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Witmer Road section closed for month The Journal Gazette May 2, 2023 35 min ago Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Witmer Road between Schwartz and Page roads is closed through June 2 during water-main installation, the Allen County Highway Department said today. A marked detour uses Schwartz, Grabill and Page roads. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Most Popular Fort Wayne-area restaurants plan Mother's Day brunch, specials FWCS lawsuit blames social media companies for 'mental health crisis' 1 dead following Decatur Road crash Hostage situation ends peacefully in Fort Wayne IU adds forward from Miami Stocks Market Data by TradingView | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/witmer-road-section-closed-for-month/article_502cfbfe-e923-11ed-8ad7-7367b83fb8ba.html | 2023-05-02T20:43:07 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/witmer-road-section-closed-for-month/article_502cfbfe-e923-11ed-8ad7-7367b83fb8ba.html |
City Council approves contract for Lake Wichita parking lot
The Wichita Falls City Council on Tuesday voted to approve a bid from Freeman Paving, LLC $802,440 for construction of the Lake Wichita Park Parking Lot.
The project will include installation of curb and gutter and asphalt pavement, a sidewalk connection from the existing pavilion at Lake Wichita Park to the new parking lot and an asphalt overlay on the parking lot by the dam off Taft Boulevard.
Money for the project comes from the city’s share of the American Rescue Plan Act COVID-19 relief program. Public Works Director Russell Schreiber said the bid came in under budget.
“With the new Veterans Memorial Plaza, it’s going to be a great addition. It needs to be done,” Schreiber said.
Work on the project will not start until after the dedication of the veterans’ memorial on May 29, Memorial Day. Dave Coleman of the Lake Wichita Revitalization Committee said it was unfortunate the parking lot couldn’t be ready in time for the dedication, but said the city has agreed to fill in some of the potholes in the existing parking lot.
Councilors also moved forward with a plan to create another thoroughfare to parallel a portion of busy Lawrence Road.
The South Wenonah Boulevard extension would run south from the Kell Freeway and behind businesses that front on Lawrence Road. It would intersect with the smaller east-west streets of Gregory Street and Tarry Street and end at the Maplewood Extension.
In other business, councilors:
- Appropriated state grants of $13,988 for the police department’s “Click It or Ticket” program for the Memorial Day holiday period and the “Operation Slow Down” program for the Fourth of July time period.
- Appropriated a state grant for $85,185 for Fiscal Year 2024 for a Texas Healthy Communities Program Manager. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/city-council-approves-contract-for-lake-wichita-parking-lot/70174983007/ | 2023-05-02T20:46:42 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/city-council-approves-contract-for-lake-wichita-parking-lot/70174983007/ |
Desk & Derrick meeting May 17
Wichita Falls Times Record News
The Desk and Derrick Club of Wichita Falls will hold its monthly membership meeting at noon, Wednesday, May 17, at The Forum.
Our speaker will be Devin Smith, President of Corlett, Probst & Boyd. His presentation “Surveying in Texas” will provide a look into the surveyor’s role in Texas, focusing on the oil and gas industry. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/desk-derrick-meeting-may-17/70175077007/ | 2023-05-02T20:46:53 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/desk-derrick-meeting-may-17/70175077007/ |
Free After School fishing available in May
The Wichita Falls Parks & Recreation Department and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will present free After School Fishing 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. May 2, 4 and 9 at South Weeks, 2006 Southwest Parkway.
The free events are conducted for area youth ages 5 – 16. Children age 11 and under must beaccompanied by an adult.
All bait will be provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own fishing poles; however, alimited number will be available to borrow from Texas Parks and Wildlife on a firstcome, first-served basis.Raising Cane’s will provide bottled water for participants.
The children will receive personalized, expert instruction on common fishing techniques from Texas Parks & Wildlife staff.
Fish of legal size can be taken home.
Participants should bring a bucket for “take home” fish, a drink, a hat and sunscreen. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/free-after-school-fishing-available-in-may/70172361007/ | 2023-05-02T20:46:54 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/free-after-school-fishing-available-in-may/70172361007/ |
Fundraiser set for Tommy Smyth medical expenses
Staff Reports
Times Record News
The Wichita County Tax Office has organized a fundraiser for Tax Assessor-Collector Tommy Smyth.
Smyth has been diagnosed with bladder cancer and proceeds from the hamburger and hotdog feed will go toward his medical expenses.
Smyth, a former Wichita Falls police officer, has undergone two surgeries so far.
The feed will be 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 16 at the Wichita County Courthouse.
The menu includes a hamburger, hot dog, chip and a drink and take-out is available. Baked goods will also be offered.
Cost is $10 per plate. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/fundraiser-set-for-tommy-smyth-medical-expenses/70174677007/ | 2023-05-02T20:47:00 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/fundraiser-set-for-tommy-smyth-medical-expenses/70174677007/ |
Museum to host toy exhibit
Staff Reports
Times Record News
The Museum of North Texas History will open a new exhibit titled "Generations of Play" beginning Thursday.
The exhibit combines toys from across the years, reminding visitors of playtime of the past. Generations of Play also includes a selection of dolls from the Mary Thomas Doll Collection.
The exhibit is available to the public during regular museum hours 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at 720 Indiana Avenue in downtown Wichita Falls. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/museum-to-host-toy-exhibit/70172406007/ | 2023-05-02T20:47:06 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/museum-to-host-toy-exhibit/70172406007/ |
PULASKI, Va. – A heartwarming and historic day for the Pulaski Police Department.
Chief Neice, Captain Hudson, Officer Tabor, and CRS Ramsey were able to meet John Knarr and welcome him as the department’s first Honorary Member, PPD wrote in a Facebook post.
“Please help us in welcoming him to our blue family,” Pulaski Police wrote.
The department also extended its thanks to the Calfee Community & Cultural Center for including them in their auction, which they said made the opportunity possible. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/pulaski-police-department-welcomes-first-honorary-member/ | 2023-05-02T20:52:10 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/pulaski-police-department-welcomes-first-honorary-member/ |
Two people have been arrested in connection with a shooting at the Woodside Village Apartments that left a 37-year-old man dead and two others injured, according to the Danville Police Department.
The incident happened on Monday, May 1, in the 1300 block of Piney Forest Road, DPD said.
Shortly after midnight, officers said they responded to the scene where they found 37-year-old Marcus Hairston dead and two others with non-life-threatening injuries.
Now, DPD said they have arrested two persons of interest.
They are both still in custody and being held on unrelated charges, according to Danville Police. Their names and mugshots were not shared.
The investigation is still ongoing and anyone who has information is asked to contact the Danville Police Department by either calling patrol at 434-799-6510 option 4, investigations at 434-799-6508 option 1, and option 1 again, calling 911, contacting Crime Stoppers at 434-793-0000, approach any officer you see, through social media, via email, or use the crime tips app CARE. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/two-arrested-in-connection-with-deadly-danville-shooting/ | 2023-05-02T20:52:16 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/two-arrested-in-connection-with-deadly-danville-shooting/ |
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Two contenders in San Antonio’s open seat City Council races are out-raising their opponents — and incumbents in highly competitive districts — in the final days of the campaign season.
Combined, District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo and District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez raised just over $25,000 in the month leading up to this weekend’s election. Bravo is defending his seat from six challengers, two of whom have significant endorsements and monetary support. McKee-Rodriguez is facing off against nine people in a district known for crowded races and high turnover.
But District 7 candidate Marina Alderete Gavito alone raked in almost as much as those two incumbents, bringing in $24,000 in the most recent filing period from March 28 through April 26. The four others running for the same seat raised less than $2,000 combined.
Express-News Voter Guide: Your primer on the May 6 election
Gavito spent $39,000 during that month and had almost $26,000 at the end of the reporting period.
Those totals are still a long shot from District 10 candidate Marc Whyte who raised $38,000 in the same period. He spent $74,000 over the month but still had $71,000 to spend. Whyte had loaned his campaign $50,000 when he first jumped into the race.
“It’s just working hard to the end,” Whyte said about the amount he has brought in during recent weeks. “Unfortunately, the way things work, these campaigns take a lot of money. People have been so nice and so generous, believing in our vision and have wanted to help out. We really appreciate that.”
Whyte is running against six other people. The three who have filed a campaign finance report as of Tuesday morning raised $7,000 combined during the most recent filing period.
Gavito and Whyte are both getting a boost from a couple of political action committees.
Better SA appears to be largely motivated by its opposition to Proposition A , while the San Antonio Equity Alliance has been backed by heavy-weight local business leaders, including real estate developer Michael Lynd Jr., whose firm is building the tallest tower in Texas, and Louis Barrios, co-owner of the Los Barrios family of restaurants.
Proposition A would decriminalize abortion and small-scale marijuana possession, expand the city’s cite-and-release program and create a city justice director position to provide input on public safety issues. Better SA formed in March and has launched attacks against McKee-Rodriguez with door hangers accusing him of refusing to pledge to keep the city safe.
Better SA has spent $4,500 supporting Gavito and $5,500 on Whyte. The San Antonio Equity Alliance has spent $9,000 on Gavito and $11,000 on Whyte.
The overall support behind Gavito and Whyte is unsurprising. The two are well-known and loved in their communities.
Gavito, 41, is a strategic adviser at SA Digital Connects, a nonprofit that works closely with Bexar County and the city to expand internet access to low-income neighborhoods. She was the executive director before launching her campaign.
Before SA Digital Connects, she was the innovation business development director for San Antonio insurance and financial services giant USAA. She has close ties to San Antonio’s burgeoning tech community. She has worked at Rackspace and served as the founding executive director at Tech Bloc.
Gavito served as vice president of the Woodlawn Lake Neighborhood Association and vice chair of the VIA board of trustees. She also has been on the Bexar County Child Welfare Board and the University of Texas at San Antonio College of Engineering Advisory Board.
Her father is former District 7 Councilman Joe Alderete, a one-time City Council ally of Mayor Henry Cisneros in the 1980s and is now an Alamo Colleges trustee. Her mother is Chris Alderete, a former chairwoman of Port San Antonio’s board of directors.
For months before Whyte filed for the seat, former District 10 councilmen pressed Perry, 67, not to run and lined up behind Whyte.
Three-term incumbent Clayton Perry decided in February not to run for re-election after drunkenly driving his Jeep Rubicon into a Honda Civic on the Northeast Side and fleeing the scene on Nov. 6. Perry was handed one year of probation last month as part of a plea deal in his drunken driving and hit-and-run cases. He also must pay $500 and perform 24 hours of community service.
Now, all seven former District 10 council members still living in San Antonio are backing Whyte, 43.
The business attorney has served on San Antonio’s Ethics Review Board, the city’s bond committee and the Port San Antonio board. He had been a zoning commissioner since 2019 but stepped down to run for City Council.
READ MORE: Eight people not named Ron Nirenberg are running for mayor. Here’s what to know.
Bravo raised more than $15,000 in this last filing period and had nearly $24,000 cash on hand as of April 26. The incumbent spent almost $49,000 which is more than his two strongest challengers combined.
The challengers — Jeremy Roberts and Sukh Kaur — each raised more than $10,000. Kaur ended the filing period with almost $21,000 cash on hand while Roberts had just over $9,000. Kaur spent about $21,000 while Roberts spent nearly $18,000.
Roberts, 44, is a professor at Texas A&M San Antonio and the senior vice president of marketing at the startup firm Prosperas.
Kaur, 34, is a former middle school teacher turned public education consultant. She is CEO and founder of the education consulting organization EDreimagined.
In district 2, incumbent McKee-Rodriguez is also raising and spending far more than the challengers. McKee-Rodriguez brought in almost $10,000 in the month which is about how much the four challengers who have filed finance reports raised all together. He spent almost $14,000 and had just over $13,000 cash on hand at the end of the filing period.
Denise Gutierrez, an artist, spent the most out of any of McKee-Rodriguez's challengers, pouring about $8,600 into her campaign during the filing period. All together, she and the other four challengers to file reports spent more than $22,000 in the weeks leading up to Election Day.
Though Whyte and Gavito are outpacing other council candidates, Mayor Ron Nirenberg brought in more money than anyone else in the city election. He raised about $120,000 in the last filing period, spent nearly $265,000 and ended the period with roughly $185,000.
It’s typical for a mayor to raise more than council candidates, even in a year where Nirenberg has no strong competitors and seems to be skating toward a fourth and final term.
Eight people are running against Nirenberg, but none with comparable support.
Mayoral candidate Christopher Schuchardt, 33, seems to be pushing back the hardest. He owns the San Antonio-based trucking company Calidad LLC.
This is Schuchardt’s first time running for office. He loaned his campaign $150,000 earlier this year and reported that he raised about $11,000 during this last filing period.
Nirenberg, a District 8 councilman at the time, was forced into a runoff in his initial 2017 bid against incumbent Mayor Ivy Taylor. He again faced a runoff in 2019 but avoided that outcome in 2021, when Nirenberg earned 62 percent of the vote in a rematch against 2019 challenger Greg Brockhouse.
Nirenberg was fighting much harder by this time in the 2021 election against Brockhouse. In the last round of fundraising before that election, Nirenberg pulled in almost $219,000 in donations and had spent more than $360,000.
During his tenure, Nirenberg has focused mainly on workforce development, affordable housing and climate change mitigation but has faced pushback for the limited results of those initiatives. Ready to Work, the taxpayer-funded city job training initiative launched in May, is falling short of its first-year target goals.
If re-elected — and if he serves out his full fourth term — Nirenberg will tie Henry Cisneros, who was in office from 1981 to 1989, as the city’s longest-serving mayor.
Data reporter Libby Seline contributed to this report.
megan.rodriguez@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/fundraising-election-day-gavito-whyte-competitive-18000742.php | 2023-05-02T20:55:37 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/fundraising-election-day-gavito-whyte-competitive-18000742.php |
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Facing her father-in-law’s killer, Briana Rayos held back tears as she relayed what it was like to explain to her children why they lost their “Opa.”
Her son was a baby, but her daughter was close to Rodney Rex Rheiner, a retired Converse Police Department assistant chief. He was killed in 2020 in a head-on crash after Jeanne-Nicole Bernice Coutros fled from San Antonio officers who tried to pull her over on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Rayos appeared to physically ache Tuesday as she described telling a 4-year-old that the favorite person in her life was gone. Now 7, her daughter, Audrey, had a message for Coutros.
“She wants you to know that you broke her heart,” Rayos said as the tears finally came. Coutros also wept, covering her face as she heard those words, then was taken into custody to begin a 10-year prison sentence.
As part of an agreement reached between prosecutor Alicia Lovett and defense attorney Amanda Hernandez, the state dropped an evading arrest charge, and Coutros, 27, pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter.
She was sentenced by state District Judge Jennifer Peña and must serve at least half her term before being eligible for parole. Coutros could have faced up to 20 years.
Rheiner, 59, was in his third year of retirement. His son, John, who was in the SUV with him the night of the crash, read a letter in court that his mother, Linda, wrote, saying she had lost her best friend.
The letter highlighted her husband’s law enforcement career, which spanned more than three decades, but it said being “Opa” and a family man were his main loves.
Relatives, friends and several in the law enforcement community attended Tuesday’s sentencing, including former Converse Police Chief Rick Jamison. The city’s mayor, Al Suarez, told Coutros the fatal wreck “was no accident,” but the consequence of bad choices.
“My hope is that you serve the maximum time,” Suarez said.
Reports indicate San Antonio police noticed a Toyota Tacoma driven erratically around 11 p.m., March 10, 2020, in the 14300 block of Nacogdoches Road and attempted a traffic stop.
The pickup abruptly stopped in the left lane but sped off as the officer approached it. The officer notified dispatch and went to another call, police said. San Antonio police aren’t allowed to pursue vehicles for traffic infractions, ordinance violations, or nonviolent misdemeanor offenses and felonies, which include fleeing from an officer, the department said.
As Coutros sped down Nacogdoches, she attempted a left turn onto Friesenhahn Court, but another vehicle pulled in front of her to also turn left. The Tacoma swerved into oncoming traffic to avoid the second vehicle and hit the Lincoln SUV in which Rheiner was a passenger. He died later from his injuries.
ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/you-broke-heart-family-faces-woman-killed-18001303.php | 2023-05-02T20:55:43 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/you-broke-heart-family-faces-woman-killed-18001303.php |
OLYPHANT, Pa. — Three men are locked up after an alleged assault and burglary in Lackawanna County.
Police arrested Wayne Stivala, 30; Matthew Zeller, 35; and Robert Panetti, 38; after an alleged break-in and beating in Olyphant last Saturday.
Court papers indicate that the three men showed up at an apartment on Grant Street in Olyphant. Police say they kicked in the door, beat, and strangled a man there before leaving the house.
A neighbor called 911.
Police say Stivala had a verbal argument with the victim earlier that morning.
All three are in the Lackawanna County Prison awaiting a preliminary hearing next week.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/three-arrested-after-alleged-break-in-and-beating-olyphant-assault-burglary/523-f9b3751f-f014-4ccd-8979-4a3c2a999759 | 2023-05-02T20:56:13 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/three-arrested-after-alleged-break-in-and-beating-olyphant-assault-burglary/523-f9b3751f-f014-4ccd-8979-4a3c2a999759 |
LEWISBURG, Pa. — In high school, Ernestine "Teeny" Walburn McCoy was known as shy, reserved, dependable, sedate, and a willing helper.
Ernestine graduated from Lewisburg Area High School in 1939 and is now 102 years old.
According to Lewisburg Alumni Association President Bob Brouse, this makes Ernestine Lewisburg's oldest living alumna.
"When I went to see her, I was amazed at how good she looked at 102. I took her some yearbooks and asked her if she would like to go see our Heritage Room," Brouse said.
'And I said, 'Yeah, that would be kind of nice.' So he left some books, and I looked through them," Ernestine said.
The Heritage Room is inside Lewisburg Area High School. It holds all kinds of Lewisburg-themed treasures dating back to 1880.
"My sister keeps a record of all alumni going back to the 1800s," Brouse said.
It was a trip down memory lane for Ernestine as she enjoyed looking at pictures of her former classmates and friends.
"Well, I think that's fantastic that somebody took the time," she added.
Ernestine now lives in a senior living community in the Lewisburg area but was happy to stop by and visit her old high school.
Check out WNEP's YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/union-county/oldest-living-grad-visits-lewisburg-area-high-school-alumna-alumni/523-07c39f34-7726-4636-99ff-837c9f7f10f9 | 2023-05-02T20:56:15 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/union-county/oldest-living-grad-visits-lewisburg-area-high-school-alumna-alumni/523-07c39f34-7726-4636-99ff-837c9f7f10f9 |
HOWARD COUNTY, Texas — The Howard County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help finding a missing person.
Elizabeth Liza Cantu, 41, was last seen on Friday at approximately 5 a.m., in the 7500 block of the North Service Road.
At that time, she was wearing black stretch pants and a black "rock band style" shirt with the white outline of a female’s face on it.
Cantu was not wearing any shoes and may have been wearing socks.
The department said she does not have her cell phone with her. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/hcso-asks-for-help-finding-missing-person/513-1e02726d-f259-40f0-a307-f6fba1e9f8de | 2023-05-02T21:00:21 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/hcso-asks-for-help-finding-missing-person/513-1e02726d-f259-40f0-a307-f6fba1e9f8de |
BALTIMORE — New legislation introduced at Monday's Baltimore City Council meeting aims to expand anti-discrimination laws to include gender identity, and those with HIV or AIDS.
Article 4 of the Community Relations section of the Baltimore City Code already protects most civil rights when it comes to the work place, education, housing, and medical care.
Councilman Kristerfer Burnett wants to now amend the City Code to prohibit "the willful use of incorrect names or pronouns."
For example Burnett's bill would make it unlawful "for any employer, employment agency, or labor organization to willfully and repeatedly use an individual’s incorrect name or pronouns after being clearly informed of the individual’s correct name or pronouns, unless otherwise required by law."
The same would go for owners, managers, and workers at a place of public accommodation, including resorts, as well as educational institutions, health facilities, and housing complexes.
As for health facilities not only would "willful and repeated" misgendering be prohibited under Burnett's amendment, but the law would allow people to use a bathroom based on the gender they identify as.
Burnett's proposal would also offer the same protections for those diagnosed with AIDS or HIV.
This particular section of the City code was last amended in 2010. To read the current version, clickhere.
For the revised version with Burnett's proposed amendments, clickhere.
The amended bill still needs to go through the City Solicitor's Office before it can be voted on and go into effect.
At least five other council members have co-sponsored the revised code. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/baltimore-city-councilman-aims-to-prohibit-the-willful-use-of-incorrect-names-or-pronouns | 2023-05-02T21:01:25 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/baltimore-city-councilman-aims-to-prohibit-the-willful-use-of-incorrect-names-or-pronouns |
BALTIMORE COUNTY — The Baltimore County Police Department's Hazardous Device Team is responding to the 1200 block of Putty Hill Avenue regarding a potential threat.
Residents can expect a heavy police presence in the area.
This is a breaking news story and will continue to be updated. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/hazardous-device-team-on-the-scene-of-potential-threat-in-baltimore-county | 2023-05-02T21:01:30 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/hazardous-device-team-on-the-scene-of-potential-threat-in-baltimore-county |
BALTIMORE — Morgan State University's Board of Regents voted unanimously to extend President David Wilson's contract through 2030.
The contract would make Wilson the fourth-longest-tenured president in Morgan State's history.
Wilson was appointed as the 10th president of Morgan in July of 2010.
Since his appointment, enrollment has increased to 9,300 students with consecutive record freshmen classes of 2,288 in 2021 and 2,203 in 2022.
Forty new academic programs have been added since 2010, which increased the university's total to 140 programs available.
“There’s a lot more work to be done. We’re building a research powerhouse here at Morgan, and the pieces we’re putting in place now, along with the work that is being undertaken, will enable the University to continue making a consequential impact on the communities we serve, long after my stewardship has concluded,” said President Wilson. “It is a profound honor to serve as president at one of the nation’s best and fastest-rising universities. I am humbled by and appreciative of the Board of Regents’ continued trust in my capabilities and vision as president. Their support of the direction this University is headed under current leadership is laudable.”
This July will mark Wilson's 13th year as president. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/morgan-state-president-david-wilson-gets-contract-extended-through-2030 | 2023-05-02T21:01:36 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/morgan-state-president-david-wilson-gets-contract-extended-through-2030 |
BALTIMORE — Baltimore Police are seeking assistance in identifying skeletal remains that were discovered at an East Baltimore townhome back in June of 2022.
The remains were found in a trash bag in the back yard of a home located in the 800 block of Showell Court.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Baltimore Police Department’s Homicide detectives at 410-396-2100.
You can also contact Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/police-seek-assistance-identifying-human-remains-found-east-baltimore-townhome | 2023-05-02T21:01:42 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/police-seek-assistance-identifying-human-remains-found-east-baltimore-townhome |
BALTIMORE — A former Chief Fiscal Officer who was fired from the Baltimore Police Department and then federally indicted for money laundering, has plead guilty.
Dana Lamar Antonio Hayes, Jr., 37, was sentenced Tuesday to three years of supervised probation. He will also have to serve four weekends of intermittent confinement.
RELATED: Fired Baltimore Police CFO federally indicted for wire fraud, money laundering
He was fired from the police department in April 2022 after being named a person of interest in a homicide investigation.
Federal prosecutors began investigating Hayes after he submitted fraudulent loan applications to banks and the Small Business Administration during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In one instance prosecutors say Hayes submitted an application on behalf of his previously forfeited and recently revived company, D&L Investment Properties Inc.
On that application, Hayes is accused of making false statements regarding the number of employees and payroll expenses at his company.
Hayes also reportedly claimed to have company expenses of $15,000 and equipment costs of $35,000 when in fact the company had been inactive since 2019.
At the time his application was submitted, Hayes was on probation but he apparently lied and said he wasn't.
The application was denied at first and ultimately approved after Hayes persisted. Once the funds were deposited into the D&L business bank account, Hayes transferred all of the money into his personal savings account.
Hayes committed similar crimes when applying for Paycheck Protection Plan applications in June of 2020 and again in January 2021.
This time Hayes used the name and tax ID number of his personal and business tax preparer, in order to submit a fraudulent form to a bank without the preparer's knowledge.
As part of his sentencing, Hayes was also ordered to pay $50,000 in restitution. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/probation-for-fired-baltimore-police-cfo-federally-indicted-for-money-laundering | 2023-05-02T21:01:48 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/probation-for-fired-baltimore-police-cfo-federally-indicted-for-money-laundering |
What to Know
- For millions of low-income New Yorkers, access to routine dental care has long hinged on whether or not they still have eight crucial teeth.
- A mouth with just four pairs of matching back teeth is considered “adequate for functional purposes,” according to the state’s rules for Medicaid recipients. And those considered functional, no matter how many other teeth they’re missing, aren’t covered for root canals and crowns, two of the field’s most common procedures.
- Under a new legal settlement reached on Monday, the New York Department of Health must lift some of its most restrictive rules for Medicaid recipients, including the long-standing “eight points of contact” policy.
For millions of low-income New Yorkers, access to routine dental care has long hinged on whether or not they still have eight crucial teeth.
A mouth with just four pairs of matching back teeth is considered “adequate for functional purposes,” according to the state’s rules for Medicaid recipients. And those considered functional, no matter how many other teeth they’re missing, aren’t covered for root canals and crowns, two of the field’s most common procedures.
Under a new legal settlement reached on Monday, the New York Department of Health must lift some of its most restrictive rules for Medicaid recipients, including the long-standing “eight points of contact” policy.
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The change will expand dental coverage for an estimated 5 million people, dramatically improving oral health for low-income patients across the state, according to Belkys Garcia, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society, which brought the class-action suit in federal court in 2018.
“Before this, the Medicaid program was really just a tooth-pulling program,” Garcia said. “If you needed a root canal or a crown, the program was set up to pull your teeth rather than treat them.”
Medicaid programs vary across states and dental care is not a federally mandated benefit. A handful of states, including Alabama and Delaware, provide no dental coverage to adult Medicaid recipients, while roughly a dozen others offer care only in emergencies.
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But states that do provide the optional benefit are required to cover all medically necessary care. The lawsuit argued that New York had imposed “rigid restrictions on crucial services,” leading to the denial of coverage for medically necessary care.
Among the plaintiffs was Matthew Adinolfi, a former New York City taxi driver who had all but three of his teeth pulled after contracting a mouth infection in 2010. He soon discovered that his dentures slipped, preventing him from eating.
He was told that he needed a dental implant, which isn’t covered by the state. Instead, he opted to eat without dentures, wearing down his gums and the remaining bone in his mouth. He’ll now require a more complicated surgery, involving a possible bone graft, in order to secure the dentures.
“If I was able to deal with this right away, I wouldn’t have lost as much bone as I’ve lost,” Adinolfi said.
The settlement eliminates the ban on covering dental implants. Replacement dentures likewise will be deemed medically necessary. The new rules will take effect 90 days after a court approves the settlement agreement.
The Department of Health is committed to providing “comprehensive health coverage” to all state Medicaid recipients, spokesperson Cort Ruddy said in a statement. “This settlement recognizes the importance of oral health and affirms the state’s commitment to those individuals.”
The health department didn’t immediately respond when asked how much the expanded care would cost.
Studies have shown deep racial and economic disparities in oral health, and efforts to address the disparities in adults have shown only limited progress, according to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The shift in New York’s rules comes just as millions of adults who benefit from Medicaid nationwide will lose dental coverage when the national COVID-19 Public Health Emergency expires later this month.
The Legal Aid Society worked on the lawsuit with two law firms, Willkie Farr and Gallagher and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/low-income-new-yorkers-win-the-right-to-a-root-canal/4296502/ | 2023-05-02T21:02:27 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/low-income-new-yorkers-win-the-right-to-a-root-canal/4296502/ |
Money tainted with an unknown substance led to several employees at a Newark, New Jersey, bank ending up hospitalized after falling ill Tuesday, according to the city's Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé.
The strange events unfolded shortly after 12 p.m. at a Wells Fargo Bank located on Lyons Avenue. It was at that time that Newark Police was reporting to the bank for a possible hazmat incident, according to Fragé.
Allegedly a man entered the bank and handed a bank teller cash tainted with the unknown substance. The bank was subsequently evacuated after several workers reported they felt sick, Fragé said.
Three employees were transported to University Hospital for evaluation. The victims are reportedly in stable condition.
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This incident remains under investigation.
Additional information was not immediately available. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/tainted-money-sends-nj-bank-workers-to-hospital-official/4296986/ | 2023-05-02T21:02:33 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/tainted-money-sends-nj-bank-workers-to-hospital-official/4296986/ |
Ahead of the fire season, the Coconino National Forest is further restricting campfires in the forests around Flagstaff.
There have long been campfire bans in several sections of forest around the city, most notably within the areas of Schultz Creek and the Dry Lake Hills.
The expanded area now includes nearly all of the national forest immediately surrounding the city of Flagstaff. There is already a camping and camp fire ban on city owned open space.
A full map of the expanded camping and campfire ban, which went into effect May 1, 2023, is available on the Coconino NF’s website.
In addition to addressing the immediate concern for future large human-caused wildfires, the expansion is part of a long-term risk reduction strategy focused on forest health and resiliency.
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The change was made in response to public feedback, forest officials say.
“Numerous members of the community provided input that helped make this proposal better,” said Deputy Ranger Nick Mustoe. “The response from the public has been overwhelmingly positive. People understand that we have reached a point where this expansion just makes sense.”
In addition to expanding the boundaries of the year-round camping and campfire ban, the Coconino NF is continuing to implement other wildfire mitigation strategies, such as fire restrictions when conditions warrant, as well as mechanical and prescribed fire treatments in areas adjacent to communities.
Forest visitors are reminded to check for and abide by existing fire restrictions prior to any excursion on any of the Coconino NF’s districts. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/coconino-nf-expands-campfire-ban-around-flagstaff/article_704313ee-e91c-11ed-b900-d7d155bf5066.html | 2023-05-02T21:03:49 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/coconino-nf-expands-campfire-ban-around-flagstaff/article_704313ee-e91c-11ed-b900-d7d155bf5066.html |
FLOYD, N.Y. – A woman and a 2-year-old boy were injured when they were both ejected from an ATV in Floyd Tuesday afternoon.
The crash happened on Koenig Road around 12:50 p.m.
Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol says 25-year-old Alexandria Loomis was driving the ATV with the toddler in tow when she lost control and crossed the roadway. That’s when the two were thrown from the ATV.
The boy was airlifted to SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital to be treated for injuries that are considered serious but not life-threatening.
Loomis was taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center to be treated.
The sheriff did not release details about the injuries, but neither one was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Maciol says no tickets have been issued at this time, however, the investigation is ongoing.
Koenig Road was closed to traffic until about 2:25 p.m. while authorities investigated at the scene. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/toddler-airlifted-to-hospital-following-atv-crash-in-town-of-floyd/article_0c90db2a-e920-11ed-8644-3f29e14af58d.html | 2023-05-02T21:12:06 | 0 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/toddler-airlifted-to-hospital-following-atv-crash-in-town-of-floyd/article_0c90db2a-e920-11ed-8644-3f29e14af58d.html |
BOISE, Idaho — Rate increases are hitting customers of Veolia Water Idaho this month.
The Idaho Public Utilities Commission on Friday approved a 7.06% rate increase, which took effect Monday, May 1. Bills will increase by an average of $2.21 per month, depending on how much water an individual customer uses, the PUC said in a news release. Veolia originally asked for a 24.1-percent increase when it filed its application in September 2022.
Veolia serves about 105,000 customers in Ada County. The company acquired Suez Water Idaho in January 2022, shortly after Suez bought the Eagle Water Company for $10.5 million.
In its rate-increase request, Veolia said it needed additional revenue to recover increased operating expenses and costs associated with plant additions.
In its ruling, the PUC established a rate base for Veolia of $255.16 million and a revenue requirement of about $56.16 million. The rate base is the total of the investor-funded plant, facilities, and other investments used by a utility to provide service. The revenue requirement is the total amount of money a utility needs to collect from customers to pay its costs, including a return on its investments, the PUC said.
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See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-puc-approves-water-rate-increase-veolia-may-2023/277-9a9ca9e3-46a6-40e0-8ecc-c7f59cc414bf | 2023-05-02T21:12:49 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-puc-approves-water-rate-increase-veolia-may-2023/277-9a9ca9e3-46a6-40e0-8ecc-c7f59cc414bf |
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Kristin Jackson, Olivia Kviklys, and Sean Lambert with local Idaho nonprofit Wish Granters stop by the Idaho Today studio to share all about what their organization does to grant wishes for terminally ill adults and their caregivers.
Idaho Gives is this week, consider donating here: https://wishgranters.networkforgood.com/projects/158508-2022-donations
And you can learn more about Wish Givers here: https://www.wishgranters.org/ | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-today/idaho-today-community-corner-wish-granters/277-03614ef6-256b-4a2b-a051-a71616a84819 | 2023-05-02T21:12:55 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-today/idaho-today-community-corner-wish-granters/277-03614ef6-256b-4a2b-a051-a71616a84819 |
Today's adoptable pet is Maja, a 6 year old Anatolian Shepherd / Mix. Find her and other adoptable pets today at: https://idahohumanesociety.org/adopt/search-adoptable-pets/
Idaho Today: Pet Talk with Idaho Humane Society
Check out the Idaho Humane Society to find your next furry friend | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-today/idaho-today-pet-talk-with-idaho-humane-society/277-2c1497fc-c0e8-4e0e-87ac-2e49978096e6 | 2023-05-02T21:13:01 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-today/idaho-today-pet-talk-with-idaho-humane-society/277-2c1497fc-c0e8-4e0e-87ac-2e49978096e6 |
Idaho Today Idaho Today: This week on Daily Blast Live May 2, 2023 More Videos Next up in 5 Example video title will go here for this video Watch Daily Blast Live every week day at 2PM on KTVB! | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-today/idaho-today-this-week-on-daily-blast-live/277-49c58360-f27f-45ff-8686-e59e2523b66e | 2023-05-02T21:13:07 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-today/idaho-today-this-week-on-daily-blast-live/277-49c58360-f27f-45ff-8686-e59e2523b66e |
A man was shot to death following a confrontation last week at a park on Tucson’s south side.
Officers went to the 5900 block of South Liberty Avenue, near South 12th Avenue, about 7 p.m. April 28 after receiving several 911 calls reporting gunshots. They found Paul Hernandez, 42, shot in a nearby alleyway, a news release Tuesday from Tucson police said.
Hernandez died at the scene.
Hernandez was involved in a confrontation with a group of individuals at a nearby park when shots were fired, the news release said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME, the anonymous tipster line.
So far this year, Tucson police have investigated 26 homicides, which is two more than at the same time last year.
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-shot-to-death-in-confrontation-at-tucson-park/article_188357da-e918-11ed-805a-57530747d52b.html | 2023-05-02T21:15:40 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-shot-to-death-in-confrontation-at-tucson-park/article_188357da-e918-11ed-805a-57530747d52b.html |
A seventh grader won best in show at an Invention Convention as students from a Tucson charter school showcased creations to fix problems meaningful to them.
The idea behind Carden of Tucson student Macy Sibley's winning Needle Point clothing design for diabetics is to have patches or zippers in strategic locations that would allow people to give themselves sanitary injections of insulin, instead of having to administer medication through clothing.
The invention was personal for Sibley, who is diabetic, and that's often how the best inventions come about, said Bri Livingood, a teacher who organized Carden's Invention Convention held at Tucson Mall.
"When you are really passionate about something and it directly affects you, you just own it," Livingood said.
Another student, Noah Belanger, channeled his love for rock climbing into his invention. Belanger, a sixth grader, created an electric brush, the Beta Brush, to clean off handholds and footholds, allowing for better grip.
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"He partnered with his rock climbing gym, Rock Solid, and had his climbing team test it there," Livingood said.
While there were plenty of niche creations, some of the inventions were meant for a broader audience.
First grader Anthony Gonzalez's submission, the Pooper Scooper 2.0, was thought up with dog owners in mind. With a bag and flashlight attached to make it easier and less messy to scoop, the Pooper Scooper 2.0 even has its own slogan: "Dogs poop it, you scoop it."
The event culminated a yearlong curriculum at Carden that teaches students to find creative ways to solve problems and develop critical thinking skills, through learning about invention and entrepreneurship.
Invention education teaches students how inventors find and solve problems. InventEd, a Lemelson Foundation initiative that supports the teaching, says students who participate become more engaged in their learning, more inclusive in their thinking, and are better prepared for a future of uncertainty and rapid change.
Carden is the first school in Arizona to teach invention education, which has demonstrated success in other states and internationally, at every grade level.
Sixty students from kindergarten through eighth grades participated in the school's Invention Convention at the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance's CATALYST Arts and Maker Space in Tucson Mall.
Thirty-five judges hailing from across the country evaluated students' work in a wide range of subjects.
Livingood, a Carden assistant director and middle school teacher, cast a wide net when looking for expert judges. Judges included representatives from Invention Convention Worldwide, The Henry Ford Museum, The Lemelson Foundation, MIT, Raytheon, the U.S. Air Force, the University of Arizona and the Tucson community.
Inventions were judged based on category, which included agriculture and food; animal care and pets; consumer goods and fashion; earth and sustainability; education; energy; health and medical; home organization and appliances; manufacturing and tools; safety; sports, games and toys; and transportation.
Thirty-two of the 60 participating students received awards, sponsored by Mordka Realty. Prizes included STEM kits and other related items, with the grand prize winners receiving $50 Visa gift cards.
Invention Convention curriculum uses a framework that follows seven steps of the invention process, introducing students to entrepreneurial concepts so they'll think beyond the invention process. They complete step-by-step lessons to develop an invention that is original, well-constructed and solves a real-world problem.
Livingood brought invention education to Carden three years ago, with the idea of expanding its reach in Southern Arizona and across the state.
That idea is becoming a reality, as Vail Unified District's Rincon Vista elementary will offer invention education as an elective in the fall.
The goal is to have Rincon Vista take part in Invention Convention next year, Livingood said, adding that organizers also hope to include two more schools.
Rincon Vista "has an entrepreneurship class and a digital marketing class that will help support their inventors," she said. "The goal is that we can get their kids to come over and use our invention space ... and hopefully our kids can go over there and use some resources."
Contact Star reporter Caitlin Schmidt at 573-4191 or cschmidt@tucson.com. | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/tucson-students-showcase-inventions-designed-to-fix-problems/article_5486aece-e541-11ed-a635-cf3c0c200911.html | 2023-05-02T21:15:46 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/tucson-students-showcase-inventions-designed-to-fix-problems/article_5486aece-e541-11ed-a635-cf3c0c200911.html |
PHOENIX — Arizonans' right to abortion could turn on the question of whether anyone still has legal standing to argue the procedure should be all but outlawed as it was in territorial days.
In new legal filings, Attorney General Kris Mayes told the Arizona Supreme Court that the decision by her office not to defend a state law dating back to 1864 leaves no one with legal standing to do so.
If the justices agree, that would leave in place a 2022 state law that allows but regulates abortion through the first 15 weeks of pregnancy. It would also remove any risk that doctors now performing the procedure within 15 weeks would end up in prison.
Whether the Arizona justices agree depends on how they view actions that go back more than five decades.
In 1971, when the state's abortion ban was first challenged by Planned Parenthood, a trial judge in Pima County appointed a "guardian ad litem'' empowered to represent the legal interests of the fetus of a woman identified only as "Jane Roe'' who was a plaintiff in the case and wanted to terminate her pregnancy. The judge said the guardian also could represent other fetuses "similarly situated'' at the time.
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Arizona courts refused to overturn the law, leaving in place a statute that dates to territorial days making abortion a crime except to save the life of the mother.
All that became moot when the U.S. Supreme Court issued Roe v. Wade in 1973 saying women had a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy.
But the Arizona case was resurrected last year after the high court overturned the 1973 decision, once again giving each state permission to establish its own abortion restrictions.
Republican Mark Brnovich, Arizona's attorney general at the time, then asked a judge here to reinstate the territorial-era ban, whose only exception is to save the life of the mother. That judge also agreed to allow abortion opponent Dr. Eric Hazelrigg, medical director of Choices Pregnancy Center, to serve in the guardian position.
Mayes, a Democrat, on taking office in January, reversed the state's official stance. That leaves only Hazelrigg to argue that Arizona should reinstate the old law.
Now attorneys for Mayes want the justices to remove him from the case, saying he is not a "proper party'' and that his appointment as guardian "was without legal basis.''
If the justices grant the motion, that would leave no one to argue that Arizona should once again outlaw virtually all abortions. That in turn would cement in place last year's law specifically allowing abortions through 15 weeks.
2022 actions
The Republican-controlled Legislature voted last year, before Roe was overturned, to enact the law outlawing abortions up to 15 weeks.
They did so because of a prediction by GOP lawmakers that the U.S. Supreme Court would uphold a similar Mississippi law. They wanted to have something virtually identical to Mississippi's in place.
Instead, the nation's high court went farther, voiding Roe v. Wade entirely. That led Brnovich to argue the original territorial-era restriction was restored.
But the Arizona Court of Appeals ruled last year that would mean ignoring the more recent 15-week statute. So the judges ruled doctors can perform the procedure through 15 weeks, with the older law — and its prison term — applying only to abortion providers who are not medical professionals.
That sent the case to the state Supreme Court.
But Mayes, now attorney general, says the old law, and Brnovich's argument seeking its reinstatement, is not legally defensible.
For the moment, that leaves only Hazelrigg seeking to overturn the appellate court ruling and go back to the territorial-era law, which is why Mayes is asking the justices to dismiss him from the case.
'No plaintiff'
There are statutes allowing a judge to appoint someone as a guardian for minors for legal purposes in certain limited cases. These include cases involving termination of parental rights, where a minor is seeking to be legally "emancipated,'' and when a pregnant minor asks a court to allow her to bypass state laws requiring parental consent for an abortion.
But here, Mayes' attorneys argue, Hazelrigg is seeking to represent "an undefined class of hypothetical and dissimilar fetuses.''
They argue the only reason the judge in the original 1971 case appointed a guardian was because of "Jane Roe'' seeking to terminate her pregnancy.
"Now, there is no plaintiff seeking an abortion, and therefore no individual fetus or 'similarly situated' fetuses for petitioner to represent,'' the attorneys for Mayes are telling the justices. "How can there be a guardian when there are no wards?''
They also say it's not clear which fetuses Hazelrigg purports to represent.
"Does his appointment cover all fetuses that exist in Arizona right now?'' the state's lawyers ask. "Fetuses at all gestational stages, or only after a certain point? What about fetuses that would be born with diseases that guarantee an early and extremely painful death?''
Attorneys for Planned Parenthood Arizona, also trying to preserve the 15-week law, did not go quite so far in asking the Supreme Court to knock Hazelrigg out of the legal ring. But they told the justices they should ignore his bid to have them once again outlaw virtually all abortions.
"If Dr. Hazelrigg believes it is good policy to subject licensed physicians to criminal prosecution for performing any abortion, even those performed before 15 weeks, he may seek to achieve such policy through the legislative process and not by judicial fiat,'' they wrote.
Of course, all that presumes the current Republican-led Legislature would be willing to restore the law to the way it was prior to 1973. Even if it did, the odds of Gov. Katie Hobbs, a Democrat who took office in January, signing such a measure are virtually nil.
The court has not set a date to consider the issue, which means for now, abortions are allowed through 15 weeks.
Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has been reporting since 1970 and covering state politics and the Legislature since 1982. Follow him on Twitter at @azcapmedia or email azcapmedia@gmail.com. | https://tucson.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/arizona-attorney-general-says-no-one-entitled-to-defend-abortion-ban/article_61deb3d0-e903-11ed-abcc-f36943f4f4f7.html | 2023-05-02T21:15:52 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/arizona-attorney-general-says-no-one-entitled-to-defend-abortion-ban/article_61deb3d0-e903-11ed-abcc-f36943f4f4f7.html |
ORLANDO, Fla. – A friend of former Seminole County tax collector Joel Greenberg will plead guilty to federal charges related to prostitution and COVID-19 relief loan fraud, according to a plea agreement signed Monday.
Nabil Dajani faces a maximum 20-year prison sentence for the most serious charge of enticing two adults to travel across state lines to engage in prostitution.
Two other federal charges — conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and submitting a false claim — each carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Prosecutors intend to seek a reduced sentence, in part because Dajani has agreed to provide “substantial assistance” in other federal investigations.
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“Mr. Dajani truly regrets his actions and has owned up to his involvement. He remains available to assist the government,” said Dajani’s attorney, Mark NeJame. “He looks forward to putting this behind him and moving forward with his life.”
According to the plea agreement, Dajani conspired with Greenberg and others to submit fraudulent applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration seeking loans intended to help companies hurt during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Greenberg is serving an 11-year prison sentence for several federal offenses, including child sex trafficking and aggravated identity theft.
Shortly after authorities arrested Greenberg in June 2020, the former tax collector fraudulently obtained nearly $433,000 in government loans. Greenberg later pleaded guilty to that offense and paid back the money.
Four days before Greenberg’s arrest, Dajani sent text messages to Greenberg, saying he had an “easy” and “quick” way for Greenberg to get a loan, according to the plea agreement.
Dajani put Greenberg in touch with an SBA loan officer who knowingly processed fraudulent loan applications in exchange for money.
That government employee, who has not been named in court documents, is expected to be criminally charged at a later date.
Besides receiving thousands of dollars from Greenberg for helping the former tax collector obtain fraudulent loans, Dajani was also accused of submitting fraudulent loan applications himself.
Separately, Dajani admits to enticing two “consenting adults” to travel from North Carolina to Florida in 2016 to engage in prostitution, according to the plea agreement.
An unnamed co-conspirator also engaged in sexual activities with the prostitutes, court records show.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/friend-of-ex-tax-collector-joel-greenberg-pleads-guilty-to-crimes-related-to-prostitution-loan-fraud/ | 2023-05-02T21:17:02 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/friend-of-ex-tax-collector-joel-greenberg-pleads-guilty-to-crimes-related-to-prostitution-loan-fraud/ |
LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Lake County man is recovering from several injuries after Lake County Sheriff’s Deputies said he was attacked on a golf course while out on a walk with his wife on Sunday.
The victim, Joseph Sivak, said he and his family have a long road of recovery ahead of them, not just physically, but mentally too.
“I can’t believe it,” Sivak said. “That it’s happening and happened. You know, it’s like a living hell. It’s like a nightmare. And I just, I want it to stop, you know?”
Sivak said he is recovering from broken ribs, a ripped ear which required nearly 40 stitches, and several facial fractures after Lake County deputies said Eddie Orobitg beat Sivak with a golf club.
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“I got three fractured ribs,” Sivak said. “Three different ribs are broken.”
Sivak and his wife were walking on a path along a golf course path in their neighborhood when Sivak says he heard someone yelling at them from behind.
“And then I hear, get the f–off,” Sivak said. “They’re really angry and swearing at us. I turned around like ‘we’re getting off sorry’, and continue swearing at me.”
Orobitg, a Lake County dentist, was golfing that Sunday with his son when the altercation happened. According to the arrest report, he told Sivak and his wife to get off the path because it was meant for golf carts.
Deputies said the two men got into an argument that turned physical when Orobitg allegedly hit Sivak in the leg with a golf club, to which then Sivak reportedly hit Orobitg with his plastic water bottle.
“My wife was yelling stop, stop, let’s get away from him, we’ve got to get away from him,” Sivak said. “He lunges at me – this happened twice, like with the golf club. I’m like, ‘stop it, stop it. You can’t hit me. You know, when we’re walking away.’”
Sivak said he and his family have a long road of recovery ahead.
“I never knew it, she [Sivak’s wife] just told me this today, I had the same thought, she said this is how I’m going to lose him,” Sivak said.
Orobitg was charged with aggravated battery and has since bonded out of the Lake County Jail. News 6 tried to stop by his dental practice to hear his side of the story, but a sign that read “No media beyond this point” was placed in the front door.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/lake-county-man-who-was-attacked-with-golf-club-for-walking-on-cart-path-speaks-out/ | 2023-05-02T21:17:08 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/lake-county-man-who-was-attacked-with-golf-club-for-walking-on-cart-path-speaks-out/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – We expect to save and set aside money for big expenses, like a new car or a down payment for a house.
But when we’re face-to-face with an adorable, playful, affectionate puppy, we are not thinking about the actual cost of owning a dog.
Routine vet checkups, vaccines, lab tests and surgery — it adds up fast.
So what are the solutions to making sure everyone can get care no matter their finances? Well, there are other options your vet may not be telling you about.
Watch News 6+ in the player below for live news and original programming:
Watch this episode of Solutionaries on-demand using the player at the top of this article or in the News 6+ app for your smart TV.
Navigating expensive vet bills
When many people hear terms like surgery or MRI, the first thing that goes off in their head is probably dollar signs.
Pet healthcare can be expensive and insurance may not be an affordable option for all.
But we’re talking about the spectrum of care and you have more options than you may realize.
Tip #1: Alternatives to expensive surgery
Instead of extreme medical intervention, some pet owners turn to other forms of care, such as physical rehabilitation. This can be an option for older pets and owners with less money to spend on pet healthcare.
Tip #2: Know your goals for your pet
If comfort is a priority for your pet, experts say it’s worth exploring as many options as possible when it comes to healthcare. That includes lower-cost medications and low-invasive therapies. Just be aware that there are limitations to these treatments.
Tip #3: Understanding your options
Here are some questions you can ask your veterinarian:
- Will these options change the outcome for my pet?
- Are there any preventive medications I should give my pet?
- Is pet insurance worth it?
Vet shortage
Pets are an integral part of our family, so it’s important to take into account how much of your budget will go toward caring for your pet over its lifetime.
While it’s easy to say someone shouldn’t have a pet if they can’t afford that care, are we really going to deny companionship to millions of families living paycheck to paycheck?
More American households have pets than children and veterinarians are working harder than ever to keep up with the growing demand.
Read more here from Solutionaries reporter Erik Sandoval here.
Missing Pets
What would you do if your pet goes missing? How far would you go to find them?
Turns out some people are turning to drone technology as a solution to track down lost pups.
Overcrowded Shelters
Sadly, there are more homeless pets than there are available homes in the U.S.
One of the main reasons why is that shelters have an overabundance of animals when owners fail to have their cats and dogs spayed and neutered.
“For Florida Animal Friend, that’s our total focus. Our goal is to help communities build better spay/neuter efforts,” said Joan Radabaugh, President of Florida Animal Friend.
It’s a non-profit organization devoted to helping fund organizations like shelters and humane societies so that they can provide low-cost spaying and neutering for homeless pets.
The group raises money through Florida Animal Friend vanity license plates.
“When you look at why people don’t spay and neuter, it used to be that maybe because they wanted to breed their animals,” Radabaugh said. “But for the most part, it’s usually affordability that prevents people from spaying and neutering.”
Several Central Florida shelters are recipients of Florida Animal Friend grants, including the Central Brevard Humane Society, Orange County Animal Services and Concerned Citizens For Animal Welfare of Volusia County.
Another reason why many shelters are overcrowded is because of irresponsible breeding. Pitbulls or other kinds of “bully” breeds often represent the majority of dogs at overcrowded shelters.
“You have the dog fighting industry and then you also have drug dealers that like dominant aggressive dogs. These are the people that sometimes are breeding these animals,” Radabaugh said.
Other popular breeds like German shepherds, Dobermans and French bulldogs are also appearing in growing numbers at shelters in Florida and across the nation because of over-breeding.
When shelters are severely overcrowded, the difficult decision is often made to euthanize dogs and cats for space, severe medical or aggression issues.
By adopting a spayed or neutered homeless pet, Radabaugh said it increases the chances that others will find their forever homes.
“If people are interested in getting another animal, the most important thing is to start looking at adoption,” she said. “Go to rescue groups, go check out shelters, don’t be in a rush to get an animal. And if you are going to purchase an animal, it’s very important that you do it from a responsible breeder.”
You can learn more by watching the full interview with Florida Animal Friend President Joan Radabaugh below.
Watch the latest episode of Solutionaries at the top of this article, on News 6+ for your smart TV (Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV), on the Solutionaries YouTube channel, and every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. on News 6.
Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/watch-solutionaries-the-real-cost-of-pet-ownership-navigating-expensive-vet-bills-preventing-pet-homelessness/ | 2023-05-02T21:17:14 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/watch-solutionaries-the-real-cost-of-pet-ownership-navigating-expensive-vet-bills-preventing-pet-homelessness/ |
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. – A Tallahassee woman was arrested after throwing a glass of wine at Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz on Saturday, according to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies announced on social media that Selena Chambers, 41, threw the wine at Gaetz after shouting obscenities at him during an event in Miramar Beach.
Chambers was later arrested and faces a misdemeanor charge of battery and a felony charge of battery on an elected official.
The @WCSOFL is confirming reports that our agency responded to an incident at an event in Miramar Beach Saturday involving Representative Matt Gaetz.
— Walton Co. Sheriff (@WCSOFL) May 2, 2023
A 41-year-old Tallahassee woman, Selena Chambers, was arrested after it was found she intentionally threw a glass of wine at… pic.twitter.com/ZD9kalzjVM
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Gaetz later responded to the incident, saying he and his wife had been attending South Walton Beaches Wine & Food Festival.
“We were enjoying catching up with new friends and old, and folks recognized me, so we were taking pictures and having polite conversations,” Gaetz said on his podcast. “And as I was chatting with one gentleman, a lady threw a drink on the both of us, and she was promptly arrested.”
Gaetz said he would be pressing charges against Chambers.
Chambers posted bond of $1,000 and was released the day following her arrest, deputies said.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/woman-arrested-after-throwing-wine-at-florida-rep-matt-gaetz-deputies-say/ | 2023-05-02T21:17:20 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/woman-arrested-after-throwing-wine-at-florida-rep-matt-gaetz-deputies-say/ |
Atlantic County Democrats said Tuesday they have secured a promise from the county that mail-in ballots will be sent to voters via first-class mail, as required by state law.
An April 12 letter from County Counsel Jim Ferguson to Atlantic County Democratic Chairman Michael Suleiman verified the mail-in ballots for the general election will be sent via first class mail for the first time. All parties also agreed that mail-in ballots for the June primary will be sent "via the current mailing house process which has been in place for quite some time and which is utilized in a number of other counties," the letter states.
County Clerk Joe Giralo, a Republican in his second year in office, said Tuesday the county has long used green-tag election mail to send the ballots, as eight other counties also do. It is not a form of bulk mail, but is handled much faster, Giralo said.
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But in the interest of meeting the letter of the law, Giralo said the office will now require its printer and its third-party mailing house to use first-class mail. It will about triple the cost of mailing about 25,000 mail-in ballots in the general election, he said.
"It will go from 22 cents (per ballot) to 88 cents," Giralo said, adding he will go before the county commissioners to explain the change to his budget.
Giralo doubted delivery would be faster than with green-tag mail but said it would meet the letter of the law.
MAYS LANDING — Atlantic County Clerk Joe Giralo has been preparing for the Nov. 8 general el…
Suleiman said he expects the delivery to be faster this year than last, which he said suffered "inexcusable" delays.
"We will be watching the Clerk's Office, the ballot printer, and the mail house to make sure ballots this fall are delivered in a prompt manner," Suleiman said. "If necessary, we'll take any and all legal action to make sure the rights of voters are protected."
Last fall, many Atlantic County residents didn't get their mail-in ballots until Oct. 3 or 4, Suleiman said, for the Nov. 8 general election, and Atlantic County's ballot return rate was significantly lower than other counties in South Jersey.
"After a months-long investigation by ACDC, it was discovered that the mail house contracted by the printer to mail the ballots, Universal Mailings in Piscataway, didn't deliver the ballots to the USPS until September 29," the Atlantic County Democrats said in a news release Tuesday. "Additionally, mail-in ballots were being mailed with standard postage rather than first class postage, which is recommended by the United States Postal Service and is required under state law.
"While this decision will help ballots arrive a little faster, it doesn’t help if it takes one week for the ballots to get from the mail house to the USPS," said Suleiman. "We're putting everyone on notice that a delay in ballots going out will never happen again."
Giralo said state law requires mail-in ballots to commence being mailed on a particular date, not that all must go out by then.
But he said the process of working with the Democrats was positive and transparent. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-clerk-agrees-to-use-first-class-mail-for-mail-in-ballots/article_14058e5c-e923-11ed-8ee7-2bcf77134fd8.html | 2023-05-02T21:17:57 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-clerk-agrees-to-use-first-class-mail-for-mail-in-ballots/article_14058e5c-e923-11ed-8ee7-2bcf77134fd8.html |
The NFL scouting combine came and went without JD DiRenzo in late March and early April.
So, too, the three-day NFL draft last week.
No invitation to the combine, which included more than 300 players, in Indianapolis. No NFL personnel calling him Saturday to tell him he'd been drafted.
But DiRenzo, a 2017 St. Joseph High School graduate who played offensive line at Sacred Heart (Fairfield, Connecticut) and Rutgers universities, had worked too hard over too many years to think his boyhood dream of playing football at its highest level was over.
He was right. On Monday, while downstairs at his family's Hammonton home, he got a call.
The call.
He recognized not the number, but the name. Someone from the Carolina Panthers was calling to offer him the opportunity to sign.
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"Definitely a great feeling," the 24-year-old offensive lineman said Tuesday.
The Panthers will fly him to North Carolina next Thursday to begin his life as a professional football player. The signing will become official then.
"I'll be there till mid-June for OTAs and all that," he said.
His intention is to do whatever he can to make the most of this chance as an undrafted free agent. Contacted Tuesday morning to discuss the signing, he asked if the interview could be put off for another hour or so because he was at the gym working out.
"I couldn't be more grateful to get this opportunity, but there's a lot more I want to accomplish," he said. "It's now my job to prove them right."
A football legacy
DiRenzo comes from a family of athletes. His paternal grandfather, Dan DiRenzo, played for the Philadelphia Eagles' 1948 and 1949 NFL championship teams, a football legacy that inspired a young boy.
"I thought that was the coolest thing ever. It's always been my dream. It was to be like him and play in the NFL some day," he recalled.
DiRenzo spent five seasons, including a redshirt freshman year, at Sacred Heart before joining the Rutgers program in 2022 as a graduate student, an extra season made possible by the NCAA due to disruptions the COVID-19 pandemic had wrought on college sports. He was named MVP of the Rutgers offense — an improbable achievement for an O-lineman.
"That was a great honor. A great honor, a great validation of the work I put in that year. ... I'm so grateful for the relationships I built that year," he said.
He showed versatility throughout his college career, playing guard and tackle.
"They actually see me as a tackle, where most teams see me as a guard because of my measurables," he said of the Panthers. "Whatever looks like the best fit is where they'll put me, but I think they're going to start me off at tackle. ... I really do have no preference. Even if it's center, wherever they put me I am going to work as hard as I can to get as good at that position as I can be. I'm there to help them win games."
He had the same businesslike attitude when he did not receive a combine invitation. "A combine invite isn't the end-all, be-all. ... If anything, it made me want (an NFL opportunity) more."
Thirty of the 32 NFL teams came to Rutgers' pro day March 21 to look in on him and 13 other Scarlet Knights. "I got a lot of attention there," he said. "I got to show my athleticism and my ability to play a lot of positions."
DiRenzo also got to participate in a local combine that featured the New York Giants, Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. Terry Bradway, a former NFL GM and a longtime scout, executive and consultant who lives in Linwood, was there for the Panthers.
A lot of teams showed some interest leading up to the draft, he said, but he knew there were no guarantees. A couple of days later, he got a call from Carolina.
'A self-made player'
Paul Sacco, who coached St. Joseph to a 358-75-5 record and 20 state championships from 1982-2022, talked to his former player Monday.
"He was so excited," DiRenzo said. "He's had a number of players make it to the NFL. I think that goes to show what type of coach he is. If I didn't play for him ... who knows what I'd be doing now? He really got my career started. I always wanted it, but he showed me how it's done. He made me love the weight room."
Sacco over the years has instilled in his player a devotion to the weight room. It resonated with DiRenzo. "He is a self-made player. ... (From his junior to senior year at St. Joseph), you just saw him just constantly getting better," Sacco said Tuesday. "His focus was on to the weight room, hit the books ... do all the things he needed to do."
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays were weight training days for the Wildcats, but DiRenzo would also ask Sacco if he could come in to do agility drills or plyometrics on a Tuesday or Thursday. Christmas Eve? New Year's Eve? If it was a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, Sacco knew DiRenzo would be there to lift. Even when he was in college, he'd want to come to St. Joseph to lift the day after Thanksgiving.
Sacco followed DiRenzo's college career. "I would keep in touch every other week or something with his coaches. They said, coach, he just progresses. He just follows the process."
When DiRenzo made the transition to Rutgers, Sacco wondered how it would go. He'd have to find his place quickly in a program that had players established there.
But South Jersey's winningest football coach has connections to the Rutgers coaching staff, including associate head coach Joe Susan, who reassured him. "He said, 'Coach, he's going to be fine. He's probably the strongest kid in the weight room.' I said, 'Wow.' I knew he had taken everything from our program, brought it to Sacred Heart and finished it up there."
When DiRenzo and Sacco connected Monday about the big news, Sacco said his former player told him: "All I've got to do when I get there is to make sure they keep me there."
"And he'll do that."
DiRenzo's Sacred Heart coaches also "all reached out" about his Panthers opportunity, DiRenzo said. "They were the first ones to take a chance on me. I wasn't highly recruited out of high school."
Rutgers went 4-8 last season, but going up against Big Ten Conference competition was invaluable to his preparation for the NFL. And he said he got to know coaches he'll be able to reach out to for the rest of his life.
"I really needed that year," he said.
'My greatest motivator'
In Carolina, DiRenzo joins an organization with some optimism. Frank Reich is the Panthers' new coach. And on Thursday they took Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner, with the No. 1 pick in the draft. DiRenzo already has spoken with some of the coaches.
"It's really exciting," he said. "It really looks like the sky's the limit. I am so excited to be a part of it."
It's an excitement his whole family shares, including two sisters who have played NCAA Division I sports. Older sister Dana played basketball for St. Francis College in Brooklyn, New York. Younger sister Leah is a sophomore goalkeeper for the Saint Joseph's University field hockey team in Philadelphia.
"Everyone has played sports at the collegiate or pro level. Sports is everything to my family," he said. "Everyone was so happy. It just makes me want to work harder and do more great things. That's really my greatest motivator — my family and making them proud." | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/hammontons-jd-direnzo-to-fulfill-boyhood-dream-by-signing-with-nfl-team-its-now-my/article_8bb28852-e8fa-11ed-bc85-ff02062d553b.html | 2023-05-02T21:18:03 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/hammontons-jd-direnzo-to-fulfill-boyhood-dream-by-signing-with-nfl-team-its-now-my/article_8bb28852-e8fa-11ed-bc85-ff02062d553b.html |
BLOOMINGTON — Bloomington police say they arrested a 20-year-old man who discharged a firearm after an unknown person shot at him.
A press release from the Bloomington Police Department said officers were called at 11:25 a.m. Monday to a report of gunfire in the 400 block of Valley View Circle. Officers said they found evidence at the scene indicated a shooting had happened.
BPD said their investigators learned an unknown person fired a gun at a man, who returned fire. The release said that latter suspect was identified as Paul Martin, of Bloomington.
The release said he is charged with aggravated assault, defacing identifying marks from a firearm, and unlawful use of a weapon.
Bloomington police continues to investigate. The release urged anyone with more information to contact BPD at 309-820-8888.
To remain anonymous, you can also provide tips to BPD by texting the word “BPDTIPS” followed by the message or tip to 847411. Anonymous tips also can be sent through the department’s website. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/bloomington-man-arrested-in-shots-fired-incident/article_c105b8b4-e925-11ed-874c-e3a4828a43d0.html | 2023-05-02T21:19:57 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/bloomington-man-arrested-in-shots-fired-incident/article_c105b8b4-e925-11ed-874c-e3a4828a43d0.html |
BLOOMINGTON — Bloomington Public Works will collect bulk at no additional charge for Solid Waste Program customers May 1-12 for the Spring 2023 Free Bulk Pickup.
Regular updates will be posted online by Public Works as well as the interactive map on the Solid Waste pages as crews progress.
As of now, crews are on schedule, based on the Leaf, Bush, Trimmings and Bulk Pickup 2023 Calenda r, and will be in Zone 3 Blue on May 3.
They are expected in Zone 4 Blue on May 4; Zone 5 Blue, May 5; Zone 1 Orange, May 8; Zone 2 Orange, May 9; Zone 3 Orange, May 10; Zone 4 Orange, May 11; and Zone 5 Orange, May 12.
Contact publicworks@cityblm.org or 309-434-2225 for questions.
Photos: Keeping warm with city of Bloomington Public Works crews
INSIDE
Jeff Branhan loads salt into a truck at the Bloomington yard on Friday.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
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City of Bloomington Public Works heavy machine operator Kenny Herman attaches a snow plow onto a salt truck.
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DOMINANT
City of Bloomington Public Works laborer Larry Coleman dresses for potential cold weather before taking to the streets with his salt truck on Friday. Frigid temperatures forces crews to adapt. See a video with this story at pantagraph.com .
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City of Bloomington Public Works trucks driver Jeff Branhan dressed for cold weather as he used a front end loader to fill trucks with salt, Friday, Jan. 14.
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City of Bloomington Public Works truck driver Jeff Branhan loaded a truck with salt, Friday, Jan. 14.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
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City of Bloomington Public Works worker Joe DeGraeve cleared a front end loader of debris while loading leaves on the city's southwest side, Thursday, Jan. 13.
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City of Bloomington Public Works worker Mike Donnelly sweeps up leaves during a warm afternoon, Thursday, Jan. 13. While the temperature was only around 36 degrees, laborers who expend energy with active jobs can usually get by without heavy clothing.
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SECONDARY
City of Bloomington Public Works driver David Alvarez checks the attachment of a plow to his truck on Friday.
DAVID PROEBER, THE PANTAGRAPH
Contact Olivia Jacobs at 309-820-3352. Follow Olivia on Twitter: @olivia___jacobs
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Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/bloomington-public-works-to-continue-bulk-pickup/article_7d760a44-e908-11ed-b39a-1bad4d10dfe7.html | 2023-05-02T21:20:03 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/bloomington-public-works-to-continue-bulk-pickup/article_7d760a44-e908-11ed-b39a-1bad4d10dfe7.html |
BLOOMINGTON — Methamphetamine, cannabis and firearm charges are pending against a Bloomington man.
A warrant was issued Friday and returned Monday, charging Winston R. Robinson, 34, with:
- Two counts of unlawful delivery of meth, for 5-15 grams;
- Two counts of unlawful possession of meth with intent to deliver, for 100-400 grams and 15-100 grams;
- Unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver, for 30-500 grams;
- Unlawful possession of cannabis, for 100-500 grams;
- Unlawful possession of a firearm without a valid Illinois Firearm Owners Identification card;
- Unlawful possession of firearm ammunition without a valid Illinois FOID card.
Court documents indicate his arrest was the result of an Illinois State Police task force investigation. He is accused of committing one count of meth delivery on Feb. 7 and the rest of the charges were dated March 8, all in Bloomington.
Robinson was taken into custody on a $250,000 warrant at 10%, but his bond was reduced Monday to $150,000 at 10%, meaning he would have to pay $15,035 to be released from McLean County custody.
An arraignment was scheduled for May 19. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/bloomington-man-faces-meth-weapon-charges/article_00b8b944-e91b-11ed-ae31-b35d658bc020.html | 2023-05-02T21:20:09 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/bloomington-man-faces-meth-weapon-charges/article_00b8b944-e91b-11ed-ae31-b35d658bc020.html |
NORMAL — Self-service electronic recycling drop off for McLean County residents will be available from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 6.
It will also be available on the first Saturday morning of each month. This is in addition to regular self-service electronics recycling that is available from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Drop-off is located at the Town of Normal Public Works, 1301 Warriner St. in Normal. There will be signage to indicate which types of electronics should be placed in the building.
Eligible items include computers, monitors, electronic keyboards, televisions, scanners, fax machines, copiers, cell phones, video recorders, cameras and more.
Drop-off is not available for businesses or residents outside of McLean County.
Contact Public Works at 309-454-9571 for more information.
Newly listed homes for sale in the Central Illinois area
2 Bedroom Home in Leroy - $80,000
Ranch, corner lot. Two bedroom, one bath, kitchen open to living room. All appliances stay including dishwasher, washer, and dryer (2022). Electric stove and dryer. Hardwood floors thought to be under carpet - will know once furniture out. Breezeway 9x20. Extra room/workshop 14x20 (previously an attached garage) has no permanent heat source. 2 car detached garage newer, no electricity. Needs some paint, flooring, TLC. Call me to see this today! $80,000 SOLD AS-IS.
3 Bedroom Home in Hudson - $250,000
This beautiful two-story home boasts wood flooring throughout most of the main floor and features cathedral ceilings in the living room. Move-in ready, it's located in a family-oriented neighborhood within a great school district in a charming small town. With a spacious main bedroom that includes a walk-in closet and a main bathroom complete with a double vanity, jet tub, and separate shower, this home is perfect for families. All Three bedrooms are located on the 2nd floor. Open the sliding door in the kitchen to enjoy time in the screened in deck/porch. Internet service is fiber optic so you should have no problem with getting online when need be. Oversized attached 2 car garage with access to backyard. New Furnace & fan system 2010, Dishwasher, garage door leading to back yard 2020, Water Heater, Fridge 2022. Plus, it's conveniently located just 8 miles from Bloomington-Normal and 11 miles from Rivian!
4 Bedroom Home in Bloomington - $325,000
Wonderfully maintained family home on 2.55 acres, a pond and less than 5 miles to Rivian. Original owners! It would be hard to beat a better setting so close to town with the mature landscaping, large lot and pond. It has 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, 1 half bath, wonderfully updated by the original owners. All of the rooms are good sized. There are two nice sized decks, one off of the primary bedroom and the other off of the dining room. The driveway circles behind the house to a large attached garage in the lower level. Roof and siding 2015.
4 Bedroom Home in Normal - $299,900
MULTIPLE OFFERS RECEIVED. HIGHEST AND BEST OFFERS DUE BY 7:00 PM ON 4/30. Wow - your new home is ready for your family!! Convenient location in Tramore subdivision! Relax on the back deck overlooking the large yard. The Epson projection TV system with surround sound stays in the basement, ready to entertain friends. 2022 - new deck, planted 3 trees, front door, two bathroom vanities, and whole house duct cleaning! 2019 - both upstairs bathrooms remodeled, new insulated garage door, opener, and professional landscaping. 2017 - ceramic tile in the kitchen and mud/laundry room, new patio door. 2016 - hardwood flooring in the family room, living room, and the entire second level, basement remodeled including new carpet and new drywall ceiling. 2014 - new roof with Certainteed 50 year architectural shingles with a transferable warranty to the new owner! 2012 - Quartz Silestone kitchen counters. Most light fixtures and fans replaced in the last 3 to 5 years. Tour soon!
2 Bedroom Home in Hudson - $450,000
Welcome to Lake Bloomington Living !! This Whimsical Cabin will take your breathe Away! Located on one of the most sought after lots on the main body of the Lake. Perfect view of the amazing sunrises and sunsets . Wake up to the relaxing sounds of nature and have your coffee and breakfast while taking in the beautiful skyline view from the deck. The Cozy Cabin as it is set up , can sleep 10-12 people comfortably, with an additional 2 in the shed/ play house on air mattresses if needed. The Owners have done a fantastic job of updating this home while keeping the character intact. Warm and welcoming Bedrooms , Remodeled Kitchen with Stunning White Cabinetry, Updated Counter Tops, Farm Sink, and Stainless Steel Appliances. Some of the Updates include but are not limited to : New Roof 2023, Newer paint on the exterior of the home and deck, Newer Electric with Circuit Breakers, 3 Newer Window A/c Units, .Delight in days filled with boat rides, water skiing, tubing, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and or simply relaxing . After Lake time , enjoy a cookout while taking in the beautiful scenery. Complete your evenings watching the sunset , relaxing, making smores by the fire, or having game time on the massive deck or in the sun room. The Fourth of July Celebration is an especially fun time to enjoy the Lake and all that Living at Lake Bloomington has to offer. Decorate your boat for an afternoon boat parade contest including occasional fun with water balloons. In the Evening , boats line up to enjoy the fireworks.
4 Bedroom Home in Bloomington - $484,900
You will fall in love with this gorgeous, well maintained, 1917 all brick Arthur Pilsbury design home in Bloomington. This home sits on a corner lot on Oakland Ave. The lot is well landscaped, has a beautiful koi pond, and a two car detached garage and two car tandum attached garage. This home features four bedrooms and four and half bathrooms and a few bonus rooms that could be used as offices, sitting rooms, playrooms, extra bedroom, etc. You will love the hardwood floors throughout as well as the porch in the back. Screens and windows can be interchanged for different seasons. Some updates include 2 high efficiency furnaces (4 years old), 2 high efficiency a/c units (10 years old), Roof 2014 with heavy duty shingles, water heater 2016 and granite countertops.
4 Bedroom Home in Normal - $280,000
Location is everything! Wonderfully cared for energy-efficient 4 bedroom home on beautiful Henry Street in desirable North Normal conveniently located near Unit 5 Schools, shops, the Constitution Trail and easy access to the interstate. Original windows have been updated with quality Pella & CertainTeed replacements. Current owners have also invested wisely in a full Roof tear-off AND Geothermal/HVAC upgrade in 2011 plus kitchen remodel complete in 2015. Open concept family room plus eat-in kitchen makes for easy flow and entertaining. Updated kitchen features solid Corian counters, striking extra-tall dark cabinetry, glass tile backsplash and sparkling Energy-Star rated stainless appliances! Plenty of eat-in table space plus breakfast bar overlooking the raised back deck with full size slider and plenty of outdoor table space just perfect for morning coffee! Formal dining room features original tray ceiling, updated lighting and striking engineered hardwoods. The front living room with beautiful bay window offers main floor flex space just perfect for office or play. Half bath located off the kitchen convenient for guests. Upstairs, you'll find 4 spacious bedrooms that ALL feature walk-in closets! Enormous primary suite improved with smooth and easy to care for LVP floors, vaulted ceilings, walk-in closet plus private bath with double sinks, linen closet and shower/tub combo. Convenient 2nd floor laundry features newer 2022 washer/dryer combo and additional storage. The unfinished walk-out lower level is just waiting for your touch and offers full sized windows (no egress here!), a finished full bathroom, plus flex space that could easily be converted to a 5th bedroom. Plenty of unfinished storage space houses the hvac, geothermal system, both water heaters and sump pump to keep this efficient home running smoothly. Another slider offers easy access to the private back patio with tiered landscaping inviting you to enjoy all this oversized back yard has to offer... plus plenty of room outside for a pool, playset or fire pit. With so much square footage inside and out, you'll love the size, space and style of this stately home on Henry!
2 Bedroom Home in Bloomington - $147,500
Super cute cottage beautifully styled and ready to call home! Lovely front porch to entertain or kick back and drink lemonade on a warm day. Walking into this cottage, you will see original real wood floors, doors and antique lighting. Tons of charm in the dining room with a built in bench, featuring great storage, hand painted floors and an antique confessional mantle with an electric fireplace.. a great space for special occasions, to do work, or play games! The kitchen is updated with new countertops, new cabinets, stainless steel refrigerator, stove and dishwasher. Handmade Mexican tile backsplash behind the oven. A reclaimed wood coffee bar was recently added. An original glass-front cabinet is a lovely feature in this large kitchen. A mudroom/pantry is off the kitchen by the back entry with lots of great storage! The bedrooms each offer nice closet space. The bathroom has been updated with stainless fixtures and a tile surround that wraps around the wall. The basement has a newer washer/dryer that will stay. Clean basement that is great for storage or even a game room. Lovely backyard has a shaded gravel patio with fire pit, grill area, and old-growth walnut trees. Detached 1 car garage. Don't miss this one. This house is adorable!
3 Bedroom Home in Normal - $269,900
Located in a great location in Normal this beautiful ranch home offers a gorgeous floor plan with 4 bedrooms, and 3 full baths. Main floor features a fabulous eat-kitchen spacious and ideal for gatherings with high cathedral ceiling, lots of cabinets, bar stools and dining area; the family room is beautiful with a corner gas fireplace, wainscoating, plantation shutters and crown molding, 3 nice size bedrooms, 2 full baths and laundry all on main floor. Full basement is partially finished with the 4th bedroom and the 3rd full bath. Move in ready and with easy access to highways, close to shopping, schools, and businesses.
4 Bedroom Home in Normal - $372,500
This home is a MUST SEE! New roof in 2022. New garage door and openers in 2022. New AC Unit in 2019. New carpet upstairs and kitchen appliances in 2016. Bosch dishwasher new in 2021. Hardwood floors and painted cabinets in 2015. Remodeled the basement in 2012-2013. Andersen Windows throughout the house! This home features tons of curb appeal with a wraparound porch on a cul-de-sac. This brick and vinyl exterior home is located in a family-oriented neighborhood and is near schools. It is within walking distance to Grove Elementary School. There is crown molding on the main level and in the master bedroom. Upgraded lighting, very open floor plan. Tons of cabinets and counter space in the kitchen. Hardwood floors with a very rich warming color. Master bedroom suite has double sink vanity with whirlpool tub and shower area. Walk in closet. Convenient main level laundry room with cabinets, sink with ceramic tile flooring. Finished lower level with family room, 5th bedroom and other finished room. Family room features a wet bar area and a full bath. Patio, driveway and sidewalk is done in a decorative stamped concrete. 2 oversized garage spaces with large bump out workspace or storage area in garage. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/electronics-recycling-available-for-mclean-county-residents-saturday/article_6d6109de-e907-11ed-9bb0-a3ba284b22b0.html | 2023-05-02T21:20:15 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/electronics-recycling-available-for-mclean-county-residents-saturday/article_6d6109de-e907-11ed-9bb0-a3ba284b22b0.html |
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Fire Department was dispatched Tuesday to a Waymo facility to extinguish an electric vehicle that had caught fire.
Crews arrived at the Waymo warehouse near 3rd and Roosevelt streets and firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the vehicle's flames.
Waymo employees were evacuated from the facility and no injuries were reported, the fire department said.
A hazmat team was dispatched to the site and the City of Phoenix provided an environmental dumpster to safely transfer the vehicle to a recycling facility.
The fire department is still trying to determine how the electric car caught fire.
Waymo has been operating autonomous vehicles throughout the Valley for the last few years.
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12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/electric-vehicle-catches-fire-waymo-warehouse-phoenix/75-c6478688-6370-4d41-a2ed-1096498197f3 | 2023-05-02T21:22:07 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/electric-vehicle-catches-fire-waymo-warehouse-phoenix/75-c6478688-6370-4d41-a2ed-1096498197f3 |
MESA, Ariz. — Mesa's police officers can expect to receive a significant salary increase in the coming months.
The Mesa City Council voted Monday to approve a new contract with the Mesa Police Association that will raise the salary scale for police officers by 7%.
The minimum salary for a Mesa police officer is increasing from $63,052 to $66,939. A police sergeant's minimum salary will increase from $97,013 to $102,713.
An officer who receives a "successful" rating in their annual performance review can get an additional 5% pay raise. Officers who don't use any sick time between Jan. 1 and June 30 can receive an incentive worth $500, according to the city's agreement.
Mesa is the latest Valley city to grant salary raises as some municipalities struggle with staffing shortages in their police departments. Scottsdale and Phoenix both approved of substantial pay increases within the last year.
The new agreement in Mesa takes effect on July 1 and will expire in 2026.
Mesa's new salary schedule is listed below:
Up to Speed
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On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
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The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
We are committed to serving all of the Valley's communities, because we live here, too.
12News is the Official Home of the Arizona Cardinals and the proud recipient of the 2018 Rocky Mountain Emmy Award for Overall Excellence.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/mesa-approves-salary-increases-police-officers/75-1263e0f0-9d29-4dde-8518-4a48e4b91280 | 2023-05-02T21:22:16 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/mesa-approves-salary-increases-police-officers/75-1263e0f0-9d29-4dde-8518-4a48e4b91280 |
FARMINGTON- Yesterday we showed you pictures of roads being washed out and told you about power outages because of all the wind and rain from the storm.
This is a pretty jaw dropping picture of the McDonald's on Main Street in Farmington yesterday.
You'll see the University of Maine at Farmington in the background, along with their ball field and the fairgrounds.
Streets near there were under water.
If you look really closely you can see a pickup truck with water up to the window on the door.
A dispatcher at the Farmington Police Department says something like this doesn't happen very often.
Thankfully some of the water has receded and things are starting to dry up. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/farmington-flooding/article_f9a47c84-e923-11ed-a29b-9b2fee0cbf80.html | 2023-05-02T21:24:04 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/farmington-flooding/article_f9a47c84-e923-11ed-a29b-9b2fee0cbf80.html |
BANGOR-The Federal Emergency Management Agency will be sending almost 16 million dollars to a Bangor hospital for it's efforts during the pandemic.
A statement from FEMA says the money will reimburse Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center for the cost of hiring temporary staff to deal with increased patient loads between September 2021 and May 2022.
So far, FEMA has provided more than 270 million dollars in public assistance grants to Maine to reimburse the state for pandemic-related expenses. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/fema-sends-money-to-cover-covid-staffing-costs/article_1a4f16f8-e922-11ed-8c7b-1f04af832c64.html | 2023-05-02T21:24:10 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/fema-sends-money-to-cover-covid-staffing-costs/article_1a4f16f8-e922-11ed-8c7b-1f04af832c64.html |
ELLSWORTH- A wealthy attorney who came close to being elected governor of Maine in 2010 is expected to plead guilty to possessing videos and images of child sexual abuse.
76-year-old Eliot Cutler is due in an Ellsworth courtroom on Thursday.
According to a court document, he's expected to serve nine months in prison as part of a plea agreement.
Cutler is expected to plead guilty to four counts of possession of sexually explicit material of a child under 12 according to terms of the agreement hammered out with prosecutors.
The judge would still need to approve the deal.
The sentencing memorandum describes Cutler's addiction to pornography with Cutler acknowledging that he downloaded hundreds of images and videos.
His attorneys noted that Cutler never engaged in inappropriate conduct with children.
Cutler ran for governor twice as an independent, losing in 2010 by less than 2 percentage points to Republican Paul LePage.
Cutler was also an aide to the late Democratic U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie and later served as former Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s top adviser for environmental and energy issues. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/former-governor-hopeful-to-plead-guilty-in-child-porn-case/article_8dbfe3f8-e925-11ed-820f-8f7c5c86eb26.html | 2023-05-02T21:24:16 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/former-governor-hopeful-to-plead-guilty-in-child-porn-case/article_8dbfe3f8-e925-11ed-820f-8f7c5c86eb26.html |
MILO -- MSAD-41's superintendent has suggested that the district employ their first ever school resource officer.
But, there are still questions that need to be answered.
"You never know when something or where something is going to happen. I think that point has been driven home across the country,” according to Chief Nicholas Clukey with Milo Police Department.
Clukey said he is open to discussing if and how a school resource officer could serve the town of Milo's schools.
"It's basically going to be a safety and security position. [But] a lot more discussion needs to happen,” said Clukey.
According to Clukey the decision could ultimately come down to funding.
"It's a challenge being on two different budget cycles. They go from summer to summer. We go from January 1 to December 31,” noted Clukey.
MSAD 41 superintendent, Michael Wright said it's time for an officer to assist in the schools.
Wright explains the district is open to funding the position while school is in session, however he's requested that the town take over those employment costs when the schools are closed during the summer and other breaks.
"School isn't in session 12 months out of the year. You have to employ that person full time for those 12 months,” said Clukey." The position could cost an estimated $90,000 annually.”
We talked to some community members who endorsed the idea, saying teachers deserve the support of a school resource officer.
The town's select board plans to discuss if the proposed position can be partially funded with municipal funds during Tuesday night's meeting. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/msad-41-seeks-first-ever-school-resource-officer/article_0bf79c0e-e929-11ed-9481-2f0a10ac3b87.html | 2023-05-02T21:24:23 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/msad-41-seeks-first-ever-school-resource-officer/article_0bf79c0e-e929-11ed-9481-2f0a10ac3b87.html |
Construction of Detroit transit hub begins at historic State Fair dairy barn
Detroit — By next spring, city leaders expect the State Fair Transit Center to be in full motion, with bus riders moving through converted historic buildings on site and resting in restaurants and shops — but not without a boost in funding.
Construction is underway in the historic Dairy Cattle Barn at the former state fairgrounds along West 8 Mile Road, with the paving of a new foundation, laying asphalt, landscaping and adding a new park, Detroit Building Authority Director Tyrone Clifton said Tuesday during a behind-the-scenes tour of the seven-acre site.
Clifton was joined by city transit director Mikel Oglesby and deputy building director Donna Rice, who oversees the project. They're utilizing Ideal Contracting, a southwest Detroit minority-owned company, to complete the project, which has grown from its introduction from a simple hub to an end-of-the-line operation.
Meanwhile Tuesday, the City Council had a resolution to increase funds by $13 million for the design and construction of the new transit center on behalf of the Detroit Building Authority. The total contract amount is $31.6 million to complete the construction by April 30, 2024. The $31 million includes the adaptive reuse of the cattle barn, construction of the center, demolition of the historic coliseum, preservation of the coliseum facade arch, and development of a public plaza, Clifton said.
"It's costing more because it started off as just a small project that's grown into this size only because of the commitment to the public, working with the City Council and the administration. Originally, it was going to be a much smaller, probably more sophisticated hub than what you've seen on Woodward," Clifton said. "But now we've grown into an adaptive reuse facility, saving a structure that was historical and providing amenities to the ridership which they very much voiced on when we did the presentation."
Interior demolition of the Dairy Cattle Barn was completed over the winter and now crews are working on clearing the site, carving out windows in the barn and stabilizing the structure.
In October 2020, the Detroit City Council approved a $400 million plan for the redevelopment of the former State Fairgrounds including a new DDOT transit Center and Gateway Shopping Plaza. It's expected to bring 1,200 new jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities.
The City Council later approved an $18.6 million transit center that is touted as a hub comparable to transit stations in other big cities with some retail and restaurant options, an indoor lobby and public waiting area, ticket office, restrooms and a separate lounge and restroom area for transit operators, giving them an end-of-the-route respite point.
"The Rosa Parks Transit Center (downtown) is the beginning of the line and at the end of the line, we'll have the State Fair Transit Center," said Oglesby, adding there will be eight DDOT bays and two SMART Fast bus bays. "This will influence us to take a hard look at the Rosa Parks Transit Center now and bring it up to the next level. It will help improve efficiency down the line."
The 52,500-square-foot Dairy Cattle Building is being adapted into a bus terminal with DDOT and SMART buses circulating through the interior. There will be old memorabilia returned to live inside he new transit center.
The site will also have 70 staff and visitor parking spaces, 25 MOGO bicycles and a scooter area for pickups and drop-offs.
When plan designs were unveiled in August 2021, residents pushed back calling for the preservation of three historical sites on the fairgrounds. The city conducted a feasibility study and determined the 1926 Dairy Cattle Building and the facade of the 1924 Hertel Coliseum, a 60,000-square-foot equestrian center that hosted circuses, concerts and rodeos, could be saved. The adjacent Agricultural Building will not be used as part of the project because it is leased to Joe Dumars Fieldhouse.
While the Coliseum building would be removed, the Portico would remain, welcoming riders to the transit center.
Restoration comes at a cost
It costs more to restore historic sites than to build new ones, Clifton said. The initial, smaller project was expected to be completed last year, but since expanding, Clifton said it wasn't possible due to a competitive market and impacting their capital fund.
"We designed, bid it out, get the subcontractors under and evaluated it... this is what it costs to build," Clifton said of the $31.6 million total bill.
The additional $13 million will pay for: $279,000 on code compliance for tenant space; $180,000 on the Portico stabilization; $520,000 for utility coordination; $350,000 for cattle barn roof sealant; $225,000 for electrical capacity for future bus charging stations; $375,000 for public information address system; $231,000 for air monitoring as buses pass through the site; an additional $6.1 million on labor; $1.8 million on bonds, builder risk, permits; and $2.1 million on additional insurance fees.
"We'll have the infrastructure to have our electric fleet charge here," Oglesby said.
Expecting double the riders
Officials say the new transit center will increase bus access and circulation from both 8 Mile and Woodward Avenue. It will also make reaching the nearby Meijer store more accessible, Oglesby said.
By revitalizing the former fairgrounds after years of neglect, Oglesby expects double the amount of riders on the system overall.
"Pre-pandemic, I believe we had 20,000 riders a week, but due to a shortage of operators and COVID, we're not at that amount. As far as I'm concerned, by the time this is built, we'll have all the operators running and double that number," Oglesby said. "Based on our early projections, we don't see any major shifts to fund the day-to-day operations."
There are six routes that currently service the State Fair Transit Center and it's possible there will be an expansion, and even into 24-hour service, Oglesby told The Detroit News.
"We're going to have WiFi, charging stations and charging for people in wheelchairs," Oglesby said. "Riders will have the ability to go shopping, grab coffee or just rest. We're really excited to see what the city does with the rest of the site."
DDOT is the largest public transit provider in Michigan that serves the city of Detroit, its surrounding suburbs, Highland Park and Hamtramck. DDOT, started in 1922, averages about 85,000 riders daily pre-pandemic. Ridership overall has decreased by 57%. In January 2020, DDOT had 1.86 million monthly riders. This January, DDOT carried 795,827 riders. Its on-time performance has varied slightly, dropping from 75% on time in January 2020 to 65% on time this year.
The department currently has 404 drivers including 21 new trainees starting this week. It's 100 fewer than what the department is budgeted for.
Oglesby is currently working on a plan to "Reimagine DDOT's" system. The department plans to issue better rates for drivers because a labor shortage is leading to a reduction in service. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan added a $15 million increase to DDOT's budget in the fiscal year starting in July to replace lapsed federal funding and raise wages for DDOT bus drivers. The department is also working on stabilizing paratransit services for disabled riders in the city.
Of the 142-acre site at Woodward near Eight Mile, 78 acres are being redeveloped for the 3.8 million-square-foot Amazon facility and the remaining 70 acres will be redeveloped into potential spaces for automotive industry suppliers.
Other historic elements from the former fairgrounds, including the bandshell, were moved in 2021. The bandshell is now in Palmer Park.
srahal@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @SarahRahal_ | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/05/02/construction-of-detroit-transit-hub-begins-at-historic-state-fair-dairy-barn/70171050007/ | 2023-05-02T21:27:16 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/05/02/construction-of-detroit-transit-hub-begins-at-historic-state-fair-dairy-barn/70171050007/ |
Dana Nessel to deliver commencement address at Schoolcraft College
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Saturday will deliver the commencement address at Schoolcraft College's graduation ceremony.
The ceremony will include 400 graduates at 1 p.m. on the Livonia campus, where Nessel will also receive an Honorary Associate Degree in Arts and Sciences.
"Commencement is a time to celebrate the achievements of a new class of Schoolcraft graduates," said Dr. Glenn Cerny, Schoolcraft College president. "What better way to do that than welcoming a distinguished leader like Dana Nessel? Throughout her career, she has demonstrated what it takes to be successful as a leader, advocate, and public servant. Her experience will help provide an important perspective to our graduates as they prepare to take the next step. We're also proud to recognize Nessel for her unwavering commitment to the people of Michigan."
Schoolcraft will also recognize others during the ceremony.
Paul Shepich, Superintendent of the Clarenceville School District, will receive an Honorary Associate Degree in Arts and Sciences. Shawn Loving, executive chef at the Detroit Athletic Club, will receive a distinguished alumni award.
The ceremony will be available via livestream. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/05/02/michigan-ag-nessel-commencement-address-honorary-degree-schoolcraft-graduation/70176440007/ | 2023-05-02T21:27:21 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/05/02/michigan-ag-nessel-commencement-address-honorary-degree-schoolcraft-graduation/70176440007/ |
Clinton Township woman arrested, accused of spray-painting swastika graffiti
Farmington Hills Police have arrested a Clinton Township woman suspected of spray-painting a swastika on the Woodward Avenue Shul in Royal Oak last week.
The 35-year-old woman was taken into custody late Monday night without incident.
Royal Oak Police detectives worked with the Jewish Community Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Farmington Hills Police to identify the suspect. They plan to present criminal charges after review by the Oakland County Prosecutors Office, the Royal Oak Police Department announced in a news release on Tuesday.
"The swift apprehension of the suspect is a perfect example of how our relationships with the community and collaboration with our law enforcement partners bring incidents like these to a close," Royal Oak Police Chief Michael Moore said in the news release. "I’m proud of our continued partnership with the Jewish Community Security and the tireless efforts of our detectives and law enforcement partners who were critical to this investigation."
A swastika symbol and the letters AZOV were spray-painted on the side of the Shul, a Jewish community center, on April 27. The graffiti has since been removed but the community was shaken, Rabbi Mendel Polter told The News on Monday. The word "azov" means leave in Hebrew but the letters are also linked to a pro-Nazi Ukrainian militia.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter called the vandalism "deeply disturbing and unacceptable" in a statement on Tuesday.
"We all have a responsibility to denounce hatred when we see it, and I am confident that residents from across Oakland County will join me in denouncing anti-Semitism and in rejecting it in all its forms in our communities," Coulter said in the statement. "Thank you to the staff at the City of Royal Oak for quickly removing the graffiti prior to Shabbat." | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/05/02/swastika-graffiti-arrest-woodward-avenue-shul-royal-oak/70176197007/ | 2023-05-02T21:27:32 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/05/02/swastika-graffiti-arrest-woodward-avenue-shul-royal-oak/70176197007/ |
DTE investigates cause of Inkster house explosion
Inkster — An explosion engulfed a single-story home on the 26000 block of Penn Street on Tuesday.
One resident inside the home suffered burn and smoke-related injuries and was hospitalized, said Inkster fire Chief Chuck Hubbard.
The house was a total loss, he said.
Five agencies responded to the explosion, which occurred about 10 a.m., Hubbard said. One neighboring home had minor damage.
Fire investigators and DTE Energy on the scene attempted to determine the cause of the explosion. DTE was performing construction work in the area when the blast occurred, the company said in a statement.
Two DTE employees were evaluated by first responders; one sustained a minor injury and sought treatment, said utility spokesperson Dana Blankenship.
"Our teams focus on maintaining the safety and integrity of our system of underground natural gas pipes through a robust program of inspections, maintenance and upgrades," Blankenship said in the statement. "As always, we urge anyone who may smell or suspect a gas leak to call 911, then contact DTE at 800.947.5000 (or your natural gas provider)."
hmackay@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/05/02/dte-investigating-cause-of-inkster-house-explosion/70176063007/ | 2023-05-02T21:27:32 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/05/02/dte-investigating-cause-of-inkster-house-explosion/70176063007/ |
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa. — Chambersburg resident Rachel Cook is still looking for closure more than a year after losing her husband, Casey, at the age of 40.
"He was diagnosed in February of 2021 with stage four pancreatic cancer and passed away December 15, 2021," she said.
Casey was buried a week later at Air Hill Cemetery in Greene Township. He lays a few feet from his father's custom gravestone, one that was purchased from and installed by Greencastle Bronze and Granite.
Naturally, the Cook family returned to the business for Casey's headstone, shelling out $3,000 in March of last year.
"[We] picked out a design and a stone and spoke with Rick and paid for it the same day," Cook said. "He told us that there would be some delays because of Covid and the shortage of product, we understood."
After months of reaching out, the Cooks said there were no updates on the stone. They said the owner, Richard Freeman, kept making excuses and missing promised delivery dates.
After a year, Rachel went to the store to confront him.
"The stone was not there," she said. "He would not allow me to take possession or tell me where it was or provide proof of picture that it existed."
Cook reported it to Greencastle Police and soon learned others had the same experience.
Investigators allege Freeman took more than $31,000 from at least eight clients, failing to deliver what was promised to grieving families.
"It's never been about the money for me and my family, it's what he's taken from us," Cook said. "Losing my husband at such a young age, and he was such a vibrant person, full of life, he's taken a piece of closure from not just myself, but from his family and friends."
Freeman now faces felony theft charges. FOX43 reached out to Freeman for comment but received no response.
When a crew went to the business, they found a sign showing the sales office was closed. The business number is out of service and the company website is unavailable.
Rachel Cook is suing the company.
Only the "I love you, Dad" her son etched in the concrete base and a small nameplate mark her husbands grave. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/grave-stone-company-accused-theft-families-waiting/521-6ecd0c40-d6ac-45bd-973e-5046edeed63a | 2023-05-02T21:34:59 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/grave-stone-company-accused-theft-families-waiting/521-6ecd0c40-d6ac-45bd-973e-5046edeed63a |
EPHRATA, Pa. — Police in Lancaster County are investigating the death of a man found deceased in his vehicle in a Walmart parking lot.
The 33-year-old man, whose identity has not yet been released by authorities, was found unresponsive in the back seat of a white Volkswagen sedan parked outside the Ephrata Walmart, on the 800 block of East Main Street, on Tuesday.
The Lancaster County Coroner's Office also responded to the scene.
Ephrata Police said they will release the man's identity following an autopsy and after his next-of-kin have been notified.
Police said they believe the man's death was an isolated incident and that there is no danger to the public. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/ephrata-police-death-investigation-walmart-parking-lot/521-f05a1fdb-887c-430a-9261-b29f3e937e43 | 2023-05-02T21:35:05 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/ephrata-police-death-investigation-walmart-parking-lot/521-f05a1fdb-887c-430a-9261-b29f3e937e43 |
MAINE, USA — In the past two decades, builders constructed millions of homes, many of which were badly built and unhealthy for their occupants and the planet.
That blunt assertion comes right in the first paragraph of “Pretty Good House: A Guide to Creating Better Homes,” a book written by four Mainers who, by their own admission, are all a bit obsessed with what’s known as building science. Their professional interest is not surprising: two of them are architects, one a designer, and one a building contractor.
The aim of their book is straightforward. They want people involved in “designing, building, or owning houses to make them better—more efficient, more resilient, and healthier—even as we strive to make them more comfortable, and beautiful.”
What can those of us who don’t design or build houses but merely live in them do to make that goal a reality? For starters, we can make them smaller. How? By thinking hard about how we actually use—or don’t use—our home space.
Don’t, for instance, come up with a plan for a house based on the one day a year when you have everyone over for Thanksgiving.
“Design it for 364 days a year based on how you’re going to use it and what you can afford to build,” says architect and “Pretty Good House” co-author Emily Mottram. “The guest space that you build, if it adds $50,000 to your project, that’s a lot of hotel room nights or rentals.”
There are countless obstacles to building better houses, one of them being costs that have soared in recent years. Constructing a pretty good house in Cumberland County, for instance, starts with a price tag of at least a half million dollars.
Still, the authors hope their book, which they describe as both a how-to and a why-to guide, will be a catalyst for change. In the years ahead, co-author and building contractor Dan Kolbert would be gratified if more buyers started asking for small, simple houses.
“I joke in the book that the ideal pretty good house is what a kindergartener would draw if you gave him a crayon and a piece of paper,” he says. “I would be thrilled to see that.” | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/four-mainers-write-a-how-to-and-why-to-guide-to-building-better-houses-construction/97-c58ebed4-0194-4a4d-9b12-163782d0f6c0 | 2023-05-02T21:36:38 | 1 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/four-mainers-write-a-how-to-and-why-to-guide-to-building-better-houses-construction/97-c58ebed4-0194-4a4d-9b12-163782d0f6c0 |
PORTLAND, Maine — Living in Maine, there's no shortage of fresh seafood or ways to use it. Lynn Archer, the owner and chef at Archer's On The Pier in Rockland, stopped by the 207 kitchen to share her recipe for Maine crab stuffed jumbo shrimp.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, deveined and peeled. Leave tail shell.
- 1/2 stick melted butter
- 1/4 cup diced onion
- 1/4 cup diced red pepper
- 1/4 cup diced celery
- 1/2 lb Maine crab meat
- Juice from 1/4 lemon or 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
Directions:
- Melt butter in sauté pan.
- Add celery, onion & red pepper. Sauté briefly leaving onions translucent.
- In a mixing bowl, crush 1 sleeve of Ritz crackers.
- Mix in celery, onion, & red pepper from the sauté pan.
- Mix in Maine crab meat.
- Place shrimp cut side down into a baking pan.
- Mound crab, cracker, celery, red pepper, and onion mixture on top of the shrimp.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/recipe-maine-crab-stuffed-jumbo-shrimp-with-lynn-archer-archers-on-the-pier-rockland-maine/97-20800116-0163-412b-8f9a-acce1db50085 | 2023-05-02T21:36:45 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/recipe-maine-crab-stuffed-jumbo-shrimp-with-lynn-archer-archers-on-the-pier-rockland-maine/97-20800116-0163-412b-8f9a-acce1db50085 |
BELFAST, Maine — After shutting down in September of 2022, the historic Colonial Theatre has been missed by many in Belfast. Not ready to close the curtain, a group came together earlier this year with plans to revitalize the theatre and reopen it as a nonprofit.
The Save Our Colonial Theatre Steering Committee is currently facilitating efforts to apply for nonprofit status and fundraise donations to reopen the theatre, which has been open since the early 1900s. It officially opened its doors the same day the Titanic set sail, according to the building's current owners.
Following in the footsteps of a handful of other theatres in the state, nonprofit status would allow the spot to run through a board of directors who would manage charitable donations and grant funding.
The theatre's untapped potential to bring an economic buzz to the area is something the committee believes makes it a great investment for the city.
"People go shopping, people have meals in restaurants nearby; it really is a hub of not just sort of cultural interest, but also economic interest for the community," committee member Eric Buch said. "I think the initial reaction has been positive. People would like it to be open next weekend, and we have to say this is going to take a little time."
The current theatre has two movie screens and one stage, allowing for multiple shows to run at once — something the committee also said could be a good drive for potential investors to preserve the spot.
The theatre has entered into a fiscal sponsorship with Dover-Foxcroft's Center Theatre while the committee fundraises and awaits approval for nonprofit status.
To keep updated on the committee's efforts, click here. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/colonial-theatre-belfast-maine-reopening-nonprofit-save-our-colonial-theatre-steering-committee/97-81d89b7e-145f-470c-bd0f-87fbb3512b6e | 2023-05-02T21:36:51 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/colonial-theatre-belfast-maine-reopening-nonprofit-save-our-colonial-theatre-steering-committee/97-81d89b7e-145f-470c-bd0f-87fbb3512b6e |
CORINNA, Maine — A man's body was recovered from a truck that was found submerged at a farm pond in Corinna after law enforcement officials responded to a call about damage to the property.
A deputy with the Penobscot County Sheriff's Office responded to a call Saturday about damage to fencing and trees on the property. Upon arrival at the scene, the deputy discovered vehicle parts and tracks leading toward the farm pond, according to a Facebook post from the agency.
Further investigation led the deputy to believe a vehicle was in the pond.
"With assistance from Corinna Fire Department, the state police dive team, and a local towing service, a truck and its lone occupant were recovered," the post stated.
The man has been identified as a 50-year-old local, but his name has not been released, and officials said they believe he likely crashed into the lake the night before.
The investigation is active and ongoing with involvement from Penobscot County Sheriff's Office deputies, detectives, a crash reconstruction team and drone team members. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/corinna-farm-pond-crash-body-recovered/97-3b3b158a-01ba-4d97-b219-c2d5be3fe7d5 | 2023-05-02T21:36:57 | 1 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/corinna-farm-pond-crash-body-recovered/97-3b3b158a-01ba-4d97-b219-c2d5be3fe7d5 |
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Maine — Multiple agencies are searching for a missing fisherman whose canoe was found drifting on Pocumcus Lake.
Lowell Wheaton, 62, of Old Town was last in contact with his family Thursday afternoon as he was headed to his camp on the lake, according to a release from the Maine Warden Service.
Around noon Friday, the Maine Warden Service was contacted after a canoe with an outboard motor attached was found drifting on the lake, the release stated.
Since that time, the Maine Warden Service, Maine Forest Service, Passamaquoddy Game Wardens, Maine State Police, and others have searched the lake and surrounding shorelines and roads, officials said.
A Maine Warden Service plane and a Maine Forest Service helicopter have also been searching the area, according to the release.
Since late Saturday afternoon, the Maine Warden Service Dive Team has been searching Pocumcus Lake with a remotely operated vehicle and scuba divers.
Game wardens also have been searching area camps and roads for signs of Wheaton, the release stated.
Pocumcus Lake is approximately 5 miles long and 1 mile wide, with a maximum depth of 44 feet. It's part of the West Grand Lakes area, as Sysladobsis Lake flows into Pocumcus Lake, and Pocumcus Lake flows into West Grand Lake.
For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic alerts, download the NEWS CENTER Maine mobile app. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/old-town-fisherman-missing-lowell-wheaton-maine-pocumcus-lake-downeast-washington-county/97-60a8e926-c865-4543-8ec4-42c3d89152c0 | 2023-05-02T21:37:03 | 1 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/old-town-fisherman-missing-lowell-wheaton-maine-pocumcus-lake-downeast-washington-county/97-60a8e926-c865-4543-8ec4-42c3d89152c0 |
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner didn't mince words Tuesday in announcing charges against several individuals for their suspected involvement in gang related shootings.
Instead, he called out gangs by name, threatening individuals involved in gang-related crimes with lengthy prison terms unless they change their ways.
"CCK is going away. As for 524, we are going to close your cell door. When it comes to Christy Rec. you'll be getting yard time when you're doing hard time," said Krasner, naming several alleged gang-names used by groups in Southwest Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, Krasner along with assistant district attorney Jeff Palmer, announced the arrest of four people for their alleged involvement in gang-related shootings that occurred in 2021.
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He also directly called out the gangs allegedly involved, including Christy Rec., a group that allegedly hangs out near the A.W. Christy Recreation Center in West Philadelphia. Most of the gangs take their monikers from streets or neighborhoods where they operate, according to officials.
"We are watching what you do now. We are watching what you did in the past," Krasner said.
Palmer announced charges against four people who investigators believe were involved in gang-related shootings.
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"A back and forth cycle of violence"
Palmer said that the arrests and investigations into Southwest and West Philly gang violence stem from ongoing incidents between members of the gangs 524 and CCK that have continued for months.
"These two groups have been in a back and forth cycle of violence since 2021," said Palmer.
Roderick Williams, 23, an alleged member of the 56th Street gang, was charged with murder, aggravated assault and related offenses in the death of a 21-year-old man whose body was found in a Jeep Cherokee on the 600 block of S. 55th Street on April 7, 2021.
The victim, officials said, had been shot in the head.
Following that murder, Palmer said, three individuals have been charged in separate shootings that happened the same day, on June 29, 2021.
Trevon Johnson, 20, said to be a member of the 524 group, has been charged for his alleged role in two non-fatal shootings as well as in a deadly shooting.
According to law enforcement officials, on June 29, 2021, Johnson and two other alleged shooters— who officials claim were "524" associates Kenneth Wilson, 22, and Jahsir Nelson, 18 — shot two people on the 5900 block of Lansdowne Avenue. Both of those victims survived.
Those same three individuals, police allege, were also involved in a shooting later that day along the 4600 block of Walnut Street, that left a 33-year-old woman wounded and a 36-year-old woman dead.
Johnson, officials said, has been charged with murder, attempted murder and related offenses. Wilson and Nelson, law enforcement officials said, are facing murder, attempted murder and related charges as well.
Palmer said that investigators continue to work to ensure that all individuals involved in this bloody turf war are brought to justice.
"It doesn't matter what group you're in in Southwest or West Philly, we are investigating you. We are watching you. We know who you are and we will arrest you," said Palmer. "We will charge you and you will serve time in prison if you continue to act in this way."
All individuals charged in these incidents are currently in police custody, officials said. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/krasner-calls-for-end-to-gang-violence-while-announcing-charges-in-philly-murders/3557913/ | 2023-05-02T21:40:17 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/krasner-calls-for-end-to-gang-violence-while-announcing-charges-in-philly-murders/3557913/ |
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Contact Us | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/krasner-calls-for-end-to-gang-violence-while-announcing-charges-in-philly-murders/3558111/ | 2023-05-02T21:40:24 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/krasner-calls-for-end-to-gang-violence-while-announcing-charges-in-philly-murders/3558111/ |
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Contact Us | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/teens-injured-following-2-car-crashes-in-west-chester/3558071/ | 2023-05-02T21:40:30 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/teens-injured-following-2-car-crashes-in-west-chester/3558071/ |
Vermont on Tuesday became the first state in the country to change its medically assisted suicide law to allow terminally ill people from out of state to take advantage of it to end their lives.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill that removes the residency requirement for the decades-old law.
Last year in a court settlement, Oregon agreed to stop enforcing the residency requirement of its law allowing terminally ill people to receive lethal medication. It also agreed to ask the Legislature to remove it from the law.
Before Vermont removed its residency requirement Tuesday, it had reached a settlement with a Connecticut woman who has terminal cancer to allow her to take advantage of its law, provided she complies with other aspects of it.
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“We are grateful to Vermont lawmakers for recognizing that a state border shouldn’t determine if you die peacefully or in agony,” said Kim Callinan, president and CEO of Compassion & Choices, a nonprofit advocacy organization, in a statement. “Patients routinely travel to other states to utilize the best healthcare options. There is no rational reason they shouldn’t be able to travel to another state to access medical aid in dying if the state they live in doesn’t offer it.”
Vermont is one of 10 states that allow medically assisted suicide. Critics of such laws say without the residency requirements states risk becoming assisted suicide tourism destinations.
Mary Hahn Beerworth, executive director of the Vermont Right to Life Committee, testified before a legislative committee in March that the practice “was, and remains, a matter of contention.”
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“To be clear, Vermont Right to Life opposed the underlying concept behind assisted suicide and opposes the move to remove the residency requirement as there are still no safeguards that protect vulnerable patients from coercion,” said Beerworth, adding she had a number of concerns including what liability Vermont could incur if the drugs failed to end a patient’s life.
Supporters of Vermont’s medically assisted suicide law say it has stringent safeguards, including a requirement that those who seek to use it be capable of making and communicating their health care decision to a physician. Patients are required to make two requests orally to the physician over a certain timeframe and then submit a written request that they signed in the presence of two or more witnesses who aren’t interested parties. Witnesses must sign and affirm that patients appeared to understand the nature of the document and were free from duress or undue influence at the time.
Lynda Bluestein, 75, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Diana Barnard, a physician from Middlebury, sued Vermont in federal court last summer, claiming its residency requirement violated the Constitution’s commerce, equal protection, and privileges and immunities clauses. Barnard specializes in hospice and palliative care and has patients from neighboring New York state, which, like Connecticut, doesn’t allow medically assisted suicide.
Bluestein said Tuesday that the change in Vermont means that so many other people in the Northeast can take advantage of the state’s law.
“I’m thinking even more importantly that this is going to cause other states, the other jurisdictions that have medical aid in dying, to look at their residency requirement, too,” she said.
For Cassandra Johnston, 38, of Clifton Park, New York, the news was “such a relief.” She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer last year and lives a 40-minute drive from Vermont.
“It gives me such a peace of mind to know that if I need that peaceful and compassionate option that it’s right next door,” Johnston said. “And it’s life-changing for someone like me. It really is.” | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/vermont-allows-out-of-staters-to-use-assisted-suicide-law/3558107/ | 2023-05-02T21:40:40 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/vermont-allows-out-of-staters-to-use-assisted-suicide-law/3558107/ |
REIDSVILLE — Federal and local authorities acted Saturday to arrest an 18-year-old man accused of threatening to perform an act of mass violence at Reidsville High School.
Tyquan Strong of 600 Barnes St. in Reidsville is in the Rockingham County jail on a $10,000 secured bail on one felony charge of communicating a threat of mass violence on an educational institution via SnapChat, a spokesman for the Reidsville Police Department said in a news release Tuesday.
News of the threat came to the FBI's National Threat Operations Center which received a message about someone creating the social media account and making threats, the release said.
Strong has no criminal history, according to Reidsville Police.
The date on which the FBI and Reidsville Police first learned of the alleged threat against the school, where about 655 students attend, was not immediately available.
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Rockingham County Schools dealt with another incident on Thursday when police and school officials, acting on a tip from a student, recovered a loaded handgun from a Reidsville Middle School eighth grader on the school’s campus, according to Sean Gladieux, safety and public information officer for the district.
No students or staff were harmed or threatened during the incident, which happened sometime before 1:20 p.m.
The gun was loaded with a full magazine, though police would not disclose the number of bullets it held. There was “no live round in the chamber,’’ Gladieux said Friday via email.
So far, school officials have not found any evidence that the student planned an attack of any kind at the school at 1903 Park Drive, which is home to 626 pupils in the sixth through eighth grade, the spokesman said.
The name of the minor in possession of the weapon was not provided. State juvenile laws protect the identities of young offenders.
The student, who had the gun on his person, was immediately suspended for an undisclosed amount of time, school officials said
An Reidsville Police spokesman said the investigation of Strong is ongoing and asks anyone with information to contact RPD's Sgt. Lingle at 336-347-2338, or leave an anonymous tip Rockingham County Crime Stoppers at 336-349-9683. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/fbi-helps-nab-18-year-old-for-alleged-snapchat-threats-of-mass-violence-at-reidsville/article_6f830b20-e922-11ed-9b2e-fbeac3adf4d6.html | 2023-05-02T21:48:55 | 0 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/fbi-helps-nab-18-year-old-for-alleged-snapchat-threats-of-mass-violence-at-reidsville/article_6f830b20-e922-11ed-9b2e-fbeac3adf4d6.html |
Communities hit with 'forever chemicals' contamination need to act. This new tool kit provides a road map
MADISON - The Department of Natural Resources has launched a new tool for communities impacted by "forever chemicals," in hopes of streamlining response to the compounds.
Secretary-appointee Adam Payne announced the new tool kit at a PFAS event Tuesday in Wausau held by Wisconsin's Green Fire, a nonpartisan conservation group, calling it a guide that will allow communities to respond more quickly.
The tool kit includes guidance on financial resources available to communities, how to sample private wells for PFAS and who to contact if a community discovers contamination within their public water system or if individuals find contamination in private wells.
“We don't want to frighten people, we don't want to be alarmist. But we have to pull together and learn about this and be prepared to respond," Payne said while speaking at the event.
"This is impacting people. It's a health crisis. Researchers are seeing people getting cancer because of PFAS. We need to take it seriously."
More:New DNR Secretary calls on Legislature to 'step up' in protecting the state's waters
Payne, who is awaiting confirmation by the Senate, said the tool kit was finalized early this week and will be updated to reflect the most up-to-date information from experts as more is learned about PFAS and how to address contamination.
Payne also encouraged people to get involved with the state's budget-writing process, which is now underway.
"Reach out to your state legislators, encourage them to invest in PFAS so we can help people," he said.
"This is not partisan. This should not be partisan," he said. "We should be able to pull together on this."
PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a family of man-made chemicals used for their water- and stain-resistant qualities in products like clothing and carpet, nonstick cookware, packaging and firefighting foam. The family includes 5,000 compounds, which are persistent, remaining both in the environment and human body over time.
The chemicals have been linked to types of kidney and testicular cancers, lower birth weights, harm to immune and reproductive systems, altered hormone regulation and altered thyroid hormones. The chemicals enter the human body largely through drinking water.
PFAS have been found across the state in cities like La Crosse, Marinette, Peshtigo, Milwaukee, Madison, Rib Mountain, the Town of Stella, Rhinelander and Eau Claire.
Wausau has been one of the hardest hit communities with a public water system, after it was discovered that all of its wells had concerning levels of the compounds. The tool kit was put together after communities like Wausau scrambled to respond to PFAS when the contamination was discovered.
"The tool kit is certainly going to be a big help for municipalities and individuals who are looking for information on PFAS," Mayor Katie Rosenberg said in an email.
"One of the struggles we ran into are the different types of resources and information available from different state departments, not to mention other resources from outside government. I wish we had this 16 months ago but I'm glad we have it today!"
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2023/05/02/wisconsin-dnr-launches-tool-kit-to-help-communities-respond-to-pfas/70174716007/ | 2023-05-02T21:55:15 | 0 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2023/05/02/wisconsin-dnr-launches-tool-kit-to-help-communities-respond-to-pfas/70174716007/ |
A South Heart woman is charged with harassment for directing statements at Gov. Doug Burgum including a phone message in which she threatened to execute him in a busy state tourist town.
Authorities on Monday issued an order for Jody Kuntz, 46, to appear in court at a later date. She faces a Class A misdemeanor, which carries a possible $3,000 fine and a jail term of just less than a year. No attorney is listed for her in court documents.
The North Dakota Highway Patrol in an affidavit alleges Kuntz in a 911 call on Feb. 12 said she was at the Capitol and that Burgum’s “tenure was at its end.” About a week later she left two voice messages on the governor’s office phone line in which she made threats to hang him in Medora, the Patrol said.
Kuntz in March allegedly called the state Department of Environmental Quality and stated, “The governor should meet his demise.” A few days later in a call to the Department of Public Instruction, Kuntz stated it was “the governor’s final day and he should flee,” the affidavit states.
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Burgum spokesman Mike Nowatzki told the Tribune it's "standard practice not to publicly discuss the governor’s security or comment on pending litigation." | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck/south-heart-woman-charged-for-alleged-threats-to-burgum/article_220f9d7a-e92e-11ed-bed6-57d9dede247b.html | 2023-05-02T22:01:28 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck/south-heart-woman-charged-for-alleged-threats-to-burgum/article_220f9d7a-e92e-11ed-bed6-57d9dede247b.html |
SAN ANTONIO — A group of long-tie neighbors in east San Antonio say they are mad about a modular home that has just sprouted in their brick and mortar neighborhood.
It's an issue they believe could happen in many parts of the city, and they say deed restrictions prohibit such a thing and they want the city to honor the investments they've made in their homes.
In Willowwood, near the AT&T Center, neighbors have gathered for a fight to protect their way of life.
Chirleta Plummer said she has lived across the street from the project site for 15 years and she wants the character of her long-time home preserved.
"That's what is scaring me about San Antonio, that it's going to become an ugly city, like my hometown Austin is today."
Plummer said the project just doesn't fit.
"It was hurtful because you get to feeling like developers don't have a vested interest in the community. They are there to make money. Fast money. And that's the wrong sensibility for this city," Plummer said.
Long-time owners said there are deed restrictions they want the city to enforce, to keep a modular home out. They said this community was built in the 60s for the first wave of African Americans who were finally allowed access to home mortgage loans.
Alonzo Jones is the President of the United Homeowners Improvement Association. Jones called the project ridiculous and said "The original plans state that homes are to be built to a certain quality, and that is built on foundations, which is brick homes with driveways and garages."
Jones said he is disappointed that the neighbors were initially ignored.
"We contacted them and they would not return our calls. We issued a cease and desist order as of yesterday for them to stop the work," Jones said.
Jesse Medeles lives a few doors down. He has clippings from news articles going back decades that explain the history of the area, calling it "the black Alamo Heights."
"When I approached them you know what they said 'What do you care? It's old here!' That's disrespectful. That's racist. And it's wrong. Don't disrespect this neighborhood!" Medeles emphatically argued.
Neighbor Joe Malone has lived in the area 46 years. Malone said "I thought it was derogatory actually. Why would you put a trailer in there?"
Echoing the importance of the area's history, Malone said he has been proud of his neighborhood.
"It was built because back in the 60s there really were no places for blacks to live and I was in the military at the time, so I know this was built primarily for military and civil service. It was built for us."
Malone said "I'd like to see them discontinue erecting this building."
A spokesman for the company, Amherst, said they would like to meet with the neighbors soon.
They said their goal is to come up with a solution that everyone can live with.
The developer says more information about their construction process can be found on their website.
Amherst provided this statement:
“We are collaborating with members of the community. We are proud to have the ability to convert these vacant lots into high-quality, single-family homes. Our home construction begins in Cuero, then the partially completed homes are placed on permanent foundations where construction of the homes is finished. We look forward to continuing our legacy of preserving and rehabilitating San Antonio housing stock, having invested over $27 million in home renovations in the local community to date.”
The office of District 2 City Councilman Jalen McKee Rodriguez provided the following background material on the history of the controversy.
"The development at 1322 Fontaine received a permit to build as a "modular home" which the city allows in residentially zoned areas. Neighbors of the United Homeowner Improvement Association HOA have raised questions about this type of housing versus a manufactured home, which uses different materials than a traditional home and requires a zoning change to be built in an established neighborhood.
After receiving concerns about the development, Our office contacted the Development Services Director to review and confirm the details surrounding the inspection and permit. The District 2 Office is in the midst of working with United Homeowners Association HOA neighbors and Code Enforcement to determine whether a rezoning application for a manufactured home would be required. The District 2 Office will likely be facilitating a community meeting to discuss the findings and next steps in the process once this investigation by Code Enforcement is completed. In the event it is determined a rezoning is necessary, Councilman Jalen McKee Rodriguez will prioritize the voices of the established neighborhood in his decision on the rezoning case.
Additionally, the United Homeowners HOA has produced a deed restriction placed on the site in the 1950s that would not allow manufactured housing without the HOA's approval. This process is enforced by the court system and is not reviewed by City Council." | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/brick-mortar-modular-home-san-antonio/273-72ace921-a479-4f08-8165-a88bb4dd57e3 | 2023-05-02T22:02:05 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/brick-mortar-modular-home-san-antonio/273-72ace921-a479-4f08-8165-a88bb4dd57e3 |
SAN ANTONIO — A state production of "To Kill a Mockingbird" coming to the Majestic Theatre is bringing a unique experience to a South Texas audience.
The production is Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Lee Harper's thought-provoking classic novel. It is directed by Broadway veteran Bartlett Sher and stars Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch.
"That's the whole story of this production is what Aaron Sorkin has done with the material," actor Richard Thomas said. "Because he is such a wonderful writer and it is a different work and a work of theater, not film or fiction."
The play hits the Majestic Theatre in between runs of fan favorite musicals like Hairspray, Chicago and Hamilton. Thomas says while he loves musicals, he is excited to bring something different to San Antonio audiences.
"So many people come to see us who've never seen a play before. They've seen musicals...they see Wicked when it comes, they'll see Hamilton this year," Thomas said. "But they've never seen just a play and they come to see it because they love the story and and they have a completely different kind of experience in the theater and they're excited by it."
Thomas says while the play is faithful to the writing of Harper Lee, Sorkin's writing deepens some of the characters and shifts the perspectives.
"We don't need another 'white savior' story. What we need is a story about everybody kind of struggling through to try to get the right thing done. So rather than having Atticus be this sort of perfect father figure who's, you know, the most noble critter you can think of, he's created Atticus much more down to earth, more flawed," Thomas said. "The next thing he's done really is taking the Black characters of Tom Robinson and Calpurnia and deeply enriched those parts and created a beautiful relationship between Atticus and Calpurnia."
Thomas says this is a fresh way to experience one of the most well-read novels in American history.
"The audience will be very entertained. They'll have a lot of emotions. They'll laugh, they'll cry. And I really can promise people who come to the theater that they'll have a very powerful evening," Thomas said.
See more from our conversation with actor Richard Thomas below:
The tour is also raising money for the Little Lending Library at SAAACAM here in San Antonio. The library is the only little library in San Antonio to exclusively feature books with people of color as the main characters.
Cast members will be also be participating in a post-show talk-back for local students on Wednesday, May 3. It will be moderated by Cassandra Porter-Nowicki of Carver Community Cultural Center.
To Kill a Mockingbird runs from Tuesday, May 2 to Sunday, May 7. Click here for tickets. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/to-kill-a-mockingbird-broadway-tour-majestic-in-san-antonio-texas/273-81bcb535-c2d0-4c77-b369-adb403db9013 | 2023-05-02T22:02:11 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/to-kill-a-mockingbird-broadway-tour-majestic-in-san-antonio-texas/273-81bcb535-c2d0-4c77-b369-adb403db9013 |
California, federal agencies and Native tribe sign 'historic' agreement to aid salmon
Federal and California officials on Monday signed what they called a historic agreement to give the Winnemem Wintu Tribe of Shasta County "a seat at the table" when making decisions on returning winter-run chinook salmon into the McCloud River.
The Winnemem consider the salmon an important part of their culture and have long sought to have the fish returned to the river where they once lived and spawned for thousands of years.
The salmon and the Winnemem were cut off from the river after Shasta Dam was built in the early 1940s. Last summer, with the drought pushing the winter-run chinook to the brink of extinction, the salmon were returned to the McCloud River for the first time in nearly 80 years.
The agreement signed Monday between the Winnemem, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration gives the tribe a voice in making decisions about how salmon are managed in the McCloud River, officials said.
“This is an historic agreement that moves us one step closer to our goal of returning wild salmon from New Zealand and creating a volitional passage around Shasta Dam,” said Winnemem Wintu Chief Caleen Sisk. “It’s incredible that we can now share this vision with CDFW and NOAA. We have a long way to go, but there are now more good people working on it.”
Sisk said her goal is to eventually bring salmon from New Zealand back to the McCloud River. More than 100 years ago, salmon were exported from the McCloud River to New Zealand streams and the fish still share DNA, she said.
On the banks of the now-full Lake Shasta, Sisk signed the agreements with Charlton Bonham, fish and wildlife department director and Cathy Marcinkevage, assistant regional administrator for NOAA Fisheries.
Bonham noted that past agreements between governments and American Indian tribes didn’t always turn out well for the Native Americans.
“I can't fix, Chief, what happened before I've been in this position. I think you must be nervous about signing a piece of paper with a white man, because of the past. It's never too late to do the right thing. And I'm just very thankful that our department could be present today to sign an agreement with you to start a different future,” he said.
Marcinkevage said various state and federal agencies for years studied returning the endangered winter-run chinook back to the McCloud River.
But the recent drought sped up that process, she said, forcing agencies and the tribe to plant 40,000 fertilized salmon eggs in the river above Lake Shasta.
Later in the summer, after the little fish had grown a few inches, they were trapped downstream before they could reach the lake. They were then hauled by truck around Shasta Dam and downstream of the dam so they could continue their migration to the ocean.
Cut off from the colder waters of the McCloud, the winter-run have struggled to survive in the Sacramento River, where they spawn in the Redding area.
Over the years, thousands of their eggs perished as the drought made it more difficult to provide release water into the river from the deepest parts of Lake Shasta, officials said.
Wild chinook salmon in the Sacramento Valley begin their life cycle hatched in rivers and streams. They swim to the Pacific Ocean, where they usually live two or three years and then return to the waters where they were born. There, they spawn and die.
Raising salmon in the McCloud last summer was an emergency effort to ensure the winter-run continue to survive, Marcinkevage said. Monday’s agreement signing event ensures the Winnemem remain part of that, she said.
“This is a really memorable day. It's one of the most meaningful days in my career so far. It's one that I truly believe will be an indelible milestone in the recovery of salmon in the Central Valley. And I think it only came about because we collectively identified both the risk to the remaining population, but also the opportunities that we had to truly pull together and set a new course for restoring salmon to the McCloud River,” Marcinkevage said.
In addition to the McCloud River, state and federal agencies have also begun introducing the winter-run into other Sacramento River tributaries, such as Battle Creek.
Reporter Damon Arthur welcomes story tips at 530-338-8834, by email at damon.arthur@redding.com and on Twitter at @damonarthur_RS. Help local journalism thrive by subscribing today! | https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/state-federal-agencies-and-tribe-sign-historic-pact-to-aid-salmon/70173147007/ | 2023-05-02T22:10:02 | 1 | https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/state-federal-agencies-and-tribe-sign-historic-pact-to-aid-salmon/70173147007/ |
Cleveland-Clifffs inherited long understaffed operations when it bought some of Northwest Indiana's largest steel mills, Founder, Chairman and CEO Lourenco Goncalves said.
The Cleveland-based steelmaker, one of the largest in the country, has been working to bring up staffing levels at its mill to ensure safety and productivity, Goncalves said at a Workers Memorial Day ceremony at the United Steelworkers Local 1010 hall in Hammond.
The company took over understaffed workplaces when it bought ArcelorMittal USA, AK Steel and Ferrous Processing & Trading in Detroit, he said.
"If you add Cleveland-Cliffs, the three companies were acquired employed 20,500 people," he said. "We did not let anybody go. Usually, acquisitions are done to reduce people. Companies say they will realize synergies, which is a euphemism for firing people. We've grown the company to 27,846 employees. We added people. We didn't reduce people trying to save money."
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Cleveland-Cliffs wants to ensure safe and productive operations, he said.
"By and large, all the assets we acquired were all understaffed," he said. "They promoted practices like forcing people to work long hours. It's tough to work in a steel mill. It's tough to work in a blast furnace. It's complex to do preventative maintenance during a downturn. It's a tough job. Having people step up to work 12-hour, 14-hour or 16-hour shifts is a recipe for disaster."
While steelworkers still get overtime, Cleveland-Cliffs caps shifts at 12 hours.
"After 12 hours, your brain is gone," he said. "You're no longer giving your 100%. It only takes 10 seconds to be killed. All these names on the memorial wall were added in 5-second increments. These are people with families, kids and grandkids. There are grieving widows and husbands who lost wives. There are kids who grew up without a father. These things have happened everywhere. We need to do everything we can to not add more names to that wall."
A big part of that is ensuring staffing levels are adequate at the mills so steelworkers aren't too run down and haggard, Goncalves said.
"A lot of CEOs assume they can share the burden of safety with workers but they've got to do stuff," he said. "We don't do 16-hour shifts as more than 12 hours is more than a normal human being can work. That's why we're hiring. If we can't afford to have the plant fully staffed we can't afford the plant. It's for our common protection."
Cleveland-Cliffs is always looking for cost savings but does not plan to do it by reducing staffing.
"We're not going to allow plants to be understaffed," he said. "We're going to operate the plants the way they should be operated so people can do their jobs and be safe. There need to be adults in the room to train the rookies. Savings in the short term is a burden in the long run. We will be there for your safety and so you can return home in one piece." | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/cleveland-cliffs-ceo-steelmaker-has-been-adding-workers-after-acquiring-understaffed-mills/article_7eaee068-e83e-11ed-8883-bb5f7f90cc96.html | 2023-05-02T22:15:04 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/cleveland-cliffs-ceo-steelmaker-has-been-adding-workers-after-acquiring-understaffed-mills/article_7eaee068-e83e-11ed-8883-bb5f7f90cc96.html |
Ford turned a profit of $1.8 billion in the first quarter after losing $2 billion last year, including a $3.1 billion loss in 2022's first quarter.
CEO Jim Farley said the automaker's growth plan was starting to pay off. The company benefited from increased volume, higher prices and a favorable mix of products in the first quarter, he said.
“We’re bringing Ford+ to life by zeroing in on what distinct customers need and value the most,” said Farley. “Ford Pro is leading the way on profitable growth, our big investments in iconic Ford Blue vehicles and derivatives are winning with customers, and Ford Model e’s different approach to EVs is significantly reducing costs on our first high-volume products while rapidly developing breakthrough next-generation vehicles from the ground up.”
The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker, which runs the Chicago Assembly Plant on the far South Side and the Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights, brought in $41.5 billion in revenue in the first quarter, up 20% from the same time last year. Shipments rose 9% to 1.1 million vehicles.
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Ford's adjusted earnings before interest and taxes rose 45% to $3.4 billion in the first quarter. The Ford Pro EBIT nearly tripled to $1.4 billion while the Ford Blue EBIT doubled to $2.6 billion. Both divisions had profit margins exceeding 10% and made money in every area they operate geographically.
Overall the company had a profit margin of 8.1%.
Ford generated $2.8 billion in cash flow from operations and $693 million in adjusted free cash flow.
The automaker has nearly $46 billion in liquidity, including $29 billion in cash.
Ford expects to bring in $9 billion to $11 billion in adjusted EBIT this year, as well as cash flow of $6 billion.
Ford is ramping up production of electric vehicles, including an electric version of the Explorer Sport Utility Vehicle that will be manufactured and sold in Europe. | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/ford-turns-1-8-billion-in-profit-in-the-first-quarter/article_50b190fc-e92e-11ed-92c1-5338576283c3.html | 2023-05-02T22:15:10 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/ford-turns-1-8-billion-in-profit-in-the-first-quarter/article_50b190fc-e92e-11ed-92c1-5338576283c3.html |
Workers in Indiana saw their wages increase by an average of 6.2% last year, according to a new report by ADP Pay Insights.
New York City-based ADP, a payroll, human resources and tax services firm, found in a survey that 75% of workers expect to see their pay increase in 2023 by an expected average of 6.7%. ADP Research Institute's "People at Work 2023: A Global Workforce View" found workers have high expectations for pay raises, flexibility and career progression.
The annual survey asked more than 32,000 workers in 17 countries about their attitudes toward work and expectations from workplaces. The report found rising expectations both personally and professionally.
The study found 62% of workers believe they will get a pay raise while 41% believe they will get a bonus at some point in the next 12 months. About 78% said they believe they have the skills needed to advance their careers to the next level within the next three years while about 68% said their employer invests in their skills.
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About 60% told ADP they would relocate for better opportunities.
About 40% said career progression was important in a job, up from 23% the previous year. About 61% identified salary as the most important factor, followed by job security at 43%. Only 37% rated enjoyment of their work as the most important factor.
An estimated 48% of workers said they could relocate overseas as digital nomads and continue working for their employer. About 28% believed that within five years it would be the norm in their sector to work anywhere in the world.
An estimated 60% of workers in hybrid work arrangements said they were satisfied with their flexibility of hours, ranking as the most satisfied group of workers.
“Workplace dynamics are beginning to solidify after three years of pandemic-driven disruptions, with workers remaining consistent in wanting increased pay, flexibility and a positive workplace culture; however, the interplay among these factors will challenge employers to get creative in order to meet employees’ needs,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist of ADP. “Forward-thinking leaders will need to find ways to help safeguard workers’ financial health, while bolstering their professional development.”
The study found that expectations might be higher than reality with 10% of workers expecting a 15% salary bump over the next 12 months when only 3% of workers received such an increase in the past year. Workers averaged eight hours and six minutes of unpaid working down, down slightly from eight hours and 33 minutes the previous years.
About 65% said stress adversely affects their work and 63% of workers said they suffered stress at least once a week. That was down from 68% the previous year.
“Reimagining working arrangements helped employers navigate workplace disruptions over the past three years,” said Richardson. “Going forward, employers that focus on career progression while retaining and advancing a caring and inclusive workplace culture can better meet the needs of their workforce, both now and in the future.”
To view the report, visit ADPRI.org. | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/wages-in-indiana-grow-by-6-2-survey-finds/article_d893efca-e838-11ed-ac50-37996abf23bb.html | 2023-05-02T22:15:17 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/wages-in-indiana-grow-by-6-2-survey-finds/article_d893efca-e838-11ed-ac50-37996abf23bb.html |
Vermont on Tuesday became the first state in the country to change its medically assisted suicide law to allow terminally ill people from out of state to take advantage of it to end their lives.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill that removes the residency requirement for the decades-old law.
Last year in a court settlement, Oregon agreed to stop enforcing the residency requirement of its law allowing terminally ill people to receive lethal medication. It also agreed to ask the Legislature to remove it from the law.
Before Vermont removed its residency requirement Tuesday, it had reached a settlement with a Connecticut woman who has terminal cancer to allow her to take advantage of its law, provided she complies with other aspects of it.
“We are grateful to Vermont lawmakers for recognizing that a state border shouldn’t determine if you die peacefully or in agony,” said Kim Callinan, president and CEO of Compassion & Choices, a nonprofit advocacy organization, in a statement. “Patients routinely travel to other states to utilize the best healthcare options. There is no rational reason they shouldn’t be able to travel to another state to access medical aid in dying if the state they live in doesn’t offer it.”
Vermont is one of 10 states that allow medically assisted suicide. Critics of such laws say without the residency requirements states risk becoming assisted suicide tourism destinations.
Mary Hahn Beerworth, executive director of the Vermont Right to Life Committee, testified before a legislative committee in March that the practice “was, and remains, a matter of contention.”
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“To be clear, Vermont Right to Life opposed the underlying concept behind assisted suicide and opposes the move to remove the residency requirement as there are still no safeguards that protect vulnerable patients from coercion,” said Beerworth, adding she had a number of concerns including what liability Vermont could incur if the drugs failed to end a patient’s life.
Supporters of Vermont’s medically assisted suicide law say it has stringent safeguards, including a requirement that those who seek to use it be capable of making and communicating their health care decision to a physician. Patients are required to make two requests orally to the physician over a certain timeframe and then submit a written request that they signed in the presence of two or more witnesses who aren’t interested parties. Witnesses must sign and affirm that patients appeared to understand the nature of the document and were free from duress or undue influence at the time.
Lynda Bluestein, 75, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Diana Barnard, a physician from Middlebury, sued Vermont in federal court last summer, claiming its residency requirement violated the Constitution’s commerce, equal protection, and privileges and immunities clauses. Barnard specializes in hospice and palliative care and has patients from neighboring New York state, which, like Connecticut, doesn’t allow medically assisted suicide.
Bluestein said Tuesday that the change in Vermont means that so many other people in the Northeast can take advantage of the state’s law.
“I’m thinking even more importantly that this is going to cause other states, the other jurisdictions that have medical aid in dying, to look at their residency requirement, too,” she said.
For Cassandra Johnston, 38, of Clifton Park, New York, the news was “such a relief.” She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer last year and lives a 40-minute drive from Vermont.
“It gives me such a peace of mind to know that if I need that peaceful and compassionate option that it’s right next door,” Johnston said. “And it’s life-changing for someone like me. It really is.” | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/vermont-allows-out-of-staters-to-use-assisted-suicide-law/3248772/ | 2023-05-02T22:15:21 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/vermont-allows-out-of-staters-to-use-assisted-suicide-law/3248772/ |
BP made $5 billion in underlying replacement cost profit in the first quarter, up from $4.8 billion the previous quarter.
The London-based energy multinational, which operates the BP Whiting Refinery along the Lake Michigan lakeshore, said it benefited from lower refinery turnaround, strong oil trading and exceptional gas marketing and trading.
“This has been a quarter of strong performance and strategic delivery as we continue to focus on safe and reliable operations. Momentum continues to build across our integrated energy company strategy, with the start-up of Mad Dog Phase 2, our agreement to acquire TravelCenters of America and progress towards hydrogen and CCS projects in the UK. And importantly we continue to deliver for shareholders, through disciplined investment, lowering net debt and growing distributions," said Bernard Looney, chief executive officer.
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BP's reported profit was $8.2 billion in the first quarter, down from $10.8 billion in the fourth quarter of last year. The company's underlying replacement cost profit, the proxy for profit in the United States, is calculated after inventory holding losses and adjustments are factored in.
The company reduced its net debt to $21.1 billion in the first quarter. It plans to buy back $1.75 billion more in shares to enrich stockholders. BP completed $2.2 billion worth of share buybacks with surplus cash flow in the first quarter, completing a $2.75 billion share buyback program announced in the fourth quarter on April 28.
Surplus cash flow in excess of what BP needs for its operations totaled $2.3 billion in the first quarter. The company said it plans to use 60% of surplus cash flow for share buybacks that have become increasingly commonplace with publicly traded companies in recent years.
BP's operating cash flow totaled $7.6 billion in the first quarter. It spent $3.6 billion in capital expenditure in the first quarter. It expects to invest $16 billion to $18 billion in capital expenditure this year.
The company employs more than 1,750 workers at the former Standard Oil Refinery in Whiting, Hammond and East Chicago. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/bp-turns-5-billion-profit-in-first-quarter/article_af251e92-e91f-11ed-ba95-ab373b7c4ad4.html | 2023-05-02T22:15:24 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/bp-turns-5-billion-profit-in-first-quarter/article_af251e92-e91f-11ed-ba95-ab373b7c4ad4.html |
An upcoming business resource workshop will guide business owners in Northwest Indiana on how to take it to the next level.
Staging Success Workshop: Strategies for Next Steps will take place at 8 a.m. Tuesday, May 16th at the Purdue Technology Center of NWI at 9800 Connecticut Drive in Crown Point.
The Regional Development Company, Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center, Indiana Economic Development Corporation and the Northwest Indiana Forum invite business owners to participate.
They can learn about market data, industry statistics, resources on manufacturing, exporting, available tax credits, state programs, commercial real estate financing, snapshot business valuations, expansion projects and other subjects.
“While we work with all levels of entrepreneurs, this specific workshop is tailored to second-stage companies that may need guidance in the right direction to the next chapter,” Northwest Indiana Small Business Development Center Regional Director Lorri Feldt said. “There are many tools and resources that we will detail, and our speakers will be available to connect with directly at the event.”
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Feldt, RDC President and Executive Director Erica Dombey, Northwest Indiana Forum Director of Economic Development Spencer Summers and IEDC Vice President of Business Retention and Expansion Linda Walczak will speak at the event.
“It is a great time to own a business in Northwest Indiana,” Summers said. “Regional partners such as these remain fundamental in offering key business solutions and expand upon opportunities that the state has provided.”
Attendees can learn about the Valparaiso-based Regional Development Company nonprofit that administers the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 504 Loan Program to encourage small business growth.
“In 2023, growing businesses must remain adaptive and creative in an ever-fluctuating market,” Dombey said. “The heavy influx of cash throughout the pandemic will continue to wane and interest rates are still projected to increase. Refinancing existing loans may result in financing gaps being filled due to higher interest rates and increased scrutiny during underwriting. Business owners should know all the financing options available to them in this dynamic environment”
For more information, call 219-476-0504 or visit www.rdc504.org. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/business-resource-workshop-to-instruct-on-taking-businesses-to-next-level/article_7dd28730-e91f-11ed-baad-43990d981452.html | 2023-05-02T22:15:30 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/business-resource-workshop-to-instruct-on-taking-businesses-to-next-level/article_7dd28730-e91f-11ed-baad-43990d981452.html |
The long-serving chief of staff for Northwest Indiana's current and former congressmen is transitioning into an advisory role as part of a reworking of top positions in the office of U.S. Rep. Frank J. Mrvan, D-Highland.
Mrvan announced Tuesday that Mark Lopez, who began working for former U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Gary, in 1996, and held a variety of roles serving the 1st Congressional District in both its Merrillville and Washington, D.C. offices, is leaving his role as chief of staff.
Lopez did not immediately announce any future plans other than remaining engaged in public service by providing counsel and support to Northwest Indiana's congressional office as senior adviser.
Taking over as Mrvan's chief of staff is Kevin Spicer, currently his deputy chief of staff. The Schererville native and Lake Central High School graduate has served as a staffer for the 1st Congressional District since 2005, following a stint in the Peace Corps in Mauritania.
Spicer will be based in Mrvan's Capitol Hill office. Meanwhile, in Merrillville, Brett Bierman will become district director for Mrvan after spending several years as the office's outreach coordinator.
Bierman, of Crown Point, began working with Mrvan in 2008 when the congressman still was trustee of Lake County's North Township, and Bierman previously served as park and recreation director at the township's Wicker Memorial Park in Highland.
Mrvan also announced Renee Ramos, of East Chicago, another former North Township employee, will serve as congressional relations manager in Merrillville, and Drew Ficociello, who started working as Mrvan's press assistant in 2021, will become his press secretary.
"Throughout my time as a member of Congress and previously as a township trustee, I understand the importance of having dedicated staff committed to tireless advocacy, whether they are responding to a personal inquiry or promoting economic growth and transformational projects that benefit everyone in our environs," Mrvan said.
"I am tremendously grateful to have such staff members today who bring the institutional knowledge and passions of both Congressman Visclosky’s office and the North Township Trustee office. We look forward to continuing to have an open door, be accessible and present in our communities, and solve problems and bring people together to create more educational and economic opportunities for everyone," he added.
Mrvan has represented the 753,948 residents of the 1st Congressional District, comprising all of Lake and Porter counties and northwest LaPorte County, in the U.S. House since 2021.
PHOTOS: U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan at Opportunity Enterprises
Northwest Indiana Congressman Frank J. Mrvan, left, announced Tuesday his chief of staff Mark Lopez, right, is transitioning to a senior adviser role after Lopez spent nearly three decades serving the residents of Indiana's 1st Congressional District. They are shaking hands following Mrvan's 2020 Democratic primary election victory. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/region-congressman-adjusts-top-aides-as-longtime-chief-of-staff-moves-to-advisory-role/article_c9c03910-e921-11ed-be0c-839e09cab290.html | 2023-05-02T22:15:36 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/region-congressman-adjusts-top-aides-as-longtime-chief-of-staff-moves-to-advisory-role/article_c9c03910-e921-11ed-be0c-839e09cab290.html |
Small businesses have created more than 12.9 million jobs over the past 25 years, or two out of every three new positions added in the country, according to the Small Business Administration.
This week, Small Business Week is being celebrated both in Indiana and across the nation. It's estimated that 534,000 small businesses in Indiana employ more than 1.2 million people in the Hoosier State.
"This week is all about celebrating the important contribution of an integral part of our state's economy — small businesses," said Gov. Eric Holcomb. "Hard work, dedication and grit are not just Hoosier values; these are values put into action every day by entrepreneurs across the state to help propel the state's economy forward. I'm proud to point out and celebrate these hardworking Hoosiers not just this week, but every day."
“Entrepreneurship is one of the most important investments we can make in Indiana’s future, which is why it’s a key pillar of our 5E strategy,” said Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers. “Congratulations to these risk-takers, dreamers and innovators who are critical to driving our state’s economy."
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The country has more than 33 million small businesses, making up 99.7% of employer firms and employing half of all private-sector employees, according to the SBA.
“Our National Small Business Week honorees reflect the strength of our Nation’s entrepreneurial spirit — a spirit of problem-solving, ingenuity, and pure grit. This week we shine a spotlight on the impact they make on our communities and economy from Main Streets to innovation hubs and manufacturing centers," U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said.
Indiana Small Business Development Center State Director Natasha Jensen-Matta said the state government was doing a road show to visit small businesses across the state and would promote its resources, such as guidance on how to draft a business plan or secure economic funding.
"Small businesses are the backbone of Indiana's economy," she said. "They are 99% of the businesses in Indiana and employ so many Hoosiers and really do create communities we want to live in."
Small Business Week is a going time to show appreciation of small merchants across the state, she said.
"We should patronize small businesses every day," she said. "I hope people are recognizing the impact and sense of community small businesses bring to their local neighborhood. Please go to small businesses, support them and enjoy all the cool things they're doing in Indiana." | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/small-business-week-celebrated-in-indiana-and-across-the-nation/article_6d859fb6-e91f-11ed-b8b3-5bf475a89474.html | 2023-05-02T22:15:42 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/small-business-week-celebrated-in-indiana-and-across-the-nation/article_6d859fb6-e91f-11ed-b8b3-5bf475a89474.html |
Voter turnout has been light on Election Day so far.
Voters headed to the polls to decide contested mayoral races in Gary, East Chicago, Hobart, Lake Station, Portage, Valparaiso and Michigan City, as well as school referendum races.
"It's quite a bit lower than in 2019," Porter County Clerk Jessica Baily said of the turnout into mid-afternoon.
About 3,500 people voted by mid-Tuesday afternoon, down from 8,300 at the same time in 2019.
No significant issues have been reported at the polls in Porter County.
"It's been going smoothly," she said.
The Porter County Clerk's Office was expecting lighter turnout in the municipal and local elections given the lack of big-ticket national races and fewer contested races locally than in 2019. It's using the opportunity to roll out its new wait-time app.
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Voters can download an app or go to the Porter County website to see the estimated wait times at the different polling locations. It's been working with the county GIS department for a year on the project.
"We wanted to implement it this year to work out the kinks so it would be ready for the presidential election," Baily said. "It will allow voters to view the wait times for close to where they currently are and get directions to the polling places."
It's a new feature the clerk's office launched because of the switch to voting centers, where voters are no longer tethered to a single polling place in their neighborhood where they always go to vote.
"Poll workers are getting used to manipulating the website to advertise the wait times," Baily said. "Voters will be able to know how long they'll have to wait in line and if there's a shorter wait somewhere else. It's definitely more convenient." | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/voter-turnout-light-on-election-day/article_ad66c63a-e926-11ed-ba02-2f6a67f83b85.html | 2023-05-02T22:15:44 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/voter-turnout-light-on-election-day/article_ad66c63a-e926-11ed-ba02-2f6a67f83b85.html |
ROANOKE, Va. – A 22-year-old woman is facing charges after a February shooting in Roanoke that left one man dead.
J’mya Stimpson has been charged with first-degree murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony in connection to the homicide.
[Northwest Roanoke shooting leaves one dead, police say]
On Feb. 15, around 2:10 p.m., police said they were notified of a person with a gunshot wound in the 3500 block of Ferncliff Avenue NW.
Authorities said when they arrived, they found one man with what appeared to be a critical gunshot wound. He was taken to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital for treatment where he later died, according to police.
RPD said they identified a woman as a person of interest in connection with the shooting shortly after they got to the scene. On Tuesday, police confirmed that woman was Stimpson.
Police told 10 News that Stimpson fled the scene, and Roanoke Police K-9 and Virginia State Police K-9 tracked her down and took her into custody without incident.
Detectives and the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office worked together and presented the case to the May meeting of the Roanoke City Grand Jury where indictments were obtained. They were served to Stimpson on Tuesday and she was taken into custody without incident.
Authorities said this remains an ongoing investigation and no further information is available at this time. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/22-year-old-roanoke-woman-indicted-on-first-degree-murder-in-february-homicide/ | 2023-05-02T22:23:06 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/22-year-old-roanoke-woman-indicted-on-first-degree-murder-in-february-homicide/ |
A young boy was shot and killed in Lynchburg Monday night, according to the Lynchburg Police Department.
In an update Tuesday afternoon, LPD said the boy was 6 years old and was shot in the head while playing a video game on his bed.
According to the Peacemakers organization, the boy’s name is Kingston Campbell.
[READ MORE: 6-year-old boy dead after Lynchburg shooting, police say]
Peacemakers and Campbell’s mother provided 10 News with several photographs of the boy, which you can see above.
We’re told there will be a vigil in Kington’s honor on Wednesday night at 6 p.m. at Greater Peaceful Baptist Church in Lynchburg.
No arrests have been made at this time and the investigation remains active and ongoing.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective T. Hall at 434-455-6155 or Crime Stoppers at 888-798-5900. Enter an anonymous tip online at P3Tips.com or use the P3 app on a mobile device. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/photos-kingston-campbell-6-year-old-victim-of-lynchburg-shooting/ | 2023-05-02T22:23:12 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/photos-kingston-campbell-6-year-old-victim-of-lynchburg-shooting/ |
RADFORD, Va. – Radford students feared the possibility of an active shooter on campus Monday after police received a threatening 911 call.
But, officials said this call was part of a prank known as “swatting.”
Radford University Police Captain, Sam Shumate, was on duty when the 911 call came to city police.
“‘Hey, we just got a 911 call saying there’s an active shooter in Washington Hall,’” Shumate said.
Shumate said once police arrived at the scene, they knew something was off.
“Going up through, there wasn’t the chaos that usually happens with (an) active shooting,” he said.
Shumate quickly realized they had been the victim of a swatting call — a 911 call that lures law enforcement to a non-existent scene.
Shumate said students were upset.
“They were very unhappy that people take time to do that and disrupt the daily operation of the university,” he said.
Shumate said the department takes every call seriously and used their active shooter protocol.
“Make sure we’re doing our due diligence and clear all the rooms to make sure there’s really nothing that’s there,” he said.
Swatting is a state and federal offense. Governor Youngkin recently signed a law that will make this punishable by up to a year in jail and a $2500 fine. It is considered a felony offense if someone is injured as a result of the call. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/radford-university-victim-of-fake-call-claiming-an-active-shooter-was-on-campus/ | 2023-05-02T22:23:18 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/02/radford-university-victim-of-fake-call-claiming-an-active-shooter-was-on-campus/ |
BALTIMORE — The first of the two bills creates a oversight commission to have oversight on the acquisition of cameras.
Councilor Kristerfer Burnett says it will create more transparency and accountability.
“If you’re being surveilled and your communities are being surveilled there should be more transparency about how that information is being used, who has access to it, what their intentions are," said Burnett.
The other bill deals with facial recognition technology being used by the Baltimore Police Department.
RELATED: Legislation introduced to regulate facial recognition technology in Baltimore
“There’s just a real lack of regulatory guardrails on such an invasive type of technology," said Burnett.
Burnett says the bill stops facial recognition use at public protests and rallies, regulates the sale of data and data storage.
There is a concern this technology is used more often in parts of the city where more people of color live.
“There is an over deployment, in my opinion in Black and Brown communities across the country," said Councilor Burnett.
The city council gained legislative control of the Baltimore police department just last year.
There is a question of how far the council can go when creating rules for the department.
“The Maryland Attorney General’s office released a statement a few months ago, indicating that we did have, they believe that we have local control and the ability to legislate like any other body so this will be a test to see if that’s true or not," said Burnett.
The two bills still face a lengthy process before the council can make them law and test their ability to regulate the department. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/city-council-considers-new-regulations-on-surveillance-cams-facial-recognition | 2023-05-02T22:31:57 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/city-council-considers-new-regulations-on-surveillance-cams-facial-recognition |
BALTIMORE — Long lines of people waiting for the chance to stock up on free groceries is the scene described by local food distribution centers as they see increasing numbers.
"Food insecurity is a huge issue globally, there is a bunch of factors that play into that a war going on in Ukraine, there is stuff going on with the economy, inflation is a big deal and then the cut with snap benefits has contributed to the line probably growing probably doubling in size in the last two months," said Josh Turansky.
Every week organizations like The Door and Haven City Church in Baltimore gather as much food as they can to give out to their communities.
They say the amount of people they are seeing is not slowing down, in fact, its increasing.
"So food is not often affordable and a lot of people cannot often go to the grocery stores due to the location and they might be senior or elderly, so food has always been a need in the community and we're glad to be able to fill that gap with the need right now and we're looking to expand," said Tehma Smith Wilson.
Both organizations say they are thankful for the partnerships they have with organizations and the city to be able to still feed hundreds of people each week.
The Door gives away food every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon, and the Haven City Churchhas their distribution every Tuesday and Friday from noon to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/food-pantries-still-in-high-demand-in-baltimore | 2023-05-02T22:32:03 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/food-pantries-still-in-high-demand-in-baltimore |
BALTIMORE COUNTY — Blood, sweat, tears, and spandex.
The Maryland Cycling Classic isn't pumping the brakes anytime soon.
America's top ranked professional road cycling race is back for it's second year.
The best bikers are from around the world will race through Maryland countryside and city streets on September 3.
Organizers say the course is the same as last year but that doesn't mean it'll be any easier.
"Baltimore County ain't no slouch, they got some hills out there. They got you know, some really open terrain out there and where to push and where not to push some things. Maybe they forgot last year, you know, then you get into the city, the city isn't either. You're navigating the streets, there are hills that a lot of people who don't remember there are hills in Baltimore," said Terry Hasseltine, President of Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland.
In 2022, the classic had 70,000 fans watching on the course, 100,000 watching on local television, and over 100 million watching in 62 countries worldwide.
The event also runs a 'Bridges of Hope' charity ride.
It raised over $200,000 for the UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/maryland-cycling-classic-set-to-return-early-september | 2023-05-02T22:32:09 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/maryland-cycling-classic-set-to-return-early-september |
A new advisory released from the U.S. Surgeon General shows people who are lonely have a greater chance of developing serious health issues compared to those who aren’t.
The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said people who are lonely and experience social isolation together have a greater chance at dying a lot faster.
Loneliness and isolation has been declared a public health issue in our nation that has recently grown much larger due to ramifications from the pandemic.
Dr. Thomas Cudjoe, who’s an Assistant Professor of Medicine with John’s Hopkins University, said people’s interpretations of loneliness plays a huge factor.
“People's expression of their expression with some unhappiness with being alone, having no one to talk to about certain things, lacking companionship, feeling left out,” Dr. Cudjoe said.
All factors of someone’s perception that can lead people to feel like they're lonely. Dr Thomas Cudjoe said there’s one common measure used in studies that comes from the UCLA loneliness scale to help identify it.
"Essentially asked what their how often do people feel that they lack companionship? How often? Do someone feel like they're left out? How often does someone feel like they're isolated from others?,” Dr. Cudjoe said.
The findings in the U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory showed how important social connection is to the detriments of mental and physical health. Loneliness and isolation is associated with greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety and premature death.
“People who may experience mental health conditions, that those conditions are worse in instances of isolation or loneliness,” Dr. Cudjoe said.
Dr. Cudjoe said for decades there has been evidence to support that loneliness and social isolation are important for our health, and now is a perfect time to work in collaboration with the community to change it.
“I think that we have to start proximately thinking about our own friends and family in thinking and asking ourselves if we're meaningfully connecting with them, and then extend beyond this. I think that is the way that we need to approach addressing isolation and loneliness. How we need to think about how we strengthen social infrastructure in our local communities, how we think broadly about public policy and how it can impact how we connect, building a culture of connection, through increasing our acts of kindness in our community, all these things,” Dr. Cudjoe said.
This advisory shows the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. Which is why the surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy is advising everyone to build better connections for a stronger society. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/u-s-surgeon-general-declares-loneliness-as-public-health-issue | 2023-05-02T22:32:16 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/u-s-surgeon-general-declares-loneliness-as-public-health-issue |
Vermont on Tuesday became the first state in the country to change its medically assisted suicide law to allow terminally ill people from out of state to take advantage of it to end their lives.
Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed the bill that removes the residency requirement for the decades-old law.
Last year in a court settlement, Oregon agreed to stop enforcing the residency requirement of its law allowing terminally ill people to receive lethal medication. It also agreed to ask the Legislature to remove it from the law.
Before Vermont removed its residency requirement Tuesday, it had reached a settlement with a Connecticut woman who has terminal cancer to allow her to take advantage of its law, provided she complies with other aspects of it.
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“We are grateful to Vermont lawmakers for recognizing that a state border shouldn’t determine if you die peacefully or in agony,” said Kim Callinan, president and CEO of Compassion & Choices, a nonprofit advocacy organization, in a statement. “Patients routinely travel to other states to utilize the best healthcare options. There is no rational reason they shouldn’t be able to travel to another state to access medical aid in dying if the state they live in doesn’t offer it.”
Vermont is one of 10 states that allow medically assisted suicide. Critics of such laws say without the residency requirements states risk becoming assisted suicide tourism destinations.
Mary Hahn Beerworth, executive director of the Vermont Right to Life Committee, testified before a legislative committee in March that the practice “was, and remains, a matter of contention.”
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“To be clear, Vermont Right to Life opposed the underlying concept behind assisted suicide and opposes the move to remove the residency requirement as there are still no safeguards that protect vulnerable patients from coercion,” said Beerworth, adding she had a number of concerns including what liability Vermont could incur if the drugs failed to end a patient’s life.
Supporters of Vermont’s medically assisted suicide law say it has stringent safeguards, including a requirement that those who seek to use it be capable of making and communicating their health care decision to a physician. Patients are required to make two requests orally to the physician over a certain timeframe and then submit a written request that they signed in the presence of two or more witnesses who aren’t interested parties. Witnesses must sign and affirm that patients appeared to understand the nature of the document and were free from duress or undue influence at the time.
Lynda Bluestein, 75, of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Diana Barnard, a physician from Middlebury, sued Vermont in federal court last summer, claiming its residency requirement violated the Constitution’s commerce, equal protection, and privileges and immunities clauses. Barnard specializes in hospice and palliative care and has patients from neighboring New York state, which, like Connecticut, doesn’t allow medically assisted suicide.
Bluestein said Tuesday that the change in Vermont means that so many other people in the Northeast can take advantage of the state’s law.
“I’m thinking even more importantly that this is going to cause other states, the other jurisdictions that have medical aid in dying, to look at their residency requirement, too,” she said.
For Cassandra Johnston, 38, of Clifton Park, New York, the news was “such a relief.” She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer last year and lives a 40-minute drive from Vermont.
“It gives me such a peace of mind to know that if I need that peaceful and compassionate option that it’s right next door,” Johnston said. “And it’s life-changing for someone like me. It really is.” | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/vermont-allows-out-of-staters-to-use-assisted-suicide-law/4297109/ | 2023-05-02T22:35:34 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/vermont-allows-out-of-staters-to-use-assisted-suicide-law/4297109/ |
New dog park, community garden: What's coming to Palm Coast's Lehigh Trailhead project
Palm Coast residents who enjoy spending time at the Lehigh Trail on Belle Terre Parkway will soon have even more to look forward to.
Construction on the Lehigh Trailhead project began in January and will include a new community garden, a dog park, pavilions, new lighting and 60 new parking spaces.
The city received a $1.24 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation to help with the project, which has a total price tag of approximately $2.5 million.
Previous coverage:Palm Coast expected to begin work this year on parking, restrooms at Lehigh Trailhead
NSB trail project:New trailhead and trail extension project to add to NSB’s Marine Discovery Center
Flagler growing:Flagler now the third-fastest-growing county in the fastest-growing state
Expected to be completed by November 2023, according to the city, here is what to expect for the new Lehigh Trailhead project:
Where is the Lehigh Trail?
The trail runs about 8 miles from U.S. 1 north of Bunnell, through Palm Coast and Graham Swamp, and ends at Colbert Lane. Its main access point is at Belle Terre Parkway.
The county maintains most of the trail except for a small sidewalk section near Interstate 95.
It is a popular spot for Palm Coast residents, who often use it for walks, jogging, bike riding, skating and more.
Is there parking at Lehigh Trail?
The project will feature a new paved parking area with 60 parking spaces, as well as a water fountain and a restroom, which will be built on the north side of the trail near the new parking lot.
The restroom facility is 60% complete, according to the city.
The dirt parking lot at the trailhead and the sidewalk that runs along the parking area closed back in January and will remain so for the duration of construction.
Visitors must park in the grass lot across Belle Terre Parkway and use the designated crosswalk at Belle Terre Parkway and Royal Palms Parkway to access the trailhead, according to the city.
“It is important for visitors to use the crosswalk for their own safety, as well as for the safety of others,” the city website says. “The closure and parking arrangements are in place to allow for necessary construction and improvements to the trailhead area.”
Drivers will be able to access the new parking lot by way of the entrance road to the city’s tennis center at 1290 Belle Terre Parkway.
Palm Coast will open new community garden and dog park
In addition to extra parking, the project includes a new 1.3-acre dog park and a community garden.
The dog park, according to city spokesperson Brittany Kershaw, will be separated into two areas: one for small dogs and one for large dogs, similar to the dog parks at the city’s James F. Holland Memorial Park.
Each side will have its own entrance, dog wash-down station, and a covered pavilion.
The community garden will be comprised of raised garden beds.
“They will be wooden frames on the ground and there will be ADA plots that are elevated,” Kershaw wrote in an email. “There will be an application process for members of the public to submit and pay to use a plot. We used to have community gardens at the old community center, so the process will be similar, but updated.” | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/flagler/2023/05/02/palm-coast-will-open-3rd-dog-park-as-part-of-new-lehigh-trailhead-project/70175913007/ | 2023-05-02T22:36:08 | 1 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/flagler/2023/05/02/palm-coast-will-open-3rd-dog-park-as-part-of-new-lehigh-trailhead-project/70175913007/ |
Letterman returns to BSU to present documentary film by students
MUNCIE, Ind. – Late-night TV legend David Letterman returned to the Ball State University campus Monday night to present a film documentary about the entertainer's interest is glass art.
The film was presented before an audience at Emens Auditorium. The documentary was the result of a yearlong Immersive Learning project, combining the talents of students and faculty from the Department of Media, the Center for Emerging Media Design & Development, the School of Art, and the School of Music.
Joining Letterman, a BSU alum, on stage for a Q&A were Academy Award-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville and recent Ball State graduates Faith Denig and Ameliah Kolp, who served as producer and writer/director for the film, respectively.
The 25-minute production centers on Letterman’s interest in Ball State’s Glass Art program, a previous release stated, including his request for a commissioned sculpture created by students studying and working at Ball State's Marilyn K. Glick Center for Glass.
More:David Letterman shouts out Muncie, Ball State in Netflix show, and BSU grads are loving it
Letterman is an Indianapolis native and a 1969 graduate of BSU. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/letterman-returns-to-bsu-to-present-documentary-film-by-students/70175262007/ | 2023-05-02T22:39:42 | 1 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/05/02/letterman-returns-to-bsu-to-present-documentary-film-by-students/70175262007/ |
Delaware County Council member who says he's now a 'woman of color' appears on FOX News
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ryan Webb, the Delaware County Council member who announced last month he now identifies as "a woman of color," has found support among the highest realms of national conservative media.
Monday night, Webb appeared as a guest of Jesse Watters, the conservative anchor of "Jesse Watters Primetime" who said he was "honored" to meet the Muncie area official.
Webb announced on social media in April that he was now identifying as a "woman of color," specifically a lesbian Native American woman, but would not be switching his pronouns to reflect the change.
"After much consideration I have decided to come out and finally feel comfortable announcing my true authentic self," Webb wrote on Facebook. "It is with great relief that I announce to everyone that I identify as a woman and not just any woman but as a woman of color as well. I guess this would make me gay/lesbian as well, since I am attracted to women."
Watters, who holds down the 7 p.m. Eastern Time slot that once introduced now-fired Tucker Carlson's primetime hour, zeroed in on Webb's lesbian claim as a noteworthy accomplishment.
More:Ryan Webb's gender claim creates outcry at Delaware County Council meeting
“I just want to tell you how honored I am because you are the first lesbian Indian that’s ever been on 'Jesse Watters Primetime,' so in a way we’re shattering together,” Watters said on the May 1 show.
Webb's announcement caused a backlash that brought critics to the next county council meeting, April 25, most demanding Ryan Webb resign as a member of council following his declaration on Facebook earlier in the month.
"If he were serious, I'd sing his praises," said Charlize Jamieson, a transgender female who spoke during the council's public comments section of the meeting. "But instead, I know better. We all do. I know better because of his history of making hateful anti-trans statements on social media and disrespecting one's pronouns. He has, purposely, and intentionally, misgendered me, ridiculing my own gender identity. That is not something transgender people do to one another."
Jamieson pointed to Webb's decision to retain his male pronouns as a sign he's not serious about the transition.
"I am continuing to retain my preferred pronouns of ‘he’ and ‘him’ and I am married to my beautiful wife Brandy,” Webb told Watters. “It makes me a lesbian because I’m completely in love with her even though I identify as a woman. We have six children together, so I think it more than qualifies.” | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/indiana/2023/05/02/council-member-who-announced-hes-a-woman-of-color-appears-on-fox-news/70176626007/ | 2023-05-02T22:39:48 | 0 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/indiana/2023/05/02/council-member-who-announced-hes-a-woman-of-color-appears-on-fox-news/70176626007/ |
The Kenosha man accused of crashing head-on into another vehicle while intoxicated in Pleasant Prairie is now facing numerous criminal charges.
Ronald J. Rossa, 67, was charged Tuesday in Kenosha County Circuit Court with felonies including two counts of injury by the intoxicated use of a vehicle and three counts of second-degree recklessly endangering safety.
Rossa did not appear at Intake Court Tuesday because he is still in the hospital for injuries he sustained in the crash. He is scheduled to make an appearance May 18 before Commissioner Loren Keating.
Criminal complaint
On April 21 around 6:30 p.m. a Pleasant Prairie Police officer was dispatched to the 11800 block of Sheridan Road regarding an injury accident.
Rossa was the operator of a red Dodge Journey and was in and out consciousness, according to the criminal complaint. A Good Samaritan stood by Rossa as the officer checked on the three occupants of a gold Dodge Grand Caravan.
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When questioned Rossa reportedly said he had a couple of beers that day. Due to Rossa being in an out of consciousness, he was unable to participate in a field sobriety test. Rossa was then transported via Flight for Life to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.
The driver of the Caravan was also airlifted to Wauwatosa for his injuries including two femur fractures. The two other passengers were transported to Froedtert Pleasant Prairie Hospital via ambulance.
Surveillance from a local eatery captured the accident. It shows the vehicle driven Rossa traveling northbound in the southbound lanes and strike the Caravan head-on with minimum braking. There is extensive damage to both vehicles.
On April 22 an officer contacted Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa and learned Rossa was on a ventilator in the hospital and was unable to communicate, according to the complaint.
The female occupant of the Caravan told police she had been released from the hospital. She said the driver of the Caravan had surgery on one leg and was scheduled for another one on the other leg. The minor was transported to a local children's hospital for surgeries.
An off-duty Pleasant Prairie officer was in the area when the crash occurred. He responded to the scene and provided some emergency care to those in the Caravan and contacted Rossa, who reportedly was more alert but had blood-shot eyes and slurred speech.
"Folks, while you go out and enjoy your weekend we want to remind you that drinking & driving do not mix," the police department posted on social media. "It's not worth it, get a ride home."
Video of the crash posted by the department has been viewed thousands of times.
Mugshots: Kenosha County criminal complaints from April 27-28
Eric Beach
NO PHOTO AVAILABLE
Eric Beach, 31, of Chicago, Illinois, faces charges of retail theft (intentionally conceal between $500-$5,000).
Robert Ray Daniels
Robert Ray Daniels, 53, of Pleasant Prairie, faces charges of bail jumping, disorderly conduct, and battery.
Paul Daniel Herrick
Paul Daniel Herrick, 52, of Kenosha, faces charges of possession of cocaine (2nd+), possession of drug paraphernalia, bail jumping, and retail theft (intentionally take less than or equal to $500).
Sedale Lebron Kimbrough
Sedale Lebron Kimbrough, 33, of Kenosha, faces charges of probation and parole.
Jesus Emmanuel Reza
Jesus Emmanuel Reza, 23, of Zion, Illinois, faces charges of possession with intent to deliver THC (less than 200 grams or less than 4 plants), possession of drug paraphernalia.
Clay Evans Thomas Jr.
Clay Evans Thomas Jr., 45, of Kenosha, faces charges of probation and parole, resisting or obstructing an officer, and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence (2nd offense).
Pearl Salina Tia
Pearl Salina Tia, 50, of Kenosha, faces charges of probation and parole.
Jontrell T. White
Jontrell T. White, 19, of Kenosha, faces charges of probation and parole.
Junior Lamaredward Williams-Holmes
Junior Lamaredward Williams-Holmes, 40, of Stevens Point, faces charges of probation and parole, false imprisonment, battery, and disorderly conduct. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/hospitalized-man-charged-after-crashing-into-van-while-intoxicated-and-causing-severe-injuries/article_62734d6c-e929-11ed-8665-9b107d8915d4.html | 2023-05-02T22:43:24 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/hospitalized-man-charged-after-crashing-into-van-while-intoxicated-and-causing-severe-injuries/article_62734d6c-e929-11ed-8665-9b107d8915d4.html |
A man in his 40s was found dead after a mobile home fire early Tuesday, officials say.
Tucson Fire went to a mobile home park in the 1600 block of East Roger Road, near North Campbell Avenue, about 1:40 a.m., the department said on Twitter.
The body of the unidentified man was found on a couch once the blaze was under control about 2 a.m.
The fire and the cause of the man's death still are being investigated.
This is the fourth fire fatality Tucson Fire has investigated this year.
FATAL FIRE 🔥 At 1:43 Tuesday morning #TucsonFire was dispatched to a mobile home park in the 1600 block of E. Roger Road. Engine 3 arrived to the affected unit at 1:48 and observed working fire conditions before pulling hose lines for initial fire attack... pic.twitter.com/BVm7NNkUUg
— Tucson Fire Department (@TucsonFireDept) May 2, 2023
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Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/man-found-dead-in-tucson-mobile-home-fire/article_926e1706-e927-11ed-9ea3-7f555fc94010.html | 2023-05-02T22:47:51 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/man-found-dead-in-tucson-mobile-home-fire/article_926e1706-e927-11ed-9ea3-7f555fc94010.html |
A popular orchard in Willcox was unable to save cherries and peaches from freezing when a cold front hit in early April.
"We are devastated to share that on April 7, while most of our orchards were in full bloom, an extremely cold front came through and the temperatures dropped below 20 degrees for an extended period," the operators of Apple Annie’s Orchard, located about 85 miles east of Tucson, said in a Facebook post May 2.
Despite using every form of frost protection, they were unable to save the fruit, they said.
The entire cherry and peach crops were lost, and the orchard anticipates 90% or more of its apples and pears were lost, too.
The orchard will still open in July, but there will not be any you-pick fruit until later in the season depending on the apple crop.
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“You can come enjoy everything else we offer, pies, cider donuts, slushies, fudge, apple bread and enjoy walking through the orchards,” the Facebook post said. “We are working on finding good quality already picked fruit to bring in.”
The freeze did not affect the orchard's vegetable farm, including its pumpkins that will be available in the fall.
"We appreciate your support of our family business through the good years and the bad," the Facebook post said.
Apple Annie’s is at 2081 W. Hardy Road in Willcox.
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/april-freeze-destroyed-fruit-at-apple-annies-orchard-in-willcox/article_b06d44e6-e92e-11ed-8d23-1b5519d46b51.html | 2023-05-02T22:47:57 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/april-freeze-destroyed-fruit-at-apple-annies-orchard-in-willcox/article_b06d44e6-e92e-11ed-8d23-1b5519d46b51.html |
April in Tucson was warmer than normal this year, hitting both 95 degrees and 100 degrees for the first times in 2023.
April 2023 was the 14th warmest April on record with an average temperature of 70 degrees, the National Weather Service says. Typically, April has an average temperature of 68 degrees.
The average high temperature of the month was 86 degrees, which is around 4 degrees more than the normal high. The average low temperature was 53 degrees, the normal low typically seen in April.
Within the span of two days, Tucson recorded the first high of every temperature in the 90s this year. On April 10th, Tucson hit 95 degrees for the first time and on the 11th, it hit 99 degrees.
The first 100-degree day of this year was April 30th, making it the seventh earliest first 100-degree occurrence here on record. Normally, Tucson sees about 68 days a year that hit triple-digit temperatures, the weather service says.
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Aside from the hotter temperatures, April 2023 was the third straight April with no measurable rain at Tucson International Airport. April usually sees around 0.24 inch of rainfall.
It was also the first time on Tucson record that an April recorded a freezing low temperature and a triple-digit high. The other times this happened were in October 1929 and October 2020.
The airport recorded the last freeze date of the 2022-23 cool season on April 5th when it hit 32 degrees. This is the latest last freeze date since 1936, the weather service says.
And, for one more twist, the day after Tucson's first 100-degree day of 2023, the high dropped into the 80s (88) the next day. That's only the second time in local records that's happened; 2006 was the other.
Highs in the 80s are expected for the rest of this week.
When the ice broke on the Santa Cruz River: Tucson hits 100 degrees
Tales from the Morgue: The ice break
"The ice broke on the Santa Cruz River today."
That's what we hear on the first 100-degree day each year. Maybe it makes us feel better about heading into that long stretch of hot summer days if we pretend there was ever ice in that mostly-now-dry river.
Has there ever been a summer in Tucson without a single 100-degree day?
That fantasy hasn't happened since we started recording Tucson temperatures in 1895.
We hear all the time about the first 100-degree day each year. The earliest it has happened is April 19; that was in 1989. The latest date we reached 100 degrees for the first time was June 22 in 1905. The average first 100-degree date is May 25; the normal first 100-degree day is May 18. Average is for the period 1894-2021. Normal is for the period of 1991-2020.
But what about the last 100-degree day each year? That day isn't heralded with trumpets because, of course, we don't know for sure that it won't happen again each year. But it must be a date many of us would look forward to if we knew when it was coming.
The average occurrence of the last 100-degree day in Tucson is Sept. 18, and the modern normal is Sept. 24. The earliest final 100-degree day was in 1966 on Aug. 8. The latest was 1991 on Oct. 16, when we had a record high of 100 degrees. We both tied and broke that record in 2020. We tied the record for the latest day of 100 degrees or more and set a new record high of 101.
We thought it bad in 1994 when we had 99 days in which the temperature reached at least 100 degrees — only 82 of them actually in the summer months. In 2020, however, we learned we can now look back on 1994 fondly. We had 108 days of 100 degrees or more, about 60 percent of them in the summer months.
We probably all know that the record high in Tucson was 117 degrees on June 26, 1990. Do we know the record low? Do we care? For those who do, it was six degrees on Jan. 7, 1913.
The Star archivist went in search of articles about the first 100-degree day each year and couldn't find them in the Arizona Daily Star in the earliest years of record keeping. She surmises that before air conditioning, perhaps Tucsonans didn't want to know just how hot it was when there was no escape for those who had to remain in Tucson to attend their jobs.
There comes a point when we must accept the heat, which is far easier to do when we have air-conditioned homes to which we may retreat.
The date at the beginning of each story here is the date the story ran online or in the paper. Of course, before the Internet, these stories ran the day after the mercury hit 100.
Tucson hits 100 degrees for first time in 2022
It’s official: Tucson has marked its first 100-degree day on Tuesday, April 26.
The Tucson International Airport hit 100 degrees at 12:55 p.m. on Tuesday, breaking 2020’s record of 99 degrees. The National Weather Service said 2022 is ahead of the curve as Tucson normally sees triple-digit weather for the first time around May 25.
In 2021, Tucson first hit 100 degrees on May 13. The record for earliest recorded 100-degree weather was on April 19, 1989.
According to the NWS, the warming trend will continue throughout the week. Tucson should expect to see highs in the low 90s during the week before the weekend brings highs in the upper 90s.
Tucson Airport hit 100 degrees at 12:55 PM! That breaks the 2020 record of 99. And this is the 1st 100 degree day for 2022! #azwx
— NWS Tucson (@NWSTucson) April 26, 2022
Tucson experiences first 100-degree day Thursday
May 14, 2021
Tucson saw its first 100-degree high temperature of 2021 on Thursday afternoon — a bit earlier than the average for the first triple-digit day, the National Weather Service reported.
The 100-degree mark was reached at 3:58 p.m. at the airport, the agency said, making it the seventh time it’s reached that temperature on May 13. The date is now tied for most occurrences on one day along with June 2 and June 6.
This year’s mark also was reached two weeks later than in 2020.
However, it remains weeks ahead of the earliest 100-degree day reached on April 19, 1989.
The NWS in analyzing data from 1895 to 2020 found Tucson’s average date for the first experience with 100-degree temperatures is May 25.
The latest first triple-digit day was set on June 22, 1905, the agency said.
Meteorologist Carl Cerniglia, said “The ongoing forecast for the summer months is for temperatures to be warmer than normal. When you look at the monthly averages in the months that have gone by it should end up being warmer than normal.”
In 2020, Tucson experienced 108 days of 100-degree temperatures, far exceeding the average of 68 days, Cerniglia said.
“You can tell that ended up being the warmest summer on record, so that was quite the exceptional year,” Cerniglia said.
“Hopefully we don’t break that record.”
Friday’s high in Tucson should flirt with 100 degrees, but the weekend will be in the mid-90s, before a slight cooling trend arrives Monday, with highs then in the 80s, according to the NWS.
Tucson's first 100-degree day of 2020 is in the books
April 29, 2020
Tucson experienced its first 100-degree day of 2020 on Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported.
The temperature hit triple-digits in Tucson at 2:47 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service, making it the fifth-earliest 100-degree day on record for the Old Pueblo.
From 1895 to 2019, on average, the first 100-degree day in Tucson has been May 25.
The earliest 100-degree day in the last 10 years and the last time Tucson had triple-digit temperatures in April was in 2012, on April 22.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the latest first-time triple-digit occurrence on record is June 22, 1905.
Last year’s first 100-degree day came later than average, June 9, but every day after that in June was a day of triple-digit temperatures.
Jim Meyer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told the Star earlier this week that it is difficult to predict whether an earlier first 100-degree day will lead to a hotter-than-average summer.
“It’s almost like nature tries to make up for it and balance things out,” Meyer said. “If you start out early with your 100-degree days you do have a better chance of having more above-average numbers of 100-degree days, but I don’t know, a lot of times it just seems like somewhere along the line, it just balances back out again.”
An excessive heat warning has been issued for the Tucson area for Thursday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The high temperature could range from 100 to 107 degrees, the Weather Service said.
Tucson gets triple-digit temperatures for the first time in 2019
June 9, 2019
Tucson’s temperatures passed 100 degrees Sunday afternoon for the first time in 2019.
By 2:40 p.m. Sunday, Tucson's high temperature was 101 at the Tucson International Airport.
The triple-digit mark came unseasonably late this year, though it’s not the latest recorded 100-degree day. The latest date that Tucson reached 100 degrees for the first time in a year was June 22 in 1905, according to Star archives.
Sunday’s temperature tied for the 13th latest triple-digit occurrence with June 9, 1959. It’s the latest occurrence since 1982, when it hit 100 degrees on June 10, said Emily Carpenter, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Tucson.
“It was just a matter of time before the real heat arrived,” Carpenter said. “It comes every year.”
Tucson is expected to stay in the triple-digits through the week, with Wednesday’s high expected to be 105 degrees and Thursday's high expected at 106 degrees.
The average recorded first 100-degree day is May 25. In the last 10 years, the first 100-degree day has mostly been in May. In 2016 the first 100-degree day was on June 2, according to Star archives. The earliest 100-degree day in the last 10 years was in 2012, on April 22.
May had unusually low temperatures this year, making it the 23rd-coolest May on record. But weather patterns show the coming summer days will be warmer than normal, Glenn Lader, a National Weather Service Tucson meteorologist, said last week.
Meteorologists from the National Weather Service in Tucson are also predicting a later monsoon season this year.
Carpenter said it’s important that people remember to drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in air-conditioned areas if they’re outside for long periods of time. She said people should check on their elderly neighbors and make sure their pets also stay hydrated and inside during the hotter time of day.
Those who enjoy the outdoors should get their hiking or other outdoor activities done early in the morning and avoid being outside in the afternoon, Carpenter said, adding that people should also let someone know where they’re going in case anything happens to them during a hike.
Tucson’s marathon of triple-digit days started this afternoon
May 6, 2018
Tucson had it’s first 100-degree day of the year Sunday.
Tucson’s temperature broke into triple digits this afternoon, some forecasts had the high reaching 102 degrees later today.
It was worse in Phoenix.
It reached a record-setting 106 degrees — and possibly more Sunday
Phoenix hit the 106 mark just after noon. The high was expected to reach 108.
Tucson hits 100 degrees for first time this year
May 4, 2017
Tucson officially hit 100 degrees today at 2:34 p.m., the National Weather Service said.
While early, the average first 100-day is May 26, it's no record breaker.
The earliest it has hit 100 was April 19, 1989. Last year, Tucson didn't see its first 100-day of the year until June 2.
The heat will give way over the weekend to much cooler highs. By Monday, the highs will be in the mid-70s with overnight lows in the 50s as a storm moves through the area. A chance of rain will pop up in the forecast by Sunday, increasing to 25 percent by Tuesday.
It's official: Tucson hits 100 degrees for first time in 2016
June 2, 2016
The first 100-degree day of 2016 has hit Tucson, but it won't be the last.
Tucson International Airport reported we hit triple digits at 1:10 p.m.
The last time the triple-digit mark was reached this late in the season was in 1998.
This year, the high follows a short string of blissful days in the 80s last week that almost made it seem like summer might be late this year, or at least forgiving.
The summer solstice, which is the official start of summer, is June 20.
So crank up the AC and slather on the sunblock, Sonoran summer is here.
Tucson temperature finally hits 100
May 30, 2015
After a month of unseasonably cool weather, Tucson temperatures finally reached 100 degrees today, for the first time this year.
The temperature was recorded at Tucson International Airport at 2:03 p.m., the U.S. National Weather Service said.
Although May will go down in the record books as the coolest May since 1988 at two degrees below normal, the first 100-degree day is right about on schedule with the average date of May 26.
Sunday's temperature could be even warmer, with the forecasted high at 103 degrees, according to the service.
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's forecasts are also in the triple digits.
Winter and spring temperatures were running above average until May, which started warm but cooled off, leading to 20 days of below normal temperatures.
June's high temperatures average at 100.3 degrees and the month itself has averaged 19 days at 100 degrees or more.
Tucson temperature hits 100
May 17, 2014
The temperature broke 100 degrees in parts of the Tucson metro region early Friday afternoon, and finally broke through at the official gauge at Tucson International Airport at 3:54 p.m.
And so it begins.
Conditions today are about the same, but we begin with higher temperatures and may break Friday’s mark, said Jerald Meadows, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Tucson.
It cools off after Sunday, but 100 will return — again and again.
Tucson averages 62 days above 100 each summer, according to National Weather Service records.
The average start date for 100-degree temperatures in Tucson is May 26.
The average for reaching 105 degrees is June 12.
The record high in Tucson was 117 degrees on June 26, 1990.
The official forecast for the Tucson metro area calls for highs today and Sunday from 97 to 103 in the Tucson metro area.
It will cool down a bit next week, with highs in the 80s by Wednesday.
Stay inside for a while. See you in November.
For more hot weather lore, see “Tucson in 100 Objects” on Page C1.
We hit 100 and just kept going
June 2, 2013
• The temperature at the airport hit 100 degrees at 12:22 p.m. Saturday, said Gary Zell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
• Then it kept on going, topping out for the day at a skin-searing 105.
• Get ready for more of the same: Here are the expected highs from today through Saturday: 105, 102, 101, 102, 104, 102, 100.
• How long will it last? "Probably until we get some rain," Zell said. Cold drink, anyone?
Tucson baked at 101° on Sunday, 1 of earliest triple-digit days
April 23, 2012
Tucson did it Sunday. Rather, the heat did it.
The mercury reached 100 degrees and then some, according to the National Weather Service's Tucson Weather Forecast Office.
The three-digit high came at 1:51 p.m. at Tucson International Airport. It topped out at 101 degrees.
The century mark arrived earlier in the year than usual, according to the weather service. It was the second-earliest day on record that Tucson has hit the 100-degree mark.
The earliest date was April 19, 1989.
Sunday's 101 temperature was the 10th time that the thermometer has reached triple digits in April. The highest temperature for this month was 104 degrees, coming on two consecutive days, April 20 and 21, 1989, the weather service said.
The heat is expected to ease up today and for the rest of the week, as temperatures fall back to the mid-90s and maybe even the high 80s.
Tucson hits 100 degrees - get used to it
May 28, 2011
For Aleecia Gonzalez, 7, the season's first triple-digit day only made the splash pad at Brandi Fenton Memorial Park that much better. For the rest of us, it heralded Tucson's annual long, hot slog. Photo by Jill Torrance / Arizona Daily Star
Tucson hits 100° for 1st time in 2010
May 29, 2010
Tucson's high officially hit 100 degrees for the first time this year at 2:39 p.m. Friday.
The day's high eventually reached 101, according to the National Weather Service.
Tucson will flirt with the triple-digit mark through the weekend, with highs expected to be in the mid- to upper 90s through Memorial Day.
Tucson's average recorded date for its first 100-degree day is May 26. The latest date on record for the first 100-degree day is June 22, 1905.
100° arrives 19 days before average start
May 8, 2009
Let the scorching begin.
Tucson officially hit 100 degrees for the first time this year at 1:53 p.m. Thursday, according to temperature data monitored by the National Weather Service.
Thursday's high was 101 degrees, which is 14 degrees above normal for the day.
The arrival of the triple digits came 19 days before the average start (May 26) of 100-degree days in Tucson since local records were first kept in 1894. It was also 12 days earlier than in 2008, when we first hit 100 degrees on May 19.
This year's first triple-digit occurrence tied with 1895 for the sixth-earliest. The earliest it's ever happened was in 1989, when the temperature was 100 degrees on April 19.
by the numbers
• Average date of first 100-degree day (since 1895): May 26.
• Earliest: April 19, 1989.
• Latest: June 22, 1905.
• Highest May temperature in Tucson: 111 degrees on May 29, 1910.
• Highest all-time recorded temperature in Tucson: 117 degrees on June 26, 1990.
SOURCE: National Weather Service
Tucson hit 100 degrees around noon Monday
May 20, 2008
Be careful out there.
Tucson officially hit 100 degrees for the first time this year at 12:10 p.m. Monday and the day topped out at 103 degrees.
Today expect more of the same, only hotter, with a high of 104 predicted.
Wednesday will be windy and slightly cooler as a storm system drops down from the north, said National Weather Service meteorologist Jeff Davis, bringing high temperatures down to the mid-80s by Friday.
Don't expect the high temperatures to stay away for long, Davis said.
Tucson averages two 100- degree-plus days in May, 16 such days in June, 16 in July, 10 in August and five in September, said Davis.The hottest May through September on record, 1994, recorded 99 days of 100-plus temperatures, according to Weather Service data.
It was even hotter elsewhere in the state Monday. Phoenix and Yuma set records with highs of 110 and 115, respectively.
The Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for most of Central and Western Arizona today.
The recommendations are appropriate for Tucson as well, which nearly qualified for the warning.
If possible, avoid outdoor activity in the afternoon and early evening, officials say. Wear sunscreen. Drink lots of water. And cover up with light clothing and a wide-brimmed hat.
Welcome to 100
May 12, 2007
Triple-digit heat arrived a full two weeks ahead of schedule, but let's not fret about that.
When the mercury hit 100 degrees on the official airport gauge at 1:44 p.m., Friday became the earliest 100-degree day in any year since 2001. The average ice-breaking day is May 26, and the average time is 1:31 p.m.
The final high was 102.
Rather than focus on the arrival of ovenlike summer days, consider the following data from the National Weather Service:
● Phoenix broke 100 degrees on April 28.
● We broke 100 three weeks later than Tucson's earliest triple-digit day — April 19, 1989.
● The summer monsoon rain has arrived as early as June 17, in 2000. It hit on June 28 last year.
● Wettest summer months on record: June, 2.07 inches in 1938; July, 6.24 inches in 1921; August, 7.93 inches in 1955; September, 5.11 inches in 1964.
● Last summer's 10.2 inches of monsoon rain beat the normal by more than 4 inches.
For those who can't help but dread the summer heat, just remember it can hang around for a long time:
● The latest day in the fall we reached 100 degrees was Oct. 16, 1991.
Advice can help you cope with desert heat
May 22, 2006
Tucson's temperature hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time Sunday afternoon, according to local meteorologist Jimmy Stewart.
The National Weather Service says temperatures will drop to 91 and 93 degrees for highs on Monday and Tuesday, but reach back up toward the century mark by mid-week.
Here are the answers to a few burning questions about the heat, drawn from the Star's 2005 archives:
Q: Should you leave your air conditioner on when you leave the house for work?
A: Yes, but raise the setting on the thermostat 4 or 5 degrees above its normal setting, said Leroy Johnson, general manager of Cummings Plumbing, Cooling and Heating in Tucson.
If you turn it off, you'll have to cool every surface and every object in your house before the air starts feeling cool again, meaning it'll "run for hours trying to pull heat out of the house," Johnson said.
Johnson's advice, by the way, is seconded by the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute, which represents 90 percent of the manufacturers of air conditioners in North America.
Its Web site recommends turning the thermostat up to about 82 degrees if you leave the house for more than four hours. Those of you who can't remember to shut off the coffee maker before leaving for work should invest in a programmable thermostat.
For more information, go to www.ari.org, the institute's Web site.
Q: Why is a dry heat better than a humid heat?
A: A bone-dry 110 may feel like an oven, but it's an environment in which people can at least function. But put a bit of moisture in the air and 95 degrees becomes a miserable endurance test. Why?
Simply, wet air feels warmer.
"As relative humidity increases, the air typically seems warmer than it actually is because the body has less ability to cool itself," said Jeff Davis, a National Weather Service meteorologist. "The apparent temperature is a lot higher if it's humid versus if it's dry."
Meteorologists measure the effect of humidity on temperature using the heat index, or "feels like" temperature. The heat index is essentially the opposite of the wind chill.
Since people cool themselves in heat by perspiring, humid air can have more of a negative impact than dry air.
"When you sweat, perspiration is essentially an evaporative cooling process and you basically cool your body down," Davis said. "When there's more water vapor in the air, your body doesn't perspire as effectively as it should."
Q: Should you pack sweaters away until December?
A: No, actually.
On really hot days, taking in a movie can be a relaxing and entertaining way to escape the heat.
But going from the heat of a 106-degree day to the air-conditioned chill of a theater can be a shock to the system.
So what's the healthiest way to cope? Wear a sweater.
Going without a sweater is safe, said Harvey Meislin, an emergency medicine physician at University Medical Center.
But wearing one can help your body to quickly acclimate between extreme climates.
Did you like 105 degrees? Wait, it gets better
May 21, 2005
The key to keep misery at bay during the sizzling summer is to keep your body hydrated with water and other fluids, he said.
And don't even think about taking a walk or doing yard work during midday. Meislin said any strenuous activity should be done early in the morning or after the sun sets.
A good pair of sunglasses, light-colored clothing and sunscreen also will help, Meislin said.
Craig Shoemaker, who really knows his weather, plans to heed the doctor's advice to stay indoors. He moved here from Alaska six months ago.
"I might go bowling - I don't know," said Shoemaker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
This year's 100-degree temperature came just a bit earlier than average, he said. Six days, to be exact.
Expect no relief over the weekend - the mercury will keep shooting up. The forecast is for 107 degrees today and 108 on Sunday.
Temperatures will cool down by next week, Shoemaker said. But cool is a relative term when the temperature hovers above 100.
Take a sweater - no kidding
On really hot days, taking in a movie can be a relaxing and entertaining way to escape the heat.
But going from the heat of a 106-degree day to the air-conditioned chill of a theater can be a shock to the system.
So what's the healthiest way to cope? Wear a sweater.
Going without a sweater is safe, said Harvey Meislin, an emergency medicine physician at University Medical Center.
But wearing one can help your body to quickly acclimate between extreme climates.
100°!
May 15, 2000
The mercury topped out at triple digits yesterday for the first time in the year 2000 at 4:58 p.m., accord ing to the National Weather Service.
"It didn't stay that hot for too long,'' said meteorologist Mic Sherwood.
"It only lasted for about 3 minutes."
The normal date when the temperature hits 100 at Tucson International Airport is May 27, Sherwood said. The earliest triple-digit date was April 19 of 1989, the latest was June 6 of 1985, he said.
1st high of 100 kicks off Tucson's season of heat
May 22, 1995
Tucson's triple-digit season made its first official appearance yesterday with a 100-degree reading at 2:41 p.m.
The first 100-degree reading for 1995 was recorded at Tucson International Airport, said Pat Capers, a National Weather Service technician.
If anything, the city hit the mark a little late this year.
The first triple-digit reading came six days earlier in 1994 — a year with 99 straight days of 100-degree-plus temperatures.
The earliest triple-digit reading came on April 19, 1989, said Capers. The latest we ever broke 100 degrees was in 1962, she said, when the heat held off until June 19.
Capers said she wasn't sure if the later arrival of 100-degree days means the seasonal monsoons will be postponed as well.
But nature is only warning us at this point.
Capers said temperatures should fall into the lower 90s for the next few days, as Tucson experiences variable clouds, cooler and windy conditions — and maybe even a chance of showers.
And remember that things are always worse somewhere else. The high was 102 in Bullhead City yesterday — and it hit 104 in Coolidge.
CORRECTION ran May 23, 1995:
A story on Page 1A yesterday incorrectly listed the number of consecutive 100-degree-plus days in Tucson last year. In 1994, the city endured 30 straight days of 100 degrees or more.
Tucson hits 103° for '90's 1st triple digits
May 24, 1990
The mercury in Tucson thermometers soared to 103 degrees yesterday, breaking the 100-degree mark for the first time this year.
And summer is nearly a month away.
The season will not officially begin until the June 21 summer solstice, when the sun reaches its northernmost point in Earth's sky.
Spring is supposed to bring blooming flowers and stirrings of love, not drying cacti and heat exhaustion. But springs like this are nothing new in the Sonoran desert.
Many Tucsonans remember how early summer started last year, with 100-plus temperatures striking in mid-April. A year ago yesterday, Tucson experienced its 11th triple-digit high temperature of the year.
Last year's heat was brought on by a high pressure zone that camped over the city. A similar system was to blame for yesterday's high temperature, but a low-pressure front should bring breezes and somewhat lower temperatures today, a National Weather Service spokesman said.
The weather service predicts the temperature will reach the high 90s today, with partly cloudy skies and winds of 10 to 20 mph. Tonight, the mercury should dip into the low 60s. Tomorrow's forecast is for sunny skies and highs in the upper 90s.
The heat is here: 103 and climbing
June 7, 1985
Temperatures climbed past 100 degrees in Tucson yesterday for the first time this year, heralding a late but nonetheless infernal start to summer weather.
And forecasters at the National Weather Service predict highs will continue to rise above 100 for the next few days. A high of 105 is expected today. Overnight lows will be in the low 70s.
A high pressure system is keeping the hot air in Southern Arizona, said Jack Mazur of the National Weather Service.
The high temperature yesterday at Tucson International Airport was 103, well short of the record of 111 recorded several times in the last 20 years.
The high recorded on the northwest side was 95, according to weather observer Erwin Schwarz, who lives near Ina and Oracle roads.
A high of 105 was recorded by Bert Maine, who lives near East Pima Street and North Craycroft Road.
Contrary to legend, the ice in the Santa Cruz River did not break up when the temperature reached the 100-degree mark at 12:59 p.m.
According to a traditional tale, the ice breaks up on the Santa Cruz when the 100-degree mark is reached.
Some say that the legend dates back to when water ran above ground, and picnickers used ice to cool their beer. When it reached 100 degrees, the chunks cracked.
Others say a reporter created the phrase before World War II as an allusion to the coming of spring on the Yukon River.
The 100-degree mark arrived a few days later than normal, according to Mazur. Usually, it reaches 100 on about May 29.
Mercury melts ice and record
May 21, 1980
The ice broke on the Santa Cruz River in traditional Tucson style when the mercury hit 100 degrees at 4:30 yesterday afternoon. At 5:15, a sizzling 101 set a record for the date.
National Weather Service officials said the heat is normal for this time of year, and that last year's high of 71 degrees on same date was one of nature's unseasonal quirks.
The previous record high of 100 degrees for May 20 was set in 1963.
The combination of the high temperature and low 6 percent humidity was disconcerting to Thomas Craig, a newcomer from Idaho who was baking like one of his home state's potatoes in front of a Congress Street magazine stand. "It's so hot," be said, "only one side of my tongue is wet."
Old-timers were quick to warn him that it will get hotter before it gets much cooler.
Mercury Tops 100° Mark
June 3, 1975
The mercury jumped over 100 degrees in Tucson for the first time this year yesterday when a high of 102 was recorded.
Last year, May 26 was the first time the 100-degree mark was reached when 103 was recorded. The last time 100 was reached here was Sept. 9, with 101.
According to today's forecast, Tucsonans can expect more hot weather. A high near 99 and a low in the mid-60s are forecast. The National Weather Service says a high of 96 is expected tomorrow.
Yesterday's pollen count was mesquite, 21; bermuda, 7; pine, 5; and privet, 10.
The average high temperature for May was 85, and the average low was 54.6. The highest temperature during May was 97 on May 15, and the lowest was 40 on May 6 and 7.
Total precipitation during the month, according to the National Weather Service, was .11 inches, .03 of an inch below normal.
The weather service reported that May was the 11th straight month of below normal temperatures, and said record lows were set on the 6th, 7th and 22nd.
Throughout the state yesterday, temperatures were hot. Phoenix tied a record 109 degrees for the date, set in 1968. Yuma reported a 104 and Winslow, 93.
Mercury Hits 101 In Tucson
May 18, 1970
8 Other Readings In State Top 100
The ice on the Santa Cruz finally melted yesterday, as temperatures reached 101 in Tucson. Arizona continued to be the hottest state in the country, with nine cities surpassing the 100 mark.
For the third consecutive day, Gila Bend was the nation's hottest city, with a recorded temperature of 112.
Tucson weather will continue clear and hot, says the weatherman, with even higher temperatures predicted for today. The high this afternoon will be 100 to 105 and the low tomorrow morning will be near 70.
Yesterday's Tucson extremes were 101 and 69. Last year's temperatures were 94 and 60. Record temperatures for the date were 102 in 1956 and 46 in 1944.
State weather continued to remain sunny and warm yesterday with no precipitation reported. Gila Bend's 112 was the Arizona high, and 32 reported in the Grand Canyon was the low. Little change in temperatures is expected in Arizona through Tuesday.
Most of the remainder of the country enjoyed sunny skies and summerlike temperatures yesterday with the exception of the New England and Middle Atlantic states.
Heavy rain was reported in portions of the New England region, with Portland, Me., receiving 1.17 inches in less than 12 hours. Most of the Eastern Seaboard states reported showers.
Some Arizona temperatures recorded yesterday were: Bisbee, 90-60; Buckeye, 111-65; Carefree, 103-69; Coolidge, 108-68; Douglas, 95-51; Flagstaff, 82-41; Ft. Huachuca, 91-60; Gila Bend, 112-70; Grand Canyon, 82-32; Kingman, 96-64; Parker, 110-67; Payson, 92-45; Phoenix, 108-70; Prescott, 86-48; Show Low, 84-45; Springerville, 80-36; Williams, 80-48; Winslow, 93-47; Youngtown, 111-65 and Yuma, 109-69.
First 100-degree Day Registered At Airport
May 30, 1965
Temperature in the Old Pueblo climbed to the century mark for the first time this year yesterday at Tucson International Airport's U.S. Weather Bureau station.
Previous high heading this year was 98, set on April 21 and 22, and May 19.
The official forecast calls for mostly fair weather today, tonight and tomorrow with little change in temperature.
High-low extremes expected are 100 and 65, with occasional breezes stirring up the warm air in the valley.
Temperature readings at the University of Arizona weather station ran from a low yesterday morning of 55 to a blistering high of 104. The UA high was still seven degrees below the record set for the date in 1910.
Nationally, showers are expected in the Upper Ohio Valley and along the Gulf Coast. California took dual honors for the hotspot as Imperial and Blythe scored high readings of 105.
The nation's icebox honors were shared by two midwestern states — Hibbing, Minn., and Marquette County, Mich., both scored low readings of 27.
Around the home state the temperature extremes were as follows: Bisbee 90-63, Douglas 93-52, Flagstaff 74-30, Ft. Huachuca 93-58, Gila Bend 104-66, Grand Canyon 71-41, Phoenix 104-58, Safford 96-54, Tucson, 100-61, Yuma 103-70.
Mercury Hits 102: Ice Jam Broken On Santa Cruz
May 12, 1960
The ice broke on the Santa Cruz River yesterday — that's the Tucson way of saying the mercury topped the magic mark of 100 for the first time this year. In fact, the temperature shot past the century line and stopped at a hot 102.
Thus another weather record bit the burning dust. The previous high for a May 11 recorded at the U.S. Weather Bureau was 98, in 1941.
Yesterday's reading was nine degrees above this date last year, but it was also 11 degrees below Yuma's high, where a sizzling 113 degrees made it the hottest spot in the nation yesterday.
The Weather Bureau's forecast for Tucson calls for clear days and nights with continued high temperatures. Today's high is expected to be between 100 and 105, with a low around 63. Yesterday's low was 62.
High-low readings at the University weather station yesterday were 107-62, and the previous record high for a May 11 in the university records was a 102, notched back in 1934. The high downtown was 103 as noted on Tucson Federal's time-temperature sign.
Mean temperature yesterday was 82 at the airport, a full 10 degrees above normal for the date. Humidity was low all day, dropping to 7 per cent in the late afternoon after a morning high of 25 per cent.
Some temperature extremes around the state yesterday were Douglas 97-55, Flagstaff 80-37, Gila Bend 111-72, Globe 100-52, Grand Canyon 83-49, Payson 95-45, Phoenix 107-69, Prescott 91-51, Safford 99-55, Winslow 90-49, and Yuma 113-68.
'Ice' Breaks Up In Santa Cruz; Mercury Hits 100
May 30, 1955
As Tucson's old timers say:
"The ice cracked in the Santa Cruz yesterday."
The mercury in the Old Pueblo surged past the 100 mark for the first time this year at both the municipal airport and at the University of Arizona.
It was 101 at the airport and 102½ at the UA.
And to prove that the mercury is hitting its summer stride, the weatherman says it will be more than 100 again today.
Oh, well, it's a holiday.
Mercury Hits 103 First Time in '50
June 11, 1950
The last of the ice melted in the Santa Cruz yesterday as the mercury in the thermometer lost its grip and soared to 103.
This was the first 103 registered by Tucson quicksilver since Sept. 1 last year, the U.S. weather bureau at the municipal airport said.
As if that wasn't high enough, the University of Arizona weather station reported its maximum as 105 degrees.
The U.S. weather bureau figure is considered as being official.
Ice in other streams throughout the state didn't fare much better than that of the Santa Cruz. Phoenix had a high of 102, it was 82 at the Grand Canyon, and Yuma, like Tucson, had 103.
Hottest town in the whole United States was Gila Bend. There the official high was 105—just like the U.A. campus.
Eureka, Calif., was the nation's coolest with a 57 maximum.
Today's weather bureau forecast for Tucson and environs is variable high cloudiness today and tonight with little change in temperature.
The opening bars of the hot weather symphony have begun to be played.
Big Jim: Southern Arizona's summer heat
May 23, 2013
Back in the late 1950s, I was driving a canvas-topped, open-sided Jeep from Southern California to Tucson. It was about half-past June, and I was taking the southern route through Yuma. The temperature was somewhere over 105, and I made a lot of stops for cold drinks.
All through the Imperial Valley of California, people were moaning and complaining about the heat. I finally crossed the Colorado, and stopped at a filling station on the outskirts of Yuma. It hadn’t cooled off any.
“Seems to be warming up,” I remarked to the station attendant when he came out to pour my gas. (Remember, this was in the 1950s, when that sort of thing happened.) “Yep,” he replied, “ if it keeps up like this, the snow will start melting on the north sides of the saguaros any day now.” All of a sudden I knew I was home!
I’ve not heard that particular way of expressing the summer heat before or since (except when I’ve used it myself!), but the humorous exaggeration it employs is certainly traditional in our region. In Tucson for years, the coded description of the first day of over 100 degrees was “when the ice breaks on the Santa Cruz.” (Not “melts”, mind you, but “breaks.”) One or another of the dailies would usually rise to the occasion with a fine, detailed story.
The last few times such a story ran, I seem to remember letters to the editor chiding the editorial staff for childish frivolity. Another local tradition gone west. But the practice carries on in the spoken word.
My friend Joe Harris fondly remembers driving by the old Shamrock Dairy farm in June, and seeing the cows lying on their backs, giving themselves milk baths.
But my favorite story involves the late Julian Hayden, dear friend and quintessential Desert Rat. During World War II, Julian was working in Yuma. One summer day he was at the air base where bomber pilots were being trained. It was graduation day, and he chanced to walk by a young man wearing a new uniform.
“How do you locals stand this heat?” asked the soldier. “Oh,” replied Julian, “it’s not really hot. When it’s really hot you can drop a raw egg and it will be hard-boiled before it hits the ground.”
A couple of hours later, Julian saw the same young man. His trousers were splattered with raw egg, and he was furious. “You lied to me!” he said. “Look at the mess you had me make!”
Julian replied with his sweetest, most innocent smile. “But I told you it wasn’t really hot.”
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/tucsons-april-warmer-than-normal-and-bone-dry/article_a61f94d6-e923-11ed-a40e-878ce9c71bed.html | 2023-05-02T22:48:03 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/tucsons-april-warmer-than-normal-and-bone-dry/article_a61f94d6-e923-11ed-a40e-878ce9c71bed.html |
Finkam takes early lead in Carmel mayor's race
Early returns from the Hamilton County Elections Office show Sue Finkam leading the Carmel Republican mayoral primary with 39% of the vote.
Finkam is running against former Hamilton County Councilor Fred Glynn and City Councilor Kevin "Woody" Rider in the Republican primary to replace longtime Mayor Jim Brainard. Rider has 31% of the vote and Glynn has 30%, according to the results released just after polls closed at 6 p.m. The numbers include walk-in voting and absentee ballots.
None of the county's 205 precincts have reported Election Day results yet.
The winner of Tuesday’s primary race will face Democratic City Councilor Miles Nelson in the November general election.
Through nearly 30 years leading the city, Brainard transformed Carmel from a small town to a city of around 100,000 people, with nearly 150 roundabouts and an active downtown.
More:Indiana Election Day 2023: Live results from counties around the state
More:Future direction of Carmel is on the ballot in May with Brainard retiring
More:Republican candidates for Carmel mayor launch television ads ahead of primary election
Brainard stepped into the primary in April when he endorsed Rider for the primary and said Carmel’s progress could stop if the right person is not elected in the May race. Brainard is concerned about Glynn, who lost in the 2019 primary on a message of fiscal conservatism.
Rider has led his opponents with a massive campaign war chest. His campaign reported pre-primary cash on hand at around $377,000, more than five-and-a-half times Finkam, his closest opponent. Both Rider and Finkam, though, have been on TV and have flooded Carmel homes with mailers.
Rider and Finkam have largely supported Brainard’s policies and want to build on the mayor’s vision for Carmel, but a rift grew between the candidates when Finkam accused Rider of threatening campaign donors with no city contracts if they did not support his campaign. Rider has strongly denied the allegations.
As mayor, Finkam said she would focus on bringing more community involvement into the city government, including releasing a community survey of Carmel residents, establishing a public safety advisory council and investing in an international center to recognize the city's diversity.
Glynn said he would take Carmel in a different direction than the last 28 years under Brainard, focusing instead on preserving green space and slowing development and reigning in the city’s debt and spending. He ran against Brainard in 2019, the mayor’s closest opponent in decades, with a similar message of fiscal responsibility.
Rider said as mayor he would not deviate much from Brainard's vision for Carmel, which the councilman said he had a hand in during his 16 years on the Carmel City Council and the city's plan commission. He said he would bring additional communication from the city to developers and residents as well as provide more offerings to Carmel seniors and young people to continue making the city a long-term home for its residents.
Contact IndyStar's Carmel and Westfield reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com or 317-779-4468. Follow her on Twitter @CarloniBrittany. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/carmel/2023/05/02/republicans-sue-finkam-fred-glynn-kevin-woody-rider-primary-carmel-mayor/70153754007/ | 2023-05-02T22:48:15 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/carmel/2023/05/02/republicans-sue-finkam-fred-glynn-kevin-woody-rider-primary-carmel-mayor/70153754007/ |
Pima Community College sophomore Andrew Stucky has been named the ACCAC Player of the Year, as well as a first-team all-conference and all-region selection.
Stucky, a graduate of Canyon del Oro High School, slashed .359/.480/.603 with five home runs and 37 RBIs in 156 at-bats during the regular season. Stucky, a catcher who's committed to UTSA, also had a fielding percentage of .975.
Five other Aztecs earned all-ACCA and/or All-Region I recognition: catcher/DH Hunter Faildo, infielders Gage Mestas and Rocco Gump, and pitchers Matt Cornelius and J.T. Drake.
No. 3 Pima will play at No. 2 South Mountain Community College in the NJCAA Region I, Division I semifinals later this week. The first game of the best-of-three series is at 2 p.m. Thursday.
Contact sports reporter Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On Twitter: @michaeljlev | https://tucson.com/sports/local/pima-baseballs-andrew-stucky-a-canyon-del-oro-grad-named-accac-player-of-the-year/article_f87fe522-e933-11ed-b8b2-c71e13e1a60a.html | 2023-05-02T22:48:15 | 0 | https://tucson.com/sports/local/pima-baseballs-andrew-stucky-a-canyon-del-oro-grad-named-accac-player-of-the-year/article_f87fe522-e933-11ed-b8b2-c71e13e1a60a.html |
3 Republicans vie to be Westfield mayor
Voters in Westfield cast ballots this primary election for their first new mayor in 16 years and a mostly new City Council.
Three Republican candidates are vying to replace Andy Cook, who is retiring after four terms. Two of the candidates serve on the council and the third on the city’s Plan Commission.
Only two of the council’s seven incumbents are seeking reelection, assuring that newcomers will hold at least five seats.
This story will be updated as soon as results begin to roll in.
Kristen Burkman, Jake Gilbert, Scott Willis seek to replace Andy Cook
One-term Councilor Jake Gilbert is running for mayor on a platform that promises more deliberative and thoughtful growth in the city. Gilbert said he will update the city’s development guidelines and preserve existing neighborhoods and community assets, such as parks and trails.
Gilbert is the Westfield High School football coach and led the Shamrocks to a Class 5A championship in 2016. He is the dean of wellness at Westfield High School and president of the Westfield Wellbeing Coalition.
Mayoral candidate Scott Willis, also a city councilor, said he would focus on diversifying the city’s tax base and drawing businesses to Westfield. Willis wants to expand downtown Westfield and draw more visitors to the area, as well as encourage home construction of a variety of homes, offices and businesses.
Willis is a retired 30-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, serves on the Westfield Washington Public Library Board, and works for recruiting firm Theoris Search and property company Jarhead Holdings.
Plan Commission member Kristen Burkman said she would steer the city toward "data-driven" initiatives that could help bring businesses to Westfield and wants to concentrate on rebuilding Westfield’s downtown along the State Road 32 corridor.
Burkman is a former employee at Delta Faucet who's completing work on a doctorate in leadership through Marymount University in Washington, D.C. She has never run for office before.
No Democrats are running in the mayoral primary, although the party could put a candidate on the general election ballot later.
Westfield City Council candidates
The two incumbents running for council seats are Republicans Scott Frei in District 4 and Mike Johns in District 5.
In District 4, Frei faces Patrick Tamm, with the winner squaring off against Democrat Alexis Lowry in November.
In District 5, Johns is being challenged by Noah Herron in the Republican primary.
Other primary races, all among Republicans: In District 1, Jon Dartt faces Mark F. Keen. In District 2, Victor McCarty is running against Andrew Bouse. And in District 3, Joe Duepner is pitted against Justin C. Griffiths.
For the two at-large seats, Republicans Brian Tomamichel, Kurt Wanninger and Chad Huff are competing in the Republican primary, with the top two advancing to the general election along with unopposed Democrat Gary Lane.
At-large Republican Councilors Cindy Spoljaric and Troy Patton and District 2 Councilor Joe Edwards are not running for reelection.
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/westfield/2023/05/02/westfield-indiana-primary-3-candidates-mayor-5-council-seats-open/70170620007/ | 2023-05-02T22:48:21 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/westfield/2023/05/02/westfield-indiana-primary-3-candidates-mayor-5-council-seats-open/70170620007/ |
OCALA, Fla. – The business manager of an education nonprofit in Marion County turned herself in Tuesday amid an investigation into a years-long fraud scheme, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said that on April 24, detectives contacted the executive director of Silver River Mentoring & Instruction — a nonprofit group that provides mentoring and education services to at-risk youth in Marion and Citrus counties.
In a release, deputies explained that detectives reached out to the director to discuss a potential organized fraud case involving 41-year-old Danielle Liles, who had worked as a business manager for the nonprofit since 2002.
The director told detectives that Liles had been stealing money from the nonprofit since 2016 and that Liles had admitted to the fraud because of an upcoming financial audit, the release shows.
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Liles had arrived at the nonprofit’s Citrus County location on April 21 to begin the audit, and during the meeting, she admitted to giving herself extra paychecks since 2016 while providing records as proof, deputies said.
According to the sheriff’s office, Liles had stated that she stole the money from the company because “she became addicted to it.”
An investigation found that Liles had made 137 fraudulent checks to herself since 2016 — totaling more than $766,000, detectives said.
The checks included either overpayments for her actual wages or entirely separate checks outside of her normal pay, according to the release.
On Tuesday, Lile turned herself into the Marion County Jail, deputies announced.
Liles faces a charge of organized fraud in excess of $50,000. She is held on bond of $25,000.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/addicted-to-it-marion-nonprofit-manager-accused-of-stealing-over-766k-in-yearslong-fraud-scheme/ | 2023-05-02T22:48:21 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/addicted-to-it-marion-nonprofit-manager-accused-of-stealing-over-766k-in-yearslong-fraud-scheme/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – This week, leaders in the local religious community are coming together to address something that’s become a big issue across Central Florida — homelessness.
According to Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, the organization has helped house more than 4,000 homeless people in the last year, but there are still at least 2,600 people in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties and nearly a third are under 18.
Parramore resident Verndale Johnson said with inflation and her rising rent, it’s tough.
“I’m a disability check away from being homeless,” Johnson said.
And she knows she’s not alone.
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She was relieved to know that this coming Thursday, May 4, a group of pastors from across Central Florida are coming together at the Christian Service Center in Parramore for a Pastor’s Conference on Homelessness. The purpose is to share ideas and find creative ways to better address what they’re calling a housing crisis in our area.
“I’m seeing this not only with my church congregation but the community at large,” said Rev. Dr. Robert Spooney.
Spooney is senior pastor at Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist church in Parramore. He’s among the 40 or so pastors who will be at Thursday’s conference.
“If you have a heart of compassion, it ought to make you want to do something,” Spooney said. “We just can’t sit and do nothing about this situation, let’s see how we can help.”
He said his church is receiving more calls since the pandemic from people needing help with housing.
The number of people found to be living without shelter in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties has increased by 38% in the past year and by 75% since the pandemic, according to the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida.
Eric Gray runs the Christian Service Center where Thursday’s pastors’ conference will be. His centers are aimed at connecting people daily with food, medicine, housing and jobs.
“In 2020, we were probably assisting 40-50 families a year with rental assistance. This year, it’ll probably be closer to 400,” Gray said. “We don’t want to see these people going through this type of horrifying experience. It really is terrible. It’s a nightmare.”
There are many organizations that work to help people in need of shelter and food, like the Christian Service Center, the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida, and more.
In Orlando alone, the city said it helped more than 2,000 families find housing since 2020 through its emergency rental assistance program.
The city of Orlando sent News 6 this statement:
“Since the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected the Orlando community, the city of Orlando has successfully distributed approximately $18 million to provide assistance to residents and families who have been financially impacted. This has included helping more than 2,000 households through the city’s Emergency Rental Assistance Programs of ERAP1 and ERAP2. Previously, with funding from the CARES Act, the city assisted more than 550 households.”
City of Orlando
Orlando Residents can click here for housing assistance: Housing Assistance Programs - City of Orlando
More information about Orange County’s emergency rental assistance program is available on its website.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/central-florida-religious-leaders-working-to-address-homelessness/ | 2023-05-02T22:48:27 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/central-florida-religious-leaders-working-to-address-homelessness/ |
MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A Summerfield driver was arrested early Friday morning after nearly striking a deputy during a separate traffic stop, according to the sheriff’s office.
In a release, the department said on April 28 around 2:50 a.m., a deputy had just finished up a traffic stop in the 14800 block of SE 47th Ave. that ended with a person’s car being towed.
While the deputy was handing paperwork to the tow truck driver, a blue pickup truck sped by, nearly striking both the deputy’s patrol car and the tow truck, the release shows.
The deputy then began to chase the truck, which was seen crossing over the road’s center line several times, deputies said.
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According to the sheriff’s office, the deputy tried to pull the truck over, but the truck — driven by Ryan Wilkins, 39 — instead turned into a driveway in the 15700 block of SE 47th Ave.
The deputy called for Wilkins to exit the truck, but he instead fled the scene, eventually surrendering after a short pursuit, deputies stated.
“I’m not trying to — I live here, buddy,” Wilkins can be head saying on body camera video. “I’m not trying to do nothing. I don’t know why (inaudible).”
Video of the chase was posted to the sheriff’s office’s social media page.
During Wilkins’ arrest, deputies said he smelled of alcohol and was slurring his words. Wilkins also refused to perform field sobriety exercises or provide a breath sample, the release reads.
Wilkins faces charges of DUI and fleeing from law enforcement. He was held on a $3,000 bond.
“Please, do your part to keep emergency workers and others safe, and remember to move over!” the sheriff’s office said.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/move-over-marion-driver-arrested-after-nearly-hitting-patrol-car-tow-truck-deputies-say/ | 2023-05-02T22:48:34 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/move-over-marion-driver-arrested-after-nearly-hitting-patrol-car-tow-truck-deputies-say/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – A man who wants to build a commercial dog-breeding kennel in Orange County is now facing negative feedback from neighbors and animal-welfare advocates who are concerned over what they believe is a “puppy mill.”
Juan Valencia told News 6 that he wants people opposing his idea of bringing his breeding facility, Bright Pets, to Orlando to understand that it’s not going to be run like a puppy mill or a pet store.
“We want to do it right, and it’s going to be a state-of-the-art where the dogs will be in the best conditions ever possible,” Valencia said. “All our dogs are FCI, which is higher than ATC. Not all the breeders have it. Puppy mills definitely, they don’t know what they’re breeding. They don’t know where the adult dogs are coming from. We do know where they’re coming from. They’re coming from top breeders around the world.”
Valencia said he’s been in the breeding business for 17 years starting in Canada, but he now plans to move to Central Florida with his 64 dogs across seven different breeds. Among the breeds are Yorkshires, Dachshunds and Maltese.
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For some Orange County residents, they believe that a new breeding facility is just going to worsen the animal overpopulation issues that the county already is dealing with.
“It will set a precedent, and the commercial aspect of it to be permitted here in our community is just — we’re just flabbergasted,” Orlando resident Jeannie McKnight said.
An issue for Michele Wacker and Mcknight is that both women live close to where the breeding facility would be located in Orlando’s Lake Pickett area.
“Orange County already has a pet overpopulation problem. In fact, we’re building a new animal control in 2024. The tax payers are paying for it, and we banned the retail sale of puppies that are sourced from facilities just like Mr. Santa is going to build up the street,” Wacker said. “You do not build a 5,000 square-foot metal monstrosity with almost 60 kennels in it to breed dogs for yourself. He’s obviously breeding dogs to sell.”
Valencia said that his biggest challenge is getting opponents to understand his proposal.
“The challenge for us is people taking the time to understand our project. That’s the biggest challenge because people don’t want to — they just made up an idea, and they don’t want to hear the story,” he said.
According to Valencia, the facility is different from a puppy mill because he makes sure to provide good living conditions and care for his dogs.
“That space will allow us to have two indoor playgrounds where dogs can play and two outside playgrounds where dogs will spend limited time outside,” Valencia said. “The main difference is the standards that we have. We do a lot of research. We have a veterinarian that’s gonna be in charge of our dogs.”
However, Wacker, who ran a rescue organization in Orlando a few years ago, said she’s not convinced.
“He only has to breed to supply inventory to sell the puppies, so the only difference between him and a pet store is that he breeds his own inventory. It’s still a pet store,” Wacker said.
On Thursday, Valencia has a hearing before the zoning department for a zoning exception.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/proposal-for-orlando-pet-breeding-facility-faces-opposition-from-residents/ | 2023-05-02T22:48:40 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/proposal-for-orlando-pet-breeding-facility-faces-opposition-from-residents/ |
MELBOURNE, Fla. – A retired Melbourne woman issued two checks to the Department of Economic Opportunity’s trust fund after receiving unemployment overpayment notices totaling $850.
Debbie Potchik worked part-time for a cruise line company but lost her job in March 2020 because of COVID-19.
She said she applied for benefits and was approved, so the overpayment notices did not make sense.
“They said failure to repay would result in court action,” she said. ”A collection agency would be contacted.”
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Potchik told News 6 that the DEO notice was intimidating, so she decided to make the payments to avoid legal action.
She said she wanted to appeal the overpayment, but she had a difficult time getting through to the DEO offices.
“You can’t reach anybody,” she said. “It’s just like a round-robin type of thing. It takes you to one voicemail to the next, to the next.”
Potchik said she was finally able to file an appeal online, and the mediator ruled in her favor.
Unfortunately, he told her that getting the money back would be difficult.
“He said, ‘Debbie, I wish you hadn’t paid because I don’t know how you’re going to get your money back,’” she recalled. “You’re probably going to need to go to an outside source to help you.”
Potchik contacted News 6 and Make Ends Meet for help.
In turn, News 6 presented her documents to the DEO investigators, and the money was cleared for repayment.
“I knew that if I needed someone to help me get the money back on this, it would be your team,” she said. “You guys are all amazing. I appreciate your help in this so much.”
DEO Press Secretary Leigh McGowan told News 6, “Claimants who received Reemployment Assistance benefits during the weeks beginning March 1, 2020, through Sept. 4, 2021, were still required to fully complete the claim process.”
If a claimant failed to submit the required employment documents and/or respond to the fact-finding questions, an overpayment was established, " McGowan said. “For claimants who have overpayment at no fault of their own, a dedicated staff is available to help claimants resolve their overpayments, including support to complete the claim process and submit required documentation.”
If you have a consumer or unemployment issue, email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text the words make ends meet to 407-676-7428.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/retired-melbourne-woman-pays-850-deo-overpayment-fights-to-get-it-back/ | 2023-05-02T22:48:47 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/02/retired-melbourne-woman-pays-850-deo-overpayment-fights-to-get-it-back/ |
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE — Work is set to begin this fall on improvements to the Cape May County Veterans’ Cemetery in the county’s Crest Haven complex.
The project is expected to take years to complete, with aesthetic improvements, road resurfacing and the creation of a grander, “more patriotic” entrance, county officials said in a news release. The Cape May County Board of Commissioners recently authorized a multiyear, phased approach for the project.
“After more than 40 years in service, we want to enhance the grounds and the visitor experience through natural beauty,” said Commissioner Jeffrey Pierson, who is also a retired Army brigadier general. “We intend to accomplish these goals by complementing the natural environment with plant material throughout the cemetery and along the perimeter which will provide privacy, attractive sight lines, and seasonal natural color.”
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In a statement announcing the work, the county did not include a total expected cost, and there was no immediate response to a request for a cost estimate.
The county has approved a landscape architecture contract with the firm Melillo-Bauer-Carman, set to develop renderings for the first phase of the work by the end of this month.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP — More than 200 people attended Stockton University’s first Community and …
New asphalt pavement for the entire cemetery complex is expected to be completed by the end of June and Phase 1 construction will start in the fall, according to county officials.
“The county is making a major commitment to further beautifying the Veterans’ Cemetery and to ensure it remains a place of honor to our veterans and our citizens for many years to come,” said Commissioner Andrew Bulakowski, who is the liaison to the county Department of Facilities and Services.
Additional seating for private reflection, new signs and other enhancements are planned.
County officials say there will be minimal disruptions while the work is underway.
“The Department of Facilities and Services has hired a full-time cemetery superintendent to maintain the 17.6-acre grounds and work with Veterans Affairs to coordinate burials without interruption,” reads a statement from the county on the project. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/improvements-planned-at-cape-may-county-veterans-cemetery/article_d87121f8-e931-11ed-90e4-d718fbfe3ae8.html | 2023-05-02T22:49:05 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/improvements-planned-at-cape-may-county-veterans-cemetery/article_d87121f8-e931-11ed-90e4-d718fbfe3ae8.html |
OCEAN CITY — City officials are exploring the possibility of an additional tax on units rented through apps such as Vrbo or Airbnb.
City Council member Bob Barr raised the possibility, saying it had been a budgetary windfall for other communities.
He said the rental apps add the local tax to their bills, so there would be no administrative costs for the city.
“It’s basically found money,” he said. “It doesn’t really cost the city anything.”
The proposal came as council prepared for a vote to introduce a $98.9 million budget that includes an increase to the local tax rate by 1.7 cents, bringing the tax rate per $100 of assessed property value to 49.67 cents, which works out to $2,483.50 in city taxes for a home assessed at $500,000. That does not include school or county taxes.
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A public hearing and final vote are planned for May 25.
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City Finance Director Frank Donato presented the spending plan to council, saying little has changed from the original proposal from Mayor Jay Gillian, including some additional grant money.
Donato told the governing body the administration was preparing a report on the potential of an additional local occupancy tax.
“The mayor’s already instructed us to look into this. We are gathering our facts. We plan on reporting those to you,” he said. “We’d also like to consider how it would interact with current rental registration ordinance.”
Barr said the city needs to continue to find new sources of revenue and not depend on taxpayers.
The city brings in millions from beach tags and parking fees, as well as revenue from other sources.
Council member Karen Bergman said she had advocated for a similar tax some time ago, but there was an issue as to whether the city could impose it only on units rented through online systems, and not on the hotel rooms and weekly rentals that are a significant part of the city’s economy.
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“That’s where I got pushback a while ago,” Bergman said.
Room rentals are subject to New Jersey’s sales tax of 6.625%. There is also a state occupancy fee of 5% for the rental of hotel rooms, although the rate is reduced in Atlantic City, the Wildwoods and other locations, where there was already a local room tax.
According to the state Treasury Department, towns can add a fee of up to 3%.
In Cape May County, Cape May, West Cape May, Lower Township and Middle Township are shown to have imposed the 3% local room tax, with Cape May increasing that amount from 2% last year.
But nothing is certain for Ocean City, which in any case does not expect any impact on this year’s budget. At the Thursday City Council meeting, Gillian asked council to be careful about its discussions, and how they could be perceived in the community.
“I just want to be careful. We say something, it gets on Chatter, and then it becomes law,” Gillian said, referencing a city-focused page on Facebook. “Without the whole story, somebody that might not like it takes one little thing and blow (it) up. Next thing we know, we’ve got the whole room filled. I’m really asking this time to just give us time to get the information.”
“The important thing is to gather the facts, take it slow, inform the stakeholders and get it right,” Donato said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/ocean-city-to-look-at-additional-room-tax/article_1aaaae74-e92b-11ed-89a8-57cb3c74c9ca.html | 2023-05-02T22:49:06 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/ocean-city-to-look-at-additional-room-tax/article_1aaaae74-e92b-11ed-89a8-57cb3c74c9ca.html |
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