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When Cory Raab was a child, he remembers eating “too many” bowls of cereal before school.
Then when not in school, his summer days often involved walking the family dogs to the local ice cream shop for a treat.
Hence, the inspiration for his unique cereal-infused ice cream shop, Churn House Ice Cream & Cereal Bar, located on Asbury Avenue in Ocean City.
“I took my two favorite childhood things together and combined them,” Raab says, who's now 28, adding with a grin, “What’s not to like?”
Raab, a true local having lived in Ocean City and the surrounding area his entire life, opened the shop in 2021. He says his favorite part of the business is the customers.
“My favorite part is the customers and the fact that you never have any sad people,” Raab says. “Everyone’s happy. They ate dinner, they’re just relaxing and ready to enjoy their night with some ice cream.”
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The indoor space, while small, is brightly painted and includes signs detailing how to create a cereal-infused concoction that matches whatever the customer might be craving.
Customers start by choosing what “style” of ice cream dish they’d like — a cup, waffle cone, milkshake or kiddie cup.
From there, they choose what ice cream they’d like — pretty easy, since Churn House only offers vanilla, chocolate or a twist with both. They also have these flavors in vegan ice cream, made using oat and coconut milk.
The next step involves choosing what one or two cereals the customer would like to churn into their ice cream. Just some of the multitude of cereals available to select from include Apple Jacks, Froot Loops, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Special K, and gluten-free and vegan granola.
“We hand-scoop (the ice cream) into the churn machine, and then we add your favorite cereal. It’s going to blend it together and come out like a soft-serve type of ice cream,” Raab explains as he stands near the machines, two large metal pieces from the 1980s. “The cereal is going to give it a little bit of crunch inside the ice cream. So it blends it inside, and then you’re going to choose your favorite toppings.”
Toppings to pick from include favorites such as jimmies — also known as sprinkles — and chocolate chips, mini M&Ms, blueberries, strawberries, bananas, crushed peanuts, cookie dough bites and much more. After selecting the toppings, the ice cream is topped with a drizzle of either chocolate, marshmallow, strawberry, peanut butter or caramel.
The menu wall also features the store’s “Churned Favorites,” which are mixtures of ice cream, cereal and toppings Raab and his team have created.
Some Churned Favorites include the Kookie, an Oreo-lover's dream made with vanilla ice cream, Cookie Crisp and Oreo O’s, and topped with cookie dough bites, crushed Oreos and chocolate drizzle; the Peanut Butter Wipe Out, made with vanilla ice cream, Cocoa Pebbles and Peanut Butter Crunch and then topped with crushed Reese’s, brownie bites and peanut butter drizzle; and the Sweet Tooth, a colorful vanilla ice cream creation that kids are sure to love made with Fruity Pebbles and topped with more Fruity Pebbles, strawberries and a marshmallow drizzle.
After getting their ice cream, families and friends can head outside to the side yard, complete with about six or seven tables with chairs and decorated with string lights.
“It’s relaxing back there,” Raab says. “We have some music going, and in the summer we’ll have live music usually weekly.”
What’s unique about Churn House is the location doesn’t only open for the summer months but is open in the off-season as well.
“Our thing here is living on island time. I want anyone who comes here to just enjoy their ice cream and relax and have good island vibes…relaxed island vibes with awesome, cereal-infused ice cream,” Raab says, with a laugh. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/churning-up-the-island-vibes-with-cereal-and-ice-cream/article_6f12c024-f659-11ed-9f95-bf60112bc989.html | 2023-05-19T17:30:11 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/churning-up-the-island-vibes-with-cereal-and-ice-cream/article_6f12c024-f659-11ed-9f95-bf60112bc989.html |
VINELAND — A driver whose pickup truck crashed into a local car dealership early Friday was rescued by a Good Samaritan before being taken to a hospital, police said.
Brian Sheared, 44, of Newfield, Gloucester County, was riding in a 2018 Ram at 1:39 a.m. His car was traveling north on Delsea Drive when the vehicle ran off the road, police said in a news release.
The truck hit a guardrail in the northbound lanes, reentered the road and then hit a traffic light at Delsea Drive and West Garden Road. It then crossed over that intersection and went into the AG Auto Group in the 2300 block of North Delsea Drive, bursting into flames.
A Good Samaritan removed Sheared from the vehicle before he was taken to Cooper University Hospital in Camden.
Late Friday morning, Sheared was listed in critical but stable condition, police said.
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Charges have not been filed. The incident remains under investigation.
Witnesses with additional information can call police at 856-691-4111, ext. 4350. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/truck-crashes-into-vineland-car-dealership-bursts-into-flames-police-say/article_d84ef25e-f642-11ed-9f73-d7e15964f857.html | 2023-05-19T17:30:17 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/truck-crashes-into-vineland-car-dealership-bursts-into-flames-police-say/article_d84ef25e-f642-11ed-9f73-d7e15964f857.html |
CEDAR FALLS – Care4Kids, a Save4Later initiative hosted by the Iowa Insurance Division is providing a free event for owners and operators of child care organizations.
The event will be held 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 20 at the Bien VenU Event Center in Cedar Falls.
The goal is to provide resources needed to run a profitable child care business such as identifying state-offered resources, answers to questions related to insurance requirements and options, and tips for increasing an organization's revenue.
All child care providers who attend the events will receive three hours of HHS training credits. To receive credits, you must register through the i-PoWeR Professional Workforce Registry.
In addition to registering on i-PoWeR, those should register separately on the event site Care4Kids Registration. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/care4kids-event-coming-to-cedar-falls/article_275bb236-8a27-5da4-8c8e-2fd31e8dfa25.html | 2023-05-19T17:31:26 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/care4kids-event-coming-to-cedar-falls/article_275bb236-8a27-5da4-8c8e-2fd31e8dfa25.html |
TUPELO — After learning it overpaid for garbage collections for a decade, an apartment complex notified the city with legal demands, leading to an almost $57,000 refund.
Following a brief executive session Tuesday night, the Tupelo City Council voted unanimously to enter into a $56,997 settlement with the Pines Apartments at Barnes Crossing in Tupelo II, Inc. after the company alerted the city it had been double charged by the city and Waste Management for trash collection.
The Pines at Barnes Crossing is owned by the Pines Apartments at Barnes Crossing in Tupelo II, Inc., though Kirkland Properties, LLC manages the property. City Attorney Ben Logan said earlier this year, the company called the city, notifying them of the issue. After reviewing the information, the city found the claim credible, Logan said.
Records show that both entities charged the complex for a consecutive 36 months, totaling $56,997 in overpayments that the city will repay through the settlement.
While Logan noted the issue, which he said was not common for the city, most likely persisted for a decade, state law sets the statute of limitation at three years.
Logan said with the settlement agreed upon and the issue rectified, there will be no further need for litigation.
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Error! There was an error processing your request. | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-settles-with-apartment-complex-following-years-of-overpayment/article_30abc982-f656-11ed-bd6a-e708a3020fa1.html | 2023-05-19T17:32:09 | 0 | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-settles-with-apartment-complex-following-years-of-overpayment/article_30abc982-f656-11ed-bd6a-e708a3020fa1.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. — A major glow-up is underway for Portland's oldest food cart pod. Payment app company Expensify announced Thursday that it plans to reinvent the food cart space at Southwest 5th Avenue and Harvey Milk Street in downtown Portland.
"The Expensify global headquarters are right next door to the food truck pod on 5th and Harvey Milk, and we go there every day," said David Barrett, founder and CEO of Expensify.
The pod is the city's oldest, but the current iteration is little more than a row of carts along the perimeter of a half-block parking lot still used by cars, with little of the shared seating and other amenities that have become common at some of the region's newer, purpose-built food cart spaces.
As a neighboring business, Expensify wants to do its part in revitalizing the neighborhood, starting with improvements to the food cart pod, the company said in a press release. The revamped pod is slated to debut as soon as July.
The upgraded pod will utilize the entire parking lot space, according to illustrations released by Expensify, with seating for over 300 people, a music stage, bathrooms, a central bar cart, heaters and on-site security. It'll also have a new name: Midtown Beer Garden.
The food pod has been through a lot in the past decade from vandalism to fires, amongst other things. Last August, a fuel gas explosion went off at the food cart pod shattering roughly 300 windows and damaged businesses.
"It wasn't doing great before COVID, and the quarantine sure didn't help. Then, on top of everything, a cart blew up in the middle of the night, wiping out many of the few carts remaining, knocking out windows for a block around," Barrett said.
Expensify collaborated with ChefStable, a Portland restaurant investment company, to obtain permits, draft architect plans and secure a general contractor. The upgraded pod will also include electrical, water, natural gas and direct-to-sewer hookups for each cart.
"We're grateful Expensify is committed to creating a brighter future for the food carts on 5th Avenue," said Christian Lee with Korean Twist, whose cart has been at the site since 2008.
All of the pod's existing food carts have been towed to a storage location in preparation for the rebuilt, and they'll return once Midtown Beer Garden is complete, according to an Expensify representative.
The returning carts are:
- Gyro Place
- Alibaba Takeaway
- Khob Khun Thai food
- Korean Twist
- La Jarochita
- Mawj Babylon Cuisine
- Mr. Taco
- Ocean Aloha
- Small Pharoah's Falafel
- Tito's Burritos
Barrett said he's excited about the improvements that will be made. He said there will be a built-in fence, giving customers a place to sit to enjoy their lunch safely.
“It's going to take a lot of sustained, creative effort from all of us to transform the community from its current status into a real mark of pride for the city. But we're here for the long haul, and I can't wait to relax with a beer in the sun at the new heart of a vibrant Midtown," he said. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/downtown-portland-food-cart-pod-reopen-midtown-beer-garden/283-f4c1c0de-4d0e-4f66-a5e9-c43e58a16299 | 2023-05-19T17:34:18 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/downtown-portland-food-cart-pod-reopen-midtown-beer-garden/283-f4c1c0de-4d0e-4f66-a5e9-c43e58a16299 |
PORTLAND, Oregon — This month marks 75 years since the deadly Vanport flood in what is now North Portland. Once Oregon's second largest city, Vanport was a diverse community in a time when many of its residents had few other housing options.
On Memorial Day, 1948, a railroad dike failed. It pushed the Columbia River into Vanport, wiping out the entire community. At least 15 people were killed and 18,000 others lost their homes.
“Vanport is something I think we have to never forget,” said 81-year-old Janice Okamoto.
She was 6-years-old when her family fled Vanport.
“I didn't know we were poor but we couldn't afford housing any place else but government housing,” she said.
Okamoto, along with other Vanport flood survivors and their descendants, gathered at Portland State University on Thursday for The Spirit of Vanport: Celebrating the City of Vanport and Vanport College. It marked the start of the 8th Vanport Mosaic Festival, which runs through May 29.
At the time it was destroyed, Vanport was the nation's largest housing project that was designed as temporary, wartime housing. Seventy-two thousand people moved to Portland from around the country to work in the Kaiser Shipyards during World War II. There weren't enough homes to house everyone, so the government built Vanport. At its peak, 42,000 workers and their families lived there. After the war, about 20,000 remained. Many couldn't afford or simply weren't allowed to live in parts of Portland because they were Black; a form of discrimination known as redlining. In Vanport, they found a home and each other.
“Vanport is a classic example of people working together for a common cause,” said 81-year-old O.B. Hill.
He was six years old when the flood destroyed his home. Hill remembers the day well.
“We had wanted to go to the movie and our mother would not allow us to go,” Hill said. “And we were outside playing and a policeman came by and advised us that the dike had broken so we ran upstairs and told other mother.”
Hill’s daughter is grateful for the stories and lessons her father has passed down.
“It's very important for people to know the history of what happened,” said Angelah Hill. “Just the fact that historically we have been moved around and pocketed.”
Laura Lo Forti directs the Vanport Mosaic Festival and is pleased to see people learning a part of history that’s lost on so many.
“We feel like stories, uncomfortable and complex stories like the Vanport stories, are intentionally forgotten,” Lo Forti said. “You need to look into the past. We call this memory activism, which is really the act of remembering as an act of resistance.” | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/vanport-flood-survivors-75-years/283-73949bdc-95e7-42a0-b833-a9d776de5e89 | 2023-05-19T17:34:24 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/vanport-flood-survivors-75-years/283-73949bdc-95e7-42a0-b833-a9d776de5e89 |
INDIANAPOLIS — Nobody was injured inside a west side house when an SUV crashed into its kitchen on the west side of Indianpolis Friday morning, May 19.
Police are looking for the driver, who left the scene before crews arrived.
IFD is verifying the stability of the home and estimating damage.
Check back for updates. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/driver-flees-after-crashing-west-side-house/531-9c949e7b-9605-4f63-bc4a-4d67cdc44453 | 2023-05-19T17:35:14 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/driver-flees-after-crashing-west-side-house/531-9c949e7b-9605-4f63-bc4a-4d67cdc44453 |
Why Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel has focused on internal affairs one year into the job
- Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel took over the department while it was in the middle of multiple crippling problems.
- Noel has focused on a number of places in his first year, but much of the change he seeks is in internal affairs, which investigates possible officer misdeeds.
- A policing expert said internal affairs is where new chiefs begin to make change because it is how departments build rapport with their community and show that the police can police their own.
On the tail end of a disciplinary process in March, Knoxville Police Chief Paul Noel did something that has rarely, if ever, been done in the department: He disagreed with an internal affairs investigation finding.
Noel cleared officer Shelley Clemmons after the investigation concluded she violated department policies on insubordination and truthfulness. He did agree with the findings related to her misuse of her patrol car, and he suspended her without pay for five days and didn't let her drive home with a patrol car for 120 days.
As he approaches his first anniversary as police chief, Noel has changed the department's structure and shaken up the status quo. Perhaps no area has undergone more change than KPD's internal affairs unit, which is charged with investigating offers' conduct.
When he arrived, Noel was charged with cleaning up a department that had holes in the leadership structure because of a wave of resignations and retirements stemming from numerous scandals. It was his job, too, to fix a culture of endemic racism.
And it came on top of a tremendous spike in homicides during the pandemic.
He worked to take on the issues one by one.
Noel has completely changed the department's reporting structure of internal affairs by adding a deputy chief and an assistant chief to oversee the unit. He stopped internal affairs investigators from performing background checks on new recruits, which he called a stumbling block to officers of color and women.
He has pushed to modernize the department’s data capabilities – which eventually will be available for all to see on the department's new website – and is making sure officers understand community policing isn’t an option, but a requirement.
Most recently, he reassigned two of the three internal affairs investigators and the unit supervisor retired.
Prone to talk in sports analogies, Noel said he laid out an offensive scheme: The most problematic aspects of the department's culture have been addressed. Staffers are in new positions.
Next up is more coaching and better matching of staffers' strengths to positions in which they serve.
As the first chief to come from outside of Knoxville, he is facing internal and external pressures. And he's ready to stick with his plan.
Internal affairs is where things start
Brian Higgins is an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a former police chief and public safety director in Bergen County, New Jersey. He said Noel’s focus on internal affairs is critical to improving the department because that unit's work builds rapport with community members.
“Do people trust the cops? Do they police their own? Do they take their own standards and oaths serious enough? Internal affairs is key,” he said. “If you don’t have the trust that you’re going to police your own, then you don’t really believe the rules are the rules, that they’re just there (as guidelines) … it’s kind of the meat and potatoes of managing a police department.”
Internal Affairs is no longer involved in recruiting
Noel has to work to match the department's racial makeup to that of the greater community. It is woefully short on officers of color.
To hire additional underrepresented officers to serve now and eventually move into leadership roles, Noel adjusted rules related to tests and skills requirements.
“There were just many things that were hard and fast rules, and it would keep people out,” he said. “And they have kept people out of this department who are now successful police officers at other departments.”
None of the changes will lower the standard for the type of officers KPD hires, he said. The academy system is the same, with modifications and enhanced training.
Background check change
This starts with how the department recruits applicants. Previously, internal affairs investigators looked into their backgrounds. Noel said that's not considered a best practice, mainly because internal affairs staffers are trained on rulebook violations while a background check is looking at “overall character” of the applicant.
Potential officers were getting flagged for things that shouldn’t have been inhibitors, he said. Personnel staffers will screen applicants going forward.
Testing changes
Noel is changing how the department tests potential hires. He got rid of an old multiple choice test because it did a poor job of predicting whether officers had the moral character needed for the job, he said.
“Do they have what it takes integrity-wise, character-wise, psychological-wise, to be a police officer? We can teach everything else,” he said.
Changes to ‘personal history’ questionnaire
Noel said the department is changing how it views its long-used questionnaire that requires applicants to list any and every negative interaction or incident they have been a part of. If an officer forgot something and they brought it up later – even sometimes the next day – it was a disqualifier.
“What I would say to that is that shouldn’t be an automatic disqualifier,” he said. “What we should do is probe into that a little more, and do a deep dive and (find out) why didn't you disclose that? But as long as it's reasonable, then, you know, we're hiring from the human race.”
Reimagining the work
Soon after his arrival, Noel changed the internal affairs command structure. Previously, three investigators reported to one commander, who reported to the chief.
Now, three investigators report to one commander, who reports to new Deputy Chief Brooklyn Belk, who reports to Assistant Chief Mark Fortner, who reports to Noel. This was designed to speed up the investigative process so multiple layers of review work can happen before Noel signs off on investigations.
It wasn’t fair to the investigators to wait on the chief to sign off on every detail previously, he said.
Within the internal affairs, Capt. Steve Stills retired and Sgts. Rachel Britt and Amanda Bunch transitioned to patrol supervisor roles. Noel called it a lateral move. They’ve been replaced by Capt. Brian Evans, the unit commander, Sgt. Andrew Markham and investigator Phyllis Tonkin.
The changes ruffled some of the veteran officers. Noel said he expected pushback.
“I wouldn't call it a messy move at all,” Noel said. “But I will acknowledge that change is challenging, and I’ve spoken about it a lot. … I acknowledge that we are changing, we’re making major changes within the police department and that can be challenging for people.”
Higgins, the adjunct professor, said officers leaving the department – whether they worked in internal affairs or not – can be healthy. This is why the city brought in an outside perspective with its chief, he said.
“Those who are staying are probably the ones who are hoping he fails or like the fresh start,” he said. “And those who left, that’s OK. ‘Goodbye.’ That’s why you brought in an outsider; things weren’t going well and you needed a fix. You’re sending a message just by bringing in an outsider.”
Culture is an issue
Arguably, the area Noel had to address most urgently when he started was a culture in need of serious attention. Before he arrived, two lengthy Knox News investigations detailed a series of sexual harassment issues and coverup and a culture of racism that was covered up by top commanders.
Separately, in the three years before Noel arrived, nine officers, including two deputy chiefs, resigned or retired amid scandal.
Often the best way to fix those systemic problems is to hire someone from outside the department, Higgins said.
“Racism and sexual abuse are the biggest issues for departments. Their tentacles can be so pervasive and negative,” he said. “Corruption is a pocket, and you can clean it out. But the other has so many layers that it’s hard.”
How understanding little things can lead to big improvements
Even with all the positive changes, failures can be catastrophically damaging.
A recent example is the arrest of Lisa Edwards, who collapsed in police custody and later died of a stroke. Officers demeaned her over and over as they tried to get her into a police van while she begged for medical help.
The officers were found not to have caused Edwards’ death, but three officers were punished, including one who was demoted from sergeant back to a regular officer.
In his statement that went along with the release of the department’s internal affairs review, Noel said KPD has a problem with how officers talk to community members. The situation also represented a failure of supervision, he said.
Noel said he has stressed to officers his commitment to community policing, which he said was sorely lacking when he arrived. Everyone should be involved with the people in their area of town. They should be asking what struggles they face.
“Very rarely is it murders and shootings,” Noel said. “You name it, but it’s the low-level stuff and it's getting the officers to understand that the low-level things are sometimes the most important things.
“The murders and shootings and robberies are the easy part – they’re down double digits by the way – but the low-level stuff is the hard stuff,” he continued. “Not getting them to do that, but helping them understand why we’re doing that because it’s important to those particular people.”
And while he’s had pushback on some of his changes, he said that just comes with the job.
“The overwhelming majority of the people in this organization have embraced all of these changes we’ve implemented,” he said. “We’ve thrown a lot. It’s a lot to be at a department that’s been doing things one way for a long time, and we’re throwing a lot of changes at them and I’m very proud of how they’ve embraced that.”
Tyler Whetstone is a Knox News investigative reporter focused on accountability journalism. Email tyler.whetstone@knoxnews.com. Twitter @tyler_whetstone. | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/knoxville-police-chief-paul-noel-focuses-on-internal-affairs-unit/70157668007/ | 2023-05-19T17:44:08 | 1 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/knoxville-police-chief-paul-noel-focuses-on-internal-affairs-unit/70157668007/ |
Tommy Johnson, one of the Kingston cleanup workers who sued over coal ash exposure, dies
Tommy Johnson, one of the workers at the center of lawsuits over the Kingston coal ash spill, died on May 18 after years of suffering from multiple illnesses. He was 71.
Johnson was one of the first workers called in to clean up after a dike holding slurry coal waste at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Kingston Fossil Plant broke on Dec. 22, 2008, releasing 5.4 million cubic yards of liquified coal ash, covering homes and contaminating the Emory River Channel.
Since working at Kingston, Johnson had contracted illnesses including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, chronic pain, rashes, kidney problems, cold spells and fainting and dizzy spells. His health abruptly declined during his time refueling equipment as an operator engineer at the Kingston spill site. The multiple illnesses and treatments, such as dialysis, completely altered Johnson's life and cut short his and his wife Betty's retirement plans.
As a result of such health problems, about 220 lawsuits were filed almost 10 years ago by workers, including Johnson, against TVA's contractor, Jacobs Solutions, which was in charge of sitewide safety and health.
For subscribers:14 years after TVA's Kingston coal ash spill, workers' families might never be made whole
The workers won their first trial in 2018, when a jury ruled that Jacobs not only violated its contract with TVA but its actions could have caused the workers' injuries, including specific health conditions and diseases such as hypertension, respiratory conditions, coronary artery disease and several types of cancer, which the ruling linked specifically to coal ash at the site. Coal ash is the concentrated waste left after burning coal. It can contain heavy metals as well as elements that emit radiation.
The workers' cases are still in flux as they await the second part of their trial.
A day after attending the April 29 Jobs with Justice East Tennessee Worker's Memorial, which always includes a segment honoring the Kingston coal ash workers, Johnson collapsed at the church where he was a deacon, Believers Voice of Deliverance in Harriman, Tennessee. He was hospitalized, and died three weeks later. | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/tvacoalash/2023/05/19/tommy-johnson-kingston-coal-ash-cleanup-worker-dies/70235520007/ | 2023-05-19T17:44:14 | 0 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/tennessee/tvacoalash/2023/05/19/tommy-johnson-kingston-coal-ash-cleanup-worker-dies/70235520007/ |
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department is looking for a man they say allegedly exposed himself at a park.
On May 14, the the department received a 911 call about man at Brandi Fenton Park exposing himself. The park is on East River Road and North Dodge Boulevard.
A similar 911 call was made about an exposure at the same park on Thursday, May 18.
The sheriff’s department is asking the public for help identifying the man who is believed to be between 40 and 50 years old. He is about 180 pounds and was seen riding a beige mountain bike.
He was also seen wearing a white hat, maroon shorts, black shoes and a black backpack, the news release said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME, the anonymous tipster line.
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-sought-in-indecent-exposure-incidents-at-tucson-park/article_a9d2cd54-f65d-11ed-814d-53bee837e315.html | 2023-05-19T17:47:52 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-sought-in-indecent-exposure-incidents-at-tucson-park/article_a9d2cd54-f65d-11ed-814d-53bee837e315.html |
ONEONTA, N.Y. – Fire investigators are looking into what caused a fire at a house in Oneonta on Thursday.
Fire crews arrived at the home on Hubbell Avenue to find flames and heavy smoke coming from the first floor.
At least five other departments were called in to assist.
No one was hurt but the family cat did need medical attention from firefighters after being rescued. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/fire-officials-investigating-cause-of-oneonta-house-fire/article_be669ebc-f662-11ed-b648-8728c98a2357.html | 2023-05-19T17:48:02 | 1 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/fire-officials-investigating-cause-of-oneonta-house-fire/article_be669ebc-f662-11ed-b648-8728c98a2357.html |
UTICA, N.Y. – The entrance to the Oneida County Office Building will switch from Park Avenue to Charlotte Street starting May 22 to improve access and safety.
The Park Avenue side of the building will be closed off to the public indefinitely and Charlotte Street will be the only access point. The same protocol will be followed.
The Charlotte Street entrance has been closed for the past several months due to renovations to the plaza deck.
The existing paths from the parking lot to the Charlotte Street entrance go between the building and the courthouse or around the sidewalk toward Steuben Park. More pathways may open as the project progresses. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/new-public-entrance-at-the-oneida-county-office-building/article_766eb35e-f664-11ed-837d-1bb16fcba112.html | 2023-05-19T17:48:08 | 0 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/new-public-entrance-at-the-oneida-county-office-building/article_766eb35e-f664-11ed-837d-1bb16fcba112.html |
UTICA, N.Y. – Utica Police Department handed out its annual awards on Thursday to recognize officers for their hard work and dedication.
Here’s the list of honorees:
Honorable Service:
- Aiello, Jr., Officer Joseph
- Ambrose, Officer Zachary
- Amuso, Officer James
- Austin, Sgt. Joshua
- Balio, Officer Michael
- Baye, Officer Brian
- Beslic, Officer Sanel
- Bruzzese III, Sgt. Frederick
- Castilla, Officer Alexander
- Checo Collado, Officer Ruben
- Citriniti, Officer Andrew
- Comeskey, Officer Brian
- DeTraglia, Officer John
- Dewey, Investigator Paul
- Dodge, Officer Jordan
- Evans, Officer Christopher
- Faniglula, Sgt. Christopher
- Fitzgerald, Officer James
- Flo, Officer Michael
- Geddes, Jr., Sgt. Samuel
- Goldstein, Sgt. Charles
- Gomez, Officer Steven
- Gray, Officer Steven
- Howe, Sgt. Adam
- Husnay, Officer Patrick
- Jaquish, Officer Cole
- Jukic, Officer Dino
- Kellogg, Jr., Officer Ray
- Lange, Officer Richard
- Lentricchia, Officer David
- Madia, Officer Colin
- Parkosewich, Sergeant Charles
- Patterson, Officer Bryce
- Penree, Officer Jacob
- Piersall, Sergeant Kyle
- Poccia, Sergeant David
- Rodriguez, Officer Jariel
- Seferagic, Inv. Serif
- Sheppard, Officer Tyler
- Talerico III, Officer Donald
- Viscomi, Officer Adrian
- Weir, Officer Eric
- Wiley, Officer Clifford
- Williams, Officer Stephen
- Zayas, Officer Daniel
- Constantine, Dep. Edward (OCSO)
- Ladd, Jr., Inv. Michael (OCSO)
- Lyke, Dep. Norman (OCSO)
Unit Citation:
- Acquaviva, Inv. Shannon
- Anken, Inv. Maynard
- Bruzzese III, Sgt. Frederick
- Cerminaro, Inv. Michael
- Coromato, Captain Bryan
- Dodge, Officer Jessica
- Perra, Sgt. Benjamin
- Sabanovic, Sgt. Dzenan
- Trevisani, Inv. Joseph
- Brown, Dep. Daniel (OCSO)
- Chrysler, Inv. Mark (OCSO)
- Langheinrich, Sgt. Grant (OCSO)
- Yoxall, Inv. Shane (DA’s Office)
Exceptional Duty: Balio, Officer Michael
Lifesaving: Giruzzi, Officer James and Patterson, Officer Bryce
US Marshalls Recognition Award:
- Mohawk Valley Crime Analysis Center;
- Watson, Tori; and
- Hanley, Shannon
Supervisor of the Year: Curley, Lieutenant Michael
Chief Benny Rotundo Courageous Officer of the Year: Balio, Officer Michael
Special Recognition Awards :
- Auxillary Chief Chuck Parrotta;
- Father Joseph Salerno;
- District Attorney Scott McNamara; AND
- Mayor Robert Palmieri | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/upd-recognizes-officers-at-annual-awards-ceremony/article_b8f23a10-f651-11ed-9406-cb4d92942535.html | 2023-05-19T17:48:14 | 0 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/upd-recognizes-officers-at-annual-awards-ceremony/article_b8f23a10-f651-11ed-9406-cb4d92942535.html |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Unusual dining experiences keep people coming back for more.
For this one Texas restaurant, they cater to more than just food. Harvey Washbangers in College Station is not only an eatery but also a washeteria as well!
Ranked as the most unusual restaurant experience in Texas by Love Food, this washateria/eatery has kept its popularity due to its safeness and convenience. “We don’t mess around when it comes to laundry. Throw in a load, then skip on down the hallway to our restaurant to grab a beer and a bite to eat while you wait,” Harvey Washbangers said via their website.
It’s basically a one-stop shop! So whether you’re looking for your next wacky eating experience or even a place to do laundry, look no further than Harvey Washbangers next time you’re in College Station.
To see the complete list of all unusual restaurant experiences in every state, click here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/would-you-eat-at-this-restaurant-voted-the-most-unusual-in-texas/ | 2023-05-19T17:52:03 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/would-you-eat-at-this-restaurant-voted-the-most-unusual-in-texas/ |
After accusations of breaking a vow of chastity, an order of nuns from Arlington has filed a million-dollar lawsuit against Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson and the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.
In court documents obtained by NBC 5 (see below), the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Arlington claim Olson is overstepping his power by disciplining them and taking personal property from the monastery when they answer directly to the pope and not the local diocese.
In response to the lawsuit, the diocese posted a statement on its website saying they were notified in April a nun at the monastery violated her vow of chastity with a priest outside of the diocese and that an ecclesiastical investigation is underway.
Olson said the priest's supervisors have been notified but did not go into any further detail.
Among the documents filed in the lawsuit is an amended request for an injunction and restraining order filed on May 10 that allege Olson took monastery property, namely a computer, iPad, and mobile phone, from Reverend Mother Superior Teresa Agnes, and that after she replaced her confiscated phone her texts were monitored and the defendants were aware of communication she had with her legal counsel.
The nuns also alleged Olson, "forced himself onto our peaceful community," interrogated the sisters, and then "threw a temper tantrum and in an agitated and raised voice yelled that the monastery was shut down and no mass would be celebrated."
Agnes said in documents, "the order of women are not, and have never been under the control of the bishop of the local diocese and that they answer directly to the pope."
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"Defendant Michael Olson is the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth and he and his agents are abusing their power, inflicting moral violence and psychological distress on the plaintiffs and the sisters by undertaking an illegal, unholy, unwarranted, explicit, and systematic assault upon the sanctity and autonomy of the plaintiffs and the sisters," the plaintiffs wrote in the lawsuit.
According to the court documents, the nuns said they have been unable to manage the financial operation of the monastery without their phone, which was used to verify their identities online, and they are seeking damages of $1 million from Olson and the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.
NBC 5 learned Friday that the confiscated devices were returned to the nuns on Monday but that they're going forward with the lawsuit because they said the devices had been mirrored.
In his statement, Olson acknowledged the lawsuit but made no further statement about the accusations within.
DISCALCED CARMELITE NUNS v. BISHOP OLSON, CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF FORT WORTH
NBC 5's Alicia Barrera contributed to this report. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/arlington-nuns-say-fort-worth-bishop-is-overstepping-file-1-million-lawsuit/3261389/ | 2023-05-19T17:59:51 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/arlington-nuns-say-fort-worth-bishop-is-overstepping-file-1-million-lawsuit/3261389/ |
GARY — City departments are gearing up for another summer youth employment program.
Mayor Jerome Prince's administration revived the summer job training initiative last year, with $1.5 million of the city's American Rescue Plan Act funding. Last summer, 100 teens participated in the paid internship program.
Atiya Muhammad, director of the city's Youth Services Bureau, said participants will apprentice with several organizations, including the Gary Housing Authority, the Gary Public Library and the Gary Sanitation Department. They also will participate in interactive workshops, tours and field trips.
The goal of the seven-week program is to expose young people to potential career paths and employers.
The program is open to Gary residents who are 14 to 21 years old; interns will be paid $10 to $15 an hour.
In an email to the Times, Muhammad said the city hopes to have 150 participants. The application period closes May 31; the program will run from June 12 to July 28. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/crown-point/gary-launches-2nd-summer-of-youth-employment-program/article_ddc71e80-f432-11ed-9780-c378336bdaf0.html | 2023-05-19T18:01:25 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/crown-point/gary-launches-2nd-summer-of-youth-employment-program/article_ddc71e80-f432-11ed-9780-c378336bdaf0.html |
A teacher at Norris High School was arrested Friday for an alleged sexual relationship the 23-year-old woman had with a student, according to the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office.
Lillie Bowman, an English teacher at the high school about 15 miles south of Lincoln, was arrested on suspicion of sexual abuse by a school employee, Chief Sheriff's Deputy Ben Houchin said in a news release.
Investigators determined Bowman developed a relationship in March 2023 with a Norris student that "became sexual," Houchin said in the release, offering no further details on the case.
Bowman will be taken to the Lancaster County jail.
In an emailed statement, Norris School District Superintendent Brian Maschmann said deputies informed the district Friday morning a teacher had been arrested.
Maschmann said Bowman, who he did not name in the statement, "was immediately removed from" her classroom and she "will not return." He said the district will work to assist the sheriff's office in its investigation.
"At this time, the District wishes to reaffirm to its students, parents, and community members that student safety remains, without question, our highest priority," Maschmann said.
A Norris High School alumna, Bowman graduated from Doane University in May 2022, according to her Facebook page.
Bowman competed as a trap shooter in both high school and college and had been the sponsor of Norris's trap team prior to her arrest, according to the district's website.
It's unclear when the 23-year-old will make her first court appearance, but it could come as soon as Friday afternoon.
A Kansas City, Missouri, native, Andrew Wegley joined the Journal Star as breaking news reporter after graduating from Northwest Missouri State University in May 2021. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/norris-high-school-teacher-arrested-for-alleged-sexual-relationship-with-student/article_f6b4552c-f660-11ed-94ee-4f6ec8ecf171.html | 2023-05-19T18:01:55 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/norris-high-school-teacher-arrested-for-alleged-sexual-relationship-with-student/article_f6b4552c-f660-11ed-94ee-4f6ec8ecf171.html |
After a pandemic-induced hiatus, Sedona International Film Festival is excited to bring its independent multicultural arts films back to Flagstaff. The new film series takes place at, and in partnership with, Theatrikos Theatre Company in downtown Flagstaff.
The series will launch Sunday, May 28, during the new ARTx festival. Additional films will show at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays throughout the summer.
“We are so honored to partner with Theatrikos to bring independent films and special on-screen events back to Flagstaff,” said Patrick Schweiss, executive director of Sedona International Film Festival. " ... We are equally proud to collaborate with Theatrikos to make this happen. Their mission and vision and the phenomenal live productions they already bring to Flagstaff are exactly in line with our goals at the Sedona International Film Festival. We are proud to bring a big screen component to their already stellar programming."
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Films at Theatrikos are made possible with a new professional sound system that was installed in January and a new industry standard projector and screen that are being installed later this month. The new sound system was made possible an anonymous Theatrikos donor and by Theatrikos patrons. The new projector and screen are made possible by Creative Flagstaff and installed by Sedona International Film Festival.
"We're looking forward to expanding the kinds of films that are available to the northern Arizona community -- art films, foreign films, classic cinema, family favorites and much more,” said Theatrikos films committee co-Chair Michael Rulon, who is the former co-director of the Northern ARizona University International Film Series. “These films will be accompanied by introductions and moderated discussions led by local filmmakers, scholars and film buffs, providing a much more engaging experience than what one gets from watching a film at home on a laptop screen.”
As part of this new series, Theatrikos has hired a films coordinator. Rob Henderson has been a volunteer at Sundance Film Festival, Sante Fe International Film Festival and currently serves on the board of directors of Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival.
“Theatrikos’ mission is and always will be our main stage Broadway-style theatre shows,” said Theatrikos Executive Director Chris Verrill. "These are mostly on the weekends, and launching a film series on Wednesdays allows Theatrikos to add to our offerings and improve our service the Flagstaff community. Our partnership with Sedona International Film Festival, with their 30-year track record of success, guarantees the films we’re showing are of the very highest caliber."
Masks and proof of vaccination are no longer required at Theatrikos, but are still recommended. Concessions are provided by local Flagstaff bakeries.
Film tickets are available at www.sedonafilmfestival.com and www.theatrikos.com. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/sedona-international-film-festival-theatrikos-bring-arts-films-to-flagstaff/article_5de7021c-f5bc-11ed-8f82-8f42e00a180f.html | 2023-05-19T18:05:41 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/sedona-international-film-festival-theatrikos-bring-arts-films-to-flagstaff/article_5de7021c-f5bc-11ed-8f82-8f42e00a180f.html |
STARK COUNTY
Goodwill hands out annual awards
Canton Repository
USA TODAY NETWORK
CANTON – Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio Inc. handed out awards Thursday at the annual breakfast to recognize community partners and individual achievements.
Keynote speaker Jim Tressel talked about goal setting and striving for excellence at the event at the Nash Family Event Center in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The following were recognized:
- Employer of the Year Award: Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths and Dougherty Co. in Canton, for the organization’s commitment to hire people with disabilities and provide opportunities for vocational rehabilitation through Goodwill Industries.
- Ken Weber Servant Leadership Employee Recognition Award: Goodwill employee Crystal Page, for her dedication and leadership to both the employees and mission aspects of Goodwill.
- Collaborative Partner of the Year Award: Stark County Hunger Task Force. The program is housed at the Ken Weber Community Campus, 408 Ninth St. SW, and serves over 4,000 people per month.
- Edgar J. Helms Outstanding Achiever Award: Logan Byrd, for her success in the Comprehensive Case Management and Employment Program, which works with people to obtain desired job skills, financial literacy, and soft skills to assist in achieving career goals.
- Achiever of the Year Award: Nikkie Weiler, who received individual employment support services from Goodwill that culminated with her gaining employment and attaining her personal goals.
- Graduate of the Year Award: Nathan White, for his successful completion of Goodwill’s job development and placement programs. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2023/05/19/goodwill-industries-of-greater-cleveland-and-east-central-ohio-hands-out-annual-awards/70235858007/ | 2023-05-19T18:09:27 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2023/05/19/goodwill-industries-of-greater-cleveland-and-east-central-ohio-hands-out-annual-awards/70235858007/ |
HBO's 'Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel' to feature Massillon Tigers athlete Zion Clark
Former Massillon Tiger wrestler Zion Clark will be featured on Tuesday night's episode of "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" on HBO.
The show airs originally at 10 p.m. on HBO. It will be available to stream on Max, which is what HBO Max is transitioning to be called on Tuesday.
The segment goes over the life of Clark, the 2016 Washington High School graduate who was born with no lower body due to a condition called caudal regression syndrome. Despite the condition, while in high school, he won a pair of state track and field championships in the seated division, advanced within two wins of the state wrestling tournament and was a member of the Tiger Swing Band.
Former Massillon wrestler Zion Clark:Don't feel sorry for Zion Clark
Since graduating, Clark has gained a national profile through his continued accomplishments, including a Netflix documentary and a MMA career. He set the Guinness Book of World Records mark for fastest human on two hands in a 20-meter run (4.78 seconds) in 2021.
Clark, who later wrestled at Kent State University's Tuscarawas campus, also published a book, "Zion Unmatched," aimed at younger readers. The book features a photo essay of Clark training to participate in the Paralympic Games, as well as family photos of his early life and athletic career in Massillon.
"Real Sports with Bryant Gumble" has won 36 SportsEmmy Awards. For up-to-the-minute updates about the show, follow on Twitter at @RealSportsHBO or join the conversation using #RealSports, and on HBO.com/realsports and Facebook.com/RealSportsHBO. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/sports/local/2023/05/19/zion-clark-hbo-real-sports-bryant-gumbel-max-streaming-service-massillon-tigers-wrestling-track-mma/70235224007/ | 2023-05-19T18:09:39 | 1 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/sports/local/2023/05/19/zion-clark-hbo-real-sports-bryant-gumbel-max-streaming-service-massillon-tigers-wrestling-track-mma/70235224007/ |
SAN ANTONIO — The Alamo was announced as the winner of USA Today's "Best Free Attraction" competition for 2023, according to a press release.
The award was given to the popular tourist site after receiving the highest number of votes from 20 other attractions across the country.
“We are thrilled to be recognized as the best free attraction in the nation," said Dr. Kate Rogers, Alamo Executive Director.
The Alamo beat out other famous spots including Central Park in New York City, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, a popular Florida beach, some national parks and more, according to USA Today.
The Alamo's new exhibit, the Mission Gate and Lunette is set to be unveiled by the end of May 2023, the release says.
For more information on visiting the Alamo go to their website. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/alamo-usa-today-san-antonio-free/273-1aa7c303-8bca-428f-a8fc-9070e045ada5 | 2023-05-19T18:11:12 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/alamo-usa-today-san-antonio-free/273-1aa7c303-8bca-428f-a8fc-9070e045ada5 |
SAN ANTONIO — Sunflower lovers unite! South Texas' largest and only sunflower field open this weekend at Trader's Village.
Various types of sunflowers will be in the 10-acre field along with paths to walk and a maze that allows the opportunity to explore the sunflowers. This is the third year the sunflower field has been available in San Antonio.
The family responsible for the sunflower field said they came up with the idea a few years ago to turn their sadness into something the whole community could enjoy.
“The idea of the Sunflower Field came from my son Damon Billeck. Damon passed away from Osteosarcoma Bone Cancer April 3, 2018 at the age of 13. The Sunflower is often associated with Sarcoma Cancers," Brian A. Billeck, Marketing Manager for Traders Village San Antonio said. "One day, I was looking at a picture from the Sarcoma Foundation of America’s gala in New York where Damon was receiving the Courage Award and noticed all the sunflowers. I started thinking of our field where we already had a 10-Acre CORNy Maze and wondered if we could pull of a Sunflower Field.”
A professional photographer will be there to take photos, Traders Village says. The admission price into the park alone is $11.99 for those three years old and older including all day access. Kids under two years old have free admission to the field, not the rides. For a combination of a field and ride ticket, it'll cost $17.99.
Here are the hours:
- Friday: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. (SUNSET NIGHTS)
- Saturday: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Sunday: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
To see all the Sunflower Field has to offer and some frequently asked questions, click here. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/sunflower-field-opens-friday-san-antonio-texas-traders-village/273-45db7338-65b3-4c93-b0cb-60c849704bdf | 2023-05-19T18:11:18 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/sunflower-field-opens-friday-san-antonio-texas-traders-village/273-45db7338-65b3-4c93-b0cb-60c849704bdf |
'Orlando Invades the Beachside' organizers cancel Daytona event after sheriff's warning
Two Florida-based event promoters have canceled "Orlando Invades The Beachside Beach Day 2023" after Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood asked that they get a permit or stay away.
Chitwood voiced his appreciation for Orlando-based promoter Keairra Gardner, also known as "Keerichy," and Fleming Island-based promoter Reginald Bulger II, also known as "DJ Wavy," deciding to cancel the unpermitted and unsanctioned event.
Volusia sheriff to event promoters:Get permit for 'Orlando Invades the Beachside' or stay away
Late Thursday afternoon the sheriff shared a social media post by Bulger who said he would work with the City of Daytona for approval and the proper permit for future beach day events.
Chitwood sent cease-and-desist letters to Gardner and Bulger earlier this week regarding his concerns about "Orlando Invades," a beach gathering slated for May 27 from noon to 5 p.m.
Without proper notice, such an event puts "unreasonable strain on the already burdened law enforcement, medical, firefighter and beach safety resources of Volusia County," Chitwood said in the letters.
The sheriff also stated in the letters that his department would "be happy to work with" the promoters and organizers were they to obtain the proper permit and approval from the city.
Florida law targets disruptive events
In 2022, such pop-up parties were the target of new legislation.
Sheriffs may designate a particular geographic area where law enforcement shows zero tolerance for all violations, with fines doubled and violating vehicles impounded for up to 72 hours, per the law.
Through the law, Chitwood has previously countered similar events including pop-up truck events in June and October of 2022 as well as "Orange Crush 2K23," which never materialized following the sheriff's cease-and-desist letter. | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/orlando-invades-beach-day-canceled-after-volusia-sheriff-voices-concerns/70236019007/ | 2023-05-19T18:11:27 | 1 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/orlando-invades-beach-day-canceled-after-volusia-sheriff-voices-concerns/70236019007/ |
FORT SMITH, Ark. — Crumbl Cookies is hosting its grand opening today in Fort Smith.
The locally owned and operated store can be found at 3106 South 74th Street suite 104.
The store's hours of operation will be:
Monday - Thursday: 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays: 8 a.m. - 12 a.m.
This new business has opened over 60 job opportunities for locals.
Crumbl Cookies says this week, its menu will consist of six of its 275 weekly rotating flavors.
Give your tastebuds a headstart by checking out their list of flavors:
- Cornbread
- Cookies & Cream
- S'mores
- Key Lime Pie
- Peppermint Bark
- Caramel Popcorn
- Buttermilk Pancake
- Galaxy Brownie
These are just some of the flavors that will be offered. On Sundays at 6 p.m., Crumbl Cookies will drop a flavor weekly. You can keep up with them by following their social media accounts.
The new cookies will be offered to purchase in person on the first week of business. Starting May 24, Crumbl Cookies will start offering delivery, curbside pickup, catering, and nationwide shipping.
"Bringing friends and family together over a box of the best cookies in the world is what we do at Crumbl, and we can’t wait to serve the cookie connoisseurs of Fort Smith. Whether you gift, share, or keep the box for yourself, the cookies are still delicious. Come see what all the viral buzz is about!" said Crumbl Cookies.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/crumbl-cookies-fort-smith-now-open-3106-south-74th-street-new/527-0efd28c5-9c0a-463a-a687-007ccbd82a02 | 2023-05-19T18:23:33 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/crumbl-cookies-fort-smith-now-open-3106-south-74th-street-new/527-0efd28c5-9c0a-463a-a687-007ccbd82a02 |
EUREKA SPRINGS, Ark. — A crash took place in Eureka Springs on Thursday, May 18 that left one man dead.
According to the crash report, at around 3:45 p.m. a 2014 Jeep was headed northbound on Hwy 23 when it turned left onto County Road 102.
During that time, a KTM motorcycle driven by 46-year-old Dennis Gacus, of Carl Junction Missouri, was headed southbound on the same highway. The report says Gacus was going through a left-hand curve "at a high rate of speed" when his motorcycle struck the Jeep's passenger side as it was turning, causing it to roll.
Gacus landed on the east side of the highway, according to the crash report, and his motorcycle kept going until it hit the side of the highway.
5NEWS will update this article as more information becomes available.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/deadly-crash-eureka-springs-county-hwy-23-road-102/527-265b3943-16bc-488d-ac6e-693e5d614669 | 2023-05-19T18:23:37 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/deadly-crash-eureka-springs-county-hwy-23-road-102/527-265b3943-16bc-488d-ac6e-693e5d614669 |
FORT SMITH, Ark. — Fort Smith Police responded to a shooting at the 3400 block of Duke Avenue during the morning of Friday, May 19.
Police say one victim was transported to a local hospital with injuries but their status is unknown. The incident is believed to be isolated without threat to the public, according to police.
Officials say that no arrests have been made in relation to the shooting and that the investigation is ongoing.
5NEWS will update this article with more information as it is released. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/shooting-fort-smith-leaves-one-injured-suspect-large-duke-avenue/527-3c3118c0-0cf1-4f2f-981e-ae05617cb497 | 2023-05-19T18:23:43 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/shooting-fort-smith-leaves-one-injured-suspect-large-duke-avenue/527-3c3118c0-0cf1-4f2f-981e-ae05617cb497 |
DENVER — It started out as a fun trip to McDonald's for Jordan Enger and her two young sons – the first time her boys had been to the Golden Arches – but ended with a visit with Edgewater Police when Enger said her 3-year-old found a bag of drugs in the play area.
It was 10 a.m. Wednesday, after the family finished eating, when 3-year-old son Atlas asked whether he could go to the play area at the McDonald's, located at 1701 Sheridan Blvd. in Edgewater.
"He made it all the way to the top, to the third level where the slide is, and then I saw him coming back down very quickly and I said, what's going on buddy, and he handed me the bag of drugs," Enger said.
Enger said that at first she thought the pills were Oxycodone, a prescription pain killer. To be on the safe side, she took her sons and the unopened plastic bag to Edgewater Police, who identified the pills as fentanyl, she said.
"As soon as the officer saw it, he put gloves on and was like it, you need to go wash your hands, this is not oxy, this is fentanyl," Enger said.
One day later, Enger said she is still in shock about what happened and hopes that her story serves as a cautionary tale.
"My main thing is to get what [the pills] look like out there and to get people to have those really hard conversations with their kiddos, that they're not ... finding it, opening it and tasting it because, based on poison control, it can happen within minutes, a kiddo can be in a really bad state," Enger said.
Edgewater Police said that so far, they've not been able to find any witnesses or video that could help identify who left the pills at the McDonald's.
A statement provided Friday by the owner and operator of that McDonald's location said, "We are aware of this troubling incident and thankful no one was harmed. The safety of our customers and employees is our top priority, and our restaurant will assist law enforcement during their investigation in any way we can."
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To download 9NEWS+ on Fire TV search for 9NEWS. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/toddler-finds-fentanyl-edgewater-play-area/73-a2b9c880-a843-4fd0-ad55-ac18c1e0f2cc | 2023-05-19T18:23:49 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/toddler-finds-fentanyl-edgewater-play-area/73-a2b9c880-a843-4fd0-ad55-ac18c1e0f2cc |
ARIZONA, USA — A new bill is trying to put more money toward 'smart water' technology and infrastructure in an increasingly parched Southwest.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Rep. John Duarte, R-Cali., looks to provide $50 million in EPA funding and grants for community water systems that can identify leaks, evaluate pipe integrity and provide more innovative water storage.
“We need to attack our Western water crisis on multiple fronts," Gallego said. “Our bipartisan bill does just that by working to increase use of smart water technologies so Arizonans across the state can use their water more efficiently.”
Arizona's drinking water, wastewater and dams each received a C- grade in the American Society of Civil Engineers' 2021 national infrastructure ranking. The Society estimated that Arizona alone would need more than $16 million in water infrastructure over the next 20 years.
Numerous mayors from across Arizona signaled their support for the bill. Tucson Mayor Regina Romero emphasized that the funding would help thirsty cities make water conservation a top priority.
"For over a decade, I have been advancing water policies that support Tucsonans’ water future," Romero said. "For that reason, I proudly support the 'Water Infrastructure Modernization Act.' This visionary legislation embraces smart technologies and innovative solutions, providing communities with the financial tools to move towards a future where water conservation and effective management are paramount."
This is a developing story. Tune in to 12News for more information.
Water Wars
Water levels are dwindling across the Southwest as the megadrought continues. Here's how Arizona and local communities are being affected. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/water-wars/smart-water-tech-southwest-gallego-duarte/75-6ef13150-a26b-4918-880e-b952aa1fcbca | 2023-05-19T18:26:30 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/water-wars/smart-water-tech-southwest-gallego-duarte/75-6ef13150-a26b-4918-880e-b952aa1fcbca |
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A suspect has been taken into custody after a standoff in East Knoxville following a shooting that left a Johnson City woman dead.
Knoxville Police Department responded to the 3200 block of Wilderness Road before 6 p.m. where the suspect barricaded themselves inside a home. The victim, identified as Chickenia Livingston, 48, of Johnson City, was found in the backyard of the home with a gunshot wound.
Knoxville Police said the woman was pronounced dead after being taken from the scene.
There were numerous officers at the scene, including Crisis Negotiators and Special Operations Squad personnel.
According to the Knoxville Police, the shooting did not appear to have been a random act. They posted an update around 8 p.m. stating that the incident may have stemmed from a domestic dispute.
Knoxville Police said in the news release that the Crisis Negotiators were able to establish rapport and maintain communication with the suspect.
Around 8:55 p.m., they tweeted, “The suspect voluntarily exited the home and was safely taken into custody.”
The suspect has been identified as 76-year-old John Deloach. Detectives with the Knoxville Police Department Homicide Unit obtained a warrant to charge him with first-degree murder.
WATE was on the scene where officers can be seen blocking off traffic. Knoxville Police said there was no active threat to the community during the situation. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/1-dead-suspect-taken-into-custody-after-east-knoxville-standoff/ | 2023-05-19T18:26:51 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/1-dead-suspect-taken-into-custody-after-east-knoxville-standoff/ |
ABINGDON, Va. (WJHL) – On Friday, the United Way of Southwest Virginia announced it will transform the former Kmart building in Abingdon into a new campus dedicated to regional workforce development.
The 87,000-square-foot property was purchased with assistance from Food City.
“This is a critical moment for United Way of Southwest Virginia and the communities we serve,” said Travis Staton, CEO and President of the United Way of Southwest Virginia. “It would not be possible without the generosity and support of Food City, who has partnered with us on the purchase of the property.”
United Way leadership said the hub, located at one of Abingdon’s busiest intersections, will help the region on its way to overcoming a lagging economy.
Some of the features that will be housed inside the hub include:
- High-tech STEM labs for teacher training
- A licensed, early childhood care and education center.
- Workforce development and training programs
- A shared services alliance to strengthen our region’s 208 existing childcare providers
Both the United Way and Food City officials said lack of childcare continues to plague Southwest Virginia on its way to further development.
“Like residents across our region, many of our associates struggle to find adequate childcare, and Food City is proud to partner with United Way of Southwest Virginia to make this much-needed multipurpose facility possible,” said Steven Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.
The United Way will be holding a fundraising campaign soon to allow philanthropists and companies a way to support the project.
Further details on the project are available online. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/united-way-food-city-announce-plans-for-workforce-development-hub-childcare-center/ | 2023-05-19T18:26:57 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/united-way-food-city-announce-plans-for-workforce-development-hub-childcare-center/ |
BALTIMORE — Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown issued a consumer alert urging Marylanders to always be aware of deceptive online sports betting companies, especially in advance of large events like Preakness.
Maryland's online sports betting industry attracts bettors with aggressive marketing.
Fine print on things like "risk-free"bets contain limitations that negate the promised benefits. Those funds may only be credited to use again with the sportsbook, not as a refund of the money the consumer initially invested.
They also require users to gamble their own money before accessing any bonuses they advertised.
Online betting is a target for cybercriminals looking to defraud unsuspecting bettors.
Online sports betting was launched in Maryland in November 2022, and is available through multiple sports betting companies.
RELATED: Online sports betting in Maryland launches November 23 at 9am
To protect against fraudulent platforms and scammers looking to steal money and personal information, follow the these tips:
- The internet is flooded with fraudulent sports betting websites. Make sure that you are using the official websites of established sportsbooks that have been approved by Maryland’s Lottery and Gaming Control Agency.
- Ignore online gambling pop-up ads and unsolicited emails, text messages, or social media messages. Even if these look like they are coming from a legitimate sportsbook, they could be linking you to a fraudulent website instead.
- Report suspected scams to our Consumer Protection Division at 410-528-8662 or the Federal Bureau of Investigation at https://tips.fbi.gov/ [tips.fbi.gov]. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/ag-warns-marylanders-of-potential-online-sports-betting-scams | 2023-05-19T18:32:09 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/ag-warns-marylanders-of-potential-online-sports-betting-scams |
The Salvation Army commemorated its 125th anniversary of service in the Idaho Falls community with a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours on Wednesday.
“The Salvation Army here started in 1898. What a blessing it is to be able to help and serve the poor here in Idaho Falls,” said Captain John Birks, an Idaho Falls Corps officer who serves as a pastor over the congregation with his wife, Captain Mysti Birks.
Ambassadors from the Greater Idaho Falls Chamber of Commerce presented the Salvation Army with a certificate commemorating the milestone.
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian denomination that was founded in London in 1865 by William and Catherine Booth. Today it operates in 136 countries across the world.
The organization provides extensive service throughout eastern Idaho. In addition to its famous Red Kettle Campaign with volunteer bell ringers during the holidays, its leaders and members — known as soldiers — oversee the Idaho Falls Thanksgiving dinner, Angel Trees program during Christmas, and “Dress a Child for Success,” which provides new clothes for children in low-income families at the start of the school year. They also operate a client choice food pantry, diaper bank, and give away clothing and hygiene items to those in need.
Last year, 113 volunteers served more than 700 people at the Thanksgiving dinner. The Angel Tree campaign provided Christmas presents for 526 children in 203 families. Between May 2022 and April 2023, the Salvation Army gave away 2,354 food boxes to 1,147 individuals, helped 162 people and 34 families with hygiene assistance, and provided diapers and wipes for 184 children.
“A lot of people give to our food pantry, which is great, because that means that we will always have food for our families,” Mysti Birks said. “We’re able to go buy fresh produce, milk, cheese, eggs, butter, so that they will always have those items.”
Recently, Broulims donated 170 turkeys to provide additional protein as well.
However, the biggest need in the community right now is for rental and utilities assistance.
“Our rent and utilities assistance is the one that’s hurting the most,” Mysti Birks said. “When I first got here two years ago, rent was on average $300 to $500 a month. Now it’s $1,000 to $2,500 a month. We had lots of funding sources for COVID relief and post-COVID relief. Now all that funding is gone, and so we’re back down to the bare minimums.”
For the last four months, the Salvation Army has seen 20-25 applications for help with rent and utilities on the first day of the month, with additional calls throughout the month requesting assistance. Previously, the officers would receive about 10 applications for assistance a month. They do not have the resources to meet all the needs.
“Sometimes we forget that if you don’t have a house to cook your food in or electricity to refrigerate your goods, then what’s the use of having (the food)?” Mysti Birks said.
The Salvation Army is accepting donations to help with rental and utilities assistance, as well as with its other programs.
The church’s commitment to service is also deeply rooted in the vision of its founder, William Booth, who spent his life fighting against poverty, said Johnnie Chacon, the congregation’s social services and volunteer assistant.
“While women weep as they do now, I’ll fight; while little children go hungry, as they do now, I’ll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I’ll fight; while there’s a drunkard left, while there is a poor girl upon the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I’ll fight — I’ll fight until the very end,” Booth said.
The Corps, as the church is called, currently has about 20 active soldiers and 30 not-fully active soldiers, Chacon said.
It provides Sunday services at 11 a.m. and Sunday School at 9:45 a.m. On Tuesdays, it holds Women’s Ministries at 4 p.m., prayer meeting at 5:30 and Bible study at 6 p.m. Youth programs are held at 5 p.m. on Thursdays. Family night is the 2nd and 3rd Friday of the month at 6 p.m.
Youth can also participate in a drum line, a character building program similar to Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts, and attend a five day “Beyond the Stars: Idaho Camp” at Camp Pinewood in McCall, Idaho this summer.
In a ceremony on the steps of the church, officers shared the denomination’s history in the area.
“The first assigned officers in Idaho Falls were Captains Griffith Jones in 1903 and Captain Thomas Larson in 1904,” said Mysti Birks. The Corps operated out of a tent ministry and originally purchased two lots at North Capital Avenue and B Street.
“There it conducted its holiness meetings and assisted the needy,” Mysti Birks said.
The local Salvation Army has moved multiple times, according to its history by Post Register Historical Editor Joe Marker — meeting in the Bonneville Courthouse in the 1930s, in a then-new building on North Capital and B Street in 1939, at the Carnegie Library (now part of the Museum of Idaho) in 1977, the former First Christian Church in 1980 and the former Assemblies of God Church in 1982. In 1991, Major Raymond Cross became the leader of the Salvation Army, and he moved the Corps Community Center to its present location at 605 North Boulevard.
While the church’s historic building is in need of repairs, the kitchen must be updated to commercial kitchen standards to cook meals per the health code, and the gym needs some upgrades, the spirit and goodwill that has always characterized the Salvation Army lives on.
“The whole thing is motivated by our love for Jesus and wanting to share that love with others,” Mysti Birks said. | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/soldiers-of-service-salvation-army-celebrates-125-years-in-idaho-falls/article_f2372106-f66e-11ed-9fa0-3f6f630cfab6.html | 2023-05-19T18:33:07 | 0 | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/soldiers-of-service-salvation-army-celebrates-125-years-in-idaho-falls/article_f2372106-f66e-11ed-9fa0-3f6f630cfab6.html |
ROANOKE, Va. – A man was arrested and charged in connection with a bank robbery in Roanoke Friday morning, according to the Roanoke Police Department.
Police said at around 10:45 a.m., RPD was notified of a possible robbery at a bank in the 3400 block of Orange Avenue NE.
Authorities said officers were advised that a man had entered the business, presented a firearm to an employee, and demanded money. We’re told the suspect fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of money in a vehicle.
As officers responded to the scene, police say they received a description of the suspect’s vehicle and direction of travel, and observed a vehicle matching that description nearby the scene. Officers then initiated a high-risk traffic stop.
Authorities said the driver complied with the stop and was taken into custody without further incident. Money and a firearm were located in the vehicle, according to police.
It was determined that the male suspect, identified as Gary Koran, 65, of Roanoke, was involved in the incident, and was charged with robbery, police said.
RPD said additional charges may be pending, and the investigation remains ongoing. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/19/man-charged-in-connection-with-roanoke-bank-robbery/ | 2023-05-19T18:35:18 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/19/man-charged-in-connection-with-roanoke-bank-robbery/ |
Tempe police release footage of shooting that killed Walmart shoplifter
Tempe police have released edited bodycam footage of an incident earlier this month in which an officer shot and killed a Walmart shoplifter.
Officers originally responded to the Walmart near West Elliot and South Priest roads at around 7:30 p.m. on May 9, for reports of shoplifting. Police said they attempted to locate a man after employees tried to stop him from stealing a soundbar.
Audio from the 911 call released by Tempe police shows a Walmart loss prevention employee making the call to dispatchers saying that the suspect had fled into a nearby Dollar Tree. Loss prevention said they tried to stop the suspect after he stole a Vizio soundbar.
Police said in the video that an officer observed the suspect on the canal footpath northbound toward West Grove Parkway.
"The officer attempted to contact the suspect, who tried running away. A physical struggle ensued with the suspect, which lasted just over a minute," Tempe police spokesperson Sgt. Hector Encinas said in the video.
Body camera footage of the struggle shows the officer, a 20-year department veteran, tell the unnamed suspect, "If you take that out, I will shoot you," referring to what Tempe police said was a knife.
"If you don't drop that knife, I swear to God, I will shoot you," the officer said.
Encinas said that the officer recognized that the suspect had opened the knife and disengaged while trying to stand back up.
At this point in the video, the officer's body camera footage shows the suspect stand up, moving wearily as the two regain their footing.
When the officer gets to his feet, he pulls out his gun, pointing it at the suspect, telling him to "get on the ground."
The suspect goes to his knees and the officer begins to radio dispatch. While doing so, the suspect can be heard murmuring something as he stands back up.
He starts to move away from the officer, with the gun still trained on him and the officer telling him to "drop it." The suspect once again goes to his knees, while the officer tells him to get down on his face.
The officer tells the suspect not to move, as he can be seen crawling toward the officer. The officer tells him a few more times to stop before shooting the suspect on the ground.
Police said that the officer fired one shot, which struck the suspect, who was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
"Officers located the knife the suspect was holding near his body," Encinas said. "The distance between the shooting was approximately 12 feet."
The criminal investigation portion of the incident will be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, while police said it is also the subject of an administrative investigation to conclude "whether the actions of the officer are consistent with department policy and the law."
No other information had been released. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe-breaking/2023/05/19/tempe-police-body-cam-shooting-shoplifter/70235882007/ | 2023-05-19T18:35:40 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe-breaking/2023/05/19/tempe-police-body-cam-shooting-shoplifter/70235882007/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Last month, Evergy customers learned the company wants to raise rates.
Customers in Evergy’s Kansas Central region, including Wichita, Hutchinson, Manhattan, Topeka, and Pittsburg, would pay $14.24 more a month.
Customers in the Kansas Metro region, including Lenexa and Overland Park, would pay $3.47 more a month.
Before the rate hike can happen, Evergy has to get the approval of the Kansas Corporation Commission. The KCC regulates utility rate increases in Kansas.
An Evergy spokesperson said the rate hike is needed for infrastructure improvements that enhance reliability and resiliency.
The KCC is holding public hearings in July for customers to learn more about Evergy’s request and to make comments about it.
- Topeka, July 11 at 6 p.m.
- Washburn Institute of Technology
- Main Conference Center, Building A
- 5724 SW Huntoon Street
- Overland Park, July 13 at 6 p.m.
- KU Edwards BEST Conference Center
- 12600 S. Quivira Road
- Wichita, July 27 at 6 p.m.
- WSU Hughes Metropolitan Complex, Low Auditorium
- 5014 E 29th Street North
If you cannot attend a meeting, you can take part via Zoom, but you must register on the KCC’s website in advance. If you do not intend to comment, you can watch the hearings on the KCC’s YouTube channel.
Other options for commenting are to:
- Click here to submit a comment on the KCC website.
- Mail a comment to:
- Kansas Corporation Commission Office
- 1500 SW Arrowhead Road
- Topeka, KS 66604-4027
- Call the KCC’s Office of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at 785-271-3140 or 800-662-0027.
The deadline to submit a comment is 5 p.m. on Sept. 29.
The KCC will decide about Evergy’s rate request on or before Jan. 4, 2024. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/your-chance-to-comment-on-evergy-rate-hike-request/ | 2023-05-19T18:40:45 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/your-chance-to-comment-on-evergy-rate-hike-request/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – “Do not drive” or “park outside“ recall alerts have been issued by vehicle manufacturers of 200 separate models, according to a new data survey by CARFAX, yet 2.5 million of those vehicles have not been repaired yet.
“Some people see it (the recall notice) and they think it’s a scam,” CARFAX editor in chief Patrick Olsen told News 6. “I think some people see it and ignore it.”
According to the CARFAX report, Florida is in the top three states with more than 200,000 vehicles driving on state roads as of May 1. Ten states have more than 70,000 of the vehicles still unrepaired.
Olsen told News 6 the alerts cannot be taken lightly because these recalls are “rarely issued.”
A “do not drive” recall advises drivers not to operate their vehicles because a serious safety issue could lead to an accident or physical harm. A “park outside” recall is issued for vehicles with a high risk of causing a fire, and owners are advised to park these vehicles outside of garages and parking structures and away from buildings.
“It’s not just domestic or just foreign, it’s everybody,” Olsen said. “If you have a car that has a ‘do not drive’ or ‘park outside’ recall, the automaker is telling you park it.”
Olsen said manufacturers will pick up the vehicles, repair them and return them at no charge.
CARFAX found 54,000 unrepaired vehicles in the Orlando-metro area.
The top 10 states with unrepaired vehicles include:
- California: 245,000
- Texas: 242,000
- Florida: 237,000
- New York: 118,000
- Pennsylvania: 106,000
- Ohio: 101,000
- Georgia: 96,000
- Illinois: 92,000
- North Carolina: 85,000
- Arizona: 71,000
Consumers can check – for free – to see if their car has any open recall by clicking here.
Jeep and BMW have just issued the recalls for fire and airbag issues respectively. Click here for more information on Jeeps and click here for more info on BMWs.
If you have any questions email makeendsmeet@wkmg.com or text the words make ends meet to 407-676-7428.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/19/recall-alert-over-25m-vehicles-with-urgent-recalls-still-unrepaired-across-the-us/ | 2023-05-19T18:40:55 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/19/recall-alert-over-25m-vehicles-with-urgent-recalls-still-unrepaired-across-the-us/ |
Magistrate: Detroit gas station clerk escalated situation that led to shooting of 3 customers
A gas station clerk charged with involuntary manslaughter after he locked the doors to prevent a possible shoplifter from leaving is being held in the Wayne County Jail on $200,000 bond because his actions escalated the situation and led to three customers being shot, one fatally, a magistrate said.
The 22-year-old clerk, Al-Hassan Aiyash, locked the doors of the Mobil gas station in the 12800 block of West McNichols in Detroit around 3 a.m. May 6 after Samuel McCray became upset that his credit card was declined for an approximately $4 purchase, prosecutors said.
Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Anna Posigian said Aiyash locked three innocent customers — Gregory Kelly, a 37-year-old man and a 60-year-old man — in the gas station with an irate McCray for almost eight minutes in an "increasingly hostile environment" as the customers begged, pleaded and screamed to be let out.
They offered to pay for McCray's $4 purchase of ice tea and donuts, Posigian said. They were doing everything they could to get out of that situation, she said.
Aiyash unlocked the door about 15 seconds before the shooting happened, Posigian said. Assistant Prosecutor Maria Miller said in a statement Thursday that Aiyash did not tell the customers he had unlocked it before the shooting started. Miller wrote in the press release that Aiyash's actions were "grossly negligent."
McCray allegedly killed Kelly, 37, in the shooting and injured the other two men. He is charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, felon in possession of a firearm and four counts of felony firearm.
Aiyash's attorney, Jamil Khuja, asked 36th District Court Magistrate Malaika Ramsey-Heath for a personal recognizance bond because he said his client was not a danger to the community or a flight risk. He said the prosecution's theory tries to hold Aiyash criminally responsible for a crime committed by someone else.
"When this happened, he’s at work, he’s by no means involving himself in any criminal activity. He’s at work performing his job," Khuja said. "Its really not fair, while presumed innocent, to hold him in custody while (prosecutors) test out a legal theory that’s never been done before. ... He was doing his job. Did he panic and act inappropriately in a way? Maybe, but that’s the best they can argue here."
If convicted, Aiyash faces up to 15 years in prison for involuntary manslaughter in the death of Kelly.
Khuja said Aiyash locked the door and called police so McCray would not be able to leave before police came. Once officers arrived, he helped identify McCray so he could later be arrested, Khuja said.
"He's a young man, he panics in the situation," Khuja said.
Khuja said Aiyash is not a flight risk and lives in Hamtramck with his parents and four younger siblings, working at the gas station to help provide for the family.
He said he understands Aiyash's judgement put other people in danger the day of the shooting, but it is unlikely for him to endanger others in the community if he were to be released.
"It wasn’t just the locking of the door," Ramsey-Heath, the magistrate, said during Aiyash's arraignment Friday. "It was a participation in the escalation of this situation and then locking the door while people were begging to be let out. To me the concerning thing is ... somebody getting away with $5 worth of goods … has now turned into a homicide."
Ramsey-Heath said Aiyash was the first person to reference a possible shooting, though she did not elaborate on that. She said she pulled that information from Detroit's police's incident report, which transcribed a video of the incident
"If somebody is saying that and locking numerous people in an environment and not letting them out, and then it escalate in the way that it did, I cant hear that and say there’s no role in what happened," Ramsey-Heath said.
She said his escalation of the incident concerns her and makes her worry about the community's safety if he were to be released on bond.
But Khuja said it's not uncommon for video to not line up with police reports. He said prosecutors only began treating Aiyash as a defendant after the shooting received media attention and after police got his cooperation.
"He wasn’t armed. He didn’t know the other person was armed," Khuja said. "He called police himself and wanted the man there until police arrived. They’ve been robbed over and over again at that gas station."
In response to the shooting, City Council President Mary Sheffield has requested the city's law department review if an ordinance banning businesses from using electronic doors or locking patrons inside would be lawful. If not, she requested they provide other policy alternatives.
“In light of the horrific and senseless gun violence that took place at a Mobil gas station on McNichols on Saturday, May 6th which resulted in the murder of Gregory Karlos Samuel Fortner-Kelly, who I knew personally and whose funeral I attended, and injuries to two other individuals that were held against their will, I am looking into the legality of an ordinance prohibiting businesses from locking citizens in establishments," Sheffield said in a statement to The Detroit News Friday. "This entire incident, which involved a dispute over $3, could have been prevented and it is imperative that safety measures are put in place to ensure this never happens again in the City of Detroit.”
Detroit Police Chief James White said he would support that bill.
"Speaking as a law enforcement professional, I understand the need to be able to lock people from the outside coming in, but I see no logical reason a person needs to be locked inside for any reason without having the ability to get out," White said in a statement. "If you’re a gas station owner and you look outside and see two people coming toward the door with guns, you absolutely should be able to lock them out. But at that same entry point, if someone is inside, they should also be able to get out. So, if a door has the ability to lock remotely, there should be a clear override that would allow that door to be opened from the inside, and that override should be made clear to the customers, so they know they can get out in case of an emergency.”
Reporters Sarah Rahal and George Hunter contributed to this story.
kberg@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/05/19/magistrate-judge-mobil-gas-station-clerk-escalated-situation-that-led-to-deadly-shooting-detroit/70236134007/ | 2023-05-19T18:43:36 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/05/19/magistrate-judge-mobil-gas-station-clerk-escalated-situation-that-led-to-deadly-shooting-detroit/70236134007/ |
Mackinac Bridge toll collector to retire after nearly 30 years
It's the end of an era for a fixture on the Mackinac Bridge.
A man who has worked as a toll collector at bridge for nearly 30 years is retiring Saturday, officials with the Mackinac Bridge Authority said.
Pat Rickley said it's time to bid the toll booth farewell. He said he wants to spend more time with his grandchildren and go to their soccer games. He said he also wants to travel more. A spokesman for the authority said he didn't know what Rickley's age is.
According to the bridge authority, Rickley has been sort of its ambassador at the bridge. He is often the first person — and sometimes the only person — with whom travelers on the span interact. He said he's made thousands of acquaintances over the years while on the job and has stayed in touch with many.
"Generally, they’re just happy there’s a positive person in their face," said Rickley in a press release. "I get to meet so many different people, see so many different personalities. It’s been a good time."
He said the trick was making eye contact with the drivers at the toll booth and mentioning something he noticed about them or their vehicle, such as what state issued their license plate or what's inside their car, and starting a small conversation.
But he doesn't hold up travelers from getting to where they're going. Bridge authority officials said he typically processed eight or nine cars per minute. They said Rickley holds the record for most vehicles processed in an hour: 489.
Patrick "Shorty" Gleason, the Mackinac Bridge Authority's chairman, said he met Rickley before the governor appointed him to the panel. He said their interactions were always pleasant, even if they were brief.
"Whether we’re talking about hunting, fishing, golfing, or quads, Pat has always been very welcoming and friendly," Gleason said in a statement. "His dedication to greeting motorists is second to none."
Rickley grew up on Chain Lake near St. Ignace in a family of eight, the authority said.
He graduated from St. Ignace LaSalle High School and then he joined the Army and served in the 1st Infantry Division, the famous "Big Red One." He was stationed for four years in Kansas and Alaska. He also served four years in the Army Reserves.
After the army, Rickley returned to St. Ignace where he worked in construction — paving roads, roofing houses, working on pipelines, and fishing commercially — before becoming a toll collector.
Rickley said that he considered himself an introvert when he started at the bridge but grew comfortable talking to people over time. But he said, "I’m still an introvert." | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/05/19/mackinac-bridge-toll-collector-to-retire-after-nearly-30-years-pat-rickley/70236405007/ | 2023-05-19T18:43:37 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/05/19/mackinac-bridge-toll-collector-to-retire-after-nearly-30-years-pat-rickley/70236405007/ |
YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Crews responded to a scene of a fire on Friday afternoon.
Officials said around 12:15 p.m. on May 19, emergency crews were sent to the 1800 block of Delta Road in Chanceford Township for a report of flames and smoke coming from a business.
There is no word on the extent of any damage, and no injuries have been reported, as of this writing.
This is a developing story. FOX43 has a crew on the way to the scene, and we will provide updates as they become available. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/fire-chanceford-township-york-county/521-3e8f8816-32d8-40ca-903e-ba127adc45dd | 2023-05-19T18:48:50 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/fire-chanceford-township-york-county/521-3e8f8816-32d8-40ca-903e-ba127adc45dd |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Note: The video is from 2019.
A Franklin County man was convicted Thursday of three counts of homicide in connection to the murders of three people in 2016, U.S. Attorney Gerard M. Karam announced Friday.
Torey White, 32, was found guilty following a three-week trial before U.S. District Court Judge Christopher C. Connor, Karam said in a press release.
He was one of 14 people charged in connection to the deaths of three people on June 25, 2016, on a property along Welsh Run Road in Mercersburg, Franklin County, Karam said.
His conviction is the result of an investigation that lasted almost seven years.
According to evidence presented at trial, when Pennsylvania State Police officers were called to the crime scene, they found the bodies of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Hagerstown, Md, Brandon Cole, 47, Fayetteville, PA, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36, Mercersburg, PA, in a barn on Jackson’s property.
All three victims were shot, Karam said.
The three victims had their hands zipped-tied behind their backs and had been set on fire. Jackson and Cole were shot once in the head. Chaney was shot twice, once in the back and once in the neck.
Chaney and Cole were already dead when the police responded to the scene. Jackson was transported to York Hospital, where he died shortly after arrival.
The evidence presented at trial established that Chaney was in a relationship with White co-conspirator Kevin Coles, and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operations.
White and Coles learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered, according to Karam.
Co-defendants Jerell Adgebesan and Kenyatta Corbett recruited members of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family and others from Baltimore to travel to the Jackson property to kill Chaney.
The killers were promised that they could take as payment $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property, Karam said.
Once there, the killers encountered not only Chaney, but also Cole and Jackson. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of White, Coles, and their co-conspirators.
Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property.
The killers never found any money on the property, but stole some drugs and firearms, Karam said.
The following individuals were charged along with White as a result of the investigation:
Kevin Coles, age 37, of New York and Hagerstown, Maryland: was sentenced to three consecutive terms of life imprisonment for multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking
Jerell Adgebesan, age 35, of Baltimore and Hagerstown, Maryland: pled guilty in June 2022 to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery. Judge Conner sentenced Adgebesan in February 2023 to life imprisonment and a consecutive 10-year term of imprisonment
Mark Johnson, 35, Baltimore, Maryland: pled guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment.
Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore: sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness:
Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore: sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness
Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown: pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and is awaiting sentencing
Kenyatta Corbett, age 38, Hagerstown: pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing
Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown: pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing
Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore: pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and is awaiting sentencing
Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore: pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing
Christopher Johnson, age 31, Baltimore: pleaded guilty to multiple counts including murder for hire and is awaiting sentencing
Llesenia Woodard, 46, Hagerstown, Maryland: pled guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing
Yolanda Diaz, 31, Hagerstown: was indicted on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice based upon her testimony at the Coles trial. Her trial is currently scheduled for May 2023.
Joshua Davis, age 30, previously pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders. Davis was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment.
White faces three mandatory life sentences, one for each count of conviction. Each count dealt with a separate victim. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/franklin-county/torey-white-homicide-conviction-wendy-chaney-brandon-cole-phillip-jackson/521-b65ee145-376a-4140-887d-efd2c08b036f | 2023-05-19T18:48:56 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/franklin-county/torey-white-homicide-conviction-wendy-chaney-brandon-cole-phillip-jackson/521-b65ee145-376a-4140-887d-efd2c08b036f |
The man at the center of a highly publicized international saga whose face has been splashed all over the news in the U.K. claims he is an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight who has never been to America.
But two women who attended Sinclair Community College in Dayton 15 years ago believe — and Scottish courts agree — that he is Nicholas Rossi, a convicted sex offender who authorities allege faked his own death and fled overseas to try to avoid criminal prosecution.
“There’s not a doubt in my mind that that’s Nick,” Mary Grebinski, a 34-year-old Greene County woman who was sexually abused by Rossi, said in an interview with the Dayton Daily News. “He’s gotten fatter, and he’s in a wheelchair, but you can tell.”
The man has been fighting extradition to the United States, where Rossi faces multiple rape charges in Utah and is a suspect in a fraud case with ties to the Dayton area.
Rossi was also accused of domestic violence by his ex-wife, failing to repay money he borrowed from his partners and stealing money from a Canadian TV personality.
Rossi allegedly went to great lengths to try to convince the public, the media and law enforcement that he died of cancer in early 2020, including by creating fake online obituaries.
Rossi’s legal troubles trace back to Dayton, where authorities were able to collect DNA that later allegedly connected him to a rape case in Utah. The FBI reportedly is seeking Rossi in connection to fraudulent accounts opened up in his foster parent’s name.
Authorities and Grebinski said Rossi is very intelligent and he’s taken some clever steps to try to avoid prosecution.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to get a book deal out of it,” Grebinski said. “He’s an opportunist, he’s smart, it’s just so sad that he’s a predator ... if he put that to good use, he could be out here changing the world.”
Scottish arrest
In late 2021, Scottish authorities arrested a man who was being treated for COVID-19 at a hospital in Glasgow after they say they identified him as Nicholas Rossi, a U.S. fugitive.
That man has insisted in court and in media interviews that his name is Arthur Knight, he’s from Ireland and he’s never been to the United States.
Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
In a recent interview with Dateline NBC, the man said, “I am not Nicholas Alahverdian and I do not know how to make this clearer.”
Rossi has gone by multiple names and aliases, including Nicholas Alahverdian and Nicholas Brown.
Rossi was the last name of his adoptive father. As a child and a young man, he bounced around the foster care system, and he has lived in the Dayton area, Rhode Island and Utah.
But police officials said the hospitalized COVID patient in Glasgow had distinctive tattoos that matched Rossi’s, and a forensic expert with Police Scotland testified in court that his fingerprints also were a match.
A Scottish judge last fall ruled that the evidence showed Knight is Rossi. Rossi has continued to insist that this is a case of mistaken identity.
He has claimed in court that he does not know how he got his tattoos, and he didn’t have them before he went into a COVID coma and someone is trying to frame him.
Mungo Bovey KC, an attorney for Knight, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Rape charges
Rossi is wanted by authorities in Utah who say he is a suspect in a September 2008 rape case from Orem, which is located in Utah County.
He was accused of sexually assaulting a 21-year-old ex-girlfriend, who said she refused his advances multiple times. The woman said she ended the relationship because he was becoming more aggressive and he owed her a lot of money he had not repaid.
The Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office last fall also announced that it had filed a felony rape charge against Rossi for a separate incident involving a 26-year-old woman in Salt Lake City whom he dated for a couple of months in late 2008.
Rossi is accused of allegedly holding her down and forcing intercourse, according to a declaration of probable cause filed in district court for Salt Lake County.
The woman also allegedly loaned Rossi money he did not repay.
The Salt Lake District Attorney’s Office said a no-bail warrant was issued for Rossi’s arrest and it was working with the Utah County Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Attorney to extradite him from Scotland.
Rossi was identified as a suspect in the Orem case when DNA evidence from a sexual assault kit was tested years after the incident and allegedly it matched samples that were collected from Rossi after he was convicted of sexual imposition and public indecency in Dayton Municipal Court.
Sinclair college incident
In late January 2008, Grebinski met Rossi on Myspace and they exchanged text messages.
Grebinski, who was then 19 years old, was taking classes at Sinclair Community College, and Rossi, 20, also attended the school.
Grebinski, who grew up in Huber Heights and who graduated from Wayne High School, was eating lunch with a friend in a dining area on campus when Rossi showed up uninvited.
Grebinski said Rossi, who she had never met in person before, talked her into walking with him even though she was heading to class.
“I messaged him on Myspace, but never expected to meet the creep,” Grebinski wrote in a Sinclair college police witness statement she filled out later that day.
Grebinski said it was daytime and there were people all over campus and she never imagined she might be in danger.
But after they entered a staircase on the lower level of Building 8, Rossi pushed her against the wall and started kissing her.
Rossi pinned Grebinski and groped her and then he exposed his genitals and sexually pleasured himself.
“Looking back, I feel like he just manipulated me from the get-go,” Grebinski told this newspaper. “He came on very strong romantically: ‘You’re beautiful, I’d love to start a relationship with you.’ I told him I’m not interested in any of that. I had a boyfriend.”
Grebinski reported the incident to Sinclair Community College police, and officers questioned Rossi, who claimed Grebinski was the aggressor.
Rossi was convicted of sexual imposition, a third-degree misdemeanor, and public indecency, a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
But Rossi appealed the case, and his sentence, including a requirement to register as a sex offender, was not imposed until later.
Little did Grebinski know that her court battle with Rossi was just beginning. He sued her twice, claiming she defamed him and damaged his reputation.
Another Dayton case
Rossi also was accused of sexual misconduct by another Sinclair Community College student in mid-January 2008, just weeks before he groped Grebinski.
Megan Lumnah, a 19-year-old Centerville High School graduate, interacted with Rossi for the first time on Myspace on Jan. 14, and she gave him her phone number, according to a Dayton police report.
The next day, he showed up at Sinclair college and he hung around her until he eventually convinced her to go back to his apartment, which was located in the Eastern Hills area, the report states.
Lumnah told police that Rossi kissed and groped her even though she told him to stop multiple times.
Rossi allegedly pushed his pelvis into hers and he exposed himself and pleasured himself multiple times, including while holding onto her wrist, the police report says.
Lumnah reported the incident to Dayton police, but days later she told officers she did not want to move forward with criminal charges.
Lumnah, who is now 34 and who lives out of state, told this newspaper in a recent interview she decided not to press charges because she spoke with a detective who told her this could be a very difficult case because she was of legal age, she was sober and there was no physical penetration.
The impression she got was this would be a “he-said, she-said” case, and she might have a hard time getting people to believe her, Lumnah said.
Lumnah said early on she tried to ignore and forget what happened to her. But she felt like she didn’t own her own story, and she was letting Rossi own what happened to her. To try to change this, she started sharing her story and supporting other women who experienced similar things.
“I’ve worked very hard to not let him own my story and to have power over me,” she said. “I don’t care what happens to him.”
Lumnah has seen some of the news coverage of “Arthur Knight.”
She noted that he consistently covers his face with an oxygen mask and he often wears a large-brimmed hat, seemingly to conceal his face. The suspect has carted around an oxygen tank since he was released from the hospital, after he was very sick with COVID.
But Lumnah says it’s Rossi. Of this, she’s sure.
Litigation intimidation
One year after Rossi was found guilty of sexual imposition and public indecency in Dayton Municipal Court, he filed a civil lawsuit against Grebinski in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.
The 2009 lawsuit claimed Grebinski damaged his reputation and caused him emotional stress and humiliation.
Later, in 2013, Rossi (under the name Alahverdian) filed a lawsuit in federal court that claimed Grebinski and her then-husband defamed and harassed him in posts they shared on social media.
He eventually lost both cases, and was forced to pay defendants’ lawyer fees. But the first case lasted months and the second case went on for more than a year and they were a major source of stress and frustration for the woman he victimized.
The first lawsuit also included an exhibit that Rossi alleged was a blog post that Grebinski published on Myspace.
In the post he provided, Grebinski allegedly admitted that she lied about what happened between her and Rossi to protect her relationship with her boyfriend.
Citing this post as new evidence, Rossi requested a new trial, claiming this information vindicated him.
Grebinski denied authoring the post, and at a hearing for a motion for a new trial, Dayton police Detective Doug Roderick, an expert in computer forensics, testified that he was 90% certain the Myspace post was fabricated and not authentic.
He said the date on the post did not correspond with the correct day of the week, which was a big red flag.
Rossi only produced a hard copy of the post, and he didn’t provide any digital evidence, like metadata, to support his claims, said Andrew Sexton, general counsel for the Dayton Police Department who at that time was an assistant city prosecutor.
Roderick said anyone with access to basic computer programs could easily alter or fabricate the post. To prove this point, prosecutors had an expert come to court who in a few simple steps helped create a fake Myspace page for the judge in the case, Sexton said.
Rossi was denied a new trial.
Rossi filed a lawsuit against about 30 local officials and organizations, including Sexton, the city of Dayton, Sinclair Community College, the state of Ohio, Dayton Municipal Court, judges, lawyers and others.
Rossi accused the defendants of wrongful prosecution, violating his rights and maliciously conspiring against him. Rossi did not prevail in any of the local court cases the Dayton Daily News reviewed.
Rossi served as his own lawyer in his lawsuits, which painted him as an innocent victim who was railroaded by bad actors and an unfair system.
Grebinski said the civil litigation was a major annoyance that was meant to intimidate and silence her.
She said she had to shell out thousands of dollars and borrow money from her parents to hire a lawyer.
Grebinski said she could not believe that someone who was criminally convicted of sexually abusing her could take her to court multiple times on bogus claims that were not dismissed immediately.
She said Rossi also posted personal information about her online, like her home address and photos of her daughter, and he urged people on an anti-feminist website to harass her.
Grebinski said she was dismayed to learn that Dayton prosecutors and her victim advocate could not help her legal defense against Rossi’s lawsuits because it was a civil matter.
Grebinski said this experience changed her life forever, and she felt traumatized and powerless for a long time.
“It’s changed me in so many ways,” she said.
Youth advocate
Rossi moved around the country in the years after his local criminal conviction.
But when he returned to the Dayton area, Rossi said he was in charge of something called the Community Progress Institute, which claimed its mission was to “foster a city renaissance” by bringing people back to downtown Dayton and improving families, neighborhoods and communities.
In 2015, he spoke during the public comment portion of multiple Dayton City Commission meetings to urge city leaders to pass a resolution condemning the Armenian genocide.
In his federal lawsuit against Grebinski, Rossi said he was the founding executive director or partner at several lobbying and legislative advocacy firms based in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C.
Rossi called himself a youth advocate, and he was a vocal critic of Rhode Island’s foster care system, which he claimed failed him and put him in situations where he was abused and mistreated. He participated in multiple press conferences at the Rhode Island statehouse where he called for foster care reforms. He went by the name Nicholas Alahverdian during these events.
Other charges
In addition to the Utah charges, Rossi was arrested and later convicted of domestic simple assault in Rhode Island in 2010, according to the Providence Journal.
Police in Rhode Island also received a report that year from a woman who said Rossi held her against her will.
Later that year a woman filed a report with the Pawtucket police in which she accused Rossi of becoming enraged when she refused to have sex with him and he took her cell phone when she tried to call police and he demanded she repay him for dinner, the Journal reported.
Rossi also was being investigated by law enforcement after his foster parents, Sharon and Charles Lane, learned that someone had opened many financial accounts in Charles Lane’s name without his consent, says a Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office report.
Charles Lane, then 77, had moved to Salt Lake City with his wife, but they let Rossi, their foster child from Rhode Island, stay in their home on Redder Avenue in Harrison Twp., the report states. Rossi was supposed to buy the property from them.
In 2016, the Lanes learned that someone had opened up accounts in Charles’ name after mail was forwarded to them in Utah from the Harrison Twp. home.
The accounts were in Charles’ name and in the name of the Alahverdian Corp., and the accounts had run up charges of about $200,000, the report states.
In his report, the detective in the case said Rossi apparently had left the Dayton area and may be living in Rhode Island.
Officials with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said the case was passed on to federal partners since the victims lived out of state.
Derek Coats, an investigator with the Utah Department of Public Safety, said in Utah court documents that the FBI in Ohio told him that Rossi had been indicted for fraud and a warrant had been issued for his arrest.
DNA evidence
Grebinski said she’s glad that DNA from her case helped connect him to other crimes.
But it took extraordinary steps from local law enforcement to make that happen.
Current law requires people arrested in Ohio on felony charges or adult offenders arrested on misdemeanor sexually oriented offenses to provide DNA to law enforcement. That was not the case when Rossi was arrested and convicted.
Rossi’s sentence in the 2008 Dayton case was not imposed until he had exhausted his appeals, which only happened in the fall of 2012.
At that time, Rossi had to register as sex offender and he was placed on community control (probation) and he was required to complete a sexual awareness class.
But Rossi was living out of state by this time.
Sexton, the former city prosecutor, said he asked Sinclair police to put Rossi’s arrest warrant into the system as a nationwide warrant, even though police agencies often only issue local warrants for misdemeanor crimes.
In the fall of 2012, Rossi was arrested by the Harvard Police Department in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Sinclair college police officers then drove up to Massachusetts, took Rossi into their custody and then transported him back to Dayton and booked him in the Montgomery County Jail.
Sexton said Rossi’s probation officer asked Sexton if they could force Rossi to provide DNA to authorities.
Sexton said under the law she could not force him to do it, but she could just ask him to provide a sample voluntarily.
“If he gives you consent, you can take his DNA, and that’s what happened,” Sexton said. “She asked him to give a DNA sample by consent and he did. That DNA was put into the system. It’s my understanding that DNA is what’s being used to connect him to cases in Utah and other places.”
Sexton said he remembers reading Rossi’s supposed obituary a few years ago that someone had forwarded him and immediately thinking that Rossi wrote it.
The 964-word obituary claimed Rossi’s last words were “fear not and run toward the bliss of the sun,” and as he died, on Feb. 29, 2020, music played in his room from the end credits for the 1997 film “Contact.”
“Mr. Alahverdian was a painter, author, amateur ornithologist, political scientist, sociologist, accomplished orator and child welfare reform advocate,” the obituary read.
Sexton told the Dayton Daily News, “It sounded like him, but more, Who would write that? And some of the things were fantastical.”
The bizarre saga of Nicholas Rossi is far from over. Rossi’s extradition hearing — though he’s still going by the name Knight — is expected to take place in June.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/he-says-hes-an-irish-orphan-police-victim-say-hes-a-sex-offender-from-dayton-who-faked-his-own-death/U7FRDONLGJE73M5D7FZGKTOHHA/ | 2023-05-19T18:51:58 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/he-says-hes-an-irish-orphan-police-victim-say-hes-a-sex-offender-from-dayton-who-faked-his-own-death/U7FRDONLGJE73M5D7FZGKTOHHA/ |
Canada wildfire smoke expected to clear over weekend
A statewide Air Quality Alert has been in place across Montana since Tuesday as smoke from massive wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia continues to drift south across the U.S/Canada border.
According to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) air quality in Cascade County and across much of Montana is expected to remain in the “Moderate” to “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category into the weekend, when southwest winds are forecast to return, pushing the smoke and haze out of the state.
The worst of the smoke blew into Great Falls Tuesday evening when a Canadian cold front swept in from the northwest. Data from the DEQ’s air quality monitoring station shows that during a six-hour period beginning Tuesday afternoon, the air quality in Great Falls dropped from “Good” posing little or no risk to anyone, to “Unhealthy” prompting a general health alert encouraging everyone to remain indoors as much as possible.
For a short period of time late Tuesday night, the particulate matter concentration in Great Falls peaked above 200 parts per million (ppi), a level exceeding DEQ’s “Very Unhealthy” air quality index. As of Thursday morning, the particulate concentration in Great Falls’ air was hovering around 23 ppi, a “Moderate” level of pollution with no limitations on outdoor activities except for some sensitive groups.
However, other parts of the state are still choking under large clouds of harmful, smoky air.
“Currently, Malta and Sidney are seeing the worst impacts with both currently at Hazardous levels,” the DEQ’s Smoke Forecast web site states. “Miles City and Flathead Valley are both currently at Unhealthy. Helena and Seeley Lake are currently reporting Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups. Nine sites are reporting Moderate levels.”
In Canada the conditions are exponentially worse. Record-high temperatures and tinder-dry vegetation have led to an intense, early start to wildfire season in western Canada. Weather forecasters see no improvement in conditions at least until next week.
Alberta has been the worst-hit, with 92 wildfires actively burning, including 29 out of control, according to Alberta Fire.
More than 2,500 firefighters, including a 21-member “Hot Shot” crew out of Helena, are currently battling the fires. As of noon Thursday, about 12,000 Albertans remained under evacuation orders, down from the 38,000 who were evacuated last week before an arctic cold front moved into the province bringing some relief from the heat.
While the month of May generally precedes Montana’s general wildfire season, it is not unusual for Albertans to be confronted with large wildland fires prior to Memorial Day.
“We’ve had some of our largest wildfires on record in the month of May and that’s because conditions are really dry with the snow having melted, but green-up hasn’t happened yet,” said Josee St.-Onge, Public Information Officer for Alberta Fire. “It is normal for us to see the season start in May, but what’s unusual this year is the shear volume of wildfires that we’re seeing at the same time.”
The worst of these are in the taiga forests north of Edmonton where a large complex of wildfires have now blackened more than 1,000 square miles.
“It’s very dry and hot, and it’s been windy in that area,” St.-Onge said. “We’re even seeing our neighbors to the west in British Columbia also have their wildfire season start up. It looks like that part of western Canada is seeing … extremely wildfire behavior with fires that burn very intensely and are difficult to control and extinguish.”
“Many communities are being threatened,” she continued. “While some have been able to come home in the last weeks others are still forced out of their homes. It’s quite a stressful situation obviously. A lot of people are displaced, and we definitely feel for them.”
St.-Onge said the short-term weather forecast in Alberta calls for cooler temperatures and some scattered rain showers, but it likely will not be enough to extinguish the flames across Alberta.
“Once wildfires get to this size they burn very intensely and burn in through the ground,” she said. “It’s going to take a lot of rain to make a big difference. So, it doesn’t look like we’re going to get a lot of help from that end in the short-term forecast. We’re absolutely hoping for rain. That will be a huge determining factor in seeing how the rest of the season plays out.”
St.-Onge echoed an observation that Montana wildland firefighters have already expressed; that fire seasons have grown longer and more intense, and that at times it seems wildfire season is a yearlong event.
“We’re experiencing longer fire seasons. We legislate our wildfire season from March to the end of October in Alberta. We get a break in the winter when there’s snow on the ground, but we still see wildfires year-round. It’s something that we’ve had to adjust to in the way we prepare so that we’re ready earlier in the year to respond to wildfires. This year is a good example of how quickly and intensely the wildfire season can start up.” | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2023/05/18/smoky-air-forecast-to-clear-over-weekend-with-return-of-sw-winds/70231782007/ | 2023-05-19T18:57:39 | 1 | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2023/05/18/smoky-air-forecast-to-clear-over-weekend-with-return-of-sw-winds/70231782007/ |
Exhibition on role of girls in history coming to Minnetrista Museum & Gardens
MUNCIE, Ind. − Minnetrista Museum & Gardens will delve into the role of girls in history with "Girlhood (It’s complicated)," an exhibition from the Smithsonian.
The exhibition opens June 3, and showcases how girls have been on the frontlines of change and how they have made an impact on all aspects of American life. The exhibition will be on view through Sept. 17.
"Girlhood (It’s complicated)" was developed by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service. The exhibition was supported by the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative, the precursor of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.
Spanning a timeframe of more than 200 years and showcasing approximately 200 objects, the exhibition examines the ways American girls, from Minnijean Brown to Naomi Wadler, have spoken up, challenged expectations and used their voices to effect change. Among the highlights are a makeup table from 1820, a 1900s gym suit, and a 1958 dress worn by Brown, one of the Little Rock Nine.
“Girlhood” looks at how girls have changed history in five areas: news and politics (Girls on the Front Lines of Change), education (Being Schooled), work (Hey, Where’s My Girlhood?), wellness (Body Talk) and fashion (Girl’s Remix). Some of the stories highlighted include the Girl Scout experience, girls in sports including skateboarder Cindy Whitehead and the impact of Title IX on girl’s athletics, and Veronica Mendez’s Quinceañera or 15th birthday coming of age ceremony.
The design features custom wall-sized murals and illustrations by artist Krystal Quiles based on historic photos. Among the eight exhibition videos are an animated entrance experience, a make-up video, footage of historic student-led school walkouts and a compilation of U.S. government-produced sex education films from 1919 to 1957.
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum advances the understanding of women’s contributions to various fields throughout history that have influenced the direction of the United States. The museum collaborates with other museums and educational institutions to expand scholarly research, public programs, digital content, collections and more to recognize diverse perspectives on women’s history and contributions.
Supported locally by DeFur Voran. In partnership with Ball State University Women’s and Gender Studies Program, League of Women Voters of Muncie-Delaware County, and Muncie Altrusa Foundation. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/exhibition-on-role-of-girls-in-history-coming-to-minnetrista/70232551007/ | 2023-05-19T18:58:14 | 1 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/exhibition-on-role-of-girls-in-history-coming-to-minnetrista/70232551007/ |
New YMCA construction is expected to start at Muncie Central campus within weeks
MUNCIE, Ind. – Construction of a new YMCA that will feature the combined resources of Muncie Community Schools, Ball State University and IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital is set to begin within the month at the Muncie Central High School campus.
Last month, the community phase of a donor campaign commenced after an 18-month silent fundraising effort secured $25.1 million on the way to a $28.5 million goal to build the new YMCA. The public campaign aims to raise about $3.35 million with First Merchants Bank set to match each donation dollar-for-dollar up to $1 million.
A zoning variance was recently approved for construction of the new building, according to Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour, clearing the way for construction to start at Walnut and Columbus streets on the high school campus between the school building at the Muncie Fieldhouse.
Plan includes an aquatic center
Plans call for a 73,000-square-foot facility that will include the tradition amenities for the YMCA as well as a "competitive Aquatic Center" in partnership with Muncie Community Schools.
IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital will also place a clinic in the new building with educational space while Open Door Health Services and BSU will have space for its Healthy Lifestyle Center, which is aimed to help individuals practice behaviors to improve personal health and well-being.
The new YMCA will also provide internship and professional experiences for students from Ball State, Ivy Tech Community College, Muncie Community Schools and the Muncie Area Career Center.
“This transformational community project is not just designing and building a new facility," Chad Zaucha, CEO of the YMCA of Muncie, said. "It’s about creating spaces that foster connection and support, providing necessary health, well-being, youth development and family services that will allow the people of Muncie/Delaware County to thrive for decades to come.”
First Merchants CEO Mark Hardwick served as co-chair of the capital campaign’s silent phase. He told Inside Indiana Business that fundraising drive was successful once the location for new building became set.
Hardwick told Inside Indiana Business that the IU Health Ball Memorial Foundation was the largest single donor with a $5 million commitment. But a $2 million donation from Dan Towriss, CEO of Indianapolis-based Gainbridge, helped the campaign move toward its public phase.
Towriss, a Muncie Central graduate, has been a major donor to the baseball facilities at McCulloch Park as well as a longtime donor for BSU.
"Working together, all partners envision a deep and long-lasting impact on the individuals and families in Muncie and Delaware County," a press release from the YMCA said of the project.
The new facility will replace the Downtown YMCA located on Mulberry Street. In September 2022, the city, through the Muncie Redevelopment Commission, bought that building for $500,000 and has been leasing it back to the YMCA for a $1.
The half-million dollar purchase went toward the capital campaign for the new building.
The purchase was made so the city could control the future of the old YMCA site, said MCR President Jeff Howe. The Mulberry Street building is located near Canan Commons on the south end of downtown. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/ymca-building-construction-set-to-start-in-coming-weeks/70227927007/ | 2023-05-19T18:58:20 | 1 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/ymca-building-construction-set-to-start-in-coming-weeks/70227927007/ |
Caloosa Sound Amphitheater in downtown Fort Myers is hosting an afternoon of live music, vendors, food, bars, games, and activities during the Red, White & Tunes Music Festival next Sunday.
Featured musical acts include The Winters Brothers Band, Carter Smith, Roxx Revolt & The Velvets, and Jaded Aerosmith Tribute.
The Luminary Hotel & Co. Friday, May 26, will host a party on Country music singer Carter Smith at Chips Sports Pub where Topgolf Swing Suite bays will be available.
The Red, White & Tunes Music Festival will be Sunday, May 28 at 1 p.m., and the Pre-festival Party on Friday, May 26 from 8 to 10 p.m.
VIP Experience tickets will be available for $60 and General Admission tickets are available for $20.
For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit CaloosaSoundAmp.com. | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/05/19/caloosa-sound-amphitheater-hosting-red-white-tunes/ | 2023-05-19T18:58:38 | 0 | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/05/19/caloosa-sound-amphitheater-hosting-red-white-tunes/ |
Virginia Housing Development Authority renewed its lease of 38,676 square feet of office space in Innsbrook Corporate Center at 4240 Cox Road in Henrico.
Sunbelt Rentals Inc. leased 27,552 square feet of industrial space at 1618-1622 Commerce Road in Richmond.
Insight Physicians P.C. leased 7,953 square feet of office space at Premier Tech Center at 2810 N. Parham Road in Henrico.
RVA Wealth Management LLC leased 4,575 square feet of office space in Innsbrook Corporate Center at Rowe Plaza, 4510 Cox Road, in Henrico.
Health First Chiropractic Inc. leased 3,972 square feet of office space at East Shore, 100, 200, 300 East Shore, in Henrico.
Entec Systems renewed its lease of 3,373 square feet of office space at West Shore III, 301 Concourse Blvd., in Henrico.
Tectonic Engineering & Surveying Consultants PC renewed its lease of 2,222 square feet of office space at Westerre I, 3951 Westerre Parkway, in Henrico.
AAA+ Home Health Care LLC renewed its lease of 1,500 square feet of office space at Parham East, 2201-2221 E. Parham Road, in Henrico.
Have Site Will Travel and The Man with Square Feet announces the following transaction:
MC Innovations LLC leased 2,545 square feet at the Vistas, 5540 Falmouth St., in Richmond.
Joyner Commercial Real Estate reports the following transactions:
XP Marketing Agency leased 1,072 square feet of office space at 400-C Southlake Blvd. in Chesterfield.
Family Secrets Restaurant leased 4,305 square feet of restaurant space at 7103 Brook Road in Henrico.
Pollard & Bagby Inc. reports the following transactions:
Lefty’s Cuts & Styles leased approximately 700 square feet at 420 N. Second St. in Richmond.
Village Tobacco & Vape LLC leased approximately 1,612 square feet at 5156 Nine Mile Road in Henrico.
Baronian & Associates PC leased approximately 1,212 square feet at 1500 Forest Ave., Suite 202, in Henrico.
Marathon Counseling Services LLC leased approximately 192 square feet at 4615 W. Broad St., Suite 115, in Richmond.
On Track Counseling & Therapeutic Solutions PLLC leased approximately 555 square feet at 1915 Huguenot Road, Suite 301, in Chesterfield.
Wright of Virginia LLC leased approximately 1,531 square feet at 7921 Iron Bridge Road in Chesterfield.
B Watson LLC leased approximately 884 square feet at 10370 Leadbetter Road in Hanover.
John A. Whiting renewed its lease of approximately 1,000 square feet at 4036 MacArthur Ave. in Richmond.
Mr. B’s Barbershop renewed its lease of approximately 875 square feet at 2908 Turner Road in Richmond.
Dance RVA LLC renewed its lease of approximately 1,820 square feet at 6004 W. Broad St., Suite A, in Richmond.
International Hair Salon renewed its lease of approximately 2,175 square feet at 4805 Forest Hill Ave. in Richmond.
Bell Fischer Wesley Therapy & Consulting LLC renewed its lease of approximately 530 square feet at 6002 W. Broad St., Suite 207, in Richmond.
State Farm Insurance Agency renewed its lease of approximately 1,028 square feet at 6010 W. Broad St., Suite 1, in Richmond.
Alkat Electrical Contractors Inc. renewed its lease of approximately 6,700 square feet at 3301 W. Leigh St. in Richmond.
Hoops Academy LLC renewed its lease of approximately 1,500 square feet at 8445 Ellerson Drive, Building B, Unit 8, in Mechanicsville.
T.T.&C. One LLC dba Ashley Furniture renewed its lease of approximately 36,455 square feet at 6312 W. Broad St. in Richmond.
Coates, Battle & Tyree PLLC renewed its lease of approximately 9,800 square feet at 5206 Markel Road, Suite 200, in Henrico.
Dorms Direct LLC renewed its lease of approximately 3,531 square feet at 207 W. 22nd St. in Richmond.
Pat’s World Staging & Re-Design LLC renewed its lease of approximately 3,000 square feet at 2110 Maywill St.in Henrico.
Legendary Auto Glass and Mirror LLC renewed its lease of approximately 6,560 square feet at 2010 Boulevard in Colonial Heights.
Gifted NGO renewed its lease of approximately 1,484 square feet at 4909 Augusta Ave. in Richmond.
Tribble Insurance Agency Inc. renewed its lease of approximately 924 square feet at 10366 Leadbetter Road in Hanover.
Styles African Hair Braiding renewed its lease of approximately 682 square feet at 4623 W. Broad St. in Richmond.
Virginia Union University renewed its lease of approximately 5,796 square feet at 1303-1309 Admiral St. in Richmond.
Rachael Dommert renewed its lease of approximately 594 square feet at 13702 Village Mill Drive, Suite 110, in Chesterfield.
Mark Osborne renewed its lease of approximately 506 square feet at 5809 Lakeside Ave., Suite G1-A, in Richmond.
Balloons to Go renewed its lease of approximately 308 square feet at 1915 Huguenot Road, Suite 103, in Chesterfield.
SALES
Commonwealth Commercial Partners LLC reports the following transaction:
Dinwiddie Holdings Group dba Metro Elevator purchased 12,399 square feet at 2000 E. Grace St. in Richmond from 2000 E. Grace St. LLC for $1,190,000. Ben Bruni represented the purchaser.
Richmond-area business expansions, openings and closings | https://richmond.com/business/local/commercial-real-estate-highlights-2000-e-grace-st-purchased-for-1-19-million/article_6a8e00f8-f4f7-11ed-83a9-1f2fb7ec710a.html | 2023-05-19T19:00:26 | 1 | https://richmond.com/business/local/commercial-real-estate-highlights-2000-e-grace-st-purchased-for-1-19-million/article_6a8e00f8-f4f7-11ed-83a9-1f2fb7ec710a.html |
A former bus driver at an elementary school in Colonial Heights pleaded guilty in federal court in Newport News on Thursday to running a web forum set up to exchange child pornography.
Richard Jerod Whitley Jr. was arrested by Colonial Heights police in January and charged in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in March with five counts of distributing and five counts of receiving child pornography.
Court documents show that the investigation that led to Whitley's arrest began in August, when an undercover employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security first noticed a user named "James Morgan" uploading "child sexual abuse material" to a group called "Kids Boys" hosted on the chat app Viber.
Authorities were able to connect the phone number linked with the "Jason Morgan" account to Whitley, 37, a Petersburg resident. A school resource officer with Colonial Heights Public Schools confirmed to the FBI that Whitley was employed as a bus driver at North Elementary School.
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Whitley admitted to being "Jason Morgan" when questioned by federal agents and revealed that he was a member of more than 120 other groups dedicated to the sharing of child pornography, serving as an administrator in many of the groups.
Federal investigators recovered images of child sexual abuse involving children as young as infants and also found conversations that Whitley had with North Elementary students that, while not sexually explicit, appear to have violated Colonial Heights Public Schools employee guidelines that explicitly discourage "personal communications with students over social media."
Whitley was known to buy snacks and other gifts for the children on his bus routes, investigators said — including sending one student money via Cash App for his birthday.
Mandatory sentencing guidelines outlined in court filings indicate that Whitley will serve at least five years in prison, but he could be facing as many as 20 years, as well as a fine of up to $250,000. | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-courts/colonial-heights-bus-driver-federal-child-porn-charges/article_196b79b8-f66d-11ed-93c2-33980192115e.html | 2023-05-19T19:00:32 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-courts/colonial-heights-bus-driver-federal-child-porn-charges/article_196b79b8-f66d-11ed-93c2-33980192115e.html |
Northbound Coldwater Road between Washington Center Road and Oakbrook Parkway will have lane restrictions Monday, according to the Fort Wayne Traffic Engineering Department.
A road crew will be working in the area and should finish June 9. For more information, call 1-855-463-6848 or www.INDOT4U.com.
Also, Coldwater will have intermittent lane restrictions at the Wallen Road intersection Monday. A utility crew will be working in the area and should finish Tuesday.
For more information, call 260-427-6155 or visit www.trecthefort.org. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/coldwater-road-lane-restrictions/article_ce886448-f65c-11ed-bc0d-37871cf2225a.html | 2023-05-19T19:01:52 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/coldwater-road-lane-restrictions/article_ce886448-f65c-11ed-bc0d-37871cf2225a.html |
Fort Wayne police are investigating a Thursday night shooting that left a man injured outside a liquor store on the city's southeast side.
Officers said a man confronted the victim in the parking lot of the establishment near Winter and Colerick streets about 10:15 p.m.
The man pulled a gun on the victim, demanded money and then shot him, police said.
The suspect is described as a light-skinned Black male with short hair, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing about 130 pounds. He was wearing a dark green hoodie and jeans.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 260-427-1201. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/fort-wayne-police-seeking-liquor-store-shooter/article_ce8d1d58-f666-11ed-a16f-ebc7b9710bc7.html | 2023-05-19T19:01:58 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/fort-wayne-police-seeking-liquor-store-shooter/article_ce8d1d58-f666-11ed-a16f-ebc7b9710bc7.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A local record store is celebrating one year of selling vinyl’s this weekend and is throwing a party on Sunday to celebrate.
Too Many Records started as a YouTube channel eight years ago and is now a brick and mortar on North Lombard in Portland.
“It’s been a crazy year. It’s been awesome building a community out here, people have really received the store nicely,” Matt Kessler of Too Many Records said.
Celebrations kick off at 12 p.m. Sunday with two DJs in-house, followed by Too Many Records’ first parking lot show with band performances.
From the shop’s “Holy Grails” bin with rare records from Frank Ocean to Japanese pressings of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, Kessler says Too Many Records has something for everyone.
“We’re putting out over a hundred rare records on Sunday as well as all of our walls are going to be full of them,” Kessler said. “Collectibles on the walls, essentials in the bins, we want something for everybody.” | https://www.koin.com/local/north-portlands-too-many-records-celebrating-1-year-anniversary/ | 2023-05-19T19:02:37 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/north-portlands-too-many-records-celebrating-1-year-anniversary/ |
PLEASANTVILLE — Police arrested a city man Friday morning after a foot chase resulted in the recovery of a gun.
Sgt. Craig Dennis encountered Lamar Parrish, 30, near West Pleasant Avenue and Main Street at 2:47 a.m. The officer tried speaking to Parrish, but Parrish ran, police said in a news release.
Dennis caught up to Parrish and apprehended him, noticing during the chase that Parrish was holding his waistband, police said.
A defaced 9mm Smith and Wesson gun armed with hollow-point bullets was found in the area, police said.
Parrish is charged with possession of a weapon, obstruction of law, possession of hollow-point bullets, possession of a firearm by a certain person not to carry and additional weapons offenses. He was taken to the Atlantic County jail. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/pleasantville-man-faces-gun-charges-after-police-chase/article_f95f2b06-f66c-11ed-b179-7f8353883a40.html | 2023-05-19T19:05:59 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/pleasantville-man-faces-gun-charges-after-police-chase/article_f95f2b06-f66c-11ed-b179-7f8353883a40.html |
Atlantic County Democratic Chair Michael Suleiman said this week he has formed South Jersey Forward, a nonprofit think tank and advocacy organization that will explore public policy to move South Jersey forward.
The new group is not a political action committee and will not engage in partisan politics, Suleiman said in a news release.
Its first endeavor will be a live roundtable discussion on expanding middle-class housing in Atlantic City. Last year, Suleiman wrote an op-ed for New Jersey Spotlight in which he proposed housing incubator zones funded through casino taxes.
Panelists will include Orange Loop developer Pat Fasano and Pastor Alexander Smith of Community Harvest Church in Atlantic City.
“From Atlantic City to the Delaware Bay, the Pinelands to Cape May, we will research and identify solutions that will make South Jersey a better place to live,” Suleiman said in a news release.
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The new organization will host roundtable discussions, write public policy papers, conduct research and work with policymakers to enact good public policy, according to Suleiman.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP — Atlantic County Democrats endorsed County Commissioner Caren Fitzpatrick…
The roundtable will be 7 p.m. May 31 and will be livestreamed on the South Jersey Forward Facebook page.
Police, fire survivors' bill advances
A bill sponsored by state Sen. Vince Polistina, R-Atlantic, advanced this week to expand the eligibility of surviving children to receive pension benefits from deceased parents who were members of the State Police Retirement System and the Police and Fireman’s Retirement System.
Polistina’s bill, S2689, removes the requirement that the death must occur during active duty to allow a full-time college student under age 24 to be considered a child and be eligible for pension benefits.
“Surviving children already have to grieve the loss of a loved one. Their ability to receive benefits shouldn’t hinge on whether their loved one died in the line of duty,” Polistina said. “Allowing more children to benefit from their family member’s pension can provide a sense of financial security during a very difficult time.”
The State Government, Wagering, Tourism, and Historic Preservation Senate Committee approved the bill, which now goes to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
Currently, a person is considered a child under the PFRS and SPRS when they are under 18, 18 or older and attending a secondary school, or under 24 and enrolled in college as a full-time student or disabled if the parent died on active duty. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/atlantic-county-democratic-chair-creates-south-jersey-think-tank-political-briefs/article_52c621fc-f64c-11ed-9ec7-b737b4d527d0.html | 2023-05-19T19:06:05 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/atlantic-county-democratic-chair-creates-south-jersey-think-tank-political-briefs/article_52c621fc-f64c-11ed-9ec7-b737b4d527d0.html |
Welcome back to Late Edition Crime Beat Chronicles, a Lee Enterprises podcast with host Nat Cardona. On this podcast, you’ll hear true crime stories as told by journalists from regional newspapers across the country.
For the next series of episodes, we will be diving into the 1990 cold case murder of Susan Negersmith in Wildwood, New Jersey. You’ll hear from reporters, past and present, who covered the case as it has unfolded throughout the years and the many twists and turns along the way.
Susan Negersmith was a 20-year-old woman from Carmel, New York. She was visiting Wildwood, New Jersey, on Memorial Day Weekend with friends in 1990. She said goodbye to her friends in the evening of Saturday, May 26, and by the early hours of Sunday morning, Susan’s partially clothed body was found behind a dumpster near a Wildwood restaurant. Her death was originally ruled accidental, although there were signs of a struggle.
An important thing to note about Susan Negersmith’s weekend trip with friends to Wildwood: this area is a destination for a debaucherously good time. Tourists flock there in the warm weather months to party hard. There’s a boardwalk packed with restaurants and bars packed with people from all over. Drinking heavily is a main activity. The reputation of the area for all of these things quickly comes into play in the early days of the investigation ... at the expense of solving Susan’s case in a timely fashion.
For this final episode of the series, we speak with Eric Conklin, a breaking news reporter for the Press of Atlantic City, who has written about some of the recent developments in the case tied charges involving Jerry Rosado, a Millville, New Jersey, man accused of sexually assaulting Negersmith.
A motion for dismissal was made on Rosado’s behalf on the grounds that his sexual assault charge exceeded the statute of limitations governing crimes in 1990, when Negersmith’s body was found.
Rosado was released from the Cape May County jail March 30, a day after the appellate panel published their opinion siding with the defense. We'll have more details on that in the fourth episode.
Read more about the case
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/latest-crime-beat-podcast-on-the-1990-wildwood-murder-of-susan-negersmith/article_e6d5a1dc-f66b-11ed-8601-97718d6a1542.html | 2023-05-19T19:06:11 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/latest-crime-beat-podcast-on-the-1990-wildwood-murder-of-susan-negersmith/article_e6d5a1dc-f66b-11ed-8601-97718d6a1542.html |
Nick Gargan scored three goals and added two assists to lead the Egg Harbor Township High School boys lacrosse team to a 10-6 victory over Cedar Creek in a Cape-Atlantic League interdivision game Thursday.
Samuel Hornikel and Bradley Smith each scored twice for the Eagles (3-10), who led 5-4 at halftime. The game was tied 6-6 after three quarters, but EHT scored four in the fourth. Chase Lagroteria had a goal and an assist for the winners. Calvin Johnson and AJ Zinckgraf each scored once. Matthew Ohlsen made 11 saves.
Jason Bishop scored three and had two assists for Cedar Creek (7-7). Sean Ralston scored two, and Evan Scholder had five ground balls and one goal. Bryan Dougherty made 21 saves.
Boys tennis
No. 10 Southern Reg. 5, Brick Memorial 0
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Singles: Paul Schriever d. Drew Forfar 6-0, 7-5; Sean Kahl d. Aksh Patel 6-2, 6-1; Rohil Gandhi d. Owen Rodriguez 5-1, 6-0Doubles
Doubles: Connor Addiego and Joseph Woehr d. Shubh Patel and John Zigrest 6-0, 6-1; Sam Fierra and Matt Pleyn d. Wii and Lin 6-0, 6-0
Records: Southern 15-3; Brick 7-9
Note: With the win, Southern clinched the Shore Conference A South Division title. This spring is the first time in 20 years the Rams won both the division and the Ocean County Tournament titles. Southern is ranked 10th in The Press Elite 11.
Boys volleyball
No. 10 Egg Harbor Twp. 2, ACIT 0: The Eagles (16-5) won by set scores of 25-11, 25-22.
Chriistiian Vichienrat had six kills and two digs for the winners. Michael Nammour added seven assists. Alec Barnes had five kills and four aces. Thalil Tanvir added five assists and two aces. EHT is No. 11 in the Elite 11.
Timothy Creelman finished with nine digs, five assists and three kills for ACIT (10-12). Hansen Tran added three assists and two kills. Danny Ta had three kills and two service points. Cristopher Rivera added three assists. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/eht-rallies-to-beat-cedar-creek-in-boys-lacrosse-southern-tennis-wins-division-title-late/article_9d088c94-f65d-11ed-9244-170537ecb746.html | 2023-05-19T19:06:17 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/eht-rallies-to-beat-cedar-creek-in-boys-lacrosse-southern-tennis-wins-division-title-late/article_9d088c94-f65d-11ed-9244-170537ecb746.html |
LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Foundation for Lee County Public Schools announced $1.6 million will go to “Take Stock in Children” program.
That’s this year’s theme at the annual Foundation for Lee County Public Schools breakfast in partnership with the school district.
As community businesses, partners, and school officials gathered to eat this morning, the exciting news is announced that the money will be put back into the students through the “Take Stock in Children” program.
All thanks to a generous donation from late Fort Myers resident and Hersey School graduate Jack Thomas, who passed away in 2022 at the age of 99.
This program financially supports low-income students trying to go through high school and further their education through college.
Jack Thomas was heavily involved in the program and donated over $1 million for students’ college scholarships.
The Foundation for Lee County Schools President and CEO Marshall Bower said this provides support to all.
“They come into the program into the sixth grade or in the ninth grade, and they sign a contract with us saying that they choose to be crime, free, drug-free, and get good grades,” He said. “And then the most important thing is to meet with a mentor that we match them with regularly, and if they do that upon graduation from high school, we give them a four-year college tuition scholarship .”
Students in the ‘Take Stock in Children” Program have seen a 95 – 100% graduation rate versus about a 50% graduation rate for those not involved.
Here is the link to the program. | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/05/19/1-6-million-donated-to-take-stock-in-children-program-in-lee-county/amp/ | 2023-05-19T19:07:08 | 1 | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/05/19/1-6-million-donated-to-take-stock-in-children-program-in-lee-county/amp/ |
READLYN — A three-quarter mile stretch of 270th Street in Bremer County will be closed starting Monday as crews begin replacing the bridge east of Tuscon Avenue.
No through traffic will be allowed on the road. The project is expected to take six weeks, until July 5.
5 best lick mats to entertain your dog and support oral health
What is the purpose of a lick mat?
Lick mats have a number of benefits for dogs. The feeder toy can soothe and calm your pet by redirecting anxious paw licking or chewing. The stimulating activity can also keep your dog entertained the next time you’re in an important Zoom meeting.
In addition to the mental benefits, lick mats can support your dog’s oral health. The silicone mats have soft grooves that scrape your dog’s tongue and remove particles around the gums. The action of licking also produces more saliva to keep your dog’s teeth healthy. At the same time, lick mats can slow down speedy eaters who always inhale their kibble.
What can I put on my dog’s lick mat?
Coating your dog’s lick mat with a favorite treat like yogurt or peanut butter is great for high-stress situations like thunderstorms and fireworks. For daily use, you can distribute their wet food on the lick mat to slow down eating or add pureed vegetables like carrots and pumpkin for a healthy treat.
What are the best lick mats for dogs?
If a lick mat sounds like the perfect solution for your hyper or anxious pup, check out our top picks. From tiny mats for small breeds to ultra-durable designs for power chewers, these are the best lick mats for every type of dog.
Best for Speed Eaters: LickiMat Slomo
The LickiMat Slomo is the perfect combination of slow feeder and treat distributor for dogs who eat too quickly. The easy-to-clean grooves are designed to hold wet food, dry food, or treats. Grab one from LickiMat for $20.99 to extend mealtimes and relieve boredom.
Best for Small Dogs and Puppies: Rinse Ace Suction Lick Pad
This little lick mat from Rinse Ace is perfect for smaller breeds and puppies. The suction feature also makes it great for bath time since you can stick it to the side of the tub as a fun distraction. Buy it from Chewy for $7.99.
Best Stationary Lick Mat: Neat-Lik Slow Feed Licking Mat
If your dog loves to drag and hide toys around the house, try this slow-feed Neat-Lik mat. The protective tray will keep the mat in your dog’s normal feeding area, and the mat detaches for easy cleaning. Buy it from Neater Pets for $18.99.
Best for Anxious Dogs: LickiMat Soother
If you have a dog who cowers during thunderstorms, the LickiMat Soother is the perfect pick. Because the mat has more bristle-like grooves than others on the market, it can keep your dog entertained for longer. It’s also a great tooth and gum cleaner. Buy it from LickiMat for $11.99.
Best for Crate Training: Avont Kennel Training Lick Mat
Puppies and dogs with crate anxiety will love this lick mat. The circular pad securely attaches to the side of your dog’s kennel to provide an entertaining distraction while you’re out of the house. Grab it from Amazon for $14.99. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/bremer-county-road-to-close-for-bridge-replacement/article_9b381912-8bba-5232-b5ed-2de3daed3448.html | 2023-05-19T19:11:29 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/bremer-county-road-to-close-for-bridge-replacement/article_9b381912-8bba-5232-b5ed-2de3daed3448.html |
CEDAR FALLS — Care4Kids, a Save4Later initiative hosted by the Iowa Insurance Division is providing a free event for owners and operators of child care organizations.
The event will be held 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday at Bien VenU Event Center, 7400 Hudson Road.
The goal is to provide resources needed to run a profitable child care business such as identifying state-offered resources, answers to questions related to insurance requirements and options, and tips for increasing an organization's revenue.
All child care providers who attend the event will receive three hours of health and human services training credits. To receive credits, participants must register through the i-PoWeR Professional Workforce Registry.
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In addition to registering on i-PoWeR, those participants should register separately on the event site Care4Kids Registration. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/care4kids-event-for-child-care-operators-coming-to-cedar-falls/article_275bb236-8a27-5da4-8c8e-2fd31e8dfa25.html | 2023-05-19T19:11:35 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/care4kids-event-for-child-care-operators-coming-to-cedar-falls/article_275bb236-8a27-5da4-8c8e-2fd31e8dfa25.html |
WATERLOO — A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman and stabbing two men who came to her aid Thursday night.
Waterloo police arrested Eslyn Hernandez Milla, 28, of 313 Polk St., for domestic assault with strangulation, domestic assault with a weapon, willful injury causing serious injury and willful injury causing bodily injury.
A growing number of 911 centers across the country are utilizing livestream video to enhance public safety. First responders say they expect it to be revolutionary in the coming years.
Authorities allege Hernandez became involved in an argument with the mother of his child at their home around 10:30 p.m. Thursday. It turned physical, and he allegedly choked her and held a box cutter to her neck while threatening to kill her.
Two other at the house tried to intervene, and Hernandez allegedly used a multi-tool knife to stab Ramiro Romero Martinez in the abdomen and Hector Romero Martinez in the left leg.
Photos: Missing children in Iowa
Jade Colvin
Jade Colvin
Missing Since: Jun 10, 2016
Missing From: Des Moines, IA
DOB: 2002
Age Now: 20
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 135 lbs
When Jade was last seen, her hair was dyed auburn. She may dye her hair.
Contact
1-800-843-5678
or
Des Moines Police Department (Iowa) 1-515-283-4811
NCMEC: 1408941
Fredrick Workman
Fredrick Workman
Missing Since: Aug 2, 2013
Missing From: Des Moines, IA
DOB:1998
Age Now:24
Sex: Male
Race: White
Hair Color:Blonde
Eye Color: Blue
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 145 lbs
He was last seen on August 2, 2013. Fredrick has a scar under his chin. He may use the alias last name Shields. Fredrick may go by the nickname Fred.
Call 911 or 800-THE-LOST
or
Des Moines Police Department 515-283-4811
NCMEC: 1222001
Benjamin Roseland
Benjamin Roseland
Missing Since: Feb 9, 2008
Missing From: Clinton, IA
DOB: 1988
Age Now: 33
Sex: Male
Race: White
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Height5'11"
Weight: 175 lbs
He was last seen at home on February 9, 2008. He has a vertical scar which extends from his lower lip to his chin, a scar on the right side of his mouth, a scar on the left side of his nose, and a scar on the upper left side of his chest. His nickname is Ben.
Call 911 or 800-THE-LOST
or
Clinton Police Department 563-243-1458
NCMEC: 1092332
Erin Pospisil
Erin Pospisil
Missing Since: June 3, 2001
Missing From: Cedar Rapids, IA
DOB: 1986
Age Now: 36
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 125 lbs
She was last seen at home on June 3, 2001 and she has not been seen or heard from since that day. She has a small scar above her left eye. When she was last seen, Erin had red highlights in her hair.
Call 911 or 800-THE-LOST
or
Cedar Rapids Police Department 319-286-5491
NCMEC: 919997
Marc Allen
Marc Allen
Missing Since: March 29, 1986
Missing From: Des Moines, IA
DOB:1972
Age Now: 50
Sex: Male
Race: White
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Height: 5'0"
Weight: 85 lbs
He was last seen leaving his home is Des Moines, Iowa, on March 29, 1986. He was on his way to a friend's home, but never arrived. The last time he was seen, Marc was wearing a light blue t-shirt, blue jean shorts, white socks, and gray tennis shoes.
Call 911 or 800-THE-LOST
or
Des Moines Police Department 515-283-4811
NCMEC: 1053047
Eugene Martin
Eugene Martin
Missing Since: Aug 12, 1984
Missing From: Des Moines, IA
DOB: 1970
Age Now: 52
Sex: Male
Race: White
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'0"
Weight: 110 lbs
He was last seen between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. as he was delivering newspapers. A paper bag was found outside of Des Moines with papers still inside. He has a scar on his right knee and has had a broken right wrist.
Call 911 or 800-THE-LOST
or
Des Moines Police Department- Missing Persons Unit - 515-283-4864 Or Your Local FBI
NCMEC: 601815
John Gosch
John Gosch
Missing Since: Sep 5, 1982
Missing From: Des Moines, IA
DOB: 1969
Age Now: 52
Sex: Male
Race: White
Hair Color: Lt. Brown
Eye Color: Blue
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 140 lbs
He was last seen delivering newspapers. He has facial freckles, a gap between his front teeth, a birthmark on his left cheek, and a horseshoe-shaped scar on his tongue.
Call 911 or 800-THE-LOST
or
West Des Moines Police Department 515-223-3211 Or Your Local FBI
NCMEC: 601763
Kimberly Doss
Kimberly Doss
Missing Since: Sep 1, 1982
Missing From: Davenport, IA
DOB: 1966
Age Now: 56
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 120 lbs
She was last seen in the Davenport, Iowa area on September 1, 1982. Kimberly has not been seen or heard from since. She may use the alias name of Kimberly Kathleen Gardner. She has a gap between her two front teeth.
Call 911 or 800-THE-LOST
or
Davenport Police Department 563-388-3664
NCMEC: 601057
Colleen Simpson
Colleen Simpson
Missing Since: Oct 5, 1975
Missing From: Bedford, IA
DOB: 1960
Age Now: 61
Sex: Female
Race: White
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Hazel
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 90 lbs
She was last seen at home where she disappeared during the night. Colleen has a scar on her right forearm.
Call 911 or 800-THE-LOST
or
Taylor County Sheriff's Office 712-523-2153
NCMEC: 601905
Fatima Conteh
Fatima Conteh
Missing Since: May 19, 2022
Missing From: Des Moines, IA
DOB: 2006
Age Now: 16
Sex: Female
Race: Biracial
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 4'11"
Weight: 120 lbs
She has tattoos on her chest, left forearm and right shoulder.
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
1-800-843-5678
or
Des Moines Police Department (Iowa) 1-515-283-4811
NCMEC: 1450978
Daquan Nelson
Daquan Nelson
Missing Since: Oct 15, 2022
Missing From: Mason City, IA
DOB: 2005
Age Now:17
Sex:Male
Race:Black
Hair Color:Black
Eye Color:Brown
Height:6'2"
Weight: 190 lbs
Daquan was last seen on October 15, 2022.
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
1-800-843-5678
or
Mason City Police Department (Iowa) 1-641-421-3000
Diomarix Crespo
Diomarix Crespo
Missing Since: Jan 6, 2023
Missing From: Des Moines, IA
DOB: 2006
Age Now: 16
Sex: Female
Race: Hispanic
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 142 lbs
She has tattoos on her face, arms, hands, and chest. She may go by the name Dio.
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
1-800-843-5678
or
Des Moines Police Department (Iowa) 1-515-283-4811
Alivia Beeding
Alivia Beeding
Missing Since: Apr 18, 2023
Missing From: Des Moines, IA
DOB: 2006
Age Now: 17
Sex: Female
Race: Biracial
Hair Color: Brown
Eye Color: Brown
Height: 5'5"
Weight: 165 lbs
ANYONE HAVING INFORMATION SHOULD CONTACT
1-800-843-5678
or
Des Moines Police Department (Iowa) 1-515-283-4811
NCMEC: 1478279
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Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/one-arrested-in-stabbing-assault/article_9d6a46bc-df1b-57d0-b17d-e8a2279074d5.html | 2023-05-19T19:11:41 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/one-arrested-in-stabbing-assault/article_9d6a46bc-df1b-57d0-b17d-e8a2279074d5.html |
WATERLOO — With summer approaching and households continuing to experience the economic effects of inflation, The Salvation Army of Waterloo/Cedar Falls is seeing an increase in the number of individuals accessing food assistance.
“Normally we don’t serve over 1,000 noon meals until June,” Grace Fee, social ministries director, said in a news release. “This year we crossed the 1,000-meal threshold in March, and it appears that number will continue to rise throughout the coming months.”
In addition to the individuals and families accessing The Salvation Army’s Monday, Wednesday, and Friday noon meal and Thursday perishable goods pantry, the organization is experiencing more unhoused individuals in need of food options that do not require refrigeration or cooking facilities.
“We provide shelter to as many of these individuals as possible,” Major Martin Thies said in the release, “however our capacity means there are some we are unable to offer shelter to in the moment. These individuals and families still have basic needs that we do our best to meet.”
To serve these special needs, The Salvation Army keeps a supply of shelf-stable food at its main office and shelters. With the increase in need, The Salvation Army is requesting donations of specific food items to create food bundles for the unhoused: bottled water, bottled juice (plastic bottles), protein bars, granola bars, canned meat (tuna or chicken), canned soups, canned pasta, apples and oranges.
Due to the limitations encountered by the unhoused, all canned good items must have a pop-top (not require a can opener), and all items donated cannot require cooking or refrigeration. Additionally, all items should be within their expiration date.
For those wishing to support the food programs, financial gifts are most effective and offer The Salvation Army the greatest flexibility to purchase what is needed. Financial donations can be made in person at 89 Franklin Street in Waterloo, by mail to P.O. Box 867, Waterloo, IA, 50704, or online at sawaterloo.org.
Waterloo East rightfielder Gavin Peters camps under a fly ball Wednesday during a game against Columbus Catholic. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/salvation-army-food-programs-see-increased-need/article_baadf9e1-78c0-56e6-88d9-69c83eb0cfe4.html | 2023-05-19T19:11:48 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/salvation-army-food-programs-see-increased-need/article_baadf9e1-78c0-56e6-88d9-69c83eb0cfe4.html |
Photo Galleries: Sarasota and Manatee County high school graduations
2023 Bayshore High School graduation photos
Manatee County's Bayshore High School celebrated 233 graduates at its commencement ceremony at Bradenton's LECOM Park baseball stadium on Wednesday, May 17.
2023 Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School graduation photos
Sarasota's Cardinal Mooney's Class of 2023 – with 160 graduates – celebrated commencement at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota, on Friday, May 12. Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School has been the only Catholic high school in Sarasota, Manatee, and Charlotte counties since 1959. The school is nationally accredited and provides the AP Capstone Diploma as well as honors, Advanced Placement, dual enrollment, and learning techniques programs.
2023 Lakewood Ranch High School graduation photos
Lakewood Ranch High School held its 2023 commencement ceremony at Bradenton's LECOM Park baseball stadium on Wednesday, May 17, with some 600 graduates.
2023 Palmetto High School graduation photos
In front of roughly 1,500 guests, Palmetto High School proudly celebrated 383 graduates who participated in commencement exercises held at Lecom Park in Bradenton Thursday night. In addition to a traditional high school diploma, 91 graduates received the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE).
2023 Southeast High School graduation photos
Manatee County's Southeast High School held its Class of 2023 commencement ceremony at Bradenton's LECOM Park baseball stadium Thursday afternoon, May 18, 2023, recognizing 301 graduates
2023 Braden River High School graduation photos
Available Sunday, May 21.
2023 Booker High School graduation photos
Available Sunday, May 21.
2023 Manatee High School graduation photos
Available Saturday, May 20.
2023 North Port High School graduation photos
Available Sunday, May 21.
2023 Parrish High School graduation photos
Available Saturday, May 20.
2023 Pine View School graduation photos
Available Monday, May 22.
2023 Riverview High School graduation photos
Available Sunday, May 21.
2023 Sarasota High School graduation photos
Available Saturday, May 20.
2023 Suncoast Polytechnic High School graduation photos
Available Saturday, May 20.
2023 Venice High School graduation photos
Available Saturday, May 20. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/photo-galleries-sarasota-manatee-venice-bradenton-north-port-lakewood-ranch-high-school-graduations/70236014007/ | 2023-05-19T19:15:06 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/photo-galleries-sarasota-manatee-venice-bradenton-north-port-lakewood-ranch-high-school-graduations/70236014007/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — A new playground, splash pad, and shelter was unveiled Friday at the Frank & Judy O’Bannon Park in Indianapolis.
The total cost of the renovations was more than $800,000, with the city funding about half of the project.
The park is located on the near north side of Indianapolis near East 16th Street and College Avenue.
“We are used to seeing soccer players of all ages flood the fields each week, but now I am excited to see even more community members taking advantage of the new amenities in this park," said Phyllis Boyd, Indy Parks director. "With spring upon us and summer just around the corner, we are looking forward to hearing about all the memories that will be made here at the new playground, splash pad, and shelter.”
The park already features nine soccer fields for different age groups and trails. There is also parking for people using the Monon Trail.
All Indy Parks splash pads will open starting May 20. For more information and operating splash pad locations, click here. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/new-splash-pad-playground-open-obannon-park-monon-trail-shelter-acess-location/531-127f972c-72eb-4acb-88fd-3c3ee8ffadbc | 2023-05-19T19:19:28 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/new-splash-pad-playground-open-obannon-park-monon-trail-shelter-acess-location/531-127f972c-72eb-4acb-88fd-3c3ee8ffadbc |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The Birmingham Public Library will be hosting a “Hand in Paw” storytime next week at the West End Branch Library.
Guest storyteller Megan Green, the branch manager at Powderly Library, and a special guest dog from the Hand in Paw therapy dog organization will be there to greet young patrons. Hand in Paw trains qualified animals and their owners to work as a team in therapeutic settings such as schools and libraries. Hand-in-Paw teams become heroes to people of all ages dealing with emotional and physical challenges.
“Storytime is a chance for young kids to engage with each other,” Green said. “It promotes social interaction not just participating with their peers but also with the story itself because they are watching it come to life right before their eyes. So they get to move around and use music and dance, and we like to incorporate that and kind of improve their motor skills.”
The event is taking place Monday in the library meeting room. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/birmingham-public-library-to-hold-hand-in-paw-storytelling-event/ | 2023-05-19T19:23:49 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/birmingham-public-library-to-hold-hand-in-paw-storytelling-event/ |
WEST BLOCTON, Ala. (WIAT) — The Cahaba Lily Festival is this Saturday, and everyone is invited to attend and enjoy the festivities.
The event is being held at the Cahaba Lily Center in downtown West Blocton. The event features guest speakers, the crowning of Miss Cahaba Lily and a brunch.
It’s all about celebrating the lily that’s found on the Cahaba River here in Alabama. CBS 42 spoke to organizers about the importance of this event as well as Miss Cahaba Lily herself.
“We will have numerous updates on everything related to nature and wildflowers and outside, and then our last featured speaker is Dr. Larry Davenport of Samford University,” said Lisa Buck of the Cahaba Lily Festival Committee. “He is the world’s leading authority on this flower, and he will do his talk about romancing the Cahaba lily.”
I definitely want to talk to our young students about that and get them excited for it because they are our next generation,” 2023 Miss Cahaba Lily Aldyn Deerman. “So I think I definitely think that they need to be involved in that as well.
This is the 34th annual Cahaba Lily Festival, and it’s free. The event was held virtually during the pandemic. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/cahaba-lily-festival-on-saturday/ | 2023-05-19T19:23:55 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/cahaba-lily-festival-on-saturday/ |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The local organization Urban Impact is inviting everyone to visit the Historic Fourth Avenue Business District this Saturday for an event that will ignite the spirit of our city.
It’s called the “Better Together Black Birmingham” market. Over 40 vendors will be on hand as the event celebrates the community, culture and the incredible talent of local Black business owners. The vibrant heart of our city will come alive with the sights, sounds, and flavors that make Birmingham so unique. This market series will shine a spotlight on the current merchants in the district and new business owners.
“We are hosting it in the little historic business district because of the legacy that is has, and it is maybe one of the top five last functioning Black wall streets in a Black business district,” said Courtney Craig, program manager for Urban Impact. “So we still have a Black ownership there, and so with our business accelerator program we have a bunch of new businesses, new Black-owned businesses that flood through that. So we try to bridge that gap and make sure that they are aware of the legacy that is the Historic Fourth Avenue District and bring in new businesses and new relationships with businesses that already call it the house.”
The event is taking place tomorrow in the Historic Fourth Avenue District in downtown Birmingham from 12 to 5 p.m. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/urban-impact-inviting-everyone-to-historic-4th-avenue-business-district-for-market/ | 2023-05-19T19:24:01 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/urban-impact-inviting-everyone-to-historic-4th-avenue-business-district-for-market/ |
Kenosha County health leaders have taken the first steps in addressing what they have identified as the most pressing concerns in the community.
A Kenosha County Public Health survey, conducted every three years by KCPH in partnership with community healthcare providers, gives leaders a perspective on the health of the Kenosha County community, as well as sharing what residents considered to be the most pressing health-related concerns.
The latest data from nearly 1,000 county residents was collected online utilizing a revised list of survey questions, rather than in the past when they called 200 landlines and 200 cell phone numbers in the county.
Lori Plahmer, interim health director at Kenosha County Public Health, said the increased number of responses aided their efforts. “The more people we’re able to survey, the better our representation of the top issues can be,” Plahmer said.
People are also reading…
On Wednesday, community health leaders met at the Kenosha County Center to discuss the survey’s findings and vote on the top three priorities.
Out of the Top 10 health-related concerns residents raised, members voted that access to affordable healthcare, mental health and drug and alcohol use, and access to affordable housing were the three most pressing issues.
That matched with the top three issues most residents listed in the survey as their greatest health-related concerns. Drug and alcohol use was combined with mental health, as members felt they were similar issues.
Affordable healthcare
Approximately 45% of surveyed residents listed access to affordable health care as one of their three largest health concerns in the county.
According to the report, healthcare must be reasonably close to where people live, be open at convenient times and have enough staffing. Critically, it must also be affordable, “so that people do not have to choose between healthcare and other priorities such as paying their rent.”
Compared to the rest of the state, Wisconsin trails in terms of primary care providers. Wisconsin has 1 primary care provider for every 1,240 residents, compared to Kenosha County’s 1 per 2,090.
Approximately 48% of those surveyed indicated they had delayed or did not receive dental, medical or prescription care in the last year, with 22% indicating they had delayed healthcare because of cost.
Lack of access to affordable healthcare most heavily impacts people of color, the survey indicated. Approximatey 50% of Black residents and 41% of Hispanic residents had gaps in their insurance coverage in the last year, compared to 12% of white residents.
Mental health and drug and alcohol use
Between 2019 and 2022, a total of 610 opioid-related ambulance calls occurred in Kenosha County, an average of three runs per week. There were 36 opioid-related deaths per 100,000 people per year in Kenosha County.
Since 2014, opioid-related deaths increasingly involved fentanyl.
Approximately 65% of Wisconsin adults reported alcohol use in the past 30 days, compared to the U.S. average off 55%. Kenosha County adults were slightly less likely to binge drink than Wisconsin adults, the report indicates.
Kenosha County has fewer mental health providers per person than the state average, with one provider for every 680 residents versus Wisconsin’s one per 420.
While 74% of respondents said they had an adequate support network that benefited their mental health, Black and Hispanic respondents were more likely to lack an adequate support network. Approximately 26% and 36% of Hispanic and Black respondents, respectively, reported an inadequate network, compared to 14% of white respondents.
Approximately 26% of survey respondents have been diagnosed or treated for anxiety in the past three years, and 21% were diagnosed or treated for depression in the past three years. There were 24 people who died by suicide in 2022, with 1.6% of all deaths in the past five years being suicides.
Affordable housing.
Approximately 44% of surveyed residents listed access to affordable housing as one of their three largest health concerns in Kenosha County.
Only 31% of survey respondents agreed there were affordable places to live in Kenosha County. Approximately 13% of Kenosha County households spend more than 50% of their income on housing, slightly higher than the statewide average of 11%.
In Kenosha County, 73% of white people own a home, versus 18% of Black people, a 55% gap.
What's next?
Other health concerns residents raised were access to affordable healthy food, violence and crime, driving problems, obesity, racism and aging related issues.
Overall, survey respondents were 68% white, 12% Hispanic, 10% Black and 11% “other”. The incomes and educational backgrounds of respondents were varied. Respondents were predominantly female, 81%, to just 19% male. Roughly one out of three respondents were aged 18 to 34.
The report and subsequent vote were the first two steps of the five-step Kenosha County THRIVE Community Health Improvement Plan. The next step will be to develop a plan to address the concerns.
Members will split into three groups, each focusing on one issue, and meet three times over the summer. Plahmer said plans should be ready by the fall.
The first meetings for the three THRIVE Action Teams will be June 26th from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kenosha County Job Center. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-county-public-health-releases-2022-community-health-assessment-votes-on-top-3-priorities/article_6364033a-f660-11ed-8122-af2c6ef20103.html | 2023-05-19T19:32:34 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-county-public-health-releases-2022-community-health-assessment-votes-on-top-3-priorities/article_6364033a-f660-11ed-8122-af2c6ef20103.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Tens of thousands of legal and trophy-sized trout are being offloaded into various bodies of water around the state this month in preparation for peak fishing season.
A spokesperson with Lost Lake Resort and Campground told KOIN 6 News that 2,400 rainbow trout and 600 trophy trout were released into Lost Lake on May 18. Another 3,000 trout are expected to be pumped into the lake just before Memorial Day weekend, when the lake’s boat rentals will open for the season.
“We can’t wait to see your smiles and photos and hear your fishing stories,” Lost Lake Campground shared on social media.
A full list of estimated trout stocking dates and locations is available on the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife website. Regional stocking updates can also be found in the ODFW’s latest recreation report. Fishing regulations are available on the Lost Lake Resort and ODFW websites.
Other fishing spots stocked in the Willamette Valley recreation zone this week include: The McKenzie River above Leaburg, Alton Baker Canoe Canal, Foster Reservoir, Huddleston Pond, Waverly Lake, Clear Lake, Quartzville Creek, North Fork Reservoir, Sheridan Pond, Leaburg Lake, Walter Wirth Lake, EE Wilson Pond, Timothy Lake, Commonwealth Lake, St. Louis Pond, Blue River, Junction City Pond, Estacada Lake, Sunnyside Park Pond, Fall Creek, Walling Pond, Small Fry Lake and Henry Hagg Lake. | https://www.koin.com/local/video-oregon-lakes-freshly-stocked-with-thousands-of-trout-for-fishing-season/ | 2023-05-19T19:33:24 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/video-oregon-lakes-freshly-stocked-with-thousands-of-trout-for-fishing-season/ |
A boozy festival at the zoo, free movie screenings and a Pokemon-themed event are all taking over Tucson this weekend.
What else? Learn to macrame your own plant hanger, dance the night away with lots of live music events and find your new favorite eatery at a food truck roundup.
Of course, things can change quickly these days. Check for the latest info before heading out!
Free Third Thursdays at MOCA
Third Thursday at Tucson’s Museum of Contemporary Art is a party. The art museum is open late with free admission — and free beer from Barrio Brewing Co. KXCI will be DJing!
When: 5-9 p.m. Thursday, May 18
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson, 265 S. Church Ave.
People are also reading…
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Concerts in the Courtyard
Head to Marana for this monthly concert series, with food trucks onsite. This month, enjoy music from the OnesAll Band. Bring your own chairs or blankets!
When: 5-7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 18
Where: Marana Municipal Complex, 11555 W. Civic Center Dr.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for food
Visit the event page for more information.
The musical comedy “The Legend of McBride” is coming to Tucson this June 2023
Don’t miss the big-hearted, fierce and hilarious story of an Elvis impersonator’s transformation into an all-out queen! The Arizona Theatre Company presents “The Legend of McBride” at the Temple of Music and Art from June 3-24. Get your tickets HERE.
Chocolate Factory Tour
If you love "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" as much as our food writer Ellice Lueders does, this might be your dream come true. Take a tour of Monsoon Chocolate's factory to learn how the chocolate is made.
When: Various times and dates through May
Where: Monsoon Chocolate, 234 E. 22nd St.
Cost: $20
Visit the event page for more information.
Discovery Nights at Children's Museum Tucson
Visit Children's Museum Tucson for a free night of science and art, including story times and pop-up science experiments.
When: 5-7 p.m. Thursdays
Where: Children's Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave.
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
"Moana" at Tohono Chul
Catch a screening of "Moana" at Tohono Chul. Popcorn, cotton candy and drinks will be available for purchase.
When: 7 p.m. Friday, May 19
Where: Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte
Cost: $4
Visit the event page for more information.
Queremos Bailar
The Downtown Clifton is hosting a queer dance party with drinks, snacks and a DJ spinning Latino classics.
When: 7-10 p.m. Friday, May 19
Where: The Downtown Clifton, 485 S. Stone Ave.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for drinks and snacks
Visit the event page for more information.
Ignite the Possibilities: A Collective Celebration
CATALYST at Tucson Mall, part of Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance, is getting a new name — CATALYST Creative Collective. A launch party is taking place this Friday where you'll get to see new art installations and enjoy drinks, food samplings, performances and educational demonstrations.
When: 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 19
Where: CATALYST Creative Collective, 4500 N. Oracle Road
Cost: $40
Visit the event page for more information.
Monthly Tarot Salon
Metaphysical shop The Ninth House hosts informal tarot salons each month, allowing community members to practice their tarot reading skills. Bring a tarot or oracle deck — and a notebook and pen!
When: 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, May 19
Where: The Ninth House, 2563 E. Fort Lowell Road
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Art Corner with BICAS
Get free access to recycled bike art parts, tools and other materials and get creative! Once you're finished, you can donate your creation to BICAS or give a suggested donation to the nonprofit, if you're able to. Check in at the front counter before heading to the art area.
When: 4-6 p.m. Fridays
Where: BICAS, 2001 N. Seventh Ave.
Cost: Free to attend, donation suggested
Visit the event page for more information.
Brew at the Zoo
Enjoy a huge selection of beer and cider from more than two dozen Arizona breweries. In addition to the drink tastings, take a walk around Reid Park Zoo, play games and listen to live music.
When: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court
Cost: $50 for general admission. $25 for designated drivers. Tickets go up $10 at the gate. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Movies in Marana: "Luca"
Summer means outdoor movies are back! Catch a screening of "Luca" in the splash pad area of Crossroads at Silverbell District Park. Food vendors are TBA.
When: 7:15 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Crossroads at Silverbell District Park, 7548 N. Silverbell Road
Cost: Free to attend. Bring a towel.
Visit the event page for more information.
Tucson Day
This Saturday marks May 20, aka 5/20! Tucson Hop Shop is celebrating with their second annual Tucson Day fundraising event. You'll find the You Sly Dog food truck, live tattoos, live music and a silent auction benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson.
When: 4-9 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Tucson Hop Shop, 3230 N. Dodge Blvd.
Cost: Free to attend, see the website for VIP tattoo packages
Visit the event page for more information.
Evee Expo
Kira Kira Collectibles is putting together a Pokemon-themed event dubbed the Eevee Expo. You'll find vendors, artists, raffles, a cosplay contest and boba!
When: 5-9 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: The Korean Rose, 6118 E. Speedway
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping and boba
Visit the event page for more information.
Las Mujeres Verdes Mercado + Flowers and Bullet's Community Celebration
Las Mujeres Verdes, a group of four women looking to uplift small businesses, are celebrating their one-year anniversary! Flowers & Bullets, where the mercado takes place, is also celebrating an anniversary on the same day — their 10th birthday! The big bash will feature food and craft vendors, a petting zoo, music, jumping castles and a donation drive for South Tucson Community Outreach.
When: Saturday, May 20. Las Mujeres Verdes is 3-7 p.m. The Flowers & Bullets celebration is 4-9:30 p.m.
Where: Flowers & Bullets Midtown Farm, 3538 E. Ellington Place
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping
Visit the event page for more information.
San Ysidro Festival
Mission Garden is hosting a festival for St. Isidore's Day, including demonstrations on traditional wheat harvests and tastings of pozole de trigo, a soup with wheat grains.
When: 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 20
Where: Mission Garden, 946 W. Mission Lane
Cost: Free to attend, donation suggested at the gate
Visit the event page for more information.
CryFest Emo Night
Dress in your best emo western wear as you dance to emo classics all night. This party features art, tattoos and a photo booth.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Thunder Canyon Brewery, 220 E. Broadway
Cost: $10. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Family Saturdays with Watershed Management Group
Head to Watershed Management Group for Family Saturdays where you'll learn how to harvest and prepare native plants. Kids and teens can enjoy story time, song time and coding activities.
When: 8-11 a.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Watershed Management Group, 1137 N. Dodge Blvd.
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Moon Market
Four of Wands is hosting a moon market, complete with astrology, palm readers, and bone and tarot readings. There will be $20 Zodiac-themed flash tattoos, vendors and a food truck.
When: 2-9 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Four of Wands, 4349 E. Broadway
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping
Visit the event page for more information.
Food Not Bombs Garage Sale
Food Not Bombs Tucson and Tucson Food Share are hosting a garage sale in support of their mutual-aid organization.
When: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Grant Road and Dodge Boulevard, check Instagram the day before for the exact address
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping
Visit the event page for more information.
Make N Take at Pima Air and Space
Kids ages 6 and up will receive a quick-build model aircraft kit that they'll be able to put together, all while learning about the aircraft. They'll get to visit the aircraft they're set to build, too!
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Pima Air and Space Museum's administrative building north of the parking lot, 6000 E. Valencia Road
Cost: $20 per child. An adult is required to be present with the child during class. Admission to the museum is not included and admission is not needed to participate in the class.
Visit the event page for more information.
Paws & Pages Literacy Program
Kids can read to the shelter pets at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. "The APSCA has observed that shy and fearful dogs warm up to humans quicker when a kind human reads them a great book," the Humane Society says. Kids should wear long pants and closed-toe shoes, and will need an adult onsite with them (who will be encouraged to stay in the waiting area while the kiddo reads).
When: 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Humane Society of Southern Arizona, 635 W. Roger Road
Cost: $5. This event is for kids ages 5-17. Participants must have a liability waiver on file.
Visit the event page for more information.
'80s Dance Party at Surly Wench
Surly Wench Pub is hosting an '80s-themed dance party featuring throwback music and themed drinks. Dress in your best '80s attire or in a "Back to the Future" theme.
When: 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Surly Wench Pub, 424 N. Fourth Ave.
Cost: $5. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Beer + Bikes
This bike ride goes along The Loop to 1912 Brewing Co. for a beer or two, followed by a bike ride back to Button Brew House for food truck bites.
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Button Brew House, 6800 N. Camino Martin
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for brews and food
Visit the event page for more information.
Kid's Night Out
Drop off the kids for a night at We Rock The Spectrum. There will be pizza, crafts, games and open play such as a zipline and a trampoline.
When: 4-7 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: We Rock The Spectrum, 4811 E. Grant Road
Cost: $35 per child in advance, $45 day of
Visit the event page for more information.
Music in the Park
Arizona Symphonic Winds are kicking off their "Music in the Park" summer series this month. Bring your own chairs and blankets!
When: 7 p.m. Saturdays through June 3
Where: Udall Park, 7200 E. Tanque Verde Road
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
The Game Show Show
Tucson Improv Movement is hosting an improvised game show! Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase.
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Tucson Improv Movement, 414 E. Ninth St.
Cost: $7
Visit the event page for more information.
Goat yoga
Enjoy an hour of yoga and goats with this class at Udall Park!
When: 9-10 a.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Udall Park, 7290 E. Tanque Verde Road
Cost: $25
Visit the event page for more information.
St. Philip's Plaza Market
Visit St. Philip's Plaza to shop from local makers and enjoy live music. While you're there, grab a bite to eat at one of the plaza's several eateries.
When: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays
Where: St. Philip's Plaza, 4280 N. Campbell Ave.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping and food
Visit the event page for more information.
Magic & Mystery Dinner Theater
At this event, you'll get to enjoy dinner from Dante's Fire, all while watching a magical theatrical performance.
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20
Where: Dante's Fire, 2526 E. Grant Road
Cost: $49 without dinner, $79 with dinner
Visit the event page for more information.
Meet the Chefs
Local chefs will compete for a chance to partake in this summer's Iron Chef Tucson competition. Whoever wins during this Meet the Chefs event will battle Tucson's current Iron Chef, Kenneth Foy of Dante's Fire, in July.
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Casino Del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Road
Cost: $20 in advance, $25 day of. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Mark's Food Truck Fiesta
Tucson Foodie is hosting a food truck rally featuring seven local food trucks ranging from pizza to sushi.
When: 5-9 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Hem and Her Bridal, 4004 N. Stone Ave.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for food
Visit the event page for more information.
DIY Macrame Plant Hanger Workshop
Learn how to make a macrame plant hanger from local maker Melrose Macrame! The price includes the workshop, materials, one tamal and one mimosa.
When: Noon to 3 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Hotel McCoy, 720 W. Silverlake Road
Cost: $45
Visit the event page for more information.
Birthday Brunch & Sale
Local maker shop Arizona Poppy is celebrating its first birthday (it's owner Rosie's birthday too!) with a mini brunch. You'll find mimosas, cake from Agave Pantry, pastries from Carbs and Coffee, and espresso from Harley's Coffee. Plus, everything in the shop will be discounted!
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Arizona Poppy, 150 S. Fourth Ave.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping and treats
Visit the event page for more information.
Ice Cream Sunday Social
Local confectionary Okashi is hosting its first ice cream pop-up! Build your own sundae with scoops of ice cream flavored like sweetened condensed milk, charred strawberry and yuzu coconut.
When: 6-9 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Coronet Cafe, 353 S. Meyer Ave.
Cost: Bring money for ice cream
Visit the event page for more information.
Celebration of Life for George Howard
Over five decades, George Howard played everything from blues to zydeco, but one of his biggest legacies was shining a light on Tucson musicians. The bluesman and Tucson Musicians Museum founder died on April 14. A celebration of life will be held at Hotel Congress, featuring several performers.
When: 2-9 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St.
Cost: Free to attend, $10 suggested donation
Visit the event page for more information.
International Day of Light
Flandrau is hosting an afternoon of free activities for International Day of Light! You'll get to explore optic activities, a planetarium show and a lecture all for free.
When: 1-5 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd.
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Nature at Night drag show
Miss Nature frequently hosts drag shows at Bumsteds with several performers. No two shows are the same!
When: 5 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Bumsteds, 1003 N. Stone Ave.
Cost: $12
Visit the event page for more information.
Tucson Pops Orchestra Concert Series
Tucson Pops Orchestra is back for another year of concerts in Reid Park. The series features special guests including Crystal Stark this Sunday.
When: 7 p.m. Sundays in May
Where: DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center in Reid Park, 800 S. Concert Place
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Summer Social ft. poetry
Todd Boss will be at The Century Room this Sunday for a poetry reading. He'll be around to sign books and chat with composer Jake Runestad about how they worked together to create music. There will be free snacks and a cash bar!
When: 4-6 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: The Century Room, 311 E. Congress St.
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
"Living River: The Promise of the Mighty Colorado" Book Talk
Conservation photographer Dave Showalter will facilitate a talk about his new book "Living River: The Promise of the Mighty Colorado."
When: 4-5:30 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Center for Creative Photography, 1030 N. Olive Road
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Cat bingo at El Jefe Cat Lounge
Spend time with the cats at El Jefe Cat Lounge all while playing bingo!
When: 6-7 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: El Jefe Cat Lounge, 3025 N. Campbell Ave.
Cost: $14 for bingo, reservations required
Visit the event page for more information.
TKMA Song Circle Social Gathering
Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, aka the folks who put on the annual Tucson Folk Festival, are putting together a bimonthly Song Circle Social. Bring your instrument, share some songs and mingle with fellow musicians.
When: 5:30-8 p.m. Sunday, May 21
Where: Borderlands Brewing Company, 119 E. Toole Ave.
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Walking tours with the Presidio Museum
Explore Tucson's downtown area with walking tours hosted by the Presidio Museum. This Sunday's tours include a shortened version of the Turquoise Trail, where you'll learn Tucson history; and the "Pioneer Women of Main Avenue" tour, which discusses powerful women in Tucson history.
When: 8-10 a.m. Sunday, May 21. Tours are separate.
Where: Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, 196 N. Court Ave., for Turquoise Trail; Café a la C’Art, 150 N. Main Ave., for Pioneer Women tour.
Cost: $25. Pre-registration is required.
Visit the event page for more information. | https://tucson.com/news/local/43-fun-events-happening-in-tucson-this-weekend-may-18-21/article_02e62a36-f671-11ed-ac5b-3f77ed2e2fe6.html | 2023-05-19T19:41:46 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/43-fun-events-happening-in-tucson-this-weekend-may-18-21/article_02e62a36-f671-11ed-ac5b-3f77ed2e2fe6.html |
VALPARAISO — A jury deliberated for about 30 minutes Friday afternoon before retuning to find a 50-year-old Chesterton man not guilty of repeatedly molesting a young girl he knew beginning nearly nine years ago.
Agustin Espinoza II was cleared of the single felony count of child molesting, according to his defense attorney Jesse Harper.
"From the first moment he had learned of these allegations from the police during an interrogation until he testified in trial, Agustin Espinoza has always always said the same thing, 'I did not do this,' " Harper said following the verdict.
"We are grateful that the jury listened and weighed the testimony and ultimately found, by unanimous decision, that Mr. Espinosa was not guilty of these charges," Harper said.
The girl had claimed the abuse occurred between her seventh- and eighth-grade years in school, according to court records. The alleged offenses occurred between July 1, 2014, and April 3, 2016, in Chesterton, according to the charges filed in June 2017.
The girl reportedly told police she rearranged her bedroom, slept in a more guarded position in a different spot in bed, locked her door and wore sweaters in an attempt to discourage the abuse.
The girl "noted that the incidents seemed to happen every two weeks," police said.
A woman told police as she hid in her home, the accused knocked at the door and yelled, "I'm going to kill you" before overturning a few flower pots and leaving.
The girl's mother told jurors Wednesday morning that Espinoza was found at one point to be hiding in the girl's bedroom closet.
"I did not know what was going on," the mother testified.
She said after hearing arguments in her daughter's bedroom at the Chesterton home, she approached Espinoza, who told her he had hidden in the closet to see what the girl was doing at bedtime.
The mother said Espinoza had told her nothing about hiding in the closet until he was caught and after he startled the girl.
The girl's mother also testified that Espinoza took an electronic device from the girl and sent text messages to her friends, which they realized were coming from someone other than the girl.
This week's trial took place before Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail
Porter/LaPorte County Courts and Social Justice Reporter
Bob is a 23-year veteran of The Times. He covers county government and courts in Porter County, federal courts, police news and regional issues. He also created the Vegan in the Region blog, is an Indiana University grad and lifelong region resident.
A jury deliberated for about 30 minutes Friday afternoon before retuning to find a 50-year-old Chesterton man not guilty of repeatedly molesting a young girl he knew beginning nearly nine years ago. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/jury-takes-half-hour-to-find-porter-county-man-not-guilty-in-6-year-old/article_74a7e48e-f667-11ed-821d-07569316c1cc.html | 2023-05-19T19:46:02 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/jury-takes-half-hour-to-find-porter-county-man-not-guilty-in-6-year-old/article_74a7e48e-f667-11ed-821d-07569316c1cc.html |
Indiana's unemployment fell to 3% in April, down from 3.1% the previous month, as private employment reached another record high.
There were just over 3.4 million Hoosiers participating in the labor force in April, an increase of 7,080 from the previous month. The labor force participation rate in Indiana increased to 63.6% in April, up from 63.5% the previous month and above the national rate of 62.6%, according to the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.
Indiana's labor force is the total number of people working and actively seeking work as extrapolated from a phone survey. An estimated 120,645 people were unemployed and seeking work, or available to work now. The unemployment rate is not tied to the number of people receiving unemployment benefits, which totaled 14,211 in April.
There are now 3.3 million Hoosiers working in the private sector.
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Private-sector employment in Indiana grew by 76,500 year-over-year in April, rising by 14,200 jobs as compared to the previous month. It rose to a new private employment peak of 2.845 million. Last month, the Hoosier state gained 4,100 jobs in private educational and health services, 3,800 jobs in leisure and hospitality, 3,500 jobs in professional and business services, 1,500 jobs in financial activities, 1,300 jobs in trade, transportation and utilities and 300 jobs in manufacturing.
Indiana currently has an estimated 126,185 open job postings around the state.
In April, the national unemployment rate was 3.4%, down from 3.5% the previous month.
In Illinois, unemployment fell by 0.2 percentage point to 4.2% in April.
Illinois gained 8,500 jobs in April, according to the Illinois Department of Employment Security. Last month, the state added 3,000 jobs in manufacturing, 2,700 in construction, 2,700 in financial activities and 2,700 in educational and health services. The state lost 2,000 jobs in other services, 900 in government and 700 in leisure and hospitality.
Illinois's unemployment rate is 0.8 percentage point higher than the national rate in April but down 0.3 percentage point from a year ago, when it stood at 4.5%.
The Land of Lincoln added 131,800 jobs over the past 12 months, gaining jobs in almost all major industries. Illinois gained 38,100 jobs in educational and health services, 37,200 jobs in leisure and hospitality and 29,700 jobs in government. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/unemployment-rate-falls-in-indiana-illinois/article_21fab2da-f65c-11ed-b148-5f3e7133e4ef.html | 2023-05-19T19:46:08 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/unemployment-rate-falls-in-indiana-illinois/article_21fab2da-f65c-11ed-b148-5f3e7133e4ef.html |
MIDLAND, Texas — UPDATE: The Midland Police Department held a press conference Friday afternoon with an update on Missing Person Madeline Pantoja, who's been missing since May 10.
Mayor Lori Blong said the Police Department is working tirelessly on the investigation, and that due to it being an active investigation, they can't answer any questions.
She said there is no reason to believe there is a public threat to Midland.
The Chief of Police Seth Herman took the podium and said that since the initial report, the police department have worked 24 hours a day to solve this.
He said they have search about 60 square miles of remote property using human assets, drones and manned aircraft. They've also had over one dozen search warrants to search for Pantoja.
They've interviewed about 25 people so far and have also received over 20 tips from the public.
If evidence should suggest foul play, criminal enforcement actions should be taken without delay.
The police department advises the public shouldn't interfere with the investigation and engage in their own investigations, which could impede locating Pantoja. Any interference by any parties in their investigation will result in necessary charges to the charges.
They also said that there is now a $20,000 reward for anyone who provides information that leads to the location of Pantoja.
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The Midland Police Department is asking for help locating 21-year-old Madeline Molina Pantoja.
She was last seen at 11:00 p.m. on May 10 at 1711 West Francis. There is no clothing description, and her phone and vehicle are still at her apartment.
People can call MPD at 432-685-7108 if they have any information. We will continue to update this story as we receive more information. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/midland-police-department-asks-for-help-finding-missing-person/513-2f0ff809-0a36-4f08-a4b9-fe770998108f | 2023-05-19T19:48:51 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/midland-police-department-asks-for-help-finding-missing-person/513-2f0ff809-0a36-4f08-a4b9-fe770998108f |
From Delavan Lake to the world stage, Wisconsin sailor Harry "Buddy" Melges defined competitive sailing
Sailors in Wisconsin and around the world are remembering and swapping stories about Harry "Buddy" Melges, an international sailing icon who died Thursday at 93.
Known as "The Wizard of Zenda," Melges was a fierce competitor whose career included Olympic medals, numerous national and world fleet championships on the water and on the ice, and an America's Cup victory in 1992.
He could be a hot-head on the water, but on shore Melges was a gracious ambassador for the sport, a man who was equally dedicated to mentoring competitors and improving the skills of all who crossed his path, said Bill Wyman, commodore of the Oshkosh Yacht Club, who sailed both with and against Melges.
"We used to call him God," said Wyman, who had known Melges since the 1970s. "He was the he was the man — I mean, he was fantastic, not only locally, but ,of course, nationally and worldwide.
"He just made you feel proud to be part of sailing when he was when he was around. He was just he was always fun, but he could also be a jerk on the boat. I sailed with him and he's not friendly during the race."
Melges' path to international prominence began modestly, sailing flat-bottomed wooden scows on Delavan Lake, and even as his reputation grew, he always called Walworth County home. His home yacht club was the Lake Geneva Yacht Club, and the family boat-building business, Melges Performance Sailboats, supports an international customer base from Zenda, an unincorporated township of about 2,800 people about 8 miles south of Lake Geneva.
Melges' fierce drive on the water propelled him onto the international stage in 1964, when he won the first of three Olympic medals, a bronze in a Flying Dutchman, a 20-foot, two-person boat. He took gold in the Flying Dutchman class in the Pan Am Games in 1968, and followed that with an Olympic Gold Medal sailing a Soling, a three-person keelboat, in 1972.
In all, he won more than 60 national and international championships in inland lakes scows, Olympic classes, larger offshore sailboats and a record seven Skeeter ice boat championships.
In 1992, he helmed America 3, a boat owned by businessman and sailor Bill Koch, to win the America's Cup races.
"For all of his remarkable achievements, Buddy remained humble and approachable," his family wrote in an obituary. "Known for his colorful personality and infectious love for the sport, Buddy was always willing to lend a helping hand and offer words of encouragement to fellow sailors, inspiring them to always start first and increase their lead."
Among the honors he received over the course of his life are in the World Sailing Hall of Fame, the National Sailing Hall of Fame and the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Melges inherited his love of sailing from his father, Harry Melges Sr., who founded Melges Boat Works in Zenda in 1945 to build wooden rowboats and later branched out into sailboats.
He started working the company, now known as Melges Performance Sailboats at an early age, led it for years, and continued to be involved into his 90s.
His son, Harry Melges III, is now the company's CEO and other members of the family are also involved in the business, now recognized as a leader in the design and production of racing sailboats including inland lake scows and the Melges line of high-performance sportboats.
"Buddy leaves an enduring impact on the sailing community, a legacy that will resonate for generations to come. His contributions will continue to shape the future of sailing, inspiring sailors of all ages to pursue their dreams with unwavering determination," the family wrote in Melges' obituary.
The date and place of a celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
This story will be updated. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2023/05/19/internationally-recognized-wisconsin-sailor-buddy-melges-dead-at-93/70235264007/ | 2023-05-19T19:49:03 | 1 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2023/05/19/internationally-recognized-wisconsin-sailor-buddy-melges-dead-at-93/70235264007/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Memorial Day Weekend is the perfect time to gas up the grill and get to cooking.
When many think of the holiday weekend, their minds may immediately jump to hamburgers and hotdogs, but Craig and Michelle Phelps with Texas Roadhouse say there’s no need to be basic on the grill.
The two made the Good Morning Tri-Cities kitchen their own as they shared recipes for steak and vegetable kabobs and shrimp skewers. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/memorial-day-menu-tips-from-texas-roadhouse/ | 2023-05-19T19:53:02 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/memorial-day-menu-tips-from-texas-roadhouse/ |
WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. — An off-duty Anne Arundel County police officer was charged and arrested for allegedly driving while impaired.
On May 19, a Maryland State Police Trooper conducted a traffic stop on Route 90 near Route 589 in Berlin, Maryland.
The trooper detected signs of impairment on the part of the driver, who was arrested and charged with driving while impaired and related charges.
The driver was identified as off-duty Corporal M. Dameron, a 4-year veteran of the Anne Arundel County Police Department assigned to the Bureau of Patrol.
Dameron has been administratively suspended with pay pending an investigation by the Office of Professional Standards. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/anne-arundel-county-officer-arrested-for-allegedly-driving-while-impaired | 2023-05-19T20:02:07 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/anne-arundel-county-officer-arrested-for-allegedly-driving-while-impaired |
LOCAL
News in 90: Axiom, Thunder on Cocoa Beach traffic, Bible ban?, and Merritt Island Aldi
Rob Landers
Florida Today
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Brevard braces for heavy traffic Sunday with SpaceX launch, boat races
Ban the Bible? Someone sent the book to Brevard schools for review
Merritt Island Aldi closes, but spokesperson says 2 more stores planned for Brevard
Rob Landers is a veteran multimedia journalist for the USA Today Network of Florida. Contact Landers at 321-242-3627 or rlanders@gannett.com. Instagram: @ByRobLanders Youtube: @florida_today | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/spacex-axiom-cocoa-beach-traffic-bible-ban-merritt-island-aldi-ni90/70235942007/ | 2023-05-19T20:03:30 | 1 | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/spacex-axiom-cocoa-beach-traffic-bible-ban-merritt-island-aldi-ni90/70235942007/ |
The City of Midland reported that the Texas Rangers are investigating an officer-involved shooting that took place Friday morning.
At 1:50 a.m. on Friday, officers with the Midland Police Department responded to a call to locate a person involved in a stabbing incident in the 800 block of West I-20.
“While attempting to detain the suspect, the suspect, with a knife, charged the officer,” the city reported. “The officer fired at the suspect, Andrew A. Rodriguez, 23 years old. Rodriguez was pronounced deceased at the scene from gunfire.”
Per Midland Police Department protocol, the Texas Rangers will be the lead investigative agency in this matter, the city reported.
The next of kin has been notified. | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/city-midland-texas-rangers-investigating-18109182.php | 2023-05-19T20:03:32 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/city-midland-texas-rangers-investigating-18109182.php |
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Midland Police Department Chief Seth Herman laid out a number of actions taken by law enforcement following the disappearance of 20-year-old Madeline Molina Pantoja.
Herman provided actions from MPD and other law enforcement agencies, a rebuttal to repeated comments made during a Thursday night rally in downtown Midland for Molina Pantoja.
Herman said that since police first responded to the report of a missing person -- identified as Molina Pantoja -- search protocols were implemented by both first responders and MPD Crimes Against Persons Unit members. Other efforts conducted on a “24-hour basis” since the initial report court was taken include:
- The enlistment and assistance from members of the Midland County Sheriff's Office, Texas Rangers, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations unit,
- The search of approximately 60 square miles of remote property using human assets, drones and manned aircraft,
- The execution of more than a dozen search warrants related to both tangible property and technological data,
- The interview of approximately 25 individuals thus far,
- The follow-up investigation of approximately 20 tips derived from Midland Crime Stoppers, as well as call-ins to the Midland Police Department.
“The investigation continues to be classified as a missing person search,” Herman said Friday. “Please be assured that should evidence suggest foul play, criminal enforcement action will be taken without delay.”
Herman added that MPD efforts “are conducted in methodical, technique-based and legally comprehensive manner” and that the public should not “interfere by engaging in their own investigations which could potentially impede locating Miss (Molina) Pantoja.”
“Any interference by any parties in our investigation that may thwart efforts will result in the filing of applicable criminal charges against the actors,” Herman said. “Ladies and gentlemen, this is an ongoing investigation. … We ask the public to be patient, to call with any information that may lead to her whereabouts and to avoid spreading unnecessary and untrue rumors.”
Midland Mayor Lori Blong stated the police department “has the full support of (her) and the Midland City Council as they investigate the whereabouts of Madeline Molina Pantoja.”
She also stated that the “police department, other city leaders and I” have been in communication with the family, “and we remain committed to keeping them as informed as possible.”
“I cannot imagine the stress and the concern and worry of Madeline's family and friends as they have gone through this ordeal,” Blong said. “We know that Madeline is a daughter and a sister and a friend to many in this community. So, to those who know and love her, please know that we join you in praying for her swift and safe return.”
Blong added that those with information should call MPD at 432-685-7108 and there is a $20,000 reward for anyone offering information which leads to the whereabouts of Molina Pantoja. | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-pd-efforts-find-madeline-conducted-18109197.php | 2023-05-19T20:03:40 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-pd-efforts-find-madeline-conducted-18109197.php |
Permian Basin labor markets remained solid in April, according to figures released Friday by the Texas Workforce Commission.
The commission said its Midland metropolitan statistical area (MSA) – which includes Midland and Martin counties – had an unemployment rate of 2.3% in April, down from 2.6% in March and 2.8% last April. Midland continues to record the state’s lowest unemployment, followed by Amarillo with 2.8% and College Station-Bryan at 2.9%. According to the commission, Midland ranked first in the US for percentage of jobs added – 8% year over year.
Odessa reported an unemployment rate of 3.1%, as did Abilene and Austin-Round Rock.
The civilian labor force dropped by 500 from March to April, but Willie Taylor, chief executive officer of the commission’s Workforce Solutions Permian Basin, said the report largely mirrored the March report. The region continued to have a solid workforce participation rate, he added.
“We’re seeing a few more people applying for unemployment, but things are still stable,” he told the Reporter-Telegram in a telephone interview.
He said companies are hiring in fields ranging from education to health care to transportation. In fact, his office is talking with the local junior colleges about expanding their commercial drivers’ license training programs, which are full at Midland College, Odessa College and Howard College.
Taylor said his office, which oversees 17 West Texas counties, is utilizing funds from the Governor’s Skills Development Grant program.
“A lot of companies are using those funds to retrain their incumbent workforce,” he said. “Companies like Oryx and Diamondback are using those funds to retrain and retain existing workforce. So not only are they hiring new workers, they’re retraining existing workers.”
His office is also focusing on developing a summer youth program, creating summer-long jobs for young residents.
Taylor noted that the need for labor continues to support wages. The Natural Resources and Mining sector – which includes the area’s dominant oil and gas – alone had wages totaling $1.038 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Midland’s civilian labor force fell by 500, to 114,015 from 114,578 in March but is 6,800 more than the 107,209 reported last April. Taylor noted that the peak before the pandemic was about 110,000. “We have definitely passed the COVID impact,” he said.
The number of employed Midlanders fell by about 200 to 111,376 from 111,558 in March but is 7,150 more than the 104,226 employed last April. The number of unemployed Midlanders fell by almost 4090 to 2,639 from 3,020 in March and is down from the 2,983 unemployed last year.
Midland added 200 jobs from March to April for a total nonfarm job count of 119,000. The Trade, Transportation and Utilities sector added 200 jobs and the Private Education and Health Services sector added 100 jobs. That was negated slightly by the loss of 100 jobs in the Mining, Logging and Construction sector.
For the 12 months from April 2022 to April 2023, Midland added 8,800 jobs for a job creation rate of 8%. The Mining, Logging and Construction sector led with the creation of 5,100 jobs for the year. Trade, Transportation and Utilities followed with 1,000 new jobs. Professional and Business Services added 600 jobs while Manufacturing added 500 jobs. Private Education and Health Services, the Leisure and Hospitality sector, Other Services sector and Government sector each added 300 jobs. The Information sector and Financial Activities sector each added 200 jobs.
Statewide, the unemployment rate held steady at 4% in April. The state recorded 26 consecutive months of total nonfarm employment growth and again set records for largest civilian labor force and greatest number of people employed in state history. The civilian labor force grew by 62,184 to a high of 14,960,308. Texas added 33,000 jobs to reach a record job count of 13,871,100 total nonfarm jobs. The state has added 534,600 jobs since April 2022.
While Midland reported the lowest unemployment, the highest was in Beaumont-Port Arthur and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission at 5.6% each.
Midland Unemployment
January 2023 2.7%
January 2022 3.9%
February 2023 3.0%
February 2022 3.6%
March 2023 2.6%
March 2022 3.1%
April 2023 2.3%
April 2022 2.8%
Preliminary numbers for April with March numbers in parentheses:
Midland 2.3 (2.6)
Amarillo 2.8 (3.1)
College Station-Bryan 2.9 (3.2)
Lubbock 3.0 (3.7)
Abilene 3.1 (3.6)
Austin-Round Rock 3.1 (3.5)
Odessa 3.1 (3.5)
San Angelo 3.2 (3.6)
Dallas-Plano-Irving 3.4 (3.9)
Fort Worth-Arlington 3.4 (3.9)
San Antonio-New Braunfels 3.4 (3.9)
Tyler 3.4 (3.8)
Sherman-Denison 3.5 (4.0)
Waco 3.5 (4.0)
Wichita Falls 3.5 (4.2)
Texarkana 3.6 (4.0)
Laredo 3.8 (4.4)
Longview 3.8 (4.3)
Victoria 3.8 (4.2)
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land 4.0 (4.4)
El Paso 4.1 (4.6)
Killeen-Temple 4.1 (4.9)
Corpus Christi 4.2 (4.7)
Brownsville-Harlingen 5.2 (5.9)
Beaumont-Port Arthur 5.6 (6.3)
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 5.6 (6.4) | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/texas-workforce-commission-midland-s-18109222.php | 2023-05-19T20:03:43 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/texas-workforce-commission-midland-s-18109222.php |
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Talor Nunez believes “training” goes well beyond lifting weights and running sprints.
That’s the core notion that fuels his life training program -- which includes physical training but incorporates the mental and spiritual sides of life.
The 2012 Lee High School graduate and former Texas Tech defensive end is a motivational speaker and physical trainer. He travels to high schools and colleges and speaks to athletic teams or individuals about how to strengthen their relationship with Christ, live healthy and combat adversity in life and athletics.
“It’s not just going to churches but going into realms where people don’t really hear about Jesus and the Gospel,” Nunez said. “What I bring to the table is ‘Hey, these are the leadership qualities taught by the most perfect and best leadership book ever read,’ which is the Bible itself.”
In a world of people searching for purpose, Nunez wants to provide “a motivation that will never die, a purpose that will never change” -- the word of God.
Nunez recalls a quote that originated from the U.S. Navy SEALs when he speaks to young student-athletes about dealing with life’s obstacles – “In adversity, you don’t rise to the occasion, but you fall to the level of your training.” Understanding and pushing past adversity, Nunez said, can be practiced.
The former Red Raider has had to find ways to deal with adversity himself, as he came face-to-face with hardship during his senior year at Texas Tech.
He went to Lubbock in 2013 as a walk-on after playing quarterback at Lee High School. 247Sports reported that he was projected to play safety at Texas Tech. After his first semester, he was moved to the defensive line, where he played defensive end and tackle. Nunez earned a full scholarship during his sophomore season.
2017 was Nunez’s senior year. He was doing everything right – he earned his degree in mechanical engineering prior to his senior football season, he led Bible studies on campus, married his current wife, Kaylee, and earned a starting role on defense for Tech.
Nunez described the moment when then-Texas Tech Head Coach Kliff Kingsbury pulled him off the field during fall training camp and told him his father, Domingo, was in the hospital. Talor learned his father had pancreatic cancer shortly after.
Domingo Nunez underwent multiple surgeries to remove the cancer but passed away on Sept. 19, 2017.
While his father was battling cancer, Talor found out his wife was pregnant with their first child.
“It was during the time frame that my dad was sick that we told him he was about to be a grandfather for the first time,” Nunez said, “I’m the oldest of four kids, three younger brothers and to him (his father) that meant everything, to be a grandfather. So, when he passed away, we (Talor and his wife) were like ‘Gung-ho, let’s take care of the child, let’s take care of the baby.’”
Nunez said when he and his wife went in for a 10-week checkup, doctors discovered that the baby had no heartbeat.
“That was just so, so tough. After all of that, I remembered and I fell back to the level of my training,” Nunez said. “This is what I’ve been told that I need to do, this is what I remember, this is what I know when it comes to physical training. This is what I know: that I’ll go to school, I’ll learn, I’ll get my degree and keep moving forward, so that’s what I did.”
Nunez completed his senior season, trained for pro day and chased the NFL dream like he promised his late father he would.
Although he didn’t end up playing professional football, he finished graduate studies, earned his master’s degree in Lubbock, he and his wife found out she was going to have another baby and Talor returned to his hometown to be an engineer at Diamondback Energy.
“For me it’s like, ‘People need to hear this, they need to know that the world is a messed up place and if I can help people be prepared for that and train for that and do it today, they’ll be able to be on the other side, victorious and winning,’” Nunez said.
Nunez said he and his wife had contemplated moving to the Dallas area after graduation, but Nunez took a position at Diamondback and returned to Midland. Nunez said the people and community are Midland’s treasure.
“If you come to Midland, you come to Odessa, people are inviting,” Nunez said. “You could meet a total stranger, and in the next two years, you’re great family friends and you meet up all the time. People are so loving and giving here.”
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Talor Nunez - Life Trainer - Online Trainer, Keynote Speaker (tn-lifetrainer.com) | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/training-helps-talor-nunez-deal-life-s-trials-18108961.php | 2023-05-19T20:03:45 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/training-helps-talor-nunez-deal-life-s-trials-18108961.php |
STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Jim Juscavage of Stroudsburg walks daily along Main Street in the borough, seeing firsthand how dangerous it can sometimes be for pedestrians.
"I'm pretty careful. I try to be very careful all the time," Juscavage said.
But being careful isn't good enough for borough officials. They want to make it safe for people like Juscavage and visiting tourists.
Thanks to a $500,000 LSA grant the borough recently received, pedestrian safety improvements on Main Street could come in the next year.
Larry Kopp, Stroudsburg's borough manager, says it all starts with crosswalks.
"We're going to be painting and taping around all the intersections, and we're going to have what's called bump outs. Basically, we're going to have reflective bump outs, so actually, the area you travel from one side of the street to the other is going to be shorter," Kopp said. "Two of our intersections, people can go diagonally across the intersection, not just across the street. But people don't realize that. The lights are timed that way, so they'll be able to actually go diagonal across the intersection if they have the right painting on the street."
Some of the safety improvements are already at crosswalks on Main Street, but the borough wants to add them to the entire downtown corridor to help with safety and encourage more foot traffic in less-traveled areas.
"We're trying to make one look for the entire community, so it will be pedestrian-friendly and encourage business growth on both sides of town, out of the main area," Kopp added. "This is going to be a great thing for the borough."
"It's great; anything for safety," Juscavage said. "They got to stop the drag racing on the Main Street."
These safety improvements are the first phase of a much larger $15 million project to overhaul all of downtown.
Main Street is a state road, so the borough is waiting for approval from PennDOT. They hope to start work later this year on the improvements.
Check out WNEP's YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/safety-improvements-coming-for-pedestrians-in-stroudsburg-crosswalks-intersections/523-d0b0740b-8739-4b77-aca0-f570802be95d | 2023-05-19T20:06:26 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/safety-improvements-coming-for-pedestrians-in-stroudsburg-crosswalks-intersections/523-d0b0740b-8739-4b77-aca0-f570802be95d |
AMHERST COUNTY, Va. – Several parked cars were hit and damaged after a box truck ran off the road in Amherst County on Friday morning, according to Virginia State Police.
We’re told a box truck driver ran off Business Route 29 in Madison Heights and hit multiple cars that were parked in the lot of A One Eagle Auto Sales car dealership.
Luckily, police say no one was injured in the crash.
According to VSP, the driver has been charged with “failure to maintain lane.” | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/19/box-truck-driver-in-amherst-county-charged-after-running-off-road-hitting-multiple-parked-cars-police-say/ | 2023-05-19T20:06:29 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/05/19/box-truck-driver-in-amherst-county-charged-after-running-off-road-hitting-multiple-parked-cars-police-say/ |
MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — With their ten-person tent set up, Quinten Pomrink and his four buddies are celebrating a birthday with a camping trip at Tobyhanna State Park in Monroe County.
"Being outdoors, it's nice being in nature and getting away from everything. It's just relaxing, like, refreshing being away from all of the phones and stuff," Pomrink said.
The men from Bucks County are enjoying the park before crowds roll in next weekend for Memorial Day Weekend.
Park Manager Lee Dillion says maintenance crews have been busy getting the park ready for what they're expecting to be a jam-packed summer season.
"Landscaping work, mowing of the grass, we're cleaning bathrooms every day. We're maintaining buildings every day. You know, the shortlist this week is the beach. We have two of them that need to go in. We need this one in, and one in Gouldsboro, and those will be up and ready to roll for Memorial Day Weekend," Dillion said.
All 140 campsites at Tobyhanna are sold out for the holiday weekend. Dillion says the demand for being outside is just as high as it's ever been.
"I think people came out and found the resources and realized how beautiful they are and how much just being out here can be good for the soul, so to speak."
Dillion says if you're planning to visit any of the parks around the state, be sure to give them a call or check their website for open camping spots.
"Make sure there is availability," Dillion advised. "I would hate to see anyone drive four or five hours towing a camper just to get somewhere and be told, 'Sorry, we don't have any room for you.'"
Dillion says booking is looking strong for the rest of the season, with the Fourth of July Weekend on the verge of being sold out soon.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/state-park-campgrounds-preparing-for-upcoming-holiday-summer-season-tobyhanna-gouldsboro-state-park/523-8974ad78-fb81-4947-8e73-2f53eaaa5929 | 2023-05-19T20:06:32 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/state-park-campgrounds-preparing-for-upcoming-holiday-summer-season-tobyhanna-gouldsboro-state-park/523-8974ad78-fb81-4947-8e73-2f53eaaa5929 |
SHENANDOAH, Pa. — A former borough secretary in Schuylkill County has been charged with stealing more than $23,000 from the borough of Shenandoah.
Police charged Alyssa Boris, 30, with theft and receiving stolen property.
Investigators say Boris kept money that should have been deposited for trash and sewer payments.
Boris told police she had health issues and was worried about her son. She is free on bail in Schuylkill County.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/former-shenandoah-official-charged-with-theft-receiving-stolen-property-trash-sewer-payments/523-d1b9abcd-0777-4a42-a693-652abbe2ed0f | 2023-05-19T20:06:38 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/former-shenandoah-official-charged-with-theft-receiving-stolen-property-trash-sewer-payments/523-d1b9abcd-0777-4a42-a693-652abbe2ed0f |
WYOMING COUNTY, Pa. — A restaurant in Wyoming County was destroyed by fire Friday.
Gin's Tavern along Route 107 in Clinton Township went up in flames around 2 p.m. Friday.
Route 107 is closed at Routes 6 and 11 as fire crews from several departments work to extinguish the flames.
Officials say no injuries have been reported.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
See breaking news happening? Submit your photos and videos by tapping on Near Me in the WNEP App.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/wyoming-county/gins-tavern-catches-fire-in-wyoming-county-restaurant-bar-route-107-factoryville-flames-fire-officials/523-4d695b5f-2d36-47e2-a39c-724694eb4951 | 2023-05-19T20:06:44 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/wyoming-county/gins-tavern-catches-fire-in-wyoming-county-restaurant-bar-route-107-factoryville-flames-fire-officials/523-4d695b5f-2d36-47e2-a39c-724694eb4951 |
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day in Jackson, combating environment impact
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day is upon the city of Jackson, and this Saturday, May 20, residents of Madison County can properly dispose of unsafe materials from their homes at a designated location.
The event is open to all surrounding counties as the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation aims to combat hazardous material from entering stormwater systems and landfills across the region, according to the press release.
The department classifies household hazardous waste as "materials considered flammable, toxic, reactive, and/or corrosive and should not be placed with regular garbage."
From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., people can bring the following items to the city of Jackson Public Services Complex at 164 Conalco Dr. in Jackson:
- documents shredding
- electronic waste recycling
- prescription medication drop-offs
- oil-base paint collections
- cardboard (which must be broken down before drop-off)
- smoke detector and fire extinguisher recycling
The following items will NOT be accepted by the collection service:
- microwaves
- televisions
- large appliances
- latex paints
- used oil
A comprehensive list of what other materials are and aren't allowed can be found here.
This event is made possible by the collaborative sponsorships efforts of the city of Jackson Health and Sanitation Department, Omega Recycling Solutions, City of Jackson Stormwater Management Department, Direct Shred, Doxicom Recycling, Jackson-Madison County Metro Narcotics, and the Jackson Fire Department.
The cost of the event for waste disposal is paid for by the Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation, according to the city of Jackson press release. | https://www.jacksonsun.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/residents-can-dispose-of-hazardous-material-on-saturday-in-jackson/70226110007/ | 2023-05-19T20:11:43 | 1 | https://www.jacksonsun.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/residents-can-dispose-of-hazardous-material-on-saturday-in-jackson/70226110007/ |
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Thousands of people are heading to Daytona Beach for Welcome to Rockville this weekend. Over 170,000 people are expected to pack into Daytona International Speedway — the largest crowd in history for the festival.
It started off a little rocky, and not because of the music. Thursday’s storms caused a temporary evacuation for the first day of the festival, but fans poured back in Friday ready to see their favorite bands.
It’s a heavy metal and rock fan’s paradise. The infield of International Speedway was transformed, with stages that will hold more than 95 bands over the four-day festival including headliners Slipknot, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold and Pantera.
“There’s nothing else that comes to this town. Every festival is in Miami or LA and it’s finally cool to have a rock concert come here,” said Devynn from Daytona Beach.
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It all takes weeks to set up. Teams with the promoter, Danny Wimmer Presents, have been preparing for everything safety and weather-wise, too.
“This is getting even bigger now. This is our third year here and we’re expanding,” said festival host Jose Mangin.
During Thursday’s evacuation, fans had to go to cars or the grandstand. An hour later, they were able to come back in and the bands picked back up.
“It was good. Getting back in kind of sucked, the line got long,” said Doug, visiting from Tennessee.
For some, it was a sore reminder of last year’s cancellations due to a series of storms.
“Sitting in the grandstands the whole time! It was brutal,” said Martina from Daytona Beach.
Mangin said the team is monitoring weather around the clock and spreading the word quickly on social media and on jumbo screens if there’s an issue.
“Imagine something happening to somebody because they didn’t want to stop the show,” he said.
The fans said they’re ready to take on anything mother nature throws at them, but hope for sunnier skies going forward.
“We are hoping for better weather this year. I mean it is Florida. It could be raining on this side and sunny on this side so it is what it is! As long as we get to see some of the bands, it’s great,” Martina said.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/19/fans-pour-into-daytona-beach-for-welcome-to-rockville/ | 2023-05-19T20:16:14 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/05/19/fans-pour-into-daytona-beach-for-welcome-to-rockville/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — There is a new reason to visit the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita. The Rip Gooch Black Aviators exhibit opened Friday morning.
The exhibit honors Gooch and other Black aviators who called Kansas home. Visitors will see photos, military uniforms, and stories of bravery along the exhibit walls.
Ulysses Lee Gooch, better known as Rip, is often remembered as a politician for his time on the Wichita City Council and as a senator in the Kansas Legislature. His daughter Bonita Gooch joined local dignitaries for Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“From the time he was a little boy out in the cotton fields of Tennessee watching planes fly overhead, he knew he wanted to fly,” she said.
Rip Gooch was an Army pilot who served following World War II. He moved to Wichita in the 1950s and started his own aviation business. He had more than 50 years of active flying, but his daughter says something drove him beyond being a pilot.
“Very, important to him about raising up others in aviation and promoting aviation as a way of life, you know, way to make a living, a way to just have fun,” Bonita Gooch said. “He taught and licensed thousands of people to fly here in the Wichita area as well as helping to bring up other Black aviators.”
She said her father would be pleased with the opening of the Rip Gooch Black Aviators exhibit.
“This was something that he wanted,” Bonita Gooch said. “He had helped put together a little smaller version of an exhibit like this that was in the museum for a number of years. But this is taking this up to a whole ‘nother level. He would just be so proud of what has happened here.”
The exhibit includes Rip Gooch’s time in politics. He was elected to the Wichita City Council in 1989. He was elected to the Kansas Senate in 1992 and served until 2004. He died in November 2021 at age 98.
“A lot of people only knew him as a politician or the elected official, as he would say, but this reflects his aviation which was really very important to him,” Bonita Gooch said.
The exhibit also pays tribute to Colonel George Boyd, one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. He served in the Air Force for 28 years and through three wars.
Bonita Gooch said the exhibit is important for more than just the tributes.
“There’s going to be another part added to the exhibit about Black aviators who came out of Kansas, but what I want them to remember is just the fight that a lot of them got through to get that opportunity,” she said.
Bonita Gooch said her father did not get to be a Tuskegee airman, but he wanted to fly so much that it didn’t make any difference. So he learned to fly and was certified by the man responsible for training all Tuskegee pilots.
“It’s just the fight that so many of these people had to do to become pilots and to be professional pilots and to work in the aviation industry and make a living out of it,” she said.
The Kansas Aviation Museum, 3350 S. George Washington Blvd., is at the intersection of George Washington Blvd. and 31st Street South. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The museum sometimes closes early for special events, such as weddings. Check the website before you go.
The museum is still taking donations for the exhibit. If you would like to help, click here. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/new-exhibit-honors-rip-gooch-and-other-black-aviators/ | 2023-05-19T20:16:50 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/new-exhibit-honors-rip-gooch-and-other-black-aviators/ |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The nonprofit "Carry the Load" is holding a monthlong event in honor of Memorial Day coming up on May 29.
All month they're holding events, rallies and walking across the country to remember our country's fallen heroes and raise money to support military families that have lost their loved ones.
This Friday, their cross-country movement brought them to St. Petersburg. Five groups are walking across the U.S., tracking along the different regions. The East Coast group started at West Point, New York, and will end in Dallas, Texas, with all of the other groups.
"We were set off to restore the true meaning of Memorial Day," Jason Santos with Carry the Load said. "It's not a three-day weekend, a backyard barbecue, or a mattress sale — those things are all fine, but memorial day is meant to be a day of honor and remembrance, so we're trying to raise awareness for that."
In Dallas, all the groups will converge and walk together in the Dallas Memorial March on May 28 – right before Memorial Day. If you'd like to contribute to their efforts, you can donate online. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/nonprofit-carry-the-load-memorial-day-walking-fallen-heroes-st-petersburg/67-d3403fb5-fb06-4609-b67b-d07fa207aab4 | 2023-05-19T20:16:56 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/nonprofit-carry-the-load-memorial-day-walking-fallen-heroes-st-petersburg/67-d3403fb5-fb06-4609-b67b-d07fa207aab4 |
DULUTH — The Minnesota Supreme Court has affirmed a man’s first-degree murder conviction and life sentence in the killing of a University of Minnesota Duluth student.
The high court’s opinion Wednesday seemingly puts an end to more than six years of litigation stemming from the robbery-turned-murder of William Grahek, 22, at his East Hillside residence on Feb. 14, 2017.
The defendant, Noah Anthony Charles King, was one of three young men who went to the home in an attempt to steal cash and drugs, according to court documents and testimony at multiple trials. Grahek’s residence, 510 E. 11th St., was directly across an alley from King’s house.
King, then 18, was never suspected of being the shooter, but he was found to have carried a large wrench while accompanied by two other burglars. Testimony indicated Grahek refused to comply with demands and was shot twice by Deandre Demetrius Davenport.
Among King’s claims, the Supreme Court rejected an argument that he could not have anticipated Grahek dying during what was expected to be a simple burglary.
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“When viewed in a light most favorable to the verdict, the evidence presented at trial is sufficient to prove that a victim’s death was a reasonably foreseeable result of the burglary when the perpetrators were armed and the defendant participated in planning the burglary,” Associate Justice Ann McKeig wrote in the unanimous, 24-page opinion.
Evidence showed that King, Davenport and Noah Duane Baker planned the robbery after learning from another drug dealer, Xavier Alfred Haywood, that Grahek kept a safe in his home with drugs and cash.
Baker and Davenport were both armed with guns, which they pointed at Grahek after kicking in his door, according to testimony. When Grahek would not turn over the safe or get on the floor, he was shot.
Baker, now 25, accepted a plea agreement to second-degree murder, receiving 30 years in prison in exchange for his cooperation in the investigation. However, he later recanted and claimed he alone went to Grahek’s residence and committed the murder — testimony that was found to be uncredible and inconsistent with other evidence.
King, who waived his right to a jury, was found guilty by Judge Mark Munger of aiding and abetting first-degree murder while committing burglary, a charge that resulted in mandatory life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
Davenport, who received a change of venue, was soon thereafter found guilty by a Brainerd jury of the same offense and received the same sentence.
King both appealed and filed a petition for postconviction relief in district court, which was subsequently denied. Attorneys took particular issue with Baker’s testimony, claiming it was improper for a judge to allow prosecutors to introduce his plea hearing transcript after he recanted on the witness stand.
The Supreme Court, however, concluded the earlier testimony was appropriate as a “prior inconsistent statement” that provided “substantive evidence upon which the fact finder could rely in determining whether King was guilty.”
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The high court also rejected claims of ineffective assistance of counsel related to a plea agreement that was offered to King ahead of trial. Evidence suggests he was offered the same deal as Baker, but he claimed his then-attorney did not explain the possibility of an Alford plea, in which he would be able to maintain his innocence while allowing a guilty finding to be entered.
An email offered as evidence on the claim “does not mention, reference or indicate in any way that the state offered King an Alford plea,” McKeig noted.
The court additionally rejected three claims filed by King, now 24, in a pro se brief, without an attorney’s involvement: an argument that he could not be convicted of one murder charge because he was acquitted of another; a claim that prosecutors knowingly offered false evidence to a grand jury; and a question whether the state proved he was actually involved in Grahek’s death.
Davenport, 27, previously lost an appeal at the Minnesota Supreme Court, which automatically hears all first-degree murder challenges.
Two others were also convicted in the case. Haywood, 32, was found guilty by a jury of aiding an offender and is serving nearly 16 years in prison, having unsuccessfully taken his case to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
Tara Rai Baker, 28, sister of Noah Baker and then-girlfriend of Davenport, remains on supervised probation for another year after pleading guilty to lying to police about her knowledge of the homicide. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/final-appeal-lost-in-2017-murder-of-duluth-college-student | 2023-05-19T20:19:29 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/final-appeal-lost-in-2017-murder-of-duluth-college-student |
CARROLL, Iowa — Harrowing video of a driver speeding from Iowa police with an officer clinging to his hood and roof emerged this month during the motorist’s sentencing.
Dennis James Guider Jr., 29, of the Chicago area, was sentenced last week to up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony count of serious injury by vehicle. Another felony count related to fleeing police was dismissed as part of the plea deal reached in March.
Carroll, Iowa, police officer Patrick McCarty stopped the car Guider was riding in on March 5, 2021. With an outstanding warrant in an Illinois forgery case, he was facing arrest.
Body camera video that was introduced as an exhibit during Guider’s sentencing hearing shows him ignoring orders to get out of the car, instead shoving the driver out of the vehicle and scooting into the driver's seat.
McCarty got in front of the car, pointing his pistol at Guider and repeatedly ordering him to stop. As Guider drove forward, McCarty stepped onto the car’s hood and crouched with his weapon still pointed at Guider.
Guider kept driving as McCarty clung to the vehicle, screaming at him to put on the brakes.
Dash cam from another patrol vehicle, which attempted to stop Guider, shows McCarty ultimately winding up on the roof of the fleeing car. Eventually McCarty was thrown from the vehicle, breaking his back.
Guider, meanwhile, was arrested in Illinois after stealing a car and driving there.
Guider’s attorney, Joel Baxter, wrote in a court filing that as a Black man Guider was fearful of a white officer, noting that George Floyd had been killed less than a year earlier. He wrote that McCarty and Guider both “made horrible decisions," saying that McCarty didn't follow appropriate training. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/carroll-iowa-police-officer-cop-hood-of-car-traffic-stop-video-dennis-guider-sentenced-updates/524-f5a64bc3-2570-4bac-9b95-c79d949017cb | 2023-05-19T20:20:29 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/carroll-iowa-police-officer-cop-hood-of-car-traffic-stop-video-dennis-guider-sentenced-updates/524-f5a64bc3-2570-4bac-9b95-c79d949017cb |
DES MOINES, Iowa — If you've navigated the skywalk, stopped by the Iowa State Capitol complex or spent a night out on Court Avenue, this might not surprise you: Des Moines has bee named as one of the country's best places to live by U.S. News & World Report.
Des Moines took the No. 19 spot in the nation, with the evaluation praising the city's compatibility for families and those searching for jobs, if not tourism.
"The capital of this so-called flyover state may not top your to-visit list, but Des Moines is a great place to live and raise a family," it reads.
U.S. News & World Report analyzed the 150 most populous metro areas in the nation using a few metrics, including quality of life (36%), value (23%), desirability (22%) and job market (19%).
Des Moines scored 6.6 overall, with a 6.8 quality of life and 7.6 value score honing in on Des Moines' relative affordability and "Iowa Nice" residents:
"The metro area of more than 680,000 has a small-town, know-your-neighbor feel to it. It's a place where you'll bump into people you know at the grocery store and get invited to backyard barbecues."
Des Moines came in at No. 14 nationwide in the 2022-23 assessment, meaning Iowa's most populated city has dropped nearly five spots in the ranking since last year.
Here are the top five cities:
- Green Bay, Wis.
- Huntsville, Ala.
- Raleigh and Durham, N.C.
- Boulder, Colo.
- Sarasota, Fla.
Des Moines also ranked 95th in U.S. News' "Best Places to Retire" list, one lower than last year's No. 94 spot.
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► Subscribe to Local 5 News on YouTube | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/des-moines-iowa-best-places-to-live-in-united-states-2023-ranking-list-us-news-and-world-report/524-92ad1f83-1b4f-4b82-86b9-e4029b10c6da | 2023-05-19T20:20:31 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/des-moines-iowa-best-places-to-live-in-united-states-2023-ranking-list-us-news-and-world-report/524-92ad1f83-1b4f-4b82-86b9-e4029b10c6da |
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FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines has reached a new four-year agreement with its pilots union, the union and airline officials announced Friday morning.
The Allied Pilots Association, which represents American Airlines pilots, announced that the union has "reached an agreement in principle" with the Fort Worth-based airline.
American Airlines confirmed the agreement, saying it will give pilots "pay and profit sharing that match the top of the industry with improved quality-of-life provisions unique to American's pilots."
"We have the best and most professional pilots in the business and like all American Airlines team members, they deserve to be paid well and competitively," American officials said in a statement.
The two sides will now move forward with "completing contractual language" for the deal, according to the APA.
More details about the new collective bargaining agreement were not released.
"Fellow pilots, thank you for your steadfast support throughout this lengthy process," the union officials wrote in a statement. "As always, we will proceed with the best interests of the pilot group foremost in our minds."
The two sides were expected to eventually reach a deal to avoid any possibility of a work stoppage. The pilots earlier this month voted to authorize a strike, though a walkout was always highly unlikely. Around 99% of pilots who voted on the matter were in favor of authorizing a strike.
Southwest pilots also voted to authorize a strike, a move that is largely symbolic as pilots negotiate new contract agreements with their airline.
Federal law prohibits airline unions from striking without the tacit approval of a U.S. mediation board, according to the Associated Press. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/american-airlines-union-reaches-deal-with-pilots-for-new-contract/287-edc02068-71b7-4b03-95db-0647220314d3 | 2023-05-19T20:25:03 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/american-airlines-union-reaches-deal-with-pilots-for-new-contract/287-edc02068-71b7-4b03-95db-0647220314d3 |
Originally published May 18 on KTVB.COM.
A Boise police officer was cited early Monday morning for driving under the influence.
Officials with the Boise Police Department and Ada County Sheriff's Office told KTVB that an Eagle police officer pulled over Casey Hancuff around 1 a.m. on May 15 because he was driving erratically on Highway 44 in Eagle.
Hancuff was off duty and driving his own truck.
The Ada County Sheriff's Office said the responding officer smelled alcohol and Hancuff was slurring his words. Hancuff failed field sobriety tests and blew a .111, well over the legal limit of .08 blood alcohol content for driving, according to the sheriff’s office.
If his name sounds familiar, it's because KTVB has interviewed him multiple times, specifically talking about his career focusing on DUI patrols, enforcement and education.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving has given him awards, and BPD touts his thousands of DUI arrests over the past 20 years.
Boise Police Department spokesperson Haley Williams said the department is aware of Hancuff's DUI charge. She said internal affairs will review the criminal report and investigation. Once his criminal case is done, internal affairs will figure out whether Hancuff violated BPD policies.
KTVB’s Morgan Romero asked if Hancuff was taken off his regular duties, including DUI enforcement, to which Williams responded, “he is not on patrol or in the field."
KTVB also asked the sheriff's office why he was cited with misdemeanor DUI and not arrested.
Sheriff's office spokesman Patrick Orr said responding officers learned Hancuff was dealing with health issues unrelated to the DUI, so officers decided not to arrest him. Police took Hancuff to his house nearby.
Orr said deputies in the field can decide whether to immediately arrest or cite someone for misdemeanor DUI, but it's much more common to arrest. In fact, since January, Ada County Sheriff's Office deputies have charged 142 people with DUI and only 16 of them were given citations.
Boise Police Union President Guy Bourgeau shared context around what happened as someone who's known Hancuff for more than two decades.
"To put a little context around the situation — this is certainly not an excuse — Casey had a lot going on in his personal life including the death of a family member and a recent cancer diagnosis which, speaking from experience, I can tell you is a pretty stressful thing to go through," Bourgeau said. "Again, not an excuse. It just puts a little sunlight on the situation. Casey is going to be 100% accountable as far as the court process goes and he's going to be facing internal consequences as well that are going to affect his career."
More from KTVB.COM: | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-police-officer-cited-with-dui-in-eagle/article_3c00b560-f66d-11ed-8cd5-675b600560df.html | 2023-05-19T20:25:17 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-police-officer-cited-with-dui-in-eagle/article_3c00b560-f66d-11ed-8cd5-675b600560df.html |
With smartphones as our constant companion, their apps working in the background to log our activities and movements, we generate a breadcrumb trail of data wherever we go.
There is growing concern that such data could be subpoenaed by law enforcement officials for the prosecution of abortion cases. In other words, that digital information, including search history and cell phone location data, could provide evidence that a person sought an abortion and even visited an abortion clinic.
One arena where this could come into play is Idaho’s newly minted abortion trafficking law, which prohibits the transport of minors outside of the state in pursuit of abortion services without their parents’ consent. The law took effect In early May and has yet to be challenged in court.
Given the ease with which law enforcement can subpoena location data associated with a particular person’s phone, lawmakers and the Federal Trade Commission have instigated a few strategies to try and protect people’s privacy.
On Wednesday, Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell and 11 other U.S Senators reintroduced the “My Body, My Data Act” that would “protect online personal reproductive health data, including location data, search histories, and data collected by fertility apps,” according to a news release about the legislation.
In essence, the bill would limit the types of data that could be collected, and prevent it from being “disclosed or misused,” the release said. The text of the bill says that entities regulated by the Federal Trade Commission would not be allowed to “collect, retain, use, or disclose personal reproductive or sexual health information,” except if doing so is part of the product or service it offers and was requested by the customer that the health information belongs to.
It also says that individuals would have a right to access the information collected about them, as well as having it corrected and deleted.
The bill's text says that “reproductive or sexual health information” includes efforts to research or acquire information, services or supplies, including location data that would indicate that an individual might have gone to a specific location to do so.
The definition also includes health and disease status and diagnoses information, such as “menstruation, ovulation, ability to conceive a pregnancy, whether such individual is sexually active, and whether such individual is engaging in unprotected sex.”
In the release, Cantwell said, “everyone needs strong, enforceable rights to protect their most sensitive health data. We must ensure that companies are doing right by their customers to enforce privacy policies and guarantee that sensitive user data is not being sold to individuals wishing to track down and prosecute people for abortion care.”
The legislation was first introduced in the House in June of last year following the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The bill did not proceed beyond a referral to the House’s Committee on Energy and Commerce, and additional introductory remarks on the measure.
Idahoans have comprised 80% of patients at the Pullman, Washington, Planned Parenthood in recent months, the release said. And the Planned Parenthood in Kennewick, Washington — the closest to Boise prior to the opening of the Ontario, Oregon, clinic — is seeing a 7,000% increase in abortion patients from Idaho compared to this time last year, the release said.
A CLOSER LOOK AT CELL PHONE LOCATION DATA
Cell phone location data can be a useful piece of evidence to prosecutors, said John Rumel, a University of Idaho law professor. However, prosecutors would likely need to bring in an expert who could testify to the data collected and what it shows about a person’s whereabouts, he said.
Cell phone data was used to build a case against Lori Vallow, including illuminating her visit to a Burger King following her brother’s shooting of her husband, Charles Vallow, which was also corroborated with security camera footage.
Law enforcement officials subpoenaed Bryan Kohberger’s cell phone location data, which they allege shows that Kohberger had traveled in the vicinity of a Moscow house "on at least 12 occasions" before allegedly murdering four University of Idaho undergraduate students there, according to the affidavit in the case. (His phone appears to have been turned off ahead of the attack, as reported by the Associated Press.)
Law enforcement would not need the cell phone of the person in question to subpoena location data for it, including for abortion cases, Rumel said.
COMPANIES IN THE CROSSHAIRS
Following the Roe v. Wade decision last year, a myriad of large companies, including Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft, pledged to offer abortion-related benefits to their employees.
For example, Apple, the maker of iPhone, said it would pay for the travel costs associated with an employee’s abortion, according to reporting from Forbes. Google said that it would help pay for relocation expenses for an employee living in a state where abortion access was restricted, according to reporting from CNBC.
But collecting, packaging, and selling people’s data is one of the ways tech companies of all kinds make money. Companies have been less eager to agree to stop collecting or selling data that could imply that someone has sought abortion-related care. Last year, a group of 42 Democratic lawmakers asked Google, the maker of Android phones, to halt collecting such data, as reported by CNBC.
The legislation introduced by Cantwell is the latest effort to put the Federal Trade Commission at the center of regulating companies that could be handling health- and abortion-related data. Last year, the FTC sued Sandpoint-based company Kochava, an analytics company that collects location data, according to reporting from AdExchanger.com.
The suit alleged that Kochava collects and makes data available to a general marketplace that is granular enough to show when a person visited potentially sensitive locations, such as a place “that may be used to infer an LGBTQ+ identification,” a domestic violence shelter, a place of worship, or a doctor's office.
This type of information poses a privacy violation to consumers, who may not be aware of how their data is collected or used, the suit said.
“Consumers have no insight into how this data is used — they do not, for example, typically know or understand that the information collected about them can be used to track and map their past movements and that inferences about them and their behaviors will be drawn from this information,” the suit said.
Kochava countersued prior to the FTC’s suit, saying that the FTC was overstepping and that the suit was too broad, according to reporting from AdExchanger.com.
A company official told the Associated Press last year that the company complies with privacy regulations, and that prior to the FTC's filing, it rolled out a new program to block the collection of data at sensitive locations.
In early May, the U.S. District Court Judge in Idaho presiding over the case, B. Lynn Winmill, sided with Kochava, according to reporting from the New York Times. Winmill said he could see the potential for the company's sale of data to violate consumer privacy, but disagreed that there was sufficient evidence to demonstrate that is happening. The decision granted the commission 30 days to refile with additional evidence that strengthens their arguments, according to reporting from the New York Times. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/legislators-feds-look-to-curtail-collection-of-info-that-could-lead-to-abortion-prosecutions/article_c33308ce-f5bb-11ed-a419-27408bfc6e90.html | 2023-05-19T20:25:21 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/legislators-feds-look-to-curtail-collection-of-info-that-could-lead-to-abortion-prosecutions/article_c33308ce-f5bb-11ed-a419-27408bfc6e90.html |
The desperate, persistent need for childcare
On any given weekday, Kathi Barton can be found doing what she loves most.
Between the good mornings and breakfast, learning through play, first snack, outdoor time, lunch, reading time, nap time, second snack, cross-town commutes, the thank yous and goodbye for nows, she finds a unique kind of joy.
Her quaint home in a quiet Salina neighborhood is the stomping grounds for around 10 toddlers this spring. This summer, it will be 12.
It’s not exactly a job that comes with serenity. And it’s definitely not for everyone, she says. But it’s one with purpose, and that’s always been enough.
“We really try to be that home away from home for these kiddos,” Barton said.
Kathi and her husband Curt own and operate Eagle Wings Daycare Home, one of 121 at-home licensed daycare providers in the county.
Throughout her more than 35 years as a professional childcare provider, Kathi Barton has lived her fair share of challenges. But her usual waiting list has never been quite so long.
In Saline County, like much of the nation, childcare availability is diminishing for families. Barton doesn’t like turning people away, but she’s only licensed for so many children.
“With a waiting list a mile long, we get people who call in tears, crying that they can’t find anybody,” Kathi Barton said. “They just don’t know what to do.”
Childcare desert drives out families from local workforce
As of early 2023, there are an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 fewer available childcare spaces than needed in Saline County, according to data from Childcare Aware, a statewide resource and referral agency.
Meanwhile, local childcare centers and at-home providers alike are operating at capacity. While at-home providers face their own unique challenges, care facilities are having trouble hiring staff due to poverty-level wages, among other issues.
The shortage has been in a crisis state since before the COVID-19 pandemic, but the ongoing financial impacts from 2020 to 2022 have forced more at-home providers to cease operations. Others are holding onto emergency grants to sustain their daycares, but most of those funds will dry up later this year.
For those in Saline County, low childcare availability has had a domino effect, of sorts, resulting in a gradual exodus of people from an otherwise growing economy.
And more often, the childcare shortage has become a part of a three-headed monster for economic development in the greater Salina area. A lack of housing, childcare availability and stagnant wages have driven families out of the county even after some secured jobs in the area.
The weight of the issue has infiltrated conversations among state and local governments, employers and childcare providers alike, who are looking at ways to expand and improve childcare services availability.
“It’s a national fix, and I don’t know that we will see it in my lifetime,” said Leigh Ann Montoy, childcare licensing coordinator with the Saline County Health Department.
Montoy and her team get a first-hand look at the childcare provider shortage as the regulatory agency for childcare licensing in Kansas.
Among issues like financial constraints and lack of time and other resources, burnout has been a large part of what her agency sees in childcare providers.
“It’s extremely demanding work, it’s physical work, it’s challenging work,” Montoy said. “And people are doing all that for very low wages – poverty-level wages.”
On the state level, the Kansas Legislature began a divided debate on how to provide easier access and availability to childcare which resulted in House Bill 2344.
Before Kansas Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the bill April 19, its proponents argued the scarcity of childcare spots was due to crippling regulations shutting out would-be providers. Opponents of the bill blamed it primarily on low pay leading to not enough childcare workers.
More:How safe is too safe? Kansas lawmakers want to tackle child care regulations
“This bill would reverse the progress we’ve made toward that goal, loosening safety requirements for childcare centers and preventing the state from being responsive to individual communities’ needs,” Kelly said in a statement regarding HB 2344. “While I agree it’s time to review our childcare policies, we must do it together – and in a way that improves, not harms, our state’s ability to help families and keep kids safe.”
Representative Daniel Hawkins, a supporter of HB 2344, also issued a statement after the veto.
“One of the biggest issues facing Kansas families is a lack of child care options,” Hawkins said in his statement. “Governor Kelly’s veto reinforces the failed status quo by choosing overregulation over workable solutions.”
A home away from home
Kathi Barton didn’t know, exactly, how to feel about the proposed legislation. But she said she knew one thing for certain – lawmakers weren’t getting the full picture.
“I would challenge any one of them to spend a day and watch what I do, and be with these kids all day,” Kathi Barton said. “Then, they would have a different perspective on what actually happens.”
All of Kathi and Curt’s children are college-aged and older, but their yard is still filled with playsets, swing sets and toys. It’s been a couple decades since they have celebrated a newborn, but Kathi’s home is still fitted with a baby pin and changing station.
Their mornings start around 6:45 a.m. and their days end around 6 p.m. But that’s just time spent with the kids. Most workdays, including cleaning, cooking, shopping, commuting, budgeting and other unseen tasks add up to 10- to 12-hour days.
“When we first started, we’d work until midnight a lot of times,” Curt Barton said.
As an at-home provider, the Barton’s wages are a direct relation to how many children they have, what they charge and what their overhead expenses are.
If you break it down to how many hours a week at home providers work, Montoy said, most would by and large make well below minimum wage – sometimes $6-8 per hour.
For the Bartons, it’s never been about the money. Kathi knew she wasn’t entering a profession that would make the big bucks. But financials are an ever-present stressor for providers today.
Kathi and her husband are not simply babysitters, she said. Their roles encompass so much more; every detail of their unwritten job descriptions couldn’t fit into this report. They change daily to fit children’s needs.
At Eagle Wings, Kathi and her husband focus on learning through play, social emotional lessons, and make an intentional point to foster strong literacy skills. Children not quite two years old can tell you what an author and illustrator’s roles entail.
The daycare even has its own YouTube page titled “Storycast Munchkins” with videos of Kathi Barton reading her favorite children’s books. The videos show her expressive reading as a young, captivated audience giggles and plays along in the background.
On the good days, the vocation of fostering young lives outweighs the pressures of inflation, of a $450 per week grocery bill, and of the “sane” thing to do – getting a job that pays more and comes with a better health insurance plan.
And on the bad days, another childcare center like hers closes up shop, leaving more families without an answer.
What can be done about childcare locally?
Some momentum has begun to pick up in addressing the childcare shortage in Saline County. With more entities amplifying the issue, nonprofits and local government are working to come up with ways to use funds for sustainability.
At the end of April, the Salina Area United Way announced the start of its Early Childcare Initiative fund.
The first step in the nonprofit’s childcare initiative is to increase wages across existing centers in Salina. Centers in the community are currently paying childcare staff at poverty-level wages, according to data from Childcare Aware of Kansas.
The goal of the initiative is to raise funds to increase wages at facilities to a living wage, which has been found by the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce to be $15 an hour. Nonprofit centers will have the ability, once funds are raised, to apply for sustainability grants to combat the existing wage gap.
“Wages have been pinpointed as the number one critical piece as to why we’re struggling to retain childcare workers and keep rooms open at centers,” said Claire Ludes, Executive Director of the Salina Area United Way, in a release. “How can we expect to gain quality staff in local childcare centers at a poverty level wage?”
The intent and focus of recent local childcare initiatives is focusing how to expand upon existing licensed providers and care centers. While creating a new facility has been briefly discussed by local officials, it would be a costly proposal when taking into account sustainability and the persistent staffing issues.
Similarly, Saline County has designated some of its American Rescue Plan Act funding to go toward childcare. The county has had its own struggles with hiring staff due to the lack of childcare for families who would otherwise consider a move to the county for employment.
But how, exactly, to use those funds has been a head-scratching conversation for the county’s board of commissioners and department heads.
"That would be a role that 25 years ago, county governments would say 'you're concerned with childcare?'" said County Commissioner Monte Shadwick at a meeting earlier this year. "But it's a big deal now."
Other local initiatives have included business-to-childcare facility partnerships that work to increase wages at care centers. One example of this is Salina Regional Health Center’s partnership with Salina Childcare to provide workers with livable wages and hospital employees access to that childcare.
In the short term, Montoy said the best way to fill the childcare void is promoting, encouraging and supporting home childcare. In Kansas, at least, that’s where the bulk of young children are cared for during the day.
“(At-home childcare) can be isolating, it’s lonely, and they just don’t have that backup and support that most of us have in our work environments,” Montoy said.
Kathi Barton knows those feelings all too well.
But just as isolating as it is, it can be rewarding, she said. Barton has even offered to mentor and help others interested in starting an at-home daycare.
The job is not one that comes with serenity, but it has its perks, she said. Perks like seeing a former student for the first time in a long time who grew up to be an engineer, a fighter pilot, or a fellow educator. Perks like the “lightbulb” that goes off when a kid with a speech disability masters a problem vowel.
“Providers touch the lives of those who build the future,” Kathi Barton said. “If you’re doing it right, you’re hopefully shaping future generations to do the right thing, go in the right direction and be kind to other people.”
Last Thursday, Curt Barton set up a sprinkler system in their backyard for the upcoming warmer days spent outside. As Curt walked toward the hose, five toddlers huddled around him.
He turned over the spigot and a light mist drifted through the cool morning air. The children, not quite tall enough to reach the hose, raised their hands toward the mist, laughing and jumping enthusiastically.
A rainbow formed between them, and behind it, a young girl smiled.
Maybe, a future pilot, educator or engineer.
Kendrick Calfee has been a reporter with the Salina Journal since 2022, primarily covering county government and education. You can reach him at kcalfee@gannett.com or on Twitter @calfee_kc. | https://www.salina.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/how-a-childcare-desert-drives-families-away-from-saline-county-the-national-childcare-crisis-reflect/70122131007/ | 2023-05-19T20:27:36 | 1 | https://www.salina.com/story/news/local/2023/05/19/how-a-childcare-desert-drives-families-away-from-saline-county-the-national-childcare-crisis-reflect/70122131007/ |
Two local law enforcement agencies welcomed new recruits to the ranks during separate swearing-in ceremonies Friday morning.
The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office swore in 15 new members of the Patrol Division, 12 of whom will spend the next sixth months at the police academy followed by 12 weeks of field training.
“Over the next six months the people who have been stuck working long hours, and weekends, and holidays, that still has to continue, unfortunately, and every chance I get publicly I say thank you to the men and women who are doing these extra hours in the entire agency, said Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol. “In the Patrol Division, certainly, there's all kinds of overtime where they're working long days, and working their days off, and working holidays, as is in the jail.”
Two of the new recruits have already gone through the first phase of training and will be ready to be on their own soon.
One of the 15 has already been a certified police officer and will require minimal training.
The Utica Police Department also welcomed 10 new officers, who were welcomed during a ceremony at Utica City Hall.
The officers had to pass extensive background checks and pass physical and mental condition tests before moving on to training at the police academy.
"The key to what we're looking for in any of these young men and women is that they have good communication skills because you're gonna be dealing on a daily basis with the people that are sometimes just difficult and you have to be able to de-escalate and calm people down,” said Utica Police Chief Mark Williams.
The Utica Common Council voted last year to add five more positions to the department, allowing them to increase this recruitment class size.
Maciol says there are still four openings in the sheriff’s office’s Patrol Division and 80 openings in the Corrections Division. For more information on how to apply, click here. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/oneida-county-sheriffs-office-upd-welcome-new-recruits/article_12c77d82-f677-11ed-9d07-7b4d28a9e69b.html | 2023-05-19T20:28:59 | 1 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/oneida-county-sheriffs-office-upd-welcome-new-recruits/article_12c77d82-f677-11ed-9d07-7b4d28a9e69b.html |
FRUITLAND, Idaho — Fruitland Police are looking for a 16-year-old girl who was last seen at 7 a.m. Thursday.
Amalia Carrillo Martinez was reported missing to law enforcement late Thursday night, the police department said. Police also said investigators have reason to believe she is in southern Utah, possibly headed south. Amalia has family in Hemet, California, which is about 90 miles east of Los Angeles in Riverside County.
Amalia is described as a Hispanic female, about 5-foot-6, 155 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Police said she was last seen wearing black jeans, a black Nike sweatshirt with white stripes on the sleeves, and black Nike shoes. She may have been carrying a black-and-white marble backpack.
At this time, police said, it is unknown what vehicle she is traveling in.
If you have any information on her whereabouts, call the Fruitland Police Department at 208-642-6006.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/fruitland-police-endangered-missing-teen-amalia-carrillo-martinez/277-4019bd0c-0ecb-4ca9-aede-b2fa29fc9561 | 2023-05-19T20:31:55 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/fruitland-police-endangered-missing-teen-amalia-carrillo-martinez/277-4019bd0c-0ecb-4ca9-aede-b2fa29fc9561 |
BOISE, Idaho — Washington will be among the states sending resources north to Canada as wildfires continue to burn along the western part of the country.
Early-season wildfires in Canada are causing thousands of evacuations, damage throughout 1 million acres and a thick blanket of smoke traveling south into the United States, reaching as far as Nebraska and including western Washington.
Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Montana are combining to send 125 personnel and equipment as part of the Northwest Wildland Fire Protection Agreement.
Washington is sending miscellaneous firefighting personnel, one initial attack hand crew and three engines. Oregon and Washington also are joining personnel to form a shared incident management team.
“With wildland fires straining the suppression efforts of our international partners in Canada, it is critical we use every authority and available resources to provide assistance,” said George Geissler, Washington state forester and the National Association of State Foresters fire committee chair. “The interagency wildland fire community is committed to protect the communities and the natural resources we all rely upon.”
Nearly 85% of Alberta, Canada is "abnormally dry" at the moment, according to the North American Drought Monitor. With near-record-high temperatures in much of the Pacific Northwest over the past several weeks, wildfires continue to burn.
Over 90 fires are actively burning in Alberta as of Friday morning, according to the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard. 56.38% of the fires are under control, but 26.2% remain out of control.
The Environmental Protection Agency's fire and smoke map shows a low Air Quality Index projection for all of western Washington today, as the height of the smoke in the atmosphere keeps it from impacting too much on the ground locally. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/washington-firefighting-resources-canada-wildfires/281-8f59aee2-758e-4f29-930d-27b731252c6b | 2023-05-19T20:31:57 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/washington-firefighting-resources-canada-wildfires/281-8f59aee2-758e-4f29-930d-27b731252c6b |
Michigan agency awards $15M to remove, repair 16 dam projects
Michigan's environmental department has awarded more than $15 million in state grant aid for 16 dams to perform removal and critical maintenance projects that are aimed at reducing risks of problems and protecting residents.
The announcement of the funding for 16 dams by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy came on the same day Midland area residents marked the three-year anniversary of the Edenville and Sanford dam breaks, which caused widespread flooding in the Midland area and about 10,000 people to evacuate.
When the Four Lakes Task Force, the potential buyers of the Edenville Dam, in 2019 requested $1.6 million from the grant program for proposed work, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's Department of Natural Resources denied the request because it did not meet the priorities and criteria of the grant program. The dam's owners, Boyce Hydro, had failed to maintain proper spillway capacity for years and didn't request any dam management grant aid.
The state's dam program has since been bolstered with funding approved last year by the Michigan Legislature through the Dam Risk Reduction Grant Program. Ten of the projects involve planning for or removing dams, while the other six are funding repairs.
Among the projects that have been financed:
• $3.7 million for the city of Ypsilanti to remove the high-hazard, poor-condition Peninsular Paper Dam, which is intended to remove the threat of flooding.
• $2.5 million for the River Raisin Watershed Council to remove the high-hazard Brooklyn Hydroelectric Dam, allowing the headwaters of the River Raisin to be reconnected through natural channel redevelopment, according to EGLE.
• $2.3 million for the Forest Lake Property Owners Association in Alger to rehabilitate the now failed Forrest Lake Dam due to the May 2020 flooding disaster. The money is intended to help restore the dam.• $1.5 million for the Genesee County Parks and Recreation department to complete removing the "high-hazard, poor-condition" Hamilton Dam.
• $1 million for the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner to remove the Tyler and Beyer dams located on Willow Run Creek. It also will fund the replacement of the deteriorating Tyler Road crossing to Willow Run Airport, according to EGLE.
• $1 million for the city of Albion to do removal design for what the state considers the "significant-hazard, poor-condition" Albion Dam and four other unregulated dam structures.
• $530,000 for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Recreation Division to repair the high-hazard Heron Dam in Holly, which has had issues with embankment stability and seepage for several years, according to EGLE.
• $192,000 for the city of Saline to complete a dam removal feasibility study for the "significant-hazard" Saline River Dam.
• $106,000 for the village of Clarkston to plan and design a replacement structure for the high-hazard Clarkston Mill Pond Dam. The project will include a lake level study.
EGLE is responsible for the oversight of more than 1,000 dams in Michigan. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/05/19/michigan-environment-department-awards-15m-to-remove-repair-16-dam-projects/70236885007/ | 2023-05-19T20:32:38 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/05/19/michigan-environment-department-awards-15m-to-remove-repair-16-dam-projects/70236885007/ |
Timothy Keller, a pastor and best-selling author who founded the influential Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, died this morning at home after three-year bout with pancreatic cancer. He was 72.
Keller and his family launched Redeemer in 1989, and the congregation went on to welcome more than 5,000 attendees across its multiple locations each week.
A new evangelical church in Manhattan filled with young adults was unique in a city known more for its secularism and the Gothic spires of its older sanctuaries. But Keller was passionate about evangelizing to people in cities, and his ministry would go on to help start 1,000 churches in 150 other cities around the world.
Keller became an evangelical Christian in college, and he was ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America in 1975. Active in the so-called New Calvinist movement, Keller brought a gentleness to a brand of Christianity known for its emphasis on sin and the depravity of humanity.
He once wrote, “The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope.”
Keller’s teachings reached far beyond the spaces that Redeemer rented for its Sunday services. He wrote prolifically for the public in erudite essays and 31 books, several of them New York Times bestsellers. In 2005, he helped found the Gospel Coalition, a prominent network of conservative evangelical churches and New Calvinist leaders.
Keller was quick to point out that Christianity did not fit neatly into a two-party political system. Though he eschewed the bombast of a culture warrior, many of his views on hot-button social issues — same-sex marriage and abortion — remained conservative but nuanced.
Still, in an essay for The New Yorker in 2017, Keller lamented that it was harder to wear the label “evangelical” after President Donald Trump’s election, which many other leading evangelicals had championed.
“‘Evangelical’ used to denote people who claimed the high moral ground; now, in popular usage, the word is nearly synonymous with ‘hypocrite,’” he wrote. “When I used the word to describe myself in the nineteen-seventies, it meant I was not a fundamentalist. If I use the name today, however, it means to hearers that I am.”
Keller was born in 1950 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Bill and Louise Keller. He was educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. Early in his career, he served churches and ministries in Virginia and Georgia. He stepped down from his senior pastor role at Redeemer in 2017 but continued on as a staff member.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by three sons, David, Michael, and Jonathan, his sister Sharon Johnson, along with his three daughters-in-law and seven grandchildren.
Keller was diagnosed with stage-4 pancreatic cancer in 2020. In the years since, he chronicled his treatments and asked for prayers from his more than 900,000 social media followers.
In 2020, he published a short book, “On Death,” which urged Christians not to fear their mortal end.
“When you are at a funeral, especially one for a friend or a loved one,” he wrote, “listen to God speaking to you, telling you that everything in life is temporary except for His love.”
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/2023/05/19/timothy-keller-pastor-author-evangelical/cd94dac6-f67a-11ed-918d-012572d64930_story.html | 2023-05-19T20:32:56 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/2023/05/19/timothy-keller-pastor-author-evangelical/cd94dac6-f67a-11ed-918d-012572d64930_story.html |
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