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UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP) — When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S., sales of window coverings at Halcyon Shades quickly went dark. So the suburban St. Louis business did what hundreds of other small manufacturers did: It pivoted to make protective supplies, with help from an $870,000 government grant.
But things haven’t worked out as planned. The company quit making face shields because it wasn’t profitable. It still hasn’t sold a single N95 mask because of struggles to get equipment, materials and regulatory approval.
“So far, it has been a net drain of funds and resources and energy,” Halcyon Shades owner Jim Schmersahl said.
Many companies that began producing personal protective equipment with patriotic optimism have scaled back, shut down or given up, according to an Associated Press analysis based on numerous interviews with manufacturers. Some already have sold equipment they bought with state government grants.
As COVID-19 was stressing hospitals and shuttering businesses in 2020, elected officials touted the need to boost U.S. production of protective gear: “All this stuff should be made in the United States and not in China,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in remarks echoed by others.
Yet many manufacturers who answered the call have faced logistical hurdles, regulatory rejections, slumping demand and fierce competition from foreign suppliers. On April 1, Florida-based American Surgical Mask Co. became one of the latest to close.
“I’m just done with the fight,” CEO Matt Brandman told the AP.
After the initial scramble for PPE subsided, many industry newcomers faced difficulty selling products. Government agencies sometimes wanted huge quantities at tough-to-meet deadlines. Hospital systems tended to contract with established suppliers. Retail sales waned after every virus surge.
“At the end of the day, when everybody said they wanted American-made, nobody’s buying, not even the state,” said Tony Blogumas, vice president of Green Resources Consulting, a rural Missouri firm that received an $800,000 state grant but has sold only a few thousand masks. “We’re kind of upset about the whole situation.”
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also is disappointed. His administration divided $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds among 48 businesses for the production of masks, gowns, sanitizer and other supplies. Parson hoped to seed a permanent field of manufacturers.
“I’m still a firm believer in that — that we need to be making PPE here in this state,” Parson said. “Unfortunately, a lot of entities went right back to where they were getting it before.”
The onset of the pandemic revealed that the U.S. was highly dependent on foreign countries for protective gear. When China limited exports because of its own battle against COVID-19, U.S. stockpiles plummeted. Prices skyrocketed as federal officials, governors and health care systems competed for supplies.
Though federal stockpiles have been replenished, shriveling domestic production has raised concerns that state governments, medical facilities and others could again get stuck scrambling for gear during a future pandemic.
The AP identified more than $125 million in grants to spur production of pandemic supplies made to over 300 business in 10 states — Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Ohio. It’s possible that grants were awarded in additional states, but there is no central clearinghouse to track them.
In November 2020, Alabama awarded one of the single largest grants — nearly $10.6 million from federal pandemic relief funds — to HomTex Inc. The company was to equip a new Selma facility to make 250 million surgical masks and 45 million N95 masks annually. The plant returned $1.8 million of the state grant and has yet to make anything due to a lack of customers.
“I can’t produce product that I can’t sell,” HomTex President Jeremy Wootten said.
Other companies also had trouble living up to political hype.
In October 2020, New York announced eight grants that then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, now the governor, said were “a model for how we build back better for the post-pandemic future.” Those included $800,000 for newly formed Altor Safety and $1 million for startup firm NYPPE.
But NYPPE’s equipment wasn’t ready until February 2021, by which time the market had changed, President Connor Knapp said.
So Knapp tapped the brakes on his plans. NYPPE still hasn’t sold any N95 masks because it lacks regulatory approval. It just recently scaled up production of surgical masks, after obtaining a U.S. Food and Drug Administration certification that came with its purchase of Altor Safety.
Some PPE manufacturers point to federal regulations as part of the reason for their struggles. Three-ply masks need FDA approval to be marketed for medical use — an important designation for building a long-term customer base.
That process can be time-consuming. Facing delays, Angstrom Manufacturing in Missouri ended up buying another business that already had FDA approval, President Chris Carron said. By then, it was fall 2021 — a year after it received a state grant.
Companies need approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to market products as N95 respirators, which filter at least 95% of airborne particles.
During the first two years of the pandemic, NIOSH approved 30 new manufacturers — more than seven times the typical number during a similar pre-pandemic period, according to agency data. Some applications remain pending, while numerous others were denied.
Halcyon Shades’ N95 certification was rejected in October because its samples didn’t have head straps attached. While the company works on another application, its equipment sits idle inside the clear plastic-sheet walls of a “clean room” specially built to shield materials from airborne contaminants. Partially finished masks remain paused on a conveyor belt, waiting to be deposited into a cardboard box.
Without federal approval, “we’re just dead in the water,” said Schmersahl, the company owner.
Progress reports filed with the Missouri Department of Economic Development show that nearly all its PPE grant recipients faced challenges by July 2021, especially with sales.
Patriot Medical Devices, which received $750,000 from Missouri, hired nearly 100 people as it cranked out millions of masks during a COVID-19 surge in late 2020 and early 2021, CEO Rick Needham said. Fewer than 10 employees remain.
“We felt it was our patriotic duty to do something to help solve the problem,” Needham said. But, he added, “It’s frankly a little bit of a dysfunctional business model at this point.”
Ohio awarded $20.8 million to 73 businesses to manufacture pandemic-related supplies, according to state data. Of 60 businesses that complied with a recent reporting deadline, more than one-third no longer produced PPE by the end of 2021.
Cleveland Veteran Business Solutions, which received a $500,000 grant to get into the PPE business, made about 5 million surgical masks beginning in August 2020. It ultimately halted production in the face of cheaper imports and sold its machines this year, co-founder Taner Eren said.
“It was surprising and disappointing strategically that there wasn’t support for a local PPE manufacturing industry,” Eren said.
The business was among several dozen that banded together to form the American Mask Manufacturer’s Association with the goal of sustaining the industry. The group’s membership has dwindled as more and more go out of business.
Association organizers say the industry has reached a critical point. They want the federal government to treat PPE manufacturers like the nation’s defense industry — entering into long-term contracts to perpetually replenish a stockpile for future pandemics or emergencies.
“If the federal government doesn’t come in and help support the U.S. manufacturing base, it’s almost certainly going to go back to China, and we’ll be just as vulnerable as we were in early 2020 and 2019,” said Brent Dillie, the association chairman and co-founder of Premium-PPE, a Virginia manufacturer started during the pandemic that has shed about two-thirds of its roughly 300 employees.
Infrastructure legislation signed by President Joe Biden took a step toward bolstering domestic suppliers. Effective in February, it required new contracts for PPE purchased by the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to run for at least two years and be awarded to U.S. producers — unless there’s not sufficient quantity and quality at market prices.
The health and veterans departments said they haven’t bought anything yet. Homeland Security hasn’t answered the AP’s questions. Documents show the government solicited bids due Dec. 6 for up to 381 million U.S.-made surgical masks over three years for its stockpile. No deal has been announced.
Other documents show the government is looking to contract with three major suppliers — 3M, Moldex, and Owens & Minor — for a total of $115 million in U.S-made N95 masks over three years. A justification document says noncompetitive contracts are necessary to preserve capacity for future coronavirus surges or emergencies.
The Biden administration also formed a task force of experts from federal agencies, health care providers, PPE manufacturers and distributors to develop a national strategy for ensuring a “resilient public health supply chain.” Its work is expected to extend for years.
Some manufacturers said they can’t wait long for a federal life preserver.
Dentec Safety Specialists is wrapping up a contract to supply 125,000 rubber reusable respirators and 500,000 filtration cartridges from its Kansas facility for the national stockpile, said President Claudio Dente. It needs more orders soon to prevent layoffs, he said.
“I thought that COVID would really change the mindset of the people, the governments and manufacturing,” Dente said. But he added: “The general marketplace is reverting back to their old ways — meaning looking to buy product from China.” | https://www.wpri.com/health/coronavirus/efforts-to-make-protective-medical-gear-in-us-falling-flat/ | 2022-04-11T16:33:47Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/health/coronavirus/efforts-to-make-protective-medical-gear-in-us-falling-flat/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
If you are looking for your next captivating read, “Traces of Mary” is just the novel you’ll want to add to your bookshelf. Described as a one-of-a-kind mix of horror, science-fiction, thriller and mystery, Writer G. Wayne Miller’s latest – his 20th published work – will have you frantically turning those pages. He joined Brendan Kirby on today’s show to discuss what readers can expect, his creative process, offering inspiration and support for young writers and more.
For additional info and to grab your copy, head to: http://www.gwaynemiller.com/
Rhode Show Content Disclaimer: The information, advice, and answers displayed in The Rhode Show section of WPRI.com are those of individual sponsors and guests and not WPRI-TV/Nexstar Media Group, Inc. WPRI.com presents this content on behalf of each participating Rhode Show sponsor. Sponsored content is copyrighted to its respective sponsor unless otherwise indicated. | https://www.wpri.com/rhode-show/g-wayne-miller-discusses-latest-book-and-more/ | 2022-04-11T16:34:05Z | wpri.com | control | https://www.wpri.com/rhode-show/g-wayne-miller-discusses-latest-book-and-more/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The best caravan gadgets to buy in 2022
These caravan gadgets will take your trips to the next level.
Whether you’re the proud owner of a state-of-the-art motorhome or a slightly less luxurious caravan, there’s always room for fun gadgets to upgrade your travel experience. From portable dishwashers to Bluetooth speakers and a whole range of collapsible caravan accessories for easy storage, there are plenty of motorhome gadgets to browse online.
This is our rundown of the best caravan gadgets to buy this year.
For more shopping inspiration, check out our list of the best car gadgets to get for your motor.
Best caravan gadgets for 2022
Cookology mini portable dishwasher
In years gone by, you may have been forced to spend your precious holiday time doing the dishes - but not anymore, thanks to this smart mini dishwasher.
If you don’t want to go to the hassle of plumbing it in, you can just add five litres of water yourself and position the waste hose into the sink.
For such a small dishwasher, this appliance has some surprisingly clever features. There’s a 2h ‘eco’ programme as well as a shorter 1h29m wash and a ‘baby mode’ for sterilising bottles. Plus, it comes with a cutlery tray, fruit basket and water measuring jug.
Falcon portable solar panel battery charger
A solar panel can be an incredibly useful caravan gadget, and might just save you the frustration of discovering your battery is flat when you’re on the road. This one has handy suction cups, so you can stick it to a window. Once it’s in place, just attach it to the battery with the 12v socket or crocodile clips.
There’s no need to worry if the weather is less than ideal; the panel has mono-crystalline solar cells to process light in a wide range of conditions.
Outwell kettle & other collapsible items
Space-saving accessories are a must if you want to keep your motorhome neat and tidy, so collapsibility is king in the world of caravan gadgets. This steel and silicone kettle pops up to hold 2.5L of water, but folds down to fit inside cupboards, drawers or your travel bag when you’ve finished using it.
Other caravan must haves include collapsible items like this washing up bowl, colander and water bottle.
Falcon Bluetooth soundbar
Whether you want to boost your TV’s sound quality or just listen to your favourite music, Bluetooth speakers are useful caravan gadgets to keep close at hand.
This soundbar combines high sound quality with compact design, and shouldn’t take up too much space in your caravan.
Charge up the speaker with the included micro-USB cable and you’ll get seven hours of battery life. Either connect it to your TV with the 3.5mm audio cable or use the Bluetooth to sync it to your mobile device.
BergHOFF Leo outdoor tabletop BBQ
Portable barbecues don’t get much more stylish than this BergHOFF model. With its sleek look and compact design, it’s a convenient choice for alfresco meals in the great outdoors.
Inside the carbon steel container, you’ll find a fire basket, charcoal grate and grill. The cork lid also doubles as a trivet for heat protection on any surface. Plus, you’ll get a carry strap and removable silicone handles for easy transportation.
This barbecue is from BergHOFF’s Leo range, which also includes smart items like non-stick pans, thermal flasks and food storage containers.
Portable twin tub washing machine
You can say goodbye to cleaning your clothes in the sink if you have this nifty tabletop gadget: a portable washing machine with a built-in spin-dryer.
Despite being under 60cm in height, this convenient caravan accessory can take up to 2.5kg of clothes. Just add water, set the timer and angle the drain hose into the sink.
- Buy now from Amazon (£159.99), Wayfair (£133.77)
Starburst fairy lights
Able to instantly transform the average campervan into a cosy haven, fairy lights are one of our top caravan must haves - and these battery-powered lights get our seal of approval. They have an unusual starburst design made from 150 warm white LEDs and a built-in timer to turn them on for six hours a day.
Plus, they’re completely waterproof so you can use them outdoors - perfect for evenings under the stars.
Eufy HomeVac H11
Vacuum cleaners may not be the most exciting caravan gadgets, but this handheld model takes the hassle out of everyday clean-up jobs. There are no annoying power cables or dust bags to contend with; just a 544g vacuum the size of a wine bottle and a crevice nozzle for narrow gaps.
Top up the battery with the micro-USB port and you’ll get up to 13 minutes of power. Maintenance should also be fairly easy, as you can wash the filter in the sink to improve suction power.
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by Lori S. Stewart, USAICoE Command Historian
On April 14, 1948, the first of three nuclear bomb tests comprising Operation SANDSTONE took place on Eniwetok (today known as Enewetak) Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The U.S. Army’s Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) held responsibility for maintaining security during the tests.
Following World War II, the United States continued its research and development of nuclear weapons under the auspices of the newly created civilian-led Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). The AEC conducted its first postwar tests in 1946 at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. By 1948, a new series of tests—Operation SANDSTONE—were underway at nearby Eniwetok Atoll.
In November 1947, the advance party departed Hawaii for Eniwetok. It included Lt. Col. Philip R. Cibotti, Jr., a 32-year-old West Point graduate who had served in the Central Pacific during the war and who most recently commanded the 401st CIC Detachment in Hawaii. Given the scope of the operation’s physical security requirements, a Joint Security Group (JSG) was activated to operate under the J-2, Col. Thomas J. Sands. Colonel Cibotti took command of the JSG, the bulk of which included fifty men from his previous unit, the 401st. Also under Cibotti’s command was the 369th CIC Detachment, activated at Camp Holabird specifically for Operation SANDSTONE. Commander Capt. Eugene J. Kolb and his seventeen personnel arrived on 22 February 1948. The final contingent of Cibotti’s JSG was the fourteen men of the 700th CIC Detachment, which had just passed from Army to U.S. Air Force control in December.
A comprehensive counterintelligence plan was essential to SANDSTONE’s security program. Security was required long before the personnel and test components arrived at Eniwetok. Ultimately, Colonel Cibotti established travel control points that spanned across 7,000 miles, with personnel screenings conducted at Washington, D. C., Long Beach, California, Fort Shafter, Hawaii, Kwajalein Atoll, and Eniwetok. Security detachments, augmented with U.S. Marines, traveled aboard the four major ships transporting personnel, fissionable materials, weapons components, and related equipment.
On Eniwetok, the CIC agents required the test’s 10,366 military, civilian, and contractor personnel to attend security lectures about the rules of voluntary censorship and importance of maintaining security. During unannounced security “sweeps,” the agents checked passes and identification cards. They also assigned every island involved in the tests a team of guards to watch for possible reconnaissance by foreign ships, aircraft, and submarines.
Perhaps the biggest security threat to the project was the potential compromise of documents, photographs, and communications. Colonel Cibotti’s agents confiscated all personal cameras for the duration of the tests, and they screened all personnel for photographs, film, and documents upon their departure from Eniwetok. Finally, some of Cibotti’s agents served as couriers to escort radioactive cloud sample filters, film, and documents back to the United States during and after the tests.
When the third and final test of Operation SANDSTONE concluded on May 14, 1948, Colonel Cibotti could report that overall security of the tests had been maintained. The CIC found no evidence of compromised classified materials and no incidents of sabotage. Although some unofficial photographs of the tests did show up in Hawaii, the individual was cleared of espionage. He was, however, arraigned before a courts martial for his serious security violation.
This work, CIC provides security on Eniwetok Atoll, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418240/cic-provides-security-eniwetok-atoll | 2022-04-11T16:41:32Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418240/cic-provides-security-eniwetok-atoll | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Team members oversee a prescribed burn March 14, 2022, on South Post at Fort McCoy, Wis.
The post prescribed burn team includes personnel with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department; Directorate of Public Works (DPW) Environmental Division Natural Resources Branch; Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security; and the Colorado State University Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands, under a cooperative agreement with the post.
Prescribed burns also improve wildlife habitat, control invasive plant species, restore and maintain native plant communities, and reduce wildfire potential.
Prescribed burns benefit the environment many ways and are one of the tools we can use on a large scale to improve our wild habitat, said Fort McCoy Forester Charles Mentzel with the Directorate of Public Works Natural Resources Branch.
Mentzel said prescribed burns help set back invasive species, and they burn up their seed banks. Burns also give native species an opportunity to compete against some of the non-native species, as many native species depend on fire to help stimulate them and set back non-native species.
Fort McCoy’s motto is to be the “Total Force Training Center.” Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin.
The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on the Defense Visual Information Distribution System at https://www.dvidshub.net/fmpao, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” and on Twitter by searching “usagmccoy.”
Also try downloading the Digital Garrison app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base.
This work, Photo Essay: 2022 prescribed burn operations at Fort McCoy, Part V, by Scott Sturkol, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418253/photo-essay-2022-prescribed-burn-operations-fort-mccoy-part-v | 2022-04-11T16:42:12Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418253/photo-essay-2022-prescribed-burn-operations-fort-mccoy-part-v | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. – Under Secretary of the Army Gabe Camarillo made his first visit in his new role to Redstone Arsenal March 31 to April 1 to learn more about the installation’s mission, organizations and global impact, and its support to the Army’s people, readiness and modernization priorities.
Camarillo, who was sworn in as the 35th Under Secretary of the Army in February, is very familiar with the logistics and sustainment enterprise. Having previously served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, he helped lead and supervise Army modernization programs, procurement, logistics and research and development investment.
During his visit to Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville, Camarillo met with leaders from Army Materiel Command (AMC), the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team (FVL-CFT), the Program Executive Office (PEO) for Army Aviation, and the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). He learned about the installation’s support mission and its $18 billion total economic impact on the Tennessee Valley.
“I had a productive visit and first-hand opportunity to learn more about our modernization efforts in Future Vertical Lift and Long Range Precision Fires. Development of these cutting edge systems will provide Soldiers with next-generation capabilities needed against current and future threats. I also had a chance to learn more about the Army Material Command’s wide range of missions, to include managing Army installations, Army contracting and security assistance to our allies and partners, said Camarillo.
Redstone Arsenal is known as a Federal Center of Excellence, with more than 44,000 employees and 70 tenant organizations from across the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice and NASA. The installation supports the nation across its four mission sets of logistics services; space operations and missile defense; intelligence and homeland defense; and research, development, test and evaluation.
“These four areas are really foundational to what we are trying to do, not only as an Army, but across the Department of Defense,” explained Gen. Ed Daly, commanding general of AMC. “It is more important than ever for us to be engaged with the local community, and I think we have a great relationship here locally.”
Camarillo said he refers to Redstone Arsenal as a “center of gravity” for the Army.
“I am really impressed with all the work you are doing here,” he said. “It is absolutely vital to Army modernization and readiness.”
Daly, staff and subordinate commanders briefed Camarillo on AMC’s mission, organization and contributions in support of Army priorities. Daly noted how AMC’s mission has evolved over the past few years with the addition of new commands and capabilities, including U.S. Army Financial Management Command, U.S. Army Medical Logistics Command and U.S. Army Installation Management Command.
“I think you are really starting to see the synergy and value of having IMCOM under AMC, not just from a Facility Investment Plan perspective, but really from a standpoint of the ability to project the force,” Daly said.
Camarillo said it was striking to him just how much AMC’s mission had changed since his last visit.
“It is really impressive how AMC has integrated new elements into what the command does,” he said.
Other topics discussed included the recruiting, training and retention of a high-quality and diverse workforce, modernization of the Army’s Organic Industrial Base, contracting support and foreign military sales.
Daly and AMC Chief Analytics Officer Dr. Chris Hill also highlighted AMC’s increased use of data analytics and visualizations to support senior leader decisions, increase efficiency and maximize investments aligned with Army priorities.
“It is a combination of the metrics and assessment, both art and science, that really ensures we are getting to the right effects to support the Army mission,” explained Daly.
Camarillo said AMC has been very forward leaning in data analytics to track enterprise level metrics, mission objectives and support Army readiness.
While visiting the FVL-CFT, Camarillo learned about program updates to the FVL ecosystem and lines of effort, including Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) and Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), and the cost savings built into the programs using a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA).
“We’re developing transformational capabilities with FARA and FLRAA and critical elements of the FVL ecosystem to continue Army Aviation’s asymmetric advantage over near peer adversaries in multi domain operations,” said Maj. Gen. Walter “Wally” Rugen, FVL-CFT director. “With the use of digital engineering and implementation of MOSA in our clean sheet designs, we have an opportunity to significantly reduce the operating and support (O&S) lifecycle costs of FVL platforms.”
Rugen also briefed Camarillo on the upcoming Experimental Demonstration Gateway Event 2022 (EDGE22) in Dugway, Utah, later this spring. EDGE22 is an opportunity to assess new tactics, technologies, and interconnecting architectures. It includes progressive efforts connecting Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) to the lower tier of the air domain by extending the reach and lethality of FARA ecosystem to accelerate Combined Kill Chains in all-domain operations. This year’s demonstration includes more than 16 Army organizations and units, 12 industry partners and seven partner nations.
“It’s exciting to see the progress being made in the development of the FVL ecosystem with our joint, and this year international, partners across the modernization enterprise experimenting and demonstrating lethal capabilities in the lower tier air domain at our nation’s western test ranges,” Rugen said.
Following Camarillo’s visit at Redstone, he joined the RCCTO, touring three industry partners’ facilities, Dynetics, Kord and Lockheed Martin. The RCCTO is responsible for prototyping a land-based Long Range Hypersonic Weapon by fiscal year 2023. It is also developing a ground-launched, prototype Mid-Range Capability for delivery to an operational battery by fiscal year 2023. In fiscal year 2022, the Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, a 50 kilowatt-class High Energy Laser weapon system, will be fielded to a Stryker platoon.
“I was impressed by the progress demonstrated by RCCTO and our industry partners in rapidly developing prototype weapon systems,” said Camarillo. “Our government and industry teams have been effective in their use of rapid prototyping authorities to develop prototypes in a span of months that typically take years using traditional approaches.”
This work, Army Under Secretary visits Redstone Arsenal: a ‘center of gravity’ for the Army, by William King, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright. | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418255/army-under-secretary-visits-redstone-arsenal-center-gravity-army | 2022-04-11T16:42:14Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/news/418255/army-under-secretary-visits-redstone-arsenal-center-gravity-army | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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The Central Lakes College Raiders got the best of the M State Spartans baseball team on Apr. 9, as the Raiders swept a doubleheader 10-0 and 5-1.
The offense was slow to start the day, as M State was held to just one hit in the 10-0 loss. Central Lakes erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the fifth, winning on a ten-run rule. Daniel Buendorf had the lone hit for the Spartans. Wyatt Halvorson pitched the first four and two thirds on the mound, giving up nine runs on seven hits, while walking five and striking out four.
In the second game, the Spartans fell behind 4-0 before pushing their run across the plate. Christian Norby plated Cal Schmitz in the top of the fifth inning. Schmitz had a pair of hits and also drew a walk, fellow teammate Ty Kargar had a double. Will Hoernemann went the distance pitching, he gave up nine hits, five runs and four walks, also collecting two strikeouts.
M State now sits at 5-7 on the season. The two teams will get together for another doubleheader on Apr. 11. It will also be the home opener for the Spartans.
Discuss the news on NABUR, a place to have local conversations The Neighborhood Alliance for Better Understanding and Respect ✔ A site just for our local community ✔ Focused on facts, not misinformation ✔ Free for everyone | https://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/sports/spartan-baseball-swept-by-central-lakes/article_273e85f8-b9a6-11ec-b2e1-5fae7012229c.html | 2022-04-11T16:45:15Z | fergusfallsjournal.com | control | https://www.fergusfallsjournal.com/sports/spartan-baseball-swept-by-central-lakes/article_273e85f8-b9a6-11ec-b2e1-5fae7012229c.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Team Charleston hosts the 2022 Titans of Flight Air Expo, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, April 8, 2022. The airshow showcases more than 50 aerial demonstration performances and static aircraft displays. (U.S. Air Force Video by Shellby Matullo) | https://www.dvidshub.net/video/838451/titans-flight-jb-charleston-air-expo-2022 | 2022-04-11T16:45:49Z | dvidshub.net | control | https://www.dvidshub.net/video/838451/titans-flight-jb-charleston-air-expo-2022 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Kelsie Whitmore continues to make baseball history
Kelsie Whitmore's historic baseball journey continues today when the Atlantic League's Staten Island FerryHawks begin spring training.
Why it matters: This is the highest level of pro baseball reached by a woman since 2000, and Whitmore, who signed on Friday, is one of the only women ever to play in a league with connections to MLB.
"I've been working for an opportunity like this my whole life, and I'm ready to get after it and compete."— Whitmore
Catch up quick: For Whitmore, it's always been about baseball, which she chose over softball at age 6. "She wanted to throw overhand [and] do what baseball players do," her dad told SI. "So I didn't set the direction. She did."
- That led Whitmore, now 23, to the USA Baseball women's team, where she starred as an elite pitcher (1.35 ERA at the 2015 Pan-Am Games) and hitter (.348 BA in the 2019 Pan-Am Games).
- She switched to softball in college only because baseball wasn't an option, and last year at Cal State Fullerton she was named the Big West Conference position player of the year.
- She's played professionally before, too: In 2016 with the Sonoma Stompers and last summer with the Portland Pickles, both independent clubs.
The backdrop: Stories like Whitmore's are rare because girls have so few opportunities to play baseball, which oddly enough stems from a 1975 court ruling that should have had the opposite effect.
- The court's decision was that Little League must allow girls to play on boys teams, but backlash from parents resulted in Little League introducing softball and encouraging girls to play that instead.
- That status quo persists to this day, though some are trying to change it. Baseball For All, a non-profit founded in 2010, hosted the inaugural women's college club baseball championship last month.
The big picture: More women's baseball history was made on Friday when Tampa Tarpons (Yankees Single-A) skipper Rachel Balkovec became the first full-time female manager in affiliated baseball history.
"I was blatantly discriminated against [early in my career]. Some people say not to say that ... but I think it's important to say because it lets you know how much change has happened."— Balkovec | https://www.axios.com/kelsie-whitmore-continues-to-make-baseball-history-cc342d59-512b-4a7a-bf2b-cff82a57bab9.html | 2022-04-11T16:46:09Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/kelsie-whitmore-continues-to-make-baseball-history-cc342d59-512b-4a7a-bf2b-cff82a57bab9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Goldman Sachs airs caution on Robinhood, Silvergate, and Coinbase
Banking giant Goldman Sachs cut its recommendation on stock brokerage Robinhood (NASDAQ: HOOD) from neutral to sell on Friday.
Why its the BFD: Analysts rarely dish out sells, and when it happens, it usually sparks a variety of chatter around the company's growth, vulnerabilities, strategic plans, etc.
- Even bigger — on the BFD status of this move — is that the slash came from Goldman, which was lead-left bookrunner on Robinhood's IPO last year. The shop that brought it public just dished out a 'sell' rating.
Driving the news: Analysts led by Will Nance say Robinhood is facing lower retail interest but is also unlikely to become profitable in 2023.
- The bank is also expecting the slowdown in crypto trading volumes to impact the company, Coinbase, and Silvergate.
Bottom line: Robinhood needs to show either faster user growth with new products, or lay out a stronger path to profitability. | https://www.axios.com/pro/fintech-deals/2022/04/11/goldman-sachs-airs-caution-on-robinhood-silvergate-and-coinbase | 2022-04-11T16:46:34Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/fintech-deals/2022/04/11/goldman-sachs-airs-caution-on-robinhood-silvergate-and-coinbase | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Investcorp's new blockchain fund
Investcorp, the Bahrain-headquartered alternative asset manager with approximately $37.6 billion of assets under management, is raising a blockchain fund.
Why it matters: Investcorp is the largest alternative asset manager in the Middle East, a region vying hard to become a global crypto capital.
Context: Just last month, Binance received approval to operate in Dubai and Bahrain. On Sunday it received approval to operate in Abu Dhabi .
- Kleiner Perkins and Paradigm in January co-led a $110 million round of funding in Rain Financial, a crypto firm in the region.
- In March, cryptocurrency exchange ByBit moved its headquarters from Singapore to Dubai, while Crypto.com said it would set up an office there as well.
Details: Dubbed eLydian Lion and led by Investcorp's Abu Dhabi office, the fund will invest in early-stage companies focused on blockchain infrastructure, platforms and exchanges, decentralized finance, and data analytics.
- Gilbert Kamieniecky, Investcorp’s head of technology private equity, tells Axios that the fund will make about 15 investments over the next 20 months, writing checks for companies in the C, D, and E stages.
- It will be able to make token investments that are tied to some form of equity, and it has no geographic restrictions.
- Kamieniecky declined to disclose how much the fund was looking to raise, saying this was “more about being in the ecosystem.”
Of note: Investcorp's own investor, state-backed Mubadala Investment Company, signaled greater interest in crypto last year.
- It followed through on that signal with an investment in crypto data company Coin Metrics last month. | https://www.axios.com/pro/fintech-deals/2022/04/11/investcorps-new-blockchain-fund | 2022-04-11T16:46:41Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/pro/fintech-deals/2022/04/11/investcorps-new-blockchain-fund | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Scottie Scheffler outshines the rest at Masters
Scottie Scheffler dominated the 2022 Masters, winning his first major and cementing his status as the hottest golfer on Earth.
Why it matters: Scheffler, 25, joins Jordan Spieth (2015) and Tiger Woods (1997, 2001) as the only players age 25 or younger to win the Masters over the last 40 years.
The big picture: Eight weeks ago, Scheffler had zero PGA Tour wins and $8.7 million in earnings. 57 days later, he has four wins, $17.6 million in earnings, a green jacket and a No. 1 world ranking.
- After a week that revolved around Tiger Woods, the spotlight shifted this weekend, putting the focus back on the generation he inspired.
- "I play Tiger's irons," said Scheffler on Sunday. "I wear his shoes. I wore his shirt this week. ... We're so glad to have him back."
By the numbers: Scheffler was the only player in the field with four red rounds (69-67-71-71) and he was the leader from Friday afternoon through Sunday, finishing at 10-under par.
- Despite ending with a four-putt double bogey on No. 18, the New Jersey-born Texan finished three strokes ahead of a surging Rory McIlory, who shot a record-tying final round 64.
- Cameron Smith, who closed the gap to one stroke early Sunday before falling apart on the back nine, tied for third with Shane Lowry at five-under. Collin Morikawa was fifth at four-under.
- Ted Scott, Scheffler's caddie, was set to retire last fall before Scheffler recruited him. Now, he has three Masters victories, having won twice with Bubba Watson (2012, 2014).
What he's saying: Scheffler said he woke up Sunday and "cried like a baby" because he didn't think he was ready for the moment. But his wife, Meredith, helped him regain his composure.
"My identity isn't a golf score. Like Meredith told me this morning, if you win this golf tournament, if you lose by ten shots, if you never win another golf tournament again, I'm still going to love you, and you're still going to be the same person."— Scheffler
Flashback: After winning the WGC Match Play last month, Scheffler's dad hugged him and told him, "I'm more proud of who you are than your golf. You're a wonderful young man."
The bottom line: The world's top golfer has won golf's top event. And while nothing is assured in this sport (19 different winners in the past 24 majors), it certainly feels like a superstar has been born. | https://www.axios.com/scottie-scheffler-masters-victory-22c4d8b2-0de7-45de-b942-cdb4ba88b5a2.html | 2022-04-11T16:46:59Z | axios.com | control | https://www.axios.com/scottie-scheffler-masters-victory-22c4d8b2-0de7-45de-b942-cdb4ba88b5a2.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DETROIT — Jack White had a very eventful Friday.
His day began by performing the national anthem at the Detroit Tigers game. Later that night, he surprised fans by marrying musician Olivia Jean on stage during a show in Detroit.
The proposal and wedding came near the end of the set, during a performance of Hotel Yorba.
While singing, White proposed to Jean, whose band opened the show tonight. White does not allow cell phones at his shows, so no pictures from the wedding are on social media.
Once he finished the song, they went off stage and returned with family members. The wedding was then officiated by Third Man Record's co-founder Ben Swank.
Following the wedding, White carried his new wife off stage and then came back to close the show with several songs, including the finisher 7 Nation Army.
This is White's third marriage. He was formally married to model and singer Karen Elson and his White Stripes bandmate Meg White. | https://www.wtxl.com/entertainment/jack-white-proposes-marries-musician-olivia-jean-at-detroit-show | 2022-04-11T16:48:57Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/entertainment/jack-white-proposes-marries-musician-olivia-jean-at-detroit-show | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Jury selection has begun in a long-anticipated libel lawsuit filed by Johnny Depp against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard.
The proceedings started Monday in a courthouse in the city of Fairfax, Virginia.
Depp sued Heard over an op-ed piece she wrote in The Washington Post in 2018 in which Heard refers to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse."
The article doesn't mention Depp by name, but he says it clearly refers to her allegation that she suffered physical abuse at his hands.
Depp denies the allegation.
The lawsuit brought a little bit of Hollywood to a courthouse that has a long history of dealing with high-profile crimes — just not those involving movie stars.
The judge overseeing the case has laid down some guidelines, including that neither Depp nor Heard is prohibited from posing for photos or signing autographs in the courthouse or on the courthouse grounds, the Associated Press reported.
According to the AP, Heard's lawyers tried to move the case to California but were unsuccessful.
This isn't the first time the former couple has faced each other in court.
In November 2020, Depp lost his libel case against a British tabloid newspaper for labeling him a “wife-beater.”
The AP reported that the trial would probably last more than a month. | https://www.wtxl.com/entertainment/johnny-depp-suit-against-amber-heard-starts-with-jury-picks | 2022-04-11T16:49:03Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/entertainment/johnny-depp-suit-against-amber-heard-starts-with-jury-picks | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LAKELAND, Fla. — For the 25th consecutive year, Publix has been recognized on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list. Publix is 1 of only 4 companies to have made the list every year since its inception in 1998.
“Our founder, George Jenkins, once said people are the key to Publix’s success,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones. “He explained that if we took care of our associates, they’d take care of our customers. We’ve remained true to this belief since our very first store opened in 1930. Being recognized on this list is a testament to our associates’ dedication and hard work.”
Publix supports its associates by helping them reach their full potential in their career and self-development goals by investing in their future with training and coaching, providing opportunities for career development, and furthering their education with tuition reimbursement benefits. Additionally, as the largest employee-owned company in the country, eligible Publix associates become company owners through its employee stock ownership plan and have the ability to purchase additional shares in the company through its employee stock purchase plan.
Treating associates with dignity and respect is a philosophy that guides the company. Publix demonstrates this with open communication, encouraging its associates to formally share their feedback through its annual survey. Associates are also encouraged to share their ideas for ways to help improve Publix through an internal site.
Last year, Great Place to Work conducted America’s largest annual workforce study using over 870,000 employee responses and data from companies representing more than 6.1 million employees. The employees shared feedback about their organization’s culture by responding to statements in the survey that described a great employee experience as defined by levels of trust, respect, credibility, fairness, pride and camaraderie.
Companies also answered essay questions that provided greater insight into how and why the organization is a great place. Survey data analysis and essay evaluation results were then factored into a combined score to compare and rank the companies that create the most consistently positive experience for their employees.
To read more about Publix’s ranking and this recognition, visit fortune.com/best-companies.
Publix, the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 230,000 associates, currently operates 1,296 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. For 25 consecutive years, the company has been recognized by Fortune as a great place to work. In addition, Publix’s dedication to superior quality and customer service is recognized among the top in the grocery business. For more information, visit the company’s website, corporate.publix.com. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/florida-news/publix-on-fortunes-100-best-companies-to-work-for-list | 2022-04-11T16:49:09Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/florida-news/publix-on-fortunes-100-best-companies-to-work-for-list | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Two officers with the Buffalo Police Department have been cleared of any wrongdoing in an incident during a protest in June 2020 that left a 75-year-old man injured.
Officers Aaron Torgalski and Robert McCabe will not face any further discipline after an arbitrator's decision on Friday, according to Buffalo Police Benevolent Association president John Evans.
Evans said the arbitrator "clearly saw in no way was this an excessive force incident."
"He did fall backwards, but that may have been on his own," Evans added.
Torgalski and McCabe were initially charged with assault as a result of a confrontation between them and protester Martin Gugino in Niagara Square in June 2020. Those charges were dismissed by a grand jury in February 2021. Shortly after charges were dismissed, Gugino filed a lawsuit against the city, the police officers involved and Buffalo Police Department leadership, and Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.
Evans says the arbitrator broke down the video that captured the incident in front of City Hall "frame by frame".
"They didn't come up with anything that showed any type of excessive force whatsoever," Evans explained.
Torgalski and McCabe were two of many officers clearing the square by walking through the sidewalk area after a curfew took effect. Video recorded by a WBFO reporter showed the officers shoving Gugino, then continuing to move forward. Gugino fell backward and hit his head. He spent four weeks in the hospital recovering from injuries to his head.
The officers had been suspended throughout the criminal proceedings and remained suspended pending the outcome of the internal affairs investigation.
Evans says the case is now concluded for the officers and he expects them to return to the police force.
"They've been put through hell. It will be great to see them come back," replied Gugino.
This story was originally reported on wkbw.com. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/buffalo-police-officers-who-pushed-elderly-man-during-2020-protest-cleared-of-wrongdoing | 2022-04-11T16:49:15Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/buffalo-police-officers-who-pushed-elderly-man-during-2020-protest-cleared-of-wrongdoing | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AVENEL, N.J. (AP) — When the Kmart in Avenel, New Jersey, closes its doors on April 16, it will leave only three remaining U.S. locations for the former retail powerhouse.
It's a far cry from the chain's heyday in the 1980s and ‘90s when it had more than 2,000 stores and sold product lines endorsed by Martha Stewart and former “Charlies Angel” Jaclyn Smith.
Kmart’s demise is attributed to the rise of Walmart, Target and Amazon.
But retail expert Mark Cohen says the company also was dogged by poor management decisions and could have stayed viable.
"It’s a study in greed, avarice and incompetence,” Cohen said.
The three remaining Kmarts are in Westwood, New Jersey, on New York’s Long Island, and in Miami. | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/kmart-will-be-down-to-3-locations-after-store-in-nj-closes | 2022-04-11T16:49:40Z | wtxl.com | control | https://www.wtxl.com/news/national/kmart-will-be-down-to-3-locations-after-store-in-nj-closes | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio recently appeared on The Rich Eisen Show and offered a piece of advice to Deebo Samuel and a possible preview of a situation we could see later this summer.
“If I were him, I’m not doing anything. I’m not setting foot on a field anywhere until I get my contract. Now maybe we’ll see him, ‘hold in’ like TJ Watt did last year. Show up, be at meetings, work out, but just not put himself at risk of any kind until he gets paid. Obviously it worked for TJ Watt, and for the Steelers. He showed no ill-effects of not being involved in training camp or the preseason and went on to have a Defensive Player of the Year type effort.”
Between Samuel’s social media purge and this tweet from Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, it certainly seems like things aren’t close to getting signed any time soon. If things do remain in a holding pattern until July, we very well could see something like that happen.
By “holding in,” as Florio put it, Deebo could avoid the hefty fines that come with a traditional holdout while still expressing his displeasure with the situation. Moreover, he’d have the additional leverage of missing valuable practice time with Trey Lance. Surely the team wants them to get all the reps together that they can before the season beings, and Samuel “holding in” would limit those opportunities.
“They’ve got a problem with [Nick Bosa and Deebo Samuel],” Florio said, “Bosa’s gonna want 30 million a year. Deebo’s gonna want 27, 28 million a year, and both guys deserve it. That’s the byproduct of having great players.”
As much as people like to point to July as the time when the 49ers usually get their extensions done, it’s not like that’s a hard and fast rule. There’s nothing stopping the 49ers from getting a deal done today and avoiding this entire situation. Then again, if there’s one thing the Jimmy Garoppolo saga has shown us, it’s that avoiding easily foreseeable scenarios isn’t usually the path that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch take. It sure would be nice to go into OTAs with one less cloud handing over the organization, though, wouldn’t it? | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/11/23019663/49ers-news-could-deebo-samuel-hold-in | 2022-04-11T16:51:44Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/11/23019663/49ers-news-could-deebo-samuel-hold-in | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
We’ve discussed every prominent member of the 49ers this offseason in-depth except for head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 2021 season was full of ups and downs for the Niners’ head coach. For every complaint, Shanahan made two or three decisions that helped get this team to the NFC Championship for the second time in three years.
Each year, Patrick Daugherty of NBC Sports’ compiles a ranking where he assesses each NFL head coach. Shanahan has gone from 15th heading into 2019, to 8th, before dropping back down to 10th last season.
After a deep playoff run, Shanahan finds himself back in the top-10:
Career Record: 39-42 (.481)
With The 49ers Since: 2017
Last Year’s Ranking: 10
Kyle Shanahan still hasn’t found what he’s looking for. That is despite finding what he was looking for. Shanahan got to live out every coach’s dream: Being completely secure in his job and trading up for his handpicked quarterback. Only he didn’t use Trey Lance after selecting him at No. 3 overall. There has been offseason scuttlebutt he still won’t play Lance in 2022. Shanahan falls in and out of love hard.
He doghoused past trade-up Dante Pettis despite a solid rookie season. He did the same thing to Brandon Aiyuk in 2021. He took Trey Sermon 106 spots higher than Elijah Mitchell then featured Mitchell. It can be exhausting to follow when your only stake in the matter is PPR points. It can also be amazingly fruitful. Shanahan has posted just two winning seasons in five years in San Francisco, but both reached the NFC Championship Game. His seemingly limitless ability to scheme creative, effective NFL offense is ever evolving.
It is also once again smacked up against its limits in 2021. With almost any other starting-level quarterback, the 49ers would have beaten the Rams in the conference title tilt. Instead, Jimmy Garoppolo sunk the ship as Lance held the clipboard. Shanahan has diagnosed his own problem over and over again. He needs the right personnel to match the program. It is time he trusts his own player evaluations and takes this team to the next level.
Each coach above Shanahan has at least a 60% winning percentage. One spot behind Shanahan, Matt LaFleur has nearly won 80% of his games in Green Bay. Outside of Bengals head coach Zac Taylor at No. 12 — fresh off a Super Bowl appearance — you have to go down to No. 18 to find a coach with a lower winning percentage than Shanahan.
That last paragraph speaks volumes. Here’s how I view it: The 49ers were successful with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. The 49ers weren’t successful because Jimmy Garoppolo was at quarterback.
It was painfully evident that, even when healthy, Shanahan didn’t fully trust Garoppolo. Do you remember when, I believe, it was Week 18 against the Rams, when Garoppolo threw a pass down the left sideline, and it landed perfectly into the hands of Brandon Aiyuk for a long gain? We can count on one hand how many times Kyle called that play. That’s a trust issue.
You see it work and wonder why Shanahan didn’t run those types of concepts more. But then you recall the “oh no” throws from Garoppolo that happened at least once a game.
Head coaching goes far beyond calling plays and making a decision at quarterback. The success of Shanahan’s coaching tree in a handful of years speaks for itself.
Look at the production of less-heralded players to the development of Day 3 draft picks, including undrafted free-agent rookies. The upgrade in talent from the day Shanahan and his staff took over in 2017 and how they’ve maintained a winning formula makes it easy to place Shanahan in the top-10.
Do you believe he should be ranked as high as No. 7? | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/11/23019892/49ers-shanahan-nbc-head-coach-ranking | 2022-04-11T16:51:48Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/11/23019892/49ers-shanahan-nbc-head-coach-ranking | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
This time a year ago, the debates were endless surrounding which quarterback the 49ers would draft. Fast forward a year, and the 49ers have their franchise quarterback — we think.
They’ve also found themselves in a soap opera involving star wide receiver Deebo Samuel after Samuel reportedly wants to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL.
In his Football Morning in America column, Peter King wrote that the “Niners are going to be in a quandary if Samuel insists on getting paid top of the market, and getting paid now.” King believes dealing with Deebo will “test the will and negotiating skill of general manager John Lynch.”
It’s unlikely a trade happens with the way Lynch has spoken about Samuel, Nick Bosa, and what each player means to the future of the franchise. But it’s the offseason, which means we can operate in hypotheticals.
What if the Jets come calling?
Let’s say negotiating stalls. Deebo makes a hard stance, and gives the team a figure that they have no interest in entertaining.
Word gets around fast in the NFL. Suppose you’re Robert Saleh and the Jets — a staff all too familiar with Deebo’s talents — and you’ve seen Samuel scrub the Niners off his social media, are aware of his demands, and have the cap space to pay him top dollar and the draft capital to appease any demands by the 49ers. Why wouldn’t you pick up the phone?
The Jets have two first-round draft picks — both of which are in the top-10 and two second-rounders. New York is not going to draft a receiver who is in the same stratosphere as Samuel. So getting Zach Wilson an established player such as Samuel in exchange for a top-10 pick feels like a no-brainer for New York.
Would San Francisco say yes? The media backlash would be something. What it would do inside of the locker room would be more damaging than anything. Deebo is fresh off a 1,400-yard season where Samuel added 6.2 yards per carry on the ground and was the focal point of an offense that was next to nothing without him. How do you trade that?
Of course, business trumps all in the NFL. If a player has a demand that exceeds your valuation of him, you don’t have much choice to explore other options. The 49ers would be foolish to ignore offers for Deebo that include a high draft pick — especially if it’s one of the Jets’ first-rounders.
Come training camp, the odds remain high that Samuel will remain on the Niners roster. And while this will likely blow over, it’s another reminder that players have more control than we think. | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/11/23020266/49ers-jets-trade-rumors-deebo-saleh | 2022-04-11T16:51:50Z | ninersnation.com | control | https://www.ninersnation.com/2022/4/11/23020266/49ers-jets-trade-rumors-deebo-saleh | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CSU uses sale of Hughes Stadium land to fund football coach buyouts; Norvell chips in big
CSU will use funds from its sale of the former Hughes Stadium property, CSU Global Campus profits and head football coach Jay Norvell's personal finances to pay nearly $5 million in coaching buyouts.
Colorado State University recently provided details to the Coloradoan, not made public before, about how the university plans to pay for the nearly $2 million buyout for newly hired Norvell and $3 million for fired Steve Addazio.
Here is a breakdown of how the buyouts will be covered:
- $2.3 million from the sale of the Hughes Stadium property to the city of Fort Collins
- $1.3 million from the board reserve fund, the bulk of which comes from CSU Global Campus profits, which the university says is not taxpayer money
- $1.3 million will be paid by Norvell to CSU through a promissory note to repay the athletic department for all but $600,000 of his Nevada buyout. The latter amount will be covered by the Hughes sale and/or Global Campus funds.
CSU President Joyce McConnell said in an email response through a spokesperson that the university's funding sources were authorized by the system's Board of Governors to pay $3.6 million of the buyouts. The remaining $1.3 million of Norvell's buyout will be paid through the athletic department.
The board approved the sale of the former Hughes property to the city of Fort Collins for $12.5 million in late December.
Per CSU's agreement in the Dec. 2 firing of Addazio, his annual future earnings as a college football coach will be deducted from his buyout. Those funds will first be used to return funds to the board reserves and then to the stadium reserves, according to CSU.
Addazio's base salary in 2021 was $1.55 million. He was hired as Texas A&M's offensive line coach in January, but his salary has not been announced. His predecessor at the coaching position was paid $720,000 per USA TODAY's college coaching database, but Addazio's salary is expected to be lower.
Coaching replay: How the Addazio firing and Norvell hiring came about
Jay Norvell's CSU contract details emerge
When Norvell was hired, CSU released contract details, including annual base salary, bonus incentives and how much CSU or the coach would pay if the five-year contract were terminated before its end.
At that time, Nevada Sports Net reported Norvell and CSU would owe Nevada a buyout of $1,979,154, but it did not specify how much each would pay until CSU recently confirmed the buyout details.
CSU last week sent the Coloradoan its term sheet agreement with Norvell, which was signed by both parties Dec. 5. It states the university will pay Nevada $600,000 of Norvell's buyout. CSU also paid Nevada roughly $1.3 million, all of which Norvell will repay CSU through a promissory note over the length of his contract.
Norvell has agreed to a five-year contract, with a $1.6 million salary in 2022 and that figure increasing $100,000 each of the next four seasons. Norvell can make more by reaching benchmarks of several performance-based bonuses.
Jay Norvell contract details: Salary, bonus, buyout info for new CSU football head coach
His payment for the Nevada buyout would reduce his annual salary each year by $260,000. Still, that leaves him at $1.34 million his first year at CSU, which is more than double his $619,250 base salary in 2021 at Nevada, where he was the lowest-paid football coach in the Mountain West.
If Norvell were to leave CSU for any reason before that promissory note is paid off, the remaining amount owed may be accelerated, according to the terms.
The term sheet says the coach can use any bonus money earned under his contract to pay back dollar-for-dollar the amount owed under the promissory note in lieu of cash payments.
Some expected Norvell to land a Power 5 head coaching position after leading the Wolf Pack to an 8-4 season last year. Instead, CSU hired him Dec. 7 after he posted a 33-26 record in five seasons at Nevada.
Norvell's final regular season game at Nevada was Addazio's final game at CSU. Nevada won 52-10 at Canvas Stadium, a game in which Addazio was ejected before halftime.
Addazio accusation: Steve Addazio 'likely' made racially insensitive comment, threatened janitor's job
Story continues below.
CSU settled with Mike Bobo, Larry Eustachy
CSU is currently paying buyouts to three football coaches, totaling nearly $6 million.
In addition to Addazio and Norvell, CSU is paying former football coach Mike Bobo, the coach Addazio replaced, after Bobo agreed to a resignation settlement following the 2018 season.
Bobo had four years remaining on a five-year contract extension that took effect earlier that year. Bobo agreed to a $1.825 million severance package, payable in three equal installments of $608,333, the last of which is to be paid June 30.
CSU also paid men’s basketball coach Larry Eustachy a little more than $1 million, including $750,000 in buyout money, to leave the university late in the 2017-18 season after suspending him with eight games remaining during an investigation into alleged abusive behavior toward players and staff.
All of those football and basketball buyouts have come since Joe Parker has been athletic director.
When football coach Jim McElwain left CSU to become head coach at Florida in 2014, CSU received a $7 million buyout that included McElwain owing CSU $2 million, Florida paying $3 million and $2 million for a guarantee game at Florida in 2018.
One year later: CSU athletics investigation prompts action, but some argue it's too little, too late
Reporter Miles Blumhardt looks for stories that impact your life. Be it news, outdoors, sports — you name it, he wants to report it. Have a story idea? Contact him at milesblumhardt@coloradoan.com or on Twitter @MilesBlumhardt. Support his work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/04/11/colorado-state-csu-football-hughes-stadium-sale-jay-norvell-salary-coach-buyouts/7244757001/ | 2022-04-11T16:53:54Z | coloradoan.com | control | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/04/11/colorado-state-csu-football-hughes-stadium-sale-jay-norvell-salary-coach-buyouts/7244757001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Larimer County submits new plan outlining use of federal COVID-19 recovery funds
Larimer County submitted an updated plan to the federal government this week showing how staff is using and plans to use COVID-19 recovery funding.
The county was allocated $69.3 million and plans to spend all of those funds, county budget director Josh Fudge told the Larimer County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
“The report shows that we plan to spend all the funds as I mentioned, we’re just not entirely sure yet which projects will receive funds from which sources,” Fudge said.
The report also includes survey data that shows county residents want to prioritize behavioral health, child care and affordable housing in distributing these funds, Fudge said.
Here are some areas where funds have been allocated and how much has been allocated for each, Fudge said:
- Two affordable housing projects with on-site child care ($14 million)
- Construction of a child care facility ($2 million)
- Construction of a youth shelter that will provide wraparound services ($15 million)
- Broadband services, including the county's ongoing partnership with Loveland Pulse and Thompson School District to provide service to more than 500 residences in Lago Vista Mobile Home Park, Drake and near Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch
- Immediate needs grants ($3 million)
- Natural resource projects, mainly to improve water infrastructure ($2 million)
- Supplemental pay for public safety officials ($2.3 million)
The county has also spent about $10.7 million on rental assistance since October, Fudge said. The funds have helped about 3,500 households, which equates to about 2.5% of all households in the county.
Overall, projects dedicated to assisting communities disproportionally impacted by COVID-19 will receive up to $60 million of the $69.3 million in total funds, Fudge said.
Commissioner Kristin Stephens said this report is a good opportunity to show how these funds are being used to support long-term recovery from the pandemic, "especially on these transformational projects that will affect some of the issues we're dealing with like affordable housing and child care."
Outgoing Larimer County Manager Linda Hoffmann said this is an ongoing process and there will be future opportunities for new areas and projects to receive funding.
"Last time we said, 'Thanks for the money and we're going to figure it out.' This time, we've said, 'Here's how we've already used some of the funds, here are the categories and specific projects that are under consideration, and stay tuned for more news as the allocations occur,' " Hoffmann said of this iteration of the plan.
The plan was submitted this week and can be found online at larimer.org/budget/frf.
Larimer County:County celebrates new women's community corrections facility, department rebrand
Sady Swanson covers public safety, criminal justice, Larimer County government and more throughout Northern Colorado. You can send your story ideas to her at sswanson@coloradoan.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/04/11/larimer-county-covid-recovery-funds-submits-new-report-updated-plan/9473618002/ | 2022-04-11T16:54:00Z | coloradoan.com | control | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/04/11/larimer-county-covid-recovery-funds-submits-new-report-updated-plan/9473618002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
After fires, floods and a pandemic, Larimer County Manager Linda Hoffmann retires
Ten days into Linda Hoffmann’s tenure as Larimer County manager, the High Park Fire ignited and became one of the most destructive fires in Colorado history.
Last week — after nearly a decade in county leadership, leading the community through fires, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic — Hoffmann retired.
“She certainly has earned her right to retire,” Commissioner Kristin Stephens said during Hoffmann’s last Board of County Commissioners Administrative Matters meeting Tuesday.
Hoffmann guessed she had attended about 500 Administrative Matters meetings since she became the county manager in 2012.
"It's been such an honor," Hoffmann said during an interview in her office on her last day Wednesday.
Hoffmann said her path to county leadership was unconventional. She started her career in the private sector and joined the county in 2008 as the rural land use director. She was promoted to planning director about a year and a half later and then became county manager in May 2012.
Her office was largely empty Wednesday, aside from a few large bouquets of flowers from former and current county staff. Hoffmann said it's the people she's met in this role she'll miss the most.
“The county’s leadership across all 10 of the elected officials, both present and past, are so devoted to both the present and future of our community, have great passion for service, are good listeners,” Hoffmann said.
She said staff members are passionate and find creative ways to make “adaptations to serve the needs of our community.” The county has a history of working with other local governments statewide and regionally, and many of those people have been influential during her career, Hoffmann said.
Commissioner Jody Shadduck-McNally said during Tuesday's meeting that Hoffmann has been "a champion” of county government and a resource and example for other leaders in local government statewide.
Through the disasters and emergencies in the last decade, “the county has shined and risen up and focused on its core services,” Shadduck-McNally said, largely thanks to Hoffmann leading the county’s strategic planning process and its focus on guiding principles.
“I think the role of a leader is predominantly to establish culture and set vision,” Hoffmann said in her interview with the Coloradoan. “Those two vehicles (strategic planning and guiding principles) are really the tools that we’ve used to drive the culture of the organization through our guiding principles and to truly set vision through the strategic plan.”
Those processes Hoffmann brought to the county are “how we get things done now,” Shadduck-McNally said.
The strategic planning process occurs every five years, and the commissioners go through an extensive process to set goals and priorities for what the county’s needs will be next, Hoffmann said. Behavioral health services and improvements to emergency management are core services that came out of the last strategic planning process.
“Those are very tangible core services that sprung from focused strategic goals that now are operational and we’ve moved on to new initiatives, and I’m proud of that,” Hoffmann said.
More:Larimer County celebrates new women's community corrections facility, department rebrand
As she stepped away from her position last week, Hoffmann said the county is in good hands and she “has confidence in the decisions that will be made and the good work that will occur.”
Hoffmann said she hopes community members can move past their differences and focus their energy on solving shared issues, like housing, child care and regional transportation — all issues in the county’s strategic plan.
“I hope some of the angst and division can be mended,” Hoffmann said. “We’ve been through a very difficult period in American history, and that’s not the best future for our community. … I would like for us to be more focused on spending energy on solutions.”
Hoffmann has no set-in-stone plans for her retirement, but she said she has a lot of ideas. She’s like to read for pleasure, not to prepare for a county or board meeting, she said, and spend some time on landscaping and home improvement projects.
She's also looking forward to traveling and — just as important — planning her travels, something she said she hasn't been able to do because she's always worked right up until every trip she's taken.
One thing not on Hoffmann's retirement to-do list: attending county meetings.
“Knowing that my role in this is coming to an end is really satisfying and exciting because so many players are in place to carry the ball forward,” Hoffmann said at Tuesday's commissioners meeting. “... It makes it possible for me to step back and know that everything is in good hands.”
Assistant County Manager Lorenda Volker will be the interim county manager while the county hires Hoffmann's replacement. Volker has been the assistant county manager since 2008.
Sady Swanson covers public safety, criminal justice, Larimer County government and more throughout Northern Colorado. You can send your story ideas to her at sswanson@coloradoan.com or on Twitter at @sadyswan. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today. | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/04/11/larimer-county-manager-linda-hoffmann-retires-after-10-years-role/9472047002/ | 2022-04-11T16:54:06Z | coloradoan.com | control | https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/2022/04/11/larimer-county-manager-linda-hoffmann-retires-after-10-years-role/9472047002/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A candidate for US Senate in Iowa cannot appear on June’s Democratic primary ballot after a judge ruled she didn’t have enough valid signatures on her nominating petition.
Polk County District Judge Scott Beattie said late Sunday that Abby Finkenauer could not take part in the June 7 primary to determine which Democrat will face Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is seeking his eighth term.
Beattie said Finkenauer failed to submit a petition with enough signatures after two Republicans challenged them.
The ruling, which is expected to be appealed to the Iowa Supreme Court, overturned a 2-1 decision last month by the State Objection Panel — comprised of Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and Auditor Bob Sand, both Democrats, and Secretary of State Paul Pate, a Republican — dismissing the GOP challenge.
The judge said the state panel misinterpreted the law regarding signatures.
”The Court takes no joy in this conclusion,” Beattie wrote, according to the Des Moines Register.
“This Court should not be in the position to make a difference in an election, and Ms. Finkenauer and her supporters should have a chance to advance her candidacy,” he added. “However, this Court’s job is to sit as a referee and apply the law without passion or prejudice. It is required to rule without consideration of the politics of the day.”
Finkenauer, like all US Senate candidates, was required by law to gather 3,500 signatures, including at least 100 signatures in each of at least 19 counties.
Her campaign submitted more than 5,000 signatures and the state panel decided she barely met the requirement for the counties, garnering exactly 100 signatures from one county and 101 each from two other counties, according to the Gazette in Cedar Rapids.
But Beattie found that three signatures did not include the date, leaving the candidate short of meeting the 19-county requirement.
Finkenauer, who served one term in the US House of Representatives before being narrowly defeated by Republican Ashley Hinson in 2020, said she will appeal Beattie’s ruling.
“Our campaign submitted more than 5,000 signatures, 1,500 more signatures than are required to qualify for the ballot. We are confident that we have met the requirements to be on the ballot,” her campaign said in a statement.
“This misguided, midnight ruling is an outrageous and partisan gift to the Washington Republicans who orchestrated this meritless legal action. We are exploring all of our options to fight back hard against this meritless partisan attack, and to ensure that the voices of Iowans will be heard at the ballot box,” the statement said.
If Finkenauer appeals, the Iowa high court will have to rule by April 15 because that’s when the secretary of state’s office needs to finalize ballots so they can be printed and sent to Iowans serving in the military overseas.
Currently, the only two Democratic primary candidates are retired Navy admiral and former Ted Kennedy aide Michael Franken and Iowa Democratic Party Rural Caucus Chairman Glenn Hurst. Grassley is being challenged in the Republican primary by state Sen. Jim Carlin.
With Post wires | https://nypost.com/2022/04/11/iowa-judge-kicks-candidate-abby-finkenauer-off-senate-ballot/ | 2022-04-11T16:58:57Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/11/iowa-judge-kicks-candidate-abby-finkenauer-off-senate-ballot/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ROCK SPRINGS – The Young at Heart Community Center held their 13th annual Casino Fever Night on Saturday, April 9.
Those in attendance got the chance to participate in games like Texas Hold ‘Em, Wheel of Fortune, Roulette, Black Jack and more. There were also slot machines set up at the event to enjoy. Event attendants even got the chance to participate in a Rock, Paper, Scissors tournament.
Other games at the event for community members to take part in included “Wine Pull,” a silent auction, Craps, Hi Low, Beat the Dealer and Bingo.
Young at Heart’s marketing/special events coordinator April Cross said that the event is used as a fundraiser for the senior center.
“We’re a nonprofit organization and we host a casino-type night with gaming. All of the money goes to the senior center here. We do Home Deliver Meals, home health care, the activities for the seniors and then also the preschool here next door.”
Cross also said that due to the pandemic, the event has not been held since 2020.
“We didn’t hold the event last year due to COVID-19. The last year we did it was 2020 and we raised quite a bit of money,” Cross said. “This year, we’re hoping to do more. I think we have more donated items for the event than any other year.”
Young at Heart’s executive director Rachelle Morris said that the event is always a big hit with the community.
“We have a foundation that supports us, as well. So, this is one of the Young at Heart Foundation’s events," Morris said. “They do two a year; this one and a golf tournament that they’ll do in the summer. This is how they get their funding, through their major events.”
Morris said that the events bring in funding for the foundation and in turn, supports the center.
“The foundation has covered air purifiers during COVID-19. They’ve also updated the kitchen equipment. They’re here to support the center and make sure that we’re successful.”
“It’s a really fun event. I know that we're a senior citizen community center but it is really geared for the community. It’s a fundraising event for us but we feel like we put it on for the community to give them something to do and have a little fun.”
Rock Springs councilman Tim Savage was present during the event and said that it is important to support fundraisers like the Casino Fever Night.
“The Young at Heart Center provides social opportunities for people, which is so important. The other important thing is they allow people to stay in their homes as long as they’re able to,” Savage said. “They provide meals, nursing services and stuff like that. They provide critical services.” | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/casino-fever-young-at-heart-community-center-hosts-13th-annual-event/article_c5b7d534-c215-5bea-807d-172371ab2ce9.html | 2022-04-11T16:59:44Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/casino-fever-young-at-heart-community-center-hosts-13th-annual-event/article_c5b7d534-c215-5bea-807d-172371ab2ce9.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO
6 PM MDT TUESDAY...
* WHAT...Snow and blowing snow expected. Total snow accumulations
of 1 to 3 inches. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph.
* WHERE...South Lincoln County, Rock Springs and Green River,
Flaming Gorge and East Sweetwater County.
* WHEN...From 6 PM this evening to 6 PM Tuesday. The bulk of the
snow is expected to occur through 3 AM Tuesday.
* IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions and areas of
blowing snow.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The combination of snow and blowing snow
could reduce visibility to around a tenth of a mile.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Slow down and use caution while traveling.
The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can
be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
&&
1 of 2
According to Rock Springs Police Department's press release that was sent to the media on Saturday, April 9, officers were attempting to arrest Rock Springs resident Robert Shalata for an outstanding felony warrant on Friday, April 8, 2022, when he barricaded himself in his residence.
According to Rock Springs Police Department's press release that was sent to the media on Saturday, April 9, officers were attempting to arrest Rock Springs resident Robert Shalata for an outstanding felony warrant on Friday, April 8, 2022, when he barricaded himself in his residence.
Rocket Miner Photo by Tyler Johnson
Rock Springs resident Robert Shalata barricaded himself at his residence during a six-hour standoff on Friday, April 8 2022.
ROCK SPRINGS -- According to Rock Springs Police Department's press release that was sent to the media on Saturday, April 9, officers were attempting to arrest Rock Springs resident Robert Shalata for an outstanding felony warrant on Friday, April 8, 2022, when he barricaded himself in his residence.
As officers made attempts to communicate with Shalata, information was obtained that Shalata had barricaded himself inside the home and that he was armed.
The decision was made to activate a joint tactical response team with members from the Rock Springs Police Department, Green River Police Department and Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department. The Rock Springs Fire Department also responded, ready to provide medical treatment if needed. The Tactical Response Team used specialized equipment and tactics to safely place Shalata under arrest without any injuries.
The standoff between the suspect and officers lasted approximately six hours. The suspect, Robert Shalata was booked into Sweetwater County Detention Center on additional charges of Interference with Police Officer and Unlawful Entry Into An Occupied Structure. The Rock Springs Police Department thanks Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office, Green River Police Department and the Rock Springs Fire Department for their assistance in the matter.
The Rock Springs Police Department reminds the community that all persons are innocent until proven guilty. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/one-arrested-after-standoff-with-police-officers/article_2739e90e-934c-5a25-815e-a20125946de3.html | 2022-04-11T16:59:50Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/one-arrested-after-standoff-with-police-officers/article_2739e90e-934c-5a25-815e-a20125946de3.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ROCK SPRINGS – Rock Springs High School junior Hudson Garner has put in the work to reach the achievement of earning Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals in order reach his goal of the Congressional Award.
The Congressional Award’s origin dates back to 1979, according to congressionalaward.org.
The United States Congress established the award to “recognize initiative, service and achievement in young people.”
“It began as a bipartisan effort in both the United Stated Senate and the House of Representatives.”
The program is open for those between the ages of 14-24 in the United States
In order to receive the Congressional Award, students work towards earning their Bronze, Silver and Gold Medals.
Each of the levels has participants achieving goals in the following areas: voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness and expedition/exploration.
To earn the Bronze Medal, participants have to reach 100 hours of voluntary public service; 50 hours in personal development; 50 hours of physical fitness; a two day/one night trip for the expedition/exploration category.
In order to earn the Silver Medal, participants have to reach 200 hours of voluntary public service; 100 hours of personal development; 100 hours of physical fitness; a three day/ two night trip for the expedition/exploration category.
For those working to earn the Gold Medal, participants have to reach 400 hours of voluntary public service; 200 hours of personal development; 200 hours of physical fitness; a five day/four night trip for the expedition/exploration category.
Garner said that he started the process of working toward the Congressional Award in the eighth grade.
“My friend Megan had already started the process and that’s where my mom heard about it,” Garner said. “So, that’s when I decided I wanted to get involved with it.”
In order to complete some of his volunteer hours, Garner said that one specific event helped out a lot to get the hours in.
“It was a lot easier to get my hours in when they had the national high school rodeo finals here in town. I got the chance to volunteer during the weeklong event,” Garner said.
“I also got some of my hours in helping out with the younger teams at the baseball field. I got a few hours for helping to coach a little league team.”
Garner said that he was also able to use baseball to help get in his personal development hours to achieve the Gold Medal.
“For Gold, I worked to get my batting average from like a 200 to around a 300. So, I would just go to extra practices or lift weights on the side. That’s how I got the hours in.”
Along with baseball, being involved in student council also aided Garner in the completion of his hours.
“I’m really involved in student council. I’m also on the state student council; I’m actually vice president. So, that definitely helped a lot with getting my hours in.”
According to Garner, it took him around seven months to reach the Bronze Medal and around one year to reach the requirements for the Silver Medal.
“Reaching the Gold Medal was a little weird because of COVID-19,” Garner said. “I was supposed to do it last year but because of the pandemic, I couldn’t really get my hours in. So, really it took me two years to meet the requirements for the Gold Medal.”
Recently, Garner along with other students who achieved the Gold Medal, got the opportunity to receive them in Cheyenne.
“It was a really cool experience. After the meet-and-greet with the other medal recipients, we got to meet the governor and one of the senators,” Garner said. “After that, we went into the ceremony where they gave us our medals.”
Out of all of the public service hours Garner completed, he said that he really enjoyed the time he spent volunteering at events that were held at the events complex.
“I really liked getting to help people at the events I volunteered at. It was nice being out there directly helping out my community,” Garner said “Through the process, I’ve learned that I am definitely a people person. I thought that I was a little more introverted. However, once I started getting around people and talking to them, I really enjoyed it.”
For most of the trips in the expedition/exploration category, Garner said that he went mostly on camping trips to reach the required hours.
“They couldn’t all be the same but the planning had to be all done by me. I had to plan out the activities, travel and everything done on the trip,” Garner said. “It definitely showed me how much actually goes into planning a vacation and what all goes into it.”
Garner said that he would encourage students to look into it and consider working toward earning the Congressional Award.
“I would say just do it if you can. You get to meet new people, have new experiences and gain contacts when getting your hours completed,” Garner said. | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/reach-for-the-stars-rock-springs-hudson-garner-achieves-congressional-award/article_e85ee89a-0f42-54b4-a712-f27cb8c3453d.html | 2022-04-11T16:59:56Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/rocketminer/reach-for-the-stars-rock-springs-hudson-garner-achieves-congressional-award/article_e85ee89a-0f42-54b4-a712-f27cb8c3453d.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Rawlins times page plan, April 13 Apr 11, 2022 55 min ago Comments Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Save RAWLINS page plan for WEDNESDAY, April 13 A1Tease 1: UNBEARABLE SPRING? Grizzly managers worried about 399 and her cubs, Page A6Tease 2: STRONG FIGHT, BAD BREAKS Outlaws show never-quit spirit in two tight losses, Page B1Tease 3: PALIN RIDES AGAIN With Alaska lightning rod, it’s political déjà vu all over again, A4_______________________________________________________MAIN PACKAGE: Boxing day: Carbon County author and NYTimes bestseller signs books to support museum, Mollie (photos)Ruling on eagle deaths divides wind power industry, WNE (file photo) – strip across topGroup pushes to hand-count election ballots, WNE (file photo) – long, can cut to fit if neededWalmart raising pay for truckers, hiring locally amid US employee shortage, WTE A2Jump from A1A3 FULL-PAGE AD A4 OPINIONSyndicated cartoonGreg column (Local voices)Drake column (Wyoming voices)Lowry column (Other voices)A5Obit (if there are any)Jumps from A1Around Wyoming briefs (if you need them)A6Grizzly managers worried about 399 and cubs, WNE (file photo)All the buzz: Sheep shearing class passes technique to new generation, WNE (photo) B1-B2 SPORTSStrong fight, bad breaks: Outlaws show never-quit spirit in two tight losses, Joel (photos)Outlaws drop pair of games over weekend, Joel (photos)Pokes land three Pac-12 transfers in less than 24 hours, Josh (photos)Wyoming QBs welcome competition, Josh (photos)Cobbs embraces leadership role as UW’s top returning receiver, Josh (photo)UW;s weakside LBs show growth, competition expected to last into fall, Josh (photo)B3-B4 COMICS/PUZZLESB5-B6 CLASSIFIEDS Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Save Tags Photo Manager Show Publishing Work Economics Rawlins Grizzly Cub Josh Plan Recommended for you Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus Trending Now Jury finds Cheyenne day care worker guilty of manslaughter Laramie County Sheriff’s Office identifies suspect killed in exchange of gunfire with deputy Laramie County Sheriff’s deputy shot, suspect killed Saturday afternoon after robbery at LCCC Sweetwater County school bus hits light pole at Frontier Mall in Cheyenne, no one hurt Some Cheyenne Regional employees upset by handling of Kronos hack Latest Special Section Our Faces To view our latest Special Section click the image on the left. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. 2022 Wyoming Legislature Updates Sign up to receive daily headlines on the 2022 Wyoming Legislature session. News Updates Would you like to receive our daily news? Sign up today! News Updates - Laramie Boomerang Want to keep updated on news headlines? Sign up today! News Updates - Rawlins Times Would you like to receive our daily news? Sign up today! News Updates - Wyoming Business Report Would you like to receive our daily news? Sign up today! You must select at least one email list. Please enter a valid email address. Sign up Manage your lists | https://www.wyomingnews.com/townnews/show/rawlins-times-page-plan-april-13/article_e191555d-4ffc-5d5c-b8af-1d623a0aeac6.html | 2022-04-11T17:00:02Z | wyomingnews.com | control | https://www.wyomingnews.com/townnews/show/rawlins-times-page-plan-april-13/article_e191555d-4ffc-5d5c-b8af-1d623a0aeac6.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
DETROIT — Jack White had a very eventful Friday.
His day began by performing the national anthem at the Detroit Tigers game. Later that night, he surprised fans by marrying musician Olivia Jean on stage during a show in Detroit.
The proposal and wedding came near the end of the set, during a performance of Hotel Yorba.
While singing, White proposed to Jean, whose band opened the show tonight. White does not allow cell phones at his shows, so no pictures from the wedding are on social media.
Once he finished the song, they went off stage and returned with family members. The wedding was then officiated by Third Man Record's co-founder Ben Swank.
Following the wedding, White carried his new wife off stage and then came back to close the show with several songs, including the finisher 7 Nation Army.
This is White's third marriage. He was formally married to model and singer Karen Elson and his White Stripes bandmate Meg White. | https://www.katc.com/entertainment/jack-white-proposes-marries-musician-olivia-jean-at-detroit-show | 2022-04-11T17:07:24Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/entertainment/jack-white-proposes-marries-musician-olivia-jean-at-detroit-show | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
As of April 11, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 194 and there have been 5 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Monday is 1,233,673. The current total death count is 17,182.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Monday, LDH says 20 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,161 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 61 percent of cases and 51 percent of deaths from March 24 to March 30, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 73 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,178 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,037,991 doses, including 2,455,999 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,664 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,416 (47.59% of the population) have been completed. A total of 991,081 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 56 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (up 4 from Friday). Of those patients, 6 were on ventilators (no change from Friday ).
Across Acadiana, there were 28 new cases and 1 new death reported since Friday .
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,861 cases (up 2) | 292 deaths (no change)
- Calcasieu - 54,645 cases (up 6) | 704 deaths (no change)
- Evangeline - 8,381 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,053 cases (up 3) | 264 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,324 cases (up 7)| 498 deaths (no change)
- St. Landry - 22,170 cases (up 5) | 415 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,939 cases (up 1) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,473 cases (up 2) | 262 deaths (up 1)
- Vermilion - 15,246 (up 2) | 223 deaths (no change)
See the full breakdown from the Louisiana Department of Health, here.
——————————————————-
FROM FRIDAY:
As of April 8, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 123 and there have been 3 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Friday is 1,233,479. The current total death count is 17,177.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Friday, LDH says 23 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,141 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 61 percent of cases and 51 percent of deaths from March 24 to March 30, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 79 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,162 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,034,813 doses, including 2,454,285 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,493 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,237 (47.56% of the population) have been completed. A total of 988,298 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 52 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (no change from Thursday). Of those patients, 6 were on ventilators (up 1 from Thursday).
Across Acadiana, there were 13 new cases and 0 new deaths reported since Thursday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,859 cases (no change) | 292 deaths (no change)
- Calcasieu - 54,639 cases (up 4) | 704 deaths (no change)
- Evangeline - 8,381 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,050 cases (up 1) | 264 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,317 cases (up 5)| 498 deaths (no change)
- St. Landry - 22,165 cases (no change) | 415 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,938 cases (up 1) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,471 cases (up 2) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,244 (no change) | 223 deaths (no change)
——————————————————-
FROM THURSDAY:
As of April 7, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 131 and there have been 13 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Thursday is 1,233,356. The current total death count is 17,175.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Thursday, LDH says 17 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,118 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 61 percent of cases and 51 percent of deaths from March 24 to March 30, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 79 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,162 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,034,813 doses, including 2,454,285 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,493 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,237 (47.56% of the population) have been completed. A total of 988,298 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 52 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 9 from Wednesday). Of those patients, 5 were on ventilators (no change from Wednesday).
Across Acadiana, there were 16 new cases and 2 new deaths reported since Wednesday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,859 cases (no change) | 292 deaths (no change)
- Calcasieu - 54,635 cases (up 7) | 704 deaths (up 1)
- Evangeline - 8,381 cases (up 1) | 157 deaths (up 1)
- Iberia - 19,049 cases (no change) | 264 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,312 cases (up 5)| 498 deaths (no change)
- St. Landry - 22,165 cases (no change) | 415 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,937 cases (up 2) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,469 cases (no change) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,244 (up 1) | 223 deaths (no change)
——————————————————-
FROM WEDNESDAY:
As of April 6, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 217 and there have been 8 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Wednesday is 1,233,225. The current total death count is 17,162.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Wednesday, LDH says 27 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,101 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 61 percent of cases and 51 percent of deaths from March 24 to March 30, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 80 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,730 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,031,651 doses, including 2,452,568 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,313 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,030 (47.53% of the population) have been completed. A total of 985,768 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 61 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 6 from Tuesday). Of those patients, 5 were on ventilators (down 1 from Tuesday).
Across Acadiana, there were 20 new cases and 1 new death reported since Tuesday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,859 cases (up 1) | 292 deaths (no change)
- Calcasieu - 54,628 cases (up 10) | 703 deaths (no change)
- Evangeline - 8,380 cases (no change) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,049 cases (no change) | 264 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,307 cases (up 5)| 498 deaths (no change)
- St. Landry - 22,165 cases (up 2) | 415 deaths (up 1)
- St. Martin - 12,935 cases (no change) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,469 cases (up 2) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,243 (no change) | 223 deaths (no change)
——————————————————-
FROM TUESDAY:
As of April 5, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 246 and there have been 8 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Tuesday is 1,233,008. The current total death count is 17,154.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Tuesday, LDH says 56 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,074 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 58 percent of cases and 49 percent of deaths from March 17 to March 23, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 70 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,730 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,031,651 doses, including 2,452,568 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,313 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,030 (47.53% of the population) have been completed. A total of 985,768 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 67 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 6 from Monday). Of those patients, 6 were on ventilators (down 1 from Monday).
Across Acadiana, there were 11 new cases and 4 new deaths reported since Monday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,858 cases (no change) | 292 deaths (up 1)
- Calcasieu - 54,618 cases (up 1) | 703 deaths (up 1)
- Evangeline - 8,380 cases (up 2) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,049 cases (up 1) | 264 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 157 deaths (up 1)
- Lafayette - 62,302 cases (up 3)| 498 deaths (up 1)
- St. Landry - 22,163 cases (no change) | 414 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,935 cases (up 2) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,467 cases (up 1) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,243 (up 1) | 223 deaths (no change)
——————————————————-
FROM MONDAY:
As of April 4, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 249 and there have been 8 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Monday is 1,232,762. The current total death count is 17,146.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Monday, LDH says 42 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 64,018 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 58 percent of cases and 49 percent of deaths from March 17 to March 23, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 68 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,730 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,031,651 doses, including 2,452,568 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,313 vaccine series have been initiated and 288,030 (47.53% of the population) have been completed. A total of 985,768 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 73 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 6 from Friday). Of those patients, 7 were on ventilators (no change from Friday).
Across Acadiana, there were 33 new cases and 2 new deaths reported since Friday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,858 cases (up 4) | 291 deaths (up 1)
- Calcasieu - 54,617 cases (up 7) | 702 deaths (no change)
- Evangeline - 8,378 cases (up 2) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,048 cases (up 2) | 264 deaths (up 1)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,299 cases (up 12)| 497 deaths (no change)
- St. Landry - 22,163 cases (up 2) | 414 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,933 cases (up 1) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,466 cases (up 1) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,242 (up 2) | 223 deaths (no change)
——————————————————-
FROM FRIDAY:
As of April 1, the number of total coronavirus cases reported in Louisiana increased by 91 and there have been 11 new deaths, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
The total number of cases reported to the state as of Friday is 1,232,513. The current total death count is 17,138.
On January 19, LDH, in accordance with CDC, began including total and new reinfections in statewide total and new cases.
Of new COVID cases Friday, LDH says 18 are reinfections (defined as a positive viral COVID-19 test in an individual with a previous positive test at least 90 days prior). So far, 63,976 total reinfections have been reported to the state.
LDH reports that not fully vaccinated Louisiana residents accounted for 58 percent of cases and 49 percent of deaths from March 17 to March 23, 2022. Those not fully vaccinated also accounted for 70 percent of current COVID hospitalizations.
LDH is reporting an additional 3,093 COVID-19 vaccinations administered since the last update. The state has now administered 5,027,921 doses, including 2,450,557 completed two-dose series. In LDH Region 4, which includes Acadiana, 317,133 vaccine series have been initiated and 287,805 (47.49% of the population) have been completed. A total of 982,609 "extra doses" have been administered.
Louisiana residents wanting to receive a vaccine can find more information here.
LDH reports that 79 individuals are hospitalized with COVID across the state (down 1 from Thursday). Of those patients, 7 were on ventilators (no change from Thursday).
Across Acadiana, there were 10 new cases and 1 new death reported since Thursday.
Parishes in Acadiana (probable and confirmed cases and deaths)
- Acadia - 15,854 cases (up no change) | 290 deaths (no change)
- Calcasieu - 54,610 cases (up 5) | 702 deaths (no change)
- Evangeline - 8,376 cases (no change) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Iberia - 19,046 cases (no change) | 263 deaths (no change)
- Jefferson Davis - 6,932 cases (no change) | 156 deaths (no change)
- Lafayette - 62,287 cases (up 3)| 497 deaths (up 1)
- St. Landry - 22,161 cases (no change) | 414 deaths (no change)
- St. Martin - 12,932 cases (no change) | 186 deaths (no change)
- St. Mary - 12,465 cases (up 1) | 261 deaths (no change)
- Vermilion - 15,240 (up 1) | 223 deaths (no change)
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Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers | https://www.katc.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-state-update-1-233-673-coronavirus-cases-17-182-deaths | 2022-04-11T17:07:37Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/coronavirus/covid-19-state-update-1-233-673-coronavirus-cases-17-182-deaths | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Senator Bill Cassidy was in Evangeline Parish on Monday to announce funding to build broadband infrastructure in several parishes.
At an event at Ville Platte High School, Cassidy told those gathered that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration will fund a $29.9 million grant to build broadband infrastructure in Evangeline, Acadia and St. Landry Parishes.
According to the senator, the grant will cover most of Evangeline Parish, including Ville Platte High School. Cassidy also visited with town and elected officials along with the Acadiana Planning Commission at the Evangeline Parish Courthouse.
The grant says the Acadiana Regional Public/Private Partnership for the Deployment of a Fiber to the Home Network in the Rural Underserved Areas of Acadiana project is a last-mile broadband deployment in the Acadiana region of Louisiana that is designed to bring qualifying broadband to 22,196 unserved households across the region.
Last year, Cassidy also helped pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which will make more money available for communities wishing to expand broadband service. The IIJA provides $65 billion for broadband infrastructure.
Last month, Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris was in St. Landry Parish to announce funding for broadband communications in several parishes in Acadiana.
While in Sunset, Harris said high-speed internet is a tool that is needed, but it's especially needed by children.
Thirty percent of St. Landry Parish households don't have high-speed internet, Harris said. Students are sitting in fast-food parking lots to access WiFi to do homework, she said. Older folks are doing telemedicine visits in public libraries, she said.
The bipartisan infrastructure law contains billions to lay miles of fiber to help households lower their monthly bill or get access, Harris said.
Harris also announced $60 million in flood resilience funding, with $40 million earmarked for Louisiana.
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Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers | https://www.katc.com/news/evangeline-parish/on-heels-of-vp-harris-senator-cassidy-talks-broadband-funding-in-evangeline-parish | 2022-04-11T17:07:49Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/evangeline-parish/on-heels-of-vp-harris-senator-cassidy-talks-broadband-funding-in-evangeline-parish | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
A documentary on the Astroworld concert that ended with 10 people dead will be released in some theaters this month.
10 concertgoers died and more than 300 were injured at the Astroworld concert in Houston in November of 2021.
The documentary, titled “Concert Crush”, looks at what unfolded at Travis Scott’s concert.
Director Charlie Minn said he made the documentary so people wouldn’t forget about the tragedy and to shine light on the families who are still waiting for justice to be served.
The documentary includes interview with security experts, survivors, attorneys and investigators.
Concert Crush will open in select theaters across Texas starting April 11.
In December of 2021, a congressional committee launched an investigation into Live Nation, the promoter of the concert.
The House Oversight and Reform Committee requested information about the company’s role in the festival, as well as details about security, crowd control and casualty incident planning.
Nearly 400 lawsuits have been filed over injuries and deaths at the concert, including many against Live Nation and Scott. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/documentary-on-astroworld-concert-tragedy-will-be-released-this-month | 2022-04-11T17:08:19Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/documentary-on-astroworld-concert-tragedy-will-be-released-this-month | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NAMPA, Idaho — Charreria is Mexico's national sport, it is a rodeo event that draws on the history and culture of Mexico, and part of it features a team of ladies who ride their horses in a choreographed dance.
The Escaramuza Charro Sueno Dorado made their first appearance of the year at the Idaho Horse Expo in Nampa on Friday night.
"To us, it is very important that we don’t lose our tradition," said Ana Rosa De La Riva the team's coach. "We want to start traveling to Utah, California and maybe Mexico."
This team lives in the Nampa and Caldwell area and people will have the opportunity to see them perform on Independence Day as the team has gotten multiple invites to parades and other festivities in Idaho.
"That’s pretty neat I think it is nice for them to get invited and people are getting to know them more," said De La Riva.
This team is helping Idahoans connect with this unique culture, the team plans on starting a squad for children who will be taught this dance using wooden horses.
"We don’t want this tradition to ever end," said De La Riva.
Fans at the Idaho Horse Expo were also treated to the Caballos Bailadores de Idaho, or the dancing horses, and a routine called Ballet Xochipitzahuatl.
The ballet featured Isabel and Anahi dancing while surrounded by Jose Cruz doing tricks with the rope and a giant horse prancing around the dancers.
"It’s our passion and it is what we like to be dedicated to," said Anahi, who helped translate for Isabel. "We love to bring our culture from Mexico to America because I feel like a lot of people really enjoy it."
This story was first reported by Steve Dent in at KIVI in Boise, Idaho. | https://www.katc.com/news/national/escaramuza-team-showcases-mexicos-national-sport-in-the-u-s | 2022-04-11T17:08:25Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/news/national/escaramuza-team-showcases-mexicos-national-sport-in-the-u-s | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fox will televise 35 World Cup matches on its main Fox broadcast network.
That includes all three U.S. first-round games in Qatar and all from the quarterfinals on.
The total on the Fox network is down from 38 at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
There will be 29 on the FS1 cable network.
This year's tournament was shifted from its usual June-July period until Nov. 21 to Dec. 18 because of the summer heat in Qatar.
U.S. Spanish-language television rights are held by NBCUniversal's Telemundo.
During the NFL season, FS1 will show four Sunday group matches on Nov. 27, and then two Sunday round-of-16 matches on Dec. 4, the Associated Press reported.
The U.S. is set to play England on Nov. 25 and Iran on Nov. 29 at 2 p.m. EST. They will then close out the tournament’s opening day against either Scotland, Ukraine, or Wales. | https://www.katc.com/sports/fox-to-televise-35-of-64-world-cup-matches-on-main-network | 2022-04-11T17:08:57Z | katc.com | control | https://www.katc.com/sports/fox-to-televise-35-of-64-world-cup-matches-on-main-network | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LONDON — A jury deliberated for just 18 minutes Monday before finding a fervent Islamic State supporter guilty of stabbing lawmaker David Amess to death a slaying that shocked the nation and sparked calls for increased police protection for politicians.
Ali Harbi Ali, 26, was found guilty by London's Central Criminal Court of murder and preparing terrorist acts. Ali stabbed the veteran British lawmaker to death last year while he was meeting with voters at a church hall in eastern England.
Ali, who had spent years researching and planning potential attacks on lawmakers, had defended his actions by saying Amess deserved to die as a result of voting for airstrikes on Syria in 2014 and 2015.
Ali, a London man with Somali heritage, had denied charges of murder and preparing acts of terrorism.
Opening the trial, prosecutor Tom Little said the case was "nothing less than an assassination" carried out because of a "warped and twisted and violent ideology."
"It was a murder carried out by that young man who for many years had been planning just such an attack and who was, and is, a committed, fanatical, radicalized Islamist terrorist," he said.
Little said Ali bought the knife used to attack Amess five years earlier, and that Ali tricked his way into meeting Amess by pretending to be one of his constituents.
Amess, 69, had been a member of Parliament since 1983. He was pronounced dead at the scene after the stabbing.
The prosecutor also said that Ali had researched and planned attacks on lawmakers and the Parliament building from at least 2019. The research included reconnaissance trips targeting work and home addresses of two other lawmakers, Mike Freer and Cabinet member Michael Gove, he added.
The slaying of Amess shook the nation, as lawmakers often meet directly with the public. It came five years after Labour Party lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death by a far-right extremist.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-11/an-islamic-state-supporter-is-found-guilty-of-killing-u-k-lawmaker-david-amess | 2022-04-11T17:28:54Z | klcc.org | control | https://www.klcc.org/npr-news/2022-04-11/an-islamic-state-supporter-is-found-guilty-of-killing-u-k-lawmaker-david-amess | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SALISBURY, Md.- The Lower Shore American Job Center (formerly known as the One Stop Job Market) mobile unit is hitting the road again.
The mobile unit is a community outreach program that brings AJC employment services to job seekers throughout the Lower Eastern Shore, which includes Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties.
The AJC has a brand-new vehicle equipped with the latest technology that will be used to assist job and career seekers with their employment needs.
The AJC Mobile Unit will begin its regular schedule starting April 11.
For more information and to see where you can find the mobile in your neighborhood, visit https://lswa.org/american-job-center-mobile-unit. | https://www.wboc.com/news/american-job-center-mobile-unit-hits-the-road/article_c05b1fea-b9aa-11ec-a0bc-0fbec5fac4dd.html | 2022-04-11T17:29:43Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/american-job-center-mobile-unit-hits-the-road/article_c05b1fea-b9aa-11ec-a0bc-0fbec5fac4dd.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WILMINGTON, Del. – Gov. John Carney on Monday announced that state agencies and local governments can learn how climate change is impacting Delaware, how we can best prepare for these challenges and how we can take advantage of opportunities for improving resilience and reducing emissions through a training offered by the State of Delaware.
Delaware is partnering with the Association of Climate Change Officers to begin offering the Delaware Climate Leadership Academy this spring.
The virtual training will provide instruction on understanding climate science and assessing vulnerability; basics of greenhouse gas accounting, reporting, disclosure; engaging organizational and community stakeholders to lead change; the economics of climate change; and managing climate risk.
“Delawareans expect their state agencies and local governments to provide solutions to a range of issues impacting our communities,” said Carney. “Climate change affects every corner of state and local government operations — from preparing our labor force for the jobs of tomorrow to providing clean drinking water to collection of revenues — and that's why it is critically important that we build climate change knowledge and skills in our state and local workforce. Delaware's Climate Leadership Academy is a meaningful step forward in making sure we are prepared to respond to the global climate change challenge.”
Carney released Delaware’s Climate Action Plan last November. The plan outlines actions the state can take to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and maximize resilience to climate change impacts. It also calls for training staff in state agencies and local governments to better prepare them to meet the challenges ahead.
The Academy, which will be administered by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, will provide training that integrates concepts of climate change mitigation and adaptation into the decision-making process. It will also be an opportunity for participants to network and collaborate on challenges and opportunities.
ACCO has provided training to more than 1,000 practitioners in public and private sectors. Most recently, it developed training and climate leadership academies for Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Delaware’s Climate Leadership Academy will include sessions specific to the First State, including:
• Delaware-specific data
• Information on Delaware’s Climate Action Plan
• Delaware’s greenhouse gas emissions and initiatives already in place to reduce them
• Maximizing resilience, with a focus on adapting to increasing temperatures, precipitation, flooding and sea level rise.
“Delaware has taken the vitally important step toward educating and training policymakers in state and local government, as well as building a climate smart workforce across sectors to ensure a healthy, secure and prosperous state,” said Daniel Kreeger, executive director of ACCO. “The Delaware Climate Leadership Academy will play a key role in building up the knowledge and skills in government and critical infrastructure that Delaware needs to address both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
The academy series will satisfy elective requirements to become a candidate for the Certified Climate Change Professional exams and become a candidate for the professional CC-P credential. Training is planned to be offered again in the fall to a larger audience of non-government stakeholders.
The deadline for state and local government employees to register is April 21. For more information and to register, visit de.gov/climateacademy
### | https://www.wboc.com/news/carney-announces-delaware-climate-leadership-academy/article_56bea9f0-b9b2-11ec-8fab-9f1e7a95f797.html | 2022-04-11T17:29:49Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/carney-announces-delaware-climate-leadership-academy/article_56bea9f0-b9b2-11ec-8fab-9f1e7a95f797.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
UNIVERSITY CITY, Mo. (AP)- When the coronavirus pandemic first hit the U.S., sales of window coverings at Halcyon Shades quickly went dark. So the suburban St. Louis business did what hundreds of other small manufacturers did: It pivoted to make protective supplies, with help from an $870,000 government grant.
But things haven't worked out as planned. The company quit making face shields because it wasn't profitable. It still hasn't sold a single N95 mask because of struggles to get equipment, materials and regulatory approval.
“So far, it has been a net drain of funds and resources and energy," Halcyon Shades owner Jim Schmersahl said.
Many companies that began producing personal protective equipment with patriotic optimism have scaled back, shut down or given up, according to an Associated Press analysis based on numerous interviews with manufacturers. Some already have sold equipment they bought with state government grants.
As COVID-19 was stressing hospitals and shuttering businesses in 2020, elected officials touted the need to boost U.S. production of protective gear: “All this stuff should be made in the United States and not in China,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in remarks echoed by others.
Yet many manufacturers who answered the call have faced logistical hurdles, regulatory rejections, slumping demand and fierce competition from foreign suppliers. On April 1, Florida-based American Surgical Mask Co. became one of the latest to close.
“I’m just done with the fight,” CEO Matt Brandman told the AP.
After the initial scramble for PPE subsided, many industry newcomers faced difficulty selling products. Government agencies sometimes wanted huge quantities at tough-to-meet deadlines. Hospital systems tended to contract with established suppliers. Retail sales waned after every virus surge.
“At the end of the day, when everybody said they wanted American-made, nobody’s buying, not even the state,” said Tony Blogumas, vice president of Green Resources Consulting, a rural Missouri firm that received an $800,000 state grant but has sold only a few thousand masks. “We’re kind of upset about the whole situation.”
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson also is disappointed. His administration divided $20 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds among 48 businesses for the production of masks, gowns, sanitizer and other supplies. Parson hoped to seed a permanent field of manufacturers.
“I’m still a firm believer in that - that we need to be making PPE here in this state,” Parson said. “Unfortunately, a lot of entities went right back to where they were getting it before.”
The onset of the pandemic revealed that the U.S. was highly dependent on foreign countries for protective gear. When China limited exports because of its own battle against COVID-19, U.S. stockpiles plummeted. Prices skyrocketed as federal officials, governors and health care systems competed for supplies.
Though federal stockpiles have been replenished, shriveling domestic production has raised concerns that state governments, medical facilities and others could again get stuck scrambling for gear during a future pandemic.
The AP identified more than $125 million in grants to spur production of pandemic supplies made to over 300 business in 10 states - Alabama, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York and Ohio. It’s possible that grants were awarded in additional states, but there is no central clearinghouse to track them.
In November 2020, Alabama awarded one of the single largest grants - nearly $10.6 million from federal pandemic relief funds - to HomTex Inc. The company was to equip a new Selma facility to make 250 million surgical masks and 45 million N95 masks annually. The plant returned $1.8 million of the state grant and has yet to make anything due to a lack of customers.
“I can’t produce product that I can’t sell,” HomTex President Jeremy Wootten said.
Other companies also had trouble living up to political hype.
In October 2020, New York announced eight grants that then-Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, now the governor, said were "a model for how we build back better for the post-pandemic future.” Those included $800,000 for newly formed Altor Safety and $1 million for startup firm NYPPE.
But NYPPE's equipment wasn't ready until February 2021, by which time the market had changed, President Connor Knapp said.
So Knapp tapped the brakes on his plans. NYPPE still hasn't sold any N95 masks because it lacks regulatory approval. It just recently scaled up production of surgical masks, after obtaining a U.S. Food and Drug Administration certification that came with its purchase of Altor Safety.
Some PPE manufacturers point to federal regulations as part of the reason for their struggles. Three-ply masks need FDA approval to be marketed for medical use - an important designation for building a long-term customer base.
That process can be time-consuming. Facing delays, Angstrom Manufacturing in Missouri ended up buying another business that already had FDA approval, President Chris Carron said. By then, it was fall 2021 - a year after it received a state grant.
Companies need approval from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to market products as N95 respirators, which filter at least 95% of airborne particles.
During the first two years of the pandemic, NIOSH approved 30 new manufacturers - more than seven times the typical number during a similar pre-pandemic period, according to agency data. Some applications remain pending, while numerous others were denied.
Halcyon Shades' N95 certification was rejected in October because its samples didn't have head straps attached. While the company works on another application, its equipment sits idle inside the clear plastic-sheet walls of a “clean room” specially built to shield materials from airborne contaminants. Partially finished masks remain paused on a conveyor belt, waiting to be deposited into a cardboard box.
Without federal approval, "we’re just dead in the water,” said Schmersahl, the company owner.
Progress reports filed with the Missouri Department of Economic Development show that nearly all its PPE grant recipients faced challenges by July 2021, especially with sales.
Patriot Medical Devices, which received $750,000 from Missouri, hired nearly 100 people as it cranked out millions of masks during a COVID-19 surge in late 2020 and early 2021, CEO Rick Needham said. Fewer than 10 employees remain.
“We felt it was our patriotic duty to do something to help solve the problem,” Needham said. But, he added, “It’s frankly a little bit of a dysfunctional business model at this point.”
Ohio awarded $20.8 million to 73 businesses to manufacture pandemic-related supplies, according to state data. Of 60 businesses that complied with a recent reporting deadline, more than one-third no longer produced PPE by the end of 2021.
Cleveland Veteran Business Solutions, which received a $500,000 grant to get into the PPE business, made about 5 million surgical masks beginning in August 2020. It ultimately halted production in the face of cheaper imports and sold its machines this year, co-founder Taner Eren said.
“It was surprising and disappointing strategically that there wasn’t support for a local PPE manufacturing industry," Eren said.
The business was among several dozen that banded together to form the American Mask Manufacturer's Association with the goal of sustaining the industry. The group's membership has dwindled as more and more go out of business.
Association organizers say the industry has reached a critical point. They want the federal government to treat PPE manufacturers like the nation's defense industry - entering into long-term contracts to perpetually replenish a stockpile for future pandemics or emergencies.
“If the federal government doesn’t come in and help support the U.S. manufacturing base, it’s almost certainly going to go back to China, and we’ll be just as vulnerable as we were in early 2020 and 2019,” said Brent Dillie, the association chairman and co-founder of Premium-PPE, a Virginia manufacturer started during the pandemic that has shed about two-thirds of its roughly 300 employees.
Infrastructure legislation signed by President Joe Biden took a step toward bolstering domestic suppliers. Effective in February, it required new contracts for PPE purchased by the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs to run for at least two years and be awarded to U.S. producers - unless there’s not sufficient quantity and quality at market prices.
The health and veterans departments said they haven’t bought anything yet. Homeland Security hasn’t answered the AP’s questions. Documents show the government solicited bids due Dec. 6 for up to 381 million U.S.-made surgical masks over three years for its stockpile. No deal has been announced.
Other documents show the government is looking to contract with three major suppliers - 3M, Moldex, and Owens & Minor - for a total of $115 million in U.S-made N95 masks over three years. A justification document says noncompetitive contracts are necessary to preserve capacity for future coronavirus surges or emergencies.
The Biden administration also formed a task force of experts from federal agencies, health care providers, PPE manufacturers and distributors to develop a national strategy for ensuring a “resilient public health supply chain.” Its work is expected to extend for years.
Some manufacturers said they can't wait long for a federal life preserver.
Dentec Safety Specialists is wrapping up a contract to supply 125,000 rubber reusable respirators and 500,000 filtration cartridges from its Kansas facility for the national stockpile, said President Claudio Dente. It needs more orders soon to prevent layoffs, he said.
“I thought that COVID would really change the mindset of the people, the governments and manufacturing," Dente said. But he added: “The general marketplace is reverting back to their old ways -- meaning looking to buy product from China." | https://www.wboc.com/news/efforts-to-make-protective-medical-gear-in-us-falling-flat/article_33e2585e-b9a9-11ec-8a91-e3c6c9a0e079.html | 2022-04-11T17:29:55Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/efforts-to-make-protective-medical-gear-in-us-falling-flat/article_33e2585e-b9a9-11ec-8a91-e3c6c9a0e079.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SALISBURY, Md.- The Salisbury Zoo's Andean Bears, bhaska and Pinocchio, became parents to two twin boys on Jan. 16. The zoo, which made that announcement earlier this month, is now asking the public's help in picking the perfect names for them.
In keeping with the naming tradition of its bears, the zoo's keepers picked four names from the Quechua language as options for the bear cubs. The Quechua language is used throughout the central Andes Mountains, including Ecuador, Argentina, Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, and Chile. The name of their mother, Chaska, means “bright star,” and their brother’s name, Sinchi, means “strong.”
The two names with the most votes will become the names of the zoo's babies! You can vote for your favorite names by clicking here. Each vote is a $5 donation to the Salisbury Zoo and is tax-deductible. The proceeds of the vote go to help fund the Salisbury Zoo's Andean bear program.
You can vote as many times as you wish. The names will be revealed on April 23, 2022. To vote go to: https://www.givesignup.org/TicketEvent/NametheBabyBearsContest | https://www.wboc.com/news/salisbury-zoo-launches-name-the-baby-bears-contest/article_82c12aa0-b9a3-11ec-b500-5b16258cff31.html | 2022-04-11T17:30:01Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/news/salisbury-zoo-launches-name-the-baby-bears-contest/article_82c12aa0-b9a3-11ec-b500-5b16258cff31.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ATLANTIC:
MON: Winds SE 10-15 Knots. Seas 2-3 Feet.
TUE: Winds W 10-15 Knots. Gusts to 20 Knots. Seas 3 Feet.
CHESAPEAKE:
Small Craft Advisory in effect until April 12, 12 PM
MON: Winds SE 15-20 Knots. Gusts to 25 Knots. Seas 2-3 Feet.
TUE: Winds SW 10-15 Knots. Gusts to 20 Knots. Seas 2 Feet.
DELAWARE BAY:
MON: Winds S 10-15 Knots. Gusts to 20 Knots. Seas 2 Feet.
TUE: Winds W 10-15 Knots. Seas 2 Feet. | https://www.wboc.com/weather/on-the-waters/marine-forecast-for-monday-april-11-2022/article_412921c6-b9a6-11ec-8c20-4f2d1446ab1a.html | 2022-04-11T17:30:07Z | wboc.com | control | https://www.wboc.com/weather/on-the-waters/marine-forecast-for-monday-april-11-2022/article_412921c6-b9a6-11ec-8c20-4f2d1446ab1a.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Outlander: Who killed Malva Christie? Why is there a two week wait for Season 6 Episode 7?
Spoilers ahead for Outlander Season 6 Episode 6.
Outlander Season 6 Episode 6 ‘The World Turned Upside Down’ was quite a rollercoaster.
Claire Fraser (Caitriona Balfe) was struck down by a mysterious illness and – while she was on her sickbed – Malva Christie tried to seduce Jamie (Sam Heughan).
The young Malva then later claimed Jamie was the father of her baby, and was eventually found dead in the Fraser’s vegetable patch.
In a particularly harrowing scene, Claire works to try and save the unborn baby but is tragically unable to.
Jessica Reynolds has been praised for her nuanced performance as Malva, with her ability to provoke both the audience’s sympathy and rage for her character.
But who killed Malva Christie? Spoilers are ahead.
Who killed Malva Christie in Outlander?
In the preview for Outlander episode 7, the finger of blame is being pointed at Claire Fraser.
“Your wife stands before us up to her elbows in blood,” says Malva’s father Tom Christie (Mark Lewis Jones).
"With a knife!” says Allan Christie, to which Jamie replies: “What are you implying, lad?”
Claire has a motive to kill Malva, and she even threatened to do so in an ether fever dream.
However, if the show is to follow the Diana Gabaldon books, Claire is not the murderer.
The killer is in fact Malva's brother, Allan Christie (Alexander Vlahos).
He is also the father of her baby, having raped and abused Malva since she was a child.
Malva had decided to tell the truth, which is why Allan killed her.
When is the next Outlander Season 6 episode?
There will be a two week wait for Outlander Season 6 Episode 7 ‘Sticks and Stones’, with the episode being aired on April 24.
Starz hasn’t explained the reason for this break, but it’s believed to be due to the Easter holiday.
At least it will be a respite from all the tension in Episode 6, and gives fans time to ruminate on all the drama. | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/outlander-who-killed-malva-christie-why-is-there-a-two-week-wait-for-season-6-episode-7-3649015 | 2022-04-11T17:32:00Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/film-and-tv/outlander-who-killed-malva-christie-why-is-there-a-two-week-wait-for-season-6-episode-7-3649015 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Falkirk and West Lothian council areas to welcome several refugees through Homes for Ukraine scheme
Several visas have been issued for Ukrainian refugees to stay with Falkirk and West Lothian residents, new figures show.
A total of 30 visas have been issued for Ukrainian refugees to stay in the neighbouring areas.
The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme, or ‘Homes for Ukraine’, began in February via the UK Government, allowing citizens to volunteer to house refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. Sponsors agree to offer accommodation for at least six months, with those receiving sponsorship allowed in the UK for up to three years.
Provisional data from the Home Office and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities shows that seven visas had been issued for refugees staying with hosts based in Falkirk as of April 6. While, 23 visas had also been issued for refugees staying with hosts based in West Lothian. | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/falkirk-and-west-lothian-council-areas-to-welcome-several-refugees-through-homes-for-ukraine-scheme-3649768 | 2022-04-11T17:32:57Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/people/falkirk-and-west-lothian-council-areas-to-welcome-several-refugees-through-homes-for-ukraine-scheme-3649768 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WEST SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – A suspect with a neck tattoo is wanted for shoplifting at 11 businesses in West Springfield.
The West Springfield Police is looking for the public’s help in identifying a man, who appears to have a large neck tattoo, that has shoplifted from at least 11 businesses since November 2021. Police say the total loss is approximately $2,000.
If you have any information you are asked to contact Detective Kennedy at 413-263-3210 extension 229 or Text-A Tip. (Text SOLVE plus message to 274637 on your cell phone) to remain anonymous. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/crime/pd-neck-tattoo-suspect-responsible-for-11-shopliftings-in-west-springfield/ | 2022-04-11T17:33:29Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/crime/pd-neck-tattoo-suspect-responsible-for-11-shopliftings-in-west-springfield/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
These are the top technological innovations Brits want to see
As smart tech becomes more commonplace in our lives, a study of 2,000 adults found six in 10 are excited to see what the future of technology holds.
On-street pavement car chargers, hoverboards, smart single person transport and flying vehicles were also among the technological advancements people are hopeful for.
It also revealed 44 per cent feel certain the next 20 years of technological developments are going to outpace the previous two decades.
While three-quarters admitted they are still blown away by some of the tech that exists today, including the modern mobility already on Britain’s roads, smart supermarkets, and smart assistants in our homes.
The research, carried out to coincide with Zego’s 2040 vision for the future of mobility, also found half of adults can remember older generations telling them “back in my day” stories when astonished by new technology.
And 64 per cent will pass this tradition on and tell younger people what technology was like for this generation.
Sten Saar, CEO of commercial motor insurer Zego, which is already developing solutions with the future of mobility in mind, said: “I share Britain’s amazement towards the tech that exists today, and strongly agree that development is only going to ramp up from here.
“That is why we are launching our 2040 vision for the future of mobility.
“Even five years ago, it may have looked like a Sci-Fi film, but we are confident the future will look something like this and we are already researching insurance products to support this kind of autonomous future.”
Fully-autonomous vehicles
The study also revealed almost one in five (19 per cent) would like to ride in fully-autonomous vehicles that automatically drive you to your chosen destination.
While 14 per cent want fully-autonomous delivery vans that deliver your package to wherever suits you and 15 per cent hope to see delivery drones whizzing around the skies, dropping their wares off to customers.
It also emerged gadget lovers own between one and six pieces of smart tech each and more than half already use online banking, contactless payments and GPS maps when out and about.
Partly due to the pandemic, seven out of 10 use video calling for work and to keep in touch with friends and family.
When it comes to transport, 36 per cent already use electric or hybrid vehicles, E-Scooters, or transport apps.
But six in 10 adults believe Britain’s roads could be made safer and more eco-friendly if more money was invested into technology to combat driving issues.
Some of the ways those polled by OnePoll believe autonomous cars could help improve road safety include vehicles being made out of lighter materials to reduce impact in a crash, and if they are electric, not emitting exhaust fumes.
Sten Saar added: “Sixty-three per cent of people expect to see lower insurance premiums as technology advances.
“While 57 per cent believe insurance companies could offer better products and services if they invested more in technology.
“As energy sources and automated vehicles advance, at Zego we firmly believe the insurance sector needs to match the pace to make our 2040 vision of safer, more sustainable mobility become a reality.”
Top things Brits want tech to improve
1. Cost-saving
2. Convenience
3. Security and safety
4. Time-saving
5. Sustainability
Top tech innovations Brits want to see
1. Windows that tint automatically in the sunshine
2. A heating system that adjusts automatically depending on how you use the room
and if you are in it
3. Chargers in the street that charge your car when you park over them
4. Garages that charge your electric car just by parking on a giant pad
5. Fully-autonomous vehicles that automatically drive you to your chosen destination | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/read-this/these-are-the-top-technological-innovations-brits-want-to-see-3650030 | 2022-04-11T17:33:31Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/read-this/these-are-the-top-technological-innovations-brits-want-to-see-3650030 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LUDLOW, Mass. (WWLP) – The Ludlow Police Department posted the statistics of the digital speed signs, with only one where the average speed didn’t surpass the speed limit.
From January 14 through February 4, 2021, there were 15,740 vehicles counted on Stivens Terrace near Stivens Drive with an average speed of 27 MPG in a 25 MPH zone (not posted).
MAP: Stivens Terrace & Stivens Drive
Kendall Street near Overlook Drive was posted from September 3, 2021 through the 23rd, with an average speed of 34 MPH in a 30 MPH posted limit. There were 11,982 vehicles counted during that time period.
MAP: Kendall Street & Overlook Drive
From December 14, 2021 to January 5, 2022, there were 6,721 vehicles within 22 days that were driving the speed limit of 25 MPH (not posted) on average on Parkview Street.
MAP: Parkview Street
With 33,573 vehicles counted on Miller Street near Norwich Road, the average speed limit was over by three miles per hour. The posted speed limit on Miller Street is 35 MPH, drivers were going an average 38 MPH between February 2 through the 23rd of 2022. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/report-digital-radar-speed-signs-in-ludlow/ | 2022-04-11T17:33:48Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/report-digital-radar-speed-signs-in-ludlow/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
- We need to allow ourselves some time as we get to neutral rates so we can assess inflation pressures
The market is now pricing in a 91% chance of 50 bps on May 4 but it's also pricing in two 50 bps hikes in the subsequent two meetings. Is that allowing 'some time'? And will the Fed continue to hike up to 3.00% from there? | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/evans-we-need-to-allow-ourselves-some-time-to-get-to-neutral-rates-20220411/ | 2022-04-11T17:33:51Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/evans-we-need-to-allow-ourselves-some-time-to-get-to-neutral-rates-20220411/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Jack Ross sacking revisited as pundit describes Shaun Maloney's Hibs team as 'powderpuff'
Former Hibs and Hearts midfielder Michael Stewart reckons sacking Jack Ross was a mistake and has described Shaun Maloney’s team as “powderpuff”.
The BBC Sportsound pundit believes Maloney will come under pressure if Hibs lose Saturday’s semi-final and don’t get off to a good start next season.
The 41-year-old, who spent two seasons at Hibs before joining Hearts, says the upheaval since December has been unnecessary.
He said: “I think Jack Ross losing his job was a ridiculous decision. I don’t think they’d have been in the bottom six had Jack kept his job. There was a two-month period of poor results after two years of good results and I think they would have worked their way out of it.
“You’re talking about huge upheaval and huge things having to change for next season. I don’t think huge things needed to change in the first place.
“Last year there was a clear identity with the signings they were making. Now it feels like a scattergun. They’ve got a huge squad and I don’t really see what the identity is.”
He added: “A couple of games have not been too bad – looking as if there are green shoots of optimism and growth – but on the whole it has been powderpuff.
“The big concern is not making the top six and losing the derby. If Hibs don’t get to the final, the start of next season is incredibly important.
Asked if Maloney is under pressure, he replied: “I don’t think there’s any concern at the moment. At the start of next season, if they don’t have a good start, I think there would be pressure.” | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/jack-ross-sacking-revisited-as-pundit-describes-shaun-maloneys-hibs-team-as-powderpuff-3650135 | 2022-04-11T17:33:52Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hibs/jack-ross-sacking-revisited-as-pundit-describes-shaun-maloneys-hibs-team-as-powderpuff-3650135 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Chicago Fed president Charlie Evans is speaking and says:
High prices will persist longer than I thought However high prices are not persistent The Fed has to reposition itself in response By the end of the year will know a lot more about how persistent inflation is Hopefully inflation
Inflation
Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market.
Inflation is defined as a quantitative measure of the rate in which the average price level of goods and services in an economy or country increases over a period of time. It is the rise in the general level of prices where a given currency effectively buys less than it did in prior periods.In terms of assessing the strength or currencies, and by extension foreign exchange, inflation or measures of it are extremely influential. Inflation stems from the overall creation of money. This money is measured by the level of the total money supply of a specific currency, for example the US dollar, which is constantly increasing. However, an increase in the money supply does not necessarily mean that there is inflation. What leads to inflation is a faster increase in the money supply in relation to the wealth produced (measured with GDP). As such, this generates pressure of demand on a supply that does not increase at the same rate. The consumer price index then increases, generating inflation.How Does Inflation Affect Forex?The level of inflation has a direct impact on the exchange rate between two currencies on several levels.This includes purchasing power parity, which attempts to compare different purchasing powers of each country according to the general price level. In doing so, this makes it possible to determine the country with the most expensive cost of living.The currency with the higher inflation rate consequently loses value and depreciates, while the currency with the lower inflation rate appreciates on the forex market.Interest rates are also impacted. Inflation rates that are too high push interest rates up, which has the effect of depreciating the currency on foreign exchange. Conversely, inflation that is too low (or deflation) pushes interest rates down, which has the effect of appreciating the currency on the forex market.
Read this Term will be receding Supply pressures are more intense than expected At the end of the year will be able to make choices about more or less restrictiveness We need to position monetary policy much closer to neutral. The US economy has momentum neutral setting for monetary policy is 2.25% to 2.50% Had tough would be at neutral by March 2023; If got there by December, that would be ok too Not going too far, to quickly is important for optionality 50BP hike is worthy of consideration, possibly highly likely The real discussion is how are you want rates to be positioned by the end of the year I don't at the moment expect to see the need for restrictive policy to reign in inflation, but there is a risk Most Fed officials are happy to stay behind the curve. They know rates need to be back at neutral. They know inflation is running well above the neutral rate, but the remain tied to the meetings and steady rises.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/feds-evans-high-prices-will-persist-longer-than-i-thought-20220411/ | 2022-04-11T17:33:57Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/centralbank/feds-evans-high-prices-will-persist-longer-than-i-thought-20220411/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AUDUSD test its 50% retracement
The AUDUSD
AUD/USD
The AUD/USD is the currency pair encompassing the Australian dollar of the Commonwealth of Australia (symbol $, code AUD), and the dollar of the United States of America (symbol $, code USD). The pair’s rate indicates how many US dollars are needed in order to purchase one Australian dollar. For example, when the AUD/USD is trading at 0.7500, it means 1 Australian dollar is equivalent to 0.75 US dollars. The Australian dollar (AUD) is the world’s fifth most traded currency, whilst the US Dollar (USD) is the world’s most traded currency, resulting in a very liquid pair, with tight spreads, often staying within the 1 pip to 3 pip spread range on most forex brokers. AUD/USD Popular Among Various Types of TradersA lot of traders consider the AUD/USD to perhaps be the most consistent currency pair with respect to swing trading, as it has often moved in steadfast cycles.Having said that, every pair presents its own challenges for traders.The AUD/USD is very popular with swing traders, with the four-hour timeframe being, historically at least, more dependable than others. Historically the AUD/USD is influenced by interest rate differentials, commodity prices, government credit ratings, and overall sentiment and speculation.
The AUD/USD is the currency pair encompassing the Australian dollar of the Commonwealth of Australia (symbol $, code AUD), and the dollar of the United States of America (symbol $, code USD). The pair’s rate indicates how many US dollars are needed in order to purchase one Australian dollar. For example, when the AUD/USD is trading at 0.7500, it means 1 Australian dollar is equivalent to 0.75 US dollars. The Australian dollar (AUD) is the world’s fifth most traded currency, whilst the US Dollar (USD) is the world’s most traded currency, resulting in a very liquid pair, with tight spreads, often staying within the 1 pip to 3 pip spread range on most forex brokers. AUD/USD Popular Among Various Types of TradersA lot of traders consider the AUD/USD to perhaps be the most consistent currency pair with respect to swing trading, as it has often moved in steadfast cycles.Having said that, every pair presents its own challenges for traders.The AUD/USD is very popular with swing traders, with the four-hour timeframe being, historically at least, more dependable than others. Historically the AUD/USD is influenced by interest rate differentials, commodity prices, government credit ratings, and overall sentiment and speculation.
Read this Term is trading to a new session low and in the process is testing the 50% midpoint of the move up from the March 15 low. That midpoint level comes in at 0.74126.
The price is also moving below a swing area of highs and lows going back to March 7 between 0.7420 and 0.7428. It would take a move back above 0.7428 intraday to hurt the negative bias in the short term. Stay below and the bears remain in control with a break of the 50% at 0.74126, targeting another swing area between 0.7367 and 0.73799.
The move to new lows is within a data structure that has seen price action move up and down. However there is some downside bias as result of risk off sentiment which can impact the AUDUSD in a downward direction. US stocks remain under pressure with the NASDAQ index down -1.86% the S&P index is now down -1.27%.
Crude oil
Crude Oil
Crude oil is the most popular tradable instrument in the energy sector, offering exposure to global market conditions, geopolitical risk, and economics. The instrument is strategically relied upon and situated in the global economy. Crude oil has proven to be a unique option for traders given volatility and the efficacy of both swing trading and longer-term strategies. Despite its popularity, crude oil is a very complex investing instrument, given the litany of fluctuations in oil prices, risk, and impact of politics stemming from OPEC. Short for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC operates as an intergovernmental organization of 13 countries, helping set and dictate the global oil market.How to Trade Crude Oil Crude oil is most commonly traded as an exchange-traded fund (ETF) or through other instruments with exposure to it. This includes energy stocks, the USD/CAD, and other investing options. Crude oil itself is traded across a duality of markets, including the West Texas Intermediate Crude (WTI) and Brent crude. Brent is the more relied upon index in recent years, while WTI is more heavily traded across futures trading at the time of writing. Other than geopolitical events or decisions by OPEC, crude oil can move due to a variety of different ways. The most basic is through simple supply and demand, which is affected by global output. Increased industrial output, economic prosperity, and other factors all play a role in crude prices. By extension, recessions, lockdowns, or other stifling factors can also influence crude prices. For example, an oversupply or mitigated demand due to the aforementioned factors would result in lower crude prices. This is due to traders selling crude oil futures or other instruments. Should demand rise or production plateau, traders will bid increasingly on crude, whereby driving prices up.
Crude oil is the most popular tradable instrument in the energy sector, offering exposure to global market conditions, geopolitical risk, and economics. The instrument is strategically relied upon and situated in the global economy. Crude oil has proven to be a unique option for traders given volatility and the efficacy of both swing trading and longer-term strategies. Despite its popularity, crude oil is a very complex investing instrument, given the litany of fluctuations in oil prices, risk, and impact of politics stemming from OPEC. Short for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC operates as an intergovernmental organization of 13 countries, helping set and dictate the global oil market.How to Trade Crude Oil Crude oil is most commonly traded as an exchange-traded fund (ETF) or through other instruments with exposure to it. This includes energy stocks, the USD/CAD, and other investing options. Crude oil itself is traded across a duality of markets, including the West Texas Intermediate Crude (WTI) and Brent crude. Brent is the more relied upon index in recent years, while WTI is more heavily traded across futures trading at the time of writing. Other than geopolitical events or decisions by OPEC, crude oil can move due to a variety of different ways. The most basic is through simple supply and demand, which is affected by global output. Increased industrial output, economic prosperity, and other factors all play a role in crude prices. By extension, recessions, lockdowns, or other stifling factors can also influence crude prices. For example, an oversupply or mitigated demand due to the aforementioned factors would result in lower crude prices. This is due to traders selling crude oil futures or other instruments. Should demand rise or production plateau, traders will bid increasingly on crude, whereby driving prices up.
Read this Term - an indicator of global growth/demand - is trading down around four dollars or -4.0% at $94.33.
ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/audusd-trades-to-lowest-level-since-march-22-20220411/ | 2022-04-11T17:34:03Z | forexlive.com | control | https://www.forexlive.com/technical-analysis/audusd-trades-to-lowest-level-since-march-22-20220411/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PROSSER, Wash. -
UPDATE: Thousands of people are now out of power in Prosser and Benton City.
Benton PUD is currently working to get power back to the cities.
WSDOT East says I-82 eastbound lanes near Prosser is closed because of a semi crash.
WSDOT East says SR 241 between Mabton and Prosser is closed for poor visibility.
WSDOT East says SR 221 between Prosser and Paterson is still closed.
WSDOT East says US 97 south of Toppenish is blocked due to a collision.
I-82/ near Prosser: Semi crash blocking the eastbound lanes.
— WSDOT East (@WSDOT_East) April 11, 2022
SR 241 between Mabton and Prosser is closed due to poor visibility.
SR 221 between of Prosser at Paterson remains closed.
US 97 southbound only, south of Toppenish is blocked due to a collision.
The previous story is below.
Washington Department of Transportation East says SR 221 is temporarily closed due to multiple spinouts and poor visibility.
The closure is between Prosser and Paterson.
Temporary Closure on SR 221 between Prosser to Paterson due to poor visibility and multiple spinouts. Estimated time of reopening is 8:45 a.m.
— WSDOT East (@WSDOT_East) April 11, 2022
Benton PUD is currently working to get power restored for hundreds of customers between Grandview and Richland.
This is a developing story, which means information could change. We are working to report timely and accurate information as we get it. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/multiple-spinouts-and-poor-visibility-closes-part-of-state-route-221/article_0b7cc3f4-b9ae-11ec-8e0d-538c68543652.html | 2022-04-11T17:39:22Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/news/multiple-spinouts-and-poor-visibility-closes-part-of-state-route-221/article_0b7cc3f4-b9ae-11ec-8e0d-538c68543652.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
WASHINGTON STATE - Safeway and Albertsons are introducing "Walk-in Wednesday" hiring fair to fill hundreds of job openings within Washington State during the month of April.
Job seekers are invited to apply online for any position they feel they are suited for prior, then visit the store for open interviews from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm every Wednesday during the month of April.
Safeway and Albertsons stores are hiring for many positions including customer service (cashiers and courtesy clerks), Deli, Bakery, Meat, Produce, Dairy, Fuel Stations, Drive Up & Go Shoppers, Starbucks Cafe (Managers, Assistant Managers, and Baristas), and Pharmacy Technicians and Trainees.
"We pride ourselves on creating an environment where our associates can learn and grow, with endless opportunities for advancement in all departments," wrote Safeway Albertsons in a statement. "Working for Safeway Albertsons isn’t just a job, it’s a career."
Safeway Albertsons also provides benefits to eligible in-store employees including Paid Training, Flexible scheduling, employee discounts, and benefits and paid time off per union contracts.
Apply online prior to the job fair at www.safeway.com/careers or www.albertsons.com/careers | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/regional/safeway-and-albertsons-walk-in-wednesdays-hiring-event-this-april/article_3cc7cf48-b9b4-11ec-bf56-77b2a5445231.html | 2022-04-11T17:39:28Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/regional/safeway-and-albertsons-walk-in-wednesdays-hiring-event-this-april/article_3cc7cf48-b9b4-11ec-bf56-77b2a5445231.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
CLOSURES AND DELAYS ON MONDAY APRIL 11 -
Paterson School District - CLOSED
Mt. Adams School District - CLASSES CANCELLED
Goldendale School District - CLOSED
Highland School District - 2 HOUR DELAY, NO A.M. PRESCHOOL
This is a developing story, which means information could change. We are working to report timely and accurate information as we get it. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/schoolclosures/school-closures-and-delays-for-april-11-2022/article_4046d5d8-b9a0-11ec-bfff-8f97946c6430.html | 2022-04-11T17:39:35Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/schoolclosures/school-closures-and-delays-for-april-11-2022/article_4046d5d8-b9a0-11ec-bfff-8f97946c6430.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SOUTHEAST WA & NORTHEAST OR - A chilly and rainy day starts our week with April showers bringing (hopefully) May flowers!
A winter storm warning will remain in effect until 5am Wednesday, with heavy snow up to 10-24 inches in the eastern slopes of the Oregon Cascades. Wind gusts will remain at 45 mph. North Central Oregon will also have a winter weather advisory in effect from 11pm this evening to 11pm Wednesday, with a total snow accumulation of 6 inches and winds gusting at 40mph.
High wind warning also remains in effect from 5am to 11pm Monday in Northern and Eastern Klamath County with west winds 25 to 40 mph and gusts as high as 65 mph. From 9am this morning to 11pm this evening, the wind advisory also extends from Coeur D'Alene to Moses Lake to Spokane to the upper Columbia Basin where winds will be 20-25mph and gusts 50mph.
A winter storm watch also remains in effect from Monday afternoon to Tuesday afternoon in the Southern Blue Mountains of Oregon above 1500 feet with snow accumulation 3 to 6 inches and wind gusts as high as 35 mph.
Today through Tuesday night, an upper-level low accompanying a surface low is giving us some rain in our area. The higher elevation areas will see snow, but not the low-Columbia basin.
The Foothills of the Northern Blue Mountains are beginning to have breezy to windy southeast winds, continuing into the mid-morning hours. Contrary to popular belief, these winds will actually keep any snow from falling in that area.
Wednesday through next Monday, cool and unsettled weather conditions continue, as Sunday and Monday will be a little drier but more snow than typical this time of year in the upper elevations. This is due to a broad upper level troughing. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/weather/a-rainy-start-to-this-april-continues-with-a-gusty-rainy-and-possibly-snowy-monday/article_a35a0352-b996-11ec-ab4b-bb19b571bb25.html | 2022-04-11T17:39:41Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/weather/a-rainy-start-to-this-april-continues-with-a-gusty-rainy-and-possibly-snowy-monday/article_a35a0352-b996-11ec-ab4b-bb19b571bb25.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
TOPPENISH, Wash. -
Yakima County Fire Distict #5 reports that Highway 97 south of Toppenish is closed after multiple vehicles got stuck or slid off the road.
Workers say there are still serious visibility issues.
District #5 is working with the Washington Department of Transportation to get the road cleared and make sure no one is injured.
WS DOT reports Highway 97 is also closed at Goldendale. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/yakima/highway-97-closed-south-of-toppenish-due-to-slide-offs/article_c23b25ec-b9b1-11ec-9278-1f81b61038d0.html | 2022-04-11T17:39:47Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/yakima/highway-97-closed-south-of-toppenish-due-to-slide-offs/article_c23b25ec-b9b1-11ec-9278-1f81b61038d0.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
YAKIMA, WA - The Yakima Fire Department (YFD) was sent to a house fire on E. Chestnut Ave. near the E. Yakima Ave freeway entrance of I-82 Sunday afternoon.
YFD received a call about the fire at 2:15 pm. When crews arrived to the residence in the 1200 block of E. Chestnut Ave., they found smoke coming out of the eaves on all sides of the house, with heavy smoke coming from the back of the house.
YFD says there were no injuries as the occupants were not inside the house at the time of the fire.
There was extensive building and water damage throughout the main living areas of the home. Crews estimate the damage to be about $100,000.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/yakima/sunday-afternoon-house-fire-cause-100-000-of-damage-in-yakima/article_e6e761b8-b9b0-11ec-8aaf-abe8b6eff48b.html | 2022-04-11T17:39:53Z | nbcrightnow.com | control | https://www.nbcrightnow.com/yakima/sunday-afternoon-house-fire-cause-100-000-of-damage-in-yakima/article_e6e761b8-b9b0-11ec-8aaf-abe8b6eff48b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Jury selection in Johnny Depp’s explosive defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard kicked off in Virginia on Monday — as some of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star’s most hardcore fans gathered outside the courthouse to rally on his behalf.
Fans reportedly traveled from as far as Australia to see Depp, 58, who arrived in the Fairfax court Monday. The embattled actor was apparently snuck in to the hearing by court officers, an official said.
Supporters were pictured holding signs that read “Justice for Johnny” and “Wish he never Heard” and holding small pirate flags, referencing Depp’s role in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series.
Depp is seeking $50 million in damages from Heard, 35, who he claims defamed him when she wrote in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed that she was a victim of “sexual violence.”
While Depp is not named in the op-ed, the actor — who once made upward of $20 million per film — says it ruined his reputation and career after it was widely assumed Heard was writing about their five-year relationship.
Just days after the op-ed was published, Disney dropped Depp from its “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, which collectively grossed more than $4.5 billion in the box office. The actor also withdrew from his role in the Harry Potter spin-off “Fantastic Beasts,” apparently at the behest of Warner Bros., after losing his 2020 court case in UK against the Sun over its description of him as a “wife beater.”
“I was really disgusted by the outcome of the UK [trial],” Jacina, a fan from Australia, told a reporter outside the courthouse Monday morning. “I just came to support and show solidarity for Johnny.”
“I believe he’s innocent and I don’t think that men’s reputation should be able to be ruined on the say-so of one person when it’s not true. So yeah, he suffered very bad consequences that he didn’t deserve,” she added.
The trial is expected to last up to six weeks and opening statements could begin as soon as Tuesday, depending on how jury selection goes Monday.
Both Heard and Depp are expected to testify, along with many other high-profile witnesses, like Heard’s ex Elon Musk, actor James Franco, “WandaVision” star Paul Bettany and actress Ellen Barkin. | https://nypost.com/2022/04/11/jury-selection-begins-in-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial/ | 2022-04-11T17:41:50Z | nypost.com | control | https://nypost.com/2022/04/11/jury-selection-begins-in-johnny-depp-amber-heard-trial/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Hello and welcome back to our ongoing series of articles tracking everything that Marquette men’s basketball is getting up to in the transfer portal this spring. This is the fourth article covering all there is to cover, and you can click the links to see Parts One, Two, and Three if you’re so inclined.
We start with updates on guys that we’ve previously discussed!
Zach Wrightsil — Visiting Marquette on April 14th
Source: Loyola New Orleans (NAIA) grad transfer Zach Wrightsil will visit Marquette on April 14th.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 7, 2022
Wrightsil was the NAIA Player of the Year.
Warren Washington — On his list of seven
Nevada transfer Warren Washington (@5warrenw) tells me that he's focused on Marquette, San Diego State, Arizona State, LSU, Arkansas, Notre Dame, & Florida.
— jake lieberman (@jakelieberman2) April 7, 2022
7' center who averaged 10.5 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Fardaws Aimaq — Not on his list of nine
Utah Valley transfer Fardaws Aimaq tells ESPN he’s been focused on Kentucky, Gonzaga, Texas Tech, Washington, Houston, Arkansas, Iowa, Arizona and Texas. Averaged 18.9 points and 13.6 rebounds this past season, two-time first-team All-WAC selection and two-time WAC Defensive POY.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 6, 2022
Kendal Coleman — LSU
Thank you to all the coaches that recruited me and gave me an opportunity but with that being said I will be furthering my academic and athletic career at LSU #gotigers pic.twitter.com/MA8WWN4jPg
— Kendal Coleman (@Iamkcole_) March 28, 2022
Cam Hayes — LSU
LSU has landed NC State transfer Cam Hayes. Sophomore guard averaged 7.0 points and 2.1 assists last season.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 8, 2022
Ali Ali — Butler
Akron transfer Ali Ali has officially committed to Thad Matta and #Butler, as announced on Instagram. Big-time addition to the Dawgs as a versatile 6-8 forward. pic.twitter.com/EWQSAYp0ZW
— Lukas Harkins (@hardwiredsports) April 9, 2022
That brings us to the scholarship chart so y’all can keep an eye on who is and is not on the roster for next season.
Please remember that Justin Lewis’ future is still up in the air. It’s completely reasonable for the sophomore from Baltimore to head for a pro career at this point.... but not completely surprising to see him return to Marquette for a third campaign. There has been no word officially out of the McGuire Center as to what Lewis is doing in regards to the NBA Draft, not even a hint of merely exploring his options to get feedback.
If he leaves, Marquette has two spots available for next fall..... but also then just two spots for the fall of 2023 as well. Currently, MU projects to have no seniors on the 2022-23 roster, so there would be no spots opening up if Shaka Smart and his staff fill the roster with players who have eligibility remaining.
Let’s get into the new guys, shall we?
Luis Rodriguez
Ole Miss transfer Luis Rodriguez tells me he has heard from Georgia, Oregon, Washington St, Nevada, UNLV, Marquette, NC State, Kansas State, Pitt, Indiana, Rutgers, Louisville, West Virginia and Texas.
— Justin Byerly (@JustinByerly) April 5, 2022
Well, let’s start with this then: Rodriguez started against Marquette in Charleston this past season, going for nine points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal in 27 minutes while the Golden Eagles won, 78-72.
In 90 appearances for Ole Miss, the 6’6”, 210 pound Rodriguez averaged 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals. Since moving to the starting lineup most every night in the 2020-21 season, those numbers turn into 7.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.5 steals. He has never shown a true ability to knock down shots behind the three-point line, going without a make in nine tries in his first 30 games in Oxford, and then shooting just 31.5% over the past two seasons.
None of this is knocking your socks off, I’m sure. Here’s the thing: He rebounds and he defends. Top 500 per KenPom in offensive and defensive rebounding rate in each of the past two seasons, including a top 200 defensive rate in 2020-21. He’s been top 250 in steal rate in each of the past two campaigns, including a top 75 number in 2020-21.
Landers Nolley
Nolley II has heard from Iona, SMU, Marquette, Arkansas, Texas A&M, NC State, South Carolina, Tulane, BYU, JMU, Pittsburgh, and plenty more this entering the portal this weekend, source told @Stockrisers.
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) April 6, 2022
That list will continue to grow. https://t.co/efoQcSq05X
At 6’7”, 208 pounds, Nolley certainly sounds like a Justin Lewis replacement type of player. After being recruited to play for Buzz Williams at Virginia Tech and then sticking around for a year after Buzz left, Nolley then transferred to Memphis. After starting almost all of VaTech’s games, he was a most-of-the-time starter for Penny Hardaway. Overall, in 89 collegiate games, Nolley has averaged 12.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. His scoring was way down this year with the Tigers, so I would guess that he’s looking for a spot to do a bit more of that going forward.
Nolley is a pretty good playmaker for a guy his size, ranking #454 on KenPom.com in assist rate. For his height, though, he’s never really turned into much of a rebounder. He was pretty good as a redshirt freshman in Blacksburg, but either Penny didn’t ask him to or it wasn’t working out for him in that department. If Nolley were to end up in Milwaukee — and he’s visiting Texas A&M and Buzz Williams, so put your chips on that spot on the board — he would definitely need to start rebounding more since that was a major weakness for the Golden Eagles last year. That goes double if Nolley were to end up as a replacement for Justin Lewis on the roster.
Courtney Ramey
Texas transfer Courtney Ramey is receiving interest from the following programs, per his father:
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 7, 2022
UConn
Missouri
Marquette
Kentucky
Villanova
Western Kentucky
Ohio
Murray State
DePaul
Gonzaga
Cal
Maryland
UNLV
TCU
West Virginia
Oklahoma State
Wisconsin
Here we have to parse the difference between “Marquette wants him on the roster” and “Shaka Smart checked in on his guy.” The 6’3”, 185 pound guard from Saint Louis was a top 50 point guard prospect coming out of high school in 2018, and he had a very productive time with Shaka Smart as his head coach: 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals per game, shot 37% from long range. His numbers were mostly the same in Chris Beard’s first year in charge, but with one year left to burn thanks to the COVID bonus eligibility, Ramey is looking outside of Austin for one more go-round.
I’m not saying “absolutely do not do this” to Ramey, but I am saying that if you’re taking a guy for one year and one year only, Marquette has bigger issues to deal with. Ramey does not solve any problems going from last year’s roster to next year’s roster, namely a big who rebounds or a Justin Lewis replacement. He would probably be very productive, but between the returning guards on the roster and the freshmen coming in, Marquette doesn’t really have a good use for Ramey.
Bryce Hopkins
Kentucky transfer Bryce Hopkins has heard from Texas Tech, BYU, Oklahoma, LSU, Iowa State, Wake Forest, West Virginia, Providence, Georgetown, Georgia, Ole Miss, DePaul, Northwestern, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Illinois, source told @Stockrisers.
— Jake (@jakeweingarten) April 9, 2022
This is a good one right here.
If Bryce Hopkins is still the kind of guy who earned a top 40 recruiting ranking from 247 Sports in the Class of 2021, he can go anywhere he wants and succeed. At 6’7” and 220 pounds, he would fit into the mold of being a Justin Lewis replacement type on the roster.
At a glance, it’s obvious why he’s leaving Kentucky. Since the first of the year, he played more than 5 minutes in a game for the Wildcats on just two occasions. This comes after he was getting pretty regular rotation minutes in November and December, so you can see how he would get the message of “maybe Lexington isn’t for me.”
Given all of that, you won’t be surprised to find out his stats are not super great: 2.1 points, 1.4 rebounds per game in 6.5 minutes while appearing in 28 games. It’s not like his November/December splits are better: 3.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 9.1 minutes. He’s a clearly talented guy who just didn’t get much of a chance to show what he can do for the Wildcats..... but is also going to have to be much better if he were to end up at Marquette. 5-for-16 from behind the arc isn’t going to cut it, and neither is a 23% turnover rate. If nothing else, he did post double digit rebounding rates per KenPom.com on both ends of the floor, and we all know that any and/or all rebounding talent will be welcomed with open arms next year. | https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2022/4/11/23013230/marquette-golden-eagles-basketball-recruiting-transfer-portal-rodriguez-nolley-ramey | 2022-04-11T17:43:36Z | anonymouseagle.com | control | https://www.anonymouseagle.com/2022/4/11/23013230/marquette-golden-eagles-basketball-recruiting-transfer-portal-rodriguez-nolley-ramey | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Not after one of the most meteoric rises in sport, having capped an incredible run of success in a 57-day period by becoming the new Masters champion.
The 25-year-old has won four times in that spell, beating stronger fields on each occasion in announcing himself as the game’s bright new star.
“I didn't get to the press room in my dreams, so you guys are going to have to ask me some questions,” said Scheffler, smiling, as he arrived in the Press Building at Augusta National on Sunday night soon after his three-shot success in the season’s opening major.
The Texas-based player shone on his Ryder Cup debut by helping the US record their record 19-9 win at Whistling Straits last September.
He’d been knocking at the door on the PGA Tour without managing to open it, though, before landing a play-off win in the WM Phoenix Open in February.
Like that tale about buses, he then added the Arnold Palmer Invitational two starts later before also triumphing in the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.
The latter saw him rise to world No 1 and, on Sunday, Scheffler joined Ian Woosnam (1991), Fred Couples (1992), Tiger Woods (2001 and 2002) and Dustin Johnson (2022) as the only players to claim a Green Jacket as the game’s top-ranked players.
“No,” he replied laughing to being asked if he could ever have imagined how the last two months had panned out for him, having established a healthy lead in the world rankings over new No 2 Collin Morikawa, with Jon Rahm having slipped to third spot.
“I've never been a guy that likes to look too far into the future. So for me just staying present has always been what works best for me. So even though I would get asked ‘when are you going to get your first win?’, the only time I ever thought about it was when it actually happened in Phoenix.”
Scheffler was the only player in the field to shoot red figures in each round during a tougher-than-normal week at Augusta National, ending with a 10-under 278 total as he won by three shots from the fast-finishing Rory McIlroy, who matched the event’s best last-day score with a 64.
Having built up a five-shot lead at the halfway stage and then starting out with a three-shot cushion on Sunday, Scheffler faced a test of character when Cameron Smith closed the gap to just one after a birdie-birdie start. But, after chipping in for a birdie at the third, Scheffler always seemed to be in the driving seat. Even a sloppy four-putt at the last couldn’t take the gloss off a brilliant week’s work.
“I think I just stayed patient and trusted myself,” he said when asked about his biggest strength over the four days. “I had a lot of nice up-and-downs, too. If I was to pick one part of my game that excelled the most, I would say it was probably my lob-wedge. Even today, I had some really good up-and-downs in the beginning of the round and then just kept myself in position.”
Had the third hole been important in calming him down? “I would say what is most pivotal was getting that ball up-and-down,” insisted Scheffler. “To have it go in was obviously off the charts, but my main goal was just to get up-and-down and parring four and five was huge as well.
“After that, I kind of just started cruising. I felt comfortable with pretty much most of the aspects of my game. My swing maybe felt a little bit off, but I feel like I wasn't ever really going to make a bogey. That was my goal. I just tried to hit good shots, and that's really all I was thinking about.”
Scheffler’s biggest success to date came in an event that saw five-time Masters champion Tiger Woods make his eagerly-awaited return to the game after being his leg might be amputated following a car crash in California 14 months ago.
“Oh, yeah,” said Scheffler in a flash to being asked if, like so many of his peers, he’d been influenced as a youngster by Woods. “I played Tiger's irons, wore his shoes, wore his shirt this week.
“Yeah. Tiger on the golf course is just ridiculous. He's done so much for the game of golf and we are so glad to have him back out here.
“He is the needle for the game of golf. He has completely changed the PGA Tour from when he came on 25 years ago or maybe 26 now. And his YouTube clips are such an inspiration for me. I remember watching the highlights of him winning in '97, kind of running away with it, and he never really broke his concentration.
“That's something that I reminded myself of today. I tried not to look up. I tried to keep my head down and just keep doing what I was doing because I didn't want to break my concentration.
“The minute I did was on 18 green when I finally got on there and I had a five-shot lead and was like, all right, now I can enjoy this. And you saw the results of that (laughing). Thank you, Tiger!”
As the event’s newest Green Jacket holder, Scheffler will get to join Woods and all the other living winners at the Georgia venue at next year’s Champions’ Dinner.
“That's the coolest part about this whole deal,” he said of being able to return to the event for as long as he wants. “This is such a fun golf course. It's such a fun piece of property. I mean, it's Augusta National. It's about as cool as it gets.”
What about also winning the 150th Open at St Andrews? | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/now-theyd-be-able-to-pick-out-scottie-scheffler-on-streets-of-st-andrews-3650079 | 2022-04-11T17:45:22Z | scotsman.com | control | https://www.scotsman.com/sport/golf/now-theyd-be-able-to-pick-out-scottie-scheffler-on-streets-of-st-andrews-3650079 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
VOTE: Who was the Murfreesboro area high school boys athlete of the week for April 4-9?
Cecil Joyce
Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
Who was the Murfreesboro area high school boys athlete of the week for April 4-9?
You can vote below.
Nominees are Oakland's Carson Love and Avory Rogers, Stewarts Creek's Haile Sharp and Luke Dymond, Central Magnet's Marcus Collins, Riverdale's Cade Hitson, MTCS' Eli Wilson, Smyrna's Jonathan Stewart, Eagleville's Nate Brewer and Rockvale's Merik Carter.
The poll will close at 3 p.m. Thursday.
Note: If the poll doesn't appear below, you may need to refresh your browser. | https://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2022/04/11/vote-murfreesboro-area-high-school-boys-athlete-week/7251458001/ | 2022-04-11T17:47:14Z | dnj.com | control | https://www.dnj.com/story/sports/high-school/2022/04/11/vote-murfreesboro-area-high-school-boys-athlete-week/7251458001/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HONOLULU (KITV4) - Mostly sunny for leeward sections, partly cloudy over windward and mauka locations. Clouds and showers will favor windward and mauka zones each day as pockets of moisture move through. . Highs 81 to 88. East winds 10 to 20 mph.
Tonight, partly cloudy with scattered windward showers, isolated showers leeward. Highs 82 to 88. Lows 66 to 73. East winds 15 to 20 mph.
Moderate to breezy easterly trade winds will continue through the week. Outside of a few afternoon showers over the Kona slopes, expect the dry conditions to continue for our leeward areas. Increasing moisture along with an upper disturbance moving into the area may lead to better shower coverage next weekend.
A series of small northwest swells will move through the islands during the next 7 days, keeping surf just above flat levels most days.
Fresh to strong trades over and upstream of the islands will keep elevated surf in place along east facing shores through Tuesday. East shore surf will then trend downward slightly Wednesday through Friday, then possibly trend back up over the weekend.
Several overlapping south swells will keep south shore surf elevated through Tuesday. Surf will then decrease to background levels Wednesday through Friday, before trending back up next weekend.
Do you have a story idea? Email news tips to news@kitv.com | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/monday-weather-breezy-trades-a-mix-of-sun-and-clouds-windward-and-mauka-showers/article_830d7620-b9a4-11ec-8418-4f0b2d8850f8.html | 2022-04-11T17:53:29Z | kitv.com | control | https://www.kitv.com/news/local/monday-weather-breezy-trades-a-mix-of-sun-and-clouds-windward-and-mauka-showers/article_830d7620-b9a4-11ec-8418-4f0b2d8850f8.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
LAKE GEORGE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Last month, the invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces was felt across the village and town of Lake George, where many international workers had spent a summer while traveling on J-1 visa programs. One restaurant stepped up to raise money to feed refugees, and last week, a total was announced that was helped along by surrounding chefs and eateries.
10 McGillis Public House announced on Facebook recently that throughout March, $4,848 had been raised for World Central Kitchen, a charitable foundation currently working to feed refugees at Ukrainian border crossings, as well as in several large Ukrainian cities, as citizens search for safety. The bar and grill was moved to help in part due to having employed a Ukrainian student on a J-1 visa, who maintained a relationship with the restaurant’s owner and attended the initial fundraising event held by 10 McGillis in March.
From there, the effort was aided by other restaurants in Lake George, which put out collection buckets by registers or wherever one would be conspicuous and gain support in a given restaurant. Participating eateries included Pizza Jerks, The Lagoon, and Gaslight.
It’s not just restaurants that have come out to help. Village Mayor Bob Blais donated $100 to the cause, according to the restaurant.
10 McGillis’ goal on GoFundMe is to hit $5k, and although the calendar has turned, they’re not done until they make it that last step of the way. Donations are still being accepted on the restaurant’s GoFundMe page.
The collection of restaurants is just one example of the Lake George community stepping up to help refugees. Students at Lake George High School recently finished two weeks of gathering medical and other supplies to be sent directly to refugees in need. | https://www.wwlp.com/news/lake-george-restaurants-raise-nearly-5k-for-ukraine/ | 2022-04-11T17:56:10Z | wwlp.com | control | https://www.wwlp.com/news/lake-george-restaurants-raise-nearly-5k-for-ukraine/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly is working to increase housing options and affordability for Chattanooga residents through a proposal that will permit accessory dwelling units on single-family lots under certain conditions.
Accessory dwelling units, alternatively known as in-law suites, carriage houses or granny flats, are often found above garages, in a detached structure or either above or below the principal dwelling.
This comes at a time when Chattanooga is suffering from a deficit of more than 5,000 units as housing costs skyrocket, allowing ADUs by right on single-family lots couldn’t come at a better time, Kelly said.
“Chattanooga is on the brink of becoming a city in which our children cannot afford to live, and that is unacceptable,” Kelly said. “This ordinance will allow our seniors to age in place, support multi-generational households, and create energy-efficient housing while also maintaining the character of our neighborhoods.”
The ADU ordinance is the latest piece of Kelly’s One Chattanooga strategy to expand access to homes Chattanoogans can afford. The average cost of a home has climbed to $290,000 today, up from $159,000 in 2015, while median household income during the same period rose only slightly to $47,165 from $40,177 in 2015.
The 80 percent increase in housing costs has left 43% of renters defined as “housing burdened,” or spending more than 30% of their income on housing. And 22% of renters are “housing insecure,” defined as spending more than half of their income on housing costs.
Last month, Kelly launched a $100 million affordable housing initiative seeded by $33 million in city money that will leverage public and private funds to create thousands of units that residents can afford, ranging from supportive housing up to missing-middle homes. The city is working on the initiative in conjunction with the philanthropic, nonprofit and private sectors, creating a capital stack that offers a return on investment for those who help create homes that residents can afford.
The Kelly administration has also rolled out a number of initiatives to bolster low-income housing providers directly, including offering $100,000 in backing for security deposits, as well as undertaking comprehensive zoning reform to unblock the pipeline of new home construction.
Under the proposed ordinance, ADUs must be permanent structures limited to 700 square feet in size, and only one ADU will be permitted per single-family dwelling. ADUs must be located in the rear or side yard, and will not be permitted in front yards. They will also be height-limited to two stories, and cannot exceed the height of the principal home.
Existing parking must be maintained or replaced if parking is lost in the course of creating the ADU, and ADUs are required to adhere to the architectural design of the principal home, including the facade, building materials, roof and windows.
The ordinance does not supersede homeowner association rules or historic district guidelines as they relate to ADUs. | https://www.local3news.com/mayor-tim-kelly-to-allow-homeowners-to-build-accessory-dwelling-units-to-help-curb-runaway/article_aae36220-b9b0-11ec-8dbc-eb343d9be83f.html | 2022-04-11T17:56:34Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/mayor-tim-kelly-to-allow-homeowners-to-build-accessory-dwelling-units-to-help-curb-runaway/article_aae36220-b9b0-11ec-8dbc-eb343d9be83f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The eastbound lanes of Interstate 66 in Gainesville remain closed after a fatal tractor-trailer fire this morning near U.S. 29.
State police were called to the 43 mile marker at 8:48 a.m. for a report of a truck on fire. When troopers arrived, they found a tractor-trailer stopped along the eastbound lanes engulfed in flames.
State police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said there is one confirmed fatality. State troopers are still in the process of notifying next of kin, she said.
As of noon, all eastbound lanes of I-66 remained closed and the left shoulder and left lane westbound were shut down. Traffic was getting by in the access lanes, but backups were more than two miles, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
Stay with InsideNoVa.com for updates. | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/fatal-tractor-trailer-fire-closes-i-66-in-gainesville/article_c7da62e4-b9af-11ec-942a-179b47125755.html | 2022-04-11T17:56:46Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/fatal-tractor-trailer-fire-closes-i-66-in-gainesville/article_c7da62e4-b9af-11ec-942a-179b47125755.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
President Joe Biden will announce a new firearm regulation Monday meant to contain the use of privately made weapons, senior administration officials said, as he comes under pressure to take more steps to address a national crisis of gun violence.
The regulation on so-called "ghost guns" -- unregulated, untraceable weapons made from kits -- will address a critical gap in the government's ability to track them by requiring background checks before purchase and serial numbers on some of the components. Though ghost guns make up a relatively small share of the guns recovered by law enforcement, they have been seen with increasing frequency in recent years.
Biden is also expected to name Steve Dettelbach, a former US attorney from Ohio, as his nominee to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The President's previous nominee was forced to withdraw amid opposition in the Senate.
The moves come as gun violence and crime have ticked up in the United States, putting pressure on the White House to take action. A rash of shootings over the weekend underscored the emergency: Four people, including two teens, were shot shortly after a Major League Baseball game in Washington, DC, on Saturday night, police said. In Illinois, six people were found injured after a shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood.
Police are also investigating a shooting at a birthday party in Indianapolis where six people were shot and one person was killed. And two people were also killed and 10 hospitalized after a "targeted attack" at a Cedar Rapids nightclub, police say.
Routine deadly gun violence is a uniquely American problem. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deemed gun violence a "serious public health threat" last year. Biden has made modest progress on gun control, but major steps like banning assault weapons or closing background check loopholes would require congressional action.
Gun violence traditionally spikes in the summer months, lending further urgency to Monday's actions.
Biden has been expected to address the new steps on guns in a public event Monday afternoon, according to people who have received invitations.
The new rule issued by the Justice Department seeks to rein in a type of weapon that has been seen more and more at crime scenes across the country. Ghost gun kits can be purchased online, and a weapon can be self-manufactured in as little as 30 minutes. Because regulators cannot trace them, ghost guns are appealing to criminals and those with criminal histories, according to officials.
The new rules would require anyone purchasing a kit to undergo a background check, as is required for other types of firearm purchases. It would also require those selling the kits to mark components with a serial number, so the eventual weapon produced can be traced. And it would mandate firearm dealers add a serial number to already built ghost guns they come across in their businesses.
"The Biden administration is making sure these kits are treated as the deadly firearms they are," a senior administration official said ahead of the announcement.
"Ghost guns look like a gun, they shoot like a gun, and they kill like a gun, but up until now they haven't been regulated like a gun," John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a statement celebrating the Biden administration for "doubling down on its commitment to gun safety."
Mia Tretta, who was shot and wounded with a ghost gun in a school shooting in California in 2019, similarly praised the administration for taking "a critical step" with the new regulation.
"If you can put together an IKEA dresser, you can build a ghost gun," she said in a statement. "Unfortunately, it is that easy to get a weapon that has not only changed my life but has done the same thing to thousands of others. Finalizing this rule is a critical step to making sure no one else has to go through what my family has had to go through."
The Justice Department previously launched a national ghost gun enforcement initiative, which will "train a national cadre of prosecutors and disseminate investigation and prosecution tools to help bring cases against those who use ghost guns to commit crimes," according to the White House.
Ghost guns have been used in multiple recent shootings, including at a Maryland high school in January. The exact number in circulation is unknowable, given the inability of regulators to track them.
Between 2016 and 2021, the ATF received 45,000 reports of privately made firearms recovered by law enforcement, including 692 from homicides or attempted homicides. The agency was able to trace only 1% of them, officials said, because the firearms lack serial numbers.
Multiple states have moved to restrict their sale as ghost guns become more common at crime scenes.
Last week, Maryland joined Washington, DC, and 10 other states -- California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington -- in banning or restricting the purchase or use of ghost guns, which are often bought online and assembled at home.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer again decried the use of ghost guns during a press conference Sunday, calling for a crackdown on the rise of the privately made firearms and speaking about a deadly shooting in the Bronx Friday.
The New York Democrat blamed Republicans for holding up gun reform legislation, while pressing Biden's administration to go further. "Today I am calling on the administration to go all after ghost guns, by putting out regulations that will stop them. The federal government has the ability through regulation to stop these ghost guns," he said.
Still, Biden's planned firearm regulation drew backlash from gun rights advocates even before being officially announced.
Aidan Johnston, the director of federal affairs for Gun Owners of America, said in a statement Sunday, "Biden's proposal to create a comprehensive national gun registry and end the online sale of gun parts without the passage of a new law exemplifies his disregard for the Second Amendment."
In September, Biden withdrew his nomination of David Chipman to lead the ATF after facing opposition from Republicans and certain moderate Democrats.
Chipman, a former career official at ATF, came under scrutiny from gun rights supporters and the National Rifle Association for his work as a senior adviser to Everytown for Gun Safety and Giffords -- the organization started by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot at an event in her Arizona district in 2011.
Dettelbach ran unsuccessfully for Ohio attorney general in 2018 after serving as US attorney in the state.
"We will be working hard to ensure that Steve Dettelbach receives the fair hearing and confirmation that he deserves. He should be a noncontroversial candidate because he has a long record of working in law enforcement and for the public safety of the people of Ohio and the American people," one of the officials said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/biden-to-announce-new-gun-regulation-and-name-atf-nominee/article_2043c416-4ef0-58ce-820b-f76f02f5c04b.html | 2022-04-11T17:56:46Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/biden-to-announce-new-gun-regulation-and-name-atf-nominee/article_2043c416-4ef0-58ce-820b-f76f02f5c04b.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Inflation may be eating away at their earnings, but a larger share of Fairfax County residents had jobs in February than a month before, according to new federal data.
With 607,707 county residents in the civilian workforce and 15,358 looking for work, the county’s unemployment rate for the shortest month of the year stood at 2.5 percent, down from 2.9 percent a month before and well below the rate of 4.3 percent a year prior.
Figures were reported April 6 by the Virginia Employment Commission.
The month-over-month decline was part of a regional trend, and not unexpected, as unemployment tends to bump up in the immediate aftermath of the holiday season, then recedes as the calendar moves toward springtime.
Among other localities in Northern Virginia, joblessness declined from 2.3 percent to 1.9 percent in Falls Church; from 2.6 percent to 2.1 percent in Arlington; from 2.7 percent to 2.3 percent in Loudoun County; from 3 percent to 2.5 percent in Alexandria; and from 3.3 percent to 2.8 percent in Prince William County.
In Northern Virginia as a whole, the jobless rate declined from 3 percent in January to 2.5 percent in February; for the latter month, the region recorded about 1.6 million in the civilian workforce and about 41,000 looking for jobs.
Among Virginia’s 133 counties and cities, the lowest unemployment rates were posted in Falls Church and Madison County (1.9 percent each); then Arlington and Green counties (2.1 percent); and New Kent County (2.2 percent). The highest rates were recorded in Petersburg (8.2 percent); Emporia (6.4 percent); and Martinsville (5.9 percent).
Statewide, February’s jobless rate stood at 2.9 percent, an improvement from 3.4 percent a month before and below the national rate of 4.1 percent. For the month, Virginia’s non-farm employment stood at just over 4 million, up 2.9 percent from a year before. Private-sector employment was up 3.1 percent to 3,299,700 while public-sector employment was up 1.7 percent to 702,900.
Northern Virginia’s non-farm employment in February was 1,514,500, up 3.3 percent year-over-year. Among other metro areas in the commonwealth, the year-over-year increase ranged from 1.4 percent in Roanoke to 5.7 percent in Harrisonburg.
The leisure/hospitality sector, which was hardest hit during the initial blast of COVID, saw employment up 16.4 percent statewide from a year before.
[Sun Gazette Newspapers provides content to, but otherwise is unaffiliated with, InsideNoVa or Rappahannock Media LLC.] | https://www.insidenova.com/news/fairfax/fairfax-jobs-picture-sees-improvement-in-latest-data/article_744986d6-b9b0-11ec-9fd7-3f3cfe881808.html | 2022-04-11T17:56:52Z | insidenova.com | control | https://www.insidenova.com/news/fairfax/fairfax-jobs-picture-sees-improvement-in-latest-data/article_744986d6-b9b0-11ec-9fd7-3f3cfe881808.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Dwayne Haskins died when he was struck by a dump truck Saturday morning as he tried to cross a highway on foot in South Florida, authorities said.
The former Ohio State University star and Heisman Trophy finalist was just 24.
Authorities have so far released few details about the circumstances of his death. Here's what we know and don't know about the fatal crash, his short-lived career and how those who knew him have reacted.
The fatal crash
Haskins was trying to cross Interstate 595's westbound lanes, near the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Broward County, when the dump truck hit him, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
The incident was reported shortly after 6:30 a.m., the patrol said. He had been "walking on (the highway) for unknown reasons," the patrol said in a news release.
Further details about what led up to the incident were not available.
In recent days, Haskins was in South Florida working out with some Steelers teammates, as captured in Instagram stories from Haskins and running back Najee Harris.
His short-lived football career
Haskins was poised to enter his fourth year in the NFL as a backup for the Steelers after a stellar college career.
He rose to prominence at Ohio State, where he set OSU and Big Ten Conference records as a redshirt sophomore in 2018, including single-season passing yards (4,831), touchdown passes (50) and total offensive yards (4,939). He led the Buckeyes to a 13-1 record and a win in the Rose Bowl, and he finished third in voting for the Heisman Trophy, awarded to college football's most outstanding player.
Washington selected Haskins as the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he didn't live up to his lofty status. He played 16 games across two seasons for Washington, compiling a 3-10 record in 13 starts.
Haskins was released in December 2020 toward the end of his second season after he was benched in a loss and after he was fined an undisclosed amount for violating team Covid-19 protocols by going maskless at his girlfriend's birthday party.
A month after his release, the Steelers picked him up, though he did not enter a regular-season game for Pittsburgh. He spent last season as the third-string quarterback behind the now-retired longtime Steeler Ben Roethlisberger and backup Mason Rudolph.
Last month, Haskins re-signed with the Steelers for one year was set to compete with Rudolph and new Steelers acquisition Mitchell Trubisky for positions on the depth chart.
"I feel like I can be a starter in this league. I got drafted for that reason," Haskins said in January, according to Steelers.com. "I definitely believe I have the talent to. I just haven't put it all together yet. And that's something I have to do this offseason to put myself in position to play."
How teammates and coaches are remembering him
Teammates and coaches who knew Haskins offered their condolences and remembrances since his death.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day said Monday members of the team were hurting and announced they will honor Haskins at its spring game on Saturday.
"When you think about Dwayne you just think about the compassion he had, certainly for all of his teammates and his friends. He always took time after practice to be around family members, kids," he said. "He meant a lot to my family and he meant a lot to this program, and he's going to be sorely missed.
"It's so close to Saturday morning right now. It's still hard to kind of get our feet underneath us and see clearly right now. We all are hurting," he added.
Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward tweeted "Dwayne meant so much to so many people."
"His smile was infectious and he was a guy you wanted to be around," Hewyard wrote. "We are all in shock about losing him. We are going to miss the heck out of him as well. We lost you way too early. Luckily I got a chance to get to know you. RIP DH."
Haskins' head coach in Washington, Ron Rivera, said Saturday he was "absolutely heartbroken" to hear of his former player's passing.
"Dwayne was a talented young man who had a long life ahead of him," Rivera's statement reads. "This is a very sad time and I am honestly at a loss for words. I know I speak for the rest of our team in saying he will be sorely missed."
Steelers wide receiver Chase Claypool remembered Haskins' selflessness in his final interaction with him.
"I spent your final moments with you and I can't help but think about how selfless you were in those moments. All you cared about was making sure that everyone around you was okay and I can't thank you enough for that. You are what I strive to be," Claypool tweeted.
Roethlisberger said on Twitter although he only knew Haskins for a short time, he knew him to be "a young man that didn't seem to ever have a bad day."
"He came to work everyday with a smile on his face and energy and love in his heart. I really enjoyed his passion and love for the game and wanting to learn and be the best. His smile and zeal for life will be missed!," Roethlisberger said. "I'll say it again just like I told you to your face, I still wish I could throw the ball like you," he added.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-quarterback-dwayne-haskins-death/article_03bcb538-5117-5515-bb17-3715039111bc.html | 2022-04-11T17:57:17Z | local3news.com | control | https://www.local3news.com/regional-national/what-we-know-and-dont-know-about-quarterback-dwayne-haskins-death/article_03bcb538-5117-5515-bb17-3715039111bc.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Kenya’s largest telco Safaricom has launched an initiative in support of those suffering due to the impact of the prolonged drought.
Pamoja Tuungane initiative was launched on Monday to inspire Kenyans to come together and support their fellow countrymen in drought affected areas.
The telco distributed rescue food to roughly 20,000 families in 23 Arid and Semi-Arid (ASAL) counties, in partnership with other corporations.
Safaricom has itself set aside Sh100 million for relief food to commence the campaign.
Read: Safaricom Warns Subscribers Against Fraudsters Claiming to Increase Fuliza Limits
KCB Foundation, Naivas, Ernst & Young, Royal Media Services, Nation Media Group, Media Max, The Standard Group, and Radio Africa Group are some of the partners.
As a partner, Ernst & Young will ensure that every item and money donated towards the cause is properly used, and that every targeted household is reached.
All participants will be able to see a breakdown of the food items and funds in a report that will be made available to them.
Safaricom will also collaborate with the State Department of Social Protection to guarantee that all donations are put to good use.
Read Also: Safaricom Crosses 30 Million Monthly Active M-Pesa Users in Kenya
Safaricom subscribers can also donate their bonga points towards this initiative. The bonga points will be used to purchase food items. To donate your Bonga Points, simply dial *126# and select “Bonga for Food “. You will then have the option to put any Bonga point amount or the specified Bonga points. Once you have chosen your preferred option, you will be asked to input your Service PIN to complete the transaction.
Cash donations can also be made via Paybill 444777.
Email your news TIPS to news@kahawatungu.com or WhatsApp +254708677607. You can also find us on Telegram through www.t.me/kahawatungu | https://www.kahawatungu.com/safaricom-launches-pamoja-tuungane-initiative-help-kenyans-drought-stricken-areas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=safaricom-launches-pamoja-tuungane-initiative-help-kenyans-drought-stricken-areas | 2022-04-11T17:58:02Z | afar.com | control | https://www.kahawatungu.com/safaricom-launches-pamoja-tuungane-initiative-help-kenyans-drought-stricken-areas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=safaricom-launches-pamoja-tuungane-initiative-help-kenyans-drought-stricken-areas | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Washington High School- Jackson Wilder
Everything leads back to the water!
Jackson Wilder
BIOGRAPHY:
My name is Jackson Wilder, and I live in Washington, North Carolina. I will graduate from Washington High School and Beaufort County Community College with an associate’s degree. I represent BCCC as an ambassador, as well as a member of the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society. At Washington High School, I am the captain of the cross country, swim, and tennis teams. In addition to sports, I built an outdoor food pantry at my high school that I have kept stocked for the last four years. Outside of school, I enjoy sailing, surfing, and fishing. I plan to attend Duke University on a Naval ROTC scholarship next fall, and I am very thankful for all the support that my community has given me over the last four years.
School: Washington High School
Name: Jackson Wilder
Age: 18
Plans for next year: Attending Duke University
What is the most challenging task as a senior: Applying for schools and scholarships
What advice do you have for underclassmen: Do what you love while still focusing on school!
What has been the highlight of your senior year: My highlight of senior year has been qualifying for the state championship with the cross country and swim team!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years: I’m not exactly sure where I see myself in ten years, but I know I want to serve others and improve my community.
Who is the most influential person in your life and why: When I think about people who have been influential in my life, the first person who comes to mind is Kevin Clancey. Kevin is my boss at the Little Washington Sailing School as well as my bible study leader. He has always been willing to listen and give honest advice no matter the circumstances.
I am unique because: I feel that I can talk to anyone!
What is the one quote you live by: “Who dares wins”
What are 5 things you value most important at this point in your life: The lord, Family, Friends, My community, and Spending time on the water
If you could move anywhere in the world, where would it be and why: I would stay in Eastern North Carolina, because of the caring community and the proximity to the water.
What is the one thing your classmates still don’t know about you after all this time: Many of my classmates don’t know that I love to cook!
Which year of high school was your favorite: I enjoyed my senior year of high school the most because things are getting back to normal!
If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take one item with you, what would it be: A satellite phone to call a ride off the island!
Copyright 2022 WITN. All rights reserved. | https://www.witn.com/2022/04/11/washington-high-school-jackson-wilder/ | 2022-04-11T17:58:59Z | witn.com | control | https://www.witn.com/2022/04/11/washington-high-school-jackson-wilder/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby holds a press briefing, the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., April 11, 2022. (DoD photo by U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jack Sanders)
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Baby formula shortage 2022 continues: Nearly 30% of popular brands sold out, firm estimates
Nearly 30% of popular baby formula brands may be sold out at retailers across the U.S. following a notable recall, as well as supply chain issues, according to estimates from a research firm.
An analysis by Datasembly, a Virginia-based research firm, assessed the supplies of consumer packaged goods at more than 11,000 stores nationwide. The research firm found that the issue of out-of-stock formula has been getting worse throughout 2022.
The first seven months of 2021 were found to be "relatively stable" when it came to baby formula and fluctuated between 2% and 8% of products being out of stock, according to Datasembly, which shares product pricing and data for retailers.
"In July 2021, the (out-of-stock percentage) moved into the double digits and then started to increase significantly towards the end of November where it went from 11% nationwide to 23% by the week starting Jan 16, 2022," the firm said.
By the end of January 2022, the out-of-stock baby formula index continue to climb and had reached 29% by March 13, it added.
Some states appeared to have worse baby formula shortages, according to the firm. By Jan. 16, 11 U.S. states had out-of-stock percentages higher than 30% — and the figure had jumped to 24 states by the week of March 13.
Some 54% percent of popular baby formula brands were found to be out of stock in Minnesota that week. Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, North Dakota, South Dakota, Rhode Island and Texas were all 40% or higher, Datasembly said.
While every baby is different, most infant-fed newborns will feed eight to 12 times in 24 hours, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Babies consume various amounts of formula through about 12 months old, which is when doctors recommend gradually switching to plain whole cow’s milk or fortified unsweetened soy beverage.
The shortages come after multiple popular powdered infant formulas linked to bacterial contamination were recalled in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning in February about the formulas manufactured at an Abbott plant in Michigan, identified as certain lots of Similac, Alimentum and EleCare.
The agency said among the reports of illnesses involved salmonella and Cronobacter sakazakiim — a rare but dangerous germ that can cause blood infections and other serious complications.
Following this recall and other ongoing issues, Datasembly CEO Ben Reich said infant formula was among one of the most impacted products the firm assessed.
"Inflation, supply chain shortages, and product recalls have brought an unprecedented amount of volatility to the category, and we expect to continue to see baby formula as one of the most affected categories in the market," Reich told USA Today.
Ongoing baby formula shortages
Baby formula products have been hard to find for months with big chains like Walmart and CVS Health blaming supply issues with manufacturers in the past, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Elyssa Schmier, the vice president of government relations for the advocacy group MomsRising and mother of a 7-month-old, said during a recent Instagram live that she had gone to three different stores and the formula she used "was nowhere to be found."
"Like many of you, I am completely stressed out and freaked out about the baby formula shortage that’s been happening around the country," Schmier said.
Brian Dittmeier, the senior director of public policy for the National WIC Association, a nonprofit education arm of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), also joined Schmier’s live video and noted the February recall as the big catalyst of the issue.
"There aren’t a million different infant formula plants in this country, and so when it comes to how does that affect the overall supply chain?" Dittmeier said. "The fact that a single plant was offline was quite significant to the supply across the country, and frankly, also the world."
Dittmeier the shortages are a "preventive measure" to ensure that all infant formula on the market is safe for consumption.
He added how all manufacturers are "tuned into (shortages) and it is our understanding that across the board folks are ramping up production."
"Now, it's not like flipping a switch... It's a bit of a process," he continued. "We will probably continue to see shortages in the next couple of weeks. But our hope is that as production ramps up, that later this spring it should be easier for families across the country."
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This story was reported from Cincinnati. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/baby-formula-shortage-2022-continues-nearly-30-of-popular-brands-sold-out-firm-estimates | 2022-04-11T18:01:07Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/baby-formula-shortage-2022-continues-nearly-30-of-popular-brands-sold-out-firm-estimates | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Lori Vallow fit to stand trial in kids’ slayings, will be arraigned on murder charges: judge
ST. ANTHONY, Idaho - A judge has decided an Idaho woman charged with conspiring with her new husband to kill her two children is now fit to participate in her own court proceedings.
District Judge Steven Boyce made the decision on April 11 to restore Lori Vallow Daybell's competency. The court order says she is fit to proceed and will be transferred into the custody of the Fremont County Sheriff's Office before being arraigned on murder charges in the deaths of 7-year-old Joshua "JJ" Vallow, 16-year-old Tylee Ryan, and her husband, Chad Daybell's first wife, Tammy Daybell.
The children’s bodies were found in Chad Daybell’s backyard in Idaho in 2020.
The arraignment is scheduled for April 19.
Chad Daybell, top left; Lori Vallow, top right; JJ Vallow, bottom left; Tylee Ryan, bottom right.
Judge Boyce previously ruled that Vallow Daybell was unfit for trial and extended her stay in an Idaho mental hospital by at least 180 days.
The East Idaho News reported Vallow Daybell was committed to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare on June 8 of last year after a mental health professional said she was not competent to stand trial.
The complex case began in 2018, according to the indictment, when Chad and Lori Daybell — both still married to other people — began espousing their apocalyptical system of religious belief.
Lori Daybell was arrested in Hawaii in 2020 on an Idaho warrant. She is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of her previous husband. Charles Vallow was shot and killed by Lori Daybell’s brother, Alex Cox, who claimed it was self-defense. Cox later died of what police said was natural causes.
Chad Daybell has pleaded not guilty to all the Idaho charges. He doesn’t face charges in Arizona.
The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Stay with us for updates.
Continuing coverage: Lori Vallow-Chad Daybell case
Lori Vallow mugshot
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Tune in to FOX 10 Phoenix for the latest news:
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Once a retail giant, Kmart down to three U.S. stores after NJ closing
AVENEL, N.J. - The familiar sights and sounds are still there: the scuffed and faded floor tiles, the relentless beige-on-beige color scheme, the toddlers’ clothes and refrigerators, and pretty much everything in between.
There’s even a canned recording that begins, "Attention, Kmart shoppers" — except it’s to remind folks about COVID-19 precautions, not to alert them to a flash sale over in ladies’ lingerie like days of old.
Many of the shelves are bare, though, at the Kmart in Avenel, New Jersey, picked over by bargain hunters as the store prepares to close its doors for good April 16.
Once it shutters, the number of Kmarts in the U.S. – once well over 2,000 – will be down to three last holdouts, according to multiple reports, in a retail world now dominated by Walmart, Target and Amazon.
READ: Walmart offering new truckers starting salary of up to $110,000
The demise of the store in the middle-class suburb, 15 miles south of New York City, is the tale of the death of the discount department store writ small.
"You’re always thinking about it because stores are closing all over, but it’s still sad," said cashier Michelle Yavorsky, who said she has worked at the Avenel store for 2 ½ years. "I’ll miss the place. A lot of people shopped here."
circa 1962: A huge line of people with shopping carts wait to enter the Kmart shopping center. (Photo by American Stock/Getty Images)
In its heyday, Kmart sold product lines endorsed by celebrities Martha Stewart and Jaclyn Smith, sponsored NASCAR auto races and was mentioned in movies including "Rain Man" and "Beetlejuice." It was name-dropped in songs by artists from Eminem to the Beastie Boys to Hall and Oates; in 2003, Eminem bought a 29-room, suburban Detroit mansion once owned by former Kmart chairman Chuck Conaway.
The chain cemented a place in American culture with its Blue Light Specials, a flashing blue orb affixed to a pole that would beckon shoppers to a flash sale in progress. Part of its success was due to its early adoption of layaway programs, which allowed customers who lacked credit to reserve items and pay for them in installments.
For a time, Kmart had a little bit of everything: You could shop for your kids’ back-to-school supplies, get your car tuned up and grab a meal without leaving the premises.
"Kmart was part of America," said Michael Lisicky, a Baltimore-based author who has written several books on U.S. retail history. "Everybody went to Kmart, whether you liked it or not. They had everything. You had toys. You had sporting goods. You had candy. You had stationery. It was something for everybody. This was almost as much of a social visit as it was a shopping visit. You could spend hours here. And these just dotted the American landscape over the years."
MORE: Could America adopt a 4-day workweek? 38 US, Canadian companies join pilot program
Kmart’s decline has been slow but steady, brought about by years of falling sales, changes in shopping habits and the looming shadow of Walmart, which coincidentally began its life within months of Kmart’s founding in 1962.
Struggling to compete with Walmart’s low prices and Target’s trendier offerings, Kmart filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early 2002 — becoming the largest U.S. retailer to take that step — and announced it would close more than 250 stores.
A few years later, hedge fund executive Edward Lampert combined Sears and Kmart and pledged to return them to their former greatness, but the recession and the rising dominance of Amazon contributed in derailing those goals. Sears filed for Chapter 11 in 2018 and currently has a handful of stores left in the U.S. where it once had thousands.
Kmarts continue to operate in Westwood, New Jersey; Bridgehampton, on New York’s Long Island, and Miami.
Signs advertise clearance sales inside a Kmart December 21, 2000 in Manhattan. Holiday sales were flat this year, prompting retailers to hope the final weekend before Christmas brings life to stagnant sales. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Newsmakers)
It didn’t have to end this way, according to Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia University in New York and former CEO of Sears Canada. Trying to compete with Walmart on price was a foolish strategy, he said, and Lampert was criticized for not having a retail background and appearing more interested in stripping off the assets of the two chains for their cash value.
"It’s a study in greed, avarice and incompetence," Cohen said. "Sears should have never gone away; Kmart was in worse shape, but not fatally so. And now they’re both gone.
"Retailers fall by the wayside sometimes because they’re selling things people don’t want to buy," he continued. "In the case of Kmart, everything they used to sell, people are buying but they’re buying it from Walmart and Target."
Transformco, which owns Kmart and Sears, did not respond to an email seeking comment and a phone number listed for the company was not taking messages.
READ: Cash App data breach could have impacted more than 8 million users
Nationwide, some former Kmarts remain vacant while others have been replaced by other big-box stores, fitness centers, self-storage facilities, even churches. One former site in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is now a popular dine-in movie theater.
Employees at the Kmart in Avenel found out last month that the store would close.
Unlike 20 years ago, when news of impending Kmart closures around the country prompted an outpouring of support from loyal shoppers and a Detroit radio station even mounted a campaign to try and save a local store, the closing of the Avenel location was met mostly with an air of resignation.
"It’s maybe a little nostalgic because I’ve lived my whole life in this area, but it’s just another retail store closing," said Jim Schaber, a resident of nearby Iselin who said his brother worked in the shoe department at Kmart for years. "It’s just another sign of people doing online shopping and not going out to the retail stores."
Shoppers walk to and from the entrance of a Kmart store March 25, 2002 that was scheduled for closing in Wheeling, IL.
The closing packed a little more of an emotional punch for Mike Jerdonek, a truck driver who recalled shopping at Kmart in Brooklyn and Queens in his younger days.
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"It’s like history passing right in front of our eyes," he said as he sat in his car outside the Avenel store. "When I was younger I didn’t have any money, so it was a good place to shop because the prices were cheap. And to see it gone right now, it’s kind of sad." | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/once-a-retail-giant-kmart-down-to-three-u-s-stores-after-nj-closing | 2022-04-11T18:01:19Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/once-a-retail-giant-kmart-down-to-three-u-s-stores-after-nj-closing | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Willie Wilson joins 2023 race for Chicago mayor
CHICAGO - With a burst of good will generated by his $1.2 million gas giveaways, millionaire businessman Willie Wilson on Monday joined the race to send Mayor Lori Lightfoot into political retirement after a single term.
Wilson vowed to repeal Lightfoot’s vaccine mandate, hire four or five different police superintendents to combat the unrelenting surge of violent crime and eliminate red-light and speed cameras squeezing motorists who can least afford to pay the fines.
As he has in all his political races, Wilson also declared he will blow the caps on fundraising in the 2023 mayoral race by making six-figure donations to the Willie Wilson for Mayor campaign fund he created in March 2018 and declared "active" on Monday.
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That could make it easier for Lightfoot to raise the $15 million some political observers believe she will need to raise to defend her record and boost her dismal public approval rating.
With the election less than a year away, Lightfoot has just $1.7 million in her primary political account — even after her best quarter of fundraising. For the most part, big money interests remain on the sidelines, apparently waiting for a candidate, possibly U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Chicago).
Four years ago, Wilson won 13 of 18 Black wards on the strength of his charitable giving. In the runoff that followed, Lightfoot won all of those wards — and all 50 wards citywide — after Wilson endorsed her over County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.
Wilson’s endorsement of Lightfoot sent a signal to his older, church-based constituency that, as he put it, "contracts and jobs and schools" were more important than concerns they may have had about Lightfoot being a lesbian.
This time, Wilson’s candidacy could seriously damage Lightfoot’s re-election chances, according to veteran political operative Victor Reyes, who is not involved in the mayoral race.
"Her strongest base of support is older African-American women. That’s where he would potentially cut in — with the church folks he appeals to. It does significantly hurt her in the context that he might appeal to that older black base that seems to be sticking with her," Reyes said.
"I wouldn’t discount Willie Wilson. This will be, like, his second or third go-around. It doesn’t take much to get into a run-off."
Given how pivotal Wilson’s endorsement was to Lightfoot four years ago, Reyes said he finds it somewhat astounding that she froze Wilson out shortly after taking office.
"You don’t invite people in one door of the tent in order to just kick him out the back door," Reyes said.
"He would have been a good ally to have."
Like Ald. Ray Lopez (15th), who jumped into the mayor’s race last week, Wilson portrayed Lightfoot as abrasive, dictatorial and incapable of winning the collaboration needed to solve Chicago’s most vexing problems.
"In the history of this country, I can’t think of a mayor that I’ve ever heard of or seen with that type of personality. It’s a type that, you can’t even know if they’ve put a name on it," Wilson told the Sun-Times.
"You’ve got to talk to people. You’ve got to communicate. There’s no communication [with Lightfoot] unless it’s negative. If it doesn’t go her way, she takes it personally. If something doesn’t go my way, it’s not a big deal. You’ve got to talk to people. One person can’t make decisions for a whole city like Chicago."
Pressed on how he plans to restore public safety and the perception of it, Wilson reprised the innovative idea he championed during his 2019 mayoral campaign.
"If I takes [50] aldermen to run different wards, how can one superintendent of police run the whole city? I would put four of five superintendents of police and break it down. That would be a good start right there. And all of ’em would report direct to me," he said.
Wilson also vowed to stop the exodus of Chicago police officers retiring faster than the city can hire replacements by raising the starting salary substantially and repealing Lightfoot’s vaccine mandate.
"You have to be able to sit down and talk with them. I don’t think you say, ‘Okay. COVID-19 is here. If you don’t take the shot, you’re not gonna get paid,’" Wilson said, two days before the deadline for rank-and-file police officers to get their second shot.
"These people have put their lives and their family’s lives on the line for all of us. I would have rather seen everybody come in and get tested. If they test negative, then let `em work. If they test positive, then let `em stay home for two or three days until they come back and get another test."
Wilson took aim at Lightfoot’s conveyor belt of giveaways. They include: gas cards; mass transit cards; free bicycles, locks and helmets; security cameras and motion detectors and guaranteed basic income checks.
"I thought it was against the law to give away the taxpayers’ dollars" for political purposes, Wilson said.
"I gave my own money out of my own pocket. It wasn’t taxpayers’ dollars."
Yet another issue will be Lightfoot’s ever-changing story about what she knew and when she knew it about the botched raid on the wrong home of social worker Anjanette Young.
"She lied about it straight up," he said.
"If you lie to the citizens who pay your salary, you ain’t real. If I would lie to my boss on my job, they would fire me in the corporate world."
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Lightfoot’s media consultant Eric Adelstein had no immediate comment. | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/willie-wilson-joins-2023-race-chicago-mayor | 2022-04-11T18:01:38Z | fox32chicago.com | control | https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/willie-wilson-joins-2023-race-chicago-mayor | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (WSPA) – The Asheville Police Department is looking for two people suspected of pepper-spraying a woman in the eyes before stealing her purse on Saturday.
Asheville Police stated in a social media post that officers responded to the 40 block of S. Tunnel Road around 3 p.m. Saturday, April 9 in reference to a robbery. Officers said the victim said that two men wearing masks approached her and demanded her belongings.
The two men fled the scene, but a witness chased after them and was able to retrieve the stolen purse and return it to the victim.
The victim was treated for her injuries at a nearby hospital.
The APD said they determined one of the suspects to be 37-year-old James Franklin Hairr, of Lincolnton. Police provided an old photo of Hairr for reference (photo is nearly 12 years old).
Hairr has been charged with Assault of a Female and Common Law Robbery. Officers have not yet identified the other suspect.
Anyone with information on Hairr’s whereabouts can provide an anonymous tip by texting TIP2APD to 847411 or by using the TIP2APD app. They can also call 828-252-1110. | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/2-wanted-for-robbing-pepper-spraying-woman-in-asheville/ | 2022-04-11T18:02:57Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/2-wanted-for-robbing-pepper-spraying-woman-in-asheville/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – The Easter bunny is hopping through the Upstate while hiding eggs along the way!
Here is a list of events through various counties that you can attend:
Anderson County
April 15
Springtime will take place Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Denver Downs located at 1515 Denver Downs in Spartanburg County.
April 16
Community-Wide Easter Eggstravaganza will take place Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Seneca Recreation Department located at 698 W South 4th Street in Seneca.
Easter Eggstravaganza will take place Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Washington Baptist Church located at 208 Washington Church Road in Pelzer.
Easter Egg Hunt & Picnic — Mount Bethel will take place Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Mt Bethel Baptist Church located at 2603 Due West Highway in Belton.
Nettles Park Easter Egg Hunt will take place Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Nettles Park located at 102 Nettles Park Road in Clemson.
Cherokee County
April 16
Community Easter Egg Hunt will take place Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 1499 Piedmont Road in Chesnee.
Greenville County
April 16
Easter Bone Hunt will take place Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at Astro Kennels located at 418 Scuffletown Road in Simpsonville.
Easter Bunny Trail will take place Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Take Heart Church located at 1330 Fork Shoals Road in Greenville.
Easter Eggstravaganza 2022 will begin Saturday at 11:00 a.m. at New Hope Freedom Church located at 109 W Wade Hampton Boulevard in Greer.
Easter with Emit’s Farm will take place Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Ole Blue Truck Farm LLC located at 874 Dogwood Road in Gary Court.
Fashionably “Classy” Easter Egg Hunt will take place Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Flour Field located at 945 S Main Street in Greenville.
1000 Easter Egg Hunt will take place Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. at St Mark United Methodist Church in Taylors.
April 17
Easter Egg Hunt will begin at 11:45 p.m. at GFN Church of the Nazarene located at 1201 Haywood Road in Greenville.
Spartanburg County
April 13
Eggstravaganza will take place Wednesday from 5:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Poplar Springs Baptist Church located at 790 SC-417 in Moore.
Family Easter Celebration will take place Wednesday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Southside Baptist Church located at 316 S Church Street in Spartanburg.
April 16
Easter Egg Scramble will take place Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Tyger River Park located at 179 Dillard Road in Duncan.
EGG-Cessible Easter Egg Hunt: A Special Needs Event will take place on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the North Spartanburg Sports Complex located at 1160 Old Furnace Road in Boiling Springs.
LifeSpring KidLife Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday from 3:00 p.m. top 5:00 p.m. at Life Spring Church located at 1641 Old Furnace Road in Boiling Springs.
Resurrection Trail & Easter Egg Hunt will take place on Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Sharon United Methodist Church located at 1421 Reidville Sharon Road in Greer.
April 17
Dray’s Easter Brunch will take place Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Dray Bar and Grill located at 1800 Drayton Road.
Union County
April 13
Christian Fellowship Baptist Church Easter Egg Hunt will take place Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. at Christian Fellowship Baptist Church located at 557 Kelly Road in Union.
April 15
Easter Celebration will take place on Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Camp Jerusalem located at 2432 Jerusalem Road in Pacolet
The Big Easter Bounce will take place on Friday from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Union located at 405 E Main Street
April 16
Easter Extravaganza will take place on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Fosters Chapel Methodist Church located at 392 Pea Ridge Highway in Jonesville.
Springz Brunch & Easter Egg Hunt will take place Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at West Springs Baptist Church located at 4811 Buffalo-West Springs Highway in Pauline.
Easter Eggstravagaza will take place on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. at the Union County Fairgrounds located at 120 Kirby Street. | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/easter-events-happening-in-the-upstate/ | 2022-04-11T18:02:59Z | wspa.com | control | https://www.wspa.com/news/local-news/easter-events-happening-in-the-upstate/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Jury selection has begun in a long-anticipated libel lawsuit filed by Johnny Depp against his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard.
The proceedings started Monday in a courthouse in the city of Fairfax, Virginia.
Depp sued Heard over an op-ed piece she wrote in The Washington Post in 2018 in which Heard refers to herself as a "public figure representing domestic abuse."
The article doesn't mention Depp by name, but he says it clearly refers to her allegation that she suffered physical abuse at his hands.
Depp denies the allegation.
The lawsuit brought a little bit of Hollywood to a courthouse that has a long history of dealing with high-profile crimes — just not those involving movie stars.
The judge overseeing the case has laid down some guidelines, including that neither Depp nor Heard is prohibited from posing for photos or signing autographs in the courthouse or on the courthouse grounds, the Associated Press reported.
According to the AP, Heard's lawyers tried to move the case to California but were unsuccessful.
This isn't the first time the former couple has faced each other in court.
In November 2020, Depp lost his libel case against a British tabloid newspaper for labeling him a “wife-beater.”
The AP reported that the trial would probably last more than a month. | https://www.fox17online.com/entertainment/johnny-depp-suit-against-amber-heard-starts-with-jury-picks | 2022-04-11T18:03:24Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/entertainment/johnny-depp-suit-against-amber-heard-starts-with-jury-picks | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
During the condensed spring training, an excited Vladimir Guerrero Jr. described the Toronto Blue Jays when he said: “Last year was the trailer. What you are going to see this year is the movie.”
The Blue Jays make their first trip to Yankee Stadium on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series with the New York Yankees.
Last season, the Blue Jays finished one game behind the Yankees for the second wild-card spot despite posting an 8-2 mark in New York. Guerrero hit five of his 48 homers in New York in 2021, going 6-for-17 with three blasts during a four-game sweep Sept. 6-9 when Toronto outscored the Yankees 25-8.
Monday marks the start of a stretch where 20 of the next 23 games are versus the Yankees, Houston Astros and Boston Red Sox, whom the Blue Jays were 22-22 against last season.
“We’re going to be tested straight out of the gate,” Toronto right-hander Kevin Gausman said. “Three really good teams that we’re going to be playing a lot over the next (few) weeks. It’ll kind of give us a sense of what of team we’ve got, how we stack up against them.”
So far, the Blue Jays are a team with 20 runs and seven homers. They were unable to improve to 3-0 on Sunday when they hit four homers but also blew a five-run lead in a 12-6 loss to the visiting Texas Rangers.
Guerrero hit a 467-foot homer, Matt Chapman hit a three-run blast while George Springer and Danny Jansen also connected in a game that saw the Blue Jays strike out 14 times.
The Yankees played three close games against the Boston Red Sox. After rallying for the first two wins, New York took a 4-3 loss on Sunday night when it stranded 11 runners.
Giancarlo Stanton had three hits, including an RBI single, and is off to a 5-for-13 start. Anthony Rizzo drove in six of New York’s 13 runs over the weekend.
“Just looking at the at-bats as a whole, we put together a lot of good at-bats on, even hit some balls on the screws today for outs,” New York manager Aaron Boone said. “We want to create those opportunities. We couldn’t get that big one to break anything open and that’s part of it, but overall I like the way we’re swinging the at-bats and the at-bats guys are having and just giving ourselves that opportunity.”
Alek Manoah, who was 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA in 20 starts, begins his second season for Toronto. Manoah, who placed eighth in AL Rookie of the Year balloting, also opposed the Yankees on Sept. 8 when he allowed three runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings and took a no-decision.
Jameson Taillon, who underwent offseason ankle surgery, begins his second season for the Yankees. He said he has not felt any issues since the surgery.
Taillon was 8-6 with a 4.30 ERA in 29 starts coming off a second Tommy John surgery in May 2019.
Taillon is 1-2 with a 5.21 ERA in four starts against the Blue Jays, who have slugged four homers in 19 innings off him.
–Field Level Media | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/mlb/blue-jays-get-first-crack-at-yankees-in-4-game-series/ | 2022-04-11T18:03:30Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/mlb/blue-jays-get-first-crack-at-yankees-in-4-game-series/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Braves draw NL East rival Nationals next
The defending World Series champions continue their season-opening seven-game homestand with their first series against a division rival.
The Atlanta Braves host the Washington Nationals in the first of three games after splitting four games with the Cincinnati Reds.
In his first four games with the Braves, Matt Olson has paid immediate dividends with eight hits, including a pair of three-hit performances. He also belted his first home run on Sunday.
The Braves will send right-hander Huascar Ynoa (4-6, 4.05 ERA in 2021) to the mound in his first start of 2022.
Ynoa dominated the Nationals in three starts in 2021, going 1-0 with a 1.06 ERA, holding Washington to three runs — two earned — on nine hits over 17 innings. Before last season, Ynoa made three other career appearances against the Nationals — one start — receiving a no-decision in all three appearances.
The Braves are in the midst of 14 straight games without a day off to begin the season. As a result, they are going with an unusual six-man rotation. Sunday, Ian Anderson, the fourth pitcher in the rotation, could not find his command and was pulled after only 2 2/3 innings, allowing five runs and walking five.
“That’s where I feel like I am at, trying to get back to feeling comfortable in a big league game again,” said Anderson, who was dealing with a blister on his toe at the end of spring training and right shoulder inflammation last season.
“As the season goes on, I’ll be fine and settle in, but for now I’m trying to get my feet back under me.”
The Nationals will not be heading to Atlanta winless. Nelson Cruz slugged his 450th career home run — his first with his new team — and drove in three to lead the host Nationals to a 4-2 win over the New York Mets after losing their first three games of the season.
“I’m proud of the way those guys went out today,” manager Dave Martinez said. “They didn’t quit, they kept playing hard. I think they had this thing where they really felt like they were going to win the game, and they were pushing.”
Sunday’s home run marked Cruz’s 385th since turning 30 years old, tying Jim Thome for fifth-most after his 30th birthday, trailing only Barry Bonds (509), Babe Ruth (430), Rafael Palmeiro (414) and Henry Aaron (413).
“You want to come through in front of your fans, especially in that situation,” Cruz said of his go-ahead two-run single in the eighth. “It was nice to see that ball go through the middle and get the runs that we need.”
For the Nationals, Anibal Sanchez is still dealing with a stiff neck and may not be able to make his scheduled season debut Monday in Atlanta.
Sanchez first reported his neck issue to the team the morning after flying home with the team from spring training. Washington’s projected No. 3 starter, the veteran had his outing pushed back to the final slot in the rotation to give him more time to get healthy and ready.
The 38-year-old was still reporting discomfort after a mound session on Friday.
If Sanchez is unable to go, Martinez indicated Sunday that lefty Josh Rogers could be called up from Triple-A Rochester. Other possibilities include top prospect Cade Cavalli and veteran Aaron Sanchez after throwing Wednesday in Washington’s spring training finale.
–Field Level Media | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/mlb/braves-draw-nl-east-rival-nationals-next/ | 2022-04-11T18:03:37Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/mlb/braves-draw-nl-east-rival-nationals-next/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — On the heels of a busy week on Capitol Hill, U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D) was in Grand Rapids Monday to speak with FOX 17 about a number of different topics.
Postal Service Reform Act
Sen. Gary Peters helped pass the Postal Service Reform Act, which moved through the legislature with bipartisan support. This is the first major reform to the postal service in 15 years, hoping to make sure the postal service is on strong financial footing.
"There have been significant financial challenges for the postal service as a result of rules that were put in years ago that should’ve never been put in," said Peters.
The postal service is the only organization that delivers to every single address in the country. Recently, thanks to costs getting cut, the service has taken a hit. However, Peters said this new law will save the postal service $50 billion of the next 10 years.
"That means money that they can put into advanced processors, make sure the mail is sorted in an efficient way, delivered on time," Peters said. "This is going to help the postal service continue to be strong and vibrant for the foreseeable future.”
Economic Competitiveness Bill
Peters was selected to serve alongside members of the Senate and House to negotiate a final Economic Competitiveness Bill. Peters said many of the cost increases we see across the country are the result of shortages in the supply chain, often dealing with products coming from overseas.
So, this bill will aim to secure our supply chains by moving the production to the states. As of now, several products we use every day are overly dependent on foreign manufacturers, particularly with semi-conductor chips.
“As a result of shortages, we’ve seen production delays, we’ve seen cost increases in these automobiles," said Peters. "We have to bring that on shore. Most all the chips come from China or South Korea or Taiwan. We have shortages. We have to make it in the United States. We have to have American workers, American companies making those chips.”
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's Confirmation
Peters was one of 53 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee who helped confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, making her the first black woman to be selected for such a role in America's history. However, it did not come without a controversial hearing process that Peters did not agree with.
“Well, I was certainly disappointed by the questions that were asked by some members on the Judiciary Committee that were not fact-based," said Peters. "They were just very, I thought, mean and inappropriate for a Supreme Court Justice.”
He added, “The Supreme Court, according to our founders, was supposed to be the place where there wasn’t partisanship, where you had fair, impartial justice dispensed. It’s important for us to come together. I hope in the future, we’ll be able to try to step aside from some of the politics involved in these Supreme Court Justices and focus on their qualifications and temperament. Certainly, Judge Jackson has that, and she’s going to do an outstanding job.”
Trust in Law Enforcement
After West Michigan had three officer-involved shootings last week, including one in Grand Rapids that's garnered national attention, Peters said it's important to help the public regain trust in the people who are supposed to serve and protect. To help, he spoke about recent legislation he introduced to help police forces recruit and train people from within the community they serve.
“That’s certainly an important step forward," said Peters. "When you know people who grew up in a community, or live there, know the people and perhaps even more importantly people know who they are. We can start building the kind of trust necessary for public safety to work in the way we all want it to work.”
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Peters wrapped up the interview by touching on the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The U.S. has provided a substantial amount of humanitarian and military aid to help protect Ukraine, but the U.S. has also been a target during this war, mainly in the form of cyberattacks. Peters said Russia is engaged in a number of cyber attacks on a regular basis in our country, and he expects those actions to step up as the conflict continues.
To combat these attacks, Peters introduced a landmark legislative package that he said would "significantly enhance our nation’s ability to combat ongoing cybersecurity threats against our critical infrastructure and the federal government."
One of the main goals of that bill, Peters said, would be to protect small businesses.
“It’s been estimated if a small business is the victim of a cyberattack, that within 18 months, half of those businesses are out of business," said Peters. "It is absolutely existential we need to put more resources forward to protect our small businesses and our critical infrastructure across the country.”
You can check out FOX 17's full interview with Sen. Peters below. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/fox-17-sits-down-with-sen-gary-peters | 2022-04-11T18:03:48Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/fox-17-sits-down-with-sen-gary-peters | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids police officer who shot and killed Patrick Lyoya was supposed to be interviewed no more than 72 hours after the shooting on April 4th. A week later, that interview has not happened.
Michigan State Police tell FOX 17 that detectives have not been able to question the officer because his attorney was on vacation for the week.
Grand Rapids police officers are allowed up to 72 hours after being involved into a shooting to be questioned.
State Police took over the investigation immediately on April 4. A spokesperson says the detectives are hopeful to finish their report by the end of April 15.
Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom committed to releasing video of the shooting by no later than noon on April 15. He said in a press conference the day of the shooting he wanted to give investigators enough time to compile an initial report. Later that week he said the video will be published regardless of how far along the investigation is.
Lyoya's family and supporters have demanded the immediate release of the full video. They also want the officer to face justice for Lyoya's death.
Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker told FOX 17 on April 8 that he will make no decision on any charges until after reviewing the report by Michigan State Police. That process could takes weeks or months to complete.
How we got here:
Man shot, killed by officer during traffic stop in Grand Rapids
Man identified in Grand Rapids officer involved shooting
Family demands answers, remembers life of man killed in GR officer-involved shooting
GRPD Chief on delaying release of video: this is not a cover-up
Kent County prosecutor: GRPD can share video of officer-involved shooting without his approval
‘I’m bleeding. I’m hurt:’ Father wants video of deadly officer-involved shooting released
Hundreds march against killing of Patrick Lyoya by a Grand Rapids police officer
Vigil for Patrick Lyoya, man who died after being shot by GR police officer
National and local leaders hold forum after Patrick Lyoya shot and killed by GR police officer
Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump calling for police video of Lyoya’s death to be released | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/officer-who-killed-patrick-lyoya-has-not-been-interviewed-1-week-after-shooting | 2022-04-11T18:03:54Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/officer-who-killed-patrick-lyoya-has-not-been-interviewed-1-week-after-shooting | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
How long did I read/draw on one comic/project?? (For artists out their) Octupdate #4 (Comics) (archivebusted)! Sep 11 6303\nOctober Project #6 is a Go Oct # of comics? Mar update Nov15 (Archived in Jan8 61 comments (last new Aug6 atm).\nThe most successful (and best one, so its all that needs counting) update, was GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Mr. Worldwide is coming to West Michigan!
Pitbull is scheduled to perform at Van Andel Arena on August 30.
It's part of his Can't Stop Us Now tour featuring Iggy Azalea.
The Grammy award-winning artist is known for hits like "Timber," "Give Me Everything" and "Fireball."
Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/pitbull-coming-to-van-andel-arena-on-august-30 | 2022-04-11T18:04:00Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/local-news/grand-rapids/pitbull-coming-to-van-andel-arena-on-august-30 | 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/barany-in-the-garden-backyard-gardeners-should-leave-apples-to-the-professionals/article_003cb25b-1cd2-5d9b-bf9d-54a32e028491.html | 2022-04-11T18:04:09Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/explore_yakima/home_and_garden/barany-in-the-garden-backyard-gardeners-should-leave-apples-to-the-professionals/article_003cb25b-1cd2-5d9b-bf9d-54a32e028491.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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Activate your digital account | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mycentraljersey.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fhigh-school%2Fbaseball%2F2022%2F04%2F11%2Fbaseball-skyland-conference-and-area-ucc-top-10-through-april-10%2F7278785001%2F&gnt-tng-s=1 | 2022-04-11T18:04:11Z | mycentraljersey.com | control | https://www.mycentraljersey.com/restricted/?return=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mycentraljersey.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fhigh-school%2Fbaseball%2F2022%2F04%2F11%2Fbaseball-skyland-conference-and-area-ucc-top-10-through-april-10%2F7278785001%2F&gnt-tng-s=1 | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Numerous gadgets and smartphone apps have come out in the past decade to help adults monitor every aspect of their health. Dozens of GPS devices can track an individual or vehicle’s location.
But a device that does these tasks for a parent’s young children? Yakima mother and entrepreneur Monica Plath was unable to find one, so she assembled a team of technical experts and advisers to help her create and market such a device.
“We’re the first cellular Bluetooth GPS wearable of its kind for this age group — which is a little bit shocking,” Plath said. “There’s infant wearables and wearables that do different components within this spectrum, but of the 2,500 wearables on the market, less than 1% are aimed toward children.
“So we’re capitalizing on that market vacancy and also on that need. This was driven by my own personal need and the need of other mothers like me with children who are (ages) 1-5, essentially.”
The result is the Littlebird Toddler CareTracker wristband and accompanying app for caregivers and parents. The wristband comes with a removable strap and is designed to be worn passively by children, Plath said.
It tracks a toddler’s location, activity level, heart rate, temperature and other information, with an accompanying app that allows parents to keep tabs on their child’s health, activity and even mood from afar while they are being cared for by someone else.
Preorders for the new product have been taken for the past few weeks at the website littlebird.care, and the first 5,000 devices are expected to ship in the fall, Plath said. The cost is $300, which includes one year of free cellular connectivity.
Plath and her two sons, ages 2 and 3, live in Yakima. She is a University of Washington graduate and Snoqualmie Valley native, and recently met with the Yakima Herald-Republic to answer Five Questions.
What gave you the idea for the Littlebird Toddler CareTracker?
My backstory is that I was a new mother during the pandemic, and I was having some issues with child care. I went online to purchase, essentially, this product and found that it didn’t exist.
I started the process of asking other professionals in technology from Seattle that I knew, and entrepreneurs, about solving this issue. We started with a FitBit — we wanted to just buy existing technology and create software.
We found through that process that the software was not the solution, it had to be implemented in the hardware. We went on a six-month search for a CTO (chief technology officer) and was lucky enough to find the team that took FitBit from idea to their $2 billion exit to Google as my hardware team. They’re in San Francisco and they have essentially helped me incubate this idea and take it to market.
Gadi Amit, my CTO, he’s helped solve some of technology’s bigger issues in terms of FitBit, a neck ear router, Google Phone — he’s a real technology pioneer. He immediately resonated with this need in the marketplace. So we started working together.
Once we secured him, we were able to raise $2 million in precede funding while in stealth, which means we weren’t talking about our idea publicly. Our velocity within the tech world was such that we were launched by the tech hub in Seattle, GeekWire, last week.
How long has this been on the market, how long has this been available?
We launched (March 22). We did our pre-launch, and we’ll be shipping product this fall. The pre-launch is really just to secure your place in line. We’ve had incredible demand and it’s been resonated through both the investor and parenthood communities. So it’s been a really warm welcome and validation in terms of parents see this need for wanting to know their children are OK while they’re apart.
Do you have any background in business, technology or marketing?
My background was commercial real estate, where I focused on emerging technology companies. I worked with a lot of start-ups early on in Seattle.
It’s really fun now, full-circle, over a decade later, I’m connecting with a lot of those founders and re-igniting the network and the conversation and doing introductions. It’s been a lot of fun, being on the other side of it. We’re parents now — we’re all sort of going into it at the same time.
It’s funny, I see our sales list and a lot of it is friends in tech. They get it. I think it’s not just for moms, it’s for the working parent, feeling connected while you’re apart, knowing that you’re making good care choices for your child. And for date nights.
I think a lot of that is also like, are (your children) doing OK, without having to constantly check with the babysitter.
People don’t often think of high-tech devices coming out of Yakima. Is this a good example of what we can do now, with the internet making opportunities available online anywhere?
That’s one of the almost blessings of COVID. We were able to take so many of the meetings and conversations virtual, and that really facilitated the growth. It didn’t hinder our velocity — things kept moving forward. Which was great for me as a mother of two little boys, being able to spend more time with them and not be on the road. It’s been a real blessing in disguise in many aspects.
I think innovation can happen anywhere — where the need strikes. It’s just whether you act on it or not.
Outside of working on this project and chasing around two young toddlers, what are some of your other interests?
I’m really interested in children’s charities. I’ve worked with Pegasus Project here in town, and also Save the Children. Something that’s really close to my heart that’s also something I was doing back in Seattle was being able to connect children with positive outcomes.
I’m just really thankful for the community here in Yakima and their support. I have a really wonderful group of women and mothers who have really helped shape this idea and bring it to fruition. We were all “think-tanking” together, I guess you could almost call it crowd-sourcing, about this need. I was able to bounce it off them. I think it’s really a collaboration of minds and moms from Yakima. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/business/five-questions-monica-plath-founder-and-ceo-of-yakimas-littlebird-connected-care/article_9ba83d63-0967-5e4d-9118-ad4e4dab9e92.html | 2022-04-11T18:04:15Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/business/five-questions-monica-plath-founder-and-ceo-of-yakimas-littlebird-connected-care/article_9ba83d63-0967-5e4d-9118-ad4e4dab9e92.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Following a successful opening weekend, both the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies should feel good entering their first matchup of the season.
However, each club will also be looking to bounce back from its initial loss of 2022, when these teams open a three-game set at Philadelphia on Monday night.
With high expectations surrounding both clubs this season, New York and Philadelphia each nearly pulled off an opening-series sweep. The Mets outscored Washington 17-4 in winning its first three games before blowing a 2-1 lead in the eighth of Sunday’s 4-2 loss.
“We had a good series, we just won three out of four and we move on to another good team,” Mets manager Buck Showalter told SNY.
The Phillies, meanwhile, tallied 13 runs in opening with back-to-back wins over Oakland before managing just three hits in a 4-1 defeat on Sunday.
“I didn’t really have a problem with our at-bats (Sunday) because I thought we hit a number of balls hard,” said Phillies manager Joe Girardi, who seems completely confident in his team.
“There’s a really good feeling in (the) clubhouse about this club.”
Philadelphia went 10-9 against the Mets in 2021, and 6-3 at home during that season series. The Phillies’ Jean Segura, who homered for the second time on Sunday and is 4-for-11 on the young season, is batting .394 with four home runs and five RBIs during a nine-game hitting streak versus New York.
Segura is 3-for-10 with a homer against scheduled New York starter Taijuan Walker. In his first season with the Mets in 2021, the veteran right-hander went 7-11 with a 4.47 ERA in 29 starts. That included going 0-2 with a 3.76 ERA in five starts against the Phillies.
Walker had been dealing with right knee soreness this spring after undergoing surgery in January, but he is apparently ready to make his season debut following a successful bullpen session on Friday.
“We will kind of work through it,” Walker told The New York Post.
Kyle Schwarber is 2-for-10 with a home run on his Phillies’ tenure, but each of his four hits in eight at-bats against Walker last season left the park. Teammates J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm went a combined 6-for-15 with a homer apiece vs. Walker in 2021.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, turns to Ranger Suarez, who made a career-high 39 appearances in a variety of situations for the club in 2021. However, the left-hander truly turned heads after joining the rotation in August — going 3-2 with an impressive 1.51 ERA in 12 starts.
Despite dealing with a visa issues this spring, Suarez felt he threw the ball well and is eager to begin his season.
“I worked on everything I had to work on, and I feel great,” Suarez told the Phillies’ official website. “We’re ready to go.”
Suarez went 0-1 with a 1.93 ERA in three appearances against the Mets last season, including a 2 2/3-inning start on Aug. 7.
New York’s Jeff McNeil is hitless in two at-bats versus Suarez, but went 7-for-16 against the Nationals. Meanwhile, Mark Canha is 7-for-10 with two RBIs to begin his Mets’ career. Escobar is 2-for-3 with a double and home run against Suarez.
–Field Level Media | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/mlb/phillies-mets-both-hoping-to-rebound-from-first-loss/ | 2022-04-11T18:04:18Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/mlb/phillies-mets-both-hoping-to-rebound-from-first-loss/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Multiple spinouts forced the closure Monday morning of U.S. 97 southbound at milepost 57 near Toppenish.
Additionally, State Route 24 is closed from milepost 5 near Yakima to milepost 36 near the junction with SR-240 because of the wintry weather.
There is no estimated time of reopening for either route, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/wintry-weather-forces-yakima-valley-closures-on-state-route-24-and-u-s-97/article_d5b8afd6-b9b6-11ec-adf4-3f3aceee533f.html | 2022-04-11T18:04:21Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/local/wintry-weather-forces-yakima-valley-closures-on-state-route-24-and-u-s-97/article_d5b8afd6-b9b6-11ec-adf4-3f3aceee533f.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Business Email Compromise scams are a type of crime where criminals hack into email accounts, pretend to be someone they’re not and fool victims into sending money where it doesn't belong.
These crimes get far less attention than the massive ransomware attacks that have triggered a powerful government response, but BEC scams have been the costliest type of cybercrime in the U.S. for years.
A new report by the FBI shows that there were nearly 20,000 complaints about BEC scams filed in 2021.
Nearly $2.4 million were lost in 2021 to BEC scams, marking a 33% increase from 2020.
The FBI says fraudsters have become smarter and have started hacking emails to spoof business leaders’ credentials to initiate fraudulent wire transfers.
The money is often transferred to cryptocurrency wallets, which makes it more difficult to recover.
The huge payoffs and low risks associated with BEC scams have attracted criminals worldwide. Some flaunt their ill-gotten wealth on social media, posing in pictures next to Ferraris, Bentleys, and stacks of cash. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/email-scam-costliest-type-of-cybercrime-fbi-says | 2022-04-11T18:04:24Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/email-scam-costliest-type-of-cybercrime-fbi-says | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Alaska Airlines listed 18 cancellations for flights originally scheduled to depart from or arrive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Monday, according to FlightAware.com.
Staffing shortages have been largely to blame for hundreds of cancellations that have delayed or stranded tens of thousands of passengers. Last week, some of them reported 10-hour wait times on Alaska’s customer-service line.
The airline apologized in a statement Thursday.
“The primary driver for cancellations is the shortage of pilots available to fly versus what was planned when we built our April schedule in January,” a company spokesperson said by email. “Across the industry, airlines are seeing a strain on pilot capacity as air travel demand returns, airlines are all hiring, and we are hiring faster than we’re able to hire and train new pilots.”
Alaska and the union representing its pilots have been stalled on a new contract for three years. The dispute is the subject of federal mediation. | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/northwest/alaska-airlines-flight-cancellations-at-sea-tac-airport-continue-monday/article_a4b5961a-b9b1-11ec-809f-2ff865a6c222.html | 2022-04-11T18:04:27Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/news/northwest/alaska-airlines-flight-cancellations-at-sea-tac-airport-continue-monday/article_a4b5961a-b9b1-11ec-809f-2ff865a6c222.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Susan (Dally) Walters died peacefully on February 19, 2022 in Seattle. The daughter of Fern and Ardell Dally, Susan was born in Yakima on August 2, 1943. After graduating from Highland HS she attended Pacific Lutheran University, where she met Ed Walters, her husband of 56 years. They settled in Albuquerque, NM, where they lived for 53 years. Together, they were active members of the community, Ed as a professor at UNM, and Susan as a pre-school and special needs teacher. She had a special warmth for children, whether her own, her students, or her grandchildren. Susan was preceded in death by her husband Ed just one year ago, as well as by their son Eric in 2016. After Ed’s passing, Susan relocated to Seattle to be near family, though that chapter of her life was cut short. She is survived by son Greg of Chicago, daughter Elaine of Seattle, brother Robert Dally of Seattle, and seven grandchildren whom she loved dearly. A memorial service will be held at St. Luke Lutheran, Albuquerque, on May 29, 2022. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Luke Lutheran at www.stlukeabq.org.
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LOCAL FLORISTS
FUNERAL HOMES AND SERVICES
- Brookside Funeral Home
- Colonial Funeral Home
- Keith & Keith Funeral Home
- Langevin - El Paraíso Funeral Home
- Merritt Funeral Home
- Midstate Monuments
- Prosser Funeral Home
- Rainier Memorial
- Shaw & Sons Funeral Home
- Smith Funeral Homes & Crematory
- Steward & Williams Tribute & Cremation Center
- Terrace Heights Memorial Park
- Valley Hills Funeral Home
- West Hills Memorial Park | https://www.yakimaherald.com/obituaries/susan-dally-walters/article_6907e554-b9bc-11ec-87ff-a77a63cc3c5e.html | 2022-04-11T18:04:39Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/obituaries/susan-dally-walters/article_6907e554-b9bc-11ec-87ff-a77a63cc3c5e.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NAPLES, Fla. — Police arrested a man in Florida after they found a baby alligator, weapons and drugs during a traffic stop.
31-year-old Michael Marolla was in the front passenger seat when a pickup truck was pulled over after midnight last Friday in Naples.
The driver was stopped because they were driving with a suspended license.
During the stop, a live baby alligator was found in an open, plastic tub in the bed of the truck.
Officers said they also found two firearms and loaded syringes with methamphetamine in Marolla’s jacket.
Marolla now faces a series of charges, including drug possession and carrying a firearm.
It does not appear he faces any charges for having a baby alligator.
It is illegal to own an alligator in the state of Florida, unless it is authorized by the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Wildlife officers are now investigating the incident. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/man-arrested-after-baby-alligators-drugs-were-found-during-traffic-stop | 2022-04-11T18:04:43Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/man-arrested-after-baby-alligators-drugs-were-found-during-traffic-stop | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
Major changes are expected to take place in the Selah School District in a few days. On Friday, April 15, the district is expected to announce its new superintendent, chosen from a group of three final candidates who will be meeting with staff groups and community members this week.
The road to the final few individuals has been a long one.
The selection process, spearheaded by the Selah school board, has been complex and challenging, according to school board president Jeff Hartwick.
In fact, Hartwick describes the selection of a new superintendent as “the biggest responsibility for a school board.”
The need for a new school district leader emerged in December, when Superintendent Shane Backlund announced he would be transitioning to a new regional role as the deputy superintendent at Educational Service District 105. Backlund has been at the school district’s helm for 10 years, with a collective 21 years working in Selah School District positions.
“We’re replacing a 21-year district leader who’s been with Selah for a long, long time and has done an incredible job,” Hartwick said. “We’re well aware that we’re having to find a new leader that’s replacing somebody that’s well respected, that’s well thought of.”
In February, the school board kicked off the search by hiring Northwest Leadership Associates, a search agency that helps school districts find and attract superintendent candidates while offering guidance for the hiring process.
“They’ve just sort of helped us understand the big picture process and have been along for the ride, if you will, the entire time,” Hartwick said.
The search agency’s first recommendation was for the school board to gather feedback and opinions from the residents of Selah. Through an online survey that was available to the entire community, the school board gained valuable insights as to what its constituents wanted from the new leader.
“One of the biggest things that stood out is that they were looking for somebody that had prior superintendent or school administrator experience,” Hartwick said.
Additionally, focus groups were conducted with students and district employees. From nutrition staff to school administrators, as many people as possible were given representation and an opportunity to share their input.
Using the information gleaned from the survey and focus groups, a job description was written and published to candidates worldwide through Northwest Leadership Associates.
“Out of the 15 applicants we received, we selected six because of their vast educational experience and their qualifications to continue to lead the Selah School District with great strength and traditions that Selah is known for,” Hartwick said.
The school board conducted preliminary interviews with those six semifinalists March 28-29, then narrowed the candidates to three people who are visiting the school district for separate public forums this week.
Zillah assistant superintendent Justin Irion will visit Tuesday, April 12, former Sunnyside superintendent Kevin McKay will visit Wednesday, April 13, and Educational Service District 123 assistant superintendent Troy Tornow will visit Thursday, April 14. Community public forums will be held at 6 p.m. each day at Selah Middle School.
After the final interviews, the school board expects to announce its pick on Friday, April 15. Full details about the process are posted on the school district’s website at www.selahschools.org.
Hartwick is confident that, regardless of which candidate is chosen, the district will be in good hands.
“We know that these candidates are all very capable. And so we’re looking for that one candidate that can come to Selah, that can become a Viking quickly, and continue the great things that are going on here in our district.” | https://www.yakimaherald.com/unleashed/news/new-selah-superintendent-expected-to-be-named-after-public-interviews-this-week/article_8032e193-e324-51f9-aaac-1bb10ac56b94.html | 2022-04-11T18:04:45Z | yakimaherald.com | control | https://www.yakimaherald.com/unleashed/news/new-selah-superintendent-expected-to-be-named-after-public-interviews-this-week/article_8032e193-e324-51f9-aaac-1bb10ac56b94.html | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
PARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron declared Monday that he wants to “convince” a broad range of French voters to back his centrist vision, kicking off a two-week battle against far-right challenger Marine Le Pen ahead of the country’s presidential runoff vote.
Le Pen, meanwhile, is ready for the fight, planning to highlight rising prices for energy and food that have hit poorer households especially hard recently as Macron has focused his efforts on seeking diplomatic solutions to the war in Ukraine.
The two candidates came out on top in Sunday’s first-round presidential vote, setting up an April 24 replay of their duel in 2017. Macron trounced Le Pen five years ago in the presidential runoff but all opinion polls show the leader of the National Rally is much closer this time to a potential win.
The French election outcome will have wide international influence as Europe struggles to contain the havoc wreaked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Macron has strongly backed European Union sanctions on Russia while Le Pen has worried about their impact on French living standards. Macron also is a firm supporter of NATO and of close collaboration among the EU’s 27 members.
Macron headed Monday to an economically depressed area of northern France where a majority of voters had chosen Le Pen, close to her electoral stronghold of Henin-Beaumont.
“I’m here, and I’m determined to fight,” the 44-year-old president said during his visit to the town of Denain, adding that he heard the concerns of people who struggle to find a job and earn more money.
“They need to be reassured,” he said.
For her part, Le Pen met with National Rally officials to plan strategy for runoff. Later Monday, Le Pen was to visit a cereal producer in the Burgundy region to speak about rising prices and making “strong, urgent decisions to protect the purchasing power of the French.” The topic has been at the core of her campaign this year, but Macron’s team argues that, due to the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, Le Pen wouldn’t have the financial means to meet her campaign promises.
Macron said he wants to court those who voted for the “extremes” or opted to stay at home. He met with residents in Denain, many of whom criticized his proposed pension changes, which include raising the minimum retirement age from 62 to 65.
Denain Mayor Anne-Lise Dufour-Tonini told reporters she will vote for Macron ‘with no hesitation” in the second round, but intends to push for him to adopt more “leftist proposals.”
Many of the 10 presidential candidates who were defeated in the first round Sunday encouraged voters to choose Macron in the second round, including conservative candidate Valérie Pécresse, and the Green and Socialist candidates. Pécresse warned of “the chaos that would ensue” if Le Pen was elected. Far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who came in third in Sunday’s vote, urged voters not to choose Le Pen, implicitly suggesting that staying at home could be an option.
Le Pen was backed by the other far-right candidate, former TV pundit Eric Zemmour.
On her third attempt to become France’s first woman president, Le Pen was rewarded Sunday for her years-long effort to rebrand herself as less extreme. Macron is not buying it, however, accusing Le Pen of pushing a dangerous manifesto of racist, ruinous policies. Le Pen wants to roll back some rights for Muslims, banning them from wearing headscarves in public, and to drastically reduce immigration from outside Europe.
Macron and Le Pen are to debate on national television next week.
“Our focus is now on the project and the values,” said Sen. Francois Patriat, a member of Macron’s party.
Le Pen’s camp, meanwhile, is hoping to capitalize on anger at Macron over policies seen as favoring the rich.
“Now everything is possible,” Aurélien Lopez Liguori, a councilor with Le Pen’s party in the southern city of Sete, told The Associated Press, adding that, compared with 2017, “now Macron has a record, a bad record.”
French Minister for European Affairs Clément Beaune told the AP that only five years ago “Le Pen was proposing — must not forget it — to leave the euro, to break Europe when Brexit and Frexit were trendy.”
Le Pen has dropped earlier threats to pull France out of the EU and abandon the shared euro currency if elected, but some of her proposals, including setting up a national border control, are contrary to EU rules.
With all first-round votes counted Monday, Macron had 27.8% support, Le Pen captured 23.1% and Melenchon was third with close to 22%.
The euro rose Monday to trade 0.27% higher at $1.09, indicating investor relief that Macron came out on top in the first round.
___
John Leicester and Elaine Ganley in Paris contributed.
___
Follow all AP stories on France’s presidential election at https://apnews.com/hub/french-election-2022 | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/ap-top-headlines/french-duel-macron-vs-le-pen-fight-for-presidency/ | 2022-04-11T18:04:45Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/ap-top-headlines/french-duel-macron-vs-le-pen-fight-for-presidency/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
FREMONT COUNTY, Idaho — Lori Vallow Daybell has been found fit to stand trial and will be arraigned for the murder of her children and ex-husband next week.
The order Monday from the Seventh Judicial District Court in Idaho stated the competency of Vallow Daybell has been restored nearly 10 months after she was found unfit to stand trial and committed to a mental health facility.
An arraignment for Vallow Daybell will be held April 19 at 1 p.m. at the Fremont County Courthouse.
Vallow Daybell is charged with the murder of two of her children — Tylee Ryan and Joshua "JJ" Vallow — as well as her ex-husband Charles Vallow, and her current husband's former wife Tammy Daybell.
The two children went missing under suspicious circumstances in 2019, shortly after Vallow Daybell married Chad Daybell and their former spouses died.
The children's bodies were found buried in June 2020 at an Idaho property owned by Chad, officials said.
Chad is also charged in connection with the deaths of the children and his former wife, but not Charles Vallow. He is facing the death penalty.
This story was first reported by Jeff Tavss at KSTU in Salt Lake City. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/mother-of-children-who-were-found-dead-is-deemed-competent-to-stand-trial | 2022-04-11T18:04:58Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/mother-of-children-who-were-found-dead-is-deemed-competent-to-stand-trial | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
There are side effects to increased cybersecurity.
Some people are overwhelmed by security alerts. Others change their behavior when they see the privacy notice.
One report published in January indicates people are less interested in making a purchase when they see a generic privacy pop-up on a website.
However, the impact went away when the notice included phrases like, "We care about your privacy."
Researchers refer to these phrases as "benevolence cues."
"Even though these benevolence cues offer no legal protection to consumers, they do help to build trust," said Aaron Brough, a professor at Utah State University.
His team found business managers overwhelmingly believed a strong privacy notification would increase consumer trust.
Instead, those privacy pop-ups were likely to turn away customers if they did not contain benevolent language.
"The people who draft the privacy policies and privacy notices aren't typically thinking about consumers' reactions to it as much as the legal ramifications for the firm," said Brough. "That's what we found really makes the difference here. When you're communicating without a sense of the firm's caring for the consumer, it has a negative effect, rather than a positive effect, on purchase interest."
Others find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of alerts they receive each day.
According to a survey published earlier this year, more than 60% of U.S. IT experts said they receive 500+ cloud security alerts each day.
"More than half of the organizations believe that they miss critical alerts on a weekly or, sometimes, daily basis," said Avi Shua, the co-founder, and CEO of Orca Security.
Shua said the missed alerts are tied to overall alert fatigue.
"This is a really bad place to be," Shua said. "The tools that generate alerts that are technically correct but cannot be effectively used."
Alert fatigue is not unique to IT professionals. It's also common in the world of medicine. It can lead to burnout and friction in the workplace.
There may not be an easy fix.
Experts say businesses can take the first step by cutting out alerts that aren't business-critical. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/push-for-tighter-cybersecurity-has-side-effects-for-workers-shoppers | 2022-04-11T18:05:04Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/push-for-tighter-cybersecurity-has-side-effects-for-workers-shoppers | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol tells The Associated Press that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the southeastern city since the Russian invasion in February.
Mayor Vadym Boychenko told The Associated Press by telephone Monday that corpses were “carpeted through the streets of our city” and that the death toll could be more than 20,000.
Boychenko also said Russian forces have brought mobile crematoria to the city to dispose of the bodies and accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to disguise the carnage.
The mayor had previously claimed 5,000 dead.
He explained that these data were on March 21, but “thousands more people were lying on the streets, it was just impossible for us to collect them.”
About 120,000 civilians remain in Mariupol in dire need of food, water, warmth and communications, the mayor said.
Boychenko said that about 150,000 people have been able to leave the city in private vehicles for other parts of Ukraine and that at least 33,000 were taken to Russia or to separatist territory in Ukraine. | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/russia-ukraine-conflict/death-toll-in-mariupol-stands-at-more-than-10k-mayor-says | 2022-04-11T18:05:10Z | fox17online.com | control | https://www.fox17online.com/news/national/russia-ukraine-conflict/death-toll-in-mariupol-stands-at-more-than-10k-mayor-says | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — It doesn’t seem that long ago to Scott Scheffler that he was standing on the green behind Bergen Community College in Parasmus, New Jersey, dutifully holding a flashlight while his only son — just 5 or 6 at the time — hit shots in the dark.
And if one of Scottie Scheffler’s wayward strokes happened to smack into one of his sisters, so be it.
“He used to yell,” Scott Scheffler said. “He would yell at us when he hit it. He would hit the girls.”
It’s what brothers do.
Nearly two decades later, Scottie Scheffler’s aim is considerably better. Yes, that was the kid who used to peg his siblings with impunity tugging the green jacket over his broad shoulders after winning the Masters on Sunday afternoon.
And yes, that was most of the Scheffler clan — sisters Callie and Molly (other sister Sara is in Portugal) along with Scott and wife Diane — huddled together just outside Butler Cabin to celebrate a jet-fueled rise to the top that really wasn’t that jet-fueled at all.
There were the days back in north New Jersey when the Scheffler kids were introduced to the game. They moved to Dallas when Diane switched law firms as a chief operating officer. They quickly decided to join Royal Oaks Country Club mostly because it meant Scott Scheffler could keep all four kids in one place.
While Scott Scheffler understands his son’s origin story takes a familiar narrative and turns it on his head — it was Scott who served as the stay-at-home dad while Diane worked — he doesn’t see it as revolutionary or strange or uncommon.
“It’s just what you do as a father for your children,” Scott Scheffler said, his eyes wet with tears while wearing a white Masters polo shirt on the grounds of a club where his son is now a champion. “You do for your kids you know. I’ve done for all of them. They’ve given us great joy. He’s the one that did all the hard work, not me. I just raised him and tried the best I could to be a good dad.”
Maybe, but someone had to get Team Scheffler to all those sporting events. Youth golf tournaments. High school basketball practices. The list is seemingly endless. The fact it was dad doing most of the driving hardly mattered.
“Wasn’t unusual for me,” Scottie Scheffler said. “I didn’t know any different. Fortunately for me, I grew up with three sisters and my dad was there, and he did a great job raising us.”
Scott Scheffler made it a point to make sure his kids were well-rounded. While stressing “I’m no guru,” he pointed out how vital it was to make sure Scottie didn’t focus on golf all the time. He tried as a sophomore at Highland Park High School only to realize he missed playing basketball too much. So it was back to the basketball team the following year.
Yet Scottie was hardly the only athlete in the family. Callie Scheffler played at Texas A&M and served as Scottie’s caddie when he qualified for the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont as an amateur, and Molly and Sara are players, too.
While Scott Scheffler laughingly admitted, “Schefflers have their issues, but they’re good people,” he grew more serious when asked what the world needs to know about the unassuming 25-year-old board game aficionado who is now the hottest golfer on the planet.
“He’s just a nice young kid,” Scott Scheffler said. “Born in New Jersey and raised in Texas. He’s got a little bit of both, which is wonderful. Just our son and Meredith’s husband and now I guess he’s the world’s.”
The family bonds extend beyond Team Scheffler.
Rick Smith, the PGA Hall of Fame pro, has worked with Scottie for years, and Rick’s son Blake is Scheffler’s agent. Blake and Scottie met soon after the Schefflers joined Royal Oaks and the two would play together when they could.
That relationship between the Schefflers and the Smiths has only deepened through the years. Maybe that’s why Rick leaned over on Scottie’s bag as he was inside signing his scorecard after the biggest tournament — so far — of his still burgeoning career.
Rick was over at Scheffler’s house on Saturday night, trying to get him to relax as he sat on a three-shot lead heading into Sunday. They worked on Scheffler’s alignment. On his ball position. And on his mood, watching Instagram videos in an effort to keep things light.
While Scheffler admitted his stomach had been hurting over the weekend and he cried Sunday morning because of the pressure, he hardly looked rattled while posting a 1-under 71 that gave him a three-shot victory. There was just one major hiccup, a four-putt on the 18th with his win assured, though Smith couldn’t help but laugh when asked at what point he finally relaxed.
“When he made his fourth putt (at 18),” Smith said. “We’ll go figure out what went on.”
There’s time to exhale, but not much. In early February, Scheffler was still searching for his first PGA Tour win. In early April, he’s on the kind of run that he couldn’t have imagined while drilling putts into the north Jersey nights, hardly worried about where the putt went, who it hit, or whether mom or dad was one driving them home.
“He’s public now, which is a little bit scary,” Scott Scheffler said.
Just don’t expect Scottie to forget where he came from. Scott and Diane Scheffler’s only son is well aware he hardly made the journey from Bergen Community College to Augusta National alone.
“They didn’t parent perfectly, obviously, but for me, they did the best they could all the time, and I love them for that,” Scheffler said. “You know, I can’t speak highly enough of the hard work that they have put in. I can’t put it into words, I really can’t.”
___
More AP Masters coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/the-masters | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/ap-top-headlines/schefflers-journey-to-the-masters-a-true-family-affair/ | 2022-04-11T18:05:09Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/ap-top-headlines/schefflers-journey-to-the-masters-a-true-family-affair/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
NEW DELHI (AP) — An unusually early heat wave brought more extreme temperatures Monday to a large swath of India’s northwest, raising concerns that such weather conditions could become typical.
The India Meteorological Department forecast that the temperature in New Delhi would reach 41.8 degrees Celsius (107.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday, nearly eight degrees above normal.
The weather agency declares a heat wave when the temperature is at least 4.5 C (8 F) above average.
The main summer months — April, May and June — are always excruciatingly hot in most parts of India before monsoon rains bring cooler temperatures. But the heat wave has arrived early and grown particularly intense in the past decade, killing hundreds every year.
During heat waves, the country usually also suffers severe water shortages with tens of millions of its 1.4 billion people lacking running water.
Extreme temperatures have struck large parts of northern and western India in the last week, with Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi among the worst hit. Higher temperatures also were felt in relatively cooler Indian-controlled Kashmir in the Himalayas, where many Indians go to escape the summer heat.
Already this year, India has recorded its warmest March since 1901.
The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warns that heat waves and humidity-related heat stress will intensify in South Asia, and scientists who study climate change say Indians can expect more of the same hot temperatures in the coming years.
Vimal Mishra, an expert at the Indian Institute of Technology’s Water and Climate Lab, said the number of Indian states hit by heat waves has grown in recent years, as extreme temperatures become more frequent and intense.
“If you are looking for the clearest signal of climate change in India, then heat waves are a classic example. They are unavoidable and will occur more frequently,” Mishra said.
Heat waves are especially dangerous for daily wage workers, rickshaw drivers, street vendors and the homeless, many of whom have to work outside in hot conditions and are at the greatest risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
India’s worst heat wave since 1992 was in 2015, when at least 2,081 people died. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/indias-northwest-reels-under-unusual-early-heat-wave/ | 2022-04-11T18:06:48Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/indias-northwest-reels-under-unusual-early-heat-wave/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
MILAN — Italian Premier Mario Draghi secured a deal Monday for more natural gas imports across a Mediterranean pipeline from Algeria, in the latest push by a European Union nation to reduce dependence on Russian energy following its invasion of Ukraine.
Draghi told reporters in the Algerian capital after meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune that an agreement to intensify bilateral cooperation in the energy sector along with the deal to export more gas to Italy “are a significant response to the strategic goal” of quickly replacing Russian energy.
Russia is Italy’s biggest supplier of natural gas, representing 40% of total imports, followed by Algeria, which provides some 21 billion cubic meters of gas via the Trans-Mediterranean pipeline.
The new deal between Italian energy company ENI and Algeria’s Sonatrach would add up to 9 billion cubic meters of gas from Algeria, just eclipsing Russia’s current 29 billion cubic meters a year. The increased flows will start in the fall, ENI said in a statement.
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KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR:
— Ukrainian defenders dig in as Russia boosts firepower
— Biden, Modi to speak as US presses for hard line on Russia
— Ukrainian nuns open their monastery doors to the displaced
— US doubts new Russian war chief can end Moscow’s floundering
— Analysis:War, economy could weaken Putin’s place as leader
— Go to https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine for more coverage
___
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS:
LVIV, Ukraine — The mayor of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol tells The Associated Press that more than 10,000 civilians have died in the southeastern city since the Russian invasion in February.
Mayor Vadym Boychenko told The Associated Press by telephone Monday that corpses were “carpeted through the streets of our city” and that the death toll could be more than 20,000.
Boychenko also said Russian forces have brought mobile crematoria to the city to dispose of the bodies and accused Russian forces of refusing to allow humanitarian convoys into the city in an attempt to disguise the carnage.
The mayor had previously claimed 5,000 dead. He explained that these data were on March 21, but “thousands more people were lying on the streets, it was just impossible for us to collect them.”
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WASHINGTON — The Pentagon’s latest assessment is that Russia is gearing up for, but has not yet begun, an intensified offensive in the Donbas.
A senior U.S. defense official said the Russians are moving more troops and materiel toward that area and are focusing many of their missile strikes there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal U.S. military assessments.
The official said a lengthy convoy of vehicles that is headed south toward the eastern city of Izyum contains artillery as well as aviation and infantry support, plus battlefield command-and-control elements and other materials.
The official said the convoy appeared to originate from the Belgorod and Valuyki areas in Russia, which are shaping up as key staging and marshalling grounds for the Russian buildup in the Donbas.
The official said the Russians also are bolstering their presence in the Donbas by deploying in recent days more artillery southwest of the city of Donetsk.
— By Robert Burns
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VIENNA — Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer says his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow was “very direct, open and tough.”
In a statement released by his office after the meeting, Nehammer said Monday his primary message to Putin was “that this war needs to end, because in war both sides can only lose.”
Nehammer was the first European leader to meet Putin in Moscow since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February.
The Austrian leader stressed that the Monday trip was “not a friendly visit,” but rather his “duty” to exhaust every possibility for ending the violence in Ukraine.
Nehammer’s Moscow visit comes after a trip on Saturday to Kyiv, where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
In his conversation with Putin, Nehammer said he raised the issue of “serious war crimes” committed by the Russian military in the Ukrainian city of Bucha and others. “All those who are responsible will be held to account,” he added.
Austria is a member of the European Union and has backed the 27-nation bloc’s sanctions against Russia, though it so far has opposed cutting off deliveries of Russian gas. The country is militarily neutral and is not a member of NATO.
___
UNITED NATIONS — The U.N. children’s agency says nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russia’s invasion, and the United Nations has verified that 142 children have been killed and 229 injured though these numbers are likely much higher.
Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s emergency programs director who returned from Ukraine last week, told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that of the 3.2 million children estimated to have remained in their homes “nearly half may be at risk of not having enough food,” and attacks on water system infrastructure and power outages have left an estimated 1.4 million people in the country without access to water.
He said the situation is worse in cities like Mariupol and Kherson in the south, which have been besieged by Russian forces where children and their families have spent weeks without running water, sanitation or a regular supply of food.
“Hundreds of schools and educational facilities have been attacked or used for military purposes,” Fontaine said. “Others are serving as shelters for civilians.”
He said school closings are affecting the education of 5.7 million school-age children and 1.5 million students in higher education.
___
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina — Relatives of the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica are worried that the history is repeating itself in the war in Ukraine.
Hundreds of women who lost their sons, husbands and other relatives in the 1995 massacre of some 8,000 people in the eastern Bosnian town, on Monday demanded that all those who committed war crimes be brought to justice.
An association of the relatives of the Srebrenica victims, the Mothers of Srebrenica, has been active in keeping the memory alive of the Bosnian Serb execution of the Bosniak men and boys — who are mostly Muslim — in the late months of the 1992-95 War in Bosnia.
Sehida Abdurahmanovic says “we spent all these years working to prevent this Srebrenica (killings) from happening to anyone else.” But, she adds, “we are really sad to say, but in today’s Europe its happening again – Srebrenica is happening again.”
___
LONDON — The World Bank says Ukraine’s economy will shrink by 45% this year because of Russia’s invasion, which has shut down half of the country’s businesses, choked off imports and exports, and damaged a vast amount of critical infrastructure.
Unprecedented sanctions imposed by Western allies in response to the war, meanwhile, are plunging Russia into a deep recession, lopping off more than a tenth of its economic growth, the Washington-based lender said in a report Sunday.
The report said economic activity is impossible in “large swathes of areas” in Ukraine because productive infrastructure like roads, bridges, ports and train tracks have been destroyed.
Ukraine plays a major role as a global supplier of agricultural exports like wheat but that’s in question now because planting and harvesting have been disrupted by the war, the report said. The war has cut off access to the Black Sea, a key route for exports, including 90% of Ukraine’s grain shipments.
___
WARSAW, Poland – The mayor of Warsaw says a disputed compound administered by Russia’s diplomatic mission is being taken over by the city and will be made available to the Ukrainian community.
Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski was at the site Monday and said that a bailiff had entered the two apparently empty buildings, dubbed “spyville” by Warsaw residents, to check their condition and to mark them as seized by the Town Hall.
“It is very symbolic that we are closing this procedure of many years now, at the time of Russia’s aggression” on Ukraine, Trzaskowski said on Twitter.
Russia’s Embassy, which had the tall apartment blocks built in the 1970s, has been refusing court orders to pay lease or to hand it over. Once busy, the buildings became empty in the 1990s, after Poland shed its communist rule and dependence from Moscow and after the Soviet Union dissolved.
Ever since, Poland has been saying that lease on the plot of land had expired and demanded it be returned.
___
BUDAPEST, Hungary – Hungary plans to modify its natural gas contract with Russian energy company Gazprom in order to satisfy a demand by President Vladimir Putin that Russian gas be paid for in rubles.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told a news conference on Monday that the subsidiary of Hungary’s energy group MVM, CEE Energy, would pay its gas bills in euros to Russia’s Gazprombank, which would convert the payments into rubles and transfer them to the gas provider Gazprom Export.
Putin, in retaliation over sanctions against Russia by the European Union, has demanded that countries pay for Russian gas in rubles or risk having their supply shut off.
While Hungary has voted with the European Union on most sanctions against Russia, it has lobbied heavily against blocking Russian energy imports, arguing that would cripple its economy.
Szijjarto said that modifying Hungary’s contract with Gazprom ensured the country’s energy supply while staying in line with the EU’s sanctioning policy.
___
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — The Danish Health Authority said Monday it will buy 2 million iodine tablets in case of “a nuclear accident in our immediate area.”
The COVID-19 pandemic “has shown us that it is important to be prepared,” while the war in Ukraine shows that “the world is unpredictable,” the health authority said, adding it had based its recommendation on advice by the Danish Emergency Management Agency as well as impact calculations for the risk of a nuclear incident in Denmark’s immediate area.
The tablets would cover the risk group which includes those up to age 18, health and emergency personnel under the age of 40, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.
___
BUCHAREST, Romania — The Republic of Moldova received on Monday in Luxembourg a questionnaire from the European Commission to assess the small country’s readiness to become a European Union member, authorities said.
“A period of hard work is ahead starting today,” Foreign Minister Nicu Popescu wrote online.
The former Soviet republic of around 2.6 million people is one of Europe’s poorest nations. Sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine, Moldova has pushed to accelerate joining the EU since Russia launched its attacks on Ukraine in late February.
Becoming a EU member will take years and be contingent on reforms, including cleaning up widespread corruption.
___
VILNIUS, Lithuania — Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Monday became the latest Western leader to visit Ukraine to express support to the nation under Russian attack,
“Today, my visit in Ukraine started in Borodyanka. No words could possibly describe what I saw and felt here,” Simonyte wrote on Twitter. She also posted photos of her looking at the at the blackened hole in a high-rise apartment building in Borodyanka, northwest of Kyiv.
During the unannounced visit, she is expected to meet with the Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelenskyy, who plans to address the Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday.
___
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia has denied its S-300 air defense missile system it transported to Ukraine has been destroyed by the Russian armed forces.
“Our S-300 system has not been destroyed,” Lubica Janikova, spokeswoman for Slovakia’s Prime Minister Eduard Heger said in a statement sent to The Associated Press.
She said any other claim is not true.
Earlier on Monday, the Russian military said it destroyed a shipment of air defense missile system provided by the West on the southern outskirts of the city of Dnipro.
The Russian side said Ukraine had received the air defense system from a European country that he didn’t name. Last week, Slovakia said it has handed over its Soviet-designed S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West to give it more weapons, including long-range air defense systems.
___
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Latvia has arrested a citizen of Belarus, who is suspected of spying for Belarusian special service by allegedly gathering information about the Baltic country’s Armed Forces and critical infrastructure facilities, news report said Monday.
The Baltic News Service, the region’s main new agency, said Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) and the Military Intelligence and Security Service detained the man in February.
The Belarusian suspect had been secretly filming and taking photos, BNS said, adding that the state security service had seized technical equipment and data carriers.
Latvian public broadcaster LSM said criminal proceedings were initiated on Feb. 15.
___
ZAGREB, Croatia — Croatia is expelling 24 Russian diplomats and other embassy staff, joining other European nations that have done so.
The Croatian Foreign Ministry on Monday said they have summoned Russia’s ambassador in Zagreb and conveyed the “strongest condemnation of the brutal aggression on Ukraine and numerous crimes that have been committed.”
The Russian side has been urged to halt military activities, withdraw its troops and ensure evacuation of civilians and delivery of humanitarian aid, the Croatian ministry said. Croatia expects that those responsible of crimes be brought to justice, said the statement.
Several EU countries have expelled Russian diplomats following the killings in Bucha and other Ukrainian towns.
____
VATICAN CITY — The Vatican says a Ukrainian and a Russian family will be among those taking turns carrying a cross as part of the traditional Good Friday procession presided over by Pope Francis at the Colosseum.
The Vatican released some details on Monday about the torchlit Way of the Cross ceremony at the ancient arena that draws tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists in Rome during Holy Week.
The meditations composed for this year’s nighttime procession “have been inspired by the life of each family,’’ the Vatican said. The families include a Ukrainian nurse and a Russian nurse who work at the same hospital in Rome, Italian state TV said.
Repeatedly decrying the loss of civilian life, the pope has sounded increasingly anguished calls for an end to what he calls “the folly of war” in Ukraine and for a return to negotiations.
___
BRUSSELS — Ireland’s foreign minister says the European Union should consider imposing sanctions on Russia’s oil industry but cautions that it’s most important for the 27-nation bloc to remain unified.
Several EU countries are dependent on Russian oil and gas imports. After much debate, the bloc agreed last week to a phase in of restrictions on imports of coal over Moscow’s war on Ukraine.
Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney says that “we need to take a maximalist approach to sanctions to offer the strongest possible deterrents to the continuation of this war and brutality.”
Speaking as EU foreign ministers gathered Monday in Luxembourg, Coveney said “that should include, in our view, oil. We know that that’s very difficult for some member states and we have to keep a united position across the EU.”
The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, is assessing what more can be done with a fresh package of sanctions.
____
MOSCOW — The Russian military says it has destroyed a shipment of air defense missile systems provided by the West.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said the military used sea-launched Kalibr cruise missiles to destroy four S-300 air defense missile launchers on the southern outskirts of the city of Dnipro. He said about 25 Ukrainian troops were also hit by the strike on Sunday.
Konashenkov said in a statement Monday that Ukraine had received the air defense systems from a European country that he didn’t name. Konashenkov’s claim couldn’t be independently verified.
Last week, Slovakia said it had handed over its Soviet-designed S-300 air defense systems to Ukraine, which has pleaded with the West to give it more weapons, including long-range air defense systems.
Slovakia’s prime minister office issued a statement late Sunday calling the news that the S-300 system given to Ukraine was destroyed “disinformation.” It was unclear, however, whether both sides are referring to the same airstrike. The Russians have targeted missile defense systems in three different locations in recent days.
___
SEOUL, South Korea — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday called for South Korea to provide military arms to help his country fight back against invading Russian forces.
Zelenskyy’s video address to South Korean lawmakers came hours after Seoul’s Defense Ministry confirmed it rejected a Ukrainian request for anti-aircraft weapons. The ministry cited the government’s principle on limiting military help to non-lethal supplies.
“The Republic of Korea has tanks, ships and various equipment that can block Russian missiles and we would be grateful if the Republic of Korea could help us fight back against Russia,” Zelenskyy said, referring to South Korea’s formal name.
Zelenskyy thanked South Korea for participating in U.S.-led economic sanctions against Moscow but said sanctions alone aren’t enough.
“Russia is aiming to eliminate Ukraine independence and separate the country. It is trying to eliminate the culture and language of the Ukrainian nation,” Zelenskyy said. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/live-updates-new-zealand-sending-transport-plane-money/ | 2022-04-11T18:07:09Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/live-updates-new-zealand-sending-transport-plane-money/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
HONG KONG (AP) — Lawyers for Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai are asking the United Nations to investigate his imprisonment and multiple criminal charges as “legal harassment” that punish him for speaking out.
The publisher of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper was one of the most prominent activists arrested in Hong Kong’s crackdown on virtually all political criticism since mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.
The crackdown continued early Monday with the arrest of another veteran journalist, Allan Au Ka-lun, a teaching consultant who’d worked for a number of Hong Kong media outlets.
The actions by Lai’s lawyers in Britain followed that country’s announcement last month it would withdraw its judges from Hong Kong’s top court because keeping them there would “legitimize oppression” in the former British colony.
Lai, 74, has been charged under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law and is serving 20 months in prison. His assets have been frozen and the raft of legal cases against him include four separate criminal prosecutions related to attending and joining various protests, his legal team at Doughty Street Chambers in the U.K. said in a statement.
Lai faces “the risk of spending the rest of his life in prison simply for speaking out, and for seeking to defend freedom of the press, democracy and the rule of law in Hong Kong,” Lai’s counsel, Caoilfhionn Gallagher, said in the statement.
In a follow-up email, Gallagher said the appeal had been filed with the U.N. special rapporteurs for freedom of opinion and expression, counter-terrorism and human rights, rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, and human rights defenders.
“We are awaiting a response,” she wrote.
Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, was quoted as urging U.N. special rapporteurs to investigate Chinese and Hong Kong authorities’ actions against Hong Kong residents.
While the U.N. has a number of special rapporteurs, their powers are limited mainly to seeking information from government agencies and possibly seeking real steps to end violations.
Hong Kong authorities had no immediate comment on the request. When Britain withdrew its judges, China reacted furiously, accusing Britain of flagrant interference and harm to Hong Kong’s judicial system.
Police issued a brief statement on the arrest of Au, saying a 54-year-old man had been arrested for “conspiracy to publish seditious publication” and was being detained for further investigation.
The national security law that was imposed by Beijing to override local opposition defines sedition in extremely broad terms, permitting authorities to punish almost all open criticism of the government. Those caught in its net include four people arrested last week for clapping in court.
Au had been a teaching consultant at Chinese University’s journalism school and had previously worked for Hong Kong media outlets TVB and RTHK. He had also written a column for outspoken pro-democracy platform Stand News, which shut down last year after police raided it and arrested staff.
In a statement, the Hong Kong Journalists Association said Au had been a mentor to young journalists and expressed its “deep concern” his arrest would “further damage the freedom of the press in Hong Kong.”
“We urge the police to explain the case as soon as possible, and at the same time request the government to protect the freedom of the press and speech enjoyed by Hong Kong citizens in accordance with the Basic Law,” it said, referring to Hong Kong’s mini-constitution under which it returned to Chinese control. | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/media-mogul-jimmy-lai-appeals-to-un-over-hong-kong-cases/ | 2022-04-11T18:07:22Z | siouxlandproud.com | control | https://www.siouxlandproud.com/news/international/media-mogul-jimmy-lai-appeals-to-un-over-hong-kong-cases/ | 1 | 1 | green-iguana-35 | null |
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