text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ms] | label int64 | id string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
After 20 years of service to the Bethlehem police department, officers who retire in good standing can keep their service weapons, provided they want to buy them.
Retiring officers can buy their weapon back from the city for market price — $300 — after city council votes to approve the purchase. But some question whether the city should be putting weapons in the hands of retired officers, once they become civilians.
And in the wake of deadly mass shootings in Uvalde, Texas, Buffalo and Philadelphia, Bethlehem’s city council and its mayor are weighing how sale proceeds could go toward anti-gun violence measures.
Council member Hillary Kwiatek, who was sworn in at the beginning of the year, is the only council member to have voted against the weapon purchases. She did so on principle, she said, because she believes the city should not be in the business of selling deadly weapons.
“Even though it’s only maybe 10 guns a year, in my mind, that’s still 10 more guns a year than we need out there,” Kwiatek said.
Police Chief Michelle Kott said at a February council meeting that the department has sold weapons to qualified retiring officers since around 2010. Officers must be in good standing with the department, must pass a background check and must make the purchase at a firearms dealer.
Not all officers choose to buy their weapons. In 2018, four officers bought their weapons. In 2019, six did so. In 2020, it was seven and in 2021, six, Kott said. When officers choose not to keep a gun, it is sold back to a weapons wholesaler.
Officers often want to keep their guns because of the sentimental value attached after years of service on the force, Kott said. Only officers who retire after 20 years on the force are eligible, so officers have often retained the same weapon over that time.
Adam Garber, Executive Director of Ceasefire PA, an anti-gun violence organization, said Ceasefire does not have an official position on retired officers purchasing their guns.
But in his opinion, the city “probably” should not be in the business of selling firearms.
“I don’t know if I think the city should be involved in selling to retired civilians, even if they were police officers,” Garber said.
Kwiatek is weighing introducing an ordinance to outline what city property uniformed employees can keep after they retire. Weapons would not be included. She proposed that those weapons could be kept in the department and used by another officer, or melted down and destroyed.
At a Tuesday council meeting, Kwiatek also questioned whether the city should keep track of where weapons end up after they are sold to a wholesaler.
Kwiatek does not have the votes to pass the measure, she said. But other council members and the mayor are looking at ways the city can put the gun sale proceeds toward tackling gun violence.
Mayor J. William Reynolds said his administration is looking at putting the gun sale proceeds toward a gun buyback program, through which Bethlehem residents could surrender their weapons to the city for money.
“We’re researching that. I’m not convinced about yet that without a targeted way of going about doing it, but we are looking at potential solutions,” Reynolds said.
Research is mixed on whether gun buybacks meaningfully reduce gun violence. At a council meeting in February, Reynolds also floated donating the proceeds to a local gun violence organization. But the city cannot enact gun control laws itself: “common sense” gun control measures at the state or federal level are needed to meaningfully address the problem, Reynolds said.
Garber suggested that rather than donating the money or holding a gun buyback program, the city should dedicate more of its yearly budget toward community-based gun violence intervention programs.
First Call
Other council members are also weighing how the city can help curb gun violence.
“I think there are broader conversations to be had about balancing of the Second Amendment, along with the unique position that we are in as a society as it relates to gun violence and gun culture,” council president Michael Colon said. “I think all those conversations have merit in town hall and outside town hall.”
Colon proposed holding a public safety meeting to discuss how the city can respond to recent gun violence.
Kwiatek said donating the gun sale proceeds or holding a buyback is not enough — the city should not facilitate their sale, period.
“I just don’t think those guns should be sold in the first place,” Kwiatek said. “What has happened over the last several weeks or months more attention has once again been drawn to how people are able to obtain guns legally and then do horrific things with them. … I just don’t think that the city should be selling guns to retired officers who are at the end of the day now, just civilians.”
It is common for police departments across the country to sell weapons back to retiring officers, Kott said. In Allentown, retiring officers can buy their weapons, but city council does not vote on the sale, according to Police Chief Charles Roca.
Morning Call reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at 610-820-6681 and liweber@mcall.com. | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-nws-bethlehem-police-retired-gun-buybacks-city-council-mayor-20220626-jzazzufehrcypkguok4y4axjli-story.html | 2022-06-26T09:54:28 | 0 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-nws-bethlehem-police-retired-gun-buybacks-city-council-mayor-20220626-jzazzufehrcypkguok4y4axjli-story.html |
People gathered in several cities throughout Ohio this weekend in protest of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, returning abortion policy to the state level.
A crowd of around 200 people decried the decision Friday night in downtown Dayton. People of every age, from grandparents to toddlers, attended the rally in the heat to support abortion rights. The organizer, Dayton Women’s Rights Alliance, announced the protest earlier on Friday.
Chris Stanfield brought his daughter to the abortion rights rally Friday evening on the lawn of the Walter H. Rice Federal Building on Second Street. He said he felt helpless earlier and wanted to do something and fight for his daughter.
“If you don’t fight for things, if you just don’t push back onto the storm, the system will run you over,” Stanfield said.
Organizers registered people to vote and called on protestors to vote in the upcoming elections. At the end, protestors led a short march around downtown, with signs displaying slogans like, “My uterus has more restrictions than your guns!”
Julie Beall attended the rally with her sister, Dona Noune, who said she’d heard the news first from her children who are traveling in Europe before she heard the news locally.
Beall said she was angry at the state of the world and encouraged people to be politically active.
“I’m tired of people who say, ‘oh, I don’t vote because it doesn’t make a difference.’ This is the reason you vote and put people in that will fight for what you know is right,” she said.
Joy Schwab, founder of the Dayton Women’s Rights Alliance and a longtime women’s rights advocate, called on protestors to change leaders at the state level and vote in more Democrats, because the Supreme Court decision on Friday returned the decision to the state.
Ohio already filed to put in place a six-week abortion restriction and is eventually expected to place more restrictions on abortion.
“A fertilized egg is not a person,” Schwab said. “I am not an incubator and neither are any of you.”
In Cincinnati, a crowd gathered in the downtown area and marched on Main Street in protest of the decision made by the Supreme Court on Friday.
“This is unacceptable,” Jenny Ustick said. “This is inhuman,” she said.
Ustick is one of many who wanted to make sure their voices were heard, marching to both the Hamilton County and federal courthouses while chanting phrases like, “My body, my choice” and “Stand up, fight back.”
“There are people who don’t care for conditions like mine, that had when I was 19,” Ustick said. “They would’ve gladly seen me die before giving abortion care.”
“If I didn’t take chemo, I would’ve died in a month,” Ustick said. “If I had taken chemo and not aborted the fetus, I could’ve miscarried in a way that would’ve killed me. There was no viability for that pregnancy.”
On the other side of the debate, abortion rights opponents are praising the high court’s conservative majority on its decision.
“We know that we still have a lot of work to do,” said Laura Strietmann with Cincinnati Right to Life. “I think the thing that we all agree on is that we want to help women, but people in the pro-life movement know for a fact that killing an unborn child never helps anyone.”
Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted said his desire is to see life more valued by the nation.
“Being an adoptee who started life in a foster home, my own experience helped shape my views on this issue. I’m here today because my birth mother chose life and put me up for adoption, which I know could not have been an easy decision for her. My prayer for all of us is this collective experience will build a more compassionate nation that values life.”
Springfield NAACP President Denise Williams said Friday’s decision will create an added burden on many people during a time of economic strain.
“This is like putting something else in our cart and the cart is tipping over,” Williams said. “We have so much on us right now. Gas prices rising, grocery store costs, tenants having rent raised. It’s too much.”
Pending the state’s decision on abortion, Ohioans seeking abortion services may have to travel across state lines, “an added expense and burden,” Williams said.
Williams said she feels a woman should have the right to make decisions about her own body.
“To have that choice taken away from women… it’s ridiculous,” she said. “It’s our decision.”
Politicians react
Ohio Attorney General David Yost said the abortion policy always belonged to the elected policy branches of government.
“Roe was poorly reasoned, a doctrine of shifting sands that invited perpetual litigation,” he said. “We will continue to debate this issue. But passion is not a license to violence. I call again on my federal colleague, Attorney General Merrick Garland, and my fellow states’ attorneys general to publicly commit to holding violent protesters accountable under the law, no matter which side they are on.”
Ohio Sen. Steve Huffman said religion is behind his support of the decision.
“My strong Catholic faith, combined with 30 years as a practicing physician, drives my belief that every life should be valued, he said. “Today, we celebrate the court’s decision to rule in favor of the sanctity of human life, and our work continues. As Chairman of the Senate Health Committee I will work with my colleagues and our legal counsel to ensure we uphold the Constitution and protect the unborn,” Huffman said.
“Of all of my legislative accomplishments, I am most proud of the work we have done in Ohio to protect life and I remain committed to doing so.”
U.S. Rep Tim Ryan disagrees, calling the decision an overreach.
“Today’s disastrous decision is the largest case of government overreach in my lifetime. By overturning Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court is gutting a long-established right in order to put politicians between women and their doctors,” Ryan said. “Even worse, this ruling gives the green light to those here in Ohio who have introduced legislation that would deny women access to potentially lifesaving care, and threaten to put women and doctors in jail.”
Ohio Sen. Steve Wilson said the Supreme Court’s ruling means justice was done.
“This historic ruling restores the right to life as a bedrock principle of our legal system. It reaffirms our belief that every life has value and is deserving of dignity and respect. Our country was founded upon a declaration that every individual should enjoy the right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. Today, justice was done,” Wilson aid.
Heartbeat bill becomes law
Ohio’s heartbeat bill became law immediately following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. It is a 6-week ban on abortions after the first heartbeat is detected, Yost announced Friday.
“The Heartbeat Law hopefully and prayerfully will go into effect in the state of Ohio. We are acting to pass the Human Life Protection Act that will end abortion from the moment of conception,” said Elizabeth Whitmarsh, director of communications for Ohio Right To Life. “By the end of the year it is very likely that Ohio will not have legal abortion.”
She said the group does not support prohibiting Ohio women from traveling across state lines. But Whitmarsh said the group wants to stop mail delivery of mifepristone and misoprostol, the two legal medications used to induce abortions in the early part of a pregnancy.
The court ruling allows a minority to take away personal freedoms, said Desiree Tims, a Dayton native and former congressional candidate who is president and CEO of Innovation Ohio.
“Most Americans and Ohioans support the basic human right to decide what happens to our own bodies. It’s time for the majority to speak with one voice that cannot be ignored,” Tims said.
She said the court decision highlights the power local and state elected officials have to make decisions about women’s bodies.
“We must vote in every single election, especially for state Supreme Court candidates,” Tims said. “Ohio’s Supreme Court will likely now decide the future of abortion rights in our communities.”
Abortion in Ohio
There were 20,605 induced abortions in Ohio in 2020, according to the latest annual report by Ohio Department of Health.
This includes 19,438 abortions obtained by Ohio residents (94.3%). While there was an increase in 2020, there has been a steady decline in terminations over the last two decades.
The majority of patients — about 59% — who received abortions were in their 20s.
Residents who received an abortion in Ohio were most likely to be Black (48.1%), with white residents not far behind (43.8%).
About 77.4% of patients reported they were not Hispanic while 4.6% reported they were Hispanic, though a significant portion (17.9%) didn’t report either category.
About 86% of women with known marital status who obtained abortions were never married, divorced, or widowed.
WCPO reporter Kendria LeFleur contributed to this report. WCPO is a content partner of Cox First Media. | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/ohioans-divided-on-decision-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/BFC67EFVVVDHJJIDUXUWISD5QE/ | 2022-06-26T10:00:16 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/ohioans-divided-on-decision-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/BFC67EFVVVDHJJIDUXUWISD5QE/ |
100 years ago
June 26, 1922: The Hon. Henry C. Wallace, secretary of agriculture, has designated Congressman Frank H. Funk of this district as the special representative of the Department of Agriculture to visit countries in Europe to study agricultural and industrial conditions.
75 years ago
June 26, 1947: Testimony that five slot machines had been tampered with while in possession of the McLean County Sheriff was given in county court on confiscation of 111 "one-armed bandits." Shortly after Sheriff Curtis Gilberts reported that $3,108.85 was found in the seized devices, he disclosed that five of the machines had been broken into.
50 years ago
June 26, 1972: Bicyclists were warned by Normal Police Chief Richard McGuire that they will be arrested if they don't observe rules of the road on Normal streets. "We've got a real problem now that summer is here and youngsters are out on their bicycles much of the time," he said. "It's a problem for motorists, too!"
25 years ago
June 26, 1997: Reducing salary costs by $300,000 in next year's budget was a paperwork move for District 87's operations director, but it may affect contract talks with teachers. Assistant Superintendent Robert Meeker said the salaries were recalculated after he discovered the district would spend about $500,000 less than the $15.3 million expected for the current year.
Compiled by Pantagraph staff | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/75-years-ago-5-slot-machines-tampered-with-court-hears/article_ab218b5c-f4ae-11ec-9b03-ab96518204f5.html | 2022-06-26T10:49:58 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/75-years-ago-5-slot-machines-tampered-with-court-hears/article_ab218b5c-f4ae-11ec-9b03-ab96518204f5.html |
CENTRAL FLORIDA – Brevard County deputies shot and killed a man believed to have kidnapped two women and fired at law enforcement officers Sunday night.
According to a release by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the man shot and kidnapped a woman in Osceola County and had another woman hostage in his car, before leading deputies there on a pursuit.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
The pursuit continued into the southern Brevard County, where deputies say the man fired at Indian River County Deputies. According to the release, no deputies were injured.
BCSO says the pursuit ended near Old Dixie Highway and Foley Lane in Grant, after the vehicle became disabled.
There, they say, the man exited the vehicle, holding a gun to the head of one of the women held hostage, and entered a wooded area. Deputies were able to locate the pair and the man began a shootout with members of the Indian River and Brevard County Sheriff’s Offices, along with the Sebastian Police Department, according to the release.
The man was shot and killed in the exchange, and no officers were injured. The deputies involved in the shooting have been placed on paid administrative leave, according to the release.
The women were both taken to the hospital and are expected to recover from their injuries.
The man has not yet been identified.
This is a developing story, check here for more updates. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/brevard-county-deputies-shoot-kill-man-believed-to-have-kidnapped-two-women-in-osceola-county/ | 2022-06-26T11:10:32 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/brevard-county-deputies-shoot-kill-man-believed-to-have-kidnapped-two-women-in-osceola-county/ |
AVALON — The borough intends to use new, uniform roll-out trash and recycling bins for residents starting next year in an effort to improve trash and recycling collection services while attracting competitive bids from private contractors.
The anticipated conversion for residents to the wind-resistant, 96 gallon trash and recycling carts with lids is set for May, the borough said in a news release. Carts will be provided to residents in advance, with the opportunity to buy more carts at an additional price. The borough will provide one 2-yard container to every business where required.
The new trash carts, which will be microchipped so they can be returned to their proper owners, have a 10-year-warranty and will reduce landfill tipping fees and workman's compensation expenses, improve considerations for future side yard return of containers and protect the marine environment, the borough said.
“This transition to uniform, roll-out trash and recycling carts will help the borough attract competitive bids from private contractors while also providing tremendous customer service and environmental benefits to our community,” Mayor Martin Pagliughi said.
People are also reading…
The decision comes after the borough reexamined its solid waste and recycling collection program when a private hauler, Gold Medal Environmental, requested to open an expiring contract due to inflation affecting fuel and labor costs.
The Borough Council on April 13 approved a memorandum of understanding with Gold Medal, with the clause that residents will have to return their trash and recycling containers to their own side yards. Avalon was the first community in Cape May County to reach this agreement.
CAPE MAY — Some homeowners in Cape May found themselves without a trash contract with the cl…
The agreement preserved the twice-per-week collection of trash and recycling during the summer, and a return to once-a-week collection during the offseason.
The borough is looking for new solid waste, recycling and bulk trash contracts that include side yard return as a bid option to determine value, and is in discussions with Rehrig Pacific on a contract to provide the carts, the borough said.
A presentation on the new trash and recycling cart program was provided by Avalon’s Purchasing Agent Joseph Clark and Business Administrator Scott Wahl during Wednesday's Borough Council meeting.
The council introduced an ordinance that will finance the business trash containers, and the borough plans to revise its municipal ordinance to reflect the use of the roll-off carts and 2-yard commercial containers in 2023.
Avalon's budget for next year also will include funding for the one-time purchase of trash and recycling carts for residents, the borough said. The borough could recoup up to 15% of the costs of the roll-out carts and will use grants to support the program.
The borough is planning a public information campaign to discuss the program in greater detail. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/avalon-to-issue-new-trash-recycling-containers-next-year/article_608374f0-f4ab-11ec-8609-cffd8cdec30f.html | 2022-06-26T11:10:47 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/avalon-to-issue-new-trash-recycling-containers-next-year/article_608374f0-f4ab-11ec-8609-cffd8cdec30f.html |
A nationwide surge in substance abuse is creating new challenges for addiction treatment centers, who now must overcome people's fears that treatment could mean a return to the isolation first brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the Recovery Centers of America at Lighthouse, CEO Corey Richey said the organization has seen the need for substance abuse treatment consistently increase since the pandemic began 27 months ago in March 2020, but has seen patient response to treatment options change. She said more people struggling with addiction are loath to enter treatment, something she attributed to how COVID and public-health shutdowns are now less salient in people’s lives.
“A lot of the feedback that we’re getting from people when they’re calling in is that they’re not ready to essentially isolate themselves again when they’re just getting back to normal life,” Richey said.
Richey said Lighthouse in Mays Landing and other RCA facilities have been working to adapt to the emerging skepticism. She said staff is working to make prospective patients aware of the different levels of care offered at Lighthouse when they do push back against the idea of enrolling in an inpatient treatment program.
People are also reading…
The highest level of care is an inpatient detox program for opiates, alcohol and benzodiazepines, which provides patients with taper and comfort medication and lasts for five to 10 days, depending on the addiction being treated and medication being used. The inpatient residential program typically lasts for 30 to 40 days, during which time patients participate in different therapy programs and have access to full-time nursing care.
Partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient and general outpatient programs are other options. People enrolled in outpatient programs attend therapy at a hospital for several hours a day for multiple days a week over an extended period. Outpatient sessions can be attended virtually, an innovation motivated by the pandemic that could have long-term benefits for patients with work or family obligations.
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP — Four seniors graduated from Coastal Preparatory High School last week, sai…
Lighthouse also is working to expand its family programs that help people detect early warning signs that a loved one might be struggling with substance abuse.
Lighthouse Alumni Coordinator Jill Showers can testify to the importance of picking up on warning signs and having a strong social support structure. As part of her job, she routinely connects people struggling with substance abuse to others who have experience with addiction.
Showers herself has had experience with addiction. She entered treatment for addiction to drugs and alcohol at Lighthouse in July 2016. Her mother, who had past experience dealing with people who struggled with substance abuse, helped connect her with another person with experience with addiction, who in turned helped advise Showers about how to go about treatment.
“People with the disease of addiction and alcoholism are taught that we think a little bit differently,” Showers said. “We run across it all the time, like, ‘Why can’t you just stop?’ ‘Why can’t you just stop?’ and for us it’s different because we don’t kind of know how to do that on our own. That’s not our baseline.”
A crucial feature of Lighthouse is its alumni network. After people leave treatment, they can connect with alumni from Lighthouse or affiliated RCA programs. There are regularly scheduled events for alumni and daily meetings that can be attended in person or online.
Showers said another factor interfering with treatment has been a tendency for younger people struggling with addiction to not be cognizant of the severity of the situation. She urged people struggling with addiction to prioritize treatment before their situation worsens.
TRENTON — Millville will serve as one of three New Jersey towns where Gov. Phil Murphy’s adm…
The need to respond to addiction has reached new heights as of late. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released statistics in May that estimated there were 107,622 overdose deaths in the United States in 2021, an all-time high. The 2021 total amounted to a nearly 15% increase over the 93,655 estimated overdose deaths in 2020 and a 49% increase over the 72,151 deaths in 2019.
A May CDC news release said opioids were involved in just under 81,000 of the 2021 overdose deaths — an increase from the approximately 70,000 deaths in 2020. In both years, opioid-involved deaths constituted about three-quarters of the total overdose deaths estimated.
Overdose deaths in New Jersey have also increased since the start of 2020, but the rise has been less sharp than the national total. The CDC estimates there were 3,044 overdose deaths in New Jersey in 2021 — a 7% increase over the 2,846 deaths in 2020 and a 9.2% increase over the 2,811 in 2019. Alaska was the state that saw the largest proportional increase in overdose deaths, rising more than 75% from 2021 to 2020.
Richey had previously attributed the national and state spike in deaths to disruptions in people’s livelihoods caused by the pandemic. That these trends have not fully abated makes the newly hardened resistance to treatment all the more worrisome.
One particular deterrent to treatment for some patients has been renewed professional responsibilities. Richey said the return to in-person work and a general tendency for employers to be more demanding due to less public concern over COVID-19 has left people feeling like they cannot take time off for treatment.
“People who were able to maybe take some time off or work remotely or things like that, they’re worried about their employment and how do they continue to stay employed or how do they seek new employment while also taking care of what they need to take care of in terms of treatment at the same time,” Richey said.
Cardinal Angelo Sodano, a once-powerful Italian prelate who long served as the Vatican's No. 2 official, has died at 94. Pope Francis in a condolence telegram Saturday to the retired prelate's sister noted that Sodano had held many roles in the Vatican's diplomatic corps. He was named secretary of state in 1991 by Pope John Paul II. The Vatican said he died Friday. Italian state radio said Sodano had recently contracted COVID-19, complicating his already frail health. Sodano's legacy was tarnished by his staunch support for the disgraced, pedophile founder of the Legion of Christ religious order. Sodano for years had prevented the Vatican from investigating sex abuse allegations against the Rev. Marcial Maciel.
Richey said there is a work-flexibility program for people to enter but acknowledged it was a “harder sell” to people afraid they will be punished or stigmatized if they are absent from the workplace.
Showers said those who know people who struggle with addiction should work to learn more. She urged families to join groups for those close to people with addiction, so they can share their experiences.
“They’re not always easy situations,” Showers said. “When your kid’s calling you from treatment saying, ‘I don’t want to be here, I don’t want to be here,’ you know 90% of the time they’re uncomfortable, they’re getting sober, it’s not a normal state. So being able to set a healthy boundary and get support in that is crucial as well.”
Showers continued to urge people to find a healthy community that reminds them about the hope for recovery.
“I think it’s really important to be immersed in a community where we’re able to stay connected and be reminded there is a way out and this is kind of how we did it,” Showers said.
Contact Chris Doyle | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/mays-landing-addiction-recovery-center-works-to-overcome-resistance-to-treatment/article_cd712c64-ebfb-11ec-bd9c-e7c81f79b50c.html | 2022-06-26T11:10:53 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/mays-landing-addiction-recovery-center-works-to-overcome-resistance-to-treatment/article_cd712c64-ebfb-11ec-bd9c-e7c81f79b50c.html |
Former first-round pick Chase Petty has increased his workload during his first full minor league season.
The 2021 Mainland Regional High School graduate, a 19-year-old right-hander, made his latest start Wednesday for the Daytona Tortugas, the Cincinnati Reds’ low Single-A affiliate. Petty allowed three runs and struck out two in five innings in the no-decision.
Petty was 0-2 with a 3.64 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 13 games (eight starts) and 47 innings. His latest start was the second time this year he’s pitched at least five innings.
He was selected 26th overall in the 2021 MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins and traded in the offseason to the Reds. In 15 career games (nine starts), Petty was 0-2 with a 3.81 ERA and 50 strikeouts in 52 innings.
Here are updates on local players making their journeys through the minors, with their stats through Thursday:
RHP Joe Gatto (St. Augustine Prep), 27, was 3-0 with a 6.75 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 26²/³ innings through 22 appearances (one start) for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Philadelphia Phillies).
Gatto, from Hammonton, was selected in the second round of the 2014 draft by the Los Angeles Angels. He spent the 2021 season in the Texas Rangers system. The Phillies signed him in December. In 179 career minor league games (87 starts), he was 36-34 with a 4.73 ERA, 472 strikeouts and three saves in 534²/³ innings.
LHP Zach Warren (St. Augustine Prep), 28, now pitching for Lehigh Valley, was 0-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 17 appearances and 16²/³ innings in Double-A and Triple-A combined.
In 151 career games, Warren was 5-10 with a 3.01 ERA and 311 strikeouts in 212 innings. Warren was selected in the 14th round by the Phillies in the 2017 draft.
Double-A
RHP Mike Adams (Holy Spirit), 27, pitching for the Reading Fightin Phils (Phillies), was 5-0 with an 8.36 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 19 games (28 innings).
Adams, from Egg Harbor Township, was signed by the Phillies in January 2021 after he impressed scouts with his 98 mph fastball during a tryout. He is a co-owner of Baseball Performance Center in Pleasantville. He was 7-2 with a 5.95 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 63 career minor-league games (75²/³ innings).
LHP Jay Groome (Barnegat), 23, pitching for the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox), was 3-3 with a 3.61 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 13 games (12 starts) and 62¹/³ innings. He allowed two runs and struck out 10 in six innings in his latest start Tuesday, a no-decision.
In 54 career games (53 starts), Groome was 11-20 with a 4.59 ERA and 284 strikeouts in 225²/³ innings. The Barnegat resident was drafted with the 12th overall pick by the Red Sox in 2016.
RHP Brett Kennedy (Atlantic City), 27, pitching for the Sea Dogs since his contract with the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League was purchased by the Boston Red Sox on May 24, picked up his first win of the season June 18. He allowed three runs in six innings to improve to 1-2. In five games (four starts), he had a 4.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 27 innings.
Kennedy hopes to return to the majors, where he made six starts for the San Diego Padres in 2018, going 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA. In six starts with the Ducks this year, he was 2-1 with a 3.03 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 32²/³ innings.
The Brigantine resident was selected by the Padres in the 11th round of the 2015 draft. In 105 career minor-league games (98 starts) with MLB-affiliated organizations, he was 33-30 with a 4.02 ERA and 467 strikeouts in 484 innings.
Single-A (High)
RHP Sean Mooney (Ocean City), 24, is pitching for the Cedar Rapids Kernels (Minnesota Twins), for whom he was 2-2 with a 2.40 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 10 games (eight starts) and 36¹/³ innings. In his last start June 19, he allowed two runs and struck out six in five innings. He did not get a decision.
Mooney was selected in the 12th round of the 2019 draft by the Twins. He didn’t pitch in 2019 as he recovered from Tommy John surgery after a season-ending injury at St. John’s University. There was no minor-league season in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 23 career games (20 starts), he was 2-4 with a 2.59 ERA and 126 strikeouts in 83¹/³ innings.
Single-A (Low)
LHP Daniel Nunan (Ocean City), 22, was 0-0 with a 4.43 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 14 games (22¹/³ innings) for the Inland Empire 66ers (Los Angeles Angels).
The Egg Harbor Township resident was selected in the 12th round of the 2018 draft. In 30 career games (three starts), he was 2-2 with a 5.00 ERA, 66 strikeouts and two saves in 54 innings.
Rookie League
LHP Jake McKenna (Ocean City), 20, is listed on the roster for the FCL Phillies, a Florida Complex League affiliate of Philadelphia. Their season began this month, and he had yet to appear in a game.
The Cape May Court House resident signed a minor-league deal in June 2020. In six career games (one start), he is 0-0 with a 15.00 ERA and 12 strikeouts in six innings.
PHOTOS: A look at local major and minor leaguers in 2022
I graduated from Rowan University in 2011 where I studied journalism. I covered local high school and college sports at the South Jersey Times and Vineland Daily Journal. I have been a sports reporter with The Press since July 2013
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Soon we will no longer integrate with Facebook for story comments. The commenting option is not going away, however, readers will need to register for a FREE site account to continue sharing their thoughts and feedback on stories. If you already have an account (i.e. current subscribers, posting in obituary guestbooks, for submitting community events), you may use that login, otherwise, you will be prompted to create a new account.
Chase Petty, pitching for the Daytona Tortugas in the Cincinnati Reds organization, was 0-2 with a 3.64 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 13 games (eight starts) and 47 innings through Thursday. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/chase-petty-has-3-64-era-in-13-games-in-single-a-local-minor-league/article_9aa24978-f405-11ec-afda-17b5b8f6c742.html | 2022-06-26T11:10:59 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/chase-petty-has-3-64-era-in-13-games-in-single-a-local-minor-league/article_9aa24978-f405-11ec-afda-17b5b8f6c742.html |
Lubbock entertainment in brief
Alamo hosts 'Elvis' brunch
Brunch is always on our mind. Alamo Drafthouse Lubbock is hosting a special menu brunch of the feature film "Elvis" at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 26.
"Elvis" tells the story of the legendary singer/cultural icon/force of nature in rhinestone-studded fashion. From his dazzling first performance to his complex relationship with long-time manager Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks), to his role in the civil rights movement, Baz Luhrmann infuses his signature flamboyant (in a good way) and exhilarating style into the legend of Elvis.
With a soaring soundtrack filled with stars like Eminem, Jack White, Doja Cat, Stevie Nicks, Tame Impala, Gary Clarke Jr., and many, many more, this is a toe-tapping and timely tale you can’t help but fall in love with.
Tickets to this special screening are $10 and available in advance online at drafthouse.com/lubbock/event/
Bruno Mars tribute coming to Cactus
The No. 1 touring tribute to Bruno Mars, 24K Magic, is set to perform at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 30, at the Cactus Theater.
24K Magic's high-energy show will have you singing and dancing to all the hits you know and love, like “Uptown Funk”, “Locked Out of Heaven” and, of course, “24K Magic.”
The members of 24K Magic are world-class, professional musicians who have worked with the music industry’s best. Together, they deliver the ultimate Bruno Mars concert experience. With flawless vocals, expert musicianship and tight choreography…you’d think you were watching the real thing.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cactustheater.com
Red, White & Moo Milk Fest set for July 2
The Red, White & Moo Freedom Parade & Milk Fest, along with various other activities, is scheduled for Saturday, July 2, at the Courthouse Lawn in downtown Plainview.
Activities will begin with the Red, White & Moo Freedom Parade at 10 a.m. The parade will begin at 11th & Ash and head south to Broadway Park.
Prizes will be given for the Best Decorated Entry and People’s Choice Award. Parade watchers will take a photo of their favorite entry and post it on the Red, White & Moo Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Red, White and MOO Milk Fest). People will be able to vote until midnight July 2. The winners will be announced on the Red, White & Moo Facebook page at noon on Tuesday, July 5.
Downtown Plainview /Main Street will be coordinating the parade and participants are welcome. For more information or to pick up an entry form, contact Tori Huddleston at 806.293.4000 or thuddleston@plainviewtx.org. Participants may also visit www.plainviewtx.org for a form.
Following the parade, the Red, White & Moo Milk Fest will be held on the Courthouse lawn from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Activities will include music, bouncy houses, mobile dairy classroom, petting zoo, face painting, food trucks and of course, free ice cream, milk and cheese.
For more information, contact Downtown Plainview at 293-4000 or 296-1119 or visit our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/redwhitemoomilkfest.
Cinemark 'MIB' for 25th anniversary
Cinemark Movies 16 and XD, 5721 58th St., will host a special 25th anniversary screening of "Men In Black" at 3 and 7 p.m. Sunday, July 3, and 7 p.m. Monday, July 4.
Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith star in this blockbuster as the Men in Black, regulators of all things alien on Earth. With our planet crawling with extraterrestrials cleverly disguised to blend in with the clueless human population, top-secret organization MiB is charged with monitoring and controlling alien activity while keeping it all a secret.
World-weary Agent K (Jones) and his enthusiastic young partner, Agent J (Smith), are investigating several mysterious alien deaths with the help of the coolly resourceful Dr. Laura Weaver (Linda Fiorentino), deputy medical examiner of New York. On the trail of an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D'Onofrio) with a deadly agenda, K and J face a simple imperative: track down the interloper or the Earth will be destroyed. It's all in a day's work for the Men in Black.
Tickets for this special screening are $12.45 and available in advance online at www.fathomevents.com
Country legend Janie Fricke coming to Cactus
Janie Fricke, a certified country music legend with 18 No. 1 hits, is set to perform live at the Cactus Theater at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 8.
Fricke has gone from Indiana farm girl to internationally acclaimed recording artist throughout her career. Her voice led her to singing sessions for Country artists such as Loretta Lynn, Eddie Rabbitt, Crystal Gayle, Ronnie Milsap, Barbara Mandrell, Mel Tillis, Johnny Duncan and others.
Fricke soon began to dominate the country charts with smash hits such as “Don't Worry ' Bout Me Baby,” “He's a Heartache” and “You're Heart's Not In It.” It was only a matter of time before she started winning awards. Among them are: Country Music Association's Female Vocalist of the Year, Music City News Female Vocalist of the Year, "Billboard" Top Country Female Vocalist, Academy of Country Music Female Vocalist of the Year, and she was chosen to the Country Music Hall of Fame Walkway of Stars.
In her recording career, she has released 23 albums and 36 hit singles.
Tickets for the first four rows (rows A-D) are $40; remaining floor seats (rows E-M) are $35; standard balcony seats are $30; and limited balcony box seats are $70 and include concessions).
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.cactustheater.com
Theater presents Ragtown! a Musical Drama
Now in its 16th season, Ragtown Gospel Theater is excited to be bringing Ragtown! A Musical Drama back to the stage with eight performances in July and August.
Ragtown is a fun-filled musical based on the 1907 founding of Post City, Texas, by the eccentric millionaire cereal inventor, C.W. Post. But underlying the rollicking story is a message that couldn’t be more timely.
Taking place just 40 years after the end of the Civil War, Ragtown is a story of forgiveness and healing the wounds of division between brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of skin color, or on which side of the war they may have been.
Glenn Polk directs, and portrays the enigmatic Rainmaker with Deborah Hobbs as Sister Pearl Talley, and Ron Meadows in the role of C.W. Post. The play and music are by Chip Polk, with orchestral arrangements by Andy Patterson. Choreography is by Kristen Williams.
Performances will be Saturdays at 3 p.m., July 9 through Aug. 27. All seats are reserved. Adult tickets are $22, discounted to $16.50 purchased in groups of 12 or more. Student tickets K through college are $10. Veterans and active military are welcome to attend as our guests.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit ragtown.com.
Cinemark screening 'Transformers' for 15th anniversary
Cinemark Movies 16 and XD, 5721 58th St., is hosting a special 15th anniversary screening of "Transformers" at 3 and 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 10, and at 3 and 7 p.m. on Thursday, July 14.
From director Michael Bay and executive producer Steven Spielberg comes the thrilling blockbuster battle between the heroic Autobots and the evil Decepticons. When their epic struggle comes to Earth, all that stands between the Decepticons and ultimate power is a clue held by a young man named Sam (Shia LaBeouf).
Teaming up Bumblebee, an Autobot disguised as Sam's car, the heart-pounding race is on, against an enemy unlike anything anyone has seen before.
Tickets for this special screening are $12.45 and available online in advance. For more information, visit www.fathomevents.com | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2022/06/26/lubbock-entertainment-brief/7706276001/ | 2022-06-26T11:11:51 | 0 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2022/06/26/lubbock-entertainment-brief/7706276001/ |
Upcoming Hub City events
SUNDAY
• Brunch | Makenzie Patton at Claraboya Scratch Kitchen+Bar | DoubleTree, 11 a.m.
• Brunch | Danny Cadra at Overton Hotel and Conference Center | Pecan Grill Lounge, 11 a.m.
• School of Rock House | Lubbock Summer Season Showcase at LHUCA, 12:30 p.m.
• 8th Annual Art on the Llano Estacado at Museum of Texas Tech University, 1 p.m.
• BierHaus Babes Drag Brunch | Pride Month Celebration at Bier Haus Lubbock, 1:30 p.m.
• "Where Lyfe Cuts" at The Edge Theatre, 2:30 p.m.
MONDAY
• Lubbock ISD All-District Marching Band Send-Off in Downtown Lubbock, noon
• Danny Cadra at Claraboya Scratch Kitchen+Bar | DoubleTree, 5 p.m.
• Singer/Songwriter Night | Jerry Serrano at Blue Light Live, 9 p.m.
TUESDAY
• Blayke Holsome at Claraboya Scratch Kitchen+Bar | DoubleTree, 5 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
• Amber Pennington | High Noon Concert Series at Lubbock County Courthouse Gazebo, noon
• Blayke Holsome at Claraboya Scratch Kitchen+Bar | DoubleTree, 5 p.m.
• Brian McRae at The Kress | Burklee Hill Vineyards, 6 p.m.
• Hub City Drifters at Blue Light Live, 9 p.m.
THURSDAY
• Trolley Tours at National Ranching Heritage Center, 10:30 a.m.
• Makenzie Patton at Claraboya Scratch Kitchen+Bar | DoubleTree, 5 p.m.
• Colt Compton & The Comptones | Summer Showcase Concert Series at Buddy Holly Center, 5:30 p.m.
• Mark Wallney | Patio Nights at McPherson Cellars, 6 p.m.
• Steven Birkenfeld at Cotton Court Hotel | The Midnight Shift, 7 p.m.
• Kevin Hoes at Overton Hotel and Conference Center | Pecan Grill Lounge, 7 p.m.
• 24K Magic | Bruno Mars Tribute at Cactus Theater, 7:30 p.m.
• Hayden McBride at The Blue Light Live, 9 p.m
FRIDAY
• First Friday Art Trail, 6 p.m.
• Sam Choate at The Kress | Burklee Hill Vineyards, 7 p.m.
• SAL & The Stonewall Hippies at The Blue Light Live, 11 p.m.
SATURDAY
• Lubbock Downtown Farmers Market, 9 a.m.
• Yoga in the Plaza | Stay Active in the Plaza Summer Series at Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza, 9 a.m.
• Living History Saturdays at National Ranching Heritage Center, 10 a.m.
• Chris Hudgins at The Kress | Burklee Hill Vineyards, 7 p.m.
• Will Hearn’s The Grand Ol’ Americana Show | Blue Water Highway at Cactus Theater, 7:30 p.m.
• Tyler Halverson at The Blue Light Live, 11 p.m.
MONDAY, JULY 4
• 32nd Annual 4th On Broadway Celebration at Mackenzie Park, 9 a.m.
• Singer/Songwriter Night | Jerry Serrano at Blue Light Live, 9 p.m.
TUESDAY, JULY 5
• SPiVEY at The Kress | Burklee Hill Vineyards, 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6
• Jordan Kirk | 2022 High Noon Concert Series at Lubbock County Courthouse Gazebo, noon
• Russell Joe Thompson at The Kress | Burklee Hill Vineyards, 6 p.m.
• Lubbock Tango at LHUCA, 6 p.m.
THURSDAY, JULY 7
• Trolley Tours at National Ranching Heritage Center, 10:30 a.m.
• Un(wine)d with the Arts at LHUCA, 5 p.m.
• Jenni Dale Lord | Summer Showcase Concert Series at Buddy Holly Center, 5:30 p.m.
• Patio Nights at McPherson Cellars, 6 p.m.
• Ragland | Abbey Duncan at The Blue Light Live, 9 p.m.
FRIDAY, JULY 8
• Clifton Castle at Claraboya Scratch Kitchen+Bar | DoubleTree, 5 p.m.
• Jenni Dale Lord at The Kress | Burklee Hill Vineyards, 7 p.m.
• Janie Fricke at Cactus Theater, 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, JULY 9
• Lubbock Downtown Farmers Market, 9 a.m.
• Yoga in the Plaza | Stay Active in the Plaza Summer Series at Buddy and Maria Elena Holly Plaza, 9 a.m.
• Living History Saturdays at National Ranching Heritage Center, 10 a.m.
• Brian McRae | Brunch on Broadway at The Kress | Burklee Hill Vineyards, 11 a.m.
• 2022 Caprock Jazz Festival | Pre-concert Dinner at Museum of Texas Tech University | Helen DeVitt Jones Auditorium, 5 p.m.
• 2022 Caprock Jazz Festival | Concert at Museum of Texas Tech University | Helen DeVitt Jones Auditorium, 7 p.m.
• Jenni Dale Lord Band at Cotton Court Hotel | The Midnight Shift, 7 p.m.
• Jeremy Couture at The Kress | Burklee Hill Vineyards, 7 p.m.
• Dunn and Brooks Tribute Band at The Garden, 8 p.m.
• Donovan Keith at The Blue Light Live, 11 p.m. | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2022/06/26/upcoming-hub-city-events/7706284001/ | 2022-06-26T11:11:52 | 0 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2022/06/26/upcoming-hub-city-events/7706284001/ |
Five questions with ... Daniel Matea, founder of Heart and Soles Ministries
Daniel Matea is the founder of Heart and Soles Ministries.
He was born in Costa Mesa, California, but has spent most of his life in Stark County and currently lives in Alliance. Matea is a 41-year-old Christian who founded his organization in 2018.
"I went to McKinley High School in Canton and later graduated top of my class from the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in New York City," he said. "I am engaged to a wonderful Filipina woman named Abegail Flores, and how we met is how Heart and Soles began."
He has a pitbull/boxer mix dog named Layla and three cats named Jazz, Sasha and Nick Chubb.
More:Five questions with ... Rita Oser who run Holleydale Farm
Why did you start Heart and Soles?
In 2017, I was randomly chatting with people online trying to encourage them. In September of that year, I met a Filipina woman on Facebook named Abegail, who lived in Luzon Philippines.
She was going through a difficult time and she and I became friends as I tried to help her through it. Toward the end of 2018, I was on a video chat with her when I noticed her nieces and nephews were always barefoot.
Thinking they liked to be barefoot all the time, I made a comment about it and Abegail informed me that a lot of them couldn't afford a pair of shoes. One of her nephews, Ryhn, had an infection on his foot and because he was special needs, it was difficult for his family to get him to rest his foot so it could heal. Instead, he kept running on it and they were worried it would get worse.
I thought what if we supplied him with a pair of shoes. He could keep playing and his parents could keep his foot wrapped so his wound would heal. Since it was almost Christmas time, I got my friends and family to help and we bought a bunch of toys, candy and shoes for the kids and shipped them off to the Philippines.
On Christmas Day, I got to watch as the kids opened all their presents. When the kids started opening up the shoes, they got ecstatic about receiving them. I was expecting them to behave like most American kids behave when they receive clothes or shoes, and I thought they would say thanks and move back to the toys.
Instead, they forgot about the toys, and candy, and were so excited about the shoes they started crying. One little girl named TinTin grabbed her shoes and started hugging them and crying. I was so blown away by their response.
In the coming days, the kids in the neighborhood found out and started showing up asking if there was anything they could do to get a pair of shoes, as well. I soon realized this was a bigger deal than I thought, and without even a plan, or a name, Heart and Soles was born.
I started going around to local churches, businesses, and pantries to see if I could raise support to help even more children. I realized the local shelters, and clothing pantries, had very few shoes of their own to hand out to the local community. The shoe problem seemed to be here, as well.
Millions of children all over the world go without shoes for their feet simply because they can't afford them. They try to use rubber tires, two-liter bottles, or anything they can hold together to get some sort of comfort for their feet.
What makes matters worse is we live in a world where we dump trash everywhere, and these kids are then forced to walk on it. This becomes a more serious problem when the trash they step on is broken bottles, rusty nails or even needles.
More:Five questions with ... Jerry Csaki of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Would you detail some of the projects the organization has been involved with?
Heart and Soles continued to expand, and even though our mission was geared toward kids, we supplied shoes for adults, too, if they needed them. We became the No. 1 supplier of shoes in the Stark County area.
We supply shoes for all the local Stark County pantries and homeless outreach centers like Michael's World, Crossroads and Clothed in Righteousness. Last year, we partnered with Clothed in Righteousness and gave away shoes to over 110 families that needed them in our local community.
We also began supplying for the Pregnancy Center in Alliance so that any mom that needed shoes for their kids could get them free of charge. We supplied cleats to McKinley High School and Alliance City Schools, so any child who wants to play a sport can do that without worrying if they can afford the proper cleats. We also took our Heart and Soles Team to the Homeless Stand Down at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.
We work hard to help those around us in need, and fashioned Heart and Soles into a servant-oriented charity that helped and supported our local communities. We started a yearly sandals giveaway in Luzon, Philippines, and every Christmas since 2019, we have supplied sandals to any child who needs them in the town where Abegail lives.
Abegail heads up the project to help Heart and Soles reach the children in her village. Beginning in 2021, we started to expand even more and took on a project where we supplied shoes to every child at an orphanage (Christ Children's Care) in Sierra Leone, Africa, and we hope to help even more orphanages in that area this year.
We have also teamed up with Polish Christian Ministries to supply shoes to the Ukrainian refugees coming across the border into Poland. A lot of these refugees have had to walk hundreds of miles to get to safety and their shoes are destroyed, and a lot of places are not set up to supply shoes to them.
What is your personal philosophy when it comes to helping others?
Heart and Soles was started with the mission to help those in need. Shoes are something that are often a forgotten item in helping others yet when you are the one without them, it can be the only thing you think about.
When I speak at churches or events, I often ask people to imagine stepping on a Lego, and think about how bad that hurts, because some of the people we help deal with that pain all day. Or imagine walking hundreds of miles in shoes with worn out soles where you can feel every step along the way, or with holes in your shoes where your feet are so wet and cold that's all you can think about.
There are children and parents all over the world who worry about them every day. We just want to help them, one child at a time, until someday we can make it so no child has to worry about it again.
I always remember the Scripture in James 2:14-17 where it talks about faith without works is dead, and in Matthew 25:40 where Jesus says "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me."
Would you share a special talent that your co-workers or others would be surprised to hear you have?
I can solve a Rubik's Cube, I can do card tricks and I have a degree in film production. Plus, I have almost 9 million views on my Google reviews.
What are some of your favorite places to visit in Stark County?
I love to try new places and see new things. But my favorite place would have to be the Walborn Reservoir in Alliance.
Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/daniel-matea-answers-five-questions-heart-and-soles-ministries/7657092001/ | 2022-06-26T11:12:58 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/daniel-matea-answers-five-questions-heart-and-soles-ministries/7657092001/ |
Fans get action-packed show, with some twists, in WWE's first show in Amarillo in 3 years
A show three years in the making provided enough entertainment — and unexpected plot twists — to send the fans in the Amarillo Civic Center home happy on Saturday night.
The WWE returned to Amarillo to put on its Saturday Night's Main Event house show to a packed crowd.
Fans were treated to an eight-match card that featured some of the top WWE Superstars from the RAW brand. The main event of the evening was a triple threat match for the Raw Women's Championship featuring Bianca Belair putting her title on the line against Asuka and Becky Lynch.
Each of the three women played to their strengths — Asuka with her strikes, Lynch with her creativity and Belair her athleticism and physical prowess — to put on a pay-per-view quality match.
Belair was able to retain her championship by hitting Lynch — a consistent adversary of hers over the last year — with the Kiss of Death. Following the victory, Belair spent about 15 minutes taking photos, signing autographs and meetings fans that hung around to get a moment with the EST of the WWE.
The show wasn't without its quirks as the opening contest of the night — a tag-team match between The Street Profits and Alpha Academy — hit a snag early in the encounter.
Shortly after the match began, the middle rope of the ring popped off of the post, leaving each of the four competitors amused at the circumstances. The Superstars showed their veteran instincts and continued the match without much issue.
Following their victory, The Street Profits (Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins) partied a bit with the Amarillo faithful.
After the crew repaired the ring, MVP let the Civic Center crowd know how much better New York City is compared to Amarillo. His client, Omos, then put Robert Roode away in a quick encounter.
Ezekiel — who is definitely not his older brother Elias — was attacked from behind by Tommaso Ciampa before their match could officially begin. Though he was battling from behind most of the bout, Ezekiel got the win by countering a move from Ciampa and getting the 1-2-3.
Rey Mysterio and his son Dominic attempted to rid themselves of Veer Mahan in a 2-on-1 handicap match, but Mahan's pure brutality won out in the end as Mahan made Dominic tap out.
The final match of the first session came as a bit of a surprise as Damian Priest of The Judgement Day took on AJ Styles in what was billed as an Amarillo Street Fight.
Before the match could even begin, at least one very vocal fan encouraged the two competitors to introduce a table into the match. Towards the end, Styles obliged, introducing the table and later moving out of the way to send Priest crashing through the wood. Styles finished it off with the Phenomenal Forearm.
A short intermission was followed by an edition of Miz TV, The Miz's most must-see talk show in the history of WWE. Miz was joined by United States Champion Theory and the two took turns trying to enrage the Amarillo crowd — to much successful.
Bobby Lashley interrupted the pair's pose-off and wound up facing The Miz in a one-on-one match. Lashley was about to win before Theory broke up The Hurt Lock submission hold, giving Lashley the victory by disqualification.
The final men's match of the night featured Seth "Freakin" Rollins facing Riddle, which was originally advertised to be the Amarillo Street Fight — as the saying goes, card subject to change. Rollins spent the first part of the match arguing with a fan in the front row, even taking the audience member's rubber chicken and throwing it across the arena.
Riddle channeled his inner Randy Orton — his best friend — to hit Rollins with an RKO to put The Original Bro into the win column.
Fans began lining up to enter the arena at 4 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show. They stood in line for two hours before being let in. They were ready for wrestling to return and were treated to an action-packed night. | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/sports/local/2022/06/26/bianca-belair-retains-raw-womens-title-cap-wwe-show-amarillo/7711828001/ | 2022-06-26T11:13:20 | 1 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/sports/local/2022/06/26/bianca-belair-retains-raw-womens-title-cap-wwe-show-amarillo/7711828001/ |
The digital age allows new opportunities to arise in every industry. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed remote and online efforts even further. In 2022, businesses rely almost entirely on the use of technology and this new set of standards is also true in the book publishing industry.
Traditionally, authors had to go through publishing houses in order to get their books printed, disbursed and promoted, but that is no longer the case. Self-publishing has gained such popularity in recent years that Amazon's market share of self-published print books in the US increased from 6% in 2007 to 92% in 2018.
For those wanting to learn more about self-publishing during its golden age, Diane Phelps Budden is teaching a Continuing Education course at Northern Arizona University's Flagstaff campus titled “Steps to Getting Your Self Published Book into Print.”
Brenda Sipe, director of NAU’s Continuing Education program, works hard to curate classes that the community can benefit from. Sipe helped begin the Continuing Education program at NAU in 2020, a program focused on providing the community with non-credit classes that will help further their education, whether they are currently enrolled in NAU or haven’t been to school in many years.
People are also reading…
“Continuing Education is a new program,” Sipe said. “Within my role, I’m offering programs to the community for non-credit, as well as to professionals. We do have a number of professional programs, enrichment programs and youth programs. Those are really the three audiences we’re focusing on.”
Professional courses are often career based and can sometimes offer students a certification that will aid them in their career paths. Enrichment programs offer a wide range of skills from beer brewing to comedy film analysis. Youth programs, like this summer’s Young Authors or Olympian Myths camp, focus on providing education and enrichment opportunities for kids and teens. Classes are taught in-person, online or even at the NAU North Valley location in Phoenix.
Budden’s self-publishing class is all about teaching authors how they can publish and print their books on their own terms. Budden released her author’s guide “The Author’s Concise Guide to Marketing: How to Jumpstart Sales of Your Self-published Book” in 2011, and has been teaching these skills, among others, in workshops and courses ever since. With a marketing and authoring background, Budden is able to combine these skills in order to help students create their own marketing plans, according to Sipe.
“The time spent marketing should actually be more than the time spent writing,” Sipe said. “A lot of writers don’t like to hear that because they love their book and they just know everyone will want to read it, but she stresses that they have to spend a lot of time marketing. Along with the decisions around publishing. Whether they want an agent, a specialty publisher, whether they want to print or they just want an E-Book. These are just a few of the decisions that go into it.”
This course discusses essential marketing materials, including book descriptions, cover copy, bios, social media content and events. In this course, Budden will help students begin their marketing plan by finding their audience, so when the class is over, they will know exactly how to move forward.
“She’ll talk to them a lot about audience,” Sipe said. “Really deciding, while they are still writing the book who their target audience is and who they are trying to sell it to. In marketing that’s a really important thing to know before you try to sell anything: who is your audience and how are you going to reach them?”
Sipe said it is important to note that this is not a writing course and that those interested in enrolling should have a pretty good idea of where their book is headed, or have a novel already completed. She also wants students and those interested in self-publishing to understand the ever-changing market and how the pandemic has changed everything.
“Self-publishing is the easiest way for people to get their work into print,” Sipe said. “However, the self-publishing market is changing rapidly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. She will discuss in the class how the industry has changed. The industry is in flux so while self-publishing is popular and a lot of people are doing it, there are changes in the industry that people should be aware of.”
Experience marketing professional and author Diane Phelps Budden is teaching a self-publishing course on NAU’s Flagstaff campus this summer. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/learn-how-to-self-publish-in-the-digital-age-with-nau-s-continuing-education-course/article_d3ae3a39-ab59-5bd4-a9b5-b4732310745d.html | 2022-06-26T11:37:36 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/learn-how-to-self-publish-in-the-digital-age-with-nau-s-continuing-education-course/article_d3ae3a39-ab59-5bd4-a9b5-b4732310745d.html |
Raise a glass at the Petrifying Springs Park Biergarten, open noon to 9 p.m. today. The outdoor venue, at the south entrance to Petrifying Springs Park, 5555 Seventh St. in Somers, hosts live music starting at 3 p.m. Ben Mulwana, a Ugandan-born and raised artist residing in Wisconsin, is performing. For more details, check the biergarten’s Facebook page.
Bong State Recreation Area, 26313 Burlington Road (Highway 142) in Brighton, is hosting a Pollinator Celebration from 10 a.m. to noon today. Participants can take part in activities that include a Nectar Relay Race and a guided walk to the butterfly gardens. Meet at the Visitor Center.
The Anderson Arts Center, 6603 Third Ave., is hosting a free opening reception from 1 to 4 p.m. today for new exhibits including abstract mixed media by Laura Lein-Svencner, plus shows by Carrie Ann Schumacher and solo shows by the winners of the 2021 Winter Juried Show: Kathy Kerner, George J. Miller, Christine B. Miller, Lewis Schultz and Roger Shule. Refreshments will be available.
People are also reading…
All aboard! Kenosha’s Downtown electric streetcars are running seven days a week again, offering wonderful lakefront views. The streetcars run 11:05 a.m. to 6:35 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:35 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The fare is $1 for ages 13 and older and 50 cents for kids ages 5-12 (free for kids age 4 and younger). An all-day pass is $3.50. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-sunday-june-26/article_536b5bac-f33e-11ec-b3f9-9f70f23ffcfd.html | 2022-06-26T11:40:18 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-sunday-june-26/article_536b5bac-f33e-11ec-b3f9-9f70f23ffcfd.html |
Another school year has ended in these times when promoting education has been a challenge for teachers, parents and children. Can you imagine having to face all the needed changes at school to simply be able to learn? Kids are resilient.
One rainy Saturday afternoon my wife was standing in line at a local grocery store with three little, blonde haired, blue lipped girls behind her. They were very concerned about how much their groceries were going to cost. They had two packs of hot dogs and a half gallon of chocolate mint ice cream.
They continued to ask the checker how much this would be. He said, “Girls, I believe you’ll get eighteen cents back.” My wife asked, “Girls, are you having a party?” “Nope,” replied the oldest. “Our mom’s been sick so we decided to make her supper. We’ll have hot dogs and ice cream.”
They had spent the afternoon washing windows and picking up cans to pay for their dinner.
Despite what you read or hear, there is nothing wrong with the basic fiber of today’s kids. It’s our responsibility to help that spirit grow and blossom. We do that by providing them guidance. They face many more pathways in life than we did and we need to help them understand where each path leads. We can spur our children’s growth by providing an example, an example of service. When we volunteer in whatever capacity we chose to serve, it shows them that caring for others is important, simply because it’s the right thing to do. Also we can love them. As they grow up they then will return that love to their families and community.
We are blessed to live in this place at this time. We all have different talents which, when used, make this an even better place. I invite you to join your friends and neighbors at the Chamber working the many opportunities that will continue to make this the best place to live and grow a future.
Remember our business is helping your business. And like us on Facebook.
(Timm Slater is executive director of the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. For more information on your Chamber, email timmslater@oregonsbayarea.org.) | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/the-chamber-minute-today-s-kids-are-fine/article_691bf81e-f25b-11ec-8f9b-130f77c78e84.html | 2022-06-26T12:04:24 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/the-chamber-minute-today-s-kids-are-fine/article_691bf81e-f25b-11ec-8f9b-130f77c78e84.html |
Two injured in Central Freeway pin-in accident
Christopher Walker
Wichita Falls Times Record News
A major one-vehicle accident closed part of the freeway near the falls Saturday.
According to Wichita Falls Police Lt. Donald Miller:
Shortly after 5:30 p.m., police and emergency medics responded to a major accident on southbound Central Freeway. The 60-year-old driver was transported to the hospital with serious injuries. A passenger was treated for minor injuries.
Officers on-scene said it appeared the pickup they were in collided with a concrete barricade. No other injuries were reported. A portion of the freeway was closed while the accident scene was investigated. Stay with the Times Record News for more information. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/25/two-injured-central-freeway-pin-accident/7738301001/ | 2022-06-26T12:15:40 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/25/two-injured-central-freeway-pin-accident/7738301001/ |
The following column is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Upon graduating from the University of Arizona in 1977, I’d scan the back pages of “Editor and Publisher” magazine hunting for newspapers seeking an earnest editorial cartoonist to grace their opinion pages. The help wanted ads in newspaper trade journals often posed this question to wanna-be journalists: ”Do you have ink in your veins?”
If the lifeblood of journalism is ink then the opinion page is the beating heart. It’s where emotion, subjectivity and debate are encouraged. It’s where, in my youth, I discovered columnists like Molly Ivins, Mary McGrory, E.J. Dionne, Royko, George Will and Leonard Pitts. It’s where I’d find stirring editorials, great written oratory, surprising guest essays, provocative analyses to challenge my assumptions and the most popular and enjoyable feature, letters to the editor, where our neighbors vent, praise, and fret over our Republic.
Well, fret away, dear readers, because across our troubled democracy many a corporate high priest is cutting the beating hearts out of their small town and big city newspapers on the sacrificial altar of profit.
People are also reading…
Permit me here to suck up to my employer. I am grateful to work for the Arizona Daily Star, a rare newspaper that genuinely values local opinion. This lucky cartoonist, as I often note, is also fortunate because my weekly cartoons are syndicated globally by Daryl Cagle’s Cagle Cartoons, Incorporated. When I returned from celebrating my semi-retirement last week I saw this notice from Daryl Cagle informing we cartoonists Gannett has given notice to all syndicates they are terminating all content produced by editorial cartoonists and opinion columnists. All of it.
That’s huge. Gannett owns one-fourth of America’s dailies and already many Gannett papers have jettisoned their opinion pages. Today, Gannett’s flagship national paper “USA Today” runs no editorial cartoons. Gannett and Lee jointly own the Star, but the newsroom typically follows Lee guidance.
A devotee of the Google News Initiative, Gannett argues that opinion content is divisive. And unpopular with readers, readers who end up canceling their subscriptions. I am reminded of the great editorial which ran in 1897, in the New York Sun, that begins with “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” only, in 2022, Virginia, there is an Ebenezer Scrooge and he is the CEO of Gannett. And he believes opinion pages are a humbug, obsolete Ghosts of Journalism Past that spook readers, along with those pesky political endorsements and letters to the editor.
A Gannett cabal noted at a spring meeting, “Readers don’t want us to tell them what to think. They don’t believe we have the expertise to tell anyone what to think on most issues.”
Readers will simply have to rely on Fox News and Twitter for analysis now in democracy’s most perilous hour.
“They perceive us as having a biased agenda.”
Did anyone stand up at this gathering and note all opinion pages are wells of bias, leanings, viewpoints and perspectives and that any reader who thinks opinion pages are intended to be beacons of pure objectivity are ill-informed fools?
Opinion is “our least read content.” And is “frequently cited by readers as a reason for canceling their subscriptions.” Must be after they don’t read them.
Opinion pages are going out with a whimper.
A far more noble end — and one desired by editors everywhere — would be what befell Mark Twain when he worked for one week, editing, the “Morning Glory and Johnson County War-Whoop.”
Twain noted, “vigorous writing is calculated to elevate the public,” but, he’s reluctant to attract the attention “it calls forth.” His writing spurs a “gentleman” who shoots at him through a window “and cripples me.” A bombshell comes down his stovepipe. Next, a reader ”freckles“ Twain with bullet holes, “till my skin won’t hold my principles,” and another throws Twain out the window, followed by another angry reader who tears all his clothes off, and an “entire stranger” who scalps him “with the easy freedom of an old acquaintance.” His opining career ends “in less than five minutes” when all the “blackguards in the country arrive in their war-paint, and proceed to scare the rest of me to death with their tomahawks.” Twain writes what he’s written “today …will wake up another nest of hornets. I shall have to bid you adieu ... journalism is too stirring for me.”
Like craven Twain’s trembling editor, Gannett, afraid to poke the hornet’s nests, has found 21st century commentary journalism “too stirring.”
I was privileged to work for the late Tony Snow when he was editorial page editor of the Daily Press in Newport News, Virginia. The future press secretary for President George W. Bush would answer every irate reader with the same admonition, “Thanks for your view. I am confident our democratic republic will survive our differences.”
Today, I am not so confident, fearing for the press that fears such differences.
David Fitzsimmons, tooner@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/fitzs-opinion-a-cartoonist-returns-to-find-an-american-press-in-peril/article_1ce4324a-f193-11ec-9881-4f5df0b1da04.html | 2022-06-26T12:26:08 | 0 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/fitzs-opinion-a-cartoonist-returns-to-find-an-american-press-in-peril/article_1ce4324a-f193-11ec-9881-4f5df0b1da04.html |
On Sept. 10, 1982, the forecast called for rain — of a masculine variety. That date served as the release for the unforgettable disco track “It’s Raining Men,” recorded by San Francisco disco divas Martha Wash and Izora Armstead of the Weather Girls.
Forty years later, the song has been immortalized in pop culture and Wash will return to her old stomping grounds for a headlining performance at San Francisco Pride. Although the song has become ubiquitous today, it was anything but a sure hit in the early ’80s. If it weren’t for some creative marketing moves, it may have never even been released.
The song’s origins date back to 1979. Penned by songwriters Paul Jabara (Donna Summer’s “Last Dance”) and Paul Shaffer (who would go on to late night fame alongside David Letterman), “It’s Raining Men” was originally intended for Donna Summer.
“Lyrically she hated it, because she had become a born-again Christian,” Shaffer told Vanity Fair in a 2009 interview. “She thought it was blasphemous. She called Paul and said, ‘I hate the song. Oh, we’ve lost you.’ And then she sent him a Bible the next day.”
Jabara shopped the song to a few other disco stars of the era, including Diana Ross, Cher and Barbra Streisand, but none were interested. Then Jabara played a demo for entertainment lawyer Steven Ames Brown, who had just represented Wash and Armstead in a suit against their previous label, and Jabara asked if Brown thought the duo might be interested. He thought the lyrics were “completely stupid,” but that with the right performance, it could become iconic.
Wash wasn’t so sure.
“I didn’t think anyone would necessarily buy it,” Wash told SFGATE about the song. “I just thought it was a campy song and I didn’t think that the masses would receive it. But hey, people have been wrong before.”
“They had trepidations about it, as well they should,” Brown said. “Because it would’ve been very easy for them to be caricatured instead of beloved. You never know when you’re going to be loved or a joke.”
San Francisco disco roots
Long before “It’s Raining Men” became a worldwide hit, Wash spent her childhood in San Francisco. She attended a now-shuttered high school across from Golden Gate Park’s Kezar Stadium and sang in her high school choir, traveling to Europe to perform. She later joined a gospel group, then shifted to pop music, becoming a backup singer for disco icon Sylvester in 1976, alongside Izora Armstead. The duo of Wash and Armstead, then known as the Two Tons O’ Fun, appeared on iconic tracks like “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)” and “Over and Over.” Those songs were recorded at Fantasy Records in Berkeley and remain staples in DJ sets to this day.
“Beyond Sylvester’s obvious talent, the Two Tons were equally part of the magic,” said Lester Temple, a DJ who performed in San Francisco during the ’80s and now produces music under the moniker LTBeam. “Because of that, people were familiar with who they were, and embraced them because of the almost church-like energy.”
Two Tons O’ Fun released their debut self-titled album in 1980, which featured a pair of hit dance singles, “Earth Can Be Just Like Heaven” and “I Got the Feeling.” They shortened their name to the Two Tons after a lawsuit, then Jabara suggested they change their name again to shed the reputation of just being Sylvester’s background singers.
Once Wash was convinced to record “It’s Raining Men,” she traveled with Armstead to Los Angeles for a quick recording session, without any of the pomp and circumstance you’d expect from such a life-changing hit.
“We recorded it in about 90 minutes, then walked out of the studio and said ‘OK, Paul, see you later.’ And we went about our business,” Wash said.
From the underground to the Top 40
Once the track was completed, it was an uphill battle to get it released. The production company that funded the recording had a contract with Columbia Records, but according to Brown, Columbia wasn’t interested in “It’s Raining Men.”
“They didn’t want the Weather Girls, they didn’t want large Black women, they wanted nothing to do with it,” Brown said. “Columbia didn’t want to release it until we blackmailed them into it.”
Without label support, Brown and Jabara launched an underground marketing campaign to build demand for the song and force Columbia's hand. At the time, the disco Billboard charts weren’t based on sales, but rather on the number of plays that DJs reported. To build demand for the song, Brown and Jabara pressed 50 vinyl acetate copies and distributed them to club DJs.
“It pretty much took off immediately, especially in San Francisco,” says Temple, who at the time was playing at clubs like the Trocadero Transfer, I-Beam and The EndUp. “Word was out about what the Two Tons O’ Fun had morphed into.”
The promotional “blackmail” plan worked just as Brown and Jabara had intended.
“Columbia had a hit record that it had no rights to and had not intended to release,” Brown said.
With newfound negotiating power, the Weather Girls signed to Columbia and released their debut album "Success," with "It's Raining Men" as the first single. The song became a hit, charting at No. 1 on the Billboard U.S. Dance Club charts and No. 2 on the U.K. Singles charts.
Next came a music video, which was filmed during the winter in New York City in a warehouse without heat or running water. The low-budget video featured Wash and Armstead as meteorologists surrounded by men dancing in their underwear, but due to the freezing temperatures, the dancers added trench coats for warmth. In one of the most memorable moments, Wash and Armstead themselves fall from the sky in front of a very rudimentary green screen — a moment that Wash remembers for an uncomfortable reason.
“The part where we’re supposed to be falling out of the sky, we just jumped off a ladder and fell on a mattress,” she said. “And we came to find out the mattress itself had fleas on it or something. I started itching the next day.”
The video would premiere at Oasis, the club owned by Brown originally located on Folsom Street, where 500 people crowded onto a makeshift floor that covered up an in-ground swimming pool.
"There was nowhere to move, it was just jammed," Brown said, describing the atmosphere at the event. "It was wonderful, and they were wonderful."
Covers, lawsuits and legacy
In 1998, Wash released a new version with RuPaul. Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell released her own version in 2001, which charted at No. 1 in the UK, as well as several other European countries. Rihanna sampled the song alongside Nicki Minaj in the 2010 track “Raining Men.”
However, over the years, the legacy of “It’s Raining Men” has been marked by controversy. According to Brown, the original financial accounting was completely fraudulent, leading to two lawsuits, followed by a third in early 2022, based on the 35-year copyright termination provision in the original contract. Each of the lawsuits were settled, leading to increases in royalty payments for Wash.
After the success of “It’s Raining Men,” Wash went on to become one of the biggest voices in the early days of house music’s crossover into the mainstream during the late ’80s and early ’90s. She sang on hits by Black Box (“I Don’t Know Anybody Else,” “Everybody Everybody”) as well as “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” by C+C Music Factory, which led to another lawsuit when Wash’s vocals went uncredited and were lip-synched by Zelma Davis in the music video.
Izora Armstead, Wash’s former Weather Girls partner, died in 2004, but Wash continues to release music to this day, most recently with the album “Love & Conflict” in 2020. However, “It’s Raining Men” is still her greatest legacy.
“It’s just become a classic now,” Wash said. “One of those songs that everybody can get into it. It’s played at weddings and all kinds of parties. From the grandparents to the parents to the grandkids, everybody just likes that song.”
Martha Wash performs on the main stage at San Francisco Pride on June 26 at 5 p.m. | https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/its-raining-men-history-17263706.php | 2022-06-26T12:51:15 | 1 | https://www.sfgate.com/local/article/its-raining-men-history-17263706.php |
A 22-year-old woman was killed Saturday night after crashing her scooter into a motor vehicle in downtown Allentown.
Debralee Roman of Allentown died of multiple blunt force injuries after the scooter she was operating crashed at Eighth and Turner streets just before 10 p.m. Saturday night, the Lehigh County Coroner said in a news release.
Advertisement
Roman was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest where she was pronounced dead at 10:31 p.m.
Allentown police and the coroner’s office are investigating. | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-allentown-motor-scooter-woman-killed-20220626-ydvijgq3a5dwrgdce5tl35lncy-story.html | 2022-06-26T12:58:10 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-allentown-motor-scooter-woman-killed-20220626-ydvijgq3a5dwrgdce5tl35lncy-story.html |
Traditional favorites at Grilla Greek Kouzina; Berkley town admin quits: Our top stories
Before we begin the new week in earnest, we're taking a look back at the week that was, and the stories that led the news with Taunton Daily Gazette readers.
Top stories this past week included:
A look at a regional problem that is affecting bodies of water around Greater Taunton: invasive weeds. And it's not just Lake Sabbatia. Representatives from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation spoke at the June 13 Conservation Commission meeting about aquatic management needed for Massasoit State Park. Big Bearhole Pond, Middle Pond and Lake Rico are all dealing with invasive weeds, according to Kara Sliwoski from DCR’s Lakes and Ponds Program. Here's how DCR plans to get rid of them.
The real estate market has seen a lot of changes throughout the pandemic, from prices skyrocketing to bidding wars. Another major change, as with so many other aspects of life during COVID, has been a huge pivot to remote homebuying. Remote home purchases aren't new, exactly — people buying from across the country, for example, have long used this option. However, remote homebuying has become much more local throughout the pandemic, and the practice could be here to stay.
These were the Top 5 stories of the past week, according to Gazette readers:
Find traditional favorites at new Grilla Greek Kouzina
Our top story this past week was about a new restaurant here in Taunton, serving up some classic Greek recipes.
Fall River residents George Tambasidis and Olta Joxhe are the owners of the new Grilla Greek Kouzina, and their menu features recipes from Stavroula Vantsouris, Tambasidis' grandmother.
Tambasidis and Joxhe renovated the old Dunkin Donuts building on the corner of Broadway and Monroe Street, and they do the cooking and run the restaurant.
They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, and their menu features Greek specialties like lamb chops, skepasti and spanakopita, with baklava and more house-made Greek pastries for dessert.
Sample what they're dishing up, right here.
Spanakopita, gyros and baklava:Find traditional favorites at new Grilla Greek Kouzina
Taunton baseball claims second Divsion 1 title in three seasons
It's been a good year for the Taunton High School baseball team, and they ended their season by getting the top prize: they topped their league rivals Franklin 2-1 at LaLacheur Park to claim the program’s second state title in three seasons.
Mighty mighty Tigers:MacDougall, Evan Cali help Taunton baseball claim second D1 title in three seasons
Berkley town admin quits; 2 more officials leaving
Heather Martin-Sterling, the Berkley town administrator since 2020, has resigned as of June 23, and Berkley's town accountant for the past 25 years, Katherine Avila, has announced her retirement. Assistant town accountant Rachel Nickelson has also resigned.
The Board of Selectmen provided no insight into why the town was losing three important employees all at once, but said that they respected the employees' decisions.
Michael J. DeCicco takes a look at what comes next for the town.
What now?:Berkley town admin quits abruptly despite requests to reconsider; 2 more officials leaving
Raynham officials warn of steep cuts if B-P debt exclusion is shot down
Raynham will be holding a Special Town Election on Tuesday, June 28, to vote on whether it will authorize a debt exclusion to pay for its portion of the costs for a new Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School.
Officials say that if voters end up choosing "no," then cuts will be necessary across the board for the town's operating budget.
Gazette Reporter Daniel Schemer takes a look at the debt exclusion, the town's percentage of the costs for a new B-P, and what a "no" vote would look like for the town.
What a 'no' vote would mean:Raynham officials warn of steep cuts if B-P debt exclusion is shot down
Injured black bear euthanized on Route 495 in Middleboro
A car struck a black bear on Thursday, on Route 495 in Middleboro. Traffic was halted for a time, while staff from the Massachusetts Environmental Police and MassWildlife arrived at the scene and tranquilized the bear. Ultimately, they determined that the bear's injuries were too significant for it to be removed from the scene, and they had to euthanize the bear.
Bear hurt on highway:Injured black bear euthanized on Route 495 in Middleboro
According to MassWildlife, black bears are becoming more common in Massachusetts.
Taunton Daily Gazette/Herald News copy editor and digital producer Kristina Fontes can be reached at kfontes@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette today. | https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/taunton-gazette-top-5-grilla-greek-kouzina-berkley-raynham-black-bear/7726310001/ | 2022-06-26T12:59:00 | 0 | https://www.tauntongazette.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/taunton-gazette-top-5-grilla-greek-kouzina-berkley-raynham-black-bear/7726310001/ |
DALEVILLE, Va. — As the day began in Botetourt County, emergency crews responded to two very different scenes.
Several hours later on the other end of the county, off-duty firefighters and EMS workers turned out for an event to encourage first to 12th-grade students — all of them female — to diversify what has historically been seen as a manly profession.
About 55 participants from Botetourt County schools attended the inaugural Girl’s Fire Camp, which organizers hope will inspire more females to volunteer or work full-time in a department that currently is about 84% male.
Taylor Lunsford, recruitment and retention specialist for the Fire & EMS Department, said that when she and other female colleagues tried in recent years to increase their numbers, they often heard a common refrain.
“Some of the girls would say, ‘girls can’t do that,’” Lunsford said. “So we said, ‘we need to take care of that.”
After several years of planning, and with the assistance of a grant from the International Association of Fire Chief’s Volunteer Workforce Solutions Program, the department hosted a one-day camp at Lord Botetourt High School that offered an introduction into the life of a first responder.
Participants watched as a Carilion Clinic Life Guard medical helicopter touched down in the outfield of the school’s baseball field, next to a simulated crash in which rescue workers extracted a patient from a smashed-up Kia sedan while firefighters stood by.
The younger girls jumped at the chance to peer inside the helicopter, climb behind the wheel of a firetruck, run through an obstacle course, spray a fire hose at a miniature house and watch an imitation stove fire while learning the basics of home fire safety.
For the high-schoolers, there were classes in which paramedics demonstrated the techniques of CPR, tourniquets, and other first-aid practices.
Braelyn Hoag, a ninth-grader at James River High School, said the camp was a perfect fit for her future plans, which include joining the military while also signing up as a volunteer emergency worker. “It’s not just a guy thing,” she said.
Others feel the same way, if interest in the camp is any indication. After the event was advertised on social media, all of the spots were claimed within 24 hours, Lunsford said, and another 45 candidates were placed on a wait list.
Laura Kate Jennings-Brink, an EMS volunteer at Read Mountain Volunteer Fire & Rescue Department who was an instructor in the camp, said it’s important to reach girls at a young age.
“It’s very empowering for the kids to see that we did this, and you can to,” Jennings-Brink said. “It’s for everyone, and everyone can contribute.”
A more diverse workforce could lead to more women in supervisory roles, and supporters of the camp said it’s important for a publicly funded department to look more like the public at large.
“I think men and women just think differently from each other,” Lunsford said. “And sometimes when that comes together, you find all kinds of different ways to do things. And it really helps people be innovative.”
The camp is believed to be the first of its kind in the Roanoke Valley, where other fire and EMS departments have a similar gender imbalance that is also reflected in state and national numbers.
Female members of the Botetourt County Fire & EMS Department dedicated the camp to the memory of Capt. Helen “Gracey” Humbert, who they said was “the essence of what a female can be in the fire service” during more than a decade of work before her death earlier this year.
Like many of Botetourt County’s first responders, Humbert had parents and other family members who were involved in health care and volunteerism — a tradition they believe is important to carry on.
Aaron Whitney, a volunteer firefighter like his father, was showing off the workings of a fire truck at the camp, which included his two young daughters as participants.
“I followed in his footsteps,” Whitney said of his father. “And if they follow in mine, that would be a pretty neat thing.”
Staff writer Alison Graham contributed to this report. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fire-camp-encourages-more-girls-to-join-emergency-services/2022/06/26/2d99aa14-f550-11ec-81db-ac07a394a86b_story.html | 2022-06-26T13:12:08 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fire-camp-encourages-more-girls-to-join-emergency-services/2022/06/26/2d99aa14-f550-11ec-81db-ac07a394a86b_story.html |
HARRISONBURG, Va. — Roman Miller, a native of Iowa, said he expected to spend two years in Harrisonburg.
Like the winding cut of a scroll saw into a piece of maple wood, Miller said those two years he planned to spend at the university turned into 31 — marrying for the first time in his early 40s and he and his wife bought a piece of property in the area. Then, they adopted two girls from an orphanage in Ukraine — sisters Zoya Miller and Katarina Miller — when they were 4 and 6.
Now a grandfather, Miller, professor emeritus of biology at EMU, draws on his background in the disciplines of physiology and biomedicine for a new hobby he discovered after moving to Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community in 2018.
Setting up at the Harrisonburg Farmers Market on Tuesdays, Miller brings unique wooden puzzles and toys — from beautifully detailed trucks to farm sets – naturally colored by the hues in the different types of wood. Of interest to both oddity-seekers and students, Miller’s anatomy puzzles are a unique offering that blends his love of woodworking and understanding the functions of organs in the human body.
“Anatomy more studies the detail of a part. Physiology looks at interactions. To do physiology, you have to know anatomy,” Miller said.
He creates the puzzles in the comfortable, air-conditioned wood shop in the basement of one of the buildings at VMRC. Close to where he lives, he said he was drawn to the wood shop as a retirement activity.
“Nobody makes anatomy puzzles. (I said) I’m going to do anatomy puzzles,” Miller said.
Having lived on farms, he was familiar with crude woodworking, but at VMRC, Miller said he became interested in the scroll saw, which uses a fine blade to cut intricate patterns and details in wood like the curved edge of a puzzle piece.
“I really hadn’t done woodworking before,” Miller said. “The first things I made were not very good.”
Miller said he’s created 20 different kinds of anatomy puzzles in the handful of years since he started carving wood. He uses pine, cherry, maple and other types to create other simple puzzles, alphabet and number toys, trucks and wooden farm toys and a few games.
Miller, who served as a mentor to numerous students at EMU and was considered an enlightening professor, according to media from the school, said he thought the anatomy puzzles would be a good way to introduce young kids to biology, so they’d be familiar with anatomy in school.
With a few rough edges, Miller said adopting his daughters years ago was tough. He said when they arrived, they only spoke Ukrainian. Eventually, both his daughters learned English, Miller said. They each live in the area, and Miller is now a grandfather of four, who each have “their share” of carved wooden toys.
Named after the farm where he and his family raise sheep and blackberries, Miller’s business, “Knoll Acres Woodworking,” has an online store and is also present at area craft shows, such as the autumn festival in Broadway, the holiday market at the Rockingham County Fairgrounds and VMRC’s craft shows.
“I like the variety. I don’t make tons and tons of copies of the same thing,” Miller said. “Once I make something, and I make it pretty nice, I want to try something different.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/retired-professor-builds-wooden-anatomy-puzzles/2022/06/26/26d7d0b6-f550-11ec-81db-ac07a394a86b_story.html | 2022-06-26T13:12:14 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/retired-professor-builds-wooden-anatomy-puzzles/2022/06/26/26d7d0b6-f550-11ec-81db-ac07a394a86b_story.html |
HAGERSTOWN, Md. — Todd McElwee’s children sprung into action after their father was rushed to the emergency room on Christmas Day in 2018.
McElwee was diagnosed with cavernous malformations — groups of abnormal blood vessels — in the part of his brain that controls movements, vision and hearing. He’s had a long road to recovery, but he’s had his children by him every step of the way.
His debut children’s book, “Mission: Get Daddy Better,” follows his family’s journey through his harrowing medical emergency from the perspective of his daughter, Evie. The book was published in April.
“I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to keep going over it and over it,” he said. “I was surrounded by kids’ books, my daughter was 4 at the time, my son was 2. And I just jotted down the idea and went from there.”
“Mission: Get Daddy Better” does not center on McElwee’s illness or mention the specifics of it. Rather, it chronicles how his family rallied together and supported their father through dark times.
The book is available at missiongetdaddybetter.com, and print editions are sold at Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C.
“I don’t want to say that it’s like a period on that sentence of my life,” he said of the book, “but it has helped me take another step to moving on from that. It definitely has.”
McElwee is the assistant publisher and associations editor of USAE news, which covers associations, hotels and convention and visitors bureaus. He was once a freelance sports writer for the News-Post and has worked for Delaware State News and the now-defunct Gazette.
He lives in Hagerstown with his wife, Angela, and their three children. Angela McElwee, who grew up in Walkersville, teaches English as a second language at three Frederick County public elementary schools.
Evie was 4 years old when her father was hospitalized. In the book, she embarks on a “mission” with her then-2-year-old brother, Declan, to help their father recover.
In the weeks leading up to Christmas in 2018, McElwee began experiencing blurry vision and a headache in the back left part of his head.
His vision became so bad that lines on the road would cross over each other. If he was looking at someone, he would see two of them.
On Christmas Day, he felt a tingling sensation down the length of his left side.
His family took him to the ER, where he stayed for two days. He had to return to the hospital just days later, on New Year’s Day, after he collapsed while getting out of bed. He said the left side of his body fell asleep, his right eye went crossed, and a persistent ringing entered his ears, which made him nearly deaf.
He spent the remainder of the month hospitalized and in rehab, and he remained in physical and occupational therapy through October 2020.
“For the first month or so, it was basically, I go to therapy and then spend the rest of the day in bed,” he said.
McElwee is now between 90% and 95% recovered, he said. He had surgery to correct a nerve behind his eye that had come off center, though he still doesn’t have complete feeling on his left side.
The malformation is still in his brain, he said. His doctor told him that it’s about the size of a pea, but that it should not affect him again.
“It’s not something that I dwell on or even think about every day,” he said. “But I do get reminders sometimes.”
He’s able to do just about everything that he could before. He coaches his kids’ sports teams, bikes for long distances, swims and runs. He doesn’t play contact sports anymore, but he feels good aside from the fact that his left hand doesn’t feel or function the way it used to.
“This could be it,” he said. “This could be as good as I get.”
He sometimes still wakes up in the middle of the night with the left side of his body trembling, he said. It’s just his nerves re-firing, but he said it can be a little jarring.
“Mission: Get Daddy Better” was published more than three years after McElwee was hospitalized. His children may not vividly remember this part of their family’s history, he said. The youngest was not even born yet. The book will provide them with their father’s perspective of the ordeal and a recounting of those trying months, so they can be proud of how they all handled it.
“It may sound cheesy to say, but I think being optimistic was probably the most important thing,” he said. “If (your children) see you have a good attitude, their attitude or spirit is going to reflect yours.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/telling-a-story-of-healing-through-a-childs-eyes/2022/06/26/2a279cf6-f550-11ec-81db-ac07a394a86b_story.html | 2022-06-26T13:12:20 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/telling-a-story-of-healing-through-a-childs-eyes/2022/06/26/2a279cf6-f550-11ec-81db-ac07a394a86b_story.html |
Read any good books lately?
I can tell you who has: The 2022 members of Liz’s Book Club.
This year, our “club” (which “meets” in the pages of this newspaper and on our website) welcomed 62 members — Kenosha News readers who shared book recommendations.
More than 175 books made this year’s list, but the actual number of recommendations is much higher because some of those suggestions are for series of books, like the popular “Outlander” novels, several mystery and thriller book series and “every single book by Fannie Flagg,” says Jeanne Engle.
As always, it was a mix of first-timers and Book Club veterans. The titles they recommend range widely, from well-loved classics (“Slaughterhouse Five”) to current best-sellers (“Book Lovers” ... which is the PERFECT title for a book club, right?).
Thanks to recommendations from Liz’s Book Clubbers, I’ll be spending part of my summer with a giant Pacific octopus who helps a widow working the night shift at an aquarium try to solve the mystery of her missing-at-sea son. That’s the plot of “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” which made the list this year.
People are also reading…
Another book I just picked up at the library is “The Last Thing He Told Me,” Laura Dave’s thriller about a missing husband who isn’t at all who his wife thought he was (typical!). “Last Thing” made the 2021 Book Club list and again this year, so I really need to read it. Who doesn’t love a page-turning thriller?
Other books that attracted the attention of Book Club members for a few years now are “The President’s Daughter,” a kidnapping thriller by Bill Clinton and James Patterson; “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig, which explores no less a subject than the meaning of life; Robert Dugoni’s coming of age tale “The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell”; and “Where the Crawdads Sing.” Delia Owens’ 2018 novel — about a marsh-dwelling girl who survives on her own and gets caught up in a murder mystery — is also a film, opening in theaters July 15. (If you hurry, you can read the book first.)
You can’t read just one ...
A lot of Liz’s Book Club readers recommend book series, and it is fun to discover an author — and characters — you like enough to follow through several adventures.
Among the book series recommended this year: Archer Mayor’s series about Vermont police detective Joe Gunther; author C.J. Box’s books about game warden Joe Pickett; William Kent Krueger’s crime novels featuring Cork O’Connor, which are set mainly in Minnesota; Ann Perry’s crime novels; the book series by Janet Evanovich, including the Stephanie Plum stories, the “Wicked” series and her “Fox & O’Hare” novels; Debra Webb’s Undertakers series of thrillers; two New England-set murder mystery series with humor — Phillip R. Craig’s “Vineyard” mysteries and William G. Tapply’s Brady Coyne mysteries; and the Kate Burkholder mystery series by Linda Castillo.
Whew! Just working your way through all those book series could take you until the 2023 edition of Liz’s Book Club.
Spies like us
As for me, I recently finished the latest novel (“Bad Actors”) in the “Slough House” series of British spy novels by Mick Herron. There are eight books as of now — I hope he writes more — and you should start with the first, 2010’s “Slow Horses,” and work your way through the books in order. There are also a few short novellas that fill in spots between full-length novels.
While the “Slough House” books are technically spy novels, they are more interested in the darkly comic adventures and office frustrations of the “slow horses,” a derogatory nickname for disgraced members of Britain’s secret service, than in matters of national security.
Instead of being fired (too much paperwork), the “slow horses” are sent off to exile in a crumbling office building, where they work at mind-numbing tasks and deal with their boss, the unpredictable and cynical Jackson Lamb. “Slow Horses” is now also a series on Apple TV+, but I suggest digging into the book first.
Again and again
Here are a few more book recommendations from me before I sign off: My favorite book from last summer was “The Rehearsals,” by Annette Christie. It’s a fun rom-com with a “Groundhog Day” vibe.
After a disastrous rehearsal dinner, the bride and groom call off their wedding. But there’s one problem: They wake up the next morning and discover they are trapped in a time loop and have to go through that awful day again. And again. And again. Much hilarity ensues, and they learn some good life lessons, too.
I have signed up at the Kenosha Library for a new book with a similar “Groundhog Day” time twisting plot: Adrienne Celt’s “End of the World House.” In this one, two young women visiting Paris find themselves stuck in the Louvre for a seemingly endless day. As someone who’s been lost in that ginormous museum looking for a restroom, I can relate to this dilemma.
Blue House Books
Our Book Club is also a contest, and Marilyn Jensen — who sends in a Book Club list each year and has been a member of a local book club that has endured for more than two decades — won our random drawing. She receives a $25 gift certificate to our own Blue House Books in Downtown Kenosha. Congratulations, Marilyn, and happy shopping.
Samantha Jacquest, who operates Blue House Books at 5915 Sixth Ave. A, is a great source for book recommendations and hosts Sunday morning storytimes at 11 a.m. each week, along with meet-and-greet author events and other programs. For more details, go to blue-house-books.com.
Keep on reading
Thanks to everyone who sent in book recommendations, and to our many readers who tell us every year they look forward to the Book Club.
I’m happy to report word has not reached our Liz’s Book Club members that “no one reads anymore.” (As a side note, don’t you hate phrases that start with “no one ...” as in “no one watches network TV anymore” or “no one shops in actual stores anymore.” Sweeping generalizations don’t hold up and are at best avoided.)
Generalizations aside, I’m cheered by how many book recommendations we received. As an avid reader myself, I can’t understand how anyone who knows how to read would choose not to do so. That’s like choosing not to breathe! So keep on reading and enjoy these precious days of summer.
Liz’s Book Club, and its list of some 175+ titles, ran in the June 19 Kenosha News and can be found on our website, kenoshanews.com (search “Liz’s Book Club”).
Have a comment? Email Liz at esnyder@kenoshanews.com or call her at 262-656-6271. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-news-readers-share-175-plus-titles-in-lizs-book-club/article_d2c384e6-f4c0-11ec-8985-f344e6c2f4ee.html | 2022-06-26T13:29:01 | 0 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-news-readers-share-175-plus-titles-in-lizs-book-club/article_d2c384e6-f4c0-11ec-8985-f344e6c2f4ee.html |
LOGAN COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — Victims of the tragic Logan County helicopter crash were honored and remembered at a memorial service on Saturday.
The service was a part of Logan’s Freedom Festival, which honored veterans and the pilot, three passengers and two pilot-rated passengers who died in the crash on June 22.
Several locals tell 13 News that coming together and honoring those victims meant so much to the people of Logan County.
Logan City Clerk Amber Miller-Belcher says that everyone should live every single day like it’s your last and to love each other will all your heart. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/logan-county-helicopter-crash-victims-honored-at-memorial-service/ | 2022-06-26T13:31:44 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/logan-county-helicopter-crash-victims-honored-at-memorial-service/ |
The news about the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade was "saddening" for Munster resident Nina Oats.
"It’s very disheartening that people are suffering, children are suffering from neglect," Oats said while sitting in Wicker Memorial Park on Friday afternoon. "They (government-funded services) don’t provide enough support to raise these children ... so I do feel like it was a bad decision."
When the news that a Supreme Court ruling had ended the constitutional protections for abortion that had stood in America for nearly a half-century, organizations throughout the country and the Region took action.
AntiSexist Action and Northwest Indiana NOW staged a protest at the Porter County Courthouse in downtown Valparaiso Friday evening, as protests also sprung up in south suburban Homewood, Oak Lawn and Chicago. The crowds rallied against the ruling, under which abortion bans are expected to be enacted in roughly half the states. Various abortion restrictions already exist in multiple Midwestern states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio.
People are also reading…
Porter County League of Women Voters President Beckie Guffin expects more protests will take place.
"Women's reproductive rights are one of our major initiatives," she said. "We're devastated by today's ruling. We completely agree with the three dissenting justices. We will keep fighting for women's full human rights, which we feel have unfortunately been eroded today. We've very upset but we'll keep fighting. We're not done fighting."
In Indiana, abortion remains legal — for now.
"What comes next is dangerous and will open the floodgates for states across the country to ban abortion outrigh — a promise the Republican-dominated Indiana State Legislature has made already and that Gov. (Eric) Holcomb has said is now a state issue that will most certainly be addressed in the upcoming special session," Planned Parenthood Indiana Communications Manager Nicole Erwin said. "In Indiana, if the state legislature passes an outright ban it would mean at least 1.5 million women and people of reproductive age will be left without access to abortion, equating to a 21% increase in pregnancy-related deaths overall and a 33% increase among Black women in a state where maternal mortality is already killing black women at 2.5 times the national average."
The Republican-controlled General Assembly is scheduled to convene in a special session July 6, during which Holcomb said he expects the Legislature to act on abortion.
“I have been clear in stating I am pro-life. We have an opportunity to make progress in protecting the sanctity of life, and that’s exactly what we will do," Holcomb said.
A ban will harm the most vulnerable women in Indiana, Erwin said.
"People who have the financial means to flee the state, to take time off or work and find childcare to travel for care will still be able to get an abortion. Those who don’t have the financial luxury to travel will be forced to remain pregnant. It is cruel and it is dangerous," she said.
Indiana women likely will seek care out of the state but that will place a burden on them and providers, Erwin said.
"What people need to realize is that abortion is time-sensitive care. When we add patient volumes from surrounding states we will see this care delayed significantly," she said. "Suggesting patients 'simply travel' to blue states for abortion is unsustainable. Clinics in these states are already completely swamped, with patients unable to get in. This is not a solution. Everyone deserves access to abortion care."
She encouraged women to reach out to Planned Parenthood to navigate their options even if abortion is banned in Indiana.
"We are prepared to adjust our operations for this new reality because we have known this moment was coming for months," she said. "We expect many patients will be coming to us from Kentucky, where a trigger ban immediately went into effect after SCOTUS delivered its decision."
In the wake of the ruling, HealthLinc Community Health Center, which has clinics in East Chicago, Valparaiso, LaPorte and Michigan City, is looking to ramp up its prenatal care and educational services.
"We do not do abortion and do not refer people to abortions," HealthLinc CEO Beth Wroebel said. "What we have been doing is preparing ourselves to continue to do family planning and obstetrics, to continue to do the things we can do with prenatal care. We're a little worried because Indiana is third-worst for infant mortality. We'll do everything we can to help women understand what they need to do not have a baby, to not to get pregnant and how to use birth control. If they do get pregnant, we'll help them create the healthiest baby they can. We'll look to step that up and get the word out."
HealthLinc recently launched a program focused on promoting healthy pregnancies by educating parents on prenatal vitamins and more.
Franciscan Health, a Catholic health care provider that operates several hospitals in Northwest Indiana, heralded the Supreme Court ruling.
“Respect for life has always been a core value of our Franciscan mission: continuing Christ’s ministry in our Franciscan tradition," Franciscan Alliance president and CEO Kevin Leahy and Franciscan Alliance Chairwoman Sister Jane Marie Klein said in a joint statement. "This decision affirms our deeply held religious belief that each and every life is created in the image of God and, therefore, we are called to speak up for and defend the most vulnerable. This includes women who find themselves in unexpected pregnancies. We believe the gift of life is so valued that each person should be cared for with joy, respect, dignity, fairness, and compassion that he or she is consciously aware of being loved. We are grateful for the court’s ruling because we always celebrate life and protect it at every stage. As Jesus met all with compassion, our mission is to meet all women with the support and resources they need to bring their children into this world with love.”
Bishop Robert J. McClory with the Diocese of Gary said the ruling answered many Catholics' prayers in Northwest Indiana.
"We are very encouraged by the decision, as it moves us forward in building a culture that respects and values all life," he said. "This federal ruling recognizes that there is no constitutional right to abortion. This issue will now primarily be decided at the state level with ongoing federal action as well. Therefore, while we are grateful for this progress, we must remain steadfastly committed to cultivating communities that serve the needs of all people, especially the poor and vulnerable, those on the margins, and those facing extraordinary challenges."
He called on members of the Diocese to pray for change in the world and "support women, couples and families facing challenging situations."
"In collaboration with local service agencies, we provide women, couples and families with resources to assist them when they are most vulnerable. We must put greater energy into advancing even more resources and alternatives to support women facing challenging pregnancies — both before and after birth," he said. "In this ongoing work, we must remain a people of peace and love. We will encounter many people who have differing opinions regarding the practice of abortion. Let us keep our focus on the Lord and our mission as disciples of Christ. We can and must respond to adversity with a gentle spirit, while we remain committed to serving others, as Jesus taught us."
Creating an oasis
"Abortion is still legal in Illinois." That was the message Planned Parenthood of Illinois posted on Facebook shortly after Roe V. Wade was overturned.
PP Illinois Action held an emergency news conference Friday afternoon where the organization's president and CEO, Jennifer Welch, reiterated the message adding that "this is not true for our neighbor states.”
In 2019, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Act, cementing abortion as a human right. Illinois has become an "oasis" for residents in surrounding states seeking an abortion, Welch said.
Abortion bans and restrictions in states like Indiana and Wisconsin will strand "millions of people in a vast abortion desert," Welch said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot also spoke on the prospect of abortion bans in neighboring states during the news conference.
Her message for out-of-state patients: "Come to Chicago. we will protect you, we will make sure your rights are respected, we will make sure that you get access to the healthcare that you deserve.”
Healthcare providers in Illinois will need additional financial resources and protections "in our new post-Roe reality," Welch said. PP Illinois is expecting to treat about 20 to 30,000 more patients a year now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned.
The organization has been preparing for the increase for some time now. In 2018, PP Illinois opened a Flossmoor location that is 13 miles from the state line.
In 2020, almost 10,000 patients crossed state lines to receive an abortion in Illinois. The majority of those people came from Missouri with 6,578, though Indiana had the second-highest number of residents who went to Illinois to receive an abortion with 1,878.
Added mileage means patients may have to take time off work or school, find childcare and transportation. Low-income, Black and brown, and rural communities will be most impacted by the additional barriers, Lightfoot said.
Welch said Illinois needs to be "ready for the surge." Last month PP Illinois saw its highest number of out-of-state patients to date.
While it's not yet known if the Legislature will take action to prohibit Hoosiers from seeking an abortion in another state, Lightfoot called the possibility "absurd."
"Even though we all knew this was coming, it's still a shock," said artist Nancy Cassidy, who attended the Valparaiso rally Friday. "That a cluster of cells is more important to them than a live, breathing, fully human woman is infuriating. That states are falling over themselves to enact deadly laws that won’t even allow a woman to have an abortion if she would literally die without one, is breathtaking. That women will be forced to carry their rapists' babies to term is sickening."
Cassidy said the ruling on Roe v. Wade will likely embolden the Supreme Court to take away even more rights.
"And we know they won’t stop with abortion. Clarence Thomas (Friday) said the Supreme Court should now 'reassess' birth control and same-sex marriage. They are falling over themselves to take away our civil rights as quickly as possible," she said. "People think they’re so high-minded saving 'babies.' They are dooming women, especially low-income women and women of color, to a potential lifetime of poverty and in some cases, death. Are they passing laws to make funding for pre-natal care mandatory? Child support beginning at conception? Funding childcare? Better education? No. It's not about babies — it's about control of women's lives." | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/hoosiers-and-surrounding-midwestern-communities-prepare-for-a-post-roe-reality/article_1abe3aff-2307-5d0a-95f0-04142e165450.html | 2022-06-26T13:40:07 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/hoosiers-and-surrounding-midwestern-communities-prepare-for-a-post-roe-reality/article_1abe3aff-2307-5d0a-95f0-04142e165450.html |
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Police in Gwinnett County are looking for a 3-year-old girl who they say went missing while playing in the front yard of her home on Saturday.
Max Clendenin was last seen by her father at around 3:20 p.m. Police say he "stepped into the home for just a moment" and discovered she was missing when he returned.
Police believe Clendenin's mother, Magdaline Geffrard may have taken her from her "lawful home," they said.
Geffrard was last known to drive a gray Chevrolet Malibu which they said was missing a license plate and a passenger side front hub cap.
If anyone has any information to share in this case, please contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/missing-in-georgia/missing-child-gwinnett-county/85-1d484607-5527-4f3f-bbe3-868c05fc0891 | 2022-06-26T13:40:22 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/missing-in-georgia/missing-child-gwinnett-county/85-1d484607-5527-4f3f-bbe3-868c05fc0891 |
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. — A two-vehicle crash that left one person dead in Ephrata Township is under police investigation.
In the early hours of Saturday, a sedan that was driving south on Route 222 crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer that was stopped on the berm of the road at mile marker 42, police said.
The sedan caught on fire following the crash.
The driver of the sedan, the only occupant, was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner.
Evidence at the scene suggests the sedan may have been traveling at a high speed when it crashed, police said.
Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact Officer O'Hanlon at 717-738-9200 ext. 272. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/1-dead-lancaster-county-vehicle-crashes-into-tractor-trailer/521-f2b8ff24-4a9c-4099-ac90-7efb2e294b33 | 2022-06-26T14:06:32 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/1-dead-lancaster-county-vehicle-crashes-into-tractor-trailer/521-f2b8ff24-4a9c-4099-ac90-7efb2e294b33 |
ORLANDO, Fla. – With Florida’s primary election less than two months away, candidates are ramping up their campaigns.
One of the most competitive contests is the Democratic primary for U.S. House District 10 — a seat Congresswoman Val Demings held for three terms before she filed to run for U.S. Senate against Marco Rubio.
[TRENDING: Brevard County deputies shoot, kill man believed to have kidnapped 2 women in Osceola County | Reports: Deputies ID ‘many of the kids’ who broke into $8M Florida mansion to party, fight, steal | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
State Sen. Randolph Bracy, one of 10 Democratic candidates looking to replace Demings, joined anchor Justin Warmoth on “The Weekly” to break down his campaign.
“I’ve got the experience and the know-how to get things done,” Bracy said. “I passed more legislation than any Democrat, during my five-year tenure between 2016 and 2021, in the entire state. I brought more money home than any other Democrat for this region. I’m there to get things done, I have the record to prove it, and I’ll do it in Washington.”
The interview was recorded before the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“I am highly disappointed and disturbed by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision, which eliminates a fundamental right for women and upends the scales of justice,” Bracy said in a statement after the ruling. “The interference of politics with the personal decision a woman makes with her doctor is unacceptable, unfair, and unjust.”
Florida’s primary election is Aug. 23.
Watch the full interview in the video player above. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/florida-state-sen-bracy-talks-run-for-us-house-district-10/ | 2022-06-26T14:12:16 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/florida-state-sen-bracy-talks-run-for-us-house-district-10/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – You likely know John Morgan from billboards across Florida or from his commercials featuring the popular tagline “For The People.”
You may not know that Morgan actually got his start in law following what he calls an “ugly legal battle” with Disney that involved his brother Tim.
“He was paralyzed out at Disney World and he was paralyzed on the water,” Morgan said.
Morgan said his brother was not adequately compensated due to the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which happens to be locked in a political battle that could cause Disney to lose its special governing authority.
“The reason that his case, that he could never sue Disney World is because Reedy Creek was owned by Disney, so that was his employer and they had comp immunity so that Tim was never able to bring a lawsuit,” Morgan said.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below:
Morgan said the whole experience was a nightmare,
“Disney treated Tim terribly,” he said. “They just fought him like he was a combatant enemy, even on his comp benefits and I was 19. We were poor as hell, and here we were with my brother a C6, C7 quadriplegic with this gigantic company. And, then they finally said to him they said ‘Well we will put you back to work,’ so they could get out of paying him benefits. They said ‘We will make you an operator from 11 at night until 7 in the morning.’”
This experience steered Morgan’s career.
“When Disney was messing with Tim, I became as mad at Disney as Ron Desantis is at Disney and that was — those moments in my life — was my inspiration for becoming a personal injury lawyer. I said then and there that my life’s work was going to be representing people who were powerless, hopeless and helpless against big corporations like Walt Disney World. That’s all I’ve ever done. I’ve never applied for a job anywhere else. Everybody that knows my story knows this is the story. So, it’s been interesting to hear Reedy Creek’s name come up after all those years after Tim was hurt in 1977.”
When asked if he would like to see the RCID go away for good, Morgan said, “Well, you know, there have been so many changes in the guard out at Disney, but it wouldn’t bother me. It wouldn’t bother me to see Reedy Creek taken away, because when I think of Reedy Creek that’s what blocked Tim’s lawsuit was the comp immunity which was BS in itself. I mean they say we own the utility and so therefore Tim is part of that because Disney owns that.”
But, even if Disney ultimately did lose its special district Morgan said it likely wouldn’t have much impact on the company.
“When Chick-fil-a got into a big row with the gay community, they weren’t going to eat Chick-fil-a anymore. Well, you still can’t get into a Chick-fil-a. Chick-fil-a is just going gangbusters and I think Disney will too,” Morgan said.
News 6 reached out to Disney for comment on Morgan’s statements. Disney has not responded.
Not all of Morgan’s experiences with Disney have been bad.
He said he actually used to work at the theme park too.
“I started in the beginning as Fiddler Pig in the Big Bad Wolf unit. I was promoted to King Louis in Song of the South and because I was a great dancer, I was ultimately promoted to Pluto for the America on Parade in 1976,” Morgan said.
Since then, he has worked to create one of the largest law firms in the nation.
To learn about Morgan and how Disney influenced his career, check out Florida’s Fourth Estate. You can download it from wherever you listen to podcasts. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/how-a-legal-battle-with-disney-helped-create-one-of-orlandos-most-powerful-attorneys/ | 2022-06-26T14:12:22 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/how-a-legal-battle-with-disney-helped-create-one-of-orlandos-most-powerful-attorneys/ |
POLK COUNTY, Fla. – Miss Seminole County has been selected to represent Florida in the next Miss America Competition.
26-year-old Lindsay Bettis won the title in what was her seventh time vying for it, donning the tiara on stage Saturday night at the RP Funding Center’s Youkey Theatre in Lakeland in her final year of eligibility, according to a news release.
[TRENDING: Brevard County deputies shoot, kill man believed to have kidnapped 2 women in Osceola County | Reports: Deputies ID ‘many of the kids’ who broke into $8M Florida mansion to party, fight, steal | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Bettis — an outspoken advocate for mental health and drug addiction recovery — impressed judges with a jazz dancing number to The Kiki Dee Band’s 1974 hit “I Got The Music In Me,” the release describes.
The Miss America Competition will be held at Mohegan Sun, a resort in Uncasville, Connecticut, in December.
The title of Florida’s Outstanding Teen on Saturday night went to Aashna Shah, Miss Wekiva Springs’ Outstanding Teen, who will compete in the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen competition in Dallas, Texas, in August. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/miss-seminole-county-is-crowned-miss-florida-will-represent-state-in-national-competition/ | 2022-06-26T14:12:28 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/miss-seminole-county-is-crowned-miss-florida-will-represent-state-in-national-competition/ |
SAN ANTONIO — Firefighters believe an electrical problem may be to blame for an overnight fire at a home under renovation on the east side of town.
It happened just after 1 a.m. in the 300 block of Maryland Street. The battalion chief said when firefighters arrived at the location, there were heavy flames shooting through a side window of the home. Luckily, the homeowners were out of town, so nobody was home at the time, according to SAFD.
The home is under renovation and the heat and smoke from the fire caused major damage to the home's interior.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, however SAFD noted there were several electrical outlets without proper coverings and exposed wires and believe that is what may have caused the fire.
However, fire investigators were called in to determine the exact cause.
The damage to the interior of the home was estimated at about $35,000 dollars.
No injuries were reported and no other details were provided.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/electrical-problems-may-be-to-blame-for-overnight-fire-at-home-under-renovation-say-firefighters-house-safd-san-antonio-texas-east-flames-electricity/273-6d3d9e89-c0ad-47ab-bcc1-a8557cf40185 | 2022-06-26T14:13:54 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/electrical-problems-may-be-to-blame-for-overnight-fire-at-home-under-renovation-say-firefighters-house-safd-san-antonio-texas-east-flames-electricity/273-6d3d9e89-c0ad-47ab-bcc1-a8557cf40185 |
SAN ANTONIO — Four people were injured, two critically, in an overnight shooting at a bar just north of downtown.
Police were called to the 3800 block of Blanco around 2:13 a.m. for a shooting in progress. According to SAPD, some type of disturbance began in the parking lot of the Manhattan Nightclub and one person pulled out a gun and began shooting. Two of the victims were critically injured and the other two were able to drive themselves to the hospital for treatment. The other two were taken to a local hospital for their injuries. Their condition is unknown at this time.
Police found multiple shell casings at the scene. No information was provided on the suspect(s), who fled immediately following the shooting.
The victims ages and genders were not provided.
No other details were provided.
This is an ongoing investigation.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/four-people-shot-at-bar-just-north-of-downtown-according-to-police-san-antonio-texas-sapd-gun-weapon/273-d02d4a6a-4831-4e11-9b42-cc7a6f078809 | 2022-06-26T14:14:00 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/four-people-shot-at-bar-just-north-of-downtown-according-to-police-san-antonio-texas-sapd-gun-weapon/273-d02d4a6a-4831-4e11-9b42-cc7a6f078809 |
HOUSTON — A third Houston resident has been confirmed to have monkeypox, according to the Houston Health Department.
Officials said on Saturday there isn't any known connection between this patient and the other reported cases in the Houston area. The department said the resident started to show symptoms after traveling internationally.
The person was not hospitalized and is reportedly isolating at home.
Epidemiologists are working to reach out to anyone who had direct, close contact with this person while they were infectious.
The health department says the threat remains low and that monkeypox doesn’t spread easily between people without close skin-to-skin contact. It can, however, spread through prolonged face-to-face contact or through contact with an infectious rash, scabs or body fluids or through contact of clothing that’s been exposed.
Aside from the three cases in the city of Houston, the Harris County health department also has a confirmed case of monkeypox, making four total in the Houston area. Dallas also has a confirmed case.
Monkeypox symptoms
According to the Houston Health Department, monkeypox usually starts as a flu-like illness, with the infected person experiencing fever, headaches, muscle aches, chills and exhaustion, as well as swollen lymph nodes. One to three days later, they’ll develop a rash.
If you develop any of these symptoms, the health department says you should isolate and seek medical attention. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/houston-monkeypox-new-case-reported/285-d3b92a0d-5772-4597-8294-0c757ee26487 | 2022-06-26T14:14:06 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/houston-monkeypox-new-case-reported/285-d3b92a0d-5772-4597-8294-0c757ee26487 |
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It definitely was something you don't see everyday. In Joe Burton's case, it's something he never saw. He returned to his apartment at Southwest Villas on Connie Jean Road near 103rd Street at about 1 p.m. Friday.
"My dog kept barking and wouldn't stop," he said. Burton looked out on to his back patio and figured out why.
"There was a coyote just laying there and it wouldn't move," he said.
Burton immediately called Jacksonville's animal control office. After not having any luck with them, he then called Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Strike two. "They said it's private property and it's not their problem," Burton said.
He called 911 and a Jacksonville officer came out. The officer tried to frighten the animal to make it go on its way. That didn't work. It remained on the patio, unfazed, Burton said.
He believed the animal was ill because it wouldn't move.
Burton then did what everyone does when they need quick information.
He went to Google.
There, he found a group called Quick Catch on San Jose Boulevard. They were there in 15 minutes removing the animal.
According to humanesociety.org coyotes are generally nocturnal and seldom seen. You may catch a glimpse of a coyote as they move from one part of their territory to another in search of prey, such as small mammals like moles or mice.
Burton said the coyote he found on the patio was sick, which was evident when it didn't try to avoid humans and how it collapsed once the trappers loaded it in their truck.
After the coyote was removed, there was still something sticking in Burton's craw. The lack of action from the city's animal control and FWC. "Why are we paying them?" the veteran said. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-encounters-coyote-on-apartment-patio-in-jacksonville/77-7f10cab5-8ad4-4aa8-8ef4-06228f2d1706 | 2022-06-26T14:14:12 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-encounters-coyote-on-apartment-patio-in-jacksonville/77-7f10cab5-8ad4-4aa8-8ef4-06228f2d1706 |
TEXAS, USA — It was 9 years ago to the day former state Sen. Wendy Davis lead a 13-hour-long filibuster to block a Senate bill restricting abortion access in Texas.
Nearly a decade later, the reality of Roe v. Wade is no more, and soon, abortion will be banned in Texas.
“I think about our daughters and our granddaughters — the fact that they’re going to grow up in a world with fewer rights than we had,” Davis said.
Davis, who delayed a 20-week abortion ban in 2013 with a 13-hour state Senate filibuster and shot to political stardom, is now reacting to a reality she says she knew was on the way for decades.
“Republicans have for years and years voted with this issue in mind. They have worked very hard to put people in place in state legislatures who will pass draconian anti-abortion laws. They worked very hard to elect presidents and senators who will put on the Supreme Court anti-abortion activists,” she said.
Davis said the ruling rolling back abortion rights will have a profound effect on healthcare and the economy.
“It will be a public health crisis and it’s also going to be an economic one,” Davis said. “So many women have relied on contraceptive care and the ability to access abortion care to be able to plan when and whether we have children and what that has meant for us is we’re able to determine our own destiny.”
She said for people upset with the ruling, there’s something you can do.
“The only action that will really make a difference is to vote,” Davis said.
The former Texas gubernatorial and congressional candidate added abortion isn’t the only thing on the line. She said contraception, IVF, gay marriage and the criminalization of all of those are at risk. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/wendy-davis-roe-v-wade-supreme-court/285-4d81189e-3fdd-4159-89ec-d36a1ef40ee4 | 2022-06-26T14:14:18 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/wendy-davis-roe-v-wade-supreme-court/285-4d81189e-3fdd-4159-89ec-d36a1ef40ee4 |
New York City's annual parade celebrating LGBTQ pride kicks off Sunday amid new fears about the potential erosion of freedoms won through decades of activism.
The annual march takes place just two days after one conservative justice on the Supreme Court signaled, in a ruling on abortion, that the court should reconsider the right to same-sex marriage recognized in 2015.
That warning shot came after a year of legislative defeats for the LGBTQ community, including the passage of laws in some states limiting the discussion of sexual orientation or gender identity with children.
As anti-gay sentiments resurface, some are pushing for pride parades to return to their roots — less as blocks-long street parties but overtly civil rights marches.
“It has gone from being a statement of advocacy and protest to being much more of a celebration of gay life,” Sean Clarkin, 67, said of New York City's annual parade while enjoying a drink recently at Julius's, one of the oldest gay bars in Manhattan's Greenwich Village.
As he remembers things, the parade was once about defiance and pushing against an oppressive mainstream that saw gays, lesbians and transgender people as unworthy outsiders.
News
“As satisfying and empowering as it may be to now be accepted by the mainstream,” Clarkin said, “there was also something energizing and wonderful about being on the outside looking in.”
Dan Dimant, a spokesman for Heritage of Pride, the nonprofit that organizes New York City's parade, said this year's march will still be festive, with floats and “people dancing and celebrating.”
“Pride is many things to many people. And for many people, it’s a protest. And to many people, it’s a celebration. We create experiences for members of our community to experience pride and the way that resonates with them,” Dimant said.
New York's first Pride March, then called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, was held in 1970 to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall rebellion, a spontaneous street uprising triggered by a police raid on a gay bar in Manhattan.
This year's celebrations take place amid a potential crisis.
In a Supreme Court ruling Friday striking down the right to abortion, Justice Clarence Thomas said in a concurring opinion that the court should also reconsider its 2015 decision legalizing same-sex marriage and a 2003 decision striking down laws criminalizing gay sex.
More than a dozen states have recently enacted laws that go against the interests of LGBTQ+ communities, including a law barring any mention of sexual orientation in school curricula in Florida and threats of prosecution for parents who allow their children to get gender-affirming care in Texas.
Several states have put laws in place prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in team sports that coincide with the gender in which they identify.
According to an Anti-Defamation League survey released earlier this week, members of LGBTQ communities were more likely than any other group to experience harassment. Two-thirds of respondents said they have been harassed, a little more than half of whom said the harassment was a result of their sexual orientation.
In recent years, schisms over how to commemorate Stonewall have opened, spawning splinter groups, including in New York City, holding their own events intended to be more protest-oriented.
In New York City, the Queer Liberation March takes place at the same time as the traditional parade, billing itself as the “antidote to the corporate-infused, police-entangled, politician-heavy Parades that now dominate Pride celebrations."
More of that spirit could rub off on the major parades this year, though many fans of the marches see them as a combination of activism and celebration.
New Yorker Vincent Maniscalco, 40, who has been married to his husband for five years, said he thought the marches are an opportunity to both spotlight civil rights issues and bring "individuals together of all walks of life to celebrate their authentic self. And I think the New York City Pride Parade does a very excellent job of that.” | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-pride-march-returns-with-new-urgency/3749976/ | 2022-06-26T14:17:37 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nyc-pride-march-returns-with-new-urgency/3749976/ |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
Imagine: Thousands of Americans fleeing their home states in a desperate quest for a basic liberty — control of their own bodies. State and federal officials not only forbid their free movement, but impose restrictive laws and hire bounty hunters to search for and forcibly return them. Government even moves to fine and imprison anyone assisting the fugitives.
This dystopian vision is not a hypothetical description of what might follow the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn abortion rights. It recounts what actually happened in the United States nearly two centuries ago. Passage of the Fugitive Slave Act in 1850 created a mechanism for slaveowners to extend their power into free states, to seize virtually any Black person they claimed as a “runaway,” and to fine or imprison anyone assisting them. Northern resistance to this power grab played a major part in the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.
Since around 1830, a loose network of abolitionists, religious activists, and free Blacks in the upper South and border states — informally called the Underground Railroad — assisted enslaved persons seeking freedom. Free Blacks working for shipping companies, actual railroads, and other transportation networks played a key role as “conductors” in the network which operated mostly in the upper South. In the three decades before the Civil War, the Railroad assisted about three or four thousand enslaved persons each year (out of an enslaved population of nearly four million) to find freedom in the North, Canada, and in some cases Mexico.
People are also reading…
Despite these small numbers, the very existence of the Underground Railroad outraged slave owners and their political representatives. It contradicted their claims that slavery was moral, biblically sanctioned, beneficial to master and slave, and constitutionally protected.
In 1850, irate Southerners in Congress (who enjoyed disproportionate clout since their slave population enhanced their representation by 3/5) forced passage of the Fugitive Slave Act. This enhanced legislation from 1793 that compelled Northern states to assist in the return of human property. The new law specified that even if a former enslaved person lived in a free state, she/he had to be returned to bondage simply upon the demand of the alleged slave owner. The accused had no right to trial or to present evidence. Slave catchers received bounties for each returned runaway. Any private citizen or government official in a free state who aided a runaway — even by providing food or shelter — was subject to imprisonment and a stiff fine. Federal marshals were even empowered to compel white citizens in free states to join posses searching for fugitives.
The same Southern politicians who prattled on endlessly about “states rights” promoted the most dramatic expansion of federal police power in the nation’s history. The state right they cared most about, it turned out, was the right to own other human beings. In the wake of the 1850 law, the Supreme Court made matters worse, quashing so-called personal liberty laws passed by Northern states in an effort to protect former enslaved persons and those who assisted them. In 1857, the high court went further, deciding in the infamous Dred Scott case that no Black person, slave or free, North or South, was an American citizen and that Congress had no authority to restrict slavery.
By passing the Fugitive Slave Act, Southern politicians hoped to strangle the Underground Railroad and to intimidate anyone actively opposing slavery. But the law, like the Dred Scott decision, had unintended consequences. It mobilized a broad coalition of Northerners — beyond the small number of abolitionists and Underground Railroad conductors — who denounced what they called the “slave power” as intent on dominating the nation and eliminating all restraints on slavery. This outrage propelled the rise of the new Republican Party and resulted in the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860. The spiral of anger, sectionalism and clashing concepts of liberty paved the way for the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history.
Americans are likely to soon face the prospect of half the states forbidding women from exercising fundamental freedom over their bodies. To enhance prohibition on abortions, many state legislatures plan to punish individuals or organizations – in state or out – who assist a woman in obtaining an abortion, even offering “bounties” to private citizen who identify abortion providers.
In a post-Roe world, we may witness the creation of a new “underground railroad,” steering women to states that permit reproductive freedom. If a future Republican-controlled Congress (made more likely by rampant gerrymandering and the rural bias in the composition of the Senate) imposes a national ban on abortion, we may experience a new civil war, with battle lines this time drawn along the lines of reproductive, not racial, freedom.
Michael Schaller is regents professor emeritus of history at the University of Arizona. He has written several books on U.S. history, focusing on international relations. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-roe-decision-could-lead-to-new-underground-railroad/article_8d04c238-f242-11ec-8837-5758ba5a3ffa.html | 2022-06-26T14:25:52 | 0 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-roe-decision-could-lead-to-new-underground-railroad/article_8d04c238-f242-11ec-8837-5758ba5a3ffa.html |
Young women in Phoenix woke up Friday to a world they've never known, one without Roe
For many of the young women protesting outside the Arizona Capitol on Friday evening, it was like they had gone to sleep in one world and awakened in another.
They woke up Friday morning to find the constitutional right to an abortion they had known their entire lives was gone.
Just after 10 a.m. on the East Coast, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, setting off a wave of protests around the country.
In Phoenix, the decision dropped just past 7 a.m.
"I woke up and went on my phone, on social media, and I saw a bunch of posts saying Roe vs. Wade was overturned."
"I woke up and my friends were texting me."
"My sister woke me up running through the house saying 'Roe vs. Wade has been overturned, Roe vs. Wade has been overturned!'"
"I woke up to a phone call from my friend."
"I woke up to it all over the news."
Camryn Supino, 19, was among the thousands braving the 106-degree early evening heat outside the Capitol.
"I actually woke up and I always start off my mornings just scrolling on TikTok," said Supino, wearing a pale yellow T-shirt emblazoned with the words Bans Off Our Bodies.
"The first video that popped up was just one of the reporters on there talking about how it was overturned," she said. "That was the first thing I saw this morning.
"And it broke my heart."
'You cannot sit this one out': Arizona Democrats urge voters to take action, defend abortion rights
Keeping up with the day's events
The decision had been anticipated, for some, since the Trump administration locked in a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, and for others, since the draft opinion was leaked in early May.
But still, expecting bad news isn't the same as receiving it, and Friday's historic ruling left many experiencing a kind of whiplash.
"I knew it was coming, I just didn't think it would be this soon," Supino said. "I thought it would still be a couple weeks away."
And on Friday, things moved fast.
It was midday when Planned Parenthood Arizona announced it was halting abortion services. By the end of the day, all but one of the state's nine licensed abortion clinics had shuttered, the status of the last one unclear.
The closures, providers said, were a response to the murky legal landscape of abortion in Arizona post-Roe.
It was a stark example of how quickly a right that had stood since 1973, for two generations of American women, could be taken away.
Chloe Fooshee, 18, arrived early to Friday evening's protest with a small group of teenagers, all of them wearing pink shirts.
She had woken up that morning to a call from a friend, who informed her: "We're going to a protest today for Roe vs. Wade."
Fooshee immediately opened Instagram and scrolled through post after post confirming it had been overturned. "So that's how I found out about it," she said. "Pretty abrupt.
"It's weird, because it makes me think of something that's supposed to be a right turned into almost a privilege," Fooshee said.
"It should be very accessible to everybody. I know that, and I've always known that. But now that it's taken away, it feels like we're supposed to earn that somehow.
"It's not great to have to earn something that should be public health care," Fooshee said. "Very basic public health care."
After the ruling:California abortion providers expect more Arizona patients
'It doesn't feel right'
Friday was Fooshee's first protest.
"I look at pictures of people from 50 years ago doing the exact same thing and it's like nothing has changed," she said. "Hopefully we can change it again."
Around the teenagers, the crowd outside the Capitol swelled to thousands. At tables set up by Planned Parenthood, Radical Women and the ACLU, volunteers gathered signatures and handed out T-shirts and signs.
For many of the young women sitting on the grass, waiting for the march to kick off, the moment was difficult to take in.
It was hard in particular to digest one succinct line from Justice Stephen Breyer's dissent: "After today, young women will come of age with fewer rights than their mothers and grandmothers had."
Emily Pham, 21, recently graduated from Arizona State University. She said in her experience as a college student, unplanned pregnancies happen, even if people are careful to use contraceptives or Plan B, the so-called morning after pill.
"It's never ideal, but it always happens," she said. "I've had many friends who have gotten abortions and have been very fortunate to have that option."
She finds it hard to believe that Roe v. Wade could be overturned, especially in the current moment.
"Kids can be gunned down in schools right now," she said. "They're not even guaranteed safety in their elementary schools. We don't even have baby formula on the shelves right now.
"So this idea of forced birth into our country where kids aren't even safe? To me it's unfathomable."
Losing what was taken for granted
Emily Mata, 18, said she couldn't quite believe the news when she first saw it on social media.
"I was like, 'This is crazy.' I was in shock," she said. "So I went on Google and I googled Roe vs. Wade. And the first article that popped up said the Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe vs. Wade.
"And I was in disbelief. I was sad," she said. "And I was angry that the majority of the people that made this decision were men, these aren't women, they don't know the struggles that women face."
Kate Devall, 17, was on the couch with her many pets — five rats, a rabbit and two dogs — and scrolling through Instagram when she saw a post reading: "This has been overturned, y'all."
"You're so used to something, you kind of take it for granted, I guess," she said. "And then, boom. It's gone. You're told, you can't get this because some old white man's telling you no."
The specter of a forced pregnancy is not something most of the current generation has had to entertain. But now it looms large.
"I have a lot of dreams and aspirations," said Wren Fasano, 18. "I want to do a lot. And if that happens to me, I would be ruined. It's one of my worst nightmares.
"And this happening, it's not come to life just yet, but it's halfway there," they said. "It's really horrifying."
The fight of an earlier generation
As the sun dipped below the Capitol, the march began. Planned Parenthood volunteers wearing fluorescent pink vests handed out bottles of cold water as a steady stream of chanting protesters, most of them waving signs, passed down toward Jefferson Street.
Later, the rally would grow violent as protesters were met with law enforcement officers firing tear gas from the windows of the Capitol. But now, it was peaceful, any clashes restricted to words.
Along the route, protesters were met with a group of four young men, all wearing large, reflective sunglasses and a couple donning blue America First caps. They held small crosses aloft in the direction of the march.
"Christ wins!" one of the four yelled at the crowd. "Jesus would have hated you!" a man retorted.
Then an older woman with a large fluffy dog approached.
"I'm just a Christian who believes in pro-choice," she said.
"You're not a real Christian then," one of the boys shot back, dismissively.
"For heaven's sakes!" the 71-year-old woman told The Arizona Republic a minute later. "I mean, I feel bad for them."
Her name, she said, was Karina Colbert, and she found out Roe v. Wade had been overturned on the phone too — that is, her landline.
She had called a friend on Friday morning to catch up. "I said, 'What are you doing tonight?' She said, 'You know there's a protest down at the Capitol?' I said, 'No?'"
The news came as a shock to Colbert. "I was crying this morning when I heard," she said. So she decided to go out and make some noise.
"I am not even into politics," she said, as she walked along with the crowd, the cross-bearing boys left behind. "I am into freedom and rights."
Born in 1951, Colbert said she remembers taking part in women's rights protests in the 1970s, including for abortion.
"I do remember women fighting for their rights. Women getting their rights. And now women are losing their rights," she said.
"And it's like, how? We fought so hard."
Reach the reporter at lane.sainty@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on Twitter @lanesainty. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/06/26/young-women-phoenix-woke-up-friday-new-post-roe-world/7729590001/ | 2022-06-26T14:28:03 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2022/06/26/young-women-phoenix-woke-up-friday-new-post-roe-world/7729590001/ |
Published
Updated
The 2002 fire dealt a near-fatal blow to the eastern Arizona tribe's timber industry, but it has recovered in recent years.
WHITERIVER — In 2002, the Fort Apache Timber Co. employed about 400 members of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, sustainably harvesting ponderosa pine while maintaining habitat for the Mexican spotted owl and Apache trout.
Running with two mills, the company's annual income was about $30 million and was the tribe's second-largest economic driver, earning national recognition as a model of tribal economic development, and as evidence of how a tribal government could wield self-determination to create a sustainable economy.
All that went up in smoke over three weeks in the summer of 2002. The Rodeo-Chediski Fire — which ignited on tribal land on June 18 as the Rodeo Fire and merged with the Chediski Fire advancing from the northeast — raged across 276,000 acres of the tribe's prime forest land. About 450 million board feet of lumber, estimated to be worth more than $100 million, turned to ash. Without the tall, straight trunks from the pines, the Fort Apache Timber Co.’s operations suffered a near-fatal blow.
But the 16,000-member tribe lost much more.
Homes burned. Valuable watersheds were left charred and barren, unable to hold back the coming monsoonal rainfall. Tribal members were shocked and saddened to learn that the Rodeo side of the fire was set by a young Apache seasonal firefighter who needed work. And, a year later, the tight-knit Apache community grieved when one of their own, whose leadership helped hold back the flames from nearby Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside, perished after being severely burned during a prescribed burn.
The fire's aftermath also took a mental health toll on tribal members, who suffered the loss of cultural sites, whether temporary or permanent, sacred to Apache people.
Tribal firefighters played critical roles in containing the fire, and forestry experts acknowledge that forest thinning work completed by the tribe before the blaze likely saved some of the White Mountain communities.
And in the 20 years since the fire, the White Mountain tribe has worked to recover from the economic and cultural losses, rebuilding its forestry business and restoring the damaged watershed.
Forest, forestry recover faster than expected
In the fire's wake, Ben Nuvamsa, a former Bureau of Indian Affairs superintendent who directed the agency's fire response and oversaw other fire teams on the Rodeo side of the fire, said the timber stands on the reservation's west side could take up to a century to regrow.
The Fort Apache Timber Co., now known as White Mountain Apache Forest Industries, suffered a severe downturn, said current manager Gary Moore. Millions of board feet of scorched wood ultimately were sold as salvage out of state, he said. The reduced supply forced the closure of one mill in Cibecue.
"After the fire there wasn’t enough timber on the west side of the reservation to support both mills," Moore said.
Nuvamsa said his team at the BIA worked day and night to prepare the 18 salvage sales that offered 240 million board feet of timber to outside logging companies. That work reduced the fuel load for future fires and bark beetle infestations, he said. Some of the trees on steeper slopes were harvested using a helicopter. The salvage operation steered clear of critical species habitat, Nuvamsa said, thanks to previous surveys conducted by the tribe and the BIA for that purpose.
"I want to recognize our foresters that put up the timber sales and sold the timber and provided a source of revenue to the tribe that otherwise would have been lost," Nuvamsa said.
The timber sales also helped stem the loss of revenues from White Mountain's biggest employer, Hon-Dah Resort Casino, which had closed its doors to serve as a command center for fire crews during the fire.
The Whiteriver mill operated until 2008, then closed until 2013. Moore said the mill ran intermittently from 2013 to December 2018. The tribe's timber industry has been slowly recovering from the fire and the timber company finally began to revive in 2019.
"We began hiring people back in April 2019 and ramped up to full production by early 2020," said Moore, who became general manager in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed the mill's upward movement for a few months, he said, but the company bounced back to full production again quickly.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded the White Mountain tribe a $3.3 million grant to upgrade the large log mill. Moore said the tribe has also asked the EDA for $10 million to upgrade its small diameter saw mill and is waiting for a decision. White Mountain also invested $6 million of its American Rescue Plan Act funds to build a new planer mill in Whiteriver. The new mill will start operations in mid-July.
The Whiteriver mill employs about 170 tribal members directly, Moore said, and provides another 60 indirect jobs.
The lumber market has changed, he said, helping support the mill's current prosperity. The tribe is selling harvested timber to Mexico, where it's used to make window and door moldings for new home construction, which Moore said results in increased business for the mill. The tribe is sending a delegation to Mexico City to discuss trade with tribes in Arizona.
The mill saw a profit for the first time in 30 years in 2021, he said.
The tribe's forestry management also has contributed to the forest industry's current prosperity, Moore said.
"The forest on the reservation side is different than the Forest Service's side," he said. The rate the tribe can cut wood was set at 50 million board feet per year, which is considered sustainable. Currently about half that is being harvested. "But the regeneration rate is pretty high."
He said the forest is regenerating faster than what's being cut, and the sustainable yield may exceed 50 million board feet in the future.
That rosy assessment comes with a caveat: "Wildfire continues to threaten one of the tribe’s major resources," Moore said. "We hope that by increasing the saw mill production volumes and the pace of forest restoration treatments that our logging operations provide we can be part of the solution to prevent the next Rodeo-Chediski Fire from destroying the White Mountain Apache timberlands."
Arizona: As fires rage across the West, White Mountain Apache forests show a balance of tradition, economy
Cibecue Creek, Pumpkin Lake restoration
As the Rodeo-Chediski Fire was contained in July 2002, fire crews returned to their homes and residents began assessing the damage. But the fire wasn't done with the White Mountain Apache Tribe.
More was incinerated than homes, trees, bushes and shrubs. The fire damaged several culturally significant sites over the course of the 21-day blaze and stripped slopes of vegetation that normally absorbed rainfall.
Pumpkin Lake, one of the community's sacred places, was completely burned over. Dawnafe Whitesinger, a White Mountain Apache tribal member and a Navajo County supervisor, said the people hold the water itself sacred.
"The story is that there's no bottom to it, that it's never ending," she said. "And so people often go there for prayer, or to get some of the water for prayer in their homes and so forth."
The lake lies just outside the town of Cibecue on the western side of the reservation. Many of the most traditional Apache people call that town and others in the district home, and a number of sacred and culturally important sites dot the area. The Arizona Department of Health Services reported that the fire damaged about a dozen sites deemed sacred to the Apache people on tribal lands.
“It was heartbreaking," Whitesinger said. "I didn’t think I’d get teary eyed, but it's something that's so special to us, and then when you see it destroyed in that way … the thing is that the water itself is so beautiful. It's like this green, blue. And you feel like you can see forever into this water. But to see the devastation was so heartbreaking to many of us.”
Later in the summer of 2002, the monsoon brought heavy rains, which washed across the denuded slopes above Cibecue Creek. Communities along the creek flooded for several years after the fire.
In the two decades since, several initiatives to rehabilitate forested areas, cultural sites and irrigation systems have helped restore the area. A Burned Area Emergency Response, or BAER, team was organized through BIA's fire management agency, holding events with Apache speakers to engage with the community. The tribe also encouraged its citizens to plant seedlings that had been started in a local greenhouse to aid in fire recovery.
"The rehab work is not just a couple of months afterwards, it continues on," Nuvamsa said. "Nature has to take over and then start repairing itself."
The tribe and the BIA launched immediate solutions such as barriers, called jetty jacks, to impede debris from clogging waterways, along with other types of fencing, all to stop erosion and prevent the loss of topsoil. Replanting native species came next, Nuvamsa said. Restoration also included providing for wildlife in the area.
Groups of youth worked on projects in the waterways designed to help revitalize natural springs, Whitesinger told The Arizona Republic. They fenced around natural ecosystems, planted trees and in the process learned about their Apache community's ties to their lands. Fisheries that been damaged by ash and debris were also rehabilitated.
Pumpkin Lake appears a bit different now, but hasn't changed in its essentials, said Whitesinger.
“Environmentally, you would think just based on aesthetics that it has changed," she said, "but it's amazing to me, that just the physical properties that it still possesses of being sacred are still there.”
In 2022, USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service announced funding to conduct a feasibility report for a potential watershed and flood operations project at Cibecue Wash. Gloria Montaño Greene, a deputy undersecretary at the NRCS, visited the site to announce the project, funded by the bipartisan infrastructure law.
Rick Lupe 'was just a hero'
Rick Lupe, a White Mountain Apache and fire boss with the BIA, is praised by many as the man who helped stop the fire from destroying Show Low and Pinetop-Lakeside. Lupe led four hotshot crews to keep the blaze from leaping across Cottonwood Canyon after it jumped across Hop Canyon. His crews built a fire line that stopped the fire from reaching the communities.
"He led his crew all night, and his work cleared the way along that canyon," said Nuvamsa, who worked with Lupe at the BIA. "He put in a fire line that kept the fire on the west side. If it had jumped the canyon, then you got a lot of shrub oak and other smaller woodlands that would just taken off and Show Low would have just burned up.
"He was just a hero."
In April 2003, Lupe, who worked in wildland firefighting for more than 20 years, was working a prescribed burn at Sawtooth Mountain in the White Mountain Apache reservation, when he suffered severe burn injuries after his emergency shelter blew away in a strong wind. He died a month later with his family and Nuvamsa at his side.
In 2003, Eagle Scout Richard Genck, who was 16, spearheaded a memorial to honor Lupe and other wildland firefighters in Pinetop-Lakeside. The memorial, which included a statue, was inaugurated in 2005. A flagpole was donated by local businesses in 2008.
How tribe's thinning slowed the fire
The two fires that merged into one were both human-caused. Valinda Jo Elliott, who started the Chediski Fire after being lost in the woods for days, was never charged with a crime, although the tribe successfully sued her for damages.
But Leonard Gregg, the White Mountain Apache man who set the Rodeo blaze in hopes of being hired to fight the fire, received a 10-year sentence in federal prison. The Republic was unable to learn Gregg's current whereabouts or contact him for comment.
For years after, the non-Indian residents of the communities in the White Mountains blamed the tribe for the loss of their homes and land, straining relations between the communities.
Nuvamsa said the damage from the 2002 conflagration could have been much worse. For one thing, he said, no lives were lost.
"But the main thing that kept the fire from being more destructive was our hazardous fuels program, thinning programs and prescribed burns," he said. "A lot of that was attributed to saving entire White Mountain-area communities. Show Low would have been gone, Pinetop would have been gone if we hadn't done that thinning."
When the blaze reached areas where the tribe had been treating forests and other lands, "it just laid down," Nuvamsa said. Creating what's known as a "low and slow" burn enabled firefighters to quickly stop the fire.
But Nuvamsa, a Hopi, continues to watch wildfires, including the recent Pipeline Fire near Flagstaff, which threatened sacred and culturally significant sites on the San Francisco Peaks. The mountains north of Flagstaff are held sacred by many tribes, including the Hopis.
"That's where our kachinas live, that's what our belief is. We have shrines up there," he said.
He's also aware of how most wildfires are caused. "Both the Rodeo and Chediski fires were started by humans," he said. "It seems like every year we have fires caused by careless people, smoking cigarettes or campfires that aren't put out 100%."
Sacred Spaces: A sacred place is imperiled by snow made with recycled sewage
Native peoples consider those lands to be their home, Nuvamsa said. "If I were to go to your home and started a fire in your backyard, how would you feel? What would you do?"
To prevent future blazes, Nuvamsa said, people need to respect "our living mother earth."
By showing respect, he said nature will return the favor in many ways.
Debra Krol reports on Indigenous communities at the confluence of climate, culture and commerce in Arizona and the Intermountain West. Reach Krol at debra.krol@azcentral.com. Follow her on Twitter at @debkrol.
Coverage of Indigenous issues at the intersection of climate, culture and commerce is supported by the Catena Foundation.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona/2022/06/26/white-mountain-apache-tribe-rodeo-chediski-fire/9900162002/ | 2022-06-26T14:28:21 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/in-depth/news/local/arizona/2022/06/26/white-mountain-apache-tribe-rodeo-chediski-fire/9900162002/ |
Forest closures during fire season are “a big lift” for the Forest Service, and one that the public increasingly demands in the wake of catastrophic wildfire. As a majority of wildfires are human-caused, it seems to follow reason that to prevent forest fires, keep humans out of the forest.
Easy, right? But forest closures aren’t as simple as they may seem. The Forest Service is a big boat to turn — a massive federal agency that is bound by law to adhere to formal processes aimed at ensuring consistent application of science and public buy-in.
To better understand how and why a forest gets closed, the Arizona Daily Sun sat down with Forest Service leadership from the Coconino National Forest (CNF) to get the inside perspective on forest closures.
Starting the conversation
For the CNF, the conversations that lead up to potential forest closures begin each year on April 1 (sometimes earlier if it’s been a dry winter), as this is generally considered the start of fire season. Every Monday at 1 p.m., representatives throughout the northern Arizona emergency response zone, which includes the Kaibab and Coconino National Forests as well the Navajo, Hopi and Hualapai reservations, get on a call to discuss fire conditions in their area.
People are also reading…
This weekly call is massive, explained CNF fire staff officer James Pettit. Not only does it include Forest Service officials, county, municipal and tribal governments, it also includes emergency response agencies like police departments, utility companies like Arizona Public Service, cooperating agencies like the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and even other land managing agencies from adjacent emergency response zones.
“We’ve got a lot of partners that really need to be ‘in the know’ on this,” Pettit said. “But the real work starts throughout the week.”
Prior to these Monday calls, Pettit spends a lot of time communicating with his peers on other forest throughout Arizona. When it comes to implementing fires restrictions and forest closures, the forests “need to be closely aligned,” he said. If not, one forest’s actions can cause ripple effects elsewhere in the state.
“If we restrict recreational access on this forest, those recreationalists will likely go to another forest that’s open,” Pettit said. “We don’t want to cause downstream effects to other land management agencies.”
The science behind fire risk
The days leading up to these Monday calls also include a significant amount of science. Every Sunday night before the call, the Forest Service “runs the numbers” on a various data points, or “indices,” that help them determine current fire risk on the forest. These indices are crucial to the conversation, Pettit said, as they account for an objective piece of a very complicated and sometimes emotional process.
“We’ve got to make decisions that are oftentimes unpopular,” Pettit said, “and we understand that. That’s why we try to anchor into the science.”
Enter CNF fire planner Sean Henning.
“My job revolves around what we call the fire danger operating plan,” Henning said. This plan is a document that consolidates data from remote access weather stations spread throughout the region — from Flagstaff to the Mogollon Rim, Prescott National Forest, Sedona, Camp Verde, Williams and more.
These stations are “set up specifically for fire weather indices,” said Henning, and these indices are many. First, there’s the “energy release component,” which describes the amount of energy that might be found at the flaming front of a fire. This index is driven by measurements of moisture in larger fuels and temperature — dry fuels and high temperatures increase the potential for energy release.
The energy release component is a measurement that changes slowly each season and is relatively stable compared to the more volatile “burning index.” This index is largely focused on evaluating potential flame length, which is often driven by winds that can shift day to day.
“Like we saw on the Tunnel Fire, and like we saw in those first few days of the Pipeline, there was a lot of wind going through there,” Henning said. “So that burning index is pretty high.”
Burning index often informs initial attack, Henning said, as more aggressive, high burning index fires warrant a more robust response.
Then there’s “ignition component”, which describes how likely a spark or ember is to ignite a full-fledged forest fire. This component is determined by measurements taken from “fuel moisture sticks” that evaluate moisture in fine fuels, temperature and relative humidity in the air.
There’s also the “spread component,” which rates the potential forward progress of a fire. This index is determined through evaluating fuel beds, the effects of wind and surrounding topography.
Topography is a big one, Henning said, as the shape of a landscape impacts both a fire’s ability to spread and a crew’s ability to respond.
“The general idea is that fire burns uphill faster,” Henning said. But places with step uphill terrain, like mountains and canyons, can also create inaccessible and dangerous conditions for firefighters.
If a fire is spreading toward firefighters in steep terrain, “we're going to have to back out of the way,” explained CNF public information officer Brady Smith. “So topography limits where and when we can put resources.”
These scientific components give some grounded data in evaluating fire risk, but they’re also a moving target, Henning said.
“Like most science, this is continually evolving,” he said. A changing climate, prolonged drought, and increasing average temperatures “are at the forefront of everyone’s mind.”
In Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University and the Ecological Restoration Institute are an important resource for cutting-edge science. “We try to stay active and engaged with them and work with any current science or numbers that they're releasing,” Henning said.
Science into criteria
Once the Forest Service has run the numbers on the science behind fire risk, they take this data and “plug it into” a set of criteria that have been agreed upon by all the Forest Service partners in northern Arizona — the same folks that sit in on the Monday call. These criteria make up something of a checklist that becomes the basis for evaluating the need for fire restrictions or forest closures.
The first of these criteria is the “seven-day moderate risk” based on weather forecasts from the Predictive Services office in Albuquerque. If there’s significant “fire weather” in the forecast, this criterion is met. Then there’s the question of whether the monsoons are active or not. Also on the checklist are questions of an existing fuels problem, the presence of “values-at-risk,” potential wind events, and “current stage effectiveness.” This last one simply asks whether the public is abiding by current restrictions.
A report on current stage effectiveness is generated by the Forest Service’s law enforcement wing, and includes things like detection of human-started fires, illegal campfires, and other violations of fire restrictions.
One of the more important criteria for evaluation is what Pettit called “the regional planning level.” This criterion characterizes whether the Forest Service, given current conditions and regional availability of firefighters and fire crews, is adequately resourced to suppress a fire. During fire season, when multiple fires are burning across the West, it’s common for those resources to be drained.
Pettit said he looks at the availability of adequate resources first when it comes to making a recommendation about fire restrictions or forest closures.
“We're fortunate in this region that we're kind of the region that goes first in the nation,” Pettit said. This means that when the Southwest enters its fire season in early spring, land managers are more likely to have adequate resources available because other regions — like the Great Basin and Northern Rockies — haven’t entered their season and won’t until later in the year.
The Tunnel and Pipeline Fires, because of their difficult topography and wind-driven speed, represented exceptionally challenging anomalies on the forest. “Bad days,” Pettit said.
“Most of the rest of the forest is primarily flat,” he said. “I will sing the praises of what's been done on this forest in the last 15 years in terms of fire management, prescribed burning, and lot of mechanical thinning. In a lot of places, we're in great shape. Even on those really bad days, I feel pretty confident that we can catch most fires.”
Escalating restrictions
Once all these criteria are evaluated and discussed across the Forest Service and their numerous partners, then comes the opportunity to make recommendations for restrictions. Officers like Pettit send their recommendations up the chain to people like Laura Jo West, forest supervisor for the CNF. She takes these recommendations to other forest supervisors in the region, and together they make the call to progress through restrictions and closures.
For stage one fire restrictions, which Pettit said “basically eliminates campfires outside of developed campgrounds,” the call can be made at the local level. Stage two restrictions must be enacted in consultation with the Forest Service regional office that oversees all the Southwest. To move to stage two, the CNF has to submit a “package” of documents that summarizes everything from the science behind recommended restrictions to the potential civil rights impacts of moving forward with restrictions. The package must also summarize the varying levels of support from affected partners: those on the Monday calls as well as others, like permitted ranchers that graze cattle on forest land.
“It's over 110 different people that we have to talk to, to do something like this,” Pettit said.
For stage three restrictions — full forest closure — the CNF has to consult with the regional and Washington D.C. offices of the Forest Service.
“That just happened this year,” West said, as a result of Forest Service officials in New Mexico closing the forest after the Hermit’s Peak / Calf Canyon Fire — the largest fire complex in New Mexico history that began when a prescribed burn got out of Forest Service control due to miscalculations and underestimations of dry conditions.
After a New Mexico senator decried the closing of the forest, “the regional Washington office wanted to review and approve any forestwide closures this season, just to make sure there was an awareness across the board across the agency of the criteria being used, the assessment of risk,” West said. This oversight is not the only way the Washington Forest Service office has enacted closer controls on the regional and local level this year; they also placed a 90-day nationwide moratorium on prescribed burns.
When it comes to this level of involvement the Washington office has in local Forest Service affairs, “that's just the nature of any large agency that has different constituents at different levels of the organization,” West said.
Because full closures require consultation with the Washington office, specific area closures — which only require regional consultation — are sometimes the preferred route. They have other advantages as well, West said. First, they can target potential problem areas while leaving other areas open to fire management and restoration projects. When a forest is closed, even the Forest Service and its industry partners have to stay out.
“When we're enforcing a forest closure, we’re not able to accomplish all the important restoration work,” West said.
Second, full closures are “tremendously costly.” With a closure order comes the need to rent thousands of barricades, put up signage, and “get troops lined” up to write tickets and apprehend violators. The Forest Service is also responsible for offering closure exemptions to parties that must retain forest access. It’s a “huge, huge workload,” West said, that can’t be circumvented “because there's no point in putting a closure in effect if we can't be effective in actually implementing it.”
All of this makes full closures a “last resort.”
It takes time
Whether advancing a restriction or enforcing a closure, the bureaucratic behemoth that is a federal agency like the Forest Service moves slowly almost by definition. Progressing through the above process takes time. It takes at least seven days “from the time we think we need to go into closure to when we can actually affect any kind of closure or restrictions,” West said. “Probably more like 10 days.”
To Pettit, that time is necessary to “dig into the facts” and make sure that the science is straight before making such an impactful call. That may be particularly important as climate change continues to alter the landscape.
“We can't make the same assumptions about how fire behaves now that we did in the past,” West said.
This year, despite the aggressive and wind-driven Tunnel and Pipeline fires, the science and process outlined above did not support a full forest closure on the CNF.
“We didn't really hit the mark on our indices or other criteria for full force closure,” West said. “We just didn't.”
She understands that appeals to the slow shifts in science and bureaucratic protocol are often unsatisfying to a public where fire has destroyed dozens of homes and threatened thousands more.
“There's been a lot of trauma and loss in his community,” West said. “And I don't blame people for reacting the way they do, and for being angry with us that we didn't go into full force closure.” She asks the public to remember that employees of the Forest Service “live here too.”
“We're all human beings doing the best we can with the best information we have, from science to experience, to professional judgment to an empathy for what our community is going through,” West said. “We're just making the best calls we know how to make for the benefit of everybody.”
Improving the process
The process of implementing fire restrictions and forest closures is, for better or for worse, slow and extremely involved. There is no “flipping a switch” or making gut calls. The way the federal agency is set up, all actions must be data-driven, bureaucratically approved, and built on a dizzying level of consensus from public and private interests.
The question is, in an era of climate change, where endless drought, tinderbox conditions and extreme weather “anomalies” have rapidly become the norm, can science and the bureaucratic processes change quickly enough to keep pace?
“There is opportunity,” West said, “to make sure our science is keeping abreast of the cumulative impacts of extended drought.” But it remains unanswered whether the science will prove “aggressive” enough. Our new reality is that “fire behavior is changing,” West said, “how do we best stay ahead of that?”
She wonders if the conditions of the world have changed so much as to necessitate new indices, new criteria, or different applications of the existing science.
“But that’s bigger than just the Coconino,” she said. “That is a global set of questions there.” | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/how-do-you-close-a-forest/article_54f93728-f280-11ec-aa8c-53976f1420cf.html | 2022-06-26T14:31:35 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/how-do-you-close-a-forest/article_54f93728-f280-11ec-aa8c-53976f1420cf.html |
Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams completed their Soil Burn Severity (SBS) map of the Pipeline Fire on Friday, providing crucial data for calculations of post-fire flood risk and estimations of long term recovery.
Overall, the BAER team assessing the Pipeline Fire determined that within the fire boundary, approximately 15,004 acres (56%) have low soil burn severity, 9,141 acres (34%) sustained moderate severity and 1,315 acres (5%) were identified as having high severity. Only 1,310 acres (1%) of the area within the fire boundary are unburned.
The distribution of the varying severities in the SBS maps showed that moderate and high severity burning was more concentrated at the “heel” of the fire in steep slope areas, wooded areas that had not been previously burned or thinned. SBS map data has been provided to city and county partners so that they can produce flood models that should be completed within the coming week.
Public information officer Dick Fleishman led the Arizona Daily Sun behind the fire line of Friday to see the effects of the Pipeline Fire firsthand. Traveling up Schultz Pass road to the Sunset Trailhead, Fleishman guided us into Weatherford Canyon through a mix of moderately and severely burned areas.
People are also reading…
Immediately, it was clear how effective firefighting efforts had been at keeping the fire north of Forest Road 743. Pinkish stains of fire retardant waited just beyond a burn scar that stopped dead it in its tracks at the clearing made for the underground pipeline.
“No fuel,” Fleishman said in explanation of the fire’s sudden stop. “Or at least not enough.”
Just north of the road, the effectiveness of preventive thinning was also displayed. To the west of the trail, low-density ponderosa stands thinned from the Orion timber sale stood with green needles in their crowns.
“You can see, the fire definitely stayed below the canopy,” Fleishman said. “These trees will probably make it.”
But just on other side of the trail, all that remained were tightly packed black sticks where the fire lethally burned through the dense forest.
“Treated,” Fleishman gestured to the green-needled ponderosas, then waved back to the completely burned stand. “And untreated.”
This trend was thematic across the Pipeline Fire, Fleishman said, where most severe were the “new burns” in areas that were both untreated and unburned from previous fires like the 2010 Schultz Fire. The Pipeline Fire burned into the Schultz Fire scar in places, and while this “re-burn” definitely set back recovery of the areas, “it's probably not as dire of a situation as it was immediately post-Schultz Fire,” he said.
Part of the reason for that is the Schultz Fire was “80-85% high severity,” Fleishman said, and caused significant soil damage because there was plenty of fuel to keep the fire burning long and hot. When the Pipeline Fire came along, it “flashed through” on fine fuels such as grasses that had regrown since 2010, resulting in a lesser soil burn severity. The full impact of re-burns is not completely understood, but from what Fleishman explained, an area that burns severely once is not as likely to burn severely again.
Ecosystem type also accounted for burn severity differences in the Pipeline Fire. Much of the more severe “stand replacing” burns occurred in mixed conifer areas characterized by the presence of fir and spruce trees. These burns might seem catastrophic, but Fleishman rejected the term.
“This is exactly how it’s supposed to burn,” he said. “For spruce and fir the natural fire return interval is every 200 to 400 years, and its natural fire regime is stand replacing.”
After a spruce/fir stand is burned down, aspen is the “primary successional species,” that takes over and rehabilitates the landscape so that spruce and fir can grow once more. It’s a natural cycle that has defined the area for millennia and produced iconic areas like the aspen groves of Inner Basin.
“One person’s catastrophic is another person’s beautiful,” Fleishman said.
Deeper into Weatherford Canyon, we got to see what moderate and severe burn really looks like. Fleishman warned the crew to “look up and down.” Overhead loomed the threat of falling, burned out “hazard trees,” sometimes called “widowmakers.” Underfoot, “stump holes” where the fire had burned through a tree stump and root system were the primary risk. Fleishman said they were notorious for hollowing the surrounding earth to the point that a single step could collapse the crust and swallow unsuspecting ankles in pockets of burning ash.
“Don’t stand anywhere near them,” he said.
Kneeling in the ash, BAER team lead Eric Schroder demonstrated the process by which BAER teams evaluate soil burn severity. It begins with satellite imagery, Schroder explained, which use before and after comparisons of the ground “reflectance” to estimate how badly a fire damaged an area. Then, crews go in and “ground-truth” these estimations observationally and through soil tests.
“My first observation here is for ground cover,” Schroder said, looking at an area deemed “moderate” severity. Where once would have been a forest floor covered in duff and pine needles, there was now a layer of black, shining char.
“Charred but not consumed,” Schroder said. Then he pointed up, where browned needles lingered, ready to fall from their black branches. They represented a “tremendous potential for ground cover replacement through needle cast,” he said.
The final observation that affirmed the area as “moderate” and not “severe” came from the soil. Schroder whipped out a rusted pocket knife and scraped at the coal-black soil.
“What I'm seeing is an eighth to a quarter-inch of heat impacted soil on the surface,” Schroder said, examining a palm full of soil. “We're seeing some of the organic content of the soil has been consumed — a loss of soil structure, fine roots have been burned out.”
He scraped a little deeper. The soil turned from a glossy black to a dull clay color. Little hair-like roots were visible in the granular structure.
“Moderate soil burn severity does mean that you can have some minimal fire impacts on soil,” Schroder said. “And that appears to be the case here.” Had the area been more severely burned, the soil impacts would have been deeper, going down a half-inch or more.
Taking out a water bottle with an angled spout, Schroder then demonstrated why soil damage is a problem. He delicately squirted water onto the burned soil and watched as it beaded up into a clear globe. This, he said, showed how burned soil creates a “hydrophobic” water repellent layer.
“What happens is with the consumption of materials at soil surface, there's organic gases that condense on the surface of the soil particles,” he said. “You might call it a waxy coating of sorts. So there's less infiltration of water into the soil. That’s just one factor that can increase the post-wildfire runoff.”
In Fleishman’s words, these waxy coatings in severely burned soils make the soil go from “a sponge to a roof.” Post-fire flooding remains a concern for the Flagstaff community, one that will be understood in greater detail thanks to SBS analysis.
When we continued up the trail, Fleishman pointed out dark, undulating patterns like creeping mold in the burned earth.
“That’s water,” he said. “It’s already starting to pool and move from the rain we got.” Fleishman estimated that recent storms dropped about 0.12 inches of rain on the area.
“That’s not even a hard rain,” he said. “This is evidence of what we can expect.”
Further on we came to a severely burned area. The signs of extreme heat were staggering. Rocks had spalled, cracked and shattered as if in a furnace. The fine, black and gray ash was crisscrossed with reddish lines. These were scars left where downed logs “burned to complete consumption,” Fleishman said, and the phrase left little to be desired. Complete was correct — there was no sign of a fallen tree beyond the red shadow of deeply burned earth.
In the middle of this severely burned area was an aspen grove across a gully from a decimated stand of mixed conifers. The aspens were charred around their bases, leaves long gone.
“When the fire came through, the winds had the flames laying over like this,” Fleishman flattened his hand. “These aspens were taking all the heat from this stand.” Aspens don't readily burn compared to spruce and fir, and are considered a natural fire barrier. This grove showed precisely why. A hundred yards back was a small oasis protected from the hellfire, green leaves visible in the heart of the grove.
“You can see ferns on the ground,” Fleishman said, pointing through the white trunks.
In some cases, aspen sprouts can be seen mere days after a fire passes through, Fleishman said. While that was not the case in Weatherford Canyon, Fleishman isn’t concerned.
“Every fire I’ve ever been on, I’ve seen aspen come back,” he said. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/pipeline-fire-burned-most-severely-in-untreated-and-new-burn-areas/article_5fbb14a6-f41a-11ec-a1cb-97a21e6a27a2.html | 2022-06-26T14:31:41 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/pipeline-fire-burned-most-severely-in-untreated-and-new-burn-areas/article_5fbb14a6-f41a-11ec-a1cb-97a21e6a27a2.html |
Bear in Brockton; day in the life of a firefighter; edgy clothing: 5 top stories last week
BROCKTON — A black bear was caught on video wandering through a Brockton yard near north Pearl Street and Healey Terrace.
On Thursday, traffic on Route 495 in Middleboro was halted after an injured black bear was reported in the median of the highway. The Large Animal Response Team ultimately euthanized the bear.
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a Brockton firefighter? Enterprise reporter Namu Sampath spent a day with Squad A to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be a firefighter in Brockton.
The sixth annual Tutu Run and SparkleFest in honor of Sydney Craven was held at the East Bridgewater Commercial Club. Sydney unexpectedly stopped breathing in her sleep nine days shy of her second birthday in 2015.
A 3-alarm blaze ravaged a Brockton home on Taber Avenue, leaving the residents reeling.
In case you missed it, here are five stories from the past week throughout the Brockton area that resonated with our readers.
Bear caught on video wandering through Brockton yard, city alerts public to be on lookout
It was about 6 a.m. Friday morning as Kyle Boucher was working at his desk at home when he heard his mother screaming from another room. "She's like, 'You got to see what the camera just picked up a couple hours ago,'" Boucher said. They have cameras set up around the exterior of their house. At first, as Boucher watched what the cameras had recorded, he thought he saw a panther walk across his backyard. Then he realized it was an approximately 200-pound black bear.
Black bear in Brockton yard:Bear caught on video wandering through Brockton yard, city alerts public to be on lookout
Video of bear in Brockton yard:Brockton resident catches black bear on camera wandering through backyard
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a Brockton firefighter?
0700, that's firefighter speak for 7 a.m., and the time the eight Squad A firefighters who work the day shift at station one on Pleasant Street in downtown Brockton come in to work. The morning starts busy, after roll call and a quick run through the day by their captain and lieutenant, Shawn Kerr and Chris O'Reilly, respectively, the firefighters get moving on their tasks: making sure their equipment is sound, getting their gear ready and cleaning the station. Before 9:30 a.m., the firefighters have already responded to two calls from Brockton residents asking for help.
What it's like to be a firefighter:Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a Brockton firefighter?
Tutu Run and Sparklefest honors East Bridgewater's Sydney Craven
The sixth annual Tutu Run and SparkleFest in honor of Sydney Craven was held at the East Bridgewater Commercial Club. Sydney unexpectedly stopped breathing in her sleep nine days shy of her second birthday in 2015.
Tutu Run photos:The sixth annual Tutu Run and Sparklefest honors East Bridgewater's Sydney Craven
Sparkle Box library:Sparkle Box library dedicated to East Bridgewater toddler at Central Elementary School
First Tutu Run:East Bridgewater toddler's memory will sparkle at Saturday event
Brockton man starts edgy clothing biz as outer expression of his inner struggles
A Brockton man needed an outlet to battle his depression. He found art was the best way, which led him to design an edgy clothing brand, Local Lost Boyz. Devin Ryan, 28, felt a void in his life in 2017 when he created this brand. To the young designer, it was an extension of his mental state and a way to express how he felt inside. “We’re all a little lost, even if it’s mentally, physically, or emotionally lost,” Ryan said.
Edgy clothing business:Brockton man starts edgy clothing biz as outer expression of his inner struggles
Clothing photos:Brockton man finds himself with Local Lost Boyz clothing brand
Injured black bear euthanized on Route 495 in Middleboro
Traffic on Route 495 in Middleboro was halted Thursday morning after an injured black bear was reported in the median of the highway. At 11:10 a.m., Massachusetts State Police reported that a car struck a black bear on the highway. Staff from the Massachusetts Environmental Police and MassWildlife arrived at the scene and tranquilized the bear, according to MassWildlife's Communications Coordinator Emily Stolarski. Wildlife experts examined the bear and determined the animal "sustained significant injuries" and could not be relocated away from the highway. The Large Animal Response Team ultimately euthanized the bear.
Injured bear euthanized:Injured black bear euthanized on Route 495 in Middleboro
Staff writer Kathy Bossa can be reached by email at kbossa@enterprisenews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today. | https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/brockton-area-top-5-stories-bear-brockton-life-firefighter-sparklefest-local-lost-boyz/7707086001/ | 2022-06-26T14:37:34 | 1 | https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/brockton-area-top-5-stories-bear-brockton-life-firefighter-sparklefest-local-lost-boyz/7707086001/ |
BLOOMINGTON — Four candidates, two from each major party, will square off in Tuesday's primary election, hoping to get one step closer to winning a seat in the Illinois General Assembly.
In the newly-drawn 91st District of the Illinois House, Karla Bailey-Smith and Sharon Chung, both of Bloomington, face off on the Democrat ballot. James Fisher of Hudson and Scott Preston of Normal vie for the Republican nomination.
The district underwent significant changes, geographically, during the most recent state remapping process. It now includes parts of McLean, Woodford, Tazewell and Peoria counties, stretching from Bloomington-Normal to just south of Peoria.
Currently, the 91st District is represented by Mark Luft, R-Pekin, who has held the seat since his election in November 2020.
When Luft was elected, the district included portions of Tazewell, Fulton and Peoria counties. The redrawn legislative maps moved its boundaries north of Pekin, away from Fulton County and toward Bloomington.
Candidates for the district that encases parts of two of the state's midsized cities have taxes and spending, agriculture and education high on their minds.
Bailey-Smith, a self-employed interior house painter, previously ran for the 88th District in 2020, falling to Rep. Keith Sommer, R-Morton.
Despite her first unsuccessful attempt at a statehouse seat, Bailey-Smith said she has also worked to advocate for issues at the state legislature, including the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act that was signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in September 2021.
“We deserve a state representative who is active and engaged in our communities and who has taken the time to understand the needs and concerns of residents across the whole district,” she said. “I care about the people and organizations that have not been valued and have not been represented. I recognize that our previous elected officials have consistently voted against anything that costs money without considering the long-term benefits. I have a vision to value investment in our communities, or people, and to protect our natural environment while investing in a green future for Illinois.”
Bailey-Smith identified Illinois’ high property taxes coupled with low state contributions to public schools as one of the biggest problems facing the General Assembly. To solve this, she said, “we need to close loopholes that allow corporations and high earners to avoid contributing to the public good. We need to set more rigid tax liability structures for corporations so they cannot ‘bargain down’ their tax liabilities as easily.”
In office, Bailey-Smith said she wants to preserve Illinois’ place as an agricultural leader while taking steps to protect the environment and improve the economy by increasing local food production “and incentivizing cover crops, diversification and alley farming.”
Also among her top priorities, “I want to help working families by ending the ban on rent control and increase access to affordable child care, and I will continue to work to reduce gun violence in Illinois.”
Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington
Chung, an adjunct professor at Millikin University and professional classical musician and instructor, has served on the McLean County Board since her election in 2018.
During her time on the County Board, Chung said she has learned how to work with other elected officials to pass policy that helps her constituents while maintaining a balanced budget.
“I am not afraid to raise and ask tough questions on behalf of my constituents,” she said. “I have also been an advocate for openness and commonsense solutions, and I have worked hard to make fiscally responsible decisions for McLean County.”
Chung, who has lived in Central Illinois for 13 years, said her daughters were the reason she got involved in politics and at the forefront of her decision to run this year.
“I often think about the world that younger generations, which include my daughters and my students, will inherit,” she said. “I want it to be a safe, fair, and healthy place with plenty of opportunities to learn and prosper. There is still a lot of work to be done in that regard.”
Bringing down the state’s high cost of living “for working families and strengthening Central Illinois’ economy” and working to increase funding for local public schools, lower health care costs and reduce violence against women are among her priorities.
James Fisher, R-Hudson
Fisher, a retired farmer, served on the McLean County Unit 5 school board in the 1990s, was a 2016 delegate to the Republican National Convention and reached the rank of major during his time in the U.S. Army where he was an intel officer.
Fisher identified the most pressing issue facing the General Assembly as “taxes, taxes and more taxes,” as well as the state’s “problem with infringing on our constitutional rights …The Illinois government has a problem with an encroaching bureaucracy and it’s time someone took a stand against it.”
Fisher said he is seeking office because “for far too long politicians have failed the residents of Illinois … It’s time for leadership who won’t abandon their values when times get tough, and succumb to the pressure of the establishment, like all of my opponents will.”
If elected, he said he would work to reduce taxes, reduce government spending, enact term limits and “protect the rights of the people of Illinois by enacting laws that protect your first, second and many other amendment rights.”
He said given his military experience, “I can get things done,” and having lived on a farm for more than 30 years, he believes he knows “what’s best to support farmers and small business owners.”
Scott Preston, R-Normal
Preston, founder and president of the real estate investment company Preston Property Group, has served on the Normal Town Council since 2013 when he became the town’s youngest council member in history. He also serves on the board of directors for United Way of McLean County.
A Bloomington-Normal native, Preston said he believes limitless potential exists in this area, “But for too long, bad policy out of Springfield has hindered efforts to increase economic growth. We need leaders in Springfield who’ll keep taxes low, rein in spending, and take on corruption. As State Representative, I will bring a fresh perspective and problem-solving mentality to the issues our communities face every day.”
During his time on the council, Preston said he’s seen how a functioning government can solve problems for people, “which sometimes includes government getting out of the way.”
“I have shown a commitment to economic growth, keeping taxes low and promoting policies to ensure a high quality of life during my tenure on council,” he said. “I’m best equipped to bring a pragmatic, no-nonsense approach to the problems facing Illinois families, workers, job creators and taxpayers.”
Preston said the high cost of living in Illinois caused by inflation and high taxes is the biggest issue facing the General Assembly. Having seen others leave the state for opportunities elsewhere, Preston said he believes that should be a key focus in office, and he supports “pro-growth policies” aimed at reducing the financial burden.
“I want our state government to not hold us back or crush us,” he said, noting other priorities include rebuilding Illinois’ economy, investing in educational institutions and "defeating efforts to defund or lessen the powers of law enforcement."
IL House District 91: candidate questionnaires
Election
Karla Bailey-Smith, D-Bloomington
Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington
James Fisher, R-Hudson
Scott Preston, R-Normal
Watch Now: Historic ruling as Roe v. Wade struck down, and more of today's top videos
Take a peek in the past as the Supreme Court strikes down Roe v. Wade, the oven of this restaurant in Spain has been burning for almost 300 years, and more of today's top videos.
Growing five different kinds of lavender, Two Sisters Lavender has been cultivating the flowering plant for over 10 years, learning from how it grows to make sure the conditions are near perfect.
The McLean County Chamber of Commerce is now accepting applications for the ATHENA Leadership Award, which will be presented Thursday, Oct. 6, at the Leaders of Distinction Awards. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/meet-the-2-democrats-and-2-republicans-facing-off-in-the-new-91st-district/article_bb7c9a54-f40f-11ec-8226-b344fa960759.html | 2022-06-26T15:05:07 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/meet-the-2-democrats-and-2-republicans-facing-off-in-the-new-91st-district/article_bb7c9a54-f40f-11ec-8226-b344fa960759.html |
State police: Man reports being shot on the Lodge Freeway
Jordyn Grzelewski
The Detroit News
Michigan State Police's Metro Detroit post is investigating a report that a man was shot early Sunday on the Lodge Freeway, the agency said on Twitter.
Troopers were dispatched to Detroit Receiving Hospital at about 1:20 a.m. after a man reported he was shot on the freeway. He reportedly told police that after leaving a party, he noticed a vehicle following him. He got onto the Lodge at Myers and crossed into the lefthand lane going southbound, according to MSP.
Someone in the other vehicle then began shooting at him, hitting his vehicle "several times" and hitting the man twice on the right side of his body.
MSP said the man was in stable condition Sunday morning.
jgrzelewski@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @JGrzelewski | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/06/26/man-reports-being-shot-lodge-freeway-michigan-state-police/7739691001/ | 2022-06-26T15:05:26 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/06/26/man-reports-being-shot-lodge-freeway-michigan-state-police/7739691001/ |
Pedestrian, patrol car struck by driver on I-75 in Detroit, MSP reports
A motorist struck a pedestrian and a Michigan State Police patrol car on northbound I-75 near Dearborn Street in Detroit, the law enforcement agency's Metro Detroit post said Saturday on Twitter.
MSP troopers were patrolling 75 and Dearborn when they saw a pedestrian who appeared to be trying to run into traffic on the highway, according to the agency. A driver reportedly struck the pedestrian and a police vehicle after a trooper stopped his car and as he was about to get out and speak to the pedestrian. The patrol car was parked in the right lane of the highway with emergency lights on, MSP said.
The pedestrian suffered what were described as minor injuries, and was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital along with the trooper, who reported back pain. The motorist was not injured.
jgrzelewski@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @JGrzelewski | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/06/26/pedestrian-patrol-car-struck-driver-75-detroit-msp-says/7739622001/ | 2022-06-26T15:05:32 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/06/26/pedestrian-patrol-car-struck-driver-75-detroit-msp-says/7739622001/ |
Up on the Boise Bench, there’s a section on Cole Street that’s full of churches of all kinds. One of them is the Shield of Faith Baptist Church, whose pastor, Joe Jones, has come under fire recently for sermons posted on YouTube that called for death to those in the LGBTQ+ community. People in Boise are rallying against it.
On Sunday, June 15, Eric Jaronda, who lives next to the church and considers himself to be a born-again Christian, decided to speak with Jones personally. Jaronda said that, surprisingly, instead of being able to have a conversation with Jones, the pastor was rude and didn’t stray from his belief that the LGBTQ+ community is unwelcome in the eyes of God.
Jaronda then decided he would begin to protest every sermon that Jones preached. He and a small group of about five people went to the church at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22 and are planning to go again at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 26. They said they will continue going to let Jones and his congregation know that they do not want that kind of rhetoric in their community. They hope others will join them by making posters and standing with them outside the church.
“From my perspective, this is a Christian problem,” said Jaronda. “We can’t allow this to happen in our state. You cross a line when you call for the execution of a group of people; it is hate speech. I don’t care what the law says.”
The Reverend Jenny Willison Hirst of Collister United Methodist Church said she believes Jones’ beliefs are in the minority and that “we are trying to get better about being present in these conversations and we are committed to being a louder voice than the harmful ones.”
In a sermon on YouTube, Jones called for people of the LGBTQ+ community to be put to death. The phone message on the church’s contact number points to a Bible scripture, Leviticus 20:13, that states, “If a man practices homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, both men have committed a detestable act. They must both be put to death.”
In an emailed response to a request for comment, Jones said “I’m not changing or backing down from anyone, ever!”
Rabbi Dan Fink from the Ahavath Beth Israel Synagogue, which is also a member of the Interfaith Equality Coalition, finds Jones’ sermons problematic but said it’s not his inclination to show up and protest at another church — instead he thinks it’s better to work toward something than against it.
“Free speech gives him that right,” Fink said, “but I think he’s badly abusing it. Given the laws and the state of the law here in Idaho it’s probably legally correct but what that points out is that Idaho law on hate speech is weak and woefully inadequate. Our law does not address what is hate crime and hate speech — and calling for the death of LGBTQ+ people is hate speech.”
Idaho law says it is “unlawful for any person, maliciously and with the specific intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person’s race, color, religion, ancestry, or national origin,” but Idaho’s code for malicious harassment does not include protections for gender identity or sexual orientation.
That doesn’t sit well with Jaronda and his small group of protesters. Two among those at the church on Wednesday spoke out.
“I’m part of the LGBTQ+ community and many of my friends and family are, and as someone who’s against hate speech and stands up for marginalized communities, it’s my duty as a citizen,” Stephani Perin said. “Love wins.”
Cole Vanderlaan said, “I don’t like people in my community saying hateful things. It’s sickening someone can say those things without any repercussions. It’s not a matter of free speech as this person is threatening the safety of other people in our community. He (Jones) says he’s a good Bible-following Christian, but if anything, Jesus teaches compassion.”
In response to an article published June 10 in the Idaho Press about the sermons, the Interfaith Equality Coalition penned a letter on June 13 denouncing Jones’ speech. Over 25 different faith leaders signed the letter and said they would like to foster a discussion with Jones about his beliefs.
In an email, Jones dismissed the faith coalition’s letter and claims, mostly because the clergy member who spoke to him was a woman.
He wrote, “The equality coalition is weak and they have not sent anyone to us that knows the Bible. They had a female ‘Pastor’ contact us from what I heard.”
In the email, he added several Bible verses that call for women to be subservient.
In lieu of protesting, the Interfaith Equality Coalition comes from a different angle. In an email to Boise Weekly regarding the protests, a spokesperson said, “Several pastors responded to the question about protesting. They stated that protests simply bring this pastor and his church more attention, something we don’t want to do ... My pastor told me that our church got a voicemail inviting us to join a couple of the protests. She chose to ignore it for basically the same reason as the others plus she doesn’t believe in protesting at other churches.”
Instead of focusing on Jones, the coalition wants to create space for people who are harmed by his words. Tod Mills, a pastor at the Cathedral of the Rockies, said that he and pastor Hirst recently met with a high school-age graduate who was worried about what those kinds of comments could create.
“What is the call to action now? The response is one of love and a focus of coming to the community that has concerns or feels harmed,” Mills said. “Our reaction to this harmful rhetoric is love, acceptance — and creating space.”
He said that one church doesn’t speak for all and that if anyone feels alone or wants to reach out, “we will walk through the journey with you and make space for you to feel loved, appreciated and supported.”
Those that would like to reach out to the coalition can go to the Facebook page or reach out to any of the faith leaders who are members. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/love-wins-boise-community-comes-together-following-pastors-comments/article_51285260-8f16-5d9d-93f4-e79b12f2879c.html | 2022-06-26T15:10:43 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/love-wins-boise-community-comes-together-following-pastors-comments/article_51285260-8f16-5d9d-93f4-e79b12f2879c.html |
The challenges facing the American fire service are at an all time high and climbing. Standards for service have increased, the need for all hazard approaches have grown, call volumes have increased, challenges in staffing, and the need for continued required training now greet the fire service.
Because of these challenges, the board of directors for Millington and Sumner Rural Fire Protection Districts have held several public meetings to discuss combining services. On June 20, the boards approved the consolidation of the two departments via an Inter-governmental agreement until a public vote can take place. The consolidated fire authority will be known as Central Coos Fire & Rescue.
This consolidation is based on eliminating the duplication of efforts in all program areas, including personnel at all levels. A consolidated fire district will likely create efficiencies and effectiveness of fire protection and EMS throughout the communities allowing CCF&R to provide better fire and EMS services.
CCF&R will cover 31 square miles of Coos County with a combined personnel roster of 38 members. There will be four fire stations located throughout the districts where equipment to respond to emergencies will be located. Members of both departments are proud of their histories of serving the public in their respective districts. As such, traditional Millington and Sumner Fire District boundaries will continue to maintain their identities by retaining their names on station locations.
This change is scheduled to take effect July 1. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/millington-sumner-fire-districts-to-merge/article_864b73ca-f273-11ec-83b8-3be8666af48b.html | 2022-06-26T15:15:57 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/millington-sumner-fire-districts-to-merge/article_864b73ca-f273-11ec-83b8-3be8666af48b.html |
Pride Month: 5 highlights from Pride Fest’s return to Fayetteville
After a two-year hiatus, Pride Fest returned to Fayetteville Saturday in an array of colors, flags and entertainment.
Fayetteville Pride, an LGBTQ organization that aims to provide a support network and educational advocacy for the LGBTQ community, announced the event’s return at the end of March.
The organization’s president Katrinna Marsden previously projected 5,000 to 8,000 attendees before the 2020 event was canceled and hoped for numbers to increase for this year’s Pride Fest.
One thing the organization wanted for the event was to make it family-friendly.
This year’s celebrations included not only drag performers, music and local vendors but also an area for kids including a canopy for drag story time and puppet shows, bubbles, games and a water sprinkler to combat the heat.
More:‘We're so excited': Fayetteville Pride Festival will return this summer
An afternoon of lively characters, community joy and fun-filled activities -- here are five highlights from Pride Fest that stood out most:
Someone dressed as a unicorn
Although the LGBTQ community is associated with rainbow colors because of the community’s flag, not many would think of a colorful unicorn.
Although wearing an inflatable costume isn’t that different, it was commendable to see a festival reveler put on the colorful uniform -- and keep it on -- in the 90-degree North Carolina heat.
An abundance of Pride flags
If you haven’t brushed up on the meaning of the LGBTQ flags, Pride Fest was the perfect event for you.
The pink and blue of the transgender flag; the pink, purple and blue of the bisexual flag; and the blue, yellow and hot pink of the pansexual flag were some of the many flags on display at the event (pansexuality is defined as attraction to people regardless of their sex or gender identity).
PFLAG’s first event with its new board
At the beginning of this month the Fayetteville chapter of PFLAG voted in a new board, saving the organization from having to disband.
The national PFLAG organization was founded in 1973. The Fayetteville chapter was started in 2017 by local parents of LGBTQ children.
Some of the resources the organization offers include monthly support meetings, information about how to support LGBTQ kids, faith resources and suicide prevention.
The Pride Fest was the new board’s first event where they were able to attract more community volunteers.
Drag performers
What’s a pride celebration without a drag performance, right?
Drag performers Morgan Richards, Lola Carmichael, Tatianna Matthews and Spectra took to the Festival Park stage throughout the event providing crowd pleasing lip-syncing performances.
An LGBTQ inclusive puppet show
The youth group of Sweet Tea Shakespeare's Green Tea not only presented an LGBTQ inclusive puppet show in the kids area but they also wrote it.
The performing youths’ show told the story of parents pushing their transgender child to get married. The story concluded with the parents’ finding their child the perfect bride — a drag queen.
Staff writer Akira Kyles can be reached at akyles@gannett.com. | https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/highlights-pridefest-return-fayetteville-north-carolina/7734163001/ | 2022-06-26T15:24:59 | 0 | https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/highlights-pridefest-return-fayetteville-north-carolina/7734163001/ |
EVERETT, Wash. — The body of the four-year-girl who was reported missing at Everett's Silver Lake Saturday was found overnight.
The Everett Police Department said the girl's body was found early Sunday morning between 12 a.m. and 2 a.m. in Silver Lake by someone assisting in the search.
The Everett Fire Department recovered her body.
Police said it does not appear to be foul play at this time but are continuing the investigation.
The Everett Police Department said it is not releasing her name.
The missing girl's photo was first shared online at around 7 p.m. Saturday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/body-missing-girl-recovered-silver-lake/281-2d2e5f53-2ba0-424b-9a58-e162701c17e9 | 2022-06-26T15:32:41 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/body-missing-girl-recovered-silver-lake/281-2d2e5f53-2ba0-424b-9a58-e162701c17e9 |
DALLAS (KDAF) — This one goes out to the people in love. Nothing is better than date night. It makes you feel connected to your partner.
If you haven’t had a date night in a while, take this as the universe telling you to go on a date with your partner. To help you make date night happen, here is a suggestion on what to do: go on a romantic dinner date.
Don’t know which restaurant to go to? Here’s another suggestion.
Eat This, Not That has released a report saying the most romantic restaurant in each state, and according to their report, Gemma in Dallas is the most romantic restaurant in Texas.
“Located in Dallas’ Knox/Henderson nabe, this seasonally inspired bistro‘s shrimp and mussel curry is a must order. The sparkling tile floors and breezy patio offer the chance to turn up the romance with coconut cream pie and a cocktail, or order favorites to go,” the report says.
Gemma is located at 2323 N Henderson Ave #109, Dallas, TX 75206. Click here for more information on Gemma. For the full report, visit Eat This, Not That. | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-says-this-dallas-restaurant-is-the-most-romantic-restaurant-in-texas/ | 2022-06-26T15:40:54 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/report-says-this-dallas-restaurant-is-the-most-romantic-restaurant-in-texas/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Let’s be real: Snack Pack’s chocolate pudding cups were the ultimate lunch box staple as a child. When you opened your lunch box and saw that, you knew it was going to be a good day.
Saturday, June 25, is National Chocolate Pudding. Did you know that the earliest recorded print recipe for chocolate pudding dates to a time before the United States of America existed? According to NationalToday.com, the earliest print recipe for chocolate pudding found was from 1730.
In celebration of this delicious treat, here is a list of the best places to get pudding in Dallas, according to Yelp:
- The Gourmet Bread Pudding Company
- Val’s Cheesecakes
- Milk & Cream
- Bigdash Ice Cream & Pastries
- Better Than Sex: A Dessert Restaurant
- Coconut Paradise
- Haute Sweets Patisserie
- Bisous Bisous Patisserie
- Village Baking
- Baldo’s Ice Cream & Coffee
For more information, visit Yelp. | https://cw33.com/news/local/where-to-get-the-best-pudding-in-dallas-for-national-chocolate-pudding-day-according-to-yelp/ | 2022-06-26T15:40:57 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/where-to-get-the-best-pudding-in-dallas-for-national-chocolate-pudding-day-according-to-yelp/ |
Four people in a Brooklyn neighborhood were struck by gunfire late Saturday, including a young girl who authorities say was grazed by a bullet.
Police say the girl was with a group of adults gathered in a courtyard in Bedford-Stuyvesant when someone opened fire.
The bullets started flying around 11:30 p.m. on Quincy Avenue at Stuyvesant Garden Housing. All victims were hit in the legs and are expected to survive, NYPD officials said.
Two male suspects were seen leaving the area on a dirtbike, according to police.
Mayor Eric Adams stopped by the scene hours after a driver plowed into five people, killing a 67-year-old woman, in the same neighborhood.
Copyright NBC New York | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/young-girl-among-4-wounded-in-brooklyn-courtyard-shooting-police-ny-only/3750001/ | 2022-06-26T15:53:29 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/young-girl-among-4-wounded-in-brooklyn-courtyard-shooting-police-ny-only/3750001/ |
Tucson Unified School District saw one of its highest summer school enrollment numbers this year, with more than 11,000 students in grades K-12 taking classes during June.
That is about three times the average number the district typically saw in pre-pandemic years, including in summer 2019 when about 3,300 students enrolled, said TUSD’s senior director of curriculum and instruction, Heidi Aranda.
“I think parents have been concerned about students and their learning over the past couple of years, so it’s really an opportunity to continue that,” Aranda said. “During the summer, students forget some of the learning that they did during the school year … and so parents are wanting their children to continue that learning to avoid losing any skills.”
Still, this year’s numbers are slightly lower than the 13,000 students who enrolled last summer, when the district offered its expansive “Jump Start” program for those students who were entering a school they hadn’t previously stepped foot on due to distance learning during the pandemic.
People are also reading…
While TUSD didn’t offer that program this year, Aranda said the enrollment numbers stayed relatively high considering the district was offering summer school programs at each of its campuses. In previous years, the summer programs had been housed at a few select schools.
“This idea of being able to attend your regular school for summer has been great because they’re familiar with the campus and the programs and the staff,” Aranda said.
Elementary grade levels saw the highest participation numbers with more than 4,000 students enrolled in grades K-5, according to information presented to the district's governing board.
At the high school level, the second-highest in enrollment, the district saw the most demand for students wanting to take credit recovery courses.
During a virtual media briefing, TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo noted that high school students, in particular, were trying to address credit deficiencies.
“Remote instruction wasn’t necessarily the biggest success, especially at the high school level,” Trujillo said. “We saw a lot of challenges with disengagement and attendance, which unfortunately related to a lot of D and F grades, so the need for high schoolers to get in and make up credits, I think, was a big driver in what we’re seeing here.”
Other high schoolers, Aranda said, took credit advancement courses that still addressed the academic struggles that students faced throughout the school year.
More staff
The district’s focus this summer was not only to help students academically, but to help them with their social-emotional skills, Aranda said.
As a result, TUSD incorporated social-emotional learning (SEL) activities in K-8 summer programs, and hired counselors to address SEL issues in high schools.
“This is the first year we did that. We don’t usually hire counselors to provide services in the summer,” she said.
In addition to bringing on high school counselors, TUSD found that more teachers were also willing to work the summer school hours this year, in part thanks to flexibility that still allowed teachers to enjoy some time off.
That flexibility included setting a later start date for summer classes, so teachers could take a breather after the school year ended. And, teachers were allowed to choose between teaching throughout the whole month of June, or only taking on one two-week session.
“Last year, we had a really hard time recruiting staff. They were just tired from the past two years — one full year of teaching online and another year of teaching online, then coming back in person,” Aranda said.
But Trujillo noted that the district’s flexibility may not be the only force pushing more teachers to work over the summer.
“I think it’s the motivation of working with students and addressing learning loss … coupled with the need to earn a little bit of extra money this summer due to inflation, the rising costs of gas and groceries and expenses,” he said.
Other local summer programs
While dealing with a smaller volume of students, other districts in Pima County also saw slight increases in students enrolled in some summer programs compared to pre-pandemic years.
According to information provided by Marana Unified School District, for example, the number of high schoolers enrolled in credit recovery courses grew from 110 in summer 2019 to 255 students this year.
For credit advancement, however, the enrollment dropped from 355 students in 2019 to 323 students this year.
MUSD spokeswoman Alli Benjamin said the district did not formally track the K-8 summer school enrollment numbers previously, but this year’s elementary and middle school enrollment was approximately 1,300 students.
At Sahuarita Unified School District, the overall summer school enrollment for K-12 also grew, from a total of 351 students in 2019 to nearly 500 students this year.
Have any questions or news tips about K-12 education in Southern Arizona? Contact reporter Genesis Lara at glara@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/tucson-unified-sees-second-year-of-high-demand-for-summer-courses/article_f9d2ec62-f339-11ec-8dee-7f0054adde0f.html | 2022-06-26T16:12:55 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/tucson-unified-sees-second-year-of-high-demand-for-summer-courses/article_f9d2ec62-f339-11ec-8dee-7f0054adde0f.html |
LYNCHBURG, Va. — Police in Virginia are investigating vandalism at a pregnancy center that discourages women from having an abortion.
Several windows were also broken.
Police say security footage shows four masked individuals committing the vandalism early Saturday morning.
In a tweet, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, said Virginia State Police are available to assist in the investigation.
“There is no room for this in Virginia, breaking the law is unacceptable. This is not how we find common ground,” he wrote.
Youngkin said Friday after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling protecting abortion rights that he hopes to outlaw abortion in most cases after 15 weeks. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/lynchburg-police-investigate-vandalism-at-pregnancy-center/2022/06/26/e9a26d0c-f566-11ec-81db-ac07a394a86b_story.html | 2022-06-26T16:14:27 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/lynchburg-police-investigate-vandalism-at-pregnancy-center/2022/06/26/e9a26d0c-f566-11ec-81db-ac07a394a86b_story.html |
There was never any question whether Dr. Susan Christensen would be a dentist — she was raised to be one.
Counting numbers and the ABC’s weren't the only things she learned early on in life. Christensen's mother, who worked as a dental hygienist, taught her how to sew, cross stitch and write upside down and backwards — all fine motor skills that her mother said would help her become a great dentist.
"I felt like I was kind of groomed for it," she said.
Now with more than 40 years of experience, Christensen works to instill the same lifelong passion for dentistry in other women.
“I'm a big supporter of encouraging women to do anything,” Christensen said. “Go for your dreams and remember you can still do it all. You can have a wonderful career, wonderful home life and a wonderful family all at once. Don’t let anyone tell you what your limits are.”
Christensen comes from a long line of male dentists in her family, including her grandfather and father.
People are also reading…
Eastview Family Dental — now at 5640 South St. — was first opened by Christensen's grandfather in 1922 and celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this month. Christensen’s father later owned the practice.
She teamed up with her father at Eastview Family Dental immediately following her graduation from the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry in 1981 and they became the first father-daughter practice in the Midwest.
"It has been such a privilege to work here," Christensen said. "I am so proud of my family. I just absolutely adore them. I got to watch my dad and grandfather love dentistry and that made it really easy for me to do the same.”
When she first started her career, the profession was heavily male-dominated. The rate of female graduates from the UNMC College of Dentistry has steadily increased from 9% in the early 80’s to 56% this year, according to UNMC.
In the beginning, not everyone was willing to allow a woman to work on their teeth, she said. But that didn't stop her.
"People would call and say, 'Wait, is this a woman? I'll wait a year to see your dad instead,'" Christensen said. "But now I really feel like it's flipped blocks."
Christensen focuses on empathy, compassion and kindness, which she believes has been a big factor in the change in narrative. Her niece by marriage, Erika Etzelmiller, who will graduate from dental school in 2024, agreed.
“I think it's little things where people might not think you're as qualified because you're a woman in dentistry, but as soon as you're able to do a good job on them a lot of times they realize that women do make great dentists because we are naturally very empathetic and good caregivers,” Etzelmiller said.
Etzelmiller plans to join her own father at Pine Lake Dental once she graduates from UNMC and is also following in her grandfather’s footsteps — just like Christensen.
While Etzelmiller’s class is over half female — unlike Christensen, who graduated with eight other women — she has still experienced people doubting her choice to become a dentist.
“When you tell people as a girl that you're in dental school, they automatically assume you mean hygiene school or dental assisting school,” she said. “I think that while the numbers of applicants in dental school right now reflect more girls than boys, society still thinks of a dentist as being a male.”
Outside of the office, Christensen travels across the world to lecture on orthodontics and is an adjunct professor for UNMC, Spear Education visiting faculty and a fellow in the International College of Dentists. She is also a member of the Nebraska Dental Association, American Academy for Cosmetic Surgery and American Dental Association.
Oftentimes when lecturing, she has women ask how she has managed to maintain a successful career and a tight-knit family.
The key, Christensen said, is finding balance.
“Something’s got to give,” the mother of three and now grandmother said. “So what if the laundry isn't always done on time and you didn’t fix the perfect meal for your family? Something's got to give if you want to be a great wife, mother, practitioner and family member.”
Joann Herrington has been a patient at Eastview Family Dental for more than seven years and said she's stuck with Christensen because of her kindness, background and interest in others.
“She cares about her patients,” Herrington said. “I am very, very much in awe of what she has done in her life especially in a field that was totally dominated by men when she entered it. But it’s also obviously her skill that drew me to her. She’s one of the best dentists. I don't just let every nice person drill on my teeth.”
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Top Journal Star photos for June
Reach the writer at 402-473-2657 or jebbers@journalstar.com | https://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-dentist-hopes-to-inspire-future-women-to-pursue-profession/article_b1080853-2962-51fb-82c9-64c85f351c79.html | 2022-06-26T16:19:43 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-dentist-hopes-to-inspire-future-women-to-pursue-profession/article_b1080853-2962-51fb-82c9-64c85f351c79.html |
A shooting early Sunday morning in the Seacrest Field parking lot has left two people in critical condition.
Lincoln Police are investigating the shooting, which occurred at about 2:30 a.m.
Police say a 19-year-old man and 24-year-old woman, both from Lincoln, are in critical condition.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting in the Seacrest Field parking lot at 1000 S. 70th St., where they found the man who had been shot.
They found the second victim, a woman, in the area of 70th and O Streets after she had left the scene in a vehicle. Both victims were taken to the hospital for treatment.
No suspects have been identified at this point in the investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lincoln Police Department 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.
Lincoln police want the public's help solving these cases
48th to 56th
All Around the City
Annnnd … Cut!
Beats & Bose from Best Buy
BKE LNK
Brace Yourself
Catalytic Converter Diverter
Chev-illac
Cutting Off the Cats
Dick's Sporting Goods
Dodge Avenger
Doughnuts
Forged
Gas Guzzler
Gas-N-Go
Graffiti guys
Headphone Haul-Out
Hy-Vee Heist
iTake iPhone
Missing - Metachomp and Magnabuzz
Orange Shoes
Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink
Retail Run
Three-Wheeler
Unauthorized Charges
Unauthorized Use
U-Need-To-Stop-Sir
Union Bank, You Can Trust
Weld Done
Workout Woes
High-speed chase on I-80 ends in arrest of Minnesota man
State troopers arrested a Minnesota man Friday morning after he fled a traffic stop and led them on a high-speed chase on Interstate 80 near Aurora.
Police found cocaine and marijuana following the pursuit that started at about 10:20 a.m., the patrol said.
Corey Davis of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, was arrested and is being held in Hamilton County Jail.
Troopers initially noticed Davis' vehicle driving along the shoulder on I-80 near Giltner. After a traffic stop, he allegedly drove off, reaching speeds of about 110 mph and weaving through eastbound traffic before exiting on the southbound ramp near mile marker 332.
A trooper performed a tactical vehicle intervention to stop the vehicle. The trooper used a Taser on Davis after he exited the vehicle.
Davis was arrested on suspicion of felony flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of a controlled substance, tampering with physical evidence, failure to obey a lawful order, obstructing a peace officer, resisting arrest, driving under suspension and several other traffic violations.
Reporting to the Lincoln/Lancaster County Crime Stoppers is the only way to remain anonymous and/or be eligible for up to $1,000 in rewards. T… | https://journalstar.com/news/local/police-investigating-a-shooting-at-seacrest-field-two-lincoln-residents-in-critical-condition/article_8f82a46e-bf7c-5d4a-b5e4-2a31bee1ad59.html | 2022-06-26T16:19:49 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/police-investigating-a-shooting-at-seacrest-field-two-lincoln-residents-in-critical-condition/article_8f82a46e-bf7c-5d4a-b5e4-2a31bee1ad59.html |
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Va. (WJHL) – A vehicle crash on Interstate 81 caused lane closures and delays Sunday, traffic officials said.
According to the Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) 511 traffic information system, a crash at Mile Marker 33.6 closed the northbound right lane and shoulder.
As of 10:50 on Sunday, traffic backups were reported as far back as 2.5 miles.
This is an ongoing story. Details will be updated as they become available. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/i-81-crash-in-washington-co-va-causes-delays/ | 2022-06-26T16:25:50 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/i-81-crash-in-washington-co-va-causes-delays/ |
HONAKER, Va. (WJHL) – After the loss of several critical services due to an unexplained incident, New Peoples Bank staff informed customers that many were brought back online Sunday.
According to a tweet from the bank chain, all branch locations are open for business — both inside and drive-thru.
Online and mobile banking was restored as well, the tweet said, for personal and business use. Electronic wire transfers and Automatic Clearing House (ACH) transfers were also announced as available Sunday morning.
Debit or credit card use was listed as available, as well as related text alerts for customer accounts. Transaction records made from June 15 to June 26 were all listed in customer accounts, the tweet said.
“Thank you for your patience as we work to restore all other banking services,” the tweet said. “And we will continue to provide updates on restoration as we have more information to share.”
An FAQ site was also published on Thursday with updated information for customers. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/new-peoples-bank-multiple-services-back-in-operation/ | 2022-06-26T16:25:56 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/new-peoples-bank-multiple-services-back-in-operation/ |
Illinois Wesleyan University’s Founders’ Day in 1969 was a momentous occasion, including a visit by Air Force Col. Frank Borman II, commander of the Apollo 8 lunar mission. IWU awarded honorary doctorates to Apollo 8’s entire crew and Borman placed a time capsule in a wall of the Mark Evans Observatory, then under construction.
Borman, the university and several local Bloomington-Normal businesses all contributed to an extensive list of items that were placed in the time capsule. However, when the capsule was opened 50 years later during homecoming 2019, many of the objects had been destroyed, including most of the papers. Moisture had somehow penetrated the copper box, causing a chemical reaction with a thermal battery and damaging all of the contents.
The deterioration of a packet of “space food” contributed to the capsule by a local candy company, the Paul F. Beich Co., was among the causes of a strong odor that emanated from the box when it was opened. The food itself was gone; all that remained was a label and a product description by its head researcher, Justin Alikonis. The man behind the space food had a story of his own, one that eventually led to his product going to space.
Justin J. Alikonis was born Dec. 7, 1912, in Johnston City in southern Illinois. In the fall of 1931, Alikonis hitchhiked to Bloomington looking for work to pay for college. After his first job at People’s Restaurant was a bust (due to the establishment closing), he soon found a job as busboy, waiter and short-order cook at the Quality Café in downtown Bloomington.
Luckily for him, in 1932 IWU President Harry McPherson had established a “livestock for tuition” plan in which students could bring in live animals or produce from family farms as tuition payments. The controversial policy was enacted to keep young people in school in the wake of the Great Depression. A film produced by Paramount News shows Alikonis trading in a pig for his tuition.
Alikonis graduated from IWU in 1935 with a bachelor's degree in chemistry and completed graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
By the late 1930s, Alikonis had a lab in Bloomington and was highly regarded as a chemist. He provided Bloomington with a variety of services using his homemade equipment, from manufacturing stain removers for the local laundromat to providing forensic analysis for the McLean County Sheriff’s Department in a suspected poisoning case.
Around 1937, Alikonis became affiliated with Beich candy company, where he spent 40 years. He started as a part-time consultant and then five years later became employed full-time as director of research and development.
Founder Paul F. Beich was born in Wehlen, East Prussia (now part of the German town of Bernkastel-Kues) and immigrated to New York when he was 18 years old. According to family history, Beich came to Bloomington to visit his aunt not long after his arrival. He was immediately enamored by the “beautiful and industrious country she had described in her letters to the family” and decided to stay.
He quickly established himself in the confectionary trade (despite not knowing any English) and eventually owned and operated his own candy company, now owned by the Italian candy company Ferrero with a plant at 2501 Beich Road, Bloomington.
During World War II, the young chemist began working on high-energy candy bars to feed G.I.s in the Pacific. During the war, over 95% of sales went straight overseas to the U.S. Armed Forces.
In 1951, the company and Alikonis participated in a rations design conference hosted by the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps, and business helped supply candy for homesick troops.
Alikonis quickly realized how valuable his little high-caloric bars were, and as the Cold War dawned, he began making bars designed for long-term storage in bomb shelters. At the height of the space race in the 1960s, Beich rebranded its bars and sold them to NASA for consumption during space missions.
During the Mercury-Atlas 8 mission, astronaut Wally Schirra ate Beich bars made with Alikonis’s patented formula. And on Apollo 8, Borman shared them with his crewmates, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders.
The recipe for the Beich bar was included in the IWU time capsule, which revealed the new technologies Alikonis was working on.
Determined to create an inexpensive, nonperishable candy, Alikonis was one of the first to use sorbitol, a natural sugar substitute, in his candies. Sorbitol, along with aspartame, is one of the most common natural flavorings used in diet soda today.
Alikonis was equally successful in the civilian market. He designed and patented, among other things, a marshmallow-making machine, the “Whizolater,” named after the Beich flagship candy bar, the Whiz Bar. With no moving parts and operating solely on pressurized air, the Whizolater could make 1,400 gallons of marshmallow per hour. The machine proved so successful that other candymakers such as Curtiss (the original makers of the Baby Ruth candy bar), bought and installed several Whizolaters at their Chicago-based plant.
In the 1970s, Beich’s Caramels, which in reality were fruit-flavored taffy squares, became a hit once jokes submitted to the company by children were added to the wrappers. Beich’s Caramels became known as Laffy Taffy, which still is a popular candy to this day.
IWU recognized Alikonis in 1966 with a distinguished alumnus award “for the honor which you have brought to the University through your career as a nutritional chemist, processing inventor, and packaging consultant, a leader among organizations of food technologists, a developer of food preservatives for the Army and space explorations, and a dedicated servant to your alma mater.”
Alikonis returned to IWU for the 1969 time capsule placement as a representative from the Beich company to add a sample of his famous ration bar in the time capsule. While the bar may have rotted away, the story behind the curious chemist-turned-candymaker endures.
Tailgating fun at Illinois Wesleyan University Homecoming
Steve and Sue Seibring, Demetria Kalodimos (class of '81), Ally Daskalopoulos (class of ’18)
Illinois Wesleyan University alumni and fans
Signing in at the Titan Tailgate
John Quarton, Josh Yount
Jack and Ellen King, Kaylee Kurtz-Mathison
Standing: Donna and Lane Hudson, Seated David Lanciloti, Katie Hudson
Halee, Shawn, Robyn and Taylor Hendel
Simone, Tom and Tommie Bleker
Jackie, Richard and Lauren Kruper
Norah, Jeremiah and Alexa Anders
Wayne Messmer, Debbie Burt-Frazier, David Darling, Derrick Tillman-Kelly
Marie and Claire Briggs, Bob Murray, Delta and Scott Briggs
Karmy Kays watches as his son Beau throws a ball to Joel Castillo
Joel Castillo, Beau Kays
Beau Kays' shirt
IWU President Georgia Nugent
Checking in at Titan Tailgate
Pam and Tim Szerlong
Gina Mandros, Julie Anderson
Shelly Hall, Shera Hernadez, Sara Kamm, Cindy Nourie, Danielle Kays, Beth Fahey, Emily Rogers
Members of the IWU Golf Team
IWU Cheerleaders
Fans taking a selfie with Tommy Titan
Tommy Titan and fans
IWU football team warming up
Pieces From Our Past is a weekly column by the McLean County Museum of History. Guest contributor Anthony Romanelli is an Illinois Wesleyan University student. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/bloomington-chemists-beich-space-food-discovered-in-iwu-time-capsule/article_a3250ca2-f40a-11ec-960a-c704bd0195ed.html | 2022-06-26T16:36:11 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/bloomington-chemists-beich-space-food-discovered-in-iwu-time-capsule/article_a3250ca2-f40a-11ec-960a-c704bd0195ed.html |
SAN ANTONIO — Two people were killed in a plane crash that also caused a fire near the Kerrville Municipal Airport, according to Kerr County Sheriff's Office
Multiple emergency crews responded to the crash around 7 p.m. on Saturday. The airport is located off Highway 27 near Our Lady of the Hills College Prep.
There were a number of agencies involved because it was inside the Kerrville city limits, however, Kerr Sheriff's Office arrived first on the scene. The Kerr Fire Department was also on scene to fight the brush fire on the school grounds.
KENS 5 spoke to Justice of the Peace Precinct 2. J.R. Hoyne who confirmed the two people inside were killed. Their identities have not been reported, but Hoyne said it was a man and a woman. The victims' bodies were taken to Travis County for an autopsy.
Hoyne said luckily it was not too windy, because the wind was pushing the fire toward a building on the school grounds, but they were able to extinguish it. The fire did burn a few acres before it was put out.
Officials said the plane was a Mooney registered out of Stephenville. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/plane-crash-causes-fire-near-kerrville-airport/273-abcefc39-a20d-40a0-a4b8-e96aae7364dc | 2022-06-26T16:51:21 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/plane-crash-causes-fire-near-kerrville-airport/273-abcefc39-a20d-40a0-a4b8-e96aae7364dc |
AUSTIN, Texas — The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade – the landmark abortion case – has Texans wondering what's next.
The state of Texas has a Safe Haven law called "Baby Moses." If parents aren't able to care for their child, it allows them to leave the baby with an employee at a designated safe space.
The baby receives appropriate medical care and is placed with an emergency provider.
But if you're thinking of bringing your baby to a safe haven, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- The baby cannot be any older than 60 days and has to be safe and unharmed.
- You can take the baby to any hospital, fire station or EMS station. But you have to physically hand them over to an employee.
- The only question you may be asked relates to your family medical history, to make sure the child receives the proper care.
Babies taken to a fire station or EMS station may be taken to a hospital to receive medical care.
No one leaving an unharmed infant at a safe haven location will be prosecuted for abandonment or neglect under Texas law.
From 2018 to 2022 so far, 62 babies were surrendered using the Baby Moses law, with 21 of those in 2020, roughly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more information, visit Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), Baby Safe Haven or The Baby Moses Project, or call the Texas Baby Moses Hotline at 1-877-904-SAVE (1-877-904-7283).
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-baby-moses-safe-haven-law/269-6e9109f7-91ef-40ef-9215-a57863a82ab1 | 2022-06-26T16:51:27 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-baby-moses-safe-haven-law/269-6e9109f7-91ef-40ef-9215-a57863a82ab1 |
PORTLAND, Ore. (PORTLAND TRIBUNE) — Portland Sunday Parkways returns after two years off due to pandemic restrictions on June 26 in the Northeast Cully neighborhood.
Presented by Kaiser Permanente, the event will feature vehicle-free streets, live entertainment, an array of food and drinks, and information from community partners. Many activities will take part in the neighborhood’s parks.
Activities will last from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Organizers urge attendees to protect themselves against the high temperatures expected on Sunday.
More information on this and future events can be found here.
Portland Tribune and its parent, Pamplin Media Group, are KOIN 6 News partners. | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/sunday-parkways-return-on-june-26-in-cully-neighborhood/ | 2022-06-26T16:55:06 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/multnomah-county/sunday-parkways-return-on-june-26-in-cully-neighborhood/ |
SAN DIEGO — Stone Brewing, San Diego County's largest brewing company, has been acquired by Japanese beer giant Sapporo's United States branch, it was announced today, June 24.
"This is the right next chapter for Stone Brewing,'' said Greg Koch, co-founder and executive chairman of Stone Brewing. "For 26 years, our amazing team has worked tirelessly to brew beers that have set trends and redefined expectations.
"To have the interest of a company like Sapporo in continuing the Stone story is a testament to the great beers we've created and will continue to create for our fans across the globe,'' he said.
Sapporo intends to produce its Sapporo-branded beers for distribution
in Stone's breweries in Escondido and Richmond, Virginia. A statement from
Sapporo says that the company intends to brew 360,000 barrels in the U.S. by
the end of 2024, essentially doubling Stone's current production.
The acquisition will bring "together the complementary strengths of Japanese
artistry and innovation with the American craft brewing tradition in a fusion
of cultures,'' reads the June 24 statement.
"We approached Stone Brewing seeking a partner for our growth plans
in the U.S, and we quickly recognized they were an ideal partner with bi-
coastal brewing capacity, loyal fans, superb management, shared cultural values and commitment to the highest quality standards,'' said Kenny Sadai, chairman of Sapporo U.S.A. "This acquisition puts the resources and legacy of the largest Asian beer brand in America together with one of the most innovative and recognized craft beer brands in the world.
WATCH RELATED: San Diego brewery wants a more diverse industry
"It's a perfect fusion of east meets west that is an ideal marriage for Sapporo's long-term growth strategy in the U.S.,'' he said. Stone will continue to brew its beers at the two breweries, as well as operate its seven tap rooms with existing branding, management, and workforce under the Sapporo umbrella.
"I am thrilled that we have the opportunity to join forces with Sapporo,'' said Maria Stipp, CEO of Stone Brewing. ``This unique partnership allows us to preserve the Stone legacy that our fans know and love and will add exponential opportunities for growth, from production to more investment in
people, equipment, sales and marketing.
"Stone is the second acquisition in the craft brew market for Sapporo,
following the purchase of San Francisco's Anchor Brewing in 2017.
Stone Distributing, Stone's distribution business, is not part of the
sale, and will become an independent company under current ownership.
Stone Distributing will continue to service Southern California with a portfolio of 42 craft brands.
Before this purchase, Stone was the ninth-largest producer of craft beer in the United States, according to the Brewers Association.
The county's new largest producer of "craft'' beer will become the Convicts and Kings/Ballast Point merger, followed by Modern Times -- which was just
purchased by Orange County's Brewery X.
The recent moves in the beer industry mean San Diego, once considered a craft beer capital, will have no locally owned representatives in the Brewers Association's top 50.
A spokesperson for Stone told CBS 8 that the final sale price will be revealed when the sale is finalized in August.
As for founders Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, a company spokesperson said they will no longer be involved in Stone's brewing operations.
"Greg and Steve are stepping away from the Stone Brewing business, but rest assured they will be cheering the team on from the bleachers. Greg has shared more about his decision in his blog post at Stonebrewing.com/blog. They will, however, remain owners of Stone Distributing alongside VMG. VMG has been an incredible investment partner for Stone and SDC since 2016, supporting our evolution and growth. Maria Stipp, Stone Brewing CEO will stay. She’ll work for both companies for a number of months ensuring a smooth transition. She will continue to serve as CEO for Stone." | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/san-diegos-stone-brewing-sells-to-sapporo/509-da005597-cc0e-4832-b45c-24c8e664c82d | 2022-06-26T16:55:21 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/san-diegos-stone-brewing-sells-to-sapporo/509-da005597-cc0e-4832-b45c-24c8e664c82d |
SAN DIEGO — It's a reunion that two WWII veterans never thought was possible.
After 75 years of not knowing each other's whereabouts and not knowing what happened to each other after the battle, Gerome Ackerman and Jack Gutman, the two best friends who met at Camp Pendleton and got separated during the war, were finally reunited.
“I was assigned to Oceanside California and that's where I met Jack and we became instant friends. Because we're both New Yorkies and we understood each other when we spoke, and we both would do the lindy hop,” said Gerome Ackerman
Gerome and Jack were separated when they were assigned different battleships that were en route to the invasion of Okinawa–one of the biggest naval battles of world war 2 that left thousands dead.
That invasion became the beginning marker of the planned assault on Japan. At that time Jack was sent to Okinawa, but Gerome stayed behind, never hearing from each other since then.
“We just disappeared from each other. In this line of duty, you can’t help but think about what happens to those you fought next to. In this case, Gerome was my best friend and I kept wondering what happened,” said Jack.
After decades of wondering whether they survived the war or not and if that friendship had been lost for good, Gerome's son, Peter, helped track down jack.
Fast forward to this Saturday, the two were able to reconnect and CBS 8 was there to capture the moment decades in the making.
Jack became emotional after realizing how important their friendship was during a horrific time.
“He is my best friend, he helped me during the tough times. I am overjoyed to know that he is here with me. Bless him and his family,” said Jack.
CBS 8 was able to sit down with both veterans and witness their conversations and listen in on just some of their stories from the past.
The two said they felt grateful that the friendship still lives strong, just as they do. “I hope God will give us even more years to live this life,” said Jack.
They also told CBS 8 that they are thankful for those who are serving and have served our country.
WATCH RELATED: World War II veterans return to the beaches of Normandy (May 2022). | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wwii-veterans-reunite-after-75-years/509-fc20f595-9e8e-4256-85e6-f334b8003987 | 2022-06-26T16:55:27 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wwii-veterans-reunite-after-75-years/509-fc20f595-9e8e-4256-85e6-f334b8003987 |
YUBA CITY, Calif. — One firefighter suffered heat-related injuries while battling a blaze at the Empire Steel recycling yard along North Township Road in Yuba City Saturday, according to the Sutter County Fire Department.
The firefighter is expected to be OK, officials say. The incident is an example of the challenges firefighters face while doing their jobs in extreme temperatures known to the Sacramento Valley, which reached 105 degrees in the area on Saturday.
Crews responded to the fire around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, said Chief John Shalowitz of the Sutter County Fire Department.
The fire is contained to a heap of metal and other materials stacked for recycling, Shalowitz said. Dark smoke billowing from the pile could be seen for miles in all directions.
“These fires are really challenging because of the large piles that are involved and the large amount of heat,” Shalowitz said.
More than 60 fire personnel responded to the scene from multiple agencies. The fire is expected to burn at-least through Sunday, given the materials it’s burning through. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
As the July 4 Independence Day holiday approaches, crews urge families to be extra cautious to prevent fires.
Watch More from ABC10: Two North Highlands apartments have "major damage" after fire | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/yuba-city-recycling-yard-fire/103-6a32bc61-af85-425f-a19d-c85557004249 | 2022-06-26T16:55:33 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/yuba-city-recycling-yard-fire/103-6a32bc61-af85-425f-a19d-c85557004249 |
GEM COUNTY, Idaho — Idaho State Police (ISP) is investigating a two-vehicle collision that occurred Saturday at 4:08 p.m. on SH16, near mile marker 110 in Gem County.
Police say a 52-year-old woman from Emmett was driving a 2017 Jeep Renegade, traveling northbound on SH16, when she crossed over the center line and struck a motorcyclist traveling southbound.
The driver of the 2017 Kawasaki motorcycle, a 61-year-old man from Star, and his passenger, a 39-year-old woman from Kearns, UT, were transported to a local hospital by air ambulance. Both were wearing a helmet, but the female passenger succumbed to her injuries.
The driver of the jeep was wearing a seatbelt.
Traffic on SH16 was blocked for approximately five hours in both directions while emergency personnel worked to assist those involved in the accident and clear the scene.
Evidence found at the crash site indicates alcohol may have been involved for the driver of the Jeep.
This incident remains under investigation by ISP.
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/gem-county-car-crash-claims-one-state-highway-16/277-9fb667ff-14b6-4ad0-9b68-8689ce5ca8a4 | 2022-06-26T16:57:02 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/gem-county-car-crash-claims-one-state-highway-16/277-9fb667ff-14b6-4ad0-9b68-8689ce5ca8a4 |
ATLANTA -- The Georgia Institute of Technology presented degrees to more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students during the Institute's 262nd Commencement exercises recently at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Among the graduates were:
-- Asher Anderson of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with High Honors
-- Kiley Burton of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering with High Honors
-- Evan Campbell of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Highest Honors
-- Justin Creamer of Leesburg: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Highest Honors
-- Robert Feagans of Leesburg: Master of Architecture
-- Ozashwee Ghimire of Leesburg: Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering with Highest Honors
-- Andrew Masters of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with Highest Honors
-- Maggie Nguyen of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Literature, Media, and Communication with Highest Honors
-- Akshay Patel of Camilla: Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering with Honors
-- Haley Steele of Leesburg: Doctor of Philosophy in Biology
The Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students, representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning.
Maryland Global Campus holds graduation ceremony
ADELPHI, Md. -- University of Maryland Global Campus held its first in-person graduation ceremonies since 2019 during "Spring Grad Walk 2022," an innovative experience designed to accommodate thousands of graduates and guests while protecting the health and safety of the university community. More than 3,300 graduates from the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 and their families and guests attended "Grad Walk" over the course of six days (May 17-22).
The following local UMGC students graduated:
-- Quentin Lamar Bryant of Leesburg, Associate of Arts
-- Zayona Wooden of Sylvester, Associate of Arts
-- Soterrica Stephens of Albany, Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, University of Maryland Global Campus was established in 1947 to serve adults in the work force. Today, UMGC enrolls some 90,000 students annually, offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, as well as certificates in more than 125 fully online, hybrid and face-to-face programs and specializations.
Troy University announces Chancellor's List for spring semester
TROY, Ala. -- Troy University announce recently the names of students who have been named to the Chancellor's List for the spring semester. Full-time undergraduate students who are registered for at least 12 semester hours and who earn a grade-point average of 4.0 qualify for the Chancellor's List. The spring semester includes students at the Troy, Ala., campus. Term 4 includes students at TROY's campuses in Dothan, Phenix City and Montgomery, Ala., along with locations outside of Alabama and online.
Local students on the list include:
Sherry Logan of Albany, GA
Georgetown College announces spring Dean’s List
GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Georgetown College announced recently that the following student from Albany had made the Dean’s List for spring 2022: Ana Forero.
To qualify, a student must have completed the semester with at least 12 credit hours and a minimum 3.7 GPA. A total of 310 students made the Dean's List.
Georgetown College is a private, Christian liberal arts college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/area-students-graduate-from-georgia-tech/article_aed960fa-f565-11ec-9b0e-9ff09276743e.html | 2022-06-26T17:04:35 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/area-students-graduate-from-georgia-tech/article_aed960fa-f565-11ec-9b0e-9ff09276743e.html |
He slouched into my office unannounced, a slender man in a seersucker suit. Said his name was Dr. Flush and he had a problem. Don’t we all. Bitsy, my secretary, left me last week to join the circus as a bearded lady. I should have let her shave at her desk.
He said he was a scientist. I paused my Sudoku. I told him I’m a columnist. I don’t solve problems. I create them.
“Big fan,” he said.
“Go on.”
“As I said, I have a problem,” said Dr. Flush.
“I thought we were talking about me.”
“I beg your pardon?” His eyes weren’t the brightest in the choir.
“Never mind. Tell me your problem.”
“I have been passed over again for the Nobel.”
“Don’t those get announced in the fall?”
“I’ve been out of the country.”
People are also reading…
“Go on.” If Bitsy were here, she could bring me a grape soda.
“Perhaps you’re familiar with my work: Cadence variations in nocturnal latration by nonspecific canine breeds.”
I felt my eyes turning into donut holes. “Do you like donuts, doc?”
“What? Donuts? I could eat a donut.”
Bitsy, Bitsy. Where is your bearded little self when I need you? “Got no donuts, Doc. Just working up your profile. Got a favorite color? Never mind. I can’t say I’m familiar with your work.”
“It’s a remarkable bit of research.”
A yawn as big as a spinnaker was about the billow from my face. I had to get this guy out of my office. It was time for lunch and a nap.
“Doc, I don’t know what to tell you. Life is full of little disappointments. You didn’t get the big prize. Better luck next year. Agony of defeat, etc. Now, I’m a very busy fellow.”
“You don’t understand,” Color rose in his sallow features. “I want you to expose Fetterman and Glutz for the charlatans they are.”
“Doc, doc,” I said. “I can’t just go around calling a couple of guys frauds. I gotta have proof.”
He slapped a sheaf of papers on my desk. “You want proof? Here’s proof. Read the highlighted part.”
“The cadence patterns of nocturnal latration by nonspecific canine breeds have identifiable clues that facilitate non-visual identification.” I handed back the page. “So?”
He handed me a different page. “Now read this.”
“Nonspecific canine breeds can be identified by the cadence patterns of their nocturnal latration.” I shrugged.
“The first is mine. Fetterman and Glutz published the second last week in the Journal of Auditory Phenomena. Thieves.”
“So, you and these other guys can tell whose dog is barking at night. What do you want me to do about it?”
He clutched his papers close to his breast. With tears in his eyes and his throat tight with emotion, he gasped, “Tell my story. Please.”
I didn’t get up. “I’ll see what I can do.”
He left and I hit the intercom button. Old habits die hard. “Bitsy, hold my calls.” It was naptime.
Somewhere a dog barked. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/carpenters-column-local-researcher-snubbed-seeks-my-help/article_64d236f0-f4a5-11ec-a2fc-57c454663d79.html | 2022-06-26T17:08:09 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/carpenters-column-local-researcher-snubbed-seeks-my-help/article_64d236f0-f4a5-11ec-a2fc-57c454663d79.html |
100 years ago
1922: The staff of Lowell observatory in Flagstaff is highly elated as a result of recent observations of Mars which bear out the theories of the late Dr. Percival Lowell, founder, as to the snowfall and vegetation on that planet. Mars being nearer than before in 18 years, it is an especially favorable time for making observations and photographs, which is being done during every hour of every night when weather conditions permit. It is now proven that seasons on Mars have the same significance as on our earth, and occur in the same manner, but are about twice the length of our own. Winter has been occurring in the southern hemisphere of the planet and the extensive dark areas there are now faint and have been so for some time. The dead season of vegetation is in conformity with the view held by Dr. Lowell regarding the seasonal changes on the planet. The large winter cap of white about the South Pole of Mars, which for some months has appeared to consist of only mist or cloud covering the South polar regions of the planet down to about latitude 40 degrees, is now dissipating and disclosing a mantle of snow or frost beneath. The spring season for the southern hemisphere is now approaching, the season there at present corresponding to our March 30th, and these changes are characteristic of late winter over the South of Mars. Meanwhile in the northern hemisphere arm is arriving and the polar cap there has already become conspicuous, having increased rapidly during the last few Martian nights.
People are also reading…
75 years ago
1947: Put on your powwow garb, your colored shirt, your pretty necktie, your cowboy boots, and all the rest of it, urges Thomas Knowles junior, president of the Pow-Wow board as the last week preceding the famous all Indian celebration opens. The Pow-Wow starts a week from Friday. Better hurry and get on your regalia unless you want to be completely out of style for the next couple of weeks, he says. Local people who have made reservations for tickets to the Pow-Wow performances are urged to go to the Chamber of Commerce on East Aspen and pick up their tickets as soon as possible, so that any possible mix ups or misunderstandings may be cleared up before the show opens. The evening ceremonial shows, revived this year after having been dormant during the war years, will be the biggest, mostly elaborate in the history of the Pow-Wow. Each evening's performance will be completely different from the other evenings, and so persons going to all three evening shows will see a completely new show each night. Reports from the Indian country indicate that the biggest crowd of Indians ever will be on hand when the big show starts at noon on July 4th with the parade through the downtown streets of Flagstaff.
50 years ago
1972: A feasibility study for the Tremaine-Soldiers Annex lakes water project was authorized today. Flagstaff Councilmen, meeting at 7:00 AM, authorized the study in a 7-0 vote. It will cost $9500. John Carollo Engineers, the city's longtime water consultants, will complete the report 90 days after initiation. Calling for the study, Flagstaff city manager Leland McPherson neither endorsed nor opposed the project which, could provide Flagstaff with as high as 5125-acre feet of water annually. But he did say he felt it was time the City Council took some kind of action on the project. The study, as outlined by Carollo, would include all available field maps of the area where the two lakes are located; a field study of the lake site and the route of the proposed pipeline to get the water into the city, studies of runoff, evaporation, and seepage; And an estimate of short- and long-term benefits.
25 years ago
1997: Flagstaff gas prices remain consistent around town, but how much motorists pay passing through Winslow depends largely on which station they pick. In Flagstaff, prices at four of the five service stations surveyed last week we're at $1.29 a gallon for unleaded gas. The 5th station was at $1.30. Medium grade gasoline ranged between $1.42 and $1.45 and high grade was between $1.45 and $1.49 at gas station surveyed in Winslow. Regular unleaded prices ranged from a low of $1.02 to a high of $1.49. The Arizona auto Trade Organization said the price of crude oil is now less than $19 a barrel. * She said that should translate into lower gas prices for Flagstaff but that does not mean that prices will level out to a consistent figure around town. Several factors play a role in determining gas prices, and rural areas like Flagstaff must also figure in extra fees like delivery charges. One determining factor of gas prices is whether the gas is branded or unbranded. Service stations that carry branded gas have contracts with specific suppliers or jobbers. Examples of jobbers are shell and Mobil, although stations have the same name may not necessarily cell the branded gas. Another factor maybe that some gas stations get their gas from New Mexico. It may be cheaper, and it may not have the $0.05 per gallon delivery cost.
* The current 2022 price of a barrel of crude oil is $115
All events were taken from issues of the Arizona Daily Sun and its predecessors, the Coconino Weekly Sun and the Coconino Sun. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-history/article_e29c7f82-f3ec-11ec-acb7-9feb8f94e959.html | 2022-06-26T17:08:15 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-history/article_e29c7f82-f3ec-11ec-acb7-9feb8f94e959.html |
Forest closures during fire season are “a big lift” for the Forest Service, and one that the public increasingly demands in the wake of catastrophic wildfire. As a majority of wildfires are human-caused, it seems to follow reason that to prevent forest fires, keep humans out of the forest.
Easy, right? But forest closures aren’t as simple as they may seem. The Forest Service is a big boat to turn — a massive federal agency that is bound by law to adhere to formal processes aimed at ensuring consistent application of science and public buy-in.
To better understand how and why a forest gets closed, the Arizona Daily Sun sat down with Forest Service leadership from the Coconino National Forest (CNF) to get the inside perspective on forest closures.
Starting the conversation
For the CNF, the conversations that lead up to potential forest closures begin each year on April 1 (sometimes earlier if it’s been a dry winter), as this is generally considered the start of fire season. Every Monday at 1 p.m., representatives throughout the northern Arizona emergency response zone, which includes the Kaibab and Coconino National Forests as well the Navajo, Hopi and Hualapai reservations, get on a call to discuss fire conditions in their area.
People are also reading…
This weekly call is massive, explained CNF fire staff officer James Pettit. Not only does it include Forest Service officials, county, municipal and tribal governments, it also includes emergency response agencies like police departments, utility companies like Arizona Public Service, cooperating agencies like the Arizona Game and Fish Department, and even other land managing agencies from adjacent emergency response zones.
“We’ve got a lot of partners that really need to be ‘in the know’ on this,” Pettit said. “But the real work starts throughout the week.”
Prior to these Monday calls, Pettit spends a lot of time communicating with his peers on other forest throughout Arizona. When it comes to implementing fires restrictions and forest closures, the forests “need to be closely aligned,” he said. If not, one forest’s actions can cause ripple effects elsewhere in the state.
“If we restrict recreational access on this forest, those recreationalists will likely go to another forest that’s open,” Pettit said. “We don’t want to cause downstream effects to other land management agencies.”
The science behind fire risk
The days leading up to these Monday calls also include a significant amount of science. Every Sunday night before the call, the Forest Service “runs the numbers” on a various data points, or “indices,” that help them determine current fire risk on the forest. These indices are crucial to the conversation, Pettit said, as they account for an objective piece of a very complicated and sometimes emotional process.
“We’ve got to make decisions that are oftentimes unpopular,” Pettit said, “and we understand that. That’s why we try to anchor into the science.”
Enter CNF fire planner Sean Henning.
“My job revolves around what we call the fire danger operating plan,” Henning said. This plan is a document that consolidates data from remote access weather stations spread throughout the region — from Flagstaff to the Mogollon Rim, Prescott National Forest, Sedona, Camp Verde, Williams and more.
These stations are “set up specifically for fire weather indices,” said Henning, and these indices are many. First, there’s the “energy release component,” which describes the amount of energy that might be found at the flaming front of a fire. This index is driven by measurements of moisture in larger fuels and temperature — dry fuels and high temperatures increase the potential for energy release.
The energy release component is a measurement that changes slowly each season and is relatively stable compared to the more volatile “burning index.” This index is largely focused on evaluating potential flame length, which is often driven by winds that can shift day to day.
“Like we saw on the Tunnel Fire, and like we saw in those first few days of the Pipeline, there was a lot of wind going through there,” Henning said. “So that burning index is pretty high.”
Burning index often informs initial attack, Henning said, as more aggressive, high burning index fires warrant a more robust response.
Then there’s “ignition component”, which describes how likely a spark or ember is to ignite a full-fledged forest fire. This component is determined by measurements taken from “fuel moisture sticks” that evaluate moisture in fine fuels, temperature and relative humidity in the air.
There’s also the “spread component,” which rates the potential forward progress of a fire. This index is determined through evaluating fuel beds, the effects of wind and surrounding topography.
Topography is a big one, Henning said, as the shape of a landscape impacts both a fire’s ability to spread and a crew’s ability to respond.
“The general idea is that fire burns uphill faster,” Henning said. But places with step uphill terrain, like mountains and canyons, can also create inaccessible and dangerous conditions for firefighters.
If a fire is spreading toward firefighters in steep terrain, “we're going to have to back out of the way,” explained CNF public information officer Brady Smith. “So topography limits where and when we can put resources.”
These scientific components give some grounded data in evaluating fire risk, but they’re also a moving target, Henning said.
“Like most science, this is continually evolving,” he said. A changing climate, prolonged drought, and increasing average temperatures “are at the forefront of everyone’s mind.”
In Flagstaff, Northern Arizona University and the Ecological Restoration Institute are an important resource for cutting-edge science. “We try to stay active and engaged with them and work with any current science or numbers that they're releasing,” Henning said.
Science into criteria
Once the Forest Service has run the numbers on the science behind fire risk, they take this data and “plug it into” a set of criteria that have been agreed upon by all the Forest Service partners in northern Arizona — the same folks that sit in on the Monday call. These criteria make up something of a checklist that becomes the basis for evaluating the need for fire restrictions or forest closures.
The first of these criteria is the “seven-day moderate risk” based on weather forecasts from the Predictive Services office in Albuquerque. If there’s significant “fire weather” in the forecast, this criterion is met. Then there’s the question of whether the monsoons are active or not. Also on the checklist are questions of an existing fuels problem, the presence of “values-at-risk,” potential wind events, and “current stage effectiveness.” This last one simply asks whether the public is abiding by current restrictions.
A report on current stage effectiveness is generated by the Forest Service’s law enforcement wing, and includes things like detection of human-started fires, illegal campfires, and other violations of fire restrictions.
One of the more important criteria for evaluation is what Pettit called “the regional planning level.” This criterion characterizes whether the Forest Service, given current conditions and regional availability of firefighters and fire crews, is adequately resourced to suppress a fire. During fire season, when multiple fires are burning across the West, it’s common for those resources to be drained.
Pettit said he looks at the availability of adequate resources first when it comes to making a recommendation about fire restrictions or forest closures.
“We're fortunate in this region that we're kind of the region that goes first in the nation,” Pettit said. This means that when the Southwest enters its fire season in early spring, land managers are more likely to have adequate resources available because other regions — like the Great Basin and Northern Rockies — haven’t entered their season and won’t until later in the year.
The Tunnel and Pipeline Fires, because of their difficult topography and wind-driven speed, represented exceptionally challenging anomalies on the forest. “Bad days,” Pettit said.
“Most of the rest of the forest is primarily flat,” he said. “I will sing the praises of what's been done on this forest in the last 15 years in terms of fire management, prescribed burning, and lot of mechanical thinning. In a lot of places, we're in great shape. Even on those really bad days, I feel pretty confident that we can catch most fires.”
Escalating restrictions
Once all these criteria are evaluated and discussed across the Forest Service and their numerous partners, then comes the opportunity to make recommendations for restrictions. Officers like Pettit send their recommendations up the chain to people like Laura Jo West, forest supervisor for the CNF. She takes these recommendations to other forest supervisors in the region, and together they make the call to progress through restrictions and closures.
For stage one fire restrictions, which Pettit said “basically eliminates campfires outside of developed campgrounds,” the call can be made at the local level. Stage two restrictions must be enacted in consultation with the Forest Service regional office that oversees all the Southwest. To move to stage two, the CNF has to submit a “package” of documents that summarizes everything from the science behind recommended restrictions to the potential civil rights impacts of moving forward with restrictions. The package must also summarize the varying levels of support from affected partners: those on the Monday calls as well as others, like permitted ranchers that graze cattle on forest land.
“It's over 110 different people that we have to talk to, to do something like this,” Pettit said.
For stage three restrictions — full forest closure — the CNF has to consult with the regional and Washington D.C. offices of the Forest Service.
“That just happened this year,” West said, as a result of Forest Service officials in New Mexico closing the forest after the Hermit’s Peak / Calf Canyon Fire — the largest fire complex in New Mexico history that began when a prescribed burn got out of Forest Service control due to miscalculations and underestimations of dry conditions.
After a New Mexico senator decried the closing of the forest, “the regional Washington office wanted to review and approve any forestwide closures this season, just to make sure there was an awareness across the board across the agency of the criteria being used, the assessment of risk,” West said. This oversight is not the only way the Washington Forest Service office has enacted closer controls on the regional and local level this year; they also placed a 90-day nationwide moratorium on prescribed burns.
When it comes to this level of involvement the Washington office has in local Forest Service affairs, “that's just the nature of any large agency that has different constituents at different levels of the organization,” West said.
Because full closures require consultation with the Washington office, specific area closures — which only require regional consultation — are sometimes the preferred route. They have other advantages as well, West said. First, they can target potential problem areas while leaving other areas open to fire management and restoration projects. When a forest is closed, even the Forest Service and its industry partners have to stay out.
“When we're enforcing a forest closure, we’re not able to accomplish all the important restoration work,” West said.
Second, full closures are “tremendously costly.” With a closure order comes the need to rent thousands of barricades, put up signage, and “get troops lined” up to write tickets and apprehend violators. The Forest Service is also responsible for offering closure exemptions to parties that must retain forest access. It’s a “huge, huge workload,” West said, that can’t be circumvented “because there's no point in putting a closure in effect if we can't be effective in actually implementing it.”
All of this makes full closures a “last resort.”
It takes time
Whether advancing a restriction or enforcing a closure, the bureaucratic behemoth that is a federal agency like the Forest Service moves slowly almost by definition. Progressing through the above process takes time. It takes at least seven days “from the time we think we need to go into closure to when we can actually affect any kind of closure or restrictions,” West said. “Probably more like 10 days.”
To Pettit, that time is necessary to “dig into the facts” and make sure that the science is straight before making such an impactful call. That may be particularly important as climate change continues to alter the landscape.
“We can't make the same assumptions about how fire behaves now that we did in the past,” West said.
This year, despite the aggressive and wind-driven Tunnel and Pipeline fires, the science and process outlined above did not support a full forest closure on the CNF.
“We didn't really hit the mark on our indices or other criteria for full force closure,” West said. “We just didn't.”
She understands that appeals to the slow shifts in science and bureaucratic protocol are often unsatisfying to a public where fire has destroyed dozens of homes and threatened thousands more.
“There's been a lot of trauma and loss in his community,” West said. “And I don't blame people for reacting the way they do, and for being angry with us that we didn't go into full force closure.” She asks the public to remember that employees of the Forest Service “live here too.”
“We're all human beings doing the best we can with the best information we have, from science to experience, to professional judgment to an empathy for what our community is going through,” West said. “We're just making the best calls we know how to make for the benefit of everybody.”
Improving the process
The process of implementing fire restrictions and forest closures is, for better or for worse, slow and extremely involved. There is no “flipping a switch” or making gut calls. The way the federal agency is set up, all actions must be data-driven, bureaucratically approved, and built on a dizzying level of consensus from public and private interests.
The question is, in an era of climate change, where endless drought, tinderbox conditions and extreme weather “anomalies” have rapidly become the norm, can science and the bureaucratic processes change quickly enough to keep pace?
“There is opportunity,” West said, “to make sure our science is keeping abreast of the cumulative impacts of extended drought.” But it remains unanswered whether the science will prove “aggressive” enough. Our new reality is that “fire behavior is changing,” West said, “how do we best stay ahead of that?”
She wonders if the conditions of the world have changed so much as to necessitate new indices, new criteria, or different applications of the existing science.
“But that’s bigger than just the Coconino,” she said. “That is a global set of questions there.” | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/how-do-you-close-a-forest-flagstaff-officials-talk-about-process/article_54f93728-f280-11ec-aa8c-53976f1420cf.html | 2022-06-26T17:08:22 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/how-do-you-close-a-forest-flagstaff-officials-talk-about-process/article_54f93728-f280-11ec-aa8c-53976f1420cf.html |
Roanoke, Va. – As summer rolls in, more people are taking inner tube trips down the river.
Besides being a good way to enjoy the sun, it’s a also a great way to cool off in the heat, while staying active.
But there are dangers to be aware of while floating down the river, like getting your foot caught under rocks.
Roanoke Mountain Adventures official, Sean Bryant, says that floaters should have a plan before heading down the river.
“They should let somebody know when they expect and where they expect to take out. That way, in case they don’t hear from them after a certain amount of time, they know to alert authorities,” Bryant said.
With a plan in mind, floating down the river is a safe, fun, and relaxing activity to take part in this summer. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/26/experts-offer-tubing-safety-tips-on-the-river/ | 2022-06-26T17:16:13 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/26/experts-offer-tubing-safety-tips-on-the-river/ |
Around 1:30 am Sunday morning Pittsylvania County Sheriff Deputies received a call that rescue and law enforcement were needed.
When deputies arrived at 1220 Kerns Church Road in the Sutherlin community in reference to multiple gunshot victims; they found 8 gunshot victims; 2 of those victims are in critical condition. The remaining victims have non-life threatening gunshot injuries.
Detectives say there is estimated to have been over 100 attendees at this party/gathering when the shooting occurred.
Law enforcement from Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police and the Danville Police Department remain on scene collecting evidence and are interviewing witnesses. A motive for the shootings have not yet been established.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have information on this investigation please call the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/26/pittsylvania-county-sheriff-deputies-investigating-multiple-shootings/ | 2022-06-26T17:16:19 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/26/pittsylvania-county-sheriff-deputies-investigating-multiple-shootings/ |
Germany – At the 2021 G7 Summit, President Biden and G7 leaders announced their intent to develop a values-driven, high-impact, and transparent infrastructure partnership to meet the enormous infrastructure needs of low- and middle-income countries and support the United States’ and its allies’ economic and national security interests. Over the past year, members of the Administration have traveled to hear directly from countries on how we can meet their infrastructure needs, deepened our coordination across the U.S Government and with the G7, honed our infrastructure investment tools, and closed game-changing deals. At the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Schloss Elmau, Leaders will formally launch the Partnership for Global Infrastructure (PGII) to mobilize hundreds of billions of dollars and deliver quality, sustainable infrastructure that makes a difference in people’s lives around the world, strengthens and diversifies our supply chains, creates new opportunities for American workers and businesses, and advances our national security.
Today, President Biden will announce that the U.S. aims to mobilize $200 billion for PGII over the next 5 years through grants, Federal financing, and leveraging private sector investments. Together with G7 partners, we aim to mobilize $600 billion by 2027 in global infrastructure investments. And this will only be the beginning. The United States and its G7 partners will seek to mobilize additional capital from other like-minded partners, multilateral development banks, development finance institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and more. President Biden will release a Presidential Memorandum to execute the PGII across four priority pillars that will define the second half of the 21st century. This includes:
- Tackling the climate crisis and bolstering global energy security through investments in climate resilient infrastructure, transformational energy technologies, and developing clean energy supply chains across the full integrated lifecycle, from the responsible mining of metals and critical minerals; to low-emissions transportation and hard infrastructure; to investing in new global refining, processing, and battery manufacturing sites; to deploying proven, as well as innovative, scalable technologies in places that do not yet have access to clean energy.
- Developing, expanding, and deploying secure information and communications technology (ICT) networks and infrastructure to power economic growth and facilitate open digital societies—from working with trusted vendors to provide 5G and 6G digital connectivity, to supporting access to platforms and services that depend upon an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable internet and mobile networks with sound cybersecurity.
- Advancing gender equality and equity—from care infrastructure that increases opportunities for economic participation by women, to improved water and sanitation infrastructure that addresses gender gaps in unpaid work and time use – in order to boost the global economic recovery by ensuring that half the population is not forced to sit on the sidelines.
- Developing and upgrading the infrastructure of health systems and contributing to global health security through investments in patient-centered health services and the health workforce; vaccine and other essential medical product manufacturing; and disease surveillance and early warning systems, including safe and secure labs. Addressing the current pandemic and preventing and preparing for the next one is crucial to U.S. economic and national security. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/26/president-biden-and-g7-leaders-formally-launch-the-partnership-for-global-infrastructure-and-investment/ | 2022-06-26T17:16:25 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/26/president-biden-and-g7-leaders-formally-launch-the-partnership-for-global-infrastructure-and-investment/ |
Roanoke, Va. – Police said nine minutes after Saturday midnight police responded to a shooting in downtown Roanoke in the 100 block of Campbell Ave.
Detectives say the unidentified victim has non life threatening injuries.
Shooting incident is still being investigated.
If you have any information contact police. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/26/roanoke-police-investigating-downtown-shooting/ | 2022-06-26T17:16:32 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/26/roanoke-police-investigating-downtown-shooting/ |
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion. The ruling is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states, although the timing of those laws taking effect varies.
Some Republican-led states will ban or severely limit abortion immediately, while other restrictions will take effect later. At least one state, Texas, is waiting until after the Supreme Court issues its formal judgment in the case, which is separate from the opinion issued Friday and could take about a month.
In anticipation of the decision, several states led by Democrats have taken steps to protect abortion access. The decision also sets up the potential for legal fights between the states over whether providers and those who help women obtain abortions can be sued or prosecuted.
Here is an overview of abortion legislation and the expected impact of the court’s decision in every state.
ALABAMA
Political control: Alabama has a Republican-controlled legislature and a Republican governor who want to ban or restrict access to abortions.
Background: In 2019, Alabama lawmakers approved what was then the most stringent abortion ban in the country, making it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest. The only exception would be when the woman’s health was at serious risk. A federal judge issued an injunction, under the precedent of Roe v. Wade, blocking the state from enforcing the law. In 2018, voters agreed to amend the Alabama Constitution to say the state recognizes the “rights of unborn children” and “does not protect the right to an abortion or require the funding of abortion.” A 1951 law made it a crime, punishable by up to 12 months in prison, to induce an abortion, unless it is done to preserve the life or health of the mother.
Texas News
News from around the state of Texas.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Abortions became almost entirely illegal in Alabama on Friday. A 2019 state abortion ban took effect making it a felony to perform an abortion at any stage of pregnancy, with no exceptions for pregnancies caused by rape or incest. All three clinics stopped providing abortions Friday morning under fear of prosecution under the 1951 state law. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson hours later granted Alabama’s request to lift an injunction and allow the state to enforce the 2019 abortion ban. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said it is now a felony to provide an abortion in Alabama beyond the one exception allowed in the 2019 law, which is for the sake of the mother’s health. Doctors who violate the law could face up to 99 years in prison. Marshall said the state would also move to lift other injunctions that blocked previous abortion restrictions, including a requirement for doctors who perform abortions to have hospital admitting privileges.
What’s next: Some Republican lawmakers have said they would like to see the state replace the 2019 ban with a slightly less stringent bill that would allow exceptions in cases of rape or incest. Proponents said the 2019 ban was deliberately strict in the hopes of sparking a court challenge to Roe.
ALASKA
Political control: Republicans currently hold a majority of seats in the state Legislature, but the House is controlled by a bipartisan coalition composed largely of Democrats. Fifty-nine of the Legislature’s 60 seats are up for election this year. Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a Republican who believes life begins at conception, is seeking reelection.
Background: The Alaska Supreme Court has interpreted the right to privacy in the state constitution as encompassing abortion rights.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision is not expected to immediately affect abortion rights in Alaska, given the existing precedent in the state.
What’s next: Voters in the fall will be asked if they want to hold a constitutional convention, a question that comes up every 10 years. Many conservatives who want to overhaul how judges are selected and do away with the interpretation that the constitution’s right to privacy clause allows for abortion rights see an opportunity in pushing for a convention. Recent efforts to advance a constitutional amendment through the Legislature have been unsuccessful.
ARIZONA
Political control: Both legislative chambers are controlled by Republicans, who regularly pass abortion restrictions that for the past eight sessions have been quickly signed by Republican Gov. Doug Ducey, an abortion opponent.
Background: Arizona law allows abortion through about 22 weeks, but the Legislature passed a 15-week abortion ban in March mirroring the Mississippi law that was contested before the U.S. Supreme Court. It will take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns, which it did Saturday. Current restrictions include bans on abortions because of gender and a 2021 law that makes it a felony for a doctor to terminate a pregnancy because the child has a survivable genetic abnormality. Arizona also has a pre-statehood law still on the books that would ban all abortions, although it has not been enforced since Roe was decided.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Ducey has argued in media interviews that the law he signed in late March takes precedence over the total ban that remains on the books. But the law he signed specifically says it does not overrule the total abortion ban in place for more than 100 years. Ducey is term-limited and leaves office in January. Abortion providers across the state stopped all procedures after the court ruled Friday because of concerns that the pre-Roe ban could put doctors, nurses and other providers at risk of prosecution.
What’s next: Abortion-rights supporters in Arizona have launched a long-shot bid to enshrine the right to abortion in the state constitution. Rolled out weeks after the draft U.S. Supreme Court decision showing Roe could be overturned was leaked, backers must collect more than 356,000 signatures by July 7 to get the initiative on the November ballot. Voters would then be able to decide.
ARKANSAS
Political control: Arkansas’ legislature is controlled by Republicans who have supported dozens of abortion bans and restrictions in recent years. Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson also has supported bans on abortion with some exceptions. He’s term-limited and leaves office in January. Republican nominee Sarah Sanders, press secretary to former President Donald Trump, is widely favored in the November election to succeed him.
Background: Arkansas already had a law banning most abortions 20 weeks into a woman’s pregnancy, with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. The state has several other bans that have been struck down or blocked by courts in recent years, including an outright abortion ban enacted last year that doesn’t include rape or incest exceptions. That ban has been blocked by a federal judge, and the state has appealed.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Arkansas has a law it enacted in 2019 that bans nearly all abortions now that Roe is overturned. That ban, along with the outright ban that’s been blocked by a federal judge, only allows exceptions to protect the life of the mother in a medical emergency. Hutchinson has said he thinks bans should include rape and incest exceptions, but he has not called on the Legislature to add those to either of the bans.
What’s next: Hours after Friday’s ruling, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge signed certification that Roe had been overturned. That certification allows the state’s “trigger ban” to take effect immediately. The only exception in that ban is to protect the life of the mother in a medical emergency. The Legislature isn’t scheduled to meet until January, but Hutchinson is considering calling a special session to take up tax relief proposals. The Republican governor said Friday he does not plan on asking lawmakers to consider adding rape and incest exceptions to the state’s ban.
CALIFORNIA
Political control: Democrats who support access to abortion control all statewide elected offices and have large majorities in the state Legislature.
Background: California outlawed abortion in 1850, except when the life of the mother was in danger. The law changed in 1967 to include abortions in the case of rape, incest or if a woman’s mental health were in danger. In 1969, the California Supreme Court declared the state’s original abortion law to be unconstitutional but left the 1967 law in place. In 1972, California voters added a “right to privacy” to the state constitution. Since then, the state Supreme Court has interpreted that “right to privacy” as a right to access abortion, allow minors to get an abortion without their parents’ permission and use public funding for abortions in the state’s Medicaid program. California now requires private health insurance plans to cover abortions and does not allow them to charge things such as co-pays or deductibles for the procedure.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Abortion will remain legal in California prior to the viability of a fetus. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has vowed to make California a sanctuary for women who live in other states where abortion is outlawed or severely restricted. The number of women who travel to the state for abortions is expected to rise significantly.
What’s next: The state Legislature is considering 13 bills that would strengthen or expand access to abortion. The bills are based on a report from the Future of Abortion Council, which Newsom formed last year to study reproductive rights in California. They include proposals that would help pay for women from other states to come to California for abortions, ban enforcement of out-of-state civil judgments on California abortion providers and volunteers, and increase the number of people who can offer abortions by authorizing some nurse practitioners to perform the procedure without the supervision of a doctor. Lawmakers also plan to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November that would explicitly guarantee the right to an abortion and contraceptives.
COLORADO
Political control: The Democrats who control the Colorado Legislature support access to abortion, as does the state’s Democratic governor.
Background: A 1967 state law legalized abortion up to 16 weeks of pregnancy. Abortion has been accessible ever since, despite repeated legislative attempts and ballot initiatives to restrict or abolish the procedure. Colorado voters have consistently rejected such initiatives, the latest in 2020 that would have banned abortion during the third trimester of pregnancy. In 2022, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a law placing the right to abortion in state statute. The law guarantees access to reproductive care before and after pregnancy and bans local governments from imposing their own restrictions. It also declares that fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses have no independent rights. Abortion rights advocates plan a 2024 ballot initiative to add abortion rights to the state constitution and repeal a 1980s constitutional amendment that bans public funding for abortion.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The decision won’t have any immediate impact on Colorado law -- but providers are preparing for a surge of out-of-state patients. Democratic House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar says lawmakers must consider how to invest in a health care workforce to ensure Colorado has the capacity to meet that anticipated demand. Colorado’s health department reports there were 11,580 abortions in the state in 2021; of those 14% were for non-residents. More than 900 of those non-residents were from Texas, Wyoming and Nebraska.
What’s next: It’s impossible to predict how many more patients from states surrounding Colorado will potentially seek care now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. But the Texas law could induce more people to come. Oklahoma now has an early pregnancy abortion ban; Utah and Wyoming have trigger laws banning abortion now Roe is overturned; the Kansas Constitution protects abortion rights, but Republican lawmakers placed on an August primary ballot an initiative to overturn it.
CONNECTICUT
Political control: Democrats who control the Connecticut General Assembly support access to abortion, as does the state’s Democratic governor.
Background: Connecticut passed a law in 1990 giving women the legal right to abortion. Having passed with strong bipartisan support, it was lauded at the time for being a rare compromise between abortion rights advocates and opponents. It affirmed a woman’s unqualified right to an abortion “prior to viability of the fetus,” as well as later-term abortions “necessary to preserve the life and health of the pregnant woman.” It also repealed state laws predating Roe v. Wade that had made it a felony to have an abortion or to perform one and required that patients under 16 receive counseling about their options. This year, Gov. Ned Lamont signed legislation to protect medical providers and patients from out-of-state legal actions. The same law allows advanced practice registered nurses, nurse-midwives or physician assistants to perform aspiration abortions in the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, a Democrat, has vowed to challenge any attempt to nullify Connecticut’s abortion rights law. “Let’s not mince words. They will come for us,” Tong warned abortion rights supporters during a recent news conference. “We will fight that effort tooth-and-nail. Any court, any place, Connecticut will be there and will fight.” The state is already involved in major abortion cases across the country. And while Connecticut is surrounded by mostly pro-abortion states, it’s still bracing for out-of-state patients seeking abortions now that Roe has been overturned.
What’s next: Connecticut’s new law protecting abortion providers from other states’ bans takes effect on July 1. It creates a legal cause of action for providers and others sued in another state, enabling them to recover certain legal costs. It also limits the governor’s discretion to extradite someone accused of performing an abortion, as well as participation by Connecticut courts and agencies in those lawsuits. There’s discussion of possibly amending the state’s constitution to enshrine the right to abortion, making it more difficult to overturn, but that would be a multi-year process.
DELAWARE
Political control: Democrats control the governor’s office and both chambers of the legislature in Delaware and have taken several steps to ensure access to abortion.
Background: In 2017, Delaware became the first state following the election of President Donald Trump to codify the right to an abortion. A bill signed by Gov. John Carney, a Catholic, guarantees the unfettered right to an abortion before a fetus is deemed “viable.” The law defines viability as the point in a pregnancy when, in a physician’s “good faith medical judgment,” there is a reasonable likelihood that the fetus can survive outside the uterus without the application of extraordinary medical measures. The law also allows abortion after fetal viability if, in a doctor’s “good faith medical judgment,” abortion is necessary for the protection of the woman’s life or health, or if there is a reasonable likelihood that the fetus cannot survive without extraordinary medical measures. The law eliminated existing code restrictions on abortions, much of which had already been declared unenforceable by Delaware’s attorney general in 1973 following the Supreme Court rulings in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton. In April of this year, Carney signed a bill allowing physician assistants and advanced practice registered nurses to prescribe abortion-inducing medications including mifepristone and misoprostol.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: “In Delaware, the privacy protections of Roe v. Wade are codified in state law, guaranteeing residents have access to legal abortion services even if Roe were to be undone at the federal level,” Democratic lawmakers noted earlier this month in unveiling legislation further broadening access to abortions. The bill, which is likely to pass before the end of June, allows physician assistants, certified nurse practitioners and nurse midwifes to perform abortions before viability. It also includes various legal protections for abortion providers and patients, including out-of-state residents receiving abortions in Delaware. Those provisions include protections from civil actions in other states relating to the termination of a pregnancy, and protecting individuals from extradition to other states for criminal charges related to terminating a pregnancy.
What’s next: According to state health officials, 2,042 abortions were performed in Delaware in 2019, with 1,765 involving Delaware residents and 277 involving nonresidents. Delaware is not likely to see a huge influx of women traveling from out of state to get abortions if Roe v. Wade is overturned, given that neighboring Maryland and New Jersey also have liberal abortion-access laws. In neighboring Pennsylvania, where Republicans control both chambers of the Legislature, future abortion access could hinge on the outcome of this year’s gubernatorial contest.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Political control: The local government in the nation’s capital is completely controlled by Democrats, with a Democratic mayor and the D.C. Council split between Democrats and nominal independent politicians, who are all, invariably, Democrats.
Background: Abortion is legal in the District of Columbia at all stages of pregnancy, a status that was upheld in the 1971 Supreme Court case United States v. Vuitch. However, the U.S. Congress has oversight power over D.C. laws and Congress has already banned the city from using local funds to pay for abortions for women on Medicaid.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Elected officials in Washington, D.C., fear Congress could move to restrict abortion access, particularly if Republicans recapture the House of Representatives in midterm elections later this year. President Joe Biden could theoretically veto such a move, but that protection is subject to political calculations and is not guaranteed.
What’s next: Local officials have pledged defiance against any sort of Congressional move to restrict local abortion access. The D.C. Council is considering legislation that would declare Washington, D.C., a “sanctuary city” for those coming from states where abortion is banned. According to federal data, most of the women getting abortions in Washington already are coming from out of state. Those numbers could increase, particularly if new Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin moves to restrict abortion access in neighboring Virginia.
FLORIDA
Political control: Republicans control both chambers of the Florida Legislature and this year passed a ban on abortions after 15 weeks, which was signed into law by the state’s Republican governor.
Background: Abortion was legal in Florida until the 24th week of pregnancy, though lawmakers have been tightening access in recent years with bills requiring a one-day waiting period and requiring parents of a pregnant minor to be notified before an abortion can be provided. This year, in anticipation of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, the Legislature passed a ban on abortions after the 15th week, except to save the mother’s life, prevent serious injury or if the fetus has a fatal abnormality. It does not allow for exemptions in cases where pregnancies were caused by rape or incest. Gov. Ron DeSantis called the legislation “the most significant protections for life that have been enacted in this state in a generation.”
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The decision places Florida’s 15-week ban on firm legal ground, at least under federal law. However, the legislation is already being challenged in state court on arguments that it violates a guarantee of the right to privacy under the state constitution.
What’s next: Florida’s 15-week ban goes into effect on July 1, but challenges to that legislation are pending. Though only about 2% of Florida’s abortions take place after 15th week, abortion rights advocates have expressed concern over declining access to the procedure not only for Floridians but for residents from nearby Southern states where restrictions have historically been stricter than in Florida.
GEORGIA
Political control: Georgia has a Republican legislature and governor who support abortion restrictions, but all are up for election this November. Republicans are likely to retain legislative control, but there’s a possibility a Democrat could become governor.
Background: Georgia lawmakers in 2019 passed a law by one vote that would ban most abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy, when fetal cardiac activity can be detected. The measure is unlike other “heartbeat” bills in that it also contains language designating a fetus as a person for certain state-law purposes such as income tax deductions and child support. The measure is on hold before the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals awaiting a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Mississippi case.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The 11th Circuit is likely to allow the six-week ban to take effect relatively quickly, having already heard oral arguments in the case, although there could be fresh legal challenges. That would ban the large majority of abortions that currently take place in Georgia – about 87% according to providers. The change could happen in the middle of tightly contested races in Georgia for governor and U.S. Senate. Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock and challenger for governor Stacey Abrams say they want to secure abortion rights. Republican Senate challenger Herschel Walker and incumbent Republican Gov. Brian Kemp support restrictions.
What’s next: Some Republican lawmakers and candidates want Georgia to go further and ban abortion entirely, but Kemp is unlikely to call a special session before this November’s general election. Lawmakers are likely to consider further action when they return for their annual session in January. The Legislature or courts will have to sort out whether the provisions designating a fetus as a person are workable.
HAWAII
Political control: Hawaii’s governor is a Democrat and Democrats control more than 90% of the seats in the state House and Senate.
Background: Hawaii legalized abortion in 1970, when it became the first state in the nation to allow the procedure at a woman’s request. The state allows abortion until a fetus would be viable outside the womb. After that, it’s legal if a patient’s life or health is in danger. For many years, only licensed physicians could perform the procedure. Last year, the state enacted a law allowing advanced practice care nurses to carry out in-clinic abortions during the first trimester. This helps women on more rural islands who have been flying to Honolulu to obtain abortions because of doctor shortages in their communities. The law allows the nurses to prescribe medication to end a pregnancy and to perform aspiration abortion, a type of minor surgery during which a vacuum is used to empty a woman’s uterus.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Existing Hawaii law allows abortions, but Gary Yamashiroya, a spokesperson for the state attorney general’s office, has said the attorney general was carefully considering measures Hawaii might take to protect and strengthen reproductive rights if Roe ended. “No matter the outcome, our state remains committed to reproductive freedom and choice,” he said.
What’s next: Political support for abortion rights is strong. Anti-abortion bills are rarely heard at the state Legislature. When they have been, they haven’t made it out of committee. Gov. David Ige issued a statement supporting abortion rights when the Supreme Court’s draft opinion overturning Roe leaked. ”No matter what the Supreme Court decides, I will fight to ensure a woman’s right to choose in the State of Hawaii,” he said. The Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women earlier this month said 72% of the state Senate and 53% of state House members signed a pledge supporting abortion rights.
IDAHO
Political control: Republicans hold super-majorities in the House and Senate and oppose access to abortion, as does the state’s Republican governor.
Background: Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, Idaho passed a law generally allowing abortions in the first and second trimester up to viability at about 23 to 24 weeks. The law allows abortions after viability only to protect the mother’s life or in cases of nonviable fetuses. This year, lawmakers passed a Texas-style ban prohibiting abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy and authorizing family members to sue medical providers for performing an abortion. That law is on hold following a challenge by Planned Parenthood. The Idaho Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in August.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: It triggers a 2020 Idaho law banning all abortions except in cases of reported rape or incest, or to protect the mother’s life, to take effect in 30 days. Under the law, the person performing the abortion could face a felony prosecution punishable by up to five years in prison. In cases of rape or incest, the law requires pregnant women to file a police report and provide a copy of the report to the provider prior to an abortion. If the Idaho Supreme Court upholds the state’s Texas-style abortion ban and Roe v. Wade is tossed aside, a medical provider who performs an abortion in Idaho could face a lawsuit and criminal charges.
What’s Next: Pregnant women seeking abortions will have to travel out of state; the nearest abortion providers would be in Washington, Oregon, Nevada and Colorado. Planned Parenthood is renting space in the town of Ontario on the Idaho-Oregon border and says it’s preparing for an influx of patients seeking abortions. Some Republican lawmakers in Idaho might propose new legislation in January to outlaw abortion pills and emergency contraception.
ILLINOIS
Political control: Illinois is overwhelmingly Democratic with laws providing greater access to abortion than most states. Democrats hold veto-proof supermajorities in the House and Senate, and the Democratic first-term governor seeking reelection this year, J.B. Pritzker, has promoted peaceful street protests to protect the constitutional right to an abortion.
Background: Abortion is legal in Illinois and can only be restricted after the point of viability, when a fetus is considered able to survive outside the womb. Medical science determines viability at 24 to 26 weeks, but the Illinois law does not specify a timeframe, saying a medical professional can determine viability in each case. Abortions are also allowed after viability to protect the patient’s life or health.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: It won’t change access to abortion in Illinois. After the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, the Illinois Abortion Act of 1975 legalized abortion but enacted a “trigger law” that would reinstate the ban if Roe were overturned. That trigger law was repealed in 2017 in legislation that also required Medicaid and state employees’ group health insurance to cover abortions. The 2019 Reproductive Health Act replaced the 1975 law, large parts of which were never enforced because they were found to be unconstitutional.
What’s next: Like other states providing access to abortions, Illinois has seen a steady influx of patients crossing the state line for abortions in recent months and those numbers are expected to increase. Planned Parenthood of Illinois says it expects to handle an additional 20,000 to 30,000 patients in Illinois in the first year following the reversal of Roe.
INDIANA
Political control: Indiana has a Republican-dominated Legislature and a Republican governor in favor of restricting abortion access.
Background: Abortion in Indiana is legal up to about 20 weeks, with some provisions for medical emergencies. Before an abortion, patients must undergo an 18-hour waiting period. Medical providers must tell patients about the risks involved in abortion and must say the fetus can feel pain around 20 weeks, which is disputed. Providers must report complications related to abortion; failure to report can result in a misdemeanor, 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. Federal courts have blocked several restrictions in Indiana, including an attempt to ban a common second-trimester abortion procedure and a law that would have required doctors to tell pregnant women about a disputed treatment to potentially stop a drug-induced abortion.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: No immediate changes are expected, but legislators unwilling to wait until the 2023 session could ask Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb to call a special session this summer to start modifying the state’s abortion laws.
What’s next: Republican legislative leaders said Friday they expected lawmakers to act on tightening Indiana’s abortion laws during a special legislative session starting July 6, but gave no details about what restrictions would be considered. Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb earlier this week called the Legislature into a special session to take up a tax refund proposal, but state law allows legislators to consider any subject.
IOWA
Political control: Iowa’s legislature is controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict abortion access and a Republican governor who agrees and is up for reelection this year.
Background: Iowa allows most abortions until the 20th week of pregnancy, when they’re banned except to save a patient’s life or prevent a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function. In 2018, the state Supreme Court declared access to abortion a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, granting stronger protections to abortion rights than the U.S. Constitution. The state’s high court, now with a conservative majority, overturned that decision June 17, thus allowing a state law requiring a 24-hour waiting period to go into effect immediately. That requirement is being challenged in district court.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Nothing is expected to change immediately in Iowa. The GOP-controlled Legislature has been working to get an amendment on the ballot in 2024 that would declare the state constitution does not grant a right to abortion but, with Roe overturned, Iowa lawmakers can ban abortion without completing that lengthy process.
What’s next: Now that the Iowa Supreme Court has struck down its 2018 ruling, the state Legislature can convene a special session this summer and pass abortion restrictions. Republicans could still move to get the constitutional amendment on a public ballot in 2024.
KANSAS
Political control: Kansas has a legislature controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict access to abortions but a Democratic governor who supports access and is up for re-election this year.
Background: Under current law, Kansas does not ban most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy, when they’re allowed only to save a patient’s life or to prevent “a substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.” The state Supreme Court in 2019 declared that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution, granting stronger protections to abortion rights than the U.S. Constitution does currently. State law, however, doesn’t allow providers to dispense abortion medications through telemedicine consultations.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Nothing will change immediately in Kansas. The state Supreme Court blocked enforcement of a 2015 legislative ban on a common second-trimester procedure, and abortion opponents fear a host of other rules could fall to legal challenges in the near future. The GOP-controlled Legislature responded by putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot during the Aug. 2 primary, when turnout is expected to be much lower than in a general election and will likely see a higher proportion of Republicans voting. The amendment would declare that the state constitution does not grant a right to abortion. It would allow lawmakers to restrict abortion as much as the federal courts will allow .
What’s next: If voters approve the amendment, the Legislature would still have to approve the new restrictions, and lawmakers are out of session until January 2023. They can call themselves in to special session with two-thirds majorities, but they’re likely to wait until after voters decide in the November general election whether to give Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly a second term.
KENTUCKY
Political control: Republicans have a supermajority in the Kentucky Legislature and have been restricting abortion rights since the 2016 election over the vetoes of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear, who supports abortion rights and will seek a second term in 2023.
Background: Kentucky bans abortions after 20 weeks, but all abortion services were temporarily halted in April after the legislature imposed new restrictions and reporting requirements on the state’s two abortion clinics. The clinics, both in Louisville, said they suspended abortions because state officials hadn’t written guidelines on how to comply with the new law. Noncompliance could result in stiff fines, felony penalties and revocation of physician and facility licenses. Abortions resumed after a federal judge temporarily blocked key parts of the law, including a provision banning abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Abortion services in Kentucky immediately became illegal under a “trigger law” enacted in 2019. The measure contains a narrow exception allowing abortion to prevent the death or permanent injury of a pregnant woman. Kentuckians will be able to vote this November on a proposed amendment declaring there is no right to an abortion in the state constitution.
What’s next: Abortion-rights activists say the suspension of abortion services in April foreshadowed what would happen in Kentucky and other Republican-leaning states if Roe v. Wade was overturned. It likely ends several legal challenges pending against other Kentucky abortion laws including a 2018 measure that abortion-rights supporters say would effectively ban a standard abortion method in the second trimester of pregnancy. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in March that Kentucky’s Republican attorney general, Daniel Cameron, can defend the measure that was struck down by lower courts.
LOUISIANA
Political control: Louisiana’s legislature is controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict abortion access. Its Democratic and Catholic governor also opposes abortions, though he supports exceptions for victims of rape or incest.
Background: Voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2020 stating that “a right to abortion and the funding of abortion shall not be found in the Louisiana Constitution.” Of the about 2 million people who voted, 62% approved the amendment. Abortion had been legal in Louisiana through the 19th week of pregnancy. After that, it was legal only if the fetus would die anyway or if continuing the pregnancy would threaten the mother’s life or health.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Louisiana has a trigger law that immediately outlaws abortions. There is no exception for rape or incest. The only exception is if there is substantial risk of death or impairment to the woman. Earlier this week, Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, signed a bill updating various aspects of the law and subjecting abortion providers to up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $100,000. Edwards’ office said the bill allows the use of emergency contraception “for victims of rape and incest prior to when a pregnancy can be clinically diagnosed.”
Edwards signed another bill that would require the doctor to certify that a drug used for abortion was being prescribed for another medical reason. The bill makes it illegal to deliver abortion medication to a state resident “by mail-order, courier, or as a result of a sale made via the internet.”
What’s next: Louisiana’s three abortion clinics — in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Shreveport — were no longer providing abortions to patients as of Friday and instead are recommending pregnant patients seeking the procedure to go to states where it remains legal.
MAINE
Political control: Both chambers of the Maine Legislature, which has adjourned, are controlled by Democrats. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills has vowed to protect the right to an abortion, saying she will “fight with everything I have to protect reproductive rights.”
Background: A Republican governor in 1993 signed a Maine law affirming the right to abortion before a fetus is viable. After that, abortion is only allowed if the life or health of the mother is at risk, or if the pregnancy is no longer viable. In 2019, lawmakers eliminated a physician-only rule and Mills signed it into law, allowing nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other medical professionals to perform abortions.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Nothing will change in Maine. Any attempt to restrict abortions when lawmakers reconvene next year would face fierce pushback. Abortion providers, meanwhile, said there could be an influx of patients seeking abortions from states that outlaw the procedure.
What’s next: Any major changes are unlikely unless former Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, unseats Mills and Republicans take control of both chambers of the Legislature in November. LePage, a Catholic who opposes abortion rights, has said it’s up to lawmakers to address the abortion issue as they see fit.
MARYLAND
Political control: Maryland’s legislature is controlled by Democrats who expanded abortion access this year by ending a restriction that only physicians can provide them and requiring most insurance plans to cover abortion care without cost. The legislature overrode Republican Gov. Larry Hogan’s veto of the bill in April.
Background: The right to abortion is protected in Maryland law. The state approved legislation in 1991 to protect abortion rights if the Supreme Court should ever restrict access. Voters approved the right in 1992 with 62% of the vote. Maryland law prohibits restrictions on abortion prior to viability. Maryland does not have a gestational limit. After viability, clinicians make the determination, based on clinical standard of care.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Nothing will change immediately in Maryland law.
What’s next: Maryland’s new law that will enable nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants to provide abortions with training is set to take effect July 1. However, $3.5 million in state funding to provide training isn’t mandated until fiscal year 2024. Hogan, who is term limited, has indicated he will not approve the money sooner. Some nurse practitioners, nurse midwives and physician assistants already have received training on medication abortion and will be able to provide those services starting next month.
MASSACHUSETTS
Political control: The Democrats who control the Massachusetts Legislature support access to abortion, as does the state’s Republican governor, although they differ on specific policies.
Background: Massachusetts once had a contentious relationship with abortion in part due to the powerful influence of the Catholic Church, which opposes abortion. In recent years, that influence has waned and Massachusetts has become a strong supporter of abortion rights. In 2018, in anticipation of the conservative tilt on the U.S. Supreme Court, the state removed an 1845 abortion ban from its books that was not enforced. Two years later, Democratic state lawmakers clashed with Republican Gov. Charlie Baker — who says he supports abortion rights — over an effort to codify abortion rights into state law, allow abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases where the child would not survive after birth, and lower from 18 to 16 the age at which women could seek an abortion without consent from a parent or guardian. Lawmakers passed the bill — dubbed the Roe Act — over Baker’s veto.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Baker has vowed to fight to keep abortion legal in Massachusetts, but it is his last year in office. Both Democratic candidates for governor — state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz and Attorney General Maura Healey — support abortion rights. Republican candidate Geoff Diehl said he believes in “the need to protect human life wherever and whenever possible.” Fellow GOP candidate Chris Doughty said he would “not seek any changes to our state’s abortion laws.”
What’s next: There is little chance Massachusetts will restrict abortion rights. Baker signed an executive order Friday barring state agencies from assisting another state’s investigation into people or businesses for receiving or delivering reproductive health services that are legal in Massachusetts. The state also won’t cooperate with extradition requests from states pursuing criminal charges against such individuals. As of 2017, there were 47 facilities providing abortion in Massachusetts, according to the Guttmacher Institute, which supports abortion rights. With Roe v. Wade overturned, it’s unclear how many people will travel there from states that ban or restrict abortion.
MICHIGAN
Political control: Both chambers of Michigan’s legislature are controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict abortion access, but the state’s Democratic governor supports access.
Background: A dormant 1931 law bans nearly all abortions in Michigan but it hasn’t been enforced since Roe v. Wade. The law made it a felony to use an instrument or administer any substance with the intent to abort a fetus unless necessary to preserve the woman’s life. It has no exceptions in cases of rape and incest. Anticipating that Roe could be overturned, Planned Parenthood of Michigan filed a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s ban. A state judge suspended the law in May, saying it violates the state’s constitution. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, both Democrats, hailed the decision.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The injunction granted in the Planned Parenthood case ensures that abortion does not immediately become illegal. Planned Parenthood of Michigan and other supporters hope the injunction indicates abortion rights in the state will be preserved. But in a statement to The Associated Press, Nessel’s office said “given the ongoing lawsuits, we cannot speculate what the state of abortion rights will be in Michigan” after Roe.
What’s next: Whitmer also filed suit asking the state’s Supreme Court to declare the 91-year-old law unconstitutional. It has not acted yet. Michigan abortion rights supporters hope to put the issue on ballots this fall. Their proposed constitutional amendment would affirm the right to make pregnancy-related decisions without interference, including about abortion and other reproductive services such as birth control. The Reproductive Freedom for All committee needs to collect about 425,000 valid voter signatures by July 11 to make the November ballot. The measure would become law if voters approved it. The issue also is expected to shape statewide elections — Whitmer and Nessel are both up for reelection in the fall — and legislative races.
MINNESOTA
Political control: The Minnesota Legislature is divided; Anti-abortion Republicans control the Senate and Democrats have the House, but the majorities are slim in both chambers, so control will be up for grabs in the November elections. Most legislative Democrats support abortion rights. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has said “no abortion ban will ever become law” while he’s governor. But he faces a challenge this year from Republican Scott Jensen, who opposes abortion rights.
Background: Abortion is legal in Minnesota up to the point of fetal viability, around the 24th week of pregnancy. The state has some restrictions, including a 24-hour waiting period with state-mandated counseling, both parents generally must be notified prior to a minor getting an abortion, and only physicians can perform abortions.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Nothing will change immediately in Minnesota because the state Supreme Court ruled in 1995 that the state constitution protects abortion rights. If Republicans take control of both chambers, they could put a constitutional amendment on the ballot as soon as 2024 to reverse that ruling, but it’s not clear yet if they would take that path. Minnesota governors can’t block constitutional amendments with vetoes. But amendments are hard to enact because they require the backing of most of the citizens voting in that election, not just those voting on the amendment. Leaving the ballot blank counts as a “no.”
What’s next: Providers are preparing for a surge in women coming from other states to get abortions. Sarah Stoesz, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States, said before the ruling that her organization was “fortifying” its delivery systems, including telemedicine. Dr. Sarah Traxler, the group’s medical director, has said demand in Minnesota is expected to rise by up to 25%.
MISSISSIPPI
Political control: Republican Gov. Tate Reeves and leaders of the Republican-controlled Mississippi Legislature have been working for years to chip away at abortion access.
Background: Mississippi already had a law banning most abortions at 20 weeks, and the state tried to enact a law in 2018 to ban most abortions after 15 weeks. That law is the basis for the case that the Supreme Court has now used to overturn Roe v. Wade. A federal district judge blocked Mississippi’s 15-week law from taking effect in 2018, and an appeals court agreed. The Supreme Court agreed to take the case in 2021. Justices heard arguments in December, with the Mississippi attorney general’s office saying the court should overturn Roe v. Wade. Mississippi has one abortion clinic, and it stops offering abortions at 16 weeks. Reeves was lieutenant governor in 2018, when Mississippi tried to enact the 15-week ban, and in 2019, when the state tried to enact a six-week ban. Mississippi law does not allow providers to dispense abortion medications through telemedicine consultations.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Mississippi’s only abortion clinic, Jackson Women’s Health Organization, is expected to close within weeks. Mississippi enacted a law in 2007 that would prohibit most abortions if Roe v. Wade was overturned. Abortions would still be allowed if the woman’s life is endangered by the pregnancy or if the pregnancy was caused by a rape that was reported to law enforcement. Any person who knowingly performs or attempts to induce an abortion, except the pregnant woman, could be punished by up to 10 years in prison.
What’s next: Mississippi’s 2007 law says the state attorney general must publish a notice in a state administrative bulletin after the U.S. Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Mississippi’s ban on most abortions will take effect 10 days after that publication.
MISSOURI
Political control: Both GOP Gov. Mike Parson and the Republican-led Legislature support laws against abortion.
Background: Missouri law previously allowed abortions up until 22 weeks of pregnancy. But a 2019 state law banned abortions “except in cases of medical emergency,” contingent upon the U.S. Supreme Court overturning its 1973 Roe v. Wade decision. Under that Missouri law, performing an illegal abortion is a felony punishable by 5 to 15 years in prison, though women receiving abortions cannot be prosecuted.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The 2019 law contained a provision making it effective upon notification by the attorney general, governor or Legislature that the U.S. Supreme Court had overruled Roe v. Wade. Moments after Friday’s Supreme Court decision, Attorney General Eric Schmitt and Gov. Mike Parson filed the necessary paperwork for Missouri’s law to kick in. State statutes were subsequently updated online Friday saying the abortion-ban law had taken effect.
What’s next: Some Missouri residents wanting abortions are likely to travel to neighboring states, including Illinois and Kansas. A new Illinois logistics center near St. Louis helps women from out of state find travel, lodging and childcare if they need help getting to the area for an abortion, and it connects them with funding sources. The Kansas Supreme Court in 2019 declared that access to abortion is a “fundamental” right under the state constitution. Even without the ban in Missouri, the number of Missouri patients seeking abortions in Kansas has gone up in recent years, increasing about 8% from 2020 to 2021.
MONTANA
Political control: The Republicans who control the Montana Legislature and Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte want to limit access to abortion.
Background: Abortion used to be legal in Montana up until viability, or about 24 weeks of pregnancy, but the state Legislature passed a bill in 2021 to reduce that to 20 weeks, arguing that is when the fetus can feel pain. That law, along with one that requires chemical abortions to be done with in-person medical supervision, are being challenged in court. A state judge temporarily blocked enforcement in October 2021 while the challenges move through the courts. The state has asked the Montana Supreme Court to vacate that injunction and overturn a 1999 Montana Supreme Court opinion that found the state’s constitutional right to privacy guarantees a woman’s access to abortion care.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The effect is unclear because of the unresolved legal challenges to the 2021 state legislation. Montana does not have an abortion ban that was triggered when Roe v. Wade was overturned, but the Legislature could seek to further restrict access in the next session.
What’s next: The Montana Supreme Court will issue a decision on the preliminary injunction. The Montana Legislature also passed a referendum to ask voters this November whether they support a state law to require abortion providers to give lifesaving treatment to a fetus that is born alive after a botched abortion. Opponents argue federal law already offers those protections.
NEBRASKA
Political control: Nebraska has an officially nonpartisan legislature with a Republican majority, but not a super-majority that would let the party unilaterally pass an abortion ban. Democrats appear to have enough votes to block such a bill, but just one defector could swing the vote. Nebraska’s Republican governor vehemently opposes abortion.
Background: Nebraska allows most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy, although a few small towns have voted to outlaw the procedure within their borders. The state requires doctors to be physically present when patients take the first of two drugs that are used in medication abortions. Lawmakers have rejected attempts to allow abortion medications to be administered remotely, which would provide easier abortion access in rural areas.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: A ruling that lets states set their own abortion laws will trigger an immediate push by Nebraska conservatives to ban the procedure, but it’s not clear whether they could do it this year. Unlike other conservative states, Nebraska doesn’t have a trigger law that automatically outlaws abortion. Gov. Pete Ricketts and other top Republicans have said they’ll seek a special legislative session, but it’s not clear whether they have enough votes to pass anything.
What’s next: If Ricketts calls a special session, attention will likely shift to state Sen. Justin Wayne, an Omaha Democrat who has declined to specify where he stands on abortion. Wayne was notably absent from a vote on the issue this year; his support would give Republicans the super-majority they need to enact a ban. He has struck deals with senators from both parties in the past. If a proposed abortion ban fails during a special session or if no special session is called, the issue will likely become a factor in the November election.
NEVADA
Political control: Nevada’s governor and state attorney general are Democrats who are up for reelection this year. Democrats control the state Senate and Assembly.
Background: Nevada voters enshrined the right to abortion in the state constitution in 1990. The law says a pregnancy can be terminated during the first 24 weeks, and after that to preserve the life or health of the pregnant person. It would take another statewide vote to change or repeal the law. Most Republican candidates for Congress, governor, state attorney general and other statewide posts say they oppose abortions.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: “Here in Nevada, overturning Roe would not be felt immediately,” state Attorney General Aaron Ford said in a position paper released after the draft U.S. Supreme Court opinion became public. Ford noted that a federal ban on abortion would supersede state law and said it would be naive not to recognize that some people want to ban abortions or make them more difficult to obtain. But he said his office will fight “attacks on abortion rights, rights to birth control access and rights for LGTBQ people.” Gov. Steve Sisolak promised in a statement to “continue to protect reproductive freedom.”
What’s next: Anti-abortion advocates are not expected to focus on trying to repeal Nevada’s abortion law. But they will seek laws affecting waiting periods, mandatory counseling or requiring parental notification or consent. Melissa Clement, executive director of Nevada Right to Life, said she believes there is strong support for parental involvement.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Political control: New Hampshire has a Republican governor and the GOP controls the 424-member Legislature. All face reelection this fall.
Background: Any abortion restrictions New Hampshire had on the books before Roe v. Wade were not enforced after the landmark 1973 ruling, and they were repealed altogether in 1997. The state had no restrictions until January, when a ban on abortion after 24 weeks of pregnancy was enacted. In June, an exemption was added for cases in which the fetus has been diagnosed with “abnormalities incompatible with life.” Anticipating the Supreme Court action, Democrats this year tried unsuccessfully to enshrine abortion rights into state law and the state constitution. Gov. Chris Sununu calls himself pro-choice and says he is committed to upholding Roe v. Wade, but he also has boasted “I’ve done more on the pro-life issue than anyone.”
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Nothing will change immediately in New Hampshire. The Legislature won’t return until fall, when there will be a one-day session to take up vetoed bills, and it would take a two-thirds majority vote to introduce new legislation then.
What’s next: The majority leader of the New Hampshire House has said the public should not expect Republicans in the Legislature to further tighten state abortion laws. But anti-abortion lawmakers who have filed bills in the past are expected to try again.
NEW JERSEY
Political control: Democrats control both houses of the state Legislature and the governorship. Gov. Phil Murphy started his second consecutive term this year.
Background: Murphy ran for reelection on the promise that he would sign legislation to enshrine abortion rights into state law, and he fulfilled that promise in January. The measure also guaranteed the right to contraception and the right to carry a pregnancy to term. It stopped short of requiring insurance coverage for abortions, something advocates had sought. Instead, it authorizes the state Banking and Insurance Department to study the issue and possibly adopt regulations if a need is discovered. Under Murphy’s predecessor, Republican Chris Christie, state funds to women’s clinics, including Planned Parenthood, were slashed. Murphy restored those and has been a strong supporter of abortion rights. New Jersey doesn’t have any significant restrictions on abortion, such as parental consent or a mandatory waiting period.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Officials, including the governor, have said the end of Roe would not lead to any rollback of abortion services in the state. “Instead of hoping for the best, we prepared ourselves for the worst,” Murphy said in May, addressing reports of a leaked draft of a Supreme Court ruling
What’s next: Murphy has proposed a host of new abortion-related measures, but the Legislature has not taken them up yet. One aims to let a wider range of medical providers perform the most common type of abortion. Another would create a fund so advanced practice registered nurses, physician’s assistants and certified nurse midwives can provide abortion services. The source and amount of funding wasn’t defined. Another proposed measure would mandate that insurance providers cover abortions without cost-sharing or out-of-pocket expenses.
NEW MEXICO
Political control: The Democrats who control the New Mexico Legislature support access to abortion, as does the state’s Democratic governor. Several conservative Democratic state senators who voted against the repeal of the abortion ban in 2019 were ousted from office in 2020 by more socially progressive primary challengers.
Background: In 2021, state lawmakers repealed a dormant 1969 statute that outlawed most abortion procedures as felonies, thus ensuring access to abortion even after the federal court rolled back guarantees. Albuquerque is home to one of only a few independent clinics in the country that perform abortions in the third trimester without conditions. An abortion clinic in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, is just a mile from the state line with Texas and caters to patients from El Paso, western Texas and Arizona.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: There will be no immediate change in New Mexico now that the high court has overturned Roe v. Wade. It is unclear if Democrats, who control the state Legislature, will pursue additional guarantees to abortion access when lawmakers convene in January. Possible avenues of legislative reform include enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution, which requires approval by voters. Abortion rights activists say the state’s equal rights amendment could be harnessed to guide more public funding for abortion-related programs. Raúl Torrez, the district attorney in Albuquerque and the Democratic nominee for attorney general, is urging lawmakers to take further steps to protect access to abortions, including protections for women coming from other states. The state Republican Party said it’s time to elect more anti-abortion candidates to the Legislature.
What’s next: The state can expect to continue to see a steady influx of people seeking abortions from neighboring states with more restrictive abortion laws. It already hosts patients from Texas and Oklahoma where among the strictest abortion bans in the country were introduced this year.
NEW YORK
Political control: The Democrats who control the New York Legislature support access to abortion, as does the state’s Democratic governor.
Background: Abortion has been legal in New York state since a 1970 law was passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by Republican Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller. The law allows abortions within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy or to preserve the mother’s life. The 2019 Reproductive Health Act removed abortion from the state’s criminal code, codified Roe v. Wade and allowed abortions after 24 weeks if a fetus isn’t viable or to protect the mother’s life or health. Lawmakers have passed laws extending legal protections for people seeking and providing abortions in New York.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Roe v. Wade protections are enshrined in state law. New York is planning to give abortion providers $35 million this year to expand services and boost security in anticipation of an influx of out-of-state people seeking abortions once any ruling comes down. It’s unclear how many more people from neighboring states could travel to New York to receive abortion care. New York had 252 facilities providing abortions as of 2017, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights.
What’s next: Planned Parenthood and civil liberty groups are urging lawmakers to start the process of passing a constitutional amendment protecting access to abortion care in case a future Legislature repeals the state law.
NORTH CAROLINA
Political control: Republicans hold majorities in the state House and Senate, but the party lacks the margins to defeat a veto by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, a strong abortion-rights supporter. Since 2017, Cooper has vetoed a “born-alive” abortion measure and a bill prohibiting abortion based on race or a Down syndrome diagnosis. He can’t seek reelection in 2024 due to term limits.
Background: A 1973 North Carolina law that banned most abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy is currently unenforceable after federal judges struck it down as unconstitutional in 2019 and 2021. Instead, abortions can be performed until fetal viability. A state law approved in 2015 provides for post-viability abortions only in a “medical emergency,” which means the woman would die or face a “serious risk” of substantial and irreversible physical impairment without the procedure.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, the 20-week ban could be restored. Legal experts say formal action would have to be taken to cancel the earlier court rulings striking it down. Republican legislative leaders late Friday asked state Attorney General Josh Stein, a Democrat and abortion rights supporter whose agency’s lawyers defended the 20-week law, to act. Otherwise, they said they would seek to intervene.
What’s next: Republican General Assembly leaders don’t plan to consider additional abortion restrictions during the soon-to-end legislative session, meaning a likely intensification of electoral efforts to gain the five additional seats the GOP needs to reach veto-proof margins come 2023. Cooper and other Democrats already are making abortion rights a key campaign pitch. Abortion politics are also expected to figure in two state Supreme Court seat elections in November. Republicans would gain a majority on the court if they win at least one of them.
NORTH DAKOTA
Political control: North Dakota has a legislature dominated by Republicans who want to ban abortion, and the GOP governor had hoped to see Roe v. Wade wiped off the books in favor of state’s rights.
Background: The state has passed some of the nation’s strictest abortion laws, including one that would have banned abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can happen before a woman knows she is pregnant. The law never took effect because the state’s lone abortion clinic successfully challenged it in court. One failed Republican proposal would have charged abortion providers with murder with a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: North Dakota has a trigger law that will shut down the state’s sole abortion clinic in Fargo after 30 days. That 2007 state law makes it a felony to perform an abortion unless necessary to prevent the pregnant woman’s death or in cases of rape or incest. Violators could be punished with a five-year prison sentence and a $10,000 fine.
What’s next: The owner and operator of the Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo said she would explore all legal options to ensure abortion services are available in North Dakota. Should that fail, clinic leader Tammi Kromenaker plans to move across the river to Moorhead, Minnesota, where abortion has not been outlawed. Planned Parenthood says it can provide abortions in Moorhead until Kromenaker gets up and running.
OHIO
Political control: The Ohio Legislature is controlled by Republicans who support restricting or banning abortions, and the Republican governor backs those efforts. He is up for reelection this year against a former mayor who supports abortion rights.
Background: Before Friday’s ruling, Ohio did not ban most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy; after that they’re allowed only to save a patient’s life or when their health is seriously compromised. But the state imposes a host of other restrictions, including parental consent for minors, a required ultrasound, and in-person counseling followed by a 24-hour waiting period. Abortions are prohibited for the reason of a fetal Down syndrome diagnosis. Ohio also limits the public funding of abortions to cases of rape, incest or endangerment of the patient’s life. It limits public employees’ abortion-related insurance coverage and coverage through health plans offered in the Affordable Care Act health exchange to those same scenarios. Clinics providing abortions must comply with a host of regulations.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: A ban on most abortions at the first detectable fetal heartbeat became the law in Ohio hours after the ruling. Enforcement of Ohio’s 2019 “heartbeat” ban had been on hold for nearly three years under a federal court injunction. The state attorney general, Republican Dave Yost, asked for that to be dissolved because of the high court’s ruling, and U.S. Judge Michael Barrett agreed hours later.
Two trigger bills are on hold in the Legislature, but a key legislative leader has said he anticipates needing to write new legislation after the decision is reversed that more carefully reflects the actual ruling. That all but certainly would not happen until lawmakers return to the capital after the November election.
What’s next: Activists are considering how to help Ohioans get abortions elsewhere. They may also mount a statewide ballot initiative that would embed the right to an abortion in the state constitution, though that could not happen before next year. Abortion opponents are weighing strategies for imposing a statewide abortion ban.
OKLAHOMA
Political control: Republicans in Oklahoma have a supermajority in both chambers of the Legislature and a Republican governor up for reelection this year who has vowed to sign “every pro-life legislation that came across my desk.”
Background: Abortion services were halted in Oklahoma in May after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a bill that prohibits all abortions with few exceptions. The ban is enforced by civil lawsuits rather than criminal prosecution. Republican lawmakers have been pushing to restrict abortion in the state for decades, passing 81 different restrictions since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: It will have little practical effect given that abortions are no longer being provided in Oklahoma. Oklahoma also has a “trigger law” that outlawed abortion as soon as Roe was overturned.
What’s next: Given the fierce opposition to abortion from the governor and Legislature, Oklahoma will continue to prohibit the practice if states are given the option to do so. Meanwhile, abortion providers who had been operating in the state are taking steps to help patients seek abortions out of state, including coordinating funding for these women and developing a referral network of therapists to help address complications before or after a woman receives an abortion.
OREGON
Political control: The Democrats who control the Oregon Legislature support access to abortion, as does the state’s Democratic governor.
Background: The Oregon Legislature passed a bill legalizing abortion in 1969. In 2017, Gov. Kate Brown signed into law a bill expanding health care coverage for reproductive services, including abortions, to thousands of Oregonians, regardless of income, citizenship status or gender identity. Oregon does not have any major abortion restrictions and it is legal at all stages of pregnancy.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The Guttmacher Institute has estimated that Oregon will experience a 234% increase in women seeking abortions arriving from out of state, especially from Idaho. In March, Oregon lawmakers approved $15 million to expand abortion availability and pay for abortions and support services such as travel and lodgings for residents and out-of-state patients.
What’s next: Brown said after the draft Supreme Court decision was leaked that access to abortion is a fundamental right and that she will fight to ensure access to abortion continues to be protected by state law in Oregon. Democratic state lawmakers recently formed the Reproductive Health and Access to Care Work Group of providers, clinics, community organizations and legislators that will make recommendations for the 2023 legislative session and beyond. Recommendations may include proposals to protect, strengthen, and expand equitable access to all forms of reproductive care.
PENNSYLVANIA
Political control: Republicans who control the Pennsylvania Legislature are hostile to abortion rights, but the state’s Democratic governor is a strong supporter and has vetoed three GOP-penned bills in five years that would have added restrictions beyond the state’s 24-week limit. The race for governor this year could tilt that balance.
Background: Abortion is legal in Pennsylvania under decades of state law, including a 1989 law that was challenged all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. That produced the landmark Planned Parenthood v. Casey ruling that affirmed the high court’s 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion nationwide, but also allowed states to put certain limits on abortion access.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Gov. Tom Wolf has vowed to protect access to abortion for the remainder of his time in office, through January. Running to replace him is the state’s Democratic attorney general, Josh Shapiro, who supports abortion rights, and Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano, who has said he supports banning abortion altogether, with no exceptions. The Legislature is expected to remain in Republican hands next year.
What’s next: Legislation to outlaw abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat — which can happen at six weeks, before many women even know they are pregnant — has passed a House committee and is awaiting a floor vote. The state Supreme Court is considering a lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers aiming to overturn a 1982 law that bans the use of state dollars for abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. In response, Republican lawmakers are advancing a proposed amendment that would declare there is no constitutional right to an abortion in Pennsylvania or to public funding for an abortion.
RHODE ISLAND
Political control: The Democrats who control Rhode Island’s General Assembly support access to abortion, as does the Democratic governor.
Background: Rhode Island’s governor signed legislation in 2019 to enshrine abortion protections in case the U.S. Supreme Court overturned its 1973 decision in Roe v. Wade. The law says the state will not restrict the right to an abortion prior to fetal viability or after if necessary to protect the health or life of the pregnant woman. It repealed older laws deemed unconstitutional by the courts. The Rhode Island Supreme Court upheld the 2019 law in May, just two days after the Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked suggesting that a majority of the justices were prepared to overturn Roe. Abortion opponents had argued the law violates the state constitution. In 2020, there were 2,611 abortions in Rhode Island, according to the state health department.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Rhode Island’s attorney general believes the 2019 Reproductive Privacy Act will continue to protect access to abortion. Planned Parenthood Votes! Rhode Island also said abortion will remain legal regardless of the decision because the right was codified in state law.
What’s next: It’s possible Rhode Island may need to act to protect abortion access for non-resident patients, but that cannot be debated in the legislature until next year’s legislative session. Lawmakers may consider requests for abortion coverage to be added to Rhode Island’s Medicaid program and insurance coverage for state employees.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Political control: South Carolina has a Republican governor, and its General Assembly is dominated by the GOP. However, the party doesn’t quite have the two-thirds majority in either chamber needed to overcome procedural hurdles or a veto if a Democrat wins the 2022 gubernatorial election.
Background: In 2021, South Carolina passed the “Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act” that requires doctors to use an ultrasound to try to detect a fetal heartbeat if they think a pregnant woman is at least eight weeks along. If they find a heartbeat, they can only perform an abortion if the woman’s life is in danger, or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. The law is currently tied up in a federal lawsuit.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, the 2021 law likely will go into effect. South Carolina’s Fetal Heartbeat Law is currently blocked by an injunction, but when Roe was overturned the South Carolina attorney’s general office immediately moved to have that injunction lifted. A judge has not yet ruled, said Robert Kittle, a spokesman for Attorney General Alan Wilson.
What’s next: The South Carolina General Assembly’s regular session ended in May, but Republican leaders agreed they could return for a special session to take up more restrictive abortion bills if the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Some Republicans in the Legislature have opposed a complete abortion ban, especially without exceptions for victims of rape and incest.
SOUTH DAKOTA
Political control: Republicans hold super-majorities in both Statehouse chambers. Republican Gov. Kristi Noem is up for reelection this year and has been an ardent opponent of abortion rights.
Background: Under current law, South Dakota bans abortions after the 22nd week of pregnancy. The state has only one clinic that regularly provides abortions, a Planned Parenthood facility in Sioux Falls. The legislature has worked over the years to make it more difficult for women to get abortions, passing mandatory waiting periods and requiring them to review and sign paperwork that discourages them from ending their pregnancies.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: South Dakota has a trigger law that immediately banned abortions except if the life of the pregnant woman is at risk.
What’s next: Noem has said she planned to call a special session to craft laws for the new legal landscape if Roe v. Wade was overturned. She hasn’t commented on specific legislation, but lawmakers have floated proposals that would make it more difficult for women to seek an abortion out of state. However, South Dakota voters rejected outright bans in 2006 and 2008, and abortion rights advocates are preparing for a similar referendum on abortion access. An outright ban on abortions could eventually be challenged through a citizen-initiated ballot measure.
TENNESSEE
Political control: Tennessee has a Republican governor who is consistently vocal about his opposition to abortion. The GOP holds a supermajority in the state legislature and has steadily chipped away at abortion access.
Background: In 2020, Tennessee passed a law banning most abortions when the fetal heartbeat can be detected at about six weeks, before many women know they’re pregnant. The measure has never been enforced because it was promptly blocked by a federal court. Tennessee voters approved an amendment in 2014 declaring that the state’s constitution doesn’t protect or secure the right to abortion or require the funding of an abortion, and empowering state lawmakers to “enact, amend, or repeal statutes regarding abortion.” State law also doesn’t allow providers to dispense abortion medications through telemedicine consultations. There are six abortion providers in Tennessee.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Thirty days after the decision, a so-called trigger law will go into effect that bans all abortions in Tennessee except when necessary to prevent death or “serious risk of substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.” Doctors could be charged with a felony for providing an abortion under this law.
What’s next: It’s unclear if the trigger law conflicts with the 2020 law banning most abortions at about six weeks. The state’s attorney general, a Republican, has not publicly weighed in. Meanwhile, Republicans are expected to continue to have supermajority control after this year’s midterm elections. Reproductive rights activists say they will direct patients seeking abortion to clinics in Illinois if Roe v. Wade is overturned, or to Florida, which would ban abortions at 15 weeks. North Carolina and Virginia could also be options for women in eastern Tennessee.
TEXAS
Political control: The GOP has commanding majorities in the Texas Legislature and has controlled every statewide office for nearly 30 years. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott is up for reelection in November and is favored to win a third term.
Background: Texas has given the nation a preview of the landscape of abortion access without the protections enshrined in Roe v. Wade. A new Texas law banning most abortions after about six weeks — before many women know they are pregnant — took effect in September and makes no exceptions in cases of rape or incest. Because of how Republicans wrote the law, which is enforceable only through lawsuits filed by private citizens against doctors or anyone who helps a woman obtain an abortion, Texas has essentially outmaneuvered decades of Supreme Court precedent governing a women’s constitutional right to an abortion. State data shows the number of abortions performed in Texas’ roughly two dozen clinics fell by half in the five months after the law came into effect compared to the same period a year earlier.
Effect of the Supreme Court ruling: Texas had more than 40 abortion clinics in 2012 before a decade of Republicans chipping away at abortion access began forcing providers to close. Without Roe v. Wade, Texas plans to ban virtually all abortions 30 days after the Supreme Court issues its judgment in the case, which could take about a month. Abortions would only be allowed when the patient’s life is in danger or if they are at risk of “substantial impairment of a major bodily function.”
What’s next: Many Texas women have already traveled out of state for abortions since the law took effect, but they would likely have to travel much farther now that Roe is overturned as more states outlaw abortion. Some Republican lawmakers also want to punish companies that help their Texas-based employees get abortions elsewhere, although it’s unclear how much support that idea will have when the Legislature returns in 2023.
UTAH
Political control: Utah is deeply conservative and the Legislature is controlled by a Republican supermajority.
Background: The state has been restricting abortion for years, including a ban after 18 weeks passed in 2019 that’s now blocked in court. The following year, lawmakers passed a “trigger law” that would outlaw nearly all abortions if Roe v. Wade was overturned.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The trigger law banning nearly all abortions became enforceable Friday evening, after the legislative general counsel certified the Supreme Court ruling to lawmakers. It does have narrow exceptions for rape and incest if those crimes are reported to law enforcement, and for serious risk to the life or health of the mother, as well as confirmed lethal birth defects.
What’s next: Utah law makes performing an abortion a felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. While it’s aimed primarily at providers, lawmakers have acknowledged that a woman who self-administers an abortion, including through medication, could potentially face charges.
VERMONT
Political control: The Vermont Legislature is controlled by Democrats, but Republican Gov. Phil Scott is a firm supporter of abortion rights.
Background: Vermont has a 2019 law guaranteeing the right to an abortion and voters will consider a proposal in November to amend the state constitution to protect abortion rights. Also in 2019, the Vermont Legislature began the process of amending the constitution to protect abortion rights, known as the Reproductive Liberty Amendment or Proposition 5. Vermont’s proposed amendment does not contain the word “abortion.” Proponents say that’s because it’s not meant to authorize only abortion but also would guarantee other reproductive rights such as the right to get pregnant or access birth control. Opponents say vague wording could have unintended consequences that could play out for years. Lawmakers approved the proposed amendment in February, leading the way for a statewide vote.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Nothing will change immediately in Vermont.
What’s next: Vermont voters will cast ballots in November to decide if the state will amend its constitution to protect abortion rights.
VIRGINIA
Political control: Virginia has a Republican governor who says he would support new state-level restrictions on abortion. Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Friday that he will seek legislation to ban most abortions after 15 weeks. Youngkin told The Washington Post he has asked four antiabortion Republican lawmakers to draft the legislation. He told the Post that a cutoff at 20 weeks might be necessary to build consensus in the divided Virginia legislature, where Republicans control the House and Democrats control the Senate. Youngkin generally supports exceptions to abortion restrictions in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger.
Background: In recent years, when Democrats were in full control of state government, lawmakers rolled back abortion restrictions. They ended strict building code requirements on facilities where abortions are performed and did away with requirements that a patient seeking an abortion undergo a 24-hour waiting period and ultrasound. Advocates said the changes would make Virginia a haven for abortion access in the South. Republican victories in the November elections shook up the state’s political landscape, but Senate Democrats defeated several measures that would have limited abortion access during the 2022 legislative session.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: There will be no immediate change to abortion laws in Virginia now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned. Some abortion providers expect to see an uptick in patients seeking care in Virginia from neighboring states with “trigger laws” that would ban abortion.
What’s next: The future of abortion access is Virginia is murky. Senate Democrats say they intend to continue blocking attempts to roll back abortion access, though they control the chamber by the narrowest possible margin and have one caucus member who personally opposes abortion and says he is open to new restrictions. Republicans also have a narrow hold on the House, with several moderate members. Every seat in the General Assembly will be on the ballot in 2023.
WASHINGTON
Political control: The Democrats who control the Washington Legislature support access to abortion, as does the state’s Democratic governor.
Background: Abortion has been legal in Washington state since a 1970 statewide ballot referendum. Another ballot measure approved by voters in 1991 declared a woman’s right to choose physician-performed abortion prior to fetal viability and further expanded and protected access to abortion in the state if Roe v. Wade was overturned. And in 2018, the Legislature passed a measure that would require Washington insurers offering maternity care to also cover elective abortions and contraception. Earlier this year, Gov. Jay Inslee signed a measure that grants specific statutory authorization for physician assistants, advanced registered nurse practitioners and other providers acting within their scope of practice to perform abortions. Supporters say the move is designed to help meet the demand from the potential influx of out-of-state patients. That same measure also prohibits legal action by Washington state against people seeking an abortion and those who aid them.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The state “will use every available tool to protect and preserve Washingtonians’ fundamental right to choose, and protect the rights of anyone who wants to come here to access reproductive health care,” said Attorney General Bob Ferguson, a Democrat. Data from the Washington state Department of Health from 2020 shows that of the 16,909 abortions performed in the state that year, 852 involved non-residents. The majority of those people came from neighboring states such as Idaho and Oregon.
What’s next: It’s impossible to predict how many more non-resident patients will potentially seek care in Washington now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, but the increase will likely be in the thousands, said Jennifer Allen, CEO of Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. The state has more than 30 in-person abortion clinics, though the vast majority are in western Washington along the Interstate 5 corridor.
WEST VIRGINIA
Political control: West Virginia has a legislature controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict access to abortions. Gov. Jim Justice, a Republican, opposes abortion access and has signed two anti-abortion laws since taking office in 2017.
Background: West Virginia currently bans abortion after the 20th week of pregnancy unless a patient’s life is in danger, or they face “substantial and irreversible physical impairment of a major bodily function.” Patients seeking abortions must wait 24 hours after undergoing legislatively mandated counseling designed to discourage abortions. A minor who wants an abortion must obtain parental permission. The use of telemedicine to administer a medication abortion is outlawed. The state also bars patients from getting abortions because they believe their child will be born with a disability. The House of Delegates this year passed a 15-week abortion ban, but it died in the Senate.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: It’s unclear what the effect the ruling will have on abortion access in West Virginia. The state has had a law banning abortion on the books since 1848; Under that law, providers who perform abortions can face felony charges and three to 10 years in prison, unless the abortion is conducted to save a patient’s life. In 2018, West Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment to declare patients do not have the right to abortion and banning state funding for abortions.
What’s next: West Virginia lawmakers could introduce new legislation restricting abortion access when they return to the Capitol in January, but they could return sooner if called into a special session. West Virginia only has one clinic that performs abortions. Women’s Health Center of West Virginia Executive Director Katie Quinonez said if abortion access is outlawed, the clinic will continue to provide reproductive care, such as birth control and STI diagnosis and treatment. She said the clinic will help women travel to other states for abortions through its abortion fund.
WISCONSIN
Political control: Wisconsin has a legislature controlled by Republicans who want to ban or restrict access to abortions but a Democratic governor who supports access and is up for reelection this year.
Background: Wisconsin has allowed most abortions until the 22nd week of pregnancy to save the health or life of the mother. A woman seeking an abortion must meet with a counselor and doctor before obtaining an abortion and wait at least 24 hours before having it done. Anyone under age 18 must have an adult relative over age 25 with them to obtain an abortion.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: Now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, it is presumed that a state law passed in 1849 making an abortion a felony offense could go into effect, and doctors have halted procedures. However, Wisconsin’s Democratic attorney general argues that the law is so old that it’s unenforceable. The language allows a woman to legally destroy her own fetus or embryo and grants immunity if an abortion is needed to save a woman’s life and is performed at a hospital. Another state law, passed in 1985, prohibits abortions performed after a fetus reaches viability -- when it could survive outside the womb -- conflicting with the 1849 ban.
What’s next: Republican lawmakers are expected to attempt to clarify the 1849 law to ensure there is a ban in place, even as that issue is fought in the courts. However, lawmakers’ efforts would be stymied if Democratic Gov. Tony Evers wins reelection. Wisconsin’s Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has said he supports an exception in cases of rape and that a ruling on Roe could force lawmakers to consider other related reproductive issues such as contraception. Other Republicans will push for more restrictive abortion laws.
WYOMING
Political control: Wyoming has one of the most Republican legislatures in the U.S. and a long tradition of libertarian-type if not always social or religious conservatism. That may be changing. In March, Republican Gov. Mark Gordon signed into law a bill that would ban abortion in nearly all instances should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade.
Background: Current Wyoming law allows abortions up to when a fetus might be able to survive on its own outside its mother’s body. The law does not specify when that happens, but it is generally considered to be at around 23 weeks into pregnancy. Wyoming currently doesn’t allow abortions after then except to protect the mother from substantial risk to her life or health. Wyoming Republicans have traditionally taken a hands-off approach to abortion but have proven more willing to limit the practice lately. The number of Democrats in the Legislature has dwindled from 26 in 2010 to just nine out of 90 total seats now. A 2021 law requires physicians to provide lifesaving care to any aborted fetus born alive.
Effect of Supreme Court ruling: The new state law that bans abortion only provides exceptions in cases of rape or incest or to protect the mother’s life or health, not including psychological conditions. Though Wyoming has no abortion clinics, abortions still occur. Ninety-eight took place in Wyoming in 2021, according to state officials.
What’s next: A planned women’s health clinic in Casper that would have been the only one offering abortions in the state was on track to open in mid-June but an arson fire May 25 delayed those plans by around six months. Clinic founder Julie Burkhart said Friday that, despite the ruling, she still plans to open the clinic and will continue to seek legal means to keep abortion legal in Wyoming. Police continue to look for a suspect in the arson investigation, and have offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/is-abortion-illegal-in-the-u-s-now-depends-where-you-live/3000691/ | 2022-06-26T17:31:34 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/is-abortion-illegal-in-the-u-s-now-depends-where-you-live/3000691/ |
ERWIN, Tenn. (WJHL) – A church in Erwin celebrated a major milestone Sunday, June 26.
The month of June marks 200 years that Erwin’s First Baptist Church has opened its doors to downtown and the surrounding community.
Sunday, the church was the site of a special celebration with multiple worship services, a bell choir performance and a lunch to honor members of the past and present.
Lead Pastor Koby Strawser says First Baptist is the Holston Baptist Association’s longest running church.
“We like to call ourselves Erwin’s church because our roots run deep. For 200 years we have been, we feel like, a beacon of hope for the community,” said Strawser.
One member of First Baptist was recognized Sunday for being a part of the congregation for more than 80 years. Several other members were also honored for decades of attendance.
Over the years, First Baptist has helped establish other churches across Unicoi County and Erwin; those churches have now helped create new churches, too.
Several other local church congregations gathered alongside First Baptist for their worship service and celebration Sunday.
Strawser says the church’s mission for the past two centuries has been serving the community and that is what they plan to do for the next 200 as the church keeps growing.
“It doesn’t have to be numerical growth, although we will take that. We just want to have a strong presence downtown. We want people to know who we are, what we are about and that our doors are always open,” said Strawser.
Their mission statement reads : “in Christ for community and in community for Christ.”
The church is located in the heart of downtown Erwin, right off of Main Street. Church leaders say anyone and everyone is welcome if they are searching for a church family.
First Baptist currently has around 150 to 200 resident members. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/first-baptist-church-celebrates-200-years-in-erwin/ | 2022-06-26T17:33:31 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/first-baptist-church-celebrates-200-years-in-erwin/ |
SCOTT COUNTY, Ind. — A Statewide Silver Alert has been declared for a missing southern Indiana teen who is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance.
The Scott County Sheriff’s Department is looking for Marley Richie, 16, who was last seen in Scottsburg on Saturday night, June 25, 2022.
Richie is described as a white female, 5'4" tall and weighing 135 pounds. She has brown hair and brown eyes, and was last seen wearing a white tank top and black and blue checkered pajama pants around 9:30 p.m.
Scottsburg is 84 miles south of Indianapolis.
If you have any information on Marley Richie, contact the Scott County Sheriff’s Department at 812-752-5550 or call 911.
Amber Alert vs. Silver Alert: What's the difference?
There are specific standards a person's disappearance must meet in order for police to declare an Amber Alert or a Silver Alert.
Amber Alerts are for children under the age of 18 who are believed to have been abducted and in danger. Police also need to have information about a suspect and their car to issue an Amber Alert.
Silver Alerts are for missing and endangered adults or children. They are much more common for missing people. It was not until last year when the standards for Silver Alerts were expanded to include children.
In both situations, these alerts must be issued by police. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/silver-alert-issued-for-missing-scott-county-teen-marley-richie/531-f7237ee6-6170-4095-b343-4c3ea68b3924 | 2022-06-26T17:41:07 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/silver-alert-issued-for-missing-scott-county-teen-marley-richie/531-f7237ee6-6170-4095-b343-4c3ea68b3924 |
WHITEHALL, Mich. — Becoming an Eagle Scout is a great honor, the top rank with Boy Scouts of America.
For Ben Hayes, becoming an Eagle Scout at just 13 years old last year just wasn't a big enough accomplishment. Last week, he completed his goal to earn every single merit badge the Scouts have to offer.
That's 139 badges; a feat only half of 1% of Scouts accomplish.
"I feel amazed how much I accomplished over the past few years," said Hayes.
His favorite badge is the Railroad badge — earning it sparked a love for locomotives, and because of it, he plans to be an engineer one day.
His mother, Rebecca Shannon, said Boy Scouts changed Ben's life.
"He was just kind of shut down to begin," said Shannon, "No one thought he’d do anything. He’s on the spectrum. Successful level wasn’t there. But merit badges are independence. You do it on your own speed."
Ben also completed a project to put AEDs in outdoor areas, so families could take children to play places they couldn't before, he said.
"I used to get bullied a lot," said Hayes, "But when I got to Scouts, everybody was so kind to me."
One of the most challenging badges to earn forced him to face his fear: swimming. He conquered that and learned to swim, earning him the badge.
Not only does he have all the badges, but a book full of patches as well.
He said he had "all the people who encouraged me to keep going. My scout leader, my friends, even my mom."
The final badge he earned last week was for golf.
"A lot of people say the ones who try to get them all are just trying to get them," said Shannon, "But he’s learned a lot."
Ben is not done with Scouts now he has earned all the badges. Now, he plans to help his troopmates make the same accomplishment.
"It's a Scout way to help things," said Hayes, "A Scout is helpful, curious, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean and brave."
RELATED VIDEO: Teenage prodigy from Grand Rapids wants to save the coffee industry for future generations
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/14-year-old-eagle-scout-from-whitehall-earns-all-139-merit-badges/69-e21ce09d-5b5c-4c43-bf15-fe2e67d56191 | 2022-06-26T17:49:19 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/14-year-old-eagle-scout-from-whitehall-earns-all-139-merit-badges/69-e21ce09d-5b5c-4c43-bf15-fe2e67d56191 |
MCKINNEY, Texas — Seven homes under construction were either destroyed or heavily damaged after a massive fire in a McKinney neighborhood on Saturday, officials said.
The McKinney Fire Department said crews responded to Marigold Drive in the northwestern area of the city, near County Roads 123 and 161.
Video from witnesses showed large flames engulfing multiple homes, with some structures already burned to the ground.
The department said flames also spread to one occupied home, but those flames were quickly extinguished.
There were no reported injuries.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, the department said. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/massive-fire-destroys-damages-seven-homes-construction-mckinney/287-da963023-dede-47eb-934d-160cacec7bc2 | 2022-06-26T17:49:25 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/massive-fire-destroys-damages-seven-homes-construction-mckinney/287-da963023-dede-47eb-934d-160cacec7bc2 |
VON ORMY, Texas — A person was killed in a crash overnight involving an off-duty police officer, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.
It happened around 4:17 a.m. on Sunday on South I-35 North and Benton City Road on the far south side of town. Multiple agencies responded to the crash including Von Ormy police, Somerset police and Bexar County deputies.
According to officials, an off-duty Somerset officer was driving north on I-35 when he was involved in a major crash with another vehicle.
The driver of the second vehicle was pinned inside their car and unresponsive. Firefighters extricated the victim and performed life-saving measures, but they were pronounced dead on the scene.
The off-duty officer was taken to a University Hospital with a broken leg and laceration on his head in stable condition.
I-35 had to be closed while deputies worked to investigate and clear the accident scene.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/one-person-killed-in-off-duty-officer-involved-crash-according-to-bcso-police-accident-von-ormy-somerset/273-1fd8068e-e0e2-4d7c-83d8-f4b72cd0e17b | 2022-06-26T17:49:31 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/one-person-killed-in-off-duty-officer-involved-crash-according-to-bcso-police-accident-von-ormy-somerset/273-1fd8068e-e0e2-4d7c-83d8-f4b72cd0e17b |
Q. I have a job with a regular paycheck. I am way behind on my bills, mostly because of a medical emergency. I don’t see any way I can dig myself out of this hole except for a bankruptcy. I have heard there is something called a “wage earner plan” that’s different from a regular bankruptcy. Is this an option? How does it work?
A. A 2007 study found that medical bills were the number one cause of bankruptcies in the U.S., causing 62.1% of filings. With health insurance deductibles at a historical high and the number of households in America that live paycheck to paycheck, this trend is likely to increase. Although it isn’t easy, relief can be found in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, also known as a “wage earner’s plan.”
In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, individuals with regular income develop a plan to repay all or part of their debts. The debtor proposes a repayment plan to make installments to creditors over three to five years depending on the debtor’s income. During those three to five years that the debtor is repaying, creditors are forbidden from starting or continuing collection efforts.
Here are the main benefits of a Chapter 13:
— It can be used by debtors whose income is too high to qualify for a Chapter 7.
— It allows debtors to save their homes from foreclosure. Once the debtor files, foreclosure proceedings stop and the debtor may cure delinquent mortgage payments over the term of the repayment plan.
— For secured debts (debts where the lender has collateral that “secures” the loan), a debtor can reschedule the payments on the debt over the life of the repayment plan, thus lowering payments.
— A Chapter 13 acts like a consolidation loan under which the “individual makes the plan payments to a chapter 13 trustee who then distributes payments to creditors.” The benefit is that the debtor has no direct contact with the creditors during the plan.
— The discharge from a Chapter 13 is broader than that from a Chapter 7. In other words, there are a number of types of debts that get discharged in a Chapter 13 that don’t otherwise get discharged in a Chapter 7, such as certain obligations owed to a former spouse for debts assigned to the debtor in a divorce proceeding.
— A Chapter 13 may carry less of a social stigma than a Chapter 7 bankruptcy.
Conclusion. For those looking for a way to pay back debt but slow down collection actions of creditors, a Chapter 13 can be a great option. Given the complexities of any specific situation, a discussion with a bankruptcy attorney is critical. | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/its-the-law-wage-earner-plan-can-be-an-option-with-medical-debt/article_6f77ee93-3df5-53dd-970a-2801169325c0.html | 2022-06-26T18:04:55 | 1 | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/its-the-law-wage-earner-plan-can-be-an-option-with-medical-debt/article_6f77ee93-3df5-53dd-970a-2801169325c0.html |
Two barrier breakers in Calumet City are squaring off for the Democratic nomination to represent the 29th District in the Illinois House of Representatives.
With no Republican running in the heavily Democratic district stretching from Chicago's South Side to the far south suburbs, the winner of Tuesday's primary is essentially assured of winning the November general election.
Incumbent Thaddeus Jones, 51, who is seeking his sixth term in the General Assembly, was the first Black alderman elected in Calumet City in 1997 and also was elected the city's first Black mayor in 2021.
Also seeking the 29th District nomination is Monet Wilson, 45, who is the first Black female member of the Calumet City City Council. She represents the 2nd Ward.
In separate statements, Jones highlighted his support for abortion rights and his efforts to return tax dollars to schools, social service agencies, infrastructure projects and economic development in the 29th District.
People are also reading…
"The overturning of Roe vs. Wade is not only a strike against just a woman's right to abortion, but it also has implications for contraception," Jones said. "In addition, it has implications for the the rights of gay people to get married under the Obergefell decision. ...
"We are now experiencing an assault on a freedom that most Americans thought was secure. That's why I have been on the frontline of such fights including the passage of the Reproductive Healthcare Act that solidifies a woman's right of 'self-determination' in making her own healthcare decisions."
Maintaining a woman's right to choose also is a priority for Wilson, as part of a broad healthcare platform.
"Within the district, I would like to see a more comprehensive health and mental health service," she said in an interview before Friday's Supreme Court decision striking down Roe v. Wade. "Families are suffering from PTSD from violence."
Wilson said she is running for state representative "to provide a voice for marginalized people and communities throughout the 29th District," noting her family's roots in Altgeld Gardens on Chicago's Far South Side.
"Altgeld Gardens doesn't even have a corner store," Wilson said. "You can hear the gunshots, you can see people running. ... That's throughout the 29th District. ... We have to want better for our communities."
Jones pointed to state dollars he helped to steer to the district, including more than $50 million to build an allied health training center at South Suburban College in South Holland.
He also noted his efforts to provide property tax relief for senior citizens and the "over 100" bills he sponsored that have been signed into law. Among the topics: telehealth during the pandemic, crime-free housing, mandating the teaching of black history in schools and universities, and the expansion of license-plate readers on the Bishop Ford Freeway and Interstate 57.
"We have witnessed so many signs of progress and accomplishments from Michigan Avenue in Roseland to Lincoln Highway in my beloved childhood town of Ford Heights," Jones said. "While I am pleased with our political progress and accomplishments, there is so much more to do."
Jones also is running for Thornton Township Democratic Committeman against four other candidates, including 15th District State Sen. Napoleon Harris and Terry Wells, the chairman of the South Suburban College Board of Trustees and village president of Phoenix. Troy O'Quin and Kenneth Williams also are on the ballot.
Wilson said if elected to the Illinois House, she will resign her city council seat. She formerly worked for the Illinois Department of Corrections as a records administrator but left that job to be a full-time alderwoman.
"I do not believe in holding two positions," she said. "It's hard to focus when you are going between the city and the state."
How Illinois politicians reacted to the potential fall of Roe v. Wade
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker
Hell no! In Illinois, we trust women. We cannot let their most profound and personal rights be violated. https://t.co/ksvR0vkgw1
— Governor JB Pritzker (@GovPritzker) May 3, 2022
Jesse Sullivan, GOP governor candidate
When we heard the incredible news tonight we dropped to our knees and said a prayer as a family in gratitude for all the lives that will be saved. And then we said the pledge of allegiance. The flag looks different after this ruling - it shines even brighter. 🙏🏻🇺🇸
— Jesse Sullivan (@JesseSullivanIL) May 3, 2022
State Sen. Darren Bailey, GOP governor candidate
1/3 Cindy and I continue to pray for life and our nation. I am proudly pro-life and endorsed by every major pro-life group in the state. I have stated from the beginning that I would help and promote policies and groups that help empower women with real options and save lives. pic.twitter.com/xMvilIQzqn
— Darren Bailey for Governor (@DarrenBaileyIL) May 3, 2022
Gary Rabine, GOP governor candidate
Although it is just a draft opinion, it appears that the
— Gary Rabine (@GaryRabine) May 3, 2022
United States Supreme Court is about to reverse Roe V. Wade. which has allowed for the murder of thousands of unborn children.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot
What we're seeing tonight on Roe v. Wade is a horrendous attack on our fundamental right to choose, and we will fight against it with everything we've got. You have my word: I will do everything I can to guarantee your right to an abortion.
— Lori Lightfoot (@LoriLightfoot) May 3, 2022
Anne Caprara, Pritzker's chief of staff
I never thought I’d actually live to see this awful f-ing day and I’m enraged - absolutely lividly enraged down to my tiniest blood cell - that I have. https://t.co/t0beu2Gh0E
— Anne Caprara (@anacaprana) May 3, 2022
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois
"Women in America may soon live in a country where they have fewer rights than their parents."
— Senate Judiciary Committee (@JudiciaryDems) May 4, 2022
WATCH Chair @SenatorDurbin speak on the Senate floor about what a post-Roe America could look like—and how the Republican party led us here. pic.twitter.com/66MkBn8QJZ
U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois
Let’s be clear: this is not final and the far-right Supreme Court majority will not have the last word.
— Tammy Duckworth (@TammyDuckworth) May 3, 2022
The American people will. Tonight, it’s important we get loud, organize and demand action from the Senate.
Retweet if you agree it’s time to protect Roe v. Wade NOW. https://t.co/TweuJXrRhI
Stephen Stewart, downstate director, Illinois House Republican Majority
We are the pro-life generation. https://t.co/y9jTkOzwSn
— Stephen Stewart (@stephenstewGOP) May 3, 2022
Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois Secretary of State candidate
Justice Alito has declared war on reproductive rights.
— Alexi Giannoulias (@Giannoulias) May 3, 2022
The draft opinion overturning Roe v Wade allows for the criminalization of abortion-even in the case of rape and incest. Massive setback for reproductive rights. Alito is “egregiously wrong” and Congress must act NOW. https://t.co/JDNEy0RrVK
Regan Deering, 13th Congressional District candidate
“It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”
— Regan Deering (@Regan4Congress) May 3, 2022
Thrilled to read this preview of what’s to come from SCOTUS.
I will always stand up for life! #IL13 https://t.co/KKM59zEWxs
Nikki Budzinski, 13th Congressional District candidate
Read my statement on the likely SCOTUS decision here. We'll fight every day to win this seat and protect reproductive health.https://t.co/LLN0FuyiqZ
— Nikki Budzinski (@Nikki4Congress) May 3, 2022
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville
As a Pro-Life lawmaker, I’ve long advocated for an end to the Roe decision. It was wrong from the beginning, and I hope the Court’s pending decision empowers states to enact pro-Life laws and protect the unborn. https://t.co/eE13wUSkQb
— US Rep Rodney Davis (@RodneyDavis) May 3, 2022
U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland
Our Justices need your prayers to stand up to the radical abortion industry and Defend Life!
— Mary Miller (@Miller_Congress) May 3, 2022
The unborn have no voice to speak for themselves, we march for them and tonight we must pray for them!
Jerry Evans, 11th Congressional District candidate
This is a historic moment in our fight to protect the unborn. I strongly oppose abortion and will always fight to protect the lives of unborn children in Illinois and across the nation.#IL11 #twill
— Jerry Evans (@JerryEvans2020) May 3, 2022
Christian Mitchell, Illinois deputy governor
Offensive and insane:
— Christian Mitchell (@cljmitchell) May 3, 2022
“Some such supporters have been motivated by a desire to suppress the size of the African American population,” Alito writes “It is beyond dispute that Roe has had that demographic effect. A highly disproportionate percentage of aborted fetuses are black.” https://t.co/WHocDMO7vJ
Litesa Wallace, 17th Congressional District candidate
"It's a draft opinion, but the extremist majority on the Supreme Court appears to be engaging in an attack on American women that undermines Constitutional freedoms....#SCOTUS #RoeVWade #IL17
— Litesa E. Wallace (@Litesa4Congress) May 3, 2022
U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, D-Naperville
The Senate can make the reported SCOTUS decision moot by passing the House-passed Women’s Health Protection Act immediately.
— Congressman Bill Foster (@RepBillFoster) May 3, 2022
State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray, D-Naperville
Gut wrenching and all too real. Women, girls, trans men, and non-binary people across our country will lose their lives as a consequence of this decision.
— Rep Stava-Murray (@RepStava_Murray) May 3, 2022
Going to bed early so we can rise early and continue the work. https://t.co/QCkVAf4e4Y
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Deerfield
If the draft opinion is accurate and the Supreme Court is about to overturn Roe—and with it, nearly 50 years of established precedent—millions of women across America will be denied their rights and America will be less free. We are staring down an emergency.🧵
— Rep. Brad Schneider (@RepSchneider) May 3, 2022
State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, D-Chicago
Even when you know it’s coming, a punch in the gut still hurts. I’ll have more to say soon, but tonight I’m going to allow myself to feel that punch. https://t.co/Fh6wN1x7bn
— Rep. Kelly Cassidy (@RepKellyCassidy) May 3, 2022
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Matteson
The leaked SCOTUS opinion on Roe v Wade will set women’s rights back generations. Black women & those living in rural areas will be worst impacted.
— Robin Kelly (@RepRobinKelly) May 3, 2022
We must codify the right to safe abortions.
U.S. Rep. Sean Casten, D-Downers Grove
Put pro-choice majorities in the House and Senate this November and we fix this, permanently.
— Sean Casten (@SeanCasten) May 3, 2022
Scream tonight. Cry tonight. Get angry tonight.
And tomorrow, get to work.
House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch
This is just wrong!!! But I’m glad we live in Illinois where we trust women! https://t.co/UkugB9nsjM
— Emanuel "Chris" Welch (@ChrisWelch_JD) May 3, 2022 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/incumbent-thaddeus-jones-challenger-monet-wilson-seek-democratic-nomination-in-illinois-houses-29th-district/article_8321b20e-154e-528e-91eb-368ca47263c9.html | 2022-06-26T18:05:36 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/incumbent-thaddeus-jones-challenger-monet-wilson-seek-democratic-nomination-in-illinois-houses-29th-district/article_8321b20e-154e-528e-91eb-368ca47263c9.html |
After cleaning up local parks, land for a nonprofit agency and Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery, volunteers with Oregon Bay Area Beautification went a little smaller last weekend when volunteers cleaned up the yard of a military veteran.
Penny Moloso, a council member for the organization, said they are always looking for new ways to give back to the community and to make it a little cleaner.
"The need here came from Krystal Hopper, and she kind of put the word out here to help John and his wife, Diane," Moloso said. "We've helped them weed and clean up the trees and plant some trees."
John Thomas joined the Air Force in 1962 while 17 years old. He served as a ground radio operator, spending 13 months in South Korea, watching the DMZ at the border and North and South Korea.
Her served four years before being honorably discharged in 1966.
Thomas and his wife have a home with a large yard on the outskirts of Coos Bay, but as they have gotten older, keeping up with the yard work has become a challenge.
So Moloso and other volunteers with Oregon Bay Area Beautification pitched in to help out. Rain delayed the clean-up one week so the turnout was smaller than usual, but those who did come went straight to work.
They cut back some trees in the yard, moving the branches to a pile at the back of the yard. Moloso, a disabled vet herself, was only able to help weed, but she diligently pulled weeds from the walkway near the front door.
Before they left, the volunteers even planted two rhodedendrum trees to add to the landscape.
"It is a different type of clean up than we normally do," Moloso said. "It is something we'll do again in the future. But we are already booked up until almost December."
Moloso was one of the first volunteers with Oregon Bay Area Beatification when Elizabeth Chu came up with the idea. She said she joined the effort to help improve her home.
"I've lived all over and wherever I lived, I've tried to join a volunteer organization to do my part," Moloso said. "It's a good way to meet like-minded people."
Moloso grew up in Oregon, but left the state when she joined the service she left and never planned to move back. But in 2014, she got married and she and her husband took their honeymoon by having a 10-day camping trip up and down the Oregon coast.
Moloso said when they drove over the bridge in North Bend, they fell in love and knew they were home. Three years ago, they found their dream home and made the move.
"Regardless of where you live, you can always clean up," Moloso said. "The more we as a community see what a small amount of people can do and what a difference it makes, it will help. I would love to see the neighborhoods clean up."
Oregon Bay Area Beautification will return to clean up John Topits Park during its Second Saturday Cleanup in July. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/volunteers-help-clean-up-yard-for-veteran/article_7f7fd2a0-f270-11ec-8029-83e78db5d3c8.html | 2022-06-26T18:10:05 | 0 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/volunteers-help-clean-up-yard-for-veteran/article_7f7fd2a0-f270-11ec-8029-83e78db5d3c8.html |
The large budget is mainly due to costs for the airport's terminal renovation and expansion project, with $45.6 million in bond proceeds for the project included in the coming year's budget.
Last year's budget had included $33.6 million in bond proceeds for the roughly $55 million project, which will add about 35,000 square feet to the existing 58,000-square-foot building, consolidate its two security checkpoints into one and add airline gates, but much of that spending was delayed and shifted into the new budget, officials said.
Including the $45.6 million for the terminal project, the airport plans to spend nearly $52.5 million overall on capital projects.
For the second year in a row, the airport will collect revenue from a property tax it levied last year to help pay for the terminal project. The projected revenue is about $3.4 million.
The airport also is projecting to bring in about $17 million in operating revenue in 2023, which is up significantly over the $15.6 million budgeted amount for 2022, although it's only slightly higher than the $16.8 million the airport projects it actually will bring in once the fiscal year has ended on June 30.
The 10th annual Lincoln's Best Places to Work award ceremony highlighted Lincoln businesses for their outstanding efforts to create positive environments for their employees.
Seward officials held a groundbreaking Monday afternoon for WCR Inc., which will open a 27,500-square-foot plant to employ approximately 20 people doing fabrication repair of heat exchangers.
The airport needs to reconstruct its nearly 13,000-foot main runway, but the Federal Aviation Administration will likely only be willing to pay for something shorter.
The concession area at the Lincoln Airport has been temporarily moved next to the gate as part of ongoing terminal renovations. The Airport Authority on Thursday approved a $78.3 million budget that includes $45.6 million for the ongoing terminal project. | https://journalstar.com/business/local/lincoln-airport-approves-budget-that-is-likely-largest-in-history/article_ed2ffd45-3282-5262-999e-913c6809437a.html | 2022-06-26T18:25:43 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/business/local/lincoln-airport-approves-budget-that-is-likely-largest-in-history/article_ed2ffd45-3282-5262-999e-913c6809437a.html |
LOGAN COUNTY, WV (WOWK) — A person was arrested on Thursday on a negligent homicide warrant from a Nov. 2021 two-vehicle crash that killed one man.
The crash happened shortly before 11 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2021.
Deputies responded to the crash in Micco on Route 44. The first responding deputy said he learned four people were “entrapped” in one vehicle and two were “entrapped” in the other.
The sheriff’s office says all six people involved were taken to a local hospital to be treated for their injuries.
Deputies say, 24-year-old Joshua Bradley Akers, was traveling south on Route 44 when his vehicle allegedly crossed the center line and struck a vehicle traveling north.
Later in the night, deputies said they were told a passenger in the northbound vehicle, identified as 27-year-old Shawn Chapman, had died of his injuries. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/person-arrested-for-nov-2021-fatal-crash-in-logan-county/ | 2022-06-26T18:31:48 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/person-arrested-for-nov-2021-fatal-crash-in-logan-county/ |
Update: According to BridgtRidge’s outage map, power was restored as of 2:10 p.m. Sunday.
GRAY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Over half of BrightRidge’s customers in the Sulphur Springs area were without electricity Sunday afternoon, according to the company’s outage map.
Around 1:50 p.m., the BrightRidge outage information system showed a 50.75% outage rate in the area. Out of those customers, 1,347 were without power.
According to site estimates, the outage is expected to be resolved around 3:45 p.m. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/brightridge-over-1000-without-power-around-gray/ | 2022-06-26T18:32:44 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/brightridge-over-1000-without-power-around-gray/ |
Colleges have been fighting the enrollment crisis of the day: Recruiting students in the COVID-19 era.
But other enrollment issues loom on the horizon in Idaho.
The issues have to do with demographics: Growth and birth rates. And they could hit Idaho’s four-year schools in different ways.
A recent State Board of Education report breaks down the demographics in detail. It’s wonky — OK, you’ve been given fair warning — but it’s also interesting.
It’s also vitally important. Student recruiting is key to filling campus lecture halls and dorm rooms. Enrollment is also an essential piece of the business plan, as Idaho’s colleges and universities try to fill their coffers.
Fewer babies = fewer college-bound students
The demographic shift began during the upheaval of the Great Recession.
In 2007, 25,023 babies were born in Idaho — a one-year record.
People are also reading…
But the birth rate began to decline during the recession, as couples put off (or ruled out) parenthood. And the rate has never recovered.
In 2020, 21,540 babies were born in Idaho.
That translates to a 14% decline over 13 years.
Fewer babies mean fewer potential college students.
But one factor could work in Idaho’s favor: the state’s rapid and often uncomfortable growth spurt.
Idaho’s high school graduating class should peak in 2025 — 18 years after the record baby boom of 2007. Idaho’s graduating classes will decline after 2025, according to Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education projections, but it won’t be as severe as the national dropoff. That’s because of in-migration, as newcomers move to Idaho.
Idaho is growing — but not all of Idaho
In-migration is good news for college recruiters. But it’s better news for Boise State University.
Boise State recruits many of its in-state students from Southwest Idaho — a growth hotbed. According to state Department of Labor forecasts, the population of 15- to 19-year-olds in Southwest Idaho should increase by 7% between 2019 and 2029. “This suggests that there will be an increasing number of high school graduates in a region well served by BSU,” State Board Chief Research Officer Cathleen McHugh wrote.
For Idaho’s other four-year schools, the forecast is mixed.
The University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College both draw well from Southwest Idaho and the Panhandle, another growth hotspot. But in North-Central Idaho — important recruiting turf for the U of I and Lewis-Clark — the Department of Labor says the population of 15- to 19-year-olds is likely to decrease.
The shrinking local market is a serious concern, said U of I vice provost for strategic enrollment management Dean Kahler, and it underscores the need for Idaho to improve its dwindling college go-on rate statewide. “It’s a big deal. We do get a lot of our students from 100 miles or less.”
In a statement Wednesday, President Cynthia Pemberton said Lewis-Clark is “carefully reviewing” the State Board report, but she said she believes the college is “well-positioned” to serve North-Central Idaho, and beyond.
On the other end of the state, Idaho State University also recruits heavily in its backyard. The Department of Labor says Southeast Idaho’s population of 15- to 19-year-olds is likely to remain stagnant over the next several years.
Idaho State associate vice president for enrollment Staci Phelan is concerned as well, especially because a national decline in the birth rate will force Idaho’s colleges to work even harder to maintain their local market share. “We really anticipate that the competition for our Idaho students will be fiercer than ever.”
Idaho’s out-of-state pipeline
But it was out-of-state enrollment that helped Idaho’s colleges ride out the pandemic. Pitching the promise of in-person learning — and at prices that are competitive with in-state tuition at home — Idaho schools drew a growing share of their enrollment from neighboring states.
In fall 2021, a majority of Boise State’s first-year students came from outside Idaho, for the first time in school history.
But is it sustainable? The State Board report calls that into question.
The bulk of Boise State’s out-of-state recruits have come from the West Coast — from California, Oregon and Washington. The Boise State-bound recruits are disproportionately white, compared to the states’ overall populations. “There is a projected decrease in the number of white public high school graduates from these states,” McHugh wrote. “This could lead to challenges for BSU in the future if their enrollment patterns remain the same.”
Boise State declined comment on the report this week; university officials said they wanted more time to review it.
The U of I faces similar out-of-state recruiting questions. The U of I employs five full-time recruiters outside Idaho, and as the State Board report notes, the university draws many of its out-of-state students from the West Coast. Kahler expects increased competition for students, especially in large population centers, but he believes the U of I’s small college town setting is a draw.
“We got the right messages for those audiences,” he said, “but we’ve just got to continue to bring our story to the top of the page.”
An existential and ongoing challenge
Enrollment is the most existential challenge facing colleges and universities, in Idaho and beyond. And even before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down campuses and prompted many students to drop out or stay home, Idaho’s colleges and universities were struggling to attract in-state students.
Idaho’s colleges and universities lost some 5,000 students during the 18 months after the pandemic, although they have since erased much of this 8.7% decrease.
Now, there is plenty of cautious optimism. Applications and admissions were up this spring, suggesting a possible enrollment surge this fall. And when the State Board released its demographics report last week, it came with a hopeful guest opinion from board President Kurt Liebich. “Due to inward migration, Idaho is in an enviable position compared to other states,” he wrote.
But forecasting enrollment is a dicey proposition — over the long haul, but even in the short run.
Nine weeks out, Kahler remains hopeful. But now it’s a matter of turning applications and admissions into enrollment. “We’re seeing a lot of late activity. … It’s an adventure.”
Idaho State saw an enrollment increase last fall, after a decade of dropoffs. Phelan says the numbers could be flat this fall, or down slightly, but she won’t have a good idea of what to expect for another month or so.
But Phelan knows Idaho State is fighting a host of other variables that can dissuade a Southeast Idaho high school graduate from choosing college: an abundance of local jobs, a shortage of on-campus and off-campus housing and high gas prices that could deter commuter students.
“We do our best to mitigate what we can control,” she said. “We know there’s a lot we can’t.”
That’s the short term. In the years to come, Idaho universities will have to work through some daunting demographics — something also out of their control. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/analysis-a-long-term-enrollment-challenge-looms-for-idaho-higher-ed/article_0f5d4baa-f3de-11ec-ba6e-d31975f1300c.html | 2022-06-26T18:35:45 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/analysis-a-long-term-enrollment-challenge-looms-for-idaho-higher-ed/article_0f5d4baa-f3de-11ec-ba6e-d31975f1300c.html |
ATLANTA — The Georgia Institute of Technology presented degrees to more than 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students during the Institute’s 262nd Commencement exercises recently at Bobby Dodd Stadium.
Among the graduates were:
♦ Asher Anderson of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering with High Honors
♦ Kiley Burton of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering with High Honors
♦ Evan Campbell of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Psychology with Highest Honors
♦ Justin Creamer of Leesburg: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Highest Honors
♦ Robert Feagans of Leesburg: Master of Architecture
♦ Ozashwee Ghimire of Leesburg: Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering with Highest Honors
♦ Andrew Masters of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with Highest Honors
♦ Maggie Nguyen of Albany: Bachelor of Science in Literature, Media, and Communication with Highest Honors
♦ Akshay Patel of Camilla: Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering with Honors
♦ Haley Steele of Leesburg: Doctor of Philosophy in Biology
The Georgia Institute of Technology, or Georgia Tech, is a top 10 public research university developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute offers business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts and sciences degrees. Its nearly 44,000 students, representing 50 states and 149 countries, study at the main campus in Atlanta, at campuses in France and China, and through distance and online learning.
Maryland Global Campus holds graduation ceremony
ADELPHI, Md. — University of Maryland Global Campus held its first in-person graduation ceremonies since 2019 during “Spring Grad Walk 2022,” an innovative experience designed to accommodate thousands of graduates and guests while protecting the health and safety of the university community. More than 3,300 graduates from the classes of 2020, 2021, and 2022 and their families and guests attended “Grad Walk” over the course of six days (May 17-22).
The following local UMGC students graduated:
♦ Quentin Lamar Bryant of Leesburg, Associate of Arts
♦ Zayona Wooden of Sylvester, Associate of Arts
♦ Soterrica Stephens of Albany, Bachelor of Science in Psychology
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, University of Maryland Global Campus was established in 1947 to serve adults in the work force. Today, UMGC enrolls some 90,000 students annually, offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, as well as certificates in more than 125 fully online, hybrid and face-to-face programs and specializations.
Troy University announces Chancellor’s List for spring semester
TROY, Ala. — Troy University announce recently the names of students who have been named to the Chancellor’s List for the spring semester. Full-time undergraduate students who are registered for at least 12 semester hours and who earn a grade-point average of 4.0 qualify for the Chancellor’s List. The spring semester includes students at the Troy, Ala., campus. Term 4 includes students at TROY’s campuses in Dothan, Phenix City and Montgomery, Ala., along with locations outside of Alabama and online.
Local students on the list include:
♦ Sherry Logan of Albany, GA
Georgetown College announces spring Dean’s List
GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Georgetown College announced recently that the following student from Albany had made the Dean’s List for spring 2022: Ana Forero.
To qualify, a student must have completed the semester with at least 12 credit hours and a minimum 3.7 GPA. A total of 310 students made the Dean’s List.
Georgetown College is a private, Christian liberal arts college in Georgetown, Kentucky. Chartered in 1829, Georgetown was the first Baptist college west of the Appalachian Mountains. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/southwest-georgia-students-graduate-from-georgia-tech/article_aed960fa-f565-11ec-9b0e-9ff09276743e.html | 2022-06-26T18:36:03 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/southwest-georgia-students-graduate-from-georgia-tech/article_aed960fa-f565-11ec-9b0e-9ff09276743e.html |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The Orlando Police Department on Twitter Sunday shared a flyer provided by Crimeline of a potential reward for information about an alleged incident where a man was seen dragging a woman in the Engelwood Park neighborhood last week.
Officers responded Monday to the 800 bock of Roberto Clemente Blvd. in reference to the incident, police said.
[TRENDING: Kidnapping suspect killed in shootout with Florida law enforcement identified by Brevard deputies | Reports: Deputies ID ‘many of the kids’ who broke into $8M Florida mansion to party, fight, steal | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
The flyer, embedded below, included a sketch of the yet unidentified victim.
PLEASE HELP ID: Our detectives need your help to identify the woman seen in the sketch. On June 20th, we responded to the 800 block of Roberto Clemente Blvd. after a man was seen dragging her.
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) June 26, 2022
If you know who she is 📞 @CrimelineFL at 1-800-423-TIPS(8477) or **TIPS(8477). pic.twitter.com/2m3sttBpZV
Anyone with knowledge of the incident or the woman’s identity was urged to contact Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477) or **TIPS(8477). A potential reward of up to $5,000 was offered for such information.
The woman was described as being possibly in her 30s and is believed to be Hispanic, police said.
No other details were shared. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/reward-offered-for-information-after-man-seen-dragging-woman-in-orlando-police-say/ | 2022-06-26T18:46:21 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/26/reward-offered-for-information-after-man-seen-dragging-woman-in-orlando-police-say/ |
ATLANTIC CITY — Tourists and residents might have been curious about why clusters of classily dressed people, all in white, were wandering throughout the city Saturday afternoon.
That's because Atlantic City (and the state of New Jersey) hosted its first Dîner en Blanc, a popular Parisian-themed party at which thousands of people gather at a location unknown to them until the day of the event for a giant, public picnic.
Le Dîner en Blanc, organized by Le Dîner en Blanc en Philadelphia hosts Natanya Dibona and Kayli Moran, had more than 2,600 people dressed in variations of white on the Boardwalk between States and Rhode Island avenues.
Bart Blatstein, owner of Tower Investments Inc., was responsible for pursuing Le Dîner en Blanc organizers Dibona and Moran to push for Atlantic City, which led to the international organization's approval. Blatstein, who is also the elected president of The Friends of Rittenhouse Square, said that after last year's beautiful, well-run Le Dîner en Blanc event at Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia, he reached out to organizers about bringing the event to Atlantic City.
People are also reading…
"Atlantic City is in open arms for new ideas, and that's the beauty of the city. It's malleable. It was a magnificent and beautiful event that showed Atlantic City in a different light," said Blatstein, who likes facilitating diversity and change in the city while also showcasing that the city is open to new ideas and nongaming, noncasino events. "A good chunk of people who attended have never even been on the Boardwalk down in the Inlet."
Blatstein said Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr. was on board with Le Dîner en Blanc and ensured all city departments were engaged, like having police oversee the event and public works maintaining a clean Boardwalk, so the event had no hurdles. Among those in attendance were Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans, 3rd Ward Councilman Kaleem Shabazz and others.
Guests started making their way with an escort from Le Dîner en Blanc's organization from different meeting spots throughout the city about 6 p.m. Saturday, with wagons filled with chairs, tables, food and wine in tow. By 6:30 p.m., guests were starting to set their tables up, side by side, for what might have been the longest picnic the Boardwalk's ever seen.
Some people waited in line to get their pre-ordered dinners from Le Dîner en Blanc's organization, including antipasto, New Jersey seafood and barbecued oyster mushrooms, as the organization likes to highlight the amenities and attractions the city has to offer.
Women dressed in fancy white satins cocktail dresses, beach-styled crotchets, fluffy tulle skirts, fishnet veils and Kentucky Derby-style hats, while men wore white slacks, short-sleeved button downs, dapper top hats with suits, and other all-white attire.
At times, the event had hundreds of people waving around their white cloth napkins in the air, as fans do at football games with the "terrible towels," and cheered as they enjoyed each other's camaraderie.
The event included the West Philadelphia Foot Tappers, 11 performers from the Super American Circus, the Ernest Stuart Band, DJ Mar and other roaming performances for guests' entertainment.
"I love Le Dîner en Blanc," said Felicia Middleton, of Cherry Hill, who came to Atlantic City with friends Tamara, Pam and Zibborah for Le Dîner en Blanc. "This is my first Dîner en Blanc since the pandemic."
Middleton, who considers herself the "Foodie Builder" and designs restaurant and food facilities, said she's been to other Dîner en Blanc's, like the ones in Philadelphia, although it was some of her friends' first time at one of the events.
Middleton said she has never experience a Dîner en Blanc like the one on the Boardwalk but said she enjoyed viewing people's antics, the crazy outfits people wear and the outside entertainment.
"This one has more interaction from all kinds of people, and there are seagulls," said Middleton with a laugh as she set up her three-tiered charcuterie board with cheeses, meats and crackers.
Sherri Terrell, of Atlantic City, had a table of at least 10 of her closest friends and family as she celebrated her 67th birthday at Le Dîner en Blanc. Her table overflowed with tall vases filled with beautiful white flower variations, several buckets and bottles of champagne, and an at least a 3-foot ice sculpture with the number 67 carved out of it.
"This brings a different spirit and vibe to the city," said Terrell, who enjoyed the unique event as a diverse way to bring in her birthday. "It's beautiful to see folks allowing themselves to express who they are in this kind of way."
Some people at the event noted the Boardwalk hadn't looked this good since people used to dress up and go strolling many years ago, while others noted they had fun with the diverse crowd of more than 2,500 people from all over the country.
"The feedback for the event was fabulous, and I can't wait for next year, hopefully. I'm very hopeful," said Blatstein. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/first-diner-en-blanc-brings-thousands-to-atlantic-city-boardwalk/article_f4824fae-f4e8-11ec-8919-1b2c35f7de88.html | 2022-06-26T18:50:50 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/first-diner-en-blanc-brings-thousands-to-atlantic-city-boardwalk/article_f4824fae-f4e8-11ec-8919-1b2c35f7de88.html |
Detroit woman charged with murder after body of 3-year-old found in freezer
Detroit — A Detroit woman has been charged with murder and other charges after the body of her 3-year-old son was found in a basement freezer.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced Sunday that Azuradee France, 31, has been charged with felony murder, first-degree child abuse, torture and concealing the death of an individual.
“The alleged facts in this case have astounded even the seriously jaded," Worthy said in a statement Sunday. "Our children continue to be at risk — not just from gun violence but also from the alleged murderer that lives in the house with them.”
France is expected to be arraigned before Magistrate Laura Echartea in 36th District Court Sunday, the prosecutor's office said.
At 12:45 a.m. Friday, Detroit police officers were dispatched to a home in the 12760 block of Monte Vista for a wellness check on a child and discovered the remains of a deceased child in the freezer,
The medical examiner has determined that the boy's death was a homicide. Aspects of the case remain under investigation, and the facts and evidence will be placed on the record at the preliminary examination, the prosecutor's office said.
Police officials said Friday that when a team of Detroit cops and a state child advocate arrived at the house, the woman who answered the door acted strangely.
So they called for a supervisor and the team entered the home and found five children living in squalor — and the decomposed body of the boy entombed in a basement freezer.
"This case has shocked me, and shocked our investigators," Detroit Police Chief James White said during a Friday press conference down the street from the crime scene.
Toni Haynes, the boy's grandmother, said Friday her dead grandson's name was Chase Allen, and that he was blind.
Haynes said she became suspicious when her daughter, Chase's mother, told her the boy had burned his hand by touching a plateful of noodles so she called Child Protective Services.
"I called CPS on her. A lot of us called, and they'd come out and give her kids right back to her."
Haynes said after the state visited her daughter's home several times, her daughter told her Chase had gone to live with his paternal grandfather's girlfriend in Coldwater.
"But then (the grandfather) got out of jail and he told me Chase wasn't living with his girlfriend," Haynes said.
She said family members went to the house on Monte Vista about two weeks ago to confront her daughter, followed by another call to state Child Protective Services.
Haynes said she had no idea how long Chase had been entombed in the freezer.
Haynes has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money for Chase's funeral, and for clothing and other necessities for the surviving children.
Friday's grisly discovery harkened to a 2015 case involving Mitchelle Blair, who enlisted the aid of two of her children to help kill their two siblings and cram their bodies into a freezer.
Known as the "Freezer Mom," Blair pleaded guilty to first-degree murder charges and is serving a life prison sentence.
Staff writer George Hunter contributed. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/06/26/detroit-woman-charged-murder-after-3-year-old-son-founded-dead-freezer/7740301001/ | 2022-06-26T18:51:09 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/06/26/detroit-woman-charged-murder-after-3-year-old-son-founded-dead-freezer/7740301001/ |
WHITEHALL, Mich. — Becoming an Eagle Scout is a great honor, the top rank with Boy Scouts of America.
For Ben Hayes, becoming an Eagle Scout at just 13 years old last year just wasn't a big enough accomplishment. Last week, he completed his goal to earn every single merit badge the Scouts have to offer.
That's 139 badges; a feat only half of 1% of Scouts accomplish.
"I feel amazed how much I accomplished over the past few years," said Hayes.
His favorite badge is the Railroad badge — earning it sparked a love for locomotives, and because of it, he plans to be an engineer one day.
His mother, Rebecca Shannon, said Boy Scouts changed Ben's life.
"He was just kind of shut down to begin," said Shannon, "No one thought he’d do anything. He’s on the spectrum. Successful level wasn’t there. But merit badges are independence. You do it on your own speed."
Ben also completed a project to put AEDs in outdoor areas, so families could take children to play places they couldn't before, he said.
"I used to get bullied a lot," said Hayes, "But when I got to Scouts, everybody was so kind to me."
One of the most challenging badges to earn forced him to face his fear: swimming. He conquered that and learned to swim, earning him the badge.
Not only does he have all the badges, but a book full of patches as well.
He said he had "all the people who encouraged me to keep going. My scout leader, my friends, even my mom."
The final badge he earned last week was for golf.
"A lot of people say the ones who try to get them all are just trying to get them," said Shannon, "But he’s learned a lot."
Ben is not done with Scouts now he has earned all the badges. Now, he plans to help his troopmates make the same accomplishment.
"It's a Scout way to help things," said Hayes, "A Scout is helpful, curious, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, clean and brave."
RELATED VIDEO: Teenage prodigy from Grand Rapids wants to save the coffee industry for future generations
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/14-year-old-eagle-scout-from-whitehall-earns-all-139-merit-badges/69-e21ce09d-5b5c-4c43-bf15-fe2e67d56191 | 2022-06-26T19:01:19 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/14-year-old-eagle-scout-from-whitehall-earns-all-139-merit-badges/69-e21ce09d-5b5c-4c43-bf15-fe2e67d56191 |
WASHINGTON — Two men were arrested near the U.S. Supreme Court building Saturday afternoon during protests in the wake of the decision overturning Roe V. Wade, according to the United States Capitol Police (USCP).
Police said the two men were arrested for allegedly throwing paint over the fence by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Police identified the two men as Leah Johnson and Nicholas Salvador Saint Amour.
Protesters assembled on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Friday morning to protest a historic ruling from the high court that ended the constitutional right to abortion.
An emotional crowd of hundreds chanted and carried signs in front of the Supreme Court as protesters grappled with the news that Roe V. Wade decision was struck down by the Supreme Court justices after nearly five decades.
Capitol Police also released an update on heat issues impacting protestors at the Supreme Court, with temperatures reaching the upper 80s.
"The USCP and our local partners worked together to bring in cooling buses & additional people to help demonstrators with heat issues," said Capitol Police in a social media post. "Roughly 12 people have been helped so far."
As thousands heard the news of the decision made by the court to overturn Roe v. Wade, USCP tweeted an announcement on Friday that demonstrators were congregating in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Protesters are allowed to peacefully demonstrate, however they must follow the officer's instructions so that everyone stays safe," wrote the police. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/protests/two-arrested-near-supreme-court-for-destruction-of-property-dc/65-828ab39e-2b1e-4fbb-be5e-804578013730 | 2022-06-26T19:01:25 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/protests/two-arrested-near-supreme-court-for-destruction-of-property-dc/65-828ab39e-2b1e-4fbb-be5e-804578013730 |
WASHINGTON — Two men were arrested near the U.S. Supreme Court building Saturday afternoon during protests in the wake of the decision overturning Roe V. Wade, according to the United States Capitol Police (USCP).
Police said the two men were arrested for allegedly throwing paint over the fence by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Police identified the two men as Leah Johnson and Nicholas Salvador Saint Amour.
Protesters assembled on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court Friday morning to protest a historic ruling from the high court that ended the constitutional right to abortion.
An emotional crowd of hundreds chanted and carried signs in front of the Supreme Court as protesters grappled with the news that Roe V. Wade decision was struck down by the Supreme Court justices after nearly five decades.
Capitol Police also released an update on heat issues impacting protestors at the Supreme Court, with temperatures reaching the upper 80s.
"The USCP and our local partners worked together to bring in cooling buses & additional people to help demonstrators with heat issues," said Capitol Police in a social media post. "Roughly 12 people have been helped so far."
As thousands heard the news of the decision made by the court to overturn Roe v. Wade, USCP tweeted an announcement on Friday that demonstrators were congregating in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Protesters are allowed to peacefully demonstrate, however they must follow the officer's instructions so that everyone stays safe," wrote the police. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/protests/two-arrested-near-supreme-court-for-destruction-of-property-dc/65-828ab39e-2b1e-4fbb-be5e-804578013730 | 2022-06-26T19:04:35 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/protests/two-arrested-near-supreme-court-for-destruction-of-property-dc/65-828ab39e-2b1e-4fbb-be5e-804578013730 |
NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY, Pa. — It's not every day you get to take a walk or bike ride on a highway without a car in sight, but that's exactly what thousands of people in Northumberland County did; getting a unique look at part of the new central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project.
"Those of us that live in this community and surrounding communities have seen the bridge go up over the years that it has taken to put it up and to be able to enjoy it like this on the ground is really great," said Scott Williams, Williamsport.
The new highway, that's been in the works for decades will connect Route 147 in Northumberland County to Route 15 in Union County.
PennDOT invited the community to walk the northern section of the highway, which will be open to drivers in July.
The view from Skycam16 shows the seven-mile stretch PennDOT is showing off, which includes the central Susquehanna Valley River Bridge, PennDOT's 8th longest bridge spanning more than 4,500 feet over the Susquehanna River.
The once-in-a-lifetime chance to walk across drew a massive crowd.
"Normally you'd be in a car but you're not it's a highway and you're walking on it, it's hard to put into words," said Bronwyn Williams, Williamsport.
"Before any cars can get on here we can say oh my gosh we were already on there," said Avery and Donna Hullihen, Sunbury.
"The bridge is pretty cool because normally it would be pretty illegal to be walking on it and there aren't any cars so you won't get killed and break your bones," said Alison Williams, Williamsport.
PennDOT officials say the road to getting to this point was decades in the making.
The Route 15 corridor study started in the late 1950's hitting many bumps along the way.
"It was re-initiated in the early 90s to start environmental studies and engineering and we ended up getting through the environmental process and engineering but ultimately had to put the project on hold in the mid-2000s due to lack of funding. However, when Act 89 was passed in 2013 at the state level it provided adequate funding to complete the project so it was reactivated and we are here today so it's been 50-plus years in the making," said Eric High, District Executive, PennDOT District 3.
PennDOT officials call the highway a missing link, needed as a way to connect the area to different parts of the state.
People who live nearby say it's great to see the project come full circle, "It's really going to increase connections and make it a lot easier to get around, move people and freight through the center part of the state," said Scott.
PennDOT officials say the northern section will open to traffic sometime in July. The southern half of the project still has a ways to go, expected to wrap up in 2027. The entire project will cost around $900 million when it's all said and done.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/thousands-walk-at-highway-debut-in-northumberland-county-scott-williams-bronwyn-williams/523-0c3b8ffa-03b9-4f0d-871b-c4b8618159de | 2022-06-26T19:04:41 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/thousands-walk-at-highway-debut-in-northumberland-county-scott-williams-bronwyn-williams/523-0c3b8ffa-03b9-4f0d-871b-c4b8618159de |
Michael Hicks: Inflation affects each family differently
In the past few months, I’ve had several folks ask if recent inflation is the worst it has ever been. To those sweet summer children, I say what should be obvious: inflation has been much worse. That is why economists at the Federal Reserve are burning the midnight oil trying to figure out how much monetary tightening will be needed to prevent it from worsening. A far better question is how does inflation affect the economy, and also, who benefits and who bears the cost?
It’s important to note that inflation has toppled governments, throwing power to ruthless despots from Hitler to Mugabe. And yet, those were events unlike ours in every conceivable way. I have a 1 million Reichmark bank note and a 1 million Zimbabwean dollar note to prove it. Neither of these were worth their face value in toilet paper when printed.
The inflation we suffer is of the more ordinary kind. Year over year, the price level has risen at just over 8 percent for the last quarter. As I mentioned before, most of that increase is a result of the many steps that the Trump and Biden administrations, Congress, and Federal Reserve took to sustain the economy through the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of it is due to real economic shocks, like oil price increases because of Russian attacks on Ukraine.
More from Michael Hicks:Yes, state stimulus checks boost inflation
The Federal Reserve is charged with sustaining price level stability in the U.S. This inflationary period showed them to be less effective than they wished, but I am not sure anyone else would’ve done better. The Russian attack is outside their control, and the official economic data in 2021 was unreliable due to massive job swings after the pandemic. To put it in context, we have a lot more data on earthquakes and hurricanes than we do on inflation, and those phenomena are two things we humans are bad at forecasting. It seems unlikely we can predict inflation spikes any better with today’s understanding of the problem.
We measure inflation by looking directly at prices. The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects data on prices in many different ways. There are price indices on producer prices for hundreds of different products. These tell us the potential for increases in consumer prices in the coming months. For consumer price changes, the BLS constructs a hypothetical "basket of goods" the typical family might buy in a month. There are 400 or so items in that basket. They then collect price data, and make an honest effort to control for changes in the quality of goods.
Most folks tend to focus on gasoline prices because they are so visible, and most consumers have an ‘inelastic’ demand for gasoline. That means they don’t change their buying patterns very much if the price increases. Economists worry about gas prices because transportation costs are part of the cost of making everything.
Inflation affects families differently based on how they save, what they buy, and how they earn their income. The actual effects are pretty surprising and counterintuitive.
Over the long run, inflation penalizes those who save and benefits those who borrow. In particular, anyone borrowing or lending on a long-term fixed-price loan is affected. For example, if you took out a 3.25% 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage last year, your interest rate is currently -5.25% . If you granted that loan, you are losing money. Again, inflation hurts those who save and helps those who borrow. This mostly benefits less-wealthy households. The effect of inflation on borrowers and lenders is so strong that it was the primary cause of the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s.
Consumers whose monthly consumption looks exactly like the BLS "basket of goods" will experience average inflation. Families who buy products with higher price increases fare worse, and those who buy items that increase in price more slowly do better. In general, this is part of the process of curing inflation, by reducing the demand for items with a more rapid price increase. There is just no way around that, and there is no silver bullet for reducing inflation.
Commodity prices tend to move up and down with more volatility, which means food and fuel prices are more susceptible to inflation. Inflation has a more modest effect on products that can be bought easily at a later date. The ability to defer purchases is a hedge against inflation, but is a double-edged sword. If prices don’t drop, delaying a purchase isn’t much help. Many prices won’t drop, and the BLS "sticky price" index suggests that about half of the inflation increases are more or less permanent.
Inflation also affects families differently due to the ways they earn their incomes. Retirees who live off income from savings are obviously struggling from the secondary effect of a stock market decline. This is offset partially by much more generous Cost-Of-Living Adjustment (COLA) increases from Social Security. These are based on a basket of goods that are more sensitive to inflation than the average retiree experiences. Likewise, federal employees and military service members typically have COLA adjustments that are roughly in line with inflation.
State and local government employees almost never see inflation adjustments at this level. Thus state, municipal, and school employees have experienced real pay cuts of 4 to 6 percent this year, and higher next year. This will be particularly acute in states with biennium budgets. For example, Indiana’s teachers will end next year with an inflation-adjusted salary that is perhaps 10% below that of last summer. It may be worse.
Private sector workers in industries with price flexibility will typically fare better than inflation. Firms will have some ability to raise wages in these sectors; whether they do so depends upon how valuable individual employees are to the business. Last month, workers in mining, non-durable goods manufacturing, construction, wholesale trade, logistics, utilities, private sector education and health services and hospitality all saw wage increases. The others all saw wage cuts.
Inflation affects families and businesses differently. For some, especially borrowers, it is a short-term panacea, but for most others, it means lower living standards and incomes. Short-term inflation rarely has left lasting damage on an economy, and there are plenty of reasons to think inflation will lessen in the coming months. Long-term inflation slows growth as businesses invest less in the domestic economy. Over time that risks stagflation, which is the combination of inflation and stagnant growth. That would be bad news for everyone.
Michael J. Hicks is the director of the Center for Business and Economic Research and the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Economics in the Miller College of Business at Ball State University. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/michael-hicks-inflation-affects-each-family-differently/7700409001/ | 2022-06-26T19:05:33 | 1 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2022/06/26/michael-hicks-inflation-affects-each-family-differently/7700409001/ |
The Arizona Department of Transportation is seeking public input on a long-range plan to build out a statewide network of EV charging stations with the help of millions of dollars in federal funding.
Over the next five years, Arizona is set to receive $76.5 million through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, ADOT said.
The program is being funded as part of $5 billion made available for EV charging through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.
The goal is to deploy a network of EV fast chargers along a network of designated “alternative fuel corridors” — initially, mainly interstate highways — to reduce range anxiety and encourage EV adoption.
Current designated alt-fuel corridors in Arizona are I-10, I-17, I-8 and I-40, along with a short stretch of I1-5 in the northwest corner of the state. Interstate-19 from I-10 to Nogales is a proposed corridor, and additional corridors can be added in the future, ADOT said.
People are also reading…
ADOT is seeking input from the public and a wide variety of agency and industry stakeholders, with public outreach including surveys and online and in-person public meetings.
Additional information on those efforts will be provided as available on the study web page, azdot.gov/EVplan, which includes a link to sign up for the EV plan mailing list to receive updates. Or for more information, email: azevplan@azdot.gov.
Contact senior reporter David Wichner at dwichner@tucson.com or 520-573-4181. On Twitter: @dwichner. On Facebook: Facebook.com/DailyStarBiz | https://tucson.com/business/local/adot-seeks-input-on-arizona-electric-vehicle-charging-plan/article_b84d62e8-f3ef-11ec-9495-ff60d2d37bab.html | 2022-06-26T19:41:18 | 0 | https://tucson.com/business/local/adot-seeks-input-on-arizona-electric-vehicle-charging-plan/article_b84d62e8-f3ef-11ec-9495-ff60d2d37bab.html |
WINFIELD — A former garden and nursery center is on track to blossom into a beauty spa.
The Winfield Plan Commission on Thursday granted Hannah Hartmann initial approval for a zoning change request from agriculture to commercial for a former garden and nursery center.
Hartmann, who owns Mode Beauty Bar at 10921 Miami St., said she has purchased the former Deer Creek Nursery, 7391 E. 109th Ave.
She said she bought it with plans to expand her present business, which provides full-service beauty treatments including eyelash extensions, skincare and massages.
"We're super excited with the expansion," Hartmann said.
Hartmann said she bought Deer Creek Nursery last year because she ran out of room at her existing space on Miami Street.
The expansion, if approved by town officials, will mean her business will go from 1,600 square feet to 7,000 square feet.
She said the existing spa will be reduced in size and will remain open, but will be used primarily for the bridal side of the business including makeup, hair and other services geared to the bride-to-be and bridal parties.
Hartmann also owns another Mode Beauty Bar in Schererville and is in the process of opening a Muse Med Spa in Winfield next week.
The zoning change request comes back to the Plan Commission for final approval on July 14, then goes before the Town Council, Town Administrator Nick Bellar said.
"Once we get the green light we will go ahead," Hartmann said.
Gallery: The Times Photos of the Week
Andrean baseball, state
061922-spt-bbh-and_18
061922-spt-bbh-and_5
Illiana Christian, State
061822-spt-bbh-ic_2
Historical marker celebrates history of IUN campus
Operation Safe Zone
Fulcrum bus tour of their proposed plant location
Fulcrum bus tour of their proposed plant location
LPBoat2.JPG
Indiana Dunes beach
Indiana Dunes beach
Region residents release butterflies to spread gun violence awareness
Region residents release butterflies to spread gun violence awareness
Region residents release butterflies to spread gun violence awareness
Plans for the newly approved subdivision are to build 134 traditional homes between 2,000-3,000 square feet and 55 maintenance-free, age-targeted cottages between 1,600-2,000 square feet.
The revised town code, under the heading of hobby farms, allows female chickens only to be raised on nonconforming agriculture lots of one to four acres and residential lots of one acre or greater. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/former-garden-center-could-blossom-into-beauty-spa/article_bd74e3af-f80c-52f5-a49e-f4240ae155bd.html | 2022-06-26T20:07:31 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/former-garden-center-could-blossom-into-beauty-spa/article_bd74e3af-f80c-52f5-a49e-f4240ae155bd.html |
ATLANTA – Lawton C. Heard Jr. of Lawton C. Heard Jr. Attorney and Counselor at Law in Camilla was re-elected to serve on the Board of Governors of the 52,000-member State Bar of Georgia and was installed June 4.
Heard will continue to serve in the South Georgia Judicial Circuit, Post 1 seat on the board, representing Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Grady and Mitchell counties. He earned his law degree from the Florida Coastal School of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 2006. His law practice is focused in the areas of agriculture law, bankruptcy, personal injury, probate and estate administration, and real estate law.
The Board of Governors is the 160-member policymaking authority of the State Bar, with representation from each of Georgia’s judicial circuits. The board holds regular meetings at least four times per year.
Bounce analyzed what employment in the airline industry could look like in the coming years, while touching on the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Click for more.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person. Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/lawton-heard-re-elected-to-serve-on-state-bar-board-of-governors/article_ea78a5f8-f588-11ec-b85f-5f2750a03127.html | 2022-06-26T20:07:49 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/lawton-heard-re-elected-to-serve-on-state-bar-board-of-governors/article_ea78a5f8-f588-11ec-b85f-5f2750a03127.html |
Country
United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary
People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/woman-of-the-year/article_f4cdfa9a-f587-11ec-941c-9364b625473d.html | 2022-06-26T20:07:55 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/woman-of-the-year/article_f4cdfa9a-f587-11ec-941c-9364b625473d.html |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.