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DES MOINES, Iowa — A federal appeals court on Monday upheld an eight-year prison sentence for an environmental activist who tried to sabotage the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Jessica Reznicek pleaded guilty in June 2021 to a charge of conspiracy to damage an energy facility for vandalizing construction sites on the 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) pipeline in 2016 and 2017.
Iowa U.S. District Judge Rebecca Goodgame Ebinger included a terrorism-related enhancement in her sentencing, finding that the crime was “calculated to influence or affect the conduct of government." Reznicek appealed that enhancement, arguing that she was acting against a private company.
But the appeals court found that “any error was harmless” in Ebinger's sentencing because the judge had noted she would have imposed the eight-year sentence regardless of the terrorism enhancement, the Des Moines Register reported.
An attorney for Reznicek declined to comment on the court's decision.
Ruby Montoya, another activist who acted with Reznicek, has pleaded guilty to a charge in the incident. But she has attempted to withdraw that plea, arguing she was unfairly pressured into entering it. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/jessica-reznicek-prison-sentence-upheld-dakota-access-pipeline-vandalism/524-27d4187d-0f21-4758-888f-3d437bad0808 | 2022-06-07T03:28:30 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/jessica-reznicek-prison-sentence-upheld-dakota-access-pipeline-vandalism/524-27d4187d-0f21-4758-888f-3d437bad0808 |
IOWA, USA — If you or someone you know needs help in an abusive relationship,call 1-800-770-1650 or text ‘IOWAHELP’ to 20121.
Last week, the Story County Sheriff shed some light on what led up to the murders of Eden Montang and Vivian Flores outside Cornerstone Church in Ames. The man who shot and killed them was a former boyfriend of Eden's. The sheriff says the pair had recently split up.
Sandi Tibbetts Murphy is the Division Director for the Crime Victim Assistance Division at the Iowa Attorney General's Office. She said it's likely someone saw the warning signs before the shooter acted.
"My guess is somebody in that man's life knew about his anger," said Tibbetts Murphy. "Knew about how he felt about Eden, about the ending of the relationship, maybe had heard him say some things. And it's at that time that we as the public, as friends and family, need to step up and notify people."
According to data from the Crime Victim Assistance Division, when looking at the domestic violence homicides in Iowa stretching back to 1995, more than a third happened either after the woman had left or as they were trying to leave.
"I think [what] is quite evident in what little we know of what happened in Ames, is that the most dangerous time for women in violent relationships is when they're trying to leave," said Tibbetts Murphy.
CVAD's data also shows roughly 54% of those murdered in a domestic violence situation were killed with a gun.
"That doesn't even count the number of times that the batterer would use the gun simply to threaten or intimidate," said Tibbetts Murphy.
Tibbetts Murphy said there's a loophole on the federal level that makes this trend so concerning. It's commonly referred to as the "Boyfriend Loophole." Federal statutes dictate if there's a domestic violence conviction or order of protection, the abuser would be restricted from owning a firearm or ammunition.
But this only applies if the victim is the abuser's spouse, former spouse or cohabitant, or if the couple share a child. It does not apply to those who are simply dating.
"So if there is a domestic violence conviction or protection order, but unfortunately the relationship involves a boyfriend or girlfriend, the federal prohibition on firearms does not apply to that situation," said Tibbetts Murphy.
Tibbetts Murphy said in the last session in Washington D.C., there was work underway for lawmakers to close this gap, but it fell short. She and other domestic violence advocates said change needs to happen on local or state levesls, to prevent abusers from falling through the cracks.
"We just we don't have a consistent way of getting that vital information to the people who need it to make those kinds of decisions," said Tibbetts Murphy. "And that would be something ideal that if we could implement across the state, I think would would tremendously help victims, as well as offenders so that they're not running running into this sort of tragic and lethal behavior." | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/more-than-half-of-all-iowans-killed-in-a-domestic-violence-incident-were-killed-with-a-gun/524-16ce7e25-5c90-40e6-bdd0-51211f1d4a77 | 2022-06-07T03:28:36 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/more-than-half-of-all-iowans-killed-in-a-domestic-violence-incident-were-killed-with-a-gun/524-16ce7e25-5c90-40e6-bdd0-51211f1d4a77 |
The Murdaugh family double homicides and criminal investigations - one year later
June 7, 2021, 10:07 p.m.
The 911 call by Richard Alexander Murdaugh, son of a third-generation 14th Circuit Solicitor, reporting the shooting deaths of his wife, Maggie, and younger son, Paul, would propel a scandal-plagued South Carolina family into the national spotlight.
Tuesday marks one year since Maggie and Paul died of multiple gunshot wounds at their rural Colleton County estate. Their images linger in the family photographs splashed across magazines and newscasts, tabloids and blogs. Their names proliferate police files and court documents and resonate on podcasts and television broadcasts.
A year later, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has made no arrests, announced no leads or suspects, and released few details in the ongoing investigation.
Even as SLED probes the killings, much has happened to Alex Murdaugh, the man who made that chilling 911 call. Here's a look back at the last year.
Latest lawsuit:Murdaugh, former bank CEO stole funds from family in fatal crash case, new lawsuit says
Exhumation of Satterfield:SLED to exhume Satterfield remains as Alex Murdaugh investigations continue
Randolph Murdaugh III passed away three days later
Three days after the killings, Alex Murdaugh's father, former 14th Circuit Solicitor Randolph Murdaugh III, died of apparent natural causes on June 10, leaving the Murdaugh clan to lay to rest three of their own in one week. In a 2018 interview with The Hampton County Guardian, the elder Murdaugh had said that he didn't want to be remembered as a man who "put people away" in jail but as an attorney who tried to help people. Tragically for the Murdaugh family, his legacy would come to be associated with something else entirely.
New evidence in old homicides emerge
As state police probed the double homicides, new evidence about old homicides emerged.
Stephen Smith, a Hampton County nursing student, was found dead in the middle of Sandy Run Road on July 8, 2015, with deep gashes to his head. At the time, his death was ruled a hit and run, a ruling disputed by his family and some investigators, and almost immediately rumors connecting the Murdaugh family to the case began circulating around the county.
On June 23, 2021, roughly two weeks after the double killings, state police said they were putting "fresh eyes" on the Smith homicide with this statement: "SLED has opened an investigation into the death of Stephen Smith based upon information gathered during the course of the double murder investigation of Paul and Maggie Murdaugh."
However, police never revealed what they found that led to this development.
The unraveling of the Murdaugh case
September/October 2021
- Sept. 4, 2021 - It's Labor Day weekend, but instead of boating at the family river house, Murdaugh is on a back-country roadside and called 911 to report that he had been shot.
- Sept. 6, 2021 - Murdaugh's family law firm issued a statement saying he has resigned and is "no longer associated with PMPED in any manner" while accusing him of misappropriating funds. Murdaugh issues a statement that he has been battling a long-term opioid addiction worsened by the death of his family members. He apologized to the people he hurt and pledged to enter rehab.
- Sept. 8, 2021 - The S.C. Supreme Court suspends Murdaugh's license to practice law pending the outcome of the accusations. Murdaugh's brother and law partner, Randy Murdaugh, issues a statement: "I was shocked, just as the rest of my PMPED family, to learn of my brother, Alex’s, drug addiction and stealing of money. I love my law firm family and also love Alex as my brother. While I will support him in his recovery, I do not support, condone, or excuse his conduct in stealing by manipulating his most trusted relationships."
- Sept. 13, 2021 - SLED opens investigation into allegations of misappropriated funds from the PMPED law firm by Murdaugh, pledging to move forward "no matter where the facts lead us."
- Sept. 14, 2021 - Curtis Edward Smith, 61, charged with assisted suicide, assault and battery of a high aggravated nature, pointing and presenting a firearm, insurance fraud, and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud in connection with the Sept. 4 Murdaugh roadside incident.
- Sept. 15, 2021 - SLED announces an investigation into the death of Murdaugh's housekeeper Gloria Satterfield and the handling of her estate." The same day, the heirs of Satterfield's estate filed a civil lawsuit against Murdaugh and alleged accomplices.
- Sept.16, 2021 - SLED arrested Murdaugh for insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud, along with filing a false police report after the roadside incident. Murdaugh is booked at the Hampton County Detention Center.
- Sept. 16, 2021 - Murdaugh was granted a $20,000 bond and returns to rehab at an undisclosed location.
- Oct. 14, 2021 - Murdaugh was arrested on felony charges related to the Satterfield insurance scheme.
- Dec. 13, 2021 - After being denied bond, Murdaugh receives a $7 million bond with no ten percent option and is jailed in Richland County, S.C. During the bond hearing, he states, "I made a terrible decision that I regret, that I'm sorry for, and quite frankly I'm embarrassed about," adding, "I want to repair as much of the damage as I can, and repair as many of the relationships as I can."
Wave of grand jury indictments for Alex Murdaugh
Murdaugh is struck with wave after wave of state grand jury indictments, from November 2021 into May 2022, relating to a decade-long, multi-county, multi-million pattern of financial schemes.
"This is Alex Murdaugh's version of Black Friday," said Satterfield attorney Eric Bland when the first indictments were announced.
- Nov. 19, 2021 - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced that the S.C. State Grand Jury had unsealed its first state-level indictments against Murdaugh totaling 27 criminal charges.
- Dec. 9, 2021 - The state grand jury issued seven more indictments consisting of 21 new charges.
- Jan. 21, 2022 - The state grand jury had issued four indictments consisting of 23 new charges, reflecting much earlier alleged criminal acts than before, going back to 2011.
- March 16, 2022 - Other alleged conspirators began to go down with Murdaugh as the state grand jury unsealed a new superseding indictment against Murdaugh and Cory Howerton Fleming, a suspended Beaufort County attorney, in relation to the Satterfield case.
- May 4, 2022 - The state grand jury issued three more superseding indictments, with charges against former Palmetto State banker Russell Lucius Laffitte as well as Murdaugh and Fleming.
- Murdaugh is facing a total of 82 criminal charges — 79 from State Grand Jury indictments and three local indictments — and, in theory, more than seven centuries of prison time.
Civil lawsuits pile up for Murdaugh and associates
Widely accused in the criminal courts, Murdaugh was also drowning in civil suits, resulting in the court placing his assets under the control of legally appointed co-receivers. Following the March 2019 wrongful death suit involving Mallory Beach, other boat crash passengers - and other financial victims - began filing personal injury lawsuits.
- Sept. 15, 2021 Satterfield’s estate filed suit against Murdaugh over allegations he conspired with others to steal her death settlement and insurance monies.
- Sept. 20, 2021 - Boat crash survivor Connor Cook files suit alleging civil conspiracy against multiple parties, claiming the Murdaughs tried to blame him as the driver.
- Oct. 6, 2021 – PMPED, the law firm founded by Murdaugh’s great-grandfather, Randolph Sr., sued Murdaugh seeking to recover money he allegedly stole from the firm and its clients.
- Oct. 28, 2021, Alex’s older brother and former law partner, Randolph “Randy” Murdaugh IV, filed a suit looking to collect $46,500 that he said he loaned his brother but was never repaid.
- The next day, Oct. 29, Murdaugh’s former law partner John E. Parker filed suit claiming that Murdaugh owed him $477,000 in unpaid loans.
- Dec. 2, 2021, Boat crash survivor Keith Cook filed suit over injuries he sustained in the crash.
- Feb. 15, 2022 - Boat crash survivors Miley Altman and Morgan Doughty each filed personal injury lawsuits over crash injuries.
- May 11, 2022, an amended version of a federal lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina by the Nautilus Insurance Company, one of the companies which had paid out claims to Satterfield settlement, naming Murdaugh, Fleming, Palmetto State Bank and others.
- June 2, 2022, another civil lawsuit was filed against Murdaugh, Laffitte, and Palmetto State Bank on behalf of Arthur Badger, a former Murdaugh legal client - and financial victim - who was injured as his wife was killed in a 2001 vehicle crash.
Murdaugh was then facing 11 legal actions directly naming him - ten state, one federal - and was connected to several others.
Alex Murdaugh conspiracy:Hampton County ex-banker gets $1 million bond and house arrest
Power, prestige and privilege:Inside the rise and fall of the Murdaugh dynasty in South Carolina
Alex Murdaugh's fall from grace
During bond hearings, Murdaugh's attorneys stated that their client had truly fallen from grace. With his assets seized and under intense scrutiny and investigation, he is a man who "can't pay his phone bill" and "can't even buy underwear," said attorney Richard Harpootlian.
Meanwhile, media outlets scour for every detail they can learn about him, even airing jail cell phone calls between Murdaugh and family members and publishing lists of personal items he purchases in the jail commissary. The accused attorney is even the subject of mocking memes on social media.
Murdaugh remains detained in the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Richland County on a $7 million bond with no ten percent option.
Read more about the rise and fall of the Murdaugh dynasty here. | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/06/07/alex-murdaugh-investigations-murdaugh-family-housekeeper-stephen-smith-civil-suits/7501809001/ | 2022-06-07T03:41:52 | 1 | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/06/07/alex-murdaugh-investigations-murdaugh-family-housekeeper-stephen-smith-civil-suits/7501809001/ |
The developer of Victory Park on the Veterans Administration campus near 70th and O streets is asking the City Council to allow it to make apartment buildings along the north property line taller than originally planned.
George Achola, vice president for Burlington Capital Real Estate, the developer of the Victory Park project, said the nearly 60 acres on the VA campus are being redeveloped in phases — including the latest phase, which will be an 84-unit senior housing project.
The apartments will be affordable housing, he said, with preference given to veterans.
Affordable housing is one of Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird's priorities, and in December the City Council approved up to $6 million in bonds for the Victory Park project. The developer will use federal low-income housing tax credits to pay off the debt. The city acts as a conduit, issuing the bonds but not incurring any liability.
Last year, a new outpatient clinic on the northwest edge of the VA campus opened, and in 2019, a new apartment building for low-income veterans opened. The next phases involve repurposing the former VA hospital, and building both apartments and townhouses.
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The issue with the 84-unit apartment buildings along the north property line is the terrain, which makes it necessary to build the apartments to three stories — up to 50 feet — rather than the current two-story height limit at 35 feet, Achola said.
A 100-foot setback from the residential neighborhood would remain.
Some neighbors in the area adjacent to Victory Park opposed the taller buildings, citing privacy concerns and the possible negative effect on property valuations.
Ed Schnabel, a veteran, said the developer has not communicated well with neighbors and veterans. The developer has yet to plant trees it promised as part of the first housing project, nor has it flown a flag in the area since it took over, he said.
Achola said he’d make sure the flag is raised. The company hasn't yet planted trees because the later phases — including this project — need to be finished first, he said, and promised to meet with neighbors to update them on details of the latest project.
The council will vote at its June 13 meeting on the amendment to the plan, which would increase the height limit.
Watch now: Prayer camp leaders march to City Hall, Capitol, Catholic Diocese to say they're not done
Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSreist | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/developer-affordable-housing-project-on-va-campus-needs-to-be-taller-than-originally-planned/article_a20f22be-10cb-5dbd-ab87-fb602cd4dd78.html | 2022-06-07T03:44:50 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/developer-affordable-housing-project-on-va-campus-needs-to-be-taller-than-originally-planned/article_a20f22be-10cb-5dbd-ab87-fb602cd4dd78.html |
The Lincoln City Council on Monday approved a zoning change needed to let Scooter’s Coffee build a drive-thru location near 10th and Van Dorn streets, despite traffic concerns of some neighbors.
Tim Gergen, with Clark & Enersen, the design firm working with Scooter’s, said the current plan for the site will generate 70% less traffic than an original plan.
Sixteen years ago, the original site plan for the block bounded by Van Dorn Street, Hill Street and Ninth and 10th streets included a coffee shop with a drive-thru, a fast-food business with a drive-thru and a strip mall on the southern part of the block.
Instead, AutoZone now sits where the original coffee shop would have been, and Scooter’s wants to build a drive-thru on the northern portion of the lot.
Until the council vote, the zoning included several restrictions on the land, including no drive-thru businesses on the northern end of the lot.
Gergen said the updated site plan would include more landscaping, more green space around Scooter’s, increased distance from a nearby home from 70 to 125 feet and a fence to block headlight glare. The developers also would remove one access point to Hill Street.
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But Dorothy Zordel, who lives on Hill Street, said she didn't know why another coffee shop was necessary, and when AutoZone was built last year, it created such a mess she could barely get out of her driveway.
"You’ve got a neighborhood there,” she said. “Leave it that way, rather than lining someone’s deep pockets.”
Scooter’s representatives had extensive meetings with neighbors, and the president of the neighborhood association told the City-County Planning Commission the business had made much-appreciated changes based on neighbors’ feedback, but the group would like to see a traffic study done on the area.
Gergen mentioned a traffic study showing Scooter’s would generate 84 automobile trips in the afternoon, 70% less than the earlier plans.
Councilwoman Sändra Washington asked if they had looked at morning traffic counts — when the bulk of the coffee-goers would likely come through the business.
Gergen said they hadn’t, and Washington made a motion to delay the vote until that could be done. The motion failed. The vote on removing the zoning restriction was unanimous.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LJSreist | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/scooters-drive-thru-at-10th-and-van-dorn-streets-gets-zoning-ok-from-council/article_9c7bbcf2-869c-52f7-92d9-d77dbbb51308.html | 2022-06-07T03:44:51 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/scooters-drive-thru-at-10th-and-van-dorn-streets-gets-zoning-ok-from-council/article_9c7bbcf2-869c-52f7-92d9-d77dbbb51308.html |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A report from outside consultants appointed by Orange County Commissioners suggested that legislation to control rent prices locally may do more harm than good.
Commissioner Emily Bonilla proposed a rent stabilization plan that would put a cap on rent increases temporarily.
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GAI Consultants, an engineering consultant company, analyzed the plan and made recommendations to the board in a 54-page report.
Although some residents are begging for rent control, the consultants suggest it may do more harm in the county than good.
While the company noted that policies encouraging advance notices of rental increases could work, it also stated that the issues the plan addresses are beyond what local governments are capable of fixing.
It also states the trend in housing costs are not sudden and unexpected, but structural and deeply imbedded in the marketplace.
Jim Callahan, CEO and Data Scientist at Callahan Data Science LLC, performed an independent analysis and warned commissioners the consultants’ interpretation of the data is flawed and misleading, pointing to a 25% jump in average year-over-year rent increases.
“That’s why I said that doesn’t seem to expected, given these rates of decreases over the years,” Callahan said.
Callahan stated that — while he agrees with GAI Consultants’ figures — he believes they were misleading with the way the company presented them.
“I think the report minimized the significance of the rent increases and how much evictions were going up,” he said.
GAI Consultants noted in the report that factors such as the one-year period the plan implements won’t be worthwhile, as many leases and renewals occur beyond one year.
Other unintended consequences the company pointed to in the report were lowered maintenance, decoupling of utilities from rent prices — meaning utilities like water, sewer or power would be less likely to be included in rent prices — and “reduced mobility of the most vulnerable populations.”
Instead, the company said, the issue is the amount of housing and rental units in the market — the population of Orange County is growing faster than the rental market can accommodate, leading to a shortage of units and higher prices.
The report indicates GAI Consultants believes that implementing price controls for rent would decrease the amount of rental units in Orange County, thus furthering the shortage.
Commissioner Nicole Wilson said she was disappointed with the consultants and instead thanked Callahan Monday for his review of the report.
Commissioners will discuss the analysis at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Callahan said he plans to attend and further share his findings. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/07/consultants-say-orange-county-rent-stabilization-plan-may-do-more-harm-than-good/ | 2022-06-07T03:45:25 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/07/consultants-say-orange-county-rent-stabilization-plan-may-do-more-harm-than-good/ |
ATLANTA — The suspect accused of Atlanta-based rapper Trouble's murder has agreed to turn himself in, according to the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office.
The 34-year-old rapper, whose real name is Mariel SemonteOrr, was found early Sunday morning with a gunshot wound at the Lake St. James Apartments in Conyers. Deputies with the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office responded to the apartment complex at 3:20 a.m.
Trouble was taken to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries, the sheriff's office said.
In a sheriff's office update, investigators said Jamichael Jones, 33, has agreed to turn himself in. RCSO said deputies were en route to take him into custody. Officials are expected to host a news conference Monday night with more details. The event will be live streamed in the video player above.
Jones was wanted on home invasion, felony murder, and aggravated assault.
Trouble released his debut mixtape in 2011, called December 17th, which includes his hit "Bussin'." | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/atlanta-rapper-trouble-murder-arrest/85-92f7eec0-bcaf-4f67-a922-b733687eb286 | 2022-06-07T03:45:30 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/atlanta-rapper-trouble-murder-arrest/85-92f7eec0-bcaf-4f67-a922-b733687eb286 |
SMYRNA, Ga. — The parents of two small children were arrested for leaving them in a hot car outside a grocery store in Smyrna, authorities said.
According to an incident report from the Smyrna Police Department, officers responded to the Aldi's on Spring Road shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 28.
A concerned shopper asked the manager of the grocery store to come outside. The manager called 911 and told the operator that she was worried for the kids and urged police to hurry up and help the children who were locked inside.
Operator: 911 – What's your emergency?
Caller: I'm at Aldi's... I'm one of the managers on duty right now and a customer just told me that there's two small kids in a Nissan. I just came outside unattended, nobody's in there. The windows are completely up and it's hot.
Arrest warrants state the two kids were inside the car for 20 minutes on an 82-degree day – the car's engine was off.
Firefighters had to break in to rescue the kids. They used a thermometer gun to read the temperature inside the car after all four doors were opened for 20 minutes – they wrote it was 123 degrees inside.
The warrants also state the kids were sweating profusely and lethargic when they were pulled out.
The Smyrna Fire Captain said leaving a child or a pet inside a hot car can be deadly after just 10 minutes. Even if it doesn't feel too hot outside, the inside of a car can heat up very quickly.
Thankfully, these two kids are expected to be OK. The parents of the kids: a 38-year-old and 36-year-old – are now accused of reckless conduct and cruelty to children. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/parents-arrested-leaving-kids-inside-hot-car-aldis/85-9e632071-6ad2-455e-a8d2-36bff3e810fe | 2022-06-07T03:45:32 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/parents-arrested-leaving-kids-inside-hot-car-aldis/85-9e632071-6ad2-455e-a8d2-36bff3e810fe |
SMYRNA, Ga. — A royal princess came to Smyrna to visit the new U.S. headquarters of global biopharmaceutical company UCB Monday.
Princess Astrid of Belgium was joined by Belgian business leaders and Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton to inaugurate the new facility and discuss its impact on patients locally and globally, along with plans for long-term sustainable growth. Leadership from Morehouse College and Georgia State University were also in attendance to help give her the royal treatment.
Her royal highness honored LaKeisha Parnell, an epilepsy patient and advocate, with a bouquet of flowers. The princess was seen smiling while being pictured with Parnell and UCB Executive Vice President Immunology and U.S. Solutions in the photo below.
According to its website, UCB focuses on "creating value for people living with severe diseases and immunology and neurology now and into the future." The company was founded in Brussels in the 1920s and maintains its global headquarters there. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/smyrna/princess-astrid-belgium-visits-smyrna/85-eb7c2be1-f701-4045-9782-56c2423790b4 | 2022-06-07T03:45:33 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/smyrna/princess-astrid-belgium-visits-smyrna/85-eb7c2be1-f701-4045-9782-56c2423790b4 |
Finding mental health - and elk - in Montana's Big Snowy Mountains
It’s not often to see one piece of property serve the needs of two such noble objectives. Twenty miles south of Lewistown, where the central plains of Montana rise to meet the trailing edge the Big Snowy Mountains, the causes of providing vulnerable children with mental healthcare, and preserving Montana’s century long elk hunting legacy intersect.
On Tuesday, representatives of Shodair Children’s Hospital, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks gathered to promote and encourage public support for a proposed land sale that would greatly expand public access to the Big Snowy Mountains while simultaneously ensuring Shodair's ability to complete a new children’s hospital in Helena.
If approved by the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission and the Montana State Land Board, the sale would create a new 5,677-acre Big Snowy Mountains Wildlife Management Area on the southeast corner of the island mountain range. The “Big Snowy Mountain Acquisition” as it is currently referred to, would forever preserve critical elk habitat while adding access to more than 100,000-acres of public lands that is largely blocked by private property holdings.
Mike Mueller, Lands Program Manager for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation described the potential deal as “a historic story for Montana.”
“We’re proud and honored to be working with this great entity here; Shodair Children’s Hospital, to pull this project together,” Mueller said. “The founders of the Elk Foundation - which was started right here in Montana in 1984 - this is what they envisioned. Working with amazing, generous, visionary landowners like Shodair Children’s Hospital. I can’t think of a better place for these funds to go. This is a historic story for Montana.”
The story begins with Forrest Allen, a Montana farmer/rancher who grew up working on his family’s sheep and cattle ranch on the southern edge of the Big Snowy Mountains. Born in Big Timber in 1921, Allen was a World War II veteran who relocated to a homestead near Cody, Wyoming in the 1950s. But Allen never forgot his ties to central Montana. Upon his death in 2019, Allen bequeathed his share of the family ranch in Golden Valley County to Shodair Children’s Hospital.
Shodair Children’s Hospital was founded as result of a similar donation 126 years ago. In 1896 pioneer grocer Louis W. Shodair gifted a home in Helena for the establishment of an orphanage. A later contribution of $200,000 from Shodair in the 1930s enabled the completion of Montana’s first children’s orthopedic hospital. Today Shodair Children's Hospital has pivoted to becoming Montana’s leading source of specialized psychiatric care and medical genetics services for children and adolescents.
According to hospital CEO Craig Aasved, Shodair’s Board of Directors knew from the outset that they would end up selling the Allen property, but there was common agreement that they wanted the property to enter the public domain.
“We’re not a real estate company,” Aasved explained. “We knew from the very beginning is was not going to be land we were going to take and hold onto.”
Aasved said he fielded several inquiries from potential out-of-state buyers interested in the Allen property, but Shodair held back hoping to ensure public access.
“We’re a Montana company,” he said simply. “We wanted it to stay in Montana, and we wanted access for the citizens of Montana.”
Guaranteeing access to public lands has become an increasing concern across the United States. A recent study by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership found that 16.43 million acres of public lands in the United States are now either partially or wholly “landlocked” by private land holdings through which no legal public road or trail passes. Forty years ago in Montana, most of land surrounding the Big Snowy Mountains was owned by small family operated farms and ranches. Property consolidation has been the theme since then with several large and wealthy out-of-state buyers purchasing large tracts of land and blocking public access. Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has catalogued more than three-million acres of public lands in Montana that are nearly inaccessible – including the eastern reaches of the Big Snowy Mountains.
It’s a problem the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is well aware of.
“That’s just not right,” Mueller said of so many millions of acres being cut off from public use. “The Elk Foundation has made it a priority to try and get public access to these public lands so we can all enjoy them, and to allow for better elk management and hunting opportunities.”
In 2020 Shodair contacted the Elk Foundation to see if some kind of land sale could be arranged to guarantee public access. At that same moment the children’s hospital was wading into a major expansion of its facilities in Helena. The $66 million project, which has already broken ground, will ultimately include 82 new patient beds and a medical office building which will house Shodair’s Medical Genetics Program and Helena outpatient services. Shodair has already secured $52 million in bonds for the project and raised an additional $10 million in donations. The $8.3 million the sale of the Allen property is expected to generate will push the hospital beyond the new facility’s estimated construction costs.
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is serving as the liaison between private and state interests to get the deal done. The Foundation hopes to purchase the property and then simultaneously convey it to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks for the establishment of the Big Snowy Mountains Wildlife Management Area. The $8.3 million in funding for the project is expected to come in large part from Pittman Roberson Funds, which derive from an 11% federal excise tax on sporting arms, ammunition, and archery equipment, as well as a 10% tax on handguns.
“We don’t own land long-term,” Mueller said of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s financial investment in the project. “We are a catalyst. We get into the middle of the deal to try and move it along and help wherever we can – raise money, advocate, get the support, get the word out.”
“Right now, this property is still in private ownership,” Mueller clarified. “It’s owned by Shodair Children’s Hospital. There is no public access on it yet. We expect it to be completed late 2022, maybe into 2023. There’s still a lot of work to be done. When it’s completed and when it’s conveyed, the Elk Foundation would buy it from Shodair, and we would convey it to Fish, Wildlife and Parks simultaneously.”
Whether that arrangement moves forward remains to be determined. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission gave its initial endorsement to the land acquisition in 2020, but the commission has yet to give its final approval for the project. That pending decision is scheduled for the Commission’s meeting in August. Following that, the purchase must be approved by the Montana State Land Board, which likely won’t get to that decision until October.
Mueller stressed how important acquiring the Allen property would be for elk habitat and public access to the Big Snowy Mountains.
“Elk need a big landscape,” he said, “a big private/public landscape, and it takes a lot of cooperation to take care of that. There’s 5,700-acres that Shodair owns right now. It’s right south of the Twin Coulee Wildlife Management Area. That’s about 7,000 -acres right there that the BLM manages. Then there’s the Big Snowy Mountain Wilderness Study Area that the Forest Service manages. You’ve got over 90,000-acres of public lands right there. When this is finished, this landscape will turn into over 101,000-acre landscape and people will be able to enjoy it and use it a lot more.”
Elk herd management in the Big Snowies is a major concern – one that’s being continually exacerbated by the reluctance of a few large landowners to permit public access. Montana’s current Elk Management Plan calls for a target population of 800 elk in the Snowies. Current estimates are that more than 8,000 Roosevelt Elk currently inhabit the area; a number exponentially greater than the herd that was recorded in the 1990s when fewer than 400 elk wandered that country.
“Public access is a big portion of that,” FWP Wildlife Biologist Ashley Taylor said of the elk herd management challenges in the Big Snowies. “We manage a lot of our elk numbers with public hunting. Getting those public hunters on to where the elk are located has been a challenge in the Snowies … just trying to stabilize the population has been a challenge just to get that number harvested each year.”
FWP’s management plan for the Allen property includes limited motorized vehicle traffic into the property’s upper elevations, a continuation of leased grazing on the property, and property tax payments into state coffers equal to what was assessed in years past. Whether that comes to pass remains up to the discretion of the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission and the State Land Board.
“It’s about getting people on the landscape and getting to some of these great public lands that are so often locked up,” Mueller said. “For all Montanans to be able to enjoy a brand new – hopefully – Big Snowy Mountain Wildlife Management Area – boy, that is a dream come true.” | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2022/06/06/childrens-hospital-and-montana-elk-hunters-converge-on-plan-to-save-big-snowy-mountains/65358633007/ | 2022-06-07T03:58:37 | 0 | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2022/06/06/childrens-hospital-and-montana-elk-hunters-converge-on-plan-to-save-big-snowy-mountains/65358633007/ |
ROANE COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — Frontier fiber and copper lines, including cell service, landline and DSL in the 565 Exchange, have been impacted by an accident in Wallback.
According to the Newton Volunteer Fire Department, the issue could take days to repair.
We will continue to update you on air and online. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/frontier-fiber-and-copper-lines-impacted-by-roane-county-accident/ | 2022-06-07T04:04:50 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/frontier-fiber-and-copper-lines-impacted-by-roane-county-accident/ |
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AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Water's Water Forward plan, a 100-year plan to make sure the city has water as it grows, has steps to protect the city if the current drought worsens.
On Monday, Austin entered Stage One of its drought contingency plan. The only thing that's changing, for now, is that automatic irrigation is limited to once a week, between 7 p.m. to 8 a.m.
"It is a community effort," said Austin Water's Water Resources and Supply team supervisor Marisa Flores Gonzalez.
Gonzalez helps lead the Water Forward plan.
She said the department doesn't plan on moving beyond Stage One of the drought plan this summer, but if Austin got to Stage Three or a historic drought, the City would have options to hold us over, like using indirect potable water or aquifer water stored underground.
"The plan and approach would be that we would take water from our Colorado River supplies during wet times, treat that to potable drinking water standards," said Gonzalez. "We put that underground so that it's safe from evaporation and then would be able to pull that water out to use in a drought situation."
To get to the point where we need to use aquifer storage and recovery, she said the combined storage of the Highland Lakes would have to drop to 600,000 acre-feet, which is a level we've never seen.
Storage levels are currently a little below 1.4 million acre-feet or about 70% full.
The Water Forward plan also addresses rapid growth. Starting on Dec. 1, 2023, developments larger than 250,000 square feet will have to install onsite water reuse systems.
"This could be anything from rainwater harvesting, greywater harvesting, greens and blackwater reuse," said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said when it comes to water activities on local lakes, we won't miss out this summer, but it's important to conserve when we can so that doesn't change in summers to come.
If you want a say in shaping Austin's water future, a community meeting will be on June 14 at 6 p.m. to discuss Water Forward and community concerns. Register here.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-drought-water-forward-plan/269-acc2b1d2-4b56-4b4c-a107-71a0234b752a | 2022-06-07T04:14:24 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-drought-water-forward-plan/269-acc2b1d2-4b56-4b4c-a107-71a0234b752a |
FORT SMITH, Ark. — Tuesday night, the Fort Smith Board of Directors will vote on approving a FEMA grant application for flood mitigation.
Western Arkansas Planning and Development District (WAPDD) has worked with FEMA in identifying homes on the north side of the city near Kinkead and Melrose Avenues as those most impacted. Since last year, WAPDD has held informational sessions with residents to hear concerns and provide information on the project. Ten homes in the area showed the most interest in participating in the project.
“We really were able to identify a pretty focused cluster of homes that we felt like could benefit greatly from this project,” said Tracee McKenna, the Director of Community Development for WAPDD.
The grant is valued at approximately $2 million ($1.9 million in federal funds, $190,000 city match) and provides the city with the necessary funding to purchase the homes and demolish them for greenspace. The green space is a natural way to move water to the Arkansas River and would help the city avoid spending upwards of $100 million to build new drainage systems.
The project is completely voluntary for homeowners and they are able to back out of the project at any time until they sign their home over to the city. All identified homes have been appraised at market value to help the interested homeowners.
“We pay market value,” said Carl E. Geffken, City Administrator for the City of Fort Smith. “We have an appraisal done on the homes, not using or considering that the homes are in the floodway.”
The project would take place over three years – giving residents time to decide it the buyout makes sense to them individually, and if they can find a new home.
“All properties aren’t going to be purchased all up and demolished right at once,” said McKenna. “It’s going to be more on an individual timeline for those property owners within that three-year time period to make sure they’re able to find a suitable replacement home before they’re moving out of that home.”
Board members will vote to send the application to the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management who will then send it to FEMA. It is anticipated that FEMA will award grants by the fall.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/fort-smith-buy-out-homeowners-flood-mitigation/527-f6ee58a6-4c51-48e0-be9c-ca685844559a | 2022-06-07T04:17:20 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/fort-smith-buy-out-homeowners-flood-mitigation/527-f6ee58a6-4c51-48e0-be9c-ca685844559a |
HOUSTON — It was a public plea for the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee organized the rally and prayer vigil held in Griner’s hometown of Houston on Monday evening.
“We are not gonna back down, because we want Brittney to come home,” Lee said.
It’s been more than 100 days since the world-renowned Olympian was arrested and detained in Russia. Her arrest came after officials allegedly found cannabis in her luggage.
U.S. officials have declared Griner as wrongfully detained.
Trevor Reed and his family traveled to Houston for the rally on Monday. His mother, Paula Reed, said it was important for Trevor to be there despite only being home for six weeks.
Trevor was released from Russian prison as part of a prisoner swap in April.
“We need to all speak out for these Americans, because every single one of us is an American,” Trevor said. “Every day that you’re in prison there, it’s like you’re waking up to a nightmare. There is no justice in Russia. Brittney and Paul [Whelan] will not receive justice in Russia... they will not receive a fair trial in Russia.”
Trevor said Griner and Whelan won’t find true justice “until the United States gets them out.”
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner also spoke at the rally. He talked about the contributions Griner has made to her hometown through the years.
Members of Nimitz High School girls’ basketball team were at the rally. They said they’ve had the chance to meet Griner and have grown while admiring the WNBA star that attended their high school.
“This is someone who literally has given everything to this city, state, and country,” Turner said. “Bring Brittney home and bring her home now.”
Griner’s detention was extended through June 18, 2022. Those who rallied on Monday said they hope their public plea will be heard across the world. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/trevor-reed-houston-rally-brittney-griner-release-russian-jail/287-7b5ba2b5-7ff8-4840-b4da-aa69568a86a1 | 2022-06-07T04:22:17 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/trevor-reed-houston-rally-brittney-griner-release-russian-jail/287-7b5ba2b5-7ff8-4840-b4da-aa69568a86a1 |
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) — Carter County school leaders heard more from the three finalists vying for the director of schools position.
Board members interviewed all three candidates during the board’s meeting Monday evening.
Last week, the Board of Education selected the three finalists from a field of six candidates. The finalists are Dr. Lance Myhan, Bledsoe County Middle School principal in Sale Creek, Tennessee; Dr. Brandon Carpenter, Hampton Elementary principal; and Dr. Justin Baker of Charlotte Middle School in Dickson, Tennessee.
The position opened after former director of schools Tracy McAbee accepted a role as the director of schools for Lewis County in Middle Tennessee. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/carter-county-school-leaders-hear-from-superintendent-finalists/ | 2022-06-07T04:23:22 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/carter-county-school-leaders-hear-from-superintendent-finalists/ |
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — People showed up at the Sullivan County Board of Education meeting Monday evening to voice their opposition to a recent personnel change.
Sullivan East High School Principal Andy Hare announced on Facebook last Friday that he will move to another position next school year.
The move prompted several to speak out on social media. An online petition was started, which had more than 2,600 signatures as of Monday night.
Some also expressed their disappointment during Monday’s meeting.
“I believe we have top-tier talent in the East zone and we as parents and community supporters want to keep that talent where it’s at until that person decides to move, if that person decides to move, then they should have to apply for another position to move out,” said Frankie Lopez.
Sullivan County Director of Schools Evelyn Rafalowski told News Channel 11 that she appreciated how the community showed up to support Hare.
“I’m glad that we have a venue where people can express their concerns and their desires and certainly give us an opportunity to listen and I’m appreciative of them,” Rafalowski said.
Hare has been the principal at Sullivan East for five years. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/disappointment-expressed-over-reassignment-of-sullivan-east-principal/ | 2022-06-07T04:23:26 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/disappointment-expressed-over-reassignment-of-sullivan-east-principal/ |
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. (WJHL) – Almost four years after an Elizabethton High School sociology class made a push for the release of a wrongfully convicted woman from a California prison, they got to meet the now-free woman.
Suzanne Johnson served 21 years in prison after being convicted of assault on a child causing death in 1999 in San Diego County.
In the fall semester of 2018, Elizabethton students took on the case as a class project on wrongful convictions.
“It’s sweet to get to actually see her face and know her face after we worked so hard on her case,” said Jacey Fair, a sophomore back in 2018.
On Monday, students from the class returned to spend a couple of hours with Johnson at The Coffee Company in downtown Elizabethton.
According to the California Innocence Project, Johnson had been a reputable babysitter for years.
In 1997, a baby died after the high chair it was sitting in tipped over. Police treated it as a criminal matter.
Prosecutors claimed the baby’s injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome and deliberate abuse, according to the Project.
She was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Johnson maintained her innocence throughout her prison time, saying the chair accidentally fell.
The handling of the case made an impact on students, said teacher Alex Campbell. He assigned students with the eventual goal of securing a person’s release when assigning the project.
“Teenagers know what it’s like to be falsely accused by their little brother or their parents, and they talked about how bad that felt when people think you’re guilty of something and you hadn’t done it,” Campbell said.
After a semester of research, Elizabethton students found the science of infant forensics had changed, refuting the conviction.
They presented their evidence to the California Innocence Project, which handled Johnson’s case, and the office of then-Gov. Jerry Brown, hoping Brown would free Johnson at the end of his term in January 2019.
But Brown did not release Johnson, leaving the class disappointed.
“We really thought that she was going to be out by the end of the semester after all the stuff we had done,” Fair said.
Over a year later, Johnson and the students received good news.
In 2020, Johnson was granted clemency by the new Gov. Gavin Newsom during efforts to reduce prison populations during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I think that they had an integral part in getting me out. They were tweeting and texting and calling. They were constantly, constantly bugging the governor,” Johnson said.
Since 1999, medical understanding of fatal infant injuries had changed. Students found that prior understanding played a key role in Johnson’s conviction.
The California Innocence Project said eye and brain bleeding and brain swelling were common symptoms of infant abuse cases, and those symptoms were present in the baby’s skull.
Prosecutors used expert witnesses, who claimed Johnson had violently shaken the baby and hit its head against a wall.
But updated medical knowledge showed those injuries can happen in an infant fall.
Dane Cannon, a freshman at the time, took the mission to free Johnson to heart. He helped the class lead its communications to the governor and a social media campaign well after the class ended in December 2018.
“I was going to the governor’s website of California and just writing them letters for at least until the summer,” Cannon said. “Emails, some phone calls, there had to be dozens if not a few hundred.”
Johnson, now 78, came out of prison right as the pandemic started. Now past that, she spends much of her newfound freedom traveling around the country.
She remained thankful for the contributions of the Elizabethton class to her release. She said letters sent by the class to her cell lifted her spirits.
“All these beautiful letters from people who cared and believed, and that’s a big thing in prison when somebody says I believe in you,” Johnson said. “That was like the top of my list. I’m going there. I’m going to meet those kids.”
Another of Campbell’s classes played a role in identifying a victim in the Redhead Murders the previous semester. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/elizabethton-high-school-students-meet-wrongfully-convicted-woman-they-helped-free-from-prison/ | 2022-06-07T04:23:27 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/elizabethton-high-school-students-meet-wrongfully-convicted-woman-they-helped-free-from-prison/ |
Arizona lottery numbers, June 6
Associated Press
These Arizona lotteries were drawn Monday:
Pick 3
9-5-0
Fantasy 5
07-11-13-26-37
The Pick
08-10-15-34-37-38
Triple Twist
06-19-21-23-35-39
Estimated jackpot: $360,000
Mega Millions
Estimated jackpot: $207 million
Powerball
02-10-35-44-46, Powerball: 4, Power Play: 2 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/06/06/arizona-lottery-numbers-june-6/7541048001/ | 2022-06-07T04:29:00 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/06/06/arizona-lottery-numbers-june-6/7541048001/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/u-s-marshals-police-arrest-2nd-suspect-in-south-street-mass-shooting/3262991/ | 2022-06-07T04:30:41 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/u-s-marshals-police-arrest-2nd-suspect-in-south-street-mass-shooting/3262991/ |
KINGSTON, Wash. — Volunteers from a nonprofit based out of Kingston returned to the area following a two-week mission distributing relief supplies in Ukraine.
James Millard and Aaron Franklin of Empact Northwest helped procure and deliver more than 10,000 pounds of food, supplies and trauma kits to people displaced by Russia's invasion.
The tech workers were in Lviv, Bucha, Sheyni and surrounding areas.
Empact Northwest has been fundraising to support relief efforts. They purchased products within Ukraine to further support the local economies.
“We are one-hundred percent donation based and still have partners over there continuing the relief effort. We have the means, we have the ability, we have the people. We just need to keep the money flowing and keep the attention on the problem," Millard said.
Millard and Franklin said attention is typically focused on areas of Ukraine currently under attack, but there's concern many are being forgotten.
“They need the essentials - food, clothing and even things like tarps for the houses that have had their roofs blown off,” Franklin said.
The volunteers said that while they were there, a Ukrainian woman in her 80s invited them into her home to see what was left.
“The roof was gone and so was her livelihood,” Franklin said.
Rocket strikes destroyed much of her home and soldiers destroyed her roadside flower stand and garden.
“These are people who started off poor. They’ve now lost everything and have nothing.” Millard said.
Relief efforts continue by Empact's partners, they said.
Millard and Franklin said it’s important that out of sight isn’t out of mind.
“Right now we really do need the injection of donor funds to keep us actively involved in helping as many people as we can by keeping this mission going,” they said. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/empact-northwest-volunteers-return-ukraine-mission/281-eb84c98b-b4eb-4918-8e88-6fad562348db | 2022-06-07T04:34:18 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/empact-northwest-volunteers-return-ukraine-mission/281-eb84c98b-b4eb-4918-8e88-6fad562348db |
Marcia E. Burick, longtime political writer and consultant and daughter of Dayton Daily News sports editor and columnist Si Burick, died on Saturday, June 4, at 81 years old, according to her obituary.
Marcia Burick was born in Dayton in 1940 to Simon and Rachael Burick, and graduated from Fairview High School before earning a degree in Political Science from Wellesley College.
On graduating, Burick was given two Mai Ling Soong prizes from a foundation of the same name at the college, allowing her to attend a NATO Youth Conference in France.
From there, just a few weeks before the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, she joined the staff of the Press and Public Affairs Office of the U.S. Mission to the U.N., under the leadership of Ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson.
Over the next decade, Burick had two children and moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, where she lived until she died. While there, earned a master’s degree in Urban Studies at Smith College, writing her thesis on Hong Kong resettlement housing. To write the thesis, she received the Mary Elvira Stevens Travelling Fellowship from Wellesley College.
In Northampton, Burick continued to be active in politics and the community, working as a press director and speech writer for various organizations like Planned Parenthood of New York City, the Institute for International Education, The Fund for Peace and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
Connected to that last organization, Burick became the press officer for the visit of the Chinese table tennis team to the U.S. in 1972. She traveled with the teams in April 1972 around the U.S.
She served as chief aide to the mayor of Northampton for “a number” of years, according to her obituary, during which time she organized and went on several trips around the world.
She also was a consultant on social services, often for U.S. government agencies, for best practices in places like the Baltics, Poland, Nigeria, Gaza and South Africa, and ran a program for training government officials in Indonesia.
Burick died in her sleep after celebrating her 60th reunion at Wellesley College.
The Dayton Daily News awards an annual scholarship in Si Burick’s name to a journalism student that interns with the paper.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/marcia-burick-political-worker-daughter-of-sports-editor-si-burick-dies-at-81/ZPNSSENAIFAKVFJUOP6LPXVPCM/ | 2022-06-07T04:39:55 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/marcia-burick-political-worker-daughter-of-sports-editor-si-burick-dies-at-81/ZPNSSENAIFAKVFJUOP6LPXVPCM/ |
BOISE, Idaho — As temperatures begin to heat up, many are getting outside to bring back summer activities.
"You get to be in the water, you get to be outdoors, it beats being in the gym,” said Caleb Snodgrass who surfs at Whitewater Park in Boise.
Snodgrass said with more water, the bigger the waves get and he is thankful for recent rainstorms that have made it happen.
"We are stoked about all the rain, all the snow that they got up at Bogus recently, hoping it's going to provide for a lot better flows this summer,” Snodgrass said.
The topic of water in Idaho was a big concern for Idaho hydrologists during the beginning of April when the snowpack was significantly below normal. However, a lot of precipitation in recent months has changed Idaho’s drought conditions.
"The whole snowmelt situation has been delayed almost a month across the state,” said David Hoekema, Hydrologist with the Idaho Department of Water Resources.
Precipitation in April and May improved drought conditions in Southern Idaho and completely removes the drought conditions north of Idaho County.
"Very encouraging news," Hoekema said.
According to Hoekema, this spring is stacking up to be the third or fourth coolest spring on record.
"We are still looking at runoff across the state being below normal but because it's coming late in the year compared to either normal or near-normal, we are not seeing near the storage use that we saw last year."
According to Ryan Hedrick, a Hydrologist with the Bureau of Reclamation, the recent rainfall is filling up reservoirs that desperately needed water.
“The spring run of that we have had and the rains that we have seen over the last week or so have greatly increased our storage in the reservoirs, that coupled with the cold weather has reduced irrigation demand,” Hedrick said.
"What we were seeing earlier in the season is we were seeing that we weren't likely going to fill Lucky Peak and after this wet weather we are starting to move water into Lucky Peak."
He adds Lucky Peak will fill about two feet per day and likely fill up in a week. According to Hedrick, Arrowrock Dam is completely full, Anderson is 75 percent full and Lucky Peak will likely fill up.
"It would be great to fill all three of the systems, that's always our goal, so we can always use as much as we can get,” Hedrick said.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-drought-conditions-improve-after-months-precipitation/277-929dfa5d-e45d-4a5e-a7ec-1435ed24d61f | 2022-06-07T04:51:21 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-drought-conditions-improve-after-months-precipitation/277-929dfa5d-e45d-4a5e-a7ec-1435ed24d61f |
A northbound vehicle towing an RV caught fire near milepost 303 of I-17 Sunday afternoon, igniting a 30-acre wildfire in the roadside brush. The resulting “Watermelon Fire” was reported at 2:50 p.m. and said to be growing at a “moderate speed” through dry fuels. No one was injured and no structures were lost, and the Watermelon Fire was fully contained by 9 p.m.
The Coconino National Forest dispatched about 70 personnel, including a battalion, Hotshot crew, seven engines, two fire prevention patrol units, a fuels crew and a law enforcement officer, to the scene. By about 4 p.m., firefighters had “stopped forward progress” of the wildfire. North and southbound lanes of the I-17 remained closed from about 3 to 7 p.m.
The fire began in the undercarriage of the northbound vehicle, a blue Kia Sorento, and “fully engulfed” the SUV while it was towing an RV, said Bart Graves of the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). Fortunately, the driver was able to pull over to the shoulder and exit the vehicle safely.
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“Motorists stopped to help,” Graves said. “Multiple subjects on scene tried to disconnect the trailer from the SUV.”
It’s unclear how the vehicle fire began, but Graves said “a lot of these fires are started by tires that implode” when they disintegrate at a high rate of speed. He also mentioned that dragging tow chains, faulty oil lines, and “any number” of mechanical issues can result in vehicle fires, especially when combined with the hot temperatures and high volume of travel typical in summertime.
Winds caught the initial vehicle fire and spread it to the median and the roadside, covering the highway in smoke and forcing total closure of the interstate.
“Traffic backed up considerably,” Graves said.
Matt Anderson was heading northbound on the I-17 Sunday evening and detoured through Sedona when he encountered signs alerting him to the closure ahead. Traffic became “a parking lot,” Anderson said, and it took him “what felt like hours,” to go the roughly 17 miles from the Village of Oak Creek to the north end of Sedona, where he intended to take the 89A home to Flagstaff.
However, he and other motorists found that when they reached 89A, it too was closed due to maintenance scheduled by the Arizona Department of Transportation. Some motorists “bailed,” and took Schnebly Hill road to Flagstaff, but Anderson drove back to the I-17, which had started to let traffic through.
“Flames were still visible in some spots as we drove back through the area,” Anderson said.
While the Watermelon was fully contained by 9 p.m., Forest Service crews remained through Monday morning to “mop up” any remaining fires and hot spots.
This week continues to call for dry, hot conditions, according to the National Weather Service in Bellemont. The forecast has temperatures rising to nearly 90 degrees on Friday and Saturday, though wind conditions should be normal for this time of year. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/suv-engulfed-in-flame-sparks-30-acre-watermelon-fire-closes-i-17-sunday/article_7b7e3fd6-e5da-11ec-91c2-971c93c2082f.html | 2022-06-07T05:02:42 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/suv-engulfed-in-flame-sparks-30-acre-watermelon-fire-closes-i-17-sunday/article_7b7e3fd6-e5da-11ec-91c2-971c93c2082f.html |
May 31, 1953 – June 1, 2022
Beecher/ Illinois - Denis was born in East Chicago, Indiana to George Tatgenhorst, Jr. and Pauline Maskovich Tatgenhorst. He passed away at home surrounded by love on June 1, 2022, after a courageous 2 year battle with pancreatic cancer. Denis devoted his 40+ year career to Illinois law enforcement, proudly serving the Lynwood Police Department as patrol officer, juvenile officer, D.A.R.E. Instructor, and Sergeant for over 30 years. He was the Director of Community Policing in Minooka for 8 years, and the Director of Beecher Emergency Management Agency, where he also served as a part-time police officer and worked in community policing. Early in his career Denis also served the Thornton and East Hazel Crest departments and began his career journey at the Glenwood Police Department as a police cadet and dispatcher. Denis was an alumnus of Northwestern University Center for Public Safety School of Police Staff and Command, and proudly served in the U.S. Army 101 st Airborne Division, the Screaming Eagles, for a brief while during the Vietnam era. Denis loved camping (aka "glamping") at the family's slice of heaven in Michigan, go-kart, stock car and NASCAR racing, and his family.
Denis devoted many hours to numerous organizations, including Lions Club, various Law Enforcement Explorer programs, Special Olympics, food pantries, Shop with a Cop and Project Share. He participated in building "NASQUADS" for three police departments. He was known for his booming voice, having no filter, riding in their Slingshot, talking like Donald Duck, loved to dance, and his we're-doing-this-my-way state of mind. On a family cruise he was voted "Mr. Diamond Princess" (really, you had to be there) and by the end of the cruise everyone on the ship knew him by name. But he could be a softy, and with his partner in life Denise, they loved doing countless quiet good works for those needing a boost in life.
A special thank you goes out to Silver Cross Hospital, its physicians, and the UChicago Medicine Cancer Center at Silver Cross Hospital for the outstanding care Denis received. Thank you for the extra two years. And to Compassionate Care Hospice for their caring, thorough, and passionate commitment to providing the finest end-of-life care possible.
Friends may visit with the family on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at Bethel Christian Reformed Church, 3500 Glenwood-Lansing Road, Lansing, Illinois from 2:00 to 7:00 PM with services immediately following with Pastor Shaun Buikema officiating. Cremation to follow.
Denis is survived by his beloved wife of 48 years, Denise (nee Paris), his sons: Dustin and Dana (Gayle Pischner); his grandsons: Zachary and Colton Fliszar-Tatgenhorst; his sister, Mary (Sandy Olevsky) Kosa; his brothers-in-law: David (Colette) Gurin and Jeffery Paris; his cherished cousins: Diane (Brian) Lorenc, Darlene (Lou) Aigner, Rick (Renee) Tatgenhorst, Robert (Sandy) Tatgenhorst, Pattie Villanueva, and Denise Bulla Owens; and loved extended family too numerous to name. He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents, special uncle and aunts: Richard and Pat Tatgenhorst and Floris Mae Kosa; his mother- and father-in-law, Oliver and Nola Paris; sisters-in-law, Lynn Paris Gurin and Tammy Paris; and his cousins: Debbie Beck and Timothy Tatgenhorst and David and Dwayne Bulla. He will be dearly missed by his furbabies, Sarge and LT. To his Brothers and Sisters in Blue, "Let's be careful out there."
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made in Denis' name directly to the Tatgenhorst family which will then be distributed to the police and fire charities of their choice. www.schroederlauer.com | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/denis-tatgenhorst/article_8aaeb36b-d4bd-5b0d-989a-c873dba15136.html | 2022-06-07T05:18:59 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/denis-tatgenhorst/article_8aaeb36b-d4bd-5b0d-989a-c873dba15136.html |
Jan. 30, 1933 - June 2, 2022
WHITING - Edward J. Matalik, 89 of Whiting passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 2, 2022 at Methodist Hospital Southlake Campus, Merrillville. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 61 years, Adeline M. Matalik (nee Emolovich) on March 24, 2022; loving father of Douglas (Judi) Matalik, Sara (Scott) Matalik-Haley and Kristi Matalik; cherished grandfather of Graham and Reese Matalik; dearest brother of Mary Ann Miskus and the late Andrew Matalik and Betty Eggebrecht; dear brother-in-law of Martha (late Bill) Molnar; numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be on Thursday, June 9, 2022 at 11:30am at the Baran Funeral Home, 1235-119th Street, Whiting. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 12 noon at St. John The Baptist Catholic Church, Whiting, with the Rev. Mark R. Peres, C.P.P.S officiating. Interment Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens, Crown Point. Visitation is at the funeral home on Thursday morning from 10:30am to the time of services. (Due to the current health situation face masks are encouraged at the funeral home and church.) Expressions of sympathy may be placed online at www.baranfh.com.
Edward J. Matalik was born on January 30, 1933 to Andrew and Anna (Mato) Matalik. He was a lifelong resident of the Whiting-Robertsdale Community and a graduate of George Rogers Clark High School, Class of 1951. He was a member of St. John The Baptist Catholic Church, Whiting, and the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Assoc., BR. 81. Edward was a US Navy Veteran of the Korean Conflict and was a retiree of the Lever Bros. Company (Unilever), Hammond with decades of service . Ed loved to read and travel, especially taking family vacations and cherished the time spent with his grandchildren. Devoted to his family, Edward will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved him. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the St. John Steeple Restoration Fund would be appreciated. (219) 659-4400 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/edward-j-matalik/article_56546ce3-1b88-5152-b9bb-bcc55734514f.html | 2022-06-07T05:19:06 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/edward-j-matalik/article_56546ce3-1b88-5152-b9bb-bcc55734514f.html |
Feb. 11, 1945 - May 30, 2022
MERRILLVILLE - Mary Lynn Wallace, age 77, of Merrillville, IN, passed away on Monday, May 30, 2022. Mary Lynn was born February 11, 1945, in Sewickley, PA, to Naomi Wallace-Brown and Darwin Wallace.
Mary Lynn worked as a clerk for Inland Steel and a secretary at the Crown Point, IN, YMCA. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church, where she served as a Stephens minister and a deacon. She graduated from Peabody High School, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1963.
Mary Lynn is survived by her sister, Carolyn Meinbresse (Craig); and her sister, Beverly Binder.
Mary Lynn was preceded in death by her mother, Naomi Wallace-Brown; and her father, Darwin Wallace; her brother-in-law, Richard Binder; and her brother, Buddy Wallace.
A Public Visitation for Mary Lynn will be held Wednesday, June 8, 2022, from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Chapel Lawn Funeral Home, 8178 Cline Avenue, Crown Point, IN 46307. A Public Visitation will occur Thursday, June 9, 2022, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at First Presbyterian, 7898 Taft Street, Merrillville, IN. A Funeral Service will occur Thursday, June 9, 2022, at 11:00 AM at First Presbyterian Church, 7898 Taft Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.
Mary Lynn will be laid to rest in Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens, Crown Point, IN.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Presbyterian Church, located at 7898 Taft Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.ChapelLawnFunerals.com for the Wallace family. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/mary-lynn-wallace/article_fe3ca403-7488-516e-b146-6a3d6e74dbe9.html | 2022-06-07T05:19:12 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/mary-lynn-wallace/article_fe3ca403-7488-516e-b146-6a3d6e74dbe9.html |
CROWN POINT - Nikola R. Prentoski, age 78 of Crown Point, passed away peacefully on June 4, 2022. He was a member of the Sts. Peter and Paul Macedonian Orthodox Church in Merrillville. Nikola loved gardening. He retired from ABC Railroad Co. Nikola is survived by his loving wife, Cveta Prentoski; daughter, Zaklina (Spase) Zupanoski; son, Tane (Latinka) Prentoski; many loving grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, June 8, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. until the Mass at 10:00 a.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul Macedonian Orthodox Church, 9660 Broadway, Crown Point, IN. Interment Calumet Park Cemetery.
BURNS FUNERAL HOME in Crown Point entrusted with arrangements. www.burnsfuneral.com | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/nikola-r-prentoski/article_ae3a52fc-0475-52b1-b79b-c4718630f631.html | 2022-06-07T05:19:18 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/nikola-r-prentoski/article_ae3a52fc-0475-52b1-b79b-c4718630f631.html |
May 26, 1929 - May 23, 2022
CHESTERTON - Phyllis M. (Menard) Shelbourne, age 92 of Chesterton, IN, passed away peacefully on May 23, 2022, in Valparaiso, IN. She was born on May 26, 1929, in Chicago, IL, to Henry and Lillian (Moore) Menard. Upon Graduation from Gage Park High School she attended secretarial school in Chicago and enjoyed her work in this field.
On August 30, 1947, she married her childhood sweetheart George Shelbourne. The two were married for nearly 70 years and had 3 children.
George proceeded her in death on August 8, 2017.
Once her children were grown, Phyllis enjoyed a second career employed at The Cricket Box in Chesterton and as a teller at Chesterton State Bank. Although she enjoyed this public interaction, her passion was her family, her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was an inspiration to others and an example to all the women in her life. She touched the lives of so many she met. She was a good listener, offering sound advice when questioned. She will be remembered as a good friend by many.
Phyllis was a God-fearing woman and was a loyal member of St Francis' Episcopal Church in Chesterton for over 50 years. She was also a member of the Red Hat Society. She was an avid reader and enjoyed traveling, visiting England, Canada, Alaska, Florida. She and George loved RV travel, visiting many parks in various states with grandchildren along for the adventure!
She is survived by her loving children: Alan (Rebecca Lynn) Shelbourne of Canadian, OK, Ronald (Catherine) Shelbourne of DeMotte, IN, and Nancy (John) Wagner of Valparaiso, IN: her grandchildren: Brett (Jim) Opaleski, Erik (Amy) Shelbourne, Aaron (Lisa) Shelbourne, Evan Shelbourne, Whitney Parsons, Cecile Johnson, and Matthew Wagner; Phyllis was also blessed to be a great-grandmother to 13 great-grandchildren. She will be missed by all. In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by her brother, Henry Menard.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at St Francis' Episcopal Church, 237 E. 1200 N., Chesterton, IN.
A graveside service will be held immediately following the church service at Chesterton Cemetery. All are invited to attend a luncheon at the church following the graveside service.
Professional arrangements are entrusted to White-Love Funeral Home, Chesterton, IN. Please share your wonderful memories with the family at: www.whitelovefuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family would like you to consider a donation to St Francis' Episcopal Church in honor of their mother. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/phyllis-m-shelbourne/article_d60881f9-df07-51aa-8bd7-5c3679319fb3.html | 2022-06-07T05:19:24 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/phyllis-m-shelbourne/article_d60881f9-df07-51aa-8bd7-5c3679319fb3.html |
Jan. 1, 1986 - June 1, 2022
CEDAR LAKE - Steven T. Andreoli, age 36, of Cedar Lake, IN, passed away on Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
Steven is survived by his wife and best friend of 12 years, Rebecca Andreoli (nee Sawvel); children: Korben, Raiden, Elysian, Zion; father, Thomas "Tom" Andreoli; siblings: Matthew Schenher, Dr. Angela (Brad) Andrews, Laura (Jacob) Borrmann; grandfather, Paul "Pap" (late Ida) Lunghofer; father and mother-in-law: Don and Patty Sawvel; brother-in-laws: Joe (Lauren) Sawvel, Clif Sawvel; fur babies: Gretta and Sophia; and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
Steven was preceded in death by his mother, Melissa Andreoli; maternal grandmother, Viola Lunghofer; aunt, Paulette Skalba; paternal grandparents: Bruno and Emaline Andreoli.
Steven loved traveling and being outdoors, especially at the beach. He worked as a nurse for 14 years and enjoyed his job. He played the cello and traveled to China to play as well as participating in the Northwest Indiana Youth Orchestra. Steven was a foodie and also enjoyed going to the casino. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, son, and best friend. Steven will be dearly missed.
Friends may visit with the family on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at Geisen Funeral, Cremation & Reception Centre, 606 E. 113th Ave., Crown Point, IN 46307 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Funeral services will be private for Steven's family. He will be laid to rest at Evergreen Cemetery in Hobart, IN.
Visit Steven's online guestbook at www.GeisenFuneralHome.com 219-663-2500. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/steven-t-andreoli/article_e87b2cb6-6e6f-59b3-9334-eb709a2b6ae6.html | 2022-06-07T05:19:30 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/steven-t-andreoli/article_e87b2cb6-6e6f-59b3-9334-eb709a2b6ae6.html |
HAMMOND, IN - Thomas A. Lockridge, 83, of Hammond, IN passed away May 31, 2022. He is preceded in death by his parents: Harry and Juanita; sister, Jacquelyn Atkinson; brother, Rodney C. Lockridge; nephew, Mike Lockridge. Thomas is survived by his sister, Deborah Lockridge-Johnson of Hammond; nephews: James Johnson of Michigan, David Johnson of Hammond, John Atkinson of Hobart, Timothy (Darlia) Johnson of Lowell; nieces: Christine (Bob) Couch of Hobart, Gina Atkinson of Hobart, and Laura Atkinson of Hobart; as well as many great and great-great nieces and nephews. He was a retired Millwright from Inland Steel.
Friends are invited to visit with the family on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, from 3:00 – 7:00 PM at CALUMENT PARK FUNERAL CHAPEL(7535 Taft St, Merrillville, IN 46410). Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, June 9, 2022, at Calumet Park Funeral Chapel, at 10:30 AM. Interment at Calumet Park Cemetery to follow. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/thomas-a-lockridge/article_aea595fe-c9a0-52d5-9ced-a70f7d8be3cd.html | 2022-06-07T05:19:36 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/thomas-a-lockridge/article_aea595fe-c9a0-52d5-9ced-a70f7d8be3cd.html |
EAST CHICAGO - Thomas R. Mills, 85, of East Chicago, passes away Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at Aperion Care Tolleston Park in Gary.
Survivors include three grandchildren: William (Rosetta) Mills, Tiara (Jamal) Whitlock and Lenora Wilkinson; daughter-in-law, Arthurine Wilkinson; eight great-grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
Preceded in death by wife, Wilma Mills.
Memorial services will be held Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 1:30pm at HINTON & WILLIAMS FUNERAL HOME, 4859 Alexander Avenue, East Chicago.
Pastor Arthurine Wilkinson officiating.
Mr. Mills was retired from Inland Steel. Private cremation was held at the family's convenience. Hinton & Williams Funeral Home is honored to be of service to the Mills family during their time of loss. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/thomas-r-mills/article_0c7e0240-f918-5016-a069-7c6f19fa8ba0.html | 2022-06-07T05:19:43 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/thomas-r-mills/article_0c7e0240-f918-5016-a069-7c6f19fa8ba0.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. — A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle in the Foster-Powell neighborhood of Southeast Portland Monday night.
At about 9:05 p.m., officers responded to the intersection of Southeast 82nd Avenue and Center Street next to the Eastport Plaza shopping center for a report of a crash, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) said in a news release.
Investigators learned the pedestrian died at the scene. PPB's Major Crash Team is investigating and no further details about the crash were released.
Police said Southeast 82nd Avenue would be closed between Southeast Powell Boulevard and Holgate Boulevard during the investigation.
Anyone with information about the collision is asked to contact PPB at crimetips@portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 22-151378.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/pedestrian-killed-foster-powell/283-52d8c9a5-c3e0-4024-8c13-eaf60ba478fc | 2022-06-07T05:51:11 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/pedestrian-killed-foster-powell/283-52d8c9a5-c3e0-4024-8c13-eaf60ba478fc |
HOUSTON — During Sunday service at Houston Northwest Church, a relative of the man murdered alongside his four grandsons last week shared that the family's faith is unwavering.
"You have to understand that, we're okay," Glenn Collins told the congregation.
His brother, Mark Collins, and the boys were killed by prison escapee Gonzalo Lopez last week on their Centerville ranch, officials said.
"My short message is: God is still God and we're not -- and there's a purpose in this, no doubt," Collins said.
Three of the boys who died were brothers -- 18-year-old Waylon Collins, 16-year-old Carson Collins and 11-year-old Hudson Collins. The fourth boy has been identified as 11-year-old Bryson Collins, a cousin.
The Leon County coroner said the victims all appeared to have been stabbed and may have suffered other wounds. He said the final autopsy report could be weeks away.
Meantime, the investigation into Lopez's escape continues. He had been on the run for some three weeks after crashing a TDCJ transport bus he managed to hijack.
He stole guns and a pickup from the Collins' ranch and was later killed in a shootout south of San Antonio.
The bus was carrying Lopez and other inmates from Gatesville to Huntsville for medical appointments. TDCJ announced Monday, those inmate transports have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
"If it becomes necessary to do a transport such as releasing or an emergency medical appointment, additional security measures will be implemented," prison officials said in a statement. "The agency is conducting an internal Serious Incident Review and also intends to bring in an outside firm to conduct an independent review to identify factors that may have lead to the escape of Lopez."
Friends and relatives of the victims don't believe Mark Collins had been told that a burglary near his ranch was linked to Lopez a couple of days before the murders.
"And it's sad they didn't know he was still in this area," Toni Apodaca said after leaving flowers to a growing memorial outside the home.
She said most people in the area thought Lopez was long gone given his ties to the Mexican Mafia.
"If Mr. Collins knew he was still in this area he would've likely – I'm sure he would not have brought his grandsons up here," Apodaca said.
"It's just a terrible thing – it's so sad – something that shouldn't have happened, our prayers are with the family," Mario Apodaca told us. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/centerville-murders-collins-family/285-60708ca0-2a80-4084-8c41-a5df1684e501 | 2022-06-07T06:15:15 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/centerville-murders-collins-family/285-60708ca0-2a80-4084-8c41-a5df1684e501 |
ODESSA, Texas — Today was the first day of the trial for Angelica Garcia, who was previously indicted on two counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon.
Garcia was reportedly intoxicated when she hit and killed two 6-year-old girls, Mia and Mya Coy, in 2019.
On Monday, 90 potential jurors gathered at the Ector County Courthouse for jury selection.
At approximately 1:30 p.m., 12 jurors were selected. This included six women and six men, with two alternate jurors.
The trial began around 3 p.m., with the prosecution making opening statements.
In the opening statements, remarks were made that Garcia was drinking at Toby's, a bar that is located inside the MCM Fundome, with her husband.
The prosecution noted that Garcia had seven cherry vodkas between the hours of 6 p.m. and 9 p.m., before driving away and eventually reaching the point where Mia and Mya were hit near their family's firework stand.
The defense did not make an opening statement.
The prosecution then called their first witness, Cpl. Chris Adams with the Odessa Police Department.
According to records from Adams, he was the first to the scene after receiving a call that people had been hit. He arrived at the scene at 9:08 p.m.
The prosecution played the body camera footage from Adams' camera.
Upon arriving to the scene, the footage shows people approach the officer and you can hear yelling and crying.
Adams eventually makes his way to one of the girls, where their mother is doing CPR.
Adams also comes into contact with Garcia, who is heard saying "please don't tell me they're dead" multiple times. Adams then asks Garcia if she is intoxicated.
Stay with NewsWest 9 for the latest as the case moves through the court. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/trial-suspect-drunk-driving-wreck-killed-twin-girls/513-a743d2f8-df53-4059-96ec-4eb463d7bab4 | 2022-06-07T06:15:21 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/trial-suspect-drunk-driving-wreck-killed-twin-girls/513-a743d2f8-df53-4059-96ec-4eb463d7bab4 |
OAK PARK, Calif. — An Oak Park woman is using her master’s degree graduation photos to send a message: no matter where you grow up, you can make something of yourself.
Jaylyn Jordan grew up in Oak Park – a predominantly Black, culturally rich and historically disadvantaged neighborhood, due in part to racist practices that hurt people of color, like redlining and other neighborhoods’ racial covenants.
Jordan decided to showcase her beloved community in her grad pictures – from McClatchy Park and Boss’s Market to Fourth Avenue Park and the Oak Park Community Center.
“Boss’s Market-- so he has a store now, but growing up, he was a food truck,” Jordan recalls. “It was a big thing for him to become a store. It's like, ‘Wow, you know, (he) leveled up.’”
She’s also sporting a particular custom t-shirt in many of the photos.
“I wore this shirt that said, ‘Bad and Mastered,’” Jordan said, “because there's a song called, ‘Bad and Bougie,’ and I was like, ‘Well, I'm bad and mastered.’”
She said it’s not the typical graduation photoshoot, but it represents who she is and where she has come from.
“When you get your master's degree, you get hooded. It's literally a hood,” she said. “So I was like-- I know when I graduate, I'm going to take pictures, you know, in my neighborhood - places where I grew up - and let it know, you know: I'm hood but I'm hooded.”
She got her undergraduate degree in rehabilitation services with a focus on special education counseling at California State University, Los Angeles, had a baby and then jumped right back into higher education, getting her Master of Science in Special Education, Specialization in Mild/Moderate Disabilities from National University earlier this year.
She’s using her degrees to better her hometown, serving as an education specialist with the Fortune School of Education. That’s a local system of college preparatory public charter schools focused on closing the African American achievement gap. She works at the middle and high schools in Elk Grove - Fortune Middle School and Rex and Margaret Fortune Early College High School.
She has a message for the young people of her neighborhood.
“Just don't stop. Like, the sky is the limit,” she said. “You may think you only have what's around you, you know what I mean? But you can go above and beyond that.”
Speaking of not stopping, Jordan said she plans on getting her doctorate.
“I'm the rose that grew from the concrete," she said, quoting Tupac Shakur. "Me being able to get my master’s and then now enrolling to get my doctorate, you know, like, I just want to show that more can come from Oak Park."
A lot of people hear “Oak Park” and think of Mozzy the rapper, Jordan said.
“I applaud him for getting out of the neighborhood and finding his path, but I just wanted to show a different light, you know, that you don't have to be a rapper to get out of the hood,” she said. “I wouldn't change my life for anything. I love being from Oak Park, honestly.”
She credits the high standards set for her by the culture at her alma mater - Sacramento High School – with part of why she is on this path.
“Sac High pushed you to go to a four-year college. That's all they talked about: go to a four-year college, four-year college, four-year college,” Jordan said. “So it was just like, you know-- this is what to do.”
WATCH ALSO: | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/oak-park-graduation-photos/103-cbf9c68f-dd83-451c-a7c2-c9a6122c223c | 2022-06-07T06:45:42 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/oak-park-graduation-photos/103-cbf9c68f-dd83-451c-a7c2-c9a6122c223c |
Rose M. Ellingson
June 19, 1936-May 27, 2022
OSAGE-Rose Ellingson, age 85, of Osage passed away peacefully on Friday, May 27, 2022, at Faith Lutheran Nursing Home in Osage.
Memorial services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 3, 2022, at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Osage with the Pastor Bryan Odeen officiating. Inurnment will be in the Osage Cemetery. There will be a time for food and fellowship after the services.
Rose Marie Ellingson was born June 19, 1936, in Stacyville, Iowa, the daughter of Albert and Irma (Kuehl) Adams. She was baptized and confirmed at the Visitation Catholic Church in Stacyville. Rose graduated from the 8th grade at St. Ansgar School. She worked as a nanny after graduation. Rose married Sheryl Ellingson I on October 31, 1954 at Our Savior's Lutheran Church in Osage where they remained lifelong members. They made their home in Osage and were married for 61 years. She was a stay-at-home mother for many years raising her 6 children. Rose later joined the work force at Faith Lutheran Home as a Housekeeper for 32 years until her retirement. She enjoyed quilting, crafting, crocheting, sewing and was a great cook and gardener. Rose gladly shared the bounty from her large garden with family, friends and neighbors. She and Sheryl shared many Thursday evenings dining out with the Ellingson brothers, Marloe and Garry and their wives. They also spent Saturday mornings out for breakfast with Rose's siblings and their spouses. Rose was blessed to spend many happy vacations, camping and traveling with her sisters and their spouses. Most of all, Rose cherished the holidays and gatherings with her children and grandchildren.
Rose is survived by her children, Nancy (Derrel) Putnam of Ankeny, Neal Ellingson of Osage, Audrey (Keith) Popp of Osage, Sheryl (Lori) Ellingson II of Osage, Jill (Ted) Kiefer of Taopi, Minnesota and James (Kelli) Ellingson of Pella; 10 great-grandchildren; 15 great grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; sisters, Annette (Kenneth) Anderson, Suzanne (Ron) Krahn; brother, Alan Cheryl) Adams; brother-in-law, Garry (Sharon) Ellingson and sister-in-law, Alice Ellingson.
She is preceded by her parents; her husband, Sheryl Ellingson I. sister, Dorothy (Mel) Gerbig; sisters-in- law, Delores (Karl) Robison, Kathryn (Don) Asfahl; brothers-in-law, Larr (Sharon) Ellingson, Marloe Ellingson, Morris Ellingson and Merle (Rosemary) Ellingson
www.schroederfuneralhomes.com Champion Funeral Home (641)732-3706. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/rose-m-ellingson/article_84b4b2fb-c233-5bf6-a89a-5c2403e9a6fb.html | 2022-06-07T07:07:52 | 0 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/rose-m-ellingson/article_84b4b2fb-c233-5bf6-a89a-5c2403e9a6fb.html |
NAMPA — Two people dressed as handmaids from Margaret Atwood’s novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” entered the Nampa School District’s board room and took a seat in the front row of the audience. Each held a copy of that book.
So began the special board work session on Monday evening that included a portion dedicated to discussing the process for challenged books in the district. The meeting included reflection from board of trustees about the decision to remove books from school libraries last month, their thoughts on going forward, and comments from school librarians and parents that had participated in the review process of those books.
“All of this is just a discussion, because I think it’s really important that we make sure that we have a really good, solid, transparent, written down, consistent process that all of our patrons, our parents, our staff … everybody knows that this is the process we will use to challenge books,” said Board Chair Jeff Kirkman at the beginning of the meeting.
The meeting was open to the public, but there was no time for public comment included in the discussion.
At the board’s May meeting, three of the board’s five members voted to remove 22 books from the district’s libraries “forever,” citing concerns about “pornography,” as previously reported. The books in question were in the process of being reviewed by committees of teachers, staff, and parents, but it was unclear how the board’s decision would affect that process, and what process the district would use to evaluate challenged books going forward.
Following the decision, the district had released a statement saying, “the board and district will work together to create a fair, consistent and transparent procedure for handling challenged books.”
At Monday’s meeting, Kirkman said he felt that the procedure for challenging books was less than clear, hence why he voted in favor of removing the books from libraries. After the meeting in which the board voted to remove the books, Kirkman and Trustee Brook Taylor met with some of the district’s librarians, as well as concerned parents for further discussion, Kirkman said. The notes included with the books agenda item on Monday’s meeting were taken at that meeting, he said.
Trustee Mandy Simpson said she was concerned that it is not the board’s job to come up with the procedure for challenged books, saying that the board should instead work on a policy that guides how the superintendent and district staff manage books that are challenged.
“If there are specific things that we want our superintendent and his staff to be doing in the process, it should be dictated through the policy,” Simpson said. “So I want to make sure that we focus on that as a board and what we need to do to make those changes.”
Trustee Tracey Pearson said she felt it necessary to have the books removed because community complaints about the books had been ignored for the previous year. That the books were still on shelves was a failure of leadership, she said.
“I don’t think (the books) were appropriate, and it was a failed system,” Pearson said. “So I had to take action, I felt, for the people.”
Trustee Marco Valle, who also voted in favor of removing the books, said that the challenged process is not transparent, and stood by his vote, while advocating for an improved procedure.
“An electric shock is sometimes needed to make changes the right way,” Valle said. “We removed those books, which I’m glad we did. But let’s figure out the process. I think it has got to be clear, concise, well written, and it has got to make sense according to our community, not to Ada County, not to Colorado or Florida, and all the places that we received emails from.”
Interim Superintendent Gregg Russell explained that the process through which the books were being reviewed was similar to the process by which curriculum is reviewed when challenges arise. Typically, this begins with a written complaint from a parent, and can be discussed at varying levels of administrative leadership until the issue is resolved, he said.
If a parent does not want their child reading certain books, they have options, Russell said. For example, if a parent does not want their child reading a certain book for class, there are alternative approved books the teacher can suggest, he said.
For the library, parents may request that their child be prohibited from checking out certain books, said Ann Christensen, librarian at Skyview High School, who was present at the meeting.
Christensen said that the review of the challenged books began with the selection of a committee of parents, staff, and teachers. Those committees had reviewed three books by the time the board voted to remove the books in question in May.
“My time as a librarian, as a teacher, and as a citizen went into it,” Christensen said, noting she tried to read the books at school when she could, but also read them during her free time. One parent who challenged the books was invited to participate in the review process, but declined, Christensen said.
Overall, the committees felt some books were appropriate for being in school, and some were not, she said.
Another parent who participated in the review and was present at the meeting said some of the age recommendations given by Common Sense Media, a media reviewing platform helping guide the review process, should be raised.
Nancy Finney, librarian at Nampa High School, said books that discuss seemingly controversial topics can help students see that they’re not alone in facing adversity.
“What these books are doing, is they’re opening our minds to hot topics that these kids are living through,” Finney said. “If you think that we don’t have kids that have been physically or mentally abused, you’re wrong. If you don’t think we have kids that have been bullied or raped, you’re wrong. Some of these books can give our kids coping skills and how to deal with this.”
Though books may seem extreme or offensive when a piece of it is taken out of context, the value of the book is often more than that, she said.
Finney, Christensen, and the two other parents present seemed to agree that a parent should have the ability to say if they did not want their children reading a certain book.
One parent expressed that it is about choice and protecting a child’s right to read, asking why a certain group of parents should get to choose what her child is able to read.
But Pearson said it would be impossible for a parent to know the content of every book offered in a school library.
Taylor, who voted against the removal of the books, said that some of the books in the list are high quality and are a reflection of the community.
“I would agree with you, that not only are some of these books phenomenal, but they echo the life of me and my children,” Taylor said, addressing the librarians and parent committee members. “We are a broken home, and my ex-husband is an addict. So I really appreciate your guys’ commitment to reading these things because I do believe our community is very, very diverse, even within its diversity.”
Kirkman expressed a desire to have the process for challenged books refined by the beginning of the school year, and that he anticipates that some of the books could end up back on library shelves. Board Clerk Krissy LaMont said that she would plan on scheduling a board work session dedicated to discussing the process in the coming months.
Several of the books banned at the May meeting were recommended reading for A.P. English Literature classes, as previously reported. As a result of the decision, those will no longer be included in the reading list, as previously reported.
At the May meeting, trustees and other district staff had discussed what would happen to the books being removed from libraries, and it was speculated they might face the same fate as materials being retired from school curricula: being thrown away. However, district leaders decided they would be keeping the books in the district’s warehouse until additional decisions are made, as previously reported.
When news of the banned books broke last month, local book retailer Rediscovered Bookshop mobilized, including asking the public to donate copies of the books for distribution in Nampa.
On Wednesday, the bookshop is planning a “Banned Books Giveaway” event at Flying M Coffee Garage in Nampa, 1314 2nd Street South, Nampa, from 6 to 8 p.m., according to the bookshop’s website. The event will give away over 1,250 copies of various books from the banned list that the public donated in one week following the board’s decision, according to the website. Anyone with a Nampa student ID card will be able to receive up to three copies of the books, and staff and teachers will be able to take home copies as well, as previously reported.
A banned book read-in will also take place on the school district’s administration building lawn (619 S. Canyon Street, Nampa) on Monday, June 13, at 6 p.m., organized by the Nampa Banned Books Fan Club.
The board’s workshop also included a discussion about the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as the process for deciding curriculum, and the board’s priorities and goals. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/nampa-school-board-staff-parents-discuss-path-forward-on-challenged-books/article_5538fba8-7b42-5bbd-8e85-1c2d649ec5c4.html | 2022-06-07T07:30:49 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/nampa-school-board-staff-parents-discuss-path-forward-on-challenged-books/article_5538fba8-7b42-5bbd-8e85-1c2d649ec5c4.html |
HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. — Several businesses have reported break-ins at Happy Valley Town Center near Southeast 162nd and Sunnyside Road in recent weeks.
Surveillance video from the night of May 15 shows a burglar walking through the Noodle Man restaurant.
That same night, someone broke into U.S. World Class Taekwondo, located in the same shopping center. The studio owner told KGW the suspect broke the glass door to gain entry.
Once inside, he stole documents containing personal information from students’ families, including credit card numbers. Some of that information was later used on fraudulent charges.
“We are like a family. We have a lot of students. It was really hard on everybody,” said studio owner Carlos Sepulveda. “After this, what is happening around, it doesn't feel safe anymore in Happy Valley. It doesn't feel the same like it was a couple years back.”
Pho Zen Vietnamese Bistro was also recently broken into at the shopping center and on Sunday, someone broke into Peet's Coffee. In both burglaries, the crook broke a window to get in.
Anyone with information on these cases is asked to contact the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/happy-valley-string-of-burglaries/283-3cbe344e-7f9c-4629-b647-431004b09173 | 2022-06-07T07:34:28 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/happy-valley-string-of-burglaries/283-3cbe344e-7f9c-4629-b647-431004b09173 |
ANKENY, Iowa — After a controversial drag show that occurred at Ankeny High School after hours, the organizers—the school's Gay Straight Alliance (GSA)—have spoken out about their intentions and the repercussions they have faced.
"My intentions with performing was to give the other students in my own GSA . . . a support system that I never got coming through the county school district," said Carson Doss, a member of the Gay Straight Alliance. "I wanted to show them that there are others in their building, and outside of high school and their own space that are there for them and have gone through the same struggles."
Doss said when planning the event, he ensured the material was family-friendly.
"I made sure to do content control and everything that was in that show was family friendly and PG, every costume we wore had some sort of covering of the whole body," Doss said.
Ankeny School District says although they support and work with the GSA, the district did not approve of the event or the performances that took place prior to them happening, saying the event is under investigation.
Doss worries about the LGBTQ+ teachers who attended the event, as he said they haven't returned back to class since the start of the district's investigation. Ankeny School District has not confirm any teachers were on leave.
"To see them in such a bad place where they could be fired is really is really sad to me, because they're the only people that helped me make it through high school without losing my own life," Doss said.
Now, the Ankeny School District is encouraging all students who may be experiencing bullying or harassment to utilize the tips reporting tool in Ankeny. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/ankeny-high-school-drag-show-backlash-gay-straight-alliance/524-a7e922ff-b738-4993-b692-76b84b848136 | 2022-06-07T07:40:33 | 0 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/ankeny-high-school-drag-show-backlash-gay-straight-alliance/524-a7e922ff-b738-4993-b692-76b84b848136 |
NORMAL — The Normal Town Council committed half a million dollars on Monday to support MarcFirst’s goals of expanding behavioral health services and opportunities.
With council support, MarcFirst, in partnership with the Regional Office of Education #17, plans to acquire a vacant property at 2000 Jacobssen Drive, adjacent to Shepard Park.
Within close proximity of the public park, the nonprofit organization will be able to offer outdoor recreational amenities, expand programming, develop further partnerships and provide classroom space for the ROE’s planned Central Illinois Bridge Academy.
The academy, which is in the works for the 2022-23 school year, will serve students who could soon require hospitalization or who are transitioning out of a hospital stay, generally for mental health concerns and need more support than area school districts can offer, Regional Superintendent Mark Jontry previously told The Pantagraph.
In a unanimous vote, the council approved the use of $500,000 of the town’s $10.8 million of American Rescue Plan Act funding.
The property previously had been occupied by Compeer Financial, a member-owned Farm Credit cooperative that serves agriculture and rural communities. It moved to a new building in Bloomington last fall.
Through the property acquisition, this funding will also help to support MarcFirst’s pediatric therapy, transitions, day training and support living programs.
Trustee Karyn Smith, whose daughter participates in MarcFirst’s programs, said she wanted to express “overwhelming support” for the resolution, noting the organization’s current space and staffing level are “not set up to accommodate as many people as probably need those services.”
MarcFirst’s space will grow from about 20,000 square feet to 35,000 square feet with this expansion, Smith said.
“To also partner with the Regional Office of Education to provide services to regular school children who are experiencing mental health issues, I think, is an incredible contribution to what we want to see happen for our community,” she said.
Every trustee on the council spoke in support of the resolution, commending MarcFirst for its work as well as its initiative to collaborate with other nonprofit organizations in the community.
In other business, council approved about $2.3 million worth of street resurfacing projects split between the roadway fund, which uses local motor fuel tax dollars, and the state-funded motor fuel tax fund.
Trustee Stan Nord sought to table the vote on the state-funded work so the council could review the town’s pavement surface evaluation and rating (PASER) results that are expected to be presented at the next meeting. He said he wanted to ensure the selected streets were the highest priority as determined by data.
Trustee Scott Preston supported Nord's motion to table, but after that failed, he and Nord voted in support of moving the resurfacing projects forward.
Bloomington-based Rowe Construction was the sole bidder for the work.
The street segments up for resurfacing in these projects include:
- North Parkside Road, from Braden Drive to Gregory Street
- Aurora Way, from Orlando Avenue to Miles Lane
- Warren Avenue, from Aurora to School Street
- South Blair Drive, from Vernon Avenue to College Avenue
- Hammitt Drive
- Keller Road
- Industrial Park Drive
- North Parkside, from College to Braden
- Prospect Avenue, south of Highland Avenue to Highland
- West Virginia Avenue, from Franklin Avenue to Broadway Avenue
- East Virginia, from Constitution Trail to Linden Street
- South Fell Avenue, from Virginia to Vernon.
Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/normal-funds-500-000-in-marcfirst-expansion/article_7da3df50-e60c-11ec-b957-7b175b94812a.html | 2022-06-07T07:42:25 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/normal-funds-500-000-in-marcfirst-expansion/article_7da3df50-e60c-11ec-b957-7b175b94812a.html |
A teacher at a Brooklyn school is under arrest after a verbal confrontation with a student allegedly became physical.
Marquell Singleton, 30, was arrested Monday on charges of assault and endangering the welfare of a child.
According to police, the incident happened Saturday at P.S. 178 Saint Clair Mckelway on Dean Street. A confrontation with words escalated, and Singleton allegedly slammed the 12-year-old student to the ground.
The original nature of the dispute was not immediately clear.
Copyright NBC New York | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/brooklyn-teacher-arrested-for-allegedly-slamming-12-year-old-to-the-ground/3722871/ | 2022-06-07T08:43:51 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/brooklyn-teacher-arrested-for-allegedly-slamming-12-year-old-to-the-ground/3722871/ |
New Jersey broke an unfortunate record (for drivers) on Tuesday - the average price of a gallon of gas hit $5 in the state for the first time ever.
It becomes the first East Coast state to shatter that unfortunate mark. (Though Washington D.C. already hit $5 in recent days.)
A gallon of regular unleaded now costs Jersey drivers $5.019 a gallon, according to AAA, some 12% more than a month ago.
Every penny increase in the price of gasoline costs New Jersey drivers about $110,000 in aggregate per day, based on daily averages for the latest consumption data available from the Energy Information Administration.
The national average went up another nickel overnight and is now just shy of $4.92 a gallon, also a record.
The situation isn’t much better elsewhere – New York hit a record $4.94 a gallon Tuesday, even higher than it was on June 1, when the state implemented a temporary 16-cent tax cut. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nj-hits-5-gas-for-the-first-time-ever/3722856/ | 2022-06-07T08:43:53 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nj-hits-5-gas-for-the-first-time-ever/3722856/ |
ASHLAND, Ky. (WJHL) — A Johnson City man accused of murdering his girlfriend and dumping her body along a gravel road near the Unaka Mountain Beauty Spot has been captured.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) announced early Tuesday morning that authorities arrested Bradley Miller, 43, with the assistance from Kentucky State Police. Investigators learned that Miller may have been in the Ashland area.
Investigators on Saturday issued warrants for his arrest on several charges, including first-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. The charges stem from the death of a 48-year-old Johnson City woman identified as Athena Saunders, who investigators revealed had been Miller’s girlfriend.
Police found Saunders’ body on Monday, May 30. The circumstances surrounding her death remain unclear at this time, and her body has been sent for an autopsy.
Authorities on Monday added Miller to the TBI’s Most Wanted list and posted a $2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest.
The TBI did not release any more information regarding Miller’s arrest. This is a developing story, and News Channel 11 will provide updates on-air and on WJHL.com. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tbi-beauty-spot-murder-suspect-captured-in-kentucky/ | 2022-06-07T10:15:53 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tbi-beauty-spot-murder-suspect-captured-in-kentucky/ |
Stephen Curry, The Muppets and a Lincoln miniature golf course owner walk onto a putt-putt course.
It might sound like the start of a quirky, long-winded joke, but don't be fooled — it's another episode of the world's hottest mini-golf show, "Holey Moley."
Adventure Golf Center co-owner Dylan Bohlke will appear on the extreme putt-putt show's fourth season. The episode will air Tuesday at 7 p.m. on ABC and will be shown on the Railyard's big screens in Lincoln's Haymarket.
Viewers can see Bohlke swinging at golf balls while avoiding major obstacles that threaten to throw him off-course — literally.
Last year, the small-business owner ditched his home state for a little more than two weeks for Los Angeles. The show was taped in March 2021, so he's excited to finally see himself play alongside his competitors.
"Getting to meet a lot of contestants was really fun," Bohlke said. "I'm still friends with quite a few of them."
Each episode features eight players who battle for a spot in the finale, which has already been taped. Bohlke can't say whether or not he advances.
Bohlke's business partner, Erik Gustafson, appeared on the show in 2020. Gustafson made it to the finale but fell short of the grand prize.
Commentators Rob Riggle of "The Daily Show" and Joe Tessitore of ESPN had plenty of witty remarks for Bohlke at each hole, but Bohlke's confidence was unshaken. He was fairly confident that he would be able to play well after hours practicing on his own course.
And while the grand prize of $250,000 sounded appealing to Bohlke, he said he mostly signed on for his beloved business and its patrons.
"I thought it'd be really fun just to do myself, but I also thought it'd be fun for my customers just to follow along and kind of cheer me on," Bohlke said.
Jenna Thompson is a news intern who has previous writing and editing experience with her college paper and several literary journals. She is a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln pursuing degrees in English and journalism.
Residents along the O Street corridor said the constant noise of racing and burnouts is not just the soundtrack to Memorial Day but persists year-round. And despite decades of police enforcement efforts, that hasn't changed.
Landon Ludwig initially faced a first-degree sexual assault charge, but he ultimately pleaded no contest to two counts of child abuse and criminal trespassing, all misdemeanors, as part of a plea deal.
The significant police presence near 13th and D streets, which included an armored sheriff's office vehicle, continued for several hours. A loud bang was heard by reporters in the area around 4:30 p.m.
Lancaster County's Tactical Response Unit found Jesse Salamanca hiding in the basement of a Lincoln residence around 5:40 p.m. Thursday, more than three hours after he had barricaded himself in the home, authorities said.
The so-called black box inside the Ford Taurus — more accurately known as an airbag control module — could tell investigators exactly what happened in the lead-up to a crash that killed two and injured 20. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-putt-putt-course-owner-to-appear-in-popular-tv-show/article_a3367f8c-d5a3-5cdb-94cd-01446a8f28d1.html | 2022-06-07T10:37:54 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-putt-putt-course-owner-to-appear-in-popular-tv-show/article_a3367f8c-d5a3-5cdb-94cd-01446a8f28d1.html |
OXFORD • Once upon a time, Jake Keiser owned a public relations firm in Tampa Bay, Florida, and spent idle moments fantasizing about a simple country life while adding chicks to her virtual cart on MyPetChicken.com.
Ten years ago, she turned the virtual into reality. She sold her business in Florida and bought a farm in Oxford, where she lives to this day. She even wrote a book about it.
The 48-year-old turned a house and plot of land into Daffodil Hill Farm, a quaint country estate that abounds with furred and feathered creatures.
Keiser's memoir, "Daffodil Hill: Uprooting My Life, Buying a Farm, and Learning to Bloom," will be released on June 7, published by The Dial Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
It’s a story of trial and error, success and failure, and by sharing it, Keiser hopes to inspire others to follow where their hearts lead.
A decision to become self-reliant
Keiser grew up a military brat, moving from place to place. She lived in Oxford as a child, along with stints in Kentucky, Georgia, Guam and the Philippines.
She'd also attended the University of Mississippi, where her father, Ed Keiser, was a biology professor, and her step-mother, Sue Keiser, served as assistant to the chancellor.
Although strong ties led her back to Oxford, they were not enough to negate the shock of moving from a bustling city to a quiet life of solitude on a farm.
The owner of Keiser & Company, a Tampa-based PR firm, Keiser lived a busy and sociable life. But she was unhappy. Trauma from her childhood, several miscarriages and a failed marriage haunted her.
Eventually, she came to two realizations: Despite her success, she felt unfulfilled. And she had no self-reliance skills.
"It was somewhat of a burnout," Keiser said. "I started fantasizing about farm life and the peace of it."
She'd already ventured into organic DIY projects in the city, making her own lip balm and almond milk, but she wanted to take it further. She wanted a garden, animals to care for and total independence.
During a two-week visit with her family, Keiser told her step-mother that she'd like to retire to a farm someday.
"Well, you don't tell her what you want to do, because she's going to make it happen lightning-fast," Keiser said.
Not long after she returned to Tampa, Keiser received a call; there was a house and 5 acres of land for sale in rural Lafayette County.
From Gucci to goats, a blog to a book deal
Nearly a decade later, Keiser is still living in the house, she thought would be a starter home, situated on a plot of land teeming with life.
The first farm animal she acquired — ahem, inherited — was a feral kitten that had been living under the house. She named her Gia. Keiser was gifted geese, ordered chicks online and bought her first chickens from First Monday Trade Days in Ripley.
She now has several chickens, geese, goats, two dogs, two cats and a turkey. She generally tries to keep the number of animals she cares for around 40 to 50, but that number has reached up to 100.
Back in Tampa, when Keiser had ventured into a more organic lifestyle, she started a blog called "Gucci to Goats" where she shared thoughts and tips with others through the process. After moving to Mississippi, she gave up the blog and had virtually no online presence. Only a handful of people knew she was leaving Florida, but she continued to run her PR firm for a time from her new home.
"I had a lot of healing to do," Keiser said. "A dark night of the soul is what I was going through."
She'd lost her sense of self-worth, which was ironic because she'd moved to Oxford to save herself.
After a couple of years of working through inner turmoil, Keiser had a dream in which her grandfather told her to restart the blog.
So, that's exactly what she did. She woke up, threw her hair in a ponytail, and started typing.
Keiser wrote a blog post every day for 30 days, musing about food, animal health and her daily life.
On the thirtieth day, after hitting "submit" on that day's blog, she was contacted by Cosmopolitan magazine. They featured her story alongside other women who gave up successful careers to start farms.
"That kick-started everything," Keiser said.
Shortly thereafter, agents began contacting her. Before she knew it, she had a book deal.
Keiser never planned on being an author. Despite her blog, she didn't think she had anything to write a book about.
She did. And after signing a book deal in mid-2018, she wrote the manuscript that became "Daffodil Hill" in six weeks.
Sharing 'Daffodil Hill' with the world
Keiser's memoir covers her first four years on the farm as she discovered both the wonders and horrors of Mother Nature.
At times humorous, others serious, she takes readers through ups and downs — from the joy of collecting the first egg laid by one of her chickens to dealing with the despair of giving up a life and career.
The book's cheerful cover features chicks, eggs and flowers alongside a designer handbag. The art was inspired by the time one of Keiser's chickens perched on one of her Prada bags.
In Oxford, she traded designer clothes for overalls, and her feathered friends have turned out to be her best accessories.
"They're all different colors and shapes," Keiser said. "But unlike my handbags, they love me back."
With the book, she hopes to encourage those looking to make major life transitions to take a leap of faith. In writing about being unable to have children, she hopes to help other women who feel they've lost their role in society to see that they do have value.
By sharing her own experiences — both good and bad — Keiser hopes to show others their lives have purpose. Maybe just not where they expect it.
"I pushed myself to be as authentic and brutally vulnerable as I could, because otherwise I can't help anybody," Keiser said. "If I don't show who I am, if I don't talk about things that I've had shame over, it will help no one." | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/jake-keiser-writes-about-trading-successful-pr-firm-for-farm-life-in-daffodil-hill-memoir/article_bde2e7f3-04e5-5dfe-9c90-639eee18341f.html | 2022-06-07T10:53:30 | 1 | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/jake-keiser-writes-about-trading-successful-pr-firm-for-farm-life-in-daffodil-hill-memoir/article_bde2e7f3-04e5-5dfe-9c90-639eee18341f.html |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf tweeted that he tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday.
The 73-year-old governor said in the tweet he has mild symptoms. He said he tested positive in the evening.
“I’m grateful that I recently got my second vaccine booster," Wolf said in his tweet.
Wolf, a Democrat, said he will be following the CDC's guidance to isolate at home.
Wolf tested positive for the virus in December 2020 as well. He was asymptomatic at the time, according to his office. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/gov-wolf-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-isolation/523-3323c244-a1ac-490b-bbdf-05209a473101 | 2022-06-07T10:54:01 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/gov-wolf-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-isolation/523-3323c244-a1ac-490b-bbdf-05209a473101 |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania legislators and EMS providers met at the State Capitol to discuss the need for increased funding and overall reform from the government on Monday.
Staffing concerns have worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to longer response times, workforce shortages, low reimbursements, and little to no municipal funding in many areas.
The recent increase in fuel prices have made agencies go over their operational budget.
So far, two bills have passed in the House, and are going to the Senate. These bills deal with Medicaid reimbursement rates and give agencies the chance to seek additional funding.
Officials say the time is now to make changes before the EMS system collapses.
"What's going to happen when they're shorthanded on staff or not able to fund, especially with the cost of fuel, response times will be longer, and people are going to suffer because of that," State Senator Pat Stefano said.
This is not the first time EMS companies have reached out for government support, but the pandemic has only heightened the urgency.
EMS obtained $25 million for their providers in February, which is still not sufficient enough to function, they say. However, the community of responders also say they are grateful for this funding.
EMS agencies say their goal is to have both bills on the governor's desk within the next couple of weeks.
Both bills are considered non-partisan and are likely to pass in the State Senate. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/pennsylvania-ems-agencies-call-for-government-support/521-918ee97b-4543-4e8f-9f4d-6bbc959edb95 | 2022-06-07T10:54:07 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/pennsylvania-ems-agencies-call-for-government-support/521-918ee97b-4543-4e8f-9f4d-6bbc959edb95 |
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The City of Cape Coral and the Chamber of Commerce will discuss the topic of homeowners insurance Tuesday, June 7, at 6 p.m.
Anyone is welcome to join in the conversation at the Cape Coral Yacht Club Ballroom.
Although experts say there may not be immediate relief, the city is working on some solutions for you.
This year, three major Florida insurance companies went out of business and more may soon follow.
It’s part of the state’s insurance crisis.
Lawmakers were in Tallahassee last month to try and fix the problem that’s leaving many of you with huge rate increases. The new bills that were passed create roof deductibles and provide protections for roofs that are 15 years or older.
This means your insurance company cannot drop you because of the age of your roof.
However, experts are saying these bills won’t provide lower rates for you anytime soon.
Florida lawmakers did pass an insurance package that’s supposed to make your home more desirable for insurance companies to cover. | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/06/07/cape-coral-and-chamber-of-commerce-to-host-town-hall-focusing-on-homeowners-insurance/ | 2022-06-07T11:09:52 | 1 | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/06/07/cape-coral-and-chamber-of-commerce-to-host-town-hall-focusing-on-homeowners-insurance/ |
100 years ago
June 7, 1922: The largest class ever — 35 students — will graduate from Eureka College. The commencement address will be given by Raphael H. Miller, pastor of the Independence Boulevard Christian church of Kansas City, Missouri. The graduating class is made up of 19 young men and 11 young women.
75 years ago
June 7, 1947: More than 200 executives and other Bloomington employees of State Farm were expected to leave for Chicago for an international convention. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the founding of the State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance company on June 7, 1922, more than 3,000 leading agents and their spouses from across the U.S. and Ontario, Canada, were expected to gather.
50 years ago
June 7, 1972: Bloomington Mayor Walter Bittner defended himself against allegations from a neighbor, who wrote in a Pantagraph letter to the editor that city garbage haulers would not pick up garbage in the alley behind her home but would do so for the mayor. Bittner said he took his garbage to the curb; the letter-writer later said she did not see the pickup herself.
25 years ago
June 7, 1997: Experts say warning signs point to a renewed rise in heroin use, nationwide and in Central Illinois. "There is almost a sense that, 'Hey, heroin is fashionable.' That's very dangerous," said Randall Webber, director of training and publications at Bloomington's Chestnut Health Systems Lighthouse Institute.
Compiled by Pantagraph staff | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/100-years-ago-eureka-college-graduates-largest-class-yet/article_8584d6f2-e5cb-11ec-a3dd-e383bf4d6450.html | 2022-06-07T11:16:47 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/100-years-ago-eureka-college-graduates-largest-class-yet/article_8584d6f2-e5cb-11ec-a3dd-e383bf4d6450.html |
BLOOMINGTON — One hundred years ago Tuesday, a farmer named George turned 45.
The next day he founded what would become the largest automobile, property and casualty insurer in North America and Bloomington-Normal’s largest employer.
“Our success in life is not measured by our years but is measured by our accomplishments made,” said George (G.J.) Mecherle, the first CEO of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, in a speech on Founders Day 1950.
With 100 years of accomplishments under its belt, State Farm celebrates Founders Day and its centennial anniversary Tuesday, despite technically beginning operations on June 8, 1922.
The company’s first board of directors voted to move the official founding date, declaring Founders Day to be June 7 in honor of Mecherle’s birthday, State Farm spokeswoman Gina Morss-Fischer told The Pantagraph.
“What started with one policy sold by one farmer in Bloomington, Illinois, in 1922 has grown into a company that serves 88 million policies and accounts across the United States,” said Michael Tipsord, State Farm’s sixth president and CEO. “The momentum we feel in our 100th year to build another century of success is fueled by our mission to help people. We are thriving because employees, agents and their team members are motivated to be good neighbors — for our customers, for their communities and for each other.”
An insurance town
After a century in the community, the story of State Farm and the story of Bloomington are forever interwoven.
“You cannot tell the history of this community and the wider area over the past century without including the story of State Farm; they are inextricably linked,” said Bill Kemp, librarian for the McLean County Museum of History. “The growth of State Farm and the growth of this community are parallel in some ways.”
Though on a national scale, the organization of the Republican Party in 1856, when Abraham Lincoln gave the keynote address to a McLean County audience, likely had a wider impact, Kemp says this community’s most important event could be Mecherle’s birth in 1877.
The company he built into State Farm Insurance has touched nearly every aspect of this community, influencing residential growth, the local economy and the diversity of Bloomington-Normal.
The former home office in downtown Bloomington was a boon to the downtown area, Kemp said. As many as 900 employees worked there at the building's peak.
“It's the most significant 20th century building. It's the tallest building in downtown. Just a jaw-droppingly well-built beautiful art deco mid-rise skyscraper,” he said of the building at 112 E. Washington St. that served as corporate headquarters from 1929 to 1972. The last State Farm employees left the downtown building in January 2018.
As its offices moved eastward — first to the corporate campus at the corner of Washington Street and Veterans Parkway in the early 1970s, and then to Corporate South off Ireland Grove Road in 1994 — so did its workforce.
“All the sprawl that came with that, there wasn't commensurate investment into downtown Bloomington, into the older neighborhoods,” said Kemp, speaking as a Twin Cities resident. “That's not really State Farm's problem; that's the community's problem, but you would think State Farm as the leading employer could have been more proactive in growing smarter than we did at that time. … Economic growth is absolutely vital, but we could have been a little bit smarter in the 1990s as to how this community grew.”
The economic growth is undeniable, as is the stability the insurance giant offered the mid-sized city that many communities of its size lost.
“State Farm, by virtue of its business — insurance — the stability that has brought to this community is, I think, something we take for granted,” Kemp said. “We haven't had the post-industrial struggle that communities of our size have had. Look at Decatur, look at Rockford, look at the slightly smaller Danville. To some extent, those communities have been decimated because they were dependent on manufacturing.”
While manufacturing lessened or left communities, State Farm remained stable through deindustrialization and globalization, “but was also growing during that time as well,” Kemp said. “The stabilizing and growth role State Farm has had in our community has been absolutely, absolutely instrumental.”
Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe agreed, noting the “significant role” the company has played in Bloomington’s growth and stability.
“We appreciate their commitment to the community, a commitment that extends far beyond providing products and services,” he said. “One need only look at the number of organizations that have benefited from State Farm's generosity over the years to understand their impact on our community.”
By the ‘80s and 90s, State Farm had also begun to affect the ethnic and racial diversity of the community, by bringing an influx of South Asian people to Bloomington-Normal to work for the company.
“The diversity of their workforce has enriched this community in immeasurable ways,” Mwilambwe said.
The innovator
The company’s long history began with Mecherle, a Merna farmer turned tractor salesman who saw the potential of the automobile and the internal combustion engine.
He saw the auto insurance rates for people in rural communities, like Bloomington-Normal and much of downstate Illinois, as too high, not reflecting the true risk of less populated areas.
“He believed the answer was for Central Illinoisans to band together to assure themselves mutually as policyholders. That was innovative, the growth potential,” Kemp said.
The insurer grew from only offering policies to farmers connected to local farm bureaus to the broader population, and the expansion did not stop.
But Mecherle remained “rooted to the land,” Kemp said, working in the 1930s to surpass 100 bushels of corn produced in an acre.
He, Walter Meers and Jim Holbert crossed that barrier by using “hybrid corn, cover crops, heavy manuring and also copious amounts of fertilizer, but they were able to do that and kind of give a window into the future of Corn Belt agriculture,” he said. “He was an innovator in insurance, but he also never forgot his farm roots and farming was always important to him as well.”
The largest employer
Today, roughly 15,000 people are employed at State Farm in Bloomington, as of spring 2022, and in total, the corporation has more than 53,000 employees, according to Fortune data.
Although the insurance industry maintained more stability than others, State Farm is not without employment losses.
In 2018, the insurer cut about 890 non-management analyst positions in Bloomington and moved about 380 enterprise technology (formerly information technology) positions to State Farm’s larger hubs in Atlanta, Dallas and Phoenix, according to Pantagraph reports.
Since 2018, its nationwide workforce has dropped from nearly 70,000.
But as Kemp said, while it’s still the largest, State Farm is not the only player in town.
Rivian Automotive’s employee base has surpassed 5,000 locally; Illinois State University employs nearly 4,000; and the other major insurer in town, Country Financial, has about 2,000 employees here.
Controversies
Despite State Farm’s “good neighbor” slogan, the company has faced backlash that some say connote the opposite.
Former State Farm employee Carla Campbell-Jackson filed a lawsuit against the company in December 2021 accusing racism, discrimination and retaliation.
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents Campbell-Jackson, said the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission collected approximately 100,000 “pieces of evidence documenting a culture of racism and discrimination” during its investigation.
Another former employee, Shashi Mandhyan, filed a separate lawsuit in February 2022 claiming she was retaliated against for speaking out against discrimination while she worked at the corporate headquarters.
Crump said more than 150 current and former State Farm employees have made similar claims against the company.
When the two suits were filed, State Farm issued statements that said the allegations did not reflect the company’s culture and are counter to its values as an organization.
The company recently drew attention after a partnership with the Chicago-based GenderCool Project sparked criticism from the nonprofit Consumers' Research, whose executive director accused State Farm of "woke indoctrination."
In response, State Farm withdrew from the program that would have allowed agents to donate LGBTQ-friendly books to a local teacher, library or community center.
"We support organizations that provide resources for parents to have conversations about gender and identity with their children at home," State Farm said in a statement on its website. "We do not support required curriculum in schools on this topic."
The Illinois General Assembly LGBTQ Caucus, as well as the nonprofit Equality Illinois, issued a joint statement saying they would be "compelled to call out State Farm's hypocrisy" if it did not reverse course.
The insurance giant also came into controversy last fall regarding company spokesman Aaron Rodgers.
The NFL quarterback brought attention when he said he sought alternative treatments instead of NFL-endorsed COVID-19 vaccinations.
In a statement, State Farm said: “We don’t support some of the statements that he has made, but we respect his right to have his own personal point of view.”
Despite this, Rodgers' appearances in State Farm’s TV commercials declined in frequency.
'Much to do'
Mecherle’s legacy in State Farm, however, lives on.
Though the company left its view of Route 66 in downtown Bloomington, State Farm and its founder maintain their place in the iconic highway’s Hall of Fame.
During his 1950 Founders Day speech, Mecherle said he believed work and service to be the mission of mankind, “the true measure and the true reason for our existence.”
In keeping with his view of service, this year State Farm employees participated in the 100 Acts of Good initiative, to “turn caring into doing.”
Employers were to “donate time, money, and goods to the causes you care about and help build on our legacy of community engagement,” according to the initiative website.
“I think they have been, generally speaking, a good neighbor to the community,” Kemp said, speaking particularly of Mecherle and the Rust family who took up the helm for 61 years after the founder’s son Raymond Mecherle died in 1954.
But just as Mecherle knew in 1950, State Farm’s story is not over.
“This business association has made my life consingularly complete,” he said. “We still have much to do; eternal vigilance must be practiced. … We must press forward with the eternal hope that success will crown our efforts and the result of our work will add something to the lives of those we served which will be elevating and uplifting to all.”
Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.
"You cannot tell the history of this community and the wider area over the past century without including the story of State Farm."
— Bill Kemp, librarian for the McLean County Museum of History | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/state-farm-marks-a-century-in-bloomington/article_f301214c-e551-11ec-8871-5f2a9b0292a6.html | 2022-06-07T11:16:54 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/state-farm-marks-a-century-in-bloomington/article_f301214c-e551-11ec-8871-5f2a9b0292a6.html |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) – One month from Tuesday, the World Games will have officially kicked off.
The Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport is in the middle of an $8 million renovation project to create a first-class experience for travelers that we reported on when the launch of the event was 100 days away.
Now, 30 days away many of the upgrades slated to happen are already complete.
“We are so excited about welcoming the world to our community,” Public Information Officer Kim Hunt said. “It’s a big deal for this airport so we’re all really excited about it.”
You can already see some of those changes by baggage claim. Brand new signage was added last week. It highlights different sports and athletes. You can see the welcome banners along the escalators as you transition from the terminals to baggage claim.
“We’re just doing everything in our power to make everything as successful as it can be, and we know that the World Games will be very successful,” Hunt said.
One of those biggest upgrades is providing some of the fastest internet inside the airport. At the terminals, you can find speeds as fast as 5G+.
“That’s a big upgrade and it’s something we’ve needed to do for customers anyway,” Hunt said. “It was on tap to be done, we just sped up the process to get it done before July 7.”
Officials are working to replace all the seats in the terminal. Those are slated to arrive this week and to start to be installed next week. They will include armrests on both sides and power at each one.
Elevators at the parking garage move much more quickly, providing a view of the city and airport as you make your way to security.
Because the airport is the first and last thing travelers will see, officials said it is important to make it stand out. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/8-million-airport-renovation-project-nearing-completion-ahead-of-world-games/ | 2022-06-07T11:17:58 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/8-million-airport-renovation-project-nearing-completion-ahead-of-world-games/ |
Midland Development Corp. directors are preparing for future businesses with actions taken at Monday’s monthly board meeting.
Board members agreed to amend an agreement to purchase a 58.207-acre tract of land in the David Mims Business Park by extending the feasibility period for an additional 60 days.
Stephen Lowery, chairman of the MDC board, and Sara Harris, executive director, told board members they expect 42 LLC, which is representing the actual buyer, will close on the acquisition before the deadline provided in the amendment.
Harris also asked board members for guidance on engaging one or more engineering firms to help obtain tenants for property owned by the City of Midland at Midland International Airport. Harris explained that there is a prospective tenant for the property. Based on the guidance she received from board members Monday, she said she will discuss MDC’s engineering needs for prospects with several different firms in order to determine price and scope. She will then bring a professional services agreement or agreements to the board for approval at the next monthly board meeting on Aug. 1.
Board members also passed a resolution approving the MDC’s 2022-2023 Fiscal Year budget. Harris said the proposed budget is generally in line with the current budget for FY 2022, with general and administrative expenses and operating expenses flat.
The only exceptions are the costs associated with MDC’s purchase of the J.L. Davis properties downtown at 210 N. Big Spring St. and 211 N. Colorado St. for $4.9 million. The purchase impacted insurance, grounds maintenance and building maintenance costs. Harris said budgeted sales tax revenues were increased from $10 million in the current fiscal year to $11 million for the upcoming FY 2023. | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/MDC-board-paves-way-for-future-activity-at-17223166.php | 2022-06-07T11:35:42 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/MDC-board-paves-way-for-future-activity-at-17223166.php |
Many wildlife rehabilitators are currently not accepting waterfowl due to the spread of avian flu in wild birds. Because waterfowl can carry the virus without showing symptoms, allowing them into rehabilitation facilities can put all the birds at the facility at risk.
Goslings, ducklings and adult waterfowl can all carry the virus. If you find healthy ducklings or goslings without a parent nearby, please leave them alone and allow the parents to find them. If you choose to interfere, they can be released at the nearest waterway. Injured ducks and geese may be brought to an ODFW office for euthanasia. Please call ahead if you are bringing in an injured duck or goose.
If you see sick or dead wild birds, do not collect or handle them but report the incident directly to your local ODFW office or the Wildlife Health lab at 866-968-2600 or email at Wildlife.Health@odfw.oregon.gov.
ODFW staff will be conducting surveillance and collecting /testing sick and dead wild birds to monitor for the presence of the disease.
Portland Audubon is one of many facilities currently not accepting waterfowl.
“The risk of avian flu spreading to other birds in the wildlife rehab clinic is too high,” said Wildlife Care Center Manager Stephanie Herman. “We cannot risk the health of other wildlife in our care centers. We are hoping this situation is temporary and normal rehabilitation operations will return by mid-summer. Our goal is to serve all native wild animals in need of help so this is a very sad and difficult situation.”
This is the time of year when goslings, ducklings and other young birds are commonly picked up and brought into rehab centers. Well-intentioned people mistakenly think these young birds are orphaned because they may be temporarily separated from their parents.
This year more than ever, it is important to leave wild birds in the wild to give them the best chance for survival. If you see young ducks or geese, please keep pets under tight control. Not feeding waterfowl is also especially important during this time.
In addition to commonly causing nutritional issues, feeding congregates animals and results in overcrowding and increased risk of disease spread.
In Oregon, avian flu was first detected in wild birds in Canada goose goslings at Alton Baker Park in Eugene and it was also found in several red-tailed hawks in May. The current detections of the highly pathogenic virus have occurred only in Linn and Lane counties but ODFW biologists expect it to spread over the next several weeks.
This virus has been documented in more than 100 different species of wild birds worldwide since it was first detected in December 2021 in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It was believed to have entered North America in an infected wild seabird or migrating waterfowl.
The virus currently circulating in Oregon and other parts of the world is very contagious among birds and can sicken and even kill many bird species, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys. Infected birds can shed avian influenza A viruses in their saliva, nasal secretions, and feces. Susceptible birds become infected when they contact the virus after it is shed by infected birds.
Wild birds that typically carry the virus include waterbirds (such as ducks, geese, swans, gulls, and terns), shorebirds (such as sandpipers), and pelicans and cormorants. Dabbling ducks (such as mallards, pintails, and wigeons) serve as reservoir hosts for avian influenza A viruses although it often does not cause disease in these species.
The disease can also infect raptors (hawks, eagles) that prey on or consume sick or dead waterfowl.
The wild bird species in Oregon most at risk from this strain of virus currently appear to be all waterfowl, shorebirds, eagles and scavenging species such as crows and turkey vultures.
While very contagious and deadly for some birds, the risk to human health is low according to the CDC. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/waterfowl-no-longer-accepted-at-wildlife-rehabilitation-centers-due-to-avian-flu-risk/article_23ae83e6-e504-11ec-8db1-b74a079d1413.html | 2022-06-07T11:48:29 | 0 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/waterfowl-no-longer-accepted-at-wildlife-rehabilitation-centers-due-to-avian-flu-risk/article_23ae83e6-e504-11ec-8db1-b74a079d1413.html |
Gasoline prices continue to soar in Seattle and across western Washington.
In the last week, average gas prices in Seattle have risen 15.9 cents per gallon, according to a GasBuddy survey of 775 stations in the city. That puts the city's average at $5.48 per gallon.
Gas prices in Seattle are 56.6 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and $1.78 per gallon higher than a year ago, according to GasBuddy. The average price to fill up on June 6, 2021, was $3.70 per gallon. Read more
An anti-harassment order against Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer was upheld in District Court Monday.
Troyer must stay at least 1,000 feet away from Sedrick Altheimer's residence and workplace, as well as avoid any contact with Altheimer. The order was extended Monday through June 6, 2023.
Altheimer, a Black newspaper carrier, filed a lawsuit last year seeking $5 million in damages against Troyer over an incident that occurred on Jan. 27, 2021. On that day, Troyer called a department line used by law enforcement to gather routine information and requests and said that he “caught” Altheimer in his driveway and “he just threatened to kill me,” according to probable cause documents. Read more
Starting later this month, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office will permanently re-assign several specialty units to help cover patrol crews due to staffing shortages across the department, the sheriff said in a letter to the public Monday afternoon.
Sheriff Adam Fortney said the Office of Neighborhoods, Directed Patrol and the K-9 unit will be among the specialty units re-assigned to patrol crews to fill current vacancies in the department.
The re-assignments will start "mid-June," Fortney said in the letter. Read more
A symbol of eternal love, blending gold from two families’ heirlooms sank like a rock off the waters of Ixtapa, Mexico. There was nothing Lisa Mahar could do but watch.
“I think all of our intentions and things that we said to each other and promises were in this engagement ring, and seeing it go away, for me, was heartbreaking,” said Mahar, who is from Redmond.
Heartbreaking, but not unusual as the ocean takes what it wants. What’s amazing about this story isn’t that the ring was lost, but rather how the ring was found.
That’s where Patricia Mancia and her 75-year-old father from Ixtapa, Mexico, come in. Read more
Wedding planners, venue owners and vendors are slammed right now as they tackle the busiest wedding season in nearly 40 years.
Data from the wedding report shows a pretty steady industry until 2020, the year every bride went from happy and excited, to bridezilla with an N-95. No one is blaming them either.
Now, rescheduled weddings and even new engagements are overwhelming the industry. Read more
RELATED: Western Washington Forecast
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Download KING 5's Roku and Amazon Fire apps for live newscasts and video on demand. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/5-things-to-know-tuesday-june-2022/281-33d7deed-8c4c-443f-9169-6e271592e0ea | 2022-06-07T11:48:45 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/5-things-to-know-tuesday-june-2022/281-33d7deed-8c4c-443f-9169-6e271592e0ea |
It’s Chocolate Ice Cream Day! To celebrate, eat ice cream for breakfast, lunch and dinner today. Plus, fit in a few snacks, too. Chocolate ice cream can be enjoyed on its own, in a cone, in an ice cream sandwich or as part of a sundae. Enjoy!
Head to the Southwest Library, 7979 38th Ave., for a living history presentation about Georgia O’Keefe. Historian Leslie Goddard portrays O’Keeffe, the legendary artist and modernist. As O’Keeffe reflects on her life, she discusses her intense closeness to flowers, nature and the landscape around her homes in New Mexico. 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. Sign up for a spot at mykpl.info or call 262-564-6100.
Dig into some local history today at the Kenosha History Center, 220 51st Place. The History Center is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free.
Prost! The Petrifying Springs Biergarten is now officially open for the season. The Biergarten is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays. The Biergarten is located near the Highway JR entrance on the south end of Petrifying Springs Park, 5555 Seventh St., in Somers.
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The Milwaukee County Zoo is offering a new attraction this summer: “Dragon Kingdom” is open through Sept. 5. Zoo visitors will “enter an enchanting mythical world to encounter more than 15 awesome animatronic creatures found in cultures throughout the world.” The dragons include an “ice” dragon from the Arctic, a Chinese dragon who brings good fortune and a dragon from Persian mythology, with a lion’s body — and rows of sharp teeth! The cost is $3 per person in addition to regular zoo admission. milwaukeezoo.org. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-tuesday-june-7/article_a47c9532-e449-11ec-8a52-9b004b6c1c2d.html | 2022-06-07T11:51:42 | 0 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-tuesday-june-7/article_a47c9532-e449-11ec-8a52-9b004b6c1c2d.html |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/kenney-on-mass-shooting-access-to-guns-too-easy/3263176/ | 2022-06-07T11:58:46 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/kenney-on-mass-shooting-access-to-guns-too-easy/3263176/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-crime-victims-travel-to-harrisburg-to-demand-support/3263175/ | 2022-06-07T11:58:46 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-crime-victims-travel-to-harrisburg-to-demand-support/3263175/ |
A public input meeting is set Wednesday on a $6.6 million road construction project proposed for north Mandan.
Officials are proposing to reconstruct Eighth Avenue Northwest from Old Red Trail to 27th Street Northwest, and 27th Street Northwest from state Highway 1806 to Eighth Avenue Northwest, according to the state Transportation Department. Those roads are to the east of Walmart and Mandan Middle School, and to the northwest of the Starion Sports Complex.
Roadways are to be widened in urban sections with curb and gutter. Underground work is to include storm sewers and water mains. Sidewalk, signing, pavement markings and lighting are to be included.
The project is to be paid for with a mix of state grant money, sales tax revenue, federal COVID-19 relief aid and special assessments.
The public meeting is from 7-9 p.m. Wednesday in the cafetorium at the middle school, 2901 12th Ave. NW. It will utilize an open house format with a formal presentation at 7:30 p.m. Representatives from Moore Engineering and the city of Mandan will be present.
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Written comments can be submitted by June 23 to Jim Jackson at jim.jackson@mooreengineeringinc.com with “Public Input Meeting” in the e-mail subject heading, or mailed to Attn: Jim Jackson, Moore Engineering Inc., 4503 Coleman St. Suite 105, Bismarck, ND 58503.
To request special accommodations for the meeting, contact city spokeswoman Ellen Huber at 701-667-3485 or ehuber@cityofmandan.gov. TTY users may use Relay North Dakota at 711 or 1-800-366-6888. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/mandan/public-meeting-set-wednesday-on-6-6m-north-mandan-road-project/article_242317c2-e1e6-11ec-adad-fb73849c79d7.html | 2022-06-07T12:17:18 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/mandan/public-meeting-set-wednesday-on-6-6m-north-mandan-road-project/article_242317c2-e1e6-11ec-adad-fb73849c79d7.html |
DALLAS — Residents from multiple apartments units are being assisted after an early morning fire in the Old East Dallas area.
The Dallas Fire-Rescue Department says they got multiple calls about a fire at The Cornerstone Apartments on Gaston Avenue. First responders went to the fire at around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.
When they got there, the DFR says the fire was already in its advanced stages. They were able to put it out by about 2:30 a.m.
The fire affected 10 apartment units. According to DFR, The American Red Cross has been called in to help the residents that were impacted.
Sources at the scene tell WFAA that one woman was taken to a hospital for smoke inhalation. They also say the fire came from the second floor of the apartment, but it's not clear how it started.
OTHER DALLAS STORIES: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/old-east-dallas-texas-fire-gaston-avenue-munger-blvd-cornerstone-apartments/287-040a48c5-f262-4701-b4e9-29d0a48fa523 | 2022-06-07T12:25:59 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/old-east-dallas-texas-fire-gaston-avenue-munger-blvd-cornerstone-apartments/287-040a48c5-f262-4701-b4e9-29d0a48fa523 |
SAN ANTONIO — A man is dead and a driver is injured after a crash involving a pedestrian and a Jeep early Tuesday morning.
At 12:30, Bexar County Sheriff's Office responded to the intersection of Potranco and Sundance Crest for a crash.
Officials believe the driver of a Jeep tried to swerve and avoid a man in the road, but the man was hit and died at the scene. The Jeep then rolled onto it's side, which injured the driver.
The driver was taken to the hospital and is not expected to face charges, officials say. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-killed-after-being-hit-by-jeep-news/273-3ced757d-914b-4c9d-a867-2a1ea51ce06d | 2022-06-07T12:46:25 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-killed-after-being-hit-by-jeep-news/273-3ced757d-914b-4c9d-a867-2a1ea51ce06d |
The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer. Harris is a US army veteran and Arizonian on the importance of passing this legislation:
Like so many other veterans, when I returned from my first deployment, the country and the people I called home felt foreign. When I returned from my second deployment, that feeling only grew stronger, and lingered longer. The military had prepared me for the culture shock of deploying to the Middle East. They didn’t prepare me for the culture shock of returning to the United States. I felt disconnected from my community, my family, and myself. I knew if I was going to make it through these jarring transitions, I was going to have to build myself back. So I did what so many other writers, thinkers, and veterans do – I went to the great outdoors.
And for Arizona veterans — there is no place quite as peaceful as the Grand Canyon. It is one of the crown jewels of America’s National Park System — and a place of refuge and relaxation for hundreds of thousands of people each year.
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I rediscovered my connection to this country amongst the deserts, plateaus, mountains and rivers of this majestic landscape. We’d hike the trails, grapple with our trauma in the wilderness — and get better.
But the Grand Canyon — a place that inspires so much awe in its permanence and place — isn’t as secure as it should be.
Several uranium mines and hundreds more uranium claims outside park boundaries threaten to permanently pollute the most remarkable gorge in the world.
This isn’t new. In the 1950s, prospectors flocked to the area in search of uranium. They mined millions of tons of ore from tribal lands — and left behind a toxic legacy that continues to pollute the land, air and water today.
As of October 2020, there are still over 600 active mining claims on national forest and other public lands around the Grand Canyon.
But there is currently legislation in Congress that would protect the Grand Canyon and the surrounding areas for generations to come. Senators Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly, and Chair Raul Grijalva have fought to protect the Grand Canyon, introducing the Grand Canyon Protection Act in the Senate and House which would prohibit new uranium around the National Park.
The legislation, which is supported by the Havasupai Tribe, who live deep within the canyon’s walls, passed in the House of Representatives with bipartisan support in less than two weeks.
And the Senate will begin debating the legislation this week, with a hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on public lands on Tuesday.
Passing this legislation is critical.
Through an expanded monument designation by the president or through legislative action, we can ensure that this crown jewel of the American landscape is preserved and safeguarded for generations to come.
By expanding protections, we have the opportunity to not only safeguard the wellbeing of one of our great economic drivers, but also to protect the drinking water of the Native tribes who call these lands home.
This is just the first step in making sure the public lands that veterans like me love are protected.
The Biden-Harris administration has made protecting public lands a priority. In fact, just a few months into his Presidency, Joe Biden announced his America the Beautiful initiative which set forth the goal of conserving 30% of our nation’s lands and waterways by 2030.
Then, President Biden took a great first step towards making his goals a reality by restoring protections to Bears Ears, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Northeast Canyons, and Seamounts National Monuments. This came as a result of tireless efforts by folks throughout the country, including, I’m proud to note, our very own Congressman Ruben Gallego, who the president singled out for his advocacy at the bill signing ceremony.
But, again, this is a great first step — there’s still a lot more to do. And President Biden, through the Antiquities Act, possesses the power to do so much more. So do our elected leaders in the U.S. House and Senate.
Mine is not a unique story among veterans — healing through nature. It’s a story many Americans know all too well as we head into another year of a global pandemic.
The outdoors, and the public spaces that serve all families, remain our collective retreat, our refuge, and our rehab center. Public parks and campsites across the country have emerged as some safest places where we’ve been able to gather safely with friends and family; where we can celebrate birthdays, weddings and each other.
The history of our nation, of its healing, is woven among the sandstone and riverbeds. The foundation for our growth is found in the mountain ranges and desert landscapes. Likewise, the future of our communities, our economy, and our families depend on safeguarding and expanding our public lands, like the Grand Canyon. We’re counting on our elected leaders to make it happen.
Corey Harris is a US army veteran and Arizonian on the importance of passing this legislation. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-safeguarding-and-expanding-our-public-lands/article_0cb86894-e5a6-11ec-a81e-b3c99e6e6c13.html | 2022-06-07T12:52:11 | 0 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-safeguarding-and-expanding-our-public-lands/article_0cb86894-e5a6-11ec-a81e-b3c99e6e6c13.html |
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) — The “Donkey Kong defense” came into play Monday at a civil trial over sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby, as his attorney pressed a key witness over previous statements that she had played the arcade game during a visit with Cosby to the Playboy Mansion in 1975, six years before its release.
The testimony came in the Los Angeles County trial over the lawsuit of Judy Huth, who also began testifying Monday, but did not yet describe her allegation that Cosby sexually assaulted her at the Playboy Mansion when she was 16. Cosby denies her allegations.
Donna Samuelson, a high school friend of Huth’s who accompanied her and Cosby on a visit to the mansion, returned to the stand Monday, testifying about the game room with an adjacent bedroom where Huth says Cosby forced her to perform a sex act.
“You testified multiple times that you were playing Donkey Kong,” Cosby attorney Jennifer Bonjean told Samuelson, referring to a 2014 police interview and a 2016 deposition in Huth’s case.
“If I did I did,” Samuelson said. “I understand it wasn’t around yet.”
Bonjean played a clip from the deposition, in which Samuelson referred to the game several times.
Asked Monday to explain the discrepancy, Samuelson answered, “I got the name wrong. I just kept saying that because it was a game. It could have been Atari.”
She also said she was playing the game when Cosby came up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders before she shook them off.
Bonjean showed Samuelson and the jury a photo of the game room taken in 2016, where a Donkey Kong game could be seen, and asked whether similar photos taken years after 1975 could have affected her memory and testimony.
Samuelson replied that she hadn’t seen such an image until the 2016 photo was shown to her in court during her testimony last week.
During his opening statement on Wednesday, Huth’s attorney Nathan Goldberg sought to head off the issue, telling jurors they were going to be hearing “the Donkey Kong defense” from Cosby’s lawyers.
“So she got the name wrong,” Goldberg said, “so what?”
Bonjean embraced the term in her opening, saying Huth’s similar prior statements about Samuelson playing the game, and photos showing it in the room later, were evidence that the two women were coordinating a false story.
The trial represents one of the last remaining legal claims against Cosby after his Pennsylvania criminal conviction was thrown out and other lawsuits were settled by his insurer against his will.
Huth, 64, briefly took the stand late Monday, recalling the spring day in 1975 when she and Samuelson took her brother’s dog to play frisbee at Lacy Park in San Marino, California, a place they frequented.
She said they noticed a production was happening there that would turn out to be a shoot for the film “Let’s Do It Again.” They saw stars Sidney Poitier, Jimmie Walker and Cosby, Huth said.
She remembered whispering, “That’s Bill Cosby” to Samuelson, and Cosby playfully mimicking her whisper and pretending to be holding a leash of his own dog.
She testified that after chatting for a while, Cosby invited them to a watch him play tennis at a Los Angeles club the following Saturday.
Huth said they were “excited, because we were kids, and he was a celebrity. It was out of the norm, that was for sure.”
The girls met Cosby at the club, where they briefly watched him play tennis then went to the local house where he was staying.
There, Cosby suggested they play a game a game of pool, and suggested the stakes.
“He said for every game I lose I have to drink a beer, and for every game he loses he has to drink a beer,” Huth testified.
Huth said she had between one and three beers.
“I’m sure I felt the effects of the alcohol,” she said.
After about an hour, Cosby said he had a surprise for them, and they followed him in Samuelson’s Mustang to a gate, where the two cars were let in, Huth said.
They parked and walked into a game room, where Buck Owens, country star and host of the TV show “Hee Haw,” was shooting pool, but left after a few minutes, Huth said.
She said she realized she was at the Playboy Mansion when she saw a drawing on the wall that was signed, “To Hugh,” slowly realizing that it referred to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.
Asked by her attorney what her reaction to being there was, she responded only with, “Wow.”
She was shown a photo taken by Samuelson inside the game room.
“That’s me and Bill Cosby, she said.”
The picture, essential to Huth’s case, has already been shown to jurors several times. It shows Cosby wearing a red beanie and smiling next to the teenage Huth.
Cosby’s attorneys acknowledge that he took the girls to the mansion, but deny any sex assault occurred. They have described Huth’s lawsuit as a scheme to cash in on the photos that were taken that day.
The Associated Press does not normally name people who say they have been sexually abused, unless they come forward publicly, as Huth has.
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton | https://www.cbs42.com/local/donkey-kong-defense-arises-at-bill-cosby-sex-abuse-trial/ | 2022-06-07T12:53:18 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/local/donkey-kong-defense-arises-at-bill-cosby-sex-abuse-trial/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — A sex-assault civil lawsuit against actor Kevin Spacey can proceed in federal court in New York City, a federal judge ruled Monday.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said in a written ruling that the allegations that actor Anthony Rapp brought against Spacey established an issue of material fact as to whether Rapp sufficiently alleges that Spacey acted to gratify sexual desire during an encounter at a Manhattan party in 1986 when Rapp was 14.
The judge noted that Rapp has alleged that Spacey placed a clothed Rapp on a bed and briefly put his own clothed body partially beside and partially across Rapp’s before Rapp “wriggled out,” got up, and left the premises.
In his lawsuit, Rapp seeks compensatory and punitive damages for what he alleges was assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Rapp testified at a deposition that there was no kissing, no undressing, no reaching under clothes and no sexualized statements or innuendo during an encounter that lasted no more than two minutes, the judge said.
Spacey denies the allegations.
Kaplan did dismiss a common law assault allegation, saying the claim was not included in those revived by a Child Victims Act in New York state that in 2019 temporarily allowed individuals to make claims in instances in which the statute of limitations would normally have barred them.
The ruling comes two weeks after British prosecutors said they had authorized police to charge Spacey with four counts of sexual assault against three men. The alleged incidents occurred in London between 2005 and 2013.
Peter Saghir, a lawyer for Rapp, declined comment. A lawyer for Spacey did not return a message seeking comment. | https://www.cbs42.com/local/judge-lets-sex-assault-suit-go-on-against-actor-kevin-spacey/ | 2022-06-07T12:53:25 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/local/judge-lets-sex-assault-suit-go-on-against-actor-kevin-spacey/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — At a lunch for Tony Award nominees last month, veteran theater producer Ron Simons looked around and smiled. It seemed appropriate that the gathering was held at The Rainbow Room.
“I can guarantee you I have not seen this many people of color represented across all categories of the Tony Awards,” he recalled. “It was a diverse room. I was so uplifted and impressed by that.”
For the first full season since the death of George Floyd reignited a conversation about race and representation in America, Broadway responded with one of its most diverse Tony slates yet.
Multiple Black artists were nominated in every single performance category, including three of five featured actors in a musical, four of six featured actresses in a play, two of seven leading actors in a play and three of five leading actresses in a play. There are 16 Black performance nods out of 33 slots — a very healthy 48%.
By comparison, at the 2016 Tonys — the breakout season that included the diverse “Hamilton,” “Eclipsed” and “The Color Purple” revival — 14 of the 40 acting nominees for plays and musicals or 35% were actors of color.
“Let’s hope that the diversity that we saw in the season continues to be the norm for Broadway, that this isn’t just an anomaly or a blip in reaction to what we’ve been through, but just a reset,” said Lynn Nottage, the first writer to be nominated for both a play (“Clyde’s”) and musical (“MJ”) in a single season.
The new crop of nominees also boasts more women and people of color in design categories, such as first-time nominees Palmer Hefferan for sound design of a play (“The Skin of Our Teeth”), Yi Zhao for lighting design of a play (“The Skin of Our Teeth”) and Sarafina Bush for costume design of a play (“for colored girls who have considered suicide/ when the rainbow is enuf”).
Other firsts this season included L Morgan Lee of “A Strange Loop” becoming the first out trans performer to be nominated for a Tony. Adam Rigg, scenic designer of “The Skin of Our Teeth,” became the first out agender designer nominated and Toby Marlow, “Six” co-creator is the first out nonbinary composer-lyricist nominated.
Eleven performers — including Jaquel Spivey from “A Strange Loop,” Myles Frost in ”MJ” and Kara Young from “Clyde’s” — received a nod for their Broadway debut performances and 10 designers received nominations for their Broadway debuts, as did creators like “A Strange Loop” playwright Michael R. Jackson and “Paradise Square” co-book writer Christina Anderson.
“I’m very, very excited about all the new voices we’re hearing, all the new new writers who are represented on Broadway for the first time,” said A.J. Shively, an actor nominated for “Paradise Square.” “I really hope that trend continues.”
Perhaps nowhere is the diversity more apparent than in the oldest play currently on Broadway. “Macbeth,” directed by Sam Gold, has a Black Lady Macbeth in Ruth Negga, a woman taking on a traditional male role (Amber Gray plays Banquo), a non-binary actor (Asia Kate Dillon) and disability representation (Michael Patrick Thornton).
“If all the world’s a stage, our stage certainly is the world. I’m really proud to be up there with all the actors,” says Thornton, who uses his wheelchair as a cunning asset to play the savvy nobleman Lennox.
But while representation was seen across Broadway this season so was an invisible virus that didn’t care. The various mutations of COVID-19 sickened actors in waves and starved many box offices of critical funds. Skittish theater-goers who returned often had an appetite for only established, comfort shows.
Several of the Black-led productions came up short, including “Thoughts of a Colored Man,” “Chicken and Biscuits,” and “Pass Over.” They debuted in the fall, just as Broadway was slowly restarting and audiences were most fearful. “Thoughts of a Colored Man” closed early because it didn’t have enough healthy actors, at one point enlisting the playwright himself to get onstage and play a role.
One of the most painful blows was a revival of Ntozake Shange’s “for colored girls,” which struggled to find an audience. The cast of seven Black women included deaf actor Alexandria Wailes and, until recently, a pregnant Kenita R. Miller. It earned strong notices and a whopping seven Tony nominations. But it will close this week.
“In past seasons, had there been a play with seven Tony nominations and this bevy of glowing reviews, the show would have gone on for quite a while,” says Simons, the lead producer. “There’s an audience for this show. That’s not the problem. The problem is getting the audience into the theater to see the show.”
Despite a glut in inventory and not enough consumers, there were clear game-changers, like “A Strange Loop,” a musical about a gay Black playwright, that captured a leading 11 nominations, besting establishment options like a Hugh Jackman-led “The Music Man.” Broadway veterans agree that extraordinary storytelling was available for those hardy souls who bought tickets.
“I’m really proud to be a part of one of the voices of Broadway this year,” said Anna D. Shapiro, who directed Tracy Letts’ Tony-nominated play “The Minutes,” which exposes delusions at the dark heart of American history. “ I am so impressed by the vitality and the dynamism.”
Broadway data often suggest improvements one year, then a drop off the next. Take the 2013-14 season, which was rich with roles for African Americans, including “A Raisin in the Sun” starring Denzel Washington, Audra McDonald channeling Billie Holiday in “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill” and the dance show “After Midnight.”
There were also African-Americans in nontraditional roles, like James Monroe Iglehart as the Genie in “Aladdin,” Nikki M. James and Kyle Scatliffe in “Les Miserables,” and Norm Lewis becoming the first Black Phantom on Broadway in “The Phantom of the Opera.”
That season, Black actors represented 21% of all roles. But the next season, the number fell to 9%.
Camille A. Brown, who this season together with Lileana Blain-Cruz became only the second and third Black women to be nominated for best direction of a play, has weathered the ups and downs.
“My thing is, let’s see what the next year and the year after that and the year after that look like?” she says. “I think the landscape was definitely a challenge, especially after George Floyd and the events that happened after that. But this is only the first season out after all of that stuff happened. So let’s see if it keeps going, and keeps evolving and keeps progressing.”
Simons is optimistic the gains this year will last and celebrates that, at the very least, a group of diverse actors got their Broadway credits this season. He predicts more Tony winners of color than ever before.
“Even though the box office hurt all of our feelings, it really is a celebration because never have we seen this kind of diversity happen on Broadway,” he says. “It is a rare year and it is a rare year for both the good and the bad.”
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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits | https://www.cbs42.com/local/on-broadway-more-visibility-yes-but-also-an-unseen-threat/ | 2022-06-07T12:53:33 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/local/on-broadway-more-visibility-yes-but-also-an-unseen-threat/ |
MILAN (AP) — Milan’s famed La Scala opera house on Monday announced the celebration of next season’s gala premiere with the Russian opera “Boris Godunov,″ a move it hopes will underline the separation of culture from politics.
La Scala’s 2022-23 calendar, set long before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, also features a host of Russian stars singing roles in “Boris Godunov” as well as other titles, including soprano Anna Netrebko in “Macbeth.”
“We hope that we will have a St. Ambrose (feast day) that will also celebrate peace,’’ said Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who is president of La Scala’s board, calling the opera by Modest Mussorgsky “a masterpiece.”
He referred to the Dec. 7 feast day for Milan’s patron saint, when La Scala holds its gala season opener each year, one of the most anticipated events of the European cultural calendar.
La Scala general manager Dominique Meyer emphasized that the choices were made two to three years ago, in keeping with the opera world’s practice of drafting calendars and booking stars years in advance.
The announcement of the rare Russian premiere comes months after La Scala became one of the first opera houses to exclude Russian conductor Valery Gergiev after he failed to respond to their appeal to denounce Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Opera house management was quick to separate Gergiev from other Russian artists who will be performing in Milan, noting his position as the general director and artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg puts him close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We considered him like a politician. The others, no. He is almost culture minister. It is another case,’’ Meyer said.
“Boris Godunov,” which the La Scala program calls “a disturbing fresco on the brutality and solitude of power,” opened the 1979-80 season, conducted by Claudio Abbado.
Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov, who sang in last year’s season premiere, will sing the title role in “Boris Godunov,” while Russian tenor Dmitry Korchak headlines Czech composer Antonin Dvorak’s “Rusalka,” which is making its La Scala debut.
Chief conductor and musical director Riccardo Chailly, who assisted Abbado’s 1979 premiere of “Boris Godunov,” said he has long been pushing for more Russian music on La Scala’s calendar, which is historically heavy on the Italian repertoire as the premier opera house in the birthplace of lyric theater. Giuseppe Verdi is by far the composer most represented on the Dec. 7 gala season opener.
“It would be serious to penalize the artistic aspect for the tragedy that we are all aware is happening in Ukraine,’’ Chailly said. “It seems to me necessary, in light of what we are living unfortunately for more than 90 days, (to say) that great music can live independently, as it should be.
“It is important to distinguish the two things. Give merit to those who deserve it and to bring back to life masterpieces completely independently of events.”
The 14 operas on La Scala’s calendar also include “Lucia di Lammermoor,” starring American soprano Lisette Oropesa in the title role opposite Juan Diego Flórez. The Donizetti opera was supposed to open the 2020-21 season, but was delayed because of pandemic restrictions.
La Scala is also reprising Umberto Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier,” which opened the 2017-18 season, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the late stage and film director Franco Zeffirelli’s birth with his staging of “La Boheme,” and premiering Leonardo Vinci’s Neapolitan opera “Li Zite ’Ngalera” as part of a project to relaunch Italian baroque opera.
Netrebko, who performed to rave reviews last week at La Scala, will sing four dates of Verdi’s “Macbeth,” alternating with Belarusian mezzo-soprano Ekaterina Semenchuk.
The ballet season opens with Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography for “The Nutcracker,” marking the 30 anniversary of the Russian dancer’s death. The program, which includes both classics and contemporary choreographies, contains another homage to Nureyev, with his choreography to Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake.”
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The story corrects that composer Antonin Dvorak is Czech and not Russian. | https://www.cbs42.com/local/russian-opera-boris-godunov-to-open-next-la-scala-season/ | 2022-06-07T12:53:40 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/local/russian-opera-boris-godunov-to-open-next-la-scala-season/ |
NEW YORK (AP) — Retired pitcher CC Sabathia and outfielder Andre Ethier will play in the All-Star celebrity softball game at Dodger Stadium on July 16 along with Olympic softball gold medalists Lisa Fernandez, Jennie Finch and Natasha Watley.
Actors Rob Lowe, Zachary Levi, Anthony Ramos, Simu Liu and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II also were announced for the game on Monday along with singers Lele Pons and JoJo Siwa, rapper Quavo, snowboarder Chloe Kim and wrestler Michael Gregory Mizanin, known as “The Miz.”
The softball game follows the Futures Game of top prospects and precedes a concert by Rebbeca Marie Gomez, known as Becky G.
The Futures Game and softball were moved up a day this year from their usual Sunday slot. The Home Run Derby is July 18 and the All-Star Game is July 19.
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More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports | https://www.cbs42.com/local/sabathia-ethier-in-all-star-softball-at-dodger-stadium/ | 2022-06-07T12:53:48 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/local/sabathia-ethier-in-all-star-softball-at-dodger-stadium/ |
Father’s Day is almost here and what better way to celebrate the father figures in our lives than by giving them a cool prize pack.
Or, if you’re a dad, you can enter the contest to potentially win it for yourself.
Academy Sports + Outdoors wants to spoil a father with an outdoor prize pack that includes a $150 Academy Sports gift card and the following:
- Portable charcoal grill
- Igloo wheeled cooler
- Waterproof speaker
- Rod, reel and tackle kit
- Outdoor directors chair
- 20 lbs. of charcoal
- BBQ tool set
- And for some fun ... a pair of bass fish sandals and a bass can cooler
The contest runs until 12 p.m. ET on June 15. The winner will be contacted by News 6 that day. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/07/win-a-500-fathers-day-prize-pack-from-academy-sports/ | 2022-06-07T12:53:50 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/07/win-a-500-fathers-day-prize-pack-from-academy-sports/ |
MADRID (AP) — Penélope Cruz has won one of Spain’s top film awards for her contribution to Spanish cinema, the country’s ministry of culture said Monday.
The jury of the 2022 National Cinema award was unanimous in its decision to honor the Madrid-born star, describing the 48-year-old Oscar winner in a statement as an “iconic actress whose brilliant legacy enriches Spain’s cultural heritage.”
“Committed to her craft, she seeks excellence in her work, allowing her to create some of the most unforgettable characters in the history of our cinema,” the jury added.
The recognition is the latest addition to Cruz’s long list of accolades, from an Academy Award for best supporting actress in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” to top awards at the Cannes and Venice Film Festival for her performances in “Volver” and “Parallel Mothers.”
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez congratulated Cruz soon after the award was announced.
“She is the embodiment of cinema, both Spanish and international,” Sánchez tweeted, citing her “immense talent and exceptional performances.”
Past winners of the award include actor Antonio Banderas and director Isabel Coixet. | https://www.cbs42.com/local/spain-honors-penelope-cruz-for-contribution-to-cinema/ | 2022-06-07T12:53:55 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/local/spain-honors-penelope-cruz-for-contribution-to-cinema/ |
The list of names of those who have lost their lives in vehicle crashes in the Region stretches long, including mothers, fathers, children, sisters, brothers and grandparents. According to data on fatal accidents, the list has been growing exponentially across the U.S.
Nationwide, a total of 42,915 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported.
This is the highest number since 2005 and is an average of 117 deaths every day.
In Lake County there were 68 crash deaths in 2021, compared to 57 in 2020, according to the Lake County coroner's office. In 2022, there have been 22 traffic deaths as of May 14.
Similarly LaPorte County saw a large jump, with nine fatal crashes in 2020 and 17 fatal crashes in 2021, according to the LaPorte County coroner's office. There have been six traffic deaths so far this year.
However, in Porter County, there was a decrease with 13 crash deaths reported in 2021, compared to 17 reported in 2020, the Porter County coroner's office said. So far this year has had nine traffic deaths in the county.
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Looking at nationwide numbers, compared to 2020, crash deaths rose by 10.5% in 2021, which marks the largest annual percentage increase in the nearly five-decade history of the Fatality Analysis Reporting System.
Fatal pedestrian crashes are up 13%, and speeding-related crashes are up 5%, according to the NHTSA.
"An increase in dangerous driving like speeding, distracted driving, drug and alcohol-impaired driving, not buckling up during the pandemic, combined with roads designed for speed instead of safety, has wiped out a decade and a half of progress in reducing traffic crashes, injuries and deaths," Russ Martin of the Governors Highway Safety Association said. "This grim milestone confirms we are moving backwards when it comes to safety on our roads."
Martin said most roadway deaths are preventable, stating the Governors Highway Safety Association supports the Safe System approach, which focuses on safer infrastructure, safer vehicles, public education, community engagement, enforcement against dangerous driving behaviors and post-crash care.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has created the National Roadway Safety Strategy, which is a blueprint for reaching the goal of zero traffic deaths.
"All these elements are necessary to create a safety net to prevent or mitigate the impact of roadway crashes," Martin said. "But it will take all partners working together, along with the public, to implement the Safe System approach to reverse the pandemic-fueled traffic safety crisis and make progress toward our goal of zero roadway deaths." | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/crash-fatalities-on-major-rise-in-nation-region-numbers-show-differing-trends/article_b7854183-5f80-5a41-8762-c751bf78d0f1.html | 2022-06-07T13:04:20 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/crash-fatalities-on-major-rise-in-nation-region-numbers-show-differing-trends/article_b7854183-5f80-5a41-8762-c751bf78d0f1.html |
Lane and ramp closures and changes in traffic patterns will kick off Tuesday evening as part of ongoing construction along Interstate 65 between U.S. 30 and Interstate 80/94, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Overnight lane closures will begin Tuesday and by Friday, three lanes of traffic will be open, but shifted to make room for the work zone, INDOT said.
"Motorists should follow lane markings carefully through these traffic shifts," according to the state.
The ramps from southbound I-65 to Ridge Road and from Ridge Road to northbound I-65 will be closed through early September, INDOT said.
"Motorists should follow the marked detours, which will utilize I-80/94, State Road 53/Broadway and 61st Ave.," the state says.
The overnight lane closures and changing traffic patterns are expected to continue through the fall.
The work includes concrete pavement restoration along I-65 from U.S. 30 to I-80/94, as well as bridge deck overlay preventative maintenance projects on I-65 at 53rd Avenue and 37th Avenue/Ridge Rd, according to INDOT.
Porter/LaPorte County Courts and Social Justice Reporter
Bob is a 23-year veteran of The Times. He covers county government and courts in Porter County, federal courts, police news and regional issues. He also created the Vegan in the Region blog, is an Indiana University grad and lifelong region resident.
For the last three years, the Merrillville Stormwater Utility has stocked the lake with tilapia, and the fish spend their summer eating the algae in the water.
In November work began on a 15,000 square-foot expansion which includes two new dance studios, an outdoor sensory courtyard and a new gymnastics center.
Lane and ramp closures and changes in traffic patterns will kick off Tuesday evening as part of ongoing construction along Interstate 65 between U.S. 30 and Interstate 80/94, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/i-65-lane-and-ramp-closures-to-begin-tuesday-evening-state-says/article_6d52a076-2b78-55f2-935b-d3677ead21e1.html | 2022-06-07T13:04:27 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/i-65-lane-and-ramp-closures-to-begin-tuesday-evening-state-says/article_6d52a076-2b78-55f2-935b-d3677ead21e1.html |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Carver Park splash pad in Johnson City officially has a new name.
A ceremony was held Monday evening to rename the splash pad the Kenneth “Herb” Greenlee Splash Pad.
Greenlee is the supervisor at the Carver Recreation Center, a role he has held since the late 1980s.
The splash pad, located on West Watauga Avenue, is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/carver-park-splash-pad-gets-new-name/ | 2022-06-07T13:22:52 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/carver-park-splash-pad-gets-new-name/ |
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas — Travis County commissioners are looking for ways to reduce gun violence.
A recent medical examiner report found that in Travis County, guns are the No. 1 cause of both homicides and suicides. Last year, 48% of all suicides and 80% of all homicides in the county involved guns.
Travis County Judge Andy Brown, District Attorney Jose Garza and Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeffrey Travillion are exploring strategies aimed at reducing gun violence. On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court will consider a proclamation sponsored by Brown and Travillion that would recognize June as "Gun Violence Awareness Month."
"As a County, we are responsible for the health and safety of all our residents — especially the most vulnerable among us. We will do all we can to address this crisis and call on other leaders to do the same," Brown said. "Texas should enact laws that would prevent gun violence from ever occurring, and should fully fund community-based gun violence intervention programs to help eliminate this needless loss of life."
On Wednesday, the court will meet with community members to strategize around best practices for reducing gun violence. The County said this work will build on the previous investments by the court and the gun violence prevention strategy previously released by the Office of the Travis County District Attorney.
"There is no more urgent time for our local communities to come together and demand solutions to end gun violence in Travis County and across our state," Garza said. "As community leaders, we know that tackling the gun violence crisis requires developing and supporting a comprehensive strategy to reduce gun violence. Together we can develop a roadmap to combat the crisis and build the public safety ecosystem our community urgently needs."
Britny Eubank on social media: Twitter
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/travis-county-gun-violence/269-a109d479-c705-4adc-96dd-f9ef1eb31094 | 2022-06-07T13:31:17 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/travis-county-gun-violence/269-a109d479-c705-4adc-96dd-f9ef1eb31094 |
When Glenn Phillips, executive director of the Golden Gate Audubon Society, saw a crow fledgling in the garden of his Berkeley office last week, he braced himself for the commotion that was sure to follow.
Moments later, it came: the discordant cries from a murder of adult crows in a nearby tree letting him and his staff know it was in their best interest to move their meeting to another picnic table, far away from their baby.
“They were screaming, yelling, cawing,” Phillips told SFGATE via phone on Sunday afternoon. “They never came within striking distance of us, but the parents were pretty significantly aggressive by making sure we kept our distance. As soon as we did, they settled down.”
If you’ve noticed the noisy corvids swooping and bellowing overhead — or maybe getting a little too close for comfort — you’re not alone. Earlier this year, the city of Sunnyvale announced it would roll out a new government-sponsored program to scare the birds away by using handheld lasers and other peculiar methods, combating what Vice Mayor Alysa Cisneros said was the second biggest issue among constituents just behind speeding drivers. And in recent weeks, people throughout the Bay Area have reported an influx of run-ins with the animals.
Sarem G., a resident of San Francisco’s Sunnyside neighborhood who did not share their last name, recounted an incident on Nextdoor late last month in which they were “attacked” by crows while out on a walk along Monterey Boulevard, and said their boyfriend had a similar encounter a couple of days later.
“Crows were dive bombing him on the same street,” Sarem G. later told SFGATE in a message. “The crows didn’t end up jumping on his head like they did for me.”
While this kind of behavior from animals might conjure scenes from a certain horror movie, it’s par for the course during crow fledgling season, which typically occurs during the months of June and July. As baby crows jump out of the nest for the first time, it can take several days for them to figure out how to fly, explained Lila Travis, the director of Yggdrasil Urban Wildlife Rescue in Potrero Hill.
“During that time, the parents are very protective and will totally dive on people if they get too close,” Travis said.
Deb Campbell, a spokesperson for San Francisco Animal Care and Control, said it’s a tactic crows will exhibit to “encourage people to move along,” and that it usually resolves once the fledglings learn how to fly and can fend for themselves. During this time of year, the facility has been seeing “a lot of baby birds” come in, Campbell added, mostly from well-meaning people who find them on the ground and think they’re injured. However, SFACC is also receiving just about as many phone calls from concerned residents who are experiencing confrontations with the adult crows.
“[The] best thing to do is avoid the tree or area where it’s happening for now, and the situation will resolve once the babies take off. It doesn’t take long, maybe a few weeks,” Campbell said.
Phillips noted the behavior isn’t limited to crows. Many songbird species have young that are not equipped to fly when they first leave the nest, and when they fledge, they’re “very awkward” at maneuvering themselves, he said. Most adult birds will display some greater or lesser degree of protective instinct if they see anything they perceive as a threat to their babies.
“There’s no risk of them hurting a person, generally, but crows are large and could do some damage if they get close to you,” he said. If you run into a particularly feisty bird, “the best thing to do is retreat to a safe distance, and if you have a dog or another pet, pull them away. They’re not going to keep chasing you, because they’re tied to a particular place — a nest, or a young bird on the ground or in a bush nearby. They want you to move away, they’re not trying to eat you for lunch.”
In most cases, if you find a fledgling that appears to be by itself, it probably doesn’t need rescuing. However, Travis noted that wildlife centers throughout the Bay Area “have received an unusual amount of crows that are emaciated and experiencing neurological symptoms.”
“We are working with the [California Department of Fish and Wildlife] investigation labs to try to figure out what’s going on,” she said.
Phillips said it was the first time he’d heard of such a condition occurring in crows, but said that last year, an unknown neurological disease was showing up in some urban bird species in the mid-Atlantic region. And last month, hundreds of pelicans were found sick or dead along the California coastline.
“I would hate to speculate without knowing more, but it’s unfortunately not a total surprise,” he said. “Birds are indicator species, so if things are not right in our environment, they’re among the first to notice it. It’s troubling and I hope they get to the bottom of it.”
That being said, crows that are showing signs of neurological problems don’t have anything to do with the protective parents you might be seeing around more lately.
“I don’t think we have an Alfred Hitchcock situation, just good mom and dad birds,” Campbell said. | https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Bay-Area-crow-attacks-increase-17223045.php | 2022-06-07T13:40:14 | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/Bay-Area-crow-attacks-increase-17223045.php |
'Forever chemicals' lurk everywhere Florida looks for them in the Indian River Lagoon
Everywhere scientists look in the Indian River Lagoon, they find so-called "forever chemicals," in some places at almost four times the levels of what's safe in drinking water, according to a recently published scientific study by the University of Florida.
UF researchers have been measuring the presence of these potentially cancer-causing in the lagoon for years, but with greater focus over the last two years.
John Bowden, assistant professor of chemistry at UF's department of physiological sciences, said the latest study — published in the journal Chemosphere — showed that the Banana River had the highest levels of PFAS. Next was the southern Indian River, followed by the northern Indian River and then the Atlantic coast. (PFAS also has been found in sea spray, Bowden said.)
The researchers plan to present their latest results in Satellite Beach, streamed live online Saturday.
The compounds, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) get into the lagoon from contaminated soil, sewage, reclaimed water, biosolids, and countless consumer products. Experts say there's no cheap or easy way of getting them out of the environment, or of even measuring them.
"The challenge with some of the really volatile ones is that there's not a lot of real good methods out there," Bowden said.
PFAS are known to contaminate the drinking water of an estimated 200-plus million people, according to the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, which published an analysis in late 2020 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters, using drinking water testing results from federal and state environmental agencies. While no one's drinking lagoon water, PFAS compounds keep popping up in fish, alligators, manatees, seagrass along the waterway from Kennedy Space Center to Patrick Space Force Base.
The extensive historical use of firefighting foams at the base and KSC, as well as the discharge of wastewater, coupled with the stagnant nature of the waterway contributed to the higher levels in Banana River, the researchers said in their recent paper.
PFAS are very stable man-made chemicals linked to ill health effects that scientists are just beginning to unravel and understand. And they are being found everywhere scientists look for them in the environment.
In humans, they have been linked with increased risk of cancer and thyroid disease; higher cholesterol; lower fertility and infant birth weight, and other reproductive issues. PFAS can even blunt the effectiveness of COVID-19 and other vaccines.
UF searches Indian River lagoon seagrass for 'forever' chemicals: found in Florida manatees
But for many of those outcomes, a direct cause and effect is unknown or unclear. The chemicals can remain in the body for decades with indeterminant consequences. Thousands of PFAS compounds aren't even yet measured, so the combined long-term toxic effects also remain uncertain.
For its most resent study, UF collected water 57 samples from the lagoon in Brevard County, in December 2019, and another 40 samples from corresponding locations in February 2021. They screened for 92 PFAS compounds, identifying 21 across all sites, finding mean PFAS levels of 86 parts per trillion in the 57 samples collected in 2019 and 77 ppt in the 40 samples collected in 2021.
Maximum sum of PFAS from single sample 265 parts per trillion — 3.78 times EPA's drinking water health advisory level (HAL).
In 2016, EPA has established an unenforceable health advisory levels at 70 parts per trillion.
The EPA plans a mandatory drinking water standard for the two most common PFAS compounds — PFOA and PFOS — by the end of 2023, but new limits on industrial discharges of the compounds might not come for another decade or longer. The federal agency also is expected to lower the health advisory level for the two compounds in coming months and to set advisory levels for two other PFAS chemicals commonly found on military installations.
But there aren't many long-term studies of PFAS within sensitive estuaries, lakes, rivers and other surface-water ecosystems. That's why UF wanted to go looking.
Some of the highest levels in groundwater have been detected in Brevard County, the UF authors note, in the Indian River Lagoon near Patrick Space Force Base, with PFAS exceeding 4.3 million parts per trillion.
UF searches Indian River lagoon seagrass for 'forever' chemicals: found in Florida manatees
UF's study, which used volunteer citizen scientists to help collect samples in Brevard, is part of a three-year pilot study of PFAS in Brevard, conducted under an almost $800,000 EPA grant.
Brevard offers a unique model site to investigate potential exposure and health implications for wildlife, to better understand and manage other critical coastal systems. The UF researchers plan to measure PFAS before and after tropical cyclones, to see how the chemicals move during floods.
Bowden and his students have sampled the Indian River Lagoon water, bottom plants and sediment. For the past several years, His UF lab has monitored PFAS in alligators, fish and more recently, in manatees.
Sea cows eat plants low on the food chain, before PFAS can concentrate up the chain, but they eat 10% of their weight daily, a possible explanation as to why some show similar PFAS levels as alligators and other predators.
Where's it all coming from?
Distinctive clustering of PFAS in Brevard suggests multiple sources of contamination.
"It is hypothesized that the ubiquitous distribution of PFAS in aquatic ecosystems is primarily the result of direct discharge from consumer products and industrial processes, such as by military fire training areas and wastewater treatment centers," the UF authors wrote.
"In Florida, elevated concentrations of PFAS have been reported in ground water, surface water, drinking water, soils, sediments, and wildlife near military bases, airports, and firefighting training facilities."
Recently released data released from the U.S. Depart of Defense found high levels of PFAS in the areas near other military bases in Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Washington. The detections in Florida were found near Whiting Field Naval Air Station, Saufley Field Naval Air Station and CID Corry Station in Escambia County.
“These levels are extremely high,” Jared Hayes, a policy analyst for the nonprofit Environmental Working Group said in a June 1 release. “For too long, service members and people living in communities near military installations have been the victims of the Pentagon’s failure to act.”
Will Congress do anything? Father urges Congress to fund filters to remove Air Force Base cancer-causing fire-foam chemicals from drinking water
DoD installations are required to provide water filters or connect nearby residents with public water supplies if PFAS levels exceed 70 parts per trillion, an advisory level set by the EPA.
Drinking water for Patrick Space Force Base and most of the the rest of the barrier island originates from wells and surface waters on the mainland.
Pentagon officials understood the risks posed by PFAS for decades but failed to warn service members or their neighbors and has been slow on cleanups, EWG says.
Last year, Congress provided more than $500 million for PFAS cleanup efforts at military installations and directed the DoD to provide a cleanup schedule by the end of October.
“If DoD officials continue to drag their feet, Congress must act to protect service members and military communities,” Hayes said. “Thanks to new resources and deadlines, the department has run out of excuses for its failure to protect us from toxic PFAS.”
What to go?
What: 2nd Annual Community Conference on Coastal Communities and Resilience to PFAS in Florida. This event is free and open to the public.
When: 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jun 11.
Where: 565 Cassia Blvd., Satellite Beach, Florida
The conference focuses on links between PFAS contamination and extreme weather events in Brevard County and Jacksonville, FL.
The UF researchers plan to provide project updates. Attendees can participate in person or online by registering for the event at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2022-coastal-community-pfas-conference-tickets-337415367447?aff=Media
Zoom Meeting Link to attend online: https://bit.ly/3sUTvCT
Learn more about this project here: https://www.fight4zero.org/ufproject
Jim Waymer is an environment reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Waymer at 321-261-5903 or jwaymer@floridatoday.com. Or find him on Twitter: @JWayEnviro or on Facebook: www.facebook.com/jim.waymer
Support local journalism and local journalists like me. Visit floridatoday.com/subscribe | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/lagoon/2022/06/07/pfas-forever-chemicals-lurk-everywhere-florida-looks-them/7487187001/ | 2022-06-07T13:48:41 | 0 | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/lagoon/2022/06/07/pfas-forever-chemicals-lurk-everywhere-florida-looks-them/7487187001/ |
A former congressman from Philadelphia pleaded guilty Monday to charges related to fraudulently stuffing ballot boxes for Democratic candidates between 2014 and 2018.
Federal prosecutors said former Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael J. “Ozzie” Myers pleaded guilty to violations of election law, conspiracy, bribery and obstruction.
Messages seeking comment were left for his defense lawyers listed on the online docket.
In a sentencing memo dated Friday, federal prosecutors said his "criminal efforts were generally, although not exclusively, directed at securing election victories for local judicial candidates running for Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas or Municipal Court who had employed Myers as a ‘political consultant.’”
Myers was expelled from Congress in 1980 after being caught taking bribes in the Abscam sting investigation.
Prosecutors said Myers, 79, admitted he bribed a judge of elections to add votes for his chosen candidates, including clients who were running for judicial offices. The bribes were hundreds or thousands of dollars.
He also conspired with another elections judge to tell voters on election days which candidates they should vote for, candidates that Myers had selected, and the now former judge cast fraudulent votes for people who did not appear at the polls.
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“Votes are not things to be purchased and democracy is not for sale,” U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a news release.
In the Abscam sting, Myers was convicted of bribery and conspiracy for taking money from FBI agents who posed as Arab sheiks. He served more than a year in prison.
Myers also served six years in the Pennsylvania House before his 1976 election to Congress. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/ex-pa-congressman-pleads-guilty-in-ballot-stuffing-case/3262832/ | 2022-06-07T14:00:37 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/ex-pa-congressman-pleads-guilty-in-ballot-stuffing-case/3262832/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/south-jersey-cultural-alliance-looking-to-give-out-grants-to-artists-institutions/3263168/ | 2022-06-07T14:00:43 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/south-jersey-cultural-alliance-looking-to-give-out-grants-to-artists-institutions/3263168/ |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento Police Department said Tuesday morning that a person who is "armed" and "suicidal" has barricaded themselves inside a home in South Sacramento.
Officers are at the area near the 5300 block of Jacinto Avenue. Crisis negotiators and SWAT officers are at the scene, according to police. People are advised to avoid the area.
Few details have been released at this time and ABC10 has reached out for more information.
Watch more on ABC10 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-police-barricaded-himself/103-806d5e75-8d3e-4e14-9c5e-540f23619051 | 2022-06-07T14:01:46 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-police-barricaded-himself/103-806d5e75-8d3e-4e14-9c5e-540f23619051 |
TIFTON — Caleb Bagley, a senior rural community development major from Douglas, has been elected as the 2022-2023 Student Government Association president at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
"At ABAC, there are so many ways to get involved in leadership, and I am ever grateful for that and the opportunity to serve as SGA president this year," Bagley said.
One of Bagley's goals for the upcoming fall semester, he said, is to grow as a leader.
"The community here allows everyone to thrive in their own element and be a part of something greater than just themselves,” he said. “There are countless opportunities available."
Bagley said he believes in being proactive in college affairs and is involved in many clubs on the ABAC campus. He is president of College Republicans, a member of the Student Alumni Council, an ABAC Ambassador, and a member of Active Minds.
ABAC offers more than 60 clubs and organizations for students to be a part of.
"ABAC life is unlike any other college experience, and I promise that students won't regret taking that first step into a club's door or rushing a fraternity/sorority on campus,” Bagley said. “As SGA president, I guarantee that if a student needs something, no matter what, SGA will be there to help every step of the way.
"We are to be a resource for students so that they can come to us and share their thoughts and concerns. The opportunities here at ABAC are limitless, and those opportunities are waiting for students to take advantage of them."
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Dispatches From Hampton County: Remembering victims, lives lost in the Murdaugh crime saga
Tuesday, June 7, marks one year since Margaret "Maggie" Murdaugh, 52, and Paul Terry Murdaugh, 22, were shot and killed at the rural Colleton County estate.
Even as state police continue to investigate the killings, with no arrests to date, as well as probe multitudes of alleged financial crimes involving Alex Murdaugh, the communities of Hampton County and the surrounding S.C. Lowcountry remember the lives lost in this tragic crime saga, as well as the many alleged financial victims.
Remembering lives lost
Five deaths — and homicide investigations — are now connected to Murdaugh in some way, deaths that occurred in Beaufort, Colleton and Hampton counties from 2015 to 2021.
In Hampton County, which was home to all of these victims at one time or another, many people still mourn and remember the lives of friends, neighbors and loved ones lost, while hoping for answers and justice.
Stephen Smith
Stephen Smith was found dead with major head injuries on the night of July 8, 2015, along Sandy Run Road in Hampton County. During the course of investigating the double homicides of Maggie and Paul, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division opened an investigation into Smith's death in June of 2021.
Smith was a "straight A" student and a 2014 graduate of Wade Hampton High School. He was actively pursuing a career in nursing at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, with thoughts of helping those in need urging him to complete his training. He was reportedly on his way home from a night class when the incident occurred. Friends and family remember him as a happy, fun-loving young man with big dreams of helping others - dreams cut short by his mysterious and unsolved homicide.
From January: #StandingForStephen raises in excess of $25K for family of the late Stephen Smith
Since his death and the reopened investigation, the South Carolina LGBTQ community has taken action, raising money for his family's legal and memorial needs and raising awareness of LGBTQ issues in small, rural counties like Hampton.
Gloria Satterfield
Gloria Satterfield was described as a "housekeeper and nanny" for Murdaugh and his wife, Maggie, but she dearly loved working for the Murdaugh family and considered them her own. She died in February of 2018 after what was reported as a "trip and fall" incident at Murdaugh's home, but since then her death has become linked with a major insurance fraud scheme involving Murdaugh and others. On Sept. 15, 2021, SLED officially opened an investigation into her death and the handling of her estate.
Related reporting: SLED to exhume Satterfield remains as Alex Murdaugh investigations continue
According to an obituary prepared by her family, Satterfield enjoyed tennis, loved kids and her favorite color was purple. "Most of all, she will be remembered for her laughter and her outgoing personality," her family said.
Murdaugh recently signed a $4.3 million confession of judgment to her heirs, and the Satterfield family has decided to launch a charitable foundation in her memory to help other struggling, needy families in Hampton County.
Mallory Beach
Mallory Beach was only 19 years old when she was taken from her family and friends in a very public, tragic way.
Following a Feb. 24, 2019 boat crash, it took search and rescue teams a week to locate her body and bring closure to her grieving family. While this tragic loss of life can never be replaced, or the family's pain erased, the boat crash incident sparked civil actions against and investigations into Murdaugh and a series of events that is still unfolding today. The S.C. Attorney General's Office continues to investigate the crash that killed her and its aftermath.
Previous coverage: Mallory Beach wrongful death suit amended, says Murdaughs condoned underage drinking
Beach, who had been attending classes at the University of South Carolina, worked at a local retail shop in Beaufort and was known as a kind and caring animal lover. A charity, Mal's Palz, was founded in her memory to raise money for the Hampton County Animal Shelter.
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh
Maggie and Paul Murdaugh, a mother and her younger son, were shot multiple times and found dead together outside their rural Colleton County home, Moselle. Their friends, family and community members await answers as no one has been charged in these killings.
Friends and family members remember Paul as an energetic young man who loved college football tailgating and being outdoors hunting and fishing. He had pleaded not guilty to three counts of felony boating under the influence in the 2019 boat crash case and was awaiting trial when he was killed.
Maggie is remembered as a loyal friend who loved entertaining and always made her guests feel welcome. She enjoyed summers at the beach or river, college football games, and taking exercise and painting classes. She was often thought of as a "second mom" to her sons' many friends.
A roll call of alleged financial victims
Murdaugh is accused in a decade-long, multi-county, multiple-victim financial crime spree in which he allegedly stole more than $8 million.
According to state grand jury charges, Murdaugh stole from family, friends, partners and clients who trusted him. He allegedly stole from the living, from the injured and the grieving, and even the dead.
Related reading: Murdaugh, former bank CEO stole funds from family in fatal crash case, new lawsuit says
Here is a roll call of all the known financial victims, according to attorneys and state indictments. This list may be incomplete, as this is a complex case, and there may be other victims not yet named by law enforcement.
Allendale County
Arthur Badger
The Estate of Donna Badger
Deon Martin
Colleton County
Manuel Santis-Cristiani
Christopher Anderson
Estate of Sandra Taylor
Orangeburg County
Thomas L. Moore
Beaufort County
Jordan Jinks
The Estate of Blondell Gary
Hampton County
Gloria Satterfield
Tony Satterfield, Brian Harriot, and the Estate of Gloria Sattefield
Johnny Bush
Jamian Risher
Randy Drawdy
Hakeem Pinckney
The Estate of Hakeem Pinckn
Natasha Thomas
Alaynia Spohn
Hannah Plyler
The attorneys and partners of the PMPED law firm | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/06/07/remembering-victims-lives-lost-alex-murdaugh-case-crime-saga-updates/7518089001/ | 2022-06-07T14:20:59 | 1 | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2022/06/07/remembering-victims-lives-lost-alex-murdaugh-case-crime-saga-updates/7518089001/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — As a part of the Biden-Harris administration’s effort to bring high-speed internet to everyone across the Nation, it has been announced that West Virginia will be one of four states to receive funding to do so.
According to a press release from the U.S. Treasury, this is a part of the American Rescue Plan’s Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund (CPF) which gives $10 billion to fund critical projects. It says many states will use a part of their State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) to meet internet speed goals set by the Biden-Harris administration.
It says a key issue being battled by the CPF is the lack of affordable, high-speed internet for all Americans.
West Virginia is being rewarded $136.3 million and will use three separate grant programs to bring all homes and businesses to download speeds of at least 25 Megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of at least 3Mbps.
When the projects are completed, they say users can see speeds that meet or exceed 100 Mbps for both download and upload speeds.
They say this will ensure that a household can use the internet for important tasks, like telework, education, and health monitoring, at the same time.
The Treasury says all Internet Service Providers (ISP) will need to be a part of the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) which will provide households with a discount of up to $30 per month.
The FCC says about 48 million families are eligible for the discount. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/funding-for-affordable-high-speed-internet-coming-to-west-virginia/ | 2022-06-07T14:22:41 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/funding-for-affordable-high-speed-internet-coming-to-west-virginia/ |
UPDATE (10:00 a.m.) Charleston Police Department Officer Sgt. Hedrick Miller is called to the stand.
Miller says he assisted in placing Phillips on the gurney and following the ambulance to the hospital. He says he also collected Phillips’ clothing from the ambulance as evidence.
UPDATE (9:46 a.m.) The state has called former Charleston PD officer, Joshua McMaster, now a patrolman with the Gahanna, Ohio, Police Department, to the stand.
McMaster gave a testament regarding the stainless steel firearm found at the scene of the Dec. 1, 2020 shooting and collected as evidence. The prosecuting attorney brought the gun, state’s Exhibit No. 6, to McMaster to identify as the firearm found at the scene that day. He confirmed he did recognize the firearm, which was then presented to the jury.
McMaster also testified that blue pills were found in the pocket of Phillip’s jeans.
UPDATE (9:38 a.m.) The next witness for the state is Charleston PD’s Officer Brent Foster.
UPDATE (9:24 a.m.): The prosecution has called its first witness, and now Charleston PD’s Cpl. Brandon Rinehart is testifying.
The state has begun to play footage from Rinehart’s body camera.
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK)—The trial for a man accused of killing a Charleston police officer continues at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
Opening arguments began on Monday in the trial of Joshua Phillips, and witnesses started taking the stand for the prosecution.
Also on Monday morning, the court chose 14 jurors, two of whom will be alternates.
Before the final selection was made from that group, the attorney for Joshua Phillips again made a motion for a change of venue, claiming he cannot get a fair trial due to the public’s familiarity with the case.
Judge Jennifer Bailey again denied that motion stating that it was not whether the jurors were aware of the case, but if they were able to remain impartial and render a verdict based on the evidence in court. Bailey says to make her decision, she used other cases from across the state where publicity and public knowledge and opinion have come into question of whether the defendant was able to receive a fair trial in the county where the case occurred.
Phillips is accused of shooting and killing CPD Patrolman Cassie Johnson in December 2020. Johnson was shot in the line of duty while responding to a parking complaint on Dec. 1, 2020, and died of her injuries on Dec. 3, 2020.
On Dec. 12, 2020, Phillips was formally charged with first-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty to those charges in April 2021.
Phillips’ trial was previously scheduled to start back in March 2022, however, Judge Jennifer Bailey said at that time there were not enough jurors available to begin the trial. Judge Bailey also ruled that the case will remain in Kanawha County following a change of venue request from the defense. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/joshua-phillips-trial-day-2-live-updates/ | 2022-06-07T14:22:47 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/joshua-phillips-trial-day-2-live-updates/ |
MASON COUNTY, WV (WOWK)—The reward for information in the case of a missing Mason County woman has been increased.
The Mason County Sheriff’s Department says that the reward for information leading to the whereabouts of Grace Allison Smith has been increased from $6,000 to $7,500
Grace Smith was last seen on February 23, 2022, and Mason County deputies found her car parked in the TNT area with the keys on the hood and her belongings still inside.
The sheriff’s office has also been working with the West Virginia State Police and the FBI on certain areas of the case, but they are still missing vital information that could be used to find her.
Anyone with information about Ms. Smith’s whereabouts should contact the Mason County Sheriff’s Office at 304-675-3838 or call 304-675-9911. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/reward-increased-for-missing-west-virginia-woman/ | 2022-06-07T14:22:53 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/reward-increased-for-missing-west-virginia-woman/ |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer. Jansen is a mountain lion biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department:
As a professional mountain lion biologist, I have tracked and researched these important predators for 15 years in seven states and four countries. This is all that I do. Mountain lions fascinate me, and working with them is an unrivaled challenge.
It is from this perspective that I have to disagree with a number of points in the March 25 opinion piece, “Protecting Arizona’s mountain lions.”
When the author says mountain lions “should be allowed to not only survive, but also flourish,” he is implying that their population isn’t doing well. This is simply not true. There was a time, from settlement days until the early 1970s, that mountain lions were killed mercilessly for the protection of livestock and game species. By the 1970s, the population in Arizona was near its low. The Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) then added a layer of protection for mountain lions by classifying them as a big-game species and establishing hunting seasons, bag limits and allowable methods of take. Their numbers began to rebound.
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Today, Arizona’s mountain lion population under management of the professional biologists at AZGFD is doing quite well, and part of that management is providing for legal, regulated hunting opportunity while ensuring sustainable populations. Hunters must check in their harvested animals for inspection, providing valuable biological information. The increase of mountain lions since the early 1990s is an observation made by most people engaged in either hunting of big game on public land or by wildlife management professionals. The harvest data and population modeling AZGFD uses to ensure sustainable populations suggests the statewide population is stable to increasing. The fact that mountain lions are now occupying areas of Arizona where they hadn’t for decades is a testament to their general increase.
There are other misrepresentations in the piece. The notion that hounds cruelly chase mountain lions to exhaustion is not accurate. As a professional biologist who has captured and collared more than 300 mountain lions in my research, I often get a front-row seat on what happens when trailing hounds are getting close to a mountain lion. What I see during the recapture of a study animal is not at all what the opinion piece portrays. Hounds are following scent, not chasing the animal. A mountain lion, hearing hounds on the trail, finds a suitable refuge such as a tree in hopes of the hounds not being able to locate it. They do not commonly run from the hounds, and they definitely don’t flee until exhausted. The study animals in scientific papers that advocacy groups often reference were caught by the same capture method — hounds — they vehemently oppose. In fact, in the history of mountain lion research, I know of only three projects in North America that did not rely on hounds for captures.
Another statement I question is that the presence of mountain lions protects sensitive waterways from overgrazing and degradation. There is little to no scientific data showing that mountain lion predation pressure prevents herbivores from occupying riparian areas. I suspect this idea comes from research on wolves in Yellowstone. Once wolves returned to Yellowstone in the mid-1990s, their predation pattern forced elk to move more and not concentrate in riparian areas, allowing the willows to regrow. However, the author overlooks that during the time before wolves were returned, there were ample mountain lions roaming the Yellowstone ecosystem. If mountain lions were redistributing prey to protect waterways from overgrazing, there would not have been elk loitering in riparian areas to overgraze the willows.
Today, mountain lion populations in Arizona and the West are healthy and robust, the results of past and ongoing management by wildlife professionals. I’m glad they are here and in the abundance they are, for they are my life. I know my children will be able to enjoy them as well because of the ongoing work of today.
Brian Jansen, Ph.D., is a mountain lion biologist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-mountain-lions-are-best-managed-by-professional-biologists/article_63767ce2-e34f-11ec-8853-8757c6bd73eb.html | 2022-06-07T14:23:31 | 1 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-mountain-lions-are-best-managed-by-professional-biologists/article_63767ce2-e34f-11ec-8853-8757c6bd73eb.html |
Maybe you’re a die-hard fan and grill year-round, but for many of us, spring and summer are the best times for a barbecue. And if your grill has seen better days, Consumer Reports is here with recommendations from its latest tests of charcoal and gas models.
“Grilling is great because it’s so versatile. You can slow smoke barbeque on a charcoal grill all day or use your gas grill to make dinner for the family on a weeknight without getting your kitchen dirty,” said Consumer Reports Home Editor Paul Hope.
[ENTER TO WIN: Grill, prize pack valued at $500 for Father’s Day]
From measuring how even the temperature is on the grill grates to how sturdy it’s built and assembled, Consumer Reports tests can help you find the right grill at the right price.
“If you love that smoky, BBQ flavor, a charcoal grill is probably your best bet,” said Hope.
You can keep it classic with a kettle grill like the recommended Weber 22-inch 14401001 for $220.
For even better performance, consider the top-rated Dyna-Glo DGN576DNC-D for $290, which earns scores of Very Good for evenness and indirect cooking. Plus, its design makes it extremely easy to add coals, adjust the tray, and clean.
If you prefer to grill at the push of a button, CR found dozens of gas grills to recommend, and you don’t have to spend thousands. The Nexgrill 720-1046 for $450 preheats fast and earns a score of Excellent for sturdiness and indirect cooking. It’s also very good for evenness and temperature range.
“If you really want to up your grilling game, a kamado grill is definitely the way to go. They use charcoal but they get really hot for things like wood fired pizza. They can also hold a low steady temperature for things like slow smoking a brisket,” said Hope.
But they aren’t cheap! The recommended Kamado Joe Classic II 18-inch KJ23RHC starts at about $1,300. These grills use charcoal and get really hot for things like wood fired pizza. They can also hold a low, steady temperature for things like slow-smoking brisket.
No matter which type of grill you choose, don’t forget about safety. CR says be sure to keep it at least 10 feet away from your house or anything flammable, and clean your grill every time you use it.
CR says cleaning your grill helps maximize its performance. If you do it while the grill is still hot, it’s a much easier chore. For steel grates, use a wire brush. And for porcelain-coated grates, choose a nylon brush. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/07/3-best-grills-recommended-by-consumer-experts/ | 2022-06-07T14:25:17 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/07/3-best-grills-recommended-by-consumer-experts/ |
EVERETT, Wash. — Starting this week, Everett-based Funko plans to lay off 258 workers at its Everett and Puyallup distribution centers.
A spokesperson with Funko said the company would not comment on the layoffs, which are expected to begin June 9, according to filings with Washington's Employment Security Department. The spokesperson added the company is consolidating its warehouses in Washington to one location in Arizona.
Funko, known for its pop-culture figurines, has five warehouses in Washington. Four are located in Everett, and one is in Puyallup. In January, the company told employees it had outgrown its Washington locations.
Funko has leased a 958,000-square-foot facility in Buckeye, Arizona. The company has said there is potential for relocation.
However, in a news release, Funko said it selected Buckeye partially because of its strong talent pool. When Funko announced it was moving its distribution center to Arizona, it said the move would create 300 new jobs in Arizona.
The company's Everett headquarters will remain. The company has been in downtown Everett since 2017.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/funko-everett-lay-off-258-workers-warehouse/281-7e612d69-a442-42dd-bd63-b1ff421b40f9 | 2022-06-07T14:31:53 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/funko-everett-lay-off-258-workers-warehouse/281-7e612d69-a442-42dd-bd63-b1ff421b40f9 |
Canton takes step needed to annex property for new Aldi
CANTON – City Council on Monday approved the statement of services needed to annex property intended for a new Aldi grocery store.
Council members approved the standard procedure for about 12.5 acres at 3801 Harmont Ave. NE. Councilman Peter Ferguson, D-8, was the only member absent for the vote, which received no opposition.
Grant Giltz previously discussed plans to renovate the vacant property and former Kmart store with his company, GTW 62. The developer expects to relocate the existing Aldi, just west on U.S. Route 62, to a newly constructed store on the southeast corner of the property.
More:Aldi to open 7th location in Stark County
Glitz has leased the Plain Township site from a family trust.
Mayor Thomas Bernabei said the longtime property owners asked to join Canton to access city water.
"That is the purpose of the annexation," he said.
The annexation itself would need to be approved by Stark County commissioners and Canton City Council.
Meanwhile, Canton Fire Department officials presented information to council members about The Compliance Engine. The third-party service tracks annual fire inspections and would relieve the Fire Prevention Bureau of some administrative work, said Division Chief Steven Henderson.
He plans to convert the department's mostly paper-based process to the electronic one in the coming month. It's at no cost to the city and, therefore, required no formal approval from City Council.
Contractors who conduct routine fire prevention inspections will pay $17 to upload a report. Henderson said contractors charge business owners varying fees, depending on the inspections, and whether those will increase because of the extra fee would be up to contractors.
Fire officials estimated that 35% to 40% of annual inspections are completed now, and the change is expected to increase compliance and decrease false alarms from lack of maintenance.
In other business:
- The council reconsidered an ordinance that granted newly hired Economic Development Director Christopher Hardesty an exemption from the city's residency requirement and credit for his previous employment with the city toward vacation time. Members on Monday agreed to waive the city law that prevents new hires from bringing more than 80 hours of accrued sick time. Hardesty was credited with 427 hours of sick time, which he earned during his past employment with the city, according to the mayor.
- The council also approved a resolution to return to its weekly, "pre-COVID-19" meeting schedule after Labor Day. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/canton/2022/06/07/canton-council-approves-statement-services-proposed-development/7502859001/ | 2022-06-07T14:38:14 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/canton/2022/06/07/canton-council-approves-statement-services-proposed-development/7502859001/ |
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The Lineup | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/the-lineup/two-arrests-in-south-street-shooting-the-lineup/3263266/ | 2022-06-07T14:40:21 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/the-lineup/two-arrests-in-south-street-shooting-the-lineup/3263266/ |
Wichita County Sheriff’s Office and TxDOT take STEPS to prevent motor vehicle accidents
Wichita County deputies will add extra hours to help slow down speeders and prevent accidents beginning Tuesday.
The Wichita County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Department of Transportation will participate in the first annual “Operation Slow Down" through June 21, according to a press release.
“This event is very similar to Click It or Ticket where deputies will be working several hours on selective traffic enforcement," according to WCSO spokesperson Melvin Joyner.
More:Motorcyclist killed in Saturday crash
This Selective Traffic Enforcement Program will concentrate on slowing down motorists to prevent serious injury and fatal crashes.
According to TxDOT, a STEP grant is a federally funded law enforcement grant program run by the Traffic Safety Division at the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Joyner said off-duty deputies will patrol various zones around the county to slow down speeders, write tickets and make arrests if necessary.
TxDOT’s Click it Or Ticket is an annual campaign to remind drivers and passengers to wear their seatbelts. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/07/wcso-and-txdot-take-steps-prevent-motor-vehicle-accidents/7530798001/ | 2022-06-07T14:44:38 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/07/wcso-and-txdot-take-steps-prevent-motor-vehicle-accidents/7530798001/ |
Gaylord residents face drug charges following arrest by SANE
GAYLORD — The Straits Area Narcotics Enforcement task force conducted surveillance on a home in Gaylord on May 25 after receiving a tip of drug activity at the house and saw a vehicle leaving.
An occupant in the vehicle was wanted by the task force (SANE) for selling methamphetamine. The vehicle was stopped by officers from the Gaylord Police Department. The department's canine hit on a container inside the vehicle. Officers found methamphetamine and other evidence in the vehicle.
The owner of the vehicle arrived on the scene and was found to be in possession of cocaine and LSD. Two suspects were arrested and lodged in the Otsego County Jail.
Tanya Lynn Washburn, 42, of Gaylord was arrested for two counts delivery of methamphetamine — punishable by up to 20 years and/or a fine of $25,000 and one count possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, punishable by up to 20 years and/or a fine $25,000.
Aubrey Lyn-Shaffer Brown, 28, of Gaylord was arrested for one count possession of cocaine punishable up to four years and/or a fine of $25,000 and one count possession of LSD — up to one year in prison and/or a fine of $2,000. | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2022/06/07/gaylord-residents-face-drug-charges-following-arrest-sane/7498568001/ | 2022-06-07T14:44:44 | 0 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2022/06/07/gaylord-residents-face-drug-charges-following-arrest-sane/7498568001/ |
PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Ollie's Bargain Outlet, America's largest retailer of closeout merchandise and excess inventory, has announced its search for "America's Biggest Cheapskate" to help mark the company's 40th anniversary, according to a press release.
"We're thrilled to announce our 'America's Biggest Cheapskate' contest to help celebrate 40 years of real brands at real bargain prices at up to 70% off the fancy stores,'" John Swygert, president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. "As a retailer that is committed to helping shoppers save money by selling brand name merchandise at incredible deals, we look forward to reading the submissions to determine who is worthy of the esteemed title of being 'America's Biggest Cheapskate.'"
To enter the contest, interested applicants must be a legal resident of the United States and be at least 18-years-old.
Applicants will submit an essay on their favorite ways to save money, their best money-saving hacks, and why they believe they're worthy of the title. Applicants must also visit an Ollie's store, and submit a photo with any Ollie's figurine, Ollie's cartoon, or Ollie's logo out front.
The contest will be narrowed down to 10 finalists, with nine walking away with a $400 Ollie's gift card, and one grand prize winner receiving $4,040 cash.
Applications are being accepted through July 3. To apply, click here.
For official rules, click here. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/contests/ollies-celebrates-40th-anniversary-americas-biggest-cheapskate/521-004c5119-b354-4328-99fe-22a7869c26c4 | 2022-06-07T14:48:21 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/contests/ollies-celebrates-40th-anniversary-americas-biggest-cheapskate/521-004c5119-b354-4328-99fe-22a7869c26c4 |
HERSHEY, Pa. — Thousands of roses are back at Hershey Gardens to celebrate the start of June, according to a press release; the Historic Hershey Rose Garden at Hershey Gardens is now covered with 3,000 roses representing 115 varieties.
The garden is the original 3.5 acres created in 1937, when Mr. Hershey himself requested the creation of "a nice garden of roses."
June is also National Rose Month, and in celebration, all guests who visit the gardens named "Rose" will receive free admission during the month.
Hershey Gardens' summer hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sept. 5.
The following is a complete listing of June activities at Hershey Gardens:
Music in the Gardens
June 3, 2022
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Featured will be Philadelphia-based jazz vocalist Kevin Valentine with the Kirk Reese Trio performing standards. Guests are invited to bring their own beverages and snacks, as well as chairs or a blanket. Music in the Gardens is included in admission; the Butterfly Atrium will be closed for the concert.
Father’s Day and Elegant Airs Flute Quartet
June 19, 2022
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All dads receive free admission. Guests can listen to local flute quartet Elegant Airs performing a wide range of music genres in the Historic Hershey Rose Garden. Guests are invited to bring their own chairs or a blanket. Included in admission.
Hershey Horticulture Society Flower Show
June 16, 2022
1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Hershey Horticulture Society (HHS) presents the "The Way It Was" flower show. The exhibit features displays, specimens, and arrangements from HHS members and is judged by the National Garden Club. Held in the Education and Horticultural Wing of the Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory at Hershey Gardens. Included in admission.
To learn more, click here. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/hershey-gardens-celebrates-june-3000-roses-live-music/521-56ee8ea9-5e1b-4675-97f0-bb9ad0eea2ee | 2022-06-07T14:48:27 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/hershey-gardens-celebrates-june-3000-roses-live-music/521-56ee8ea9-5e1b-4675-97f0-bb9ad0eea2ee |
Watch now: Lincoln police chief discusses Memorial Day weekend fatal crash on O Street
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Residents along the O Street corridor said the constant noise of racing and burnouts is not just the soundtrack to Memorial Day but persists year-round. And despite decades of police enforcement efforts, that hasn't changed.
Landon Ludwig initially faced a first-degree sexual assault charge, but he ultimately pleaded no contest to two counts of child abuse and criminal trespassing, all misdemeanors, as part of a plea deal.
The significant police presence near 13th and D streets, which included an armored sheriff's office vehicle, continued for several hours. A loud bang was heard by reporters in the area around 4:30 p.m.
A witness told police the two men had gone into the basement bathroom together, where people went to use drugs, then the gunshots started.
Lancaster County's Tactical Response Unit found Jesse Salamanca hiding in the basement of a Lincoln residence around 5:40 p.m. Thursday, more than three hours after he had barricaded himself in the home, authorities said.
The so-called black box inside the Ford Taurus — more accurately known as an airbag control module — could tell investigators exactly what happened in the lead-up to a crash that killed two and injured 20.
Emily Siebenhor, 20, and her passenger, Edith Hermosillo, 22, died in the crash at 52nd and O Street. Both were from Cozad but living in Lincoln.
The man's first accuser told Bryan West staff that Delbert Taylor had sexually abused her as a child, and later told Lincoln Police the abuse began when she was around 6 years old, the investigator said in the arrest affidavit.
A neighbor called police and reported the 41-year-old man had stepped out onto his front porch and fired a handgun into an adjacent field while watching seven kids.
A 36-year-old man was walking with his three children shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday when they passed under the O Street bridge and were confronted by a man armed with a knife, according to police. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/watch-now-lincoln-police-chief-discusses-memorial-day-weekend-fatal-crash-on-o-street/article_11642c2b-d20a-5f21-be3c-6f3a325fa787.html | 2022-06-07T14:49:16 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/watch-now-lincoln-police-chief-discusses-memorial-day-weekend-fatal-crash-on-o-street/article_11642c2b-d20a-5f21-be3c-6f3a325fa787.html |
HOUSTON — During Sunday service at Houston Northwest Church, a relative of the man murdered alongside his four grandsons last week shared that the family's faith is unwavering.
"You have to understand that, we're okay," Glenn Collins told the congregation.
His brother, Mark Collins, and the boys were killed by prison escapee Gonzalo Lopez last week on their Centerville ranch, officials said.
"My short message is: God is still God and we're not -- and there's a purpose in this, no doubt," Collins said.
Three of the boys who died were brothers -- 18-year-old Waylon Collins, 16-year-old Carson Collins and 11-year-old Hudson Collins. The fourth boy has been identified as 11-year-old Bryson Collins, a cousin.
The Leon County coroner said the victims all appeared to have been stabbed and may have suffered other wounds. He said the final autopsy report could be weeks away.
Meantime, the investigation into Lopez's escape continues. He had been on the run for some three weeks after crashing a TDCJ transport bus he managed to hijack.
He stole guns and a pickup from the Collins' ranch and was later killed in a shootout south of San Antonio.
The bus was carrying Lopez and other inmates from Gatesville to Huntsville for medical appointments. TDCJ announced Monday, those inmate transports have been suspended pending the outcome of the investigation.
"If it becomes necessary to do a transport such as releasing or an emergency medical appointment, additional security measures will be implemented," prison officials said in a statement. "The agency is conducting an internal Serious Incident Review and also intends to bring in an outside firm to conduct an independent review to identify factors that may have lead to the escape of Lopez."
Friends and relatives of the victims don't believe Mark Collins had been told that a burglary near his ranch was linked to Lopez a couple of days before the murders.
"And it's sad they didn't know he was still in this area," Toni Apodaca said after leaving flowers to a growing memorial outside the home.
She said most people in the area thought Lopez was long gone given his ties to the Mexican Mafia.
"If Mr. Collins knew he was still in this area he would've likely – I'm sure he would not have brought his grandsons up here," Apodaca said.
"It's just a terrible thing – it's so sad – something that shouldn't have happened, our prayers are with the family," Mario Apodaca told us. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/centerville-murders-collins-family/285-60708ca0-2a80-4084-8c41-a5df1684e501 | 2022-06-07T14:49:18 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/centerville-murders-collins-family/285-60708ca0-2a80-4084-8c41-a5df1684e501 |
PASCO COUNTY, Fla — A Pasco County 9-year-old is being hailed a hero for rescuing kittens that were being drowned in her neighborhood.
Olivia Rippeon and her mom were outside in their neighborhood when they noticed a group of kids down the road acting strange.
"We were taking stuff to the trash can, and I saw them messing with the cats and dunking them in water; so I told my mom," Olivia said.
Olivia and her mom went to the neighborhood front office, then went to investigate further.
"She ran, I walked," Sheri White, Olivia's mom said.
Olivia and her mom say three kids aged 10 and under had already drowned four kittens. The family says two others survived, thanks to Olivia.
"Because I know cats shouldn't be hurt like that," Olivia said, when asked why she felt compelled to help.
White said the children were home alone, with no parents to be found.
"They were dumping them into the water," White said. "When I asked them to hand them over, at first, they didn't want to hand them over."
White took the two surviving kittens and called Tip My Ear TNR & Rescue. The kittens stayed overnight with one of the nonprofit's employees. The next day, they were handed over to Pasco County Animal Control.
"Those kittens are alive today because of her actions of bravery and not just standing by and letting it happen," Ruth Pennington with Tip My Ear TNR and Rescue said.
The kittens, named Cloud and Fluff, will be up for adoption soon.
The situation happened on April 24. The children involved in drowning four kittens no longer live in the same neighborhood, according to investigators. They are not facing criminal charges, and the animal cruelty case is closed. Authorities say they paid them a visit and gave the family a warning.
White said she was previously threatened with theft charges for removing property from another person's home — that "property" being the two kittens she and her daughter rescued. Stella Ickes with Pasco County Animal Control said Olivia absolutely did the right thing by intervening and removing the kittens from an unsafe situation.
As a reward for Olivia's heroism, Tip My Ear presented her with $500 and a goodie bag. The organization hopes it spreads the message that it's always OK to do the right thing.
"She steps up, she's only nine," White said. "Not many 9-year-olds are going to go — stop what you're doing."
Some of that reward money has already been put to use. When 10 Tampa Bay interviewed Olivia, she showed us her newly-manicured nails and shared her family is planning a trip to Weeki Wachee soon.
Tip My Ear TNR & Rescue asks you spay and neuter your pets. If you find yourself in a position where you can't keep your pets, don't abandon them. Call your local shelter for help. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/girl-saves-two-kittens-drowning/67-40548b73-7b65-4e9c-b317-e35f46b76dba | 2022-06-07T14:49:24 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/girl-saves-two-kittens-drowning/67-40548b73-7b65-4e9c-b317-e35f46b76dba |
SAN ANTONIO — The mother of a 13-year-old who San Antonio Police shot and killed on Friday wants answers.
Family identified AJ Hernandez as the boy killed on the south side early Friday morning after police say they were called to the 5100 block of War Cloud Drive for a shots fired call.
When police arrived, they say Hernandez was driving a stolen vehicle when he reversed and T-boned a police car.
Hernandez's mother Lynda Espinoza says accounts from eyewitnesses don't add up after what police said about the shooting.
Espinoza says she and her family moved to the neighborhood four years ago. AJ, was the sixth child out of 10, and one she loved dearly.
"AJ was a good loving brother, big smile, he was very happy, very funny, he loved looking at himself in the mirror, his hair,” Espinoza recalled.
Her son's death comes at an already difficult time for the single mom and her younger children.
Last month—Lynda’s daughter Nevaeh Martinez was killed in a shooting on War Horse Street.
Nearby in the 5100 block of War Cloud Drive is where a San Antonio Police officer shot and killed AJ.
SAPD said officers responded to the area for a shots fired call and tried to stop a vehicle that was reported stolen.
As officers tried to stop the car—they say the 13-year-old backed into a police car.
“There was another police vehicle coming in the opposite direction. The officer had gotten out of the car just prior to the police vehicle being T-boned, and he fired into the red vehicle striking the driver,” SAPD Chief McManus said on Friday following the shooting.
Espinoza heard from eyewitnesses that AJ and two other juveniles who were in the car surrendered.
“I want justice for him, there was no reason for him to shoot a 13-year-old,” Espinoza said. She also claims her son was handcuffed after he was shot.
In a statement, SAPD claims the second officer feared the other officer would be stuck by the suspect vehicle.
According to an affidavit obtained by KENS 5—Hernandez was arrested in a smuggling case in April. Hernandez and another juvenile were arrested in Kinney County after police chased the two in their vehicle. Authorities said seven undocumented migrants were found lying down in the car.
Espinoza says it’s irrelevant to her son dying. She says AJ was taking the death of his sister hard.
“He had struggled a little because the kids he would be out here with, but I try to keep my kids inside, do what a parent is supposed to do,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza is asking SAPD to release the bodycam video—but in her heart, she’s grieving.
“Make sure to tell [your kids] every day that you love them, you don’t know it’ll be the last day you see your kids,” she said.
According to SAPD, the officer involved is being placed on administrative duty until further notice.
SAPD claims because of the victim’s age, they are prohibited by law to release any video or reports associated with the incident. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/mother-of-13-year-old-shot-killed-by-sapd-wants-answers/273-3901a91f-f3a1-4f2b-b0d8-e1a7a2178571 | 2022-06-07T14:49:30 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/mother-of-13-year-old-shot-killed-by-sapd-wants-answers/273-3901a91f-f3a1-4f2b-b0d8-e1a7a2178571 |
DALLAS — A Texas state representative says he will file a bill at the next legislative session that will ban minors from drag shows following an event in Dallas over the weekend that drew both supporters and protesters.
On Saturday, Dallas bar Mr. Misster held an event called "Drag the kids to pride" drag show in the city's Oak Lawn neighborhood. Organizers called it a family-friendly event where kids could dance with performers.
Videos from the event sparked criticism throughout social media and even led to protests at the bar on Saturday. The criticism surrounded the idea of children being involved with a drag show.
While many criticized the event, one Texas lawmaker is going a step further by announcing he will be looking to file legislation in response to Saturday's event.
State Rep. Bryan Slaton, who represents areas of Hunt, Rains and Van Zandt counties in East Texas, said on Monday that he will file a bill during the next legislative session in 2023 that would ban minors from attending drag shows.
Slaton released a statement that read, in part: "The events of this past weekend were horrifying and show a disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children. As a father of two young children, I would never take my children to a drag show and I know Speaker Dade Phelan and the rest of my Republican colleagues wouldn't either."
He added that he's looking forward to "authoring legislation to defend kids from being subjected to drag shows and other inappropriate events."
A worker at Mr. Misster, AJ Crews, told WFAA on Saturday that the event allowed people to express themselves.
"There were a lot less people drinking today so that would make it more kid friendly just because there were so many people here," Crews said. "Everyone just came from all walks of life, and you know, just enjoyed pride."
In a statement to WFAA, the bar said Saturday's "Drag the kids to pride" event was a spin-off of its weekly drag shows and that it was open to people of all ages. The bar added that the event was also raising money for a local LGBTQ+ youth organization. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-lawmaker-says-will-file-legislation-ban-minors-drag-shows-dallas/287-cbc3096a-242c-4072-ad0b-14a00bbded30 | 2022-06-07T14:49:36 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-lawmaker-says-will-file-legislation-ban-minors-drag-shows-dallas/287-cbc3096a-242c-4072-ad0b-14a00bbded30 |
DALLAS — A Texas state representative says he will file a bill at the next legislative session that will ban minors from drag shows following an event in Dallas over the weekend that drew both supporters and protesters.
On Saturday, Dallas bar Mr. Misster held an event called "Drag the kids to pride" drag show in the city's Oak Lawn neighborhood. Organizers called it a family-friendly event where kids could dance with performers.
Videos from the event sparked criticism throughout social media and even led to protests at the bar on Saturday. The criticism surrounded the idea of children being involved with a drag show.
While many criticized the event, one Texas lawmaker is going a step further by announcing he will be looking to file legislation in response to Saturday's event.
State Rep. Bryan Slaton, who represents areas of Hunt, Rains and Van Zandt counties in East Texas, said on Monday that he will file a bill during the next legislative session in 2023 that would ban minors from attending drag shows.
Slaton released a statement that read, in part: "The events of this past weekend were horrifying and show a disturbing trend in which perverted adults are obsessed with sexualizing young children. As a father of two young children, I would never take my children to a drag show and I know Speaker Dade Phelan and the rest of my Republican colleagues wouldn't either."
He added that he's looking forward to "authoring legislation to defend kids from being subjected to drag shows and other inappropriate events."
A worker at Mr. Misster, AJ Crews, told WFAA on Saturday that the event allowed people to express themselves.
"There were a lot less people drinking today so that would make it more kid friendly just because there were so many people here," Crews said. "Everyone just came from all walks of life, and you know, just enjoyed pride."
In a statement to WFAA, the bar said Saturday's "Drag the kids to pride" event was a spin-off of its weekly drag shows and that it was open to people of all ages. The bar added that the event was also raising money for a local LGBTQ+ youth organization. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-lawmaker-says-will-file-legislation-ban-minors-drag-shows-dallas/287-cbc3096a-242c-4072-ad0b-14a00bbded30 | 2022-06-07T14:52:35 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-lawmaker-says-will-file-legislation-ban-minors-drag-shows-dallas/287-cbc3096a-242c-4072-ad0b-14a00bbded30 |
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