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SAN ANTONIO — A fast-moving fire burned through a home on the north side late Thursday night, fire officials said.
Fire crews were called out to the home on Green Meadow, near Jackson Keller and Blanco Road, just before midnight.
Crews say they found a shed in the backyard fully engulfed in flames. The fire then spread to the main home, getting into the attic. Fire officials say hoarding conditions made it hard for them to get to the flames.
Fire officials said the home was vacant because the homeowner passed away a few years ago, but squatters may have been staying there.
There were no reports of injuries and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/fast-moving-fire-destroys-abandoned-home-on-the-north-side-san-antonio-texas/273-312a6e5c-a363-414a-b7ae-06b97b0de454 | 2023-04-28T12:42:56 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/fast-moving-fire-destroys-abandoned-home-on-the-north-side-san-antonio-texas/273-312a6e5c-a363-414a-b7ae-06b97b0de454 |
SAN ANTONIO — A shooting at Market Square and alcohol-related issues are not the only trouble flowing from Fiesta. Federal drug agents believe fentanyl is a potential issue too.
Before San Antonians could get out of their beds on the first of Fiesta, there was trouble.
Bexar County emergency crews responded to a call for a 24-year-old man who was reportedly unresponsive due to a fentanyl overdose.
"He's not responding---not breathing," a dispatcher said.
The call played on scanners in the KENS 5 newsroom before 5:30 am. Our overnight photographer went to the scene at 11440 Potranco Rd near a firework stand where responders avoided him.
But an unidentified person at the scene claiming to be a friend of the alleged overdose victim said the drug mix was ice laced with "something"---possibly fentanyl.
"Some people use it to lessen some of the effects of ice or the methamphetamine---that would be the fentanyl or the heroin piece," Dr. Ralph Riviello said. "Then the meth kind of counteracts some of the effects of the heroin or fentanyl."
Riviello is the chair of Emergency Medicine in UT Health San Antonio's Department of Emergency Medicine and the Director of Emergency Medicine at University Hospital.
He said fentanyl is not one of his emergency room's unique factors during Fiesta. According to Riviello, his staff deals with more alcohol-related issues like accident victims, alcohol poisoning, falls, fights, and injuries from drinking too much. But drug issues still come through the ER.
"When you get large crowds of people together, and they're celebrating and having a good time, you know, drugs and alcohol-- for some---are part of that celebration," he said.
Rieviello said emergency responders equipped with Naloxone, more commonly called Narcan prevent most victims from coming to the emergency room.
"Opioid overdose interventions are always carried on our apparatus," Joe Arrington said.
Arrington, a San Antonio Fire Department Public Information Officer, said that has included EMS bike patrols and other units in service carrying the antidote for Fiesta events.
"Heroin overdoses have long been an issue we have responded to in San Antonio," Arrington said. "So treating suspected opioid overdoses is not new to our medics."
Treating overdose is one thing, and stopping the drugs from getting into San Antonio is another challenge.
Brian O'Neil is a Special Agent Group Supervisor with the Drug Enforcement Administration. San Antonio's office is under the DEA's Houston Division.
"These precursors originate in China. They get shipped to Mexico," O'Neil said. "These Mexican Cartels create fake prescription pills and lace it with fentanyl."
According to O'Neil, they believe the cartels won't miss out on Fiesta's large crowds but have no evidence the organizations are dealing.
"These drug traffickers---all they're here to do is make money," he said.
He said the DEA is still doing all it can to stop the spread of fentanyl because no age group is out of bounds for the criminal organizations; he said---even children.
"Fentanyl is the most deadly drug that the United States has ever dealt with," O'Neil said.
The drug agent said the deadly drug helps cartels cut production costs and amplifies the high of any narcotic. But the risk is fatal because the measurements are always flawed, and two milligrams, roughly the weight of a mosquito, is considered lethal.
Riviello agrees it's like playing Russian roulette with a bullet in every chamber.
"The supply chain isn't always pure," he said. "The supply chain isn't always honest about what you're getting."
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office said the drug overdose victim got taken to a San Antonio hospital. They describe him as responsive. Inquiries about his condition and the call to Bexar County Fire District #2 went unanswered.
The DEA said the Houston district seized 750,000 fake pills and 230 pounds of powdered fentanyl last year. O'Neil said that amounts to 7 million lethal doses off the street. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/fentanyl-laced-fiesta-dea-working-to-keep-the-deadly-drug-out-of-fiesta-san-antonio/273-9ebaa311-6fc0-4d9e-a3b9-23befca9dbe1 | 2023-04-28T12:43:03 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/fentanyl-laced-fiesta-dea-working-to-keep-the-deadly-drug-out-of-fiesta-san-antonio/273-9ebaa311-6fc0-4d9e-a3b9-23befca9dbe1 |
BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — Someone is shooting and killing cows in Bexar County and deputies are on the hunt for the person responsible.
There are multiple cases and deputies believe they could be connected.
Investigators were called out of the 900 block of Elmendorf in La Vernia around 11:30 p.m. on April 12.
The found a black cow shot several times. The next morning, deputies were called out again for two more cows shot. That incident was on Stuart Road.
One cow was found dead at the scene, one cow had to be euthanized due to its injuries, and one cow is currently under vet’s care recovering.
There have been two other reports of cows being shot and killed. A video posted to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office Facebook page shows one cow that was shot and injuried and one of the cows that was killed.
If you have any information on the case or the suspects involved in these incidents, please call the BCSO at 210-335-6000 or email bcsotips@bexar.org. You can remain anonymous.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/investigators-looking-for-person-shooting-and-killing-cows-in-bexar-county-texas/273-1bca47fa-ad68-4629-8606-385646c849cd | 2023-04-28T12:43:09 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/investigators-looking-for-person-shooting-and-killing-cows-in-bexar-county-texas/273-1bca47fa-ad68-4629-8606-385646c849cd |
SAN ANTONIO — A man was shot after a parking lot fight on the southwest side late Thursday night, police said.
The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. at an apartment complex in the 3300 block of Roselawn, near the intersection with South General McMullen.
The victim told police he got into a fight with a group of guys in the parking lot when one of them started shooting. He was hit once in the shoulder.
Police say he was taken to the hospital and should recover.
Investigators say he was not being cooperative with giving information about the shooting.
This incident is still being investigated.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-shot-in-the-shoulder-after-argument-police-say-san-antonio-texas/273-f58057f5-20f7-4692-a2e9-0c98df879045 | 2023-04-28T12:43:15 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-shot-in-the-shoulder-after-argument-police-say-san-antonio-texas/273-f58057f5-20f7-4692-a2e9-0c98df879045 |
WATERLOO — David Ursin’s evangelism journey has taken him from Africa to Pakistan and, now, back home to the Cedar Valley.
On Saturday, Ursin will share his testimony and talk about his travels and work in a Gospel message. It’s a journey that’s taken him to 20 countries to tell the story of Jesus to more than 500,000 people, with 100,000 known conversions.
The event will take place at Hope City Church and, in addition to raising funds, Ursin will share his experiences in the field. Everyone, he said, is invited to come.
Now a resident of Orlando, Florida, he leads an organization called Making Jesus Known Evangelical Ministries.
“Usually when I watch the news, I’m discouraged by what’s going on, but this is good news,” Ursin said. “Even if they don’t want to give a dime, they just want to come, eat a free breakfast … and just come to hear what Jesus is doing all around the world, coming to hear about thousands of people giving their lives to Jesus, coming to hear about the miracles.”
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Originally from Sheldon, Ursin moved to Cedar Falls when he was 9 years old. He received the fundamentals of his faith from his parents with his father, Bruce Ursin, serving as the pastor of Cedar Falls First United Methodist Church.
Always an extrovert, David Ursin said he’s on board to talk about any subject – be it the Packers, the Cubs or more importantly to him, Jesus. From an early age, Ursin knew he wanted to share the Gospel, explaining that his desire came from the simple belief that heaven is real and he wanted to help as many people as possible to go there.
“My whole life, just the reality of there being a real heaven and a real hell and just believing what the Bible says,” Ursin said. “That’s what really what drew me to do what I’m doing.”
Dustin Cox, executive pastor at Hope City, knew Ursin from those formative years, but when he was his youth pastor. Even then, Cox said that he was obsessed with sharing his faith with anyone who would listen.
“He’s very sincere. He is not a proud person – he is not an arrogant person in any way,” Cox said. “Very sincere about what he believes and the message of the cross and he just wants to get that message out to as many people as possible.”
However, Ursin didn’t know at first how to get the message out. He started by simply inviting people to church. Then a friend helped him find his voice and share his faith.
“He taught me how to articulate the Gospel in a normal one-on-one conversation versus just inviting them to church,” Ursin said.
Ursin knew he wanted to continue his mission of telling people about the Christian faith. According to the Making Jesus Known website, he graduated in 2013 from a program of the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri. Eventually, he came under the mentorship of famed evangelist Daniel Kolenda, who helped with not only Ursin’s delivery but also showed him all the ins and outs of running an evangelism operation.
🚨 School Record Alert 🚨
— CFHS Women's Soccer (@CFWomensSoccer) April 26, 2023
With 2 goals tonight Ella Ubben not only tied, but broke the program record for career goals with 37 for her career! Previous record was held by Ally Zierke ‘17 with 36.
Congratulations Ella on this amazing record breaking night! (And many more) pic.twitter.com/Mswjyl4ULg
Since then, he’s been around the world sharing the Gospel. His organization keeps track of conversions by having those who dedicate their lives to Christ fill out cards with whatever information they can. From there, they are connected to local pastors who help the converts with spiritual guidance.
According to Ursin, the road hasn’t always been smooth and on more than one occasion, death threats and threats of terror have been leveled against his events. However, he said it’s been worthwhile as more people come forward and fill out their cards.
“The point is the Gospel is going forward – that’s the good news,” Ursin said. “People are receiving Jesus by the thousands wherever we go.” | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/cedar-valley-raised-evangelist-comes-to-waterloo/article_5bf2a82c-57e9-5516-9e7c-3ee63b2740c7.html | 2023-04-28T12:47:23 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/cedar-valley-raised-evangelist-comes-to-waterloo/article_5bf2a82c-57e9-5516-9e7c-3ee63b2740c7.html |
CEDAR FALLS — A chain fried chicken restaurant is slated to be built in Cedar Falls before the end of the year, according to engineers representing the developer.
Franchisee Asif Poonja, doing business as Jam Investments, is working to bring a Popeyes to the empty lot at the southeast corner of Brandilynn Boulevard and Winterberry Drive off Viking Road in the Pinnacle Prairie area.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend the application for the new 3,048-square-foot restaurant, with a double-lane drive thru and 27 parking spaces, be approved by the City Council at its May 15 meeting.
The entrance would connect to a shared access way off Winterberry Drive.
Poonja is responsible for building Popeyes throughout Iowa, and one is already located in Waterloo on Lowe’s Boulevard.
The only hiccup that could have delayed the plans, near Discount Tire and Collins Community Credit Union, was over a mural to be painted on the back of the building.
But that didn’t prove to be a serious complication or lead to consideration of denial of the application. The exact contents of the mural weren’t disclosed but engineers say it has to do with the business.
“It’s on the north side of the building, but that is technically the backside of the building. And, typically, the backside of the building is not an attractive side of the building,” said Commissioner David Hartley. “So it would be an improvement for everyone passing by on the streets and the retail that’s behind it to allow that mural on there versus it just being the plain side of the building.”
Another lot remains undeveloped next door to the east, adjacent to Brandilynn Boulevard and Prairie Parkway.
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.
Franchisee Asif Poonja, doing business as Jam Investments, is working to bring a Popeyes to Cedar Falls after bringing one to Waterloo off Lowe's Boulevard. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/popeyes-proposed-for-cedar-falls-off-viking-road/article_7bf65d59-098a-52d6-ac43-6c17810d8f74.html | 2023-04-28T12:47:28 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/popeyes-proposed-for-cedar-falls-off-viking-road/article_7bf65d59-098a-52d6-ac43-6c17810d8f74.html |
April 28 is Blueberry Pie Day. It’s the perfect excuse to grab a slice (or two ... or three ...). However you like your blueberry pie, don’t forget the ice cream! Today is also National Arbor Day, a time to celebrate the beauty and vital importance of trees. Free Arbor Day festivities begin at 5 p.m. today at the County Center, 19600 Highway 50, with a tree arts and photography exhibit, followed by a tree-planting ceremony at 5:30 p.m.
Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” continues tonight at the Rhode Center for the Arts, 514 56th St. The Lakeside Players production runs Friday-Sunday, through May 6. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for students and senior citizens. Advance ticket purchases are recommended. Go to rhodecenter.org or the Lakeside Players Facebook page to purchase advance tickets.
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“Legally Blonde: The Musical” opens tonight in the Wartburg Theater at Carthage College. The musical comedy — based on the 2001 movie — tells the story of Elle Woods, who heads to Harvard Law School in an attempt to win back the love of her ex-boyfriend. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday (April 28-29) and 3 p.m. Sunday (April 30); continuing 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (May 4-6). Tickets are $14 for adults, $10 for senior citizens (55 and older) and $8 for students. Go to carthage.edu/arts/box-office.
“Spring Awakening” — the winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical — opens tonight in the Main Stage Theatre at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. The show explores “the journey from adolescence to adulthood with a poignancy and passion that is illuminating and unforgettable,” show organizers said. Performances are 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays (April 28-29 and May 5-6) and 2 p.m. Sundays (April 30 and May 7). Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens (age 60 and older) and $10 for youths (age 17 and younger). Note: The show contains mature themes. For tickets, go to uwp.edu or call 262-595-2564.
Looking for live music tonight? Hot Nuts plays at 9 p.m. at Pavle’s Lounge, 1724 52nd St.; Brent Michell and Kerry Spitzer play at 9 p.m. at Union Park Tavern, 4520 Eighth Ave.; and the Dave Braun Trio plays jazz, starting at 7 p.m., in the lounge at the Hob Nob restaurant, 277 Sheridan Road. In Racine, the Empty Bottle Boys and One-Shot Jane perform from 8 to 11 p.m. at George’s Tavern, 1201 N. Main St., while Five Man Trio and Steel Bonnets rock out at McAuliffe’s Pub, 3700 Meachem Road, from 8 to 11 p.m. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-friday-april-28/article_8e9b0190-e506-11ed-ad70-5f75db3a4655.html | 2023-04-28T12:48:42 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-friday-april-28/article_8e9b0190-e506-11ed-ad70-5f75db3a4655.html |
Saturday is Independent Bookstore Day, which is a great reminder that it’s ALWAYS a good day to celebrate books.
Considering we had folks at a Community Library Board of Trustees meeting Monday evening advocating the banning of books (scary stuff), we need this celebration more than ever.
Blue House Books, our Downtown bookstore at 5915 Sixth Ave. A, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, with in-store specials and giveaways on what the store’s staffers call “our favorite day of the year.” Also, every customer enrolled in the store’s loyalty program will be entered into a raffle that day.
Here’s a new wrinkle for the celebration — which includes locally brewed beer, if you’re so inclined. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Blue House Books is hosting area authors at Public Craft Brewing, 628 58th St.
The spacious Downtown brewery “allows us to host more people in a comfortable environment,” said Blue House Books owner Samantha Jacquest.
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The authors will “talk all things bookish” in panel discussions.
“We love making this event as big as possible,” Jacquest said Thursday while assisting customers at her store. “Public Craft is a great location, because people can come all day or just to see certain authors. All the authors in the panels are new to the store — I haven’t even met any of them in person yet.”
Writers taking part in the event include:
Nghi Vo: Author of the novels “Siren Queen” and “The Chosen and the Beautiful.” Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan and “believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind.”
Rita Woods: The Detroit native lives in suburban Chicago and serves as a trustee on her local library board. She loves magic, books, history, coffee and traveling — not necessarily in that order. She is the author of the award-winning novel “Remembrance.” Her latest novel, “The Last Dreamwalker,” was published in September 2022.
James Klise: The Chicago resident’s novels for teens include the Edgar Award-winning “The Art of Secrets.” His next book, “I’ll Take Everything You Have,” a queer coming-of-age crime novel set in 1934 Chicago, was published by Algonquin Young Readers in February. When he’s not busy writing, Klise oversees “a very busy high school library.”
Jamie Pacton: The Young Adult and Middle Grade author, who grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee and now lives in Wisconsin, teaches English at the college level. She’s had a lot of “weird jobs” while pursuing her dream of being an author, including pen salesperson, lab assistant and art museum guard. Her YA contemporary books include “Furious,” “Lucky Girl” and “The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly.”
Daniel Kraus: The New York Times bestselling author has a new book, “Whalefall,” coming in August. He works with filmmakers and co-authored “Trollhunters,” which was adapted into an Emmy-winning Netflix series.
Annelise Ryan: The pseudonym for Beth Amos, author of the new “Monster Hunter” mystery series, the first of which, “A Death in Door County,” was released in September 2022. The second book in the series, “Death in the Dark Woods,” is scheduled for release this fall. A retired nurse, she enjoys playing competitive Scrabble.
“Indie Bookstore Day is a day to celebrate what makes your local bookstore special,” Jacquest said. “We know people can get books at other places, but we offer the ‘extra’ stuff, including our many events and book clubs.”
Also coming Saturday, Jacquest teased “a big announcement we’ll be making about something new and exciting. It’s staying under wraps until that morning.”
More information on the authors and their work is available on the Blue House Bookstore website, blue-house-books.com.
Kenosha Book Festival
Right on the heels of Independent Bookstore Day, Studio Moonfall is hosting its Kenosha Book Festival on Sunday.
More accurately, this is Chapter One of six Book Festival events planned throughout the year.
The theme? “Books! Books! Books!”
To kick off the festival, Studio Moonfall, 5031 Seventh Ave., is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday “for an unforgettable day of literary celebration.”
The free event includes authors “from a diverse range of genres” and used books on sale for $1.
Organizers are also promising “exciting giveaways and contests throughout the day.”
Authors taking part Sunday include: Donovan Scherer, Jessie Rose, T.R. Nickel, Sean Sorce, Kaitlyn Bolyard (who will be signing and selling her first novel, “Mr. Wilson’s Wives”), Ana Michelle, Al Lytle & Toi Blasier, Debra Oas, Michelle Murray, Danielle Lieber, Natasa Zoubouridis, Mynk Baylor, Aliyah Jackson, Anthony Wedgeworth and M.P. McDonald.
As for food, local chef Joel Bolyard is making his debut with his food truck, That’s A Wrap.
He has a fun concept: He makes wraps, which are named for movies.
His “Who Fed Roger Robert?” wrap features carrots (and lots of other good stuff), while “That’s All Folks” features pulled pork.
You can find the food truck in the parking lot across from Studio Moonfall on Sunday. For more about the new business, search “That’s a Wrap” on Facebook.
For the latest updates on all this stuff, go to KenoshaBookFestival.com and check Studio Moonfall’s social media for “sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes action.” | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-events-celebrate-the-love-of-books-this-weekend/article_5dcf5e78-e47d-11ed-89d1-0755f06533e7.html | 2023-04-28T12:48:49 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-events-celebrate-the-love-of-books-this-weekend/article_5dcf5e78-e47d-11ed-89d1-0755f06533e7.html |
Welcome back to another episode of Long Story Short as D. Jack Alkire, Tim Cain and Kelsey Watznauer take you through the top stories of the week in Central Illinois from Lee Enterprises journalists.
This week, the team discusses:
- Warrensburg-Latham High School students learning how to share the road,
- A Danvers man indicted for murder in McLean County,
- Lake Land College and EIU partnering to help students return to college to finish their degrees,
- Bloomington's first step toward a Connect Transit hub downtown,
- An Iowa native turned German professor takes his students and a lesson on climate change on the road.
To read more about any of the stories mentioned this week, find our full reporting at pantagraph.com, herald-review.com and jg-tc.com. Subscribe to 'Long Story Short' for free at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
Music by Diamond Tunes. | https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/listen-teen-driving-lessons-murder-indictment-climate-change-on-long-story-short/article_2ea03e26-e525-11ed-93e4-679c50db6061.html | 2023-04-28T12:56:15 | 0 | https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/listen-teen-driving-lessons-murder-indictment-climate-change-on-long-story-short/article_2ea03e26-e525-11ed-93e4-679c50db6061.html |
DUBLIN, Texas — Drago garnered quite the following after video captured during Wednesday's severe weather showed the bull getting caught in a hailstorm.
As golf ball to baseball-sized hail dropped, owner Gary Clayton watched Drago seek shelter.
"Cattle are grazing animal. So, it's not real easy to have a place for all of them to seek a barn. In fact, they probably wouldn't go into a barn because of the noise from the hail hitting the tin," said Clayton. "I knew the only shelter he really had was some trees. And that's where he was heading, was to get under some trees to kind of break the fall of the hailstones."
Drago found shelter under a nearby pecan tree. Clayton's home is surrounded by hundreds of acres. He watched the storm come across the field after noticing the sky darken after it was just daylight.
The sound of the storm approaching followed the change in the skyline.
"You could hear the hail hitting trees and buildings, you know, off of our property. And then it just began to get closer and closer. And I told my wife that we're fixing to fix the see something," said Clayton.
Wednesday's hailstorm is one of the biggest Clayton's seen in Dublin. He credits being weather aware to WFAA Chief Meteorologist Pete Delkus.
"He was telling us to look at the weather," said Clayton. "So we knew that there was a good chance somewhere between 5, 6, 7, we're going to have some some issues."
Clayton has only had Drago for a couple of years. He's still learning the personality of his bull who just chills out most days.
Despite getting caught in the hailstorm, Clayton wants everyone to know Drago and the other steer are all okay.
"They're hide is probably three, eight to a half inch thick. Then you've got a layer of fat, you have some muscle. So, they're pretty resilient," Clayton said.
Resilient enough, Clayton says, to weather the storm.
"He's getting adjusted to the property and we're getting adjusted to him," he said. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/meet-drago-texas-bull-escaped-large-hail-dublin-erath-county/287-b0edd462-1bca-48e6-a6df-b96dfe80e3cd | 2023-04-28T13:00:36 | 1 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/meet-drago-texas-bull-escaped-large-hail-dublin-erath-county/287-b0edd462-1bca-48e6-a6df-b96dfe80e3cd |
PORTAGE — Police say they encountered a group of scammers Thursday afternoon, who were falsely claiming to be fundraising for a variety of causes involving children.
"Our investigation shows this group has been plying their trade in Louisville, Indianapolis, and the south Chicago suburbs over the past thirty days," the department said.
Officers were alerted to the group and found them soliciting donations along U.S. 6 near POW/MIA Way.
"These subjects were warned they were in violation of city ordinance and subject to fine if they continued and they chose to leave the area," police said.
The accused told police he had an argument with his wife and said the duffel bag belonged to her.
"Soliciting is allowed in the city of Portage with certain restrictions on location, times, and required safety equipment, but only after obtaining approval from the city’s board of public works and safety," police said. "Private property owners may choose to allow solicitation on their property, but those solicitors may not enter into the roadway to accept donations."
Porter/LaPorte County Courts and Social Justice Reporter
Bob is a 23-year veteran of The Times. He covers county government and courts in Porter County, federal courts, police news and regional issues. He also created the Vegan in the Region blog, is an Indiana University grad and lifelong region resident. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/scammers-found-soliciting-in-portage-police-warn-of-increase-as-weather-warms-up/article_5c317a48-e5b7-11ed-9c04-2b8e8fdbeb23.html | 2023-04-28T13:00:52 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/scammers-found-soliciting-in-portage-police-warn-of-increase-as-weather-warms-up/article_5c317a48-e5b7-11ed-9c04-2b8e8fdbeb23.html |
Police have arrested a Bronx man in a disturbing sexual assault in the Bronx, in which a woman walking down the street was pulled into a garage and attacked — and did not receive help from any witnesses, according to law enforcement sources.
Angel Roque, 36, of Beaumont Avenue, was arrested Thursday afternoon on a variety of rape and sexual abuse charges.
The terrifying ordeal occurred just after 6 a.m. last Saturday near the intersection of East 189th Street and Webster Avenue in Fordham Heights, police said, just a couple blocks from Fordham University's campus. The 68-year-old victim was waiting to be picked by a friend near Fordham Plaza when the suspect allegedly attacked.
Police said the suspect grabbed the woman and put her in a chokehold before assaulting her inside the garage. He tried to remove her clothing, but was unable to, and instead forced her to perform a sex act on him.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
The suspect then ran off, heading south down Third Avenue, police said. But what's disturbing to many residents in the community, according to law enforcement sources, is that people saw the attack but never intervened or even called 911.
The woman was taken to the hospital for injuries, and she is expected to recover. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/arrest-made-in-shocking-nyc-sex-attack-where-bystanders-did-nothing/4284574/ | 2023-04-28T13:05:15 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/arrest-made-in-shocking-nyc-sex-attack-where-bystanders-did-nothing/4284574/ |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-police-officer-and-k9-injured-in-shooting/3246237/ | 2023-04-28T13:05:44 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-police-officer-and-k9-injured-in-shooting/3246237/ |
A police officer and a K9 are injured after a shooting incident in Southeast Dallas on Thursday night.
According to the Dallas Police Department, the incident began as a family violence call in the 2900 block of Cypress Avenue shortly before 10 p.m.
Police said their preliminary investigation determined the suspect shot two people at the home. Both victims were transported to a local hospital and are expected to survive.
According to police, after the shooting, the suspect ran into the woods near Cypress Avenue and Briggs Street.
Police said Air 1, the department's helicopter unit, as well as a K9 unit, were called to the scene.
While searching for the suspect around 2:30 a.m., the officer and his K9 were shot at by the suspect, police said.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
According to police, the officer returned fire, hitting the suspect. The suspect's condition is unknown at this time.
Police said both the officer and his K9 were shot. The officer was shot multiple times in the shoulder and leg area, though the injuries to the both the officer and the K9 are described as non-life threatening.
The officer is currently undergoing treatment at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, and the K9 was transported to an emergency veterinarian.
Police said the investigation into the events surrounding this shooting is ongoing.
Check back and refresh this article for the latest update. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/police-officer-and-k9-injured-in-overnight-southeast-dallas-shooting/3246226/ | 2023-04-28T13:05:50 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/police-officer-and-k9-injured-in-overnight-southeast-dallas-shooting/3246226/ |
GREENSBORO — Water and sewer rates could go up each of the next five years under a proposal by the city’s water department.
“What we're proposing is a split-rate increase — 10.25% water and 7.25% sewer — and that's mainly to make sure that both utilities are self-sustaining,” said Water Resources Director Mike Borchers told the City Council on Thursday.
For Fiscal Year 2023-24, the average 8.5% increase would mean $4.38 more a month for customers inside the city and $10.93 monthly for outside customers.
Under an average monthly residential bill calculated at using 4,488 gallons of water, inside city users would pay $55.84 per month and outside users would pay $139.16.
“It equates to 1.2 cents per gallon more,” Borchers said at the council's work sesssion.
People are also reading…
And what’s driving the need for more money?
Borchers cited the following expressed in percentage increases: Supply chain issues and inflation costs - 6% overall; employee compensation - 9%; treatment chemicals - 50%; and capital project bid prices - 30%.
And the department’s five-year capital improvement program costs increased a whopping 53% when compared to last year’s figures, Borchers said.
The department’s recommended budget of about $165 million is an 11% increase over last year. Nearly half of that is debt service and capital improvements.
Kristine Williams, assistant director of the water resources department said most of the capital plan involves replacing the city’s aging infrastructure. Some of the city’s pipes are 100 years old.
Capacity expansion and regulatory compliance are other factors, she said.
Borchers said the council will soon be asked to approve a design contract to install technology at the Mitchell Water Treatment Plant that will remove two common types of PFAS compounds called PFOA and PFOS.
PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated substances, are a group of compounds that are linked to a broad range of health issues, including low birthweight and kidney cancer.
In March, the Environmental Protection Agency proposed the first federal limits on the chemicals in drinking water. The proposal would limit the PFOA and PFOS compounds to 4 parts per trillion. A final rule is expected by the end of the year.
The technology the city has chosen, called granular activated carbon contactors, will meet the proposed EPA limit.
It uses a deep bed filled with hundreds of thousands of pounds of carbon. “Water percolates down through it and it takes care of not only the PFOS and PFOA, but taste, odor, total organic carbon — it has a lot of other side benefits to it,” Borchers said.
The system will cost the city an estimated $55.7 million. The Townsend Water Treatment Plant will need upgrades as well, Borchers said.
In total, the city will spend more than $100 million to address PFOS and PFOA, he said.
As for the rate increase proposal, Borchers said as high as it is, the cost compares favorably to other cities in the state.
“Even when we factor in our 8½% increase, we are still going to be the second lowest utility as far as rates are concerned in our among our sister utilities,” Borchers said.
“Everything that we come across has gone up 20-30%,” Councilwoman Marikay Abuzuaiter said. “I would love to keep rates as low as we can, I really think that most residents understand that at this point everything has gone up.” | https://greensboro.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/greensboro-water-sewer-rate-increase/article_b42a1412-e558-11ed-b7ab-3fccaa041587.html | 2023-04-28T13:09:59 | 0 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/greensboro-water-sewer-rate-increase/article_b42a1412-e558-11ed-b7ab-3fccaa041587.html |
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony performance set for Saturday
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony will be performed 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Civic Center for the Performing Arts, 501 S. Holmes Ave. in Idaho Falls.
The Idaho Falls Symphony will also be joined by the Idaho State University Chorale and the Camerata Singers of Pocatello, as well as vocal soloists.
Adult general admission tickets are $17.50 and student general admission tickets are $10.
Reserved seating runs from $12 to $46.75 depending on seating placement.
For tickets, go to bit.ly/41DY97z.
Matt Dusk Sings Sinatra comes to Pocatello
Singer Matt Dusk will perform the songs of Frank Sinatra 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Jensen Grand Concert Hall at the Stephens Performing Arts Center, 1002 Sam Nixon Drive in Pocatello.
Dusk is a “multi-award-winning, Platinum-selling artist” and “has had three number one radio hits,” according to isu.edu/stephens/events.
Tickets are $30 and $26.
To purchase tickets, visit isu.edu/stephens/events.
Shakespeare group to perform ‘As You Like It’
A 60-minute abridged version of Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” is scheduled to have its first performance 7 p.m. Tuesday at Christ Community Church, 5742 South 5th West in Idaho Falls. Admission is free.
The play will also be performed at 2 p.m. Wednesday, at 2 p.m. Thursday and at 7 p.m. May 5.
An Idaho Falls homeschool group, iFamily, is presenting this adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy. The cast is made up of 16 students.
“As You Like It” is a comedy about a young woman, Rosalind, running away to the forest with her cousin to escape her uncle’s court. Rosalind disguises herself as a male shepherd and comedic events ensue.
I.F. Art Walk begins Thursday
There will be a free Idaho Falls Gallery Walk 5 p.m. Thursday. Work from artists around the region and the world will have their work displayed at community galleries, museums and artisan stores.
Refreshments, live music and artist demos are available at some venues.
Some participating venues are the Willowtree Gallery, ARTitorium on Broadway, the Willard Arts Center and The Art Museum of Eastern Idaho.
For a map and full list of participating venues and their addresses, go to downtownidahofalls.com/event/idaho-falls-art-walk/.
Paranormal Cirque show to be held in I.F.
The Paranormal Cirque show comes to Idaho Falls for its first performance Thursday 7:30 p.m. at the Grand Teton Mall in the parking lot, 2300 E. 17th St. in Idaho Falls.
There will also be performances at 7:30 p.m. May 5, at 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. May 5, and at 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. May 7.
Paranormal Cirque is an experience that combines the theater and circus. It features a horror storyline, and attendees can expect to see a wheel of death, magic and more, according to a news release.
This show has adult language and material, so any attendees aged under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Tickets start at $10.
For tickets and information, go to paranormalcirque.com. | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/arts-music-briefly/article_5db83862-e511-11ed-b3ba-67fcf03e0665.html | 2023-04-28T13:10:04 | 0 | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/arts-music-briefly/article_5db83862-e511-11ed-b3ba-67fcf03e0665.html |
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A pizza shop in Wilkes-Barre is destroyed after an early morning fire.
The fire started around 4 a.m. Friday at Magda's Pizza and Deli on Gardner Avenue.
The fire hydrant on this block wasn't working, so the fire chief said they had to call in extra help.
No one was hurt, but owner Dave Magda says he lost more than $5,000 of food.
"I totally remodeled the entire building, the sidewalks, everything. There's a lot of money in there," Magda said.
A tenant in the upstairs apartment was not home at the time.
Damage spread to the home next door, and six people were displaced.
A cause has not been determined.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/pizza-place-in-wilkes-barre-gutted-by-fire-magdas-pizza-deli-apartment/523-43901937-36ff-47eb-9ced-af10db4be01a | 2023-04-28T13:15:19 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/pizza-place-in-wilkes-barre-gutted-by-fire-magdas-pizza-deli-apartment/523-43901937-36ff-47eb-9ced-af10db4be01a |
Sarasota County project will repair damage that Turtle Beach sustained in 2016 hurricane
A project that will replenish south Siesta Key’s eroded beaches has begun.
Workers are going to add around 92,000 cubic yards of sand to the key to repair damage from Hurricane Hermine in 2016. During the two-month project, which began Monday, trucks will transport the sand to the beach.
Sarasota County staff said some beach access points at Turtle Beach Park may be closed off. Some parking areas at the park will remain accessible, while others will be marked or cordoned off.
Traffic delays and lane shifts are possible. The county asks that community members pay attention to the signs in the project area and allow for additional driving time.
Previous coverage:Eroded Turtle Beach to get a facelift in spring 2023
Other news:Report: Almost half of households in Sarasota-Manatee region live paycheck-to-paycheck
The new sand will come from a sand mine in Florida, according to Curtis Smith, the project manager. During the project, approximately 50 to 60 dump trucks will each make two trips a day to Turtle Beach Park, where they will deposit the sand in a large pile on the beach.
Off-road trucks will then take some of the new sand to the end of the beach where they will start replenishment. They will add sand to that area before spreading and grading it and continuing the process along the beachfront.
“The South Siesta Beach repair project will add sand to the shoreline, providing improved storm protection to the upland properties and a wider beach for recreation and wildlife use, such as sea turtle and shorebird nesting,” said Carolyn Eastwood, the county’s capital projects director, in a news release.
Sarasota County said that it’s working with a contracted coastal engineering firm to engage Mote Marine Laboratory and Sarasota Audubon Society for daily shorebird and sea turtle monitoring services in the project area. Turtle nesting season begins May 1.
Sarasota County awarded the contract for the project to Ahtna Marine & Construction Company for about $8.3 million, according to the county. It’s being funded by a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Florida Division of Emergency Management and by the county’s tourism development tax.
The county must complete the project by June 30. It has tried to get an extension on the project, but as of April 26, FEMA has not issued an extension, according to county staff. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/04/28/south-siesta-key-sarasota-county-florida-beach-erosion-repair-project-begins/70154372007/ | 2023-04-28T13:24:48 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/04/28/south-siesta-key-sarasota-county-florida-beach-erosion-repair-project-begins/70154372007/ |
2 teen girls arrested in Macomb Co. after driving stolen vehicles
Two 17-year-old Macomb County girls were arrested last week for driving two Kia vehicles that had been reported stolen, officials said.
Investigators had placed a blue Kia parked on a residential street in Clinton Township under surveillance on April 18, 2023, because it had been reported stolen earlier in the month, the Macomb County Sheriff's Office said.
The next day, police watched the car while it was on a residential street in nearby Harrison Township. They saw it with a black Kia, which had also been reported stolen. Deputies put both vehicles under surveillance.
Meanwhile, officers came across a silver Kia at an apartment complex near Harper Avenue and Metropolitan Parkway in Clinton Township that also had been reported stolen.
Deputies tried to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver sped away, according to authorities. Police gave chase, but the pursuit ended when the driver struck a curb and damaged one of the Kia's tires.
The driver pulled the vehicle into a parking lot at 14 Mile and Harper, got out of the car and ran. Deputies chased the driver and caught the suspect, who was later identified as a 17-year-old girl.
Officials said they took the girl to the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center to await charges.
During the pursuit, deputies watched as a suspect got into the black Kia and drove to a school on Gratiot near Hall Road in Clinton Township. The suspect exited the vehicle and went into the school.
Deputies contacted the school's police liaison officer and security officer. The 17-year-old girl was removed from class and arrested, officials said.
They contacted the county's Juvenile Justice Center, but were told the facility couldn't take in the suspect. Investigators released the girl and filed a juvenile petition with the county prosecutor's office, they said.
Police later recovered the blue Kia on a residential street in Harrison Township.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/04/28/2-teen-girls-arrested-in-macomb-co-after-driving-stolen-vehicles/70162343007/ | 2023-04-28T13:28:32 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/04/28/2-teen-girls-arrested-in-macomb-co-after-driving-stolen-vehicles/70162343007/ |
Girl, 7, seriously injured in Chesterfield Twp. hit-and-run
Chesterfield Township police are asking anyone with information on a hit-and-run Thursday that left a 7-year-old girl with serious injuries to come forward.
Officers were called at about 9 p.m. to an area on Gratiot Avenue just north of 23 Mile Road for a report of a hit-and-run crash between a vehicle and a pedestrian, according to authorities.
Police and medics arrived and found the girl with significant injuries. The girl was taken to a hospital where she is listed in critical but stable condition, officials said.
A preliminary investigation showed the 7-year-old and her older sister were crossing the street when she was struck by a vehicle, possibly a white or black Kia Optima sedan that is either white or black in color. The driver of the vehicle failed to stop and fled north on Gratiot.
Detectives said the vehicle likely has damage to the front of it.
Anyone with information about the incident or the suspected driver should call Chesterfield Township Police at (586) 949-3426.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/04/28/girl-7-seriously-injured-thursday-in-chesterfield-twp-hit-and-run/70162427007/ | 2023-04-28T13:28:38 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/04/28/girl-7-seriously-injured-thursday-in-chesterfield-twp-hit-and-run/70162427007/ |
US-23 traffic near Milan backed up due to vehicle fire
Charles E. Ramirez
The Detroit News
Traffic on US-23 near Milan is backed up Friday morning due to a vehicle fire, Dundee Police officials said.
"Northbound (US-23) is already backed up at Brewer Road and village streets are packed with detoured drivers," they said.
Police urge drivers to use an alternate route.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/04/28/us-23-traffic-near-milan-backed-up-due-to-vehicle-fire/70162390007/ | 2023-04-28T13:28:44 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/04/28/us-23-traffic-near-milan-backed-up-due-to-vehicle-fire/70162390007/ |
News Tribune, April 28, 1983
- The visit of the Sorlandet, a 186-foot Norwegian sailing vessel, to the Twin Ports in July has been canceled. The ship was scheduled to dock at the Duluth Arena for public tours, but organizers failed to obtain the necessary Coast Guard permits.
- Duluth developer Richard McNutt has made some design changes in his London Square project and is anxious to begin construction. The Duluth Board of Zoning Appeals had refused to approve the project and McNutt appealed the ruling to the City Council.
News Tribune, April 28, 1923
- St. Louis County is distributing over $2.3 million in taxes to cities, villages and towns of the county and to the state. This is one of three distributions of over $26 million in taxes to be collected this year throughout the county.
- Twenty-five years ago today, 101 enlisted men and officers of old Company I, Third Wisconsin Regiment of the National Guard, bade farewell to Superior en route to service in the war with Spain. Tonight, the members will gather to commemorate the anniversary. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-40-years-ago-norwegian-sailing-vessel-visit-canceled-over-permits | 2023-04-28T13:29:47 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-40-years-ago-norwegian-sailing-vessel-visit-canceled-over-permits |
DULUTH — How does music affect learning? How does salt affect freshwater bacteria? How do magnetic fields affect brine shrimp?
A dozen budding scientists in East High School’s student-founded Science Fair Club studied those questions and more this school year. Six presented their findings at a regional science fair at the University of Minnesota Duluth in February. Each of the club’s entrants at the regional fair advanced to a statewide fair in March.
Emelyn Beaster, one of the club’s founders, advanced her project "Using Microplastics to Sequester Organophosphate Pollutants" to the International Science and Engineering Fair on May 13-19 in Dallas. Her work considered a new way to use recycled plastics to filter contaminants out of polluted water.
Beaster and classmate Stella Harbson founded the club near the end of their sophomore year. Both are now seniors.
They and other club members answered questions from the News Tribune about their club, the inspiration for their science fair projects and more.
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Q: Why did you want to start a science fair club at East?
A: Emelyn Beaster: I wanted to start a science fair club because I’d been given such amazing opportunities through science fair and wanted to share these with my school community. I saw a passion for science in a lot of the students at East, and I wanted to create this opportunity for anyone who was interested.
A: Stella Harbson: Being a part of the science fair has given me amazing opportunities. I knew a lot of other students who were interested in and passionate about science but didn’t have the chance to take their interests further. Creating this club allowed many to develop and strengthen their interests in STEM.
Q: How has the club changed or grown since you started it?
A: Beaster: Last year was our first full year operating the club, and it was difficult to promote the club and gain a good base of members. We ended up only submitting three projects to the regional fair. This year, we had over 30 people initially sign up for the club, and twice as many projects as last year. We were also able to advertise the club using strategies like talking in classes and putting up posters, and we were even able to secure some funding this year for the club for state projects.
A: Harbson: When we first started the club, we struggled to have a lot of students participate in competitions. Through talking to classes and one-on-one with students, we have built a strong passionate community in our school.
Q: What was it like competing at the regional fair at UMD?
A: Adele Mamedova: It was fun to see other cool projects from schools near us. The people were very social and the awards ceremony had a radiant energy. The judges were interactive with us and interested in our projects and helped prepare us for state and asked us questions. At state, judges were insightful and more focused on the specifics of our projects and even provided guidance outside of the fair.
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A: Rhees Cragun: Regionals was a really cool experience, especially seeing people from around the area who share interests with us. It was really fun to cheer on our peers before their presenting session, and see everyone do so well in the awards ceremony. At state, I got to learn from experts and have them explain things and talk about it. Judges are very invested and care.
A: Beaster: Regionals was a refreshing experience coming out of COVID, because the regional fair was in person for the first time in three years. I love interacting with the judges and other students in person, and especially at regionals, a lot of the judges are community members who are just excited to learn about your project. At state, I appreciated the depth with which judges interviewed us. I would explain my project and then spend the majority of judging time just discussing real-life implications of my project. It ultimately turned into more of an environmental engineering discussion, and I had a great time.
Q: What inspired your project or projects this year?
A: Mamedova: Seeing a problem on a daily basis including in our high school and finding a solution in a scientific and simple manner. In this case, the problem was sleep in teenagers and people.
A: Cragun: I wanted to study a project in our area that was relevant to us, and I was interested in putting together an experiment.
A: Beaster: I started working with UMD professor Dr. Melissa Maurer-Jones on some of her microplastics research, and she inspired me to look more into topics regarding microplastics. It was intriguing to me that microplastics have these properties that allow them to adsorb many organic substances, and I wanted to see if this applied to organic pollutants and could be used as a form of pollutant sequestration.
A: Lucia Nelson: I really enjoy the subject of music. It’s a part of my everyday life, and I wanted to further my past research on how music impacts people on a daily basis in order to continuously improve and innovate my research.
A: Alex Leach: I am just really interested in people and why they are the way they are. As high school students, we see conformity all around us, especially with cliques and things like that. I wanted to study if we can find out when conformity is at its highest (age), and not necessarily try to remove conformity, but change what people are conforming to.
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Q: How do you think the work you've done with the science fair club might help you once you graduate from East High School?
A: Beaster: I’m sure that the research skills I’ve gained through science fair will benefit me in college and beyond. I want to pursue a career in research science at NASA or a similar institution, and science fair has given me the critical thinking, reasoning and research skills that I’ll need for the future.
A: Cragun: I now have the skills to set up a scientific experiment when I have a question about something.
A: Mamedova: I made a lot of connections at state with other students and with judges, and I think it’s important for the future to build strong relationships and connect with people in the scientific community. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/extra-credit-q-a-duluth-east-students-excel-in-new-science-fair-club | 2023-04-28T13:29:57 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/extra-credit-q-a-duluth-east-students-excel-in-new-science-fair-club |
The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday supported the nomination of Judge Amanda Brailsford as U.S. District Court Judge in Idaho. If confirmed by the Senate, Brailsford would be the first woman to serve as a U.S. district judge in Idaho.
The committee approved her in a voice vote, in which the committee members said aye or nay all at once; This is rare for a judicial nomination, according to University of Richmond law professor Carl Tobias, who tracks federal judge appointments. Brailsford had enough support that no one requested a roll call vote, in which each senator would separately cast their vote.
“Her hearing was very smooth,” Tobias said Thursday. “Today, they had a voice vote, which is very rare. Because both sides, Democrats and Republicans, are very partisan about judicial selection and so they use all the procedural hurdles they can. And one is to require a roll call vote … but there was so much support for her that they didn’t need it.”
Brailsford is an Idaho native and has served on the state Court of Appeals since 2019. President Joe Biden nominated her and Idaho’s senators supported her approval.
In a joint statement, U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch said, “We thank the Judiciary Committee for its actions to demonstrate what we already know--Judge Brailsford is an excellent candidate to serve on the U.S. District Court in Idaho. She is a sound and principled jurist whose history demonstrates she will adjudicate cases according to the law and U.S. Constitution. Judge Brailsford is one of the most qualified nominees for the federal bench in Idaho, and she has earned widespread respect and admiration among her legal peers.”
Brailsford received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Idaho in 1989 and her law degree from the UI College of Law in 1993, according to her biography. She served as a law clerk for Judge Thomas G. Nelson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1993 to 1995.
She worked at the law firm Holland & Hart LLP as an associate until 2002 and as a partner from 2003 to 2013. Brailsford was a founding partner at Andersen Banducci PLLC in Boise from 2013 and 2017.
Her varied legal background and long-standing Idaho ties made her a strong candidate, Tobias said, which allowed her to get the support of both the White House and her home-state senators.
“They all agreed, I think, about her, which speaks to her qualifications and that she’s well-respected in the state,” he said.
This isn’t the case for judicial nominations for other red states, such as Florida and Texas, which have a number of vacancies and no nominees because the state and White House can’t agree, he said.
“And that just hurts people in the state,” Tobias said.
The full Senate will need to confirm her nomination, but Tobias anticipates this will happen easily. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/committee-approves-amanda-brailsford-nomination-for-us-district-judge-in-idaho/article_3010e936-e552-11ed-9322-7f2e9c6c19a1.html | 2023-04-28T13:36:31 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/committee-approves-amanda-brailsford-nomination-for-us-district-judge-in-idaho/article_3010e936-e552-11ed-9322-7f2e9c6c19a1.html |
BELLEVIEW, Fla. – Marion County sheriff’s deputies are working to locate a former volunteer high school cheerleading coach accused of stealing money from the team’s booster club.
Investigators said Richard Khris Tillman, 32, stole more than $6,000 from the Belleview High School cheerleading squad’s fund.
Tillman arranged for the cheerleaders to work concession stands at the University of Florida in order to earn a portion of the revenue, according to officials, who said he routed the money to his own bank account instead of the team’s.
Marion County Public Schools said Tillman was a volunteer coach who was in the process of becoming a paid coach at Belleview High.
School district officials said an accusation was lodged against Tillman and he was prohibited from being on campus or participating in cheerleading activities.
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Tillman, who was not an official employee of MCPS, was relieved of his duties after law enforcement launched an investigation, school officials said.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/florida-high-school-cheer-coach-stole-teams-money-deputies-say/ | 2023-04-28T13:37:46 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/florida-high-school-cheer-coach-stole-teams-money-deputies-say/ |
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – Lightning added to issues delaying SpaceX’s latest launch attempt of its Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center.
Launch Pad 39-A took a direct hit Thursday evening, as seen in photos shared to Twitter by CBS space expert Bill Harwood.
The pictures show the Falcon Heavy rocket perched at the pad, awaiting liftoff as Brevard County was slammed by severe thunderstorms.
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The launch attempt was scrubbed, but SpaceX will try again Friday evening to send up the rocket during a 57-minute window that opens at 7:29 p.m.
FH/ViaSat-3.1: A few minutes ago, at pad 39A... pic.twitter.com/GPEwxCjXi3
— William Harwood (@cbs_spacenews) April 28, 2023
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/lightning-strikes-launch-pad-at-kennedy-space-center/ | 2023-04-28T13:37:52 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/lightning-strikes-launch-pad-at-kennedy-space-center/ |
OCALA, Fla. – A man was shot Thursday night at an Ocala apartment complex, according to police.
The shooting happened around 9:15 p.m. at Saddleworth Green, located along SW 41st Street, according to a post on the police department’s Facebook page. A man suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and was expected to survive, police said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the department at 352-369-7000, referencing case No. 202300061252, or **TIPS to remain anonymous.
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No other information was shared.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/man-hurt-in-shooting-at-ocala-apartment-complex-police-say/ | 2023-04-28T13:37:58 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/man-hurt-in-shooting-at-ocala-apartment-complex-police-say/ |
MERRITT ISLAND, Fla. – Three planes flipped and at least three others were damaged Thursday night at Merritt Island Airport while Brevard County was slammed by thunderstorms, according to the Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority.
The damage was reported around 11 p.m., a spokesperson told News 6 in a statement.
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Even more severe weather could be in the works Friday, with the Central Florida region placed at a “marginal risk” for it.
Those storms could develop from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with strong winds, lightning, heavy rain and hail comprising the main threats.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/storms-flip-3-planes-damage-others-at-merritt-island-airport/ | 2023-04-28T13:38:05 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/storms-flip-3-planes-damage-others-at-merritt-island-airport/ |
Lawmakers passed Indiana’s next budget and several other bills in the early morning hours today, bringing this year’s legislative session to a close.
Negotiations over the $44.6 billion-dollar biennial budget heated back up Thursday after school leaders raised concerns about the amount of funding directed toward the state’s public schools.
The final budget includes about $300 million more for K-12 education compared to the budget’s previous iteration. The increase is offset by a reduction in the amount paid toward the pre-1996 teacher pension debt.
“There’s always a glitch at the end, but I think the glitch this time was caused by a problem that the majority, unfortunately, oversold what was in the budget,” said Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis.
DeLaney was referring to attempts to combine increases to private and charter school funding with funding increases for public schools. That voucher expansion, which brings the state close to a universal voucher system, drew criticism from Democrats throughout the session who argued the increased funding takes precious dollars away from public education.
Democrats, including Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn, D-Fishers, also took aim at the funding levels for health care included in the budget. Garcia Wilburn said not fully funding Senate Bill 1 – which will receive $50 million annually for community mental health services – has let down families affected by mental health concerns.
However, Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, said in an earlier meeting he disagrees with the assertion that the budget underfunds mental health services.
“There are varying opinions on what is ample,” Thompson said.
One Senate Republican, Evansville’s Vaneta Becker, spoke and voted against the budget. She criticized several parts of the bill, including the voucher expansion and health care funding.
“This is a budget that allows the rich to get richer and the poor to get poorer,” Becker said.
Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, said he feels his party has been left out of the process at times. He and other Democrats characterized the budget as a missed opportunity.
“This is a budget that I’m extremely disappointed in,” Porter said. “This is a budget that we really could have done better.”
House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers, made a rare floor speech and said he’s proud to support the budget. The state is heading in the right direction, he said, and that many signs point to the success of his party’s plans.
“I love the results that we’re getting,” Huston said.
Although Democrats in both chambers voted against the budget, it easily passed by both chambers. The bill, House Bill 1001, passed the House 70-27 a little after 1:30 a.m. and passed the Senate 39-10 just before 2:30 a.m.
The budget – and the dozens of other bills passed this week before the legislature adjourned – now goes to Gov. Eric Holcomb to sign or veto.
The General Assembly voted on several other bills after midnight, including Senate Bill 3 which passed both houses unanimously. The bill, authored by Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle, establishes a task force to study Indiana’s tax code and submit a report by Dec. 1, 2024.
House Bill 1499, which aims to provide some property tax relief, also passed both chambers. It won’t affect any tax bills this year but will increase the supplemental homestead deduction for primary residences in the next two years and will further reduce property tax increases for homeowners aged 65 and older. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/indiana-legislature-passes-budget-adjourns-session/article_24fcbbec-e58e-11ed-bcfd-835f5127692f.html | 2023-04-28T13:47:00 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/indiana-legislature-passes-budget-adjourns-session/article_24fcbbec-e58e-11ed-bcfd-835f5127692f.html |
The city of Fort Wayne issued the following Friday, April 28, 2023:
When it rains, the 100-year-old combined sewers in older parts of Fort Wayne can overflow, resulting in the discharge of a combination of stormwater (rain or snowmelt) and untreated sewage into CSO impacted waterways within the Great Lakes Basin. Today's forecast indicates a strong possibility that overflows will occur or have started to occur within the past four (4) hours. The overflow may be continuing. The approximate times when the overflow started and stops will be summarized within seven (7) days in a supplemental notice available on the City's website at www.cityoffortwayne.org/cso-notification.html.
Consumption of or direct contact with sewage-contaminated water could make you sick. Signs are posted along affected waterways in Fort Wayne to identify the locations of combined sewer overflow points and areas where contact with water could be hazardous to your health. These locations, and waterbodies potentially impacted, may also be found by clicking the following link: www.cityoffortwayne.org/cso-notification.html.
During and after a combined sewer overflow event, individuals should avoid direct contact with water in any of the waterways that are potentially impacted by CSOs as shown on the map found at www.cityoffortwayne.org/cso-notification.html.
In addition, City Utilities encourages the public to take the following precautions:
• Avoid direct contact with CSO-impacted streams during and for three days (72 hours) after a rain event and for 72 hours after receiving a CSO notification.
• Alter recreational activities to avoid direct contact with CSO-impacted water.
• If contact does occur with CSO-impacted water, wash your hands immediately, especially prior to eating.
• Use a waterless hand sanitizer at outings that occur near CSO-impacted streams.
Every Wednesday City Utilities will post information at the following location giving details of any CSO discharge events that have happened in the previous seven (7) days:
www.cityoffortwayne.org/cso-notification.html.
Clean water is a priority for the City of Fort Wayne. City Utilities is implementing a variety of projects to improve waterways and reduce CSO discharges. The long-term costs to control CSOs in Fort Wayne will likely exceed $250 million. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/verbatim-combined-sewer-overflow-warning/article_6001c3f0-e5bf-11ed-b32e-b3a368af4b79.html | 2023-04-28T13:47:07 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/verbatim-combined-sewer-overflow-warning/article_6001c3f0-e5bf-11ed-b32e-b3a368af4b79.html |
Volunteer Expo at Glenbrook Square Apr 28, 2023 9 hrs ago Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Attendees visit tables of various organizations during a Volunteer Expo hosted by the Fort Wayne Volunteer Center on Thursday afternoon at Glenbrook Square. Stan Sussina | The Journal Gazette Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Volunteer Expo at Glenbrook Square Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Most Popular Indiana Basketball Transfer Portal Update: Now what? Pedestrian struck by police officer dies Officer who hit, killed pedestrian was involved in four prior crashes Braydin Lewis, whose battle against brain cancer mobilized local hockey community, dies at 19 Recent divorce filings in Allen County Stocks Market Data by TradingView | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/volunteer-expo-at-glenbrook-square/article_33e91b32-e54d-11ed-a5a9-e7a9cfb274d1.html | 2023-04-28T13:47:13 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/volunteer-expo-at-glenbrook-square/article_33e91b32-e54d-11ed-a5a9-e7a9cfb274d1.html |
Statewide plastic bag ban efforts continue despite lack of action in NM Legislature
Proponents of a statewide ban on single use plastic bags continue to advocate for change despite failed legislation on the topic in the 2023 New Mexico Legislative session.
State Sen. Jeff Steinborn (D-36) introduced Senate Bill (SB) 243, titled the “Plastic Waste Reduction Act,” on Jan. 25 during the opening days of the 60-day legislative session in Santa Fe, according to the New Mexico Legislature’s website.
Changes were made to the original bill Feb. 14 in the Senate Conservation Committee. The legislation was sent to the Senate Tax, Business and Transportation Committee, but it did not advance as the session came to an end March 18.
More:New Mexico legislator proposes banning single-use plastic bags at retailers statewide
Steinborn expressed disappointment SB 243 did not reach a final vote.
“We got so close but I also think it shows that we really we do have an opportunity to help clean up the scourge of this plastic in New Mexico. I definitely plan to keep working on it with all the partners around the state,” he said.
The New Mexico Recycling Coalition (NMRC) was one of nearly 16 environmental organizations across the state supporting the proposed ban.
Executive Director Sarah Pierpont said SB 243 ran out of time during the 2023 session. She said everyone involved with the legislation is regrouping and looking for other alternatives.
Steinborn said SB 243 would have prohibited retailers from handing out single use plastic bags with some exceptions like uncooked food, take out food from a restaurant or laundry from a dry cleaners.
Pierpont said NMRC may try and work with cities and counties in New Mexico instead of reintroducing SB 243 in the 2024 legislature.
“There are efforts to keep moving at the local level,” she said.
The 2024 legislative session is 30 days and is limited to budget matters and other items placed on the governor’s agenda, according to the New Mexico State Constitution.
More:Ban the bag? Carlsbad considers ban on plastic bags amid litter concerns
Plastic bag bans are in place in Las Cruces, Santa Fe, Silver City, Taos and Bernalillo County, according to Pierpont.
Nearly four years ago the City of Carlsbad discussed an ordinance which would ban plastic bags. The idea did not gain much traction as the COVID-19 pandemic struck Carlsbad and Eddy County in 2020.
Ward 2 Carlsbad City Councilor Jeff Forrest said the City of Carlsbad could revive discussions of a plastic bag ban. He would like input from other communities that have instituted bans.
“I want to keep our town clean and New Mexico clean. There’s plastic bags everywhere and the problem is people throw them away and it’s so windy here in the spring and they blow out and get on bushes,” he said.
“I’m like everyone else. I get tired of seeing plastic bags hung up in mesquite bushes all around town."
More:State grant helps Carlsbad fight trash issues
Zachary Taylor, director of the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance (ARBPA), said a statewide plastic bag ban would have impacted families in New Mexico who are dealing with inflation and higher grocery prices.
“Not having to pay more for grocery bags at the store is a win for New Mexico families. We as an organization remain interested with the proponents on alternative approaches that will address concerns about litter,” he said.
Taylor said there is an apparent misunderstanding in the general public regarding plastic bags.
“We certainly recognize the desire regarding proposals to regulate plastic carry out bags maybe driven by sustainability. We think it’s a little more complicated than this bag is good or this bag is bad,” he said.
“Alternatives -whether that’s paper or reusable bags - have higher emissions profiles and consume more water and energy when they’re manufactured and require more uses to offset those environmental impacts."
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. | https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/community/2023/04/28/statewide-plastic-bag-ban-failed-in-legislature-efforts-move-forward-enviornment-litter-plastic/70147651007/ | 2023-04-28T13:48:34 | 0 | https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/community/2023/04/28/statewide-plastic-bag-ban-failed-in-legislature-efforts-move-forward-enviornment-litter-plastic/70147651007/ |
DALLAS(KDAF)—Someone is two-stepping into the bank with a $200,000 winning ticket.
The Texas Lottery reports a $200,000 winning#TexasLottery ticket Thursday drawing was sold in Baytown TX! #TexasLottery#Texas. “A $200,000 jackpot-winning ticket for last night’s #TexasTwoStep drawing was sold in #Baytown,” said Texas Lottery.
The ticket matched all five winning numbers from the Thursday, April 27 drawing (10, 25, 27,30, and 31). It was sold at 1700 Decker Dr; the ticket was not a Quick Pick.
The lottery reminds players, “Tickets must be claimed no later than 180 days after the draw date.” | https://cw33.com/news/local/is-this-your-ticket-200000-texas-lottery-winner-in-baytown/ | 2023-04-28T13:52:58 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/is-this-your-ticket-200000-texas-lottery-winner-in-baytown/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — The North Dallas Artists Studio Tour (NDAST) is a highly anticipated annual event that showcases the diverse and dynamic art community of North Dallas.
Saturday, April 29 and April 30, visitors will be able to visit artists and learn about their creative process. “The tour is a refreshing change from viewing art in galleries,” NDAST said.
The tour features a variety of artistic mediums including painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, glasswork, and mixed media. Giving art lovers the opportunity to discover and purchase one-of-a-kind pieces directly from the artists.
Experience the vibrant art scene of North Dallas! For more information click here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/north-dallas-artist-studio-tour-is-back/ | 2023-04-28T13:53:04 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/north-dallas-artist-studio-tour-is-back/ |
(Stacker) – As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a ’96 commencement address at Wellesley College, “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” If that’s the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.
For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.
Stacker compiled a list of the 30 best public high schools in Texas using 2023 rankings from Niche.
Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.
#30. Lovejoy High School
– District: Lovejoy Independent School District
– Enrollment: 1,569 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#29. Independence High School
– District: Frisco Independent School District
– Enrollment: 2,278 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#28. Lebanon Trail High School
– District: Frisco Independent School District
– Enrollment: 1,886 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#27. Plano West Senior High School
– District: Plano Independent School District
– Enrollment: 2,717 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#26. Cypress Ranch High School
– District: Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District
– Enrollment: 3,445 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#25. Flower Mound High School
– District: Lewisville Independent School District
– Enrollment: 3,682 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#24. Westlake Academy
– District: Westlake
– Enrollment: 865 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#23. Meridian World School
– District: Round Rock
– Enrollment: 1,679 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#22. BASIS San Antonio – Shavano Campus
– District: BASIS Texas Charter Schools
– Enrollment: 1,050 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#21. Imagine International Academy of North Texas
– District: Mckinney
– Enrollment: 1,435 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#20. Cinco Ranch High School
– District: Katy Independent School District
– Enrollment: 3,401 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#19. Liberty High School
– District: Frisco Independent School District
– Enrollment: 2,002 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#18. Highland Park High School
– District: Highland Park Independent School District
– Enrollment: 2,212 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#17. Reedy High School
– District: Frisco Independent School District
– Enrollment: 2,100 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#16. Coppell High School
– District: Coppell Independent School District
– Enrollment: 3,789 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#15. South Texas ISD Science Academy
– District: South Texas Independent School District
– Enrollment: 794 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#14. Obra D. Tompkins High School
– District: Katy Independent School District
– Enrollment: 3,484 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#13. Clements High School
– District: Fort Bend Independent School District
– Enrollment: 2,496 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#12. Jasper High School
– District: Plano Independent School District
– Enrollment: 1,344 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#11. Vandegrift High School
– District: Leander Independent School District
– Enrollment: 2,811 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#10. Seven Lakes High School
– District: Katy Independent School District
– Enrollment: 3,678 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#9. Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
– District: Houston Independent School District
– Enrollment: 797 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#8. Westwood High IB World School
– District: Round Rock Independent School District
– Enrollment: 2,852 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#7. Carroll Senior High School
– District: Carroll Independent School District
– Enrollment: 1,349 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#6. Westlake High School
– District: Eanes Independent School District
– Enrollment: 2,827 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#5. Debakey H.S. for Health Prof
– District: Houston Independent School District
– Enrollment: 939 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#4. Carnegie Vanguard High School
– District: Houston Independent School District
– Enrollment: 925 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#3. School of Science & Engineering
– District: Dallas Independent School District
– Enrollment: 513 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#2. Liberal Arts & Science Academy
– District: Austin Independent School District
– Enrollment: 1,254 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
#1. School for the Talented & Gifted
– District: Dallas Independent School District
– Enrollment: 464 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+ | https://cw33.com/news/local/the-best-public-high-schools-in-texas-according-to-niche/ | 2023-04-28T13:53:10 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/the-best-public-high-schools-in-texas-according-to-niche/ |
DALLAS (Nexstar) — Before the 2023 NFL Draft kicked off from Kansas City on Thursday night, the Silver Star Nation hosted a Dallas Cowboys Draft Preview at 6:30 p.m.
Use the video player above to watch a replay of Tobin McDuff and Mickey Spagnola from the Star in Frisco.
In the first round of the draft, the Cowboys were scheduled to have the 26th pick. The Carolina Panthers had the No. 1 overall pick. The first round had only have 31 selections, because the Miami Dolphins were stripped of their first-round pick for tampering.
The Associated Press conducted a mock draft ahead of the real one and said, “[The] Cowboys bolster their secondary with the best safety in the draft.”
The AP guessed ahead of time that the Cowboys might pick Brian Branch from Alabama.
The Cowboys ended their 2022 season with a 12-5 record. Dallas made it to the NFC Division Playoff, getting knocked out by the 49ers. | https://cw33.com/news/local/watch-cowboys-2023-nfl-draft-preview-show-with-tobin-and-mickey/ | 2023-04-28T13:53:16 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/watch-cowboys-2023-nfl-draft-preview-show-with-tobin-and-mickey/ |
LANCASTER, Pa. — A Lancaster man will serve up to 35 years in prison following a conviction for attempted murder and other charges relating to a shooting that severely injured another man in 2021, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said Friday.
Daijour L. Stennett, 32, of the 700 block of West Vine Street, was also convicted of aggravated assault and carrying a firearm without a license following a three-day trial last December, the DA's Office said.
Lancaster County Judge Jeffrey Wright sentenced him to a prison term of 17½ to 35 years at a hearing Tuesday afternoon.
“I find it difficult to explain which part of this crime I find the worst,” prosecuting Assistant District Attorney Christopher Miller said during the sentencing proceeding. “This is one of the worst attempted homicide cases I have seen in my career. To this day, (Stennett) believes what he did was right.”
During the sentencing hearing, Miller showed a self-recorded video – that was admitted as evidence during trial – from the defendant’s phone of him driving past the victim’s home, cackling and taunting the victim out of the window, and getting out of his car and firing five shots at the victim, hitting him four times.
Stennett then pauses for approximately four seconds before firing a sixth and final shot at the victim, who was on the ground.
At trial it was revealed that Stennett told police he thought the victim deserved it.
“A just sentence today is life in prison,” Miller said. “The only reason the defendant won’t get that is because the victim refused to die.”
Defense counsel argued self-defense during trial and said during the sentencing proceeding that the crime was “an aberration in (the defendant’s) life” and that Stennett had no history of violence.
Wright noted the defendant was in a car and could have left the situation and driven away, but rather got out of his car with a gun and confronted the victim before shooting him outside of his own home.
Wright also cited the defendant’s extensive criminal history with convictions on seven dockets and a probation violation and agreed with Miller that the only reason this wasn’t a life sentence was because the victim miraculously survived.
The mandatory sentence for criminal homicide is life in prison.
The shooting Stennett was convicted of occurred on Nov. 4, 2021, according to evidence presented at trial.
East Hempfield Township Police Officer Torres reported shots fired in the 100 block of Hershey Ave. at approximately 8:41 a.m. The officer was on the way to take a dog to the SPCA when he heard two popping sounds and observed a man with a gun, who entered a black 2008 Mercedes Benz.
Manheim Township Police responded to the scene and tended to the victim, who was lying on the sidewalk suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Stennett was convicted by jury Dec. 7, 2022, of shooting at the victim six times, striking him four times – once in the left shoulder, once on the left side, once in the right shoulder and once in the head. Several shots were aimed at the victim’s back, according to testimony at trial.
The victim suffered a fractured skull, spine, a broken shoulder blade and bleeding in his chest due to the shooting.
The victim testified he continues to suffer lingering injuries such as weakness and arthritis in his left shoulder and arm, seizures that he needs to take medications to treat and PTSD. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/daijour-stennett-sentencing-lancaster-shooting-attempted-murder/521-e7cc6fa2-3c49-480a-bfb3-5f8ddbb6aba6 | 2023-04-28T14:06:36 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/daijour-stennett-sentencing-lancaster-shooting-attempted-murder/521-e7cc6fa2-3c49-480a-bfb3-5f8ddbb6aba6 |
After 10 years of crafting local brews in their namesake village, Yellow Springs Brewery is a staple of the Dayton-area craft beer scene, and has no sign of slowing down.
Over those 10 years, the brewery has over 140 unique craft brews to their name, with distribution largely local to Dayton and Columbus. Yellow Springs brews can be found in bars and grocery stores everywhere between Tipp City and Mason, as well as several Columbus neighborhoods.
Brewery staff were hard at work Thursday, brewing the latest batch of Raspberry Springer, a light and fruity ale, at their location at 305 Walnut St in Yellow Springs.
The brewery crafts between 4,000 and 4,500 barrels a year, or about 140,000 gallons annually. Much of that is their most popular IPA, Boat Show.
“Our core brands, especially our IPA, are so sought after that we literally can’t make enough of them,” said Chief Operations Officer Jayson Hartings.
Founder Lisa Wolter said her husband and cofounder Nate Cornett had operated as a home brewer for several years, before Yellow Springs Brewery opened their doors in the Millworks business complex on April 15, 2013.
At the time, Wolters said, she had no idea the wave they were about to ride.
“It caught me off guard as to how big this was going to be,” she said.
The early to mid-2010s saw an explosion in locally-owned craft breweries, as Americans were drinking less Anhauser-Busch, and more custom brews from their friends and neighbors. American brewery employment exploded from 2010 to 2016, with the industry adding 33,716 jobs, a growth of 135%. By 2016, breweries employed 58,580 people, and growing.
Today, the brewery employs 31 people, including brewers, bartenders and other staff.
Of the emotions that came up during the business’ 10-year anniversary, the biggest was gratitude, Wolter said.
“Gratitude, obviously to our employees, that they put in their life, their energy, their spirit into everything, and gratitude to our customers and to the community. I’m in a little bit of awe, of like, ‘Holy moly. Where did 10 years ago?’ "
In 2021, the company expanded its canning production, pushing to make its product available in grocery and liquor stores in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which posed one of the brewery’s greatest challenges.
“COVID was tough, just emotionally,” Hartings said, adding that they changed their entire taproom model to accommodate the changes. “Getting the new canning line was huge, because we realized we needed to really have the potential to get our product into stores so people could drink at home.”
Later that year, the company revived plans to open a second tap room at 1475 Xenia Avenue, at the former Village Lanes bowling alley building.
Looking to the future, the company is focused on ways to keep up with demand, though any plans for growth will be slow and sustainable, Wolter said.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/yellow-springs-brewery-has-140-craft-beers-to-its-name-employs-more-than-30/3MR7MH7OCJDGRPPWRQFGRFLSTA/ | 2023-04-28T14:06:43 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/yellow-springs-brewery-has-140-craft-beers-to-its-name-employs-more-than-30/3MR7MH7OCJDGRPPWRQFGRFLSTA/ |
Health department to host public input sessions in May
CHARLEVOIX — Staff at the the Health Department of Northwest Michigan will be facilitating a set of listening sessions in Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego counties.
There will be an in-person session and a virtual session held in each of the counties. They will be hosted by Dr. Kari Krantz.
Information gathered from these sessions will then be shared with officials at the health department.
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Round 1 in-person listening sessions will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. at the following locations:
- May 2 - Petoskey District Library
- May 3 - Charlevoix Public Library
- May 17 - Bellaire Senior Community Center
- May 18 - Gaylord United Way Building
Round 2 virtual listening sessions will take place from 12-1:30 p.m. for the following residents:
- May 17 - Emmet County residents
- May 18 - Charlevoix County residents
- May 24 - Antrim County residents
- May 25 - Otsego County residents
Pre-registration is required for these events.
According to Janenne Pung, public information officer and community outreach coordinator for the health department, the media has been requested to not take photographs or video during these meetings to allow the public an opportunity to speak as freely as possible.
More information can be found at www.nwhealth.org.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at 231-675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/health-department-of-northwest-michigan-to-host-public-input-sessions-in-may/70153505007/ | 2023-04-28T14:10:51 | 0 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/health-department-of-northwest-michigan-to-host-public-input-sessions-in-may/70153505007/ |
Fun fair attracts large turnout on April 22
GAYLORD — Families with young children enjoyed various activities at the 23rd annual Otsego Area Family Fun Fair on April 22.
About 400 children and their parents/caregivers, from about 100 families, attended the free event held at the Gaylord Middle School, according to estimates from the organizers.
They came from all communities in Otsego County and the surrounding area. The families were welcomed by about 80 volunteers from 27 community organizations, each with an activity for the children and their parents/caregivers to do together. Games, crafts, puzzles, art projects, music and stories were part of the fun.
Recycling, environment and nature activities were big this year, as the theme was Earth Day. Make-your own snacks were available, and Jet's Pizza was provided at lunchtime. Emergency responders showed their gear, and organizations provided information to parents about available services and programs.
The Fun Fair is organized by a volunteer committee from area agencies working with young children and families. For more information, contact funfairotsego@gmail.com. | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2023/04/28/otsego-area-family-fun-fair-attracts-large-turnout-on-april-22/70145216007/ | 2023-04-28T14:10:57 | 1 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2023/04/28/otsego-area-family-fun-fair-attracts-large-turnout-on-april-22/70145216007/ |
Video above: KSN drone footage of Century II in February 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The company that took over managing Century II last year gave its first update to the Wichita City Council this week. ASM Global has made some improvements, but council members learned they face some future issues that could affect some popular, even beloved, groups and events.
The City of Wichita turned over the management of Century II Performing Arts and Exhibition Center on Jan. 1, 2022. General Manager Chris Whitney said Century II is coming back from the lean pandemic years.
“We’re finally, I feel like, back to a good solid event calendar load,” she said. “We’re seeing that in the industry. We believe the convention center business fully will come back around in ’23.”
Scheduling conflicts
One of the first things she learned on the job is how difficult it is to bring in money-making national tours when so many Century II dates are already spoken for.
“Some clients, before we got here, have been allowed to hold dates 10 years out,” Whitney said. “That’s proven to be a challenge.”
She said that of the 130 events held at Century II and the Expo Hall last year, probably 50 event organizers want to keep their dates for years to come.
“You’ve got your dance recitals, your dance competitions, your ballet, your gun show, … the swap meet, the Women’s Fair, Holiday Galleria, the bridal fair, you know, Cars for Charity,” Whitney said. “They all have like their particular date, and that’s the date they want for eternity.”
She said she understands why that is important, but the City wants ASM to bring in national touring shows, which must be booked several years in advance.
“We can’t have dates locked up that far out,” Whitney said.
She said the scheduling conflicts cost Century II $417,000.
“When we talk about the $417,000 in lost revenue, this was working with national promoters and agents that were looking to hold dates, put a national touring show here, and we didn’t have the date availability,” Whitney said.
Benefits for tenants
She said that Century II tenants Music Theatre Wichita and Wichita Symphony accounted for eight percent of all event income yet took 45% of Concert Hall’s rental days, making it difficult to book the 2,000-seat theater for other events.
“Music Theatre may have a show with eight days of performances. They block out three weeks prior to that to build the sets and for the rehearsals and whatnot,” Whitney said. “The same with the Symphony. When they have a performance on a Sunday, they’ve booked the entire week leading into that for their rehearsals.”
She would like them to have a dedicated rehearsal space somewhere else.
“They say, when we try to move them to a different location, it’s like, ‘Well if we can’t practice in the space … it makes no sense to rehearse.’ So that has created some challenges.”
Whitney said the tenants are currently under a memorandum of understanding with the City through December 2026.
“They receive significant rental discounts, and they’re on rates that were initially established back in 2012,” she said.
Whitney also said the tenants get priority booking and operate their own ticketing platforms with no revenue sharing with Century II.
“There’s a little bit of disparity,” she said. “So just something to note and the challenges it provides when we’re trying to book these national shows.”
Too many discounts, not enough rent
Whitney said rental rates across Century II and Expo Hall are below market value. She said the average industry rate for a similar convention center is 10 to 15 cents a square foot, meaning Exhibition Hall should have a daily rental of $4,400 instead of its current $1,300.
Then there are all the discounts. She said the multiple discounts given under the existing rate policy totaled $129,000 in 2022.
“There’s discounts given for government entities, for nonprofits, and we talked about the tenants,” she said. “It seemed like everybody that was having a show at Century II was receiving some sort of a discount.”
Whitney said there is a lack of consistency from client to client.
“Many unwritten discounts and allowances given, such as if they were having an event day, they were given a move-in rate which is substantially different in price,” she said. “A lot of equipment was used without being charged for.”
City Council may have to change policy
Whitney said she has been working with the city manager’s office to remove some discounts without raising rental rates and to create consistency and transparency with each client. She also wants the City Council to change the current booking policy.
“I think we need to look at that policy to just try to create such that some of the events that think this date is their date forever, there needs to be a little bit more flexibility so that those dates become available when we’re chasing those national touring shows.”
Mayor Brandon Whipple asked if Whitney has tried to work with organizers about changing dates. She said the conversations are happening all the time.
“Certainly when we get the inquiries … having this conversation saying, ‘Look, we’ve got somebody that’s interested in this,'” Whitney said. “The challenge is that those current users are saying, ‘No. We don’t want to give up our date, and we’ll go to contract and pay you right now for our date, to keep our date.'”
City Manager Robert Layton said he would be going to the Council about adopting a new booking policy.
“It’s a real balancing act in terms of trying to drive revenue and performance of the facility versus accommodating community groups that have had access to this facility for so long,” he said. “It will not be easy, I think, to balance that, but we will bring something forward for your consideration.”
Whipple does not want it to come to that.
“That’s my concern,” he said. “I’m not interested in increasing the costs for nonprofits such as Music Theatre of Wichita or to try to negatively impact their program too much. I’d rather a collaborative approach to see where we can find that common ground. It’d be very tough, I think, to have more of a political fix where we come up with a policy that results in a public outcry.”
Whipple said raising rates for tenants will ultimately mean higher ticket prices.
“That’s a concern, so I was hoping we could get ahead of this because I think that a policy fix before a good discussion would be problematic for the public,” he said.
Lindsay Benacka, Wichita’s director of Arts and Cultural Services, pointed out that local organizations and nonprofits that use Century II receive support through the City’s Cultural Arts Funding.
“Similarly, we have a lot of performing arts organizations that are not tenants of Century II and don’t receive the perks of the space that the tenants use, so there’s a misconception, but it’s valid … that we’re providing a sense of favoritism to some organizations over others,” Benacka said.
She pointed out that the nonprofit performing arts sector nationwide is the slowest to recover from the pandemic.
“So, as we’re considering operational changes, booking policy changes, we need to recognize and understand that these organizations are still recovering with their own operations,” Benacka said.
Wichita Council Member Becky Tuttle said she is a proud arts supporter.
“I consistently say that arts are not a nicety. They are a necessity in our community,” she said.
Tuttle pointed to a study in 2017 that showed the arts generated $94.7 million annually for the Wichita economy and supported 2,841 full-time equivalent jobs.
Which events bring in money?
Century II’s general manager shared a graphic with the City Council showing the percentage of various events versus the percentage of income they generated.
“Really, the building is split 50-50 down the middle — 50% on conventions and trade shows using Expo Hall, Exhibition Hall and Convention Hall and 50% of the building using the two theaters, Concert Hall and Mary Jane Teall,” she said.
She said the “other” category includes concerts, festivals and various city events.
“We follow a cost accounting method for each event, tracking each revenue and expense that’s related to each show by show so that when the manager’s office comes over to review the financial statements, they can see exactly how profitable was a Women’s Fair versus the gun show versus the swap meet,” Whitney said. “You can see down to that level as to what events are profitable and what events aren’t.”
The Council wanted to know what ASM Global does with that information.
Whitney said it provides the backbone for conversations when there are date conflicts between long-time events and newer events that can bring in substantially more revenue.
“It’s not always about the bottom line, and it’s not always about we make more money on this event versus that event,” she said. “It’s about the quality of life for our residents. But it helps provide solid information to make better decisions.”
New facility fee
Whitney said the City challenged ASM Global with several goals, including reducing the amount of City subsidies for Century II and increasing revenue.
Whitney said ASM has already made progress, reducing subsidies in 2022 by $800,000.
She said some first-year costs dealt with transitioning from City computers, copiers, and IT (information technology) to ASM. However, since those were one-time costs, Whitney believes Century II will only need about $850,000 in subsidies this year.
Also, ASM added a facility fee late in 2022.
“Being able to add a $1 facility fee on the flat shows, a $4 facility fee on the national touring shows has created a way to have a very minimal cost passed on to the patron who’s using the building and causing the wear and tear without the significant rent increase to the event organizers,” Whitney said.
She said every day is a challenge with an older building so the money will go toward maintenance and repairs.
$5 to park
Vice Mayor Mike Hoheisel asked Whitney about something that started this year – the parking at Century II costing $5 a day. The system requires a smartphone.
“It is very successful, and the revenue it’s generating has exceeded my expectations,” Whitney said.
She said she was told to be prepared for an empty lot and people parking elsewhere. But she said it is full for every show.
“The convention center side actually says thank you for doing that because they can get receipts now. They don’t have to run back and forth and feed a meter. The vendors at the trade shows appreciate it. It’s $5 in and out,” she said.
Hoheisel wanted to know if there could be another option for people who do not have smartphones, such as an attendant or a kiosk.
“The reason we went this way is because of the labor shortages and what it costs to put somebody out in a booth taking money,” Whitney said.
She said there are other options for people who do not have smartphones, including metered spots to the north of the old library, a 500-spot free parking garage over at Garvey Center, and free parking to the south, across from the Hyatt.
The roof and other Century II projects
Hoheisel also asked about the timeline for Century II roof repairs.
City Manager Robert Layton said the design is complete and is under state review because of tax credits. If the plan is approved, the City will ask companies to bid on the job.
Whitney said the blue roof is what many people want to know about.
“It was interesting … how many calls I received of opinions of what color we should paint the roof, and it was a mix between, ‘We should paint it blue,’ and ‘We should paint it the city flag,’ and I thought, interesting, OK, I think we’re going with blue,” she said.
She showed council members the projects that are set for this year.
She said there’s an additional $2.9 million in CIP projects that ASM will take the lead on, specifically $1.5 million related to the HVAC upgrades at Expo Hall.
Whitney said another big project in the works is a $700,000 Wi-Fi system.
What ASM has learned and done
Century II is busy
“One of the things that I never knew, being a resident of Wichita, was how busy this building was,” Whitney said.
She said Century II and the Expo Hall had 130 events in 2022, translating to 545 rental days and 282 event days. Rental days include move-in, move-out, and any other days clients reserve. Event days are the days the event is open to the public.
For example, this weekend’s Women’s Fair has five rental days for setup and teardown and three event days because it is open to the public on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The 130 events in 2022 brought in 251,742 people.
Sharing lobby space can save money
Whitney said ASM has also learned how to decrease costs and increase profits by having events share space. She told the council members about a night when they had events in Mary Jane Teall Theater and in the Concert Hall.
“The concession stand in Concert Hall’s been remodeled. It’s much bigger. It has a larger lobby space than Mary Jane Teall,” she said. “We opened the doors in between the two … and allowed patrons from Mary Jane Teall to flow over into Concert Hall.”
Whitney said it worked because the intermissions were at different times. She said the result was a better guest experience for the Mary Jane Teall audience, and ASM minimized labor costs.
“We were able to keep staff busy the entire duration of the show versus … long dead periods.”
Opportunities to make additional money
ASM is looking at other ways to increase Century II’s revenue. Whitney mentioned things they are putting in place to improve the guest experience.
- Valet parking for ticketed theater events
- Expedited food and beverage sales with mobile ordering once the new Wi-Fi system is in place
- Additional points of sale for food and beverages
“One of the newest things that we’ve rolled out is what we call the balcony lounge,” she said.
It’s on the second level of the Concert Hall.
“This is just dead space that was not used. We’ve added additional points of sale for food and beverage up there, created a seating area, and opened the doors so that guests can come up the stairs before the house opens.”
Too many people had access to the building
When ASM took over, it noticed some security issues around Century II — vandalism, broken windows, loitering, and general access to the building.
“When I first got there, the building was wide open,” Whitney said. “Just as an employee, I was concerned. So one of the things we did was we went through and identified all of the badges that have access to the basement and shut off over a hundred badge accesses to people that had really no reason to have access, but they just did.”
She said they were trying to keep people from randomly walking through the building.
“You can’t just wander in and do your laundry in the bathroom as we found,” Whitney said.
ASM also locked down Century II on non-event days. It moved the box office to the exterior Concert Hall box office. Ticket sellers serve as receptionists, letting employees know when a guest has arrived.
Mary Jane Teall Theater is underutilized
Whitney said Mary Jane Teall Theater only had about 26% utilization in 2022. There were 20 events in the theater with 98 rental days.
“That space has approximately 600 plus seats, and as we have run into several date availability issues with Concert Hall, we’ve been able to slide shows over into Mary Jane Teall,” she said. “So again, it’s another great space that’s underutilized, so we’re looking to put more content in that space.”
Utilities are expensive
“One of the things that shocked me the most was utilities, how much utilities are running well over budget,” Whitney said. “We saw a $350,000 overspend on utilities, and that’s one of the things I challenged engineering with right out of the gate.”
She said the HVAC (heating, ventilating, and air conditioning) system is old and lacks automation. The Capital Improvement Program includes upgrades that she hopes will reduce costs.
Whitney said the Century II energy plant on the west side of the building also provides service to the old downtown library. She said when there was some kind of issue at the shuttered library over Christmas, it caused Century II’s utility usage to go up.
“It’s something that we certainly will need to work together with figuring that out if and when something happens with that library of how to manage and track utility usage on that side,” she told council members.
Change brings success
Whitney believes many people do not realize there is something happening almost all the time at Century II. So her team has developed a bi-weekly digital newsletter that highlights upcoming events.
“It is important to tell the story and tell it often because there is so much competition for the dollar, for the discretionary dollar,” she said. “We want them to spend it in the Wichita area, and we want them to spend it in our building.”
The newsletter goes to about 82,000 people who have previously bought tickets or who have signed up for the newsletter.
The team is also active on Century II’s social media platforms, getting an 11% increase in followers on Facebook and a 178% increase on Instagram.
The team also implemented email blasts for specific events. The email includes a link to purchase tickets. Whitney said the email blasts resulted in 1,964 purchased tickets for $70,000 in additional ticket revenue.
ASM has rebranded Century II’s logo and made the website easy to manage in-house.
ASM converted Century II to a new booking software that’s more user-friendly and offers real-time availability.
It also transitioned to Select-A-Seat for ticketing. Whitney said the previous ticketing system was costly, and the change saved them $43,000. Guests can now buy tickets at either Century II or Intrust Bank Arena.
Whitney said Century II switched its concessions company to SAVOR, ASM’s in-house food and beverage division, on Feb. 1, 2022. She said SAVOR generated $575,000 in gross revenue in 11 months compared to the $499,000 from the previous concessionaire in 2019 for a full calendar year.
ASM partnered with third-party vendors for decorations, audio-visual services, security and T-shirts. ASM suggests those vendors to event organizers. When the clients use those companies, Century II gets a percentage. Those partnerships generated $34,000 in additional income in 2022.
Whitney said ASM is working with agents to bring in national touring shows and with local partners to develop new event activity in Expo Hall.
What is Century II missing?
Council members asked Whitney what Century II might need to get more events. She said the largest book of business missing from the Century II business model is banquets and galas.
“You can do it in Exhibition Hall, but it just kind of has a weird setup,” she said.
She said Exhibition Hall is also too far from the kitchen.
Whitney also said Century II does not have a great place to host a wedding.
“You either have this massive Exhibition Hall or this small Concert Hall lobby area,” she said. “So to host a wedding is very, very difficult, and that’s really where those ballrooms come in or those galas and those fundraisers.” | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/century-ii-update-shows-tough-decisions-could-be-ahead/ | 2023-04-28T14:11:04 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/century-ii-update-shows-tough-decisions-could-be-ahead/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita Public Library has introduced its 2023 Summer Reading Progam.
This year’s theme is “All Together Now,” which the Library states emphasizes the importance of community and bringing people back together.
The Library is inviting toddlers, kids, teens, and (for the first time) adults to read books, participate in educational programs and activities and win cool prizes all summer long.
This year’s four levels of participation:
- Pre-readers (birth-preschoolers)
- Encourages caregivers to pick up a timed reading record with tracking stickers to see how often they can read together
- Kids read (kindergarten-fifth grade)
- Lets kids set their own reading goals using a new badge book to track progress
- Teens read (sixth-twelfth grade)
- Lets teens track their own reading goals with a customizable journal
- Adult summer reading (ages 18+)
- Encourages adults to use the Beanstack app and play bingo to earn a free slice of pizza (or other food) from a local restaurant while supplies last. Blackouts on the bingo card give adults entry into a grand prize drawing – two free dinner/show tickets to Mosley Street Melodrama
“The Summer Reading Program combats learning loss during time away from school, especially during the summer break,” the Library said. “The program keeps young minds active through reading and educational activities.”
Pre-registration for the Program begins May 1.
On May 25, participants can begin to pick up their supplies from their favorite Wichita Public Library location. On June 27, participants can begin picking up their prizes.
The last day of the Program is August 1.
For other summer events at Wichita Public Libraries, click here.
Wichita Public Library would like to note its Westlink Branch Library will be operating out of a temporary location for 12-14 months starting May 22 due to construction at the branch. The temporary location is located at 7011 W. Central Ave., Suite 205.
For more information about the Westlink remodel, click here. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-public-library-introduces-2023-summer-reading-program/ | 2023-04-28T14:11:10 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-public-library-introduces-2023-summer-reading-program/ |
MUNCIE, Ind. — Prom season is a special time for high schoolers. However, so many never get the chance to attend a prom. Two Muncie mothers are providing prom outfits for hundreds of individuals with special needs across Indiana.
Lynne Hatfield and Mindy Kemper both have special needs children. Their kids didn't get invited to social events like prom.
They always looked forward to the local ball, which came to an end. So, the two moms decided to start it back up. In the last decade, it went from 60 people of all ages to currently 800 from all over Indiana.
"It's hard when you're a special needs parent and they're not accepted, and to have an event that they can go to and a place that they can go to and they're accepted, it's unbelievable," said Hatfield. "It's just a night of joy."
"A lot of walls are dropped at our events," Kemper said.
Their nonprofit group, the Delaware County Special Needs Prom, is hosting a dress party Saturday, April 29 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Community of Hope Church at 1968 West Main St. in Muncie.
"Everything we do is free. We don't charge admission, we don't charge for dresses, suits. We never charge for anything. So, that's why we're so dependent on donations because we don't want anyone to not attend because they don't have the funds," said Kemper. "It's a night for these individuals to be accepted. They're not singled out and rejoiced for the individual that they are."
They are also hosting a Dress to Impress event for men Saturday, May 6.
They are in need of donations and volunteers ahead of their prom on May 20.
There are drop off locations around Indiana.
Click here if you would like to help or participate. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/muncie-mother-host-special-needs-prom-dress-party/531-e3a66917-712d-4c28-8eba-fe2957401209 | 2023-04-28T14:16:58 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/muncie-mother-host-special-needs-prom-dress-party/531-e3a66917-712d-4c28-8eba-fe2957401209 |
Fayetteville officials say Gillespie Street encampment will be cleared next week
The city of Fayetteville will clear an encampment of homeless people under the Martin Luther King, Jr. Freeway on Gillespie Street next week, officials said Tuesday.
Members of the City Council’s Homelessness and Mental Health Committee heard from Brook Redding, a special projects manager with the City Manager’s Office, at its Tuesday morning regular meeting. Redding said Tuesday the encampment was only being cleared after months of city officials working with the people living there as part of a pilot program called the Impact Reduction Program.
That program has been three years in the making, with city employees first evaluating the issue of encampments in April 2020, Redding said.
“It’s dedicated to reducing the negative impact of homeless and public camping in the city,” he said.
The city conducted a formal analysis of what it could do about the issue in 2021, and in 2022, the City Council instructed employees to work with the Fayetteville-Cumberland County Continuum of Care, Redding said. The Continuum of Care is a collaboration between the city, Cumberland County and local agencies and nonprofits that connects homeless people with resources and develops strategies to tackle homelessness locally, according to its website.
The City Council voted in August to prohibit camping on city property, and the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners passed a similar ordinance in December prohibiting “camping or establishing a camp on county property.” This means that individuals camping on such property can be charged with trespassing, but Redding emphasized that charging those experiencing homelessness is not the goal of the Impact Reduction Program.
Instead, he said, the program aims to center compassion and empathy in its interactions with the city’s homeless population while guiding them to alternative options. Encampments like the one on Gillespie Street can turn unsanitary and pose a safety risk to those living there and residents in the area, Redding said.
A lengthy process
The Impact Reduction Program operates under a four- to six-week phased approach, he said. At encampments identified by the city as high-risk — though it was unclear exactly how the city makes this assessment — officials begin by talking with residents at the camps, handing out flyers and encouraging them to seek out available resources, Redding said.
Redding added the city will consider publicly sharing how it qualifies sites as high-risk after Councilman Mario Benavente, the chair of the Homelessness and Mental Health Committee, asked if it was possible to do so.
For many, he explained, the encampments are only a temporary solution.
“There’s a transitional element to these types of camps,” Redding said.
Related:Your guide to the five biggest issues Cumberland County faces in 2023
In some cases, like with the Gillespie Street camp, the city will provide trash cans and portable toilets to create a more sanitary environment, he said. At the Gillespie Street camp, officials felt they had done all they could to mitigate the situation after working with the people living in that camp for more than two years, Redding said. A notice to clean up trash at the site was posted in October, but the situation didn’t improve, he said.
A notice to vacate the site of the camp was posted by the city on Monday, Redding said. Residents of the encampment were given a 10-day notice instead of the program’s customary three-day notice because of the size of the community, with more than 20 tents at the site, he said.
A difficult task
During the meeting, Councilman Mario Benavente, the chair of the Homelessness and Mental Health Committee, said the encampments present a difficult issue to tackle, but he was pleased with the actions taken by the program.
“I feel comfortable with what we’re doing right now, which I feel like is an in-between,” Benavente said.
Related:'The ordinance is a joke:' Is it a crime to be homeless in Fayetteville?
Redding told committee members the program has worked to connect individuals at the Gillespie Street camp with resources, but not everyone at the site wanted them, in part because the residents of the camp feel connected.
“This one has had a good amount of time to grow as a community,” Redding said.
The Gillespie Street encampment is scheduled to be cleared on Wednesday, and those who refuse to leave can be charged with trespassing at that point, he said.
“That part is uncomfortable,” Redding said.
Related:Fayetteville takes steps to clear out homeless camps near downtown library
However, he noted, most people living at the site seemed excited about the prospect of temporary housing and rental assistance, which the program provides through funding from Urban Ministry, a Fayetteville nonprofit.
Councilwoman Brenda McNair said Redding’s team was doing good work and noted the challenge of helping those who may be skeptical or hesitant about accepting available resources.
“We cannot force them to accept what’s good for them,” she said.
Public safety reporter Lexi Solomon can be reached at ABSolomon@gannett.com. | https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/fayetteville-officials-move-to-clear-out-gillespie-street-encampment/70139775007/ | 2023-04-28T14:17:35 | 0 | https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/fayetteville-officials-move-to-clear-out-gillespie-street-encampment/70139775007/ |
A health advocacy group is urging the Canadian province of Manitoba to end its contract with Sanford Health, which provides care to ease the province’s backlog, on the grounds that North Dakota has passed what it calls discriminatory laws.
The Manitoba Health Coalition said a near total ban on the “reproductive choice of women, girls and anyone who can become pregnant," and the ban on “medically necessary care” for transgender patients demands a response.
“Gender-affirming care and abortion are health care services, not politics,” Thomas Linner, Manitoba Health Coalition’s provincial director, said in a statement. “Everyone deserves to live with dignity, and to access the medical care they need without being subject to fear, hatred and discrimination.”
Sanford Health in response issued a brief statement: “Sanford Health is dedicated to providing exceptional health care for all patients in accordance with state law.”
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The Manitoba Health Coalition is a Winnipeg-based nonprofit that describes itself as a health advocacy organization that works for “preservation and expansion of universal, public health care” and as a “leading voice in the fight against efforts to privatize health care.”
The North Dakota Legislature has passed and Gov. Doug Burgum has signed into law a raft of restrictive bills involving transgender people, including a law banning treatments for transgender minors.
The Legislature also has passed and Burgum has signed into law a near-total abortion ban.
In January 2022, news reports surfaced in Manitoba that the provincial government was in discussions with Sanford Health to help alleviate a surgical backlog and would like to send up to 300 patients a year for spinal surgery.
Sanford administrators at the time said the health system wasn’t prepared because of the COVID-19 pandemic to accept any patients from Canada. Bryan Nermoe, then president of Sanford Health in Fargo, said, however, “At some point in time we would be working with our neighbors to the north.”
Linner in a statement to Forum News Service on Thursday acknowledged that the Manitoba Health Coalition already was opposed to the province of Manitoba sending patients to North Dakota for treatment.
“We have been critical of the Sanford Health deal previously, believing that the Manitoba government should invest in our public health care system to handle our surgical and diagnostic procedure backlog, rather than sign contracts with U.S. providers, especially considering that the details of those contracts are not publicly available,” he said. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/health/manitoba-health-advocates-upset-with-discriminatory-nd-laws-cite-abortion-transgender-bills/article_d6e6b776-e549-11ed-b5c5-0f71a9fdeea2.html | 2023-04-28T14:17:45 | 1 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/health/manitoba-health-advocates-upset-with-discriminatory-nd-laws-cite-abortion-transgender-bills/article_d6e6b776-e549-11ed-b5c5-0f71a9fdeea2.html |
BISBEE — There was an underhand pitch to a pin-striped striker. A sudden crack rang in the late morning air and the ball bounced once off the dusty diamond, before landing squarely in a naked palm.
The senior first-baseman jogged the ball back, tossing it to the “hurler” at the mound. A gentle “strike three” was called out to a meager crowd and the “Yuma Aces” dugout ran onto the field. It was around 11 a.m., inside Warren Ballpark, “the oldest multisport arena in the U.S,” on the first day of the annual Copper City Classic Baseball Tournament in Bisbee.
The Copper City Classic has been celebrating the rules and vocabulary of 1800s baseball for 12 years now. The vintage style tournament, taking place annually in April, features “matches” between teams from the Arizona Vintage Baseball League.
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The Arizona Vintage Baseball League has been around for 15 years, with 2022 being its first season back after a COVID hiatus.
The league returned this year, with its usual variety of vintage-style teams from all over Arizona. Teams like the Phoenix Senators, The Tucson Saguaros, The Maricopa Maidens and The Mesa Miners, played baseball with rules and vocabulary from 1863.
Some of these vocab modifications have more obvious origins than others. For example, a batter is a “striker,” shortstop is a “short scout” and a pitcher is the “hurler.” But some titles like “arbitrator” for umpire and “gardener” for outfielder rectify an artificial glimpse at skins the sport has long since shed.
“Sliding is ungentlemanly. We don’t cuss. The worst thing someone can say about your play is, ‘that was unconscionable,’” Paul “Bucky” Biwer said.
Biwer was representing The Colorado All Stars, who were up to bat next against the Phoenix Senators. They were gathered on a bench down near the dugout, decked out in blue and gold attire. A large golden star patch was sewn onto the front of their overalls.
“It’s so much fun. For the guys that are tired of playing competitive, spandex, sunglasses, one-hour hustle softball, this is more relaxed and it’s more authentic,” said Biwer.
Biwer picked up one of the vintage baseballs they were using in the game on the bench next to him, “They call that a peach pattern. For sewing,” he explained, pointing at the intricate lacing on the underside of the ball.
“You don’t need gloves. We’re bare handed. You can catch the ball in one bounce and that’s an out,” Biwer said, citing vintage rules of 1863.
The relaxed and celebratory nature of the event invoked good-spirited competition between teams and most participants just seemed happy to be involved.
“We try and come down here every year. Last year I was the only player on the team that could come and the year before that COVID interfered,” Biwer said.
The Colorado All Stars are part of the Colorado Vintage Baseball Association and traveled to Bisbee to compete against the vintage Arizona teams.
Biwer was first up to bat for the All Stars as he wagged his birch wood bat around in the early afternoon air before cracking a ball into left field, throwing the bat into the dust behind him and sprinting for first.
Beyond baseball
At around noon, a line had formed near the concessions and a couple of vendors had just finished setting up their tents.
“This is pretty much how it all started,” said Brian Carter, pointing to a 42-inch bat. “Anything kind of went back then because they really didn’t know yet.”
Carter, founder and CEO of Smacker Bats, was selling his vintage-style baseball bats at the classic. The bats ranged in colors and sizes, some sporting intricate striped patterns while others were furnished with handle knobs resembling Victorian bed posts.
“We have been doing this professionally for 12 years. These are 1800s replicas. We use poplar wood, maple wood, birch wood and hickory wood,” Carter said.
Smacker Bats is based out of Queen Creek, Arizona, and is the official bat of the Arizona Vintage Baseball League.
“The paint schemes, like for instance this one,” Carter said, turning one of the bats with three distinct stripes painted on the barrel over in his hand, “back in the 1800s maybe this meant that he had three children. It’s not just for design. Maybe he played third base. Maybe he had three home-runs.”
Carter said he consistently attends the Copper City Classic and tries to make it to every vintage event within driving range.
Next door to the Smacker Bats tent, was a blue and yellow tent with multiple large tables set up outside. A man fully adorned in Buffalo Soldier cavalry attire was standing out front with a bayonet and an orange popsicle.
“We were invited to come down because this is a very historic place with historic events having to do with baseball, and in some cases some of the baseball players were not just baseball players, but were buffalo soldiers, as well,” said Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers chairman of the board, Billie Holloway Sr.
The Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers is a nonprofit organization established in 2015.
“They wanted us to come on down and put a lot of our memorabilia on display and answer questions about who we are and why we’re in existence: And that is to continue to tell the story about the contributions those soldiers made in settling the west,” Holloway said.
The Southwest Association of Buffalo Soldiers’ (SWABS) presence highlighted another significant piece of Arizona’s late 1800s history: The interesting and intensely complex existence of Black Buffalo Soldiers who were baseball players; one of whom being Jackie Robinson.
The SWABS table was cluttered with pre-20th century weapons of warfare; guns and swords and literature about the controversial complications of manifest destiny.
It was around 1:30 p.m. when the fourth match started: The Colorado All Stars vs. the first vintage all-women team to compete in the classic: The Maricopa Maidens.
The Maricopa Maidens, dressed in red and white uniforms harkening back to the All Girls Professional Baseball Team of the 1940s and ‘50s, were warming up behind the field an hour before the match; throwing, catching and batting while simultaneously trying to keep their small children occupied with snacks and sunscreen.
“The fact that usually you just see like one or two women on a team and to have like the first all-women team on this, we’ve been getting a lot of interest from all over. A lot of people are looking forward to this game,” said Maricopa Maiden captain Michelle “Roxy” O’connell.
The stands were full by the start of the game and there was cheering and whistling following every play. Attendees dressed in throwback top hats and long bloomers stood still for eager photographers.
The first day of the event wrapped up at around 7:30 p.m. after all nine scheduled matches were played. All of the profits from the weekend events went into improving the Warren Ballpark.
The Friends of Warren Ballpark organization hosted the classic and hoped to introduce participants to the historical importance of the location.
The mission of the group is to promote, restore and renovate the ballpark as a functioning community asset for the Bisbee Unified School District and the community at large,” its website says.
The Copper City Classic is an annual event taking place in April in Bisbee. Learn more about the league at arizonavintagebaseball.org. | https://tucson.com/news/local/vintage-bisbee-baseball-tourney-takes-the-sport-back-to-the-1800s/article_6bcb9ba6-df35-11ed-ac8d-d3e2a8ecd956.html | 2023-04-28T14:22:05 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/vintage-bisbee-baseball-tourney-takes-the-sport-back-to-the-1800s/article_6bcb9ba6-df35-11ed-ac8d-d3e2a8ecd956.html |
The following is is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Re: the April 18 letter “Medical care.”
I read with empathy and sympathy a recent letter on follow-up care to his wife’s TMC admission. Since I just finished 35 plus years as a neurosurgeon in Tucson and joined the millions on Medicare I might have a perspective from both sides. I can’t help the letter writer much, but perhaps I can help a future patient in making some decisions and give some understanding.
In-patient healthcare changed roughly two decades ago. Your primary care dropped hospital privileges and hospitalists as a specialty arose. Hospitalist became the in-patient primary physicians and traffic cops directing care while delivering it. They are responsible for ordering things and at the same time delivering general care but consulting specialists for complex or specialty specific issues. But at discharge there was no longer a pool of primary doctors to follow up with. Admittedly, even with some specialists the follow up could be hard to obtain. To its credit, TMC has a stroke and TIA clinic for follow up, so no one drops through the cracks. Hospitals have social workers and case managers (you may have to ask) who can be of enormous help. Which brings us to the insurance part.
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Few patients realize insurance is really a contract: you pay your premiums to have certain parts of your healthcare paid (often in part) and access to providers. It’s similar (unfortunately) to those add-on car warranties where Bronze gives you a basic level of coverage and Silver covers more of the car. You get the idea. Even after dealing with the medical practice contracts, Medicare was for me a nearly overwhelming mystery of plans. I went to a broker who was excellent at understanding that a Tucson-centered Medicare plan wasn’t going to work for me. I hike and bike in Utah and Colorado, I needed a plan that would be national. This is a major take home message: you have to have a plan that fits your life. If you almost never travel you might save some bucks with a geographical restricted plan. For most people a broker, a center for the aging rep, or a Medicare coach is almost a necessity. And don’t forget those friends who have run the gauntlet and can help.
For the letter writer, it was unfortunate he was told he had the “wrong” insurance. It’s not really “wrong”, it’s that the particular doctor/clinic doesn’t have a contract with that company. My own personal policy was to appoint the patient anyway. I always said I took care of patients not plans. Also, if the patient had an appointment but a plan we didn’t do, I’d still see the patient. I figured what did I really have to lose by seeing the patient. Maybe I wouldn’t get paid, but the time was already booked out, might as well see the patient. Also, turning patients away creates bad feelings and bad publicity. A no brainer.
Here’s where the hew and cry will enter. The letter writer (and virtually most) had an option: Offer to be seen on a cash/credit card basis. Ouch! You say. “That’s what I have insurance for!” Costly, unpalatable, unaffordable, avaricious all spring to mind. Which brings us around to choosing the right plan to begin with. Medicare of Maui probably isn’t going to be the best choice for someone who winters/summers in Tucson.
I’ll end on a request to cut the doctors’ offices some slack, too. It’s not enjoyable to have someone exploding in the waiting room because they were appointed but the insurance was not contracted with the doctor/clinic. The office scheduler was trying to head off a bad situation. Yes, healthcare is complex, needlessly. However, it’s going to change, however, it is unlikely to be less complex in the near future. Get some help to navigate and to help in decision making.
Kurt Schroeder is retired from 35 years of neurosurgery in Tucson. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-medical-care-is-too-complex/article_b87a8ae6-e3ce-11ed-aef8-7fc577926635.html | 2023-04-28T14:22:24 | 1 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-medical-care-is-too-complex/article_b87a8ae6-e3ce-11ed-aef8-7fc577926635.html |
WATERLOO — One person was flown to the hospital after his vehicle crashed head-on into a semi and caught fire early Friday.
The identity and condition of the man and other details weren’t immediately available.
The crash happened at about 2:15 a.m. on northbound U.S. Highway 218 near the Broadway Street overpass.
Witnesses told police a Dodge Charger was traveling the wrong way on the highway and collided with a semi. The Charger caught fire, and a passerby removed the occupant from the burning car, according to officials with Waterloo Fire Rescue.
The semi broke through a concrete jersey barrier that separates the lanes. The semi driver wasn’t injured.
Firefighters extinguished the flames. The person in the Charger suffered burns and other injuries and was flown to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/one-injured-in-fiery-head-on-crash-with-semi/article_9448cc93-ec76-5f03-84f5-a16a35dd1b53.html | 2023-04-28T14:23:03 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/one-injured-in-fiery-head-on-crash-with-semi/article_9448cc93-ec76-5f03-84f5-a16a35dd1b53.html |
TUSCOLA COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) - Voters in Tuscola County will be asked to support a new bond issue to replace the jail in Caro.
The Tuscola County Board of Commissioners voted 4-0 on Thursday to call a special election for Aug. 8 and ask voters to approve a $44 million bond issue to replace the Tuscola County Jail.
This will be the second request for a new jail in less than year. Tuscola County voters turned down a $50 million bond issue in November 2022 for the same purpose.
Tuscola County Jail Administrator Lt. Brian Harris said the new facility is necessary to keep up with changing needs and replace aging infrastructure in the existing jail, which dates back to 1966.
He said an increasing number of transgender and violent inmates requires more holding cells, but there is no space in the existing jail. The facility also has a poor layout based on today's design standards and lacks rehabilitation or education space for inmates.
The $50 million bond issue voted down in November would have cost the average Tuscola County household about $78 per year. The lower $44 million request in August would cost the average homeowner around $70 per year. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/tuscola-county-asking-voters-for-44-million-to-replace-jail/article_560c84ee-e5be-11ed-ada3-3ff69c98daeb.html | 2023-04-28T14:25:07 | 0 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/tuscola-county-asking-voters-for-44-million-to-replace-jail/article_560c84ee-e5be-11ed-ada3-3ff69c98daeb.html |
NORMAL — Graduation for the Crossroads Area Home School Association, or CAHSA, will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at Calvary Baptist Church in Normal.
Graduates are as follows:
A-Z Laura Bruhl, Nathan Cale, Nina Damkoehler, Julieta Herrarte, Jordan Jackson, Caleb King, Gianna Marko, Ethan Sladek, Zoe Sorenson, Ross Steidinger, Grace Tofte, Cole Young and Michael Zozzaro.
Third grade is the last chance for students to master reading with help from teachers before they face more rigorous expectations.
Most and least lucrative college majors, by state
Most and least lucrative college majors, by state
Over a dozen medical schools and 40 law schools have elected to withdraw from the U.S. News & World Report annual college rankings as of February 2023. Critics argue that the well-known college ranking system is based upon metrics that neglect to consider many qualities that influence student success, such as postgraduate placement rates and course credit transfer applicability.
The ongoing exodus has left prospective graduate students with one less all-inclusive tool to navigate the application process. And while no undergraduate institutions have withdrawn yet, the trend has revealed the need for more reliable and independent bases of comparison among colleges and academic programs.
One such measure, the median earnings of college graduates by field of study, can significantly impact career prospects. On a national level, those who study nuclear engineering technologies or become technicians in that field have the highest median earnings three years after graduation at $107,804, followed by the fields of biomathematics, bioinformatics, and computational biology ($98,074), operations research ($96,452), marine transportation ($94,032), and petroleum engineering ($93,515).
Yet, while it remains true that college graduates have higher lifetime earnings than noncollege graduates , some of the lowest-earning majors still earn less than a living wage, and earnings vary considerably by state, owing to differences in local economies and industry location.
EDsmart used data for the 2020-21 school year from the Department of Education to rank degree majors in each state by median earnings after graduation for those with bachelor's degrees. Some degree programs listed are only offered at one college in the state. When a major is offered at multiple colleges, the analysis lists the median earnings between them.
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Alabama
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $75,983
#2. Mechanical Engineering: $75,677
#3. Chemical Engineering: $75,476
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Dance: $14,061
#2. Anthropology: $26,979
#3. Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies: $28,052
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Alaska
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $89,097
#2. Construction Management: $78,757
#3. Civil Engineering: $75,570
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Fine and Studio Arts: $15,049
#2. English Language and Literature, General: $34,508
#3. History: $35,319
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Arizona
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Mining and Mineral Engineering: $87,557
#2. Computer Science: $83,960
#3. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $82,451
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Music: $23,544
#2. Culinary Arts and Related Services: $24,431
#3. Religious Education: $26,500
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Arkansas
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Industrial Engineering: $82,519
#2. Chemical Engineering: $78,844
#3. Computer Engineering: $75,031
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies: $17,771
#2. Film/Video and Photographic Arts: $23,112
#3. Anthropology: $25,601
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California
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Mathematics and Computer Science: $166,134
#2. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians: $102,821
#3. Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology: $98,074
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language: $17,472
#2. Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology: $19,275
#3. Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems: $23,563
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Colorado
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $99,390
#2. Mining and Mineral Engineering: $91,467
#3. Computer Engineering: $86,676
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Visual and Performing Arts, General: $19,477
#2. Music: $26,514
#3. Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services: $28,457
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Connecticut
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Science: $101,875
#2. Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians: $89,737
#3. Industrial Engineering: $84,039
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Dance: $22,574
#2. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $26,567
#3. Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies: $28,900
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Delaware
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer and Information Sciences, General: $77,658
#2. International Business: $77,043
#3. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing: $75,052
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Fine and Studio Arts: $25,862
#2. Agriculture, General: $28,917
#3. Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management: $32,512
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Florida
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Systems Engineering: $84,893
#2. Nuclear Engineering: $78,797
#3. Chemical Engineering: $78,263
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Area Studies: $11,630
#2. East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: $21,210
#3. Alternative and Complementary Medicine and Medical Systems: $22,136
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Georgia
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $99,981
#2. Industrial Engineering: $83,647
#3. Chemical Engineering: $80,316
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $22,514
#2. Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services: $22,920
#3. Communication Disorders Sciences and Services: $23,618
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Hawaii
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing: $82,566
#2. Computer Engineering: $78,040
#3. Mechanical Engineering: $77,099
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Teaching English or French as a Second or Foreign Language: $18,014
#2. Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis: $24,761
#3. East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: $25,606
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Idaho
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Science: $85,292
#2. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $79,227
#3. Construction Management: $76,366
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Physiology, Pathology, and Related Sciences: $16,639
#2. Public Health: $16,879
#3. Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services: $17,192
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Illinois
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Mathematics and Statistics, Other: $99,815
#2. Engineering Physics: $90,556
#3. Chemical Engineering: $85,168
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Dance: $25,046
#2. Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other: $29,202
#3. Film/Video and Photographic Arts: $29,500
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Indiana
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Mathematics and Statistics, Other: $99,815
#2. Computer Engineering: $82,000
#3. Chemical Engineering: $81,917
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Non-Professional General Legal Studies (Undergraduate): $27,346
#2. Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services: $27,601
#3. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $27,844
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Iowa
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Engineering: $83,292
#2. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $82,120
#3. Computer Science: $81,196
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Film/Video and Photographic Arts: $27,317
#2. Religion/Religious Studies: $30,183
#3. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $31,250
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Kansas
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $81,042
#2. Construction Engineering Technologies: $79,928
#3. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $78,614
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies: $25,370
#2. Theological and Ministerial Studies: $26,975
#3. History: $27,982
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Kentucky
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Mining and Mineral Engineering: $83,128
#2. Computer Engineering: $81,142
#3. Chemical Engineering: $76,377
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services: $23,060
#2. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $25,376
#3. Biotechnology: $26,842
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Louisiana
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Veterinary Medicine: $88,967
#2. Petroleum Engineering: $82,895
#3. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $79,563
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Neurobiology and Neurosciences: $17,841
#2. Fine and Studio Arts: $26,151
#3. Film/Video and Photographic Arts: $27,133
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Maine
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Science: $122,292
#2. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering: $105,033
#3. Engineering Technologies/Technicians, Other: $94,068
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General: $24,486
#2. Fine and Studio Arts: $27,217
#3. Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions: $29,354
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Maryland
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Engineering: $88,738
#2. Biomedical/Medical Engineering: $84,359
#3. Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods: $83,667
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Neurobiology and Neurosciences: $19,826
#2. Music: $26,570
#3. Dance: $27,904
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Massachusetts
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Statistics: $240,408
#2. Applied Mathematics: $121,771
#3. Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering: $104,400
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $24,627
#2. East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: $25,544
#3. Dance: $25,697
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Michigan
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Marine Transportation: $112,111
#2. Computer Engineering: $84,869
#3. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $84,558
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Philosophy: $21,836
#2. Religious Education: $22,530
#3. Dance: $26,477
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Minnesota
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Other: $96,294
#2. Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection: $82,547
#3. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $80,028
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities: $19,093
#2. Theological and Ministerial Studies: $21,358
#3. Intercultural/Multicultural and Diversity Studies: $26,698
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Mississippi
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Chemical Engineering: $82,587
#2. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $78,161
#3. Industrial Engineering: $76,651
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Dance: $20,269
#2. Public Health: $25,902
#3. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General: $26,516
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Missouri
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $81,649
#2. Metallurgical Engineering: $80,915
#3. Chemical Engineering: $79,469
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Dance: $22,239
#2. Pastoral Counseling and Specialized Ministries: $23,927
#3. Graphic Communications: $26,612
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Montana
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $99,324
#2. Computer Science: $85,881
#3. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $73,528
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $22,528
#2. Fine and Studio Arts: $26,986
#3. Anthropology: $27,840
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Nebraska
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Management Information Systems and Services: $95,916
#2. Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods: $86,584
#3. Computer Science: $79,462
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other: $30,855
#2. Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies: $30,868
#3. International/Global Studies: $31,043
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Nevada
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $99,981
#2. Mining and Mineral Engineering: $82,783
#3. Computer Science: $81,899
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $28,032
#2. Culinary Arts and Related Services: $29,136
#3. Film/Video and Photographic Arts: $29,884
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New Hampshire
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Science: $128,856
#2. Computer Engineering: $81,988
#3. Engineering Science: $81,883
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies: $25,849
#2. Fine and Studio Arts: $30,605
#3. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $31,196
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New Jersey
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Science: $102,092
#2. Engineering-Related Fields: $88,104
#3. Computer Engineering: $84,010
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences: $17,565
#2. Theological and Ministerial Studies: $21,990
#3. Visual and Performing Arts, General: $25,870
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New Mexico
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $103,706
#2. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $80,482
#3. Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical Engineering: $79,616
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Anthropology: $16,943
#2. English Language and Literature, General: $19,480
#3. Visual and Performing Arts, General: $22,430
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New York
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Operations Research: $108,107
#2. Nuclear Engineering Technologies/Technicians: $107,804
#3. Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants: $93,664
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Theological and Ministerial Studies: $13,132
#2. Music: $24,946
#3. Dance: $26,408
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North Carolina
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Applied Mathematics: $86,155
#2. Computer Engineering: $81,527
#3. Biomedical/Medical Engineering: $79,892
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Graphic Communications: $20,902
#2. Dance: $20,952
#3. Audiovisual Communications Technologies/Technicians: $23,798
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North Dakota
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $94,157
#2. Computer Engineering: $93,292
#3. Chemical Engineering: $79,432
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Visual and Performing Arts, General: $30,668
#2. Educational Administration and Supervision: $31,580
#3. Human Services, General: $32,325
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Ohio
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $89,305
#2. Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians: $82,178
#3. Engineering, Other: $79,496
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Music: $23,564
#2. Visual and Performing Arts, General: $26,542
#3. Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services: $27,584
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Oklahoma
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Environmental Control Technologies/Technicians: $92,170
#2. Petroleum Engineering: $91,932
#3. Chemical Engineering: $86,071
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Dance: $21,885
#2. Behavioral Sciences: $22,548
#3. Music: $23,041
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Oregon
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Fire Protection: $95,984
#2. Computer Science: $93,529
#3. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing: $84,519
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics: $18,076
#2. Visual and Performing Arts, General: $24,654
#3. Philosophy: $24,749
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Pennsylvania
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Systems Science and Theory: $103,805
#2. Real Estate: $91,484
#3. Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services, Other: $91,269
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Dance: $26,673
#2. Religious Education: $27,523
#3. Visual and Performing Arts, General: $28,321
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Rhode Island
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Science: $184,762
#2. Computer Engineering: $86,408
#3. Applied Mathematics: $85,199
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Neurobiology and Neurosciences: $21,984
#2. Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions: $26,352
#3. Woodworking: $27,613
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South Carolina
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Chemical Engineering: $79,104
#2. Industrial Engineering: $76,236
#3. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $73,643
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $22,735
#2. Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General: $23,392
#3. Culinary Arts and Related Services: $24,431
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South Dakota
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Mechanical Engineering: $70,876
#2. Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management: $66,125
#3. Civil Engineering: $63,839
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $30,114
#2. Fine and Studio Arts: $31,018
#3. Computer Software and Media Applications: $31,143
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Tennessee
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Nuclear Engineering: $83,022
#2. Engineering Science: $78,634
#3. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $76,936
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Social Sciences, Other: $24,018
#2. Visual and Performing Arts, General: $24,047
#3. Culinary Arts and Related Services: $24,431
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Texas
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $103,896
#2. Marine Transportation: $94,608
#3. Operations Research: $89,319
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Theological and Ministerial Studies: $21,903
#2. Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other: $25,156
#3. Graphic Communications: $26,932
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Utah
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Engineering: $92,023
#2. Computer Science: $84,069
#3. Business/Managerial Economics: $83,356
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Music: $14,151
#2. Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services: $16,450
#3. Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions: $16,956
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Vermont
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering: $80,403
#2. Economics: $70,135
#3. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing: $68,101
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Film/Video and Photographic Arts: $20,534
#2. Visual and Performing Arts, General: $23,006
#3. Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities: $26,065
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Virginia
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Systems Engineering: $91,516
#2. Computer Engineering: $83,852
#3. Industrial Engineering: $79,396
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other: $19,094
#2. Dance: $25,004
#3. Apparel and Textiles: $25,704
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Washington
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Engineering: $116,817
#2. Computer Programming: $99,265
#3. Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions: $95,315
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Religious Education: $22,530
#2. Music: $25,612
#3. Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other: $25,635
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West Virginia
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $79,782
#2. Industrial Engineering: $77,798
#3. Chemical Engineering: $77,273
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft: $19,656
#2. Music: $24,575
#3. Bible/Biblical Studies: $24,854
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Wisconsin
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods: $91,078
#2. Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians: $86,540
#3. Construction Engineering: $85,078
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Theological and Ministerial Studies: $25,109
#2. Education, Other: $29,634
#3. Archeology: $29,700
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Wyoming
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Petroleum Engineering: $92,872
#2. Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research, and Clinical Nursing: $69,050
#3. Computer Science: $69,035
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Psychology, General: $29,253
#2. Zoology/Animal Biology: $29,789
#3. English Language and Literature, General: $31,422
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Washington D.C.
Highest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Computer Science: $96,405
#2. Computer Systems Analysis: $95,339
#3. Management Information Systems and Services: $90,220
Lowest median earnings 3 years after graduation:
#1. Music: $23,435
#2. Radio, Television, and Digital Communication: $25,171
#3. Arts, Entertainment, and Media Management: $26,339
This story originally appeared on EDsmart and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.
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Video provided in partnership with The Times, JEDtv and WJOB. Sponsored by Strack & Van Til. Weekend weather sponsored by NIPSCO. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/219-news-now-check-out-the-weekend-forecast-with-matt-holiner-4-28-23/article_61b558d2-a0b9-503a-a41b-5f3e0457ecc4.html | 2023-04-28T14:32:14 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/219-news-now-check-out-the-weekend-forecast-with-matt-holiner-4-28-23/article_61b558d2-a0b9-503a-a41b-5f3e0457ecc4.html |
Social conservatives eager to transform the Hoosier State into Florida by banning school library books have successfully persuaded the Republican-controlled Indiana General Assembly to give them a venue for their grievances.
But the standards for removing a school library book in House Enrolled Act 1447 are so hard to meet, it’s difficult to see how any school board finds sufficient justification to pull a book unless it puts politics over policy.
Under the plan, every public school board and charter school governing body is required to establish a procedure for the parent of any student, or any person residing in the school district, to request the removal of library materials deemed “obscene” or “harmful to minors.”
The procedure may provide for an intermediate response by school personnel to a request to remove a library book, but it must include the school board reviewing, and possibly implementing, each removal request at its next public meeting.
To qualify for removal, an “obscene” library book must, to the average person applying contemporary community standards, feature a dominant theme that, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest in sex; depicts or describes, in a patently offensive way, sexual conduct; and the work, again considered as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
Similarly, for library material to be considered “harmful to minors” it must describe or represent, in any form, nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sado-masochistic abuse; considered as a whole appeals to the prurient interest in sex of minors; is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to suitable material for minors; and, again considered as a whole, lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors.
Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne, the sponsor of the plan, acknowledged that’s a “very high standard” since an allegedly “obscene” or “harmful to minors” school library book would have to satisfy each prong of the definition to be subject to removal.
Carbaugh said one sexually explicit sentence, paragraph or chapter in a school library book would not qualify, and he said no one will be banning Winnie the Pooh just because the beloved illustrated bear doesn’t wear pants.
The legislation also outright prohibits the placement of obscene or harmful-to-minors materials in school libraries.
Any criminal penalties associated with doing so would fall on school board members, not on school employees acting within the scope of their jobs. It does not apply to public libraries or private schools.
Every Republican lawmaker in the House and Senate, except Rep. Ed Clere of New Albany, voted in favor of the proposal, while every Democrat in both chambers voted “no.”
Democrats said the measure doesn’t address a real issue in Indiana schools and merely inflames a GOP culture war that seeks to classify as “other” anyone living a life outside of traditional norms and expectations.
“Reading books about different ways of life or different cultures can open children up to a broader worldview,” said Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary. “Over the years, I’ve never been shocked by the book-burners in our society, but I’m disgusted that the Indiana General Assembly has moved to give legitimacy to those who are threatened by the wealth of knowledge that books can provide.
“You ought to look at what these kids have access to on their telephones.”
Supporters of the plan insist that schools have an obligation to be extra sure that library materials are safe for children because parents are required to send their children to school at least six hours a day, five days a week.
“This is giving parents greater transparency with what’s in their school library,” said Rep. Matt Lehman, R-Berne.
In fact, the legislation requires school districts to post a list of the complete holdings of its school libraries on each school’s website and provide a printed copy of the library catalogue to any individual upon request.
The measure does not specify, however, whether a district can charge for a printed library catalogue, opening the door for groups of dissatisfied parents to potentially waste school money and staff time by repeatedly demanding printed lists of the thousands of books in each school library.
Aside from the policy, Democrats took issue with Republicans inserting the book-ban language in an unrelated education measure with little public notice, and no opportunity for public comment, in the final hours of the annual legislative session.
“Sneaking this through the back door really sends the wrong message to the public,” said Rep. Ryan Dvorak, D-South Bend.
The legislation heads to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to be signed into law. It’s due to take effect July 1.
Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation
A display of banned books at a Barnes & Noble bookstore. Indiana lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to legislation creating a process for Hoosiers to challenge allegedly "obscene" or "harmful to minors" books in school libraries. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/education/indiana-lawmakers-approve-process-to-challenge-school-library-books/article_28d9656c-e525-11ed-9cbc-5f4f3468f5ce.html | 2023-04-28T14:32:20 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/education/indiana-lawmakers-approve-process-to-challenge-school-library-books/article_28d9656c-e525-11ed-9cbc-5f4f3468f5ce.html |
Former Southeastern official Brian Carroll receives 15-month sentence for fraud scheme
Brian Carroll, a former executive at Southeastern University, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for wire fraud committed while he worked for the Lakeland school.
U.S. District Judge Charlene E. Honeywell issued the sentence to Carroll, 47, the Department of Justice said in a news release Thursday afternoon. Carroll, who now lives in New Market, Tennessee, had entered a guilty plea in January to culminate a case dating to 2017.
Carroll was serving as executive vice president at Southeastern when he took on a project to redesign the website and digital brand of the university’s president, Kent Ingle, according to court records. Carroll then created a scheme to enrich himself by establishing an anonymous company based in New Mexico and creating a bank account for the company, both of which he controlled, the release said.
PreviouslyBrian Carroll, former exec at Southeastern University, takes plea deal in fraud case
From 2017FBI, LPD investigating former Southeastern VP Brian Carroll in theft of hundreds of thousands
The DOJ statement said that neither Ingle nor the Southeastern board of directors was aware of Carroll’s connection to the limited liability corporation.
The company submitted a bid to perform the web rebranding project for $185,000, and Carroll recommended and promoted the acceptance of the contract, the DOJ said. Southeastern made a series of wire payments to the company for work done on the project.
The indictment from August 2021 lists five wire transfers totaling $114,500.
Meanwhile, Carroll contracted with an unrelated company based in New York to do the actual work and create the new website, the release said. The New York company charged Carroll’s company $30,000 for its work, meaning that Carroll attempted to defraud Southeastern out of approximately $155,000, the DOJ said.
Southeastern University discovered Carroll’s connection to the New Mexico company, and its board of directors suspended him and soon fired him in early 2017. The school did not publicly give a reason for his departure.
The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Lakeland Police Department, the release said. Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer led the prosecution.
In addition to the 15-month sentence, Judge Honeywell ordered Carroll to forfeit $42,000, representing the proceeds of the one count of wire fraud for which he pled guilty under an agreement with prosecutors.
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The payment was a federal crime because all of the wire transfers went through computer servers in Texas or Virginia, according to court records.
“Since December 2016 when Southeastern University reported Brian Carroll’s criminal activity to law enforcement, the university has worked with federal authorities to bring this matter to a conclusion,” SEU spokesperson Dana Davis said in an emailed statement. “The university thanks law enforcement at all levels for their handling of this case. With Mr. Carroll’s guilty plea and the prison sentence and order of restitution imposed by the Federal District Judge, Southeastern is pleased that this matter has now been appropriately resolved.”
Carroll’s lawyer, John Liguori of Bartow, said in January that he didn’t believe Carroll deserved to be incarcerated for what he called a “classic civil dispute.”
Before joining Southeastern in 2011, Carroll was chief operating officer of Carroll Construction Company and chief executive officer of The Carroll Group in Bartow.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13. | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/former-exec-at-southeastern-univ-in-lakeland-sentenced-for-fraud/70160318007/ | 2023-04-28T14:35:09 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/former-exec-at-southeastern-univ-in-lakeland-sentenced-for-fraud/70160318007/ |
Company opens office in Lakeland with extended hours for vehicle tag services
A private vehicle tag service has opened an office in Lakeland.
First Lakeland Tag Agency, 4130 S. Florida Ave., offers extended business hours and the opportunity to schedule appointments for some services, according to a news release from its corporate owner, Dealer Services Network.
The company is collaborating with the Polk County Tax Collector’s Office to supplement the existing license tag services. First Lakeland Tag Agency is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Walk-ins are welcome, and appointments may be scheduled online or by phone for their Fast Title service.
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AutoTagAgency.net operates offices in 17 other locations throughout Florida, the news release said.
“We are excited about giving citizens a new option in Lakeland, and hope to have other options across Polk County in the future,” Polk County Tax Collector Joe G. Tedder said in the news release. “This is a cost-effective way to provide additional capacity for services, while partnering with a company that has been in this business for over 50 years. As always, our goal is to provide the best customer experience possible, in a convenient and efficient manner.” | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/private-auto-tag-agency-in-lakeland-offers-extended-hours-for-services/70157836007/ | 2023-04-28T14:35:15 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/private-auto-tag-agency-in-lakeland-offers-extended-hours-for-services/70157836007/ |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/nbc-5s-evan-anderson-gets-cooking-lesson-from-family-fit-fest-chef-event/3246289/ | 2023-04-28T14:36:24 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/nbc-5s-evan-anderson-gets-cooking-lesson-from-family-fit-fest-chef-event/3246289/ |
Authorities in one New Jersey community are responding to a series of apparent manhole explosions that set streets ablaze Friday, engulfing one vehicle, then a taxi SUV, as Chopper 4 captured footage of the flames.
There was no immediate word on a possible cause of the blasts, which rocked East Orange, by Summit Street and North Munn Avenue, around 8:30 a.m.
It wasn't clear if buildings were affected. There was also no immediate word on injuries.
Thick, midnight-black smoke billowed into the air, enshrouding the entire neighborhood, Chopper 4 footage showed. Fire hoses lay in the streets as emergency personnel crowded the scene. Multiple manhole covers were seen blown.
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Roads were shut down in the area. No other details were immediately available. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/east-orange-manhole-fires-wreak-havoc/4284810/ | 2023-04-28T14:36:30 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/east-orange-manhole-fires-wreak-havoc/4284810/ |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/police-officer-and-k9-injured-in-overnight-dallas-shooting/3246265/ | 2023-04-28T14:36:30 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/police-officer-and-k9-injured-in-overnight-dallas-shooting/3246265/ |
New Jersey's second-largest mall's new chaperone policy takes effect this weekend, requiring anyone younger than 18 to be accompanied by someone 21 or older on Friday and Saturday nights.
Garden State Plaza, one of the highest revenue-producing shopping centers in the country, with more than 300 stores, had announced the planned parental guidance policy earlier this month, citing unruly teenage crowds on weekends.
The policy takes effect Friday and applies to minors visiting the mall after 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It is subject to change during the holiday season, the Paramus mall said. Unsupervised youth shopping prior to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays either have to leave the mall by 5 p.m. or be "immediately" joined by a supervising adult.
Waiting zones have been established for kids who need to be picked up when the clock strikes 5 p.m. One is near AMC Theaters; another is near Entrance 10 on the mall's west side and a third is set up by the food court.
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Mall management will be checking ID, they say. If you can't prove you're 18 or older, you might be asked to leave. One adult can accompany up to four minors at a time. That adult will be responsible for their behavior.
The limitation does not apply to children aged 10 and younger, who likely wouldn't be in the mall without a parent anyway. Why is the mall implementing this policy now?
Local
According to its website, "Like many shopping centers across the country, we have experienced an increase in disruptive behavior that violates the center’s code of conduct by a small minority of younger visitors. Taking this extra step in our security measures will ensure a pleasant and safe environment for our families and every member of our community, as well as our retail partners."
If you're wondering what counts as disruptive behavior, that would be provoking a disturbance or infringing on the rights or peace of other shoppers, including gestures, obscenities, slurs, sexually explicit language or behavior, and excessive noise or music. Failure to be fully clothed is also problematic. Some clothing may also be deemed offensive.
And horseplay isn't allowed either. See the full code of conduct here.
The policy is in effect indefinitely and covers the entire mall property, inside and outside. Restaurants and department stores may have their own policies, though, so shoppers are advised to check with them specifically.
The policy does not apply inside movie theaters. Guests can enter the theater using Entrance 1 or the escalators at Entrance 17 to avoid the common area of the mall.
Garden State Plaza, with more than 2.2 million square feet of space, is New Jersey's second-largest mall behind American Dream at the Meadowlands, which covers 3 million square feet. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/garden-state-plaza-mall-chaperone-policy-takes-effect-what-paramus-shoppers-should-know/4284895/ | 2023-04-28T14:36:36 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/garden-state-plaza-mall-chaperone-policy-takes-effect-what-paramus-shoppers-should-know/4284895/ |
Every morning, NBC 5 Today is dedicated to delivering you positive local stories of people doing good, giving back and making a real change in our community. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/something-good/two-dallas-isd-seniors-get-somethinggood-accept-future-engineer-scholarships/3246294/ | 2023-04-28T14:36:36 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/something-good/two-dallas-isd-seniors-get-somethinggood-accept-future-engineer-scholarships/3246294/ |
BURLINGTON — A griddle that was left on in a McDonald's after the restaurant closed late Thursday night caused a fire earlier today, Burlington fire officials said in a news release.
Firefighters responded at 3:37 a.m. to 1904 W. Webb Ave. and found the restaurant full of smoke and a small fire near the cooking area. No one was in the building and firefighters quickly extinguished the flames.
Firefighters then cleared smoke from the structure and looked for further hot spots. The fire was under control within minutes of the arrival of the fire department, according to the news release.
Damage was extensive to the griddle area which produced a large amount of smoke within the building. Structural damage was limited because the fire was contained to the cooking area.
Damage estimates are approximately $100,000 to the structure and contents, fire officials said. The cause was determined to be accidental. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/griddle-left-on-in-mcdonalds-after-closing-sparks-blaze-overnight-burlington-fire-officials-say/article_45610992-e5c0-11ed-91bc-2bc3d2f0e28c.html | 2023-04-28T14:40:19 | 0 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/griddle-left-on-in-mcdonalds-after-closing-sparks-blaze-overnight-burlington-fire-officials-say/article_45610992-e5c0-11ed-91bc-2bc3d2f0e28c.html |
Earth Day celebrated with tree planting at Muncie Central
MUNCIE, Ind. – On Friday, April 21, Muncie Central High School held its first-ever Civic Earth Day event.
Spearheaded by Julie Snider, who teaches government at Muncie Central, the event engaged students in a day devoted to community, civics and collaboration. The experience was designed to help students gain insight into being an active citizen in the local community.
Students picked up trash, cleaned the Central campus and planted roughly 14 new trees, all indigenous to Indiana, on the Central campus.
Allen Kidd, a Japanese teacher and advisor to Central’s Recycling Club, led a student discussion on the importance of trees in our community.
Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns attended the event to show support for teachers and students. State Sen. Scott Alexander, R-Muncie, also met with students and helped plant trees and State Rep. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, spoke to students about the role of legislators in Indiana.
The George and Francis Ball Foundation set up a station for students to plant flowers.
Jason Donati, a stormwater/recycling educator with the Muncie Sanitation District, taught students how to plant a tree and guided them through the process.
Students also planted annual and perennial flowers to beautify the high school campus.
The League of Women Voters of Muncie/Delaware County educated students about voter registration and assisted eligible students in completing paperwork as well as led conversations about voting as a citizen’s opportunity to be heard.
Economics teacher Drew Shermeta led a session on how to write to elected officials about issues of concern. Reflecting on the theme of civic participation and the environment, students painted small canvases that will be combined into a large mural. They also supported the vulnerable in Muncie by writing cards and painting flowerpots to provide to nursing home residents and baking dog treats for the Animal Rescue Fund.
The Earth Day Civics event was supported in part by the CREATE project. In 2022, a collaboration between Muncie Community Schools and Ball State University. CREATE was one of six grantees receiving an American History and Civics-National Activities Grants through the U.S. Department of Education. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/earth-day-celebrated-with-tree-planting-at-muncie-central/70158902007/ | 2023-04-28T14:41:50 | 1 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/earth-day-celebrated-with-tree-planting-at-muncie-central/70158902007/ |
Drivers can expect delays on Huntridge Road between Crumpacker Driver and Sullivan Lane as crews work to repair a large sinkhole, the Roanoke County Police Department said.
VDOT is asking drivers to avoid the area if they can.
We will continue to update this article as more info becomes readily available | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/28/traffic-alert-drivers-asked-to-avoid-part-of-huntridge-rd-in-roanoke-county-due-to-large-sinkhole/ | 2023-04-28T14:52:34 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/04/28/traffic-alert-drivers-asked-to-avoid-part-of-huntridge-rd-in-roanoke-county-due-to-large-sinkhole/ |
Pawtuxet Village neighbors triumph as developer withdraws controversial plans
A controversial proposal to build contractor storage units along the Pawtuxet River has been withdrawn.
Due to "various circumstances and factors," the owners of 175 Post Road in Warwick no longer plan to pursue the project, attorney Nicholas Goodier wrote in a letter to the Warwick Planning Board.
The proposal drew intense resistance from Pawtuxet Village neighbors who characterized it as an "industrial" use with the potential to pollute the river, and objected to the fact that the site's owners attempted to cut off access to the Pawtuxet River Trail, which runs across the property.
In February, the Warwick Planning Board issued a conditional approval of the project, which would have required nearly two-thirds of the property to remain undeveloped. Neither side was satisfied with that compromise and Pawtuxet Green Revival, the group fighting the project, filed a lengthy appeal."Together our community stood up for the protection of the Pawtuxet River," Jeff Sutton of Pawtuxet Green Revival said in a statement on Thursday. "We believe that industrial uses and hazardous materials don't belong within wetlands, on a floodplain, and along the banks of a river that is recovering from decades of industrial pollution. We will not go back in time.”
Pawtuxet River Trail:How an unlikely group of neighbors in Warwick are fighting to keep a walking trail open to the public.
Goodier did not immediately respond to an inquiry about whether his clients, Artak Avagyan and Lee Beausoleil, have other plans for the property. In his letter to the Planning Board, he noted that the withdrawal "is submitted without prejudice to the refiling of an application ... at some point in the future."
The nearly 16-acre site was previously home to the Hammel Dahl valve factory and requires environmental remediation. In a statement, Pawtuxet Green Revival said that the group plans to continue to fight to get the property cleaned up, and is concerned about the fact that the "cap" that's supposed to seal off contaminants appears to be damaged.
"PGR leaders submitted a complaint to the RIDEM on February 2nd alleging that the current 'cap' on the site is not sufficient to contain the chemicals and prevent them from leaking into the surrounding area and the Pawtuxet River," the statement said. "As the owners' own environmental expert testified, the cap is cracked."
There are no new updates on the status of the Pawtuxet River Trail, the group said: "Despite the request of Mayor Picozzi, the trail entrance at 175 Post Road remains plastered with 'No Trespassing' and 'Private Property' signs."
The group plans to meet Saturday to discuss next steps, but cheered the fact that the contractor storage proposal is off the table for now.
"This came after a year-long battle in which hundreds of Warwick and Cranston residents protested at several Planning Board meetings, and after over a thousand residents signed a petition against the proposed industrial development on the banks of the Pawtuxet River," the group wrote. | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/plan-withdrawn-after-neighbors-unite-to-protect-pawtuxet-river-trail/70160195007/ | 2023-04-28T14:53:51 | 0 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/plan-withdrawn-after-neighbors-unite-to-protect-pawtuxet-river-trail/70160195007/ |
Roseman on Carter: 'It's been a traumatic process' originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Jalen Carter wasn’t supposed to be there. He just may be the best player in the draft, and the Eagles were holding their breath as the 10th pick approached.
So after a quick trade up with the Bears from 10 to 9, they pounced and landed the gifted interior defensive lineman from Georgia.
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Later Thursday evening, Howie Roseman addressed Carter’s slide and said it was related to the incident in Athens in January in which one of his teammates and a Georgia football staffer were killed while drag racing Carter, who was in a separate car.
“These are people that he was close with,” Roseman said. “Obviously, it's been a traumatic process for him throughout the spring. We understand that there's a reason that he was available at 9.”
And Roseman said several times it’s just as important to provide support for Carter off the field as guide him on the field.
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“I think everyone will tell you this is one of the most talented players in the draft,” he said. “This is one of the most talented players to come out of college football in a long time. Obviously, that's part of what we're talking about. We've got to develop the people. We've got to develop the player.
“I think for us, we take that part seriously. We think that it's important that not only are we caring about people as players, but we want to care about the people. We're going to wrap our arms around him and do the best we can to help him and understand — that was a tragic night. It was a tragic night, and we're sorry for the loss to those families, and we're not trying to downplay that situation, but obviously we've got to get to work.”
Carter, 22, was asked Thursday night about the incident, what he learned from it and how he handled questions from NFL teams about it during the pre-draft process.
“It’s really been smooth,” he said. “A lot of teams really on my visits really didn’t bring up the accident. It was more just to get to know me and know my personality and know what type of guy I am in the locker room and off the field.”
There’s so much at stake when NFL teams draft players — especially this high — that they spend as much time if not more researching a player's character as his skill before the draft, and Roseman said that was the case with Carter.
Roseman said Dom DiSandro, the Eagles’ senior adviser to the general manager and chief security officer, did a lot of that work regarding Carter, who was charged with reckless driving by authorities in Athens.
“We spent a lot of time investigating the incident around it,” he said. “We talked to Jalen about a variety of things, and again, we're not going to get into what we talk to our players about. That's not fair. …
“But at the end of the day, nobody is hiding from the fact that a tragic event happened, and we'll do our very best to make sure that both these players (Carter and Nolan Smith) develop every skill set they need to be successful.
“We understand that all these players, they need to be developed. They're coming into the league at a very young age. They're not finished products. I think all of us when we were 21 and 22 … hopefully have grown a lot from that time, and you just really want to get to know the person and what's in their heart.
“I think when we got to know Jalen, we just felt like here's a kid that he does love football. Obviously, he's a winner. He won in high school, he won in college.
“We feel like we have really good people in this building. We have really good support staff. We have really good players who are good people. We have really good coaches. We felt like it was a good fit for us.”
Carter raised a lot of eyebrows at Georgia’s pro day when he appeared out of shape and didn’t participate in all the drills.
“It was just me,” he said Thursday. “I felt conditioned, but I guess I wasn’t. That was just me. I should have conditioned a little more — a lot more — before my pro day.”
That certainly could have been a red flag for NFL teams and part of the reason he dropped to No. 9.
“He didn't have the spring that he wanted to have, I mean, obviously starting with that event (in Athens in January),” Roseman said. “I think the event and the issues surrounding it, I think they derailed him this spring.
“The first thing he said to us (Thursday) was, ‘You tell me what I need to do.’ I think he's a proud guy, and he wants to show people what kind of player he is and what kind of person he is. But he's got to do that with his actions.”
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Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Art19 | Watch on YouTube | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/howie-roseman-on-eagles-draft-pick-jalen-carter-its-been-a-traumatic-process/3555472/ | 2023-04-28T14:55:57 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/howie-roseman-on-eagles-draft-pick-jalen-carter-its-been-a-traumatic-process/3555472/ |
A 61-year-old Philadelphia man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges following the 2019 slaying of his girlfriend at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
According to law enforcement officials, on Tuesday, Frankie E. Lane, 61, of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter in exchange for a 20-year term in New Jersey State Prison, where he must serve 85% of that sentence before being eligible for parole.
Police said that Lane was arrested after the June 11, 2021, killing of his then girlfriend, 57-year-old Sharon Whaley, also of Philadelphia, whose body was found in a hotel room at the Atlantic City casino and hotel.
According to investigators, Whaley's body had been found deceased after suffering multiple stab wounds, with a sheet covering her body and a knife on the sheet. Lane, officials said, was seen on surveillance footage wearing clothing that was later found in a bag that had been tossed in a trash can in Atlantic City.
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Lane was seen leaving the hotel with the bag but, officials said, he did not have it with him at the Atlantic City bus terminal, where security footage showed him traveling back to Philadelphia.
Lane was located and surrendered to law enforcement a few days later, according to police.
Lane's sentencing is set to be held on Friday, June 23. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philadelphia-man-pleads-guilty-in-slaying-at-hard-rock-casino/3555460/ | 2023-04-28T14:55:58 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philadelphia-man-pleads-guilty-in-slaying-at-hard-rock-casino/3555460/ |
MONTEVALLO, Ala. (WIAT) — Students at Montevallo High School are learning remotely today after the school was vandalized.
Cindy Warner, with Shelby County Schools, confirmed the school was vandalized but did not provide an exact time of the incident. While students are attending remotely, teachers are working from the school.
More details are expected to be released later Friday. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/montevallo-hs-holding-e-learning-day-following-vandalism/ | 2023-04-28T15:05:23 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/montevallo-hs-holding-e-learning-day-following-vandalism/ |
STARK COUNTY
Canton man seriously injured in motorcycle crash in Bethlehem Township
The Repository
BETHLEHEM TWP. – A Canton man was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash early Friday morning on Gooding Street SW near Beth Avenue SW, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.
Jack R. Jackson, 42, was operating a 2009 Harley Davidson motorcycle westbound on Gooding at 1:07 a.m. when he traveled off the left side of the roadway, striking a ditch and embankment, the patrol said. He was taken to Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital by Erie Valley EMS with serious injuries and later flown to Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
He was not wearing a helmet and alcohol is suspected to be a factor in the crash, which remains under investigation, the patrol said. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2023/04/28/ohio-highway-patrol-canton-man-seriously-injured-in-motorcycle-crash/70162256007/ | 2023-04-28T15:05:35 | 1 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2023/04/28/ohio-highway-patrol-canton-man-seriously-injured-in-motorcycle-crash/70162256007/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The second floor of an Orange County building collapsed Friday morning as fire ripped through the structure.
Orange County Fire Rescue said the fire broke out in the 12000 block of Narcoossee Road.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider | Here’s why the weather has been so active in Florida | DeSantis-Disney battle continues]
“Heavy fire reported on the first and second floor,” OCFR tweeted.
Fire officials later said the fire was “knocked down” and the second floor collapsed.
The state fire marshal has been notified, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
No other details, including whether anyone was in the building when the fire broke out or if anyone was injured, have been released.
Update: Body of fire has been knocked down and the second floor of the building has collapsed. State Fire Marshall has been notified. https://t.co/d21rXwf4yK pic.twitter.com/C0CDs8FyTB
— OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) April 28, 2023
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/fire-collapses-2nd-floor-of-orange-county-building/ | 2023-04-28T15:09:14 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/04/28/fire-collapses-2nd-floor-of-orange-county-building/ |
Detroit neurosurgeon shot multiple times in head, medical examiner rules death a homicide
Detroit — A well-known local neurosurgeon found dead in his Boston-Edison home Sunday was shot multiple times in the head and his death has been ruled a homicide, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office.
Dr. Devon Hoover's body was found wrapped in a blanket in the upstairs crawlspace of his large home in the 100 block of West Boston Boulevard. Hoover worked with Ascension Healthcare, which operates St. John Hospital in Detroit and was remembered fondly by patients and neighbors. His home, where he was found dead, was a labor of love that neighbors said he restored with pride.
Police found the body when they were called to do a well-being check on Sunday. Detectives had not established a motive in Hoover's death as of Wednesday but the investigation is ongoing.
Neighbors said Hoover lived alone but would open his open up for community functions and weddings. He was described as the "anchor" of the block in the historic Boston-Edison neighborhood.
Hoover's funeral is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit and visitation will take place between 12 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Chas. Verheyden Funeral Homes Grosse Pointe Park location.
hmackay@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/04/28/devon-hoover-cause-of-death-boston-edison-detroit-medical-examiner/70162588007/ | 2023-04-28T15:09:37 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/04/28/devon-hoover-cause-of-death-boston-edison-detroit-medical-examiner/70162588007/ |
UPDATE: The phone issue was resolved around 8 p.m. Thursday.
BLOOMINGTON — The Bloomington Communications Center is experiencing issues with its non-emergency phone line, 309-820-8888, according to a news alert issued early Thursday evening.
The problem is not affecting 911 emergency lines, BPD said; those having an emergency can still call 911.
Those trying to reach the non-emergency police line should call 309-824-0707 or 309-434-2559.
This story will be updated once BPD's non-emergency phone line is working; BPD will also share an update on its Facebook and Twitter pages.
Photos: Emergency crews train on air disaster readiness at Bloomington airport
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Firefighters train in a full-scale airport emergency exercise Saturday at the Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Brendan Denison
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Airport crash tender fire engines respond in training at a full-scale airport emergency exercise Saturday at the Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Brendan Denison
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Firefighters train in a full-scale airport emergency exercise Saturday at the Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Brendan Denison
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A mock patient is walked away from a simulation airplane disaster scene Saturday by a Bloomington firefighter/paramedic during a drill at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Brendan Denison
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A volunteer acting as a disaster victim is wearing fake wounds for emergency crews to triage during a full-scale exercise Saturday at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Brendan Denison
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Emergency crews tend to a mock patient "impaled" by debris during a simulated air disaster drill Saturday at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Brendan Denison
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Firefighters use rescue equipment to drag away a mock patient from a simulated airplane disaster scene Saturday during a drill at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Brendan Denison
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An airplane passes in the background of a training drill Saturday at Central Illinois Regional Airport.
Brendan Denison
Contact Robyn Skaggs at robyn.skaggs@lee.net or 309-820-3244.
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Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/bloomington-police-phone-service-restored/article_0e14eff4-e551-11ed-a233-f7a90e2ceeaf.html | 2023-04-28T15:11:15 | 1 | https://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/bloomington-police-phone-service-restored/article_0e14eff4-e551-11ed-a233-f7a90e2ceeaf.html |
Here's what to know about tuition increases at Arizona's state universities
The Arizona Board of Regents gave a stamp of approval to multiyear tuition increases on April 21.
The move marks the first time the governing body for Arizona’s public university system has set a rate schedule on a staggered six-year cycle, a structural change regents approved in February. Increases had previously been set yearly.
Here's what to know about the changes and how they will impact students' tuition bills.
What will tuition cost next year?
Across the three universities, the tuition hikes for next year range from 3% to 5% for undergraduate students, depending on residency.
Here's what resident undergraduates can expect to pay for the 2023-24 academic year:
- Arizona State University: Resident undergraduate students in campus immersion programs will pay a base rate of $11,308, per Arizona State University's tuition plan.
- University of Arizona: Resident undergraduate base tuition for new students will be $11,871, per the university's plan.
- Northern Arizona University: Tuition for new resident undergraduate students on Northern Arizona University's Flagstaff campus will be $11,352, according to the university's plan.
How much could tuition rise in the future?
Several factors could impact how much tuition costs in future years. The tuition-related policy changes passed by the Board of Regents in February allow the three state universities to choose to charge tuition below the maximum allowable amount. In addition, legislative changes to the amount of money allocated to the universities could impact whether the annual growth rates freeze, continue as approved or increase in future years.
Here are the maximum annual growth rates proposed by the universities and approved by the regents through the 2028-29 academic year:
- Arizona State University: Resident undergraduate tuition increases will be capped at 3% each year.
- University of Arizona: Resident undergraduate base tuition will be capped at an annual 3% increase.
- Northern Arizona University: Tuition growth for resident undergraduate students will be capped at 3.5% annually.
The board and universities are scheduled to revisit the growth rates in four years when they consider the next six-year cycle.
Why tie tuition to lawmakers' decisions?
For years, regents have criticized state lawmakers for disinvesting in public universities and forcing the board to raise tuition prices.
Now, the regents are attempting to put legislators in the hot seat. If state lawmakers give more money, the board can avoid passing on the costs to students. If not, the planned increases will apply.
And if lawmakers choose to reduce the amount of funding going toward public universities, the new policy allows the schools to set tuition and fees exceeding the maximum growth rates — meaning students could pay more than what's currently approved.
Turning the tables:Regents link future Arizona tuition increases to how Legislature funds universities
How does Arizona compare with other states?
The Arizona Republic examined tuition rates for resident undergraduates at public, four-year universities in California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico and found that base tuition rates at Arizona's three state universities are not the highest but fall near the upper end of the pack.
Sasha Hupka covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip on Arizona's universities, community colleges or trade schools? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SashaHupka. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2023/04/28/here-is-what-to-know-about-tuition-increases-at-state-universities-arizona-asu-nau-ua/70160658007/ | 2023-04-28T15:14:43 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2023/04/28/here-is-what-to-know-about-tuition-increases-at-state-universities-arizona-asu-nau-ua/70160658007/ |
Phoenix police seek 7th victim in string of Valley kidnappings, sexual assaults
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell gathered with Phoenix police leadership at the Phoenix Police Department on Thursday afternoon to request the public’s help in identifying an additional victim in a string of kidnappings and violent sexual assaults involving six other women.
Mitchell said investigators were searching for the woman after 25-year-old Tyler Munguia allegedly raped and tortured women across the Phoenix area between October 2021 and June 2022.
Munguia was arrested in June.
Police describe the unidentified woman as being 18 to 22 years old and either Caucasian or Hispanic. The woman was captured on video as she was being sexually assaulted and could be seen wearing a necklace that said “Angel” and another with a ring-shaped pendant around her neck.
“If anybody has any information on who she is, we really want to make sure that she’s OK,” Phoenix Police Commander Edward DeCastro said during the press conference, adding that the department seeks to “get her resources and find out what her story is.”
Mitchell said Munguia has been indicted on 59 felony counts, including 38 counts of sexual assault, six counts of kidnapping, six counts of aggravated assault and nine counts of sexual abuse.
In one of the cases, court documents say Munguia approached a woman who was working as a sex worker in the area of 27th Avenue and Mariposa Street on May 25, 2022, where he paid her to perform oral sex.
But rather than allowing the woman to leave the car, documents state Munguia held her at knifepoint before binding her wrists and legs with duct tape, gagged her and put a bag over her head. The woman recalled Munguia driving her to a residence possibly in Tempe where he raped her multiple times, court documents state.
$2K reward offered:Police seek information leading to suspect who shot, killed Phoenix woman
She said Munguia scrubbed her down in the shower and kept her clothing and cell phone. The woman said Munguia drove her back to the area he had abducted her after roughly seven to ten hours, documents state. The woman took an Uber ride home and eventually went to the hospital to be tested for STDs.
Court documents state Munguia followed another woman in his car on June 28, 2022, on Mariposa Street and tried to talk to her. Documents say the woman tried ignoring him when Munguia exited his car and approached her while brandishing a knife. Munguia then forced the woman into the front seat of his car, bound her legs and wrists with duct tape and raped her in a nearby alley, documents say.
He then forced her into the back seat, documents say, and drove her to Tempe where he parked along a canal where he raped her again. He then drove her to a single-family home and raped her repeatedly. Documents say the attack lasted approximately four to five hours before he cut the duct tape and let the woman wear a dress she had in her bag. Documents say he drove her to the area of 27th Avenue and Camelback Road.
The woman later told officers that Munguia regularly recorded himself sexually assaulting her and had done so with other women before posting the videos on the dark web, documents state.
Mother faces charges:Phoenix woman charged with hiding son in murder case
A police analyst used a partial plate search based on information the woman gave and identified a 2015 Dodge Charger owned by Munguia’s mother who lived in Chandler.
Police arrested Munguia on June 30, 2022, while he was in the car in Gilbert where they found a used condom, a large kitchen knife and a roll of duct tape. Court documents state Munguia told officers he had sex with the two women but said the sex was consensual.
Documents say police obtained a search warrant to search Munguia’s phone where they found several videos of Munguia raping and torturing different women.
Munguia has been held in a Maricopa County Jail since his arrest on a $750,000 cash-only bond. His trial is scheduled for Aug. 24.
Reach the reporter Perry Vandell at 602-444-2474 or perry.vandell@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @PerryVandell. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2023/04/28/phoenix-police-seek-7th-victim-of-man-accused-of-raping-6-other-women/70161547007/ | 2023-04-28T15:14:49 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2023/04/28/phoenix-police-seek-7th-victim-of-man-accused-of-raping-6-other-women/70161547007/ |
What Arizona highways will be closed this weekend? Everything you need to know
The Arizona Department of Transportation released their next round of closures and restrictions planned for Arizona highways this weekend.
Notable closures will be seen along stretches of interstates 10 and 17, Loop 202 and the U.S. 60.
As always, ADOT advised drivers to allow for extra time and plan alternate routes. Additionally, drivers should be prepared to slow down and merge safely when venturing through work zones.
Up-to-date travel and roadway conditions can be checked at az511.gov.
Westbound I-10 closed between Loop 202 and US 60
Details: Westbound I-10 will be closed between Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) and U.S. 60 (Superstition Freeway) as part of the ongoing I-10 Broadway Curve Improvement Project.
The following ramps will be closed:
- Westbound I-10 on-ramp at Wild Horse Pass Boulevard
- All Loop 202 eastbound and eastbound ramps to westbound I-10
When: 10 p.m. Friday, April 28 to 4 a.m. Monday, May 1
Alternate Routes: ADOT suggests using eastbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) in Chandler to northbound Loop 101 to reach either westbound U.S. 60 or westbound Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) to bypass the closure. Drivers can also use west/northbound Loop 202 (South Mountain Freeway) to reach I-10 near 59th Avenue in west Phoenix.
Metro Phoenix freeway makeover:Here's what to expect in 2023
Northbound I-17 closed between Union Hills Drive and Pinnacle Peak Road
Details: Northbound I-17 will be closed between Union Hills Drive and Pinnacle Peak Road for a pavement improvement project.
The following ramps will be closed:
- Both Loop 101 ramps to northbound I-17
- Northbound I-17 on-ramps at Thunderbird, Greenway and Bell roads
When: 9 p.m. Friday, April 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, May 1
Alternate Routes: Northbound I-17 drivers can exit ahead of the closure and take northbound 19th or 35th avenues. Loop 101 drivers approaching I-17 can exit before the closure to use alternate routes to bypass the I-17 closures.
Eastbound US 60 closed between Gilbert Road and Loop 202
Details: Eastbound U.S. 60 (Superstition Freeway) will be closed between Gilbert Road and Loop 202 (SuperRedTan Interchange) for pavement improvement and lane striping.
The eastbound U.S. 60 on-ramps at Mesa and Stapley drives will be closed.
When: 9 p.m. Friday, April 28 to 5 a.m. Monday, May 1
Alternate Routes: Eastbound Loop 202 (Santan or Red Mountain freeways) can be used as alternate freeway routes. Motorists can also exit ahead of the closure and use eastbound Baseline Road or Southern Avenue as detours.
South, westbound Loop 202 closed between US 60 and Val Vista Drive
Details: South and westbound Loop 202 (Santan Freeway) will be closed between U.S. 60 and Val Vista Drive in the East Valley for pavement sealing.
The following ramps will be closed:
- U.S. 60 ramps to southbound Loop 202
- Westbound State Route 24 (Gateway Freeway) ramp to westbound Loop 202
When: 10 p.m. Friday, April 28 to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 29
Alternate Routes: Westbound U.S. 60 can be used as an alternate freeway route. Drivers can also use local streets, southbound Ellsworth or Power roads, southbound Val Vista Drive and westbound Germann Road in areas south of Loop 202.
Crews plan on reopening Loop 202 in sections as the pavement sealing work progresses on Saturday, per ADOT.
Eastbound I-10 narrowed to one lane between Watson Road and Verrado Way
Details: Eastbound I-10 (toward Phoenix) will be narrowed to one lane between Watson Road and Verrado Way.
The eastbound I-10 on-ramp at Watson Road and eastbound off-ramp at Verrado Way will be closed.
When: 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 28 to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 29
Westbound I-10 narrowed to one lane between Verrado Way and Miller Road in Buckeye
Details: Westbound I-10 (toward Los Angeles) will be narrowed to one lane between Verrado Way and Miller Road in Buckeye for a widening project.
The westbound I-10 on-ramp at Verrado Way and westbound off and on-ramps at Watson Road will be closed.
When: 11:59 p.m. Friday, April 28 to 11 p.m. Sunday, April 30
Drivers should remember to be prepared to slow down, merge safely and allow for extra time when venturing through work zones. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-traffic/2023/04/28/what-arizona-highways-will-be-closed-this-weekend-i-10-i-17-and-us-60/70160596007/ | 2023-04-28T15:14:55 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-traffic/2023/04/28/what-arizona-highways-will-be-closed-this-weekend-i-10-i-17-and-us-60/70160596007/ |
Phoenix to see 1st 100-degree day of 2023 this weekend. Here's what to know
Phoenix is likely to see its first 100-degree day of the year on Sunday, as the National Weather Service believes the temperature could reach a high of 102 degrees, tying the record for that day.
In a month that saw Phoenix reach its latest 85-degree day since 1973, the metro area is forecasted to experience a gradual warming period over the next few days and into the weekend.
"Temperatures the rest of this week will be warming up gradually. Starting (Thursday), we're in the mid-90s. The next couple of days — Friday, Saturday — we'll be approaching the upper-90s with very low chances of hitting 100 degrees, but we do have very good chances of hitting our first 100-degree day in the Phoenix area on Sunday," NWS Phoenix office meteorologist Sean Benedict told the Arizona Republic.
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According to Benedict, the forecasted high for Sunday could tie or break the same-day record set in 1943. The chances of exceeding that forecast are low, he said.
In the past two years, Phoenix saw its first 100-degree days in May — May 7 in 2022 and May 5 in 2021 — which tracks with the usual average of May 2 for the first annual 100-degree days in the Valley.
For additional context, the earliest record of Phoenix hitting 100 degrees was on March 26, 1988.
Sunday is likely to be the hottest for the next few days. Heading into next week, temperatures are expected to scale back down into the upper-90s.
"Right now, Sunday looks like it will be the hottest day of the next seven days. We do still have upper-90s into the beginning of next week, but we are going to start to see a trough push down the west coast and sort of sit to our west and keep us a little bit cooler," Benedict said.
The trough will provide some nice cooling for Phoenicians through the middle of the week, while also bringing breezy conditions with it.
Hot weather tips
The Arizona Department of Health Services provided tips to prevent heat-related illness:
- Drink water: It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of water per day if people are staying inside all day. Those who spend time outdoors should drink 1 to 2 liters per hour they are outside.
- Dress for the heat: wear light-weight and light-colored clothing. Sunscreen should always be applied to exposed skin and it is recommended to wear a hat or use an umbrella when outdoors.
- Eat small meals and eat more often: They recommend avoiding foods high in protein that increase metabolic heat
- Monitor those at risk: Check on friends, family or others for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
- Slow down and avoid strenuous activity: It is recommended to only do strenuous activity during the coolest hours of the day, between 4 and 7 a.m.
- Stay indoors
- Take breaks when engaged in physical activity: Take a break in a cool place when doing activity outside on a hot day. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-weather/2023/04/28/arizona-weather-weekend-forecast-phoenix-likely-to-hit-100-degrees/70159751007/ | 2023-04-28T15:15:01 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-weather/2023/04/28/arizona-weather-weekend-forecast-phoenix-likely-to-hit-100-degrees/70159751007/ |
Arizona Red Cross's longest-tenured volunteer, Betty Grenig, dies at age 101
By the time she was 101, Betty Grenig had donated over 25 gallons of blood to the Red Cross. But her volunteer contributions were much more than blood, the included years of other kinds of service.
On April 19, the American Red Cross of Arizona announced Betty Grenig died at the age of 101. She started volunteering at the age of 17, making more than 80 years of service to the organization.
"With sadness but fond memories, we say goodbye to American Red Cross Volunteer Betty Grenig," the Arizona Red Cross posted on Facebook. "Our beloved Miss Betty recently moved onto the next chapter in her life at age 101 at the start of National Volunteer Week. Was her timing serendipitous? We’re confident she’s already looking for her next volunteer opportunity."
Grenig started volunteering at the age of 17, knitting socks for military members, the post said. Through the years, her donations served thousands of people. She gave up her car license at 99, so for the past two years many other volunteers had the opportunity to drive her to the office.
"She had a quick sense of humor and a very realistic view about life and her life expectancy," Colin Williams, a blood drive account manager who has been with the Red Cross for almost seven years told the Arizona Republic. "Her mind was tack sharp. Her spirit of volunteering and helping others was contagious and admired by all."
Grenig served the organization at a number of military bases including Williams AFB and Luke AFB, Williams said. She enjoyed hosting foreign exchange pilots at her home and developed a worldwide network she called “her boys”.
"Every holiday, Mother’s Day and birthday, her phone would ring off the hook from pilots she had hosted from around the world," Williams said.
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Grenig's most recent role with the Red Cross was putting together packets of information that those affected by a home fire would receive from Red Cross volunteers.
On August 15, on what would be Grenig's 102nd birthday, the Arizona Red Cross will be hosting blood drives at the Red Cross Chapter offices in Phoenix and Tucson in her memory. Donors can sign up by visiting RedCrossBlood.org and entering the sponsor code: “Betty”. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/04/28/arizona-red-cross-longest-volunteer-betty-grenig-dies-at-101/70156298007/ | 2023-04-28T15:15:07 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/04/28/arizona-red-cross-longest-volunteer-betty-grenig-dies-at-101/70156298007/ |
In his final season calling games for Phoenix Suns, Al McCoy no longer courtside
He's wrapping up his celebrated 51-year career calling Phoenix Suns games on the radio. But Al McCoy won't be doing so from courtside.
McCoy has called games this season, his last before retirement, from a new spot: the upper rows of the lower bowl of seats at Footprint Center.
It's not a bad spot to call games, McCoy said during an interview.
But the move was definitely not his idea.
A spokesperson for the team said the move came after a meeting before the 2022-2023 Suns season started.
"It was Al's choice," said Cole Mickelson, a spokesperson for the Suns. "He volunteered to move upstairs."
McCoy, during a phone interview, said he did agree to the move. But it was after it was suggested to him by the team.
"They asked me if I would accept that," McCoy said. "I guess if I would have complained strongly enough they probably would have moved me anyway."
Why the Suns moved McCoy from his courtside spot
The Suns have celebrated the broadcaster, the longest tenured in the league, as he wraps up this season. Even as it made a financial decision in an arena remodel that it would like to have more fans courtside, and fewer broadcasters like McCoy.
Mickelson said that the Footprint Center remodel, completed in October 2020, included more courtside seats and "compressed" the officials and broadcasters who sit courtside. The remodel created a second row of seats for broadcasters and media, opening up space for more fan seats courtside.
During the previous season, McCoy broadcast from a second row spot courtside, just behind the official scorers. The TV crew broadcast from the auxiliary press box, near the top of the lower bowl.. The decision to keep McCoy near courtside, Mickelson said, was done "out of respect for Al. He's a legend."
But before the start of this season there was a meeting. And there, the decision was made to have McCoy switch spots with the television play-by-play crew.
Mickelson said it was part of a trend in all NBA arenas. Most teams, he said, have moved at least one set of play-by-play announcers, if not both radio and TV, to the top of the lower bowl.
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McCoy said he misses aspects of sitting courtside, but that the new location, roughly 20 rows up from the floor, has proven to be a better spot to see the action and call the game.
"You get a better view of the floor," he said. "When you're sitting right down on the court, you're locked out from the corners. A lot of times, you couldn't tell who's shooting the basketball."
The team has sold an increasing number of courtside seats through the years. And McCoy said at this old perch, he sometimes had to strain to see over and through fans.
But it's not a slam dunk.
McCoy said he's not as close to the players and can no longer ask officials to clarify calls. "There's no restrooms up there, also," he said.
Mickelson said arena security makes sure McCoy is able to quickly get down the stairs and through the crowd to get to the press room – and the restrooms – in the bowels of the arena.
Rankin:'Voice of Suns' Al McCoy touches many lives, including mine
McCoy has long opened his broadcast during home games welcoming listeners to his familiar courtside location for the game.
That has quietly dropped this season.
The move wasn't exactly a secret. Jon Bloom, who handles Suns pre-and post-game shows and calls games on the road, posted a photo on Twitter in October of McCoy in his new spot.
But McCoy hasn't made a hoop-de-do about the move on the air.
Although there have been hints during the broadcasts.
During the Game 2 home game against the Los Angeles Clippers, McCoy said he couldn't tell whether a Clipper player stepped out of bounds from his "vantage point." McCoy told listeners he was blocked from that corner and his color analyst, Tim Kempton, a former NBA player measuring 6-foot-10, stood up and was able to see over fans' heads.
Suns players ask, where did Al go? 'Up here,' he waves from his new spot
Some players doing postgame interviews with McCoy have seemed momentarily confused, looking for McCoy courtside.
After one game this season, guard Devin Booker asked on the air where McCoy was at. Chris Paul asked the same question when he put on the headphones for an interview after Game 2 against the Clippers.
McCoy said he has stood up and waved his arms to let the players know where he was sitting. "Up here," he said.
McCoy has long complained about the seats given to visiting radio broadcasters in other cities' arenas.
"I've been moved to locations where you can't see part of the floor," he said. "I guess we're just lucky they let us in the building."
It's why, he said, he opted in recent years to not travel to broadcast road games. "I can't see the floor to do an accurate broadcast," he said. "I don't want people listening to think I've lost it or don't know what I'm doing."
McCoy will end his final broadcast whenever the Suns playoff run ends.
Making this season, in a way, training for when he sits among the crowd like a regular fan. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/04/28/phoenix-suns-move-announcer-al-mccoy-from-calling-games-courtside/70132665007/ | 2023-04-28T15:15:13 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/04/28/phoenix-suns-move-announcer-al-mccoy-from-calling-games-courtside/70132665007/ |
There's a new push to incorporate San Tan Valley. What's changed since the last attempt
Voters may get a chance to decide in 2024 whether San Tan Valley, Pinal County's largest unincorporated community, will become a municipality.
A group of San Tan Valley residents has formed a committee, STV Inc. 2024, to petition for the county area to incorporate, according to an April 12 notice of intent delivered to the Pinal County Board of Supervisors.
During a Wednesday meeting, a member of the group told supervisors that organizers intend to speak with neighbors in the community and nearby cities to obtain feedback and develop plans.
Tyler Hudgins, one of the residents behind the effort, said the boundaries of the proposed municipality remain undetermined. He said residents seek incorporation to secure localized control over tax dollars and address issues such as "water, transportation and development."
As an unincorporated area, San Tan Valley is dependent on county government and services, so the board currently determines how those problems are tackled. But the community has boomed as housing prices have soared in metro Phoenix, and residents and county officials have long expressed concerns that it's outgrown its roads, services and unincorporated status. It has a rapidly growing population of about 100,000, per the U.S. Census Bureau.
That entire San Tan Valley population may not be within the final boundaries of the incorporation bid. Still, it's likely that the community would become Pinal County's largest city if it were to incorporate. Currently, the city of Maricopa holds that title, with a population of about 60,000.
Two potential paths to incorporation
Hudgins stressed that the incorporation process is still in early stages, calling the committee "exploratory."
The group is currently arranging meetings with officials from Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction, he said.
As the group meets with neighbors and stakeholders, Hudgins and other members will work to develop proposed boundaries, create a budget and plan out services for the potential municipality. Once a formal plan has been put together, the committee may seek incorporation via a county supervisors vote or by an election of San Tan Valley voters.
Incorporation by county supervisors would require committee organizers to produce signatures of two-thirds of the registered voters within the boundaries of the area. Incorporation via a direct election requires only 10% of registered voters to sign.
The group's notice of intent states that the committee will endeavor to place the initiative on the November 2024 ballot and "allow the community to determine the future of San Tan Valley."
In that case, the incorporators will need to submit their signatures to county supervisors, who will tally up the number of valid ones. If the group reaches the 10% threshold, the board will greenlight the election and voters within the boundaries of the proposed municipality will choose whether to incorporate.
A history of failed incorporation attempts
Previous incorporation efforts in San Tan Valley have crashed and burned before making it onto voters' ballots.
The most recent, in 2018, was hamstrung when the developer of Encanterra announced it would not give permission for that community to be included in the proposed municipality. At that time, state law dictated that the incorporation process required organizers to notify developers and homeowner associations individually. Any entity not notified could opt out of the proposed boundaries and potentially kill the incorporation effort.
That provision was changed last year, and now, incorporators must notify all parties by getting their efforts on a meeting agenda of the county Board of Supervisors six months in advance. Entities may still opt out, but they can no longer kill the incorporation effort.
Other bids to incorporate San Tan Valley faced opposition from nearby cities. State law previously allowed an existing city or town within six miles of a proposed incorporation to block it, a provision that was removed in 2017.
In the meantime, the unincorporated community's neighboring municipalities have annexed chunks of the area into their boundaries.
Sasha Hupka covers Maricopa County, Pinal County and regional issues for The Arizona Republic. Do you have thoughts on San Tan Valley incorporating? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SashaHupka. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal/2023/04/28/will-san-tan-valley-become-a-city-voters-may-decide-on-incorporation-pinal-county-2024/70159759007/ | 2023-04-28T15:15:20 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal/2023/04/28/will-san-tan-valley-become-a-city-voters-may-decide-on-incorporation-pinal-county-2024/70159759007/ |
Surprise to install traffic signal upgrades along Bell Road, causing traffic restrictions
Surprise is performing traffic signal upgrades along Bell Road, which will add flashing yellow arrows for left turns at five intersections, resulting in overnight traffic restrictions starting Friday night.
The first intersection to get work done and receive the new signals will be at Bell and Reems roads. The signals will add flashing yellow arrows for north and southbound left turns.
The work will begin at 8 p.m. on Friday and is expected to be completed by 7 a.m. on Saturday. During this time, traffic will be restricted to one lane in all four directions and left turns will be prohibited. Additionally, the signal will be out of operation and police will be directing traffic at the intersection.
A flashing yellow arrow means drivers can make a left turn, but only when it is safe to do so. Drivers must use caution and yield to pedestrians and oncoming traffic, meaning those that have a green light.
The installation of a flashing yellow arrow means more vehicles per signal cycle will be able to make a left turn.
Over the next two months, the following intersections will also be receiving upgraded traffic signals with flashing yellow arrows for left turns and will have similar work hours and traffic restrictions:
- Bell Road & Mountain Vista Boulevard – adding flashing yellow for westbound left turn
- Bell Road & Sunrise Boulevard – adding flashing yellow for eastbound and westbound left turns
- Bell Road & Sarival Avenue – adding flashing yellow for westbound left turn
- Bell Road & 165th Avenue – adding flashing yellow for westbound left turn
The city will communicate the specific dates and information on traffic restrictions at these intersections once they are determined.
Reach reporter Renata Cló at rclo@arizonarepublic.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/surprise-traffic/2023/04/28/bell-road-in-surprise-to-undergo-traffic-restrictions-friday-night/70159348007/ | 2023-04-28T15:15:26 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/surprise-traffic/2023/04/28/bell-road-in-surprise-to-undergo-traffic-restrictions-friday-night/70159348007/ |
Dog-friendly dining in Florida: What's required of restaurants allowing dogs in outdoor areas?
If you've ever sat outside for a meal at a Florida restaurant, there's a good chance at least one other guest had four legs and fur.
That's because the state Legislature in 2006 passed the "Dixie Cup Clary Local Control Act," which allows municipalities to create a path to licensing for restaurants wanting to legally allow dogs on their patios and outside dining areas.
The act was named for then-state Sen. Charlie Clary and his Yorkshire Terrier named Dixie Cup.
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Many of the restaurants in Volusia and Flagler counties are considered dog-friendly, but without a local exemption, such as what the DeLand City Commission approved a few regular meetings ago, it's technically not legal according to state law.
A number of municipalities, such as DeLand, offer the dog-friendly dining license to businesses at no cost.
Those who choose to opt in must follow sanitation protocols as laid out by the state.
What's required of restaurants that allow four-legged companions in outdoor areas?
- Diagram and description of the outdoor area to be designated as available to patrons’ dogs.
- Description of the days of the week and hours of operation that patrons’ dogs will be permitted in the designated outdoor area.
- Employees shall wash their hands promptly after touching, petting or otherwise handling dogs. Employees shall be prohibited from touching, petting, or otherwise handling dogs while serving food or beverages, handling tableware or before entering other parts of the public food service establishment.
- All table and chair surfaces shall be cleaned and sanitized with an approved product between seating of patrons. Spilled food and drink shall be removed from the floor or ground between seating of patrons.
- Accidents involving dog waste shall be cleaned immediately and the area sanitized with an approved product.
- Description and location of dog waste kit.
- Patrons shall be advised that they should wash their hands prior to eating. Waterless hand sanitizer shall be provided at all tables in the designated outdoor area.
- Dogs shall not come into contact with serving dishes, utensils, tableware, linens, paper products, or any other items involved in food service operations.
- Patrons shall keep their dogs on a leash at all times and shall keep their dogs under reasonable control.
- Dogs shall not be allowed on chairs, tables, or other furnishings.
- Dogs shall not be permitted to travel through indoor and non-designated outdoor portions of the public food service establishment.
- Description and location of sign(s) reminding employees of the applicable rules.
- Description and location of sign(s) reminding patrons of the applicable rules.
- Description and location of public notification that the designated outdoor area is available for the use of patrons and patrons’ dogs. | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/dog-friendly-dining-and-whats-required-of-restaurants-staff-patrons/70147442007/ | 2023-04-28T15:18:13 | 1 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/dog-friendly-dining-and-whats-required-of-restaurants-staff-patrons/70147442007/ |
How John Pappajohn's significant contributions benefited the University of Iowa
- John Pappajohn donated $1.5 million to establish the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center in 1996
- Over 100,000 students have participated in JPEC at the University of Iowa as of 2022
- Among John Pappajohn's many philanthropic contributions to UI was a scholarship established in 2012
- John Pappajohn and wife, Mary, also contributed $26.4 million for what is now the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building
John Pappajohn will be remembered as the most influential person in entrepreneurship in Iowa.
That’s what David Hensley, executive director of the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, said about the philanthropist and innovative entrepreneur who died April 22 at age 94.
Pappajohn was committed to building entrepreneurship across Iowa, notably with establishing entrepreneurial centers across higher education institutions in the state. An accomplished business leader, Pappajohn made significant donations to the University of Iowa, his alma mater, though his philanthropy didn't end there. He and wife, Mary, became America's leading art collectors, especially evident in their contributions towards the 4.4-acre Pappajohn Sculpture Park in Des Moines.
The successful entrepreneur also had an “unparalleled” positive mental attitude and was someone who treated people with respect and dignity, Hensley said.
“With the creation of the (John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial) centers and John's energy and passion and willingness to support the centers and other entrepreneurial initiatives in the state of Iowa, we now have a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in Iowa,” Hensley said.
John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Centers benefits thousands of people
Erica Cole was a student at UI when she lost her leg in car accident. It was through the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center that Cole started her business No Limbits, an adaptive apparel company that began with custom prosthetic limb covers. She appeared on “Shark Tank” and walked away with a $100,000 investment from Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and Emma Grede, co-founder of the inclusive fashion company Good American, the Press-Citizen reported last year.
She is just one of the hundreds of thousands of people — individuals with backgrounds in medicine, retail, agriculture, just to name a few, according to Hensley — who’ve participated in JPEC programs across the state.
As of 2022, 161,092 people had participated in JPEC at UI, according to the UI Center for Advancement. JPEC centers at UI, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa, Drake University and North Iowa Area Community College are responsible for over 8,500 new businesses and 17,400 jobs as of last year, according to the UI Center for Advancement.
But the existence of these centers are thanks to Pappajohn, who saw the absence of entrepreneurship in Iowa amid a struggling economy in the mid-1990s.
He donated $1.5 million to establish the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center at UI that year, according to the Tippie College of Business, though he’d go on to donate millions more to create and support centers at other Iowa universities and colleges.
“With the creation of a center, it allowed us to start to educate and prepare entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial-minded leaders to go out and start a company or join an existing business or go back and join the family business and to be able to apply the entrepreneurial mindset to build and grow successful companies,” Hensley said.
The value of entrepreneurship is evident through job creation, through its ability to attract new talent to a community as well as retain talent. Entrepreneurship results in innovation, in new products or services, Hensley said.
Hensley said what is taught at JPEC is “innovative and creative problem solving.” At UI, the program has been designed so that any student will benefit from studying entrepreneurship, regardless of their career paths, he said.
What resonated with Hensley about Pappajohn was his excitement for people trying to start a business.
“It didn't matter if it was a medical device company, or if it was somebody was doing a side hustle," Hensley said. "If they were trying something, you would see a sparkle in his eye and he would do what he could do inspire them and connect them.”
Pappajohn, who arrived in Mason City when he was only nine months old from Greece, would also tell people the following, Hensley said.
“If I can do it, you can do it.”
John Pappajohn’s contributions extend beyond JPEC
In 1952, Pappajohn graduated from the Tippie College of Business.
It took him six years to complete his undergraduate degree because he and his two younger brothers took turns attending college. When they weren’t in school, they were assisting their mother as she operated the family grocery store in Mason City, said Lynette Marshall, president and CEO of the UI Center for Advancement.
Pappajohn served on the board of the UI Center for Advancement, among other boards and committees. He joined in 1989 and was elected the lifetime honorary director in 2019, according to an email from the UI Center for Advancement.
The Pappajohns, among their many philanthropic contributions, established the John and Mary Pappajohn Scholarship in 2012, which has supported 18 students, some over multiple years, an email from the UI Center for Advancement said.
“I think John always had a soft spot in his heart for young people who were willing to work hard and who wanted to rise up from perhaps meager circumstances as he had,” Marshall said.
More:Iowa icon in business, arts and philanthropy, John Pappajohn, dies at 94
When Pappajohn was 16, his father died.
“I always, as a kid, did everything to make a living,” Pappajohn said in a 2004 Associated Press article. “I did things you wouldn’t believe if I told you. My dad had the little grocery store, and my brothers and I plucked 50,000 chickens by hand.”
He would go on to start Pappajohn Capital Resources, a venture capital fund, and be involved in over 100 start ups and serve as director in over 40 public companies, according to the philanthropist’s website.
Pappajohn’s name can be found across the UI campus. It began with the John Pappajohn Pavilion, in which he and wife, Mary, gave $3 million to the University of Iowa Hospitals in 1989. The John and Mary Pappajohn Clinical Cancer Center was completed in 1993.
They also supported the Pappajohn Business Building, home to the Tippie College of Business.
“I see this building as a wonderful business opportunity, an investment that will yield significant dividends for the college, the university and the state of Iowa,” Pappajohn said of the building in 1992, according to Press-Citizen archives.
“Life has been very generous to me and my family, and I want to give back much of what I have received,” he said.
Pappajohn continued giving back, including announcing he’d give another $10 million to the five JPEC centers at a celebration commemorating the 25th anniversary of the donations that first started the entrepreneurial centers in 2021, the Des Moines Register reported.
He and wife Mary also contributed $26.4 million for what is now the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building, a 256,000-square-foot building built in 2014, home to research including the Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging and the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center. Their last name is attached to the biomedical institute founded the same year.
“(The Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building) is also is a remarkable legacy for him and for Mary here on campus at the University of Iowa,” Marshall said.
Hard work, kindness and an “uncanny ability” to recognize and seize opportunities are all part of Pappajohn’s legacy people can learn from, Hensley said.
“John's legacy and impact will live on for generations because of the approach of trying to get to young people and educating students to help position themselves for career success,” Hensley said.
“That is something that for people that have gone through our program or any of the other centers, hopefully, we have gotten them to understand what it takes to be successful and that they can do it, giving them the confidence and the skill set to go out and change the world," Hensley said. "That’s what John did.”
Paris Barraza covers entertainment, lifestyle and arts at the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Reach her at PBarraza@press-citizen.com or 319-519-9731. Follow her on Twitter @ParisBarraza. | https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/philanthropist-entrepreneur-john-pappajohns-university-of-iowa-ui-ties-jpec-business-uni-isu-drake/70155448007/ | 2023-04-28T15:23:56 | 0 | https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2023/04/28/philanthropist-entrepreneur-john-pappajohns-university-of-iowa-ui-ties-jpec-business-uni-isu-drake/70155448007/ |
SPRING BRANCH, Texas — Spring Branch Independent School District canceled upcoming field trips to see performances of "James and the Giant Peach."
The move comes after some parents raised concerns about actors who play cross-gender roles.
Main Street Theater's “James and the Giant Peach” performance is recommended for children in first grade and up. The play, based on Roald Dahl’s well-known children’s book, is a story of an orphan boy who finds refuge inside a magical peach.
Shannon Emerick is the director of marketing and communications at Main Street Theater.
“We have over 100,000 kiddos come with school groups, families, grandparents and friends," she said.
Jessica Gerland’s kindergartener was scheduled to go on the field trip.
“The way that they are normalizing this, especially in front of 5- to 6-year-olds, it just raises concerns for some parents,” she said.
Gerland says she brought her concerns to the district at Monday’s school board meeting, after calling Main Street Theater to get additional details. She says the theater told her actors play multiple roles that are both male and female.
"She explained to me how they wear flamboyant makeup and wigs to make it fun for the kids," she said. "Do you know what the definition of a drag queen is?"
Emerick says cross-gender acting is common in theater.
"There's no drag in the show," she said. "You are going to see men playing women and women playing men sometimes, absolutely. That has happened since the creation of theater 1,000 years ago."
Emerick says they've hosted field trips from several other area districts without incident.
"We just want to do what we do and doing what we've done for 43 years,” said Emerick.
"It's something that I thought would be more appropriate for high schoolers, not kindergarteners,” said Gerland.
Spring Branch sent the following statement Thursday:
"We received feedback from employees and other adults who attended Main Street Theater’s production of James and the Giant Peach that expressed concern over elements of the performance that were not age-appropriate for elementary students.
Based on the concerns we heard, the decision was made to request campuses planning to attend make alternative arrangements. My responsibility is to ensure that content students are exposed to during school hours is age appropriate. Given the information we had, the decision was made to err on the side of caution. Please understand these decisions are not always easy to make and are always done in the best interest of our students." | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/spring-branch-isd-play/285-daeb472a-1889-41ba-81a4-6d8f24b50601 | 2023-04-28T15:28:09 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/spring-branch-isd-play/285-daeb472a-1889-41ba-81a4-6d8f24b50601 |
SAN ANTONIO — A man is behind bars after being accused of killing his neighbor nearly a year ago.
Police believe a rocky relationship led to the death of a 39-year-old man.
Neighbors say they had no idea a man had been murdered at their apartment complex last year. And now, police have gathered enough evidence to put a suspect behind bars. The man was arrested this week.
According to an arrest affidavit bad blood between neighbors turned deadly at the Agora Stone Oak Apartments.
A witness told police 27-year-old Malik Pryor and 39-year-old Jarrod Papen often got into "heated arguments." Though, she didn't say what started the feud.
At about 1:30 p.m. on May 14th, 2022, police say Papen left his apartment when he encountered Pryor. Police believe a confrontation ensued, and Pryor forced Papen into his apartment.
Pryor used an object, likely a pistol, to strike Papen in the head, the document says. He then used an electrical cord to strangle Papen to death.
Pryor's girlfriend told police she entered the apartment that evening and noticed Papen on the living room floor with his back against the sofa. The woman said Papen looked like he was passed out. When she asked Pryor why he was there, she told investigators he responded. "I don't know, he just walked in."
The woman said she didn't want to start an argument, so she didn't push further. She told police they left the apartment together.
But the next day, she returned. And when she saw Papen in the same position 24 hours later she realized he was dead, the document states.
The woman called police.
The affidavit shows detectives found blood in several places including on clothing, a plastic bag and a electrical cord.
But investigators believe Pryor made an attempt to clean up the crime scene.
Pryor was charged with murder and is being held on a $150,000 bond. A pre-hearing is set for May 30th. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/stone-oak-apartment-murder-dies/273-dac9c928-9a41-45c9-a61a-b46de17820bd | 2023-04-28T15:28:12 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/stone-oak-apartment-murder-dies/273-dac9c928-9a41-45c9-a61a-b46de17820bd |
Virginia parents’ fears about gun violence in schools, already top of mind, have been intensified by two school shootings in the commonwealth this year — one at Newport News in January and one on Thursday in the parking lot of George Wythe High School in Richmond.
If Henrico mom Jamie Bass drives past her two kids’ schools during the day, she worries when she sees small details awry, like a police car parked out front, or a door being propped open.
“Something that I had always heard but didn’t understand until I was a parent is that when we enroll our kids in school we are trusting schools with the physical safety of our children for a huge portion of the day,” Bass said.
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Amid heightened concerns, local school divisions are taking varied approaches to school safety. In Henrico County, for example, the school division piloted metal detectors starting in February at some schools to study the effectiveness.
Bass is part of an increasingly worried group of parents across the nation. A CBS News poll conducted this month shows that American parents’ concern about gun violence is higher than it was last summer.
This month, 77% of parents are at least somewhat concerned about the possibility of gun violence at their children's school, according to the poll, while 72% of parents had the same concern last year.
About 61% of parents of school-age children reported this month that their children worry about gun violence at school, either “a lot” or “sometimes.”
Days after a 6-year-old student fired a single round and intentionally shot his teacher Jan. 6 at Richneck Elementary in Newport News, Colleen Renthrope, mother of a 7-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son in the school system, was among parents pouring out their anguish at a meeting of the Newport News School Board.
"There's no single answer to this abhorrent situation that our kids, teachers and parents find ourselves in daily," Renthrope said. "I send my kids to school and find myself praying to God that they will return home safely."
Around the same time that the 6-year-old shot teacher Abigail Zwerner in Newport News, another teacher across the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel faced threats of gun violence from students. She said the school administration failed to act, the same way that school administration reportedly failed to protect the teacher in Newport News.
Kelley Green, a third grade teacher in Virginia Beach, said she reported a verbal threat of gun violence from a student immediately after it happened, but said she didn’t hear back from school administration until four hours after school had ended.
“I still had to sit in the office with that same student who had threatened me that day with an AK-47,” Green said. (The student did not have a gun.)
“When the situation at Richneck Elementary occurred, it was weeks after numerous incidents of teachers, myself included, reporting unsafe scenarios, and nothing being done.”
Green has faced several threats and acts of violence during her teaching career. Within her first few weeks of her first teaching job, a student punched Green in the stomach. Earlier this school year, a parent came into school and punched Green, she said.
Next year, Green will join a new school in Virginia Beach.
“I was allowed to be assaulted. After reporting it for 17 days and saying that I don't feel safe, nothing was done,” she said. “I was told that, ‘Well, you were hit because that was your fault.’ That's when I knew I kind of had to go.”
Green said that recent school shootings across the U.S. have prompted school division officials to hold faculty meetings and reassure teachers that they are safe. But the officials have not taken any actions to make teachers safe, she said.
“We are someone's child as well,” Green said. “We deserve to be able to go home to our families and our parents and our kids and our pets in order to do what we love the next day.”
Green plans to push for better policies in her school division to protect teachers.
She proposes that teachers should be given personal leave to go home and recover if they've been physically or mentally assaulted by students or others. The proposal also says that parents who threaten teachers should be banned from the school, and threat assessments should be mandatory.
She said she is pushing for things that should be the bare minimum, in order to make a better environment for teachers and students.
“I love those kids and I love being able to make an impact,” Green said.
“As many headaches and heartaches as they give, they've given more love. They deserve so much better.”
Alarming, but uncommon
In Richmond on Thursday, police said, two George Wythe High School students were hospitalized, one in critical condition, after they were shot near the school.
Police found one student in a wooded area outside the school's parking lot on Crutchfield Street, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. That student was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, police said. A second student, who was also shot but suffered less serious injuries, took himself to a hospital, police said. As of Thursday evening police had not made an arrest.
Although school shootings and parents' worries about them are on the rise, school gun violence remains uncommon.
“Despite the alarming scariness of school shootings, and despite the fact that they have increased in recent years and the terrible nature of them, they're still an extremely rare event and extremely unlikely to happen in any individual school,” said Jeff Temple, a professor and psychologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch who studies adolescent violence.
“For many people, a large number of our kids, school is the safest place that they can be.”
Gun violence overtook automobile accidents as the leading cause of youth deaths in the U.S. as of 2020. But less than 1% of youth gun deaths each year happen in schools, and even fewer are from mass shootings in schools.
Although school shootings are statistically rare, they are on the rise. Last year, more school shootings took place in the U.S. (46) than in any year since at least 1999, when 15 were killed at Columbine High School in suburban Denver, according to a Washington Post database.
“School shootings are not only here to stay, but they're probably going to get worse before they get better in terms of frequency and severity,” Temple said. “We're going to have a day in the not too distant future where we're going to have two schools have mass shootings on the same day. That will happen, just statistically speaking.”
Moms Demand Action is a national nonprofit organization with localized groups of parents who are advocating for what they term “common sense” gun laws to make schools safer.
Membership for the Richmond chapter has soared in the wake of the high-profile school shootings March 27 at The Covenant School in Nashville, in which a former student killed three 9-year-olds and three adults — and Jan. 6 in Newport News. It was largely dormant during the depths of the pandemic when parents were hunkered down, focused on their kids’ online learning.
Last year, the group's membership snowballed.
“It wasn’t until after the Uvalde (Texas) shooting" in May 2022, in which a former student killed 19 elementary school students and two teachers, "that we have seen an enormous surge in interest in joining the movement,” said Kristin DuMont, a local co-lead for Richmond’s Moms Demand Action chapter. “Now we’ve had over 100 people join us in the last few weeks, really since the Nashville shooting.”
Aside from what it terms common-sense gun laws — like stricter background checks and mental health checks on gun purchases — the group pushes for practices and laws that would keep kids from having guns in the first place. It also want parents to talk to children, educate and be mindful about guns.
School safety measures
Henrico County Public Schools Superintendent Amy Cashwell said the school system is constantly talking about safety and how to upgrade or improve it.
Within the past five years or so, the county’s schools have seen visible changes to safety features. Security vestibules where visitors can do school business without coming into the school were added, while a buzz-in system keeps people from entering schools without speaking to someone in a front office.
Cashwell said the overall goal of the school district's security systems is to have a layered approach that catches all types of gun violence, from a potential mass shooting to a student who brings a gun into school.
The school division has a host of physical security devices like visitor identification scanners, newly upgraded camera systems and KnoxBoxes - wall-mounted safes that hold keys so first responders can access a building. The school system just concluded a study testing metal detectors and weapons scanners at three of its schools.
Cashwell said that beyond the need for physical protections at schools is the importance that each school community plays in reporting problems that might involve students.
“It's been public that we've had some weapons on our campus, at our high schools specifically," Cashwell said. "Without picking any one of them out, in almost every instance, a student reported that they believed another student had a weapon on their person either through anonymous alerts or to a trusted adult directly."
HCPS also has an internal team that focuses solely on its school safety plans, which are vetted annually by the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services’ school safety audit program. Cashwell said the system is consistently working to upgrade those plans based on expert feedback.
Student mental health
Despite the effort, coordination and resources, those best laid school security plans haven’t proved entirely perfect.
Joshua M. Langberg, a parent of a student at Holman Middle School in Henrico, said the safety measures themselves can be dangerous for children.
He said Holman had experienced two gun-related events over the past couple of months. In the second, which the school said “appeared” to be a prank, police burst into his daughter’s classroom during a lock-and-hide drill with their guns drawn, “red laser dots leveled at all around the room.”
“I understand that given all that’s going on in the world, we have to focus on and prioritize school safety, but as a parent, I feel the pendulum has swung too far and that we’ve forgotten that our core mission at schools is child development and well-being,” Langberg said.
“That’s why we send our children to school. If we focus on safety too much, we will not be able to meet our core mission.”
Langberg is a licensed child psychologist in Virginia and New Jersey, having worked for Virginia Commonwealth University for 11 years. He says his daughter has been showing signs of PTSD since the incident that drew law enforcement.
“This is not normal. This is stuff that we typically don't think about it unless people are in in war situations,” Langberg said. “Can we at least acknowledge that some of the safety procedures we've put into place are literally causing our children potential PTSD, which is a lifelong debilitating condition — and I want to make sure that side of the discussion doesn't get left.”
Data compiled by Everytown, a national gun safety nonprofit, found that 52% of school campus shootings come from arguments that escalate, robberies or parking lot altercations. The compilation found that less than 1% of school gunfire incidents were done with the intent to commit a mass shooting.
Anne Forrester, a middle school teacher in Richmond Public Schools, said the answer isn’t hardening schools or more discipline – it’s more mental health supports for students.
“I don't think our schools have become any more or less safe (over the past few years). I think that our students’ mental health has declined,” Forrester said. “It’s not that I'm not concerned about violence, but I think what's causing violence amongst our students is unmet mental health needs.”
The problem, she said, is that students come to school with unprocessed and unresolved trauma. It stems from violence in their households and their communities, she said.
“In the news, you see this child brought a weapon to school, or this child assaulted someone, or this child made a threat. At the end of the day, there were teachers and parents and other students who knew that child and probably cared about that child, and knew that child as someone who was suffering, as someone who needed a lot of help. There’s more to it than, ‘this kid was bad,' ” Forrester said.
“Kids aren’t bad. People make bad choices, people get desperate in bad circumstances, especially kids. As a teacher, I have to believe that they can change if they just get the help they need.”
Anna Bryson (804) 649-6945
Twitter: @AnnaBryson18
Sean Jones (804) 649-6911
Twitter: @SeanJones_RTD
“Despite the alarming scariness of school shootings, and despite the fact that they have increased in recent years and the terrible nature of them, they're still an extremely rare event and extremely unlikely to happen in any individual school."
— Jeff Temple, University of Texas Medical Branch professor and psychologist | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/school-shootings-nashville-virginia-columbine-oxford/article_d1e5f412-e472-11ed-be83-4f9b748c2ad6.html | 2023-04-28T15:28:12 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/school-shootings-nashville-virginia-columbine-oxford/article_d1e5f412-e472-11ed-be83-4f9b748c2ad6.html |
The Richmond-based United Network for Organ Sharing has named Maureen McBride its CEO. McBride has held the position on an interim basis since October.
She will guide the nonprofit and its 450 employees during a period of transformation. Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services announced its intention to break up the federal contract for managing organ transplantation across the country. UNOS has been the sole holder of the contract since its creation in 1984. The current deal expires this year.
"As we move forward in our mission to save more lives, I look forward to leading UNOS during a time of immense change," McBride said.
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When she became interim CEO, McBride promised improvement. UNOS has been criticized for shortfalls in its technology, its ability to deliver kidneys on time and its ability to oversee the organ procurement organizations in the network.
The nonutilization rate of kidneys increased in 2022, said Ginny McBride, head of a Florida organ procurement organization. Twenty-six percent of kidneys removed from a dying patient were never successfully transplanted to a needy one, an increase from 22% in 2021.
One doctor told Congress she received a kidney with tire marks on the box. Another sat overnight in an airport hangar. Another was the victim of a botched biopsy.
But UNOS is best situated to take one or more of the contracts, McBride said, noting the organization's expertise.
McBride has a "clear-eyed vision of transformational change at UNOS," said Dr. Jerry McCauley, president of the UNOS board.
This month, UNOS released a list of improvement areas it intends to focus on, including IT infrastructure, transportation of organs, oversight of the procurement organizations and hospitals in the network and transparency of the system's performance.
McBride replaces Brian Shepard, who earned more than $700,000 in 2020 and resigned in September.
McBride becomes UNOS's first female leader. She has worked for UNOS since 1995 and was previously director of research and chief operations officer. She received her doctorate in biostatistics from Virginia Commonwealth University. | https://richmond.com/news/local/unos-interim-ceo-staying-on-long-term/article_b56a95f2-e5c3-11ed-9cd0-ab83c0eb2491.html | 2023-04-28T15:28:13 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/unos-interim-ceo-staying-on-long-term/article_b56a95f2-e5c3-11ed-9cd0-ab83c0eb2491.html |
DULUTH — Center City Housing Corp. has yet to break ground for a new subsidized housing development, but it’s already laying plans to put up yet another apartment building next door to it.
The Duluth Economic Development Authority agreed Wednesday to provide Center City with an option to purchase property in the Spirit Valley neighborhood to construct a 30-unit supportive housing development adjacent to Wadena West, a 60-unit building it expects to begin work on this summer.
DEDA commissioners voted 6-0 to approve a resolution that authorizes city staff to sell Center City the Wadena West site for $125,500, as well as a separate resolution granting the same organization an option to buy additional land on Wadena Street, between 52nd and 53rd avenues west, at a cost of $43,400 for future development.
We do a lot to connect people with behavioral help and physical help.
Securing a site for the proposed project is considered a prerequisite for Center City to seek assistance from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency in the form of low-income housing credits.
The organization has already secured Minnesota Housing Finance Agency support for Wadena West, and the city has agreed to help the project forward by providing another $1.75 million in federal pandemic relief funding it received through the American Rescue Plan Act.
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Half the units in Wadena West will be one-bedroom apartments and the remainder will be efficiency units.
“So, the building will be completely affordable, and people will pay a third of their income for rent,” said Center City Director Nancy Cashman. Rents are designed to be within the financial reach of individuals earning 30%-60% of the area median income.
“It will have on-site services that are very comprehensive,” Cashman said, pointing to case management supports, transportation, a medication safe-keeping program and employment support, as well as advocacy and referrals to connect people to resources in the community.
“We do a lot to connect people with behavioral help and physical help. Also, there will be 24-hour front desk staffing,” she said.
Roz Randorf, DEDA commissioner and 3rd District city councilor, thanked Cashman for Center City’s efforts.
“It’s highly needed, and it’s good to see these units coming to our community,” Randorf said.
Cashman said “it’s hard to find sites in Duluth,” so they appreciate the location.
Center City aims to apply for additional low-income housing credits in July to support a second 30-unit project next to Wadena West, and Cashman said she’s confident the organization can make a strong case for the project.
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She said the new building would be used to replace the nearby Memorial Park Apartments complex Center City currently operates. Cashman said that building is “single-room occupancy, the really old type, where there’s shared kitchens and bathrooms.”
“The rooms are very small. It’s very tired. We have very high-barrier folks living there,” she said, noting that support services are provided to residents with help from the Human Development Center. But Cashman described those services as “minimal.”
She explained that the Memorial Park Apartments building has a negative cash flow; it costs Center City $30,000-$80,000 per year to keep it afloat. “So it’s not a building we can continue to have in our portfolio, because we just can’t continue to support it at that level.”
Cashman suspects the tenants at Memorial Park will be eager to move into a new building with more room and greater privacy.
As for the existing apartment building, Cashman said Center City could look at selling it, which she considers an unlikely prospect, or tearing it down and building more housing there.
“I think it’s important for people to have a better place to live,” Cashman said. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/center-city-lays-plans-for-more-affordable-housing-in-duluth | 2023-04-28T15:31:37 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/center-city-lays-plans-for-more-affordable-housing-in-duluth |
DALLAS — Tom Thumb is celebrating its 75th year in a big way by donating 75 pallets of non-perishable products to the North Texas Food Bank.
The North Texas grocery chain marked its 75th anniversary in operation on Wednesday. To celebrate, the company's leaders joined those with the food bank at the Tom Thumb on Lovers Lane and Greenville in Dallas, where the donation was given to the food bank.
The donated items from Tom Thumb's Own Brands include peanut butter, canned chicken, canned vegetables and mac 'n' cheese. The grocer also partnered with vendors for the donation, including: Barilla (which donated a truckload of pasta), Kellogg's (which donated Frosted Flakes), Hormel Foods, Martin's Famous Potato Rolls, Quaker, McKee Foods, Flowers Bakery, Mondelez, Pampers and Nestle Purina.
The event ended up with three tractor-trailers filled with food items for the food bank.
“We are thrilled to make this donation today, at a time when food banks and food pantries are seeing increased need”, Wes Jackson, Tom Thumb Division President, said in a press release. “Since the founding of Tom Thumb, giving back to the community has always been a company focus. We are in the people business and are so glad to know this product will directly benefit our North Texas neighbors who are facing food insecurity.”
Tom Thumb was founded in Dallas in 1948 by friends J.R. Bost and Bob Cullum. Today the company is owned by Albertson's, which operates stores across 34 states under the brands Tom Thumb, Safeway, Randalls and United Supermarkets. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tom-thumb-grocery-store-just-turned-75-and-they-celebrated-with-a-75-pallet-donation-to-the-north-texas-food-bank/287-b8c12986-72ff-4a8e-8ce8-caf376cd6702 | 2023-04-28T15:31:40 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/tom-thumb-grocery-store-just-turned-75-and-they-celebrated-with-a-75-pallet-donation-to-the-north-texas-food-bank/287-b8c12986-72ff-4a8e-8ce8-caf376cd6702 |
Here is your Duluth News Tribune Minute podcast for Friday, April 28, 2023.
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ODESSA, Texas — The Odessa Police Department has made a breakthrough in a 1984 missing person case involving 39-year-old Maria Faye Mendez.
Mendez was reported missing in August of 1984 from her apartment located in the 2400 block of West 10th Street. Her family would report her as missing days later after failing to get in contact with her.
The initial investigation team conducted interviews and canvases, but the case would quickly cold. In 2022, OPD received some DNA samples from living relatives of Maria Mendez and they were sent to the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification.
In January 2023, the center notified OPD about a DNA match, which stemmed from skeletal remains recovered in Crane County in January of 1990. The remains were found by Crane County Deputies and in 2013, with help from CCSO and OPD, the remains were submitted for DNA testing and anthropological research.
With new advancements in technology and forensic testing, OPD was able to identify the skeleton remains in Crane County as Maria Faye Mendez.
The Odessa Police Department would like to thank the Texas Rangers, Ms. Mendez's family, and the University of North Texas Center for Human Identification for all there help during this multiple decade investigation.
The case has now been upgraded to an active homicide investigation. Anyone would have any information that could lead to an arrest is encouraged to call OPD at 432-335-3333 or Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/opd-makes-breakthrough-in-1984-missing-person-case/513-939182ab-039e-4fd8-840d-5a1c73a284e4 | 2023-04-28T15:35:58 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/opd-makes-breakthrough-in-1984-missing-person-case/513-939182ab-039e-4fd8-840d-5a1c73a284e4 |
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ATLANTIC CITY — A dead body was found on the Boardwalk Thursday morning near Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, according to police.
The unidentified person appeared to possibly have suffered a medical emergency, Sgt. Paul Aristizabal said.
The death does not appear to be suspicious, he said.
No other information about the death was immediately available on Friday.
This is a developing story. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/person-found-dead-on-atlantic-city-boardwalk/article_7f0d8f80-e5cf-11ed-a7a4-4f3cc1535983.html | 2023-04-28T15:35:59 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/person-found-dead-on-atlantic-city-boardwalk/article_7f0d8f80-e5cf-11ed-a7a4-4f3cc1535983.html |
MAYS LANDING — A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty earlier this week to first-degree aggravated manslaughter charges in connection with his former girlfriend's death in an Atlantic City casino hotel room nearly two years ago.
Frankie E. Lane, 61, will spend made 20-year prison sentence as part of the plea deal made on Tuesday.
Lane was charged in the stabbing death of Sharon Whaley, 57, also of Philadelphia, in a hotel room at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said in a Friday news release.
Lane is scheduled for sentencing before Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Dorothy Incarvito-Garrabrant on June 23, nearly two weeks after the two-year anniversary of Whaley's death.
He must serve 85% of his sentence under the No Early Release Act, the Prosecutor's Office said.
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Police were called to the casino on June 11 after Whaley was found inside the hotel room covered with a sheet, with a knife on top.
Lane surrendered to police a few days later and was taken to the Atlantic County jail after being arrested by detectives from the Prosecutor's Office. He was initially charged with murder and weapons offenses. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/philly-man-pleads-guilty-to-atlantic-city-casino-stabbing/article_82c76a54-e5cc-11ed-ad21-bf55a70b6223.html | 2023-04-28T15:36:00 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/philly-man-pleads-guilty-to-atlantic-city-casino-stabbing/article_82c76a54-e5cc-11ed-ad21-bf55a70b6223.html |
After 11 years in 4-H, the hopes of Emmit Cates’ final year showing pigs at the Clark County fair come down to his prize piglet: Amy Swinehouse.
Raising Amy is hard work. Cates, 18, is up early every day tending to Amy, as well as cows and other pigs, before attending classes at Clark State College and shoving off to his job in Springfield.
When he gets home, he, his siblings and his girlfriend work together to feed their animals and take them for walks to give them exercise. Hours of work go into preparing the animals for the Clark County Fair each year; his 4-H club is called the Barnbusters.
“It’s a big responsibility, but it’s so much fun and I want to do everything I can so that my animals are taken care of,” he said.
4-H was created in Clark County more than 100 years ago. Today, participation is growing and the thousands of area students who take part in the program have to balance it against schooling and other aspects of their life. A new bill in the Ohio House aims to make that easier by requiring school districts in the state to excuse absences related to 4-H as well as Future Farmers of America.
“Agriculture is a major part of Ohio’s culture and economy and we could all benefit from learning more about its role in our state,” said bill sponsor state Rep. Thomas Hall, R-Madison Twp. “I will continue to support student participation in 4-H.”
Hall and fellow southwest Ohio lawmaker Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, introduced House Bill 135 in March. This month it was referred to the Primary and Secondary Education committee. It would allow students in kindergarten through the 12th grade excused absences for these activities as long as their 4-H or FFA educators submit proof of student participation in the event.
The district will then give the student the opportunity to make up assignments missed during their absence. The excusal would only not be granted during state assessments and if the student has been suspended or expelled during the requested absence.
4-H participation growing
“(Students) are having to choose between school activities and 4-H, and that’s the reality of the situation,” said Montgomery County 4-H educator Betty Wingerter. “Some schools have been really great to work with, though.”
Wingerter said more than 300 students in her county often have to make difficult decisions about their commitments. There are years when she walks through county fair buildings and sees students seated near their pins, working on homework between events.
“There’s a lot of juggling,” she said. “But 4-H is such a positive group for youth development.”
In Greene County, 4-H is booming in popularity. 4-H educator Rebecca Supinger said her county witnessed its largest enrollment since 2014, coming in at 730 members.
Supinger said the bill would mostly allow students excused absences during county fairs if passed.
Montgomery County’s Fair is slated for July 9-15, and Greene County’s Fair will take place from July 30 to Aug. 5.
Participation remains particularly strong in Clark County, the birthplace of 4-H. In 2022, Clark County 4-H clubs had 1,156 youth enrolled, a nearly 10% increase from 2021. Enrollment grew again this year to 1,193.
Clark County 4-H also had more than 1,000 more kids involved in camping, in-school and after-school programs.
School policies
Most local school districts say they accommodate students in 4-H. Cates is a Northwest High School graduate and said his school was very flexible with students for 4-H and FFA actives.
Officials at districts like Kettering City Schools, Centerville City Schools, West Carrollton School District and New Lebanon School District said they already excuse absences related to 4-H and FFA.
Other district officials, like at Oakwood Schools, said they do not have FFA participants and have never received requests for excusals related to 4-H.
Valley View School District and Northmont City School District, too, have FFA programming that is co-curricular with the Miami Valley Career and Technology Center.
Anna Moeller, a senior at Talawanda High School, says she has missed at least 30 days of school this year because of FFA activities.
Earlier this school year she traveled to Massachusetts and Indianapolis for competition. Last week she went to Columbus to compete in a horse judging competition. With her teachers’ permission, she is allowed to make up the missed school days through remote learning and homework.
“I’ve been in 4-H since I was eight years old … and I’ve been incredibly active in FFA and those organizations has been some of my greatest passions,” said Moeller, who will start freshman classes in the fall at Wilmington College where she plans to study agriculture education.
“School, of course, is about learning in the classroom, but there is so much to be learning to be done outside of school at different organizations. This bill would help to make that possible,” said Moeller.
In the Miami Valley, 4-H and FFA programs offer more to students than animal-related projects, Wingerter said. Montgomery County offers a robust program geared toward firearms safety and shotgun discipline. The program has more than 40 students enrolled in it.
Beyond the farm
Cates said he has learned a lot about raising pigs through 4-H. For example, he takes his family’s four pigs out into the sunshine to help them have a darker color; this is favorable among judges during fair time.
“I just love pigs,” he said. “They have so much personality, and they really have a special place in my heart.”
He said raising animals through 4-H also allotted him the opportunity to learn more about where food comes from, how it’s produced and more.
Along the way, he also learned about the importance of community. When he was 10 years old, two of his pigs floated away during a major flood in the Enon area. A local farmer provided pigs to his family so they could still participate in the fair that year.
“It was devastating at the time, but it also was really cool to see people want to help us,” he said.
Lessons like this — as well as responsibility, leadership and teamwork — he carries into his young adulthood. He said he recommends the organization to other young people who want to make friends and learn new skills.
“It’s really brought me out of my comfort zone and taught me how to work in a team, how to lead,” he said.
Staff Writer Michael Clark contributed to this report.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/as-4-h-participation-grows-locally-state-lawmakers-want-schools-to-excuse-program-related-absences/MFQR7KBWO5ESRGYI4D5MDRT2NY/ | 2023-04-28T15:37:29 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/as-4-h-participation-grows-locally-state-lawmakers-want-schools-to-excuse-program-related-absences/MFQR7KBWO5ESRGYI4D5MDRT2NY/ |
More than 1,600 students are expected to graduate during Wright State University’s spring commencement ceremonies today and Saturday.
The graduate program will begin today at 7 p.m. in the Nutter Center. The undergraduate program will start tomorrow at 10 a.m.
The featured speaker at the April 29 ceremony will be Sarah Hackenbracht, who will receive an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Hackenbracht, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wright State in 2003, is the president and CEO of the Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association.
The ceremonies will also feature a short congratulatory video from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine.
Tickets are not required, but graduates are asked to limit the number of guests to no more than 14 people so that everyone can be accommodated. Seating at the Nutter Center will be first-come, first-served. Doors will open 90 minutes prior to the start of each ceremony.
The commencement ceremonies can be watched online at wright.edu/streaming and on the university’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Recorded videos of the ceremonies will also be available to watch on Wright State’s YouTube channel after the ceremonies.
The spring class of 2023 includes graduates with 1,111 bachelor’s degrees, 476 master’s degrees, 16 doctoral degrees and 33 associate degrees.
Graduates by college:
- College of Engineering and Computer Science: 355
- College of Health, Education and Human Services: 370
- College of Liberal Arts: 233
- College of Science and Mathematics: 215
- Raj Soin College of Business: 184
- Lake Campus: 182
- Boonshoft School of Medicine: 68 (master’s degree only)
The two youngest graduating students are 18, earning a bachelor’s degree in German and a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. The oldest graduate is 65, earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing. The classes feature 251 international students from 21 different countries. India boasts the largest number of international graduates, with 209.
The ceremonies will also be broadcast live on WSU-TV on Time Warner Cable channel 21.105 in the university dorms and Fairborn and regionally on AT&T Uverse channel 99 in the Dayton tab.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/wright-state-to-graduate-1600-students-today-and-tomorrow/4A5I6OG42JE7LAMJEAT5NL6ATY/ | 2023-04-28T15:37:35 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/wright-state-to-graduate-1600-students-today-and-tomorrow/4A5I6OG42JE7LAMJEAT5NL6ATY/ |
Teen shelves half empty at Hamilton East as library conducts $300K board-pushed book review
The shelves of the “Teen Zone,” the young adult section of the Hamilton East Public Library, are mostly empty. Manga, Japanese graphic novels, are missing. Racks of comic books sit half empty.
It’s a jarring scene for a library, where shelves typically offer seemingly endless reading materials from which to choose.
But at the Hamilton East Public Library in Noblesville, almost vacant shelves greet borrowers in the Teen Zone due to an extensive review process ordered by the library’s Board of Trustees.
The review, which is currently underway, requires librarians and staff to examine thousands of books over the course of the next few months and is expected to cost the library system serving Fishers and Noblesville upwards of $300,000.
The policy, which the board passed in December, moves materials deemed not “age appropriate” to the system’s adult sections in the Noblesville and Fishers libraries.
The decision is gaining momentum — and attention — now due to the board’s definitions of what is “age appropriate” for the teen section as library staff seek more clarification about the policy’s reach.
Other librarians may soon be conducting similar reviews.Earlier this week state lawmakers passed a bill that would classify books "harmful to minors" in public school libraries in the same category as obscene materials. School librarians deemed non-compliant could face felony charges. The measure now heads to Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk.During a heated meeting of the Hamilton East library board Thursday night in Noblesville, the board updated the policy to now include a list of profanities and a list of criminal acts that would deem a book inappropriate for young adult readers.
At times, board members, who are appointed by elected officials, suggested library staff were not in compliance with the policy or had refused to work fast enough to complete the revisions. Library leaders said all employees were reviewing materials in addition to their regular duties.
Gone from the teen section are books on puberty, Captain America comics, and Marvel's Avengers graphic novels along with more typically controversial books such as Judy Blume's novel of teen love and sexuality "Forever."
What's in House Bill 1447?:Indiana House, Senate agree on measure to ban books from school libraries
Moving “age-appropriate” books
The HEPL policy impacts more than 18,000 books and about 11,000 item records, according to the plan.
“Any instance of visual depiction of sexual nudity as described or any level of written description, even incidental, of sexual conduct as described” would necessitate moving a book, the library’s interpretation of the policy reads.
The board sanctioned review also had library staff review the children's collection with a focus on nonfiction materials related to “puberty, human reproduction and the human body,” according to the plan.
Board members proposed the policy at the end of last year to reiterate that “parents are the ultimate decision-makers for children and patrons under 18 years of age,” the policy reads.
In March, library staff shared cost estimates for carrying out the review. The library estimated a one-time cost of $122,000 and projected ongoing costs of another $200,000 to hire additional staff for reprocessing materials.
HEPL director and CEO Edra Waterman said some library staffers have worked from home because the library does not have space for all nine employees to work simultaneously. So far staff has reviewed about 1,000 books this year.Board member Ray Maddalone asked why the staff had not reviewed more items and scoffed at the idea of staff members reading at home, calling it “terribly inefficient.”
“Why aren’t they just standing by the shelves reading books,” Maddalone said. But the review is time-consuming and staff have all their other duties as well, Waterman replied.
Library staff estimated more than half of the books in the teen section, many of which are shelved in the high school section, will be moved to the adult section.
That means more shelves and furniture will need to be moved and rearranged to accommodate the changes, according to the library’s response plan.
This rearrangement will require at least 8,000 hours of labor, for which about five full-time staff members and likely hired part-time staff would be needed.
In most cases, “reading books cover-to-cover may be required” to place them in a policy-designated section, according to the plan.
Examples of books relocated to the general collection due to the policy, include books on puberty, Angie Thomas' "Concrete Rose, "Ramona Blue" by Julie Murphy, and “Breathless” by Jennifer Niven.
Seeing it in a book
During the board’s meeting, about a dozen public speakers shared their opposition to the policy. None spoke in its favor.
Fishers residents Julie and Matthew Rhea said the board’s policy takes away their decisions as parents.
“As a parent, I believe it’s my responsibility to watch out for my children, not to have other people watch out for my children,” Matthew said. “I don't know why other people think they need to help me with my children's education.”
Noblesville resident Jennifer Midkiff, a mother of two, said that removing books that contain descriptions of criminal acts listed would censor what her children can read.
Such books could include murder mysteries, as well as childhood favorites like “The Rescuers” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” she said. S.E. Hinton’s “The Outsiders” — which features homicide, robbery and arson and frequently appears on middle school English curriculums — would also fall in this category..
Reading books that feature obstacles will help her children learn how to face challenges in their own lives, she said.
“No one is saying that these are good things, or that having these books on the shelves is promoting them,” Midkiff said. “In a story time sense, there are evils to be faced and I want my kids to see examples of evil being faced down and I want them to see it in a book.”
Requests for book reocnsideration:Patrons challenged these books for teens and kids to Hamilton East Public Library
IndyStar archives contributed to this report.
Rachel Fradette is a suburban education reporter at IndyStar. Contact her at rfradette@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter at @Rachel_Fradette. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/education/2023/04/28/book-banning-policy-leads-to-bare-teen-shelves-at-hamilton-east-library/70154413007/ | 2023-04-28T15:39:58 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/education/2023/04/28/book-banning-policy-leads-to-bare-teen-shelves-at-hamilton-east-library/70154413007/ |
Massive split-level $32 million roundabout planned in Noblesville
Hamilton County plans to build a split-level roundabout at 146th Street and Hazel Dell Parkway to reduce accidents.
The roundabout will be on Hazel Dell, which will sink under a bridge on 146th Street in Noblesville.
County Highway Director Brad Davis said the intersection is one of the most dangerous in the county, with 139 crashes between 2016 and 2020.
“Most of those were rear-end crashes, followed by side impact on left turns,” Davis said. "This will effectively eliminate those."
DeniedNoblesville school shooter's release nixed after he touched corrections employee's breast
It is the second county project to use the roundabout beneath an overpass design. The other, at 146th Street at Allisonville Road, just broke ground. That $44 million project includes the widening of the White River to the west and will be finished in 2025.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Planning Organization awarded the county $8.7 million for Hazel Dell project, which is estimated to cost $32 million, much more than a standard roundabout.
Davis said a traditional roundabout couldn’t handle the heavy traffic at the intersection and would need to be larger than normal, which would require more land being purchased and drive up the cost.
“There’d have to be several lanes and it would have a larger footprint,” Davis said.
The county will likely seek other grants to help offset the cost of construction, which should be completed by late 2026. The county put in a $30 million grant request to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program last year but was denied.
Davis said it may renew the request during the next round of funding.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Email at john.tuohy@indystar.com and follow on Twitter and Facebook. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/noblesville/2023/04/28/noblesville-roundabout-split-level-project-planned-hazel-dell-146th-street-hamilton-county/70160297007/ | 2023-04-28T15:40:04 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/noblesville/2023/04/28/noblesville-roundabout-split-level-project-planned-hazel-dell-146th-street-hamilton-county/70160297007/ |
City planning to raze Towne and Terrace after years of trouble at eastside complex
After a nine-year legal battle and years of problems preceding that, the city of Indianapolis announced Friday that it plans to raze Towne and Terrace, a long-troubled housing complex on the city's far eastside.
The announcement, held at a nearby church rather than at the complex itself, comes months after the city reached a settlement agreement in a legal battle with Towne and Terrace Corp., the nonprofit and homeowner's association responsible for running the eastside condo complex, in September.
The city does not currently have any plans for the site, but officials anticipate issuing a request for information to developers once the complex is fully razed, an approach similar to the neighboring Oaktree Apartments, another property the city acquired and demolished that is currently being poised for a possible mixed-use redevelopment.City officials said they will seek community input when considering the future of the Towne and Terrace site.
The housing complex on 42nd Street and Post Road was once considered a safe, family-friendly place to live, but in recent years, it's been better known for blight, drugs and violence. The city, which currently owns a number of apartments at the complex, has been preparing to take over for a while and secured $5.4 million in American Rescue Plan money to fund community outreach staff, acquisition costs, and financial assistance in relocation efforts for residents.
Acting director of the Department of Metropolitan Development Rusty Carr called the city's plans to demolish the housing complex "a long time coming," adding the city is excited about next steps for Towne and Terrace.
Towne and Terrace's history
The legal dispute, which began when the city sued Towne and Terrace in 2013, was complicated by Towne and Terrace Corp.'s bankruptcy filing in 2021. That filing stalled the case, lawyer for the city Donald Morgan told reporters on Thursday. As IndyStar reported, efforts to address the urban blight and crime at the complex stalled due to the legal fight.
In September of 2022, the city reached an agreement with Towne and Terrace Corp. that the city would settle outstanding fees it owed the HOA. In return, the city was granted full rights to participate in the homeowners association as a voting member for the first time, allowing the city to vote in appointing an owner-occupant as president.
The city currently owns 106 vacant units out of the 258 individually owned apartments at the condominium complex. Most of the apartments Indianapolis owns were tax-delinquent properties the city obtained as an "owner of last resort." Of the 152 remaining units, there are 105 separate owners, with some individuals owning multiple units that they rent out. Not all residences belong to the homeowner's association, however. There are currently 32 standing buildings at the complex.
The city first informed residents that it planned to demolish the housing complex in a meeting last Saturday, which officials said representatives from 72 properties attended.
Why is Towne and Terrace being razed?
Crime and the level of disrepair lie behind the city's decision to raze the complex, officials said.
City officials told reporters Thursday that the design of the housing complex makes Towne and Terrace vulnerable to crime, because there is only one way in and one way out of the complex, on Brentwood Drive.This single entrance and exit makes it easier for drug deals to occur, because a possible lookout only needs to keep an eye on one spot. Officials considered rehabilitating units that were in disrepair but eventually concluded that would not be economically viable and the best course would be to raze the complex.
"This is really a public health and safety issue," Carr told reporters Thursday.
The federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act (URA) requires that the city give tenants and property owners a minimum of 90 days notice to move out from the time the city makes an offer on the property. However, Morgan said they're not trying to rush anyone.
As required under the URA, the city will provide other relocation services, reimburse moving expenses for residents and provide rent subsidies so income-qualified tenants will pay the same in their new homes as they did at Towne and Terrace for three and a half years.
The city will also have to cover any price differences between what it paid owner occupants for their Towne and Terrace home and any new comparable home the resident purchases, if that new home costs more.
The city is prepared to invoke eminent domain, if necessary, to get unwilling property owners to sell. Since the properties have many different owners, the city has to negotiate with each owner individually. The city plans to purchase the residences at what chief policy officer for DMD and the Bureau of Neighborhood Services Aryn Schounce called fair market value following appraisal of the properties.
What's next
The city began demolishing the only building that it owns fully Friday morning. The building, located on Essex Court in the middle of the complex, is vacant, Schounce said.
Schounce said that the city is aiming to acquire all properties and relocate all residents by the end of next year, with the possibility that demolition could extend into early 2025.
Liz Durden, the new president of the complex's HOA, has lived at Towne and Terrace since 1989. She raised her children there, and remembers when it was a thriving and safe community. As she observed the demolition Friday, she called the complex's future bittersweet.
"I am Towne and Terrace," she said. "I am the far eastside."
Durden is encouraging her neighbors to allow the city to acquire their properties, because, in her mind, it's the best deal they'll get. While she said she used to believe there was a way to fix the problems at Towne and Terrace without demolition, she doesn't see another path forward anymore.
"That has since passed," she said. "It's beyond that now."
Timothy Foster has lived in Towne and Terrace for four or five years. He likes his neighbors, he said, but the crime has been difficult, though it's improved in recent years. He's happy about the prospect of moving somewhere else, but wants to stay on the far eastside.
"You're going to have crime wherever you live," he said.
Dee Ross, founder and CEO of the Ross Foundation, an organization that works address the needs of the far eastside community, grew up in Towne and Terrace. He said he is concerned that the city hasn't come up with a plan for the future of the area beyond demolishing the complex.
Some of the residents have been there for decades, he said, and have built a community with their neighbors.
"They deserve to have the option to stay there," he said. "It should be up to the people."
Contact business reporter Claire Rafford at 317-617-3402 or crafford@gannett.com | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/04/28/city-planning-demolition-of-long-troubled-eastside-housing-complex/70159674007/ | 2023-04-28T15:40:10 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/04/28/city-planning-demolition-of-long-troubled-eastside-housing-complex/70159674007/ |
Education was a hot topic this session. Here's what parents will notice next school year
Indiana passed a slew of education bills this year affecting kindergarten through college students and surrounding topics like high school workforce opportunities, textbook fees and politics in school assignments.
More:These new laws will impact Hoosiers' daily lives
Here's what changes parents and students may notice next school year.
Textbook fees
Families are slated to no longer have to pay for their student's textbooks. The state has set aside $160 million dollars per year in the state budget to take the burden off both parents and schools to pay.
This is included in the state budget, which is on Gov. Eric Holcomb's desk.
High school career development
While high schools already have a career and technical education program, House Bill 1002 will provide more students with workforce, post-secondary and career opportunities through a new allotment of money and several state funds.
High school juniors and seniors would be required to meet with one post-secondary institution, employer or job placement agency for at least 30 minutes. Parents can opt-out, and schools can waive the requirement if arranging meetings proves difficult.
Schools would also be required to host or transport students to one career fair during school hours.
Holcomb has yet to sign or veto the bill.
Related Content:Indiana lawmaker's business stands to gain from workforce training bill he filed
Student aid requirement
High school seniors and their parents will be required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by April 15 each year. Families can opt-out through signing a waiver or if the school is unable to contact the parents.
Students who apply for federal aid could be eligible for specialty scholarships, grants and federal low-interest loans. A high-need student could receive as much as $6,800 in grants.
The application asks for student and parent financial information. The federal government will release a simpler application for the 2024-25 school year and expand grant and loan eligibility.
Gov. Eric Holcomb signed Senate Bill 167 April 20.
Push for FAFSA:Indiana students lose out on $70M annually in college grants. This bill could help
Retaking virtual pandemic classes
Current high school students can retake classes they took online during the pandemic for a better grade in House Bill 1638. Students are eligible if the new course is the same subject matter, not virtual and at the same school.
Students who retook a course prior to July 1, 2023, can petition their superintendent for credit if they fulfill those requirements.
Holcomb has yet to sign the bill.
Book banning
If a parent or community member has an issue with a library book, school libraries would be required to have a review process to decide whether the material could be considered obscene or harmful. Opponents are concerned it will lead to books about the LGBTQ community and people of color being banned.
Republican lawmakers say House Bill 1447 will make content safer and more appropriate.
A prosecutor ultimately could decide to charge a school librarian with a felony, according to the bill.
The bill awaits Holcomb's signature or veto.
What's the debate:Indiana House, Senate agree on measure to ban books from school libraries
Political viewpoints
Teachers cannot require students to take a political stance or lobby for an issue for a grade or extra credit unless the student has the option to take on an alternative position.
Democratic lawmakers and teacher unions worry House Bill 1447 would chill opportunities within structured class debates, mock elections and class government projects — such as a West Lafayette second grade class lobbying to make the Say's firefly Indiana's state insect to learn about how the lawmaking process works.
The bill awaits Holcomb's signature or veto.
Student survey questions
Written parental consent would be required before students can take any school surveys asking about their attitudes, habits and feelings in House Bill 1447. The consent form would include the content of the survey for parents to review.
Schools would also be required to post a copy the evaluation online with why they are choosing to administer it to students.
The bill awaits Holcomb's signature or veto.
Financial literacy class
Starting with the Class of 2028, students would be required to take a financial responsibility class. The course would cover how to manage a bank account, credit score, debt and taxes.
Holcomb has not yet decided on Senate Bill 35.
Transgender students
Teachers would be required to notify parent in writing within five days if a child requests to use a different name or pronouns at school. Human sexuality would also prohibited from being taught to pre-kindergarten to third grade students, which the teachers union already says isn't included in the curriculum.
LGBTQ advocates worry that transgender kids could be potentially "outed" by their teachers to their parents.
Earlier renditions of House Bill 1608 required parental consent for a name or pronoun change and was considered a "Don't say Gay" bill because it would have restricted instruction on gender orientation. However, this language was not included in the final bill and these measures will not implemented in schools.
The governors has not signed or vetoed the bill yet.
The details:Indiana Senate pares down bill targeting student pronouns
Preventing bullying
In House Bill 1483, schools are to notify parents if their child is involved in an instance of bullying whether they are the victim or perpetrator. The bill also creates a way for students to transfer based on the severity of bullying.
Holcomb has not yet signed the bill.
Terry's bill:Statehouse chamber in tears as uncle of Terry Badger III, who died by suicide, testifies
Robotics funding
Schools may see an influx of funding to start or further support their robotics teams after lawmakers OK'd a state grant program for the initiative. Lawmakers hope the move provides more STEM and hands-on opportunities for students and inspires them to pursue careers in the field.
House Bill 1382 details that grants will be given in effort to increase the number of teams all over the state. Schools would have to meet curricula, like requiring a competition sponsor, a team mentor and a spending plan, to qualify for additional funding.
Holcomb has yet to sign or veto the bill.
Teacher firearm training
While teachers can already carry a gun with their school district's permission, schools would be able to now request state funding to offset costs for teachers to receive training on how to use a firearm. A school can also ask for money to cover student and staff counseling if a school shooting occurs as well.
Holcomb has not yet signed or vetoed House Bill 1177.
Transcript access
If a person has outstanding debt with an Indiana college or university, the institution cannot deny them their transcripts as long as they are working to pay off what is owed.
Current or former students who owe $1,000 or less will have to pay $100 off their debt within a year. Anyone owing over over $1,000 either $300 or 10% of the total — whichever is lower.
The U.S. Department of Education called for the practice of colleges withhold transcripts for debt to be eradicated in 2021. Lawmakers hope the change will reduce barriers for Hoosiers to get jobs and re-enroll in post-secondary education to eventually pay down that debt.
Holcomb signed Senate Bill 404 April 20.
Contact IndyStar Pulliam Fellow Cate Charron at ccharron@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @catecharron. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/04/28/indiana-general-assembly-laws-indiana-classrooms-students-textbook-fees-student-aid-high-school-tech/70100295007/ | 2023-04-28T15:40:16 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/04/28/indiana-general-assembly-laws-indiana-classrooms-students-textbook-fees-student-aid-high-school-tech/70100295007/ |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — A Cumberland County man was sentenced to 17 months in prison for stealing more than $10,000 worth of materials from the construction site of a federal courthouse in Harrisburg in 2021, U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced Friday.
Christopher Gontaryk, 48, of Wormleysburg, was also ordered to pay $10,736.01 in restitution. Following his release from prison, Gontaryk will also serve three years of probation, Karam said in a press release.
According to testimony at trial, Gontaryk stole $9,919.61 worth of materials from the construction site of the Sylvia H. Rambo U.S. Courthouse in October 2021. He sold copper and brass construction materials obtained in the theft at a metal scrapyard in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, the next day, Karam said.
In March 2022, while on release pending trial for the foregoing theft, Gontaryk returned to the same location and committed another theft of construction materials worth about $816.40, according to Karam. He again sold the stolen materials at a scrapyard, this time in York.
Gontaryk was sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment for the first offense and two months for the second offense, resulting in the total sentence of 17 months.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma prosecuted the case. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/cumberland-county/christopher-gontaryk-sentencing-theft-sylvia-h-rambo-courthouse/521-ba1c4dd7-a42d-4f9b-8def-2bcb8aa2da1e | 2023-04-28T15:41:12 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/cumberland-county/christopher-gontaryk-sentencing-theft-sylvia-h-rambo-courthouse/521-ba1c4dd7-a42d-4f9b-8def-2bcb8aa2da1e |
HUMMELSTOWN, Pa. — A jackpot-winning Pennsylvania Lottery Match 6 Lotto ticket worth $530,000 from Thursday night's drawing was sold at a store in Dauphin County, the Lottery announced Friday.
The ticket correctly matched all six winning numbers (5-7-19-24-30-39) to win the prize, the Lottery said. A Turkey Hill store at 240 Hershey Road in Hummelstown earned a $5,000 bonus for selling the big winning ticket, according to the Lottery.
Winners are not known until prizes are claimed and tickets are validated. Pennsylvania Lottery Match 6 Lotto winners have one year from the drawing date to claim prizes. Winning tickets purchased at a Lottery retailer should immediately be signed on the back.
Online winnings automatically appear in a player’s account after the claim has been processed. Players may visit palottery.com for more information about how to file a claim.
More than 28,200 other Match 6 Lotto tickets also won prizes in the drawing. Players are reminded to check every ticket, every time, the Lottery said.
How to Play Match 6 Lotto: Players pay $2 and choose six numbers from 1 to 49 or have numbers randomly selected by a computer. The computer then randomly selects an additional two sets of six numbers, for three lines of six numbers each or 18 numbers total. Players can win up to four times on each ticket – once on each of three lines (base play) and by combining all 18 numbers (combined play). Match 6 Lotto is drawn every evening and players can purchase up to 26 draws in advance. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county/winning-match-6-lottery-ticket-530000-hummelstown-turkey-hill/521-238a4da6-f9bc-4db4-8277-c317e562bb8c | 2023-04-28T15:41:18 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county/winning-match-6-lottery-ticket-530000-hummelstown-turkey-hill/521-238a4da6-f9bc-4db4-8277-c317e562bb8c |
Police have identified the victim of a fatal shooting Thursday night in South Richmond.
Shortly after 9:00 p.m. Thursday, officers were called to the Belt Atlantic Apartments, a complex in the 4000 block of Midlothian Turnpike, after reports that a person had been shot.
Officers arriving on scene found Marcus Dobson, 40, down and unresponsive after an apparent gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital where he died later Thursday night.
The medical examiner's office will determine the official cause of death.
Anyone with information about this shooting is asked to call Detective Higgins of RPD's Major Crimes unit at (804) 646-7570 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at (804) 780-1000.
This morning's top headlines: Friday, April 28
The U.S. Army says three soldiers have been killed and another has been injured after two helicopters collided and crashed in Alaska while returning from a training flight. The Army says two soldiers died at the scene of Thursday’s crash and a third died on the way to a hospital in Fairbanks. The Army statement says a fourth soldier was being treated at a hospital for injuries. The names of those killed are being withheld until relatives can be notified. The AH-64 Apache helicopters were from Fort Wainwright, based near Fairbanks. Officials say the crash is under investigation, and more details will be released when they become available.
Former Vice President Mike Pence has testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by then-President Donald Trump and his Republican allies to overturn the 2020 election. That's according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to discuss the private appearance before the grand jury. Thursday's appearance by Pence came hours after a federal appeals court denied a bid by Trump's lawyers to block Pence's testimony. Pence was subpoenaed to testify earlier this year, but Trump's lawyers objected, citing executive privilege concerns. Pence’s grand jury appearance in Washington is a milestone in the Justice Department’s investigation into the conversations and events preceding the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy surprised Washington when he united the raucous House Republican majority to pass a sweeping debt ceiling package. Next moves are more difficult, and uncertain. McCarthy's opening bid is awaiting President Joe Biden's response. So far, the White House is rejecting the Republican proposal for steep spending reductions as a condition for raising the debt limit. It's the first act in what is expected to be a long summer battle over lifting the nation’s borrowing capacity. Biden and the Republicans need to find common ground or risk defaulting on the nation's bills. Economic analysts say the money will run out by July.
Montana lawmaker Zooey Zephyr began her first day in legislative exile with renewed confidence that Republican lawmakers’ unprecedented vote to silence her has only amplified her message. Lawmakers were not making it easy for her, however. Shortly after she set up Thursday morning in a public space just outside the main House chamber, the speaker told her she couldn't work there. The House minority leader countered that she can, and Zephyr remained in place. The lawmaker was thrust into the national spotlight last week when she was prevented from speaking in the House after telling lawmakers backing a bill to ban gender-affirming medical care for minors that they would have blood on their hands.
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.
Brittney Griner got emotional quickly while speaking to reporters for the first time since her nearly 10-month detainment in Russia on drug-related charges. The WNBA star had to take a moment to compose herself after being asked about her resiliency through the ordeal. Griner’s first news conference drew more than 100 people, including Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, members of the Phoenix Mercury organization and Griner's wife, Cherelle. Griner was arrested in February 2022 at a Moscow airport after Russian authorities said a search of her luggage revealed vape cartridges containing cannabis oil. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to nine years but was released in a prisoner swap in December.
Russia has fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine, in attacks that killed at least 22 people. Three children were among the dead. Most of the victims died when two cruise missiles slammed into an apartment building in central Ukraine early Friday. The attacks included the first one on the capital in nearly two months. The Kyiv government said Ukraine’s air force intercepted 11 missiles and two drones, and no hits on any targets in the city were reported. The strikes on the apartment building occurred in Uman, around 215 kilometers (134 miles) south of Kyiv. Twenty people died in that attack, according to the interior ministry, including two 10-year-old children and a toddler.
The chairman of the BBC has resigned after a report found he failed to disclose a potential conflict of interest over his role in arranging a loan more than two years ago for Boris Johnson. The publicly funded national broadcaster has been under pressure after it was revealed that Richard Sharp helped arrange a loan for the then-prime minister. Sharp was appointed to the BBC post on the government’s recommendation weeks after he arranged the line of credit backed by a wealthy Canadian businessman. Sharp said Friday he was quitting to “prioritize the interests of the BBC” after making an “inadvertent” breach of the rules. Opposition politicians accused the Conservative government of undermining the BBC’s impartiality.
Sudanese residents say heavy explosions and gunfire rocked parts of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman, despite the extension of a fragile truce between the county’s rival top generals. The military and the Rapid Support Forces traded accusations of violating the ceasefire on Friday. Turkey also said one of its evacuation aircrafts was hit by gunfire outside Sudan's capital city, with no casualties. The escalation comes hours after both sides accepted a 72-hour extension of the truce, apparently to allow foreign governments complete the evacuation of their citizens from the chaos-stricken African nation. Multiple short truces have not stopped the fighting.
The Taiwanese defense ministry says China’s military flew 38 fighter jets and other warplanes near Taiwan. The display between Thursday and Friday morning was the largest since Beijing held exercises earlier this month in response to a meeting between the island’s president and U.S. lawmakers. Six navy vessels were also spotted as part of China’s campaign of intimidation against self-ruled Taiwan. The island has never been part of the People’s Republic of China, but Beijing says it must unite with the mainland, by force if necessary. Later Friday, China protested the flight of a U.S. anti-submarine aircraft through the Strait, saying the flight proved the U.S. is a disruptor of peace.
Former President Donald Trump is turning his attention to the general election in his first campaign appearance since President Joe Biden launched his own reelection bid. In New Hampshire on Thursday, Trump boasted of his poll numbers and suggested he has no need to debate his Republican rivals. He also branded Biden with the moniker “Crooked,” the same nickname he gave Hillary Clinton. Trump spoke the same day his former vice president, Mike Pence, testified before a federal grand jury investigating efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election and as a former magazine columnist testified that he raped her in the 1990s. Trump has denied wrongdoing.
Quarterbacks dominated the first part of the NFL draft. Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Anthony Richardson were among the top four picks Thursday night, an expected result in a league where teams know finding a franchise QB is the quickest path to success. The Carolina Panthers selected Young, the slender and dynamic Alabama quarterback, with the No. 1 pick, seven weeks after making a blockbuster trade with Chicago to move up to get their choice of potential franchise players. The Panthers chose the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner over Ohio State’s Stroud, Florida’s Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis. New coach Frank Reich said earlier in the week that the organization reached a consensus Monday after several weeks of deliberation. | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/richmond-police-midlothian-turnpike-shooting-marcus-dobson/article_69b31452-e5cf-11ed-9811-eb21a44036bc.html | 2023-04-28T15:41:18 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/richmond-police-midlothian-turnpike-shooting-marcus-dobson/article_69b31452-e5cf-11ed-9811-eb21a44036bc.html |
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