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In celebration of the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series race scheduled on Easter Sunday, FOX Sports presents a special weekend programming block, including a telecast of Bristol Motor Speedway’s Easter celebration service and the return of a familiar face in the FOX NASCAR television booth.
NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Darrell Waltrip, who retired as a FOX NASCAR analyst at the conclusion of the 2019 season after 19 years with FOX Sports, will serve as the guest analyst for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race alongside former colleague Mike Joy and analyst Clint Bowyer (7:00 PM ET on FOX).
“After a couple of seasons retired from the FOX booth, I’m really looking forward to being back up there with Mike (Joy) and now with Clint (Bowyer),” said Waltrip, three-time champion and the winningest driver at Bristol with 12 victories. “But I really feel sorry for Mike – he always had his hands full with me, but now he has double trouble with Bowyer and me. It will be a blast. I still watch every single race, and I am excited about seeing the new car on Bristol Dirt.”
At 4:30 PM ET on Sunday, prior to the start of prerace programming, FS1 will televise Bristol Motor Speedway’s Easter celebration service from outside the stadium in the fan midway area. Pastor Max Lucado will deliver an Easter Sunday message, with musical performances by Grammy Award winner Chris Tomlin and Gary LeVox, former lead singer for Rascal Flatts. FS1’s hourlong coverage of the service also includes several poignant interviews and features with Brad Keselowski, Aric Almirola, Michael McDowell, Ty Dillon and Regan Smith in which they and their families share their Easter traditions. A special feature with Speedway Motorsports Inc. President and COO Marcus Smith will air, and Coach Joe Gibbs and Waltrip also are part of the broadcast.
FOX Sports’ prerace coverage begins at 5:30 PM ET on FS1 with NASCAR RACEDAY, before the program’s move to FOX at 6:00 PM ET. In the FOX prerace show, Tom Rinaldi has the story on the unique path to a family bond for Bristol Motor Speedway President and General Manager Jerry Caldwell. Race coverage for the Food City Bristol Dirt Race begins at 7:00 PM ET on FOX. Joy, Bowyer and Waltrip are joined for race coverage by technical analyst
Larry McReynolds and pit reporters Jamie Little and Regan Smith. FOX NASCAR kicks off the Easter weekend programming block Friday with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (3:00 PM ET on FS1).
The full FOX NASCAR Easter weekend programming lineup is below:
FOX NASCAR EASTER WEEKEND PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE
(all times live unless otherwise noted and subject to change)
Friday, April 15
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice (3:00 PM ET) (FS1)
- NASCAR Cup Series practice (4:00 PM ET) (FS1)
- NASCAR RACE HUB: WEEKEND EDITION (5:00 PM ET) (FS1)
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series final practice (5:30 PM ET) (FS1)
- NASCAR Cup Series final practice (6:30 PM ET) (FS1)
Saturday, April 16
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying races (4:30 PM ET) (FS2; available via the FOX Sports app with FS1 authentication)
- NASCAR Cup Series qualifying races (6:00 PM ET) (FS2; available via the FOX Sports app with FS1 authentication)
- NASCAR RACEDAY-NCWTS (7:00 PM ET) (FS1)
- NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (8:00 PM ET) (FS1)
Sunday, April 17
- Bristol Motor Speedway Easter Celebration (4:30 PM ET) (FS1)
- NASCAR RACEDAY (5:30 PM ET) (FS1)
- NASCAR RACEDAY (6:00 PM ET) (FOX)
- NASCAR Cup Series race (7:00 PM ET) (FOX)
FOX Sports PR | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/68611-fox-sports-plans-special-easter-weekend-programming-anchored-by-bristol-dirt-race | 2022-04-10T11:32:47Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://www.speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/nascar-cup-series-news/68611-fox-sports-plans-special-easter-weekend-programming-anchored-by-bristol-dirt-race | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Three words have been a political cudgel in Prince William County for over 20 years: The Rural Crescent. These 16 letters have pushed residential development east and south, prevented traffic mitigation and ended political careers. They’ve been used to oppose churches, schools and investment – all without being clear about what is being saved and at what expense.
Open space could be preserved through clustering, protective easements and transfer of development rights, but those topics are verboten because the mere whisper of them brings out the homemade “Save The Rural Crescent” signs and apocalyptic email blasts prophesying the end of life as we know it. Yet the question remains unasked: Would ending life as we know it in Prince William be a bad thing?
Rural Crescent acolytes point to sewers, roads and businesses as things that should be kept out of this protected space.
However, other things are kept out, too. None of the 31 Title I schools in the county are in the Rural Crescent, and eight of the 10 schools with the fewest free or reduced lunch applications are in or next to the Rural Crescent.
Yorkshire Elementary and Vaughan Elementary each require more assistance to combat food insecurity than nine out of 13 high schools, even though elementary schools are a fraction of the size of high schools. Economic disparity within and outside the Rural Crescent is stark, as evidenced by the fact that 54 elementary schools each individually have more applications for subsidized food than either of the two rural high schools.
The Rural Crescent is not a park; it is not open for use by the people of Prince William. There are no local bus routes in the Rural Crescent, meaning that without a car, there is literally no way to get there. The website for the Manassas National Battlefield Park provides directions for flying a plane to Northern Virginia and then driving from the airport to the Visitor’s Center but goes on to explain that there is no public transit to the park.
According to the Prince William County Department of Economic Development’s website, the median monthly home rental price in our area is $1,713, which may explain why the smallest demographic in our county is 18- to 24-year-olds. If we do not address our lack of affordable housing, there may soon be a market for replacing the mother-in-law suite with kid-can’t-afford-to-launch rooms.
In the next eight years, the country’s population is expected to grow by 60,000 people and we will have added about 100,000 new residents by 2040. Despite what some may contend, this is not out-of-control growth, as it is only 2% higher than the statewide average and 3% to 4% higher than the national average. Yes, Prince William is growing faster than some areas – but not by much.
None of this is to say that Prince William should pave over the Rural Crescent, which is the usual hyperbolic response to any call to re-evaluate our land-use policy. Instead, there needs to be discussion about reassessing our county’s 21st-century needs and how best to help all of our residents.
The debate must address the reality that failing to expand industry on undeveloped land means financing our local government with taxes on people’s homes, that maintaining 10-acre lots as private rural sanctuaries means continuing to backfill already crowded areas, and that preserving personal green space in the west means replacing public green space at eastern schools with trailers to accommodate a growing school population. Simply saying “No more growth” does not address these issues.
Currently, the Rural Crescent discussion is about the PW Digital Gateway, the construction of which would ease the tax burden on families and help balance some of the county’s educational asymmetry. That does not erase the fact that there is a very real cost to its approval, namely in the number of acres preserved in the Rural Crescent.
Nonetheless, stasis is not a healthy option. For decades the National Forestry Service suppressed all fires, until so much brush built up that an uncontrollable conflagration raged across the land. Change is not only inevitable; it is healthy. The demand for growth will only increase until it sweeps across the land like the great western fires of the 20th century; only then, it will be too late to discuss how to manage it.
Kristina Nohe is a political activist, adoption advocate and homeschooling mom who is proud to be from Prince William County. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/nohe-change-is-healthy-even-for-rural-crescent/article_681c94d4-b893-11ec-9471-57e6a374a675.html | 2022-04-10T11:36:40Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/nohe-change-is-healthy-even-for-rural-crescent/article_681c94d4-b893-11ec-9471-57e6a374a675.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Massillon area real estate transfers March 12-18
Bethlehem Township
Frantz Mollie J from Big D Real Estate LLC & Pietro Rico A, parcel 10015075 Dolphin St SW, $119,000.
Shedlock Glen & Melissa from Lamp Rodney & Christina & Ronald, parcel 1100647 Mombasa Ave, $5,000.
Smith Tyler A & Jessica from Village Clean LLC, 429 Main St N, $126,500.
Canal Fulton
Buckeye Manor LP from Echoing Ridge Residential Inc, 604 Beverly Ave, $950,000.
Cherry Street Holdings LLC from Bisk Builders LLC, 987 Cherry St E, $745,000.
Custer John Paul & Rhonda R from NVR Inc., A Virginia Corporation, DBA, 3049 Bonita Cir SE, $304,285.
Heim Jonathan B & Alysa from Dittmer Mark Ttee, 512 Lakeview Dr, $242,000.
Hooks Sandra L from Schalmo Properties Inc, parcel 10013347 Crockett Cir, $43,900.
NVR Inc D/B/A Ryan Homes from Schalmo Properties Inc, 3009 Bonita Cir SE, $29,500.
NVR Inc D/B/A Ryan Homes from Schalmo Properties Inc, 3013 Bonita Cir SE, $29,500.
Truax Unlimited LLC from Conkle Ann D, 102 N Canal St, $150,000.
Jackson Township
Adkins Plaza South LLC from Pappas Michael G & Powers Patrick M &, 6976 Whipple Ave NW, $720,000.
Bowman Chad A & Malena from Huyck Justin & Julia, 5580 Cherokee Ave NW, $281,000.
Christopher Cecil Ryan from Khurram Saniya, 6491 Friarsgate Dr NW, $659,900.
Clarke Mckenna G & David K from Blaylock Chad A & Tiffanie D, 2807 Wickford Ave NW, $350,000.
Cozzo Kathy from Barbera Barry Lee, 6392 St Augustine Dr NW, $310,000.
Florea Deana & Dennis from Mcguire Maryanne O, 2601 Charing Cross Rd NW, $245,000.
Gierum Kyle & Sarah from Tyrrell Mark S & Carol L, 1246 Stuart St NW, $175,000.
Gutierrez Frances Aguirre from Hoffer Keri E, 6451 Friarwood Cir NW, $405,000.
Invest World Inc from Lewis James, 5589 Fleetwood Ave NW, $169,400.
Marr Tammy & Cary from Horn Simon L & Judy K, 6493 Meadowsweet Ave NW, $515,000.
Morehart James Jacob & Rebecca Ann from Foltz Sean C & Kimberly K, 6575 Amblewood St NW, $381,400.
Oberlin Doris E from Gaiani Mary A, 5452 Mark Twain Cir NW, $226,400.
Pratt Jason J & Elizabeth A from Foster Richard T & Jamee A, 5026 Nobles Pond Dr NW, $500,000.
Schlabach Johannes E from Ostrout Nicholas D Ttee, 5360 S Island Dr NW, $1,300,000.
Vitale Julie & Trapp Cory from Vitale Leon A & Melissa A Revocable Trus, 6001 Sandhurst Ave NW, $147,778.
Massillon
Case Larry Gordon & Lori Suzanne from Vega Enterprises Ltd, 2160 Championship Cir SE, $549,900.
Curl Christopher J & Rodelyn G from K Hovnanian at Country View Estates LLC, parcel 10014524 23rd St SW, $85,000.
D&D Properties Unlimited LLC from Zook Steven E, 25 Maple Ave SE, $19,000.
Dash Residential LLC from Raml Housing LLC & Lehl Eric, 314 5th St SW, $8,000.
Griffin Angel M & Christopher C from Hill Donald A, 1885 Cyprus Dr SE, $329,900.
Hartzler Capital Sub 1 LLC from Edward Rowland Company LLC, 1236 North Ave NE, $130,000.
K S Yoak Enertprises LLC from Arbuckle Sarah N, 317 Arch Ave SE, $40,000.
K&R Property Solutions LLC from Flynt Aaron M, 221 Korman Ave NE, $69,000.
Kegley Charles Henry & Michele Dawn from Cherry Springs Condos LLC, 1135 Queen Anne Dr NW Condo 1135, $258,900.
Kotyash Sergey I from Courson Elizabeth Cheryl, 338 Shaw Ave NE, $246,000.
Legacy Project of Stark from Montage Ministries Inc, 660 Tremont Ave SW, $67,000.
Legacy Project of Stark from Montage Ministries Inc, 708 Tremont Ave SW, $67,000.
Licolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Mobile Community LLC, 2606 Lincoln Way NW #32, $2,200.
Lincoln-Way Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Company Custodian FBO, 2606 Lincoln Way W #39, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Co Custodian FBO Ira #20476, 2606 Lincoln Way W #43, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Co Custodian FBO Ira #47656, 2606 Lincoln Way W #21, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Co Custodian FBO Ira #47657, 2606 Lincoln Way W #26, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Co Custodian FBO Ira #Z0476, 2606 Lincoln Way NW #59, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Co Custodian FBO Ira #Z0476, 2606 Lincoln Way W #35, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Co Custodian FBO ZO47656 Ir, 2606 Lincoln Way NW #62, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Co, Custoaian, FBO Z047656, 2606 Lincoln Way W #10, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Company Custodian FBO 47656, 2606 Lincoln Way W #37, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Company Custodian FBO Ira 4, 2606 Lincoln Way W Lot 41, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Company FBO Ira #20 47656, 2606 Lincoln Way W #40, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Equity Trust Company, 2606 Lincoln Way W #22, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Etc Custodian FBO 2047656 Ira, 2606 Lincoln Way W #58, $10,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Mobile Community LLC, 2606 Lincoln Way Lot 48, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Mobile Community LLC, 2606 Lincoln Way W #44, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Mobile Community LLC, 2606 Lincoln Way W #50, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Mobile Community LLC, 2606 Lincoln Way W #52, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from Mobile Community LLC, 2606 Lincoln Way W Lot #33, $2,300.
Mcarnold LLC from Heck Debra S, 237 Ohio Ave NE, $105,000.
Meadows Matthew M from Dennis Paul M & Pamela M, 219 Dwight Ave SE, $53,000.
Morgan Chance A from Covert Todd A & Jill T, 629 Wagoner St NW, $225,000.
Pittman Ralph E & F&M Properties Ltd Et from Pittman Ralph E & Cambridge & Mcmillan E, 54 Erie St S, $56,000.
Rodrigues-Alves Kevin from Borders Jimmie L, 33 Dwight Ave SE, $35,000.
Top Realty Enterprises LLC from Premier Homes Inc, 426 6th St SW, $68,000.
Top Realty Enterprises LLC from Premier Homes Inc, 811 Tremont Ave SW, $68,000.
Perry Township
Border Derek v & Marisa Rae from Beadle Daniel A, 621 Overdale Ave NW, $200,000.
Bridges Vickie L & Michael R from Browning Claudell, 2707 Perry Commons West, $210,000.
Chic Renovations LLC from Palcic Robert P, 1004 Main St NE, $90,000.
Chic Renovations LLC from Palcic Robert P, parcel 8900008 Hawthorne St NE, $90,000.
Douglas Taryn A from Ault Raymond L Aka Raymond L Ault Sr, 3100 Wattova Rd NW, $145,000.
Kraus P Douglas & Dina C from H J L, 1115 Denmont Ave SW, $158,000.
Lamielle Russell F & Andrea M from Devore Jon, 4658 13th St SW, $95,000.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from CF Homes Inc, 311 Bernower Ave SW #6, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from CF Homes LLC, 311 Bernower Ave SW #12, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from CF Homes LLC, 311 Bernower Ave SW #2, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from CF Homes LLC, 311 Bernower Ave SW #3, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from CF Homes LLC, 311 Bernower Ave SW #4, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from CF Homes LLC, 311 Bernower Ave SW #7, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from CF Homes LLC, 311 Bernower Ave SW #8, $2,300.
Lincolnway-Terrace Homes LLC from CH Homes LLC, 311 Bernower Ave SW #13, $2,300.
Murphy Sarah E & Brogden Zachary from Ama Ohio Home LLC, 162 Saratoga Ave NW, $220,000.
Peterson Paul Jr & Wanda from NVR Inc D/B/A Ryan Homes, 6973 Gauntlet St SW, $251,485.
Pifher Timothy A & Marsha A from Buckeye State Holdings LLC, 946 Norwich Ave NW, $250,000.
Rohrer Ricky II & Angela from Brock Wayne & Willis-Brock Jacklyn, 162 Perry Dr NW, $173,000.
Tailwind Massillon MHP LLC from Balvin Thomas Sr, 3354 Hilton St NW #23, $1,200.
Tedrick Jeffrey A from Knepp Beth A, 749 Delverne Ave SW, $143,500.
White Richard Francis Jr & Heather Dawn from George Jessica E, 6115 Llanfair St SW, $371,500.
Sugarcreek Township
Keim Larry A & Rita J from Baltzly James & Nancy Trustees, parcel 10012195 Sandusky Dr SW, $676,491.
Killy Scott P & Lynnette G from Welch Justin, 463 Mohican St NE, $130,000.
Kline David L & Emily I from Baltzly James & Nancy Trustees, parcel 10015071 Sandusky Dr SW, $127,260.
Miller Rachel M & Moses H from Baltzly James & Nancy Trustees, parcel 10015070 Sandusky Dr SW, $90,776.
Sparks Tyler W from Boreman Beth, 830 Mckinley Ave SW, $130,000.
Weaver Orris M & Heidi E from Baltzly James & Nancy Trustees, parcel 10015068 Sandusky Dr SW, $142,839.
Tuscarawas Township
Patterson Dien J & Cynthia A Trustees from Patterson Dien J & Cynthia A Trustees, parcel 10015088 Lochwood St SW, $8,000.
Pollard Larry Lynn & Kathy from Sladic Joseph J Executor, 1747 Carmont Ave NW, $123,900.
Schumacher Barbara I Trustee & from Schumacher Barbara I Trustee &, 2830 Alabama Ave SW, $245,000. | https://www.indeonline.com/story/news/2022/04/09/massillon-area-real-estate-transfers-march-12-18/7268985001/ | 2022-04-10T11:37:28Z | eonline.com | treatment | https://www.indeonline.com/story/news/2022/04/09/massillon-area-real-estate-transfers-march-12-18/7268985001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
U.S. Navy Band to perform May 3 at Washington High School
MASSILLON – The U.S. Navy's premier wind ensemble will make Washington High School one of its upcoming port stops.
Massillon has been tapped as one of 13 cities among a half-dozen states to host a 2022 performance by the U.S. Navy Band. The 56-member group is one of the signature outreach programs within the military organization.
Stark County:Stark County honors Vietnam War-era veterans with special tribute
Massillon Municipal Judge Edward Elum, a Navy veteran, recalled that the band came through Stark County once before, performing in the late 2000s. He said American Legion Post. No. 224 hosted a meal or two for the music group and may have assisted in housing members at a local hotel.
"It's a great honor for Massillon to have (the band) come here," said Elum. "They are all pros and extremely talented. You can't beat 'em."
The Navy band is scheduled to perform at 7:30 p.m. May 3 in the high school auditorium. The nearly two hour performance is free and open to the public.
Multiple Ohio cities slated for Navy band gigs
Numerous cities in Ohio were selected this year to host a live show by the U.S. Navy Band, according to Musician 1st Class Anastasia Bonotto, a Navy public affairs specialist.
Ashland, Ashtabula and Pickerington are some other Ohio municipalities where the band is slated to perform in 2022.
Veron Judd:American Legion, KIA Honor Flag group pay tribute Sgt. Vernon Judd
"We focus on different parts of the country each year, and this year was Ohio," she said.
A wing of the Navy band — the Sea Chanters — is also taking part in a tour of Ohio. Planned stops include Dayton, Marietta, Marion, Mason and Newark.
Navy band performances nearing century mark
The U.S. Navy Band has been performing public concerts and participating in public events for more than 95 years. A wide array of musical marches, patriotic and big band selections, orchestral transcriptions and modern wind ensemble numbers are part of every performance.
Bonotto said attendees of the Massillon show can also expect an Armed Forces medley that includes parts of theme songs for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard.
There will be no vocalist solos; however, a saxophonist is likely to perform individually for an unspecified time, Bonotto said. Band members are to don blue service dress uniforms.
The band is based in Washington, D.C.
COVID-19:Yeoman’s work: Canal Fulton seaman helps assure readiness of Navy forces amid COVID-19
Ensembles from the band tour nationally about 12-to 15 weeks per year, according to a news release from the Navy. Sailors in the group are full-time, professional musicians.
Most members of the group have undergraduate degrees in music, while some have graduate degrees.
Reach Steven at steven.grazier@indeonline.com. On Twitter: @sgrazierINDE | https://www.indeonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/09/u-s-navy-band-slates-massillon-performance-washington-high-school/9482491002/ | 2022-04-10T11:37:34Z | eonline.com | treatment | https://www.indeonline.com/story/news/local/2022/04/09/u-s-navy-band-slates-massillon-performance-washington-high-school/9482491002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mecca: Saudi Arabia has set an age limit of 65 for those travelling to the holy city of Mecca this year, besides deciding to increase the number of domestic and foreign Hajj pilgrims to 10 lakh from below 60,000 last year.
The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Hajj and Umrah said the quota for each country would be announced soon. Pilgrims should be totally inoculated against COVID-19 with vaccines approved by the Saudi health ministry, besides presenting a pandemic-negative certificate received 72 hours prior to leaving their country of origin.
With the ministry setting the age limit, India has re-invited applications from those wishing to undertake the pilgrimage to Islam's holiest site, the Kaaba at the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca.
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah also stressed on the need for the pilgrims to take care of their health and safety, and to adhere to its instructions.
As many as 20-25 lakh pilgrims used to take the holy pilgrimage during pre-COVID years. Saudi Arabia allowed only 1,000 people in 2020, and 58,745 in 2021 to undertake the pilgrimage. Additionally, only those in the Kingdom were allowed to proceed to Mecca. | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/04/10/saudi-sets-age-limit-of-65-for-hajj-pilgrims.amp.html | 2022-04-10T11:42:28Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/04/10/saudi-sets-age-limit-of-65-for-hajj-pilgrims.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Eight-year-old Yana was going to gymnastics class six days a week at home near Odessa, Ukraine.
Now, she can only practice by herself on a patch of open floor in a refugee center here in the Polish capital.
Yana is one of millions of Ukrainian children coping with change: forced to leave her home, her passions and her father behind in the aftermath of Russian President Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion of their country.
"There were explosions there and stuff like that," she said quietly, recalling that she heard more than she actually saw.
"I'm just not afraid of it very much," she added.
Her mother, Liudmyla Bats, said Yana is very strong and said she hopes that when her daughter tells her she is doing OK, she really means it.
But sitting in her bathrobe after a welcome shower at the Arena Ursynów, a sports complex now used to temporarily house Ukrainian refugees, Bats talked about her own trauma.
"Even here, every time when I hear some sounds and when the airplane is flying, I'm afraid," she said.
Bats and her children are benefiting from the well-documented generosity of the Poles -- shelter, food, even a table well-stocked with pencils and paper for Yana to use while attending virtual school on her phone.
But less known is the help Polish leaders and private organizations are providing Ukrainian refugees dealing with what we can't see: the mental health of the mostly women and children who crossed the border.
More than 2.5 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to Poland, and, according to the Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, there are some 300,000 in the capital city alone. He said 100,000 are children and already 15,000 Ukrainian refugees are enrolled in Polish schools -- some with his own children.
"I talk to my kids because they attend Warsaw schools with Ukrainian kids. They say that those kids are incredibly resilient, but you never know what's beneath the surface. And, of course, this is one of the major problems. I mean, health care -- psychological health," the mayor said.
Trzaskowski said he has temporarily directed many of the city's psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health social services to help the Ukrainian refugees.
Private organizations are prioritizing the care too -- leaving leaflets at train stations for arriving refugees to see.
"We are all traumatized, especially after what we've seen in the past days on television. And some of those kids were just escaping bombs. Some of them were seeing members of their family being killed. I mean, this is something that we have problems imagining," Trzaskowski said. "We have a lot of traumatized kids in Warsaw who need help."
"My friends from Ukraine tell me that they can focus on fighting and rebuilding their country because we take care of their families and their kids," he added, referring to the men who stayed behind.
No longer an afterthought
The emphasis on mental health is a very modern approach to caring for war refugees. It wasn't that long ago that it was an afterthought, if a thought at all.
At a Jewish Hillel Center in downtown Warsaw, Milena Konovalova leads group therapy sessions for refugee women. She recently fled Ukraine herself.
"Every woman needs another woman who can listen to her," she said. "Before the war in Ukraine, I worked as a women's psychologist. I worked only with women, and I understand how important it is for women to talk, to talk to other women."
Konovalova is not Jewish, but the Hillel Center is one of many organizations opening their doors for all Ukrainians with any kind of need.
During a recent session, Konovalova and five other women sat around a table covered with rose petals in what she calls a women's circle.
The lyrics of the song "Be Yourself" by Peruquois filled the room as the women took turns lighting candles. Emotions rushed to the surface. Tears flowed as the women connected and shared their experiences.
While the women talked, their children played in a makeshift day care center on the other side of the room. Some of them were too young to understand, happy just to be playing with toys and other children.
But some of them do understand. Young girls like eight-year-old Antonina, who said she knows that she's in Poland because of the war.
"Because Putin has something in his head," she explained.
It turns out not all grown-ups make good decisions, we said during our conversation.
"When it comes to Putin, yes," Antonina shot back.
The refugee children, just like children in the United States, were already dealing with mental health challenges from being isolated during almost two years of the pandemic. Now, having left the warm comforts of home, not to mention their fathers who stayed in Ukraine to fight, any move toward a pre-pandemic normalcy has been cruelly interrupted.
Their mothers across the room are seeking emotional support to help themselves and put them in a better place to address their family's needs and traumas.
"When we talk to other women, we hear that we have the same problems, and when we see our situation from a distance, we can solve it," explained Konovalova.
"The most prominent trauma is that women don't see tomorrow. They are not sure, they doubt, they are frightened or scared, they don't feel protected anywhere," she said. "And it's important to convey to them that there is tomorrow, that they are in a warm and safe place, that the children will have porridge tomorrow, and she will be able to tuck him in, go for a walk with the child. It's important to know that tomorrow will happen."
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/ukrainian-refugees-in-poland-get-help-for-trauma-you-cant-see----mental/article_c1798629-e81f-57e6-ac6f-a6bfe1c79c5c.html | 2022-04-10T11:42:29Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/ukrainian-refugees-in-poland-get-help-for-trauma-you-cant-see----mental/article_c1798629-e81f-57e6-ac6f-a6bfe1c79c5c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
London: UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak has moved his belongings out of Downing Street, as he desperately clung on to his post, a media report said on Sunday.
Removal vans were seen lining up to take furniture and personal items from the flat shared by Sunak and wife Akshata Murthy and move them to their newly-refurbished, luxury West London pad, said the Sunday Mirror report.
But the Sunday Mirror said the move was planned before Sunak's popularity nosedived this week.
The family are making the move because their eldest daughter is about to go into her final term of primary school, the report added.
They want to be nearer to her school for the last few months before she goes to boarding school.
Previously a shoo-in to replace Boris Johnson as the next Prime Minister, Sunak's fortunes have been on the wane since last month's disastrous Spring Statement failed to provide help for families facing a cost of living crisis.
This week it was revealed Murthy enjoyed non-dom tax status and Sunak had held on to his Green Card as a 'resident' of the US for more than a year after becoming Chancellor.
It comes amid calls for partners and spouses of ministers to be banned from being non-doms and avoiding paying tax on money made outside the UK.
The opposition Labour Party said Sunak and his family potentially saved tens of millions of pounds in taxes through his wife's non-dom status.
The taxman has been urged to investigate whether UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak's wife Akshata Murty broke the terms of her non-dom status by giving her company 4.3 million pounds in interest-free loans, a media report said.
Tax experts said the personal loans to Murty's venture capital firm, Catamaran Ventures UK, fall into a 'grey area' of the rules and last night called for HM Revenue & Customs to investigate, the Daily Mail report said.
The loans could "circumvent" the basis of her non-dom status if they were found to give her "monetary or non-monetary returns", whether through profits or by exerting influence, it was claimed.
Individuals can give loans to British companies tax-free even if the money comes from earnings abroad that have not been required to pay UK taxes.
Accountants said they can be a way for non-doms to bring money into Britain without having to pay tax on it, Daily Mail reported.
Murty declined to answer questions about the loans, the bulk of which were given in 2019 and 2020.
A spokesman for Sunak's wife said she had "followed the letter of the law and complied with all rules in her arrangements".
On Friday, Murty agreed to pay UK tax on her global fortune in a bid to save her husband's political career.
In a dramatic U-turn, the Indian heiress said she would no longer apply to pay tax on a "remittance basis", which allows non-doms to avoid UK tax on foreign earnings in return for a 30,000 pounds annual fee.
Sunak is now demanding a Whitehall inquiry to find out who leaked details about his wife Akshata Murty's tax arrangements.
Downing Street has rejected newspaper reports that its staff leaked damaging stories about Sunak to the media.
His allies say very few people had access to the personal information, which Sunak declared to Whitehall officials when he became a minister in 2018, the BBC reported.
Some Conservative MPs say he was naive to think the details would remain private, and that he should have predicted that the tax arrangements would be criticised as inappropriate, despite being legal.
Sunak's team has dismissed suggestions of a rift with Downing Street and say the prime minister has been "incredibly supportive".
The Chancellor's brand, vigorously promoted since he came to office, has been damaged, with some members of the ruling Conservative Party questioning his judgement.
Opposition MPs have said Sunak's family is benefiting at a time when he is putting up taxes for millions of others, the BBC reported.
Opposition Labour Party MP Louise Haigh said: "I think the question many people will be asking is whether it was ethical and whether it was right that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whilst piling on 15 separate tax rises to the British public, was benefiting from a tax scheme that allowed his household to pay significantly less to the tune of potentially tens of millions of pounds."
(With inputs from agencies) | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/04/10/uk-chancellor-rishi-sunak-tax-row.html | 2022-04-10T11:42:31Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/news/world/2022/04/10/uk-chancellor-rishi-sunak-tax-row.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
In “All the Old Knives,” ex-lovers and spies Henry and Celia meet for dinner in an upscale California beach town. They reminisce, haltingly, but this is no ordinary get-together. Celia (Thandiwe Newton) left the job years ago and shed her ties to the CIA in favor of marriage and children; Henry (Chris Pine) is still on the job and he’s been tasked with investigating a deadly airline hijacking from nearly a decade back, when they were both based out of Vienna. Turns out, there was a leak that sabotaged their efforts for a better outcome. Over sips of wine, fine dining and subtle mutual interrogation, this reunion is meant to shed light on the mole’s identity. Who double-crossed whom?
Except for the fact that Henry’s casework centers on a plane besieged by terrorism, “All the Old Knives” feels designed to be watched on a plane. That’s not a dig; beach reads and in-flight movies are meant to be diverting, but not too taxing. Yet even by those standards, the film is listless.
The story is based on the short novel of the same name by Olen Steinhauer, who was inspired by the meal-between-exes premise of a 2010 two-hander that aired on PBS called “The Song of Lunch,” starring Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman, who catch up years later to break bread and nurse their boozy recriminations. The intimacy’s the thing and the film spotlights a pair of actors who find disarming humor even in a dramatic setting that is both intoxicating and sometimes bordering on too much information. Steinhauer saw something there he could play with, added an espionage angle and was off to the races.
Celia has left her old life of intrigue for something more suburban and cozy in the quietly exquisite environs of Carmel-by-the-Sea, which the book describes as the kind of place “in which Miss Marple might find herself stumbling around, discovering corpses among antiques,” but what might have had some wit on the page becomes sodden and plodding in this screen adaptation from Steinhauer and director Janus Metz. There’s a glimmer of something sardonic when Henry first arrives at the restaurant, orders a James Bondian vodka martini and gives a barely exasperated look when he’s informed, “Sorry, we only serve wine.” He tells the barman: “Let’s try something cold.” White or rose? “Dry,” he replies ... dryly. Enjoy the moment, because the film abandons any opportunities for minor levity from that point forward.
Laurence Fishburne (as Henry’s current boss) and Jonathan Pryce (as Celia’s former boss) make brief appearances. Events from the day of the hijacking arrive in flashback, taking us away from the restaurant – a lovely space that is empty of people and visual interest – but the change of scenery doesn’t enliven things between Pine and Newton, who are left to do little more than inject some intensity into these underdeveloped characters. There’s a self-seriousness in the way they’ve been directed (they bring a more methodical energy to the table than Thompson and Rickman did in “A Song for Lunch”) that tends to suck all the tension from their spy vs. spy do-si-do. Scenes of the couple naked in bed back in Vienna lack eroticism and fail to convey anything meaningful about their head space in those moments.
And then there’s decision to make the hijackers Muslim, a tired, reductive narrative go-to the script does nothing to deepen or complicate. “All the Old Knives” settles for all the old tropes. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/chris-pine-and-thandiwe-newton-play-ex-lovers-and-spies-facing-off-in-all-the/article_40f6b094-3c40-53bf-a9dc-76fb42529ff7.html | 2022-04-10T11:51:15Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/chris-pine-and-thandiwe-newton-play-ex-lovers-and-spies-facing-off-in-all-the/article_40f6b094-3c40-53bf-a9dc-76fb42529ff7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...West winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph
possible.
* WHERE...South Laramie Range, South Laramie Range Foothills and
Central Laramie County.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM MDT this evening.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.
Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe
location prior to the onset of winds.
&&
‘Elvis’ to make world premiere at Cannes Film Festival
“Elvis” is ready to rock the Cannes Film Festival.
The biopic about the King of Rock and Roll will make its world premiere next month at the annual festival in Cannes, Frances, organizers announced Tuesday.
Directed by Baz Luhrmann, the film stars Austin Butler as Elvis Presley; Tom Hanks as his controversial manager, Colonel Tom Parker; and Olivia DeJonge as Priscilla Prescley.
Luhrmann, Butler, Hanks and DeJonge will attend the Cannes festival to introduce their movie, which arrives in United States theaters on June 24.
Tuesday’s announcement also featured the release of a new photo from the film showing Butler and Hanks as their characters.
“Elvis” explores the life and career of Presley and his complex relationship with Parker in a story that covers 20 years. The first trailer for the movie debuted in February, with Luhrmann and Butler speaking about the upcoming movie at a virtual event attended by the Daily News.
Butler said of Presley at the time, “He’s such an icon and he’s held up to a superhuman status, so to get to explore that for years now and learn why he was the way that he was and find the human within that icon, that was really just such a joy that I could do it for the rest of my life probably.”
The 2022 edition of the Cannes Film Festival takes place from May 17-28. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/elvis-to-make-world-premiere-at-cannes-film-festival/article_8ec22dff-d3fc-506a-802c-7d6ccb422bbf.html | 2022-04-10T11:51:22Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/elvis-to-make-world-premiere-at-cannes-film-festival/article_8ec22dff-d3fc-506a-802c-7d6ccb422bbf.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
‘A Black Lady Sketch Show’
”Saturday Night Live” has come a long way in representing women of color. But that doesn’t mean Robin Thede doesn’t deserve her own show. The multitalented comic returns for the third season of a series that only gets better with age. Thede and her small but mighty cast morph into a wide range of characters, including a catfished school teacher and an unflappable Mary Magdalene, in fast-paced, sharp sketches created by a writing team now led by Tracey Ashley. Together, they show how to make jokes about Black women’s hair without triggering an international incident. 11 p.m. ET Friday, HBO
‘Genesis: The Last Domino?’
The legendary band recently wrapped up a tour that will almost certainly be its last. So those who didn’t see them will have to settle for this behind-the-scenes documentary that originally aired last fall. The footage is from Genesis’ rehearsals for its last hurrah, which gives you a chance to see Phil Collins slowly, but surely get his voice back. Featured numbers include “Mama,” “Land of Confusion” and “Throwing It All Away.” 11 p.m. Friday, PBS
‘Would I Lie To You?’
This new series may technically be a game show but it’s really just an excuse for celebrities to show off their improv-comedy skills, sharing wild anecdotes that either really happened or are pure fiction. It’s an amusing exercise. Guests include Tony winner Santino Fontana and comedian Dulce Sloan. 8:30 p.m. Saturdays, CW
‘Return to Space’
This surprisingly dull documentary investigates public/private partnerships created to fund space exploration and, yes, that means there is way too much of financier Elon Musk in it (cut every inane comment he makes and “Return” would be a tight 90 minutes). Directed by “Free Solo” Oscar winners Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, the doc is best when it focuses on astronauts and shows their work at the International Space Station. Lands Thursday, Netflix
‘All the Old Knives’
The CIA is involved, along with several beautiful European cities, but the vibe is less “Mission: Impossible” than John le Carre. While it’s not as complex or insightful as le Carre adaptations such as “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” it’s a slow-burning drama about spies who can no longer tell right from wrong. Chris Pine stars as an agent trying to figure out which of his colleagues is a turncoat, responsible for the deaths of dozens of innocents. He gets help – or does he? – from a former lover played by Thandiwe Newton. Debuts Friday, Amazon | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/critics-guide-on-what-to-watch-on-tv-this-weekend/article_58fd320d-f492-534c-a9c1-b99cfb671b9f.html | 2022-04-10T11:51:34Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/features/todo/critics-guide-on-what-to-watch-on-tv-this-weekend/article_58fd320d-f492-534c-a9c1-b99cfb671b9f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Watching some of the political football being played in Alaska is prompting a profound sense of déjà vu.
With Wyoming and Alaska being the lowest-populated states in the union, both also are predominantly Republican and have lightning-rod members of Congress who bring national importance to states that otherwise normally wouldn’t register on the political Richter scale.
Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney has been in the crosshairs of the far-right GOP and former President Donald Trump for her continued mission to hold Trump accountable for his influence in promoting the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
Lisa Murkowski, the U.S. senator from Alaska and former lone House member for The Last Frontier, also has raised some hackles for publicly holding Trump’s feet to the fire. She was one of just seven senators to vote to convict the former president after his second impeachment.
Alaska’s longtime lone U.S. House member, Rep. Don Young, recently died, ending an at-times-controversial legacy of service to the 49th state. I interviewed Young a handful of times, and clearly remember the first. He was quick to anger over some tough questions and had to be calmed by his wife to not walk out in a huff.
It’s fascinating to see the parallels between Alaska and Wyoming politics and the turmoil roiling through both states.
Before moving to the Cowboy State, I spent more than seven years as managing editor for a newspaper in the 49th state. That sleepy, small-town, home-grown newspaper was the Mat-Su Frontiersman in Wasilla, Alaska, Sarah Palin’s hometown. I was there in 2008 to report on and experience what can only be described as the most wild, unpredictable and memorable political season I’ve covered in 30 years newspapering.
Now Palin, apparently tired of chasing the national media spotlight and watching her family crash and burn on reality television, wants to take Young’s place as Alaska’s next congresswoman.
It’s a good thing U.S. House seats are only two-year terms, because that’s apparently the limit of her working for the people before more selfish interests intervene. After she and McCain lost the election, she quit as Alaska’s governor mid-term to chase a national broadcasting contract with FOX News.
The day it all changedOutside the petty bickering of local politicians and a few stories that left readers muttering “only in Alaska” (like the time an off-duty Marine survived for a week lost on a glacier by killing and eating a porcupine with his bare hands), it was business as usual.
Then one morning in late August 2008, very early because Alaska is four hours behind Eastern time, I got the call. It came a whole three hours after putting that day’s paper to bed.
“You better get to the office,” the publisher said.
“Wait, what?” I groggily answered.
“Palin’s been picked as (Sen. John) McCain’s running mate,” she said. “We’ve got to go in.”
And that’s what started more than two months of what became some bizarre and surreal community journalism.
While I’ve covered stories that would turn some stomachs and cause disbelieving headshaking (like the insane woman who killed and ate her boyfriend or the woman who stabbed her sister to death at their father’s wake), Palin’s run as McCain’s running mate still tops the list.
As the hometown newspaper of suddenly the most famous and polarizing name in the country, who was then a total unknown outside Alaska, Wasilla became the center of the political universe for a time.
I’m sorry to say that some of the tabloid behavior most “respectable” journalists frown upon was all in play for reporters from some of the nation’s largest and most respected institutions. They would rip pages out of our archived editions and more than one was caught rooting through the Palin family trash.
The sideshowWhile Cheney and Murkowski are both squarely in the spotlight, it was a different animal for Palin. Who knows how much of the sideshow will follow through her run for the House.
In the weeks after Palin’s selection, the hyper-personal vetting of everything around her revealed her husband, Todd Palin, would insert himself into state issues and the day-to-day workings of government. He’d attend official meetings, was copied on emails detailing state business and liked acting the big man on campus because he was the governor’s husband.
While Todd Palin referred to himself as the state’s “First Dude,” I dubbed him Alaska’s Yoko Ono.
Who’s her running mate?With all the intense scrutiny of Palin, it got lost in the shuffle to a degree that she was McCain’s running mate, not the other way around.
If the entire Palin for VP circus has taught us anything it’s that politics can be amazingly entertaining.
And for the record: No, I could NOT see Russia from my house in Wasilla.
A parting shotJust a random-yet-related observation: Anyone else look at Lauren Boebert, the controversial conspiracy-embracing Colorado Republican, and see Palin 2.0? | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/with-palin-its-political-d-j-vu-all-over-again/article_e59af7e4-c804-566d-b44e-88046daf50ef.html | 2022-04-10T11:52:11Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/editorials/with-palin-its-political-d-j-vu-all-over-again/article_e59af7e4-c804-566d-b44e-88046daf50ef.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — A chilly start to this Sunday morning will evolve into a milder and sunny to mostly sunny afternoon, as southerly winds will start taking much of the chill out of the air in the days to come. It won't be quite as windy as Saturday was, however. Temperatures will rebound through the morning and reach the mid to upper 70s area-wide by mid-afternoon. Nighttime lows will still fall below average, bottoming out in the mid to upper 40s. The week ahead will be generally warmer with increasing moisture and humidity. Conditions stay generally dry until midweek. The height of rain chances will be experienced Thursday with a cold front that doesn't make a clean sweep through the area, meaning temps stay mild and occasional opportunities for showers and storms will stretch into next weekend.
--Casanova Nurse, Chief Meteorologist | https://www.wtxl.com/weather/sunday-morning-first-to-know-forecast-04-20-2022 | 2022-04-10T11:52:15Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/weather/sunday-morning-first-to-know-forecast-04-20-2022 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The harsh cold and relentless wind. The lead late Saturday afternoon at the Masters. All the elements were there for Scottie Scheffler to start feeling the pressure of trying to win his first major at Augusta National.
Scheffler never looked worried until the final hole, and then only briefly.
His lead at four shots, his confidence level high, Scheffler’s wild drive to the left of the 18th fairway into the trees didn’t bother him nearly as much as the sight of the spotter poking around in the leaves in a desperate search for the golf ball.
“We saw the guy with the flag that always finds the balls kind of panicking,” Scheffler said. “I was like, ‘Oh, crap. Wonder what’s going on there?’ Fortunately, they found the ball. And then all I was trying to do was figure out how I was going to get it on the green.”
Like everything else this week, Scheffler figured it out.
He took a one-shot penalty, dropped it onto pine straw and then ripped a 3-iron from 240 yards that hit the green and rolled just over the back, leaving him two putts for a bogey that felt much better.
Scheffler had a 1-under 71 — one of only nine scores under par in the third round — that gave him a three-shot lead over Cameron Smith going into Sunday.
Scheffler spent all day fending off the cold wind by slipping on a vest over his layers of clothing after every shot on every hole. Maybe his next wardrobe change will be a green jacket.
Smith had the low round at 68, the only player to break 70, and gave himself another shot at winning the Masters in his first start since his victory in The Players Championship. He was a runner-up to Dustin Johnson at Augusta two years ago.
“ Should be a great fight tomorrow,” Scheffler said. “Obviously Cam is a tremendous player, and he’s got a fantastic short game, and he’s coming off a huge win at The Players. Both of us are in good form, so I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge of playing with him tomorrow.”
Sungjae Im (71), also a Masters runner-up in 2020, was the only other player within five shots.
Tiger Woods wanted to find a way to get into red numbers and wound up with his worst score ever at the Masters, a 78 that will be remembered for his first four-putt at Augusta National. He also had four three-putts and was 16 shots behind.
“You’d think I’d have figured it out somewhere along the line, but it just didn’t happen,” he said.
On such a cold day — the wind chill was in the upper 40s most of the day — perhaps this was a warmup for what Scheffler can expect on Sunday at Augusta National, typically the greatest theater of the majors, especially for those seeking their first major.
The last player who failed to hold a lead of three shots or more going into the final round was 21-year-old Rory McIlroy in 2011.
Scheffler looked as thought he might turn this into a runaway when he made his fourth birdie of the round on the par-5 eighth and expanded his lead to six shots.
But then a shot from the front bunker on the par-3 12th went over the green. He bounced back with a birdie only to come up well short of the monstrous mound guarding the back right pin on the 14th for bogey, and three-putting the par-5 15th for another bogey.
Even after his best shot of the round, a wedge from 160 yards that rode the right-to-left wind and settled 4 feet away for birdie on the 17th, he ran into trouble off the tee and managed to limit the damage.
“You hate bogeying the last hole, but the way I bogeyed it, it for sure felt like a par,” he said.
Scheffler was at 9-under 207.
Sunday will be the first time since a final pairing at a major featured players from the top 10 in the world since the 2015 PGA Championship with Jason Day and Jordan Spieth.
Scheffler and Smith might be the two hottest players in golf, too.
Scheffler has won three of his last five tournaments, all against some of the strongest fields of the year, a run that has elevated the 25-year-old from Dallas to No. 1 in the world.
Smith began the year by taking down the former No. 1 player, Jon Rahm, with a record score to par at Kapalua. His latest feat was to win the next best thing to a major, The Players Championship, last month.
“It just means I can get it done, I guess, when I’m up against the best guys in the world. It’s a good feeling to have. It’s earned. It’s not given to you,” Smith said. “So I’m going to have to go out there tomorrow and play really good golf again, probably similar to today. Hopefully, everything just falls into place.”
Woods finished as Scheffler was still comfortably ahead, and the five-time Masters champion feels as though he has seen this before. Players hit peak form all the time, and it’s especially sweet when that run is in the spring with the Masters on the calendar.
Woods won back-to-back ahead of his Masters victory in 2001. Jordan Spieth won and had a pair of runner-up finishes when he won his green jacket in 2015. Fred Couples won twice and was runner-up twice ahead of his 1992 victory at Augusta.
“We all wish we had that two, three-month window when we get hot, and hopefully majors fall somewhere along in that window. We take care of it in those windows,” Woods said. “Scottie seems to be in that window right now.”
Charl Schwartzel, who won the Masters in 2011, was trying to keep stride with Smith until he three-putted from about 8 feet for bogey on the 16th and dropped another shot on the 17th, slipping to a 73. He was at 2-under 214 along with Shane Lowry (73).
Justin Thomas (72) and Corey Conners (73) were the only other players under par. | https://www.wspa.com/sports/scheffler-survives-wild-windy-cold-day-to-lead-masters-by-3/ | 2022-04-10T11:52:15Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/sports/scheffler-survives-wild-windy-cold-day-to-lead-masters-by-3/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...West winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph
possible.
* WHERE...Laramie Valley.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM MDT this evening.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.
Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe
location prior to the onset of winds.
&&
This week, the bureaucrats at the city of Laramie showed their true colors by publishing a document titled “Laramie Rental Housing Code (LMC 8.80) Pre-Inspection Checklist.”
This checklist, which the City Manager’s Office is now requiring rental property owners to complete as they pay fees to register every rental unit, contains superfluous requirements that not only go far beyond the requirements of state law (which is not legal; city ordinances cannot expand the requirements of uniformly applicable state laws) but also ones not authorized by the ordinance recently passed by the City Council.
What’s more, as the title of the document indicates, the city apparently intends to perform intrusive, warrantless searches not only of every rental unit, but of other parts of every building containing one, despite prior claims that they will only inspect in response to complaints.
This summer and fall, expect rents in Laramie to increase by 10%-15% as the city attempts to impose this new regime, which — unless the courts enjoin it as they should — will cost Laramie tenants more than a quarter of a million dollars every year.
Rents also will jump due to a lack of supply as failure to satisfy every item on the checklist causes perfectly acceptable and habitable units, which fully conformed to building codes at the time of their construction, to be removed from the market.
This behavior violates City Council’s stated goal of making Laramie housing more affordable.
Let’s hope the courts act promptly to enjoin and then overturn the ordinance, which otherwise would harm tenants, smother business development and bloat city government by illegally overriding Wyoming’s rental property statute. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/court-should-intervene-against-city-rental-regs/article_9fc14c56-ad97-5f04-8959-f97625a7a97f.html | 2022-04-10T11:52:17Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/court-should-intervene-against-city-rental-regs/article_9fc14c56-ad97-5f04-8959-f97625a7a97f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...West winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph
possible.
* WHERE...Laramie Valley.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM MDT this evening.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.
Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe
location prior to the onset of winds.
&&
Can you believe the meat price increases predicted by USDA Economic Research Service? It’s 15% for red meat and 11% for fish and eggs! That’s way more than the predicted 8% inflation rate, already the highest in four decades.
The obvious solution recommended by nutritionists is fresh vegetables. They contain all the nutrients required for healthy living and no saturated fats, cholesterol, hormones and antibiotics loaded in animal products. They do contain complex carbohydrates, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. They offer vastly reduced risk of contracting heart disease, stroke, some cancers, diabetes and obesity.
Fresh vegetables are going up only 4.3%, way below the 8% inflation rate.
But there is more: A University of Michigan research report found that replacing 50% of animal products with plant-based foods would prevent more than 1.6 billion tons of greenhouse gasses by 2030, President Biden’s target date for a 50% reduction in emissions.
In an environmentally sustainable world, we need to replace meat and other animal products with vegetables, fruits and grains just as we replace fossil fuels with wind, solar and other renewable energy sources.
This outrageous meat price increase may be our blessing in disguise. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/look-to-veggies-to-fight-food-inflation/article_6e726020-bac7-523d-bc83-c8b9ccb456a3.html | 2022-04-10T11:52:23Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/look-to-veggies-to-fight-food-inflation/article_6e726020-bac7-523d-bc83-c8b9ccb456a3.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...West winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph
possible.
* WHERE...Laramie Valley.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM MDT this evening.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.
Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe
location prior to the onset of winds.
&&
Putin shuts down independent media and the state media spreads only propaganda. They must call invasion and atrocities “fake news” or face imprisonment or death.
Officials who disagree disappear. People hear only the lies, conspiracy theories and twisted reasons (Putin) wants.
Without check or questioning, propaganda becomes reality to the people.
Putin created fake enemies to excuse his invasion and atrocities. He tortures and kills civilians. He and a few hoard wealth and take what they want.
Trump calls independent media “enemies of the people” and the truth “fake news.” Fox continues to lose any personalities who do not conform to his propaganda. Trump fired dozens of his people who did not suck up sufficiently — personal loyalty over truth.
He urged followers to attack protesters and led the chanting of, “Lock her up,” with no regard for evidence or due process (flagrantly misusing and destroying classified info himself). He courts neo-Nazis and other violent right extremists.
Trump lied about COVID. He misused National Guard troops, disrespected Gold Star families and showed no concern for troops. He made a mockery of the Bible and religion, spreading fear and hate instead of love.
He misused the office to enrich himself. He still claims the election was rigged, despite investigations, numerous recounts and scores of lawsuits that found no significant election irregularities.
His own party engaged in intimidation of election officials, attempts to throw out ballots and pressuring officials to “find” favorable ones, sending fake electors and (pushing for) voter suppression.
These are demonstrable facts.
The Republican Party has become extremist, anti-democracy, anti-rule-of-law that offers no solutions. They only list problems, blame Democrats and say they will fix everything with no plans or platform as to how they will do that.
There are a few with integrity to speak out and act with reason and respect for you and the Constitution. Will you be as brave and honest?
Will you protect democracy, truth and rule of law, or do you chose hatred, lies, conspiracy theories and rule by the self-interested few? Violence or understanding? Imposition of will or respect for all? Putin/Trump or democracy? | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/politics-at-a-crossroads-of-good-vs-evil/article_217f3e61-12cc-530d-8a41-264aa99ec25b.html | 2022-04-10T11:52:30Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/politics-at-a-crossroads-of-good-vs-evil/article_217f3e61-12cc-530d-8a41-264aa99ec25b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...West winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph
possible.
* WHERE...Laramie Valley.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM MDT this evening.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.
Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe
location prior to the onset of winds.
&&
Do you really want an endorsement from a confirmed traitor? This is not just a run-of-the-mill traitor. This traitor (Donald Trump) organized a political coup to attack Congress on Jan. 6, 2021, in an attempt to overthrow our democracy.
Today this traitor embraces the war criminal Vladimir Putin. This guy gets “love letters” from North Korea. He was impeached for withholding $400 million in aid to Ukraine for a political favor.
Do you happen to remember that our two cowardly Wyoming senators betrayed America by voting to keep Trump in office? This traitor has thrown his own family members under the bus, and will again.
When looking for the definition of a bully, he is the model.
Granted, Wyoming has lots of Trump lovers who will vote for traitor. They have no interest in having democracy in America.
Well, maybe they do, but are too stupid to know what democracy looks like or what an authoritarian government is and what it does to its citizens.
Is becoming a member of the U.S. Congress worth selling yourself out to the likes of Donald Trump? Remember that in the end, the only thing any of us have is our good name!
It’s your choice. Embrace a traitor or stand for democracy. Win an election as a patriot or lose as a patriot. Become one of a rare breed of Republicans that puts America first.
You know a Republican patriot close to home to use as your model. What are you? | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/wants-answers-from-hageman/article_a156251f-4ea3-5f56-9483-385137a570f5.html | 2022-04-10T11:52:36Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/wants-answers-from-hageman/article_a156251f-4ea3-5f56-9483-385137a570f5.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
I would like to pass on a few observations about the recent redistricting and the new city of Laramie wards.
On the state level, the residents of Wyoming expect very little, and the state Legislature delivered what was expected. They took too long to make a decision, some legislators practiced uncivilized discourse and they finally settled on a plan the governor let become law without his signature.
Their plan has the possibility of being challenged in court, which of course will cost taxpayers more money — all the time collecting their salaries, which comes from all the residents of Wyoming. An amazing return on our tax dollars.
On the local level, the redistricting process for the wards, in my opinion, wasn’t executed with any better results. It was stated at a recent City Council meeting that approving a map that would let Ward 1 have a population of 52% west of the railroad tracks would divide the city.
I said at that meeting that I disagreed with that viewpoint. I would like to thank Erin O’Doherty for the work she put in to creating that map. It is unfortunate that most of my current Ward 1 councilors voted against that version.
City Council did not get a lot of response from residents regarding this, and as a community I believe we will be worse off for not paying more attention.
I admit that I should have contacted my councilors earlier, but I’m not sure if that would have made a difference. I made my opinion known to the councilors at a recent City Council meeting that I believed dividing Ward 1 was a mistake.
Albany County Clerk Jackie Gonzalez and Mike Massie (who helped design the current ward system) also sent correspondence to the council against such a decision.
The west side and West Laramie community has now been divided down the middle at Snowy Range Road. Ward 1 stretches from the airport, south side of Snowy Range Road, southern half of the west side, south of town and further east than before. Ward 2 now has the northern side of Snowy Range, west side, West Laramie and a portion of north Laramie.
It has been mentioned that the community west of the tracks now has the possibility of having six councilors. Yes, there will be six councilors from Wards 1 and 2, but the likelihood of any of those councilors living west of the railroad tracks is unlikely.
The population in the new wards that reside west of the railroad tracks is the minority population of both wards. That will make it difficult for any candidate from this side of town who supports economic development, paved streets or any kind of benefit to this side of town hard to elect if the majority residents of our new wards who live east of the railroad track have a different viewpoint.
My friends and neighbors on the west side and West Laramie have long felt like the neglected stepchild in the Laramie family. The new wards will do nothing to change this.
The good news is that in 10 years, that version of City Council will get a chance to do this all over again. Who knows what boundaries they will choose then?
We have seen multiple development projects over the last couple of decades that have benefitted our community. They have mostly been east of the railroad tracks. The Recreation Center, senior high school, various elementary schools, water mains, sewer lines, etc.
To be fair, we did get some streets paved and better drainage around Linford school, and an upgraded airport. These upgrades to infrastructure were needed and long overdue.
There is still a lot more that needs to be done with infrastructure and economic development. That is true for all the wards, but especially for the new wards west of the railroad tracks.
Laramie is wonderful place to live, raise a family and own a business, and I have no doubt it will continue to grow and develop and maintain our status as the Gem City of the Plains. Every major capital improvement makes our community and city better regardless of location.
I would just like to suggest that this side of town is worthy of more consideration, even if we won’t have city councilors wholive on this side of town.
Klaus Halbsgut
Laramie | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/west-side-residents-remain-the-neglected-stepchild-of-laramie-family/article_1963f9fe-1719-5086-996c-a774adc38582.html | 2022-04-10T11:52:42Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/opinion/letters_to_editor/west-side-residents-remain-the-neglected-stepchild-of-laramie-family/article_1963f9fe-1719-5086-996c-a774adc38582.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Boomerang Writer
Tiger salamanders have been coexisting with the people of Laramie for a long time. Each spring when the amphibians come out of hibernation to migrate to Stink Lake in LaBonte Park, volunteers head out into rainy nights with headlamps and safety vests to help them make the crossing safely.
Still, many facts about salamanders and how to coexist with them remain a mystery for many Laramie residents, even those who may have the creatures living in their backyards.
On Saturday, the University of Wyoming Biodiversity Institute — the group that leads the migration efforts — held an event to teach the public why and how they should care for their amphibian neighbors.
“The salamanders aren’t as well known, (and) the migration isn’t as appreciated as it should be,” said Mason Lee, senior project coordinator for the Biodiversity Institute. “I wanted to increase education so people will love them and protect them into the future.”
Salamanders and newts make up about 9% of all amphibians, a group that is older than dinosaurs. Wyoming is home to only one species, the western tiger salamander, which has three subspecies in the region.
The Saturday event, called “Salamander Saturday,” was largely a success in spreading the word about the animals. Families, college students and adults filled the Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center to learn about different aspects of amphibian research and to hear an educational presentation from herpetology Ph.D candidate Mel Torres.
“Amphibians are experiencing global population declines and extinctions,” Torres said.
One of the biggest threats to salamanders worldwide is habitat loss, which is worsened by climate change, Torres said. Salamanders have extremely sensitive skin and require healthy quantities of water in their environment in order to fully develop into adults. With bodies of water receding faster, the creatures aren’t given enough time to go through this development process.
More direct human threats to salamanders include habitat fragmentation, polluted runoff from pesticides and other chemicals, human introduction of fish into ponds and wildlife trade.
The creatures also are extremely susceptible to diseases that can decimate their populations.
Students and researchers at UW have been working to learn more about salamanders and other amphibians. This research could have important impacts on understanding how to manage the ecosystem, and even on areas such as human medicine.
Brett Addis spent time during the event teaching kids about research being conducted by the Rocky Mountain Amphibian Project. To monitor six “rare and cryptic” local amphibian species that are hard to find in the wild, he said researchers collect water samples from wetlands. Using a DNA filtering process, they can determine which species are spending their time in a certain area.
Another researcher, Rachel Arrick, demonstrated how scientists use radio telemetry equipment to track the behavior of the Wyoming toad, which are extinct in the wild. Captive species are outfitted with small belts that allow scientists to follow their progress once they get released into the wild.
There also were activities for kids, like a build your own salamander station and an opportunity to meet Tim and Tad, a pair of live salamanders cared for by scientists.
Because local tiger salamanders live in an area with a high human population, the importance of community buy-in toward their wellbeing is crucial, Lee said.
Residents may see salamanders trying to cross city streets to make it to LaBonte Park, especially around 9th and Canby streets. While normally people should never bother salamanders, it is OK to pick them up to help them with their migration, Torres said.
Before handling them, people should wash or sanitize their hands and rub them with dirt. Lotion, sunscreen or natural body oils can harm salamanders’ fragile skin, so this step is essential to ensure their wellbeing. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/those-meandern-manders-salamander-saturday-a-celebration-of-laramies-ambling-amphibians/article_17b381cf-519d-55d6-9422-4fc3a7f3c03b.html | 2022-04-10T11:52:48Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/laramieboomerang/those-meandern-manders-salamander-saturday-a-celebration-of-laramies-ambling-amphibians/article_17b381cf-519d-55d6-9422-4fc3a7f3c03b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Community Conversation will be held Sunday in the wake of the shooting death of a man by a Grand Rapids police officer.
Patrick Lyoya died after a lengthy struggle on Monday, April 4 near the intersection of Griggs Street and Nelson Avenue.
Kent County Commissioner Robert Womack announced the "Community Conversation" forum will be held at 3 p.m. Sunday at Renaissance Church of God in Christ at 1001 33rd St. SE.
The event is expected to feature local and national leaders including Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump, Womack, Brandon Davis of the Grand Rapids Office of Oversight and Accountability, Cle Jackson of the Local NAACP, Pastor Israel with the Congolese Community, and pastors from the Grand Rapids community.
Lyoya's family is expected to attend the event. They are being represented by attorney Ben Crump during the legal process.
This comes after two events were held Saturday in Grand Rapids. Hundreds marched through a Grand Rapids neighborhood. It was followed by a vigil with remembrances of Patrick Lyoya.
Lyoya's father told the crowd that he wants the release of video so that everyone can see what happened to his son.
Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom told FOX17 Lyoya ran from the officer, and then struggled with that officer when the officer caught up to him. Investigators say the officer shot Lyoya during the struggle.
However, Lyoya’s family has disputed that account. According to Lyoya’s father and the family’s interpreter, video they were shown of the shooting depicts the officer shooting Lyoya in the back of the head while lying face down on the ground.
Video of Lyoya’s killing has yet to be released to the public, although in a statement on Friday, Winstrom said the video would be release no later than April 15 at noon. The officer has not been named.
How we got here:
Man shot, killed by officer during traffic stop in Grand Rapids
Man identified in Grand Rapids officer involved shooting
Family demands answers, remembers life of man killed in GR officer-involved shooting
GRPD Chief on delaying release of video: this is not a cover-up
Kent County prosecutor: GRPD can share video of officer-involved shooting without his approval
‘I’m bleeding. I’m hurt:’ Father wants video of deadly officer-involved shooting released
Hundreds march against killing of Patrick Lyoya by a Grand Rapids police officer
Vigil held for Patrick Lyoya, man who died after being shot by GR police officer | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/community-conversation-planned-sunday-after-man-died-after-shot-by-gr-police-officer | 2022-04-10T11:52:58Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/community-conversation-planned-sunday-after-man-died-after-shot-by-gr-police-officer | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...West winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph
possible.
* WHERE...South Laramie Range, South Laramie Range Foothills and
Central Laramie County.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM MDT this evening.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.
Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe
location prior to the onset of winds.
&&
The Cheyenne City Council. Photograph from the city's website.
Wyoming Board of Agriculture, 9 a.m., State Capitol Extension, 200 W. 24th St., Room W53/W54, and on Zoom. Agenda and login information online at http://agriculture.wy.gov/boa/agenda.
Cheyenne City Council, 6 p.m., Council Chambers of the Municipal Building, 2101 O’Neil Ave., and online via Zoom. For online access information, visit www.cheyennecity.org/ecm.
Laramie County School District 2 Board of Trustees, 7 p.m., Pine Bluffs Junior-Senior High School, 502 Maple St., Pine Bluffs.
Tuesday
Wyoming Board of Agriculture, 8:30 a.m., State Capitol Extension, 200 W. 24th St., Room W53/W54, and on Zoom. Agenda and login information online at http://agriculture.wy.gov/boa/agenda.
Cheyenne Historic Preservation Board, 6 p.m., by Zoom only. Log in at https://tinyurl.com/cheyenne-hpb; Meeting ID: 863 7640 7097; Passcode: Historic.
Laramie County Planning Commission, 3:30 p.m., Commissioners’ Board Room, Historic Courthouse, 310 W. 19th St. Visit https://laramiecounty.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx to attend the meeting virtually and comment online. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/government_meetings_listing/government-meetings-listing-4-10-22/article_d14f8ad0-b93a-52b2-8bfd-a3d30ded2454.html | 2022-04-10T11:53:01Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/government_meetings_listing/government-meetings-listing-4-10-22/article_d14f8ad0-b93a-52b2-8bfd-a3d30ded2454.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM MDT THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...West winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 65 mph
possible.
* WHERE...South Laramie Range, South Laramie Range Foothills and
Central Laramie County.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM MDT this evening.
* IMPACTS...Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines.
Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Monitor the latest forecasts and warnings for updates on this
situation. Fasten loose objects or shelter objects in a safe
location prior to the onset of winds.
&&
Diana Arenas-Rocha was selected as Laramie County School District 1’s Student of the Week for the week of April 11. Courtesy
Parents’ names: Ma Del Rocio Rocha Ramirez and Ismael Arenas Rizo
Diana Arenas-Rocha was selected as Laramie County School District 1’s Student of the Week for the week of April 11.
She was nominated by the selection committee for emerging as a leader in her senior class and for displaying the HERD (honorable, enthusiastic, responsible and determined) values daily.
“Diana always does her work with honor and integrity,” AP U.S. history teacher Reagan Kaufman said. “I love her sense of humor and determination to do well in class. She is a great leader.”
Throughout her high school career, Arenas-Rocha has taken honors and Advanced Placement courses, along with maintaining a job.
During her time in the TV media production class at South, she created a public service announcement on the topic of sexual harassment.
“She created the scripts, did all the interviewing, filming and editing herself,” Assistant Principal Kristen Siegel said. “She took on this project, as she felt this was a very important topic that students needed to be informed about.”
As a first-generation United States citizen, Arenas-Rocha has learned English as a second language, and she is bilingual in both Spanish and English.
“Diana has overcome several obstacles throughout her life,” Siegel said. “She has done so with determination, hard work and a positive attitude.”
After graduation, she plans to attend the University of Wyoming and major in international studies, politics or law. She would one day like to work in the government. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/in_our_schools/lcsd1-student-of-the-week-for-april-11/article_06b9b659-d0ae-5552-8c11-219d2d70455f.html | 2022-04-10T11:53:07Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/in_our_schools/lcsd1-student-of-the-week-for-april-11/article_06b9b659-d0ae-5552-8c11-219d2d70455f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – Some employees say Cheyenne Regional Medical Center and its overall health system did not adequately handle an outage that affected its timekeeping and payroll software.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported March 26 that more than 2,000 CRMC employees were affected when its human resources management system, Kronos Private Cloud, went down Dec. 11 after a larger-scale ransomware attack.
The WTE spoke with three Cheyenne Regional employees who reached out after that story was published. They did not want to be identified because they said they fear retaliation from the hospital.
These employees were frustrated largely because of what they felt was management not being readily available while the system was down. In some cases, they questioned the accuracy of their pay, mainly because it was unclear to them how their paychecks were calculated during the outage.
They claimed that the payroll department was understaffed, and said they felt devalued by certain responses to their frustrations. These workers said they are paid by the hour.
While Kronos was down, the health system’s payroll department manually processed paychecks over five pay cycles, Chief Human Resources Officer Joanna Vilos said previously. Vilos says about 55% of Cheyenne Regional employees were overpaid, while about 45% were underpaid.
“One of our top priorities was to ensure paychecks were issued timely on each and every payday, which we successfully accomplished,” Vilos said in a Thursday statement to the WTE.
Kronos says the core functionality of its payroll software, including “time, scheduling and HR/payroll capabilities,” was restored by Jan. 22. Cheyenne Regional says the software became fully functional in early March, and Vilos said that when the hospital could access the payroll system, it “immediately began reconciling all employees’ paychecks.”
Those who were underpaid received the money they were owed in their March 17 paycheck, an employee said.
Vilos says no personal information was compromised, thanks to the health system’s “robust set of policies and practices against cyberattacks.”
Payroll department
Employees said just two people staffed the health system’s payroll department during the Kronos outage.
In her Thursday statement, Vilos confirmed the payroll team was staffed with two full-time employees, saying it was “supplemented with ongoing assistance from human resources, accounting and administrative staff.”
“I feel like a lot of the over- (and) underpayment stuff could have been prevented if maybe they would have contracted in some outside help, instead of dumping this onto employees,” said a staffer. “We were getting messages of ‘Don’t call payroll, they’re very busy. They’ll set up a room in one of the conference rooms on such and such day from such and such hours. If you have questions, do it then.’”
Since Kronos came back online, the employee said, they’ve been asked to schedule meetings with the payroll department.
Staff said there were several email communications from hospital leadership, but that some aspects were difficult to understand. Employees perceived the messaging as not transparent.
“This is a widespread concern within the organization, and there are a lot of unhappy employees,” one hospital worker said. “There’s a lot of inconsistencies with what they’re saying, and I think that’s one of the primary reasons people are upset is that we’re not getting straightforward answers.”
When one employee scheduled an in-person meeting with a payroll department employee, the hospital worker said she wanted to find out more from payroll about how they’d determined paycheck amounts. According to this hospital worker, payroll did not have information about individual employees’ insurance deductibles, or even pay scale, during at least part of the outage.
“I told (the payroll department employee) that I really wanted to double check and make sure that everything matches up, everything aligns, before I pay anything back, and she said, ‘I will make a note to the VP that you are refusing to pay back the money you owe,’” the hospital worker recalled. “I told her that is not what I said, and later on, she retracted that statement, saying she had never said that. So I did, I got a little riled up with her because I felt that was inappropriate and she was setting me up.”
The employee said she was told that if she did not pay back the money she was told she owed, the amount would be sent to collections.
Inconsistencies
In communications from the health system, an employee said, hospital workers were told to “double check” their paychecks to ensure they were paid correctly.
“But the way they do the pay system, it almost makes it impossible for a person to figure it out. And, for the most part, my paychecks looked accurate. So they just kept saying, you know, just double check, double check,” she said.
But when she sent an email to an employee in the payroll department outlining concerns about discrepancies, the payroll employee “basically kind of wrote it off and said: ‘Just be assured that your paychecks are correct,’” she said.
To this hospital worker, the payroll employee’s comment contradicted what had been said earlier about double-checking pay amounts.
The worker said she was underpaid in her first two paychecks, then overpaid in subsequent February paychecks. This was confusing, because during the periods she was overpaid, she was told Kronos was back up and running.
According to Vilos: “As Kronos came back online, we then had to reconcile each pay period in chronological sequence during the timeframe that Kronos was not operational. The timeframe to complete the reconciliations crossed over an additional two pay periods. Upon completion of December’s payroll reconciliation, we were then able to process and produce (IRS) W-2 tax forms for all employees.
“For many employees, as we estimated payroll based off a previous pay period, the pay, deductions and taxes were a direct reflection of the baseline pay period. In instances where we estimated an increase or bonus payment, the IRS standard tax rate of 22% was applied. In a week’s time, after all reconciliations were completed, all underpayments were made.”
‘Mishandled’
Employees said they were given several options to pay back the money: pay it in a lump sum with check or cash; have the amount taken out of one paycheck; have it taken out over five paychecks; or cash out up to 160 hours of paid time off, and be unable to cash out any more this year.
Vilos said Thursday that “Employees who were overpaid had options to repay directly or through payroll deduction, either over a single pay period or over multiple pay periods, entirely their choice. For employees with hardship or unique challenges, we evaluated each one individually and provided additional options to better meet their unique circumstances.”
One employee said she could tell she was being overpaid, so she set the money aside. She’d taken extra shifts in the weeks leading up to the Kronos outage during a spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations. This employee said it was her understanding that at least some of the paychecks during the Kronos outage were based a previous paycheck, meaning her pay during the outage was higher than normal.
She decided to pay the amount back all at once.
“When you have to write a check for (thousands of dollars), even though you know that it was overpayment money, it still kind of takes your breath away,” the employee said.
Another said that, although she’s been told she only owes a few hundred dollars, she’s still trying to parse out the accuracy of her pay.
Employees said they were instructed to keep manual timesheets to give to their supervisors during the outage. It was unclear whether these timesheets were used to calculate employee pay, as employees also said they were told their pay over the next five cycles was based on the amount in their Dec. 10 paycheck.
Vilos said CRMC “used a recent, previous pay period as the baseline for the five pay periods that Kronos was not fully operational, and estimates were made off of that baseline pay period.”
Some of the employees said that the money they may owe isn’t the main problem.
“The point is that they mishandled this situation,” one employee said. “They didn’t get the help that they desired or needed. (A payroll department employee) said that she made the choice, along with her supervisors, to not hire any extra employees or outside help to do payroll. So it was just two (payroll) employees for the 2,200 (total Cheyenne Regional) employees.”
This employee said she’s lost some of her confidence in management following this incident.
All the employees who spoke to the WTE said they were aware of situations where hourly hospital workers were drastically over- or underpaid.
One person said she and colleagues had been discussing the possibility of contacting a labor organization, though they weren’t clear on exactly who to go to or where to start. She said they just wanted someone “impartial” to investigate how things were handled.
“This has been a difficult and challenging situation that we, and thousands of other Kronos clients, had to work through,” Vilos wrote. “It has been difficult on our payroll, accounting and HR staff, as well as every single employee. We regret any inconvenience or frustration this has caused. Now we are moving forward as our system has been restored, historical accuracy adjudicated and normal payroll functionality resumed.”
A different perspective
After the WTE contacted Cheyenne Regional with specific questions regarding these employee complaints, a hospital spokesperson said she had reached out to department managers. The spokesperson said she believed there were “many employees who may have a different point of view” than those who said they’d had negative experiences.
One additional employee then contacted the WTE. She also asked to remain anonymous.
This hospital worker, who is also hourly, said the payroll disruption didn’t have much of an effect on her.
“I always know how many hours I work every day. So, for me, it wasn’t a big deal,” she said.
The employee said the collective feeling within her small department was one of empathy toward payroll employees, understanding that they had a daunting, complex task on their hands.
“So, I think for me personally and the people around me,” she said, “it was just like, ‘Oh, gosh, those poor people are going to be overwhelmed.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/some-cheyenne-regional-employees-upset-by-handling-of-kronos-hack/article_7adbad6b-1b4b-53ad-9f8f-9f72da752b37.html | 2022-04-10T11:53:19Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/local_news/some-cheyenne-regional-employees-upset-by-handling-of-kronos-hack/article_7adbad6b-1b4b-53ad-9f8f-9f72da752b37.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Recently arrested by the Cheyenne Police Department:
Amy D. Manzanares, 35, of East Pershing Boulevard for misdemeanor domestic battery, interference with a peace officer without injury and simple assault on a police officer at 7 p.m. Wednesday at her residence.
Lorenzo J. Martinez, 33, transient, for misdemeanor fighting/riotous conduct and public intoxication at 5:10 p.m. Wednesday in the 1100 block of West Lincolnway.
Latalia C. Carson, 42, transient, for misdemeanor refusing to obey at 10:20 a.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of West 18th Street; and for misdemeanor unlawful entry onto property at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 900 block of West Lincolnway.
Tillman H. Dickson, 30, of Terry Road on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to pay at 9:29 a.m. Wednesday in the 4200 block of Windmill Road.
Michael R. Skretteberg, 51, transient, for misdemeanor entering into/on other person’s property and malicious mischief at 4:15 a.m. Wednesday at the intersection of Ames Avenue and Parsley Boulevard; and for misdemeanor entering into/on other person’s property at 4:25 a.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Ames Avenue and Parsley Boulevard.
Kimberly S. Adams, 50, of East Fourth Street on two misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear at 12 a.m. Wednesday in the 300 block of East Fourth Street.
Bruce D. Teitel, 63, transient, for misdemeanor unlawful entry onto property at 11:17 a.m. Tuesday in the 2300 block of West Lincolnway.
Frankie E. Boyd Jr., unknown age, of 27th Street for misdemeanor unlawful entry onto property, fighting/riotous conduct and interfering/obstructing, and on a misdemeanor municipal warrant at 10:15 a.m. Tuesday in the 1700 block of Fleischli Parkway.
Jim Dement, 58, of Sterling, Colorado, for misdemeanor entering into/on another person’s property at 3 a.m. Tuesday in the 1100 block of Martin Luther King Court.
Henry Gonzales, 47, transient, for misdemeanor unlawful entry onto property, possession of marijuana and interfering/obstructing at 10:22 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Campstool Road and Logan Avenue.
Karlee M. Cartwright, 27, of Gordon Road on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to pay at 9:25 p.m. Monday at the intersection of Teton Street and Morrie Avenue.
Rachel V. Hernandez, 44, of East Ninth Street on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear at 5:58 p.m. Monday at her residence.
Patrick M. Jimenez, 35, of East Ninth Street on a felony warrant for failure to appear and a misdemeanor warrant for failure to pay at 5:45 p.m. Monday at East Ninth Street and Russell Avenue.
Jonathan C. Chavez, 35, of Reed Avenue for misdemeanor interference with a peace officer (no injury), unlawful entry into occupied structure and possession of a methamphetamine-type drug, and on misdemeanor warrants for failure to appear and failure to comply at 4:02 p.m. Monday in the 400 block of West Seventh Street.
Crystal F. Parker, 43, of East Prosser Road for felony burglary at 3:59 p.m. Monday in the 200 block of East Fifth Street.
Julia E. Tate, 37, transient on a felony warrant for failure to appear out of Larimer County, Colorado, at 1:26 p.m. Monday in the 1400 block of West Lincolnway.
Christopher M. Ledney, 31, of Hynds Avenue for misdemeanor public intoxication and rude, improper or indecent behavior at 1:26 p.m. in the 200 block of West Fox Farm Road.
Cleophus G. Moore, 36, of West 25th Street on a felony warrant for aggravated assault with injury at 11 a.m. Monday at East 25th Street and Morrie Avenue.
Mark A. Sisco, 57, transient, for misdemeanor public intoxication at 1:40 a.m. Monday in the 300 block of East Lincolnway.
Recently arrested by the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office:
David A. Schmidt, 28, transient, for felony motor vehicle theft and misdemeanor possession of a methamphetamine-type drug at 3:57 p.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of West 10th Street.
Jeffrey T. Bailey, 42, of Snowy River Road for misdemeanor violation of a protection order at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the 400 block of Utah Street.
Nathaniel K. Gunn, 20, of Pinto Lane for misdemeanor unauthorized use of a motor vehicle (joyriding) at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Laramie County jail, 1910 Pioneer Ave.
Benjamin J.G. Woodworth, 31, of Interstate 80 Service Road for misdemeanor violation of a protection order at 4:36 p.m. Monday in the 50 block of Interstate 25 Service Road.
Ernesto J. Mata, 42, of Cody Lane on a felony court order at 2:55 p.m. Monday at the Laramie County Governmental Complex, 309 W. 20th St.
Derrick L. Smith, 25, of Laramie, on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to appear at 2:49 p.m. Monday at the Laramie County jail.
Jay D. O’Brien, 36, of Laramie, on misdemeanor warrants for property destruction and simple assault at 2:49 p.m. Monday at the Laramie County jail.
Randolph K. Urquidez, 63, of Sparks Road on a misdemeanor warrant for failure to comply at 10 a.m. Monday at the Laramie County Governmental Complex.
Tracy D. Hoops, 47, of Maryland Court on a felony warrant for strangulation of a household member (serious injury) and misdemeanor warrants for domestic battery, aggravated assault with injury, fleeing/eluding, careless driving, speeding and failure to stop at a stop sign at 9:21 a.m. Monday at the Laramie County jail.
Recently arrested by Wyoming Highway Patrol:
Jessey M. Hardee-Smith, 28, of Tower Junction Road for misdemeanor driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and controlled substance and open container of alcohol at 10:21 p.m. Tuesday at milepost 10 on northbound Interstate 25.
Timothy B. Duke, 34, of Lunsford Drive for misdemeanor driving with a suspended license, failure to have required mirrors and possession of a controlled substance in powder form, and on a misdemeanor warrant out of Carbon County for failure to pay child support at 2:30 p.m. Monday at an unknown location in Laramie County. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/police_blotter/police-blotter-4-10-22/article_d779c6eb-889a-5f0d-9754-35a6fecfb681.html | 2022-04-10T11:53:25Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/news/police_blotter/police-blotter-4-10-22/article_d779c6eb-889a-5f0d-9754-35a6fecfb681.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
“I’m a little shocked,” Nebraska state Sen. Bruce Bostelman told colleagues, describing “something called furries.”
Bostleman explained, “If you don’t know what furries are, it’s where schoolchildren dress up as animals – cats or dogs – during the school day. They meow and bark, and they interact with their school, with their teachers in this fashion. Now, schools are wanting to put litter boxes in the schools for these children to use.”
He asked, “How is this sanitary?”
The better question: “Is this true?” Of course not.
Sen. Bostleman was raised in Superior, Nebraska, a small farming town whose population today is south of 2,000. I’m guessing his salt-of-the-earth Lutheran parents, teachers and neighbors taught him the difference between truth and lies.
His teachers in that rural schoolhouse certainly told him about George Washington chopping down the cherry tree, how young George admitted his transgression. The first president is remembered for saying “I cannot tell a lie.” President Trump’s phrase would be “I cannot tell the truth.”
Bostleman became an apostle. As has Herschel Walker and Harriet Hageman.
Walker could have been remembered as a Heisman Trophy winning all-star football player. He, too, was raised in a small town by salt-of-the-earth parents who taught him not to lie. As Trump’s handpicked candidate for the Senate in Georgia, he’s been assuring voters he’s not just some jock, that he graduated in the top 1% of his class. Now, he admits he didn’t graduate at all. So, he’ll be remembered as just another Trumpian liar.
We have that phenomenon here. A woman with honest rural roots who one would expect knows better becomes opportunistic by saying whatever it takes to earn Trump’s approval. Harriet Hageman so pines to be a congresswoman that she turned against her old friend Liz Cheney, and now can’t find the truth.
Mega-Trump donor Lynn Friess says, “Harriet has Wyoming in her DNA.” If true, there was some genetic manipulation in the generation following Harriet’s father. For a dozen years, he was a citizen legislator in the noblest sense of that title. He spent his life in selfless public service. All who knew him remember his decency, honesty and integrity.
Jim Hageman was as honest as the day is long. I’m sure he taught his daughter the difference between lies and truth. Dishonesty may get you elected to Congress in the Trump era. It’s still disrespectful of people like Jim who believe in the Code of the West.
Harriet was raised better than to support Trump. In 2016, she admitted as much, calling Trump “the weakest candidate,” attributing his success to Democrats she falsely claimed voted in Republican primaries. Before betraying her upbringing, she was painfully honest about Trump, warning Republicans he was “racist and xenophobic.” Harriet recognized the real Trump until becoming blinded by ambition.
Kissing the ring, she claimed Democrats tricked her into opposing Trump. Hageman told the “failing” New York Times, “I heard and believed the lies Democrats and Liz Cheney’s friends in the media were telling at the time, but that is ancient history, as I quickly realized that their allegations against President Trump were untrue.”
Hageman called Trump “the greatest president of my lifetime (her lifetime includes Ronald Reagan’s presidency), and I am proud to have been able to renominate him in 2020. I’m proud to strongly support him today.”
What part of her soul was forfeited? She says we don’t know whether Joe Biden was legally elected president because of 2020 election “fraud.” As an attorney, she’s aware such allegations would mean disbarment if made in a Wyoming courtroom because she is lying.
I quit trying to tell people how to vote long ago. It’s none of my business how you vote.
Just an observation. If Ms. Congressman Wannabee ran in a party-members-only election, where only Wyoming’s Oath-Keeper-led GOP could vote, she might win. Sorry. Wyoming holds public elections. All voters get to be heard, and unfortunately for Ms. Hageman, they will be heard. And most are not fond of dishonest politicians. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/mcdaniel-hageman-forfeited-part-of-her-soul-to-kiss-the-ring/article_a0d47092-2923-50d9-a887-0597dfde5eea.html | 2022-04-10T11:53:32Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/guest_column/mcdaniel-hageman-forfeited-part-of-her-soul-to-kiss-the-ring/article_a0d47092-2923-50d9-a887-0597dfde5eea.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Budget time in the city! Sadly, I see no mention of me. I live in a nice house with nice neighbors, but that’s where it ends. The neighborhoods around me have grown into sort of a ghetto appearance. The streets have so many patches and holes, even Aunt Bee couldn’t fix them.
Who was the dolt that decided that the homeowners also own their own sidewalks? All the sidewalks are trashed. What homeowner has the money to repair sidewalks?
So when I see yet another brass critter or cowboy go up downtown, I have to wonder when it will be our time for renewal. Did Lincolnway really need islands? So, it seems that the city is more geared toward the people who visit here and not so much the people who actually live and work here.
I decided to take a drive. I noticed the canal that runs on the north side of Dell Range. It is supposed to be for a flood relief system. Yet, it is so overgrown with weeds and bushes and tons of trash actually stuck in the branches that I have to wonder, wouldn’t it become a damn instead of a flood release system?
But then I observed even main streets are following in this wake of disrepair. And then I found actual neighborhoods that the streets still aren’t even paved! And I don’t mean the people who live on the hills. Right in the core of Cheyenne.
Is Cheyenne just a poor city with zero budget for anything but tourism? Or is it just no representation for the actual outer city communities? Surely the ruling class is aware of this decay. Right?
Well, I can still hope for more. Maybe a budget for repaving? Maybe some politician will become illuminated with the idea of getting a contractor to bid on multiple square blocks of concrete work at a reduced rate and then perhaps the city kick in a bit, making it within grasp of the homeowners to have the sidewalks repaired.
But maybe we are just a poor town on the plains after all. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/cheyenne-seems-more-focused-on-tourists-than-its-own-residents/article_2155736f-6509-5e01-a09e-e19b500792e6.html | 2022-04-10T11:53:44Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/cheyenne-seems-more-focused-on-tourists-than-its-own-residents/article_2155736f-6509-5e01-a09e-e19b500792e6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The state is poor role model. You've probably heard the quotation from the Bible that says something like: "The love of money is the root of many kinds of evil." I was reminded of this the other day when I received my car registration in the mail – $550 for a sticker that allows me to drive without being incarcerated.
There are many who interpret the above passage to mean the love of ill-gotten gain, otherwise known as "envy." I am told not to envy the possessions of others, but when I look to the state to set the example for me, it fails miserably!
Why does the state get more money (as a percentage) for a license plate sticker based on the sticker on the window at the dealership? Does it take more time and effort to process my paperwork for an expensive motor vehicle than it does for a less-expensive, older one? No.
The only answer for why it costs more is greed. You might then ask, how do we pay for roads? The logical answer to that is simple. The more damage that is done to roads and to the air we all breathe, the more you pay.
A flat fee for 10,000 miles a year of driving based on the weight of your vehicle and how much pollution it puts out. You can apply for a rebate if a vehicle is not driven much. Electric cars may not contribute to pollution, but they are heavy (batteries) and should pay "their fair share" for road repair, and maybe a little more to cover the losses from not paying fuel tax. At the very least, this will set the example for a fair tax that doesn't punish you for wanting to drive a nice car.
I would love to buy another high-dollar electric car/truck, but I will wait till I'm living somewhere else that has an equitable way of paying for that privilege. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/state-of-wyoming-punishes-people-who-want-to-drive-a-nice-vehicle/article_fd1f3ad9-6ef9-533f-88de-03a9eb80da67.html | 2022-04-10T11:53:56Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/letters_to_editor/state-of-wyoming-punishes-people-who-want-to-drive-a-nice-vehicle/article_fd1f3ad9-6ef9-533f-88de-03a9eb80da67.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
How long will it last? No, we’re not referring to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which started more than two years ago.
We’re talking about one of the few good things to result from the public health emergency – the ability to watch a government meeting from the comfort of your home or office and to testify remotely.
So far, even though COVID-19 case numbers have dropped off dramatically statewide, we’ve seen very few signs of government entities in Wyoming preparing to cut off virtual access. A few have even remained online only. But as with other aspects of our everyday lives, we’re guessing many officials are looking forward to returning to normal (whatever that means these days).
We just hope the “new normal” includes the ability to continue livestreaming meetings on your internet connected device of choice and offer your input without driving sometimes hundreds of miles to another part of the state.
We became concerned this might not be the case when we first reviewed the agenda for last Friday’s meeting of the Wyoming Legislature’s Management Council. The final 30 minutes of the meeting called for Legislative Service Office Director Matt Obrecht to lead a discussion of “Remote Testimony and Streaming of Meetings.”
A phone conversation with Mr. Obrecht early last week reassured us, however, that the Legislature has no plans to end livestreaming or remote testimony. Instead, the agenda item was to consider a request from the Equality State Policy Center that citizens be allowed to register to testify on the day an agenda item is scheduled to be addressed, rather than the current requirement of 5 p.m. the day before.
As with the location of interim meetings, whether to allow this last-minute registration would be at the committee chairperson’s discretion. (After discussing the proposal and various alternatives Friday, the Management Council ultimately declined to make any changes.)
The rumor floating around before we had a chance to talk things over with Mr. Obrecht was that the Legislature wanted to cut off all remote testimony and only hear from people who attended meetings in person. No doubt, some lawmakers would like to do just that. We heard some grumbling to that effect during this year’s budget session, and we occasionally saw evidence of committee chairs prioritizing those in the room over those waiting online.
Others have said it’s time to cut off such access because it’s not being used much these days. Mr. Obrecht agreed that the amount of remote testimony this year has dropped off from its peak in 2021, when it was used heavily during both the general session and the special session related to COVID-19 vaccines. But especially on controversial topics such as abortion and transgender athletes, many people from all walks of life still sought to offer their perspective from wherever they call home.
And that’s as it should be – year-round, not just during the session. Because if lawmakers who chair interim committees are going to retain the right to hold meetings in their hometowns and other locations, it’s imperative that remote testimony be facilitated as much as possible.
Plus, some of our elected officials these days are bad at responding to emails or phone calls, so the only way you know you’re being heard is to testify during public meetings. (Or to make your voice heard in the voting booth.)
Why should someone have to take time off from work and arrange for child care so they can drive across the state for 10 minutes of engagement with their elected officials? Thanks to the technology available today, they shouldn’t.
Even though livestreaming existed well before March 2020, it wasn’t widely adopted by the Wyoming Legislature or most other governing bodies in the state until people were asked to stay home to limit the spread of a deadly contagion. In the Legislature’s case, the $300 million renovation of the state Capitol was completed without the capacity to livestream. Thanks to federal COVID-19 relief funds, though, the state was able to spend $300,000 to add audio-visual equipment to all 10 meeting rooms in the Capitol complex.
The state also has dedicated two conference rooms in the Thyra Thompson Building in Casper to legislative meetings, Mr. Obrecht told the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Those should be available sometime next month, giving lawmakers another option for improved public access to government.
Here in Laramie County, the Cheyenne City Council has continued to facilitate livestreaming and remote testimony, even when it was forced to temporarily relocate meetings due to boiler problems at the Municipal Building (largely thanks to Laramie County School District 1, which livestreams its meetings). Taking into account both the unpredictable weather and the fact older residents tend to be more engaged than their younger counterparts, it makes sense for this to continue.
And since the Laramie County Board of Commissioners meets at 3:30 p.m. on a weekday, it’s vitally important that livestreaming and remote testimony be available for that group of decision-makers, too.
It would be easy to assume that now that these services have become a regular part of the way these boards operate, they will always be available. But we all know nothing is guaranteed. The county had trouble with its desk-mounted microphones last week and had to pivot to handhelds. What if they decided not to put money into repairs or new equipment?
The best way to ensure these services remain in place is to use them. That doesn’t mean wasting the valuable time of our elected officials with meaningless blather. But when you have helpful suggestions, questions or supportive comments, take a few minutes to hop online and share them.
If you don’t, you may find yourself without the ability to do so in the future. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/staff_editorials/use-it-or-lose-it-dont-take-remote-testimony-for-granted/article_3a62ea56-c16b-5c4d-ad24-517f50dd411c.html | 2022-04-10T11:54:03Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/opinion/staff_editorials/use-it-or-lose-it-dont-take-remote-testimony-for-granted/article_3a62ea56-c16b-5c4d-ad24-517f50dd411c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CHEYENNE – Much like it had done throughout Saturday afternoon, Cheyenne Central spent the 99th minute pounding shots into Campbell County’s defense.
The Indians collected rebound after rebound and sent the ball right back into a mass of defenders.
Eventually, the ball found the feet of sophomore Sam Shumway, who put it past Camels goalkeeper Brady Tompkins for the go-ahead goal during a 2-1 overtime victory at Riske Field.
“That was very satisfying, especially in that time and place of the game,” Shumway said. “But it wasn’t just me. The whole team worked hard the whole time to keep creating chances the whole match.
“We were working off each other, making good runs and clearing space. We had so many balls that just got blocked.”
The Indians controlled the match, taking 32 shots to just eight for Campbell County. That included a 16-7 advantage in shots on goal, and an 11-2 edge in corner kicks.
“The balance and defensive posture of all the players on the field, especially the back four, was great,” Central coach Tim Denisson said. “They stayed fixed to the dangers.”
The Indians’ scoring chances came early. Shumway had a shot right on the doorstep off a corner kick in the fourth minute, but Tompkins was there to make the save with contact.
In the 34th minute, freshman Justin Hendren hit a hard shot that slammed off Campbell County defender Javier Hernandez’s back. The Camels counter-attacked off that opportunity, and Joey Von Aschwege eventually got behind the defense.
Central junior defender Ignatius John sprinted back to recover and try to stall Von Aschwege. John forced Von Ashwege to play the ball back to the center of the field. John stole the ball and cleared it out of harm’s way.
Senior Caden Smith put Central up with a shot from about 25 yards out in the 60th minute. He said he took a tip from assistant coach Dirk Dijkstal when he got space to shoot.
“He told me that during warm-ups he was trying to aim wider, but it came back in with a nasty curve,” Smith said. “I tried to open up a little bit and see where the ball went, and it worked.”
Joel Varela knotted the score in the 76th by striking a bouncing free kick past Central senior goalkeeper Jackson Cook.
Central had two quality scoring chances late in the first half of overtime. The first came when Christian Arbuckle’s header off a corner kick was saved in the 87th. Samuel Lucas Smith ripped a right-footed shot that Tompkins played over the crossbar for a corner kick in the 89th.
Dennison said the Indians’ play was quite a bit different Saturday than during its 2-0 loss to Sheridan on Friday.
“We were sporadic and pretty much undependable (Friday), but here they were a lock to make the first pass and fourth pass with a lot of depth and width from our defense to hold them down,” Denisson said. “We used the width across the field. Our wings did a great job.
“This was a complete effort by this club from a team that’s been really successful.”
CENTRAL 2, CAMPBELL CO. 1, OT
Halftime: 0-0. Regulation: 1-1.
Goals: CC, C. Smith (unassisted), 60. CAM, Varela (Angelo), 76. CC, Shumway (S. Smith), 99.
Shots: CAM 8, CC 32. Shots on goal: CAM 7, CC 16. Saves: CAM 14 (Tompkins); CC 6 (Cook).
Corner kicks: CAM 2, CC 11. Offsides: CAM 1, CC 1. Fouls: CAM 13, CC 5. Yellow cards: CAM 2 (Aguayo, 68. Bench, 99). | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/central-boys-down-camels-in-overtime/article_68d14fdc-aea2-50ed-8b43-30341a2aba43.html | 2022-04-10T11:54:09Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/central-boys-down-camels-in-overtime/article_68d14fdc-aea2-50ed-8b43-30341a2aba43.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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CHEYENNE — Sophomore Katie Hinz pitched a no-hitter as Cheyenne Central swept a road twinbill over Wheatland on Saturday.
Hinz’s no-hitter guided the Indians to a 14-0 win in the conference portion of the games. She struck out 15 and allowed just one walk in six innings of work.
Central scored three or more runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth inning to pull away, including a three-run home run from Brogan Allen in the top of the fourth and a two-run home run from Allen in the top of the sixth.
Izzy Kelly was 5 for 5 with 3 RBI, two doubles and four runs for Central. Taylor Gebhart was 2 for 4 with three RBI, including a two-run homer that started the Indians’ scoring, and Drue Mirich added a solo home run.
Taryn Potts went the distance in the circle to lift the Indians to a 10-2 win in the backend of the doubleheader.
Potts allowed one run on two hits while fanning nine batters.
Ashley Bunch’s two-run home run put Central ahead 2-0 in the first frame, and the Indians followed with a four-run second inning. Gebhart knocked in two more runs with a double, and Allen was 2 for 2 with a triple. Kelly also drove home a run.
Thunder Basin 17 Cheyenne South 5
CHEYENNNE – Allie Robért was 3 for 3 at the plate with two RBI, a double and a triple for Cheyenne South in a 17-5 loss to Thunder Basin on Saturday in Gillette.
Alyssa Albaugh gave South a 1-0 led in the top of the first inning after stealing home, but the Bolts countered with a six-run inning to take a lead they maintained.
Jaylen Wunder was 1 for 3, and also drove in two runs for the Bison. Charleigh Mellish and Albaugh split time in the circle for South. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/prep-softball-central-sweeps-road-twinbill-over-wheatland/article_bfb2afe3-5490-58b6-82d0-dd31d994e7eb.html | 2022-04-10T11:54:27Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/wyosports/high_school/cheyenne_central/prep-softball-central-sweeps-road-twinbill-over-wheatland/article_bfb2afe3-5490-58b6-82d0-dd31d994e7eb.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This is the 49ers’ No. 1 burning question entering 2022 NFL Draft
“The 2021 draft will be defined by how Lance pans out. The 2022 draft should be solely about putting as many pieces together as possible to support Lance, albeit with some defensive prospects thrown into the mix, too. It’s a good year for pass-rushers and defensive backs, and the Niners need those.”
49ers draft history: What’ve they done with pick numbers from 2022 draft?
“Since the merger they’ve picked seven players at those selections. None of them have made a Pro Bowl and only two had multi-year NFL careers.”
These 4 players have better Defensive Player of the Year odds than 49ers’ Nick Bosa
“In fact, according to BetOnline, four players have better odds than Bosa to be named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.”
“Still, Shanahan is going to have a new process with his weekly gameplanning. He’s going from a guy in McDaniel who he has known and trusted for years to a coach he’s hardly worked with in Lynn and Slowik who is slowly rising in the ranks. “
“NFL players, coaches and organizations took to social media Saturday to mourn the loss of Dwayne Haskins following the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback’s death.” | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/10/23018475/49ers-news-nick-bosa-nfl-draft-trade-deebo-samuel-contract-extension-jimmy-g-trey-lance-golden | 2022-04-10T12:00:26Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/10/23018475/49ers-news-nick-bosa-nfl-draft-trade-deebo-samuel-contract-extension-jimmy-g-trey-lance-golden | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
First Florida. Then Alabama. Now, lawmakers in Ohio and Louisiana are considering legislation that mimics the Florida law. And Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he'll make a similar bill a top priority at the next session.
Across the United States, at least a dozen states are considering new legislation that in several ways will mirror Florida's new controversial law, referred to by some opponents as "Don't Say Gay."
The specific details regarding the bills vary between states. But overall, they seek to prohibit schools from using a curriculum or discussing topics of gender identity or sexual orientation.
"The institutionalization of these bills is an overt form of structural transphobia and homophobia, and it goes against all public health evidence in creating a safe and supportive environment for transgender, nonbinary, queer, gay and lesbian youths and teachers to thrive," Arjee Restar, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Washington, told NPR.
Restar, a social epidemiologist and health equity advocate, said the controversial bills will limit all youths to live to their fullest potential, adding "there should be no room for transphobia and homophobia — especially in the classroom."
The Florida law drew controversy — and copycats
Last month, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state's "Parental Rights in Education" bill, barring public school teachers from holding classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity.
"We will make sure that parents can send their kids to school to get an education, not an indoctrination," DeSantis said at the bill signing.
It drew immediate nationwide controversy — and had teachers like Paula Stephens worried.
Teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity isn't part of the first-grade curriculum, Stephens told NPR. But talking about families is part of her curriculum, and some of her students may have two moms or two dads.
"It makes me wonder," she said. "When I talk about families in my classroom, am I going to be violating this law because the children were having discussions about what their family looks like?"
A cascade of bills have followed
Taking Florida's lead, states began proposing their own bills. Among them:
"When we segment children off and tell them that they don't exist and that they don't matter and effectively erase them from the classroom ... we effectively erase them," Kathryn Poe of Equality Ohio told NPR member station WKSU when the Ohio bill was proposed. "We alienate an entire group of young people who need our affirmation and support."
There's historical precedent
Florida's law is only the most recent expression of attempts to curb classroom discussion on sexual orientation or gender identity across the country, said Ames Simmons, a Duke law senior lecturing fellow.
"Florida may be the first in this wave, but there have been other laws in the past that were called 'no promo homo' laws, which forbid saying positive things about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer people in classrooms," Simmons told NPR. "With the increased visibility of transgender and non-binary people, we have seen these bills expand to also prohibit educating students about gender diversity and gender identity."
Both Simmons and David Brown, legal director for the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund, say the legislative activities taking place across the country are targeting other groups.
"This trend is the continuation of a playbook that has been brought out again and again, repeatedly targeting the most marginalized groups in our society for political gain," Brown told NPR.
Simmons added, "What is truly concerning is that these anti-LGBTQ bills have been coupled with legislative proposals that forbid teaching about structural racism and slavery, and patriarchy and sexism, on the grounds that these concepts make others uncomfortable."
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-10/not-just-florida-more-than-a-dozen-states-propose-so-called-dont-say-gay-bills | 2022-04-10T12:12:52Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-10/not-just-florida-more-than-a-dozen-states-propose-so-called-dont-say-gay-bills | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PHOENIX (AP)The veterans did the early work, the rookies followed with a few clutch moments and the San Diego Padres have found a winning formula early in the season.
The Padres won their second straight game, beating the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-2 on Saturday night. Eric Hosmer had the go-ahead single for San Diego in the eighth inning after Manny Machado started the rally with a leadoff single and a relatively rare stolen base to get into scoring position.
San Diego’s 2-1 start to the season is particularly refreshing after a tough 2021. The Padres started the year with World Series aspirations but stumbled badly down the stretch and missed the playoffs with a 79-83 record.
”We know it’s a long road ahead and there’s a lot more to accomplish,” Machado said. ”But we believe in each other and I think that’s the biggest thing for this ballclub. We’re pulling for each other.”
The game was tied at 2 when Machado led off the eighth with a single before getting a huge jump to steal second base. Machado had 12 stolen bases last season but lulled the D-backs’ defense to sleep, swiping second without a throw to get into scoring position. He advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Hosmer followed with his second single of the game – a scorched grounder that deflected off second baseman Ketel Marte’s glove – to push the Padres ahead. Austin Nola’s sacrifice fly later in the inning scored Luke Voit and made it 4-2.
The rookies also contributed. C.J. Abrams and Jose Azocar both had their first major league hits in the ninth to push San Diego’s advantage to 5-2. Steven Wilson (1-0) pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win in his big league debut.
Joe Musgrove started and threw six good innings for the Padres, giving up two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out eight. The right-hander gave up a run in the first but settled down quickly, pitching four scoreless innings before giving up a solo homer to David Peralta in the sixth.
”He got better as the game went along,” Padres manager Bob Melvin said. ”That’s what veteran guys do. You get off to a little bit of a slow start, it doesn’t matter.”
Taylor Rogers, recently acquired in a trade with the Twins, earned his second save in two days.
Zach Davies made his mound debut with the Diamondbacks, giving up two runs in five innings. The 29-year-old right-hander signed as a free agent in March and is trying to bounce back from a rough 2021 when he had a 5.78 ERA over 32 starts for the Chicago Cubs.
Veteran right-hander Ian Kennedy (0-1) took the loss after giving up two runs in the eighth. The Diamondbacks have just 10 hits through three games this season.
THE STREAK STOPS
San Diego’s starting pitching went 13 1/3 innings without giving up a hit this season. That streak ended Saturday in the first inning when Marte beat the shift and looped a single into left field off Musgrove.
”I let everyone down pretty early in the game,” Musgrove said with a grin.
Yu Darvish threw six innings of no-hit baseball on opening night. Sean Manaea followed Darvish with seven no-hit innings Friday.
The Padres are the only team in the modern era to have a starting pitcher give up no hits through at least six innings in back-to-back games, according to STATS.
GOOD MEMORIES
Musgrove was on the mound Saturday exactly one year after he threw a no-hitter against the Texas Rangers. It was the first no-hitter ever for the Padres, coming in the 8,206th game in the franchise’s history.
FIRST HITS
Abrams got his first big league hit on an opposite-field single to left to lead off the ninth. The 21-year-old shortstop has also made some nice plays in the field over his first two games.
”I’ve dreamed about that ever since I could walk,” Abrams said.
Azocar drove in Abrams on a single later in the ninth, which was also Azocar’s first hit.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. (broken wrist) told reporters he expects to resume swinging a bat in about three weeks. The star shortstop is expected to be out until at least June after having surgery during spring training.
UP NEXT
The D-backs and Padres wrap up a four-game series Sunday. LHP Caleb Smith will start for the Diamondbacks. The Padres will send LHP Blake Snell to the mound.
—
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/mlb/hosmer-machado-help-padres-pull-away-late-top-d-backs-5-2/ | 2022-04-10T12:19:17Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/mlb/hosmer-machado-help-padres-pull-away-late-top-d-backs-5-2/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW DELHI (AP) — India began offering booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine to all adults on Sunday but limited free shots at government centers to front-line workers and people over age 60.
The doses, which India is calling a “precautionary” shot instead of a booster, are available to people nine months after they receive their second jab, the Health Ministry said in a statement Friday. Those outside the two priority categories will need to pay for the shots at privately run facilities, the ministry said.
Unlike other countries, where many people receive a different vaccine as a booster, most Indians have received the same type — in most cases the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by India’s Serum Institute, the world’s largest vaccine maker. It accounts for nearly 90% of all doses that have been administered in India, even though emergency approvals have been given for eight vaccines.
On Saturday, the Serum Institute of India said it has cut the price of its AstraZeneca vaccine from $7.90 a dose to $2.96 for private hospitals.
India has so far vaccinated about 96% of those aged 15 years and older with at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, while about 83% have received both shots, according to official data.
India’s booster program started in January when healthcare and front-line workers along with people over age 60 with health problems were allowed to receive shots.
India has recorded a steep decline in coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with the Health Ministry reporting 1,054 cases in the latest 24 hours. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/ap-top-headlines/india-extends-covid-19-booster-shots-to-all-adults/ | 2022-04-10T12:20:17Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/ap-top-headlines/india-extends-covid-19-booster-shots-to-all-adults/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Republican Bill McSwain pledges to be a pro-energy governor by “turning on the spigot of natural gas.” Another hopeful, Dave White, says he wants Pennsylvania “to be the energy capital of the world.” A third candidate, Lou Barletta, says having a glut of natural gas in the ground without a pipeline is “like being in college and having a keg of beer without a tap.”
In Pennsylvania, the No. 2 natural gas producer after Texas, the importance of the industry is emerging as a top issue among Republican contenders for governor before the state’s May 17 primary.
The issue has taken on new urgency in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has revived the debate over how to enhance domestic energy production and spurred a pledge from President Joe Biden to increase liquefied natural gas exports to Europe to undercut Russia’s leverage there.
Despite promises by the Republican candidates, however, there are constraints on what they could do in office. While governors have influence over state agencies and lawmaking, they have limited ability to grant what the industry really wants, like building interstate pipelines and big refineries. That’s because other states and federal policy are involved.
“They don’t control those things,” said David Masur, executive director of PennEnvironment, a Philadelphia-based environmental group. “Their power, if elected, stops at the border of Pennsylvania. And if other states have aggressive climate-change agendas, clean-energy agendas, the marketplace makes clean energy competitive, if not cheaper, than fossil fuels.”
Industry leaders describe drilling in Pennsylvania as strong and access to gas as plentiful, with established pipeline rights of way and thousands of wells waiting to be drilled into the nation’s most prolific gas reservoir, the Marcellus Shale.
But for examples of Pennsylvania’s limits, look no farther than its borders.
Democratic governors in neighboring New York and New Jersey have effectively blocked the construction of major interstate pipelines — the Constitution and the PennEast pipelines — carrying gas from Pennsylvania to big metropolitan areas and, possibly, yet-to-be-built refineries to export liquefied natural gas, or LNG.
The states seem unlikely to change that position anytime soon.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who won reelection last year, “remains committed” to his promise to reach 100% clean energy in the state and an 80% reduction in planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, his office said.
Interstate pipelines and LNG facilities also require federal approval and face opposition from environmental groups, which say natural gas mustn’t be a long-term energy solution because it emits the potent greenhouse gas methane.
The industry and its Republican allies contend that natural gas can make the U.S. more energy independent and counter Russia’s influence, while being planet-friendlier than higher-carbon oil and coal.
Toby Rice, president and CEO of Pittsburgh-based gas exploration firm EQT Corp., projects that it would take 6,500 miles (over 10,400 km) of pipeline and $250 billion in LNG infrastructure in the U.S. to serve the U.S. and Europe and substantially cut coal use worldwide by 2030.
Still, scientists are increasingly alarmed at the growing amount of natural gas infrastructure and say it will threaten efforts to slash carbon emissions to necessary goals.
The presumed Democratic nominee for governor, state Attorney General Josh Shapiro, talks of balancing natural gas with expanding renewable energy.
Shapiro ran for attorney general vowing to hold the gas industry accountable. He challenged the move by President Donald Trump’s administration to allow LNG to be shipped by rail, criminally charged several companies and issued a grand jury report on the need to toughen industry regulations.
During his campaign for governor, he has taken a middle-of-the-road stance — partly a nod to influential labor unions whose workers build power plants, pipelines and refineries. He says it’s a “false choice” to have to pick between “environmental justice and the dignity of work and energy opportunity.”
The current governor, Democrat Tom Wolf, has what environmental activists and the industry see as a mixed bag.
Wolf, who is constitutionally term-limited, is aiming to make Pennsylvania the first major fossil-fuel state to impose a carbon pricing plan, although his regulatory effort is currently held up in court.
At the same time, he pursued higher taxes on natural gas production, but missed meaningful opportunities to combat greenhouse gases, environmental advocates say.
He also stepped up for the industry: His administration issued permits for major gas-fired power plants, pipelines and refineries, and Wolf himself signed off on tax breaks to lure natural gas synthesis plants.
Now, interest in building big, natural gas-fueled projects is surging, and a new governor could take office in 2023 with opportunities to land some.
Fulfilling Biden’s promises to surge natural gas exports to Europe could mean expanding existing pipelines across Pennsylvania and building new LNG terminals, possibly along the Delaware River near Philadelphia.
“We think that there is an opportunity for Pennsylvania to become a major LNG exporter,” Rice said.
Beyond LNG, industry boosters are optimistic about landing a gas-fed hydrogen fuel plant — funded by Biden’s infrastructure law — in southwestern Pennsylvania, plus the construction of refineries across Pennsylvania’s rural gas fields to make fertilizer, chemical products and fuels.
Meanwhile, a proposal for an LNG refinery in northeastern Pennsylvania that had envisioned transporting its product by rail to a Philadelphia-area export terminal is on hold — and Biden’s administration is moving to suspendthe Trump-era LNG-by-rail rule.
While a governor might not single-handedly give the gas industry what it wants, he or she could be helpful, industry advocates say.
Barletta, White, McSwain and others in the nine-person GOP primary field for governor talk about stripping down unnecessary regulations or speeding up permitting times.
That might help lure a big project, as would slashing Pennsylvania’s corporate tax rate, said Gene Barr, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry.
Being a vocal advocate could help too, like lobbying a fellow governor in a neighboring state to permit a pipeline, Barr said.
In recent days, Pennsylvania’s Republican-controlled Legislature took up a pro-industry package of measures, including a resolution urging the governors of New York and New Jersey to allow the construction of gas pipelines from Pennsylvania.
During that debate, Democratic state Rep. Greg Vitali said the idea that a legislative resolution would sway those governors is “fanciful.”
“They’re going to make their own decisions with regard to which pipelines they accept,” Vitali said, “and which pipelines they reject.”
___
Associated Press writer Michael Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey, contributed to this report.
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Follow Marc Levy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/timelywriter. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/business/gops-energy-promises-face-limits-in-pa-governors-race/ | 2022-04-10T12:20:55Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/business/gops-energy-promises-face-limits-in-pa-governors-race/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PARIS (AP) — France’s presidential race involves one frontrunner, centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron, and eleven challengers from the far left to the far right. The two top candidates in Sunday’s first round qualify for the April 24 runoff.
Here’s a look at the main contenders’ key proposals.
EMMANUEL MACRON, 44, centrist incumbent, head of the Republic on the Move party
Ukraine: Macron has been at the forefront of international talks on supporting Ukraine amid warand imposing sanctions on Russia. Macron vows to keep investing in the French military and “significantly” reinforce European armed forces’ capacities and cooperation.
Economy: Macron promises “full employment,” after the jobless rate decreased during his 2017-2022 term to its lowest level in a generation. He wants to progressively raise the retirement age from 62 to 65 and boost the minimum monthly pension.
Energy: He pledges to build six new-generation nuclear reactors, develop solar energy and wind farms at sea.
Immigration: Macron pushes for strengthening external borders of the European passport-free area and creating a new force to better control national borders. He vows to speed up processing of asylum and residence permit applications and to deport those who aren’t eligible.
MARINE LE PEN, 53, far-right head of the National Rally party
Ukraine: Marine Le Pen has cultivated ties with Moscow, receiving a loan of 9 million euros from a Russian bank in 2014 and meeting with Putin in 2017. She acknowledged Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “partially” changed her views about Putin, saying he was “wrong.” She says she supports the Ukrainian people and refugees must be welcomed.
Immigration: Le Pen’s plans includeending family reunification policies, restricting social benefits to the French only, and deporting foreigners who stay unemployed for over a year and other migrants who entered illegally.
Economy and energy: She promises to cut taxes on energy and essential goods. She wants to maintain the minimum retirement age at 62 and raise the minimum pension. She vowed to dismantle windfarms and invest in nuclear and hydro energy.
Muslim-related policies: Le Pen promised a law banning Muslim headscarves in all public places, and outlawing events and financing considered to be spreading “Islamism.”
JEAN-LUC MELENCHON, 70, far left
Ukraine: Mélenchon used to call Russia a “partner,” even as European governments were scrambling to find ways to avert a Russian invasion of Ukraine. He now supports the Ukrainian “resistance” and Russians who fight what he calls “dictatorship” in their own country.
Economy: Mélenchon promises toraise France’s minimum wage and minimum pension, and lower the retirement age to 60. He wants to re-establish a wealth tax.
Climate and energy: He vows to inscribe a “green rule” in the Constitution which calls for not using more resources than nature can replenish, and putting an end to intensive farming. He seeks to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 65% in 2030 — instead of the current goal of 40%. He wants the state to lock in energy and food prices, and promises to phase out nuclear energy and aim for 100% renewable energy instead.
ERIC ZEMMOUR, 63, far-right former TV pundit who has been repeatedly convicted of hate speech
Ukraine: Zemmour initially was a supporter of an “alliance” with Russia, and once wished aloud for a “French Putin.” That was before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which he condemned. He initially said he would prefer Ukrainian refugees to stay in Poland, but later supported granting them visas if they have ties with France. Zemmour wants France to pull out of NATO’s military command.
Immigration: He wants asylum status to be restricted to no more than 100 people per year — down from about 54,000 last year. He would end welfare benefits for non-European foreigners, outlaw immigration for family reunification, create a coast guard military force to stop arrivals by sea, and deport any migrants who enter without permission.
Muslim-related policies: Zemmour wants a ban on wearing Muslim headscarves in all public spaces, a ban on building big mosques and on foreign financing of the Muslim faith. He proposes restricting the names that parents can give their newborns, de facto banning many names used by French Muslims.
Economy and energy: He promised to cut taxes on businesses, low-income workers, retired people with small pensions and to give families a bonus for children born in rural areas. He wants to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64 by 2030. He said he would put an end to all windfarms and vowed to develop nuclear energy.
VALERIE PECRESSE, 54, candidate of conservative The Republicans party
Ukraine: Pécresse denounced Putin’s invasion and pushed for firm sanctions on Russia.
Muslim-related policies: She wants a ban on Muslim headscarves for young girls and in sports clubs. She also wants to ban the burkini, a swimsuit worn by conservative Muslims to cover the entire body, from swimming pools.
Immigration: Pécresse plans to establish immigration quotas. Housing and family benefits would be granted to foreigners only five years after they arrive legally in the country. No residency permit would be provided to those who entered without prior permission.
Economy and energy: She promises to raise low and middle-income workers’ salaries by 10% and to cut taxes on businesses and workers. She wants to raise the retirement age from 62 to 65 by 2030. She vows to develop nuclear energy and renewable energy, but with restrictions on wind farms.
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Follow AP’s France election coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/french-election-2022 | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/frances-top-presidential-contenders-whos-proposing-what/ | 2022-04-10T12:21:08Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/frances-top-presidential-contenders-whos-proposing-what/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LOS ANGELES (AP)Paul George put the Western Conference on notice that he is ready for the play-in tournament, and hopefully beyond.
George scored 23 points, tied a career high with 12 assists and added eight rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers won their fourth straight game, beating the Sacramento Kings 117-98 on Saturday night.
The Clippers are 5-1 since George returned to the lineup. He is averaging 22.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.8 assists after missing 43 games due to an elbow injury.
”The elbow’s fine. It feels pretty good,” George said. ”Overall, I’m trying to take each possession for what it is and trying to make the best play possible.
”Honestly, I love settling for the role of being the playmaker instead of a scorer. With this team my ability to score is opening up passing and playmaking. It’s easier when I can find guys to make baskets.”
George played 34 minutes, his most since coming back. He will not play in Sunday’s regular-season finale against Oklahoma City.
The Clippers will face Minnesota on Tuesday in the play-in tournament. A victory would send Los Angeles to the postseason for the fourth straight year and a first-round matchup against the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
A loss to the Timberwolves would have the Clippers meeting New Orleans or San Antonio on Friday with one more chance to make the playoffs. The winner of that game would then get the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.
”We know them well, they know us well, it’ll be a tough game going into Minnesota,” George said. ”We have a job to do. I’m looking forward to leading and being in that environment.”
Norman Powell added 20 points off the bench and Ivica Zubac had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers, who led throughout.
Zubac had his 24th double-double of the season and the 60th of his six-year career, but this is the first time he did it by halftime, with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
”Defensively we did a lot of good things, and we were able to try some things with the second unit that should help us going forward,” coach Tyronn Lue said. ”We had been trying to get Paul up to 35-36 minutes so we can push his minutes for the play-in tournament.”
Davion Mitchell led Sacramento with 22 points, and Trey Lyles had 15.
George had 14 points during the first quarter when the Clippers scored the first nine points. Their largest lead in the first half was 20 points before the Kings went on a late run to get within 59-45 at halftime.
Sacramento then scored the first seven points of the second half to cut the margin in half. But the Clippers began to steadily pull away again. They went on a 19-5 run over the last five minutes of the third quarter to lead 92-71 going into the final 12 minutes. Powell had 10 points during the spurt.
”I didn’t think we started the game off the way we should, and then from there it was just an uphill battle for the rest of the night,” Kings coach Alvin Gentry said. ”They’ve got Paul George and almost their whole team back. They’re a good team and they are fighting for their lives.”
TIP-INS
Kings: Damian Jones had 12 points and tied a career high in a regular-season game with four steals. … Neemias Queta had 10 points off the bench. … Josh Jackson reached 250 career steals.
Clippers: Los Angeles was 21 of 43 on 3-pointers. It is the third time in the last four games the Clippers have made at least 20 from beyond the arc. … Marcus Morris scored 11 points despite going 4 of 13 from the floor. … Luke Kennard and Isaiah Hartenstein added 10 points apiece.
UP NEXT
Kings: At Phoenix on Sunday night.
Clippers: Host Oklahoma City on Sunday night.
—
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/sports/nba/george-leads-clippers-past-kings-for-fourth-straight-victory/ | 2022-04-10T12:21:27Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/sports/nba/george-leads-clippers-past-kings-for-fourth-straight-victory/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The NoCo 18: Coloradoan sports team presents our favorite Fort Collins-area golf holes
The calendar says it's been spring for weeks already.
But for golf fans and players — especially those in cooler climates like ours in Northern Colorado — spring really begins with The Masters.
The tournament marks the unofficial start of golf season for many around North America, with the impossibly green fairways and lush azaleas of Augusta National Golf Club a sign of what awaits golfers as spring blooms into summer.
To mark the occasion, the Coloradoan sports team has compiled our "NoCo 18," a collection of our favorite holes (by number) in the Fort Collins area.
It was a fun exercise, but the basic criteria was some combination of:
- uniqueness
- fun to play
- scenic/scenery
- interesting design
- how tough it is
- our own subjective "je ne sais quoi"
We are also including only publicly-accessible, non-par 3 courses within 20 miles of Fort Collins, and at least one hole from each of the eight eligible courses is represented.
(Note: All yardages are from the back tees)
No. 1: Collindale (Par 5, 539 yards)
A quick note: Collindale recently switched its nines, but we're still using the traditional layout because it's how most people know the course.
That being said, this par 5 that runs along Horsetooth Road is a fascinating opener. A grove of trees on the right and a net along the road makes for a tight tee shot. While a good drive can set up a birdie (or better), an errant one will get your nine off on a bad foot.
Also considered: Highland Meadows No. 1, City Park No. 1
No. 2: Southridge (Par 4, 339 yards)
This slight dogleg left is protected by tall trees that force a moonball driver over them or a shorter club that must be squeezed between bunkers (or well right of them) off the tee. Even with shorter irons on the approach, an undulating green makes almost any pin placement tough.
Also considered: Pelican Lakes No. 2, Mariana Butte No. 2
No. 3: City Park 9 (Par 4: 281 yards)
Consider this an exaggerated version of No. 2 at Southridge.
A thick group of trees left of the fairway and out of bounds to the right means even your irons off the tee must be placed in a narrow window. A massive tree short and right of the green complicates the approach, and a sharply tiered green will either funnel your ball right toward or completely away from many hole locations.
Also considered: Mariana Butte No. 3, Collindale No. 3
No. 4: Highland Meadows (Par 3, 143 yards)
The short par 3 requires a nervous tee shot, with water completely flanking the green short and right. Any bailout left is risky due to a wide, downhill bunker. And even if you hit the green, it's three tiers and severely sloped. Good luck two-putting if you're on the wrong one.
Also considered: City Park No. 4, Pelican Lakes No. 4
No. 5: The Olde Course @ Loveland (Par 5, 522 yards)
This par 5 is wide open off the tee, as you hit up a small hill to a fairway that slopes right to left. If you reach the crest or beyond, you can either try to reach the green with a big draw over a water hazard or leave the approach short or in a huge landing zone out to the right. While the green's slope is not overwhelming, its massive size makes up for that.
Also considered: Highland Meadows No. 5, Southridge No. 5, Pelican Lakes No. 5
No. 6: Highland Meadows (Par 4, 456 yards)
This is one of the more dramatic local holes.
The tee shot is risk-reward, as drives farther right are safe but leave 200 yards or more uphill, while aggressive drives left risk reaching the natural area hazard or finding a bunker. The green itself is guarded by a deep sand trap short right and features major sloping from back right to front left.
Also considered: Collindale No. 6, City Park No. 6, Olde Course No. 6
No. 7: Mariana Butte (Par 4, 390 yards)
A creek in a half-S shape frames this fairway primarily on the right, and the left has a steep hill that can send errant tee shots back into play — if you're lucky. The approach is hit up to a deceptively high hill that slopes severely away from the elevated green on all sides. And the green is no cakewalk either, with a ridge front and right that affects nearly every putt.
Also considered: Southridge No. 7, Highland Meadows No. 7, City Park No. 7
No. 8: City Park (Par 4, 399 yards)
The No. 8s are an enigma in the area, as most of them are straightforward par 3s. So we went with this penultimate City Park challenge.
The tee shot is dead if you hit it left, as trees will block any reasonable approach even if you don't hit the driving-range net. A towering tree short left near the creek requires an approach from the right, but a relatively small green is tough to navigate even if it's hit in regulation.
Also considered: Southridge No. 8, Highland Meadows No. 8
No. 9: Pelican Lakes (Par 3, 200 yards)
This par 3 heads back up toward the Pelican Lakes clubhouse, a view framed by cottonwood trees that also limit your tee shot's window to the green. Bunkers short right and back left protect a tricky green that widens out after a narrow front landing area.
Also considered: Southridge No. 9, Olde Course No. 9
No. 10: Mariana Butte (Par 4, 381 yards)
Featuring one of the more beautiful golf views in the area from the elevated tees, this hole has golfers hitting down more than 50 feet to a pitched fairway that slopes right-to-left. Big hitters nearly aim out over the driving range to the right, but a birdie is a tough proposition even with a wedge approach due to the green's giant surface area.
Also considered: Pelican Lakes No. 10, Mountain Vista "No. 10"
No. 11: Southridge (Par 4, 435 yards)
Good luck on this tee shot.
The driving range and surrounding netting largely blocks tee shots to the left, while water is ready to gobble up straight drives that run through the fairway. Safer tee shots leave a long approach to a sloping green that is surrounded by hills.
Also considered: Collindale No. 11, Pelican Lakes No. 11, Mariana Butte No. 11
No. 12: Highland Meadows (Par 5, 635 yards)
This mammoth downhill par 5 can be as brutal as it is breathtaking.
Flanked on the right by a massive natural area ravine and featuring a wide but sloping fairway, this is a 3-shot hole for almost everybody – and that's if the wind isn't blowing straight into you. Bunkers nearly the entire length of the hole squeeze the wide fairways, and the green can be almost comically frustrating.
Also considered: Southridge No. 12, Mountain Vista "No. 12"
No. 13: Collindale (Par 5, 608 yards)
This is one of two Collindale par 5s with similar layouts that play like mirrors of each other and share water hazards. But the tree that guards this par 5 is about 100 yards short, and this hole has the far more difficult green of the two. Any putt or chip outside of the front-left area will have to navigate extreme undulations.
Also considered: Highland Meadows No. 13, Mariana Butte No. 13
No. 14: Olde Course (Par 4, 417 yards)
You probably know this one as "the hole with the island green," and we'll get to that. But the tee shot is also deceptively challenging, with a severe downward slope from left to right that makes hitting the fairway a daunting task. And even if you do, your approach better be precise, as water surrounds that circular green.
Also considered: Collindale No. 14, Mariana Butte No. 14, Southridge No. 14
No. 15: Mountain Vista (Par 5, 579 yards)
OK, so we're going heavy on the par 5s. That's more fun, right? And we're counting this as No. 15 even though Mountain Vista is also a 9-hole course.
The hole is straightforward at first glance. However, a narrow fairway and trees lining out of bounds to the right means your tee shot can't afford to miss there. Thick rough (during the late spring and summer at least) lines the entire hole, and a well-placed bunker near a fairly small green compresses your margin for error.
Also considered: Highland Meadows No. 15, City Park "No. 15"
No. 16: Southridge (Par 5, 562 yards)
This is probably the most iconic hole at a Fort Collins course.
A net runs down the entire left side of the fairway and (theoretically) protects drivers on Lemay Avenue. The fairway angles entirely from left to right and a deep ravine on the right has gobbled up countless golf balls. It's a nervous approach over that hazard whether it's your second or, say, fifth shot. Plus the green is huge and everything slopes back-right to front-left toward the creek short.
Also considered: Olde Course No. 16, Mariana Butte No. 16
No. 17: Highland Meadows (Par 4, 441 yards)
This legitimately might be the hardest local hole.
A deep ravine hazard short and left requires a carry over it on an ideal line, and any bailouts right either leave 200+ yards into the green or bring bunkers into play. Even the best drives still require perfectly placed irons into a heavily elevated green that feels like a turtle-shell with everything sloping away from a small middle platform.
Also considered: Olde Course No. 17, Collindale No. 17
No. 18: Mariana Butte (Par 4, 364 yards)
This hole is all about the approach shot.
While bunkers off the tee are in play, any second shot must be hit to a green that is way up a steep hill. The putting surface is so elevated that it usually requires a special, taller pin just so golfers can see it from the fairway. And given that it on a hill, the green has an amphitheater area behind it and some sharp breaks to contend with.
Overall, it's a dramatic way to finish any round, especially if you look back and take in a view of the Rocky Mountains.
Also considered: Highland Meadows No. 18, Collindale No. 18
19th hole?
You tell us in the comments! Which local course has your favorite bar, restaurant or patio to hang out after a long round?
Chris Abshire is the sports and stats content coach at the Coloradoan. Contact him at ChrisAbshire@coloradoan.com. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports/2022/04/10/fort-collins-golf-coloradoan-sports-staffs-favorite-18-local-holes/9503293002/ | 2022-04-10T12:21:33Z | coloradoan.com | control | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/sports/2022/04/10/fort-collins-golf-coloradoan-sports-staffs-favorite-18-local-holes/9503293002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SAN ANTONIO (AP)Jonathan Kuminga and Jordan Poole each had 18 points and the Golden State Warriors won their fourth straight, beating the San Antonio Spurs 100-94 on Saturday night to strengthen their hopes for a top-three seed despite being without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
Poole finished 3 for 19 from the field but made all 11 free throw attempts, including eight in the fourth quarter. He also had eight assists and only two turnovers in 34 minutes.
”He was laboring out there,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. ”I was really proud of him. There are going to nights like that in this league for guys who handle the ball and have that kind of responsibility and score a lot of points. There are nights when the ball doesn’t go in the hoop and it’s just so important to keep playing and keep fighting. I thought he made huge plays down the stretch.”
Golden State is a game ahead of Dallas in the Western Conference and can secure the third seed with a victory Sunday at New Orleans in the season finale. If the Warriors lose, and the Mavericks beat the Spurs on Sunday, Dallas will finish third after going 3-1 in its season series with Golden State.
San Antonio will finish 10th in the Western Conference and must travel to ninth-seeded New Orleans for the opener of the play-in tournament Wednesday.
Lonnie Walker IV had 24 points to lead the Spurs. Walker was the only San Antonio player in double figures through the first 39 minutes. Tre Jones finished with 15 points, Josh Primo had 14 and Josh Richardson added 10.
After the Spurs pulled within two points with two minutes remaining, Poole made a pair of free throws with 47.9 seconds to put Golden State up 98-94 remaining after Jones missed a running layup.
Andrew Wiggins finished with 15 points and Draymond Green added 12 points and 13 rebounds for Golden State.
”Draymond was great tonight,” Kerr said. ”I thought he was the best player on the floor. His energy, his rebounding, his distribution of the ball. His energy was great. He just came out ready to play.”
While the Warriors without their starting backcourt, the Spurs were without their entire starting lineup of Dejounte Murray, Keldon Johnson, Jakob Poeltl, Devin Vassell and Doug McDermott.
Those absences led to a low-scoring affair with the teams combining to score 44 points in the opening quarter. The Spurs scored 36 points in the first quarter of each of their three previous games against the Warriors.
After trailing by as many as 17 points, the Spurs closed to 78-71 on a 3-pointer by Primo as time expired in the third quarter. A 3-pointer by rookie forward Joe Wieskamp and a 15-foot jumper by Primo cut the Warriors’ lead to 86-84 with 6 1/2 minutes remaining.
Primo finished 5 for 13 from the field.
”Definitely had a tough stretch, a tough first half,” Primo said. ”Had trouble getting it going. Had some turnovers early, but I just had to keep my head. The team is really good about telling me to keep my confidence.”
Fellow rookie Kuminga also had a standout game for the Warriors, finishing 6 for 8 from the field.
”Just coming out there whenever your name gets called,” Kuminga said. ”Go out there and contribute and help your team to get the win. I think that’s what it’s all about.”
TIP-INS
Warriors: Golden State sat Thompson for the fourth straight game as part of the injury management for his right Achilles’ tendon, which he had surgery on in November 2020. Thompson was crisply working out and shooting prior to the game with no discomfort. . Curry remains out with a sprained left foot. The two-time MVP has not played since suffering the injury March 16 against Boston.
Spurs: San Antonio honored former owner Red McCombs during the game’s first time out. McCombs was member of the original ownership that bought the ABA’s Dallas Chapparals and brought them to San Antonio in 1973. He sold his interest in the Spurs in 1978 and later owned the Denver Nuggets from 1982 to 1985. McCombs returned to the Spurs in 1988 to become the team’s majority owner at a time when the franchise’s future in San Antonio was in question. . Murray sat out for reconditioning after missing four consecutive games with a non-COVID-19 upper-respiratory illness.
CURRY ON TRACK
The Warriors are still expecting Curry to be able to play when the playoffs open. Curry will not play in Sunday’s finale as he continues to rehabilitate a sprained left foot.
”I don’t know over the last couple of days (how Curry is progressing), but everything up until two days ago, the last time that I talked to him, everything has been on schedule,” Kerr said. ”And since I haven’t heard from them, I assume it’s still (on schedule).”
UP NEXT
Warriors: At New Orleans on Sunday night.
Spurs: At Dallas on Sunday night. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/sports/nba/warriors-hold-off-spurs-and-maintain-hold-on-third-seed/ | 2022-04-10T12:21:33Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/sports/nba/warriors-hold-off-spurs-and-maintain-hold-on-third-seed/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The University of Maryland is working with an international aid group to temporarily house 25 Afghan refugees on its College Park campus, officials said Tuesday.
The families, each with at least seven members, will start settling on campus over the next few weeks and stay for up to one year, officials said. Among the arrivals are people granted “humanitarian parole” who were evacuated through Operation Allies Welcome - a Biden administration effort to resettle Afghans who worked alongside U.S. personnel - and those who face persecution in Afghanistan because of their work as interpreters, drivers or cultural advisers.
“The University of Maryland is part of a global community, and when we have the opportunity to support humanity, we embrace it,” Darryll J. Pines, the university’s president, said in a statement. “We look forward to providing on-campus housing and being good neighbors to Afghan families. They are U.S. allies who have braved a terrifying situation, and we are happy that we can offer them a welcoming community as they seek permanent housing.”
University officials declined to say where exactly the families would stay, citing safety concerns. The arriving families include infants and teens, officials said.
The university this week provided a welcome meal for the Afghans and provided them with staples such as beans and cooking oil, officials said. The school’s library system is assembling a collection of bilingual books to deliver to the families, along with snacks, toys and kitchen items.
U-Md. is hosting evacuees through a partnership with the International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian aid group. The organization will help the families find permanent housing, employment, education, counseling and social services.
Thousands of Afghans have arrived in the Washington region since August, when the United States pulled the last of its troops from Afghanistan and the country’s government fell to the Taliban. But in the months after the Afghans’ arrival, overwhelmed resettlement groups have struggled to find many of the families permanent and affordable housing.
The aid group faced criticism this year after several Afghan families under the organization’s care said they had spent months in a hotel outside Baltimore. Some families complained that the organization had been unable to find them permanent housing in safe neighborhoods, according to community activists.
The organization in January said it had doubled its staff in Baltimore to keep up with the demand for services.
As Afghans continue to settle throughout the region, U-Md. officials said they are planning to welcome additional refugees.
“Public education is really about public good,” said Patty Perillo, the school’s vice president for student affairs. “We are creating the model here at Maryland. We are developing the structure and systems for others to carry forward, helping many more refugees in need.”
Elsewhere in the country, other campuses have also extended support for evacuees. Eastern Michigan University shared plans in December to host about a dozen refugee families in its campus apartments. The University of Tulsa announced that it would offer two scholarships to Afghan students.
The development in College Park comes as the United States prepares to welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees who have been displaced by the Russian invasion. Perillo said the campus is looking into ways of providing assistance to Ukrainian students and scholars.
U-Md. enrolls 4,274 international students, most of whom are from China and India, according to fall 2021 campus data. Ukraine and Afghanistan each have fewer than 20 students on campus. | https://www.wboc.com/university-of-maryland-to-temporarily-house-afghan-refugees/article_bdb3f448-b8be-11ec-b440-a3b22852908f.html | 2022-04-10T12:26:22Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/university-of-maryland-to-temporarily-house-afghan-refugees/article_bdb3f448-b8be-11ec-b440-a3b22852908f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ukraine has opened 5,600 war crimes cases, official says
Ukraine has opened 5,600 cases of alleged war crimes since the beginning of the Russian invasion, Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova told the U.K.'s Sky News on Sunday.
State of play: The International Criminal Court last month launched an investigation into allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Ukraine.
- Last week, 93 countries voted to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over reported atrocities in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha and elsewhere in Ukraine.
- At least 300 people were killed by a Russian airstrike on a theater in Mariupol, where Russian forces also struck an art school, a mosque and a children's hospital, Ukrainian authorities said.
Of note: Venediktova said Ukraine has identified 500 alleged war criminals, including senior military and political officials, as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin — who she called the "main war criminal of the 21st century," though she acknowledged any sort of prosecution would be difficult.
Driving the news: At least 50 people were killed and nearly 100 were hospitalized after a Russian missile struck a train station in the city of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine on Friday, Ukrainian officials said.
- "Absolutely it's a war crime, it was a Russian missile which killed more than 50 people," Venediktova said.
- "These people just wanted to save their lives, they wanted to be evacuated. It was women, it was children and they just wanted to save their lives," Venediktova added.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday called the train attack "another war crime of Russia."
Driving the news: "Like the massacre in Bucha, like many other Russian war crimes, the missile strike on Kramatorsk must be one of the charges at the tribunal, which is bound to happen," Zelensky said during a Friday speech.
Go deeper: | https://www.axios.com/ukraine-opens-5600-war-crimes-cases-9372df57-5e85-4784-aedb-15c50c438285.html | 2022-04-10T12:36:50Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/ukraine-opens-5600-war-crimes-cases-9372df57-5e85-4784-aedb-15c50c438285.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Hawaii Island (KITV) A big step taking place over the possible extension of the 65 year old lease at the Pōhakuloa Training Area. The U.S. army has released the first draft of their environmental impact statement concerning the 23,000 acres they lease, out of the 133,000 they use on the big island. The army says its needs this leased land to continue training, and make sure it's mission ready. It has leased the land at its Pohakuloa Training Area, since 1964.
In its Environmental Impact Statement Draft, the Army says the best decision would be to continue leasing, but not everyone thinks it is the best decision for Hawaii. "Why the hell should they renew a lease to a unit that has contaminated that land with a wide range of toxins and endangers the health and safety of people plant and animals, tourists and visitors alike," said Jim Albertini of the Malu Aina Center for Non-Violent Education and Action.
The U.S Army's own website admits uranium based weapons were used for training at Pohakuloa Training Area between 1960-1968, but also says there's no risk to human health from depleted uranium. Albertini disagrees with this view. "They do artillery fire or bombing out there, which they do constantly. Dust clouds are created and the wind whips those dust particles all over the island. That's the toxic stew of military toxins," said Albertini.
The Impact Statement Draft considers other alternatives, such as renting less land or not renewing the lease. It says however benefits from those plans would be minor in most cases. "Pohakuloa effects people, plants, and animals. It contaminates air, land, and water in my judgment. So shutting the base down and eliminating the 23,000 acres would be a step forward in my opinion," said Albertini.
In 2018, a court ruling said the state did not do enough to make sure the army maintained the land and cultural interests.
The Army has prepared a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) regarding 23,000 acres of state land it wants to continue leasing at Pohakuloa Training Area.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/army-send-out-environmental-impact-statement-draft-on-p-hakuloa-training-area/article_79f0dc20-b8a6-11ec-bf2b-bf48f2f488dc.html | 2022-04-10T12:43:36Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/business/army-send-out-environmental-impact-statement-draft-on-p-hakuloa-training-area/article_79f0dc20-b8a6-11ec-bf2b-bf48f2f488dc.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
When my husband and I bought this home and started gardening 40 years ago, the first thing we did was plant five apple trees. We had romantic visions of golden autumns, gathering perfect apples from our perfect trees.
The simple life sure got complicated when we discovered that if you plant apples (or pears), codling moths will find them and continue their life cycles as larvae in your fruit. A neighbor, an ag chemical salesman, solved the problem by keeping us supplied with high-octane pesticides. We sprayed away, unabashedly grateful to be “living better chemically.”
Times changed. We changed. Our neighbor moved to North Carolina. But one thing remained the same. If you try to grow apples without scrupulous vigilance and management, pests will find them, and you can bet on it.
I wanted to cut the trees down and grow something else. Who needs to grow their own apples when you live in the “Apple Capital of the World”? But my husband refused to give up and switched to spraying with Spinosad, an organic pesticide based on metabolites of a soil bacterium.
The codling moth goes through at least two generations, from egg-to larvae-to-pupae-to-moth each year. Sometimes, there may even be a third generation that fails to mature before winter, but can still ruin apples. You’ll find damage in unprotected fruit in late May to mid-June, or in mid-August through September. The worm leaves an unmistakable entrance hole, topped with a gob of excrement, and can burrow straight to the core and feed on the seeds.
Using Spinosad to control possibly three generations of codling moths involves spraying roughly every seven to 10 days from petal-fall, or timed to coincide with the egg-laying activities of each generation of pests (one more thing that has to be monitored). That adds up to a minimum of six sprays each season. Who has that kind of time? Besides, we still had wormy apples. Controls like Spinosad are most effective on a larger scale, like in blocks of trees in orchards. And Spinosad can kill beneficial insects, as well as pests.
Anyone else would have thrown in the towel, but not my husband.
Ditching sprays, John switched to tying specially designed multi-layer paper bags over each apple, once it’s reached thumbnail size. If you take great pains to attach each bag PERFECTLY, the apple continues to grow in the bag. Removing the bags late in the season allows sunlight to develop color. Bagging apples is tedious, so John removed all but the best fruit. His goal was “100 perfect apples from each tree.” He also reduced the size of our trees with radical pruning to make the ladder-work easier (I wish we had planted on dwarfing rootstock), and this arduous pruning task had to be repeated each spring.
And after all that, a few cooties will still find a way in and ruin 20% of the crop.
Since switching to the bagging method five years ago, I like to think that we’ve not only gotten older, but wiser. John has since cut down our two biggest trees. Maintaining them was too much work. Next week, we will cut down a third, leaving us with two trees that John feels he can manage with bags. One of them was a favorite of our son Robbie.
If you plant an apple tree and don’t bag your fruit, you’ll have to monitor for evidence of codling moth several times during the growing season (even if you use pesticides, they’re not always 100% effective) and destroy any infested apples on the tree, as well as on the ground. Put the damaged fruit in a plastic garbage bag, and “cook” it in the sun for a few days.
From one busy gardener to another, the best advice I can give is DO NOT plant an apple tree in your backyard, unless you’re committed to a rigorous management regimen. Our local economy depends on high-quality fruit. If you fail to control codling moth, the pest can spread to other fruit trees in your neighborhood, and eventually impact commercial growers. Washington state law (RCW 15.09.060) compels property owners to control horticultural pests on their land.
Apple trees are arriving in nurseries. If you’re tempted to take one home, think again. Yakima farmers grow the best apples in the world, both conventionally and organically. Leave apple growing to the professionals, and support your local farm stand or grocer instead. Or plant plums, peaches or apricots, since they’re vulnerable to fewer fruit-infesting pests.
I will never forget the day entomologist Dr. Mike Bush opened a class for Master Gardeners with the question, “What’s worse than biting into an apple and finding a worm?” The answer, of course, was, “finding only half.” | https://www.yakimaherald.com/explore_yakima/home_and_garden/yakimas-master-gardeners-backyard-gardeners-should-leave-apples-to-the-professionals/article_003cb25b-1cd2-5d9b-bf9d-54a32e028491.html | 2022-04-10T12:47:26Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/explore_yakima/home_and_garden/yakimas-master-gardeners-backyard-gardeners-should-leave-apples-to-the-professionals/article_003cb25b-1cd2-5d9b-bf9d-54a32e028491.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The four party leaders at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council have given their views on a scheme which could be built on the former ABC cinema site in Tunbridge Wells. As KentLive reported this week, Retirement Villages Group (RVG) said it would buy the site if it could secure planning permission and has revealed its proposal.
Although official plans have not been submitted - in fact, RVG is continuing its first public consultation until Monday (April 11) - they are expected to feature around 150 flats for retirement living along with three commercial units at street level. RVG told Kent Live it is keen to hear people's views.
The town centre cinema shut in 1999 and the buildings were demolished in 2014 and hoardings erected, which still stand today. There have been several owners and plans, appeals and permissions, and even a public competition to secure a winning design, but nothing has seen action on the site.
Read more: Retirement community planned for old ABC cinema site in Tunbridge Wells town centre
Retirement Villages Group (RVG) was bought in 2017 by AXA IM Alts and it plans to growth in the retirement sector during the next 10 years. Its timeline for the site is:
- Public consultation: Spring 2022
- Planning application submission: Summer 2022
- Planning committee and decision: Autumn 2022
- Start onsite (pending approval): Autumn 2023
Kent Live asked the leader of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Conservative Tom Dawlings, along with the leaders of the other party groups, to give their views on the scheme.
Conservative council leader Tom Dawlings: "This is a complicated but key town centre site. The plans, however, need to be economically viable or the site will remain undeveloped – it has already been derelict for over 20 years.
"The site has been acquired, subject to planning, by Retirement Villages Group which is a subsidiary of AXA, the major employer in the town. The financing for the development is in place and residents are being consulted on the plans. All that is to be welcomed.
The plans provide retirement accommodation which in turn will free up needed family housing in the area. More residents in the town centre will provide additional local spending with minimal additional traffic.
"The development will provide a public space and a range of facilities including a health spa and a café/bistro that will be available for public-use, either through a membership scheme, by invitation or open-access. Equally positive is targeting Whole Life Net Zero Carbon certification.
Economic viability is crucial. More apartments are now planned than in the previous consented scheme and the development risk is reduced by minimising basement garages. My hope is that the site will be developed to the timeline suggested."
Ben Chapelard, Lib Dem group leader said: "The Lib Dems want a town centre we’re all proud of - somewhere great to shop, somewhere fun to take the family, somewhere great to go out - and the former cinema site is an intrinsic part of that. Under the Conservatives, this grot spot has been derelict for 20 years.
"We will look at every opportunity to bring it back into public use, but that doesn’t mean we will accept a poorly designed, blot-on-the-landscape development that delivers no benefit for the town. Last week, we were pleased to look at the plans and talk to the developer and architects.
"We will hold the developers’ feet to the fire to ensure that amenities and other housing that we desperately need are delivered to work for all residents. We won’t get distracted with our own vanity projects that nobody wants. We would urge everyone to take part in the online consultation so that this development helps Tunbridge Wells prosper and thrive again. We all want a town centre to be proud of."
David Hayward, leader of the Alliance said: "There has been some misinformation regarding the status of this development. Retirement Villages have an option to purchase the site but the exercising of that option will depend on achieving planning permission.
"In order to be viable, the development will need to create a substantial return. I understand there have been pre-application meetings but continued unfortunate comments by Cllr David Scott casting doubt on the probity of our planning committee will be unhelpful.
"As for the design, the requirement to monetise every square inch will drive the look. Retail space will not provide enough £ per sq ft. The courtyard as is will get precious little light and there is a concern that it could be another Union Square.
"Given the only viable option will necessarily have revenue rather than culture and heritage as the driving force, we are concerned about the appearance of the final design after it has negotiated the planning process. Very much a wait and see scenario.
"The "better than what is there" advocates would have no point to make if Matthew Sankey's Meanwhile Use initiative had been in place years ago."
Hugo Pound, Labour Group leader said: "The Labour Group of councillors is not convinced that more retirement homes in the middle of town is the right development for this site. The crossroads on which it sits is at the very heart of the town.
"We feel any development should reflect our vision that the centre of town needs to meet the needs of diverse groups in our community. So, if there are to be flats, how about a climbing wall all the way up one side?
"If there are going to be retail spaces, build a single space and partition it flexibly. If there are going to be food outlets, have them spilling out onto a piazza.
"The problem is, of course, that developers have paid too much for this site time and again. So the proposed solution is to cram in as many flats as possible to make a return. That does not add to our town, it is in danger of detracting from it."
Guy Flintoft, planning and design director at Retirement Villages Group, said: “Our public consultation launched on Monday, March 28 and will run until 9am on Monday, April 11. As part of this, we have hosted an online webinar and two public exhibitions at the Trinity Theatre on Church Road, at which we had the opportunity to speak with the local community about our plans for the former ABC Cinema site on Mount Pleasant Road.
“Following the conclusion of our public consultation, we will assess all of the feedback that we receive, both from our conversations with local groups and the community, and through the printed and digital feedback forms available at the exhibitions and via our website. This feedback will then be used to inform our final proposals for the site, with a summary provided in our Statement of Community Involvement, which will be submitted as part of our planning application and will be made publicly available through the council’s planning portal.”
“We would urge anyone who has yet to do so to visit our website, rtw-cinema-site.co.uk, where you can view our proposals, download the boards on display at our exhibition and provide your feedback using the digital feedback facility. You can also view a presentation on the proposals, with commentary from the project team, that was provided at the public webinar held in the first week of the consultation.
“If you, or someone you know, is struggling to access the website and associated consultation materials, please get in touch with us via our dedicated email address, info@rtw-cinema-site.co.uk or give us a call and leave a voicemail at 0800 130 33 80, and one of the team will be in touch.”
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There are so many reasons we can give as to why it's great to live in Kent. Whether you're after a peaceful home in the rolling hills of the countryside or you can a place in a bustling community, there really is something for everyone.
But when it comes to picking a place to live within this great county, it can get rather difficult. Thankfully, The Sunday Times has made our lives a little easier with their latest 'Best Places to Live' list for 2022.
Sevenoaks and Deal were the two Kent towns to make the list, but they both offer very different things. Sevenoaks, crowned the overall best place to live in the south east, has been described as having a combination of convenient commutability, top-class schools and an abundance of greenery.
READ MORE: Deal and Sevenoaks listed as two of the best places to live in UK according to The Sunday Times
It also has festivals that offer cultural clout, there's a sporting scene and the high street has plenty of independent gems, notably the Sevenoaks Bookshop. The average house price is £685,500 and the town has seen a 7% growth since 2020.
Deal is described as having an energetic community, eager to improve the town in any way they can. Some initiatives have been praised such as the community hop farm and the revival of gleaning, harvesting unwanted crops, also helped land its place along with the beautiful coast. The average house price is £326,000 and it has grown by 18% since 2020.
But the golden question still remains - which of the two towns really is the best place to live? We've got two of our reporters, one based in Deal itself and the other in west Kent, to put forward their arguments.
The case for Deal
It's kind of a big deal, despite its relatively small size. Right by the sea, only two hours from London on a highspeed rail yet surrounded by green and pleasant land.
Yes, Deal is almost certainly the best place to live in Kent, despite what polls say. It's the town's understated status that makes it so endearing.
It isn't well-known in the rest of the country outside Kent. But this is no bad thing because it would be spoiled if the secret was out.
In the summer you can go to the beach and find ample space to laze in the sun unlike in Margate, Bournemouth, Brighton or any other well-known seaside towns. This is because the stretch of coast reaches from Dover to Ramsgate which is several miles.
Sometimes when walking on along the shore you realise just how remote it is. Other than the gentle lapping of waves, there is no sound - beautifully desolate.
It's hardly surprising that Turner, perhaps the most famous English artist of all time, made this place his home. In the winter there are treacherous seas and swirling clouds. In the summer the sea is as still and calm as a sheet of glass with brilliant ultramarine skies.
But on a Friday night, it is as lively as any major town. During the World Cup, you could hear football chants drifting in the ether from miles away from the multitude of pubs and bars.
During the day the town has abuzz with independent boutique shops, several butchers and a seafood stall selling fresh Dover sole.
Or you can eat out if you don't fancy cooking local Kent produce yourself. Since living here I have gained a significant amount of weight by indulging too much - but it's totally worth it.
You can get a great burger at the lane, or a pizza at Margheritas, fish and chips at Blue Mermaid or enjoy a laid-back bistro experience at 81 Beach Street.
The reason I moved to Deal out of London was that I was paying through the teeth for a disgusting, damp, Victorian "flat" that was basically a shoe cupboard partitioned into different spaces. I pay £400 less for something four times the size with modern amenities, such as actual insulation.
People reading this may think I am one of those dreaded "DFLs" (Down from Londoners) that are pushing up prices - despite originally being from the north of England and hating London with a passion. But it is an unfortunate axiom that prices will inevitably rise.
The current average price for Deal is £349,247, according to Rightmove. This is compared to £725,898 in Sevenoaks - which makes it practically a suburb of London which stands at a paltry £681,907 for the average house.
Maybe this is the real reason Sevenoaks tops the list? Who really sets the agenda for the best place to live? Where are they based? You can hazard a guess that the list is undoubtedly compiled by Londoners with a London-centric view.
Hell, the place I lived in London, Lewisham, was a part of Kent until 1965, which is within living memory. It could very well be the case that by 2065 Deal will be the best place to live in Kent by default after it is announced there is a London Borough of Sevenoaks.
The case for Sevenoaks
You've read the case for Deal, but now let's take a look at the other town also ranked as one of the best places to live in the county. While Sevenoaks may not have the coastline or seafront lifestyle to offer, there are still many reasons why the west Kent town is undoubtedly the best place to live in the county.
Where better to start than the rich history you can uncover wherever you look? In fact, you'll likely find yourself hooked just after learning about the reason behind the town's famous name.
It's said to derive from the Old English word 'Seouenaca' meaning 'seven oaks'. The edge of the historic Vine Cricket Ground was lined with seven Coronation oak trees, but the town hit national headlines during the Great Storm of 1987 when six of them came crashing down due to winds exceeding 100mph.
The oaks had been planted in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII, but there were seven oaks believed to have been planted at an earlier date in the 18th Century. However, no one knows where the original oaks were actually planted, and it's become an intriguing mystery in the history of the town.
I always find it an amazing experience to walk through Sevenoaks high street these days, because you can still see elements of that rich history despite the constant modernisation. There's a Waitrose store at the top of the town centre which is a bit like a Tardis, it doesn't look all that impressive but after going inside you'll find a superstore which also has a café - very impressive!
My favourite part of the shopping scene is Bligh's Meadow. The complex has a huge car park and is flanked by an array of shops including an M&S superstore, a Costa and a Nando's just to name a few. There's everything you need all in one place, but if you want to head into the main high street you can do so by walking through the convenient passage.
The food scene is another big bonus when it comes to living in Sevenoaks. As I've mentioned, you'll find a number of your favourite restaurant and pub chains in the town, but there's also a great deal of independent shops which is fantastic to see. A personal favourite of mine is 'The Bagel Shop' but you must be warned, there are big queues snaking out the door when it comes to lunchtime!
With this perfectly-crafted blend between the big chains, independent shops, history and the present day, it all makes for a vibrant and uplifting atmosphere no matter where you go in the town. The Sennockian Wetherspoon pub and The Chequers are often busy when it gets to Friday and Saturday nights, and there's a great community spirit that's clear to see.
There are so many things to see and do in the town and that definitely makes it a place people are happy to live in. The Stag is a must-visit venue, and with theatre productions and cinema screenings constantly on show, you're bound to find something you'll enjoy.
But with temperatures climbing and the sun starting to make an appearance, there are some stunning places perfect for a day out. Knole Park is what Sevenoaks has to offer in its fight against the Deal seafront. I always find it a breathtaking place to visit - partly because it's so big, but also due to its stunning beauty.
The Site of Special Scientific Interest stretches over 380 hectares and you can even see deer roaming freely through the park if you're lucky. I visited in February and couldn't believe how, despite its vast size, I'd find something different wherever I looked.
Despite the amazing parks, food and shopping scene, perhaps the most underrated aspect of living in Sevenoaks are the transport links. The high street has a bus station and you can get to neighbouring towns Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells within an hour. But more importantly, Sevenoaks station is on the main line into London and you can hop on a train and expect to arrive in the city in around 30 minutes.
According to Rightmove, the average house price in Sevenoaks currently stands at £725,898. Yes, I know you're probably checking you read that right, but there's a reason why you'll find many celebrities and a secluded millionaire's row right on your doorstep.
Wouldn't you agree that it'd be pretty convenient to live in such a picturesque and thriving town that offers you the perfect break from working in the city, but while you're still only half-an-hour away? I know I would.
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Kent has many tight-knit communities but part of living in a town or village is sadly discovering that people you know have passed. It might mean you want to write a special tribute to the family, attend a funeral or make a donation to charity in their name.
KentLive has compiled a list of people in the county who have recently passed away, with the information from the funeral or death notices. We thought this is something you would want to know, as you are part of the Kent community.
These details have been taken from notices placed with us at KentLive and also our newspapers. Many of them contain information about a funeral or service, and also how to send a donation.
READ MORE: We compared the two Kent towns named the best places to live
Birchington
Dr Robert John BASS (Bob) Late of Pfizer Ltd, Sandwich Sadly, Bob passed away on 11th March 2022. A beloved husband, Dad and Grandad. The funeral will take place on Thursday 14th April 2022 at Birchington Baptist Church, Station Road at 1.00 pm Family flowers only but donations if desired to DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) Ukraine via Gore Brothers, Birchington (01843 841835) or direct.
Broadstairs
Margaret SHANKLIN We announce the passing of Margaret Shanklin on 16th March 2022 aged 74 years. Funeral service to be held at Thanet Crematorium, Margate on Monday 11th April 2022 at 1:45p.m. Donations in memory can be made to ‘Cancer Research U.K.' through H. Noble Funeral Directors Ltd., No.1 Northdown Road, St. Peters, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 2UL. Telephone 01843 862 503. or online at www.hnoble.co.uk
Dover
Stuart Gavin SPIERS Who passed away on 9th April 2006. Still sadly and sorely missed. From Dad, Gary, Calli, Billy, Jake, Charlotte and Family.
Brenda Dorothy WALKER Widow of Alan Walker formerly of Dover College and Charlton Church. Now at Peace. Funeral will take place on Wednesday 20th April, 11.30 at Hawkinge Crematorium. Donations if desired to The Bible Society c/o Hambrook and Johns Cheriton Telephone 01303 271389.
Norma NUNN Died peacefully on 28th March, aged 84. Much loved Mum to Kim and Son-in-law Nigel. Funeral service at Barham Crematorium on Wednesday 11th May at 10.40am. Family flowers only please, donations if desired to Brightshadow c/o W J Farrier and Son Ltd 161 London Road, Dover, Kent CT17 0TG Tel 01304 201665.
Michael CARR Passed away at home on 26th March, aged 80. Dad, Grandad and Great Grandad. Will be greatly missed by all. Funeral mass to be held at Our Lady of Dover RC Church on Tuesday 26th April 2022 at 1pm. Flowers welcome. Donations if desired to Demelza House. c/o W J Farrier and Son Ltd 161 London Road, Dover Kent CT17 0TG Tel 01304 201665.
Kenneth Maurice John STOKER Burma Star Veteran Dad, Grandad and Great Grandad. Ken sadly passed away on the 25th March 2022 at The William Harvey Hospital. He is now at peace. Reunited with his beloved Wife Daphne. Cremation will be held at Barham on Tuesday 3rd May at 12.00pm. Family flowers only. Charitable Donations to RNLI c/o W J Farrier and Son Ltd 161 London Road, Dover, Kent CT17 0TG Tel 01304 201665 YOU NEVER STOP LOVING SOMEONE, YOU JUST LEARN TO LIVE WITHOUT THEM.
Folkestone
Carol Ann HAYMAN (Neé Drew) Passed away on 29th March 2022, aged 79. Beloved wife of the late David, much loved mum of the late Stuart and lifelong friend to Pam. Now at peace and reunited with David and Stuart. Funeral service at Hawkinge Crematorium on Friday 22nd April 2022 at 2.30pm. Flowers may be sent c/o W.J. Farrier and Son Ltd, 37 Bouverie Road West, Fokestone CT20 2SZ.
Annette Marie REED 4th April 2017 Missed so much and loved forever. Bob, Steve, Marie and Families. xxxx
Brenda Dorothy WALKER Widow of Alan Walker formerly of Dover College and Charlton Church. Now at Peace. Funeral will take place on Wednesday 20th April, 11.30 at Hawkinge Crematorium. Donations if desired to The Bible Society c/o Hambrook and Johns Cheriton Telephone 01303 271389.
Dennis Colin FURNEAUX Proud founder of KAP in 1951 Den passed away in his sleep, aged 92. Deeply loved and missed by sons Graham and Garry and his large family. Gone to rest in peace with Jean, his recently departed wife of 70 years, and their son Geoff. Funeral at Hawkinge Crematorium, 3pm Friday 6th May 2022. No flowers please but donations to RNLI via W J Farrier and Son, 37 Bouverie Road West, Folkestone CT20 2SZ.
Cicely CARPENTER 1/4/1925-30/3/2022 Cee died peacefully on 30 March 2022, aged 96. She will be sadly missed by family and friends. Thanksgiving service at Holy Trinity Church, Folkestone, on Thursday 28 April 2022 at 2pm. Family flowers only. Donations to Folkestone Rainbow Centre www.rainbow-centre.org.
Arthur John DAVEY (John) John passed away peacefully on Friday 25 March 2022 following a long illness. Funeral will take place on Wednesday 13 April 2022, Barham Crematorium at 4:00 pm. No flowers please but donations, if desired, to the Alzheimer's Society c/o W J Farrier & Son Ltd, 37 Bouverie Road West, Folkestone. Anyone wishing to attend are very welcome. RIP.
Margate
Dr Robert John BASS (Bob) Late of Pfizer Ltd, Sandwich Sadly, Bob passed away on 11th March 2022. A beloved husband, Dad and Grandad. The funeral will take place on Thursday 14th April 2022 at Birchington Baptist Church, Station Road at 1.00 pm Family flowers only but donations if desired to DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) Ukraine via Gore Brothers, Birchington (01843 841835) or direct.
Nita Irene GODDARD Passed away peacefully at Pilgrims Hospice on Sunday 20th March. Sadly missed by her sisters Jean and Joyce and all who knew her. Funeral to take place at Thanet Crematorium on Wednesday 13th April at 11.30am. Family flowers only please. Donations in lieu of flowers may be sent to Pilgrims Hospice, Margate. All enquiries and donations to Gore Brothers Westgate, Tel: 01843 835836.
Margaret SHANKLIN We announce the passing of Margaret Shanklin on 16th March 2022 aged 74 years. Funeral service to be held at Thanet Crematorium, Margate on Monday 11th April 2022 at 1:45p.m. Donations in memory can be made to ‘Cancer Research U.K.' through H. Noble Funeral Directors Ltd., No.1 Northdown Road, St. Peters, Broadstairs, Kent, CT10 2UL. Telephone 01843 862 503. or online at www.hnoble.co.uk
Ramsgate
Janet CLINCH Sadly passed away on Saturday 19th March 2022 aged 73 years. Loved and missed by her Daughter, Son, Sister and Grandchildren. The Service will take place at Thanet Crematorium on Monday 25th April at 1:00 p.m. Family flowers only. Donations , if wished, to Cancer Research UK c/o H. R. Palmer, Funeral Directors, Ramsgate. 01843 592720.
Margaret Rose CHAMBERS Passed away suddenly at home with David by her side. Margaret will be sadly missed by all who knew her. Funeral to take place at Thanet Crematorium on Monday 25th April at 12:15p.m. Flowers if desired or donations made payable to Cats in Crisis C/O Gore Brothers Ltd, Ramsgate Tel: 01843-851010.
Jacqueline FISHER Sadly passed away on Monday 14th March 2022 aged 81 years. Greatly missed by all of her family and friends. Donations, if wished, to UNICEF c/o H. R. Palmer, Funeral Directors, Ramsgate. 01843 592720.
Sevenoaks
Shelagh Rose PEASE Passed away peacefully on 2nd April 2022 aged 91 years. Much loved mother to Simon & Duncan, grandmother to Andrew & Mark and great-grandmother to Phoebe. Funeral enquiries c/o Francis Chappells 01732 450203.
John Francis SHORNEY Very sadly and suddenly passed away March 22 2022, the world is emptier without you. Cremation Guildford 25/04/2022 13:30 ; A Royal Engineer.
Margaret Jean BEAUMONT In loving memory 8th April 2020 Missing you more than words can say In our hearts you will always stay With love Debra, Julian, Andrea, Paul and Families xx
Marjorie Agnes Mbe BROWN Passed away peacefully on Thursday 17th March 2022, aged 89. Loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and greatly loved in return. A kind friend to many. Ever curious to develop her understanding of the world. Tireless campaigner for justice, peace and fairness in society. Committed Christian and member of the United Reformed Church. Join us to celebrate Marjorie's wonderful life at her memorial service to be held at United Reformed Christ Church, Sevenoaks on Saturday 7th May at 2pm. Family flowers only, donations if desired, to the DEC (Disasters Emergency Committee) either online at www.welhamjones.co.uk/obituaries or by cheque payable to the charity c/o Welham Jones, 156 London Road, Sevenoaks, TN13 1DJ.
Brian John HOUGHTON Sadly passed away on 17th March 2022 after a short illness. A dearly loved father and grandfather who will be forever in our hearts. Funeral service will be held at Kent and Sussex Crematorium, Tunbridge Wells on Tuesday 12th April 2022 at 3:15pm. Family flowers only. Donations and tributes can be left online at https://brianhoughton.muchloved.com/.
Michael Patrick ROTHWELL (Mick) Dad, your life was a blessing, your memory a treasure.....you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure xx
Tonbridge
Raymond Duncan COCKERELL It is with great sadness to announce that Ray passed away on Thursday 31st March 2022. Age 75. Ray was born and grew up in Tonbridge and spent his later years in Burwash, where he lived with his late wife Mary. Ray will be sadly missed by all his family.
Erica Mary HALFHIDE (NIX) Formerly Nix nee Wigginton. Loving Wife to Jerry, adoring Mother and Grandmother to Clive and David and their families, loving Stepmother to Sarah, Simon and Nicholas and their families. She will be greatly missed. Memorial service at St Peter's, Southborough, Kent on 13th April at 1pm. Family flowers only, donations to Hospice in the Weald.
Tunbridge Wells
Elizabeth Margaret JAMIESON Peacefully on Wednesday, March 23, at Glasfryn Nursing Home, Llanelli, Elizabeth formerly of Derlyn Park, Tycroes, Ammanford and previously of the Royal Pet Stores, Tunbridge Wells. Beloved wife of the late James and the late Frank Thomas and sadly missed by all her family and friends. Funeral on Wednesday, April 13, service at Llanelli Crematorium at 2.00pm. No flowers please. Donations in lieu, if so desired, to 'The British Red Cross' will be kindly received by the Funeral Directors Hywel Griffiths and Sons, Funeral Directors, Bwtrimawr, 39 Betws Road, Betws, Ammanford. SA18 2HE.
Peter George QUERSTRET Passed away on 13th March, aged 74 years. Will be sadly missed by his wife, Margaret, family and friends. Funeral Service on Tuesday 12th April at St Augustine's Church, Crescent Road, Tunbridge Wells at 2pm. Family flowers only but donations, if desired, payable to 'Churches for Tunbridge Wells' c/o ER Hickmott & Son 01892 522 462.
Janet LOTT 22/1/1940 - 19/3/2022 It's with great sadness we announce the loss of Janet who died peacefully in her sleep at home on 19 March 2022, aged 82. The cremation is to be held at Tunbridge Wells Crematorium on Monday 25 April at 1pm, all welcome. Family flowers only please, donations very welcome to mum's favourite charity Dogs Trust through Kempsters Funeral Directors.
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The latest prices drivers are paying to fill up their vehicles have been revealed. In forecourts across Kent, unleaded fuel is on sale from 157p.
If you're looking to full up on unleaded fuel, the cheapest pumps can be found just over the other side of the Dartford Crossing at Morrisons in Grays. This is on sale for 157.7p.
But if it's diesel you're after, the cheapest can be found for 168.9p. This is currently on sale in Thanet at Tesco in Manston.
READ MORE: The most dangerous neighbourhoods to live in Kent
To help you find the best price for fuel where you live, we have pulled together the cheapest stations in a number of towns and cities including Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Folkestone and Tunbridge Wells. For this, we used petrolprices.com.
Please note, all pumps shown in the list below are within five miles of the relevant area. All prices in the list are accurate at the time of writing on Sunday afternoon (April 10).
Unleaded
Ashford
Tesco Ashford Park Farm - 158.9p
Tesco Extra Ashford Crooksfoot - 158.9p
Low Prices Always Ashford - 159.8p
Canterbury
Morrisons Canterbury - 158.7p
Asda Canterbury - 158.9p
Tesco Extra Whitstable - 158.9p
Dartford
Morrisons Grays - 157.7p
Asda Greenhithe- 158.7p
Tesco Lakeside Extra - 158.9p
Dover
Tesco Extra Dover - 159.9p
Shell Dover - 161.9p
BP A2 (Whitfield Services) - 161.9p
Folkestone
Gulf Canterbury Road - 159.7p
BP Seabrook Road - 159.9p
BP Military Road - 159.9p
Medway
Asda Gillingham Pier - 158.7p
Morrisons Walderslade - 158.7p
Asda Chatham/Rainham High Street - 158.7p
Thanet
Tesco Ramsgate Manston - 158.9p
Sainsbury's Thanet - 158.9p
Tesco Extra Broadstairs - 160.9p
Tunbridge Wells
Sainsbury's Tunbridge Wells - 163.9p
Sainsbury's Tonbridge - 163.9p
Shell Quarry Hill - 165.9p
Diesel
Ashford
Tesco Ashford Park Farm - 170.9p
Tesco Extra Ashford Crooksfoot - 170.9p
Sainsbury's Ashford Bybrook - 172.9p
Canterbury
Morrisons Canterbury - 173.7p
Esso Wincheap - 174.9p
Esso Broad Oak Road - 174.9p
Dartford
Tesco Lakeside Extra - 170.9p
Asda Greenhithe - 171.9p
Esso Dartford Road - 175.9p
Dover
Tesco Extra Dover - 171.9p
BP Limekiln Street - 179.9p
BP Folkestone Road - 179.9p
Folkestone
Tesco Folkestone - 174.9p
Gulf Canterbury Road - 176.7p
Sainsbury's West Park Farm - 176.9p
Medway
Tesco Extra Gillingham - 170.9p
Asda Gillingham Pier - 172.7p
Asda Chatham - 172.7p
Thanet
Tesco Ramsgate Manston - 168.9p
Sainsbury's Thanet - 170.9p
Tesco Extra Broadstairs - 170.9p
Tunbridge Wells
Sainsbury's Tunbridge Wells - 177.9p
Esso Eridge Road - 177.9p
Esso Pembury - 177.9p
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It was an incredibly blustery and rainy day when I visited Dover Castle for the first time. In some ways it felt fitting as in my mind I always picture the medieval times as being grey, (well, greyer), foggy and bleak - despite this period actually being warm.
The day was so windy that at the peak of the castle I felt like a mime pretending to walk into the wind. I and a member of staff were almost blown over, maybe even across Dover towards France.
You might think then that I would have nothing but bad things to say considering what a dampener the weather was. But you would be wrong.
READ MORE: I visited the 'worst place' to live in Kent and had a great time
The unseasonable, wintry conditions made the damp tunnels actually seem inviting. Once inside you are taken on an interactive tour of Dover Castle's secret tunnels.
You are immersed in its history from the time of the Napoleonic Wars right through to post-WW2. During the 1939-1945 conflict it was Britain's Naval HQ where Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of BEF from Dunkirk, was masterminded.
I had no idea that post-war it was the centre of counter-intelligence to combat the threat of nuclear war against the USSR. In fact, there is a fortified nuclear bunker deep within the White Cliffs of Dover that was constructed to house a select group of people to construct a Government in the event of a nuclear holocaust.
There is also a guided tour of the old hospital site which is led by knowledgeable and friendly staff. But you don't want to spend too long in the deep annals of the castle as they are allegedly haunted - or so I'm told.
I also noticed several picnic tables overlooking the entire town of Dover and looking out into the English Channel towards France. Not that you would want to sit outside in rain and wind, but it is definitely something to keep in mind for the summer.
With the weather failing, you can instead take refuge in one of the many cafes for something warm to eat or drink. You can even check out Elizabeth I's "pistol", an ironic name for an extremely long Tudor cannon that is on display next to the seating area.
There is also a Roman lighthouse which is situated next to a Saxon church, a reminder of the rich history the people of Kent are steeped in. The main tower is an exemplary display of what life must have been like the Middle Ages.
Despite the finery and rich tapestry, it seemed rather bleak, even for the wealthiest. Unlike today's super-rich who can escape to Dubai or the Caymans, they would stay in their castles and eat an obscene amount of food.
It was also noticeable that the golden embroidered red tapestries were swaying and moving because of the high winds outside. Dark, drafty and cold despite the modern cons of central heating and double-glazing.
You will also get fit if you visit the castle as visiting each site is a battle uphill, literally. But it is all so worth it to take in the breathtaking views of Dover and to contemplate just who had stood in your place all those centuries ago. | https://www.kentlive.news/news/news-opinion/visited-dover-castle-first-time-6919826 | 2022-04-10T12:52:48Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/news-opinion/visited-dover-castle-first-time-6919826 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Some might say it was classic British trash TV at its very best. This slightly bizarre Sky One documentary, Toughest Seaside Resorts in Britain, highlighted a select few resorts up and down the country across five episodes.
Anyone who remembers watching this series may recall one of Kent’s own seaside resorts being put firmly in the spotlight. Placed under the microscope for the first half of episode two was Margate.
Producers may have been influenced to choose this particular resort after it was made infamous by an iconic episode of Only Fools and Horses. The programme began by placing Margate on the map and zooming into this particular part of the county.
Read more: Dartford-born former Gladiator often battled contestants while 'bleeding drunk'
Simultaneously, the narrator, Ralf Little, introduced the town as “Margate, one of Britain’s oldest seaside resorts and the first to introduce donkey rides way back in 1790.” This was all happening while the Chas and Dave tune “Down To Margate” was playing in the background.
It was then explained how thousands of Cockneys make the 84-mile journey from London to enjoy the “fresh air, fine cuisine and a nice scrap with the locals”. It was apparent that a tongue-in-cheek approach was being adopted with a great amount of humour present throughout; that previous sentence was read over the top of a man stuffing his face with ice cream and two blokes enjoying a friendly wrestle on the sand.
It's at this point that we’re introduced to an eccentric bearded bloke by the name of Ray. He was a veteran of many a running battle with tourists, with it being stated that he “has a brilliant combat record”.
One campaign stood out more than others for Ray: “The Mods and Rockers in 1964 and I was a Rocker and there was about 50, maybe 100, of us and we got chased along the seafront and we ended up here which was where the Sun Deck was.
“Some of the Mods had hammers and spanners and some of the lads I was with had bats. If it’s hard and heavy then pick it up and hit them with it.”
Even the ice cream van man admitted to keeping a baseball bat in his van to protect any potential wrong-doing day-trippers who often saw Margate as “an easy target”.
Michael Tomlinson, Deputy Mayor, was also interviewed about his role in the iconic battles: “For my sins if you like, I was a Mod, although I never got involved in the bank holiday weekend skirmishes that happened here. It was quite sad to see some of the youngsters throwing deck chairs down on to families on the beach.”
Slightly oddly, given that the documentary is meant to be persuading us how rough Margate is, we’re then introduced to former heavyweight boxer, Andy ‘Clubber’ Gerrard who was welcomed to the town with open arms. Clubber had a distinguished fighting record (27 wins and 32 losses) and could’ve been a contender until he came up against the then-unknown Lennox Lewis who “went to town” on Clubber, ending his fighting career.
After giving up on his fighting dream, Clubber moved to Margate and opened his own bar but he actually goes against the ‘tough’ tag that was being placed on it: “People come in one night, maybe have a little bit too much to drink, have an argument with a friend but that’s it. It’s just you can go up to these people around here, just talk to them and that’s it, they can see they’re wrong.”
As if the show couldn’t get any more bizarre, next up for us to meet was Bob, the singing dustman, who starts by giving a (thankfully brief) rendition of an original song all about Margate. After being told about how Bob entertains the tourists, we then get a shot of the outside of some toilets with Bob’s conversation while relieving himself audible for all to hear.
Bob then belts out a questionable version of Oh I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside to some guests while the narrator comments “the entertainment is sure to leave you lost for words.” Although these guests clearly enjoyed it as they gave him a warm round of applause afterwards.
The second-half of the programme details another of the country’s toughest seaside resorts just along the coast in Hastings. Although this series has largely been lost to history, this particular programme can be viewed on Youtube.
Do you think Margate deserved this reputation? And if so, does it still ring true today? Let us know in the comments!
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For more amazing nostalgic stories, click here for trips down memory lane! | https://www.kentlive.news/news/nostalgia/margate-kent-town-named-one-6921581 | 2022-04-10T12:52:58Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/nostalgia/margate-kent-town-named-one-6921581 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
We’re all guilty of tucking into some fast food after a long and stressful day. Sometimes the only thing that can round off a tough day on the job is some comfort food from your favourite fast food chain.
The benefits of getting some grub from a place like this are really spelled out in the name - it’s fast. What you might not be aware of however is that a lot of effort does really go into getting your order ready and up to restaurant standard.
I recently had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at KFC's newly opened 1000th UK branch in Sandwich, taking a peek at all that goes on to make sure your lunch is as good as it can be. I have to say, I left with a newfound appreciation for the fast food craft.
Read more: New Taco Bell restaurant to open in Dover
So, in the interest of perhaps changing your own perspectives too, and giving you a little sneak behind the curtain, I have noted the most surprising things I learnt from my hands-on experience in the KFC kitchen.
All of the chicken is breaded on site
Given the nature of fast food, I think a lot of us assume that the restaurants receive many of their ingredients pre-prepared, myself included. I was very surprised to learn that the entire breading process for the KFC chicken takes place in the kitchen, with allocated breading stations for both regular and spicy coatings.
I had a go at prepping some chicken myself and I have to say it was great fun, but there is a certain knack to it that you have to get down in order to make sure each bit of chicken is up to restaurant standards.
Breading chicken is an artform
As mentioned, there is a very particular method to getting the chicken ready and up to restaurant standard, which I had a go at and must say, I wasn’t the greatest at it on my first go. First, you must totally cover each in the signature KFC flour, then fold over a hefty amount on top in one fluid motion before patting it all down and repeating the process for a total of 10 times.
They are then dipped in water and breaded once more, again repeating the previous steps 10 times. One this has been completed and each piece is ready to go, they are then fried to golden perfection.
When you work in the kitchen, you wash your hands A LOT
I suppose this shouldn’t necessarily be a surprise, given how important hand hygiene is when making any kind of food, but especially as we were working with chicken, washing our hands was a vital step at all points. I do mean all points as well, every single step of the cooking process began with a thorough hand wash and sanitisation before cracking on with the next stage.
Beginning with just hot water, then hot water and soap before drying and sanitising, I lost track of how many times I did this and my hands felt brand new after my day in the kitchen. This was more than understandable though as the cooking process begins with the handling of raw chicken, so the last thing anyone wants is to make themselves or someone else ill.
A lot of work goes into crafting one burger
This again plays very much into our perceptions of fast food I believe, it’s easy to think that given how quickly you get the food that it just takes a second to make. This definitely is not the case, I helped to put together a classic fillet burger which alone meant moving between three different stations.
First of all was the previously mentioned breading station, then over to the fryers to get those fillets cooked to perfection. From there they were given a moment to cool down before moving over to the assembly station, where the burger was completed.
Buns were readied in the cardboard shell packaging before lettuce and sauce were added and then finally the fillet burger. Then, the chips prepared, the drink made and the whole meal was trayed up, ready to be served.
It might seem like a short process from a customer point of view, but believe me a lot of work goes into getting you the finished product. You really do have to be on the ball as well, there’s a lot going on in the kitchen that really does require the staff to be well trained and skilled at what they do.
You need to wear special types of shoes while in the kitchen
Finally, this is one I genuinely had no idea about which in hindsight makes a tonne of sense. Plenty of jobs have an allocated uniform but in my experience, I have usually (within reason) been able to pick my own footwear.
At KFC though, staff are provided with a particular shoe that must be worn while in the kitchen, and I myself also received a pair to use for my trip. The perk of these is that they are specifically designed to prevent slipping, obviously very important when working in a busy kitchen, and provide a good layer of protection against anything dropped or spilled.
I was lucky enough that this pair of shoes are now mine to keep, so if I ever have a sudden change of career I suppose it’s good to know that I already have the footwear ready. Not only this, they were surprisingly comfortable too which is also so important when you’re spending a large chunk of your day standing on your feet.
Final thoughts
So, it’s safe to say that I left my KFC visit having learned a lot more about your lunch, and with a much greater appreciation for the work that goes on in fast food chains. Hopefully you too will now have a slightly different perspective on your naughty bit of lunch the next time you swing through a KFC, I certainly will.
Find out how you can get more news from KentLive straight to your inbox for free HERE . | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/food-drink/5-surprising-things-learned-behind-6911869 | 2022-04-10T12:53:08Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/food-drink/5-surprising-things-learned-behind-6911869 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Mumbai: Actor Shahid Kapoor has said his action film with Tiger Zinda Hai director Ali Abbas Zafar is complete. Shahid Kapoor said they are hoping to release the movie sometime this year. The film is being presented by Jio Studios in association with Zafar’s ‘AAZ Films’, ‘Offside Entertainment’ and ‘The Vermillion World’. The film is billed as a ‘stylised relentless action-packed ride’.
Talking about the yet untitled project, Shahid said the film is a departure from the ‘typical’ action movies. “Ali’s film is ready. It is a kind of action that I have not done before. It is new for me and him. It is an edgy action, not like the typical one, it has a quirk to it,” Shahid stated.
“It (doing action) is very tiring and I have lost a lot of weight. I had a great time working on it. Ali and I have known each other for a decade and we decided to collaborate on this. It will come out this year,” Shahid added.
Apart from Zafar’s film, the 41-year-old actor is set to make his OTT debut with a ‘Prime Video’ series from The Family Man creators Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK. The show is an interesting and exciting project, Shahid said and called it a ‘quirky crime drama’.
Last year, Shahid was also signed to play a paratrooper in an action film titled Bull. The movie is inspired by events from the life of Brigadier Bulsara. Set in the 1980s, the film marks the directorial debut of Aditya Nimbalkar. He has worked extensively with filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj.
The actor said the logistical details on Bull are still being worked out. “Bull is still later in the future. It might not happen immediately. It’s just a few logistical things that need to be worked out. It is not on agenda right now,” informed Shahid.
Shahid is currently awaiting the release of Jersey, a Hindi remake of National Award-winning Telugu sports drama of the same name.
Shahid said he is grateful for the varied offers coming his way today. However, it is difficult to find interesting opportunities all the time. “I have a film coming out two-and-half years after a super successful film without having another release (in between). It is great for me,” the actor said.
Jersey is Shahid’s first release since 2019’s Kabir Singh. Shahid said he believes in doing ‘qualitative work’. “You can only be good or better than the opportunity that is in front of you. I am thankful that opportunities are coming my way. It is difficult to find that consistently because great characters and films don’t happen every day. In the last two-three years, I am happy with the work that I am doing. I’m feeling good about it deep down,” informed Shahid.
Jersey also features Mrunal Thakur and Pankaj Kapur and is set to hit the screens April 14. | https://www.orissapost.com/film-with-ali-abbas-zafar-complete-will-hit-screen-this-year-shahid-kapoor/ | 2022-04-10T13:05:48Z | afar.com | control | https://www.orissapost.com/film-with-ali-abbas-zafar-complete-will-hit-screen-this-year-shahid-kapoor/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GUANGZHOU, China, April 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The 131st Canton Fair will be held online from April 15-24. Now, through various social media channels, the Fair has promoted various exhibits including cases and bags.
With the rapid development of the global society and economy and the improvement of people's living standards, luggage has become a necessity in people's lives as travel, business trips and other activities becoming more frequent.
The 130th Canton Fair has displayed a wide range of new commodities, including an anti-theft backpack, a dual-use carbon fiber case, school backpack bags adapted for ergonomics. Many buyers were surprised after watching livestreams, and left comments in social media accounts of Canton Fair. Hakim Jarrar from Spain was one of them, and he said the Cases & Bags section looked like a sci-fi world with everything one expected to find. Many commented in Canton Fair social media accounts, expressing the expectation of more hi-tech luggage at the 131st session.
With over 20,000 enterprises, China is a large luggage producer, occupying more than 70% of the global share. Manufacturers are mainly located in coastal provinces and cities such as Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and inland provinces including Hebei and Hunan.
The huge international luggage demand and the competitive pressure brought about by the high concentration of the industry chain have pushed more and more luggage business owners to focus on improving product quality. Beyond pursuit of beauty, many business owners have explored quality, practicality, and personalization. Some enterprises, taking "human+bag+technology" approaches, have collected numerous independent R&D patents, and their masterpieces have won awards in famous design contests at home and abroad. An example is the sustainable solar energy backpack, which won the Goldreed Industrial Design Awards for its innovative use of flexible solar panels to realize the transformation from light energy into electric energy and energy storage.
According to Alan Liu, Deputy Director General of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Canton Fair, the USB interface design on luggage has become the standard at the Canton Fair. Gyroscopes are installed in backpacks to send alarms when the elderly fall. The 131st Canton Fair will continue to display a number of intelligent and fashionable new products through its "Cloud Platform", aiming to help China's intelligent manufacturing better go global and benefit the world.
Visit https://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en-US/register/index#/foreign-email for more opportunities.
View original content:
SOURCE Canton Fair | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/04/10/canton-fair-2022-hi-tech-luggage-showcased-131st-canton-fair/ | 2022-04-10T13:09:33Z | wave3.com | control | https://www.wave3.com/prnewswire/2022/04/10/canton-fair-2022-hi-tech-luggage-showcased-131st-canton-fair/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
One of the six or seven excellent things about one’s glamor profession is that, in the opinion dodge, one is encouraged to, in fact paid to, have opinions.
They are welcome even when they differ with the opinions of one’s boss, because, let’s face it, they fill a hole on the page. Take up the column inches. The paper comes out every day, and somebody has to have an angle.
Last week, my own personal boss, Sal Rodriguez, opined about one of his, well, several pet peeves: “First, no one cares about the Olympics except tyrannical governments in pursuit of legitimacy. Second, Los Angeles is only hosting the 2028 Olympics because no other city was dumb enough to want it, with Budapest, Hamburg and Rome withdrawing.”
So the following is where I disagree, sort of, with Sal about the upcoming Olympics, hosted by Los Angeles in 2028. Two cheers for L.A. Oly!
It was especially in those simpler, “Wide World of Sports” televised days of my youth that the Olympics seemed so cool. The first summer games I remember was Tokyo in 1964. Fewer than 20 years after the War. My grandfather had just returned from a trip to Japan with a tiny Sony transistor radio, the first I’d seen, and I was fascinated by its miniaturizing Japanese minimalism. The very idea that nations were gathering there to play sports just decades after trying to blow each other up was so optimism-inspiring.
The Mexico City games in ‘68 were rather the opposite — kind of a political awakening. Yes, athletically, it was totally cool when Bob Beamon went 29 feet, 2.39 inches in the long jump, beating the previous world record by almost two feet. It’s still an Oly record. But when the government of President Gustavo Díaz Ordaz ordered the military occupation of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma, and then killed hundreds of protesters — well, as they had been chanting before getting shot: “¡No queremos olimpiadas, queremos revolución!” Then Tommie Smith and John Carlos, the gold and bronze medalists in the men’s 200-meter race, raised their black-gloved fists on the podium, and I was so proud to be an American, where we’ve got opinions, plus get to say what they are.
Yeah, all these summer and winters later, Sal is right to be wary about the upcoming ‘28 L.A. games. These days, it’s like China has taken them over, and bludgeoned all the fun out of them with totalitarian boots. I hated the fake snow at the recent idiotic pandemic Beijing monstrosity. The Olympics were no fun at all to watch. Something dour about all those young athletes, unable to mingle together, no fishbowls full of free condoms in the common rooms.
But I do have very fond memories of Los Angeles ‘84. We did what we said we’d do — Oly on the cheap! Southern California already had the facilities — no need for a Bird’s Nest stadium boondoggle. The “gleeful aesthetic” colors by designer Deborah Sussman, with her husband, architect Paul Prejza, were all we needed to touch Southern California up. The games made money, tens of millions of dollars of which were given back to youth programs over the years. I had snapped up some tickets; had begun seeing someone who danced in the opening ceremonies; our first real date was in the Coliseum, for the end of the inaugural Oly women’s marathon, gorgeously won by Joan Benoit of Maine. We married the next summer, and 37 years later, we are happily still married.
Will the ‘28 games here stir the same joy? Doubtful. It’s a high bar, though. So if the athletes have fun, and we don’t go broke, that’s good enough. And, you know what? The real reason I’m still glad we’ll host the Olympics again: We’re better at throwing this world party than Budapest, Hamburg or Rome.
Larry Wilson is on the Southern California News Group editorial board. lwilson@scng.com. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/l-a-28-when-the-olympics-slink-back-to-town/ | 2022-04-10T13:10:55Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/l-a-28-when-the-olympics-slink-back-to-town/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ye Olde Renaissance Pleasure Faire returned to Southern California for the first time in two years on Saturday, April 9, to kick off its 60th anniversary season.
The Original Renaissance Pleasure Faire is expected to open every Saturday and Sunday from now through May 22 at the Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale, where thousands of cosplayers, families and first-time fair goers are welcomed to catch a glimpse of Spanish conquistadors, Queen Elizabeth and some of the greatest impersonators from around the world.
To enter the imaginary “seaside town,” weekend attendees had to first wait in a line of traffic stretching for miles down Arrow Highway, which was a new sight to the maidens and lords who regularly attend the annual festivities.
The crowds weren’t too shocking to see, employees said, since the event is often frequented by more than 1,200 costumed performers donning full 16th-century regalia. And this year was the first time they’d been welcomed back to the Irwindale since the onset of the pandemic.
Some masked faces made an appearance at this weekend’s fair, but Venetian “plague doctor” masks, elf ears and steampunk pirate accessories outnumbered them by the dozens.
With sword in hand, a knotted beard and glistening armor glaring above his two children’s blonde hair, Ryan Cage said in an interview Saturday that his family traveled from Santa Clarita for the first time in two years to enjoy some of the annual renaissance festivities — just as he’s done since he was a young lad.
“Thank you COVID,” Cage joked, noting a costume isn’t needed to enjoy a day of imaginative play in the `6th century. “But they do make the day a lot more interesting,” he said, referring to one of the fair’s favorite pastimes – people watching.
The Viking impersonator explained he’s been coming to the Renaissance Fair since it was held in The Glen Helen Pavilion. It’s been more than 30 years since his first fair, Cage said, “and now I’ve been taking my boys since they were really little.”
“This is my happy place and I think anybody out here will say the same,” Cage said, reminiscing on the comedy shows, games and food he’s enjoyed over the years. “It’s definitely a family tradition.”
Archery, man-powered swings and shopping were other activities available to the gentiles, maidens and young lads in attendance Saturday.
Mock British accents and old-timey mannerisms filled the air near the merchant shops and entertainment areas where more than 40 performance groups graced the different stages throughout the 23 acre lakeside village.
Guests also found time to laugh along with returning fair favorites, such as The Washing Well Wenches, the Clan Tynker Family Circus and MooNiE!
Hundreds also circled the sand pits to watch knights, in glistening armor, clash during a jousting tournament, which served as one of the more popular events of the day.
“It’s great. And it’s made even better knowing nothing is manufactured in a big warehouse,” Cage said. “It’s true art.”
But be sure to bring cash if you intend to partake in any extracurricular activities or shopping because the onsite ATMs may be out of service when you need them most – which is exactly what happened Saturday to a group of maidens from Orange County.
The trio refused to let the hiccup bog down their day.
“It’s a beautiful day,” said Asholey Skit, who traveled from Orange County to enjoy her first fair. “I think it’s safe to say you’ll definitely see me out here next year all fancied up like the rest of the crowd.”
Prospective attendees don’t need to wait until next year, though, especially with Pirate Weekend planned for Saturday and Sunday, April 16-17.
There will be a Pirate Costume Contest during which all contestants will gather and toast in the Food Court area from 3 to 3:30 p.m., according to organizers. While the Pirates boast of their adventures, anonymous judging will occur and the winners of the Renaissance Pleasure Faire’s “Pirate Booty” will be announced at 4:15 p.m. both days.
Tickets for The Renaissance Pleasure Faire are $38 for adults and $23 for children aged 5-12. Children 4 and under are always free.
Tickets can be purchased at the box office or online at www.renfair.com. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/renaissance-pleasure-faire-returns-to-irwindale-for-first-show-since-the-start-of-pandemic/ | 2022-04-10T13:11:01Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/renaissance-pleasure-faire-returns-to-irwindale-for-first-show-since-the-start-of-pandemic/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A glimpse into the local brick-making process in 1889
On Aug. 3, 1889, Zanesville Courier subscribers read about a columnist's tour of the T. B. Townsend & Company brickyard. The company, which employed from 150 and 200 men, had the capacity to produce about 60,000 bricks per day.
The author began by describing Zanesville as a city with man-made and natural advantages: “Zanesville, with her perfect water system, with her eight lines of railways completed and two lines projected, with her inexhaustible supply of materials in their crude form found in the surrounding hills and with her rich and fertile valleys, is truly a place to be desired for manufacturing purposes.”
According to the writer, “In 1867 T. B. Townsend bought the ground and started a small brickyard. In 1882 he began making pressed brick, and Rufus C. Burton was added to the firm, and now the yards have reached a commanding place in that industry. During the last twenty years about fifteen feet of clay on the average, has been taken from the top of the hill.”
The anonymous columnist informed readers that brick-making was one of the most important Zanesville enterprises: “The city is already noted for her large factories, mills and other industries, among the largest and most famed of which are the brickyards. Zanesville bricks are to be found not only all over this state and the neighboring states, but in all the United States and Canada, and in none of these places has there been found any which can excel them for beauty and durability.”
Then a brief history of brick-making was given: “The history of bricks and their manufacture is so ancient that no historian or compiler of an encyclopedia has attempted to give the date or time when they were first made. The ancient records make mention of their use. As far back as the time in which the Genesis of the Bible was written, the Babylonians were spoken of as making brick. All the large structures of ancient history were made partly if not wholly of bricks, dried by the sun, and to this day, thirty and more centuries afterward, some of those buildings still stand.”
Next, the tour of the Townsend Brickyard began: “One may gaze at a large brick building and wonder at the number of bricks in it but let him get in the midst of a brickyard and his wondering ceases. On all sides bricks: bricks spread out drying, bricks piled up in kilns burning, bricks stacked ready to be shipped.
“In fact, (there are) so many bricks that one feels like pinching himself to see if he is not a brick. The reporter was first shown where the brick has its birth. Standing on the rim of a huge bucket, grasping a wire chain, he was lowered ninety-five feet into the depths of the earth. Arriving at the bottom, one starts off to one side traveling through a tunnel, where formerly there was a twenty-foot vein of clay. The clay is as hard as rock and requires blasting to loosen it. This is where the brick gets its start.
“After the clay is loosened, it is hauled above ground, and allowed to dry thoroughly, the freer from moisture the better brick it makes. After thoroughly drying, it is transferred to a machine that grinds the clay into a fine dust. Then it goes on its course over an endless belt, into another machine, which mixes it with water, and when to a proper consistency, the no longer dust, but paste, is forced into another machine.
"Here a small portion at a time is forced down, filling a six brick mold at every motion. The molds are carried away and the bricks are laid on the drying floor of the furnace. Here they are left until the moisture is completely exhausted when they are piled in huge kilns, the fires are lighted, and in a few days the mud becomes brick.”
The writer continued: “This sketch is merely a brief outline of the art of making common brick. Ornamental bricks require that each one be molded twice and separately, in a hand machine. Of the odd-shaped bricks, there are about 300 styles, ranging from a thin triangular to a large rectangular form embossed. Besides the ornamental brick, there is the enameled. This is a high-priced product, vitrified and enameled. The glazing is heated and chilled, then heated again and stirred into a paste. With it in this condition, one face of a brick is dipped in it, and the brick (is then) placed in another kiln, where it is again burned.”
At the time of this writing, “The firm has now...an order for 100,000 enameled brick to be used in the Government Appraiser's Storehouse at Chicago. T. B. Townsend & Company have a large order for paving material to be used on Columbus streets.”
Townsend and other local brick companies made durable, lasting products. Some side roads off Putnam and Maple avenues are still paved with their bricks.
Lewis LeMaster is a retired school teacher of the Zanesville area. | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/04/10/glimpse-into-local-brick-making-process-1889/7059830001/ | 2022-04-10T13:18:44Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/04/10/glimpse-into-local-brick-making-process-1889/7059830001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Book of Jeremiah is filled with conversation between the weeping prophet and God.
Of the many conversations among them, there was something different about the beginning of the one in chapter 33.
Let’s look at the text. While Jeremiah was still confined in the courtyard of the guard, the Lord gave him this second message: 2 “This is what the Lord says — the Lord who made the earth, who formed and established it, whose name is the Lord: 3 Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come” (New Living Translation).
The first verse is quick to provide context, letting us know Jeremiah is in jail. He is confined to a particular place, for a particular amount of time. As such, his mobility is limited.
Yet there’s one thing that cannot be restricted. In the latter half of the verse, we see the Lord speak to Jeremiah. Though Jeremiah’s lockdown limits his hands and feet, his ears are still able to hear. Even more, confinement never disrupts dialogue from God. Notice I said from God, because God has a way and will make a way to get instruction, information, and encouragement to us.
The other side of that is dialogue to God, which is where we take the stage. The interesting irony is that at times we consider confinement in one area of life to mean confinement in all areas of life. It’s as if when one thing shuts down so does everything else. Not so, and verse one proves it. Granted I’m not God, but all things considered, I don’t think God would speak to Jeremiah if Jeremiah weren’t listening. Therefore, we can take his example and apply it to our lives. God is always speaking. The question is are we listening?
In verse two, Jeremiah engaged in a moment of awe. After having read the verse multiple times, this time, I was in awe with him. Jeremiah and I considered the greatness of the Lord who made, formed, and established the Earth. Might not seem like a lot but think about it for a moment: The Lord who made, formed, and established the Earth decided to talk to Jeremiah and decides to talk to us, despite our confinement. That should make you want to lift your hands in thanksgiving!
The conversation begins in verse three. Another interesting irony shows up, in that the Lord did the talking. And God’s words were an invitation to Jeremiah that is extended to us: Call to me. It’s that simple. Call to God. Call on God. Call for God. Whatever way works best for you, do it. Why? The answer is in the next part of the verse: I will tell you. While we appreciate God telling us about the hidden things, the fact that God will tell us anything is yet another reason to be continually grateful.
Natural confines don’t stop supernatural conversation. They may be the catalyst to start conversations. Think about it: While in some cases we shut down when we’re confined, in other cases we call to God. Therefore, the confines of fear, stress, finances, employment, relationships, health, or any other limitation shouldn’t prevent us from calling to God.
God is always ready to talk to us. We must accept the invitation for conversation that will free us in more ways than we know.
Rae Karim is pastor at First Christian Church of Honolulu | https://www.stlamerican.com/religion/religion_columnists/confines-and-spiritual-conversation/article_1cc07b5a-b8c4-11ec-8b67-8fd6bee34540.html | 2022-04-10T13:19:01Z | stlamerican.com | control | https://www.stlamerican.com/religion/religion_columnists/confines-and-spiritual-conversation/article_1cc07b5a-b8c4-11ec-8b67-8fd6bee34540.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
On the road to employment
Mid-East expands CDL program to meet growing demand
ZANESVILLE — Tucked away behind the Eastpointe Industrial Park is the newest tool in Mid-East Career and Technology Center's ever evolving quest to fulfil the needs of local, regional and national employers.
Not long after Mid-East Superintendent Matt Sheridan arrived on campus two years ago, Adult Education Director Connie Shriver told him the school's Commercial Driver's License program was likely to expand following implementation of new federal rules regarding the truck driver training and licensing.
With the school's CDL facility already too small, the search began for a new location. That culminated with the purchase of an 11-acre property on Church Hill Road earlier this year. A building on the property, 12,000 square feet, will house both classrooms and a garage that will hold several semi trucks.
The new facility will allow Mid-East to expand its CDL classes, and open a testing facility to help ease both a driver shortage and a testing backlog. The nearest testing facilities are in Gnadenhutten and Columbus. Both have months-long waits for testing.
The property cost Mid-East $1.4 million, and an additional $150,000 is need to reconfigure the building to be better suited for classrooms. The building has one room suitable for use as a classroom now, but the school would like to rebuild so multiple classes can be session at the same time. An additional $400,000 to $500,000 is needed to make the remaining acreage suitable for use as an outdoor training area.
Mid-East hopes to have the new facility open as a new CDL testing site this summer, with the classroom and training portion to follow. The school has requested funding from local legislators to help complete the project, which includes flattening the remaining acreage and installing fencing and lighting. Last week, the Ohio Department of Higher Education awarded a grant for $83,278 for commercial truck driver student aid.
Proposed two years earlier, the new federal rules in February 2022 dictated that every commercial truck driver would need to be trained at a registered-training facility. That meant a lot of companies that used to train in-house would have to be registered, or find a facility that is.
"To be listed as a registered-training provider, there are certain rules and regulations you have to adhere to, and a curriculum to follow" Shriver said.
Mid-East — which serves 13 districts in Southeast Ohio — has seen demand for the program grow over time. Started in 2015 as an add-on to other majors like the school's power line program, it is now its own major. "In March we added another section," Shriver said. "We have so many people on the waiting list we added another class." They also added flexibility to the class, with some students moving through in five or six weeks, and others coming one day a week for several months to be able to balance other work duties with getting their CDL.
The property Mid-East is using for driver training now is too small, said Shawn Dansby, the head of the CDL program at Mid-East. "At most we can have three trucks running." The new facility will allow more students to be working with trucks at the same time. It will also give the class a home of their own. "Right now we are playing musical classrooms," Dansby said.
Expanding the CLD program is just one way Mid-East is adjusting to the labor demands.
Staying ahead of employers' needs
"All of our programs are driven by business advisory councils," said Sheridan. Business owners and industry professionals meet with the teaching staff to talk about what skills are in demand, and where they see their industry in the future. The goal is to adjust programming to provide students skills, certifications and degrees that are in demand.
The councils are vital to Mid-East's success and survival. In order to stay accredited, 60% of students need to graduate, and 70% of graduating students need to find a position in their field.
Shriver said the staff is always looking for ways to improve their programs. The recent push for rural broadband has resulted in a certified fiberoptic technician class, because of an expected demand for skilled workers when broadband infrastructure starts to develop.
Sheridan said job placement for students still in classes has soared. "It has been a huge positive," he said. "It is almost too late for employers to wait for kids to graduate, they can't sit around and wait because they are already taken."
Students interested in the CDL program must have a valid driver's license with no more than four points on their current license, and no DUI or similar convictions in the previous five years. Students will have to pass a drug test and a Department of Transportation physical exam. A diploma is not required.
Districts served by Mid-East are Caldwell Exempted Village, Cambridge City, Crooksville Exempted Village, East Guernsey Local, East Muskingum Local, Franklin Local, Maysville Local, Noble Local, Northern Local, Rolling Hills Local, Tri-Valley Local, West Muskingum Local, and Zanesville City.
ccrook@gannett.com
740-868-3708
Social media: @crookphoto | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/04/10/road-employment/7271134001/ | 2022-04-10T13:19:02Z | zanesvilletimesrecorder.com | control | https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/story/news/local/2022/04/10/road-employment/7271134001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Glasgow: Less than six months after giving birth to twins, Dipika Pallikal made the mother of all comebacks on Saturday when she teamed up with brother-in-law Sourav Ghosal and longtime teammate Joshna Chinappa to win the mixed doubles and women's doubles title at the World Doubles Championships here on Saturday.
Dipika, playing her first competitive event since October, 2018, first clinched the mixed doubles title with Ghosal with a 11-6, 11-8 win over England's Adrian Waller and Alison Waters.
An hour-and-a-half later, Dipika and Joshna triumphed in the women's doubles final after a hard-fought 11-9, 4-11, 11-8 win over England's Sarah Jane Perry and Waters.
In the year of Commonwealth Games (CWG) and Asian Games, the tournament was a perfect preparation for the seasoned trio of Dipika, Joshna and Ghosal who continue to bring laurels to the country even after more than 15 years of competing at the highest level.
They are hoping their performance in the World Doubles gets noticed and they are back in the government's Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS). They were included in the scheme four years ago ahead of the CWG and Asian Games but have not been added yet.
"Just happy to be back on court. I trained really hard (for the comeback). I was quite edgy at the start of the tournament but got better as I played more matches.
"It is a good preparation for us for CWG which is the main target. The competition is more or less the same (here and CWG) and we know more about our opponents and we know where we need to improve," the 30-year-old Dipika told PTI.
After giving birth to twins in October, Dipika had begun training in December at the ISA in Chennai with Joshna and Ghosal.
"It is also a relief to be honest that I can still perform. Training is one thing but to be able to do that in a match is another. Never thought we would get this result in my first event in more than three years but so glad that we were able to tick all the boxes.
"There were people who felt I won't be able to do this (after motherhood) but I was never in doubt. The bigger goal remains CWG and Asian Games, so looking forward to that," said Dipika.
Dipika and Joshna made history in 2014 when they won the women's doubles gold at the CWG. Compared to Asian Games, the competition in CWG is much tougher with all top nations competing, barring Egypt.
Save the Egyptians, players from all top squash playing countries took part here too.
Joshna played a brilliant final alongside Dipika and the duo hung in there after losing the second game.
"The job gets easier when you have a strong partner like Dipika. We have got confidence from this result but we need to work harder," said Joshna after the final.
Dipika and Joshna had won a bronze in World Doubles back in 2017.
India's highest ranked player Ghosal said it was a crucial preparatory event.
"We have achieved what we wanted to from this event. It is a special win but we are not losing focus on the bigger goals. It was important to test us here, Dipika was coming back after a long time and she played really well."
When asked about not being in the TOPS, he said: "I don't know why we're not included this time but I hope we are soon. Irrespective of that, it doesn't change my goals and plans but with TOPS, things do get easier and faster."
The players also get stipend with TOPS and approvals for training and competition come much faster. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/other-sports/2022/04/10/dipika-pallikal-wins-mixed-and-womens-doubles-world-title-on-comeback.amp.html | 2022-04-10T13:22:41Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/other-sports/2022/04/10/dipika-pallikal-wins-mixed-and-womens-doubles-world-title-on-comeback.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The three finalists for Kerala's biggest sports award - Manorama Sports Star 2020-21 - instituted by Malayala Manorama in association with Santa Monica Study Abroad, have been announced.
The three final contenders determined via online/SMS voting are (in alphabetical order): K V Athulya (football), S Soorya (volleyball), and P R Sreejesh (hockey).
They were among the six shortlisted nominees for the prestigious award picked by a panel comprising Olympian T C Yohannan, writer and sports analyst N S Madhavan, and former cricketer and coach P Balachandran. Athulya, Soorya and Sreejesh made it to the final round after garnering maximum number of votes. Those who failed to make the cut are Sanju Samson (cricket), Sandra Babu (athletics), and Nihal Sarin (chess).
The first-prize winner will be given away the Manorama Sports Star Award and a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh while the second and third place winners will be awarded trophies and a purse of Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively.
Ace shuttler H S Prannoy was the winner of the inaugural Manorama Sports Star Award in 2017. Athlete Jinson Johnson and special cricketer Aneesh P Rajan were the winners in 2018 and 2019 respectively.
Here’s a quick recap of each finalist’s performance in 2020-21:
K V Athulya
Athulya has been a regular in the Kerala women's football team over the last decade. A native of Kakkodi in Kozhikode district, the 26-year-old defender was a key member of the Gokulam Kerala FC team which won the Indian Women’s League title in 2020. In fact, she was the only Keralite to have played for Gokulam in the league. She currently plays for the Ernakulam-based Don Bosco FA in the Kerala Women's League and the Indian Women’s League.
S Soorya
Soorya was an integral part of the Kerala team which clinched seven titles at the national level over the last three years. Hailing from Ezhukone in Kollam district, the central blocker has been playing for the national team since 2018. She was a member of the Indian team which won gold at the 2019 South Asian Games. An employee of the Kerala State Electricity Board, Soorya was the captain of Kerala team which won the Federation Cup volleyball championship in 2021.
P R Sreejesh
Sreejesh has been phenomenal under the bar for the Indian men's hockey team in the last couple of years. He was part of the Indian team that won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics to end the country's 41-year wait for an Olympic hockey medal. He won the prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year in 2021 and the FIH Player of the Year Awards (2020–21) for best male goalkeeper. Last year, the 33-year-old became the first male Keralite to win the Khel Ratna Award, highest sporting honour of India. | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/other-sports/2022/04/10/manorama-sports-star-2020-21-three-finalists-announced.amp.html | 2022-04-10T13:22:53Z | onmanorama.com | control | https://www.onmanorama.com/sports/other-sports/2022/04/10/manorama-sports-star-2020-21-three-finalists-announced.amp.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For two-and-a-half years it felt like it’d never happen again, and now it feels like it happened way too fast.
Talking to most people in the Sydney Motorsport Park paddock last weekend confirmed two things for me: First, that the long wait for the Yokohama World Time Attack Challenge to return just made everybody crave the action and excitement even more than usual. And secondly, that a lot of people were using this event as some sort of a marker for when Australia was back to normal. Well, as ‘normal’ as we’ll ever probably get now.
While the event didn’t bring the global aspect in 2022, aside from guest commentators Andrew Brilliant and Cole Powelson the packed pits felt like a world away from what we’ve grown accustomed to since Australia closed its borders to everyone but its own citizens.
Whatever buzz was lost with the lack of WTAC fan favourites like Under Suzuki and Fire Ando, was simply replaced with the chance to get out, mingle with fellow petrol heads and finally watch some amazing cars drive really f**king fast.
Make no mistakes, there was still plenty of entertainment on hand. No one could possibly take in all the sights, sounds and smells on offer. Trust me, I tried and failed.
I did my very best to capture the racing and demonstration laps, uncover every drool-worthy piece of hardware at trader alley, get some sideways action with the drifters, and walk the near endless rows of the StylizeD car show (and even try to judge it).
Every corner of SMSP’s full-sized skid pan was covered in assorted builds from all corners of the globe. Check out the bagged Holden Rodeo mini truck below, and see if you can spot a few other familiar vehicles while you’re at it.
The scale of the event quite literally overwhelmed me. Thanks to a recent AU$20million (US$15million) upgrade at Sydney Motorsport Park, the longer format days saw action kick off in the morning and continue late into the night.
Like Pulp Fiction, But For Race CarsBy now you’re most likely aware of who won, but if you’re chasing some results I’ve attached the final standings at the end of the post. If you understand that WTAC is much more than just lap times, get comfortable.
Just as these wild physics-defying machines of speed are more than the net sum of each component, there are hundreds of smaller but no less amazing, awesome and fun tales that combine over the course of the event to make the World Time Attack Challenge the best motorsport festival in the land.
To go along with this gallery post, I thought I’d share a couple of short and sweet stories from WTAC 2022, that go someway to explain the camaraderie at this event.
At top speed, peak g-force and maximum attack, one of the wing elements on the back of Chris Alexander’s carbon R32 GT-R buckled under the immense load.
At first glance it looked fixable, but closer inspection by the team highlighted a little more damage. Unwilling to risk the car and his life, Chris was ready to throw in the towel for 2022.
That was until the legends running the iconic S13 Hammerhead – who han=d unfortunately blown their motor earlier in the event – removed the wing from their car and adapted it to fit the CJA Motorsports Nissan Skyline’s rear end. This not only allowed Chris to finish the event on his terms, but also take part in the Final Shootout on Saturday night. Awesome, huh?
Clubsprint entrant Paul Kovaleski hadn’t even made it onto the track in his Momo Porsche 924 before his wing broke. After trekking the nine-hour journey back and forth between Sydney and Melbourne a few times to help with media duties, a strong gust of wind slammed a pit door into it.
Fortunately for Paul, Top Stage Carbon’s ‘King Freddy’ packed his tools and set himself up for an all-nighter if required. He finished sometime after 2:00am, and the Porsche was on track for Friday morning’s first session.
The success of every event is built on a strong foundation of these little tales, and as long as there’s WTAC, I know they’ll keep coming.
Stay tuned for one more post from the 2022 World Time Attack Challenge, in which I’ll take a quick look at two of my favourite cars from the event. In the meantime though, there’s a huge gallery below to check out.
Matthew Everingham
Instagram: matthew_everingham
matt@mattheweveringham.com
Haltech Clubsprint
1st: Jamal Assaad, Team ESR Performance, Mitsubishi Evo VI – 1.33.7*
2nd: Idin Ahangar, GotItRex, Subaru WRX STi – 1.35.2
3rd: Trent Grubel, DC Jap Automotive, Subaru WRX STi – 1.36.0
GCG Open Class
1st: Nathan Morcom, Gas/Royal Purple/Insight Motorsports, Mitsubishi Evo VII – 1.27.247*
2nd: Tim Slade, Xtreme GT-R, Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R – 1.27.379
3rd: Benny Tran, BYP Racing, Honda Integra DC2R – 1.29.861
Plazmaman Pro-Am Class
1st: Kostinken Pohorukov, Team Tilton, Mitsubishi Evo IX – 1:26.071
2nd: Jay Davidson, Gingerbread Racing, Subaru WRX STi – 1.33.594
3rd: Richard Perini, 991 Racing, Ginetta G55 – 1.33.657
Royal Purple Pro Class
1st: Barton Mawer, RP968, Porsche 968 – 1.20.101
2nd: Brad Shiels, Team Tilton, Mitsubishi Evo IX – 1.20.970
3rd: Nathan Antunes, GotItRex, Subaru STi Type R – 1.28.687
Turbosmart Flying 500
1st: Giuseppe Tummarello, Precision Racing, Lamborghini Huracan: 288km/h
2nd: Justin Dean, Birrong Automotive, Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R: 284km/h
3rd: Tony Tziolis, AstronTech Motor Sports, Lamborghini Huracan: 283km/h
2022 Australasian Drift Titles Presented By Garrett Advancing Motion
1st: Brad Touhy, 3 Five Racing, Toyota 86
2nd: Patrick Barlee, AB Racing, Chevrolet Corvette
3rd: Matt Harvey, Team Kumho Tyres, Nissan S13 Silvia
* new class record
More, More, More… | http://www.speedhunters.com/2022/04/the-return-of-wtac/ | 2022-04-10T13:40:22Z | speedhunters.com | control | http://www.speedhunters.com/2022/04/the-return-of-wtac/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A Navy sailor who died in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor was identified last year using DNA from relatives and has now been buried with full military honors in a family plot in western Kentucky.
Copyright 2022 WKMS
A Navy sailor who died in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor was identified last year using DNA from relatives and has now been buried with full military honors in a family plot in western Kentucky.
Copyright 2022 WKMS | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-10/a-pearl-harbor-sailor-has-finally-been-laid-to-rest-with-honors-after-8-decades | 2022-04-10T13:44:04Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-10/a-pearl-harbor-sailor-has-finally-been-laid-to-rest-with-honors-after-8-decades | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Those with active lifestyles might want to consider a larger dog, while somebody with allergies will be looking for a hypoallergenic dog.
There’s even academic guidance to seek out, with Psychologist Stanley Coren’s book ‘The Intelligence of Dogs’ ranking breeds by instincts, obedience, and the ability to adapt.
The last two years have seen many of us welcome a new four-legged friend into our homes, as the Kennel Club saw dog ownership rise by nearly eight per cent.
But with 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your perfect pup.
One dog that often appears at the top of people’s canine wishlists is the Boxer – they are one of the UK’s most popular breeds and have a range of positive attributes that make them a great family pet.
Here are 10 fun and interesting facts about the Boxer.
Read more:
A message from the Editor:
Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.
If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription. | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/boxer-dog-facts-10-fun-and-surprising-dog-facts-you-might-not-know-about-the-playful-boxer-3417558 | 2022-04-10T13:44:10Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/boxer-dog-facts-10-fun-and-surprising-dog-facts-you-might-not-know-about-the-playful-boxer-3417558 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ayesha Rascoe is a White House correspondent for NPR. She is currently covering her third presidential administration. Rascoe's White House coverage has included a number of high profile foreign trips, including President Trump's 2019 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, and President Obama's final NATO summit in Warsaw, Poland in 2016. As a part of the White House team, she's also a regular on the NPR Politics Podcast. | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-10/charles-darwins-notebooks-return-to-cambridge-after-being-missing-for-20-years | 2022-04-10T13:44:35Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-10/charles-darwins-notebooks-return-to-cambridge-after-being-missing-for-20-years | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Mark Patrick Taylor of the Environmental Protection Authority of Victoria, Australia, about why he thinks everyone should remove their shoes before coming inside.
Copyright 2022 NPR
Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Mark Patrick Taylor of the Environmental Protection Authority of Victoria, Australia, about why he thinks everyone should remove their shoes before coming inside.
Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-10/scientists-say-you-shouldnt-wear-your-shoes-in-your-house | 2022-04-10T13:45:05Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-10/scientists-say-you-shouldnt-wear-your-shoes-in-your-house | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Ukraine-Russia conflict appears to be entering a new phase By Nathan Rott Published April 10, 2022 at 6:07 AM PDT Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Listen • 4:17 Russia is preparing to launch another offensive, this time concentrating its attacks on the eastern part of Ukraine. Copyright 2022 NPR | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-10/the-ukraine-russia-conflict-appears-to-be-entering-a-new-phase | 2022-04-10T13:45:36Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/2022-04-10/the-ukraine-russia-conflict-appears-to-be-entering-a-new-phase | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis opened Holy Week Sunday with a call for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make room for a negotiated peace, highlighting the need for leaders to "make some sacrifices for the good of the people."
Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass before crowds in St. Peter's Square for the first time since the pandemic, Pope Francis called for "weapons to be laid down to begin an Easter truce, not to reload weapons and resume fighting, no! A truce to reach peace through real negotiations."
Francis did not refer directly to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the reference was clear, and he has repeatedly denounced the war and the suffering brought to innocent civilians.
During the traditional Sunday blessing following Palm Sunday Mass, the pontiff said leaders should be "willing to make some sacrifices for the good of the people."
"In fact, what a victory would that be, who plants a flag under a pile of rubble?"
During his Palm Sunday homily, the pontiff denounced "the folly of war" that leads people to commit "senseless acts of cruelty."
"When we resort to violence ... we lose sight of why we are in the world and even end up committing senseless acts of cruelty. We see this in the folly of war, where Christ is crucified yet another time," he said.
Francis lamented "the unjust death of husbands and sons" ... "refugees fleeing bombs" ... "young people deprived of a future" ... and "soldiers sent to kill their brothers and sisters."
After two years of celebrating Palm Sunday Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica without a crowd due to pandemic distancing measures, the solemn celebration returned to the square outside. Tens of thousands pilgrims and tourists clutched olive branches and braided palms emblematic of the ceremony that recalls Jesus' return to Jerusalem.
Traditionally, the pope leads a Palm Sunday procession through St. Peter's Square before celebrating Mass. Francis has been suffering from a strained ligament in his right knee that has caused him to limp, and he was driven in a black car to the altar, which he then reached with the help of an aide. He left the Mass on the open-top popemobile, waving to the faithful in the piazza and along part of the via della Conciliazione.
Palm Sunday opens Holy Week leading up to Easter, which this year falls on April 17, and features the Good Friday Way of the Cross Procession.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-10/in-the-palm-sunday-mass-pope-francis-pushes-for-peace-in-ukraine | 2022-04-10T13:45:54Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-10/in-the-palm-sunday-mass-pope-francis-pushes-for-peace-in-ukraine | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Colton Herta pulverized the track record by nearly a second to win the NTT P1 Award for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach on Saturday, leading three Andretti Autosport cars in the Firestone Fast Six.
Southern California native Herta’s top lap was 1 minute, 5.3095 in the No. 26 Gainbridge Honda to earn his first pole of the season and eighth of his career. That lap crushed the track record of 1:06.2254 set by Helio Castroneves in April 2017, as air temperatures were about 20 degrees cooler than the infernal high 90s during practice Friday.
SEE: Qualifying Results | Driver Video Quotes
“As a young kid, I always dreamed of becoming an INDYCAR driver, and that was because of this race,” said Herta, 22. “To get the win last year was amazing, and we checked another box with the pole. It feels incredible.”
Herta will look to continue his mastery of recent NTT INDYCAR SERIES races in the Golden State with a fourth consecutive win in California on Sunday. He won last September at Long Beach and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, and he also finished the 2019 season with a victory at Laguna. The series didn’t race in California in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live coverage of the 85-lap race starts at 3 p.m. (ET) Sunday on NBC, Peacock Premium and the INDYCAR Radio Network.
Josef Newgarden will join Herta in the front row after his top lap of 1:05.7550 in the No. 2 Hitachi Team Penske Chevrolet.
Reigning series champion Alex Palou, who clinched his first title last September at this race, will start third after a best lap of 1:05.8667 in the No. 10 NTT DATA Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Felix Rosenqvist qualified fourth at 1:05.9349 in the No. 7 Vuse Arrow McLaren SP Chevrolet.
Two-time Long Beach race winner Alexander Rossi was the second-quickest Andretti Autosport car in qualifying at 1:06.0674 and will start fifth in the No. 27 NAPA AUTO PARTS/AutoNation Honda. His Andretti teammate Romain Grosjean will join him in Row 3, starting sixth in the No. 28 DHL Honda.
Frenchman Grosjean appeared to be headed for a front-row start, turning the second-quickest lap of the Firestone Fast Six on his penultimate flying lap. But he speared his car into the tire barrier in Turn 5 with two seconds remaining in the session and lost his two quickest laps of the session for causing a red flag during qualifying, per INDYCAR rules.
But the rulebook also states drivers are entitled to six minutes of green-flag time during the Firestone Fast Six, and there were two seconds left on the clock when Grosjean crashed. So, drivers other than Grosjean had the option to complete one more flying lap to attempt to topple Herta.
Only Rossi and Rosenqvist tried. Rossi overshot the braking zone in Turn 1 on his hot lap, and Rosenqvist was unable to challenge.
Herta was safe atop the heap, as all five drivers with official laps in the Firestone Fast Six were quicker than Castroneves’ track record from five years ago. In fact, 11 of the 26 drivers who turned qualifying laps today were quicker than Castroneves’ record.
Series leader Scott McLaughlin will start ninth after posting a top lap of 1:06.0507 in the No. 3 Snap-on Tools Chevrolet during the second session. Kyle Kirkwood was the quickest rookie qualifier, 12th at 1:06.2604 in the No. 14 ROKiT/AJ Foyt Racing Chevrolet.
“We’ve got a fast car,” McLaughlin said. “There’s no reason why we can’t come through in the race. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to exciting.
“As (Formula One driver) Danny Ric (Ricciardo) says, ‘Just lick the stamp and send it.’ Here we are.”
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson plans to race Sunday despite suffering a broken bone on the outside of his right hand in a crash during practice Friday. Wearing a custom carbon-fiber splint, Johnson participated in morning practice and qualified 25th in the No. 48 Carvana Chip Ganassi Racing Honda.
IndyCar Series PR | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/68610-herta-leads-andretti-power-play-in-long-beach-with-pole | 2022-04-10T13:47:47Z | speedwaydigest.com | control | https://speedwaydigest.com/index.php/news/racing-news/68610-herta-leads-andretti-power-play-in-long-beach-with-pole | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This Texas teacher's goal is to provide everything she can for her students -- and that includes pads and tampons.
As an eighth grade teacher in Austin, Kylie DeFrance's students are between the ages of 12 and 14. This is the time that most girls start their menstruation cycle, according to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Remembering what it's like to go through this phase herself, DeFrance began thinking of ways she could make it easier for her students, she told CNN.
"I want to provide them with what they need, whether that be a pencil or a tampon," DeFrance said.
"A lot of these scholars go home and are the parent to their siblings, and maybe can't go to the store that day," she continued. "Or, they can't afford the pad or tampon that would be best for them, or maybe they don't have a good relationship with their parents."
Her school provides only one type of pad, DeFrance said, so she began purchasing pads and tampons to give her students more options. She soon became the go-to teacher for all things menstruation.
But her new initiative came at a cost: DeFrance says she found herself spending upwards of $100 a month on feminine products.
In January, she decided to post her Amazon wish list, full of menstrual products, to her neighborhood's Nextdoor page.
A few weeks later, boxes began pouring in, filling up her front porch. Sometimes postal workers would come twice a day to drop off packages.
"I thought two or three boxes would come in," DeFrance said. "My community blew me away with how much support they provided."
Since then, DeFrance has tried to keep track but says she stopped counting after 300 boxes. She estimates more than 4,000 boxes of pads and more than 3,000 boxes tampons have been donated so far.
Products aren't the only thing she's received: comments and messages from single dads and other teachers have also filled her inbox.
The fathers have expressed their gratitude towards her and are thankful that their girls have a female teacher who is willing to help them, DeFrance said.
Students are just as appreciative. Most have even grown more comfortable talking to her about their needs as they've gotten to know each other, she said.
The abundance of donations has given DeFrance the chance to provide other seventh and eighth grade teachers at her school with their own stash of supplies for students -- which she calls a "period box."
Months in, support isn't slowing down, DeFrance said; she has products shipped to her home every day.
Her goal is to build a "menstruation station" in the school bathroom so all students can have easier access to stock up.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/this-texas-teacher-is-helping-make-her-students-menstrual-cycles-a-little-easier/article_7cc02e3f-10dd-5597-8d62-34257ed1cb4c.html | 2022-04-10T13:48:47Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/this-texas-teacher-is-helping-make-her-students-menstrual-cycles-a-little-easier/article_7cc02e3f-10dd-5597-8d62-34257ed1cb4c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Members and their families of the 117th Air Refueling Wing participate in a color run celebrating Month of the Military Child at Sumpter Smith Joint Air National Guard Base, Ala., April 9, 2022. April is the 35th Anniversary of The Month of the Military Child, which is part of the legacy of former Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger, who established the Defense Department commemoration in 1986. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sergeant Wesley Jones)
This work, 117th Air Refueling Wing Color Run [Image 3 of 3], by SSgt Wesley Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7135547/117th-air-refueling-wing-color-run | 2022-04-10T13:52:33Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/image/7135547/117th-air-refueling-wing-color-run | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Readers' Choice Awards | https://www.parrysound.com/news-story/10604537-today-s-coronavirus-news-frustration-over-restrictions-boosts-quebec-conservatives-ahead-of-fall-vo/ | 2022-04-10T13:52:42Z | parrysound.com | control | https://www.parrysound.com/news-story/10604537-today-s-coronavirus-news-frustration-over-restrictions-boosts-quebec-conservatives-ahead-of-fall-vo/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
6 wounded in Elgin mass shooting
CHICAGO - Six people were wounded in a shooting during a gathering early Sunday morning in suburban Elgin.
Police responded to calls of a reported shooting in the 800 block of Congdon Avenue about 2 a.m. and found five people injured, according to Elgin police.
They were taken to area hospitals, police said. Their conditions weren’t immediately known.
Officers were later notified of a sixth person injured who self-transported to an area hospital, police said.
Their conditions and ages weren’t immediately known.
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Officers are asking for anyone with information on the shooting to call 847-289-2600 or to send a message to 847411 and include "ELGINPD" in the beginning of the text, along with any tip information. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/6-wounded-in-elgin-mass-shooting | 2022-04-10T14:01:50Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/6-wounded-in-elgin-mass-shooting | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
4 killed, 17 wounded in Chicago shootings since Friday evening
CHICAGO - A 17-year-old boy was among at least four people killed and 17 others — including an 11-year-old girl — were wounded in citywide shootings since Friday, 5 p.m.
The teen was standing in the driveway of a home in the 9500 block of South Sangamon Street about 2:20 a.m. Saturday morning when he was struck in the chest by gunfire, Chicago police said. He was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he was pronounced dead, police said. He was identified as Lee Carter Jr. by the Cook County medical examiner’s office. At least 68 teens and children under the age of 18 have been shot in Chicago this year — at least four more than last year in the same period, according to Sun-Times data. At least 14 children and teens out of the 68 were killed by gunfire in Chicago this year, according to Sun-Times data. Last year, at least 12 were fatally shot in the same period.
Hours earlier, two people were shot, one fatally, during a fight in Woodlawn. Just before 8 p.m., someone opened fire during a fight in the 1500 block of East 61st Street, Chicago police said. Darius Sanders, 29, suffered a gunshot wound to the head, police and the medical examiner’s office said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he was pronounced dead, police said. A 31-year-old was struck in the hand and taken to the same hospital in fair condition, police said.
A couple of hours later, a man, 27, was found on a sidewalk in the 2000 block of West 35th Street about 10:30 p.m. with a gunshot wound to the neck, police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
A man was shot and killed in a drive-by — the second fatal shooting on the same block in two months — in West Garfield Park on the West Side. The man, 40, was standing outside in the 300 block of South Kilbourn Avenue about 3:25 a.m. Sunday morning when he was shot in the chest by someone traveling in a red car, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
An 11-year-old girl was inside an apartment in the 900 block of West 115th Street about 11:05 p.m. Friday when she was shot in the neck, police said. She was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where she was in fair condition, police said. A weapon was recovered inside the apartment, officials said.
A 16-year-old boy was hurt in a drive-by shooting Saturday night in Archer Heights on the Southwest Side. The teen boy was walking about 7:25 p.m. in the 3900 block of West 49th Street when a car drove up and someone from inside fired shots at him, police said. He was struck in the leg and buttocks and was taken to Mt. Sinai in good condition, police said.
A man was shot after an argument on a CTA bus Sunday morning in Lawndale on the West Side. The man, 31, was arguing with another passenger on a CTA bus in the 700 block of South Pulaski Road about 12:15 a.m. when he was shot in the right leg, police said. The bus driver stopped after hearing gunshots and the shooter left the bus and fled north, police said. The man was taken to Mt. Sinai, where he was in good condition, police said.
At least 13 others were wounded in shootings in Chicago since Friday, 5 p.m.
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Two people were killed and a 16-year-old boy was among 17 others wounded in shootings in Chicago last weekend. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-weekend-shootings-violence-crime | 2022-04-10T14:02:02Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-weekend-shootings-violence-crime | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Ukraine says Russia beefing up its forces
KYIV, Ukraine - The Ukrainian military says Russia has been beefing up its forces and trying to probe Ukrainian defenses.
The Ukrainian military command said Sunday that the Russian troops have continued attempts to break Ukrainian defenses near Izyum, southeast of Kharkiv. It reported that Russia was sending reinforcements to Izyum while continuing the shelling of Kharkiv.
The military added that the Russians also continued their attempts to take control of Mariupol, the Sea of Azov port that has been besieged by Russian forces for nearly 1 ½ months.
After Russia’s attempt to capture Kyiv and other big cities in northeastern Ukraine quickly failed, Ukrainian and Western officials expect Moscow to launch a new offensive in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces for eight years.
RELATED: More civilians flee east Ukraine after deadly station strike
However, Western assessments expressed increasing confidence in the ability of Ukraine’s defenders to repel Russian assaults, portraying Russia’s troops as suffering from low morale and mounting casualties.
Britain’s Defense Ministry said Sunday that the Russian military was seeking to respond to mounting losses by boosting troop numbers with personnel who have been discharged from military service since 2012.
In an update on Twitter, the ministry also said that the Russian military’s efforts to "generate more fighting power" also include trying to recruit from Trans-Dniester, a breakaway region in Moldova that borders Ukraine.
Zelenskyy: Russian aggression not limited to Ukraine alone
Ukainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stands in the town of Bucha, northwest of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, on April 4, 2022. - (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
Addressing the "free people of a brave country," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a late night video message to Ukrainians that Russia’s war aim "was not intended to be limited to Ukraine alone" and the "entire European project is a target."
"That is why it is not just the moral duty of all democracies, all the forces of Europe, to support Ukraine’s desire for peace," he said. "This is, in fact, a strategy of defense for every civilized state."
His address came as civilians continued to flee eastern parts of the country before an expected onslaught, and emergency workers searched for survivors in towns north of Kyiv that are no longer occupied by Russian forces.
"Freedom does not have time to wait," Zelenskyy said. "When tyranny begins its aggression against everything that keeps the peace in Europe, action must be taken immediately."
RELATED: Intel: Putin may cite Ukraine war to meddle in US politics
In an interview with The Associated Press inside his heavily guarded presidential office complex, Zelenskyy said he was committed to negotiating a diplomatic end to the war even though Russia has "tortured" Ukraine.
He also acknowledged that peace likely will not come quickly. Talks so far have not included Russian President Vladimir Putin or other top officials.
"We have to fight, but fight for life. You can’t fight for dust when there is nothing and no people. That’s why it is important to stop this war," the president said.
Russia accused of war crimes, civilian attacks
KRAMATORSK, UKRAINE - APRIL 09: Some volunteers look for traces to help identify the corpses at Kramatorsk railway station after the missile attack in Kramatorsk, Ukraine on April 09, 2022. (Photo by Andrea Carrubba/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia forces of commiting war crimes against thousands of civilians during the invasion, including airstrikes on hospitals, a missile attack that killed 52 people at a train station Friday and shooting residents of towns in the north at close range.
Graphic evidence of civilian slayings emerged after Russian forces withdrew from Bucha, and firefighters were searching buildings in Borodyanka, another settlement outside Kyiv. Russia has denied engaging in war crimes and falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged.
Ukrainian authorities have said they expect to find more mass killings once they reach the southern port city of Mariupol, which is also in the Donbas and has been subjected to a monthlong blockade and intense fighting. The city’s location on the Sea of Azov is critical to establishing a land bridge from the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukraine eight years ago.
Ukrainian officials have pleaded with Western powers almost daily to send more arms and further punish Moscow with sanctions, including the exclusion of Russian banks from the global financial system and a total EU embargo on Russian gas and oil.
RELATED: US targets Putin's daughters, Russian banks in new sanctions for Ukraine 'war crimes'
During his visit Saturday, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he expects more EU sanctions against Russia, but defended his country’s opposition so far to cutting off deliveries of Russian gas.
A package of sanctions imposed this week "won’t be the last one," the chancellor said, acknowledging that "as long as people are dying, every sanction is still insufficient." Austria is militarily neutral and not a member of NATO.
CHERNIHIV, UKRAINE - APRIL 9: A view of a Ukrainian military uniform helmet with blood stains seen in the ruins of a building damaged by shelling, on April 9, 2022 in Chernihiv, Ukraine. (Photo by Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s visit came a day after the U.K. pledged an additional 100 million pounds ($130 million) in high-grade military equipment. Johnson also confirmed further economic support, guaranteeing an additional $500 million in World Bank lending to Ukraine, taking Britain’s total loan guarantee to up to $1 billion.
In the interview with AP, Zelenskyy noted the increased support but expressed frustration when asked if weapons and equipment Ukraine has received from the West is sufficient to shift the war’s outcome.
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"Not yet," he said, switching to English for emphasis. "Of course it’s not enough." | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/ukraine-says-russia-beefing-up-its-forces | 2022-04-10T14:02:20Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/ukraine-says-russia-beefing-up-its-forces | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces dug in and Russia's military lined up more firepower Sunday ahead of an expected showdown in eastern Ukraine that could become a decisive period in a war that has flattened cities, killed untold thousands and isolated Moscow economically and politically.
Experts say a full-scale offensive in the east could start within days, though questions remained about the ability of Russia's depleted and demoralized forces to conquer much ground after Ukraine's inspired defenders repelled their push to capture the capital, Kyiv.
Britain’s Defense Ministry reported Sunday that Russia’s armed forces were trying to compensate for mounting casualties by boosting troop numbers with personnel who had been discharged from service since 2012. Ukraine has the bulk of its military forces in the east: estimates vary, but they are believed to number in the tens of thousands.
Russia-backed separatists have fought Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine since 2014 and control parts of the Donbas, a mostly Russian-speaking, industrial region. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, its troops have bombarded government-held territory. The anticipated offensive in the east and south could end up excising a vast swath of land from Ukraine.
On Sunday, Russian forces shelled Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, in the northeast and sent reinforcements toward Izyum to the southeast in attempts to break Ukraine's defenses, the Ukrainian military command said. The Russians also kept up their siege of Mariupol, a key southern port that has been under attack and surrounded for nearly 1 ½ months.
A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman, Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov, said Russia's military used air-launched missiles to hit Ukraine’s S-300 air defense missile systems in the southern Mykolaiv region and at an air base in Chuhuiv, a city not far from Kharkiv.
Russia's sea-launched cruise missiles also destroyed the headquarters of a Ukrainian military unit stationed farther west in the Dnipro region, Konashenkov said. Neither the Ukrainian nor the Russian military claims could be independently verified.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for stronger military and political support from the West, including NATO members that have funneled weapons and military equipment to Ukraine since Russia invaded but denied some requests for fear of getting drawn into the war.
In a late night video message, Zelenskyy argued that more than Ukraine's future was at stake: Russia’s aggression “was not intended to be limited to Ukraine alone” and the “entire European project is a target,” he said.
“That is why it is not just the moral duty of all democracies, all the forces of Europe, to support Ukraine’s desire for peace,” Zelenskyy said. ”This is, in fact, a strategy of defense for every civilized state.”
Zelenskyy thanked the president of the European Union's executive commission and Canada’s prime minister for a global fundraising event Saturday that brought in more than 10 billion euros ($11 billion) to help Ukrainians who have fled the war.
The U.N. refugee agency reported Sunday that more than 4.5 million people have left the country since the invasion started Europe's worst ground conflict since World World II. As of Friday night, the U.N.'s human rights commissioner had confirmed 1,766 civilian deaths from more than six weeks of fighting - - 630 of them in the Donbas - while acknowledging the toll was likely a vast undercount.
After British Prime Minister Boris Johnson went to Kyiv on a Saturday trip that the U.K. government did not announce in advance, Zelenskyy said they had decided “what help the United Kingdom will provide to the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine” and that it includes a “patronage” to rebuild the Kyiv region.
Ukrainian authorities have accused Russian forces of committing war crimes against thousands of civilians during the invasion. The alleged crimes took place during airstrikes on hospitals, a missile attack that killed 52 people at a train station in eastern Ukraine on Friday and as Russian soldiers withdrew from the outskirts of Kyiv.
Zelenskyy said that when he and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke by phone Sunday, “we emphasized that all perpetrators of war crimes must be identified and punished.”
Ukraine has blamed Russia for alleged atrocities against civilians in Bucha and other towns outside the capital where hundreds of bodies, many with their hands bound and signs of torture, were found after the Russian troops retreated. Russia has denied engaging in war crimes and falsely claimed that the scenes in Bucha were staged.
After the Russian forces pulled out from the north this week to regroup for the push in the east, firefighters combed through the rubble of buildings to search for victims or survivors. Maria Vaselenko, 77, a resident of Borodyanka, said her daughter and son-in-law were killed, leaving her grandchildren orphaned.
“The Russians were shooting. And some people wanted to come and help, but they were shooting them. They were putting explosives under dead people," Vaselenko said. “That’s why my children have been under the rubble for 36 days. It was not allowed” to remove bodies.
In Mariupol, Russia was deploying Chechen fighters, reputed to be particularly fierce. Capturing the city on the sea of Azov would give Russia a land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia seized from Ukriane eight years ago.
Residents have lacked food, water and electricity since Russian forces surrounded the city, making evacuations hard and supplying emergency relief even harder.
Zelenskyy has said he expects more evidence of atrocities to be found once Mariupol no longer is blockaded; Ukrainian authorities think an airstrike on a theater where civilians were sheltering killed hundreds.
“I am in shock. I don’t understand what is happening. I have a hole in my garage billowing smoke,” Mariupol resident Sergey Petrov told The Associated Press, describing a brush with death. “A shell flew in and broke up into two parts, but it did not explode. … My mother told me that I was born again on that day.”
Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said more civilians were expected to leave Mariupol in their personal vehicles Sunday, while more evacuations were planned for a number of towns in the south and east.
The Institute for the Study of War, an American think tank, predicted Russian forces would focus their assault on the northern edge of a sickle-shaped arc of eastern Ukraine where the pro-Russia separatists and Russian forces have seized territory.
Russian forces will “renew offensive operations in the coming days” from Izyum, a town southeast of Kharkiv, to try to reach Slovyansk, even further southeast, the institute's analysts said. But in their view, “The outcome of forthcoming Russian operations in eastern Ukraine remains very much in question.”
Ukrainian officials have pleaded with Western powers almost daily to send more arms and further punish Moscow with sanctions, including the exclusion of Russian banks from the global financial system and a total EU embargo on Russian gas and oil.
In an interview with The Associated Press inside his heavily guarded presidential office complex on Saturday, Zelenskyy said he was committed to negotiating a diplomatic end to the war even though Russia has “tortured” Ukraine.
He also acknowledged that peace likely will not come quickly. Talks so far have not included Putin or other top Russian officials.
“We have to fight, but fight for life. You can’t fight for dust when there is nothing and no people. That’s why it is important to stop this war,” the president said.
In the interview with AP, Zelenskyy noted the increased support but expressed frustration when asked if weapons and equipment Ukraine has received from the West is sufficient to shift the war’s outcome.
“Not yet,” he said, switching to English for emphasis. “Of course it’s not enough.”
Anna reported from Bucha, Ukraine. Associated Press journalists around the world contributed to this report. | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/ukraine/ukraine-russia-sunday/507-6afa4fb8-78b7-4876-8d32-ddf0af8e2b06 | 2022-04-10T14:10:33Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/news/nation-world/ukraine/ukraine-russia-sunday/507-6afa4fb8-78b7-4876-8d32-ddf0af8e2b06 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
RICHMOND, Calif. — Alysa Liu, a 2022 Olympian and world championships bronze medalist, is retiring from competitive figure skating at age 16.
Considered the future of U.S. women's skating and already a two-time national champion, Liu posted her decision Saturday on Instagram.
“I honestly never thought i would’ve accomplished as much as i did...” Liu said in her post. “I feel so satisfied with how my skating career has gone. now that i’m finally done with my goals in skating i’m going to be moving on with my life. ... this skating thing has taught me a lot more about life than i anticipated. i’m really glad i skated."
And skated better than any American woman at such a young age.
Using the triple axel that few U.S. women have landed successfully, Liu won her first national title in 2019 at age 13, and repeated the next year. She was too young to compete internationally on the senior level, however, and remained a force as a junior, getting comfortable with quadruple jumps as well.
But she lost to Bradie Tennell and Mariah Bell at the last two national championships, making the Olympic team despite having to withdraw from the trials in January when Liu tested positive for COVID-19.
Liu, of Richmond, California, recovered in time to skate in the Beijing Games, where she landed seven triple jumps in her free skate to finish seventh overall.
She then came in third behind Kaori Sakamoto of Japan and Loena Hendrickx of Belgium in a watered-down world championships with the Russian skaters not participating. It was the first medal at worlds for a U.S. woman since Ashley Wagner in 2016.
Now, Liu is done.
“I started skating when i was 5 so that’s about 11 years on the ice and it’s been an insane 11 years," she posted from Japan, where she was appearing in the Stars on Ice tour. "a lot of good and a lot of bad but (you know) that’s just how it is. i’ve made so many friends, and so so sooo many good memories that i’ll have for the rest of my life.” | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/olympics/olympic-figure-skater-alysa-liu-retirement/507-f43627bc-a187-4bc4-a813-8aa4a353e368 | 2022-04-10T14:10:39Z | krem.com | control | https://www.krem.com/article/sports/olympics/olympic-figure-skater-alysa-liu-retirement/507-f43627bc-a187-4bc4-a813-8aa4a353e368 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Nearly five months into her job heading up a new equity office for Prince William County Public Schools, Lucretia Brown says she’s almost ready to launch.
In a wide-ranging presentation recently to the Superintendent’s Advisory Council on Equity, Brown – the division’s chief equity officer – laid out some of her general philosophy and provided a 30,000-foot look at her duties, saying she’s spent much of her time thus far gathering information about the division’s 11,400-person workforce.
The presentation, she said, was an early step in the “launch” of her new role. Brown was introduced to the public as Superintendent LaTanya McDade’s highest-profile new hire in October, taking on a position the division described as unlike the role of supervisor of global learning and culturally responsive instruction, which Maria Burgos held until March 2021.
Since being hired, however, Brown has largely stayed out of public view. She has yet to make any presentations or share any input in open session at School Board meetings, and the division has declined InsideNoVa’s requests to interview her. Both McDade and Brown have turned down repeated requests to discuss Brown’s day-to-day work.
Without providing too many specifics about those activities, Brown described her position to the equity council last week as a cross-disciplinary job that reaches into other departments. Ultimately, though, Brown is responsible for the division’s informal diversity, equity and inclusion (or DEI) work.
“It’s not this marginalized position that sits out here and has to wait, if you will, for an opportunity to engage with other officers or work. It’s a bonafide discipline and office that’s rooted in the research that I’m sharing with you,” Brown told the committee at its meeting in late March. “A big concept that our superintendent has introduced in our division is the notion of interdependencies, and when you think of it, it is counter to that idea of bureaucratic silos, so making sure that as I fit into the environment and the [concepts] that were already here before I got here.”
Brown isn’t the chief DEI trainer, she said. Instead, she said her role is one that consults laterally with other division heads, advises McDade, and serves as a “change management specialist” who will interrogate practices and policies that exist within the division's many departments today and advise on what’s good, what needs tweaking and what should go.
Brown said her work will be rooted in McDade’s new four-year strategic plan as well as her proposed fiscal 2023 budget, which was presented to the Board of County Supervisors on Tuesday night and commits roughly $1.8 million to the Office of the Chief Equity Officer.
In it, Brown will oversee the work of 11 other full-time employees, though seven of those positions will be transferred from other offices. The new positions include a supervisor of family and community engagement, an administrative assistant and two new Title IX investigators.
The office’s budget initiatives for the coming fiscal year include the completion of an “equity audit” and a “resource equity diagnostic,” as well as family and community engagement and the completion of a “PWCS Equity Action Plan” that will span the entire division.
“The directional audit is really an analysis of organizational drivers, policies, budgets, capital improvement plans, curriculum … Where do we see the directional support in our policies, in our administrative [regulations], in our budget, that align to equity?” Brown said. “A lot of times when I’m doing this work, folks say, ‘We need an equity policy.’ And I always have to say, ‘Pump your breaks. How do we know that?’”
She said she was in the early stages of “phase two” of implementing the new office, with phase one being spent meeting with executive-level leaders and directors, leading the equity council and gathering facts.
In presenting to the council, Brown also discussed the significance of diversity among the division’s workforce in a county and school division as diverse as Prince William’s. Last year, the U.S. Census Bureau called the county the 10th most diverse locality in the U.S. and the most diverse county in Virginia. English-language learners account for 27.7% of the division’s students, and Prince William schools offer translation services in eight different languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Farsi and Arabic.
Everyone, Brown said, including herself, has biases. But she told the equity council that it’s crucial for people and institutions to be cognizant of their biases and not let them go unchecked.
“I’m not talking about over discrimination – but when it’s covert, when it’s subtle discrimination, we want to build systems and processes that are objective and control for subjectivity where bias emerges,” Brown said. “That’s to say, we don’t care if you’re anti-racist or not. But when you come here, there’s an expectation of how you engage and how you educate our students in our community. And you’ve seen what our community demographics look like.”
Last May, the school division adopted an equity statement that lays out goals and “inclusive practices … to promote equity and excellence for all.”
But Brown is beginning her office’s work in earnest in a different climate than when she was first hired by the division from Allentown, Pa., where she was the Allentown School District’s deputy superintendent for equity.
Brown’s hiring was announced just weeks before Gov. Glenn Youngkin won election as a Republican running to increase parental input in public schools and against what he said was Critical Race Theory being taught in Virginia schools.
On the day he took office, Youngkin’s first executive order was to “end the use of inherently divisive concepts, including Critical Race Theory, and to raise academic standards” in Virginia’s K-12 schools. Shortly after, he launched a tip line for anyone to report “divisive” concepts being taught in schools, though he’s repeatedly declined to make any of what’s been sent to the tip line public.
In February, the Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction issued a preliminary report on “inherently divisive concepts” and CRT in public education, rescinding a series of Virginia Department of Education policies and resources aimed at achieving “equity” in the state’s education outcomes.
“Achieving equity, versus individual student achievement, is the emphasis,” the report on one state tool reads, explaining why it’s being rescinded.
In her presentation to the division’s equity council, though, Brown said her office’s work would remain in the clear from any state-level suspicions.
“There was a lot of consternation and angst as the new governor took his position and pushed out his executive orders,” Brown said. “You’ll see in this presentation and as you interface with me in launching this office, on this equity journey, there are many ways to advance this work. And it doesn’t sit or rest anywhere in language that’s divisive or inflammatory, because that’s counterproductive to bringing along the whole, the good of the whole, all of the cultures, races, genders and social identity groups that we represent.” | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/prince-william-school-s-equity-officer-offers-glimpse-into-work/article_97120a52-b894-11ec-b352-13197dbceebb.html | 2022-04-10T14:19:13Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/prince-william-school-s-equity-officer-offers-glimpse-into-work/article_97120a52-b894-11ec-b352-13197dbceebb.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Since 2008, when Dr. Towanna Burrous founded Towanna Freeman & Associates, a management consulting firm located in Haymarket that offered executive coaching as an additional service, she has been evolving her business and focus to meet the changing needs of the times.
In 2011, when she recognized an increased demand for diverse coaches, and no professional networks in which to find them, she created one - the Black Life Coaches Network.
Then, in 2015, she rebranded the company as CoachDiversity Institute. The firm offers various executive coach training and education programs.
“Coaching is a critical skill that 21st-century leaders need to unlock potential and performance in their people,” she says. “CoachDiversity attracts forward-thinking leaders worldwide who want to shift organizational culture to increase employee engagement and performance.”
Making it her mission to diversify the coaching industry to provide her clients with credentialed coaching professionals who were not only racially and ethnically diverse but also of different ages, abilities, gender, and religions was only the first step. There was still more work to do.
“I realized the International Coaching Federation didn't offer a curriculum that taught coaches to coach across diverse lines,” says Dr. Burrous. “I wrote the first-ever coaching curriculum grounded in diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Dr. Burrous also concluded that not all coaches were trained equally. Some of them needed to improve their coaching skills because their clients were coming to them with a lot of different challenges that were specific to people of color and to people with different sexual orientations.
“Now, we are a training school,” she says. “People come to us to learn to coach across diverse lines.”
Students include people who want to start their own business and want to be an internal coach inside their organization, or who want to be leaders in their organizations which they’d like to see become more inclusive.
“Since 2015, we've graduated over 700 coaching professionals,” says Dr. Burrous. “This includes people who self-identify as white and want to work with people who are different from them.”
CoachDiversity Institute offers three courses that build upon each other and provide students a certification in coaching.
“There’s an associate level, a certified professional level, and an advanced level,” she explains, “and each program takes between four to six months to complete. Our students are executives, senior consultants, helping professionals, diversity practitioners from Fortune 500 companies, the federal government, and big non-profits. Many of them are making significant changes within their organizations.”
CoachDiversity Institute’s growth has been phenomenal since adding this new offering to their portfolio. In 2021, it ranked number 524 on Inc. magazine’s 5000 list of fastest growing privately held companies in the U.S. and ranked number one in Prince William County.
“While we were excited to join this prestigious list, it was also a moment of reflection because black women-owned businesses have the immense challenge of being underpaid, underfunded, and under-resourced,” says Dr. Burrous.
Heading a successful black-female owned business while being a single mother to two children makes her especially proud.
“My oldest is 25 and she works for CoachDiversity, but she's also in the Army National Guard,” she says. “My son is in the 6th grade. For me, being an active and present mom helped me build an agile company that succeeded even during COVID.”
Her children are also the reason she is so focused on creating better corporate atmospheres.
“I ask myself, ‘What type of company culture would best fit the needs of my children and their peers?’” says Dr. Burrous. “My mission is to teach change agents how to create a culture that pushes an organization forward, not backward.”
To find out more about CoachDiversity Institute, visit coachdiversity.com.
This feature appears in the April 2022 issue of Haymarket-Gainesville Lifestyle. To pick up a copy, visit these locations. | https://www.insidenova.com/lifestyles/a-curriculum-for-change-creating-more-inclusive-organizations-with-diversity-coaching/article_05e1c568-b8c6-11ec-abb0-b3d978a78007.html | 2022-04-10T14:19:16Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/lifestyles/a-curriculum-for-change-creating-more-inclusive-organizations-with-diversity-coaching/article_05e1c568-b8c6-11ec-abb0-b3d978a78007.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
United States Marines are known for their discipline and high standards. Haymarket resident Brandon Rice, a Marine who was deployed three times, including once to Afghanistan, carried these attributes into the business world in July of 2021.
Rice and his brother-in-law Nicholas (Niko) Spyros wanted to start a company that would stand above the rest, and with Marine Level Clean, they have met that challenge. The idea for the business was actually inspired by Spyros’s mother.
“She would have cleaners come through our house and when they were done, Brandon would walk around and he would see dust and other things that were overlooked,” says Spyros.
Rice knew he could do a much better job.
“I joke with Niko all the time that Marines are called professional janitors because we know how to clean, and clean right, on a daily basis,” says Rice.
When he asked Spyros if he would like to go into the cleaning business with him, Spyros jumped at the chance. Coming from a background of entrepreneurs - his family owns Transform Power Yoga in Haymarket - he wanted to follow in their footsteps. This was the perfect opportunity.
Since Spyros lives with Rice and his sister Sarah, Rice’s wife, in Haymarket, they spend a lot of time together.
“I've always been pretty close with my sister, so that's never been an issue, and Brandon and I have always gotten along. It's just worked out.”
They feel they make a great team offering their customers a variety of services, and also feel it’s important to customize plans to fit each one’s individual needs.
“Marine Level Clean offers regular cleanings, move in/move out cleanings and deep cleans for both residential and commercial clients,” says Rice. “We do weekly, biweekly, and monthly cleanings and we also offer window cleanings. All of our services can be found right on our website.”
Their professional-grade product lineup includes cleaners that meet the EPA's criteria for use against the Coronavirus and other germs to help protect their customers from coming into contact with them. They also prefer their cleaning products to also be eco-friendly, which are healthier for people and better for the environment.
“They do the job, but if someone wants us to use harsher cleaners such as bleach and ammonia, we can do that too,” says Rice.
When going into someone’s home or business, their main goal is to make the items they’re cleaning look almost new again. And they pay attention to things most cleaners either don’t address at all or quickly skim over.
“We're really thorough and consistent,” says Spyros. “We hit baseboards on regular cleans - not just on deep cleans. When we're doing a last look, we'll check on stuff that many people don't really think to look at, and take care of them before wrapping up.”
These would include the molding along walls, air vents and filters, the insides of door jambs and window seals.
“Whenever we do our initial estimate, a lot of our customers’ biggest complaints is that their previous cleaners never touched baseboards,” says Rice. “That is something we do from the lowest clean to the highest clean.”
Since it’s more important than ever to live and work in a clean environment, cleaning services are in high demand, and Marine Level Clean strictly adheres to CDC sanitization guidelines. Right now, Rice and Spyros do most of the cleaning themselves, although Sarah often comes in to help. But, with their stellar reputation growing, their customer base is building fast.
Most of their customers have been with them from day one, and many local businesses, including the Haymarket Baptist Preschool, use their services.
“Marine Level Clean takes care of our preschool’s cleaning needs each day,” said the school’s director, Laurie Frasz. “They do a great job and accommodate our requests as needed. And they’re very easy to work with!”
“A house is someone’s sanctuary, and homeowners need that level of trust when allowing people into their home, especially when they’re not there,” says Rice. The company is also insured, so if anything is broken, they’re able to easily replace it or pay for it.
He adds, “We are very, very careful when we go into people's homes, but if we start to wipe something on a table and that table is shaky and falls, we have insurance. That gives people peace of mind.”
They are also comfortable having dogs and cats in the house while they clean.
“We are perfectly fine with that,” says Spyros. “We actually have three dogs living in the house with us. Brandon and Sarah have a pit bull named Potter and a Cane Corso named Zeus, and my dad has a pit bull named Sam.” Persephone the cat also shares their home.
When not working, Rice loves riding his motorcycle, hiking with his wife, and spending time with his children - Konstantina, who’s almost 2 years old and Faith, who’s 12. Spyros likes hanging out with his girlfriend, playing video games and playing soccer with friends.
But, when it’s time to go to work, they are ready to serve.
For more information about Marine Level Clean, or to make an appointment, go to https://www.marinelvlclean.com/
This feature appears in the April 2022 issue of Haymarket-Gainesville Lifestyle Magazine. To pick up a copy, visit these locations. | https://www.insidenova.com/lifestyles/marine-level-clean-protecting-and-serving-in-a-whole-new-way/article_9a7b3dcc-b8c0-11ec-ab29-f78ab05843c1.html | 2022-04-10T14:19:20Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/lifestyles/marine-level-clean-protecting-and-serving-in-a-whole-new-way/article_9a7b3dcc-b8c0-11ec-ab29-f78ab05843c1.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Sports brings people together, and the camaraderie found among players on teams is often phenomenal. This sense of sportsmanship and cohesiveness should be open to everyone, regardless of mental ability, and the Special Olympics Unified Sports teams ensure just that.
About 1.4 million people worldwide take part in Unified Sports, and some of these athletes can be found right here at Patriot High School in Nokesville. Special education teachers Patricia Weate and Brooke Bell originally introduced Unified Sports to the school in 2016.
These basketball teams are made up of students with both nonintellectual issues and intellectual issues and they all play together.
“We have three special-needs students on the floor along with two gen ed [general education] students, so there's five kids on the court at any one time,” says Weate. Ages range from 14 to 21 for special-needs students and 17 to 19 for juniors and seniors.
This is Kathleen Kitchen’s first year coaching a Unified team.
“It’s just so rewarding to work with these kids,” she says. “They're always excited to be here and they just want to be a part of something great. It's about more than just sports; it’s about all kids feeling like they’re a part of the school community.”
“It's all about feeling accepted,” Weate said. “A lot of my students don't see that they have any differences at all. It's not that they have a disability, it's just that they're different, and so they're still athletes. It just looks different than what we normally see. It's celebrating all of our school’s athletes across the entire spectrum.”
With each game, Kitchen says it’s important to celebrate the small victories. “We might have a student who will probably never make a basket, but it’s like, oh my gosh, he hit the net with the ball!”
“I'm very proud of her for trying her best,” says Beth Brooks, whose daughter Aly plays on the team. “Seeing her smile as she runs up and down the court and trying really hard to make shots brings a smile to my face because she’s so happy to be included.”
Bethany Balsis, whose daughters Payton and Addison play on the team, agrees.
“Watching my girls play makes me insanely proud! I can see how happy it makes them and that’s what’s most important.”
While Kitchen teaches the kids how to play the game, there’s some things she says they learn on their own.
“We can’t teach compassion, so it's really neat to see our advanced juniors and seniors partnering with Tricia and her kids,” said Kitchen. “I've seen a lot of our kids come out of their shells and really become involved with the Unified group. They’re learning their names and giving them high fives and when they see them in the hallway, they’re building relationships. And that relationship building is bridging the gap.”
“It's a win for our special-needs kids, but also for our gen ed kids,” said Weate. “A lot of them have been going to school with some of these students their entire lives and have never had any interactions with them. To see them in their final years of high school coming together, really working together and having a common goal has been very rewarding.”
“It feels great,” says Jennifer Fleming, whose daughter Kendall has been playing basketball since she was old enough to dribble and shoot. “We always found ways to keep her involved and grow her love for the game. The Unified basketball team is a lot like that. Her typical peers are very supportive and encouraging during the game.”
Kitchen believes other coaches should get involved and bring Unified Sports to their own schools.
“You will never coach another team that is more fulfilling because it's not as much about winning. It's about people and relationships and just learning to enjoy and accept people who are different from us and make them aware that they're capable of doing more than they can imagine. Seeing them go out there and just thrive makes you feel like you can do anything and conquer anything.”
Mandy and Darren Richards, parents of team member Nate, encourage other parents to have their children participate in a Unified team.
“To expose these kids to something so positive and kind is something that kids crave; they thrive in that environment. Sometimes special-needs kids are forgotten about and this Unified team is so special for them.”
“I'm very proud of the work that we've done and I'm proud of our special needs kids, but also our gen ed kids,” says Weate. “They've really showed up.”
It’s also wonderful to see the support in the stands.
“All the students home and away cheer, clap, and shout for each athlete, regardless of which team they are on,” says Brooks. “That truly brings me hope that my child will be included on the court and off.”
“It gave us goosebumps to watch Nate play on a team and be given the opportunity to participate in basketball games,” said Mandy Richards. “Our heartfelt gratitude that Nate was given this opportunity; he hasn’t been given many chances like this.”
Along with Patriot High School, some of the other schools in the area that have Unified Sports Teams are Brentsville High School, Gainesville High School, Forest Park High School, and Potomac High School.
To find out more about Unified Sports Teams, go to https://www.specialolympics.org/our-work/sports/unified-sports. | https://www.insidenova.com/lifestyles/patriot-high-school-s-unified-team-celebrating-athletes-across-the-spectrum/article_3ee0babc-b8d1-11ec-8dcb-3ff24b141df7.html | 2022-04-10T14:19:21Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/lifestyles/patriot-high-school-s-unified-team-celebrating-athletes-across-the-spectrum/article_3ee0babc-b8d1-11ec-8dcb-3ff24b141df7.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Arlington police are investigating two recent early-morning carjacking incidents occurring within a span of two days:
• On April 6 at 5:50 a.m., an individual was outside his vehicle in the 4100 block of 4th Street North when three individuals approached and pushed him aside, then entered the vehicle and fled the scene.
The suspects are described as black males, one approximately 20 years old and the others described as 25 to 30 years old. The vehicle taken was described as a 2006 Toyota Camry with Virginia license plates.
• On April 8 at 5 a.m., an individual was in his parked vehicle in the 2600 block of Langston Boulevard when he observed another vehicle idling in the area.
The victim exited his vehicle to see if the driver needed assistance, then two male suspects exited that vehicle, grabbed the victim and demanded money. When the victim refused, the suspects rummaged through his pockets and stole his keys, then one of the suspects drove away in the victim’s vehicle, a 2010 Mazda 6 with Virginia licensee places.
The suspects are described as black males.
[Sun Gazette Newspapers provides content to, but otherwise is unaffiliated with, InsideNoVa or Rappahannock Media LLC.] | https://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/arlington-police-investigating-pair-of-carjackings/article_cd9ba0ba-b8d0-11ec-8192-db8cae2a7189.html | 2022-04-10T14:19:21Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/arlington-police-investigating-pair-of-carjackings/article_cd9ba0ba-b8d0-11ec-8192-db8cae2a7189.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The Columbia Pike Partnership will host its annual “Pike Progress Luncheon” in an online format on Thursday, April 21.
The event “serves as a celebration of the economic progress of the Pike over the past few decades, as well as a look toward the future growth and development planned for the next few years,” the organization said.
One focus of the event will be to look at recent changes to the Form-Based Code development process for Columbia Pike and how it might be used to bring “exciting and new uses” to ground-floor spaces in buildings along the corridor, which stretches from the Penrose neighborhood west to the Fairfax County line.
For information, see the Website at www.columbia-pike.org.
[Sun Gazette Newspapers provides content to, but otherwise is unaffiliated with, InsideNoVa or Rappahannock Media LLC.] | https://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/columbia-pike-organization-to-tout-progress-in-upcoming-forum/article_f753ebd8-b8d0-11ec-9fa3-1f5498b5bae9.html | 2022-04-10T14:19:33Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/news/arlington/columbia-pike-organization-to-tout-progress-in-upcoming-forum/article_f753ebd8-b8d0-11ec-9fa3-1f5498b5bae9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
For many varsity high-school baseball and softball teams in the Sun Gazette’s coverage areas, spring break has a different meaning. It’s more like spring busy.
So many of those teams usually play more games, weather permitting, during the break than during a regular week. Sometimes they play as many as five games, including two in a day.
Fairfax County Schools are on spring break this week and Arlington County next week.
Some of those teams have remained in the area to participate in various tournaments or competitions. Many others travel out of town for action, with Myrtle Beach a popular spot for baseball and softball squads. That area has become a hotspot for spring-break play during the past decade or so.
Most of the teams just play games during the break, with few, if any, practices held. Games sometimes begin as early as 9 a.m.
“Spring break is set aside to play games, and not practice much. The players look forward to that,” said Marshall Statesmen baseball coach Mike Noyes. “With five games scheduled, there isn’t much time left for practices.”
Marshall stayed in the area this year to play five games in a local tournament.
The Langley Saxons and Oakton Cougars baseball teams are in Myrtle Beach, along with the Langley softball squad, with five games scheduled for each. All three played two games in one day.
The Madison High baseball team had five games scheduled in Charleston, S.C. For years, the Warhawks have annually traveled to Charleston during spring break.
The McLean High School baseball and softball teams remained in town, each having multiple games scheduled. Each may play until Saturday, April 9, because of multiple weather postponements.
“You always hope for good weather over spring break, but this year that’s not the case,” McLean baseball coach John Dowling said. “Hopefully you like to wrap up play by Friday, because many of the players and their families have things scheduled for Saturday to have a little bit of time for themselves over spring break.”
Classes resume for Fairfax County schools Monday, April 11.
The Yorktown and Wakefield high school baseball teams of Arlington will be in Myrtle Beach this coming week to play multiple contests.
“It’s something the players always look forward to,” Yorktown baseball coach John Skaggs said of spring break. “It’s just baseball, baseball, baseball down there.”
The Washington-Liberty High School baseball squad will not travel for spring break, but will be plenty busy playing multiple games in the area. One contest will be against 2021 Class 6 state-tournament runner-up Colgan High School.
“I think we have a good schedule of games, and the one against Colgan certainly will be challenge,” Washington-Liberty coach Kevin Healy said. “Our players welcome that.” | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/many-teams-participate-in-spring-break-games-and-tournaments/article_7a3b4308-b8c6-11ec-ac14-0701e0f9b2c8.html | 2022-04-10T14:19:39Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/many-teams-participate-in-spring-break-games-and-tournaments/article_7a3b4308-b8c6-11ec-ac14-0701e0f9b2c8.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
With one game to play the Marshall Statesmen had a 1-3 record in spring-break baseball-tournament action, defeating the Robinson Rams, 4-3, for their one victory.
Marshall’s losses were to W.T. Woodson Cavaliers, 10-7, Lake Braddock, 15-13, and West Springfield, 8-1, in the high-school competition. The Statesmen will play their final game at a date not yet determined.
“We are a young team, and we played some good competition,” Marshall coach Mike Noyes said.
In the win over Robinson, Nick Robinson pitched six innings to get the win. He allowed four hits and two earned runs and struck out four. Noah Grossmann worked the final scoreless and hitless frame to earn the save. He struck out one and did not walk a batter.
Joseph Long had a hit and one RBI for Marshall and Jack Emory had a hit.
“Nick pitched very well,” Noyes said.
In the loss to Woodson, Aidan Han had two hits and an RBI for Marshall, Emory had a hit and Owen Growney doubled.
Loudin Rodriguez had a hit and a sacrifice fly in the loss to Lake Braddock, David Stiles also added a hit and one RBI, and Han had a hit and two stolen bases.
Han, Emory, Growney, Cole Little and Ethan Moore (triple) had hits against West Springfield as Marshall used three pitchers, with Robinson starting. | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/marshall-tops-robinson-in-tourney-action/article_ca27307a-b8c6-11ec-9d7f-7b8e0473b9be.html | 2022-04-10T14:19:45Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/sports/marshall-tops-robinson-in-tourney-action/article_ca27307a-b8c6-11ec-9d7f-7b8e0473b9be.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis opened Holy Week Sunday with a call for an Easter truce in Ukraine to make room for a negotiated peace, highlighting the need for leaders to “make some sacrifices for the good of the people.”
Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass before crowds in St. Peter’s Square for the first time since the pandemic, Pope Francis called for “weapons to be laid down to begin an Easter truce, not to reload weapons and resume fighting, no! A truce to reach peace through real negotiations.”
Francis did not refer directly to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the reference was clear, and he has repeatedly denounced the war and the suffering brought to innocent civilians.
During the traditional Sunday blessing following Palm Sunday Mass, the pontiff said leaders should be “willing to make some sacrifices for the good of the people.”
“In fact, what a victory would that be, who plants a flag under a pile of rubble?”
During his Palm Sunday homily, the pontiff denounced “the folly of war” that leads people to commit “senseless acts of cruelty.”
“When we resort to violence … we lose sight of why we are in the world and even end up committing senseless acts of cruelty. We see this in the folly of war, where Christ is crucified yet another time,” he said.
Francis lamented “the unjust death of husbands and sons” … “refugees fleeing bombs” … “young people deprived of a future” … and “soldiers sent to kill their brothers and sisters.”
After two years of celebrating Palm Sunday Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica without a crowd due to pandemic distancing measures, the solemn celebration returned to the square outside. Tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists clutched olive branches and braided palms emblematic of the ceremony that recalls Jesus’ return to Jerusalem.
Traditionally, the pope leads a Palm Sunday procession through St. Peter’s Square before celebrating Mass. Francis has been suffering from a strained ligament in his right knee that has caused him to limp, and he was driven in a black car to the altar, which he then reached with the help of an aide. He left the Mass on the open-top popemobile, waving to the faithful in the piazza and along part of the via della Conciliazione.
Palm Sunday opens Holy Week leading up to Easter, which this year falls on April 17, and features the Good Friday Way of the Cross Procession. | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/pope-francis-calls-for-an-easter-truce-in-ukraine/ | 2022-04-10T14:20:13Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/national/pope-francis-calls-for-an-easter-truce-in-ukraine/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A259 Folkestone Road was closed in both directions due to an accident involving a motorbike. The crash happened from the Woolpack Inn Pub turn off (Midley) to Camber Road, at the east of Rye at roughly 1:30pm.
Due to the road closure in both directions, there was heavy traffic between Rye and Ashford. Drivers were being advised to find alternate routes or to avoid the area completely.
The incident was flagged on traffic monitoring programme INRIX. It read: 'A259 Folkestone Road in both directions closed due to accident, a motorbike involved from The Woolpack Inn Pub turn off (Midley) to Camber Road. The accident has happened at the east of Rye. Affecting traffic between Rye and Ashford.'
Read more: ' Live Operation Brock, M20, A2, A20 traffic updates across Kent, Dover and Folkestone for April 10'
As of yet, Kent Police has not revealed details of the accident or whether anyone was injured.
We will keep you updated on the closure with this blog. See below for the latest.
Accident has been cleared from the scene
According to a report from Inrix, that accident was cleared from A259 Folkestone Road by 3pm.
Thames Valley Police have not revealed details of the accident or whether anyone has been injured.
The lanes have re-opened but traffic continues to be slow. Traffic continues to be affected between Rye and Ashford.
Lanes re-opened
All lanes have now re-opened due to an earlier accident that involved a motorbike.
Despite this, traffic continues to be slow on A259 Folkestone Road in both directions from The Woolpack Inn Pub turn off (Midley) to Camber Road. | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/live-a259-updates-road-closed-6932849 | 2022-04-10T14:23:18Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/live-a259-updates-road-closed-6932849 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Drivers are set for more traffic misery across east Kent despite P&O Ferries confirming a date for its cross-Channel services to resume. The Dover to Calais route will be reinstated by Thursday, April 14 - just the day before the long Easter weekend.
The controversial ferry company has been out of action for nearly a month after sacking 800 seafarers on the spot in March. The company claimed it was the only option it had to protect its future despite being labelled as "acting like gangsters" during a Parliamentary select committee.
It has left DFDS and Irish Ferries manning the fort at Dover, with DFDS taking on the troubled firm's bookings. But as demand has increased, and weather conditions have deteriorated, the issues have reached Kent's roads once again.
READ MORE: Pictures show the M20 looking like a lorry park
Operation Brock has been reinstated to try and keep lorries out of residential areas while they wait for a space on a ferry. The leader of Dover District Council Cllr Trevor Bartlett had originally threatened to declare a major incident due to the sheer chaos the boat shortages had caused.
Residential roads in Dover and Folkestone were clogged, with the M20 and A20 gridlocked by lorries. People were stuck in traffic for hours while travelling through local routes.
Thankfully, this weekend, the last one before Easter, the roads have coped with the levels of traffic passing through them. But Cllr Bartlett said this would not be the last time east Kent will bear the brunt of the port's demand.
He said: "Kent Police and the Kent Resilience Forum have worked hard to keep Dover open on one of the busiest travel weekends of the year and in the face of the disruption caused by P&O Ferries.”
Acknowledging the wider issue being faced across the country, Cllr Bartlett continued: “This won’t be the last time we face this challenge, and we need a long-term solution which starts with the government recognising the Port of Dover as critical national infrastructure and vital to UK trade.”
Today (April 10) the roads appear to be much clearer. But as the new working week begins, traffic levels will inevitably increase again. There is no indication of Operation Brock being revoked this week, either.
When KentLive asked National Highways about what would spark its decision to remove the M20 barriers, the response centred on all agencies agreeing on a correct time.
Nicky Potts, head of operational integration for National Highways, said: “Ensuring the smooth flow of traffic through Kent is a top priority and we are keeping the deployment of Operation Brock under continual review. Any decision to remove the barrier will be taken jointly, and we are in constant contact with the Government and all our partners in Kent."
Is Operation Brock fit for purpose? Have your say as traffic misery spreads in Kent.
Never get stuck in traffic again with our FREE traffic and travel email for KentLive readers. Find out more here. | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/operation-brock-po-ferries-confirms-6932716 | 2022-04-10T14:23:28Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/operation-brock-po-ferries-confirms-6932716 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
There is slow traffic on the M2 coastbound, as lorry drivers are being checked to prevent them from trying to bypass holding areas on their way to the Port of Dover. It is the ninth consecutive day of traffic disruption caused by 'Operation Brock'.
The operation is a contraflow system in place on the M20, which is meant to help manage some of the thousands of freight delayed en-route to Europe. It is intended to "improve Kent's resilience", National Highways has said.
The traffic light controlled system signals when there is enough room at the port for more lorries. When lorries reach the A20, they are asked to queue in the left-hand lane on the approach to Dover. This separate scheme, called Dover TAP, is put in place to stop Dover's roads from being blocked by queues.
Read more: Operation Brock explained: Why it was brought in and why the traffic is so bad
The green light is then given and HGVs are able to travel to the Eastern Docks. The scheme has been in place on and off since the P&O Ferries announcement on March 22.
It means thousands of lorries have been able to park along a 23-mile stretch of the M20. Roads have faced significant disruption as Operation Brock is enforced and delays continue at the Port of Dover.
Now, the traffic is also extending to the M2 coastbound. Traffic analytics website Inrix reports that there is "slow traffic due to traffic being checked to prevent lorries heading for the Port of Dover from trying to bypass the holding areas on M2 coastbound".
The congestion starts before Junction 7 Brenley Corner, which leads onto the A2, and stretches to Junction 5, towards Sittingbourne and the Stockbury Roundabout.
A spokesperson for Dover District Council said in a statement: "Local communities should prepare for potential disruption on the roads this weekend (April 8 to 10) as the Easter getaway gets underway.
"With P&O Ferries cancelling all services, and potential for poor weather, tourists and hauliers using cross-Channel services are being advised to allow extra time for their journey, and to be prepared for long delays.
"Traffic management is in place for cross-Channel freight traffic which must join the queue on the M20. Enforcement is in place across the Kent network and HGVs ignoring the system will be sent to the back of the queue.
"Inevitably, this is having a major impact on local traffic. Diversions are in place, but please allow extra time for your journey. Arrangements are also in place to filter HGVs making local deliveries."
Is Operation Brock fit for purpose? Have your say as traffic chaos continues in Kent.
Never get stuck in a queue again with our FREE traffic and travel email for KentLive readers. Find out more here. | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/operation-brock-slow-traffic-m2-6932612 | 2022-04-10T14:23:38Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/news/kent-news/operation-brock-slow-traffic-m2-6932612 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Two men have been arrested in connection with an incident in Canterbury where a man was allegedly assaulted by a group of males and sustained an injury consistent with a stab wound. Officers are seeking to identify a further three people who may have been involved in the assault.
The incident is reported to have happened shortly before 10pm on Saturday 9 April, 2022 in Canterbury Lane. The man, who was taken to a local hospital for treatment and was later discharged, was stabbed but has recovered from the injury.
Two men have been arrested in connection with the incident but officers are seeking to identify a further three people who may have been involved in the assault and are appealing to the public for information.
Read more: Deal vs Sevenoaks: We compared the two Kent towns named the best places to live
People are being asked to check if they have any relevant dashcam or doorbell camera footage and witnesses are urged to contact officers with any information that may be relevant to the enquiry.
If you can assist officers with the enquiries please contact Kent Police on 01843 222289 quoting 46/66420/22.
You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously by calling 0800 555111 or using the online form on their website.
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If you are looking for a fun day out this Easter there is plenty to choose from across Kent. For a fun-filled family day out, there really is so much on offer.
Whether it is an Easter bunny trail, a visit to a historic castle or you just want some space for the kids to run around outdoors we have you covered. Check out our list of things to do across Kent this Easter.
Some of the activities are taking place on specific days and need pre-booking, so be sure to check the relevant website for more details.
READ MORE: 17 completely free things to see and do across Kent
1. Leeds Castle - Easter Nest Trail, 2-18 April, 2022
The Easter Nest Trail at Leeds Castle takes you on an outdoor adventure where you must solve the clues to find six giant bird nests, and use the clues to guess which bird lives in each nest. Once you have solved the trail a delicious chocolate egg awaits you at the end.
After you have completed the trail, there is plenty more to see and do at the castle, and entry to the castle and grounds is included with your ticket, so be prepared to make a day of it.
For more information on the trail, to book a ticket and to find details of other things you can see and do at the castle. You can visit the website HERE.
2. Port Lympne
Set in over 600 acres and with over 900 rare and endangered animals to see, this really will make a special day out for all the family. With animal experiences such as Junior Ranger, Keeper Academy and Animal encounters that allow you to have a 'behind the scenes' experience, the mission for the team at Port Lympe is to 'create incredible experiences for animal-lovers'.
Expert rangers offer safari tours where you will get to see Rhino and Giraffes among others.
If it is raining you could even shelter in the Dinosaur Forest or for the less adventurous take shelter in one of the restaurants or on site hotel bar.
For more information and to book tickets you can visit their website HERE.
3. Chislehurst Caves
This popular attraction is open during the Easter period from April 6 through to Sunday, April 19.
The caves at Chislehurst in Kent are a 'labyrinth' of man-made tunnels that form a maze covering over 6 hectares that are up to 30 meters below the homes and woodlands above.
Entrance to the caves is by a guided tour that leaves every hour. For more information you can visit their website HERE.
4. Mote Park, Maidstone
Mote Park is one of the most popular places to visit in Maidstone. It is set across 450 acres of grassland and woodland so plenty of space to burn off some energy.
Activities include a 9 hole mini golf course, a sky trail with dual-level ropes up to 32ft and 32ft climbing wall. There is also a purpose built off-road Segway course.
To find out more or to book you can visit the website HERE.
5. Canoe Wild, Canterbury
For those that love to get in the water this is the perfect destination. Offering canoe, kayak and paddleboard hire, there is something for all levels and abilities to enjoy.
This Easter break they are offering 'Young paddlers sessions' where little ones can learn to kayak and paddleboard with trained instructors. These sessions are suitable for children 8-14 and take place on set days.
For more information or to book, you can visit HERE.
6. Dover Castle - Easter Adventure Quest, 2-24 April
Dover Castle is England's longest-serving fortress with over 80 acres of castle grounds to discover.
There is an Easter Adventure Quest around the castle with clues, challenges and traditional Easter games like egg rolling and egg and spoon race.
You can visit the secret wartime tunnels and take a look inside the Great Tower. Visit the website HERE to find out more of what you can expect when visiting the castle.
7. Betteshanger - The Easter Egg Trail with special guest, April 2-18
Lots of fresh air fun for the family with this special Easter trail at Betteshanger. Tickets sell out fast for this event so early booking is recommended, and can be done via the website HERE.
Follow the carrots to meet the very special guest rabbit and enjoy some chocolatey treats.
8. Hever Castle
Lots of Easter family fun to had at Hever Castle from April 2-18.
Follow the trail of colourful carrots to be in with a chance of winning an Easter hamper. There is a free Easter egg hunt and also a craft workshop where little ones can create a decorative Easter crown.
As well as the Easter themed activities you can enjoy exploring the stunning gardens, or challenge yourself in the Yew Maze.
For more information visit HERE.
9. Bluewater, Dartford
Bluewater is a great day out for all the family, even those who don't like shopping.
There is a free 'Burrowing Bunnies' trail from April 1-18 where there will be eight burrowing bunnies to spot around the centre. If you can find them all a sweet treat await you at the end.
There is also the new Hangloose adventure, which is England's longest and fastest zip line, the Gravity Trampoline Park, Dinotropolis and the Pirate Cove Adventure Park.
For those rainy days there is also a 17 screen showcase cinema.
Opening times vary for each activity so do be sure to check the website HERE before visiting.
10. Canterbury Cathedral Easter Trail
Taking place from April 8 to April 16 is Gregory Gargoyle's Easter Trail. Everyone who manages to complete the Easter Trail correctly can claim an Easter Treat. Activity sheets can be collected from the Welcome Desk inside the Nave.
Also taking place at the cathedral on April 5,6,7 is an Easter Chough activity with local wildlife park, Wildwood. Fun chough-themed activities will be planned and participants will also get the chance to make their very own origami chough to take home.
For more information visit HERE.
11. Groombridge Place, Tunbridge Wells - Easter Event, 31 March - 18 April
There is lots of family fun to be had at Groombridge Place this Easter.
Children can join in the Easter Trail and with the help of two giant rabbits, solve the clues to win a sweet treat. A Punch and Judy show will also take place on selected dates and times ( see the website )
Visitors can enjoy a walk through the estate and along the canal path where they can discover the children's play area at Crusoe's World with its fantastic pirate ship.
Birds of prey displays take place every day at 12 noon and 3pm, where you can hear about some of the fantastic birds and watch them fly.
For more information you can visit the website HERE.
12. Walmer Castle, Deal - Easter Adventure Quest, 2 - 24 April
Get set for a 'cracking adventure quest' at Walmer Castle and Gardens with their Easter trail.
Explore the site to hunt for clues and challenges, and discover traditional Easter games like egg rolling and the egg and spoon race. Track down the Easter eggs and you’ll be rewarded with a chocolate treat and an adventurer’s certificate.
Tickets are £1.50 in addition to normal ticket price and you can pay on arrival, for more information visit HERE.
Find out more about things to do and activities in Kent with our free What’s On email HERE | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/12-cracking-easter-days-out-6903171 | 2022-04-10T14:23:59Z | kentlive.news | control | https://www.kentlive.news/whats-on/12-cracking-easter-days-out-6903171 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Your cruise news update with some of the biggest stories from the week. We’ve got major milestones for future cruise ships and price rises as the cruise industry is in demand with strong bookings.
Cruise News Update
It has just been another busy week of cruising, not just with news, but also with many cruise ships now back sailing. We’ve got updates on two future Royal Caribbean cruise ships that have reached major construction milestones, price hikes by Carnival Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises taking delivery of its newest ship, the first cruise ship returning to Canada, and another cruise cancellation for the ship that ran aground in March 2022.
In This Article…
Carnival Cruise Line Raises Prices
Along with the upcoming increase in per-passenger gratuities, Carnival Cruise Line has recently announced other increases for onboard services. Let’s just hope it’s not a new trend across all the major cruise lines.
The per person, per day gratuity rates for Carnival cruisers will be increasing for all voyages setting sail on or after May 1. In an April 4 email sent to guests booked on upcoming voyages, the company stated that for voyages from May 1 and onward, gratuities would be $14.50 for standard staterooms, and $16.50 for suites.
These increases, however, are not the only rising costs guests will soon see on Carnival cruises. Effective May 1, 2022, the Cheers! package price will rise to $59.95 per person per day when purchased before sailing, and $64.95 per person per day when purchased onboard.
The Bottomless Bubbles package will increase up to $9.50 depending on the guest’s age, there will be multiple specialty restaurant price increases including for the steakhouse, Bonsai Teppanyaki and Rudi’s Seagrill.
The wifi packages are also being increased with the Social plan increasing to $8.50 per day when pre-purchased, and the Value plan increasing to $11.05 when pre-purchased.
Celebrity Beyond Delivered
Celebrity Cruises has officially taken delivery of the new Celebrity Beyond. During the April 6, 2022, ceremony, Celebrity Cruises took delivery of the third and most luxurious ship in the fleet’s Edge-class of vessels.
Celebrity Cruises’ President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo was joined by Royal Caribbean Group’s President and CEO Jason Liberty and the ship’s captain, Kate McCue, as they officially took ownership from the shipyard.
The event included the traditional changing of the flags and a celebratory ceremony onboard Celebrity Beyond while docked in the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France.
The delivery of Celebrity Beyond is the first in person, physical delivery event handing off a new ship from the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard to any cruise line since the industry shutdown began in March 2020.
Celebrity Beyond is the largest ship ever constructed for Celebrity Cruises, weighing in at 140,600 gross tons and measuring 1,073 feet long and 128 feet wide. The ship has a double occupancy capacity of 3,260 guests, with more than 1,400 crew members to provide outstanding, luxury service.
The ship’s maiden voyage will depart Southampton, England, on April 27, for a 10-night Western Europe cruise visiting top European ports including Bordeaux, Lisbon, Seville, Palma de Mallorca, and Barcelona.
Icon of the Seas Reaches Construction Milestone
The next generation of ships for Royal Caribbean International is officially underway and has reached a major milestone as the keel has been laid for Icon of the Seas.
The ceremony, which marks the beginning of the ship’s physical assembly, took place at the Meyer Turku shipyard in southern Finland, on April 5, 2022.
The keel-laying ceremony includes the maritime tradition of placing a massive steel block into the building-dock on top of freshly minted coins, which represent the shipyard and cruise line.
The ship’s physical construction began 10 months ago, in June 2021, with the first steel cut for the vessel. The keel-laying is another critical milestone in the construction, right on time as the ship makes progress toward completion.
Icon of the Seas was first announced in 2016, under the code name “Project Icon.” Scheduled to debut in the fall of 2023, the namesake of the new class is the first of three Icon-class ships already ordered by Royal Caribbean International.
Two sister ships, both of which will also be LNG-powered, have been tentatively scheduled for 2025 and 2026, though no further updates have been made about those upcoming vessels.
Icon of the Seas is anticipated to be one of the largest cruise ships in the world, weighing in at roughly 200,000 gross tons and with a projected guest capacity of approximately 5,650 passengers at double occupancy.
Construction Begins on Utopia of the Seas
Royal Caribbean and the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, officially kicked off the start of construction of what we now know as Utopia of the Seas. She will eventually become the largest cruise ship in the world.
The sixth Oasis-class ship will be somewhat different than her five sister ships due to being powered by LNG.
There was an official steel-cutting ceremony at the shipyard attended by representatives from Royal Caribbean and Chantiers de l’Atlantique. The construction phase will likely take around 30 months, with a projected completion date in the spring of 2024.
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.
The official stats are yet to be revealed, but Utopia of the Seas could be as large as 250,000 gross tons. Royal Caribbean will be releasing ship features and itineraries at later dates.
First Cruise Ship Returns to Canada
This weekend is a long-awaited step in the international cruising restart, as Holland America Line becomes the first cruise line to call on Canada and return to a Canadian homeport in more than two years.
Koningsdam visited 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.
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.
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.
In total for 2022, Holland America Line will be operating 141 cruises in Canada with more than 250,000 guests visiting both coasts.
Another Norwegian Escape Cruise Canceled
Yet another 7-night sailing has been canceled for Norwegian Escape as the ship continues to undergo repairs due to having run aground in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, on March 14. Including the cruise that was shortened due to the incident, this makes five cruises that have been canceled for the vessel.
Booked guests and travel partners received notification on April 4 that the planned April 9 departure of Norwegian Escape will not be possible, as repairs on the vessel are not yet complete.
Norwegian Escape was to have sailed from Port Canaveral to Cozumel, Mexico; Ohio Rios, Jamaica; and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian Cruise Line’s private island in The Bahamas.
The ship only has one more 7-night departure planned from Port Canaveral, scheduled for April 16. After that, the ship is scheduled to depart for New York and then on to Rome for the summer and fall seasons in the Mediterranean.
Seven P&O Arcadia Sailings Canceled
In an email sent to booked guests, P&O Cruises has announced the cancellation of seven sailings of Arcadia, in order to reassign crew members to other vessels due to COVID-19 cases impacting crew availability. Though the ship only restarted passenger operations 13 days ago, all sailings until July 5 have been canceled.
The current sailing is not impacted by the cancelations, but future voyages through the planned June 23 departure will no longer take place.
The canceled sailings range from 3-19 day itineraries, with “Short Break” cruises as well as Baltic, Norwegian Fjord, and Mediterranean sailings.
The cancelation is due to rising COVID numbers that are impacting crew members available to work, and therefore making it difficult for the cruise line to provide their signature exemplary service.
Guests booked on the now-canceled sailings are reporting that P&O Cruises is providing a full refund for the affected sailing, including any pre-paid shore tours.
More Cruise Headlines
It was a busy week of cruise news in the industry across the major cruise lines, including itinerary changes for four Carnival cruise ships, Costa Cruises resumes guest sailings from Genoa, a new digital art collection coming to the new Prima-class ships from Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Sensation arrives at the scrapyard in Turkey, Carnival Glory repairs, and plenty more. | https://www.cruisehive.com/cruise-news-update-april-10-2022/69537 | 2022-04-10T14:37:38Z | cruisehive.com | control | https://www.cruisehive.com/cruise-news-update-april-10-2022/69537 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Plenty of us decided to welcome new four-legged friends into our homes in the last couple of years – according to Kennel Club figures dog ownership soared by nearly eight percent – and post-lockdown demand for puppies remains high.
When they are young many dogs can be destructive – chewing socks, shoes and other interesting items they find around the house.
Most respond to training and grow out of their naughty phase, but others can be more stubborn, continuing to ruin their owner’s possessions.
Meanwhile, some pooches are eternally hungry and always on the lookout for a bin to raid, or a piece of food left unattended on a kitchen worktop.
Home contents insurance providers SO-SURE set out to find the UK’s naughtiest pet, with a £200 Next voucher up for grabs, and were inundated with entries.
Here is the mischievous winner and the other naughty contenders.
Read more
A message from the Editor:
Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.
If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription. | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/britains-naughtiest-dogs-9-most-mischievous-pups-in-the-uk-pictured-including-laya-who-destroyed-20-pairs-of-shoes-3591226 | 2022-04-10T14:52:24Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/britains-naughtiest-dogs-9-most-mischievous-pups-in-the-uk-pictured-including-laya-who-destroyed-20-pairs-of-shoes-3591226 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
One thing worth considering before making a decision is that some breeds make better companions for the more elderly owner – needing less in the way of exercise or grooming and tending to be chilled and relaxing pets.
Plenty of us decided to welcome new four-legged friends into our homes in the last couple of years – according to Kennel Club figures dog ownership soared by nearly eight percent – and post-lockdown demand for puppies remains high.
There are a whopping 221 different breeds of pedigree dog to choose from, alongside numerous crossbreeds, so there’s plenty of thinking to do before you select your family’s latest addition.
There’s even academic guidance to seek out, with Psychologist Stanley Coren’s book ‘The Intelligence of Dogs’ ranking breeds by instincts, obedience, and the ability to adapt.
So, here are the 10 best and worst breeds of dog to consider when it comes to older dog-lovers.
Read more
A message from the Editor:
Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.
If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription. | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-for-older-people-10-worst-and-best-breeds-of-adorable-dog-for-the-more-elderly-owner-from-the-labrador-to-the-poodle-3599712 | 2022-04-10T14:52:37Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/family-and-parenting/dogs-for-older-people-10-worst-and-best-breeds-of-adorable-dog-for-the-more-elderly-owner-from-the-labrador-to-the-poodle-3599712 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Biden will meet virtually with Indian PM on Monday
President Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting on Monday with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the White House announced on Sunday.
Why it matters: "India's refusal to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and efforts to protect trade with Russia mean one of Washington's most valued strategic partners is actively undercutting its efforts to isolate Moscow," Axios' Dave Lawler wrote last month.
- "Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets," press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Sunday.
Details: Biden and Modi "will discuss cooperation on a range of issues including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," Psaki said.
- The president last spoke to Modi in March along with other members of the Quad, which also includes Australia and Japan. The White House in September hosted the "first-ever Quad Leaders Summit."
- Monday's meeting comes ahead of the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and their Indian counterparts.
Go deeper: India undermines effort to isolate Russia | https://www.axios.com/biden-meeting-indian-pm-44446324-418f-41d5-8233-3f750a002caa.html | 2022-04-10T15:03:30Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/biden-meeting-indian-pm-44446324-418f-41d5-8233-3f750a002caa.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Scoop: Rick Santorum endorses Dave McCormick in Pennsylvania Senate race
Former Sen. Rick Santorum (R) will endorse Dave McCormick for the Republican nomination in the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania.
Why it matters: Former President Trump on Saturday made a surprise endorsement of Mehmet Oz, better known as Dr. Oz, who is running against McCormick.
Details: "I know Pennsylvania and I know conservatives. Dave Mccormick will be the next Senator from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He has my full endorsement," Santorum said in a statement provided by the McCormick campaign.
Between the lines: McCormick met twice with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, including on Wednesday.
- The former president's wife, Melania Trump, and Fox News' Sean Hannity, friends’ of Oz's, had been pressing Trump to back him, rather than choose McCormick or stay neutral, sources told Axios.
- The endorsement divided MAGA Twitter, with some Trump supporters criticizing his Oz backing.
Go deeper: Trump endorses Dr. Oz in Pennsylvania Senate race | https://www.axios.com/ick-santorum-endorses-dave-mccormick-pennsylvania-senate-race-a46bc3ac-b8d0-418e-b80d-f1f475c2b794.html | 2022-04-10T15:03:36Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/ick-santorum-endorses-dave-mccormick-pennsylvania-senate-race-a46bc3ac-b8d0-418e-b80d-f1f475c2b794.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Roughly two-thirds of the 70 million gallons of sewage spilled in Los Angeles County since 2007 ended up in a storm drain or a river connected to the Pacific Ocean, according to analysis of 15 years of data maintained by the county Public Health Department.
Of that total, the vast majority of the sewage that entered a waterway was inadvertently released in a single year: 2021.
A nearly catastrophic disaster at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and the sudden collapse of a sewer system in Carson last year combined to make it the worst since the beginning of the data set in April 2007. The two spills, roughly six months and 15 miles apart, led to the total release of 25 million gallons of raw sewage either directly into the ocean or into waterways that empty into it.
In the 15-year period reviewed, there is no other year where more than 10 million gallons of untreated sewage made it to the sea, according to the data from the Public Health Department, which monitors ocean quality and tracks sewage spills reported by cities and other county agencies.
Spokespersons for L.A. city and county sanitation agencies — which combined own roughly half of the 17,000 miles of sewers in the county — say they are far below the state average for spills per 100 miles of sewers.
“I think it’s a case where both agencies were unlucky to have these unprecedented spills in one year,” said Bryan Langpap, a spokesman for Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, the agency responsible for the sewer that collapsed in Carson. “In terms of the number of spills, we’re not seeing a spike.”
The data from public health suggests that L.A. County’s various public agencies have indeed steadily reduced the number of spills by as much as 70% since 2008. Yet, at the same time, the largest of spills by volume have nearly all occurred in recent years and fewer of those spills have been prevented from reaching the ocean. Approximately 92% of the 42 million gallons of sewage that reached a waterway connected to the Pacific in the 15-year period were spilled after 2015, the data shows.
Equipment failures blamed
The analysis of the data indicates that while grease and roots caused the most spills by far, the worst events were almost always caused by some type of preventable infrastructure failure. Though these failures caused only 4% of the 6,412 spills tracked in the database, roughly 63% of the total gallons spilled came from such events.
A comprehensive countywide assessment of Los Angeles County’s sewer infrastructure, approved by the Board of Supervisors in January, is underway in response to the Carson spill.
“The sewer pipe that collapsed in Carson and spilled 8 million gallons of sewage into our ocean in late December was nearly 60 years old,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said at the time. “We need to not only understand why that pipe wasn’t replaced sooner, but how our aging infrastructure in sewer systems across the county is holding up.”
These large scale spills are not inevitable in a major metropolitan area and could indicate a need for more funding for maintenance, said Luke Ginger, a water quality scientist for the environmental advocacy group Heal the Bay.
“It comes down to our infrastructure and how often we update and how well we maintain it,” Ginger said.
Hyperion spill the worst
The single worst spill in the entire 15-year period occurred in July, when a series of screens and chopper pumps designed to separate trash and large debris from incoming sewage failed at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant operated by the Los Angeles Sanitation and Environment, or LASAN. Water inside the plant rose rapidly, but the operators on duty did not notice the clog or the visible-but-inaudible alarm warning about the rising water levels until the flooding had reached dangerous levels.
At the same time, a high-tech computer system that could have remotely alerted the head operator of the flooding had not been fully installed, according to a report by an advisory committee formed by the Los Angeles Department of Public Works to investigate the spill.
The flooding led to the emergency release of 17 million gallons of raw sewage directly into the ocean to avoid the complete failure of the plant. The damage to the plant led to months of repair work and the additional releases of millions of gallons of partially treated wastewater from a pipeline 5 miles out from shore.
The problems
“It should have never happened,” said Michael Stenstrom, a UCLA civil and environmental engineering professor who co-authored the report. “In a better managed facility, it probably wouldn’t have happened.”
LASAN is currently evaluating and implementing the recommendations of the report, according to a spokesperson. The plant plans to install an audible alarm with a flashing beacon to alert to high water levels and will modify equipment to automate monitoring and improve resiliency.
Just six months after the Hyperion spill, a resident in Carson noticed sewage seeping up from a manhole at the intersection of 212th Street and South Lynton Avenue. County crews tracked the sewage back to a sinkhole and collapsed sewer on 216th Street. Approximately 8.5 million gallons of sewage is believed to have entered the Dominguez Channel as a result.
Reports in the months since have indicated this part of the sewer system was identified for replacement in 2015, yet only one phase of the three-phase replacement project was completed by the time of the collapse. Officials attributed the long delay to the complexities of designing and getting permits for a sewer replacement beneath a busy intersection.
“They were sort of gambling (about) the amount of time it was going to take to make the needed repairs, and they unfortunately ran of out time,” Hahn said in January. “We don’t want that to happen anywhere else in the county.”
The larger the sewer, the more complicated and expensive it can be to replace it, according to Stenstrom. In some cases, the entire street might need to be dug up, or a temporary sewer system constructed to divert the flows that would otherwise go through the damaged line.
“They’re difficult, expensive problems,” he said.
Pipeline inspections
Sewers in the city of L.A. and L.A. County typically are inspected on 15-year cycles and rated based on their quality. A sewer that is identified as potentially problematic will receive more regular inspections, officials said.
The 216th Street Relocation Trunk Sewer in Carson was last inspected by the county in November and early December and reportedly there were no indications of an emergency. Officials now suspect that a nearby manhole may have collapsed and caused the complete blockage of the sewer line. The manhole was looked at as part of the video inspection, but the low quality on the closed-circuit television systems used to inspect the sewer, which looks up at the manhole from the sewer, could have have missed the corrosion of the concrete, according to Sam Espinoza, the head of the Los Angeles County Sanitation District’s engineering department.
A series of large storms during that time period also might have contributed to the sudden collapse.
“This is not something we’ve seen before, but it’s really caused us to rethink the inspections of our manholes and maybe we need to do something different with our procedures in the future,” Espinoza said. The department is evaluating an upgrade to higher quality cameras for future inspections, according to a spokesperson.
A consultant is expected to provide a report detailing recommendations for improvements to L.A. County Sanitation’s programs and procedures in May.
Sewer inspections are typically done by running a camera attached to a wire through the pipeline. For the city of Los Angeles, it can take two to three months before a sewer pipe video is reviewed, according to a spokesperson.
Sewage drained into Ballona Creek
In 2018, a broken bypass pipe beneath Hyperion Avenue in Los Angeles led to a sewer draining directly into a storm drain for nine months. The line had been inspected by camera in February 2018 and then reviewed in April, according to Elena Stern, a spokesperson for LASAN. The inspector gave it a “B” rating on a scale of “A” to “E,” with “A” being the best quality and “E” indicating an emergency situation. Months later, in October 2018, an engineer was reviewing the same footage to look for maintenance access and spotted the issue.
Roughly 9.4 million gallons of sewage flowed into the drain connected to Ballona Creek over the course of the nine months the problem went unnoticed, according to a report by LASAN to the State Water Resources Control Board.
Some areas, however, are inaccessible by the most frequently used camera systems because of the length of the pipelines between access points. Stenstrom pointed to miles of sewer running beneath LAX’s runways as one example.
“There’s several miles of sewer that were not inspected for maybe 50 years,” he said. As part of the review for Hyperion, a new technology — a sort-of drone on a buoy — was used to inspect that portion of the sewer system to determine if it contributed in anyway to the Hyperion flooding. It didn’t, but these types of advances in inspection and maintenance — including potentially new pipe lining for existing sewers that can reduce corrosion — could limit spills in the future, Stenstrom said.
Most of the sewer systems use concrete, which can be corroded over decades by hydrogen sulfide produced by sewage, he said.
No ‘smoking gun’
Though Stenstrom is critical of the failures at Hyperion, he doesn’t believe the city or the county have a larger infrastructure problem.
“I don’t think there are real problems — like a smoking-gun kind of problem — with the maintenance in either the city of L.A. or the county,” Stenstrom said. “These two agencies do a relatively good job. I’ve seen much worse.”
Stenstrom, however, said one of his current concerns is whether the sewer systems in Los Angeles County, which were designed for high volumes of flowing water, are prepared for the low flows brought on by efforts to conserve water.
“When you have less flow, you can accumulate heavy materials,” he said. Then, it only takes one big storm to wash those materials into a treatment plant, or to create a clog, he said.
Those low flow cans also increase hydrogen sulfide.
In 2016, a sewer near 1600 E. Sixth Street in Los Angeles collapsed suddenly and spilled 2.4 million gallons of sewage into the L.A. River. Investigators believe the drought reduced sewer flows, which in turn increased the amount of hydrogen sulfide in the pipeline. It had been inspected in 2009 and given a “D” rating, the second worst of the scale of “A’ to “E.” Though the conditions were poor in 2009, it wasn’t scheduled for rehabilitation until the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to a report to the state.
Environmental impacts still unknown
The impacts to the environment from the massive spills in 2021 are still largely unknown, though preliminary results from trawling done late last year appeared to show no negative impacts to fish and other wildlife near Hyperion, the larger of the two spills, according to LASAN. The testing is not yet complete, however.
Back in October, LASAN officials stated it could take more than a year to study the impacts of the 17 million gallons of raw sewage released intentionally by Hyperion to avoid a larger disaster and the unaccounted millions of additional gallons of partially treated wastewater that were released for months while the plant underwent repairs.
Offshore sampling in the months after the Hyperion disaster showed spikes in e.coli and enterococcus as high as 6,000% and 3,200% above water quality standards, respectively, according to results at the time. But those samples were below a layer of the ocean called the thermocline, which acts as a barrier and, as such, prevents risk to beaches along the shoreline. Sewage at those levels can, however, still pose a risk to ocean life by blanketing the sea floor, clogging fish gills, creating dead zones and blocking sunlight.
It is difficult to say what the longer term impacts could be until more testing is done, said Ginger of Heal the Bay.
“There needs to be funding and there needs to be years of research” to determine the impacts, he said.
Though Ginger said LASAN’s description of its early test results seemed promising, he said he could not speak to the efficacy until the testing is complete and the data is released publicly by the city. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/42-million-gallons-of-sewage-entered-l-a-waterways-in-last-15-years/ | 2022-04-10T15:17:08Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/42-million-gallons-of-sewage-entered-l-a-waterways-in-last-15-years/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — A pregnant woman with her 2-year old child in the backseat was shot in her car on Friday, according to Winston-Salem police.
The shooting happened at 2700 Piedmont Circle.
Police say that the woman was sitting in the car with her child at 2700 Piedmont Circle and became involved in a domestic dispute with Tyrone Jamel Roseborough, 27.
Police say that at some time during the dispute, Roseborough began shooting into the woman’s vehicle striking her with gunfire several times. The 2-year-old child was not injured during the shooting.
Roseborough fled the area after the shooting.
The now-injured woman drove herself to Winston-Salem Fire Department Station 3 located at 2995 N Liberty Street. Once at the fire station she received medical attention for her injuries and called Winston-Salem police.
The woman would later be transported to a local hospital and is listed in stable condition as her injuries are considered to be non-life-threatening. Her unborn child’s injuries are also considered to be non-life-threatening as well.
Winston-Salem police located Roseborough later in the evening in the area of 718 Johnson Circle where he was taken into custody.
Roseborough is being charged with the following:
- Assault inflicting serious injury with a minor present
- Assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or seriously injure
- Assault on an unborn child
- Discharging firearms in the city limits
- Discharging firearms in a moving vehicle
Roseborough’s bond has been set at $250,000. The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with any information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Winston-Salem Police Department at (336) 773-7700, Crime Stoppers at (336) 727-2800, or En Espanol (336) 728-3904. You can also view “Crime Stoppers of Winston-Salem Forsyth County” on Facebook.
A Crime Stoppers Tip Form can also be located online. Information provided to Crime Stoppers may be provided anonymously. | https://www.wspa.com/news/state-news/pregnant-woman-shot-in-car-with-2-year-old-in-child-backseat/ | 2022-04-10T15:17:14Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/state-news/pregnant-woman-shot-in-car-with-2-year-old-in-child-backseat/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Q. I am 63 and was laid off because of the virus. Is there an employment agency or other sources I can contact where someone can at least help me find a part-time job? I have a varied background with two degrees in theology and years of volunteer work. Thanks for your help. H.N.
One would assume that with millions of jobs going unfilled, there would be many employment opportunities. That’s not always the case, particularly when it comes to older job seekers. They may not have the requisite skills; prefer shorter commutes or none at all; may not like the work arrangements or nature of the job; the pay might be inadequate and, in many cases, it’s because of age discrimination. Note: Only 8 percent of companies include age as part of their diversity training, according to the Harvard Business Review.
Even with the demand to hire more workers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in January 2022, about one-third of unemployed workers ages 55 and older were considered long-term unemployed, meaning it took them more than six months to get a job. In contrast, about one-fourth of workers ages 16 to 54 had the same experience.
Finding work in any life stage has multiple components. Here are a few tips with a focus on older applicants: the resume, networking and resources. Let’s begin with the resume.
Age-proof your resume: There is an erroneous assumption that older adults lack tech-savvy skills. To avoid that stereotype, don’t use an older email account such as AOL or Yahoo and avoid including your street address which some consider a sign of an older applicant. Of course, don’t include the year of your graduations. (Note: Advocates who are fighting ageism might argue this approach is counterproductive since it’s hiding age rather than being proud of it. I agree. However, there is the reality of the workplace and for many, the need to work. In the meantime, many of us are working to help create age-neutral work environments with a level playing field for all ages.)
Prepare for a computer-screened resume: Showcase your job skills. Your resume likely will be screened by a computer before it reaches a hiring manager. Therefore, your cover letter and resume should reflect keywords about your current job skills rather than a summary of your past work experience. Include keywords for each job opening.
Polish your appearance: Some research suggests that once a hiring manager interviews applicants face to face, the advantage goes to the younger worker. This has been the case when both younger and older applicants have the same qualifications. The message is not to necessarily look young but to look good, however you interpret that. You might tweak your wardrobe or hairstyle indicating you are current.
Other tips include limiting your resume to one page with recent work experience and skills rather than describing your work history. Highlight technical proficiencies. Finally, make sure the resume is easy to read with headings or some bold type.
Next is networking. Monster.com, a resource that connects recruiters and job seekers suggests a few strategies for later-life job seekers.
Again, here are a few tips. If possible, be clear about what you are seeking by stating the type of work or job. The person with whom you are connecting may be going to the movies or playing golf with someone who is looking for a person just like you. Never appear desperate or too hungry and connect with experienced folks who may have multiple contacts. And if you are reserved, Keith Ferrazzi, author of “Never Eat Alone and Other Secrets to Success” (2014, Crown Business) has some advice: “Get over it,” as quoted in Monster.com. Finally, reach out to younger folks for not only networking, but also to be your mentor. In the area of technology, there is much we can learn from them. Jack Welch, former CEO and Chair of General Electric had a 25-year-old mentor and assigned 20-something mentors to his executives.
The internet is key for connecting and providing opportunities for one’s next position. LinkedIn is a must. Finally, take advantage of face-to-face opportunities. Attend conferences, meetings, social events and just be there. As Woody Allen is quoted as saying, 80 percent of success is showing up.
H.N. Thank you for your question. Next week we’ll address resources and explore possible opportunities suited to your background. In the meantime, stay well and be kind to yourself and others. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/looking-for-employment-here-are-some-tips-for-older-job-seekers/ | 2022-04-10T15:17:26Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/looking-for-employment-here-are-some-tips-for-older-job-seekers/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
They came as autograph seekers, memorabilia collectors and devoted auto racing fans.
They wanted to express their appreciation, get race opinions from the pros — and, of course, nab a signature or two.
The dedicated fans at this weekend’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach had various reasons for waiting in long lines, often in the hot sun, to meet their favorite professional race car drivers.
They also had ample opportunities.
Many people simply wanted to share a few moments with their idols. Others wanted autographs for family members who couldn’t make it. And some had more personal objectives.
“I’m here for my kid,” said Long Beach resident Karla Rodriguez, who was the first person in the queue to meet Romain Grosjean and his Andretti Autosport teammates at Friday’s IndyCar autograph session.
“I have a 9-year-old at home who had tickets for today, but the sun was too strong for him to be out here,” Rodriguez said in the sweltering heat. “He races go karts, is really into Formula 1 and has followed IndyCars for three years.”
But besides getting a signed picture for her son, Rodriguez, who was attending her third Grand Prix of Long Beach, had an ulterior motive for wanting to meet Grosjean.
“I’m going to tell him my kid is a big fanatic and as a mom, I really appreciate the public role model he is for kids,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a lot of kids who look up to him and wish to be like him.”
Pfaff Motorsports teammates Matt Campbell, left, and Mathieu Jaminet pose for a fan on Saturday, Apr. 9, 2022, during the IMSA autograph session at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Ricky Taylor, right, and Felipe Albuquerque greet fans on Saturday, Apr. 9, 2022, during the IMSA autograph session at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
IMSA driver Jordan Taylor signs ear muffs for a fan on Saturday, Apr. 9, 2022, during an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph session. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Julian Orozco and Natalie Arellano from Whittier display signed merchandise on Saturday, Apr. 9, 2022, during the IMSA autograph session at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The Corvette Racing Team’s Antonio Garcia signs a poster on Saturday, Apr. 9, 2022, during the IMSA autograph session at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Pfaff Motorsports teammates Mathieu Jaminet, left, and Matt Campbell greet fans on Saturday, Apr. 9, 2022, during the IMSA autograph session at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
IMSA driver Jordan Taylor signs a poster for Julian Orozco from Whittier on Saturday, Apr. 9, 2022, during an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph session. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Devon Tessler, left, and her identical twin sister Riley from Danville, Calif., display autographs from IMSA drivers on Saturday, Apr. 9, 2022, during an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph session. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Colton Herta, left, and Alexander Rossi are ready to meet fans on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, during an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph session. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
9-year-old Crosby Kim interacts with IndyCar driver Tatiana Calderon on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, at an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph session. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
9-year-old Crosby Kim shows off an autographed t-shirt on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, in the paddock at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach residents Crosby Kim, 9, his mother Katherine and stepfather Wayne Ball display their autographed t-shirts on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, in the paddock at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Joe Merino of Santa Fe Springs displays a customized sign containing dozens of IndyCar driver signatures on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, the first day of this year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Jackie Jordan from Indianapolis takes a selfie with IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, at one of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph sessions. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
IndyCar driver Tatiana Calderon chats with a fan on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, during an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph session. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Kathy Hogan from Indiana takes a selfie with IndyCar driver Colton Herta on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, at one of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph sessions. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
IndyCar driver Simon Pagenaud chats with a fan on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, during an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph session. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach residents Belicia Enriquez, left, and Karla Rodriguez lined up early to meet IndyCar drivers on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Kathy Hogan from Indiana shows off a freshly-signed photo of Colton Herta on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, at one of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph sessions. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
13-year-old Will Buchen from Irvine is all smiles after getting some items signed on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, the first day of this year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Jamie Watkins of Rancho Cucamonga is one of hundreds of fans to have items signed by IndyCar drivers on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, at one of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph sessions. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Colin Salisbury from Aliso Viejo, left, and his older brother Joshua are lined up for autographs from Team Andretti Autosport IndyCar drivers on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, the first day of this year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Long Beach residents Karla Rodriguez, waving, and Belicia Enriquez are at the front of one the lines on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, waiting to meet IndyCar drivers at an Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach autograph session. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Lyndsey Bloxom of Alexandria, Va., is at the front of the line on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, waiting for IndyCar driver Jimmie Johnson to sign a picture at one of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach’s autograph sessions. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Fans are lined up for autographs from IndyCar drivers on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, the first day of this year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Fans are lined up for autographs from IndyCar drivers on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, the first day of this year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Fans are lined up for autographs from IndyCar drivers on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, the first day of this year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
IMSA driver Bill Auberlen greets people on Thursday, Apr. 7, 2022, at his induction ceremony into the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame, one of several opportunities for fans to get autographs during this year’s Grand Prix events. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
People are lined up for autographs from IndyCar drivers on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, as cars return to the paddock following the first practice session of this year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
People are lined up for autographs from IndyCar drivers on Friday, Apr. 8, 2022, as cars return to the paddock following the first practice session of this year’s Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Besides the hugely popular, choreographed autograph sessions on Friday and Saturday, the Motorsports Walk of Fame Induction Ceremony and Thunder Thursday also provided passionate fans personal encounters with elite drivers from the IndyCar Series, IMSA and Formula DRIFT.
Lyndsey Bloxom of Alexandria, Virginia, withstood Friday’s oppressive temperatures and a three-hour wait to get IndyCar driver Jimmie Johnson’s autograph.
“I’ve been following him since 2005 when he raced NASCAR,” Bloxom said, “and I have a photo I want him to sign.”
But Bloxom, originally from Huntington Beach, also wanted to share a message from her heart.
“I’ve never met Jimmie before,” she said, “and I plan on telling him that it’s been a joy following his career and it’s real exciting to meet him.”
With colored Sharpies and promotional photos in hand, the pros were engaging and ready to autograph almost anything handed to them, pose for selfies, accept well wishes, recall a past encounter or ask a question.
Will Buchen, a 9-year-old who came to the event from Irvine with his father, is rooting for Grosjean to win Sunday’s Grand Prix.
The youngster hoped to get some pictures signed and also wanted to get a racing expert’s opinion.
“I asked Romain who he thinks is going to win the Formula 1 championship this year,” Buchen said, “and he said Charles Leclerc.”
Buchen doesn’t necessarily agree with Grosjean’s prediction, the youngster said, but he still plans to hang his newly autographed pictures in his room.
Long Beach residents and frequent Grand Prix attendees Katherine Kim and Wayne Ball brought the former’s son, Crosby, 9, to the paddock where they all displayed T-shirts autographed by several IndyCar drivers.
But while the adults sought out some heritage names — Graham Rahal and Grosjean — Crosby, a student at Bryant Elementary who had already collected seven signatures, said he was looking for someone in particular to sign his T-shirt: Rookie of the Year candidate Tatiana Calderon.
“I was looking for her,” he said, “because a female driver came to my school.”
It’s the intimate, fan-friendly nature of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and its associated events that gives people of all ages the rare opportunity to hang out with the pros.
They are interactions that are infrequent among most professional sports involving internationally known superstars.
And no matter what happens when the drivers compete on the track, people like young Crosby Kim will always have these signature moments to look back on.
Sign up for The Localist, our daily email newsletter with handpicked stories relevant to where you live. Subscribe here. | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/why-wait-in-long-lines-at-acura-grand-prix-of-long-beach-to-get-signatures-here-are-the-reasons-fans-gave/ | 2022-04-10T15:17:39Z | pasadenastarnews.com | control | https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2022/04/10/why-wait-in-long-lines-at-acura-grand-prix-of-long-beach-to-get-signatures-here-are-the-reasons-fans-gave/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
US official: Russia appoints new Ukraine war commander
WASHINGTON (AP) — After its striking post-invasion setbacks, Russia has appointed a new Ukraine war commander, a U.S. official said Sunday.
Russia has turned to Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, 60, one of Russia’s most experienced military officers and — according to U.S. officials — a general with a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and other war theaters. The senior official who identified the new commander was not authorized to be identified and spoke on condition of anonymity.
But the White House national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said “no appointment of any general can erase the fact that Russia has already faced a strategic failure in Ukraine.”
“This general will just be another author of crimes and brutality against Ukrainian civilians,” Sullivan told CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And the United States, as I said before, is determined to do all that we can to support Ukrainians as they resist him and they resist the forces that he commands.”
WARNING: Videos may contain graphic content.
The decision to establish new battlefield leadership comes as Russia gears up for what is expected to be a large and more focused push to expand Russian control in the Donbas and follows a failed opening bid to conquer Kyiv, the capital.
Dvornikov gained prominence while leading the Russian group of forces in Syria, where Moscow has waged a military campaign since 2015 to shore up President Bashar Assad’s regime during a devastating civil war.
Dvornikov is a career military officer and has steadily risen through the ranks after starting as a platoon commander in 1982. He fought during the second war in Chechnya and took several top positions before being placed in charge of the Russian troops in Syria in 2015.
In 2016, Putin awarded Dvornikov the Hero of Russia medal, one of the country’s highest awards. Dvornikov has served as the commander of the Southern Military District since 2016.
Sullivan described the general as having a record of brutality against civilians in Syria and said “we can expect more of the same in this theater.” But he stressed that the U.S. strategy remains the same in providing Ukraine the military and logistical support it needs.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. | https://www.witn.com/2022/04/10/us-official-russia-appoints-new-ukraine-war-commander/ | 2022-04-10T15:28:09Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/2022/04/10/us-official-russia-appoints-new-ukraine-war-commander/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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