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DALLAS — Groups across the nation are staging protests and others are holding support rallies after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“My immediate response was 'wow,'” said Edna Pemberton of Dallas.
Friday’s controversial ruling on abortions has a deep impact for some North Texas residents.
“It’s personal with me. You know, I lost a dear sister who left six kids,” Pemberton explained.
Pemberton is a community organizer. She also run a community-based nonprofit called Camp Wisdom Now. She said her sister, Joyce, was just 26-years-old when she died giving herself an abortion at home in the 90s. Joyce had two prior procedures, according to Pemberton. The third was fatal.
“The Lord told me she wasn’t going to make it because she had lost so much blood,” Pemberton recalled.
With SCOTUS now ruling states can decide whether abortion can be legal or illegal, Pemberton is among residents who fear lack of education and lack of convenient access to resources could be critical issues for Texas women in vulnerable situations.
According to data from the CDC, women in their 20s had the highest abortion rates nationwide.
The pro-choice research group Guttmacher Institute reports a significant number of abortion patients are poor, living below the federal poverty line.
“It’s going to be a hard impact,” said Jeanette Berry, founder of Operation Community Care.
Berry’s nonprofit provides baby food, clothing and other resources to an average of 350 low income families each month. Berry and her teams had tough conversations with expecting moms trying to make tough decisions.
“A person gets pregnant, what do they do?" she said.
Berry said some women seeking help often ask.
Only time may tell the impact of the Supreme Court's decision on abortion and its affect on some Texas families.
Pemberton admits she is worried.
“I have a lot of fears. I have a lot of fears. I have a lot of fears there’s going to be a lot of Joyce’s out there. People that’s going to do their own abortions,” she explained. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texan-discuss-impact-of-abortion-rights-controversy/287-cac11b39-59e3-4d2c-8c16-2fcc4fcf183b | 2022-06-24T22:38:22 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texan-discuss-impact-of-abortion-rights-controversy/287-cac11b39-59e3-4d2c-8c16-2fcc4fcf183b |
What we all knew as summer camp has really evolved these days into summer learning.
"This is the first time I’ve done something technical with robotics and coding," said Andre Hernandez, a student in Arlington ISD's Camp Innovation.
Hernandez may have come to camp to play with all the robots and drones but once he got here he says he learned so much more.
"It’s been much more difficult and I increased my knowledge," he said.
The district is using new technology to teach kids about coding which has been “the thing” in education for a while now. But teachers say it’s about more than just building computer scientists.
"They have an awful lot of fun but they work super hard to be able to find solutions and find success to be able to solve challenges," said Susan Anderson, one of the organizers.
While many of the skills are the type you can use in any profession, Andre says, why not double down on the obvious. He’s thinking about becoming a scientist or computer programmer. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/carter-in-the-classroom/technology-camp-helps-keep-learning-going-through-summer-months/3000031/ | 2022-06-24T22:41:15 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/carter-in-the-classroom/technology-camp-helps-keep-learning-going-through-summer-months/3000031/ |
Hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the district attorneys in Dallas and Tarrant counties issued differing statements on how they plan to approach prosecuting any future violations of Texas law.
Outgoing Tarrant County DA Sharen Wilson issued a statement saying they don't choose which laws to follow and that they will follow state law.
"My oath and that of everyone in my office is to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution and the laws of the United States and Texas. Prosecutors do not make the law -- we follow it. We followed Roe v. Wade when it was the law and we will follow Texas state law now," Wilson said.
"Every case presented to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office will be reviewed. If the facts warrant prosecution, then the case will be presented to a grand jury for consideration. As prosecutors, we always know that our primary duty under law is not to convict, but to see that justice is done, Art. 2.01, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure."
In Dallas County, District Attorney John Crezot said his office would not get between a woman and her doctor.
“Today’s decision from the Supreme Court turns back the clock nearly 50 years on women’s rights. I want women across Texas, and especially here in Dallas County, to rest assured that my office will not stand in the way of them seeking the health care they need," Creuzot said in a statement. "Bans on abortion disproportionately impact the poor, women of color and other vulnerable populations, and endanger public safety – which goes against the very core of policies I was elected to put in place. As we do every day, my office will continue to use discretion to pursue justice on behalf of all citizens of our Dallas County community.”
Under the new Texas law, the Texas Human Life Protection Act of 2021 does not seek to punish women who seek abortions, rather it targets doctors. According to the law, doctors may face first-degree felony charges, which can include life in prison, fines of $100,000 and the loss of their professional licenses. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/tarrant-dallas-das-take-different-approaches-in-prosecuting-abortion-cases/3000135/ | 2022-06-24T22:41:16 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/tarrant-dallas-das-take-different-approaches-in-prosecuting-abortion-cases/3000135/ |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay area locals showed up in both protest and celebration Friday following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
In the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the court ruled, in a 6-3 decision, to back Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban. It is now up to state lawmakers to decide what abortion restrictions and bans will exist in their states.
In Florida, a 15-week abortion ban will take effect in July. However, some expect Florida to pass more restrictions after the ruling.
Pro- and anti-abortion demonstrators made their presence known across Tampa and St. Pete. People expressed both outrage and joy over the ruling.
At North Straub Park in St. Pete, both abortion-rights and anti-abortion activists gathered to react to the ruling. Representatives from Planned Parenthood and New Life Solutions were in attendance.
Abortion-rights activists expressed their concern for future Supreme Court rulings while anti-abortion activists expressed their relief at the decision.
Abortion demonstrations around Tampa Bay
Continuing coverage: | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/tampa-supreme-court-decision-roe-v-wade/67-11028186-8b2f-4fc6-a7ba-c2164dfc2fdf | 2022-06-24T22:44:22 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/tampa-supreme-court-decision-roe-v-wade/67-11028186-8b2f-4fc6-a7ba-c2164dfc2fdf |
BELLMEAD, Texas — A 50-acre brush fire that's burning in Waco is now 45% contained, which has stopped evacuations in the area, according to the Waco Fire Department.
Fire crews were called out to the 3700 block of Kendall Lane regarding a fire that started around 1:52 p.m. It quickly spread through the area and grew to 50 acres because of windy conditions, crews told 6 News.
Some buildings and vehicles were damaged, but there were no injuries, Waco Fire said.
Regarding the cause, Waco Fire said flames started because of construction crew iron work.
Though the fire is contained, crews ask the public to stay out of the area.
Other departments, including state and county departments, are helping put out the fire. A total of 32 trained firefighters and three aircrafts responded to the fire, crews said.
Stay with 6 News as this story develops. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/large-bush-fire-causes-waco-fire-to-evacuate-residents/500-ec08433a-bc7a-4fd0-af4a-1d0d301c1a3f | 2022-06-24T22:50:05 | 0 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/large-bush-fire-causes-waco-fire-to-evacuate-residents/500-ec08433a-bc7a-4fd0-af4a-1d0d301c1a3f |
DALLAS — Maegan Gross, 30, got pregnant at 20 years old and wasn't ready to be a mother.
Gross got an abortion in Texas in 2012. At 28, however, Gross became pregnant again and chose to have a child. She's now the mother of a 22-month-old little boy.
"I became a mother when I was ready," she told WFAA's Teresa Woodard.
On Friday, the Supreme Court overruled Roe v. Wade, ending constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years. In Texas, the state has already passed a “trigger law,” making most abortions illegal.
Gross told WFAA the landmark ruling gave her a mixture of emotions.
"I'm angry. I'm emotional. I'm sad. I'm worried for the future of America," Gross said. "This is just insane."
"I had an abortion when I was 20 ... I had the right to choose," Gross added. "The fact that now women aren't going to be able to have that choice is just heartbreaking to me."
The decision by the court's conservative majority overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling and is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the U.S. states.
The ruling, unlikely just a few years ago, was the culmination of decades of efforts by abortion opponents, made possible by an emboldened right side of the court fortified by three appointees of former President Donald Trump.
Gross told WFAA the ruling made her feel devalued and degraded.
"I wasn’t put on this Earth to be an incubator. I wasn’t put on this Earth solely to bear children and I feel reduced to that. I feel reduced to nothing," Gross said. "It's frustrating and it's humiliating."
Abortion foes cheered the ruling, but abortion-rights supporters, including President Joe Biden, expressed dismay and pledged to fight to restore the rights. Many Texas leaders, politicians, organizations and local religious leaders have issued split opinions.
"No woman should be forced to become a mother when she’s not ready," Gross saod. "And I just really hope that one day for our daughters’ futures that this won’t be the case."
More Roe v. Wade coverage: | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/roe-v-wade-texas-woman-abortion/287-0a88d119-e757-4d98-8f52-16e762a6464b | 2022-06-24T22:50:11 | 1 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/roe-v-wade-texas-woman-abortion/287-0a88d119-e757-4d98-8f52-16e762a6464b |
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said how Ohioans debate the abortion issue is important after the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday returned abortion law and policy to the state level.
“Whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice, Republican or Democrat, we all need to be kind and civil and respect one another as we debate this issue,” DeWine said, which includes respecting and protecting the First Amendment right of freedom of speech.
He addressed Ohioans Friday evening regarding the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned landmark Roe v. Wade.
“My purpose tonight is not to debate the merits of this decision — there will be plenty of time to do this in the days and weeks ahead — but I have two reasons for talking with you tonight.
“First, I think it’s important that as we discuss the abortion issue we in Ohio do it in a civil way and recognize that there are people of goodwill on both sides who have strongly and honestly held beliefs.
“Second, I want to talk about the work that needs to be done to better support children and families and the common ground that we as Ohioans share,” he said.
DeWine said his administration already is investing more than $1 billion to provide prenatal care, parenting classes, mentoring, education and nutrition assistance to pregnant mothers and their families.
The governor said he has asked state health and human services agencies for innovative ideas to identify and help vulnerable mothers and said he will be working with state lawmakers and local communities to improve pre- and post-natal care, increase maternal depression screenings and expand mental health resources for woman who experience miscarriages.
He also said his administration will work on efforts to increase awareness about adoption and to expand health care coverage to more mothers and children.
“My fellow Ohioans, I ask you tonight to pull together. Let us have our debate about abortion. Let us do it civilly, let us respect each other, and let us concede that the other side is sincere in their beliefs.”
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/dewine-urges-ohioans-to-find-common-ground-as-state-works-through-abortion-law/4W3UL3FBSRBZPBDUUGASC2PEEE/ | 2022-06-24T23:04:21 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/dewine-urges-ohioans-to-find-common-ground-as-state-works-through-abortion-law/4W3UL3FBSRBZPBDUUGASC2PEEE/ |
Hundreds rally in downtown Knoxville to protest Supreme Court decision and abortion ban
Hundreds of abortion rights protesters converged on downtown Knoxville's Krutch Park on Friday evening in the wake of the historic Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
The Bans Off Our Bodies rally took over a popular park adjacent to Market Square and then turned into a march up and down Gay Street, which was blocked off for the USA Cycling Criterium Race.
"We just want to make our voices heard," said Rachel Smith, who attended the protest with a friend. "Not everyone in every red state agrees with the decisions being made."
Tory Mills, one of the organizers, led the crowd in song and a few chants, as well as a collective howl of rage that one participant called "a keening."
Statewide:'Hopeful chapter' or dangerous 'criminalizing': Tennesseans react to abortion ruling
"Unfortunately, we knew this day was coming," Mills said, adding that she wanted everyone there to focus on the "beautiful, strong community" and to continue to take action. "This is going to be a 20- to 30-year fight."
Mills encouraged those attending to talk to each other and learn about what resources they could access and contribute to, such as funds that help women seeking abortions out of state.
"Rallies aren't enough, voting is not enough," she said. "We have to do all these things and we have to do them in unison."
The court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization held the U.S. Constitution does not confer a right to abortion and overruled Roe v. Wade, returning the authority to regulate abortion to individual states.
Abortion is still legal in Tennessee as of Friday, but the decision triggers a 30-day countdown on a 2019 abortion ban snapping into place.
Tennessee also moved quickly to file an emergency motion in federal court to lift an injunction on a 2020 law that would ban abortions after six weeks of gestational age, although it seems unlikely a ruling will be issued before Tuesday. | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/24/hundreds-rally-downtown-knoxville-protest-supreme-court-abortion-decision-roe-v-wade/7725802001/ | 2022-06-24T23:05:48 | 1 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/24/hundreds-rally-downtown-knoxville-protest-supreme-court-abortion-decision-roe-v-wade/7725802001/ |
Replay: Demonstrators gather in Knoxville after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
Angela M. Gosnell
Knoxville News Sentinel
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion, a watershed decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and erased a reproductive right that had been in place for nearly five decades.
Demonstrators are gathering to protest the historic decision in downtown Knoxville on Friday afternoon. Join us live at 5 p.m. ET.
This page will be updated with the stream below.
Roe's ruling guaranteed the constitutional right to abortion. Without it, and its companion decision Casey v. Planned Parenthood, the decision about allowing the procedure is left up to individual states.
As of Friday, abortion access remains legal in Tennessee.
Read more here. | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/24/live-decision-overturn-roe-v-wade-sparks-protest-knoxville/7726263001/ | 2022-06-24T23:05:54 | 0 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/24/live-decision-overturn-roe-v-wade-sparks-protest-knoxville/7726263001/ |
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Friday hosted its first community roundtable to bridge the gap between support agencies and those in need.
Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office Community Relations Liaison Deborah Mullins told News Channel 11 that she began reaching out to non-profit organizations months ago to unify the different groups.
Thus, the idea for the roundtable was born.
“I was reaching out to contacts that I know, different nonprofits in our area who have very different skills and very different opportunities. And I told our sheriff I said ‘we need to bring these people together,'” she said.
Starting with the Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition, The Branch House, Families Free, Recovery Resources, and One ID Inc., Mullins put her head together with these organizations to come up with an idea to better serve the community.
“Our goal is for today, the right hand to learn what the left hand is doing. So these agencies can network together and build stronger organizations. And then on Monday, we invite our residents or community members who are seeking these resources to come and get the information they need, whether it’s a contact an appointment, a ride to an interview, maybe or a registration form to get enrolled and apply for a program,” Mullins said.
The group will be available to the public on Monday from 9:30 until 11:30 a.m.
“We know everyone has a busy schedule, but this is something we hope to continue and duplicate in about six months. So maybe twice a year. Just bring everyone together again,” Mullins said.
Resources will be available Monday at Preaching Christ Church on E. Sullivan Street in Kingsport. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/scso-hosts-community-roundtable-for-local-support-agencies/ | 2022-06-24T23:06:01 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/scso-hosts-community-roundtable-for-local-support-agencies/ |
SAN ANTONIO — After two years, Pride Bigger Than Texas is making a big return Saturday with over 150 parade entries and major sponsorships like Bud Light and USAA.
"We started in a small parking lot here off of Main Avenue has now turned into this large festival," Pride San Antonio Inc. President Phillip Barcena reminisced about the festivals humble origins.
The growth that comes with holding San Antonio's very first Pride Week has Barcena nervous yet excited.
“we don't have control over everything,” he said. “But, it's really great because of all the different organizations that have now started to participate in this. And then partnering and looking at long term relationships in the future.”
He said the week-long celebration was inspired by another San Antonio mainstay.
“We modeled it after dream week, because we know that goes back to the community,” Barcena said.
Preparations are underway for its culminating event on Saturday: The Pride Bigger Than Texas festival and parade at Crockett Park. Barcena said it will be a celebration and a family affair.
“We do a large area for the kids as well,” he said. “We have inflatables, we're going to have aerialists, and acrobats, here, entertainers circus performers, we also have performers on the stage.”
Pride Bigger Than Texas hasn't been held since 2019 due to COVID restrictions. This year’s event will offer free COVID testing and vaccinations.
“they're going to be set up in our kids area to encourage families not only to get COVID tested, but also get their children's vaccines and they can do that for this upcoming school year,” said Barcena.
Barcena says he's encouraged by the higher attendance he's been seeing at events with the inception of Pride Week, especially since the last Pride Bigger Than Texas festival in 2019 attracted roughly 15,000 people.
"What I really want them to walk away with is joy and understanding of the LGBTQIA community,” he said. “And that's all we can ask for." | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/what-to-expect-at-this-years-pride-bigger-than-texas/273-a7c61d8d-35e7-46df-afbf-b6193127e4ba | 2022-06-24T23:06:08 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/what-to-expect-at-this-years-pride-bigger-than-texas/273-a7c61d8d-35e7-46df-afbf-b6193127e4ba |
The future of the Bridle Trail was once again the main topic of discussion during Tuesday’s County Commissioner work session. Those involved are still attempting to solve the dispute, but there’s a new player in the game.
Attorney Ryan Ford, representing Casper Mountain landowner Howard Christman, took to the podium before the panel on June 21 to discuss possible legal courses of action regarding the use of Christman’s property as a part of the Bridle Trail. According to Ford, he became involved a couple days after the County Commissioner meeting on June 7, where community members brought up their concerns and questions regarding the use of the trail.
“I've created my own problem, but I tried to be as good a person as I could to my community which I love,” Christman said during the session. “Twelve years ago, I probably should have shut the road off. Nobody would have said anything… I ask you guys to make the right decisions on the behalf of not just myself, but the entire community.”
Eric Nelson, who has been the county attorney since 2018, said he wasn’t sure if it was Christman’s first time bringing in legal counsel throughout the course of the dispute, but that it was the first time in his own experience. Ford did not return a request for comment earlier in the week.
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“This afternoon when I relayed to Mr. Christman that there may be resolution to this, you could tell the relief in his voice immediately,” Ford said during the session. “I think that he is very interested in not only being able to maintain his private property rights but at the end of the day, he’s happy to have people come across his property as we can work out.”
Ford mentioned two proposals on behalf of Christman during the meeting; first, he indicated that Christman would be willing to give an easement on that southeast corner of the property, more commonly referred to as the bypass path on the Bridle Trail. And second, that he would compromise issuing the public a revocable license to cross Davis Way.
The proposed license would work similar to a regular park license, requiring those who use the trail to follow certain rules and guidelines. Some of the examples Ford gave included outlining hours for the trail’s use and regulating litter or the use of campfires. If someone were to break the rules, Christman would have the ability to revoke their use of the area.
However, community members and a few councilmen raised questions about the second part of the proposal.
“I'm a little bit concerned about the concept of a license because it implies that there’s no other rights and if the license is revoked, whatever other rights existed may disappear too,” Keith Tyler, a local attorney said when it was his turn to take the mic. “But I'm glad to hear that maybe we're going to get past all that… we're all going to have to compromise some but it will give some guidelines that hopefully will protect Mr. Christman going forward, as well as the rest of us.”
Others in the audience were more focused on finding some sort of solution.
“We're all kind of over it, we want to get something done,” Casper resident Bruce Lamberson said during the session. “This has gone on and on over the entire mountain. Howard Christman's issue can happen a hundred more times if we don't get some leadership, some experience and really some commitment to that mountain.”
It was agreed that Nelson and Ford would meet to discuss the legal options, then report back. Nelson said that he didn’t have an exact date for when the two parties would come to a conclusion but that they hoped it was, “sooner rather than later” in the week.
“We’re turning it over to them,” County Commissioner Dave North said about the panel's future decision. “See if they can come up with a meaningful solution. And at that time they’re going to get back to us… we’re letting them work it out.” | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/bridle-trail-future-under-consideration/article_c7740698-f348-11ec-87c3-cffe0173d476.html | 2022-06-24T23:12:06 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/bridle-trail-future-under-consideration/article_c7740698-f348-11ec-87c3-cffe0173d476.html |
Firefighters rescued a woman from the North Platte River on Thursday afternoon after she became separated from her kayak. The woman, who was wearing a life jacket, was uninjured.
A friend of the woman's called authorities after the two were separated, according to the Natrona County Fire District and the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office.
A county fire crew was first to respond to the call. The firefighters deployed a rescue craft and spread sheriff's deputies along the river to search for the woman. She was found about a mile downstream of the Bessemer Bend River Access holding onto the bushes near a steep embankment.
The responders were able to move the woman to the rescue craft and take her to a Banner-WMC ambulance, where they checked her and learned she was not injured. They found the woman's friend waiting downstream with an additional kayak. The two were assisted back to their vehicles.
“This incident highlights a great safety point for the summer: when on the river, or on any body of water, think safe and always wear a life jacket,” Natrona County Fire District and the Natrona County Sheriff’s Office wrote in a statement. “This water rescue was another excellent example of interagency cohesion; emergency crews working together to make sure our citizens and visitors alike are safe and in good hands when emergency situations arise here in Natrona County.” | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/crews-rescue-woman-from-north-platte-river/article_60a0a478-f404-11ec-befd-530720cb9b9b.html | 2022-06-24T23:12:12 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/crews-rescue-woman-from-north-platte-river/article_60a0a478-f404-11ec-befd-530720cb9b9b.html |
Reaction came swiftly in Central Illinois on Friday to the news that the U.S. Supreme Court had overturned the constitutional right to abortion, with abortion opponents celebrating a long-pursued victory while abortion rights advocates vowed not to be silent.
“We are not surprised, but we are angry,” said Jill Blair, who organized a protest at the McLean County Museum of History. “And we're not going to back down.”
Over 100 people attended the demonstration at noon Friday, hours after the ruling was announced. Some held up homemade signs; several grew emotional as they addressed the gathered crowd, with some expressing concern about what decisions might lie in the high court’s future.
“All of our liberties are tied together,” Luisa Gomez told the protesters at the museum. “That means same-sex marriage is on the table. That means the Civil Rights Act is on the table. That means everything is on the table, and until we really look inside and at our neighbors and recognize that we are all tied together, we will continue to be oppressed, suppressed, marginalized, by 1% of our population. And I’m not going down by 1%.”
For some abortion opponents, too, the day was an emotional one. This decision comes as part of a decades-long effort by activists and conservatives.
“As a person who supports pro-life, there’s still a lot ahead, but this is an encouraging first step,” said Connie Beard, chairman of the McLean County Republican Party.
While abortion access has been codified in Illinois and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has initiated plans to expand access, Beard said she hopes that even in Illinois action will be taken “to end unrestricted abortion for the sake of the innocent children whose lives are being lost.”
‘Pretty disturbing’
Carol Koos, president of the Central Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said she found the ruling “pretty disturbing.”
Speaking on a personal level and not for the ACLU, she recalled the days before effective contraception was available and abortion was legal. When that situation changed — in part because of the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade — Koos said it “was just amazing.”
As a child of the 1950s, she remembered how women were shamed for becoming pregnant outside of marriage — and also punished. Koos said they were sent away, often to a women’s home, and referred to as “a woman of ill repute.” If they did become pregnant while married, she said, they’d have to quit their jobs.
Today, Koos said, the government is doing very little to help people have children.
“Daycare is exorbitantly expensive,” she said, and American family leave policies are “horrendous,” in contrast with some enforced in some other countries.
Koos encouraged anyone in support of abortion rights not to give up, to attend rallies and speak to their congressional representatives. You’re never too small to make a difference, she said, and if you think you are: “Have you ever tried to go to sleep with a mosquito in the room? Be that mosquito that keeps them awake at night.”
Blair, the protest organizer, said she tells people to “vote like your life depends on it, because it might.” To her, Roe v. Wade meant a right to her own bodily autonomy.
“It means the right to make decisions about my health care,” Blair said. “That should be private, between myself, my husband if I decided to include him, my partner, family and doctor — not the government.”
‘Taking an innocent life’
Beard said she echoes many Republicans’ appreciation for the Supreme Court decision giving individual states the power to determine the legality of abortion access.
“I believe personally, as well as I think the vast majority of Republicans believe, it is the right decision to make,” she said. “The power of the state to determine certain parts of our society structure should be maintained and controlled, and I think the Supreme Court decision returns that back to the states and rightfully so.”
Beard said she is hopeful the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is “leading us down a path of acknowledging that unrestricted abortion is not the right path for a society to take.”
She said with this ruling, the Republican Party hopes to start making progress toward “a more reasoned, better approach for how we deal with the needs of mother, which understandably the mother is experiencing great need in making this action, taking this step. Trying to develop ways to answer that need, I think, will be a big step to helping eventually eliminate the need for abortion. That would be my personal goal, that we can find a way in our community, in our society to eliminate the need for abortion because it’s taking a life. That has to be something we value. That should not be taking place; it’s taking an innocent life.”
During past trips to the annual March for Life held in Washington, D.C., Central Catholic students have demonstrated against abortion. However, Central Catholic spokesman Scott Vogel on Friday declined to speak about the ruling, instead pointing to Bishop Louis Tylka’s statement from the Diocese of Peoria.
Tylka said Friday’s ruling is not the “last word” in this matter but it is a significant moment in the effort to work toward a “greater respect for life,” especially the lives of unborn children.
“From the very beginning, the Church has clearly proclaimed the sanctity of human life — from conception until natural death,” Tylka said. “As Catholics and as Americans, we must continue to be a voice that defends life — in all its stages and from all its threats — so that we can truly build a culture of life in our country and in the world.”
Tylka also added that all people should support efforts that offer material, emotional, and spiritual support to families and to women with unplanned pregnancies, as well as the efforts to offer ongoing support and care for children.
‘It’s real’
Patrick Cortesi, chair of the McLean County Democrats, said he was thankful to live in Illinois, “a state where we are able to protect women and their rights.”
He said he imagines more people will come to Illinois for reproductive care in the future.
“A situation like this shows the importance of voting Democrat,” Cortesi said.
He warned that Republicans would try to restrict Illinoisans’ access to reproductive care. “The first thing they would do is overturn any protections we’ve had in place.”
At Friday’s rally, Kathy Todt held up a protest sign stating: “Freedom! Equality! Choice!”
“I don't know what we're gonna do about this, but it's pretty bad,” she said.
Todt said it’s frightening to think that after 50 years, the country is returning to a time without Roe v. Wade.
To her, the landmark ruling had meant that a woman in a situation where she doesn't feel she can have a child, she would have resources to help with that decision to end that pregnancy.
Her husband, Franz Todt, noted it’s a fundamental freedom and there are others in the crosshairs.
“We’ve watched this for 40 years in a slow evolution, but now it’s happening,” Frank Todt said.
“It’s real,” his wife agreed.
Brendan Denison, Mateusz Janik, Jack Alkire and Kelsey Watznauer contributed reporting.
Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/central-illinois-reaction-swift-to-roe-decision/article_c42d4710-f3f7-11ec-a5f9-8f893af21c3d.html | 2022-06-24T23:17:23 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/central-illinois-reaction-swift-to-roe-decision/article_c42d4710-f3f7-11ec-a5f9-8f893af21c3d.html |
SEATTLE — City Councilmember Kshama Sawant wants to make Seattle a sanctuary for anyone facing prosecution related to abortions.
Sawant's office plans to introduce that legislation, along with a budget amendment to make abortion free for anyone from states that have anti-abortion law and for all Seattle residents.
The announcement follows the United States Supreme Court ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. The 6-3 ruling was handed down Friday morning.
“Today, we face the single biggest attack on women, queer and pregnant people, and reproductive rights in most of our lifetimes, and this right-wing Supreme Court has also given every indication that they plan to carry out draconian attacks on LGBTQ rights," Sawant said in a prepared statement. "Working people cannot rely on the Democratic Party and their NGO allies, who failed to mount a fight against the right. We must get independently organized."
Sawant's legislation, according to her office, would prevent police from arresting people - patients or doctors - for warrants related to anti-abortion laws around the country.
“If my socialist council office’s legislation to make Seattle a sanctuary for abortion rights passes, and if you have had an abortion or are an abortion doctor or other care provider, come to Seattle," Sawant's statement reads. "If you can make it here, the warrant for your arrest will not go away, but police in Seattle will be instructed not to act on that warrant."
At the state level, Gov. Jay Inslee released a joint statement with the governors of Oregon and California announcing a commitment between them to "defend access to reproductive health care" and to protect "patients and doctors against efforts by other states to export their abortion bans to our states.”
“The law remains unchanged in Washington state, but the threat to patient access and privacy has never been more dangerous. Even in Washington state, Republicans have introduced about 40 bills in the past six years to roll back abortion rights and access to reproductive care," the statement read, in part.
In March, Inslee signed a measure into law prohibiting legal action against people seeking an abortion and those who aid them. However, in an interview with KING 5 Friday morning, Inslee said if Republicans get the majority in the state of Washington, they would move to ban abortions in the state "in a heartbeat."
State Republican leaders countered Inslee, saying they don't expect to change state law.
"Nothing will change in the state of Washington," said state Rep. Jacquelin Maycumber, R-Republic, "This is a pro-choice state."
Maycumber said even if Republicans gained a majority in Olympia this fall, the governor would still have the ability to veto any abortion-related legislation. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/abortion-rights-sanctuary-seattle-legislation/281-9a20b3ba-0e52-4ddf-8c63-af07ee5c9831 | 2022-06-24T23:18:08 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/abortion-rights-sanctuary-seattle-legislation/281-9a20b3ba-0e52-4ddf-8c63-af07ee5c9831 |
SEATTLE — Beginning Saturday, Seattle will have six local beaches open as western Washington braces for its first heat wave of the year.
Seattle Parks and Recreation said six area pools will be guarded daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and 12-7 p.m. on weekdays.
- Madison Beach, 1900 43rd Ave. E
- Madrona Beach, 853 Lake Washington Blvd.
- Magnuson Beach, park entrance at NE 65th and Sand Point Way NE
- Mt. Baker Beach, 2301 Lake Washington Blvd. S
- Pritchard Beach, 8400 55th Ave. S
- West Green Lake Beach, 7312 W Green Lake Dr.
An ongoing lifeguard shortage forced the department to close Matthews Beach, Seward Park Beach and East Green Lake Beach for the entire summer.
RELATED: Western Washington Forecast
The beaches will be opportunities for people to cool off following the National Weather Service's (NWS) Heat Advisory for western Washington. The region is now preparing for its first stretch of hot weather this weekend.
The advisory is in effect from noon Saturday until 11 p.m. Monday for most of the region. The advisory is in effect from noon Saturday until 11 p.m. Sunday for the north and central coast.
The NWS warned residents of hot conditions, with highs in the mid-to-upper 80s on Saturday and low 90s on Sunday and Monday. Overnight temperatures will "likely only cool into the low 60s for many locations" Saturday and Sunday night, according to the NWS.
The sustained warm temperatures will pose "a moderate risk of heat-related illness."
Most of western Washington will see highs in the mid to upper 80s with a few lower 90s on Sunday and Monday. These will be the first 80 and 90-degree days of the year for the region.
The last time Seattle reached 80 degrees was Sept. 9, 2021.
The NWS said residents should try to avoid being outdoors in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and to stay in a cool place during the heat of the day.
Weather officials said this warm-up will not come close to the extremes of last year's heatwave, but precautions should be taken to stay cool during the heat.
Last year's record-breaking heat wave saw the highest ever recorded temperatures in Seattle and multiple days in a row of triple-digit highs across the Puget Sound region. Temperatures reached as high as 118 degrees in Maple Valley and 116 degrees in Issaquah.
The Washington Department of Health (DOH) said 91 people likely died because of the historic heat wave across the Pacific Northwest from late June to early July. The majority of these deaths occurred in King and Pierce counties.
To compare, there were just seven heat-related deaths in all of Washington state from mid-June to the end of August in 2020. From 2015 to 2020, there were a total of 39 heat-related deaths in the warmer months of May through September.
As temperatures rise in the summer months, King County announced its first-ever "Extreme Heat Mitigation" plan Friday to reduce the impact of future heat
waves.
Heat has proven to be the biggest weather related-killer in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-beaches-open-this-weekend-before-first-heat-wave/281-f98a5158-d424-4fd7-b1ee-cabb13f076da | 2022-06-24T23:18:15 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-beaches-open-this-weekend-before-first-heat-wave/281-f98a5158-d424-4fd7-b1ee-cabb13f076da |
The United States Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade has an immediate impact on abortion access here in Texas with the limited number of abortion providers in the state shutting down amid legal uncertainty.
The court ruled 6-3 to uphold a Mississippi law at the heart of the abortion case and 5-4 to overturn Roe v. Wade more than a month after the leak of a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito indicating the court was prepared to reverse a precedent for a constitutionally protected right.
The decision Friday means abortion policy is left up to the states to set their own laws regulating the procedure. Texas is one of 13 states that have laws or constitutional amendments in place, so-called “trigger laws,” which could be quickly used to ban abortion upon the formal judgment to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Jeffrey Hons, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas, said abortion services at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas and Planned Parenthood South Texas have all ceased.
“We must pause abortion services at our separate organizations while our legal teams continue to review today’s devastating ruling and how it impacts and triggers existing Texas laws, including total abortion bans,” Hons said Friday.
DALLAS
The doors at the Southwestern Women’s Surgery Center remained open Friday with staff at the Dallas clinic telling NBC 5 it is still offering reproductive health care but that it has been forced to stop providing abortion services effective immediately after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade.
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Instead, it is referring women to its clinic in New Mexico, a 10-hour drive from Dallas-Fort Worth.
Tania Hernandez of Garland said she was in shock learning the ruling early Friday.
“It’s devastating,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez is a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, one of several groups organizing a rally in support of reproductive rights on Friday evening in downtown Dallas.
She says while some women may have the means to travel out of state, she is worried for many more, mainly young women from communities of color, who cannot.
“For a woman to have a child, an unwanted child they can’t afford, or a family to have a child that they can’t afford, is devastating.”
FORT WORTH
Outside the Whole Woman’s Health clinic in Fort Worth on Friday, signs were placed outside their doors indicating they have also closed. President and CEO Amy Hagstrom Miller said they had to call hundreds of their Texas patients Friday to cancel appointments.
“Today I am both heartbroken and outrage. I’m disgusted and even more committed. I’m saddened for the future of the United States. I’m horrified about what this says about how our country views and treats women, pregnant people and families,” Hagstrom Miller said. “Justice Alito and his accomplices have delivered one of the worst self-inflicted wounds this nation has ever suffered. They have endorsed a full scale of salt on every single person who is or may become pregnant under this rule.”
Whole Woman’s Health operates four clinics in Texas, along with clinics in other states. Hagstrom Miller said they are doing what they can to support their Texas patients. This includes helping people migrate out of the state to receive care, she said.
“Pregnant people deserve better. Families deserve better. Literally every living person deserves better than this appalling failure of compassion, decency, and humanity,” she said.
PREGNANCY CENTERS EXPECTED TO INCREASE
Until now, one of the area’s only abortion clinics, Southwestern Women’s, shares the same northeast Dallas office complex with a pregnancy center.
BirthChoice Dallas offers women considering abortion counseling, pregnancy tests and maternal assistance.
Texas has the most pregnancy centers in the U.S., a figure that is expected to grow after today’s ruling.
Ronda Kay Moreland, chairman of the board for BirthChoice Dallas said in a statement that the organization had been praying for an end to abortion since it opened in 2009.
“Although many of the services we provide will remain unchanged, in order to continue to meet our clients where they are currently in their lives, our approach will coincide along our clients’ evolving needs,” Moreland said. “In the coming months, we will roll out various new programs and approaches to continue our commitment of care for our clients who find themselves in unplanned pregnancies.”
ANTI-ABORTION ADVOCATES REACT
Rebecca Parma, senior legislative associate for Texas Right to Life, described Friday as a victory for their movement.
“This is something the pro-life, anti-abortion movement has been working towards for 50 years,” Parma said. “We’re celebrating but also recognizing that this isn’t the end of the story. It’s the end of the chapter.”
Texas Right to Life helped draft Senate Bill 8, dubbed the “Heartbeat Act” which banned abortions in Texas as early as six weeks. Rather than have officials responsible for enforcing the law, private citizens are authorized to sue abortion providers and anyone involved in facilitating abortions.
“The reason that we think these abortion issues should be at the state level is because every state’s constituency is very different,” Parma said. “This is very contentious issue, right? It’s been that way since 1973 with Roe v. Wade. It’s stayed that way. Those contentious issues need to be decided in the legislative branch where that kind of political debate happens and not in the judiciary.”
Parma said their movement still has work to do.
“We want to build a pro-life Texas. We want to be abortion free but also pro-life, so leaning into those policy areas like funding the alterative to abortion programs. Making sure pregnant students don’t feel like they have to choose between dropping out of school and having their child.” | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-clinic-ends-abortion-services-immediately-after-supreme-court-ruling/3000162/ | 2022-06-24T23:20:23 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-clinic-ends-abortion-services-immediately-after-supreme-court-ruling/3000162/ |
A trial run-through of the new voting process for Pima County’s elections experienced some issues Friday morning as voters participated in a mock election using new technology.
The mock election served as a test of the new voting system the Pima County Board of Supervisors approved in February, which replaces the paper rosters and series of logs and forms used to manually check in a voter with an e-pollbook that stores the latest voter registration data.
In the new process, poll workers check in voters with an iPad, or e-pollbook, that scans voters’ IDs and confirms their eligibility to vote. The e-pollbook then sends a ballot specific to each voter to a ballot-on-demand printer.
Participants of the mock election were given pretend voter identification cards to cast votes on ballots from 2018 as part of the practice run. Most of the first tranche of voters, however, were sent to a table marked “special situations” to cast provisional ballots as some of the identification cards weren’t showing up on the e-pollbooks’ test voter registration list.
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Staff running the mock election quickly pivoted to have participants use their own IDs to vote, which fixed the problem in most cases.
“The intent here was never to have real voters use real registrations, it was to use test registrations that we created to use for the system,” said Mark Evans, Pima County’s communications director.
Since the mock election used data from 2018, some participants had trouble voting using their IDs, as their up-to-date voter registration didn’t match data from four years ago.
Evans said the county hopes to do a similar trial run as soon as next week. The Aug. 2 primaries are quickly approaching, but the e-pollbook process will be used across 15 vote centers when in-person early voting starts July 6.
“That's why we have training exercises. We've learned a big lesson here, and so we're going to redo this again as soon as possible,” Evans said. “Because there were hiccups today, we need to have full confidence in the electorate that this system works and works well.”
The new voting model also replaces the precinct-based polling system where voters were required to vote at the location assigned to them based on their residence. Now, all voters can show up at any of 129 vote centers across the county to cast a ballot, regardless of the precinct they live in.
While Pima County Elections Director Constance Hargrove previously expressed concerns about the ballot printers not arriving on time, Evans said 245 printers are set to arrive next week. The county has received all of the e-pollbooks and the cradle point wireless devices that provide secure internet service to the iPads.
Participants report varying experiences
While Friday’s mock election saw several technical challenges, participants expressed differing levels of confidence in the new voting system.
Brad Cowan said his ballot would not print when the e-pollbook first scanned his ID but was able to get a ballot after help from staff.
“Do I have a concern with the technology? I do to some extent,” he said. “Technology is a wonderful thing until it doesn't work right.”
Bill Beard, who has run in several Pima County elections and previously served as chair of the Pima County Republican Party, said he had issues casting a ballot because he lives in a new precinct that didn’t exist in 2018 due to the new district lines the board adopted in May.
“They had to basically finesse the system in order to get a ballot to print out,” Beard said, later adding, “I would say they have a problem fundamentally, from a PR standpoint, regardless of whatever inconsistencies are discovered from today.”
Ben Brookhart experienced a similar challenge in getting his mock election ballot, as he lives in a precinct the 2018 ballot data doesn’t account for.
“We're a little over a week away from the first vote being cast. These systems needed to be in place and tested six months to a year in advance of an election,” he said. “Yet, these systems are not fully in place. So what's the integrity of that?”
Several voters, however, reported seamless experiences.
Rebecca DuPree said she came to the mock election “to see how it works” and was able to vote after the e-pollbook scanned her driver’s license.
“I've always done mail-in balloting. And I prefer that because I don't drive, so it's hard for me to get anywhere,” she said. “But should there come a time when we are not allowed to do that anymore, this is an amazing system to use.”
Longtime county poll worker Michael Bortle said he wanted to familiarize himself with the new technology he’ll be using in the upcoming election. He will attend a class on July 18 to get more in-depth training on the new processes.
“It looks like it's gonna make it easier and more efficient,” Bortle said. “It's also a new system, so there might be a little tweaks, but that’s with anything when you make a change. A lot of it's going to be easier.”
According to Dave Wiseley, program specialist for the county’s elections department, vote centers will have backup plans in place, such as hard copies of ballots and extra printers if any technical failures occur on Election Day.
Furthermore, election day e-pollbooks will be equipped with voter registration data that will correspond to the 2022 ballot.
“As long as (voters) get the opportunity to mark a ballot, and they're a legitimate voter, we will count their ballot,” Wiseley said. “But by doing things like today, and if we do any more, it exposes where our weaknesses are, and we can be better prepared the next time. When we actually get to Election Day, which will be soon, we will be ready.”
Contact reporter Nicole Ludden at nludden@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pima-countys-mock-election-sees-technical-challenges/article_2f5433c0-ecdf-11ec-91e0-e331e042919c.html | 2022-06-24T23:23:05 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/pima-countys-mock-election-sees-technical-challenges/article_2f5433c0-ecdf-11ec-91e0-e331e042919c.html |
After more than five years of delays caused by the pandemic and the mental health of the defendant, a Petersburg man was sentenced to life in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to murdering his girlfriend and abducting and killing the wife of a city pastor in a 2017 crime rampage.
Kristopher T. Jones, 37, was convicted in Petersburg Circuit Court after entering pleas to two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of abduction, two counts of robbery and one count each of carjacking, grand larceny and eluding police for a series of violent events that unfolded on the morning of Jan. 18, 2017.
Circuit Judge Joseph M. Teefey Jr. convicted Jones after accepting his pleas and sentenced him to two life terms plus 65 years with 50 years suspended, giving him two life terms plus 15 years to serve. The punishment was in accordance with a plea agreement.
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The case was first delayed after Jones, who has a long history of psychiatric problems, was found to be incompetent to stand trial in March 2018 after being examined by mental health professionals. Efforts were then initiated to restore his competency, “and that wound up taking a significant portion of time,” said Petersburg Commonwealth’s Attorney Tiffany Buckner, who prosecuted the case.
But once Jones was restored to competency, the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and that caused a further delay “because we could not have a jury trial during that period,” Buckner said. The General Assembly then abolished capital punishment in Virginia in early 2021 and that created an additional wrinkle in the case since Jones was initially charged with capital murder. A jury trial was set to begin Monday, but an agreement between the prosecution and defense was subsequently reached that led to Thursday’s plea hearing.
The events leading to the two killings began with the abduction and carjacking of then-82-year-old Petersburg pastor Alfred Woodard from his home in the 200 block of South Jefferson Street, according to police and the prosecution’s summary of evidence presented Thursday in court.
Jones appeared at the Woodard home about 9:30 a.m. He told Alfred Woodard that he came to rob him and took $100 that was in the pastor’s wallet along with his bank cards. Jones also advised that he had killed his girlfriend.
Jones then forced the pastor into his own vehicle, a BMW, and ordered him to drive to an ATM in Dinwiddie County, but the machine would not dispense any money.
Jones then ordered Woodard to drive to the Bank of America in the 1900 block of South Crater Road in Petersburg, where instead of withdrawing money, Woodard alerted a teller that he was being robbed.
Jones, wearing a white T-shirt with the word “Jesus,” then drove off in Woodard’s BMW without him.
A Petersburg officer spotted the BMW traveling at high speeds but lost sight of the vehicle as it entered Dinwiddie. The car, driven by Jones, returned to Petersburg a short time later, and an officer and detective gave chase. At one point, Jones sped in excess of 100 mph and a detective in pursuit lost track of the car.
As officers investigated the carjacking, they went to the Woodard home and discovered Minnie Woodard was missing. Investigators found traces of blood on the floor, walls and carpet, and a large pool of blood at the foot of a bed and a bent steak knife with blood residue.
A day later, police discovered a woman’s body — later identified as Minnie Woodard — in a secluded area behind a vacant residence at 8319 River Road in Chesterfield County, where Jones had earlier done some work.
The state medical examiner’s office determined that she died of sharp- and blunt-force injuries to her head and neck.
The investigation took another turn after Petersburg police, on the evening of Jan. 18, 2017, found the body of Janice Celeste Lugo, 52, dead in her apartment at 203 South Jefferson St., about a block from the Woodards’ house. She had been asphyxiated.
Authorities determined that Jones and the Woodards were acquaintances, but not necessarily friends, through chores and home improvement work the couple paid Jones to occasionally perform for them. Because the Woodards were of advanced age, Jones became their handyman.
Jones had lived at various locations, and his last known address before the killings was the 200 block of South Jefferson Street — the same block as the Woodards. He was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force on the morning of Jan. 19, 2017, in the parking lot of a Lowe’s store in Norfolk, where he has family.
Marshals recovered Alfred Woodard’s BMW when they arrested Jones.
Following his arrest, Jones admitted in an interview with Petersburg police that he went to the Woodards’ house to rob them and believed they had money and were wealthy. He told Minnie Woodard that he didn’t want to hurt her but had killed his girlfriend, with whom he had been having issues, according to his statement to police.
Jones then confessed to hitting and stabbing Minnie Woodard, forcing her husband to go to the bank, eluding Petersburg police and leaving her body at the vacant Chesterfield property.
Alfred and Minnie Woodard, who were the pastor and first lady at Mount Sinai Christian Church in Petersburg, had been married for 56 years.
Jones had been convicted of two felonies in Petersburg more than a dozen years before the 2017 crime rampage.
He pleaded guilty in 2004 to breaking into Westview Elementary School in Petersburg with another teen, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison with all but three months suspended. That same year, he pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding for an assault on a teenager. He was sentenced to five years in prison with four years suspended.
In court papers filed in the assault, a clinical social worker noted that Jones had a “long history of psychiatric problems,” outlined his mental health issues and noted he had been prescribed psychotropic medication as a teen.
(804) 649-6450 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/petersburg-man-gets-2-life-terms-for-killing-women-including-pastors-wife/article_9c2f184a-5e7a-5d50-bbd0-604803be8f21.html | 2022-06-24T23:26:46 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/petersburg-man-gets-2-life-terms-for-killing-women-including-pastors-wife/article_9c2f184a-5e7a-5d50-bbd0-604803be8f21.html |
Virginia Commonwealth University is reversing course and freezing the cost of tuition for its 20,000 in-state undergraduate students, a week after Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked 10 state colleges to undo their tuition hikes.
The decision, made Friday at a board of visitors meeting, will lower revenue, causing an $11 million budget shortfall that will result in the loss of 62 open jobs but no layoffs. And it led the school's board members to question why a tuition hike was essential a month ago but avoidable Friday.
Out-of-state and graduate students will still pay a 3% increase.
Karol Kain Gray, the university's chief financial officer, said a tuition freeze is feasible for only one year. The school plans to raise it in the fall of 2023.
"One time, we can manage it," Gray said. "Next time? No."
In May, VCU announced a 3% hike to address increased costs in wages, utilities, maintenance and more. The jump represented a $378 increase to the cost of education.
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The board cast the vote despite 600 students, parents and alumni writing to the university and asking to keep costs flat. And it made the decision despite a request days earlier from Youngkin not to raise tuition.
Not raising tuition would result in the loss of 350 jobs, president Michael Rao said at the time. VCU had "no other choice" than to raise costs, one board member said.
But last week, Youngkin doubled down on his request, as Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera personally called university presidents and urged them to undo their tuition hikes.
The state government helped the governor's initiative by upping the amount of funding for state colleges 14%.
On paper, VCU's tuition will rise 3%. But the school will offer a one-time scholarship to in-state undergraduates, covering the cost of the hike.
Student fees and room and board will still increase this fall. In-state undergrads will pay roughly $15,000 for school and $27,000 for tuition, fees and room and board.
With lower revenue and higher costs, VCU faces an $11 million budget deficit. The school doesn't expect to lay off employees, but it will let 62 open positions go unfilled. Colleges are required to balance their budgets.
And the tuition freeze will cost $7 million, paid for by staffing reductions, dipping into reserves and taking a loan from a reserve used to pay for new technology.
Departments within VCU that didn't meet their enrollment targets will bear the brunt of the budget cuts – including the College of Humanities & Sciences, the schools of business and pharmacy.
Noting the administration's change of message, board members expressed concern and confusion. A month ago, the board was told a tuition hike was necessary. Now, just weeks later, the university has found a way to avert it.
"I want to go on record saying it makes me uneasy, because I trust what I hear, and I vote based on what I trust," said board member Tyrone Nelson. "Now it makes me feel skeptical about what I'm hearing."
Gray, the chief financial officer, responded by saying the university had already been backed into a corner in which reducing costs and raising revenue are essential. Freezing tuition might be manageable this year, but it isn't permanently.
"Eventually it's going to break the budget," she said.
In the years to come, VCU will have to charge more to keep the quality of its education high, she said. The school needs to grow programs, innovate, rethink higher education and keep up with advancing technology. The cost to attend VCU has increased roughly 50% in the past decade.
"You want us to be mediocre, put us in this position year after year," Gray said.
Other board members echoed Nelson, saying they felt uncomfortable approving a tuition hike that was ultimately avoidable. One member said the board needs more information when considering future financial decisions. Nelson added that it would have been better to keep tuition flat before the governor essentially strong-armed the board.
"That doesn't make us look good," Nelson said.
But board member Todd Haymore, a former Cabinet secretary under two governors, noted that the legislature hadn't agreed to a state budget when the 3% hike was voted in May and the reason for Friday's board meeting was to revisit VCU's financial situation with a fuller picture of its finances.
VCU is one of 10 state colleges that initially planned a hike. At least two have reversed the decision this week. James Madison University announced it would raise tuition 3% on paper and give in-state undergrads a one-time $224 scholarship, covering the cost of the hike.
A high level of support from the state government was essential in paying for the freeze, JMU president Jonathan Alger said. | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vcu-freezes-tuition-for-in-state-undergrads-reversing-last-months-hike/article_428b3e37-9d50-57f6-9fa3-848da76e8991.html | 2022-06-24T23:26:52 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vcu-freezes-tuition-for-in-state-undergrads-reversing-last-months-hike/article_428b3e37-9d50-57f6-9fa3-848da76e8991.html |
Virginia Commonwealth University President Michael Rao is getting an 8% boost to his base salary, increasing his pay to $708,000 annually. The school’s board of visitors approved the measure Friday, noting Rao’s exceptional fundraising ability and his oversight of the VCU Health System during the pandemic.
“He has significantly advanced the institution’s reputation,” rector Ben Dendy said.
Rao, 55, is the longest-tenured public college president in Virginia. He joined VCU in 2009 as president at age 42.
It was already his third presidency. Rao rose swiftly through the ranks of higher education, becoming president of Mission College in Santa Clara, Calif., at age 27. He later served as chancellor of Montana State University-Northern and as president of Central Michigan University.
Rao is responsible for bringing in millions to the university. When he was hired, VCU received roughly $50 million annually in fundraising. This year, that figure reached $235 million.
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Earlier this year, VCU received its largest gift ever, $104 million to expand the Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver and Metabolic Health.
He also navigated the health system during the pandemic, which initially drove down revenues and increased costs.
Patient satisfaction has improved, Rao said. Plus, the Massey Cancer Center has expanded and is seeking comprehensive status by the National Cancer Institute, and VCU plans to build a school of population health.
The Medicines for All Institute at VCU has been one of the university’s biggest success stories. It works to lower the manufacturing costs of medicines, including Merck’s pill to treat COVID-19.
Under his tenure, VCU continued to grow and renovate its 198-acre campus, continuing the expansion started under the previous president, Eugene P. Trani, who held the job for 19 years.
Recently, VCU built the Gladding Residence Center, a massive, 12-story, 1,500-person dormitory on West Main Street, and other dorms on West Grace Street. It built a new engineering building, and a science facility is under construction on West Franklin Street.
The health system opened a 17-story Adult Outpatient Pavilion in January and is working on a $400 million Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU tower set to open next year.
Since Rao’s arrival, VCU’s six-year graduation rate has improved from 48% to 59%. The student body is one of the most diverse in the state, and VCU graduates a significant number of low-income and first-generation students.
Legislative support for low-income students has increased exponentially in the past 13 years, something Rao is proud of.
Enrollment has shrunk from 32,000 to 29,000 during his time. The university plans to grow back to its previous size.
On Friday, the board also altered his retirement compensation. He will receive 10% of his salary in retirement.
The board also wrote in a provision that Rao can serve a 12-month sabbatical after ending his service as president. He can then return to the university as a professor.
It did not extend the length his contract, which runs through June 2026.
Keeping Rao in the ballpark with other presidents who oversee health systems was important, board members said. Jim Ryan, president of the University of Virginia and its health system, made about $750,000 in base salary in 2021.
The compensation package Rao received upon joining VCU included a housing allowance and use of a car. Only a fraction of his salary can come from state funds. Most is paid for by the health system and private contributions. | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vcu-president-michael-rao-gets-8-pay-raise-earning-700-000-annually/article_636a61bb-ca51-5660-af48-950563dcf41d.html | 2022-06-24T23:26:58 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vcu-president-michael-rao-gets-8-pay-raise-earning-700-000-annually/article_636a61bb-ca51-5660-af48-950563dcf41d.html |
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The family of Andre “AJ” Joseph Hernandez Jr., a 13-year-old killed in a police shooting at the beginning of the month, said a final goodbye Friday.
Lynda Espinoza, the boy’s mother, was joined in the chapel of San Antonio Mortuary by a small group of family and a large presence of friends, mostly youth, as well as local Black rights activists.
They wore either black, white or blue T-shirts with a messages reading “Justice for AJ” or “I love you AJ.” Bouquets of blue and white flowers were set up around Andre’s casket as relatives took turns paying their respects.
Stephanie Martinez, his aunt, was sharing parts of the funeral via Zoom to her four youngest nieces, all of whom remain in the custody of the Department of Family and Protective Services. They were allowed an hour to say farewell to Andre during visitation the night before. The children were taken from their mother’s custody June 7, a few days after Andre was killed.
On ExpressNews.com: ‘Not so rough, officer, I’m in pain:’ Witness recalls aftermath of San Antonio police killing of 13-year-old boy
Pastor Robert Flores, of Mercy Church, led the mourners in prayer.
The theme was Jesus Christ’s death at the cross. It was Flores’ second time in recent weeks helping the family memorialize a loved one.
One of Andre’s older sisters, Nevaeh Martinez, 16, was killed May 10 in the 5100 block of War Horse Drive. A suspect in the case has yet to be named as of Friday.
On June 3, police had driven up on either side of Andre as he was driving a stolen red Toyota Corolla in the 5100 block of War Cloud Drive. Police have said Andre drove into the driver’s-side door of a police Chevrolet Tahoe as an officer was attempting to step out, putting his life in danger.
But family members and an attorney have disputed the speed at which Andre drove into the door, saying he was not threat to the officer. He was wounded fatally by single shot fired by officer Stephen Ramos after the car hit the door.
In his sermon, Flores compared the family’s turmoil to being on a roller coaster in the dark. Life’s twists, turns and drops all concealed from the rider.
“I know this is a horrible twist,” he said, “but God will still give you your daily bread.”
At the podium, Espinoza said her son loved to laugh, play jokes and had a wonderful sense of humor.
A memory in his aunt’s heart is of how Andre loved Easter, when he would place flour or sugar in a cascarón instead of the usual confetti as a prank.
“My son was not the criminal they have tried to make him out to be,” his mother said. “We will not forget his life. We will continue to honor his memory and fight for justice for his senseless murder.”
Activist Pharaoh Clark also addressed the audience, saying that he and the others present, including Ananda Tomas with ACT 4 SA, and Lloyd Kuykendoll of Texas Organizing Project, would continue fighting for police transparency.
“You are not alone in this fight,” he said, lamenting the loss of Andre at a young age.
Deborah Jones Bush — aunt of Marquise Jones, who was killed by police in 2014 — was present and moved to tears.
“This is the aftermath, and this is something the family has to deal with for the rest of their lives,” she said. “I’m hurt, and I’m angry. We’ve got to come to the table and figure out what we need to do to stop this.”
After the speeches, Andre’s mother leaned over him. She pressed her lips on his forehead one last time, quivering and crying.
“I love you, AJ,” she cried.
His brothers and other relatives huddled shoulder to shoulder as they also said a final goodbye.
The procession drove past the spot where Andre was wounded fatally, stopping for a moment.
At First Memorial Park Cemetery, they buried Andre under a large red oak tree, on the same plot as his sister. Four doves were released, one signifying Andre’s soul, and the other three representing the Holy Trinity guiding his spirit to heaven.
The family was able to cover costs for the funeral via GoFundMe and other fundraisers. They still hope to reach a goal of $20,000 to help Espinoza leave the neighborhood. The paths from her home bear the reminder of a slain child.
“It just hurts that he was only 13 years old and his life was cut short by an officer who chose to kill him instead of use a different type of method to detain him,” his aunt said. “It’s a very hard day for us.”
JBeltran@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Family-buries-13-year-old-killed-in-police-17264586.php | 2022-06-24T23:27:38 | 0 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Family-buries-13-year-old-killed-in-police-17264586.php |
Authorities on Friday arrested a 58-year-old Peru man accused of shooting his neighbor during a dispute Saturday, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.
Guadalupe DeLaCruz turned himself into the Nemaha County Sheriff's Office early Friday morning, nearly a week after the shooting in the 1200 block of Sixth Street in Peru, the patrol said in a news release.
Last weekend, DeLaCruz entered 25-year-old Mark Dupre's fenced-in backyard with a handgun as Dupre hosted a pool party with 15 to 20 others, including some children, according to the affidavit for DeLaCruz's arrest.
DeLaCruz told investigators he had gone to his neighbor's house to complain about the noise, but was met with threats from Dupre and a 22-year-old man who was attending the party.
DeLaCruz fired his gun at least twice, striking Dupre once, according to the release. A second shot toward the 22-year-old missed, the State Patrol said.
Party attendees disputed DeLaCruz's account of events, investigators said in court records, saying that Dupre and the 22-year-old hadn't poised a threat to DeLaCruz before the shooting.
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Dupre, who was taken to Bryan West Campus in Lincoln with non-life-threatening injuries, has since been released.
DeLaCruz was charged in Nemaha County Court with first-degree assault, use of a firearm to commit a felony, attempt of a Class 2 felony and possession of a deadly weapon while committing a felony, according to court filings.
He is being held at the Nemaha County Jail.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com.
On Twitter @andrewwegley | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/peru-man-arrested-week-after-shooting-neighbor-during-dispute-authorities-say/article_6146f8a8-0baa-5d82-a1a3-fdabc70251e5.html | 2022-06-24T23:28:08 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/peru-man-arrested-week-after-shooting-neighbor-during-dispute-authorities-say/article_6146f8a8-0baa-5d82-a1a3-fdabc70251e5.html |
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Roe v. Wade is a Dallas case. It all began in North Texas 52 years ago with a district attorney who prosecuted abortion laws and a woman who considered that to be unfair.
It is a federal court case and it was initially argued in Dallas at 400 North Ervay Street on the third floor of what was a federal house at that time.
The 400 North Ervay building is now a 78-unit apartment complex with a restaurant and post office in the lobby. That courtroom is a lounge for apartment residents and sometimes an event venue.
The Jane Roe plaintiff in 1970 was really Norma McCorvey who told NBC 5 23 years later about her motivation at the time for pursuing the case.
"All I wanted was to have an abortion, plain and simple. I found out abortion was illegal. I was appalled. I was hurt," she said.
The defendant was Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade, who enforced the Texas ban on abortion that was in effect at that time.
The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. By the time the 1973 ruling came in her favor, the child she intended to abort had been adopted and was 2½ years old.
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Over the years McCorvey shed the hidden identity and went public, first speaking out about women’s rights. Windows in her home were shot out.
On one occasion she spoke with Henry Wade.
Along the way, she joined instead with abortion foes. She was baptized by an outspoken abortion opponent. She counseled women on difficult life decisions including abortion. She claimed to be a re-born Christian.
"I've been looking for someone to guide me for a long time. And just decided that I would do something nice for Norma," she told NBC 5 on one occasion with the abortion opponent.
At the Ervay courthouse, her original lawyers were Sara Weddington and Linda Coffee.
Only Coffee is still alive. She spoke with NBC5 in May and said she feared the few states where abortion will still be allowed will cause hardship for women, especially those with low income seeking to end a pregnancy.
“A lot of women don't have enough funds if they were going from here to California or from here to New York,” Coffee said.
Her client, Norma McCorvey, died in 2017. Near the end of her life, McCorvey said she still thought abortion should be available in some cases, despite her earlier alliance with anti-abortion activists. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/north-texas-origins-of-the-original-roe-v-wade-case/3000202/ | 2022-06-24T23:37:53 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/north-texas-origins-of-the-original-roe-v-wade-case/3000202/ |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/the-dallas-origin-of-roe-v-wade/3000200/ | 2022-06-24T23:38:05 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/the-dallas-origin-of-roe-v-wade/3000200/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — If you and your friends are looking for a fun and creative way to drink, Upstairs Circus in Deep Ellum is the perfect place for you.
“It’s a DIY workshop meets bar,” Manager at Upstairs Circus, Carissa Wilkerson said.
We have over 25 projects to choose from like leatherwork, concrete posters and jewelry.
Crafts to choose from:
- butcher board
- 6-pack carrier
- modern jewelry hanger
- magic catch bottle opener
- stone serving tray
- wine bottle tumbler
Upstairs Circus isn’t just for crafty folks. Throughout the course of a DIY session, Creative Assistants walk around to help out those who need them.
Upstairs Circus recommends customers make a reservation before bringing in a party. Get in touch with Upstairs Circus DFW here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/get-crafty-while-getting-boosey-with-your-friends-at-upstairs-circus/ | 2022-06-24T23:39:08 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/get-crafty-while-getting-boosey-with-your-friends-at-upstairs-circus/ |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Abortion rights advocates are hosting two rallies in Birmingham following the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.
On Saturday, the Yellowhammer Fund and Margins: Women Helping Black Women will be hosting a “We Won’t Go Back” rally in Linn Park at 5 p.m.
The Yellowhammer Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit abortion fund and reproductive justice organization serving Alabama and the Deep South. Margins: Women Helping Black Women states their goal is “to uplift and strengthen Black women and their ability to parent.”
The event page encourages pro-abortion protestors to not engage with anti-abortion advocates who may be present. More information can be found on the event’s Facebook page.
On Sunday, POWER House and Alabama Rally Against Injustice will be hosting a “Rally for Reproductive Rights” in Kelly Ingram Park at 10 a.m. ARAI is also hosting rallies in Huntsville and Montgomery, with a mission “to demand rights for women’s reproductive health.”
Those interested in attending can visit the Facebook event page. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/2-rallies-for-abortion-rights-happening-in-birmingham-over-the-weekend/ | 2022-06-24T23:39:14 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/2-rallies-for-abortion-rights-happening-in-birmingham-over-the-weekend/ |
ARIZONA, USA — Abortion providers across Arizona halted procedures Friday while they try to determine if a law dating to pre-statehood days means their doctors and nurses could face prison time now that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that abortion rights are not protected by the Constitution.
Planned Parenthood Arizona President and CEO Brittany Forteno said the possibility of prosecutions was just too risky. At least two other large providers in Tucson and Phoenix followed suit, posting on their websites that they had halted all procedures.
“We are being forced by the Supreme Court and politicians in this state to deny patient care right now," Forteno said. She said Planned Parenthood Arizona, the state's largest abortion provider, is working with its attorneys to “understand Arizona's tangled web of conflicting laws.”
The court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade decision also has put Arizona abortion foes in a quandary because of competing laws that either completely ban the procedure or limit it to 15 weeks after a woman becomes pregnant.
The issue has led to a split between the group that authored the 15-week ban and many other abortion restrictions and Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, who has signed many of them into law during his eight years in office.
At issue is a law that dates to at least 1901, 11 years before Arizona became a state. It subjects anyone who provides any abortion care to a possible two to five years in prison.
Republicans in the state Senate believe the pre-Roe law is enforceable.
A related law that made women who get abortions subject to prosecution was repealed last year.
Ducey, who signed the 15-week ban into law in March, has insisted that the new law takes precedence over the total ban, although the new law explicitly says it does not do that.
“The Supreme Court has made the right decision by finally overturning it and giving governing power back to the people and the states,” Ducey said in a statement.
The chair of the state Democratic Party, Raquel Teran, said the high court’s decision was the result of a decades-long crusade by Republicans to “rip away reproductive rights.”
“Right now Arizonans are going through periods of anger, sadness, and frustration, in response to this brutal attack on our freedoms," Teran said. "Ultimately, those emotions are fueling our continued fight for our most basic rights.”
Prosecutors are split along party lines, with Republican Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell saying she may prosecute providers under the new law and Democratic Pima County Attorney Laura Conover saying she will not.
Republican Attorney General Mark Brnovich made no mention of the pre-Roe ban on Friday, pointing instead to the new law that will take effect in about 90 days. He had urged the high court to overturn Roe.
Brnovich spokesperson Brittni Thomason said she is aware that people are seeking clarity on which law is in force. She called the issue a developing situation for the nation and the state and that office is reviewing the Supreme Court ruling.
Planned Parenthood Arizona had prepared for the ruling and the potential that all abortions would be made illegal in Arizona. Forteno said the group has partnered with a Southern California Planned Parenthood chapter to provide abortion services in that state. The “patient navigator” program is designed to connect women with providers and provide travel, lodging and financial support.
“Because we know that having to flee the state, having to flee your community in order to access basic health care, is something that no one should have to deal with,” Fonteno said last week. “And so we really want to be that support for our patients and their moment of need.”
Planned Parenthood will continue providing other reproductive healthcare services, including abortion follow-up care for those who travel out of state.
“If abortion is illegal, we know that access to contraception, all forms of contraception, is going to be really critical,” Fonteno said. “And we know that inclusive and comprehensive sex education is going to be key. And it’s really going to be about mitigating harm. We know that just because abortion becomes illegal, it doesn’t mean that the need for abortion goes away."
Cathi Herrod, president of the Center for Arizona Policy, contends the pre-Roe ban will be enforceable. Her group has authored many of Arizona's abortion laws. She said an injunction issued after the 1973 Roe ruling remains in place, although it appears not to apply statewide, and that in any case the high court’s ruling will take time to be final.
“The unanswered question is what legal processes need to happen for it to be enforceable,” said Herrod, who is an attorney.
Herrod said she does not believe the state can prevent a woman from traveling to another state for an abortion.
“It’s still a free country,” she said.
Instead, she said she will work to ensure existing state bans on doctors prescribing abortion medication via telehealth are enforced.
There were just over 13,000 abortions in Arizona in 2020, according to the most recent report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Of those, fewer than 650 were performed after 15 weeks gestation.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-abortion-providers-planned-parenthood-halt-procedures-after-roe-ruling/75-b4f37f2e-6e1b-4105-9965-9285fc36ac47 | 2022-06-24T23:39:28 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-abortion-providers-planned-parenthood-halt-procedures-after-roe-ruling/75-b4f37f2e-6e1b-4105-9965-9285fc36ac47 |
ARIZONA, USA — Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray weighed in Friday on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“No one should be able to force their beliefs on anyone’s body, that is not right. Sending love to our women,” Murray tweeted to his followers.
The Supreme Court decision ends nearly 50 years of federally guaranteed access to abortion and will have long-term consequences for reproductive health.
The consequences for women in Arizona now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned will undoubtedly limit their healthcare options in the state.
One analysis by the data journalism site Stacker concludes Arizona will be impacted more than any other state because of its political climate, its affected population and the average distance to an abortion clinic out-of-state, which would be 247 miles.
Arizona's quarterback still doesn't have the long-term contract extension he's seeking, but was a full-go for one of the Cardinals' final mandatory offseason workouts earlier this month.
The No. 1 overall pick of the 2019 draft, Murray has been one of the NFL's most dynamic quarterbacks in two seasons in the desert. He's already a two-time Pro Bowler and last season led the Cardinals to the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
Murray is set to earn $5.5 million this season and $29.7 million next year after his fifth-year option was picked up.
Sports
Watch more of the latest sports videos on the 12 News YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe!
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made the State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers also play at the Footprint. Phoenix has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Cactus Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the Waste Management Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall; and Cactus League Spring Training. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-cardinals-quarterback-kyler-murray-reacts-to-roe-v-wade-decision/75-f914b441-f1e9-4f30-ba24-829ce201333d | 2022-06-24T23:39:34 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-cardinals-quarterback-kyler-murray-reacts-to-roe-v-wade-decision/75-f914b441-f1e9-4f30-ba24-829ce201333d |
Indiana Republicans plan to introduce state abortion restrictions following Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.
Writing for the 6-3 majority in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Justice Samuel Alito declared Roe and another abortion rights case, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, were wrongly decided and that there is no constitutional right to abortion.
With the ruling, 13 states including Kentucky and Missouri have “trigger laws” that will now immediately ban abortion. Others, such as Michigan, have pre-Roe bans on the books that could go back into effect.
No such laws exist in Indiana, so abortion remains legal in the state. But with a special session scheduled to begin July 6, that is likely to change. Republican leaders Gov. Eric Holcomb, Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray and House Speaker Todd Huston announced Friday morning there are plans to introduce legislation to restrict abortion access in the state.
”The Supreme Court’s decision is clear, and it is now up to the states to address this important issue. We’ll do that in short order in Indiana,” Holcomb said in a statement. “I’ve already called the General Assembly back on July 6, and I expect members to take up this matter as well.”
Huston, who earlier this year encouraged Holcomb to call a special session following the Dobbs ruling, said that he expects state legislators to introduce measures to restrict abortion when the special session begins.
“Today’s decision rightfully returns the question of abortion back to the people and the states, and we’re excited to build on Indiana’s already strong pro-life track record,” Huston said in a statement.
Bray released a similar statement, saying that Indiana “can begin to formulate a policy that is right for Indiana that protects unborn children and cares for the health and lives of mothers and their babies.”
Both Huston and Bray mentioned the importance of allowing “all sides” to be heard.
“We recognize the passion from all sides on this issue,” Huston said, “and that’s why I expect the General Assembly to thoughtfully vet any legislation through the full legislative process, including committee hearings and public testimony.”
The special session can last for a maximum of 30 session days or 40 calendar days.
Democrats have condemned the Dobbs decision, however. Indiana House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said in a statement the ruling “rolls back nearly half a century of reproductive health care protections.” He said House Democrats are “prepared to fight” anti-abortion legislation.
Republicans hold a supermajority in both houses, meaning they don’t need Democratic votes to pass abortion restrictions.
Other elected Republicans, including Attorney General Todd Rokita and Sens. Mike Braun and Todd Young, also released statements supporting the decision.
State Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne, who has previously supported multiple anti-abortion bills, called the decision “a new chapter in our nation’s history.”
U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-3rd, sent a letter to Holcomb calling for a statewide abortion ban.
“Now, we can end abortion once and for all,” Banks wrote. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/indiana/statehouse/state-gop-plans-to-restrict-abortion-during-special-session/article_725f41da-f3da-11ec-8135-e3bb51d83216.html | 2022-06-24T23:44:03 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/indiana/statehouse/state-gop-plans-to-restrict-abortion-during-special-session/article_725f41da-f3da-11ec-8135-e3bb51d83216.html |
A second person has died from the Thursday night, multiple-person stabbing in Huntington, and a suspect was apprehended and charged Friday.
James Lee Bonewits, 27, faces two counts of murder and two felony counts of attempted murder.
His initial hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. Monday in Huntington Circuit Court, and he’s being held without bond, according to the Huntington County Prosecutor’s Office.
The Huntington County Coroner’s Office identified the two who died as Danny J. England, 31, and Katelyn (Huddleston) England, 27, both of the 600 block of Whitelock Street.
The other two victims remain in critical condition. Neither the Huntington police nor the prosecutor’s office named them.
The stabbings happened in the 600 block of Whitelock Street in Huntington. Police were called to the scene about 7:25 p.m. Thursday.
Officers administered aid until the Huntington Fire Department EMS arrived. However, Danny J. England was pronounced dead at the scene. The others were taken to hospitals with life threatening conditions. The Huntington police announced Katelyn England’s death Thursday morning.
Police identified Bonewits as a person of interest based on an initial investigation. He was at the home but left before police arrived, according to the press release.
Police later located his vehicle abandoned in Madison County. It had an Illinois license plate, but it’s not clear whether Bonewits is from Illinois, and no address is given in online court records.
Based on a description of his car and of Bonewits, police received multiple tips on his whereabouts.
Huntington police said the investigation is ongoing. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/crime-reports/police-apprehend-stabbing-suspect-second-victim-dies/article_af7f558c-f3e9-11ec-8348-3bea8d3044e2.html | 2022-06-24T23:44:09 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/crime-reports/police-apprehend-stabbing-suspect-second-victim-dies/article_af7f558c-f3e9-11ec-8348-3bea8d3044e2.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – This weekend, temperatures could climb close to 100 degrees as Oregon marks the one-year anniversary of 2021’s deadly heat wave, which killed about 100 people in the state.
In Portland, some areas of the city are much hotter — resulting in more deaths.
KOIN 6 News talked to Shane Brown, whose mother died in southeast Portland, one of the areas hit particularly hard by the heat wave.
Brown said the air conditioner in his mother’s apartment was not working during the 2021 heat wave. He started to worry when his mother, Jollene Brown, was not picking up her phone so he drove to her apartment and found her in her recliner.
He says her official cause of death was hyperthermia.
“I hope after last year, people take it more seriously, and they’re more aware of how dangerous and how fast it can become dangerous,” Brown said.
KOIN 6 News spoke to Portland State University professor Dr. Vivek Shandas about heat islands, which are areas of the city with a lot of concrete and not a lot of tree canopy.
He said examples of heat islands in Portland are Lents, Cully areas along 82nd Avenue, Old Town and areas along freeways. Those areas can get up to 18 degrees hotter than the rest of the city.
Shandas explained how the heat can impact you even if you are indoors in those neighborhoods, saying “the heat gets absorbed by those walls and goes into the apartment building to balance out temperatures.”
In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Portland city commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said “it is going to be hot for all Portlanders this weekend, and it will be even more harmful for those living around heat islands. I know many of these areas are in East Portland where there is less greenery. We are addressing heat islands through initiatives like PBOT’s new pedestrian guideline, the Portland Clean Energy Fund, and under the leadership of Parks Commissioner Carmen Rubio to grow our green spaces and canopy to these underserved and in need areas of Portland. I encourage all Portlanders to seek refuge from the heat wave this weekend and to check in on their neighbors.”
Hardesty also highlighted the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s new pedestrian guideline will go into effect July 1. | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/portland-braces-for-rising-temps-ahead-of-2021-heat-wave-anniversary/ | 2022-06-24T23:53:49 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/portland-braces-for-rising-temps-ahead-of-2021-heat-wave-anniversary/ |
VALPARAISO — A 41-year-old Valparaiso-area man was found guilty this week on a felony count of molesting an 8-year-old girl, according to the court of Porter Superior Judge Mike Fish.
The case stems back to October 2017 when Porter County police were made aware of the allegations that Matthew Todosijevic had touched and had sexual intercourse with the child after a day of drinking, court records show.
The girl said she woke up to the abuse and said Todosijevic pretended to be asleep during the event, according to police
She reportedly told police that when Todosijevic woke up the next morning, he was "hitting walls and stuff."
Todosijevic was found guilty Thursday and was taken into custody at the Porter County Jail, records show.
Todosijevic has a rape case still pending in Porter County, records show.
A woman claims she was drinking alcohol during a date with the accused during July 2017 when they went back to his apartment and while agreeing ahead of time not to have sex, she later awoke to being raped by him, a court document says.
Co-worker nabs man with marijuana at Portage business, police say
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UPDATE: 2 killed, mother and children among 5 wounded in shootings, officials say
UPDATE: Brothers get into shootout with each other in East Chicago homicide, chief says
Group robs armored truck at Calumet City bank, FBI says
Valpo cops release photos seeking theft suspects
Crown Point man dies in Merrillville crash, coroner says
Drunken driver was topping 105 mph, Porter County police say
Indiana gasoline taxes in July will be highest in state history
WATCH NOW: Pay to play: Munster's Centennial Park the latest Region park to impose parking fees
Man found fatally shot in street, police say
Porter County police release photos of wanted man
UPDATE: 1 airlifted, I-94 reopened after lawnmower struck by westbound van, state says
Illicit drug courier caught in NWI sentenced to prison
Defendant shot man 5 times in head during marijuana deal, court records allege
Todosijevic denied the allegations, police said.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Porter County Jail
Antoine Whiting
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 49
Residence: Lake Station, IN
Booking Number: 2202362
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Terry Markwell
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 30
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202361
Charges: Possession hypodermic syringe or needle, felony
Gloria Maxon
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 50
Residence: Highland, IN
Booking Number: 2202368
Charges: Theft, felony
Trent Nicholas
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 21
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202371
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Ryan Malarik
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202357
Charges: OWI, felony
Gary Bolcerek
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 48
Residence: Porter, IN
Booking Number: 2202375
Charges: Burglary, felony
Stefan Colville
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 34
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202358
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jacob Henn
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 32
Residence: LaPorte, IN
Booking Number: 2202359
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Haley Greco
Arrest date: June 9, 2022
Age: 30
Residence: South Bend, IN
Booking Number: 2202350
Charges: Possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, felony
Junice Busch
Arrest date: June 9, 2022
Age: 64
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number: 2202352
Charges: Fraud, felony
DeVante White
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 28
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2202345
Charges: Resisting law enforcement, felony
Timothy Szparaga
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 52
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202335
Charges: Domestic battery, misdemeanor
Agustin Rios Guzman
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 37
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number: 2202346
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Henry Scaggs
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 26
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number: 2202334
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Spencer Marsh
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number: 2202337
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Carlos Castillo
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number: 2202336
Charges: OWI, felony
Ronald Epting
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 23
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202343
Charges: Possession legend drug, felony
Michael Swienconek
Arrest date: June 7, 2022
Age: 40
Residence: Highland, IN
Booking Number: 2202320
Charges: Theft, felony
Gregory Devetski
Arrest date: June 7, 2022
Age: 73
Residence: Chesterton, IN
Booking Number: 2202324
Charges: OWI, felony
Jamey Goin
Arrest date: June 7, 2022
Age: 43
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202321
Charges: Theft, felony
Michael Miller
Arrest date: June 6, 2022
Age: 59
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202316
Charges: OWI, felony
Nicholas Cervantes
Arrest date: June 6, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number: 2202318
Charges: Resisting law enforcement, felony
Josip Markovich
Arrest date: June 6, 2022
Age: 40
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202317
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Bianca Martin
Arrest date: June 6, 2022
Age: 26
Residence: Crete, IL
Booking Number: 2202315
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Kevin Zaragoza
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 43
Residence: Porter, IN
Booking Number: 2202314
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Travis Ridge
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202305
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Maurice Russell Jr.
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 22
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number: 2202310
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jewel Summers
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2202309
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Crystal Jenkins
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 31
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2202308
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jacob Nimon
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202311
Charges: OWI, felony
Kenneth Clasen
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 22
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202307
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jacob Furlow
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 38
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number: 2202306
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Tyler King
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 28
Residence: Westville, IN
Booking Number: 2202437
Charges: OWI, felony
Daniel Brubaker
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 40
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202399
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Bryan Burke
Arrest date: June 14, 2022
Age: 36
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202420
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Patrick Navarro
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 49
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number: 2202406
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Christina Creech
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 36
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202391
Charges: Theft, felony
Debra Veatch
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 68
Residence: Westville, IN
Booking Number: 2202438
Charges: Domestic battery, misdemeanor
Rafael Rodriguez
Arrest date: June 14, 2022
Age: 58
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number: 2202419
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Rudolph Carrillo III
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 41
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202448
Charges: Battery, misdemeanor
Isiaha Gonzalez
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202400
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Nancy Becker
Arrest date: June 13, 2022
Age: 64
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202408
Charges: Domestic battery, misdemeanor
Nathaniel Guzman
Arrest date: June 16, 2022
Age: 21
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number: 2202457
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Benjamin Wright
Arrest date: June 14, 2022
Age: 32
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202424
Charges: Habitual traffic offender, felony
Robert Carter Jr.
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 39
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202439
Charges: Possession of paraphernalia, felony
Nicholas Hadarich
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 22
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202402
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Nicole Culpepper
Arrest date: June 13, 2022
Age: 35
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202418
Charges: Maintaining common nuisance, felony
Sandra Isom
Arrest date: June 16, 2022
Age: 38
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202453
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Tylor Ahrens
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 27
Residence: Stanwood, MI
Booking Number: 2202403
Charges: Battery, felony
Jeremy Hostetler
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 35
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202393
Charges: Theft, felony
Cheryl Pittman
Arrest date: June 13, 2022
Age: 51
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202415
Charges: Battery, felony
Amanda Kesler
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 49
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202392
Charges: Habitual traffic offender, felony
Sierra Gentry
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 31
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202446
Charges: Intimidation, felony
Anthony Peek
Arrest date: June 16, 2022
Age: 27
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202454
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Robert Brown
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 38
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202405
Charges: Theft, felony
Susanne Morgan
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 57
Residence: Harvard, IL
Booking Number: 2202398
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jared Struss
Arrest date: June 16, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202456
Charges: OWI, felony
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Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/valpo-man-guilty-of-molesting-8-year-old-rape-case-pending-officials-say/article_610e7f04-841d-53c7-a678-57943975926c.html | 2022-06-24T23:57:55 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/valpo-man-guilty-of-molesting-8-year-old-rape-case-pending-officials-say/article_610e7f04-841d-53c7-a678-57943975926c.html |
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Local | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/polaroid-prince-focuses-on-lgbtq-community/3749063/ | 2022-06-24T23:59:02 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/polaroid-prince-focuses-on-lgbtq-community/3749063/ |
A number of pride events such as PrideFest and the NYC Pride March will take place on Sunday, June 26.
PrideFest is going into its 28th year with their annual LGBTQIA+ street fair. It will start at 11 a.m. and go until 6 p.m. in Greenwich Village with entertainers, food and activities for a day of fun.
The NYC Pride March will begin at noon from 25th Street and 5th Avenue. The march plans to pass the Stonewall National Monument as well as the NYC Aids Memorial.
Both events are free to the public.
Commuters should plan ahead for Sunday. The following streets will be closed for the parade:
PrideFest
- 4th Avenue between East 14th Street and Astor Place
- East 13th Street between Broadway and 3rd Avenue
- East 12th Street between Broadway and 3rd Avenue
- East 11th Street between 4th Avenue and 3rd Avenue
- East 10th Street between Broadway and 3rd Avenue
- East 9th Street between Broadway and 3rd Avenue
- East 8th Street between Broadway and 3rd Avenue
- Astor Place between Lafayette Street and 3rd Avenue
- Lafayette Street between East 9th Street /Wanamaker Place and Astor Place
*The festival can be accessed from all side-streets within the event area.*
NYC Pride March
Formation:
- 5th Avenue between 33rd Street and 25th Street
- West/East 33rd Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue
- West/East 32nd Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue
- West/East 31st Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue
- West/East 30th Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue
- West/East 29th Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue
- West/East 28th Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue
- West /East 27th Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue
- West/East 26th Street between 6th Avenue and Madison Avenue
- West 25th Street between 6th Avenue and 5th Avenue
Route:
- 5th Avenue between 25th Street and 8th Street
- West 8th Street between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- Greenwich Avenue between 6th Avenue and Christopher Street
- Christopher Street between Greenwich Avenue and 7th Avenue South
- 7th Avenue South between Christopher Street and Greenwich Avenue
- 7th Avenue between Christopher Street and 16th Street
Dispersal:
- 7th Avenue between 15th Street and 19th Street
- 16th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- 17th Street between 9th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- 18th Street between 8th Avenue and 6th Avenue
- 19th Street between 9th Avenue and 7thAvenue
- Christopher Street between West Street and 7th Avenue South
- Greenwich Avenue between 6th Avenue and 8th Avenue
More information for the events can be found on the NYC Pride site. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/street-closures-for-nyc-pride-what-you-need-to-know/3748974/ | 2022-06-24T23:59:09 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/street-closures-for-nyc-pride-what-you-need-to-know/3748974/ |
KANAWHA COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — Metro 911 reports a fully involved trailer fire is burning at Goose Hollow Road near Kellys Creek in the areas of Cedar Grove and Mammoth.
Metro does not know if the trailer is occupied, and there are no injuries reported at this time.
Responders include volunteer fire departments from Cedar Grove, Glasgow and Belle.
This story will be updated as more information comes in. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/fully-involved-trailer-fire-in-cedar-grove/ | 2022-06-25T00:02:22 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/fully-involved-trailer-fire-in-cedar-grove/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — A controversial West Virginia school funding plan is now being challenged in court. It’s known as the Hope Scholarship program. This lawsuit is interesting because some of the combatants are ostensibly on the same team.
Last year the legislature passed, and the governor signed, the “Hope Scholarship” program. It would allow parents to essentially take tax dollars they put into the public school system, and use them to pay for their kids to go to private schools.
Three thousand students have already applied to get up to $4,300 for the coming school year. Many educators fear it will hurt public schools.
“We are to provide a free and public education, thorough and efficient for every student, not a private school. And diverting public dollars to private school students, is just against what the Constitution says,” said Dale Lee, President, West Virginia Education Association.
“I think that our families always deserve choice. And so I was proud to sign it,” said Gov. Jim Justice, (R) West Virginia.
The governor says he has no problem with the state school superintendent and the board of education opposing him in the lawsuit. While he appointed most of them, he says they must act independently from the governor’s office.
Attorney General Patrick Morrisey’s office says it will defend the state’s Hope Scholarship program in court. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/lawsuit-aims-to-repeal-wv-hope-scholarship-program/ | 2022-06-25T00:02:28 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/lawsuit-aims-to-repeal-wv-hope-scholarship-program/ |
OWOSSO, Mich. (WJRT) - Concerns across the board from women, doctors and advocates are all being raised over the safety of women.
Just last month, Attorney General Nessel warned of increased violence against women if the court overturn the 50-year-old Roe v Wade law.
With the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade being made final, advocates of domestic violence say that fear has only heightened.
This is something organizations like Safe Center of Owosso and the YWCA of Greater Flint have actually been preparing for since the decision's draft was leaked back in May and they tell that no matter the outcome the high court or what the state decides to do, safety will be the number one priority of these advocates.
"In light of the decision that was made today at the federal level, we're concerned about what those safety options will be for victims and survivors," said Executive Director of Safe center of Owosso, Hannah Gottschalk.
Fears of the future is at the doorstep of domestic and sexual violence advocates like Safe center of Owosso.
Gottschalk said that the decision coming down from the federal level will only increase the possibility for abusers to further hurt their partners.
"The risk is greater knowing that there's potentially less options available to women reduces their ability to have more power and control over their lives," she said.
According to a study published last year in Obstetrics and Gynecology, pregnant women in the U.S. die by homicide at the hands of a partner more than they do by pregnancy related causes.
Advocates working with domestic violence survivors also worry about the increase of reproductive coercion both from male and female abusers.
"Just as much as a woman can be manipulated and coerced into staying in a relationship so Can men and pregnancy and and having children or withholding children can be a portion of that and so bringing awareness to that is a big part of our advocacy efforts here," she said.
Currently, abortions are still legal in Michigan. However, if a temporary injunction blocking the enforcement of a state ban is lifted, abortions will again be illegal with advocate groups including Safe Center wondering how they may also face the repercussions.
"If we're asked about what their options are, will we have those options available to them? What position does that put us in as advocates? That is a concern moving forward? Safety overall, I think for everybody is always a concern," said Gottschalk.
Advocate centers are planning for the future if that injunctions lifted what steps they will be able to do to keep providing resources for survivors | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/advocates-domestic-abuse-survivors-safety-at-risk/article_f75b137c-f40d-11ec-9bfc-8b252170c698.html | 2022-06-25T00:02:59 | 1 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/advocates-domestic-abuse-survivors-safety-at-risk/article_f75b137c-f40d-11ec-9bfc-8b252170c698.html |
Anti-abortion groups celebrate historic court victory as they look to find ways to help women in crisis pregnancies
Those who have worked for decades to end abortions in Wisconsin say while they are elated with the reversal of Roe v. Wade, they are looking ahead to find other ways to help pregnant women in need.
Wisconsin Right to Life says it and similar advocacy groups that have worked to end abortion are lobbying state lawmakers with the aim of boosting funding for alternatives to abortion for women in crisis, including expanded medical support, counseling, child care, and emergency housing.
There are nearly 100 nonprofit, anti-abortion, pregnancy support centers in Wisconsin that offer other kinds of help to women in need.
“Our goal on a legislative level is to add more support to these centers so they can expand and offer more services,” said Gracie Skogman, legislative director for Wisconsin to Right Life.
Skogman said her group has begun to work with some lawmakers on the issue and expects some proposed initiatives to be announced in the coming days.
“It’s not something we will get done overnight but we want to start building out support for these programs and increase it as time goes on.”
Texas has established a similar program that allocates tax dollars to nonprofit, anti-abortion pregnancy crisis centers throughout that state. The program began about a decade ago and has so far directed more than $100 million to it.
Republican lawmakers in Wisconsin have proposed awarding state grants to such nonprofits in the past but the measures have not passed.
Since 2017, Wisconsin has awarded more than $200,000 in grants to pregnancy crisis centers through the Choose Life Wisconsin license plate program. Drivers can contribute $25 tax free on top of their registration fees to Choose Life Wisconsin, Inc., and is distributed to Wisconsin pregnancy resource centers.
Wisconsin Family Action, which has also lobbied to end abortion in the state for decades, also pledged to do more. Increased funding for pregnancy resource centers will be front and center, said Julaine Appling, executive director of the group.
“The work to establish a culture of life in Wisconsin is not done,” Appling said. “We know that there are still women in crisis pregnancies that need help, compassion and hope. While we rejoice in the legal side of this, where abortion on demand is no longer available in all 50 states, we realize we still have much to do here.”
The groups say they are also concerned about their safety and hope protests against the Supreme Court decision remain peaceful.
“We are concerned,” said Appling, whose office was vandalized earlier this year following the leaked Supreme Court abortion opinion. “We are concerned for our personal safety to a certain degree and for the protection of our office building.” | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/06/24/anti-abortion-groups-see-mission-helping-women-crisis-pregnancies/7729038001/ | 2022-06-25T00:03:19 | 1 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/wisconsin/2022/06/24/anti-abortion-groups-see-mission-helping-women-crisis-pregnancies/7729038001/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – Protests and praise followed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade.
At a rally Friday evening for abortion rights in Orlando, organizers called to protect abortion care access in Florida. People in attendance at the event hosted at the Renaissance Theatre Company on Princeton Street told News 6 they feel anger and frustration.
“I feel like we’ve been going backwards,” Danielle Mathis said. “It really is unbelievable.”
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“Even though I expected it, it was still incredible to have a right we’ve had for 50 years overturned,” said Debbie Deland with the Greater Orlando National Organization for Women. “I don’t think it’s a decision that our government, mostly white men, can make for women. It’s just wrong.”
[WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE BELOW]
Outside a Planned Parenthood clinic on University Boulevard, a group of anti-abortion advocates voiced victory.
“I’m so thankful,” said Michele Herzog, who came from Volusia County. “You know, 49 years, crying and pleading for this to be overturned.”
Michele Herzog says she had an abortion in the late 70s. It’s a decision she says she regrets.
“My life was destroyed for many, many, years,” Herzog said.
She now encourages families to seek other options, like adoption.
Doctors at Planned Parenthood say their clinics remain focused on helping women access abortion care in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“Make no mistake: peoples’ health care and lives are on the line,” said Dr. Sujatha Prabhakaran, the chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida.
Dr. Sujatha Prabhakaran is part of a group of physicians in Florida now calling for change. The Committee to Protect Health Care hosted a virtual press conference with the group, who denounced the ruling Friday.
“As doctors, we are horrified by this unprecedented ruling. We feel obligated to stand up for patients who should be able to make their own decisions,” said Dr. Cecilia Grande, an OB-GYN in Miami.
Planned Parenthood expects people will travel from other southeastern states to Florida for abortion care. They are now preparing to help those patients, saying in a statement Friday they expect some people will travel hundreds of miles to Florida. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/24/it-really-is-unbelievable-abortion-ruling-draws-protests-in-orlando/ | 2022-06-25T00:05:39 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/24/it-really-is-unbelievable-abortion-ruling-draws-protests-in-orlando/ |
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – A new initiative in Volusia and Flagler counties is being implemented in the hopes of improving community and law enforcement relations — teaching both sides how to better interact with one another.
Law enforcement leaders and the organization Minority Elected Officials of Volusia County worked on the initiative for two years before unveiling it Friday.
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Pamphlets titled “You and the Police” will be delivered straight into the hands of Volusia and Flagler County residents.
“Do not try to have a courtroom discussion on the side of the road. Read the pamphlet to know what to do next,” said DeLand Commissioner Jessica Davis.
The pamphlets dive into scenarios of encountering the police, being stopped in a car and police coming to your home.
“It educates the public about the basic laws and what citizens’ rights and responsibilities are under the law while, at the same time, it also provides information on the requirements of the law that police must follow,” said DeLand Police Chief Jason Umberger.
They’ll be handed out through ministries, organizations and all law enforcement agencies in both counties.
“Most key points in this pamphlet are things that families have been sharing with their children throughout the last years, but not everybody has had the opportunity to read the suggestions and tips,” said Capt. Ben Yisreal with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office
Both the Volusia Flagler Police Chiefs’ Association and the organization Minority Elected Officials of Volusia County think the literature is a better approach than going through social media, especially for younger residents.
“It’s about proactivity. It’s showing the collaboration — that we’re all together,” said Volusia County Council Vice Chair Barbara Girtman. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/24/new-volusia-flagler-initiative-aims-to-bridge-gap-between-police-residents/ | 2022-06-25T00:05:45 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/24/new-volusia-flagler-initiative-aims-to-bridge-gap-between-police-residents/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Orange County Corrections is set to host a Community Resource Fair next week to raise awareness and provide resources for recently released inmates and the homeless population.
The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on June 30 at the Orange County Jail’s south parking lot.
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During the fair, various vendors, providers and employers will provide resources and opportunities relating to health care, employment, mental health, education, restoration and rights, and substance abuse needs.
While the event is open to anyone residing in Orange County and the surrounding Central Florida areas, jail officials said the resources available are aimed to support “recently released inmates, offenders on community supervision and the homeless” to better enable them to leave the jail in a “better state.”
“People who have had a brush with the law often just need some tools to put them on the path of moving forward in a positive direction, and that’s the whole goal of this fair in bringing the resources all together in a centralized location and making them available to the community,” Linda Brooks, manager of Community Corrections & Inmate programs, said in a statement.
According to county correction officials, 96 percent of Orange County inmates return to the community.
Any vendor or employer interested in participating or learning more about the event can contact Hope Simpson at 407-836-3044 or via email at Hope.Simpson@ocfl.net.
Find a map of how the event will be laid out below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/24/orange-county-jail-to-host-resource-fair-for-released-inmates-homeless-population/ | 2022-06-25T00:05:51 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/24/orange-county-jail-to-host-resource-fair-for-released-inmates-homeless-population/ |
MARION COUNTY, Fla. – Silver Springs State Park, an agritourist attraction out of Marion County, is hosting its mainstay feature glass-bottom boat tours yet again this summer.
According to the park’s website, Silver Springs has a storied history, dating all the way back to Florida’s annexation in the 1820s.
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The springs have historically been a site for adventurers, distribution centers and even a number of Hollywood films, though it’s best known for its signature glass-bottom boats, which allow park visitors to see the underwater life swimming just below them.
“They started out in the 1880s. Somebody got the bright idea to put a little panel of glass at the bottom of that little rowboat and the idea went from there,” park ranger Andy Kilmer said.
According to Kilmer, the boats were equipped with gas engines during the 1950s and 60s, though those were eventually replaced with electric engines for a “much more serene experience.”
Kilmer said that turnout to the park this year has been phenomenal, with people coming out to not only take advantage of the boat tours but to enjoy other attractions at the park, including paddle boards, kayaks, canoes and hiking trails.
He added that visitors to the park can expect to see a sizable variety of wildlife, such as black bears, gopher tortoises, alligators, river otters — and even some sea cows.
“There are manatees even now in the summer. There’s a few that hang out here all summer long, a few mothers with calves,” he said. “So if you want to check out wildlife... it’s probably best to come here early in the morning and in the late evening when it’s not so hot.”
For those interested in riding the glass-bottom boat tours, the park has implemented a new system where riders are assigned a time, so long lines are now a thing of the past.
Kilmer said the tours run approximately 30 minutes long and include information on the history of the park, films that were shot there and the ecology of the springs.
The park will also be hosting an American Freedom Festival to celebrate the Fourth of July, running from July 2 - 4. Festivities will include live music, food vendors, free parking, $2 park admission and a “Kids Zone” for children.
For information on the tours and other attractions offered at the park, visit the Silver Springs website here. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/24/silver-springs-features-glass-bottom-boat-tours-in-marion-county/ | 2022-06-25T00:05:57 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/24/silver-springs-features-glass-bottom-boat-tours-in-marion-county/ |
ROME, N.Y. – The owners of Mazzaferro’s in Rome are opened their new location on Friday, which they’ve dubbed the ‘Mini-Mazz Market.’
Following a devastating fire that destroyed the city staple on April 29, Brian and Joseph Mazzaferro decided to open a smaller shop temporarily at their wholesale location at the corner of Railroad and Mill streets.
The East Rome location offers dinners to-go, subs and other staple meats and cheese. The owners say they will increase their offerings depending on what people want.
The store will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
They also have ‘cash and carry’ sales where people can buy boxes of hamburgers and sausage patties on certain days.
The owners say there are plans in the works to eventually rebuild at the Ridge Mills Road location. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/mini-mazz-market-opens-in-rome-as-business-rebuilds-following-fire/article_e88a5e36-f334-11ec-9ecf-cbca3cbdb77b.html | 2022-06-25T00:08:03 | 1 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/mini-mazz-market-opens-in-rome-as-business-rebuilds-following-fire/article_e88a5e36-f334-11ec-9ecf-cbca3cbdb77b.html |
TWIN FALLS — Just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court released a 6-3 decision overturning a person's constitutional right to seek an abortion, Idaho legislators, governmental officials and ordinary folks have shared their opinions.
Gov. Brad Little commented on the decision, saying it was “long-awaited” and Idaho has been at the forefront of enacting new laws to protect preborn babies.
"Today's decision is the culmination of pro-life efforts to defend the defenseless — preborn babies who deserve protection," Little said. "It also is affirmation of states' rights, a fundamental aspect of our American government.”
He also said that this moment in history will create growing needs for women and families in the coming months and years.
“Families, churches, charities, and local and state government must stand ready to lift them up and help them and their families with access to adoption services, healthcare, financial and food assistance, counseling and treatment, and family planning,” Little said. “We are being called to support women and our fellow community members in extraordinary new ways, and I'm confident Idahoans are ready to meet this responsibility with love and compassion.”
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But many local women disagree with the governor.
"Prior to Roe, over 1 million women died giving themselves abortions," Jill Skeem said. "Abortion will not go away because Roe was overturned, but safe abortions will be gone and women's lives will be in jeopardy.
"Now there is talk about abolishing contraception?" Skeem continued. "If you want to get rid of abortions, provide birth control."
The Times-News gathered other women's responses through Facebook.
“I feel incredibly devastated as someone who could need an abortion in the future to survive," wrote Nikita Bennett. "My children don't deserve this, your children don't deserve this. Women who fought for their rights don't deserve this."
“Ignorant day for Capital Hill,” wrote Jessie Barnes. “This decision doesn't just affect reproduction rights, but also medical privacy, privacy in general, and it allows for the government to control the citizen's rights to make their own medical decisions. This country is headed down a steep slope and there's no brakes.”
“Roe v Wade was one of *the* most prominent talking points from politicians campaigning in the area,” wrote Kelsey Mason Knapp. “The dog caught the car. I didn't think it would happen. What will they run on now? I'm kind of afraid to find out.”
“Coming from a person who was a foster kid that no one wanted, sad sad day!" wrote Sharon Park. "There are so many unwanted kids out there now being abused etc.... Once these babies are born no one cares about them.”
Skeem is especially outraged because men are not being held accountable in this ruling.
"These women are not getting pregnant by themselves," she said. "Men should not be making decisions for women and their bodies and lives."
Even Idaho's far-right activist Ammon Bundy weighed in.
Bundy, who's challenging Little in the gubernatorial race, said the decision was constitutionally correct and that he was grateful enough justices recognized state sovereignty.
“Now we will see if Governor Little and the legislature of Idaho do what is necessary to outlaw abortion in the State of Idaho. Piggybacking off of another state's heartbeat bill, in my opinion, is insufficient in protecting the most innocent,” Bundy wrote in a statement. “My heart is more at ease now that our nation has moved in this direction.”
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean posted on Twitter that the decision is particularly harmful to women of color and to low-income women.
“I am infuriated, & intensely worried. The decision to terminate a pregnancy is deeply personal and private," Mclean wrote. "This decision by the Supreme Court will have devastating consequences on the health, privacy, & economic independence of women throughout our community, state, and nation.
"I remain steadfast in my support for all people who need access to abortion care & stand with them in fighting for privacy in health care decisions.” | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/locals-react-to-supreme-court-decision-not-all-agree/article_4f1d6d8c-f3fd-11ec-9fc3-9396d6e7aa95.html | 2022-06-25T00:08:28 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/locals-react-to-supreme-court-decision-not-all-agree/article_4f1d6d8c-f3fd-11ec-9fc3-9396d6e7aa95.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — There will be a greatly increased police presence and additional safety measures around Tanger Outlets The Walk next month during the NAACP National Convention, interim Officer-in-Charge James Sarkos said Friday during a community safety meeting.
It was the second weekly meeting of a group of concerned merchants and officials anxious to improve conditions for visitors and residents in midtown for the convention and beyond. The meetings have been called by City Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz.
"We will have a big increase in law enforcement presence during the week of the convention," Sarkos said. "We have reached out to partner law enforcement (for help)."
The convention will be held at the Atlantic City Convention Center, which is next to both Tanger Outlets The Walk and the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, which provides food and shelter to the homeless.
Last week, merchants described brazen shoplifters who repeatedly steal from the same stores, and the inability to get them incarcerated because of state bail law and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
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Sarkos said the restrictions on what police could do about shoplifting suspects during the pandemic are no longer in effect, and they will be able to get bench warrants to pick up those who don't show up for court dates.
PLEASANTVILLE — The first day of summer was a chance to bring the community together for saf…
"We are encouraging stores to sign complaints," Sarkos said. "We understand merchants would sign them (over the last two years) and show up in court, but the suspect would not show up."
Under COVID restrictions, judges were not issuing bench warrants to allow police to pick up those who skip court and hold them in jail until a new court date.
Now police can again get bench warrants, Sarkos said.
Sarkos also said the police substation at The Walk hasn't been used much, but that will soon change, too, after a new locking system is installed.
Tanger Outlets The Walk is a 109-store, open-air outlet mall that covers nine city blocks around the intersections of Atlantic, Arctic, Baltic, Michigan and Arkansas avenues in midtown. It is the first part of the city visitors see when they come in off the Atlantic City Expressway.
Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor William Reynolds said he is taking steps to improve quality of life in the city and county with a task force he has already started to form.
Authorities in Pleasantville and Absecon are set to try to crack down on ATVs.
The program will use a van to take professionals out on the street to help people in need of medical, mental health and drug addiction services, Reynolds said.
"We are going to hold onto drug cases, especially opioid and heroin, that used to be remanded to municipal courts," Reynolds said of the prosecutor's Grand Jury Unit. "We will keep it at the county level to try to get those people help through one of four different diversion programs, including drug court."
The prosecutor also will hold onto shoplifting cases involving more than $200 in value, he said.
"It's a carrot and stick. We will do everything in our power to help those with drug addiction issues, but people with 37 shoplifting charges we are going to prosecute them."
Anthony Mack, owner of the McDonald's near The Walk, said people routinely sleep behind his restaurant, use drugs there and urinate in the street.
"It's a disaster. We cannot control them," Mack said.
ATLANTIC CITY — The city will run free summer camps and other programs for youth, seniors, t…
"I definitely hear his frustration. We see it every day as well, but be optimistic the worst is behind us," Sarkos said. "We will start to see results. ... In several months and next year, it will be significantly different."
The group will meet again July 8. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-cracking-down-on-shoplifters-crime-ahead-of-naacp-convention/article_0fd8478e-f3f1-11ec-afe8-f7ec9ac965cf.html | 2022-06-25T00:08:47 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-cracking-down-on-shoplifters-crime-ahead-of-naacp-convention/article_0fd8478e-f3f1-11ec-afe8-f7ec9ac965cf.html |
WILDWOOD — Mayor Pete Bryon, former Mayor Ernest V. Troiano Jr. and current city Commissioner Steven E. Mikulski were charged Friday with fraudulently participating in the State Health Benefits Program, acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.
Byron, 67; Troiano, 71; and Mikulski, 57, were each charged with theft by unlawful taking and tampering with public records information.
The investigation by the attorney general's Office of Public Integrity and Accountability began with a referral from the state Division of Pensions and Benefits, Platkin said.
“Today we bring charges against current and former public and elected officials for what we allege are breaches of the public trust,” Platkin said in a news release. “We will work tirelessly to root out public corruption and restore faith in our institutions.”
Since 2010, New Jersey law has required elected officials to be full-time employees "whose hours of work are fixed at 35 or more per week" to be eligible to participate in the State Health Benefits Program and receive employer-provided health care.
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The investigation found Byron, Troiano and Mikulski were never eligible because they were never full-time employees as defined by state law, Platkin said. They did not receive vacation, sick or personal days, and they maintained no regular schedule.
WILDWOOD — Nerves got to Jessica Johnson when she lost her lead in the girls’ final of the N…
It is alleged, however, that all three fraudulently enrolled in the plan and received publicly funded health benefits.
"Pete Byron didn’t do anything wrong," said Byron's attorney, William J. Hughes Jr., in a statement shortly after Platkin's announcement.
"The fact was, they did work more than 35 hours," Hughes said of his client as well as Troiano and Mikulski.
Hughes said a local city resolution that enabled the men to enroll was vetted by the city's administration and legal counsel and that the men's enrollment was publicly known.
Troiano and Byron were elected to Wildwood's three-member City Commission in 2011, and Troiano was sworn in as mayor. Both voted in 2011 to pass a resolution that declared themselves full-time employees working "a minimum of 35 hours per week" for Wildwood, Platkin said. They then enrolled in the State Health Benefits Program.
While Troiano and Byron did not work a regular full-time schedule, Platkin said, they falsely signed and submitted timesheets to the city indicating they worked full days Monday through Friday.
An unusual set up, where rain stays stationary mainly to our west and just fizzles out, will be the case Thursday. We'll end the day with sunshine and I can confidently say that the weekend will summery. We'll have the sun, without the sticky weather.
As a result, Wildwood and the state plan paid more than $286,500 in premiums and claims on behalf of Troiano from July 2011 through December 2019. As for Byron — who was sworn in as mayor in January 2020 after defeating Troiano — the state plan paid more than $608,900 in premiums and claims on his behalf from July 2011 through 2021.
Mikulski became a member of Wildwood's commission in 2020. He enrolled in the state plan, and since then, Wildwood and the plan have paid more than $103,000 in premiums and claims on his behalf through October 2021. It's alleged Mikulski knowingly made false statements in a "Health Benefits Enrollment and/or Change Form" submitted by the city.
Hughes said the state, if it had known there was a problem, should have alerted the city.
"Rather than approaching the city and tell them there is a problem, they have made this a criminal matter," Hughes said. "The state statute is not all that clear and Pete Byron did not violate the law and he is going to be vindicated."
Hughes' other point was that the state at the time the statute was being prepared said it was going to provide guidance regarding elected officials.
"And they never did." Hughes said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/wildwood-officials-accused-of-health-benefits-fraud/article_31f44624-f40a-11ec-b3bc-abc5af96b4f2.html | 2022-06-25T00:08:53 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/wildwood-officials-accused-of-health-benefits-fraud/article_31f44624-f40a-11ec-b3bc-abc5af96b4f2.html |
LOWER TOWNSHIP — A new Overdose Response Team is being added to the township's resources, expanding on its efforts to help recent overdose patients.
The new unit is made possible through a partnership with Cape Regional Medical Center's Cape Addiction Recovery Services.
The partnership was approved by the Township Council on Wednesday, according to a news release from the township.
“This pilot program will be a lifesaving touchpoint for the people in Lower Township struggling with a disease that can be managed with the appropriate treatment and recovery support,” said SueAnne Agger, director of Cape Addiction Recovery Services, also known as CARES.
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP — The Township Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved two ordinances re…
The unit works by partnering a recent overdose patient with a recovery specialist, Agger said, citing CARES' belief in quickly getting in touch with someone after they've received a naloxone dose. Doing so can help lessen opioid mortality rates while building relationships with addicts.
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“This is going to be a great resource for residents and visitors of our community who are in need of assistance,” police Chief Kevin Lewis said Friday. “I look forward to the Lower Township Police Department being a part of the successful implementation of the program.” | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/lower-township-creates-overdose-response-team-with-cape-regional-program/article_d13a004c-f3fc-11ec-adb3-2f5a8f970e1d.html | 2022-06-25T00:08:59 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/lower-township-creates-overdose-response-team-with-cape-regional-program/article_d13a004c-f3fc-11ec-adb3-2f5a8f970e1d.html |
OCEAN CITY — City attorney Dorothy McCrosson took aim at plans to run a power line across the city at 35th Street at a Friday morning hearing of the state Board of Public Utilities, arguing there are other options to bring wind power to shore.
The BPU board heard oral arguments in a request for Ocean Wind 1, planned as the first large-scale offshore wind farm off the coast of New Jersey that is projected to power a half-million homes.
First, the wind-generated power needs to get to shore. As attorney Greg Eisenstark said, speaking on behalf of the applicant, there are no power customers in the ocean.
He added there are few practical options along the coast to bring electricity from the ocean to the power grid. As proposed, the project would bring power to the former B.L. England plant on the bank of the Great Egg Harbor Bay in Upper Township, with another landing site at the former Oyster Creek nuclear plant in Ocean County.
Ocean City is not OK with the plan, and has refused permission to cross its jurisdiction. Last year, the state Legislature took the matter out of the city’s hands, approving a law that allowed the BPU to approve the request.
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The law angered Ocean City officials when it was approved, with members of City Council describing it as overriding democratic rule. Speaking to the BPU board Friday, McCrosson questioned whether the BPU had the authority to decide the matter, and criticized the law as hastily adopted and overly broad.
Today the federal government will take one of the most anticipated steps in the development …
“It strips elected municipal officials of the power to decide whether Ocean Wind, a private corporation, may take municipal property rights within Ocean City, in complete disregard of the will of the governing body and its constituents,” she said, adding the law has not been tested in court.
In the remotely held meeting Friday, the BPU heard arguments on whether to allow the power lines to cross under land purchased with funds through the state Green Acres program, which typically protects against future development.
Eisenstark said it would include about half an acre of Green Acres-protected land, adding the applicants would contribute 10 times the assessed value of the property to the Green Acres fund.
There was no decision made Friday. BPU President Joseph Fiordaliso said that would come at a future meeting, the date of which has yet to be determined.
McCrosson asked the board to hold off on deciding anything, or at least consider alternative routes. She pointed to an alternative that would run the power lines into the Great Egg Harbor Inlet and out to the power plant in Beesleys Point.
“The city’s pristine beach and wetlands would not be disturbed, the streets would not be excavated,” McCrosson said. “Ocean City would still bear the aesthetic effects of this project, and whatever consequences they may bring. However, the island would not be defaced, and the activities of the people of the island would not be interrupted.”
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Friday released the Draft Environmental Impact Stat…
Eisenstark said the applicant does not need to offer the best plan, but rather present a reasonable plan to the BPU. As proposed, the route for the line would be drilled about 60 feet under the beach at 34th Street, then run along the streets, put in place like water lines or other utilities before crossing underneath Crook Horn Creek to enter Upper Township.
“Once construction is completed, the lines won’t be visible. You won’t see them, you won’t hear them, you won’t even know that they’re there,” said Eisenstark. Later in the hearing, McCrosson added that residents will not be able to smell them, either, but will know they are there, and if it moves forward they will have been placed there without the consent of the local elected representatives.
Eisenstark said Ocean Wind would have rather negotiated an agreement with the city but was unable to reach a deal. He argued the city declined to be a part of the process earlier, and accused McCrosson of presenting evidence in her closing arguments that should have been brought by witnesses at earlier hearings.
He suggested that much of what McCrosson said should be stricken from the record, saying she was an attorney, not an expert.
McCrosson responded that much of what she presented was included in a lengthy draft of an environmental impact statement, which was only made available this week.
In that statement, she argued, Ocean Wind lays out plans to run a power line to the former Oyster Creek plant similar to the route rejected for the Great Egg Harbor Inlet.
State and federal officials are creating a massive offshore wind energy industry with the mo…
She added the city could not have brought that information up earlier, because the report had only recently been made available.
“I believe it’s only 1,400 pages long, so I presume everyone has read it cover to cover,” Fiordaliso deadpanned at the hearing.
Ocean Wind is a joint venture between Ørsted and PSE&G, with a plan to place close to 100 large turbines about 15 miles offshore. New Jersey selected the project in 2019. It is set the be the first of several large-scale wind power projects for the Northeast, with the adjacent Ocean Wind 2 also moving through the permitting process.
Gov. Phil Murphy, a wind power proponent, wants a huge increase in New Jersey’s use of renewable energy. He cites the environmental impact, including the danger of rising seas and warming temperatures as fossil fuels continue to add carbon to the atmosphere, but also says the projects will mean thousands of new jobs.
The proposal is deeply unpopular in Ocean City and other shore towns. Opponents cite the visual impact — turbines will be visible from the beach as proposed — and also say the plan will damage the environment and the commercial fishing industry.
At several points during the hearing, McCrosson suggested the proposal would face a similar process in getting approvals to cross areas owned by Cape May County. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/ocean-city-seeks-to-divert-wind-power-plan/article_717bf56c-f3f1-11ec-a1e9-3b519959f8b7.html | 2022-06-25T00:09:06 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/ocean-city-seeks-to-divert-wind-power-plan/article_717bf56c-f3f1-11ec-a1e9-3b519959f8b7.html |
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The Supreme Court released its ruling Friday to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling. The decision will have wide-ranging implications in Georgia with its own restrictive abortion law.
HB 481 or Georgia's Heartbeat Bill bans abortions when a "fetal" heartbeat can be detected - at about six weeks into a pregnancy.
11Alive spoke to Dekalb County's District Attorney, Sherry Boston who explains what the ruling could mean for Georgians.
Boston said that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals was awaiting the Supreme Court's decision on Roe v. Wade before finally ruling on the legality behind HB 481.
Since the Supreme Court ruled that there is no longer federal access to abortion, the 11th Circuit would clear the way for Georgia’s law to take effect.
"I would expect now that the 11th circuit will take back up the Georgia Heartbeat Bill and I would expect them, given the Supreme Court's precedent to allow Georgia's heartbeat bill to go into effect immediately," said Boston.
Boston informs 11Alive that she has yet to hear from any providers about what their plans may be after the SCOTUS decision but that her community is on alert for any fallout that may impact them.
"I've heard from members of my community that were concerned and now, today in this very dark hour, in these very dark days are wondering what will happen if they seek safe abortions today," she said.
Boston has served as the district attorney for Dekalb County since 2017 and explains the devastation felt as a prosecutor over the SCOTUS ruling.
"It is devastating, to have to, as a prosecutor, speak with people about this idea of choosing perhaps life-saving decisions for them personally or face potential criminal prosecution," she said.
In a prepared statement, Boston said her office does not plan to prosecute people who may face criminal charges if Georgia's abortion law is enacted.
"It is my contention that law enforcement and prosecutors should not be thrust into this health space, regardless of the legislation on the books. As such, as the elected District Attorney with charging discretion for the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit (DeKalb County), I am vowing not to prosecute individuals pursuant to HB 481. I believe it is a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her own body and medical care, including, but not limited to, obtaining an abortion," the statement reads. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/dekalb-district-attorney-wont-prosecute-georgias-abortion-lawp/85-6bab4b71-154e-4589-8789-e0b2384bcc36 | 2022-06-25T00:14:37 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/dekalb-district-attorney-wont-prosecute-georgias-abortion-lawp/85-6bab4b71-154e-4589-8789-e0b2384bcc36 |
COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: The video above is from a previous story when Vic Reynolds was name the GBI director in 2019.
Gov. Brian Kemp has appointed the leader of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to fill one of two vacant seats on the Cobb Judicial Circuit Superior Court. The positions became vacant after Judge LaTain Kell and Judge Mary Staley Clark retired in May.
Vic Reynolds, the current head of the state's investigative agency, became the GBI director in February 2019 after holding the position of Cobb County's district attorney, where he was elected twice.
Reynolds took the job as GBI director one year before the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was chased and gunned down while jogging by white men in a south Georgia neighborhood. The case didn't gain much attention until video posted on social media, showing the moments leading up to Arbery's death, went viral. While movement in the case seemed slow on the local level, GBI's quick independent investigation led to the arrests in that case.
Reynolds also took over the agency as the GBI had a massive backlog of rape kits that continued to grow.
Over the past few years, the GBI has also worked to crack down on gang activity across the state.
Reynolds previously served as a police officer, as the former Chief Magistrate Judge of Cobb County, and as a partner in the law firm of Berry and Reynolds.
11Alive has reached out to officials to find out when Reynolds will leave the GBI to take on his new appointment. It's also unclear who will fill his role at the GBI.
As for the second vacancy on the Cobb Judicial Circuit Superior Court, Kemp appointed Julie Adams Jacobs. Kemp's office said prior to being appointed to this position, she she served as the Deputy Attorney General of the Commercial Transactions and Litigation Division of the Georgia Attorney General's Office. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/gbi-director-vic-reynolds-appointed-cobb-judicial-circuit-superior-court/85-332b4fc0-7f89-4e07-831b-95e6967bd7e3 | 2022-06-25T00:14:43 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/gbi-director-vic-reynolds-appointed-cobb-judicial-circuit-superior-court/85-332b4fc0-7f89-4e07-831b-95e6967bd7e3 |
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 20-year-old drowning victim was discovered Friday in 30 feet of water, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
A spokesperson said it happened around noon near Vans Tavern Park in Forsyth County. Georgia DNR said the department found the the victim.
The 20-year-old was swimming with a group of friends near the courtesy dock of the boat ramp when he went under and didn't resurface.
No other details were released.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/lake-lanier-vans-tavern-park/85-6689a2ba-8afd-4822-8618-d50e6db5b353 | 2022-06-25T00:14:49 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/lake-lanier-vans-tavern-park/85-6689a2ba-8afd-4822-8618-d50e6db5b353 |
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Police Department said it is ready to respond if protests bubble over in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's move to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling, which made abortion access a right in the country.
On Friday, the decision by the high court's conservative majority is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half of the states, including in Georgia. The state's "heartbeat" law, signed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2019, had been blocked from taking effect after a lower court ruling put it on hold until the Supreme Court took action on the controversial topic. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has now said "there's nothing left stopping" the state law from taking effect.
In the hours after the justices' decision, small crowds of demonstrators gathered in Downtown Atlanta near the state capitol and Centennial Olympic Park. The group was vocal and passionate, but orderly as they marched between the two landmarks.
More demonstrations are slated to take place throughout the weekend. In a statement, the department said it "supports every citizen's right to a peaceful and lawful protest" but stressed that its role is public safety, and it would intervene when the law is broken.
"Atlanta is the home of civil rights protests and other social justice movements. It is in our DNA. We understand the need for people to assemble and have their voices heard," the department wrote. "We are monitoring activities throughout our city and are prepared to respond and address issues as needed." | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/police-respond-potential-protests-roe-v-wade-abortion/85-09883b12-b623-445f-9dbd-1de52846aa33 | 2022-06-25T00:14:55 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/police-respond-potential-protests-roe-v-wade-abortion/85-09883b12-b623-445f-9dbd-1de52846aa33 |
DALLAS — Following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Dallas County district attorney has released a statement saying he won't prosecute women who are seeking abortions.
The Supreme Court overturned the landmark ruling on Friday, paving the way for states to make their own decisions on how to handle abortions.
The impact in Texas could already be seen after it was one of 13 states that already passed a "trigger law," which would enforce all abortion-related legislation that has been passed since Roe v. Wade's decision in 1973. The "trigger law" is expected to go into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court issues a judgment on the case. The Court issued its opinion on Roe v. Wade on Friday.
Immediately after that landmark overturning on Friday, however, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said prosecutors could immediately pursue criminal prosecutions based on violations of Texas abortion prohibitions predating Roe v. Wade, which the Legislature never repealed.
On Friday afternoon, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot released a statement in response to the SCOTUS decision about how his office will handle abortion cases.
"I want women across Texas, and especially here in Dallas County, to rest assured that my office will not stand in the way of them seeking the health care they need," Creuzot said.
"Bans on abortion disproportionately impact the poor, women of color and other vulnerable populations and endanger public safety," he added.
Texas currently bans abortions after six weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest. This was part of Senate Bill 8, which was passed in 2021. The law also allows a person to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion for up to $10,000.
Under the current law, a prosecutor could file charges against an abortion provider, but it's considered a misdemeanor.
When the "trigger law" goes into effect, providers can be criminally prosecuted with a first-degree felony, with at least a $100,000 fine and risk of losing licenses. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/dallas-county-da-says-wont-prosecute-women-seeking-abortions/287-7d2c22fd-7ce9-4871-a213-0454f458bd16 | 2022-06-25T00:15:38 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/dallas-county-da-says-wont-prosecute-women-seeking-abortions/287-7d2c22fd-7ce9-4871-a213-0454f458bd16 |
Cerro Gordo County first encountered the infamous emerald ash borers in Mason City two years ago. This year, they've moved their way into Clear Lake.
Emerald ash borers are considered one of the most destructive tree pests in North America, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The emerald ash borer larvae disrupt water and nutrient flow within the tree, and throughout the summer and fall ash trees die.
The emerald ash borer has been making its way across Iowa since 2010, when they were marked on the Northeastern border of Iowa in Allamakee County. Since then, the emerald ash borer has slowly made its way across Iowa throughout the past 12 years. They've also been verified in Hancock County's portion of Forest City this year. Winnebago County's Forest City saw their first infestation last year.
Few counties remain outside the treatment consideration areas in Iowa. The southwest portion of Hancock County and most of Mitchell County remain untouched for now, with all of Kossuth County currently safe. Most of North Iowa has become enveloped by treatment areas, which rest with a 15-mile border around a known infestation.
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Clear Lake's infestation was brought to Clear Lake City Council by Chris Sweers of K&C Tree Service this June. He pointed out an infestation within two block of City Hall, where emerald ash borers had already killed two ash trees.
“You need to get out ahead of it," Sweers noted several ash trees in Clear Lake, "I just wanted to have a conversation and make you guys aware of it.”
Emerald ash borer infestations have a 99% mortality rate. With a wide range of ash species in Iowa, some areas factor in a tree's estimated value to the community before undergoing the expense of treatment. For example, a Green ash tree with a trunk 40 inches in diameter can save a single family residence in Des Moines up to $376 each year.
Treatment to ash trees has to be done for several years to protect the tree, with some treatments lasting longer than others. Trees which show signs of infestation may not come back, even after treatment, depending on the severity of infestation.
Preventative treatments are most effective for ash trees when emerald ash borer infestation is confirmed within 15 miles from the trees. In many cases, a recommendation comes from the health of the tree, landscape value, and the cost of treatment over several years. Time for homeowner treatment will come back in early August; Imidacloprid is a common treatment for emerald ash borers, found as a soil drench and in granular form.
Rae Burnette is a GA and Crime & Courts Reporter at the Globe Gazette. You can reach her by phone at 641.421.0523 or at Rae.Burnette@GlobeGazette.com | https://globegazette.com/news/local/emerald-ash-borer-infestation-confirmed-in-clear-lake/article_3e77e8ec-f594-527b-886d-fb9ecf572042.html | 2022-06-25T00:16:56 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/emerald-ash-borer-infestation-confirmed-in-clear-lake/article_3e77e8ec-f594-527b-886d-fb9ecf572042.html |
MCKINNEY, Texas — The above video initially aired on March 31, 2022.
A GOP State House of Representatives candidate has turned himself in after being indicted Friday morning.
The candidate, Fred Frazier, is accused of impersonating a code enforcement officer and stealing the signs of his primary opponent while in the throes of a political campaign in February.
Frazier is a former McKinney council member, and an active member of the Dallas Police Department assigned to the Marshal Fugitive Task Force. He won his Republican primary runoff in May, defeating Paul Chabot with 64 percent of the vote.
Sources with the Dallas Police Department confirm to WFAA that Fraizer has been placed on administrative leave in the wake of his turning himself in.
Frazier's attorney, Robert Rogers, released a statement denying the charges against his client.
"Fred Frazier has been a dedicated public servant for 27 years," Rogers wrote. "As a police officer, he has arrested hundreds and hundreds of violent felons. This accusation that a public servant impersonated another public servant with less power and responsibilities defies logic and will not hold up in court."
An investigation into Frazier was launched by the Texas Rangers after Chabot filed a police report in McKinney following the theft of some of his campaign signs.
Chabot told WFAA he was surprised in December to receive a call from a manager of a Walmart located off of Virginia Parkway in McKinney.
The manager, per Chabot, said that someone had been in the store and, after identifying themselves as a code compliance officer with the City of McKinney, asked that Walmart call Chabot's camp to remove Chabot's campaign signs near the business because they were supposedly out of compliance.
Chabot told WFAA he believed his signs were in compliance, and that he went to McKinney City Hall to confirm as much with the city manager upon hearing the complaint.
"The city manager told me that no code compliance officer was ever sent to the Walmart, and said my signs were fine," Chabot said.
Two days later, Chabot said a four-foot-by-eight-foot campaign sign of his was stolen at the Walmart, at which point he proceeded to file a police report about the theft and the alleged code compliance officer.
House District 61 was previously known as House District 70. It makes up a large part of Collin County, including parts of McKinney and Frisco. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/gop-house-candidate-indicted-impersonating-public-servant/287-bf31ec6a-feec-4c83-8aeb-9fdfa3c6d210 | 2022-06-25T00:17:21 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/gop-house-candidate-indicted-impersonating-public-servant/287-bf31ec6a-feec-4c83-8aeb-9fdfa3c6d210 |
DENTON, Texas — For anti-abortion organizations like Loreto House in Denton, Friday’s Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade will have an immediate impact.
“There will be a tidal wave of women seeking help and we are here to step up as an organization in Texas,” Loreto House executive director Randy Bollig said. “It's a momentous time. We will see many more lives saved because more babies will be born.”
The faith-based, pregnancy resource center said many of the women who come to them are “abortion-minded” so the organization serves as a support system, offering resources completely for free.
“Diapers at $30 a box, it's a big chunk out of people’s budget. And today, with inflation like it is, they need us more than ever,” Bollig said.
What Loreto House says it needs from the community is support, especially after someone vandalized their building last month. Graffiti read "forced birth is murder" and "not a clinic.”
“This is not right in our country, that people would want to destroy an institution that's helping women,” Bollig said. “I'm fearful for the anger that is exhibited towards us from people who disagree with who we are.”
Meanwhile, those who support the right to an abortion are disappointed with Friday's ruling.
“Myself and everyone at Whole Woman’s Health are very emotionally devastated today,” founder Amy Hagstrom Miller said. “Today, we had to call hundreds of our patients in Texas and cancel their appointments.”
Whole Woman's Health provides abortion services at its locations in McKinney and Fort Worth.
“Abortion has been restricted even further today in the state of Texas,” Hagstrom Miller said. “As of today, there are no abortions being provided in the state of Texas by Whole Woman’s Health clinics.”
Texans have been traveling to its out-of-state clinics for services, the organization said. And for those who want abortion pills by mail from Whole Woman’s Health, they’ll have to travel, too, Hagstrom Miller said.
“If a Texan leaves the state of Texas and goes to Illinois or Minnesota or New Mexico and has a telemedicine visit and can receive that medication at an address in that state, they will be able to receive medication abortion in that way,” Hagstrom Miller said.
“I can’t really tell you exactly what’s going to happen in the next weeks and months in Texas, but I can tell you that we won’t be able to provide abortion services with a law like this being knocked down at the Supreme Court level,” Hagstrom Miller said. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/health-clinics-abortion-debate-react-supreme-court-roe-v-wade-decision/287-ba2fdb15-0d70-454f-b7b9-5fe3196743ce | 2022-06-25T00:17:28 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/health-clinics-abortion-debate-react-supreme-court-roe-v-wade-decision/287-ba2fdb15-0d70-454f-b7b9-5fe3196743ce |
FORT WORTH, Texas — Religious leaders across North Texas are reacting to Friday's decision on Roe v. Wade.
"I am the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth," said Michael Olson.
In his statement about the high court's decision, Olson first addressed all priests, deacons, seminarians and other clergies throughout Fort Worth.
Olson shared his reaction when the decision came down.
"I paused a moment," said Olson. "Then I thanked God for the decision but also saw before us we really need to keep our focus on the conversion of hearts, for all of our hearts, that we have a greater appreciation for the gift of human life."
Still, Olson knows not everyone is happy with the Supreme Courts' actions and anticipates protests not only across the country like in the nation's capital, but also in Fort Worth.
"My counsel to them is that they have a responsibility to engage in a demonstration for the good of society, but they do so peacefully," said Olson.
Rev. Neil Thomas of Cathedral of Hope in Dallas disagrees with the court's opinion.
“This is a catastrophic day for America," said Thomas. "The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion, sets civil rights in our nation back at least three generations. All of us should be very, very afraid for the dark days ahead.”
The president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary realizes not everyone is on the same side, but says today’s ruling answers his prayers.
Dr. Adam Greenway was elected as the ninth president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in February 2019. He was the youngest person to be elected to the leadership position. He also released a statement.
"We can disagree agreeably," said Greenway. "So many of us had prayed for and hoped for but did not have the ability to expect but that our faith has become sight."
Just like Olson, Greenway also expects to see protests and prays they remain peaceful, especially in Fort Worth. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-religious-leaders-disagree-scotus-abortion-ruling/287-ae9da62f-46df-4b74-bbee-14f268acdb13 | 2022-06-25T00:17:29 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-religious-leaders-disagree-scotus-abortion-ruling/287-ae9da62f-46df-4b74-bbee-14f268acdb13 |
DALLAS — In Texas, overturning Roe vs. Wade will trigger a state law that says life begins at conception. That’s raising questions for fertility doctors who work with fertilized eggs to help their patients get pregnant.
“I would say today’s historic decision has understandably raised concerns among our patients undergoing fertility care,” said Dr. Kathy Doody with the Care Fertility Clinic.
In fertility care, doctors create embryos outside the womb. Some experts says Texas' "trigger law" may create uncertainty about what can and cannot be done with those embryos.
Professor Seema Mohapatra is an expert in health law and bioethics at Southern Methodist University (SMU).
“There is kind of a gray area for what a fertility doctor can do in terms of somebody that really wants to have a child. And it might actually reduce the chances that they can have the child that they really wanted because of these laws related to abortion,” she said.
Mohapatra anticipates the Supreme Court's decision could lead to new state laws that restrict fertility care by declaring that an embryo is a person and has rights.
“Now that the Supreme Court has kind of left the door open for states to legislate, I expect more states to go forward with personhood restrictions,” she said.
But, for now, Doody is projecting the message that it’s business as usual.
"As a physician I feel it’s important for us to reassure our patients, IVF remains legal in Texas unless a law is passed that specifically states otherwise," she said. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-fertility-clinics-impact-scotus-roe-v-wade-decision/287-a4a7552e-ef48-45a0-89ea-e491750ddd19 | 2022-06-25T00:17:35 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-fertility-clinics-impact-scotus-roe-v-wade-decision/287-a4a7552e-ef48-45a0-89ea-e491750ddd19 |
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Westley Hightower, 19, was sentenced to prison Friday as his adoptive mother and Larry Powell's widow, Carol Powell, cried from the opposite side of the courtroom. She cried for her husband who had been murdered and her son who had murdered him.
Hightower pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of Larry Powell last July and was sentenced Friday after a long-awaited court date.
Judge Dane Watkins Jr. gave a fixed sentence of 27 years, an indeterminate sentence of 40 years and a unified sentence of up to 67 years in prison. "The very last stages of life," Watkins said.
"His adversary was sitting right behind him with a gun; disguised as a family member who cared about him," Nicole McDonald, daughter of the victim, said during the sentencing hearing.
"Time and time again we have geared up mentally and emotionally for a court event only to have it delayed, we have had so many delays that we have lost count, it is a roller coaster from hell that I cannot adequately explain," McDonald said.
Two victim statements were given in the hearing, one from Powell's daughter, McDonald, and the second by his widowed wife, Carol Powell.
"I wish to advocate for the maximum possible sentence for the defendant," McDonald said.
"Most everything good in Westley's life was because of the two parents raising him. Westley could have chosen a life where he continued to be taken care of and supported in this way," McDonald said. "He could have chosen to be a good person. It didn't have to be this way."
Carol Powell struggled to get to the front of the courtroom, and while trying to give her statement was not able to speak for herself. She was unable to stop crying long enough to read her victim statement.
"I plead with the courts with a heavy heart and sorrow to please do not allow my son Westley to hurt or destroy another human being again," Carol Powell said through Laurie Yearsley, as Yearsley read the victim statement. "No one should have this happen to them."
Bonneville County Prosecuting Attorney Alayne Bean spoke of the "somewhat sympathetic" and mitigating factors and circumstances of Hightower, she reminded the court that they should keep first and foremost in mind who the victim in this case is.
Defense attorney Rocky Wixom pleaded with the court to "weight out my client's circumstances and his age."
Wixom painted a picture of the courtroom wherein Powell on the victim's side of the courtroom was full of those that loved and supported the victim. He then referred to Hightower's side of the courtroom.
"Mr. Powell appropriately has a number of amazing family that love him and cares about him and mourn him and are here for him," Wixom said. "I don't know of one person who is here for Mr. Hightower. His biological mother is not here. His biological father is not here. He does not have anyone here. His actions have left him virtually alone. He is all by himself." | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/westley-hightower-sentenced-to-prison-in-murder-of-stepfather/article_cd1d67e0-460e-5112-9e88-463691318f0a.html | 2022-06-25T00:18:01 | 1 | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/westley-hightower-sentenced-to-prison-in-murder-of-stepfather/article_cd1d67e0-460e-5112-9e88-463691318f0a.html |
SOUTH ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Farrah and Levi have been living at Griffin Pond Animal Shelter for quite some time, since December 2020. Rescue workers think they get overlooked because they are a bit timid, but they just adore these two and are hopeful they will find the perfect forever home.
"Farrah, her little paws are so stinking cute. Levi is just a doll. He is a very sweet boy," Mackenzie Davidson, Griffin Pond Animal Shelter, said.
Farrah is the girl, with the little white socks for paws. Levi is the boy. They are about 3 years old and were brought in together, and have been inseparable ever since.
"We don't know if from the same litter, but they are siblings in our terms where they're bonded," Davidson said.
Because of that, Farrah and Levi need to be adopted together. They get along with other cats, too, but they are definitely happiest when they are together.
"They keep each other company. They get each other very confident. They give each other the confidence they need when meeting new people. They comfort each other when they're scared. They sleep with each other, they cuddle together, they play together, so they're best friends," said Davidson.
Farrah and Levi take a little bit of time to warm up to new people. Rescue workers think it will take about a week for them to decompress in their new home if and when they get adopted. But they just know it will be worth it.
"A quiet home. They do get a little scared when there's a lot of chaos around so preferably a home with older children, if any children, no dogs, and other cats," Davidson said.
If you are interested in meeting Farrah and Levi you can find their adoption information by clicking on their names.
See more pets and animal stories on WNEP’s YouTube playlist. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/16-to-the-rescue-farrah-levi-griffin-pond-animal-shelter-pets-south-abington-cats/523-ea7fec5e-2c47-4c29-b4c6-5ed3a53090f7 | 2022-06-25T00:20:48 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/16-to-the-rescue-farrah-levi-griffin-pond-animal-shelter-pets-south-abington-cats/523-ea7fec5e-2c47-4c29-b4c6-5ed3a53090f7 |
MIDLAND, Texas —
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade Friday has left many people in the Permian Basin to wonder about the history of abortion access close to home.
The last Planned Parenthood in our area, located in Midland, shut down in 2013. They had operated in the city for 18 years, according to prior NewsWest 9 coverage.
The center in Odessa shut down the year before, in 2012.
Both clinics closed their doors after a move by former Texas governor Rick Perry that stripped medical providers of funds from a federal program.
That was after a new state law was passed that cut off federal funding to clinics that provided abortions. This also included those that didn’t provide abortions, but associated with groups that provided them.
That meant the closest clinic to offer abortion services was in Lubbock. The other closest centers are five to six hours away in El Paso, the Dallas-Fort Worth area and San Antonio.
Meanwhile, there are no abortion clinics nearby in Southeastern New Mexico, like Lea, Chaves or Eddy counties.
In the meantime, Planned Parenthood in Texas is suspending all abortion services for now so they can consult with their attorneys about the ruling and its wording.
However, they are still open for all other healthcare. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/history-of-abortion-access-in-the-permian-basin/513-f89b6f88-bd04-4978-ba41-37fc3cb9eb9b | 2022-06-25T00:23:36 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/history-of-abortion-access-in-the-permian-basin/513-f89b6f88-bd04-4978-ba41-37fc3cb9eb9b |
MIDLAND, Texas —
A suspicious package was found at Midland International Air and Space Port, according to a City of Midland spokesperson.
A reporter on scene says employees have been allowed back into the building after an evacuation that lasted about an hour and 45 minutes.
The airport started letting travelers back in at around 6:12 p.m. Lines are long as people move back inside and make their way through TSA.
According to a Midland Police Department Lieutenant, the suspicious package has been identified as misplaced luggage and returned to the owner, who was questioned by the FBI following the incident.
One flight from the 5 o'clock hour has been canceled and a few were delayed. Others appear to still be on time.
This is all the information we currently have on the situation. We will update this story as more details are made available. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/suspicious-package-found-at-maf/513-ac76f439-76a1-4a15-8b50-d5a6c7e34966 | 2022-06-25T00:23:42 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/suspicious-package-found-at-maf/513-ac76f439-76a1-4a15-8b50-d5a6c7e34966 |
TEXAS, USA — On Friday, the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in a 6-3 ruling.
For Nida Chambers, she was glad when she heard about the Supreme Court's decision this morning.
“I was pleased because as I said I don’t believe in it," Chambers said.
She also believes abortion rulings should be left up to states to decide.
"I agree that the state should make these decisions because we the people should make these decisions, not the government. With birth control, with all the options to keep you from getting pregnant then I suggest carrying it to term so that someone else can enjoy that baby," said Chambers.
However, not everyone was happy about this decision.
"This is extreme, this is very concerning," said Hannah Horick.
She is the Ector County Democratic Chair and she's disappointed.
"I think really I’m still in a little bit of shock. I wasn’t surprised by any stretch. Those of us who have been advocating for choice for a long time knew that this was probable or a guarantee, it was just really a matter of how far did the decision go," said Horick.
She said she's always advocated for abortion rights and understands those who aren't in agreement with today's decision.
"This has been an issue of real importance to me for a long time, I grew up in a household with a Planned Parenthood educator. I’ve always known about this fight but it’s been a big policy issue for me for a really long time," Horick said.
"There are so many people who believe that there are some elements of privacy and abortion access that should just be decided by a person and their doctor and if you’re someone who is concerned about what happened today you aren’t alone. There are a lot of people who are upset about this and they should be," she said.
With more steps ahead, she's still hopeful for the future.
"I think the second thought was next steps, and it depends on what we’re trying to accomplish, what they are but this doesn’t have to be the end," said Horick. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texans-respond-supreme-court-decision-overturn-roe-v-wade/513-7082f8ca-ee2c-4c51-89ca-1544e50382c1 | 2022-06-25T00:23:48 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texans-respond-supreme-court-decision-overturn-roe-v-wade/513-7082f8ca-ee2c-4c51-89ca-1544e50382c1 |
TEXAS, USA — This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune.
Abortions in Texas have ceased following a Supreme Court ruling that eliminated the constitutional protection for an abortion and ensuing legal uncertainty, Whole Woman's Health and Planned Parenthood Texas said.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, allowing states to set their own laws regulating abortion procedures. Texas has a “trigger” law in place that will ban all abortions from the moment of fertilization starting 30 days after the Supreme Court’s judgement, which is typically issued about a month after the initial opinion.
But some clinics and abortion funds are ceasing services now because the attorney general of Texas and some anti-abortion activists are arguing that state laws that banned abortion before Roe v. Wade — that were never repealed — could now be in effect in Texas.
“We must pause abortion services at our separate organizations while our legal teams continue to review today’s devastating ruling and how it impacts and triggers existing Texas laws, including total abortion bans,” said Jeffrey Hons, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas.
He said abortion services at Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast, Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas and Planned Parenthood South Texas have all ceased.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton issued an advisory Friday warning that some prosecutors could immediately pursue criminal prosecutions based on violations of Texas abortion prohibitions predating Roe v. Wade that the Legislature never repealed.
“Although these statutes were unenforceable while Roe was on the books, they are still Texas law,” Paxton wrote. “Under these pre-Roe statutes, abortion providers could be criminally liable for providing abortions starting today.”
As a result of the state’s pre-Roe status, providers and abortion funds have ceased operations in the legal confusion.
Whole Woman’s Health, the nation’s largest independent abortion provider, said it has temporarily halted abortion services in its four Texas clinics located in Austin, Fort Worth, McAllen and McKinney.
“We don’t agree with Paxton about the interpretation of the ban, but to protect our staff and patients from hostile officials in Texas, we have ceased providing abortion care today,” said Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health, in a press conference Friday.
Alamo Women’s Reproductive Health, which provides abortion services in San Antonio, has also stopped providing abortions Friday, said Andrea Gallegos, the clinic’s executive director.
Abortion funds, too, have paused operations amid the threat of legal action in Texas. The Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity, an abortion fund that provides financial assistance to people seeking abortions, and the Texas Equal Access Fund both said they have stopped funding abortions in Texas due to the state’s pre-Roe status.
“Due to the uncertainty and risk of what the decision could bring, we are pausing funding today until we have had a chance to understand the decision,” the Texas Equal Access Fund wrote on Twitter.
Texas first enacted a criminal ban on abortion in 1854. That ban was never repealed, but a 2004 case in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found that by passing laws that govern abortions — such as the availability of abortions for minors and the practices of abortion clinics — the Texas Legislature repealed its old bans by regulations that implied the ban was no longer in effect.
Still, Jonathan Mitchell, a former solicitor general for Texas and the architect of Senate Bill 8, which banned abortions in Texas as early as six weeks, argued that the pre-Roe statute is immediately enforceable in Texas except procedures necessary to save the life of the patient.
Previously, prosecutors did not pursue charges against patients or providers under Texas’ laws because courts would not uphold convictions under Roe, he said. Now, “no such obstacle exists anymore because Roe has been overruled,” he said in a statement.
The Lilith Fund said that because anti-abortion activists are arguing that the laws predating Roe v. Wade could go back into effect, they ceased operations to protect abortion fund staff and volunteers from the risk of arrest even while legal analysis “is still in the early stages.”
“Lilith Fund has been forced to pause direct funding of abortion care while we evaluate the impact of the recent decision by the U.S. Supreme court,” a statement from the Lilith Fund said. “We are evaluating how we may be able to otherwise assist pregnant Texans, but do not yet have answers.”
Emily Berman, an associate professor at the University of Houston Law Center, said it's unclear whether the old bans would be upheld in court.
"We are in a gray area with respect to what are sometimes called zombie laws, the pre-Roe holdovers," Berman said. "In some ways, it’s sort of going to be up to local prosecutors to decide if they want to bring cases."
She said that while prosecutors could decide to wade into such a legal battle, if they simply wait for Texas' "trigger" law to take effect, their cases will be on more solid footing.
Texas’ “trigger” law won’t go into effect until 30 days after the Supreme Court’s judgment, which could take about a month to be published. Texas’ law will have narrow exceptions to perform abortions only to save the life of a pregnant patient or prevent “substantial impairment of major bodily function.” It will criminalize the person who performs the abortion, not the person who undergoes the procedure.
More than half of all states are expected to essentially ban abortion in the coming months.
Some clinics in neighboring states have also said they have paused abortion services Friday. Planned Parenthood Great Plains said Friday that it has stopped providing abortions in Arkansas. Planned Parenthood in Texas said their “doors are open and they will remain open to serve Texans” but has not said whether the organization is providing abortion procedures in Texas Friday.
In Texas and other states where abortion procedures will no longer be legally protected, Whole Woman’s Health said it will continue to operate a program that provides financial assistance to patients who need to travel for out-of-state care.
“We will do everything we can to help obtain safe, timely, affordable care for those whose rights and access to safe and legal abortion services have been cruelly and unjustly revoked,” Miller said in a statement.
The provider, which largely serves the South and Midwest, said it will continue to operate clinics in Baltimore; Minneapolis; Alexandria, Virginia; and Charlottesville, Virginia. It will also offer abortion pills by mail to patients in Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico and Virginia.
“Whole Woman’s Health will continue its long and proud tradition of providing high-quality, compassionate, personal abortion care in the remaining states where pregnant people’s needs and rights are still respected and protected under law,” said Amy Hagstrom Miller, president and CEO of Whole Woman’s Health in a statement.
The abortion provider said it is “exploring plans” to expand in-clinic and mail services in additional states where abortion is legally protected.
James Barragán contributed reporting. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/some-texas-clinics-cease-abortion-services/503-e8e34d5d-81c0-4dd2-b202-82077a098700 | 2022-06-25T00:23:54 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/texas/some-texas-clinics-cease-abortion-services/503-e8e34d5d-81c0-4dd2-b202-82077a098700 |
Police investigating fatal fight on Tucson's east side
A Tucson man died at a hospital on Thursday after engaging in a physical confrontation with a group of men, according to Tucson police.
The man was identified by officials as Christopher Hart, 37.
The Tucson Police Department said officers working off-duty were advised of an assault taking place in a parking lot near 22nd Street and Kolb Road just after 4 p.m. on Wednesday.
Officers found Hart with "obvious signs of blunt force trauma," police said. Tucson firefighters responded and took Hart to a hospital where he died a day later, police said.
Detectives later found out Hart and a friend had been arguing with a group of men. Shortly after the argument started, more men arrived and physically assaulted Hart and his friend, police said.
Hart's friend did not have life-threatening injuries, officials said.
The suspects fled before officers arrived, police said.
Police asked anyone with information to call 911 or 88-CRIME. No further details were available.
Reach breaking news reporter Laura Daniella Sepulveda at lsepulveda@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @lauradNews.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/06/24/man-dies-after-fight-tucson-east-side/7728260001/ | 2022-06-25T00:27:35 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/06/24/man-dies-after-fight-tucson-east-side/7728260001/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — All three are deeply committed to issues surrounding pregnancy or abortion, but Stephanie Adkins and Dan Pohlgeers spent Friday thankful for the Supreme Court’s Roe v Wade ruling, while Maggie Wood spent the day worried about its implications.
“It was a lot relief and joy,” Adkins, a member of the national anti-abortion group 40 Days for Life, told News Channel 11 Friday.
“We’ve been praying for this decision for a very long time and so we’re just overjoyed that more lives are going to be saved.”
In fact, prayer is at the center of 40 Days for Life’s mission. The international non-profit founded in 2004 uses a coordinated 40-day campaign that its website says aim “to end abortion locally through prayer and fasting, community outreach, and a peaceful all-day vigil in front of abortion businesses.”
Adkins said the local group prayed in front of the region’s sole abortion provider in Bristol, Tenn.
Wood, on the other hand, said her organization’s work will become even more important in the wake of the court decision. The executive director of the Tri-Cities chapter of “A Step Ahead” said her non-profit works to help prevent unintended pregnancies, primarily through removing barriers to long-acting, reversible contraceptives.
While A Step Ahead doesn’t have an official stance on abortion, Wood favors abortion rights.
“Prevention becomes of the utmost importance, even moreso when you have other tools and opportunities taken away from you,” Wood said.
“If you’re taking away an option you really have to emphasize and focus on expanding other options, because there’s always going to be someone in our community who’s going to need pregnancy prevention resources,” she said.
Wood called the pending bans of abortion in Tennessee and many other states “terrifying,” saying that’s one less “line of defense” in helping families plan pregnancies. “We all know what planned pregnancies do, which is help communities be healthier,” she said.
Adkins said she hopes the ruling’s aftermath will bring people together if, as she seemed to expect, more unintended pregnancies are brought to term.
“I hope that we can work together to provide for the babies that are going to be saved now, that we can come together to support the mothers that are now going to have children and that we can heal,” Adkins said. “Heal from all the bloodshed.”
She said her belief that life begins at conception and that every life has value are the driving forces behind her volunteerism with 40 Days for Life, but that the issue is more deeply personal for her and her husband.
“I have two kids that I adopted out of foster care and it’s because their biological moms chose not to have abortions that I have kids.”
The issue has been personal for Dan Pohlgeers, the chairman of Tennesseans for Life, practically since Roe became law almost 50 years ago.
“My mother back in 1973 was a charter member of Northern Kentucky-Greater Cincinnati Right to Life,” Pohlgeers said of an anti-abortion group that arose in the wake of the Roe decision.
“I was always brought up that the most vulnerable people in our society need to be protected and I think that that is extended to pre-born children,” he said.
Pohlgeers said his mother, who died two years ago, had yearned to see Roe v Wade overturned in her lifetime. “I feel very fortunate that I’m able to see that occur.”
Tennesseans for Life assists in fundraising for local pregnancy help centers, primarily through an annual fundraiser. Pohlgeers said he also worked on the “Yes on Amendment 1” group that advocated for an amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that clarified that abortion was not a constitutionally protected right in the state.
That amendment passed by a margin of 53% to 47% in a statewide referendum in 2014.
“I’m certainly pleased to hear that the Supreme Court of the United States has made basically the same decision on Roe v Wade,” Pohlgeers said. “It has by no means banned abortion but what it has done is said abortion is not a protected right under the US Constitution.”
Concern, hope about what comes next
While overturning Roe doesn’t ban abortion, Adkins said she would like to see a total ban. That would require some type of federal action that prohibited states from making their own decisions on abortion rights, as a number of Democratic-led states seem firm in their support for a woman’s right to get an abortion.
“There are now going to be states that are abortion centers,” Adkins said. “People are going to go wherever they can to get abortions. So abortion is not ended in the United States, but we’re just going to have to fight even harder to get that done.”
For her part, Wood said she anticipates the possibility of further judicial or legislative limits being placed not just on abortion rights but closer to where A Step Ahead works for change. She cited Justice Clarence Thomas’s public call in his separate opinion Friday for overturning previously SCOTUS-affirmed Constitutional rights to contraceptives and LGBTQ rights.
Thomas cited the Griswold, Lawrence and Obergefell cases, which established rights to contraceptives (Griswold), consensual gay sex (Lawrence) and same-sex marriage (Obergefell).
“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” Thomas wrote in his separate opinion concurring with the Roe reversal.
“I think that was one thing that a lot of people were really scared about regarding Roe v Wade was, if that falls, if that’s overturned, what’s next, because … there’s a lot of things that start to feel unstable and unsafe like same sex marriage and access to contraception for people who are unmarried,” Wood said.
She said she hoped the other Supreme Court justices weren’t in the same “head space” as Thomas, but said his statement alone makes her believe that concern about further changes isn’t alarmist.
“Something like that which our generation takes for granted which my mom’s generation didn’t, you see something like that start to roll back and it gets really scary really quickly,” Wood said.
Like Adkins, Pohlgeers mentioned a hope that the decision unites rather than divides people.
“I hope that this decision doesn’t result in violence,” he said. “I really hope this decision brings people together.
“This certainly is not going to change unwanted pregnancies, but I hope that now everyone can come together and help those people in need and help them to understand that all life is precious – even the life of unborn children.”
Wood said she’ll try to look “five to 10 steps ahead to see what’s coming and hope for the best and plan for the worst.”
She said she’ll advocate hard to maintain people’s access to birth-control methods that she said come with a host of safeguards from FDA approval to physician prescriptions and are safe and effective.
“At some point we have to trust the doctors to be the ones advising on these really important decisions.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/deeply-committed-different-sides-area-residents-speak-out-on-roe-ruling/ | 2022-06-25T00:39:00 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/deeply-committed-different-sides-area-residents-speak-out-on-roe-ruling/ |
SAN ANTONIO — In a historic ruling Friday, the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that established a constitutional right to an abortion in 1973. Now, the right to abortion is up to the states, as is accessibility.
In 2021, the Texas Legislature passed a trigger law, which would make abortions illegal 30 if and when Roe v. Wade was overturned. Jon Taylor, a political science professor at UTSA, said it is highly unlikely anything could be done to injunct or slow down the trigger law.
"It criminalizes the activity of the patient, it criminalizes the activity of the doctor performing the abortion," Taylor said. "They’re felony offenses—we’re talking state prison time, several years, we’re talking about the doctor’s license (potentially being revoked), a variety of things."
On Friday, Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement that said, in part, "Texas is a pro-life state, and we have taken significant action to protect the sanctity of life. Texas has also prioritized supporting women's healthcare and expectant mothers in need to give them the necessary resources so that they can choose life for their child."
For the last nine months, Texas limited abortion access to after six weeks, under the controversial Senate Bill 8.
Taylor said SB 8 could also affect minors under the age of 18 from traveling across state lines to receive an abortion if the trigger law goes into effect.
"To me it’s a bit problematic to try to prove, say, you’re in El Paso to cross the border to New Mexico to get an abortion. It’s like chasing someone for fireworks in Bexar County; can you actually prove it?" Taylor added.
In the draft opinion leaked in May, Taylor said it could be argued that notes from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas point to other rights potentially being at risk.
"If right to privacy doesn’t exist for abortion, how can it exist for marriage equality? How can it exist for contraception? How can it exist for a variety of personal decisions?" he said. "That’s where I think we’re headed potentially next."
Taylor called the Supreme Court's ruling a "seminal" decision that will have long-lasting impacts on American politics for decades to come. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/utsa-political-science-professor-breaks-down-impacts-of-supreme-courts-roe-v-wade-decision/273-c8d0cd39-32e2-4be9-98ef-2f352076faff | 2022-06-25T00:40:20 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/utsa-political-science-professor-breaks-down-impacts-of-supreme-courts-roe-v-wade-decision/273-c8d0cd39-32e2-4be9-98ef-2f352076faff |
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Photos: Demonstrations in Arizona after Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade
11 PHOTOS | https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/arizona/2022/06/24/photos-protests-arizona-us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade/7726166001/ | 2022-06-25T00:44:59 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/arizona/2022/06/24/photos-protests-arizona-us-supreme-court-overturns-roe-v-wade/7726166001/ |
Reaction came swiftly in Central Illinois on Friday to the news that the U.S. Supreme Court had overturned the constitutional right to abortion, with abortion opponents celebrating a long-pursued victory while advocates vowed not to be silent.
“We are not surprised, but we are angry,” said Jill Blair, who organized a protest at the McLean County Museum of History. “And we're not going to back down.”
Over 100 people attended the demonstration at noon Friday, hours after the ruling was announced. Some held up homemade signs; several grew emotional as they addressed the gathered crowd, with some expressing concern about what decisions might lie in the high court’s future.
“All of our liberties are tied together,” Luisa Gomez told the protesters at the museum. “That means same-sex marriage is on the table. That means the Civil Rights Act is on the table. That means everything is on the table, and until we really look inside and at our neighbors and recognize that we are all tied together, we will continue to be oppressed, suppressed, marginalized, by 1% of our population. And I’m not going down by 1%.”
For some abortion opponents, too, the day was an emotional one. This decision comes as part of a decades-long effort by activists and conservatives.
“As a person who supports pro-life, there’s still a lot ahead, but this is an encouraging first step,” said Connie Beard, chairman of the McLean County Republican Party.
While abortion access has been codified in Illinois and Gov. J.B. Pritzker has initiated plans to expand access, Beard said she hopes that even in Illinois action will be taken “to end unrestricted abortion for the sake of the innocent children whose lives are being lost.”
‘Pretty disturbing’
Carol Koos, president of the Central Illinois chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, said she found the ruling “pretty disturbing.”
Speaking on a personal level and not for the ACLU, she recalled the days before effective contraception was available and abortion was legal. When that situation changed — in part because of the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v. Wade — Koos said it “was just amazing.”
As a child of the 1950s, she remembered how women were shamed for becoming pregnant outside of marriage — and also punished. Koos said they were sent away, often to a women’s home, and referred to as “a woman of ill repute.” If they did become pregnant while married, she said, they’d have to quit their jobs.
Today, Koos said, the government is doing very little to help people have children.
“Daycare is exorbitantly expensive,” she said, and American family leave policies are “horrendous,” in contrast with some enforced in some other countries.
Koos encouraged anyone in support of abortion rights not to give up, to attend rallies and speak to their congressional representatives. You’re never too small to make a difference, she said, and if you think you are: “Have you ever tried to go to sleep with a mosquito in the room? Be that mosquito that keeps them awake at night.”
Blair, the protest organizer, said she tells people to “vote like your life depends on it, because it might.” To her, Roe v. Wade meant a right to her own bodily autonomy.
“It means the right to make decisions about my health care,” Blair said. “That should be private, between myself, my husband if I decided to include him, my partner, family and doctor — not the government.”
‘Taking an innocent life’
Beard said she echoes many Republicans’ appreciation for the Supreme Court decision giving individual states the power to determine the legality of abortion access.
“I believe personally, as well as I think the vast majority of Republicans believe, it is the right decision to make,” she said. “The power of the state to determine certain parts of our society structure should be maintained and controlled, and I think the Supreme Court decision returns that back to the states and rightfully so.”
Beard said she is hopeful the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is “leading us down a path of acknowledging that unrestricted abortion is not the right path for a society to take.”
She said with this ruling, the Republican Party hopes to start making progress toward “a more reasoned, better approach for how we deal with the needs of mother, which understandably the mother is experiencing great need in making this action, taking this step. Trying to develop ways to answer that need, I think, will be a big step to helping eventually eliminate the need for abortion. That would be my personal goal, that we can find a way in our community, in our society to eliminate the need for abortion because it’s taking a life. That has to be something we value. That should not be taking place; it’s taking an innocent life.”
During past trips to the annual March for Life held in Washington, D.C., Central Catholic students have demonstrated against abortion. However, Central Catholic spokesman Scott Vogel on Friday declined to speak about the ruling, instead pointing to Bishop Louis Tylka’s statement from the Diocese of Peoria.
Tylka said Friday’s ruling is not the “last word” in this matter but it is a significant moment in the effort to work toward a “greater respect for life,” especially the lives of unborn children.
“From the very beginning, the Church has clearly proclaimed the sanctity of human life — from conception until natural death,” Tylka said. “As Catholics and as Americans, we must continue to be a voice that defends life — in all its stages and from all its threats — so that we can truly build a culture of life in our country and in the world.”
Tylka also added that all people should support efforts that offer material, emotional, and spiritual support to families and to women with unplanned pregnancies, as well as the efforts to offer ongoing support and care for children.
‘It’s real’
Patrick Cortesi, chair of the McLean County Democrats, said he was thankful to live in Illinois, “a state where we are able to protect women and their rights.”
He said he imagines more people will come to Illinois for reproductive care in the future.
“A situation like this shows the importance of voting Democrat,” Cortesi said.
He warned that Republicans would try to restrict Illinoisans’ access to reproductive care. “The first thing they would do is overturn any protections we’ve had in place.”
At Friday’s rally, Kathy Todt held up a protest sign stating: “Freedom! Equality! Choice!”
“I don't know what we're gonna do about this, but it's pretty bad,” she said.
Todt said it’s frightening to think that after 50 years, the country is returning to a time without Roe v. Wade.
To her, the landmark ruling had meant that a woman in a situation where she doesn't feel she can have a child, she would have resources to help with that decision to end that pregnancy.
Her husband, Franz Todt, noted it’s a fundamental freedom and there are others in the crosshairs.
“We’ve watched this for 40 years in a slow evolution, but now it’s happening,” Frank Todt said.
“It’s real,” his wife agreed.
Brendan Denison, Mateusz Janik, Jack Alkire and Kelsey Watznauer contributed reporting.
A look at 50 years of Supreme Court abortion decisions
1973
1976
1986
1989
1992
2000
2007
2016
2020
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2022
Hot off the Wire bonus episode: Supreme Court hands down rulings in abortion, gun cases
Contact Brendan Denison at (309) 820-3238. Follow Brendan Denison on Twitter: @BrendanDenison | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-central-illinois-reaction-swift-to-roe-decision/article_c42d4710-f3f7-11ec-a5f9-8f893af21c3d.html | 2022-06-25T00:48:41 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-central-illinois-reaction-swift-to-roe-decision/article_c42d4710-f3f7-11ec-a5f9-8f893af21c3d.html |
SARASOTA, Fla. — As cases of gun violence continue to rise nationwide, local law enforcement is trying to stay prepared. Southside Elementary School became a training ground for officers from the Sarasota Police Department.
The training is part of their annual SNAP Evaluation of Active Shooter Tactics. The exercise is all in the spirit of safety and being prepared for a real-life encounter with an active shooter. The officers are presented with different active shooter scenarios and have to determine how to respond, what they would need to do once on scene and to do so with speed and precision.
The key goals for the officers include neutralizing the target as quickly as possible and getting people to safety.
"If you are a police officer in the United States, in 2022, if you're not prepared you might be in the wrong profession," Captain Kenneth Rainey of Sarasota Police Department said.
"If you're a police officer in the United States of America, you don't need to be thinking like 'oh my goodness, I hope this never happens to me.' You need to be thinking 'when this does happen, this is what I will do,'" Rainey said.
Mass shootings have continued to dominate headlines across the country. There have been more than 270 mass shootings so far in 2022 according to the non-profit research group, Gun Violence Archive, which collects data and maps out incidents of gun violence in the country.
A May mass shooting incident in Uvalde,Texas, saw an accused 18-year-old gunman shoot and kill 19 elementary school children and 2 teachers. That shooting was recorded as the 27th school shooting in the country for the year. Active shooter drills and training like the one being conducted by the Sarasota Police department and other law enforcement agencies have come under the microscope and taken a new meaning after law enforcement in Uvalde came under fire for not storming into the school to stop the shooter.
"I think of Parkland, I think of really Columbine," Rainey said. "Multiple, multiple agencies, every agency in the area is going to come to an incident such as this so we need to be able to get that exposure."
These exercises were a surprise to officers who were called into the mock scene not long after they started their shift for the day. The officers were assessed on their collective performance as a responding team and their preparedness. At the end of each scenario, the officers got a debrief about the school layout and the Sarasota School Districts' response guide for an actual situation.
"They get dispatched from the road and come in and respond with the scenario we present them and we evaluate to make sure that our training and philosophies align with what's appropriate and responsiveness and such as this," he said.
"It's the priority of life that is above all else and the thought of not responding shouldn't enter your mind," Rainey said.
The training will continue over several days at the school which is closed for summer break.
Police have advised that residents not be concerned over the heavy police activity around Webber Street and Tamiami Trail because it is part of the training exercises. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/sarasota-police-active-shooter-training-exercise/67-61b8013c-9e6d-4ed7-b502-d581d19e1b82 | 2022-06-25T00:50:20 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/sarasotacounty/sarasota-police-active-shooter-training-exercise/67-61b8013c-9e6d-4ed7-b502-d581d19e1b82 |
SPRINGDALE, Ark. — For the last 25 years, the Children’s Safety Center of Washington County has called Emma Avenue, in Springdale, home. On Friday, they broke ground on the land that will be home to the brand new J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Children’s Safety Center of Washington County off Gene George Boulevard.
Community and state leaders were on hand for the ceremony talking about the growing importance and need for the organization to move and expand.
“We know we’re out of space,” said Arkansas First Lady, Susan Hutchinson.
In all of 2021, the Children’s Safety Center of Washington County provided services to more than 630 children. This year alone, that number has jumped to nearly 815 kids.
“The Children’s Safety Center has increased the number 29% in one year’s time,” says Hutchinson. “It’s sad that there’s so many that need us. It’s sadder still if we don’t get to them.”
However, through generous donations and fundraising, nearly $12 million of the needed $15 million has been raised so far – helping the organization move forward with the project.
“We have seen an increase in the number of children that we are helping every year, and so, our next step is more space,” said Elizabeth Shackelford, the executive director for the Children’s Safety Center of Washington County.
More space is exactly what the organization will get.
The new facility will be more than 15,000 square feet, which is three times the size of the current location. It will also include a specialized therapeutic playground, the first in the area. Other features include soundproof interview rooms for law enforcement, medical suites, improved security, and dedicated training and technology spaces.
With the future move, Children’s Safety Center Development Director Emily Rappe’ Fisher wants people to know the mission remains the same. She told 5NEWS that the facility will continue to be a central location housing some of their most critical programs. Volunteers and staff will have more space to continue to advocate for alleged child abuse victims, dedicated rooms for forensic interviews and medical exams, therapy sessions, and more opportunities for education and prevention programs.
Springdale Mayor, Doug Sprouse was also in attendance and is excited for the future facility saying, “We’ll see the results. We’ll see it as soon as this building is full and again, it’s not the building that make the difference, it’s what goes on inside the building.”
Once the construction and move are complete, the Children’s Safety Center will be looking for more volunteers. Anyone interested in helping is encouraged to reach out for ways to get involved.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/childrens-safety-center-washington-county-new-home/527-20cc2373-4cd7-4bdf-a5eb-6fad9c29fdd6 | 2022-06-25T00:51:42 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/childrens-safety-center-washington-county-new-home/527-20cc2373-4cd7-4bdf-a5eb-6fad9c29fdd6 |
The Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame inducted Bishop T.D. Jakes of The Potter's House this month.
"Yes, he is a faith leader and runs one of the megachurches in this city," T.D. Jakes Foundation President and CEO Hattie Hill said. "But outside of the church walls he actually has a lot more impact."
In 2020 Jakes started the T.D. Jakes Foundation STEAM Academy in partnership with the Dallas Mavericks to expose students to careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math.
"His vision," Hill said, "Young people cannot be what they can't see."
The Foundation held a STEAM camp in June that was in-person for the first time.
Students from across North Texas and from 8 different countries participated.
Jake's church, The Potter's House, also has a mentorship program called Boys to Mend. The idea behind it is similar; to provide boys with examples and opportunities.
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"Helped me to evolving into becoming a man. I don't have my dad in the house right now, so it just really helps step into that position and fill it," 14-year-old Rashad Clark said. "You really want to know what you can be in life and what your purpose is and God called you to be in it, you would come."
"Boys to Mend has helped cultivate the gift that God has already put inside of him," Clark's mom Fareedah James said.
Clark said he wants to be an architect one day.
"To give opportunity to one child in a family can change the trajectory of that family for years to come," Hill said. "And that's the vision of our chairman, T.D. Jakes."
Among the other inductees in this year's class of the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame; Prince, Run DMC, Steve Harvey, and Angela Bassett | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/bishop-t-d-jakes-honored-by-black-music-and-entertainment-walk-of-fame/3000108/ | 2022-06-25T00:51:43 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/bishop-t-d-jakes-honored-by-black-music-and-entertainment-walk-of-fame/3000108/ |
DALLAS — Following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Dallas County district attorney has released a statement saying he won't prosecute women who are seeking abortions.
The Supreme Court overturned the landmark ruling on Friday, paving the way for states to make their own decisions on how to handle abortions.
The impact in Texas could already be seen after it was one of 13 states that already passed a "trigger law," which would enforce all abortion-related legislation that has been passed since Roe v. Wade's decision in 1973. The "trigger law" is expected to go into effect 30 days after the Supreme Court issues a judgment on the case. The Court issued its opinion on Roe v. Wade on Friday.
Immediately after that landmark overturning on Friday, however, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said prosecutors could immediately pursue criminal prosecutions based on violations of Texas abortion prohibitions predating Roe v. Wade, which the Legislature never repealed.
On Friday afternoon, Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot released a statement in response to the SCOTUS decision about how his office will handle abortion cases.
"I want women across Texas, and especially here in Dallas County, to rest assured that my office will not stand in the way of them seeking the health care they need," Creuzot said.
"Bans on abortion disproportionately impact the poor, women of color and other vulnerable populations and endanger public safety," he added.
Texas currently bans abortions after six weeks with no exceptions for rape or incest. This was part of Senate Bill 8, which was passed in 2021. The law also allows a person to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion for up to $10,000.
Under the current law, a prosecutor could file charges against an abortion provider, but it's considered a misdemeanor.
When the "trigger law" goes into effect, providers can be criminally prosecuted with a first-degree felony, with at least a $100,000 fine and risk of losing licenses. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/dallas-county-da-says-wont-prosecute-women-seeking-abortions/287-7d2c22fd-7ce9-4871-a213-0454f458bd16 | 2022-06-25T00:51:48 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/dallas-county-da-says-wont-prosecute-women-seeking-abortions/287-7d2c22fd-7ce9-4871-a213-0454f458bd16 |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/bishop-t-d-jakes-honored-with-black-music-and-entertainment-walk-of-fame-induction/3000269/ | 2022-06-25T00:51:49 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/bishop-t-d-jakes-honored-with-black-music-and-entertainment-walk-of-fame-induction/3000269/ |
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Sen. Melissa Wintrow speaks out as Idaho Democrats react to the reversal of Roe v. Wade during a rally at the Idaho State Capitol, Friday, June 24, 2022.
The U.S. Supreme Court's controversial abortion decision Friday, combined with Idaho laws, will greatly impact women in the Gem State, where birth control is not easy to access.
Currently, birth control prescriptions remain at three-month maximums.
Four years in a row, the Idaho Legislature has killed a bill that would make it easier to get contraception. Those killed bills ranged from six-month prescription caps to 12-month prescriptions, and the most recent iteration did not include access to emergency contraception like Plan B.
“This bill has a chastity belt on it,” Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said earlier this year about her bill. “If the House members want to prevent abortion, this is the No. 1 way to do it. What this is about is men controlling women’s bodies once again.”
The Treasure Valley is a contraceptive desert, according to the nonprofit Power to Decide. Ada and Canyon counties have closer to one full-range clinic per 5,000 women, but ideally there would be one per 1,000 women.
Wintrow, speaking Friday on the Supreme Court's decision, said she's furious at the changes to women's reproductive rights that will soon happen in Idaho. But she's not surprised at the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Considering the makeup of the Idaho Legislature, if any lawmaker puts forth legislation to prohibit certain forms of birth control, it will go through, Wintrow predicted.
The Idaho Legislature is heavily comprised of Republicans.
"The importance of contraception, we have to have the ability to choose when and if we have a baby," Wintrow said. "That's a fundamental right."
When Wintrow's bill was voted down, lawmakers in opposition expressed concerns about taking away freedom by forcing insurance companies to cover more, among other issues.
“I can’t imagine that the pro-life groups are in favor of this bill,” Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, said.
Backers of making contraception more widely available in Idaho say that's the key to reducing abortions, by reducing the number of unintended pregnancies.
“Legislators say time and time again that they want to decrease the number of abortions in our state,” ACLU of Idaho Policy Strategist Lauren Bramwell previously told the Idaho Press. “But when measures are introduced that would decrease the number of unintended pregnancies, those measures fail.”
Carolyn Komatsoulis covers Boise, Meridian and Ada County. Contact her at 208-465-8107 and follow her on Twitter @CKomatsoulis. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/after-supreme-court-abortion-decision-idahoans-are-left-with-few-family-planning-options/article_929c5b3d-8aca-5145-99e8-e5d96b42fe24.html | 2022-06-25T00:55:00 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/after-supreme-court-abortion-decision-idahoans-are-left-with-few-family-planning-options/article_929c5b3d-8aca-5145-99e8-e5d96b42fe24.html |
BOISE — The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade Friday, meaning that 30 days after the judgment is entered, a trigger law banning most abortions in Idaho will kick in.
Democratic and Republican leaders in Idaho struck drastically different tones Friday after the court released its decision, with Democrats expressing sadness and anger and Republicans welcoming a decision they had long awaited.
The 6-3 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization was expected after a draft leaked earlier this spring. Idaho has a trigger law banning most abortions; it will take effect 30 days after the Supreme Court opinion is formalized through a final judgment.
“I’m extremely pleased with the Supreme Court’s decision,” said Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, who chairs the House State Affairs Committee. “In my opinion, the work on abortion legislation is just going to begin because states are now going to decide what that policy looks like for their state.”
Crane said that's what Idaho lawmakers will do. They'll seek to craft policies in line with Idahoans' values.
Idaho's "trigger law" makes performing an abortion a felony, with only narrow exceptions to save the life of the mother or for cases of rape or incest documented with a police report provided to the doctor.
Asked if there’s a chance Idaho could see legislation modifying that law, Crane said those kinds of conversations and decisions are what will take place. However, he said he will not deal with legislation that restricts a woman’s right to travel. Crane added he would not outlaw birth control, including IUDs.
“That’s a decision that a woman has to make. My wife and I, we made that decision,” Crane said. “Now the states are going to wrestle with this.”
The Idaho Legislature this year passed a Texas-style anti-abortion law allowing relatives of a fetus aborted after roughly six weeks of gestation to sue the doctor for $20,000 minimum damages; the law is currently on hold pending a court challenge, with arguments at the Idaho Supreme Court set for early August.
Crane said Idaho will probably end up with an anti-abortion policy, but he said there will be legislative debates and citizens are welcome to come down to the capitol and engage.
On Friday, the third floor rotunda of the Capitol was filled with 150 people attending an Idaho Democrats press conference. Attendees carried signs with messages like “I wish my uterus shot bullets, so the govt. wouldn’t regulate it” and “Just say no! To sex w/ Republicans.”
Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor Terri Pickens Manweiler said it was a “somber” day. The decision turned back the clock 50 years, Pickens Manweiler said.
“The U.S. Supreme Court decision to revoke a woman’s right to medical choices, in this case to choose to have an abortion, erodes the freedom of every Idahoan,” Pickens Manweiler said. “... My daughter has less freedom growing up here than I did.”
Pickens Manweiler, like many others, echoed concerns of a ripple effect from the Supreme Court decision.
Roe v. Wade relied on a legal doctrine that also applies in court rulings that legalized the right to birth control, same-sex intimacy and same-sex marriage, NBC News reported.
Justice Clarence Thomas in a concurring opinion wrote explicitly that the court should overrule those decisions, according to NBC News.
“Where will it stop?” Pickens Manweiler said. “The time is now for every single Idahoan to stand up and say enough is enough. Our freedoms are not at your disposal. I have a message to the Idaho GOP supermajority. … We won’t go back.”
The attendees applauded enthusiastically after her message.
In complete contrast, Republican leaders across the state welcomed the decision.
Gov. Brad Little said the decision was “long awaited” and will "defend the defenseless – preborn babies who deserve protection."
“We must confront what (we) know will be growing needs for women and families in the months and years ahead,” Little added in a statement. “We absolutely must come together like never before to support women and teens facing unexpected or unwanted pregnancies.”
Both Idaho Republican Party Chair Tom Luna and Sen. Jim Risch referred to Roe v. Wade as wrongly decided or flawed.
“The Idaho Republican Party unequivocally stands for life,” Luna said in a statement.
For those who have abortion appointments, Planned Parenthood said it would continue providing abortions for the next 30 days, according to Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman, Idaho state director of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates.
Recently, Planned Parenthood closed its Boise clinic and has leased space in Ontario, Oregon, as it shifts resources toward helping women who need to travel out of state for abortions. The Meridian location will remain open.
“We’ve been preparing for this moment for months,” DelliCarpini-Tolman said.
Idaho Press reporter Betsy Z. Russell contributed to this report. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/republican-and-democrat-officials-divided-over-supreme-court-abortion-decision/article_17d56ee6-8040-5a48-95a8-5b26883555f9.html | 2022-06-25T00:55:06 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/republican-and-democrat-officials-divided-over-supreme-court-abortion-decision/article_17d56ee6-8040-5a48-95a8-5b26883555f9.html |
EVERETT, Wash. — Half a century after a woman's right to an abortion was guaranteed in the Constitution, the United States Supreme Court struck it down on Friday.
"It's kind of a surreal sense," said Pastor Daniel Parks. "It's amazing that it actually happened, but it wasn't the Supreme Court. It was the work of God."
Parks flew to Washington from North Carolina to organize churches here in his battle against abortion. He held a prayer vigil with about two dozen pastors and church-goers outside the Everett Planned Parenthood clinic.
"Every human being is precious to the Lord and should be precious to us as a society," he told them.
Parks is part of an anti-abortion group called Love Life.
Friday, they prayed for the women, workers and fetuses inside the clinic.
He said the church needs to do a better job of supporting women seeking abortions, and hold men more accountable for their part in pregnancies.
He also compared what happens in abortion clinics to school shootings.
"If we knew where a school shooting was going to happen tomorrow, wouldn't we be there?" he asked. "I'm just kind of equating when we see human lives that have been destroyed we should grieve over that. These are all human beings made in the image of God that are dying. We need to speak out and do something."
It didn't take long for the group's presence to attract opponents. Some drove by and hurled obscenities. One man parked his car in the middle of the road to debate one of the pastors on hand, peppering him with questions.
"They just want to live their lives," he said. "Whose right is it for you to come in somebody's bedroom? Would you feel alright with somebody telling your daughter that she had to raise a child that you put into her as her father who is supposed to protect her that she now has to carry to full term, or even raise?"
But the members remained resolute, praying that women on their way to the clinic would experience the "supernatural" and "get a phone call or see a billboard" that would change their minds about the procedure.
"God, we need you to intervene in these lives of these women," said one person.
"Lord, show her your love for her child," prayed another.
Among those gathered were many women -- mothers and daughters -- but none expressed feeling the least bit conflicted.
"Women's rights are important, but they're not more important than men's rights, they're not more important than children's rights," said Beth Burns, executive director of Abundant Life Washington. "We want to see equality for all. I rejoice because there are little babies that are women that are going to live now because there is hope." | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/anti-abortion-activists-celebrate-supreme-courts-strike-down-roe-v-wade/281-9416148a-999d-4a95-bded-6f2de9404da2 | 2022-06-25T00:56:10 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/anti-abortion-activists-celebrate-supreme-courts-strike-down-roe-v-wade/281-9416148a-999d-4a95-bded-6f2de9404da2 |
Emotions over the Supreme Court ruling is being felt in Southwest Florida as women gathered outside of the Old Lee County Courthouse in Downtown Fort Myers and many of them outraged over the court’s decision.
While reaction on the street was mixed, a rally by the Southwest Florida Red Cloaks was meant to show opposition as many believe it’s only a matter of time before abortion is outlawed altogether in Florida.
A group of pro-life young people were celebrating in the streets of Fort Myers shouting “It’s a Jesus generation that is rising up!” Referring to the Supreme Court ruling giving states the right to set abortion laws.
“I think this is the will of God for it being overturned,” responded Annie Isbell when she heard the news.
However, other young women like Vanova Denise disagreed by calling it a sad day for women.
“At the end of the day women have lost a lot of autonomy over their own bodies,” Denise replied.
Republican State Representative Anthony Sabitini tweeted just moments after the ruling came down that Florida must have a special session to prevent women from having abortions.
“Now its up to courageous conservatives in the legislature to stand up for life and protect the unborn,” Sabitini said.
However, Republican Jenna Persons-Mulicka of Fort Myers who sponsored a bill limiting a woman’s access to abortion in Florida issued her own warning.
“Let today be a call of action to build a state where abortion is simply unimaginable,” Persons-Mulicka stated.
However, she would not say whether she wanted to see a special session to completely outlaw abortion in the state.
FGCU Political Science Professor Dr. Sandra Pavelka said she would not be surprised if some lawmakers are already planning a special session to restrict abortion rights.
Pavelka continued by calling the ruling a direct results of former President Trump’s legacy.
“President Trump’s legacy can certainly be seen in this decision. Not only with his appointments to the Supreme Court but the federal judges he appointed,” Pavelka said.
Amanda Peterson, who heads the Southwest Florida Red Cloaks, said the ruling proves to be a scary time to be alive.
“I feel slighted. I think that these bans from the Supreme Court are misogynistic, classist, I think these bans are a war on women,” Peterson said.
Next week, Florida’s new abortion ban signed by Governor Ron DeSantis limits a woman’s right to an abortion at 15 weeks.
An appeal has been filed but the Supreme Court ruling will have no impact on the state law.
Florida has an extra hurdle to cross.
Floridians have the right to privacy in the state constitution.
The state Supreme Court must rule if abortion is included in that right. | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/06/24/emotions-boil-over-into-swfl-following-roe-v-wade-ruling/ | 2022-06-25T00:57:30 | 0 | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/2022/06/24/emotions-boil-over-into-swfl-following-roe-v-wade-ruling/ |
STEVENSON, Wash. — One person drowned and another is presumed dead in two different incidents in the Columbia River Gorge over the last week. The Skamania County Sheriff's Office is now warning people about water safety ahead of this weekend's hot weather.
The Skamania County Sheriff's Office flew its drone Friday searching the Little White Salmon River for a kayaker who is missing and presumed to have drowned.
Right now, most of the river is too dangerous for search crews on the ground or in the water, according to Detective Jeremy Schultz, who also serves as lead search and rescue coordinator.
“You can't get in there, it's going too fast, the flows are too hard, the river's too high right now,” said Schultz, who added that this is an unusual year.
“We’re just now experiencing the spring runoff that we would normally experience on a March or April and early May and here we are in nearly July and the waters are high, they’re super cold.”
The kayaker, a man from White Salmon, was reported in trouble Wednesday evening. Searchers recovered his kayak at a log jam on the river, but he has not yet been found.
"We will continue to fly the drone, send resources into the areas that we can effectively search until we can come to a conclusion for the family and friends," said Schultz.
Last Saturday, a woman from Camas fell into the river while hiking a popular trail just below Spirit Falls. Her body was recovered at Drano Lake at the mouth of the Little White Salmon River.
Both situations are tragic, and they are also a reminder for locals and visitors to the Columbia Gorge to be careful, especially now.
“They want to see the waterfalls, they want to see the Columbia River Gorge, they want to see the wild rivers; we want folks to enjoy it from a safe distance,” said Schultz.
A Heat Advisory is in effect for western Oregon and Washington from noon Saturday through Sunday at 10 p.m. The expectations is that western valleys will see three days of 90-degree heat Saturday through Monday, with the highest temperatures, in the upper 90s occurring Sunday afternoon. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/drownings-river-hot-weather-portland/283-6ae6a389-95a0-482a-8ada-406d679c2f9e | 2022-06-25T01:03:29 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/drownings-river-hot-weather-portland/283-6ae6a389-95a0-482a-8ada-406d679c2f9e |
Sunday, the Great Plains Trails Network is celebrating the 20th year of Trail Trek — a bicycling event that gives bikers a chance to explore some of Lancaster County's 134 miles of trails.
Trail Trek begins at Speedway Village and allows riders to choose between four rides of different lengths: 11 miles, 23 miles, 32 miles or 41 miles. Beginner options are available for families that wish to participate.
Chris Sayer, Jonathan Leach and Cool Roots will provide entertainment.
Hy-Vee and Pepsi will provide lunch at Speedway Village for riders. Participants can enter to win one of 17 bicycles given by The Bike Rack and Cycle Works.
Dena Noe, Trail Trek committee chair, said the event has raised more than $250,000 to build trails in Lancaster County.
“This year, we’ve celebrated the hard work of those that started Trail Trek, sponsors who have supported Trail Trek, and of course, our over 15,000 riders who have joined us over the years,” Noe said.
Jenna Thompson is a news intern who has previous writing and editing experience with her college paper and several literary journals. She is a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln pursuing degrees in English and journalism.
Police were dispatched at 9:40 p.m. Wednesday to the 2000 block of Surfside Drive, where they found Tammy Ward's 2009 Toyota Corolla was involved in a single-vehicle crash, the department said.
A Lincoln Southeast soccer coach noticed the same teams were winning each season, so he decided to look at the data. What he found turned into a larger project to tackle inequities in youth sports access.
A University of Nebraska-Lincoln student recently opened a clothing boutique in Waverly. She sells a variety of women’s clothing, home goods and other accessories, designing many of the looks herself.
The red and black Spider-Man inspired sculpture that sparked controversy in 2019 when it was mistaken for devil horns lost its final battle after a tree fell on top of it during a storm last weekend.
Assistant City Attorney Rick Tast was acquitted of a misdemeanor trespass charge after prosecutors failed to prove he acted with criminal intent when he entered a northeast Lincoln home last May.
At the corner of 13th and P streets, a Uvalde shooting memorial is seen by thousands in Lincoln each day. But the artist or artists responsible have remained invisible in the weeks since the work appeared.
The pursuit began near 56th and O, where a trooper saw two motorcycles without license plates and attempted a traffic stop, according to the State Patrol. Both motorcycles fled eastbound at a high rate of speed.
The revocation follows a complaint alleging that beginning in the early to mid-1990s, Nolan Beyer “engaged in a personal and noneducational relationship with a student.” | https://journalstar.com/news/local/trail-trek-to-host-its-20th-annual-event-on-sunday/article_1870ac5f-f8a3-5f4c-921b-fa72f87b09dd.html | 2022-06-25T01:06:05 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/trail-trek-to-host-its-20th-annual-event-on-sunday/article_1870ac5f-f8a3-5f4c-921b-fa72f87b09dd.html |
COCONINO COUNTY, Ariz. — The Coconino County Sheriff’s Office is mourning the loss of one of their retired K9 deputies, a dog named Kiko.
Kiko was an 8-year veteran, who served proudly with the force from 2008-2016.
Officials said Kiko was born in Slovakia, before coming here to Arizona to serve the Blue Ridge community and all of the Coconino community.
During Kiko’s career, sheriff's officials said he contributed significantly to the safety of the public. In his time he located multiple drug seizures as well as tracked and protected his partner during his daily patrol activities, officials said.
Kiko and his handler, deputy Rick Shouse, retired together in 2016. After retiring, Kiko stayed with retired deputy Shouse, officials said.
"With Kiko and Deputy Shouse on duty, the Blue Ridge neighborhood was always a safer place. All those who worked with and knew Kiko will cherish his memory," officials said.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/coconino-county-sheriffs-office-honors-fallen-retired-k9-deputy-named-kiko/75-830080cd-6e8a-48f2-8a94-44cfef109abb | 2022-06-25T01:16:25 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/coconino-county-sheriffs-office-honors-fallen-retired-k9-deputy-named-kiko/75-830080cd-6e8a-48f2-8a94-44cfef109abb |
ARIZONA, USA — Three young black bears were released back into the wild by the Arizona Game and Fish Department after months of rehabilitation at the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale, officials said Friday.
AZGFD officials said two of the bears were orphaned last year when their mom was hit and killed by a car. The baby bears were taken to the Southwest Wildlife Center. The third was found orphaned in southeastern Arizona and was captured by an AZGFD wildlife manager. After efforts to locate its mom were unsuccessful, it was also transported to Southwest Wildlife.
Game and Fish officials said once the bears showed proficiency in foraging and natural behavior methods, they were considered ready to return to the wild. The bears were given a final health check and fitted with identification ear tags before they were taken to an approved release site in a suitable black bear habitat.
Wildlife experts are hoping the ear tags will provide the necessary data to document the bears’ survivability, dispersal, and habitat use, which provides valuable information for future bear management in Arizona.
>> Live, local, breaking. Download the 12 News app
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/orphaned-arizona-black-bears-rehabilitated-and-released-into-wild/75-63d5cbb0-420f-4a88-a4b2-970497f55d88 | 2022-06-25T01:16:31 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/orphaned-arizona-black-bears-rehabilitated-and-released-into-wild/75-63d5cbb0-420f-4a88-a4b2-970497f55d88 |
PHOENIX — A woman and two children were all riding in a Toyota Tundra equipped as a street sweeper on Interstate 10 when it rolled off an overpass onto the westbound lanes of I-10 beneath it.
A 10-year-old girl was killed in the accident while the driver of the vehicle, a 37-year-old woman and a 7-year-old girl were both taken to the hospital, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
The 7-year-old girl was later pronounced dead at the hospital, while the driver is still in the hospital with serious injuries. However, DPS officials said she's expected to survive.
The two girls were the driver's children, officials said.
DPS troopers believe that speeding and other issues were a factor in the street sweeper crash. The troopers that responded to the scene of the crash found the younger child outside the vehicle, the 10-year-old ejected from the street sweeper lying on the Loop 101 ramp to the I-10, and the driver pinned behind the wheel.
Investigators closed down the I-10 westbound and ramp from the southbound lanes of Loop 101 to eastbound Interstate 10 as they worked to figure out the events leading up to the crash. The roadways have since reopened.
DPS said while the driver appears to have been wearing a seatbelt, the young girls were not.
"With the rollover, anytime you have windows that break and you have an opening someone can be ejected it doesn’t appear there was any seatbelt usage in this case," Sgt. Jason Melki with DPS said.
DPS is investigating whether impairment may have been a contributing factor.
12 News contacted the street sweeping company, Arizona Desert Sweeping regarding the crash. We were told the company is shocked, and couldn't answer any more questions.
"She (the driver) was working at the time of the crash," Melki said.
Editor's Note: DPS previously said one of the victims killed in the crash was an adult woman but has since corrected the victim's age.
This is a developing story. Tune in to 12 News for the latest information.
Latest Arizona news
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12 News YouTube playlist here.
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) offers driving tips to help keep people safe on the road.
"There’s always room for improvement when it comes to road safety," the department said on its website.
ADOT's suggestions include:
- Don’t speed or drive aggressively
- Never drive while under the influence of substances
- Avoid distractions while driving
- Wear your seatbelt and make sure all passengers are doing the same
- When an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road, move over
- Stay extra aware in work zones
- Be prepared for weather conditions that make driving dangerous
"Real-time highway conditions are available on ADOT’s Arizona Traveler Information site at az511.gov, by calling 511, downloading the AZ 511 app and through ADOT’s Twitter feed, @ArizonaDOT," the department said. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/child-adult-dead-interstate-10-crash-arizona-dps/75-140eebe7-5ec2-47b0-82cf-aafe5ec9301e | 2022-06-25T01:16:37 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/child-adult-dead-interstate-10-crash-arizona-dps/75-140eebe7-5ec2-47b0-82cf-aafe5ec9301e |
Crowley police say headstones dating from the 1800s were knocked over and destroyed by vandals at the city's historic cemetery Thursday night.
Crowley police described the crime as "by far the worst vandalism the CPD has seen in the Crowley Cemetery."
Officers were called shortly after 7 p.m. to the Crowley Cemetery located at 300 North Hampton Road. Multiple headstones were found to have been knocked over, broken and destroyed, police said.
James Hotopp, a member of the board that manages the cemetery, said repairs could top $100,000 to $150,000. A total of 88 tombstones were destroyed or damaged, Hotopp said.
Photos: Tombstones Dating to 1800s Destroyed by Vandals at Historic North Texas Cemetery
Crowley police said multiple businesses near the cemetery also had significant property damage.
Police are now asking the public for any tips that could help catch whoever is responsible. Call 817-297-2276 and select option 1 to speak to an officer, or contact Det. Cranford at 817-297-2276 extension 6301, or call Crime Stoppers at 817-469-8477. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/tombstones-dating-to-1800s-destroyed-by-vandals-at-historic-north-texas-cemetery/3000307/ | 2022-06-25T01:17:56 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/tombstones-dating-to-1800s-destroyed-by-vandals-at-historic-north-texas-cemetery/3000307/ |
Police arrest two protesters at Polk's only clinic that offers abortions
LAKELAND — A few hours after the Supreme Court announced its monumental ruling overturning Roe v. Wade on Friday, a small group of anti-abortion activists stood in front of the only Polk County clinic that offers the procedure.
Soon after that, two of them were in the back of Lakeland Police Department vehicles.
Police arrested Quentin Eugene Deckard of Seffner and Angela Delauney of Mulberry outside the Lakeland Women’s Health Center at 4444 S. Florida Ave. Delauney often protests outside the Lakeland clinic with her husband, Greg Delauney.
The couple’s three young children cried as an LPD vehicle drove away with their mother in the back seat.
The agency sent officers to the clinic Friday afternoon in anticipation of a potential large protest following the Supreme Court ruling overturning the Roe v. Wade ruling from 1973.
Local reaction:Polk residents react with thanks, dismay to Roe v. Wade decision
What does overturning Roe mean?:A breakdown of the Supreme Court's abortion ruling
Overturned:Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion
According to a police report, Deckard, 52, stood on a ladder placed on a sidewalk at the front of the clinic property, using a megaphone to amplify his voice as he called toward patients and volunteer escorts. Deckard spoke loudly enough to disturb the peace inside the clinic, Officer Hiram Cuevas wrote in the report.
Protesters are not allowed on clinic property but are able to stand on a sidewalk along South Florida Avenue. The clinic’s owners have erected an opaque fence near the sidewalk, making it more difficult for protesters to see the entrance.
Some anti-abortion demonstrators have begun bringing ladders that allow them to see over the fence, the clinic's volunteer escorts said. In response, the clinic installed black plastic sheeting at the top of the fence.
Deckard was holding onto the fence with one hand and holding the megaphone in the other as he spoke, the LPD report said.
As a Black woman walked toward the clinic entrance, Deckard called out, "Black lives don't matter" and "Black people are like cockroaches that should be exterminated," the report said. Cuevas wrote that he approached Deckard, who said he was quoting Margaret Sanger, founder of a group that became Planned Parenthood.
Abortion opponents often claim that Sanger advocated using the procedure to reduce the Black population, though Politifact has rated those claims as false.
LPD officers arrested Deckard on charges of breach of the peace and violating the city's noise ordinance, the report said.
He was taken to the police station and released Friday afternoon with a court date of Aug. 5.
In the arrest report for Delauney, Officer Kevin Schuttler wrote that he arrived to provide backup at the clinic. Schuttler wrote that officers had given verbal warnings to the protesters that signs could not be affixed to power poles and that doing so blocked the view of drivers turning onto South Florida Avenue from Horizon Court.
The fall of Roe v. Wade:Five questions about abortion access in Florida
Abortions in Florida:Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, what's legal and what's not
Officers later checked and found that two signs were still attached to a power pole, the report said. Officers had warned that they would confiscate any signs still in place, and as an officer reached to take a sign, Delauney tried to prevent its removal by grabbing the sign and pulling it toward her, the report said.
An officer gave Delauney a loud verbal command to release the sign but she didn't do so, the report said. An officer told the woman she was under arrest and began to handcuff her, but Delauney pulled away and resisted, the report says.
LPD charged Delauney with resisting arrest without violence.
Greg Delauney could be seen speaking intently with an LPD officer after his wife was driven away.
The Lakeland clinic has attracted anti-abortion protesters for decades. The demonstrators have grown in number and become a more regular presence in recent years for various reasons.
While some demonstrates stand silently and pray, a more vocal contingent calls out to patients entering or leaving the clinic. Those protesters regularly carry large posters with gruesome images they say are aborted fetuses photographed at abortion clinics.
A Ledger reporter arrived at the clinic Friday shortly after the two had been placed in police vehicles. A ladder was in place along the sidewalk, and a set of posters leaned against it. One had the caption, “God hates the hands that shed innocent blood.”
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13. | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2022/06/24/anti-abortion-protesters-arrested-outside-lakeland-womens-health-center/7727337001/ | 2022-06-25T01:19:14 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2022/06/24/anti-abortion-protesters-arrested-outside-lakeland-womens-health-center/7727337001/ |
BOISE, Idaho —
Boise State University (BSU) announced Friday morning that their ‘Spirit of the Broncos’ statue will be moved while construction is done on, and around, the campus’ Riverfront Hall.
As construction is underway at the Riverfront Hall Plaza, which includes landscaping and refreshing bricks, the steel sculpture will be restored and conserved at the BSU campus studio of Francis Fox, professor of sculpture.
The sculpture was commissioned by John Barnes, BSU’s third president, to commemorate the opening of the Business Building, Riverfront Hall, and was unveiled to the public in 1970.
The sculpture will be reinstalled in a new location around the plaza once construction is completed.
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/spirit-the-broncos-statue-moves-across-campus/277-6c12f7b7-9400-4867-b810-42d74fdcec17 | 2022-06-25T01:24:04 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/spirit-the-broncos-statue-moves-across-campus/277-6c12f7b7-9400-4867-b810-42d74fdcec17 |
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Women’s health care providers and government officials in San Antonio widely condemned the Supreme Court’s decision Friday to strike down Roe v. Wade, a law that allowed women to obtain abortions in the United States for nearly the past 50 years.
Others, including state leaders, celebrated the historic ruling.
While Gov. Greg Abbott called the highest court’s opinion correct and spoke of the “sanctity of life,” others described the decision as “an attack” and “absolutely devastating.”
Mayor Ron Nirenberg was among those who denounced the action, which returns the decision of whether to allow abortions to the hands of lawmakers in each state.
Related: Texas' top politicians react to Roe v. Wade reversal
“Today’s SCOTUS ruling is an attack on the health and independence of women, people of color and the disadvantaged,” Nirenberg posted on Twitter. “Access to health care, including abortion, is a human right.
“Criminalizing those who seek basic care will create a hostile and harmful future for far too many,” the mayor wrote.
Amid the tumult, the head of San Antonio’s largest abortion provider — Planned Parenthood South Texas — said the organization has suspended the procedure at its clinics.
Under a “trigger law” that passed the Texas Legislature last year, abortion will be illegal in the state 30 days after the Supreme Court’s ruling Friday.
Late Friday morning, Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales said he won’t prosecute women who undergo abortions or their providers.
“I took an oath when I was sworn in not to prosecute, but seek justice,” he said. “There is no justice in prosecuting women for exercising their own personal choices.”
Gonzales made one exception — abortions performed under “extreme circumstances.”
“If someone is forced to have an abortion under duress, that is an extreme circumstance,” the district attorney said. “Prosecutors have a responsibility to comply with the law. I am entrusted with prosecutorial discretion, and I am going to exercise my own discretion, absent an extreme circumstance.”
Gonzales also said the LGBTQ+ community could be stripped of the right to get married, noting the reasoning that justices used in overturning Roe v. Wade could be applied in other cases.
“Personal health care decisions should not be punished,” Gonzales said. “The right to marry should not be punished. At a time when crime is high, we should all be focused on gun violence and supporting victims of crimes. Instead, the government wants to do the opposite and focus on those at their most vulnerable.”
Makayla Montoya-Frazier, co-executive director of Buckle Bunnies, a nonprofit that raises money to help women across Texas receive access to abortions, said she will keep fighting for women to have access to the procedure.
“This is a very heavy and difficult day,” she said. “At the end of the day, when we are coming down from this,” Montoya-Frazier said, “please remember that everybody loves somebody who has had abortions.”
Texas’ abortion restrictions have devastated women, particularly those living in poverty.
“It’s absolutely devastating for women’s health,” said Andrea Gallegos, executive administrator for Alamo Women’s Reproductive Services, a San Antonio women’s clinic that previously provided abortion services for people at a low cost or for free. “Abortions are a part of reproductive health ... It’s going to affect women across the country. This doesn’t stop people seeking abortions, it just makes it harder.
“You will have women who have the means to flee their home state for health care, and then you’ll have women who can’t. And the ones that can’t will be forced into pregnancy and the impacts are really great when we ask people to do that.”
On ExpressNews.com: Texas trigger law: Will abortion be prosecuted after Roe v. Wade?
All Planned Parenthood locations in Texas concluded they must suspend abortion services “while our legal teams continue to review today’s devastating ruling and how it impacts and triggers existing Texas laws including total abortion bans,” said Jeffrey Hons, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood South Texas.
“We all believe this pause in abortion care, while heartbreaking, is the best way to protect our staff and patients and ensure we remain strong, viable organizations providing health care in years to come.”
The Supreme Court’s decision won’t close Planned Parenthood’s Texas health clinics, which will continue providing family planning and sexual health-care services. Those facilities will continue providing contraceptives and emergency contraceptives, such as Plan B. These prevent conception beforehand and don’t terminate pregnancies, so they will remain legal.
‘Absolutely heartbreaking’
Feliz Ramirez, who was born and raised in San Antonio, learned from friends and social media that Roe v. Wade had been overturned. She was immediately spurred to action.
She grabbed a marker and a large piece of paper, on which she wrote “World War Women.” She walked a few blocks from her apartment to a major access road, near Loop 410 and Babcock Road, and stood alone, holding the sign, as motorists drove by.
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said of the Supreme Court ruling. “It’s absolutely heartbreaking. We’ve never been taken seriously in history. We have always been suppressed.”
Ramirez, who recently moved back to San Antonio after living in Los Angeles and New York, particularly lamented Texas’ trigger law. The prohibition will start at conception and make no exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest.
“Anyone who tells me that you’re trying to kill a baby, that’s not true,” said Ramirez. “Women get raped and brutalized, and then have to carry a baby of a man who beats her, who she doesn’t even know? Well, she can’t have a legal abortion here anymore. She’s got to use a coat hanger, and she probably will kill herself.”
At one point, she said, a man in a truck threw a Chipotle bowl at her during her vigil as he drove by. But she said most passersby were encouraging.
About a mile and a half away, about half a dozen pro-life activists stood on the corner near the Planned Parenthood office on Babcock Road, near Wurzbach Road. They held signs that read “Honk for life!” and “Adoption is the healthier option.”
Weston Martinez, a conservative who ran in the Republican primary for Texas Land Commissioner, said he felt “joy” and “excitement” when he heard the news that Roe had been overturned.
Related: Key passages from the Supreme Court decision tossing Roe v. Wade
“When this ruling came down in ’73, we knew that the ruling was not the will of the people,” Martinez said. “And now to see the justices go in a 6-3 decision to say the ruling from 1973 was wrong. Now we have a lot of things to deal with. Think about all these women that had abortions that now are coping it ... There’s healing and forgiveness and a whole bunch of things we’re going to have to help people live with.”
Martinez said he hopes the governor will call a special session, in light of the Supreme Court decision, to pursue “massive adoption reform in the state of Texas.”
Patrick Von Dohlen, of the San Antonio Family Association, said the Texas Legislature needs to do more to support women and families — now more than ever.
“It’s time for all pro-life people who have been doing so much for 49-plus years to protect life, both the woman and the baby, and step up even more because we have to provide and make sure we put our money where our mouth is,” said Von Dohlen, who unsuccessfully ran for the District 9 city council seat last year. “They need us now more than ever.”
St. Mary’s University School of Law Professor Al Kauffman noted that in the past, the courts have tried to weigh the rights of a woman trying to control her body versus reproductive life, but he didn’t see that in the Supreme Court’s opinion issued Friday.
“This opinion doesn’t do that weighing at all. It gives states the authority to outlaw abortion,” Kauffman said. “The only exception in (Texas) state law is if it’s to save the life of mother or function of her body.”
With the highest court’s decision, and the trigger law taking effect in Texas, Kauffman said women seeking abortions will be forced to look elsewhere.
“A woman in Texas who wants to have an abortion will have to go to another state where they are allowed, or another country,” he said. “The problem with that is that very young women, very poor women won’t have that flexibility.”
‘Texas is pro-life’
Greg Abbott said the Supreme Court was correct to overturn Roe v. Wade and restore states’ rights to take action on the issue.
“Texas is a pro-life state, and we have taken significant action to protect the sanctity of life,” the governor said in a statement Friday. “Texas will always fight for the innocent unborn, and I will continue working with the Texas Legislature and all Texans to save every child from the ravages of abortion and help our expectant mothers in need.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said on Twitter that Friday’s ruling ended “one of the most morally (and) legally corrupt eras in U.S. history. Praise the Lord. Abortion is now illegal in Texas.”
Related: What Texas lawmakers said about Roe v. Wade—and how to contact them
Paxton then said he was closing his office Friday and making June 24 an annual holiday “as a memorial to the 70 million lives lost (because) of abortion.”
Organizations that have provided abortions to women in Texas predicted dire consequences from the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-Roe-celebrated-condemned-17264628.php | 2022-06-25T01:24:58 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/San-Antonio-Roe-celebrated-condemned-17264628.php |
Three people were found dead, including a woman who had her hands bound on a bed, inside a Queens home Friday afternoon, according to police.
A 22-year-old victim was found unconscious and unresponsive on the bed in a second-floor bedroom on 155th Street in South Jamaica just after 2 p.m., police said. She had two puncture wounds to her chest as her hands were bound together, and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The woman's identity has not yet been shared. A cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner.
After finding the first victim, two other people were discovered dead inside the home as well, police later said. A man in his 30s was found with a head injury, and a woman in her 40s was found with puncture wounds to her head and neck, according to police.
Both of the latter two victims were found in the basement of the house.
Police said that a person of interest was in custody, but charges had not yet been announced.
An investigation is ongoing. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/3-found-dead-including-woman-bound-on-bed-inside-queens-home-police/3749157/ | 2022-06-25T01:29:21 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/3-found-dead-including-woman-bound-on-bed-inside-queens-home-police/3749157/ |
VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — A man accused of killing a sheriff’s deputy in southwestern Washington is facing additional charges in connection with the 2021 shooting.
The Columbian reports 27-year-old Guillermo Raya Leon of Salem was arraigned in Clark County Superior Court Thursday on amended information in the death of Clark County sheriff’s Sgt. Jeremy Brown. Raya Leon pleaded not guilty to possessing a stolen firearm, trafficking in stolen property, burglary and theft of a motor vehicle.
He previously pleaded not guilty to first-degree aggravated murder and another count of possession of a stolen firearm.
Investigators say Raya Leon admitted to shooting Brown while the detective was seated in an unmarked police SUV at an east Vancouver apartment complex. | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/man-faces-additional-charges-in-fatal-shooting-of-deputy-jeremy-bown-washington/ | 2022-06-25T01:33:49 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/man-faces-additional-charges-in-fatal-shooting-of-deputy-jeremy-bown-washington/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – While people will try to beat this weekend’s heat wave by hitting local swimming spots, first responders are advising others to keep river safety top of mind.
A KOIN 6 News crew spent the day with first responders at the Clackamas River, which was unusually high for the time of year, because of late rain fall and low snow melt. On Friday, the river was at 13 feet and fast-moving.
Clackamas County Fire Department says without a life jacket, the conditions can be dangerous for even the strongest swimmers.
On Friday, KOIN 6 News saw some people enjoying the sunny weather on inner tubes, kayaks, rafts and paddle boards on the river near Barton Park. Most, but not all were wearing life jackets.
Fire fighter and paramedic, Mike Gasperson says if you are going to be out on the water this weekend, one of the biggest things is to know your limitations.
“Knowing your limitations means not doing things that are going to risk hurting yourself, killing yourself, killing others if they come after you to potentially rescue,” Gasperson said.
Gasperson also warns of the dangers of jumping into river off of rocks or bridges
Gasperson warned that when it comes to jumping off rocks, cliffs or bridges you do not know what is underneath the surface of the water. He also warns that cold water temperatures can also be dangerous and can take your breath away and can lead to drowning.
Gasperson also warns others of the dangers of drinking alcohol if you are in or around water. | https://www.koin.com/local/first-responders-advise-water-safety-ahead-of-oregons-rising-temps/ | 2022-06-25T01:33:55 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/first-responders-advise-water-safety-ahead-of-oregons-rising-temps/ |
CROWN POINT — A Whiting man was sentenced Friday to 180 years in prison for bludgeoning three people to death 24 years ago inside a Hammond crack house.
James H. Higgason III, 52, gave a rambling statement in which he maintained his innocence while also accusing police and prosecutors of alleged misconduct and telling a judge: "You are being investigated."
A Lake Criminal Court jury convicted Higgason in May of murdering Jerod "Buddy" Hodge, 18, of Chicago; Timothy W. "Midnight" Ross, 16, of Calumet City; and Elva Tamez, 36, on Jan. 18, 1998, inside Tamez's home in the 4600 block of Torrence Avenue in Hammond.
Higgason's co-defendant, David L. Copley Jr., 47, of Franklin, Indiana, pleaded guilty last year to one count of murder linked to Hodge's death. In exchange for Copley's testimony against Higgason, the state agreed to a 45-year sentence for Copley.
Judge Salvador Vasquez said he found no reason to give Higgason a more lenient sentence.
"I find nothing in mitigation," the judge said. "Nothing in your character or what you said in the last half hour."
Higgason had eight felony convictions and nine misdemeanor convictions from 1998 until his arrest on the murder charges, the judge said.
Vasquez said he and other judges previously gave Higgason the benefit of leniency, but Higgason failed to live a law-abiding life.
Higgason's attorneys Matthew Fech and Mark Gruenhagen asked Vasquez to delay their client's sentencing until he ruled on Higgason's motion to set aside the jury's verdict because of alleged errors during the trial.
Vasquez refused, saying Higgason's rights would not be violated by moving forward with sentencing. The judge said he would issue a ruling later on Higgason's motion to correct error.
"We honor jury verdicts," Vasquez said. "As I sit here today, you got a fair trial and you got a proper trial."
Yolanda Tamez said her sister Elva Tamez had a kind heart and likely would have changed her lifestyle, because she had been planning to move out of Hammond later that year.
"Drugs are the devil in disguise and prey on the weak," she said.
Yolanda Tamez read a letter from another family member, who wrote she thanked God for giving Copley a conscience.
Imelda O'Neill said she had given up on finding justice for her sister before charges were filed in January 2021, because the case went cold for so long.
Elva Tamez had many gifts and talents, and they shared a closeness only sisters would know, she said.
"In so many ways, she's ever in my thoughts and will be until my dying day," O'Neill said.
Knowing Elva died a violent death brought O'Neill great despair, she said. She wondered if her sister cried out in pain, called out for their mother or prayed for mercy in her dying moments.
Linda Hodge, the mother of Jerod Hodge, said the day she learned her son was killed was the worst day of her life.
"My world felt apart," she said. "Standing out in the cold in January trying to see my child."
Authorities didn't allow her to see Jerod until his body was released to a funeral home, but she caught a glimpse of a crime scene photo police left on a desk, she said.
Her son's brains were beaten out, and he died with his eyes wide open, she said.
"Now that I know it was you, I want you to feel the pain he felt," Hodge told Higgason. "You took my world away from me."
Hodge said she enjoyed her job driving a city bus, but she had to quit after her son was killed because every young man who climbed aboard looked like her child.
"I want everyone to know my child did exist," she said. "And I carry my angel with me."
Gruenhagen said he and Fech advised Higgason not to speak at sentencing, because Higgason plans to appeal his conviction and sentence.
Higgason spoke to the judge anyway, questioning why blood at the scene was not submitted for DNA testing.
He admitted he was at Tamez's house, but insisted he left before she, Hodge and Ross were killed. He questioned why Copley wasn't arrested 24 years ago, when he first told police he and Higgason killed the three, and he accused officers of "fabricating evidence."
Higgason also denied it was his voice on two recorded phone calls played for the jury.
In the calls, Copley asked a woman to wake "Jim" so they could talk, and she obliged. "Jim" also referred to his "two beautiful children." Higgason had two children at the time, but the man Higgason now claims was the person speaking in the calls had four kids, evidence showed.
Gruenhagen said Higgason always had shown remorse that someone killed Tamez, Hodge and Ross. He asked for a 45-year sentence on each murder count, to be served concurrently.
Vasquez said concurrent sentences were inappropriate.
Lake County Deputy Prosecutor Jovanni Miramontes said the evidence showed Higgason valued the lives of Tamez, Hodge and Ross so little, he beat them to death because he was angry he didn't get what he wanted in exchange for a shotgun police recovered from inside Tamez's home.
Higgason "gets what he wants, and what he wanted that night was drugs," Miramontes said.
Higgason had an extensive criminal history and became a member of the Saxon Knights white supremacist prison gang while serving a previous sentence, he said.
The deputy prosecutor asked for a sentence of 60 years on each murder count, for a total of 180 years.
"One-hundred eighty years is not what Mr. Higgason would want, but we believe it's what he deserves," Miramontes said.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
The man was shot about 11:35 p.m. Sunday outside the Save gas station in the 3200 block of West Fourth Avenue in Gary, according to the Lake County coroner's office and police.
From left, Jerod "Buddy" Hodge, 18, of Chicago; Elva Tamez, 36, of Hammond; and Timothy W. "Midnight" Ross, 16, of Calumet City, were murdered Jan. 18, 1998, inside Tamez's home in the 4600 block of Torrence Avenue. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-sentenced-to-180-years-for-bludgeoning-3-to-death-24-years-ago/article_ac234730-f3a7-56cb-a354-2580b7b190b1.html | 2022-06-25T01:33:58 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-sentenced-to-180-years-for-bludgeoning-3-to-death-24-years-ago/article_ac234730-f3a7-56cb-a354-2580b7b190b1.html |
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