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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — If you're planning to use your driver's license or identification card to board a flight within the U.S., you have one year left before the REAL ID deadline.
Starting May 3, 2023, a California REAL ID will need to be added to your driver's license or existing ID card to continue using it as federally accepted identification.
Besides needing it to enter certain federal buildings REAL ID can also be used as identification to board flights.
Visit REALID.dmv.ca.gov to start your application and upload your documents before visiting your local DMV office to finish the process.
Documents needed:
- One proof of identity
- Two proofs of California residency
- Your social security number
“The California DMV has taken many steps to make getting a REAL ID as easy and convenient as possible,” said DMV Director Steve Gordon. “By going online to fill out the application and upload necessary documents, customers can get in and out of a field office in minutes. I encourage Californians to get their REAL ID now to beat the expected rush as the federal enforcement deadline draws closer.”
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security first announced the phased enforcement plan in 2013, and half of all the states have already met the REAL ID minimum standards.
While a passport may allow you to fly within the U.S., a REAL ID does not replace a passport for international travel.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/real-id-deadline/103-bd001ce0-b581-4991-adfa-e2168b6102d1
| 2022-05-04T06:02:20
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/real-id-deadline/103-bd001ce0-b581-4991-adfa-e2168b6102d1
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The gunman found guilty in the deadly shooting of another man at a popular Times Square bar in 2017 was sentenced to up to life in prison, according to officials.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said that Christopher Rivas was sentenced Tuesday to 23 years to life in prison for the Dec. 19, 2017 shooting that took the life of 33-year-old Perseus Salichs just outside of the now-defunct Tonic Bar in midtown. The district attorney's office said they had recommended 25 years to life.
Rivas, who was 30 at the time of the shooting, was previously convicted of murder in Salichs' death. He initially also faced charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance and intent to sell and criminal possession of marijuana.
Police had said Salichs, of Manhattan, was shot in the pre-dawn hours after some sort of argument.
A witness who works across the street previously told NBC New York that he didn't see any sort of altercation, but that the suspect just shot the victim, wordlessly, as the victim walked out of the bar.
"There was no fight or anything like that," the witness said. "It was so quiet. They just came out of the club and we heard the shot."
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-deadly-2017-shooting-at-times-square-bar/3673524/
| 2022-05-04T06:28:43
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-for-deadly-2017-shooting-at-times-square-bar/3673524/
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It appears hardware and software failures caused the cameras at a Brooklyn subway station to malfunction the day before a gunman allegedly opened fire on a train, injuring dozens of riders.
According to a letter from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to the Homeland Security Committee, the failure affected cameras at the 25th street, 36th street and 45th street stations along the D/N/Q/R lines in Sunset Park.
The committee said on April 7th — five days before the shooting — the MTA discovered a fan issue with the system, but that issue did not affect the video feeds. Technicians worked to solve the fan issue, but on the morning of April 11th — one day before the shooting — the video feeds failed.
The committee says the system has now been repaired.
The MTA had been on the hot seat in Washington after the subway shooting in Brooklyn that rattled the city, as local congressional members demanded answers as to why the cameras malfunctioned at the time of the morning rush hour attack.
Just over a week after the attack, the MTA got a letter signed by three members of the New York congressional delegation specifically asking how much federal money is spent on maintaining cameras — an important issue for the politicians, given that the transit agency is given millions of federal security dollars annually.
A total of 10 members of Congress added their names to the list of people looking for answers after the stern letter was sent to MTA Chair Janno Lieber. That letter said the subway system is NYC's lifeblood, and detailed how the agency got tens of millions of federal grant dollars in 2020 and 2021 — and received even more for 2022.
Funding for the agency currently stands at $93 million, leading lawmakers to question the functionality of all the MTA's cameras.
"My view is nothing is more important than the safety of the subway system," Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres said in April. He serves as the vice chairman of the Homeland Security Committee and is helping lead the investigation effort.
He and the other two members of New York's congressional delegation who signed the letter had said the need for answers is critical, given the overall spike in crime in the subways.
"There has been a series of shooting. Stabbings. Slashing and shoving a that have shaken confidence in the subway system," Torres said.
After the April 12 attack at the 36th Street station in Sunset Park, police sources told NBC New York that the inability to access the station cameras slowed down the investigation. Had it not been for cell phone video, there would be little to no video showing what happened in the immediate aftermath of the alleged gunman opening fire and shooting 10 passengers on the packed N train.
A representative for the MTA said the cameras malfunctioned that day because of an internet server issue, and that the agency has "made significant use of the Transit Security Grant Program, but we have been disappointed that funding has been flat since 2012."
The MTA refuted claims that the malfunctioning camera hampered the investigation. Staffers said other video and other evidence in the system proved to be critical.
The letter from the members of Congress requested specifics from the agency regarding their camera system, such as: how often the cameras are audited; timelines for addressing issues; and how much is spent on installing, maintaining and upgrading the MTA’s more than 10,100 cameras systemwide.
"We have a right to know whether the cameras are working effectively," said Torres. "My message to the MTA is that the federal government is watching."
After a 30-hour manhunt, police located and arrested suspect Frank James in Manhattan.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mta-explains-why-camera-in-sunset-park-station-malfunctioned-during-subway-shooting/3673517/
| 2022-05-04T06:28:49
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/mta-explains-why-camera-in-sunset-park-station-malfunctioned-during-subway-shooting/3673517/
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Paper or plastic? Starting Wednesday in New Jersey, the answer to that question will be neither — so shoppers better be ready to bring bags from home to the grocery store.
That's because the state's plastic bag ban is now in effect, and it goes beyond just single-use plastic bags at the grocery checkout.
All grocery stores over 2,500 square feet will be banned from giving out or selling both the plastic and paper bags that have been staples at checkouts for decades. Styrofoam containers, like the ones used for take-out food, will also be banned as the nation's strictest plastics laws go into effect.
The ban applies to stores and restaurants, not consumers, who will still be able to buy plastic baggies, garbage bags and the like.
Clean Ocean Action has been fighting for decades to ban the plastics that, lightweight as they are, amount to millions of pounds of trash every year, winding up in oceans and landfills without breaking down. The new law hopes to take a chunk out of the number of plastic bags used by New Jersey residents, which previously had been about 4.4 billion a year.
Stew Leonards' stores, like the one in Paramus, have been using environmentally friendly paper bags for thirty years, but next week, those too will be no more.
"You can still use it for meats, produce. I think it's a great way to take care of the environment, so New Jersey is trying to lead the charge on this and other states will follow soon," said the store's manager, Dane Morris.
The store has spent months prepping its shoppers for the change, offering half price reusable bags for the weeks leading up to and following the switch.
"We tell everyone because you don't want them to be unprepared next week — pack the stuff in the cart and take it out to their car," said cashier Vinny Serra. "We all tell them when the ban starts, got the sign right here, sign outside the store."
Some stores were giving away free grocery tote bags in recent days and weeks. While getting one is not exactly like winning the lottery, for most shoppers the reusable bags will be key to bringing home the bacon — along with all the other groceries.
Stores like Stop & Shop have said after giving away free bags, it will sell cheaper bags for just 50 cents, and the store suggests that no customer will be denied a way to get their groceries home.
It will certainly take some getting used to, but when shoppers go inside after next week, be prepared to BYOB (Bring Your Own Bag, that is) because the cashier won’t have a bag to put groceries into.
Those who wish to continue using their own paper or plastic bags can do so if they bring them on their own, but the grocery stores themselves will not be able to provide them any longer.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nj-plastic-bag-ban-goes-into-effect-starting-wednesday-what-you-need-to-know/3673544/
| 2022-05-04T06:28:55
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nj-plastic-bag-ban-goes-into-effect-starting-wednesday-what-you-need-to-know/3673544/
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Police are searching for a suspect after video showed him punch and kick a 77-year-old man in the face after the two appeared to get into a disagreement on a Bronx sidewalk.
The violent incident took place around 1:30 p.m. on Monday in the Concourse section, according to police. Security video showed the two men talking to one another, with the older man clutching a cane, and police said it escalated into an argument.
Before long, the suspect punched the other man in the face, knocking him to the ground. But he didn't stop there, throwing his drink at the suspect and kicking him in the face, police said.
The victim was identified by sources as 77-year-old Gerardo Cabeza. He was taken to St. Barnabas Hospital, where he is expected to recover.
"Oh my god, he’s my neighbor! Oh my God. He always sits down in the morning every single day. He’s so friendly. He’s very good person. I feel so sad about that," said neighbor Mirka Caro Rivera. "I talk with him every single day. He’s friendly he’s nice."
Those who know Cabeza were stunned to see the video of him getting beaten in front of his own home. Those who live in the building said Cabeza would sit on the front stoop and greet people as they passed.
Police said Cabeza told them the man was trying to rob him, but didn’t end up taking anything. What prompted the man to attack him like that was not clear.
"When the people walk in the street he says bye, hello, God bless you. He’s a very good person, so I feel so sad about that," Rivera said.
Anyone with information regarding the suspect is asked to contact police.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/video-shows-77-year-old-man-get-punched-and-kicked-in-face-on-nyc-sidewalk/3673478/
| 2022-05-04T06:29:02
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/video-shows-77-year-old-man-get-punched-and-kicked-in-face-on-nyc-sidewalk/3673478/
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BOISE, Idaho — A leaked Supreme Court (SCOTUS) draft opinion shows interest in overturning nearly 50 years of precedent and striking down Roe v. Wade (1973).
POLITICO published the leaked document Monday evening.
Roe v. Wade established a federal right for women to access abortion; however, "... the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion... the authority to regulate abortion must be returned to the people and their elected representatives," according to the draft opinion.
"Last night's leaked opinion makes it clear our deepest fears are coming true," Planned Parenthood Idaho State Director, Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman said. "Our right to abortion is being crushed right now. We are in the front lines in Idaho."
Tolman's fear is founded in what's colloquially known as a 'trigger' law. Trigger laws are official laws on the books, but they are not enforced until the state is granted sufficient authority to regulate the matter in question.
Idaho lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1385 during the 2020 legislative session. The law criminalizes health care providers for preforming abortion procedures. The felony charge is punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Exceptions for abortion exist only in the case of rape, incest, or to save the mother’s life.
This trigger law goes into effect within 30 days after, "the issuance of the judgment in any decision of the United States Supreme Court that restores to the states their authority to prohibit abortion," according to the law.
The draft opinion is not an official SCOTUS ruling and does not trigger this Idaho law. Planned Parenthood fears an official ruling could follow draft on a similar ground.
"The consequences of this supreme court decision will be swift and devastating nationwide, including right here in Idaho," DelliCarpini-Tolman said.
Idaho is one of 12 other states that have an abortion trigger law waiting in the wings, and not all health care providers are against the trigger law.
Brandi Swindell founded Stanton Healthcare in the Treasure Valley and calls the clinic "life-affirming healthcare."
"There is support already in place and service and healthcare for women facing unexpected pregnancies if and when Roe v. Wade is overturned," Swindell said. "I believe women deserve better than abortion."
Stanton provides women facing an unexpected pregnancy with cost-free healthcare through their full term. Ongoing healthcare is also provided for at least 18 months after birth, Swindell said.
"The pro-choice side is going to argue women are left with no support if they don't have unfettered access to abortion, but the truth is, Stanton is ready to go," Swindell said. "We have a proven track record of supporting women. We have a proven track record women want the services we provide."
At Stanton, 90% of women who view their ultrasound elect to go through with their pregnancy, Swindell said. Restricting abortion will disproportionately impact low-income earners who do not have the resources or travel for an abortion, according to DelliCarpini-Tolman.
Stanton has a mobile clinic they use to serve rural and underserved communities in response to this issue, according to Swindell. Regardless, Planned Parenthood argues the option for abortion is still necessary, because it is a service people will still want and need.
"If you need us, you can still come. Our doors are open. We are providing care in all six states across our affiliate," DelliCarpini-Tolman said. "We know our work has never been more vital."
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/planned-parenthood-front-lines-idaho-leaked-scotus-opinion/277-d7cb5a63-2c7a-450c-89f5-2afc7f5b537f
| 2022-05-04T06:51:38
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/planned-parenthood-front-lines-idaho-leaked-scotus-opinion/277-d7cb5a63-2c7a-450c-89f5-2afc7f5b537f
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9 ponies rescued from Berkley horse farm, 4 other animals found dead, owner charged
BERKLEY — The Animal Rescue League has charged a Berkley horse breeder with 13 counts of animal cruelty following its investigation with Berkley Police and the Massachusetts Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Investigators rescued nine ponies and found three dead ponies and a dead horse at the farm, Animal Rescue League Lt. Alan Borgal said Thursday.
“There was a deceased pony that we did a necropsy on, and it (death) was chronic starvation,” he said.
Borgal said Berkley resident Gary Bolger would be arraigned in Taunton District Court on May 18 to answer the charges.
“We have filed an application with criminal complaints, in which probable cause was found against Gary Bolger,” Borgal said during a press conference at Animal Rescue League’s shelter in Dedham on May 3.
Borgal said the charges against Bolger are primarily based on negligence or failure to care for the ponies properly.
“There are some intentional aspects of the neglect,” he said.
Borgal said Bolger could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison on each of the cruelty charges if a court jury convicts him.
The Gazette could not reach Bolger for comment Tuesday.
Borgal said Berkley Police got a phone call from a neighborhood resident about a “downed pony” at Bolger’s farm on March 6.
“Berkley Police and the animal control officer went down there, and they alerted us,” he said.
Real estate report:Taunton home with river sunset views flipped, resold for almost double
Borgal said investigators discovered nine ponies at the farm who were not being fed properly or receiving enough water to drink.
“We arranged for a surrender of nine horses,” he said. “The MSPCA took six (ponies), and we took three of which are here today. The owner was cooperative in surrendering the rest of the animals.”
Borgal said investigators also discovered three dead ponies and a dead horse at Bolger’s farm.
An Animal Rescue League summary states the three ponies being cared for at its Dedham shelter are considered “thin to emaciated” and receiving medical care and a feeding plan to restore their health.
The six ponies at the MSPCA farm in Methuen are also considered “emaciated” and receiving care from staffers.
'Would you want to drink that water?':How much of these 'forever chemicals' is in the water in your Taunton-area town?
Adoption of ponies planned
MSPCA volunteer Roger Lauze, a semi-retired equine rescue and training manager, said attempts to make all the ponies healthy enough for adoption are underway.
“They have not been handled much,” he said. “They got to get used to being handled again. It will take them a while before we can get them ready for adoption. We have one horse we can’t get a halter on. She is very friendly and likes to get patted, but she won’t let us put a halter on.
Lauze said the remaining ponies would “take a little bit of time” to have their body weight restored to normal.
“When horses get really skinny, they lose body weight around their inside organs," he said.
Send your news tips to reporter Ed Baker by email at EBaker@tauntongazette.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Taunton Daily Gazette.
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https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/berkley-animal-rescue-league-horse-breeder-animal-cruelty-ponies-gary-bolger/9633574002/
| 2022-05-04T08:10:26
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https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/berkley-animal-rescue-league-horse-breeder-animal-cruelty-ponies-gary-bolger/9633574002/
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2 new microbreweries are coming to Ocean City. Kick back with a pint at the beach
Whether you are a beer connoisseur or someone who enjoys kicking back with a tall, foaming pint from time to time, Worcester County has a special summer treat for you.
Two new microbreweries are coming to the beach, with a third possible option more in-land currently being explored. One microbrewery is set to open in time for the 2022 tourism season.
The Other One
The Other One Brewing Co., to be located on 24th Street on the first floor of the redeveloped Embers property, hopes to bring a unique entertainment and dining experience to Ocean City.
“The microbrewery, a fun and interesting component to the entire property, will make this a destination where people can experience something made and brewed right here on the island,” said Kyler Taustin, director of marketing for the Taustin Group.
The Taustin Group is working in collaboration with Nathan and Gina Todd, with Nathan serving as the founder and head brewer. Nathan Todd, who moved to Ocean City in 2005, has a passion for craft beer.
“Nathan will be bringing all of his innovation and creativity that he has shown at other breweries in the area to the forefront of The Other One,” Taustin said.
Ocean City has been home to a handful of microbreweries throughout the years with an exclusive few finding success. The Taustin family, on the other hand, has high hopes that The Other One will flourish.
“What makes The Other One unique is that it’s going to be engrained and embedded inside of a much larger destination,” Taustin said. “It will be in a building where, if people want to have dinner, play putt-putt or entertain themselves in other ways, they can do all of that in this one space, as well as enjoy Ocean City made-and-brewed craft beer.”
More:Burnish Beer Company serves up craft beer and food in Salisbury, Maryland
More:Burnish Beer Co. looks to bring something new to north Salisbury
A special menu offering beer-inspired snacks and cocktails will also be on-hand to visitors to showcase the craft beer in its many different iterations and forms.
The Other One is looking to serve tourists and locals alike this summer, pending final state and federal approvals to brew the beer.
O.C. Beer Works
West Ocean City will also welcome amicrobrewery, O.C. Beer Works. However, visitors should not expect to pop in until St. Patrick’s Day 2024.
“We want to create a family-oriented atmosphere for the local folks in our community, where they can come and make new friends or hang out with old time buddies,” said designer and project manager Stephen Kansak.
Paul Sens, owner and founder of O.C. Beer Works, was an original owner of Tall Tales Brewery in Parsonsburg. During his time with Tall Tales, Sens fell in love with the craft brewing industry. He is now ready to share his passion for craft beer with his native Worcester County.
Current plans for the establishment include a 8,904-square-foot brewery, tasting room, restaurant and outdoor beer garden, where live entertainment will be hosted. The brewery hopes to host appreciation nights for local teachers and public service personnel as a way to better involve the community.
“We are going to depend on the community to be an integral part of the brewery and intend to sponsor events and fundraisers to benefit our local first responders, non-profits, and Worcester county teachers as well as other county and community organizations,” said Kansak.
The microbrewery will also offer games and activities to patrons.
More:Berlin nominated for 'Best Small Town Beer Scene'
More:New brewery planned for Ocean City, Fruitland coffeeshop closes | What's Going There
“We want to do other fun events like cornhole and volleyball tournaments. As for indoor activities, we will have an arcade, shuffleboard and board games, too.”
Burley Oak
Burley Oak Brewing Co., located on 10016 Old Ocean City Blvd. in Berlin, is also cooking up plans for a new microbrewery with a location that has yet to be determined. Plans to renovate a former Snow Hill fire station were paused in April after the town received mixed feedback.
"We’re in the exploratory phase right now,” said Bryan Brushmiller, owner and founder of Burley Oak Brewing. “We’re just poking around, looking at a few different towns that would be a good fit for a taproom and possible brewery.”
Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com.
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2022/05/04/ocean-city-breweries-other-one-oc-beer-works-burley-oak/9589517002/
| 2022-05-04T09:13:35
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https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2022/05/04/ocean-city-breweries-other-one-oc-beer-works-burley-oak/9589517002/
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Members of the Rumie team – from left, Sam Pennock, Carson Zylic, Patrick Phillips and Tanner McCraney – make their pitch to judges in the final round of the Gillespie Business Plan competition. The group took first place in the competition with their buy/sell app for college students.
OXFORD • What began as a desire to rid themselves of a few lamps has turned into a prize-winning business idea for four Ole Miss students.
Four Ole Miss students were recently awarded first place at the 18th annual Gillespie Business Plan Competition at the University of Mississippi.
Patrick Phillips, Tanner McCraney, Sam Pennock and Carson Zylicz recently received the first place prize at the 18th annual Gillespie Business Plan Competition at the University of Mississippi for their work on the app Rumie. An acronym for Regulated University Marketplace Internet Exchange, the app helps college students buy and sell clothes, furniture, books and more.
Phillips and fellow Rumie mastermind McCraney have been friends since high school. Both young men hail from Jackson.
Upon moving in their freshman year, Phillips and McCraney realized they had a few too many lamps for their dorm room. They decided to try and sell the extras on Facebook Marketplace and other social media outlets but found the process to be unreliable.
Thus, the idea for Rumie was born.
The young app creators decided to finally invest money into their app idea in the spring of 2021. Since then, the app has found great success on Ole Miss' campus.
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"Rumie is a college exclusive marketplace," Phillips said. "The easiest way to describe it is Craigslist, but for college students," the soon-to-be Ole Miss graduate said.
The app is specifically designed for college students, even requiring a student email address to sign up. The premise of the app is to buy, sell and even rent products from other college students.
Upon graduation, the two founders will attend graduate school at the University of Mississippi. Their goal is to continue operating Rumie and potentially turn it into a full-time gig.
"Ideally, we want to spend the summer at student orientation promoting the app to upcoming freshmen students," Phillips said.
The students-turned-entrepreneurs received a cash prize of $10,000 for their first place finish and another $5,000 for the Stephen E. Rowell Entrepreneur Award.
On top of the cash prizes, the young men also won a free office space at Insight Park to utilize next year.
BROOKE BULLOCK BURLESON is a digital producer for the Daily Journal. Contact her at brooke.burleson@djournal.com.
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/ole-miss-students-receive-10-000-prize-for-marketplace-app/article_ed79b57c-79da-5249-98ed-b510538e9151.html
| 2022-05-04T10:17:54
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/ole-miss-students-receive-10-000-prize-for-marketplace-app/article_ed79b57c-79da-5249-98ed-b510538e9151.html
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PLANTERSVILLE • Plantersville has been the small town looking to leave its mark on St. Jude Children's Research Hospital for more than three decades.
For the 32nd time, Plantersville will host its annual St. Jude Bike-A-thon on Sunday, May 15, at 3 p.m. at the Plantersville Community Center. Participants — both young and old — will ride or walk approximately one mile through the small town in support of St. Jude Children's Hospital. The police department and fire departments from Plantersville and Union County will be there to ensure a safe environment.
The weekend prior to the Bike-A-Thon will play host to a sister event: a live auction. Auction viewing will begin at 10 a.m. this Saturday, May 7, at the Plantersville Fire Department, located on 2589 Main Street, Plantersville. Bidding starts at 11 a.m.
All proceeds from both weekend events benefit St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, a nonprofit facility that conducts research into pediatric diseases and provides care, free-of-charge, to those suffering from them.
Over the decades, the Bike-A-Thon has grown into a big draw for Plantersville. St. Jude Bike-A-Thon Coordinator Sextus Shannon said the entire town and surrounding area take part each year, making it a big community event. A dedicated committee also helps ensure the bike-a-thon’s success.
“It’s a big event for Plantersville,” Shannon said. “We look forward to it every year because St. Jude is so wonderful, and whatever we can do to help them out, we try our best.”
For the second year, the preceding auction will feature paintings, automotive gift cards, restaurant gift cards, household items, jewelry and furniture donated by local merchants.
The Bike-A-Thon itself will have cake walks, refreshments, music, and social activities. Organizers will be raffling donated televisions
Created in 1990, the first Bike-A-Thon featured only nine kids and raised just over $500. Decades later, the event has grown tremendously. Last year, the Bike-A-Thon exceeded its goal of $30,000, raising over $31,000 with over 200 people in attendance.
The 2022 fundraising goal is $40,000. Participating in the Bike-A-Thon takes about an hour. Participants can either bike ride or walk.
“It takes a lot of hard work to reach this goal,” Shannon said. “Without the people’s help, there’s no way we can.”
Shannon wants a good turnout. The event normally averages 80 to 100 participants. On a good year, there can be up to 150 riders and walkers, Shannon said. It is open to all ages. There is no minimum or maximum donation amount, but in order to receive a St. Jude shirt, participants must raise $50.
The most important thing is helping the families of St. Jude, Shannon said. It costs approximately $1.4 billion to operate St. Jude each year, according to St. Jude’s website. St. Jude has developed treatments that pushed the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% at its inception to more than 80%, according to the website.
“What we raise seems to be small, but it goes a long way with other contributors to St. Jude,” Shannon said. “All a parent has to do is worry about their child, so that’s amazing.”
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/small-town-big-impact-plantersville-hosts-32nd-annual-st-jude-bike-a-thon/article_ed5c15dc-c682-5c21-a746-7e1daf5d5c90.html
| 2022-05-04T10:17:55
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/small-town-big-impact-plantersville-hosts-32nd-annual-st-jude-bike-a-thon/article_ed5c15dc-c682-5c21-a746-7e1daf5d5c90.html
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TUPELO • When Ryleigh Wright of Tupelo turned 3 years old, her mother, Charlotte, grew concerned that she was too tall for her age.
Following a visit to the pediatrician, the Wrights were referred to Children's of Mississippi, a Tupelo-based clinic associated with the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s (UMMC) pediatric hospital. Around age 6, Ryleigh was diagnosed with central precocious puberty (CPP), which causes the body to mature sooner than expected. Besides that condition, Ryleigh has an underdeveloped optic nerve for which she sees a pediatric ophthalmologist four times per year.
For years, the Wrights have been making regular visits to the Tupelo clinic, along with trips to the Jackson location every three months for costly injections.
Until April 1, the family’s insurance through Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi (BCBS) largely covered the cost of these treatments for Ryleigh, now 11. But the ongoing rift between UMMC and BCBS could mean Northeast Mississippians like the Wrights will face increased out-of-pocket costs or be forced to seek care from other providers.
The cost of care
Over the years, as doctors worked to diagnose and later monitor her condition, Ryleigh has undergone countless tests and procedures — lab work, spinal taps, CAT scans and MRIs, a sleep study and an ultrasound of her thyroid.
Every three months, she receives an intramuscular puberty blocker injection called Lupron. The average retail price for a Lupron injection is more than $2,000, according to GoodRx.
Without insurance, the out-of-pocket costs for the family just to cover these injections would be in the thousands.
"Our goal is to prolong puberty to keep her growth plates open so she can reach the height she is supposed to be before this diagnosis," Charlotte Wright said.
At the end of March, BCBS allowed UMMC's commercial health plan to expire and forced the hospital out of its network when a disagreement over reimbursement rates could not be resolved.
UMMC said BCBS has underpaid the hospital system "by tens of millions of dollars per year, for many years."
"Effective April 1, 2022, Blue Cross decided to force UMMC out of its network, potentially subjecting patients like you and your family to higher out-of-pocket costs when seeking care through UMMC providers and facilities," UMMC wrote to patients.
While UMMC continues to accept all insurance plans, it may not be an in-network provider, meaning patients could be faced with higher out-of-network payments for regular visits.
If the family had to pay for a year of Ryleigh's doctor visits out-of-pocket, it would amount to about $60,000 in medical bills, Charlotte Wright said. Her daughter receives MRIs, CAT scans and sees an eye doctor regularly for CPP and her vision problems.
For now, at least, the Wright family won't have to worry about unexpected expenses.
On April 18, the family received a letter from UMMC approving continuity of care for Ryleigh through June 30, 2022.
"As a result of the care that you are currently receiving for a specific ongoing medical condition, we will continue to provide you with items or services covered by your Blue Cross health plan through June 30, 2022, in accordance with the same terms and conditions as would apply if UMMC was still a participating provider in the Blue Cross network," the letter read.
That means UMMC will continue to file claims with and accept payments from BCBS, and any applicable co-payments, deductibles, coinsurance and/or other cost-sharing amounts from the Wrights, at their in-network benefit level for items or services covered by their Blue Cross health plan, the letter said.
If UMMC is still an out-of-network provider with the family's Blue Cross plan on July 1, 2022, the health system will no longer file claims with or accept payments from Blue Cross for UMMC-provided care.
Both parties in late April agreed to use a mediation process to settle the dispute.
While the family has a three-month reprieve from worrying about out-of-pocket medical bills, the letter said patients "may be responsible for the full bill for items or services provided by UMMC, less applicable UMMC discounts."
"When I talked to (UMMC), they said 'If you have Blue Cross & Blue Shield, call us. We will work something out with you,'" Charlotte Wright said.
The letter sent to the Wrights echoed that sentiment, saying "we believe everyone should have unburdened access to care from all UMMC facilities and providers."
Raising awareness for other families
Charlotte Wright said she's looking to raise awareness about the issue on behalf of parents who work minimum wage jobs, don't have Medicaid or Medicare, that are trying their best but will choose not to get treatment because they can't afford it.
"Those are the ones my heart is breaking for," she said.
Because of the disagreement between UMMC and BCBS, Wright worries many will be forced to tell their children they'll have to forego treatment because of financial constraints. So far she hasn't gotten any substantial answers from politicians, the hospital system or the insurance company, but hopes a resolution can be reached soon.
Charlotte Wright said she’s reached out to local and state elected officials to see if there's anything that can be done to resolve the issue with UMMC and BCBS.
As for Ryleigh, the Wrights plan to continue seeing her longtime doctors, even if they have to pay for it out of pocket. She’s been treated by the same doctors for most of her life. According to Charlotte Wright, changing doctors would be a last resort.
"We consider this office our home and the staff our family," Wright said. "She has been a patient there for eight years, and they have helped her so much."
Since Ryleigh has been seeing the same doctors since she was 3 years old, her mother said, "there's no way I would tear her away."
"It's kind of sad because I've known most of them for years, and some of us even became friends," Ryleigh said. "And it's honestly very sad."
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-family-could-face-staggering-medical-bills-because-of-ummc-blue-cross-split/article_2294434e-df4e-5f1a-af52-27b2e828bfae.html
| 2022-05-04T10:18:01
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-family-could-face-staggering-medical-bills-because-of-ummc-blue-cross-split/article_2294434e-df4e-5f1a-af52-27b2e828bfae.html
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Alliance Farmers Market moves to corner of State Street, Union Avenue
ALLIANCE – The city's farmers market will have a new location this year.
Area vendors will sell fresh produce, baked goods, homemade soaps and other products on the grassy lot on the northeast corner of State Street and Union Avenue.
"We are excited about the move and we're hoping the community will appreciate and like the changes," Market Manager Cimarron Ney-George said in an email.
This will be the market's second move since 2019.
The Alliance Farmers Market was downtown before it headed to the Giant Eagle parking lot four years ago.
More:North Canton Farmers Market settles into permanent home at Civic Center
"The Giant Eagle parking lot was not our first choice for location," Ney-George said. "It just happened to be available for us to use, and we thought the increased visibility from being right on State Street might improve market attendance."
The move initially helped with attendance. But the market saw declining numbers again amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Ney-George said the goal is for the new location to provide better visibility and bring in more shoppers and vendors.
'We want the market to be worthwhile.'
"We want the market to be worthwhile for the vendors and for the community. These vendors put a lot of time, effort and passion into what they are growing or making and they should be rewarded," she said.
Additionally, Ney-George said the new location will give the market more space to grow. Aultman Alliance Community Hospital owns the land, she said, and farmers market shoppers will be able to use the parking lot of the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine building.
Some have wondered why the market is not returning to its original location downtown. Several users left comments on the market's Facebook post about the move arguing that Main Street could use the activity and that a downtown location would make it easier for those living on the north side of the city to have access to fresh produce.
Ney-George said the market's board wanted to be downtown, but vendors did not make enough money there for the location to remain viable. She said there had also been a decline in shoppers using their EBT cards when the market was downtown.
"The lack of visibility, decreased support from the surrounding community and the loss of vendors was causing the market to lose viability," she said.
The market board hopes the new location will be more accessible for Alliance residents as it is more "centrally located" than Giant Eagle's parking lot and has a Stark Area Regional Transit Authority stop nearby.
"We, again, felt like making a big change to breathe more life back into the market was needed," Ney-George said.
Alliance Chamber takes over as managing partner
Another change is that the Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce will manage the farmers market. It was previously managed by a board of volunteers. They asked the chamber to take over.
"It got so big that it was getting very difficult to run all by volunteers," Alliance Area Chamber of Commerce President Mark Locke said.
The farmers market will run on Saturdays between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. from June 25 to Oct. 1.
"We're hoping that all of these changes will continue to expand the market in all kinds of positive directions, so it can continue being an important seasonal resource for the greater Alliance community," Ney-George said.
Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn.
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/alliance/2022/05/04/new-location-alliance-farmers-market-2022/9599105002/
| 2022-05-04T10:47:41
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'I needed to help.' Jackson Township man visits Poland to help fleeing Ukrainian refugees
JACKSON TWP. – Joe Palmisano didn't want to go.
The semi-retired business owner was enjoying life with his wife, Kirby, and their two rescue pups.
He was still recovering from 39 rounds of radiation for cancer.
But on March 19, Palmisano found himself on a flight to Warsaw, Poland, to help Ukrainian refugees.
He didn't have connections, or even a plan for that matter.
"I knew that I needed to go," he said. "There was such a strong pull to go there. There was no doubt that I needed to be there."
After arriving in Warsaw, Palmisano rented a car and drove for four hours to Medyka, Poland, where the majority of Ukrainian refugees are crossing over. He rented an efficiency apartment.
"I didn't know what I was going to do when I got there," he said. "I knew I was going to do something. I needed to help."
More:'You're crying every hour.' Perry Township man conducts personal relief mission in Poland
Palmisano said that night, he encountered a half-mile stretch of shanties 10 miles outside of Medyka, a village in southeast Poland where refugees could get hot meals, clothing and infant supplies, and where he met volunteers from all over the world.
"There were a lot of Americans," he said. "I met a man from Cincinnati."
'It was 95% women and children.'
He returned the next day and borrowed a shopping cart from a nearby grocery store. He walked the cart over the border to a small village in Ukraine where buses and vans were dropping off refugees for the half-mile trek into Poland. From there, they would be dispatched across the continent.
"It was 95% women and children," Palmisano recalled. "They didn't know where they were going."
He used a translator app on his phone to communicate and to assure them that he wasn't a human trafficker.
More:St. Timothy's rector heads to Romania for refugee relief
He loaded their luggage in the shopping cart.
"I made them a vow I would stay with them, no matter how long it took," he said. "I stayed with them until I got them on the proper buses. That became my mission. From what I saw, I was the only person doing it."
Palmisano said he also gave each family he helped $50 in American money.
"They didn't want to take it; they're very proud," he said.
In total, Palmisano estimates that he made about 15 trips and helped guide a total of about 150 Ukrainians into Poland.
"I stayed with them throughout their journey," he said. "There were two things that happened beyond luggage. One is trust. The other is love. I know that what I was doing was so unique, I couldn't have thought of it."
Palmisano, who underwent his last radiation treatment in February, said he didn't take his health into consideration when he left for Poland. He returned on March 30.
"It didn't cross my mind until after I got home," he said. "There were days (afterward) I couldn't walk."
Worry about his safety at home
Kirby Palmisano admits she was concerned about her husband traveling to a foreign country where he didn't know anyone.
"Once he was there, I was relieved," she said. "He sent me pictures."
"I made a promise to her I wouldn't go into Ukraine," her husband said, laughing.
Kirby Palmisano said she wasn't exactly surprised the promise was broken.
"We've been married for almost 41 years; I know him by now," she said with a smile.
Palmisano said the refugees shared harrowing experiences. News reports have detailed cases of rape, looting, and allegations of wholesale killings of unarmed civilians by Russian soldiers.
According to the United Nations High Commission on Refugees, more than 11 million Ukrainians have fled their country, with an estimated 5.3 million crossing into bordering countries.
"They were going through everything," Palmisano said. "The men couldn't leave, remember. There were lots of tears. I talked to one mother and daughter who were buried in their basement when their building was blown up. They were more worried about me. They were so strong and grateful."
'They said they'd rather die at home.'
Palmisano noted that in two cases, he helped two women in their 70s return to Ukraine.
"They didn't want to leave home; their families made them leave," he said. "They said they'd rather die at home. It was life-changing for me."
More:'We are praying for peace.' Lake Township church launches drive to benefit Ukraine
Palmisano keeps in regular contact with at least two refugee families who migrated to Italy. He and his wife also are providing them with financial assistance.
"We had hoped to bring them over, but there's too much red tape," he said. "The Italians have been hospitable."
The Palmisanos are co-owners of Captive Radiology. Palmisano also has spent decades in sports, including coaching football for 18 years. In 1992, he launched Malone University's football program, which, to his disappointment, was discontinued in 2019. He coached the team for two seasons, amassing a record of 9-9-1.
A native of North Akron, Palmisano is a graduate of the University of Iowa where he played football. He also coached at the University of Akron as s recruiting coordinator, wide receivers and defensive secondary coach, and as a defensive coordinator.
Palmisano also was an assistant coach with the now-defunct Canton Legends arena football team, and worked for years as broadcaster on WHBC radio.
In 2019, Palmisano went to China to compete in an international Kung Fu competition, where he won two gold medals.
"I was more scared of going to China than Ukraine," he recalled. "But the average people were welcoming. It's the same thing in Poland and Ukraine. What it's taught me is there really are no barriers except the ones we place."
He describes himself as apolitical.
"I see us all being the same," he said. "We all have different cultures, but 99% of who we are is the same."
Palmisano said the experience in Poland and Ukraine has changed his life, and that he and his wife will travel to the region once the war ends to visit with those families who have become friends.
"What's important to me is how can I help people?" he said. "It's unbelievable that this is happening in 2022. I don't think the majority of Russian people would support it if they knew about it."
'It was absolutely God leading me.'
Palmisano credits God for sending him to Poland.
"I fought the idea," he said. "I was battling myself. I feel like it was absolutely God leading me; not only leading me, but helping me find my (mission). If I couldn't do what I was doing, there was no point in my being there. Deep down, I knew my job was establishing relationships."
Palmisano, who has been successful in life, said he also plans to increase his outreach here.
"We're comfortable, but comfortable is not where God wants us to be," he said.
He urged people to start helping others where they are.
"Find a good, local organization," he said. "If you can't do anything for Ukraine, find people who need you."
Reach Charita at 330-580-8313 or charita.goshay@cantonrep.com
On Twitter: @cgoshayREP
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/canton/2022/05/04/joe-palmisano-jackson-township-embarks-his-own-refugee-mission-poland-ukraine/7396428001/
| 2022-05-04T10:47:47
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The Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) has approved the 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Plans (WMPs) for PacifiCorp, Portland General Electric (PGE), and Idaho Power and recommended the utilities collaborate with PUC staff to improve the information to be included in their 2023 plans.
Idaho Power’s 2022 plan was approved with conditions, requiring a compliance filing to address identified deficiencies in their plan by June 28, 2022. The WMPs are the first to be filed since Senate Bill 762 passed during the 2021 legislative session.
Senate Bill 762 established formal standards for electric utility wildfire mitigation plans, including the information utilities are required to include in their plans.
Plans must include identification of high-risk areas within the utility’s service territory and actions to minimize those risks, as well as protocols for implementing public safety power shutoffs. Utilities also need to describe how they determined which risk reduction strategies to pursue. The bill required the three investor-owned utilities to submit their plans to the PUC by the end of 2021 and the PUC to approve them within 180 days after their submission.
PacifiCorp, PGE and Idaho Power all filed their WMPs on December 30, 2021, as required by the bill. PUC staff and an independent evaluator reviewed each plan to ensure they met the statutory requirements established in the bill and to make recommendations to continue evolving the plans to further address future risk.
Both PacifiCorp and PGE’s plans met the requirements, leading to an approval by all three Commissioners of their WMPs and instruction to work with the PUC and interested stakeholders to address recommendations made by the PUC in their 2023 plans. Plans must be updated and filed annually with the PUC no later than December 15, going forward.
Idaho Power’s WMP was also approved, but with conditions by the PUC. Idaho Power was directed to resubmit their WMP by June 28, 2022 with an explanation of their cost/risk mitigation assumptions and analysis that was completed but not described in their 2022 plan, their strategy to address these gaps in their 2023 plan, additional data relating to specific risk areas in their Oregon service territory, as well as projects to be pursued in Oregon, and the costs associated with those projects.
Idaho Power was also instructed to work with the PUC and interested stakeholders to ensure they address recommendations made by the PUC in their 2023 plans due December 15.
“Although some of Oregon’s regulated utilities have been developing wildfire mitigation plans for years and reporting to the PUC informally, this is the first formal filing to the Oregon PUC,” PUC Chair Megan Decker said. “We recognize the enormous progress Oregon utilities have made and largely approved the plans, but also acknowledge that they need to continue to improve and adapt to meet the needs of communities and keep pace with the changing risks.”
Prior to the passage of Senate Bill 762, Governor Brown’s Executive Order 20-04 directed the PUC to formally evaluate wildfire protection plans and activities of regulated electric utilities to improve safety, reduce risks, and promote electric system resilience.
“The PUC launched the Oregon Wildfire and Electric Collaborative to facilitate conversations between all electric utilities across the state, experts, and government leadership from various agencies to share perspectives and approaches to the changing wildfire risk and its impacts on the utilities, their customers, and the communities they serve,” PUC Commissioner Letha Tawney said. “That collaboration complements these written plans, enabling rapid peer-to-peer learning across Oregon between planning cycles.”
The 2022 Wildfire Mitigation Plans for PacifiCorp, PGE, and Idaho Power are available online.
About the PUC
The PUC regulates customer rates and services of the state’s investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities, including PGE, Idaho Power, Pacific Power, Avista, Cascade Natural, and NW Natural. The PUC also regulates landline telephone providers and select water companies. The PUC’s mission is to ensure Oregon utility customers have access to safe, reliable, and high quality utility services at just and reasonable rates.
For more information about the PUC, visit oregon.gov/puc.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/wildfires-and-public-utilities/article_016df222-ca41-11ec-b0ef-f31fb6f77f0d.html
| 2022-05-04T11:09:02
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/wildfires-and-public-utilities/article_016df222-ca41-11ec-b0ef-f31fb6f77f0d.html
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SPARTANBURG, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina judge has denied bond for a former “American Idol” contestant accused of killing a man by barreling into him with his pickup truck after using a marijuana vaping device.
Country music singer Caleb Kennedy will remain in jail after his February arrest on a charge of driving under the influence resulting in death. Police say Kennedy drove his truck up a private driveway in Spartanburg County and struck Larry Duane Parris, 54, driving Parris into a building.
Circuit Judge Grace Gilchrist Knie ruled Friday that Kennedy would present a danger to himself and the community if he was released from jail. Knie said she might reconsider bond for Kennedy following a psychiatric evaluation in 45 days, news outlets reported.
Prosecutors at a Thursday hearing sought the bond denial and referred to a toxicology report showing Kennedy had marijuana and Prozac in his system at the time of the crash.
Kennedy’s attorney, Ryan Beasley, had asked the judge to set a $20,000 bond, citing Kennedy’s remorse and cooperation with law enforcement, according to the Spartanburg Herald-Journal.
Beasley told news outlets he was disappointed in the judge’s decision.
“A 17-year-old’s mental health is much better at home than in a jail,” Beasley said.
Beasley has said previously that his client had beenplaced on suicide watch at the jail.
Kennedy advanced into the Top 5 of the television talent show last year, but dropped out of the singing competition after a video circulated of him sitting next to someone wearing what appeared to be a Ku Klux Klan hood. Kennedy apologized at the time for the video, saying “it displayed actions that were not meant to be taken in that way.”
Kennedy’s mother, Anita Guy, told news outlets the video was filmed when Kennedy was 12 and had been taken out of context. She said Kennedy had been imitating characters from the film “The Strangers: Prey at Night.”
Kennedy’s hometown is listed as Roebuck, which is just south of Spartanburg.
He faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/bond-denied-for-former-american-idol-star-charged-in-crash/
| 2022-05-04T11:28:24
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FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — Actor Amber Heard suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from violence she suffered at the hands of her ex-husband Johnny Depp, including multiple acts of sexual assault, a psychologist testified Tuesday.
The sexual assaults included being forced to perform oral sex and having Depp penetrate her with a liquor bottle, the psychologist, Dawn Hughes, told jurors at Depp’s libel trial against Heard. He accuses her of falsely claiming in a newspaper op-ed piece that she was a victim of domestic violence.
Hughes’ testimony contradicts that of a psychologist hired by Depp’s lawyers, who said Heard was faking her symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and suffered from borderline and histrionic personality disorders. Hughes disputed that Heard suffers from any personality disorder.
Hughes was the first witness to take the stand on Heard’s behalf after Depp’s lawyers rested their case Tuesday morning.
Hughes said there is corroboration of many of the instances of abuse, including apologies and admissions made by Depp to Heard and admissions he made to friends in text messages about his bad behavior when he drinks. In some cases, Heard told her therapists about the abuse contemporaneously, Hughes said.
Depp has said he never physically attacked Heard, and that she was the aggressor who routinely hit him and threw things at him through the course of their relationship.
Hughes, in her testimony, said Heard acknowledged that she did at times push and shove Depp, call him names and insult his parenting.
But Hughes said there’s a difference in the violence when a smaller person strikes at a larger person, and that Depp’s violence was intimidating and threatened her safety, but Heard’s violence did not have the same effect on Depp.
“That’s just physics; that’s just proportional force,” she said.
Much of the violence, Hughes said, stemmed from Depp’s obsessive jealousy. He insisted she avoid nude scenes, if she worked at all, and accused her of affairs with actors Billy Bob Thornton and James Franco. If she did work on a film, Depp would call the director and others on set and say he “had eyes” there who would report to him if she fraternized improperly, Hughes said.
And Heard, who identifies as bisexual according to treatment notes introduced at trial, also faced scrutiny in her interactions with women. Hughes said Depp on one occasion manually penetrated Heard in anger after witnessing Heard’s interactions with a woman.
“Amber got accused of women hitting her, and she got accused of men hitting on her,” Hughes said.
Heard blinked back tears, and her lips and chin quivered at times as Hughes described the abuse.
Hughes said she based her testimony on 29 hours of interviews with Heard, as well as interviews with her therapists and a review of court documents.
Earlier Tuesday, Depp’s lawyers rested their case, and a judge rejected a motion from Heard’s lawyers to dismiss the case. Heard’s lawyers argued that Depp had failed to make his case as a matter of law and that no reasonable jury could find in his favor.
But the judge, Penney Azcarate, said the standard for dismissing a case at this point in the trial is exceedingly high, and that the case should be allowed to move forward if Depp has provided even a “scintilla” of evidence backing up his claims.
Depp and his lead lawyer, Benjamin Chew, patted each other on the back after the judge ruled the case can proceed.
Chew argued that the jury has a wealth of evidence to conclude that Heard falsely accused Depp of abuse. In fact, he said, the evidence shows that “Ms. Heard physically abused him. She’s the abuser.”
Heard’s lawyer, J. Benjamin Rottenborn, said the evidence is clear over the last three weeks of testimony that Heard’s allegations of abuse are truthful.
“We haven’t gotten to put on our case yet,” he said. “This is all evidence that has come in while plaintiff controls the playing field.”
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million in Fairfax County Circuit Court after Heard wrote a December 2018 op-ed piece in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” The article never mentions Depp by name, but Depp’s lawyers say he was defamed nevertheless because it’s a clear reference to abuse allegations Heard levied in 2016, in the midst of the couple’s divorce proceedings.
The judge on Tuesday did say she’s reserving judgment on whether the article’s headline in online editions should be part of the libel lawsuit because she said the evidence is unclear at this point whether Heard wrote the headline or is responsible for it. The online headline reads, “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.”
Hughes will be cross-examined Wednesday, and Heard is expected to take the stand Wednesday as well.
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/depp-libel-suit-moves-ahead-against-heard-after-resting-case/
| 2022-05-04T11:28:31
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NEW YORK (AP) — Singer Michael Feinstein, violinists Itzhak Perlman and Midori and pianist Evgeny Kissin will perform at a Carnegie Hall benefit concert for Ukraine on May 23.
Soprano Angel Blue, mezzo-sopranos Denyce Graves and Isabel Leonard, jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, singers Jessica Vosk and Adrienne Warren, and mandolinist Chris Thile also will perform along with Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect and the Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York, the Hall announced Tuesday.
Tickets for the concert in the main Stern Auditorium, priced at $90-$300, go on sale Wednesday. Proceeds will go to Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organization that is working with Ukraine’s Ministry of Health and partners in the region to provide medical supplies to relief groups.
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/feinstein-midori-perlman-headline-carnegie-ukraine-benefit/
| 2022-05-04T11:28:38
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NEW YORK (AP) — The CEO of Macmillan Publishers, Don Weisberg, will step down at the end of the year. Jon Yaged, currently the company’s president, will succeed him.
“I can, without hesitation, say that there could be no better time for me to step aside,” Weisberg, 67, said in a statement Tuesday. “We are coming off two record-breaking years of unprecedented growth and profit; we have improved every facet of our operation at a time when the world has faced an existential crisis, and we have done it with grace, intelligence, and dedication.”
Weisberg has been in publishing for more than 40 years, starting at Bantam in 1980. He joined Macmillan as president in 2016 and has been CEO since early 2021, presiding the entire time during the pandemic. Macmillan authors range from the prize-winning novelists Hilary Mantel and Jonathan Franzen to Oprah Winfrey and “Fire and Fury” author Michael Wolff. Imprints at Macmillan, owned by the German media company Holtzbrinck, include Farrar, Straus & Giroux, Flatiron Books and St. Martin’s Press.
Yaged, 52, joined Macmillan in 2011 as president of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group and was promoted to president of the overall trade division a decade later.
“We will retain the individual identities among our publishers that unquestionably distinguish us from our competitors,” Yaged said in a statement. “We will continue to build upon our progress to make our staff, the books we publish, and the authors we work with more reflective of our society. We will explore new tactics and use new technology to increase discoverability of the books we publish.”
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/jon-yaged-to-succeed-don-weisberg-as-macmillan-ceo/
| 2022-05-04T11:28:46
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — To keep up with the Kardashians for the past two weeks, you would’ve had to spend a lot of time at a downtown Los Angeles courthouse, where they’ve been watching and testifying at a trial over a lawsuit brought against them by former reality television star Blac Chyna. In a verdict delivered Monday while defendants Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner were all in New York attending the Met Gala, the Kardashians were victorious. Here’s a look at the scene, the surroundings and the case that pulled them in.
THE SETTING
The Stanley Mosk civil courthouse is among the most heavily trafficked by celebrities in the world. The famous divorces decided here alone could fill a walk of fame. Kim Kardashian appeared on video in a Mosk courtroom in February to be declared single in her ongoing divorce with Ye, and appeared here in person to finalize her divorce from previous husband Kris Humphries.
In recent years it’s been best known as home to the high drama, and colorful protests, surrounding the Britney Spears conservatorship. Keanu Reeves and Don Johnson each sat through most of civil trials they were parties to. Members of Michael Jackson’s family appeared for much of the long wrongful death case against his doctor.
Still, the courthouse has rarely seen such consistent presence from a group of such well-known stars.
THE SCENE
The Kardashian defendants had all been expected to testify in person during the trial. But many in court were surprised, and a little star struck, when all four strode in wearing business suits on the first day of jury selection, which turned into a public forum where dozens of prospective jurors got to vent their mostly negative feelings about the family. (A few proudly proclaimed their fandom.)
The women sat in the front row of the courtroom — there were too many of them to sit at the defendants’ table — for most of the trial. Kim Kardashian, who is studying law, often carried a binder and took notes.
Court security escorted the family into the courthouse through an underground parking garage. The women waited nearby in a guarded room until proceedings were about to begin, then deputies shepherded them across the hall into the courtroom. That quick walk still provided memorable moments, as when Kim Kardashian’s boyfriend, “Saturday Night Live” star Pete Davidson, greeted her with a kiss after showing up during closing arguments.
Private security guards — sharply dressed men in sportscoats with telltale earpieces — were both in the courtroom and outside it. At the midday break they brought food to the secluded room from places such as Urth Caffe, a popular LA lunch spot.
The Kardashians’ treatment is common for high-profile parties with court business, due to, as their attorney told one prospective juror, the “dark side” of fame. Some have had to get restraining orders in this courthouse due to stalkers.
But the prospective juror wasn’t entirely satisfied with that explanation, saying, “Does that mean that they need Fiji water hand-delivered to them as they sit in court?”
The courtroom with a capacity of 200 was rarely more than half full during the 11-day trial. About a dozen reporters were in the room throughout. Unlike the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial happening simultaneously in Virginia, which was televised and may have stolen some of the thunder of these proceedings, no cameras were allowed. A pair of sketch artists provided the only visuals.
THE SUIT
Chyna’s lawsuit was filed in 2017 in the aftermath of her engagement to Rob Kardashian. She originally alleged that six women from the Kardashian family had defamed her by falsely spreading word that she had physically abused him, and interfered with her contract by convincing the E! network to cancel their “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” spinoff, “Rob & Chyna.” She sought as much as $108 million.
It was the sort of inter-celebrity suit that that is usually dismissed or settled long before it gets to trial. But this one improbably survived for five years. Two defendants, Kourtney Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, were dropped during that time.
THE STORIES
Kris Jenner’s two days on the stand provided drama when she testified that she feared Chyna was going to “murder” her son Rob in December of 2016. She teared up when she described being already vulnerable because Kim Kardashian had been tied up in Paris by armed robbers who stole $10 million in jewelry just a few months earlier.
Rob Kardashian, who appeared only to testify, also had a dramatic and emotional stint on the stand, in which he said that Chyna twice held a gun to his head and beat him with a metal rod.
Chyna testified that she was never violent against him, saying she had grabbed his gun playfully, and was joking around when she put a phone cord around his neck. She conceded that she had damaged a television and a gingerbread house in her anger.
Kardashian lawyer Michael G. Rhodes seized on this in his closing argument. “Who does that? A gingerbread house?” he said. “It’s the happiest thing you can put in a house.” Davidson, in the back of the courtroom, had to stifle a laugh.
Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner were each on the stand only briefly, and their testimony was not especially eventful. The judge dismissed Kim Kardashian as a defendant in the defamation part of the case when he decided no violating statement had been identified.
The jury apparently did not find any of the Kardashians’ stories terribly convincing. They found on the verdict form that they had often acted in bad faith, and were not justified in what they told executives, but found that their statements hadn’t affected Chyna’s TV career or the fate of her show.
THE SAGA
The legal fight is far from over. Chyna’s lawyer says they will appeal the verdict. And a set of separate allegations against only Rob Kardashian will be heard at another trial in about a week.
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Follow AP Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton on Twitter: https://twitter.com/andyjamesdalton
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| 2022-05-04T11:28:53
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NEW YORK (AP) — All that “gilded glamour” brought in some real gold. This year’s Met Gala earned a record $17.4 million, museum officials said Tuesday.
The annual gala is a fundraiser for the self-funding Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The money pays for operating the institute and putting on annual blockbuster exhibits like the current “In America: An Anthology of Fashion” which was launched at the gala Monday night and opens to the public May 7. That exhibit is part of a broader two-part exhibit exploring the roots of American fashion.
The gala is traditionally held the first Monday in May, but because of the pandemic, the 2021 version was held last September. The two galas together brought in $33.7 million, the institute said.
The theme of Monday’s gala was “gilded glamour.”
Monday’s gala brought together about 400 guests — some of the biggest names from fashion, entertainment, sports and beyond.
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| 2022-05-04T11:29:00
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NEW YORK (AP) — Ron Galella, the photographer known for his visceral celebrity shots and his dogged pursuit of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who sued him and won a restraining order, has died at age 91.
Galella died Saturday at his home in Montville, N.J., said Geoffrey Croft, a spokesperson and the editor of Galella’s most recent book “100 Iconic Photographs — A Retrospective.” The cause was congestive heart failure, Croft said.
Galella amassed millions of images in a career that began in the 1960s, earning sobriquets like the “paparazzo extraordinaire” for his up-close, candid shots of the rich and famous. His subjects included Hollywood icons like Ava Gardner and Greta Garbo, singers from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga and sports personalities including Muhammad Ali. His work appeared in magazines like Time, People and the National Enquirer and in 22 books that he put out.
Many of Galella’s subjects did not want to be photographed. Marlon Brando punched Galella in the face outside a New York City restaurant in 1973, breaking his jaw and knocking out five teeth. Elvis Presley’s bodyguards slashed Galella’s tires, and Sean Penn spat at him.
Onassis battled Galella in court for years, testifying that he had made her life “intolerable, almost unlivable, with his constant surveillance.” In 1972, a judge ordered Galella to keep 25 feet away from Onassis and 30 feet away from her children.
Galella confessed to an obsession with Onassis in the 2010 documentary “Smash His Camera,” directed by by Leon Gast. “I had no girlfriend,” he said. “She was my girlfriend, in a way.”
Despite his notoriety, Galella’s photos received accolades and have been collected by institutions including New York’s Museum of Modern Art. One of the MoMA works, a striking image of Onassis walking on Madison Avenue in 1971 that Galella titled “Windblown Jackie,” is among the best-known photos of the former first lady.
“His work speaks for itself,” Croft said.
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| 2022-05-04T11:29:08
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LONDON (AP) — Judi Dench was given a standing ovation for “Send in The Clowns.” Bernadette Peters bent over with her back to the audience and with her head between her legs blasted her trumpet to “You Gotta Get A Gimmick.”
Petula Clark, 89, belted out “I’m Still Here.” And Imelda Staunton set off a huge ovation with “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”
What the four had in common was devotion to Stephen Sondheim, the groundbreaking Broadway composer/lyricist who died in November at age 91. Dozens of stars of musical theater gathered Tuesday night for a celebration titled “Old Friends” to raise money for the Stephen Sondheim Foundation, which will benefit young composers.
“He always considered London his second home,” producer Cameron Mackintosh, who organized the event, told the sellout crowd of about 1,100 at a theater renamed the Sondheim from the Queen’s in 2019. “He brilliantly has left his incredible legacy of work to the support of future generations of artists through his foundation.”
Lending drama to the evening, only the scheduled songs were included in the program, with the identities of the attached singers provided to the audience only as people filed out. There was a minimal set and some cast members were costumed during a flowing program that showcased Sondheim’s Tony, Olivier and Pulitzer Prize-winning work.
Peters, 74, who created the roles of Dot in “Sunday in the Park with George” and the Witch in “Into the Woods,” made a dramatic entrance cloaked in a cape as Little Red Riding Hood to Damian Lewis’ Wolf. Marshalling her voice for drama and impact, Peters was included in eight of the 40 selections sung over 2 hours, 45 minutes, most notably a “Losing My Mind” rendition that left some of the audience in tears.
Michael Ball was given a central role in selections from “Sweeney Todd” that included a witty “A Little Priest” with Maria Friedman, an actress who has become a heralded director of Sondheim. He also sang a gender-switched version of “Could I Leave You?”
Dench, reprising what many consider the definitive version of Sondheim’s most-well known song, stumbled over some of the words but still created an indelible performance. The 87-year-old, who has limited vision, was helped to her chair for her performance.
Julia McKenzie, whom Mackintosh said had not appeared on stage in 24 years, returned at age 81 to join ensembles for “Side by Side” and “Not A Day Goes By” and a 10-woman rendition of “Broadway Baby” that included Helena Bonham Carter, Rosalie Craig and Jenna Russell plus Gary Wilmot.
Sondheim’s humorous side was on display when Lewis, Rob Brydon and Julian Overdon put domestic uniforms over their tuxedos to join 88-year-old Siân Phillips in “Everybody Ought to Have a Maid.” Janie Dee hammed up “The Boy From …” a parody of “The Girl from Ipanema.”
Members of the Royal Academy Musical Theatre Company and the Mountview theater academy lent youth with the “Tonight Quintet.”
Conductor Alfonso Casado Trigo led a 26-piece orchestra that was on stage, photos of Sondheim from youth until old age were displayed during an ensemble of “Not A Day Goes By” and a video was shown of Sondheim and fellow composer Andrew Lloyd Webber at a piano parodying their own work.
Tickets were priced at 75 to 1,250 pounds ($94-$1,563) and the program was simulcast to the Prince Edward Theatre a few blocks away, leaving a recording that could be released if permissions are secured.
As young singers joined the full company for the concluding “Our Time,” Peters crossed the stage exchanging hugs as confetti fell and Dench appeared to be holding back tears. The performance seemed as memorable for the cast as for the audience.
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/stephen-sondheim-celebrated-by-dench-peters-at-london-gala/
| 2022-05-04T11:29:15
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LONDON (AP) — “The sirens interrupted our sleep, grabbed in two suitcases everything that is in the past, then go!” sings Antytila frontman Taras Topolia on the Ukrainian band’s new collaboration with Ed Sheeran.
It’s a reworked version of Sheeran’s hit single “2step.” Topolia has added a new verse and created a video to promote the remix. The version was released Monday.
“I decided to explain in the lyrics how it was the first day of the war for me and for millions of Ukrainian people,” the singer-songwriter — and now soldier — told the Associated Press on Tuesday, talking from Ukraine, on the frontline of the war against the Russian invasion.
In the music video, Topolia leans against the side of a military vehicle during a patrol with his battalion, the reality of life right now for this recording artist turned soldier.
“We were doing our job. And like driving and between the positions of our battle in the Ukrainian army and just stopped on the road and took the GoPro camera and shot this video. It took maybe 10 or 15 minutes.”
He says that though it was dangerous, it made for a dramatic scene.
As a father of three, Topolia wanted the video — which shows a young family fleeing the war by car — to tell the story of the “painful and difficult situation” for Ukrainian children.
“Ukraine is not just only destruction and horrible war. Ukraine is also talented, talented people. And those kids that now have no possibility to dance, to sing, to increase their skills, to play in the playgrounds.”
Another part of the video shows young Ukrainian dancer Oleksii Sokolov performing in a theatre. He later dances in the rubble of a destroyed building.
“He came back to Kyiv from Mariupol just to film this video,” Topolia says. “His parents say that it’s very important for him and for them to take a part in this.”
Antytila formed a friendship with Sheeran via social media, after they tweeted the British singer- songwriter ahead of his headlining performance at “Concert for Ukraine” in the U.K. in April.
While the Ukrainian band was unable to perform remotely at the event, Sheeran invited Antytila to team up with him on “2step.”
Topolia explains that continuing with music while fighting in the war is “very hard.”
“I push myself to do something creative because the situation is not so creative. The situation is terrible. But I believe, I know that, what I’m doing now is just collecting the emotions inside,” he said.
“When we will get the victory, all those emotions will be spread up by the songs, by the lyrics. And I will share it with all over the world,” Topolia says.
“Emotions of happiness, of fresh start. Emotions of new country, of new future that we will build together united.”
Over the next 12 months, royalties from streams of the “2step” remix video will be donated to Music Saves UA.
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/ukrainian-band-teams-up-with-ed-sheeran-for-charity-single/
| 2022-05-04T11:29:22
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Murray Baker Bridge in Peoria will be lit in special colors for Cinco de Mayo
The Murray Baker Bridge will be lit in green and red overnight on Thursday, May 5, to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.
Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico's victory over a larger French army at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. In the U.S., it is a general celebration of Mexican culture, cuisine and heritage. It is not Mexican Independence Day, which is Sept. 16.
Green, red and white are the colors of the Mexican national flag.
New multi-hued LED lights were added to the bridge when its deck was reconstructed in 2020.
The bridge bill: Who pays the light bill for the Murray Baker Bridge? The amount depends on where you live
How to get special lighting on the bridge
Peoria has scheduled 25 holidays this year featuring special lighting. (Afterward, the bridge's hues revert to the city colors of green, yellow and blue.)
In addition, individuals or organizations can arrange their own special lighting in advance through requests to the Peoria Public Works Department. City policy requires at least 30 days' notice on such a request and forbids "lighting for political events, and/or political campaigns." The fee is $200 per evening, or $150 for nonprofits.
From the archives: Murray Baker Bridge brought big changes to Peoria, good and bad
Questions regarding the Murray Baker Bridge Ornamental Lighting Program, Light Up the Bridge, should be directed to the Peoria Public Works Department by emailing publicworks@peoriagov.org or calling 309-494-8800.
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https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/peoria-bridge-to-celebrate-cinco-de-mayo/9562525002/
| 2022-05-04T11:55:32
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Laurel Nokomis School moms and sons make memories at Venice Municipal Airport
VENICE – Tanner Reichert, a sixth-grader at Laurel Nokomis School, chewed a bite of his donut and watched as the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office helicopter descended for a landing Friday evening at Florida Flight Training Center – which was hosting the school’s 2022 Mother/Son Flight Night at Venice Municipal Airport.
“He likes airplanes,” mom Lindsay Reichert said, while Tanner patiently swallowed.
Once finished, he said airplanes are “neat, they’re fast,” then added he wanted to fly someday.
Asked what he wanted to fly, he paused and said, “Fly a helicopter.
‘I’d like to fly that one,” Tanner added, with a nod to the law-enforcement helicopter.
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Ann Allen, a parent with the Laurel Nokomis Parent Teacher Organization, wanted to try something a little different for the mother-son annual date night and thought the airport venue offered a perfect opportunity to keep the boys interested and perhaps whet their appetites for science, technology engineering and math.
About 100 moms, with 175 sons, RSVP’d for the event, which sold out in two days.
“I just wanted to think bigger than doing it at a bowling alley or a jump place; I wanted to give the boys and the moms a cool experience together,” said Allen, who’s not an aspiring pilot herself. “We just decided to reach out to the airport, we came to them with the idea and they were so receptive.”
“It’s an early introduction to the aviation industry; who knows where this may take them?”
A door to career possibilities
In addition to the sheriff’s helicopter and the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, the evening included four static aircraft displays outside and a fifth inside the Florida Flight Maintenance hangar, as well as a cadre of flight instructors and members of the Venice EAA Young Eagles, who were available to talk about airplanes, flight and possible career futures.
Moritz Koester, the new CEO of Florida Flight Training, said it was easy to say “yes” to the parents group when he was approached.
“I have kids myself and I know how great it is to offer opportunities like this one,” said Koester, who was joined by his wife and three children – including their two sons, Lias, 5, and Joshua, 3. “I was inspired very early on to get into aviation myself and it’s just a pleasure to be able to open our doors and share our passion with kids.”
Some of the adults on hand, like Paul Cellez, Young Eagles Coordinator with the EAA, are old hands at introducing youths to flight.
“That’s what we’re here for, offer them airplane rides, we have rallies once a month and we have local pilots give rides to the kids,” Cellez said.
The program started in 1992 to give youths aged 8 to 17 an opportunity to fly in a general aviation aircraft. There were no flights Friday, but one can learn about upcoming events by visiting https://www.youngeaglesday.org or by emailing Cellez at Grumpyflyer1@gmail.com.
Alina Zhulina, who attended with her son, fifth-grader Michael Trubkin, 10, was happy that all the activities were earthbound.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” Zhulina said. “At the beginning I thought it was going to be an actual flight but he said, 'Mom, don’t worry, nobody's going to fly today.'”
Michael, who had a green cast on his left forearm, said his favorite plane was a Beechcraft Bonanza B36TC because it had a back seat.
Michael said he wanted to be a pilot in the military – specifically a Navy pilot.
Coincidentally, that Bonanza was owned by retired Navy Capt. Jay Fahs, Jr., a local attorney.
Fahs, who shepherded children in and out of his plane, said his wife was friendly with the organizers but he also enjoyed teaching the boys.
“I like getting kids interested in things that are technical,” the retired 30-year veteran added.
First-graders Jameson Bailey and Sashti Suresh liked the Piper Warrior II – one of the flight school aircraft – on display.
“We were like playing around with the controls,” Jameson said.
Sashti added that it was “awesome fun.”
The Coast Guard MH060 Jayhawk helicopter generated the most buzz, as moms and sons lined up to be taken out in small groups to tour the rescue vehicle.
“The Coast Guard really was a huge, big moment of the event,” Allen said. “I think everybody was blown away, including myself.”
“My son was just like, 'Mom, I got to go in the rescue basket and feel what it was like to be rescued,'” Allen added, referring to her son Austin, 8. “I feel like he was able to learn new things.”
Over at the maintenance hangar, a shiny, Italian-made Tecnam P2006T MKII premium edition, also operated by Florida Flight Training, received its share of oohs and aahs.
Flight instructor Kyle Busalacchi noted that the boys were all interested in the “bells and whistles” on the airplane.
“A lot of future pilots out here,” he added.
Laurel Nokomis principal Ray Wilson was impressed with the evening’s entire concept.
A unique night out
“This is my sixth year at Laurel but I believe this is a first,” Wilson said “It ties in with the uniqueness of our school, being the district’s only K-8 model and just giving our students something different – I think is definitely something different.
“I like the exposure piece because there's actually a career piece attached to this as well, too,” added Wilson, who praised the PTO for the event, as well as its fundraising effort to provide academic support for the school.
‘It’s not just their academic support, as you can see, they provide other avenues and venues for the children to enjoy,” Wilson said, “To know that this is in the backyard, it’s a unique opportunity.”
Allen was pleased by the variety of industry professionals – including avionics, mechanics and pilots – who donated their time to offer a comprehensive picture of the aviation industry.
She’s also planning on a follow-up visit next year.
“We just really wanted to take it to a whole different level and create those memories with our sons and have them forever,” Allen said. “It’s not often that moms get to be cool with their sons.
“I figure this event allowed us to connect with them in a different way – hopefully we achieved that.”
Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune.
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| 2022-05-04T11:58:38
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Officials at Johnson County Central Public Schools are floating a $43 million bond issue to pay for new pre-K-12 facilities in Tecumseh that would consolidate district schools spread across two towns.
Voters will decide on whether to approve the bond to pay for the 125,700-square-foot facility as part of the statewide primary election on Tuesday.
Johnson County Central contracted with the Lincoln-based design firm Clark & Enersen to draft plans for the building, which would be built on 52 acres of land along U.S. 136 just north of the district's existing high school. The facility would include community and activities space, including a new gym that would meet the qualifications to host events like district wrestling and a mixed-used auditorium.
Johnson County Central — which serves roughly 500 students from Johnson, Nemaha, Pawnee and Otoe counties — operates three school sites: A pre-K-3 building and high school in Tecumseh and a preschool and middle school 15 minutes north in Cook.
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Those facilities, officials say, are both inconvenient — the majority of students live in Tecumseh — and outdated. The high school is 55 years old and the elementary school was built in 1931. The Cook site, built 20 years ago as the former home to Nemaha Valley Public Schools before the district merged with Tecumseh Public Schools in 2007, is the newest building.
The district considered renovating the existing buildings to bring them up to code, but challenges — like the awkward location of the high school — led officials to putting a new building on the ballot.
One building for all grades also made sense because the district shuttles students to and from Cook, which is both a financial and instructional burden, Superintendent Jon Rother said.
"The majority said that we needed ... to get everyone to one site," he said.
If the bond issue is approved, the district plans to demolish the elementary school and sell the Cook building. The existing high school would still be used for industrial arts space, a wrestling room, a business office and storage, Rother said. The district is also considering using some of the space for a child care center or leasing it out.
The bond program, expected to last 25 years, would put into place a 42-cent tax levy for district patrons. That equates to about $390 annually for the owner of an average $92,659 home in Johnson County.
The district has already hired the Omaha-based construction firm Boyd Jones as the construction manager at-risk for the school, which Rother said would create a sense of unity in the community and serve as a recruiting and enrollment tool for staff and students.
"For those within the district — the parents, the constituents — I think it would be a great source of pride for them to know they have this facility that their kids are proud of and also want to be in," he said.
Just to the north in Otoe County, Palmyra-Bennet District OR-1 is in the early stages of rolling out their own bond issue to fund renovations at Bennet Elementary School and the junior-senior high in Palmyra. The district may float a $15 million to $20 million bond to voters as early as August.
Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @HammackLJS
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/education/southeast-nebraska-voters-to-consider-43m-bond-to-build-consolidated-school-in-tecumseh/article_23dc57f6-f2dc-569f-9b23-f6a3ce8ca33b.html
| 2022-05-04T12:19:04
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CALERA, Ala. (WIAT) — Calera Main Street’s First Friday festival series is happening on May 6 in Downtown Calera.
The event will include the First Annual Calera Cornhole Tournament. Watch the full interview above to learn more.
Calera, AL, March 22, 2022 – Calera Main Street’s First Friday festival series is coming around again on May 6th in Downtown Calera. The event will feature live music from Cole Pevey and Jacob Ellison, multiple food trucks, vendors, a kids zone and the First Annual Calera Cornhole Tournament!
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/calera-first-friday-festival-cornhole-tournament/
| 2022-05-04T12:33:08
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MURFREESBORO, Ark. — A regular visitor at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro found the largest diamond at the park for 2022.
Adam Hardin found his first diamond weighing more than two carats after a decade of searching. According to Arkansas State Parks, Hardin said he was sifting through soil when he found the diamond.
“It was right in the middle when I flipped my screen over," Hardin said. "When I saw it, I said, ‘Wow, that’s a big diamond!’”
Hardin carried his gem in a pill bottle to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where staff registered it as a 2.38-carat brown diamond.
According to staff at the park, the diamond is about the size of a pinto bean with a coffee brown color and rounded shape.
"It has a metallic shine typical of all diamonds found at the park, with a few inclusions and crevices running all along the surface,” Park Interpreter Waymon Cox said.
The park itself has a searching area of 37.5 acres where people from all over the country have found diamonds.
Hardin named his diamond Frankenstone.
“I thought of the name because it has a pretty and kind of not-so-pretty look to it," Hardin explained. "Us diamond miners call that 'character!'"
Hardin said he usually sells his diamonds locally and plans on selling Frankenstone when the time comes.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/arkansas-man-finds-diamond-crater-diamonds-state-park/91-8b7128cb-f8d5-4ebe-abae-529765ad3cfe
| 2022-05-04T13:04:24
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FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Actor Amber Heard suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from violence she suffered at the hands of her ex-husband Johnny Depp, including multiple acts of sexual assault, a psychologist testified Tuesday.
The sexual assaults included being forced to perform oral sex and having Depp penetrate her with a liquor bottle, the psychologist, Dawn Hughes, told jurors at Depp’s libel trial against Heard. He accuses her of falsely claiming in a newspaper op-ed piece that she was a victim of domestic violence.
Hughes’ testimony contradicts that of a psychologist hired by Depp’s lawyers, who said Heard was faking her symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and suffered from borderline and histrionic personality disorders. Hughes disputed that Heard suffers from any personality disorder.
Hughes was the first witness to take the stand on Heard’s behalf after Depp’s lawyers rested their case Tuesday morning.
Hughes said there is corroboration of many of the instances of abuse, including apologies and admissions made by Depp to Heard and admissions he made to friends in text messages about his bad behavior when he drinks. In some cases, Heard told her therapists about the abuse contemporaneously, Hughes said.
Depp has said he never physically attacked Heard, and that she was the aggressor who routinely hit him and threw things at him through the course of their relationship.
Hughes, in her testimony, said Heard acknowledged that she did at times push and shove Depp, call him names and insult his parenting.
But Hughes said there’s a difference in the violence when a smaller person strikes at a larger person, and that Depp’s violence was intimidating and threatened her safety, but Heard’s violence did not have the same effect on Depp.
“That’s just physics; that’s just proportional force,” she said.
Much of the violence, Hughes said, stemmed from Depp’s obsessive jealousy. He insisted she avoid nude scenes, if she worked at all, and accused her of affairs with actors Billy Bob Thornton and James Franco. If she did work on a film, Depp would call the director and others on set and say he “had eyes” there who would report to him if she fraternized improperly, Hughes said.
And Heard, who identifies as bisexual according to treatment notes introduced at trial, also faced scrutiny in her interactions with women. Hughes said Depp on one occasion manually penetrated Heard in anger after witnessing Heard’s interactions with a woman.
“Amber got accused of women hitting her, and she got accused of men hitting on her,” Hughes said.
Heard blinked back tears, and her lips and chin quivered at times as Hughes described the abuse.
Hughes said she based her testimony on 29 hours of interviews with Heard, as well as interviews with her therapists and a review of court documents.
Earlier Tuesday, Depp’s lawyers rested their case, and a judge rejected a motion from Heard’s lawyers to dismiss the case. Heard’s lawyers argued that Depp had failed to make his case as a matter of law and that no reasonable jury could find in his favor.
But the judge, Penney Azcarate, said the standard for dismissing a case at this point in the trial is exceedingly high, and that the case should be allowed to move forward if Depp has provided even a “scintilla” of evidence backing up his claims.
Depp and his lead lawyer, Benjamin Chew, patted each other on the back after the judge ruled the case can proceed.
Chew argued that the jury has a wealth of evidence to conclude that Heard falsely accused Depp of abuse. In fact, he said, the evidence shows that “Ms. Heard physically abused him. She’s the abuser.”
Heard’s lawyer, J. Benjamin Rottenborn, said the evidence is clear over the last three weeks of testimony that Heard’s allegations of abuse are truthful.
“We haven’t gotten to put on our case yet,” he said. “This is all evidence that has come in while plaintiff controls the playing field.”
Depp is suing Heard for $50 million in Fairfax County Circuit Court after Heard wrote a December 2018 op-ed piece in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” The article never mentions Depp by name, but Depp’s lawyers say he was defamed nevertheless because it’s a clear reference to abuse allegations Heard levied in 2016, in the midst of the couple’s divorce proceedings.
The judge on Tuesday did say she’s reserving judgment on whether the article’s headline in online editions should be part of the libel lawsuit because she said the evidence is unclear at this point whether Heard wrote the headline or is responsible for it. The online headline reads, “I spoke up against sexual violence — and faced our culture’s wrath. That has to change.”
Hughes will be cross-examined Wednesday, and Heard is expected to take the stand Wednesday as well.
Watch the Tuesday testimony in part below.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/johnny-depp-trial-psychologist-testifies-actor-assaulted-amber-heard/65-88467fd9-3ab3-4323-afe2-e6690da527c3
| 2022-05-04T13:04:30
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SAN DIEGO — Recent studies have shown psychedelic mushrooms can treat or even cure depression.
Now, more and more moms are coming forward admitting to taking the illegal drug in small doses. It’s called microdosing, and according to one North County mom who does it, it’s growing in popularity in San Diego.
Mikaela, who asked that we not use her last name, knows what she’s doing is illegal. But, she feels so strongly about the benefits of microdosing magic mushrooms, she wanted to share her story.
“It’s so necessary for some of us to be out and forward because we need to move the needle. We need to help give permission to other mothers, to fathers and other families,” said Mikaela.
Microdosing involves taking small doses of the psychedelic drug in various homemade forms, including pills, gummies, even chocolate.
“So a dose that would give you a classic psychedelic effect would be anywhere between a gram to five, six, seven grams and so a microdose is a fraction of a gram,” explained Mikaela.
Mikaela started microdosing about three years ago when she was pregnant with her two and a half your old son, Marten.
She was struggling with alcoholism and says microdosing helped her stop.
“I’ve heard that mushrooms can combat addictive behavioral patterns, so I wanted to approach it head on,” said Mikaela.
Following Marten’s birth, Mikaela struggled even more, saying the anxiety and depression she’s dealt with for years intensified.
She now microdoses on a regular basis.
“What does it feel like,” I asked.
“A glow. An underglow. It makes those emotions to connect with my son and toddler way more readily available and it slows down my desire to react and instead I respond to him,” said Mikaela.
According to Mikaela, her relationship with microdosing isn’t unique, saying there are other local moms from all walks of life doing the same.
“What’s leading people to want to dose is wanting to be more present in their life and I think that redefines what we think about as a drug user,” said Mikaela.
The stigma behind psychedelics dates back to the 1960’s when mushrooms and LSD were labeled as dangerous party drugs that could melt your mind.
Then, came the war on drugs during the Nixon administration when studies on psychedelics were banned.
Decades later, that’s all changing as more and more studies are being conducted showing psilocybin, the active compound in magic mushrooms, can help with depression.
“Decreases in depression and even in cancer patients decreases in depression and anxiety that are seen six months later,” said Michael Johnson, Ph.D, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research.
While he stands behind the benefits of psilocybin, he cautions, the majority of research conducted is related to macro-dosing sparingly in controlled environments, not microdosing for long periods of time.
“It’s not like we’re seeing them less depressed when they continue to take psilocybin. It’s like you take psilocybin in two sessions under monitoring and you’re feeling better a week later, a month later, six months later. It’s this ongoing therapeutic effect. Contrast that to microdosing. We know almost nothing about microdosing scientifically,” said Johnson.
Johnson worries if psilocybin is misused, it could be harmful or lead to a so-called “bad trip.”
He says education is crucial.
Meanwhile, some question if psilocybin could open the door to drug abuse.
Still, Mikaela and others are pushing to decriminalize it.
Denver was the first city in the United States to do so in 2019, followed by others including Oakland, Santa Cruz and Seattle.
Now, entire states are jumping on board with Oregon voters already approving a measure to do the same.
"There’s also another bill being pushed across the entire state of California called SB 519,” said Mikaela.
SB 519 would allow people 21 and older to hold and share small amounts of psilocybin as well as other psychedelic drugs without fear of arrest.
The bill passed key hurdles last year, but its author, Senator Scott Wiener of San Francisco, put it on hold, saying he wanted to gain more support to ensure its success. He plans to reintroduce it sometime in 2022.
Mikaela is hopeful, saying if the state doesn’t take action, she plans to launch an initiative here in San Diego.
For now, she’ll continue speaking out about how microdosing has helped her.
She often posts about it to her combined nearly 200,000 followers on her Instagram and Tik Tok pages, Mama De La Myco, which means mother of the mushroom.
“I’m a vastly different person for the better. I had no idea this level of happiness or contentment in life would be possible before I found the mushroom,” said Mikaela.
Watch Related: Should psychedelics be decriminalized in California? The debate over current legislation is intensifying
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/magic-mushrooms-a-growing-trend-among-local-moms/509-9d9b11a5-4663-47d4-8034-979646fab6e0
| 2022-05-04T13:04:37
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MOUNT HOOD, Ore. — A 26-year-old man from New Hampshire just set a new round-trip record for reaching the summit of Mount Hood and descending the mountain, making the entire journey in about 90 minutes.
Just to give you an idea of how long it takes most people just to reach the top, it’s about four to six hours depending on the conditions.
Jack Kuenzle started at the parking lot of Timberline Lodge, and with special mountaineering boots and gear he set a record making it to the top at one hour and 16 minutes, and then turned around and skied down in 15 minutes.
“There’s a round-trip record that was set at one hour and 44 minutes several years ago, but my trip was one hour and 30 minutes round trip,” said Kuenzle.
His total climb from the parking lot to the summit was about 5,200 feet, but Kuenzle is no stranger to setting records in ski mountaineering. In February, he made it to the top of Mount Shasta in northern California in record time, but just missed getting the record for the descent when he ran into trouble coming down the mountain.
“I set the ascent record on skis — and then I when I went to ski down, I snapped both of my skis in half,” Kuenzle said.
Not only was his Mount Hood climb fast, he did it with very little on him. He had boots, skis and crampons for good traction, but he otherwise set the new record wearing only a pair of underwear. Kuenzle said that overheating can play a big role in limiting physical performance. Luckily he planned his climb on a sunny and warm day, where he could get away with wearing very little.
Kuenzle went up the south side of the mountain, which is known as the “Pearly Gates.” The feat also qualifies him for the 2026 Winter Olympics, where ski mountaineering will feature as an Olympic sport for the first time ever. Kuenzle said he hasn’t decided yet if he’s going to participate.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/mount-hood-mountaineering-new-record-jack-kuenzle/283-659039ab-b096-4712-bd9c-9eda763f97e1
| 2022-05-04T13:04:43
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/mount-hood-mountaineering-new-record-jack-kuenzle/283-659039ab-b096-4712-bd9c-9eda763f97e1
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FORT MYERS, Fla. – A driver crashed through a Fort Myers residence Wednesday morning causing extensive damage to the garage, officials said.
Firefighters and deputies responded to the home on Kasamada Drive off McGregor Blvd around 1 a.m., according to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
Officials said no one was injured in the crash, but the incident caused a small fire.
Witnesses said two people were in the U-Haul with one taken to the hospital.
The homeowner Dr. Jake Goldberger said he was woken up by a loud bang before deputies arrived at his home overnight.
“Certainly ruined my night, my neighbor’s night, and all the neighbors up the street,” said Goldberger. “It did not affect the house, the garage was pretty much devastated and destroyed the walls in the front are gone the doors are gone windows gone.”
Goldberger said the driver told him he was tired and lost before the crash.
No further details were immediately available.
Count on NBC2 to bring you the latest information as this story develops.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/04/driver-slams-u-haul-truck-into-fort-myers-home/
| 2022-05-04T13:13:31
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/04/driver-slams-u-haul-truck-into-fort-myers-home/
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Providence police seek public's help finding missing man, 36
Jack Perry
The Providence Journal
The Providence police are seeking the public's help as they look for a missing man.
Jose Silva, 36, has been missing since Friday, according to the police.
He's described as a Hispanic male, about 5-feet, 9-inches tall and 180 pounds. He has long, straight brown hair in a ponytail and was wearing a black jacket, jeans and black sneakers. Silva has a large dragon tattoo on his right arm and also has tattoos on his left arm.
The police say he could be in Providence's West End.
Found:8-year-old boy reported missing in North Kingstown has been found safe
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Providence Police Youth Service Bureau at (401) 272-3121.
jperry@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7614
On Twitter: @jgregoryperry
Be the first to know.
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/missing-person-providence-police-need-tips/9642212002/
| 2022-05-04T13:19:02
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/missing-person-providence-police-need-tips/9642212002/
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Brevard prosecutors won't pursue murder charge against woman who fatally shot sister
Prosecutors have decided not to pursue a murder charge against a 30-year-old Merritt Island woman after determining she acted in self-defense during a deadly struggle with her sister.
Brittany Da’Vell Bishop-Gillison had been charged with murder with a firearm in connection with the death of Kapricia Bishop at a Topaz Court apartment on March 25, records show.
Witnesses told Brevard County sheriff’s investigators the two sisters had been arguing when Kapricia Bishop hurled a vase at her sibling and later held her by the throat as they struggled over a gun.
Deadly shooting:Rockledge police investigate deadly shooting in apartment complex parking lot
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The gun discharged, killing Kapricia Bishop, later identified as the aggressor by prosecutors.
“We extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Kapricia Bishop as they struggle to deal with the unimaginable grief of her tragic death during a dispute with her sister, Brittany Bishiop-Gillison," said Todd Brown, spokesperson for the state attorney's office, in a statement to FLORIDA TODAY.
"While the arrest of Bishop-Gillison was reasonable based on the initial investigation, ultimately, the totality of the evidence gathered was insufficient for the state to overcome the defendant’s stated claim of self-defense under Florida’s Stand Your Ground law," Brown said.
The Stand Your Ground law allows anyone to use deadly force if they reasonably believe that force is needed to stop an imminent death or great bodily harm.
“The state has a legal and ethical obligation to only pursue the criminal prosecution of a defendant when there is a good faith belief that the offenses charged can be proven beyond and to the exclusion of every reasonable doubt to a jury. When that burden of proof cannot be met, the State must dismiss the charges and abandon any further effort to bring the case to trial,” Brown said.
Alton Edmond, the attorney for Bishop-Gillison, praised the decision but said the family is still processing what happened. Edmond also credited Michael Mario Pirolo, Chief Assistant Public Defender at Public Defender's Office, for negotiating Bishop-Gillison release from county jail on her own recognizance as prosectors reviewed the case.
“This woman’s name was dragged through the mud,” said Edmond, referring to his client. “She’s doing well, but still in mourning. It’s a conflicted position to be in, but with as many issues as they had, this was still her sister.”
Witnesses said Kapricia Bishop had been arguing with Bishop-Gillison, who was living in Gainsville, shortly after Bishop-Gillison arrived at the home. It was not immediately known what the argument was about.
At one point, Bishop-Gillison made it back to her car, with her daughter and another relative, when Kapricia Bishop followed her out of the apartment near a garage.
“Kapricia is yelling, cursing aggressively approaching the driver’s side door. My client got out of the car, she has a gun, and a fistfight ensues,” Edmond said.
The confrontation escalated with the siblings then fighting over the weapon.
Kapricia Bishop grabbed her sister by the throat with one hand and attempted to get the weapon with the other hand. The gun then discharged, striking Kapricia Bishop in the head, reports show.
"The discharge seemed accidental," Edmond said, adding that the accounts given by the witnesses all were consistent.
“From the beginning, my client has said it was self-defense. But the law is clear, you have a right to defend yourself. It’s just an unfortunate situation for everyone,” Edmond said.
J.D. Gallop is a Criminal Justice/Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Gallop at 321-917-4641 or jgallop@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @JDGallop.
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/no-murder-charge-self-defense-merritt-woman-case-involving-sisters-deadly-struggle-brevard/9632376002/
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Abby Royer will be graduating from Northern Arizona University this weekend with a bachelor's in criminology and criminal justice (CCJ), and after pushing herself into new experiences throughout college, she'll be trying to go further by serving in the Peace Corps.
After graduating high school, one of the few things that caught her interest was “the idea of potentially going to law school or potentially joining law enforcement," Royer said. She is also in the Honors College and has minors in Forensic Anthropology and Law, Rights and Justice. She’s been committed to the CCJ program since her first visit to NAU’s campus in November of 2018.
“I just realized that serving other people was what I really wanted to do and helping with bettering communities was right up my alley,” she said.
Royer originally wanted to study film but realized it was “more of a hobby." But she still maintains a YouTube channel, chronicling her time studying abroad in Liverpool, for example.
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Royer is a first-generation college graduate. Her parents both started careers after high school and her older sister attended community college in their hometown near San Diego.
“I was the first one to leave for school -- which was kind of a big deal because I’m the youngest,” Royer said. “...I think overall it went well and my parents supported me through it since day one. They don’t care about straight As, they just care that I’m doing what makes me happy.”
Royer came to the Flagstaff campus at the age of 17. Part of what made her interested in the university was NAU's recruitment visits to her high school, so she had familiar people with her when she started.
College has “exceeded all my expectations,” she said. “I only grew up in the same household, the same city, same everything. When I came here, it was a whole new world."
The biggest thing Royer learned from the experience was independence.
“It was a big change, but I really took it on full force and tried to take advantage of everything," she said. "... I decided I wanted to study hard and learn what career I was heading towards."
As part of a capstone project for the Honors College, Royer created a podcast on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) in 2020. It started with research into cold cases in Coconino County, shifting focus as she saw how many involved Indigenous people.
“I couldn’t even look back. I was like, 'Forget the cold cases. This is really important, especially in Arizona,'” she said.
The four-episode podcast series contains interviews with experts from around Flagstaff about trafficking, reasons Indigenous women are targeted, jurisdictional issues and the Miss Hopi committee’s community response.
"Jurisdiction is one of the number one reasons Indigenous women get swept under the rug in the media, because within federal and tribal boundaries, a lot of those cases are just everyone pointing a finger about who should be taking the case. Depending on the location of where the crime occurred, they go back and forth and nothing gets solved,” she said of her interview with Department of Politics and International Affairs lecturer Andrew Dzeguze.
It's a potential career focus for her in the future, she said, though as a white woman, she wanted to make sure she’s working “next to, not in front of” tribal members.
“There's a lot of respect that comes into it,” she said. “...I don't want to totally disregard their system."
She added: "That's not what they need. They need people supporting them.”
Another project she took on as part of her major was a criminal justice capstone about restorative justice.
A group project for the course involved coming up with a program using restorative practices. Called Better Future for Flagstaff students (BFF), Royer’s group's program focused on implementing talking and healing circles to reduce suspension and expulsion rates at Flagstaff High school.
“It was just really nice to see that there’s other solutions rather than just the prison system and conventional justice in that way,” she said. “Anyone who’s taking a CCJ capstone, I would really recommend that restorative justice program."
Royer was also president of NAU’s mock trial club in the 2021-22 school year, with the team winning the Spirit of Mock Trial Award in the American Mock Trial Association regional and NAU’s High Pines Commitment to Justice award in 2022.
“Everyone was very committed and excited,” she said. “All I did was encourage them and they did the rest.”
After graduating, Royer plans to return to her hometown and work with the Boys and Girls Club (where she’s volunteered over the summer for many years) while she applies to the Peace Corps.
“I kind of got obsessed with the idea of joining” after meeting some recruiters at an NAU event, she said. “...I can’t imagine a career where I don’t serve other people. What better way to do that than to fully immerse yourself for two years in a different country away from everyone and serving the community. That’s how I want to live.”
While she’s nervous and said her mom is "guilt-tripping" her about missing the first two years of her niece’s life, Royer is committed to continuing to push herself.
“I came to school for four years right out of high school and that wasn’t so hard, and then I went abroad and that wasn’t hard either," she said. "I just want to keep pushing the line a little bit, doing things I like."
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https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/nau-grad-spotlight-royer-wants-to-keep-pushing-the-line-after-studying-criminology-and-criminal/article_eefec1b6-cb12-11ec-ada9-2fc743a17b0a.html
| 2022-05-04T14:03:14
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Flagstaff girls soccer senior Karina Fuhrmann was surrounded by friends, family and coaches Monday in the Flagstaff High School auditorium as she signed to play soccer at Bluefield State College in Bluefield, West Virginia.
Furhmann was named All-Region, All-Conference and the Arizona Daily Sun's soccer athlete of the year for the 2021-22 winter season. She also was a main contributor on the Eagles’ state championship in 2020.
She believes Bluefield State and its Division II Big Blues women’s soccer team were the best fit financially and for the continuation of her soccer career. The Big Blues competed in their first full season in 2021-22, and Fuhrmann could prove a building block for a developing program.
“I wanted to play soccer, and it was in a cool place. And the other places I had on my list were too expensive or not in a cool place. And I loved my conversation with the coach, and it’s where I wanted to go because it felt right,” Furhmann said.
Among those who congratulated Fuhrmann at Wednesday’s ceremony was Eagles coach Savannah Berry. She was impressed in all her time coaching Furhmann with the senior’s ability as a midfielder.
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The Eagles scored a total of 109 goals across 13 regular-season matches and an 11-0 victory over No. 15 Tempe in the first round of the playoffs. As an important distributor for the Eagles, Fuhrmann was heavily involved in the production.
However, Fuhrmann’s impact on Berry, and really the whole Eagles squad, went far beyond just her talent.
“I’ve had the opportunity to coach Karina in one-on-one settings as well as here as the head coach at Flagstaff High School. From day one, though we had a lot to improve on -- as all developing players do -- I knew she was all in, coachable and invested. And from that day I knew she was going to be successful,” Berry said.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure coaching Karina the past year because she’s fun, she challenges me and is a pain in the butt most of the time,” she added, chuckling. “But her goal has not only been to improve herself but to improve everyone.”
Once she gets to West Virginia, Fuhrmann will have to find her spot on the field, based on whatever the staff needs her to do at an advanced stage. She has had her most success and is most comfortable in the midfield, though.
“Whenever I play a good ball and something positive happens from it, it’s a great feeling,” Fuhrmann said of her play as a distributor.
Fuhrmann is continuing to enjoy the final weeks of her high school career, including graduation. She is also focused, she said, on practicing as much as possible and working out to make sure she is prepared for high-level play once she steps onto her new campus next fall.
“I got my summer packet, and it is going to be rough, but I want to be ready when I get there. It’s running and lifting, and things that will help me,” she said.
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/flagstaff-high-school-senior-fuhrmann-signs-with-bluefield-state-college-soccer/article_5dac5dba-cb29-11ec-bc04-374fd26c8930.html
| 2022-05-04T14:03:20
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https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/flagstaff-high-school-senior-fuhrmann-signs-with-bluefield-state-college-soccer/article_5dac5dba-cb29-11ec-bc04-374fd26c8930.html
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MASON CITY, Iowa - Elected leaders from both sides of the aisle are weighing in on the leaked Supreme Court documents which point to an overturn of the historic Roe v. Wade decision, including Iowa's junior U.S. Senator.
Senator Joni Ernst says that while she is not sure how the situation is going to play out in the court as of yet, she believes an investigation into how the court document was obtained should be conducted.
"I don't want to get the cart ahead of the horse right now, but I do want to focus on the fact that this was a leaked document which was federal property that was released from the Supreme Court, one of our most trusted institutions in federal government. This leak is absolutely abhorrent...it is putting undue pressure, outside pressure, on a judicial process that is supposed to be free of public opinion."
With the war between Russia and Ukraine continuing to rage, and food insecurity continuing to rise in affected areas, Sen. Ernst is working with Delaware Sen. Chris Coons on a bi-partisan resolution that would speed up the shipping process to ensure grains and other agricultural products to the suffering nations.
"We have authorized millions of dollars here in the Congress that we had hoped would have already provided food to Ukraine. It has not because we didn't have the means to move the food to the Ukraine. Once we can get the resolution passed, we could hopefully expect to see food moving in short order within a few weeks."
In addition, Ernst is also working to tackle increasing prices and inflation, saying that the U.S. government needs to spend money more wisely, and reduce unnecessary and burdensome regulations.
"What we need to do is make sure we're focusing on American jobs, energy and innovation. We need to unleash our own natural resources and stop spending so much money at the federal level. Iowans are really feeling the heat in their pocket books."
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https://www.kimt.com/news/local/sen-ernst-talks-supreme-court-draft-opinion-leak-calls-it-absolutely-abhorrent/article_b0a2980c-cb62-11ec-a136-a3654c7baab6.html
| 2022-05-04T14:03:58
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https://www.kimt.com/news/local/sen-ernst-talks-supreme-court-draft-opinion-leak-calls-it-absolutely-abhorrent/article_b0a2980c-cb62-11ec-a136-a3654c7baab6.html
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Police are looking for a man they say walked past a 79-year-old standing in the mezzanine area of a Queens subway station and punched him in the head for no reason at all, authorities say.
The victim was attacked in the middle of the afternoon -- around 2:30 p.m. -- Saturday at the Junction Boulevard station, which serves the No. 7 line.
The impact of the blow sent the 79-year-old flying backward into a wall and then to the ground, suffering a laceration to the back of his head in the process.
The victim was taken to a hospital for treatment, while the suspect fled the scene.
Police released surveillance footage of the suspect (above). Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Copyright NBC New York
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/79-year-old-flies-into-wall-after-random-nyc-subway-punch-to-head-cops/3673741/
| 2022-05-04T14:04:52
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SEATTLE — Passengers on a Carnival Cruise Ship that docked Tuesday in Seattle say more than 100 people aboard the ship tested positive for COVID-19, and the ship was overwhelmed.
Multiple people say right now they're in hotels across the Seattle area to quarantine after testing positive or being exposed to someone with COVID-19. Carnival Cruise Line would not confirm how many people tested positive on the ship but said there were a number of positive cases.
"As soon as I got diagnosed with COVID, I did not feel safe," said Darren Sieferston, a passenger on the cruise from Miami to Seattle.
Sieferston is in quarantine at the hotel after testing positive for COVID while on the ship. He lives in Nevada. He said he's been on seven cruises since August and said every trip had COVID-19 positive passengers. He feels the response from the crew on this recent Carnival Cruise was chaotic.
"They didn't have enough staff to handle the emergency that was happening, period," said Sieferston. "They were overwhelmed, and they didn't have a backup course in how to handle about 200 people affected with COVID. We all suffered."
Passengers tell KING 5 they waited hours for meals, weren't properly isolated and couldn't get ahold of medical staff.
"We couldn't call anybody. Basically, we sat in the room, you call and it would ring, ring, ring and ring all day long" said Sieferston.
Sieferston shared a photo with KING 5, which he says was hung outside the elevator of his floor, showing the name and room numbers of people who tested positive. He called it an invasion of privacy.
"It's just unacceptable. This ship is so poorly managed. I'm fearful for the people that are going up to Alaska," said Sieferston.
The ship de-boarded Tuesday and is already on its next voyage to Alaska. Carnival wouldn't comment if additional protection would be taken for that trip.
Carnival said there were no serious health issues. According to the company's website, guests are required to be fully vaccinated and tested before a trip. Some exemptions are accommodated with proper testing.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/cruise-covid-19-positive-passengers-seattle/281-39e9ae51-79f1-4fc6-9de4-42faa1cee184
| 2022-05-04T14:23:09
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CALIFORNIA, USA — Governor Gavin Newsom will hold a media conference in Los Angeles County Wednesday to discuss California's commitment to safeguarding reproductive freedom.
News reports earlier this week detailed a preliminary U.S. Supreme Court majority draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade and end federal constitutional protections for the right to abortion.
California's governor and top legislative leaders want to add abortion protections to the state's constitution. Their comments came just hours after Politico published a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court. The opinion indicated a majority of justices support overturning the decision that stops states from banning abortions.
If that happens, abortion rights groups say at least 26 states are likely to restrict or ban the procedure. Newsom has pledged to make California a sanctuary for people from other states seeking abortions. Adding abortion protections to the state's constitution would make it much harder for future lawmakers to repeal them.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom tweeted that “our daughters, sisters, mothers, and grandmothers will not be silenced.”
Newsom’s office said its goal is to put the amendment on the ballot this November, though lawmakers will have to act quickly to make that happen. They have to vote on it before the end of June to give state officials enough time to print the ballots.
It takes a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That shouldn’t be a problem in California’s Legislature. Democrats control so many seats they could muster the necessary votes without relying on Republicans.
The amendment would become law if more than 50% of voters support it in November. About 76% of likely California voters oppose overturning Roe v. Wade, according to an April poll conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan think tank.
CBS 8 reporter Chris Gro contributed to this story.
WATCH RELATED: San Diegans take to the streets to protest possible overturn of Roe v. Wade (May 3, 2022)
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/governor-newsom-discuss-draft-opinion-overturn-roe-v-wade/509-a9ce7a11-a184-4123-8134-bd276ab9ddae
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FAITH group continues its push for affordable housing in Volusia County
DELAND — As people throughout Volusia County continue to struggle to pay rent every month, the local FAITH group is not letting up on its push to help those low-income tenants.
Dozens of FAITH members held a prayer vigil outside of the Volusia County Administration Building before Tuesday's County Council meeting, and then they poured into the Council chambers to implore the county to launch an affordable housing trust fund.
"Rent increases are leaving so many people behind," said South Daytona resident Patty Quigly, who told Council members her granddaughter had to move in with her in 2019 when she couldn't afford her rent.
FAITH wants the County Council to get the housing trust fund started with at least $2.5 million from the $107 million the county received in federal American Rescue Plan dollars. Then the nonprofit wants the county to add at least $1 million to the housing fund each year.
FAITH also wants the county to do a study on whether linkage fees could become a dedicated revenue source for the housing trust fund.
Linkage fees can help reconcile the connection between new development and the rising cost of rent. The fees work by assessing a certain dollar amount per square foot of new development, and then the fee revenue goes into the housing fund.
Last year the city of Daytona Beach commissioned a study on the use of linkage fees, but the results of the study have not been shared yet.
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Daytona Beach's tight housing industry:Housing market heat check: Realtors now outnumber homes for sale 3-to-1 in Daytona Beach
Learn more about Volusia County housing:Senior haven: National ranking lists Daytona Beach third best place in nation to retire
It's not clear whether the County Council will support setting up a trust fund. Council members didn't respond to FAITH's comments Tuesday, and Barbara Girtman was the only County Council member who went to FAITH's action assembly in late March and said she supports the group's proposals for the housing fund.
Two other County Council members, Billie Wheeler and Heather Post, sent written statements saying they support the fund idea, but they did not attend the rally.
It would take at least four County Council members to start the fund, and if a vote isn't taken before the end of the year, Wheeler and Post won't have a chance to cast yes votes. Their terms are expiring in December, and both have said they don't plan to run for re-election.
'Elected officials are ignoring us'
Only three of the seven Daytona Beach city commissioners came to the March 28 FAITH rally, and the Rev. Phil Egitto made it clear that night he was disappointed so few elected officials responded to FAITH's questions on the housing fund.
"Our officials are not taking us seriously," said Egitto, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Daytona Beach. "It is unconscionable that our elected officials are ignoring us."
FAITH member Jackie Mole urged Council members Tuesday to help, but in a way that doesn't raise taxes for local residents. He hopes Council members will consider a linkage fee of at least $1 per square foot.
"The new jobs being created often don't pay enough for people to afford housing," Mole said. "It's unacceptable that there are 2,465 school children (in Volusia County) who don't have a stable place to call home."
FAITH has gathered the signatures of more than 1,200 people who support their affordable housing trust fund proposal. During Tuesday's meeting, FAITH member Ben Collins handed the petitions with those signatures to County Chair Jeff Brower.
The average one-bedroom apartment in Volusia County rents for $955 per month, and the average two-bedroom apartment runs $1,488 monthly.
To afford the average one-bedroom apartment in Volusia County, a tenant would have to earn more than $17 per hour and work fulltime. But the mean wage among renters in Volusia County is $13.35 per hour.
Nearly 30% of local renters expend more than half of their income on rent.
Volusia County could use 16,000 more affordable rental housing units, FAITH leaders say, and they want the county government to set up a housing trust fund to help make that possible.
FAITH officials say there are housing trust funds in more than 700 communities across the country, including new ones in Orange and Hillsborough counties.
The funds can provide grants for projects that create, sustain or renovate housing that’s affordable for people earning 80% of the area median income. An example of who's eligible is a family of three making less than $40,000 a year.
Push for Volusia housing trust fund
FAITH, an acronym for Fighting Against Injustice Towards Harmony, is a nonprofit interfaith organization made up of 30 diverse congregations in Volusia County. The organization was founded in 2000 by a group of local clergy as a way for congregations of various racial and denominational backgrounds to join forces and address community problems.
FAITH was a key player in the creation of Daytona Beach's First Step Shelter for homeless adults, a health clinic for the uninsured in Daytona Beach, the expansion of VOTRAN bus service for late shift workers, and a substance abuse treatment program at the Volusia County Jail.
FAITH wants the Volusia County Council to create a housing trust fund before the end of 2022. The money in the fund could be used to help create, rehabilitate and preserve housing for low-income people.
Grants could be given to both nonprofit and for-profit developers to fill the gap between the cost of development and what working families can afford for rent.
FAITH members say local workers, including nursing assistants and security guards, don’t earn enough to afford a one-bedroom apartment. Some senior citizens in FAITH congregations are having to decide between buying prescription drugs and keeping a roof over their heads, they say.
FAITH leaders say developers won't build affordable housing without government help. Incidentally, on Tuesday Council members approved the issuance of $24 million in multi-family housing revenue bonds by the Housing Finance Authority of Volusia County for the Clyde Morris Landings Apartments. A total of 227 apartments are being built, and at least 20% will be affordable.
On Tuesday Council members also approved a $1 million grant for new temporary housing for veterans in a Derbyshire Road facility just north of Daytona Beach. And they approved spending $2.67 million in federal funds for homelessness help and prevention.
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com
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https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2022/05/04/affordable-housing-top-priority-for-volusia-county-faith-group/9630097002/
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CAPE CORAL, Fla. – The City of Cape Coral continues to boom and more people means more emergency crews are needed.
To help with that need, a brand new fire station will open Wednesday!
Fire Division Chief Mike Bush said the new facility, along Chiquita Boulevard, will service the west side of the Cape which is about 20,000 people and roughly 2500 calls a year.
“With the addition of the new station, we can reduce that response time in this area, and when we reduce the response time we can increase the survivability of sick and injured patients also reduce the loss & property damage due to fire spread,” Bush stated.
Bush said trained firefighters will also be able to perform advanced life support and hazmat services.
With the city’s growth, the Chief said the fire department has to keep up.
“The fire department tries to follow the data to know where to build and put new resources and this is just one of those examples,” said Bush.
As we inch closer to hurricane season, Chief Bush said the new facility is considered a category 5 rated for hurricanes.
This means they can use it to house extra people.
The grand opening for the new station will be held on May 4 at 1:30 p.m.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/04/new-cape-coral-fire-station-to-hold-grand-opening-wednesday/
| 2022-05-04T15:52:41
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/04/new-cape-coral-fire-station-to-hold-grand-opening-wednesday/
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Sarasota County School Board abruptly ends meeting as disruptive crowd demands to speak
The meeting lasted two hours
After two verbal warnings, Tom Edwards had enough of the Sarasota School Board audience Tuesday night.
Following two recesses, board Vice-Chair Edwards — who filled in for the ill Jane Goodwin presiding — cleared the School Board meeting of all spectators and adjourned it about 20 minutes later. The meeting lasted two hours.
This followed the previous board meeting April 19 where a woman was forcibly removed from the podium by school district police upon Goodwin's direction.
After the agenda-based public comment section of Tuesday’s meeting, a number of audience members loudly demanded the opportunity to speak, claiming they had been skipped. Edwards had already moved the meeting into board business — much to the dismay of those in attendance.
“This is the business of the School Board,” Edwards warned the crowd. “If it's disrupted one more time, I will clear the room and we'll finish our business, the business of the School Board, and I will re-invite you all back in for general comments. So, it's up to you how we proceed.”
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The crowd grew restless, which led to Edwards clearing the chamber. However, a number of people elected to stay put in their seats.
Michelle Pozzie, a 45-year-old real estate agent from North Port, refused to move from her seat following the clearing of the chamber. Pozzie said she was supposed to speak, but the board intentionally moved her speaking slot from the line.
“We're not on the same level as them,” she said. “They’ve forgotten that they work for us. They’ve forgotten that we elect them to represent us. They've forgotten where the power lies.”
A regular attendee of board meetings, Pozzie said she’ll be back.
“We're not going anywhere,” she said. “We're going to be heard and we're going to be the change we want to see on the board.”
Edwards said the board moved some agenda-based public comment tickets into the general comment section because they weren’t clear or were filled out incorrectly.
The clearing of the room was not to restrict free speech, Edwards said. Instead, it was about maintaining order in the board room and allowing the board to proceed with business.
“There's agenda items that you speak on at this part of the meeting and if you don't have an agenda item, you're free to speak in the general comment section,” he said.
During the meeting, Edwards told the crowd multiple times that there would be more time to talk at the end during public comment. However, the crowd continued to jeer — disrupting the motions and votes of the board.
“It's an organized order, and we must maintain order in the room,” he said. “Because if we can't hear to conduct business, then I will call a recess, or I will have the room cleared."
Of those jeering was John Wilson, a 56-year-old retired Sarasota resident. In the lobby of the School Board building with his 13-year-old son, Wilson insisted the speaking cards were shuffled. He said the board had no one to blame but themselves for the crowd’s disruption.
Edwards "didn't like the reaction from his actions,” Wilson said. “And this is where we're at. Everybody was already irritated.”
Wilson is a regular attendee of board meetings, and he spoke during the agenda-based public comment section Tuesday night.
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/sarasota-school-board-ends-meeting-due-to-disruptions-restless-audience-insists-on-speaking/9639423002/
| 2022-05-04T15:57:14
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Police are investigating after a 39-year-old man reported his two dogs, Cuddles and Oliver, stolen from his front yard in northeast Lincoln on Monday.
Witnesses told officers that a man driving a blue Jeep in a state of moderate disrepair stopped his vehicle near 72nd and Thurston streets at around 4 p.m. Monday, before the two dogs jumped in the car, Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said.
The witnesses said the unknown man mentioned taking the dogs to his farm, according to police.
Cuddles is a 4-year-old golden retriever with burnt-red hair. Oliver, who is 4 months old, is a Siberian husky with salt-and-pepper hair and green eyes.
The owner said the dogs had gotten out of his gated backyard during Tuesday's rainfall. In a Facebook post on a local lost pets page, the 39-year-old said the man who took his dogs used human food to lure them into the Jeep.
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Police don't have any suspects in the case, which Vollmer said is being investigated as a larceny.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/two-dogs-stolen-from-front-yard-in-northeast-lincoln-police-say/article_4f54a2f4-76ff-534a-9205-5cbf3e779275.html
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Country music star Brantley Gilbert and special guest Jelly Roll will make their way to the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo on Friday, August 26 as a part of the Son of the Dirty South summer tour. Tickets can be purchased by calling 662-841-6573.
1990s country music star Travis Tritt will perform alongside more recent star Chris Janson on Friday, November 11 at the BancorpSouth Arena. The "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" singer saw continued success on the country music charts throughout the 90s and 00s. Janson recently rose to fame with hits like "Fix a Drink" and "Drunk Girl." For more information, visit bcsarena.com.
Country music star Brantley Gilbert and special guest Jelly Roll will make their way to the BancorpSouth Arena in Tupelo on Friday, August 26 as a part of the Son of the Dirty South summer tour. Tickets can be purchased by calling 662-841-6573.
Courtesy
1990s country music star Travis Tritt will perform alongside more recent star Chris Janson on Friday, November 11 at the BancorpSouth Arena. The "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" singer saw continued success on the country music charts throughout the 90s and 00s. Janson recently rose to fame with hits like "Fix a Drink" and "Drunk Girl." For more information, visit bcsarena.com.
TUPELO • The BancorpSouth Arena will bring some country music twang to Tupelo starting in August.
Brantley Gilbert and Jelly Roll will make their way to the Arena on Friday, August 26 as a part of the Son of the Dirty South summer tour. Special guest Pillbox Patti will also make an appearance.
Gilbert rose to fame in 2011 after his song "Dirt Road Anthem" was nominated for Song of the Year for the Country Music Association Awards. Some of his other hits include "One Hell of an Amen" and "Country Must Be Country Wide."
Travis Tritt will bring his 1990s country music flare to the BancorpSouth Arena on Friday, November 11 with "Fix a Drink" singer Chris Janson.
Tritt found success in the 1990s and early 2000s after releasing chart-toppers like "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" and "It's a Great Day to be Alive."
Additionally, The Can't Miss Tour will feature War Hippies as a special guest.
Tickets for both shows can be purchased at bcsarena.com or by calling 662-841-6573.
BROOKE BULLOCK BURLESON is a digital producer for the Daily Journal. Contact her at brooke.burleson@djournal.com.
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| 2022-05-04T16:24:32
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In this file photo, marijuana plants are close to harvest in a grow room at the Greenleaf Medical Cannabis facility in Richmond, Va., on June 17, 2021. Mississippi's medical marijuana program was signed into law Feb. 2, 2022. The first products from the state are expected to be available in early 2023.
TUPELO • A last-ditch effort to reverse the city's course on medical cannabis failed Tuesday night.
Ward 3 Councilman Travis Beard made a motion to opt out of the distribution, cultivation and processing of medical cannabis within city limits during a Tuesday night council meeting. The motion died due to a lack of a second. That means no actual vote or debate occurred on the matter Tuesday.
Beard previously said there were too many unknowns for him to be comfortable allowing medical cannabis. He noted that he had gotten many calls from people in his ward against medical cannabis.
“I realize I am in the minority on this topic as far as the state of Mississippi is concerned and probably the council,” Beard said. “I feel like I should support the people in my ward.”
Beard's failed effort to force an opt-out vote follows a previously unanimous vote from the City Council to amend city ordinances to include medical cannabis regulations.
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Tuesday was the final day allowed by law for municipalities and counties to opt out of the medical cannabis industry. Union County, New Albany, Tippah County and Pontotoc County are among the northeast Mississippi municipalities that opted out.
Ward 1 Councilman Chad Mims, who previously told the Daily Journal he supported medical cannabis in the city but was open to having his mind changed, said he understood Beard’s reservations.
“We need clarification,” he said. “There are a lot of uncertainties. The concern is that you don’t want the genie to get out of the bottle, and you can’t get it back in.”
Ward 4 Councilwoman Nettie Davis she supported medical cannabis. She said the city had multiple discussions on the industry and was confident that if the city followed the regulations it put in place, medical cannabis would benefit the residents. She also noted that if the city were to opt out, residents would still be able to get medical cannabis in the county and other municipalities.
“I support Coach Beard, but he is a Baptist, and I am a Methodist,” she said, causing the boardroom to erupt in laughter. "If they want it, they can go other places in the surrounding area, so it is better to control it."
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-city-council-remains-in-favor-of-medical-cannabis/article_1037bc2e-bd59-5955-b176-adf499490724.html
| 2022-05-04T16:24:38
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-city-council-remains-in-favor-of-medical-cannabis/article_1037bc2e-bd59-5955-b176-adf499490724.html
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At the Library: 'Flowery' Dungeons & Dragons, garden storytime, nature walks this week
Monroe County Public Library provides opportunities for local residents to read, learn, connect and create. The downtown library is located at 303 E. Kirkwood Ave. and the Ellettsville branch is at 600 W. Temperance St. All events are free of charge. Event funding is provided by the Friends of the Library Foundation.
Flowertime Fun D&D Club
Drop in, adventure through fantastic realms, then leave when you want. These sessions of Dungeons and Dragons are designed to be short, fun and evolving adventures that anyone can play. All skill levels are welcome. Ages 12-19. It’s 3:30-4:30 p.m. Friday in Ellettsville meeting room B. Drop in.
Sensory playtime
Share books, songs and rhymes with your little one while squishing and smushing your way to the benefits of messy and sensory play. Dress for mess. Ages birth-2. It’s 10:30-11:30 a.m. Saturday in the children’s program room at the downtown library. Drop in.
Garden storytime
Read stories, sing songs, practice rhymes and learn about how plants grow. Following the storytime, you’ll tour the library’s garden and assemble a seed growth observation container. Ages 3-8. It’s 11-11:45 a.m. in the Ellettsville Garden. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar. In the event of rain, this event will take place indoors and will not tour the garden.
All-Ages Day at The Ground Floor
Curious about The Ground Floor teen space, but you aren’t a teen? Patrons of all ages are invited to check it out on the second Sunday of the month –– there's a DIY design studio, video games, virtual reality and more. Drop by noon to 6 p.m. Sunday in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library.
Children's storytime and nature walk
Following a nature-themed storytime by a children’s librarian, join Cathy Meyer, retired naturalist and MC-IRIS member, on a nature walk close by downtown Bloomington. You’ll learn how important a native city habitat is to wildlife, birds and pollinators. Ages birth-7. It’s 10-11 a.m. Monday in the auditorium at the downtown library. Drop in.
Maker Lab: Woodburning
Science, tech, crafts — drop in for a cool project each month. In May we’ll do woodburning. Ages 12-19. It’s 3:30-4:30 p.m. Monday in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Weekly math homework help for teens
Drop in for free one-on-one help with math and science-related assignments —arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, physics, chemistry and ISTEP and SAT review. For middle school and high school students only. It’s 7-8:45 p.m. Mondays in program room 2B at the downtown library.
Tiny to Two
Families with babies play, sing, read and talk together! Ages birth-3. Please register at mcpl.info/calendar. It’s 10-10:30 a.m. Tuesday in Ellettsville meeting room B.
Level Up workshop: personalized fonts
Do you fancy a font? The library will teach you to turn your handwriting into your own custom font. Age 12 & up. It’s 6-7 p.m. Tuesday in Level Up at the downtown library. Drop in.
Mario Kart Tournament
Think you have what it takes to be a Mario Kart champion? Drop in and find out. Ages 12-19. It’s 3:30-5 p.m. Wednesday in the Ellettsville teen space.
Cosplay Wednesday
Have you ever wanted to bring a favorite character to life? Get the materials and instructions you need to take your cosplay to the next level. At May’s cosplay workshop, bring in your projects and the library will try to help. In June, you’ll cover embroidery skills, and in July you’ll work on character makeup. All skill levels are welcome. Ages 12-19. It’s 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday in The Ground Floor teen space. Drop in.
Preschool storytime and discovery
At preschool storytime, stories, songs and rhymes get your preschooler talking, singing and playing with books and words, followed by preschool discovery — fun, open-ended art experiences, STEAM adventures and letter exploration. It’s 10-10:25 a.m. and 10:30-11:15 a.m. Thursday, May 12, in Ellettsville meeting rooms A and B. For ages 3-6 and caregivers. Register at mcpl.info/calendar.
Intro to Warhammer
If you enjoy D&D, miniature painting, and board games, tabletop war games like Warhammer are another fun option! We'll provide a light introduction, as well as all the terrain, miniatures, and snacks. All skill levels are welcome! For ages 12–19. It’s 3:30-5 p.m. Thursday, May 12, in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Crafts in the stacks
Learn new crafting skills as you try some hands-on DIY projects in The Tween Space. Ages 7-10. It’s 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, May 12, in The Tween Space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Anime watch party
Join other fans of My Hero Academia, The Way of the House Husband, The Promised Neverland and more for a night of anime, crafts and chatter. Ages 12-19. It’s 6-8 p.m. Thursday, May 12, in The Ground Floor teen space at the downtown library. Drop in.
Free 3D Printer Use
The library’s 3D printers are now available to the public. Turn your digital designs into real-world physical objects at the Level Up digital creativity center at the downtown library. Make a reservation online at mcpl.info/3D, via phone, or drop by on a first-come, first-served basis.
More events online
This is a sampling of this week’s library events. For the full calendar, visit mcpl.info/events.
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Dance to Rod Tuffcurls, learn to sail, or have some laughs this weekend in Bloomington
Now that it's May, we have more outdoor entertainment options. No matter your age, you can learn to sail. But don't forget the bands, comedy and art exhibitions — all indoors.
Rod Tuffcurls returns to hometown of Bloomington
All members of this Chicago dance band are "6 feet tall, blonde, or both," says their press release. They're also like a cover band that's not a cover band. The 8-piece group began in Bloomington and is now one of Chicago's hottest dance cover bands.
Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press have rocked the house at clubs and festivals throughout the Midwest since 2008. Their repertoire — pop, rock, alternative — is vast and covers hits ranging from Hall & Oates to Taylor Swift, Queen, The Beatles, Wilson Phillips and Elton John.
Rod Tuffcurls uses their tight three-part vocal harmonies, their musicianship and their vivacity to keep us dancing. Rod Tuffcurls and the Bench Press will perform at 9 p.m. Friday at the Bluebird, 216 N. Walnut St. Doors open at 8 p.m.; cover is $12. Go to https://bit.ly/3sagLfI for tickets.
Other possibilities:City parks' performing arts series returns May 12, complete with food trucks
The B-Town Bearcats perform at Blockhouse Bar
The B-Town Bearcats perform traditional New Orleans jazz at 7:30 and 9 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, at the Blockhouse Bar, 205 S. College Ave. It's part of the Call & Response Jazz Series, which is every Wednesday night. Tickets are $10, or $5 for students. Attendees must be 21 or older, with proof of vaccination.
Limestone Comedy Festival presents Kelly Collette at Comedy Attic
Kelly Collette, named Cincinnati’s best comedian by Citybeat in 2020, has been a finalist on CMT's Next Big Comic, and tours clubs and colleges throughout the U.S. Pandora and Sirius XM — and a segment for NPR — have featured her jokes. She filmed her comedy special, "I Made You This" for DryBar Comedy in November 2020.
At 7 and 9:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday, we'll be able to laugh with her at the Comedy Attic, 123 S. Walnut St.
For more, call 812-336-5233 or go online to comedyattic.com/events. Tickets are $13 for students and $16 for everyone else.
Sailing classes offered
Sail into spring with two- or three-day small boat sailing lessons. Classes are beginning, as Bloomington Parks and Recreation and the Lake Monroe Sailing Association get out the life vests. Learn two types of sailing: keel boat and small boat. The small boat class shows how to start sailing. Two-day class is $300; three-day class is $500 and includes American Sailing Association certification. Successful completion of the certification qualifies sailors access to Lake Monroe Sailing Association's fleet of small boats. Classes are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Check the website for dates, at https://bloomington.in.gov/recreation/programs/11723.
Morgenstern's presents Rock Branch Bluegrass Band
Musicians Steve Bastin and Melinda Davis formed their bluegrass, folk and gospel music group, Rock Branch Bluegrass Band, in 2019. They've played more than 30 shows throughout southern and southeastern Indiana. Bastin plays guitar and shares lead vocals with Davis, who plays rhythm guitar. Other members are Scott Davis on mandolin, Faron Livingston singing harmony and playing upright bass and Paul Williams on banjo. Check out their Facebook page, Rocky Branch Bluegrass Band.
Rock Branch will perform 6-8:30 p.m. Friday at Morgenstern Books, 849 S. Auto Mall Road.
Gallery Walk on Bloomington's walkable "Arts Mile"
From 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Gallery Walk will feature nine in-person art exhibit openings along Bloomington's conveniently walkable "Arts Mile.” Stop in to any of those open venues to view or purchase a variety of art. All are welcome. Find a list of all the individual galleries with their participating artists as well as a map and up-to-the-minute information at the Gallery Walk website, www.gallerywalkbloomington.com.
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Bloomington-area home prices rise 4.9% in March, with houses for sale in high demand
A typical Monroe County home listed for $404,000 in March, up 4.9% from a month earlier, an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows.
The median list home price in March was up about 9.2% from March 2021. Monroe County's median home was 2,020 square feet for a listed price of $185 per square foot.
The Monroe County market was busy, with a median 46 days on market. The market added 192 new home listings in March, compared with the 168 added in March 2021. The market ended the month with some 164 listings of homes for sale.
Across all of Indiana, median home prices were $249,950, rising 1.2% from a month earlier. The median Indiana home for sale had 1,820 square feet at list price of $135 per square foot.
Across the United States, median home prices were $404,950, up 3.2% from a month earlier. The median American home for sale had 1,800 square feet, listed at $214 per square foot.
The median home list price — the midway point of all the houses or units listed over a period of time — is used more often in this report instead of the average home list price because experts say the median offers a more accurate view of what's happening in a market. In finding the average price, all prices of homes listed are added and then divided by the number of homes sold. This measure can be skewed by one low or high price.
Information on your local housing market is available through the USA TODAY Network, with more data from Realtor.com.
The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from the Realtor.com residential listings database.. The story was written by Mike Stucka and Sean Lahman.
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| 2022-05-04T16:31:21
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MURFREESBORO, Ark. — A regular visitor at the Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro found the largest diamond at the park for 2022.
Adam Hardin found his first diamond weighing more than two carats after a decade of searching. According to Arkansas State Parks, Hardin said he was sifting through soil when he found the diamond.
“It was right in the middle when I flipped my screen over," Hardin said. "When I saw it, I said, ‘Wow, that’s a big diamond!’”
Hardin carried his gem in a pill bottle to the park’s Diamond Discovery Center, where staff registered it as a 2.38-carat brown diamond.
According to staff at the park, the diamond is about the size of a pinto bean with a coffee brown color and rounded shape.
"It has a metallic shine typical of all diamonds found at the park, with a few inclusions and crevices running all along the surface,” Park Interpreter Waymon Cox said.
The park itself has a searching area of 37.5 acres where people from all over the country have found diamonds.
Hardin named his diamond Frankenstone.
“I thought of the name because it has a pretty and kind of not-so-pretty look to it," Hardin explained. "Us diamond miners call that 'character!'"
Hardin said he usually sells his diamonds locally and plans on selling Frankenstone when the time comes.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/arkansas-man-finds-diamond-crater-diamonds-state-park/91-8b7128cb-f8d5-4ebe-abae-529765ad3cfe
| 2022-05-04T16:59:34
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Ninety-seven percent of kindergartners across the city have access to a New York City Scholarship Account -- a type of college savings plan with an initial investment of $100 provided by the city in hopes of giving students an avenue to pay for college or career training, and closing the generational wage gap, the mayor announced Wednesday.
“We need tangible and practical solutions to reduce the racial wealth gap, even more now as we emerge from the pandemic,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “The Save for College Program can reduce the amount that students and families have to borrow in student loans, combatting the student debt crisis that has disproportionately impacted students of color."
A total of $6.5 million has been invested this year in 65,300 NYC Scholarship Accounts for students participating in the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program. This program is a public-private-community partnership designed to make college and career training more accessible to public school students, regardless of income or immigration status.
According to the city, research found that children with a college savings account of just $1 to $500 are three times more likely to go to college and more than four times more likely to graduate.
With that in mind, this school year kicked off the program in which kindergarteners enrolled in one of the city's public school, including participating charter schools, will automatically receive a scholarship account invested with $100 from NYC Kids RISE, unless their families choose to not participate in the program.
Families can activate their kindergarteners’ NYC Scholarship Accounts from the Save for College Program.
“Today is a historic day — we are taking a giant step towards making college and careers more accessible to our students," New York City Department of Education Chancellor David C. Banks said in a statement. "The money being deposited in accounts today plant the seeds that will instill a sense of financial literacy and open doors for our young people for decades to come.”
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/adams-97-of-nyc-kindergartners-have-city-scholarship-fund-for-college-career-training/3673876/
| 2022-05-04T17:07:54
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AUBURN, California — Eli Clegg has been playing the fiddle, also known as the violin, for less than two years and he's already the second best in the state.
The 12-year-old Auburn resident took to the instrument immediately, his music teacher, Mary Preston, said.
"He takes direction and notes very well, which of course is a joy to any teacher," Preston said. "However, his joy for the instrument was readily apparent early on and I knew he could excel. When I asked him to compete, he was immediately excited and it shows [because] he placed!"
And Eli wasn't disappointed with the second place finish. Preston said his reaction was the opposite.
"He made a dash straight to me after the ceremony and he said 'I want to get first next year,' and of course I took the opportunity to remind him to practice," Preston said.
And practice he does. Eli's mother, Mary, said he practices religiously, about 30 minutes every day.
"Even on days he doesn't feel like it," Mary said.
Eli said the violin becomes a fiddle when you're not playing a "super famous composer and you add your own twist, that's fiddling!"
READ MORE FROM MARK S. ALLEN:
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Soup, sandwich and a safari: Granzella's offers unusual setting for a quick road trip break
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/auburn-grass-valley/eli-clegg-auburn-fiddle-champ/103-20e82a26-06e0-4b39-a9d1-c26ebf975209
| 2022-05-04T17:11:49
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SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — Nearly half of the C.K. McClatchy High School students who tested positive for COVID-19 were at Junior Prom, according to the Sacramento City Unified School District [SCUSD].
Since April 21, 50 students have tested positive for COVID, including at least 21 students who attended prom. The district used contract tracing but said because of overlapping contact between students, it is difficult to determine the exact point of transmission.
Students who attended Junior Prom had to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test at the entrance. Masking was strongly encouraged, the district said in a statement.
“End-of-year events like prom are rites of passage for our students. With the mental health impact of the pandemic – these types of extra-curricular events typically bring hope and joy for those attending and engaging,” SCUSD Student Support & Health Services Director Victoria Flores said in a press release. “As COVID remains a concern, this is the balance we continue to weigh.”
For more information on COVID cases in the SCUSD, visit the district's dashboard.
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/mcclatchy-high-school-covid-outbreak-junior-prom/103-756ddc87-0ff4-4373-89cb-57f54c776a0b
| 2022-05-04T17:11:50
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FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Actor Amber Heard is expected to take the stand in her own defense Wednesday in a civil suit filed by her ex-husband, Johnny Depp.
Heard’s anticipated testimony comes after a psychologist hired by her lawyers testified that Heard suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from multiple acts of abuse, including sexual violence, inflicted on her by Depp.
Depp is suing Heard for libel in Fairfax County Circuit Court after she wrote a December 2018 op-ed in The Washington Post describing herself as “a public figure representing domestic abuse.” The article never mentions Depp by name, but Depp’s lawyers say he was defamed nevertheless because it clearly referred to accusations she made in 2016 during their divorce proceedings.
Depp spent four days on the stand earlier in the trial, testifying he never struck Heard and that he was the abuse victim. He said he was punched and struck by her on many occasions, and that she threw things at him. He described Heard as having a “need for conflict.”
Psychologist Dawn Hughes, in her testimony Tuesday, acknowledged that Heard at times perpetrated physical violence against Depp, but said it paled in comparison to violence she suffered, which left her intimidated and fearful for her safety.
During cross-examination Wednesday, Hughes acknowledged that she wasn’t making factual determinations that Depp assaulted Heard on specific occasions. But she testified that Heard’s account of her experiences are consistent with accounts of those experiencing domestic violence.
Hughes testified that sexual assaults included being forced by Depp to perform oral sex. On cross-examination, though, Depp’s lawyers noted that Heard denied being forced to perform oral sex during psychological testing performed as part of Hughes’ evaluation.
Hughes said Heard initially was framing the encounters as consensual but “angry sex.”
“She wasn’t framing them as physical force,” Hughes said.
The trial, now in its fourth week, continues to capture public attention. More than 100 people were lined up Wednesday before 7 a.m. — three hours before proceedings began — outside the courthouse for the 100 seats made available in the courtroom. Most are Depp supporters and fans.
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| 2022-05-04T17:32:55
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comedian Dave Chappelle was tackled during a performance at the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday night. Security guards chased and overpowered the attacker, and Chappelle was able to continue his performance while the man was taken away in an ambulance.
The assailant was carrying a replica handgun with a knife blade inside, authorities said.
Isaiah Lee, 23, was detained and arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, said Officer Alba Mendez, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson.
Lee was treated by medical staff for an unspecified injury and was booked into the Hollywood Division jail at 3:36 a.m. Wednesday and held in lieu of $30,000 bail, Mendez said. It was not immediately known if he had retained a lawyer.
Mendez said a “famous comedian was performing” when Lee jumped onto the stage, tackled the celebrity and produced the replica handgun containing a knife blade. Mendez said the department did not name the celebrity because it does not confirm victim names.
Chappelle was performing his standup routine at the amphitheater as part of the “Netflix Is a Joke” festival when the man rushed on stage and tackled him. Jamie Foxx was in the wings of the stage and Chappelle thanked him for responding to the attack. Chris Rock was there as well, and jokingly asked if the attacker was Will Smith.
Chappelle was attacked as he was wrapping up a routine in which he talked about how comedians have to worry more about their personal security in the wake of this year’s Academy Awards ceremony where the Oscar-winning actor slapped Rockon live television in reaction to a joke about his wife.
“The comedian had literally just said he now has more security because of all the uproar from his jokes about the Trans community,” tweeted Buzzfeed News reporter Brianna Sacks, who attended the show. She tweeted that “while the attacker was getting beat up,” Chappelle “made a joke about him probably being a Trans man.”
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https://www.cbs42.com/local/dave-chapelle-tackled-during-hollywood-bowl-comedy-show/
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Eminem, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, Eurythmics, Duran Duran and Pat Benatar have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, a list that also includes Dolly Parton, who initially resisted the honor.
The honorees — voted on by more than 1,000 artists, historians and music industry professionals — “each had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture and helped change the course of rock ’n’ roll,” said John Sykes, the chairman of the Rock Hall, in a statement Wednesday.
Parton had gone on social media to “respectfully bow out” of the process, saying she did not want to take votes away from the remaining nominees and had not “earned that right.” The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation responded by saying ballots had already been sent and it was up to the voters to decide if Parton was elected. Parton later said she would accept an induction.
In its citation, the hall called Parton “a living legend and a paragon of female empowerment,” adding that “Her crossover success broadened the audience for country music and expanded the horizons for countless artists who followed.”
To be eligible, artists are required to have released their first record 25 years prior to induction. Parton, Richie, Simon and Duran Duran were selected on their first go-round. Simon was a first-time nominee this year more than 25 years after becoming eligible. Eminem becomes the 10th hip-hop act to be inducted, making the cut on his first ballot.
Richie, a former member of The Commodores whose illustrious solo career includes pop classics like “Endless Love,” ″All Night Long” and “Hello,” said being elected to the hall “is an incredible honor.” He thanked voters and fans on Instagram and said: “Congratulations to all of my fellow 2022 inductees!”
The hall also announced Wednesday that Judas Priest and Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are getting the award for musical excellence and that Harry Belafonte and Elizabeth Cotten will be honored with the Early Influence Award.
Other artists and groups that failed this year for induction in the performer category are A Tribe Called Quest, Rage Against the Machine, Dionne Warwick, Beck, Kate Bush, DEVO, Fela Kuti, MC5 and the New York Dolls.
Parton is most associated with country music and is in the Country Hall of Fame, but she has performed songs with a rock feel. Artists who have made both the Rock Hall and Country Hall of Fame include Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Chet Atkins, Hank Williams and the Everly Brothers.
The induction ceremony will be held Nov. 5 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
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Mark Kennedy is at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits
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NEW YORK (AP) — New Academy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Ariana DeBose will host this year’s Tony Awards.
The “West Side Story” star will lead the presentation June 12 at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall live on CBS and on Paramount+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. An hour-long pre-show will stream on Paramount+.
“After the challenging last two years, there is no one better to bring the theater community together on this important night honoring the best of Broadway and share the joys of live performing once again than this extraordinarily talented artist,” said Jack Sussman, executive vice president of specials, music, live events and alternative programming at CBS.
DeBose is a theater veteran, with roles in “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” “Hamilton,” “A Bronx Tale,” “Pippin,” “Motown the Musical,” “Bring It On: The Musical” and “Company.”
The ceremony will he held nine months after “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” took the best new musical crown at the last Tony Awards, one postponed because of the pandemic. That show also expanded from its typical three hours to four, with host Audra McDonald handing out Tonys for the first two hours and Leslie Odom Jr. hosting a “Broadway’s Back!” celebration for the second half with performances from the three top musicals.
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NEW YORK (AP) — On the original version of “Gossip Girl,” Penn Badgley’s character Dan Humphrey was nicknamed Lonely Boy, an introverted, teenage outsider who longed for a fast-forward button for high school. The actor is tapping into his own familiarity with the angst of a young person by co-creating and hosting a SiriusXM’s Stitcher podcast called “Podcrushed.”
The podcast devoted to the awkwardness of adolescence launches May 18.
In each episode, Badgley narrates a listener-submitted storyin the first person, about that often turbulent time. Some are funny, some cringe-worthy, others are sad. He’s then joined by co-hosts — and co-creators — Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari to chat with a guest about their own experience. Guests so far include Badgley’s former co-stars Leighton Meester from “Gossip Girl” and Victoria Pedretti from “You.” Drew Barrymore and Rainn Wilson also visit. The podcast includes a score and animation that the hosts will share online.
Badgley and Kavelin share a production company, Ninth Mode. Kavelin told the actor that she would be doing a podcast about adolescence, and to her surprise, despite his busy schedule, he wanted in. (David Ansari is also a co-creator.)
“He (Badgley) does an amazing job bringing the stories to life, and now I can’t picture it without him,” said Kavelin.
“I just became really enchanted with the stories,” said Badgley over Zoom from London where he is filming “You,” in which he plays a murderous stalker. “Recalling that period of time for me, that was when I moved to LA and started becoming an actor professionally. I do find myself reflecting on that time a lot, the sense of self that I developed since then because of the things I experienced and witnessed.”
The bevy of emotions that come up about adolescence is universal, said the actor.
“Ask anybody what was going on when they were 12 and you get a response,” said Badgley, 35. “You don’t get no response.”
In acall for submissions online, Badgley shared an awkward photo of himself, writing that he was “about two years younger” than most kids in his grade. It was “absolutely painful to appear younger, small and less of a ‘man’ than my peers.’”
“I feel like everybody has these sort of pivotal moments that happen to them in middle school that end up becoming common memories that shape who we are for better or worse,” said Ansari on the show’s relatability.
It’s also sometimes extremely amusing to listen to Badgley, a skilled narrator whose voiceovers are in every episode of “You.”
“It’s really fun to hear Penn talk about a first period and that like deep voice is really interesting,” said Ansari.
Badgley said he loves the opportunity to narrate and enjoys it “more than I enjoy maybe anything.” “If I could have a full-time career as a narrator, I think I would explore that.”
He’s also mindful of finding that sweet spot in narrating another person’s story that’s both respectful and entertaining. He says he’s read some submissions that made him almost cry, others turned his stomach.
“We don’t ever want it to feel like, ‘Why’s this dude reading other people’s stories?’ It’s much more like, the fun of it is that it’s being narrated in this way, and then I kind of adopt a character each time.”
Badgley says we can’t underscore just how crucial the adolescent years are for development.
“These stories stick out in our minds for more than just like, ‘it was awkward and humiliating and it made me cringe.’ It sticks out because they’re experiences that form your sense of identity, which underwrites every decision that you make for the rest of your life. Those things can be evolved and changed, but the experiences you do or don’t have really tell you what’s possible.”
Sophie Ansari said there’s a theme among the women they’ve spoken to in particular. Many received comments about their appearance as pre-teens which they still remember.
“One thing that pretty much everyone has experienced is some kind of comment about their body or about just the way that they look that has stayed with them for a long time. And often actually, those comments are just, like, ridiculous,” Ansari said.
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — A newborn baby girl is headed home after spending 113 days in the NICU at Brookwood Baptist Medical Center.
Harmony Olivia Bulloch was born prematurely on Jan. 6 and only weighed 1.1 pounds. But after being treated by the medical professionals at the hospital, she was finally discharged on April 29.
Check out some of the photos from Harmony’s “graduation” down below!
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DETROIT — A man told investigators that he was making $2,000 a day selling marijuana from a vending machine attached to his Detroit home, federal agents said.
The man, who has a felony record, was arrested last week and charged with illegally possessing guns. He explained how he made a living when agents arrived in March with a search warrant.
The man “owned and operated the marijuana vending machine attached to the residence for four years, making approximately $2,000 per day,” an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said in a court filing.
Agents, acting on a tip, were aware of the machine because they had made purchases to collect evidence in February and March.
Agents seized 18 firearms in the house, dozens of rounds of ammunition and several pounds of suspected marijuana. The man was released on bond by a federal magistrate judge.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/man-sold-marijuana-from-vending-machine/69-ff8a96db-5e2e-4d46-b252-bdb44159863e
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SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Coffee lovers rejoice, Starbucks is opening a new location right off of Interstate 49 in Springdale.
The international coffee chain is opening a store on the corner of Elm Springs Road and N. 48th Street in Springdale.
The location will feature a full-service drive-through with a storefront and outdoor patio seating.
According to a press release, Haag Brown Development purchased 2.7 acres from Mercy Health System and will divide the property into three out-parcels lining the south side of Elm Springs Road, just off I-49.
It is located across the street from McDonald's and Macadoodles next to Mercy.
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https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/new-starbucks-location-in-springdale/527-5eff6c88-fb45-4108-9e05-39bdc829adbc
| 2022-05-04T17:40:48
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WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — A precautionary boil order has been issued for a section of Washington County in western Farmington. It's advised impacted utility customers boil any water used for cooking before use.
The area under the boil order includes homes and businesses along Little Elm Road north of Rheas Mill Road west of Farmington, including Amber lane and the west part of Gibson Hill Road.
Josh Moore, the general manager of the Washington County Water Authority, issued the boil order due to the possibility of contaminated water entering the water distribution system for the area.
Under the boil order, all those affected are advised that water may be unsafe for human consumption. Those impacted should boil water used for drinking or food preparation briskly for at least one minute before use. It would be best to discard all ice cubes, and you should use only boiled water for making ice.
The boil order will remain in effect until the water system meets an adequate disinfectant level and a bacteria survey shows that the water is safe to drink.
Moore issued the boil order in response to a water main break.
Check back for updates to this story.
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Lincoln residents looking to get rid of unwanted firearms will have the opportunity to do so safely on Saturday as the city's police department holds its annual gun amnesty event, collecting unwanted guns with no questions asked.
Police will collect guns and ammunition in drive-thru fashion in a parking lot at 5201 R St. from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Officer Melissa Ripley said.
The police department will also partner with HopeLNK, a local nonprofit, to hand out free trigger locks and handgun lock boxes at the event for residents who don't want to part ways with their weapons but are seeking a safer way to store their firearms.
Ripley asked that residents who do intend to turn in guns or ammo keep the items in their backseat or trunk as they approach the drive-thru event, allowing officers to retrieve the weapons themselves to ensure safe handling.
Police annually collect 60 guns through the amnesty event, which is entering its eighth year. She said the department will also take plastic guns and has even accepted a hand grenade in recent years.
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"There's a lot of people that just want to get rid of guns and don't know how to do that," Ripley said. "They don't necessarily want to sell them, and so this is a way for them to get rid of them, get them out of their house."
After collecting the weapons, Ripley said the department returns any stolen guns recovered to their original owners and destroys the rest. She said the department has fielded three stolen guns in seven previous amnesty events.
The event comes as shootings in Lincoln have risen in recent years. Local police corroborated reports of 93 shootings in 2021, a figure that included 16 non-fatal assaults and seven homicides, according to department data. The other 70 incidents did not yield gunshot victims.
Last year's total represented a slight downtick from 2020, when Lincoln Police responded to 100 shootings, including 20 non-fatal assaults and seven fatal shootings.
From 2017 to 2019, the city averaged 78 total shootings per year, and police investigated only nine fatal shootings in the three years preceding 2020.
Reports of stolen firearms also increased last year, when Lincoln Police investigated reported thefts of 135 guns, an increase of 23 over 2020, according to department data. Police have recovered about 21% of the firearms reported stolen last year.
The rise in both shootings and stolen guns has come as the number of guns in Lincoln altogether has skyrocketed since the COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest of 2020. After city residents registered 4,304 guns in 2019, residents registered more than 8,000 guns in both 2020 and 2021.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @andrewwegley
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-police-to-hold-gun-amnesty-drive-thru-event-saturday/article_21138857-af3b-5783-a21b-1484ca27f985.html
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Florida Power & Light preparing for hurricane season with drones, concrete pole in Grant-Valkaria
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With hurricane season approaching June 1, Florida Power and Light is preparing for bad weather with the help of drones that can check for problems and help the company spot potential maintenance issues before they arise.
FPL workers demonstrated their drones Wednesday morning in Grant-Valkaria, showing how they inspect their electric poles to look for possible problems.
Drone operators direct the drone around a pole for a number of photos, using the regular wide-angle lens, the zoom lens and the infrared lens to double check that everything looks OK or to identify what could be causing an outage.
The drones are cost-effective and help improve safety, said Michael Dorr, senior drone operator.
"(Drones) allow us to safely get close to a highly energized piece of equipment without putting people up in a bucket truck," Dorr said.
They also help FPL spot damage that might not be seen with the naked eye through the use of the infrared camera, or to see issues from angles that might be hard to access without a drone, such as the top of a pole, Dorr said.
Hurricane simulator:'Cat 6' hurricane simulator with 200 mph winds, 20-foot storm surge under design at FIU
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"If lightning were to strike an insulator, you're not going to see that damage from below, but you'll see it from above," Dorr said.
FPL drones can fly in various windspeeds depending on their size. The drone Dorr demonstrated can fly in about 35 mph winds, which is a higher windspeed than most other FPL drones.
Year-round, FPL uses the drones to prepare for hurricane season, said Marshall Hastings, a spokesperson for FPL. Hurricane season is June 1 through Nov. 30.
"This helps us speed (power) restoration times, because we're able to proactively assess the energy grid everyday, but also following a storm," Hastings said. "We're able to see exactly what's wrong and get crews to the areas that need to be restored safer and faster."
The company has been using drones approximately six years, Hastings said, with the effort growing dramatically over time.
In 2021, there were more than 20,000 drone flights across Florida, and the company expects to exceed that number this year. More than 200 flights are conducted every day.
The company also placed a concrete pole on Grant Road. Concrete poles are typically stronger than wooden poles, with a life expectancy of about 40 years, and they can withstand winds of about 130 mph.
"Now's the time for our customers to prepare (for hurricane season)," Hastings said. "We want our customers to know that these are part of our preparations. We're continuing to make investments in the energy gird that make us smarter, stronger and more storm-resilient."
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/fpl-preparing-hurricane-season-drones-and-concrete-pole/9628778002/
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Man faces possible life in prison after Brevard jury convicts him of attempted murder
A man who's been jailed for almost two years was convicted of attempted first-degree premeditated murder Monday in the April 2020 shooting of a woman who was then hospitalized for almost two months, according to the Brevard state attorney's office.
Following a five-day trial, a Brevard County jury convicted Mark Somerset, 37, of attempted first-degree premediated murder inflicting great bodily harm, and shooting into a building or vehicle, said Todd Brown, a spokesperson for the state attorney's office. Somerset could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
At the time of his arrest, Somerset had a listed address in Ormond Beach but he reportedly stayed at various hotels or with family members in Brevard and Volusia counties.
During the trial, Assistant State Attorneys Jason Andersen and Will Scheiner presented the jury with evidence regarding the case, with Judge Tesha Ballou presiding, Brown said. The jury deliberated slightly less than 1 ⅛ hours before returning with the guilty verdict.
From May 22, 2020: Man arrested in shooting of Mims woman
Charges dropped:Brevard prosecutors won't pursue murder charge against woman who fatally shot sister
Children safe after bus fire:No injuries after engine fire engulfs Brevard charter school bus in Palm Bay
The conviction came just over two years after the shooting took place. On April 20, 2020, Brevard County Sheriff's Office deputies found a woman critically injured in her vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds at Scottsmoor Landing Park in Mims, according to an arrest affidavit. She was hospitalized for almost two months.
Upon reviewing surveillance video from homes and businesses in the area, detectives discovered Somerset's vehicle left the area just after the shooting, the affidavit said. A search warrant was executed in Nassau County, where law enforcement found a 9mm firearm in Somerset's Honda Civic and matched the bullets to those fired at the woman.
Somerset was arrested May 18, 2020 and has been in the custody of the Brevard County Jail since. His sentencing is scheduled for June 21 at 1:30 p.m. at the Historic Titusville Courthouse.
Somerset's attorney, Rebecca J. Morgan, declined to comment.
Finch Walker is a Breaking News Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/mims-man-convicted-two-years-after-attempted-murder-case/9645658002/
| 2022-05-04T18:22:48
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/mims-man-convicted-two-years-after-attempted-murder-case/9645658002/
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West Melbourne may hire Tim Rhode as city manager; Daniel Batcheldor to leave City Council
Assistant West Melbourne City Manager Tim Rhode is in line for promotion to replace retiring City Manager Scott Morgan, who will step down at the end of August.
Tuesday night, the West Melbourne City Council chose Rhode over a field of 43 external applicants to become the next city manager.
"Our internal candidate for city manager is my No. 1 pick," Mayor Hal Rose said.
Rhode has worked for the city since September, managing day-to-day operations of the public works and human resources departments. Previously, he was the chief administrator at five smaller communities in Wisconsin and Iowa.
Next, West Melbourne officials will conduct a thorough background check and enter employment contract negotiations with Rhode.
'Trending in the right direction':Americas Best Value Inn & Suites police incidents drop in West Melbourne amid crackdown
Single-engine plane crash:Plane crashes and flips in West Melbourne, pilot transported to hospital
End to panhandling?:Brevard County borrows playbook from Melbourne and effectively bans panhandling
In another move, Council Member Daniel Batcheldor plans to move to upstate New York. He was elected in November 2018, and he has resigned, effective June 1.
The remaining six City Council members will appoint a replacement to fulfill the remainder of his unexpired term, which lasts through Nov. 22.
"Our family has decided to relocate for personal reasons, and our decision is in no way a reflection on the city of West Melbourne," Batcheldor said while announcing his resignation during the April 19 City Council meeting.
"The city is run incredibly well, with a dedicated and talented staff providing the best services that it is possible to deliver," Batcheldor said.
West Melbourne residents have until 5 p.m. May 30 to apply to replace Batcheldor. Hopefuls must be fingerprinted and submit a notarized application, authorization for a criminal history check, and a current résumé.
The City Council is scheduled to appoint Batcheldor's replacement on June 7. To apply, contact City Clerk Cynthia Hanscom at 321-837-7774 or chanscom@westmelbourne.gov.
What's more, Police Chief Richard Wiley will retire at the end of September, Morgan said. A recruitment brochure will be released soon to attract applicants, and a new police chief should be on the job by Oct. 1.
"My retirement and the chief's retirement had been planned for a long time," Morgan said.
"I think it's exciting for some new blood to come in and provide some additional reinvigoration of the organization and the community," Morgan said. "We're trying to leave it better than we found it, which I think is pretty clear. And then, (for) the next people to take it to the next level is the goal."
Measuring 10.76 square miles, the population of fast-growing West Melbourne has swelled from 18,355 residents in 2010 to 28,127 residents today.
"West Melbourne is the long-standing fastest-growing municipality by percentage in Brevard County, and among the top quintile in Florida. It is now 80% built out, and a comprehensive plan update is currently underway, with an ultimate city population projection of 41,000 around 2035," the city manager application brochure said.
The city employs 141 full-time and six part-time workers, with a $47.9 million total annual budget. Major future projects include:
- Construction of three planned mixed-use developments at Space Coast Town Center west of Interstate 95.
- Planning for a new water plant slated to debut in 2026, replacing the city's water supply agreement with neighboring Melbourne.
- Possible formation of a fire department, with a potential 2025 target date.
The advertised city manager salary range is $105,607 to $168,972, and benefits include a city vehicle for business and personal use, and a monthly $250 business expense allowance.
Morgan — who has worked in city and county government since 1978 — previously served as city manager of Anderson, California, from 1997 to 2009.
He started on the job in West Melbourne on July 20, 2009, and his planned retirement date is Aug. 31.
“It will end up being over 13 years. And I certainly feel, as a team, we've accomplished a great deal," Morgan said during a phone interview.
“As we told our kids, who were competitive swimmers in high school, ‘Finish hard to the wall.’ So I'm not taking a victory lap yet. I’ve got four months to try to get more accomplished," Morgan said.
"I feel a great deal of love for this community, and my wife and I are staying here in retirement," he said.
Highlights from Rhode's résumé:
- Village administrator in Hartland, Wisconsin, from January 2020 to June 2021.
- Town administrator in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, from May 2016 to December 2019.
- City administrator in St. Francis, Wisconsin, from May 2011 to May 2016.
- Village administrator/clerk in Butler, Wisconsin, from February 2006 to May 2011.
- City administrator in Monticello, Iowa, from March 2004 to February 2006.
Tuesday's City Council vote to select Rhode was 6-1, with Batcheldor voting no. He preferred to scrutinize job finalists during an ongoing search process led by retired Rockledge and Cocoa Beach City Manager Jim McKnight and International City/County Management Association Senior Adviser Ken Parker.
“It very well may be that Mr. Rhode is the best candidate, based on his trajectory, based on his performances that you’ve been able to take a deep dive on. But there are candidates here that deserve to have a closer look. And they may well be a better fit," Batcheldor said.
"But we will not know until we take a closer look at them, until we provide a finer filter on these candidates,” he said.
An astrophysicist, Batcheldor formerly headed the Florida Institute of Technology's Department of Aerospace, Physics and Space Sciences. He now is a subject matter expert in physics for the Southeastern Universities Research Association.
"Dan, I've got to tell you, our political views probably don't always align. But I will tell you, you've brought something here. And I'm not just saying this, I've told people this — you're one of the most intelligent people I've ever met in my life," Council Member John Dittmore said during the April 19 meeting.
Likewise, Deputy Mayor Andrea Young praised Batcheldor's time on the dais.
"Your insight on things made me look at things from a different point of view. It's been an honor and a pleasure to serve with you," Young said.
Rick Neale is the South Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY (for more of his stories, click here.) Contact Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @RickNeale1
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/west-melbourne-may-hire-tim-rhode-city-manager-batcheldor-city-council/7433480001/
| 2022-05-04T18:22:54
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https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/west-melbourne-may-hire-tim-rhode-city-manager-batcheldor-city-council/7433480001/
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The city of North Bend is taking a more aggressive stance in dealing with nuisance properties in the city.
During a council work session Monday, the city council agreed to be a little more proactive when handling troubling properties rather than just waiting for complaints, especially if buildings present a threat to the public.
Public Works Director Ralph Dunham brought the issue to the council to get their feedback on the city’s role in handling dangerous buildings.
“At this point, it’s a discussion items because we have several forms of dangerous buildings in town,” Dunham told the council. “We have one we’re actually pursuing, but we also have years worth of fires that didn’t get repaired. We have a mixture of structures. This is more of a discussion with city council on how active you want staff to be.
“We have some zombie structures that no one has lived in for eight or 10 years. We have structures that have been problem structures, and we have structures with fire problems. We have a number of structures around town.”
Dunham told council the general rule in recent years has been unless the city has received a complaint about a property, they have generally chosen to overlook nuisance buildings.
He brought up one home on Mead Street that is owned by two elderly people, one who is in a nursing home. The house has been vacant for some time, has been broken into repeatedly and has been used by transients. The city has posted it as unsafe, but it is still occupied intermittently by transients.
“Do you want us to be complaint driven, or do you want us to be proactive on this?” Dunham asked.
City Administrator David Milliron said the city is seeing increased homeless activity in abandoned homes.
“What’s starting is, we’re starting to seem more homeless activity,” Milliron said. “We’re seeing them being ransacked. They’re more and more unsightly. These are properties that go far beyond fixing. They are absolutely derelict properties.”
Milliron explained even if the council wants to be aggressive, removing abandoned homes is not easy. He explained due process requires the city to take steps that take months and sometimes more than a year before a home can be torn down.
“From my standpoint, I like be proactive,” Milliron said. “It’s costing the taxpayers like a cash register every time we go out to calls to them. That’s not fair the taxpayers.”
Dunham said the council would have to consider some financial issues because it would cost the city up to $30,000 to tear down and remove nuisance structures. The city could place a lien on a property, but even that will not guarantee it will ever get paid.
“We’re looking at danger to public,” Dunham said. “It’s not necessarily transient issues, but if building’s falling down.”
Dunham explained the process the city would have to go through to handle unsafe buildings.
First, the city would have to declare the building a nuisance and then notify the owners what must be fixed. Most cannot or choose not to make the repairs, but they have to be given time to try. If nothing is done over time, the council would have to hold a public hearing to declare a property a nuisance. At that time, the property owners could present their case to council.
Even if the council declares a property a nuisance, the owners are given another 90 days to address the issue or tear the property down. If nothing was done, the city could then hire a contractor and tear down a building. Then the city can place a lien on the property.
“On a lot of these, you may never see a dime out of it,” Dunham said.
He explained liens are paid in the order they are place, so liens from banks or other government entities placed before the building was demolished would be paid first.
Councilor Bill Richardson said he supported a proactive approach to dangerous buildings. He said having lots available for new construction would be of benefit to the city.
But some councilors were concerned about spending city funds, with no guarantee they will ever get paid back.
“I believe in most cases, being 15th on the lien list, we can’t count on getting our money back,” Councilor Timm Slater said.
Slater said he would like to see a list of the worst properties with the city focusing on the worst and working down the list.
“What we should do and what we’ll have to do is get a list and come back to council,” Dunham said. “Our priority will have to be an active nuisance. If we have one that isn’t causing problems, even if it’s falling down, we can overlook that one.”
Dunham said a lot of the complaints called in are related to transients in properties, many who start warming fires inside the abandoned homes.
“We need to make a consistent plan here,” Larry Garboden said. “You can hedge your bet on if there’s value in getting your money back. We can’t go spending money we know we’re not going to get back.”
Dunham told the council any plan would have to go slow due to funding concerns.
“We have a limited budget right now,” Dunham said. “I think we have about $30,000 in our code enforcement. That’s one home. It could commonly take 10 years before that property is sold again and you have a chance of getting your money back.”
Dunham told the council his staff will put together a list of nuisance properties and will bring it back to council for specific guidance.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/north-bend-council-decides-to-be-proactive-with-dangerous-buildings/article_8a86aae6-ca40-11ec-8472-27ebfbe8aa93.html
| 2022-05-04T18:24:43
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/north-bend-council-decides-to-be-proactive-with-dangerous-buildings/article_8a86aae6-ca40-11ec-8472-27ebfbe8aa93.html
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BOISE, Idaho — St. Luke's announced this year's FitOne race will be in person on Sept. 24, for the first time in two years after being held virtually due to the impacts of COVID-19.
Registration for the race begins June 1, with a special one-day $20 entry fee for all races, and will be open through noon on Sept. 23.
"Whatever your fitness level, FitOne is about setting goals, creating community and getting stronger every day, together," Race Director for FitOne, Eric Stride said. "We're especially excited to gather again in person this year to celebrate our community, its health and wellbeing, all while raising money for Idaho's only Children's hospital here at St. Luke's."
Athletes of all ability levels are invited to participate in the race. Course lengths will include 5K, 10K, and a half marathon.
Registration for kids 12 and under is free with paid adult registration. Axiom Fitness is one of the sponsors for the event and will be donating one dollar for every race registration on June 1.
To register and view race information and routes, visit the FitOne website.
A portion of race proceeds will go towards helping St. Luke's Children's Hospital build new running and walking tracks at local schools and supporting other community health initiatives for kids.
In the past nine years, the FitOne race has raised more than $750,000 to go toward community projects.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/bosie-st-lukes-fitone-race-back-in-person/277-7ede2237-908b-44e7-af16-36adefd38fcd
| 2022-05-04T18:25:50
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/bosie-st-lukes-fitone-race-back-in-person/277-7ede2237-908b-44e7-af16-36adefd38fcd
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NAMPA, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
Jay Bowen’s service dog, Normandy, might know his mannerisms better than his wife of 25 years. Recently, the Nampa resident started having seizures and Normandy already knows the signs.
Bowen, who served as a Marine in Arizona and Iraq, stood in the Warhawk Air Museum in Nampa on Tuesday, wearing a black beanie and a black Marine Corps sweatshirt. He instructed Normandy, a black lab, to sit by his side.
“He helps me in every way, just to enjoy life, on a daily basis. He makes me laugh,” said Bowen, who has had Normandy for a little over two years. “It’s the closest bond you can really have.”
Bowen had an interesting path to Normandy. A client of his dad’s ended up contacting Gina Esoldi, program director at Next Steps Service Dogs.
“He knew that I was going through some stuff,” Bowen said. “My dad got me in contact with Gina.”
Esoldi gave a presentation to the crowd of veterans gathered at the Warhawk Museum’s monthly Kilroy Coffee Klatch. At Next Steps Service Dogs, Esoldi selects and trains assistance dogs for veterans, primarily those with post-traumatic stress disorder or a traumatic brain injury.
Next Steps is based in San Diego and just celebrated 10 years. Esoldi has been there for eight years. The organization has certified around 150 service dog teams, primarily with veterans, though there are a few first responder teams, she said.
Her talk focused on the differences between service dogs, therapy dogs and emotional support dogs.
“There’s a lot of fraudulent dogs out there,” Esoldi said. “I want to believe it’s lack of education. I don’t think people intend their dogs to be fraudulent, they just don’t know, really know, what a service dog is.”
Emotional support animal is a pet that someone uses to feel better emotionally, she said. Psychiatrists can write a prescription for the support animal. It’s up to a facility whether the animal is allowed inside. There is no formal training required.
A therapy dog is a pet that is trained to serve other people, Esoldi said. The dog and handler go through a course to make sure it is obedient and has manners. The dog is only allowed to enter the public facility in which it’s working, she said. So for example, the dog can’t go to the grocery store.
Service dogs are defined in the American Disability Act. Such dogs are individually trained to work for people with disabilities, such as pulling a wheelchair or reminding people to take medications. They are working animals, not pets. Service dogs are also appropriate in public.
“By law, you can ask two questions. Is that your dog serving a disability and what task or work does that dog perform?” said Esoldi, who said emotional support dogs do not fit the criteria of performing tasks.
It’s important to not interrupt the work of service dogs, Esoldi said. For example, whistling at dogs or interacting with them is inappropriate.
When it comes to advice, Esoldi said raising a puppy is tough. She also recommended Assistance Dogs International.
“It causes a lot of stress,” she said, to laughter. “Do find yourself the right trainer.”
Normandy came to Bowen already trained, but he still trains him every day.
But for veterans like Bowen who have seizures, a service dog can bring peace of mind. What dogs can do is “amazing,” Bowen said.
“He knows me pretty good now,” Bowen said.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press. Read more at IdahoPress.com
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/veterans-warkhawk-service-dog-bond-idaho/277-582dc711-b15c-4758-8297-a25ab601aaaf
| 2022-05-04T18:26:02
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/veterans-warkhawk-service-dog-bond-idaho/277-582dc711-b15c-4758-8297-a25ab601aaaf
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JEROME, Idaho — 80 years ago, the first of nearly 13,000 Asian-Americans were sent to the Minidoka Internment Camp in southcentral Idaho. It was one of 10 across the United States opened to "relocate" Asian-Americans after the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II.
On Wednesday, the Minidoka National Historic Site was named one of the 11 most-endangered historic places in America by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
It did not appear on the list because of its age or due to growth, but because of a proposed project to build one of the largest wind farms on public lands in the country. The proposed wind farm is within two miles of the visitor center and includes 400 wind turbines.
"We are extremely disturbed by the proposed wind project and its disregard for the sacredness of Minidoka National Historic Site where 13,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry were unjustly incarcerated during World War II," Executive Director for Friends of Minidoka, Robyn Achilles said. "Minidoka is a memorial to all those who suffered at the site. Survivors and their descendants make emotional pilgrimages to Minidoka where they remember, heal, and share stories to ensure these violations of civil liberties do not happen again. Minidoka is our past and our future."
Achilles added the Friends of Minidoka -- which preserves the history of the World War II incarceration experience -- supports renewable energy, as long as projects respect historic sites. The organization urges the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect the Minidoka National Historic Site.
“Minidoka National Historic Site serves as a critical and painful reminder of the fragility of democracy,” Chief Preservation Officer of National Trust for Historic Preservation, Katherine Malone-France said. “Eighty years after the first Japanese Americans were wrongfully incarcerated at Minidoka, Asian Americans continue to experience anti-Asian violence, harmful stereotypes, and hatred. Minidoka reminds us of the mistakes of the past so that we can do better in the future, and it must be preserved and protected as a sacred site of conscience in the ongoing fight against hate and racism in our country.”
The Lava Ridge Wind Project is proposed by LS Power, a New York private equity company. The proposed area is on "the historic footprint of Minidoka," Friends of Minidoka said. The project is on 73,000 acres of BLM property adjacent to Minidoka and 25 miles northeast of Twin Falls.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has published 'America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places' each year since 1988 in an effort to raise awareness of sites in the United States in danger of being lost.
To learn more about the proposed project and the Minidoka National Historic Site, visit the Friends of Minidoka website.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/minidoka-national-historic-site-endangered-places/277-6c01d2c6-20c7-4c60-b6ef-17755b55b40c
| 2022-05-04T18:26:08
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/minidoka-national-historic-site-endangered-places/277-6c01d2c6-20c7-4c60-b6ef-17755b55b40c
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MOUNT HOOD, Ore. — A 26-year-old man from New Hampshire just set a new round-trip record for reaching the summit of Mount Hood and descending the mountain, making the entire journey in about 90 minutes.
Just to give you an idea of how long it takes most people just to reach the top, it’s about four to six hours depending on the conditions.
Jack Kuenzle started at the parking lot of Timberline Lodge, and with special mountaineering boots and gear he set a record making it to the top at one hour and 16 minutes, and then turned around and skied down in 15 minutes.
“There’s a round-trip record that was set at one hour and 44 minutes several years ago, but my trip was one hour and 30 minutes round trip,” said Kuenzle.
His total climb from the parking lot to the summit was about 5,200 feet, but Kuenzle is no stranger to setting records in ski mountaineering. In February, he made it to the top of Mount Shasta in northern California in record time, but just missed getting the record for the descent when he ran into trouble coming down the mountain.
“I set the ascent record on skis — and then I when I went to ski down, I snapped both of my skis in half,” Kuenzle said.
Not only was his Mount Hood climb fast, he did it with very little on him. He had boots, skis and crampons for good traction, but he otherwise set the new record wearing only a pair of underwear. Kuenzle said that overheating can play a big role in limiting physical performance. Luckily he planned his climb on a sunny and warm day, where he could get away with wearing very little.
Kuenzle went up the south side of the mountain, which is known as the “Pearly Gates.” The feat also qualifies him for the 2026 Winter Olympics, where ski mountaineering will feature as an Olympic sport for the first time ever. Kuenzle said he hasn’t decided yet if he’s going to participate.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/mount-hood-mountaineering-new-record-jack-kuenzle/283-659039ab-b096-4712-bd9c-9eda763f97e1
| 2022-05-04T18:26:14
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/mount-hood-mountaineering-new-record-jack-kuenzle/283-659039ab-b096-4712-bd9c-9eda763f97e1
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Police identify victim of fatal crash in Lincoln
A driver killed in a single-car crash Tuesday morning in Lincoln was identified Wednesday as a 65-year-old Cumberland man.
The driver, Donald E. Alves, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, which happened shortly before 8 a.m. on Twin River Road, according to Lincoln Police Chief Brian Sullivan.
It was one of three fatal crashes on Rhode Island roads between Monday night and Thursday morning.
Heading east on Twin River Road, Alves, alone in the car, apparently failed to negotiate a curve, went off the road and down an embankment, struck a tree and rolled over, according to the Police Department's preliminary investigation.
Crash victims:2 drivers dead in RI crashes, one on Route 95 in Exeter, the other in Lincoln
Shortly before the fatal crash, which was near the entrance to Bally's Twin River Lincoln Casino Resort, Alves sideswiped another vehicle, Sullivan said.
The Lincoln police and the state police are investigating the cause of the crash, including whether a medical event played a role, according to Sullivan. Anyone who witnessed it is asked to contact the Lincoln Police Department at (401) 333-8281.
At about 9:30 p.m. Monday, a 37-year-old Abington, Massachusetts, man died on Route 95 north in Exeter, according to the Rhode Island State Police. Two passengers suffered minor injuries.
Courts and crime:Warren man charged in 'road rage' crash that killed Newport man
At about 11:44 a.m. Tuesday, a 58-year-old woman was killed in a two-vehicle crash on Harris Street in Woonsocket. A 25-year-old woman who was inside another vehicle that flipped over and caught fire was seriously injured.
jperry@providencejournal.com
(401) 277-7614
On Twitter: @jgregoryperry
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/cumberland-ri-man-dies-crash-near-ballys-twin-river-casino-lincoln/9644978002/
| 2022-05-04T18:30:02
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https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/cumberland-ri-man-dies-crash-near-ballys-twin-river-casino-lincoln/9644978002/
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A shooting that took place in Brooklyn Wednesday morning has a young woman fighting for her life, authorities say.
Police say they received a report of an 18-year-old who was shot in the head shortly before 3 a.m. at an apartment building in Crown Heights.
When they arrived, police found the young woman in the lobby. She was taken to Kings County Hospital in critical condition.
Neighbors say they are fed up knowing that another person has fallen victim to gun violence in the city.
"I don't understand," Trevor Handberry said. "This is sad. This is very sad."
Handberry says he sees cops patrolling the area daily and is surprised at what happened.
"Every day. So this is why I don't understand how this could go down if they are there all the time," he said.
News
The investigation is still ongoing.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/18-year-old-woman-fighting-for-her-life-after-being-shot-in-the-head-in-nyc/3674007/
| 2022-05-04T18:39:25
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/18-year-old-woman-fighting-for-her-life-after-being-shot-in-the-head-in-nyc/3674007/
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A man who helped dupe dozens into sending millions of dollars to people posing as U.S. military personnel in an online dating scheme has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
Rubbin Sarpong, 38, of Millville, New Jersey, must also pay more than $3 million in restitution to 36 victims under the sentence imposed Tuesday, as well as more than $385,000 to the Internal Revenue Service. He had pleaded guilty last November to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering and tax evasion counts.
Federal prosecutors say the scheme ran from January 2016 to September 2019. They say Sarpong and his co-conspirators, several of whom live in Ghana, set up phony profiles on online dating sites using fictitious or stolen identities and posing as U.S. military personnel.
They eventually pretended to forge romantic relationships with at least 40 victims overall and sought money from them, often purportedly to ship gold bars to the United States. The conspirators told many victims that their money would be returned once the gold bars were received in the United States, but instead it was withdrawn in cash, wired to other domestic bank accounts and to other conspirators in Ghana.
Sarpong received roughly $1.14 million in taxable income from the scheme but didn’t file income tax returns and paid no income tax, prosecutors said.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nj-man-gets-14-year-sentence-for-role-in-online-dating-scheme/3674141/
| 2022-05-04T18:39:31
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nj-man-gets-14-year-sentence-for-role-in-online-dating-scheme/3674141/
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A man who helped dupe dozens into sending millions of dollars to people posing as U.S. military personnel in an online dating scheme has been sentenced to 14 years in federal prison.
Rubbin Sarpong, 38, of Millville, New Jersey, must also pay more than $3 million in restitution to 36 victims under the sentence imposed Tuesday, as well as more than $385,000 to the Internal Revenue Service. He had pleaded guilty last November to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering and tax evasion counts.
Federal prosecutors say the scheme ran from January 2016 to September 2019. They say Sarpong and his co-conspirators, several of whom live in Ghana, set up phony profiles on online dating sites using fictitious or stolen identities and posing as U.S. military personnel.
They eventually pretended to forge romantic relationships with at least 40 victims overall and sought money from them, often purportedly to ship gold bars to the United States. The conspirators told many victims that their money would be returned once the gold bars were received in the United States, but instead it was withdrawn in cash, wired to other domestic bank accounts and to other conspirators in Ghana.
Sarpong received roughly $1.14 million in taxable income from the scheme but didn’t file income tax returns and paid no income tax, prosecutors said.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/online-military-dating-scheme-sentence/3674039/
| 2022-05-04T18:39:37
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/online-military-dating-scheme-sentence/3674039/
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BACONTON -- The city of Baconton is looking for a full-time city clerk.
Baconton Mayor Annette Morman said applicants should have knowledge of bookkeeping or accounting sufficient to handle city financial records. Applicants also should possess the skills to operate office machines and computers, be able to travel for training and possess excellent writing and oral communications skills.
Education required for the position is a clerical degree at a certified technical school or college. Experience is necessary.
Additional duties will be discussed during interviews, which will be conducted Wednesday-May 11.
Applications may be submitted in person at Baconton City Hall, 333 East Walton St. in Baconton.
Resumes may be mailed to Mayor Morman at City of Baconton, P.O. Box 399, Baconton, Ga. 31716. Applicants also may email resumes to Morman at mayor@cityofbacontonga.com.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/city-of-baconton-seeks-to-hire-city-clerk/article_d108123e-cbd0-11ec-93e9-27549d6ab885.html
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FITZGERALD – Gov. Brian Kemp announced that MANA Nutrition, a Georgia-based nonprofit that produces ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to fight global malnutrition, celebrated breaking ground on an expansion of its Ben Hill County facility. With more than $36 million in investment, this is the company’s largest expansion to date. MANA also will add 10 new jobs, bringing the company’s employment in the county to 80.
"It’s great to see the amazing work done by hard-working Georgians in Ben Hill County," Kemp said in a news release. "We are excited to watch MANA Nutrition serve communities in need worldwide with products from our state's No. 1 agriculture industry. We have been laser-focused on creating impactful opportunities across the state, and jobs like these will be good for the local community for years to come.”
The expansion will increase MANA’s production of ready-to-use therapeutic food threefold and mark MANA’s first step in addressing malnutrition in the United States. These RUTFs are composed of peanut paste, milk, and a special mix of vitamins and minerals and are distributed globally to fight malnutrition. Since its creation in 2009, MANA has helped nearly 5.5 million children and is predicted to feed an additional 1 million in 2022 alone.
“At Mana, we are proud to harness two of Georgia’s greatest strengths -- people and peanuts -- to serve and feed the world," MANA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Mark Moore said. "We are proud that our small, rural community is one of the world’s largest suppliers of Ready to Use Food for malnourished children.
"This upgrade to our facility will allow us to feed up to 3 million children a year. Hopefully, our effort is an inspiration to others who might not have much but can do what they can with what they have to make our world a better place.”
MANA Nutrition will construct a 38,000-square-foot addition to its existing facility at 189 Seaboard Road in Fitzgerald. The expansion will facilitate increased RUTF production and add a new jar line to serve the domestic market. Currently, the facility can produce up to 121,000 pounds of RUTF per day, which is enough to feed 4,000 children suffering from malnutrition for six weeks. The organization will hire for a variety of positions to fill business needs, and interested individuals can apply at jobs@mananutrition.org or call 855 GET-MANA.
“Feeding the world from rural Georgia is not a new concept," Jason Dunn, director of the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill Development Authority, said. "The manner in which Mana Nutrition is doing it is. Through the combination of Georgia Grown peanuts and the state-of-the-art production of life-saving therapeutic foods, Mana’s continued investment in Fitzgerald is not only strengthening, but also expanding the reach of Georgia’s ag legacy.”
Senior Project Manager Elizabeth McLean represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce team on this project in partnership with the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Development Authority.
“Agriculture has long been the backbone of Georgia’s economy, and it is extremely gratifying to know that MANA Nutrition will leverage our expertise in agriculture and logistics assets to help feed those in need around the world,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Congratulations to our partners in Fitzgerald for their efforts to support this exciting project that will not only benefit Georgians, but people around the globe.”
Georgia leads the nation in the production of peanuts, eggs and boilers. In 2020, Georgia peanuts were planted on more than 800,000 acres throughout the state and accounted for 53% of peanut production in the United States. Seventy-six of Georgia’s 159 counties have peanut farms, with an average yield of more than 4,100 pounds per acre. Many companies – including Pilgrim’s Pride, Chick-fil-A, Coca-Cola and Tyson – source their products directly from Georgia farms and operations.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/mana-nonprofit-to-expand-production-facility-in-fitzgerald/article_d5a1b8ba-cbc4-11ec-b6cf-93f74a732a9a.html
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ATLANTA – Georgia saw record turnout and no lines on the first day of early voting for the 2022 primary election, according to a news release from the secretary of state's office.
Overall, 27,298 Georgians cast their ballots early, in-person, three times the number that turned out to vote on the first day of the 2018 primary election and almost double the number for the June 2020 primary.
“Record turnout on the first day of early voting is a testament to an elections system that ensures top-level security and ease of access,” ecretary of State Brad Raffensperger said. “Georgia voters statewide experienced short or nonexistent lines and a smooth voting process. It remains easy to vote and hard to cheat in Georgia, further disproving the false narrative about the Election Integrity Act of 2021.”
For Georgia’s June 2020 primary election, 14,950 individuals cast ballots in-person on the first day of early voting. For the 2018 primary, only 9,266 Georgians cast ballots on the first day of early, in-person voting.
An additional 2,719 absentee ballots have been returned statewide as well.
In March 2021, the Georgia legislature passed the Election Integrity Act of 2021, which expanded the number of early voting days to 17, including two mandatory Saturdays of voting and codifying optional Sunday voting into law. The legislation also included provisions requiring photo ID for absentee ballots, added regulations to absentee ballot drop boxes and cut down on long lines.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/state-sees-record-turnout-on-first-day-of-early-primary-voting/article_e2ab8870-cbd2-11ec-ad74-c3b500cfe8a0.html
| 2022-05-04T18:56:01
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/state-sees-record-turnout-on-first-day-of-early-primary-voting/article_e2ab8870-cbd2-11ec-ad74-c3b500cfe8a0.html
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — About 5 million honeybees bound for Alaska last weekend got waylaid when Delta Air Lines routed them through Atlanta, where most of the bees died after being left for hours in crates on the ground during hot weather.
The bees were the first of two shipments ordered by Alaska beekeeper Sarah McElrea from a distributor in California. The bees were to be used to pollinate apple orchards and nurseries in Alaska, where they are not native.
But the bees were bumped from their original route to Anchorage, Alaska, and instead put on a flight to Atlanta, where they were to be transferred to an Anchorage-bound plane, according to published reports.
McElrea said she worried when the 800-pound shipment didn’t arrive in Atlanta in time to make the connecting flight. The next day, she said, Delta told her some bees had escaped, so airline workers put the crates holding the bees outside a Delta cargo bay.
In a panic, McElrea reached a beekeeper in Atlanta, who rushed to the airport and discovered that many of the bees had died from heat and starvation, according to The New York Times.
Delta called it an “unfortunate situation.”
In an emailed statement, Delta spokeswoman Catherine Morrow told The Associated Press on Friday that that the airline “was made aware of the shipment situation ... and quickly engaged the appropriate internal teams to assess the situation. We have taken immediate action to implement new measures to ensure events of this nature do not occur in the future.”
Morrow said Delta apologized to McElrea. The airline declined to make anyone available for an interview.
The beekeeper in Atlanta, Edward Morgan, called more than a dozen people to go to the airport and try to save any bees that were still alive.
“It’s devastating to see that many dead,” Georgia beekeeper Julia Mahood told Atlanta broadcaster WABE. “Just clumps of dead bees that had no chance because they were left outside with no food and basically got lost in Delta’s machinery.”
McElrea, who runs a business called Sarah’s Alaska Honey, said that she had received previous shipments of honeybees on Delta from Sacramento, California, to Anchorage via Seattle many times. The airline told her that last weekend’s shipment didn’t fit on the plane, so they were rerouted through Atlanta.
McElrea said her supplier in California will replace the shipment, which was worth about $48,000. She said she is hoping Delta provides some help, although she acknowledged that shipping live animals carries risk.
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Drumline at Grant Union High School needs some help to get to Washington DC
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/millions-of-bees-from-die-in-shipping-incident/103-423c7608-fc7a-4ab1-a10d-8d057c59becf
| 2022-05-04T19:04:52
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/millions-of-bees-from-die-in-shipping-incident/103-423c7608-fc7a-4ab1-a10d-8d057c59becf
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Motorcycle crash in Bradenton results in flipped car and fatality
A motorcycle crash in Bradenton left one person dead and a car flipped on Sunday.
Motorcycle driver David A. Williams, 36, was traveling at a high speed around 3:50 p.m. when he crashed into a car while traveling eastbound on the 1800 block of Manatee Avenue, according to a press release from the Florida Highway Patrol.
Other news:Full steam ahead for affordable housing, water taxi and Longboat Key town center projects
ICYMI:Sarasota County School Board abruptly ends meeting as disruptive crowd demands to speak
Officials said the impact of his speed caused the car to flip on its side.
Williams died at the scene, and the other driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The investigation is ongoing, and no criminal charges are expected.
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/motorcycle-crash-bradenton-flipped-car-fatality/9643850002/
| 2022-05-04T19:26:01
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/motorcycle-crash-bradenton-flipped-car-fatality/9643850002/
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Two dogs who were reported stolen from a front yard in northeast Lincoln on Monday have been located, according to police.
Cuddles and Oliver were missing from their 39-year-old owner for less than 24 hours after a man driving a blue Jeep in a state of moderate disrepair stopped his vehicle near 72nd and Thurston streets at around 4 p.m. Monday and left with the dogs, Lincoln Police Sgt. Chris Vollmer said.
Witnesses told police the unknown man mentioned taking the dogs to his farm. Instead, they were recovered on Tuesday.
The owner said the dogs had gotten out of his gated backyard during Tuesday's rainfall. In a Facebook post on a local lost pets page, the 39-year-old said the man who took his dogs used human food to lure them into the Jeep.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/two-dogs-found-after-reported-stolen-from-yard-in-northeast-lincoln-police-say/article_4f54a2f4-76ff-534a-9205-5cbf3e779275.html
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Hip-hop pioneer Kidd Creole was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in state prison for the 2017 stabbing death of a homeless man on a midtown Manhattan street, prosecutors said.
The 62-year-old rapper, whose real name is Nathaniel Glover, was found guilty of manslaughter last month in the death of John Jolly, who was stabbed twice in the chest with a steak knife on East 43rd Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues.
Glover, a founding member of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, also faces five years post-release supervision as part of the sentence handed down Wednesday.
Prosecutors had said the Bronx man, a founding member of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, walked past Jolly on the street and stabbed him because he thought he was gay and hitting on him, which enraged him.
Minutes after the attack, a group of tourists discovered Jolly in the street. He was taken to a hospital, where he died of his wounds.
Glover had left the scene and fled two blocks away to his place of work, according to court documents. There, he changed his clothing and cleaned the knife in an office sink. After about 15 minutes, he left, boarded the subway, and disposed of the knife in a sewer near a Bronx subway station, prosecutors say. The following day, NYPD officers recovered the knife and arrested Glover at his home in the Bronx.
Glover's attorney had argued the killing was done in self-defense.
News
Prosecutors, and ultimately a Manhattan jury, disagreed.
"Mr. Jolly’s death was devastating to his family and those who knew him," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement Wednesday. "Every life we lose to violent crime ripples throughout our entire city, and we will continue to ensure everyone in our borough can live their lives with the sense of safety and security they deserve."
Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five formed in the late 1970s in the Bronx. The group's most well-known song is “The Message” from 1982. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007, the first rap group to be included.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/kidd-creole-of-grandmaster-flash-gets-16-years-in-midtown-steak-knife-killing/3674233/
| 2022-05-04T20:10:04
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Police are investigating the shooting deaths of two men -- one a 45-year-old who was reported missing by his wife last week, the other a 58-year-old homeowner -- on Long Island, authorities say.
Cops following up on the missing person report for Ian Saalfield found the Lake Grove husband shot to death Tuesday night at the Selden home of Robert Julian, who was also found shot to death at the location, authorities say.
Saalfield's wife had reported him missing on April 26. Both he and Julian were pronounced dead at the Hollywood Avenue scene when authorities found their bodies as they followed up on his wife's report, officials said.
Suffolk County police say the relationship between the two men is under investigation but they were believed to be friends. They do not suspect a murder-suicide in this case.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/missing-ny-husband-found-shot-dead-along-with-long-island-homeowner-cops/3674203/
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VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) Program is about to fill in most of the remaining conceptual details about the proposed replacement for the bridge that carries Interstate 5 over the Columbia River. The project office is scheduled to unveil its recommended Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) later this week.
Some of the team’s recommendations are already known, such as the inclusion of light rail, but several other design choices won’t be finalized until a Thursday meeting of the project’s Executive Steering Group, followed by a Friday meeting of the Bi-State Legislative Committee that oversees the program.
Here’s a breakdown of what we already know about the new bridge design, what we’re probably going to learn from the LPA on Thursday, and what we’re probably still not going to know at the end of the week.
What we already know
High-capacity transit mode: Light rail
The IBR team evaluated two mass transit options: Light rail and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The team announced last month that it will recommend light rail due to higher projected ridership because it would allow for direct transfers from C-Tran bus lines in downtown Vancouver.
High-capacity transit alignment: I-5 adjacent
The previous replacement attempt, the failed Columbia River Crossing (CRC), called for light rail to run on Vancouver’s downtown streets, ending at Clark College. The IBR team chose to scale back that recommendation, keeping the line adjacent to I-5 and ending it at Evergreen Boulevard, because C-Tran’s Vine Bus Rapid Transit line now runs through downtown Vancouver.
Bridge alignment: West
The old bridge must remain in use until the new bridge is ready, which means the new one will need to be built to the east or west of the existing structure. The IBR team has selected a western alignment as its recommendation, according to a spokesperson.
North Portland Harbor Bridge: Replacement
The project team is recommending a full replacement of the North Portland Harbor Bridge, which carries I-5 from the Oregon mainland to Hayden Island. The CRC plan called for modifying and maintaining the current bridge, but the IBR team cited the additional 10 years of wear and tear, coupled with the need for better seismic resiliency, to justify the switch to a full replacement.
What we’re about to learn
Bridge crossing configuration: Twin or stacked?
Back in January the project team outlined two options for the bridge layout: twin spans that each carry one direction of the freeway or a single span with one deck stacked on top of the other. The twin span version would also have some stacking – concept art shows each span with a narrow second deck below the main deck to carry mass transit and bike and pedestrian traffic.
How many lanes: Eight or ten?
The current twin spans carry three lanes in each direction. The IBR project is exploring “auxiliary lanes,” which are right-side lanes that join the freeway for limited distances, usually to connect two interchanges so drivers can hop from one to the other without having to merge.
The IBR team’s LPA recommendation is definitely going to include auxiliary lanes, but the team is still deciding whether to add one lane on each side or two, which would bring the bridge’s total width from six lanes to either eight or ten, not counting shoulders and transit lanes.
Hayden Island: Full or partial interchange?
I-5 currently has a full interchange on Hayden Island, and the IBR team is deciding whether to keep it that way or reduce it to a partial interchange with only an entrance ramp for northbound traffic and an exit ramp for southbound traffic.
In this scenario, drivers traveling between Hayden Island and Portland would enter and exit the freeway at the Marine Drive interchange on the Oregon mainland and cross to and from Hayden Island on a separate arterial bridge.
The auxiliary lanes and the Hayden Island interchange options are linked. The project office revealed last month that it had narrowed things down to two scenarios – one with a single set of auxiliary lanes and a partial interchange, and the other with two sets of auxiliary lanes and a full interchange.
What we still won’t know
Total project cost
The IBR office has pegged the project cost at $3.2 billion to $4.8 billion, but that’s an early and rough estimate. A more precise breakdown won’t be available until the project is much further into the design process, although that didn’t stop Washington from allocating $1 billion earlier this year.
Tolling amount
There will almost certainly be tolls on the new bridge, and the Oregon Department of Transportation will collect them. What we don’t know is how much the tolls will cost or how they’ll integrate into ODOT’s plan to toll I-5 and I-205 throughout the Portland area. The IBR website only says that bridge tolls and I-5 tolls will be “coordinated” so drivers don’t receive multiple bills for the same trip.
Whether it can succeed
The CRC faced vociferous opposition from multiple groups, ultimately leading to its collapse. The IBR version has a long way to go before construction can begin, and many critics have made it clear that their objections still apply to the new project’s direction, including light rail opponents and environmental and transportation groups who oppose the addition of auxiliary lanes, which they argue would functionally make the replacement a freeway widening project.
With the full LPA revealed, Friday’s bi-state legislative committee meeting could be a significant early indicator about where the project stands in terms of political support.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/interstate-bridge-replacement-high-level-design-choices/283-47458a61-7a0b-4870-9bd9-a647aa652693
| 2022-05-04T20:16:39
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/interstate-bridge-replacement-high-level-design-choices/283-47458a61-7a0b-4870-9bd9-a647aa652693
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BOISE, Idaho — The City of Boise is taking applications from people interested in serving on the city's new Districting Commission.
The mayor will appoint five commissioners from across the city to lead the process of redrawing the district map for city council elections. Starting with the 2023 election, the map will be in effect for as long as a decade. The council adopted an ordinance on the Districting Commission during its meeting on Tuesday, May 3.
Until 2021, the six members of the Boise City Council were elected at-large, meaning any candidate could come from any part of the city, and all were subject to a citywide vote. The municipal election of 2021 was the first for Boise under a new Idaho law that requires cities with populations of 100,000 or more to elect council members by district. Three of the six council seats were on the ballot for that election, and were elected by districts based on the 2010 Census. All six seats will be up for election in 2023, with a new district map based on the 2020 Census.
Those interested in serving on the Districting Commission must be eligible to vote in Boise (reside within the city limits) and must not have run for city council in the last five years nor plan to run for city council for five years after serving on the commission.
Commissioners must be available to meet starting in July 2022 and would finish up their work in November.
To apply, send a cover letter and résumé to this email address: commissionapplications@cityofboise.org.
Put “Boise Districting Commission” in the subject line of your email.
The deadline to apply is June 3, 2022 at 5 p.m.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/city-of-boise-seeks-citizen-applicants-council-districting-commission/277-16cecc71-f767-4565-b8c6-6e2b5dee0ca1
| 2022-05-04T20:18:52
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/city-of-boise-seeks-citizen-applicants-council-districting-commission/277-16cecc71-f767-4565-b8c6-6e2b5dee0ca1
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ELK CITY, Idaho — The Idaho County Sheriff’s Office (ICSO) reports that a missing Avista worker near Elk City, Idaho has been found.
Kevin Vopat, 56, of Grangeville was working in an area near the American River on Tuesday. Around 6:30 p.m., Idaho County Dispatch received a report that Vopat was missing. The Sheriff’s Office said in a news release that he had not been seen since noon.
Idaho County deputies, along with a team from Avista, responded to the area to look for Vopat. They also used a drone when the weather allowed.
After searching into the night, the missing worker was found around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
ICSO reported that Vopat “appeared to be experiencing the beginning of hypothermia, but was otherwise in good health.”
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/missing-avista-worker-found-idaho/293-c365cd57-a8f8-44c7-abe3-2efe2401cbfb
| 2022-05-04T20:18:58
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/missing-avista-worker-found-idaho/293-c365cd57-a8f8-44c7-abe3-2efe2401cbfb
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SNELLVILLE, Ga. — A 20-year-old man was arrested Tuesday after he showed up at the Snellville Police Department, and officers determined he had a probation violation warrant for his arrest. He didn't tell police his 8-month-old daughter was outside in a car.
Around 2 p.m., Davied Japez McCorry Whatley showed up at the police station to pick up firearms that had been confiscated in a previous case. While with the "property custodian," Whatley was taken into custody by police for a misdemeanor probation violation stemming from a hit-and-run crash with no insurance.
He never mentioned he'd left his infant, Nova Grace Whatley-Trejo, in the car, according to police. Around 9 p.m., the grandmother brought the baby to Piedmont Eastside Medical Center's emergency room.
The hospital staff determined Nova was dead and that she had been in the car for seven hours at the police station. The grandmother told hospital staff that the baby was left in a car "after a traffic stop."
After learning of the baby's death, police located Whatley's car in the parking lot of the adjacent Snellville City Hall.
At no time did he mention his infant daughter being left inside the car, police said in a statement. They said the entire interaction with the man, from first contact in the lobby to when he arrived in jail, was recorded on police body camera.
Police said Whatley bonded out of jail Tuesday night for the probation violation but was arrested Wednesday and charged with second-degree murder following the death of his daughter.
11Alive's Brittany Kleinpeter spoke to Nova's mother, Selena, via text message, who said her little girl lit up the room.
"She had the biggest personality a baby could have. She laughed and smiled since she was a month old. She talked to you in her baby language and answered you with noises when you said her name," Selena said.
The high temperature in metro Atlanta was around 86 degrees, according to 11Alive meteorologists.
GBI is now investigating the case and the agency's findings will be turned over to the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office.
"I loved her more than I could ever imagine and my heart is breaking that she is gone so soon," Nova's mother said.
Watch the full press conference below:
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/snellville-baby-death-hot-car-dad-arrested/85-adcc6b82-85c7-4118-bfc6-d3d81416cd87
| 2022-05-04T20:43:50
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/snellville-baby-death-hot-car-dad-arrested/85-adcc6b82-85c7-4118-bfc6-d3d81416cd87
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento police officer shot and killed an “aggressive” dog while serving a search warrant at a Sacramento home.
According to a Twitter thread by the Sacramento Police Department, on Tuesday, police were serving a warrant at a home along the 600 Block of Las Palmas Avenue when an "aggressive dog attacked and bit" an officer. That bite resulted in a minor injury.
An officer then shot the dog, who later died. Police did not clarify if the officer who shot the dog was the one who got bit.
During their search, police found two AR-15 style rifles, one MAC style assault weapon, 13 handguns, a CNC machine, a drill press and five body armor carriers, Sacramento police shared in a tweet.
Police eventually arrested Kianti Gix, 33, on charges of illegally manufacturing “ghost guns” and possessing firearms as a felon.
RELATED:
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
Watch more from ABC10:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/police-shoot-dog-man-arrested-weapons-charges/103-e4306343-08ed-4957-bcf9-d9f118d06432
| 2022-05-04T20:53:33
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/police-shoot-dog-man-arrested-weapons-charges/103-e4306343-08ed-4957-bcf9-d9f118d06432
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STOCKTON, Calif. — For the last few years, the Stockton Fire Department has experienced a cycle of staffing shortages and high turnover according to the department and the union that represents firefighters.
10 of the nearly 200 firefighters have left the Stockton Fire Department since January of this year, Stockton Fire Chief Richard Edwards confirmed with ABC10.
The issue will be a focal point of the upcoming contract negotiations.
“We're losing people to other fire departments or having a hard time recruiting good candidates for the Stockton Fire Department and we're having a hard time retaining firefighters,” Stockton Firefighters Local 456 President Mario Gardea told ABC10.
Many of those that are leaving either retire or go to work for other departments shortly after their probation period ends.
"Over the past couple of years, the Stockton Fire Department has been fortunate to hire many new firefighters to fill vacancies created by retirements and resignations," Chief Edwards said. "City leadership and the Fire Department are committed to maintaining full staffing through funding allocations to conduct a minimum of two fire academies annually and hiring to fill all vacancies."
A representative for Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln says the mayor is aware of staffing concerns among public safety departments and declined to comment further as the city is currently in negotiations with the unions representing police officers and firefighters
The firefighter’s union says there is a struggle to keep its staff because better pay is offered by nearby departments.
“It's hard to retain our current employees because we're not competitive when it comes to pay and benefits,” Gardea said. “What's happening is they're actively recruiting our seasoned firefighters, so they're taking their training and their experience, and they're using that as a recruiting tool.”
To make up for the open positions, many Stockton firefighters are working more than their usual 24 or 48-hour shift, Chief Edwards said.
The Stockton Local Firefighters 456 union says longer mandatory shifts have caused department-wide burnout.
"We haven’t even taken into consideration the physical as well as mental toll this is taking on our members that might not come to the surface for years down the road," Richard Diaz, a board member for the Stockton firefights union, said
Both the union and Chief Edwards say with fewer firefighters responding to a high number of calls they worry about the quality of service they are able to provide for the city.
Gardea called Stockton public safety agencies the "Oakland A’s" of public service in California because firefighters go to higher-paying opportunities elsewhere.
“We continue to train members and give them unbelievable experience, just for another city to come in and swoop on an employee because of better pay,” Gardea said.
To combat this cycle of staffing shortages, the Stockton firefighters union is pushing for the city to provide increased pay for firefighters in upcoming negotiations.
"The City of Stockton is currently engaged in the collective bargaining process with the Firefighter’s union, negotiating the terms of a new Memorandum of Understanding," Chief Edwards said. "The current MOU expires on June 30, 2022."
Union representatives said they want competitive wages to keep fire academy graduates at the Stockton department past probationary periods.
“I just think that we're at a crucial point right now when it comes to staffing,” said Gardea. “At some point, if we keep going the way that we're going, that we're going to break."
Watch more from ABC10: Why is Stockton one of the hardest cities to live in?
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/stockton/stockton-firefighters-pay-shortage/103-ca803048-fade-4a9d-82f2-5d3a5a2351dd
| 2022-05-04T20:53:39
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/stockton/stockton-firefighters-pay-shortage/103-ca803048-fade-4a9d-82f2-5d3a5a2351dd
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TUPELO • Fundraising for the nonprofit Regional Rehabilitation Center will continue this weekend with a couple of Tupelo-based events.
On Friday, fundraising will be in full swing at the Alan Bank Memorial Tennis Tournament at the Tupelo Country Club. The event will open on Friday, May 6, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and will resume Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Saturday will also see the return of the Tom Evans Memorial Kentucky Derby Party, beginning at 3 p.m. at the Tupelo Country Club.
Hosted by the late Tom Evans of Tupelo at his home on Robins Street for more than two decades, the fundraising party now honors its founder's memory.
Evans died in August 2020.
The event has already sold out. More than 400 people, including volunteers, are set to attend.
“We hope we can honor Tom,” said RRC Developmental Director Bre Moreno Ashe. “Last year was a great success, and I think Tom would have been happy with it.”
This year's part will feature a tent to allow for a better derby watching experience. There will be a 360 booth provided by Premium Productions and sponsored by Tommy Morgan. The derby sponsors are Monroe Family Dentistry and Itawamba Community College, alongside others.
RRC Executive Director Robby Parman said she's excited by not only the community support, but also the chance to let the community know what services they offer. It allows them to connect with people who may be in need of their services.
“It’s just been a great opportunity for us to really help spread our message and our mission to all of North Mississippi,” Parman said.
There will be a silent auction in the Country Club ballroom. There is also a less formal live auction. The auction will have items donated by local businesses, such as a lawn mower, furniture, jewelry, gift cards, outdoor items, among others.
The Alan Bank Memorial Tennis Tournament is a member/guest tournament. The event is named in honor of Alan Bank, who was a longtime RRC board president. Bank was influential in growing RRC’s board
“He was so involved, he even had an office here at the Rehab Center and just did so many things for us and really the entire community,” Parman said.
The two-day tournament will provide four cash prizes for top doubles, singles, and mixed. All attendees will receive a T-shirt. Sponsors include Agape Senior Living and Mitchell Distributing.
The hope for the weekend is to raise $20,000, approximately the same amount raised last year. Fundraisers help RRC continue growing and serve more clients.
For more information about RRC and its services, call 662-842-1891 or visit RRC at 615 Pegram Drive, Tupelo for a visit or tour.
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/regional-rehab-hosts-fundraisers-this-weekend/article_370069f0-efcb-52f3-8c10-0c2f9709921d.html
| 2022-05-04T20:56:19
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https://www.djournal.com/news/local/regional-rehab-hosts-fundraisers-this-weekend/article_370069f0-efcb-52f3-8c10-0c2f9709921d.html
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Leadership Albany Class of 2022 members take a tour of the Flint RiverQuarium during an outing dedicated to learning about area natural resources. The community group is looking for nominees for the LA Class of 2023.
ALBANY -- Leadership Albany is looking for a few good -- very good, in fact -- men and women. The development group currently is accepting nominations for its 2023 class.
The mission of Leadership Albany is to develop effective leaders in the community. LA plans to accomplish this mission by:
-- Engaging diverse individuals in networking, education and exposure to issues, opportunities and needs;
-- Empowering leaders to participate in civic and community service; and
-- Creating a support network for present and future leaders.
"Effective leaders improve the quality of life for their communities through positive influence," Leadership Albany officials said in a news release. "Successful leadership programming must be innovative, sustainable and action-oriented. Stakeholders in leadership development must operate with integrity, trust and transparency. Leadership Albany alumni will have a greater impact in our community when working together to share and implement ideas."
The vision is for Albany and southwest Georgia to thrive on the active efforts of diverse servant leaders.
Nominations must be made by an alumni, and submitted online. Deadline to submit nominations is May 30th
Nominees should demonstrate leadership abilities for the benefit of southwest Georgia, are typically already successful leaders with diverse backgrounds, represent varied business, civic and nonprofit sectors, and are poised to substantially increase and broaden their scope of leadership capacity within their personal and professional lives.
Instructions and applications will be emailed to those nominated after nominations are closed. Alumni making nominations should discuss the nomination process with their candidate and follow up with them to ensure they received and completed the application. The Class of 2023 will begin in January.
New providions in Georgia voting law and the claims of fraud in the 2020 election were topics discussed on Wednesday during a voter rights panel discussion hosted by the Dougherty County Bar Association. The panel included local and state election officials and a Florida State University law… Click for more.
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/leadership-albany-looking-for-class-of-23-nominees/article_c03b4680-cbd3-11ec-bbe4-0b24cb033b36.html
| 2022-05-04T21:03:45
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https://www.albanyherald.com/local/leadership-albany-looking-for-class-of-23-nominees/article_c03b4680-cbd3-11ec-bbe4-0b24cb033b36.html
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March 30, 1990 – April 16, 2022
Koree Nicole Forrester was born in Elko, Nevada in March of 1990. She graduated from North Bend High School in 2008. She participated in swimming and was on the 2007 State Champion Girls Swimming team, she participated in lab band, Miss Coos County, Coos County Teen Idol and participated yearly in state singing competitions.
Koree moved to North Carolina after attending the University of Oregon and Lane Community College in 2009. During her time in North Carolina she was blessed with having her daughter, Evelynne Elizabeth Nelson, in 2011. Koree was accepted into the nursing program at Coastal Carolina Community College where she graduated with an Associates of Nursing in 2013. She moved back to Coos Bay in July of 2013 and started working at Bay Area Hospital as a Registered Nurse while also going back to school to obtain her Bachelor’s of Science in nursing which she obtained in June of 2015. During her time at Bay Area Hospital she moved up quickly as a skilled, intelligent and driven nurse. In 2017 she wanted to further her career and knowledge and began working for REACH Air Medical Services. She loved to fly, take countless pictures of the sunrise and sunset above the clouds. In June of 2021 Koree went to work at Peacehealth Riverbend in Springfield to work along-side her husband, Kale as well as her best friend whom she met her first day at Bay Area, Charlotte. Here Koree furthered her knowledge even further.
Koree always brought the energy wherever she went. She could walk into a room and instantly everyone felt better knowing Koree was there. She met many amazing friends during her career that would come to be family. She loved to make everyone happy and wanted everyone to enjoy life as much as she did. Koree enjoyed singing any moment she could regardless of who was listening; going to music festivals and enjoying the music, lasers and being herself. She took up gardening and had an amazing passion for it. She had such will and determination to constantly achieve and always encouraged those around her to be their best self.
In 2019 Koree married Kale Forrester and cherished the excitement of blending their families together with their two littles, Evelynne and Oakley. They would continue to share their excitement for adventures with their girls as they would take them to concerts, hiking, camping and exploring anywhere in the outdoors.
Koree will be deeply missed by anyone whose lives she impacted in a positive way in her 32 years, her coworkers, her friends and her beloved family. She will live on through all of us and we will continue to carry on her light and energy just as she would.
She is survived by her mother, Annie Dean; father, Greg Boralmo; husband, Kale Forrester; daughter, Evelynne Nelson; step-daughter, Oakley Forrester; brother, Aaron Davis and his wife, Heidi Davis; sister, Amber Ellison; brother, Tony Boralmo; uncle, Chris Hallman and his wife, Layrene; father-in-law, Michael Forrester and his wife, Wendy Forrester; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
She is predeceased by her father, Jim Davis.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 am, Saturday, May 14, 2022 at the Hall of Champions at North Bend High School, 2323 Pacific Ave, in the Gymnasium Parking Lot. Friends and family are encouraged to sign the online guestbook at www.coosbayareafunerals.com and www.theworldlink.com. Arrangements are under the care of North Bend Chapel, 541-756-0440.
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/koree-nicole-forrester/article_44c7be3c-cbd5-11ec-abf8-bbf57f97b725.html
| 2022-05-04T21:10:22
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https://theworldlink.com/news/local/obituaries/koree-nicole-forrester/article_44c7be3c-cbd5-11ec-abf8-bbf57f97b725.html
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The Idaho Falls Post Register took home eight awards from the Idaho Press Club's Best of 2021 awards banquet on Saturday in Boise.
Former Post Register sports writer Greg Woods won three awards including first-place honors in the sports news category for his article "The complicated legacy of Larry Wilson at Rigby" and in the high school sports category for his article "West Jefferson’s Jordyn Torgerson is ready to make her late father proud." Woods also was third in that category with his article “‘He just found what he loved’: The story of Thunder Ridge senior Dutch Driggs and his impossibly fast climb in the gaming world."
Woods is now the sports editor at the Post Register's sister paper the Idaho State Journal.
Former Post Register reporter Kyle Pfannenstiel received a pair of third-place awards, one in spot news for his article “‘A race:’ Seniors dismayed over eastern Idaho’s vaccine rollout," and another in pandemic reporting for his article “Idaho won’t disclose vaccination rates in long-term care facilities.”
Reporter Johnathan Hogan placed second in the watchdog/investigative reporting category for his article "Spotlight on Yellowstone Bear World."
Former Post Register reporter Sally Krutzig was honored with first place in the light feature category for her article "Home Away From Home." And former commentary page editor Bryan Clark received a third-place honor in editorial writing for his editorial “Court should reopen Dripps allocution."
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/post-register-honored-with-eight-awards-for-2021-reporting/article_4e8497be-7f95-5a14-b052-a7e6fbfe27ee.html
| 2022-05-04T21:38:07
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https://www.postregister.com/news/local/post-register-honored-with-eight-awards-for-2021-reporting/article_4e8497be-7f95-5a14-b052-a7e6fbfe27ee.html
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Three family members in New York City were charged with multiple crimes for allegedly pulling off numerous scams over the course of more than a decade, prosecutors said, adding that one of the women being sought is still at large.
Stephanie Bailey, 50, her daughter Chianti Bailey, 31, and her sister Latonya Bailey Dostaly, 45, have been charged with multiple crimes including grand larceny, forgery, perjury, identify theft, defrauding the government and official misconduct, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Wednesday.
Stephanie and Latonya were arraigned on felony complaints charging them with multiple counts of grand larceny, offering false instruments for filing, forgery, making sworn false statements, perjury, identity theft, criminal impersonation, defrauding the government and official misconduct.
The sisters are scheduled to appear in court once again June 8. If convicted, they each faces up to 52 years in prison.
Chianti remains at large and warrants have been issued for her arrest, according to Katz.
Attorney information for the women was not immediately known.
The charges are in connection to alleged crimes that go back to at least 2014. According to the complaint, retired accountant Russell Butler died in 2010, leaving personal documents inside his home on 225th Street, in the Laurelton section of Queens. Subsequently, Stephanie moved her family into Butler’s home by 2014 and allegedly, shortly after, her daughter Chianti filed a fake will in Bronx Surrogates Court claiming she was the heir to Butler’s estate.
News
According to the complaint, she was then granted ownership of his house in 2020 and took out a $200,000 mortgage. Additionally, she also allegedly took out more than $100,000 owed to the Butler estate using fake documents.
The district attorney's office, citing the complaint, goes on to allege that Stephanie stole almost $100,000 from the Housing Choice Voucher program commonly known as Section 8. According to the complaint, she applied for housing assistance with New York State Homes and Community Renewal in September 2014 and included in her application a fake lease for the Laurelton house. The federal government sent payments of almost $90,000 to the fake landlord, which Chianti and Latonya deposited into their own bank accounts.
The three woman also allegedly filed fake tax returns seeking refunds -- attempting to steal more than $52,000 from the state and succeeding in stealing almost $38,000 across 12 fake tax returns.
According to the complaint, Latonya allegedly used her position as a Job Opportunity Specialist at the NYC Human Resources Administration to access the agency's electronic files to steal the identities of more than 20 children for use as dependents in her family’s fake tax return scheme.
In a statement, DOI Commissioner Jocelyn E. Strauber said: “The HRA employee who is charged here allegedly preyed on the very clients she was supposed to assist, using her access to City files to steal the identities of more than 20 children, which her two relatives – also her co-conspirators – used to file fake tax returns to defraud New York State of tens of thousands of dollars in tax refunds. Those who seek help from City-administered programs should not thereby become victims of wrongdoing by City employees and others, and we will work with our law enforcement partners to hold such wrongdoers accountable.”
The women ultimately received state tax refunds which they deposited in their bank accounts, according to the district attorney's office. They also allegedly received COVID relief funds sent to the addresses used by taxpayers in their tax returns and deposited the funds into their bank accounts.
More than 30 victims had their identities stolen in the defendants’ scheme, and more remain under investigation, Katz said.
The scheme did not end there, however, according to prosecutors, since the group allegedly allegedly also tried to steal more than $200,000 in fake unemployment claims filed with the NYS Department of Labor under the names of nine different people -- receiving $123,487 and attempting to steal an additional $97,962.
“As alleged, these defendants used virtually every trick in the book to pull off an assortment of illegal scams over more than a decade – including taking control of the $700,000-plus home of a longtime Laurelton resident who died in 2010," Katz said in a statement. "They stole people’s identities – including the identities of at least 20 children – to use in a large-scale tax fraud scheme, ripped off Section 8 and Covid relief funds, and filed $200,000 worth of false unemployment insurance claims. These defendants will now be held to account for their one-family crime spree.”
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nyc-family-of-scam-artists-charged-with-litany-of-crimes-for-decade-long-schemes-da/3674285/
| 2022-05-04T21:41:55
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https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nyc-family-of-scam-artists-charged-with-litany-of-crimes-for-decade-long-schemes-da/3674285/
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A 125-year-old Lincoln business has apparently closed its doors.
Pechous Upholstering, which got its start in 1897, has shut down, according to employees who posted on social media.
An email sent to the business was not returned, and its phone number no longer works.
On Monday, the Pechous Upholstering office at 3223 S. 13th St., had a sign posted in the window saying it is permanently closed. There also was a notice taped to the door saying the business has five days to pay $7,000 in back rent or it must vacate the premises.
Pechous, which did both commercial and residential upholstery projects, was founded by Joseph Pechous on the second floor of a downtown furniture store.
It moved in the 1950s to a small space at 2792 South St., where it operated for more than 60 years before moving last year to a space in the Indian Village Shopping Center.
Directions 2022: Changing times in Lincoln
Explore all of the articles, videos and photos in this year's Directions section here.
Several residential projects in or near downtown, including the 250-foot-tall Lied Place Residences, will open to residents this year.
Delta Nelson's entire life has been rooted in the auto industry, so it only made sense when she decided to open The Mechanix Garage in Lincoln.
Downtown Lincoln's population is expected to reach 10,000 in 2025 — a 730% increase since 2010.
The history, culture and DNA of the Cornhusker state are woven throughout the Scarlet, which is scheduled to open this spring.
Robin Eschliman's annual review of restaurants in Lincoln found more dining options opened in 2021 than shut down.
Over $2 billion worth of inventory was sold online through HiBid in 2021, and there are typically anywhere from 700,000 to 1 million items listed on the site at any given time.
Assurity's Jack Douglas moved with his wife from South Carolina in 2020, the height of the pandemic.
What started as an ambitious vision in 2015 has nearly come to fruition for Speedway Properties and Nelnet, which partnered together and bought more than a dozen properties in the once-blighted area in the 2010s.
Union Bank & Trust executive vice president Doris Robertson attributes the bank's recent success in part to the innovations the company made during the early days of the pandemic.
Before Boxcar BBQ officially served its first slab of ribs to a paying customer in October, the staff experimented with hundreds of pounds of meat and dozens of tweaks to their recipes.
Even when the work is hard and frustrating, Jayne Ellenwood says it fills her bucket to be a part of Bryan's response to the community.
The golf club that opened in 2001 has gone private and among its new features will be a 250-foot-long lazy river, an adults-only pool with a swim-up bar and a six-lane competition lap pool.
"I wrote thank-you cards to anyone that spent money with us. … I wrote hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of cards," owner Laurie Frasier said, even if someone only spent a few dollars.
With the South Beltway set to open next year, some developers worry the city isn’t thinking aggressively enough about spurring growth in an area still largely unserved by sewer and other infrastructure.
Jason Ball returns home to lead the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce with determination to "keep the ball rolling" for Lincoln as the city develops and grows.
CHI Health plans to open a new clinic at 40th Street and Yankee Hill Road, while Bryan Health will wrap up a multiyear expansion and renovation at its East Campus hospital.
Directions 2022: Growing chickens for Costco a link to origins of five-generation Seward County farm
Each of the eight Schulz Poultry barns holds 45,000 birds, which arrive at just a couple hours old and spend the next 42-44 days in the barns before going to Fremont for processing.
Jada Picket Pin said she enjoys serving first-time visitors to the Green Gateau, as well as regulars who return for the excellent food and quality service.
Christina Melgoza has seen big changes in Lincoln during her eight years as director of lot sales at Kreuger Development. She spoke to the Journal Star about Lincoln’s growth, the housing market and more.
Since CompanyCam's inception, more than 400 million photos have been stored and 15 million projects created largely by contractors looking to better document their work.
Monolith led a record year for investment in Lincoln-based companies, which collectively raised nearly $300 million in venture capital in 2021.
Many employees moved to remote work during COVID-19, a trend that's likely to stick around, experts say. But other pandemic effects, such as labor shortages and pay increases, are likely to be short-term changes.
A fundraising campaign brought in more than $10.3 million for the 7 acres of land near the airport and the 60,000-square-foot new office building and warehouse, almost doubling the Food Bank's current space.
Watch Now: Veteran coach and broadcaster Derrick Pearson brings a new sports radio vision to Lincoln
Jay Foreman, Erick Strickland and Vershan Jackson have shows on the The Ticket, which also has programs featuring 22 current Nebraska athletes.
The Journal Star invited businesses and other offices celebrating an anniversary divisible by five this year to share their history with readers.
The Journal Star invited readers to share honors that businesses or employees received as best of state, region or nation. Also included is a recap of the major awards presented by business organizations locally.
In June, the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce resumed ribbon-cutting events to mark new businesses, businesses with new owners, relocated and renovated businesses, business anniversaries and ground-breaking ceremonies.
Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.
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https://journalstar.com/business/local/125-year-old-lincoln-business-closes-its-doors/article_a6283e78-24b2-52a1-a6ab-f199e81b99af.html
| 2022-05-04T21:43:26
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https://journalstar.com/business/local/125-year-old-lincoln-business-closes-its-doors/article_a6283e78-24b2-52a1-a6ab-f199e81b99af.html
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SEATTLE — Passengers on a Carnival Cruise Ship that docked Tuesday in Seattle say more than 100 people aboard the ship tested positive for COVID-19, and the ship was overwhelmed.
Multiple people say right now they're in hotels across the Seattle area to quarantine after testing positive or being exposed to someone with COVID-19. Carnival Cruise Line would not confirm how many people tested positive on the ship but said there were a number of positive cases.
"As soon as I got diagnosed with COVID, I did not feel safe," said Darren Sieferston, a passenger on the cruise from Miami to Seattle.
Sieferston is in quarantine at the hotel after testing positive for COVID while on the ship. He lives in Nevada. He said he's been on seven cruises since August and said every trip had COVID-19 positive passengers. He feels the response from the crew on this recent Carnival Cruise was chaotic.
"They didn't have enough staff to handle the emergency that was happening, period," said Sieferston. "They were overwhelmed, and they didn't have a backup course in how to handle about 200 people affected with COVID. We all suffered."
Passengers tell KING 5 they waited hours for meals, weren't properly isolated and couldn't get ahold of medical staff.
"We couldn't call anybody. Basically, we sat in the room, you call and it would ring, ring, ring and ring all day long" said Sieferston.
Sieferston shared a photo with KING 5, which he says was hung outside the elevator of his floor, showing the name and room numbers of people who tested positive. He called it an invasion of privacy.
"It's just unacceptable. This ship is so poorly managed. I'm fearful for the people that are going up to Alaska," said Sieferston.
The ship de-boarded Tuesday and is already on its next voyage to Alaska. Carnival wouldn't comment if additional protection would be taken for that trip.
Carnival said there were no serious health issues. According to the company's website, guests are required to be fully vaccinated and tested before a trip. Some exemptions are accommodated with proper testing.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/cruise-covid-19-positive-passengers-seattle/281-39e9ae51-79f1-4fc6-9de4-42faa1cee184
| 2022-05-04T21:54:20
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/cruise-covid-19-positive-passengers-seattle/281-39e9ae51-79f1-4fc6-9de4-42faa1cee184
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NEW MEXICO, USA —
Alexis Avila, the New Mexico mother was caught on surveillance camera leaving her child in a dumpster, went before Judge William Shoobridge on April 25 to ask for changes to several conditions she must follow.
Avila and her defense team asked for her house arrest to allow her access to her backyard, as well as permission for her to see family members under 10 years of age and her own child, who she left in the dumpster.
Defense pointed to several reasons why they believe Avila is ready to see young family members and her child.
This included the fact that the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department closed their investigation on her, and that she had taken parental counseling and classes.
When allowed to speak, Avila told of a memory she had of going to the park with her oldest nephew and said she wished she could have the same relationship with her younger nephews and child. She also spoke about her own character in comparison to some people’s perception of her.
“I know people portray me as a terrible person, but in reality, I’m not,” Avila said. “I am kind, loving and caring.”
The state recommended that the judge approve only the condition about Avila’s house arrest boundary and deny the others.
Judge Shoobridge agreed with the state, denying supervised contact with the child or young family members, but approving the extended house arrest area. The judge also spoke about the long-term impact the situation could have on the child.
“He’ll know for a lifetime the actions that you took, that you tried to terminate his life,” Shoobridge said.
Avila is charged with attempted first degree murder, or alternatively, abuse of a child.
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/mother-put-baby-dumpster-files-motion-review-several-conditions/513-58a36638-27d8-40aa-8d57-5f86ca9e1fbc
| 2022-05-04T21:54:26
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https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/mother-put-baby-dumpster-files-motion-review-several-conditions/513-58a36638-27d8-40aa-8d57-5f86ca9e1fbc
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After 50 years, the Square is ready to evict the bats in its attic
Over at the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art, they’ve got a bat in their attic.
Actually, many bats.
After 50 years of these flying mammals migrating and roosting in the Square’s upper reaches, Executive Director Sarah Justice believes they can finally solve the problem once and for all.
Justice has written a request for the Montana Historic Preservation Grant to help with bat exclusion, mitigation and cleanup in a way that disturbs the animals as little as possible.
“Our goal is to do this ethically,” Justice said. “These bats are important. We are not wanting to harm the bats at all.”
The estimate from High Country Wildlife and Pest Control out of Bozeman for the bat exclusion and mitigation is a hefty $192,000 with another $88,000 for cleanup of the floors, walls, ceilings and all the attic’s woodwork.
That means more than 33,000 square feet of surface area will have to be cleaned before the space is usable.
Right now, the Square is using the uninsulated attic for storage. There have been cleanup efforts in the past, but none that ever solved the problem long-term.
As the museum grows, Justice said they will need more space, and she wants to take a top-down approach to ready the building for its next 100 years.
Justice and her staff have loads of ideas for how the space could be used in the future, including more exhibit space, storage space for the Square’s permanent collection, office space, studio space or a place where the public can study the permanent collection.
But none of those can become a reality until the bats are gone for good.
“Bats and humans really aren’t meant to hang out in the same space,” Justice said. “If that bat mitigation and exclusion isn’t done to perfection, we’re never going to solve the issue.”
The grant the Square is vying for requires them to match 20% of the total grant, so they’ll be raising funds at all of their events, including Arts on Fire and the upcoming Gala for the Arts. Until May 6, the public can also donate to "Go to Bat for the Square" through Give Great Falls at https://www.givegreatfalls.org. And of course, if you walk in with a check, they certainly won’t turn you down.
The mitigation is more important now than ever because the bat guano and urine can start to deteriorate the attic’s wood. A clean attic also opens up more possibilities for future grants to finish the space.
“I see this as a way to secure this landmark appropriately, and then we can go from there,” said Justice.
About the bats
Shannon Hilty, Nongame Wildlife Biologist for Montana First Wildlife and Parks, said we have 15 species of bats in Montana, and lots of them roost in buildings. There are definitely brown myotis bats in the Square's attic, and likely little brown myotis, as well.
Little brown and northern myotis are up for endangered species listing after a massive population decline. Little brown myotis were once the most common species in North America. Hilty said things such as white-nose syndrome and wind energy development have contributed to that decline.
White-nose syndrome, a deadly disease in bats, has been recorded in Montana.
It's important to preserve the colony that currently lives in the Square, Hilty said. It will not only protect the species but also the ecosystem in the Great Falls area.
"Bats get a really bad rap, just in general… they’re incredibly important to the ecosystem and the economy," Hilty said.
Bat save humans billions of dollars a year in pest control alone. They also pollinate plants, disperse seeds and feed other animals, Hilty said.
Although the incidence of rabies in bats is low, Hilty said the disease is deadly enough that people should err on the side of caution when it comes to human-bat contact.
"From a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks perspective, we really strive to reduce conflict between people and wildlife.," Hilty said.
Mitigation: How do they do that?
The Square consulted Stephen M. Vantassel, a Vertebrate Pest Specialist for the Montana Department of Agriculture, regarding bat mitigation.
Vantassel said the procedure for getting rid of bats is pretty much the same for any building…in theory. Best practice is to find any holes larger than 3/8 inch by 3/8 inch and either seal them or place one-way doors over them so the bats can get out but not back in. Vantassel said the more one-way doors, the better.
This method sounds easy, but the high ceilings at the Square and the number of gaps in the century-old roof make the job difficult and tedious.
In addition, the mitigation should take place either before the bats’ young are born or after they are able to fly on their own.
“The last thing you want to do is put a one-way door over an opening that would allow the adults to leave where the young would not be able to leave because they were not strong enough to fly. Because then you have an abandonment issue,” Vantassel said.
Where there are bats, rabies is a concern, as well. Anytime there is human-bat contact in a home or business, that animal should be captured. The county health department can give instructions from there on how to get the bat tested.
Once the bats can’t get in, it’s time to clean up the guano, a process that carries health risks such as a fungal infection called histoplasmosis. Taking the proper precautions is key to avoiding that and other hazards.
“There’s certain things you’d want to do to minimize that risk and be responsible,” Vantassel said, “so they’re not just going up there without respiratory protection and just sort of sweeping things up, which would be the last thing you’d want to do.
“As I tell people, ‘Poo is bad; don’t touch that.’”
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https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/paris-gibson-square-is-finally-ready-to-evict-the-bats-in-its-attic/65353635007/
| 2022-05-04T22:11:15
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https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/paris-gibson-square-is-finally-ready-to-evict-the-bats-in-its-attic/65353635007/
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Tracks and hair confirm presence of grizzly bear in North Moccasin Mountains
Bear tracks and hair samples collected in the North Moccasin Mountains confirm the presence of a grizzly bear in the area 15 miles north of Lewistown, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks officials said.
“Bear tracks from the west side of the mountain range were reported to FWP on April 29,” the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks news release states. “An FWP grizzly bear management specialist visited the location on Saturday, April 30, and confirmed the 6 ¼-inch-wide tracks were made by a grizzly bear.
“After tracks confirmed the species of the bear, FWP spoke with neighboring property owners to notify them of the bear’s presence, identify any potential conflicts, and search for additional grizzly sign. Hair collected from a barbed wire fence along a riparian area nearby was also identified as belonging to a grizzly.”
“Having a grizzly bear in this area is not surprising after what we’ve seen the last few years in terms of bears moving further east into central Montana,” said FWP regional supervisor Gary Bertellotti.
In May 2021 a grizzly bear was confirmed to have killed cattle in the Big Snowy Mountains south of Lewistown. The 447-pound male bear had been photographed eating a dead cow in late April 2021 by a remote camera set up by a landowner. Traps for the grizzly were set after a second cow carcass was discovered, and wildlife officials found evidence the bear had killed both cows. The four- to six-year-old bear was later trapped and euthanized.
A trail camera photo of a grizzly bear was reported to have been taken in the North Moccasin Mountains in early April this year, although FWP was not able to identify the owner of the photograph to investigate the report. FWP officials are encouraging central Montana area residents to consider implementing the same "Bear Aware" precautions commonly practiced in other parts of Montana such as carrying bear spray while working and recreating and practicing conflict prevention techniques such as removing livestock carcasses and open grain sources and installing electric fencing around potential attractants.
The FWP news release states that bear management specialists are working with Lewistown area landowners to identify and secure potential human-related food sources, install trail cameras on likely travel routes and food sources, and to discuss safety for farming and ranching in the area. Bear spray was given to all landowners contacted by FWP.
Grizzly bears are protected under the Endangered Species Act, and final authority regarding management actions are up to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
If you see a bear or bear sign near your residence or need to report a conflict, please call your local bear specialist at the contact number found on FWP’s website: fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/contact.
“Bear activity is increasing across the state,” FWP warns. “Farmers, ranchers, homeowners and outdoor recreationists should be prepared to encounter bears anywhere in western Montana as their population and range continues to expand. Here are some general tips to avoid conflicts in agricultural areas:
- Grizzly bears can be deterred from areas near homes using USFWS guidelines for hazing grizzly bears, found here. This helps reinforce bears’ fear of people.
- Place tarps under loaders when transferring grain to prevent spills.
- Dispose of old grain through sanitation services, burning or dumping away from people, buildings and livestock.
- Dispose of carcasses and afterbirth through sanitation services, inside an electrified boneyard or by distributing away from people, buildings and livestock. Electric fences can be placed around fresh carcasses and bone piles until they can be permanently removed. Call an FWP bear specialist for help or visit FWPs electric fencing guide here.
- If possible, secure domestic animals within an electric fence when unattended by people or at night. This includes poultry, goats, sheep or rabbits.
- Place creep feeders, molasses and mineral blocks in open areas where humans and livestock can easily view the area before entering.
- Don’t feed pets outdoors and secure any pet or livestock feed in a secure building.
- Remove bird feeders from April through November.
- Don’t let grizzly bears linger in proximity of your home or other structures because this can lead to habituation. Call an FWP specialist to help deter bears if you are not comfortable or able to do so.
- Notify your neighbors if you do observe a grizzly bear in the area to help make others aware.
- Domestic fruit should be picked as soon as possible, and any fallen fruit removed.
- Folks are urged to “Be Bear Aware” when working or recreating outside by following precautionary steps to prevent conflicts, including carrying bear spray and knowing how to use it, and traveling in groups while making noise.
For more information on living, working and recreating in Montana’s bear country, visit the FWP Bear Aware website at fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear/be-bear-aware.
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https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/wildlife-officials-confirm-grizzly-bear-north-of-lewistown-montana/65353717007/
| 2022-05-04T22:11:21
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https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2022/05/04/wildlife-officials-confirm-grizzly-bear-north-of-lewistown-montana/65353717007/
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LEE COUNTY, Fla. — High school sweethearts, Carla de Oliveira and David Delices, are weeks away from getting married. The two Cypress Lake High School graduates are in college now.
In between studying and wedding planning, they were hunting for a home of their own.
“None of the places we wanted, we could afford,” de Oliveira said. “Rent was around say $1300 for two bedrooms or even less. And now you can’t find a two-bedroom for $1300. It’s what, $1800? It’s so high.”
They even tried buying a home but ran into roadblocks.
“Because of our age they didn’t lend us a lot of money,” Delices said. “Our income limited us from getting it.”
Eventually, they found their way to Habitat for Humanity, and now their first home is weeks away from becoming a reality that they can financially handle.
“Especially because you’re only paying 30 percent of your income, that’s great,” Delices says, “because then you can use the rest of the money to save and pay for other expenses.”
Habitat for Humanity works with homeowners in their program to ensure that mortgages are no more than 30 percent of the family’s income.
“Anything more than that puts such a stressor on households,” Rachelle Graveline said.
Graveline was in their shoes and is now a Habitat homeowner. She and her four children lived as far out as LaBelle to find affordable housing. It added hours to their commute to Fort Myers each day.
“All of my money was constantly going for rent or transportation for me,” Graveline said. “We got a house through Habitat and now we’re closer to everything. We can go to McDonald’s and not have to buy off the Dollar Menu.”
Becky Lucas is the CEO of Habitat for Humanity in Lee and Hendry counties. She says more and more people are turning to the nonprofit for help as housing prices skyrocket.
“Right now we have anywhere from 13 up to 30 families walking in our door a day,” Lucas says, “wanting to apply for a Habitat house.”
Each family’s size, ages, and stories vary but one thing unites them: worry about making ends meet.
“We’re seeing families come to us with a lot of fear. They don’t know how much their rent is going to be raised the next time their lease is up,” Lucas said.
In Lee County, 79,000 households spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing according to Habitat for Humanity. It’s adding pressure to families trying to make a living and afford to live in Southwest Florida.
“My parents, you know, they lived paycheck to paycheck and that’s something that I saw brought a lot of stress into the home,” Delices said. “And that’s something I don’t want to carry over. My personal goal is just to give my kids what I didn’t have.”
Habitat for Humanity can’t fill the entire affordable housing gap. But, for the families that do qualify there’s a weight off their shoulders.
“It just means their quality of life is increasing exponentially,” Lucas said.
“Just knowing that if an emergency comes up I have money put to the side,” Graveline says, “that’s just a great relief in itself.”
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/04/habitat-for-humanity-helps-to-fill-affordable-housing-gap/
| 2022-05-04T22:36:19
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/05/04/habitat-for-humanity-helps-to-fill-affordable-housing-gap/
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