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Apr 8, 2022
Photo by Shutterstock
Popular destinations like Aspen, Colorado, are no longer experiencing seasonal slowdowns.
Increased demand for beach and outdoor travel and more flexible work schedules have all but eliminated the shoulder and off-seasons in some popular destinations.
Justin Todd used to be able to predict when business would be slower. Having been in the hospitality industry in Aspen, Colorado, for 15 years, he knew that the period between the snow going to slush and the wildflowers blooming would see a lull. From mid-April to early June, many Aspen properties, including Aspen Meadows Resort, where he is the general manager, would shut down—there wasn’t enough business to justify staying open. Companies often used that window to make repairs, deep clean, and complete projects. It was also a time for staff to decamp for their own vacations and locals to have their community all to themselves.
However, since the beginning of the pandemic, that period of rest has been disrupted.
“Things are definitely busier now,” said Todd of shoulder season, adding that his resort is currently staying open year-round—occupancy rates above 70 percent for what was previously the slow season made it an easy choice from a business perspective.
Aspen isn’t alone. Across the country, destinations have noticed a shift in traditional travel seasons. Many other places that have historically opted to close during the slower periods, like the Ritz-Carlton Lake Tahoe, are now staying open all year because there’s so much more demand.
“The length of the off-season has shortened greatly,” said Linda Bendt, owner of Minnesota-based travel agency Pique. “In many places, the lines have blurred. Travelers are looking at destinations differently.”
Increasingly, interest in vacation spots has become divorced from weather forecasts. According to Wendy Burk, founder of La Jolla, California–based travel agency Cadence, “Availability and safety are the two biggest factors now.”
“There’s a scar tissue travelers have from this pandemic era, and it’s not likely to heal that quickly,” Burk said. “Windows of opportunity to travel can close as quickly as they open. When you have the chance to go, and the option is safe and available, you go.”
Jan Freitag, national director of hospitality analytics at the information and analytics company CoStar Group, credits work-from-anywhere policies for part of the shift. It’s allowing people to travel more frequently and for longer.
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“It used to be that when you looked at the data, there was a distinct high-water mark in June and July—hotel occupancy nationally was over 70 percent and then would drop off at the end of summer,” Freitag said. “In 2021, those high numbers remained robust through October. And that was with less business travel—those numbers are probably just leisure travelers.”
Nancy Lien, a public relations manager at Expedia Group (which encompasses more than 200 websites, largely travel fare aggregators and travel metasearch engines, such as Expedia.com, Vrbo, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, Trivago, and CarRentals.com), said that data her company has compiled is consistent with CoStar’s findings.
“Looking back at lodging data across Expedia and Hotels.com for September 2021, we can see travel demand remained strong, and so did lodging prices, which goes against the seasonal trends we used to see prior to the pandemic,” Lien said.
One example, she noted, was that lodging demand for destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean was up around 200 percent in September 2021 compared to September 2019. Lien added that the places seeing the most significant increase of shoulder season travelers are those with access to the outdoors, particularly national parks and beaches.
“Top destinations are seeing a double-digit increase in hotel demand compared to prepandemic—spring shoulder season might be gone in some places,” Lien said, adding that it’s a trend we’ll likely see continue this fall.
According to Lien, hotels in places like Oʻahu, Maui, the Florida Keys, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, and all major coastal destinations in Mexico are experiencing significant demand compared with 2019, regardless of the time of year. Similarly, lodging near national parks—even during frigid winter months in parks such as Mount Rushmore and Yellowstone—is well above prepandemic levels.
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The prolonged season can prove to be both a help and a hindrance to destinations. More travelers usually equate to more revenue. But in destinations like Park City, Utah, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where the summer and winter seasons can be hectic, the shrinking off-season means the workers don’t get much of a break, which is particularly problematic when there’s already a labor shortage. It also means locals have to contend with a nonstop barrage of tourists year-round.
The shoulder and off-seasons have also been a reliable time for travelers to score deals and visit a destination when few others are there. But the more travelers there are, the higher the demand— thus, hotels can often charge more (not to mention that inflation has also driven up travel prices).
For those looking for shoulder and off-season trips and deals like those of old, timing and flexibility are key.
According to Expedia’s 2022 Travel Hacks report (released in November 2021 in collaboration with the Airline Reporting Corporation), January is the cheapest month to depart on domestic flights, yielding around 10 percent in savings (OK, so not for this year, but noted for 2023 and beyond). August is the most affordable time to travel abroad (approximately 20 percent cheaper). Similarly, the lowest average daily rate for lodging tends to occur on Mondays, where travelers could save more than 15 percent versus staying on Friday, the most expensive day. For international trips, staying on a Tuesday rather than Thursday saves nearly 10 percent.
In terms of where you go, Lien noted that destinations like Lake Powell (in Utah and Arizona), Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah, and Boulder, Colorado, are good, cheaper alternatives to national parks like Yosemite and Zion. Orange County and San Diego in California, Fort Lauderdale and Daytona Beach in Florida, and Costa Rica tend to be more affordable than Mexico and Caribbean beaches for those looking for a sand-and-sun vacation.
While it’s impossible to predict if the off-season will entirely be a thing of the past in the years to come, Freitag did note one wrinkle likely to nudge the calendar back to normalcy: the school year.
“As more schools return to consistent in-classroom learning, more people will be connected to the high seasons again, driven by the school calendar,” Freitag said. “We’ll have to see how it plays out.”
The reopening of more countries might also reduce pressure on destinations. But, if you ask Burk, she’ll tell you her company believes it’s “a trend that will continue as the world opens up.”
>>Next: Where to Go in 2022
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Read our privacy policy | https://www.afar.com/magazine/in-these-travel-destinations-off-season-could-be-gone-for-good | 2022-04-08T20:15:21Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/in-these-travel-destinations-off-season-could-be-gone-for-good | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Photos by Yuri Andries
By Sarita Santoshini
Apr 8, 2022
Photo by Yuri Andries
Photographer Yuri Andries spent five weeks photographing Ladakh’s landscapes and inhabitants.
Situated between China, Tibet, and Pakistan in the northern tip of India, the Ladakh region offers travelers a fascinating mix of cultures, sparsely populated landscapes, and the world’s highest road.
The Belgium-based photographer Yuri Andries visited Ladakh, India, in 2017. He spent five weeks traveling the region on a motorcycle without a fixed itinerary, photographing people and landscapes. He discovered extremes everywhere he turned: May temperatures ranged from 86 degrees during the day to 20 degrees at night; apricot trees bloomed pink against stark gray hills; and warm, generous people brightened the lonely, sometimes inaccessible roads.
For Andries, traveling around Ladakh was an escape from his own fast-paced life. He was able to experience a place where locals share values of self-sufficiency and a strong relationship with nature. “There is the time and space to just be,” he says. “The experience was meditative.”
Starting at an altitude of about 8,400 feet, the union territory of Ladakh—which opened to foreign travelers in 1974—retains characteristics of centuries past, when it became a flourishing site of Tibetan Buddhism and an important stop on the ancient Silk Road. Gompas, or Buddhist monasteries, jut out of hilltops in their red and white shades.
It is hard to look away from the harsh realities the region faces today. Its sensitive location, alongside China, Tibet, and Pakistan, has meant the constant presence of the Indian army. Himalayan glaciers, a major source of water for Ladakhis, are melting at a significant rate.
Despite these challenges, Andries says he intends for his pictures to “translate the calmness and tranquility of the place” that he experienced: “This is a love letter to Ladakh.”
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Read our privacy policy | https://www.afar.com/magazine/ladakh-india-as-seen-by-photographer-yuri-andries | 2022-04-08T20:15:27Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/magazine/ladakh-india-as-seen-by-photographer-yuri-andries | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Royal Caribbean and the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, officially kicked off the start of construction on what will eventually become the largest cruise ship in the world. The sixth Oasis-class ship will be somewhat different than her five sister ships.
Powered by liquefied natural gas, the shipbuilders have been forced to incorporate several changes. For example, the funnels will be placed further towards the midships of the vessel to accommodate the gas exhaust systems.
Utopia of the Seas Construction Officially Begins
Royal Caribbean has set out to break another record with the construction of Utopia of the Seas. There was an official steel-cutting ceremony at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France. The ceremony is traditionally the official start of the construction of a cruise ship.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from Royal Caribbean and Chantiers de l’Atlantique, including Jason Liberty, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean Group; and Laurent Castaing, General Manager, Chantiers de l’Atlantique. Michael Bayley, the president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said the following:
“We are excited to begin construction on Utopia of the Seas. On the sixth Oasis Class ship, vacationers can look forward to the signature combination of Royal Caribbean experiences and many brand-new adventures that has and will continue to make the Oasis class of ships the ultimate vacation for guests of all ages.”
It has been more than a decade since Oasis of the Seas changed the cruise industry forever. Since then, there have been several innovations that will ensure the next largest cruise ship in the world, Utopia of the Seas, is a far more efficient and environmentally conscious cruise ship.
Utopia of the Seas will use the cleanest fossil fuel available to cruise ships today, LNG. Additional environmentally friendly applications onboard Utopia, such as fuel cell technology and shore power capabilities, will boost energy efficiencies and reduce emissions.
Royal Caribbean is also in the process of building a new class of ships that will also use LNG, the Icon of the Seas, the first in class, is under construction at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland.
Utopia of the Seas’ design changes
With the switch to LNG and fuel cell technologies, the shipyard has been forced to implement several changes that will be evident towards the final construction phase. To make room for the gas storage tanks, the designers have removed several crew, and guest cabins:
Laurent Castaing, General Manager of Chantiers de l’Atlantique: “The main problem is that LNG tanks take up more space than diesel or fuel oil tanks. We have lost space for other things, mainly crew cabins located above the technical rooms. We had to find more space in the whole ship. For example, passenger cabins became crew cabins.”
The mast will be placed slightly more toward the midship area of the vessel, giving Utopia a distinctly different silhouette. The construction phase will likely take around 30 months, with a projected completion date in the spring of 2024.
Besides the design changes from the switch to LNG, little else is known about Utopia of the Seas’ designs and onboard activities. Her final size will be more than the current largest cruise ship in the world, Wonder of the Seas, which measures 236,857 gross tons.
How much more is unclear, a French newspaper reported that it could be more than 250,000 gross tons this week. Royal Caribbean says it will be keeping guests up to date with any changes in the near future. | https://www.cruisehive.com/construction-begins-on-royal-caribbeans-first-lng-powered-oasis-class-cruise-ship/69559 | 2022-04-08T20:16:03Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/construction-begins-on-royal-caribbeans-first-lng-powered-oasis-class-cruise-ship/69559 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This weekend is a long awaited step in the international cruising restart, as Holland America Line is set to be the first cruise line to call on Canada and return to a Canadian homeport in more than two years.
Koningsdam will visit Victoria, British Columbia, as a port of call on Saturday, April 9, before moving to the Port of Vancouver on Sunday, where the ship will be homeported for the summer Alaska season.
Cruising Is Back in Canada!
It has been 905 days since a cruise ship has called at Victoria, and officials from Holland America Line and local Canadian government representatives will be on hand to celebrate the occasion, including tourism ministers and port authority officials.
“We are thrilled to be the first cruise line back into Canada after such a long absence, and we look forward to celebrating a great moment for everyone who loves to travel and for those in Canada and Alaska whose livelihoods depend on tourism,” said Gus Antorcha, president of Holland America Line.
During the abbreviated 2021 Alaska cruise season, which did not begin until July due to the pandemic shutdown, cruise ships were banned in Canada.
Instead, the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act temporarily allowed cruises departing from U.S. homeports to visit only U.S. ports of call, instead of being required to visit a foreign port during the voyage.
In early March 2022, Canadian authorities released health guidelines for cruise ships, which are largely similar to the health and safety protocols required by other countries. This permitted cruise lines to prepare for calls and homeports in the country, bringing cruising back to the Great White North.
First Ship of Many
The Pinnacle-class Koningsdam, which can host 2,650 passengers at double occupancy, now has the honor of being the first ship with passengers to call on Canada since the industry-wide shutdown began in March 2020.
That honor was to have belonged to Caribbean Princess from Princess Cruises, which was originally scheduled to dock in Vancouver on April 7. That ship’s sailing was shortened and passengers were instead debarked in San Francisco on April 3 to prepare the ship for dry dock operations.
Koningsdam is only the first of six Holland America Line ships scheduled for Alaskan itineraries this year, with two additional ships scheduled for New England and Canada voyages.
“Holland America Line has a robust schedule of cruises that explore Canadian ports on both coasts with Alaska, Hawaii, transatlantic and Canada and New England itineraries,” said Antorcha.
The six ships will make a combined 45 calls at Victoria and bring nearly 75,000 guests to the port. A total of 76 Holland America Line cruises will begin or end at Vancouver during 2022, bringing approximately 140,000 guests back to the region for spectacular, bucket list cruising.
For Canada and New England cruising on the East Coast, two ships return in May and cruise between Boston, Massachusetts, and Quebec City or Montreal, Quebec. Together, Nieuw Statendam and Zaandam offer itineraries ranging from 7-24 days to more than 12 Canadian ports.
In total for 2022, Holland America Line will be operating 141 cruises in Canada with more than 250,000 guests visiting both coasts.
Other Cruise Lines to Return
Holland America Line ships will quickly be joined by other cruise lines as Canada and Alaska cruising restarts with spectacular vigor in the next few weeks.
Carnival Cruise Line has three ships sailing in the region during 2022, the largest ever deployment for that cruise line to Canada.
Princess Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Cunard Line, and other large and small cruise lines all have Alaska and Canadian sailings planned in the coming months.
Furthermore, demand for Alaska is so strong, cruise lines are working with local authorities to create additional opportunities to benefit not only tourists, but also local communities. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings recently committed to a joint project with Huna Totem Corporation to develop a new terminal in Whittier, Alaska, a popular port for cruise guests. | https://www.cruisehive.com/holland-america-line-to-be-first-to-restart-cruising-in-canada/69542 | 2022-04-08T20:16:09Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/holland-america-line-to-be-first-to-restart-cruising-in-canada/69542 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Norwegian Cruise Line informs guests of an itinerary change for the Norwegian Pearl cruise ship out of Boston, Massachusetts. The sailing in question is the April 8 departure, only the second cruise from the port since resuming operations.
Norwegian Pearl Itinerary Change
The NCL cruise ship is just completing its first voyage from Bostom in two years due to the industry-wide suspension, but there is an itinerary change for the following voyage.
Norwegian Cruise Line sent out a letter to guests booked on the April 8 departure from Massport, the Port of Boston. The Norwegian Pearl will now include a call to Bar Harbor in Maine on Thursday, April 14, 2022.
One big difference is that Bar Harbor is a tender port, and the ship will be anchored from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The vessel will only be spending two nights docked in Bermuda. The cruise line is refunding any pre-purchased tours for the originally scheduled third day in Bermuda.
Read Also: IDEAL Things to Do in Bermuda
Originally, the NCL cruise ship was scheduled to spend three nights in Bermuda as part of its seven-night Bermuda voyage. Guests were informed of the itinerary change less than 48 hours before the departure via an email communication.
Norwegian Pearl will still arrive back in Boston on Friday; however, the ship is currently slightly delayed by approximately two hours. The scheduled time of arrival was 4:00 PM at Massport.
First Cruise Ship from Bostin in Two Years
The NCL vessel became the first to resume cruises from Boston in two years on April 4. The first return voyage was a short four-night sailing to Bermuda.
At the time the ship resumed sailings, Norwegian Cruise Line President and Chief Executive Officer Harry Sommer, said, “Our Great Cruise Comeback not only celebrates the return of our vessels and resilience of our team members worldwide, but also underscores the incredible partnership we have with our destinations around the world.”
“To jumpstart the cruise season for Massport is another major milestone for the U.S. cruise industry and we’re honored to commemorate that moment with Norwegian Pearl’s inaugural voyage from Flynn Cruiseport Boston.”
Norwegian Pearl will continue to offer sailings from Boston to Bermuda through November 2022. The ship will then reposition to offer Caribbean cruises from Miami, Florida. The vessel is 93,530 gross tons with a guest capacity of 2,394 at double occupancy. | https://www.cruisehive.com/itinerary-change-notification-for-norwegian-cruise-line-ship-to-bermuda/69575 | 2022-04-08T20:16:16Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/itinerary-change-notification-for-norwegian-cruise-line-ship-to-bermuda/69575 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The conflict between residents that want to ban cruise ships from entering Key West, and the owners of the privately-owned Pier B with local entrepreneurs in favor of cruise ships coming to Key West, is becoming a legal fight with no clear favorites.
Over the last months, there seemed to be an agreement in the works that would have allowed cruise ship traffic to continue under a new deal between Pier B and the city government. But, in a vote in the Key West commission, the agreement was rejected.
What is Happening to Cruises in Key West?
The Key West issue is becoming more complicated by the day. An agreement from 1994 between Pier B and the Key West city government is the main point of concern. This agreement states that Pier B has nearly unlimited use and possibilities to allow cruise ships to visit Key West.
Negotiations between Key West and Pier B resulted in a new agreement that would have allowed Pier B to continue, but with several restrictions.
Among those restrictions are five days a year when no cruise ships were allowed to dock at the pier, consisting of New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Eve.
Also included were ten additional days to be decided between Pier B and the city when no cruise ships are allowed at Pier B, an average of a maximum of 349 cruise ships per year over three years, and a limit of an average of 3700 passengers to disembark every day.
While this would have been a concession from Pier B on the old agreement, it does not come anywhere near the demands set out in the referendum held in 2020. City commissioners voted against the new deal.
What is clear is that despite the current talks between Pier B and the city, cruise ships are still sailing to Key West as usual. Something that the organization behind the referendum, SaferCleanerShips, feels is illegal.
Is Pier B Illegal?
The newest argument to come from SaferCleanerShips, and the one that seems to have tackled the agreements between the city and Pier B owner Mark Walsh is that the Pier B structures as they stand now are not as agreed in 1994, and therefore illegal. This would make the entire agreement from 1994 a point of discussion.
However, Mark Walsh is having none of this. Walsh said the claim from Safer Cleaner Ships’ was: “a gross misrepresentation of the facts and an unfair and misleading assertion given that the available public records contain unequivocal proof” that “in 1999, the City (a) authorized and supported the Pier B expansion; (b) granted a building permit for the Pier B expansion; (c) issued a certificate of occupancy for the Pier B expansion and (d) represented to the state of Florida that the expansion of Pier B was approved and authorized by the city….”
A letter issued in 1999 to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection from then-assistant city manager John Jones states:
“City staff has reviewed the Pier B development plans and have no objections to the present plans….Pier B expansion improvement will offer a safer berth for cruise ships and better convenience for visitors.”
Are There Other Options?
Both sides of the Key West cruise ship issue do not seem to be willing to come to a compromise that would satisfy both parties.
In fact, if SaferCleanerShips has its way, Pier B’s business model would be destroyed. If Pier B continues as it is now, the entire referendum held in 2020 will have been a lost cause for SaferCleanerShips.
Yet, there seems to be little room for legal discussions. City commissioner Mary Lou Hoover said the claims by SaferCleanerShips were based on little evidence:
“While I understand you don’t want any cruise ships coming to Key West, it is still my belief that the city has no control over Pier B and its operations.“
“Food for thought. If SCS believed that the agreement between Pier B and the city was invalid or void, why go through all the trouble and expense of three referendums? Why not just have a judge set aside the agreement? And if the agreement never existed, why did the city take money from Pier B to the tune of $25 million?”
With the agreement voted out, the talks seem to be gridlocked. Mark Walsh and Pier B seemed willing to make several concessions towards SaferCleanerShips and at least a more controlled cruise ships traffic towards Key West. Whether that attitude will remain is to be seen.
One of the options that could be next would a trial in front of a jury, to see who has the rights in their favor in regards to Key West’s Pier B and the cruise ships that visit it.
Something that could very well end badly for SaferCleanerShips and their quest to ban ships from Key West, if Pier B indeed has all the correct permissions and permits. | https://www.cruisehive.com/key-west-denies-rule-change-for-larger-cruise-ships-at-private-pier/69540 | 2022-04-08T20:16:22Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/key-west-denies-rule-change-for-larger-cruise-ships-at-private-pier/69540 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – The $100,000 received by Open Pantry Community Services from the Springfield State Legislative Delegation will really come in handy, meeting its obligations to the growing number of food recipients.
Senator Adam Gomez and his colleagues earned the money from the American Rescue Plan Act. Open Pantry Executive Director Terry Maxey welcomes this gift.
“In the last few months, or so, we’ve been seeing more people than ever used the pantry before, so we look at whole families. People are coming to the pantry for much needed food,” said Maxey.
State Representative Carlos Gonzalez told 22News, “Families, children, seniors, people that for whatever reason never needed services, so this is a great opportunity for us to deliver the services as a delegation.”
The huge increase in first time pantry food clients has been blamed on the pandemic followed by the inflationary rise in food costs. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/arpa-funds-headed-to-springfield-open-pantry-community-services/ | 2022-04-08T20:18:02Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/arpa-funds-headed-to-springfield-open-pantry-community-services/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SEATTLE, Wash. — It’s a hobby for some and a way to commute for others. No matter the reason, more people are saying ‘yes’ to pedal power.
“People learned during COVID that cycling is fun again,” said Martin Pluth, general manager for Gregg’s Cycle in Seattle.
After a year of record sales in 2020 and a year of record supply chain holdups in 2021, this year is set to come with a different challenge: inflation.
“We're up 20% and there's really nothing that can account for that other than the fact we have bikes in stock that we didn't have a year ago, and I think the gas prices are having an impact as well,” said Pluth. “It definitely, I think, will have a long-term effect if the prices remain where they're at today. I don't think high gas prices are good nationwide, but at the same time, it's good for our business.”
Pluth said the bike shop, normally quiet in the cooler spring months, is bustling with people coming in for repairs and new bikes.
“We've seen a few bike booms and in the over the years where we've seen a real surge in sales and then it will taper back. This is not predicted to do that this time,” said Pluth.
Pluth thinks the pandemic and the inflation crisis are starting to permanently change attitudes. More people see cycling as a viable transportation solution.
The electric bike market is growing the most.
“I started this company when I was 15 years old, and I did it because I couldn't afford to keep my old broken-down car running,” said Mike Radenbaugh, founder and CEO of Rad Power Bikes.
Radenbaugh said his sales have spiked across the country as customers started to feel that same pain.
“We're finding that about 30% of customers today, the primary reason for coming in is to it's to skirt high gas prices,” said Radenbaugh.
With more than 250 million cars on the road, Radenbaugh is hoping this moment becomes an opportunity to put some of those cars in the garage for good.
“Electric bikes get 1,600 miles per gallon, energy equivalent. Compare that to an electric car, which gets about 100 miles per gallon and equivalent or traditional car, which gets between 20 and 40 miles per gallon, energy equivalent,” said Radenbaugh.
With 77% of car trips being less than 10 miles and 60% less than 5 miles, replacing a couple of drives for a cycle might not be as tough as most think.
“E-bikes go up to 45 miles on a charge, and on a single charge. And they do that with about nine cents of electricity,” said Radenbaugh. “There really is no better solution right now to some of these major macro challenges in our society.”
These avid cyclists hope this seemingly endless price hike gives more people a chance to see the value of having two wheels instead of four. | https://www.katc.com/news/national-politics/the-race/inflated-gas-prices-boosting-bicycle-sales | 2022-04-08T20:22:41Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national-politics/the-race/inflated-gas-prices-boosting-bicycle-sales | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WESTERNPORT, Md. — From the top of a hill, with his dogs by his side, David Grove always has a good perspective on things.
Unfortunately, that perspective is not quite as positive as it once was.
"There's not much industry left," Grove said. "All the industry is as moved out."
David retired from a paper mill in the Appalachian town of Westernport before it closed three years ago.
The closure put hundreds of people out of a work. Since it was the largest employer for miles, its exit left his neighbors hurting. Now, inflation is making the existing hardships tougher.
"The things shutting down in this whole area makes inflation, you know, what, 10-times worse," Grove said.
Grove's wife still works, which makes him one of the lucky ones.
"We're surviving, but these other people, probably not so much," he said.
Those living in America’s rural corners and those with low incomes are being disproportionately hit by inflation.
Bank of America Research compared how rural and urban households spend their money. It found rural homes spend more money on energy, cars and food compared to urban households. Rural households also put less in savings.
Rural residents also need to drive farther to get to stores and doctor's offices, which adds to the costs families face.
According to Gallup, 71% of households making less than $40,000 per year are experiencing hardships, and 42% consider their hardships severe.
"It's just hard that to get back to where, where we was, and I don't know whether it's going back to where we was and it's just a shame," Grove said.
The last three years for john Shingly, owner of Port West Restaurant, have been a one-two-three punch— with the mill closure, the pandemic and now inflation.
"$1.79 for a head of lettuce right now, you know, it's crazy," said Shingler.
Even though they lost 30% of their customers when the mill closed, the food prices have given him no choice but to raise his own prices.
"It's hard for these small rural communities like this to understand why we have to raise prices because it's not like in a big city where they're used to paying those prices," he said.
His customers, though, remain loyal.
"They've kind of rescued us through this," Shingler said. "They've supported us tremendously."
Communities like Westernport are used to picking each other up when times get hard, and the fact that they’re there for each other is why people choose to stay despite how bleak the outlook may be.
"This is my home, and I like my home," said Grove. | https://www.katc.com/news/national-politics/the-race/rural-communities-bearing-the-brunt-of-inflation | 2022-04-08T20:22:48Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national-politics/the-race/rural-communities-bearing-the-brunt-of-inflation | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Kinder is recalling a number of of chocolate assortments because they may be contaminated with salmonella, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The recall involves the “Kinder Happy Moments Milk Chocolate and Crispy Wafers Assortment,” as well as the “Kinder Mix Chocolate Treats Basket.”
The chocolate assortments were sold nationwide at BJ’s Wholesale Club stores and Big Y supermarkets.
The recalled products were manufactured in a Ferraro facility where salmonella was recently detected, according to the FDA.
“Ferrero deeply regrets this situation,” the company said in a statement. “We take food safety extremely seriously and every step we have taken has been guided by our commitment to consumer care.”
Anyone who purchased one of the recalled chocolate assortments is urged not to eat them. The recalled products can either be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase for a full refund. | https://www.wpri.com/recalls-and-warnings/kinder-chocolate-assortments-recalled-due-to-potential-contamination/ | 2022-04-08T20:24:06Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/recalls-and-warnings/kinder-chocolate-assortments-recalled-due-to-potential-contamination/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Gas prices are surging all over the world, and now a group of countries, including the U.S., are taking a historic step by releasing oil from their emergency reserves. But that may not be enough to provide long-term relief at the pump.
NPR’s Brittany Cronin reports.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-08/u-s-among-countries-releasing-emergency-oil-reserves-to-lower-gas-prices | 2022-04-08T20:27:30Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-08/u-s-among-countries-releasing-emergency-oil-reserves-to-lower-gas-prices | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Drunk man was driving over 100 mph in crash that killed 2 women, unborn child: police
OMAHA, Neb. - Police arrested an Omaha man Wednesday on suspicion of being drunk and causing a fiery crash last week that killed two women, including a corrections officer who was eight months pregnant.
Zachary Paulison, who turned 22 Wednesday, was booked on suspicion of two counts of vehicular homicide while intoxicated and one count of vehicular homicide of an unborn child, Omaha police said in a news release Wednesday.
Investigators believe Paulison was drunk the night of March 31 when his pickup truck collided with the sport utility vehicle driven by 37-year-old Sara Zimmerman, who was an officer with the Douglas County Department of Corrections. According to WOWT, Paulison was driving more than 100 mph and had a blood alcohol level of 1.61 - more than twice the legal limit.
Investigators said there's no evidence that he hit the brakes before slamming his F-250 pickup truck into a Nissan Altima.
RELATED: Woman accused of driving drunk, wrong way with 2-year-old in car
Police said both vehicles went into a ditch and the SUV erupted in flames. Zimmerman, who was pregnant, and her passenger, 38-year-old Amanda Schook, died in the crash. Paulison was taken to an Omaha hospital with back and chest fractures, police said.
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He's being held in the Sarpy County Jail on a $1 million bond. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/drunk-man-was-driving-over-100-mph-in-crash-that-killed-2-women-unborn-child-police | 2022-04-08T20:28:47Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/drunk-man-was-driving-over-100-mph-in-crash-that-killed-2-women-unborn-child-police | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Fauci expects uptick in COVID-19 cases in coming weeks, another surge in the fall
BETHESDA, Maryland - White House medical adviser and infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci said he expects another increase in COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks in the United States, with a more serious surge that could arrive in the fall.
"I would not be surprised if we see an uptick in cases," Fauci said during an exclusive interview with Bloomberg Television on Wednesday.
Fauci noted that the increase could come "over the next couple of weeks," potentially fueled by the high transmissibility of BA.2 — a subvariant of the omicron variant.
Fauci says we could see COVID-19 surge in fall
Fauci, who is also the director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, noted that it is very difficult to accurately predict when the next surge will happen, but said, "it is likely that we will see a surge in the fall" when the weather gets cooler and as immunity from the virus wanes.
Currently, about half of eligible Americans have received booster shots, and there have been nearly 80 million confirmed infections overall.
RELATED: Influential model finds 73% of US now immune to omicron
One study from earlier this year used those factors and others to estimate that 73% of Americans were, at the time, immune to omicron. And according to health experts, this could prevent or shorten new illnesses in protected people and reduce the amount of the virus circulating overall, likely tamping down new waves.
Immunity from virus, vaccination may ease wave of COVID-19 cases
"When you combine the immunity that many people have following infection, with the immunity that people who have been vaccinated and hopefully boosted have, there’s a significant amount of background immunity," Fauci continued.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, prepares to receive his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the National Institutes of Health on December 22, 2020 in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Se
Some states have shown small rises recently in COVID-19 cases, but overall cases are still at the lowest since last summer and hospitalizations are at a pandemic low.
But most health experts cite that immunity from the COVID-19 vaccine wanes over time, so the best way to avoid another surge is by getting more people vaccinated and boosted against the virus.
COVID-19 booster may be effective against BA.2 variant, study shows
In fact, new evidence released last month showed a booster dose of the coronavirus vaccine may provide protection against BA.2.
Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center examined neutralizing antibodies produced after vaccination or infection.
The study, funded in part by the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that after a booster vaccination, levels of antibodies in the blood that could bind to and neutralize a new omicron variant increased substantially.
RELATED: COVID-19 booster shot may be effective against omicron BA.2 variant, study shows
"After the booster dose, levels of antibodies that could neutralize BA.2 jumped substantially. The number that could recognize BA.2—as well as BA.1—after the booster dose was higher than those recognizing the original virus after only the first two shots," the NIH wrote. "
Fauci hopes US won’t see surge in hospitalizations
If an uptick does become a surge, Fauci said he hopes the U.S. won’t see a large increase in hospitalizations due to existing background immunity.
The NIH is currently conducting studies to determine what the best booster in fall should be — an omicron boost or a boost of the original ancestral strain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and its committee also met this week to discuss how and when vaccines should be modified.
US death toll from COVID-19 hits 900,000
In February, the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 900,000. President Joe Biden lamented the milestone, saying, "After nearly two years, I know that the emotional, physical, and psychological weight of this pandemic has been incredibly difficult to bear."
RELATED: US COVID-19 death toll hits 900,000, sped by omicron
He again urged Americans to get vaccinations and booster shots.
"Two hundred and fifty million Americans have stepped up to protect themselves, their families, and their communities by getting at least one shot — and we have saved more than one million American lives as a result," Biden said.
As of Friday, 75.6% of adults in the U.S. were fully vaccinated, or about 195 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some 98.4 million people have received a booster dose of the vaccine.
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This story was reported from Los Angeles. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/fauci-expects-uptick-in-covid-19-cases-in-coming-weeks-another-surge-in-the-fall | 2022-04-08T20:28:53Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/fauci-expects-uptick-in-covid-19-cases-in-coming-weeks-another-surge-in-the-fall | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Illinois reports 10,786 new COVID-19 cases, 71 deaths in past week
Illinois public health officials on Friday announced 10,786 new cases of the coronavirus in the state and 71 additional deaths have been recorded in the past week.
The cases were among 505,189 test results submitted to the Illinois Department of Public Health since April 1.
The seven-day testing positivity rate is at 2.1%, health officials said.
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State health officials said more than 76% of Illinois' total population have received at least one vaccine dose and more than 68% are fully vaccinated. More than half of Illinois residents have received the booster shot, health officials said.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Illinois has recorded 3,080,436 cases and 33,465 deaths tied to COVID-19.
As of Thursday night, 502 Illinoisans were hospitalized with COVID-19, with 62 needing intensive care and 24 on ventilators.
Advertisement | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-reports-10786-new-covid-19-cases-71-deaths-in-past-week | 2022-04-08T20:29:05Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/illinois-reports-10786-new-covid-19-cases-71-deaths-in-past-week | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
By PHILIP MARCELO
BOSTON (AP) — A former Florida prep school administrator who took students’ college entrance exams for bribes was sentenced to four months in prison Friday, the same day a decorated former water polo coach at the University of Southern California was found guilty of fraud and bribery.
The sentence for Mark Riddell was what U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins’ office had recommended to the judge in court filings ahead of Friday’s hearing.
Riddell’s lawyers, in their own filing, had argued for one to two months in prison, saying he was neither the ringleader of the scheme nor a university insider, like the coaches and college administrators implicated.
In court, Riddell apologized to the students who lost out of college opportunities because of his “terrible decision.”
The Harvard graduate, who emerged as a key figure in the wide-ranging scandal, admitted to secretly taking the ACT and SAT in place of students, or correcting their answers.
Riddell, who had been cooperating with federal authorities in hopes of getting a lesser sentence, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges in April 2019.
Riddell oversaw college entrance exam preparation at IMG Academy, a school in Bradenton, Florida that bills itself as the world’s largest sports academy.
Authorities say the admissions consultant at the center of the scheme, Rick Singer, bribed test administrators to allow Riddell to pretend to proctor the exams for students so he could cheat on the tests. Singer typically paid Riddell $10,000 per test to rig the scores, prosecutors said.
Riddell, who was fired from IMG Academy, made more than $200,000 by cheating on over 25 exams, prosecutors said.
Also Friday, a federal jury in Boston convicted former USC water polo coach Jovan Vavic of fraud and bribery.
Vavic, 60, who guided USC’s men’s and women’s water polo teams to 16 national championships, received about $250,000 in bribes for designating unqualified students as water polo recruits so they could attend the elite Los Angeles school, prosecutors said.
He declined to comment after the hearing and left court with his family.
Vavic’s defense argued he was just doing what he could to raise money for his dominant, championship-winning program as athletic officials at the school had demanded.
They also maintained never lied, never took a bribe and was a victim of USC’s desire to protect its reputation and cover up a “pervasive culture” of accepting wealthy students who could provide donations windfalls.
The university, which fired Vavic after his 2019 arrest, has stressed its admissions processes are “not on trial.”
Nearly 60 people, including wealthy and famous parents as well as college coaches and athletic administrators were charged in the Operation Varsity Blues case, including “Full House” star Lori Loughlin and her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/bogus-test-taker-gets-prison-in-college-admissions-scam/ | 2022-04-08T20:29:07Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/bogus-test-taker-gets-prison-in-college-admissions-scam/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Orland Park woman accused of hate crime, throwing drink at Chicago bartender wearing a Star of David necklace
CHICAGO - An Orland Park woman is charged with a hate crime after allegedly throwing a drink at a Near North Side bartender who was wearing a Star of David necklace.
The bartender, 28, was working on Nov. 7 at The Underground Chicago, 56 W. Illinois St., when 30-year-old Sara Abdulrasoul called the bartender a "ho," according to a Chicago police report.
Abdulrasoul saw the bartender was wearing a necklace with the Star of David — a six-pointed star generally recognized as a symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism — and allegedly told the bartender to "take the necklace off," the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Abdulrasoul then made several antisemitic statements and commented that the bartender’s "people" were killing her "people," according to the police report.
The bartender responded, "Oh, you’re Palestinian? I didn’t mean to upset you," police said.
Abdulrasoul allegedly responded that she "hates Jews" and again told the bartender to remove the necklace before throwing "her entire drink cup, which was full," at the bartender’s neck, striking the bartender’s collarbone.
Bar security was called but Abdulrasoul had already left, police said.
The bartender later identified Abdulrasoul from surveillance footage, and Abdulrasoul turned herself in to police with an attorney on Tuesday, police said.
Charges in the case were first reported by CWB Chicago.
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Abdulrasoul has worked as a pharmacist since graduating from Chicago State University and helps care for her father, her attorney, David Gaeger, said in court.
Judge Susana Ortiz on Wednesday ordered Abdulrasoul released on her own recognizance, according to court records. The judge told Abdulrasoul she could not drink or take drugs while the case was pending.
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Abdulrasoul was expected back in court on April 13 at the Skokie courthouse. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/orland-park-woman-accused-hate-crime-throwing-drink-at-chicago-bartender-wearing-star-of-david-necklace | 2022-04-08T20:29:11Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/orland-park-woman-accused-hate-crime-throwing-drink-at-chicago-bartender-wearing-star-of-david-necklace | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Boys lacrosse referees have agreed to accept game assignments as early as Friday after a two-day work stoppage in which several games in the CIF Southern Section were canceled.
On Wednesday, the CIF-SS boys lacrosse season seemed to be in jeopardy as referees began to refuse to work as a protest against the Southern Section’s revised pay schedule that begins in the 2023 season.
The Southern California Lacrosse Officials Association (SOCALOA), the organization that represents the CIF-SS boys lacrosse officials, said its members, who are independent contractors, were protesting a fee schedule for the years 2023-25 that the CIF Council approved Tuesday.
According to the fee schedule that was approved, boys lacrosse officials were given a 3 percent increase in pay from $77 to $79 per game based on a baseline of 2.25 hours of work.
SOCALOA requested a minimum of 2.5 hours per game which would increase the rate of pay per game.
“Our organization received a good faith commitment from CIF-SS that the fee committee will hear and consider our request to adjust the game hours used to determine our new pay rate for the 2023-2025 seasons,” the board of SOCALOA said in a statement. “In response, it is recommended that officials again open their schedules and begin accepting game assignments again as early as Friday, April 8.”
SOCALOA will present its proposal to the fees committee when it meets again in August. If the committee agrees to amend the pay rate, it will be voted on by the CIF-SS Council February 1, 2023 before games begin on February 11.
Coaches in Orange County were pleased with the news and are excited to be able to finish the season.
“I’m very grateful that we’ve been able to come to a temporary resolution that allows for the 2022 season to continue and I couldn’t be happier for our student-athletes,” St. Margaret’s coach Brian Kelly said. “It’s now extremely important that administrators, coaches and CIF officials follow through on the good faith commitment to fully support the referee association’s pursuit of fair pay for the upcoming fee schedule.”
“I’m happy everyone was able to put this aside for now and do what was right for the kids and for our sport,” JSerra coach Adam Guy said.
It is unclear as of now whether the games that were canceled will be made up at later dates. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/boys-lacrosse-officials-and-cif-ss-come-to-agreement-season-will-continue/ | 2022-04-08T20:29:13Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/boys-lacrosse-officials-and-cif-ss-come-to-agreement-season-will-continue/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Oscars slap scandal: The Academy announces Will Smith's punishment
LOS ANGELES - After expediting a meeting by ten days to discuss the disciplinary actions Will Smith will face after slapping Chris Rock on the Oscars stage, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has reached a decision.
The Academy's Board of Governors met Friday and after the vote, the Academy President and CEO said, "The Board [of Governors] has decided, for a period of 10 years, from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards."
"I accept and respect the Academy’s decision," Smith said in response.
Before presenting the award for Best Documentary Feature on Hollywood’s Biggest Night on March 27, Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
TOPSHOT - US actor Will Smith (R) slaps US actor Chris Rock onstage during the 94th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 27, 2022. (Photo by Robyn Beck / AFP) (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
"Jada, ‘GI Jane 2,’ I can’t wait to see it," Rock said in front of the Oscars audience. Pinkett Smith rolled her eyes in response. In 2018, the actress was diagnosed with alopecia, which is something Rock was reportedly unaware of.
After seeing his wife’s response and with cameras rolling during the live event, Smith stormed to the Oscars stage and slapped Rock across the face.
RELATED: Will Smith slaps Chris Rock after Jada Pinkett Smith joke, then wins best actor Oscar
The shocking moment immediately went viral and set social media ablaze. Roughly 24 hours after the slap that was seen and heard across the globe, James Corden even made an Encanto parody called "We Don’t Talk About Jada," during his late-night talk show.
RELATED: Most Americans back Chris Rock over Will Smith, Twitter data shows
After slapping Rock, Smith, a nominee, was allowed to sit through the rest of the awards ceremony and later that evening, was able to give a speech after winning the Best Actor in a Leading Role for "King Richard."
The Academy said in a letter Friday that the award ceremony is "meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage."
The meeting to discuss Smith’s punishment, initially scheduled for April 18, was moved up after Smith formally withdrew from The Academy on April 1.
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Last week, a spokesperson for Smith released the following statement when the "King Richard" actor announced his resignation from The Academy, which read in part:
"I have directly responded to the Academy’s disciplinary hearing notice, and I will fully accept any and all consequences for my conduct. My actions at the 94th Academy Awards presentation were shocking, painful, and inexcusable. The list of those I have hurt is long and includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all those in attendance, and global audiences at home."
RELATED: Will Smith resigns from The Academy amid Chris Rock Oscars slap backlash
Days prior to resigning from The Academy, Smith issued a public apology to Rock, saying, "I was out of line and I was wrong."
Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department were ready to arrest the megastar after the assault. However, Rock has declined to press criminal charges against Smith.
"During the telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room. For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers, and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short – unprepared for the unprecedented," The Academy said.
The legendary comedian is being praised and has received support from Hollywood for how handled the situation.
"We want to express our deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances. We also want to thank our hosts, nominees, presenters, and winners for their poise and grace during our telecast," The Academy said Friday.
RELATED:
- Oscars' co-host Wanda Sykes sickened over Will Smith slapping Chris Rock
- How the Laugh Factory is supporting fellow comedian Chris Rock
- Oscars host Amy Schumer 'traumatized' after Chris Rock, Will Smith feud
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar criticizes Will Smith for Oscars slap, applauds Chris Rock's reaction
- Jim Carrey ‘sickened’ by celebs applauding Will Smith’s Oscar win after slap
In 2020, he revealed he was diagnosed with nonverbal learning disorder as an adult, telling The Hollywood Reporter the condition means he has challenges interpreting nonverbal signals in social situations.
RELATED: Video of Chris Rock recalling childhood abuse resurfaces after Oscars slap
Rock is currently on the road for his "Ego Death" tour, which is his first stand-up comedy tour in five years.
Tune in to FOX 11 Los Angeles for the latest Southern California news.
Advertisement | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/oscars-slap-academy-announces-will-smiths-punishment | 2022-04-08T20:29:17Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/oscars-slap-academy-announces-will-smiths-punishment | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ryan Garcia quickly achieved what most boxers have struggled with in the age of social media. The Victorville native built a brand with his impressive eight million followers on Instagram without fighting in title fights and pay-per-view bouts.
But making people care is only half the battle in boxing. What Garcia did 15 months ago gave him a bigger presence in the sport than his massive social media following.
Garcia was viewed as a true lightweight contender when he rose from the canvas after taking a left hook from Luke Campbell and later returning the favor with a left hook to the body for a seventh-round technical knockout.
Garcia got his validation and decided it was time to unplug from the sport for mental health reasons. He’ll end his lengthy layoff Saturday against Emmanuel Tagoe for a DAZN-televised main event in San Antonio. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 6 p.m.
“I miss everything about boxing: the competition, the contact, destroying someone,” Garcia said. “Seeing the shot, knowing where it is going to land, knowing that the timing is just perfect. I just love to fight and just be better than the person in front of me.”
The 23-year-old Garcia took heat for withdrawing against the dangerous Javier Fortuna last year, but he spent most of his youth selling himself on social media to get people to care in a sport that’s become an afterthought for most people his age.
🗣 @RyanGarcia is PUMPED UP#GarciaTagoe | @GoldenBoyBoxing pic.twitter.com/YLYyxwf5GO
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 8, 2022
Resetting his mind might turn out to be the best decision for Garcia’s boxing career. Garcia (21-0, 18 KOs) will find out Saturday against a rugged veteran in Tagoe (31-1, 15 KOs).
Here’s a glance at other notable events for a busy boxing Saturday:
GENNADIY GOLOVKIN vs. RYOTA MURATA
TV: DAZN
Time: 2:10 a.m.; main event approx. 5:00 a.m.
Location: Saitama, Japan
Golovkin will also end a lengthy layoff, but unlike Garcia, he doesn’t have youth on his side.
The fighter known as “GGG” turned 40 on Friday and he’ll celebrate by stepping into the ring for the first time in 16 months to face Murata on his home turf for a middleweight unification bout.
Golovkin (41-1-1, 36 KOs) probably didn’t envision himself fighting at 40 before he started his rivalry with Canelo Alvarez nearly five years ago. He’s chasing a third bout with Alvarez to possibly make things right on his end, but he won’t get a chance at closure without defeating Murata (16-2, 13 KOs). Golovkin also needs Alvarez to handle business against Dmitry Bivol next month to stage the grudge match in September.
The first installment of the rivalry featured a controversial draw and Alvarez took the second match with a majority decision. Golovkin strongly disagreed with both outcomes, and in his mind, he defeated the Mexican star twice.
That might not be enough for Golovkin and that could be why he continues to fight.
“I have been told by several reporters that Canelo wants to fight me again,” Golovkin said, “and that this time it is personal. If it is so personal, why has it taken him four years since our last fight? He pretends it is personal. I find it puzzling he would make such a claim.”
Happy 40th birthday to Gennadiy Golovkin 🎂
Post weigh-in mood in full flow 😄
📸 @GGGBoxing pic.twitter.com/LqCHFpw9Jv
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) April 8, 2022
Golovkin is a minus-500 favorite to defeat Murata, but upsets have occurred in Japan – Buster Douglas defeating Mike Tyson comes to mind. Golovkin’s long chase for the 31-year-old Alvarez could soon end, but the veteran champion has all the pressure Saturday and he might need to win in style to prove Father Time hasn’t knocked at his door.
MIKAELA MAYER vs. JENNIFER HAN
TV: ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN+
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Costa Mesa
Venue: O.C. Fair & Event Center, The Hangar
Mayer (16-0, 5 KOs) is returning home for her first bout in Southern California in four years. The IBF and WBO junior lightweight champion will headline an ESPN-televised bout against former champion Han (18-4-1, 1 KO).
This isn’t Mayer’s first main event and she has had several televised fights since she defeated Maria Semertzoglou in Carson in 2018. The Woodland Hills native has become one of Top Rank’s most notable fighters and that’s evident by the multi-year contract extension she recently signed with the promotional company.
Serious hardware on the line this weekend in SoCal 🍊#MayerHan | APR 9 | ESPN pic.twitter.com/K49xghiNzz
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) April 7, 2022
“I haven’t fought in LA in a long time,” Mayer said. “It’s kind of come full circle. I started here 14 years ago when I was 17. And I left at 19 years old with a dream to become an Olympian and become one of the best female fighters in the world. Fourteen years later, I’m here fighting in the main event on ESPN. I’ve come a long way.”
ERICKSON LUBIN vs. SEBASTIAN FUNDORA
TV: Showtime
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Las Vegas
Junior middleweight contenders Lubin and Fundora will clash for the interim WBC title.
Lubin (24-1, 17 KOs) made his way to the top of the rankings early in his career, but the then-22-year-old suffered a knockout loss to Jermell Charlo in 2017. The 6-foot-5 Fundora (18-0-1, 12 KOs) has won five consecutive matches since a split draw against Jamontay Clark in 2019.
“I always knew I would get back to title contention,” Lubin said. “I dared to be great early. I tried to dethrone Jermell Charlo when I had just turned 22. I always knew I would be back in this position. It’s been only five years since that fight and I just get better every time I step into that ring.”
.@EricksonHammerL will not be denied 😤#LubinFundora tomorrow at 10PM ET/7PM PT on @Showtime. pic.twitter.com/eFVZXJn4Pw
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) April 8, 2022 | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/ryan-garcia-returns-to-the-ring-after-resetting-his-mind/ | 2022-04-08T20:29:31Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/ryan-garcia-returns-to-the-ring-after-resetting-his-mind/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
VOORHEES, N.J. — When the Ducks arrive at training camp in September at Great Park Ice in Irvine, they’ll be tasked with something they haven’t done since the 2010-11 season. They must select a new team captain for the first time since Ryan Getzlaf inherited the “C” from a retiring Scott Niedermayer.
Who will it be?
It’s been a burning question since Getzlaf announced Tuesday he would retire at season’s end.
There are several possibilities, including Cam Fowler and Adam Henrique.
Or the Ducks could go without one for the time being, relying on two, three or more who would serve as rotating assistant captains. Other teams have done that and managed to handle the leadership business just fine, breaking with a well-established tradition that predates the franchise.
Only a handful of players have served as the Ducks’ captain since the team began play in 1993-94, none longer than Getzlaf. Troy Loney, Randy Ladouceur, Paul Kariya, Teemu Selanne, Steve Rucchin, Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer had the job before Getzlaf took on the role.
Kariya, Selanne, Pronger and Niedermayer are Hall of Famers.
“I got to learn from some of the best in the business and I had lots of support around me, especially when I was young,” Getzlaf said Friday, referring specifically to Pronger and Niedermayer. “It’s a tremendous honor to be a captain in this league. I didn’t take that lightly when it was given to me.”
Getzlaf couldn’t (or wouldn’t) say who might be named captain after he plays his farewell game April 24 against the St. Louis Blues at Honda Center. If he had a favorite, he wasn’t going to share his opinion after the Ducks practiced at the Philadelphia Flyers’ suburban training facility.
Certainly, no one could say with any degree of certainty who might want the job. Or who might still be on the roster after Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek completes his first offseason in his new job. It’s also unclear what role, if any, Getzlaf might have in picking his successor.
“I believe there are a couple of guys who would be comfortable doing that,” Getzlaf said without naming names.
Fowler, who joined the Ducks as an 18-year-old in 2010-11 and has only known Getzlaf as his captain, could be one. Fowler and Henrique, another possible candidate for the captaincy, have been among the rotating assistant captains the past few seasons and have assumed leadership roles.
It’s a difficult but rewarding job, according to Getzlaf.
“There are all kinds of learning curves to it,” he said. “I’ve had to change over the years, had to relearn how to lead three years ago when the league started changing and players were changing, all that kind of stuff. If you don’t say you’re learning, you’re not really doing anything.
“It’s a matter of trying to understand your teammates and what’s going on. It’s not going to change who I am or the way I go about things. I never looked at it like a burden. It wasn’t like anything that changed me. One hundred percent, when you look back on history at the guys who have worn it and what they’ve done for the game, it’s definitely an honor.”
Getzlaf will be missed, to the point of being all but irreplaceable, according to Fowler. It might mean the Ducks don’t have a captain for next season. Or, at least, no one who wears the “C,” as Getzlaf has with such distinction for 12 years during his 17-season, Hall of Fame-caliber career.
It might even be beneficial to play without a captain in 2022-23 and beyond.
“I think it’s going to be more of a collective leadership thing once ‘Getzy’ hangs them up,” Fowler said. “That’s a big hole to fill and it’s not going to take one person to do that. It’s going to be myself, ‘Rico’ (Henrique), ‘Shatty’ (Kevin Shattenkirk), guys who have been around a while to help fill the gaps there.
“For myself, personally, I’m just going to go about my business as I always have and try to lead on the ice – that’s more what I bring to the table – and be a teammate to all these guys. They know they can rely on me in all situations. That will be my main focus moving forward.”
MEDICAL UPDATE
Getzlaf skated with his teammates Friday, but said he was unsure if he could play Saturday against the Flyers. He said he believed he would play “at some point on the trip” to face the Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers and former teammate Corey Perry and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
He’s been sidelined for 13 of the past 15 games because of a foot injury.
Ducks at Philadelphia
When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia
TV: KCOP 13 | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/ryan-getzlaf-has-a-few-thoughts-about-the-ducks-next-captain/ | 2022-04-08T20:29:37Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/ryan-getzlaf-has-a-few-thoughts-about-the-ducks-next-captain/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Easter season is often associated with baby animals, from cute yellow ducklings to fluffy bunnies. And some families are adding these cuddly critters to their kids’ Easter baskets.
But Southern California duck and rabbit rescue centers have a message for them — don’t do it.
They’re warning people not to fall for the yellow feathers or little cottontails and make these critters their new pets. Soon after spring ends, the newborns’ cuteness wears off and the reality of caring for a live animal sinks in.
“People see the Easter Bunny, cute baby ducklings and chicks, and suddenly they want their own,” said Lauren Blunk, an exotic veterinary technician at Care Animal Hospital in Temecula. “It’s usually a spontaneous decision, and sometimes they can’t afford the care that’s needed.”
Each year around this time, rescue centers and sanctuaries are overwhelmed with domestic birds and rabbits — many with health issues — that were abandoned in the wild or surrendered by former owners. It’s a year-round problem that worsens in spring when the babies are born or hatched and breeders are selling, rescue founders said.
They’re encouraging people not to buy ducklings, bunnies, chicks, or any baby animals if they can’t properly care for them.
“They’re babies for a couple of months, and then they grow up,” said Howard Berkowitz, who runs from his home The Duck Pond of Lake Elsinore, one of a few domestic duck sanctuaries in the Southern California region. “People think (ducks) stay these cute, little yellow things forever. They don’t expect them to grow so fast.”
Breeders and feed companies said they offer tips on the animals’ care and encourage buyers to do research, so customers know what they’re getting into before it’s too late. But those who run rescues and sanctuaries said more awareness is needed.
Berkowitz said 90% of domestic duck purchases are impulsive, from families wanting to buy one or two for their kids. They often come from feed stores such as Tractor Supply Co. or Kahoots, which often promotes the sales.
“They want people to walk in like, ‘Oh my God, look how cute that baby duck is! It’s only 5 bucks!’”
But ducks take up space at home, children grow older and life gets in the way.
Sooner or later, families no longer want to care for the “messy, quacking, sometimes high-maintenance” ducks, Berkowitz said. He’s cared for injured ducks left in tiny apartments, and has too often found them abandoned near bodies of water — such as the Temecula Duck Pond — with mallards and other wildlife.
But a domestic duck — which typically lives up to 10 years — is not accustomed to living in the wild, where they are prone to starvation and predators, Berkowitz said.
The Lucky Duck Rescue and Sanctuary in Sun Valley also grapples with the situation.
On its website, the Los Angeles County facility called duck dumping an “astounding and overwhelming” problem. Ducks are being mass-hatched with breeders, in school classrooms, or being sold as “temporary Easter basket toys.”
Though it can’t take in every injured or abandoned duck, the organization said it is “going after the contributing sources of this ongoing atrocity to have the behavior stopped once and for all.”
“I am heavy-hearted about the situation,” owner Carol Chrysong said. “My little rescue is a bottle cap trying to catch a tsunami of ducks.”
Karen Oren, a spokesperson for Tractor Supply Co., said in an emailed statement that the company emphasizes “proper poultry care” to customers and provides a sheet with best-practice tips and instructions for the animals’ care. The company — which has eight stores in Southern California and others across the nation — has shared blogs about how to raise ducks. It maintains an online Chicken Learning Center with reading materials on brooding, housing, feeding and the life cycle of chickens.
“This is a responsibility we take very seriously …” Oren wrote. “We take every precaution to protect the health and welfare of the animals in our care before and after the purchase, from certifying our hatcheries to educating our customers.”
Tractor Supply partners with hatcheries for poultry. It sells live chickens, ducks, turkeys and other birds online year-round, and in stores during Chick Days in the spring and fall.
Representatives for Kahoots, which has pet and feed stores throughout Southern California, did not respond to requests for comment.
Sometimes the rescued ducks have lingering health issues, from bumblefoot bacteria infections to severe malnourishment, and the care is costly.
Berkowitz feels the financial strain.
In 2021, he spent nearly $36,000 on food and medical expenses for over 100 ducks, including the well-known all-white, orange-billed Pekins and Khaki Campbells. A duck surgery can cost hundreds of dollars, and today there are fewer duck sanctuaries and options for exotic veterinary care, Berkowitz said.
While working to make his duck sanctuary a full-fledged non-profit organization, Berkowitz is fundraising to build a bigger, permanent home for the ducks near his Lake Elsinore house, where he built a 1,000-gallon pond in his yard. He’s been fined by Riverside County code enforcement officers for having birds — including ducks, geese, parrots — in a non-rural neighborhood. The ducks have destroyed his yard, but Berkowitz said he would save as many as he could anyway.
“Why have I spent seven years saving all these animals, when people will just let them go back into the wild?” Berkowitz said.
While rabbit rescues are more common in the region, owners of the facilities said they have more abandoned rabbits year-round than available foster homes. Though adopting “Easter” bunnies is more common in spring, it’s not long before families realize they’re a lot of work.
Caroline Charland founded The Bunny Bunch in 1984. The non-profit group has since grown into an adoption and education center, with two locations — and about 300 rabbits being sheltered — in Fountain Valley and Montclair, that serve Southern California.
People often get rabbits as hand-me-down pets, or from swap meets or online breeders, Charland said. Selling non-shelter rabbits in stores is illegal in California.
Though some owners rescued bunnies during the coronavirus pandemic, many were quick to give them away to shelters once virus restrictions lifted. Charland has heard every reason — from moving away or going back to work, to the high cost of care.
She’s rescued and cared for just about every bunny breed, from 2-pound dwarf rabbits and the red-eyed New Zealand white rabbit, to the floppy-eared Holland Lops and Flemish Giant rabbits that can grow as big as a dog.
Rabbits are generally not good pets for children because they don’t like being outside too long or carried, and typically live between 10 and 15 years, Charland said. They are also “big chewers” with the ability to damage homes and possessions.
“They can’t be caged or they get aggressive … they’re not a toy to be held; they’re a living creature,” Charland said.
“People don’t know how much real work a rabbit is, how expensive they are for vet care,” she said. “So they just dump them in random places, mainly outdoors where they can’t fend for themselves.”
Common health issues include broken legs or fractured spines, gastrointestinal and respiratory problems, and emaciation. A new hemorrhagic virus, common in unvaccinated rabbits, also poses a threat. Some abandoned rabbits Charland has seen were from owners who didn’t want to pay the high cost of treatment, or to get their rabbits vaccinated, spayed or neutered.
Nancy Woolf, president of The Lucky Bunny Rabbit Rescue, runs an adoption center from her Murrieta home. She receives requests weekly from owners wanting to give up their rabbits, but there’s a big waiting list — and “the financial strain is being felt.”
“I tell people, especially if you have young kids, don’t get a bunny. The kids are terrified and it’s certainly not a happy life for the rabbit,” Woolf said. “A month or two after Easter, people will start to call … we can only take what we can get, and what we can afford.”
Though spontaneous duck and rabbit purchases might seem fun, many families aren’t cut out for the cute creatures.
A Tractor Supply Co. blog post titled “Ten Reasons to Not Purchase a Bunny for Easter” advises families to “only buy a rabbit if you think 10 years is not enough time with such an amazing friend.”
“If you aren’t sure, please just buy a stuffed animal, not a real one.” | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/thinking-of-buying-a-baby-duck-or-rabbit-for-easter-think-again-animal-advocates-say/ | 2022-04-08T20:29:43Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/thinking-of-buying-a-baby-duck-or-rabbit-for-easter-think-again-animal-advocates-say/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
By KIM CHANDLER
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Ninth grader Harleigh Walker, 15, spends her time after school like many girls her age: doing homework, listening to Taylor Swift, collecting records and hanging out with friends.
But this year, her spring break also included trying to persuade members of the state House and Senate to reject legislation banning gender-affirming medications for transgender kids like her under 19. She was unsuccessful. On Thursday, Alabama lawmakers passed the measure, and Gov. Kay Ivey signed it into law on Friday, meaning that Harleigh will no longer be able to take testosterone-blocking drugs.
“Honestly, I’m a little scared now,” she said Thursday after learning the bill had passed. ”But we’re still going to fight no matter what.”
Harleigh said she is holding out hope the bill will be be blocked by a court.
Alabama is among multiple states with Republican-controlled legislatures that have advanced bills not only to block medical treatment but to ban transgender children from using school restrooms or playing on sports teams that don’t correspond with their sex at birth. The Alabama medication bill is one of the most far-reaching: It would put doctors in prison for up to 10 years for prescribing puberty blockers or hormonal treatment to trans kids under 19.
“In one breathtakingly cruel and cowardly day, the Alabama legislature passed the single most anti- transgender legislative package in history,” said Cathryn Oakley, state legislative director and senior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign, a national advocacy group for the LGBTQ community.
Conservative lawmakers say the measures are needed to protect children and parental rights.
“We regulate all kinds of things that are harmful for minors — alcohol, cigarette smoke, vaping, tattoos — because their minds aren’t ready to make those decisions about things that can affect them long term,” said Rep. Wes Allen, the sponsor of the House version of the Alabama legislation. Allen cited public hearing testimony from a woman who said she regretted taking hormone therapy to try to transition to being male.
“With these powerful medications that have detrimental effects on their body long term, we just want to put a pause on it … give them a chance to develop and grow out of that,” Allen said.
But opponents say transgender health is being used as a deliberate political wedge issue to motivate a voting base — in the same way they say bills about critical race theory have been employed. Critical race theory is a way of thinking about America’s history through the lens of racism. Numerous Republican-controlled legislatures have proposed bills to block its teaching in public schools.
The measures involving trans youth have prompted swift backlash from medical experts, Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, the U.S. Department of Justice and the families of trans youth. Last month, the Justice department sent a letter to all 50 state attorneys general, warning them that blocking transgender and nonbinary youth from receiving gender-affirming care could be an infringement of federal constitutional protections.
“My child is not a political tool. This is not a fair fight to pick on vulnerable children,” said Vanessa Finney Tate, the mother of a 13-year-old trans boy in Birmingham, Alabama, after testifying at a public legislative hearing on bill that would block students from using bathrooms corresponding to their gender.
Harleigh’s father, Jeff Walker notes that many of the same Alabama lawmakers who supported the ban on gender-affirming medical treatment recently argued, ‘It’s your body and your choice’ regarding coronavirus vaccinations. He said the family is now scrambling to find another state where it can continue Harleigh’s medical care.
“We just don’t want people meddling in our medical care,” he said.
Medical groups including The American Academy of Pediatrics have publicly opposed efforts to outlaw gender-affirming care.
“Gender-affirming care benefits the health and psychological functioning of transgender and gender-diverse youth,” the Endocrine Society said in a statement. “When an individual’s gender identity is not respected and they cannot access medical care, it can result in higher psychological problem scores and can raise the person’s risk of committing suicide or other acts of self-harm.”
The organization notes that only reversible puberty blockers are recommended for younger adolescents, while older adolescents might qualify for hormone therapy.
Harleigh received the medication — which stops her from going through male puberty — only after consulting with a team of doctors for years. She said it’s “weird” to see lawmakers with no medical experience call her medication “child abuse,” when six doctors have agreed she should have it.
Angus, a 16-year-old trans teen who requested that his last name not be used because of the bullying he has received in his north Alabama town, said he knew at puberty that the mirror reflected “a body that wasn’t my own.”
After coming out to his mother, he began slowly testing the waters: dressing as a man, changing his name. Only after years of talking to a team of doctors, was he able to recently get medications to stop his periods. The next step, which he is eager to start, would be a small dose of testosterone.
“I have been waiting for seven years to finally become a man, the man that I’ve always known I am,” Angus said.
He said bills to block such treatments are harming, not protecting trans youth.
“The government is saying, ‘Oh, parents are abusing their children by letting them transition,’” he said. “Actually, it’s more child abuse to not let them transition if they come out. What these bills really are doing is putting trans youth lives at risk because these suicide rates will spike exponentially. And a lot of families will lose their children.”
Similar bans are moving forward in other states.
In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered the state’s child welfare agency to investigate as abuse reports of gender-confirming care for kids. And a law in Arkansas bans gender-affirming medications. That law has been blocked by a court, however.
Trans youth in many red states say they feel attacked, angry, betrayed and scared by the wave of legislation aimed at them.
“It feels like a back-stab,” Harleigh said. “I’ve lived in this state my whole life. For them to just say, ‘Well, you know what, this is an issue that’s really popular on my side of the aisle so I’m just going to raise it up and support it because it’ll help me win my election’ — It just hurts to see them do that.” | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/trans-kids-parents-fight-wave-of-legislation-in-red-states/ | 2022-04-08T20:29:50Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/trans-kids-parents-fight-wave-of-legislation-in-red-states/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KNDO/KNDU TV, the NBC affiliates in Yakima and Kennewick, have an immediate opening for a Local Sales Assistant.
Sales Assistant duties and skills: Coordinate station projects, provide clerical support, prepare written presentations, update inventory. Strong computer skills and MS Office suite experience necessary. Wide Orbit experience a plus. PowerPoint, Excel, Word…etc.
Being a team player is essential….this is a fun, fast paced position.
Send resume to:
Cameron Derrick
Station Manager
KNDO/KNDU Television
Visit nbcrightnow.com for more information and job requirements.
KNDU/KNDO TV is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/employment/local-sales-assistant/article_ebc3c3f8-b770-11ec-8eea-f3e0fa4a5609.html | 2022-04-08T20:33:22Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/employment/local-sales-assistant/article_ebc3c3f8-b770-11ec-8eea-f3e0fa4a5609.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
YAKIMA, Wash. -
One man is in jail after a crash in Yakima that injured one child and a police officer.
Yakima Police Department says the man was driving a stolen SUV when an officer tried to pull him over.
Officers say the man sped off through a stop sign at Walnut St. and Naches Ave. and hit a minivan and a Yakima patrol car.
YPD says the officer and the kid in the minivan are going to recover from their injuries.
YPD says the man is booked in the Yakima County Jail for possession of a stolen vehicle, felony hit-and-run, vehicular assault and eluding the police. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/yakima/one-person-is-arrested-after-a-crash-injured-one-officer-and-a-child/article_e7e80286-b760-11ec-b00a-8359e548dd3a.html | 2022-04-08T20:33:28Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/yakima/one-person-is-arrested-after-a-crash-injured-one-officer-and-a-child/article_e7e80286-b760-11ec-b00a-8359e548dd3a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
On Wednesday, New Street Research analyst Pierre Ferragu stated that Lyft could merge with DoorDash as the synergy between the mobility and delivery businesses are “undisputable.”
The analyst pointed out in his research note to clients that such a merger could be “beneficial, without materially affecting Uber, who would trade a stronger competitor for a more concentrated market, and retain a strong #1 position in Mobility in the U.S.”
Ferragu is of the opinion that the ridesharing and food delivery businesses are complementary to each other, and the combination of both services would offer “drivers increasing utilization and as a result better earnings.”
In this scenario, let us compare these two businesses, DoorDash and Lyft, and see how they stack up against each other using the TipRanks stock comparison tool. We will also look at what other Wall Street analysts, besides Ferragu, are saying about these stocks.
DoorDash (NYSE: DASH)
Shares of DoorDash have rallied 33.4% in the past month, even as the on-demand delivery service platform delivered mixed Q4 results. Its key business is Marketplace, which offers customer acquisition, delivery, payment processing, and customer analytics to merchants.
DoorDash’s revenues in the fourth quarter soared 34% year-over-year to $1.3 billion, exceeding analysts’ estimates of $1.28 billion. The rise in revenues was driven by a 35% increase in Total Orders to $369 million and a 36% jump in Marketplace Gross Order Value (GOV) to $11.2 billion.
However, DASH’s losses widened quarter-over-quarter to $155 million in Q4 from $101 million in Q3. Quarterly diluted net loss stood at $0.45 per share, much worse than Street estimates of $0.27 per share.
In Q4, however, DASH’s Monthly Active Users (MAUs) and DashPass continued to trend higher, with MAUs growing 22% year-over-year to over 25 million while its DoorPass members surpassed 10 million.
Needham analyst Bernie McTernan pointed out that there is a rising percentage of MAUs that is coming from non-restaurant categories. Elaborating further, the analyst stated that in Q4, 14% of MAUs came from non-restaurant categories, up from 12% in Q3.
McTernan believes that if this use case continues to expand, he expects “DASH to be able to achieve efficiencies from order density, grow market share and generate material advertising revenue.”
The analyst, while reiterating a bullish rating on the stock with a Buy rating, however, lowered the price target from $270 to $160, implying an upside potential of 50% at current levels.
McTernan is of the view that “subscription and multiple vertical offerings are crucial for the long-term economics of the platform, as lower profits per order from a subscriber is more than offset by lower CAC [customer acquisition costs] and higher LTV [long term value].”
Other analysts on the Street are cautiously optimistic about the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on nine Buys and seven Holds. The average DASH stock forecast is $164.21, implying an upside potential of 54% from current levels.
Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT)
Shares of Lyft have not fared well this year as the stock has tanked 21% year-to-date, even as the ridesharing company delivered solid Q4 results. The company achieved its first year of adjusted EBITDA profit of $92.9 million in FY21 versus an adjusted EBITDA loss of $755.2 million in FY20.
Lyft’s other financial metrics also reached new highs in Q4, including Revenue per Active Rider, Contribution Margin driven by the reopening of the economy and momentum in demand for ride-hailing services.
Will the company retain this momentum in Q1? Lyft had cautioned on its Q4 earnings call that the Omicron variant could impact its ridesharing volumes and would drag them down in Q1. As a result, the company anticipates revenues to decline quarter-over-quarter by 12% to 18% in Q1 to range between $800 million and $850 million.
Last month, while Needham analyst Bernie McTernan’s mobility checks regarding Lyft were positive, the analyst remained sidelined on the stock with a Hold rating. Giving his rationale for the rating, the analyst pointed out that Lyft needs to show “accelerating growth” either from rising usage, maintaining increased prices, gain in market share, or “the staying power of new use cases.”
Moreover, McTernan thinks that gaining market share would be the “toughest lever to pull as its main competitor [most likely, Uber] has overhauled its platform and offers consumers a much more compelling value proposition with delivery and mobility vs. strictly delivery.”
The analyst’s most recent mobility tracker earlier this month has indicated higher gas prices have resulted in higher wait times and rideshare prices for both Uber (NYSE: UBER) and Lyft, “LYFT wait times to +46% higher than pre-Labor Day levels in the past two weeks, relative to +33% in the two weeks prior. UBER experienced smaller moves.”
Other analysts on the Street, however, do not side with McTernan and are cautiously optimistic about the stock, with a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 17 Buys and eight Holds. The average LYFT stock forecast is $56.96, implying an upside potential of 67.9% from current levels.
Bottom Line
While analysts are cautiously optimistic about both stocks, based on the upside potential over the next 12 months, Lyft seems to be a better buy. However, according to analyst McTernan, over the long term, compared to Lyft, other players in the ridesharing universe “offer more compelling upside when viewed through a longer-term lens.”
Nonetheless, McTernan’s view may change if the merger of Lyft with DoorDash comes to a pass.
Download the TipRanks mobile app now.
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/doordash-vs-lyft-will-they-deliver-or-lift-each-other-up/ | 2022-04-08T20:34:50Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/doordash-vs-lyft-will-they-deliver-or-lift-each-other-up/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Buoyed by ongoing talks of less reliance on Russian fossil fuels and thanks to some recent analyst rating upgrades, Bloom Energy (BE) shares are up 4.5% year-to-date to $23.15 a unit, while the industrials sector is down 4.6% as of this writing.
Anticipating greater demand for its product in the future, I believe the stock price will trade much higher than its current levels.
Thus, I am bullish on this stock.
Bloom Energy
Bloom Energy Corporation is a San Jose, California-based manufacturer and marketer of solid oxide fuel cell systems for on-site power generation directly at critical infrastructure.
The technology uses an electrochemical process that converts either natural gas, biogas, hydrogen, or their mixture into electricity without combustion.
It serves data centers, hospitals, healthcare, manufacturing, and biotech facilities, as well as grocery stores, hardware stores, banks, and telecommunication facilities.
Q4 and FY 2021 Results
According to Bloom Energy, the final quarter of 2021 and the full year were a record quarter and a record year, with total revenues of $342.5 million and nearly $972.2 million, respectively.
These items are respectively up over 37.3% and 22.4% year-over-year.
Net income from ongoing operations was a net loss of $0.55 per share for the full year and still a net loss of $0.05 per share for the fourth quarter of 2021.
The company said acceptances of its system hit an all-time high in both the last quarter of 2021 with 735 systems (up 63% year-over-year) and 2021 with 1,879 systems (up ~42% year-on-year).
Bloom Energy’s Financial Position
As of December 30, 2021, the balance sheet showed cash of $396 million and total debt of $1.13 billion.
The Altman Z-Score is -0.60, which means there is a risk that the company will fail within a few years if the profitability of current operations does not improve enough to strengthen the company’s financial position.
The Altman Z-Score predicts the probability that a company will go bankrupt within a few years. A value less than or equal to 1.8 indicates a “distressed zone,” so the probability of business failure is high.
Profitability Metrics
Bloom Energy’s gross profit margin (TTM) is 20.32% vs. the sector median of 29.09%. Also, its EBITDA margin (TTM) is -6.28% vs. the sector median of 13.28%, while the TTM net income margin is -16.92% vs. 6.50% for the sector.
The company’s financial position needs to improve, but the market outlook gives investors hope.
Outlook
The size of the solid oxide fuel cell market, valued at $1.5 billion in early 2022, is projected to grow nearly 34% annually and reach $6.5 billion by 2027, according to marketandmarkets analysts.
The following factors will be the main driving forces.
• The expected increase in subsidies that governments will provide to promote this type of technology.
• The technology enables efficient energy production by lowering costs while reducing emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
• If technology implies more efficient use of fossil fuels, countries will want it to become more mainstream in their efforts to reduce their dependence on energy sources from other countries.
• Because no platinum is used in the construction of Bloom Energy technologies, unlike other competitors, the cost of sale and installation is lower than other companies.
• The production costs will not be affected by the volatility of the precious metals markets due to the expected high level of uncertainty this year and in the coming years.
The Company’s Growth Strategy
The company’s growth strategy is focused on becoming a leader in the market for zero-carbon, zero-greenhouse gas power generation technologies and expanding specific alliances to capitalize on the anticipated acceleration in the use of hydrogen.
Wall Street’s Take
In the past three months, 10 Wall Street analysts have issued a 12-month price target for BE. The company has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on five Buys, five Holds, and zero Sell ratings.
The average Bloom Energy stock forecast is $26.90, implying 18% upside potential.
Stock Statistics
Shares are changing hands at $22.6 as of the writing of this article for a market cap of just over $4 billion and a P/E ratio of around -25. Its 52-week range is $12.55 to $37.01.
The stock also has a price/book ratio of -90.7, a price-to-cash-flow ratio of -66.3, and a price-to-free-cash-flow ratio of -36.4.
Furthermore, it is trading above its major moving averages, as the 50-day MA is $20.70, while the 200-day MA is $22.20.
Conclusion
So, based on those metrics, the stock doesn’t look cheap, but given the growth prospects, it may be worth it.
These are driven by the strategic and shared goal of accelerating the process of going green in several of the world’s most industrialized economies.
The latter is almost a guarantee of success for this company and other companies with similar technology.
Download the TipRanks mobile app now
To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks’ Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks’ equity insights.
Read full Disclaimer & Disclosure | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/why-bloom-energy-stock-can-outperform/ | 2022-04-08T20:35:03Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/why-bloom-energy-stock-can-outperform/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AngioDynamics (NASDAQ: ANGO) shares gained 9% on April 7, after the company delivered mixed fiscal third-quarter results, but reiterated its FY2022 guidance well above analysts’ expectations.
Despite ongoing supply chain disruptions, procedural volume challenges and rising inflation, investors cheered the fact that the company managed to report a significant earnings beat.
AngioDynamics, Inc. is a leading medical technology company that provides industry-leading medical devices used around the world for the treatment of cancer and peripheral vascular disease.
Q3 Numbers
Adjusted earnings of $0.03 per share significantly beat analysts’ expectations of a loss of $0.01 per share. The company reported earnings of $0.02 per share for the prior-year period.
However, net sales jumped 3.9% year-over-year to $74 million, but lagged consensus estimates of $76.32 million.
The increase in revenues reflected a surge in Med Tech revenues, which increased 28.6% to $19.6 million, partially offset by a 2.8% decline in Med Device revenues.
On the downside, gross margin declined 190 bps year-over-year to 52.2% due to a tight labor market as well as higher raw materials, labor, and freight costs.
FY2022 Outlook
Based on robust Q3 earnings, management maintained financial guidance for FY2022.
The company continues to forecast adjusted earnings in the range of ($0.02)- $0.02 per share, while the consensus estimate is pegged at a loss of $0.01 per share.
Further, net sales are forecast to be in the range of $310 million to $315 million, against the consensus estimate of $313.7 million.
CEO Comments
AngioDynamics CEO, Jim Clemmer, commented, “Since mid-February, we have seen steady improvement in procedure volumes and remain confident in both the long-term growth trajectory of our portfolio and the strategic transformation of the Company.”
Analysts Recommendation
Consensus among analysts is a Moderate Buy based on two unanimous Buys. The average AngioDynamics price target of $33 implies 40.49% upside potential to current levels.
Conclusion
Beating the macro headwinds, AngioDynamics continued on its capacity enhancement initiatives, increasing its production hours by 20% during the quarter.
Management confidence was on full display with an earnings outlook ahead of the street. Furthermore, a robust backlog as well as persistent demand bode well for the stock in the coming months.
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Murphy Oil Corporation Bumps up Quarterly Dividend by 17% | https://www.tipranks.com/news/why-did-angiodynamics-pop-9-despite-mixed-q3-results/ | 2022-04-08T20:35:15Z | tipranks.com | control | https://www.tipranks.com/news/why-did-angiodynamics-pop-9-despite-mixed-q3-results/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SALISBURY, Md.- A Wicomico County Circuit Court jury has convicted a Delmar, Md., man of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree attempted murder in connection with a 2020 shooting Salisbury that left one person dead and another injured.
After a four-day trial that ended on Thursday, 21-year-old Jaron Purnell was also convicted of use of a firearm in a violent crime, illegal possession of a firearm, and related charges. Sentencing was postponed to allow for a pre-sentencing investigation to be completed.
Prosecutors said that on the evening of April 17, 2020, Purnell and others ambushed the victims as they sat in their vehicle at the Merrifield Apartments complex in Salisbury, firing at least 16 rounds into the victims’ car. The hail of bullets killed the driver of the vehicle and injured a second occupant. At the time of the offense, Purnell was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior firearms conviction.
The Maryland Judiciary Case Search show Purnell has a court history dating back to at least 2013, when he was 12-years-old. | https://www.wboc.com/news/delmar-man-convicted-of-murder-in-deadly-salisbury-shooting/article_41c61d1c-b769-11ec-b9db-575fd57d5928.html | 2022-04-08T20:38:26Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/delmar-man-convicted-of-murder-in-deadly-salisbury-shooting/article_41c61d1c-b769-11ec-b9db-575fd57d5928.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP/WBOC)- A Maryland measure to ban guns without serial numbers will go into effect without Gov. Larry Hogan's signature, the governor announced Friday.
The Republican governor made the announcement on the first of more than three dozen bills he is expected to make decisions about Friday. He has the options of signing the bills, vetoing them or letting them go into law without his signature.
Hogan said while he appreciated the work lawmakers did to ban so-called ‘ghost guns,’ the legislation doesn’t do anything to penalize people who actually use them in violent crimes. He urged lawmakers to pass crime-fighting measures he supports.
“It is my hope that in the last days of this session, the General Assembly will do the right thing and pass the Violent Firearms Offender Act, so that we can ensure those who use guns to commit violent and heinous crimes remain off of our streets and out of our communities," Hogan said in a news release.
In contrast to Hogan, Attorney General Brian Frosh, a Democrat, praised the law banning ghost guns.
"Our law banning ghost guns in Maryland will save lives," Frosh said in a statement. "Ridding our streets, our communities, and our schools of illegal, deadly guns has been a priority for our office for many years. We have successfully fought back multiple challenges to Maryland’s Gun Safety Act. We have charged and put in prison violent criminals, and we have seized numerous illegal firearms. And today, our state has taken another step to make our communities safer."
The measure banning untraceable firearms requires guns made after Oct. 22, 1968, to have serial numbers. Law enforcement officials have said the weapons, which are often purchased over the internet, have become more common in Maryland. | https://www.wboc.com/news/maryland-ghost-gun-ban-to-become-law-hogan-wont-sign/article_5b842f12-b761-11ec-a33b-33cd28620edc.html | 2022-04-08T20:38:32Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/maryland-ghost-gun-ban-to-become-law-hogan-wont-sign/article_5b842f12-b761-11ec-a33b-33cd28620edc.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CRISFIELD, Md.- A Crisfield man was arrested Thursday morning and charged as a fugitive following a nine-month investigation into alleged child sex abuse.
The Somerset County Sheriff's Office launched the investigation of 63-year-old Joseph Salvatore Ciociola in July of 2021. A woman, now 30, reported she had been repeatedly sexually assaulted over several years, beginning when she was just 6 years of age. Most of the abuse occurred when the victim and Ciociola lived together in Wayne, Pa., the Sheriff's Office said.
Authorities said that when the victim and Ciociola moved to Crisfield in April 2021, family and police intervened.
The victim reported Ciociola to the Radnor Township Police Department in Wayne, Pa., which led to a joint criminal investigation with the Somerset County Sheriff's Office.
On Thursday morning, April 7, the Somerset County Sheriff's Office and investigators with the Radnor Township Police Department responded to Ciociola's home in Crisfield where he was served with a Pennsylvania arrest warrant charging him with more than 120 counts of crimes including assault, sex assault, child abuse, and rape. Ciociola was placed under arrest for the following crimes in Maryland:
- Violation of a protective order (obtained by this victim)
- Possession of a firearm in violation of a protective order
- Second-degree assault
- Third-degree sex offense
- Fourth-degree sex offense
- Perverted practice
The Somerset County Sheriff’s Office also executed a search and seizure warrant on Ciociola's home in Crisfield, where numerous computers and related electronic devices suspected of containing electronic evidence were seized.
Ciocola was ordered held without bond in the Somerset County Detention Center for the Maryland charges and the fugitive warrant. | https://www.wboc.com/news/pennsylvania-fugitive-wanted-on-child-sex-charges-arrested-in-crisfield/article_9051c73e-b759-11ec-8a12-7735cd3fd9a6.html | 2022-04-08T20:38:38Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/pennsylvania-fugitive-wanted-on-child-sex-charges-arrested-in-crisfield/article_9051c73e-b759-11ec-8a12-7735cd3fd9a6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
EASTON, Md.- Talbot County Public Schools on Friday announced the 2022-2023 Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year at a celebration held at Easton Elementary School. The Teacher and Support Staff of the Year Program recognizes outstanding educators who have innovative ideas, focus positive attention on education, and demonstrate superior commitment to students.
The 2022-2023 Talbot Teacher of the Year is Katie Spies, a kindergarten teacher at Easton Elementary School. Spies earned a bachelor of science in education from the University of Maryland College Park and a master’s equivalency from Gratz College. She has taught kindergarten at Easton Elementary since 2015, having previously taught in Anne Arundel County.
Spies has held many leadership roles, including the social studies curriculum review committee, kindergarten math committee, school based literacy team, and primary talent development for TCPS gifted and talented. She has served as both lead teacher and mentor teacher, and presented professional development sessions for her fellow educators on subjects such as early childhood resources, rethinking attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and virtual learning. She has served the community coaching youth swim and field hockey teams, and lives in Cordova with her husband and four daughters.
“Katie Spies is an inspired, innovative educator who has a gift for helping all students reach their ultimate potential,” said Dr. Lisa Devaric, Easton Elementary School principal. “I am so proud and happy to see her receive this recognition for her work as a valued member of our team at Easton Elementary School.”
Berenice Orellana, Easton High School multilingual family liaison, has been chosen as the 2022-2023 Support Staff of the Year. Orellana joined the TCPS team in 2017 to assist and facilitate communication between staff, students and parents of students who are English Language Learners. In this vital role, she monitors students’ academic progress and ensures they stay on track for graduation. She also provides interpretation services for parent communications and conferences, translates and administers assignments and assessments, serves as an instructional assistant, assists student services with home visits and addressing attendance issues, and collaborates with local partners to fulfill student needs.
Orellana currently serves on the Board of Talbot Family Network and the Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation. She has been a member of the Department of Social Services Advisory Board and the Child Advocacy Center Board, and is a volunteer with CarePacks. She lives in Easton with her husband and three daughters.
“Mrs. Orellana truly goes above and beyond to serve the students of EHS, particularly our ELL students and their families,” said Sherry Spurry, Easton High principal. “She works tirelessly on their behalf and is respected and appreciated by our entire school community, and we congratulate her on this award.”
“These outstanding members of the TCPS team both demonstrate exemplary work ethic and commitment to ensuring that all students succeed,” said Dr. Kelly Griffith, Talbot County Superintendent of Schools. “I congratulate Mrs. Spies and Mrs. Orellana, as well as all of this year’s finalists on their well-deserved recognition.” | https://www.wboc.com/news/talbot-county-public-schools-announces-2022-23-teacher-and-support-staff-of-the-year/article_30732674-b75d-11ec-9662-13f6eb812ebf.html | 2022-04-08T20:38:44Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/talbot-county-public-schools-announces-2022-23-teacher-and-support-staff-of-the-year/article_30732674-b75d-11ec-9662-13f6eb812ebf.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Forecast updated on Friday, April 8, 2022, at 4:05 PM by WBOC Meteorologist Dan Satterfield (AMS-CBM).
DELMARVA FORECAST
Tonight: Spotty evening showers about then partly cloudy and cool. Low 44°. Wind: S 6-14 mph.
Saturday: Partly sunny to mostly cloudy, breezy and cool. A few spotty showers about PM. High 59-61°. Wind: W 10-17 mph.
Saturday Night: Mostly clear and cool. Low 40°. Wind: NW 9-18 mph.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, breezy and cool. High 55°. Wind: NW 14-24 mph.
Forecast Discussion:
Rain showers are possible this evening as an upper level trough moves over the region. Look for variable clouds and lows near 44 by sunrise.
Saturday looks to be a cool and partly sunny day, with a west breeze at 10-17 mph in the afternoon. An upper level trough along with cold air in the mid levels of the atmosphere will bring an increase in clouds and perhaps some spotty instability showers during the day Saturday. Afternoon temps. should reach 60-61 degrees around 4 PM.
Saturday night will be breezy and partly cloudy with lows near 40, and winds will increase Sunday with gusts to 24 mph. Look for sunshine Sunday, but there may still be a cloudy spell or two and temps will be on the cool side with highest afternoon temps. near 55 degrees.
In the long-range, Sunshine and mild weather will arrive by Monday, with afternoon temps. near 61 degrees. Much warmer weather arrives by Tuesday and Wednesday as temps. climb into the mid 70's with sunshine. Thursday looks very warm for April with temps. reaching the upper 70's. Showers and thunderstorms are expected later Thursday as a cool front approaches. Friday will be cooler with sunshine and afternoon highs in the mid 60's.
The average high for tomorrow is 64 degrees with an average low of 42 degrees. | https://www.wboc.com/weather/a-cool-breezy-weekend/article_c64a1a12-b772-11ec-911f-e3fbf3913579.html | 2022-04-08T20:38:50Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/weather/a-cool-breezy-weekend/article_c64a1a12-b772-11ec-911f-e3fbf3913579.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MARINE FORECAST
by WBOC Meteorologist Dan Satterfield
SKIES SHOULD BE PARTLY SUNNY WITH CLOUDY SPELLS AND SPRINKLES SATURDAY, AND IT WILL BE BREEZY IN THE AFTERNOON. VISIBILITY WILL BE VERY GOOD BOTH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. WINDS WILL INCREASE SUNDAY WITH SUNSHINE AND CLOUDS.
Atlantic Ocean:
Saturday: Small Craft Advisory. W 10-17 knots. Seas: 3-5 ft.
Sunday: Small Craft Advisory. NW 15- 22 knots. Seas: 3-5 ft.
Chesapeake Bay:
Saturday: Small Craft Advisory. W 7-15 knots. Seas: 2 ft.
Sunday: Small Craft Advisory. NW 15-22 knots. Seas: 2-3 ft.
Delaware Bay:
Saturday: W 10-15 knots. Seas: 2-3 ft.
Sunday: NW 15- 22 knots. Seas: 3 ft. | https://www.wboc.com/weather/marine-forecast/article_062ca56e-b773-11ec-b7f4-a746db6071aa.html | 2022-04-08T20:38:56Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/weather/marine-forecast/article_062ca56e-b773-11ec-b7f4-a746db6071aa.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Fawziyah Javed, 31, was pronounced dead on September 2, 2021 following an incident on the hillside of the Capital landmark on Holyrood Park.
The lawyer, from Pudsey, West Yorkshire, was pregnant when she was found dead last year.
Opening the inquest into her death on Friday (April 8), Assistant Coroner John Hobson gave her medical cause of death as complications of multiple injuries, fall from height.
She was pronounced dead at 10.18pm, the coroner said.
A man has been charged with her alleged murder.
In February, on the date Fawziyah’s unborn son had been due, people gathered in Edinburgh to remember a woman who “would always take time out to help others”.
“Fawziyah has left a massive void in our lives. The spark has gone out of our lives forever. We miss you every single second of the day,” her family said in a statement read out at the short service outside the Scottish Parliament, in view of the hill where she died.
The family, who were attending a similar vigil in Millennium Square next to Leeds Civic Hall, said in their tribute that when she died their lives “were devastated and our world shattered forever”.
Before laying flowers at the service, Adnan Hanif, her 29-year-old uncle who is studying in Edinburgh, said: “It was a big, big tragedy.
“She was very caring and helpful. She considered that she had an honour to help other individuals.”
People from across Edinburgh and beyond attended the service in Scotland, where flowers were laid and candles were lit in her memory and speeches made by women’s organisations from across the Capital.
A statement read out on behalf of Farah Siddiq – from the Amina organisation, which supports Muslim women in Scotland – said: “Fawziyah was well known for her kindness, generosity, big heart and selflessness.
“Fawziyah would always take time out to help others, whether it was volunteering with a charity or helping a friend in need.
“Fawziyah would often go over and beyond the call of duty. Truly inspirational and a great role model to others. God gifted, so special in many ways.” | https://www.scotsman.com/news/crime/arthurs-seat-death-coroner-says-pregnant-fawziyah-javed-died-of-multiple-injuries-after-fall-from-height-3647613 | 2022-04-08T20:40:39Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/news/crime/arthurs-seat-death-coroner-says-pregnant-fawziyah-javed-died-of-multiple-injuries-after-fall-from-height-3647613 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
“American Idol” singer and Fauquier County Public Schools alumnus Mike Parker sang for Grace Miller Elementary students recently for their first school-wide assembly since 2020.
On March 29, Parker, who has secured a spot in “American Idol’s” top 24, sang for the students and spoke words of encouragement, telling them they should not give up when things get hard, including their classes.
“Are you having a math problem that’s giving you trouble?” he asked students, who responded with a resounding “Yes.”
“It’s going to give you trouble more than one time,” he said. “You’re going to have to go back at it one, two, three, four times before you get it down.”
Parker told students that if they want to get better at something, they will have to work hard to get there. He urged students to look to their teachers for support and to never let anyone convince them they can’t do something.
“People are going to tell you no. They’re going to disagree with you. But guess what? They haven’t read your book, and you haven’t finished writing your book. Finish that book,” he said.
Parker’s mother, DeJuanna Parker, who is a former Fauquier English teacher, joined her son on stage, as did another Grace Miller student named Xavier – a big fan of the "Idol" singer.
Parker will continue on his “Idol” journey and compete next in Hawaii. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/american-idol-singer-fauquier-native-mike-parker-wows-students-in-hometown/article_7b10062e-b772-11ec-b905-b753f993db2f.html | 2022-04-08T20:49:05Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/american-idol-singer-fauquier-native-mike-parker-wows-students-in-hometown/article_7b10062e-b772-11ec-b905-b753f993db2f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — A 17-year-old was arrested today after firing a single gunshot towards a group of people in front of a home in the 200 block of South Kendall Street.
Police confirmed that no one was hit or injured. The number of people in range of the gunshot is not known.
The young person is believed to have been in conflict with the people in front of the home, said the police, who were called to the scene by the occupants of a passing car.
According to police, a .38 caliber handgun was collected, and the 17-year-old has been placed in the Calhoun County Juvenile Home. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/kzoo-bc/calhoun/battle-creek-teenager-arrested-after-firing-shot-injuring-no-one | 2022-04-08T20:49:13Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/kzoo-bc/calhoun/battle-creek-teenager-arrested-after-firing-shot-injuring-no-one | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 4-year-old boy has a new best friend after losing his old one.
After going with his mother to run errands in March, Leo's stuffed puppy was gone.
“I called every store, nothing," Emily Sudekum said. "We went back up to Meijer. We went through the whole store and went through the stuffed animal section because they thought he might be there. And then we called 7-Eleven, went back up there. No luck at all,” said Emily.
“He was emotional for two days. He was crying. He wouldn’t sleep. He wouldn't do nothing,” Sudekum said.
Desperate to cheer up Leo, Sudekum posted in community Facebook group— asking if anyone had seen her son’s beloved missing stuffed animal. At first, no luck. But then, Sudekum said a woman reached out.
“She was like, ‘hey, my kids have one that they would love to give to your son,’ And so thankfully, she was amazing, and she actually showed up like three hours later at my house with the stuffed animal,” Sudekum said. “She drove the puppy all the way to my house and her two kids actually gave it to him.”
Sudekum said Leo was filled with joy.
“His whole face just lit up. He was super excited, you know, like he was snuggling," Sudekum said.
This story was originally reported by Alexandra Bahou on wxyz.com. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/simple-act-of-kindness-brings-joy-to-4-year-old-who-lost-favorite-stuffed-animal | 2022-04-08T20:49:25Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/simple-act-of-kindness-brings-joy-to-4-year-old-who-lost-favorite-stuffed-animal | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker from the 92nd Air Refueling Wing takes off during a long-duration endurance sortie March 29-30, 2022. By having multi-day tanker mission generation capability KC-135 forces will have increased flexibility to detect and defeat threats to the U.S. (U.S. Air Force Courtesy Photo)
This work, : 92nd ARW completes multi-day endurance mission, empowers Airmen through Mission Type Orders [Image 2 of 2], by A1C Jenna Bond, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7134428/92nd-arw-completes-multi-day-endurance-mission-empowers-airmen-through-mission-type-orders | 2022-04-08T20:53:49Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7134428/92nd-arw-completes-multi-day-endurance-mission-empowers-airmen-through-mission-type-orders | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) — A jury on Friday acquitted two men of all charges in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer but couldn’t reach verdicts against the two alleged leaders, a stunning defeat for the government after a weekslong trial that centered on an FBI sting operation just before the 2020 election.
The decisions were announced a few hours after the jury said it was struggling to find unanimity on all 10 charges. The judge told the panel to keep working on the fifth day of deliberations, but jurors emerged again after lunch to say they still were deadlocked on some counts.
Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were found not guilty of conspiracy. In addition, Harris was acquitted of charges related to explosives and a gun.
The jury could not reach verdicts for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., which means the government can put them on trial again.
Fox’s attorney, Christopher Gibbons, said the acquittals of Harris and Caserta demonstrated some serious shortcomings in the government’s case.
“We’ll be ready for another trial. … We’ll eventually get what we wanted out of this, which is the truth and the justice I think Adam is entitled to,” Gibbons said.
Defense lawyers had portrayed their clients as credulous weekend warriors prone to big, wild talk, who were often stoned. They said FBI undercover agents and informants tricked and cajoled the men into agreeing to a conspiracy.
But prosecutors offered evidence of the men discussing abducting Whitmer before the FBI sting began. They went way beyond talk, including scouting Whitmer’s summer home and testing explosives, prosecutors told jurors.
There were 10 charges in the case: one against Caserta, two against Fox, three against Croft and four against Harris.
Deliberations resumed earlier Friday with a court employee handing over a large plastic bag containing pennies, known as exhibit 291. The pennies were requested before jurors went home Thursday.
Pennies taped to a commercial-grade firework were intended to act like shrapnel, investigators said.
According to evidence, a homemade explosive was detonated during training in September 2020, about a month before the men were arrested.
In his closing argument on April 1, Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler said Croft wanted to test the explosive as a possible weapon to use against Whitmer’s security team. He quoted him as saying the pennies would be so hot they could go “right through your skin.”
The trial covered 20 days since March 8, including jury selection, evidence, final arguments and jury deliberations.
Prosecutors offered testimony from undercover agents, a crucial informant and two men who pleaded guilty to the plot. Jurors also read and heard secretly recorded conversations, violent social media posts and chat messages.
Prosecutors said the group was steeped in anti-government extremism and angry over Whitmer’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Croft is from Bear, Delaware, while the others are from Michigan.
Whitmer, a Democrat, rarely talks publicly about the plot, though she referred to “surprises” during her term that seemed like “something out of fiction” when she filed for reelection on March 17.
She has blamed former President Donald Trump for fomenting anger over coronavirus restrictions and refusing to condemn right-wing extremists like those charged in the case. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/2-acquitted-jury-hung-on-2-more-in-whitmer-kidnap-plot/ | 2022-04-08T20:53:59Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/national-news/2-acquitted-jury-hung-on-2-more-in-whitmer-kidnap-plot/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Pentagon Press Briefing [Image 2 of 9]
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby addresses members of the Pentagon Press during a press conference at the Pentagon, Washington D.C., April 8, 2022. (DoD Photo by U.S. Air Force TSgt. Jack Sanders)
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Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby addresses members of the Pentagon Press during a press conference at the Pentagon, Washington D.C., April 8, 2022. (DoD Photo by U.S. Air Force TSgt. Jack Sanders)
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A Disney executive pushing for more LGBTQ content in its productions said her son told her the brand needed to “get with it” because Gen Z is “queerer” than other generations, according to newly leaked footage from a company-wide meeting.
Karey Burke, president of Disney General Entertainment Content, suggested during Monday’s Zoom meeting that it made sense for the business to push for more inclusivity.
“My son texted me this morning: ‘Gen Z is 30-40 percent queerer than the other generations, Mom, so Disney better get with it,'” Burke told employees during the meeting.
The clip, which was only posted on Twitter on Thursday by journalist Christopher Rufo, is one of several to emerge from the meeting held as part of Disney’s “Reimagine Tomorrow” campaign.
Burke said in the leaked clip that when she previously headed Disney’s cable channel Freeform, they “celebrated” the push for inclusion.
“When I was at Freeform, it was very much in the brand ethos of Freeform to be the tip of the spear when it comes to inclusion,” she said.
“Nobody stopped us and it felt great. In part, I think nobody stopped us because we were targeting Gen Z and millennials.”
Burke added that the generations being targeted were “younger” and “more open-minded.”
In a separate clip leaked on Tuesday from the same meeting, Burke described herself as a “mother of two queer children.”
“I’m here as a mother of two queer children, actually,” Burke said on the call. “One transgender child and one pansexual child, and also as a leader.”
Burke went on to say that she supports featuring “many, many” characters who are LGBTQ and was dismayed to learn the company only had a “handful” of queer lead characters in its content.
“And I went, ‘What? That can’t be true,’” Burke said in the earlier clip. “And I realized it actually is true.”
The push for inclusivity comes as the entertainment giant works to make underrepresented groups, including racial minorities and the LGBTQ community, account for at least 50 percent of its regular characters by the end of the year.
It also comes in the wake of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signing legislation that bans teachers in the state from discussing LGBTQ topics — like sexual orientation or gender identity — with students unless they’re in the fourth grade or higher.
Disney has denounced the new law and vowed to fight to repeal it. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/disney-exec-pushes-for-lgbtq-content-because-gen-z-is-queerer/ | 2022-04-08T20:58:12Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/disney-exec-pushes-for-lgbtq-content-because-gen-z-is-queerer/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mark Schlereth is recovering from heart surgery in Denver.
Schlereth, a former NFL great who now is a color commentator at Fox Sports and a sports talk radio host in Denver, posted a photo from the hospital with the news that his surgery was successful.
“Quick shout out to my family all the love and support the last two days during my heart surgery,” Schlereth tweeted.
“I love you all also wanted to thank the great people/nurses Porter Hospital you are all phenomenal. Special thanks to Dr. Sri Sundaram. Glad it was successful. Zane was 0 stress.”
Zane, the tot with zero stress, is Schlereth’s grandson.
Schlereth, 56, played guard in the NFL from 1989 through 2000, first with Washington and later Denver. During his NFL career, Schlereth made two Pro Bowls and won three Super Bowls. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/former-nfl-lineman-mark-schlereth-has-successful-heart-surgery/ | 2022-04-08T20:58:24Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/former-nfl-lineman-mark-schlereth-has-successful-heart-surgery/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Internal Revenue Service agents are answering just a fraction of all incoming customer service calls as the embattled agency struggles with a record volume of inquiries and a massive backlog of tax returns, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig acknowledged during a Senate hearing this week.
The commissioner detailed the IRS’s struggles with customer service in response to a question from Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) of the Senate Financial Committee — who noted that delayed tax returns and unanswered phones created a “very, very frustrating” situation for taxpayers.
Rettig said the IRS expects to return to “normal” levels of phone service during the 2022 fiscal year, which he defined as “right around 70%” of calls answered, as the agency recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re currently running about 19% to 20% level of service,” Rettig said.
The IRS previously warned it was receiving a record level of incoming phone calls. In 2021, the agency received more than 145 million calls from January 1 through May 17, or more than four times its normal call volume.
Rettig noted the IRS’s efforts to boost customer service would depend on whether another COVID-19 spike further hampers its operations. He argued the IRS has made significant progress in clearing its tax return backlog — which would free up more agents to answer the phones.
“Our efforts are working. We’re trending in the right direction. During the summer, you’ll start seeing the impact of this,” Rettig said.
As of March 31, the IRS had 2.7 million unprocessed individual tax returns received in calendar year 2021 and about 2.3 million unprocessed returns from calendar year 2022, according to Rettig. The IRS typically enters filing season with a backlog of approximately 1 million tax returns from the previous year.
Rettig said President Biden’s 2023 budget proposal contains enough funding for the IRS to achieve an 85% answer rate on customer service calls. The Biden administration has proposed an expansion of the IRS, arguing it would help to close the “tax gap,” the difference between what is owed and what is actually collected.
The IRS has faced bipartisan pressure to alleviate the backlog. Rettig and other federal officials have attributed the agency’s struggles to staffing shortages, outdated technology and a lack of necessary funding.
In January, the IRS warned that taxpayers were in for a “frustrating” filing season due to the logjam. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/irs-answering-only-20-of-taxpayer-phone-calls/ | 2022-04-08T20:58:37Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/irs-answering-only-20-of-taxpayer-phone-calls/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Donald Trump is back in the Bronx.
A state Supreme Court judge ruled Friday that the city did not have the right to cancel Trump’s contract to run the Ferry Point Golf Course. Mayor Bill de Blasio had nixed the deal after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, arguing that Trump would not be able to attract golf tournaments.
In her decision and order filed on Friday, Justice Debra James said there was nothing in the contract that required a tournament — only that the city would share in any proceeds. That means either Trump gets to continue to run the course, or the city needs to pay him to leave. Trump’s son Eric said they’ll stay.
“The judge didn’t buy their nonsense and this is a well-reasoned and appropriate decision and we look forward to running the best golf course for years to come,” Eric Trump said.
De Blasio tried to freeze Trump out of all city contracts. The Parks Department had reassigned Ferry Point to an out-of-state operator, Bobby Jones Links, causing Trump to file an Article 78 to appeal that city move. It’s unclear how much it will cost the city to cancel the Bobby Jones contract.
James granted a temporary restraining order last fall, allowing the organization to continue its operations, and has now sent the matter back to the Parks Department.
“De Blasio did this for his own political theater,” Eric Trump said. “He wasted tremendous amounts of time and city resources on his own vendetta. He is a disgrace to New York and everyone is glad he is gone.”
Eric Trump said he was on his way to the Bronx to congratulate the staff — 150 people who would have been out of work all winter had the restaurant been shut down for the winter as the other operator would have done. The Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course is now open but was closed for the winter to let the grasses “rest” and maintain the course in the manner approved by the golf great. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/judge-rules-nyc-illegally-canceled-trumps-contract-to-run-bronx-golf-course/ | 2022-04-08T20:58:55Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/judge-rules-nyc-illegally-canceled-trumps-contract-to-run-bronx-golf-course/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
It was only one round, but Tiger Woods said it already felt like a victory. Just being able to tee it up for this year’s Masters was indeed a monumental achievement for the 46-year-old after he nearly lost his right leg in a February 2021 car crash, and shooting under par in the opening round on Thursday made it all the sweeter.
His play at the outset on Friday then must have left him awfully sour.
With the breeze picking up at Augusta National, Woods got off to a rough start in the second round, bogeying four of his first five holes. That dropped him from a tie for 10th at the start of the day to a tie for 39th.
Right from the start, Woods struggled. On the first — a hole that he has notoriously struggled with despite winning five green jackets — he missed the green with his approach, then missed a 7-footer to save par.
Woods had a chance to bounce back with a birdie at the par-5 second but couldn’t get a 28-footer to drop there, instead settling for par.
Then he missed a 9-footer to save par on the par-4 third, and when his chip from short of the par-3 fourth caught a slope and rolled back 30 feet, he had his second bogey in a row.
Things continued in the wrong direction on the next hole, where Woods’ 15-footer to save par lipped out.
He finally stopped the bleeding with a two-putt par on the par-3 sixth but dropped to 3 over for the tournament. So far, Woods has hit just one of four fairways and two of six greens in regulation.
Through six holes, he’s now hovering near the cut line, which is at 4 over, though that number could rise if conditions continue to worsen.
The top 50 and ties will make it to the weekend at Augusta National. In 23 previous appearances, Woods has only missed the cut at the Masters once, and that came as an amateur in 1996. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/tiger-woods-gets-off-to-rough-start-in-second-round-of-masters/ | 2022-04-08T20:59:37Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/tiger-woods-gets-off-to-rough-start-in-second-round-of-masters/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The major US indices are closing mixed with the Dow industrial average higher, while the S&P, NASDAQ and Russell 2000 are all lower
NASDAQ and S&P is down for the third time in four trading days S&P and NASDAQ have the first weekly loss in four weeks All three major indices close lower for the week. Russell 2000 also lower transports on track for the worst week since October 20 NASDAQ down nearly 4% on the week the final numbers are showing A look at the final numbers for the major indices are showing:
Dow industrial average rose 137.55 points or 0.4% at 34721.11. S&P index fell -11.93 points or -0.27% at 4488.27 NASDAQ index fell -186.29 points or -1.34% at 13711.01 Russell 2000 fell -15.23 points or -0.76% at 1994.56 For the trading week:
Dow industrial average, -0.28% S&P index, -1.2% NASDAQ
NASDAQ
The Nasdaq Stock Market or NASDAQ is an American stock exchange. It trails only the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in market capitalization and is part of a network of stock markets and options exchanges.Launched back in 1971, NASDAQ is the acronym for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. Since then it is known simply as NASDAQ and has become one of the most influential exchanges worldwide.The NASDAQ was the world’s first electronic stock market, and has since assumed the majority of major trades that had been executed by the over-the-counter (OTC) system of trading.What Makes Up the NASDAQ?In particular, the exchange also features the NASDAQ Composite, which includes almost all stocks listed on the NASDAQ stock market. Along with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIJA) and S&P 500 Index, this is one of the three most-followed stock market indices in the United States.Overall, the NASDAQ stock market has three different market tiers. This includes the Capital Market, or an equity market for companies that have relatively small levels of market capitalization. The listing requirements for small cap companies are less stringent than for other Nasdaq markets that list larger companies with significantly higher market capitalization.Additionally, the Global Market is made up of stocks that represent the Nasdaq Global Market. The Global Market consists of 1,450 stocks that meet the exchange’s financial and liquidity requirements, and corporate governance standards.Finally, the Global Select Market is a market capitalization-weighted index made up of 1,200 US-based and international stocks that represent the Global Select Market Composite.
The Nasdaq Stock Market or NASDAQ is an American stock exchange. It trails only the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in market capitalization and is part of a network of stock markets and options exchanges.Launched back in 1971, NASDAQ is the acronym for the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations. Since then it is known simply as NASDAQ and has become one of the most influential exchanges worldwide.The NASDAQ was the world’s first electronic stock market, and has since assumed the majority of major trades that had been executed by the over-the-counter (OTC) system of trading.What Makes Up the NASDAQ?In particular, the exchange also features the NASDAQ Composite, which includes almost all stocks listed on the NASDAQ stock market. Along with the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIJA) and S&P 500 Index, this is one of the three most-followed stock market indices in the United States.Overall, the NASDAQ stock market has three different market tiers. This includes the Capital Market, or an equity market for companies that have relatively small levels of market capitalization. The listing requirements for small cap companies are less stringent than for other Nasdaq markets that list larger companies with significantly higher market capitalization.Additionally, the Global Market is made up of stocks that represent the Nasdaq Global Market. The Global Market consists of 1,450 stocks that meet the exchange’s financial and liquidity requirements, and corporate governance standards.Finally, the Global Select Market is a market capitalization-weighted index made up of 1,200 US-based and international stocks that represent the Global Select Market Composite.
Read this Term index, -3.86% Russell 2000-4.68% For the S&P index, it closed back below its 200 day moving average currently at 4492.89 (green line on the chart below). On Wednesday the price closed below that moving average, but rebounded back above yesterday before rotating back to the downside again today.
So overall, the market is saying it is a bit unsure as to the direction, but with the price below the 100 day moving average, the sellers are a little bit more in control.
S&P index closes below its 200 day moving average
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW | https://www.forexlive.com/news/us-major-indices-close-with-mixed-results-20220408/ | 2022-04-08T21:06:18Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/news/us-major-indices-close-with-mixed-results-20220408/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FORT SILL, Oklahoma (April 8, 2022) — Signifying the completion of another successful deployment to the Republic of Korea, 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery “Red Dragons” uncased its colors in front of family, friends and fellow Soldiers Thursday.
During the nine-month deployment, the battalion integrated with the 210th Field Artillery Brigade where they operated as the ready battery. The team also executed multiple live fire exercises while honing their warfighting skills with weapons qualification and physical fitness, said 75th Field Artillery Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. John Black.
The Red Dragons proudly entered the Rinehart Fitness Center to thunderous applause and cheers and a plethora of posters, including one held by Chloe Montalvo.
Chloe, a toddler, who was unaware she was holding a sign that read “Get out of my way, I get my daddy back today,” thought she was in the gym for a poster contest. Little did she know her father, Sgt. Jorge Montalvo, would come marching through the doors.
“We wanted it to be a surprise for her,” said Chloe’s mom, Ashley Montalvo. “(Chloe) was so little when he left, and we’re excited to have him home.”
Montalvo had little to say as he lifted his daughter into the air for a few moments. The two just held each while Chloe touched her father’s face with both hands and smiled.
For others, like Red Dragon’s Command Sgt. Major Raymond Franklin, the return was bitter-sweet. In a few months, he will retire
“It feels great to be back and I was ready to come home,” Raymond said. “This was my last deployment, and I am retiring in October after 30 years.”
Raymond’s wife, Cheryl, said she is excited to begin a new journey but is also looking forward to their oldest son joining the Army team.
“We’re moving to Evansville, Indiana,” Cheryl said, “and then our oldest son in planning to join. So hopefully by May or August, he’ll be the next family member on a mission with the military.”
Col. Dave Norris, 75th Field Artillery Brigade commander welcomed the battalion back and offered his congratulations on a successful deployment before releasing the Soldiers to their loved ones.
“Job well done,” said Norris. “The professionalism and reputation of the Red Dragons is stronger now than ever. Great job and welcome home.”
The uncasing of the colors is an Army tradition that symbolizes the return of a unit to its home installation.
This work, Red Dragons return to Fort Sill, by Christopher Wilson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418159/red-dragons-return-fort-sill | 2022-04-08T21:11:10Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418159/red-dragons-return-fort-sill | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – After two years of disruptions, Wyoming students are in the midst of test taking that helps state and federal education departments assess learning – a sign that school is returning to normal.
The Wyoming Department of Education in late March 2020 canceled all testing for the rest of the semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Exams like Wyoming’s test of proficiency and progress, which assess students’ abilities in English, science and math, were nixed that year.
“We canceled everything and then put in the waiver to waive our state accountability and federal accountability,” said Laurie Hernandez, standards and assessment director at the Wyoming Department of Education.
Testing resumed in spring 2021, but those scores were not used to determine whether or not schools were meeting state and federal accountability standards. The Department of Education submitted an addendum to its compliance plan under the Every Student Succeeds Act, federal law that took the place of the No Child Left Behind Act in 2015.
Identifying low-performing schools is part of the state’s plan; schools that are “partially meeting” or “not meeting expectations” must fill out a school improvement plan. Low-performing schools receive extra support from WDE and are eligible for federal funds. Wyoming’s updated compliance plan pushed low-performance school identification to 2022-23, because at least two years of data are required to determine whether or not schools need additional support, according to WDE Chief Policy Officer Wanda Maloney.
In the interim, schools identified as low-performing in 2018-19 “were held constant,” Maloney said. “Many had started professional development or interventions, and so we wanted [them] to be able to continue to excel and provide them the funding they needed.”
If parents weren’t comfortable sending their kids to school to take tests in spring 2021, they were not forced to do so. Normally, testing is mandatory and parents don’t have the option to opt out. Ultimately, 96.6% of students in Wyoming were tested in 2021, only a slight decrease from the 99% that usually participate.
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.
The WDE is still in the process of analyzing test results from 2021, but so far it appears students in Wyoming did not experience severe learning loss reported in many other parts of the country during pandemic education disruptions. “There was a little bit of slip, but not anywhere to the degree that there was nationally,” Hernandez said.
Statewide assessments are underway at many Wyoming schools this year, and Hernandez says so far things have gone smoothly. “We really make sure everybody understands that it’s a snapshot in a moment in time for the student.”
WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/statewide-school-testing-returns-to-normal/article_520b9ddc-3f6a-519d-9c9f-4f5ba9d035b1.html | 2022-04-08T21:13:56Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/statewide-school-testing-returns-to-normal/article_520b9ddc-3f6a-519d-9c9f-4f5ba9d035b1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Prosecutors have charged a 15-year-old Buena boy with three counts of first-degree assault in connection with a Sunnyside shooting that left one man injured.
He is also charged with drive-by shooting and second-degree unlawful firearms possession, according to charging documents filed in Yakima County Juvenile Court Thursday.
The Yakima Herald-Republic typically does not publish the names of defendants tried as juveniles.
Deputy Yakima County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Porter said during an April 6 court hearing that prosecutors will seek to have the boy tried as an adult. While state law allows 16- and 17-year-old defendants to be automatically tried as adults for serious violent crimes, the juvenile court can decide if it will “decline” jurisdiction for younger defendants.
Prosecutors say the suspect exchanged fire with three people in a car in the area of South First Street and South Hill Road the night of April 4. The 21-year-old driver of the car was shot in the face, and taken to Astria Sunnyside Hospital before being transferred to an unspecified hospital, Sunnyside police said.
The car’s two passengers were not injured, according to court documents. One of the passengers was a documented Norteño gang member.
Police identified the suspect when one of the car’s occupants referred to the shooter by his gang moniker, documents said. Court records show the teen is a self-identified Sureño gang member.
Yakima County sheriff’s deputies found the suspect in a stolen car outside his Buena home, and arrested him after he tried to run away, court documents said. Deputies also located the vehicle used in the shooting, which was also reported stolen, and found a pistol and ammunition in the vehicle, court documents said.
The suspect is being held in the Yakima County Juvenile Justice Center in lieu of $100,000 bail. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/crime_and_courts/prosecutors-charge-teen-gang-member-with-assault-in-connection-with-sunnyside-drive-by-shooting/article_d04989b1-951d-59fe-b57d-0781cc7ef349.html | 2022-04-08T21:16:52Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/crime_and_courts/prosecutors-charge-teen-gang-member-with-assault-in-connection-with-sunnyside-drive-by-shooting/article_d04989b1-951d-59fe-b57d-0781cc7ef349.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — A group of Democrats says it’s time the Supreme Court adopts new ethics standards.
“The highest court should not have the lowest standards,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)
Currently, Supreme Court justices aren’t required to follow the ethics rules given to other federal judges. Whitehouse’s bill would change that.
“It could not be more timely, now that we have a captured supreme court that needs that extra layer of accountability,” Whitehouse said.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.) say recent revelations about the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas demonstrate why this is so important.
“We’ve learned that justice Clarence Thomas ruled on a case concerning the insurrection that his wife participated in and helped plan,” Jones said.
“The public is watching the United States Supreme Court to see whether or not Justice Thomas will recuse himself,” Blumenthal added.
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) isn’t ready to support the bill but agrees more transparency is needed.
“I think a full disclosure of their financial positions much like we do here, should be able to satisfy that,” Capito said.
But some Republicans think Democrats are not focusing on the right concerns.
“They can’t even make sure that that person answers questions on how she would define a woman or when life begins,” Rep. Fred Keller (R-Penn.)
Keller believes Democrats are prioritizing their self-interests.
“What they’re doing is quite frankly a political stunt, rather than good government,” Keller said.
If passed, all nine justices are required to follow these new standards. | https://www.wspa.com/news/washington-dc/congressional-democrats-push-new-bill-to-set-ethics-standards-on-supreme-court/ | 2022-04-08T21:26:02Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/washington-dc/congressional-democrats-push-new-bill-to-set-ethics-standards-on-supreme-court/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DETROIT (AP) — Javier Báez wound up with a winning RBI single on a game-ending replay reversal in his Detroit debut, and the Tigers beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4.
With two out and a runner on third in the ninth inning, Báez hit a drive to right off Liam Hendriks that sent AJ Pollock back to the wall.
Pollock appeared to make a juggling catch, but the ball struck the wall before going off the outfielder’s glove.
The new-look Tigers started celebrating as they realized what happened, and the opening-day crowd joined in after umpire Marvin Hudson announced the reversal of the call. | https://www.fox17online.com/sports/baez-single-game-ending-review-lifts-tigers-over-white-sox | 2022-04-08T21:26:20Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/sports/baez-single-game-ending-review-lifts-tigers-over-white-sox | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Belinda Bencic claimed a comeback victory over an opponent she had never beaten before in the Credit One Charleston Open quarterfinals on Friday. The No.10 seed from Switzerland overcame No.2 seed Paula Badosa of Spain 2-6, 7-6(2), 6-4 to make the semifinals.
Bencic and Badosa's first meeting came one year ago in Charleston, which ended up being Badosa's maiden Top 20 win. Badosa had defeated Bencic twice more since then, but Bencic finally got a win over the Spaniard after 2 hours and 47 minutes of tense play.
With the victory over World No.3 Badosa, Bencic earned a milestone 25th Top 10 win at Hologic WTA Tour and Grand Slam events. It is Bencic's first Top 10 win at either a WTA or Grand Slam event since she knocked Iga Swiatek out of last year's US Open.
Reigning Olympic gold medalist Bencic has now reached the Charleston semifinals for the first time since her tournament debut in 2014. Bencic made it to the final four that season as a 17-year-old qualifier ranked outside the Top 100.
❌ crosscourt practice ❌@BelindaBencic | #CharlestonOpen pic.twitter.com/qb7oVqB7OA
— wta (@WTA) April 8, 2022
Bencic's run is even more remarkable as she was nearly ousted in the first round this week. Bencic was two points away from defeat before outlasting Wang Xiyu in her opening match.
In Friday's quarterfinal, Badosa was the one who swept through the first set without facing a break point. Bencic got less than half of her first serves into play in the opener, and Badosa won two-thirds of those points on return.
However, Bencic came back from an early break down in the second set to reach a tiebreak, where the Swiss turned the match around for good. A blistering winner into the corner gave Bencic a commanding 6-2 lead, where a forehand winner clipped the sideline to level the clash.
In the third set, Bencic saw an early break slip away, but the No.10 seed used deft short balls to garner two break points in the next game, then received a break for 4-3 after a Badosa double fault. Bencic held on to prevail from there and return to the Charleston semifinals.
Bencic will face either Magda Linette or Ekaterina Alexandrova in the semifinals on Saturday.
More to come.... | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2567587/bencic-overcomes-badosa-to-book-charleston-semifinal-spot | 2022-04-08T21:31:40Z | wtatennis.com | control | https://www.wtatennis.com/news/2567587/bencic-overcomes-badosa-to-book-charleston-semifinal-spot | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Alabama's Republican-controlled legislature passed two bills on the last day of the session targeting transgender children, including one which makes it a felony for a doctor to administer gender-affirming health care to minors.
Another bill, which requires K-12 students to use bathrooms designated for their biological sex, included a last-hour amendment Thursday critics have compared to similar legislation in Florida dubbed the "Don't Say Gay" law. It would ban classroom discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools.
The state's House of Representatives also approved SB 184, which would make it a class C felony for medical professionals to provide gender-affirming care -- such as hormone therapy, puberty blockers and gender-reassignment surgery -- to people 18 and younger.
Republican Gov. Kay Ivey signed the bills into law Friday.
"There are very real challenges facing our young people, especially with today's societal pressures and modern culture. I believe very strongly that if the Good Lord made you a boy, you are a boy, and if he made you a girl, you are a girl. We should especially protect our children from these radical, life-altering drugs and surgeries when they are at such a vulnerable stage in life. Instead, let us all focus on helping them to properly develop into the adults God intended them to be," she said, according to a statement from her press office.
Senate Bill 184 states medical professionals who provide gender-affirming care could face up to 10 years in prison.
"The decision to pursue a course of hormonal and surgical interventions to address a discordance between the individual's sex and sense of identity should not be presented to or determined for minors who are incapable of comprehending the negative implications and life-course difficulties attending to these interventions," the bill reads.
The legislation would also make it a violation for public or private school officials, such as teachers, principals, nurses and counselors to encourage a minor to withhold from their parent or guardian "the fact that the minor's perception of his or her gender or sex is inconsistent with the minor's sex."
The bill, dubbed the Alabama Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, passed the Republican-controlled House following a 66-28 vote, according to the state legislature's website. The GOP-led Senate passed the bill 24-6 in February, and it will become law 30 days after the governor's signature.
Alabama would be the latest state to enact such a measure. Last year, Republican lawmakers in Arkansas overrode a veto from their governor to put their own health care ban on the books, and Tennessee and Arizona have passed similar bans.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) sued Arkansas over its ban last year, and in July, a federal judge temporarily blocked the state from enforcing the law.
The ACLU, the ACLU of Alabama and other legal advocacy groups announced plans to file a legal challenge to the bill.
"Our representatives have been hearing from medical experts, parents, transgender youth, and other advocates for the past three years in an attempt to stop this harmful bill from passing. But despite this strong opposition, the Legislature seems determined to move ahead with this shameful effort to prevent parents and kids from deciding the best course of treatment for themselves," said Kaitlin Welborn, staff attorney for the ACLU of Alabama. "If the state moves forward in passing this unconstitutional bill, we'll see them in court."
Transgender students bathroom bill passed
Later, the legislature passed a bill requiring K-12 students to use bathrooms designated for their biological sex.
House Bill 322 also includes a late amendment banning classroom discussions or instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in elementary schools.
An original version of the bill sought "to require public K-12 schools to designate the use of rooms where students may be in various stages of undress upon the basis of biological sex."
Just before the final vote Thursday afternoon, Republican state Sen. Shay Shelnutt introduced an amendment to "prohibit classroom instruction or discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity for students in kindergarten through the fifth grade."
Shelnutt's amendment also declares schools should not "engage in classroom discussion or provide classroom instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards."
The bill, including Shelnutt's amendment, passed the state Senate in a 26-5 vote. After the bill was sent back to the House for a concurrence vote, the amendment was adopted Thursday night following a 70-26 vote.
The bill now heads to Ivey for final approval, according to Julie Saint, supervisor for enrolling and engrossing for the Alabama House of Representatives.
Opponents of the measure condemned its passage, with the ACLU of Alabama saying, "It also invokes legislation similar to Florida's controversial 'Don't Say Gay' bill by banning classroom instruction or discussion of gender identity in public elementary schools." The legislation violates the US Constitution and Title IX of the Civil Rights Act, the ACLU said.
The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement Thursday night, "transgender students will bear the cost of the discrimination -- discrimination which already causes transgender youth to feel unsafe in school, suffer academically, and have a higher likelihood of dropping out of school."
The governor said signing the bill was a "no-brainer."
"Let me be clear to the media and opponents who like to incorrectly dub this the "Don't Say Gay" amendment: That is misleading, false and just plain wrong," Ivery said. "We don't need to be teaching young children about sex. We are talking about five-year-olds for crying out loud. We need to focus on what matters: core instruction like reading and math."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/alabama-governor-signs-into-law-two-bills-limiting-transgender-youth-protections/article_fe7f1c51-f9a2-5fdb-b49a-8c54d0ea040f.html | 2022-04-08T21:34:06Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/alabama-governor-signs-into-law-two-bills-limiting-transgender-youth-protections/article_fe7f1c51-f9a2-5fdb-b49a-8c54d0ea040f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Two days after the 2020 presidential election, as votes were still being tallied, Donald Trump's eldest son texted then-White House chief of staff Mark Meadows that "we have operational control" to ensure his father would get a second term, with Republican majorities in the US Senate and swing state legislatures, CNN has learned.
In the text, which has not been previously reported, Donald Trump Jr. lays out ideas for keeping his father in power by subverting the Electoral College process, according to the message reviewed by CNN. The text is among records obtained by the House select committee investigating January 6, 2021.
"It's very simple," Trump Jr. texted to Meadows on November 5, adding later in the same missive: "We have multiple paths We control them all."
In a statement to CNN, Trump Jr.'s lawyer Alan S. Futerfas said, "After the election, Don received numerous messages from supporters and others. Given the date, this message likely originated from someone else and was forwarded."
The November 5 text message outlines a strategy that is nearly identical to what allies of the former President attempted to carry out in the months that followed. Trump Jr. makes specific reference to filing lawsuits and advocating recounts to prevent certain swing states from certifying their results, as well as having a handful of Republican state houses put forward slates of fake "Trump electors."
If all that failed, according to the Trump Jr. text, GOP lawmakers in Congress could simply vote to reinstall Trump as President on January 6.
"We have operational control Total leverage," the message reads. "Moral High Ground POTUS must start 2nd term now."
The text from Trump Jr. is revealing on a number of levels. It shows how those closest to the former President were already exchanging ideas for how to overturn the election months before the January 6 insurrection -- and before all the votes were even counted. It would be another two days before major news outlets declared Joe Biden the winner on November 7.
The text also adds to a growing body of evidence of how Trump's inner circle was actively engaged in discussing how to challenge the election results.
On March 28, Judge David Carter, a federal judge in California, said that Trump, along with conservative lawyer John Eastman, launched an "unprecedented" campaign to overturn a democratic election, calling it "a coup in search of a legal theory."
George Terwilliger, an attorney for Meadows, declined to comment for this story. A spokesperson for the House select committee declined to comment.
Foreshadowing the Trump campaign strategy
In the weeks following the 2020 election, Trump and his allies eventually filed more than 60 unsuccessful lawsuits in key states, failing to convince the courts that his claims about a stolen election were justified, or uncover any evidence of widespread voter fraud.
They also called for various recounts based on those same unfounded voter fraud claims. A number of states conducted recounts in the months after the election, though none of them revealed any fraud substantial enough to have changed the outcome of the vote in any state.
While Trump Jr. was publicly pushing various voter fraud conspiracy theories and generally casting doubt about the results in states like Pennsylvania and Georgia, his text to Meadows reveals there were other ideas being discussed privately.
Specifically, Trump Jr. previews a strategy to supplant authentic electors with fake Republican electors in a handful of states. That plan was eventually orchestrated and carried out by allies of the former President, and overseen by his then-attorney Rudy Giuliani.
In his text to Meadows, Trump Jr. identifies two key dates in December that serve as deadlines for states to certify their electoral results and compel Congress to accept them. Though the dates are largely ceremonial, in his text Trump Jr. appears to point to them as potential weaknesses to be exploited by casting doubt on the legitimacy of the election results.
Seeking Trump electors
Trump Jr.'s November 5 text to Meadows came as similar notions of faithless electors were starting to percolate publicly on conservative social media. Trump Jr. sent the text to Meadows at 12:51 p.m., just minutes after conservative radio host Mark Levin had tweeted a similar idea and suggested state legislatures have final say on electors.
If secretaries of state were unable to certify the results, Trump Jr. argues in his text to Meadows that they should press their advantage by having Republican-controlled state assemblies "step in" and put forward separate slates of "Trump electors," he writes.
"Republicans control Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, North Carolina etc we get Trump electors," Trump Jr. adds.
Trump Jr.'s text, however, refers to an untested legal theory that state houses are the ultimate authority in elections and can intervene to put forward a different slate of electors than those chosen by the voters, when in reality this is a ceremonial process and the outcome is essentially a foregone conclusion.
The Justice Department and the House committee are both investigating the fake electors plot within the context of what unfolded on January 6 and Trump's broader effort to overturn the election.
The strategy floated by Trump Jr. is similar to what was outlined by former Texas Governor and Trump Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who texted Meadows on November 4 suggesting three state legislatures ignore the will of their voters and deliver their states' electors to Trump.
"HERE's an AGRESSIVE (sic) STRATEGY: Why can t (sic) the states of GA NC PENN and other R controlled state houses declare this is BS (where conflicts and election not called that night) and just send their own electors to vote and have it go to the SCOTUS," Perry's text message read.
A spokesman for Perry told CNN at the time that the former Energy secretary denies being the author of the text. However, multiple people who know Rick Perry previously confirmed to CNN that the phone number the committee has associated with that text message is Perry's number.
'We control them all'
Trump Jr. also texts Meadows that Congress could intervene on January 6 and overturn the will of voters if, for some reason, they were unable to secure enough electoral votes to tip the outcome in Trump's favor using the state-based strategy.
That option, according to Trump Jr.'s text, involves a scenario where neither Biden nor Trump have enough electoral votes to be declared a winner, prompting the House of Representatives to vote by state party delegation, with each state getting one vote.
"Republicans control 28 states Democrats 22 states," Trump Jr. texts. "Once again Trump wins."
"We either have a vote WE control and WE win OR it gets kicked to Congress 6 January 2021," he texts Meadows.
In a series of memos in early January, conservative lawyer John Eastman proposed a variation of that idea.
Eastman's memo laid out a six-step plan for Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election for Trump, which included throwing out the results in seven states because they allegedly had competing electors. In fact, no state had actually put forward an alternate slate of electors -- there were merely Trump allies claiming without any authority to be electors.
Eastman, who has been subpoenaed by the House select committee and is fighting to keep some of his records secret from investigators, was accused by Carter of likely engaging in a criminal conspiracy with Trump to overturn the election.
"Dr. Eastman has an unblemished record as an attorney and respectfully disagrees with the judge's findings," his attorney Charles Burnham said in response to the judge's ruling.
Trump Jr. pushes Meadows to fire Wray and install loyalist at FBI
Trump Jr. ends his November 5 text by calling for a litany of personnel moves to solidify his father's control over the government by putting loyalists in key jobs and initiate investigations into the Biden family.
"Fire Wray; Fire Fauci," he texts, referring to FBI Director Christopher Wray and White House coronavirus adviser Anthony Fauci. Trump Jr. then proposes making former acting Director of National Intelligence Ric Grenell interim head of the FBI and having then-Attorney General Bill Barr "select Special prosecutor on HardDrivefromHell Biden crime family."
As Trump refused to concede in the days and weeks after the 2020 election, rumors swirled that he was still considering firing Wray, along with several other top officials with whom he had grown frustrated.
Trump and his allies sharply criticized Wray for failing to produce information that they claimed would be harmful to the President's political enemies, including Biden. CNN previously reported that the prospect of Trump firing Wray hung over the FBI for weeks, dating to before Election Day.
While Wray remains in his post and Barr resigned in mid-December 2020 without naming a special prosecutor to investigate the Bidens, Trump Jr.'s text underscores just how precarious the situation at DOJ was in the immediate aftermath of the election.
The same is true for Trump Jr.'s recommendation that Meadows replace Wray with Grenell, someone who not only lacked the usual qualifications to lead the FBI but also had a proven track record of doing the former President's bidding.
After serving a controversial three-month stint as Trump's acting intel chief, Grenell hit the campaign trail in late 2020 to help promote Trump's unfounded claims of widespread voter fraud and support his legal challenges in a key swing state: Nevada.
On November 5, Biden held a slim lead over Trump in Nevada but appeared poised to win the state's six electoral votes. That same day, Grenell and Trump campaign officials announced they were filing a new lawsuit to "stop the counting of illegal votes" but provided no evidence to support their claims of rampant fraud.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/cnn-exclusive-we-control-them-all-donald-trump-jr-texted-meadows-ideas-for-overturning-2020/article_8a727cce-20d7-5c2b-a4d4-77864e84bb9b.html | 2022-04-08T21:34:18Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/cnn-exclusive-we-control-them-all-donald-trump-jr-texted-meadows-ideas-for-overturning-2020/article_8a727cce-20d7-5c2b-a4d4-77864e84bb9b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
[Breaking news update, posted at 4:15 p.m. ET]
Mark Riddell was sentenced Friday to four months in prison for what authorities called his key role in a sprawling college admissions scam that help wealthy parents buy their children's way into universities.
[Previous story, posted at 3:55 p.m. ET]
A former University of Southern California water polo coach was found guilty of conspiracy and fraud on Friday for soliciting and accepting bribes to facilitate admissions of students in a college admissions scam.
Jovan Vavic was found guilty in federal court in Boston of conspiracy to commit honest services mail and wire fraud, conspiracy to commit federal programs bribery, and honest wire services fraud.
CNN has reached out to an attorney representing Vavic for comment.
US Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins said her office is "grateful" for the verdict, in what she called "arguably one of the largest scandals in the history of academia."
"To say that the conduct in this case was reprehensible is an understatement," Rollins said at a press conference. "The rich, powerful and famous, dripping with privilege and entitlement, used their money and clout to steal college admissions spots from more qualified and deserving students."
The verdict came on the same day Mark Riddell was to be sentenced for what authorities called his key role in a sprawling scam to help wealthy parents buy their children's way into universities.
Vavic accepted bribes from William "Rick" Singer, a former college admissions coach who masterminded the scam.
Singer was accused of bribing college coaches and athletic officials to say a prospective student should be accepted to a school as a recruit for a sports team, knowing the student was not a competitive player or that their athletic profile was fake, prosecutors said.
Riddell was to be sentenced Friday afternoon.
Riddell, a standardized test-taking savant, was paid to either ace SATs and ACTs in students' place, or correct the students' answers before they were handed in, prosecutors said.
Riddell, one of many people caught up in the wider scheme in 2019, pleaded guilty that year to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Authorities arrested and charged Riddell, dozens of parents, college coaches and administrators in the sprawling 2019 investigation known as "Operation Varsity Blues."
Riddell agreed to a plea deal in 2019 that calls for incarceration at the low end of sentencing guidelines for the charges. Federal prosecutors have suggested a 33- to 41-month sentence, a law enforcement source told CNN that year. He had faced up to 20 years in prison.
Also, prosecutors want Riddell to serve 36 months of supervised release and pay a $239,449.42 fine, which is about what he earned from his crimes, his plea agreement stated.
Prosecutors have said Riddell was associated with Singer, whom they said ran two general scams: First, to cheat on standardized tests for students whose parents paid; and second, to use Singer's connections with college sports coaches and use bribes to get paying parents' kids into school with fake athletic credentials.
Riddell was a key player in the testing scam, prosecutors said.
For years starting in 2011, Singer, the owner of a college prep business, bribed test administrators to let Riddell take tests in students' place or correct students' answers, prosecutors said. Singer would funnel money from a bogus charity, to which his clients donated, to test administrators at a Los Angeles private school and a public high school in Houston, authorities said.
Riddell was paid $10,000 per test, prosecutors said.
"He was just a really smart guy," Andrew Lelling, US Attorney for the District of Massachusetts, said at a March 2019 news conference. "He didn't have any side information about the correct answers. He was just smart enough to get a near-perfect score on the exam or to calibrate the score."
Singer, who aided the investigation, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and other charges, and is awaiting sentencing.
Most people charged in 'Operation Varsity Blues' investigation have pleaded guilty
The vast majority of those charged have pleaded guilty and served out their sentences, generally measured in weeks or months.
Among the more high-profile parents charged in the test-taking portion of the scheme was actress Felicity Huffman, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and honest services mail fraud for paying $15,000 to the Singer to boost her older daughter's test scores. Huffman spent 11 days in jail in 2019.
Another actress, Lori Loughlin, spent two months in prison and her husband Mossimo Giannulli spent five months in prison for paying $500,000 to get their two daughters into the University of Southern California as fake recruited athletes.
Vavic was accused of designating certain USC applicants as water polo recruits, thereby facilitating their admission to the university, by relying on fake athletic resumes, in exchange for bribes. He was fired in March 2019 after his allegations of his involvement in the scam were made public.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/college-admissions-scams-test-taking-ace-sentenced-former-usc-coach-found-guilty/article_47f6eac2-eabc-595a-b2e9-19c9c04c8093.html | 2022-04-08T21:34:24Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/college-admissions-scams-test-taking-ace-sentenced-former-usc-coach-found-guilty/article_47f6eac2-eabc-595a-b2e9-19c9c04c8093.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Saturday, April 9
RECYCLING EVENT
The City of Valdosta and Lowndes County Public Works will host an electronics recycling event April 9 from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Items can be dropped off at Valdosta Public Works located at 1017 Myrtle Street. Items that will not be accepted at the April 9 event include items such as vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washers, dryers, gas-powered equipment, non-electronic equipment, and other non-recyclable items. For a complete list of e-recyclables or for more information, call the City of Valdosta Public Works Department at 229-671-3640 or Lowndes County Public Works at 229-671-2700.
SPRING CLEANING
The City of Thomasville will be providing safe disposal locations for the community to dispose of items that are not suitable for the landfill. These include computers, mattresses, small and large appliances to name a few. For the full list of acceptable items, call the City of Thomasville at (229)227-7092. This event will take place from 8 a.m.-12 p.m. at Balfour Park. The event will happen again next weekend at both Weston and Cherokee Park from 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
EASTER EXTRAVAGANZA
The City of Thomasville along with other local organizations are hosting an Easter Extravaganza with more than 5,000 eggs to be hunted from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Paradise Park.
TLH PLANETARIUM
The Tallahassee Astronomical Society is hosting a free planetarium show for 50 guests beginning at 10 a.m. “April Skies over Tallahassee” is a live planetarium show that will review prominent constellations, stars, and planet positions in the April morning and evening sky. It is recommended that interested guests arrive early as there's reduced occupancy.
FLORIDA FOLK HERITAGE AWARD CEREMONY
Beginning at 11 a.m. at the Museum of Florida History, an award ceremony will take place for the recipients of the Florida Folk Heritage Award. One of the recipients are the Florida Highwaymen.
On Sunrise Weekends, ABC 27 told you about these African American painters during Black History Month.
For Second Saturday in February, the Museum of Florida History hosted a paint with me where participants could learn more about the group who traveled across Florida and painted what inspired them most: our state's landscapes.
SECOND SATURDAY
Guests are invited to learn more about how instruments and music evolved in Florida at the Museum of Florida History. This will take place at 11 a.m. and guests can craft an instrument of their own.
Sunday, April 10
IMAX FILM SCREENING
Tallahassee non-profit Mother's Cry will be showing a film to bring awareness and information about mental illness through a locally sourced film. This event will be free at the Challenger Learning Center at 4:30 p.m.
HISTORY TALK
The Carrabelle History Museum and the Camp Gordon Johnson Museum are teaming up for a history talk.
The program is titled "Florida in World War I" where you can learn about the states contributions to the war and the impact of the 1918 pandemic on our state. It will take place in the upstairs room at C-Quarters Marina,501 St. James Avenue (Hwy 98), Carrabelle, Fla., from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. It's free but reservations are required.
PLANTING SUNFLOWERS FOR UKRAINE
In support of Ukraine, Tallahassee's Woodgate neighborhood will plant sunflowers in their front yards.
WORD OF SOUTH
Today is the last day to check out the Word of South Festival. This event will feature interactive programs, food vendors and performance acts.
Full schedule | https://www.wtxl.com/community/around-town-april-9-and-10 | 2022-04-08T21:34:26Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/community/around-town-april-9-and-10 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The new head of Yemen's internationally recognized government says the council he leads will work to end the country's grinding civil war. The remarks came in the first televised address by Rashad al-Alimi on Friday.
He thanked his government's backers —Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — which have been helping Yemeni government forces fight the Iran-backed Houthi rebels for years. Al-Alimi's speech comes as both sides trade accusations of breaking a week-old cease-fire. Yemen's exiled president stepped aside and transferred his powers to the presidential council on Thursday.
The announcement came as international efforts to end the 8-year civil war with a two-month truce. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/new-top-yemeni-government-official-promises-to-work-toward-peace | 2022-04-08T21:35:15Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/new-top-yemeni-government-official-promises-to-work-toward-peace | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
One South Bronx High School student is dead and two others injured after a shooting near the school Friday afternoon, the New York Police Department confirmed to CNN.
A 16-year-old girl died after she was shot in the torso, police said, and a 17-year-old boy was shot in the buttocks and taken to a local hospital. Another 16-year-old girl was shot in the leg and is being treated at the hospital, police said.
The shooting took place near 510 East 156th Street and police are expected to hold a news conference soon to provide more details on the incident.
The press secretary for Mayor Eric Adams tweeted that the mayor has been briefed on the shooting.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/three-south-bronx-high-school-students-shot-one-dead-after-shooting-near-school/article_279e4230-0719-5a62-8046-2ac8c0a493df.html | 2022-04-08T21:35:19Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/three-south-bronx-high-school-students-shot-one-dead-after-shooting-near-school/article_279e4230-0719-5a62-8046-2ac8c0a493df.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — We have one more cold snap upon us in this waning cool season, accompanied by abundant weekend sunshine. The emerging dry and cooler air will generate a steady breeze after sunrise, and sustained winds will be around 10 to 20 mph for most of the day. Highs Saturday will be in the upper 60s and lower 70s after morning lows tumble into the mid to lower 40s. Patchy clouds in the morning will further clear out in the daytime. Isolated frost is possible in inland areas Sunday with morning lows around the 40° mark. A quick jump in temps is expected Sunday afternoon with highs in the 70s to close to 80°. Further warming is projected next week with increasing moisture and clouds. Rain chances are limited Tuesday but rise Thursday with a nearby, slower-moving cold front. Some thunderstorms are likely.
A Wind Advisory will be in effect for some of the Suwannee River counties, as well as the Forgotten Coast, for wind speeds exceeding 20 mph at times.
--Casanova Nurse, Chief Meteorologist | https://www.wtxl.com/weather/friday-evening-first-to-know-forecast-04-08-2022 | 2022-04-08T21:35:33Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/weather/friday-evening-first-to-know-forecast-04-08-2022 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office said it will not retry Keith Carnes, a Kansas City man whose murder conviction was set aside by the Missouri Supreme Court earlier this week.
Carnes has served more than 18 years in prison for a murder he says he didn’t commit.
In a statement Friday afternoon, the office said it “fully accepted the Supreme Court’s finding.”
“The Court denied Carnes’ claim of actual innocence but directed the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office to decide whether to retry Carnes for the 2003 murder of Larry White,” it said. “Our review of the evidence does not establish that Carnes is actually innocent; however, because the evidence is also insufficient to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, we cannot retry Carnes.”
Carnes, who is now 52, was convicted of killing 24-year-old Larry White in October 2003 and sentenced to life in prison. White was fatally shot in a parking lot at 29th Street and Prospect Avenue, supposedly over a drug deal gone bad.
In a brief order Tuesday, the Missouri Supreme Court said Carnes met his burden of proving the state failed to disclose material evidence in the case. The court set aside his first-degree murder and armed criminal action convictions, and ordered his release within 30 days unless prosecutors decided to retry him.
The prosecutor’s office said that, while testimony at Carnes’ trial established that Carnes and White were rival drug dealers, shifting witness accounts and the absence of physical evidence made a third trial not feasible. (Carnes' first trial ended in a mistrial.)
The prosecutor’s statement noted that Carnes was romantically involved with his private investigator, who it said pressured witnesses to recant or change their trial testimony.
“If police investigators engaged in such improper conduct, it would require immediate disclosure and conflict procedures to protect the integrity of the investigation,” the prosecutor’s statement said. “This rule does not apply just to police and credible organizations, like the Midwest Innocence Project, which would not allow such bias as part of an investigation. In short, the evidence today in Carnes case is tainted from all directions. We cannot proceed and must dismiss the charges.”
The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office did leave open the possibility of charges being brought in the future against Carnes, since there is no statute of limitations for murder. It asked Carnes to speak to law enforcement about what he knows, including disclosing the identity of an alleged “second culprit” who was present when White was murdered.
“This case remains under investigation,” the statement continued. “We will continue to fight for justice for Mr. White and this community.”
Christopher Iliff, legal director of Miracle of Innocence — which advocated for Carnes’ release from prison — called the prosecutor’s statement “mean-spirited” and an “ad hoc” attack against the private investigator.
“It’s a victory, but a lot of the joy has been taken out of it by virtue of what I consider to be a statement from the prosecutor’s office that focused on, basically, the personality of one of the investigators involved in our exoneration efforts,” Iliff said.
The prosecutor’s decision not to retry Carnes, however, means the Missouri Department of Corrections no longer has authority to hold him. He could be released as early as Saturday, and likely no later than sometime next week.
In its statement, the prosecutor’s office said it had met Friday with the family of Larry White, the murder victim.
“His sister, Juanita White, thanked Jackson County for seeking justice on her family’s behalf,” it said. “For her health, she said she will leave anything further to God, although her family believes that Carnes was one of the men who killed her brother. Larry White's family is planning a celebration of their deceased brother's birthday next week.” | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-08/keith-carnes-will-walk-free-after-jackson-county-prosecutor-declines-to-retry-him-for-murder | 2022-04-08T21:36:31Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-08/keith-carnes-will-walk-free-after-jackson-county-prosecutor-declines-to-retry-him-for-murder | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Starbucks workers in Overland Park appear to have successfully voted to form the company’s first union in the Kansas City area.
Workers at the cafe on West 75th Street gathered Friday afternoon as the tally was read live from a National Labor Relations Board office.
The vote came back 6-1 in favor of the union. Seven other ballots remain challenged, but union organizers say those ballots include three pro-union workers who allege wrongful firing. There is currently no timeline for when those ballots might be verified.
Staff have been on strike since Wednesday alleging that management have intensified their union-busting efforts.
Efforts to unionize the Starbucks location have been ongoing since January. Last month, baristas organized a walkout effectively closing the cafe for a day, and following the termination of three employees at the location.
Starbucks delayed a guaranteed union win today in Overland Park, KS by challenging all the union leaders’ votes. Guess they aren’t ready to admit defeat, but we’re ready to declare victory! #AnotherOne pic.twitter.com/C5lWb83gc8
— Workers United - CMRJB (@CMRJB) April 8, 2022
The 75th Street location was among four Starbucks cafes that were counting union votes on Friday. In particular, the Overland Park workers are demanding better working conditions and health care benefits.
“This has been discussed multiple times with our management and upper management on the district level and no solutions have really came up,” shift supervisor Hannah McCown told KCUR.
Three other Kansas City-area Starbucks are also seeking to unionize. Workers at the cafes in Country Club Plaza, 39th street in Independence, and 41st and Main in Midtown have signed union authentication cards, seeking to align with the collective Workers United.
The union push came in the wake of a successful effort by Workers United to organize workers at a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, late last year. Since then, over 200 Starbucks locations have filed to unionize, according to NPR, and 13 already voted in favor. | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-08/starbucks-workers-claim-victory-in-overland-park-union-vote-first-in-kansas-city-area | 2022-04-08T21:36:37Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/news/2022-04-08/starbucks-workers-claim-victory-in-overland-park-union-vote-first-in-kansas-city-area | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Over 100 local and state elected officials gather Saturday for the Kansas City Regional Climate Action Summit 2022 at Johnson County Community College. The goal of the summit, put on by Climate Action KC, is to work throughout the Kansas City region to decrease greenhouse gasses, improve climate resilience, invigorate the economy, promote public health and improve collective quality of life.
"By working as a region and finding ways to work together," said Roeland Park Mayor Mike Kelly, "we really can not only meet our goal for reducing emissions, but really improve Kansas City for the next generation."
- Mike Kelly, Roeland Park Mayor and board member of Climate Action KC
- Mercedes García Pérez, head of Global Issues and Innovation, Delegation of the European Union to the United States
- Ashley Sadowski, executive director of Building Energy Exchange KC (BE-ex KC), a branch of Climate Action KC
- David Johnson, Vice President, Planning and Strategy, KCATA
The Kansas City Regional Climate Action Summit 2022 takes place Saturday, April 9 from 10 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. at Johnson County Community College, 12345 College Blvd. Overland Park, Kansas 66210. Admission is $50 or $25 for high school or college students. | https://www.kcur.org/podcast/up-to-date/2022-04-08/environmental-leaders-from-kansas-city-region-to-gather-for-climate-action-summit | 2022-04-08T21:36:43Z | kcur.org | control | https://www.kcur.org/podcast/up-to-date/2022-04-08/environmental-leaders-from-kansas-city-region-to-gather-for-climate-action-summit | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SpaceX and Axiom Space successfully launch first all-private mission to the International Space Station
The launch represents a "new era in private human spaceflight", Axiom boss says.
At 16.17BST, the first ever all-private crew of astronauts successfully lifted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida to make their way to the International Space Station (ISS).
Dubbed Axiom-1, the mission will carry four astronauts, Commander Michael López-Alegría, Pilot Larry Connor, Mission Specialist Mark Pathy and Mission Specialist Eytan Stibbe, to the ISS on a SpaceX Falcon9 rocket.
The launch went smoothly, as did the return landing of the stage one booster rocket. It is estimated that it will take the spacecraft 20 hours and 28 minutes to dock at the ISS.
The spacecraft will now perform a number of 'burns' to position itself for docking to the ISS.
Once onboard, the crew will spend ten days conducting experiments across a wide range of sciences, from cancer research and biomedical health to robotic developments and Earth observations.
“I first want to congratulate Michael, Larry, Eytan, and Mark. We will usher in a new era in private human spaceflight when they cross the threshold to enter the ISS,” said Michael Suffredini, president and CEO of Axiom Space.
“This journey is the culmination of long hours of training, planning, and dedication from the crew and the entire Axiom Space team, our partners at SpaceX, and of course, a credit to NASA’s vision to develop a sustainable presence in low-Earth orbit.”
Axiom Space aims to develop its own, private space station in low-Earth orbit. Building of the Axiom Station’s first module is underway and is expected to launch in late 2024.
Read more about SpaceX:
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Planned sex education lessons for first-graders in New Jersey will include discussions of gender identity — outraging some parents and Republican politicians including potential presidential candidate and former Gov. Chris Christie.
A 30-minute lesson called “Pink, Blue and Purple” aims to teach the 6-year-olds to define “gender, gender identity and gender role stereotypes,” Fox News reported Friday.
It also includes instructions for teachers to tell students that their gender identity is up to them, according to materials reportedly distributed to parents at a Feb. 22 meeting of the Westfield Board of Education and posted online.
“You might feel like you’re a boy even if you have body parts that some people might tell you are ‘girl’ parts,” the lesson plan says.
“You might feel like you’re a girl even if you have body parts that some people might tell you are ‘boy’ parts. And you might not feel like you’re a boy or a girl, but you’re a little bit of both. No matter how you feel, you’re perfectly normal!”
A lesson plan for second-graders, titled “Understanding Our Bodies,” includes an illustrated discussion of human genitals so kids as young as 7 can use “medically accurate names” for their private parts.
“Tell students: ‘There are some body parts that mostly just girls have and some parts that mostly just boys have,'” it says.
A note to teachers also says: “Being a boy or a girl doesn’t have to mean you have those parts, but for most people this is how their bodies are.”
The materials emerged amid controversy over a law signed last month by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis that bans the discussion of gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, which critics deride as “Don’t Say Gay.”
They’re part of a broader, K-12 health and sex education curriculum adopted by the New Jersey Board of Education in 2020 that goes into effect in September.
“I am honestly appalled at this curriculum,” Maria DeMaio-Esposito, a mother of two from Howell, told the Asbury Park Press.
“I am debating whether to place my child in a private school if I can afford it. Is this curriculum really necessary? Children need to stay children. Their innocence is beautiful and I do not want their little minds filled with this very adult topic.”
Parents are able to opt out of having their kids take part in the lessons, but Paula McCarthy-Mammana of Jackson — who said the curriculum “makes me sick” — said that move would be stigmatizing.
“My granddaughter is going to be entering eighth grade, if she opts out of a class she’s going to be looked at by her peers in a different manner,” McCarthy-Mammana told the AP.
“She may be bullied or harassed and I don’t agree with a child being targeted because of family moral issues.”
In an appearance on Fox News, Christie — who ran for president in 2016 and is reportedly considering another White House bid — told Fox News: “I think this is just a further indication of the crazy liberal policies of my successor, Phil Murphy, who is in the progressive movement.”
“He’s on the left of the progressive movement, and this kind of stuff just should not be going on,” he added.
State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-Westwood) told Fox News that as “a mom and a legislator, I can appreciate the need for students to receive age-appropriate instruction, but this is beyond the pale.
“We knew that when Gov. Murphy used the cover of the pandemic to push these new standards through that something was terribly wrong, and now we can clearly see why they needed to do this in secret,” she said.
“The agenda has swung so far left in an attempt to sexualize our precious children that parents are fighting back.”
State Sen. Michael Testa (R-Cape May) said the lessons were the latest in a series of affronts to Garden State parents.
“We fought for kids to return to school in person. Then we had to fight to take off our kids’ masks. Now, we have to watch our elementary school children, who have already fallen behind thanks to the Murphy lockdowns, learn about genitalia and gender identity?” Testa said.
“It’s abuse, plain and simple.”
Westfield schools Superintendent Raymond Gonzalez told Fox News that the lesson plans were “a sample list of resources aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards to be considered as school districts work on revisions to the health and [physical education] curriculum.”
“We made it clear at the meeting and subsequent meetings that these are resources only — they are not state-mandated — and that the district is in the process of developing its revised curriculum to meet state standards,” Gonzalez added.
Murphy’s office didn’t immediately return requests for comment. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/nj-kids-to-learn-about-gender-identity-under-sex-ed-curriculum/ | 2022-04-08T21:41:03Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/nj-kids-to-learn-about-gender-identity-under-sex-ed-curriculum/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Telkom, Airtel eye revenue jump from Safaricom?s mobile money
BUSINESS
By Frankline Sunday
| Apr 9th 2022 | 3 min read
BUSINESS
Telkom Kenya and Airtel Kenya are eying an increase in revenue after the country’s leading mobile network operators launched merchant interoperability on their mobile money wallets.
The move allows customers from any mobile money network to make payments to any of Safaricom’s Lipa Na M-Pesa Till numbers, but excludes Pay Bill transactions.
“As of today, from any of the three wallets, you can make payments to any merchants and service providers who have a Lipa na M-Pesa Till,” said Telkom Kenya Chief Executive Mugo Kibati.
“This means all our Telkom T-Kash customers can make payments and get services that they previously would not get directly from their T-Kash wallets.”
READ MORE
The link follows increased pressure from regulators including Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) to cut the cost of mobile money transactions and remove friction between the various payment platforms.
“From M-Pesa’s perspective, it’s more on the merchant side where using the Till that they have, they can accept payments from Airtel or Telkom which is very convenient and efficient as they do not need to have numerous Till numbers,” said M-Pesa Africa Managing Director Sitoyo Lopokoiyit.
The platform will give Airtel and Telkom customers access to 400,000 Lipa na M-Pesa tills on Safaricom’s network, potentially boosting the two telcos’ revenues from mobile payment services.
Last year, Safaricom made Sh1.7 billion in revenues from payments with the number of one-month active Lipa na M-Pesa tills growing 75 per cent year on year.
The telco’s share of the mobile payments market, however, significantly dwarfs that of its rivals.
Data from the Communications Authority of Kenya indicates that the value of customer-to-business transfers on M-Pesa stood at Sh1.3 trillion in the second quarter of 2021-22 financial year.
Majority share
Airtel and Telkom on the other hand registered Sh1.3 billion and Sh86 million respectively in similar transfers over the same period.
With 30 million monthly active users, Safaricom is likely to enjoy a comfortable majority share of commissions earned from Lipa na M-Pesa. In contrast, Airtel Money and T-Kash reported 277,143 thousand and 249,754 active users as at July 2021.
The three mobile network operators, however, did not reveal the revenue sharing structure under the new platform or when M-Pesa’s Pay Bill function and agent network will be opened up.
“That’s a conversation we’ve together and how we do that (revenue share) is between ourselves, but from a customer perspective the experience is the same,” Mr Lopokoiyit said.
“The import of interoperability is not so much the specific revenues we get, we are keen not to burden the consumer any more than they are burdened today and that’s a principle we’ve adopted with the CBK,” said Mr Kibati.
CBK welcomed the launch of interoperability by the three telcos as an important step in the evolution of Kenya’s payment services.
“The lack of full interoperability has increased the complexity, time and costs associated with making payments,” said the regulator in a statement.
“Without merchant interoperability of mobile money services, customers were forced to use alternative payment methods, including making transfers across networks, when making payments to merchants that are on different networks.”
Subsequent phases of interoperability will be extended to pay bills and agent networks, the statement said.
“The overall aim is to provide customers with a seamless, secure and affordable means to send and receive money in any network,” CBK said.
“CBK will continue to guide and facilitate the efforts to achieve full-scale interoperability across the payments ecosystem.”
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More people can now get second Covid-19 booster shots after federal health officials announced they are allowing a broader group to get fourth doses of the two messenger RNA Covid-19 vaccines made by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna.
Adults 50 and older, who received three previous mRNA doses, can get a second booster dose if it's been at least four months since their first one. Everyone who received two doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine can also receive an additional mRNA dose four months after their last booster.
Many people are wondering: Does it mean everyone is going to need an annual Covid-19 booster? Do we need booster shots even more frequently? Is it going to be combined with the flu shot? Are new vaccines going to be developed that target new variants? And should they wait to get the booster if they are eligible, or get it now?
To help answer these questions, I spoke with CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and professor of health policy and management at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. She is also author of "Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health."
CNN: Will everyone need a Covid-19 shot every year?
Dr. Leana Wen: We don't know yet. There are a lot of variables here, and only time -- and ongoing research -- will tell.
First, we don't know how long the immune protection from the vaccine and first booster will last. There is a lot of evidence that the first booster is very important. During a time when Omicron was the dominant variant, the effectiveness of three doses against severe disease remained high, at 94%, according to a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If this protection starts waning substantially, that would be a sign that another booster is needed.
Second, there may be new variants that develop over time. The influenza vaccine is given annually after it's reconfigured every year for new mutations. The current vaccines work well against the Omicron subvariants, but if there are future variants that evade vaccine-induced immunity, that's another reason for additional vaccinations.
Third, we need to monitor for how prevalent Covid-19 is. Right now, it is still rampant throughout the world, but if it ends up fading, regular booster doses may not be needed. As Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medical adviser, said to CNN, "Will it ultimately get to such a low level that we might not even need a boost every year?" That's possible, but we don't know yet.
Fourth, we need to see whether there is a clear seasonality to future Covid-19 outbreaks. Other coronaviruses that cause the common cold are more prevalent in the winter, as are other respiratory viruses like RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and influenza. It's likely that SARS-CoV-2 is, too, and there have been surges during winter months. This part, though, still needs to be seen in this coming fall and winter seasons.
Finally, there are logistical considerations to think about. Adding an annual vaccine is a big undertaking. The uptake of the influenza vaccine is already low; just only about half of Americans get it every year. With the misinformation and polarization around Covid-19, encouraging this level of frequency will be a big undertaking.
CNN: Right now, a second booster is already allowed four months after the first, which means that the current frequency is more than once a year. Could boosters be needed even more than once a year?
Wen: It's possible. I want to emphasize that there is a lot we don't know, simply because we don't have the ability to foretell the future.
There are a couple of different scenarios that could occur. One is that certain groups of people may need more frequent vaccines. Recall that people who are moderately or severely immunocompromised have been recommended to get their additional booster for months. It's possible that, going forward, certain more vulnerable populations will be recommended to get vaccines at a higher frequency than the general population.
In addition, there will also need to be contingencies if a new variant arises that evades prior immunity. There should be the option to develop, manufacture and quickly distribute variant-specific vaccines. If this happens, the frequency could end up being more than once a year for a particular time period.
Going forward, we have to consider the availability of other therapies and mitigation measures, too. For example, Evusheld is an antibody infusion that, when given to immunocompromised individuals, is very effective at reducing their likelihood of progression to severe illness. Antiviral pills and monoclonal antibodies are effective treatments when given early in the course of illness. And there are other preventive measures, including masking and testing before get-togethers, that can reduce risk, too.
CNN: If the Covid-19 vaccine is going to be given annually, would it make sense to combine it with the flu vaccine?
Wen: In theory, yes, but we just don't know if the Covid-19 vaccine needs to be an annual shot.
There are other vaccines that last longer. The Tdap (tetanus-diphtheria vaccine), for example, requires a booster every 10 years. The polio vaccine is a four-dose vaccine -- you get four doses, and you're done. Hepatitis B is a three-dose vaccine.
It's possible that Covid-19 could be three or four doses, and we're done, or it may need to be updated more frequently like influenza. Again, we just don't know yet. If it does end up being something that's annual, and the seasonal pattern appears similar to influenza, then having a combined shot -- or at least, getting it at the same time as the flu shot -- would be sensible.
CNN: Why aren't there variant-specific vaccines that target Omicron?
Wen: Scientists are working on these vaccines now. They are testing Omicron-specific vaccines and boosters to see if they could be even more effective than the original vaccines, which were targeting the previously dominant variants.
One consideration is that additional variants may arise, and scientists have to think about whether the Omicron-specific vaccines or the original vaccine -- or some combination -- will be most likely to be effective against potential variants in the future. This was among the many issues that advisers to the US Food and Drug Administration discussed in their meeting this week.
CNN: If people are eligible for boosters now, should they get them, or should they wait?
Wen: It depends on the individual's medical circumstance and how much they are willing to give up to avoid Covid-19, as I mentioned in our CNN Q&A last week. Someone who is over age 65 and/or immunocompromised should probably get the additional booster now.
On the other hand, someone who is between ages 50 and 65, with no medical problems and recently had an Omicron infection, could probably wait. Some people might defer an additional booster as long as they are well-protected against severe illness. Others want to avoid any infection, even mild and asymptomatic infections. These are all personal decisions to be made in consultation with your medical provider.
CNN: What's your booster advice for people under 50? Should people get their first booster? And should they go for their second?
Wen: Everyone should get their first booster if eligible. The question of the second booster is more complex. If the person is under 50 and moderately or severely immunocompromised, they should also get their second booster. Another group that should get their second booster, even if they are under 50, are those who received two doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and it's been at least four months since their last dose. All other groups under 50 are not eligible to receive their second booster at this time and should not go for their second.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/coronavirus/should-you-get-your-second-booster-shot-now/article_a8cf524b-511f-58d0-ba42-668fdbd5120a.html | 2022-04-08T21:45:28Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/coronavirus/should-you-get-your-second-booster-shot-now/article_a8cf524b-511f-58d0-ba42-668fdbd5120a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Will Smith will not be allowed to attend the Academy Awards for the next 10 years, as a result of his slapping comedian Chris Rock on stage during this year's Oscar ceremony, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences announced in a statement obtained by CNN.
"The Board has decided, for a period of 10 years from April 8, 2022, Mr. Smith shall not be permitted to attend any Academy events or programs, in person or virtually, including but not limited to the Academy Awards," Academy President David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson said in a statement on Friday.
The decision was made during a Board of Governors meeting held earlier in the day in Los Angeles. The meeting, initially scheduled for April 18, was expedited after Smith announced his resignation from the Academy last week.
Smith issued a quick, concise statement on his ban from the Oscars for the next decade.
"I accept and respect the Academy's decision," the actor said in a statement to CNN.
The decision came following "tons of debate" on what the consequences of his on-stage slap should be, a board member tells CNN.
The Academy's letter added: "The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year; however, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage."
"During our telecast, we did not adequately address the situation in the room," the letter went on to state. "For this, we are sorry. This was an opportunity for us to set an example for our guests, viewers and our Academy family around the world, and we fell short — unprepared for the unprecedented."
The Board of Governors said in a previous statement that they wanted the matter to be "handled in a timely fashion." Smith's resignation means that he is no longer part of the Academy's voting body, but it does not prevent the Oscar winner from being nominated in the future, a source with knowledge previously told CNN.
What happened and what came next
The actor struck Rock as the comedian was on stage presenting at the Academy Awards on March 27 after Rock had made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith's, close-cropped hair.
Pinkett Smith suffers from hair loss due to alopecia.
Rock has not spoken in depth publicly about the incident.
Days after it occurred, Rock appeared at a comedy show in Boston as part of his "Ego Death Tour" and said "I don't have a bunch of s*** about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I had like a whole show I wrote before this weekend. And I'm still kind of processing what happened, so at some point I'll talk about that s***. And it'll be serious and it'll be funny, but right now I'm going to tell some jokes."
CNN has reached out to representatives for Rock for comment.
Smith publicly apologized to Rock the day after the incident via social media.
Smith also reached out the next morning to the show's producer, Will Packer, apologized and expressed his embarrassment, the producer told "Good Morning America."
During the interview with "GMA," Packer said officers from the Los Angeles Police Department were prepared to arrest Smith for battery, but Rock said he didn't want that.
In its letter, the Academy offered its "deep gratitude to Mr. Rock for maintaining his composure under extraordinary circumstances."
"This action we are taking today in response to Will Smith's behavior is a step toward a larger goal of protecting the safety of our performers and guests, and restoring trust in the Academy," the letter concluded. "We also hope this can begin a time of healing and restoration for all involved and impacted."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/actor-will-smith-banned-from-attending-oscars-for-10-years/article_a8b402f5-8d03-51c4-936b-debfd5c2511d.html | 2022-04-08T21:45:40Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/national/actor-will-smith-banned-from-attending-oscars-for-10-years/article_a8b402f5-8d03-51c4-936b-debfd5c2511d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Windstar
With two classes of yachts—Wind Class or All-Suite Star Plus Class—and packages ranging from Cruise Only to All-Inclusive, Windstar offers customizable experiences to perfectly suit your personal travel style. As the Official Cruise Line of the James Beard Foundation, Windstar also celebrates regional flavors with locally sourced cuisine and recipes from some of the world’s most recognized chefs. And their private yacht style cruises visit places the bigger ships can’t reach. All aboard! | https://www.afar.com/journeys/a-greek-odyssey-through-the-spectacular-aegean-sea | 2022-04-08T21:46:44Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/journeys/a-greek-odyssey-through-the-spectacular-aegean-sea | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Breathtaking Positano
During your stop on Sorrento, take a boat ride to the picture-postcard shores of this stunning area which has been enchanting visitors for centuries. At the iconic cliffside village on the Amalfi Coast, you’ll experience the legendary land of the Sirens as you wander the narrow streets lined with charming cafés and shops. | https://www.afar.com/journeys/sail-in-italy-and-the-dazzling-dalmatian-coast | 2022-04-08T21:46:51Z | afar.com | control | https://www.afar.com/journeys/sail-in-italy-and-the-dazzling-dalmatian-coast | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PHENIX CITY, Ala. (WRBL) – A man walked into a jail in Alabama Thursday afternoon and stunned authorities by announcing that he wanted to confess to a murder before trying to escape, according to Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor.
Anthony Jackson, 33, is now locked up in the Russell County Jail facing capital murder charges in the 2019 drive-by-shooting death of 27-year-old Beionca Bolden, authorities told Nexstar’s WRBL.
Deputies said Jackson had a gun on him when he walked into the jail and made his confession, resulting in further charges.
“I have never seen this happen in 35 years of law enforcement,” Sheriff Taylor said.
Jackson was taken to the agency’s investigative building. Phenix City Police were called when investigators realized their officers had been working the fatal shooting case.
In addition to the capital murder charges, Jackson is facing gun charges for promoting prison contraband and possession by a convicted felon.
At some point, Jackson tried to escape, Taylor said, leading to an escape charge.
Bolden was shot inside a Phenix City home as she held her baby on June 10, 2019, family members said.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Rick Chancey says his office is still investigating and is not sure if he will seek the death penalty against Jackson. It is a capital charge now because police believe Bolden was killed by a bullet shot from a vehicle.
“It is still an active investigation,” Chancey said. “We are trying to confirm the facts of what he confessed to. We want to make sure that what he said he did, he did. But so far what he’s telling us is adding up.” | https://www.wwlp.com/news/sheriff-man-walks-into-alabama-jail-confesses-to-murder-then-tries-to-escape/ | 2022-04-08T21:49:26Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/sheriff-man-walks-into-alabama-jail-confesses-to-murder-then-tries-to-escape/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DETROIT, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 4-year-old boy has a new best friend after losing his old one.
After going with his mother to run errands in March, Leo's stuffed puppy was gone.
“I called every store, nothing," Emily Sudekum said. "We went back up to Meijer. We went through the whole store and went through the stuffed animal section because they thought he might be there. And then we called 7-Eleven, went back up there. No luck at all,” said Emily.
“He was emotional for two days. He was crying. He wouldn’t sleep. He wouldn't do nothing,” Sudekum said.
Desperate to cheer up Leo, Sudekum posted in community Facebook group— asking if anyone had seen her son’s beloved missing stuffed animal. At first, no luck. But then, Sudekum said a woman reached out.
“She was like, ‘hey, my kids have one that they would love to give to your son,’ And so thankfully, she was amazing, and she actually showed up like three hours later at my house with the stuffed animal,” Sudekum said. “She drove the puppy all the way to my house and her two kids actually gave it to him.”
Sudekum said Leo was filled with joy.
“His whole face just lit up. He was super excited, you know, like he was snuggling," Sudekum said.
This story was originally reported by Alexandra Bahou on wxyz.com. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/simple-act-of-kindness-brings-joy-to-4-year-old-who-lost-favorite-stuffed-animal | 2022-04-08T21:53:53Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/simple-act-of-kindness-brings-joy-to-4-year-old-who-lost-favorite-stuffed-animal | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Transgender kids and their parents say they feel attacked by a wave of Republican-sponsored legislation and policies aimed at trans youth.
Bills have been introduced to ban gender-affirming care and block transgender children from using school restrooms or playing on sports teams that don't match their sex at birth. Proponents say the measures are about protecting children and preserving the integrity of girls' sports.
Opponents argue that they target already vulnerable children for the sake of scoring political points.
Ninth grader Harleigh Walker, 15, said “Honestly, I’m a little scared now,” she said Thursday after learning the bill had passed. ”But we’re still going to fight no matter what.”
Alabama is among the states with a Republican-controlled legislature advancing these bills.
Cathryn Oakley, state legislative director and senior counsel for the Human Rights Campaign said, “In one breathtakingly cruel and cowardly day, the Alabama legislature passed the single most anti-transgender legislative package in history.” | https://www.katc.com/news/national/trans-kids-parents-fight-wave-of-legislation-in-red-states-banning-gender-affirming-care | 2022-04-08T21:54:00Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/trans-kids-parents-fight-wave-of-legislation-in-red-states-banning-gender-affirming-care | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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A Corvallis resident is one of the first Peace Corps volunteers to return to service | https://www.klcc.org/tags/peace-corps | 2022-04-08T21:58:30Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/tags/peace-corps | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DUBLIN, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a leading global professional services firm, plans to announce first quarter 2022 results on Friday, April 29th, 2022 in a news release to be issued at 5:00 am Central Time. Greg Case, CEO, will host a conference call at 7:30 am Central Time on Friday, April 29th, 2022. The conference call will be broadcast live through Aon's website at www.aon.com. A replay will be available shortly after the live webcast. The earnings release and supplemental slide presentation will be available on Aon's web site at www.aon.com.
Aon plc (NYSE: AON) exists to shape decisions for the better — to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world. Our colleagues provide our clients in over 120 countries with advice and solutions that give them the clarity and confidence to make better decisions to protect and grow their business.
Follow Aon on Twitter and LinkedIn. Stay up-to-date by visiting the Aon Newsroom and sign up for News Alerts here.
Investor Relations
investor.relations@aon.com
+1 312 381 3310
Nadine Youssef
mediainquiries@aon.com
+1 312 381 3024
View original content:
SOURCE Aon plc | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/aon-announces-first-quarter-2022-earnings-release-conference-call/ | 2022-04-08T21:58:45Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/aon-announces-first-quarter-2022-earnings-release-conference-call/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
- Combining onvansertib with the PARP inhibitor (PARPi) olaparib led to statistically significant survival benefits compared to treatment with either agent alone in PARPi-resistant ovarian cancer models
- Onvansertib-olaparib combination was well tolerated in vivo
SAN DIEGO, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cardiff Oncology, Inc. (Nasdaq: CRDF), a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging PLK1 inhibition to develop novel therapies across a range of cancers, today announced the results of preclinical studies evaluating the anti-cancer activity of onvansertib in combination with the PARP inhibitor (PARPi) olaparib in PARPi-resistant patient-derived xenograft (PDX) ovarian cancer models. The results are featured in a poster presentation at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, which is taking place both virtually and in-person at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana from April 8-13, 2022.
"In these studies, we sought to evaluate how combining onvansertib with PARP inhibition, an approved maintenance treatment for ovarian cancer, might mitigate the known phenomenon of acquired tumor resistance to PARP inhibitors," said Tod Smeal, Ph.D., chief scientific officer at Cardiff Oncology. "We are very pleased with the results, which showed onvansertib and olaparib synergistically combining to generate strong activity against PARPi-resistant patient-derived ovarian cancer models. Given the current lack of effective treatment options for patients showing PARPi resistance, we believe these data are supportive of evaluating this combination within a PARPi-resistant clinical setting."
Preclinical studies featured in the AACR poster evaluated onvansertib-olaparib combination treatment in three olaparib-resistant patient-derived xenograft (PDX) ovarian cancer models. Two of the three PDX models used (MNHOC22, MNHOC266) were cisplatin-sensitive with a mutated BRCA1 gene, while the third (MNHOC316DDP) was cisplatin-resistant with wild type BRCA1. BRCA1-mutant tumor cells are deficient for homologous recombination (HR)-mediated DNA repair and are initially sensitive to PARPi. This suggests that PARPi resistance was acquired in the MNHOC22 and MNHOC266 tumors due to the restoration of HR-mediated DNA repair, while being naturally conferred in MNHOC316DDP tumors due to continuous HR-proficiency.
Data showed that combining onvansertib with olaparib led to a statistically significant survival benefit compared to treatment with either agent alone in each of the three evaluated PDX models. Results showed the combination was well tolerated.
An electronic copy of the poster and corresponding abstract, entitled, Combining PARP inhibition with the Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) inhibitor onvansertib overcomes PARP inhibitor resistance, is available to registered attendees of the AACR annual meeting on the meeting website. The in-person presentation will take place during the "Drug Resistance and Reversal of Resistance" poster session on April 12, 2022, from 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM CT. Following the meeting, the poster will be available on the "Scientific Presentations" section of the Cardiff Oncology website at https://cardiffoncology.com/scientific-presentations/.
About Cardiff Oncology, Inc.
Cardiff Oncology is a clinical-stage biotechnology company leveraging PLK1 inhibition to develop novel therapies across a range of cancers. Our lead asset is onvansertib, an oral highly selective PLK1 inhibitor, which we are evaluating in combination with standard-of-care (SOC) therapeutics in clinical programs targeting indications such as KRAS-mutated metastatic colorectal cancer, metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, and metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. These programs and our broader development strategy are designed to target tumor vulnerabilities in order to overcome treatment resistance and deliver superior clinical benefit compared to the SOC. For more information, please visit https://www.cardiffoncology.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified using words such as "anticipate," "believe," "forecast," "estimated" and "intend" or other similar terms or expressions that concern Cardiff Oncology's expectations, strategy, plans or intentions. These forward-looking statements are based on Cardiff Oncology's current expectations and actual results could differ materially. There are several factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, clinical trials involve a lengthy and expensive process with an uncertain outcome, and results of earlier studies and trials may not be predictive of future trial results; our clinical trials may be suspended or discontinued due to unexpected side effects or other safety risks that could preclude approval of our product candidates; risks related to business interruptions, including the outbreak of COVID-19 coronavirus, which could seriously harm our financial condition and increase our costs and expenses; uncertainties of government or third party payer reimbursement; dependence on key personnel; limited experience in marketing and sales; substantial competition; uncertainties of patent protection and litigation; dependence upon third parties; and risks related to failure to obtain FDA clearances or approvals and noncompliance with FDA regulations. There are no guarantees that any of our technology or products will be utilized or prove to be commercially successful. Additionally, there are no guarantees that future clinical trials will be completed or successful or that any precision medicine therapeutics will receive regulatory approval for any indication or prove to be commercially successful. Investors should read the risk factors set forth in Cardiff Oncology's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While the list of factors presented here is considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Unlisted factors may present significant additional obstacles to the realization of forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements included herein are made as of the date hereof, and Cardiff Oncology does not undertake any obligation to update publicly such statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Cardiff Oncology Contact:
Vicki Kelemen
Chief Operating Officer
858-952-7652
vkelemen@cardiffoncology.com
Investor Contact:
Joyce Allaire
LifeSci Advisors
212-915-2569
jallaire@lifesciadvisors.com
Media Contact:
Amy Jobe, Ph.D.
LifeSci Communications
315-879-8192
ajobe@lifescicomms.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Cardiff Oncology, Inc. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/cardiff-oncology-announces-data-showing-combination-parp-inhibition-with-onvansertib-overcomes-parp-inhibitor-resistance-brca1-mutant-wildtype-patient-derived-xenograft-ovarian-cancer-models/ | 2022-04-08T21:59:06Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/cardiff-oncology-announces-data-showing-combination-parp-inhibition-with-onvansertib-overcomes-parp-inhibitor-resistance-brca1-mutant-wildtype-patient-derived-xenograft-ovarian-cancer-models/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
- Findings further indicate the potential of engineered macrophages as a new treatment pathway for hard-to-treat cancers and other serious illnesses
- Research findings point to feasibility of a shortened manufacturing process for CAR-monocytes
PHILADELPHIA, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Carisma Therapeutics Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing innovative immunotherapies, announced study findings accepted for presentation at The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting taking place in New Orleans, LA, Friday, April 8 – Wednesday, April 13. The accepted data reinforce the potential of Carisma's differentiated and proprietary cell therapy platform focused on engineered macrophages as a novel treatment pathway for hard-to-treat cancers and other serious illnesses and provides information on the feasibility of a shortened manufacturing process for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) monocytes.
Carisma will share key findings from recent studies including, "Chimeric antigen receptor macrophages (CAR-M) sensitize solid tumors to anti-PD1 immunotherapy," presented by Stefano Pierini, PhD, Principal Scientist at Carisma. Findings demonstrate robust synergy between the CAR-Macrophage platform and T cell checkpoint inhibitor therapy. Using pre-clinical solid tumor animal models that are resistant to PD1 blockade, Carisma demonstrated that adding CAR-Macrophages to the treatment regimen significantly enhanced tumor control, overall survival, and tumor microenvironment (TME) activation. Notably, while CAR-Macrophage monotherapy led to TME remodeling, the combination with anti-PD1 led to an increased infiltration of T cells, dendritic cells, and other inflammatory immune cells. Carisma will seek to further evaluate CT-0508, the anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) CAR-Macrophage, in a combination study with pembrolizumab in patients with HER2 overexpressing tumors.
"Pre-clinical development of CAR Monocytes (CAR-Mono) for solid tumor immunotherapy," presented by Carisma Principal Scientist, Daniel Blumenthal, PhD, demonstrated that CAR-Monocytes can be produced in a single day, induce robust and targeted anti-tumor activity in vitro and in vivo, differentiate into M1 polarized CAR-Macrophage within tumors, and persist for over six months in animal models. In this study, Carisma established an ultra-rapid, same-day CAR-Monocyte manufacturing process, which holds the potential to significantly reduce the future cost of goods and manufacturing turnaround time associated with the autologous cell therapy.
Also accepted for AACR presentation is the clinical trial design and foundational details regarding Carisma's lead candidate, CT-0508, a HER2-targeted CAR-Macrophage, "A phase 1, first in human (FIH) study of autologous anti-HER2 chimeric antigen receptor macrophages (CAR-M) in HER2-overexpressing solid tumors (ST)," presented by Kim A. Reiss, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) and the principal investigator for Carisma's clinical trial of CT-0508. This first-of-its kind Phase 1 clinical trial is actively enrolling patients at five sites, including Penn; the University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill; City of Hope in Duarte, California; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas; and Sarah Cannon Research Institute at Tennessee Oncology – Nashville.
"The preclinical data presented at the AACR Annual Meeting reinforces the exciting potential of Carisma's engineered macrophage and monocyte platforms," shared Debora Barton, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Carisma Therapeutics. "Our commitment remains steadfast to providing new solutions to patients and their providers, as we continue our first-of-its-kind clinical trial of CT-0508 and look to expand utilization of this technology."
The following poster presentations will be published on the AACR Annual Meeting website and available for registered attendees during the dates/times indicated below:
- Sunday, April 10 at 1:30 pm ET:
- Monday, April 11 at 1:30 pm ET:
- Tuesday, April 12 at 9:00 am ET:
Editor's Note: Carisma has licensed certain Penn-owned intellectual property from the University of Pennsylvania, and Penn's Perelman School of Medicine receives sponsored research and clinical trial funding from the company. Penn may also be entitled to receive additional financial benefits from technologies licensed and optioned to Carisma in the future. In addition, Penn is a co-founder of the company and holds equity interests in Carisma.
About Carisma Therapeutics
Carisma is a biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing a differentiated and proprietary cell therapy platform focused on engineered macrophages, cells that play a crucial role in both the innate and adaptive immune response. The first applications of the platform, developed in collaboration with the University of Pennsylvania, are autologous chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-macrophages for the treatment of solid tumors. Carisma is headquartered in Philadelphia, PA.
For more information, please visit www.carismatx.com
Carisma Media Contact:
Julia Stern
(763) 350-5223
jstern@realchemistry.com
View original content to download multimedia:
SOURCE Carisma Therapeutics Inc. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/carisma-therapeutics-present-engineered-cell-therapy-data-american-association-cancer-research-annual-meeting/ | 2022-04-08T21:59:19Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/carisma-therapeutics-present-engineered-cell-therapy-data-american-association-cancer-research-annual-meeting/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
By PHILIP MARCELO
BOSTON (AP) — A former Florida prep school administrator was sentenced to federal prison and a decorated water polo coach at the University of Southern California was swiftly convicted by a jury in a busy Friday in Boston federal court in the long running college admissions bribery scandal.
Mark Riddell, who was paid handsomely to take college entrance exams for wealthy students, was handed a four-month prison sentence, ordered to serve two years of supervised release and forfeit nearly $240,000.
Meanwhile, former USC coach Jovan Vavic, who faked the athletic credentials of rich students so they could gain admission, was convicted on all three counts of fraud and bribery he faced after a jury deliberated less than a day following his nearly monthlong trial.
U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins said the verdict in Vavic’s trial represents the final conviction in the headline grabbing case dubbed “Operation Varsity Blues.”
The investigation announced in 2019 exposed corruption in the college admissions process at Yale, Stanford, Georgetown and other sought-after schools, and implicated wealthy and connected parents, including actors Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin and Loughlin’s fashion designer husband, Mossimo Giannulli.
“To say the conduct in this case was reprehensible is an understatement,” Rollins said afterward, acknowledging the sprawling investigation preceded her taking office earlier this year. “The rich, powerful and famous — dripping with privilege and entitlement — used their money and clout to steal college admissions spots from more qualified and deserving students.”
Joseph Bonavolonta, head of the FBI’s Boston office, said he hoped “many important lessons” were learned from the investigation and that colleges make sure the proper safeguards are in place.
“First and foremost, you can’t pay to play and lie and cheat to circumvent the college admissions process,” he said. “Because you will get caught.”
Vavic, a 60-year-old, who guided USC’s men’s and women’s water polo teams to 16 national championships, strode out of the courtroom Friday with his family, declining to comment on the verdict.
Prosecutors said he received about $250,000 in bribes for designating unqualified students as water polo recruits so they could attend the elite Los Angeles school.
But lawyers for Vavic argued he was just doing what he could to raise money for his dominant, championship-winning program as athletic officials had demanded. They maintained he never lied, never took a bribe and was a victim of USC’s desire to cover up a “pervasive culture” of accepting wealthy students who could provide donation windfalls.
The university, which fired Vavic after his 2019 arrest, has stressed its admissions processes are “not on trial.”
In a separate courtroom just minutes after Vavic’s verdict was read, Riddell was contrite as he faced sentencing on fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges.
The Harvard graduate, who emerged as a key figure in the wide-ranging scandal, apologized to the many students that lost out on college opportunities because of his “terrible decision.”
He said he brought shame to his family and pleaded for leniency for cooperating with law enforcement officials and for committing to make amends now and going forward for his actions.
Riddell’s lawyers said he should serve one to two months in prison because he was neither the ringleader of the scheme nor a university insider, like the coaches and college administrators implicated. They also noted he’s already paid nearly $166,000 toward the forfeiture obligation.
Judge Nathaniel Gorton, however, sided with prosecutors who had argued for the four-month sentence.
He said Riddell played a key role for many years in the scheme by secretly taking the ACT and SAT for students, or correcting their answers.
“And for what?” the judge said. “You did not need the money. How could you have stooped so low?”
___
Associated Press reporter Mark Pratt in Boston contributed to this story. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/test-taker-gets-prison-coach-convicted-in-admissions-scam/ | 2022-04-08T22:01:16Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/08/test-taker-gets-prison-coach-convicted-in-admissions-scam/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lockport-based Barge Canal Optimist Club is sponsoring a visual arts competition for students, in conjunction with Optimist International. The theme is "Optimism," as in anything that makes you "feel" optimistic.
Youths aged 11 years or younger as of Oct. 1, 2021, are invited to enter a painting (watercolor, tempura or acrylic) or a drawing (charcoal, pencil, chalk or colored pencil). Artists, take note: painting and drawing should not be combined in an entry, and markers do not count as paint.
Local professional artists Nikki Milley, Manning McCandlish, Judy Collins and Rhonda Daigler will be the judges at the club level.
Awards for first, second and third place will be given in each category. Participation awards will be given to those who don't place. First-place entries in each category will be sent on to the Optimist International contest, where scholarships are awarded to first-place ($250), second-place ($150) and third-place ($100) winners.
Entries should be framed and must be accompanied by an application signed by the artist and a parent or guardian. Entries must be submitted by April 25 to Becky Wilson at 56 High St., or ART 247 studio 2, 247 Market St. ART 247 is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a,m. to 3 p.m.
For more information call 716-998-9052 or send an email to: rbrlbmw56@aol.com.
A local show and awards reception at ART 247 is scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. April 30. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/community/youth-art-competition-underway/article_d4913518-7b78-53d7-aaf4-f60a503fc06c.html | 2022-04-08T22:02:58Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/community/youth-art-competition-underway/article_d4913518-7b78-53d7-aaf4-f60a503fc06c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ALBANY — An appeals judge on Friday declined to slow down New York's primary elections amid a battle over the state's redistricting plan, but said he would allow a lower court judge to hire an expert to draw up alternative congressional district maps in case the disputed ones ultimately get tossed.
The ruling by state Appellate Division Justice Stephen K. Lindley essentially hands the decision about the constitutionality of the redistricting plan over to a higher court, while creating one possible contingency for keeping the elections on schedule. Lindley sits on the state's mid-level appeals court in Rochester.
The state board of elections can still accept petitions filed by candidates running for office in the new districts, Lindley's ruling said.
New York's primary season was potentially upended last week when Judge Patrick McAllister, a Republican trial judge, declared that new political district maps heavily favoring Democrats had been drawn up illegally.
He ordered the Legislature to quickly redraw the district boundaries, or he would appoint a neutral expert to do it for them.
That ruling has been put on hold while the state appeals.
An appeals court panel has scheduled another hearing for April 20. The case could ultimately be decided by New York's highest court, the Court of Appeals.
In his ruling Friday, Lindley said he would allow McAllister to retain a neutral expert to draw up a new Congressional map, if he wishes to do so, to be used if the Legislature's maps are eventually struck down.
The legislature could also draw up a contingency map, if it desires, Lindley said.
"The Legislature may begin redrawing the map right now if it chooses to do so," he said. "Or the Legislature may choose to do nothing and risk the possibility of having to live with the map drawn by McAllister's neutral experts should respondents lose before the Court of Appeals and lack sufficient time to propose a substitute map that withstands constitutional scrutiny after exhaustion of appellate remedies."
Former GOP U.S. Rep. John Faso, a spokesperson for the plaintiffs, said they were pleased with the decision, which empowers the Steuben County judge to appoint an expert, known as a court master, to draw lines. "Ultimately the Court of Appeals will decide, but we're very much encouraged by this decision today," Faso said in an email.
If they survive court challenges, the maps will mean reelection trouble for several Republican House members, while scrapping the maps could affect House Democrats' efforts to maintain their majority.
The contested lines would give Democrats a strong majority of registered voters in 22 of the 26 U.S. congressional districts New York will have in 2023. Republicans, who now hold eight of the state's 27 seats in the U.S. Congress, would only have an advantage in the remaining four districts.
Lawyers for the state Senate and Assembly assured Lindley on Thursday that the maps will pass constitutional muster.
Legislative leaders have said they don't plan to redraw the maps, and defended them as reflecting population loss in former Republican upstate bastions.
Lindley said Thursday he was chiefly concerned about the prospect of allowing voters to pick candidates based on unconstitutional maps, and said New York must be ready for the possibility of Congressional primaries delayed as late as August 23 or 24.
The state judge also struck down the Assembly and Senate maps on procedural grounds.
But Lindley did not allow backup plans for legislative maps in his Friday order. He said there was "less need" for a court master to draw up new legislative maps because the lower court didn't find they were unconstitutionally gerrymandered.
So far this election cycle, courts have intervened to block maps they found were gerrymandered by Republicans in North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania, and gerrymandered by Democrats in Maryland. | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/ny-2022-races-to-proceed-but-judge-can-order-backup-maps/article_40a322f8-17bf-5768-bd5b-adb592ab511d.html | 2022-04-08T22:03:04Z | lockportjournal.com | control | https://www.lockportjournal.com/news/ny-2022-races-to-proceed-but-judge-can-order-backup-maps/article_40a322f8-17bf-5768-bd5b-adb592ab511d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW YORK, April 8, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --
WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of AbbVie Inc. (NYSE: ABBV) between April 30, 2021 and August 31, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 6, 2022.
SO WHAT: If you purchased AbbVie securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.
WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the AbbVie class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5119 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than June 6, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.
WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.
DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) safety concerns about Xeljanz and Xeljanz XR extended to Rinvoq and other Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors; (2) as a result, it was likely that the FDA would require additional safety warnings for Rinvoq and would delay the approval of additional treatment indications for Rinvoq; and (3) therefore, defendants' statements about AbbVie's business, operations, and prospects lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.
To join the AbbVie class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=5119 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.
No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.
Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Contact Information:
Laurence Rosen, Esq.
Phillip Kim, Esq.
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 686-1060
Toll Free: (866) 767-3653
Fax: (212) 202-3827
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SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/rosen-leading-law-firm-encourages-abbvie-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-abbv/ | 2022-04-08T22:04:48Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/prnewswire/2022/04/08/rosen-leading-law-firm-encourages-abbvie-inc-investors-secure-counsel-before-important-deadline-securities-class-action-abbv/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SEATTLE — A fossilized mammoth tusk valued at $19,000 was stolen from a fine art gallery in downtown Seattle on Tuesday.
In the surveillance video provided by the owner of Fossil & Stone, a man can be seen grabbing the roughly 12,000-year-old tusk and running out of the store using an emergency exit. The suspect escaped in a stolen purple PT Cruiser driven by another person, according to police.
Prior to the theft, the suspect was "wandering around" the store, according to police. The suspect told store employees his mother was in the store earlier. After walking around the store some more, the suspect grabbed the tusk and ran.
An employee who had followed the suspect out of the store sprayed pepper spray in the suspect's direction as she ran toward the getaway vehicle, but it hit her instead.
The tusk is believed to be approximately 12,000 years old.
The suspect was described as a male, roughly 6 feet tall and 20-30 years old. He was wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, black baggy jeans with black and white hand tattoos.
Property crime has spiked in recent months, along with violent crime, has spiked across Seattle, with retail thefts like the one downtown on Thursday causing a major disruption.
In February, city officials called for an audit of organized retail thefts across the city, seeking solutions to an issue that's become so prolific over the last two years that at least one business, Simply Seattle, closed its Pioneer Square location.
In 2021, property crime increased in Seattle by 9% compared to 2020, with larceny-theft up 15% overall, according to the Seattle Police Department's annual crime report. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/mammoth-tusk-stolen-seattle-business/281-86721f8a-19a2-4a71-8daf-50aeae5ee83f | 2022-04-08T22:19:47Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/crime/mammoth-tusk-stolen-seattle-business/281-86721f8a-19a2-4a71-8daf-50aeae5ee83f | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Grab a map and guzzle a few swigs in downtown Coeur d’Alene for the annual Wine Extravaganza Saturday, as reported by our partners, the Coeur d'Alene Press.
Presented by the Coeur d’Alene Downtown Association, event participants can enjoy sips from 20 wineries while strolling through local shops functioning as pop-up tasting rooms.
Chloe Linton, events coordinator for the association, said the association is hoping to build the annual event up following a previous cancellation and smaller event because of COVID-19.
“This year we’re trying to bring it back bigger and better,” Linton said. “I know it’s just continued to grow.”
There will be 45 varietals, wine cocktails, local live musicians and a photo booth as well.
“It’s a nice environment,” Linton said. “You’ll get to go around, do a little shopping, but it’s not just necessarily about the shopping. It’s about the wine.”
Guided by a map, participants can visit the 20 local downtown shops to taste local and imported wines. Coeur d’Alene Fresh Wine Bar, one of the wine tasting stops on the map, was opened in 2016 by Carlos and Marla Lopez.
They will serve complimentary cheese and crackers to participants, Marla Lopez said, and have a free drawing for a $300 wine gift basket.
This isn’t the first Wine Extravaganza event for the wine bar, located across the street from the parking garage on Coeur d’Alene Avenue.
“We really enjoy it because we are off the beaten path,” Lopez said. “A lot of people discover us through the Wine Extravaganza and we really appreciate the Downtown Association doing the event, and we really love the people that come and find us.”
Linton said that’s one of the great perks of the wine tasting event.
“It kind of encourages people to enter and visit different shops and businesses that are downtown, some of the new ones as well,” Linton said.
For the wine tasting, Lopez said they will bring both local and imported wines for some excitement. The local wine is Jones of Washington Rose Syrah. The imported wine is Barramundi Cabernet Sauvignon from Australia.
The bar also holds events such as Wine on Wednesdays, and has a wine club Lopez said has been growing.
“It’s just very welcoming,” Lopez said. “Everyone’s just enjoying chatting with each other.”
Tickets for the Wine Extravaganza are limited and available online until the end of day today. If still available, tickets may be purchased on Saturday at the plaza shops for an extra $5 per ticket.
Check-in is at the plaza shops. The event runs from 2-7 p.m.
Tickets for VIP admission with flexible check-in between 2-5 p.m. are $40 and include 10 1 oz. wine tastings, a commemorative wine glass and access to a VIP-only tasting area from 2-7 p.m.
Two and 3 p.m. check in tickets are $25 and include six 1 oz. wine tastings and a commemorative wine glass. Additional wine tasting tickets are $10 for five 1 oz. tasting tickets, and are available online and at check-in.
For tickets, visit https://cdadowntown.com/cda-events/wine-extravaganza
The Coeur d'Alene Press is a KREM 2 News partner. For more news from our partners, click here. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/20-wineries-come-to-cda/293-f07e6d1a-5c42-45c2-b087-3f10533d786c | 2022-04-08T22:19:52Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/20-wineries-come-to-cda/293-f07e6d1a-5c42-45c2-b087-3f10533d786c | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Kootenai County commissioners will soon decide how to spend federal funds for COVID-19 relief — or whether to use the money at all.
The county has been allocated a $32 million share of federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act.
The funds are to be used for the direct or indirect response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
At a special meeting Thursday afternoon, the county's ARPA Task Force presented its final recommendations on how to spend the funds to the Board of County Commissioners.
Read the full report at www.kcgov.us/997/American-Rescue-Plan-Act.
The county received about $99 million in requests for funding — more than three times what the rescue funds can cover.
The task force adopted an evaluation plan to define the process used to make recommendations, then scored the eligible projects based on that metric. From there, the projects were further assessed.
Of the 44 eligible projects, the task force recommended that 13 receive full or partial funding:
• Kootenai County BOCC: Addition to Justice Building — $22 million
• Kootenai County BOCC: Admin Campus HVAC — $2 million
• Kootenai County Prosecutor: Family Justice Center Study — $175,000
• Kootenai County Coroner: Mobile Morgue Trailer — $6,000
• Kootenai County EMS: Ambulance Purchase Needs — $1 million
• Kootenai County EMS: Reimbursement of COVID-19 PPE & Misc. Expenses — $14,000
• Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office: Jail Generator Upgrade — $550,000
• Kootenai County Buildings & Grounds: Juvenile Detention Center HVAC
• Children’s Village: Premium Pay for Non-Executive Staff — $291,000
• On Site for Seniors: Operational Costs — $125,000
• CDAIDE: Direct and Staffing Costs for Care Program — $50,000
• Wellspring Meadows: Direct Care Retention and Sign-On Bonuses — $332,000
• IT Department: Cybersecurity and Data Backup — $500,000
The task force recommended the county spend a little more than $27 million of the available $32 million, setting the rest aside for future waves of COVID-19 or additional requests.
Commissioner Bill Brooks said he disapproved of spending $22 million in federal funds on an expansion to the county’s main campus, where the Justice Building is located.
The expansion would add three courtrooms, as well as a secure detention area and office space for the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office, district court employees, prosecutors and other county staff.
In its report, the ARPA task force said the additional facilities will enable the court to fully address the case backlog caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The BOCC first identified ARPA money as a possible funding source for the project last year. Other funding options include a general obligation bond, forgone taxes and an annual lease agreement.
“I said I would vote for anything $18 million or less if it were said to the public in a general obligation bond,” Brooks said Thursday. “Apparently that is not the direction the task force wants to go, so I can’t support this.”
Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris addressed the commissioners at Thursday’s meeting, calling on them to allocate funds toward law enforcement.
“Public safety in Kootenai County to preserve our quality of life should be a priority,” he said.
KCSO reportedly requested a little more than $21 million in ARPA funds to be used for several projects, including equipping all county public safety personnel with new radios and completing two unfinished pods at the jail.
The project to complete unfinished pods at the jail, which would add more than 100 bunks to the facility, received the second highest evaluation score.
However, rules set by the U.S. Treasury reportedly prohibit using ARPA funds to expand jail capacity in response to an increased crime rate or a need for physical distancing.
The task force determined the project is likely to be disallowed by the U.S. Treasury.
Additionally, the task force found the $6.3 million radio project was disproportionate to its application to the COVID-19 response.
The task force did recommend spending $550,000 to replace the generator used to provide power to the Kootenai County Jail during outages.
Though the BOCC voted last July to accept the COVID-19 rescue funds, the commissioners have not yet voted on whether they will spend it.
Commissioners Leslie Duncan and Chris Fillios indicated Thursday that they’re both inclined to follow the task force’s recommendations, though they will first examine the 186-page final report.
The BOCC will spend at least a month considering the report before deciding on how — or if — to spend the rescue funds.
Use of the $32 million is available through Dec. 31, 2026.
After that deadline, any unspent funds will be returned to the U.S. Treasury. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/idaho/kootenai-county-commissioners-to-decide-how-projects-will-use-the-32m-of-federal-funds/293-1a5ee39d-e52d-41b4-926f-361866d6b293 | 2022-04-08T22:19:52Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/local/idaho/kootenai-county-commissioners-to-decide-how-projects-will-use-the-32m-of-federal-funds/293-1a5ee39d-e52d-41b4-926f-361866d6b293 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Starbucks workers vote to unionize six stores in New York
Employees at six Starbucks coffee shops in upstate New York voted to unionize on Thursday and Friday.
Why it matters: The move brings the number of Starbucks locations to have voted for unionization to 16 total nationwide, out of the coffee giant's 9,000 U.S. stores, per the Washington Post.
Driving the news: Three Starbucks stores in Ithica, two in Rochester, and one in Buffalo all voted to unionize this week, Starbucks Workers United announced on Twitter.
- "Ithaca, NY is the FIRST fully unionized Starbucks city!!!" the group said on Friday afternoon.
- Five of the newly unionized stores were significantly in favor of the move, however, the margin at one Rochester stores was tight, resulting in 13-11 vote in favor.
The big picture: One store in Newport News, Virginia and another in Chicago, Ill. also announced their intent to unionize in the wake of the successful unionization efforts at other Starbucks stores.
- The final outcome of a union vote at a Starbucks in Overland Park, Kan. was delayed on Friday. After voting 6 to 1 in favor of unionizing, seven ballots were challenged, meaning the outcome will be determined at a separate hearing, the Washington Post reported.
- The unionization efforts at Starbucks come as Amazon workers in Staten Island, N.Y. voted to unionize on April 1. | https://www.axios.com/starbucks-unionize-six-stores-new-york-4a87a2fb-9391-4284-aa05-bdc52021cb77.html | 2022-04-08T22:21:49Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/starbucks-unionize-six-stores-new-york-4a87a2fb-9391-4284-aa05-bdc52021cb77.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WFH revolution showing signs of wear
The work from home revolution, grudgingly embraced by Corporate America, has evolved into a thing that workers both love and hate.
Why it matters: This week, an Atlantic article confirmed something knowledge workers have known for a while: Remote work has led to much longer hours, and a grueling schedule of meetings that underscore the limits of flexible arrangements.
Driving the news: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, a notorious scourge of remote work, abruptly reversed himself in his annual letter published this week.
- Dimon’s volte-face is a reflection of a broader vibe shift on Wall Street, bowing to the realities of a workforce still reluctant to return to cubicle life.
- But some employers are hitting workers where it hurts – in their wallets – to get them to return to the office, according to Fortune.
What they’re saying: NBCUniversal News chair Cesar Conde told Axios’ What’s Next Summit that “a hybrid, flexible work environment is a net-net positive and will be an ongoing part of our culture.”
- Yet Conde also emphasized “the power of proximity” (i.e. in-person interaction) as something the news giant aims to “recreate.”
- And in his letter, Dimon insisted that remote arrangements would “need to work for both the company and its clients.”
State of play: Demand from digital nomads have spurred a boom in co-working spaces, but raise questions about why it’s more suitable to camp out in a public space than a traditional office. Meanwhile, some employees have sued their employers to recoup unreimbursed costs from WFH outlays.
Out thought bubble: Axios' Emily Peck and I have both chronicled the growing downsides of being a member of the Zoom class, including virtual meeting fatigue, and the resulting drag on service sector activity.
The bottom line: The way we work now has clear benefits, but comes with trade-offs. In the coming months, some bosses may well decide that WFH isn’t worth the compromise, or the strains it puts on employers and workers. | https://www.axios.com/wfh-revolution-showing-signs-of-wear-f75affb8-6973-4273-b8fe-ff62c05b40fc.html | 2022-04-08T22:21:56Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/wfh-revolution-showing-signs-of-wear-f75affb8-6973-4273-b8fe-ff62c05b40fc.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PEA RIDGE -- Every season the 4A-1 Conference slate showcases a baseball classic and Prairie Grove gave Pea Ridge all it could handle before finally succumbing 7-5 in 10 innings Tuesday, March 29.
The Blackhawks appeared to have wrapped things up, going into the seventh inning leading 5-1, but the Tigers found a way to score runs despite producing only two hits and then held Pea Ridge scoreless in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.
"It was an awesome game. We kind of got out early, then Prairie Grove just scrapped and clawed their way back into it," said Pea Ridge assistant coach Blake Rudolph, who guided the Blackhawks to the win in the absence of head coach Matt Easterling.
Strong Blackhawk Pitching
Pea Ridge rode the pitching performances of Northeastern State University (Tahlequah, Okla.) commit Logan Stewart (4 IP, 1 hit, 8 K's, 1 run), Matt Dixon (3 IP, 1 hit, 6 K's, 4 runs), a University of the Ozarks at Clarksville commit, and Landen Long (3 IP, 0 hits, 3 K's, 0 runs). Long got the win.
In extra innings it seemed to Rudolph both teams got guys on and then nothing happened after that.
"We just kind of kept going back and forth in a pitcher's battle in the eight and ninth. Then finally in the 10th, Matt Dixon and Carter Rockhold broke through and ended it for us," Rudolph said.
In the bottom of the 10th Dixon led off with a single. Then Rockhold connected with a Tiger pitch and hit a walkoff home run to left field.
There were plenty of fireworks leading up to the final at-bat.
Prairie Grove coach Mitch Cameron marvelled at his team's resilience despite enduring 17 strikeouts against Pea Ridge pitching.
"We had 17 strikeouts on the night and still went 10 innings. That tells me we competed and found a way to get back in the game," Cameron said.
The seeming exercise in futility had Cameron talking to himself.
"It's the top of the seventh and we're down 5-1 and I said, 'Man, we got to come up with a rabbit out of our hat.' We had struck out 12 times to that point. 'We got to make a change here, something's got to be different,'" Cameron said.
Seventh Inning Tiger Heroics
Sophomore Connor Hubbs and junior Ryder Orr both drew walks to put the first two men on for Prairie Grove. Bryce Ledgerwood hit a pop up to second base for one out. Next Ty Estepp drove in a run by singling into right field, reducing the Blackhawk lead to 5-2.
Luke Bannon struck out, leaving Pea Ridge one out away from victory, but with two runners in scoring position Prairie Grove's hopes remained alive. Trevor May executed a swinging bunt to the Pea Ridge third baseman but he overthrew first base, allowing May to reach on an error while two runs scored for Prairie Grove pulled the Tigers within 5-4.
Gutsy base running by May on the play took him all the way to third, positioning the tying run 90 feet away.
Blackhawk miscues continued to leave the door open. Prairie Grove's Jaxon Beare struck out but a passed ball occurred. May scored and Beare ran to first base. Pea Ridge was finally able to get out of the inning by inducing a groundout but the damage had been done. Prairie Grove evened the score at five runs apiece and the game continued.
Extra Inning Dramatics
Cameron praised the play of Orr, who started on the mound for the Tigers but wasn't involved in the decision.
"Ryder Orr did a great job on the mound. He did what he does. He went eight innings and he only threw 95 pitches so that's pretty darn good which tells me he was efficient. He threw 76 strikes out of 95 pitches; we just couldn't hit it. We just couldn't give him any support," Cameron said.
Cameron also hailed Beare in the reliever's role although he was charged with the loss with the Blackhawks scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the 10th.
"Jaxon gave us three great innings. He got out of a bases loaded jam. He's throwing it well and has got a lot of confidence in his pitches," Cameron said.
Pea Ridge had runners on first and second with no outs in the eighth but Beare got Dixon to pop up to shortstop and Rockhold out on a fly ball to center field. Prairie Grove intentionally walked John Roses, a NorthArk commit, to load the bases. The gamble paid off when Nate Delossantos grounded out to shortstop.
Pea Ridge At Plate
Pea Ridge scored three runs in the second. Senior Nathaniel Bennett, another University of Ozarks commit, singled to lead off the inning, then stole second base. Logan Long walked and Jonathan Lyons hit a single to load the bases. Senior Ryan Long, a Lyon College commit, grounded out to the first baseman to score the first run.
Logan Stewart ground out to shortstop, scoring another run, and Dixon added an RBI single.
The Blackhawks scored twice in the fourth inning. Stewart led off with a single, then stole second base. Dixon's sacrifice fly moved him to third and Roses singled to plate Stewart.
Stewart was 2-of-5 with a homer that scored the Blackhawks' fifth run. He had two RBIs and two runs scored.
"Stewart, he had a huge home run to left field," Rudolph said.
Rockhold went 3-for-5 with the walkoff home run, two RBIs and a double while Lyons went 4-for-5 with a double.
Home Field Advantage
Cameron noted bright spots in the loss for Prairie Grove, crediting the Tigers for keeping on competing and never quitting while Pea Ridge racked up 16 hits. Prairie Grove had one error in the game.
"They hit the ball but they left a lot of runners on base because we played really great defense and for us to go 10 innings that was impressive because we were able to bounce back," Cameron said.
Rudolph said playing at home helped win a tight game in a familiar environment, making the Blackhawks feel a little more comfortable. He complimented the Blackhawks for focusing on that next pitch and moving on, leaving their mistakes in the past.
"I'm just proud of our team and Prairie Grove is a really tough team, really, really well coached and they're going to have a chance to win quite a few games down the stretch and so I'm kind of excited to monitor them and just happy we were able to come out with the win because both teams were really, really good that night," Rudolph said. | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/blackhawks-edge-pg-in-10-inning-thriller/ | 2022-04-08T22:24:20Z | wcel.nwaonline.com | control | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/blackhawks-edge-pg-in-10-inning-thriller/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FARMINGTON -- Farmington (8-6-1) blasted Russellville 15-1 in nonconference baseball action on Friday behind a strong pitching performance from senior Chase Brown and plenty of hitting to back that up.
Brown proved stingy, allowing only one run on 4 hits through 4 innings and struck out five. He also had a pair of hits. Weston Sills came on in relief and didn't allow any runs while chipping in 2 hits and 3 RBIs to further cement the win.
"Chase Brown did a good job. He's coming back off an injury from football and we're slowly moving him back to where he's going to be a regular pitcher for us. He threw four innings and Weston Sills pitched the fifth and did a really good job," said Farmington coach Jay Harper.
Senior shortstop Caden Elsik went 4-for-4 and drove in 3 runs to top all Farmington hitters with everybody getting at least one hit while senior catcher Trey Hill produced 3 RBIs for the Cardinals.
"We had two or three guys with multiple hits, Caden Elisk, Weston Sills, and Trey Hill. We did a really good job up and down the lineup and we needed that to be honest. We've been struggling at the plate. We've had some extra-curriculars go on outside our program and it's kind of brought us closer together and our kids responded today and I was happy about that," Harper said.
Farmington scored 5 runs in the first. Hill sparked the surge by singling into right center, marking the third straight hit by the Cardinals to start the game. Michael White got hit by a pitch to load the bases. Brown struck out before Caden Elsik drove in a pair of runs by doubling into deep center field.
The Cyclones switched pitchers but Kyson Bridges kept the heat on. His ground out produced a run. Sills sent a single into right center scoring the fifth run of the first for Farmington.
Both teams left the bases loaded going into the bottom of the second inning but with two outs Farmington picked up the sticks again. Brown singled into left field and Caden Elsik singled setting up Bridges, who drove in a run with a third straight Cardinal single, this one into left field.
Sills jacked a triple to up the Cardinal lead to 8-0 before Russellville could get out of the inning.
The Cyclones scored their only run of the contest in the third inning when Tyler Hipps hit into a fielder's choice with runners at the corners. Brown issued a walk but got out of the inning by striking out Mason Brady.
When Farmington came up Lawson DeVault and Case Enderland singled and advanced on a passed ball with Hill batting. Hill drove in a run and another run scored when Brown made contact the ball bounced off Russellville's diving third baseman to push the Cardinal lead to 10-1 at the end of the third inning.
Farmington tacked on 5 more runs beyond that while continuing to shut out Russellville in all but one inning.
"We had to regroup tonight and we did that because we lost a game [that didn't get played] yesterday due to the rain, but we're looking forward to next week," Harper said.
Monday's game was canceled. The Cardinals went to Gentry on Tuesday, then entertain Elkins Thursday and host Berryville on Friday. | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/brown-looks-in-fine-form/ | 2022-04-08T22:24:26Z | wcel.nwaonline.com | control | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/brown-looks-in-fine-form/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LINCOLN -- Familiar voices reached the ear of Drew Moore as he endeavored to warm up during a misty, cold, windy day with Lincoln needing to get out of an inning.
The Wolves surrendered five runs while getting only one out when Lincoln baseball coach J. Keith called Moore to the mound out of right field on Friday, March 18. Lincoln trailed 5-1 coming into the third, but the inning had a been a disaster with an assortment of wild pitches and passed balls allowing Carlisle runners to freely move around the bases and score, increasing Lincoln's deficit to 10-1.
The Bison would eventually win 14-1 by run rule in the fourth inning but the way things were going in the third it could have been a lot worse.
Keith's solution involved making a double switch, inserting Moore at pitcher and sophomore Kellar Price at catcher.
Moore could hear the softball team cheering him and his teammates on, a dynamic he described as "very helpful," especially when competing in conditions that make it harder to hold onto the baseball.
"It really makes you want to try harder. They showed us how good they were last night so we got to try to show them how good we are," Moore said referring to a 15-5 and 13-3 sweep by the Lady Wolves over Valley Springs on Thursday, March 17.
Moore can distinguish some of the voices without seeing their faces even in the heat of a baseball battle between a pitcher and batter.
"There's a few of them, yes, you can tell [who is cheering]," Moore said.
Moore gave up an RBI single up the middle then fanned the next two batters he faced.
"We were planning on using him as our closer today. We're a little light on our pitching. We wanted to throw him about 30 pitches. We just wanted him to get some work in. It was a good time for him to come in and get some work with guys on. It's a little bit different than what he normally does," Keith said.
Moore set up Lincoln's only run by doubling into left center in the first advancing a runner to third. The Wolves scored on a passed ball and loaded the bases but a runner got caught cheating off first base to end their hopes for a multiple run rally.
Carlisle scored 4 runs in the first off Lincoln starter Brayden Brown and added a fifth in the second before erupting for six in the third inning. The Bison got three more in the fourth and ended the game on a ground out to second base with two Wolves aboard in the fourth.
Wolves split a double-header at Green Forest on Tuesday, March 15, losing game one, 8-7, but dominating game two, 16-1, behind the pitching of Moore, who struck out 7. His bat also came in handy for the Wolves as he hit his first career home run. | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/carlisle-run-rules-wolves-14-1/ | 2022-04-08T22:24:32Z | wcel.nwaonline.com | control | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/carlisle-run-rules-wolves-14-1/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Facing a legislative leadership that flat-out refused to make any of the vital fixes to New York’s insane criminal-justice reforms, Gov. Kathy Hochul belatedly opted to ask for some small changes as her price for agreeing to a bloated state budget. She wound up getting some tiny ones and calling that a victory.
It’s a huge loss for average New Yorkers, especially the (overwhelmingly minority) victims of crime.
Every other state, even those that have eliminated bail, at least lets judges send clearly dangerous suspects to jail. Not New York, still.
Yes, Hochul got a few more gun charges made bail-or-jail eligible. But they’re not crimes for which many people get arrested in the first place. And judges will be able to jail serial shoplifters (for which retailers will be very grateful), but not chronic offenders of nearly any other crime.
Hate criminals will now risk jail, too, but that’s another small category of arrestees.
The changes to the discovery rules are minimal, and nowhere near enough to reduce the insane paperwork burden that forces prosecutors across the state to drop cases (and has DA offices hemorrhaging staff). The state DAs want $200 million a year to handle this added makework; the budget tosses them about $50 million (out of billions in new spending).
In short, the Legislature made a few tiny concessions, and now will refuse to do anything more unless the voters revolt.
Hochul had a weak hand: She’s an “accidental governor” facing lefty-dominated supermajorities in both chambers of the Legislature. So she opted for an inside game, even publicly endorsing the absurd claim that the “reforms” of recent years have nothing to do with New York’s soaring crime, because she didn’t want to upset her lunatic “negotiating partners.”
It’s plain the state won’t get the changes it needs — ones the public overwhelmingly supports — until it has a governor who’s willing to call out the utter madness of its lawmakers, and hold up the budget for months if that’s what it takes, slamming the Legislature’s leaders for their pro-crime stance every day and inciting open revolt among the rank-and-file who recognize the lunacy.
New York needs a fighter, or it’s headed down the toilet. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/hochul-failed-to-get-ny-needed-criminal-justice-fixes/ | 2022-04-08T22:24:36Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/hochul-failed-to-get-ny-needed-criminal-justice-fixes/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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April 6, 2022 at 4:00 a.m.
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ADVERTISEMENT | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/cartoon/ | 2022-04-08T22:24:39Z | wcel.nwaonline.com | control | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/cartoon/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
University of Central Arkansas
The following area students were named to the fall 2021 President's List: Amanda Alexander and Jared Jowers of Farmington; Ian Howerton and Makinsey Parnell of Prairie Grove.
The following area students were named to the fall 2021 Dean's List: Brayden Bailey, Mckenzi Bogan, Collin Hummel, Arie Pruett and Kally Stout, all of Farmington; Rebekah Bostian, Jayden Carter, Vivian Norris, Katelyn Rateliff and Morgan Wunder, all of Prairie Grove.
Morgan Rylee Wunder of Prairie Grove was one of 664 graduates from UCA during its 2021 fall commencement held in December at Farris Center on campus.
University of Arkansas Little Rock
Devan Marcus of Summers graduated from UALR in the fall 2021 commencement ceremony with a master's degree in education.
Kelli Shaw of Farmington graduated from UALR in the fall 2021 commencement ceremony with a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice. | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/college-news/ | 2022-04-08T22:24:45Z | wcel.nwaonline.com | control | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/college-news/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A U.S. Air Force tactical air control party (TACP) specialist assigned to Detachment 1, 3rd Air Support Operations Squadron, descends after jumping from a U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook helicopter assigned to B Company, 2-211th General Support Aviation Battalion, Alaska Army National Guard, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, April 7, 2022. The 3rd ASOS completed the helicopter jump on Geronimo Drop Zone, maximizing total-force training to demonstrate short-notice mission readiness in an arctic environment. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Airman 1st Class Julia Lebens)
This work, 3rd ASOS jumps Geronimo [Image 14 of 14], by A1C Julia Lebens, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7134509/3rd-asos-jumps-geronimo | 2022-04-08T22:24:47Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7134509/3rd-asos-jumps-geronimo | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PRAIRIE GROVE -- City officials have discussed for years the idea to establish design standards for the Central Business District to help protect architecture and historic elements found in the downtown area.
Prairie Grove City Council took the plunge March 28 and adopted an ordinance that establishes an overlay district for the Central Business District. Design requirements in the ordinance will apply to new construction and remodels within the boundaries of the Central Business District.
The ordinance becomes effective 60 days after its passage.
City Attorney Steven Parker said the city is working toward having an established "historical district" in the downtown area but there are many steps to go through to get to this point.
The ordinance to create an overlay district provides a "stopgap measure" with requirements that property owners must meet for new construction or remodels, Parker said.
The original ordinance also would have applied to any alterations or repairs to buildings in the district, but council member Rick Ault said he did not support that.
"New construction, absolutely," Ault said. "My only concern is if a building is damaged and (the property owner) being able to put it back the way it was."
Ault admitted it's probably a little ironic that he is a "historical preservation guy" but he said property rights and costs also have to be considered.
Design Standards
The purpose of the ordinance is to require that new construction and remodels are "consistent with the historic elements of the district."
The Central Business District Overlay District imposes additional requirements on all property within the boundaries of the overlay district.
These requirements include:
• All buildings shall not exceed stories or 35 feet in height.
• All buildings must use exterior facade materials that invoke the historical nature of the district, such as native stone, brick, stucco/plastic or stamped metal reproductions of historic storefronts found in other historic buildings in the district. Prohibited facade materials include vinyl or aluminum siding, wood siding, concrete siding, high gloss metal and reflective glass or corrugated products.
• Exterior architectural elements shall be in keeping with other historic buildings in the Central Business District, and design shall reflect similar styles and elements found throughout the business district.
• Compliance with the overlay requirements will be made by city planning and building staff. In the case of a dispute over the requirements, Prairie Grove Planning Commission shall make a final determination.
New Ward Map Adopted
In other action last week, the council adopted an ordinance to redistrict city council wards based on the 2020 census.
According to a letter from Jeff Hawkins, director of Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission, the city council has the duty to see that each ward has populations as equal as possible to best serve the interests of the people.
Hawkins said courts have generally ruled that deviations in population among election districts should be less than 10%.
The deviation for Prairie Grove's existing ward boundaries, most recently determined after a 2014 annexation, is 68.8%, far above the 10% threshold, Hawkins said. This meant the city needed to redistrict its wards as a result of the 2020 census.
The new boundaries have a deviation of 5.8%, Hawkins said. Populations for each ward: Ward 1, 1,828; Ward 2, 1,748;, Ward 3, 1,744; Ward 4, 1,725.
Hawkins said his staff was able to keep the current council members in their respective wards, another goal of redistricting if possible.
Possible PG Lake Trail
The council also gave the go ahead for Larry Oelrich, city administrative assistant, to pursue a hiking trail around Prairie Grove Lake. Oelrich said he was approached by a consultant with Walton Family Foundation with the trail idea and possibly an opportunity to get 100% funding for a trail.
Concerns, Oelrich said, would be to make sure the city's facilities at the lake, such as the water treatment plant, are protected from any people using the trail.
An advantage, Oelrich said, is that the trail could have an impact in the area similar to the impact of the trails and activities at Lincoln Lake.
Chuck Wiley, city public works director, said the trail, if it comes to fruition, would help in advertising Prairie Grove as a "destination area."
The council raised hands in a unanimous show of support to move ahead with pursuing a trail.
Other News
The council approved:
• An ordinance to rezone a tract at 11157 Hogeye Road from A-1, agriculture, to B-2, commercial, at the request of Jerry Coyle of Prairie Grove. Coyle is planning to use the tract for a daycare center, according to city officials.
• Two new planning commission members, school resource officer David Faulk and Collin Cheatham. One is filling a position vacated by Mallory Mounce, who has resigned, and the other is an open position.
• An ordinance to waive competitive bidding for the purchase of an air compressor and necessary tanks and attachments required to fill firefighter air packs for $43,906 from Emergency Vehicle Specialists of Conway.
• A resolution for changes to the fire department's personnel policy for the accrual of sick leave to accommodate firefighters now working 12-hour shifts. | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/council-creates-overlay-design-district-for/ | 2022-04-08T22:24:51Z | wcel.nwaonline.com | control | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/council-creates-overlay-design-district-for/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The morons who run the Oscars gave Will Smith an amazing gift on Friday.
For violently assaulting comedian Chris Rock onstage in front of millions of viewers after Rock made a crack about Smith’s wife Jada Pinkett Smith, the 53-year-old actor was banned from the next 10 years of Academy Awards ceremonies.
We should all be so lucky!
Smith, who treated a glamorous primetime telecast like 2 a.m. at a roadside bar in Wichita, egregiously gets to keep the shiny Best Actor statuette he won for “King Richard,” now surely nestled on the shelf next to his 10 hard-won Kids’ Choice Awards.
No criminal charges have been filed against the actor for storming up to another man, slapping him so hard it made a noise in a 3,400-seat theater and then yelling, “Get my wife’s name out of your f–king mouth!” on live TV.
And, if its current inaction is any indication, the FCC will let him be.
Imagine how difficult this situation must be for this poor A-lister. Smith’s net worth is $350 million, and he’s been nursing his emotional wounds in a $42 million mansion in Calabasas, California. The 1,500-thread-count Egyptian cotton bed sheets are surely stained with tears. And he must be running out of Krug, too drained to ask his personal assistant to go buy more. These are hardships you and I could scarcely fathom.
And now Smith’s only consequence from the Academy for an offense that would get just about anybody else in the world a visit from a policeman and the ax from their employer is that he cannot attend the Oscars for a decade. (Smith, himself, chose to resign from the Academy.)
This … is a punishment?
Bear in mind that Smith isn’t exactly Meryl Streep, with a reserved seat at the Oscars like it’s a standing table at Rao’s. “King Richard” was his first Academy Award nomination of any kind since 2007’s “The Pursuit of Happyness” 15 years ago. The only photographic evidence of Smith attending the Academy Awards for any reason since 2010 was when he was a presenter in 2014.
You see, banning Will Smith from the Oscars is like banning me from the gym: I wasn’t planning on going anyway. The gym is boring and pushes me to my limit. So do the Oscars. Smith makes prestige movies as often as I do pushups, and he likely would never have been nominated again. This ban is totally meaningless.
But, what did we expect from our hypocritical Hollywood overlords?
Isn’t it so typical how, when not violently assaulting comedians or committing heinous #MeToo crimes, filmmakers lecture us ad nauseam about our behavior and our beliefs and our accountability in our normal world that they show such disdain for, when they treat their own enormously unstable community like a kindergarten full of toddlers who still can’t tie their shoes? Today, they sent teary Little Willy to the time-out corner. That’s it.
If you needed more proof that celebrities do not believe that they are beholden to the same basic rules that you and I are, here it is, folks!
Now, Will Smith will get the pleasure of doing what most Americans do already: not watching the Oscars. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/oscars-punishment-for-will-smith-slap-is-pathetic-and-weak/ | 2022-04-08T22:24:55Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/oscars-punishment-for-will-smith-slap-is-pathetic-and-weak/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER Employees with Hilltop Electric, Inc., of Little Rock install solar panels, called modules, for a solar array behind Williams Elementary School in Farmington. The company is contracted by Entegrity to install all three of the school district's arrays. The other two will be at Farmington High School. The Williams' array will have eight rows with 816 solar modules. Farmington School Board in May 2021 approved a $3.88 million energy savings performance contract with Entegrity, which guarantees to reduce the district's annual energy and maintenance expenses by almost $300,000.
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LYNN KUTTER ENTERPRISE-LEADER
Employees with Hilltop Electric, Inc., of Little Rock install solar panels, called modules, for a solar array behind Williams Elementary School in Farmington. The company is contracted by Entegrity to install all three of the school district's arrays. The other two will be at Farmington High School. The Williams' array will have eight rows with 816 solar modules. Farmington School Board in May 2021 approved a $3.88 million energy savings performance contract with Entegrity, which guarantees to reduce the district's annual energy and maintenance expenses by almost $300,000.
Print Headline: Energy From The Sun
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ADVERTISEMENT | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/energy-from-the-sun/ | 2022-04-08T22:24:57Z | wcel.nwaonline.com | control | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/energy-from-the-sun/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GENTRY -- On Tuesday, March 29, the Farmington girls soccer team won 5-0 on the road at Gentry. The weather was still warm at the 5 p.m. start, but a light rain was falling on the field. Both teams got off to a slow start although the Lady Cardinals took a quick lead with a goal to lead 1-0 at halftime.
Farmington increased its intensity coming out of the break and tacked on four more goals, while holding the Lady Pioneers without a goal. Gentry coach Jamie Johnson felt his team played an OK first half but lamented what he described as "being blown out in the second half" with the Lady Pioneers not able to answer Farmington's four goals.
According to Johnson confidence is something the Lady Pioneers still need to work on while noting they are communicating better on the field. Johnson credited sophomore Emma Tevebaugh with playing "phenomenal defense," and also praised freshman Morgan Polina, who moved into the starting lineup on defense, as performing well in that role.
Harrison 6, Farmington 0
Noelle Pall, Clare Barger and Jette Kreymann scored two goals apiece and propelled Harrison past Farmington on Tuesday, March 15. Pall scored two goals off corner kicks by Elise Bell, who also assisted on Kreymann's first goal. Barger's two goals were unassisted, while Kreymann's second goal came off an assist by Liani Cash. Sydney Hobson had a save for Harrison (4-2-1). | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/farmington-girls-blank-gentry-5-0/ | 2022-04-08T22:25:04Z | wcel.nwaonline.com | control | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/farmington-girls-blank-gentry-5-0/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Editor's note: Registered voters in western Washington County will be voting in the May 24 primary election for the Republican candidate for the new District 23 seat in the state House. The winner will face Libertarian candidate Ryan Hanson in November. This week, the Enterprise-Leader focuses on the Republican candidates for House District 23, Kendra Moore, Byron Suggs and Jim Wilson.
Washington County Justice of the Peace Jim Wilson, 69, wants to take the experience he's received on the county level and the state level and use it to represent the residents of District 23 in the state House of Representatives.
Wilson, of Fayetteville, has served as the District 14 justice of the peace since January 2021. He serves on the Washington County Quorum Court's finance and budget committee and is vice chair of the county services committee.
Wilson also worked six years as chief of staff to the director of the state Department of Health, was the director of Boards and Commissions for Gov. Mike Huckabee and has been an operations officer for two local banks, having oversight of budget preparation.
He's retired as administrative manager for the Northwest Region of the Department of Health, and he and his wife have had a small business providing rental housing for 40 years.
Wilson graduated from Springdale High School and graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1974 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration. He is an active member of Cross Church in Fayetteville.
During his work experience with the department of health and for Huckabee, Wilson said he interacted with members of the state Legislature.
"Both of these assignments will give me a headstart in becoming a valuable representative for the citizens of District 23," Wilson wrote in a profile form for the Enterprise-Leader about his candidacy.
Wilson said he is running for the new District 23, which includes Lincoln and part of Prairie Grove, because he has taken an active role pursuing "good government" for Washington County and the state for more than 30 years.
"I have recruited candidates and assisted candidates to see that we had good people for several races," Wilson said. "Having now retired four and one half years ago, I feel that I now have the time to commit to represent the good, hard working people of this new legislative district."
On the state level, Wilson said Arkansas needs to continue to improve education and to seek to have a level playing field for income tax levels when compared with Missouri, Louisiana and Mississippi.
For District 23, highway needs continue to lag behind the population surge in Northwest Arkansas, Wilson said. He said he will do everything he can to encourage the Arkansas Department of Transportation and Arkansas Highway Commission to meet the highway needs in this region and especially in District 23.
Wilson has lived in the new District 23 since 1978. He said he believes in keeping taxes as low as possible, is pro-life, pro second amendment and pro law and order.
"I don't think government has all the answers," Wilson said. "The nuclear family is an essential component of a healthy society." | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/jp-seeks-to-represent-new-house-district-23/ | 2022-04-08T22:25:10Z | wcel.nwaonline.com | control | https://wcel.nwaonline.com/news/2022/apr/06/jp-seeks-to-represent-new-house-district-23/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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