight premier companies who are members of EO South Florida will collaborate to be the primary partners during the race weekend. The companies include:
ValidiFI – A Specialty Consumer Reporting Agency which provides raw and modeled data that powers fintech credit and risk models.
Direct Colors – The leader in Decorate Concrete, providing the largest selection of premium concrete colors and project guidance to DIYers and contractors worldwide.
Paw.com – Award winning designer and manufacturer of high-quality, innovative pet lifestyle products.
Team Bennett – Unishippers is a people business, who strives to train and develop our teams to grow from sales representatives to executives.
Gold Aviation Services – With a fleet of next generation aircraft, Gold Aviation provides exclusive business class service for chartered flights, management, maintenance, sales, and acquisition.
Streeme.TV is a streaming television service that offers live and on-demand programming from more than 180 networks. Its wide range of programming from the largest networks to uniquely curated content, has led it to become the fastest growing provider of streaming television to college campuses in the US.
CloudHesive – With a fast-growing team of 140 employees, CloudHesive is an Amazon Web Services Premier Consulting partner that delivers cloud computing services including cloud migrations and management, contact center modernization, end-user computing, DevOps consulting, and cybersecurity services.
GAINSWave® – The leader in sexual wellness, provides you with the high-performance fuel injection you need to cross the finish line.
EO South Florida is one of the largest chapters in the global Entrepreneurs’ Organization that allows forward-thinking entrepreneurs to have peer-to-peer networking. The NASCAR program with FRM allows the Chapter and its’ members to collaborate with the team and Gilliland to learn about the business of motorsports and grow their business with others in the sport while connecting with the millions of NASCAR fans.
“We are so proud that the Entrepreneurs’ Organization – South Florida Chapter and Front Row Motorsports, have partnered together for Homestead. This marks a first time in both Organizations’ history for a partnership of this type. Both Organizations are built on the values of hard work, competitiveness, and strong leadership,” says Chapter President Lillian Roberts. “I am thrilled to highlight eight amazing members that we are showcasing at this most prestigious race.”
EO South Florida will host more than 50 members and guests at Homestead and enjoy VIP experiences, meeting the FRM drivers and team members, and learning the business of the team.
“I’ve spent time with EO South Florida earlier this year and it’s easy to see how each member benefits from each other,” said Gilliland. “They are like a family. I compare it to a NASCAR team with everyone working together for a common goal of success. I am looking forward to working more with EO South Florida and thank them for their support of my rookie season.”
The partnership includes social media and promotion of each EO South Florida primary partner on the car. Fans will be able to follow FRM and its’ driver social media channels throughout the remainder of the year to learn more.
Click here for more information about the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and its eight phenomenal member companies.
FRM PR
Entrepreneurs’ Organization of South Florida Partners with Front Row Motorsports
Speedway Digest Staff
Follow us on Twitter @SpeedwayDigest
Latest from Speedway Digest Staff
- RACE ADVANCE: Connor Mosack at Watkins Glen
- Sugarlands to Adorn the Hood of JTG Daugherty Racing’s No. 47 Camaro ZL1 at Watkins Glen International
- Austin Wayne Self to Attempt NASCAR Xfinity Series Debut at Watkins Glen
- Ted Christopher Drive for Safety Initiative to Award Three Joie of Seating Seats to Stafford Drivers
- Kimi Räikkönen Project 91 Watkins Glen NASCAR Race Advance | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72086-entrepreneurs-organization-of-south-florida-partners-with-front-row-motorsports | 2022-08-16T01:26:48Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72086-entrepreneurs-organization-of-south-florida-partners-with-front-row-motorsports | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
"As a company we have worked hard to get Kimi ready," said Marks.
"He has adapted very quickly so far. I know he will be quick. Our job is to help Kimi learn the rules specific to NASCAR to make sure that doesn't bite us. But everyone knows how much talent he has and its shown on the simulator and at the test."
Trackhouse Racing – a division of Trackhouse Entertainment Group – now fields the No. 99 and the No. 1 Chevrolets for Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain. The Trackhouse drivers have combined to win three races in 2022 and will join in the 2022 NASCAR playoffs that begin Sept. 3 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
Räikkönen retired from Formula One in 2021 after competing with the Sauber, McLaren, Ferrari, Lotus and Alfa Romeo teams since he started in 2001. The native of Espoo, Finland won 21 races and stood on 103 podiums in his F1 career.
His Formula One highlight came in 2007 when he won the F1 World Driving title for Scuderia Ferrari.
This will not be his first venture in the NASCAR world. He competed in the Xfinity and Truck Series races at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2011.
“Without the experience there (in 2011) doing the truck and (now Xfinity) Series, I probably wouldn’t have been that interested in doing this," said Räikkönen.
"But, knowing what to expect in NASCAR and this being a road course, I’m looking forward to this. There should be a lot of good close racing. Maybe on the road course we will have a good chance to try to do something."
Marks said Räikkönen’s entry at Watkins Glen is the only PROJECT91 race planned for 2022 but expects more races in 2023 with additional drivers.
Marks visited Räikkönen's Zurich home in Switzerland in February to discuss PROJECT91.
Sunday's race in Watkins Glen begins at 3 p.m. EDT & 7 p.m. GMT
Trackhouse Racing PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72089-kimi-raeikkoenen-project-91-watkins-glen-nascar-race-advance | 2022-08-16T01:27:01Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/72089-kimi-raeikkoenen-project-91-watkins-glen-nascar-race-advance | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For the first time in its history, the NASCAR Pinty’s Series will race on dirt and rookie Jean-Phillippe Bergeron is looking forward to this new challenge. The driver has explored dirt in a Sportsman car a few times since the beginning of the season. “Sportsman cars are completely different from NASCAR cars. It’s going to be a new experience for me, again,” said the driver who has had several first times since the beginning of the season. “I experienced the feeling of the dirt and I’m sure that will help me for the Ohsweken event,” he added.
The historic race will be held on the three-eighths mile Ohsweken Speedway oval in Ontario. The event will take place over two days. Today, Monday, drivers will have the chance to test their cars on the track as part of the practice. The highlight of the day will be the “Hot Lap Dash,” for which the fastest drivers will receive a cash prize.
The 100-lap race will start late in the evening on Tuesday, August 16. With 23 cars on the track, including experienced drivers such as Christopher Bell and Stewart Friesen, the competition will certainly be fierce. For Bergeron that makes the challenge even more interesting. Accustomed to events that take him out of his comfort zone, Bergeron is confident he will perform well. The No. 1 Mustang he will be driving, prepared by Jacombs Racing, is specially designed for clay.
Currently second in the Rookie Championship, Jean-Philippe Bergeron, driver of the No. 1 Prolon Controls | Rousseau Métal | CTSR | Groupe Olivier | Shelby Canada Ford, hopes to take advantage of this race to get closer to his opponent.
Fans can watch the races live on TSN.ca, the TSN app in Canada and through FloRacing in the United States.
Pinty’s 100 at Ohsweken Speedway (ON)
Tuesday August 16 9:38 p.m. (ET)
Racetrack: 3/8-mile dirt oval Fans can follow Quebecer JP “Bergy” Bergeron on Festidrag.TV at www.facebook.com/festidrag, on YouTube www.youtube.com/c/FestidragTV and on TéléMag. You can also follow JP and the Prolon Racing team on Facebook www.facebook.com/JPBRacing18, on Instagram @JPBergeronRacing and on the website www.prolonracing.com.
JP Bergron PR
Jean-Philippe Bergeron, on the dirt in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series,
Speedway Digest Staff
Follow us on Twitter @SpeedwayDigest
Latest from Speedway Digest Staff
- RACE ADVANCE: Connor Mosack at Watkins Glen
- Sugarlands to Adorn the Hood of JTG Daugherty Racing’s No. 47 Camaro ZL1 at Watkins Glen International
- Austin Wayne Self to Attempt NASCAR Xfinity Series Debut at Watkins Glen
- Ted Christopher Drive for Safety Initiative to Award Three Joie of Seating Seats to Stafford Drivers
- Kimi Räikkönen Project 91 Watkins Glen NASCAR Race Advance | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72083-jean-philippe-bergeron-on-the-dirt-in-the-nascar-pinty-s-series | 2022-08-16T01:27:13Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72083-jean-philippe-bergeron-on-the-dirt-in-the-nascar-pinty-s-series | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A stellar season for Devon Morgan continued Saturday evening when he won the Dash for Cash championship at Hartwell Speedway.
During the five-race stretch, Morgan tallied three poles and three victories while finishing second in the other two events. The consistency Morgan displayed at Hartwell allowed him to claim the Dash for Cash by just ten points.
The three wins Morgan obtained in the Dash for Cash have him up to six on the 2022 season. He has been impressed with the efficiency of his car but believes that his program has been on an upward trajectory since 2021.
“We got the car pretty balanced towards the end of last year,” Morgan said. “It’s the best it has ever been, and we just keep getting better every week. I’m learning about what adjustments to make to the car and what I need to do as a driver. There’s a lot to take in, but we keep on learning and that’s contributing to our success this year.”
A key turning point for Morgan and his program came after he was involved in an accident during the 2021 season that required him to get a new front clip.
Despite being dealt a financial blow, Morgan said the crash proved to be a blessing in disguise. He added the car already had damage from another incident that was discovered in the aftermath, and that the car has exceeded his own standards since the new front clip was installed.
Morgan was thrilled that he could showcase the speed of his equipment in the Dash for Cash at Hartwell. Holding his own against some of the best Dirt Late Model competitors in the region has only given Morgan more confidence in his ability to win anywhere.
Plenty of tough competition stands in the way of Morgan building on the momentum from his Dash for Cash title, but he believes the wins will keep adding up as long as he adapts to the unique challenges each track remaining on his schedule provides.
“We need to stay on top of this car,” Morgan said. “Everything needs to be running like it should, but we also need to keep making the right adjustments at the track. You have to keep up with the track.”
Morgan is approaching the rest of the 2022 schedule on a week-to-week basis, but he does plan to head to Cherokee Speedway next Saturday, which will be followed by a visit to Harris Speedway the week after.
Devon Morgan would like to thank his mom, dad, crew, his fans, MPM Marketing and all his sponsors in Jiffy Lube, ML Performance, KRC Power Steering, Team SRI Motorsports, Morgan Motor Company Inc., AutoBank & RV Sales, Strange Oval, FK Rod Ends, Acrylics Plus LLC, Buffalo Grill of Greenwood, Stevens Towing & Recovery, Jimmy’s Family Restaurant, Seymore Towing, Meredith Battery, Armour Metals, RAC 4x4 Off Road, Masters Performance, Franklin Enterprise, Done Right Construction, Wiley X and Chicken Bone Alley.
MPM PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72085-devon-morgan-claims-dash-for-cash-championship-at-hartwell-speedway | 2022-08-16T01:27:20Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/72085-devon-morgan-claims-dash-for-cash-championship-at-hartwell-speedway | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This weekend Grandview Speedway will return to action with two different programs as part of the 60th season anniversary celebration.
On Saturday, August 20, the racing program will feature the T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds and the T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman in another NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Racing Series double-header starting at 7:30 pm.
Qualifying events will be run in both divisions leading up to the 30-lap T.P. Trailer Modified main event, and the 25-lap T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman feature race.
Pit gates will open at 4 pm. with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. warm-ups will be starting at 6:30 pm. Adult grandstand admission is $18, while children ages 11 and under are admitted free of charge.
Prior to the racing action on Saturday will be the weekly Low Down and Dirty Meet and Greet. This week’s drivers include Modified drivers Ryan Grim and Joe Funk along with Sportsman driver Jesse Landis. The Meet and Greet is held in the main gate area starting at 5 pm. and is a great time for fans to meet the drivers up close, collect some autographs, take photos, and talk racing one on one.
The weekend action will begin on Friday, August 19 when the Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage cars are in action starting at 7 pm. Grandstand admission will be $10 for this event that was added to the schedule to replace an event that was postponed on August 5.
The 52nd annual Freedom 76 Modified Championship is the next big event on the schedule, coming up on Saturday, September 17. Lap sponsorships at $20 per lap are now available by contacting Tina Rogers, Tommy Kramer or Jeff Ahlum at the track on race night. Lap sponsorships are a great way for fans to wish their favorite drivers good luck in the big race, or for businesses to do some advertising. All lap sponsorships will be read on the public address system each week leading up to and including race night on September 17, as well as a listing in the track program Grandview Groove, and will be posted on social media.
The Freedom 76 weekend begins on Friday, September 16 with the 9th annual Freedom 38 Sportsman Championship race paying $2000 to the winner, along with practice time for Modified drivers wishing to participate in the Freedom 76.
On Friday, pit gates open at 3 pm with grandstand gates opening at 5:30 pm. and racing at 7:30 pm. Adult Grandstand admission is $15, with children ages 6-11 paying $5, while children ages 5 and under admitted for free. Pit admission on Friday is $35 , and no license is required.
For the Freedom 76 on Saturday, September 17 for the Modifieds, Pit gates open at 9 am for inspections, Grandstand ticket windows open at 3 pm. with racing starting at 7 pm. Fans will be able to enter the Grandstand areas between 9 am. and 12 Noon to reserve seats with blankets.
Adult Grandstand tickets on Saturday will be $40, while children ages 6-11 are $10, with children ages 5 and under admitted for free. Pit admission will be $45, and no license is required. There will be no advanced tickets sold for this event, and the rain date is Saturday, September 24.
Those wishing to camp at the Speedway please note: Campers can enter the grounds in the fourth turn area on Saturday, September 10 and remain there until the 18th. However, because there are no hookups, sleeping in the campers can only take place September 16-18.
Craig Von Dohren, a twelve-time track champion, continues to lead the point parade in the T.P. Trailer Modified division after a third place outing in the Forrest Rogers Memorial last Saturday. Brett Kressley currently sits second in points, however he cut the distance between himself and Von Dohren after scoring his second Forrest Rogers Memorial $10,000 win last week. Doug Manmiller remains in third position after a solid fourth in the Rogers Memorial, Jeff Strunk remains fourth in points after a runner-up finish on Saturday, while Duane Howard sits fifth in points after a fifth place feature finish.
The current top ten in T.P. Trailer Modified points are 1. Craig Von Dohren – 3715, 2. Brett Kressley – 3625, 3. Doug Manmiller – 3470, 4. Jeff Strunk – 3283, 5. Duane Howard – 3156, 6. Tim Buckwalter – 2933, 7. Jared Umbenhauer – 2406, 8. Ryan Grim - 2088, 9. Cory Merkel – 2025, 10. Kevin Hirthler – 1871.
Brian Hirthler remains the T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman point leader after a late race rally for a fourth place finish on Saturday. Dylan Hoch cut into Hirthler’s point lead with a second place outing on Saturday to remain second in points, Kyle Smith and Jimmy Leiby sit third and fourth in points after both had non-top ten finishes last Saturday, Mike Schneck Jr. moved into the top five after an eleventh place outing last week.
The current top ten in T.P. Truck Equipment Sportsman points are 1. Brian Hirthler – 2912, 2. Dylan Hoch – 2663, 3. Kyle Smith – 2190, 4. Jimmy Leiby – 2173, 5. Mike Schneck Jr. – 1830, 6. Parker Guldin – 1765, 7. Cody Manmiller – 1667, 8. Dakota Kohler – 1640, 9. Ryan Graver – 1470, 10. Cole Stangle – 1456.
Since the 1960’s, Grandview Speedway has been presenting exciting wheel to wheel NASCAR stock car racing every Saturday Night starting in April and running through September, plus special events. Grandview Speedway is located at 43 Passmore Road, Bechtelsville, Pa. 19505, just off Route 100, ten miles north of Pottstown, Pa.
Information is always available at www.grandviewspeedway.com or on Facebook, or by telephone at 610.754.7688.
UPCOMING EVENTS –
Friday, August 19 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7 pm
Saturday, August 20 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman - 7:30 pm.
Saturday, August 27 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman, Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7:30 pm.
Friday, September 2 – Outlaw Racing Series Enduro and Outlaw Racing Series Vintage – 7 pm
Saturday, September 3 – T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman plus Wingless Super Sportsman – 7:30 pm.
Saturday, September 10 – CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT - T.P. Trailer NASCAR Modifieds, T.P. Truck Equipment NASCAR Sportsman – 7:30 pm.
Grandview Speedway PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72088-grandview-freedom-76-info-released-modified-and-sportsman-double-header-this-weekend | 2022-08-16T01:27:26Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72088-grandview-freedom-76-info-released-modified-and-sportsman-double-header-this-weekend | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For the third consecutive season at Stafford Motor Speedway, the Ted Christopher Safety Initiative, established prior to the start of the 2020 season by Christopher’s wife Quinn, will provide three Stafford drivers with new safety equipment. Following the conclusion of the TC 13 Shootout on September 9, three drivers will be awarded a brand new racing seat from The Joie of Seating.
“I’m proud to be able to continue fundraising and promoting driver safety in honor of my late husband Ted Christopher,” said Quinn Christopher. “Teddy always stressed that he would spend whatever he had to spend in order to be safe in his race cars. No matter what he was racing or what the cost was, he always did whatever he had to do in order to be safe. I imagine it would have been so easy to just say ‘it’s good enough’, but he always did whatever he needed to do. I still remember after the first season we did this so many people came up to me and told me that Teddy would talk to them about getting better safety equipment and all the younger drivers said they went out and immediately got whatever Teddy told them to get just because it was Teddy talking to them. It’s great that so many people have donated money to Teddy’s memorial fund and I can take that money and use it for something so useful and something that would mean so much to Teddy.”
The three racing seats will be awarded as follows on September 9:
- The 13th place finisher of the 13 drivers from the 40 lap SK Modified® feature on Sept. 9 who transfer into the TC 13 will win seat #1.
- The race winner of the TC 13 lap shootout race will win race seat #2
- The race winner will randomly draw a winner of all drivers competing that night to be awarded seat #3.
- If a winning driver is not in need of a new race seat, they can also choose to pay it forward to another competitor who is in need of an updated seat.
The Joie of Seating seats continue the tradition of awarding new safety equipment to Stafford drivers through the Ted Christopher Drive for Safety Initiative. In 2020, over 100 drivers in total received either a new Nomex undershirt, helmet skirt, or head sock with all drivers who participated entered into a drawing for a new Leaf firesuit, which was won by Meghan Fuller. Last season saw the TC Safety Initiative award a brand new Bell helmet to one driver from each of Stafford’s five weekly divisions with Tyler Hines, John Blake, Paul French, Mike Hopkins, and Frank L’Etoile, Jr. all winning new helmets.
For more information, visit www.staffordspeedway.com, checkout Stafford Speedway on Facebook or Twitter, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
Stafford Speedway PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72090-ted-christopher-drive-for-safety-initiative-to-award-three-joie-of-seating-seats-to-stafford-drivers | 2022-08-16T01:27:32Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/speedway-news/72090-ted-christopher-drive-for-safety-initiative-to-award-three-joie-of-seating-seats-to-stafford-drivers | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CONNOR MOSACK
Starts: 0
Wins: 0
Top-5's: 0
Top-10's: 0
Best Start: N/A
Best Finish: N/A
SAM HUNT RACING
Starts: 1
Wins: 0
Top-5's: 0
Top-10's: 0
Best Start: 24th (Wright - 2021)
Best Finish: 17th (Wright- 2021)
EVENT NOTES
- Connor Mosack will pilot the No. 26 RadCats Toyota GR Supra at Watkins Glen International on Saturday, marking his second NXS career start and first start with SHR.
- Mosack made his NXS debut at Portland International Raceway earlier this season with Joe Gibbs Racing.
- Mosack qualified 8th in his career debut.
- Mosack will partner with RadCats for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race at WGI.
- About RadCats: RadCats will be making the jump into NASCAR with SHR and will be the primary partner on board the No. 26 Toyota GR Supra at WGI. RadCats is an NFT-based brand built on the Solana Blockchain, focused on providing quality classes, both introductory and advanced for Cryptocurrencies and NFTs. Additionally, RadCats aims to connect the Blockchain/NFT Community with “In-Real-Life” (IRL) communities. RadCats’ art is 90’s University themed, which represents The Good Decade, and aims to connect nostalgia with modern tech innovations. RadCats aims to become a household brand through multiple sponsorship deals, product releases, and creative Out-Of-Home (OOH) advertising. Find them on Twitter at @RadCatsNFT.
- This season, Mosack is competing full-time in the Pirelli Trans Am TA2 Series with TEAM SLR. He has received three pole awards and three podium finishes so far in 2022. Additionally, Mosack has six ARCA Menards Series starts, racking up four top-5 finishes and 6 top-10 finishes -- averaging a 5.5-place finishing position. He also qualified 11th in his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at Mid-Ohio.
- In 2021, Connor competed in the Pirelli Trans Am TA2 Series driving for TEAM SLR. Connor finished the season with one win at Watkins Glen International, ten top 5’s, and finished 3rd in championship points. Connor also made four ARCA Menards Series starts recording two top-10 finishes and competed in select Super Late Model events.
QUOTES
“I’m really excited for the opportunity to race with Sam Hunt Racing this year at Watkins Glen,” said Mosack. “Sam has a great group of guys, and I’m looking forward to working with them. My goal going into the race is to come out with a Top-10 finish. Sam has competitive cars and if we can stay out of trouble in the race, I think we will be in a good spot at the end.”
-- Connor Mosack, Driver of the No. 26 RadCats® Toyota GR Supra
“Connor is a great young man and a talented race car driver, especially considering how late his racing career began [at age 18]. I’m excited and proud to add him to our SHR driver roster. His personality, moral compass, and competitiveness fit in perfectly with our culture. We are all excited to get to work with him and continue his transition to the Xfinity Series.”
-- Sam Hunt, Owner of Sam Hunt Racing
SHR PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72093-race-advance-connor-mosack-at-watkins-glen | 2022-08-16T01:27:45Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/xfinity-series-news/72093-race-advance-connor-mosack-at-watkins-glen | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – With a cracked ground and dried up plants, Lake Edwin Johnson looks like a desert.
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said the lake was accidently drained last week, which killed all of the fish inside.
Gradually draining lakes isn’t uncommon for the SCDNR.
“The drawdown of the lake was already scheduled,” SCDNR’s Greg Lucas said.
Officials said the lake was already down 10 feet, and the plan was so do some repairs and restock it by 2024.
However, they said that plan was interrupted.
“The lake drained all the way and of course all the fish that were in Lake Edwin Johnson were killed and that was very unfortunate,” said Lucas.
SCDNR said they still don’t know what happened.
“Could’ve been somebody turning the wrong valve, or it could be the water structure misfiring, or something went wrong. We don’t really know. There’s no way of telling,” Lucas said.
As far as what they’re going to do with the dead fish, they said there are a few options.
“Could be a landfill, if a landfill is able to handle animal waste,” Lucas explained. “Could be somewhere on the property where they could take them and bury them where nobody would be around. I know sometimes people will leave things out for buzzards at a safe distance from everybody else.”
SCDNR said although they don’t know how it happened, it’s important this doesn’t happen again.
“It’s really one of those things that’s not anybody’s fault, it just happened but I’m sure going forward we’ll be a lot more careful with that,” Lucas said.
SCDNR said until the lake reopens in 2024, people in the area can fish on Lake Craig, Jonesville Reservoir, and Lake John D Long. | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/hundreds-of-fish-killed-when-upstate-lake-accidentally-drained/ | 2022-08-16T01:39:53Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/hundreds-of-fish-killed-when-upstate-lake-accidentally-drained/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) – Police are looking for a man they said rammed his car into another car Sunday before shooting a passenger inside that car in Asheville.
The Asheville Police Department said they were called to the 350 block of Deaverview Road shortly before 4:15 p.m. for a report of a person with a gun.
Officers said a woman was driving a car with a man in the passenger seat when they were chased by another car.
The other car then rammed the woman’s car and then someone in the other car fired shots into the woman’s car, hitting the passenger, according to Asheville Police.
The man was taken to Mission Hospital with injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.
Investigators said they have charged 29-year-old Jason Edward Taylor in connection with the incident.
Taylor faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle inflicting serious bodily injury, discharge of a firearm within city limits, and going armed to the terror of the public.
Police said Taylor should be considered armed and dangerous. Taylor is 6’3″ tall and weighs 180 pounds with black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information on his location is asked to call the Asheville Police Department at 828-252-1110. | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/man-accused-of-ramming-car-shooting-passenger-in-asheville/ | 2022-08-16T01:39:59Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/man-accused-of-ramming-car-shooting-passenger-in-asheville/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Each year around this time, adolescent hope springs eternal:
Hope for better grades, hope for more popularity, hope for your crush to like you too.
This back-to-school season is no different.
A smattering of Los Angeles County public school districts have already begun their new academic years, with the rest set to do so in the coming weeks, none bigger than LAUSD, which gets underway on Monday, Aug. 15.
Yet, the optimism this time around is also tinged with relief – relief that the pandemic’s denouement has arrived.
“I’m comfortable with my kid going back to school,” Marlen Pineda said in Spanish on Thursday, Aug. 11, as she accompanied her son, Moises, to his first day of fourth-grade at a Lakewood elementary school. “The worst of the pandemic is over.”
Not so fast.
While students will at last be mostly unencumbered by stringent requirements to wear masks and be continually tested for COVID-19, there are reasons, largely explained via statistics and recent history, why optimism for a post-pandemic school year should, for now, remain bridled – at least somewhat.
“People are exhausted. They want to go back to their normal lives,” said David Navar, president of the Montebello Unified School District’s teachers union. “I realize that but I’m not sure how it’s going to roll out. I know (the coronavirus is) not gone. I know we have many cases.”
Indeed.
It was only two weeks ago, after all, that L.A. County seemed poised to resurrect a broad indoor mask mandate, before officials decided to hold off. Cases and hospitalizations have plateaued recently, but they are not drastically lower than they were a year ago. The county’s vaccination rate is relatively high, compared to other regions, but it has also statistically stagnated for months – with the youngest residents still among the least inoculated.
And the latest omicron subvariants may cause less-severe symptoms, but they also appear to be far more contagious, causing the spike in coronavirus metrics that brought the county to the precipice of a renewed mask mandate.
Beyond that data – admittedly open to interpretation – there’s another potentially worrisome factor: The possibility that the pandemic’s past could be its prologue.
During each of the past two years, the pandemic has played out in similar fashion: Cases spiked after Memorial Day weekend and the Fourth of July before tapering off. Then, around Labor Day, cases ticked back up before accelerating into a winter surge. The first half of this year has followed that trend.
And so, as students, teachers and other school staff return to campuses for the 2022-23 school year, the pandemic persists. And with it comes the uncertainty over balancing the sometimes-competing priorities of education and public health.
“For me,” said Alberto Carvalho, superintendent for the Los Angeles Unified School District, “a balance between health protective measures and accelerated educational opportunity is the solution.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Vivian Gonzalez walked into her Lakewood elementary school late last week, her hair in pigtails and a diminutive hand clasping Mom’s.
It was Vivian’s first day of second-grade. As such, she wore a crisp outfit, a blue T-shirt and shorts. Her face beamed.
The youngster’s smile was auspicious – simply because it was visible.
Her face was uncovered; so, too, was her mother’s.
Vivian and her mother, Nancy Gonzalez, were not alone in forgoing masks on Thursday, Aug. 11. During the first day of school at Lindstrom Elementary and Mayfair High, both part of the Bellflower Unified School District, the majority of students and parents went maskless.
The same appeared true at Webster Elementary, in the Pasadena Unified School District, which also began its academic year on Thursday. Mask-wearing students seem likely to be in the minority at LAUSD and Downey Unified when their years begin on Monday – and among the millions of students from Long Beach to Lancaster who will return to campuses over the next several weeks.
A survey of COVID-19 policies at the state and county levels, and among various school districts, shows that the exacting regulations education and health officials imposed during the previous academic year have largely been relaxed.
LAUSD, for example, won’t require baseline testing before the first day of school and has ended mandatory weekly testing of all students and staff on campuses.
The state’s largest school district, with more than 430,000 students, has also ditched last year’s requirement for everyone to self-attest that they’re healthy through the district’s Daily Pass system. Indoor masking is optional as well.
For some, though, the relaxed policies are worrisome given the current state of the pandemic.
“It actually makes me really nervous,” Katidia Haro, a San Fernando Valley mother of two, said about LAUSD’s loosened restrictions. “It’s clear that (cases) are back up, so I just don’t understand the reasoning behind this laxed policy.”
The 3,995 COVID-19 cases reported Friday were slightly higher than on the same day last year, according to county data. And while the 1,065 COVID-19 hospitalzations reported Thursday represented a 35% decline from a year ago, that number is still well above its April nadir. (Deaths, however, have remained significantly lower for months.)
But the looser health regulations align with county, state and federal guidance – and represent, more or less, the standard across the region.
“We’re in a new place now,” Dr. Smita Malhotra, LAUSD’s medical director, said during a news conference last week. “We have understood a lot more about this virus. We have therapeutics available. We have vaccination.
“We have such great vaccination rates in our district,” she added. “We don’t need to continue to adhere to that strict of a protocol anymore.”
LAUSD reported in December that its vaccination rate was greater than 90%.
The rest of the county, though, doesn’t appear to be at that level.
While nearly 80% of those 12-to-17 years old are fully vaccinated, according to the most-recent data from the LA County Department of Public Health, only 40% of 5-to-11-year-olds are fully vaccinated.
The youngest kids – those under 5, who are also the least likely to follow social distancing etiquette – have a 1% vaccination rate, though that age group only recently became eligible for inoculation.
Overall vaccination rates, meanwhile, have been stable for months. And that’s despite public health officials routinely urging anyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, adding that doing so creates a bulwark against the coronavirus spreading.
“Vaccination does remain the most powerful tool available to prevent severe illness, both for adults and children,” Ferrer said during a news briefing last week. “While most children experience only mild illness, there are thousands who require hospitalization and some who face longer-term illness associated with their infection.”
A “substantial proportion of children” are also asymptomatic, according to the National Institutes of Health.
And that could pose a problem, perhaps not for the children themselves – but for the adults who teach them, live with them or spoil them because they’re the kids’ grandparents.
Asymptomatic people can still pass the virus on to others.
That is among the reasons the Culver Unified School District, which starts its academic year on Thursday, Aug. 18, is among the minority in maintaining weekly PCR testing and masking for the time being, said Superintendent Quoc Tran.
Haro, the San Fernando Valley mother, shared that fear.
“It’s disappointing that there are still folks out there struggling, that are immunocompromised, who can’t get vaccinated for whatever reason,” the LAUSD parent said, “and we’re just throwing them by the wayside.”
County health officials, for their part, also continue to strongly recommend everyone wear a mask while at indoor public places, regardless of vaccination status.
Recommendations, in fact, seem to be the strategy du jour for pretty much every COVID-19 regulation.
And school districts across LA County have mostly taken that to heart.
Long Beach Unified School District, the second-largest in the county, hasn’t required masks since March and, like the majority of its counterparts, won’t do so when its academic year begins on Aug. 31.
Multiple school districts will also join LAUSD in not requiring beginning-of-the-year tests, despite county recommendations to do so. A few are following the county’s lead in urging, bot not requiring, students to get tested before the new school year.
“We are strongly recommending all students and staff take a COVID-19 test prior to the return to school,” Tammy Khan, Torrance Unified School District spokeswoman, said in a Thursday email. “We are distributing test kits over the next week.”
TUSD will return to school on Aug. 25.
Despite the protocols generally being relaxed, however, some mandates remain.
Multiple school districts, for example, will require unvaccinated employees to be tested weekly, including LBUSD. And anyone with COVID-19 symptoms must also get tested.
“Other precautions such as staying home when ill, additional cleaning and frequent hand washing will apply,” said LBUSD spokesman Chris Eftychiou. “We don’t require COVID-19 vaccination for students to go to school, but we strongly encourage vaccination for everyone who’s eligible.”
For some people, these measures and others – such as districts installing better ventilation systems or having sanitizing stations – are enough.
“Thankfully, the school is on top of everything with sanitation and all of that stuff,” said Nancy Gonzalez, mother to Vivian, the pigtailed Lindstrom Elementary second-grader. “So I personally feel very comfortable bringing her back knowing that they’re doing everything that they should.”
But others have expressed concern about the voluntary nature of some policies.
“Hopefully, kids and their parents do the right thing,” said Jennifer Okumura, a Redondo Beach Unified School District parent, whose eighth-grader, Kaylin Oliver, will return to school on Wednesday. “My worst fear is that parents send kids to school sick as they have for decades.”
Whether this year’s more precautionary measures will successfully prevent outbreaks remains to be seen.
Last school year, though, few districts had outbreaks, according to the county health department.
Weekly student cases during the fall semester topped out at more than 3,000 in mid-August 2021, according to county data. But when kids returned from the holiday break in January, amid the winter surge, weekly cases spiked to more than 35,000 countywide.
And while testing was mandatory then, so was masking.
Not so this time around.
“We expect and we have been assured by the health department that there will be COVID spread as school starts,” said Jason Johnson, superintendent for the Hermosa Beach City School District, which has among the latest start dates, Sept. 6. “Having gone through two years of this, I would say that we’re always prepared for surges — I really believe that if you follow the protocols, you can manage.”
Whether that’s true, however, likely won’t be clear until deeper into the school year.
♦ ♦ ♦
The debate over mandates, meanwhile, has been contentious throughout the pandemic.
So it’s perhaps unsurprising that even though some people have fretted over the relaxed protocols, others have celebrated them.
Whittier resident Monique Holguin, for example, recently said she was prepared to pull her seventh-grader out of school had the mask mandate remained.
Home schooling was an option, as was hopping the adjacent border into Orange County, which has had less-stringent COVID-19 regulations throughout the pandemic.
But with masking optional, Holguin’s daughter will find herself sitting in class at East Whittier Middle School on Tuesday.
“This makes me hopeful for the school year,” Holguin said. “Kids can go back to a normal school year.”
Monica Oviedo, the newly appointed superintendent for the Whittier Union High School District, which will begin its year on Wednesday, used a common refrain among those who advocate for looser COVID-19 rules.
“The more we get back to normal, the better,” she said. “We’re learning to live with COVID and use strategies we know to keep ourselves safe.”
From an educational perspective, that’s understandable.
During the early part of the pandemic, when districts pivoted first to entirely virtual learning and then, eventually, to a hybrid model, numerous students struggled.
The achievement gap widened, state and local education officials said, absenteeism spiked and the lack of socialization stunted students’ emotional well-being.
Keeping kids on campus, those officials have said, is critical to reversing the educational consequences of the pandemic.
“The last three years have been incredibly challenging for everyone, especially our students, who have faced so much uncertainty in their lives and some who may have greater social-emotional needs,” said Emy Flores, superintendent for the West Covina Unified, which will begin its school year on Friday. “For this reason, we are eager to see our students on our campuses.”
Angeline Kvasashnina, a fifth-grader at Webster Elementary School, in Pasadena, was among those who struggled during virtual learning, according to her mother, Armine Kvasashnina.
But when she returned to in-person classes last year, the younger Kvasashnina thrived.
“First of all, (virtual learning is) boring for the kids,” her mother said, before adding, “I cannot be a teacher for my daughter.”
Not every student, though, made such a quick turnaround.
The pandemic, in fact, ripped public-education inequities “open even wider,” State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond wrote in an introductory letter for a report that came out ealier this year on improving education following the pandemic.
Yet, hurdles remain.
Virtual learning, for example, is only a bygone policy for students who avoid the coronavirus.
Students who test positive, however, will have to isolate at home for at least several days – while still trying to keep up with their school work.
LA County requires districts to have COVID-19 mitigation plans, which include strategies for minimizing learning loss. Those strategies typically include online portals where students can view their assignments, as well as virtual help from teachers.
But making sure students do the work while they are out is a challenge – especially if they actually have symptoms.
And then there’s the emotional impact.
“Based on the past, the biggest impacts that the virus can have on learning this year are absenteeism and stressors,” said Arturo Ortega, superintendent for Azusa Unified School District, which will return on Thursday. “COVID did set back some student learning, but we will continue to meet students where they are at, accelerate their learning and offer academic, social and emotional support.”
Despite those challenges, Ortega said, he remains cautiously optimistic about the coming school year.
“Having our students attend school in person,” he said, “is what is most important.”
Whether educators can teach students while guarding against outbreaks, though, remains to be seen.
But if ever there were a time for cautious optimism, it’s now. After all, it’s back-to-school season — when hope springs eternal.
Staff writers Kristy Hutchings, Lisa Jacobs, Christina Merino, Robert Morales, Mike Sprague and Linh Tat, and freelancer Munina Lam contributed to this report.
Join the Conversation
We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. We reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/14/new-school-year-brings-hope-for-new-normal-but-pandemic-concerns-linger/ | 2022-08-16T01:52:51Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/08/14/new-school-year-brings-hope-for-new-normal-but-pandemic-concerns-linger/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Opening up the butterfly doors of his Tesla Model X never gets old for Ron Zarbock. The lifelong Utahn bought an electric vehicle five years ago because he wanted to help the environment.
"It's very inexpensive to operate, there's no maintenance costs except for tires," Zarbock said.
And more people are following his lead. In July, Consumer Reports found a majority of Americans would buy or are considering getting an electric car — are still skeptical.
In a similar survey from market research firm JD Power, nearly a third hesitated because they just didn't know enough about EVs.
"I do like the savings as far as gas mileage, but I do have to find out more about them," said Pam Taylor, who's shopping for a new car.
Price is another speed bump.
More than half of shoppers told Consumer Reports they were put off by the costs of owning an EV.
It's true that electric cars are generally more expensive than gasoline cars.
Data from Kelley Blue Book this year puts the average electric car at around $63,000.
That's $15,000 higher than the auto industry average. And what about fuel-ups?
The price to charge your EV can run about a third of the cost to fill up on gas each month. But if you're charging at home, you might see a $30-$60 bump in your energy bill.
Plus, 30 states charge hybrid and EV owners a fee to make up for the money they're not paying in gas taxes, which help cover infrastructure costs.
Jack Marchbanks is the director at the Ohio Department of Transportation.
"Up until this point, if you were driving an EV or a hybrid to the extent that you are not using gasoline, you were not helping support the system on which you depend," Marchbanks said.
And you won't have to spend money on gas or changing your oil and filters. Last year the Department of Energy found EVs have lower scheduled maintenance costs than gas cars; a difference of $0.04 per mile.
That may sound small, but one analysis found that it could save you over $8,000 during your EV's lifetime.
Plus, there are government rebates for owning an EV, although they are limited.
"You have a tax credit based on which type of vehicle you buy. Some have run out, for instance, the Teslas have run out because they were oversubscribed, but all the new models have the opportunity to generate a personal tax incentive," said Kevin Kushman, CEO of Electrada.
Even if more people were able to afford the cars, one-third of those surveyed by JD Power said they wouldn't have any place to charge at home or at work. The Department of Energy says there are nearly 43,000 charging stations nationwide, with around 120,000 individual ports.
But they're not spaced out evenly, leading to a phenomenon dubbed range anxiety.
Scott Fink is the owner of Volkswagen Wesley Chapel.
"We don't get range anxiety with gas because there's a gas station every mile," Fink said.
Government data shows in some states, there are as few as three charging stations for every 100,000 people.
And California has nearly the same amount of charging stations as the 39 states with the lowest count combined.
Arizona is getting over $76 million in federal dollars to boost charger accessibility, but leaders say it's not as easy installing more of them.
Alexa Scholl is the Tucson Metro Chamber of Commerce Director of Government Affairs.
"One of the concerns is the cost. Also, the availability of the materials to install the infrastructure, with all the labor and supply chain shortages we are experiencing right now," Scholl said.
Americans may also be holding off on EVs because of their love of big cars.
According to data from Edmunds, a car shopping website, 80% of the top 10 selling vehicles in the U.S. are either trucks or SUVs.
EVs are typically smaller.
But, a recent survey from Recurrent, the world's leading analyst of EV battery health, found that pre-sales for some electric trucks and SUVs are passing lifetime sales for older EV models.
EV salesmen acknowledge range was limited in the past.
But they say there are more makes and models that can fit drivers' needs.
Hooman Shahidi is the president of Evpassport.com.
"It's imperative that we understand what the vehicle that we're driving is used for. There are vehicles out there with a hundred miles of range. There are vehicles out there with over 300 or with over 500 miles of range," Shahidi said.
States are now in the driver's seat to solve consumers' biggest concerns.
Like in Indiana, where the Department of Transportation is developing the world's first wireless charging highway, with magnetic fields embedded in the road.
Or the Electric Highway Initiative, which aims to build the largest corridor of charging stations in the nation between eight western states.
"When you travel from Salt Lake City, Moab, Boulder or Zion, that you know when you get there, you'll be able to charge that vehicle, keep playing and then make it home," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
Hesitation could wane as the government ramps up production efforts.
The White House announced this year $7.5 billion of the infrastructure bill would help buy new EV chargers.
President Joe Biden also issued an executive order last year, calling for half of all new cars to be electric or plug-in hybrids by 2030.
And popular car brands are plugged into the need.
Like General Motors, which declared that it will only produce electric-powered cars by 2035.
Newsy is the nation’s only free 24/7 national news network. You can find Newsy using your TV’s digital antenna or stream for free. See all the ways you can watch Newsy here. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/a-look-at-why-more-electric-vehicles-are-not-on-us-roadways | 2022-08-16T01:52:51Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/a-look-at-why-more-electric-vehicles-are-not-on-us-roadways | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The Ukrainian military said Monday that it had repelled more than a dozen Russian attacks in the country's east and north, including attempts to advance on key cities in the eastern industrial heartland known as the Donbas.
In its regular Facebook update, the military's general staff said Russian troops had attempted to push towards Kramatorsk, one of two major cities in the eastern Donetsk province that remain under Ukrainian control, but "they failed completely and chaotically retreated to their previous positions."
In the same post, the military said Russian forces had staged an unsuccessful assault on Bakhmut, a strategic town in the Donetsk region whose capture would pave the way for Russia to take Kramatorsk and the de facto Ukrainian administrative capital, Sloviansk.
The Donetsk region is one of two provinces that make up the Donbas, where the fighting has largely been focused in recent months, since Kremlin forces retreated from around the capital, Kyiv.
Russian officials announced the full capture of the Luhansk region, the second of the two, early last month, though its Ukrainian governor has repeatedly claimed that Kyiv's forces are holding out in a small area near the regional boundary.
In the same update, the military claimed that Russia had tried and failed to break through Ukrainian defense lines in the northern Kharkiv region, home to Ukraine's second-largest city, but were "met harshly and thrown back."
Meanwhile, the Russian FSB, the KGB's main successor agency, said that it had thwarted a "sabotage and terrorist attack" on an oil pipeline in Russia's southern Volgograd region, which it blamed on two Russian citizens colluding with Ukrainian security forces.
The claims could not be immediately verified.
Elsewhere, Russian and Ukrainian officials traded more accusations Monday about renewed shelling of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, with each side alleging that the other was responsible for the attacks that have raised fears of a catastrophe.
The press office of the Kremlin-backed administration in Enerhodar, the Russian-controlled city where the plant is located, told the Interfax agency that Ukrainian forces were carrying out "massive shelling" of the facility, as well as Enerhodar's residential and industrial areas.
According to the statement, the shelling came from nearby Nikopol, a Ukrainian-held city which faces the plant across the Dnieper River.
The mayor of Nikopol later said that Russians were shelling Enerhodar themselves.
Mayor Yevhen Yevtushenko and other municipal authorities in Nikopol have repeatedly accused Russian troops stationed at the plant of shelling the city, knowing that Ukrainian forces there were unlikely to fire back.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy renewed his call for fresh sanctions against Moscow and its nuclear industry in response to the situation. He described Russian forces' actions there as "nuclear blackmail" that may embolden malign actors worldwide.
As Russian forces kept up their artillery barrages around Ukraine, at least three Ukrainian civilians were killed and 20 others wounded, Ukrainian officials said.
The deaths and 13 of the wounded were blamed on Russian shelling that hit towns and villages in the Donetsk region, regional officials said.
In the country's second-largest city of Kharkiv, seven civilians were wounded by Russian shelling that hit residential buildings and an area near a bus stop. Kharkiv Gov. Oleh Synyehubov said the wounded included a 80-year-old woman.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said Monday that Russian warplanes have struck Ukrainian army positions in the southern Kherson region and in the Donetsk region. He added that the Russian air force also hit a facility in the Kharkiv region, killing at least 100 and wounding 50 "mercenaries" from Poland and Germany. His claims could not be independently verified.
Speaking at the opening of an arms show outside Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the military, which he said was "liberating the Donbas step by step."
He also vowed to expand arms sales to Russian allies, whom he praised for continuing to offer firm support to Moscow in the face of Western pressure.
For its part, the Ukrainian military claimed to have destroyed more than 10 Russian warehouses with ammunition and military equipment in the past week.
___
Follow the AP's coverage of the war at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/ukrainian-military-says-it-repelled-more-than-dozen-attacks | 2022-08-16T01:52:57Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/ukrainian-military-says-it-repelled-more-than-dozen-attacks | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The U.S. government said on Monday it would make up to 442,000 doses of Bavarian Nordic's Jynneos vaccine to states to combat monkeypox outbreaks across the country.
As Reuters reported, the doses are part of the national vaccine strategy's phase 3, making almost double the number of doses now available, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) said.
HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said, "FDA's emergency use authorization of intradermal injection of the JYNNEOS vaccine is allowing us to get more doses to jurisdictions faster than anticipated and will help end this national monkeypox outbreak."
32,000 monkeypox cases have been recorded in more than 80 countries where the disease is not endemic.
As Bloomberg Law reported, the DHHS said it can make the hundreds of thousands of doses available to states because the Food and Drug Administration issues an emergency use authorization and revised dosing guidelines. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/us-to-give-states-up-to-442-000-jynneos-doses-monkeypox-vaccines-doses | 2022-08-16T01:53:03Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/us-to-give-states-up-to-442-000-jynneos-doses-monkeypox-vaccines-doses | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
5 Effective Student Retention Strategies
Student enrollment and retention have been decreasing in the past two years, so higher education establishments need to figure out ways to stay on top of this occurrence. With more students dropping out in the first year or switching schools, something has to be done. Improving student retention rates is something that every college and university has to think about now.
The reasons why retention rates have been dropping are various — from lack of required academic skills to financial concerns and low levels of engagement with the school.
And although maximising student retention depends on numerous factors, there are a few effective strategies that can help in all aspects. Let’s dig deeper and learn more about them.
Guide Students Through the Years
Freshman year can be truly challenging, but the admissions sector helps newbies acclimate to the school. Having a positive campus experience is important, so such initiatives are necessary to maintain a good retention status.
However, many colleges and universities don’t follow up with students after admission, and therein lies the problem. Schools need to provide practical support to students during the entire college experience. Students go through many issues, like tackling higher-level classes, switching majors, and similar, so they require additional guidance.
Therefore, all schools should focus on making students’ transition into the campus environment as smooth as possible.
Use Technology to Build Communities and Engagement
A key part of student retention strategies should rely on technology. With wide access to innovative technologies, colleges and universities can really make a difference. One easy way to do that is through online communities.
Most students are already active on social media platforms, which you can use to leverage their engagement. Creating forums, groups, and chats on various apps is easier than ever, allowing students to get in touch with others quickly and enabling the school’s staff to stay in the loop.
Students can even get together and form groups based on their needs, focusing on their extracurriculars, majors, activities, and so on.
Focus On At-Risk Students Early On
Most at-risk students leave school early, according to retention numbers. That’s why it is important to identify and address them right from the start. Many high-level education schools have noted that focusing on learners in terms of class attendance, academic performance, and other activities, helped them identify at-risk students.
The biggest responsibility lies with the faculty members that communicate with students daily. Detecting trouble at its earliest stage is crucial. So, it is imperative to develop a systematic approach to identify these students as soon as possible so that the school can help them out. You can read more about at-risk students here.
Try to Inspire Students
Everyone needs a reminder that the world is not such a bleak place, and college and university members know that better than anyone. That’s why it is important to give your best to inspire students and encourage them to believe in themselves — even little things such as posting inspirational quotes on a campus-related network count.
Moreover, you can focus on individual students that need that extra push and try to inspire them to succeed. Students appreciate hearing from their professors that they’re doing well or that someone believes in them. Such actions create a trusting environment and push students to feel motivated and excited about the future.
Collect Data and Use It for Good
It would be a shame not to put such advanced technologies to good use. As more colleges and universities rely on technology to help them keep up with their students, it is important to keep track of that info for future reference. Such data collection does not lead to violating student privacy. Gathering data from public groups, forums, and online activity helps higher education establishments understand their students better.
Through such actions, colleges and universities know what to offer their students, as staying in the loop is one of the most important things in student retention. | https://www.yesweekly.com/5-effective-student-retention-strategies/article_63e8aa96-1ca3-11ed-894c-efb5e9c52029.html | 2022-08-16T01:53:43Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/5-effective-student-retention-strategies/article_63e8aa96-1ca3-11ed-894c-efb5e9c52029.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ogun offers free paediatric surgery for 200 children
The Ogun State Government through the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, in collaboration with Leicester Children’s Hospital, is providing free paediatric surgery to 200 indigent children in the state.
This was disclosed by the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Oluwabunmi Fatungase, on Monday, at the commencement of a five-day free surgery, held at the hospital premises.
According to her, the programme would also allow the state government to reduce medical tourism and give the less privileged the opportunity to be treated and operated upon without paying a dime.
Fatungase said children with medical cases such as hernia and hydrocele, undescended testes, hypospadias, hirschsprung disease, anorectal malformations and lumps and swelling, would be given free surgery.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, noted that the exercise is an epoch-making moment for the teaching hospital and the country as a whole, stressing that the target of the exercise is about two hundred and fifty indigent children.
Coker, while noting that the exercise was only made possible as a result of the leadership style of Governor Dapo Abiodun which has encouraged collaboration, inclusiveness and innovation, thanked the governor for his extensive investment in the hospital which she said has gingered philanthropists to collaborate with the state in upgrading infrastructure and investing in modern medical equipment.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
- ‘39.6 percent of unmarried university students use sexual performance-enhancing drugs’
- Tips on building a happy and healthy relationship
- Safety precautions to observe at the airport
- Safety tips to observe when boarding a ride from a ride-hailing app
- Secure your social media accounts from hackers with these tips
- Things to look out for before starting a business
- Striking a balance between your 9-5 job and your side hustle
- Little or no work experience? Here’s what you can do
- Top 10 Business Ideas In Nigeria You Can Start With 100,000 Naira
Declaring the programme open, Governor Dapo Abiodun said his administration would continue to do all it can to improve the quality and service delivery of medical personnel in the state.
Abiodun added that his administration would further explore how to deepen the relationship and collaboration between the state government and the Leicester Children’s Hospital.
The governor pointed out that the medical outreach programme is a noble initiative that his administration would continue to support for the all-round benefit of the state.
“This marks a new relationship between Ogun State and the Leicester Children’s Hospital, and we are going to further explore how to deepen that relationship and collaboration.
“We will continue to do everything to improve the quality and service delivery of our medical personnel, we will also continue to deal with everything that we can to improve the lot and life of our people,” he said.
Abiodun said that his administration had in the last three years grown the number of ambulances from five to over fifty, adding that the ambulances are being supported by tricycle ambulances which have the capacity to access the primary health care centres where vehicle ambulances cannot reach.
The governor who further disclosed that his administration has provided the primary health care centres with technology so that gathering, storing and sharing of data between the primary, secondary and tertiary health care centres are made easy, said that the use of technology keys to his administration’s developmental pillars. | https://tribuneonlineng.com/ogun-offers-free-paediatric-surgery-for-200-children/ | 2022-08-16T01:53:48Z | tribuneonlineng.com | control | https://tribuneonlineng.com/ogun-offers-free-paediatric-surgery-for-200-children/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Best-Selling Author, Humorist and Contributor to This American Life Live at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday, October 22
[Greensboro, NC] August 15, 2022 - David Sedaris, author of the previous bestsellers Calypso, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and regular National Public Radio contributor will be appearing for one night only at the Tanger Center on October 22 at 8PM, following the release of his newest books Happy-Go-Lucky and A Carnival of Snackery.
This is a unique opportunity to see the best-selling humorist in an intimate setting. As always, Sedaris will be offering a selection of all-new readings and recollections, as well as a Q&A session and book signing. Books will be available for sale at the event, courtesy of Scuppernong Books.
With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, Mr. Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. One of his new books, The Best of Me (Little Brown/ Hachette, Fall 2020), is a collection of 42 previously published stories and essays, about which novelist Andrew Sean Greer wrote in the New York Times: “You must read “The Best of Me.” It will be a new experience, knowing that enough time has passed to find humor in the hardest parts of life. More than ever — we’re allowed to laugh.”
If you love David Sedaris’s cheerfully misanthropic stories, you might think you know what you’re getting into at his live readings. You’d be wrong. To see him read his own work on stage allows his autobiographical narrative to reveal a uniquely personal narrative that will keep you laughing throughout the evening. Don’t miss this event!
All seats at the Tanger Center are reserved, and range in price from $45 – $75 and are subject to additional taxes and fees. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10AM EST on August 19 at www.DavidSedarisOnTour.com. | https://www.yesweekly.com/an-evening-with-david-sedaris-at-tanger-center/article_aaf0ea78-1caf-11ed-b02e-7bc0eed826f7.html | 2022-08-16T01:53:50Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/an-evening-with-david-sedaris-at-tanger-center/article_aaf0ea78-1caf-11ed-b02e-7bc0eed826f7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Kaleideum Marks Milestone with a ‘Topping Out’ Ceremony
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AUGUST 15, 2022) — On Thursday, August 18, Kaleideum will mark a major milestone in the construction of its new museum with a “Topping Out” Celebration at 10 am on the construction site at the corner of Third Street and Town Run Lane in downtown Winston-Salem.
“It was almost exactly one year ago that we broke ground for the reimagined Kaleideum,” said Elizabeth Dampier, Kaleideum Executive Director. “We are thrilled that we are at this point already, and we invite everyone to come out and ‘make their mark’ on the new building as we celebrate the placement of the final beams!”
“Topping out” is a tradition in construction and an opportunity for everyone to connect with the building — both literally and symbolically. During the celebration, which is free and open to the public, individuals will be able to sign their names on the last beams that will be placed. Frank L. Blum Construction Company is the general contractor for the project; Gensler and Stitch Design Shop are the architects.
“This community is building something special together,” said Mark Dunnagan, Vice President of Frank L. Blum Construction. “The Topping Out Celebration is an opportunity for everyone involved in the building on a daily basis — and the community at large — to come together at this milestone event, celebrate this distinctive cultural resource, and become engaged with Kaleideum as the building comes to life.”
“It's exhilarating for the design team to see the building take form and to celebrate this milestone with Kaleideum, Forsyth County, Blum, and the Winston-Salem community,” said Brad Burns, Design Director at Gensler. “We look forward to opening day when each person from the community can experience the realized vision co-created by this amazing team.”
The reimagined Kaleideum is scheduled to open in early 2024 and will be located at the 120 West Third Street. The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners is funding $30.5 million of the project, the State of North Carolina provided $3.8 million through a budget appropriation, and Kaleideum has raised approximately $11 million through its “All In”
Capital Campaign, which will fund the exciting new exhibits throughout the museum. The City of Winston-Salem provided $2 million for the development of Liberty Plaza, which is adjacent to the museum.
The “All In” Capital Campaign has received $2.25 million from the L. David Mounts Foundation, $2 million from Novant Health, and $1 million from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. The capital campaign has also received major gifts from Reynolds American Foundation, the Richard J. Reynolds III & Marie M. Reynolds Foundation, Truist, a supporter who wishes to remain anonymous, the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, the John Wesley and Anna Hodgin Hanes Foundation, Teresa and Junie Michael, Scottie and David Neill, the Duke Energy Foundation, Leora Henkin and Dr. Steven Feldman, First Citizens Bank & Trust, the James G. Hanes Memorial Fund, the Sam N. Carter and Pauline H. Carter Fund, the Twin City Development Fund, Wells Fargo, and the Winston-Salem Foundation.
Kaleideum will open with nine exhibitions that allow for multiple types of engagement and appeal to visitors of varying ages and development. These multifaceted, open-ended experiences will prompt visitors to test theories, seek answers to questions, think critically, shift perspectives, and explore at their own pace.
“In designing the spaces for the reimagined Kaleideum, we have responded to the wants and needs of the community,” Dampier said. “With the new museum, we are moving beyond the concepts of a singular children’s museum or science center to become a learning museum that blends arts and sciences while recognizing the value of both, not as silos, but as integrally connected tools that work together.”
About Kaleideum
Kaleideum was formed by the merger of The Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem and SciWorks in July 2016. The two museums merged into a single organization with a new mission: “Inspiring wonder, curiosity, and lifelong learning in our children and community through interactive play and discovery.”
About Frank L. Blum Construction
Established in 1923, Frank L. Blum Construction Company has been a trusted building partner to owners in North Carolina and Virginia for nearly a century. The firm has a solid reputation for weathering the most challenging economies, partnering with the most exacting owners, and excelling at the most complex projects. Many distinctive and beloved buildings bear the Blum Construction imprint of fine craftsmanship on the original structure or its subsequent renovation or restoration.
About Gensler
Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with over 50 locations across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Founded in 1965, the firm serves more than 3,300 active clients in virtually every industry. Guided by determined optimism, we believe the power of design can spark positive change and create a future that promotes equity, resilience, and wellbeing for everyone. | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/kaleideum-marks-milestone-with-a-topping-out-ceremony/article_2665ccee-1ccb-11ed-9ebf-8bc4c8267ed9.html | 2022-08-16T01:53:58Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/kaleideum-marks-milestone-with-a-topping-out-ceremony/article_2665ccee-1ccb-11ed-9ebf-8bc4c8267ed9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Visit High Point elevates Nancy Bowman to Vice President role
Visit High Point continues to promote internally with Nancy Bowman moving to Vice President of Branding
HIGH POINT, N.C. (August 15, 2022) — As Visit High Point enters year four in its ten-year tourism strategic plan, Nancy Bowman will assume the position of Vice President of Branding.
Having been with Visit High Point (VHP) for 20 years, Bowman has held a variety of roles related to coordinating and managing tourism, marketing, and sales efforts for the organization. Bowman’s understanding of each VHP department coupled with her intimate knowledge of the city of High Point positions her to direct strategic branding initiatives with both VHP and the local community.
A trusted community liaison, Bowman has served on various non-profit boards and committees in High Point and the Piedmont Triad region, representing the organization in various leadership roles.
“She continues to accept and conquer any challenge in her path and managing a wealth of responsibilities is something she is already accustomed to on a regular basis,” continued Burnett. “We now want to challenge that passion and energy, specifically in our long-range strategic plan to focus on overall sustainability and furthermore brand management of the destination for more economic outcomes.”
As the City of High Point enters the first phase of its strategic branding process, Bowman will collaborate with area leaders and industry partners to ensure the updated High Point brand message is communicated consistently and coherently throughout the region.
In order to match the growth of the city and its brand aspirations, VHP will be increasing their staff capacity. According to Burnett, Bowman will play an integral role in managing the expansion of their team.
“We are doubling our staff capacity because High Point is taking off and so is our workload,” says Burnett. “Nancy will be instrumental keeping our new team in sync.”
###
About Visit High Point:
Visit High Point is the official destination management and marketing organization that positions High Point as a vibrant destination that visitors will enjoy, and locals will want to promote. Our vision is to leverage High Point’s reputation as the Home Furnishings Capital of the WorldTM and the home of a world-class University to further the evolution of High Point as a unique destination. While the focus is to increase economic impact by providing first-class service to our visitors and meeting planners, Visit High Point also works to develop our city as a year-round destination that is competitive in the marketplace, generating more brand ambassadors and fans. We want each visitor to make yourself at home in High Point, NC. Established by state legislation in 1984, Visit High Point, a non-profit 501 c 6 organization is funded by a self-imposed three percent room occupancy tax on local hotels. No taxpayer funds – city, county, or state – are used to fund Visit High Point. The Regional Visitors Center is located at 1634 N. Main St., Suite 102, High Point, N.C. For more information, visit www.visithighpoint.com. | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/visit-high-point-elevates-nancy-bowman-to-vice-president-role/article_20cf083a-1cbd-11ed-8924-1f802384d3c1.html | 2022-08-16T01:53:58Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/business/visit-high-point-elevates-nancy-bowman-to-vice-president-role/article_20cf083a-1cbd-11ed-8924-1f802384d3c1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
North Dakota: Adult-Use Marijuana Legalization Measure Approved for November Ballot
Bismarck, ND: North Dakota Secretary of State Al Jaeger announced today that a measure to legalize the private possession and retail sale of marijuana has met the requirements to appear on the November ballot. New Approach ND, the campaign organizers behind the effort, announced in July that they had turned in 25,762 signatures to the Secretary of State’s office – roughly 10,000 signatures more than the number of signatures necessary.
NORML’s Executive Director Erik Altieri commented, “North Dakota has long had one of the highest marijuana arrests rates in the nation, despite having among the lowest reported marijuana use of any state. Legalization will not only bring justice to thousands of North Dakotans, but it will also provide a new, booming industry that will help local businesses and the countless family farms in the state. We expect that come November, North Dakotans are going to send a loud and clear message that they reject the failed policy of prohibition and that they want to take a new and more sensible approach forward by legalizing and regulating marijuana.”
NORML State Policies Manager Jax James added, “This measure will ensure that North Dakotans have safe and regulated access to cannabis products, thereby creating jobs, bolstering the agricultural community, and reprioritizing law enforcement’s priorities away from marijuana arrests to focus on violent crime."
Adult-use legalization measures have already qualified for the 2022 ballot in Maryland, Missouri, and South Dakota. In addition, signatures in support of separate state efforts have been turned in and are awaiting verification in Nebraska (medical only) and Oklahoma. Activists in Arkansas had turned in the required number of signatures to qualify legalization in their state, but election officials challenged the measure’s title. Campaign advocates are appealing that decision.
###
NORML advocates for changes in public policy so that the responsible possession and use of marijuana by adults is no longer subject to criminal penalties. NORML further advocates for a regulated commercial cannabis market so that activities involving the for-profit production and retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products are safe, transparent, consumer-friendly, and are subject to state and/or local licensure. Finally, NORML advocates for additional changes in legal and regulatory policies so that those who use marijuana responsibly no longer face either social stigma or workplace discrimination, and so that those with past criminal records for marijuana-related violations have the opportunity to have their records automatically expunged.
Find out more at norml.org and read our Fact Sheets on the most common misconceptions and myths regarding reform efforts around the country | https://www.yesweekly.com/cannabis/north-dakota-adult-use-marijuana-legalization-measure-approved-for-november-ballot/article_1101f55a-1cce-11ed-9acf-4f6768d04712.html | 2022-08-16T01:53:59Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/cannabis/north-dakota-adult-use-marijuana-legalization-measure-approved-for-november-ballot/article_1101f55a-1cce-11ed-9acf-4f6768d04712.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Guilford County Terminates Emergency Covid-19 Declaration
Termination effective as of 5 p.m. August 15, 2022
Guilford County, NC – Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Melvin “Skip” Alston, announced today that the County will terminate its local emergency declaration regarding the COVID-19 respiratory disease caused by the CARS-COV-2 virus Monday, August 15, 2022, at 5 p.m. The recension of the local order will coincide with the termination of the State of North Carolina’s pandemic state of emergency declared by Governor Roy Cooper 29 months ago.
The governor declared a state of emergency in March of 2020 as the first cases of the coronavirus began showing up in North Carolina.
Since then, almost 3 million people have reported testing positive in the state and more than 25,000 people have died, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
On March 13, 2020, Guilford County declared a countywide emergency related to COVID-19. This declaration allows county governments to respond to any disaster or emergency and to apply for aid from the state and federal governments for both response and recovery expenses.
“We recognize that COVID-19 is still an emergent issue, with the transmission on the rise. While the local state of emergency is being allowed to expire in conjunction with the Governor’s, we want to share with the community that there are resources and processes in place to meet the immediate needs,” said Steven Grose, Guilford County Emergency Management Director.”
Guilford County Public Health Director Dr. Iulia Vann told the board that the amount of people receiving vaccines is holding steady.
“We continue to offer vaccines in Guilford County for anybody who wants them,” she said. “We will continue to monitor locally and recommend reactivation if appropriate.”
View the Guilford County Termination of State of Emergency here and go to www.guilfordcountync.gov for more information on COVID. | https://www.yesweekly.com/coronavirus/guilford-county-terminates-emergency-covid-19-declaration/article_9807d814-1cb3-11ed-a907-1b3f728b42d2.html | 2022-08-16T01:54:03Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/coronavirus/guilford-county-terminates-emergency-covid-19-declaration/article_9807d814-1cb3-11ed-a907-1b3f728b42d2.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Renaissance Church and CityServe of the Triad to give away school supplies and more at Day of Love Event
Jamestown, NC - Renaissance Church is partnering with CityServe of the Triad to help local families get ready for the new school year with an event that will provide free backpacks with school supplies, groceries, clothes, shoes and household items. Free haircuts will also be provided by professional stylists. The event, called “A Day of Love” will take place on Saturday, August 20 from 8am-noon at Renaissance Church located at 5114 Harvey Rd in Jamestown. In addition to back-to-school essentials, the Renaissance Food Bank will be on hand distributing groceries including fresh produce and baked goods.
The event will also feature information booths from High Point Police Department, the YMCA, and a visit from the American Red Cross Bloodmobile. Anyone donating blood will receive a $20 gift card. Breakfast and lunch will also be provided to anyone in attendance.
Paula Bost, executive director of Renaissance Church says that events like this are at the heart of the CityServe of the Triad mission. “It’s important for us to be able to come together as a community and share resources and talents to help one another.” She adds that events like this are an opportunity for everyone to participate - regardless of need or background. “At the end of the day, we just want people to be ready for a great school year and know that they are loved.”
About Renaissance Church
Renaissance Church was founded in High Point in 2008 by lead pastor Jason Goins and moved to Jamestown in 2015. Community outreach and assisting those in need has always been a priority for Renaissance Church which has operated a weekly Food Pantry since 2010. The Renaissance Food Bank distributes food every Saturday beginning at 9a.m. from the church at 5114 Harvey Road in Jamestown. Renaissance Church meets every Sunday at 10a.m. More information about Renaissance Church can be found at www.RENtriad.church.
About CityServe of the Triad
CityServe was formed in late 2021 to supply partner churches with tangible items like food, furniture, apparel and household necessities. Churches are resourced to fulfill their purpose and meet the needs of the underserved people in each community. The CityServe distribution model is based on a HUB to POD supply chain. Renaissance Church operates a HUB that serves as a distribution site for food boxes and goods-in-kind (donated by Amazon, Wal-Mart, CostCo and others) to local churches, also known as PODs in its geographical region. A POD is a local church coordinating with CityServe to receive resources from its assigned HUB to meet the needs of its neighborhood with compassionate giving and relationship building. More information about CityServe of the Triad can be found at www.CityServeTriad.org | https://www.yesweekly.com/education/renaissance-church-and-cityserve-of-the-triad-to-give-away-school-supplies-and-more-at/article_52eb30c6-1cbf-11ed-8e39-1f8b8245567c.html | 2022-08-16T01:54:09Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/education/renaissance-church-and-cityserve-of-the-triad-to-give-away-school-supplies-and-more-at/article_52eb30c6-1cbf-11ed-8e39-1f8b8245567c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Triad Goodwill Receives Grant from the AT&T Foundation for Digital Skills Training Programs
Triad Goodwill awarded $25,000 grant to aid local job-seekers with free digital skills training
GREENSBORO, NC – AT&T, which connects people through technology, is helping Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Inc. (Triad Goodwill) connect people to the future by overcoming the digital divide.
A $25,000 contribution from the AT&T Foundation will help underwrite the Triad Goodwill Virtual Services Program and Digital Skills Training.
“We are thrilled that the AT&T Foundation continues to invest in the future of our community. As people gain basic digital skills, there is significantly increased access to the opportunities that come with those skills,” shared Jessica Schultz, vice president of Career Development Services at Triad Goodwill.
“We advocate for digital equity and inclusion through accessible training to ensure that community members can navigate digital tools successfully. Training and development focused on digital skills is critical for many employees to advance in their careers and to fully engage in an increasingly digital economy,” explained Richard Vance, learning and outcomes manager at Triad Goodwill.
Vance is responsible for developing and instructing digital skills programming. The grant will assist with funding these classes and future curriculum for Triad Goodwill’s Digital Skills program and Virtual Services.
“The stakes for closing the digital divide are incredibly high, and it is imperative that we work together as a community to remove barriers to opportunity for children and families,” said Mike Walker, regional director of external affairs. “Sometimes a barrier may be access to high-speed broadband and, at AT&T, we are working hard to do our part to bring broadband to all Americans. Another barrier can be digital literacy. We are pleased to support the work of Triad Goodwill in helping make a difference for individuals and families throughout the region.”
The Triad Goodwill Career Center holds a multitude of no-cost and low-cost job training classes, workshops, and certificate programs. Schedules and registration information is updated weekly and can be found at https://www.triadgoodwill.org/train/. Programs available include Digital Skills training (various classes and subjects), HVAC Certification, CDL Training, Social Media Marketing, and Construction Core training.
Representatives from the AT&T Foundation will present Triad Goodwill with the grant on Thursday, August 18 at 11:00 a.m. at the Triad Goodwill Career Center at 1235 S. Eugene St. in Greensboro. Those interested in attending from the media should contact Christine Gillies, at cgillies@triadgoodwill.org for more information on the event.
About Triad Goodwill:
Triad Goodwill (Goodwill Industries of Central North Carolina, Inc.), a 501(c)(3) non-profit leader, promotes the value of work by providing career development services, skills training and work opportunities for people with employment needs. In the past year, Triad Goodwill served 1,753 people in the community and helped place 350 workers into competitive employment. 85¢ of every dollar earned in Triad Goodwill stores supports their mission of Improving Lives and Enriching Communities Through the Power of Work. | https://www.yesweekly.com/education/triad-goodwill-receives-grant-from-the-at-t-foundation-for-digital-skills-training-programs/article_f7c6bd1e-1cb9-11ed-bd4b-a35aa6f7e046.html | 2022-08-16T01:54:15Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/education/triad-goodwill-receives-grant-from-the-at-t-foundation-for-digital-skills-training-programs/article_f7c6bd1e-1cb9-11ed-bd4b-a35aa6f7e046.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Historic Bethabara Park Presents Apple Fest 2022
WINSTON-SALEM, NC—Come celebrate the arrival of fall -- and all of its apple-filled goodness -- at Historic Bethabara Park’s annual Apple Fest on Saturday, September 24, from 10:00am until 4:00pm. The day’s activities include: food, music, crafts, children’s games, Robinson’s racing pigs, historical tours and demonstrations; and lots of apples!
Visitors will enjoy pottery, woodworking, blacksmithing, and indigo dyeing demonstrations. Apples from local orchards will be available for purchase, as will a large selection of crafts, food, and drinks. Main stage musicians include: The Burnett Sisters with Colin Ray, The Brown Mountain Lightning Bugs, and Alexa Rose. Colonial musician Ken Bloom will perform in the 1788 Gemeinhaus.
Admission is free; there are charges for crafts, food, and drinks.
Historic Bethabara Park, a National Historic Landmark, is the 1753 site of the first Moravian settlement in North Carolina and the birthplace of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. For more information, please visit historicbethabara.org or call (336) 924-8191. | https://www.yesweekly.com/foodanddrink/historic-bethabara-park-presents-apple-fest-2022-sept-24/article_337a276c-1cb3-11ed-9a75-2385021de778.html | 2022-08-16T01:54:22Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/foodanddrink/historic-bethabara-park-presents-apple-fest-2022-sept-24/article_337a276c-1cb3-11ed-9a75-2385021de778.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Renowned Author Stephanie Land and Hip-Hop Legend KRS-One Coming to Greensboro to Help United Way Celebrate Centennial
Greensboro, NC (August 15, 2022) – United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) is celebrating its centennial campaign kickoff during the entire month of September with a series of concerts, that include local acts and hip-hop legend KRS-One (Sept. 30), and with a Community Speaker Series featuring award winning author, Stephanie Land.
The events will highlight UWGG’s 100 years of transforming compassion into community change, and proceeds will benefit organizational efforts to end local poverty.
UWGG’s 100 Years of Good Vibes Concert Series will feature free performances by three local bands at three local breweries on three different dates and will culminate with a ticketed concert featuring KRS-One at Carolina Theatre.
KRS-One is a renowned hip-hop artist, activist, and author. He’s been called the “conscience of hip hop” by Rolling Stone Magazine and remains one of the loudest voices advocating for the preservation and expansion of original hip-hop and its message of ending cultural exploitation and violence.
In addition to hosting the local act concerts, Little Brother Brewing, Oden Brewing, and SouthEnd Brewing have collaborated for the first time to produce a Centennial Beer that will be on tap all month long at each brewery, with $1 of each pint sold benefiting UWGG.
100 Years of Good Vibes Concert Series Details
- Sept. 2: 7 to 10 p.m., J. Timber will perform at Little Brother Brewing
- Sept. 16: 7 to 10 p.m., Wristband will perform at Oden Brewing
- Sept. 23: 7 to 10 p.m., Drew Holgate Band will perform at SouthEnd Brewing
- Sept. 30: 7:30 to 9 p.m., KRS-ONE will perform at Carolina Theatre
Community Speaker Series featuring Stephanie Land
UWGG will additionally host Stephanie Land at its annual Community Speaker Series on September 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Grandover Resort and Spa. Tickets to the speaker series cost $100 and include lunch.
Author of the bestselling memoir Maid, which inspired an award-winning Netflix series, Land will present her story of escaping poverty: “Hard work, low pay, and a mother’s will to survive.”
Visit www.UnitedWayGSO.org/Calendar to learn more and purchase tickets to events. | https://www.yesweekly.com/literature/renowned-author-stephanie-land-and-hip-hop-legend-krs-one-coming-to-greensboro-to-help/article_d6ec0380-1cdf-11ed-82b9-fb552d554d42.html | 2022-08-16T01:54:23Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/literature/renowned-author-stephanie-land-and-hip-hop-legend-krs-one-coming-to-greensboro-to-help/article_d6ec0380-1cdf-11ed-82b9-fb552d554d42.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Greensboro Symphony Orchestra presents Yolanda Adams, Queen of Gospel
GREENSBORO, NC (08/15/2022) — Experience the powerful voice and singular sound of Yolanda Adams when the Greensboro Symphony (GSO) presents Queen of Gospel on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 8:00pm in the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts. Winner of five Grammy Awards, Adams will showcase her signature sound blending gospel, soul and jazz in an evening of healing, inspirational, and uplifting music!
Gospel legend Yolanda Yvette Adams is a world renowned singer, record producer, actress, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and radio host of her own nationally syndicated morning gospel show. Exceptionally educated and talented, Ms. Adams has triumphantly carried the torch for contemporary gospel and inspirational music via 15 glorious albums and has one of the most powerful voices in any genre of music. She has earned numerous accolades for her shining efforts, including the first American Music Award for Contemporary Gospel Artist, four Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, five Grammy Awards, sixteen Stellar Gospel Music Awards, seven NAACP Image Awards, three Soul Train Music Award, and five BET Awards.
Ms. Adams served as a spokesperson for the FILA Corporation’s Operation Rebound, a program that addressed the concern of inner-city school children. Additionally, she has supported numerous charities and foundations. Her own charity, the Voice of an Angel Foundation, Incorporated, was founded in 2005, with a mission of establishing mentoring programs for underprivileged youth.
Come to feel the rejuvenating energy and uplifting musical powers of the unmatched Yolanda Adams when she takes the stage with the GSO in Queen of Gospel!
Who: Henry Panion, conductor, Yolanda Adams, vocals, Greensboro Symphony Orchestra
What: Yolanda Adams, Queen of Gospel
When: Saturday, March 25th, 2023 at 8:00 pm
Where: StevenTanger Center for the Performing Arts, 300 North Elm St., Greensboro, NC 27401
Tickets: greensborosymphony.org / TangerCenter.com / ticketmaster.com / GSO Box Office: 336-335-5456 x224
Price*: $80, $65, $50, $35
*Fees not included
About the Greensboro Symphony: Founded in 1959, the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra strives to enrich the cultural life of Greensboro and surrounding areas with the highest quality music and music education programs. This nonprofit organization impacts tens of thousands of lives annually by presenting concerts, special events, and targeted educational opportunities for students in four North Carolina counties - one of the largest suites of music education programs among Southeastern orchestras. | https://www.yesweekly.com/music/greensboro-symphony-orchestra-presents-yolanda-adams-queen-of-gospel/article_9a648c56-1cae-11ed-90c0-7f8b71f45e37.html | 2022-08-16T01:54:29Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/music/greensboro-symphony-orchestra-presents-yolanda-adams-queen-of-gospel/article_9a648c56-1cae-11ed-90c0-7f8b71f45e37.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LA’s House of Sin Lists at $10.2 Million!
Nicknamed the 'House of Sin,' Southern California’s most eclectic home is for sale at $10.2 million. Located on Sunset Plaza Drive in the Hollywood Hills, the home was previously owned by photographer Richard Franklin who photographed celebrities and more than 600 models in the home.
The five-bedroom, six-bathroom home features a smorgasbord of entertainment. There is the inviting pool next to a love swing suspended over the LA city lights, a rooftop deck, an indoor spa, chef’s kitchen, a dancing studio, gold-layered hallways that lead to a Hugh Hefner-style grotto room, a romantic fireplace, a casino and black-light disco nightclub, and ocean views.
A popular film site for reality TV and avant-garde fashion shoots, including Kim Kardashian, the 7,500-square-foot home has creative nooks, crannies and mysterious hallways. Not to mention several floors of activities, including a make out-ready theater with mood lighting and reclining leather seats, a shower room big enough for a friendly crowd, and another colorful room that could bring new meaning to 1960’s psychedelics.
And a full workout room with inspiring wall posters and equipment. Just a couple minutes to the Sunset Strip for shopping, restaurants and more entertainment options.
The home is listed with Josh Morrow and Brooke A. Elliott of Aaron Kirman Group at Compass. | https://www.yesweekly.com/real_estate/la-s-house-of-sin-lists-at-10-2-million/article_b3561e66-1cb1-11ed-9ec8-e77373288506.html | 2022-08-16T01:54:35Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/real_estate/la-s-house-of-sin-lists-at-10-2-million/article_b3561e66-1cb1-11ed-9ec8-e77373288506.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Willingham Theater to present The Last Five Years September 9-11, 2022
(Yadkinville, NC) - The Willingham Theater and Yadkin Arts Council will present the Drama Desk Award-Winning Musical, The Last Five Years, September 9-11, 2022. Starring Edward Charles Kluttz III and Brittany Darst, this emotionally powerful and intimate musical deconstruction of a love affair and marriage involving two New Yorkers in their twenties takes place over a five-year period while they fall in and out of love.
Jamie, an up-and-coming Jewish novelist falls in love with Cathy, a Shiksa Goddess and struggling actress. Jamie struggles to balance his sudden success with his increasingly tumultuous love life, while Cathy deals with the frustrations of her own stalled career while watching her husband from the sidelines. The show’s unconventional structure consists of Cathy telling her story backwards while Jamie tells his story chronologically; the two characters only meet once, at their wedding in the middle of the show.
The Last Five Years speaks to audiences about relationships in a way that few new musicals do, with a brutally honest depiction of career, self-image, and identity; and the challenges those can have on a relationship. It is funny, moving, heartfelt, honest, and thought-provoking. At the helm for this production is Artistic Director, Jessie Grant and Music Director Charlie Kluttz.
The Last Five Years is written and composed by Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown. His emotionally incisive, ferociously energetic, and deeply human scores include "The Bridges of Madison County" (Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations), "Parade" (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), "13" and "Songs for a New World" have brought his unique voice and highly personal songs to stages all over the world.
**The Last Five Years is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.**
Tickets & Additional Information
What & When: The Last Five Years: September 9-10 at 7:30-pm; September 11 at 3pm.
Tickets: $22. Tickets for these shows can be purchased at www.yadkinarts.org or at the Box Office from 10am-4pm, Monday-Friday.
Where: Willingham Theater (Yadkin Cultural Arts Center), 226 E. Main St., Yadkinville, NC 27055
About the Yadkin Arts Council
The Yadkin Arts Council is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to transform lives in our community through the arts by offering opportunities to encounter, create, and participate. We believe art is transformational. Arts open minds, frees imagination, and helps people see the world from different perspectives. | https://www.yesweekly.com/the-willingham-theater-to-present-the-last-five-years-september-9-11-2022/article_e9f7cf10-1cba-11ed-9d57-87f94edc169d.html | 2022-08-16T01:54:42Z | yesweekly.com | control | https://www.yesweekly.com/the-willingham-theater-to-present-the-last-five-years-september-9-11-2022/article_e9f7cf10-1cba-11ed-9d57-87f94edc169d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Apparently not content to stop at unleashing paranoia-fueled violence on the Capitol and FBI agents doing their jobs, Republicans would now like people to believe that the number-crunchers at the IRS are going to start knocking down the middle class’s doors and murdering them for not paying taxes. As a result of the $80 billion in additional funding the Internal Revenue Service will receive as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Yes, we wish we were joking. No, incredibly, we are not.
Seemingly created as a response to the raid on Donald Trump‘s home, for which the GOP has no legitimate defense, Republican lawmakers and officials kicked off the scare tactic last Monday. Senator Marco Rubio conspiratorily asked: “After todays raid on Mar A Lago what do you think the left plans to use those 87,000 new IRS agents for?” Indiana representative Jim Banks warned his followers: “If the FBI can raid the home of a former US President, imagine what 87,000 more IRS agents will do to you.” Richard Grenell, Trump‘s former acting director of National Intelligence tweeted: “The FBI raids Trump’s house and the Democrats vote to add 87,000 new IRS agents to go after Americans. Wake up, America.”
Naturally, the insanity only escalated from there. On Thursday, in an appearance on Fox & Friends, Senator Chuck Grassley asked, “Are they going to have a strike force that goes in with AK15s already loaded, ready to shoot some small-business person in Iowa?” Later that night, filling in for Tucker Carlson, Brian Kilmeade told his viewers:
Twitter content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
On Monday, Representative Matt Gaetz had this to say:
Twitter content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
Responding to the absolutely ridiculous claims, Senate Finance Committee chairman Ron Wyden said in a statement on Friday that the “incendiary conspiracy theories Republicans are pushing about armed IRS agents are increasingly dangerous and out-of-control. High-ranking Republicans, including the former chair of the Finance Committee, are saying shockingly irresponsible things. Given the social media chatter we’re already seeing, it’s all too easy to imagine individuals using these conspiracy theories as justification for violence against public servants and their families.”
Republicans, who love to insist they’re the party of “law and order,” have escalated their attacks on law enforcement agents since Trump’s Palm Beach home was raided last week. Representative Paul Gosar called on Americans to “destroy the FBI.” Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene claimed the agents who were simply doing their jobs were engaging in behavior only seen in “communist countries, NOT the United States of America!!!” FBI agents have reportedly seen a rise in death threats against them. On Thursday, an armed man attempted to break into a Cinncinnati FBI office, having seemingly been set off by the right’s attacks on the bureau. (The man, Ricky Shiffer, was later killed by the police.)
So yeah, it would be great if the GOP could refrain from claiming IRS agents are coming after people with AK15s. | https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/gop-irs-agents-fear-tactics | 2022-08-16T01:56:29Z | vanityfair.com | control | https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/gop-irs-agents-fear-tactics | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When we last checked in with Rudy Giuliani, the former New York City mayor had just been sued by his third ex-wife, who reportedly claimed in a sworn affidavit that he owed her more than $260,000 and whose lawyers threatened Giuliani with jail time. “Your failure to appear in court may result in immediate arrest or imprisonment,” the attorneys wrote to the Giuliani, arguing that he should be found in contempt of court for refusing to make the payments, Page Six reported at the time. Obviously, that wasn’t great news for the man once known as “America’s mayor,” particularly the bit about him potentially spending time behind bars. But worse? The revelation that he’s now under criminal investigation for election fraud in Georgia, for which he could serve even more time in prison.
On Monday, a lawyer for Giuliani reported that the former mayor turned Donald Trump attorney is a target of a criminal investigation into election interference in Georgia. According to The New York Times, earlier this summer, Fulton County prosecutors questioned witnesses before a special grand jury regarding Giuliani’s December 2020 appearances in front of state legislative panels, during which he “spent hours peddling false conspiracy theories about secret suitcases of Democratic ballots and corrupted voting machines.” Giuliani is scheduled to testify before the special grand jury on Wednesday, though his lawyer Robert Costello told the outlet that he’s likely to hide behind attorney-client privilege if asked about the former president. “If these people think he’s going to talk about conversations between him and President Trump, they’re delusional,” Costello said.
While Giuliani was already on a clear downward trajectory during the Trump administration years, his actions during those years paled in comparison—in terms of how batshit fucking crazy they was—to what the former mayor got into after Trump lost the presidency to Joe Biden. Setting aside the press conference he held at Four Seasons Total Landscaping and Hair-dye-gate, Giuliani’s various efforts to help the ex-president overturn the results of the 2020 election included a scam to create a slate of fake electors; baseless, completely absurd lies about nonexistent election fraud; and a call for “trial by combat” at the “Stop the Steal” rally that preceded the attack on the Capitol. Currently, he’s being sued for billions of dollars over defamation claims made by voting-machine companies Dominion and Smartmatic. Last year, a New York State appellate court suspended his law license for lying about the election, including for his “numerous false and misleading statements regarding the Georgia presidential election results.” Attorneys for Giuliani have, naturally, insisted he did nothing wrong. A spokesman for the Fulton County district attorney’s office declined the Times’ request for comment. Fani Willis, the district attorney, has previously said that her investigation could lead to racketeering or conspiracy charges for multiple defendants, the Times notes.
Incidentally, Giuliani isn’t the only Trump pal on Willis’s radar. On Monday, a federal judge rejected an effort by Senator Lindsey Graham to avoid testifying before the Atlanta special grand jury, saying prosecutors had met the “extraordinary circumstances” threshold that Graham’s lawyers argued were required for the senator to provide testimony. Prosecutors’ interest in hearing from Graham reportedly relates, in part, to a November 2020 call with Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, who has alleged that Graham had asked him if he had the power to throw out mail-in ballots from certain counties. Graham has absurdly argued that his calls to Raffensperger—there were two of them—were related to his then position as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. But as federal district court judge Leigh Martin May noted on Monday, “individuals on the calls have publicly suggested that Senator Graham was not simply engaged in legislative fact-finding” and was instead “seeking to influence Secretary Raffensperger’s actions” to help out Trump.
Back in May, Joyce Vance, a former U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, told MSNBC that Willis had damning evidence on her hands re: Trump’s attempt to steal the 2020 Georgia vote. Noting that in order to indict the former president, Willis needs “proof of the former president’s state of mind,” Vance argued that the Georgia DA may have just that, thanks to a recording of a phone call that took place on January 2, 2021, ahead of the official vote certification, in which Trump pressured Raffensperger to “find” him the exact number of votes necessary to win the state, despite the fact that he had actually lost. “I just want to find 11,780 votes, which is one more than we have, because we won the state,” Trump told Raffensperger, before threatening to prosecute the local official for failing to follow through. That the then president was asking Raffensperger to “find him the specific number of votes that he needs,” Vance argued, is “pretty good evidence of criminal intent walking into it.” While Willis’s probe was initially launched in response to that very shady phone call, the investigation had since crept into the realm of possible racketeering and fraud. An analysis by the Brookings Institution released last year concluded that Trump’s actions put him at “substantial risk of possible state charges predicated on multiple crimes,” including “criminal solicitation to commit election fraud; intentional interference with performance of election duties; conspiracy to commit election fraud; criminal solicitation; and state RICO violations.” | https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/rudy-giuliani-fulton-county-georgia-criminal-investigation | 2022-08-16T01:56:35Z | vanityfair.com | control | https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/rudy-giuliani-fulton-county-georgia-criminal-investigation | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A former Los Angeles County fire captain walked off the witness stand three times during testimony Monday while being questioned about whether he took photos of Kobe Bryant's remains at the 2020 helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others.
Citing stress from working the crash, Brian Jordan resisted questions that took him back to his actions that day, when attorneys for Bryant's widow, Vanessa, claim he was led around by a sheriff's deputy to take site photography of the scene, including crash wreckage and victims' remains.
"Kobe Bryant's remains were among the pictures?" asked Bryant's attorney Luis Li before being cut off by Jordan.
"I need a break, I need a break," Jordan said as he stood up. "Sorry your honor," he said as he walked off the stand for the first of three times.
At one point, Li noted in questioning that Jordan exited with his attorney each time.
Steven Haney, Jordan's attorney, told CNN his client's departures from the court room didn't concern legal issues, but a reaction to "a medical condition associated with his viewing of the crash scene and it causes him to suffer trauma."
Jordan repeatedly said he did not remember taking photographs because he has blocked that day out of his memory since retiring in early 2021.
Later, when asked by another plaintiff attorney about whether he took photos of specific body parts, Jordan said "The way the whole scene looked, that's going to haunt me forever, and excuse me cause I'm about to take another break."
At times Jordan rejected pointed questions from attorneys about exactly what he photographed that day and why.
"The only reason I'm sitting here is because someone threw my name into this whole thing," Jordan said on the witness stand. He says a supervisor asked him to take site photography as part of the fire department's response to the crash.
"Maybe that was the day I should have been insubordinate," Jordan said defiantly.
At one point, Haney, Jordan's attorney who is not one of the lawyers representing defendant L.A. County, objected from near the courtroom gallery to a question asked by the plaintiffs, saying "asked and answered." When the judge realized who was making the objection, he instructed Haney not to make any further objections.
Vanessa Bryant's federal civil lawsuit alleges the county invaded her privacy and failed to fully contain the spread of the photos, causing her to live in fear that the photos could surface online at any moment.
L.A. County maintains the photos were part of necessary accident site photography and that it sufficiently contained their spread, arguing that the photos have never surfaced online.
Testimony continued with a series of Los Angeles County sheriff deputies who received and shared the sensitive photos with each other, one of whom was a trainee who showed the photos to a bartender he considered a friend.
"Looking back, do you think there was any reason for you to receive these accident photos?"asked plaintiff attorney Craig Lavoie.
"Looking back on it today, no." Deputy Joey Cruz said, though he maintained he initially accepted them thinking he may have later been tasked to write a report on the incident.
Regarding the bartender, Cruz added: "He's a close friend that I vent to... I took it too far, something I shouldn't have done."
Cruz is to return to the witness stand on Tuesday.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/former-fire-captain-repeatedly-walked-off-the-witness-stand-during-testimony-over-kobe-bryant-crash/article_9e12b05f-1dbe-5c05-bc01-4d4a068ac958.html | 2022-08-16T01:57:01Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/former-fire-captain-repeatedly-walked-off-the-witness-stand-during-testimony-over-kobe-bryant-crash/article_9e12b05f-1dbe-5c05-bc01-4d4a068ac958.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Via the Australian Bureau of Statistics:
In summary it shows
the annual rise in the monthly CPI indicator increased from 5.5% in April to 6.2% in May then to 6.8% June quarter CPI 6.1% more to come
Coming up soon will be more timely releases. ABS says:
Summary
On 26 October 2022, the ABS will commence publication of a monthly CPI indicator. This first publication will occur alongside the release of the quarterly CPI. Thereafter, the monthly CPI indicator will be published around four weeks after the end of the reference month, starting with the October month release on 30 November. The exception to this will be the November data, which will be published in January. The monthly CPI indicator will provide a timelier indication of inflation using the same data collected for use in the quarterly CPI. Each month will include updated prices for between 62 and 73 per cent of the weight of the quarterly CPI basket. The quarterly CPI will continue to be Australia’s key measure of inflation
Inflation
Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market.
Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market.
Read this Term Australia does have a monthly inflation survey. It's a helpful one but it does require a subscription. This publicly available data will be welcome.
AUd update:
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/australia-has-released-a-monthly-cpi-indicator-its-not-pretty-20220816/ | 2022-08-16T01:57:09Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/australia-has-released-a-monthly-cpi-indicator-its-not-pretty-20220816/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Scotia on prospects for the euro, not a pretty picture at all:
- In Europe, the consequences of the Ukraine war remain a clear constraint on prospects.
- European energy security remains a key consideration for the outlook over the next few months. It is not in Russia’s best interests to cut off Europe altogether from its natural gas supplies and Europe is doing a decent job of building gas reserves ahead of winter. But supply uncertainty is real and surging energy costs are lifting inflation and curbing discretionary spending and industrial output.
- Recession risks are rising in the Eurozone and hot summer weather is adding to economic headwinds; low water levels are compromising key logistical routes on the Rhine (which transports around 30% of German energy raw materials).
- The European Central Bank raised interest rates 50 bps in July but markets expect only modest rate increases over the balance of the year and yield differentials will curb the appeal of the euro (EUR) for now. N
- egative growth surprises or energy supply disruption would risk pushing the EUR below parity versus the USD, we believe.
- The unsettled Italian political backdrop, prompting Moody’s to downgrade Italy’s sovereign outlook, figures as another, nascent risk for the EUR.
Where to for EUR/USD? Scotia forecasts: | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/eurusd-losses-expected-to-extend-below-parity-forecast-to-095-20220816/ | 2022-08-16T01:57:15Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/eurusd-losses-expected-to-extend-below-parity-forecast-to-095-20220816/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Reserve Bank of Australia minutes August 2022
Headlines via Reuters:
Board expects to take further steps in the process of normalising monetary conditions over the months ahead, but it is not on a pre-set path. Members noted that inflation
Inflation
Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market.
Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market.
Read this Term was expected to peak later in 2022 It is seeking to do this in a way that keeps the economy on an even keel. Inflation will then decline back to the top of the 2 to 3 per cent target range by the end of 2024 Members agreed it was appropriate to continue the process of normalising monetary conditions Resilience of the economy continued to be most evident in the labour market Members also considered the risks to the global outlook, which were skewed to the downside. Behaviour of household spending continued to present a key source of uncertainty for the outlook Members will be paying close attention to how the balance of various factors affects the outlook for spending Increase in interest rates over recent months has been required to bring inflation back to target Full text:
Look like from this lot that the RBA will continue with its cautious approach. It says its committed to bringing inflation back down but it seems to be relying on things going its way rather than assertive policy action.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/rba-minutes-rate-hikes-ahead-not-on-a-pre-set-path-20220816/ | 2022-08-16T01:57:28Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/rba-minutes-rate-hikes-ahead-not-on-a-pre-set-path-20220816/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NAIROBI/KISUMU — Kenya’s elections chief declared Deputy President William Ruto the winner of a tight presidential race on Monday but some senior election officials disowned the result, fueling fears of widespread violence like that seen after previous disputed polls.
Hailing the electoral commission as “heroes” after he was declared the winner, Ruto said: “There is no looking back. We are looking to the future. We need all hands on deck to move forward.”
The 55-year-old had made Kenya’s class divisions the centerpiece of his campaign to become Kenya’s fifth president, promising to reward low-income “hustlers.”
He was also scornful of Kenya’s political dynasties – his opponent Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the nation’s first vice president and president, respectively. Kenyatta, who has served his two-term limit as president, fell out with Ruto after the last election and this time endorsed Odinga, making his fifth attempt at winning the presidency.
Once in office, Ruto will have to confront an economic and social crisis in East Africa’s most advanced economy, where poor Kenyans already reeling from the impact of COVID-19 have been hit by global rises in food and fuel prices.
The worst drought for 40 years has devastated the country’s north, leaving 4.1 million people dependent on food aid, while its debt levels have soared.
Ruto, who heads the Kenya Kwanza (Kenya First) Alliance, had appeared to be leading opposition leader Odinga as Kenyans awaited final results of the election held nearly a week ago.
Minutes before the chairman of the electoral commission Wafula Chebukati announced that Ruto had won, his deputy Juliana Cherera had told media at a separate location that she and three other commissioners disowned the results.
“We are not able to take ownership of the results that will be announced, because of the opaque nature of this last phase of the general election,” she said.
The electoral commission has seven commissioners.
History of violence
The electoral commission has introduced many checks and balances to try to prevent disputes like those that led to violence in which more than 1,200 people were killed following the 2007 election. In 2017, more than 100 people were killed after the Supreme Court quashed the initial result over irregularities in the electoral process.
Amid fears that vote-rigging allegations could lead to bloody scenes like those that followed presidential polls in 2007 and 2017, Cherera urged the parties to pursue any disputes through the courts.
Diplomats and international observers were whisked out of the tallying hall before Chebukati spoke, as scuffles broke out.
Before announcing Ruto as the winner, Chebukati said two commissioners and the electoral commission’s chief executive had been injured and were being treated.
Chebukati said Ruto had won 50.49% of the vote, against Odinga’s 48.5%.
The winning candidate must get 50% of votes plus one.
Kenya’s dollar-denominated government bonds fell by as much as 2.9 cents on the dollar, Tradeweb data showed.
The United Nations took note of the results, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said, and encouraged all candidates to “resort to legal channels to address any challenges that may arise.”
The U.S. embassy in Kenya urged all parties to work together to peacefully resolve concerns about the election.
“We ask all political party leaders to continue to urge their supporters to remain peaceful and refrain from violence,” it said in a statement.
‘Not over’
Odinga did not attend the announcement. His running mate, Martha Karua later tweeted: “it is not over until it is over.”
Saitabao Kanchory, national chief agent for Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja (Declaration of Unity) Alliance told reporters outside the tallying center that it would continue to “hold Wafula Chebukati … to account to the people of Kenya to deliver a free fair credible election.”
In the Kibera slums in Nairobi and Kisumu, both Odinga strongholds, the reaction was immediate.
Several plumes of black smoke rose in the streets of Kibera, mirroring similar scenes in Kisumu, to the west of the country, as people burned piles of tires. Police fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.
In Kisumu, Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o called for calm as protests in parts of the lakeside town turned violent after Ruto’s victory was declared. He said the Azimio leadership was working to plan its response to “ensure justice” for Odinga.
Amid shouts of “We need Raila now!,” “Chebukati must go!” and “No Raila, no peace!,” motorcycle drivers honked their horns and people blew into vuvuzelas and whistles.
By contrast, the mood in Eldoret – Ruto’s home turf – was ecstatic.
“We are very happy. I believe in the leader who was selected, I believe in the IEBC (the electoral commission),” said 25-year-old Eldoret resident Kenneth Kibitok.
“He is about the bottom up. People from down there will be up here,” said Kibitok, who had spent all day on a stretch of Eldoret sidewalk popular with Kenyans who like discussing politics. | https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/kenyas-william-ruto-declared-president-elect-violent-chaos-erupts/ | 2022-08-16T01:58:52Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/kenyas-william-ruto-declared-president-elect-violent-chaos-erupts/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It feels like old times. In the wake of the FBI raid on Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club, the mainstream media are in a feeding frenzy the likes of which we haven’t seen since he exited the White House. The usual suspects, like The New York Times and Washington Post, which spent the four years of Trump’s presidency consistently and spectacularly beclowning themselves, are at it again.
Dare we say that it has “all the hallmarks” of media incompetence?
Take The Washington Post: Using its signature anonymous single-source style, it broke the alleged news that Trump was in possession of documents “related to nuclear weapons.” What exactly does that mean? Honestly, based on Post’s coverage of Russiagate, when so many “bombshells” fizzled when the details emerged, you have to wonder if it’s the White House pastry chef’s recipe for nuclear chocolate cake.
The Times, meanwhile, informs us that Trump sought to send a secret message to Attorney General Merrick Garland, this according to — wait for it — “a person familiar with the exchange.” A person. This is basically the journalistic equivalent of “My cousin’s girlfriend knows a guy.”
Could these juicy details rushed into print turn out to be true? Maybe. Do the American people have good reason to believe they aren’t true given the recent track record of the liberal press? Absolutely.
After all, we watched these selfsame media treat the farcical Steele dossier like it was the fifth gospel and spend years clinging to the Russian-collusion hoax. We watched them not only bury the Hunter Biden laptop story just days before the 2020 election but smear the journalists who broke that very real story as dupes promoting Russian disinformation.
This print first, ask questions later approach is why Gallup found a record-low 16% of Americans have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in newspapers and just 11% do in TV news. There are probably communicable diseases that are more popular than the news media at this point. Back in 2014, before Trump broke the brains and standards of everyone with a journalism-school degree, both those questions had media trust about 10 points higher.
For seven years every story, big and small, has been treated like it might be the one that finally breaks the dam, that makes Republicans far and wide denounce Trump, makes his voters feel pangs of shame and maybe even leads to the perp-walk fantasy that never seems to die.
And it’s not just about Trump. When the Jussie Smollett hoax and the Nicholas Sandmann slander took place, the CNNs and MSNBCs of the world didn’t hesitate or gather facts, they leapt feet first into the narrative that these stories were evidence of the evil racism so supposedly pervasive in our society. Then the stories collapsed.
Sometimes it feels like we are minutes away from our legacy newspapers manipulating the weather report to push climate alarmism or the baseball standings to promote equity among the ball clubs.
Our news media have gotten so much so fabulously wrong so fantastically often that one might expect a dollop or two of self-examination from them. But as the stampede of half-baked, shaky stories about the Trump raid rain down on us, it is perfectly clear that the liberal media have learned nothing. There is every reason to believe that many of these journalists will win awards for their fake news and refuse to give them back in two or three years when the actual truth comes out. Rinse and repeat.
The progressives who run our newsrooms see existential threats to democracy everywhere they look, except in the mirror. But how can a nation that does not trust its newspapers possibly function properly as a democracy? And how can we trust our newspapers when they err so grievously and refuse to ever admit they got anything wrong?
If trust is to return, it will come back slowly, but that process could begin today if these outlets would just take a breath, report the facts and stop acting like they are on some holy anti-Trump crusade. It really is up to them.
David Marcus is a Brooklyn-based columnist and author of “Charade: The Covid Lies That Crushed a Nation.” | https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/media-is-back-to-anonymous-one-source-stories-on-trump/ | 2022-08-16T01:58:58Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/08/15/media-is-back-to-anonymous-one-source-stories-on-trump/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Local history will comes alive at Cold Springs Cemetery on Sunday as the Niagara History Center’s Step Back In Time Players portray five different “residents” of the cemetery.
The residents and their portrayers are: Sarah Haines, Quaker settler (Karen Sherwood); Jesse Hawley, surveyor of Lockport and Niagara Falls (Dennis Caisse); Lyman Spalding, store owner and abolitionist (Ryan Caisse); Cappie Daniels, matron of a “Disorderly House” (Marsha Zimmer); and Dr. Sarah Lamb Cushing, early Lockport doctor (Susie Parker). They will relate the stories of their lives and how they all made significant contributions to Lockport and Niagara County.
Guiding the tour will be James Schuler, quarry owner (Geoff Koplas). Linda Lee, representing Cold Springs Cemetery, will assist.
The two-hour walking tour begins at 1 p.m. at the Cold Springs Road entrance to the cemetery. Admission is $10 per person; reserve spots in advance by calling 716-434-7433. Bring a chair or camp stool, and bottled water, if desired, and wear walking shoes. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/community/cold-springs-cemetery-tour-slated-for-sunday/article_ac971420-1cc2-11ed-a8b3-9bce3f2cf52f.html | 2022-08-16T02:02:25Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/community/cold-springs-cemetery-tour-slated-for-sunday/article_ac971420-1cc2-11ed-a8b3-9bce3f2cf52f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Monday rebuffed efforts to make public the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s estate in Florida, saying the investigation “implicates highly classified material” and the document contains sensitive information about witnesses.
The government’s opposition came in response to court filings by several news organizations, including The Associated Press, seeking to unseal the underlying affidavit the Justice Department submitted when it asked for the warrant to search Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate earlier this month.
The court filing — from Juan Antonio Gonzalez, the U.S. attorney in Miami, and Jay Bratt, a top Justice Department national security official — argues that making the affidavit public would “cause significant and irreparable damage to this ongoing criminal investigation.”
The document, the prosecutors say, details “highly sensitive information about witnesses,” including people who have been interviewed by the government, and contains confidential grand jury information.
The government told a federal magistrate judge that prosecutors believe some additional records, including the cover sheet for the warrant and the government’s request to seal the documents, should now be made public.
A property receipt unsealed Friday showed the FBI seized 11 sets of classified documents, with some not only marked top secret but also “sensitive compartmented information,” a special category meant to protect the nation’s most important secrets that if revealed publicly could cause “exceptionally grave” damage to U.S. interests. The court records did not provide specific details about information the documents might contain.
The Justice Department acknowledged Monday that its ongoing criminal investigation “implicates highly classified material.”
The search warrant, also unsealed Friday, said federal agents were investigating potential violations of three different federal laws, including one that governs gathering, transmitting or losing defense information under the Espionage Act. The other statutes address the concealment, mutilation or removal of records and the destruction, alteration or falsification of records in federal investigations.
The Mar-a-Lago search warrant, carried out last Monday, was part of an ongoing Justice Department investigation into the discovery of classified White House records recovered from Trump’s home earlier this year. The National Archives had asked the department to investigate after saying 15 boxes of records it retrieved from the estate included classified records.
It remains unclear whether the Justice Department moved forward with the warrant simply as a means to retrieve the records or as part of a wider criminal investigation or an attempt to prosecute the former president. Multiple federal laws govern the handling of classified information, with both criminal and civil penalties, as well as presidential records.
But the Justice Department, in its filing Monday, argued that its investigation is active and ongoing and that releasing additional information could not only compromise the probe but also subject witnesses to threats or deter others from coming forward to cooperate with prosecutors.
“If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government’s ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps,” the government wrote in the court filing. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/feds-oppose-unsealing-affidavit-for-mar-a-lago-warrant/article_8e8fe2fe-1cea-11ed-878c-ff13410784b8.html | 2022-08-16T02:02:32Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/feds-oppose-unsealing-affidavit-for-mar-a-lago-warrant/article_8e8fe2fe-1cea-11ed-878c-ff13410784b8.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ATLANTA — Rudy Giuliani is a target of the criminal investigation into possible illegal attempts by then-President Donald Trump and others to interfere in the 2020 general election in Georgia, prosecutors informed attorneys for the former New York mayor on Monday.
The revelation that Giuliani, an outspoken Trump defender, could face criminal charges from the investigation by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis edges the probe closer to the former president. Willis has said she is considering calling Trump himself to testify before the special grand jury, and the former president has hired a criminal defense attorney in Atlanta.
Law enforcement scrutiny of Trump has escalated dramatically. Last week, the FBI searched his Florida home as part of its investigation into whether he took classified records from the White House to Mar-a-Lago. He is also facing a civil investigation in New York over allegations that his company, the Trump Organization, misled banks and tax authorities about the value of his assets. And the Justice Department is investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters as well efforts by him and his allies to overturn the election he falsely claimed was stolen.
Giuliani, who spread false claims of election fraud in Atlanta's Fulton County as he led election-challenging efforts in Georgia, is to testify Wednesday before a special grand jury that was impaneled at Willis's request. Giuliani's lawyer declined to say whether he would answer questions or decline.
Special prosecutor Nathan Wade alerted Giuliani’s team in Atlanta that he was an investigation target, Giuliani attorney Robert Costello, said Monday. News of the disclosure was first reported by The New York Times.
Earlier Monday, a federal judge said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before the special grand jury. Prosecutors have said they want to ask Graham about phone calls they say he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff in the weeks following the election.
Willis’s investigation was spurred by a phone call between Trump and Raffensperger. During that January 2021 conversation, Trump suggested that Raffensperger “find” the votes needed to reverse his narrow loss in the state.
Willis last month filed petitions seeking to compel testimony from seven Trump associates and advisers.
In seeking Giuliani’s testimony, Willis identified him as both a personal attorney for Trump and a lead attorney for his campaign. She wrote that he and others appeared at a state Senate committee meeting and presented a video that Giuliani said showed election workers producing “suitcases” of unlawful ballots from unknown sources, outside the view of election poll watchers.
Within 24 hours of that Dec. 3, 2020, hearing, Raffensperger’s office had debunked the video. But Giuliani continued to make statements to the public and in subsequent legislative hearings claiming widespread voter fraud using the debunked video, Willis wrote.
Evidence shows that Giuliani’s hearing appearance and testimony were "part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere,” her petition says.
Two of the election workers seen in the video, Ruby Freeman and Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, said they faced relentless harassment online and in person after it was shown at a Dec. 3 Georgia legislative hearing where Giuliani appeared. At another hearing a week later, Giuliani said the footage showed the women “surreptitiously passing around USB ports as if they are vials of heroin or cocaine.” They actually were passing a piece of candy.
Willis also wrote in a petition seeking the testimony of attorney Kenneth Chesebro that he worked with Giuliani to coordinate and carry out a plan to have Georgia Republicans serve as fake electors. Those 16 people signed a certificate declaring falsely that Trump had won the 2020 presidential election and declaring themselves the state’s “duly elected and qualified” electors even though Joe Biden had won the state and a slate of Democratic electors was certified.
All 16 of those fake electors have received letters saying they are targets of the investigation, Willis said in a court filing last month. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/giuliani-targeted-in-criminal-probe-of-2020-election/article_3fdca1f6-1cf4-11ed-aa39-bfee876b3598.html | 2022-08-16T02:02:38Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/giuliani-targeted-in-criminal-probe-of-2020-election/article_3fdca1f6-1cf4-11ed-aa39-bfee876b3598.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An Iranian official Monday denied Tehran was involved in the stabbing of author Salman Rushdie, though he sought to justify the attack in the Islamic Republic's first public comments on the bloodshed.
The remarks by Nasser Kanaani, the spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, came three days after Rushdie was wounded in New York state. The writer has been taken off a ventilator and is “on the road to recovery,” according to his agent.
Rushdie, 75, has faced death threats for more than 30 years over his novel “The Satanic Verses," whose depiction of the Prophet Muhammad was seen by some Muslims as blasphemous.
In 1989, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a fatwa, or Islamic edict, demanding the author's death, and while Iran has not focused on Rushdie in recent years, the decree still stands.
Also, a semiofficial Iranian foundation had posted a bounty of over $3 million for the killing of the author. It has not commented on the attack.
“Regarding the attack against Salman Rushdie in America, we don’t consider anyone deserving reproach, blame or even condemnation, except for (Rushdie) himself and his supporters,” Kanaani said.
“In this regard, no one can blame the Islamic Republic of Iran," he added. “We believe that the insults made and the support he received was an insult against followers of all religions.”
Iran has denied carrying out other operations abroad against dissidents in the years since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, though prosecutors and Western governments have attributed such attacks to Tehran.
Rushdie was attacked Friday as he was about to give a lecture in western New York. He suffered a damaged liver and severed nerves in an arm and an eye, according to his agent, Andrew Wylie. Rushdie is likely to lose the eye, Wylie said.
His alleged assailant, Hadi Matar, pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and assault.
Matar, 24, was born in the U.S. to parents who emigrated from Yaroun in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, according to the village’s mayor.
Matar had lived in recent years in New Jersey with his mother, who told London's Daily Mail that her son became moody and more religious after a month-long trip to Lebanon in 2018.
“I was expecting him to come back motivated, to complete school, to get his degree and a job. But instead he locked himself in the basement. He had changed a lot, he didn’t say anything to me or his sisters for months,” Silvana Fardos said.
Village records in Yaroun show Matar holds Lebanese citizenship and is a Shiite, an official there said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns, said Matar’s father lives there but has been in seclusion since the attack.
Flags of the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group Hezbollah, along with portraits of Hezbollah and Iranian leaders, hang across the village. Israel has bombarded Hezbollah positions near there in the past.
Police in New York have offered no motive for the attack, though District Attorney Jason Schmidt alluded to the bounty on Rushdie in arguing against bail during a hearing over the weekend.
“Even if this court were to set a million dollars bail, we stand a risk that bail could be met,” Schmidt said.
In his remarks Monday, Kanaani added that Iran did not "have any other information more than what the American media has reported.” He also implied that Rushdie brought the attack on himself.
“Salman Rushdie exposed himself to popular anger and fury through insulting the sacredness of Islam and crossing the red lines of over 1.5 billion Muslims and also red lines of followers of all divine religions,” Kanaani said.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, while not directly blaming Tehran for the attack on Rushdie, denounced Iran in a statement Monday praising the writer's support for freedom of expression and religion.
“Iranian state institutions have incited violence against Rushdie for generations, and state-affiliated media recently gloated about the attempt on his life,” Blinken said. “This is despicable.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price, speaking to reporters in Washington on Monday, condemned the Iranian government for blaming Rushdie for the attack. “It’s despicable. It’s disgusting. We condemn it,” he said.
“We have heard Iranian officials seek to incite to violence over the years, of course, with the initial fatwa, but even more recently with the gloating that has taken place in the aftermath of this attack on his life. This is something that is absolutely outrageous."
While fatwas can be revoked, Iran’s current supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who took over after Khomeini's death, has never done so. As recently as 2017, Khamenei said: “The decree is as Imam Khomeini issued.” | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/iran-denies-involvement-but-justifies-salman-rushdie-attack/article_b30fea6c-1cf3-11ed-baaa-cbe9ac7ef715.html | 2022-08-16T02:02:44Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/iran-denies-involvement-but-justifies-salman-rushdie-attack/article_b30fea6c-1cf3-11ed-baaa-cbe9ac7ef715.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ultimate Physique Fitness was awarded a small business Covid Relief Grant by the Niagara County Industrial Development Agency last week. The agency recommended a grant of up to $50,000.
The private gym on Rogers Avenue, owned by Karen Muscarella, reported a significant loss of revenue during the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The business’ application for relief further stated the gym had a “slow” reopening due to members’ apprehension about returning while a mask mandate was in place. The gym is currently operating at a nearly $14,000 deficit and the operation is not sustainable in the long term, the application said.
According to NCIDA, the business will spend grant funds on equipment, inventory and working capital, as well as job retention.
Other businesses awarded a Covid Relief Grant by NCIDA include:Niagara Bookkeeping & Accounting in Niagara Falls, up to $35,000; R&B Rock Gym Inc. in North Tonawanda, up to $50,000; Wilber & Company Business Solutions Inc. in Niagara Falls, up to $35,000; Ventry’s Pizza Shop in Niagara Falls, up to $25,000; Joycash LLC in Niagara Falls, up to $50,000; Urban Legend Studio LLC in Youngstown, up to $40,000; and Alpha Omega Janitorial Inc. in Lewiston, up to $40,000.
NCIDA counsel Mark Gabriele said the grants awarded last week constitute the final round of awards from NCIDA for the foreseeable future. The money for the grant program came from the U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020.
“Unless our friends in the federal government give us more money to help these businesses, then these are likely the last of these kinds of grants,” Gabriele said.
In all, 33 small businesses in Niagara County received a Covid Relief Grant through the agency, Gabriele added. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/last-round-of-covid-relief-grants-awarded-by-ncida/article_9652d1ca-1ce7-11ed-9820-877db0a8d96e.html | 2022-08-16T02:02:50Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/last-round-of-covid-relief-grants-awarded-by-ncida/article_9652d1ca-1ce7-11ed-9820-877db0a8d96e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lockport police confirmed that Felicia M. Winters and her 6-year-old daughter were found Saturday, the same day LPD began investigating a reported parental abduction of a child.
On Saturday, LPD sent out an alert about Winters and the girl, stating they had last been seen leaving 15 Hamilton Drive, and inviting tips on their whereabouts. Winters, 27, is not the girl's custodial parent.
On Monday, Capt. Kendra DiTullio said no decision had been made regarding criminal charges against Winters. Winters is not in custody and no appearance date has been scheduled in Lockport City Court. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/lpd-missing-child-found/article_38ea4d5c-1ceb-11ed-8908-4f54d78a86fa.html | 2022-08-16T02:02:56Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/lpd-missing-child-found/article_38ea4d5c-1ceb-11ed-8908-4f54d78a86fa.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
School districts in the area are gearing up for the new school year, and that means school buses are also starting their engines, but with less certainty than desired. While the situation is not grim as it was in some districts at the height of the Covid pandemic, the number of qualified school bus drivers on the road is not as high as some would wish.
Because one busing company, Ridge Road Express, contracts with many local districts, including Lockport, Starpoint, Barker and Roy-Hart, traditionally a shortage in one district has been covered by shifting employees where they’re needed.
The transportation director at Roy-Hart, Sue Cheasty, says that’s not so easy to do any more.
“There’s not as many extras,” she said.
Roy-Hart has 33 vehicles in operation — 19 large buses that hold 65 students each 14 smaller buses capable of holding 20 students each — and between 45 and 50 drivers and bus aides. The district serves 1,250 students, according to Cheasty, though some do not use the transportation offered.
On its website the Starpoint district reports 60 bus drivers, 21 bus aides and 66 vehicles to transport more than 3,000 students. Superintendent Sean Croft could not say whether that will be enough, but he’s confident in Ridge Road Express.
Barker superintendent Jacob Reimer said the busing situation in his district looks “pretty good” and Ridge Road Express has continued to do its job providing transportation as needed.
{p class=”p1”}Gary Woodcook, who works for Ridge Road Express in the Lockport district, said there are enough bus drivers in Lockport right now, but the company is still hiring.
{p class=”p1”}School officials say new bus drivers must complete a training program and veteran drivers must do refresher training. According to Cheasty, drivers who don’t have a commercial driver license (CDL) must go through a six-week program — one week in a classroom and five weeks on the road — before they’re allowed to transport students.
“You don’t just wake up in August and say you want to be a bus driver,” she said. “It doesn’t work like that.” | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/ridge-road-express-area-bus-staffing-is-tight/article_6df60668-1ce5-11ed-af79-97e2ea8db174.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:03Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/ridge-road-express-area-bus-staffing-is-tight/article_6df60668-1ce5-11ed-af79-97e2ea8db174.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday announced that all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for August. That means all households participating in SNAP, including those already at the maximum level of benefits, will receive a supplemental allotment this month.
Households already near or at the maximum benefit level — $835 for a household of four — will receive a supplemental payment of at least $95.
SNAP households in all counties outside New York City should see the extra benefits post by Friday.
“These added benefits help to alleviate this aching concern for hundreds of thousands of individuals and families still struggling to make ends meet amid the ongoing economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hochul said in a release from the governor’s office.
SNAP is a federally funded program overseen by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. The supplemental assistance is tied to the federal declaration of a public health emergency due to Covid; the declaration has been extended until October, which will allow OTDA to continue issuing supplemental SNAP benefits through November.
The additional payments for August will infuse $234 million more federal funding into the New York economy, according to the governor’s office.
More than 1.6 million households /2.8 million New York residents were enrolled in SNAP as of June. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/snap-benefits-increased-in-new-york/article_581f9abc-1ce4-11ed-aba7-33f8ad059b55.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:09Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/local_news/snap-benefits-increased-in-new-york/article_581f9abc-1ce4-11ed-aba7-33f8ad059b55.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Vermont farmer Brian Kemp is used to seeing the pastures at Mountain Meadows Farm grow slower in the hot, late summer, but this year the grass is at a standstill.
That's “very nerve-wracking” when you're grazing 600 to 700 cattle, said Kemp, who manages an organic beef farm in Sudbury. He describes the weather lately as inconsistent and impactful, which he attributes to a changing climate.
“I don’t think there is any normal anymore," Kemp said.
The impacts of climate change have been felt throughout the Northeastern U.S. with rising sea levels, heavy precipitation and storm surges causing flooding and coastal erosion. But this summer has brought another extreme: a severe drought that is making lawns crispy and has farmers begging for steady rain. The heavy, short rainfall brought by the occasional thunderstorm tends to run off, not soak into the ground.
Water supplies are low or dry, and many communities are restricting nonessential outdoor water use. Fire departments are combatting more brush fires and crops are growing poorly.
The continuing trend toward drier summers in the Northeast can certainly be attributed to the impact of climate change, since warmer temperatures lead to greater evaporation and drying of soils, climate scientist Michael Mann said. But, he said, the dry weather can be punctuated by extreme rainfall events since a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture — when conditions are conducive to rainfall, there's more of it in short bursts.
Mann said there's evidence shown by his research at Penn State University that climate change is leading to a “stuck jet stream” pattern. That means huge meanders of the jet stream, or air current, get stuck in place, locking in extreme weather events that can alternately be associated with extreme heat and drought in one location and extreme rainfall in another, a pattern that has played out this summer with the heat and drought in the Northeast and extreme flooding in parts of the Midwest, Mann added.
In New York, a drought watch for 21 counties including Niagara and Orleans was issued on July 31.
Most of New England is experiencing drought. The U.S. Drought Monitor issued a new map Thursday that shows areas of eastern Massachusetts outside Cape Cod and much of southern and eastern Rhode Island now in extreme, instead of severe, drought.
New England has experienced severe summer droughts before, but experts say it is unusual to have droughts in fairly quick succession since 2016. Massachusetts experienced droughts in 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022, which is very likely due to climate change, said Vandana Rao, director of water policy in Massachusetts.
“We hope this is maybe one period of peaking of drought and we get back to many more years of normal precipitation,” she said. "But it could just be the beginning of a longer trend.”
Rao and other water experts in New England expect the current drought to last for several more months.
“I think we’re probably going to be in this for a while and it’s going to take a lot,” said Ted Diers, assistant director of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services water division. “What we really are hoping for is a wet fall followed by a very snowy winter to really recharge the aquifers and the groundwater.”
Farmers are fighting more than the drought — inflation is driving up the cost of everything, from diesel and equipment parts to fertilizer and pesticides, Adams added.
“It's all through the roof right now," he said. “This is just throwing salt on a wound.”
The yield and quality of hay is down in Vermont too, which means there won’t be as much for cows in the winter, said Vermont Agriculture Secretary Anson Tebbetts. The state has roughly 600 dairy farms, a $2 billion per year industry. Like Adams, Tebbetts said inflation is driving up prices, which will hurt the farmers who will have to buy feed.
Kemp, the president of the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition, is thankful to have supplemental feed from last year, but he knows other farmers who don't have land to put together a reserve and aren't well-stocked. The coalition is trying to help farmers evolve and learn new practices. They added “climate-smart farming” to their mission statement in the spring.
“Farming is challenging,” Kemp said, “and it’s becoming even more challenging as climate change takes place.” | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/northeastern-farmers-face-new-challenges-with-severe-drought/article_876b41f0-1cac-11ed-9312-2b47f1f518d4.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:15Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/northeastern-farmers-face-new-challenges-with-severe-drought/article_876b41f0-1cac-11ed-9312-2b47f1f518d4.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON — Americans are less concerned now about how climate change might impact them personally — and about how their personal choices affect the climate — than they were three years ago, a new poll shows, even as a wide majority still believe climate change is happening.
The June Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, which was conducted before Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act on Friday, shows majorities of U.S. adults think the government and corporations have a significant responsibility to address climate change. The new law will invest nearly $375 billion in climate strategies over the next decade.
Overall, 35% of U.S. adults say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about the impact of climate change on them personally, down from 44% in August 2019. Another third say they are somewhat concerned. Only about half say their actions have an effect on climate change, compared with two-thirds in 2019.
Black and Hispanic Americans, women and Democrats are especially likely to be strongly concerned about the impact of climate change on them personally and about how their personal choices affect the climate.
Many climate scientists told The Associated Press that the shifts are concerning but not surprising given that individuals are feeling overwhelmed by a range of issues, now including an economy plagued by inflation after more than two years of a pandemic. In addition to being outpaced by other issues, climate change or the environment are mentioned as priorities by fewer Americans now than just a few years ago, according to the poll.
Diane Panicucci in West Warwick, Rhode Island, believes climate change is happening and that it needs to be addressed. But for her, it’s a lower priority compared with other issues, including inflation and food and drug costs.
“There’s so much unrest in this country right now,” the 62-year-old said. “People are suffering.”
Panicucci added solar panels to her house, and she’s cut back on driving. She thinks individuals should do what they’re told will help, but “it doesn’t start with little ol’ me. It has to be larger scale,” she said.
While the climate crisis will require an “all of the above approach,” it’s “reasonable” that individuals don’t feel they have the bandwidth to tackle climate action “on top of everything else,” said Kim Cobb, director of the Institute at Brown University for Environment and Society.
Roughly two-thirds of Americans say the U.S. federal government, developed countries abroad and corporations and industries have a large responsibility to address climate change. Fewer — 45% — say that of individual people.
Jack Hermanson, a 23-year-old software engineer, feels strongly that corporations are the “major culprits” of emissions and that the government is complicit in that behavior.
“I don’t know if that makes sense to say that individuals should have to work and fix the climate,” the Denver resident said. “I would say my individual actions hardly mean anything at all.”
U.S. household greenhouse gas emissions are not as much as those from cars, trucks and other transportation, electrical power generating and industry. A 2020 University of Michigan study of 93 million U.S. homes estimates that 20% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions comes from home energy use, with wealthier Americans’ per capita footprints about 25% higher than low-income residents.
But like many others that spoke to the AP, that difference hasn’t stopped Hermanson from trying. He’s been a vegetarian for four years, and he tries to bike or take public transportation, buy products with less packaging and recycle.
Among Americans who believe in climate change, 70% say it will be necessary for individuals to make major lifestyle changes to combat the issue. Most think individuals have at least some responsibility.
Individuals can believe they personally don’t have a direct impact while also recognizing that collective action is essential to combatting climate change, said Shahzeen Attari, who studies human behavior and climate change at Indiana University.
The poll shows about 6 in 10 Americans say they have reduced their driving, reduced their use of heat or air conditioning and bought used products instead of new ones. Nearly three-quarters are using energy efficient appliances. Among those who are taking those steps, most say the main reason is to save money, rather than to help the environment.
Fewer — roughly a quarter — say they use an electricity supplier that gets power from renewable sources, and only about 1 in 10 live in a home with solar panels or drive a hybrid or electric car.
Brad Machincia, a 38-year-old welder, said he wouldn’t switch from his gas car to an electric vehicle. While he said he grew up in a West Virginia household that used renewable energy sources, he hasn’t adopted those practices for his family in Christiansburg, Virginia. Climate change used to be a concern for him, but at this point, he feels like it’s “beating a dead horse.”
“There’s nothing we can do to fix it,” he said.
Individuals should feel empowered to make climate-driven decisions that not only help reduce emissions but also improve their lives, said Jonathan Foley, executive director at climate nonprofit Project Drawdown. Foley thinks the findings show that efforts to engage Americans need to shift away from doomsday scenarios, include diverse messengers and focus on the ways climate solutions can intersect with Americans’ other priorities.
Julio Carmona, a 37-year-old financial clerk, said he recently transitioned his home in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to solar energy because the switch will help reduce his carbon footprint and his expenses, even if modestly.
“I thought that it was just something smart for us to do long term,” he said. “I just kind of wanted to do my part, whether or not it’s gonna make a difference.” | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/poll-many-in-us-doubt-their-own-impact-on-climate/article_f3388fa6-1cab-11ed-90b5-43cf525c7ef1.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:21Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/poll-many-in-us-doubt-their-own-impact-on-climate/article_f3388fa6-1cab-11ed-90b5-43cf525c7ef1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Starbucks on Monday asked the National Labor Relations Board to temporarily suspend all union elections at its U.S. stores, citing allegations from a board employee that regional NLRB officials improperly coordinated with union organizers.
In a letter to the board chairman and other officials, Starbucks said the unnamed career NLRB employee informed the company about the activity, which happened in the board's St. Louis office in the spring while it was overseeing a union election at a Starbucks store in Overland Park, Kansas.
The store is one of 314 U.S. Starbucks locations where workers have petitioned the NLRB to hold union elections since late last year. More than 220 of those stores have voted to unionize. The company opposes the unionization effort.
The Seattle coffee giant alleges that St. Louis labor board officials made special arrangements for pro-union workers to vote in person at its office when they did not receive mail-in ballots, even though Starbucks and the union had agreed that store elections would be handled by mail-in ballot.
In its letter, Starbucks referred to memos the regional office sent confirming that workers were allowed to come to the office and vote in person after the union told the regional office that some workers had not received ballots in the mail. The memos, citing “board protocol," said the workers voted alone in an empty office, according to Starbucks.
“Because observers were not present, no one can be sure who appeared to vote, whether NLRB personnel had inappropriate communications with the voters, told them how to vote, showed them how to vote or engaged in other undisclosed conduct," Starbucks wrote in its letter.
Starbucks said regional board officials also disclosed confidential information to the union, including which workers' ballots had arrived in the mail to be counted.
Starbucks Workers United, the group seeking to unionize U.S. Starbucks stores, accused the company of trying to “distract attention away from their unprecedented anti-union campaign, including firing over 75 union leaders across the country, while simultaneously trying to halt all union elections.”
"Ultimately, this is Starbucks’ latest attempt to manipulate the legal process for their own means and prevent workers from exercising their fundamental right to organize,” the group said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the NLRB said Monday the agency doesn't comment on open cases.
Press secretary Kayla Blado said the NLRB will “carefully and objectively” consider any challenges that Starbucks raises through “established channels.” Starbucks can also seek expedited review in the case, Blado said.
Workers at the Overland Park store petitioned the NLRB to hold a vote in February. In April, workers voted 6-1 to unionize, but seven additional ballots were the subject of challenges from Starbucks or the union.
A hearing on those challenges was scheduled for Tuesday. Starbucks asked for that hearing to be delayed, but as of Monday afternoon, the board had not postponed it.
Risa L. Lieberwitz, a professor of labor law and academic director of the Worker Institute at Cornell University, said Starbucks' push to delay the hearing was curious. Lieberwitz said the hearing is the ideal place for Starbucks to present evidence about the Overland Park election and ask the board to investigate.
“This certainly seems to be a tactic to shift attention away from Starbucks’ own conduct and try to put negative connotations or allegations against the board," Lieberwitz said.
In its letter, Starbucks said the evidence in this case indicates misconduct in other regions as well. The company wants the NLRB to investigate other Starbucks union elections and make public a report on its findings. The company said the board should also implement safeguards to prevent regional officials from coordinating with one party or another.
Starbucks also asked the NLRB to issue an order requiring all elections to be conducted in person with observers from both sides.
Starbucks has long opposed unionization, dating back to CEO Howard Schultz's acquisition of the company in the late 1980s. The current unionization effort has been riddled with accusations and lawsuits on both sides. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/starbucks-asks-labor-board-to-halt-union-votes-temporarily/article_16a994f6-1cea-11ed-aa6c-9f92aec590d9.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:27Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/starbucks-asks-labor-board-to-halt-union-votes-temporarily/article_16a994f6-1cea-11ed-aa6c-9f92aec590d9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In the past few weeks Democrats have passed major legislation that will improve the local economy, help families afford needed medication and expand health care for veterans. That is how you Make America Great Again; that is how you put America First.
The Chips-Plus bill will help companies throughout western New York. At present there is a relatively small percentage of computer chips manufactured in the U.S. and virtually none are the most sophisticated chips used in military equipment and smartphones. This legislation will incentivize private-sector investments in microchip research and manufacturing capabilities here in the United States, including local companies. Furthermore, since the microchips will be manufactured in the U.S. there will be fewer supply chain issues to interfere with manufacturing of other goods such as cars and medical equipment. Republican leadership opposed this legislation. They want corporate America dependent on Asia including China. They want America dependent on foreign governments. Democrats passed legislation that will Make America Great Again and keep America First.
Democrats also passed legislation to lower the cost of medications such as insulin. This will help (Medicare-covered) families throughout the region. Insulin is a life-giving medication, without which people will die. Pharmaceutical companies have increased the cost of this needed medication to whatever the market will bear, making insulin barely affordable. Republicans voted against helping struggling families. Helping families with needed medical expenses is what America First means.
Democrats have also passed legislation to help care for veterans who were sent overseas to fight for the U.S. and were exposed to toxic burn pits. Our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen defend the U.S. and it is the government’s responsibility to arrange their health care. Republicans voted reluctantly for this bill after being shamed for voting against it. Taking care of our military personnel and veterans is what will Make America Great Again. Democrats support our local economy, provide solutions for working families and defend our veterans. Democrats Make America Great Again.
WILLIAM FINE, Brockport | https://www.lockportjournal.com/opinion/mailbag-democrats-are-making-america-great-again/article_a7c066da-1ccd-11ed-9a3c-4becdca35846.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:33Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/opinion/mailbag-democrats-are-making-america-great-again/article_a7c066da-1ccd-11ed-9a3c-4becdca35846.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Our current U.S. leader quietly delivers, carefully considers the long view of the American path, pushing the country forward with good news on gas prices, veterans, the economy, justice, 50-year low unemployment, and the CHIPS, PACT and Inflation Reduction acts passed, all while overseeing Covid.
In contrast, the former leader was the first president to blatantly violate the law and brag about it, first to be impeached twice and first to remove classified documents from the White House — that's theft from his employer. He is the first former president to be criminally investigated, first former to have a search warrant executed on his property, first former to plead the 5th repeatedly. He once said “The mob takes the 5th" and on five occasions said, “Anyone being investigated by the FBI is not qualified to be president of the United States.” Ironically, he signed a law making mishandling of classified documents a felony with a harsher punishment.
The Department of Justice delivered a subpoena for missing documents two months ago and the former president failed to comply. The FBI legally seized the classified top-secret information that endangered our national security. The former president endangered the lives of FBI agents by releasing the information with agent names while the DOJ worked to get permission to unseal and produce the information in a redacted form. Three investigations in progress: obstruction of justice, nuclear secrets and violation of the Espionage Act.
The principle at stake? Explained Attorney General Merrick Garland: “Faithful adherence to the rule of law is the bedrock principle of the Justice Department and our democracy. Upholding the law means applying the law evenly without fear or favor. Under my watch that is precisely what the Justice Department is doing. All Americans are entitled to the evenhanded application of the law, to due process of the law, and to the presumption of innocence." DOJ "will speak through its court filings and its work,” he added.
It's unprecedented, but trust the process.
CAROL NOCHAJSKI, Wilson | https://www.lockportjournal.com/opinion/mailbag-in-this-most-unfamiliar-time-lets-trust-the-process/article_263447ce-1ccf-11ed-be32-b767b9616ff1.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:40Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/opinion/mailbag-in-this-most-unfamiliar-time-lets-trust-the-process/article_263447ce-1ccf-11ed-be32-b767b9616ff1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Regarding “Democrats, Americans win with Inflation Reduction Act,” a guest view published in the August 13 edition:
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 will plow a game-changing $433 billion into climate-saving actions that will slash climate pollution by 40% by the end of the decade, and support critical programs to improve families’ health and clean up legacy pollution. Hundreds of billions of dollars in tax credits for solar, wind and battery facilities, for clean transportation and decarbonizing buildings, plus huge incentives to build up clean energy jobs here in the U.S., will lower energy costs and emissions while helping ordinary families live healthy and affordable lives. The bill provides for methane monitoring and clean-up in communities that have suffered the most from related ill health. A new greenhouse gas reduction fund will provide low-cost financing for clean energy projects in which at least 60% of the benefits flow to disadvantaged communities. Rural communities will be able to take advantage of lower cost and cleaner energy sources.
With our Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and Climate Action Committee working on an implementation plan, New York is well-poised to take best advantage of the coming funding. The Inflation Reduction Act invites braver and bolder policy to make the best use of congressional action. Assembly leader Carl Heastie must bring the All-Electric Building Act to the floor for a vote, and the state must have a plan to efficiently retire gas plants and site clean energy ones.
SANDRA EBERT, Amherst | https://www.lockportjournal.com/opinion/mailbag-nys-all-electric-building-act-should-be-brought-to-a-vote/article_440d5a72-1ccc-11ed-96e5-57d103750394.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:46Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/opinion/mailbag-nys-all-electric-building-act-should-be-brought-to-a-vote/article_440d5a72-1ccc-11ed-96e5-57d103750394.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Glenn Whritenour of Jasper won the fifth edition of the John Susice Memorial for the KiPo Motors Street Stocks as Modern Disposal, Christopher Allen Construction, Buffalo Auto Auction, JW Swanson & Associates and the FOAR SCORE Fan Club presented racing action Friday night at Ransomville Speedway.
In the night's other action, Mat Williamson from St. Catharines, Ontario won his fifth Krown Undercoating Modified feature; Derek Wagner from Middleport won his fourth Investor’s Service Sportsman feature this season; Ransomville's Cole Susice won his first Sunflowers of Sanborn Mini Stock feature this summer; Newfane's Aden Harris won his second Kevin’s Carpet Cleaning Novice Sportsman feature of the season; and Ed Lawrence from Seneca Falls was the overall winner of the Vintage Cars.
The Susice Memorial was led to the green flag by John Zimmerman and Damian Long, with Zimmerman showing the way ahead of Brandon Sherwood, Whritenour, Pete Stefanski and Ken Camidge. Whritenour would take second away from Sherwood and go after Zimmerman for the lead. The top two would pull away from the field, as Sherwood and Pangrazio would battle for third.
The caution came out on lap 12 as Camidge, Mike Fellows and Chris Dziomba got together in turn one and race leader Zimmerman hit the wall. Zimmerman went pitside, giving the lead to Whritenour. The restart would see Whritenour, Sherwood and Pangrazio take off in the top three spots, as Simon Bissell raced in fourth.
Mike Fellows spun in turn two to bring out another caution, and Pangrazio hit the wall. On the restart, Whritenour would lead Sherwood and Bissell. Sherwood would close the gap, but Whritenour would go on to score the feature win.
Scott Kerwin and Pete Bicknell brought the Modifieds to green for their 30-lap feature, with Kerwin showing the way and Bicknell holding off Steve Lewis Jr. early on. Chad Brachmann, Williamson and Erick Rudolph would all get around Lewis to move into the top five. Williamson and Brachmann would battle for third for several laps, with Williamson taking it on lap 11.
Williamson would reel in Bicknell for second at the race’s halfway mark, clearing him Bicknell with 12 laps to go, then would go after Kerwin for the lead. Lewis' strong run would end on lap 21 as he slowed in turn four. On the restart, Williamson would take the lead away from Kerwin, with Rudolph, Ryan Susice and Bicknell racing in the top five. Rudolph would use the inside line to finish second
Kasey Coffey and Dylan Duhow were on the front row for the Sportsman feature, with Coffey leading Duhow, Wagner, Dave DiPietro and Noah Walker early. Greenley George spun in turn four to bring out the race’s first caution on lap number four. Wagner would take over second from Duhow on the restart and go after Coffey for the lead. Wagner would take over the lead on lap 11 and start to pull away from the field, then go on to score his fourth win of the season ahead of Coffey, Duhow, Walker and Senek.
Susice and Brian Melcher were on the front row for the Mini Stocks feature, with Susice showing the way ahead of Melcher, Matt Hornquist, Curtis Rung and Ryan Plante. Rung would take over second and be in hot pursuit of Susice for the lead. Plante slowed in turn one to bring out the caution on lap eight. Susice would survive several late restarts to pick up his first win of the season.
Abby Castile and Harris were on the front row in the Novice Sportsman, with Harris showing the way. Colby Adamczak would take second away from Castile on lap three and go after Harris for the lead. Noah Mamo would battle with Castile and move into third on lap number nine. Adamczak would reel in Harris, but Harris would hold off Adamczak and Mamo to score the feature win.
Doug “Flash” Gordon took the lead from the drop of the green flag in the Vintage Cars feature. Lawrence quickly passed him on lap two, then pulled away from the field for the win.
Thursday at the Little R, the SANY New York/Burris Racing go-karts saw 76 karts take part in the racing action. Gary Gow won the Mike Barry Motors Senior Heavy feature for his first of the season. Brayden Bills won his second Fisher’s Auto Repair Senior Lites feature of the season. Mason Hanel won his fifth Frontier Auto Wrecking Junior 3 feature of the season. Tyler Moden won his first SJE Shocks Junior 2 feature of the season. Lucas Newton won his first Slack Karts Junior 1 feature of the season. Vincent Ruggiero (third), Fulton Coleman (first) and Easton Carpenter (second) won the Just Signs & Designs Novice features. Lexi Healey won the Ladies Race.
Go-karts will be back in action Thursday featuring the full SANY New York/Burris Racing program.
Friday on the big track, Buffalo Fuel, Firth Jewelers and Telco Construction will present a full card of Krown Undercoating Modifieds, Investor’s Service Sportsman, KiPo Motors Street Stocks, Sunflowers of Sanborn Mini Stocks and the Kevin’s Carpet Cleaning Novice Sportsman.
After that, two of the biggest shows of the season will take place. The 37th Summer Nationals will be held Aug. 24, featuring the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds. The Investors Service Sportsman will also be featured in the second running of the Mike Bonesky Memorial, which will be a Western and Central Region combined race for the DIRTcar Sportsman.
The Versus Monster Trucks then take over the track on Aug. 27. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/sports/glenn-whritenour-wins-john-susice-memorial-at-ransomville-speedway/article_919aa410-1cff-11ed-8d52-b3854f9069ba.html | 2022-08-16T02:03:52Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/sports/glenn-whritenour-wins-john-susice-memorial-at-ransomville-speedway/article_919aa410-1cff-11ed-8d52-b3854f9069ba.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WALLA WALLA COUNTY, Wash. — An 85-year-old woman from College Place died after a single-car collision on State Route 12, about 12 miles east of Walla Walla around milepost 152. Vernas Denully was not wearing a seatbelt when she lost control of her 2007 Chrysler PT Cruiser.
Denully was found dead at the scene. Her family was notified by the coroner. Washington State Patrol has determined the cause of the accident as improper lane usage. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/college-place-woman-dies-in-rollover-crash/article_0eff30b0-1cf1-11ed-b551-976d2d31f119.html | 2022-08-16T02:04:03Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/college-place-woman-dies-in-rollover-crash/article_0eff30b0-1cf1-11ed-b551-976d2d31f119.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
YAKIMA, Wash. — Yakima Parks and Recreation is throwing the 16th annual Paws in the Pool event on August 21, from 2-4 p.m., when swimmers can bring their dogs to Franklin Pool. Every year on the last day that Franklin is open, the event is put on for dogs and their owners.
During the event, donations are accepted for the Yakima Humane Society.
There is no charge for dogs, but people still have to pay general admission. All dog breeds are welcome, but individual dogs that are vicious or aggressive will be asked to leave.
Make sure your dog is up to date on all shots before bringing them, and keep them on a leash until you’re in the pool area. You must also clean up any mess your dog makes. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/paws-in-the-pool-event-lets-owners-swim-with-their-dogs/article_517051c4-1cfe-11ed-b792-47c45932a0dc.html | 2022-08-16T02:04:09Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/paws-in-the-pool-event-lets-owners-swim-with-their-dogs/article_517051c4-1cfe-11ed-b792-47c45932a0dc.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Four elementary schools in Walla Walla will grow their after school education programs for the next five years through funding from the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center initiative. Walla Walla Public Schools received a $2.25 million grant from the initiative, with a $450,000 disbursement each year for five years.
The initiative is aimed toward creating community learning centers to provide academic enrichment options outside of school, especially for students at schools with high poverty and low performance rates. The programs are designed to meet local and state academic standards, offer a wide variety of activities to complement students’ everyday learning and offer literacy programs and other services for their families.
The grant serves Berney Elementary School, Edison Elementary School, Green Park Elementary School and Sharpstein Elementary School. Their new programs will focus on increasing academic performance through STEM and literacy activities, plus social and emotional skill development in problem-solving, teamwork, initiative and responsibility.
Multiple community partners are assisting with these programs. The Sustainable Living Center will help with outdoor learning, like garden projects, through the Walla Walla Valley Farm 2 School program.
Students can learn how to make podcasts and original music through collaboration from the Walla Walla Symphony and Walla Walla Music Organization, who will teach about audio engineering and sound design.
Fifth grade students will become student leadership cohorts at the YWCA of Walla Walla through the high-quality Mariposa leadership program. Additionally, the Community Resilience Initiative will study the effects of youth resilience through research in program participation.
“We are excited to continue to grow the after school programs throughout the district and the continuation of funding at Berney, Edison, Greek Park, and Sharpstein will greatly benefit over 400 students and their families each year at these schools,” said William Hammond, the director of current after school programs who will be Site Coordinator for the new programs. “This new grant award will provide amazing extracurricular opportunities and support programs for nearly 1000 students and families over the next five years.” | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/walla-walla-public-schools-receives-2-25m-for-after-school-programs/article_a96ece96-1cf9-11ed-b607-431a24dfd06b.html | 2022-08-16T02:04:15Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/walla-walla-public-schools-receives-2-25m-for-after-school-programs/article_a96ece96-1cf9-11ed-b607-431a24dfd06b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Clear skies and light breezy winds tonight. Overnight lows in the 60s. Tomorrow there will be loads of sunshine and warmer temperatures, highs tomorrow mid to upper 90s and lows in the low to mid 60s.
Wednesday through Friday will be very hot and a heat advisory has been issued. Temperatures are expected to hit 100-104 degrees with overnight lows in the 70s. Fire danger remains extremely high so be Firewise and stay hydrated.
HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 11 AM WEDNESDAY TO 11 PM PDT
FRIDAY...
* WHAT...Temperatures up to 104 expected.
* WHERE...In Washington, Lower Columbia Basin of Washington and
Foothills of the Blue Mountains of Washington. In Oregon,
Lower Columbia Basin of Oregon, Foothills of the Northern Blue
Mountains of Oregon, Foothills of the Southern Blue Mountains
of Oregon, North Central Oregon and Central Oregon.
* IMPACTS...Hot temperatures may cause heat illnesses to occur.
Tri-Cities
Monday... Mostly Sunny... 96/63
Tuesday... Mostly Sunny, Hot... 98/66
Wednesday... Sunny, Hot... 104/70
Thursday... Sunny, Hot... 102/72
Friday...Sunny, Hot...102/70
Saturday Sunny, Hot...102/70
Yakima
Monday... Mostly Sunny... 94/63
Tuesday... Mostly Sunny... 96/65
Wednesday... Sunny, Hot... 102/72
Thursday... Sunny, Hot... 102/71
Friday...Sunny, Hot...101/68
Saturday Sunny, Hot...100/69 | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/nice-mild-evening-heat-wave-on-the-way/article_ea34057a-1ce7-11ed-9cbe-c32008b206d4.html | 2022-08-16T02:04:21Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/nice-mild-evening-heat-wave-on-the-way/article_ea34057a-1ce7-11ed-9cbe-c32008b206d4.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Local News Briefs
Local make West Liberty dean's list
WEST LIBERTY, WEST VIRGINIA − West Liberty University has announced it's spring semester dean's list for the spring semester.
Making the list were Destiny Hutcheson of Chandlersville, Carsie Reed of Mount Perry, Jaylee Jordan of New Concord, Riley Harris and Lillian Webb of New Lexington, Deric Nesselroad of Stockport and Avery Bankes, Kennedy Rine and Mackenzie Rine of Zanesville.
ZMHA having board meeting
ZANESVILLE − The Zanesville Metropolitan Housing Authority board will meet in regular session at 5:15 p.m. Aug. 25 at the board office, 407 Pershing Road.
ACT prep classes starting
ZANESVILLE −Scholarship Central of the Muskingum County Community Foundation is accepting registration for October ACT prep classes starting Aug. 17. Deadline to register is Sept. 16.
Classes will be by Zoom from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays from Sept. 18 to Oct. 16 with the ACT test on Oct. 22. Facilitator is William Stewart, who has been teaching ACT prep classes for 25 years. Students will receive a test booklet, class text and tip sheet. They must have a suitable calculator.
A $30 refundable deposit is required, which will be returned if four of five sessions are attended and one submits their ACT scores to Scholarship Central by Dec. 2. For more information and registration, call 740-453-5192 or email scholarsihpcentral@mccf.org.
ZTP names audience choice winners
ZANESVILLE − The Zane Trace Players recently named audience choice winners for its recent production of Disney's "Moana Jr." at the Renner Theatre.
Hayden Weck, who played Maui, won the award for a male and Kylneigh Hall, part of the ensemble, won the award for female. Funds from the audience choice and 50/50 raffle will be used to support future productions.
Maysville BOE to meet
ZANESVILLE − The Maysville Local Schools Board of Education will meet in regular session at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the administrative center, 3715 Panther Drive. | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/15/local-news-briefs/65403213007/ | 2022-08-16T02:19:10Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/15/local-news-briefs/65403213007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Man injured in Sunday morning shooting
Chris Crook
Zanesville Times Recorder
ZANESVILLE − A man was shot at a Zanesville bar early Sunday morning.
Muskingum County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the Lazy River Lounge on Old River Road south of the city at 2:16 after reports of a shooting.
A 33-year-old man was taken to Genesis Hospital. Muskingum County Sheriff Matt Lutz said the man is expected to recover. Anyone with information should contact MCSO detective Brad Shawger at 740-452-3637 extension 6050. | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/15/man-injured-in-sunday-morning-shooting/65403844007/ | 2022-08-16T02:19:16Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/08/15/man-injured-in-sunday-morning-shooting/65403844007/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Jeff Thompson Cedar Creek Fire burning more than 4,400 acres in Willamette National Forest Jeff Thompson The fire has led to closures on the west side of the Waldo Lake recreational area west of La Pine. The lake itself remains open, along with campgrounds and trails east of it. | https://www.klcc.org/people/jeff-thompson | 2022-08-16T02:20:46Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/people/jeff-thompson | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Providence police are warning Kia and Hyundai owners to take extra steps to protect their vehicles.
Between July 1 and Aug. 11, police said they have responded to more than a dozen cases of stolen Kias and Hyundais. The two makes are more susceptible to being stolen due to a new social media trend.
Thieves are able to more easily steal late-model Hyundais and Kias that use a traditional key rather than a push-button ignition, according to police. They remove the trim under the steering column and start the engine using a USB charging cable.
Police are asking owners of these vehicles to take extra precautions, like parking in a well-lit area or garage, locking the doors, using a steering wheel lock, removing all valuables, and activating the alarm.
Hyundai and Kia tell 12 News they are working with local police departments to offer steering wheel locks and other preventative tools. | https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/providence/police-kias-hyundais-being-targeted-by-thieves/ | 2022-08-16T02:33:58Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/news/local-news/providence/police-kias-hyundais-being-targeted-by-thieves/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KIHEI, Hawaii (KITV4) -- Maui police have opened a murder investigation after a man’s body was found at Kamaole Beach Park I in Kihei.
The victim, later identified as 49-year-old John Picanco of Kihei, was found just before 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 10 at the beach volleyball court at Kamaole Beach Park I.
Police said Picanco was already dead when they discovered his body and no life-saving measures were administered. Picanco’s body was then taken by the medical examiner for an autopsy.
On Monday, Aug. 15, Maui Police investigators re-classified the case from an unattended death to a murder investigation and the autopsy results revealed Picanco died under “suspicious circumstances.”
Investigators did not say what those circumstances were or if there were any obvious signs of injury to his body.
So far there has been no information released regarding a possible suspect or motive in this case.
Anyone with information about this case is asked to call Detective Kamuela Mawae at 808-875-5411. Tipsters can leave an anonymous tip by calling Maui Crime Stoppers at 808-242-6966.
Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii. | https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/body-found-at-mauis-kamaole-beach-park-now-classified-as-murder/article_2f8f896a-1d0a-11ed-96e6-f3b218c5d44e.html | 2022-08-16T02:42:17Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/crime/body-found-at-mauis-kamaole-beach-park-now-classified-as-murder/article_2f8f896a-1d0a-11ed-96e6-f3b218c5d44e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.