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A Monroeville man died this morning in a rollover crash on State Line Road north of Carrier Road at the Indiana-Ohio border.
John J. Girard, 58, died accidentally from multiple blunt-force injuries because of the crash, and his death is the 23rd in Allen County in motor vehicle crashes during 2022, the county coroner's office said in a statement.
County police said they were called shortly after 5:30 a.m. to a single-vehicle crash involving a GMC pickup truck.
Their initial investigation found the pickup was traveling north on State Line Road when for an unknown reason it went off the east side of the roadway, overcompensated and drove off the west side, rolling over twice and ejecting the driver.
A passerby located the crash and notified emergency responders, the coroner's office said.
Girard died at the scene, police said. The crash remains under investigation by county police and the coroner's office. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/monroeville-man-dies-in-rollover-crash-at-ohio-border/article_1fb2d19c-f0a9-11ec-b0a5-7f2adba8970c.html | 2022-06-20T19:10:47 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/monroeville-man-dies-in-rollover-crash-at-ohio-border/article_1fb2d19c-f0a9-11ec-b0a5-7f2adba8970c.html |
June 20 marks World Refugee Day and for the first time on record, more than 100 million people have been forced to flee conflict, violence, human rights violations and persecution, according to the United Nations.
“One hundred million is a stark figure – sobering and alarming in equal measure,” U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi told the U.N. “This must serve as a wake-up call to resolve and prevent destructive conflicts, end persecution, and address the underlying causes that force innocent people to flee their homes.”
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Two-thirds of people displaced across borders come from just five countries, and Syria is one of them. The other four countries are Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar, according to the U.N.
After 11 years of the Syrian Civil War, humanitarian needs are not lessening. They are piling up, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.
The U.N. Refugee Agency said about 13.5 million Syrians, more than half of its population, have been displaced since the civil war started in March 2011.
Humanitarian needs have been pushed to their highest levels since the conflict began as a result of the war’s destruction of basic infrastructure deepening the economic crisis, U.N. Secretary General António Guterres said in a March statement.
He said that Syrians have been subjected to human rights violations on a massive and systematic scale.
About 14.6 million Syrians need humanitarian assistance. About three-quarters of all households in Syria could not meet their most basic needs in 2021, 10% more than the year before, the U.N. Refugee Agency said.
The Syrian Civil War started after a nonviolent uprising in 2011. Many motives led to the civil war, but the Arab Spring is one significant event to trigger the conflict.
Arab Spring refers to a series of political and economic protests in parts of the Arab world, including Egypt and Tunisia, in spring 2011, according to History. The successful revolts inspired Syrians to hold nonviolent protests.
“We must ensure greater humanitarian access to address needs of people throughout the country,” Guterres said in the statement. “It is time to respond to the urgent calls of families across Syria who are seeking to clarify the fate and whereabouts of their missing loved ones.” | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/on-world-refugee-day-more-than-100m-displaced-for-first-time-on-record/ | 2022-06-20T19:11:40 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/on-world-refugee-day-more-than-100m-displaced-for-first-time-on-record/ |
Sam’s Club is offering another $8 membership deal for a limited time.
Through June 26, Sam’s Club is offering the annual membership deal ahead of Fourth of July for new members who redeem it in person.
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The $8 membership is “less than a fourth of the everyday price.” The annual club membership is $45 per year.
To take advantage of the offer, visit a Sam’s Club location and mention the Fourth of July deal. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/sams-club-offers-8-membership-offer-for-limited-time/ | 2022-06-20T19:11:40 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/sams-club-offers-8-membership-offer-for-limited-time/ |
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP — A 76-year-old woman from Avalon was pronounced dead after a single-car accident on Friday afternoon, Middle Township police said Monday.
The crash occurred a little before 2 p.m. in the 800 block of Hand Avenue, where police found an overturned vehicle with the driver trapped inside.
Members of the Cape May Court House Fire Company freed her from the wreckage and she was transported to Cape Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
The woman was identified as Anita Stenger.
According to information released by police on Monday, she was traveling west on Hand Avenue when the vehicle began to drift across the center line into the east –bound lane. The car then struck a tree, leading to it rolling over, police said.
Multiple agencies responded, including the Middle Township crash team, a team of Middle Township Police investigators who have had special training for major accidents.
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Inspira Ambulance Services, AtlantiCare paramedics and firefighters from the Goshen Fire Company, Green Creek Fire Company, and the Rio Grande Fire Company. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/fatal-accident-reported-in-middle-township/article_c0516d94-f0c6-11ec-8009-b3ef553073d9.html | 2022-06-20T19:12:42 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/fatal-accident-reported-in-middle-township/article_c0516d94-f0c6-11ec-8009-b3ef553073d9.html |
A forest fire that has engulfed more than 7,200 acres in Wharton State Forest could be fully contained by Tuesday, state fire officials said Monday.
The fire was spotted around 10 a.m. Sunday.
The cause of the blaze is still being investigated, but natural causes has been ruled out. Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourrette doesn't believe the fire was intentionally set.
“I don’t think anyone wants to see thousands of acres of our Pinelands go up in smoke, but our actions have consequences,” LaTourette said.
Firefighters are making progress on the Wharton State Forest fire, but its size tripled overnight from Sunday into Monday to over 7,000 acres.
.@njdepforestfire continues to fight a wildfire at Wharton State Forest. The fire has caused road closures along Routes 206 and 542. Please stay tuned to your local traffic and stay safe.
Crews worked overnight and into the day Tuesday to contain the fire, which was 45% contained as of 10:30 a.m. Monday, meaning that roughly 3,000 acres is contained.
Parts of Washington Township, Shamong, Hammonton and Mullica Township have fire burning within their town limits. Residents and visitors from Galloway to Brigantine reported a strong smell of smoke in the air from the flames, carried by the northwest winds.
People on Twitter Sunday afternoon reported seeing smoke in Atlantic City and Ocean City, around 25 to 30 miles away from the origin of the fire.
Picture doesn't do it justice but there is plenty of wildfire smoke moving through Galloway Township. Very strong smell as soon as you step outside. Just bad luck on my part since the smoke plume is narrow, but at least the wind direction shifts tonight. pic.twitter.com/yeAhSgNMf3
The Forest Fire Service responded to a wildfire in a remote section of Wharton State Forest, originating along the Mullica River, early Sunday afternoon. At 4:30 p.m., the fire had spread to 100 acres. Just three hours later, it had engulfed 600 acres, swelling to 2,100 acres at 11 p.m. The smoke was so dense, weather radar beams picked up on the smoke, which was pushed down to an area between Brigantine and Ocean City, due to the northwest winds.
Bruce Jensen, a volunteer firefighter with Weekstown Volunteer Fire Company in Mullica Township, said he couldn't see the car in front of him last night in the blaze, as ash continued to fall from the sky around him.
Six structures were threatened in the Paradise Lakes Campground in the forest, which prompted evacuations, officials said. Route 206 between Chew Road and Atsion Road in Hammonton to Shamong Township as well as County Route 542 between Green Bank Road and Columbia Road in Washington Township remains closed. Batsto Village and all of the associated hiking and biking trails are closed to visitors. Sweetwater Marina and Riverdeck, right across the river from the blaze is closed as employees slowly clean up the establishment.
Numerous campgrounds are now closed Monday. That includes: Mullica River Campground, Lower Forde Campground and the Mullica River Trail.
There have been no reported injuries.
The combination of unusually dry for June air and gusty winds help to spread the wildfire, of which there is no cause yet.
Relative humidity values were as low as 25% in Hammonton and 31% in Oswego Lake, Burlington County, near the site of the fire, according to the Office of the New Jersey State Climatologist. Dew points were in the upper 30s, which generally only occurs 1% to 5% of the time during mid-June, according to the Iowa Environmental Mesonet. Sustained winds Sunday as high as 23 mph in Hammonton and 28 mph in Oswego Lake.
Furthermore, the ground is dry. 10 hour fuel moisture levels were in the orange stage, the second highest of three warning stages, at Oswego Lake, near the origin of the fire, according to the climatologist's office.
Humidity will be low again Monday, dipping under 35%. While winds will be breezy, they will be weaker than they were Sunday.
It's great to forecast for you in N.J., where I was born and raised. I earned my degree from Rutgers and have been at The Press since Fall 2017.
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Weather radar beams picked up on the dense wildfire smoke, showing up in blues and greens from around Batsto Village, to the Atlantic County shoreline Monday around 1:30 p.m. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/wharton-state-forest-fire-could-be-fully-contained-by-tuesday/article_ab5fb9e2-f03d-11ec-a6ea-578f3d91006d.html | 2022-06-20T19:12:48 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/wharton-state-forest-fire-could-be-fully-contained-by-tuesday/article_ab5fb9e2-f03d-11ec-a6ea-578f3d91006d.html |
OCEAN CITY — Pablo Marques scored the game’s first goal on a header in the seventh minute to give the Ocean City Nor’easters a quick edge over Real Central New Jersey on Sunday at Carey Stadium.
Both Marques and the Nor’easters continued from there. Marques scored three goals on the night to lead unbeaten Ocean City to a 5-2 win.
Ocean City upped its season mark to 7-0-1 (22 points) to lead the Mid-Atlantic Division of League Two of the United Soccer Leagues. West Chester United is in second place at 5-2-1 (16 points). Real Central, of West Windsor, fell to 3-4-2 (11 points).
On May 21, Real Central tied O.C. 1-1 in the Nor’easters’ season opener, but this time Ocean City built a 4-0 halftime lead and cruised to the win. RCNJ’s second goal came just moments before the game’s end.
The win was the 100th at Carey Stadium for the Nor’easters, who began as the South Jersey Barons in 1997. Ocean City is the first team in League Two to win 100 games at the same venue.
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Marques' three goals were his first of the season.
“All the players had in mind to win the game and score a lot of goals and give a great performance as a team, not individual,” said Marques, 24-year-old resident of Joao Pessoa, Brazil, who’s a rising junior for the University of Tampa. “We scored a lot of goals together, the whole team. The group works better. Everybody’s excited. Each practice we want to show why we are here. Each game we want to show we’re the best team in the conference. Each game, each day is an opportunity.”
Marques headed in the first goal from in front after a corner kick from the right side to make it 1-0. O.C.’s Marco Torino took the ball up the left side in the 21st minute and drilled the second goal into the far corner. Marques made it 3-0 with a goal similar to the one that came before it as he scored from the left side into the right corner in the 42nd minute.
A crucial few moments happened in stoppage time. Ocean City goalie Felix Schafer made two saves. The second save rebounded to Real Central’s Sergio Aguinaga, who fired one off the crossbar. The ball quickly went to the other end of the field and Daniel Diaz-Bonilla scored to give the Nor’easters a 4-0 lead just before halftime.
“I think we’ve played this way all season, (but) the difference was that we converted our chances,” Ocean City coach Kevin Nuss said. “Pablo was able to finish his first chance. Most of the season we’ve struggled to finish those chances early, and when you score early it changes the dynamic of the game. I don’t think that the way we’ve played has changed. I think tonight we were a bit sharper for the goal, and Pablo showed why he belongs on the field. Getting that early goal and building the momentum from there was really important for us.”
Conlan Paventi finally put RCNJ on the board in the 53rd minute as he scored at the left post after a save by Schafer.
The Nor’easters answered quickly as Marques made it 5-1 from 4 yards out after a save by Real’s Eric Wnorowski (three saves). Hale Lombard scored on a break upfield for the visitors with only a few seconds left.
Schafer had five saves.
Ocean City will host rival Reading United AC (3-2-3, 12 points) at 7 p.m. Friday at Carey Stadium, which the team affectionately calls "the Beach House."
Contact Guy Gargan: 609-272-7210 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/unbeaten-ocean-city-noreasters-get-100th-all-time-win-at-the-beach-house/article_c30f7a7a-f05e-11ec-aeaf-bb8073a6af72.html | 2022-06-20T19:13:00 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/unbeaten-ocean-city-noreasters-get-100th-all-time-win-at-the-beach-house/article_c30f7a7a-f05e-11ec-aeaf-bb8073a6af72.html |
AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin SWAT team is currently trying to get a barricaded suspect out of an apartment in East Austin.
Police are on scene at a complex at 5800 Techni Center Drive. The incident was reported around 11 a.m.
Police said one person was shot. Their injuries are not expected to be life threatening.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/swat-situation-active-in-east-austin-one-injured/269-49b38f09-23fb-4617-8a5a-36f1ee42c3f5 | 2022-06-20T19:22:00 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/swat-situation-active-in-east-austin-one-injured/269-49b38f09-23fb-4617-8a5a-36f1ee42c3f5 |
AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Police Department is on the scene of a fatal shooting in northwest Austin.
Police said the incident occurred on the 8700 block of Bluegrass Drive, with officers responding around 12:20 p.m.
At this time, police could only confirm that two people have died.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/two-dead-in-northwest-austin-shooting/269-b5b46fd2-630a-4f7c-a534-0a4662b334d5 | 2022-06-20T19:22:06 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/two-dead-in-northwest-austin-shooting/269-b5b46fd2-630a-4f7c-a534-0a4662b334d5 |
BLOOMINGTON — Celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, the David Davis Mansion stands as a testament to American ingenuity in the Gilded Age.
"This house is nothing but innovation," said site superintendent Jeff Saulsbery.
Known as Clover Lawn, the mansion at 1000 Monroe Drive, Bloomington, was home to former Supreme Court Justice David Davis, who was Abraham Lincoln's friend, mentor and campaign manager. Lincoln appointed Davis to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1862, and he served there until becoming a U.S. senator from 1877 to 1883.
The mansion was also the cherished residence of Davis’ wife, Sarah, who spent her time cultivating a historic garden and supporting several philanthropic causes.
Program coordinator Adrienne Huffman said the mansion has been historically misclassified. "Although the Davis Mansion, for quite some time, was considered a Victorian home," she said, "what we know now is that it was a Gilded Age home with Victorian accents."
The re-classification is due, in part, to former Davis mansion site manager Marcia Young's new book, "The David Davis Mansion: 150 Years at Clover Lawn," which, Huffman said, contains new research and facts about the mansion.
The Gilded Age was a period in American history from about 1870 to 1900 characterized by rapid economic growth. Huffman described it as a time when "Americans were not afraid of progress."
"The industrialization that was happening was way more than our British counterparts," Huffman said. This time period in American history saw the rise and fall of robber barons, the birth of labor movements, the transcontinental railroad and the advent of social reform with Jane Addams and her Hull House in Chicago.
Since the mansion joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, it has been maintained by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and volunteers in the community.
Driving technology forward
Saulsbery said the mansion's technological advances influenced more than the surrounding community. "This is the precursor to the modern house," he said, noting that it features what had been the newest technology for 1870.
The kitchen features a wooden stove with two ovens, as well as what was considered a state-of-the-art ice-box. "We like to think we invented ice," Saulsbery said.
"They'd cut ice from the rivers (in the winter) and store it underground," he said. Then, Saulsbery said, the iceman would deliver throughout the season.
A rebuilt message board hangs above the kitchen's doorway. Circular dials were installed around the house which, when pulled, would indicate on the board where someone needed assistance.
The dining room is currently laid out with replicas of oyster cocktails and a special celery jar. Saulsbery said celery needed refrigeration to be shipped fresh, so it was a sign of wealth — almost exotic. Owning a celery jar was a status symbol.
The master bedroom boasts a walk-in closet and the largest bathroom in the house, complete with a bidet.
Saulsbery pointed out the "three-fold" heating system: fireplace, radiator and heat vents. He said the bathroom was probably the warmest room in the house.
David Davis spent most of his time in Washington, D.C. during the home's construction. His wife, however, stayed at Clover Lawn, where Huffman said she was the true innovator of the mansion. "Sarah Davis, in particular, sometimes gets overlooked," Huffman said.
"She made almost every decision about this house," she said, adding that Sarah Davis represented "feminism before feminism was feminism."
A garden out of time
Besides the mansion, the site houses three historic buildings and a garden started by Sarah Davis.
On a sunny morning last week, master gardener John Elterich stood among the historic hedges and surveyed the yellow California poppies, which he said bloom all season.
"You feel like you're a guardian. You're passing it on to the next generation," he said.
Though the garden has been rehabilitated, its design is the original, Elterich said. When the mansion was being restored in the early '90s, workers discovered a map of the garden created by David Davis III in 1927 that helped gardeners rebuild, he said.
He said the layout of the walkways is an "Italian starburst," dividing the garden into seven different sections. According to the mansion's website, nearly two dozen of the plants are the very ones that Sarah Davis tended over 100 years ago.
"The Davis family never threw anything away," Elterich said. Because the family documented everything, they were able to identify which plants were original, like Sarah's roses and the honeysuckle bush, which looks more like a tree now.
Elterich said the community has always enjoyed the garden. "We've heard stories people say, in the '50s, they used to climb up and down this tree and play in the garden," he said.
While not native to Illinois, the yucca plants are original, Elterich said. Both Elterich and Saulsbery said that the Davis family were friends with John Wesley Powell, Civil War veteran and explorer. During his trip down the Colorado River, Powell brought the yucca back to Sarah as a gift.
However, Elterich said, he has to make sure the yucca does not take over the rest of the garden.
Elterich said 70 of the other plants have been planted from heirloom sources. "We collect seeds from most of the annuals" in order to keep the garden authentic, he said. The garden is so popular, in fact, that the mansion sells seed packets in its gift shop.
Elterich said the best time to visit would be mid-July when most of the flowers are in bloom.
Pantagraph connection
On the east side of the lawn, across from the garden, is a unique sugar maple tree. "It was hit by lightning at the turn of the century," Saulsbery said. But the tree did not fall, and the Davis family wanted to save it.
So workers installed metal rods and stone in the hole. "That's probably Joliet limestone in there," Saulsbery said. "They said it was like dentistry. They'd clean out the rot and fill it in."
For nearly 100 years, the tree continued to grow with its prosthetic trunk undisturbed — until some local critters got involved.
"Ten to 15 years ago, squirrels were pushing the bricks out onto people's heads," Saulsbery said, something he was worried would eventually happen.
The metal sheeting they tacked to the trunk to keep the blocks from hurting visitors came from a familiar source: The Pantagraph, where the metal sheeting was part of the printing process.
Over the years, Saulsbery said, fancy parties, renovations, weddings and even family obituaries would be featured in The Pantagraph, a tradition that shows no sign of stopping.
Political legacy
The mansion is more than a 150-year-old technological time capsule. Saulsbery said its original owner's impact on American history needs to be preserved. "Historically, Davis was the reason Abraham Lincoln was president," Saulsbery said.
In 1860, Davis led Lincoln's election team to ensure that he not only won the party nomination, but also the presidency. "Without David Davis," Saulsbery said, "there would be no Abraham Lincoln."
Davis was not a party yes-man, though. As part of Lincoln's famous team of rivals, "Davis went against things Lincoln stood for like (suspending) habeas corpus and ex parte Milligan," Saulsbery said.
"He wasn't going to kowtow to the Democrats or the Republicans," Saulsbery said. In time, Saulsbery added, "Davis was considered an independent."
This obviously angered politicians and commentators on both sides of the political spectrum. The mansion houses several of the most famous political cartoons attacking Davis. But, Saulsbery said, he was unbothered by the criticism.
"If you're not important enough to be made fun of," Saulsbery said, "then you're not important."
Upcoming events
The mansion hosts several major events annually. Saulsbery said last month's British car show drew more than 200 attendees.
The 26th annual Glorious Garden Festival, featuring a garden walk, will be held 1 to 7 p.m. Friday, July 15, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 16.
Tickets purchased in advance are $18 for adults, $10 for children 13-17, with free admission for children under 12. They are available for sale through July 13 at daviddavismansion.org and five area businesses: AB Hatchery & Garden Center, Casey’s Garden Shop & Florist, The Garlic Press, Growing Grounds Lawn & Garden Center, and Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses & Garden Center.
Tickets can also be purchased for $20 on the mansion lawn during the event.
Later in the season, the mansion's major events include the 26th annual Antique Auto Show on Aug. 6 and Cruise-In at the Mansion on Sept. 10.
Fall events are still being scheduled, but Huffman said November will feature a mystery party in the mansion with a roaring '20s theme.
The season culminates in A Victorian Christmas — a title that Huffman said might be changed to A Gilded Age Christmas to be more accurate.
"You feel like you're a guardian. You're passing it on to the next generation."
— Master Gardener John Elterich | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/watch-now-david-davis-mansion-marks-150-years-showcasing-american-innovation/article_b234ec0c-ed99-11ec-8ea2-ef1f874811ff.html | 2022-06-20T19:29:24 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/watch-now-david-davis-mansion-marks-150-years-showcasing-american-innovation/article_b234ec0c-ed99-11ec-8ea2-ef1f874811ff.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The man shot to death by his roommate in Yacolt last Monday has been publicly identified.
The Clark County Medical Examiner confirmed 42-year-old Matthew Hansen died from multiple gunshot wounds. His death was ruled a homicide.
Shortly after 7 p.m. Monday, Hansen and his roommate got into a fight at their home off NE Kelly Road, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. The roommate reportedly told 911 he shot Hansen after both men allegedly pulled guns and began shooting.
When deputies arrived at the scene, Hansen was already deceased.
Officials said the suspect roommate was detained but not arrested. | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/victim-identified-in-shooting-fight-between-roommates-in-yacolt/ | 2022-06-20T19:32:35 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/victim-identified-in-shooting-fight-between-roommates-in-yacolt/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — At least six people fell into the water after a gangway collapsed near Northwest Marina Way Monday morning, officials said.
Portland Fire & Rescue told KOIN 6 it’s unclear what caused the gangway to fail.
All those “dumped” into the water made their way out without any injuries, according to PF&R. | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/6-dumped-into-water-after-gangway-fails/ | 2022-06-20T19:32:41 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/6-dumped-into-water-after-gangway-fails/ |
CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — Two members of a Florida family in metro Atlanta for a baseball tournament died in a car crash on Sunday, the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office said. An 11-year-old boy in the crash was also airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries, while two other adults were taken to the hospital.
The sheriff's office identified the victims as 71-year-old Eric Nuzie and 66-year-old Karen Nuzie of Tallahassee, Florida.
The sheriff's office said it happened around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday on Yellow Creek Road, outside Ball Ground, Georgia.
"The investigation shows a Ford F250 was traveling south on Yellow Creek Road when it left the roadway. After leaving the roadway, the vehicle struck a tree causing extensive damage to the passenger side of the truck cab," a release from the sheriff's office said. "The front right passenger and the right rear passenger were killed on impact."
The 11-year-old boy was airlifted to Children's Hospital of Atlanta. Two more adults in the family were taken to North Fulton Hospital with serious injuries.
The driver "received minor injuries," the sheriff's office said | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/florida-family-members-metro-atlanta-baseball-tournament-die-wreck/85-7992c683-aa06-4692-9e46-a7e92c8f1628 | 2022-06-20T19:32:59 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/florida-family-members-metro-atlanta-baseball-tournament-die-wreck/85-7992c683-aa06-4692-9e46-a7e92c8f1628 |
ATLANTA — Atlanta Police responded to a recording studio in northwest Atlanta early Monday morning after they said a person was shot.
It happened at Super Sound Studios off Trabert Avenue around 3:30 a.m.
The victim told officers he was sitting in his vehicle at the location when another vehicle approached. He told them two men got out of the vehicle and started shooting at his car, grazing him. The suspects left the scene after shooting.
The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition and the investigation is ongoing.
According to the studio's website, it is owned by Atlanta rapper T.I. and has clients such as Justin Bieber, Skrillex, Jennifer Hudson and Young Thug. It used to be called Silent Sound.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/super-sound-studios-trabert-avenue-shooting-atlanta/85-864af286-2dd4-4415-961d-99ef62f49d45 | 2022-06-20T19:33:05 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/super-sound-studios-trabert-avenue-shooting-atlanta/85-864af286-2dd4-4415-961d-99ef62f49d45 |
CARLISLE, Pa. — Editors note: The above video is from April 8.
The bees are back at GIANT's Company Headquarters in Carlisle.
Earlier this year, 60,000 bees were stolen from the retail giant's Carlisle headquarters. The three hives were originally brought into the company headquarters in 2020 as part of their introduction to pollinator-friendly solar fields.
Monday morning, two new beehives, housing 30,000 honeybees, have been rehomed near GIANT's seven-acre solar field, the company said.
The bees were unveiled at a press conference for the Carlisle GIANT in celebration of National Pollinator Week. The absence of the previous three beehives was addressed at the event.
"The theft of our bees and beehives in January brought to light the issue many beekeepers around the country are facing, not only have bee populations been declining for decades, now they are being stolen," said Nicholas Bertram, President of The Giant Company.
"Bees and other pollinators are crucial to growing fruits and vegetables; without them, our produce department and mealtimes around the table would look much different," Bertram continued.
The GIANT Company, in partnership with Planet Bee Foundation, also awarded grants to five central Pennsylvania beekeepers, totaling $10,000. The funds will be used by beekeepers to replace bee colonies, rebuild beehives, and continue research.
"This grant will allow me to enhance bee breeding efforts, which ultimately enable better survival rates and provide strong queens to other local beekeepers in the Midstate," said John Patterson, a local beekeeper.
Members of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture were also present at the press conference. "One out of every three bites of food we eat is thanks to pollinators, including bees, and their role in promoting biodiversity and plant health within our greater food system," said Pa. Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding.
Celebrated every year during the third week of June, National Pollinator Week is a nationally recognized celebration that aims to acknowledge the critical ecosystem support provided by honeybees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles, moths, wasps, and flies. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/bees-giant-company-carlisle-headquarters-cumberland-county-national-pollinator-week/521-90444f91-2e7f-4d3f-a77c-e33744233b41 | 2022-06-20T19:41:41 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/bees-giant-company-carlisle-headquarters-cumberland-county-national-pollinator-week/521-90444f91-2e7f-4d3f-a77c-e33744233b41 |
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — Note: The video is from July 20, 2021.
The Cumberland County Vector Control Office announced Monday it has been notified that a mosquito collected in Dickinson Township has tested positive for West Nile Virus, the county's communications office said in a press release.
It is the first positive sample collected in the county this year, the press release said.
As of this week, Cumberland County has conducted 59 mosquito control treatments, according to the release.
“Our office has already conducted mosquito spraying in Dickinson Township to help reduce the mosquito population,” said John Bitner, Cumberland County Chief of Vector Control. “We will continue to monitor this area and utilize mosquito control throughout the county when needed.”
County residents can help prevent the diseases spread by mosquitos by:
- Using mosquito repellants, wearing longs sleeved shirts and pants.
- Taking extra precautions around dusk, the peak of female mosquito feeding.
- Securing window and doors screens, so mosquitos can’t make it into your home.
- Eliminating stagnate water around your property.
- Treating water sources that cannot be drained, mosquito dunks or bits that contain Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti), which kills larvae. These products are safe for use around humans, and pets and can be found at hardware stores and other local retailers.
Mosquitoes transmit WNV by feeding on infected birds and transmit the disease when biting another bird, animal, or human, the county said.
The county’s WNV program applies an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Plan to control mosquitoes, while limiting the effects to people and the environment.
Vector Control will continue to collect and monitor the mosquito population and to actively treat water habitat to limit future generations of mosquitoes.
The virus is not spread by person-to-person contact, the county said. One in five people infected with WNV develop a mild infection called West Nile Fever; aches, fever, skin rash and swollen lymph nodes are symptoms of this infection.
With rest and fluids, most people recover in a few days, according to the county.
Less than one percent of infections develop into the life-threatening West Nile Encephalitis. Symptoms in severe cases include a high fever, headache, neck stiffness, muscle weakness, disorientation, tremors, and convulsions. This infection requires immediate medical treatment.
For more information, visit www.ccpa.net/vector. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/cumberland-county/west-nile-virus-cumberland-county-2022-sample/521-e20082c5-a2e8-4e0a-97c5-cea2218d73ba | 2022-06-20T19:41:47 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/cumberland-county/west-nile-virus-cumberland-county-2022-sample/521-e20082c5-a2e8-4e0a-97c5-cea2218d73ba |
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. — An injured female hiker was rescued on Saturday morning after spending the night in Desolation Wilderness near South Lake Tahoe.
On Friday evening, Search and Rescue personnel and El Dorado County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to reports of an injured hiker in Desolation Wilderness.
According to CHP, they "stabilized the hiker’s injuries and spent the night with her until a helicopter could assist with extrication."
On Saturday morning, a CHP helicopter was able to land nearby and fly the woman to Strawberry where they transferred her to a ground ambulance.
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more from ABC10: Meet some of the students who participated in San Joaquin's AgFest | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/injured-hiker-rescued-desolation-wilderness/103-97fbe837-df14-4e38-91b4-930060d0f725 | 2022-06-20T19:48:49 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/injured-hiker-rescued-desolation-wilderness/103-97fbe837-df14-4e38-91b4-930060d0f725 |
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — A GoFundMe page now sits at more than $24,000 after a gas station manager was fired in Rancho Cordova for making an error that priced premium gas at 69 cents per gallon.
That's quite a difference from the average price of gas in California, which is about $6.40. In Sacramento, the cost per gallon for premium gas is about $6.74, according to AAA.
More than 1,000 people have donated to the fundraiser as of Monday, citing various reasons.
"I figured the story was worth a gallon of gas. Good luck to you," wrote Leonardo Hernandez.
John Szczecina was fired from a Shell gas station after he misplaced a decimal point at a gas station, according to ABC7. Hundreds of drivers ended up getting the cheap gas for several hours before the mistake was discovered costing the gas station $16,000, according to ABC7.
"I saw you and chatted with you quite a bit at this gas station. Sorry, you're having to deal with all of this... I hope my contribution helps you out a bit man!" Jason Zedlitz wrote.
Others wrote they heard his story and donated from as far as Hawaii.
"John, I donated because it is such a breath of fresh air in this world where you accepted responsibility for your mistake and accepted the consequences. I [am] very sorry this happened to you and I do hope, in the end, you have a very happy outcome. With love and aloha from Kauai!" wrote Nancy Williams.
Some of the top donations include $1,000, $300 and $200.
Fuel-Saving Tips
With the cost of gas likely staying high for now, AAA has these tips to share to help people save on fuel costs.
- Keep your tires properly inflated
- Slow down and drive the speed limit
- Avoid idling to warm up your engine
- Use the cruise control to maintain a constant speed and save gas
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more on ABC10 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/rancho-cordova/john-szczcina-go-fund-me-gas-station-rancho-cordova-error/103-b1701096-4cf9-46ca-8aed-d89edcf93aec | 2022-06-20T19:48:55 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/rancho-cordova/john-szczcina-go-fund-me-gas-station-rancho-cordova-error/103-b1701096-4cf9-46ca-8aed-d89edcf93aec |
TEXAS, USA — Texas is planning to add enough electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state to support 1 million electric vehicles with dozens of new stations to allow for easier long-distance travel.
Editorial note: The above video is from a related story.
In a draft plan released this month, the Texas Department of Transportation broke down a five-year plan to create a network of chargers throughout the state, starting along main corridors and interstate highways before building stations in rural areas.
The plan is to have charging stations every 50 miles along most non-business interstate routes.
In most other areas in the state, there will be charging stations within 70 miles, according to the plan. Each station is designed to have multiple stalls so there will likely be one available whenever someone stops to charge.
The chargers will be high-powered at 150kW, able to bring most electric vehicles from 10% to 80% in about half an hour, according to the report.
The funding is coming from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year, which is estimated to allocate about $408 million over five years to Texas for the purpose of expanding its electric vehicle charging network. No funds from the state budget will be used. Nationally, the goal is to create a network of 500,000 convenient and reliable electric vehicle chargers by 2030. In total from the infrastructure act, Texas is expected to receive about $35.44 billion over five years for roads, bridges, pipes, ports, broadband access and other projects.
Less than 1% of Texans’ registered vehicles are electric. As of May 31, there were 129,010 electric vehicles registered in Texas, according to the report.
“However, since 2020, the total number of electric vehicles across Texas has nearly tripled as more people adopt the technology,” TxDOT stated in its report. “With rapidly growing adoption rates, it is necessary to ensure Texas will be able to meet the demand of these new vehicles on the road.”
The state is gathering public comment on the plan, after which it will be finalized. To receive the funds, TxDOT must submit a finalized plan by Aug. 1 to the Federal Highway Administration.
Officials plan to award contracts for construction starting in January.
During the first year of implementation, Texas plans to add around 48 new locations to satisfy the 50-mile FHWA requirement. This is in addition to 27 existing private sector locations and 26 planned locations funded by a separate grant.
The next year, the focus will turn to stations in rural counties, small urban areas and areas advised by metropolitan planning organizations.
After that, during the third through fifth year of implementation, Texas will continue building out charging infrastructure in smaller and rural areas. The report states that charging stations might be equipped with a combination of solar and battery equipment to supplement their power supplies.
Gov. Greg Abbott stressed the importance of including rural areas in TxDOT’s plan in a March 22 letter.
“Texas’ sheer volume of roadway miles leaves ample opportunity for EV charging deployment. The plan should ensure that every Texan can access the infrastructure they need to charge an EV,” Abbott wrote. “Additionally, I direct TxDOT and stakeholders to include in the plan a way for Texans to easily get from Beaumont to El Paso and Texline to Brownsville in an EV–with a focus on rural placement and connectivity.”
Chandra Bhat, a University of Texas transportation engineering professor and the director of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Center on Data-Supported Transportation Operations and Planning, said the additional charging stations are a welcome upgrade to Texas transportation. Some of Bhat’s research has been funded by TxDOT.
Bhat said there are several barriers to electric vehicle adoption by consumers: the upfront cost, anxiety over how far a driver can travel and the wait times for charging.
This new plan addresses range anxiety by providing many options only 50 miles apart — however, it doesn’t address cost or fully address wait times, he said. Although the planned chargers will be high speed, it still takes around half an hour, he said. A driver might not know how long they may have to wait if someone else is already using the stalls.
That uncertainty can cause consumers to pass on purchasing electric vehicles altogether, he said.
Bhat said he thinks allowing drivers to reserve charging stations at specific times might help reduce that uncertainty. But still, Bhat said he is optimistic that more people will adopt electric vehicles in Texas due to the planned infrastructure upgrades. He also hopes the state will invest in putting information in front of consumers about the increased availability of chargers.
“We will see a clear uptick in the next two or three years, I believe,” Bhat said. “And if we get an announcement that batteries are going to be lasting longer and are going to be less expensive, you're gonna see them bought by the droves.”
This story comes from our KHOU 11 News partners at The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-placing-charging-stations-for-electric-cars-every-50-miles/285-36b74fe3-54fa-4af5-a164-348f45461db9 | 2022-06-20T19:53:15 | 1 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-placing-charging-stations-for-electric-cars-every-50-miles/285-36b74fe3-54fa-4af5-a164-348f45461db9 |
Employees of Pima County and the city of Tucson are now protected under federal mental health parity laws, after recent decisions by local officials to opt in to such protections.
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act was signed into law in 2008 and requires insurance coverage for mental health conditions and substance use disorders to be no more restrictive than insurance coverage for medical conditions.
Opting into parity protections means employees and their families are protected under laws previously unavailable to them. Employees enrolled in the city's or county's health plans can now challenge denials of mental health or substance use services they believe should be covered.
Pima County and Tucson are the first jurisdictions in the state to voluntarily discontinue opting out of parity requirements.
As of May, 4,921 employees were covered under the county's health plan. Including family members, the total number of people covered was 10,201, according to data provided by the county.
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In April, the city recorded 10,453 people enrolled in its health insurance. Active employees accounted for 3,562 people enrolled, dependents for 6,034 and there were 857 retired employees covered under the health plan, according to city data.
The change came about after efforts by Mental Health America of Arizona and Children's Action Alliance, with support from other local mental health advocates and the Kennedy Forum, an organization that aims to transform the health-care system by uniting stakeholders around a common set of principles, including full implementation of the federal parity law.
The advocates s they hope the 13 other Arizona jurisdictions that continue to opt out will follow suit.
Two years ago, Gov. Doug Ducey signed Arizona's mental health parity bill, Jake's Law, which was named after 15-year-old Jacob Edward Machovsky, who died by suicide in 2016. Jake's Law doesn't apply to self-funded non-federal government plans, which is why advocates are urging remaining jurisdictions to opt in.
“The federal parity law is, at its core, a landmark antidiscrimination law,” David Lloyd, senior policy advisor at The Kennedy Forum, said in a news release announcing the city's and county's decisions to opt in. “Having parity rights secured for city and county employees and their covered family members is a huge victory.”
Advocates say access to care, including for those with insurance, remains a major barrier in Arizona, which ranks 49th overall and 49th for youth mental illness, according to the 2022 State of Mental Health in America report. This means there's a high prevalence of mental illness and the lowest access to care.
Research shows that Arizonans are 10 times more likely to go out-of-network for inpatient behavioral health facilities than for medical or surgical facilities, and nearly seven times more likely to go out-of-network for outpatient behavioral health facilities, which ends up costing more money out of pocket.
While problems still exist with the system, mental health advocates say the decisions by the city and county are big steps forward.
"We applaud that leadership," Michelle Crow, Southern Arizona director of the Children Action's Alliance, told the Star. "It's huge when you're the first on the dance floor to do it, and to recognize particularly now during the pandemic and the results and statistics that are demonstrating that folks are really struggling."
Crow said she and others worked closely with Pima County Supervisor Adelita Grijalva, who recently expressed concern to new County Administrator Jan Lesher about the previous decision to opt out.
"I didn't understand why we'd opted out," Grijalva said. "When I started asking questions about it, the county administrator asked the same and what was the reason."
Grijalva said she didn't know if it was the change in leadership in the county that spurred the change, but she said when everyone came to the table — including the county's finance and benefits departments — no one could find a reason why Pima County shouldn't be providing mental health parity.
"We're aware of the impacts of COVID and isolation. Now we realize how critical it is and it's just as important to have access to mental health as dental and vision and other medical services," Grijalva said. "And my having been on the Tucson Unified School District board, I saw all the other programs we put into place over there because we know the impact COVID had on kids and staff. So it made a lot of sense to adopt a policy at the county that provided mental health parity."
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and City Manager Mike Ortega also worked closely with advocates to move the change along, according to Crow.
"I have nothing but respect and good words to say about the coalition of organizations that got together to bring this to my attention. These organizations are doing incredible work for our residents," Romero said. "It took me a couple of months to make sure it was brought to the attention of the council and city manager, but it worked out perfectly because we were in the midst of budgeting."
Romero said she was previously unaware that the city was opting out, but she's happy to have the opportunity to correct that decision.
"It's so timely because we hear mental health concerns from so many, and we're seeing mental health issues paired with violence. That is very, very concerning for me," she said.
"Every family is affected by mental and behavioral health issues. I deeply believe that this investment has to be done by the city of Tucson to make sure we have a workforce that not only themselves are healthy in terms of their mental health, but also their children and their partners."
Crow said the Kennedy Forum has launched a nationwide campaign. With 35,000 non-federally-funded health plans and 0.5% of those plans still opting out, groups like Mental Health America and the Kennedy Forum are working to chip away at the list, she said.
"It's one of the few remaining unknown loopholes in federal law that some remaining health plans get to opt out of parity laws," she said. "It's important to think about what are the barriers that are in place, what are the impediments and what are some of the inadvertent ways that we stigmatize mental health."
While federal regulations still allow the plans to opt out, when they do, their name is sent to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which publishes a list on its website of the jurisdictions that continue to opt out.
"This helps stigmatize (mental health treatment) and sends the wrong message to your employees that this is too expensive or not worth covering," Crow said. "That's an important way to send kind a crummy message to your employees about their benefits."
Crow said everyone knows someone sho's struggling with mental health or substance use issues right now.
"If it was up to me and I was a major employer, I'd be sending out notices to all employees that their health plans allow access to mental health and substance abuse services," she said.
Contact Star reporter Caitlin Schmidt at 573-4191 or cschmidt@tucson.com. On Twitter: @caitlincschmidt | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/tucson-pima-county-step-up-mental-health-coverage-for-employees/article_858d7e90-d60f-11ec-8417-23efc24723f8.html | 2022-06-20T19:58:05 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/tucson-pima-county-step-up-mental-health-coverage-for-employees/article_858d7e90-d60f-11ec-8417-23efc24723f8.html |
The Contreras Fire, burning southwest of Tucson, grew to about 20,000 acres as of Monday as crews worked to keep the northern edge of the fire south of Arizona 86.
The fire started June 11 on a remote ridge of the Baboquivari Mountain range, north of the Baboquivari Peak, 20 miles east of Sells, on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation. It destroyed four structures on site of the Kitt Peak National Observatory last Friday, but did not damage the telescopes or other scientific facilities, officials have said.
Fire officials Monday were worried about the weather, especially lightning that could spark other fires. Wetter weather was expected to move into the area later this week, according to an update from the Eastern Area Incident Management Team.
In the north portion of the fire, ground crews were being aided by aircraft dropping retardant and water to keep the fire south of Arizona 86 and west of the community of Pan Tak, which was previously evacuated. Crews were working with the communities of Pan Tak and Hayhook Estates to develop a structure protection plan.
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West of Pan Tak and Pan Tak Pass, bulldozers and hand crews will remove brush and grass on existing road systems to reduce the threat of fire spread. The fire is expected to flank toward Kitt Peak Road and Coyote Mountain Wilderness due to a shift in winds. Crews will focus on defensive firing operations below Kitt Peak Observatory.
Very little smoke can be seen in the area. Monitoring of the fire in the south and the west will remain a priority, but very little fire activity is anticipated.
On Kitt Peak, crews on Sunday completed defensive firing operations on the observatory property and began mop-up operations.
The fire has grown to 20,360 acres as if Monday, an increase of 3,079 acres from Sunday. It is about 40% contained.
There are more than 350 personnel assigned to the fire as well as numerous aircraft.
Arizona 386 remains closed. Drivers along Arizona 86 are encouraged to remain aware of rapidly changing conditions, dense smoke and increased fire operations along the highway. | https://tucson.com/news/local/wildfire-sw-of-tucson-grows-to-20-000-acres/article_cc7c7418-f0c3-11ec-8f3e-13e8d52ce6b5.html | 2022-06-20T19:58:11 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/wildfire-sw-of-tucson-grows-to-20-000-acres/article_cc7c7418-f0c3-11ec-8f3e-13e8d52ce6b5.html |
Demand for services from the Grace Welcome Center pantry has skyrocketed over the last five weeks, according to the Rev. Jonathon Barker of Grace Lutheran Church.
The pantry saw an average of 167 families each week for the past five weeks, a 23% increase from the average number of families coming to the pantry every week in 2021, Barker and pantry director Diane Russell said.
Barker said the increase in families is likely due to recent inflation and the subsequent rise in gas and food prices, as well as cutbacks in FoodShare, Wisconsin’s food stamps program.
“Within that 167 families, that’s about 550 adults and kids coming in every week,” Russell said.
This is not the first time the pantry has seen an uptick of guests. Russell said when the pantry first opened in June 2019, they were only expecting around 25-30 families to use it each week. However, this number quickly rose to 40-50, and Russell said the COVID-19 pandemic produced the first significant rise in families using the pantry in 2020.
Barker and Russell said they will not turn anyone away who is hungry, but that can mean giving less food to each person that comes in. Their hope is that the food they supply to families is supplemental to what families already have, rather than being their only source of food.
However, Barker said some pantry users have told him Grace Welcome Center makes the difference between their eating and not eating.
“It’s humbling seeing what [the pantry] means for guests,” Barker said. “We have to keep this place open.”
The Grace Welcome Center has been open nearly every day since it started three years ago. Russell said she, Barker and volunteers have kept the pantry open through all kinds of weather conditions and through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I feel that it’s our responsibility to feed people every week,” Russell said.
With increasing demand at Grace Welcome Center, Barker and Russell said any donations help. The pantry accepts non-perishable food items and is open for donation drop-offs Monday through Friday with varying hours, which are available online at https://gracewelcomecenter.org/about/. The pantry also accepts monetary donations by check or online.
For those who want to help but do not have the resources to donate, Russell said they are always looking for more volunteers. Spreading word about the pantry to friends, family and neighbors is very important as well, she said.
Barker and Russell said Kenosha residents have been extremely generous and helpful to the pantry since it opened.
“We have a wonderful community in Kenosha behind us,” Barker said.
The food pantry is open to guests on Tuesdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. with both walk-up and drive-up options, and their breakfast program runs on Thursdays and Fridays from 8 to 9:15 a.m.
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FREEZIN FOR A REASON
County Supervisor Andy Berg helps Jane Padlock unload a box of food during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo and County Supervisor Andy Berg are sleeping outside in tents during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo and County Supervisor Andy Berg are sleeping outside in tents during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo and County Supervisor Andy Berg are sleeping outside in tents during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
IN PHOTOS: Freezin' for a Reason food drive in 2021
County Supervisor Andy Berg and Alderman Dominic Ruffalo on Tuesday, Jan. 19, hosted a food drive at Grace Lutheran Church, where the duo is sleeping outside for three nights as part of a fundraising effort.
1 of 14
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
County Supervisor Andy Berg helps Jane Padlock unload a box of food during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo and County Supervisor Andy Berg are sleeping outside in tents during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo and County Supervisor Andy Berg are sleeping outside in tents during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo and County Supervisor Andy Berg are sleeping outside in tents during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo sorts through donations during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo, right, receives a donation from a woman during the Freezin' for a Reason event Tuesday at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Food and money donations are accepted during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo picks up donations to be brought into the building during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Supervisor Andy Berg, left, and Alderman Dominic Ruffalo receive food donations during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Katy Wallner, right, and Alderman Dominic Ruffalo sort through donations during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo, right, and Katy Wallner sort through food donations during the Freezin’ for a Reason event Tuesday at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
Alderman Dominic Ruffalo, left, and Katy Wallner sort through food donations during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
County Supervisor Andy Berg carries donations during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
KENOSHA NEWS PHOTO BY SEAN KRAJACIC
FREEZIN FOR A REASON
County Supervisor Andy Berg carries a box of perishable food down stairs to coolers during the Freezin' for a Reason event at Grace Lutheran Church.
Initial reports indicated that a 5-year-old female child and a 22-year-old man were swimming after jumping into the water from a boat on the lake. The man went underwater and did not resurface.
One young man allegedly used Snapchat, Facebook and a small circle of accomplices to illicitly acquire other people's checks and collect thousands from a credit union. A $50,000 arrest warrant was issued May 20, and he was arrested less than a month later.
Rev. Jonathon Barker and pantry director Diane Russell stand in the food pantry at the Grace Welcome Center in Kenosha. Demand has surged at the site over the past five weeks and inflation has pushed food and gas prices higher nationwide. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/higher-prices-pushing-more-local-families-to-use-kenosha-food-pantry/article_3f1cbc00-f0a9-11ec-9a38-a3d91ba98445.html | 2022-06-20T19:58:58 | 0 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/higher-prices-pushing-more-local-families-to-use-kenosha-food-pantry/article_3f1cbc00-f0a9-11ec-9a38-a3d91ba98445.html |
The Front Porch Rockers, Paula Treacy, left, and Jusus Villa, perform during a Lakeside Lounge event at the Kemper Center in 2021. This year's "Lakeside Lounge" performers from 6 to 8 p.m. will be: Violet Wilder, on Wednesday Ludlow Group, July 20; Karma Shotgun, Aug. 17; and the Jill Plaisted Group, Sept. 7.
The season may be short, but new events pop up all the time, meaning the choices for entertainment are always expanding.
Returning this summer outside the Kemper Center, 6501 Third Ave., is the "Lakeside Lounge" music series.
Visitors are welcome to "enjoy food, drinks and music outside on the lakefront behind Kemper Center," said Kemper Center officials.
The Lakeside Lounge, which debuted in 2021, is another outdoor event at Kemper that takes advantage of the venue's lakefront location in Downtown Kenosha.
From 6 to 8 p.m. on four Wednesdays, food and drinks will be available for purchase and live music will be performed.
This year's "Lakeside Lounge" performers are: Violet Wilder, June 22; Ludlow Group, July 20; Karma Shotgun, Aug. 17; and the Jill Plaisted Group, Sept. 7.
The "lounge" takes place on the northernmost lawn area at Kemper Center.
Food will be provided by the Hydn Cheese Food Truck and a variety of beverages, including a full bar, will be available in Kemper’s Faulkner Building. (Note: Bringing alcohol beverages onto the premises is against the law.)
There are a limited number of picnic tables available, and people are encouraged to bring lawn chairs.
Admission is free. For more information, go to kempercenter.com.
IN PHOTOS: Kemper Center hosts first Lakeside Lounge outdoor event in 2021
Initial reports indicated that a 5-year-old female child and a 22-year-old man were swimming after jumping into the water from a boat on the lake. The man went underwater and did not resurface.
One young man allegedly used Snapchat, Facebook and a small circle of accomplices to illicitly acquire other people's checks and collect thousands from a credit union. A $50,000 arrest warrant was issued May 20, and he was arrested less than a month later.
The Front Porch Rockers, Paula Treacy, left, and Jusus Villa, perform during a Lakeside Lounge event at the Kemper Center in 2021. This year's "Lakeside Lounge" performers from 6 to 8 p.m. will be: Violet Wilder, on Wednesday Ludlow Group, July 20; Karma Shotgun, Aug. 17; and the Jill Plaisted Group, Sept. 7. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/lakeside-lounge-is-back-june-22-at-kemper-center/article_14f291da-f0b2-11ec-980d-bf3e76f32123.html | 2022-06-20T19:59:04 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/lakeside-lounge-is-back-june-22-at-kemper-center/article_14f291da-f0b2-11ec-980d-bf3e76f32123.html |
NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A child was airlifted to the hospital after they were stabbed in the chest by a catfish, according to Pasco County Fire Rescue.
The incident reportedly happened Monday during a fishing trip in New Port Richey, though it's not yet clear where.
In a tweet, fire rescue said the child experienced difficulty breathing while on the way to the hospital with family. A medical helicopter ended up meeting their car and flying the victim to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.
The extent of the child's injuries is not yet known.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pascocounty/florida-child-stabbed-catfish/67-da2d769c-ba00-46fe-9054-0038cbe9cd20 | 2022-06-20T20:01:26 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pascocounty/florida-child-stabbed-catfish/67-da2d769c-ba00-46fe-9054-0038cbe9cd20 |
A Father's Day tragedy took the life of a 48-year-old New York man after a tree fell onto a pickup truck, state police say.
The truck was driving along the Palisades Interstate Parkway Sunday afternoon, near mile marker 29.8 in Stony Point, when the tree suddenly fell, crushing the pickup and several people inside, authorities said.
The tree's impact completely smashed the Ford F-150 on the east shoulder of the highway and turned the truck around.
Anthony Apostolico, 48, of Chester, was declared dead at the scene.
The truck's driver, 20-year-old Vincent Apostolico, was critically wounded in the crash and taken to Hackensack University Medical Center. A 17-year-old passenger was treated at Westchester Medical Center for leg injuries, according to police.
Police shut the parkway down for several hours as crews worked to clear the scene and tow the truck away.
Officials investigating the incident say it was tragic timing that the tree fell the moment the truck was passing by, calling it a "one-in-a-million accident." Wind gusts were reported in the area around that time but no rain.
News
State police continue to investigation the incident. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/tree-falls-suddenly-crushing-pickup-truck-and-killing-man-on-ny-highway/3741522/ | 2022-06-20T20:06:13 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/tree-falls-suddenly-crushing-pickup-truck-and-killing-man-on-ny-highway/3741522/ |
STROUD TOWNSHIP, PA — Six puppies, believed to be less than one week old, were found inside a bag in a shopping cart at the Mount Pocono Walmart.
"It is horrible because they could have suffocated in a plastic bag," said Wendy Edwards, the vet tech at the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe, also known as AWSOM, in Stroud Township.
Edwards says a good Samaritan called them on Saturday when the puppies were discovered.
The puppies were then rushed to the shelter, cared for, and picked up by an experienced foster.
"Puppies' body temperatures don't stabilize, so they've got to be kept warm. So we got them warm, we got them fed, we got them doing their business, and they are, so far, doing well in foster," Edwards said.
The animal shelter is always looking for donations, and they need your help. They're looking for puppy toys, formula, and pee wee pads to help the babies.
"They are being bottle-fed on formula, but that will only last for a couple of weeks before they actually start eating on their own," Edwards said. "Once that happens, we are going to new Purina Pro Plan wet and dry food, and we're definitely going to need puppy chew toys, whatever, to keep them busy."
Edwards says she has no idea how the puppies ended up inside a plastic bag or why someone would do that to them.
"It's scary. We don't know what the situation was. We don't know if somebody put them there or what the person's deal was. The person who did call that found them, we do have them keeping their eyes out, hoping that maybe there is a mama out there. There could very well be a mama out there that needs help also."
The puppies will stay with their foster family for the next eight weeks before they can legally be adopted.
If you would like to donate to the shelter to help the puppies, click here.
You can also send items to:
AWSOM
3129 Godfrey Ridge Drive,
Stroudsburg, PA 18360
See more pets and animal stories on WNEP’s YouTube playlist. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/abandoned-puppies-found-in-walmart-parking-lot-mount-pocono-animal-welfare-society-awsom/523-9385cfa7-e80e-41fe-98f2-0756e58f1fd2 | 2022-06-20T20:09:11 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/abandoned-puppies-found-in-walmart-parking-lot-mount-pocono-animal-welfare-society-awsom/523-9385cfa7-e80e-41fe-98f2-0756e58f1fd2 |
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Ashleigh Johnson, a student from Albany who is planning to attend Spelman College, has been recognized as a 2022 Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholar during a special virtual program, hosted by comedian Akintunde.
Denny’s Hungry for Education is a scholarship program that recognizes and rewards students who show initiative and creativity in helping Denny’s bring communities together. Partnering with 11 leading, nonprofit, minority advocacy organizations, Denny’s awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships this year to deserving elementary, high school and college students.
Johnson, selected by members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Inc. — Lambda Rho Omega Chapter sorority, said, “Denny’s can bring the communities together by hosting a mental health night at their locations. At the mental health night, employees and the community will benefit greatly from this event. Denny’s could invite local therapists, psychologists and mental health professionals to come out.”
The virtual winner’s celebration, focused on the winners along with their friends and family, can be viewed at dennyshungryforeducation.com, featured remarks by Denny’s executives John Miller and April Kelly-Drummond.
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MOULTRIE — Colquitt Regional Medical Center recently cut the ribbon on its new Geropsychiatry Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit (BHU). The focus of this new service line is to provide short-term intensive treatment for elderly patients who suffer from acute psychiatric disorders, cognitive impairment, and age-related physiological disabilities.
Patients who are admitted will benefit from a comprehensive line of treatments offered in the BHU, such as extensive evaluation and assessment, individual treatment planning, individual and family therapy, group therapy (occupational and activity), medication management, discharge planning, outreach and referral for aftercare, and family and caregiver support.
The unit, which is located on the second floor of the hospital, houses 10 beds, four semi-private and two private. It will largely serve the 55-plus population and aims to help patients regain and maintain their optimal level of health. More specifically, this unit will benefit patients who suffer from depression, anxiety, grief, coping challenges or emotional disturbances.
“Over the past several years, it has become evident that this service is greatly needed for our community,” Colquitt Regional President and CEO Jim Matney said. “Until now, patients with geriatric psychiatry needs had to transfer to neighboring facilities to receive the necessary level of care. Now, patients in our community have the option to stay right here in their hometown and still receive the same exceptional care.”
The need for increased access to mental health services in rural areas, coupled with increasing numbers of the geriatric population, have been major driving forces for the implementation of these services. According to the National Institutes of Health, the 65-plus population is projected to almost double by 2050, growing from 48 million to 88 million.
This new unit is one of several recent additions to Colquitt Regional’s psychiatry services. In 2020, Sterling Physician Group added its first psychiatrist to its medical staff. In 2021, the hospital opened an intensive outpatient program, Sterling Group Senior Wellness, that focuses on providing treatment in a group setting to adults who are experiencing depression, anxiety and emotional problems, among others. On June 14, Georgia South Graduate Medical Education welcomed its first set of psychiatry residents and will train them to become independent psychiatrists over the next four years, in hopes of creating a new pipeline of mental health physicians for the region.
“We are constantly evaluating our services and how we can continue meeting the needs of our patients and community members,” Hospital Authority Chairman Richard E. Turner Jr. said in a news release. “With the addition of these psychiatric service lines, we are able to provide a greater continuum of care, ranging from acute inpatient care and intensive outpatient treatment to follow-ups with Dr. (Teron) Verma and his staff.”
Colquitt Regional’s BHU is led by Verma, who serves as medical director, and Director of Behavior Health RN Melissia Bennett.
The BHU was made possible through the support of 2021 Georgia HEART tax credit donations and several signature naming donations to Colquitt Regional Medical Foundation. This includes a donation of $250,000 by Colquitt Regional employees, a $110,000 gift by the Colquitt Regional Volunteers, and a generous donation of $25,000 by Mr. and Mrs. Victor Beadles.
For more information, contact Melissia Bennett at (229) 891-9194. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/colquitt-regional-cuts-ribbon-on-geropsychiatric-inpatient-behavioral-health-unit/article_3ef424e6-f0c9-11ec-9cef-570fc61a560b.html | 2022-06-20T20:14:29 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/colquitt-regional-cuts-ribbon-on-geropsychiatric-inpatient-behavioral-health-unit/article_3ef424e6-f0c9-11ec-9cef-570fc61a560b.html |
LEESBURG — The Lee County Commission has announced that it will hold a public hearing at its 6 p.m. meeting July 12 on the planned closure of Carter Place Road.
Any citizen of Lee County or any person wherever residing may be heard by the Lee County Board of Commissioners during the aforesaid public hearing, which will be held at the Lee County governmental offices, located at 102 Starksville Ave. North.
In making the announcement, the board offered the following resolution:
Whereas, the Board of Commissioners of Lee County, Georgia, has determined that Carter Place Road, a dirt road with entrance and exit on Georgia Highway 195 at parcel 045 030 and parcel 053 017, which has been proposed for abandonment is that portion of a county road right of way known as Carter Place Road, which traverses property operated at Southern Hills Orchards for approximately two miles. Said property is located in Land Lots 075 and 105 of the 14th Land District of Lee County, Georgia.
Maps are on file in the office of the Lee County Planning, Zoning & Engineering Department, located at 102 Starksville Ave. North, and may be reviewed along with any information by contacting County Manager Christi Dockery between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, except holidays, at (229) 759-6000.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/lee-county-to-hold-public-hearing-on-road-closure/article_7741fc08-f0c7-11ec-8ffe-7fc3d80ea6c9.html | 2022-06-20T20:14:35 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/lee-county-to-hold-public-hearing-on-road-closure/article_7741fc08-f0c7-11ec-8ffe-7fc3d80ea6c9.html |
THOMASVILLE — Thomasville Main Street has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America program for meeting rigorous performance standards. Each year, Main Street America and its partners announce the list of accredited programs to recognize their exceptional commitment to preservation-based economic development and community revitalization through the Main Street approach.
“We are extremely proud to recognize this year’s 863 nationally Accredited Main Street America programs that have worked tirelessly to advance economic vitality and quality of life in their downtowns and commercial districts,” Patrice Frey, president/CEO of Main Street America, said in a news release. “During another incredibly challenging year, these programs demonstrated the power of the Main Street movement to respond to the needs of their communities. I am inspired by their steadfast leadership and innovative solutions to drive essential local recovery efforts, support small businesses, and nurture vibrant downtown districts.”
In 2021, Main Street America programs generated $5.76 billion in local reinvestment, helped open 6,601 new businesses, generated 30,402 new jobs, catalyzed the rehabilitation of 10,595 historic buildings, and leveraged 1,427,729 volunteer hours. On average, for every dollar that a Main Street program spent to support its operations, it generated $19.34 of new investment back into Main Street communities.
Thomasville Main Street’s performance is annually evaluated by the Georgia Main Street Program, which works in partnership with Main Street America to identify the local programs that meet rigorous national performance standards. Evaluation criteria determine the communities that are building meaningful and sustainable revitalization programs and include standards such as, fostering strong public-private partnerships, supporting small and locally owned businesses, and actively preserving historic places, spaces and cultural assets.
In 2021, Downtown Thomasville experienced a net growth of nine new or expanded businesses, creating 54 new jobs. Twenty-one building rehabilitation projects were completed, resulting in a more than $29 million investment.
“Rehabilitation projects and new or expanded developments are what help continue to transform our downtown and create job opportunities,” Brandy Avery, the Main Street manager for the city of Thomasville, said.
The Thomasville Main Street program began in 1981. Since that time, downtown Thomasville has experienced a net gain of 337 businesses and more than 1,200 jobs, with more than $141 million in public and private reinvestment. The program continues to be successful because of strong community support.
“Downtowns are the heart of our communities, and a community is only as strong as its core,” Avery said. “Together, we’ve created a flourishing downtown for citizens and visitors.”
Main Street America leads a movement committed to strengthening communities through preservation-based economic development in older and historic downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts. For more than 40 years, Main Street America has provided a practical, adaptable and impactful framework for community-driven, comprehensive revitalization through the Main Street approach. Main Street America is a nonprofit subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
For more information about the Thomasville Main Street program, visit downtownthomasville.com or contact (229) 227-7020. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/thomasville-receives-main-street-america-accreditation/article_8a524200-f0ca-11ec-b21e-abc3bb10b951.html | 2022-06-20T20:14:41 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/thomasville-receives-main-street-america-accreditation/article_8a524200-f0ca-11ec-b21e-abc3bb10b951.html |
Hanover motorists can expect delays Interstate 95 Monday, as traffic officials assess a single-vehicle crash.
The Virginia Department of Transportation said the crash occurred around 3 p.m. on I-95 north near mile marker 89.
Authorities have shut off the north left shoulder and left lane, VDOT said. Traffic backups are approximately three miles long.
This is a breaking news update. We will add more details as they become available. | https://richmond.com/news/local/vehicle-crash-causes-3-mile-backup-in-hanover/article_39449196-fb00-5334-b929-5ccf7f233fa2.html | 2022-06-20T20:16:36 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/vehicle-crash-causes-3-mile-backup-in-hanover/article_39449196-fb00-5334-b929-5ccf7f233fa2.html |
This is Volume 91 on the memory man’s march back into time. True confession: In late 1955, the man survived tryouts for the university freshman basketball team by launching basketballs from way, way outside. And, of course, making as many, occasionally more, than he missed.
No big deal, right? Not by today’s standards. So let’s see Stephen Curry or Klay Thompson do it like we did back in the 40s and 50s … with TWO-HANDED set shots!!
The point is, the man liked bombs away even if it was only worth a pair of points like any other attempt. The difference then from now was it really was rare and seldom encouraged. Now such shots are worth three points and, it says here, have turned hoops into a glorified game of H-O-R-S-E.
All of which is backing into our last tome. Call it: He Came Along Too Soon.
Back in the day, like … ohh, 25 years and counting … Curtis Staples was easily basketball’s best long-range shooter we ever saw. (Yes, even better than Max “The Touch” Zaslofsky.) Actually, in retrospect, Staples was ahead of his time.
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A 6-3 guard from Roanoke by way of Oak Hill Academy, the prep super power located in – of all places – Mouth of Wilson (pop. 1,379), Staples came to the University of Virginia an all-round player who could do it all. He quickly learned, however, that he better specialize … or else.
His teammates included Cory Alexander, who would be a first-round NBA draft choice, and Harold Deane. Like Staples they were backcourt players who could score as well as make their bigger teammates look good, too. “I knew right away as a freshman what my role was,” Staples said. “[Shooting threes] was the only way I could stay on the floor.”
He opted for UVA after really wanting to play for Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina (where Patrick Henry High School teammate – and still close friend – George Lynch already was a star) … and Smith wanted Staples but … the deal breaker was when Smith told Staples: “’You’ll have to wait your turn … but don’t be discouraged … We’ve had a number of All-Americans sit on the bench at first.’”
That, Staples said, “changed my whole outlook. I wanted to play right away .. and they already had Donald Williams [at shooting guard], who was MVP of their national championship team.”
(It’s a fact, Jack. Williams scored 25 points in leading Carolina over Michigan 77-71 for the NCAA title in 1993. That was the game in which the Wolverines Chris Webber infamously called a timeout he didn’t have with 11 seconds remaining and trailing by only two points. In a way, it was poetic justice because moments earlier, Webber grabbed a rebound then took a couple of awkward steps before putting the ball on the floor. The game officials somehow missed that infraction but all was forgiven (or forgotten) when he had Brain Fog II and inadvertently gave the ball back to the Heels.
(It was the closest the over-rated, underachieving “Fab 5” would come to winning it all. Williams, a sophomore, was voted the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player – to be precise – and it was the highlight of his career. Undrafted by the NBA, he played professionally overseas and in this country for eight years including a brief stop with your Richmond Rhythm in 2001. For the past five seasons Williams has coached women’s hoops at Wakefield (N.C.) High School.
(Ironically, Williams, like Staples, opted for his second choice. Originally, the Garner, N.C., product thought N.C. State would be the best place for him because he liked to shoot – a lot – and coach Jim Valvano wouldn’t hold him back. He knew Smith was more structured at Carolina. What was the old joke? Name the only person ever to defend Michael Jordan … Dean Smith. Ha! Ha!
(Also, Williams liked Valvano – a lot – so, when State forced Jimmy V to resign after the 1989-90 season, Williams signed with Carolina, had a rough freshman year as backup point guard, and almost transferred. Smith talked Williams out of leaving, saying he would be moved to shooting guard where Hubert Davis, now UNC coach, had convinced the New York Knicks to make him their top draft choice in 1992.)
Staples’ father “always loved Virginia … and thought I should be thinking about a state school anyway,” so he came to Charlottesville to play for Jeff Jones and the Cavaliers. Four seasons (1994-98) later Staples had set the national record for 3-point field goals … that wasn’t broken until Feb. 14, 2006 by Duke’s J.J. Redick who, ironically, also was from Roanoke and a friend of Staples who had been an instructor at a summer camp attended by Redick.
“I was a big fan of Curtis Staples,” Redick was quoted as saying.
No telling how many treys Staples would have accumulated had the shot been as widely used then as it is now. He recalled taking an inordinate number of shots daily working on his craft … in the neighborhood of 1,000, he said.
“He’s a great shooter … and it doesn’t happen by chance,” Jones said in a taped interview. “He’s probably worked harder than anybody I’ve been associated with.”
It certainly paid off. For example, Staples drilled nine three-pointers in a 75-65 victory over UNLV in 1995 and another seven in taking down North Carolina State (1997). For instant proof, check YouTube. The voice-over for State-Virginia was provided by the late Stuart Scott on ESPN:
“BOOYA!! He’s hitting from downtown Richmond … He’s hitting from Route 29 in Richmond … He’s hitting from Thomas Jefferson’s house in Virginia … from Arlington Cemetery.” (OK, so he got carried away. Route 29? Details, always details. Still, it was a fun call.)
By his own recollection, Staples invariably was at his best against Duke and Carolina. “I had my coming-out party as a freshman at Duke in January … and we went on a run all the way to the Elite 8,” he said.
The Cavaliers were 25-9, including 12-4 in the ACC to finish in a four-way tie for first place. They beat Duke twice and split with UNC, shocking Smith’s then-second-ranked Tar Heels at University Hall 73-71. In all, Virginia won 10 of its last 11 games, including a 67-58 upset of No. 1 Kansas in the semifinals of the Midwest Regional held in Kansas City. Deane had 22 points, Staples and 6-8 Junior Burrough 18 each.
Since graduating from UVA, Staples has lived the good life, if slightly under the radar. His NCAA-record 413 treys, now 17th overall, got him a tryout with the NBA’s Chicago Bulls … “but there was a strike, and I was cut ...with all the young guys.”
He spent the next seven years playing minor-league pro hoops, mostly overseas (Spain, Italy, Phillipines, etc.). “I know I could have continued to play at a high level … and, looking back, it was all good … but I wanted to transition into the real world,” Staples said.
We found him in White Pine, Tenn., of all places, where he coaches basketball at Lakeway Christian Academy. Things have a way of working out for Staples … even if it hasn’t been as he expected. First, he had a limousine company, then began his coaching career in 2010 at Lynchburg’s Virginia Episcopal School, winning a championship his first season.
By now – he’ll be 46 on July 14 – he thought he would be in the college ranks … and there was an offer that led Staples to resign after eight good years at VES. He prefers not to identify the school because it became moot when state AAU icon Boo Williams said there was this prep school in Tennessee ‘”looking for someone like you.’”
Reluctantly, Staples came to White Pine for an interview and … “They spoiled us,” he recalled. Included in a package deal was his wife being put in charge of the school’s counseling department. His title is Director of Advancement, which means Staples does more than just Xs and Os. In 2018-19, Lakeway’s Lions traveled to Dayton, Ohio, and won the national Christian school basketball championship. One of the stars of that 25-1 team, Donte Harris, went to Georgetown, where he’s started the past two years.
Joining the collegiate rat race is on the back burner but that doesn’t mean that some day … “Never say never,” Staples said.
Meanwhile, as the game has evolved into a long-range shooting marathon, Staples has tumbled to sixteenth on the career list of treys. At No. 15, with 414, is Steph Curry, who played only three seasons (and 18 fewer games than Staples) at Davidson.
Redick now stands third with 457 (2002-06). For the moment, No. 1 (509) is Wofford’s Fletcher Magee (2015-19) but barring something unforeseen, the new leader in the clubhouse will be Antoine Davis, high-scoring gunner from Detroit Mercy. He will return for a fifth – thanks to COVID – season with 429 from beyond the arc and with an outside chance of besting Pete Maravich’s all-time record for points (3,667).
Looking back and seeing what he could have done today, Staples said, “A lot of people have told me I came along too early … Now, I would have signed a super contract.”
(Brief timeout: In a poll of all-time best shooters from – BOO-YAH! Downtown – guess who was numero uno? With an all-time best (by far) percentage of 49.8. we give you the man whose teams are noted first for keeping the score down, the coach who brought the “Pack Line” defense to Virginia … believe it or not … Tony Bennett (Wisconsin-Green Bay, 1988-92). He also made 54 per cent of his two-point attempts.)
OK, so tell us, Curtis, is basketball better – or worse – because of this low-percentage shot that has taken over the game? Television ratings for the NBA have been going down as the players keep jacking it up from way, way out. Teams combing for more than 90 – yes, NINETY – treys in one game is not uncommon any more.
Staples, the ex-player and shooter of threes, likes it, he says, “because it is exciting to watch.” For Staples, the coach, it has made his job harder. Listen:
“Everyone wants to shoot threes. Kids don’t want go into the post. They dribble to much ... and, to a certain extent, it has corrupted the game …
“Say that to kids now, and they’ll argue you down … ‘Oh. you’re just old school.’ … and I am. Every year they come in at 6-8 … and all they want to do is shoot threes. And I tell them: ‘I’ll introduce you to the bench if you want to do it your way.’”
In other words, my way or the highway. There can only be one boss … and the boss knows best. “It’s hard,” Staples said. “It’s really hard.”
The 2022 NBA draft will be seen on ESPN and ABC and who knows how many streaming services. Clearly, it has become a mega-event, a far cry from, say, 1986 when our review probably was not harsh enough.
“The operative words during WTBS’ two-hour-plus telecast of the NBA draft were ‘surprise … surprised … surprising.’ From John Thompson’s opening cutsie remark about the Cavaliers, it was all uphill for the SuperStation’s not-so-super presentation. After we were informed Cleveland had obtained the 76ers’ first [overall] choice in exchange for Roy Hinson, Thompson said: ‘If I was Cleveland, I’d be worried about breaking up the chemistry they have.’ Ho-ho-ho!
“Larry Donald’s microphone didn’t work properly. A graphic was wrong. That was for starters. Rick Barry interviewed the draftees present … and kept his reputation intact as being no threat to Barbara Walters. The closest Barry came to coaxing something meaningful was when he asked Brad Daugherty about ‘playing soft.’ And Daugherty, North Carolina’s 6-11 center, was first to go before TBS’ cameras. Then there was the usual NBA ‘commercial,’ with Barry feeding commissioner David Stern.
“Mostly, however, it was Thompson and host Bob Neal looking, acting and being … surprised. They, along with Donald, had little clue who would draft whom. ‘A lot of weather forecasters out there are getting a good laugh at us,” Donald said.
“Another of the station’s experts, John Andriese, predicted how the first round would go … and got five of the first eight right. He also was 0 for the last 16. What we needed was more Red Auerbach ... and less of everyone else.
“Highlights?
“Pearl Washington being told he might be drafted by Detroit: ‘I hope not.’
“Thompson on Ohio State’s 7-1 Brad Sellers: ‘He is smaller than his size.’
“John Salley on Detroit teammate-to-be Bill Laimbeer: ‘I’ll try to get him the ball … and keep him happy.”
“Chris Washburn: ‘In time, I’ll be one of the premier players at my position.’
“Daugherty’s highlight film included him decking Virginia’s Tom Sheehey with a well-placed elbow. Michigan State’s Scott Skiles won the highlight-film award … and Donald followed with a mini-logue on what a fine young man Skiles was. Given Skiles’ frequent brushes with the law …
“What wasn’t answered is why Turner Broadcasting continues to insist on having a college coach as lead analyst. Last year it was St. John’s Lew Carnesecca. Georgetown’s Thompson put it best. ‘For someone like myself who doesn’t know anything about the NBA ...’”
FYI: The first NBA draft was held 75 years ago and from 1960 through 1968 lasted 21 rounds. Honest! It has been televised since 1980 (USA Network) but didn’t have prime-time exposure until 1989 (TBS). The following year TNT began a 13-year run before losing the rights to ESPN which still has them.
Going, going … almost gone. At one time, we – meaning state of Virginia lovers of college sports – were blessed with many natural rivalries … from Virginia-Virginia Tech (all competition, big and small) to VMI-Tech (football and basketball – really!), Richmond-William & Mary (all sports) and – ready for this? – UVA and Washington & Lee football. Equally competitive, if between so-called small schools: Randolph-Macon and Hampden-Sydney. Oh, lest we forget … Old Dominion-Virginia Commonwealth (hoops).
Now, of the above, only UVA/Tech and R-MC/H-SC remain. (I know, UR and W&M still have a football rivalry, of sorts, but not nearly as intense as it used to be. They haven’t met in basketball since Dec, 1, 2014 … which is a shame for those of us who remember – for example – the battles (literally) between teams coached by Bill Chambers (Tribe) and Les Hooker (UR) … especially in the unfriendly confines of Blow Gym in Williamsburg and The Arena here, both long gone.
Which is a long-winded (what else is new?) lead-in to last week’s news that VCU had pulled the plug on the ODU series that began in 1969. Of course, the announcement was made in a prepared statement by Rams’ athletic director Ed McLaughlin, who didn’t bother to explain why the Rams wouldn’t be butting heads with the Monarchs any more.
That led to speculation that ODU’s move from Conference USA to the Sun Belt Conference was the reason because of its weak rating in basketball. Even though VCU had dominated in recent years, winning 10 of the last 12 meetings, beating the Monarchs from now on would actually hurt – certainly not help – its bid for an at-large berth in the post-season NCAA tournament.
Whatever the reason, what VCU has done is deprive its fans of a rival they looked forward to playing --which doesn’t make the Rams unique, of course. Instead, McLaughlin will spend $318,000 in guarantees for five teams they should beat at the Siegel Center. (Included is $85,000 to Radford.) With more to come.
As you might suspect, the good folks at Old Dominion didn’t take the news very well. Games with VCU had been their most-anticipated –not to mention biggest draws – for a long time. First reaction (reported in the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot) was a terse “no comment” by athletic director Wood Selig. Coach Jeff Jones, like Selig once employed at UVA, was out of town, on vacation and not available.
A few days later, after the University of Richmond – like VCU a member of the Atlantic 10 – announced it would drop ODU as well, Selig admittedly was puzzled and not-a-little-bit-bothered by the fact it had all been news to him. “It came out of the blue. I don’t know what this is all about,” Selig said. “I haven’t talked to the athletic directors from those schools. They had their coaches talk to our coaches. All I know is what I read in the paper.” Ouch!
Double ouch! Is that anyway to run a railroad (to quote an oldie-but-goodie expression)?
“If anyone would do the research … four of the last six years the Sun Belt has been ranked higher [in basketball] than Conference USA,” Selig said. “I can’t think of a good explanation [for dropping ODU], to be honest with you.
“At least James Madison is coming to the Sun Belt. That’s good. It won’t be a VCU/ODU rivalry … but it will become one.”
Old-timers (like the man) recall sitting in on some matchups with Old Dominion at the old Franklin St. gym … when Chuck Noe was VCU coach … that weren’t for the faint of heart. The fans REALLY got into it. Regardless of the outcome, it was great fun.
Those days are gone … forever. The bottom line has become more important. Otherwise, why would ODU make a football decision to join the Sun Belt? Or VCU use it as a lame excuse to end a spirited rivalry apparently because it possibly could hurt the Rams’ chances from getting an at-large berth in March Madness.
So the Sun Belt’s best rating was a terrible 127 this past season. Since when does the tournament selection committee care about numbers? If that really were true, then why was Texas A&M left out when it had a better ranking than several who made the field?
“You’ve got a laundry list of what’s wrong with college athletics. Add this to the list,” Selig said. “Why would anyone in their right mind avoid playing a rivalry game like ODU/VCU? Why would you do that? Why? There’s not one good reason. One game is not going to get you in [the NCAA tournament] … or keep you out?”
Until next time ...
804-749-3290 | https://richmond.com/sports/local/jerry-lindquists-sports-memories-catching-up-with-curtis-staples/article_a3fcbbd8-999b-52b8-8293-56fd2a2d63ea.html | 2022-06-20T20:16:42 | 0 | https://richmond.com/sports/local/jerry-lindquists-sports-memories-catching-up-with-curtis-staples/article_a3fcbbd8-999b-52b8-8293-56fd2a2d63ea.html |
SAN ANTONIO — There is a baby boom in the Labor and Delivery Unit at Methodist Hospital right now. 17 nurses have been pregnant right alongside their patients over the last six months.
The due dates for the nurses have been from December 2021 to July of this year. Break room baby showers are a frequent occurrence at the hospital. It is also quite common to hear chatter about the best baby products on the market and what folks are naming their newborns as you walk down the halls.
“Some of my patients have gone through their whole stay and everyone caring for them is also pregnant,” Hayley Seal, RN laughed. “They’ve been like ‘wait a minute, my last nurse is pregnant too!’”
Seal gave birth to her child in February with her colleagues by her side cheering her on during the whole experience.
“When one of us comes in to have our baby, the room is always decorated,” Seal said. “It’s funny, you can go down our baby registries for everyone and if we find a product that someone likes on their registry it’s on everyone’s registry.”
Like Seal, Leslie Maulit, RN says the joy and comradery the pregnancies have created among her colleagues has been an amazing experience.
“It’s honestly been really fun. I feel like we’ve had kind of a sisterhood of traveling pants,” Maulit joked. “We send baby stuff to each other and give each other advice. I know the girls who are on maternity leave right now are giving each other advice and they’re all awake at the same time.”
The nurses all feel that their pregnancies have given them a deeper understanding of what their patients may be going through, which improves the care they are able to provide.
“This definitely helped with my ability to connect even deeper with my patients, especially since I had complications with my delivery and got readmitted [to the hospital],” Seal said. “I’ve really been able to identify with the patients that are going through the same thing. I think it’s helped with the type of patient care I can give.”
Hospital leaders have brought in skilled support to help staff, while each new mom takes her deserved time away from work to care for her newborn. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/17-labor-and-delivery-nurses-at-methodist-hospital-pregnant-at-same-time-san-antonio-texas-pregnancy-baby-child-labor-delivery/273-54fac2a6-1929-45f4-870c-d5232e831860 | 2022-06-20T20:18:27 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/17-labor-and-delivery-nurses-at-methodist-hospital-pregnant-at-same-time-san-antonio-texas-pregnancy-baby-child-labor-delivery/273-54fac2a6-1929-45f4-870c-d5232e831860 |
RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. — A GoFundMe page now sits at more than $24,000 after a gas station manager was fired in Rancho Cordova for making an error that priced premium gas at 69 cents per gallon.
That's quite a difference from the average price of gas in California, which is about $6.40. In Sacramento, the cost per gallon for premium gas is about $6.74, according to AAA.
More than 1,000 people have donated to the fundraiser as of Monday, citing various reasons.
"I figured the story was worth a gallon of gas. Good luck to you," wrote Leonardo Hernandez.
John Szczecina was fired from a Shell gas station after he misplaced a decimal point at a gas station, according to ABC7. Hundreds of drivers ended up getting the cheap gas for several hours before the mistake was discovered costing the gas station $16,000, according to ABC7.
"I saw you and chatted with you quite a bit at this gas station. Sorry, you're having to deal with all of this... I hope my contribution helps you out a bit man!" Jason Zedlitz wrote.
Others wrote they heard his story and donated from as far as Hawaii.
"John, I donated because it is such a breath of fresh air in this world where you accepted responsibility for your mistake and accepted the consequences. I [am] very sorry this happened to you and I do hope, in the end, you have a very happy outcome. With love and aloha from Kauai!" wrote Nancy Williams.
Some of the top donations include $1,000, $300 and $200.
Fuel-Saving Tips
With the cost of gas likely staying high for now, AAA has these tips to share to help people save on fuel costs.
- Keep your tires properly inflated
- Slow down and drive the speed limit
- Avoid idling to warm up your engine
- Use the cruise control to maintain a constant speed and save gas
Watch more on ABC10 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/john-szczcina-go-fund-me-gas-station-rancho-cordova-error/103-b1701096-4cf9-46ca-8aed-d89edcf93aec | 2022-06-20T20:18:33 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/john-szczcina-go-fund-me-gas-station-rancho-cordova-error/103-b1701096-4cf9-46ca-8aed-d89edcf93aec |
ARVADA, Colo. — In the garage of his Arvada home, Nick Steiner worked on a special gift – restoring his mother’s beloved motorcycle that she gave away 25 years before.
"My mom gave the motorcycle to a friend of the family's," he said. "I don't even know if she knows the bike exists anymore."
His mother, Brenda, and father, Scott, rode motorcycles together until their family started to grow. Brenda believed a home full of children left little room for the road.
The motorcycle seemed gone. Until, at his father’s funeral, Nick ran into the family friend who had the 1972 Honda CB350F. It was sitting in their garage still registered to his mother as the owner.
He began his “labor of love.”
"The hardest part about all this stuff is tearing it down, figuring out what works, what doesn't work," he said.
He had to hunt down parts that no one makes anymore. It was a frustrating process. At times, he wanted to drive the bike off a cliff, he said, but he stuck with it because the motorcycle embodied what his mom had lost.
"It really has nothing to do with the motorcycle, you know," Nick said. "It's just a reminder for her, I think, of the good times she had with my dad."
Despite Scott Steiner’s struggles with cancer, he had a positive outlook that “God is good and does good” that carried him for 10 years longer than he otherwise would have had, Nick said.
He created a part of the bike as a tribute to his father.
"I just took a piece of sheet metal and fabricated a new side and then handwrote 'God is good and does good' on the side for her," he said.
Finally, last month, Nick finished the rebuild and loaded the motorcycle onto his pickup truck.
"It's total relief," Nick said. "I knew I could get it done, but there were some pretty defeating moments there."
He drove more than 1,200 miles to Michigan to deliver the motorcycle as a late Mother's Day gift. Nick and his wife rode up with the old Honda, with family and friends looking on.
"Is that my bike?" Brenda said. "How?"
She cried in disbelief. She said she had owned that motorcycle since her teenage years.
"I was probably 19, and I rode it all the time," Brenda said.
Mom's motorcycle “memorial” was back home.
"The fact that I have a kid who would rebuild this, that's pretty amazing," Brenda said.
Mom's motorcycle finds its way home
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For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for "9news" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/moms-motorcycle-finds-way-home/73-6ba1e88c-6e45-4248-b6e3-9d0f2784ca56 | 2022-06-20T20:18:39 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/moms-motorcycle-finds-way-home/73-6ba1e88c-6e45-4248-b6e3-9d0f2784ca56 |
NEW PLYMOUTH, Idaho — The fire that gutted a 97-year-old church building in New Plymouth on May 15 was an accident, investigators with the Idaho State Fire Marshal's Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have determined.
Firefighters with the New Plymouth Fire Department and several nearby agencies worked for several hours to put out the fire the night of May 15 and into the morning of May 16 at First Baptist Church of New Plymouth.
Once investigators were able to safely access the building and sift through debris, they found that the fire originated in the church's basement. The cause, they determined, was an "indeterminable mechanical failure of a chest freezer that was donated to the church several years ago," according to a news release from the Idaho Department of Insurance and the fire marshal's office.
Now that the investigation is over and the fire has been ruled accidental, the church may begin rebuilding, State Fire Marshal Knute Sandahl said.
Sandahl also said the investigation had many challenges. Before investigators could enter what was left of the building, the Payette County Road and Bridge Department had to remove an unstable chimney and wall, and an excavator removed debris.
Weather conditions in the hours leading up to the fire were also a factor in the search for answers.
"Due to an earlier storm that afternoon, officials had to consider a lightning strike being a cause," Sandahl said. "With the assistance of the Bureau of Land Management Boise Dispatch Office, and the Payette County Sheriff's drone, investigators were able to eliminate this as a viable cause."
"We are very grateful for all the agencies that cooperated. Without this level of cooperation, we likely would not have been able to conduct this investigation and determine the cause of the fire," Sandahl added.
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/new-plymouth-baptist-church-fire-accidental-idaho-fire-marshal-investigation/277-ad654513-71ab-4ef8-aa5e-1b1171c43bb7 | 2022-06-20T20:25:29 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/new-plymouth-baptist-church-fire-accidental-idaho-fire-marshal-investigation/277-ad654513-71ab-4ef8-aa5e-1b1171c43bb7 |
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — As Jason Nez scans rugged mountains, high desert and cliffsides for signs of ancient tools and dwellings unique to the U.S. Southwest, he keeps in mind that they're part of a bigger picture.
And, fire is not new to them.
“They have been burned many, many times, and that's healthy,” said Nez, a Navajo archaeologist and firefighter. “A lot of our cultural resources we see as living, and living things are resilient.”
As a pair of wildfires skirt this mountainous northern Arizona city, the flames are crossing land dense with reminders of human existence through centuries — multilevel stone homes, rock carvings and pieces of clay and ceramic pots that have been well-preserved in the arid climate since long before fire suppression became a tactic.
Today, firefighting crews increasingly are working to avoid or minimize damage from bulldozers and other modern-day tools on archaeological sites and artifacts, and protect those on public display to ensure history isn't lost on future generations.
“Some of those arrowheads, some of those pottery shards you see out there have that power to change the way we look at how humans were here,” Nez said.
The crews' efforts include recruiting people to advise them on wildlife and habitat, air quality and archaeology. In Arizona, a handful of archaeologists have walked miles in recent months locating evidence of meaningful past human activity in and around scorched areas and mapping it for protection.
Just last week, a crew spotted a semi-buried dwelling known as a pit house.
“We know this area is really important to tribes, and it's ancestral land for them,” said U.S. Forest Service archaeologist and tribal relations specialist Jeanne Stevens. “When we do more survey work, it helps add more pieces to the puzzle in terms of what's on the landscape.”
It's not just the scattered ruins that need protecting.
The nearby Wupatki National Monument — a center of trade for Indigenous communities around the 1100s — was evacuated because of wildfire twice this year. Exhibits there hold priceless objects, including 800-year-old corn, beans and squash, along with intact Clovis points, or stone arrowheads, that date back some 13,000 years.
Before the first wildfire hit in April, forcing the evacuation of the monument and hundreds of homes outside Flagstaff, there was no set plan on how to quickly get the artifacts out, said Lauren Carter, the monument’s lead interpretive ranger.
“The Tunnel Fire made it an — excuse the pun — on-fire issue to finalize the plan,” she said.
Monument curator Gwenn Gallenstein assembled nested boxes with cavities for larger items and foam pouches for arrowheads and other smaller artifacts. She had photographs for each item so whoever was tasked with the packaging would know exactly where to put them, she said.
Gallenstein was able to train one person on how to pack up ceramic pots, bone tools, sandals, textiles woven from cotton grown in the area and other things before another large wildfire broke out June 12 and the monument was closed again. No one expected to put the plan into action so soon.
The fires have so far avoided the facility. Several boxes of items that trace back to what archaeologists say are distinct Indigenous cultures were taken to the Museum of Northern Arizona for safekeeping.
Some Hopi clans consider those who lived at Wupatki their ancestors. Navajo families later settled the area but slowly left, either voluntarily or under pressure by the National Park Service, which sought to eliminate private use of the land once it became a monument in 1924.
The monument has some 2,600 archaeological sites across 54 square miles (141 square kilometers), representing a convergence of cultures on the Colorado Plateau in the Four Corners where New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah meet. The region includes the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, Hopi mesas, volcanic cinder fields, the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the U.S. and the San Francisco Peaks — a mountain sacred to 13 Native American tribes.
“That gives you an idea of the density of the cultural history here, and that continues outside the national monument boundaries into the national forest," Carter said.
The Coconino National Forest on the southern edge of the plateau has surveyed just 20% of its 2,900 square miles (7,510 square kilometers) and logged 11,000 archaeological sites, Stevens said. Forest restoration work that includes mechanical thinning and prescribed burns has given archaeologists an opportunity to map sites and log items. More discoveries are expected because of the current wildfires, especially in the more remote areas, Stevens said.
The arid climate has helped preserve many of the artifacts and sites. But it's also the type of climate that is prone to wildfires, particularly with a mix of fierce winds and heat that were all too common in the U.S. West this spring as climate change bakes the region.
Stevens recalled working on a wildfire in 2006 in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona and a prison crew coming across a great kiva — a circular stone built into the earth and used for ceremonies. “That was something that was really notable,” she said. “Where we’ve been having fires lately, we do have a lot of survey and a lot of knowledge, but we’re always ready for that new discovery.”
Nez, too, has made rare finds, including two Clovis points and village sites on a mountainside that he wasn't expecting to see.
“There’s going to be pottery shards, there’s going to be projectile points,” he tells firefighting crews and managers. “In Native cultures, those things are out there, and we respect them by leaving them alone.” | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/arizona-wildfires-sweep-land-rich-with-signs-of-ancient-life/75-ba9b6a76-a08d-4cc3-b1e5-2ad5a6c2ea88 | 2022-06-20T20:25:35 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/arizona-wildfires-sweep-land-rich-with-signs-of-ancient-life/75-ba9b6a76-a08d-4cc3-b1e5-2ad5a6c2ea88 |
New Jersey has its first probable case of the monkeypox virus, according to the state Department of Health.
The department announced Monday that a test confirmed the presence of orthopoxvirus in a person in northern New Jersey on Saturday. A further test to confirm the virus will be performed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The affected person is isolating at home and contact tracing is being performed to determine others who may have been exposed, according to the health department.
Monkeypox
Monkeypox has been identified in 20 states and the District of Columbia. It can spread through close, prolonged contact with an affected person or animal. It originates in primates and other wild animals and causes fever, body aches, chills and fatigue in most patients. People with severe cases can develop a rash and lesions on the face, hands and other parts of the body.
The World Health Organization has said people with monkeypox could be infectious for up to four weeks and advised them to isolate until they have completely recovered.
The smallpox-related disease is commonly found in parts of central and west Africa. But this year, 1,880 infections have been reported in more than 30 countries where monkeypox isn’t typically found.
The WHO is convening an emergency meeting this week to determine whether the outbreak should be considered a global health emergency. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-jersey-reports-first-probable-case-of-monkeypox/3741649/ | 2022-06-20T20:29:10 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-jersey-reports-first-probable-case-of-monkeypox/3741649/ |
TEXAS, USA — This article appeared originally on The Texas Tribune website.
Texas is planning to add enough electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state to support 1 million electric vehicles with dozens of new stations to allow for easier long-distance travel.
In a draft plan released this month, the Texas Department of Transportation broke down a five-year plan to create a network of chargers throughout the state, starting along main corridors and interstate highways before building stations in rural areas.
The plan is to have charging stations every 50 miles along most non-business interstate routes.
In most other areas in the state, there will be charging stations within 70 miles, according to the plan. Each station is designed to have multiple stalls so there will likely be one available whenever someone stops to charge.
The chargers will be high-powered at 150kW, able to bring most electric vehicles from 10% to 80% in about half an hour, according to the report.
The funding is coming from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year, which is estimated to allocate about $408 million over five years to Texas for the purpose of expanding its electric vehicle charging network. No funds from the state budget will be used. Nationally, the goal is to create a network of 500,000 convenient and reliable electric vehicle chargers by 2030. In total from the infrastructure act, Texas is expected to receive about $35.44 billion over five years for roads, bridges, pipes, ports, broadband access and other projects.
Less than 1% of Texans’ registered vehicles are electric. As of May 31, there were 129,010 electric vehicles registered in Texas, according to the report.
“However, since 2020, the total number of electric vehicles across Texas has nearly tripled as more people adopt the technology,” TxDOT stated in its report. “With rapidly growing adoption rates, it is necessary to ensure Texas will be able to meet the demand of these new vehicles on the road.”
The state is gathering public comment on the plan, after which it will be finalized. To receive the funds, TxDOT must submit a finalized plan by Aug. 1 to the Federal Highway Administration.
Officials plan to award contracts for construction starting in January.
During the first year of implementation, Texas plans to add around 48 new locations to satisfy the 50-mile FHWA requirement. This is in addition to 27 existing private sector locations and 26 planned locations funded by a separate grant.
The next year, the focus will turn to stations in rural counties, small urban areas and areas advised by metropolitan planning organizations.
After that, during the third through fifth year of implementation, Texas will continue building out charging infrastructure in smaller and rural areas. The report states that charging stations might be equipped with a combination of solar and battery equipment to supplement their power supplies.
Gov. Greg Abbott stressed the importance of including rural areas in TxDOT’s plan in a March 22 letter.
“Texas’ sheer volume of roadway miles leaves ample opportunity for EV charging deployment. The plan should ensure that every Texan can access the infrastructure they need to charge an EV,” Abbott wrote. “Additionally, I direct TxDOT and stakeholders to include in the plan a way for Texans to easily get from Beaumont to El Paso and Texline to Brownsville in an EV–with a focus on rural placement and connectivity.”
Chandra Bhat, a University of Texas transportation engineering professor and the director of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Center on Data-Supported Transportation Operations and Planning, said the additional charging stations are a welcome upgrade to Texas transportation. Some of Bhat’s research has been funded by TxDOT.
Bhat said there are several barriers to electric vehicle adoption by consumers: the upfront cost, anxiety over how far a driver can travel and the wait times for charging.
This new plan addresses range anxiety by providing many options only 50 miles apart — however, it doesn’t address cost or fully address wait times, he said. Although the planned chargers will be high speed, it still takes around half an hour, he said. A driver might not know how long they may have to wait if someone else is already using the stalls.
That uncertainty can cause consumers to pass on purchasing electric vehicles altogether, he said.
Bhat said he thinks allowing drivers to reserve charging stations at specific times might help reduce that uncertainty. But still, Bhat said he is optimistic that more people will adopt electric vehicles in Texas due to the planned infrastructure upgrades. He also hopes the state will invest in putting information in front of consumers about the increased availability of chargers.
“We will see a clear uptick in the next two or three years, I believe,” Bhat said. “And if we get an announcement that batteries are going to be lasting longer and are going to be less expensive, you're gonna see them bought by the droves.” | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/texas-plans-to-place-charging-stations-for-electric-cars-every-50-miles-on-most-interstates-san-antonio-vehicles-charge-electricity-gas-fuel-prices/273-06846327-c04f-44c6-9d62-0b6ad6621525 | 2022-06-20T20:30:06 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/texas-plans-to-place-charging-stations-for-electric-cars-every-50-miles-on-most-interstates-san-antonio-vehicles-charge-electricity-gas-fuel-prices/273-06846327-c04f-44c6-9d62-0b6ad6621525 |
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – The novel coronavirus pandemic changed so many aspects of our lives, and for some people, it changed how and where they work. This is one side of the so-called Great Resignation.
The term “great resignation” started floating around throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and looking at statistics, more people are quitting than ever before. The Census Bureau reports that in April, 4.4 million people across the US quit their jobs.
“The quits rate increased in establishments with 250 to 999 employees and in establishments with 1,000 to 4,999 employees,” the report stated.
In the last year, 78 million people were hired at new jobs and over 71 million people quit their jobs.
“I was working retail during COVID and I took about a month off just because we didn’t know what was going on right? We had no idea how this was going to affect people. What it really was, how dangerous it was,” said Callie Weaks.
Weaks is a single mother of two and traded her job in a busy retail environment for a job in real estate so she wouldn’t have to be surrounded by large groups of people during a pandemic, so she could keep her sons safe.
“When COVID first started, we were able to not come to work, but we didn’t get paid for it. So, you know, that was kind of terrifying,” she said. “I was desiring something more anyway, but it was very difficult to leave structure and not knowing what the future was going to hold.”
Weaks started working for True North Real Estate Advisors, but she said it did not come without its issues.
“Being in a commission-based job it’s terrifying anyway because you could have three pending [houses] and then something happens with financing or an inspection or whatever it may be and then you don’t get paid. So I do think that the group that I’m with, has made me progress more just because of the same mentality and we are constantly learning and constantly trying to transition into what the market is going to bring,” she said.
Her advice for people who feel stuck in their jobs — take the leap.
“When you’re in an environment at your work, that you’re not appreciated or your leadership’s bad, I think it’s, it’s necessary for us to just think about what’s best for us what’s best for our families. And just take that jump, you know, and see where it takes you because if you don’t try, you’re never going to know,” Weaks said.
One family who took that jump was the Sibley’s.
Wendy and Jeff Sibley started a new business during the pandemic.
“My husband and I had started a flooring store before COVID and we were just getting started when COVID hit. We hung on for a year, but when people are telling you they don’t want you in their houses, and you can’t do a floor if you don’t go to people’s homes. So that kind of fizzled out wasn’t going anywhere. So we closed that and they were looking for something else to do,” Wendy Sibley said.
They sold their Blountville home and bought the property next door to follow her lifelong dream.
“We inquired about the farm it was sitting vacant, and within two weeks we were we sold our house in three days we moved down the hill and started this so just a passion. I just love what I love plants and flowers and this just seemed like the way to go,” she said.
The Sibleys weren’t the only ones to start their own business during the pandemic.
“From pre-pandemic times, when people were at home with that free time saying, you know, ‘I think now would be a good time to start a business.’ Now the other part that’s very interesting right now is we have a lot of movers people moving into the Tri-Cities and so there are a lot of people that are not from here, they’re looking to start doing business,” said Aundrea Salyer, Executive Director of Kingsport Office of Small Business Development & Entrepreneurship (KOSBE).
The Move to Kingsport department in the town’s chamber of commerce reports that roughly 70 households moved to the Model City during the pandemic.
“There are a lot of people that are not from here, they’re looking to start doing business, and so they might be coming in and asking of me, asking of KOSBE, do you know of any businesses that might be for sale? So that’s one area we certainly can help with some of that there are clients that we work with that are in that mode, that are looking to have a plan to succeed the business, they’re looking to get out of the business. And so there are business owners that are looking for a buyer,” Salyer said.
Nearly 5.4 million applications were filed to form new businesses in 2021 — the most of any year on record, based on the latest data from the Census Bureau’s Business Formation Statistics. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/the-great-resignation-how-covid-changed-where-we-work/ | 2022-06-20T20:33:26 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/the-great-resignation-how-covid-changed-where-we-work/ |
LAWRENCE COUNTY, TN (WKRN) – Three teenagers were killed in a single-vehicle crash in Lawrence County, Tennessee this weekend. Authorities say two of the teenagers were from Ohio.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol says the crash happened around 6 p.m. Sunday, June 19, 2022 near the intersection of Jonestown Road and Carol Road.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol reported a 17-year-old and 18-year-old both killed along with a 16-year-old from Ethridge. A 19-year-old from Ethridge was also injured in the crash. According to the THP, none of the teens were wearing seatbelts.
According to the Tennessee Highway Patrol, the 17-year-old and 18-year-old were both from Patriot, Ohio in Gallia County.
The teens were traveling north in a 1998 Toyota 4Runner on Jamestown Road when the vehicle exited the right side of the roadway. The 17-year-old driver over corrected and lost control of the vehicle, according to the THP.
According to the THP crash report, the Toyota traveled off the left side of the roadway and then rolled over multiple times, ejecting three of the teens from the vehicle.
The roadway was shut down for a while as authorities conducted their investigation.
No additional information was immediately released. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/2-of-3-teens-killed-in-tennessee-crash-from-ohio/ | 2022-06-20T20:40:36 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/2-of-3-teens-killed-in-tennessee-crash-from-ohio/ |
CARTER COUNTY, KY (WOWK)—Three people were killed in a crash near Carter Caves State Resort Park right before dark on Saturday evening.
Carter County Coroner William Waddell says that a 41-year-old father, 39-year-old mother and a 4-year-son died when their Honda CR-V went over an embankment near the park. He says that an 11-year-old son survived the crash. The family is from Beaver Creek, Ohio.
Waddell says that the family had been vacationing in Virginia Beach and planned to camp for the night at the park. He says the father missed the entrance to the park and tried to back up, and, when doing so, overcorrected and backed the vehicle over an embankment. The vehicle landed upside-down in a creek, according to Waddell.
Waddell also said that the bodies were sent to the medical examiner’s office.
This is a developing story, and we will provide updates as new information becomes available. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/3-dead-after-suv-flips-over-into-creek-in-carter-county-kentucky/ | 2022-06-20T20:40:42 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/3-dead-after-suv-flips-over-into-creek-in-carter-county-kentucky/ |
HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) – A man has been arrested in connection to a robbery that happened earlier this month in Huntington.
According to the Huntington Police Department, Dorian Jordan, 47, of Charleston, was arrested June 20, 2022, in the 900 block of 17th Street. Police say they had outstanding Robbery and Battery warrants for Jordan, stemming from an incident that happened at the Family Dollar in the 2100 block of 8th Avenue on June 3.
The HPD says on June 3, a store employee at the Family Dollar claimed Jordan and a female were allegedly attempting to shoplift when the employee told them to leave. According to the HPD, as the suspects were leaving, Jordan allegedly lunged for the employee and took their cell phone before pouring beer on their head.
The suspects fled before police arrived on scene. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/charleston-man-arrested-in-huntington-family-dollar-robbery/ | 2022-06-20T20:40:48 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/charleston-man-arrested-in-huntington-family-dollar-robbery/ |
HUNTINGTON, WV (WOWK) — One person is dead following a crash involving a motorcycle and a car on Route 2 in Huntington.
Crews are on the scene in front of the Benefit Wholesale Equipment store on Ohio River Road.
Ohio River Road is currently blocked by emergency vehicles.
They have confirmed the motorcyclist has died as a result of the crash. No one else was injured.
This is a developing story. We will continue to update you when we have new information. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/fatal-motorcycle-crash-on-route-2-in-huntington/ | 2022-06-20T20:40:54 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/fatal-motorcycle-crash-on-route-2-in-huntington/ |
SCIOTO COUNTY, OH (WOWK) — A man who had been bonded out of jail is now being charged with involuntary manslaughter after another person overdosed on fentanyl he left in a holding cell.
According to the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office, on Saturday, June 18, corrections staff at the Scioto County Jail found an inmate unresponsive.
The man, identified as Cory William Cantrell, 23 of Franklin Furnace, was taken to the Southern Ohio Medical Center. He was later pronounced dead and was taken to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy, according to deputies.
They say after reviewing camera footage and interviewing staff, deputies found that a man had brought fentanyl into the holding cell.
In the press release, it says the man, Perry L. Steele, 47 of McDermott, had been bonded out of jail but left the fentanyl in the holding cell for the three other inmates.
Steele is being charged with Involuntary Manslaughter, Trafficking in Fentanyl, Possession of Fentanyl, three counts of Trafficking in Drugs, Possession of Drugs, and Illegal Conveyance of a Drug. He also has a warrant from the Adult Parole Authority.
Sheriff Thoroughman says this is an ongoing investigation and could result in extra charges. He says anyone with information to contact Detective Sergeant Jodi Conkel at 740-351-1091.
He is expected to appear in Portsmouth Municipal Court on Tuesday, June 21. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/scioto-county-inmate-who-brought-fentanyl-into-holding-cell-now-charged-with-involuntary-manslaughter/ | 2022-06-20T20:41:00 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/scioto-county-inmate-who-brought-fentanyl-into-holding-cell-now-charged-with-involuntary-manslaughter/ |
MINGO COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – A state of emergency has been declared for Mingo County, West Virginia after a severe weather system hit the county last week.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice says he will file the proclamation Tuesday during business hours, and it will remain in effect for 30 days unless it is terminated by a second proclamation.
The storm hit Mingo County on Friday, June 17, 2022, causing flash flooding, taking down trees and power lines, blocking roads and leaving thousands of residents without power.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has directed the West Virginia Emergency Management Division to implement the state’s Emergency Operations Plan as necessary and to mobilize appropriate personnel and resources to respond as well as facilitate the provision of essential emergency services.
The WV EMD says their response will help begin the clean up process for the area.
As of 2:20 p.m., June 20, 2022, approximately 1,535 customers in Mingo County remain without power, according to Appalachian Power. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/state-of-emergency-declared-after-storms-in-mingo-county/ | 2022-06-20T20:41:06 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/state-of-emergency-declared-after-storms-in-mingo-county/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for children as young as 6 months old.
But don’t count on finding any state or county vaccine sites or vaccination events like there were before.
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The Moderna two-shot vaccine and Pfizer three-shot vaccine for children under five got emergency authorizations by the Food and Drug Administration on Friday, and recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association also recommend the shots.
This time around, Florida is relying on private doctors, pharmacies and federally qualified health centers to distribute those shots to people who want them for their children.
The state chose not to preorder the new vaccines ahead of approval by the FDA and the CDC. Gov. Ron DeSantis has said he is against offering shots for children under 5. Florida is the only state that chose not to preorder the vaccines for children under 5.
This means it may take longer for pediatricians and hospitals in the state to get those vaccines.
One doctor News 6 spoke to said they’ve been waiting two and a half years for this, and vaccinating young children, who make up a large portion of the population, will go a long way toward achieving herd immunity.
“This is definitely the best tool that we have to prevent these issues and try to get out of this pandemic once and for all,” Dr. Salma Elfaki said.
Pharmacies
Meanwhile, pharmacies enrolled in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 vaccines can begin scheduling vaccines for children under the age of five this week.
In Florida there are several major pharmacies enrolled in the program. News 6 reached out to them and these are the answers we’ve gotten so far:
- CVS Health — Vaccinations for children 18 months through 4 years old starting Tuesday, June 21. You can make an appointment at MinuteClinic.com.
- Publix — At this time Publix is not offering vaccines to children under 5.
- Sam’s Club — Vaccinations for children ages 3 to 5 can now be scheduled. Supplies will be limited. They can be scheduled on the Sam’s Club website.
- Walgreens — Vaccinations for children ages 3 and older, appointments will begin Saturday, June 25. They can be scheduled on the Walgreens website.
- Walmart — Vaccinations for children ages 3 to 5 can now be scheduled. Supplies will be limited. They can be scheduled on the Walmart website.
Federally Qualified Health Centers
FQHCs are community centers that provide comprehensive health services, often in under-served areas, that get special funding from the federal government. They operated on a sliding scale for fees.
Because they have the special designation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, shipments of vaccines go right to those health centers.
However, not every community health center offers vaccines. You just have to go to the individual websites or call to find out.
To find a community health center near you that is offering vaccines for children under 5, use the Find a Health Center tool on the federal government website. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/how-to-find-covid-19-shots-for-young-children-infants/ | 2022-06-20T20:43:01 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/how-to-find-covid-19-shots-for-young-children-infants/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The operator of the Orlando FreeFall attraction, where a 14-year-old boy fell to his death in March, said it hopes to reopen one of its other rides at ICON Park.
Tyre Sampson died on March 24 when he fell from the drop tower attraction at ICON Park in Orlando while visiting from Missouri on spring break. He slipped out of his seat about halfway down the Orlando FreeFall.
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The Slingshot Group operated the Orlando FreeFall and the Orlando Slingshot but after the teen died, owners of ICON Park demanded the company to suspend all ride operations.
Yarnell Sampson was joined by attorney Ben Crump for a news conference Monday where Sampson demanded the thrill ride be torn down. He was also joined by state Rep. Geraldine Thompson, D-Orlando, who plans to introduce the “Tyre Sampson bill” to the Florida Legislature.
“We’re still working on the bill that will be filed the very first day of the next legislative session,” Thompson said. “This bill that will be introduced will take into account the safety records of any company that wants to operate a ride of this nature.”
The Slingshot Group released a statement in response.
“We support the concepts outlined today in Florida Senator Geraldine Thompson’s ‘Tyre Sampson Bill’. The safety of our patrons always comes first. Our company is not planning to open a new ride at ICON Park, however we do hope to reopen the Slingshot ride, once we have all the necessary approvals from the Department of Agriculture. Also, we have been coordinating with representatives of Tyre’s family to return items from the memorial area to them, and we will continue to do so in the future.” -Trevor Arnold, GrayRobinson P.A., attorney for Orlando Slingshot
A state investigation found the operator of the ride made manual adjustments, resulting in the ride not being safe.
Sampson and Tyre’s mother filed a lawsuit in April suing several companies, including the Slingshot Group and Funtime Thrill Rides, the manufacturer.
The news conference comes days after the boy’s autopsy report revealed he was nearly 100 pounds over the weight limit of the attraction. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/orlando-freefall-operator-hopes-to-reopen-slingshot-attraction/ | 2022-06-20T20:43:07 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/orlando-freefall-operator-hopes-to-reopen-slingshot-attraction/ |
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – In the wake of the worst year for manatee deaths on record, Florida wildlife officials last week found yet another potential killer of the threatened species in the Indian River Lagoon — red tide.
While only at background levels now, the toxic algae’s presence in the sea cow’s most important habitat in Florida portends a tough summer ahead for the threatened species, News 6 partner Florida Today reports.
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The closed, almost stagnant nature of the 156-mile-long lagoon — which has few inlets to let ocean water flush out algae — heightens the risk to manatees and other marine life, should red tide reach bloom levels this summer.
If the algae thickens to concentrations high enough to emit lethal levels of toxins, it could be fatal for the manatees when they broach the water surface to breathe, inhaling the poisons.
It also can sicken, or at very extreme levels, kill bottlenose dolphins. A red tide in Southwest Florida killed at least 174 bottlenose dolphins in that region in 2018, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
It could also claim the lives of countless fish and other marine life, and can can cause respiratory and neurological symptoms in humans, when the toxins aerosolize in sea spray.
On Wednesday, June 15, the red tide algae, called Karenia brevis, was observed at background levels in a sample drawn from the Indian River Lagoon at NASA Causeway, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data released late Friday
FWC’s testing did not show any red tide off of Brevard’s beaches.
FWC also found background and very low concentrations offshore of Collier County in Southwest Florida over the past week.
“Background” means the level was less than 1,000 cells per liter, which isn’t expected to cause any ill effects. But when levels exceed 1,000 cells per liter, people can experience respiratory irritation and shellfish harvesting can close.
When levels reach more than 100,000 cells per liter, considered a “medium” concentration, fish will die and satellites will pick up the increase in chlorophyll at the water’s surface. At more than 1 million cells, considered “high,” the water turns red and the death toll gets worse.
The advent of red tide in the Indian River Lagoon comes on the heels of last year’s record 1,101 manatee deaths in Florida.
Through June 10 this year, 588 manatees have died, compared with 799 through June 10 last year and a five-year average of 419 for that time frame. FWC suspects most of last year’s manatee deaths were from starvation. This year, 330 manatees have died in Brevard, 56% of the the total.
The deaths rate in 2021 prompted the state agency last winter to embark on a first-ever pilot program to feed manatees lettuce in the wild — from the Florida Power & Light Co. power plant in Port St. John.
In October 2018, red tide rose to “high” levels in Brevard, Indian River, and St. Lucie counties, according FWC sampling, triggering beachside fish kills. The toxic algae caused carcasses of mullet, mackerel, menhaden and ladyfish to wash up ashore.
There have been no reports of fish kills suspected to be related to red tide over the past week.
The next status report will be issued on Friday, June 24. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/red-tide-shows-up-at-low-levels-in-the-indian-river-lagoon-causing-concern-for-manatees/ | 2022-06-20T20:43:16 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/red-tide-shows-up-at-low-levels-in-the-indian-river-lagoon-causing-concern-for-manatees/ |
CORDOVA, Ala. (WIAT) — A homeowner was injured after a gas fire broke out in Cordova Monday morning.
According to Cordova Fire Chief Dean Harbin, the homeowner was working with heavy equipment when the fire started around 10:30 a.m. in the 100 block of Brick Plant Road. Authorities also say that there were two explosions related to the incident.
Spire has turned off the gas line in the area as multiple fire departments have arrived at the scene, working to put out the fire. They are also working to take down a tree that is blocking access to put out the fire.
Spire released a statement saying that this would impact close to 500 residents in the area.
No other information has been released at this time. Stay with CBS 42 as this is a developing story. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/homeowner-airlifted-to-hospital-after-gas-fire-breaks-out-in-cordova/ | 2022-06-20T20:47:35 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/homeowner-airlifted-to-hospital-after-gas-fire-breaks-out-in-cordova/ |
This Juneteenth and Father's Day weekend has been a busy one at airports across the country.
In fact, Friday was the most popular travel day of 2022, according to the Transportation Security Administration. Airports haven't been this crowded since Thanksgiving.
More than 2.4 million people traveled through TSA checkpoints on Friday, according to the agency. The same day, airlines had canceled more than 1,100 flights by early afternoon, following more than 1,700 cancellations on Thursday, according to the Associated Press.
More than 6,300 flights were delayed within, into, or leaving the U.S. on Saturday alone, and 859 flights were canceled, according to flight tracking site FlightAware.
Much of the impact was felt by those flying to or from the East Coast.
On Sunday, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, and Chicago O’Hare International Airport had the most delays and cancellations.
More cancellations and delays continued into the Juneteenth federal holiday on Monday, with Delta and American Airlines leading the way with a few hundred delays. Travelers were stranded in airports like DFW International.
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“It was just completely packed. I don't think there were a lot of people in good moods. Traveling alone is stressful. But throw in a cancellation, and it's a bad recipe,” said Logan Stammen, whose flight was canceled over the weekend.
Airlines blame it on a combination of rough weather, staffing shortages and other issues.
But pilots said the ongoing pilot shortage crisis might be the biggest challenge to air travel right now.
“All frontline employees at Southwest are sort of feeling the pinch right now,” said Casey Murray, president of the SWA Pilots Association. “And pilots, much more so than others, due to due to fatigue and many issues that they're fighting through on a daily basis, besides just flying the airplane.”
Southwest Airlines pilots are planning an informational picket Tuesday morning at Dallas Love Field over pilot fatigue, staffing, and other issues. The SWA Pilots Association is calling it "the largest display of unity in SWA's history".
Every major airline has already been bracing for the busy summer season.
In April, Southwest preemptively cut nearly 20,000 flights between June and Labor Day.
Delta said it is canceling 100 daily departures from destinations in the U.S. and Latin America, affecting travel from July 1 to August 7. The airline company published an open letter to customers on Thursday acknowledging both the labor shortage and customers’ frustrations with canceled and delayed flights.
Others like JetBlue, Spirit Airlines and Alaska Airlines are following suit with their flight schedules.
The United Airlines CEO said in a recent earnings call that the “pilot shortage is real” and that “most airlines are not going to be able to realize their capacity plans because there simply aren't enough pilots, at least for the next five-plus years.”
Meantime, these travel headaches come just days after transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg met virtually with airline CEOs to talk about improving operations ahead of another surge expected over the July 4th holiday.
In an interview on Saturday with the Associated Press, Buttigieg said his own flight from Washington to New York had been canceled on Friday, which forced him to drive instead.
According to CNBC, Buttigieg added that he is pushing airline leaders to ensure they could fulfill their planned summer flights with the staff they have. He added that the Department of Transportation could take enforcement actions against airlines but will wait to see how the rest of the summer season unfolds first. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/flight-cancellations-delays-a-reminder-the-busy-summer-travel-season-is-upon-us/2996369/ | 2022-06-20T20:49:18 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/flight-cancellations-delays-a-reminder-the-busy-summer-travel-season-is-upon-us/2996369/ |
Law enforcement is reminding the public of the dangers people may face at area lakes after a tragic weekend where three men drowned on Lake Lavon.
Over the weekend, three men drowned and another man was rescued after their small fishing boat capsized on Lake Lavon. The Collin County Sheriff’s Office said a storm suddenly swept through the area, causing the boat to overturn.
Officials said none of the men were wearing life jackets. It’s unknown if any were on the boat. Additional details about the incident have not been released by CCSO.
U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in 79% of recreational boating fatalities in 2019 and that 86% of those who drowned were not wearing a life jacket.
With that said, safety experts like Grapevine Fire Chief Darrell Brown are warning boaters to bring a life jacket the next time they go out on a lake. His department responds to calls at Grapevine Lake.
“It’s summertime in Texas, so it's not uncommon for us to have these pop-up thunderstorms,” he said. "We need to pay attention and know what's going on because the wind can get quite fierce, very quickly. And you get some swells or waves generated by the winds. It can get people in trouble quickly."
Brown said it’s important for people to stay weather aware and keep an eye on the radar while boating, paddleboarding, kayaking or even swimming in area lakes.
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While winds in some storms may blow at 40 mph to 50 mph, like in the Lake Lavon storm, it’s not enough to trigger severe thunderstorm warnings. Still, it can be just as dangerous while out on open water.
“Just making sure that you're ready because when the waves do come up, they can go from being a nice calm day to a foot and a half to two foot swells pretty quickly,” said Brown.
Texas state law requires that for recreational vessels under 26 feet in length when underway (including drifting or not at anchor), all children under 13 years old must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket. Adults must have a properly fitting life jacket that is easily accessible.
To see if the life jacket is U.S. Coast Guard-approved, look for a logo on the inside. That means it is supposed to work exactly as it’s intended to. Click here for more information.
In the last few years, Grapevine Fire has been running a loaner life jacket program at Grapevine Lake, where people can grab free life jackets from one of the life jacket trees that have been put in place at various lake park locations.
The Grapevine Fire Department put the life jacket stations in place in memory of James McKenzie, a Grapevine firefighter/paramedic, and rescue diver who drowned at Grapevine Lake while off duty in 2016.
“In his honor, we provide these life vests for anybody who's going to visit our parks because we want them to have a safe, fun day at the lake,” said Brown.
Available from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend each summer, loanable life jackets are available at the following locations at Grapevine Lake:
- Lakeview Park, 2100 Lakeview Drive
- Meadowmere Park, 3000 Meadowmere Lane
- Oak Grove, 2520 Oak Grove Loop South
- Rockledge Park, 3600 Pilot Point
- Sand Bass Point, Sand Bass Drive
- Vineyards Campground & Cabins, 1501 N Dooley Street
Grapevine Fire said life jackets are supposed to be returned to the loaner locations but some get lost. They are always accepting donations of life jackets throughout the year for the program. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/law-enforcement-urges-use-of-life-jackets-while-boating-this-summer/2996362/ | 2022-06-20T20:49:24 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/law-enforcement-urges-use-of-life-jackets-while-boating-this-summer/2996362/ |
A Houston-area child is dead after being left inside a vehicle for several hours, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Gonzalez tweeted Monday afternoon deputies were sent to the 13700 block of Blair Hill Lane where they found a child had been left in a vehicle for hours.
The child, believed to be around 5 years old, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff's department has released no other details, including how the child may have been left in the vehicle and how the child was discovered.
Officials with the Harris County Sheriff's Office are investigating.
The temperature in Houston Monday afternoon was expected to climb near 100 degrees.
Hot Car Safety
Texas News
News from around the state of Texas.
According to the National Safety Council, if it's 95 degrees outside the internal temperature of a car could climb to 129 degrees in 30 minutes. After just 10 minutes, temperatures inside could reach 114 degrees.
A child's body temperature heats up three to five times faster than an adult and heatstroke can begin when a person's core body temperature reaches 104 degrees. A core temperature of 107 degrees is lethal, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/child-left-in-vehicle-for-hours-dies-harris-county-sheriff/2996402/ | 2022-06-20T20:49:31 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/child-left-in-vehicle-for-hours-dies-harris-county-sheriff/2996402/ |
Three men are dead after a storm caused a boat to overturn on Lake Lavon Saturday, Collin County authorities say.
According to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded Saturday night to a boater in distress near Brockdale Park on Lake Lavon. The boat was initially occupied by four men, the Collin County Sheriff’s Office said.
Around 8:45 p.m. Saturday, a strong storm crossed Lake Lavon and authorities believe it caused the boat to overturn. One man was able to hold onto a tree and call 911. Game Wardens on the water rescued that man and learned that the remaining three boat occupants had disappeared.
A search by water and air commenced, but the missing men were not found.
Early Sunday morning, one body was recovered from the water by boat. The Texas Game Wardens confirmed Sunday evening that another man's body was recovered.
According to the Collin County Sheriff’s Office, the body of the remaining boater, who was presumed to have drowned, was located Monday morning.
The Collin County Sheriff's Office confirmed none of the occupants of the boat were wearing life jackets. It's unknown if life jackets were present on the boat.
Water Safety
DEVASTATING NEWS ON FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND
Erin McGill of Leonard used to live by the lake and was visiting family on Sunday when she noticed the activity on the waters.
"I had seen it come across my phone this morning that…what was going on, knowing we used to live here on the lake. It was like, hmm..." McGill said. "It’s devastating, especially on Father’s Day weekend. I don’t know if they were fathers, but I can’t imagine being a member of the family just having to wait and see and hoping for the best."
Collin County Sheriff's Office, Wylie Fire Department, Princeton Fire Department and Game Warden helped with the search that was called off because of weather concerns.
Names of the victims are being withheld pending next of kin notifications. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/three-dead-1-rescued-after-boat-overturns-on-lake-lavon/2995977/ | 2022-06-20T20:49:38 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/three-dead-1-rescued-after-boat-overturns-on-lake-lavon/2995977/ |
Originally published June 17 on IdahoCapitalSun.com.
Earlier this month, the Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance announced it will conduct its second annual Heat and Smoke Relief Fund to collect supplies to help Idaho farmworkers withstand extreme heat and smoke in the summer.
With drop off locations throughout the Treasure Valley, the resource alliance is calling for donations of items that can lessen risk of heat exposure and smoke inhalation. This includes water bottles, Gatorade and sports drinks, coolers, ice packs, bandanas, masks and sunscreen.
This year, the alliance will expand its distribution of items to farmworkers in northern Idaho in addition to southern Idaho.
While Idaho’s neighbors Oregon and Washington provide for heat and air quality protections for agricultural workers, Idaho does not share similar requirements that protect agricultural workers from intense heat and poor air quality conditions. Some of these requirements in neighboring states require that employers include paid breaks, N95 masks for poor air quality, access to shade and sufficient water.
In an interview with the resource alliance’s leadership, Irene Ruiz said that with the lack of shade in the fields, farmworkers in Idaho must rely on what they have to protect themselves through clothing, water and sunscreen.
“I am a former farmworker. I worked in the fields for about 12 years from when I was a kid until I was in my early 20s. I know what it’s like to be working out in the heat and in the smoke. Farmworkers are working with extreme heat, contaminated water, air pollution, and forest fires,” Ruiz said.
Ruiz said the Heat and Smoke Relief Fund is an effort to make farmworkers feel seen.
“These are the people that put food on our tables,” Ruiz said. “We have to make sure we are protecting farmworkers and seeing them as human beings and respecting them through policy or funds like these.”
How to help
The Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance is collecting monetary and item donations throughout the summer. Monetary donations can be made via mail to 910 W. Main St. Ste. 316 Boise, ID 83704.
Drop off locations for items are in the following locations:
Treasure Valley
Community Council of Idaho
317 Happy Day Blvd. Suite 180, Caldwell
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Immigrant Justice Idaho
3775 W. Cassia St., Boise
Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Intermountain Fair Housing Council
4696 W. Overland Rd., Ste. 140, Boise
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Thursday
Magic Valley
Community Council of Idaho
1139 Falls Ave. East Ste, B, Twin Falls
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday
Community Council of Idaho
437 E. 13th St. Burley
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday
Southeast Idaho
Community Council of Idaho
1349 Holmes Ave. Idaho Falls
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday
Community Council of Idaho
745 W. Bridge St. Ste. H Blackfoot
Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday
Northern Idaho
University of Idaho CAMP
865 W. Seventh St. Moscow
Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday
About the Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance
The Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance is an organization of 11 nonprofits throughout Idaho. Its mission is to “seek to provide relief and resources to our communities in Idaho in uniting our efforts by creating a new support system model.” Some of its partners include the Community Council of Idaho, ACLU Idaho, Immigrant Justice Idaho, the Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides, Housing Justice for All, and the United Farm Workers, among others.
The alliance began its efforts in 2020. Initially, the organization was heavily focused on providing support for the Latinx immigrant community amid the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, organizers have expanded their focus to help provide resources for the farmworking community in Idaho. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/idaho-organization-collects-supplies-for-farmworkers-to-beat-summer-heat-smoke/article_a1f62da1-93b5-5535-a2f2-1f224f0ff117.html | 2022-06-20T20:50:24 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/idaho-organization-collects-supplies-for-farmworkers-to-beat-summer-heat-smoke/article_a1f62da1-93b5-5535-a2f2-1f224f0ff117.html |
This year's Jazz in June concert series hasn't enjoyed the start Mike Semrad had hoped for, but it's all about staying on your toes, he said, and hoping for the best.
The first of the Tuesday night concerts was rescheduled to November and the second was moved indoors at the Rococo Theatre, both due to the threat of thunderstorms.
So it's no surprise that Semrad, the event's first-year coordinator, said Monday he is keeping an eye on the forecast while looking forward to finally hosting this week's outdoor concert as planned.
"It's Nebraska. The weather can sometimes be your nemesis," Semrad said. "You just kind of roll with it and and hope for the best. I'm just excited to finally let it fly."
Tuesday will be warm, of course -- it is June -- but temperatures in the low 90s won't stop the show scheduled in the Sheldon Museum of Art sculpture garden on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. There's only the slightest chance of an evening thundershower.
Food trucks, including options for ice cream and shaved ice, will be available prior to and during the performance and attendees are encouraged to stay hydrated while in the heat.
The final concert of the annual Jazz in June series is set for June 28.
This week, two-time Grammy winner Kurt Elling will take the stage.
"Kurt has been thought of as the greatest of all time in the jazz world," Semrad said. "He's one of the best out there.
"I think it's going to be an awesome experience for everyone to soak in."
Jazz in June is in its 31st year of providing a free, outdoor concert series featuring what Semrad said is "some of the best jazz in the world."
Semrad took over leadership of the Jazz in June series this spring with a lot of ties to the event's history.
His father — Mike Sr. — is a musician and was a co-founder of the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame, along with Butch Berman. It was Berman who got Jazz in June up and running in its early days.
Now it's the job of Semrad to keep the series going, with one eye always on the weather.
"It's not often you get to experience some of the greatest jazz outdoors in a beautiful area like the university provides. What it comes down to is connection with friends, family and people in the community," Semrad said. "It's just an all-around beautiful experience."
Four minutes after warning residents to stay away from the area near 15th and U streets, the school's police department announced the person was arrested.
There were no immediate reports of damage caused by a tornado, but law enforcement indicated some debris evident along I-80 near the Pleasant Dale exit and campers overturned near Greenwood.
A University of Nebraska-Lincoln student recently opened a clothing boutique in Waverly. She sells a variety of women’s clothing, home goods and other accessories, designing many of the looks herself.
Avid drag racers said they have no place race and are scapegoats for problems on O street, and residents frustrated by the noise and speeding cars expressed their frustrations at a town hall meeting.
The complaint — filed by two shareholders in Superior Court of the State of Washington, where Costco is based — involves an undercover investigation into Lincoln Premium Poultry last year.
As the 5-year-old dog charged officers, knocking one to the ground, a second officer retreated backward and fired his gun, striking the dog, the police department said. The dog, Diva, was ultimately euthanized.
The 35-year-old man told police he had started talking with an unknown man at Cooper Park early Thursday morning, but the conversation devolved into a disagreement, and later, into a shooting. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/after-weather-disruptions-jazz-in-june-is-ready-for-third-try-at-staging-outdoor-show/article_7ec4c88e-ae05-5afc-9079-d015f76ef251.html | 2022-06-20T20:52:34 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/after-weather-disruptions-jazz-in-june-is-ready-for-third-try-at-staging-outdoor-show/article_7ec4c88e-ae05-5afc-9079-d015f76ef251.html |
Bismarck police and fire officials are investigating early Monday fires that damaged an apartment building and a nearby detached multi-unit garage building in Bismarck.
The separate fires occurring at the same time in the same complex "does appear to be suspicious," Lt. Luke Gardiner said.
Firefighters who responded to the three-story apartment building in the 400 block of West Century Avenue shortly after 12:30 a.m. Monday found fire showing from the windows of a second-floor apartment, and smoke coming from the garage, according to the Bismarck Fire Department.
Occupants of the 24-unit apartment building were evacuated. Firefighters stopped the flames from traveling through the roof eaves and into the attic, and extinguished the fire in the apartment of origin. They also put out a fire in one of the garage units.
There were no injuries. There was heavy fire and smoke damage to the apartment of origin, and smoke damage throughout the second and third floors of the building, according to the department.
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The fire damage in the garage building was limited to the garage of origin, but there was smoke damage throughout that building, as well.
Investigators were working Monday to determine the cause of the fires, according to city Fire Marshal Owen Fitzsimmons.
All of the apartment building's occupants were displaced, he said. Crisis Care Chaplaincy provided them with support in the aftermath of the fire, and the American Red Cross was lining up hotel rooms for those unable to return home by Monday night.
A cleaning company was at the scene, and officials hoped to get some of the least-affected apartments in habitable shape by Monday night, according to Fitzsimmons.
Reach News Editor Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/fires-damage-bismarck-apartment-building-detached-garage-police-consider-blazes-suspicious/article_42f1fd02-f09c-11ec-ac9a-87935acf16b3.html | 2022-06-20T20:59:11 | 1 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/fires-damage-bismarck-apartment-building-detached-garage-police-consider-blazes-suspicious/article_42f1fd02-f09c-11ec-ac9a-87935acf16b3.html |
Bismarck police over the weekend received no more reports of a mountain lion spotted twice last week in a residential area of the city.
“Hopefully it got out of town,” Lt. Luke Gardiner said.
The cat was seen on home security video taken about 5 a.m. Thursday in the 1000 block of North First Street. On Friday, four officers including an animal control officer searched for the lion on North Fourth Street after a midday sighting there.
State wildlife officials believe it was a female or young male. Stephanie Tucker, furbearer biologist with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, said mountain lions generally shy away from people. Nobody has been attacked by one in North Dakota, she said, but added “that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.”
Anyone who encounters a mountain lion should raise their arms, yell, and back away slowly, Tucker said.
Mountain lion sightings in Bismarck have been infrequent. Police in January 2019 shot and killed a male lion near Municipal Ballpark to eliminate any danger to the public. Police also shot and killed a male lion behind the former Home Depot building in north Bismarck in November 2009. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/no-more-mountain-lion-sightings-reported-in-bismarck/article_fd583d0c-f0cc-11ec-9569-e7f68da5df4f.html | 2022-06-20T20:59:17 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/no-more-mountain-lion-sightings-reported-in-bismarck/article_fd583d0c-f0cc-11ec-9569-e7f68da5df4f.html |
Burleigh County officials are studying options for a long-term solution after another River Road landslide.
Officials reopened the road on Monday afternoon after a landslide closed the road late Friday. No injuries were reported and no vehicles were damaged. Concrete barriers kept the slide from covering the road.
It was the third landslide in the area in the past four years. Senior Assistant County Engineer Dan Schriock thinks soggy weather might be to blame for the recent slide.
“Instability in the embankment. Could be due to excessive moisture from over the past few months,” he said.
County officials will be discussing possible solutions for the affected area between Sandy Drive and Wilderness Cove Road, north of Bismarck. The potential cost is not known.
"We are weighing options for a long-term solution," Schriock said.
The Burleigh County Commission in 2020 approved a study that would bring in an engineering consultant, but the study was put on hold after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Schriock said it's still on hold but is a possible solution that will be discussed.
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Burleigh County engineers are not concerned about any other sections of River Road.
Reach Zachary Weiand at 701-250-8244 or zachary.weiand@bismarcktribune.com. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/burleigh-county-looking-at-possible-solutions-for-river-road-landslide-issue/article_0d6f2364-f0b3-11ec-80f2-ff159f72770c.html | 2022-06-20T20:59:23 | 1 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/burleigh-county-looking-at-possible-solutions-for-river-road-landslide-issue/article_0d6f2364-f0b3-11ec-80f2-ff159f72770c.html |
Double-murder suicide leaves 2 men, 1 woman dead near 20th Avenue, Hadley Street
Phoenix police are investigating what they said is a double-murder suicide that occurred late on Sunday at an apartment near 20th Avenue and Hadley Street.
The victims were identified by police on Monday as Eric Sands, 38, and Danica Aiken, 29.
The suspect was identified as Taffari Celestine, 24.
Police officers responded to the shooting around 11:50 p.m., where they found a man who had been shot to death outside an apartment.
According to police, a witness said they saw someone force a woman inside an apartment and heard shots after.
Police said a special assignments unit was called in to investigate the apartment, where they found a woman who had been shot to death and a man dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The investigation indicates the man inside the apartment was the suspect and the ex-boyfriend of the woman, police said. The man found outside the residence was the woman’s current boyfriend. Their identities were not released.
An investigation is ongoing, police said.
Reach breaking news reporter Sam Burdette at sburdette@gannett.com.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2022/06/20/double-murder-suicide-leaves-3-dead-phoenix-apartment/7682547001/ | 2022-06-20T21:08:13 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2022/06/20/double-murder-suicide-leaves-3-dead-phoenix-apartment/7682547001/ |
Phoenix police identify man shot near I-17 and Bell Road, working to locate shooter
Phoenix police have identified a man shot in early June near Interstate 17 as 25-year-old Torry Taylor.
On June 9, Taylor was shot during a confrontation by the freeway access road, police said, after which he walked to a nearby restaurant and collapsed.
That day, police responded around 8:30 p.m. to calls about a shooting near I-17 and Bell Road. When they arrived, they found Taylor on the ground just outside the restaurant with a gunshot wound.
Taylor was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.
Witnesses who spoke to police said the man who shot Taylor had fled on foot. An air unit and responding officers conducted a search for the suspect but were unable to find him. Police described the shooter as a man in his late 20s.
Police are asking the public for help as it remains an active investigation.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Phoenix Police Department at 602-262-6151. Those wishing to remain anonymous can ca Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS (480-TESTIGO for Spanish speakers).
Previous coverage:Man shot, killed after confrontation near Interstate 17 in north Phoenix
Republic reporter Angela Cordoba Perez contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter Gloria Gomez at GRGomez@gannett.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2022/06/20/man-shot-near-interstate-17-identified-torry-taylor/7682709001/ | 2022-06-20T21:08:19 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2022/06/20/man-shot-near-interstate-17-identified-torry-taylor/7682709001/ |
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Zoo is hosting a ribbon-cutting for the newly renovated aviary on Tuesday.
The ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. and it will be the first time zoo guests can see the newly renovated exhibit.
The F.C. Hixon Bird House was completed in 1966, and is now getting a much-needed facelift to the façade highlighting the zoo’s bird community, now one of the world’s largest. Colonel F.C. Hixon originally funded the construction of the unique bird aviary “built-in-the-round” to house tropical birds from around the world. After it was built, Edward Marshall Boehm of Boehm Birdsceramics gave 100 of his rare birds to the zoo to join the community in the new indoor aviary.
The center of the building features an open-air simulated tropical rain forest with live vegetation and free-flying birds. Some of the bird species in the central open aviary have included Indian rollers, Rothschild’s mynahs, cock of the rock, pekin robins, whydahs, and several species of touraco. Around the central rain forest are 14 unique individual habitats.
“The F.C. Hixon Bird House was named for my husband’s uncle, a generous supporter of the San Antonio Zoo, and opened in 1966,” said Karen Hixon. “Though it has been a landmark at the zoo since that time and houses an amazing array of birdlife, in recent years, it has been more of a well-kept secret destination. We are so pleased and excited to lend our support to the revitalization of the entire building but especially the vibrant additions to the facade that will make it a true destination for all the visitors to the zoo. This is yet another example of the incredible work being done by the San Antonio Zoo."
The Hixon family has been supporting of the zoo for the last 50 plus years.
“The F.C. Hixon Bird House is one of the most unique avian exhibits in the country, both in architectural design and species diversity,” said Tim Morrow, President & CEO of San Antonio Zoo. “The storied and continued support of the Hixon family has made this and many of the wonderful things at our zoo possible - we are truly grateful for their support.”
Learn more about the zoo and plan your trip CLICK HERE. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/san-antonio-zoo-announces-ribbon-cutting-of-hixon-bird-house-texas-birds-hixon-brackenridge-park-tropical/273-e2e14411-0b81-40ac-aebb-b46ab801a604 | 2022-06-20T21:09:47 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/san-antonio-zoo-announces-ribbon-cutting-of-hixon-bird-house-texas-birds-hixon-brackenridge-park-tropical/273-e2e14411-0b81-40ac-aebb-b46ab801a604 |
TIFFIN, Ohio — A Seneca County firefighter died recently after battling an illness.
The Tiffin Fire & Rescue Division announced Monday the passing of Sean Tyler, 37. He retired in 2019 after being diagnosed with occupational-related cancer.
Tyler joined the department in 2007. He is survived by his wife Ashley and three children.
Funeral details have yet to be announced.
Tiffin Mayor Aaron Montz posted a tribute on Twitter:
RELATED VIDEO | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/tiffin-firefighter-dies-occupational-related-cancer/512-fcda120a-710e-4044-8e58-e7d5054ea768 | 2022-06-20T21:09:53 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/tiffin-firefighter-dies-occupational-related-cancer/512-fcda120a-710e-4044-8e58-e7d5054ea768 |
UVALDE, Texas — The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District board is holding its second meeting Monday evening since the Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24.
This comes after the board decided to take no action at its previous meeting June 4 against embattled police chief, Pete Arredondo. In that special meeting, parents had expressed frustation that the board did not fire Arredondo.
According to investigators, Arredondo made the decision to wait more than an hour for backup instead of ordering officers at the scene to immediately confront the shooter who killed 19 students and two teachers.
A new report said police may have assumed that those classroom doors were locked and the shooter could not have locked the doors from the inside. Pete Arredondo had said previously that he went through a ring of keys provided by a janitor in order to try and gain entry. The new report said that he was instead trying other doors nearby in an attempt to locate a master key.
The classroom doors at Robb Elementary are designed to lock automatically when they are closed. The only way to open them locked doors is with a key from the outside, the report.
The agenda for the board meeting includes "prospective gifts, donations, security items" and a possible "security audit." The agenda does not mention the Chief Arredondo.
This also comes after Superintendent Dr. Harrell spoke in a YouTube video addressing the upcoming school year, the House committee investigation, mental health resources and counseling, grade level alignment and more. Click here for that full information. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/uvalde-cisd-board-meets-for-second-meeting-since-robb-elementary-shooting/273-4b759e4a-b348-432d-9b13-413fc57dd674 | 2022-06-20T21:09:59 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/uvalde-cisd-board-meets-for-second-meeting-since-robb-elementary-shooting/273-4b759e4a-b348-432d-9b13-413fc57dd674 |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The national average price of gasoline is down Monday compared to last week, but the price of gas in Portland has only continued to climb.
Average gasoline prices in Portland rose 2.3 cents per gallon in the last week, the tech company GasBuddy reported Monday.
The company surveyed 387 stations in Portland and found prices are 37.5 cents per gallon higher than they were a month ago and $2.10 per gallon higher than a year ago.
As of Monday, the station with the cheapest gas in Portland had it priced at $5.19 per gallon while the most expensive gas was $6.09 per gallon. The lowest gas price in the state Sunday was $5.12 per gallon and the highest price was $6.75.
According to GasBuddy, the national average price of gas has fallen 4.2 cents per gallon in the last week. As of Monday, the national average was $4.97 per gallon. This is the first time in nine weeks the national average has fallen and it comes after a broad sell-off in oil markets last week.
On Thursday, June 9, the national average price per gallon of gas topped $5 for the first time.
“I’m hopeful the trend may continue this week, especially as concerns appear to be mounting that we may be on the cusp of an economic slowdown, putting downward pressure on oil,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at Gas Buddy.
De Haan said the coast isn’t entirely clear yet. The U.S. could see the national average fall another 15 to 30 cents by the Fourth of July, if it’s lucky. This is barring any unexpected shutdown at a time when the market is extremely sensitive.
Although national prices are down from the previous week, they’re still up 37.3 cents per gallon compared to a month ago and the average price is $1.92 more per gallon than a year ago, GasBuddy’s data show.
Not far from Portland, cities like Tacoma, Washing and Eugene, Oregon saw their average gas prices decrease compared to the week before. In Salem, the average price is up 2.4 cents per gallon.
According to AAA, the national average gas price Monday is $4.98 per gallon. Oregon’s average price is $5.54 per gallon. | https://www.koin.com/local/why-are-portland-gas-prices-up-when-the-national-average-price-is-down/ | 2022-06-20T21:16:37 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/why-are-portland-gas-prices-up-when-the-national-average-price-is-down/ |
SPRINGDALE, Ark. — The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks (CBCO) is in urgent need of all blood types.
CBCO is the exclusive supplier of blood, platelets, and plasma to patients at 44 area healthcare facilities.
Their current blood supply is low with less than a two-day supply available. They urge donors to give immediately at the CBCO blood drive or donor center.
CBCO says a blood shortage is not like other nationwide shortages like toilet paper, formula, or other supplies.
“While people are used to having to find alternatives to products that are in short supply, we cannot do the same with blood. There is no alternative,” Anthony Roberts, Community Blood Center of the Ozarks Executive Director said. “And the great news is that there is a plentiful supply of blood in our area. We just need people to share it.” Roberts went on to point out how easy it is to donate blood. “It only takes about an hour out of your day to be someone’s hero and we are counting on our community heroes to step up and make a difference for our local patients.”
CBCO says a lot of the blood shortage is due to the time of the year and some lingering effects of the pandemic.
“We are in the time of year where we lose the opportunity to work with schools and colleges, so we have to count on other groups to help support the blood supply during the summer,” Roberts said. “We are also seeing many businesses calling employees back from working at home but not yet allowing blood drives at their facilities. Most people are willing to donate when there’s a convenient opportunity whether at work, church, or school but those opportunities aren’t as plentiful as in the pre-pandemic world.”
So CBCO and area hospitals are urging the community to go to a nearby donor center or mobile blood drive and give blood.
“When emergencies happen, the need for blood is critically important for us,” said Larry Shackelford, Washington Regional President, and CEO. “The Community Blood Center of the Ozarks is our local blood supplier, and our patients receive the blood products they need from blood donors who donate with CBCO.”
CBCO donating centers are listed below:
- Springdale, AR. - 3503 S Thompson St.
- Bentonville, AR. - 1400 SE Walton Blvd.
- Springfield, Mo. - 220 W Farm Rd. 182
- Joplin, Mo. - 101 N Rangeline Rd.
There are also opportunities to give at mobile blood drives across the Ozarks. Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are strongly encouraged. To schedule your appointment call 417-227-5006 or click here.
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HOW TO ADD THE 5NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KFSM in the Channel Store.
For Fire TV, search for "KFSM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/community-blood-center-ozarks-dire-need-blood-donation/527-11c9b397-4fec-48ea-b1b6-cd8fd8ae26cd | 2022-06-20T21:25:48 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/community-blood-center-ozarks-dire-need-blood-donation/527-11c9b397-4fec-48ea-b1b6-cd8fd8ae26cd |
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Fayetteville Police Department is searching for a missing teen.
Nikky Mia Rueda, 15, was last seen in Fayetteville. She is 5'3, weighs 150 lbs., and has brown hair and eyes.
Anyone with information about her whereabouts is asked to contact Detective S. O’Dell at (479) 587-3520.
DOWNLOAD THE 5NEWS APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE 5NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KFSM in the Channel Store.
For Fire TV, search for "KFSM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/fayetteville-police-search-for-missing-teen-nikky-mia-rueda-15-brown-hair-eyes/527-2f33fe65-2535-4011-9855-10e458deaf63 | 2022-06-20T21:25:54 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/fayetteville-police-search-for-missing-teen-nikky-mia-rueda-15-brown-hair-eyes/527-2f33fe65-2535-4011-9855-10e458deaf63 |
SAN ANTONIO — There are two things about Jacob Morales you can place money on: he's going to show up, and he's going to show up on time.
"Time is valuable—extremely valuable," Jacob said.
The O'Connor High School senior is accustomed to jokes about his streak for attendance and punctuality. But he laughs at the humor because the 18-year-old captured the accomplishment.
"It was honestly just motivation from my mom, my dad, my brother," he said.
Jacob's mother, Ana, acknowledges her role in getting her eldest son interested in being where he needs to be.
"To show up, give it 100%," Morales said.
The streak started in preschool and kept rolling through high graduation from O'Connor.
"It's just like if you say you're going to do something, you do it," she said.
He bought into the concept, hook, line and sinker. Along the way, Jacob became attached to orchestra, basketball, track, football, bowling and academics.
"It's not just friends, it's not just teachers. It's just the whole atmosphere of being in school that just kind of kept me engaged and kept me going," he said.
Morales' inspiration for her son came from her shortcoming. She transferred schools in high school and figured rather quickly that she didn't have to show up a lot to get good grades. The mindset went unchallenged at school until her graduation, when she noticed the valedictorian receiving accolades for perfect attendance.
"You know what, when I have my kids, I want them to have that," Morales recalled thinking. "I want them to have perfect attendance."
Easier said than done.
Jacob had to push through days when he was physically tired, emotionally drained and even sick. He said giving up would mean all the days he put in were in vain.
"There were times where I would kind of test him and say, 'Hey, you want to stay home today?'" Morales said. "'Nope, I'm going to school.'"
Jacob believes he was the only senior at school on senior skip day. He said completing the goal was more important than participating in the high school tradition with classmates and friends.
"Our time is very limited on this planet, and making the most of it will benefit those around me," he said. "It's not necessarily for me. It's for all those around me."
He may be right. His little brother, Matthew, an O'Connor freshman, is trying to achieve the same thing.
"Peoples' legacies live on because they touch the people around them," Jacob said.
According to Morales, she cheered so loudly at Jacob's graduation that the announcement of his perfect attendance got lost in her noise. Luckily, a cell phone recording allowed her to reflect and weep.
"I was like, 'They said it,'" she said. "I got to hear it. I was like, 'We did it.'"
Jacob graduated with honors and will attend UTSA, where he is a distinguished presidential scholar. The freshman Roadrunner also plans to keep his punctuality and attendance records alive.
"That's got to continue to college for sure," he said.
His mother said he's catching up on a lot of rest before doing so.
According to Northside Independent School District, Jacob is one of three students they can verify who graduated from the district this year with perfect attendance. The other two: Desiree Duarte Moczygemba from Taft High School and Madeline Ann Salazar from Stevens High School. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/outreach/oconnor-high-school-graduate-perfect-attendance-sa-great-kids/273-e696f2af-828e-4d04-be0f-22a9d6aecf8f | 2022-06-20T21:26:01 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/outreach/oconnor-high-school-graduate-perfect-attendance-sa-great-kids/273-e696f2af-828e-4d04-be0f-22a9d6aecf8f |
TEXAS, USA — This article appeared originally on The Texas Tribune website.
Texas is planning to add enough electric vehicle charging stations throughout the state to support 1 million electric vehicles with dozens of new stations to allow for easier long-distance travel.
In a draft plan released this month, the Texas Department of Transportation broke down a five-year plan to create a network of chargers throughout the state, starting along main corridors and interstate highways before building stations in rural areas.
The plan is to have charging stations every 50 miles along most non-business interstate routes.
In most other areas in the state, there will be charging stations within 70 miles, according to the plan. Each station is designed to have multiple stalls so there will likely be one available whenever someone stops to charge.
The chargers will be high-powered at 150kW, able to bring most electric vehicles from 10% to 80% in about half an hour, according to the report.
The funding is coming from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed last year, which is estimated to allocate about $408 million over five years to Texas for the purpose of expanding its electric vehicle charging network. No funds from the state budget will be used. Nationally, the goal is to create a network of 500,000 convenient and reliable electric vehicle chargers by 2030. In total from the infrastructure act, Texas is expected to receive about $35.44 billion over five years for roads, bridges, pipes, ports, broadband access and other projects.
Less than 1% of Texans’ registered vehicles are electric. As of May 31, there were 129,010 electric vehicles registered in Texas, according to the report.
“However, since 2020, the total number of electric vehicles across Texas has nearly tripled as more people adopt the technology,” TxDOT stated in its report. “With rapidly growing adoption rates, it is necessary to ensure Texas will be able to meet the demand of these new vehicles on the road.”
The state is gathering public comment on the plan, after which it will be finalized. To receive the funds, TxDOT must submit a finalized plan by Aug. 1 to the Federal Highway Administration.
Officials plan to award contracts for construction starting in January.
During the first year of implementation, Texas plans to add around 48 new locations to satisfy the 50-mile FHWA requirement. This is in addition to 27 existing private sector locations and 26 planned locations funded by a separate grant.
The next year, the focus will turn to stations in rural counties, small urban areas and areas advised by metropolitan planning organizations.
After that, during the third through fifth year of implementation, Texas will continue building out charging infrastructure in smaller and rural areas. The report states that charging stations might be equipped with a combination of solar and battery equipment to supplement their power supplies.
Gov. Greg Abbott stressed the importance of including rural areas in TxDOT’s plan in a March 22 letter.
“Texas’ sheer volume of roadway miles leaves ample opportunity for EV charging deployment. The plan should ensure that every Texan can access the infrastructure they need to charge an EV,” Abbott wrote. “Additionally, I direct TxDOT and stakeholders to include in the plan a way for Texans to easily get from Beaumont to El Paso and Texline to Brownsville in an EV–with a focus on rural placement and connectivity.”
Chandra Bhat, a University of Texas transportation engineering professor and the director of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Center on Data-Supported Transportation Operations and Planning, said the additional charging stations are a welcome upgrade to Texas transportation. Some of Bhat’s research has been funded by TxDOT.
Bhat said there are several barriers to electric vehicle adoption by consumers: the upfront cost, anxiety over how far a driver can travel and the wait times for charging.
This new plan addresses range anxiety by providing many options only 50 miles apart — however, it doesn’t address cost or fully address wait times, he said. Although the planned chargers will be high speed, it still takes around half an hour, he said. A driver might not know how long they may have to wait if someone else is already using the stalls.
That uncertainty can cause consumers to pass on purchasing electric vehicles altogether, he said.
Bhat said he thinks allowing drivers to reserve charging stations at specific times might help reduce that uncertainty. But still, Bhat said he is optimistic that more people will adopt electric vehicles in Texas due to the planned infrastructure upgrades. He also hopes the state will invest in putting information in front of consumers about the increased availability of chargers.
“We will see a clear uptick in the next two or three years, I believe,” Bhat said. “And if we get an announcement that batteries are going to be lasting longer and are going to be less expensive, you're gonna see them bought by the droves.” | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/texas-plans-to-place-charging-stations-for-electric-cars-every-50-miles-on-most-interstates-san-antonio-vehicles-charge-electricity-gas-fuel-prices/273-06846327-c04f-44c6-9d62-0b6ad6621525 | 2022-06-20T21:26:10 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/texas-plans-to-place-charging-stations-for-electric-cars-every-50-miles-on-most-interstates-san-antonio-vehicles-charge-electricity-gas-fuel-prices/273-06846327-c04f-44c6-9d62-0b6ad6621525 |
ROSEVILLE, Calif. — The Placer County Fair returns for summer 2022 with carnival rides, tasty treats, livestock and more.
The 84th annual fair will be from June 23 through June 26 and is located at the @the Grounds in Roseville. Thursday through Friday the fair will be open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. On Sunday the fair will be open from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
“As the oldest annual event in Placer County, the Placer County Fair is beloved by many in the community,” said Placer County Board of Supervisors Chair Cindy Gustafson in a statement. “From arts and crafts to exhibits, concerts, carnival, livestock shows and pageants, the Fair is a great opportunity for visitors of all ages to experience all that Placer County has to offer.”
There is new entertainment this year including a BMX stunt team, a magic and comedy show and a two-woman aerial team from Canada.
“We are very excited about the fair and are looking forward to celebrating and connecting with the community,” said Interim Chief Executive Officer of @the Grounds Kim Summers in a statement. “Every year, the fair gets bigger and better, and we add more to keep it new and interesting.”
Find an activity schedule for each day here.
More than 23,000 people attended the fair in 2021 and it was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
General Admission Tickets
Automatically receive $2.00 off all pre-sale General Admission tickets until June 22, 2022.
- Five and under are Free
- Ages 6-11 — $6.00
- Ages 12 to 64 — $10.00
- Ages 65 and up — $8.00
- Military — $8.00
Parking and Maps
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more on ABC10 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/roseville/placer-county-fair-hours-parking-tickets-roseville/103-a0154736-128d-4f1a-8e37-13c62c64ffc1 | 2022-06-20T21:31:16 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/roseville/placer-county-fair-hours-parking-tickets-roseville/103-a0154736-128d-4f1a-8e37-13c62c64ffc1 |
Crews are at the scene of a vegetation fire that is threatening multiple homes in South Sacramento near the Lenhart Road and Roseview Way intersection on Monday, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
One home is on fire as of 1:10 p.m.
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more on ABC10
. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/south-sacramento/vegetation-fire-south-sacramento/103-e9fe6b3e-8b61-426c-9485-14b7c680bf2b | 2022-06-20T21:31:22 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/south-sacramento/vegetation-fire-south-sacramento/103-e9fe6b3e-8b61-426c-9485-14b7c680bf2b |
A New Jersey man is accused of sexually assaulting two elderly women at their homes.
Christopher Delacruz, 44, of Shamong, allegedly visited his victims at their homes on April 19 and May 6 in Medford for what the women believed to be a “legitimate purpose.” He then sexually assaulted them, according to investigators.
During the second assault, the victim fractured her rib, police said.
Delacruz was arrested and charged with sexual assault, aggravated assault, criminal restraint and aggravated criminal sexual contact. He was lodged at the Burlington County Jail.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have been victimized by Delacruz or know someone who was to contact Medford Township Police or the Medford Township Police Citizen Tipline at 609-714-0321. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/nj-man-sexually-assaults-2-elderly-women-police-say/3276174/ | 2022-06-20T21:36:33 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/nj-man-sexually-assaults-2-elderly-women-police-say/3276174/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Juneteenth celebrations have officially kicked off in the Air Capital. The crowd was energized at McAdams Park, where the official JuneteenthICT Festival is taking place.
People were pouring into the festival grounds whether it was for the music, the local vendors or local eats.
“I’m looking for the good local entertainment,” said Bronta Jackson, who was there with her daughter and grandchildren.
“The food,” said Audrey Love.
“Excitement of being around people. Enjoy, right. After COVID and being inside,” added Rick Maloney.
Tadonne Neal is the co-chair of JuneteenthICT. She has seen the festival grow in the seven years she’s been a part of it.
“Becoming more one of those bigger festivals versus you know, just a small backyard barbecue which and there’s nothing wrong with backyard barbecues but all right is to make sure that the festival grows and everybody knows about it, and it comes to celebrate with us,” commented Neal.
Juneteenth is about community. “We want everyone to kind of celebrate with us. We want people to celebrate liberation. You know, the same way that we celebrate the Fourth of July every year. We want everybody to be happy about the fact that you know African Americans were liberated just as well in America,” added Neal.
“Whether we’re celebrating Juneteenth, African Americans and pacific islanders, whatever it is, we all come together as a group, and that’s what makes America great. That’s what makes the world good,” said Chad Thomas.
For more information on the schedule of events, click here. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/juneteenth-celebrations-kickoff-in-wichita/ | 2022-06-20T21:41:52 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/juneteenth-celebrations-kickoff-in-wichita/ |
Note: This story has been updated for further clarification.
DERBY, Kan. (KSNW) — Derby Fire and Rescue was at Rock River Rapids in Derby on Friday, less than two minutes after a drowning report.
Police say a child was playing on the lily pads and went underwater. A lifeguard jumped in and saved the child around 8:52 p.m. The child was alert and talking to the lifeguard when Sedgwick County EMS responded. The child was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.
Police ask that you keep an eye out when you are near the water.
“Just make sure you’re paying attention to where your kids are at. Even though there’s lifeguards present, it’s always better to have adults that are watching and being right there, especially at a young age,” said Deputy Chief Brandon Russell, Derby Police Department.
According to a news release, it is only the second major incident since the pool opened in 2004. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/lifeguard-saves-child-from-near-drowning-at-derby-water-park/ | 2022-06-20T21:42:00 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/lifeguard-saves-child-from-near-drowning-at-derby-water-park/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Across the country, there continues to be a shortage of healthcare workers. Over the last year, Wichita State University (WSU) Tech has been working with government and industry workers to address the nursing shortage.
They created Senate Bill 453 as a solution to expand the talent pipeline. The bill passed unanimously and was signed into law in April.
The new legislation expands training opportunities to become a certified nurse assistant (CNA). Changing requirements to allow licensed practical nurses to do training under the supervision of a registered nurse.
On average, WSU Tech puts out 150 to 200 CNAs each year. Their president, Sheree Utash, expects this legislation to double that.
“In the next 60 days, we will train over 80 CNA students. We’ve never been able to do that, but we can because of this flexibility,” Utash said.
“Everybody knows we are really short-staffed everywhere. So, although it may not be directly impacting me now, I know it will in the future,” said Tanner Lehman, a WSU Tech student.
If you are interested in becoming a CNA, you can do the training for free this summer. Thanks to WSU Tech’s Wichita Promise initiative, which gives free tuition through July. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/new-bill-expected-to-bring-more-nurse-assistants-to-kansas/ | 2022-06-20T21:42:07 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/new-bill-expected-to-bring-more-nurse-assistants-to-kansas/ |
Children under 5 years old will be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines starting today at Dayton Children’s Hospital after the vaccines were authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week.
Dr. Adam Mezoff, chief medical officer at Dayton Children’s Hospital, said they are including the new vaccine as part of a child’s routine vaccination plan.
“For kids less than 5, one of the driving forces for them getting into their pediatrician’s office on a regular basis has to do with getting their immunizations,” Mezoff said. “Since these immunizations can be given along with the other ones, it might make sense that’s how these are looked at as part of their routine schedule and so we’re trying to tie it to that as best we can.”
He said Dayton Children’s has in the past held large-scale vaccination events, but it’s unclear if there will be that kind of demand.
Children under 5 are the last age group to become eligible for shots and COVID-19 vaccines are still free to all people living in the U.S., regardless of immigration status or health insurance.
For small children ages 6 months to 5 years, there’s a two-shot series from Moderna Inc. administered one month apart. For kids 4 years and younger, there’s also a three-shot series from Pfizer Inc. and German partner BioNTech SE: The first two doses are given three weeks apart, and the third dose eight weeks after the second dose, according to the FDA.
Moderna’s two-shot vaccine was 51% effective at preventing COVID-19 in children under 2 years and 37% effective for those ages 2 to 5, the FDA said. A preliminary analysis of Pfizer’s vaccine for the youngest kids found it was 80% effective in preventing COVID-19 infections among those 6 months to 4 years, with 10 infections occurring among all participants.
The FDA said Friday that the effectiveness data was unreliable because of the low number of cases that occurred in the study participants. Common side effects of Moderna’s shot can include pain, injection-site swelling and fever, the agency said. For Pfizer’s, the most common side effects included irritability, decreased appetite and fever.
Dayton Children’s Hospital will be using the Pfizer vaccines.
“Today is a monumental step forward in our nation’s fight against the virus, with virtually every American now eligible for the protections that COVID-19 vaccines provide,’’ President Joe Biden said in a June 18 statement. The authorizations come “after a rigorous and independent scientific review,” he said.
Although the move will help protect children from infection and serious disease, vaccine hesitancy still looms in the U.S. population where more than 40% of people who qualify for immunization aren’t fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health officials have warned that the rate of hospitalization and death for children, particularly during the omicron wave, has been concerning. In January, kids’ COVID-19 hospitalizations surged to record highs.
“It’s fair to say that adults tend to get a lot sicker than children, but it would be wrong to think children can’t get seriously ill. In fact, we’ve had countless number of kids admitted to our ICU over the course of the pandemic and there have been children within the region who have died of COVID,” Mezoff said.
He said there is reason to believe COVID cases will go up in the fall, especially as kids go back to school.
“Since both of the series take a few months to get the protection to its maximum level, that’s one of the reasons to consider doing things like this now,” Mezoff said. “And again, if you have kids less than 5 or 6 who are going in for routine vaccinations anyway, it would be good to add this to their vaccination schedule as opposed to having to do this separately.”
Those interested in the vaccine can sign up on Dayton Children’s website.
The Associated Press contributed to this story
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/covid-19-vaccines-for-children-under-5-will-be-available-at-dayton-childrens-tuesday/AK6FSLKVLFCYPH6FGOUAY4TAII/ | 2022-06-20T21:46:23 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/covid-19-vaccines-for-children-under-5-will-be-available-at-dayton-childrens-tuesday/AK6FSLKVLFCYPH6FGOUAY4TAII/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Heartland Animal Hospital, 4100 N Woodlawn St, created a blessing box for pets.
“The number of families making difficult choices to surrender their pet to shelters and rescue groups is ever increasing. When it comes down to feeding and providing for your family in times of need, we know that your pets factor into your decisions as well. They are part of the family,” said the Heartland Animal Hospital in a Facebook post on Monday. “And when family is in need, a simple donation or gesture can provide relief in so many ways.”
Heartland Animal Hospital says that as a part of their community, they have to do what they can to keep pets with their families and keep families open to adopting pets in need of a home.
If you have pet any pet items that you no longer use or need, the Heartland Animal Hospital asks that you please consider dropping them off in the blessing box they are calling “Magnum’s Pantry.” In turn, if you are in need of pet supplies, they say you can feel free to take what you need from inside the box.
The Heartland Animal Hospital has the following housekeeping requests when it comes to donating to Magnum’s Pantry:
- No open cans
- Tape or seal all open bags of dry food/treats
- No prescription medications
- No expired products
The Heartland Animal Hospital notes that all items in the box are donation only, so please use it at your own discretion and be sure to check labels and expirations. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/local-veterinary-clinic-creates-blessing-box-for-pets/ | 2022-06-20T21:58:44 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/local-veterinary-clinic-creates-blessing-box-for-pets/ |
LITITZ, Pa. — A four-year-old Lancaster County child was injured after being struck by an Amazon delivery truck last week, according to police.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. last Thursday on the 400 block of Springfield Court in Lititz.
According to Lititz Borough Police, the child ran into the street from behind a parked vehicle and was struck by an Amazon delivery vehicle driven by a 25-year-old from Red Lion, York County.
The child suffered minor injuries and was transported by private vehicle to a local hospital for treatment, according to police.
Police did not list any charges against the driver of the vehicle. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/lititz-pedestrian-4-years-old-struck-amazon-vehicle/521-25833c51-d1f0-40d1-81c3-b29c415e2e9c | 2022-06-20T22:01:01 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/lititz-pedestrian-4-years-old-struck-amazon-vehicle/521-25833c51-d1f0-40d1-81c3-b29c415e2e9c |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — In an effort to attract more volunteer firefighters, Pennsylvania lawmakers are working to pass a bill to improve junior firefighting training.
The action comes amid a massive decline in the numbers of people joining volunteer fire companies, which make up two thirds of all firefighters, according to the National Volunteer Fire Council.
In 1975, Pennsylvania had about 360,000 volunteer firefighters, according to the council. In recent years that number has fallen to around 36,000 to 38,000—a 90 percent decrease.
Fire companies are trying to build a pipeline of young firefighters by training high school students as junior firefighters.
Kids as young as 14 can sign up for junior firefighting programs, but are mostly limited to training, basic first aid and clean up after fires are put out. At age 16 they can begin the training courses needed to certify as a professional firefighter. The final training, Interior Firefighting Module with Live Burns, is limited to those 18 and older.
Fire chiefs said waiting until the students are 18 forces the training to compete with other time commitments that come after graduating high school.
“They’re off to college, able to drive and all the other things that come along with life as you get older. So the benefit here would be they get the training at a younger age and are ready to go,” said John Fogg, Chief of Colonial Park Fire Company.
HB 2268 would lower the minimum age of that training to 17. That would allow high schoolers to complete their training and be ready to start working as firefighters as soon as they graduate.
The bill was introduced by State Rep. Torren Ecker (R-Adams/Cumberland), who himself volunteered as a junior firefighter in high school.
“I kind of got my community service start working for Jefferson Service Fire Company as a kid, as a junior firefighter,” Ecker said. “So that’s what my passion is for juniors; that’s why I’ve got that interest.”
Fire chiefs support the measure, saying even one extra year of training could make a difference in the number of qualified volunteer firefighters.
“If they would lower the age to 17 that would help a lot because when they’re going through the mods they could complete the whole course and be ready,” said Landisburg Volunteer Fire Company Chief Carl Nace.
Fire chiefs recognize that junior firefighters are still minors. There would still be restrictions under the bill, as both fire chiefs and parents of the trainees would have to give permission for advanced training like going inside burning structures.
“I think giving younger people a little additional responsibility will help them mature a little bit quicker so they understand the importance of stuff,” said Douglas Snyder, chief of the Millersburg Fire Company.
Separate versions of the bill have passed in both the state House and Senate. The legislature must now choose which one to send to the governor to be signed. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/volunteer-firefighter-shortage-junior-training/521-582da4b1-d5b7-42de-8d19-5ff2adc6cce3 | 2022-06-20T22:01:07 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/volunteer-firefighter-shortage-junior-training/521-582da4b1-d5b7-42de-8d19-5ff2adc6cce3 |
ZIONSVILLE, Ind. — A Ball State student and southern Indiana native will represent the Hoosier state at this year's Miss America pageant.
Miss Southern Heartland Elizabeth Hallal was crowned Miss Indiana in Zionsville on Saturday, earning her $11,000 in scholarships and the chance to compete for the title of Miss America on Dec. 17.
The Georgetown native also won the preliminary red carpet, preliminary talent, outstanding vocalist and performing arts awards, each of which earned her additional money to continue pursuing her education. Combined with the money received for winning the title, Hallal earned a total of more than $13,000 in scholarships.
She'll spend the next year promoting her social impact initiative, "The Triple A Project: Accessibility to the Arts for All." Fittingly, her talent was a theatrical vocal performance of "Defying Gravity," the signature song from the musical "Wicked."
In an Instagram post following the crowning Hallal said she's excited for what lies ahead this year.
"I am so excited for the year ahead of me, and I am so thankful the judges saw imperfect, quirky me as the next Miss Indiana. I truly believe I allowed my heart to shine in everything I did during this competition, and I will continue to lead with my heart through the next year, as an example of kindness, connection, and service-doing (yes, service-doing). Over the next 365 days, I am committed to using my platform and new sparkly hat to bring the arts to all across our state, making creative opportunities more accessible and equitable," her statement said, in part.
Elizabeth Hallal crowned Miss Indiana 2022:
Hallal wasn't the only one who dazzled the judges this past week. Kayla Patterson, formerly Miss Duneland's Outstanding Teen, was crowned Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen on Saturday.
The Randolph County native and recent Monroe Central Jr./Sr. High School graduate, won $7,000 in scholarships. She will represent Indiana at the Miss America's Outstanding Teen pageant in Dallas in August.
Kayla Patterson crowned Miss Indiana's Outstanding Teen: | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/ball-state-university-muncie-indiana-student-crowned-miss-indiana-2022/531-7566ec5a-871a-4c21-8882-77bbe97557fd | 2022-06-20T22:01:13 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/ball-state-university-muncie-indiana-student-crowned-miss-indiana-2022/531-7566ec5a-871a-4c21-8882-77bbe97557fd |
MOUNT WOLF, Pa. — Police in York County are seeking help in identifying a person of interest wanted for questioning in connection to a series of thefts and attempted thefts from unlocked vehicles in East Manchester Township.
According to York County Regional Police, the thefts occurred in the Northern Heights neighborhood.
In the video below, which was taken from a doorbell camera in the neighbhorhood, police say, the person of interest is seen trying to enter unlocked vehicles on Brendan Mews in Northern Heights shortly after 3 a.m. on June 16.
Anyone with information on the man's identity is asked to contact York County Regional Police at (717) 747-0716 ext. 122.
Callers may remain anonymous, police say. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county/theft-from-unlocked-vehicles-mt-wolf-york-county/521-3baee79c-ba00-4bc4-b1ca-8f6435a18480 | 2022-06-20T22:01:13 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county/theft-from-unlocked-vehicles-mt-wolf-york-county/521-3baee79c-ba00-4bc4-b1ca-8f6435a18480 |
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana saw another increase in the state gasoline tax amid promises of inflation relief — including a proposal to issue direct payments to Indiana residents later this month.
The state's residents will pay 61 cents per gallon in taxes on gasoline, the state Department of Revenue announced Monday — another jump from June's record-high 56 cents per gallon. Fuel costs were expected to continue to rise in July, elevated largely because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The gas tax increase emerged alongside calls from Indiana Democrats to suspend the tax to aid residents reeling from the worst inflation in 40 years.
But Republicans say the gas tax should remain in place to fund the state's highway construction program. They instead have called for gradually lowering Indiana’s individual income tax rate over the next seven years as a form of relief.
The state's average price per gallon of regular gasoline was approximately $5.13 on Monday, above the national average of about $4.98, according to AAA.
Indiana Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb proposed an inflation relief plan June 9 that would distribute payments of $225 to residents under the state's automatic taxpayer refund law. This builds on the initial $125 payments taxpayers received last month under the same policy.
Eligible residents would receive a combined total of about $350 in payments, with a married couple filing jointly receiving about $700, Holcomb said.
Holcomb said he would call for a special legislative session before the end of June so legislators can enact this proposal. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana/indiana-gas-tax-increases-to-record-high-in-july-fuel-inflation/531-a6106c62-8f37-41ec-9290-0c0a692c3316 | 2022-06-20T22:01:19 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana/indiana-gas-tax-increases-to-record-high-in-july-fuel-inflation/531-a6106c62-8f37-41ec-9290-0c0a692c3316 |
PHOENIX — WNBA star Brittney Griner tried to call her wife nearly a dozen times through the American embassy in Russia on the couple’s fourth anniversary Saturday, but they never connected since the phone line at the embassy was not staffed, Cherelle Griner said Monday.
The couple has not spoken by phone in the four months since Griner's arrest in Russia on drug-related charges. That was to have changed Saturday, when a long-awaited call was to have finally taken place. But the day came and went without any contact, leaving an anguished Cherelle Griner to wonder what went wrong and to suspect at least initially that Russian authorities had thwarted the call.
On Monday, she said she learned from her wife's lawyers a more distressing truth: Brittney Griner had actually tried to call 11 times over a period of several hours, dialing a number she'd been given at the U.S. embassy in Moscow, which the couple had been told would then patch the call through to Cherelle Griner in Phoenix. But each time, the call went unanswered because the desk at the embassy where the phone rang was apparently unstaffed on Saturday.
“I was distraught. I was hurt. I was done, fed up,” Cherelle Griner told The Associated Press in an interview, recounting how an anniversary she had eagerly anticipated was instead spent in tears. “I'm pretty sure I texted BG's agent and was like: ‘I don't want to talk to anybody. It's going to take me a minute to get my emotions together and just tell everybody I'm unavailable right now. Because it just knocked me out. I wasn't well, I'm still not well.”
The experience has further exacerbated already simmering frustrations about the U.S. government's response to her wife's case. U.S. officials have repeatedly said they are working behind the scenes to get the two-time Olympian home from Russia and consider her case a top priority. But Cherelle Griner said she remains “very pissed” by the snafu, especially since the call had been on the schedule for two weeks and yet no one warned her during that time that it might be logistically impossible because of the weekend.
The State Department said Monday that it was aware of the issue and was looking into it. Cherelle Griner said a contact in the U.S. government had apologized to her for the error. She said she's since learned that the one number Brittney Griner had been told to dial typically processes calls from prisoners on Mondays through Fridays but not weekends.
“But mind you,” Cherelle Griner said in the interview, “this phone call had been scheduled for almost two weeks — with a weekend date.”
She added: “I find it unacceptable and I have zero trust in our government right now. If I can't trust you to catch a Saturday call outside of business hours, how can I trust you to actually be negotiating on my wife's behalf to come home? Because that's a much bigger ask than to catch a Saturday call.”
Cherelle Griner said she was still hoping to talk to or meet with President Joe Biden, but “at this point it's starting to feel like a no.”
Brittney Griner, a seven-time WNBA All-Star who plays for the Phoenix Mercury, was detained at a Russian airport on Feb. 17 after authorities there said a search of her bag revealed vape cartridges containing cannabis oil.
The State Department in May designated her as wrongfully detained, moving her case under the supervision of its Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, effectively the government's chief hostage negotiator. Russian state-run news agency Tass reported last week that her detention had been extended until July 3.
So far, Cherelle Griner says she's had to rely exclusively on others' assessments about her wife's condition. Lawyers and consular affairs officials have been able to speak with the basketball star, but her wife has not.
On the evening before the call, she went to sleep at 5 p.m. so that she'd be awake and alert at midnight to receive the anticipated call from Russia to Phoenix that never came.
“This was such a big moment because this would have been the first time where I truly could tell if she’s okay," Cherelle Griner said. “This would have been the first time for me to actually just hear her in real time and to truly know if she’s okay or to know if she's seconds away from not being in existence anymore.” | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/i-have-zero-trust-in-our-government-brittney-griners-wife-tells-ap-scheduled-call-never-happened/75-e136b897-4c2f-471d-af98-97af455d1851 | 2022-06-20T22:07:31 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/i-have-zero-trust-in-our-government-brittney-griners-wife-tells-ap-scheduled-call-never-happened/75-e136b897-4c2f-471d-af98-97af455d1851 |
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich announced Monday he's suing the Scottsdale Unified School District for allegedly setting "unlawful" restrictions on how citizens can participate during public meetings.
The lawsuit specifically singles out Jann-Michael Greenburg, the former president of the district's Governing Board, for allegedly violating Arizona's Open Meeting Law by interrupting a speaker at a school board meeting last August.
Greenburg allegedly cut off a speaker to tell them their comments were "not true," according to the civil complaint.
Brnovich, who is running for the U.S. Senate this election year, is faulting Greenburg and the district for not allowing citizens to speak openly during the public comments section of the district's school board meetings.
The lawsuit claims SUSD improperly set restrictions on what and when citizens could discuss during school board meetings.
As a result, Brnovich's office is asking the courts to impose civil penalties on Greenburg and potentially have him removed from the board, according to the lawsuit.
Greenburg has been subjected to a significant amount of public scrutiny after parents accused him and his father of keeping a "secret dossier" on them. The school board voted to elect a new president after information about the dossier was made public.
Brnovich's lawsuit is not attempting to take action against Greenburg for that matter.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12 News YouTube playlist here. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/brnovich-sues-scottsdale-school-district-former-board-president/75-7565a2a9-ee84-4935-9b9e-dbaea4cd3526 | 2022-06-20T22:07:37 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/brnovich-sues-scottsdale-school-district-former-board-president/75-7565a2a9-ee84-4935-9b9e-dbaea4cd3526 |
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — As Jason Nez scans rugged mountains, high desert and cliffsides for signs of ancient tools and dwellings unique to the U.S. Southwest, he keeps in mind that they're part of a bigger picture.
And, fire is not new to them.
“They have been burned many, many times, and that's healthy,” said Nez, a Navajo archaeologist and firefighter. “A lot of our cultural resources we see as living, and living things are resilient.”
As a pair of wildfires skirt this mountainous northern Arizona city, the flames are crossing land dense with reminders of human existence through centuries — multilevel stone homes, rock carvings and pieces of clay and ceramic pots that have been well-preserved in the arid climate since long before fire suppression became a tactic.
Today, firefighting crews increasingly are working to avoid or minimize damage from bulldozers and other modern-day tools on archaeological sites and artifacts, and protect those on public display to ensure history isn't lost on future generations.
“Some of those arrowheads, some of those pottery shards you see out there have that power to change the way we look at how humans were here,” Nez said.
The crews' efforts include recruiting people to advise them on wildlife and habitat, air quality and archaeology. In Arizona, a handful of archaeologists have walked miles in recent months locating evidence of meaningful past human activity in and around scorched areas and mapping it for protection.
Just last week, a crew spotted a semi-buried dwelling known as a pit house.
“We know this area is really important to tribes, and it's ancestral land for them,” said U.S. Forest Service archaeologist and tribal relations specialist Jeanne Stevens. “When we do more survey work, it helps add more pieces to the puzzle in terms of what's on the landscape.”
It's not just the scattered ruins that need protecting.
The nearby Wupatki National Monument — a center of trade for Indigenous communities around the 1100s — was evacuated because of wildfire twice this year. Exhibits there hold priceless objects, including 800-year-old corn, beans and squash, along with intact Clovis points, or stone arrowheads, that date back some 13,000 years.
Before the first wildfire hit in April, forcing the evacuation of the monument and hundreds of homes outside Flagstaff, there was no set plan on how to quickly get the artifacts out, said Lauren Carter, the monument’s lead interpretive ranger.
“The Tunnel Fire made it an — excuse the pun — on-fire issue to finalize the plan,” she said.
Monument curator Gwenn Gallenstein assembled nested boxes with cavities for larger items and foam pouches for arrowheads and other smaller artifacts. She had photographs for each item so whoever was tasked with the packaging would know exactly where to put them, she said.
Gallenstein was able to train one person on how to pack up ceramic pots, bone tools, sandals, textiles woven from cotton grown in the area and other things before another large wildfire broke out June 12 and the monument was closed again. No one expected to put the plan into action so soon.
The fires have so far avoided the facility. Several boxes of items that trace back to what archaeologists say are distinct Indigenous cultures were taken to the Museum of Northern Arizona for safekeeping.
Some Hopi clans consider those who lived at Wupatki their ancestors. Navajo families later settled the area but slowly left, either voluntarily or under pressure by the National Park Service, which sought to eliminate private use of the land once it became a monument in 1924.
The monument has some 2,600 archaeological sites across 54 square miles (141 square kilometers), representing a convergence of cultures on the Colorado Plateau in the Four Corners where New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah meet. The region includes the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, Hopi mesas, volcanic cinder fields, the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the U.S. and the San Francisco Peaks — a mountain sacred to 13 Native American tribes.
“That gives you an idea of the density of the cultural history here, and that continues outside the national monument boundaries into the national forest," Carter said.
The Coconino National Forest on the southern edge of the plateau has surveyed just 20% of its 2,900 square miles (7,510 square kilometers) and logged 11,000 archaeological sites, Stevens said. Forest restoration work that includes mechanical thinning and prescribed burns has given archaeologists an opportunity to map sites and log items. More discoveries are expected because of the current wildfires, especially in the more remote areas, Stevens said.
The arid climate has helped preserve many of the artifacts and sites. But it's also the type of climate that is prone to wildfires, particularly with a mix of fierce winds and heat that were all too common in the U.S. West this spring as climate change bakes the region.
Stevens recalled working on a wildfire in 2006 in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona and a prison crew coming across a great kiva — a circular stone built into the earth and used for ceremonies. “That was something that was really notable,” she said. “Where we’ve been having fires lately, we do have a lot of survey and a lot of knowledge, but we’re always ready for that new discovery.”
Nez, too, has made rare finds, including two Clovis points and village sites on a mountainside that he wasn't expecting to see.
“There’s going to be pottery shards, there’s going to be projectile points,” he tells firefighting crews and managers. “In Native cultures, those things are out there, and we respect them by leaving them alone.” | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/wildfire/arizona-wildfires-sweep-land-rich-with-signs-of-ancient-life/75-ba9b6a76-a08d-4cc3-b1e5-2ad5a6c2ea88 | 2022-06-20T22:07:43 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/wildfire/arizona-wildfires-sweep-land-rich-with-signs-of-ancient-life/75-ba9b6a76-a08d-4cc3-b1e5-2ad5a6c2ea88 |
One of four escaped inmates who walked away from a federal prison satellite camp in Hopewell Friday evening has turned himself in, authorities said Monday.
Tavaraes Lajuane Graham, 44, "showed up back at the facility early (Sunday) morning and was taken back into custody," said Kevin Connolly, a supervisor with the U.S. Marshals Service Capital Regional Fugitive Task Force, which is assisting in the search and capture of the missing inmates.
Virginia’s top health official is facing criticism after questioning racial disparities in health care and dismissing racism’s role in public …
Still at large are Corey Branch, Lamonte Rashawn Willis and Kareem Allen Shaw, who were discovered missing from the Federal Correctional Complex Petersburg’s satellite camp in Hopewell around 1:45 a.m. Saturday.
"These are walkaways ... the information is that they left around 10 p.m. Friday, so they had a couple of hours before they were detected," Connolly said.
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The satellite camp, which houses low-risk inmates in a dormitory, is adjacent to Federal Bureau of Prisons minimum security facility at 1100 River Road in Hopewell, known as the Federal Correctional Institution Low.
"The U.S. Marshals, as they normally do, have obtained all of the background information on these individuals from the facility, the ATF and DEA, and we get together our fugitive investigation. We're following up on leads on these remaining three," Connolly said.
The U.S. Marshals Service is offering a reward of up to $2,000 per escapee for information leading to their capture, Connolly said.
Tips can be provided to the U.S. Marshals Service on the agency's app, USMS Tips, or at usmarshals.gov/tips/
The U.S. Marshals Service will charge all four inmates with escaping from a federal prison, which if convicted carries a punishment of up to five years in prison. "So they will have new charges, in addition to the federal sentences they're serving down there," Connolly said.
Branch, 41, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to more than 13 years for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm by a felon. Graham, 44, was sentenced in the Eastern District of North Carolina to 10 years for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Willis, 30, was sentenced in the Eastern District of Virginia to 18 years for possessing and concealing a stolen firearm and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Shaw, 46, was sentenced in the Western District of Virginia to more than 16 years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a measurable quantity of heroin. Shaw, 46, was sentenced in the Western District of Virginia to more than 16 years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a measurable quantity of heroin.
(804) 649-6450 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/1-of-4-inmates-who-escaped-from-hopewell-camp-turns-himself-in/article_b8e13983-d1e9-5258-8273-57d2de9e565c.html | 2022-06-20T22:09:25 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/1-of-4-inmates-who-escaped-from-hopewell-camp-turns-himself-in/article_b8e13983-d1e9-5258-8273-57d2de9e565c.html |
Virginia State University has extended the contract of president Makola Abdullah through 2029. The board of visitors approved the measure Friday.
Abdullah, who turns 53 on Wednesday, will earn $422,000 annually in base pay.
"I've had the honor of being the president of Virginia State University since 2016, and I'm happy the board has enough confidence in me to offer me the extension," Abdullah said. "I'm excited to do the best for the faculty, staff and students at Virginia State."
While other colleges have seen their enrollment contract since the pandemic began, VSU grew 7% last fall. Its enrollment of 4,300 students is about equal to when Abdullah joined the school.
The campus's physical space is growing, too. The university recently broke ground on its largest construction project in school history, a $120 million academic facility that will house 110 offices, 40 classrooms, a theater, gym and pool.
And the athletic department is adding four new sports – men's and women's soccer and men's and women's lacrosse.
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Historically Black colleges and universities have received higher charitable contributions in the past two years, and VSU has gotten a share. The Ettrick public school recently received a $30 million donation from MacKenzie Scott, ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and in 2020, it received $5 million in donations.
Before taking the job at VSU, Abdullah was provost at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida. A Chicago native, he earned a bachelor's at Howard University and a master's and doctorate from Northwestern. He was 24 years old when he earned his PhD in engineering, and he is believed to have been the youngest African American in the country to earn a doctorate in engineering.
Since joining VSU, he has served on a number of higher education committees. President Joe Biden selected him as one of 18 to serve on the Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
He is the chairperson for the council of presidents for Virginia until the end of June when his term ends. He was previously chair for The Council of 1890s – a higher education association named for the year Congress established a second Morrill Act to build Black land-grant universities, including VSU.
Abdullah is also chair of the council of presidents for the Association of Public & Land Grant Universities. | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vsu-renews-contract-for-president-makola-abdullah-through-2029/article_6013e3f6-8c90-573d-92b2-647f22c9443b.html | 2022-06-20T22:09:31 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vsu-renews-contract-for-president-makola-abdullah-through-2029/article_6013e3f6-8c90-573d-92b2-647f22c9443b.html |
The Florida Department of Health’s website now shows there are at least two cases of monkeypox in Orange County and at least one in Seminole County.
This comes just three days after the first Central Florida case was reported in Orange County Friday.
Records show the patient in the second Orange County case contracted the disease in Florida. That patient is in the age range of 40 to 44 years old, according to the state.
Health officials said the patient is being isolated and has already received treatment.
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It is unknown how the Seminole County patient contracted the virus, according to the health department. That patient is in the age range of 45 to 49 years old.
In all, Florida has 13 cases of the disease, according to the health department, with most of the cases — eight — in Broward County.
Monkeypox is a virus that originates in wild animals, like rodents and primates, and occasionally jumps to people. It belongs to the same virus family as smallpox. Health leaders said monkeypox is an infection transmitted between animals and humans, with most cases reported in Central and West Africa.
Health officials are still investigating, but a top adviser to the World Health Organization said in May the leading theory behind the outbreak is that monkeypox was likely spread after sexual activity at two recent raves in Europe.
“The good thing is it’s not an extremely infectious organism, so a lot of people are going to be scared, but I don’t want them to be,” Dr. Jarod Fox, the chief of the infectious disease department at Orlando Health, said.
The CDC said monkeypox is rare, and the threat to the general population is low.
Symptoms to look out for include fever, headache, muscle and backaches, swollen lymph nodes, chills and exhaustion. Health officials, however, stress monkeypox does not spread as easily as COVID-19 and is rarely fatal.
The WHO will convene an emergency committee of experts on June 23 “because the virus has shown ‘unusual’ recent behavior by spreading in countries well beyond parts of Africa where it is endemic,” according to the Associated Press. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/2nd-case-of-monkeypox-found-in-orange-county-1-case-in-seminole-county-records-show/ | 2022-06-20T22:14:24 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/2nd-case-of-monkeypox-found-in-orange-county-1-case-in-seminole-county-records-show/ |
WEBSTER, Fla. – Deputies are searching for a man who damaged a window at The Croom Store, a general store in Webster, according to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they were alerted to a commercial alarm at the store June 8 at 4:50 a.m., which indicated someone broke a window.
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After arriving, deputies said they found a window at the corner of the building had been damaged, with a screen cover and four screws lying on the ground.
Investigators said security footage showed a man in a camo hoodie, blue jeans, a tan hat and blue latex gloves trying to remove the pins at the bottom of the front door to the store at approximately 5:32 a.m.
The sheriff’s office is asking for anyone with information to contact the department at (352) 793-2621. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/watch-deputies-looking-for-man-who-damaged-general-store-sumter-deputies-say/ | 2022-06-20T22:14:31 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/20/watch-deputies-looking-for-man-who-damaged-general-store-sumter-deputies-say/ |
One person has died in a devastating tractor-trailer crash in Poughkeepsie that resulted in the collapse of a beloved restaurant, officials said.
The impact of the crash left Junior's Lounge off Salt Point Turnpike in pieces -- two sides of the building came down as the force of the crash collapsed entire sections of the two-story business.
Police said one person was killed and two others inside the restaurant at the time of the crash were injured. Officials were still notifying the next of kin Monday afternoon.
Crews closed down a stretch of the turnpike most of the day as teams dug through the debris scattered across the parking lot. Feet from the bar sat a badly damaged SUV that was finally hauled away on a flatbed several hours after the crash.
Traci Micucci has seen many collisions along the turnpike in the 26 years that she's lived in the area, but never one as bad as Monday's.
"There are many blind spots and people speed on this road," she said.
Investigators late Monday afternoon were still looking into what caused the tractor-trailer to veer off the road, leading to the restaurant's destruction.
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"Everyone knows Junior’s bar, a lot of people go there. It’s a great place. It’s just very unfortunate," Micucci said. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ny-restaurant-blown-to-pieces-in-fatal-tractor-trailer-crash-officials/3741673/ | 2022-06-20T22:18:58 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/ny-restaurant-blown-to-pieces-in-fatal-tractor-trailer-crash-officials/3741673/ |
ARLINGTON, Texas (KDAF) — This year, Arlington Mayor Jim Ross and the Arlington City Council made June 20-26 National Pollinator Week.
This week city officials encourage the people of Arlington to learn about the importance of pollinators in the community and to promote the creation of pollinator habitats on public and private property.
Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, birds and bats.
“Residents and businesses can help by creating pollinator habitat. Using native and adapted plants in landscapes and gardens to provide food, nest and egg laying sites, and protection from predators will attract native pollinators,” officials said on the city’s website.
For more information, click here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/its-national-pollinator-week-heres-what-city-of-arlington-officials-say-you-can-do-to-celebrate/ | 2022-06-20T22:20:30 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/its-national-pollinator-week-heres-what-city-of-arlington-officials-say-you-can-do-to-celebrate/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Frisco, you have a new restaurant in town.
Bonchon Chicken has officially opened its third location in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on Monday, June 20. It is located at 4760 Preston Road at the corner of Preston and Lebanon.
“Bringing another location this close to our corporate headquarters is a special moment for us as a team and as a brand,” Flynn Dekker, CEO of Bonchon, said in a press release. “Since we’ve relocated to Dallas in 2020, the city has shown nothing but love to our existing Bonchon locations. There is so much interest in Korean culture right now. Since we are a brand born in Korea, it really connects with what we offer. So, we are ramping up our growth in DFW — investing in the community to expand our footprint throughout the area. We can’t wait to open the doors to our Frisco location and treat our guests to our famous Korean fried chicken.”
The first 100 people in line at the restaurant’s opening received a free, five-piece chicken and a ‘double-fried’ t-shirt.
Bonchon has more than 385 locations around the world, 115 of those being located in the U.S. For more information, click here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/korean-fried-chicken-restaurant-bonchon-chicken-opens-third-dfw-restaurant-location-in-frisco/ | 2022-06-20T22:20:36 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/korean-fried-chicken-restaurant-bonchon-chicken-opens-third-dfw-restaurant-location-in-frisco/ |
FORT WORTH, Texas (KDAF) — When it comes to music in the metroplex, Dallas typically steals the spotlight. But this time, the Unlikely Candidates brought their alternative meets country sound to Fort Worth to launch their new album, “Panther Island.”
“Pretty much every song that we’ve written we wrote here in Fort Worth,” said lead singer Kyle Morris. “This city has been a staple in our lives forever. We grew up here, this is where our musical history began, and we never forgot about this city. “
The band hit the scene in 2008. They are best known for their song Novocaine, which was released back in 2019. The music video for the song currently sits at more than 40 million views on YouTube, which officials say makes it the sixth most popular alt-rock music video on the platform.
“Panther Island” was released at midnight on May 20, 2022.
The music video for Gemini, a new release, has already hit more than 100,000 views on YouTube.
The music video for High Low, another song on the album, has more than 800,000 views on the platform.
“A lot of it was created during the pandemic so a lot of it, the scenery, was based in four walls of our rooms, essentially,” said Morris.
Guitarist Cole Male said, “Here in Fort Worth we had nothing else to do but write songs.”
To celebrate the new collection of songs, the band held an album release party at Main at South Side in Fort Worth. The Unlikely Candidates performed an acoustic set alongside bands like Bobby Dade, The Infamists and Loyal Sally.
“We played a thousand shows with nobody here and it’s nice to finally come here and be recognized for what we’ve done and to have our album release here with the people that started it and made it happen for us,” said Morris.
The night ended with a champagne toast and a listening party for Panther Island.
The 11-track album can be found on Spotify, YouTube Music, Pandora and Apple Music. If you want to catch them on tour, click here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/launch-party-exclusive-fort-worth-based-unlikely-candidates-release-new-album-panther-island/ | 2022-06-20T22:20:42 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/launch-party-exclusive-fort-worth-based-unlikely-candidates-release-new-album-panther-island/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — It’s summertime and for a lot of families, now is the time for those family vacations. Whether it’s by plane, train or automobile, families are using this time to travel across the nation.
In the spirit of planning ahead of time, a new report from Travel Pulse looks at which cities are the most family-friendly in each state.
If you’re planning a Lone Star State staycation, the report says San Antonio is the most family-friendly city in Texas, citing its scenery, history and activities.
Of all the things there is to remember, the most important one is the Alamo. If you need a refresher San Antonio is your place. Home to the Alamo, the historic River Walk, the Majestic Theatre and the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, San Antonio is home to rich Texas history that provides a lot of fun for the whole family.
For the full report, visit Travel Pulse. | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-says-this-is-the-most-family-friendly-city-in-texas/ | 2022-06-20T22:20:48 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-says-this-is-the-most-family-friendly-city-in-texas/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — They don’t call dogs ‘man’s best friend’ for no reason. Dogs are the ultimate companion. They match your energy, are very loyal and are just fun to be around.
If you love traveling and want to bring your furry little with you, a new report from Livability is looking at the most dog-friendly cities in each state.
So what about Texas? Well, according to the report, Dallas is the most dog-friendly city in Texas.
“Well, dog-friendly offerings are definitely on that list. Dallas offers Mutts Canine Cantina, which boasts a dog-friendly bar and restaurant as well as off-leash parks for small and large dogs. It’s the best of both worlds — food and fun! And a stroll of the Texas Buckeye Trail (1.6 miles) will get both your hearts racing,” the report said.
So, for our fellow dog-owners reading this article, do you agree? | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-says-this-north-texas-city-is-the-best-city-in-texas-to-visit-with-your-dog/ | 2022-06-20T22:20:54 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-says-this-north-texas-city-is-the-best-city-in-texas-to-visit-with-your-dog/ |
SULLIVAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL)- Richard A. Blevins, Aviation Technology Department Head at Northeast State Community College, is to be honored by the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame.
Blevins has 43 years of leadership in aviation and aerospace, as well as twenty-seven years in the United States Air Force where he completed services as a Group Superintendent for the 30th Launch Group, Missile and Vehicle Launch programs and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Since 2015, Blevins has served as Chairman of the Aviation Technology Department at Northeast State Community College. Northeast State is currently the only community college in the state of Tennessee with FAA Part 147 Airframe and Powerplant certifications, according to the release.
“Richard Blevins has worked tirelessly establishing the exciting aviation programs at Northeast State Community College,” Bob Minter, Tennessee Hall of Fame Founder, said. “He has amazing tenacity and energy, and a unique understanding of the complexities of setting up curricula and obtaining the necessary approvals in higher education and with the Federal Aviation Administration. I believe the training assets located at Tri-Cities Airport will do wonders for the airport’s ability to compete favorably for aviation industry growth.”
Belvins will be inducted into the Tennessee Aviation Hall of Fame on November 5, 2022, at its Annual Gala. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/local-educator-to-be-inducted-into-state-aviation-hall-of-fame/ | 2022-06-20T22:20:59 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/local-educator-to-be-inducted-into-state-aviation-hall-of-fame/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — There’s never a wrong time to be romantic. In fact, we encourage you to be romantic whenever you can be.
If you want to be romantic, why not plan a romantic getaway trip to impress the person you love.
A new report from Livability may help you out, as they have done the work to see which cities are the most romantic cities in every state.
So if you’re in North Texas (like us) where do the folks at Livability say is the most romantic city in Texas? This may not be surprising to some, but they say Fredericksburg is the most romantic city in Texas.
“It feels unlike many places in Texas because it has a distinctly European feel to it, specifically German. If you want the cowboy-western scene, you wouldn’t need our help finding it in Texas. Fredericksburg hosts some great cafes, cute BnBs and is close to great wineries and orchards! This is the place to hit up for a Texas trip for two that doesn’t feel like typical Texas,” the report said.
This one is a bit of a drive (more than four hours), so maybe plan a whole weekend around this trip!
For the full report, visit Livability. | https://cw33.com/news/local/this-is-the-most-romantic-city-in-texas-report-says/ | 2022-06-20T22:21:00 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/this-is-the-most-romantic-city-in-texas-report-says/ |
HONAKER, Va. (WJHL) – After experiencing service loss and instability throughout the weekend, New Peoples Bank (NPB) told customers that their money is still in safe hands.
“New Peoples Bank is working diligently to address and investigate a recent incident that resulted in an
interruption to the operability of our computer systems,” an FAQ posted by the bank said. “We are working to restore impacted computer systems as quickly and safely as possible, and we continue to make progress.”
According to the document, no exact timeline is in place yet as crews continue to repair tech throughout the company.
“Our teams are working around the clock to restore our systems quickly and safely,” the document said. “Third-party experts have been retained to assist us in safely restoring our operations.”
During the reconstruction effort, NPD will be operating without some key features:
- No funds can be transferred.
- Only Drive-Thru windows can be used.
- Phone services are down in Big Stone Gap, Haysi, Clintwood and Grundy.
- Online bill payment is down.
- Online banking is down.
- User balances can’t be accessed.
In the meantime, bank customers can receive direct deposits from their employer, access deposit boxes and withdraw/deposit funds in person. Debit cards and ATMs should all function as normal, according to the document.
While no late or overdraft fees will be charged that are caused by the incident, the New Peoples Bank said customers are still able to make payments on loans.
You can find the full document below: | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/new-peoples-bank-provides-outage-update/ | 2022-06-20T22:21:05 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/new-peoples-bank-provides-outage-update/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Johnson City officials announced multiple road closures Monday as crews work on sewers in the area.
Smith Street between East Fairview Avenue and Woodlyn Drive will be closed to all traffic Wednesday, June 22. The 600 Block of Clairmont Road will be closed for the next three weeks, starting Tuesday, June 21.
Dalewood Drive is the recommended detour for all Smith Street traffic. Drivers who cannot avoid the area should expect delays, observe posted speed limits and use caution in the construction zones.
Both closures are due to contractors finishing work in relation to the Lower Brush Creek Interceptor Sewer Project. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/portions-of-smith-street-clairmont-road-to-close/ | 2022-06-20T22:21:11 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/portions-of-smith-street-clairmont-road-to-close/ |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/a-look-at-fort-worth-opera-and-the-mission-for-representation/2996462/ | 2022-06-20T22:29:11 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/a-look-at-fort-worth-opera-and-the-mission-for-representation/2996462/ |
The American history of opera dates back to the 18th century, and throughout its history, Black musicians have shaped an art form that tells a story through music and singing.
"The past has completely colored and shaped who we are, but as a people, it has shaped what it is that we feel, that I feel, is important to bring to the forefront which is our history, our culture, our movement, our vibrancy through the arts, through music, through gospel music, jazz, blues, even country music. And that has a place in classical music. We come through this birth of being a musician through all these different genres and you happen to just end up as an opera singer," said Afton Battle who was hired in late 2020 to lead Fort Worth Opera.
The classically trained singer is a Texas native and the first woman and first Black general director in the company's history.
"We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors. We stand on the shoulders of H.T Burleigh. We stand on the shoulders of Florence Price, of Margaret Bonds, our legends and ancestors who are no longer with us. And then we also stand on the shoulders of our colleagues and artists who are still with us but who had to come before us to get to this point. Anthony Davis who wrote tremendous operas about Malcolm X. He wrote Central Park Five and won a Pulitzer. Anthony has been writing opera for 30-plus years. And so not only do we stand on his shoulders. We stand shoulder to shoulder with him," Battle said.
- Burleigh (1886-1949) is considered America's first prominent Black composer.
- Price (1887-1953) is regarded as the first African American female composer to gain national status.
- Bonds (1913-1972) was a pianist, composer and the first Black guest to play with the Chicago symphony.
- Davis (1971- ) premiered his Pulitzer Prize-winning opera X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X at the American Music Theater Festival in 1985.
As Battle planned the 2022-23 season of FWO, she continued a commitment to being "The People's Company." Her goal from day one has been to present operatic experiences that speak to and engage with the community.
"This work doesn't end. It continues to evolve. It continues to deepen. And it continues to grow. And we have to be steady in the race, and we have to be able to put down our heels and markers in what we believe," Battle said.
"That's what I sought to do in the 76th season is show the community of Fort Worth, yes, we are an opera company. Yes, we do mainstage grand opera but we also recognize and see our community for the vibrant, colorful, diverse community that it is. And it's important to me that everyone sees themselves within this community in this company, that they see themselves on stage, that they see themselves in our staff, on our board which means they see themselves in our audience."
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
The season opens on Oct. 21 with performances of Noches de Latinidad: El Fuego de Una Mujer (Latin Nights: The Fire of a Woman) with Catalina Cuervo and Eduardo Rojas, and a one-night-only performance of Noches de Zarzuela, a celebratory Hispanic Heritage Month Concert at Artes de la Rosa Cultural Center for the Arts at the Rose Marine Theater.
In November the spotlight shines on Metropolitan Opera Star Karen Slack in concert at the new Van Cliburn Concert Hall at Texas Christian University (TCU), titled My Sister’s Keeper and features award-winning pianist Michelle Cann.
In December, the company will partner with the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) for a return of Amahl and the Night Visitors.
Then in January, FWO will present the Southern premiere of Damien Geter’s symphonic work An African American Requiem at the Van Cliburn Concert Hall at TCU.
The piece will be followed by a revival of the company’s Black History Month concert, A Night of Black Excellence, to be performed once again at Fort Worth ISD’s historic I.M. Terrell Academy for STEM and VPA in February.
FWO’s season culminates with a concert staging of Verdi’s Aida with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO) at Van CliburnConcert Hall at TCU, and the annual Hattie Mae Lesley Resident Artist Showcase.
"This is a piece that has seen some controversy in our industry where they have an Aida who is not a woman of color and they darken her skin. Similarly to Othello. So in casting this entire opera as it would have been possibly performed in northern Africa during the time. I wanted to have, of course, a Black Aida," Battle said.
Prior to the presentation of Aida, FWO will also host a symposium series on April 13 and 15, 2023, that will address racial equity in the arts.
"This two-day symposium will be held with a wonderful panel of educators and scholars, talking and digging into some of these conversations that we haven't had publicly in our art form which is why wouldn't you cast a role or a piece like Aida exactly as I described it to you," Battle said. "Why are we not telling these stories from points of view in which we are able to show and see our community fully represented?"
To further the mission of representation, the FWO board of trustees last year approved a set of principles committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and access.
“Over the course of many months, a diverse group of Fort Worth Opera staff and board members, artists, DEIA professionals, and community leaders have worked to create a meaningful statement of principles to guide the company and move Fort Worth Opera forward in a more inclusive and courageous direction, as well as bring opera performance and education to as many as possible in the most authentic and accessible way,” said board trustee Ebony Rose in a news release. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/celebrating-black-music-month-with-fort-worth-opera/2996244/ | 2022-06-20T22:29:17 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/celebrating-black-music-month-with-fort-worth-opera/2996244/ |
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