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YORK COUNTY, Pa. — The York County Sheriff's Office K9 Unit was called into action by the Spring Garden Police Department on January 24 to aid in the search for a missing person.
The family reported to police that a family member in their 30s went missing around 8 p.m. that night.
Extra cause for concern arose when it was revealed that the missing person wasn't wearing appropriate clothing for the wintry weather, among other factors.
Cpl. Kauffman and Sgt. Strine responded to the scene, accompanied by K9 Prince and K9 Hawk.
After the team assessed the scene, they decided to call in YSCO Drone Unit to assist in the search for the individual.
K9 Prince tracked the development into a wooded area until successfully finding the missing person alert on the ground, who was then treated by EMS.
York County Sheriff's Office stated the K9 Unit regularly trains for calls such as this and congratulates Cpl. Kauffman and K9 Prince. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/york-county-k9-helps-locate-missing-person-pennsylvania/521-5af45f98-d827-4796-9298-878b203585fa | 2023-04-27T05:13:37 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/york-county-k9-helps-locate-missing-person-pennsylvania/521-5af45f98-d827-4796-9298-878b203585fa |
The Hearst Foundations has awarded Washington State University with a $150,000 grant.
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The grant will help fund the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine Rural Family Medicine Residency Program at Pullman Regional Hospital. The program's mission is to "develop exceptional family medicine physicians who are ideally suited for rural practice."
The William Randolph Hearst Foundation and The Hearst Foundation Inc. are independent private philanthropies established in the 1940s by William Randolph Hearst, founder of the Hearst Corporation, which owns the SeattlePI. The two foundations act as a unified national philanthropic resource for nonprofit organizations and institutions working in the fields of education, health, culture and social service. The two foundations give the grants together.
In addition to grantmaking, two unique programs are administered and funded by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation: the United States Senate Youth Program for high school juniors and seniors and the Journalism Awards Program for undergraduates at accredited schools of journalism.
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Over the past several years, the Hearst Foundations awarded millions of dollars in grants to organizations in Seattle and across the country impacted by the spread of COVID-19.
The Hearst Foundations have awarded more than 21,500 grants to nearly 6,000 organizations since their founding. Last year, the Hearst Foundations gave 358 grants worth a total of $54 million. | https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattlenews/article/hearst-foundations-grants-wsu-17915456.php | 2023-04-27T05:18:00 | 1 | https://www.seattlepi.com/local/seattlenews/article/hearst-foundations-grants-wsu-17915456.php |
The Coast Guard issued a Notice of Violation Tuesday to the operator of a recreational vessel that was detected crossing a restricted bar in Coos Bay.
Coast Guard members at Coast Guard Station Coos Bay detected the vessel crossing the Coos Bay Bar Tuesday at 12:07 p.m. At the time of the detection, the Bar was restricted to all recreational vessels smaller than 36 feet in length.
Station watchstanders attempted to hail the 23-foot vessel on channel 16 VHF-FM marine-band radio, but the vessel didn’t respond. The station launched a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew to respond to the bar crossing and conduct a safety inspection.
The same boater was contacted Monday by station personnel who educated him on the dangers of Oregon coast bars and how to obtain Bar Restriction information after he was detected near the same restricted bar.
The Coast Guard previously established regulated navigation areas for specific locations on the Oregon and Washington coasts and created guidance for these locations. When conditions become hazardous, the Captain of the Port for the Coast Guard, having jurisdiction over a particular area, will either restrict or close the bar to ensure maritime safety.
“The Oregon Coast is home to some of the most dangerous waterways in the world,” said Lt. Cmdr. Colin Fogarty, the Enforcement Chief at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “The Coast Guard’s use of bar restrictions saves lives and prevents boaters from putting themselves and their passengers in danger.”
Administrative fines were issued to the operator of the vessel for $3,000.
“Restrictions are based on the objective judgments by extremely experienced and knowledgeable Surfmen,” Fogarty said. “This mariner not only risked his own life, but potentially the lives of other mariners and the Coast Guard members who may have responded to save him if something had gone wrong. The Coast Guard has no tolerance for knowingly crossing restricted bars. $3,000 is a lot of money to pay for a crab, but it’s cheaper than the life of a mariner or their passengers."
The Coast Guard urges mariners to check bar restriction updates to keep themselves and their passengers safe. Updates can be found by visiting https://www.weather.gov/pqr/AllBars, listening to radio channel 1610 AM, or contacting the local Coast Guard station by phone or VHF-FM radio channel 16.
In addition, boaters are reminded to check current and forecasted weather and sea conditions before embarking on a voyage, have the proper and required safety and emergency equipment, and always wear a life jacket. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/coast-guard-enforces-restricted-bar-in-coos-bay-or/article_f50edb38-e4af-11ed-ab27-8fdce3962e52.html | 2023-04-27T05:20:10 | 0 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/coast-guard-enforces-restricted-bar-in-coos-bay-or/article_f50edb38-e4af-11ed-ab27-8fdce3962e52.html |
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Senate passed the final version of a bill on Wednesday that would restrict the state auditor's ability to conduct audits.
Senate File 478 first passed the Iowa Senate in early March, before being amended by the Iowa House.
Now that senate has approved the amended version, Gov. Kim Reynolds is expected to sign it into law.
State Auditor Rob Sand has repeatedly denounced the bill as it moved through the legislature.
“The bill is the greatest pro-corruption bill and the worst perversion of checks and balances in Iowa’s history because it lets state government hide documents from auditors, and ends judicial review of such decisions,” Sand said in a press release on Wednesday. “To eliminate checks and balances on power is an attack on democracy and an invitation to corruption.”
If signed into law, Senate File 478 would prevent the state auditor from accessing a number of records, including:
- Iowan's income tax returns
- Criminal files from police
- Personal information of students
- Hospital or medical records
- Peace officers' investigative reports
The bill would also make it illegal for the auditor's office to use the courts to challenge the governor's administration.
“This bill doesn’t just open the door to fraud and corruption, it blows it off of its hinges,” Sand said in the press release. “It allows governmental entities to hide records necessary to prove abuse of tax dollars and allows dishonest, double-dealing insiders to conceal their waste, fraud, and abuse.”
State Sen. Mike Bousselot claims the bill is designed to protect Iowans' personal information.
"You see, the watchdog still has teeth," Bousselot said on the senate floor.. It's just making sure that those teeth aren't getting sank in to something they shouldn't be in, which is Iowans' most personal and private information."
Bousselot also stated in a newsletter that the auditor would still have access to information deemed relevant to an audit, but said information would be de-identified. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/local-politics/iowa-legislature-house-senate-file-478-limits-auditors-power-state-auditor-rob-sand-reaction-updates/524-2b888eff-2f05-41c7-af6b-9e607ba64bb5 | 2023-04-27T05:24:32 | 0 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/local-politics/iowa-legislature-house-senate-file-478-limits-auditors-power-state-auditor-rob-sand-reaction-updates/524-2b888eff-2f05-41c7-af6b-9e607ba64bb5 |
Afternoon stroll on Putnam Street
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Officer who hit, killed pedestrian was involved in four prior crashes | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/afternoon-stroll-on-putnam-street/article_8a362ba0-e49a-11ed-9c6a-ff997b419419.html | 2023-04-27T05:29:00 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/afternoon-stroll-on-putnam-street/article_8a362ba0-e49a-11ed-9c6a-ff997b419419.html |
Giving the gift of love on her birthday
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Officer who hit, killed pedestrian was involved in four prior crashes | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/giving-the-gift-of-love-on-her-birthday/article_300e5b72-e47a-11ed-bec5-dffb51e68592.html | 2023-04-27T05:29:06 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/giving-the-gift-of-love-on-her-birthday/article_300e5b72-e47a-11ed-bec5-dffb51e68592.html |
Pick-up football at Hamilton Park
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Officer who hit, killed pedestrian was involved in four prior crashes | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/pick-up-football-at-hamilton-park/article_0ba37bac-e47d-11ed-8248-cb053317e262.html | 2023-04-27T05:29:12 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/pick-up-football-at-hamilton-park/article_0ba37bac-e47d-11ed-8248-cb053317e262.html |
Shasta County's largest union votes to go on two-week strike
Shasta County’s largest bargaining unit said it will strike for two weeks starting Monday, after months of talks and negotiations failed to reach an agreement.
The Laborer International Union of Northern California, UPEC Local 792, represents about 1,000 county employees, which encompasses approximately half of the county’s workforce. The union members work in virtually every county department.
The union has been working without a contract since the end of December, business manager Steve Allen said.
UPEC members want a one-year, 15% pay increase that they say is essential to combat high inflation and rising medical insurance costs, Allen said.
At the end of one year, the union would go back to the bargaining table to negotiate a new contract, he said.
“We have to ask for what our members need and see what happens. Our members told us we need a 15% increase right up front,” Allen said.
Allen called the demand for a 15% increase the union's "impasse position" going into the strike.
During the April 18 Board of Supervisors meeting, chairman Patrick Jones, who represents District 4, said the county has offered a pay raise of 2.5%, 2.5% and 2% plus equities over three years.
Jones made the announcement after UPEC members showed up to make their case during the public comment period.
“It’s not that we don’t believe that you’re worth more. We do believe you’re worth more. But it’s what we can afford,” Jones said at the meeting. “By all means, most economists agree that a slowdown is coming.”
More:Judge: Shasta County must turn over sheriff's office-related records to Record Searchlight
Before Jones spoke, some at the meeting said during public comment that the county could use the money it’s spending on going to a hand count of ballots toward giving raises to employees.
On Tuesday, supervisors approved hiring seven more employees to help administer a full hand count of ballots for future elections. With the approval, the price tag to do a hand count now exceeds $1.5 million and that number is expected to rise.
Allen said the wage offer the county has on the table doesn’t take into consideration that 2.5% for a high-paid manager goes farther than 2.5% for UPEC members who are barely making more than minimum wage.
Allen told the Record Searchlight that most of his membership works in the Health and Human Services Agency department, which gets most of its money from the state and federal government, not the general fund.
The county issued a news release on Tuesday that said the strike will not affect services and it has a plan to assure public safety, road maintenance and that health and human services remain in place.
Allen said the union and county officials are going over a list of essential workers that will be needed to provide those services.
More:Shasta County rescinds offer to CEO finalist Chriss Street; eyes another candidate for job
The county’s news release said the 7% three-year agreement includes increased swing shift differential pay from 65 cents to 75 cents per hour, a new longevity stipend of 3% of base pay for employees with at least 10 years of service, an additional paid floating holiday and increased annual leave buyout amounts from 20 hours to 80 hours of leave beginning in 2024.
Going from 20 hours to 80 hours, would increase the maximum amount of pay that workers taking a buyout could get.
"Employees presently can only elect to cash out up to a maximum of 20 hours of vacation and/or compensatory time per calendar year, the proposal would have increased the maximum to 80 hours," Assistant Director of Support Services Monica Fugitt said in an email to the Record Searchlight.
Allen said if nothing changes after the two-week strike, then the union will meet to discuss its next move. He called a strike the last option.
"Hopefully something will come out of the strike that gets a settlement,” Allen said.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. | https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2023/04/26/shasta-countys-largest-union-votes-to-go-on-two-week-strike/70153942007/ | 2023-04-27T05:36:18 | 1 | https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2023/04/26/shasta-countys-largest-union-votes-to-go-on-two-week-strike/70153942007/ |
Warren middle school student stops bus after driver passes out
A quick-thinking Warren Consolidated Schools seventh grader helped prevent a bus crash Wednesday after the driver passed out, district officials said.
The driver had been transporting students home from Carter Middle School then "became lightheaded and lost consciousness while the bus was traveling on Masonic Boulevard near Bunert Road," Superintendent Robert Livernois said in a statement.
The seventh grader "saw the driver in distress, stepped to the front of the bus and helped bring it to a stop without incident," he said.
The statement did not identify the student or the bus driver.
The Warren police and fire departments responded and tended to the driver, Livernois said. The students were loaded onto another bus to head home.
"The actions of the student who helped stop the bus made all the difference today, and I could not be prouder of his efforts," the superintendent said.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Warren City Councilman Jonathan Lafferty identified the youth as Dillon Reeves.
The city is "very proud of our 7th Grade Hero," he said.
"This young man jumped into action when his school bus driver experienced a medical emergency, bringing the bus to a stop and avoiding what could have been a very tragic accident," Lafferty said. "We are very proud of you for your heroic actions!" | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/04/27/warren-middle-school-student-stops-bus-after-driver-passes-out/70156987007/ | 2023-04-27T05:51:30 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/04/27/warren-middle-school-student-stops-bus-after-driver-passes-out/70156987007/ |
Oct. 1, 1931 - April 11, 2023
GREEN VALLEY, AZ - Anne G. Wolfe, 91, formerly of Green Valley, AZ and Highland, IN, passed away peacefully. Preceded in death by husband of 52 years, John F. Wolfe, son John D. Wolfe.
Survived by daughter Julia (Joseph) Shoaf, son Robert (Leah) Wolfe, seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in her memory to: Friends of Madera Canyon friendsofmaderacanyon.org/ or Dysphagia Outreach Project www.dysphagiaoutreach.org/ Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at friedrichjones.com/obituaries.
Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday June 16, 2023 at 11:00 AM. Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church Naperville IL.
Private Interment at East Fox Lake Cemetery | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/anne-g-wolfe/article_0d2d6210-d711-5e53-9585-c80b7f991e6f.html | 2023-04-27T06:11:14 | 1 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/anne-g-wolfe/article_0d2d6210-d711-5e53-9585-c80b7f991e6f.html |
HAMMOND, IN - Barbara J. Kruczek (nee Mateja) 96 of Hammond, passed away peacefully on Monday, April 24, 2023 at St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago. She was the beloved wife of the late Joseph R. Kruczek who passed away April 9, 1998; loving mother of Mark, Joseph, Laura (Ed) Maryianowski and Marie; cherished grandmother of Joseph; dearest aunt to many nieces and nephews; dear friend, Ann Shelton. She was also preceded in death by three brothers, George, John and Joseph Mateja and five sisters, Irene Mateja, Anne Salley, Sophie Mayernik, Theresa Hartig and Mary Companik.
Visitation on Saturday morning, April 29, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. until time of services at 10:30 a.m. at the Baran Funeral Home, 1235-119th St., Whiting; a Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11:00 a.m. at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Whiting, with the Rev. Mark R. Peres, C.PP.S., officiating; interment to follow at St. John Cemetery, Hammond. Expressions of sympathy may be placed on-line at www.baranfh.com.
Barbara Kruczek was born on December 25, 1926 to George and Johanna Mateja. A lifelong resident of Hammond, she was a graduate of George Rogers Clark High School, Class of 1945. She was a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Whiting, the St. John Rosary Society and the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association, Br. 81 and was a retiree of the Hammond-Whiting Care Center with a service of 16 years. Devoted to her family, Barbara will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her. In lieu of flowers, memorials to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 1849 Lincoln Ave., Whiting, IN 46394, would be appreciated. (219) 659-4400. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/barbara-j-kruczek-nee-mateja/article_c9236416-cd7e-56c3-bf90-0d9ab6117669.html | 2023-04-27T06:11:20 | 1 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/barbara-j-kruczek-nee-mateja/article_c9236416-cd7e-56c3-bf90-0d9ab6117669.html |
April 30, 1969 - Nov. 14, 2022
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Danny Ray Abner Jr., Marci Dupree Beautician/ Performer. He is an Alumni of Hobart High School class of 1987. Danny/Marci is survived by his mother and step-father Winnie and Harry Norton.
A private celebration of life will be conducted on Saturday, April 29 at the Hobart Moose Lodge by invitation only. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/danny-ray-abner-jr/article_312f8876-6bd1-53ec-a29f-565d43f01cee.html | 2023-04-27T06:11:26 | 1 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/danny-ray-abner-jr/article_312f8876-6bd1-53ec-a29f-565d43f01cee.html |
1927 - 2023
CALUMET CITY, IL - Dessie (Desanka) Jokich, nee Zorich, age 96, of Calumet City, Illinois passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 20, 2023 during Orthodox Bright Week.
She was the beloved and devoted wife of the late Michael "Mitch" Jokich for 53 years, loving mother of Dr. Peter (Cheryl) Jokich and Dr. Michael (Michele) Jokich and the late baby Paul Michael Jokich, and loving grandmother "Baba" of Alexandra (Kevin) Westrate, Carly (Ryan) Funderburk, Ava (Matthew) Battaglia, Brian Jokich, Elyse (Paul) Jokich and Zachary Jokich. She was also blessed as the great-grandmother (Prababa) of Noelle and Hallie Westrate and Jack and Charlie Funderburk, and was the cherished aunt of Richard Drocbac and Janice (Phillip) Mazzuca. Preceded in death by her son, baby Paul (age 4 months), parents Dragisha "Richard" and Gospava Zorich, sister Dorothy (Eli) Drobac, wonderful father-and mother-in-law, Peter and Milka Dozet, and sister- and brother-in-law, Ann and Isaac "Ike" Tesla
Dessie was born in 1927 in Christopher, Illinois, where her father was a coal miner. Both her parents immigrated to America from Montenegro/Yugoslavia. Dessie moved to Chicago with her sister Dorothy in 1944. She attended James H. Bowen High School in Chicago and graduated in June 1945, and subsequently worked on the 40th and 50th class reunions. She worked for almost ten years as a lost baggage clerk for the Illinois Central Railroad before her boys were born and for several years as a secretary for a local general surgeon when her boys were older.
Dessie was a member of the St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church of South Chicago/Lansing, a member of the circle (Kolo) of Serbian Sisters "Kneginja (Princess) Zorka" of South Chicago/Lansing, the Serbian Seniors of St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church of Lansing, the Serb National Federation Karageorgevich Lodge #25, and the Starlite Chapter #1 order of the Eastern Star. She taught Sunday School at St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church in South Chicago for nine years when she was younger, and loved doing arts and crafts, including oil painting.
Special thanks to her loving and devoted caregiver for the past two years, Esther Akinyi.
Funeral arrangements by Kompare Funeral Home/Bob Oberman. Visitation on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at St, Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church, 1550 E. 186th St., Lansing, Illinois beginning at 9:00 a.m. to be followed by the Orthodox Funeral Service at 10:00 a.m. Very Reverend Father Dr. Milos Vesin presiding. Interment at Cedar Park Cemetery, 12540 Halsted St., Chicago. Memorial donations can be made to St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church or the charity of your choice. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/dessie-desanka-jokich-nee-zorich/article_78bdc292-22c5-5bc3-83c7-b9477f150d25.html | 2023-04-27T06:11:32 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/dessie-desanka-jokich-nee-zorich/article_78bdc292-22c5-5bc3-83c7-b9477f150d25.html |
June 4, 1936 - April 25, 2023
CROWN POINT, IN - Grace Jean Henderson, age 86, was born June 4, 1936 passed away April 25, 2023. She was a lifelong resident of Crown Point. Grace was a graduate of Crown Point High School and Indiana University. She retired from Ticor Title as a closing officer. Grace was preceded in death by her husband, Bob Henderson; parents, John and Grace Mikuta; sister and brother-in-law, Jackie and Bela Roberts. She is survived by her children: John McMichael, Karen (Mark) Mitcheltree, Susan (Mark) Koza; grandchildren: John, Grace Koza, Jack McMichael, Julie Knoth; great granddaughter, Alexis; brother, Joel (Jean) Mikuta; sister-in-law, Liz (Al) Washko, Rita Henderson. Grace enjoyed baking, playing bridge, family and friends.
Memorial visitation will take place on Sunday, April 30, 2023, from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the memorial service at 3:00 p.m. at BURNS FUNERAL HOME, 10101 Broadway, Crown Point, IN. Rev. Mark Wilkins officiating. Contributions may be made to the Crown Point Community Foundation 115 S Court St, Crown Point, IN. www.burnsfuneral.com | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/grace-jean-henderson/article_d49c3484-3942-58b7-96eb-67447e6d9046.html | 2023-04-27T06:11:38 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/grace-jean-henderson/article_d49c3484-3942-58b7-96eb-67447e6d9046.html |
Jan. 16, 1956 - April 19, 2023
MERRILLVILLE, IN - Jonas Harvey, 67, of Merrillville, IN passed away Wednesday, April 19, 2023, at his home in Merrillville, IN. Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 10:00 AM at House of Glory Word Outreach Center 4009 Fir Street in East Chicago, IN. Visitation one hour prior to services. Interment Fern Oaks Cemetery in Griffith, IN. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/jonas-harvey/article_012621e9-47e0-537e-8ed1-932d15ab0ff9.html | 2023-04-27T06:11:45 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/jonas-harvey/article_012621e9-47e0-537e-8ed1-932d15ab0ff9.html |
May 16, 1958 - April 24, 2023
HAMMOND, IN - Julie A. Maxeiner age 64 passed away Monday April 24, 2023 at Munster Community Hospital surrounded by family.
She is survived by her partner Sue Jadin, brother Doug (Terri) Maxeiner, sister Carolyn (Mike) Messerschmidt, Nephews Mike Maxeiner, Justin (Christina) Messerschmidt, Kevin (Alyssa) Messerschmidt, Christopher (Elizabeth) Maxeiner and Thomas Maxeiner and her great nieces Lily, Harper, Honore, Elise and Hazel.
She was preceded in death by her parents Robert and Marjorie Maxeiner, Brother Bruce Maxeiner and Nephew Patrick Maxeiner.
Julie was retired. She liked to relax and watch old TV show reruns, the Price is Right and her soaps. Julie cherished her nephews and loved her and Sue's entire family very much. They all loved her back. Julie was loved by many for her lust for life and her fabulous sense of humor. She will be missed by all her knew her.
Julie knew her body was shutting down and hoped that she would get better but that did not happen. She put up a good fight until the very end.
The family would like to thank the Doctor's and Nurse's at Munster Community Hospital in the Neuro Science units. They are truly angels on earth.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to the American Cancer Society or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Visitation will be held at BURNS KISH FUNERAL HOME at 8415 Calumet Ave., Munster Indiana. Saturday April 29, 2023 from 12:00-6:00 p.m. Services will be held at 4:30 p.m. Memories can be shared at www.burnskish.com. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/julie-a-maxeiner/article_117c7f49-2de6-5e9f-b45e-eabe05fb81b5.html | 2023-04-27T06:11:51 | 1 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/julie-a-maxeiner/article_117c7f49-2de6-5e9f-b45e-eabe05fb81b5.html |
Dec. 21, 1949 - April 26, 2023
MERRILLVILLE, IN - Peter Michael Hamang, M.D., 73, of Merrillville, Indiana passed away on April 26, 2023, after a yearlong battle with cancer. Peter was born on December 21, 1949, in Gary, Indiana and a graduate of Indiana University Medical School and had a medical practice in Hobart, Indiana.
He was preceded in death by his father, Michael F. Hamang and his son, Peter Michael Hamang, II. Peter is survived by his step-granddaughter, Avery Hasza; his son, Matthew (Karen) Hamang and daughter, Elisabeth McDaniel. Peter is also survived by his mother, Josephine Hamang; sisters: Michele (Steve) Shalla, Julie (John) Hamann, Bridget (Kevin) Gates, Michaelene Hamang and brothers: Michael (Tracy) Hamang and Dr. Joseph Hamang.
There will be a private service for the family at BURNS FUNERAL HOME & CREMATORY, 10101 Broadway in Crown Point, Indiana. Interment will be at Memory Lane Cemetery, 6305 W. Lincoln Highway in Schererville, Indiana. www.burnsfuneral.com | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/peter-michael-hamang/article_b7bef02b-9aaa-5c11-8ba8-e6ff69015bea.html | 2023-04-27T06:11:57 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/peter-michael-hamang/article_b7bef02b-9aaa-5c11-8ba8-e6ff69015bea.html |
Oct. 22, 1942 - April 22, 2023
ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA - Richard Lee Fleming, 80, of Saint Simons Island, Georgia, passed away on April 22, 2023.
Survivors: wife, Karen; son, Michael (Carolyn); grandsons, Hunter, Ethan, Brayden and Austin Fleming and sister, Linda (Norm) Lemieux.
Visitation: Friday 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Edo Miller funeral home. Funeral: Saturday 1:00 p.m. at Christ Church Frederica. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/richard-lee-fleming/article_db557d59-c8b9-5955-94ad-0ff500e72127.html | 2023-04-27T06:12:03 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/richard-lee-fleming/article_db557d59-c8b9-5955-94ad-0ff500e72127.html |
Jan. 10, 1927 - April 22, 2023
CROWN POINT, IN - Richard N. Johnson, age 96, passed away peacefully on April 22, 2023. He was born January 10, 1927, in Chicago, to the late Nels and the late Anna Johnson. He resided for many years on the southside of Chicago before moving to Elmhurst, IL and then to Demotte, IN. After Demotte, Richard moved to Wittenberg Village in Crown Point, IN.
Beloved husband of 70 years to Barbara (nee Haupt); loving father of Janice (Gail) Wernette, Jean (Bob) Foltin, Andrew (Nancy) and Paul (Carrie); cherished grandfather of David (Joseph) Wernette-Harnden, Nora (Kevin) Baxtrom, Linnea (Billy) Sheehan, Greta (Dane) Butera, Benjamin (Maggie) Foltin, Jake Foltin (Maya Pyrzynski), Graham Johnson, Gordon Johnson, Julia Johnson, Katie Johnson, Nicky Johnson and great grandfather of Luke, Audrey, Ellyson and Genevieve. Dearest brother to the late Kenneth, the late Robert, the late Ann Ostrander and the late Norman. Fond uncle and cousin to many.
Richard was a proud Navy veteran and attended many USS Wisconsin reunions. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/richard-n-johnson/article_b43beecd-139d-54d8-8829-51b9fdad8790.html | 2023-04-27T06:12:10 | 1 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/richard-n-johnson/article_b43beecd-139d-54d8-8829-51b9fdad8790.html |
March 24, 1951 - April 27, 2017
Born in East Chicago,IN. Loved, respected and missed world wide. Its been 6 years we love you and miss you every day. Peter, Ebony, Aaron, Bree, and the grand babies.
March 24, 1951 - April 27, 2017
Born in East Chicago,IN. Loved, respected and missed world wide. Its been 6 years we love you and miss you every day. Peter, Ebony, Aaron, Bree, and the grand babies.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/toni-blasingame-smith/article_864d648f-32c6-5277-8f66-1aef389c86e1.html | 2023-04-27T06:12:14 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/obituaries/toni-blasingame-smith/article_864d648f-32c6-5277-8f66-1aef389c86e1.html |
JOHNSON COUNTY, Ind. — Last year, President Joe Biden signed the PACT Act into law. It expanded healthcare benefits for veterans, including screenings for toxic chemicals they were exposed to while in the service.
But many veterans, including some here in Indiana, aren't aware of the help and care now available to them. It's why the staff at the Veterans' Administration Roudebush Medical Center in Indianapolis are bringing those resources and assistance right to our Hoosier veterans.
"There are a lot of vets who need help," said Thomas Clark, a Korean War veteran now living in Greenwood.
Inside the Johnson County Armory, veterans from all branches of service filter in the doors. Thomas Clark served in Korea.
"I always tease everybody and say, 'Well, I really didn't do anything, just ran out in the woods and let everybody shoot at me,'" Clark said.
His buddy, Steve Decot, served in Vietnam.
“I was with a Cobra gunship unit in Pleiku, in the central highlands of Vietnam. We flew gun support special forces Green Beret into that area and also right up close to Cambodia and Laos,” Decot said. "It was a little rough. Yeah, a little rough. Lot of friends of mine got killed."
In the decades since coming home, neither has ever had a toxic exposure screening.
"No, no," Clark said.
"I've not been screened for Agent Orange at all," Decot said.
But even without a screening, Decot knew he had been exposed several times.
“With the aviation unit, I also flew door gunner, and so we flew a lot of areas around Vietnam and was exposed when they were spraying Agent Orange to defoliate the areas and forest, so I was exposed to it several times," Decot said.
He remembers the smell of Agent Orange and the feeling it left on his skin, a memory that's strong in his mind,d decades after coming home from Vietnam.
"The side effects, a lot of it's pretty rough," Decot said. "I got peripheral neuropathy in my hands, my feet, arms and legs. Like you stick your finger in a light socket and you get a shock, that's how my hands, arms and legs feel all the time, 24/7."
But back then, it wasn't his main priority.
"Keep myself alive and get home," Decot said. "At that time, you didn't know. I came off a farm in central Wisconsin. I didn't know anything about it. I knew they were spraying it but didn't know the side effects of it. That was the bad thing after you got back and you found out through the years, bad stuff."
Now, Decot, Clark and other veterans are eligible for toxic exposure screenings and expanding healthcare benefits for the very first time. Made possible through the PACT Act, which was signed into law last August.
"This act is probably the most impactful law that has been passed for veterans in the past 70 or 80 years. It affects millions of veterans nationwide and probably 200,000-300,000 right here in Indiana alone," said Mark Turney, chief of communications at Roudebush VA.
Turney explained that the changes to expanding healthcare benefits for veterans is a huge change but not many veterans don't know about it. And, he said, it's needed, not just for those who served in Vietnam but in many other wars and other parts of the world, too.
“The PACT Act specifically deals with Agent Orange for Vietnam veteran era and then, a toxic exposure such as burn pits. I know when I was in Afghanistan, everything was burned. Sometimes you didn’t know what it was, you just burned it because there was no other choice. That led a lot of toxins out into the atmosphere. We breathed them in,” Turney said.
To ensure veterans in central Indiana know the resources and healthcare they can access, the staff at VA Roudebush are hosting resource and benefits fairs like the one at Johnson County Armory, bringing the help right to the veterans directly.
It's care that's needed for so many who served our nation.
Decot and Clark both agree, they're grateful the VA staff here aren't letting these new healthcare benefits slip through the cracks.
"They're just great people. They know what they're doing and they always make you feel welcome," Clark said.
And hopeful, too, that this is the start of getting the care they need and deserve after our nation's veterans gave so much to protect our country.
"I'm hoping this will get me a little further in and see where we go from there," Decot said.
"As a veteran, this means the world to me," Turney said.
The next resource fair with toxic exposure screening will be held Saturday, May 13 at the Brownsburg VA Clinic, 557 Pit Road from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. PACT Act briefings will be held at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and at noon.
Click here for more information about the PACT Act, visit the Roudebush VA Medical Center or call 317-554-0000. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/va-helps-veterans-access-new-toxic-exposure-screenings-expanded-healthcare-options-agent-orange-care/531-2e3c4745-e2a9-49d5-9e46-11d263298c32 | 2023-04-27T06:15:50 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/va-helps-veterans-access-new-toxic-exposure-screenings-expanded-healthcare-options-agent-orange-care/531-2e3c4745-e2a9-49d5-9e46-11d263298c32 |
What to Know
- It was March 15, 2003. The body of a young woman was discovered in a field in the town of Wallkill in the Orange County city of Middletown. She had been murdered. Her name was Megan McDonald
- Her father was a retired NYPD detective who died in 2002, a year before McDonald was killed; the 20-year-old's baffling case was featured on Dateline last year ahead of the 20-year anniversary
- NYSP announced Thursday that 42-year-old Edward Holley had been arrested on a charge of second-degree murder. However, he was set to be released a week later after the DA's office did not bring the case to a grand jury
There was a major setback in a 20-year-old New York cold case police said they had cracked — and it's a mistake that is about to set the alleged killer free.
It was a baffling and high-profile murder case that was featured on "Dateline" ahead of the solemn 20-year anniversary of her the slaying. For two decades, there were no arrests in the in the 2003 murder of Megan McDonald.
That is until last week, when 42-year-old Edward Holley was arrested by New York State Police on April 20 and charged with second-degree murder in McDonald's death. He would have been in his 20s at the time, and police said the two had dated but broke up in the days leading up to the killing.
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"I'm definitely not guilty," an orange jumpsuit-clad Holley said in handcuffs, as troopers pushed his wheelchair from the barracks toward a waiting car. "I loved her with all my heart...They’re framing me like some monkey, but it’s all good."
When asked by NBC New York what he wanted to say to McDonald's family, Holley said "I didn't do it. I loved Megan." Two women in the crowd showed their support for Holley.
Police said he was already in county jail -- for violating probation stemming from an Oct. 2021 narcotics arrest -- when he was charged in the McDonald case.
Details on the information contained in that warrant, and what exactly led investigators to Holley after two decades, weren't immediately clear. State police said there was no sudden shift, only saying that Holley had a "strong motive" for killing her and that DNA evidence linked him to the murder.
"It wasn't one specific piece of evidence or information that brought us to this day," NYSP Bureau of Crime Investigation Capt. Joseph Kolek said. "It was the culmination of all the pieces over the course of the last 20 years that led us to this day."
Kolek did go on to say that police believe that "this crime was intimate partner violence. Holley owed Megan a substantial amount of money."
Police didn't elaborate at a press conference that day — a press conference from which the Orange County district attorney was noticeably missing.
That's because shortly after, Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler said the arrest was made without his office having consulted with police, which is generally the standard operating procedure in criminal cases for the county. A strange development, especially given the scope of the investigation.
"Once a defendant is charged and held in custody, the grand jury must vote an indictment within no longer than six days from the date of the arrest or the defendant must be released. For that reason, complicated cases are normally at least partially presented to a grand jury before an arrest is made," Hoovler said. "The preferred practice is for police agencies to coordinate with prosecutors on serious cases. Grand jury presentations on “cold” homicide cases involving complicated fact patterns can rarely be commenced and completed within six days, without prior coordination."
Hoovler appeared to criticize the state police's decision to make the arrest without telling his office, saying that "The family of the victim, and the entire community deserve to have homicide cases handled in the best way possible to provide the greatest opportunity for offenders to be held accountable." He added that his office will prioritize the investigation and the prosecution.
In the week since Holley's arrest, the DA's office did not take the case to a grand jury, and announced on Wednesday that a special prosecutor would take over the case. Holley was set to be released from custody in connection to the murder charge on Thursday.
In a statement, the McDonald family said they are "disappointed with today's news regarding the release of Edward Holley. However, his temporary release was expected. Since Megan was brutally taken from us, we have been advocating for the arrest of the person responsible for her murder. After patiently waiting for over 20 years, we are confident that the police have arrested the right person — Edward Holley. The process may not be easy or follow our preferred path, but we will not rest until justice is secured for Megan.”
At the time of Holley's arrest, McDonald's family didn't mince words after police announced the break in the case.
"He forever will be billed a monster and a coward," said James Whalen, McDonald's brother-in-law. "Do not let his current appearance fool you. This is a vile human being."
McDonald's body was discovered on March 15, 2003, in a field in Wallkill, just outside the city of Middletown. Her car, a white Mercury Sable, was found two days later in a parking lot in the Kensington Manor Complex, also in Wallkill.
McDonald, who lived in Orange County, was a 20-year-old SUNY Orange County Community College student at the time of her death and had worked at the Galleria Mall in Middletown. She died of blunt force trauma.
Her father was a retired NYPD detective who died in 2002, a year before McDonald was killed -- and the NYC Detectives' Endowment Association had offered a $10,000 reward, as did the FBI, for information leading to her killer.
A Decades-Old Mystery
McDonald's story was the subject of a "Dateline" last year in which detectives discussed the latest developments in the case. McDonald had a conversation with two people she knew who were throwing a birthday party in Wallkill, near Greenway Terrace. They supposedly tried to get her to join and she refused.
Detectives told Dateline that people who attended the party later reported those two people had come back -- and told the rest of the group McDonald left to spend time with other friends in Middletown.
She ended up at her friend's home there and stayed until about midnight, according to the Dateline report. She told her friend she had to go home because she had to get up early for work in the morning, detectives told Dateline.
The friend didn't see her again, and detectives told Dateline McDonald apparently went back to that party instead of going home. She left pretty quickly, telling two other friends she was going to hang out with "somebody," detectives told Dateline. According to the report, they watched her drive away. That was likely the last time she was seen alive.
In a later interview, an initial witness had a new detail, New York State Police Det. Brad Natalizio told Dateline -- a vehicle with a loud sound system that had been seen behind McDonald's car. The witness only noticed it because the volume was so loud, according to the Dateline report. It was likely a dark car that looked like a Honda Civic hatchback.
More Unsolved Mysteries
McDonald's family had just started to worry when they hadn't heard from her, and she didn't show up for work on March 14, 2003. The next day, Natalizio told Dateline the people who own property on Bowser Road called police to report a body. Investigators identified McDonald by her driver's license and say they believe she was killed in the field.
She had been murdered in her own driver's seat, Natalizio told Dateline.
Her father spent 20 years with the NYPD and did some homicide detective work there but died of a heart attack in 2002, McDonald's sister, Karen, told Dateline. He was 47 -- and she told the show that watching him work over the years made her confident the investigators working on her sister's case wouldn't give up until it's solved.
"Seeing what my dad would put into cases and how it affected him personally and the care that he brought to cases," Karen McDonald told Dateline last year. "I feel for the police officers that have carried this for years for my sister. And I know that it's -- it's more, you know, it's -- it's personal to them at this point."
There apparently had been a second suspect. That individual died.
Investigators have amassed nearly 1,000 pieces of evidence over the course of the 20-year probe, and Natalizio told Dateline the hope was that forensic advances in DNA technology would eventually lead to new leads.
It's not clear if that car was linked to Holley's arrest, but Kolek say his DNA was linked to a crime scene. Information on a possible attorney for him wasn't immediately available. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/megan-mcdonald-murder-alleged-killer-in-20-year-cold-case-to-be-set-free/4279927/ | 2023-04-27T06:18:59 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/megan-mcdonald-murder-alleged-killer-in-20-year-cold-case-to-be-set-free/4279927/ |
June 18, 1950—April 25, 2023
Nancy Lynn McCormick died unexpectedly on April 25, 2023, at Twin Falls Hospital. She was born June 18, 1950, in Wendell, Idaho, the daughter of George William Hire and Martha Myriel Sheldon. Nancy attended Buhl High School.
She married Randy McCormick in 1972, they recently celebrated 50 years of marriage. Nancy was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and served faithfully up to her death.
Nancy was a pillar of the community. She loved to share the Good News with people in her community. She was known for her extraordinary seamstress skills and creativity. She was well known in the community with many often referring to her as “Nana”, she truly felt like part of many’s families. She would help anyone in need and personally teach and help them with their spirituality as well as all of their home care needs and wants.
Nancy is survived by her husband, Randy. She is also survived by her son, Glenn with his wife Leah McCormick with their children: Kayla, Trevor, Marques, and Tatiana. Her son, Paul McCormick. Her daughter, Naomi with her husband Stephen Leyba, and their children: Stephanie, Tevin, Sanomi, and Preston. She also had 7 great-grandchildren, and another on the way.
A memorial for Nancy Lynn McCormick will take place on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at the 7th Street Gym in Buhl, Idaho. (The old gymnasium for Buhl High School). All are welcome to attend and show their support for her family. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/nancy-lynn-mccormick/article_4a78a8d0-d187-581a-8ef1-2f63e097b83b.html | 2023-04-27T06:20:13 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/nancy-lynn-mccormick/article_4a78a8d0-d187-581a-8ef1-2f63e097b83b.html |
Kenneth Bird Jr., 71, of Britt, died Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at MercyOne North Iowa in Mason City. Arrangements: Ewing Funeral Home.
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Kenneth Bird Jr., 71, of Britt, died Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at MercyOne North Iowa in Mason City. Arrangements: Ewing Funeral Home.
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/globe-death-notices/article_72a1a243-70ae-592e-83d8-9e6019855958.html | 2023-04-27T06:26:10 | 0 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/globe-death-notices/article_72a1a243-70ae-592e-83d8-9e6019855958.html |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Over the past few weeks, we've seen your calls and messages about apartment maintenance and rent price issues before and after the tornado. If you're in a situation like this— what can you do about it?
Arkansas law guarantees renters a certain safety standard in their homes, but it also has measures that protect landlords from unruly tenants.
Figuring out your rights as a renter can be confusing.
Kale Anderson, a housing attorney with Arkansas Legal Aid, helps low-income tenants with housing issues.
"Most other states are going to offer renters more rights than Arkansas," Anderson said. "We work with what we have."
Viewers have sent us photos of sewage issues, leaky ceilings after rain and missing doors at apartments across Little Rock.
So what are your legal options if these issues continue after making management aware?
"If it continues not being fixed and ends up causing some health problems," Anderson said. "Then you could have the ability to break your lease."
Do you have to pay rent if you're still in a lease and problems stick around?
"As long as you're living in the place," Anderson said. "Your safest option is to continue paying that rent because Arkansas does not have a law that allows you to stop paying that if you're still on the premise."
According to ApartmentList.com, rent in Arkansas has risen 17.8% in the last three years.
How much can a landlord raise your rent each lease?
There's not much of a limit as long as there's proper notice, but it still depends.
"There may be an argument to be made to a judge that doubling it after a disaster, in particular, is not fair," Anderson said. "I know landlords and apartment complexes are allowed to raise rent."
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said if anyone rent spiked after the tornado, and that rent increase wasn't announced before the natural disaster, to file an issue with the attorney general's office.
"In those situations, rate increases can't exceed 10% unless the increases had been announced prior to the emergency," Griffin said. "Complaints about price gouging or other issues can be filed with my office."
While all of this might seem overwhelming, there are ways to seek help for free.
Some of the resources for renters include:
Arkansas Renters United is an activist group that may be able to help navigate the next steps in finding aid.
"I can help you by listening first," ARU organizer Neil Sealy said. "I can help you analyze your situation and provide summaries, referrals and resources."
Arkansas Legal Services said people should seek professional advice before acting in a situation dealing with legal questions. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/how-renters-can-get-help/91-913e0acc-ebd4-4f7a-9604-8c17118d88e3 | 2023-04-27T06:40:25 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/how-renters-can-get-help/91-913e0acc-ebd4-4f7a-9604-8c17118d88e3 |
After fierce backlash, New York City Mayor Eric Adams backed down from his proposed budget cuts to the city's public libraries — but other cuts could be on the way as the city tries to get a handle on the migrant crisis.
Earlier this month, the president of the New York Public Library said that New Yorkers should brace for the eventuality that weekend library service is on the chopping block, after a round of proposed cuts would strip the libraries of $23 million. That came after the Adams administration asked all city agencies to cut another 4% from their budget.
“This would result in the elimination of Sunday service at all eight current locations, the reduction of hours, and moving to a five-day service schedule at a majority of locations,” wrote NYPL President Anthony Marx in a letter to staff, according to Gothamist, in which he also mentioned vacancies would not be filled. "All of this is, of course, truly awful to even contemplate, and we still hope, and will do all we can, to avoid these cuts."
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But those plans were met with sharp public outcry, and Adams said on Wednesday that the library would be spared from those cuts.
"We did not cut a single penny from libraries and cultural institutions in this plan," Adams said while announcing his new proposed budget, "and we did not take a dime from our classrooms."
Part of the reason for that is because of an influx of spending from tourists who have returned to the city. Visitors are flocking to restaurants and shows, with Broadway back to more than 90 percent of pre-pandemic levels, according to Adams.
"Tourists are back and booking more hotel rooms than we've seen in years," the mayor said.
Those higher-than-expected hotel taxes and personal income taxes are good news for the city's budget, and helped spare some services from cuts. The $106.7 billion budget, if approved, would be the largest spending plan in NYC's history — though it comes at a time when the city's fiscal forecast is partly cloudy.
For all the hotel rooms booked by tourists, there are thousands more booked by the city, which has been forced to house more than $35,000 asylum seekers since last year. The city has spent more than $870 million already to house 35,000 migrants, and that total is expected to head to $1.4 billion by July.
At $320 a day to provide shelter and food, the coast for 2024 is projected to be another $2.9 billion.
"While we are using a portion of our reserves to cover the asylum seeker crisis, we cannot allow the crisis to drain our reserves," Adams said.
Also impacting the budget: Wall Street profits dropped 50 percent since 2021, commercial officials remain vacant at record rates and newly negotiated labor contracts are costing the city $16 billion.
As of Wednesday, there are no layoffs included in the plan, but the mayor said deeper cuts could be necessary if a downturn occurs.
The watchdog group Citizens Budget Commission warned that there are risks in next year's budget, saying the city is facing a shortfall of almost $7 billion just one year from now. The group said that if the city doesn't start reining in spending in a smart way, it will have to make substantial cuts in the next year or two. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mayor-eric-adams-backs-down-from-cuts-to-nyc-public-libraries-in-latest-proposed-budget/4280158/ | 2023-04-27T07:50:51 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mayor-eric-adams-backs-down-from-cuts-to-nyc-public-libraries-in-latest-proposed-budget/4280158/ |
First came the "more flavorful than ever" burger tweaks. Then the spicy nuggets returned. And now this.
McDonald's will serve up extra sides of their famed Big Mac sauce -- in dip cup form -- at participating restaurants nationwide starting today, the company previously announced. And no, they've never done this before.
As the fast-food giant said, the secret sauce is "finally getting its moment in the spotlight on our menu."
We don't yet know how long the Big Mac sauce dip cups will be available, but McDonald's says the only way to get the coveted side is through its app. Best of all: NO EXTRA CHARGE with any McNuggets purchase.
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The dip cups come with throwback packaging, too.
The whole Big Mac thing started in 1968, when an owner/operator in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, came up with the brilliant idea of putting two burgers on one sandwich. Clearly, the love for the McDonald's staple has grown over time.
And the sauce has become a thing in its own right. It became a social media craze when McDonald's gave away 10,000 bottles in the U.S. back in 2017.
Creamy, tangy, slightly sweet and perfectly dippable, as McDonald's describes it, the Big Mac sauce can be ordered a la carte, apart from the McNuggets deal. It pretty much goes with everything.
Just don't look for any on the New York State Thruway, because you can't get McDonald's anywhere on there anymore. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mcdonalds-big-mac-sauce-is-available-in-a-dip-cup-for-nuggets-or-fries-starting-today/4280120/ | 2023-04-27T07:50:57 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mcdonalds-big-mac-sauce-is-available-in-a-dip-cup-for-nuggets-or-fries-starting-today/4280120/ |
In 2019, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay (Port) received a grant of $20 million through the BUILD program from the Federal government and matching funds of $5 million from the State of Oregon to complete a comprehensive rehabilitation program for 15 steel bridges along the Coos Bay Rail Line (CBRL), with the vision of strengthening the line to meet future increased volume along the line.
The first phase of the project has been completed with the full replacement of the Coalbank Slough Bridge. This is the last bridge on the line approaching the Terminal One property, a 167-acre site that was formerly a Georgia Pacific Mill purchased by the Port in 2022 for redevelopment as a multi-user marine terminal.
Work has recently been completed by Scott Partney Construction on ten additional steel bridges in the Wild Cat Creek area. Work included tie replacement on the bridges and certain approaches, complete replacement of a section of rail on one of the bridges improving wing walls to aid in ballast retention, replacing rivets with high strength bolds, stringer replacement, and web stiffeners.
In total, the project cost approximately $1.88 million and took just over a year to complete. Legacy Construction has initiated the third phase of the project, which will include repairs to all three of the swing span bridges on the line in North Bend, Reedsport, and Cushman.
The final phase of this project will include significant repairs to the Vaughn Viaduct bridge on the north end of the line, which nearly ever rail car must pass over.
In the coming months, the Port will also be kicking off a comprehensive tie and ballast replacement project throughout the line. This work will be funded by a $10 million grant through the Port Infrastructure and Development program, with the goal of increasing overall train speeds on the line. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/rehabilitative-work-to-ten-steel-bridges-on-the-coos-bay-rail-line-concludes/article_fbb4c8d2-e467-11ed-a27b-c3cfdc8db787.html | 2023-04-27T07:52:55 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/rehabilitative-work-to-ten-steel-bridges-on-the-coos-bay-rail-line-concludes/article_fbb4c8d2-e467-11ed-a27b-c3cfdc8db787.html |
After performing on a local midday talk show at Market Square, the Keeshea Pratt Band broke for the day.
Pratt strode across the rustic-brick plaza, where the aroma of grilled delicacies on a stick and fried churros filled the air.
Fiesta faithful eyed the woman in a colorful silk robe draped over a white blouse, pants and sparkling silver-beaded sneakers. She posed for photos with a pair of guitar-strumming troubadours. A bespectacled woman admired Pratt’s ensemble. Customers at vendor booths did double takes as she strolled through the crowd.
For Pratt, being among the people is real life, just like the blues.
She and her six-piece band will perform Friday at the third annual Fiesta Family Blues Festival hosted by the San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum (SAAACAM).
“We aim to give everyone who comes to see the Keeshea Pratt Band an experience,” she said. “We want people to leave and think of us next week, next month and five years from now.”
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The official Fiesta event will take place at the Espee Pavilion, 1174 E. Commerce St. General admission is $50. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster at SAAACAM@LaVillita and the Majestic Theatre Box Office. Doors open at 4 p.m.
Blues legend and recording artist Latimore will headline the event. His song catalog includes the Billboard No. 1 hit “Let’s Straighten It Out.” The lineup features Step Rideau & the Zydeco Outlaws, Eddie & the Allnighters and SaulPaul.
The festival is the brainchild of SAAACAM founders Everett Fly and George Frederick. SAAACAM CEO Deborah Omowale said the event celebrates the “history, relevance and timeless genre of music we call the Blues.”
“We are thrilled to honor the legacy of Ellis Griffin and the 200 Black blues artists that recorded their music here in San Antonio in the early 1900s,” Omowale said. “San Antonio music traditions span generations and cultures.”
Pratt’s path to the blues started in the Church of God and Christ faith in Jackson, Mississippi. Raised in a family of musicians, she sang her first solo when she was 6. Gospel music is her foundation, what’s helped her stay true to herself as an artist. She became a professional singer in 1993, bearing an appreciation for all genres.
“Gospel, blues and country are brothers and sisters. They’re triplets,” Pratt said. “All three genres tell the truth, talk about life and deal with your soul.”
Her favorite country artist is Chris Stapleton, a singer she’d like to record with one day. His rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner in February at Super Bowl LVII is among her favorite performances by an artist. Pratt dreams of one day singing the anthem at the world-famous venue.
This isn’t the Houston-based band’s first time in San Antonio. In 2018, it played at the Luna Music Bar & Lounge, where Pratt said they were grateful for developing “a great fan base” that’s like family.
That same year, the band won first place in the band division at the 34th annual International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Pratt said the band is working on their second album. Its debut album, titled “Believe,” reflects her life experiences.
“Blues is such an emotional music,” Pratt said. “It talks about pain and struggle. Everybody struggles, but the struggle we had to go through, this was our way of staying sane, not dying off, our way of coping. I stand for the saving of blues music.”
vtdavis@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/saaacam-blues-festival-san-antonio-17916027.php | 2023-04-27T08:08:25 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/saaacam-blues-festival-san-antonio-17916027.php |
The third floor of Virginia Commonwealth University’s new STEM Building features rooms cordoned off by crime scene tape, with bullet casings on the floor and fake blood splattered on the walls.
The rooms are meant to recreate crime scenes for students in forensic science who learn how to photograph evidence and analyze footprints. No university in the state has something comparable, VCU said.
It is just one nook of the sprawling six-story, $125 million science, technology, engineering and math building that opened Wednesday on West Franklin Street. The university expects 10,000 students to take a class there next fall.
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It features 32 labs for chemistry, biology and more, honeycomb-shaped ceiling tiles, convertible learning spaces and plenty of white boards.
“This building is built for 21st century students,” said Catherine Ingrassia, interim dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences.
When president Michael Rao arrived at VCU in 2009, a new science building quickly rose to the top of his capital priorities, alongside the now-open Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and the McGlothlin medical school building, which opened in 2013.
VCU began planning the STEM building in 2015. Philadelphia-based Ballinger designed it, and Richmond-based general contractor Hourigan managed construction.
It arrived on time and under budget, Rao said. The state of Virginia entirely paid the $125 million cost. It replaces the Franklin Street gym, which once housed the university’s basketball team and was torn down in 2020.
One room on the sixth floor features 25 stationary bikes where VCU’s 1,200 kinesiology students can measure athletes’ heart rates and pulse oximetries. Another room features weight machines for students training to become strength and conditioning coaches.
The chemistry labs were built with clear hoods, a safety feature that allows the teacher to see from one end of the room to the other.
“I’m so psyched,” said Matthew Buhl, a Ph.D. student in biochemistry.
With the building’s opening, VCU doubles its lab space, said Sally Hunnicutt, an associate dean. No longer will students have to attend labs that end at 10 p.m.
As labs move into the STEM building, parts of Oliver Hall will become vacant. The university has not decided how it will use the area.
Three blocks away on West Broad Street, construction is underway on VCU’s new computer and data center, which is scheduled to open later this year. Work on the Arts and Innovation building at Broad and North Belvidere Streets is supposed to begin this year and be complete in 2026. VCU is waiting for state approval to begin construction on a new school of dentistry downtown.
Eventually, VCU plans to tear down the Temple building on the Monroe Park Campus and replace it with a new student center. VCU will construct a new academic building at the site of the current student center on Floyd Avenue.
Inside the STEM Building’s crime scene lab Wednesday, a mannequin lay face down on the floor next to a crowbar.
Currently, there is little space for the school’s 350 forensic science students. So professors recreate crime scenes outdoors. That has led to students meeting in the rain and onlookers walking up and asking what happened, said Jaelyn Jenifer, a forensic science and chemistry student who will graduate next year. | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vcu-opens-125-million-stem-building-on-franklin-street/article_31d922ec-e462-11ed-8cdb-8b25b953e32e.html | 2023-04-27T08:46:29 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vcu-opens-125-million-stem-building-on-franklin-street/article_31d922ec-e462-11ed-8cdb-8b25b953e32e.html |
Will Melton of Xponent21 is working with area agencies to connect services and make Richmond America's Healthiest City. From 8@4 presented by Massey Cancer Center from the Virginia Wayside Furniture studio.
Chesterfield County is transitioning to a privatized recycling model, giving citizens several collection options at lower prices.
The county’s 10-year curbside recycling contract with the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority ends July 1, leaving residents and businesses to choose from several private haulers for new services.
“This is a team process that’s really evolved itself over the last 10 years,” county administrator Joe Casey said. “We’re trying to position our people, including the businesses, for the best ways in which they can make choices for themselves to recycle.”
The county’s renewed emphasis on recycling includes resuming seven-day-a-week operations at the Northern Area Convenience Center in Midlothian and the Southern Area Convenience Center in Chester.
Additionally, new recycling drop-off bins will be placed at Daniel, Dodd, Goyne, Horner, Huguenot and Rockwood Parks. People will not be required to separate glass, metal, paper and plastic materials to use the bins.
“We feel that that’s going to be a tremendous help in providing alternate resources and alternate options for our citizens to continue to recycle,” said John Neal, Chesterfield’s general services director.
TFC Recycling, the vendor under the current CVWMA contract, will continue to service the county through July 1. TFC, which only provides recycling services, is proposing a coverage area that includes 90% of customers from the old contract. Those customers will still need to opt in after the new program begins.
TFC, which sports a $9 monthly rate, is partnering with Waste Management and Zan’s Refuse Service for recycling services. Because of their business models, the companies decided to collaborate, and the same rate will apply for either of the three companies.
Waste Management is taking calls this week for new signups, with online services opening up next week. The company already has non-exclusive contracts with some homeowners’ associations.
Zan’s Refuse Service is starting its new program June 1, and is developing a retention program for existing customers.
Choice Waste Services and GFL Environmental are currently accepting new customers. Choice Waste Services is implementing its program in stages from April through June, serving 37,000 residents in total. Existing Choice customers can opt out of the program.
Around 1,000 customers have enrolled with GFL since last fall. GFL also serves several homeowners’ associations that represent 10,000 households. New carts are included in the monthly price for both Choice and GFL. | https://richmond.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/chesterfield-county-shifts-to-private-curbside-recycling/article_1a4b8bf8-e456-11ed-a869-e70a7d110057.html | 2023-04-27T08:46:35 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/chesterfield-county-shifts-to-private-curbside-recycling/article_1a4b8bf8-e456-11ed-a869-e70a7d110057.html |
Exotic animal owners may soon find themselves in trouble as Richmond moves closer to its plan to ban exotic animals in the city.
The City Council Government Operations Standing Committee met Wednesday to consider an ordinance that would make it illegal to own, breed, purchase or sell exotic animals within city limits.
According to the ordinance, the city defines an exotic or wild animal as any warm or cold-blooded animal born in the wild. That includes any non-human primates, raccoons, opossums, skunks, wolves, coyotes, squirrels, foxes, leopards, panthers, lynxes, caracals, bobcats, lions, tigers, bears, venomous or poisonous reptiles and any member of the crocodilian family.
Not included are animals born and held in captivity “that have never known the wild” including chinchillas, hedgehogs, hamsters, guinea pigs, rats, mice, imported birds, non-venomous reptiles and amphibians as well as fish.
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“This allows us to make sure we can keep our human population safe from some of the unsafe animals that citizens may want to acquire,” Christie Peters, Richmond Animal Control and Care Director, said.
The decision to add the additional section to the city’s municipal code regarding wild, non-domestic animals came nearly seven years prior when someone went to the animal shelter to inquire about permitting for a black panther.
As a result, the department began working on forming a list of animals which has seen many revisions with some animals being added and some removed.
According to Peters, the department has had numerous encounters with wild or exotic animals that could pose a threat to the community. As a result, the department wants to get ahead to ensure the public’s safety.
“We have a house right now where we know raccoons are living in it,” Peters said. “We want something in city code that we have, that we can move forward with when we know there is someone living with 20 raccoons in their house.”
In 2018, a Chesterfield man was arrested and charged with illegally possessing eight diamondback rattlesnakes.
In 2012, an amateur naturalist in the county, who kept and cared for numerous reptiles, was found dead after being bitten on the finger by one of his venomous snakes.
While some council members had questions regarding whether this would hurt small business owners, Peters said she would be willing to compromise.
Peters held firm on the decision to ban bears, panthers and other large animals but said she would comply if council would prefer to offer special permits to folks looking to own venomous snakes.
“The worry is that if that snake kills you in your house and we have to go and get you, we want to know that we’re walking into a house that has venomous snakes,” Peters said. “I’m open to that alteration for poisonous snakes or venomous snakes if that should be your choice.
Following discussion, there was no more mention of creating a permit process and the committee moved forward with the full ban.
If approved, zoos, animal exhibitions, circuses, wildlife rehabilitators and veterinary clinics will be excluded from the ban. Additionally, state and federal wildlife management agencies will also be excluded.
The ordinance seeks to charge any person convicted of a violation of the section with a class 3 misdemeanor. If found guilty, owners will be ordered to to turn over their animals and pay a fine of up to $500.
The standing committee unanimously voted in favor of the ordinance and it is set to go before the City Council as a consent agenda item at its 6 p.m., Monday, May 8 regular meeting.
Residents will have an opportunity to speak in favor or opposition during the public comment period. | https://richmond.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/exotic-animals-lions-tigers-bears-ban-richmond/article_b0b86f96-e449-11ed-a4f7-93d7c101b3a2.html | 2023-04-27T08:46:42 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/exotic-animals-lions-tigers-bears-ban-richmond/article_b0b86f96-e449-11ed-a4f7-93d7c101b3a2.html |
If it's summer in New York City, that means SummerStage is back!
This year, there will be more than 80 free and benefit shows from June through September in Central Park and 12 other neighborhood parks across the five boroughs, the City Parks Foundation announced Tuesday. The 2023 season kicks off on Saturday June 10 with a free Central Park concert from eight-piece soul band St. Paul and the Broken Bones.
Some of the biggest names on this year's list of performers includes Grandmaster Flash, Kool & The Gang, Tanya Tucker, Skip Marley, Noel Gallagher, Garbage and many, many more.
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This season celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, the foundation said in a press release, but will feature a variety of genres including salsa, jazz, hip-hop, indie rock, reggae, Afrobeats, soul, pop, global, contemporary dance and more.
To view the full lineup and schedule of shows, click here. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/summerstage-lineup-2023-kool-the-gang-skip-marley-and-more-coming-to-nyc/4280281/ | 2023-04-27T09:23:29 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/summerstage-lineup-2023-kool-the-gang-skip-marley-and-more-coming-to-nyc/4280281/ |
A new report ranked the city's most expensive neighborhoods for prospective buyers, and many familiar places were at the top of the list.
According to real estate research website PropertyShark, Hudson Yards had the highest median sales price at just north of $5.7 million. That's a six percent price jump since 2022.
At the same time, sales in Hudson Yards have dropped 67% — meaning there are a lot of pricey and empty places in the neighborhood.
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The second-most expensive neighborhood is Tribeca, where the median sales price is $3.5 million. Vinegar Hill in Brooklyn ranked third at $2.6 million, which marks the first time that a Brooklyn neighborhood made the top three.
That was followed by SoHo at $2.2 million, and the Flatiron District at $1.95 million, according to the report.
In another first, a Bronx neighborhood was ranked among the top 50 most expensive in the city. The quiet neighborhood of Fieldston was ranked No. 41, as the median price for a home surged 149% year over year, jumping from $338,000 in the beginning of 2022, to $840,000 in 2023. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/these-are-the-most-expensive-nyc-neighborhoods-for-prospective-home-buyers/4280267/ | 2023-04-27T09:23:35 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/these-are-the-most-expensive-nyc-neighborhoods-for-prospective-home-buyers/4280267/ |
Anderson County commissioner from Oak Ridge resigns
Special meeting called for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton
A special Anderson County Commission meeting has been called for Thursday night to discuss several lawsuits – to and accept the resignation of Commissioner Catherine Denenberg, who represents District 6 in Oak Ridge.
The Oak Ridger talked by phone with Denenberg on Tuesday morning shortly before the moving vans arrived at her house. She said she recently sold her home and is moving to Florida to be with her sister.
"I'm going to be sad in leaving," Denenberg said, although she admitted she's happy about her decision to move to Florida.
The county commissioner said she had "heavy COVID" last year and although she's a lot better, she said she and her sister talked about the possibility of her moving to Florida.
In last August's Anderson County General Election, Denenberg was the top vote-getter of the three candidates vying for the two District 6 seats on County Commission. As reported in The Oak Ridger, Denenberg received 475 votes, followed by Anthony Allen with 443 votes. Both Denenberg, an incumbent, and Allen won the two seats, beating incumbent Commissioner Steve Mead, who collected 428 votes. Allen and Mead were listed on the ballot as Republicans; Denenberg as an independent.
District 6 includes the West Hills, Robertsville and Oak Ridge Senior Center precincts in Oak Ridge.
Anderson County Commission Chairman Joshua Anderson said commissioners will appoint someone to fill the vacancy, probably at its meeting in mid-May. That person would likely serve until the next election, the March 2024 presidential primary. Residents will be given at least 10 days notice of the vacancy and directions on how to apply for the position if they are interested.
Discussion of lawsuits involving the county
The commission is scheduled to discuss several lawsuits involving the county. More specifically, the agenda lists the issues to be discussed as:
- Update on lawsuits;
- Settlement discussions on existing lawsuits;
- Possible executive session concerning existing lawsuits; and
- Hiring outside counsel for existing lawsuits.
The agenda does not specify which lawsuits will be discussed. An executive session would mean the County Commission and its attorneys would meet without the public present to discuss a case or cases. Members of the public would be asked to leave the meeting room or the commissioners and attorneys would go into a separate room.
The special meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Room 312 of the Anderson County Courthouse, Clinton.
Donna Smith is The Oak Ridger’s news editor and covers Oak Ridge area news. Email dsmith@oakridger.com. Twitter: @ridgernewsed.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing at https://subscribe.oakridger.com/offers. | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/26/anderson-county-commissioner-from-oak-ridge-resigns/70151086007/ | 2023-04-27T09:29:08 | 0 | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/26/anderson-county-commissioner-from-oak-ridge-resigns/70151086007/ |
BALTIMORE — Attorneys for Adnan Syed filed a motion Wednesday asking a Maryland appellate court to reconsider its recent decision to reinstate his decades-old murder conviction and life sentence, a ruling that upheld arguments from the victim's family claiming a lower court violated their rights.
Syed, whose protracted legal odyssey gained international attention from the hit podcast "Serial," regained his freedom last year after Baltimore prosecutors moved to vacate his conviction, saying they reviewed the case and found alternative suspects and unreliable evidence used at trial.
But the victim's family said they received insufficient notice to attend the September vacatur hearing in person, which violated their right to be "treated with dignity and respect," and the Maryland Appellate Court last month agreed. In a 2-1 decision that was stayed for 60 days, the judges reinstated Syed's conviction and ordered a redo of the hearing in question.
Wednesday's motion asks the judges to reconsider the ruling, which prompted celebration within the crime victims rights movement and criticism from criminal justice reform advocates who warned of a potential chilling effect on existing efforts to fight wrongful convictions and excessive sentences.
Syed's attorneys claim the appellate judges broke from the court's own precedent by failing to require the victim's family to prove the outcome of the September hearing would have been different if they had received more notice and attended in person. The motion also questions whether the court intends to award crime victims and their representatives "special treatment not even available to criminal defendants."
Syed was 17 when his high school ex-girlfriend and classmate, Hae Min Lee, was found strangled to death and buried in a makeshift grave in 1999. He was arrested weeks later and ultimately convicted of murder. He received life in prison, plus 30 years.
Despite the ongoing litigation, Syed remains free for the time being. His many supporters have expressed alarm at the possibility he could be taken back into custody, depending on how the case plays out.
Maryland law says victims should receive prior notice of conviction vacatur hearings, and that right was violated in the case of Lee's brother, the appellate court ruled last month.
Young Lee was notified on a Friday afternoon that the hearing would take place the following Monday, which didn't give him enough time to make travel arrangements from his home in California. However, he attended the hearing via video conference and spoke during the proceeding about how the case has impacted his family.
Syed's attorneys have argued Lee's ability to participate remotely satisfied the crime victims' rights requirements. In the motion for reconsideration, they also argue Lee should have to prove that his in-person attendance would have changed the hearing's outcome; otherwise, the lower court's error should be considered "harmless." They quoted an earlier ruling by the Appellate Court of Maryland that says "it is the policy of this Court not to reverse for harmless error."
David Sanford, an attorney for the Lee family, said he believes the judges will not waver in their commitment to victims' rights.
"The Maryland Constitution and the collective wisdom of the Maryland State Legislature recognize victims' rights as being an essential part of the legal fabric of Maryland," he said in a statement Wednesday. "We have confidence that the Appellate Court will uphold those rights again."
While the appellate judges found Lee's rights were violated because of the timeline, they also found he had no explicit "right to be heard" during the hearing. His attorneys had requested the opportunity to present evidence and interrogate witnesses, which the judges said would "result in a huge shift in practice."
In a dissenting opinion that largely refuted findings of the two majority judges, Judge Stuart Berger said Maryland legislators should develop more specific victims' rights requirements — including how much notice they should receive for conviction vacatur hearings — instead of leaving it to the courts to interpret a patchwork of existing statutes that don't directly address the issue.
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Sign up for the Capitol Breach email newsletter, delivering the latest breaking news and a roundup of the investigation into the Capitol Riots on January 6, 2021. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/adnan-syed-conviction-motion-filed-maryland-appellate-court/65-e22fa464-4b07-4409-bfc1-2f3b0d8ab54c | 2023-04-27T09:32:46 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/adnan-syed-conviction-motion-filed-maryland-appellate-court/65-e22fa464-4b07-4409-bfc1-2f3b0d8ab54c |
YORK COUNTY, Pa. — An overnight fire brought crews out to Jackson Township, York County 911 Dispatch reported.
Officials say the blaze broke out in a two-car detached garage in the 5000 block of Lincoln Highway just after 2:30 a.m.
No injuries were reported and the coroner was not called, dispatch said. Fire officials report that the blaze was contained to the garage and its contents. The structure itself is a total loss.
According to the family, a 1948 pickup truck and lawn tractor inside the garage were damaged in the fire. Several other prized possessions were lost, the homeowner said.
Lincoln Highway was closed between North Biesecker Road and North Grant Road for approximately three hours. Emergency crews reopened Route 30 around 5:15 a.m.
Emergency crews from Adams County also assisted in putting out the fire.
The investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
This is a developing story. FOX43 has a crew at the scene and will provide updates as they become available. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/garage-fire-york-county-lincoln-highway/521-fcdcc0f6-900b-433b-a2ea-127a2e000376 | 2023-04-27T09:32:52 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/garage-fire-york-county-lincoln-highway/521-fcdcc0f6-900b-433b-a2ea-127a2e000376 |
Indy library board barred the public from a meeting. Did they violate Open Door Law?
When the divided Indianapolis library board chose its permanent CEO Monday night, it did so behind closed doors.
Community members, some of whom were loudly protesting, were barred from watching the vote in person despite Indiana's Open Door Law.
Michael Torres, the library union president, filed a formal complaint Tuesday with the Indiana Office of the Public Access Counselor.
Here's what to know:
What happened Monday night
Library board member Eugene White started reading a resolution to appoint Acting CEO Gregory Hill as the new CEO when he was disrupted by Jesse Brown, an audience member and City-County Council candidate.
Board President Hope Tribble asked Brown to sit or be removed from the room. When Brown continued shouting, Tribble asked a police officer to remove him. The officer did not.
About two dozen protesters began chanting "We want Nichelle," in reference to Nichelle Hayes, a former interim CEO who has union and community support.
Tribble told them to be silent or she would have the room cleared. The meeting was recessed, and protesters continued chanting. At least two officers were present but did not physically engage with the protesters.
About half an hour later, the meeting was resumed in another room. Three members of the media, including an IndyStar reporter, were allowed inside. The meeting was livestreamed onto a screen outside the room as well as online, as is customary.
Related:Indianapolis library board appoints Gregory Hill as permanent CEO as dozens protest
What Indiana's Open Door Law says
With the exception of topics that are permitted to be discussed privately, Indiana law requires that "all meetings of the governing bodies of public agencies must be open at all times for the purpose of permitting members of the public to observe and record them."
What the public access counselor says
Public Access Counselor Luke Britt said Wednesday afternoon he had reviewed Torres' complaint and is sending it to the library for a response before issuing a formal opinion.
The law doesn't state what happens if protesters disrupt a meeting, he said, but case law suggests that protesters can be removed from a meeting.
The board should have taken the least restrictive means to continue the meeting in a professional manner, he said.
"I am uncomfortable with the idea of retreating to a back room and doing it in a vacuum because the law doesn’t support that," he said.
He added that public meetings are a place for observance, not protest.
"But that’s not to justify what the board ended up doing," Britt said.
What the library board says
When asked for comment on the public access counselor's statements, Tribble said the board recessed the meeting to allow officers to remove the most disruptive protesters.
"Such efforts for removal were physically thwarted by other members of the public, and some members of the Board, physically preventing removal without significant physical escalation," she wrote in a statement.
She said the board took the safest and least restrictive action available.
Contact IndyStar reporter Ko Lyn Cheang at kcheang@indystar.com or 317-903-7071. Follow her on Twitter: @kolyn_cheang. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/04/27/indianapolis-library-board-accused-violating-open-door-law-ceo-vote/70150338007/ | 2023-04-27T09:49:31 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/04/27/indianapolis-library-board-accused-violating-open-door-law-ceo-vote/70150338007/ |
BALTIMORE — It's the spring season, baseball season and kitten season.
This is the time of year that animal shelters begin to see an influx of kittens coming through their doors and they need more supplies for foster families to care for them.
"It is extremely expensive to take care of kittens," said Katie Flory, the Community Care and Advocacy Director of the Maryland SPCA. "We really need the community's support through fundraising and through supplies so that we can ensure that the thousands of little babies come in that they get the help and the care that they need."
The shelter is holding a virtual Kitten Shower from now through May 1 to collect donations and/or kitten supplies. If you'd like to make a donation click here. Donations will be matched up to $5,000. To see their Amazon wish-list, click here. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/maryland-spca-hosts-virtual-kitten-shower | 2023-04-27T09:57:46 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/maryland-spca-hosts-virtual-kitten-shower |
Fate of Taunton public safety complex to be decided Saturday. What you need to know.
TAUNTON — This Saturday, April 29, is Taunton’s special referendum election that will decide whether the long-proposed public safety complex for the police and fire departments will go from dream to reality.The referendum vote is for appropriating $67.7 million of the total $79.1 million cost for the building through a 30-year debt exclusion via an override of Proposition 2.5%.
Under the proposal, the new public safety building will be located on the 45 acre property at 90 County St., which the city purchased from Sisters of St. Dorothy in 2021. The project consists of three building — with the main building housing the Police Department and the Fire Department’s headquarters, currently housed in the Central Fire Station on School Street.
The second building would be an auxiliary storage and maintenance building. And the third building would be a training facility for the fire department, which Fire Chief Timothy Bradshaw, said is soreley needed as the department lacks and adequate training space.
What will the project cost each taxpayer?
This debt exclusion would raise property taxes for the average home by $156 annually. That's 39 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, with the average home assessment being $400,000, according to the project manager, P3 Professionals, and the city’s Chief Financial Officer Patrick Della Russo.
The debt exclusion would commence in FY 2024, but by FY 2029, debt service costs for homeowners will drop indirectly via an offsetting reduction in the amount homes are still paying for the $112 million borrowed for Taunton High School’s renovations, completed in 2011. This means that, after five years, homeowners will be paying $36 less per year of debt overall.
Impact of moving fire headquartersWhat would it mean for response times if Taunton Central Fire moves?
Temporary locations and old buildings
According to presentations and documents, the new public safety complex is intended to last 50 -100 years and be adaptable to growth and modernization.
The Police Department has been housed in temporary locations for the last 45 years. It has been located at 23 Summer St., previously a supermarket, since 2001, after moving out of what previously had been the old Army Reserve armory building on Pleasant Street. The supermarket was built in 1958.
Taunton’s fire stations are even older. Central Fire Station, built in 1869, is the oldest of Taunton’s fire stations and one of the oldest continuously operating fire stations in the country. East Taunton Station, on Middleboro Avenue, was built in 1899. The Weir Street Station was built around 1889.
Why can't the current buildings be renovated?
Bradshaw told the City Council on Feb. 7, “all our stations are in great disrepair” and “we’ve squeezed everything we can out of them,” before the Council voted unanimously to schedule the referendum vote.
"Our current station is smaller than a lot of the police departments in the towns around us,” said Police Chief Edward Walsh when the department hosted a tour and open house back in March to show how damp, cramped, moldy, and poorly ventilated the building is for police operations.
Walsh told the Gazette on this tour flooding is a major issue in the basement during heavy rainstorms, and people, offices and storage have had to be moved out of lower level at times because of this issue.
In addition, Walsh said on the tour that “the holding cells don’t meet state approval” and “the walls are made of plywood, and it does not stay warm during the cold months.”
Flooding, moldHere's a virtual tour of Taunton police station ahead of key vote
Waiting would add to the price tag
The project manager and the city’s CFO told the Council, the estimated cost is based on the city's starting the bidding process this year. Delaying by even a year would mean the project costs would increase by 7% to 10% due to inflation.
When asked at the same meeting by a Councilor on what would happen if the referendum vote doesn’t pass, Mayor Shaunna O’Connell responded the future of the proposal would be at stake and there is currently no back-up plan.
Where and when to vote
Polls will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 29. You can contact the City's Elections Department or check the city of Taunton's website if you are unsure what your polling location is. | https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/taunton-debt-exclusion-police-fire-new-building-taxes/70150899007/ | 2023-04-27T10:23:12 | 1 | https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/taunton-debt-exclusion-police-fire-new-building-taxes/70150899007/ |
Richmond police on Wednesday released the name of the man who was shot by police over the weekend.
Daniel Vincent Rodriguez, 57, is hospitalized with a life-threatening injury. He's being held on an unrelated warrant. Future charges are pending, police said.
Rodriguez was driving a vehicle that hit another vehicle in the 3100 block of Third Avenue , police said. Officers were called there at 11:34 p.m. Saturday.
Police said Rodriguez approached an officer and was carrying a knife. The officer shot Rodriguez.
Two other adults were also taken to a hospital.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at (804) 646-3926 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.
The Times-Dispatch's 'Photo of the Day' 📷
Jan. 1, 2023
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) carries the ball as Washington Commanders cornerback Danny Johnson (36) tries to stop him during the first half of a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Commanders on Sunday, January 1, 2023 in Landover, MD.
Shaban Athuman/ RICHMOND TIMES-D
Jan. 2, 2023
Sharon MacKenzie of Mechanicsville walked with her friend Cindy Nunnally and her golden retriever, Sunny, during a GardenFest for Fidos at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on Jan. 2.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Jan. 3, 2023
People remember eight-year-old P'Aris Moore during a vigil in Hopewell Tues., Jan. 3, 2023. Moore was shot and killed while playing in her neighborhood.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 4, 2023
UR's Jason Nelson presses down court as George Washington's Brendan Adams, left, and Hunter Dean defend in the Robins Center Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 5, 2023
Manchester's Olivia Wright reaches in on James River's Alisha Whirley at James River Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 6, 2023
Daron Pearson plays basketball at Smith Peters Park in the Carver neighborhood on Friday, January 6, 2023 in Richmond, Va.
Shaban Athuman/ RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 7, 2023
UR's Tyler Burton takes a shot as Duquesne's Joe Reece defends Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 8, 2023
Park ranger Bert Dunkerly leads a walking tour of Revolutionary Richmond on the grounds of the Chimborazo Medical Museum in Richmond on Jan. 8. The tour was part of a multiday annual event interpreting Richmond’s Revolutionary history, including the capture of the city by British General Benedict Arnold on Jan. 5, 1781.
EVA RUSSO, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 10, 2023
Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital COO Joey Trapani and Richmond City Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille react after cutting the ribbon to commemorate the opening of the East End Medical Office Building on Tuesday. Bon Secours Richmond Market President Mike Lutes (left) and Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, were also part of the festivities.
EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 11, 2023
Pages are introduced at the Senate chamber during the first day of Virginia General Assembly at Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 12, 2023
Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, worked at his desk at the Virginia State Capitol on Thursday. Above him is a portrait of former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, now a congressman representing the 8th District in Northern Virginia.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 13, 2023
Elizabeth Leggett is photographed with her pup Pallas, 10, in her neighborhood in Richmond's business district on January 13, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Jan. 14, 2023
Aubrey Nguyen, age 5, and Andrew Nguyen, age 8, eye the dragon as it comes by during the Tet celebration at Vien Giac Buddhist Temple Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. Jow Ga Kung Fu, of Virginia Beach, performed the Dragon Dance.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 15, 2023
The St. James's West Gallery Choir sings during "Evensong, A Celebration of the Life and Work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." at St. James Episcopal Church Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 16, 2023
James "States" Manship of Thornburg came to the gun rights rally at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, dressed as President George Washington.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 17, 2023
Del. Emily Brewer, R-Suffolk, confers with Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, at the state Capitol on Jan. 17. Brewer sponsored the bill on state purchasing, House Bill 2385.
EVA RUSSO, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 18, 2023
Aaliyah Rouse, 9, and Jennifer Rouse stand by as Aaron Rouse is sworn in in the Senate by Clerk of the Senate Susan Clarke Schaar during a general assembly session at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Jan. 19, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin talks to the media at George W. Carver Elementary School on Jan. 19.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 20, 2023
VCU's fans cheer for the team against Richmond during the second half of the NCAA men's basketball game at University of Richmond, Richmond, Va., on Friday, January 20, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 21, 2023
Jacqueline Dziuba, bottom left, and Steven Godwin, who live in Greenville, N.C., and other visitors check out the exhibits at the Poe Museum in Richmond in January as the museum celebrates Edgar Allan Poe’s 214th birthday and its own 100-year anniversary.
Daniel Sangjib Min, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 22, 2023
Paul McLean (left), founder of the Virginia Minority Cannabis Coalition, listens alongside Mark Cannady during the “Is Social Equity in Off the Table in 2023?” portion of the program on Sunday on the second full day of the Virginia Cannabis Conference presented by Virginia NORML at Delta Hotels Richmond Downtown. Lobby Day takes place Monday.
SHABAN ATHUMAN photos, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 23, 2023
The flags at the Executive Mansion are at half-staff to honor those killed and injured in Monterey Park, California last weekend. Photo was taken on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 24, 2023
Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, listens to debate during a Senate floor session in the state Capitol on a bill to make Daylight Savings Time year-round.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 25, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin listens to George Daniel as he tries some Brunswick stew on Brunswick Stew Day at the Capitol Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Next to Daniel are (L-R) Dylan Pair, stewmaster Kevin Pair and Austin Pair. The yearly event returned to the Capitol for the first time since the pandemic.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 26, 2023
Meghan Vandette is photographed with her dogs, Pepper, a deaf mini Australian shepherd, and Finn on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at Ruff Canine Club in Richmond, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 27, 2023
Three-year-old London Oshinkoya (from left) and 3-year-old twins Messiah and Malkia Finley go through the toys brought by Crystal Holbrook-Gazoni near the Gilpin Resource Center in Richmond on Friday.
EVA RUSSO, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 28, 2023
Dance instructor Paul Dandridge (foreground) works with youngsters as he teaches a theater dance during the “Genworth Lights Up! Youth Series: On the Road” at the Center for the Arts at Henrico High School on Saturday. The series offers free workshops and performances throughout the year for youth of all ages.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 29, 2023
Ronnie Jenkins II of Chesterfield County sits inside a Barefoot Spas hot tub with his 11-year-old son, Connor, and his wife, Amber, during the RVA Home Show at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County.
Daniel Sangjib Min photos, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 30, 2023
Frank Saucier listens as elected officials give remarks during a vigil for Tyre Nichols on Monday at Abner Clay Park in Richmond. Nichols died from the injuries he sustained after being beaten by police officers in Memphis.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 31, 2023
Mayor Levar Stoney gets ready to deliver his State of the City on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at the Richmond Main Street Station in Richmond, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 1, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin attends the Virginia March for Life in Richmond, VA on February 1, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 2, 2023
Petersburg High School's basketball standout Chris Fields Jr. on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Petersburg High School in Petersburg, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 3, 2023
Shawnrell Blackwell, left, a Southside Community Development & Housing Corporation homeowner and board member, watches as Dianna Bowser, president and CEO of SCDHC, shares a moment with Suzanne Youngkin during a ceremony at Virginia Housing in Richmond on Friday after Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the first lady presented the first Spirit of Virginia Award of 2023 to the affordable housing nonprofit.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Feb. 4, 2023
Members of the Break it Down RVA Line Dancing group perform during a Black History Month Celebration at Virginia State University on Feb. 4.
SHABAN ATHUMAN, TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 5, 2023
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) of the Washington Commanders, right, look on before the flag football event at the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday in Las Vegas. With him are, from left, NFC wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) of the Detroit Lions, NFC wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) of the Dallas Cowboys and NFC wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) of the Minnesota Vikings.
John Locher, Associated PRess
Feb. 6, 2023
(From left) U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, and Sethuraman Panchanathan, Ph.D., director of the National Science Foundation, arrive for a tour of VCU's Nanomaterials Core Characterization Facility with lab director and physics professor Massimo Bertino, Ph.D. (right) on Monday, Feb. 6. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 7, 2023
Sen. Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, is seen 4 1/2 hours into Tuesday's crossover session at the state Capitol.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Feb. 8, 2023
Chef Patrick Phelan works with his staff on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at Lost Letter in Richmond, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 9, 2023
Onlookers stand near a shattered window on East Broad Street following a shooting on Thursday. One person was killed and another wounded.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Feb. 10, 2023
Colonial Williamsburg moves a 260-year-old building, originally called the Bray School, on a truck to a new location a mile away, where it will be put on public display, in Williamsburg, Va., on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. The Bray School is believed to be the oldest building in the US dedicated to the education of Black children.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb 11, 2023
Randolph-Macon celebrate after beating Roanoke College during a NCAA Division III Basketball game on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at Randolph Macon Crenshaw Gym in Ashland, Virginia. With today's win, the Yellow Jackets hold the longest home winning steak in NCAA Division III history.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 12, 2023
The Science Museum of Virginia hosted a competition for student engineers during a commemoration of Celebrate Engineering Ingenuity Day. A packed crowd watches Sunday as a team of “Bridge Breakers” from the American Society of Civil Engineers puts students’ inventions to the test.
Lyndon German
Feb. 13, 2023
A crew from Walter D. Witt Roofing installs a new roof for Melvin Washington, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, as part of the Owens Corning National Roof Deployment Project in Richmond, VA on February 13, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 14, 2023
Richmond City Council member Cynthia Newbille pulls the winning raffle ticket as Marc Edwards, from InnovAge Virginia PACE, holds the basket during the 9th annual "For the Love of Our Seniors" event at Main Street Station in Richmond, VA on February 14, 2023. The event is a resource fair for senior residents and caregivers in Church Hill. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 15, 2023
A crew from the Richmond-based company Cut Cut installs the new art installation "McLean" by Navine G. Dossos on the façade of the Institute for Contemporary Art in Richmond, VA on February 15, 2023. The installation is part of the exhibit "So it appears" opening February 24th. The vinyl pieces being used are adapted from a series of paintings. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 16, 2023
Giov. Glenn Youngkin meets with the community at Westwood Fountain in Richmond, VA on Thursday, February 16, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 17, 2023
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Alison Linas, left, and Franklin greet Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jennifer Guiliano and attorney Alex Clarke at the Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court building on Friday.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Feb. 18, 2023
Fans take pictures during the All-alumni Block Party before VCU’s game against Fordham on Saturday.
SHABAN ATHUMAN, TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 19, 2023
Virginia Tech's Georgia Amoore, left, waits for a pass from Elizabeth Kitley (33) during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, in Blacksburg.
Matt Gentry, The Roanoke Times
Feb. 20, 2023
Richmond resident David Scates filed an appeal with the VEC last summer four days after the state agency notified him that he had been overpaid unemployment benefits after catching COVID-19 and losing his job. Now, Scates is one of almost 17,000 Virginians at risk of having their appeals dismissed because the VEC contends they filed too late.
EVA RUSSO, TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 21, 2023
State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, greets chief election officer and college friend Sheryl Johnson (right) at the Tabernacle Baptist Church polling station in Richmond, VA on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 as (from left) election workers Katie Johnson and Eric Johnson look on. McClellan is running to succeed Rep. Donald McEachin, D-4th. McClellan would be the first African American woman to represent Virginia in Congress and would give Virginia a record four women in its congressional delegation. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 22, 2023
Members of the media tour Fox Elementary School in Richmond, VA after Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox provided an update on construction plans to rebuild the school on Wednesday, February 22. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 23, 2023
Marley Ferraro and her boyfriend, Zack Bannister, both VCU freshmen, spend time together between classes at Monroe Park as Thursday weather reaches around 80s in Richmond, Va., on Feb. 23, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 24, 2023
Sen. Aaron Rouse, left, D-Virginia Beach, talks with Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, before a general assembly session at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 25, 2023
Jenna Anderson of Cosby High shows her medal to her dad, Waylon Anderson, after winning the 112-pound weight class during the VHSL Girls State Open Championships at Unity Reed High in Manassas on Saturday.
SHABAN ATHUMAN, TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 26, 2023
Contestants in a duathlon race (run-bike-run competition) dash from the starting line in the first event of the West Creek Endurance Festival at the West Creek Business Park in Goochland County on Sunday.
Mark Bowes
Feb. 27, 2023
Eric and Linda Oakes speak to a small crowd before unveiling a plaque and bench dedicated to their son, Adam Oakes, in the VCU Student Commons building near the office of Fraternity and Sorority Life on February 27, 2023. The date marks the two-year anniversary of Oakes' death in a hazing incident, and VCU is calling this an annual hazing prevention day and day of remembrance for Oakes. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 28, 2023
Jess Tanner (center) looks on as her daughters Aubrey (left), 10, and Charleigh, 8, deliver Girl Scout cookies to school counselor Michelle Nothnagel (right) and the other teachers and staff members at Manchester High School on February 28, 2023. With help from groups of retired teachers and others in the community, the girls, who are members of Girl Scout Troop 3654, raised over $1,000 to purchase the cookies for the staff. Jess Tanner, is an art teacher at Manchester and also a co-leader of their troop. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
March 1, 2023
Shirley Wiest, left, and Wilma Bowman, center, show a blanket for a veteran with the help of Julie Wiest, daughter of Shirley Wiest, at Sunrise of Richmond in Henrico, Va., on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Shirley Wiest and Wilma Bowman sewed over 3000 blankets for people at the VA Hospital, the Children’s Hospital and Moments of Hope Outreach among others.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 2, 2023
Carl Gupton, president of Greenswell Growers, is shown at the greenhouse of the company in Goochland, Va., on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Greenswell Growers, an automated indoor farming, can produce 28 times more greens per acre than traditional farming. They just sealed a deal with Ukrops and will start selling on Kroger shelves all across the mid-Atlantic.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 3, 2023
Highland Springs walks off the court after beating Stone Bridge during the Class 5 boys basketball quarterfinal on Friday, March 3, 2023 at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 4, 2023
Nutzy plays with Shane Paris-Kennedy,9, during the Richmond Flying Squirrels Nutzy's Block Party on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 5, 2023
Patrons wait in line for Caribbean soul food from Mobile Yum Yum, one of the food trucks participating in Mobile Soul Sunday in Monroe Park. The event kicked off the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, a weeklong celebration of Richmond’s Black-owned restaurants.
Sean McGoey
March 6, 2023
Henrico County officials celebrate the start of renovations at Cheswick Park in Henrico's Three Chopt District on March 6, 2023. The 24.5-acre park, Henrico's oldest official park, will receive $2.1 million in improvements, including a new open fitness area and upgrades to its trails, playground, restroom facilities, pedestrian bridges, parking lot, main entrance, stormwater management infrastructure and signage. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
March 7, 2023
Congresswoman-elect Jennifer McClellan heads into the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC for orientation on March 7, 2023 in preparation for her swearing in as the first Black Congresswoman from Virginia. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
March 8, 2023
Kate Chenery Tweedy shows the exhibition of Secretariat at Ashland Museum in Ashland, Va., on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Kate Chenery Tweedy is spearheading an effort to bring a monument of Secretariat to Ashland.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 9, 2023
John Marano of Top Trumps USA speaks to the media next to Mr. Monopoly at Maggie Walker Plaza in Richmond, Va., on March 9, 2023. Top Trumps USA, under license from HASBRO, will design a Richmond-specific board that highlights the region’s favorite historic landmarks.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 10, 2023
The U.S. Postal Service commemorate the history and romance of train travel with the unveiling of its Railroad Stations Forever stamps during a ceremony at the Main Street Station in Richmond, Va.
Lyndon German
March 11, 2023
Susie Williams of Richmond gets a makeover at the Shamrock the Block Festival in Richmond on Saturday. The festival was relocated to Leigh Street this year.
Daniel Sangjib Min, TIMES-DISPATCH
March 12, 2023
A procession of Fifes and Drums moves down Duke of Gloucester Street in Colonial Williamsburg on Sunday. It traveled from old Colonial Williamsburg Courthouse to the Raleigh Tavern, where Thomas Jefferson and other leaders formed a Committee of Correspondence in 1773.
Sean Jones photos, Times-Dispatch
March 13, 2023
Cuong Luu, foreground, a volunteer of Feed More, prepares boxes of meals with other volunteers and staff at the food bank in Richmond, Va., on Monday, March 13, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 14, 2023
Bill Barksdale, technical director of Virginia Video Network, works with Kelli Lemon, director of digital programming, at the video studio of Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va., on March 14, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 15, 2023
Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, looks on a portrait after unveiling it as former Speaker of the House at the house chamber of the State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Filler-Corn made history as the first woman and first Jewish Speaker in Virginia.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 16, 2023
MIKE KROPF, THE DAILY PROGRESS Virginia's Isaac McKneely (11) becomes emotional after an NCAA Tournament first round game against Furman in Orlando, Fl., Thursday, March 16, 2023.
Mike Kropf
March 17, 2023
Brian Erbe, center, a pipe manager, and other members of Greater Richmond Pipes and Drums perform to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at Rosie Connolly's Pub Restaurant in Richmond, Va., on Friday, March 17, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 18, 2023
Virginia Tech's Mekhi Lewis takes down Oklahoma State's Dustin Plott during the consolation semifinals at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP)
Ian Maule
March 19, 2023
Virginia Tech's Kayana Traylor (23) is congratulated by teammates after scoring just before halftime of a second-round college basketball game in the women's NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Blacksburg, Va. (AP Photo/Matt Gentry)
Matt Gentry
March 20, 2023
Hannah and Ty Bilodeau of Lynchburg visit the recently completed Richmond Virginia Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with their children, Blythe, 5, Goldie, 4, and Graham, 2, in Glen Allen in Henrico, Va., on Monday, March 20, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 21, 2023
Doug Ramseur, center left, and Emilee Hasbrouck, center right, defense lawyers for Wavie Jones, one of three Central State Hospital employees , who was charged in death of Irvo Otieno, speak to the media at Dinwiddie Courthouse in Dinwiddie, Va., on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 22, 2023
WRANGLD's, from left, senior customer success manager Trevor Lee, chief business officer Andy Sitison and CEO Jonathan "JD" Dyke work at their office of the 1717 Innovation Center in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 23, 2023
New Bon Secours Community Health Clinic is open in Manchester, Richmond, Va., on Thursday, March 23, 2023. The clinic will serve scheduled appointments and same day call-in appointments for the uninsured. The 8,000 square foot building is also home to the Bon Secours Care-A-Van, a mobile health clinic.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 24, 2023
Liz Kincaid, CEO of RVA Hospitality and owner of Max's On Broad, is photographed at the restaurant in Richmond, VA on March 24, 2023. Max's On Broad will be closing April 1 and will relaunch as a new concept in the summer. Kincaid also owns Tarrant's & Bar Solita. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
March 25, 2023
Henrico County families gather at Deep Run Park & Recreation Center on Saturday to celebrate all things agriculture during the county's second annual Farm Graze event. Children went booth to booth learning about the wonders of agriculture while participating in fun activities and scavenger hunts.
Lyndon German
March 26, 2023
Church Hill resident Alex Gerofsky finishes the Hill Topper 5K at the Church Hill Irish Festival with a time of 20 minutes, 26.8 seconds.
Thad Green
March 27, 2023
Wyatt Kingston, center, conducts a strength training session with Marshall Crenshaw, left, and Kevin Wright, right, at Hickory Hill Community Center in Richmond, Va., on Monday, March 27, 2023. Kingston, 71, has been working with the parks department for nearly 40 years on all kinds of initiatives, particularly those aimed at children in public housing communities.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 28, 2023
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, center, speaks about “housing crisis” in Richmond, Va., on Tuesday, March 28, 2023. From left, Cynthia I. Newbille, Ann-Frances Lambert, Michael J. Jones, center right, Katherine Jordan, right, and other members of Richmond City Council, were shown with Mayor Stoney, center.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 29, 2023
(From left) Caroline Ouko and Leon Ochieng, mother and older brother of Irvo Otieno, react near the casket during the celebration of life for Irvo Otieno at First Baptist Church of South Richmond in North Chesterfield, VA on March 29, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
March 30, 2023
Senior students in Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center's culinary program presented Taj Mahsala: an Indian fusion menu.
SYDNEY SHULER, THE DAILY PROGRESS
March 31, 2023
Richmond Police address onlookers Friday, March 31, 2023 at the intersection of North Avenue and Moss Side Avenue, near Washington Park. Richmond police shot a man who was suspected of shooting a woman earlier in the day in the 1100 block of Evergreen Avenue on Richmond's Southside.
April 1, 2023
Sculptor Jocelyn Russell takes photos of the crowd after the unveiling of her statue of Secretariat at Ashland Town Hall Pavilion on Saturday.
Michael Martz photos, TImes-Dispatch
April 2, 2023
Drivers race in the Toyota Owners 400 at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, VA on April 2, 2023.. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 3, 2023
Dinwiddie County Commonwealth's Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill is photographed at the Dinwiddie County Courthouse on April 3, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 4, 2023
From left, Judy and Ron Singleton pose for a photo on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. MIKE KROPF/TIMES-DISPATCH
Mike Kropf
April 5, 2023
Beatrix Smith dips her matzah in salt water as she enjoys a Pasover Seder with her classmates (from left) Helen Corallo, Camp Maxwell, and Amara Ellen at the Weinstein JCC Preschool Program in Richmond, VA on April 5, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 6, 2023
Virginia Community College System Chancellor David Doré speaks with students at Piedmont Virginia Community College on Thursday.
SYDNEY SHULER, THE DAILY PROGRESS
April 7, 2023
A worker pushed water off a tarp on the field at The Diamond Friday, when the Flying Squirrels were scheduled to open their season against Reading.
MIKE KROPF/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 8, 2023
Ember O’Connell-Evans, 1, plays with hula hoops during the Dominion Energy Family Easter event at Maymont on Saturday.
Mike Kropf, TIMES-DISPATCH
April 9, 2023
Mike Kearney plays an early form of badminton with grandkids Savannah and Ashton on the lawn of Montpelier during “We, the Kids” Day.
ANDRA LANDI, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REVIEW
April 10, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, center left, tours Richmond Marine Terminal with W. Sheppard Miller III , Virginia Secretary of Transportation , center right, as Stephen A. Edwards, left, Virginia Port Authority CEO, and Christina Saunders, manager of Richmond Marine Terminal, give them the tour on Monday, April 10, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 11, 2023
Inaara Woodards, 5, of Henrico, visits Italian Garden at Maymont with her mother, Victoria Crawley Woodards, and three brothers, Kai, 13, Zion, 12, and Avion Woodards, 11, during their home-school field trip to the park in Richmond, VA., on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. "It’s gorgeous!" Victoria Crawley Woodards said of Tuesday weather. She said it was the perfect weather for the field trip and other activities.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 13, 2023
Clarence Thweatt, right, a lead trainer for Chesterfield Public Schools, works on marking points during a transportation road-e-o event, which is friendly competition of school bus drivers demonstrating their driving skills and knowledge of laws, at Chesterfield County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 14, 2023
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at Liberty University.
PROVIDED BY LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
April 15, 2023
Tyson Foods workers attend a job fair at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church on Mechanicsville Turnpike. The Glen Allen plant is closing, displacing about 700 employees.
Em Holter
April 16, 2023
A display of 32 white balloons were raised and a 32-second moment of silence was observed in honor of the victims of the April 16, 2007, tragedy at the start of the 2023 3.2-mile Run in Remembrance on the Virginia Tech campus.
MATT GENTRY, The Roanoke Times
April 17, 2023
Albert Hill Middle School sixth-grader Drew Sirpis looks for birds during the educational boat trip on the James River on Monday.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
April 18, 2023
Richmond Flying Squirrels Luis Matos steals the second base against Erie SeaWolves shortstop Gage Workman in the 3rd inning at The Diamond, Richmond, VA., on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 19, 2023
Children participate in Little Feet Meets at Matoaca High School in Chesterfield, VA on April 19, 2023. A total of 1,400 Special Olympic athletes from grades PK-5 throughout Chesterfield County Public Schools competed in Little Feet Meets between two dates, April 12 at James River High and April 19 at Matoaca High. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 20, 2023
Mike Blau, center, a line cook, and others work on preparing a soft opening of The Veil's new taproom, located in Scott’s Addition at 1509 Belleville St., on Thursday, April 20, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 21, 2023
(From left) VCU sophomore Caroline May, of Pittsburgh, PA, and senior Lee Finch, of Norfolk, VA carry a coffin with a blow-up Earth ball during a VCU Student Climate Protest in Richmond, VA on April 21, 2023. The small crowd walked from the James Branch Cabell Library, though Monroe Park, to the office of VCU President Michael Rao in a mock funeral procession. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 22, 2023
Anthony Clary gestures as he runs through confetti during the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k on Saturday.
Mike Kropf, TIMES-DISPATCH
April 23, 2023
A volunteer picks up an old wooden palate and brings it to a trash pile during Friends of Fonticello Park's community cleanup on Sunday.
Sean Jones, Times-Dispatch
April 24, 2023
Kay Ford spends time with her cat, Patches, at her home in Mechanicsville, VA., on Monday, April 24, 2023. Ford recently adopted Patches, a 40-pound cat, from Richmond Animal Care and Control. The story of Patches went viral after RACC publicized the cat.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 25, 2023
Emily Cover, a project manager with DPR Construction, is shown at Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, left top, in Richmond, VA., on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. DPR is the team that built the hospital.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 26, 2023
Guests tour the Anthropology Lab at the new College of Humanities and Sciences STEM building on West Franklin Street in Richmond, VA on April 26, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/name-of-man-shot-by-richmond-police-released/article_1a0c3336-e483-11ed-be92-5b99cd5595d1.html | 2023-04-27T10:27:14 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/name-of-man-shot-by-richmond-police-released/article_1a0c3336-e483-11ed-be92-5b99cd5595d1.html |
OCEAN CITY — A lot needed to go right to keep The Flanders Hotel standing and in operation for a century.
The landmark hotel on 11th Street remained through fire, floods and storms, as well as the Great Depression, multiple other economic downturns, and 100 years’ worth of changes to how people vacation.
The hotel is now on stable ground, according to Peter Voudouris, the director of hotel and banquet operations at The Flanders. He is also the president of the condominium board. He’s looking at a strong summer for 2023, and the hotel hosts hundreds of weddings, proms and other special events a year.
The luxurious penthouse suites, which rent for $1,200 to $1,600 a night, are already booked solid for the season.
This fall, the hotel plans to celebrate a century of The Flanders. But the hotel’s survival was far from certain. It closed its doors in 1995, and sections were sold off in a series of foreclosures in the early 2000s. Furnishings were sold at auction, and different entities owned sections of the property.
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“We had to buy back our front desk. We had to buy back our elevators. We had to buy back our boiler room,” Voudouris said. “It’s been a challenge putting this hotel back together.”
Condo ownership
Some of the sections were sold as part of foreclosures. The hotel has come close to shutting for good more than once. Several sections of the hotel were sold or foreclosed under the ownership of Jim Dwyer, a major figure in the history of The Flanders.
Dwyer purchased the hotel in 1996, putting more than $12 million into revamping the building, bulldozing rooms one floor at a time and creating 95 condominiums where there had been 242 hotel rooms. He later oversaw the construction of new penthouses on the south tower of the building.
He continued to expand his empire, buying properties in Ocean City and beyond, but things began to unravel. In 2004, when future governor and presidential candidate Chris Christie was the U.S. attorney for New Jersey, he charged Dwyer with multiple counts of fraud relating to more than $36 million in loans, including some financing used for Flanders renovations.
This was not the first time the hotel was in trouble. For decades, banker and lawyer Elwood Kirkman owned The Flanders, living in a penthouse on the north side of the building. According to the posted history of the hotel, Kirkman purchased The Flanders after it was devastated by the Depression, reportedly for dimes to the dollar. Kirkman, who had also served as chairman of the Atlantic City Expressway Authority, had legal problems of his own, including a 1985 fraud conviction.
He kept The Flanders running, but when he died in 1993 at the age of 89, the hotel was swimming in debt, seen as hopelessly out of date. His daughter, Carol Parks, put the property up for sale and later closed its doors, according to a history of the hotel prepared by Voudouris.
There was a proposal to transform the former jewel of the Boardwalk into an assisted living center, one opposed by city officials, before Dwyer entered the picture.
“He did a lot of good things for this hotel during some very difficult times,” Voudouris said of Dwyer. He said he and his wife, Arlene, got involved with The Flanders when they purchased two units at the recommendation of a close friend. He said he did not do enough research, something he realized when he attended his first meeting of the owners.
“Let’s say it was ugly. People pushing people. Screaming. Yelling,” he said. “My wife says, ‘I’ve got bad news for you. You’re going to have to get involved.'”
Voudouris has been president of the condominium association since 2005. A more unified board of directors removed the former management company and began working to finance more renovations, through loans and assessments on the owners.
“I run the hotel under the direction of the board,” Voudouris said.
The plan was to return The Flanders to its spot as the most luxurious place to stay in Ocean City, a goal Voudouris believes has been met.
Individual owners
Under the current form of ownership, the property is owned by more than 100 different people, under an increasingly common approach described as a condotel. The owners association has formed a corporation, which now owns the common areas, including the spacious ballroom and kitchen, and the on-site restaurant.
Voudouris said one area not under the corporation’s control are the retail shops on the ocean side of the property, which he and his wife own.
The rooms are owned separately. Owners can use their property for vacations but are not permitted to live there, both by hotel policy and Ocean City’s zoning rules. Those who rent their rooms, as most do, must use the hotel’s rental system and must maintain the rooms to a common standard.
Once an unusual system, the condotel is now common in Ocean City and other resort communities. In most cases, the hotel guests do not even know their room is owned by a different person than the room next door.
Single bedroom units sell for $300,000, larger units go for up to $450,000 and the penthouses go for more than $1 million. On a recent tour of the property, the size and expense of the rooms built up to the 10th floor penthouse on the south tower, two stories with multiple bedrooms, a high-end kitchen, gas fireplace and sweeping views of the Boardwalk and ocean.
That rents for about $1,600 a night, and is already booked for the season.
About that ghost
Voudouris is happy to talk about the troubled finances in the property’s history, about the Prohibition-era speakeasy in the underground section known as the catacombs, where he believes New York and Atlantic City mob bosses met in the 1930s, and about the struggles with returning the hotel to a profitable business model.
But he does not want to talk about Emily.
Unfortunately for him, almost everybody else does. He said he has had offers from bloggers, film production companies and others to search for Emily, the alleged ghost that haunts the second floor, perceived through an occasional hint of a young girl’s song or glimpse of a bare foot and white gown disappearing around a corner.
“It’s not a true story,” he said, even though his wife is one of the believers.
The hotel seems to have a divided opinion on Emily. It named its restaurant in her honor, and has two images of her painted by local artist Tony Troy, purportedly based on descriptions from witnesses. By all accounts, she is a friendly ghost. But some visitors do not like ghosts, and many owners do not want to emphasize anything that could keep a guest away.
“There are a lot of people that do not like ghost stories and don’t want to hear that this place is haunted,” Voudouris said. “There are some owners that do not like me discussing it.”
Surviving the fire
In 1922, not long after the Armistice ended what was then known as the Great War, the Ocean City Chamber of Commerce formed the Ocean Front Hotel Corporation, a group of 24 business leaders and prominent citizens, to explore the possibility of creating the kind of hotel that would draw visitors coming to the Jersey Shore by automobile on the new bridge over the Delaware River.
Architect Vivian Smith designed the building in the Spanish revival style. He was also responsible for City Hall and the Music Pier, along with other well-known Ocean City sites. With a steel frame and concrete walls, the building was by far the largest undertaken in Ocean City to that point. It was named in honor of the Battle of Flanders in Belgium, fought a little less than a decade earlier at a horrifying cost.
In the days of wood frames, it was said to be fireproof, a claim soon put to the test as the great fire of 1927 swept through the city, destroying dozens of properties on multiple blocks.
When the city pushed to get things back to normal by the summer of 1928, local officials decided to move the Boardwalk a block closer to the ocean, adding that much more space for taxable development.
In the newly opened space, The Flanders built three salt-water pools, including an Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool.
“It’s amazing how many people say they swam in that pool,” Voudouris said.
That area later became the Boardwalk amusement park Playland's Castaway Cove. Where there was once a line of retail shops at the front of The Flanders, there are now a line of additional units, called Lanai rooms.
Besides the fire, the hotel has weathered the March 1962 storm, Superstorm Sandy and other devastating storms. The catacombs under the building are no longer in use but do have marks on the walls showing where the flood waters reached in each case.
Celebrating the century
A gala is planned Nov. 18, and a high tea is set for Nov. 19, in celebration of the anniversary of the hotel’s opening in 1923.
“We’re going to make that Flanders weekend,” Voudouris said. Plans are to have antique cars on display, and the hotel is working with the Ocean City Historical Museum on displays from Flanders history. That will include the original switchboard, Voudouris said.
“It’s really cool,” he said. The Ocean City Pops orchestra, which dates back about as far as The Flanders, is set to perform.
“We’re really expecting to have a nice affair,” Voudouris said.
In its heyday, The Flanders had its own garage, as well as a barber shop. The hotel provided housing for summer workers in two large boarding houses nearby, which are now long gone. It employed hundreds.
“This was a major operation,” Voudouris said.
Now, The Flanders has a salon, a coffee house and other amenities. It welcomes multiple proms each spring, and about 65 weddings a year, along with 225 other events. The hotel has a strong December, and remains open all year, but summer is the busiest time. Voudouris said they are working to build up April, September and October.
On the upper stories, a crew of painters adds a new layer. Voudouris said the hotel spends thousands of dollars a year just maintaining the terra cotta roof, and repairs and upkeep are a constant expense. In 2006, there were about 30 units for sale, and officials had put the association on notice about 117 fire code violations and other issues.
“The building, it was falling apart," Voudouris said. “Financially, we were struggling. We had to put a lot of money into renovating this building.”
Today, he is confident that The Flanders is ready to face the challenges of its next century. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/through-fire-flood-and-changes-ocean-citys-flanders-hotel-celebrates-a-century/article_96664cce-e3ab-11ed-ab1b-5bb2c892df0b.html | 2023-04-27T10:40:16 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/through-fire-flood-and-changes-ocean-citys-flanders-hotel-celebrates-a-century/article_96664cce-e3ab-11ed-ab1b-5bb2c892df0b.html |
BASEBALL
4 p.m.
St. Augustine at Audubon
Mainland at Cedar Creek
Highland at Cumberland
Oakcrest at Buena
Point Pleasant Borough at Lacey Twp.
SOFTBALL
4 p.m.
Hammonton at Clearview
Cedar Creek at Mainland
Lenape at St. Joseph
Cumberland at Highland
Wildwood vs. Gloucester Catholic at Fox Park
Atlantic City at Holy Spirit
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Barnegat at Donovan Catholic
Point Pleasant Borough at Lacey Twp.
Schalick at Buena
4:15 p.m.
Southern at Jackson Memorial
4:30 p.m.
Paulsboro at Pleasantville
GIRLS LACROSSE
3:45 p.m.
Toms River South at Southern
Lacey Twp. at Jackson Liberty
4 p.m.
Cedar Creek at Triton
4:15 p.m.
Point Pleasant Borough at Pinelands
BOYS LACROSSE
4 p.m.
Moorestown Friends at Vineland
BOYS TENNIS
4 p.m.
CAL Tournament championships at Vineland H.S.
3:45 pm.
Barnegat at Manchester Twp.
Lakewood at Pinelands
4 p.m.
Buena at Oakcrest
Delsea at Cumberland
Donovan Catholic at LaceyTwp.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
3:45 p.m.
Jackson Liberty at Barnegat
4 p.m.
Cedar Creek at ACIT
Absegami at Oakcrest
Donovan Catholic at Lacey Twp.
Pinelands at Manchester Twp.
5:30 p.m.
Toms River North at Southern
BOYS AND GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD
9 a.m.
Penn Relays at University of Pennsylvania's Franklin Field
BOYS AND GIRLS GOLF
4 p.m.
Lower Cape May vs. Middle Twp. at Avalon Country Club
Atlantic City vs. Cape May Tech vs. Oakcrest at Union League Country Club
ACIT vs. Vineland at Buena Vista Country Club
Wildwood Catholic vs. Holy Spirit at Mays Landing Country Club
Cedar Creek vs. Absegami at Seaview Country Club
Cumberland vs. Timber Creek at Running Deer Golf Club
Wildwood vs. Gloucester Catholic at Union League
GIRLS GOLF
3:30 p.m.
Barnegat vs. Jackson Memorial at Atlantis Golf Course
BOYS GOLF
3 p.m.
Hammonton vs. Ocean City vs. St. Augustine at Buena Vista Country Club
3:45 p.m.
Lacey Twp. vs. Barnegat at Atlantis Golf Club
FLAG FOOTBALL
4 p.m.
Cedar Creek at Hammonton
6 p.m.
Absegami at Mainland
6:30 p.m.
Pinelands at St. Rose | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/high-school-schedule-for-thursday-april-27-2023/article_7de249b0-e387-11ed-b4f6-eba0307b2fd9.html | 2023-04-27T10:40:28 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/high-school-schedule-for-thursday-april-27-2023/article_7de249b0-e387-11ed-b4f6-eba0307b2fd9.html |
Takeaways from Mayor Indya Kincannon's plan to 'lift up all Knoxville residents'
The term “state of the city” is a bit misleading, as it suggests only a snapshot in time. Rather, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon's annual address April 26 laid out where the city is going as a new fiscal year approaches.
Sheltered from the rain by a large white tent at Western Heights, the mayor focused her 20 minutes of stage time on the city’s biggest projects and challenges: providing affordable housing, improving public safety and making smart investments that benefit different types of people living in the city.
Choosing Western Heights as the host
It wouldn't be a speech without thanking the host, and Kincannon took time to highlight the $200 million Transforming Western Initiative to revamp Western Heights.
The project received $40 million from a federal Choice Neighborhoods grant for 740 low- and mixed-income housing units, playgrounds and greenspaces.
The Western Heights Head Start Facility has already opened its doors to offer preschool services to children age 5 and younger.
Finding a home in Knoxville shouldn't be hard
Housing − specifically, of the affordable variety − was a theme throughout.
In January, rent in the Knoxville metro area was up nearly 13% from the same time last year, according the Knoxville Area Association of Realtors. That's more than twice the national average, which increased 4.99%.
Knoxville has long been touted as an affordable place to buy a home, but prices haven't been affordable for the average buyer for a while.
In February, the median list price of a home in the Knoxville area was $457,000, about $42,000 higher than the national average, according to an analysis by the Knoxville Area Association of Realtors of Realtor.com data.
Kincannon touted these supportive housing initiatives and plans to address homelessness:
- The creation of the new Knoxville-Knox County Office of Housing Stability.
- Liberty Place, a permanent supportive housing project that will be home to 32 local veterans.
- The continued construction of First Creek at Austin.
- Newly approved plans for Callahan Flats, a supportive housing development.
Kincannon acknowledged the demand for housing and shared that more than 3,800 housing units are moving through the city’s permitting process.
Improving public safety in Knoxville
The number of homicides in Knoxville, which has trended higher than the national average in recent years, declined in 2022 – by a bit.
The 2022 homicide numbers showed a 15% drop compared to 2021, from 41 to 35. But Knoxville still has a long way to go to reach prepandemic annual homicide totals that typically ranged in the high teens and low 20s.
Kincannon said providing a safe community is "job one," and touted several initiatives and organizations working to fight crime.
The city will combine the Office of Community Empowerment and Office of Community Safety under the leadership of current community safety director LaKenya Middlebrook. The budget will pay for several new staff members, Kincannon said.
The mayor also highlighted an increase in solved cases under Police Chief Paul Noel, as well as the Public Safety Complex coming to the vacated St. Mary’s Hospital in North Knoxville.
Budget proposals highlighted by Indya Kincannon
These are the areas of investment Kincannon touted:
- Infrastructure: Projects including road improvements and pothole repairs - $9.3 million
- Parks and recreation: Improvements to Lakeshore Park and Williams Creek Golf Course, as well as a new park in Lonsdale - $3.95 million
- Arts and culture: Funding for an immersive Zoo Knoxville experience and improvements to the Beck Cultural Center - $3 million
Looking ahead while recognizing Knoxville's past progress
Overall, the event was a real who’s who, and Kincannon took time to praise the accomplishments of leaders before her.
She started by recognizing former mayor Randy Tyree, 1976-84, for his work leading the city through the 1982 World’s Fair. She followed with a brief tribute to former mayor Victor Ashe, 1988-2003, for his work in encouraging the construction of a Knoxville Convention Center.
Kincannon highlighted the accomplishments of former mayor Bill Haslam, 2003-11, namely his efforts in getting Regal Cinemas to Gay Street and helping to revitalize Market Square.
Kincannon shared that Dan Brown, acting mayor in 2011, will be honored with a commemorative space at the under-construction First Creek at Austin. He was Knoxville's first and only Black mayor.
She wrapped up by remembering the Urban Wilderness efforts of her predecessor, Madeleine Rogero, Knoxville’s first female mayor, who served 2011-19.
As Kincannon enters a new fiscal year, some of the city’s biggest projects include:
- The pedestrian bridge from UT to South Knoxville
- The multiuse Smokies baseball stadium east of the Old City
- Public Safety Complex at former St. Mary’s Hospital
- New housing developments | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/indya-kincannon-talks-knoxville-housing-safety-plan-at-annual-address/70154885007/ | 2023-04-27T10:55:21 | 0 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/indya-kincannon-talks-knoxville-housing-safety-plan-at-annual-address/70154885007/ |
No guns, vampire straws or fireworks! McGhee Tyson Airport warns of prohibited items
No vampire straws. No self-defense keychains. And please, no fireworks or guns! Before summer vacation travel picks up, the Transportation Security Administration is reminding travelers what’s allowed in flight carry-on bags and checked luggage.
Following a recent incident involving a “vampire straw” that resulted in the arrest of a passenger in Boston for carrying a dangerous weapon, the TSA on April 26 displayed and discussed prohibited items that have been collected at Knoxville's McGhee Tyson Airport.
“Liquids, gels and aerosols are probably our most common prohibited items,” Mark Howell, a TSA regional spokesperson told Knox News.
Pocket knives, various kinds of blades and other types of self-defense items also are frequently surrendered at McGhee Tyson, Howell noted.
“Especially here in a college town, you've got ladies that carry their pepper sprays and brass knuckles, (cat-shaped self-defense keychains), things like that. We understand you need them for self-defense, but when you're traveling, you got to remember to take those items off your keychains and out of your purse,” he said.
Although the titanium “vampire straw” from the Boston incident is commonly used for smoothies and other drinks, the company that makes it also bills it as a self-defense weapon because its beveled end could be used as a dagger.
Passengers with prohibited items are given the opportunity to place them in checked bags, give them to someone who brought them to the airport, take items back to their cars or simply surrender the property to a TSA agent.
Each passenger is allowed to carry on one quart-sized bag containing liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes. Liquids are limited to 3.4-ounce or less containers. Most travel-sized items follow this rule.
What's not allowed – ever
While some items not allowed in carry-on bags can easily be transferred to checked luggage, some are completely prohibited through the security checkpoint.
“As we get into the summer, specifically around the Fourth of July, we see people that will try to travel with fireworks, and fireworks are explosive,” Howell explained. “So don't bring fireworks to the airport.”
Explosives, chemicals and highly flammable items are not allowed in carry-on or checked luggage. These will be removed during screening.
Guns at the airport
In Tennessee, guns have been a particular concern recently. Howell said the state saw a big increase in firearms not packed properly at security checkpoints since a “constitutional carry” bill was signed by Gov. Bill Lee in 2021.
“We had a record year for guns last year. At McGhee Tyson, we had a total of 32 firearms that came to the security checkpoint,” he said.
That number is on track to be lower this year, however. There have only been three instances of firearms caught at the TSA checkpoint at McGhee Tyson so far in 2023.
Airports across the country aren't seeing that kind of decrease, though. Between Jan. 1 and March 13, 2023, security agents found an average of nearly 17 firearms per day, or 1,508 total, according to new nationwide data from the TSA. That's a 10% increase from the same time period last year.
In 2022, TSA officers detected 6,542 firearms at airport security checkpoints, a rise from 5,972 in 2021 and 4,432 in 2019, USA TODAY reports.
Upgrades at McGhee Tyson
Understanding what is and isn’t prohibited at airport security will help the process as travel increases for the summer. A technological upgrade to the McGhee Tyson security checkpoint is also intended to get passengers through the line faster.
CT machines that give a 360-degree image of carry-on bags have been added. Now, you’ll be able to keep your electronics and liquids inside the bag.
“These machines are a win-win for (TSA agents) and passengers,” Howell noted. “You don't have to take all of those items out as you used to in the bag and then, of course, on the back end, it's good for us because we have fewer bag searches.”
And a fourth TSA lane will be added at McGhee Tyson in the summer.
A full list of accepted and prohibited items through TSA can be found at tsa.gov and on the MyTSA app.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/tsa-reminds-passengers-whats-prohibited-at-mcghee-tyson-airport/70155608007/ | 2023-04-27T10:55:27 | 0 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/tsa-reminds-passengers-whats-prohibited-at-mcghee-tyson-airport/70155608007/ |
GREENSBORO — The “we are temporarily closed” sign at Architectural Salvage of Greensboro's showroom only hints at the painful split between two entities dedicated to preserving the city’s history.
In a dispute reminiscent of a bitter divorce, the shop’s closure is indicative of the fracture between those who directly oversaw Architectural Salvage of Greensboro (ASG) and the board and management of Preservation Greensboro Inc. (Preservation Greensboro).
Architectural Salvage, an all-volunteer group with an informal board, and Preservation Greensboro, a nonprofit tasked with operating the historic Blandwood Museum and promoting historic preservation, have been closely associated for decades.
Members of Architectural Salvage were stunned by an April 3 letter signed by Chris Carlson, president of Preservation Greensboro’s board of directors, and Executive Director Benjamin Briggs to Architectural Salvage founding member Julie Davenport.
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The letter announced the immediate closing of the showroom — which sells vintage items salvaged from properties slated for demolition — and that “all volunteer activities and access will be suspended until further notice.”
Preservation Greensboro’s board had “determined that the Architectural Salvage operation requires a new direction.” This would require “a comprehensive rethinking” of professional and volunteer resources, new policies, revisioning of marketing activities and an overhaul of the showroom, the letter said.
To the Architectural Salvage members, it felt like a slap in the face.
“We’re just confused why that wouldn't be brought to our attention so that we could work with them on a new plan,” said Architectural Salvage board member Chris Ballard. “Some of the folks who made this decision, we’ve never seen them in our building to understand what we do. There's hundreds of hours we spent there in blood, sweat and tears to get that place where it is.”
In an email to fellow Architectural Salvage board members, Davenport called the Preservation Greensboro’s decision “a shame and very disappointing.”
And an email sent to Preservation Greensboro on Monday and signed by several Architectural Salvage members, said the nonprofit’s actions have “demoralized” Architectural Salvage board volunteers.
“We feel disrespected, but even with all that we've done for Preservation Greensboro, we leave knowing that what we did was with the best intentions,” said the email, signed by eight former Architectural Salvage board members.
Briggs said Preservation Greensboro isn’t trying to freeze Architectural Salvage volunteers out of the process.
“We appreciate the commitment that the volunteers who have given their time with ASG over the years have made,” Briggs said. “Nobody's being evicted or kicked out or banned or anything like that, but we are opening this up to more volunteers within the community.”
Salvage and showroom overhaul
A news release Wednesday from the nonprofit said: “The Board of Directors determined that pursuing this strategic direction required an overhaul of the committee structure of ASG as well as showroom operations,” Carlson said.
Both groups say a March 3 meeting between the boards was proposed by Preservation Greensboro. Carlson says it was to discuss ways to improve operations, while Architectural Salvage board members thought it was only a get-to-know-you meeting.
Neither group followed up to reschedule the meeting, so it never occurred.
Though their perspectives on the relationship differs, for years Architectural Salvage volunteers served on Preservation Greensboro’s executive committee and Preservation Greensboro handled financial and legal paperwork for Architectural Salvage.
While Preservation Greensboro sees Architectural Salvage as a subsidiary, Architectural Salvage saw itself as more independent group, though not a formal nonprofit.
Briggs characterized Architectural Salvage as “a project of Preservation Greensboro. So the operation is entirely within the organization.”
When the sale of its salvaged goods grew beyond the expenses of the operation in the 1990s, Architectural Salvage members say they decided to partner with Preservation Greensboro and give it the profits because of its shared interest in preserving historical buildings. And up until last May, Preservation Greensboro’s bylaws reserved a seat on the executive committee for “subsidiary divisions” such as Architectural Salvage.
However, the rewriting of Preservation Greensboro’s bylaws eliminated Architectural Salvage membership from the committee. In an email Wednesday, Carlson said the bylaws were rewritten to “modernize and streamline the organizational structure.
A long history of service
An April 4 correspondence from Architectural Salvage board member Mike Cowhig to Carlson by explained that Architectural Salvage was formed by himself and several members of the city’s Historic Preservation Commission.
Cowhig, a Greensboro city planner, said it initially salvaged materials from old houses being renovated or demolished in the city’s redevelopment neighborhoods.
He noted that Architectural Salvage is one of the longest running organizations of its type in the country. “This group developed the skills required to pull off salvages of old buildings: things like temporarily bracing a porch roof to get the columns, taking up heart pine flooring without destroying it, how to move 400 lb. radiators, and so much more.
“It’s not easy to upfit and manage a salvage warehouse (3 times),” Cowhig wrote. “But this board is nothing if not resourceful.”
Briggs said Preservation Greensboro believes it can increase community engagement with the salvage operation and improve the retail operation of the showroom.
“We see opportunities for new things occurring in the showroom that other salvages hold, such as workshops and information sessions,” Briggs said.
“The Board of Directors does have a fiduciary responsibility to keep ASG competitive and profitable for the nonprofit organization,” he said.
And in a private April 3 email to former Architectural Salvage president Katherine Rowe, shortly after the initial letter was sent to board members, Carlson said Preservation Greensboro’s decision was primarily financial.
“ASG has been in the red over 4 of the last 5 years, with a total loss to PGI over $18,000 during that period,” Carlson wrote. “That is after ASG's direct expenses and a conservative indirect expense allocation of 15% for insurance, credit-card fees, software, bookkeeping, PGI staff time, etc.”
He said via email to the News & Record Wednesday that “there has been very little to no profit from ASG for the prior five years.”
Jon Enos who served on the Preservation Greensboro’s executive committee representing Architectural Salvage, disputed that. He said Architectural Salvage made about a $15,000 profit annually.
“All the books and the monthly statements from PGI Greensboro showed ASG generating a surplus,” Enos said, “and that was covered at all the Preservation Greensboro executive committee meetings and all the PGI reensboro board meetings.”
Financial statements sent by an Architectural Salvage member to the News & Record for the past eight months appear to show the operation making a profit.
“If ASG has been losing money, how come nobody ever said anything?” Enos said.
For now, Architectural Salvage’s warehouse at 1028-B Huffman St. is closed to the public. The contents are being inventoried and Briggs said he’s searching for a new employee with retail experience and strong social media skills to take over its operation.
Architectural Salvage board members say they’re hopeful the salvage operation will continue and grow, regardless of who’s operating it.
“ASG is a good resource for the Greensboro Community,” Enos said. “I hope it is able to keep going for historic homeowners and preservation.”
Davenport echoed those sentiments, noting that the operation takes a lot of work.
“Architectural salvage is a lot of work,” Davenport said. And I don't want to see what we built fail. But I don't think they know what they've gotten themselves into.” | https://greensboro.com/news/local/architectural-salvage-preservation-greensboro/article_ac8edfc4-e366-11ed-ace3-374730d2a312.html | 2023-04-27T11:05:15 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/architectural-salvage-preservation-greensboro/article_ac8edfc4-e366-11ed-ace3-374730d2a312.html |
Money was taken from a crashed minivan and a SEPTA bus wound up crashed into a Northeast Philadelphia bank in a wreck that police said was caused by an apparently stolen car.
Police responded to the scene along Rising Sun Avenue, near Martins Mill Road in the Lawndale section of the city, around 1:30 a.m. to find an articulated bus crashed into a PNC Bank branch with a crashed Hyundai sedan on one side and the wreck minivan behind it.
Several People Hurt, Some Trapped
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Medics took an unresponsive young man from the passenger seat of the wrecked Hyundai, Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small. He was listed in critical condition at the hospital with head trauma.
Firefighters had to remove part of the minivan to free the trapped driver, Small said. That man, believed to be in his 30s, was hospitalized in stable condition.
The SEPTA bus driver -- a man in his 60s -- suffered injuries to his face and head, Small said. He was listed in stable condition at the hospital.
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All three passengers on board the SEPTA bus got off and left before talking to police, Small said.
"They didn't even stick around as witnesses," Small said.
How did this happen?
"The vehicle we believe that started the accident was the Hyundai," Small said. "It was stolen last week from Northeast Philadelphia."
After the wreck, the driver of the Hyundai got out of the stolen car and into a Volkswagen that was apparently following the Hyundai at the time, Small said. Police found blood on the driver's side of the Hyundai so it's possible the driver was hurt.
The stolen Hyundai fits the description of the car used in several recent robberies in Northeast Philadelphia, Small said. Detectives would investigate.
A Theft From the Wreckage
Police real-time crime camera footage showed someone getting into the crashed minivan and taking something --believed to be a large amount of cash -- while the minivan driver was trapped, Small said. The minivan driver is believed to be a businessman.
Nothing appeared to be taken from the bank. Licenses and Inspections came out to investigate if the bank was structurally sound, which it is, Small said. Power crews also had to cut power to the building.
After several hours, crews removed the vehicles and Rising Sun Avenue reopened. A hole was visible in the bank branch. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/crash-septa-bus-stolen-car/3554376/ | 2023-04-27T11:23:33 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/crash-septa-bus-stolen-car/3554376/ |
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Contact Us | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/stolen-car-septa-bus-minivan-crash-someone-steals-from-wreckage/3554398/ | 2023-04-27T11:23:40 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/stolen-car-septa-bus-minivan-crash-someone-steals-from-wreckage/3554398/ |
Four more organizations ask Reno County Commissioners for money
Four area nonprofits are once again seeking money from Reno County. They are part of a group of 13 organizations looking to either maintain or increase their funding.
On Tuesday, T.E.C.H., Horizons Mental Health Center, the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce/Economic Development and StartUp Hutch presented their funding desires to the Reno County Commission.
T.E.C.H. is already a part of the mill levy and is asking for their funds to remain the same. Horizons and the Economic Development wing of the Chamber are also asking to receive the same amount as last year. StartUp Hutch is asking for a $10,000 increase.
Although all commissioners agree that these are worthwhile causes, some are apprehensive about continuing to spend county taxpayer money on them.
"I think all these are good programs that we should have," said Reno County Commissioner John Whitesel. "My big struggle is is this county money that should be spent towards it?"
Whitesel said the only chamber of commerce asking for county money was the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber. As for StartUp Hutch, he wants them to be more visible in other cities besides Hutchinson in order for the commission to justify giving them money.
Whitesel said he believed the agencies should get a lot of their money from other sources.
"So are these good things to have? Are they worth having? Yes," he said. "Should the citizens of the county be paying for them? Or where's the money come from? I just don't think that county money is a good avenue for a lot of these places."
Chairperson Daniel Friesen pointed out the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber's Economic Development wing was asking for $70,000 for the year, but on Tuesday morning, during the meeting, they brought in a $2 million grant from the state.
"I think that's a good ROI (return on investment) for us," he said.
More:New book about Kansas explores fun places to go
Horizons Mental Health Center asks for funds from Reno County Commission
Horizons Mental Health Center, which has offices in Barber, Harper, Kingman, Pratt and Reno counties is asking Reno County to maintain its funding of approximately $452,000. The other counties are giving about $300,000 combined. The agency's anticipated grant funding is $475,000, with state funding coming in at about $2.3 million.
Vikki Mader, CEO of Horizons Mental Health Center, said expenses have increased.
"We utilize the funding that is provided by the county to underwrite the services that we provide to the uninsured and underinsured in our community," she said.
Whitesel asked Mader why the commission should give to Horizons and not another agency that has a sliding scale and also serves the uninsured.
"As far as, like, providing services to people that are uninsured or underinsured, I mean, we've got groups in the county that maybe don't do the exact same thing, but are in the medical field and are on a sliding scale that don't get any money from the county," he said.
County Administrator Randy Partington said the county must support mental health services for the uninsured, but the amount provided is, he believes, at the discretion of the commission.
Mader said there are two services other mental health locations do not offer. Whitesel asked her to give the commissioners the percentage of people who receive those services.
"We take care of people with SPMI and SED, which is severe persistent mental illness and severe emotional distress," Mader said. "We have no way of delineating whether or not, you know, they have coverage, what they're paying, so we can work on that. That'll be a little more difficult for us."
Whitesel asked Mader to try to provide that figure. He did not give a date as to when he wanted the information.
More:Gov. Kelly awarded Reno County's Industrial Complex project $2 million
Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce
As for the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce, Debra Teufel, the chamber's CEO and president, asked for $50,000 for Greater Hutch and $20,000 for Growth Inc. The organization is asking Hutchinson for $120,000 and South Hutchinson for $20,000 for both economic growth entities. The private sector has already pledged $320,000 thus far.
"Your investment allows you to stretch your efforts in economic development farther by partnering with a strong organization that raises significant funding from our private sector Reno Rising investors, who continue to support the work of Greater Hutch and Growth Inc. to grow the local economy," Teufel said. "For Reno County, this translates into growth of the property tax base and sales tax collections across Reno County through new investment, new jobs and new economic momentum."
StartUp Hutch asks Reno County for an increase in funds
StartUp Hutch has asked for an increase of $10,000 to last year's $80,000 in funds the county appropriates to them.
"We are approaching the final year of this 5-year initiative, which was developed by many community partners," said Jackson Swearer, entrepreneur navigator for StartUp Hutch. "When we started this initiative, the Reno County Entrepreneurship Task Force proposed that the city and county would equalize at $70,000 by Year 3 (2022), increase to $80,000 in Year 4 (2023) and settle at $90,000 in Year 5 and beyond."
Last year, StartUp Hutch served 120 clients in 2022, which was above their annual goal of serving 50 clients. They loaned out $50,000, which was matched by $70,000 in outside loan funds.
"Our analysis is that supply chain issues and concerns about inflation slowed commercial lending in general in 2022," Swearer said. "Survey data from just 21 of our 120 clients from 2022, primarily borrowers who have committed to providing data annually, indicated that they collectively generated $9,885,210 in revenue last year and created a net of 20 new part-time and full-time jobs in 2022."
T.E.C.H. asks for same funding as last year
Kevin Hess, the president of T.E.C.H. spoke about how the organization is celebrating 50 years of helping children and adults with developmental disabilities − and Reno County was a partner for all those years. The organization funds a Work Center Program that provides contract work with community businesses, another initiative that teaches marketable job skills and an adult life skills program.
Hess asked that the allotted $510,000 that the organization received last year remain the same for next year. This money is allocated through the mill levy. T.E.C.H. receives $163,000 in state grants, $7.3 million in Medicaid, $320,000 in private fees and $350,000 in donations and fundraising.
Requesting RFP for newspaper publication
The State of Kansas requires the publication of various documents, such as legal notices, countyresolutions, quarterly financial statements and the notice of county public hearings. This list ofpublications is not all-inclusive of the requirements. The Hutchinson News is currently the newspaperfor official county publications. Commissioners agreed to send out a request for proposal notice. | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/horizons-chamber-startup-hutch-t-e-c-h-ask-reno-county-for-money/70153517007/ | 2023-04-27T11:27:27 | 1 | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/horizons-chamber-startup-hutch-t-e-c-h-ask-reno-county-for-money/70153517007/ |
Sarasota County moves toward banning cigarette smoking at public beaches and parks
Sarasota County is moving toward banning the use of cigarettes and filtered cigars at the county’s beaches and parks to promote public health and reduce littering.
County commissioners voted 3-1 on Tuesday to direct county staff to prepare an ordinance that would prohibit smoking at public beaches and parks. Commissioners would have to approve the ordinance for the ban to take effect.
“I believe it’s important for the health of our children that we keep it out of parks and the beaches,” Commissioner Mark Smith said of smoking, “and just for a cleaner environment.”
This kind of ban is possible because of bills that passed in the Florida Legislature last year.
Previous coverage:Sarasota commissioners OK ordinances banning smoking at city parks and beaches
And:Laws prohibiting smoking and permitting alcohol sales at Venice beaches pass first reading
Sarasota County previously banned smoking
In 2007, Sarasota County banned smoking on public beaches and recreational areas where youth athletic activities take place, except in designated areas.
But, in 2012, a Sarasota County judge ruled that regulating smoking is a task left solely to the Legislature. That decision essentially invalidated local public smoking bans.
Last year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows local governments to ban all forms of smoking — except from unfiltered cigars — at public beaches and parks.
The city of Sarasota, the town of Longboat Key and the city of Venice have already passed their own smoking bans.
Sarasota County leaders discuss prohibiting smoking
County staff recommended a prohibition on smoking within its beaches and parks. The proposed ban doesn't include vaping and unfiltered cigars.
“I think just the public has the right to visit their beaches and other areas without the issue of smoke,” Commission Chairman Ron Cutsinger said. “And then the litter thing is huge.”
At a clean-up day in 2021, volunteers and county staff collected 3,749 cigarette butts from county beaches, according to county spokeswoman Brianne Lorenz.
If the ordinance passes as expected, Sarasota County plans to educate the public about the new law. It will also place signs on beaches and parks about the ban. Nicole Rissler, director of the county’s Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources department, said that peer pressure will help ensure compliance.
Commissioner Joe Neunder said that parents attending their child’s sporting events at county parks will enforce the ordinance by telling people to stop smoking.
“You don’t want to be on the wrong side of a soccer mom or soccer dad, right?” he said.
Commissioner Mike Moran cast the only vote against drafting a smoking ban ordinance.
“I have great hesitation when the government tries to get involved in controlling people’s behaviors,” he said on Tuesday.
Moran expressed concern about the littering issue, though. He asked Rissler if parks department staff could be given the authority to issue $500 civil citations when people are seen littering. Rissler said that staff don’t have the ability to enforce ordinances, and that obligation falls to law enforcement.
Lorenz said that the smoking ordinance will probably come before the County Commission sometime in mid-summer. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/04/27/siesta-beach-other-sarasota-county-florida-beaches-may-soon-ban-smoking/70145893007/ | 2023-04-27T11:29:49 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/04/27/siesta-beach-other-sarasota-county-florida-beaches-may-soon-ban-smoking/70145893007/ |
North Port seeks citizen input on plan for long-term recovery, resiliency after disasters
City hopes to make changes based on lessons learned from Hurricane Ian
NORTH PORT – The city of North Port is hosting an open workshop for residents from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. May 2, as it works on a long-term recovery and resiliency plan following the impacts of Hurricane Ian.
The city is partnering with the Olson Group, Ltd., which specializes in aiding local governments with emergency preparedness and recovery.
Experts from the Olson Group will facilitate the workshop, which will be in the multipurpose room at the Morgan Family Community Center, 6207 W. Price Blvd.
The work session will focus on how North Port can rebuild in a way that improves its ability to recover from future disasters. Input from the public and community stakeholders will be incorporated into a long-term resiliency plan.
“While we continue to recover from the historic effects Hurricane Ian had on North Port, it’s important that we capture the lessons learned and work to improve our ability to respond to future threats,” City Manager Jerome Fletcher said in a prepared statement. “It’s essential that we hear feedback from our residents that can help us build a safer, smarter and stronger community.”
Related for Subscribers:After Hurricane Ian, North Port prepares for the next storm – and climate change
Hurricane prep:Venice and North Port plan hurricane expos in May
Other North Port news:North Port survey asks residents to weigh in on future of Warm Mineral Springs
The original portion of the city was platted within the drainage basin of Big Slough – also known as the Myakkahatchee Creek – after General Development Corp. drained the land by building 80 miles of canals and waterways.
It proved particularly vulnerable to downstream flooding in the days after Hurricane Ian, as rising floodwaters ruptured some bridges – notably along Price Boulevard – and caused erosion along the Cocoplum Waterway banks.
Plans for a virtual session for those who cannot attend the in-person workshop will be announced later.
Learn more about hurricane preparedness and storm readiness at https://bit.ly/3V4moJN. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2023/04/27/north-port-florida-workshop-long-term-recovery-emergency-preparedness-plan-hurricane-ian-aftermath/70146550007/ | 2023-04-27T11:29:55 | 1 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2023/04/27/north-port-florida-workshop-long-term-recovery-emergency-preparedness-plan-hurricane-ian-aftermath/70146550007/ |
Dick Longo will not seek full term on Venice City Council
Board approves first reading of ordinance adopting development rule changes
VENICE – Venice City Council Member Dick Longo said Tuesday that he would not seek reelection for a full term in Seat 2 in November.
Longo was unopposed in 2022 in his bid to fill out the remaining year of the current term.
Brian Kelly won the 2020 election for the seat but resigned when he moved out of the city in December 2021.
Council Member Rachel Frank was appointed to fill that vacancy in January 2022 but opted to run unopposed for Seat 6, when Joe Neunder resigned early to run for Sarasota County Commission.
When he filed last year, Longo said he might only be interested in filling the seat for a year.
Next election:Fiedler files to run for third consecutive term on Venice City Council
Hurricane prep:Venice and North Port plan hurricane expos in May
Longo said that while he thought he might offer a voice of experience to younger members on the board, “I found out you’re all doing just fine, you don’t need me at all.
“You are doing a great job.”
Longo also encouraged anyone interested in running for office to seek information on the city website https://www.venicegov.com
Two-term Seat 1 incumbent, Mitzie Fiedler recently announced her intention to run for a third term this November.
In other action
Also on Tuesday, the City Council:
• Approved on a 6-0 vote, with Fiedler absent for family obligations, the first reading of an ordinance changing the city’s land development regulations that alleviates concerns raised by the citizens' group Venice Unites.
Until the two sides came to an agreement, the resident group collected signatures asking for a referendum on whether to rescind the entire 600-plus page land development document that was approved last year.
“We’ve come to a very healthy place and it’s definitely a compromise and I’m grateful,” Frank said.
Earlier:Venice to hold special meeting aimed at compromise on controversial development rules
In case you missed it:Want an urban/surburban lifestyle balance? Survey says Venice is the best place in Florida
Vice Mayor JIm Boldt added: “I think this is a beautiful example of the public working with government.”
• Approved a proposed Leadership Venice class project to create a place to honor first responders in Heritage Park. The display will be built around the flagpole from Fire Station One which was replaced when the new station was built as part of the City Hall campus expansion.
• Agreed on a pair of 4-2 votes – with Frank and Longo dissenting – to delay filling a vacancy on the Planning Commission because only two people applied, and to hold the application period open for another 14 days. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2023/04/27/venice-florida-city-council-member-dick-longo-will-not-seek-reelection/70151388007/ | 2023-04-27T11:30:01 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/venice/2023/04/27/venice-florida-city-council-member-dick-longo-will-not-seek-reelection/70151388007/ |
BLOOMINGTON — The 14th annual Bloomington Kiwanis Mother's Day Sale will be held Wednesday, May 10 through Saturday, May 13.
The fundraising event will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday at the Shoppes at College Hills in Normal.
The flowers are provided by Wendell Niepagen Greenhouses, including a wide variety of annuals, herbs and vegetable garden plants. Hanging baskets and large planted pots will also be available.
Master Gardeners and local experts will be on site to help advise shoppers and share tips on how to plant pots, and how to pick the right plant for light, soil conditions and more.
Funds from the sale support sending local kids to Camp Limberlost at Timber Pointe Camp at Lake Bloomington, as well as other local children's projects.
Photos: Vibrant colors at Bloomington Kiwanis Mother's Day Flower Sale
MOTHER'S DAY FLOWER SALE
From adjudication to vegetation
Impatiens
Bringing back begonias
A colorful arrangement
Cool coleus
Merry marigolds
Sightly succulents
Checking out
Alluring alyssums
050622-blm-loc-11flowers
Contact Olivia Jacobs at 309-820-3352. Follow Olivia on Twitter: @olivia___jacobs
Volunteer Bob Freitag loads hanging flower baskets into cars of customers patronizing the Bloomington Kiwanis Mother's Day Flower Sale on Thursday, May 5, 2022, at the Shoppes at College Hills in Normal. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/bloomington-kiwanis-plan-mothers-day-plant-sale-may-10-13/article_e4fb475a-e44a-11ed-a594-8fbe7e6caf60.html | 2023-04-27T11:32:09 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/bloomington-kiwanis-plan-mothers-day-plant-sale-may-10-13/article_e4fb475a-e44a-11ed-a594-8fbe7e6caf60.html |
How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region.
100 years ago
April 27, 1923: Many dogs have disappeared in Bloomington since last year, according to City Assessor George W. Grover. Last year, there were about 400 dogs, but this year the number will probably fall to 300 or less. He can give no cause for the decrease except that dogs have been sent to the country. The dog tax may be avoided if the dog is kept in hiding in the country.
75 years ago
April 27, 1948: The production of "I Remember Mama" at Illinois Wesleyan University will introduce a new method of stage presentation in Bloomington. The intimate domestic play of everyday life will be stage in the Memorial Center lounge in the arena style which has been rapidly gaining prominence throughout the United States. Five rows of approximately 325 seats will encircle the acting area of 30 feet in diameter.
50 years ago
April 27, 1973: William W. McKnight Jr. was named citizen of the year by the Normal Chamber of Commerce. He was lauded for his work in education, with the Airport Authority, the Illinois Manufacturing Association, the state Chamber of Commerce and various civic and charitable groups.
25 years ago
April 27, 1998: A Bloomington woman's letter to Dear Abby jump-started a national write-in campaign and focused the spotlight on a congressional proposal that may allow Medicaid recipients to use the funding for in-home care. "I was blown away by the response," said author Gail Kear, executive director of the Bloomington-based LIFE-CIL/Center for Independent Living. She said she has received hundreds of letters at her office since the correspondence appeared in Abby's column last month.
101 years ago: See vintage Pantagraph ads from 1922
Gerthart's
Union Gas and Electric Co.
Hoover
Dr. J.A. Moore Dentists
Moberly & Klenner
W.P. Garretson
W.H. Roland
Pease's Candy
Thor 32 Electric Washing Machine
The Kaiser's Story of the War
Ike Livingston & Sons
Gossard Corsets
Cat'n Fiddle
'Stolen Moments'
Case Model X
The Johnson Transfer & Fuel Co.
The Pantagraph want ads
Franklin Motor Car Co.
'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'
Calumet Baking Powder
Mayer Livingston & Co. Newsmarket
'The Emperor Jones'
'California Fig Syrup'
Compiled by Pantagraph staff | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/50-years-ago-normal-chamber-names-citizen-of-the-year/article_8b89c118-e442-11ed-a547-6bbf20a9d309.html | 2023-04-27T11:32:15 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/50-years-ago-normal-chamber-names-citizen-of-the-year/article_8b89c118-e442-11ed-a547-6bbf20a9d309.html |
Cable cars are no doubt one of the most iconic symbols of San Francisco.
From lesser-known facts to must-have information to help you make the most of your first (or next) ride on San Francisco's steep streets, here's everything to know about this historic form of transport.
Cable cars were invented in San Francisco
A homegrown creation, cable cars were invented in 1873 by Andrew Smith Hallidie, who based his design on mining-conveyance systems to improve on the horse-drawn streetcars then traversing the city’s hilly thoroughfares. The cars were an immediate success; Hallidie, who had patented the invention, became fabulously wealthy. Over the next several decades, adaptations and route expansion continued, allowing easy mobility to different parts of the city — there even used to be a route all the way out to Golden Gate Park and to the Presidio. At its peak, cable cars were run by eight companies, with cars running every 15 seconds.
Cable cars don't have motors
Cable cars have no motors; instead, they have a grip underneath that grabs onto an underground cable, which runs continuously at 9 miles per hour. Cable cars are helmed by a conductor, who takes fares, helps passengers and works the rear brakes, and a gripman (or woman) who controls when the grip attaches to the cable, making the cars start, stop and reverse. Because they run entirely on cables, cable cars have no overhead wires or poles. They look like little detached train trolleys scooting around the city. Streetcars, on the other hand, run on electric motors that draw power from overhead wires.
The 1906 earthquake changed San Francisco's cable cars forever
Prior to the 1906 earthquake, there were 600 cable cars in operation; by 1912, only 100 were still running. That was partly due to damage, which was significant: some cars were thrown off their tracks, others crushed or burned in fires that swept the city. But the biggest change was technical. Electric streetcars, which were cheaper, quicker and could traverse more of the city, were becoming more popular. After the quake, the city's largest cable car company, Market Street Railway (operated by Southern Pacific Railroad) was purchased by United Railways of San Francisco and switched over to electric streetcars, which came to dominate the city's transportation.
The city tried to dismantle the system in the 1940s
In 1947, cable cars were almost scrapped for newer, more efficient modes of transportation. In response, the Citizens' Committee to Save the Cable Cars was formed, leading to their protection as a National Landmark and an essential part of San Francisco's history. Though today locals rely more on other forms of transport, from personal vehicles to BART to bike to get around, the cable cars managed by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency are still a popular attraction. According to San Francisco Travel, nearly 10 million people ride the cable cars annually.
There are only three remaining cable car routes in operation today
Riding a cable car is a uniquely San Francisco experience – it's the last city in the world where manually operated cable cars are still in operation. There are three routes in town, each offering unique views of the city by the bay: both the Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde lines start at the turnaround at Market and Powell streets, and the California Street line runs between the Financial District over the top of Nob Hill to Van Ness Avenue.
Cable cars are great for seeing some of San Francisco's most beautiful spots
The three cable car lines go through the neighborhoods of North Beach (home to San Francisco's Little Italy), Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, Chinatown, the Embarcadero and Nob Hill, making the ride a great way to explore some of the city's most iconic and quirky landmarks. Though many tourists ride the routes from end to end, you can also hop on and off to explore spots along the way.
You don't have to wait in line for tickets anymore
Many visitors to San Francisco make the mistake of standing in line — sometimes for a long time — to get cable car tickets from a kiosk. But MuniMobile, a mobile ticketing app, makes getting a ticket easy to do on your phone using a credit/debit card or PayPal. Fares may also be paid in exact change on the cars, collected by conductors, although tickets must be paid in advance to board at Powell and Market, Bay and Taylor and Hyde and Beach streets. Single-ride tickets are $8; youth under 4 ride for free. You can also get a 1-day, 3-day or 7-day visitor pass that lets you travel on all SFMTA modes of transport including the Muni metro, buses and cable cars. Locals who have a Clipper Card can also use it on cable cars.
Working as a cable car grip operator is a seriously tough job
Stopping an eight-ton cable car using nothing more than a clamp isn't easy, especially with hazards like fog, rain and San Francisco's notoriously bad traffic. As was true for many sectors of the economy, World War II ushered in significant changes; for the first time, women and minorities could work as grip operators. Still, it took several decades for the first (of only a few) women grip operators, Fannie Mae Barnes, to be hired in 1998.
Cable cars have two bell systems onboard
Cable cars have two bell systems, a loud one that warns pedestrians and drivers that the car is coming, and then a quieter bell that the conductor uses to signal the grip operator: when to start and stop, and if there's an emergency. The bigger bells are loud enough to be heard for blocks. Naturally, all this calls for a bell-ringing competition. The first one was held in 1949 in Union Square and has since become a beloved annual tradition.
SF's cable cars are made of specific materials
San Francisco cable cars are all fairly similar in appearance and are made of Alaskan spruce, oak, canvas, brass and steel. There are 40 cable cars still in service, plus "survivor" cars from defunct lines that run on special occasions. More than a dozen cable cars are painted in the same schemes they wore decades ago, offering a peek into cable car history.
There's a whole museum dedicated to San Francisco's cable cars
San Francisco’s historic cable cars have their own museum, a unique place for visitors and locals alike. The museum houses a collection of original cars and mechanical devices. The best part, though, is that you can see the engines and wheels that power the cables essential for the cars to function.
The cable cars have been movie stars for more than 100 years
San Francisco's cable cars have been the backdrop of many a tinsel town flick. "A Trip Down Market Street Before the Fire" was filmed in 1906, just a few days before the devastating earthquake, and is taken from a cable car. Silent film star Buster Keaton’s 1922 reel "Daydreams" depicts the star riding a cable car around the turntable at Bay Street.
Several films from the 1940s — such as "I Love A Soldier," "Impact," and "D.O.A." — feature cable cars prominently, even as it was considered dated tech at that point (remember, the city tried to dismantle the system in 1947). Cable cars have also made cameo appearances in more modern films like "Dirty Harry," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Princess Diaries," "Hulk" and, of course, the 2008 Oscar-winning "Milk." The 2022 Hallmark holiday movie, "A Big Fat Family Christmas," even features a real cable car operator, Val Lupiz, as a curmudgeonly gripman.
A cable car crash infamously changed one woman's life forever
In 1964, a San Francisco cable car accident made headlines for what happened to one of the victims. The crash resulted in a traumatic brain injury that rendered 23-year-old rider Gloria Sykes a nymphomaniac (aka the "cable car nympho"). In 1970, Sykes sued Muni and the city of San Francisco for $500,000. She was eventually awarded $50,000.
This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at kristina.moy@hearst.com. | https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/cable-car-san-francisco-17878626.php | 2023-04-27T11:33:33 | 0 | https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/cable-car-san-francisco-17878626.php |
WATERLOO — A convenience store chain has settled with a Waterloo resident whose house was hit by a biodiesel tanker piloted by a naked driver in 2020.
Andrid “Andy” Olson took Kwik Trip Inc., known locally as Kwik Star, to court over the crash alleging negligence connected to the early morning crash that spilled 7,500 gallons of fuel.
Stillwater Insurance Group joined the action as the third-party plaintiff and Kwik Trip filed against the driver.
Authorities said a Kwik Trip driver, Dakota David Luck, had been on drugs at the business’ biofuel blending facility on Ridgeway Avenue in the early morning hours of Aug. 20, 2020, when he commandeered another driver’s tanker semi and headed into town.
The tanker was involved in a collision with a minivan and a beer truck at Ridgeway and Hammond Avenue. Following the impact, the semi careened into Olson’s yard and crashed into the front right corner where he was sleeping downstairs.
The resulting spill triggered an environmental cleanup company to remove the fuel from the earth around the crash site and a nearby creek. Volunteers scrubbed clean a flock of ducks that called the stream home.
The undisclosed settlement over the damage to Olson’s property came earlier this month after Kwik Trip petitioned the court for a summary judgment to dismiss the suit.
Kwik Trip attorneys argued there was no evidence the company could have foreseen the incident.
Luck, who had a clean record, had held a commercial driver’s license for years and was subject to drug testing, which he passed.
The company said Luck had been taking hallucinogens – LSD, psychedelic mushrooms and dimethyltryptamine, a controlled substance also known as DMT – that aren’t part of normal drug screenings and are only detectable with spinal taps.
Leading up to the crash, Luck had taken LSD and DMT and had been awake for about two weeks, court records state.
Another driver who was leaving the blending facility at around 6 a.m. on Aug. 20, 2020, noticed Luck had crashed a semi cab through a section of chain-link fence and was stuck in a ditch.
The other driver stopped his tanker truck and went to investigate. He found Luck inside the stack cab “going crazy” and punching everything, records state. He helped him out, and Luck began running around and drove off in the other driver’s truck, according to court records.
Olson’s attorney countered that Luck’s behavior at the site was evidence of a foreseeable threat, and the other driver should have removed the keys and secured his truck
Luck pleaded to charges of theft, reckless use of explosives and possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to prison in October 2021.
Police who were headed to a disturbance at a Kwik Star fuel facility on Ridgeway Avenue were notified about a fuel tanker striking Waterloo home a short time later. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/settlement-reached-in-2020-tanker-crash-suit/article_988ed726-5ad3-54de-b749-1e0d52d6f29b.html | 2023-04-27T11:41:25 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/settlement-reached-in-2020-tanker-crash-suit/article_988ed726-5ad3-54de-b749-1e0d52d6f29b.html |
YORK COUNTY, Pa. — An overnight fire in Seven Valleys destroyed a home, according to fire officials.
A passerby alerted emergency responders shortly after midnight on April 27 that a house in the 100 block of Church Street was fully engulfed in flames.
Chief Blane Gerver with Seven Valleys Fire Company says the home is a total loss, but luckily, no one was inside when the blaze broke out. The homeowners had just bought the house and were in the process of moving in.
There were no injuries and the coroner was not called to the scene, York County 911 Dispatch confirmed.
Crews were able to get the fire under control in about an hour and a half, but they are still cleaning up, Chief Gerver said. The fire was so heavy that crews were unable to launch an internal attack on the flames.
York County home a total loss
Around 23 units responded to assist at the scene, some of whom will go straight from battling the overnight fire to their full-time jobs, the chief said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
A second York County fire demanded firefighters' attention just a few hours later.
This is a developing story. FOX43 has a crew at the scene and will provide additional information as it becomes available. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county-home-total-loss-fire-seven-valleys/521-fc82d7b8-419d-4d03-9b03-96ea50dd6302 | 2023-04-27T11:41:31 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county-home-total-loss-fire-seven-valleys/521-fc82d7b8-419d-4d03-9b03-96ea50dd6302 |
WATERLOO — Property tax revenues will rise 2.15% in Hawkeye Community College’s $71.26 million budget.
The board of trustees voted 8-0 Tuesday with no discussion in adopting the fiscal year 2024 budget. Tax collections are growing from $13.02 million to $13.3 million in property and utility replacement taxes for the year beginning July 1.
Expenditures are 5.87% lower than in the current year projection because costs associated with renovations to Grundy Hall are coming off the books.
The state-determined residential rollback, which is the percentage of a home’s value used to calculate property taxes, has increased slightly. The college’s 10-county taxable property value dropped by 0.15%. Both are factors in the two-cent increase of the property tax rate to $1.21 per $1,000 of taxable valuation necessary to balance the budget.
Homeowners whose property has an assessed value of $100,000 will go from paying $64.18 on the community college portion of their tax bills this year to $66.23 in fiscal year 2024. That assumes no change in the assessed value of the home. Residents were recently notified of changes to their property’s assessed value because of a county-wide reassessment, but it will not take effect until fiscal year 2025.
Tuition is one of the other primary revenue source in the community college’s budget.
That’s rising from $18.96 million in the current year to $19.86 million, reflecting trustees recent decision to hike tuition 3.6% to help combat declining enrollment, even though officials recognized that the increase doesn’t even make up for the high inflation.
The budget also estimates state aid of $15.50 million, a slight rise over the $15.42 budgeted in the current year. Other types of state aid are estimated at $2.98 million. Additional revenues are $2.13 million in federal aid, $3 million in proceeds from certificates and $12.31 million in other resources.
PHOTOS: Cedar Falls girls' soccer against Mason City 042423
I've covered city government for The Courier since August 2021. I'm a Chatham, NJ native who graduated from Gettysburg College in 2018 and previously worked for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/hawkeye-community-college-projects-2-rise-in-property-tax-revenues-after-approving-2024-budget/article_d1a67379-fd9d-53e2-a5b8-35757fd5b072.html | 2023-04-27T11:41:31 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/hawkeye-community-college-projects-2-rise-in-property-tax-revenues-after-approving-2024-budget/article_d1a67379-fd9d-53e2-a5b8-35757fd5b072.html |
CEDAR FALLS — The public is invited to learn more about the details of perhaps the most highly anticipated, impactful report to hit Cedar Falls in the last year.
The Cedar Falls Economic Development Corporation’s task force will share more about a near-final draft of a housing needs assessment at an informal open house from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Community Center, 528 Main St.
The event marks one of the final steps in a process that began in May when the fairly new organization contracted with the Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments and the University of Northern Iowa’s Institute for Decision Making for close to $50,000 to guide the crafting of a report that hasn’t been completed since 1998.
“This open house is a little piece of the overall input process,” said Karla Organist, program manager with IDM. “We’ve already had different focus groups and surveys.”
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The lengthy 125-page assessment dives into the city’s housing stock, unmet housing needs, and policy- and decision ‐making as it relates to developers, local officials and other stakeholders. It also offers extensive research to back up 33 short-term, long-term and ongoing recommendations for future action.
“We don’t expect to make any major changes at this point, or to come across anything we didn’t anticipate,” Organist said about the open house. “It’s more about the opportunity share about what we’ve found and what we can do to better the city’s overall housing situation. Where are the gaps and how can we fill them?”
The assessment was completed with the help of a 20-member task force with representation including public officials as well as professionals from the real estate, construction, banking, senior living and social services sectors.
On Tuesday, Organist said, members of the task force will run seven different stations to educate people and accept comments on the results of their efforts.
One will be focused on the process while another will have information on the findings, goals, data and survey results. At the other five stations people can learn about regulatory review, financial mechanisms, new programs, space for development, and complementary services and amenities.
“They’ll get a feel for the key things we’ve learned and that guided our recommendations,” she said.
Regulatory review focuses on what may make it easier, streamlined and uniform to help builders, Organist explained. Financial assistance could be offered to someone interested in buying, rehabbing or constructing of a home.
Space for growth pertains to actual lots available to build on. New programs could offer more affordability for those looking to buy a home. And the amenities are about “quality of place,” or what may help attract people to the area.
“We may have the executive summary printed out, as well as some bullet points at each of the stations,” Organist said. “But it will be a very informal chance to talk one-on-one, ask questions and dig deeper.”
No formal presentation will be offered. The full draft is expected to be available online at some point.
The Housing Commission and Human Rights Commission have been given updates on the latest draft and an overview will be shared with the City Council on Monday. A resolution of support will come before the council for a vote May 15.
The assessment came as a recommendation from the Racial Equity Task Force in 2021 to determine how to provide “housing variety to promote affordable housing options for all.” More recently, it was highlighted at a council meeting as one requirement for private developers to qualify for Iowa’s Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program.
The Economic Development Corporation paid for the report after the council decided to pull funding from its current year budget for the assessment. The organization is a 501©(4) nonprofit with its own board, but has received some funding from the city.
In June, the council was presented with the Resilience Plan – another lengthy, technical document involving an extensive process, offering insight on environmental and economic recommendations and findings. At the time, a majority declined to endorse the document in its entirety. Some, instead, wanted more time to review and pick and choose individual parts to focus on.
Councilmembers Daryl Kruse, Gil Schultz, Dustin Ganfield, Dave Sires and Susan deBuhr voted against adopting the document and, since then, it’s only been reintroduced briefly in public by Mayor Rob Green during the November goal setting sessions.
The same five supported the removal of $35,000 dedicated for the housing assessment as part of the effort at the time to reduce a proposed property tax increase. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/public-invited-to-learn-about-offer-input-on-landmark-cedar-falls-housing-assessment/article_4389ad2d-e8e9-5b4a-8dd6-9fb4468a666f.html | 2023-04-27T11:41:37 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/public-invited-to-learn-about-offer-input-on-landmark-cedar-falls-housing-assessment/article_4389ad2d-e8e9-5b4a-8dd6-9fb4468a666f.html |
CEDAR FALLS — Dreams do come true.
On Saturday, vocalist Felicia Smith-Nalls will be the featured vocalist with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra for the season finale, “The Evolution of African American Music.”
The concert begins at 7 p.m. on the Great Hall stage at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the University of Northern Iowa campus.
Smith-Nalls was a child when she first heard the symphony play at Kersenbrock Auditorium at Waterloo’s West High School. Later she saw a performance of “Dream Girls” and envisioned herself in a sequined gown on stage. Then came an opportunity to see opera star Kathleen Battle perform.
“I was stunned. I was so taken by the vision of a woman who looks like me and the conductor waited for her to take a break before starting the strings,” she said.
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Those memorable experiences helped shape her destiny to become a singer. “Now I’m realizing a lifelong dream to sing with a symphony – and it’s my home symphony, which is incredible,” said Smith-Nalls. Not to mention having two costume changes during the concert – and “one is very sequined gown,” she noted, laughing.
Saturday’s concert provides the coda for a year-long residency by award-winning jazz vocalist and speaker Bruce Henry. “It’s been a multi-faceted residency and collaborations with a large number of students,” said Jason Weinberger, wcfsymphony artistic director and conductor. Henry worked with Waterloo’s Central Middle School students and performed for 3,500 students at Youth Concerts in March.
Henry’s “The Evolution of African American Music” charts the flowering of African culture in America and influences on music genres from classical, gospel, rock, R&B and soul to jazz and hip-hop. The program is an interactive and multimedia curriculum for all ages that aims to connect participants with many styles of African American music and demonstrate how field hollers, spirituals, jazz, R&B and hip-hop are connected to each other and to national history.
“This concert is a little different for us, a chronological presentation starting with a West African scene that moves into slavery and onto the 19th century and all the way to the present, connecting all the dots,” Weinberger explained. “The concert itself is like a storyline concert. We’re featuring different groups – percussion, a small jazz combo. I become one of the performers because Bruce is the presenter.”
The program will include “Ethiopia’s Shadow in America” by Florence Price, “Treemonisha” by Scott Joplin, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson’s “Suite for Ma Dukes (Music of J Dilla): Nag Champa” and William Grant Still’s “Lenox Avenue.”
“It’s important to have different voices in our concert hall and bring in someone to drive the creative process and represent African American tradition. This music is not getting performed often, so for us it’s exciting to present this repertoire,” Weinberger said.
Smith-Nalls said Henry’s “energy is undeniable. He feels like a kindred spirit to me, so I’m feeling really comfortable going into this. We’ll have a one big rehearsal on Friday. I’m relying on advance preparation, professionalism and both of us understanding that this is a pretty neat opportunity.”
She’ll sing Billie Holliday’s “Strange Fruit,” considered one of the most important songs in the civil rights movement with its powerful, haunting lyrics about Black lynchings in the South. “It’s an intense song – I feel it when I sing it, when I rehearse it,” she noted.
Smith-Nalls was introduced to old-school jazz by her grandmother, who was a performer in the 1920s. In her later years, she suffered from dementia but continued to enjoy music.
“She heard me singing ‘Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,’ reached out, grabbed my hand and began tapping out the rhythm with her fingers. She wanted me to speed up the tempo. That’s the power of music. She didn’t know who she was, or who I was, but she knew that song was too damned slow,” she recalled with a laugh.
And when she sings that Duke Ellington classic on Saturday, Smith-Nalls said, “my grandmother will be there, tapping out the tempo in my heart.”
Tickets can be purchased online at wcfsymphony.org/events, by visiting the Gallagher Bluedorn’s UNItix box office, and by calling the UNItix box office at (319) 273-4849 or the wcfsymphony office at (319) 273-3373. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/wcfsymphony-to-explore-evolution-of-african-american-music-with-bruce-henry-felicia-smith-nalls/article_42481e6a-bca3-55f0-9e7e-6698cd8e209d.html | 2023-04-27T11:41:43 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/wcfsymphony-to-explore-evolution-of-african-american-music-with-bruce-henry-felicia-smith-nalls/article_42481e6a-bca3-55f0-9e7e-6698cd8e209d.html |
ORLANDO, Fla. – News 6 wants to see what is happening in your life and share it with all of Central Florida.
Many of you have already been sharing photos and videos with us through PinIt!
In an effort to make the PinIt! experience even better and easier for all of you, we have made some changes.
The next time, or possibly the first time, you go to upload a picture or video, you’ll see a new set of channels and categories.
Here’s a look at all the channels and what you can post there:
Sports: It’s pretty self-explanatory, but let’s break it down. We want to see you and your family enjoying all kinds of sports — everything from Little League to the Super Bowl. Did you just finish your first marathon? Post a picture of you and your medal. Did your child make it to the championship game? Be sure to PinIt! A weekly pickup game with your friends? Yup, pin that too.
Pins User
The Championship game started disastrously with our Captain, Javi Rodriguez breaking his thumb 2 minutes in! The Pittsburgh Steelwheelers got a good lead on us but we cut it to 4 by 1/2 time. Still down by 4 going into the 4th quarter. That's when our defense really clamped down on them. Both teams pressed for the final 10 minutes but we held them to 4 points for the whole period. In the end, the Orlando Magic Wheels are coming home with the National Championship with a 41-36 victory! Our 1st in over 20 years of competing.
Florida Foodie: It’s already a podcast and newsletter, but now there is a Florida Foodie pins channel. Now is your chance to be that person who can’t eat without taking a picture of your meal. Share pictures from your date night, your favorite lunch spot or even your favorite recipe.
Thomas Mates
Muffaletta from Tibby's
Outdoor Life: Are you a fan of fishing and boating or do you just enjoy hitting the beach? Share your favorite spots for outdoor recreation right here.
Space: We are lucky to have NASA right in our backyard. We get to witness rocket launches on a regular basis and they always make for spectacular photos and videos. We also want to see all of your skygazing photos. Great shots of the moon or a beautiful sunset. It all belongs here.
Daniel Fisher
Took this photo while searching for the "green" comet in early February 25th I am sure 😀
Central Florida Happenings: There is always something happening in our area. Festivals, fairs, carnivals — it is never a dull moment in Central Florida. Send us your pictures of the fun events and happenings going on in your community. If you’re not sure what is going on around you, then subscribe to our Central Florida Happenings newsletter and you’ll never miss out on a good time.
Setting The Stage: Our area has an amazing arts scene. We have musical acts from all over making their way to Central Florida. Plus, we have plays and musicals to take in and enjoy, not to mention some incredible museums. Sends us your pictures of all the great performances happening around Florida. You can also post a selfie with any of the great pieces of public art in your community. We want to see it all. Also, be sure to sign up for the Setting The Stage newsletter to keep up with all of the arts and entertainment events happening in our area.
Pets: We all love our pets. Whether they are cats, dogs or something a little more exotic, we want to feature your beloved companion. Share pictures of your pup on a walk or your cat stalking a laser pointer. Is your tortoise due for a bath? Post a picture to PinIt! Whether it scampers, squirms, flies or swims, share your pet with all of us.
Traffic: Traffic is a nightmare, but in Florida, it can also be a source of entertainment. Here, you can post pictures of the wild sights you see on Florida’s highways and byways that we can share on What The Honk!? Do you have a question about the rules of the road? Post a short video of yourself here and Trooper Steve will give you the answer. Also, when you see a problem on the road, be sure to share those pictures so we can keep all our viewers informed.
Strange Florida: Florida is an odd place with a lot of unique sights and we want to see them all. Have you spotted a gator somewhere they don’t belong? PinIt! Spotted the skunk ape? PinIt! Is Grandma trying to jump the river in her Trans Am, again? Call the authorities, but then make sure you pin a picture.
Getting Results: We are all about getting results from Central Florida. This is the place where you share the people in your community who are making a difference. Let us know if you want to nominate them for a Getting Results Award. This is also a great spot for you to show us what needs to be fixed in your community. Is there a dangerous intersection or a problem with speeding? Pin a picture and let us know.
In The Loop: Central Florida is synonymous with theme parks. We want to see all of your photos from the thrills, chills and spills of Central Florida’s attractions. Show us everything from your first trip to Disney to your 100th ride on the VelociCoaster. Also, be sure to sign up for the In The Loop newsletter to stay on top of all the latest news coming out of the parks.
Landon McReynolds,Tiffany
Walt Disney World
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/12/changes-have-arrived-to-pinit-heres-what-you-need-to-know/ | 2023-04-27T11:42:48 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/12/changes-have-arrived-to-pinit-heres-what-you-need-to-know/ |
ATLANTA — Construction of Atlanta’s controversial public safety training center is now scheduled to begin in late August and finish in December, 2024.
The developer revealed the new timeline to the city council’s Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee on Tuesday.
But no one is sure if Atlanta’s City Council will have to vote one more time on the project, before August—a possible vote on whether to approve funding for the project in the first place.
As of right now, it’s full speed ahead at City Hall to get the training center done, despite all the protests and the rioting to stop “Cop City,” and despite the tragic and fatal shooting at the site in January that left one activist dead and a state patrol trooper seriously wounded.
DaVinci Development revealed the latest construction timeline at the advisory committee’s Zoom meeting Tuesday afternoon.
Committee members had little comment about the new timeline; Chair Sharon Williams thanked the consultants, engineers and architects: “I’m glad we are reconnected and getting on path, and that progress is being made.”
Williams also commented about “eco-terrorists and anarchists” at the site tearing down silt fencing that is meant to reduce erosion.
Assistant Chief Carven Tyus of the Atlanta Police Department told committee members that since that happened, and since the violence at the site in February, officers have been on patrol there around the clock to protect crews while they’re clearing the land and to protect their equipment.
“As far as individuals coming out there being disruptive,” Tyus said, “we have not seen any individuals on that site.... Knock on wood, we haven’t had any issues, thus far.”
Meanwhile, the city is continuing to work toward funding the $90 Million project. Its share of the funding is currently $33.5 Million, while the Atlanta Police Foundation is paying for the rest.
But, the city’s bill is coming due.
The mayor’s office said that by the end of June, the city has to write the police foundation a check for about half of that $33.5 million-- that is, once the city council approves the payment--with the balance to be paid later, possibly in 2024.
City Council President Doug Shipman told 11Alive Wednesday that the mayor’s office has not yet formally requested council approval of that payment, and Shipman said he doesn’t know yet if the council will have to vote on approving the payment--which could potentially put the entire project up for debate and a vote in the council one more time. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/construction-cop-city-august/85-013c1c3c-05da-4822-9760-c7a16f58f357 | 2023-04-27T11:44:24 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/construction-cop-city-august/85-013c1c3c-05da-4822-9760-c7a16f58f357 |
WASHBURN — A Bayfield County jury has ordered Essentia Health to pay nearly $19 million to the family of a newborn who suffered permanent brain damage as the result of a serious infection that staff failed to diagnose.
The panel last week found the Duluth-based health system 100% liable for injuries suffered by Johnny Galligan eight days after he was born in 2013.
Court documents state that Ashland Clinic staff initially believed the child was having digestive issues. It was not until he was flown to a Minneapolis hospital in critical condition that another medical team discovered he was suffering from bacterial meningitis, a potentially fatal condition.
Johnny, now 10, is in a wheelchair and cannot walk or speak as a result of his brain damage, said Garrett Gondik, an attorney representing the family through Superior's Gondik Law, S.C. He experiences seizures, is nearly completely deaf and blind and has a shortened life expectancy.
The family should really be celebrated for their dedication and what they do for this child. It's a full-time job. It's more than a full-time job; it's an all-time job.
"He lives at home with his mom and dad and sisters, and they take care of him 24/7," Gondik told the News Tribune. "This child has a lot of medical needs; his medicine cabinet looks like Walgreens or CVS. They're the experts in his care. The family should really be celebrated for their dedication and what they do for this child. It's a full-time job. It's more than a full-time job; it's an all-time job."
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Galligan's parents, Steven and Alina, brought the malpractice suit against multiple defendants, including Essentia, in 2020. The verdict, accounting for past and future medical expenses and emotional damages, is likely one of the largest-ever jury awards in Northwestern Wisconsin.
"The Galligan family would like to thank the jury for their service, dedication and sacrifice," the parents said in a written statement. "They say it takes a village to raise a child and that is certainly applicable to Johnny. The community support has been heartwarming and overwhelming."
We are disappointed with the verdict because we stand behind the care provided in 2013.
Essentia did not discuss the details of the case, but a spokesman indicated further litigation is possible. Sizable jury verdicts are often reduced in post-trial motions or appeals.
"We feel compassion for this family and the care team, as we recognize that cases like this are very difficult for all involved," said the statement from Tony Matt. "We are disappointed with the verdict because we stand behind the care provided in 2013. We are exploring our options regarding next steps and remain committed to delivering high-quality care to the patients and communities we are privileged to serve."
Doctors suspected other causes
Johnny was born at Ashland's Memorial Medical Center on Feb. 20, 2013. It wasn't immediately known, but Gondik said he apparently was exposed to Group B streptococcal bacteria at some point during his stay. An infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, bacterial meningitis can be particularly serious in newborns with undeveloped immune systems.
Johnny remained hospitalized for several days due to a low heart rate and decreasing weight, but was discharged to the family's rural Ashland home Feb. 24. The complaint states that he became "extremely fussy and irritable" on the night of Feb. 27 and his mother brought him to Essentia Health-Ashland Clinic the next morning. He was seen by Dr. Andrew Snider, who did not conduct any testing but arranged to have a county nurse stop by because he thought the boy was being overfed.
The boy, however, continued to struggle and the nurse reportedly determined he needed to return to the doctor's office immediately. Snider, according to the complaint, initially referred them to the pharmacy for prescriptions to treat reflux and constipation before agreeing to an appointment later that day.
Staff then sent the baby for X-rays to check for a possible bowel obstruction, and by that point he was "lethargic" and had developed "acute respiratory distress." He was transferred to the adjacent hospital, where emergency room staff believed him to be "critically ill" and arranged to have him flown to Duluth.
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The complaint states that an Essentia pediatric intensive care unit flight team arrived via helicopter and found Johnny in "near respiratory failure." Staff then contacted Children's Minnesota hospital and arranged to have him flown to Minneapolis due to surgical capabilities. It was there that doctors had an "immediate" concern of meningitis and quickly diagnosed the condition — but not before Johnny suffered lifelong brain damage.
Jury faults staff for lack of communication
Memorial Medical Center was initially named in the complaint, but Gondik said an agreement was reached to drop that claim and limit the case to Essentia's care.
Snider also had been named as a defendant, but the 12-member jury cleared him of negligence. Gondik said evidence presented at the three-week trial indicated that other staff members failed to relay critical information in a timely manner to the doctor, including a note from the county nurse.
"It was like a systemic failure," the attorney said. "It was a lack of communication — miscommunication, bad handling of information on the staff's part. And (the jury) thought it wasn't Snider's fault, but that he was put in a bad spot because of the lack of communication, which of course caused this injury."
The jury awarded Steven and Alina Galligan $7.5 million for Johnny's future medical expenses and $5 million for their loss of society and companionship. The couple also received $925,000 for various past services and out-of-pocket expenses.
Johnny himself was awarded $1 million for his past pain, suffering and disability, and $1.3 million for future damages in that category. The panel said he also was entitled to $2 million in past medical expenses and $1.2 million for his future loss of earning capacity.
Gondik said the court would need to approve how the $18.93 million is managed, should it withstand expected legal challenges.
The attorney stressed that it's "not all gloom and doom" for the family, which operates a farm southwest of Ashland. They take Johnny out for rides on the combine, he goes swimming with his parents and three sisters, and he is the face of an annual holiday toy drive in the Ashland area.
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"They have adapted their lives," Gondik said. "He does a lot of things other kids do. He's part of the family. They have to do it differently, but it's not like he's bedridden. There is some positivity in it, and the family is just great." | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/essentia-health-ordered-to-pay-bayfield-county-family-19-million-for-medical-malpractice | 2023-04-27T11:45:30 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/essentia-health-ordered-to-pay-bayfield-county-family-19-million-for-medical-malpractice |
Northern Michigan shelters joining May Empty the Shelters event
NORTHERN MICHIGAN — Several Northern Michigan animal shelters are among the hundreds that will be taking part in the BISSELL Pet Foundation's spring national “Empty the Shelters” adoption event.
From May 1-15, more than 350 shelters in 45 states will have reduced fees for animal adoptions.
With kitten and puppy season just beginning, animal welfare officials said many organizations will face challenges as they work to keep up with intakes.
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"BISSELL Pet Foundation's ‘Empty the Shelters’ is proven to make a lifesaving difference, and we are thrilled to team up with Dogtopia, who shares our vision to give every pet their best life," said Cathy Bissell, founder of BISSELL Pet Foundation, in a press release. "This is a very difficult time for shelters across the country, with increasing owner surrenders due to the housing crisis and inflation as well as slowed adoption rates. With Dogtopia's partnership, we are hopeful more pets than ever will find homes during this national event."
In Northern Michigan, both the Little Traverse Bay Humane Society in Harbor Springs and the Cheboygan County Humane Society in Cheboygan are participating in the spring Empty the Shelters event.
At the Cheboygan County Humane Society, dogs will be $50 each, and adult cats will have a waived adoption fee for approved adopters.
Those interested in adopting an animal are encouraged to get pre-approved in advance.
For more information about participating shelters, visit bissellpetfoundation.org/empty-the-shelters.
— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com. | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/northern-michigan-shelters-joining-may-empty-the-shelters-event/70153539007/ | 2023-04-27T11:47:10 | 1 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/northern-michigan-shelters-joining-may-empty-the-shelters-event/70153539007/ |
Gaylord council says no again to marijuana consumption at golf event
GAYLORD — The social media company promoting an August golf outing in Gaylord went before the city council Monday night seeking a change in the marijuana ordinance to permit the consumption of cannabis during the two-day event.
Just like it did two weeks ago, the panel rejected the request.
517 Golf sought the change so it could host a celebrity golf outing on Aug. 28-29 at the Otsego Resort featuring John Daly, a professional on the PGA Tour and PGA Tour Champions. The group's proposal would have allowed the consumption of marijuana in a designated area on resort property.
Tim Corser, the CEO of 517 Golf, said he couldn't find a "valid reason" why the council didn't approve the ordinance change when it was first requested two weeks ago.
"I don't know why we can't do this on a nearly 1,000-acre property," he said.
This time, Corser brought supporters of the concept to the meeting. Paul Beachnau, executive director of the Gaylord Area Convention and Tourism Bureau, said the organization's board had endorsed the event.
"I think this will be a great event for our community, particularly since it will be here on a Monday and Tuesday as opposed to a weekend," Beachnau said. "It has the potential to bring thousands of guests to Gaylord."
Beachnau said the city is in the business of regulating the sale of cannabis.
"You have the right and obligation to amend your ordinance as necessary and as circumstances change," he added.
At first, organizers said as many as 10,000 might attend the event but later that was amended to about 3,000 people a day.
Those opposed to consumption again questioned the wisdom of allowing adults to openly consume a drug and then having to caution youth on the dangers of using drugs. They also said only nine of 500 cities in the state allow this type of event and noted that the majority of comments from locals two weeks ago were in opposition.
As he did in the first consideration of the issue, councilman Vic Ouellette cautioned against the proposal.
"We should not change an ordinance to benefit one group or entity," he said.
Council member Alan Witt said during meetings conducted by a citizen study committee that eventually recommended Gaylord legalize marijuana use and businesses, "we never discussed open consumption. Maybe it's something to look into and study."
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On a 5-2 vote, council again endorsed an amendment change to permit the temporary suspension of marijuana licenses for minor violations but not allow one for open consumption at the golf outing. Jordan Awrey and Witt voted no while Stephen Hartz, Ouellette, Mike Ryan, Bob Wilson and Mayor Todd Sharrard voted yes.
"I was willing to give this a chance. Right now the voice of the community is they are not ready for this step. My thinking is (some) people are going to be out there doing it. So I just want to see it taken in a safe way. I see us coming into this at some point but I just don't know when it will be happening," Awrey said.
"There are still a lot of unknowns and we are still in the infancy of the (marijuana) industry," added Sharrard. "We have only been in this one year so we are still in a learning curve just like other cities and townships. We don't need to make consumption available today. Like somebody else said maybe it is down the road and it probably will be."
In an email reply, 517 Golf said the August golf outing with Daly will occur on Aug. 29.
"It’s always been happening regardless. People are coming from all over the country to play in this tournament. It’s happening. It’s just going to be called The Free Chicken & Beer festival featuring the Fore 20 Golf tour," said the message.
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com. | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2023/04/27/gaylord-council-says-no-again-to-marijuana-consumption-at-golf-event/70149502007/ | 2023-04-27T11:47:14 | 0 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2023/04/27/gaylord-council-says-no-again-to-marijuana-consumption-at-golf-event/70149502007/ |
Everyone knows what firefighters do at the scene of a blaze, but police play a vital role in keeping everyone safe. That was evident at the scene of the Kirk Apartments fire Monday.
Dozens of bystanders looked on taking photos and video as flames jumped out of the windows and roof of the 120-year old building. Keeping them safe was Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley's top priority.
"It's not that we don't want people to know what's going on or any of those other kinds of things," Brinkley said. "There is a legitimate safety interest there for us in making sure that our approach to this thing is going to keep us and the public safe."
Brinkley said bystanders should keep at a safe difference and be sure not to get in anyone's way. He said a fire like the one that destroyed the Kirk Apartments, which has been on the National Register of Historic places since 1982, attracts a lot of onlookers because of the nature of the building and the size of the fire. Brinkley said the situation quickly turned into an impromptu crowd control event.
"Sometimes fires of this size, or even car fires, can be really unpredictable. You just never know when something's going to happen, and we're going to have to quickly move people or vehicles," he said.
In addition to crowd control, police also assist in keeping the roads and drives clear for large firefighting equipment and ensure firefighters can get hoses across the road to access hydrants. Communication with the fire department is key in keeping everyone safe.
"We basically are there to support the fire department," Brinkley said. "Obviously, they're the primary agency on it, and for us it's stuff like maybe shutting down a block because they have to carry a hose over to a hydrant."
Brinkley estimated around 10 officers were on the scene of Monday's fire at any given time. Whoever is on duty at the time of the call heads to the fire first. On Monday the department was close to a shift change when the call came in around 2:15 p.m. prompting him to call in the 3 p.m. shift early. Eventually an all-call notice went out for any available officers to come in to work as soon as possible.
The Mason City Police Department responds to all active fires to support the Mason City Fire Department. Brinkley said they usually don't respond to alarms without a confirmed fire.
Officers don't receive any specific training for what to do at the scene of a fire, but they are hyper aware of where they park their vehicles to make sure heavy equipment can get through and hydrants are accessible. They also know to stay out the smoke as much as possible.
Brinkley said putting the fire out was just the first step. Police need to keep people safe in the area around the ruined building.
"As soon as the fire's out doesn't mean the work is done," Brinkley said. "We're still spending a little extra time on that until we can get it fenced in."
North Iowa History: Police photos
Judge Boynton
Check forger in court
Kitts & Hardy
Kitts trial
DeWayne Frampton
M.A. Pelham portrait IHP
Warren Tilton
Fred Buchner, portrait IHP
Calvin Anderson portrait
Lt. Cletus Stangl, IHP
H. Jack Lien MCPD portrait
Ronald Thielen, MCPD
Jim Fountas, MCPD
Sgt. Pete Hall, IHP
Sgt. Delmar Smith, MCPD
Kenneth Kruggel, MCPD
Harold Thomas, MCPD
Friederich Langen, IHP
MCPD badge #45 for Carey
Wendell Stream, IHP
Chief Stanley McClintock
Al Schloemer portrait
Dennis Wasicek portrait
Sgt. Wendell Stream
Denny Gerdom IHP
Carl Condon IHP
Sally Hamblin dispatcher
Auto theft school
Ron Carpenter, portrait
C.S. Tyler
Roger Brown, IHP
Iowa-Minnesota troopers at border
Iowa-Minnesota troopers at border
Ed Christensen at Sheriff's Office
Ed Christensen at Sheriff's Office
Sheriff Jerry Allen
Police Station cornerstone
Captain Walt Reindl, MCPD
Larry Davis, portrait MCPD
Michael Montgomery, portrait MCPD
New police station
New police station
Sheriff Jerry Allen, portrait
Garvin Ward, portrait
Prince Philip, Wes Greenan
Judge Butler portrait
Auxiliary policemen WWII
Chief Patton
Chief Risacher
Chief Wolf
Jewell, Duane 1971
John Wallace
Kleinow, Eugene
Leo Alstott
Lt. Cletus Stangl, IHP
Patton, EJ 1934
Police and fire chief 1949
Police and Fire depts.
police car
Police dept PB 40
police patrol car
Policecars copy
Policecars
Police roster 1919
Police roster 1920
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Ray Oulman
Ray Oulmanold
Risacher
Roll call briefing at old station
Schiffman and squad car
Scott, Greg and Dennis Rye
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2 boys at Sheriff's Office
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Police station 1930s
Dr. Houlahan fingerprinted
Boy Scouts at station
Blizzard and Highway Patrol
Police with new boats
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Sheriff's convention
Jack Burnette, Highway Patrolman
John Wallace
Ed Christianson portrait
Pierce with kids
John Wallace giving auto instructions
Safety meeting
G-Man BC Coulter
Jack Gordon murderer
Abel's wrecked safe
Risacher and Wolfe in 1939
Sheriff Tim Phalen
Dreher murder suspect
Colwell murder
Rock Falls bank robbery
Allie Allen Murder house
Blanchards Jewelry robbery
Highway patrolman checking brakes
Incendiary pencil demonstration
Incendiary pencil
Policemen taking tests
Soondergaard and Quintard arrested
Soondergaard and Quintard arrested
Soondergaard and Quintard arrested
Soondergaard and Quintard arrested
Robbery at Newberry's
Klipto safe cracked
Ventura bank attempted robbery
Robbery at First Methodist Church
Police map
Glen Wilson
Stork at police station
Thornton robbery footprint
Blackout control center at police station
For he's a good fellow
Sheriff with two boys
Murderer Kaster at Sheriff's Office
Murderer Kaster at Sheriff's Office
Man caught with furs out of season
Frank Brothers arraigned for manslaughter
Man with a gun
Liquor
Vandalized schoolhouse
Capture of escaped convicts
Brake inspection in front of P.D.
Highway Patrolmen with illegal ration books
Peace officer conference training
Patrol by Junior Chamber of Commerce
Attempted jailbreak
Highway patrol and Breenan
Wolfe and Phalen horse race
Wolfe and Phalen horse race
Grand Jury
Police training on arrest
Officials check plans in front of P.D.
Officers find ammunition in car
Police with guns 1945
Sheriff make big haul of liquor
Officer Bruns next to car
Highway patrol with booze
Mrs. Bauer leaves inquest
F.B.I. training session
Richard Pierce Portrait
Highway patrolmen at accident scene
Clear Lake bike accident
Electrocution scene
Highway patrol with loot
Policemen's wives club
Wrecked coupe
Mott murder scene
Police chart
Near drowning
Highway Patrolmen with Eldora escapees
Highway Patrolmen with Eldora escapees
Policemans wives club
Holmes accident
Murder at Blue Ribbon Tavern
Murder at Blue Ribbon Tavern
Reese IHP
Police map
Sidewalk
DeWilde auto robbery
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Police with Easter Seal Society
Police convention
Thomas Runyan
Thompson, Gerald 1965
Tommy Carroll
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Zenor police cars
Kirk Apartment Crisis Fund launched
United Way of North Central Iowa has launched a Kirk Apartment Crisis Fund aimed at providing financial assistance to victims of the Kirk Apartments building fire. To donate, visit https://www.unitedwaynci.org/kirk-apartment-fire-crisis-fund-information.
Small item donations such as hygiene products, clothing, gift cards and bedding can be directed to the Salvation Army at 747 Village Green Drive in Mason City. For hours and information please call (641) 424-4031.
Large item donations, such as furniture, kitchenware and other household items can be donated to United Way of North Central Iowa, 2911 Fourth St. S.E., Mason City, IA 50401. Please call (641) 423-1774 for hours and information regarding donations.
To donate, visit https://secure.givelively.org/donate/united-way-of-north-central-iowa/kirk-apartment-fire-victims-fund,
Text KIRKAPT to 44321, or mail checks to P.O. Box 1465, Mason City, IA 50401. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-also-vital-at-kirk-apartment-scene/article_e9fcdff8-29b4-54f8-8c1c-7cda769737a0.html | 2023-04-27T11:54:13 | 0 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-also-vital-at-kirk-apartment-scene/article_e9fcdff8-29b4-54f8-8c1c-7cda769737a0.html |
In 2021, 475 Iowans died by drug overdose. For those who overdose on opioids, naloxone can reverse the symptoms for 30 to 90 minutes, enough time for medical intervention and to possibly save a life.
A naloxone training session was held at at St. John's Episcopal Church on Saturday by Michael Van Essen of Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Health Center. In coordination with Iowa Department of Public Health, the trainings are available for any group of four or more individuals interested in overdose prevention.
The Rev. Stephen Benitz was pleased with the training's attendance.
"It's another way we can show grace and love to our friends and neighbors. Especially in our downtown location where social services are centered, we see all kinds," Benitz said.
In his opening prayer he gave thanks for the scientific blessings we have received.
Naloxone is a drug known by the brand name Narcan. A synthetic compound, it is similar in make-up to opioids. It cannot cause intoxication and is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Naloxone works by taking the place of the intoxicating drug on the brain's opioid receptors. Those receptors take in and hold opioids such as morphine, oxycontin and fentanyl. This produces a sensation of euphoria. Naloxone bumps the opioid out of the way and stays in the receptor for 30 to 90 minutes. By temporarily removing the opioid, effects of overdose, such as depressed respiration and slow heartbeat, can be reversed until help can arrive.
When to use
Naloxone should be used any time you suspect an opioid overdose. It will reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, but will have no effect on a person who is not using opioids. It is safe to use in children, pregnant women and the medically fragile.
Naloxone can be accessed over the counter at a pharmacy with a pharmacist prescription. It is free and comes in two nasal spray dispensers.
Common signs of an opioid overdose are cold clammy skin, pinpoint pupils, blue lips and fingernails, slowed breathing and heart rate, possible vomiting and loss of consciousness.
If you suspect an opioid overdose, call 911 immediately and administer one spray into the nose of the affected person. Place them lying on their left side, with the head supported by an arm. The "recovery position" allows an overdosing patient to breathe and prevents the aspiration of fluids into the lungs.
Many times a patient will rouse after a single dose, but if you do not see a response within three minutes, it is advised to administer a second dose. Use the other nostril and the second dispenser and advise paramedics when they arrive.
Who should have naloxone?
Ideally, everyone. In particular, you should keep naloxone on hand if you work in a population that may experience overdose, if you have a loved one who uses any form of street drug, or if someone you care about uses prescription opioids under the care of a doctor.
Opioid overdoses can be either accidental or intentional. Some patients who take medication prescribed by their doctors may accidentally or intentionally ingest more of the medication than has been prescribed. Naloxone will temporarily reverse that overdose so paramedics can address the situation.
Is it legal?
Iowa has a Good Samaritan law that allows any person who does not have a criminal history with controlled substances to call 911 and report an overdose without criminal charges one time.
There are caveats. For example, if a caller provided the drugs, there could be criminal charges. Law enforcement uses discretion in situations such as this and recommends you call 911 and save a life.
These IDPH trainings are available to any group of four or more. They can be held in businesses, schools, churches or homes and are free of charge by scheduling with Van Essen of Prairie Ridge at mvanessen@prairieridge.net or calling (641) 387-4656.
Tucker Carlson the latest in a string of high-profile Fox News oustings. Here's the list.
Michael Van Essen of Iowa Department of Public Health gives a presentation on naloxone (brand-name Narcan), a substance that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/know-how-to-help-naloxone-clinic-instructs-how-to-reverse-opioid-overdose/article_2962c0eb-6e71-5a63-956c-7b935e88becf.html | 2023-04-27T11:54:21 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/know-how-to-help-naloxone-clinic-instructs-how-to-reverse-opioid-overdose/article_2962c0eb-6e71-5a63-956c-7b935e88becf.html |
An unexpectedly positive state revenue forecast, to the tune of an extra $1.5 billion, has inspired Indiana lawmakers to funnel the money back to Hoosiers in the form of new or expanded state programs, as well as expedited tax cuts.
The Republican-controlled General Assembly unveiled its compromise state budget plan Wednesday for the two-year period beginning July 1, following closed-door negotiations between House and Senate budget leaders and Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb.
Members of both chambers are expected to give final approval to House Bill 1001 Thursday and then adjourn the Legislature's annual session until next year, unless a special session or technical corrections session is called.
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According to the legislation, about half the state's General Fund spending during the 2024-25 budget years will go toward education at the elementary, middle and high school levels, including $1.2 billion in additional money for distribution through the student funding formula, an 8% increase compared to the current K-12 appropriation.
That's closer to the Senate-approved budget for new tuition support ($1.1 billion) than the House version ($1.6 billion). Though the compromise spending plan includes a House proposal to make nearly all Indiana families eligible for a voucher to pay private school tuition, and doubles, to nearly $600 million, potential state spending on vouchers.
Democratic lawmakers strongly objected to the voucher expansion. They said vouchers initially were intended to get low-income students out of low-performing schools, and removing almost all the guardrails transforms it into just another state entitlement program.
"This budget is a handout for the state's wealthiest families and individuals. Most people think that state subsidies go to the poor, but in the GOP supermajority they go to top-earners," said House Democratic Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne.
Meanwhile, the competing House and Senate plans to funnel local property tax dollars to charter schools for the first time in Indiana history were partially scrapped in favor of the state continuing to pay charter schools an extra $1,400 per student per year to attempt to equalize pupil funding with traditional public schools.
However, school districts in Lake, Marion, St. Joseph and Vanderburgh counties will be required to share a portion of their property tax receipts with local charter schools in proportion to the number of students living in the school district who attend a charter school, beginning July 1, 2024.
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, said Republicans were clear they wanted a state budget prioritizing Hoosier taxpayers and families, and he declared this budget delivers on that promise.
"I'm excited to see Indiana once again stand behind our Hoosier families who want the ability to choose the best school that meets their child's needs regardless of their zip code. We're now on our way to having the best school choice program in the country," Huston said.
Other education-related components of the final budget plan include fully funding the governor's call to eliminate student textbook fees, more money for capital projects and annual operating costs at Indiana colleges and universities, and increased state funding for programs focused on special-needs and low-income students, career training, non-English speakers, adult learners and teacher training.
Concerning taxes, the budget eliminates the various revenue triggers from the 2022 income tax cut law and simply reduces the 3.15% state income tax rate to 3.05% on Jan. 1, 2024, 3% on Jan. 1, 2025, 2.95% on Jan. 1, 2026, and 2.9% on Jan. 1, 2027.
Altogether, those reductions will enable Hoosiers to keep $360 million of their money during the two-year budget period, and a total of $1.4 billion through 2030.
The new budget includes an additional $70 million in various other tax cuts, though it also continues hiking Indiana's 33 cents per gallon gasoline tax by 1 cent per gallon each year through 2027.
Notwithstanding the revenue reductions, the budget spends approximately $1.4 billion less than the state is expected to take in during the two-year period, maintains about $2.7 billion in reserves, fully funds Indiana's Medicaid program and pension obligations, deposits an extra $1 billion in the state pension fund, expands eligibility for prekindergarten programs, boosts funding for family-assistance programs in connection with the state's near-total abortion ban, and doubles support for local food banks.
The plan also authorizes $800 million in improvements to state prisons — primarily for the Westville Correctional Facility in LaPorte County; provides $650 million to incentivize business development through the Indiana Economic Development Corp.; allocates $500 million for a second round of READI quality-of-place grants to local communities; deploys $150 million toward deferred maintenance at state facilities; and spends $30 million on trails, $10 million on land conservation and $2 million on veteran suicide prevention.
In addition to the Westville prison reconstruction project, Northwest Indiana is due to receive $22 million for new Indiana Department of Transportation salt buildings in Gary and Roselawn; $5 million for upgrades at the Northwest Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Hobart; access to $26 million in statewide airport improvement grants; $2.4 million to modernize a National Guard facility in LaPorte; and $1 million for a study of Lake Michigan beach erosion.
"This budget...supports our long-term goals of maintaining Indiana's low-cost, reliable business environment and positions us well to attract some major investments in the coming years," said Senate President Rod Bray, R-Martinsville.
At the same time, the budget allocates just $225 million over two years to improve local public health agencies as envisioned by Senate Bill 4, sponsored by state Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso. That's well short of the governor's call for $347 million in state spending to transform Indiana's post-pandemic public health services.
It likewise appropriates just $50 million a year for expanded mental health programs outlined in Senate Enrolled Act 1, instead of the $130 million advocates said is needed.
State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, the top Democratic lawmaker on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he considers the budget "a missed opportunity to do more to fully support Hoosiers and Indiana."
"Though funding was increased for mental health, both mental and public health continue to be underfunded in this budget, which will result in the continued exacerbation of health issues for Hoosiers. I advocated for raising the cigarette tax to provide an ongoing revenue source for Senate Bill 1 and Senate Bill 4. That proposal was rejected," Melton said.
"Unfortunately, the decision to expand the school voucher program means taxpayers are subsidizing families making up to $220,000 by paying private school tuition for their children, despite the fact that over half of those families were already paying private school tuition on their own. This money grab will siphon $500 million over the biennium from public schools, where 90% of children attend school," he added.
The final vote on the budget in each chamber typically follows political party lines, with every Republican lawmaker supporting the spending plan, and every Democratic lawmaker opposed. | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/final-approval-of-new-state-budget-expected-thursday/article_0f45e0d6-e457-11ed-b4ff-b3cf8a84616a.html | 2023-04-27T12:04:36 | 0 | https://nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/final-approval-of-new-state-budget-expected-thursday/article_0f45e0d6-e457-11ed-b4ff-b3cf8a84616a.html |
Milwaukee County is investing in housing to improve health. Here's how.
Milwaukee County is investing millions of dollars in housing to improve health outcomes, with funds going toward emergency rent assistance, affordable housing development and homeownership programs.
Calling housing "critical to the promotion for health and equity in our county," Milwaukee County Chief Health Policy Advisor Benjamin Weston was joined by Milwaukee County Housing Administrator James Mathy in a virtual media brief Tuesday.
Mathy said the county is using $8 million from the second round of federal COVID-19 funding for emergency rental assistance through Community Advocates and nearly $10 million for affordable housing development across the county.
As Weston noted, housing instability has also been linked to higher rates of asthma, diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, kidney disease and among children, developmental delays, chronic illnesses and diminished academic performance.
He said the new investments are a reflection of the county's focus on housing as a social determinant of health.
Here are three takeaways from their media brief:
Reducing evictions can help reduce county's stark health and housing disparities
Unsurprisingly, Milwaukee's racial divide in wealth and homeownership extends to health. According to Weston, "A Black person from Milwaukee County lives on average 13 years less than a white person."
People who are homeless, he continued, are twice as likely to have a heart attack, four times more likely to substance abuse and die 12 years sooner than the general population.
One big cause for homelessness is evictions. Evictions are far more likely to impact communities of color and often lead to direct homelessness, where people are living in shelters, or hidden homelessness, more colloquially known as couch-surfing or temporarily living with others. There is a strong body of research, including this recent study in 2022, that identifies evictions as a key factor in mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
Mathy pointed to one of the county's recent success stories as evidence of how housing policy can indirectly improve community health. The Right to Counsel initiative recently underwent an analysis that found it helped the majority of families avoid eviction and even saved the county money.
Milwaukee County is investing in affordable housing in the suburbs
Mathy announced the county has awarded $9.8 million for four different affordable housing developments for rental housing. One will be located in South Milwaukee, one in Brown Deer and two in Wauwatosa.
RELATED:Three affordable apartment developments planned for suburban Milwaukee getting $7 million
The developments are part of an effort to increase affordable housing options in suburban areas, Mathy said. The projects are projected to result in more than 200 new affordable housing units.
He said the county executive and county board gave housing services $3 million to rehabilitate foreclosed homes in suburban communities and so far, have rehabbed roughly 18 homes the county plans to sell to first-time homebuyers.
Milwaukee County received millions to support increased homeownership rates
The Marcia P. Coggs Human Services Center received a $7.5 million grant from the state, Mathy announced. He said 1.5 million of it will go toward renovating King Park and $6 million will go toward building 120 homes in underserved neighborhoods.
Mathy said they plan to sell the homes for roughly $100,000 and offer homebuyer counseling to engage with first-time homebuyers and protect properties from being absorbed by out-of-state investors.
"We're able to ensure that any Milwaukee tax foreclosure is kept in-house and sold to an actual local homeowner," he said.
Talis Shelbourne is an investigative solutions reporter covering the issues of affordable housing and lead poisoning. Have a tip? You can reach Talis at (414) 403-6651 or tshelbourn@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @talisseer and message her on Facebook at @talisseer. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2023/04/27/milwaukee-county-spends-17-million-to-improve-heatlh-through-housing/70147755007/ | 2023-04-27T12:06:41 | 0 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/milwaukee/2023/04/27/milwaukee-county-spends-17-million-to-improve-heatlh-through-housing/70147755007/ |
Shore Medical Center
O’NEAL-SHOUGH — To Samantha O’Neal and Thomas Shough, of Cape May, a son, Jan. 29.
BETZ — To Jacqueline and Zach Betz, of Ocean City, a daughter, Feb. 17.
BRENNAN-DeLONG — To Carolanne Brennan and Jason DeLong, of Wildwood Crest, a son, Feb. 24.
MAGINN-MILLER — To Gina Maginn and Eric Miller, of North Cape May, a daughter, Feb. 28.
GONZALEZ-DONNELLY — To Jennifer Gonzalez and Michael Donnelly, of Villas, a daughter, March 21.
CURRY — To Stephanie and William Curry, of Northfield, a daughter, March 23.
People are also reading…
ERRICKSON — To Michelle and Barry Errickson Sr., of Cape May Court House, a son, March 23.
DANGAL — To Soniya and Sujan Dangal, of Galloway Township, a daughter, March 24. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/south-jersey-hospital-births-for-april-27/article_93c5a352-e2c0-11ed-b5e2-ef02b8294cd8.html | 2023-04-27T12:11:36 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/south-jersey-hospital-births-for-april-27/article_93c5a352-e2c0-11ed-b5e2-ef02b8294cd8.html |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania lawmakers on Wednesday sent a bill to Gov. Josh Shapiro's desk that they say will save lives by helping patients afford additional screenings to diagnose breast cancer more quickly.
Shapiro, a Democrat, has said he will sign it. The bill passed the state House of Representatives unanimously after it won unanimous approval in the state Senate last month.
Under the bill, health insurers must cover out-of-pocket costs for patients who are deemed to be at risk for breast cancer when they undergo a supplemental, or second, screening for the disease during a coverage year.
Insurers also must cover patients' costs for genetic counseling and genetic testing for the gene mutations that raise the risk of breast cancer if a person is diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer or has a family history.
Those out-of-pocket costs — such as copays, coinsurance, lab fees and deductibles — can run into the thousands, according to the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition. State insurance laws, however, do not necessarily apply to all insurance policies, such as self-insurance, and insurers may only cover tests in certain situations.
The bill's chief sponsor, Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward, R-Westmoreland, said she protectively had both breasts removed after learning that she had tested positive for inherited mutations that raise the risk of breast cancer.
A number of other states already require states to cover cost-sharing of the procedures. Tennessee lawmakers passed similar breast-cancer screening legislation last year, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, while Missouri and Montana lawmakers are working to pass bills this year. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/pennsylvania-aims-expand-breast-cancer-screenings/521-bc989f9d-bcc6-441e-be1e-1c60ad91e711 | 2023-04-27T12:24:38 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/pennsylvania-aims-expand-breast-cancer-screenings/521-bc989f9d-bcc6-441e-be1e-1c60ad91e711 |
100 years ago in TRN: April 27
A long time ago in a galaxy very close to home – before there was social media or internet. Before there was television. People learned what was happening through the newspaper. We thought it would be enlightening – and occasionally worth a chuckle – to dip way, way back in time and see what the news was. What the buzz was. What the scuttlebutt was – 100 years ago on this date. So, on occasion, we will hop aboard our virtual time machine and race back through the dusty, yellowing pages of time – and The Times.
In the news April 27, 1923:
“A record crowd and record time featured the wedding staged at the Strand Theater Thursday night. It was perhaps the largest gathering ever assembled in a theater in this city. It was discovered a marriage license had not been secured for this event. Judge O.L. Gibbs volunteered his assistance, securing a car, and through the assistance of Mrs. Miller, the county clerk, who went from her home to the courthouse and issued the papers. Miss Ann Funston and J.P. Fink, both of Burkburnett, were united in marriage.”
“Wichita Falls will witness the opening of her first marathon dancing contest at the American Legion Hall next Monday night. A physician will be in charge of the contestants at all times.”
“Professor Hugh Porter, principal of the high school, will return to his former work in the state normal system. Mr. Porter will be succeeded by S.H. Rider.”
“A general convention of salesman of the Fuller Brush Company will be held in Wichita Falls on May 14, according to an announcement from the company.”
“Two hundred Rotarians and their wives gathered Thursday night at the Kemp. Fancy hats, noisemakers and streamers gave the occasion a carnival atmosphere, and there was little of a serious nature in the program.”
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Strayed from Terrill, Okla. one brown mare mule 9 years old; might be near Seymour, Texas. Finder Notify J.O. Alsup. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/100-years-ago-in-trn-april-27/70154142007/ | 2023-04-27T12:25:00 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/100-years-ago-in-trn-april-27/70154142007/ |
Amid growing revenue and expenses, Greenville will have a new budget soon. What to know.
City officials will fund infrastructure, affordable housing and parks in their proposed fiscal year 2024 budget, among a plethora of additional line items.
Greenville's growth isn't expected to slow. Officials predict business license and permit revenue will increase 6.8%; other revenues, including interest earnings, will increase 62.5%; and hospitality tax collections will almost double, making for a 9.7% overall budget increase over fiscal year 2023.
While revenue is increasing in 2024, so are city expenses. The city's salary budget will increase 7.6% to provide a 4% cost-of-living adjustment for employees; health insurance is budgeted to increase 7.5% in January 2024; the fuel budget will increase 14.4% and risk charges will increase 9.4%.
Property taxes continue to climb, too, with a budgeted increase of 7.6% in 2024. That growth is due to the county's 2021 reassessment, not a city tax increase, said city budget director Karen Crawford.
While the city's budget grows, officials are debating using money from the stormwater fund to pay for affordable housing, in efforts to help finance a $10 million effort. The funding could prove contentious.
City Council will hold a public hearing for the new budget and take their first vote Monday, May 22. The final adoption is slated for June 12. The fiscal year ends June 30, 2023.
Fifth Avenue-inspired:Multi-million dollar townhomes coming to downtown Greenville.
Here's what to know about the city's budget this year:
Greenville adds more police, firefighters in 2024 budget
The city is adding 22 new positions this fiscal year, including 10 new police officers and vehicles and five new firefighters. The city will not fill five positions this year to offset that cost.
The new staff in the police and fire departments will help cover the city's rapidly expanding limits. Greenville is in the midst of annexing a historic amount of property into city limits in efforts to manage the area's growth. And while Greenville has mutual-aid agreements with neighboring departments, the additional residents add increased demand to city services.
"We have to add the services to support that added geography," said city councilmember at-large Dorothy Dowe.
Pickleball courts coming to Gower Park and trail connections coming to Nicholtown
The city will spend $56 million on capital improvement projects this coming fiscal year, including:
- Affordable Housing – $3.75 million (up from $2.5 million, pending legislative action)
- Wastewater improvements (sewer capacity) – $7 million
- Roads, bridges and traffic calming - $12 million
- Sidewalks – $7 million
- Nicholtown Community Center upgrades – $1.8 million
- Park improvements – $2 million for a new inclusive playground at Cleveland Park; $1.4 million for court rehabilitation and pickleball at Gower Park
- Greenways, trails, bike and pedestrian safety enhancements – $2.7 million
- New parking garages - $5 million
- Stormwater 2.0 priority capital projects – $1 million
There is also potential for the city to leverage money it typically uses for open space acquisition on a green bond instead, Mayor Knox White said during budget discussions. Green bonds are debt securities issued to finance environmentally friendly projects.
The city is also dedicating more money to the Arts in Public Places commission, which secures and promotes public art for placement throughout the city. In the new budget, the commission would receive $150,000, up from $75,000, which could be used to match contributions elsewhere.
The full list of proposed capital improvement projects can be viewed at greenvillesc.gov.
Hospitality and accommodations taxes could fund new Greenville police officers, skate park
State and local tourism taxes will go to fund a variety of projects in 2024.
Hospitality taxes are revenue that comes from the 2% local hospitality tax levied on prepared meals and beverages in city limits, while accommodations taxes come from area hotels. Hospitality taxes fund many of the city's major projects and must be spent on tourism-related initiatives.
Greenville is projected to receive $16.6 million in hospitality taxes this fiscal year. That's more than usual — a 43% increase over last year, or about $1.5 million more than 2023.
Here's how those local tourism funds will be spent in the proposed budget:
Among other things, officials want to dedicate funds for a feasibility study and design for a pump track and skate park in Greenville. That allocation will be up for a vote on May 8, city spokesperson Beth Brotherton said.
The city's convention center subsidy is also lower this year at $650,000 due to new management, Crawford said.
Previous projections spread Greenville's hospitality taxes thin over coming years as the city worked to finance projects like the downtown conference center and Unity Park — and subsidize smaller projects. But along with a higher-than-expected collection, officials are solidifying which projects they will pursue in the coming years, and items like the zoo and convention center have required less city support. The city now has a bit more of a financial cushion, Crawford said.
Previous reporting:Tension builds as Greenville looks to fund parks with limited resources
Mayor Knox White proposes using stormwater, sewer funds for related affordable housing needs
During the city's budget discussions, White has suggested dedicating a portion of stormwater or sewer fees in the future to fund related needs connected to affordable housing projects.
While the city is still working out the details, officials could set aside about $250,000 from those revenue streams and establish a grant program where nonprofit organizations or developers could apply for the support, White said.
"We've been trying to identify some 'alternative revenue streams' that are out there that might be tapped for affordable housing," White said.
But the idea of diverting funding from one area to another left some councilmembers with questions.
"Stormwater funds should not be deferred to fund affordable housing," Dowe said. "That fund is generated by fees on property tax bills, and should be used to fund stormwater management and improvements to the Reedy River as exampled by the city's river restoration projects."
The city previously used stormwater fees in 2016 to relocate its public works facility to make way for Unity Park. The decision proved contentious as debate raged on City Council over the legality of the move and whether the funds could be used for that purpose.
Councilmember Ken Gibson, who represents Nicholtown and nearby neighborhoods, was open to using the funds for affordable housing purposes. But he had concerns about diverting funds away from stormwater needs.
"I'm not sure how that's going to work and what our needs are going to be," Gibson said.
Nicholtown has more development coming in along Laurens Road, and Gibson is concerned about how the new development will impact stormwater management for nearby residents, he said. His district has struggled with infrastructure needs in the past.
"I want to make sure that we have more-than-sufficient funds to mitigate that," Gibson said.
White said the city is still working out what such a program could look like, and any potential funding would go to City Council for a vote.
Gentrification in Greenville:Images of historically Black neighborhoods paint a picture
City of Greenville will use debt to fund City Hall relocation, neighborhood infrastructure
The city makes debt service payments each year on any debt it issues to finance capital improvements, including bonds.
The city's debt service will total $1.4 million. In June, officials will finish paying off a series of limited obligation bonds from 2009, Crawford said. Limited obligation bonds are issued by government entities to build or improve infrastructure that produces revenue, like a toll road or parking garage.
The city will continue making payments on its qualified energy conservation bonds, which are used for renewable energy and mass commuting projects, and bonds that financed the ONE City Plaza parking garage and the Broad Street parking garage.
The city will also take on more debt to finance the City Hall relocation, as well as another round of infrastructure investments through the Neighborhood Infrastructure Bond. That debt will be issued late in the fiscal year with payments starting in 2025, Crawford said.
White said officials would like to build two or three more parking garages once the others have been paid off.
Macon Atkinson is the city watchdog reporter for The Greenville News. She's powered by long runs and strong coffee. Follow her on Twitter@maconatkinson. | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/greenville-will-have-a-new-budget-soon-city-revenue-expenses-rising-updates-affordable-housing/70138899007/ | 2023-04-27T12:36:04 | 1 | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/greenville-will-have-a-new-budget-soon-city-revenue-expenses-rising-updates-affordable-housing/70138899007/ |
Bradley students felt 'left in the dark' by messaging during bomb threat lockdown
Officials defend communication, students, parents voice concerns
At 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, Bradley University issued a campuswide lockdown, instructing students to lock down "immediately" and await further instructions. Bradley students, faculty and parents alike immediately began to buzz on social media, many asking the same question: What was going on?
The answer to that question would not come for some time.
One hour and six minutes after Bradley issued the lockdown, it sent out its next communication via social media, another message affirming a lockdown was in place. "There is currently a lock down across campus, and everyone should stay in place. Police will let the campus community know when it is lifted," the message said.
More:From sweet breads to coffee, new bakery bringing Mexican treats to Peoria shopping center
Bradley University police Chief Brian Joschko said there were some technical difficulties in sending out the Twitter alerts, but said students were getting text messages from the school between social media posts keeping them apprised as to what was happening.
Yet students interviewed by the Journal Star said those texts were grossly devoid of context and information, leaving students "in the dark," "anxious," and "nervous." Bradley student Lili Garcia said students had "no idea" what was going on.
Garcia was in a chemistry lab with other students when she said the school's intercom system told students to lock down immediately because there was an intruder on campus. The first assumption among those in the room was that a shooter was on campus. Garcia and the others barricaded themselves in a room, using a refrigerator, desks and chairs to hold a door shut, while using Post-it Notes on a window to hide themselves.
"We wanted to know more but couldn't know more," Garcia said.
Minutes after the intercom system went off, around 7:40 p.m., Bradley students received a text through Bradley's foreWarn system that read the same as the first tweet that was sent out, "BU foreWarn - Lock down immediately. Wait for further instructions," according to Garcia.
Joschko said when police debrief the situation, they will review the messaging.
"The messaging that we have is a template form message that we have created so that we can send messages out quickly," Joschko said. "I think the message, given the threat, was appropriate. We will continue to review that."
More:These Rivermen left a legacy. What's next on the ice for Peoria's hockey franchise?
At 8:25 p.m., 45 minutes after the first text message was sent out, Bradley students received a second text message. It was exactly the same as the first; no further details were added.
At 8:46 p.m., a second tweet was sent out, which told students a lockdown was still in place.
"Those messages were simply reiterating that there was a lockdown occurring on campus and to await further instruction. It wasn't anything more complicated than that," Joschko said.
By the time the second message was sent out on social media and via text by Bradley, media members had been informed the lockdown was issued because of a bomb threat to campus and police were searching the school's Business and Engineering Convergence Center.
At the time of the second message, there were already students meandering outdoors on campus.
At 9:10 p.m., Garcia wrote a comment on Bradley's Facebook page saying, "How about we let the students know more updates we’ve been in lock down since 7:40."
At 9:14 p.m., the university's Twitter account stated: "You no longer need to shelter in place. However, stay indoors until you receive further instructions." At 9:19 p.m., students received a text saying the same thing.
At 9:55 p.m., after police had swept the building and found no explosives, the all-clear was given and students were told they could return to normal activity. Students received an all-clear text from Bradley at 10:12 p.m.
Joschko said police determine what information to release to students and the public based on "where in the course of the incident it's occurring."
"At the initial onset of the incident, those are left to the charge of the university police department. As it progresses and there's more time available, we have other individuals who are able to provide input into what those messages are," he said. "But typically what information can be released is typically directed by university police."
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At 10:30 p.m., Bradley put out a Facebook post that explained that a bomb threat had been issued and police had found nothing. Parents expressed their unhappiness with communication in the comments.
"Please work on better communication," Kristen Lindsey Cook wrote in the comments. "Some of these kids were sitting in the dark in their hallways because they had no idea where the danger was for over 3 hours. While there was a quick lockdown alert- it gave no information- which sent some spiraling. Location would have been nice to know. Once they lifted, there was no other info. And the email sent out last night did not include a message to reassure students that there would be extra security & help today."
At 11:48 p.m., Bradley issued a statement on Twitter to students that a bomb threat had been issued to the campus. "This evening, the BUPD received a bomb threat in the BECC building. After a thorough sweep, an all clear was issued. Bradley University counseling and support services will be available for impacted students," the statement read.
Bradley President Stephen Standifird released a statement on Facebook in which he said, "While this threat proved to be unfounded, we take any threat seriously and will continue to take the utmost concern for our campus safety. The events of last night resonated across campus, and we recognize any such emergency response causes anxiety, stress and fear. I want to assure you that our campus is safe."
In that message he also encouraged students who were shaken by the incident to utilize the school's counseling services. Yet even here, students say the words ring hollow as the counseling services center is "underfunded," with appointments being scarcely available, Garcia said.
Standifird said Bradley will conduct a "review of our campus emergency and communication plan." | https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/bradley-students-faculty-felt-left-in-the-dark-during-lockdown/70155244007/ | 2023-04-27T12:37:45 | 1 | https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/bradley-students-faculty-felt-left-in-the-dark-during-lockdown/70155244007/ |
Fort Wayne police are investigating a hostage situation that ended peacefully Wednesday night on the city's northeast side.
Officers said they responded to a report of an unknown problem at a residence in the 6500 block of Londonderry Lane about 9:30 p.m.
A man armed with a handgun barricaded inside the home and held a woman captive, police said.
Emergency services and crisis teams were called after the suspect refused to come out for officers. He finally surrendered after several hours, police said.
Neither the man or woman were hurt. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/hostage-situation-ends-peacefully-in-fort-wayne/article_78d79d78-e4e8-11ed-ae4d-ab779cf00fc2.html | 2023-04-27T12:40:57 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/hostage-situation-ends-peacefully-in-fort-wayne/article_78d79d78-e4e8-11ed-ae4d-ab779cf00fc2.html |
VANDALIA — The family of a Vandalia-Butler High School senior has secured legal counsel after they alleged the student was discriminated against based on his identity as a transgender male.
In a letter obtained from the school district by the Dayton Daily News via public records request, attorney Marianne Jones Ford claims the student in question had been voted onto the prom king court, only to subsequently be notified by school administration that the appointment was illegitimate.
“This young man had been voted onto the original prom king court, but his father was later informed on April 3 by Superintendent Rob O’Leary someone ‘born a female’ is not allowed to serve on the prom king court, per a long-standing policy that was not produced when requested,” Ford said in her April 25 letter, adding that the student was allegedly informed he may be permitted to serve on the queen’s side of the court.
Ford said these alleged statements qualify as sex-based discrimination under Title IX.
The school district claims Ford’s letter “includes misrepresentations and implications based upon misguided assumptions.”
“The district disagrees with the letter’s implications and conclusions,” a statement from the district reads. “The district will not comment further based upon student privacy rights and apparent potential litigation.”
Prom court selectees were informed in a notice from Butler High School dated April 21 that there would be no vote held to appoint a king or queen for the prom, which was held April 22. The notice sites “concerns” regarding the voting procedures.
“After the initial announcement of prom court, it was brought to our attention that there were concerns with the nomination process,” the notice reads. “As we investigated, we found that there were several irregularities including juniors who voted even though court selections were only open to seniors, students who voted for more candidates than they were instructed, and voting after the deadline.”
The notice claims school staff were able to confirm there were students who “should have qualified for prom court and were not included in the initial announcement.”
In an April 21 email from Superintendent O’Leary to board of education members, O’Leary claims “irregularities in the voting” erroneously left one male and one female student from being named to the court.
“There was also one girl who shouldn’t have qualified but benefitted from the irregularities,” the email continues. “But we are not taking that opportunity away from her and not even going to inform her of that.”
On April 14, O’Leary had referenced via email an ongoing investigation into the “concerns about prom court,” adding that voting would be called off, at least temporarily.
“Until we get through all of the investigations and look at everything, we are definitely not at all comfortable in doing a vote for king and queen,” O’Leary said.
One week later, on April 20, O’Leary told board and staff members no vote would be held, citing time constraints. Prom was held two days later, on Saturday, April 22.
None of the emails directly referenced any student’s gender identity as being the root cause for an interruption in voting and associated investigation.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/vandalia-school-prom-drama-transgender-discrimination-or-prom-court-vote-error/334TWYSAMRFKBF3FULSAE2YBQA/ | 2023-04-27T12:41:36 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/vandalia-school-prom-drama-transgender-discrimination-or-prom-court-vote-error/334TWYSAMRFKBF3FULSAE2YBQA/ |
LOCAL
Live: Brevard County School Board superintendent interviews at 9 a.m. today
Rob Landers
Florida Today
Support local journalism. Unlock unlimited digital access to floridatoday.com
The Brevard County School Board will meet at 9 a.m. today to conduct interviews for the superintendent of schools position.
Rob Landers is a veteran multimedia journalist for the USA Today Network of Florida. Contact Landers at 321-242-3627 or rlanders@gannett.com. Instagram: @ByRobLanders Youtube: @florida_today | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/live-brevard-county-school-board-superintendent-interviews-at-9-a-m-today/70089790007/ | 2023-04-27T12:47:15 | 0 | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/live-brevard-county-school-board-superintendent-interviews-at-9-a-m-today/70089790007/ |
April 27 is Thank You Thursday, which requires little more than recognizing the amazing people in your life. So grab some doughnuts on your way to work (we like sprinkles on ours) or just hand out compliments and thank-yous.
Head to the Southwest Library this evening for a “Homegoing” book discussion. The novel, which starts in the Atlantic Slave Trade in the 1700s and ends in the mid-2000s, is this year’s Big Read selection. The book discussion is 6 to 7 p.m. at the library, 7979 38th Ave. Admission is free. For more about Big Read programs throughout the community, go to mykpl.info/neabigread.
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is hosting the 28th Parkside National Print Exhibition, on display through July 28 in the Emile H. Mathis Gallery. The gallery is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Admission is free. For more details, go to uwp.edu/therita/artgalleries.cfm.
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New exhibits are now on display at the Anderson Arts Center, 6603 Third Ave. The new exhibits feature works from the Racine Art Guild, plus solo show winners from the Winter Juried Show 2022 and works from the Area Artists Group and Kemper Lakefront Studios. The Anderson Arts Center is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, go to kempercenter.com. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-thursday-may-27/article_06495f92-e43b-11ed-a2a6-334d683a74eb.html | 2023-04-27T12:47:40 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-thursday-may-27/article_06495f92-e43b-11ed-a2a6-334d683a74eb.html |
What: UW-Parkside Wind Ensemble and Community Band concert
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, May 4
Where: Bedford Concert Hall on the west side of the campus, 900 Wood Road in Somers
Tickets: $10 for adults and $5 for senior citizens, available online at uwp.edu/therita
More information: Call the box office at 262-595-2564 or email boxoffice@uwp.edu
----------------------
SOMERS — The spring semester concert season continues at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside with the UW-Parkside Wind Ensemble and Community Band, performing a joint concert starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 4, in Bedford Concert Hall.
Both groups are conducted by Professor Laura Rexroth.
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The Wind Ensemble is made up of UW-Parkside students. The Community Band is made up of adult musicians from this area.
The program features "The Creation of Faith" by Australian composer Jody Blackshaw and the Wisconsin premiere of the three-part “Urgent Voices” by Tim Mahr.
The selections represent “the kaleidoscope of sounds that make up the modern wind band,” Rexroth said.
Mahr composed “Urgent Voices” as a way to celebrate what he calls “the positive energy and sense of urgency” of young people as they “boldly confront critical issues of our time.”
Both "Urgent Voices" and "The Creation of Faith" are "challenging from a technical and musical standpoint," Rexroth said, "and they both contain beautiful, different and exciting colors that will engage the listener."
Also on the program is the frantic “Head Rush,” described by composer Jay Bocook as “a rousing, joyfully schizophrenic five-minute work scored for wind ensemble” with “constantly evolving textures and rhythmic devices that culminate with the full force of the ensemble into a finale that is bursting with energy.”
All pieces on the May 4 program "are connected to spring," Rexroth said, "including the energy of the rebirth we feel at this time of year from nature — and the positive energy of making change when it is needed."
The combined band is also performing: "The Hounds of Spring" by Alfred Reed, "Smiling After the Rain" by Yukiko Nishimura and "Homage to Perotin," from "Medieval Suite" by Ron Nelson.
Audience members, Rexroth added, will "hear a wide variety of pieces that will give you a chance to rejuvenate, energize and feel good!" | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/uw-parkside-community-band-and-wind-ensemble-performing-may-4/article_2cd562ee-bc65-11ed-8cd3-cb84a96cb384.html | 2023-04-27T12:47:46 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/uw-parkside-community-band-and-wind-ensemble-performing-may-4/article_2cd562ee-bc65-11ed-8cd3-cb84a96cb384.html |
Moving toward a cure: Walk MS raises more than $178K at White River State Park
More than one thousand participants come together in Indianapolis recently to raise money for the National MS Society, which researches Multiple Sclerosis with the goal of finding a cure.
Moving for a cure: Walk MS raises more than $178K at White River State Park
Every year for the past decade, family members and friends of Rosemary Maxson have come together to walk for a cause.
This year held more significance than usual for the group, which calls itself Rosie's Rascals. It was the family's first time participating in Walk MS since Maxson passed away last summer.
For the 1-mile walk, they wore matching shirts that read "and yet she smiled," referring to Maxson, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998.
"That was my mom, no matter what she went through, she smiled," said Maxson's daughter, Missy Bohannon. "We're missing her today."
The rascals are just a few of more than a thousand participants who took part in Walk MS on Saturday, April 15, 2023, at White River State Park in Indianapolis.
A sea of more than a thousand participants, adorned in orange clothing and accessories, gathered at the starting line just before 10 a.m. to embark on 1- and 3-mile routes.
Participants and supporters of the event raised more than $178,000 for the National MS Society, a non-profit dedicated to researching the autoimmune disease with the goal of finding a cure.
Participants who have MS are given bandanas they can wear if they choose, as a way to connect with others living with the disease. Others often wear stickers that say "I walk for," and fill in the blank with a loved one's name.
"There's a lot of people who live with MS who don't want to say anything or don't know where to go, so events like this are great," said Lance Oxley, an Indianapolis participant and member of the board of trustees for the National MS Society.
According to the National MS Society, Walk MS has raised $1 billion since events began across the country in 1988. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2023/04/27/moving-toward-a-cure-walk-ms-raises-178k-indianapolis/70103292007/ | 2023-04-27T12:47:56 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2023/04/27/moving-toward-a-cure-walk-ms-raises-178k-indianapolis/70103292007/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – Happy Thursday! As you’re sipping your morning coffee, be sure to join us for the Morning Sprint at 8 a.m. for stories that’ll make you smile. We promise we’ll get your day started off on the right foot.
Here’s what we discussed:
- Some of the weirdest things people have tried to sneak past TSA
- Roanoke Valley students have a blast at the Little Feet Meet by Special Olympics
- How you can score a free gift card to Dunkin’ Donuts Friday morning
Missed it? Don’t worry, you can watch us here:
Here’s where you can watch us:
The Sprint can be watched on our website, YouTube account and OTT app on weekdays at 8 a.m.
You can also watch it on our 10 News app. Click here to download if you’re an IOS user and here to download if you have an Android.
Be sure to leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you!
Thanks for watching!
Want to know more about the Morning Sprint? Leave us a question using the form below: | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/27/watch-live-weirdest-things-tsa-found-in-peoples-suitcases-morning-sprint-april-27-2023/ | 2023-04-27T12:59:44 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/27/watch-live-weirdest-things-tsa-found-in-peoples-suitcases-morning-sprint-april-27-2023/ |
'He loved people': Longtime Winter Haven Commissioner JP Powell dies after cancer battle
WINTER HAVEN — Winter Haven Commissioner James "J.P." Powell died at home Monday afternoon after a battle with cancer, according to family members. He was 65.
Powell, an Ohio native, was first elected to Seat 1 of the City Commission in September 2007. He served until January 2016 and was re-elected to Seat 5 in November 2017, according to a biography on the city's website. Powell was mayor from 2011 through 2013. His death came as a "shock" to both family and fellow officials. Mayor Brad Dantzler made a public announcement at the start of Monday's commission meeting.
"It's a huge loss for us and totally unexpected," Commissioner Brian Yates told The Ledger. "He seemed to be fighting his fight, getting better and on the road to recovery." Powell was recalled as a down-to-earth, personable commissioner by city employees who said he took the time to get to know staff on a personal level, city spokeswoman Katrina Hill said. Many knew him by his "tremendous" laugh that would echo in the commissioner chambers.
T. Michael Stavres, the city manager, worked alongside Powell since the early 2000s in his various roles at the city. Stavres said he was impressed by Powell's all-round positive attitude, particularly when facing difficult issues.
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"He really strived to make the right decisions for the betterment of the entire community," Stavres said. "He didn't have any personal agenda and didn't focus on one thing to the detriment of another. He was extremely well-rounded in his perspectives."
Powell had a lifelong passion for aviation and served as the commission's Airport Advisory Board liaison for over a decade.
"Winter Haven airport was his baby, he was a passionate flyer, and it was his hobby," Dantzler said. "He knew just about every plane that flew over head and would tell you about it."
The city recently spent about $1 million for a security system at the airport, Dantzler said, a request pushed forward by Powell. His desire was to see the airport continue its growth and improvements.
Powell also served as the city liaison to the Polk Transit Authority, Transportation Disadvantaged Local Coordinating Board, an alternate on Polk Transportation Planning Organization and Ridge League of Cities. He sat on the city's Community Redevelopment Agency Board.
"[Powell] was committed to the work he knew had to be done, passionate about civic involvement and civil service," Katherine Hanna said. "He was doing everything he could to make the place he lived and his wife, Kim, lived all her life the best it could be."
Hanna, a cousin of Powell's wife, said his family knew that Powell had a gift for connecting with people. The South Carolina resident said he always reached out with a phone call or to grab coffee when he hopped a flight with a layover in Charlotte.
"He loved people, he loved building relationships with people," Hanna said. "That's where his real passion came from."
Winter Haven officials said Powell used his interpersonal skills to really work a room at events like Florida League of Cities, handing out cards to everyone and making friends. Dantzler said his colleague was "always good at disarming tense situations" and known as someone who was a peacemaker.
Powell continued to serve the city throughout his illness and treatment. He attended last Wednesday's agenda meeting via Zoom, Dantzler said, where there was discussion of establishing quiet zones to limit train noise in residential areas. It was an issue Powell was passionate about.
"[Powell] really pushed for the quiet zones," the mayor said. "It was something not quite on our radar screens other than his, and he really pushed for it frequently."
Dantzler said the city is now close to making the requested quiet zone a reality, an important step with CSX train traffic expected to increase in the future.
City officials have reached out to the state requesting permission to fly flags across the city at half mast in honor of Powell. They were waiting for the state's approval as of Tuesday afternoon. No formal memorial had been set up by the city yet, Dantzler said, though discussions are underway.
Powell is survived by his wife, Kim, his son, Travis and "daughter" in-law Megan.
Visitation will be held May 5 at Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home, 645 W. Central Ave. in Winter Haven. Hours have yet to be announced. A funeral service is scheduled for 2 p.m. May 6 at First Presbyterian Church of Winter Haven, 637 6th St. NW.
Winter Haven will hold a special election in November to fill Powell's seat, alongside its regularly scheduled elections. The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of Powell's term through 2025, Hill said.
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl. | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/jp-powell-a-winter-haven-commissioner-since-2007-died-monday-at-65/70149564007/ | 2023-04-27T13:06:35 | 0 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/jp-powell-a-winter-haven-commissioner-since-2007-died-monday-at-65/70149564007/ |
Lakeland's 16th annual Swan Derby is Friday. Here's what you need to know
LAKELAND ― Grab your fanciest swan-themed hats as the 16th annual Lakeland Swan Derby takes over Lake Mirror this Friday.
The derby features three races in which two-person teams compete to navigate their swan paddleboats around Lake Mirror. Hundreds of people gather on the Frances Langford Promenade to cheer on their favorite teams while enjoying live musical entertainment, youth activities and participate in a derby hat contest.
A fundraiser for LVIM
The free event is a fundraiser for Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine, which provides a free medical clinic for working Polk County residents with no health insurance and limited income. Each year, LVIM provides about 30,000 patient encounters through medical visits, dental care, mental health care and more, according to its website.
Super Tickets, purchased for $20, can be entered for a chance to win one of 12 prizes each valued at $300 or more, from Publix gift cards and wine baskets to a Disney Magic gift basket. Tickets can be purchased online through LVIM's website, lvim.net, or at the event and designated per specific raffle item. Winners' names are drawn at the event but they do not need to be present.
What's in its future?RP Funding Center loses the Magic, Tropics and now its director
Inspections3 Polk restaurants closed temporarily by inspectors for insect activity
2024 campaignsNew candidates emerge for Polk County Commission, School Board
How to get there
Where: Frances Langford Promenade at Lake Mirror
When: Friday from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Cost: free
Parking: Public parking will be available in the Lakeland Electric parking garage on the east side of Lake Mirror. There are other public parking lots nearby, including the Main Street garage and various lots around Lake Mirror. Valet parking is available for sponsors only at the Magnolia building parking lot.
Timeline of Events
- 6:15 p.m. - Maiden Handicap race featuring nonprofits
- 6:45 p.m. - Derby Dash featuring leaders of Polk County
- 7:30 p.m. - Swan Derby featuring the 2023 race sponsors
- 8:15 p.m. - Live entertainment
- 9 p.m. - Fireworks
Who's racing?
For those watching from the shore, here's a list of this year's derby teams and their team name, as posted by LVIM:
- Jane and Tyler Wright; The Wright Stuff
- Brooke Chamberlain and RJ Elvester; Top Swan
- Ashley Bearden and Gate Arty; Home Swan Home
- Michele Williams and Stephanie Davies; Swan City Queens
- Laura Adams and Austin Briggs; Buy Swan, Get Swan
- Ryan Higgins and Richard Widick; Swanna Retire?
- Amada and Damon Anderson, Swanna Food Tour?
- Karie Pate-Valdes and Scott Guira, Swan Where Over the Rainbow
- Drew and Art Fulmer; Keeping Up with the Fulmers
- Dawn McDonald and Steve Strickland; RE/MAX Swan
For more information on the derby or donate to the teams' fundraising efforts, visit lvim.net/swan-derby.
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl. | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/lakelands-16th-annual-swan-derby-takes-over-lake-mirror-on-friday/70153732007/ | 2023-04-27T13:06:41 | 0 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/lakelands-16th-annual-swan-derby-takes-over-lake-mirror-on-friday/70153732007/ |
Lake Wales branch of YMCA to cease operations in October after three years
The YMCA of West Central Florida will close the Lake Wales branch and end its relationship with Lake Wales by Oct. 31.
Elaine Thompson, CEO of the Lakeland-based YMCA of West Central Florida, announced the decision Wednesday in a news release. The organization forged an agreement to lease the Lake Wales buildings and operate a YMCA in 2020 upon the closing of the Lake Wales Family YMCA.
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“This was a difficult decision that came with YMCA Executive Board approval,” Thompson said. “We carefully evaluated operations at the Lake Wales Branch and there are several factors that brought us to this decision. Unfortunately, Lake Wales has a small population density that makes it extremely difficult to support a viable YMCA facility, particularly in the post-pandemic environment with rising costs and work force shortages.”
Thompson said the Lake Wales facility had been running at a deficit for years.
All services and programs at the Lake Wales location will continue through Oct. 31, except for the afterschool and VPK programs, the release said. Those two programs will not resume for the 2023-2024 school year. | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/local-ymca-affiliate-to-close-lake-wales-facility-in-october/70153612007/ | 2023-04-27T13:06:47 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/local-ymca-affiliate-to-close-lake-wales-facility-in-october/70153612007/ |
Southeastern University to hold spring commencement Friday in Lakeland
Southeastern University will hold its spring 2023 commencement ceremony Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Who is speaking?
The ceremony will feature guest speaker Shirley Hoogstra, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and Florida Sen. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, recipient of the President’s Award.
Hoogstra, a speaker, writer and advocate for higher education, has spoken at conferences and colleges nationwide and has been quoted in the Washington Post, the New York Times and World Magazine.
Swan songHarrison Arts guitar instructor Robert Phillips leading his last spring concert
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Statistics on graduates
The Lakeland-based university’s 86th graduating class comprises 943 graduates, and more than 680 graduates will participate in the ceremony, SEU said in a news release. Graduates originate from Florida, 44 other states and 18 countries, including Australia, Austria, Brazil, China, Italy, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, the release said.
Grads from new program
Many of the graduates studied at Southeastern’s 83 partner site locations. Three graduates have completed the SEU Link Program, a post-secondary education program designed for young adult students with mild intellectual disabilities. | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/southeastern-university-holds-spring-commencement-friday-in-lakeland/70153808007/ | 2023-04-27T13:06:53 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/southeastern-university-holds-spring-commencement-friday-in-lakeland/70153808007/ |
SAGINAW, Mich. (WJRT) - Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has appointed a Saginaw County lawyer to fill a vacant judge position.
Julie Gafkay has been selected to fill a vacant Saginaw County Circuit Court judgeship. The position was left vacant when Judge Janet Boes retired at the end of the year.
Gafkay has had her own law practice since 2003. She has served as president of the Saginaw County Bar Association and Women Lawyers Association of Michigan.
"I thank Governor Whitmer for making a career-long dream come true. I will respect and fairly apply the law to everyone who comes into my courtroom," said Gafkay. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/saginaw-county-attorney-selected-to-fill-vacant-circuit-court-judgeship/article_ae82b358-e480-11ed-86c4-8794cf594c25.html | 2023-04-27T13:08:31 | 0 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/saginaw-county-attorney-selected-to-fill-vacant-circuit-court-judgeship/article_ae82b358-e480-11ed-86c4-8794cf594c25.html |
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – An inmate who escaped from a work camp in Cocoa on Friday was booked in Volusia County within a week, deputies said.
In a Thursday morning Facebook post starting with a civil “Here you go,” the Volusia Sheriff’s Office presented 20-year-old Nathan Barker — shirtless and in handcuffs — to Brevard investigators, who announced their search for him on Saturday.
Barker had left from Camp Road and was thought to be traveling to Volusia County, Brevard deputies said at the time, also believing he had removed the GPS from his ankle monitor.
Barker was captured in the New Smyrna Beach area with help from the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, according to the post.
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He was booked into jail just before 1 a.m. on an out-of-county warrant for escape, tampering with an electronic monitoring device and battery, as well as a charge of violating parole.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/27/escaped-prisoner-captured-in-volusia-after-breaking-from-brevard-work-camp-deputies-say/ | 2023-04-27T13:14:18 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/27/escaped-prisoner-captured-in-volusia-after-breaking-from-brevard-work-camp-deputies-say/ |
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – An appeals court on Thursday stopped the resentencing trial for two men who were found guilty and sentenced to death in the brutal murders of six people and a dog in a Deltona home almost 19 years ago.
The Fifth District Court of Appeal granted the state’s emergency motion to halt the trial for Troy Victorino, 46, and Jerone Hunter, 36, who had their sentences overturned because the jury’s decision was not unanimous. It’s not immediately known if the stay is temporary.
The decision comes as the state argued over Florida’s new death penalty law that no longer requires a unanimous jury decision.
The state requested that the new law, which requires eight of 12 jurors to determine a death sentence, be used at the resentencing trial, but the judge in the case denied the request earlier this week because the jury had been chosen before the new law took effect.
The state then filed the emergency motion.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider | SNOW WAY: Ice covers I-95 in Fla. | DeSantis vs. Disney: Governor responds to lawsuit]
The “Xbox murders” epithet came into being because Victorino, regarded as the crime’s mastermind, went to the home to retrieve his Xbox after being caught squatting there.
All six victims were friends who died from blunt force trauma to their heads, with cut and stab wounds also observed, according to a medical examiner and authorities at the resentencing trial.
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/27/resentencing-trial-continues-in-2004-deltona-xbox-murders/ | 2023-04-27T13:14:24 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/27/resentencing-trial-continues-in-2004-deltona-xbox-murders/ |
News Tribune, April 27, 1983
- The three-story downtown Duluth building at 31 W. Superior St. that previously housed the Oreck's store has been sold to three Duluth men. The building has been vacant for nearly a year, ever since the store closed after 73 years due to poor business.
- After 26 years of debate, fluoride will be added to Superior's water supply today. Superior Water, Light & Power has been preparing for fluoridation since November, when residents voted to increase natural levels of fluoride in the water to help prevent tooth decay.
News Tribune, April 27, 1923
- Resumption of recruiting at the Head of the Lakes by the United States Naval Reserve and the Minnesota Naval Militia was announced yesterday. The goal is to bring all forces up to their full strength before the beginning of summer cruises on June 15.
- Next week, Duluth's Orpheum Players will present F. Ray Comstock's New York musical "Oh, Lady! Lady!" This successful musical comedy, which enjoyed a long run in New York's Princess Theater, will be presented with an enlarged cast of 20 and an augmented orchestra. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-fluoride-added-to-superiors-water-40-years-ago | 2023-04-27T13:16:55 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-fluoride-added-to-superiors-water-40-years-ago |
Here is your Duluth News Tribune Minute podcast for Thursday, April 27, 2023.
The Duluth News Tribune Minute is a product of Forum Communications Company and is brought to you by reporters at the Duluth News Tribune, Superior Telegram and Cloquet Pine Journal. Find more news throughout the day at duluthnewstribune.com. Subscribe and rate us at
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. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/listen-duluth-library-ramps-up-security | 2023-04-27T13:17:02 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/listen-duluth-library-ramps-up-security |
RI doctor calls climate change a 'threat magnifier' for public health
Last summer was the second-hottest on record in Rhode Island and people were suffering.
Emergency rooms were so full treating cases of heatstroke and other ailments exacerbated by the extreme temperatures that doctors were seeing patients in waiting rooms and hallways.
"My bosses were on local television asking patients to seek care elsewhere wherever possible because we were struggling to treat patients that showed up to our door,” said Dr. Katelyn Moretti, a doctor with Brown Emergency Medicine.
She spoke Wednesday in the U.S. Senate during the latest hearing chaired by U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse on the economic impacts of climate change.
“I am concerned what will happen as we continue to see increased climate hazards,” testified Moretti, who is also an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Brown University. “In emergency medicine, we divine a disaster as an event … that overcomes our resources. And right now the healthcare system nationally is perpetually on the edge of a disaster.”
Watch:Diagnosing the Health Costs of Climate Change
Burning fossil fuels results in billions in healthcare costs
Since taking charge of the Senate budget committee earlier this year, Whitehouse, the Democrat from Rhode Island known for his hundreds of “Time to Wake Up” speeches on climate change, has used his new position to shine a light on how sea level rise, wildfires and other climate impacts are threatening the economy.
Wednesday’s session, the sixth on the larger topic, was devoted to costs to the nation’s healthcare system.
“As we’ve heard throughout this series, the climate crisis brings with it what witnesses have repeatedly called systemic risks, ones that cascade beyond a particular troubled sector to harm the entire economy and pose serious threats to the federal budget,” Whitehouse said. “Their warnings aren’t for future lawmakers. They’re for us in this room to protect against.”
Healthcare costs resulting from the burning of fossil fuels are estimated to cost the nation $820 billion a year, he said. The indirect costs of lower productivity and missed workdays only add to the burden on the economy, he said, in arguing for a transition to renewable sources of energy.
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Republicans: Other issues are more pressing
But as they’ve done at previous hearings, Republicans questioned whether the issue is as urgent as Whitehouse and other Democrats have made it out to be. Members of the GOP say there are more pressing concerns that deserve the attention of the budget committee.
They include overdoses, prescription drug prices and heart disease, said Sen. Chuck Grassley, of Iowa, the ranking Republican member of the committee.
“We have significant healthcare challenges right now,” he said. “A climate change mandate from Washington, D.C. won’t solve the public health and healthcare finance challenges we face this very day.”
Indeed, one of the panelists that Republicans invited, author Michael Shellenberger, contended that the key to protecting people from extreme heat is cheap electricity, which, he said, requires abundant supplies of natural gas, not renewables.
“What determines whether people die during heat waves is whether they have air conditioning,” he said.
How did 2022 stack up, weather-wise?Here are the stats
Shellenberger has written a book on what he describes as “environmental alarmism” and one of the Republican members of the budget committee applied the label to Moretti.
“I’m not a climate change denier. I’m just not a climate change alarmist,” said Sen. Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin. “You seem to be an alarmist.”
“I think that’s because I’ve seen it,” Moretti said, referring to the impacts of warming.
Average temperatures climbing in Rhode Island
Rhode Island is among the fastest-warming states in the nation, having seen average temperatures climb nearly four degrees since 1900. Six of the 10 hottest summers on record in the state have come in the last decade.
Urban communities that lack tree cover are particularly at risk because of the heat island effect. A Rhode Island Department of Health study found that temperatures in neighborhoods like Olneyville in Providence can be 13 degrees higher than leafier areas like Mount Pleasant. The hottest neighborhoods are often lower income, with higher numbers of minority residents and higher asthma rates.
How hot is it?Providence's treeless neighborhoods magnify summer heat
Researchers have found that Rhode Island is experiencing at least two-and-a-half more weeks a year on average in which temperatures feel like they’re at least 80 degrees. They’ve documented a sharp rise in hospital visits when it’s that hot outside. If trends continue, the number of heat-related ER visits could go up by about 7 percent by 2050 and 24 percent by the end of the century.
Moretti said she sees obvious cases tied to heat, such as a young man who suffered kidney damage from heat stress and required IV treatment, but other cases, such as heart attacks, aren’t as clear-cut. If they’re not coded as heat-related, they don’t show up in the data, meaning that health costs tied to climate are “severely underestimated,” she said.
In many cases, children bear some of the worst impacts
“This spring, I’ve seen the same teen on multiple occasions for her asthma,” Moretti said. “On one visit, her breathing was so bad that we needed to put her on a breathing machine, pushing air into her lungs. Her asthma is worsened by an extended pollen season and her house close to the highway puts her at constant exposure to air pollution. Recently, there were brush fires in western Rhode Island and I expect to see her again in the emergency department.”
The Providence Journal is placing a special emphasis on reporting about heat effects this spring and summer as part of its ongoing Perilous Course project examining the human-centered damage and risks driven by the climate crisis. | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/dr-moretti-says-climate-change-is-a-healthcare-disaster-to-u-s-senate/70154740007/ | 2023-04-27T13:19:07 | 0 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/dr-moretti-says-climate-change-is-a-healthcare-disaster-to-u-s-senate/70154740007/ |
What happens to those seeking shelter when Cranston Street Armory closes? What we know
The Cranston Street Armory has been a warming site since last year. Yet no one has released a definite plan on what happens after it closes.
- The Cranston Street Armory is set to close as a shelter by the end of the month.
- So far, neither the state nor the city has provided the public with a concrete plan for where unhoused residents will go next.
In a matter of days, state officials will need to provide a concrete answer to a tough question: Where will Rhode Island shelter the crowds of unhoused people who have sought refuge at the Cranston Street Armory?
So far, the public has no certainty. All the state knows is that the armory may be turned into offices and a soccer complex as part of what it has called an "exciting plan."
As of this week, the state said it was searching for new properties to house the homeless, calling it an "ongoing process" about which it hopes "to have updates soon."
Two properties have been mentioned as possibilities − a three-story office building at 1144 Eddy St. and a former church at 1860 Westminster St., which was discussed late Wednesday at a community meeting even though the church had already been taken out of play. That night, the Department of Housing said it decided last week "not to proceed with this location because of feasibility, cost and consultation with the city."
Even after that decision was made, businesses raised opposition to the church site, writing in a letter that it was too small and decrepit and lacks serious management – perhaps a sign that not everyone will be a welcoming neighbor to the armory's current residents.
For now, where the unsheltered will go is anyone's guess.
Providence council president had almost no notice before shelter was announced
Now that the shelter is nearing its end, it's clear it wasn't exactly what it was supposed to be. At least according to City Council President Rachel Miller.
Miller, who said the state notified her only about an hour before it announced it would open the site as a warming center, said "the initial plans were very different from what actually happened."
At first, it was expected to shelter about 60 people – a number that ballooned into an average of nearly 200 per day.
"There never really was an opportunity to have a full conversation with state leadership about how the armory was operating," Miller said.
Eventually, certain vocal neighbors became irate and anxious about the newcomers.
"There’s been concerns really since the armory opened as a warming center," Miller said. "There’s also been a lot of welcome from the neighborhood."
Homeless numbers:Armory warming center closes in a month, Providence City Council is reminded in grim report
'The situation is not under control,' says Board of Licenses head
Miller confirmed that there were considerations for using the armory as a cooling site, but those discussions eventually fizzled out. Already, the facility's operating hours have changed, forcing residents to leave during the day and spend their idle hours outside before returning to the shelter to sleep at night.
"That means that there’s not a lot of options for people," Miller said. "So there are groups of people in Dexter Park. By in large, they’re just in Dexter Park, and that’s fine. I definitely have heard from both police and neighbors about concerns about drug use and that’s being followed closely."
Dylan Conley, head of the city's Board of Licenses, feels the situation is more dire than that, describing a "parade of ambulances, fire trucks and police" in the neighborhood. Conley, a Dexter Street resident, said earlier this month that someone came by his home to drop off Narcan, the overdose reversal drug, though Conley said he did not know who the individual was. He was, however, troubled by the gesture.
"When you get to the point that you’re asking neighbors to be emergency health care professionals … it’s clear that the situation is not under control," Conley said.
However, during a Providence Journal reporter's recent visit to the armory, a security guard and a National Guard member didn't raise issues with drug use or unruly behavior, but the latter said neighbors sometimes call police. The Journal has submitted public-records requests for logs of 911 calls and awaits a response.
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City says armory isn't the right place for a shelter, yet state has put out no plan
Mayor Brett Smiley's spokesman, Josh Estrella, said the city feels the armory isn't the right place for a shelter "as it lacks the infrastructure and features necessary to keep people long-term," but no alternatives have been announced.
"While this is a state-run facility and they are in the process of coordinating many of these details, we are working closely with the state to connect these individuals to other community providers that offer shelter and or wrap around services," Estrella said.
Still, there are no specifics on where the armory's residents will be housed next. There also isn't a clear closure date. The state has said the armory would close at the end of April, after pushing the date ahead a couple weeks, yet with April's end days away, the state still hasn't said when it will close.
What's future of Cranston Street Armory?Here's what a consultant thinks
Rhode Island Department of Housing spokesman Joseph Lindstrom said the state is working with the National Guard, the city and Amos House – the shelter's operator – "regarding the final plan and completion date."
"We have been searching for properties and seeking service providers for the purpose of creating new opportunities for these individuals as well as other unsheltered Rhode Islanders," Lindstrom said in a similarly vague reply.
By the time this article went to print, four days before the end of the month, Amos House had provided no comment to The Journal on the armory. | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/no-clear-plan-for-cranston-street-armory-set-to-closewhere-will-homeless-armory-residents-go-next/70138222007/ | 2023-04-27T13:19:19 | 0 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/04/27/no-clear-plan-for-cranston-street-armory-set-to-closewhere-will-homeless-armory-residents-go-next/70138222007/ |
CLIMAX — A preliminary federal report found no evidence of a catastrophic engine failure in an experimental plane that crashed earlier this month in Guilford County.
The plane took flight April 11 with one person aboard just minutes before a second flight ended in a fiery crash, killing one man and injuring another, the report from the National Transportation Safety Board says. The report indicated the plane was undergoing a flight test and that no flight plan was filed.
Two people were on board the second flight, Kurtis Dale Williams, 52, of Kernersville, and James Anthony Foecking, 39, of Randleman, authorities said.
Williams died in the crash beside U.S. 421 at Monnett Road bridge, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office said. Foecking was pulled from the wreckage and transported to UNC-Chapel Hill Hospital for treatment for serious injuries. He was reported in stable condition later that day.
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Both men were commercial pilots, according to Adam Gerhardt, a senior air-safety investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board.
On that sunny Tuesday morning, the plane first took flight from Greensboro Executive Airport at 11:03 a.m. with Foecking at the controls. He departed on Runway 35 and conducted a touch-and-go on the Runway 17 before landing on Runway 17 at 11:09 a.m., the report said.
A witness at the airport told investigators that Foecking then moved to the right seat and his friend, Williams got into the left seat.
Surveillance video showed that at 11:27 a.m., the plane accelerated down Runway 35 and then slowed shortly before the runway’s midpoint. The plane then taxied back to the start of Runway 35 and was seen taking off at 11:31 a.m., the report said.
The airplane gained altitude for about 30 seconds, but then immediately stopped climbing and entered an abrupt left turn, video surveillance showed.
The airplane turned left again and began flying over U.S. 421 southbound near the tree top level, the video showed. A row of trees stands between the runway and the highway, and the plane came in and out of the camera’s view as it flew parallel to the full length of runway 35.
The plane flew out of the camera’s view south of the airport.
Multiple witnesses on the highway reported seeing the airplane flying low over the highway. One witness told investigators that she first saw the airplane about 50 feet above ground over the northbound lanes, but then watched it cross over the grass median and fly over the southbound lanes.
Another witness said the low-flying plane took a sharp turn immediately before striking the Monnett Road bridge at U.S. 421. She could not recall hearing engine noise, or whether the propeller was turning.
This witness gave investigators three photographs taken moments before the plane hit the bridge, which is slightly less than half a mile from the airport.
The crash was first reported to Guilford Metro 911 at 11:33 a.m., according to a dispatch report.
Impact marks were observed on the overpass bridge railing. About 40 feet past the bridge, multiple low-voltage powerlines spanned U.S. 421, parallel to the bridge, but there was no evidence the airplane impacted the lines.
The plane caught fire after hitting the ground, investigators determined.
Good Samaritan motorists were able to pull Foecking, who the report refers to as the right seat pilot, from the wreckage area.
Investigators confirmed there was flight control continuity from the cockpit to the flight controls for the rudder and elevator controls.
The fire damaged much of the plane’s components, according to the report.
According to the airplane’s maintenance records, the most recent condition inspection was completed on Sept. 1, 2022, with about 9 hours of total time in service.
According to FlightAware.com, which tracks airplanes, the plane also took flight and circled the airport several times on March 30.
The plane was registered to Glenn F. Miller of Graham. It was certified as airworthy on Aug. 30, 2021, according to the FAA’s website.
At a news conference the day after the crash, Gerhardt said the experimental amateur classification is "a very, very large section of the general aviation industry."
A final NTSB report on the crash and its probable cause will be released in 12-18 months, Gerhardt said. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/fatal-plane-crash-climax-report/article_387044ba-e4e3-11ed-b35e-67ffa47bb5cf.html | 2023-04-27T13:21:59 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/fatal-plane-crash-climax-report/article_387044ba-e4e3-11ed-b35e-67ffa47bb5cf.html |
GREENSBORO — Police say a woman wearing a black hat and camouflage pattern jacket robbed a gas station at gunpoint just before 4:30 a.m. today.
The woman entered Refuel in the 2400 block of East Market Street and took an undisclosed amount of money at gunpoint and left, police said in a news release.
Police have not released any additional information at this time.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Residents can also download the mobile P3tips app for Apple or Android phones to submit a mobile tip, or go to P3tips.com to submit a web tip. All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/greensboro-police-seek-tips-about-woman-who-robbed-gas-station-at-gunpoint-early-today/article_687dc3ce-e4ef-11ed-9e8a-63a4111db2c0.html | 2023-04-27T13:22:05 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/greensboro-police-seek-tips-about-woman-who-robbed-gas-station-at-gunpoint-early-today/article_687dc3ce-e4ef-11ed-9e8a-63a4111db2c0.html |
Linda Jean Stokley and Montana Hobbs, the duo who make up The Local Honeys, like to laugh that James Taylor opened for them at MerleFest in 2017.
Stokley, performing with Hobbs, had just won first place in the bluegrass category in the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest — an honor that includes a performance at the festival’s Cabin Stage, next to the Watson Stage, where headliners perform in front of thousands.
Once Taylor’s set wrapped, the two women launched into “Cigarette Trees,” a protest song about strip-mining in their native Kentucky.
“We played right after James Taylor, and it was like, ‘Let’s bring these little songwriters out,’” said Hobbs with a laugh.
On Saturday, The Local Honeys will be back at MerleFest, with two 45-minute sets, including one that will put them back on the Cabin Stage.
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“It’s a bucket-list thing,” Hobbs said of performing at MerleFest. “We’ve admired a lot of North Carolina traditional music. And this is a full-circle moment.”
Now in its 35th year, the annual roots music festival that Doc Watson started to honor his late son, Merle, will run from Thursday to Sunday on the campus of Wilkes Community College. About 80,000 people are expected to attend over the course of four days.
This year’s festival will feature 90 bands on 12 stages, playing a range of music. Headliners include Brothers of a Feather, featuring Chris and Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes on Thursday; the Avett Brothers on Friday; Maren Morris on Saturday; and Tanya Tucker and Nickel Creek on Sunday.
MerleFest veterans Sam Bush, the Waybacks, Scythian and Donna the Buffalo will also perform.
The spirit of Doc Watson, who died in 2012, is always present at the festival, which is held each year not far from the legendary flat-picker’s home in Deep Gap.
The 100th anniversary of his birth will be commemorated on Saturday with a jam hosted by the Kruger Brothers. The jam will be an hour-long set on the Watson Stage, and it promises to be epic.
For first-timers, parking is free with a shuttle service dropping people off at the front gate. Wear comfortable shoes and remember: MerleFest is alcohol-free.
One of the joys of the festival is discovering new acts among the headliners. That’s where The Local Honeys fit in.
Based in Lexington, Ky., The Local Honeys are Hobbs on banjo and Stokley on guitar and old-time fiddle. With titles such as “The L&N Don’t Stop Here Anymore,” “If I Could Quit” and “Dumbass, Nebraska,” their music reflects the hardships and joys of rural life.
The Local Honeys blend the spirit of old-time music with drums, electric guitar and bass on much of their songs. At MerleFest, they’ll perform with a full band.
Hobbs and Stokley met at the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University around 2013.
Hobbs stumbled into the program after she flunked out of a biology class, forcing her to reconsider her dream of becoming a veterinarian.
“I was not a musician, though I had taken some piano lessons from an old church lady when I was a kid,” Hobbs recalled. “When I got into the program, one of the first people I met was Linda. She was the only girl in the program and was surrounded by a bunch of bluegrass boys. Linda was like, ‘Do you want to play music?’”
The answer was yes, and soon they began playing together as much as possible, with Stokley teaching Hobbs the finer points of harmony singing, one of the most striking features of their music.
“We listened to a lot of Stanley Brothers, Louvin Brothers, Blue Sky Boys,” Stokley explained. “When you’re tied in and locked in, it’s food for your soul. It’s romantic, for lack of a better word, to be sonically inside a song.”
The women’s music caught the ear of Jesse Wells, the music program’s assistant director. Wells, a multi-instrumentalist in Tyler Childers’ band, The Food Stamps, produced their 2022 self-titled album.
Saving Country Music, an online country music site, wrote of the album: “You don’t passively enjoy this album as much as you survive it. The death of people, horses, dogs, as well as drug addiction, destitution, at the husks of once vibrant communities left derelict by industry is what you will encounter on this harrowing, yet enriching exploration of authentic Kentucky.”
Stokley said her songs are rooted in the tradition of folk music.
“If I stood on top of a strip-mine and yelled ‘F you’ to coal trucks driving by, it’s not something I’d feel comfortable doing. But as a folksinger and storyteller within a song, I can deliver a message, and it’s a lot less threatening,” she explained. “People are more apt to listen to their hearts.”
At MerleFest, they’ll find several thousand hearts ready to listen. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/merlefest-the-local-honeys-linda-jean-stokley-montana-hobbs/article_74c69d9a-e10c-11ed-bdaf-6b4dd3f14fe6.html | 2023-04-27T13:22:12 | 0 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/merlefest-the-local-honeys-linda-jean-stokley-montana-hobbs/article_74c69d9a-e10c-11ed-bdaf-6b4dd3f14fe6.html |
Man, 47, missing since Sunday found dead in Southfield, police said
Charles E. Ramirez
The Detroit News
A 47-year-old man suffering from a traumatic brain injury who disappeared Sunday has been found dead, Southfield Police said.
Sultan Humaidan Faraj was found deceased Wednesday in Southfield, officials said in a statement.
"No foul play is suspected," they also said. "The investigation is ongoing."
On Sunday, police asked the public for help to find Faraj, who was last seen at 11:30 a.m. Sunday in the area of Lahser and Civic Center Drive.
Anyone with information about where Faraj was should the Southfield Police Department at (248) 796-5500.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/04/27/man-47-missing-since-sunday-found-dead-in-southfield-police-said/70157492007/ | 2023-04-27T13:25:54 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/04/27/man-47-missing-since-sunday-found-dead-in-southfield-police-said/70157492007/ |
Pontiac man charged after threatening to shoot up Bloomfield Twp. skating club
A Pontiac man accused of making threats against a well-known Bloomfield Township ice skating facility has been charged, police said Thursday.
Benjamin Denning, 38, was arraigned Wednesday in Bloomfield Hills' 48th District Court on a charge of malicious use of telecommunication services, a misdemeanor, court records and police said. A judge set his bond at $100,000 on this case and bond on a previous matter at $300,000.
Bloomfield Township police were called on April 18 about a threatening voicemail message left at the Detroit Skating Club on Denison Court near Franklin and West Square Lake roads. The caller identified himself as Benjamin Denning and threatened to shoot people, including any police officers who responded, with an AR-15.
Authorities learned Denning was wanted on an arrest warrant for another malicious use of telecommunication service charge issued in 2020 by the 48th District Court for inappropriate communications with the court's staff.
After the county prosecutor's office filed charges against Denning on Tuesday in connection with the latest incident, officers located and arrested him later that day.
The Detroit Skating Club, which dates back to the 1940s, has been the training facility for dozens of national and Olympic-level skaters, including Todd Eldredge, Tara Lipinski, Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/04/27/pontiac-man-charged-after-threatening-to-shoot-up-ice-rink-with-ar-15/70157544007/ | 2023-04-27T13:26:01 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/04/27/pontiac-man-charged-after-threatening-to-shoot-up-ice-rink-with-ar-15/70157544007/ |
One woman is dead after a shooting in South Richmond early Thursday morning.
Police responded to the 2200 block of Halifax Avenue after hearing gunfire in the area shortly after 2:15 a.m. Thursday. When they arrived, they found three female adults with apparent gunshot wounds.
One woman, who has not yet been identified, was pronounced dead on scene. The other victims' injuries were deemed not life-threatening. One woman was taken to an area hospital, while the other refused treatment, police say.
Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call Detective Godwin of the Major Crimes unit at (804) 646-5533 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at (804) 780-1000.
This morning's top headlines: Thursday, April 27
Tucker Carlson has emerged publicly two days after Fox News fired him. He posted a two-minute monologue on Twitter Wednesday night that did not address why he suddenly became unemployed. He said one thing you notice “when you step away from the noise for a few days” is how stupid some of the debates on television are. He said corporate media and political parties work to prevent discussion of big issues. He said “as long as you can hear the words, there is hope. See you soon.” Fox fired its most popular personality on Monday with no explanation, a week after settling a lawsuit concerning the spread of lies about the 2020 election.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is brushing off Disney's lawsuit against him as politically motivated and says it's time for the iconic company to stop getting favorable treatment in his state. Disney is suing DeSantis over the Republican’s takeover of its theme park district. Disney alleges the governor waged a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” after the company opposed a law critics call “Don’t Say Gay.” Speaking in Israel as part of an international trip, DeSantis said Disney should be held accountable under a new board he appointed, rather than govern itself. The Republican governor is expected to run for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024, rivaling former President Donald Trump.
House Republicans have narrowly passed a sweeping debt ceiling package as they try to push President Biden into negotiations on federal spending. It's the start of efforts to avoid a potentially catastrophic government debt default this summer. Biden has threatened to veto the bill over the budget limits that are attached. The president says he's happy to talk with Speaker Kevin McCarthy, but will not negotiate over America's legal debt obligations. The Republican plan would raise the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion in exchange for steep spending restrictions that Democrats oppose. The White House insists the debt ceiling must be lifted with no strings attached to ensure America pays its bills.
A federal appeals court has cleared the way for former Vice President Mike Pence to testify before a grand jury investigating efforts to undo the results of the 2020 presidential election, rejecting a bid by former President Donald Trump to block the testimony. It was not immediately clear what day Pence might appear before the grand jury, which for months has been investigating the events preceding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and efforts by Trump and his allies to subvert the outcome. But his testimony would be a milestone moment in the investigation and would likely give prosecutors a key first-person account as they press forward.
When debate over a gender-affirming care ban escalated into a lengthy fight over civil discourse in statehouses, it vaulted Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr into the national spotlight. Zephyr was disciplined Wednesday for participating in a statehouse protest after Republicans limited her participation in debates after she rebuked supporters of a proposed ban on gender-affirming care for children. She will no longer be allowed on the House floor, but can vote on bills remotely, starting Thursday. She told The Associated Press that she 's confident her punishment has only amplified her message. Republican lawmakers said she encouraged the protest Monday that disrupted House business and broke decorum.
A Kansas board is telling high schools and middle schools that must see transgender athletes’ first birth certificates to decide what teams they can join. The Kansas State High School Activities Association wrestled with that issue Wednesday as an effort in the Legislature to end gender-affirming care for transgender minors failed. The KSHSAA's executive board replaced a policy allowing case by case decisions about transgender athletes with one that says transgender girls will not be allowed to compete on girl’s teams starting July 1 in line with a new state law. Meanwhile, the Kansas Senate narrowly failed to override Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a bill against gender-affirming care for minors.
The U.S. economy slowed sharply from January through March, decelerating to just a 1.1% annual pace as higher interest rates hammered the housing market and businesses reduced their inventories. Thursday’s estimate from the Commerce Department showed that the nation’s gross domestic product — the broadest gauge of economic output — weakened after growing 3.2% from July through September and 2.6% from October through December. But consumer spending, which accounts for about 70% of U.S. economic activity, remained resilient, growing at a 3.7% annual pace, the fastest such rate in nearly two years. Spending on goods, in particular, was solid: It rose at its fastest pace since the second quarter of 2021.
Residents say fighting has intensified in Sudan's war-ravaged province of Darfur during a fragile three-day truce between the country's battling top generals. The truce eased fighting in the country’s capital, creating a lull that allowed foreign governments to evacuate thousands of their nationals. Tens of thousands of Sudanese traveled to their country’s land borders with Egypt, Chad and Ethiopia, and to a port city on the country’s Red Sea. The new clashes reported Thursday targeted civilians in the capital city of Genena, the residents said, an area that is regularly roiled by outbursts of brutal tribal violence. They described attacks by fighters, mostly wearing uniforms belonging to the country’s powerful paramilitary, on several neighborhoods across the city.
An attorney for Danny Masterson challenged his former girlfriend on why her trial testimony alleging the actor raped her in 2001 included new details that were missing from the accounts she first gave authorities. The woman is the first witness at Masterson's Los Angeles trial on three counts of rape. She testified that she did not understand how precise and thorough she had to be when she first described the assault for police and prosecutors nearly six years ago. Masterson has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have said the decades-old stories told by his accusers are not credible.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 42 points and the Miami Heat staged a second straight stunning fourth-quarter rally before winning 128-126 in overtime on Wednesday night in Game 5 to complete an upset of the top-seeded Bucks in their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
The NFL never really stops so the offseason continues with the draft starting on Thursday night. The Carolina Panthers have the No. 1 overall pick and a lot of the hype surrounds the quarterbacks. Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson are among the coveted prospects. The other top athletes include edge rushers such as Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. and Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson. The first round begins Thursday at 8 p.m. Eastern. The second and third rounds are on Friday starting at 7 p.m. Eastern. The fourth through seventh rounds are Saturday starting at 12 p.m. | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/1-dead-2-injured-in-southside-shooting/article_7413e4a8-e4f3-11ed-a32c-c33292835b3e.html | 2023-04-27T13:34:59 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/1-dead-2-injured-in-southside-shooting/article_7413e4a8-e4f3-11ed-a32c-c33292835b3e.html |
Two chicks from the peregrine falcon nest located atop a downtown Richmond office building have hatched this week.
The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, which operates the popular "Richmond Falcon Cam" livestream, posted an update Wednesday morning that two of the four eggs in this year's clutch had fully hatched, with the first hatch coming shortly after 8:00 p.m. Tuesday and the second following overnight.
The first signs of hatching started to appear Tuesday afternoon, according to DWR. A "pip," a small hole in an egg that indicates a chick is starting to hatch, appeared in one egg shortly after noon and in a second later that evening.
New chicks weigh just over 1 ounce and cannot maintain their own core body temperature for the first two weeks of life, so the parents will spend time keeping the chicks warm while also incubating the remaining two eggs.
2023 is the third consecutive year that this pair of peregrine falcons has made its nest in a box set up on the 21st floor of the western Riverfront Plaza tower in downtown Richmond.
DWR set up the nesting area as part of a conservation project to help regrow the species. Peregrine falcons are considered a threatened species in Virginia, with about 30 pairs nesting across the state each spring.
Top five weekend events: Drive-By Truckers, 'Incanto' and Richmond Restaurant Week
This screenshot from the "Richmond Falcon Cam," a livestream operated by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, shows two newly hatched peregrine falcon chicks in a nesting area on the 21st floor of the Riverfront Plaza building in downtown Richmond on the morning of Wednesday, April 26, 2023. | https://richmond.com/news/local/richmond-falcon-cam-new-chicks-hatched/article_09fc31a8-e4f6-11ed-8e08-af83d92fdbcc.html | 2023-04-27T13:35:05 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/richmond-falcon-cam-new-chicks-hatched/article_09fc31a8-e4f6-11ed-8e08-af83d92fdbcc.html |
YORK, Pa. — Editor's note: The above video is from Jan. 19, 2023.
FOX43 is set to host a blood drive on May 25, 2023.
The blood drive will be held with the help of the American Red Cross at the York JCC from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To donate, you can sign up for an appointment using this website. Appointments are encouraged, and walk-ins will be accepted.
You can call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) for availability. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/fox43-american-red-cross-blood-drive-may-25/521-8c219fd5-1ade-46b1-a81a-bb841612e5e1 | 2023-04-27T13:43:41 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/fox43-american-red-cross-blood-drive-may-25/521-8c219fd5-1ade-46b1-a81a-bb841612e5e1 |
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