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ATLANTIC CITY — A portion of Albany Avenue will officially be named after retiring Stockton University President Harvey Kesselman on Thursday.
The new street sign is set be unveiled during a ceremony at 10:30 a.m.
City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to rename the block at a meeting in December.
The resolution commends Kesselman's commitment to the public-private partnership to build Stockton's Atlantic City campus, which opened in 2018. A ribbon cutting for a new residence hall on the campus is scheduled for next week.
“Dr. Kesselman’s visionary prowess and collaborative nature has positioned Stockton University’s Atlantic City Campus to be an extraordinary Anchor Institution and a major economic driver for the region and the educational capital of southern New Jersey,” the ordinance reads.
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He announced his retirement July 20.
Kesselman will retire as Stockton’s fifth president June 30. He is to be succeeded by Joe Bertolino. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/education/portion-of-albany-avenue-to-be-named-after-retiring-stockton-president-kesselman/article_8e8d3f02-e44c-11ed-b5cf-fbeb6be215cb.html | 2023-04-27T01:23:34 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/education/portion-of-albany-avenue-to-be-named-after-retiring-stockton-president-kesselman/article_8e8d3f02-e44c-11ed-b5cf-fbeb6be215cb.html |
Isaac Fishman finished with a team-leading 15 assists and three kills to lead the Hammonton High School boys volleyball team to a 2-0 victory over Collingswood in a nonconference match Wednesday.
The Blue Devils (4-6) won by set scores of 25-20, 25-21.
Joe Tierno added six service points, four aces, four digs and two kills for Hammonton. Hector Feliciano had five kills. Brandon Chainey had seven aces, four service pounts, four kills and three digs. Sebastian Pangia had three kills, and Matt Viruet added three digs.
Collingswood fell to 4-7.
Absegami 2, Highland Reg. 1: The Braves (3-3) won by set scores of 26-24, 20-25, 29-27. Xavier Vazquez led with 28 assists to go with nine service points, six digs and four aces for the Braves. Nasir Hernandez-Haines added11 kills and nine digs. Chikaodi Wokocha had 10 digs, eight kills and six service points. Jake Khuc had eight digs, five service points and three aces. Daymeon Hallock added five kills.
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Highland fell to 3-6.
Eastern Reg. 2, Pleasantville 1: Eastern (8-5) won by set scores of 19-25, 28-26, 27-25. Cristofer Evangelista led with 26 assists and 15 digs for the Greyhounds (8-3). Jonathan Baez added 15 kills, 15 digs, 11 service points and three aces. Jake Reynoso had 18 digs. John Howard added 10 digs, eight kills, four blocks and three service points. Giovanni Saavedra had nine digs and five service points. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/hammonton-beats-collingswood-in-nonconference-match-wednesdays-roundup/article_2d63dc84-e494-11ed-a340-33aca0a083b7.html | 2023-04-27T01:23:52 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/hammonton-beats-collingswood-in-nonconference-match-wednesdays-roundup/article_2d63dc84-e494-11ed-a340-33aca0a083b7.html |
First Merchants Bank grew profits by 30.8% year-over-year in the first quarter.
The bank made $63.6 million in the first quarter, up from $48.6 million during the same period in 2022. It earned $1.07 per share in the first quarter, up from $0.91 per share in the first quarter of 2022.
Muncie-based First Merchants, the successor to Citizens Financial Bank in Munster, made $70.3 million or $1.19 per share in the fourth quarter of last year.
“Given the disruption in the banking industry, we are pleased to share a quarter-end balance sheet that reflects a very safe and sound institution with continued growth," CEO Mark Hardwick said. "Loans, deposits, on-hand liquidity and capital all improved over year-end. We prioritized enhancing our liquidity position during the quarter while also meeting the demands of the customer base. Our team of bankers have been true brand ambassadors during the quarter by showing poise and confidence throughout the communities we serve. We remain focused on delivering our plan for the year.”
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The bank said it has strong liquidity and capital with a Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio of 10.82%.
First Merchants Bank, the second-largest headquartered in Indiana, grew deposits by $320.5 million or 8.9% year-over-year. It grew loans by $237.9 million in the first quarter or 7.9% year-over-year. Non-accrual loans grew to $46.6 million in the first quarter, up from $42.3 million during the same quarter in 2022.
Over the past year, First Merchants Bank grew its loans by $2.9 billion. A large chunk of that increase was due to its acquisition of Level One Bank in Michigan, which increased loans by $1.6 billion. Organic loan grown totaled $1.3 billion or 14.4%.
The bank has $18.2 billion in assets and $12.3 billion in loans.
Investments fell $431.9 million or 9.6% to $4.1 billion over the last 12 months. They fell by 19.4% or $206.4 million year-over-year in the first quarter.
Deposits have risen by $1.8 billion to $14.7 billion over the past 12 months. First Merchant's loan to deposit ratio totaled 83.3% at the end of the first quarter. | https://nwitimes.com/business/local/first-merchants-bank-reports-30-year-over-year-jump-in-earnings/article_3d39146e-e451-11ed-809a-abaaf3b3c917.html | 2023-04-27T01:27:44 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/business/local/first-merchants-bank-reports-30-year-over-year-jump-in-earnings/article_3d39146e-e451-11ed-809a-abaaf3b3c917.html |
Old National Bank made $142.6 million in the first quarter, or $0.49 per share.
The Evansville-based bank, the largest based in Indiana, ended the quarter with $34.9 billion in deposits. More than 70% of its deposits were insured or collateralized.
“Our positive first quarter results underscore the stability of Old National's low-cost deposit franchise and the granularity and strength of our loan portfolio and revenue streams," CEO Jim Ryan said. "When you also factor in another quarter of excellent expense discipline, stable credit and ample liquidity, you can see why Old National finds itself exceptionally well-positioned for whatever headwinds may lie ahead."
The bank, which gained a large footprint in the Region after acquiring First Midwest Bank, said it had collateral of $15.7 billion and funding of $41.7 billion, up 2.6% as compared to the end of last year.
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The bank ended the first quarter with $31.8 billion in loans, which was up 2.2% as compared to the end of 2022.
Old National's commercial loan production totaled $1.8 billion in the first quarter. Its average loans totaled $31.1 billion in the first quarter, an increase of $532.6 million as compared to the fourth quarter.
Ryan said the bank's financial performance was overshadowed by the April 10 mass shooting at its downtown Louisville branch.
"Five of our Old National team members were lost forever while other team members and two Louisville Metro police officers suffered injuries. In the aftermath, heroes emerged, including members of law enforcement, city and state officials, the Louisville medical community and some of our own team members who were on the scene," he said. "Old National would like to thank the Louisville community for their unconditional love and support, as well as countless other individuals and organizations throughout the country whose outpouring of love and care has strengthened us. We also want to acknowledge and thank our resilient team members who rallied in support of those in Louisville and one another, along with our clients, many of whom reached out to us with messages of care and concern."
Ryan hopes some good will come of the tragedy that also left eight injured.
"Finally, we ask everyone to consider giving the gift of life by donating blood," he said. "In addition to honoring those impacted in Louisville, your gift will help save lives throughout our nation." | https://nwitimes.com/business/local/old-national-bank-turns-profit-of-142-6-million-in-first-quarter/article_b33ed5b6-e467-11ed-af5f-1384a34ce202.html | 2023-04-27T01:27:50 | 1 | https://nwitimes.com/business/local/old-national-bank-turns-profit-of-142-6-million-in-first-quarter/article_b33ed5b6-e467-11ed-af5f-1384a34ce202.html |
Finward Bancorp, the parent company of Peoples Bank, grew its profit by about 4.7% in the first quarter, which it characterized as the most challenging for banks since the financial crisis that started in 2007.
Despite the uncertainty that followed the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, Munster-based Finward made $2.2 million or $0.51 per share in the second quarter. That's up from $2.1 million or $0.53 per share during the same period in 2022.
The bank developed a 6.42% return on equity in the first quarter, up from 5.01% during the first quarter of 2022.
It earned a 0.43% return on assets in the second quarter, down slightly from 0.44% during the second quarter of 2022.
“The first quarter of 2023 was the most challenging for the industry since the end of the great financial crisis. We experienced significant upheaval in the industry and had to react in order to ensure stability during a very uncertain time," CEO Benjamin Bochnowski said. "Our response focused on our customers and ensuring liquidity on our balance sheet to give certainty to all of our customers, investors and communities we serve."
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The bank made 3.07% in net interest margin, down from 3.41% in the same quarter last year. People Bank said higher rates increased the cost of funds, decreasing net interest margins. It expects that margins will remain compressed unless interest rates go down.
"As the quarter closed, we ended with additional borrowings in order to maintain excess liquidity and saw a flow of deposit dollars from transaction accounts to higher priced deposit accounts. Ultimately, we were able to preserve our customer base, and believe that the deposit picture has stabilized since the events of March," Bochnowski said. "Despite more growth in interest income, this led to net interest margin compression that has been felt across the industry."
The bank has $1.3 billion in deposits, down from $1.4 billion at the end of 2022. Deposits fell by $77.2 million or 5.5%. Deposits declined as customers sought higher yields.
Peoples Bank said 72% of its deposits are fully FDIC insured and another 10% are backed by the Indiana Public Deposit Insurance Fund.
The bank said it remains well capitalized with average assets ratio totaling 7.7% and under all regulatory capital requirements. Peoples Bank's tangible book value per share was $26.68 at the end of the quarter.
"With so many external variables out of our control and impacting our business, we are focused internally on operations and expense management," he said. "Non-interest expense decreased by 9.1% from the prior quarter as a result. We also saw a decrease to our unrealized losses as bond prices improve, which benefitted tangible book value despite an impact from implementing the Current Expected Credit Loss model.” | https://nwitimes.com/business/local/peoples-bank-increases-profit-in-most-challenging-quarter-for-the-industry-since-great-financial-crisis/article_ec6ea8fc-e45d-11ed-aa88-1b4eee01c637.html | 2023-04-27T01:27:56 | 1 | https://nwitimes.com/business/local/peoples-bank-increases-profit-in-most-challenging-quarter-for-the-industry-since-great-financial-crisis/article_ec6ea8fc-e45d-11ed-aa88-1b4eee01c637.html |
Bill Dolan
Times Correspondent
HAMMOND — A federal judge refused Wednesday to step between warring East Chicago politicians in the run up to Tuesday’s primary election.
U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon denied a temporary restraining order requested by Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 59 to safeguard members supporting candidates opposed to the city administration.
The judge made his decision during a teleconference hearing as part of a civil rights suit Chicago attorney Christopher Cooper filed against East Chicago officials last week on behalf of the FOP.
Cooper argued Wednesday that FOP members are afraid Police Chief Jose Rivera may retaliate against them for speaking their minds or even attempt to stop them from voting next week.
The judge said, “If he were to do something so foolish, he will have to answer for that. But that is strictly conjectural. The request (for a restraining order) is too vague and ambiguous at this time.”
Cooper said Chief Rivera personally barred the door of the Indiana Harbor Yacht Club in East Chicago April 5 to cancel an FOP meeting set to endorse Mayor Anthony Copeland’s opponent, Adrian Santos.
“He has already used his uniform to stop people from entering a political event. Who is to say Mr. Rivera isn’t going to do the same thing and deny them the right to vote?” Cooper added.
Michael Tolbert, an attorney for the City of East Chicago and the Lake County elections board, told the judge Wednesday “What Mr. Cooper is insinuating is almost impossible.”
Tolbert said any attempt by Rivera or any other city officials to close a polling place would be swiftly opposed by county election officials.
“Chief Rivera would be removed (and) could be brought up on criminal charges,” Tolbert said.
Rivera declined comment Wednesday and wasn’t represented by an attorney at the hearing.
Rivera told The Times after the April 5 event he had to shut down the yacht club meeting because the FOP violated a city ordinance requiring those holding public meetings to notify him 24 hours in advance so he can assign two city police officers to provide security.
The judge commented Wednesday that any ordinance that can restrict or shut down public political events may be problematic for the city. “The optics of this is a little disconcerting.”
Tolbert said the ordinance may not violate civil rights if it is enforced even handedly.
Rivera said earlier this month he believes Brandon Holzhauer, the president of the city’s FOP lodge and an opponent of the city administration, shouldn’t speak for the FOP membership since he no longer works as a city police officer.
Cooper’s suit claims Rivera’s harassment of Holzhauer forced him to resign from the city force. The suit is seeking damages from Rivera over that issue.
Holzhauer, who took part in the teleconference hearing, said afterwards he is happy the judge has put East Chicago officials on notice to stop harassing FOP members over their political choices “or they will pay dearly.”
The judge said he will address free speech issues between the FOP and the city at a later date if the parties cannot resolve their differences.
Video provided in partnership with The Times, JEDtv and WJOB. Sponsored by Strack & Van Til.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
William Davis
Age : 52
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303624
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: THEFT - PROPERTY - SIMPLE - $750 TO $50,000
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Brianna Bridges
Age : 20
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303645
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Hannah Rosa
Age : 24
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303625
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
David David III
Age : 27
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303708
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Ashlyn Heinrich
Age : 25
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303662
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hobart Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - TOUCH W/NO INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
David Lam
Age : 63
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303640
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: WEAPON - USE - FIREARM - POINTING A FIREARM
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Justin Rosquist
Age : 18
Residence: East Moline, IL
Booking Number(s): 2303748
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: FRAUD - FORGERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Kenneth Johnson Jr.
Age : 42
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303695
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: DEALING - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Harold Wireman
Age : 63
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303717
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Tawana Dillahunty
Age : 38
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303654
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Justen Bowling
Age : 32
Residence: Wheatfield, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303750
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: BURGLARY - PROPERTY - RESIDENTIAL ENTRY - BREAKING AND ENTERING
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Brian Hughes
Age : 41
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303743
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
David White
Age : 29
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303661
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hobart Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - W/BODILY INJUR
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Michael Montgomery Sr.
Age : 59
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303736
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OPERATE VEHICLE AFTER BEING HABITUAL TRAFFIC OFFENDER
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Joseph Anderson
Age : 23
Residence: Lowell, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303703
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: LCCC
Offense Description: THEFT - PROPERTY - POSSESSION - STOLEN PROPERTY; POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Nicholas Kelly
Age : 43
Residence: South Holland, IL
Booking Number(s): 2303657
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Elizabeth McDonough
Age : 41
Residence: Palos Heights, IL
Booking Number(s): 2303655
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Griffith Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Jordan Knies
Age : 26
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303727
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hobart Police Department
Offense Description: INTIMIDATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Eldridge Donelson
Age : 34
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303642
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - MODERATE BODILY INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Danisha Singleton
Age : 33
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303732
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Sean Cunningham
Age : 47
Residence: Cedar Lake, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303735
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Cedar Lake Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Ricky Kamradt
Age : 65
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303731
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: INTIMIDATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Emilio Figueroa
Age : 36
Residence: Harvey, IL
Booking Number(s): 2303706
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: THEFT - PROPERTY - POCKET-PICKING - $750 TO $50,000
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Randy Martin
Age : 39
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303671
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: BURGLARY - PROPERTY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Samantha Zagorac
Age : 34
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303633
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake Station Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - TOUCH W/NO INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Ulzana Sullivan Jr.
Age : 28
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303669
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Thomas Aiken
Age : 51
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303634
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: New Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - TOUCH W/NO INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
David Parra
Age : 31
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303734
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE - PRESENCE OF CHILD < 16 YEARS OLD
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Michael Mrowicki
Age : 38
Residence: Cedar Lake, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303643
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Cedar Lake Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Terrence Kramer II
Age : 29
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303705
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - METHAMPHETAMINE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Michael Kirn
Age : 55
Residence: Dyer, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303738
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: LCCC
Offense Description: DEALING - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG; BURGLARY - PROPERTY
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Daniel Espinoza
Age : 36
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303764
Arrest Date: April 19, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Santino Delgado
Age : 47
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303680
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Jacob Pritt
Age : 35
Residence: Hebron, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303729
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: POSSESS HYPODERMIC SYRINGE OR NEEDLE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Edwardo Banda Jr.
Age : 40
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303701
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT - VEHICLE; DOMESTIC BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - MODERATE BODILY INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Edward McCain Jr.
Age : 36
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303682
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Mitchell Armstrong Jr.
Age : 35
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303629
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - W/PERMANENT INJURY OR DISFIGUREMENT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Roseann Dye
Age : 44
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303660
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: POSSESSION - METHAMPHETAMINE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Robert Garner
Age : 41
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303714
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Winfield Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Phillip Trevino
Age : 52
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303636
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Robert Carter Jr.
Age : 40
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303647
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Christopher Frenzel Jr.
Age : 26
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303754
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake Station Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Josh Grotberg
Age : 45
Residence: Lowell, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303676
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lowell Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Nathan Bailey
Age : 30
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303619
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Nicholas Watkins
Age : 27
Residence: Whiting, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303711
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: CONFINEMENT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Camren Brown
Age : 25
Residence: Sauk Village, IL
Booking Number(s): 2303691
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE - PRESENCE OF CHILD < 16 YEARS OLD
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Lorrie Rayborn
Age : 50
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303678
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - TOUCH W/NO INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Leland Free
Age : 69
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303656
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Neffeteri Gray
Age : 41
Residence: Dyer, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303719
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Dyer Police Department
Offense Description: INT-THREATEN ANOTHER WITH INTENT THEY ENGAGE IN CONDUCT AGAINST WILL
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Vashawn Spencer
Age : 26
Residence: Matteson, IL
Booking Number(s): 2303635
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Whiting Police Department
Offense Description: RESISTING - INTERFERING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Terry Lewis
Age : 56
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303766
Arrest Date: April 19, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hobart Police Department
Offense Description: FRAUD - DECEPTION - IDENTITY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Derek Turner Jr.
Age : 42
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303621
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: STRANGULATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Dalvin Kimmons Sr.
Age : 30
Residence: Lansing, IL
Booking Number(s): 2303637
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - BODILY WASTE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Nicholas Laskarin
Age : 38
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303681
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: St. John Police Department
Offense Description: OPERATE VEHICLE AFTER BEING HABITUAL TRAFFIC OFFENDER
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Paul Clark
Age : 42
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303665
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Highland Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Meagan Boersma
Age : 43
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303627
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Cedar Lake Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Aaliyah Griffin
Age : 26
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number(s): 2303733
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: BURGLARY - PROPERTY - RESIDENTIAL ENTRY - BREAKING AND ENTERING
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Laura Glover
Age : 41
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303649
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Tony Clark
Age : 22
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303716
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: Griffith Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Deangelo Rock
Age : 28
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303752
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: BURGLARY - PROPERTY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Calvin Wash
Age : 36
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303626
Arrest Date: April 15, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Austin Williams
Age : 34
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303702
Arrest Date: April 17, 2023
Arresting Agency: LCCC
Offense Description: WEAPON - USE - LASER - UNLAWFUL
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Anthony Acuna
Age : 22
Residence: Highland, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303730
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: RESISTING - INTERFERING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY; CONFINEMENT - KIDNAPPING
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Michael Marsh
Age : 32
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303677
Arrest Date: April 16, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: THEFT - PROPERTY - SIMPLE - < $750
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Demetrius McAlister
Age : 50
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303737
Arrest Date: April 18, 2023
Arresting Agency: Merrillville Police Department
Offense Description: RESISTING - INTERFERING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Walter Herron-Junius
Age : 32
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2303762
Arrest Date: April 19, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT DEFENDANT USES A VEHICLE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
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Get local news delivered to your inbox! | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/east-chicago/federal-judge-declines-to-jump-into-ec-political-fight-for-now/article_33995796-e45d-11ed-98f9-ffd55a90e301.html | 2023-04-27T01:28:03 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/east-chicago/federal-judge-declines-to-jump-into-ec-political-fight-for-now/article_33995796-e45d-11ed-98f9-ffd55a90e301.html |
Three-year-old Teddy Gries of Crown Point checks his stash of books that his mother will soon purchase at the Crown Point Library book sale running now through Friday.
John J. Watkins, The Times
Three-year-old Teddy Gries of Crown Point checks his stash of books that his mother will soon purchase at the Crown Point Library book sale running now through Friday.
John J. Watkins, The Times
Diana Jean Tobias of Crown Point searches through the many book offerings at the Crown Point Library book sale running now through Friday.
John J. Watkins, The Times
Diana Jean Tobias of Crown Point searches through the many book offerings at the Crown Point Library book sale running now through Friday.
John J. Watkins, The Times
Friends of the Crown Point Public Library straightens books at the library's book sale running now through Friday.
Three-year-old Teddy Gries of Crown Point checks his stash of books that his mother will soon purchase at the Crown Point Library book sale running now through Friday.
Three-year-old Teddy Gries of Crown Point checks his stash of books that his mother will soon purchase at the Crown Point Library book sale running now through Friday. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/looking-for-a-bargain-book-on-it/article_cb8c1708-e473-11ed-b6d5-bf3ea9bb7532.html | 2023-04-27T01:28:09 | 1 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/looking-for-a-bargain-book-on-it/article_cb8c1708-e473-11ed-b6d5-bf3ea9bb7532.html |
VALPARAISO — Porter County employees are being encouraged to live healthier lifestyles.
A new health and wellness initiative unveiled this week is aimed at social, physical and emotional wellness. A committee with mostly county employees is focused on this issue.
“We have people from so many different agencies who have so many different ideas,” County Commissioner Barb Regnitz, R-Center, said.
Porter County Museum Executive Director Kevin Pazour led 32 participants and two dogs on a history walk last Saturday, teaching them about various fires downtown, Regnitz noted.
Health Department administrator Sheila Paul noted the county offers help to quit smoking as well as blood pressure checksand employee walking clubs in downtown Valparaiso, Portage and at the Expo Center.
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Holly Howe, a citizen representative on the 16-member wellness committee, spoke of the new logo and its motto, “Choose Health … for Life.”
“We’re also promoting things we’re already doing,” Howe said. "There are things happening all over the county that people might not be aware of.”
She wants to make sure people connect with nature.
Parks Director Jake McEvoy said parks are perfect places to work on physical wellness.
“We have trails, we have fields, we have expertise,” he said.
McEvoy suggested league activities like volleyball and bean bag games in the courtyard at the Porter County Administration Building for employees to play before and after work.
“This also brings important social wellness,” he said.
Purdue Extension Director Director Annetta Jones shared brownies with a “secret ingredient.” No, not that secret ingredient, but black beans used to replace a few other ingredients.
“Food is our business,” she explained, with education on a Mediterranean diet, gardening and healthy eating.
Franciscan Alliance’s Tom Ross said a number of employees are already involved in a yoga program. If the county wants to offer incentives to participate in the wellness program, it would be easy to assign points and track them on the wellness web portal, he said.
“We’re going to be able to create leaderboards and have competition,” Regnitz said.
“I have never worked in a system this collaborative,” Community Hospital’s Lisa Kiger said.
Improving health is 75% what you eat and 25% movement, she said.
Kiger hopes the program will expand to ultimately include Porter County residents.
“We really want to get creative as far as the ideas we have,” she said.
In other business, the commissioners approved a proclamation honoring first responders for their work during the severe weather on March 31.
Regnitz’s home was struck by lightning that night and rendered inhabitable for at least a year while repairs are made. The commissioners signed off on Regnitz living just outside her district until she can move back home.
Firefighters from four departments were at her home for about five hours, she said.
“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all of you,” Regnitz said.
That night, there were two other structure fires, 31 roadway obstruction calls, 34 calls of downed trees and 15 accidents of varying severity between 8 p.m. and midnight. The county’s dispatchers answered 300 emergency calls in those four hours, averaging 1.25 calls per minute.
Regnitz also reported on a tentative plan for spending money from the opioid lawsuit settlement. The county will receive $160,000 a year until the final payment is received. The county has already committed $100,000 a year for the sheriff’s department social worker, leaving $60,000 available for grant money, she said.
No details for the grants have been made yet. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/porter-county-launches-new-wellness-initiative/article_18cb68a4-e477-11ed-88a3-f730caed43ba.html | 2023-04-27T01:28:15 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/porter-county-launches-new-wellness-initiative/article_18cb68a4-e477-11ed-88a3-f730caed43ba.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A search-and-rescue mission is underway to find a 78-year-old man who was last seen in Molalla on Saturday, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities say Carroll Donald Parkins of Colton had left his home that morning to go “’shed hunting’ – searching for the shed antlers of deer or elk – in the woods off Molalla Forest Road” and has yet to return.
According to deputies, Parkins may be wearing brown boots, blue jeans, a black-and-white plaid hickory shirt, a brown flannel over-shirt, suspenders, a black baseball cap with orange on the bill, or similar outdoor clothing.
His family contacted the sheriff’s office just after midnight on Sunday when they found his silver Toyota Tundra parked on a gravel pull-out on the road, officials say.
The office began a search and rescue mission that morning with volunteer teams such as Portland Mountain Rescue and Pacific Northwest Search and Rescue.
Officials say anyone with information about Parkins’ whereabouts should contact the Sheriff’s Office Non-Emergency Line at 503-655-8211, their tip line at 503-723-4949 or via this online form. Reference Case No. 23-008383.
Stay with KOIN 6 as this story develops. | https://www.koin.com/local/clackamas-county/deputies-seek-tips-for-missing-78-year-old-man-gone-shed-hunting/ | 2023-04-27T01:31:00 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/clackamas-county/deputies-seek-tips-for-missing-78-year-old-man-gone-shed-hunting/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After the Portland Public Schools superintendent’s budget was presented to the school board Tuesday night, there are now some difficult choices to make.
Although the presented budget came in at over $2 billion, the board was told by the PPS chief of staff close to 90 staff positions would be cut — representing a 3% staff reduction. The district expects to see a 1% decline in enrollment, and some of the money the state gives to schools is based on that enrollment number.
PPS has not said exactly who would be cut, but that there would be a reduction at the elementary level. It’s still unclear whether there would be layoffs depending on how much movement there is from retirements or other reasons people leave.
The district says the average class size would be just over 22 students per homeroom in elementary schools, but many would be under that number.
The head of the teachers union tells KOIN 6 News she is very concerned about what could happen at middle schools if they lose staff.
“Our middle schoolers were really impacted by COVID closures. Some of them left their elementary schools and didn’t come back until they were at a completely new school,” said Angela Bonilla, President of the Portland Association of Teachers. “Our middle schools need more support.”
The board has a lot of questions before it votes on this budget in late May, and the district is still in bargaining talks for a new contract for the teachers.
There is a public community hearing coming up on May 4. | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/staff-reductions-set-to-hit-portland-public-schools-in-2023-24/ | 2023-04-27T01:31:06 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/staff-reductions-set-to-hit-portland-public-schools-in-2023-24/ |
SAN ANGELO, Texas — April is nationally recognized as Autism Awareness Month, a time period where there is increased education and support for this particular developmental disorder.
At 9 a.m. April 29, the Autism Alliance of the Concho Valley is hosting its annual "Walk for Autism" event at the Bill Aylor Sr. Memorial RiverStage, 16 E. Ave. A.
This event was put in place to help connect San Angelo families with others who can relate to them.
"It is such a great community building experience and it is such a great, just a day to celebrate all of our differences and a day to celebrate our kids and what makes them different and what makes everybody unique," AACV founder Shanna Paine said. "And to kind of honor those differences and connect with other families."
So far, a record number of more than 30 teams have registered online for the event with $31,000 in donations.
Paine said the total goal is $40,000 and donations can be made ahead of time or during the walk itself.
Attendees will be met with resource booths like ADA Therapy and West Texas Rehab as well as activities including a bounce house, a llama and more.
At approximately 9:45 a.m., the top fundraisers and t-shirt contest winners will be announced and then the 1-mile walk will officially begin.
For Payne, the event isn't just about autism awareness but also about acceptance.
"Autism acceptance is understanding that not everybody is gonna look and act and interact in the way that we do," she said. "We wanna make sure that all of the community activities and community events are inclusive so we try to find ways to accommodate that...,"
Limiting bright lights, giving warnings and providing sensory friendly spaces are just some of the ways to help those with autism feel more comfortable in new and unfamiliar areas.
The walk will be inclusive and understanding of a wide variety of needs, given that autism itself is a spectrum.
"To see those kids in real life just smiling and having the best fun, just to be kids and be themselves, it takes a lot of the stigma and the fear away from that," Payne said.
Go to aacv-autism for more information. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/autism-alliance-of-the-concho-valley-to-host-annual-walk-saturday/504-e1642441-4159-4150-9834-b5cc2ce46c4e | 2023-04-27T01:32:22 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/autism-alliance-of-the-concho-valley-to-host-annual-walk-saturday/504-e1642441-4159-4150-9834-b5cc2ce46c4e |
AUSTIN, Texas — This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is ordering his employees to dress “in a manner consistent with their biological gender,” the latest move by the state’s Republican leaders against transgender people.
Miller issued the requirement as part of a “dress code and grooming policy” that is dated April 13. The Texas Tribune obtained a copy of the policy, which was first reported Monday by The Texas Observer.
The two-page policy applies to all employees for the agency that Miller leads, the Texas Department of Agriculture, as well as interns and contract employees. If anyone violates the policy, they will be asked to go home and change. If problems persist, the memo says, employees can face “remedies up to and including termination.”
Brian Klosterboer, an attorney with the ACLU of Texas, said this dress code provision violates Title VII — which bans employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity — as well as the First Amendment’s right to free expression and the Equal Protection Clause.
“State agencies should be focused on doing their jobs and not discriminating against their own employees and trying to make political statements through their agency regulations,” he said. “There is no important governmental interest that this can meet.”
The department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the policy.
The policy comes as LGBTQ advocates are fighting a wave of hostile legislation at the Capitol, including proposals to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender children. Miller has been a vocal proponent of such legislation.
GOP lawmakers have also been focused on drag shows. The Senate passed two bills earlier this month that would restrict drag performances that children attend or see.
Ricardo Martinez, CEO of LGBTQ advocacy group Equality Texas, said the vague language is trying to enforce gender stereotypes.
“Are women no longer allowed to wear suits? Can men wear necklaces?” Martinez said. “While this policy was clearly designed to target transgender employees, it will have a negative impact on everyone. Any policy that is designed to target a specific group degrades the whole department. Texans deserve better.”
The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-agriculture-commissioner-orders-employees-wear-clothes-consistent-biological-gender/287-0af4c60e-9d98-4a2c-aea2-78823ecb5db7 | 2023-04-27T01:32:28 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-agriculture-commissioner-orders-employees-wear-clothes-consistent-biological-gender/287-0af4c60e-9d98-4a2c-aea2-78823ecb5db7 |
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - The North Mississippi Medical Center (NMMC) is accepting toy donations for its pediatrics unit.
Mississippi State University senior Jacey Eldridge, an NMMC intern, helped organize the hospital’s toy room.
A higher-than-usual number of pediatric patients has created a toy shortage.
"We need to restock our toy room,” Eldridge said. “We are able to bless so many children and families here at the hospital by giving these toys to enhance their patient experience and we are low. “So we are reaching out to the community and friends and families to help us replenish our toy room."
Monetary donations are also welcome. For more information, call 662-377-8101. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/tupelo-hospital-accepting-toy-donations-for-pediatrics-unit/article_c664a6e6-e478-11ed-99a1-bf1737c745f1.html | 2023-04-27T01:37:07 | 1 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/tupelo-hospital-accepting-toy-donations-for-pediatrics-unit/article_c664a6e6-e478-11ed-99a1-bf1737c745f1.html |
Gaston County Art Guild to hold plein air painting competition
For two days next week, artists around Belmont can be spotted painting outdoors as part of a plein air painting competition held during the Garibaldi Festival.
Who is eligible?
Artists 18 and older can enter the contest.
What does it cost?
The entry fee is $35 for members of the Gaston County Art Guild and $45 for non-members. The entry fee is non-refundable. The deadline for entries is April 26, but same-day registration will be available.
When is it?
Work must be started and finished between 10 a.m. April 28 and 1 p.m. April 29. The painting must not be larger than 11 x 14 inches, and the work must be available for sale, labeled on the back, and wired for hanging with or without a frame, according to the guild.
Where is it?
The contest will take place at the Stowe Park Pavilion, 24 South Main St., Belmont.
Anything else?
This year is the second that the Gaston County Art Guild is holding the contest, said Dot Lodge, co-president of the Art Guild. The first contest was held last year, and around 40 artists participated.
"When you go downtown, you'll see people on the streets out painting. You can watch them work," she said. "Hopefully both days people will be out painting all over Belmont. They do have to paint in Belmont somewhere, but of course there's everything from Stowe Botanical Garden to the Catawba River, anywhere you want to go."
After the contest is judged, awards will be given out at 4 p.m. on April 29. There will also be a wet paint sale.
"It's called a wet paint sale because of course, if you paint in oils, the paint will still be wet when you sell it," Lodge said. | https://www.gastongazette.com/story/news/local/2023/04/26/gaston-county-art-guild-to-hold-plein-air-painting-competition/70127721007/ | 2023-04-27T01:37:19 | 1 | https://www.gastongazette.com/story/news/local/2023/04/26/gaston-county-art-guild-to-hold-plein-air-painting-competition/70127721007/ |
FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — Fort Myers Beach parents are hoping to get answers about where their children will be going to school in the fall.
The district wants more time to look over the interlocal agreement with the town so they can move forward with repairs to Fort Myers Beach Elementary.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Lee County School Board discusses rebuilding Fort Myers Beach Elementary School
“This is such a crucial age…if they start disliking school it’s hard to get that back in them,” said John Koss.
Parents like Koss are concerned for their students. He’s helping his son in second grade understand when and if he’ll get to see his Fort Myers Beach Elementary classroom again.
“[He] came home to me two weeks ago upset, asking me if I can pull him out of school and home school because he can’t take the bus anymore,” said Koss.
He’s one of dozens of parents of the beach begging the district to start repairs on the school.
“I just want these types of conversations to stop with my child,” said Koss.
The school board pulled talks from their Tuesday meeting to review a new agreement draft between the district and town.
“After receiving revisions to the ILA, there is a need for a more in-depth review and additional negotiations before bringing this forward,” said Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier. “The district will continue to negotiate in good faith with the Town of Fort Myers Beach and bring forward an ILA to a future board meeting for consideration.”
The district has a phased reopening plan to renovate, which will cost millions of dollars. The town wants to help draw families to the beach when it comes to school choice, but the district wants to see attendance increase — it has been dropping since the early 2000s.
“It just changes our whole day and it happens on almost a daily basis. So the frustration is building, it’s palpable. But I’m hopeful we’re getting there,” said Koss.
The school can hold 225 students, according to the district, but enrollment just before Hurricane Ian was only 78 students. Since the storm, only 50 students are signed up.
“We’re trying to help the school board up the attendance or register students for the beach schools. So there will be definite timelines along the next three years to hold both accountable. The district is also supposed to help with the boundaries and who can attend there,” said FMB Town Council Member John R. King.
Seven months since Ian and the school still sits with damage and debris on the grounds, wildflowers growing in the playground and windows boarded up — while new and old businesses slowly come back to the island.
“And all potential new employers coming on to the island with their employees, that this is an avenue that their workers can have their kids on the island with them working,” said King.
Fort Myers Beach Town Officials told us district and town attorneys are meeting in the coming week with the Ad Hoc School Task Force to work out the agreement.
The Lee County School District Board will focus on the interlocal agreement at their May Board meeting. | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/04/26/fort-myers-beach-parents-concerned-for-their-childrens-education-as-school-repairs-stall/ | 2023-04-27T01:39:30 | 0 | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/04/26/fort-myers-beach-parents-concerned-for-their-childrens-education-as-school-repairs-stall/ |
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — The proposal for a FEMA temporary trailer site across from Cape Coral City Hall has been nixed.
In February, the city approved a resolution to allow FEMA to conduct a site suitability assessment for the location along SE 9th Terrace and SE 6th Ct.
Since then, Becky Leenerts, who lives nearby has wondered if and when the trailers would show up.
“Somebody’s too late. I don’t know who,” said Leenerts.
Today a FEMA spokesperson confirmed the plan was pulled because of a lack of need at that standalone site.
Cape Coral City Councilman Tom Hayden disagreed.
“I don’t believe the need ever went away but people may have found other arrangements because they didn’t see FEMA reacting quick enough to what they needed,” said Hayden.
Hayden also said FEMA realized the travel trailers wouldn’t have accommodated the larger families and those needing wheelchair accessibility, which is another reason why they decided against the location.
As of now, Cape Coral has one FEMA housing site at the Tranquility Lakes Mobile Home Park.
FEMA has leased 105 pads there and to date, families have been licensed into 88 travel trailers there and 8 households have moved out.
FEMA said it is continuing to work with families to provide direct housing on private sites, commercial sites and direct leases in apartments. 644 Lee County households have been helped using these options, according to a FEMA spokesperson. | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/04/26/officials-scrap-fema-temporary-trailer-site-proposal-in-cape-coral/ | 2023-04-27T01:39:36 | 1 | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/04/26/officials-scrap-fema-temporary-trailer-site-proposal-in-cape-coral/ |
An unlicensed teenage driver plowed into a school bus on a suburban Westchester County road, leaving at least nine people injured in the head-on collision, according to police.
The crash occurred just after 2 p.m. Wednesday on Lake Road in the town of New Castle, police said. The driver of a Honda Accord, a 16-year-old from Bedford Hills who did not have his driver's license, was traveling south with three passengers in the car when he lost control of the vehicle as it rounded a curve.
The car drifted into lanes of oncoming traffic and smashed into the school bus head-on, according to police. All four people inside the Accord were taken to Westchester Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, New Castle police said.
It was not clear just how many people were on the Yorktown Central School District school bus, or what their ages were. All of those on board were also taken to the hospital, but all are expected to recover.
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It was unclear how and why the driver lost control of the sedan he was driving. Police did not say whether the driver had a learner's permit, which would allow him to be on local roads as long as he has a passenger that is at least 21 years of age. It also wasn't clear how old the passengers in the car were.
The car was later separated from the bus and towed away from the scene. The road where the crash occurred was closed for hours, but was reopened later Wednesday evening. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/9-hurt-after-unlicensed-teen-driver-plows-head-on-into-westchester-county-school-bus-cops/4279392/ | 2023-04-27T01:40:08 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/9-hurt-after-unlicensed-teen-driver-plows-head-on-into-westchester-county-school-bus-cops/4279392/ |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Several Birmingham high and middle schools will soon have an additional layer of security.
The Birmingham Board of Education on Tuesday approved purchasing new concealed weapons detection systems. The new systems will be placed in all BCS high schools and some middle schools, according to a release from the school system. The new technology will allow school officials to search more thoroughly as students and visitors enter facilities.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan says metal detectors that currently are in use at high schools will be transferred to some middle schools and elementary schools to provide an added level of security.
The district will spend about $2.4 million on the new detectors, which will be in place by the start of the next school year according to Sullivan. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/birmingham-city-schools-to-spend-roughly-2-4-million-on-new-metal-detectors/ | 2023-04-27T01:43:17 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/birmingham-city-schools-to-spend-roughly-2-4-million-on-new-metal-detectors/ |
SAN ANTONIO — A body was found at a southside park tangled up in debris along a bank of the body of water, according to police.
The body was found at 11:39 a.m. at Espada Park located on SE Military Drive by a man looking for a good spot to fish.
Police said the body is of a man around 30 years of age and that it was badly decomposed. Officials believe that the recent rain made the body turn up.
Police said they can't rule out foul play, but the investigation is still in the beginning phase. They also said they didn't believe the man did not die where he was found.
Access to the park is currently closed, but once officials finish their investigation, the park will reopen.
This is a developing story.
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Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/body-found-at-southside-park-police-say-dead-corpse-sapd-san-antonio-texas-espada/273-e725c6b2-f6d1-4690-aab7-bc1c35581057 | 2023-04-27T01:43:24 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/body-found-at-southside-park-police-say-dead-corpse-sapd-san-antonio-texas-espada/273-e725c6b2-f6d1-4690-aab7-bc1c35581057 |
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio is taking another step to tackle climate change by using cool pavement for the streets.
As part of the Cool Pavement Pilot Program, the city will be testing different cool pavement products to see which ones are best at reflecting more sunlight and absorbing less heat.
Although there are 100 different projects that could apply, city council members narrowed the list down to the 12 in the pilot program.
“Equity: which neighborhoods are impacted by heat the most, heat: which areas in San Antonio were the hottest, and which streets have the lower pavement conditions,” Murray Myers, senior sustainability manager for the city of San Antonio says these were the factors in determining the pilot program locations.
Work already began on streets like Grant Ave. from Cincinnati Ave. to W Craig Pl. on the northside, but 12 projects will be taking place in all council districts. The project list can be found below.
“You have to use cool pavement, trees, green spaces, cool roofs. And in combination, we're hoping to see great benefits for neighborhoods,” Myers says the cool pavement will protect the asphalt and does a great job of reflecting the heat into the atmosphere.
“We hope to see from this pilot is a difference of surface temperature of about 10 to 15 degrees,” Myers says in other cities like Los Angeles in Phoenix, the surface temperature decrease means ambient temperature is reduced by 2 degrees.
Residents like Alfonso Robles who recently moved in along Grant Avenue noticed the work that took place early this week.
“I think it’s great if it’s going to help out and if it’s environmentally friendly,” Robles said. The city says all of the products that will be used are safe and will be studied over the next six months by UTSA professors.
“They will determine if the products are effective at mitigating heat and also hold up to the city’s traffic,” Myers said the professors will also be examining surface temperature, air temperature, wet bulb temperature and reflective radiant heat. This all contributes to an urban heat island effect in major cities.
“They can impact asthma rates, heat stress, heat stroke, cases of heat-related illnesses, which is why it’s really important the city look at all the tools to mitigate heat and lower temperatures,” Myers said.
The pilot program is the first phase, however Myers says the city is looking at what could happen if cool pavement is introduced into larger parking lots like at the Alamodome.
The program will cost an estimated $1 million and is funded by the city’s Resiliency, Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Program Fund, according to a release. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/city-cool-pavement-temperatures-san-antonio-road/273-133a0064-1ad1-4ad4-8511-350d79226c0b | 2023-04-27T01:43:30 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/city-cool-pavement-temperatures-san-antonio-road/273-133a0064-1ad1-4ad4-8511-350d79226c0b |
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department has released body camera footage of two recent incidents in which officers shot at suspects, including a March 29 confrontation at Arnold Park.
SAPD officials said officers responded to the south-side park after receiving reports of a possible shooting in progress. The footage released Wednesday shows officers finding the suspect, 26-year-old Raul Arzola, sitting in a sand volleyball court before he stands and points a handgun at his head, eventually directing the weapon at officers and firing audible gunshots.
Two officers can be heard returning gunfire at Arzola as he attempts to run away. Body camera footage from a third officer shows him catching up to and apprehending Arzola, who officials say threw away his gun while attempting to flee. He was later taken to a hospital.
The below video may contain material disturbing to some viewers.
Law enforcement determined Arzola was firing his gun at Arnold Park before police arrived, according to an SAPD spokesperson narrating the video. He's been charged with aggravated assault on a public servant and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/law-enforcement/sapd-san-antonio-police-shooting-arnold-park-texas-march/273-a6ffd379-eb15-4db9-83f1-3acafc1076f4 | 2023-04-27T01:43:37 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/law-enforcement/sapd-san-antonio-police-shooting-arnold-park-texas-march/273-a6ffd379-eb15-4db9-83f1-3acafc1076f4 |
SAN ANTONIO — There is no bigger gift than giving a part of yourself while living, an organ, to save someone else's life. In tonight's Wear The Gown we are introduced to one young kidney recipient who found a kidney, after her town came together in a big way to help.
Gwyn DeLeon of Devine was just 15 when she went into kidney failure in 2022, from a condition called IgA neuropathy that may be genetic. DeLeon told us, "My blood pressure was just through the roof. It was just crazy. And I was just being so fatigued. It was hard for me to walk and it was kind of hard for me to breathe."
At first they thought it was pneumonia, but that wasn't the case. DeLeon said, "We did the lab results that came back quickly and they said, Hey, it's your kidneys." Dr. Daniel Ranch, a Nephrologist with University Health added, "We know that getting a kidney transplant offers a much, much better long term outcome health wise compared to long term dialysis."
Some of the symptoms of kidney disease include being tired, having less energy, and having trouble sleeping. Dry and itchy skin. the urine is foamy or contains blood. A person may have a poor appetite. And frequent muscle cramps. Dr. Ranch said, "A lot of kidney disease is silent until you know, when it's really bad, that's when you have symptoms. So you obviously don't want to wait that long."
Right now there are over 121,000 people waiting for lifesaving organ transplants in the U.S. Out of those about 1 in 6 are waiting for a kidney.
Gwyn and her mother Beverly used social media to help find her a living donor kidney. Beverly DeLeon, Gwyn's mother told us, "That first day I shared it, there was two people that told me they did it. And then when we found out that there was hundreds. Oh, my gosh. I cried and cried."
There was even an article in the Devine News. And now, post-transplant, Deleon encourages anyone who can to become a living donor. She said, "It's the most unselfish thing that you can do. It's just hope someone else, even if you don't know them."
For more about how you can become a living organ donor University Health has a wealth of information here.
If you would like to see more of our Wear The Gown stories just head to their website. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/outreach/wear-the-gown/wear-the-gown-teenager-kidney-donor/273-ce52139a-959f-45e5-abb5-3c07187f7eaf | 2023-04-27T01:43:43 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/outreach/wear-the-gown/wear-the-gown-teenager-kidney-donor/273-ce52139a-959f-45e5-abb5-3c07187f7eaf |
SAN ANTONIO — Spring weather has arrived with a bang as heavy rain and 50-degree weather were experienced in San Antonio during our last cold front. But we're not out of the woods just yet as a series of cold fronts are in store through Friday.
This first cold front moves through late tonight bringing possible rain and storms ahead of the front. Then our second front arrives Friday night and this one brings the potential for severe weather to the San Antonio area.
Unfortunately this comes during fiesta but weather should remain quiet this evening.
Here's what to expect over the next five days:
Wednesday (High and Low): Best chances for severe weather should stay in the Hill Country late this evening. The cold front then arrives into the San Antonio area after midnight tonight bringing a line of showers of storms through around 4 a.m. Thursday.
Thursday (High 82 and Low 61): If you'll be on the road early Thursday morning then you could see a wet and slick commute. Thursday afternoon and evening looks like mostly clear of rain allowing for a great day to enjoy NIOSA or any other outdoor Fiesta event.
Battle of Flowers (High 84 and Low 55): The parade looks to have perfect weather in store with cool weather in the morning and average high temperatures in the 80s. However, those out on Friday night should stay weather aware as San Antonio is under a slight risk for severe weather during the evening and late night.
As the front arrives late Friday night scattered showers and storms will continue through early Saturday. Damaging winds and hail will be some hazards associated with this front. San Antonians could start to see isolated pockets of heavy rain as early as Friday at 9 p.m.
Fiesta Flambeau (High 77 and Low 53): Rain should diminish Saturday evening just in time for the Fiesta night parade. The afternoon will feel very comfortable in the mid 70s and drop into the 50s overnight. Parade attendees might need a light jacket if planning to stay until the end.
Sunday (High 84 and Low 57): This is the only day for the rest of Fiesta we leave rain activity out of the forecast. Luckily there are still plenty of fun Fiesta events going on the final day. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/san-antonio-weather/273-3dc6f23c-be09-4054-a408-4cf4235fa078 | 2023-04-27T01:43:49 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/san-antonio-weather/273-3dc6f23c-be09-4054-a408-4cf4235fa078 |
SAN ANTONIO — Voters in Bexar County have been able to vote at any polling center on election day for the last four years. Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen says its been helpful for people who need to work on election day and weren't able to get out to vote sooner.
"Fifty percent of our voters on election day vote out of their precinct," Callanen said. "They can vote where they are working, they can vote at school...and they don't have to race back home. For large counties it helps tremendously."
If SB 990 is passed into law, however, the ten largest Texas counties would no longer be able to use county-wide voting on election day and voters would be restricted to their precinct. County-wide voting in early elections would stay in effect. The bill passed the Texas Senate last week and UTSA Political Science Chairman Jon Taylor said it does have a chance of passing the Texas House as well.
Texas Senator Bob Hall, who authored the legislation, defended it on the senate floor last week. Hall argued that restricting votes to precincts would make elections more accurate. He also stated that he initially wanted to restrict early voting to precincts as well but couldn't get enough support.
"You have precinct votes spread all over the county and to aggregate those votes you never really know if something got lost in the translation in getting from the votes spread all over the county to central county to one location. It makes it extremely difficult to ever audit that because of the way the votes are broken up," Hall said. "With the votes being cast in a precinct it will be much easier to verify and confirm that the votes that were cast in the precinct ended up in the totals in the county."
Hall also argued that, in some cases, there was no way to know if someone was voting multiple times during county-wide voting.
Callanen said, in Bexar County, they do not have trouble keeping up with votes and it isn't possible to vote in multiple locations.
"When the voter steps up to the qualifying table we have electronic poll books. When you hand over your photo ID you are marked as voting. That then networks out to every other site. That means you can't go three sites down and vote again. If you appeared there it would say you already voted," Callanen said. "We have tight control on that."
Callanen also said the electronic poll books run on a VPN (virtual private network) to ensure security. Additionally, when a person votes it generates a paper ballot with results. That paper ballot is then transferred into another machine that is completely disconnected from the internet. That machine counts the votes and transfers the information to a hard drive. The hard drive is then driven to the elections office. The measures are in place so that the machines cannot be hacked.
"There are so many checks and balances in the system," Callanen said.
UTSA Political Science Chairman Jon Taylor said the measure does have a chance of passing and the House Elections Committee will be considering the bill soon if they haven't already. Taylor said election security bills have seen a plenty of support this session.
"If this a priority for the speaker and the lieutenant governor, and it appeared to be, then it could easily be sitting on Abbott's desk in a few weeks," Taylor said.
Taylor also said he doesn't know of any evidence that would support the claim that state-wide voting is creating an accuracy issue.
If SB 990 did pass into law, it could also face a legal challenge. The bill would apply to the ten most populous counties in Texas. If those counties account for a large portion of minority voters, then this could lead to discrimination claims.
"It could open up the possibility of a federal investigation with the voting rights act if this is a disparate application of voting laws," Taylor said.
Callanen said said the Bexar Count Elections office can't have a position on the bill. She said if local voters have an opinion on county-wide voting on election day then this is a good time to share that opinion with lawmakers. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas-bill-election-voting/273-69e553ba-d6c4-4233-a5bc-946592d4eb81 | 2023-04-27T01:43:55 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas-bill-election-voting/273-69e553ba-d6c4-4233-a5bc-946592d4eb81 |
A thousand free throws a week. That was the assignment, and Irvo Otieno would fulfill it.
The homework had come from his longtime basketball coach. Otieno and nine other Henrico boys were a dream team of sorts, competing around the state almost every other weekend. That was just one of a hundred memories that his mother, Caroline Ouko, and his brother, Leon Ochieng, shared with The Richmond Times-Dispatch on Wednesday during an interview that lasted just over an hour.
They spoke 52 days after Otieno died of asphyxia on March 6 at Central State Hospital. Seven Henrico County sheriff’s deputies and three workers at the state psychiatric hospital have been charged with second-degree murder. Video obtained by the Times-Dispatch shows the handcuffed and shackled 28-year-old pinned to the ground for 12 minutes. His death has brought international attention and calls for mental justice reform.
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Otieno was destined to be a team player, they recalled. Not so long after moving halfway across the world from Nairobi, Otieno had become a part of something. They called themselves “The Fantastic 10,"with the trophies to prove it.
Otieno was a key part of the team. Tall for a 13-year-old, he would drive in with the ball and draw fouls like his role model, Lebron James, and then slowly redeem his fouls for points at the free throw line. So Otieno practiced his free throws, tallying the ones that did not go in, sometimes shooting past the sunset on their sleepy Henrico residential block.
That was 2007. Eight years earlier, Otieno had arrived in Richmond from Kenya: a waddling 5-year-old accompanied by his mother, Caroline, and his older brother Leon.
The family came to Virginia in 1999. Otieno’s mother had found work as a caregiver while her husband remained in Kenya, where he worked for the United Nations. Leon and Irvo (pronounced eye-vo) enrolled in separate public schools.
'Original as apple pie'
In the predominantly white student body at Tuckahoe Elementary School, Otieno was unique. At lunch, he would opened a lunchbox filled with ugali — a Kenyan dish made from corn flour, and sometimes chapati, an Indian flatbread. He spoke English with no accent, his brother said.
“He was as original as apple pie,” said Leon Ochieng.
After school, he was at practice with the Fantastic Ten. Ochieng recalls them “spewing out of the car” on their way to and from games and practices. “All those guys stayed with him throughout high school,” Ochieng said. “They’re the same guys that spoke at his funeral.”
After basketball, Otieno joined the football team. He tried out for Henrico’s Western Wildcats, eager to follow his friends into a new challenge. The trip to the tryouts was clandestine — Caroline did not know. At 6 feet tall, Otieno was an exciting prospect for high school coaches. He was a terrifying presence to square up against on the line of scrimmage. He could make big, game-changing tackles, and one time required officials to call an ambulance for an opposing player. Despite that, Ochieng said, his brother was quick to stretch a hand to his opponents or kneel while they recovered.
In the developing trial ensuing from his death, defense attorneys who did not know Otieno have portrayed him as a violent individual. Some of the lawyers for the defendants have said their clients were trying to restrain Otieno and there was no intent to kill him. They say they plan to vigorously fight the charges.
Police also have said that Otieno assaulted officers at Parham Doctors’ Hospital, where he was sedated and chained to a hospital bed, according to nurses who spoke with Ouko on that day. Otieno was charged with three felony counts of assault on a police officer and other offenses while he was at Parham.
Those who knew Otieno dispute that he was violent.
“He was just a normal kid. I never saw anything unusual,” said Paige McNamara, who lives in the house directly across the street from Otieno's home. “He’d be over there on his chair, listening to his music, and I’d be over here. It was a neighborly thing. And the whole neighborhood is affected by it.”
Despite his struggles with mental health, many who knew him did not realize that the gentle giant struggled with severe anxiety and bipolar disorder.
Ouko said that her son would go months without a crisis. “On a regular day, he was just a fine guy,” Ouko said. “You would never even know anything was going on.”
It has been almost two months since his death, but Ouko’s pain has not yet dulled. Ouko said she lights a candle each day in Otieno’s memory. Her kitchen has become a shrine, filled with his photos. She wears a pin emblazoned: “Justice for Irvo.”
The family want to see change — such as the creation of an "Irvo Alert" that would inform police when a person is in crisis. And they want accountability for everyone involved in his death, from the police who arrived with stun guns to the deputy who had a knee to Otieno's neck, a scene reminiscent of George Floyd's death.
“Systemic racism. It swallowed my son,” said Ouko. “These Jim Crow systems have to change, so that our children can get back home.”
'They escalated the situation'
Ouko, through her tears, described a 40-minute standoff with police on March 3, the day of the arrest. Initially, two police officers were called to the house of her neighbor. Ouko thinks the neighbor called 911 after her son, in crisis, picked up several solar lights from their yard. Shortly after, Ouko says at least 10 officers arrived on their front lawn, stun guns at the ready. By then, Otieno was back in his room. Caroline called him down so that the two could face the police detachment together. Henrico has said this included officers trained in crisis intervention.
“The way they came, they came like they were coming for a criminal,” said Ouko. “They escalated the situation.”
Ouko begged for an ambulance, she said. He died at Central State a few days later.
Since then, Ouko said she has heard nothing — not from the neighbors who called the cops, not from the Henrico Police Department, not from the Henrico County Sheriff and not from Parham Doctors’ Hospital or Central State Hospital. Only the Dinwiddie County prosecutor, Ann Cabell Baskervill, has called the family.
Otieno's dog, Puppy, still lives with Caroline. She goes with him to visit her son’s grave. The visits “bring her peace,” Ouko said. When she is there, sometimes Puppy whines over the ground where Otieno lies buried, said his brother Ochieng.
“My son was murdered,” said Ouko. “If I don’t call it what it is, I’d be wrong.” | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/irvo-otieno-ann-cabell-baskervill-henrico-county-central-state-hospital/article_2acc14fc-e47e-11ed-a9da-a7d5c0551601.html | 2023-04-27T01:48:13 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/irvo-otieno-ann-cabell-baskervill-henrico-county-central-state-hospital/article_2acc14fc-e47e-11ed-a9da-a7d5c0551601.html |
WASHINGTON — Midway through Wednesday night's U.S. Open Cup game, Richmond Kickers defender Jake Mecham made a blistering sprint at a loose ball, attempting to kick it off a D.C. United player to save possession for Richmond.
The United player objected. The ref motioned to Mecham to take it down a notch.
But on a brisk spring night at Audi Field, there was no chill from the Kickers, who went all-out in an attempt to log a signature victory for the franchise.
Richmond, which plays two divisions below D.C.'s MLS team, took a 1-0 loss, but demonstrated a feisty spirit that has served the team well in its recent resurgence under coach Darren Sawatzky.
Two penalty kicks were the difference. United's went in. Richmond's did not. Neither felt particularly warranted.
D.C.'s Andy Najas was pushed by Mecham in the 50th minute, and Yamil Asad converted after a sales job by Mecham that would have made him the employee of the month on a used car lot.
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The officials returned the favor to Richmond in the 74th minute, but a penalty kick by Emiliano Terzaghi was saved at the far right corner of the goal by United goaltender Alex Bono.
Bono was sublime, and his keeping made the difference in a game where the Kickers had at least three legitimate looks from inside the box.
On the other side, Richmond's Akira Fitzgerald was equally stout, often having to atone for a handful of uncharacteristic errors by the team's midfield, which was playing without Nil Vinyals.
This marks the second consecutive year Richmond has faced off against an MLS club in the Cup, which is open to all U.S. soccer teams.
The Kickers seemed intent on making a statement, and they left an impression on D.C. United's coach, soccer legend Wayne Rooney.
Coming off a weekend match, Rooney largely started a B-team of younger players. That group dominated possession for the first half hour, but in the final 15 minutes of the opening half, the Kickers pressed, controlling the pace and style of play. Were it not for Bono, they would have held a lead going into the locker room.
Rooney responded by bringing one of his bigger names, Lewis O'Brien, off the bench to start the second half.
O'Brien, on loan from the Premier League's Nottingham Forest, pushed the team towards an attack-first mentality that led to the penalty kick a few minutes later.
The Kickers bounced back admirably after, though, with a handful of strong late-game possessions.
Without the penalty kick, it's very possible the game would have continued on into an extra frame, further proof the Kickers are in a strong place as they aim to defend their USL League One title this year. | https://richmond.com/sports/local/only-a-controversial-penalty-kick-separates-d-c-united-from-kickers-in-rare-regional-matchup/article_467ff1ec-e496-11ed-a58f-3362b3060065.html | 2023-04-27T01:48:19 | 0 | https://richmond.com/sports/local/only-a-controversial-penalty-kick-separates-d-c-united-from-kickers-in-rare-regional-matchup/article_467ff1ec-e496-11ed-a58f-3362b3060065.html |
ANDOVER, Kan. (KSNW) — It’s been nearly a year since an EF-3 tornado went through the city of Andover on April 29, 2022.
Ally Kaylor and her family lost their house that night and have been in the process of rebuilding it ever since.
Kaylor still remembers the night of the tornado. She says she was sitting downstairs when the tornado warning notification alerted her.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Kaylor said. “So I ran up here to see if it was really happening, and I looked out the back door, and I saw it coming right at us.”
She says she immediately ran to get her 6-month-old son.
“His crib was right here, so I just swooped him up, took him and just ran downstairs,” Kaylor said.
Once in the basement, Kaylor and her son went under a counter. The tornado would hit within minutes of them doing so.
“Seeing the destruction kind of took my breath away,” Kaylor said. “I couldn’t, you know, you’re in a state of shock, and I couldn’t really believe what had happened.”
The Kaylor family’s home was destroyed, as well as the local YMCA where Ally worked at.
“I didn’t know anybody, and I started working at the Y, and so all the relationships I have really here in Andover through the Y seeing it destroyed and then seeing my house destroyed. It just kind of felt. I felt very empty and alone,” Kaylor said.
Kaylor says support and prayers kept her going.
“In a time where it’s extremely sad, and there’s a lot of heartache, you see a lot of good in people,” Kaylor said.
The last year has taught her resilience.
“Just put one foot in front of the other no matter what comes our way,” Kaylor said. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/andover-family-still-in-the-process-of-rebuilding-home-nearly-one-year-after-tornado/ | 2023-04-27T01:49:56 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/andover-family-still-in-the-process-of-rebuilding-home-nearly-one-year-after-tornado/ |
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — A family in Clayton County is without a place to call home, again – after claiming they fell victim to a rental scam and they said they don't believe they're alone.
Nikki Sampson and her three young children had been homeless for two and a half years – when they finally moved into their new home on Friday. But then a knock on the door changed all that.
"It's heartbreaking, devastated... kids are asking, 'Why can't we go home, mommy? Why are we not at home?' This was not our home in the first place," she said.
Sampson found the property on Lamont Avenue in Conley, online, and they moved in on Friday.
"I get this house and I think all my pain is over," she said.
However, it turns out the people who showed her the house – didn't own it in the first place.
"He had the key to get in, yes," she said.
Sampson shared receipts and cash payment screenshots for the almost $3,000 she paid to the person, who she now believes was a scammer.
"Gave us the lease, gave us the key – two sets of keys," she recalled.
Sampson said she didn't realize she'd been scammed until the real property manager, Progress Residential, sent someone with a notice.
"Which gave us 24 hours to move out this property," she said.
When 11Alive arrived at the house to speak with Sampson, a representative from Progress Residential was there. The agency's job is to visit its vacant properties that are unlawfully occupied. The representative said this is happening all of the time now, and that they alone, visit at least 15 of these properties every week.
Progress Residential sent the following statement to 11Alive:
Rental scams are a big problem in Atlanta and across the country. Progress is actively working on multiple ways to address scam and fraud activity, including discussions with law enforcement partners in the Atlanta area to protect members of the community.
We have a dedicated team at Progress Residential focused on researching and investigating any reports of fraudulent activity or potential scams, and we work closely with impacted individuals to offer options and solutions to resolve these issues. While we don't comment on specific cases, we make every effort to support these victims of rental fraud by providing an opportunity to directly work with Progress staff to apply for and rent the home they want.
Their representative said that most of the unlawfully occupied properties they respond to are in Henry, DeKalb and Clayton Counties.
So, how can you avoid being scammed?
Atlanta Legal Aid shared these tips:
- Never rent sight unseen and that means the exact property you hope to rent, not a model unit.
- Make sure the lease lists your exact unit, full address, owner and manager of the property – something you may need to fact-check online.
- Don't give into pressure – renting should not feel rushed and hard sale tactics are a red flag.
- Never give cash, wire money, or send cash through a 3rd party app- like Zelle, Venmo or Cash App.
- If it feels too good to be true it probably is. Most properties will run a credit check – so if they don't – that could be a red flag.
Sampson filed a police report, so now she and her family are packing up the boxes they just unpacked – to vacate a property they have no legal right to be in. She said the hardest part will be telling her children.
"We have our own place, own roof over our head and stuff and now it's like back to square one, back homeless again," Sampson said.
She added in just the few days they have been in the house, more than 20 other renters have come to look at the property – asking for the man who she said scammed her. One renter even showed up while 11Alive was interviewing Sampson.
For now, two local nonprofits, Blessing Bags of Warmth and Giving Grace are helping Sampson and her family move into an extended stay. They are also accepting donations to help her family online here. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/clayton-county-family-rental-scam/85-6d2b2b84-8e16-4878-bb4e-c0ed1c94e0f4 | 2023-04-27T01:50:55 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/clayton-county-family-rental-scam/85-6d2b2b84-8e16-4878-bb4e-c0ed1c94e0f4 |
ATLANTA — An Atlanta city councilwoman is taking action to "stop the corporate bullying" after residents complained about CSX trains blocking intersections for days.
Councilwoman Keisha Waites introduced legislation that could hold the company accountable at Wednesday's city transportation meeting.
She introduced the bill in the last five minutes of the meeting, but no one voted on it. The issue had been going on for decades, according to neighbors, near the area of Ezra Church Drive NW and Chappell Road NW.
Concerned neighbors have said the blockages are impacting the traffic in the area and older adults in their communities.
"The blockages really impact our elderly, our seniors in this community," Tim Brown, a concerned neighbor, explained. "It's not just about traffic but access to emergency vehicles such as fire trucks and police cars."
Waites wants to do everything she can to stop the freight company from manipulating residents. She said she is angry that she has to take measures this far. Waites expressed that she believes the problem should have been resolved by phone.
Some residents told 11Alive that emergency services could not reach residents who needed help in time because of the blockages.
The councilwoman said in Wednesday's meeting that introducing this legislation is to continue highlighting this issue and getting CSX executives to speak with residents.
Waites' latest action comes after state Rep. Mesha Mainor held a press conference in the Hunter Hills neighborhood earlier this month to address some of the metro Atlanta residents' concerns.
11Alive contacted CSX when we last spoke to residents about the issue. Below is the full statement the company issued:
"We are aware of the challenges that exist in Hunter Hills and understand our responsibility to be good stewards of the communities through which we operate. CSX is committed to working with Rep. Mainor and we will continue to explore ways to keep lengthy crossing blockages from occurring while maintaining safe and efficient operations."
We reached out to the company for another statement regarding the new city legislation, but they have not responded.
She feels the people in her district should have the opportunity to speak with CSX at their next two-week meeting. She hopes there will be a huge turnout.
Waites also said that the council could vote at their next meeting. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/csx-trains-blocking-intersections-bill-introduced/85-ba1836ff-97cf-4911-9b7d-2db05e6cadc1 | 2023-04-27T01:51:02 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/csx-trains-blocking-intersections-bill-introduced/85-ba1836ff-97cf-4911-9b7d-2db05e6cadc1 |
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County Police need help finding a missing mother.
Luce Farah Le was last seen Saturday, April 22 at her home off Edge Hill Drive in unincorporated Snellville, according to a Twitter post from the Gwinnett County Police Department.
Her daughter saw her before bed at around 9:30 p.m., but didn’t see her the next day. At around 10 a.m., she realized her mother wasn’t home, but her keys, cellphone and car were still there, the post said.
Le’s coat was also found by the mailbox, police said.
Two days later, her ex-husband reported her missing. Le is 5-feet 2-inches tall and weighs 120 pounds. She has brown eyes, black hair and double piercings in each ear, the post added.
Detectives have "exhausted all leads in the case” and are asking anyone with information about Le’s whereabouts to come forward.
If you have any information, call the department’s detectives at 70-513-5300. Tips can also be submitted by calling Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or by visiting www.stopcrimeATL.com. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/missing-in-georgia/gwinnett-county-police-need-help-missing-mother-last-seen-saturday-night/85-66e91b50-565e-4e15-881e-d4298af74510 | 2023-04-27T01:51:08 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/missing-in-georgia/gwinnett-county-police-need-help-missing-mother-last-seen-saturday-night/85-66e91b50-565e-4e15-881e-d4298af74510 |
A Dallas County jury has found a real estate developer guilty of negligence and awarded more than $860 million in damages to the estate and family of a woman who was killed nearly four years ago after a crane crashed into her apartment building.
"Every day is a hard day because she doesn't have her daughter, but hopefully, this verdict will help bring her at least some measure of peace that she can go forward knowing that her daughter's life mattered," said Jason Itkin, lead attorney for the mother whose daughter was killed.
In June 2019, 29-year-old Kiersten Smith was in her Old East Dallas apartment at the Elan City Lights when a summer storm sent a crane crashing into her building.
Smith, her family said, was in the process of planning a wedding and was sitting on a couch while her fiancé cooked a meal when the crane smashed through her roof, killing her.
Her parents, Michele Williams and James Kirkwood, filed a lawsuit alleging gross negligence on the part of the developer, Greystar, and Bigge Crane and Rigging, the company that leased the crane and operator to the developer.
The multiple attorneys representing Smith's family, Michael Lyons of Lyons & Simmons, LLP, Jonathon Clark of Glasheen, Valles & Inderman, LLP, and Jason Itkin of Arnold & Itkin, argued from the beginning that the crane was not left in a position to handle predicted severe weather on that Sunday.
They said if the crane was allowed to "weathervane" meaning move with the direction of the wind, like other cranes in Dallas, it would have been able to take the brunt of the windy conditions.
Both Greystar and Bigge said the collapse was due to operator error, though each said the other was responsible for the operator and equipment.
Bigge argued that they loaned the crane and operator to Greystar and per their agreement, Greystar was responsible for supervising the equipment and operator.
After deliberating more than six hours on Wednesday, the jury agreed with Bigge's argument, and they were not found negligent.
"It was not caused by anything that Bigge did, and again Bigge of course extends its total condolences to the family," said Darrell Barger, lead attorney for the crane company after the verdict came down.
However, the jury found Greystar guilty of negligence. Attorneys for the company declined to comment after the verdict.
As part of the judgment, the jury awarded Smith's mother $50 million for loss of companionship, $140 million for mental anguish, $50,012,006 for future mental anguish and another $100 million. The jury awarded Smith's father $3 million for loss of companionship, $7 million for mental anguish, $4 million for future mental anguish and an additional $6 million.
Plus, there was a total of $500 million awarded to the estate of Kiersten Smith.
"It tells you that the jury understood the value of the relationships that Kiersten brought into this world. They understood that she was a really amazing, special person that made the people around her better, and I think the jury got to see how Kiersten’s life mattered and how much she's missed. And so I think that's what they did when they tried to figure the damages," said Itkin.
Itkin explained the importance of one of the damaged figures which was a specific amount of $50,012,006.
"That $12,006 means a lot, that was Kiersten’s apartment number. And one of the things that was very important to Michele was that nobody sent her a card, nobody said they were sorry, they didn’t even know her name, but now they’ll at least know her apartment number," said Itkin.
He said overall, the family hopes this trial serves as a reminder to companies in regard to following safety procedures.
"Michelle hopes and James hopes that something like this never happens again. There was so many different safety violations, that when you start peeling it back and you wonder, how does this happen at construction sites, especially where sites that are around where people live, where people play, where people eat, where people go to sleep at night? And so hopefully, companies will learn a lesson from this and say we need to make sure that we're following the rules. We're following the regulations; that it's not just about profit. It's not just about speed, but it's also about doing things the right way," said Itkin.
The case lasted nine days and closing arguments lasted several hours, but even though the civil trial is now over, Itkin said every day remains painful for his client who is without her daughter.
"It's not over because for Michele, today's a big day, but every day she's going to be missing her daughter. There's a lot of legal things that need to happen within the court system. And I'm sure there'll be motions and all sorts of things, but for right now, for today, we just want to be thankful for what the jury has done and thankful that at least for today, that Kiersten's life mattered and that we held Greystar accountable," said Itkin. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/jury-awards-860-million-dollars-in-civil-trial-over-deadly-dallas-crane-collapse/3244836/ | 2023-04-27T02:00:56 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/jury-awards-860-million-dollars-in-civil-trial-over-deadly-dallas-crane-collapse/3244836/ |
Tarrant County health leaders on Wednesday confirmed the year's first mosquito sample that tested positive for West Nile Virus.
Tarrant County Public Health said no human cases have been reported so far this year.
The positive mosquito sample was collected in Euless and falls in line with the typical West Nile Virus season, which runs from April through mid-November.
The county has so far tested 369 mosquito samples this year.
Last year, Tarrant County reported its first West Nile Virus positive mosquito sample on May 11.
How to Protect Yourself From Mosquito Bites
- Dress in long sleeves, pants when outside: For extra protection, spray thin clothing with repellent.
- DEET: Make sure this ingredient is in your insect repellent.
- Drain standing water in your yard and neighborhood: Mosquitoes can develop in any water stagnant for more than three days.
It has been recommended in the past that to avoid mosquito bites you should avoid being outdoors during Dusk and Dawn (the 4 Ds). While this is true for mosquitoes that commonly carry the West Nile virus, other types of mosquitoes that are more likely to carry Zika, dengue and chikungunya are active during the day. When outdoors, no matter what time of day, adjust your dress accordingly and wear insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus as your first line of defense against insect bites | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/tarrant-county-reports-first-west-nile-virus-sample-this-year/3245018/ | 2023-04-27T02:01:02 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/tarrant-county-reports-first-west-nile-virus-sample-this-year/3245018/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. — Key state government officials testified Wednesday in a trial that will determine whether Pacific Power can be held liable for alleged negligence leading up to Labor Day wildfires in 2020.
A group of 17 plaintiffs are seeking $1.6 billion in the landmark trial, which is expected to last into June. Some of the plaintiffs claim Pacific Power lines and electrical equipment sparked fires that destroyed their homes.
Opening arguments in the case began Tuesday, as attorneys from both sides made their cases for whether Pacific Power had a responsibility to shut down its power lines.
As testimony got underway on Wednesday, government officials said they tried to convince utility companies to de-energize power lines before some of the major wildfires started.
Nik Blosser, then-chief of staff for Oregon Governor Kate Brown, said he would never forget the conversation he had with power companies, including Pacific Power, on Labor Day 2020.
“That feeling of regret ... we had that call and we had a chance and then a million acres burned," Blosser testified. "This whole thing is a tragedy, and I think we had a chance to prevent it and were not successful."
Wednesday’s testimony focused on a conversation between power company representatives, Blosser and Doug Grafe — Oregon’s former chief of fire protection for the Oregon Department of Forestry, who said that the Santiam Canyon area was at great risk for wildfires.
"Yes, power shutoffs would’ve prevented future fires across the state," Grafe testified.
Blosser said he was discouraged that power companies like Pacific Power weren’t more willing to cut the lights after discussing the increased warnings.
Attorneys for Pacific Power said power shutoffs were unheard of in Oregon at the time. They also asked Blosser and Grafe if they're aware of the serious risks associated with turning off electricity for communities in wildfire danger zones.
"I imagine that’s a complex decision, given need for reliable services and electricity," Grafe said.
Blosser admitted he never explicitly asked power companies to de-energize their lines because he believed he didn’t have that authority.
"We could not explicitly order them to shut the power off, so we had to figure out how to do everything but that to create the same outcome," he said.
Beyond power shutoffs, the Multnomah County jury will decide whether four of the Labor Day fires were started by Pacific Power lines or other factors, even though state and federal investigations are ongoing.
The trial has been bifurcated, with the first 6 or 7 weeks dedicated to determining responsibility, followed by a second trial to determine damages or compensation if Pacific Power is found to be at all liable for any of the four wildfires cited in the lawsuit — ranging from the Santiam Canyon to the Lincoln City area and down into southern Oregon. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/pacific-power-trial-wildfires-government-power-shutoffs/283-492b2d3c-0674-4f9d-ba14-07723d488964 | 2023-04-27T02:15:45 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/pacific-power-trial-wildfires-government-power-shutoffs/283-492b2d3c-0674-4f9d-ba14-07723d488964 |
PORTLAND, Ore. — Zachery Freeman's two brothers are still in utter disbelief after his senseless death in a Southeast Portland shooting over the weekend — followed soon after by the death of the shooting suspect in a confrontation with law enforcement in Clackamas County.
"This is my baby, baby, baby brother, you know," said Isaac Wilson, one of Zachery's brothers. "Something like this is beyond me. We would never expect something like this happening in a million years."
Portland police confirmed Wednesday afternoon that Zachery Freeman, 29, was the man shot and killed inside of a business on Southeast Foster near 52nd Avenue on Sunday morning. Video from the scene captured crime scene tape around Fantasyland, an adult entertainment store.
Zachery was a member of Portland's LGBTQ+ community who attended rallies and protests — someone who worked to make Portland a better place, his brothers said. It was his time in Portland they really saw him come out of his shell.
"As a beautiful person who loved Portland, who loved Oregon, who came out here a quiet, timid person from St. Louis, Missouri," said his brother Daniel Freeman, "never spoke a word for four, five months and blossomed into an Oregonian — he loved it here."
"He's a great guy," said Wilson. "The thing I miss most about him is every time we did a family event like floating or anything, he wanted to go camping all the time and he was always the light of the party, you know — he always brought something, he brought love, joy, peace, you know?"
"When you think of Zachery Michael Freeman you think of love, life, family, respect, honor, integrity," added Daniel Freeman.
The last few days have been difficult ones for Zachery Freeman's brothers. Not only did they lose a brother — having lost one before, in 2003 — but they've been in the dark about what happened.
"I'm an understandable person. There's probably a couple detectives still working on this and they don't want to release it in a harmful manner, you know what I'm saying?" said Wilson. "I'm sure they're still doing their job and hopefully they can get us some more information one of these days ... For me, truthfully, I told the family I'd rather see the guy's face and put him behind bars. I don't wish death on anybody."
Portland police provided one piece of the puzzle on Wednesday, confirming that the suspect in Zachery Freeman's homicide was the same person shot and killed by law enforcement in Clackamas County on Monday night.
By Sunday evening, the Portland Police Bureau said, homicide detectives had identified the suspect and issued a warrant for his arrest. A description of the suspect and his vehicle were circulated out to patrol officers throughout the city.
Around 10:40 p.m. Monday night, Portland officers spotted a vehicle matching that description, according to an updated statement from the Clackamas County District Attorney's office. Officers tried to stop the car around Southeast 82nd and Holgate, but he kept driving south into Clackamas County.
Police put down strike strips to disable the suspect's vehicle, but he managed to continue south toward Southeast 82nd and Monterey. Pursuing officers used a PIT maneuver to stop the suspect's car in this area.
"The suspect then drew a handgun and fired at police from his car," the DA's office said. "Two Portland police officers returned fire as did a Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputy."
The suspect was hit by gunfire, the DA's office said, and died in spite of attempted lifesaving efforts.
"Due to the speed at which the event unfolded the opportunity for de-escalation and less than lethal options did not present itself," the DA's office added.
The suspect was identified Wednesday as a 20-year-old white male, Jack Watson of Portland.
The officers and deputy who fired their weapons have been placed on paid administrative leave until the case goes before a Clackamas County grand jury. Per each agency's policy, names of the PPB officers will be released May 9 and the deputy on April 27.
But with the death of the only suspect in Zachery Freeman's homicide, his family's hopes that they will ever get more answers are dwindling. KGW spoke to them shortly before the suspect was identified.
"Every morning I'd wake up for the past couple days and just see what's transpiring, what's going on, what's been said, calling mom, calling (Portland police), 'Have you heard anything?' We're not getting much at all," said Wilson. "There are so many different scenarios playing in my head what could've led up to it and I just want to get some closure."
"The detective who spoke to me basically told me I'll never know — I'll never know why my brother was killed," said Daniel Freeman. "I know when, I know where ... I don't even know who."
Margie Wilson, Zachary Freeman's aunt, has organized a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for his funeral arrangements. It has a goal of $5,000. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/se-portland-homicide-victim-clackamas-police-shooting/283-74384605-4193-4586-a96f-4224ec2b9b3e | 2023-04-27T02:15:52 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/se-portland-homicide-victim-clackamas-police-shooting/283-74384605-4193-4586-a96f-4224ec2b9b3e |
PORTLAND, Ore. — The unleashed pit bull that attacked a Southeast Portland runner last week is suspected of viciously attacking another dog in February, Multnomah County officials said.
After seeing KGW’s story, Kara Bloom of Southeast Portland, said the same pit bull attacked her 17-pound dog, Rocky, during an early morning walk on Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 between Southeast Clinton Street and 27th Avenue.
Multnomah County Animal Services said it is still looking for the dog and its owner, Jessie Miller, who is homeless.
“I just couldn't believe it. It was crazy," said Bloom.
Bloom said she and her two dogs were on their normal morning walk. That’s when she saw an unleashed dog, now identified as a pit bull mix named “Bubbie,” ran up to a bicyclist before attacking her dog Rocky.
"We were going eastbound on Clinton here and I heard something," said Bloom. "So I kind of stopped and a dog ran down the street [towards] a bike rider."
Bloom said she saw what appeared to be the dog owner, Miller, run after Bubbie. Bloom thought Bubbie was put back on a leash — but that's not what happened.
A neighbor’s surveillance camera captured the entire attack. In the video, you can hear someone calling for their dog before attacking Rocky.
"I looked down and this dog was over my dog and immediately grabbed him from the top and started digging into him," described Bloom.
The dog bit down into Rocky's rib cage, ultimately puncturing his lung and sending him into emergency surgery. The medical bill was over $3,200, said Bloom.
"He had to have surgery on both sides to see how in-depth the injuries were," she said.
After taking Rocky to his surgery, Bloom confronted Miller in his white van parked in the area the attack happened. She took a video and posted it on Facebook showing Bubbie inside the van, and who appears to be Miller outside the vehicle.
"I would say that the emotional scars for both of us have been taken much longer to heal,” said Bloom. “You know, I'm still scared every morning.”
In response, Multnomah County Animal Services has changed its policies on bite quarantine procedures. As the pit bull, Bubbie, was released to Miller's mother for a routine 10-day quarantine, but Miller took the dog without permission and has not been located since last week's attack.
Under the new guidelines, pets will not be eligible for home quarantine if it was loose when the bite happened or the severity of the bite was a 3.5 or above on the Ian Dunbar severity scale. If the pet was previously labeled as a "potentially dangerous dog." And if rabies vaccination is not current at the time of bite or if the owner doesn't live within Multnomah County.
Before this change, the policy since 2016 states that when a bite report comes in, the dog in question needs to be quarantined for 10 days to determine if they had rabies when they bit the person.
Rabies is an infectious disease that can be transmitted by a bite or saliva from a rabid animal. If the dog can’t be safely quarantined in the community, it must be quarantined at the Troutdale animal shelter. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/second-dog-attack-se-portland/283-44c467f5-3b86-4630-9122-0ef0deef826a | 2023-04-27T02:15:58 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/second-dog-attack-se-portland/283-44c467f5-3b86-4630-9122-0ef0deef826a |
Interstate Bridge replacement costs and project scale come into focus as Oregon considers how to fund it
Oregon is being asked to kick in $1 billion for the $6 billion megaproject, and lawmakers are taking a fresh look at the cost of each piece of the plan.
There’s a plan taking shape in the Oregon Legislature to set aside $1 billion to fund the state’s portion of the $6 billion cost of replacing the aging Interstate 5 Bridge, but the process is renewing debates about the size and scope of the planned project.
Lawmakers Oregon’s Joint Transportation Committee have signaled that they’re likely willing to put up the money, but they want to know more about what exactly they’re buying. An initial hearing on April 13 outlined some details about what the replacement bridge will look like, how it will be built and how much each piece of the project is going to cost, and those details are likely to take center stage at a follow-up public hearing scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
First, a quick recap on the bridge design. Around this time last year, the Interstate Bridge Replacement project team released what’s called the Locally Preferred Alternative, which laid out their recommendations for some of the broadest details about the project, based on public feedback and input from local governments and agencies.
Here’s what they decided:
- The bridge should be a fixed crossing, which means it doesn’t move. That means no more drawbridge and no more traffic stuck waiting on I-5 during bridge lifts.
- It should have four lanes in each direction, for a total of eight. The current bridge has six lanes total, and the old Columbia River Crossing plan was going to have ten, so the IBR plan splits the difference.
- It should include light rail, extending the MAX Yellow line to downtown Vancouver.
- It should shrink the interchange on Hayden Island so it only serves traffic from the Washington side of the river. Oregon drivers would reach the island on new local bridge, separate from the freeway.
Lift spans and lanes
With the locally preferred alternative in hand, the IBR team began to put the project through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process – the federal evaluation and approval system for big projects like this. That process is still ongoing, but some wrinkles have already emerged.
The U.S. Coast Guard isn’t thrilled about the proposed 116-foot height of the new bridge, because it would have about 60 feet less clearance for river traffic than the current drawbridge. The Coast Guard hasn’t outright vetoed the fixed span design, but the agency did ask the IBR team to also study a drawbridge option during the NEPA process.
And there’s another piece that’s gotten a little murkier: The Locally Preferred Alternative settled on eight lanes total, but the Columbia River Crossing’s ten-lane configuration seems to have snuck back into the mix. Johnson confirmed at the April 13 hearing that the team is studying both 8-lane and 10-lane versions as part of the NEPA process, with a final decision still to come.
There are some additional details that are looking increasingly certain, the foremost of which is that no matter what version we end up with, the replacement bridge is going to be a twin span structure, just like the current bridge. That means it’s technically going to be two bridges side by side: one for southbound traffic and light rail and the other for northbound traffic and a bike and pedestrian path.
IBR program administrator Greg Johnson said it’s become clear in the past year that a single bridge just wouldn’t be practical.
“Once you get that wide having one bridge, you get limited to the type of bridge you can construct,” he said. “So we want to make sure we're giving any contractor some flexibility in bridge type to save us dollars in the future.”
Complicated Construction
The twin spans design will also help with construction because they can be built one at a time, and Johnson said that's probably what the IBR project will end up doing. The tradeoff of that added flexibility is that the total construction timeline could be as long as eight years.
“Because we're maintaining traffic on the existing bridge, we're going to build approximately a 100-foot gap and build one of the new bridges… shift traffic to that, and then build the second span, which may have some overlap with the existing bridge, so there'll be part of that old bridge that may have to be taken out sometime probably in the 2030, 2031 timeframe to accommodate that second new bridge,” Johnson explained.
And to be clear, shifting traffic to the new bridge means shifting all I-5 traffic, both northbound and southbound.
Construction would start on the southbound span and some preliminary work on the northbound span in 2026, with traffic shifting over from the original bridges to the southbound span in 2030 or 2031. Then the old bridges would be demolished and the second new one would be built, with northbound traffic shifting back over to the second new bridge between 2031 and 2033, according to Johnson.
That means there will be a couple of painful years when all of the traffic is crammed onto one bridge. That’s part of why the light rail line is going to be on the southbound span, Johnson said, so it can be completed before the crunch period.
“If we can get light rail up and running, we will have another relief valve for folks who don’t want to sit in the traffic,” he said.
The question of width
The current bridge has three lanes in each direction, so compressing all of that down to a single bridge with four lanes sounds like it would make things even worse, but according to Johnson, it might not be quite that bad. In order to explain why, we’ve got to tackle another topic: width.
The width of these structures came up during the recent hearing in Salem, including a lengthy back and forth when Rep. Khanh Pham (D-Portland) pressed Johnson to give a specific number for the bridge’s total width.
We double checked with Johnson, so let’s break down the answer:
A standard freeway lane is 12 feet wide, and each span would have either four or five of them. Each span is also going to have 12-foot or 14-foot shoulders on each side, according to Johnson – the possible extra two feet is because the team is looking at having the inner shoulders double as bus lanes.
That all totals up to 76 feet per span, or 152 feet total, not counting the gap between the two spans. Add in the extra pair of lanes and it would be 88 feet per span, and 176 feet total.
For a real-life visual reference point, the Interstate 205 Glenn Jackson bridge has four lanes with inner and outer shoulders on each side, and it’s a bit less than 150 feet wide.
That 76 feet of width is just enough to squeeze in six lanes during the construction phase if most of the shoulder space is temporarily used for regular traffic. That’s essentially what the current I-5 bridge does – each span is about 39 feet wide and has three lanes and no shoulders.
It’s worth noting that those width figures don’t account for light rail tracks or bike and pedestrian space, and that’s because those parts may end up getting tucked away on lower decks. That was the plan back in the Columbia River Crossing days – twin spans with light rail underneath the southbound freeway and a bike and pedestrian path underneath the northbound freeway.
But that’s not yet a sure thing this time around, Johnson said. Everything could still end up on one deck, in which case the width of each span would be 76 or 88 feet plus the width of two light rail tracks or a bike and pedestrian path.
“Both are still on the table,” Johnson said. “We're going to look at the benefits and the drawbacks and tradeoffs of each scenario. And that’s some of the things that we're going to be asking the public to weigh in, as we work towards getting our draft supplemental document out towards the end of the year.”
Breaking down the bill
The design is one half of the current discussion in the legislature, and money is the other. The IBR team’s latest estimate in December put the total cost of the project at a range of $5 billion to $7.5 billion, with $6 billion as the most likely number. But Johnson’s presentation at the April 13 hearing included what you might call an itemized bill, listing out the costs of the different pieces of the project.
The bridge alone is about $1.5 billion to $2.5 billion. But the IBR team’s plan also calls for rebuilding or upgrading seven of the surrounding I-5 interchanges – four on the Washington side and three on the Oregon side, plus the extra local bridge from the Oregon side to Hayden Island.
The Washington side upgrades are about $1 billion to $1.5 billion, and the Oregon side upgrades are about the same amount again. Finally, the light rail extension and new stations will run about $1.3 billion to $2 billion.
And that’s all for the Locally Preferred Alternative version – as in 8 lanes and no drawbridge. Speaking to state lawmakers earlier this month, Oregon Department of Transportation director Kris Strickler said switching to a drawbridge design could raise the price tag by up to $500 million. And adding the extra two lanes would raise it by anywhere from $100 million to $250 million, according to Johnson.
The IBR team’s funding plan calls for Oregon and Washington to each kick in $1 billion dollars and the federal government provide, optimistically, at least $2.5 billion, with the remaining $1 billion or more paid through tolls.
That’s a lot of money, and Oregon lawmakers seem interested in finding a way to keep that bill from running any higher. The draft legislation being considered by the Joint Transportation Committee includes a provision stating that the overall cost of the project “may not exceed 6.3 billion dollars.”
The legislation isn’t final yet, but the cap provision appears to be serious. Committee co-chair Rep. Susan McLain (D-Hillsboro) was one of the ones who drafted the plan, and she told KGW earlier this month that she specifically sought to include the cap.
Looking for cost savings
When asked about the idea, Rep. Pham said she not only supports the cap, but wants it to have more teeth. She said that’s also why she was pushing so hard to nail down the width – she’s concerned about the scale and costs of the project creeping upward.
“My ideal version is just building the I-5 bridge replacement. That's the name of it. We should replace the I-5 bridge,” she said. “We should build great public transit on the bridge so we have a climate friendly alternative – and that's it. But I don't think we need to add on these freeway onramps, multistory onramps, that are going to be both very expensive – it's half the size of the project, is actually these freeway approaches.”
Greg Johnson argued that the freeway interchanges can’t be easily cut from the project, in part because any version of the new bridge will need to be higher than the old one. A fixed bridge needs to be higher to maintain river clearance, and a drawbridge will still need to be higher in order to decrease the number of times it will need to lift.
But I-5 ducks underneath a railroad line just before the start of the current bridge, which means the freeway can’t be raised just a little bit – it has to be high enough to go over the top of the railroad line, which makes rebuilding the Highway 14 interchange on the other side of the rail line unavoidable.
But while that explanation might make sense for the Highway 14 interchange, critics have also taken aim at some of the other interchanges in the project zone, some of which are more than a mile down the road from the bridge itself.
The idea of cutting light rail also came up at the hearing, but Johnson replied that about $1 billion of the federal funding the team hopes to line up for the project would be from the Federal Transit Administration, which essentially means it would be for light rail specifically.
And the inclusion of light rail could also increase a separate federal pot of money for the bridge itself, Johnson said, so yanking that component out of the project wouldn’t necessarily be a large or clean cut.
Oregonians weigh in
Public scrutiny of the scale and cost is good, Pham said, because now is the time when Oregon has the greatest leverage to influence the scale of the project. Once construction is underway, it gets much harder to hit the brakes or scale down if things go over budget.
“We need to make sure we’re right-sizing the design so we’re not stuck halfway, with a halfway overbuilt project, because we all know once it’s, once we start building a bridge, it’s very difficult to change course or to stop building it, obviously nobody wants to do that,” she said.
Of course, not everyone in the legislature agrees on what a right-sized bridge looks like – Rep. Kevin Mannix (R-Keizer) said at the hearing that he’d rather see the project go all-in with the 10-lane configuration – but there does seem to be a shared recognition that if Oregon wants to haggle over specific pieces of the project, now is the time to do it.
There’s urgency outside of the legislature as well. The Joint Transportation Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the finance plan Thursday afternoon, and local advocacy groups like No More Freeways and the Just Crossing Alliance have been urging their members to show up and voice support for a revised plan with a smaller-scale project and stronger financial guardrails.
And if you’re wondering when the final decisions will be made on all these variables, the answer is next year. Johnson said the team wants to have a draft NEPA plan out for public review by the end of this year, and then narrow things down to a final version that would hopefully get a federal green light by the end of 2024. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/interstate-bridge-replacement-costs-scale-oregon-considers-funding/283-81f3174e-819a-4753-9145-907c6bba854d | 2023-04-27T02:16:04 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/interstate-bridge-replacement-costs-scale-oregon-considers-funding/283-81f3174e-819a-4753-9145-907c6bba854d |
The Allen County commissioners have offered Three Rivers Ambulance Authority less than half of the funding it requested, along with a list of conditions.
The move comes almost a month after Fort Wayne officials pledged $3 million to help the ambulance authority that is facing a deficit after taking over its own operations last year.
The commissioners sent a letter one week ago to Joel Benz, executive director of the ambulance authority, that said the county would consider contributing up to $400,000 to help the service until it becomes financially solvent again. Benz previously estimated it will take $3.8 million to sustain the service for two years while it rebuilds.
The organization provides service to Fort Wayne and several townships in Allen County. Benz said in March that his organization serves about 30,000 residents outside city limits. The county also has four Three Rivers Ambulance Authority board appointments – the same as the city administration.
The ambulance authority has struggled financially since it took over operations from its contractor, PatientCare EMS Services, in September. PatientCare was in default and for about two years hadn’t met the 90% rate required for responding to priority emergencies within 8 1/2 minutes.
As part of the takeover, Three Rivers Ambulance Authority bought the company’s equipment, including ambulances, for about $1 million. It also raised pay rates for paramedics and emergency medical technicians, matching the rates of similarly sized operations in efforts to retain employees and attract new ones, Benz has said.
Fort Wayne City Council approved a month ago a request to provide up to $3 million – in three disbursements of $1 million – to keep the ambulance authority functioning. On March 30, the county commissioners issued a statement that said they were talking with the ambulance authority about helping with its financial difficulties.
However, the commissioners’ recent letter said unincorporated Allen County agencies supported the ambulance authority for 18 months by making emergency medical service runs in the areas the ambulance authority serves. The letter estimated township fire departments made more than 3,000 emergency medical service responses, which cost about $1.2 million.
The letter said Allen County would help by paying up to $200,000 for ambulance runs the townships and fire districts make in Three Rivers Ambulance Authority’s territory.
The county would provide $200,000 as a stipend with the creation of an Emergency Medical Services Task Force, which would have members appointed by the commissioners and Mayor Tom Henry’s office address five stipulations.
The county will provide funding if the task force addresses:
• Creating a new uniform ambulance ordinance;
• Developing an agreement between all Allen County emergency medical service providers;
• Exploring organizational and financial models for a permanent solution;
• Addressing ambulance authority income problems, including balance billing, Medicaid reimbursements, transports and unrecovered revenues; and
• Ending an agreement in which Three Rivers Ambulance Authority pays the city $400,000 a year for EMT training for Fort Wayne firefighters.
Benz has said that the service has recently relied less on outside ambulance runs because the organization has hired more employees, is collecting more revenues and is seeing results from a new bill collection service.
Benz declined Wednesday to comment on the commissioners’ letter beyond saying the ambulance authority’s board is considering it and has disagreements with what the letter said.
The board members are expected to address the letter at its meeting at 4 p.m. today. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/allen-county-commissioners-have-stipulations-for-giving-funding-to-three-rivers-ambulance-authority/article_de55717c-e496-11ed-8913-afc7ead64023.html | 2023-04-27T02:21:22 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/allen-county-commissioners-have-stipulations-for-giving-funding-to-three-rivers-ambulance-authority/article_de55717c-e496-11ed-8913-afc7ead64023.html |
Fort Wayne neighborhoods are expected to see more than $6 million in asphalt road work this summer.
The City Council unanimously approved four contracts Tuesday for resurfacing streets. Each contract is for milling and resurfacing asphalt pavement in a quadrant of the city. Milling is the process of grinding and removing the top layer of asphalt.
During Tuesday’s council meeting, Wayne Asphalt and Construction Company, based in Fort Wayne, received the northeast quadrant contract for its bid of more than $1.5 million. That’s about 10% less than the estimate, and the company had the lowest of three bidders, said Matt Gray, manager of city transportation engineering services.
The company will repave eight streets in Countryside Estates subdivision, 11 roads in Hacienda Village, two in Valley Park Forest,16 in Lake Forest, 13 in Lake Forest Extended and Randalia Drive in the North Anthony and Frances Slocum area.
The contract requires the company to have the work substantially completed by Sept. 15 and finished by Sept. 29, according to city documents.
Key Concrete will do preliminary work in the quadrant and install new curbing in the Countryside addition and on Durango and Derien drives, the contract said. Wayne Asphalt and Construction’s resurfacing must be level with the concrete work.
E&B Paving Inc. of Anderson will do the work in the other three quadrants. The contracts require the company to have the work substantially complete by Sept. 29 and finished by Oct. 20.
For the northwest quadrant contract, E&B was the lowest of two bidders at $1.3 million, which is about 18% less than the engineer’s estimate, Gray said.
E&B will repave a section of Dupont Road west of Lima Road, 14 streets in Limberlost Acres and 12 streets in the Wallen Hills community. The Wallen Hills work will include two of the 10 sections of Coldwater Road that is set for resurfacing.
E&B won’t be able to repave the intersection of Coldwater and Till Road until accessible ramps are installed, according to the agreement. The contractor install those first so it won’t delay paving longer than necessary.
The southeast quadrant contract is more than $1.5 million for about 62 sections of streets. E&B was the lowest of two bidders, coming in slightly over the engineer’s estimate, according to city documents, which didn’t specify an exact amount.
The planned work includes 20 segments of Hessen Cassel Road. Improvements are planned for multiple southeast neighborhoods, including Southwood Park, Westchester and Interurban Acres.
E&B also received the contract for the southwest quadrant for more than $1.6 million. It was again the lowest of two bidders and about 6% less than the engineer’s estimate, according to city documents.
Projects in that quadrant include 12 sections of Liberty Mills Road, six sections of Braemar Drive in the Sycamore Hills subdivision and four projects in the Bittersweet Moors community.
City Councilman Geoff Paddock, D-5th, said that he appreciated the council members support of the ordinances, which is part of the city administration’s more than $48 million in neighborhood infrastructure improvements planned for this year.
“I’m very pleased we’re beginning that process tonight,” Paddock said.
Councilwoman Michelle Chambers, D-at large, said it’s an exciting time for the city – remaining fiscally sound but still improving neighborhoods.
A complete list of the work is available online at www.cityoffortwayne.org/images/stories/KFKOFA/Invest/Resurfacing_Pkgs_041223.pdf | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/city-plans-6-million-in-neighborhood-street-repaving/article_7368672a-e487-11ed-9cc7-174d1a3cda50.html | 2023-04-27T02:21:28 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/city-plans-6-million-in-neighborhood-street-repaving/article_7368672a-e487-11ed-9cc7-174d1a3cda50.html |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Molly Dycus is glad that when she crosses the stage to graduate from Milligan University Saturday, she won’t be far from a billboard sponsored by a group advocating for the Christian university to change its approach to LGBTQ issues.
“I love this billboard,” Dycus told News Channel 11 about the sign sponsored by the two-year-old nonprofit “Milligan for All,” whose board she serves on. “I love that all the things that it goes through of who is holy.”
Dycus, who came out as LGBTQ while a Milligan student, said Milligan for All’s fifth billboard continues its course of showing support for LGBTQ people while the group pushes for dialogue with Milligan’s administration.
Up since Monday about a quarter mile from the Christian university’s campus (and for another month), the billboard is dominated by the word “Holy” in huge type, with four precursors to the word: “Trans is (Holy),” “Drag Is,” “Queer Is,” and “You Are.”
It also includes a graphic of what is called the “Progress Pride Flag,” and reference to two scripture verses, Genesis 1:31 and Acts 10:15.
The university’s official Statement on Human Sexuality includes clear language that Milligan believes sexual activity is exclusively designed for a married relationship between a man and a woman.
Alumni and other people related to the Milligan community started Milligan for All in 2021, less than a year after News Channel 11’s investigative story about the forced resignation of an LGBTQ professor. Group leaders called for constructive dialogue with Milligan’s administration regarding the climate on campus, tolerance for an LGBTQ support group for students and other issues they hoped to see change.
Dycus and Milligan alumnus Rev. Dr. Wes Jamison, the group’s president, both said not much seems to have changed since April 2021.
“We continue to reach out to the administration and hold an open hand to them inviting them to work with us,” Jamison said. “They have not really shown any significant interest in doing so and that significantly disappoints us. We are particularly concerned because the student support group there, Sanctuary is no longer meeting on campus due to pressures and changes that were affected by the administration last spring.”
Dycus, who said she “gained an excellent education,” said she believes Milligan sees the group as little more than an inconvenience.
“If they could get away with not having any relationship with Milligan for All I think they would do that, and I think they don’t do it because they’re afraid of it becoming a press scandal,” Dycus said.
“There was initial motivation … to have those conversations when everything first exploded, to show you know, their ability to communicate and willingness to work towards change. But really, there’s not a whole lot of change that’s really actually happened, I don’t think.”
Asked for a statement on the continued deployment of billboards and on any ongoing relationship with Milligan for All’s leadership, Milligan Director of Public Relations and Marketing Jonathan Burns sent this statement attributable to the university:
Milligan University continues to believe that all persons are created in the image of God. We seek to be a loving community showing Christ-like compassion, mutual respect, humility, forgiveness, and grace where all students are welcome to learn in a safe and supportive environment. Embracing the Bible as our sole authority, Milligan also continues to believe that God designed sex to be enjoyed within a marriage covenant between one man and one woman that is characterized by the sacrificial love of Jesus Christ.
What Dycus and Jamison would like to see
While she “absolutely” would like to see Milligan change its Statement on Human Sexuality, Dycus said there are a couple of steps Milligan could take that would give her hope. The first involves faculty, the second the status of a university-sanctioned group for queer students.
“I’m a lot of times more concerned about faculty members,” she said. “There’s just no way that a queer faculty member can work at Milligan, or if someone who already works at Milligan is queer it is not safe for them to come out.”
She said as an LGBTQ student, she and her peers were safer in some ways because they were paying to attend. Employees sign a statement of faith, and Dycus said she’d like that to include some clause that if they choose to be in a same-sex relationship, “even though that goes against Milligan’s human sexuality statement that they can still work there safely.”
Dycus said she’s not holding her breath in that regard because she thinks the university looks at faculty as replaceable. “I think Milligan wants to hire people they feel like they can control,” she said.
On the student front, Jamison said people affiliated with Sanctuary says the group’s faculty sponsor was removed after students, not the sponsor, planned a “lavender graduation” last year.
The advisor “paid a very severe price for that,” Jamison said, and the group has been relegated to a status that doesn’t allow open on-campus presence — something Dycus confirmed.
“Sanctuary, it is constricted,” Dycus said. “They are not allowed to advocate for anything it’s solely a support group. They’re not allowed to have any social media.”
Jamison said Milligan for All leaders’ communications with university leadership continue the group “inviting them to work with us on creating policies and practices that are more affirming as well as fostering an environment on campus that is more affirming of LGBTQIA students.”
But Jamison said after a promise to do that during meetings in the summer of 2021, the results have been disappointing.
Dycus said she thinks Milligan leaders are “afraid of students advocating and being loud and being inconvenient and that getting out to the community and hurting the reputation of Milligan.”
She said she’d like to see “a more prominent group for queer students … where they can use their voice and feel like there’s a home and it’s not just like this secretive support group where we feel sad because we’re queer at a Christian oppressive university.”
Change ahead?
Jamison and Dycus both said Milligan for All leaders wanted to show support for LGBTQ people outside the Milligan community with this billboard in the wake of several pieces of 2023 Tennessee legislation they say are harmful to the LGBTQ community. The primary two are a ban on certain drag shows and another on gender-affirming surgeries for minors regardless of parental consent.
“Our hope was to first of all, speak to those who feel frightened and who feel threatened as a result of recent policies,” Jamison said.
“We wanted to say to them, first of all, that you are holy and good and wonderful just the way you are, just the way God made you, and we also wanted to encourage those who are struggling to understand diversity of gender and sexuality to rethink those positions,” Jamison said.
Dycus said she remains somewhat hopeful that Milligan’s policies and climate around the issue will change someday. She said she’s studied the Bible passages that refer to same-sex activities and is convinced their context allows for a theological interpretation that affirms same-sex relationships.
“What Paul addresses in the New Testament I think it is a huge cultural difference,” Dycus said. “I think Paul typically was talking about harmful situations in which an older man maybe was abusing a younger boy, a servant, and that not being okay.
“That’s not a loving, consensual, mutual giving relationship, and I don’t think there were same-sex mutual giving consensual partnerships. That wasn’t even being addressed. That wasn’t happening.”
When she crosses the stage, whether or not she’s sporting a rainbow-colored cord that Milligan for All is providing students who request one, Dycus said she’ll leave an institution that’s provided her with a positive experience.
“I have had wonderful experiences with my professors. I feel like I have gained an excellent education. I love my friends, my roommates and I’ve made great connections.”
She said she’s thought about whether she’d attend Milligan if she had it to do all over, and that she would.
“But I have to kind of tease out some of the negative oppressive parts of this institution and say, like, ‘you know what, that’s not going to define my experience at Milligan. My friends, my professors, my education, they’re going to define my experience, not three administrators and a board of trustees who don’t care about my life, who I’ve barely talked to.'”
Dycus estimates about 60% of Milligan students have a theology that’s affirming of LGBTQ people, and that most of the 40% who don’t, “I don’t think they’re supportive of not giving equal opportunity to all people.”
“I think they probably those who pay attention and who care about it would disagree with what Milligan does even though they’re not affirming.”
She doesn’t think Milligan for All is going anywhere and that she plans to remain an active supporter of the group.
“I believe that as the current board of trustees step down, and there’s a new generation of board of trustees, I could see there being real change, but I think it’s going to have to be incremental,” Dycus said.
“People do not take change well when it’s one big leap or even one big step.”
Milligan’s 2023 spring commencements are set for 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday in Seeger Chapel. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/lgbtq-advocacy-group-continues-promoting-change-at-milligan-with-5th-billboard/ | 2023-04-27T02:25:30 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/lgbtq-advocacy-group-continues-promoting-change-at-milligan-with-5th-billboard/ |
Ahead of Lincoln's general city election on Tuesday, Lancaster County Election Commissioner Todd Wiltgen reminded voters that early ballots must be received by his office no later than 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.
As of Wednesday, his office had only received 17,000 of nearly 37,000 early vote ballots mailed out.
The election will decide Lincoln's next mayor, four City Council seats, and races for Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education and the Airport Authority.
Wiltgen recommended that voters mailing their ballots send them no later than Thursday. Beginning Friday, the best method to return ballots will be to drop them in the box in front of the Election Commissioner's Office, 601 N. 46th St. The drop box is available 24 hours a day.
Voters are reminded that early vote ballots cannot be returned at polling places on Election Day.
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Voters who request an early vote ballot and attempt to vote at their polling place on Election Day will have to fill out a provisional ballot, which will not be counted until several days after the election.
Questions? Call the election office at 402-441-7311. To check the status of early ballots, go to https://www.votercheck.necvr.ne.gov.
2023 Lincoln City Election Voter's Guide
We reached out to candidates before Lincoln's city election and asked them to provide biographical information and answer questions relevant to the offices they seek.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, a Democrat, faces former state Sen. Suzanne Geist, a Republican, in her run for a second term.
This year's city elections will put at least three new faces on the City Council, where the four seats which represent districts are on the ballot.
Because there are only two candidates in each district, all the Lincoln Board of Education candidates will advance from the April 4 primary to…
There are four candidates competing for two open seats on the Lincoln Airport Authority. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/election-commissioner-reminds-early-voters-to-return-their-ballots-ahead-of-city-election/article_f95ec7b8-e476-11ed-830b-278f15936183.html | 2023-04-27T02:29:21 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/elections/election-commissioner-reminds-early-voters-to-return-their-ballots-ahead-of-city-election/article_f95ec7b8-e476-11ed-830b-278f15936183.html |
Bloomington's Goat Farm Park soon to be renamed Rogers Family Park
The Sherman Rogers family donated the property known as Goat Farm Park, 31.5 acres on East Winslow Road, to the Bloomington Parks Foundation in 2007. The city has been working on improving the area to include walking trails, seating and an extension of the native prairie.
In addition to donating the property, the Rogers family gave an additional $1 million in 2021 and 2022 to fund improvements to the park.
The park is home to a barn and silo and a five-acre restored native prairie. The Jackson Creek Trail runs along the eastern edge, connecting the High Street multi-use path to the north with Sherwood Oaks Park and Olcott Park to the south.
New trails around and through the park are paved, and boardwalks on the southwest side of the park are complete. The highly visible red Goat Farm barn was re-roofed in October 2022 and also received new siding, soffit and fascia.
More:No goats, but lots of improvements at Bloomington park known as 'the goat farm'
In 2017, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the first five-acre section of native prairie replaced a field of fescue on the north end of the property. Since then, the prairie has been managed through the removal of woody plants and invasive species and periodic mowing. The current project includes a more than five-acre expansion of the native prairie to the south that has required mowing and killing existing vegetation, including invasive species, to re-establish native plants through reseeding.
In addition to the native prairie, the park provides multiple benefits for wildlife. Chimney swift and bluebird boxes provide nesting habitat, and prairie plants help strain flood debris and improve water quality in Jackson Creek. The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department also uses best management practices to maintain the protective vegetation on the banks of Jackson Creek, which runs along the eastern edge of the property.
The public art installation "FLEET/ing" by Jonathan Racek was installed in late March 2023. The new 10-space permeable paver parking area on the north end of the park, accessible via the Rogers/High/Winslow roundabout was expected to open this month.
As part of the overall goal of preserving the park as a passive, natural space, no overhead or parking lot lighting will be installed.
A ribbon cutting and re-naming ceremony of the park from the "Goat Farm" to "Rogers Family Park" with the Rogers family in attendance is tentatively planned for June. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/04/26/bloomingtons-goat-farm-park-soon-to-be-renamed-rogers-family-park/70147305007/ | 2023-04-27T02:32:01 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/04/26/bloomingtons-goat-farm-park-soon-to-be-renamed-rogers-family-park/70147305007/ |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A federal court has ordered Dauphin County to reverse its policy of banning political expression in public parks and pay $91,000, after kicking two men out of Fort Henry Park for passing out ballot petitions last June.
According to Kevin Gaughen, he was trying to help get Dave Kocur on the general election ballot, as a member of the upstart Keystone Party. He said they were approached by the director of Parks and Recreation and asked to leave.
“At the time, she was flanked by security guards and the implication was clear that if we didn’t get out, we would be arrested," said Gaughen, a former board member of the Keystone Party. "So, Dave and I left the park under protest.”
Conor Fitzpatrick with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression took on Dave and Kevin’s case and sued Dauphin County. According to Fitzpatrick, the county initially doubled down on the decision to kick the two men out of the park.
“We were stunned," said Fitzpatrick. "The law establishing the right to engage in First Amendment activity in public parks is so well settled and it’s been around for so long.”
On Wednesday, Federal Judge Christopher Connor said Dauphin County's policy banning political expression at the park was unconstitutional. In a statement to FOX43, Dauphin County said it settled the lawsuit with Gaughen and Kocur and agreed to a court order to lift its ban on political expression in public parks.
The county will also pay $91,000.
“This all could have been done for free, had Dauphin County done the right thing last year when we sent our letter," said Fitzpatrick. "They wouldn’t have had to pay anything.”
Gaughen says today’s announcement is not only a win for political candidates of all stripes but also for Dauphin County.
“There could’ve been a precedent that would develop, where local government could use deed restrictions to circumvent the Constitution," said Gaughen. "We felt we had to step in and had to do something about it before it got out of control.” | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county-ordered-pay-91k-political-candidate-fort-hunter-park/521-77de7687-701a-4e0a-b432-35d39c4e6350 | 2023-04-27T02:35:12 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county-ordered-pay-91k-political-candidate-fort-hunter-park/521-77de7687-701a-4e0a-b432-35d39c4e6350 |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The City of St. Petersburg announced the launch of a new shared electronic bike program in partnership with Lime to make it easier for people to travel across the downtown area.
There are 260 Lime Gen4 e-bikes available already and people can access them through the Lime app and Uber app platforms, the city said in a news release.
City officials say the recent program is an example of the city's commitment to investing in environmental technology and supporting its Pillars for Progress mission.
"Getting around Downtown St. Petersburg should be safe, affordable, easy, and convenient for our residents and visitors," St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said in a statement. "Lime's Gen4 e-bikes are smooth, eco-friendly, and comfortable.
"We're pleased to add this amenity as another green complement to the other modes of transit enjoyed by our residents and visitors like walking, e-scooters, the Downtown Looper and Central Avenue Trolley, and the SunRunner."
The new e-bikes from Lime include a phone holder, a new handlebar display, automatic two-speed transmission and a modular design.
"...the Gen4 e-bikes will provide riders with the smoothest and most environmentally friendly e-bike ride in Lime's history," the news release reads. "The most significant advancement is the swappable, interchangeable battery, which significantly enhances the efficiency and sustainability of our operations and improves vehicle availability for riders."
To learn more about the new e-bike program, click here. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/st-pete-lime-ebike-program/67-661aafb8-2502-4f4d-8cba-e015e5aeaa14 | 2023-04-27T02:46:15 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/st-pete-lime-ebike-program/67-661aafb8-2502-4f4d-8cba-e015e5aeaa14 |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Friday marks four weeks since two EF-3 tornadoes tore through Arkansas, leaving hundreds homeless.
The Arkansas Realtors Association (ARA) is creating temporary command centers to assist with house and rent payments and hotel rooms.
Agents from all corners of the state set up four locations to help Arkansas storm victims with their applications.
"This is just another opportunity for us as a profession to give back to our communities when they're in need," Mike Ford with the National Realtors Association said.
Here are the locations of the temporary command centers, which are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. until April 28:
- ARA Office: 11224 Executive Center Drive, Little Rock, Ark. 72211
- North Pulaski Board of REALTORS®: 3100 E. Kiehl Ave., Sherwood, Ark. 72120
- First United Methodist Church: 308 W Main St., Jacksonville, Ark 72076
- Cross County Chamber of Commerce: 1790 Falls Blvd. N #2, Wynne, Ark. 72396
To be considered, people will need to bring some form of ID, proof their home or apartment is destroyed and a lease document or utility bill to one of the four locations above.
If approved, the organization will hand out up to $2,000.
"Let's say their home was blown away and now they're living in an apartment or they're living in a hotel, we'll pay the hotel bill," Ford said.
The Arkansas Realtors Association is giving out $1 million to provide relief for tornado victims.
According to Ford, the money comes from the Realtor Relief Foundation, which is money set aside specifically for disaster aid.
The ARA noted that they'll still assist people who've lost all their documents.
"We've got computers and scanners to help you get that documentation," Ford said. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-realtors-association-giving-to-storm-victims/91-48a4e34e-026c-4821-949b-b581c3b9f2e4 | 2023-04-27T02:49:40 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-realtors-association-giving-to-storm-victims/91-48a4e34e-026c-4821-949b-b581c3b9f2e4 |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An Arkansas woman living in a hotel while waiting for tornado insurance assistance got a surprise visitor a few days ago.
Tikira Wallace has been adjusting to her new normal in a Little Rock hotel after her mother's apartment got hit by the tornado on March 31.
Especially after she unexpectedly gave birth at 39 weeks pregnant to her son Eiress on April 23rd.
"The apartment complex itself is bad. It tore people's vehicles up, it tore a lot of it up. It did some damage," Mother, Tikira Wallace said.
Just two days after the tornado, the Red Cross placed Wallace and her family in a hotel room.
"They got me a whole bunch of stuff. They've been very helpful," Wallace explained.
Wallace explained that she went to the hospital for a few hours on April 23 but got discharged because they didn't think the birth would happen that day.
After she returned to the hotel, the pain set in and she went into labor.
"Overall experience. It was crazy. I have a crazy story to tell my son... hey Mom where was I born? Son, you were born in a hotel," she described.
Wallace also did so without any pain medication.
"It's not as bad as I thought it would be. But it didn't feel good," she said.
Wallace said she's not sure how it would've gone if it weren't for her new friend, Shay Sockwell, who was also staying in the hotel because of the tornado.
"I was like, can you please not leave me and she held my hands and she kept me calm the whole time," she added.
Sockwell ended up delivering baby Eiress with assistance from paramedics.
"The last thing I wanted was for it to be something wrong. So my whole goal was to stay calm. We're gonna get this baby out of here and everything was gonna be good," Sockwell explained.
After just 4 pushes, Eiress was born.
"I didn't know what I was doing or how I was gonna get it done. But it got done," Wallace said.
Now, Sockwell and Wallace call each other family.
"I'm the god mom. So yes, it's my baby too," Sockwell said.
They're bonding every single day in the hotel.
"Once all this is over and we do get placed I'm still gonna stay in contact and we got this family stuck together we can't separate," she said.
"I have the perfect support system. I have everything that I need. I just feel like he's a blessing," Wallace said.
Wallace said she looks forward to making memories with her son in a more permanent place.
"I'm just ready to begin life again with my baby," she added.
Nurses with Red Cross have been checking on the first-time mother and baby, making sure everyone is healthy and has what they need.
If you've been impacted by the tornado and need some help, contact 1-800 Red Cross. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-woman-birth-hotel-tornado/91-99305470-1698-4d52-b2b5-bdbb5c2bf3fa | 2023-04-27T02:49:46 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/arkansas-woman-birth-hotel-tornado/91-99305470-1698-4d52-b2b5-bdbb5c2bf3fa |
Ryan Pew was the winning pitcher as the Lower Cape May Regional High School baseball team earned a 5-4 victory over Wildwood in a nonconference game Wednesday.
Three of the Caper Tigers' runs were scored on wild pitches.
Pew struck out two and allowed three hits in five innings. Evan Shoffler doubled and scored a run for Lower (7-2). Matt DiCave and Hunter Ray each had an RBI and a run. Evan Shoffler and Aydan Heacock each scored.
Ryan Troiano had three hits for the Warriors (6-4), who scored two runs in the seventh inning. Joey Mormile allowed just three hits and struck out two in five innings.
Middle Twp. 10, Cape May Tech 0: Andrew Nelson went 3 for 4 with a double, two runs and an RBI. Max Adelizzi had two runs and two RBIs. Thomas Germanio and Adam Radzieta each had two hits and two RBIs. Tyler McDevitt struck out five and allowed five hits in five innings. Vincent Povio and Greg Hrynoweski each scored a run.
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Shelton Marsden, Ronald Neenhold, Noah Clemens, Tanner Oliva and Hunter Urbaczewski each singled for Cape May Tech (5-6).
Pennsauken Tech 8, Bridgeton 2: Alvin DeJesus struck out 20 in a 105-pitch, complete game to earn the win. Jossuel Espinal went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and a run for Pennsauken Tech (4-6). For Bridgeton (2-13), Tyler Suppa went 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Zion Shields and Jeliel Rolon Quinones each scored once. Enrique Pantaleon struck out five in five innings, and Dominic Ketterer had three strikeouts. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/lower-cape-may-edges-wildwood-wednesdays-roundup/article_2ca2401c-e492-11ed-a92d-03dfa332f1d8.html | 2023-04-27T02:59:32 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/lower-cape-may-edges-wildwood-wednesdays-roundup/article_2ca2401c-e492-11ed-a92d-03dfa332f1d8.html |
Jack Walcoff scored four goals and added an assist to lead theMainland RegionalHigh School boys lacrosse team to a 17-2 victory over Absegami in a Cape-Atlantic League American Division game Wednesday.
Harrison LaMonica and Jude Maurer each scored three for the Mustangs (7-1). Joe DeGaetano had five assists and scored once. Jack Venneman added three assists and scored once. Maurer added two assists.
Ryan Merryfield, Brian Keenan and Luke Hall each scored once. Anthony Marinelli made three saves.
Daniel Murphy and Shawn 'Brien each scored for Absegami (1-6).
Barnegat 4, Point Pleasant Borough 3: Brian Orio, Robert Trapanese and Spencer Knapp each scored for Point Pleasant (6-2). Colin Cole made 12 saves. The Bengals (8-2) led 3-2 after three quarters. No further information was available.
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Middle Twp. 16, Atlantic City 0: Matthew Brock had five ground balls and won five faceoffs for the Vikings (0-5). Carlo Reyes made 16 saves. The Panthers improved to 4-5. No further information was available. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/mainland-boys-roll-past-absegami-wednesdays-roundup/article_8a0c8aa4-e493-11ed-9fdd-dbe7270ffc42.html | 2023-04-27T02:59:38 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/mainland-boys-roll-past-absegami-wednesdays-roundup/article_8a0c8aa4-e493-11ed-9fdd-dbe7270ffc42.html |
Check out these top stories and more in The Times and nwi.com.
Plan for appointed Gary school board headed to governor's desk: https://bit.ly/3LtBSCT
PNW chancellor will leave position next spring; search for replacement to begin soon: https://bit.ly/3L8Ksqm
Opponents assured they still have time to challenge controversial VU art sale: https://bit.ly/3VaGFNC
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Video provided in partnership with The Times, JEDtv and WJOB. Sponsored by Strack & Van Til. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/219-news-now-plan-for-appointed-gary-school-board-headed-to-governors-desk/article_258c44d8-a1a4-5596-8665-44d413e4cb57.html | 2023-04-27T03:03:42 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/219-news-now-plan-for-appointed-gary-school-board-headed-to-governors-desk/article_258c44d8-a1a4-5596-8665-44d413e4cb57.html |
TUCSON, Ariz. — The Good Book was showing up in the wrong places - under seat cushions, in a fridge.
A hidden camera inside a private Capitol lounge for lawmakers busted Biblegate wide open.
Video shows Democratic Rep. Stephanie Stahl Hamilton of Tucson picking up and hiding the two Bibles on tables in the members-only space adjacent to the House of Representatives.
Stahl Hamilton apologized on the House floor Wednesday after the video went public.
The ordained Presbyterian minister said she was trying to make a point about the separation of church and state.
"The intent was never to be destructive. To never desecrate or to offend," Stahl Hamilton said in a 90-second statement while surrounded by fellow Democrats.
"I recognize that my actions could have been seen as something less than playful and offensive... For those of you who I have deeply offended, I apologize."
According to Republican House Speaker Ben Toma's spokesman, a camera was installed in the Members' Lounge in late March in consultation with the House sergeant at arms after the Bibles disappeared.
The camera was taken down after Stahl Hamilton was identified two weeks ago.
Before the apology, Republican Rep. Lupe Diaz, a Benson pastor, gave a brief sermon and led a prayer with fellow Republicans.
"The Bible is commonly known as God's love letter to humanity," he said.
Diaz said Stahl Hamilton's apology was a first step.
"Anytime you break trust - and there was trust broken - trust can be regained," he said in an interview. "That's one of the things that we'll be looking for - regaining the trust."
Democratic House Leader Andres Cano also has trust issues -- with Republicans.
"Are the cameras now in the bathrooms?" he said. "Are the cameras now in our offices? Is my office bugged with audio at this very moment?"
Tensions over the place of religion in the Legislature go back at least a decade.
In 2016, an atheist lawmaker gave a secular invocation during his personal speaking time after the daily prayer that starts every daily session.
The House majority leader then adopted a policy that a prayer had to refer to God.
In 2019, another Democratic House member was ridiculed when she delivered a secular invocation.
The two Bibles were placed in the House lounge decades ago, according to House Republican spokesman Andrew Wilder.
Should they be there?
"Being a constitutional conservative means that we need to go back to the foundational principles ... of our country, and it was based on the Bible," Diaz said.
"I'm great with that."
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Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-lawmaker-stephanie-stahl-hamilton-caught-on-video-hiding-bibles-at-capitol/75-0784f8f1-6d13-4bbe-aba9-3a6a2c898ace | 2023-04-27T03:03:46 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-lawmaker-stephanie-stahl-hamilton-caught-on-video-hiding-bibles-at-capitol/75-0784f8f1-6d13-4bbe-aba9-3a6a2c898ace |
WHITING —Construction is expected to start this year on 10 single-family homes to be built on the 1600 and 1700 blocks of Center Street.
Mayor Steve Spebar said a contract has been approved with Sand and Shores Development, LLC, to construct the homes on land that had been acquired by the city. Dependable Services, LLC, will serve as the general contractor. Both are Munster-based groups.
The plan had been to have two developers each build five homes, but Spebar said another developer backed out.
Spebar said the city’s Redevelopment Commission has also approved a request for proposals for four city-owned lots on Schrage Avenue between 121st Street and Steiber Street.
“They will be marketed for ranch homes,” Spebar said.
The mayor said people commonly ask about the possibility of building ranch homes in the city.
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“I think this is an excellent opportunity to provide land for this,” Spebar said. “Those particular lots are narrow but they’re also some of the deepest in town.”
In other city news:
* Spebar said work on revetment (the rocks along the shoreline used to break wave action) started in mid-April and is expected to conclude by the end of May.
“There will be restrictions on walking on the boardwalk during that time,” Spebar said.
The mayor said the project is being paid for through funds received by the city from a lawsuit for work improperly done at the site.
“It protects our shoreline for years to come,” Spebar said.
* The Whiting Hispanic Heritage Organization (WHHO) will hold a Cinco De Mayo Celebration from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on May 5 at the Mascot Hall of Fame, 1851 Front St.
The cost for the fundraiser is $30 and includes Mariachi music, a buffet-style dinner featuring Mexican food and a cash bar. Tickets can be purchased at Rebeca’s Hair Salon, 1544 119th. St., or by emailing WhitingHHO@gmail.com.
The mission of WHHO is to serve the Hispanic/Latino community by organizing cultural events and facilitating resources.
WHHO plans to award its first scholarship at the May 5 event.
An application deadline of Friday has been set for Whiting students of Hispanic origin to be eligible for the $10,000 scholarship to help attend a college or trade school. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/whiting-home-building-plan-takes-shape/article_b468a586-e46f-11ed-97ea-b3fc1bb7e72a.html | 2023-04-27T03:03:48 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/whiting-home-building-plan-takes-shape/article_b468a586-e46f-11ed-97ea-b3fc1bb7e72a.html |
ARIZONA, USA — Funding for the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System is uncertain right now as AHCCCS needs legislators to reach an agreement to spend $1.6 billion to cover expenses through the end of June.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of people in the state's Medicaid program has increased by more than a third to 2.5 million members.
AHCCCS asked the legislature in a letter to allow them to spend more than $3.3 billion dollars through June and half of the money was funded last month.
"We're talking about two million Arizonans, you know roughly are what's on AHCCCS, so our businesses' ability to take care of them and how we pay for that is up in the air right now," Danny Seiden, president and CEO of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, said. "Because of both the governor's office and the legislature not coming together and recognizing this is a priority needs to get done right now."
Leaders on both sides of the aisle agree that AHCCCS needs the money.
Republicans want it to be included as part of the state budget. Petersen said supplemental funding for AHCCCS was included in a budget that Democratic Governor Katie Hobbs already vetoed.
"We're ready to do it today. The Republicans are literally ready to do it today. We're ready to put a budget on her desk today, but we're waiting on her and we're waiting on the Democratic caucus," Petersen said.
Arizona Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein (D-District 12) said the authorization doesn't need to be a part of the budget process but could be a standalone bill.
"There are sick people in hospitals who need this money. There is no reason to wait for a budget to do this; we do not need to negotiate this as part of the budget," Epstein said.
Petersen said the budget talks are ongoing and believe the funding could still come through as part of the state budget.
"Ideally, the budget process is the way to resolve this problem. So that's what I'm talking to them about right now. If that's not an option, we can talk about alternatives," Petersen said.
Still, hospitals and healthcare providers are left wondering what's next.
"We have hospitals saying, 'What do I tell my CEO?' They're trying to understand, 'How much upfront costs we're gonna have to make?' and that's a big concern to them," Seiden said.
While AHCCCS has not responded to 12News requests for an interview or comment, Seiden said he's seen the legislature make arrangements on this before both in the budget and as a standalone bill.
"Right now, a deadline passes and everyone's quiet; everyone's playing the blame game. That's not helpful. What's helpful is just getting this done," Seiden said.
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Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizonas-medicaid-program-running-out-of-money/75-ca727cb4-7d3e-494d-8a21-2aee5532e723 | 2023-04-27T03:03:52 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizonas-medicaid-program-running-out-of-money/75-ca727cb4-7d3e-494d-8a21-2aee5532e723 |
PHOENIX — State investigators are looking for individuals who may have been medically treated by a man impersonating a doctor.
Jose Andres Lopez, 40, has been indicted for 48 felony counts of fraud, forgery, identity theft, and computer tampering. Some of the charges accuse Lopez of stealing the identity of a doctor in Lake Havasu City and forging electronic prescriptions.
Lopez is not a licensed physician, the AG's office said.
The alleged offenses occurred between 2017 and 2021, according to Lopez's indictment.
The Arizona Attorney General's Office said Wednesday they're looking for individuals who may have received medical treatments from Lopez at the Institute for Male Health and Performance in Mohave County.
The defendant may have used the title “Dr. Joseph Lopez.” Anyone with information about the defendant can contact the AG's office at 928-778-7463.
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12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/victims-treated-fake-arizona-doctor-fraud-forgery-kris-mayes/75-a2720df8-d39a-488f-9151-aa2692eba8f8 | 2023-04-27T03:03:58 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/victims-treated-fake-arizona-doctor-fraud-forgery-kris-mayes/75-a2720df8-d39a-488f-9151-aa2692eba8f8 |
PHOENIX — Firefighters saved a dog from a burning house in north Phoenix Wednesday afternoon.
According to the Phoenix Fire Department, the fire happened near 16th Street and Peoria Avenue.
Capt. Todd Keller, the public information officer for the department, said crews arrived to find flames and smoke coming out of the back of the house.
They were told the owner's dog was trapped inside.
Firefighters found the dog in a back bedroom and were able to rescue him from the fire.
"Firefighters were able to locate the animal in a back bedroom and bring him to safety," said Keller. "A ladder company was sent to the roof for vertical ventilation."
Three people have been displaced by the fire. No injuries were reported, according to Keller.
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Stay connected by downloading the 12News app, available on Google Play and the Apple Store. Catch up on any stories you missed on the show on the 12News Youtube channel. Read content curated for our Spanish-speaking audience on the Español page. Or see us on the 12News Plus app available on Roku or Amazon Fire. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/dog-rescued-from-burning-house-phoenix/75-9993d82d-c36f-457d-abf2-100a4dc10a3a | 2023-04-27T03:04:05 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/dog-rescued-from-burning-house-phoenix/75-9993d82d-c36f-457d-abf2-100a4dc10a3a |
BLOOMINGTON — Bloomington District 87 welcomed back two returning board members and seated two new ones for the coming term Wednesday night.
Incumbents Veleda Harvey and Mark Wylie and newcomer Courtney Turnbull were recently elected to the school board in a regular election earlier this month, and Cathy Lust was appointed to an existing vacancy last week by Regional Superintendent Mark Jontry.
While campaigning for election, all four candidates had positive things to say about each other, and Mark Wylie, whose presidential term ended Wednesday, said he'd be happy to serve with all of them.
Outgoing board member James Almeda did not seek reelection.
"It will be weird sitting without you, Jim. You will be missed," Wylie said before presenting Almeda with a small gift.
Turnbull and Lust were then invited to be seated on the board, and the four members took the oath of office.
At the end of the regular meeting, the board elected new officers. Elizabeth Fox-Anvick and Chuck Irwin were unanimously elected as board president and vice-president respectively.
Fox-Anvick said her main goal as president was "keeping the continuity. This is an amazing board. We work really well; we communicate really well. So I don't have any plans on changing."
Wilma Gleason was reappointed as secretary, and Michael Cornale was re-appointed as treasurer. Both are for one-year terms.
Other business included approving the purchase of new curricular material, purchasing furniture for Bloomington Junior High School and renovations to the locker rooms at Bloomington High School.
This story will be updated.
The bus, which has been touring the Midwest for 20 years, features topics covering American and German relations and this year talks about Climate Change
Photos: Illinois State University alumna Jane Lynch
Founders Day 2017
Illinois State University alumna Jane Lynch addresses a capacity crowd after she was presented with an honorary degree during the Founders Day Convocation Thursday, Feb. 16, 2017, at Bone Student Center.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Founders Day 2017
Even academics have their heroes. Illinois State University Vice President for Student Affairs Levester Johnson, President Larry Dietz and former President David Strand were eager to grab a selfie with famous alumna Jane Lynch on Feb. 16, 2017. The photo op came shortly before Lynch was presented with an honorary degree during the Founders Day Convocation.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Founders Day 2017
Illinois State University assistant professors Tera Galloway, left, and Tina Thompson, right, pose for a photo with ISU alumnus Jane Lynch before ISU presented her with an honorary degree during the Founders Day Convocation on Feb. 16, 2017, at Bone Student Center.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Founders Day 2017
Illinois State University President Larry Dietz, left, and Board of Trustees Chairman Rocky Donahue place an academic hood on the shoulders of ISU alumnus Jane Lynch while presenting her with an honorary degree during the Founders Day Convocation on Feb. 16, 2017, at Bone Student Center.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Illinois Broadcasters Association
Jane Lynch pretends to be a TV reporter for ISU's TV10 News prior to being inducted into the Illinois Broadcasters Association hall of fame on Oct. 25, 2022, in Normal.
D. Jack Alkire
Illinois Broadcasters Association
Jane Lynch, actor, comedian, TV host and ISU grad, was inducted into the Illinois Broadcasters Association hall of fame Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022.
D. Jack Alkire
Jane Lynch, 2022
A number of promotional images featuring actress Jane Lynch are part of an Illinois tourism campaign that launched in April 2022.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Jane Lynch, 2003
The cast of the film "The Mighty Wind," standing from left, Christopher Guest, Eugene Levy, Michael McKean, John Michael Higgins, Fred Willard, and, seated, Bob Balaban, Jane Lynch, and Harry Shearer, amuse themselves during a photo shoot March 21, 2003, in Beverly Hills, Calif.
KEVORK DJANSEZIAN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jane Lynch, 2009
Jane Lynch, right, is applauded by production members on the show after she received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television for her role in "Glee," at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2009.
CHRIS PIZZELLO, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jane Lynch, 2010
Jane Lynch accepts the award for outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series for her work in "Glee" during the 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards Sunday, Aug. 29, 2010, in Los Angeles.
CHRIS CARLSON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jane Lynch, 2019
Actress and pet advocate Jane Lynch shares a moment with her furry friend, Snoopy, as she uses Banfield Pet Hospital's new telehealth tool, Vet Chat, on Tuesday, June 4, 2019 in New York.
DIANE BONDAREFF, INVISION FOR BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL
Jane Lynch, 2019
Jane Lynch accepts the award for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, "Vote For Kennedy, Vote For Kennedy," on night two of the Television Academy's 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
PHIL MCCARTEN, INVISION FOR THE TELEVISION ACADEMY VIA AP
Jane Lynch, 2022
Jared Grimes, from left, Ramin Karimloo, Beanie Feldstein and Jane Lynch appear on stage during the Broadway opening night curtain call of "Funny Girl" at the August Wilson Theatre on Sunday, April 24, 2022, in New York.
GREG ALLEN, INVISION VIA AP
Jane Lynch, Cubs
Actress Jane Lynch practices throwing before she threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
MATT MARTON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jane Lynch, Cubs
Actress Jane Lynch throws out a ceremonial first pitch before the baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
MATT MARTON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jane Lynch, Cubs
Actress Jane Lynch blows a kiss to fans before she threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
MATT MARTON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jane Lynch, Cubs
Actress Jane Lynch waves to fans before she threw out a ceremonial first pitch before the baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds in Chicago, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022.
MATT MARTON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Contact D. Jack Alkire at (309) 820-3275.
Twitter: @d_jack_alkire
Want to see more like this?
Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/bloomington-district-87-reorganizes-board-after-election/article_410cd212-e490-11ed-87fc-e322c961e0f1.html | 2023-04-27T03:06:41 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/bloomington-district-87-reorganizes-board-after-election/article_410cd212-e490-11ed-87fc-e322c961e0f1.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Portland City Council unanimously approved body-worn cameras for Portland police on Wednesday after years of delays.
In situations where there’s an officer involved in a deadly shooting or an in-custody death, officers must first provide a recorded statement before they can review the video. Their statement must include details such as what they saw and what they did – from de-escalation to use of force.
When they are interviewed by Internal Affairs, after an initial statement, there can be a break where the investigator and the involved officer view the video in separate rooms, then continue with the interview.
The first two divisions that will get training and cameras are 100 Central Precinct, with more than 100 officers, and the Focused Intervention Team, which are officers working to stop gun violence.
Police tell KOIN 6 News they expect all officers will likely have body cameras by the end of 2023 if the city and the police union decide the two-month pilot project went well. | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/body-worn-cameras-for-portland-police-receive-final-approval-from-city-council/ | 2023-04-27T03:11:07 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/body-worn-cameras-for-portland-police-receive-final-approval-from-city-council/ |
The Flagstaff softball team is playoff-bound.
The No. 15 Eagles defeated No. 18 Arcadia 11-5 at home in the 4A Conference play-in round Wednesday at Flagstaff High School, giving them an automatic berth into the playoff bracket beginning Saturday.
Flagstaff softball beats Arcadia 11-5 in the 4A play-in. Eagles will play an opponent to be named later on Saturday in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/tOPMAZDueh
— Eric Newman (@enewmanwrites) April 27, 2023
Flagstaff (15-4, 9-3 Grand Canyon) turned the tide after a difficult stretch of hitting in the past few weeks. They lost three of their last four region games, and didn’t make consistent contact, but scored enough to cruise past the Titans in an important contest.
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“We weren’t in our heads this game. We didn’t let some of the nerves overcome us and just got contact on the ball,” senior Gracie Schmitz said.
Schmitz was one of the Eagles’ most efficient hitters, going 3 for 4 at the plate with four RBIs and a two-run home run. Eight of Flagstaff’s nine starting batters reached base at least once.
Junior Gianna Baca went 2 for 2 with two walks and three runs. Senior Danica Wilson went 2 for 3 with two runs, an RBI, one steal and one walk, and junior Kamya June went 3 for 4 with an RBI, a run and a triple.
The win was rewarding for the Eagles, but not just because it extended their season. Wednesday’s contest was also likely the last home game of the season.
“I’m not going on to play ball after high school, so this could technically have been my last game in high school,” Schmitz said. "So I’m grateful that we were able to overcome that and all the nerves, and then we came out on top. It makes me excited for what we can do next.”
“These girls have put in some good time. With all the weather and adversity we’ve had, we haven’t really played that much here. But they overcame a lot of stuff and got a win for the seniors in their last game here to end on a positive note,” assistant manager Rudy Baca added.
The game was a battle in the first few innings. There were clear nerves in the opening frames, though Schmitz hit an RBI single, scoring Baca, to give the Eagles a 1-0 advantage.
Her first hit pacified her emotions a bit.
“It’s telling myself, ‘You’re good enough to win, but instead of doing everything at once you need to just settle down and do one little thing at a time,’ so I was able to calm down,” Schmitz said.
Then, on her second at-bat, in the bottom of the third inning, the Titans led 2-1. Baca had reached base on a single, and was standing at second base after junior Olivia Lanssens hit a sacrifice bunt.
Schmitz teed up on a high pitch, nailing it easily over the wall in left field.
“It felt really good right away,” Schmitz said, smiling.
The Titans responded well, though. Flagstaff freshman pitcher Kailee Culwell relieved Baca in the top of the fourth inning. She looked a bit unsure in the pitcher’s circle in the first Arcadia at-bats, playing her first postseason game, and gave up two runs to give the Titans a 4-3 lead.
However, after a troubling inning, Culwell took control of the game. She allowed just one more run in the final three innings.
“She came in and, even though she was a little rusty at first, settled in really well and got in a groove. Then she looked good from there,” Baca said.
Culwell helped her own cause in the bottom of the fourth inning, hitting an RBI single to score June and tie the score at 4-4. Then Lanssens hit a single, scoring junior Keeley Callander, to take a 5-4 lead the Eagles would never lose.
Flagstaff added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, and four in the bottom of the sixth to blow open the game.
“I thought, with Kailee on the mound and the way our defense was playing, that it solidified the win for us,” Baca said.
The Titans, needing six runs in the top of the seventh inning to extend the game, loaded the bases with two outs.
Culwell drew a ground ball from the final batter, fielded it easily and fired the ball to Schmitz at first base to secure the victory.
“It was relieving,” Schmitz said. “Knowing we came out on top and getting that last out was great.”
The Eagles will play a road game Saturday in the first round of the playoffs. Their opponent will be announced later this week. | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/flagstaff-wins-play-in-softball-game-over-arcadia-wednesday/article_d4cb77e8-e4a3-11ed-95c4-1f6acf275a8e.html | 2023-04-27T03:11:14 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/flagstaff-wins-play-in-softball-game-over-arcadia-wednesday/article_d4cb77e8-e4a3-11ed-95c4-1f6acf275a8e.html |
TWIN FALLS — One more urgent care facility will open Monday, and it's another step in the right direction when it comes to health care accessibility, an owner says.
Idaho ranks low when it comes to health care, with one survey putting it as eighth-worst in the nation.
A main reason is its mostly rural population and “basically the access,” said Kyle James, part owner of Urgent Care of Idaho. “We just don’t have much.”
But the brightly colored facility at 1309 Blue Lakes Blvd. N., formerly Tomato’s Italian Grill, will open next week and is expected to take another bite out of the accessibility issues in Twin Falls and will reduce wait times for patients.
“It’s one more location, one more access point,” James said, adding that urgent care centers can help the large majority of people needing medical attention.
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James' father, Dennis, was the driving force behind the clinics. He wasn’t a doctor but an entrepreneur who saw a need. He died in 2015, but the family is carrying on his mission to help people, said his wife, Dee Ann, also a part owner of the business.
“I was living in Boise where urgent cares were common,” James said, “but we just didn’t have them in southern Idaho.”
A building was available in Burley, and the first center, River View Urgent Care, opened in 2012.
“We found a lot of communities were in the same boat as Burley,” James said.
A hundred people gathered at the Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting Wednesday. James told them it was his father who suggested opening multiple facilities.
“'We need to go to Jerome,'" James said his father told him. "'There is a huge need to fill,' and soon after we came to Twin.”
Good medical teams were hired, and "we handled the business side and let them handle the medicine side," James told the Times-News in a later interview.
The first Twin Falls location opened on Addison Avenue in 2016.
Sean Christensen, regional manager, puts it bluntly when he describes the purpose of urgent care centers.
“If you cut your hand and need some stitches, we can help you,” Christensen said. “If you cut your finger off, you need to go to an emergency room."
Urgent care centers aren't meant to be primary care physicians, however, and can't manage a person's diabetes or high blood pressure, for example. Chest pain and deep lacerations are examples of maladies that need to be checked out in emergency rooms, but a survey shows that about 94% of medical problems can be treated at urgent care centers, Kyle said.
And it will help take the edge off of wait times in Twin Falls.
“The goal is to get people in and out quickly,” Christensen said.
In addition, Urgent Care will offer occupational health, providing drug screening and physicals. It also has an X-ray machine.
Open seven days a week, it will employ 12 people. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/2nd-urgent-care-in-twin-falls-set-to-open-next-week/article_816e68ba-e48c-11ed-8d78-539ec64026f5.html | 2023-04-27T03:12:40 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/2nd-urgent-care-in-twin-falls-set-to-open-next-week/article_816e68ba-e48c-11ed-8d78-539ec64026f5.html |
A 38-year-old man died Wednesday afternoon after falling from the Snake River Canyon rim, police say.
The man, who has not been identified, slipped and fell into the canyon at about 2 p.m. at Federation Point, where a car plunged over the canyon rim earlier this month, Twin Falls Police Lt. Craig Stotts said.
It appears that the man was trying to get a look at the car in the canyon, Stotts said.
Someone with the man called 911. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/man-dies-after-falling-into-snake-river-canyon/article_930cedbc-e4a0-11ed-960c-672d822ae286.html | 2023-04-27T03:12:46 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/man-dies-after-falling-into-snake-river-canyon/article_930cedbc-e4a0-11ed-960c-672d822ae286.html |
INDIANAPOLIS — The Federal Emergency Management Agency and other officials have announced the opening of two new disaster recovery centers to help people impacted by storms that hit the area on March 31 and April 1.
The centers are located at the Morgan County Fairgrounds at 1749 Hospital Dr. in Martinsville, and at 999 N. Front St. in Whiteland.
FEMA, the U.S. Small Business Administration and representative of state agencies will be present to help with applications, answer questions and make referrals to various resources.
The centers will be open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
FEMA plans to open more recovery centers soon, but said residents of Allen, Benton, Clinton, Grant, Howard, Johnson, Lake, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullivan, and White counties can visit any open center for help.
You can find a location near you by clicking here.
You can also apply for FEMA assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by using the FEMA App. You can also call 800-621-3362. Video relay service and captioned telephone service is also available.
The application deadline is June 14, 2023. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/fema-opens-morgan-johnson-county-disaster-recovery-centers-sba-state-officials/531-b1ac0e4a-6262-4d72-ba64-cfc545eacfde | 2023-04-27T03:13:21 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/fema-opens-morgan-johnson-county-disaster-recovery-centers-sba-state-officials/531-b1ac0e4a-6262-4d72-ba64-cfc545eacfde |
NUANGOLA, Pa. — Three people were sent to the hospital after a crash on Interstate 81 in Luzerne County.
It happened around 8 p.m. on Interstate 81 North near the Nuangola exit.
One vehicle had to be pulled out of an embankment.
Traffic went from three lanes to one while crews worked to clear the crash.
Want to see what Newswatch 16's newscast was like in 1976? Head on over to WNEP's YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/three-sent-to-hospital-after-crash-on-interstate-81-nuangola-exit-wnep-luzerne-county/523-87d20ce5-3a65-4452-9a3a-158b9219cfa8 | 2023-04-27T03:13:57 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/three-sent-to-hospital-after-crash-on-interstate-81-nuangola-exit-wnep-luzerne-county/523-87d20ce5-3a65-4452-9a3a-158b9219cfa8 |
DANVILLE, Pa. — Founded in 1915, Geisinger has been serving communities like Danville in Montour County for more than 100 years.
When news broke early Wednesday morning of the company's sale to a California-based nonprofit, residents like Tammy Keister were shocked.
"I was kind of stunned to hear about it," she said. "I hope it all works out for the best, I really do."
Keister says so many people she knows rely on the hospital for medical aid and to make a living.
"It's just been around forever. I don't know of anyone that doesn't go there, they use the facility, they use the hospital, it has saved many lives," she added.
Geisinger officials say this change will not affect any of the more than 24,000 staff.
It would also keep patient's health care the same.
"We don't plan on any changes and can't envision changes. You know, the care that they get from us, they can expect the same regardless of insurance company they'll still coming to Geisinger for the care," said Dr. Jaewon Ryu, Geisinger President, and CEO.
"They are one of the biggest hospitals around. They do a good job, but I just hope it stays that way," said Tim of Lewisburg.
For Tim, the change is worrying when it comes to thinking long-term.
"When somebody buys them out, it's that way for a little bit, and then they go and change things," he said.
Gale Hoffman of Shamokin Dam says no matter who owns the hospital, patient care needs to be the priority.
"Probably the care that people get, I would think. I've known other businesses that have sold out, and it hasn't gone real well," Hoffman said.
This transaction is subject to state and federal regulatory review, the organizations hope to finalize that process over the next several months.
Want to see what Newswatch 16's newscast was like in 1976? Head on over to WNEP's YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/montour-county/residents-hope-staff-and-patients-unaffected-by-geisinger-announcement-dr-jaewon-ryu-wnep/523-fd804b22-da5f-4e21-ae11-1f4e4329373e | 2023-04-27T03:14:03 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/montour-county/residents-hope-staff-and-patients-unaffected-by-geisinger-announcement-dr-jaewon-ryu-wnep/523-fd804b22-da5f-4e21-ae11-1f4e4329373e |
ODESSA, Texas — For years, every officer with the Odessa Police Department has been able to carry Narcan, the drug that treats overdoses.
That is possible thanks to the Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
"We have a great relationship with the Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse," said Cpl. Steve LeSueur, OPD community relations officer. "We meet with them on a monthly basis. They donated Narcan to every single OPD officer a few years ago, and they recently gave us more cases, so every OPD officer does carry Narcan on them, so it is great to have."
According to LeSueur, with so many officers responding to overdoes, many lives have been saved.
“It is something, we’ve had a lot of success using it, because as officers, we do respond to overdoses on a regular basis, and we just never know," said LeSueur. "You always have to treat it as worst case scenario, so the Narcan is very beneficial."
While LeSueur doesn't know exactly how many lives the treatment has saved, he said it is well worth the effort.
"If we can just save one life, that’s worth it, and it’s been very effective so far, so we’ve had a lot of success," said LeSueur. "Don’t know how many lives it has saved, but we have had officers who received training on it, and we continue to receive training as well."
It is a good thing that Narcan is saving lives. However, he expressed that the best prevention comes before it gets this far.
"The best advice is don’t do it to begin with," said LeSueur. "Have those talks with your kids. It's so important to be on the same page with your kids, because a lot of times these teenagers, they're taking drugs thinking that it’s one specific drug, and they don’t realize it has fentanyl in it, that it’s laced with fentanyl, and all it takes is one time. It’s something we take very serious." | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-police-success-narcan/513-fe6f8fc8-786c-4bb8-813c-23b90217f1c9 | 2023-04-27T03:16:43 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-police-success-narcan/513-fe6f8fc8-786c-4bb8-813c-23b90217f1c9 |
Melvin Wilford Quale, 86, of Twin Falls died Wednesday, April 26, 2023, at his home. Arrangements are under the care of Parke’s Magic Valley Funeral Home, Twin Falls.
DeWitt Moss, 85, of Jerome died Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Goodyear, Arizona. Arrangements are under the care of Farnsworth Mortuary & Crematory, Jerome.
Antonio Ruvalcaba, 51, of Rupert died Friday, April 21, 2023. Arrangements are under the care of Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary, Rupert. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/article_62b73270-e451-11ed-a4ba-b38922825eb6.html | 2023-04-27T03:17:01 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/article_62b73270-e451-11ed-a4ba-b38922825eb6.html |
FORT WORTH, Texas — Carlos Aybar worked at The Marq. He lived at The Marq.
And he was loved by The Marq.
“Thank you for being our hero,” a resident of the complex wrote on a poster hanging on the complex’s door.
“I’ll never forget you,” wrote another.
Aybar was a maintenance worker at the luxury apartment complex in the 700 block of Arch Adams Lane in Fort Worth’s cultural district.
He was shot and killed in the front office on April 21.
A fellow resident, 29-year-old Devin Deron Smith, is charged with murder.
“I want justice, justice for my son. Please! Justice!” cried Aybar’s mother, Rachel Canelon in her native Spanish.
Canelon and other family members stood in front of The Marq to speak publicly for the first time Wednesday evening.
“Legally I have rights and I’m going to use them,” Caelon said.
The family has hired Fort Worth based attorneys James Trujillo and Ramon Gonzalez.
Trujillo said the family is considering legal action because he’s found residents who had previously complained to complex management about the suspect’s conduct and about his dog.
The Marq did not respond to WFAA’s call and email seeking information.
Aybar was called to the office by a colleague who police say was being confronted by Smith after the complex had ordered him to move out.
When Aybar came to help his colleague, police say Smith shot and killed him.
“It’s my position they should have started the eviction process months ago,” Trujillo said. “This is a simple case of too little too late.”
The mother of Aybar’s 4-year-old son, Gabriela Perdomo, said she began to worry when Aybar was late meeting her to take the boy to a park.
“I called him and called him.” Perdomo said through tears. “He never answered. Because he was dead.”
The family is also upset over what they call a “ridiculous” low bond for Smith.
It’s set at $150,000.
“Which means he only needs $15,000 to post bail,” said his aunt, Rebeca Carelon-Diaz.
“Carlos is no longer among us. The victim of a heinous, senseless act of violence at his workplace,” she said.
Aybar was a man full of dreams, Perdomo said. Now they’re all in a nightmare.
“He’s such a good guy. And he got killed over a dog? Just because you got mad? He doesn’t deserve that,” she said.
“Someone took his life. Why? Why?” she asked. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/family-of-maintenance-worker-killed-fort-worth-apartment-complex-demands-justice/287-db4a3326-1e21-45f7-8dc8-97bcabc53243 | 2023-04-27T03:21:35 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/family-of-maintenance-worker-killed-fort-worth-apartment-complex-demands-justice/287-db4a3326-1e21-45f7-8dc8-97bcabc53243 |
FORT WORTH, Texas — Two children who were playing outside Wednesday evening have been hospitalized after lightning struck a nearby tree, officials in Fort Worth said.
The Fort Worth Fire Department responded to Iron Ridge Drive, near West Risinger Road and Interstate 35W, around 6:30 p.m.
According to the department, two school-aged children were playing in their front yard when lightning struck a nearby tree, causing them to be hit by an energy shock.
Neighbors and a close family friend told WFAA the boys' ages were 13 and 7.
The yard they were playing in wasn't theirs but belonged to a family friend.
"It doesn't appear at this time that they were physically struck by the lightning but in close enough proximity to the tree that the electrical charge took them both down to the ground according to neighbors who witnessed it," the fire department told WFAA.
Both children were transported to Cook Children's Medical Center and were listed in critical condition, according to officials. The fire department said both of them were responsive while in the ambulance.
A family friend, the owner of the yard the boys were playing in, told WFAA the pair are doing fine and are expected to recover.
While there were no storms in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in the early evening hours, severe storms happening in the southern counties of North Texas were producing lightning 40 to 50 miles away from the storm. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/two-children-hospitalized-fort-worth-lightning-strikes-tree-they-were-near/287-9f0e94e9-0c59-41f9-ab44-54fc11287743 | 2023-04-27T03:21:41 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/two-children-hospitalized-fort-worth-lightning-strikes-tree-they-were-near/287-9f0e94e9-0c59-41f9-ab44-54fc11287743 |
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For the second time in as many months, a group has come forward to announce a project to bring indoor athletic center to Midland.
On Tuesday, officials connected with the Bush Tennis Center told the Midland City Council of their intentions to build “The Bush ACE Athletic Center” next to the Bush Tennis Center in northwest Midland.
The $9 million complex will include five indoor basketball courts, a 50-yard indoor turf field, a track and a “12,000 square-foot, high-performance training facility designed by Lance Hooton.”
Bush Tennis Center officials said Tuesday they have talked to the Midland Development Corp. about an incentive that would be similar to the one the council is expected to approve for City of Midland Aquatics for promotion and marketing at its next meeting in May.
The announcement came less than a month after the Midland City Council approved a land lease that will allow the Midland Athletic Syndicate to build a $30 million indoor athletic facility at the Scharbauer Sports Complex.
Tim Stallard of the Bush Tennis Center said the minute the ACE Athletic Center opens it will be close to 80% occupancy, because “we have already met with MISD, we have partnerships with Trinity, the IDEA school coming on, Midland Christian,” he said. Stallard also is excited about the opportunity to have multiple indoor centers to add to Midland’s facilities roster.
“It will give us a chance to partner with them and bring bigger tournaments (to Midland),” Stallard said.
Stallard reminded the Midland City Council about the success of the Bush Tennis Center, including its partnerships with nonprofits, its 565 memberships, the USTA and college tournaments and tennis events with professional players. He said construction of a pro shop will be finished in two months and future plans include the construction of indoor clay courts and hard courts.
Adjacent to the Bush Tennis Center is the $4.5 million Chris Davidson Opportunity Park, which was designed for all children regardless of physical challenges. | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/bush-tennis-center-announces-plans-indoor-17920417.php | 2023-04-27T03:26:59 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/bush-tennis-center-announces-plans-indoor-17920417.php |
A 14-month legal saga ended Wednesday with the dropping of charges against the Trinity School of Midland’s Shelby Hammer, Todd Freese, Chrystal Myers and Adrianne Clifton.
The four were on trial for failing to make required child abuse reports and attempted to intentionally conceal those reports – a state felony, but that trial ended Wednesday with charges dropped, Trinity supporters cheering and a defense team saying that only “partial justice” took place and there was more to come.
A statement from the defense team included:
“For 425 days, the Trinity administrators have suffered under the weight of false accusations. The Trinity family has been without its leaders, mentors, and role models. We know now, that at Laura Nodolf’s direction, these people were arrested at school, led out in handcuffs in front of the children on the easily disproven word of a troubled teen and her disgruntled mother.
“Now after 10 days of trial and only half of their witnesses testifying, the prosecutors finally recognize what has been apparent since day one — these people should never have been arrested, charged, or tried in the first place.
“These continued baseless prosecutions have come at enormous costs, not only to dedicated professionals, but also to Midland County taxpayers. Today’s dismissal is a hollow victory and only partial justice but stay tuned.”
Sgt. Alonzo’s testimony led to the abrupt ending
On Wednesday, there was no morning session as the District Attorney’s Office dealt with the testimony of Midland Police Department Sgt. Jennie Alonzo.
The District Attorney’s Office on Wednesday reported that it had requested the official court reporter prepare a record of Alonzo’s testimony this week.
Alonzo’s testimony Tuesday included that a meeting with District Attorney Nodolf and ADA Jennifer Lively greenlighted her actions as arresting officer because she was told to handle it like the other one (Midland Christian School case a few days earlier).
Alonzo said Tuesday that she believed there was no question about probable cause, but when asked if it would have been “less reckless” to have all of the facts, she responded “no,” and when he asked, “If you had to do this all over again, would you?” she responded “no” as well.
“We are requesting a meeting with the defense counsel and the court in the court’s chambers at the earliest opportunity (Thursday) morning,” Timothy Flathers, 1st assistant district attorney wrote.
Trinity School reacts
The four members of the Trinity School of Midland administration are still employees. At the time of the arrest in 2022, Hammer acted as the head of School; Freese the Middle School and Upper School dean of students; Myers the head of Middle School; and Clifton the assistant head for Administration/director of Admission.
“We expect to be back at work very soon,” Hammer said Wednesday. “We can’t wait to see those children.”
Hammer thanked Trinity School for standing behind the four and making sure they had “everything we needed and the lawyers had everything they needed, so we could return to the calling of serving the families of Trinity School of Midland.”
Michael McWilliams, president of the Trinity School board, released a statement that included, “After more than 14 months of navigating uncharted and turbulent waters for our school, we are relieved this process has finally come to an end. Today’s decision is one we have prayed for, and we know many of you have joined us in prayer. We are actively working on our plans to welcome our four administrators back to campus, and we will let you know more details in the coming days.”
McWilliams also thanked Trinity faculty and staff who “selflessly stepped up to ensure the Trinity School mission never wavered. Thank you to Holly Cloud and Thomas Mueller for leading the Middle School; Cheryl Spotts for seamlessly executing two record-enrollment admission seasons; and Tim Jones for serving as acting head of School. Tim’s leadership and tireless efforts were amazing during a time when we needed him most. … I am proud that the faculty, staff, administrative leadership team and board of trustees have all sought the best path forward during these difficult times while being mindful of our highest priorities: the safeguarding of our students, the delivery of our school’s mission, and the preservation of Trinity School today and into the future.”
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Editor's Note: Iris Foster contributed to this report. | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/charges-trinity-school-midland-leaders-dropped-17921220.php | 2023-04-27T03:27:01 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/charges-trinity-school-midland-leaders-dropped-17921220.php |
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One year after legendary West Texas sports writer Terry Williamson passed away, a dream of his will come to fruition.
The family of the former Reporter-Telegram sports editor has told the newspaper that Terry’s book -- “Man in the Ring” – has been published. There will be a book launch tailgate from 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Fasken Park, 2301 Humble Ave.
“Daddy asked Momma (Terry’s wife June), (daughter) Regina and me to promise him that we would get his book published a day before he passed away,” said Terry’s daughter Shane Dockrey. “We planned this book launch on the one-year anniversary of Daddy’s death as a celebration of his life and the accomplishment of publishing the book that he worked on for over 10 years.”
Norman Johnson, who provided Friday night football illustrations for Terry for years, provided illustrations for “Man in the Ring.”
What the book is about
“While on guard duty late one night in Vietnam, Cody Joe Carter settles into his foxhole and begins to reminisce. He is brought back to the days of his youth, remembering where it all began with seventh-grade football in the West Texas town of Snyder. A world of firsts, such as his first football season, his first day of junior high, his first girlfriend and even his first fight, prove to be invaluable lessons in the course of Cody Joe’s life. Carter learns how to battle through the ups and downs that were thrown his way. However, Cody Joe can’t help but reflect on when his seventh-grade football coach taught him one of the biggest life lessons the day he put Cody Joe Carter into the ring.”
About Terry Williamson
“Terry was born and raised in Snyder. Much of the story behind “Man in the Ring” fictionally reflects his own personal experience and childhood memories in the 1950s. After graduating from Texas Tech University in 1969 with a degree in Journalism, Terry served in the United States Army during the Vietnam war. He later became an award-winning journalist and editor writing for the Midland Reporter-Telegram. “Man in the Ring” is Terry’s first and only novel. He finished his manuscript only a few months before passing away. His family is proud to honor him by making him a published author.” | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/family-publishes-former-mrt-sports-editor-s-book-17920548.php | 2023-04-27T03:27:03 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/family-publishes-former-mrt-sports-editor-s-book-17920548.php |
The family of a Fort Worth man killed inside of an apartment complex he lived in and worked at is considering legal action, according to attorneys for the family.
Carlos Aybar, 30, has been identified as the man killed Friday at The Marq on West 7th. According to Fort Worth Police, Aybar was found with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers were able to locate the person responsible for the shooting, later identified as Devin Deron Smith.
Police say Smith came to the office of the apartment complex over paperwork left at his door. A witness reportedly contacted Aybar, who lived at the complex and worked in maintenance there, because they were in fear of Smith. According to police, Aybar tried to get Smith to leave and was shot multiple times.
Gabriela Perdomo, the mother of Aybar’s son, said they were supposed to meet up and take their child to the park that evening. Perdomo called him multiple times before she learned he died.
“He was full of life, you know? Hearing that he was killed like that, I can’t even believe it. I just can’t,” Perdomo said. “Like, tell me you died because you went to the mountain and you got frozen, I don’t know. Not like that.”
James Trujillo is one of the attorneys representing Aybar’s family.
“The bond amount being set at $150,000. That’s ridiculous because all he [Smith] has to do is come up with $15,000 and he gets to walk out and walk free,” Trujillo said.
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Trujillo said he has spoken with multiple tenants at Marq, and they reportedly contacted the management at Marq and the police about Smith’s past conduct.
“It’s my position that they should have started the eviction process months ago,” he said. “Mr. Smith chased one of the tenants with the pitbull, a young female. He also allowed the pitbull to bite one of the leasing agents in the building.”
According to online records, Smith remains in jail as of Wednesday and has not entered a plea in this case. His initial court appearance is set for next week. NBC 5 reached out to court-appointed attorneys for Smith. Our request has not been returned as of this writing.
Aybar’s aunt Rebeca Canelon-Diaz said their battle for justice is only beginning.
“We, as family, we are seeking justice. However at the moment, we cannot even mourn Carlos, our hero, due to the fact that we are tormented by the possible release of this despicable monster,” Canelon-Diaz said.
A representative for CWS Apartment Homes, which operates The Marq on West 7th, referred NBC 5 to a previous statement when we asked for a comment Wednesday:
“CWS Apartment Homes is devastated by the senseless and untimely loss of our dedicated team member and friend, Carlos Aybar. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. CWS is also focused on ensuring that our local team members have the support they need at this difficult time. We want to assure our residents, employees, and our Fort Worth community that safety is our top priority and that we are fully cooperating with and supporting law enforcement’s investigation.” | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/family-of-fort-worth-apartment-shooting-victim-considering-legal-action-attorneys-say/3245037/ | 2023-04-27T03:34:42 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/family-of-fort-worth-apartment-shooting-victim-considering-legal-action-attorneys-say/3245037/ |
North Texans came together Wednesday to join the statewide effort to build a new elementary school in Uvalde, nearly one year after the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
The effort is spearheaded by the Uvalde CISD Moving Forward Foundation, a nonprofit founded in the weeks after the tragedy.
At the North Texas Commission headquarters, the group’s leaders and CEO of Huckabee Architects, Chris Huckabee, provided updates on the project that’s set to break ground in July.
They also shared plans for the proposed 120,000-square-foot school that would serve second, third and fourth graders.
Designs came together following months of meetings with parents, teachers and survivors about how those involved could create a safe and innovative environment for a community still reeling from trauma.
Leaders say forming the nonprofit was the fastest way to help the community build a new school, rather than a bond referendum that could take years to play out.
“I think I began to think in that moment, what could you do? What would be the thing you could get involved in, that you could do to help the town of Uvalde and to help these children move forward after such a tragic event?” said Foundation Board Secretary and former State Senator Beverly Powell.
The Moving Forward Foundation said to date, it’s raised about 70% of its $60 million goal.
The North Texas philanthropic community has set a $25 million target with Huckabee, Inc., Rainwater Charitable Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, VF Corp, and The Morris Foundation among its top donors.
The Moving Forward Foundation said it's now focused on a public fundraising campaign as it seeks to reach its goal. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/north-texans-fundraise-to-build-new-uvalde-elementary-school/3245057/ | 2023-04-27T03:34:48 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/north-texans-fundraise-to-build-new-uvalde-elementary-school/3245057/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Starkey Inc. has named a building after one of their volunteers who has donated their time for 40 years.
“Founded in 1930, Starkey, Inc. is the oldest community-based nonprofit in Sedgwick County serving people with disabilities,” reads Starkey’s website.
The building is named the “Myra D. Devlin Center,” after Myra Devlin.
Devlin has been one of Starkey’s leading volunteers and benefactors for the last four decades.
She says she did not realize it had been that long.
“I never did the math. 1983 to 2023. Hello, that’s 40 years! And so here we are, and I’ve got a building named after me. It’s just amazing,” Devlin said.
She says the thing that keeps her going is the mission to help people with special needs.
Starkey says Devlin has been a key part in raising millions for its mission.
“I’d go to some of the facilities, and I’d be like, ‘No, we need to improve this,’ or ‘Why is this not working?’ So we knew we needed a capital campaign to raise the funds to get the facilities that were needed,” Devlin said.
Devlin says her job isn’t quite finished. She wants to help replace a building that dates back to 1960.
To learn more about Starkey and how you can help, click here. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/starkey-names-building-after-woman-who-has-volunteered-for-40-years/ | 2023-04-27T03:43:21 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/starkey-names-building-after-woman-who-has-volunteered-for-40-years/ |
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Contact Us | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/arrests-made-in-murder-of-montco-mom-victims-family-speaks-out/3554262/ | 2023-04-27T03:44:33 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/arrests-made-in-murder-of-montco-mom-victims-family-speaks-out/3554262/ |
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – At Monday night’s Montgomery County Board of Supervisors meeting, a citizen raised concerns about something Montgomery County Public Schools’ Superintendent Dr. Bernard F. Bragen, Jr. had apologized for.
“First I want to talk about last week’s school board meeting I know it’s not televised but some things happened that really caught my attention. Early on Dr. Bragen apologized for something and he really wasn’t clear on what he had done,” a concerned citizen said during the school board meeting.
The citizen was concerned that Dr. Bragen had applied for another position in Florida despite only being in this job since December.
10 News followed up with Dr. Bragen over that concern, to which he said he was encouraged by a friend to put his name out there, especially if the places he was looking was a place he might want to end up closer to retirement.
”Recently I took some actions that I regret and do not really represent my intentions,” Dr. Bragen said.
He continued by expressing his love for the Montgomery County school district.
“I want to publicly say that I truly love working here at Montgomery County Public Schools and it’s a pleasure to be here and I enjoy it. And I plan to stay here and honor the obligations of my contract,” Dr. Bragen said. ”I look forward to a long tenure here and staying here. I love this school division. I think we have a lot of high-caliber educators. Families are passionately dedicated to this school division.”
Dr. Bragen told 10 News he has no current plans to leave Montgomery County. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/27/i-plan-to-stay-here-montgomery-county-superintendent-responds-to-concerns/ | 2023-04-27T03:51:30 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/27/i-plan-to-stay-here-montgomery-county-superintendent-responds-to-concerns/ |
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. – Montgomery County Schools Superintendent, Dr. Bernard F. Bragen Jr. and his team are having to adjust their budget after they won’t be receiving what they asked for from the county.
On Monday, the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors approved a new real estate tax rate of $0.70 per $100 of assessed value. While some people in the county will be paying less in taxes, the school division is left with less money than what they hoped for.
“When you ask for $6.1 million and we’re going to get a little over 2.4, that’s a significant reduction. When you’re talking in millions of dollars that’s not just savings on supplies and things … that’s people,” Dr. Bragen said.
When originally asking for $6.1 million, these were some of the things the division was hoping to fund:
- 5% salary increase for all employees,
- 4 new full-time athletic trainers,
- 2 additional school counselors/mental health professionals,
- 4 full-time custodians.
One of Dr. Bragen’s concerns is people working with the county who are non-school employees are getting a 7% salary raise with the new budget. Bragen says he still hopes to give his staff the raises they deserve but still says it’s unfair.
“How am I going to look our teachers in the face and say well if you work for the county government side you’re getting 7% but if you work for the school board we can only give you 5%. I don’t think that’s fair,” Dr. Bragen said.
Dr. Bragen is not alone in this fight. School Board member, Linwood Hudson, said the county continues to grow. More and more students continue to join the Montgomery County School family.
“Every year there’s the largest class size that the school has ever seen coming in…constant growth, constant growth. Our budget needs to reflect that growth and so I’m definitely disappointed,” Hudson said.
It’s still undetermined what will change in now the revised school budget. Bragen said he understands why people want lower taxes but it’s hard to improve when the funding isn’t there to back it up.
“You can’t not fund it and think things are still going to go well,” Bragen said. “At best you may be able to maintain the status quo but you’ll never be able to grow. I want us to be the number one district in Virginia.” | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/27/montgomery-county-schools-leaders-planning-around-less-money-from-approved-budget/ | 2023-04-27T03:51:36 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/27/montgomery-county-schools-leaders-planning-around-less-money-from-approved-budget/ |
BALTIMORE — Wednesday was taxpayers' night, a chance for people who live in Baltimore to let the city know about the changes they’d like to see to the proposed 2024 budget.
The proposed budget is just over $4 billion, which includes appropriations for the operating budget and the capital budget.
A lot of the comments city leaders heard tonight were about investing in communities.
People who live in Baltimore City took the mic at City Hall and virtually to gave opinions.
"Based upon the knowledge of updated stats, current budgeting of city documents, there seems to be a vicious cycle of homelessness,” one resident expressed.
Ending homelessness was a big topic.
"The biggest thing about this budget that I’m hearing from everyone is that we got to prioritize and focus when it comes to our homeless community. I mean, I know there are a lot of opportunities in this city where we can get them off the streets,” said Christina Flowers, who works to end homelessness.
Some feel there needs to be more money put into emergency rental assistance.
“The money right now is nearly depleted; it is rapidly running out and 25 million dollars could go toward keeping 8 thousand families in Baltimore City in their homes,” said one resident.
Mayor Brandon Scott’s preliminary operating budget recommendations focus on five pillars: prioritizing youth, clean and healthy communities, building public safety, responsible stewardship of city resources, and equitable neighborhood development.
“Equitable neighborhood development, I mean the community is not getting it,” one person expressed.
The budget proposes $584.5 million toward police for 2024, and is looking to increase staff levels for BPD's group violence unit by 36 full time positions. But some feel there needs to be less funding for police.
"Our per capita expenditures for police far out strip those of other cities. As I stated last year, if more money brought us more safety than, Baltimore would be the safest place in the country,” said one concerned resident.
More than $400 million in operating support for Baltimore City Public Schools, representing 18 percent of the city's total general fund. It’s the highest share of its budget ever given to schools.
Although schools are getting more funding, some feel there needs to be more money put toward outdoor recreation for children.
“Budget that was specifically earmarked to develop not only a small skatepark but also a new basketball court and walking trails is no longer moving forward. We want answers for our youth,” said Stephanie Murdock.
The City Council will vote on the budget in June. After that, the mayor will vote to approve or disapprove. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/baltimore-taxpayers-weigh-in-on-proposed-2024-budget | 2023-04-27T03:57:43 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/baltimore-taxpayers-weigh-in-on-proposed-2024-budget |
RANDALLSTOWN, Md. — Dozens made the journey to the Randallstown Community Center Wednesday night to hear from state lawmakers after the 2023 legislative session and get updates on the organization's community and legislative efforts.
One issue of import to the organization - a task force focused on revitalizing Liberty Road. One component of that is reviving a currently-vacant grocery store.
"We might have some good news at the old Shoppers there," Ryan Coleman, the Randallstown NAACP president, told WMAR. "We’ll know after May 1. Can’t really speak on the tenant, but we’re excited about it."
READ MORE: Randallstown NAACP creates Task Force on revitalization of Liberty Road
State leaders and lawmakers attended and spoke to residents, discussing the recently wrapped legislative session in Annapolis. Among the topics: education, public safety, gun laws, and legal marijuana business infrastructure.
"If you are caught with a gun, and you do not have a license," said Delegate N. Scott Phillips (D), updating residents on the legislative session, "neither a license to carry or even a permit for a gun, period - we have increased the penalties associated with that."
"What we hear, from people, mostly, is the issue of crime, education - those two main issues, and then lastly economic development. You know, where are the grocery stores, those type of things," Coleman added.
As Coleman notes, lawmakers tightened state gun laws, but says there’s more work to do in the state capital.
Next time around, the organization wants to see more resources for at-risk young people, more commitments to education, and against street racing. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/new-laws-reviving-liberty-road-discussed-at-randallstown-naacp-meeting | 2023-04-27T03:57:49 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/new-laws-reviving-liberty-road-discussed-at-randallstown-naacp-meeting |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – The family of 23-year-old Christian Romero feels like they have been robbed of all the experiences they were supposed to have with their son and brother.
Dawn Romero, Christian’s mother and his sister Victoria Evangelista are trying to pick up the pieces.
“Why him, why us,” Dawn said.
After losing Christian early Sunday morning in a deadly crash, the family has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions.
“There’s anger and we’re upset, and we’re hurt and it’s disbelief,” Dawn said.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider| ‘Demonic:’ Uber Eats driver killed during delivery | Hail storm strikes Central Florida]
The Florida Highway Patrol reports Christian was driving near Dean Road and State Road 408 that morning when a vehicle struck the left side of his car. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
FHP said the driver responsible is a 15-year-old who was accompanied by five other teens in a stolen vehicle. Troopers said the teen sped through a red light.
Christian’s family questions the parents of the kids involved.
“Why did you not know where your children were, why did your children have access to a car at 15 years old at 4:30 in the morning,” Evangelista said.
This family is navigating through one of the hardest times in their lives.
“When they say it’s a parent’s worst nightmare, it really is, there’s just no words,” Dawn said.
The family said they could not push through the pain if it wasn’t for the support of family, friends and the Flagler Beach community, home to their restaurant, Tuscany By The Sea.
It will be closed for at least 10 days while they grieve this huge loss.
A GoFundMe created in memory of Christian brought in more than $30,000. That money will help fund their employees until the family reopens for business.
“They have totally blown us away with the donations,” Dawn said.
Christian’s loved ones say the 15-year-old driver should not be let off the hook.
“There needs to be some sort of consequences, they need to realize that they didn’t just get into a car accident, they took somebody’s life,” Evangelista said.
If she had the opportunity, she would tell her brother one last thing.
“Thanks for being the best brother ever and for always always being there for me and my sisters,” Evangelista said.
The family described Christian as kind-hearted and outgoing. He was a University of Central Florida graduate breaking into the real estate industry. Beyond chasing his dreams, he made sure to be a good friend.
“He was very popular, and he had so many friends,” Evangelista said.
A candlelight vigil will be held for Christian Thursday at 6 p.m. on the beach in front of their restaurant.
The family asks that all who attend wear blue, Christians favorite color.
No charges have been announced in the case at this point.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/27/15-year-old-driver-causes-deadly-orange-county-car-crash-victims-family-grieves-huge-loss/ | 2023-04-27T04:05:12 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/27/15-year-old-driver-causes-deadly-orange-county-car-crash-victims-family-grieves-huge-loss/ |
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – A powerful afternoon storm on Wednesday left piles of hail on the ground in Brevard County.
Along West Grand Haven Avenue in West Melbourne, crews worked to clear drainage after the heavy rain. Traffic was also slowed because of hail covering the roadways.
Charles Massi said he had just arrived home in West Melbourne when the storm hit.
“You can see how it is just pouring out of the sky. It was incredible,” Massi said. “I pull into the driveway and man it started, it came down so bad just from my car door to the garage. I just could not wait to close that door, and then in the house you could hear it.”
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider| ‘Demonic:’ Uber Eats driver killed during delivery | Hail storm strikes Central Florida]
Massi showed damage of his screened in pool area that now has several tears because of the hail.
“I called the screen guy and I just started right off, how many calls have you had, and he said 30 since 3:30 pm,” Massi said.
Florida DOT cameras along Interstate 95 in Brevard County showed traffic slowing as hail covered the roadway.
“It’s almost like a freight train almost. It’s just like, almost like a jet engine type of noise, it was everywhere.” Massi said.
“The funny part, my dog loved it. He’s never seen snow or hail so he just kept coming out here because he didn’t know what was going on.”
Restoration crews were also seen working inside a furniture store along West Grand Haven Avenue.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/27/hail-pummels-brevard-county-after-storms-roll-through-central-florida-for-a-2nd-day/ | 2023-04-27T04:05:18 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/27/hail-pummels-brevard-county-after-storms-roll-through-central-florida-for-a-2nd-day/ |
MOUNT CARMEL, Tenn. (WJHL) — Mount Carmel’s “Nerf War” is back for round two.
After the town hosted a similar event last year, Alderman John Gibson announced that another “Nerf War” will take place on Saturday, June 3 at Mount Carmel City Park from 2–4 p.m.
Participants will need to bring their own Nerf guns. Darts will be provided with a limited amount available for each round.
Protective eyewear will be required and there will be limited eyewear available.
Online registration is required to participate. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/mount-carmel-plans-second-nerf-war/ | 2023-04-27T04:06:29 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/mount-carmel-plans-second-nerf-war/ |
LAGRANGE, Ga. — A 2-year-old is dead in what police are calling an apparent accidental shooting at a LaGrange apartment complex Wednesday night.
LaGrange Police said the toddler was rushed to Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.
The shooting happened at Phoenix Landing Apartments near the intersection of Whitesville Road and Butler Street. The apartment complex is in a neighborhood just southeast of Downtown LaGrange.
It is not yet known how the shooting happened or if anyone is facing charges.
11Alive was at the scene Wednesday night, where officers were there investigating the circumstances around the shooting.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
Also download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/2-year-old-shot-killed-lagrange-apartments/85-2519fff4-131b-4b5e-92b0-c47b61e5f46e | 2023-04-27T04:14:55 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/2-year-old-shot-killed-lagrange-apartments/85-2519fff4-131b-4b5e-92b0-c47b61e5f46e |
Runaway bull on Grosse Ile 'deserved to have a chance,' resident says
Grosse Ile police said Wednesday they were forced to kill a bull that romped through neighborhoods on the island for hours this week, a move by authorities that angered some residents.
A patrol officer came upon a startling scene Monday: The owner of the 500 to 600 pound bull was in hot pursuit of the wayward animal near Lowrie and Ferry around 12:45 p.m., the Police Department said in a statement.
It took a village (or an island): Over the next seven hours, six police officers, two animal control officials, a veterinarian, several firefighters and residents tried to contain it, but attempts to use fencing, a portable round pen and roping were unsuccessful.
One of the animal control officers suffered a minor injury, the release said.
"The bull, which was demonstrating unpredictable behaviors, was exposed to children, drivers and domesticated animals as it ran through yards, onto patios and across roadways," officials said.
“As the situation drew attention, more residents came to the area on foot and in vehicles, increasing the risk of harm to the public and reducing the ability of first responders to contain the animal."
Police requested help from every law enforcement agency in Wayne County, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and a Macomb County shelter, but no additional resources could be provided, according to the release.
"The owner indicated that the bull could not be controlled and gave permission to shoot it," police said. "It was determined that in the best interest of the public, the bull would be euthanized."
News about the incident spread online through a private Facebook group for Grosse Ile residents, said Terrillyn Walls, who has spent most of her life on the island.
She was dismayed to learn about the death after seeing photos the resident circulated from the pursuit that showed an animal that hardly seemed to merit deadly force.
"It looked like a white cow grazing in the woods," Walls said. "I just don’t think it was a danger to anybody. I really think they took the easy way out because they didn’t know what to do."An investigation into the incident is ongoing in coordination with the Michigan Department of Agriculture, the Police Department said Wednesday.
The owner hauled the bull from up north and might face a ticket since the animal wasn't permitted on the island, WDIV-TV (Channel 4) reported.
A township ordinance prohibits exotic or wild animals that pose "a threat or danger to the public health, welfare, or safety if such animal was able to run loose."
Walls said hunting is not allowed on Grosse Ile, which is considered a preserve. She notes the island has long been full of diverse wildlife, and she routinely spots deer near her yard.
Residents are concerned since they wonder if police could have explored other measures to restrain the bull until experts arrived to transfer it, Walls said.
"It deserved to have a chance and I think it could have been saved," she said. "... It's really a sad situation." | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/04/26/runaway-bull-on-grosse-ile-deserved-to-have-a-chance-resident-says/70156684007/ | 2023-04-27T04:15:33 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/04/26/runaway-bull-on-grosse-ile-deserved-to-have-a-chance-resident-says/70156684007/ |
PORTLAND, Maine — Spring is here and what better way to celebrate the longer and warmer days than with a fun refreshing cocktail? Hayley Wilson from the Portland Hunt + Alpine Club shares a pair of drink recipes that are easy to make right at home.
Spring Fever
- 1.5 oz Akvavit
- ¾ oz lemon juice
- ¾ oz bee pollen syrup
- ½ oz honey syrup
- ½ oz grenadine
- Mix all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake.
- Pour through a fine strainer.
- Add ice to the glass.
- Top it off with some soda water and serve with a lemon wheel.
The Golden Hour
- 1 oz mezcal
- 1 oz pineapple juice
- ¾ oz lime juice
- ¾ oz Ancho Reyes liqueur
- ¼ oz coco syrup
- Mix all ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake.
- Pour through a fine strainer over a large ice cube.
- Garnish with chili threads and serve. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/check-out-these-easy-to-make-spring-cocktails-207-recipe-drinks-portland-hunt-and-alpine-club-spring-fever-golden-hour/97-f497f8ca-3e92-454e-9d98-bab0530d1b92 | 2023-04-27T04:18:51 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/check-out-these-easy-to-make-spring-cocktails-207-recipe-drinks-portland-hunt-and-alpine-club-spring-fever-golden-hour/97-f497f8ca-3e92-454e-9d98-bab0530d1b92 |
PORTLAND, Maine — Michael Corleto is a local singer and songwriter who has his eyes set on making it in the music industry, and at just 19 years old, he’s already on his way.
The Kennebunk native has performed in Maine, Boston, and in Nashville, a tough place to get noticed with thousands of musicians in town.
Now, he’s getting set to release his first album, "Sincerely, Your Son," on May 1, and has lined dates lined up in the next couple of weeks.
Michael Corleto "Sincerely, Your Son"
Michael Corleto "How We Roll"
He’ll be performing in Auburn at Auburn Lobster Festival 2023 on May 6 and then the next day at Funky Bow Brewery.
Weeks ahead of time, his album release show at Vinegar Hill in Arundel is already sold out. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/mainer-michael-corleto-set-to-release-his-first-album-207-music-maine-sincerely-your-son/97-67090a26-5634-4896-bc17-e6f1e1eb96d8 | 2023-04-27T04:18:57 | 1 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/mainer-michael-corleto-set-to-release-his-first-album-207-music-maine-sincerely-your-son/97-67090a26-5634-4896-bc17-e6f1e1eb96d8 |
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — Officials at Holston Army Ammunition Plant say the plant is on track to reduce open burning of potentially hazardous waste by as much as 90%.
While the public is not allowed to burn trash, it’s been a common practice for decades at the plant.
The plant says it’s conducted open-air burns of waste from the plant’s production processes behind the gates of the high-security facility since it opened in 1942. Some neighbors and environmental groups have complained about the practice, and the Army has previously said it was trying to find a different method of disposal.
At a public meeting Wednesday, officials said there are now plans to install two new facilities, a flashing furnace and a static detonation chamber, that would provide an alternative to open burns.
“Right now we continue to work with our state regulators for the permit applications just to make sure that those technologies and implementations are safe and effective for our operation here at Holston,” Lt. Col. Joel Calo told News Channel 11.
Calo, who serves as commander of the plant, said the flashing furnace should be completed by 2024 and the static detonation chamber should be completed by 2027. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/holston-army-ammunition-plant-to-reduce-open-burning-by-90/ | 2023-04-27T04:26:32 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/holston-army-ammunition-plant-to-reduce-open-burning-by-90/ |
Salem-Keizer School Board member named in lawsuit against Department of Human Services
A transgender state employee is suing the Oregon Department of Human Services claiming that he was demoted and denied multiple opportunities to advance within the department due to his gender identity despite multiple meetings with supervisors about his qualifications and experience.
The lawsuit filed April 17 and seeking $650,000 was first reported by the Oregon Capitol Chronicle.
Alex Pelusi moved from Illinois to Oregon in 2016 to join the Aging and People with Disabilities Program within DHS as an "Executive Support Specialist," a role he was "overqualified for," according to the lawsuit, but one he took after Ashley Carson Cottingham promised to "start his career with the State."
Carson Cottingham is the former director of the Aging and People with Disabilities Program and a member of the Salem-Keizer School District Board of Directors. She was elected in 2021.
Carson Cottingham did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
Pelusi said he was interviewed by Carson Cottingham "pre-visible transition" and when he still appeared feminine. Pelusi's transition became visibly apparent shortly after joining the department, the complaint added.
"When it did, Cottingham’s once friendly behavior took a turn," the lawsuit said.
Pelusi claims Carson Cottingham became hostile and belittling and at one point she said “I don’t even know what to call you anymore!" The alleged behavior culminated in a one-on-one meeting where Carson Cottingham gave Pelusi the option of being demoted or fired immediately, according to the lawsuit.
After being demoted, Pelusi met with other managers to discuss opportunities within the department, the lawsuit said.
Multiple reports to multiple people about the "hostile work environment" and failure to promote or move forward were fruitless and panic attacks related to his experience began, according to the complaint. Pelusi took leave due to the panic attacks and to receive gender confirmation surgery, the lawsuit added.
After the surgery and in the summer of 2020, Pelusi met with Mike McCormick, the interim director of the Aging and People with Disabilities Program, to discuss Pelusi's career track and was told for "several months" to "stay tuned," the lawsuit said. McCormick left state service in July 2022, according to ODHS.
After his experience with McCormick, Pelusi said in the lawsuit, he went to multiple people within Human Resources which similarly failed to result in action. Pelusi filed a tort claim notice to DHS in 2021.
Several people are named in the lawsuit, but ODHS is listed as the only defendant.
ODHS would not comment on pending litigation but confirmed Pelusi is still employed within the department.
Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.com or on Twitter @DianneLugo. | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2023/04/26/demoted-transgender-employee-sues-oregon-department-of-human-services/70156303007/ | 2023-04-27T04:32:10 | 0 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2023/04/26/demoted-transgender-employee-sues-oregon-department-of-human-services/70156303007/ |
OCEAN CITY — A new Night in Venice committee has been created to plan the 2023 parade, which features decorated boats and homes along the city’s bayfront.
The new committee is led by Dave Winslow, a retired city resident who has served off and on with the pageant since 1993.
“It’s great to have Dave back on board,” Mayor Jay Gillian said. “His experience and expertise will be a great asset for the event.”
Night in Venice is scheduled for 6 p.m. July 29, with entries currently being accepted for boats and decorated homes. This year’s theme is “It’s a Philly Thing.”
To enter the event, call 609-399-6111 or visit ocnj.us/NIV .
GALLERY: Ocean City's Night in Venice 2022
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance. (center l-r) Jay and Patty Wright riding in the second spot of the parade surrounded by family and friends.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance. 2022 Miss Night in Venice Gracie Anderson (left) and her court.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
Members of the Chheda family from Voorhees wait for their Mummer boats to pass. From left, Sahil, 5, Anjali, and Mayur.
MATTHEW STRABUK, FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance. (l-r) Miss Ocean City Madden Randazzo, Junior Miss Ocean City McKenna Flemming, and Little Miss Ocean City Ariana Di'Antonio.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance. Mummer Stephen Caldwell, 24, from Bucks County PA, ready to cheer on several of the Mummer boats scheduled to pass through.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
Recently retired Villanova University men’s basketball coach Jay Wright and his family, including wife Patty, cruise in the second spot of Ocean City’s 67th annual Night in Venice boat parade Saturday night.
MATTHEW STRABUK, FOR THE PRESS
Boat No. 299 had one of the more unique decorations of the Night in Venice parade in Ocean City on Saturday night. Flying a Nova Nation flag, it was done up as a semi-trailer truck making deliveries.
MATTHEW STRABUK, FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance. (l-r) Ocean City residents Carrie Peake, Torie Fanueli, 14, and Madison Hart, 14, at the Bayside Center on 5th street wait for the flotilla to pass.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance. Boat #299 had one of the more unique decorations of the evening, as a Semi-Trailer Truck making delivieries.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance. Dancing with the Stars dancers Keo Motsepe and Anna Trebunskaya, in town having performed at the Music Pier for their Motown with a Twist show.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
On July 23 2022, in Ocean City, the annual Night in Venice boat parade was held with recently retired Villanova University men's basketball coach Jay Wright and Patty Wright in attendance.
MATTHEW STRABUK FOR THE PRESS
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Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/new-ocean-city-night-in-venice-committee-created-registration-now-open-for-the-event/article_fe686122-e450-11ed-947d-13a0c23f6164.html | 2023-04-27T04:34:59 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/new-ocean-city-night-in-venice-committee-created-registration-now-open-for-the-event/article_fe686122-e450-11ed-947d-13a0c23f6164.html |
NORMAL — A proposed solar power array system for McLean County Unit 5 is expected to come at no upfront cost to the district and save about $2 million over the panels' 25-year lifespan, the school board heard Wednesday.
Representatives of Farnsworth Group, Clean Energy Design Group and Halo Solar proposed at the board meeting adding solar panels to three Unit 5 properties.
Wes Ernst, CEO of Halo Solar, said two arrays would be installed on the roof of Northpoint Elementary School in Bloomington, one would be on the roof of a bus barn along with a ground-mounted display and one would be on the roof of a district warehouse.
Between the four systems, Ernst estimated that the district would save $2 million in utility costs. Any installation or maintenance costs would not come out of the district's pocket, he added.
Because a fire recently occurred on the roof of Olympia High School in rural Stanford, which had mounted solar panels, some school board members were concerned about the same thing happening in Unit 5.
Ernst said the damage should be localized in the event of a malfunction.
"Our system comes with a rapid shutdown, which means that if it starts to overheat that it would shut itself down, which is a newer component that they've added to solar arrays," Ernst said.
Because the presentation was informational only, the board did not vote to move forward with the project on Wednesday.
Other business The school board, meeting at Normal West High School, also welcomed and swore in its two new members , Alex Williams and Mark Adams. They replaced board President Barry Hitchins and board member Alan Kalitzky, both of whom did not run in the April 4 election.
Hitchins said one of his goals when assuming office eight years ago was to reduce class sizes to a manageable size, which he said is now possible through the passage of Unit 5's property tax referendum earlier this month.
Kalitzky urged board members to put political agendas aside because education should be a nonpartisan issue.
Once the new members were sworn in, the board voted to appoint Kelly Pyle as the new board president, Jeremy DeHaai as vice president and Stan Gozur as secretary.
How lifetime emissions of different energy sources stack up
How lifetime emissions of different energy sources stack up
After six decades of experiments, scientists from the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California announced an energy breakthrough in December 2022: a nuclear fusion reactor had produced more energy than was used to run it.
With nuclear fusion still years—and billions of dollars—away from being scalable, the current landscape of short-term clean energy production hasn't changed. Today, energy sector investments and research are mostly directed toward optimizing existing energy production methods, and reducing the carbon footprint they leave behind.
To determine the carbon footprint of these current energy sources, researchers conduct a life-cycle assessment, a quantitative analysis of the environmental aspects of a product or process. Life-cycle assessments determine how much greenhouse gas emissions a source of energy produces throughout its life span, from "cradle to grave."
Rocket Solar analyzed data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to see how greenhouse gas emissions differ among energy sources throughout their life cycle. NREL performed a systematic review of approximately 3,000 published life-cycle assessment studies to quantify a consistent metric for comparing different energy technologies.
To compare the various kinds of energy sources, data metrics from these studies were compared by measuring greenhouse gas emissions produced from processes including resource extraction; construction and delivery; operation and maintenance; and disposal and recycling. Each energy source was ranked by the amount of CO2 equivalent grams used through its entire life cycle.
Canva
Renewable energy sources don't generate emissions during their 'ongoing combustion' phase
In the energy industry, there are four generalized life-cycle phases of greenhouse gas emission generation, though some may widely differ from one technology to another. The life cycle starts with the upstream phase, which is when extraction begins for all materials needed to assemble the machinery and infrastructure required to produce the energy.
The second phase is production, which is the activation and management of a fuel source such as wind, water, or heat. After these fuel sources are activated and begin creating energy, it enters the third phase, which is called combustion. The downstream phase comes last, which is the disposal or recycling of all material used throughout the life-cycle process.
The carbon emission output during each stage can vary greatly depending on the type of energy. For example, fuel combustion during the third life-cycle stage emits the majority of greenhouse gases from fossil-fueled technologies. Meanwhile, emissions from nuclear and renewable energy processes occur more during the upstream stage—the first phase when initial materials are extracted.
The metric used to quantify the environmental footprint of a product or process is CO2 equivalent (CO2e) . This is a measurement that bundles several greenhouse gases (not only carbon dioxide) to be represented as a single number. When comparing the C02 equivalent of the 10 most common energy sources, the data shows that emissions from renewable electricity generation are lower than those from fossil fuels. Read on to learn more about how these 10 types of energy rank by the total carbon emissions, and which phase of their life cycle emits the most.
Rocket Solar
#1. Wind (renewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 13.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: 12.0 grams
--- Ongoing combustion: Not applicable
--- Ongoing noncombustion: 0.74 grams
--- One-time downstream: 0.34 grams
Harnessing the wind, an inexhaustible resource, to produce energy requires the installation of dozens of towers and turbines either on land or offshore. The giant structures have become part of the countryside and marine landscapes in recent years, causing either indifference or discontent among rural and coastal populations. It's a fact that wind farms produce clean energy; nonetheless, the extraction of the materials for the structures (steel, fiberglass, resin, plastic, iron, copper, and aluminum), and the energy used to build them, are the least environmentally friendly phase of the life cycle of this type of power production.
Robert Alexander // Getty Images
#2. Nuclear (nonrenewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 13.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: 2.0 grams
--- Ongoing combustion: Not applicable
--- Ongoing noncombustion: 12 grams
--- One-time downstream: 0.7 grams
Thanks to nuclear power, the United States avoided over 471 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in 2020, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute . Nuclear fission power is a constant and reliable energy source with relatively low production costs. Despite certain high-profile disasters such as Chernobyl and Fukushima, nuclear power is considered highly safe. The concerns surrounding its operation process arise over the use of uranium—a highly radioactive nonrenewable resource—that must be meticulously handled and disposed.
Sean Gallup // Getty Images
#3. Hydropower (renewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 21.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: 6.2 grams
--- Ongoing combustion: Not applicable
--- Ongoing noncombustion: 1.9 grams
--- One-time downstream: 0.004 grams
Unlike other types of renewable and clean energy, hydropower provides a stable and constant source of electricity. The power it produces does not depend on rain but rather on the rainwater previously stored in reservoirs. To build dams and hydraulic energy stations, the natural course of rivers is modified, harming the ecosystems of freshwater fauna and the land it originally irrigated. A sizable investment and considerable amounts of time are required to build the facilities. Once in service, the energy produced is cheap and reliable, provided a natural disaster does not interfere with the process.
John Moore // Getty Images
#4. Concentrating solar power (renewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 28.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: 20.0 grams
--- Ongoing combustion: Not applicable
--- Ongoing noncombustion: 10.0 grams
--- One-time downstream: 0.53 grams
Converting sunlight into electrical energy has attracted some of the most interest as researchers and investors have focused attention on this sector in recent decades. The least-polluting method of converting sunlight is concentrating solar power. Although the process emits some greenhouse gases in its operational phase, it generates twice as much in the upstream stage. Manufacturing reflective plates and energy storage capsules require finite materials. In addition, solar farms use up large tracts of land, changing its conditions and affecting the endemic and temporary flora and fauna of the area.
John Moore // Getty Images
#5. Geothermal (renewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 37.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: 15.0 grams
--- Ongoing combustion: Not applicable
--- Ongoing noncombustion: 6.9 grams
--- One-time downstream: 0.12 grams
Although geothermal energy is permanent, renewable, and clean, extracting it from the inner layers of the planet is not easy. For starters, the initial investment in implementing excavation processes and building geothermal power plants is elevated, and they must be built close to natural underground energy sources. The power produced cannot be transported as petroleum or natural gas can be. The excavation procedures , which vary and are ongoing from season to season, can contaminate water sources with dust, oils, and fuels.
Mikel Bilbao/VW PICS/Universal Images Group // Getty Images
#6. Photovoltaic (renewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 43.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: 28.0 grams
--- Ongoing combustion: Not applicable
--- Ongoing noncombustion: ~ 10.0 grams
--- One-time downstream: ~ 5.0 grams
Photovoltaic energy is the most-used source of solar power. It has progressively become more affordable, increasing its adoption in urban, industrial, and rural areas. It is usually combined with other energy sources to increase its efficiency and storage capacity. The materials used in the production of photovoltaic panels are nonrenewable. Despite this, the carbon footprint of photovoltaic power is considerably lower than fossil fuel-powered electricity. When they reach about the third year of use, most solar panels become emission neutral .
GERARD JULIEN/AFP // Getty Images
#7. Biomass (renewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 52.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: Not reported
--- Ongoing combustion: Not applicable
--- Ongoing noncombustion: Not reported
--- One-time downstream: Not reported
Up until the mid-1800s and the introduction of alternative means of energy, biomass was the main source of energy consumption in the U.S. It remains a relevant form of fuel used for heating and cooking in many developing countries. Biomass is an organic, renewable material derived from living sources, such as animals or plants. It can be produced with wood or wood waste; crops or agricultural waste; biogenic materials, such as cotton, wool, or paper; and animal manure or human sewage. Direct combustion is the most widely used method for converting biomass into energy. The fuels are burned directly to heat water, which generates electricity in steam turbines.
MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP // Getty Images
#8. Natural gas (nonrenewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 486.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: 0.8 grams
--- Ongoing combustion: 389.0 grams
--- Ongoing noncombustion: 71.0 grams
--- One-time downstream: 0.02 grams
The combustion of natural gas is one of the most polluting energy sources, and yet it is a cleaner option than oil and coal. It is abundant, especially in the U.S., with enough to last approximately 98 years as of 2020. Natural gas is easy and cheap to find and transport, therefore emitting very low greenhouse gas in its upstream phase. Natural gas emits half the CO2e of coal; therefore it has been proposed as a "bridge fuel" to support solar, wind, and other clean energies in the process of eventually phasing out the use of fossil fuels.
-/AFP // Getty Images
#9. Oil (nonrenewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 840.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: Not reported
--- Ongoing combustion: Not reported
--- Ongoing noncombustion: Not reported
--- One-time downstream: Not reported
To put numbers into perspective, oil-powered energy produces nearly twice the amount of CO2e per kilowatt-hour as natural gas and 40 times more than hydropower or concentrating solar power. Also, it is nonrenewable. Nevertheless, the consequences of petroleum extraction is the direct impact on the health and quality of life of communities living in areas near drilling facilities , particularly in countries with negligent oversight on oil corporations.
David McNew // Getty Images
#10. Coal (nonrenewable)
- Total life cycle emissions: 1001.0 grams CO2 equivalent per kilowatt-hour
--- One-time upstream: less than 5.0 grams
--- Ongoing combustion: 1010.0 grams
--- Ongoing noncombustion: 10.0 grams
--- One-time downstream: < 5.0 grams
Coal mining and coal combustion are the main sources of CO2e related to electricity generation. The effects of methane gas produced by coal mining reach beyond Earth's atmosphere. Air pollution from coal-powered energy plants is blamed for heart and lung diseases, neurological problems, asthma, and cancer, among other severe ailments . The chemical reaction caused by the contact of water and rocks containing sulfur-bearing minerals in mines pollutes bodies of fresh water with heavy metals like copper, lead, and mercury. As a result, tracts of land used for grazing, crops, forests, and wildlife habitats become contaminated and thus not suitable for animal or human life.
This story originally appeared on Rocket Solar and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
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BROWNSBURG, Ind. — Several Brownsburg elementary school staff members are facing charges after police said they mistreated and failed to report the mistreatment of a 7-year-old boy in the special education program.
Parents and neighbors who live near Brown Elementary School told 13News they were shocked to hear the allegations.
"My heart fell into my chest when I read that," said Megan, the parent of a special needs student who attends the school.
On Wednesday, police said a child in the life skills program was forced by several staffers to eat his own vomit.
"You shouldn't have to worry about this kind of stuff at school," Megan said.
Police said the boy got sick and vomited and an aide allegedly gave him a spoon to eat some of it while other staff members watched.
Now the five staff members alleged to have been involved are facing charges. Two of them were fired. The other three are on administrative leave.
"I can't believe it would happen here in Brownsburg or any school to be honest with you. I am proud of the school corporation acting quickly and getting those teachers or whoever is involved out of there," said Alysen McCullough.
Megan said she was surprised when she read the names of those said to be involved.
"Some of them I had personal experience with and you would not think that they would be the type to do that," said Megan.
She said it made her worried for her own child.
"I kept thinking 'were there any days he came home and he was upset,'" said Megan.
Parents hope this will push more people to advocate for children with special needs.
"Just be kind we are all human beings," said McCullough.
"They are just the most vulnerable ones in school. They can't stick up for themselves at all. You want somebody that is going to care for them as if they are their own," said Megan.
Police confirmed the student has returned to school. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/parents-shocked-after-allegations-brownsburg-school-staffers-mistreated-student-brown-elementary-child/531-8767ab7a-d97e-4013-8c4b-d97e0d9baeee | 2023-04-27T04:44:23 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/parents-shocked-after-allegations-brownsburg-school-staffers-mistreated-student-brown-elementary-child/531-8767ab7a-d97e-4013-8c4b-d97e0d9baeee |
IDAHO, USA — A Tuesday in April may not stand out for a lot of people but, for veteran Franklin "Bus" Hudson, April 25 was pretty momentous because it was his 100th birthday.
"How do I feel? I feel real good...yeah I feel good," Hudson said. "Why is everybody here? It's my 54th birthday, we're celebrating, can't you understand? ha-ha."
He had a lot of visitors on his big day. "Bus" may be slow to get around these days but still quick with the jokes. That sense of humor, and good looks, is what charmed his wife Louise 72-years-ago, "he's still handsome," she said.
Hudson was born on the plains of west Texas; he said the doctor rode in a buggy to the house to deliver him.
He ended up following his brothers into the army in World War II.
"I was a cowboy in an army uniform," he said, "but I'll tell you one thing, I was a damn good soldier."
His first brush with death came on the trip across the Atlantic, his ship dodged depth charges and icebergs. He said he would never forget that night, "I thought we were going to freeze to death."
Hudson's European tour began in France and continued northeast.
"I was with Patton's third army over in Germany. I was a tank commander and
I didn't even know what I was doing," Hudson said.
"Bus" remembers having to figure out how to follow the infantry into a town one morning on a road too narrow for tanks, but he survived.
He returned to Texas at the end of the war to tend his horses. A rodeo brought him to Boise the first time in 1957, and he returned for good in 1976, buying a 17-acre ranch in Eagle. He raised a family that now extends to four generations.
"You know they say the time really flies when you're having fun and we must have a helluva lot fun because time sure got away with us," he said. "It sneaks up on us... next thing I know we're old. I'm crippled, I can't walk, I'm deaf. I can't hear, I'm blind as a bat, but thank God I still got my driver's license.”
Besides having a great life story, a loving family and a long life, he also still has a sharp sense of humor.
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BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
In a hearing Wednesday, the lawyers for former Boise City Councilmember Lisa Sánchez and the city of Boise cast blame toward each entity for why Sánchez’s seat was vacated and debated whether or not she should be temporarily reinstated to the Boise City Council.
Wendy Olson, Sánchez’s lawyer, said they were asking the court to stop Boise’s city council from taking action without Sánchez and to direct the city to reinstate Sánchez, pending final resolution of the case.
Judge Derrick O’Neill said he would take the matter under advisement and have a decision within the next few days.
Sánchez inadvertently vacated her seat when she moved out of her district at the end of 2022. She applied for reappointment and was a finalist for the District 3 seat but was ultimately not selected. She then filed suit against the city of Boise.
“The plaintiff did not vacate her city council seat when she inadvertently moved out of District 3 for 12 days,” Olson said in the hearing. “The city's appointing someone other than plaintiff to the District 3 city council seat is void because her initial removal was unlawful.”
Olson argued that the city of Boise removed Sánchez “based solely on its own legal opinion." She said the city should have had a court determine that her seat was vacant.
Dan Williams, the lawyer for the city of Boise, pointed to Idaho code 59-901, which says an elected office “shall be vacant upon the happening of any of the following events," including the incumbent ceasing to be a resident of the district in which they were elected.
“That event happened, your honor, it doesn't matter if it was a day or 100 days or two years, that event happened. And that caused the vacancy under the statute,” Williams told the judge.
In April, Sánchez and her lawyer filed a request to shorten the time to hear the preliminary injunction, arguing that Sánchez needed to return to her work and that the council met every Tuesday. The motion was granted.
“Each day Plaintiff is not on city council, she suffers irreparable harm. The city has precluded her from completing her term, and any delay in providing relief simply brings the end of her elected term closer,” the filings said.
Sánchez has suffered harm from the city’s actions, her lawyer said, including not being able to serve her term, especially after being elected in a specific district.
“She brings and would bring a unique perspective to renter protection issues and to the zoning code revision that is presently being dealt with,” Olson said.
Olson also said Sánchez will have to run as a challenger, instead of as an incumbent. Lawyers for the city said in court filings that non-incumbency is not a defined, clear injury and that Sánchez still benefits from notoriety and publicity.
“That is not what the advantages of incumbency are,” Olson said during Wednesday's hearing. “The advantages of incumbency are based on the record that the elected official builds performing her job, and the city's actions are depriving and have deprived plaintiff of the opportunity to participate in those important city council debates and decisions.”
Sánchez also said in a filing that because she lost her council seat, she lost her medical and dental insurance and is no longer accruing retirement benefits. She also lost her salary of around $27,000, the filings said.
“At the time I was removed from the city council, I did not have employment outside of my work on the city council,” the filings said. “Thus, I did not have any other income.”
Sánchez has often talked about her experiences as a renter and spoke of representing the interests of low-income Boiseans.
She also spoke on a podcast earlier this year about her experience as the principal owner of Palote Power Consulting. She said at a previous job, she had experienced workplace bullying after becoming the first Latina elected to the city council and since then has not worked full time.
“I thought I’d be able to serve and have a full-time job and just go about my day,” Sánchez said on the podcast. “But that’s how upsetting it is in the world that I live in that someone like me would dare to think they could be at that dais.”
Since she vacated her seat, questions have been raised about her campaign finance spending. Sánchez spent almost $15,000 in a non-election year, over $11,000 more than any of the other councilmembers. Ada County determined her spending was lawful.
Ultimately, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean appointed Latonia Haney Keith to replace her. Haney Keith has said she is not planning to run for a full term in the November election.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/lisa-sanchez-hearing-in-lawsuit-with-city-of-boise/277-fba1b3d1-06f8-4f62-a08f-77659c8ae09f | 2023-04-27T04:53:14 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/lisa-sanchez-hearing-in-lawsuit-with-city-of-boise/277-fba1b3d1-06f8-4f62-a08f-77659c8ae09f |
BOISE, Idaho — A bus donation is helping those who served our country travel to their favorite sites. Valley Regional Transit donated a bus that will be used to help veterans in hospice care get around.
Lifestar Rural EMS is a nonprofit volunteer organization that transports elderly veterans from the Boise VA Medical Center to appointments, procedures, and events.
The donation will help Lifestar Rural EMS to take veterans out to visit and see some of their favorite sites again.
"The first one they reached out to us about was a retired park ranger," Bud Paine, EMS Chief for Lifestar Rural EMS said. "And he said, 'All I want to do is go see my mountains.'"
Now, with the help of the bus, even more veterans will be able to take trips like that.
Lifestar Rural EMS says the trips are tremendous for the veterans' mental health, especially for older veterans who can't get out by themselves.
"When the veterans get toward that stage, often family kind of moves away, distances. And of course, they're just locked in the hospital, and they hear all the noise 24/7," Paine said. "And what we want to do is take them out. Give them somewhere to go where they can visit what they want to. So far it seems like the majority all want to go to the mountains."
The eight-seat Ford E-450 has room for three wheelchairs. Valley Regional transit bought the bus in 2011 for paratransit - transportation that aids people for disabilities.
The bus was scheduled for replacement, so Lifestar Rural EMS reached out to VRT, who made the donation for a good cause.
"It's amazing," Leslie Pedrosa, chief operations officer at Valley Regional Transit said. "You know, being a military mom, it couldn't go to a better cause."
Lifestar Rural EMS says they're already planning some bus trips out to the mountains, and some fishing trips for veterans.
Lifestar Rural EMS is a nonprofit organization. Donations to help with their current needs and operating expenses can be made on their website.
Download the KTVB mobile app to get breaking news, weather and important stories at your fingertips.
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See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/local-valley-regional-transit-donates-bus-to-help-veterans-in-hospice-care-travel/277-4efc3908-0e5c-4e9e-b120-721a4e88fc60 | 2023-04-27T04:53:20 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/local-valley-regional-transit-donates-bus-to-help-veterans-in-hospice-care-travel/277-4efc3908-0e5c-4e9e-b120-721a4e88fc60 |
BOISE, Idaho — One of our local reservoirs is getting closer to having more capacity in the future. The Bureau of Reclamation is working on plans to raise the Anderson Ranch Dam by 6 feet. This would create an extra 29,000 acres of storage.
Chris Keith is the Project Manager for Bureau of Reclamation. He said the project "ties into being a part of securing the future water needs of the Boise River Basin."
Keith said the bureau isn't sure how 90% of this additional water will be allocated yet, but adding more storage at Anderson Reservoir is strategic. It's the highest point in the Boise River System. Holding more water in this location allows more water to be held upstream in our reservoir system. That way it can be released, as needed, in drier months.
Assuming the extra outflow from the Boise River would be around 1,000 cubic feet per second, the extra storage could help avoid about 14 days of flood operations below Anderson Ranch.
The Bureau of Reclamation said they will hit the 30% benchmark for the final planning process by the end of the month.
Construction is still a couple years away. It's expected to start between late 2025 and early 2026, with expected completion around 2028. The timeline and project are subject to change.
According to the Bureau of Reclamation's website, they are working on studying storage because, "predictions of changes in precipitation and runoff patterns due to climate variability may require additional surface water storage capacity to capture rainfall previously held as snowpack, as well as excess water generated in wet years to offset dry years."
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/project-to-raise-anderson-ranch-dam-6-feet-nears-planning-benchmark/277-6e0a8519-35ec-4478-b0ba-b79b6ccf9e83 | 2023-04-27T04:53:26 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/project-to-raise-anderson-ranch-dam-6-feet-nears-planning-benchmark/277-6e0a8519-35ec-4478-b0ba-b79b6ccf9e83 |
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PINAL, Ariz. — The Pinal County Sheriff's Office is investigating a human smuggling case after three vehicles carrying dozens of people were stopped on US Highway 60 early Wednesday morning.
PCSO said at about 7 a.m., deputies spotted the vehicles traveling together along the highway. When deputies tried to stop the vehicles, they sped away.
Deputies caught up to the vehicles and stopped them, at which time 30 to 40 people got out and ran off into the desert.
Deputies found three of the people who fled and they were turned over to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Officials said two of the people had no identification but said they were from Guatemala.
The rest of the people fled into the desert and are unaccounted for at this time, according to Lauren Reimer, the public information officer for the sheriff's office.
Reiner said that deputies found numerous items commonly associated with human smuggling cases in the vehicles.
"While clearing the suspect vehicles, our deputies located numerous camouflage backpacks, camouflage clothing, and carpet shoes, which are commonly seen in human smuggling vehicles," said Reimer.
The items are used by migrants as they make their way through the desert after illegally crossing the border into the United States.
According to Reimer, the incident followed a similar situation just one day before.
"Deputies stopped another vehicle in that same area that was trafficking nine people," said Reimer.
Those people were turned over to Border Patrol.
Reimer said they have seen an uptick in human smugglers using US Highway 60 to avoid I-10, which is heavily patrolled by deputies.
She said the sheriff's office is "well aware of this shift and also have our anti-smuggling units patrolling the US 60."
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SEATTLE — While you wouldn't know it by going into the MOD Pizza in Factoria, this job is a second chance for Chelsea Johnson.
"My life is so different from before I got incarcerated," Johnson said.
Johnson had just served a four-year prison sentence when she decided to apply for a job.
"The fact that me, who was a drug addict in and out of jail, in and out of prison, in and out of treatment centers multiple times; nothing was working," she said.
Johnson was offered a job at MOD Pizza and worked her way up to a General Manager position.
One in three Americans have a criminal record according to the nonprofit, The Sentencing Project.
"The unemployment rate for someone that has been justice-involved is five times higher than someone who has not been justice-involved," said Ally Svenson, the Co-Owner of MOD Pizza.
Svenson said she has hired underserved populations from the beginning, but she was looking for help with wrap-around services like housing and transportation.
"There are a lot of incredible non-profits and regional local organizations all around the country, but to create a national network where you can do it at scale, it doesn't exist," Svenson said.
Now, Svenson is creating her own with the MOD Opportunity Network with partners like Goodwill, Fare Start and Best Buddies.
"There is talent everywhere, but unfortunately opportunity is not everywhere for these individuals," said Svenson.
The network aims to help talented employees like Johnson.
"I'm a homeowner which is absolutely insane and I'm about to have my first child. My life is steadily just continuously getting better and better and I'm progressing more in my life," Johnson said.
The MOD Opportunity Network is set to launch in 11 states, including Washington. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/mod-pizza-opportunity-network-help-those-barriers-to-employment/281-60c5f209-c09d-4781-bf00-a366f0612f5f | 2023-04-27T05:13:07 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/mod-pizza-opportunity-network-help-those-barriers-to-employment/281-60c5f209-c09d-4781-bf00-a366f0612f5f |
ODESSA, Texas — For years, every officer with the Odessa Police Department has been able to carry Narcan, the drug that treats overdoses.
That is possible thanks to the Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.
"We have a great relationship with the Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse," said Cpl. Steve LeSueur, OPD community relations officer. "We meet with them on a monthly basis. They donated Narcan to every single OPD officer a few years ago, and they recently gave us more cases, so every OPD officer does carry Narcan on them, so it is great to have."
According to LeSueur, with so many officers responding to overdoes, many lives have been saved.
“It is something, we’ve had a lot of success using it, because as officers, we do respond to overdoses on a regular basis, and we just never know," said LeSueur. "You always have to treat it as worst case scenario, so the Narcan is very beneficial."
While LeSueur doesn't know exactly how many lives the treatment has saved, he said it is well worth the effort.
"If we can just save one life, that’s worth it, and it’s been very effective so far, so we’ve had a lot of success," said LeSueur. "Don’t know how many lives it has saved, but we have had officers who received training on it, and we continue to receive training as well."
It is a good thing that Narcan is saving lives. However, he expressed that the best prevention comes before it gets this far.
"The best advice is don’t do it to begin with," said LeSueur. "Have those talks with your kids. It's so important to be on the same page with your kids, because a lot of times these teenagers, they're taking drugs thinking that it’s one specific drug, and they don’t realize it has fentanyl in it, that it’s laced with fentanyl, and all it takes is one time. It’s something we take very serious." | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/odessa-police-success-narcan/513-fe6f8fc8-786c-4bb8-813c-23b90217f1c9 | 2023-04-27T05:13:13 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/odessa-police-success-narcan/513-fe6f8fc8-786c-4bb8-813c-23b90217f1c9 |
SAN ANTONIO — Two weeks after she was hurt alongside her mother and baby sister in a vicious family violence attack in north San Antonio, 2-year-old Rosalie Alice Clare was released from the hospital on Tuesday.
Her mother confirmed the development to KENS 5 Wednesday evening, saying, "We are both healing well."
The Bexar County medical examiner said Rosalie's baby sister, however, died from stab wounds in the hours after police say the family was attacked by 50-year-old Stephen Clare along the 500 block of Robinhood Place.
Willow Clare was set to celebrate her first birthday on April 13; now, a public memorial service for her has been set for 10:30 a.m. on May 3 at St. David's Episcopal Church.
Stephen Clare remains jailed on bonds totaling $2 million as of Wednesday evening. He is scheduled for an initial court appearance on May 10.
If he were to be released before that date, Clare would have to be GPS-monitored, on house arrest and prohibited from contacting the victims, among other conditions set by a judge earlier this month.
>TRENDING ON KENS 5 YOUTUBE:
---
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/san-antonio-domestic-violence-attack-clare-texas-police/273-810512aa-6d42-4d91-a3d2-46f5a6344461 | 2023-04-27T05:13:19 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/san-antonio-domestic-violence-attack-clare-texas-police/273-810512aa-6d42-4d91-a3d2-46f5a6344461 |
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi could potentially get an additional base for their Lone Star Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program on Corpus Christi International Airport grounds.
But the proposal is in it's early stages.
Airport staff presented their proposal to the airport board Wednesday. 3NEWS spoke with Assistant Director of Operations Testing and Evaluation for the Lone Star UAS Center of Excellence and Innovation Tye Payne who said that If approved, the partnership could spell great things for the Island University.
"Which will end up being somewhere we can go to utilize the airspace, test out new technologies, build things, and build the industry for the future within this area, and eventually across the country," he said.
TAMU-CC is one of only seven federal aviation administration unmanned aircraft services test sites in the United States. A partnership with CCIA can help expand research.
"As a FAA test site, part of what we do is research development into unmanned aircraft, and how we utilize them and integrate them into the national airspace system," he said. "As part of the university, we try to bring in students, work towards student engagement, student success, and student research. So those two combined, to add into the partnership with Corpus Christi, is very good for the community."
3NEWS received a statement from officials with Corpus Christi International Airport that reads:
CCIA looks forward to building upon our already close relationship with Lone Star UAS. We’re working every day with Lone Star and FAA to build a program that benefits our industry and community. The team at Lone Star is made of some of the best professionals in the country and the work they’re doing will have a major impact on unmanned aviation’s integration into airport airspace and the rest of the industry.
No date has been set yet for the airport to present the idea before city council. There are still a few details that need to be finalized, mostly dealing with the leasing of space at the airport. Hopefully if the proposal goes through, it will expand educational resources for Island University students.
More from 3News on KIIITV.com:
- Crane used in Harbor Bridge Project catches fire, disrupts Corpus Christi Hooks game
- New technology helps police find, arrest man considered a 'public threat'
- Padre Island residents want reasoning for high appraisal values
- Here's when you can watch the 2023 solar eclipse over Corpus Christi
- Craigslist car scam puts Corpus Christi family out 20K; investigation showed car was also stolen
- More than 80 people cited, 13 arrested in Prime Time gameroom bust
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Do you have a news tip? Tell 3!
Email tell3@kiiitv.com so we can get in touch with you about your story should we have questions or need more information. We realize some stories are sensitive in nature. Let us know if you'd like to remain anonymous. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/tamu-cc-hopes-to-expand-airspace-research-with-proposed-partnership/503-d7874ee0-264e-4012-a235-c271229346fb | 2023-04-27T05:13:25 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/tamu-cc-hopes-to-expand-airspace-research-with-proposed-partnership/503-d7874ee0-264e-4012-a235-c271229346fb |
SAN ANTONIO — A a major southside staple is just five days away from shutting down. Texas Vista Medical Center is closing for good. The move is worrying residents about the impact on healthcare.
Meanwhile, District Four City Councilwoman Dr. Adriana Rocha Garcia is calling for an investigation at the state and federal level.
“I am really worried,” she said.
The city leader said she is saddened by the closure because it is going to have a real impact on the people.
Now, with the closure happening in days and recent reporting from CBS News surrounding the shutdown; the councilwoman is demanding answers and she isn’t alone.
“My worst fear is that there is a mass shooting of some sort and those are less beds we have now accessible to folks on the southside,” she said. “This is more than just a neighborhood hospital,” she said. “This takes care almost half of San Antonio.”
She is calling on state and federal leaders to investigate how this shutdown could have happened.
“I am hoping to know what went wrong,” the councilwoman said. “When someone had information, they could have elevated any type of practices going unnoticed that somebody could have stepped in to help.”
Her opponent aiming to take her council seat, Gregorio De La Paz, agrees with this call to action.
“I am saddened by it, he said. “I think an investigation is warranted to check the facts to make sure everybody is on the up and up. You need to be transparent.”
The hospital’s parent company: Steward Health Care Network sent the following information to KENS 5:
• The lease payment to MPT on the TVMC hospital is $5 million a year. That represents 3% of the annual operating budget and was absolutely not a factor in the decision to close the hospital. (This is irrelevant compared to the 25% of care delivered that goes uncompensated.)
• Steward, by the terms of its master lease, will still pay the rent and taxes even if the hospital is closed.
• Twenty-five percent of the patients treated at TVMC do not pay for their care. Without Steward’s commitment, TVMC would have closed years ago. As a physician-led company, Steward has been very reluctant to close TVMC and stayed the course throughout the pandemic. Steward sought partners and many avenues to avoid closing TVMC. However, in the absence of much needed and denied assistance from Bexar County, Steward can no longer keep it open. Very few companies can give away 25% of its product and remain viable.
Linda Pearson is the interim CEO of Southside First Economic Development Council. She said she was stunned when she heard the news.
“Oh my, she said. “If a hospital is closing down, what are we doing to do about healthcare.” This is a large region. So, now if people need to use the hospital they are having to go farther. Some of them don’t have transportation.”
The councilwoman said a short-term goal is to come up with a PSA or plan to let residents know what their options are going to be now moving forward. The nearest hospital is going to be a commute like 10-to-15 minutes away.
The other aspect are the people who worked at Texas Vista Medical Center, more than 800 of them are landing new jobs or looking for a new one.
Southside First is hoping to connect with them soon to offer any help. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas-vista-medical-center-closes-south-side-hospital/273-8e90bd2e-b52d-4fa4-a7b1-93fa238cb18c | 2023-04-27T05:13:31 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas-vista-medical-center-closes-south-side-hospital/273-8e90bd2e-b52d-4fa4-a7b1-93fa238cb18c |
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