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Meteorologists have known about the urban heat island for decades — areas of concrete and asphalt that absorb more heat from the sun and get hotter than nearby areas with vegetation.
Shortly after arriving at the Science Museum of Virginia seven years ago, climate scientist Jeremy Hoffman wanted more precise data on the effect and its impact. Using a citizen science approach, he and colleagues identified the areas of Richmond that were hottest, and those that were coolest, on a midsummer day.
But before coming to Richmond, Hoffman took to the science of climate after noticing changes during his many fishing trips with his father in northern Wisconsin.
“There were fewer and fewer walleye being caught by local anglers there, and they have a really important eco-tourism industry in that part of the state. People flock to the northern woods of Wisconsin in the summer to go fishing.”
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Looking for a reason, the data pointed in one obvious direction. The water temperatures were rising in the Wisconsin lakes, and because walleye is a cold water fish, they were having trouble reproducing.
After defending his thesis as a graduate student in Oregon State University, Hoffman’s first job brought him to the Science Museum in 2016, applying what he learned about weather instrumentation to better understand the impacts of intense heat at different locations within Richmond.
Recruiting volunteers helped make this type of data-gathering project a success, taking temperature readings every second as they traversed this city at the same time. Cross-referencing with GPS data, they could accurately produce a temperature map at several different locations simultaneously across the city.
“We found a 16-degree Fahrenheit difference between the coolest and warmest place at the exact same moment during a heatwave.”
The findings spurred similar analyses of urban heat in other cities across the country, and provided the necessary data to prioritize where resources were needed to manage and mitigate extreme heat within Richmond. Adding green spaces within a city is one way to help temper the heat, and as an avid outdoorsman, he jumped at the chance to help.
“We have dozens and dozens of community tree-planting projects all over the city, driven by community organizations that have picked up on the urban heat island and other inequities in the city as part of their mission.”
Scientific outreach is another passion, using a combination of science and humor to introduce others to the scientific process. Smiling, Hoffman reflects on the lighter side of science.
“I’m super proud of all the weird YouTube videos over the years. I think that elevated the Science Museum’s reputation, creating these valuable teaching and science communication tools.”
Following his passion, Hoffman is taking a new position at Groundwork USA, where he will be the Director of Climate Justice and Impact. The organization works with local community groups to create and promote green spaces, community gardens, bike lanes, and other healthy infrastructure — to improve the quality of life in historically disinvested communities.
“I’m excited to take the lessons, relationships, and experience over the last seven years at the Science Museum to this next level, in over 20 cities around the country.”
Hoffman is staying in Richmond, where he continues to work on a key science report due this fall; he is the Southeast Chapter Lead of the upcoming Fifth National Climate Assessment.
This congressionally required report examines what impacts the warming climate will have on various sectors of American life, including economy, transportation, agriculture, and health.
With more than 400 scientists involved in the National Climate Assessment, it requires several rounds of revision to be sure that the information is as scientifically accurate as possible, including a review from the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine.
The report comes out this fall, and while he cannot share the final draft, he does leave us with an important point.
“Many of the indices of climate change for the Southeast, that were present in virtually every previous assessment, have only intensified.”
Evidence and impacts of the warming climate continue to mount, whether it is the length and timing of heat extremes, additional coastal flooding from sea level rise, or the increase in pollen concentration in the spring.
“The story isn’t changing. What is changing is how communities are responding to these threats."
And that is where Hoffman is going next.
He will continue working — examining the data, building green spaces, and taking the science to the public from his Richmond office; you can learn more about his Richmond work at jeremyscotthoffman.com. | https://richmond.com/news/local/weather/science-museum-of-virginia-climate-scientist-takes-on-new-role/article_fff93c00-06f6-11ee-9613-5790e95a9d53.html | 2023-06-10T15:49:58 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/weather/science-museum-of-virginia-climate-scientist-takes-on-new-role/article_fff93c00-06f6-11ee-9613-5790e95a9d53.html |
SAN ANTONIO — A man was shot and killed in the middle of a fight on the city's west side early Saturday morning.
Officers responded around midnight to a home on Shady Grove Drive, near Military Drive.
The two men began fighting in front of the home, according to police. At some point, one of the men pulled out a gun and shot the victim several times.
Police have the suspect in custody and are questioning him to find out what happened.
Police are still investigating.
This is a developing story and further details will be added as they are received.
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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/man-shot-and-killed-after-argument-on-the-west-side-san-antonio-texas/273-50b86018-11dc-41e6-a941-d50b9f6293eb | 2023-06-10T15:54:25 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-shot-and-killed-after-argument-on-the-west-side-san-antonio-texas/273-50b86018-11dc-41e6-a941-d50b9f6293eb |
SAN ANTONIO — The young mother of two says she was asleep on her couch a few minutes before 2 a.m. when bullets shattered her windows, patio doors and all sense of safety.
Genesis said one of the first flying slugs went through glass, crossed the room, bounced off a wall and landed next to her on the couch.
She said instinct kicked in and she ran to make sure her two kids were still alive.
"It was very terrifying because I have two small children, who are 2 and 1-year-old, and I ran into their room to make sure they were fine," Genesis said.
The terror, she said, lasted hours as more and more potentially deadly bullets ripped through her apartment, which was very near the doorway of a man who police said ended up firing more than 100 rounds at officers responding to calls for a shooting on Ray Bon early Friday morning.
Police said the incident ended hours later with the gunman dead by his own hand after he killed his own roommate.
More than 24 hours after the incident, the Medical Examiner has yet to release the name of either of them.
Genesis said being new to the area, having moved in just a few weeks ago, she was familiar with the man who also tore her life apart.
"He looked calm. He had a cane. I thought he was a calm person. I never imagined this going on," Genesis said of the man she would see walking to his car every so often.
Genesis said when the shooting first started nearby, she wondered if she had moved into a bad area.
"We just moved in here not long ago. We just thought maybe it's a rough neighborhood," Genesis said, adding "After that I kept hearing more and more gunshots. It kept hitting. Some of them hit my front door and the other one hit my front glass window. It was awful. I was fearing for my life and for my kid's safety."
Calling for help, she said, didn't make it any better.
"I called 911 and they told me 'Oh yeah, you're calling about the shooting' and I was like 'Yeah - but they're shooting in my house,' and they were like 'Just stay away from windows' and that's all the information they gave me," Genesis said.
Genesis said the feeling of being left to fend for themselves was terrible, as she only saw one police vehicle in the area for hours.
"They didn't tell me like anything that was going on or if I should be doing something. If I could help myself, you know, like where to hide or something like that and they didn't come until everything was over," Genesis said.
"Then like after two hours they came finally to my door and I told them why did it take them so long to come because I was already fearing like somebody was going to shoot more into my apartment," Genesis said.
Hours after the attack, Genesis said she remained in shock "Every time when we tried to get close to a window to see what was happening, it was more gunshots, more gunshots, and it was a lot of gunshots."
She said she spent the morning trapped inside her apartment, cleaning up shattered glass.
"We couldn't leave our apartment until about 9 in the morning. We were stuck here. There was no way out. Even if we wanted to leave to go to our family's house, they were not allowing us to leave," Genesis said, adding the apartment complex management added to her stress.
"I tried to contact the apartment complex but they didn't pick up the phone, which makes it worse because I would think since this happened they would come and check if we are okay, if my kids are okay," Genesis said.
Property records at the Bexar Appraisal District indicate the Cottage Creek Apartment complex is owned by Opportunity Housing, formerly the San Antonio Housing Authority.
KENS 5 reached out for a comment on the incident, but Genesis said hours after the fact, someone from the complex finally reached out to help.
With regard to the investigation into the incident, police said they knew of no motive for the attack, which involved a lone gunman shooting at police with both a rifle and a pistol.
Police Chief William McManus said the first arriving patrol vehicle took about 40 shots as the officer hid behind a garbage container for shelter.
"When the other cars showed up, he continued to fire at them," McManus said of the incident that began when the gunman called someone he knew and told that person that he had just killed his roommate. McManus said that person then called police.
With regard to the safety of nearby residents, McManus said officers did what they could while bullets were flying.
"They evacuated what they were able to evacuate around that building but he was shooting everywhere. As a matter of fact he probably fired, in a 20 minute period, probably over 100 rounds," McManus said. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/mom-survives-bullets-flying-around-apartment-gunman-san-antonio-texas/273-4e692cd1-d43d-4aa0-a4a6-946a9fb52dbd | 2023-06-10T15:54:31 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/mom-survives-bullets-flying-around-apartment-gunman-san-antonio-texas/273-4e692cd1-d43d-4aa0-a4a6-946a9fb52dbd |
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — A barbecue joint in New Braunfels is getting national attention after making a list of some of the best in the country.
The website Travel Awaits named Black's Barbecue second place on its list of top 14 BBQ restaurants in the U.S.
According to the restaurant's website, it has been open since 1932 and claims to be the oldest barbecue restaurant in Texas and prides itself for its pit-smoked meats.
In addition to their New Braunfels location, the restaurant chain has three other locations, Austin, Lockhart and San Marcos.
As far as the number one winning barbecue restaurant in the country, surprisingly, it is not in Texas. C.H.O.P. Clay’s House Of Pig in Tupelo, Mississippi came in at number one!
Check out some other barbecue restaurants around the San Antonio area in Neighborhood Eats:
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/new-braunfels-home-to-second-best-barbecue-in-the-united-states-texas-restaurant/273-16764506-f7b5-469b-8241-4144891efe82 | 2023-06-10T15:54:38 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/new-braunfels-home-to-second-best-barbecue-in-the-united-states-texas-restaurant/273-16764506-f7b5-469b-8241-4144891efe82 |
MSP probe report Kalamazoo woman fired shots on I-94 in Romulus
Michigan State Police are investigating an incident involving a 27-year-old woman from Kalamazoo who allegedly fired shots at a car on Interstate 94 in Romulus late Friday night.
Police received a call just after 11 p.m. about a woman driving eastbound on I-94 near Vining Road, who said she'd been followed by a woman from Kalamazoo to Romulus, or about 120 miles, MSP said in a tweet Saturday morning.
During the call, dispatchers overheard what they believed to be a shot targeting the caller, who was told to head towards MSP's Metro South Post, officials said.
As the chase continued on Telegraph Road, Taylor police intercepted the suspect's vehicle and took her into custody without incident, police said. Police said they searched the woman's vehicle and found a firearm. The suspect was taken to the Metro South Post by state troopers.
Meanwhile, the victim’s vehicle was searched and a bullet hole was found near the rear bumper. No injuries were reported by the two occupants.
“We haven’t determined the reason for this shooting at this time,” said 1st Lt. Mike Shaw, a spokesman for state police. “We want to remind everyone if you feel you are being followed on the road to immediately call 911. The sooner you call, the sooner we can help you figure out what’s going on.”
jaimery@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @wordsbyjakkar | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/06/10/msp-probe-shots-fired-by-kalamazoo-woman-interstate-94-romulus/70309055007/ | 2023-06-10T16:04:33 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/06/10/msp-probe-shots-fired-by-kalamazoo-woman-interstate-94-romulus/70309055007/ |
Earlier this year, Treveon Phinney found himself at the Gateway Mall food court passing out business cards.
It was all part of the 25-year-old's hustle — his rise-and-grind mentality that he learned from his mother and never stopped practicing through boyhood stops in St. Joseph, Missouri, and Grand Island.
"You do everything you can to get your name out," he said.
As he was walking out of the mall, he noticed a space-for-lease sign. The light bulb went on: While unconventional, Gateway Mall might be the perfect spot for a barber shop.
402 Fades, situated next to JC Penney on the east end of Gateway Mall, has been giving haircuts for a couple of weeks, but the shop will have its official grand opening Sunday.
Credit that to Phinney's tenacity and his ability to conceptualize his vision to the Gateway management team.
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"They didn't think it was the right place for a barber shop at first," he said.
That didn't deter him. Instead, the kid who has been known to give free haircuts ¯ a good haircut can change someone's life, he believes — showed them mockups of what he wanted the shop to look like.
Eventually, they agreed to give it a try.
"I think I have the best location in the city," he said. "It’s a great place because you get walk-ins all day long."
Every shopper, no matter what they're seeking, is a potential customer. On Thursday, a mother walked in with her two young sons. An hour later, they were on the receiving end of clean new haircuts.
Earlier that morning, long before most of Gateway's shops were opened, a pack of senior citizens — in the midst of their post-breakfast mall walk — stopped by to say hello.
"I want a space where people walk by and want to come in because it’s clean and it’s friendly," he said.
It's all part of the decor at 402 Fades. The 12 chairs — five of which are currently in use — are black and finished in gold. Ceiling lights give a feel of something fancy, but the back wall, lined in artificial turf, is an invitation to any sports fan that this might be a suitable place for some good commentary while the big game is being played on the nearby flat screen.
Speaking of the big game, a number of Huskers — the most notable being incoming freshman wide receiver Malachi Coleman — have been getting their haircuts for years from Phinney.
He's a charismatic guy with an infectious personality and an ability to make you feel important. Most of all, he gives a good haircut.
"That's my job," he said. "It's to make you look good, have a conversation with you and be your therapist."
Terrance McIntyre, a former wide receiver at Hastings College who's now at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, gets it. He's been going to Phinney for years.
"He's never given me a bad haircut," McIntyre said. "He does a good job. He knows what he's doing."
McIntyre found Phinney not long after he graduated from Lincoln's College of Hair Design. Before that, he was working at Kawasaki to make ends meet and cutting hair — a skill he learned in high school in Grand Island — as a side hustle.
"I was a mobile barber. I would go to my friend’s house and he would have people over and I would cut their hair," he said. "I had been cutting hair since I was 15, but no one was going to take me seriously until I went to school and got my license."
With license in hand, he went from shop to shop and was offered enough jobs to know that he could make a living doing so.
Still, it wasn't until he met Chris Bossio, an entrepreneur who has opened seven barbershops in Tampa, Florida, that Phinney's dream of owning a shop became a goal.
"I've always wanted to meet him and there I was, right there in my face," Phinney said. "He told me to go for it, that I had it."
Currently, Phinney rents chairs to four other barbers in the shop but would never consider himself the boss.
"It’s their shop as much as mine," he said. "That was one of the things lacking in my last place. I had all of these ideas that they didn’t want to hear." | https://journalstar.com/news/local/25-year-old-barber-opens-first-shop-in-lincolns-gateway-mall/article_2d1dc6f0-062b-11ee-8b22-4376bbf674be.html | 2023-06-10T16:12:54 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/25-year-old-barber-opens-first-shop-in-lincolns-gateway-mall/article_2d1dc6f0-062b-11ee-8b22-4376bbf674be.html |
The year is 1998 in southern Sudan. Maryam Phio and her 9-year-old son Motwakil and 11-year-old daughter Awadia are traveling north to Khartoum to board a train that will take them across the border. They are fleeing to Egypt to escape the civil war that has been plaguing Sudan for more than 15 years.
But they are being followed. A man threatens Maryam and her children, trying to prevent them from leaving the country. They don’t know who he is or the reason for his threats.
“He would always come by and try to take us away, and my mom would hide us,” Motwakil said.
Maryam was on her own, forced to leave her husband behind because his health issues made him unable to travel.
For a while, Maryam was able to keep her children safe amid the stalking, war and chaos. But one day she turned around and Awadia was gone. The man returned, saying he knew where the little girl was but he would not tell them if they were going to flee Sudan. She brought the situation to a local lawyer who only gave the same admonition to stay in the country. For three months Maryam and her son searched, hoping to find Awadia.
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“I looked everywhere,” Maryam said. They delayed their departure three times, but they were out of time.
“We had until midnight to make it to the border or the travel documents would expire and we would have to start all over again,” Motwakil said.
So they fled with Awadia’s passport still in hand. From Khartoum they took a train across the border to Aswan, then a three-day boat ride up the Nile and another train to get to Cairo. They met up with Maryam’s oldest daughter, Najat, who came to Egypt the year prior to apply for refugee status so she could come to the United States. She was able to qualify, and in 2001 she left for Arizona at 21 years old.
For eight years Maryam and her son stayed in Egypt, waiting and hoping Awadia was safe and that she would come to Cairo and be reunited with her family. With no access to phones, Maryam told people who were traveling down to Sudan to look for Awadia. Eventually one was able to locate her and returned with the news that she was alive and had one child, but no boyfriend or husband. However, they could not get her and her baby out.
Maryam worried constantly about her daughter and grandson. Life in Sudan was dangerous and unregulated.
“If you have problem with people in your neighborhood, they come to your house, hit you, blood everywhere, no police,” Maryam said.
Maryam was torn between joining her oldest daughter in Arizona, or staying in Egypt with the faint hope that Awadia would make it out of Sudan. Wanting a better future for her son, Maryam decided to apply for refugee status and she and Motwakil were able to come to Arizona in May of 2006. They came to Lincoln in 2013 while Najat stayed back in Arizona for work.
Shortly after their arrival to the new city, they were able to get into contact with Maryam’s husband back in Sudan. He was able to reunite with Awadia sometime after Maryam and Motwakil had fled Sudan.
“My father said ‘your sister has passed,’” Motwakil said. “They found her hanging on a rope from her neck. We don’t know if somebody did this or if she did that to herself.”
She was 26 years old when she was found dead. At this time, Maryam was also told Awadia now had four young children with no one to take care of them, the youngest one being just 2 months old when his mother died. Maryam’s husband was too ill to care for them, and South Sudan was too dangerous for them to stay.
In 2011, Sudan had split into two countries, Sudan and South Sudan. Although this action was supposed to establish peace, violence soon broke out in the south between the two ethnic groups in South Sudan, the Dinka and Neur people. At the time of Awadia’s death, she and her four children were staying in a village in Juba, South Sudan along with her ailing father.
Maryam’s oldest daughter Najat decided to travel to Juba and found the children and took them to Naroibi, the capital of Kenya. The children were then taken to the Kakuma camp in Kenya, one of the world’s largest refugee camps. They then filed as orphans to be able to come to the United States, but progress in the case has stalled.
“They need an immigration lawyer, which costs a lot of money. They need a lawyer for the case to be processed, but unless somebody is there to represent your case, your case is just a file,” Motwakil said.
Just because there is no war in Kenya doesn’t mean the children are safe. Two years ago, Lina, the oldest grandchild was raped in the camp. At 15 years old, she now has a son just over a year old.
“The situation is just getting worse,” Motwakil said.
As of July 2020, the Kakuma camp had a population of 196,666 registered refugees and asylum seekers. Located at the edge of a desert, the average daily temperature in the camp is 104 degrees Fahrenheit and consists of an arid city crowded with tents and huts. The children have been there six years now.
Maryam is able to talk to her grandchildren on the phone, but she longs for the day when she can hold them, love them and give them a life away from the pain and loss they’ve grown up in.
Now 58, Maryam lives with Motwakil in government housing in Lincoln along with Najat’s daughter, who is also named Maryam after her grandmother. The 6-year-old girl is currently staying with them and going to school while her mother continues working in Arizona.
Young Maryam speaks English and Dinka, the language of her grandmother and her people in South Sudan. However, she only knows the life of safety and innocence her mother and grandmother have tried to give her, not yet able to fully understand the situation of her cousins living more than 8,400 miles away.
Maryam and her son routinely travel to Omaha to the immigration office to inquire about the case and work to make progress, but as the days have turned into months and months into years, she often feels discouraged and worries about the fate of these four orphans who make up part of the 1.45 million South Sudanese child refugees.
All under the age of 18, her granchildren have already been the victims of loss, sexual assault and violent attacks.
“It’s just too much,” Maryam said. “But talking to you, I am happy.”
She hopes through awareness and by telling her story, others in the Lincoln community and beyond can understand her desperate situation and help her bring these children to safety. As a family across continents, she eagerly awaits the day when she can meet her grandchildren and tell them “yin ta baye” — you are home. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/a-sudanese-mother-living-in-lincoln-struggles-to-bring-her-family-home/article_86a9f412-04c5-11ee-af3f-479c493b94a0.html | 2023-06-10T16:13:00 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/a-sudanese-mother-living-in-lincoln-struggles-to-bring-her-family-home/article_86a9f412-04c5-11ee-af3f-479c493b94a0.html |
The world changed for Brad, too, in the years following LuAnne’s 2010 dementia diagnosis, just before her 55th birthday. He became her caregiver. Like many of the roughly 38 million U.S. family members caring for a loved one, he struggled with guilt and stress.
He suffered from loneliness and helplessness — feelings so endangering Americans that the U.S. Surgeon General recently warned of an epidemic of loneliness and isolation.
Brad, now 67, believes his ability to wrestle loneliness is owed to the very thing that LuAnne gradually lost her grasp of: words.
“I just started writing (poetry) out of need …” he said. “I had a need to express some things… you know it was really a survival tactic.”
Brad and others caution that his story isn’t a blanket prescription. But it does, they say, reinforce things we’ve long known: Creative expression can help in more ways than we might realize. An outlet like poetry can heal.
“Self expression in other words, it's really important,” said Dr. Steven Wengel, director of the geriatric psychiatry division at University of Nebraska Medical Center. “It's really good for the soul and good for the brain.”
***
The first sign something was off came at a funeral service in March 2009.
LuAnne saw a cousin she had known since childhood. “Who are you?” she asked. It unsettled Brad.
“I just kind of put it away and said, OK, one of those hiccups or something.”
It was easy to put away in the moment. LuAnne and Brad married in 1975 when they were both 19. Thirty-four years, three states and two children later, life seemed otherwise normal.
But other oddities gradually emerged in LuAnne’s behavior: failures of memory, bouts of depression.
They thought it might be menopause.
LuAnne, who formed the nonprofit Lincoln Irish Dancers in 1997, was still active. Dancing became such a central part of her life that Brad joined in.
“I realized if I didn't start dancing, I wasn't going to see her,” he said.
LuAnne also continued working as the business manager for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.
But the work grew more confusing. She couldn’t read emails. She printed them and traced the words with her fingers. She struggled to recognize coworkers. She tired easily and couldn’t follow what people were saying at times, though her own speech was perfectly coherent.
LuAnne’s coworkers contacted Brad in the fall of 2009. Something was wrong.
There is no single test to diagnose dementia, an illness affecting roughly 10% of Americans 65 and older. It’s a process — interviews, lab tests, sometimes a brain scan. LuAnne’s diagnosis came in May 2010: semantic dementia.
***
It’s spring and Brad is set to record a poetry reading for “30 Poets in 30 Days,” a celebration of national poetry month organized by the Lincoln-based nonprofit Larksong Writers Place. The roster of readers includes poets from Nebraska and across the country.
Brad is reading a poem written as a letter to his daughter, Hannah Kahler. It is titled “Daughter.”
His delivery is calm, quietly comfortable. It sparked more phone calls and conversations than all the readings, including ones from nationally known poets, said Karen Shoemaker, founder of Larksong.
For most of his life, Brad never wrote or read poetry.
But around 2013 Karen Noel, then president of a local Alzheimer’s support group, asked Brad if he would speak during a fundraising event.
He wrote down thoughts and memories to fold into his remarks, which were so well received that he continued speaking in the following years.
Brad kept writing out observations — “thought bites,” he called them. The goal: Convey what it’s like to care for someone with dementia. Soon he saw how his “thought bites” fit together.
Poetry is often viewed as abstract, said Matt Mason, Nebraska state poet. Really, it’s about expression.
“It's a complicated thing and it's very basic,” Mason said. “It's about telling stories but it's also … so useful for transmitting emotional elements that are otherwise hard to express.”
As Brad continued the fundraising talks, he decided to end with a poem, “The Devil Calls the Dance.” The sniffling started in the audience by the second stanza.
“It kind of jolted me. … I almost stuttered because I wasn't thinking about what it sounded like to somebody else. Obviously it had an emotional impact.”
***
For a few years LuAnne was largely self-sufficient.
But she lost her driver’s license after failing her third annual screening.
Brad hired caregivers to come to their home while he worked. He set up cameras so he could monitor her before they arrived.
Social activities stopped. Friends drifted. It became Brad, LuAnne and a few family members.
“You try and be positive,” he said. “You know you're losing that person, and you have to remember that every single day might be the best day that person will ever have.”
By 2014, life was unraveling. One day Brad noticed LuAnne got out of bed earlier than normal. She left the house and headed across the street.
“Not good,” he thought.
LuAnne had boarded a city bus. She wanted to go to the bank, then buy a car. She wanted her independence back.
Less than a week later, LuAnne fell into a manic state. She threw furniture in their home. She screamed.
They got LuAnne to a mental health holding facility at Bryan Medical Center. That day she openly contemplated suicide. After 30 days of trying to recalibrate her medications in the hospital, it became clear: LuAnne wouldn’t be coming home.
The family picked Douglas County Health Center in Omaha, which specializes in caring for people with memory loss.
Shortly after she was placed in September 2014, Brad became ill. He realized he hadn’t been sick in years — as if his body hadn’t allowed it.
“I didn't realize how much stress I was under until after we finally did have her placed and I realized that she was cared for,” he said.
***
Debilitating stress and loneliness have emerged as serious public health concerns.
A 2022 American Psychological Association survey found that 27% of adults said that most days they were so stressed they couldn’t function.
Between one-third and half of U.S. adults have experienced loneliness, according to surveys.
In May U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released an advisory titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” It cited research that found loneliness and social isolation increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29%.
Writing initially was an outlet for Brad.
UNMC’s Wengel said research shows that when we engage with our emotions through artistic expression, it forces us to use a different part of the brain.
“So when you put a name on feelings, it helps you,” he said. “It doesn't make them go away, but it helps you deal with it.”
For Brad, writing also opened the door to a community.
He started attending open mics and joined writing groups, including Larksong, which Shoemaker formed in 2020. Brad was there from the beginning.
“There's a myth about writers … often they're alone, churning out best sellers,” Shoemaker said. “I think people need one another.”
***
LuAnne died on Jan. 20, 2017. She was 61.
Her last year had been one of decline – death in slow motion. She was in a wheelchair and could only muster four words: “oh gosh” and “then again.”
She had forgotten Brad’s name, though she would still laugh when he entered the room.
“I don't know what part of her was there and what part wasn't, but there was enough that I think the emotional connection was there.”
LuAnne always said she wanted a wake. Brad and the family improvised.
There was music. Dancing.
Brad took a break from writing. It felt too painful.
He then picked it back up, after realizing he could write about more than dementia and the accompanying feelings, though he hasn’t shut the door on it.
“If you loved that person how could you not have that grief and have those feelings? I earned those and that’s fine,” he said.
Brad is retired now. He spends his time with grandchildren and writing. He hopes that sharing his story might help someone else.
“You have to find your way through it,” he said. “Writing, I felt, was a very helpful way to do that.”
The Flatwater Free Press is Nebraska’s first independent, nonprofit newsroom focused on investigations and feature stories that matter.
Brad Anderson of Lincoln, 67, started writing poetry several years after his wife, LuAnne Anderson, was diagnosed with dementia in 2010. Her diagnosis came just before her 55th birthday.
Brad and LuAnne Anderson share a moment while in the garden of the Douglas County Health Center in Omaha. LuAnne was placed in the care center in September 2014 after her behavior became erratic and it was no longer safe to care for her at the Anderson’s Lincoln home. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/dementia-claimed-lincoln-mans-wife-writing-helped-him-survive/article_bc43246e-00c8-11ee-936c-cb20e1e68191.html | 2023-06-10T16:13:06 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/dementia-claimed-lincoln-mans-wife-writing-helped-him-survive/article_bc43246e-00c8-11ee-936c-cb20e1e68191.html |
One man was killed after a car crash in east Lincoln early Saturday morning, according to the Lincoln Police Department.
The department said in a press release that at around 4:13 a.m. Saturday, police were called to the intersection of S 56th and A Streets where officials said they found two vehicles that appeared to have collided with each other. One driver, a Lincoln man, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.
The other driver, a Lincoln man, was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries suffered in the crash.
The intersection will be closed for several hours Saturday as the investigation into the collision is ongoing. Police urge drivers to use an alternate route.
Top Journal Star photos for June 2023
Eliana Athena Vargas Smith, 2, plays in the fountain at Union Plaza park on Wednesday, when temperatures reached 88 degrees in Lincoln.
HAYDEN ROONEY, Journal Star
Children extend their arms outward as they reach for bubbles to pop during a family fun night ice cream party on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at the Charles H. Gere Branch Library in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Harper Trumble (top right) dances with her cousin Keegan VanDeWater (right) while Alexis Arai y Su Grupo perform as part of the Jazz in June concert series on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, at in the Sheldon Sculpture Garden at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in Lincoln. The first performers for Jazz in June drew a sizable crowd on Tuesday. The free concert series, held each Tuesday in June, will feature two sets of music from 7-7:45 p.m. and 8-8:45 p.m. Beyond the performances, the series will include education outreach coordinated by community centers and artists. A market offered food and drinks to hungry patrons. And a bike Valet will provided free, secure parking for bicycles from 5 p.m. until the end of the performance in the market.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
The Rev. T. Michael Williams signs the petition to repeal LB753 during Support our Schools Nebraska petition drive kickoff at the state Capitol on Tuesday.
HAYDEN ROONEY, Journal Star
Mia Masch, 5, has her hair adjusted by her father Ian while his pet parrot Mango rests atop his shoulder during an animal blessing ceremony at First-Plymouth Church.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Shriner clowns cover their hearts for the invocation before the Nebraska Shrine Bowl on Saturday at Cope Stadium in Kearney.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
A rainbow is seen near Ralston High School stadium during the Nebraska High School Soccer Senior Showcase on Friday.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Grace Jacobson of Lincoln holds a rainbow umbrella over a coffin prop in front of the Governor's Mansion on Thursday, the final day of the legislative session.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Nikita (black) jumps into the dog pool as Pearl chases after her at Off Leash Dog Bar on Wednesday.
HAYDEN ROONEY, Journal Star
Lincoln East’s Carter Mick (10) poses for portrait , Monday, May 29, 2023, in Lincoln.
HAYDEN ROONEY Journal Star
Rebecca Rager greets her grandfather Alfred Zieg (from left) during a celebration before his birthday on Wednesday, in the Gramercy dining room on Saturday, May 27, 2023, at The Residence at Gramercy in Lincoln. 'It has been a life for sure," Alfred Zieg said during the celebration. "And on Wednesday I get to start all over again, right?"
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star
Muggs, a 6 year-old chocolate lab fetches his toy from the water following his dive on Saturday at Paws 4 Fun in Lincoln.
KENNETH FERRIERA Journal Star
Fire fighters clear out hot debris pulled off of 411 Mulder Dr home after alert two back yard fire, Friday, May 26, 2023, in Lincoln.
HAYDEN ROONEY Journal Star
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Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/one-killed-in-east-lincoln-car-crash-saturday-morning-according-to-police/article_832cfc68-07a3-11ee-800c-235a70ad1c23.html | 2023-06-10T16:13:12 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/one-killed-in-east-lincoln-car-crash-saturday-morning-according-to-police/article_832cfc68-07a3-11ee-800c-235a70ad1c23.html |
(STACKER) — Summer vacation has already begun for some across the U.S., and if Memorial Day is any indication, travelers should expect a busy summer season in 2023.
That weekend, largely considered the unofficial start of summer, the Transportation Security Administration screened 9.79 million people, surpassing pre-pandemic levels. And half of Americans say they will take a trip this summer, according to a survey from Deloitte, up from 46% in 2022.
Trips abroad are spiking in popularity, as people try to make up for time lost during pandemic-era travel restrictions. However, as inflation makes travel more expensive, budget-conscious travelers are opting to cut costs by driving to their destinations and choosing to stay stateside. AAA expected 2 million more travelers on the road on Memorial Day weekend 2023 than on that weekend in 2022.
Beach destinations are popular this year, according to a survey from vacation-rental platform Vacasa, and outdoor recreation remains a top priority. Not only are beaches a great place to unwind and create family bonding moments, but they also boost people’s mental health.
So what makes a good beach town? Access to a beach, of course, but also plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to keep kids entertained, warm weather, and a long beach season.
Stacker crunched the numbers to find the best beach towns in Oregon. To be considered a beach town, each city needed at least one beach that the Environmental Protection Agency monitors. Rankings were determined by a number of factors weighted by importance, including miles of shoreline, access to beach-related businesses based on Census Bureau County Business Patterns, and Zillow median home prices.
There are 20 beaches monitored by the EPA in Oregon, totaling 29.8 miles of shoreline.
Read on to get some vacation-planning inspo.
11. Seal Rock, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 1
- Miles of shoreline: 0.6
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 63 degrees
- Median home price: $513,285
10. Florence, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 1
- Miles of shoreline: 1.0
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 64 degrees
- Median home price: $418,626
9. Lincoln City, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 1
- Miles of shoreline: 0.8
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 63 degrees
- Median home price: $495,423
8. Nehalem, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 1
- Miles of shoreline: 1.1
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 62 degrees
- Median home price: $581,019
7. Coos Bay, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 2
- Miles of shoreline: 1.4
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 63 degrees
- Median home price: $326,626
6. Brookings, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 2
- Miles of shoreline: 1.4
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 65 degrees
- Median home price: $478,952
5. Port Orford, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 1
- Miles of shoreline: 1.2
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 65 degrees
- Median home price: $369,742
4. Cannon Beach, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 2
- Miles of shoreline: 2.6
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 66 degrees
- Median home price: $849,841
3. Newport, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 3
- Miles of shoreline: 4.7
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 63 degrees
- Median home price: $482,073
2. Seaside, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 1
- Miles of shoreline: 2.2
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 66 degrees
- Median home price: $484,636
1. Rockaway Beach, Oregon
- Number of beaches: 4
- Miles of shoreline: 8.2
- Average swim season length: 130 days
- Average county summer temperature: 64 degrees
- Median home price: $455,713 | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/the-best-beach-towns-in-oregon/ | 2023-06-10T16:23:32 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/the-best-beach-towns-in-oregon/ |
Jerome County Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Bradley Calbo has been indicted by a grand jury on charges that he committed acts of violence against a 44-year-old woman at a property along the Oregon coast, records show.
Calbo, 54, was involved in a June 3 incident in Lincoln City in which the woman said he strangled her and committed other acts to place her “in fear of imminent serious physical injury,” the indictment obtained by the Times-News reads.
The indictment was signed Thursday by the grand jury foreperson and Lincoln County district attorney. Calbo was originally scheduled to appear in court Monday for a preliminary hearing, but instead is expected to be in court that day for a hearing related to the indictment.
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A Lincoln City police officer, according to the summary of probable cause, responded to a report of domestic assault Sunday at about 11:24 a.m., and the woman said she had been assaulted by Calbo the previous night, including being strangled to the point of her not being able to breathe for about 10 seconds. In addition, she said Calbo held her down by her arm, which she recently had surgery performed on, and slapped her multiple times and pulled her hair.
The woman played for police a 20-minute-long audio recording she made in which a male voice, which she identified as being Calbo’s, is heard yelling and swearing, along with saying, “I should just kill you,” and similar phrases, while the woman screams loudly to be let go. On one occasion, the woman says, “You’re choking me."
Calbo told police that neither he nor the woman had physically assaulted each other, and that the incident was only verbal, records say.
The four charges against Calbo, who is being held on a $500,000 bond and has a no-contact order against him, include coercion, strangulation, fourth-degree assault and menacing.
This is not the first legal difficulty for Calbo in Oregon.
In March 2021 in Klamath County, he was charged with fourth-degree assault and harassment, and after pleading guilty received a conditional discharge which was terminated after he was charged in September 2021 with DUI and reckless driving, records say.
The reckless driving charge was later dismissed.
In March 2022, he received a sentence of 30 days for the assault charge, 15 of which was completed with electronic home detention.
He received two days in jail for the DUI with eight days of electronic monitoring, records say.
In 2005, records show he was disbarred from practicing law in Colorado after a board found that he converted thousands of dollars in clients’ funds and knowingly failed to perform services for his clients, causing them serious harm.
Calbo was appointed as Jerome’s prosecuting attorney last fall when former Prosecuting Attorney Mike Seib resigned from the position.
Jerome County commissioners were aware of the previous criminal charges against Calbo, along with him being disbarred, when he was appointed, Commissioner Charlie Howell told the Times-News on Friday.
Commissioners talked to judges and acquaintances and received recommendations that Calbo was fit for the job, he said.
"We feel we vetted him pretty well," Howell said, later saying, "I don't know what we could have done differently."
Howell said he has not had contact with Calbo since the charges were filed against him.
The prosecutor's office is filling in during Calbo's absence to make sure court cases are covered.
And as for questions whether Calbo will voluntarily resign his position as prosecutor, Howell said, "I'm sure he will do the right thing." | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/police-report-outlines-charges-against-jerome-prosecuting-attorney/article_6b99bf46-0712-11ee-a61b-cbe870342f16.html | 2023-06-10T16:31:52 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/police-report-outlines-charges-against-jerome-prosecuting-attorney/article_6b99bf46-0712-11ee-a61b-cbe870342f16.html |
After an increase in driving under the influence charges, Green Valley Justice Court has introduced a new DUI program that aims to reduce recidivism and promote recovery for first-time offenders.
The court has developed a DUI program that will allow selected participants to go through a treatment plan thanks to a change in state law. Once the treatment plan is completed, the individual's charge will be reduced from DUI to reckless driving.
In 2020, DUI cases at Green Valley Justice Court had gone down and hit a low, court administrator Kristen Randall said. However, cases began to rise in 2021 and skyrocketed in 2022.
Now with the help of the new program, first-time offenders who are residents of Pima County and don’t have any violent criminal convictions are provided the opportunity to go through a five-phase treatment plan.
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During the five phases, participants will go to individualized therapy, group therapy, be regularly tested for alcohol and drugs,8 and attend bi-weekly check-ins with Justice of the Peace Ray Carroll.
Throughout the plan, which can take anywhere from six to 12 months to complete, the individual can receive incentives to help encourage them during recovery. Once they complete a phase, they may be awarded a reduction in their fines, have decreased court appearances or win gift certificates, the DUI program handbook says.
Once the program is completed, the individual will graduate and the DUI charge will be reduced. Randall said the change of the charge can be really helpful for people when it comes to background checks.
“If you are a young person that doesn't want to start off your life with a DUI on your record, that can be really big,” Randall said.
So far, Randall said one person has been enrolled in the program and three others are still figuring out if the program is a right fit for them. Since it is a pilot program, the court has capped it at 20 participants at a time.
“If the program blooms and grows depends upon a charter year review filled with quantifiable case studies showing it made a difference,” Carroll said in a news release. “The program can succeed by defendants making a clean start with drug and alcohol counseling appointments including testing and monitoring weekly.”
The program will be the first of its kind in Arizona because its participants haven't been formally charged. While there are other DUI programs in the state, those participants have been charged and do not get their DUI charge reduced at the end of the program, Randall said.
When developing the DUI program, Randall said court officials did about six months of research, pulling heavily from Pima County Superior Court’s Drug Treatment Alternative to Prison program. They also worked with both the county prosecutor's and public defender’s offices.
Since there are no other pre-adjudicated DUI programs in the state, Randall said they worked with out-of-state courts with similar programs as well as the National Center for DWI Courts. Those were able to offer helpful advice, answer questions and sent examples of workbooks.
Data from those courts showDUI programs like the one started here are “extremely effective.” A Michigan study found that participants were 19 times less likely to be re-arrested for another impaired-driving offense than those who were processed through a traditional court, according to the NCDC website.
With implementation of this new program, Randall says she hopes to see recidivism drop and wants to build a model for other courts in Arizona to follow.
“Now is absolutely the time to follow the data and scientific best practices when dealing with increases in criminal charges due to intense stress, substance use disorder, and alcoholism,” Pima County Attorney Laura Conover said in a news release. “Now more than ever, we must come together as a whole system of justice to promote community health and safety. We applaud Green Valley for their tenacity and determination.”
Jamie Donnelly covers courts for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/dui-arizona-green-valley-justice-court/article_0b3fb9ea-054e-11ee-8f90-ebaa3ef5e465.html | 2023-06-10T16:49:22 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/dui-arizona-green-valley-justice-court/article_0b3fb9ea-054e-11ee-8f90-ebaa3ef5e465.html |
Despite political backlash, the University of Arizona is standing firm in its commitment to its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, which the school says are key to its recruitment and retention strategy.
“Legislators are attempting to legalize censorship,” says a resolution the UA Faculty Senate passed in April, written in opposition to a proposed legislation that would have made it illegal for Arizona’s public colleges and universities to spend money on, or require participation in, DEI programs and initiatives.
“This bill infringes on freedom of speech and our civil rights and liberties. ... (It) not only impinges on our ability to investigate, invent, discover and to give account but also infringes our right to publish, teach, and research in and outside the classroom without interference or fear of reprisal," the faculty statement says.
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In both 2021 and 2022, the UA spent $1.6 million a year out of its more-than $2 billion budget to support an administrative unit known as the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, whose goal is to "make diversity and inclusiveness a habit that is implemented and practiced by everyone consistently throughout the university.”
Why DEI is under attack
According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, 21 states, including Arizona, introduced some form of legislation that would put restrictions on DEI programs in 2023. As of June 1, lawmakers in Florida, Tennessee, North Dakota and Texas had passed some of those proposals into law.
But it’s not happening in Arizona, at least not this year anyway.
Arizona’s Senate Bill 1694 narrowly failed to make it out of the House last month. Republican Sen. Jake Hoffman from Queen Creek, who sponsored it with six Republican co-sponsors, did not respond to the Arizona Daily Star’s request for comment on the failure of the bill or any plans to file a similar bill next year.
When the bill was still moving through the Legislature, Hoffman said DEI trainings that schools like the UA regularly offer, which his bill would have outlawed, "have become a prevalent tactic of the left to shame employees and to shame folks within the trainings,” Capitol Media Services reported. Eliminating such trainings, Hoffman added, “gets us back to doing the job that they’ve been hired to on behalf of the people.”
“The bill says we don’t want public entities influencing the composition of their workforce based on race," Hoffman said.
The legislation would also have barred public institutions from advancing theories of unconscious or implicit bias, cultural appropriation, and anti-racism, among numerous other theories that touch on the marginalization or oppression of certain social, racial, ethnic and gender groups.
Advocates say DEI programs and trainings can help foster a more welcoming campus environment in addition to bolstering recruitment and retention efforts.
Democratic Sen. Priya Sundareshan of Tucson called Hoffman’s bill “incredibly hurtful," and said DEI initiatives "help people and employees and students feel comfortable where they are."
If the political tides in other Republican-dominated state legislatures are any indication, the push against DEI in Arizona likely won’t die with this year’s bill.
Over the past few years, some conservative politicians in Arizona — and across the nation — have criticized educators at all levels for “indoctrinating” students through certain teachings, accusations sometimes broadly referred to as critical race theory. Although that term has taken on new meaning as a conservative euphemism for teaching America’s history of discrimination against people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ community and other marginalized groups, critical race theory itself is a 40-plus-year-old, graduate-level concept rarely applied to high school or undergraduate courses.
Eliminating DEI offices and programming, which are typically designed to help historically marginalized students matriculate and succeed in higher education, has surfaced in the national political culture wars as one of several proposed and enacted strategies — others include banning certain books and courses — to assert political control of ideologies taught or promoted in schools.
"If you look at the way this has actually been implemented across the country, DEI is better viewed as standing for discrimination, exclusion and indoctrination," Florida's Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference last month after signing Senate Bill 266 into law.
Just like the failed proposal in Arizona would have, the new Florida law prohibits public colleges and universities from spending money on DEI initiatives. "That has no place in our public institutions," DeSantis said.
UA, other schools defend DEI
Arizona faculty leaders disagree.
Faculty senates at the UA, Northern Arizona University and Arizona State University have passed non-binding resolutions in support of investments in DEI as critical to the operation of accessible higher education in a state with an increasingly racially and ethnically diverse population.
According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Arizona's diversity index is 61.1%, up from 54.9% in 2010; 61.6% of Arizonans identify as white, 12.4% identify as Black, 18.7% as Hispanic and 10.2% as multiracial.
The U.S. Department of Education designates the UA as a Hispanic Serving Institution because 25% or more of its full-time, undergraduate student body identifies as Hispanic, and the university has launched numerous programs to recruit more low-income and first-generation students as well as underrepresented faculty.
The university hired its first diversity officer in the mid-2000s. According to UA spokeswoman Pam Scott, UA created the role “to help develop teaching strategies for students from diverse backgrounds and to perform research to address the needs of a diverse society.“
Since then, the UA has significantly grown its investments in DEI initiatives. As of November 2022, “more than $2.8 million has been allocated to advancing campus racial equity efforts that are aligned with student priorities,” the UA provost’s website says.
Creating or expanding an office to administer DEI programming and support is something many colleges and universities have done over the past decade. According to a 2019 analysis by the education trade magazine INSIGHT Into Diversity, American colleges increased spending on DEI initiatives by 27% between 2014-2019. However, even with those increases, DEI accounted for an average of 0.5% in a school’s overall budget.
Sometimes, these investments in DEI have come after public criticisms of a campus’ intolerance of marginalized students or faculty. It happened at the University of Missouri in response to weeks of high-profile, anti-racism campus protests in 2015. Although it didn’t receive near the media attention, one year later in 2016, students at the UA raised concerns about the treatment of marginalized students on campus during a faculty listening tour.
“I felt scared and unsafe, like maybe someone would show up in the night and try to do something to me,” a Black UA graduate student said at the time, as she recalled finding a racial slur written on her mailbox. “I didn’t really know what to think because nothing like that had ever happened to me before.”
Asian, Native American, Hispanic, transgender and female students also reported discrimination or harassment from faculty members and fellow students, the Arizona Daily Star reported in 2016.
Soon after the revelations of the listening tour, the UA hired two new diversity officers and expanded the scope of its Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Among other functions, the office provides support for outreach and retention efforts, provides resources to those reporting bias concerns, and is in the process of developing a diversity strategic plan. It’s working with departments and other units across campus to, according to its website, “move even further beyond rhetoric towards sustainable, accountable, action-oriented practices.”
The UA’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion “is one aspect of a multipronged approach to recruiting, retaining and supporting students and faculty from diverse backgrounds,” Scott said. “As the incoming classes have increased in size and diversity year after year so has the academic preparation which has helped lead to higher first-to-second year student retention.”
In 1980, about 10% of the UA’s student body identified as non-white. In 2022, 34% of students identified as a race other than white and 25% identified as Hispanic or Latinx.
According to numbers provided by the UA, first-to-second year retention rose from 83.3% to 85.6% between 2017 and 2022.
Data from the UA’s Office of Equity and Inclusion also shows that between 2012 and 2021, retention rates improved for biracial, white, first-generation and low-income students, among other groups.
View from DEI-banned Florida
Those are the kind of gains Andrew Gothard, an English instructor at Florida Atlantic University, said he and his colleagues are most worried about losing now that DEI initiatives are outlawed in Florida.
From his view as an instructor who’s interacted with students for more than 10 years, diversity, equity and inclusion programs are “unequivocally good for higher education,” and proven to help more students from underrepresented backgrounds attend and graduate from college.
“When students are no longer getting higher education degrees, they aren’t pouring that knowledge and experience and expertise back into their (communities) and that’s something that hurts everyone,” said Gothard, who also serves as president of the United Faculty of Florida. “We’re deeply concerned about the long term impacts this will have not just on the individual students but the totality of Florida in the coming decades.”
He said he’s already heard from students, parents and faculty who, in part because of Florida’s DEI ban, are either looking to leave the state or reconsider their intentions to get an education at — or work for — a Florida university.
Gothard’s message for Arizona’s higher education leaders is to find out what its campus communities actually want and need despite the “extreme, false partisan narrative” circulating about DEI programs.
“Get out there and counter that public narrative of what DEI — and higher education in general — actually do,” Gothard said. “When you do that, you’re going to put the people listening to both sides of this argument in a place where they have to decide what they want.”
Kathryn Palmer covers higher education for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her at kpalmer@tucson.com or 520-496-9010. | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-faculty-double-down-on-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/article_6ac460f6-f68e-11ed-ae62-8769cfa0adde.html | 2023-06-10T16:49:28 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-faculty-double-down-on-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/article_6ac460f6-f68e-11ed-ae62-8769cfa0adde.html |
A local nonprofit is getting ready to open the region's first LGBTQ-affirming and dedicated health center.
For nearly 30 years, the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, which supports people living with HIV, LGBTQ+ individuals and marginalized communities, has provided testing for sexually transmitted infections and prevention and case management support.
Its leaders say the delivery of on-site, primary care services by providers trained in LGBTQ-affirming care is the next logical step. LGBTQ-affirming care means providing a positive and inclusive environment where people can find trust and open communication with their provider, they say.
SAAF Health launched via tele-health a little more than a year ago and already has 250 established patients who are receiving primary care services.
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On Thursday, the clinic, on SAAF's main campus at 375 S. Euclid Ave., passed state inspection and was officially approved to start seeing in-person patients.
An official launch and new patient appointments will begin in the fall.
Experts say the need for providers trained in LGBTQ-affirming care is great, as there are documented health disparities due to lack of care, and that providing equity in health care is especially important now that hundreds of legislative proposals introduced across the country in 2023 limit the rights of LGBTQ and transgender people.
The opening of SAAF Health is a step in the right direction, advocates say, as are unrelated, ongoing training efforts within the University of Arizona, El Rio Community Health Center, Banner-University Medical Center Tucson and Tucson Medical Center.
'Always good to have a choice'
SAAF Health has done no advertising, so the 250 patients under its care found out about it on their own, said the organization's CEO, Beth Frantz.
The goal is to increase access to care and improve health outcomes for the LGBTQ+ community and other marginalized populations, such as people experiencing homelessness, refugees, people without legal immigration status, people of color, and people who inject drugs, including more than 300 weekly participants in SAAF's Syringe Access Program.
"It's always good to have a choice in health care, wherever you live. and there are some really good choices at some of the hospitals and other federally qualifying health centers," Frantz said. "But what we're going to be able to offer to our community is primary care and behavioral health in a way that's gender-affirming and LGBTQ-affirming. I'm really happy to offer this community this other choice."
The World Health Organization defines gender-affirming care as a range of social, psychological, behavioral, and medical interventions designed to support a person's gender identity when it conflicts with the gender they were assigned at birth.
A 2021 study conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that while LGBTQ+ people are as likely to have a regular provider and usual place of care, they were more likely to report a range of negative experiences, including being blamed by their provider for health problems or having their concerns dismissed. The foundation is a nonpartisan, independent source for health policy research, polling and journalism.
Lydia Kennedy, executive director at the University of Arizona-Health Sciences Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, said the need for such care has been the focus of her work the past eight years.
Kennedy said El Rio Community Health Center led the pack in terms of establishing LGBTQ-affirming care in Tucson, but other organizations have since follow suited. At the request of supervisors in 2018, she developed LGBTQIA training that was delivered to 1,500 Banner-University Health Center Tucson employees. She's now working with TMC to develop similar training.
She also started an interest group within UA Health Sciences and revised the training used in several UA colleges, including nursing, pharmacy and public health.
In the years since Kennedy's initial training at Banner, the hospital has enacted systemwide changes, including all-gender bathrooms, printed pronouns on staff members' badges, a review of patient charts to ensure the use of inclusive language, signage to indicate the facility is a safe space for people of all genders and orientations, and more.
Increasing LGBTQ and gender-affirming care in the community and creating more spaces like SAAF Health is especially important in the current political climate, Kennedy said, as a litany of anti-transgender and LGBTQ legislation is introduced across the country.
"The need for this is more than ever," Kennedy said. "Unfortunately, the ramifications of not getting the proper health care is huge. My goal is to prepare a richly diverse health science workforce that can address the needs of community and establish equity and inclusion for all."
Recent studies show that LGBTQ-identifying patients report providers have used excessive precautions, refused to touch them, blamed them for their health status and in some cases, even denied medical care, Kennedy said.
SAAF's director of development, Monique Vallery, said LGBTQ people face higher rates of cancer and other diseases, in part because they're less likely to seek medical care.
LGBTQ+ people more commonly reported being in fair or poor health than non-LGBTQ+ individuals, despite being a younger population, according to the Kaiser study, which also found that LGBTQ+ people reported higher rates of ongoing health conditions and disability or chronic disease.
"It's often a very traumatic experience to find a primary care provider who is there to truly uphold the oath of service and not be judgmental," Vallery said. "The biggest driver here is, how do we take away the barriers? How do we create a safe space where patients feel comfortable and where they’ll be seen and not just pushed through really quickly, but rather address the needs they have and then get them the services they need?"
Vallery said SAAF Health's 250 patients so far show there's a need for this type of primary care in the community and she's excited to see what happens when the clinic opens its doors and starts advertising.
SAAF Health accepts most insurance and if a person is insured, they won't be charged a copay. Cost will depend on treatment, Vallery said, but if a person doesn't have insurance, they'll still be seen.
"We want our community to be healthy. That looks very different for every person," Vallery said. "At the end of the day, it’s about supporting every patient that we encounter. And we’re ready for it."
Primary care for ages 13 and up
Jamie Dromgoole-Hernandez, SAAF's director of clinical and prevention services, spent the past 18 months meeting with other agencies, attending conferences and talking with providers as she prepared for the opening of SAAF Health's physical location.
A registered nurse for 20 years, Dromgoole-Hernandez said she's excited to help SAAF transition into the medical realm, calling the process a labor of love.
The two-room clinic will be staffed by one full-time and one part-time nurse practitioner, a medical assistant and Dromgoole-Hernandez, but SAAF is open to expansion as needed.
"It doesn't matter where you are in your life, we can help you," Dromgoole-Hernandez, said, adding that SAAF Health provides primary care services to patients ages 13 and up, including physical exams, pap smears and any other type of service a person could receive through a primary care provider.
They'll be able to administer vaccines, and thanks to community partners, will have medical equipment, such as blood glucose or blood pressure monitors, to give or loan to patients in need.
Patients who need HIV care will still be sent to an outside clinic, but if a patient tests negative, SAAF's prevention team is on-hand to get the person started on prophylactic treatment.
"Keeping people free from HIV and finding those that have it and getting them on care as soon as possible is something SAAF has always done well and we continue to do that," Dromgoole-Hernandez said. "Now, we have that extra level where can meet people where they are and really make a difference in their lives."
One SAAF Health patient said the process of signing up and receiving care was "super easy," as simple as filling out a form on the website, after which she immediately received a phone call.
"Normally to establish care I would sometimes have to wait two months to see a physician," said the patient, who asked that her name not be used. "This one was right away, I was very happy with that."
She said her provider, family nurse practitioner Melissa Lyapustina, made her feel comfortable right away, asking about her pronouns and her partner's orientation and pronouns.
"Melissa has been so good and so knowledgeable. She gives me tips on even the smallest things," the patient said. "I'll tell her I was trying to change my sleep schedule and she'll give me little advice on what to do and how to do it. Like with melatonin, the smaller amount you take, the more it works."
A cisgender woman of color, the patient said it was important to her to find a doctor who will treat her fairly and give her the respect she deserves.
"I felt like a lot of physicians can be dismissive, and that doesn't really help me," she said. "Not only does it not help me physically, but it does something to you mentally. When you fell dismissed, you wonder why."
She said she needed to find a provider that made her feel seen, and she's found that through SAAF Health.
"Melissa is very supportive," the patient said. "I just feel like she asks all the right questions to get to know me. I'm very, very happy with my choice."
Well-rounded services
SAAF Health patients will also have access to other services they may need with the help of a trained navigator.
"Let's say they need to go to a specialist which we don't have. They'll be connected to a case management navigator who will help set up appointment and can go with them," CEO Frantz said. "They'll be hands-on for the first three months or so, then transition the patient to a permanent case manager who will be with them as long as they need."
These wraparound services don't just include specialists, but also housing assistance, life skills or other needs.
"We're hoping to be able to provide well-rounded services to our patients," Frantz said. "Being able to navigate their concerns appropriately in a way that’s respectful to the patient while also getting their health-care needs met in the best possible way is critical."
The next phase of SAAF Health will be an on-site community pharmacy, said Vallery. It will be open to patients as well as community members who may wish to have their prescriptions filled at SAAF.
"The idea is that when someone walks in the door, we can provide them with as many wraparound services to hopefully send them out to protect themselves and protect the community," Vallery said.
UA Health Sciences' Kennedy said in order to ensure the best possible outcome for patients, everyone on their care team — from receptionist to specialist — has to have the training and knowledge to make that happen.
"My slogan I say in every training is, 'What business are you in? You're in the business of healing, not hurting. If you treat patients (with bias) that's hurting them,'" Kennedy said. "You don't know how many adversities or health care rejections they've already gone through by the time they get to your door. You might be the person who brightens their day or you might be the last straw (to where they stop seeking care.)"
"It's always scary going to the doctor. I don’t think a lot of people like it," said SAAF's Vallery. "But being able to go somewhere and know that you’re going to be able to be seen or heard, that’s crucial. And for folks in marginalized communities, it's really a big deal." | https://tucson.com/news/local/tucson-nonprofit-opening-regions-first-lgbtq-dedicated-clinic/article_aaad389a-f98c-11ed-b75b-87b8eaed41f9.html | 2023-06-10T16:49:35 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/tucson-nonprofit-opening-regions-first-lgbtq-dedicated-clinic/article_aaad389a-f98c-11ed-b75b-87b8eaed41f9.html |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
“The biggest concern for any organization should be when their most passionate people become quiet,” leadership consultant, Tim McClure has warned. As a business leader, I couldn’t agree more, and it is my opinion that this idea extends to our broader community. We each can make an impact in some way, but too often we don’t speak up, or worse, when we do, our voices are silenced. We have to continue to try, though. When we become quiet, our community suffers meaning and this is all to often a common occurrence in this environment.
Just because a high-ranking leader has a bigger megaphone than us, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t speak up, rise up, and voice our opinions. Their agenda may not be in our best interest but are listened to because they are the majority. It should be incumbent upon us as well as everyone’s duty to get involved. Not just individuals, but companies as well. Business leaders need to come together with the community at large to strategically move Tucson into a position of economic prosperity.
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It won’t be easy as we are experiencing uncertain economic times. Compounded by the upcoming 2024 election and the inevitable political vitriol that will come with it, it is more imperative than ever that we come together, work together, and solve problems together. It is incumbent upon all of us to make our community stronger. Tucson has many great business and community organizations. Some work cooperatively together as a leadership or association, while others work independently to focus specifically on their own mission and vision. How powerful could our community be if these businesses and organizations worked collaboratively with a common goal?
Voting is an obvious way to participate but only 30% of us typically vote. Only 30%! Political distrust is rampant, and we couldn’t be more polarized as a country, but at the end of the day our right to vote is what defines us as a democracy. Is the system perfect? No, but voting allows for a certain checks and balances on major issues. We have to stop voting only down the party line. We have to stop voting on those issues that only affect us directly. You can be a Democrat and still vote for a fiscally conservative bill. You can be a Republican and still vote for a socially liberal resolution. We have to act selflessly and vote in a way that positively impacts future generations. Don’t just vote for yourself, but for the greater good.
Highly motivated individuals’ ideas, creativity, and enthusiasm to participate, can carry the best of an organization’s culture. They can do the same for our community. These people can serve as a benchmark for the rest of us to aspire to. The passion of these culture creators and environment enforcers becomes positive and inspirational sustenance for us all. It can be the necessary internal energy force that can move us forward. I am calling on each of you to step forward and be the catalyst for change.
Every community is different with unique needs, problems and goals. It is paramount that we work together to identify what will benefit Tucson and advance our community in the most positive way. Our compass has to be always pointing north to our future and the future generations. Our vision must reflect that. Forward thinking means that we make decisions today that will have positive implications in five, ten, and twenty years from now. In order for anything to change, however, we must all become engaged and stay engaged. Our future, as a collective, depends upon the active involvement and collaboration of community leaders, residents, families, and businesses alike.
Joel Black is a business executive and local resident | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-engaging-southern-arizona-community/article_382ceaf8-fb72-11ed-941a-23a0019476c4.html | 2023-06-10T16:49:41 | 1 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-engaging-southern-arizona-community/article_382ceaf8-fb72-11ed-941a-23a0019476c4.html |
Maricopa Judge sentenced Phoenix man to 13 years after stabbing another man to death
A Maricopa County Superior Court judge sentenced a Phoenix man to 13 years in prison for manslaughter after he admitted to chasing a man off his mother's property and stabbing him to death.
Darius Moore, 27, pled guilty on May 5 for the manslaughter of Fredrick Morris after a nine-day trial ended in a mistrial.
Based on the plea agreement, he was facing 10 to 21 years in prison.
On Friday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge David Cunanan ordered Moore to 13 years in prison.
Morris's murder
On May 15, 2021, Moore was sleeping in his car, which was parked on his mother’s driveway. According to court documents, he and his sister had an argument, and he was not allowed inside.
Moore woke up to Morris knocking on his car door window. According to court records, Moore told Morris to leave him alone and told him to leave.
Moore was anxious because he had heard gunshots not long before Morris came up to him, and he had experienced being shot before, according to Moore's attorney Kyle Green.
Morris didn’t leave, and Moore got into a fight with Morris. At some point during the struggle, Moore pulled out a long knife and stabbed Morris more than 20 times.
'Canal killings':Bryan Miller gets the death penalty for murdering 2 Phoenix women
Morris, according to the autopsy report, had been under the influence of drugs when he approached Moore.
Morris tried to escape, but Moore chased him and killed him on a lawn across the street from Moore’s car.
The state initially charged Moore with second-degree murder, which, under state law, means that Moore intended to kill Morris because he chased him. But during the trial, Green argued the murder was sudden and reckless, which better qualified it as manslaughter instead.
Though the case went to trial, it was declared a mistrial because a few jurors were caught talking about the case outside of court, something jurors are not allowed to do because it could lead to outside sources influencing their ruling.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office offered Moore a plea deal and the case never went back to court.
Jesse Wilson:Adoptive mother of dead boy released from jail on own recognizance
Sentencing
The sentencing became the venue for the closing arguments prosecutors and defense lawyers were denied at trial, because of the misconduct of the jurors.
Maricopa County Deputy Attorney Gregory Bizzozero argued that Moore should be put away for the maximum allowed: 21 years. He claimed that Moore tried to hide a murder weapon when he placed the knife behind the gate of his mother’s home, that the murder was excessively violent and painful, and that Moore would be a danger to others.
Moore’s attorney, Green, told the judge that on the night of the murder, Moore was not looking to get into a fight or out to hurt anyone. Rather, he was "minding his own business" in his car when Mr. Morris walked up to Moore and continued to bother him after Moore told him to leave. He also told the court that Moore was not trying to hide the knife, explaining that as soon as police arrived, Moore told them where the knife was.
Moore’s mother was the only person not directly involved with the case to speak during sentencing.
She told the judge that the weight of what her son had done weighed heavily on her and that she grieved both Morris’s death and the pain it caused his family. She explained to the judge that this murder had been provoked and that if given the chance, she would get her son the help needed.
“I ask that you have some leniency towards my son, and I will do whatever it takes to make this right with this right with my son,” she said.
The judge ultimately decided that Moore should serve 13 years in prison with 756 days of credit from the time Moore had already served in jail.
He took into account that this was Moore's only issue with the law. He also acknowledged that while Moore didn’t start the fight, he did chase Morris and stab him an excessive amount of times.
“If you had retreated that point or done nothing, we would have been in a very different story in terms of your sentencing in terms of culpability,” he told Moore. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/southwest-valley-breaking/2023/06/10/darius-moore-sentenced-to-13-years-for-manslaughter-fredrick-morris/70308207007/ | 2023-06-10T16:54:21 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/southwest-valley-breaking/2023/06/10/darius-moore-sentenced-to-13-years-for-manslaughter-fredrick-morris/70308207007/ |
The highly anticipated reopening of the North Bend Municipal Pool has come to fruition.
The two-year long renovation of the community pool became a labor of love for many community members and volunteers involved in the project.
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The highly anticipated reopening of the North Bend Municipal Pool has come to fruition.
The two-year long renovation of the community pool became a labor of love for many community members and volunteers involved in the project.
Pool staff and volunteers, along with local city government officials and employees celebrated the long-awaited reopening with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, June 1. North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke kicked off the event with a speech to recognize those who contributed to the project, as well as a surprise announcement.
“We have so many people to thank who contributed to opening this pool from the police department, fire department, library, our finance, streets, public works, wastewater – everyone in the city has contributed to helping making this dream become a reality to open this pool,” she said.
Engelke thanked the contractors and those who donated funds to the project, as well all the community members who have supported the community pool.
“We all have very fond memories,” Engelke said.
“I grew up swimming in this pool and taking swimming lessons and I know a lot of people that are standing here today did the same thing as well,” Engelke said.
The $1.4 million in infrastructure repairs and upgrades made to the pool include new LED lighting, instant hot water showers, updated shower facilities, new pumps, a new filtration system, a new boiler system, a new ADA compliant lift chair, new tile, repaired street signage and the introduction of a kiosk entry system. A fitness court is also planned for the outdoor deck.
“We also have an announcement that everyone will swim free for the month of June,” the North Bend Mayor said during the ribbon cutting ceremony.
North Bend Municipal pool director Claire McKee addressed the crowd at the event as well.
“You have no idea how much this means to me and my staff. You guys are the reason why we are able to do this today,” she said.
McKee said she moved to the Coos County community from Hawaii, “which is a little bit far away, but everyone has been so welcome and so open.”
“I am thankful to be a part of your families and to see your families enjoy and make memories here at this pool,” she said. “We know it means a lot and you guys have made it abundantly clear how much support we have for this.”
McKee introduced swim instructors and lifeguards before she and Mayor Engelke cut the ribbon and welcomed the community in to use the pool facilities free of charge.
The pool schedule has been posted to the North Bend Municipal Pool Facebook page the North Bend city website at www.northbendoregon.us/pool.
The pool is located at 2455 Pacific St, North Bend. The phone number is (541) 756-4915.
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Error! There was an error processing your request. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/north-bend-community-pool-renovations-complete-mayor-gives-surprise-announcement/article_bdc800a0-0719-11ee-a7cf-c7d60732a50e.html | 2023-06-10T16:54:21 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/north-bend-community-pool-renovations-complete-mayor-gives-surprise-announcement/article_bdc800a0-0719-11ee-a7cf-c7d60732a50e.html |
Tempur-Pedic to operate new distribution center in West Valley
Tempur-Pedic has signed a pre-lease to come to Buckeye85.
Despite the building's name, the building is located on 20 acres at 10333 W. Buckeye Rd. in Tolleson. The $60 million industrial space has a Tolleson address for postal purposes but is more in Phoenix proper, said Riley Gilbert, manager of real estate company JLL, which represented Tempur-Pedic in the lease agreement.
It made sense for the mattress company to lease in the West Valley — the company already has several facilities in the Phoenix area, both for distribution and manufacturing, and needed more space. While the facility will be used for distribution, Gilbert said it hasn't been exactly determined how the new space will be used or how many jobs it will bring to the area.
Tempur-Pedic had an immediate need for additional space, so the company was looking to quickly sign a lease, Gilbert said. While there are a lot of buildings currently under construction in the Valley, it was difficult to find one that was available so soon.
Gilbert said the West Valley is so appealing for industrial buildings due to its proximity to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in California and easy access from Interstate 10.
Space and amenities
The building, on 20 acres technically in Phoenix proper, will feature smart technology throughout and an outdoor amenity space with shaded and landscaped areas, built-in barbeque equipment and seating for relaxing, outdoor dining and games, Gilbert said
Dave Krumwiede, senior executive vice president for Texas-based Lincoln Property Company, said the industrial buildings are constructed with amenities to make them as attractive to as many tenants as possible. Many times, tenants switch over the years, so the building will still be attractive to future tenants.
Lincoln currently has about 5 million square feet under construction in the Phoenix area, Krumwiede said, with the industrial buildings often including things like gyms and outdoor decks or patios. Many office tenants look for those sorts of amenities, Krumwiede said, which caused the company to start including those in its industrial buildings as well. Some of Lincoln's industrial and office spaces have over 1,000 employees.
The idea behind adding those amenities was to help tenants both recruit and retain those employees. Some tenants have even specifically asked about amenities such as the barbecue area, Krumwiede said.
Many industrial buildings also have had skylights for the past several decades. The point was to let light in while trying to keep the electricity bill as low as possible. But with electricity now being much cheaper than it used to be, Krumwiede said, Lincoln decided to switch things up, adding windows going all the way around in order to let light in.
"Just thinking about employees, employment centers and trying to make it a more comfortable environment for folks that are working within these facilities," Krumwiede said.
Gilbert said the facility is expected to be operational by the end of the third quarter. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/southwest-valley/2023/06/09/tempur-pedic-signs-pre-lease-in-west-valley/70305104007/ | 2023-06-10T16:54:33 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/southwest-valley/2023/06/09/tempur-pedic-signs-pre-lease-in-west-valley/70305104007/ |
All the remaining mail-in votes from Tuesday’s primaries in Atlantic County won’t be counted until the night of June 14, when the county Board of Elections will hold a meeting and watch them be counted by machine.
So candidates in close primaries in Atlantic City and Pleasantville will have to wait until Wednesday night for a better idea of their chances at victory.
For example, in Atlantic City’s ward 2 Democratic primary race for City Council, two candidates are just four votes apart.
The final count can’t happen sooner because under state law mail-in ballots must be accepted through June 12, as long as they are postmarked on or before election day, Board of Elections Chair Lynn Caterson said Wednesday.
“Rather than constantly meet and handle maybe 50 ballots, we have an already planned meeting next (Wednesday) at 5:30 p.m.,” Caterson said. “At that point, all the mail-in-ballots will have had to come in.”
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So far, 6,000 mail-in ballots have been counted, she said. No one knows yet how many are still in the postal system to be delivered.
There are also hundreds of mail-in ballots that were collected from drop boxes in the final collection at 8 p.m. on election day to be counted, Caterson said.
There had been three earlier collections that day, and those ballots have been counted, she said.
ATLANTIC CITY — Candidates backed by Mayor Marty Small Sr. have a slight lead in the 2nd and…
On Tuesday, the board will also count provisional ballots that have been investigated and found to be valid, Caterson said.
Atlantic County Superintendent of Elections Maureen Bugdon said Thursday there are just over 400 provisional ballots countywide from election day, and just under 60 countywide from the three days of early voting.
Her office must investigate provisional ballots before they can be counted.
People use provisional ballots at the polls when someone challenges their right to vote in a particular district, or when they have received a mail-in ballot but show up in person on election day.
In that case, the superintendent must first make sure the voter didn’t also return the mail-in ballot. She cannot start that investigation until after June 12, when the Board of Elections can report on everyone who returned mail-in ballots.
Atlantic City, Pleasantville and Mullica Township were the only municipalities in the county with local contested primaries.
In Mullica, Republican Charles Muller is well ahead of his opponent, incumbent Republican Committeeman Christopher Silva. The vote there stands at 463 to 209.
But in Atlantic City, challenger Viana “Vivi” Bailey is ahead of Democratic incumbent 2nd Ward Councilwoman LaToya Dunston by just four votes, with Bailey at 264 and Dunston at 260.
Tuesday’s primary election will be historic in Atlantic County — the first to use new electr…
Of the election day provisional ballot total, just under 70 were used in Ward 2 in Atlantic City, Bugdon said.
“The bulk of the provisional voting total did take place in Atlantic City,” Bugdon said.
In Pleasantville, the race for the Democratic nomination for the Ward 2 council seat comes down to just 17 votes. Incumbent Councilwoman Joanne Famularo has 356 to challenger Irvin O. Moreno-Rodriguez’s 339.
Of the election day provisional ballot total, just under 40 were used in Ward 2 in Pleasantville, Bugdon said.
In last year’s general election, 73% of provisional ballots used were because the voter had received a mail-in ballot, Caterson said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/atlantic-county-primary-election-results/article_e6e4efb2-06d2-11ee-a20f-ff9a8f8c9fa3.html | 2023-06-10T17:00:37 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/atlantic-county-primary-election-results/article_e6e4efb2-06d2-11ee-a20f-ff9a8f8c9fa3.html |
MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — A fast-moving disease is threatening the life of beech trees across the state and here in our area.
It's the view behind Robin Miller's home in Tobyhanna Township that's disheartening for her to see. Big beautiful beech trees are shedding their leaves.
"IT was always so bright and green and just full of different shades of green in the springtime, and this year it just never happened. And you know, when we look out back here, the leaves are off the trees, and it's terrible. It is sad," Miller said.
Tim Dugan is a district forester for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) in the Delaware Forest District. He says beech leaf disease is what's causing Miller's beech trees to drop their leaves and ultimately die.
"It impacts the leaves of the tree, and without the leaves, the tree can't sustain itself, and then they die. So over the last four, five years, we watched these diseases move from western Pennsylvania across, and it is now confirmed in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania."
Foresters say it's easy to tell if your tree has beech leaf disease by looking at the leaf.
"A normal leaf will be one consistent color. When it has the beech leaf disease, you will see stripes that go from the edges that go out towards the middle, and those stripes will be darker and then lighter, darker and then lighter."
Dugan says weather patterns are partly to blame for the disease, which isn't just impacting the trees, but wildlife too.
"They do provide habitat for animals and wildlife. When we do get a good nut crop from them, beech nuts, there are a lot of animals and critters that like to enjoy that and get sustenance from it," Dugan said.
Beech trees surround Miller's property, and she's worried that their death will impact the forest.
"We don't need any more trees dying out, and that's my fear is that the beech is going to be gone from this area."
Dugan says that currently, there is no cure for beech leaf disease, but nearly every federal and state forestry agency is doing research to find one.
Penn State Extension has additional information on beech leaf disease.
Information from DCNR is posted here. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/leaf-disease-killing-beech-trees-tobyhanna-township-dcnr-state-forests/523-86d94ec2-df24-45a7-8bb9-a9d0d32c3e9c | 2023-06-10T17:02:23 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/leaf-disease-killing-beech-trees-tobyhanna-township-dcnr-state-forests/523-86d94ec2-df24-45a7-8bb9-a9d0d32c3e9c |
BLOOMINGTON — A Bloomington woman was given probation and a jail sentence after pleading guilty to a battery charge.
Andreia L. Brown, 40, was charged in October 2022 with two counts of aggravated battery of an officer, a Class 2 felony. Misdemeanor charges of battery and resisting an officer were later added.
According to online court records, she pleaded guilty Wednesday to one count of aggravated battery, and the remaining charges were dismissed.
Brown was sentenced to 180 days in jail and 24 months probation. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-courts/bloomington-woman-sentenced-on-aggravated-battery-charge/article_90db6c38-071b-11ee-a340-b75e70a31dc9.html | 2023-06-10T17:09:14 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-courts/bloomington-woman-sentenced-on-aggravated-battery-charge/article_90db6c38-071b-11ee-a340-b75e70a31dc9.html |
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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/jacksonville-youth-mission-group-to-return-to-albany/article_6b013b58-079f-11ee-91d5-d3eef25d02b3.html | 2023-06-10T17:11:07 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/jacksonville-youth-mission-group-to-return-to-albany/article_6b013b58-079f-11ee-91d5-d3eef25d02b3.html |
Police are investigating after two people were shot -- and a 35-year-old man was killed -- in a shooting that happened on Friday night in Southwest Philadelphia.
According to police, a 35-year-old man -- who police have not yet provided identifying information for -- was pronounced dead at about 11:27 p.m., after he was reportedly shot in the head in a home along the 5700 block of Elmwood Avenue.
Officials said the shooting was believed to have occurred at about 11:16 p.m. on Friday.
A 42-year-old man, police said, was also wounded after being shot in the leg in this shooting, as well. Officials said he arrived at a local hospital by private vehicle and was placed in stable condition.
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Law enforcement officials have not yet revealed any motive for this shooting and have not said if there have been any arrests in this incident, however an investigation is ongoing.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-dies-after-being-shot-in-southwest-philly/3583062/ | 2023-06-10T17:18:37 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-dies-after-being-shot-in-southwest-philly/3583062/ |
Law enforcement officials are investigating after a deadly shooting on Saturday in Northeast Philadelphia.
According to police, the incident happened at about 1:24 a.m. on Saturday, along the 4400 block of Oakmont Street in the city's Holmesburg neighborhood.
Officials said that, first responders reported a 48-year-old man -- whose identity has not yet been provided by the police -- was found in that location after he had been shot twice in the chest.
According to police, the victim was pronounced at about 1:59 a.m.
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At the scene of the shooting, early Saturday, officers were working near a vehicle that could be seen with its driver's side window broken out.
This article has been updated on Saturday, as officials did not confirm reports that claimed two individuals were seen running from the scene of the shooting.
Law enforcement officials have not yet detailed any motive for the shooting and no arrests have yet been made, but an investigation is ongoing.
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There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-killed-in-northeast-philly/3583066/ | 2023-06-10T17:18:43 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-killed-in-northeast-philly/3583066/ |
A pair of wildfires that firefighters are currently attempting to contain in New Jersey could continue to burn for "a couple of months" officials warned, as the area is in need of precipitation.
"You could see these fires not be declared out for a couple months, worst case," said Scott Freedman, deputy chief of the Evesham Township Fire-Rescue.
During an event on Saturday morning, intended to update the response on a pair of wildfires in Burlington County -- one in Browns Mills and another in Evesham -- Freedman said that the region has seen above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation this year, leading to conditions that make it easier for wildfires to spread.
And, the forecast for the near future, he said, doesn't seem to call for much rain to help extinguish these fires.
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"It doesn't look like there's a whole lot of relief going forward," said Freedman. "Up until Mother Nature speaks, it's just a best guess."
Overnight, firefighters worked to contain these wildfires.
Even though these fires may not be able to be considered fully extinguished for some time, Bill Donnelly, assistant state fire warden for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said officials expect the fires to be "in good shape" by the end of the day, Saturday.
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"Everything should be in good shape here by the end of the day," he said.
In the case of the wildfire, which officials have called the "City Line Wildfire," that is burning in the area of City Line and Butler Place roads in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest in Browns Mills, as of about 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, officials said the fire had consumed about 850-acres and is about 50% contained.
No structures are threatened in this incident and crews are working the perimeter of the wildfire to ensure it doesn't spread further.
As to the incident that officials are calling the "Buzby Boggs Wildfire" that is burning in Evesham Township, officials said the fire has consumed about 600 acres and, as of Saturday morning, was about 50% contained.
Also, this fire, Tom Gerber, a forest fire warden with the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, said, threatens five structures and has caused the closure of Kettle Run Road between Braddock Mill Road and Sycamore Ave.
Fire crews, he said, are protecting these residential structures and no one has been evacuated.
Officials said that an investigation is ongoing to determine what might have caused these wildfires.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/new-jersey-wildfires-could-burn-for-a-couple-of-months-officials-warn/3583091/ | 2023-06-10T17:18:49 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/new-jersey-wildfires-could-burn-for-a-couple-of-months-officials-warn/3583091/ |
Law enforcement officials have made an arrest after two people were violently injured in an axe attack in North Philadelphia early Saturday.
According to police, a 36-year-old man -- who police have not provided any further identifying information for -- was arrested after an incident that happened at about 12:47 a.m. inside a home along the 2300 block of Sharswood Street in North Philadelphia.
At that time, police said, this individual is alleged to have used an axe to attack a 23-year-old man, who was struck in the left side of his face, along with a 35-year-old woman, who was struck in the head.
Responding officers took both victims to a nearby hospital, where officials said, the man was placed in stable condition and the woman was listed in critical condition, early Saturday.
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Officials said that the man suspected in the attack has been arrested, an axe has been recovered and charges are pending.
Law enforcement officials said an investigation into this incident is ongoing. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/two-hurt-in-north-philadelphia-axe-attack/3583108/ | 2023-06-10T17:18:55 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/two-hurt-in-north-philadelphia-axe-attack/3583108/ |
A 24-year-old woman has died -- and a 25-year-old woman has been arrested -- following a shooting that happened along Welsh Road in Northeast Philadelphia early Saturday.
According to law enforcement officials, the incident happened at about 1:18 a.m., in the street along the 2400 block of Welsh Road, when a 24-year-old woman was shot multiple times.
Responding officers, police said, transported the woman to a local hospital where she was pronounced at about 4:45 a.m.
According to police a 25-year-old woman has been arrested in this incident and charged are pending. Officials also said a weapon has been recovered.
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Officials provided no further identifying information for the women involved in this incident.
According to law enforcement officials, an investigation into this incident is ongoing.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
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Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/woman-dies-in-northeast-philadelphia-shooting/3583116/ | 2023-06-10T17:19:01 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/woman-dies-in-northeast-philadelphia-shooting/3583116/ |
HOPEWELL TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Hopewell Township man was sentenced to prison for the sexual assault of two victims, both under the age of 13.
According to the Beaver County District Attorney’s Office, Michael Ewing, 50, was convicted of assaulting the victims in both Beaver and Butler counties.
The criminal complaint said Ewing raped and sexually assaulted one child on multiple occasions at his house in Hopewell and at another location in Cranberry Township.
He also sexually assaulted a second victim at his house in Hopewell, according to the criminal complaint.
Ewing was found guilty on 101 criminal counts in January 2022, including ten counts of rape of a child, 15 counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a person less than 16 years of age, ten counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, 25 counts of statutory sexual assault, 11 counts of indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, one count of corruption of minors and 26 counts of indecent assault of a person less than 16 years of age.
Ewing was sentenced on June 8 to a minimum of 75 years to a maximum of 150 years in prison and must register as a lifetime Megan’s Law offender.
The judge also determined Ewing to be a sexually violent predator.
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Attorney General Michelle Henry is warning Pennsylvanians in the market for rental properties to be aware of sophisticated scammers placing fake ads and altering real ads to obtain personal information, security deposits and rent payments.
Scammers take ads from legitimate rental companies or real estate listings and alter the ad by changing the contact information or hacking the actual realtor’s email account. Some scammers place ads for properties not on the market.
Scammers can then obtain personal information from an interested consumer during the “application process” and they may even illegally collect payments.
“We are approaching summertime and that means college students heading to school in the fall will need to make living arrangements, so beware of these fraudulent listings that appear to be the real thing,” Attorney General Henry said in a news release. “If a landlord refuses to meet in person and show the property, that is usually a strong indicator of a scam.”
Henry advises to protect yourself by:
- Being wary if you cannot physically see the property.
- Confirming with whom you are dealing.
- Not wiring payments for application, security deposit, or first month’s rent.
- Not purchasing gift cards for payment.
- Not providing your Social Security number without verifying with whom you are dealing.
To learn more about scams, visit www.attorneygeneral.gov.
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick is not the best safety in the NFL, but the second-best safety in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus.
Following the 2022 season, PFF had Fitzpatrick ranked as the second-best safety in the entire NFL after earning a third first-team All-Pro selection. But a fellow AFC North knocked Fitzpatrick down one small peg to claim the top spot in the rankings ahead of the 2023 season.
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PITTSBURGH — The Steelers are being linked to another trade target, as they seem to be at this time of year every single year. This time, that player would be Washington’s Chase Young, who has emerged as an interesting target around the league after Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated floated that he could be on the market.
“Teams coming out of the spring thinking they need more help may make trade calls on Young (it seems unlikely the Washington brass would move him ahead of a must-win year, but I know they’d be open to listening),” Breer wrote.
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INDIANAPOLIS — Tens of thousands of people came out to Mass Ave for Indy's Pride Parade - followed by the festival. It was fun day, but it also took on a much bigger meaning.
"Out of adversity comes growth. And so many people come out to support us. And year over year, it's more about families, it's really about everybody coming together," said Bill Leshorn, Pride of Indy Bans.
For Jarron and Tyler Lincoln, Indy Pride holds a special meaning.
"Brought us together through marriage - and we have our 1-year-old now so I wouldn't change anything about it with the love and support we have from our family and friends," said Jarron Lincoln.
Little ones like their son, Henry.
Businesses, IMPD, the Indianapolis Fire Department, plenty of four legged friends showed their pride.
Indy Pride selected the parents of transgender youth for this year's Grand Marshals.
At least 25 families were in this parade like the Clawsons.
"Being here is really special to us. It's so nice to be able to celebrate with our friends and community as opposed to worried about the attacks and worried about how we're going to handle them," said Beth Clawson.
The Clawsons have been advocating against legislation at the statehouse impacting their 10-year-old transgender daughter, Kirin.
"It's really nice. Not just I need it - but every trans kid in this community needs it," said Kirin Clawson.
There was a longer parade route this year and more people participating.
"The first parade that we ever did, we didn't have any money so we were playing drums on trash cans so we've really come a long way and not only have we come a wrong way as an organization, but the parade has come a long way," said Leshorn.
The Pride of Indy Bands witnessing the growth firsthand after getting its start 18 years ago.
"I think it's just really important for the community. Music brings everybody together. It's a wonderful day. There's families. There's music there's fun. It's fantastic. We love it," said Leshorn.
The festival continues until 11 p.m. at Military Park. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/thousands-celebrate-acceptance-love-at-indy-pride-lgbtq/531-31e4ba5d-ec20-48dd-8c62-0edcc27b52d0 | 2023-06-10T17:48:32 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/thousands-celebrate-acceptance-love-at-indy-pride-lgbtq/531-31e4ba5d-ec20-48dd-8c62-0edcc27b52d0 |
SAN FRANCISCO — Multiple victims were struck by bullets during a mass shooting in San Francisco's Mission District Friday night, but authorities said there were no fatalities.
“We can confirm there are 9 shooting victims — all are expected to survive their injuries,” the San Francisco Police Department said in a tweet.
Police said there was no ongoing threat and the shooting “appears to be targeted and isolated.”
The city's Department of Emergency Management issued an earlier tweet asking people to avoid the area of 24th Street and Treat Avenue.
Police said officers responded to the shooting shortly after 9 p.m.
The victims were transported to a hospital but their conditions were not immediately known.
The police did not immediately report making any arrests. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/san-franciscos-mission-district-mass-shooting/103-9b15ee6c-ece5-4a32-a190-5c20cc79e8ea | 2023-06-10T18:01:02 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/san-franciscos-mission-district-mass-shooting/103-9b15ee6c-ece5-4a32-a190-5c20cc79e8ea |
FAIRFIELD, Calif. — A man was hurt and a firefighter burned after flames erupted inside of a Fairfield home shortly after midnight Saturday, fire crews said.
The fire broke out inside of a 2-story home in the 600 block of Hillside Drive around 12:06 a.m. Saturday, according to the Fairfield Fire Department.
The fire, which also burned the home's patio and deck, caused an estimated $400,000 in damage.
Firefighters rescued a man, a pet snake and two cats from the burning home. First responders took the man to a hospital. At least one cat died during the blaze, firefighters said.
A firefighter reported a minor burn while battling the 2-alarm fire, but did not require medical care. Investigators say that they are looking into the cause of the fire, but that it appears to be accidental.
Watch more from ABC10: UFO, 'large alien creatures' reported in Las Vegas | Top 10 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/fairfield/man-hurt-firefighter-burned-during-house-fire/103-15e27197-1496-4426-adb8-d3cf6d0afe41 | 2023-06-10T18:01:08 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/fairfield/man-hurt-firefighter-burned-during-house-fire/103-15e27197-1496-4426-adb8-d3cf6d0afe41 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — One person was killed and another injured after a shooting late Friday night in Sacramento, police say.
According to the Sacramento Police Department, the deadly double shooting happened around 11:21 p.m. Friday in the 7800 block of 36th Avenue. One victim died at the scene and medics took the second one to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Police have not released any more information surrounding the shooting, saying that the investigation remains active.
Watch more from ABC10: UFO, 'large alien creatures' reported in Las Vegas | Top 10 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/deadly-double-shooting/103-f73f0aa0-f691-4980-9f3f-3e30499e8e87 | 2023-06-10T18:01:14 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/deadly-double-shooting/103-f73f0aa0-f691-4980-9f3f-3e30499e8e87 |
The city of Nampa dedicated a new playground at Lakeview Park in April 2023. The city is planning additional work there and will be presenting plans and seeking feedback during an upcoming meeting scheduled for June 13, from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Harward Recreation Center.
The city of Nampa dedicated a new playground at Lakeview Park in April 2023. The city is planning additional work there and will be presenting plans and seeking feedback during an upcoming meeting scheduled for June 13, from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Harward Recreation Center.
The city of Nampa is hosting three community meetings to present proposed changes to two golf courses and one park.
City staff will present the master site plans it has developed for its municipal golf courses, Centennial Golf Course and Ridgecrest Golf Club, as well as Lakeview Park, and will collect feedback on the plans during the meetings.
“Community input from residents is very important as we plan future improvements,” a press release from the city stated.
The city will host two presentations about its golf courses: one will be held Monday, June 12 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Ridgecrest Golf Club (3730 Ridgecrest Dr.); the other will be Tuesday, June 13 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Centennial Golf Course (2600 Centennial Dr.).
A presentation on Lakeview Park will take place on Tuesday, June 13 from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Harward Recreation Center (131 Constitution Way).
Residents with questions about the presentations are encouraged to contact the parks and recreation department. Darrin Johnson is the department’s director and can be reached at 208-468-5858 or by email at johnsond@cityofnampa.us. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/nampa-presenting-plans-for-golf-courses-one-park/article_866dd8c6-ff14-11ed-b48d-f7330ef5aa12.html | 2023-06-10T18:03:00 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/nampa-presenting-plans-for-golf-courses-one-park/article_866dd8c6-ff14-11ed-b48d-f7330ef5aa12.html |
Fond du Lac, how you can help earn $10K for an inclusive playground at Rosenow Elementary, and more news in weekly dose
People can vote each day for the project through June 15.
FOND DU LAC - The Cardinals Nest at Fond du Lac High School is a finalist in the KidoodlED and Dude Perfect’s $1M School GiveAway.
The prize is $10,000 and would go toward building an inclusive playground at Rosenow Elementary School.
The school is in the No. 5 spot for the most votes, and KidoodlED announced the top five schools will receive an additional $10,000.
The public may help by voting each day until June 15 online at school-giveaway.kidoodle.tv/vote (search for Rosenow). Voters will need to enter their name and email address.
For more about the playground project or to make a donation, visit play4allfdl.com.
Welcome to your weekly dose.
Here is more news from throughout Fond du Lac County in your weekly dose.
▶ SSM Health makes donation to New Beginnings program:SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac is giving $5,000 to the New Beginnings Pregnancy Care Center Inc. to assist with the expenses incurred in providing a home to pregnant and parenting women and their babies.
New Beginnings is a residential facility that is solely based on protecting pregnant women in crisis situations to promote the safety and well-being of women and their unborn babies.
The funding will help improve access to health care for pregnant women and their preborn babies, as well as postnatal care and infant care after delivery through services and support provided through New Beginnings programs and support services.
For more information, call 920-923-1484 or visit newbeginningspregcare.org.
▶ Muche named office manager at Envision Greater Fond du Lac:Envision Greater Fond du Lac has hired Michelle Muche as the executive assistant and office manager.
In this role, Muche is responsible for supporting Envision’s leadership team and the Board of Directors, as well as serving as the office manager by providing front-office reception and office support to the entire team.
Muche most recently worked with SSM Health. She holds an associate’s degree from Moraine Park Technical College, as well as a LPN diploma.
▶ Campbellsport treasurer steps down, Rettler named to succeed: Village of Campbellsport Clerk-Treasurer Shelby Sarauer has decided to retire as of Aug. 4 after nine years of service to the village. Angel Rettler has been named the village’s next clerk-treasurer.
Rettler is a graduate of Campbellsport High School and has worked in municipal government since 2018. She is the owner of Artsy Fartsy Paint N’ Sip Classes on Main Street in Campbellsport and is a member of the Campbellsport Area Chamber of Commerce.
Rettler will begin training with Sarauer June 19 and assume her duties Aug. 7.
▶ Nurse practitioner Reiser joins SSM Health clinic: Karly Reiser, a family medicine nurse practitioner, has joined the SSM Health Fond du Lac Regional Clinic at 723 Park Ridge Lane in North Fond du Lac. She is now accepting patients.
Reiser earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing and master’s degree in nursing-family nurse practitioner from Marian University. She has experience caring for individuals with cardiac conditions as well as diabetes, and children through a neonatal intensive care unit.
To schedule an appointment, call 920-926-8600.
▶ Chaplain Capoyianes honored with April DASH award by SSM Health: SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac chaplain Peter Capoyianes has been awarded the April 2023 Donation Advocate Super Hero Award from UW Organ and Tissue Donation.
The DASH Award is presented each month to a hospital staff member who provides extraordinary care to a donor patient and their family.
Capoyianes was nominated by an organ procurement coordinator from UW OTD.
“While I am honored to receive this award, it truly is a reflection of all the wonderful work done here by our staff,” Capoyianes said. “St. Agnes Hospital is a truly special place.”
A caregiver is typically nominated for the DASH award after a specific patient case. Capoyianes was recognized for his support of two families during the week leading up to Good Friday. With his help, the patients donated five organs to five recipients.
▶ New speech therapy program aims to help those with Parkinson's: SSM Health Greater Fond du Lac has launched a new speech therapy program that helps individuals with Parkinson’s disease to maintain their voices and minimize swallowing concerns.
Angela Hall, a speech language pathologist, recently completed training to provide the Parkinson Voice Project’s SPEAK OUT! and The LOUD Crowd speech therapy program at SSM Health hospitals in Fond du Lac, Ripon and Waupun.
Candidates for this program include those who can tolerate 40-minute therapy sessions, follow simple commands, respond to modeling and cueing, complete daily exercises individually or with a dependable person to assist, commit to the treatment schedule, and show improvement in two or more areas when using intent — breath support, volume, vocal quality, articulation, intonation of speech.
For more information or to schedule a speech/voice evaluation, call 920-926-5370.
▶ Fond du Lac Transit offers youth free rides to library: Fond du Lac youth can ride the bus for free every Thursday during the summer to the Fond du Lac Public Library.
Fond du Lac Transit and the library have partnered to offer the free rides to the main branch at 32 Sheboygan St. The program is open now and runs through Aug. 24.
To receive a free ride, youth must show their library card upon boarding.
▶ Fond du Lac library sets craft, environment programs: Among the June programs offered at the Fond du Lac library is Good-Natured Crafts. At 6 p.m. June 20, participants can create a mini flower press at the main library branch. All supplies are provided. Space is limited, register at fdlpl.org.
Also offered in June is a talk from Jerry Apps and Natasha Kassulke, authors of “Planting an Idea: Creative and Critical Thinking About Environmental Issues.” The presentation will be at 6 p.m. June 22 at the Fond du Lac library.
Participants can view the Zoom broadcast at the library or on their own. Register on the library's website.
▶ Ripon library programs include D&D for teens, rock painting:Ripon Public Library has events and programs for all ages. Events are held at the library, 120 Jefferson St., unless noted otherwise. For more about any of the following programs, visit riponlibrary.org or call 920-748-6160.
Teens are invited to paly a Dungeons & Dragons campaign at 3 p.m. June 20. Participants can wear a costume. Snacks will be provided.
Through hands-on demonstrations, the Green Lake Association will discuss the local watershed at 4 p.m. June 21. Learn how Ripon can send cleaner water downstream to Green Lake.
Teens can show their pride in the community by creating hygiene kits for the local Hope on the Block box at 3 p.m. June 27 at Traded Treasures, 102 W. Jackson St., Ripon. Supplies are provided.
Promote the joy of painting and hide happy rocks about town. Paint a rock at the library at 4 p.m. June 28, add a hashtag, then hide it in a public place. If you find a rock, post a picture to the library’s Facebook page and hide it again.
▶ 'Grandpa and Lucy' play focuses on struggle with dementia: The Fond du Lac Public Library, Climb Theater and the ADRC of Fond du Lac County have partnered to host the intergenerational play “Grandpa and Lucy.”
The performance will be at 5:30 p.m. June 20 at the Fond du Lac Public Library in the McLane Room. Doors open at 5 p.m.
The play was inspired by the children’s book written by Edie Weinstein, “Grandpa and Lucy: A Story About Love & Dementia.” The story is intended to help families strengthen intergenerational relationships with older relatives who may be struggling with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia.
A talkback will follow the performance. Prior to the performance, informational resources will be provided along with snacks and beverages.
The event is free and intended for youth 5 and older with their families.
To reserve seats, visit inkypuppypaws.com.
▶ Ripon theater group stages comedy, 'Rogues' Gallery': The Ripon Area Community Theatre will offer performances of “Rogues’ Gallery,” a comedic Who Didn’t Do It? Mystery, at the Ripon High School Auditorium, 850 Tiger Drive.
Shows will be at 7 p.m. June 16 and 17 and 2:30 p.m. June 18. Seating is limited.
Tickets are $10 for 13 and older and free for 12 and younger. Purchase tickets online at showtix4u.com/event-details/74889 or at the door.
Read last week's top 3 stories:
- Walleye Weekend:Fond du Lac's welcome to summer is here. Here's everything to know.
- Lottery winner: Festival Foods in Fond du Lac sells second winning $1 million lottery ticket in 3 years
- Summer swimming: Fond du Lac, here's where to cool off this summer, from lakes to waterparks
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Contact Mara Wegner at mwegner@gannett.com or 920-996-7241. | https://www.fdlreporter.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/fond-du-lac-rosenow-elementary-inclusive-playground-finalist-dude-perfect-prize/70294128007/ | 2023-06-10T18:06:47 | 0 | https://www.fdlreporter.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/fond-du-lac-rosenow-elementary-inclusive-playground-finalist-dude-perfect-prize/70294128007/ |
Milwaukee police ask for public's help to find 'critical missing' 34-year-old woman
Nathaniel Rosenberg
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee police are asking for the public’s help in locating a “critical missing” 34-year-old woman.
The woman, Alysha M. Knop, was last seen on the 5500 block of N. 92nd St. at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday.
According to police, Knop is a white female with blonde hair and blue eyes. She's 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 85 pounds.
Knop was last seen wearing a red shirt and red pants.
Police ask that anyone with information about Knop call the Milwaukee Police Sensitive Crimes Division from 7 a.m. to midnight at 414-935-7405 or the Criminal Investigation Bureau from midnight to 8 a.m. at 414-935-7360.
"Critical missing" is a label police apply to missing people who may be especially vulnerable. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/milwaukee-police-looking-for-critical-missing-woman-alysha-m-knop/70309249007/ | 2023-06-10T18:10:53 | 0 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/milwaukee-police-looking-for-critical-missing-woman-alysha-m-knop/70309249007/ |
Pinal County teens explore law enforcement careers during three-day summer camp
On June 8, a group of students gathered at Poston Butte High School in San Tan Valley for an unusual demonstration — a staged school shooting intended to teach them about the criminal justice process and the variety of professionals involved.
The students kept their distance as a man in a ski mask ran into the school's atrium, where he pretended to fire a fake gun. Four volunteers acting as shooting victims were covered in fake blood. The Pinal County Sheriff’s Office swept the room, and a team of EMTs responded.
"There's a ton of resources that are coming together, and it's really in the interest of the kids," said Pinal County Attorney Kent Volkmer.
Roughly 50 high school students were treated to an up-close look at law enforcement careers at the Youth CSI Summer Camp held by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office. For over three days, participants from across the county learned about different aspects of a criminal investigation.
Volkmer said the program's goal is for students “to understand how the justice system truly works” and to spark interest in a law enforcement career.
Arizona education:School union leaders, district hope to move forward following tense school year
The program, which is in its second year, grew out of a forensic science class at Poston Butte that teacher Kayla Kully created.
Kully, whose background is in law enforcement, said that her course is a “hands-on” experience for students who are interested in crime scene investigation. Many of the summer camp participants have taken Kully's class. The Youth CSI Summer Camp expands the opportunity to learn about forensics to Pinal County students outside of Poston Butte.
The summer camp began with a class on Wednesday to walk the students through forensics basics. On Thursday, after the staged shooting, they collected evidence around the school. Then sheriff’s deputies apprehended and questioned a suspect. On the last day of camp, a mock trial was staged at the Pinal County Superior Court, where some students served as attorneys and jurors.
Volkmer said a case of this nature would typically take 18 months to three years to reach trial, but students only had to wait a day before seeing witnesses take the stand. The expedited timeline helps participants understand the many responsibilities of law enforcement careers.
"I want kids to walk away understanding what's fully involved before they decide to take on a career like that," Kully said.
Cody Daer, a youth cadet with the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, returned to the summer program this year. It has given him a sense of how law enforcement functions from multiple angles, he said. Someday, he said, he sees himself becoming a K-9 officer.
This is the first time a school shooting has been staged at the camp. Last year, the program tackled a scenario involving gun violence after a drug deal. Kully said the school shooting scenario is relevant for her students, who have regularly participated in active shooter drills.
“It’s very sensitive to have an active shooter inside a school building,” Kully said. “But that’s the reality of 2023.”
In the midst of collecting forensic evidence for the trial, students could speak with a licensed counselor, Laura Wood, about what they had just seen and felt. There are many ways traumatic events can affect someone’s day-to-day life, she said.
“You don’t have to be shot to have the trauma,” Wood said.
On the program's last day, a jury of students found the defendant guilty on all four counts.
Reach the reporters at serena.lin@gannett.com and helen.rummel@gannettt.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal-education/2023/06/10/pinal-county-free-csi-camp/70299305007/ | 2023-06-10T18:12:58 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal-education/2023/06/10/pinal-county-free-csi-camp/70299305007/ |
APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz. — A plane has crashed in the Hog Canyon area southeast of Flatiron in the Superstition Wilderness, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office confirmed Saturday morning.
Authorities said that multiple parties saw the plane go down, and air support was able to confirm the crash site.
Federal Aviation Administration officials identified the plane as a single-engine aircraft that took off from Falcon Field Airport in Mesa earlier in the morning.
Two people were onboard the aircraft. Authorities have not disclosed their identities at this time.
The PCSO said that they will share more information as details are confirmed. At this time it the make and model of the aircraft are unknown, as are the conditions of any people that may have been on board.
This is a developing story. Stay with 12News for more updates.
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Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/superstition-mountain-plane-crash-june/75-4fb51c3b-a642-449c-9ae4-9ab1e98894c9 | 2023-06-10T18:14:40 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/superstition-mountain-plane-crash-june/75-4fb51c3b-a642-449c-9ae4-9ab1e98894c9 |
Recently, a hospital CFO commented: “We need to continue to address our scope of services as the aging of America occurs with a huge increase in Medicaid patients.” Oops, Medicare is the insurance plan for people over 65. To add to the potential confusion, they both even sound alike. Ever heard someone trying to “guess” which is which? Let’s see if we can clarify and simplify.
Medicare: Medicare was created in 1965 to provide healthcare coverage for people 65 and over. It will also cover some disabled and end-stage renal disease patients. It is funded thru taxation on earnings for Part A/in-hospital & skilled nursing care and monthly premiums for Part B/doctor visits, outpatient hospital care and DME. Part D/prescription drugs was added in 2006 with a monthly premium. There is no long-term care, defined as long term placement or residing in a nursing home, available thru Medicare. Being retired is not required to be eligible for Medicare. As each person turns 65, a decision to leave their commercial plan and move to Medicare should be evaluated. Compare all the out-of-pocket expenses with Medicare A,B,D vs. the commercial plan as choices exist when turning 65 and then again during the normal open enrollment period.
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Medicaid: Medicaid is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also can cover services not covered by Medicare -specifically nursing home care and personal care services. There are people who are eligible for Medicare and then low-income assistance thru Medicaid – referred to as Dual coverage. Other coverage can include low-income adults, children, pregnant women, and people with disabilities. Each state has different rules for eligibility including the scope of services. Medicaid is a state and federally funded program for eligible patients. The Health Insurance Association of America describes Medicaid as “a government insurance program for persons of all ages whose income and resources are insufficient to pay for health care.”
Medicare vs. Medicaid: Medicare is the healthcare benefit for people 65 and over. Medicaid is healthcare assistance for income-eligible individuals of any age – but depends on whether your state expanded Medicaid for many part-time, low income with jobs, & patients with no ability to get commercial insurance. Hope this helps the next time you think – which is which?
Hot update
The Medicaid Redetermination-nationwide- began on April 1, 2023. During the three-year public health emergency, all Medicaid recipients were not screened for income eligibility (different per state) -it was called Continuous Coverage. This ensured there was a payment source and coverage when Medicaid patients needed care during the public health emergency/COVID-19. (Medicaid payment rates average 30% of billed charges with the healthcare provider absorbing all remaining charges,) On April 1, 2023, each state began their own rollout to begin the ‘redetermination/re-eligibility” screening of all Medicaid recipients. It is highly important that the Dept of Health & Welfare has the most recent address. Initial contact is by mail with high probability of dis-enrollment if mail is returned/rejected. Don’t let this happen and ensure it is current.
Day Egusquiza is the president and founder of the Patient Financial Navigator Foundation Inc. — an Idaho-based family foundation. For more information, call 208-423-9036 or go to pfnfinc.com. Do you have a topic for Health Care Buzz? Please share at daylee1@mindspring.com. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/health-care-buzz-medicare-vs-medicaid/article_b267e322-0644-11ee-a1f0-4b9f763c943a.html | 2023-06-10T18:24:56 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/health-care-buzz-medicare-vs-medicaid/article_b267e322-0644-11ee-a1f0-4b9f763c943a.html |
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry recommends a list of safety tips and measures for Ohioans to avoid wildfires and be cautious.
“All Ohioans, but particularly homeowners, farmers and woodland owners should be cautious during this dry period,” ODNR Division of Forestry Assistant Chief Greg Guess said in a press release by ODNR. “Most of the wildfire fuels in Ohio are currently dry and will stay this way until we have significant rainfall. Current dry weather patterns with warm temperatures, low humidity and wind are increasing the risk of wildland fires in Ohio.”
Residents can take measures to prevent accidental wildfires such as avoiding burning trash and debris, keeping grass trimmed, not discarding cigarettes and other smoking materials outside, postponing fireworks and being careful with open cooking fires or campfire, according to ODNR. Farmers should also be regularly checking their equipment for any issues.
Here are a list of guidelines to follow before having a campfire:
Before:
- Make sure you have a source of water, a bucket and shovel nearby at all times.
- Choose a spot that’s protected from wind gusts and at least 15 feet from your tent, gear, and anything flammable.
- Clear a 10-foot diameter area around your campfire spot by removing leaves, grass and anything burnable down to the dirt.
- Don’t build your campfire near plants or under tree limbs or other flammable material hanging overhead.
- If allowed, dig a pit for your campfire, about 1-foot deep, in the center of the cleared area.Build a fire ring around the pit with rocks to create a barrier.
- Don’t use any type of flammable liquid to start your fire.
During:
- Keep your fire small.
- Always keep water and a shovel nearby and know how to use them to put out your campfire.
- Be sure an adult is always watching the fire.
- Keep an eye on the weather. Sudden wind gusts can blow sparks into vegetation outside your cleared area, causing unexpected fires.
After:
- If possible, allow your campfire to burn out completely to ashes.
- Drown the campfire ashes with lots of water.
- Use a shovel to stir the ashes and water into a ‘mud pie.’ Be sure to scrape around the edges of the fire to get all the ashes mixed in.
- Drown the ashes with water again.
- Check that your campfire is cold before leaving. Hold your bare hand just above the wet ashes, especially around the edges of the fire. DO NOT touch the ashes or you might burn yourself.
- If you feel heat, stir more water into the ashes.
- When the ashes are cold, disassemble your fire ring and scatter the rocks.
- If you built your campfire in a fire pit, be sure it’s filled in with wet dirt.
If you see any signs of wildfire in your area, call your local fire department to report it.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/odnr-urges-residents-to-take-precautions-during-dry-conditions-at-risk-for-fires/GONALOVKARE7PAHGMF37YYAXFI/ | 2023-06-10T18:27:26 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/odnr-urges-residents-to-take-precautions-during-dry-conditions-at-risk-for-fires/GONALOVKARE7PAHGMF37YYAXFI/ |
At the end of her time in high school, Tamara Davis realized she has quite a lot to offer the world.
She may have first known after she finished giving a speech to a crowd of over 70 about her Gold Award project, the highest achievement in Girl Scouts. To accomplish this, Davis chose to use two things fundamental to her character: her desire to help others and her love of graphic design and art.
These exceptional abilities created four murals and two bulletin boards for classmates and teachers at Southwest Guilford. Anyone could take a look at these beautiful public displays and also pull out positive messages to carry with them for the rest of the day.
Davis' project had a goal important to the modern world: encouraging others to have a positive mindset and to take care of their mental health — something that Davis' principals and teachers helped her understand throughout high school.
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"Coach Black helped me with the project. My teachers and principals always inspired me to come out of my shell, and created good days for me," Davis said. Her friends made sure that she made many good memories at Southwest Guilford.
Davis is not only a talented graphic designer. She played her first varsity tennis match as early as her sophomore year, excelling in both singles and doubles, and she also has skill as a writer. Her essay "Form of Resistance: All the different strategies that African Americans used during the civil rights era" placed third in a school competition.
In the fall, Davis will be heading to N.C. A&T to continue to study graphic design, which she knows can lead her to a variety of career paths such as advertising, marketing, and video-game design.
Davis graduated with the Southwest Guilford's class of 2023. The graduation ceremony took place Saturday in the Greensboro Coliseum. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/graduate-profile-southwest-guilfords-tamara-davis/article_c62f06fc-06fc-11ee-a931-2b2f0a5fca44.html | 2023-06-10T18:40:31 | 0 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/graduate-profile-southwest-guilfords-tamara-davis/article_c62f06fc-06fc-11ee-a931-2b2f0a5fca44.html |
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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/beauty-queens-claim-alpha-kappa-alpha-fashionetta-titles/article_4cfc26f8-07aa-11ee-bd58-e3e25e245aa2.html | 2023-06-10T18:42:43 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/beauty-queens-claim-alpha-kappa-alpha-fashionetta-titles/article_4cfc26f8-07aa-11ee-bd58-e3e25e245aa2.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/phoebe-marks-40th-anniversary-of-first-open-heart-surgery/article_57ed3c24-07b3-11ee-b237-471eb07833b0.html | 2023-06-10T18:42:49 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/phoebe-marks-40th-anniversary-of-first-open-heart-surgery/article_57ed3c24-07b3-11ee-b237-471eb07833b0.html |
Rep. George Santos wants to protect family members by asking the courts to keep his bond cosigners secret as he fights criminal charges, his lawyer told a Long Island federal judge Friday as he asked her to reverse a magistrate judge's decision to make the names public.
Attorney Joseph Murray said in a letter to Judge Joanna Seybert, who is based in Central Islip, New York, that Santos would agree to the disclosure that there is a “family” relationship between the Republican congressman and those who signed his bond.
News media outlets have challenged the sealing of records regarding the cosigners after Santos pleaded not guilty on May 10 to a 13-count indictment charging that he duped donors, stole from his campaign, lied to Congress about being a millionaire and cheated to collect unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve.
The New York Times first sought to unseal the names and other news outlets, including The Associated Press, soon followed. Lawyers for the news entities did not immediately comment Friday.
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Santos, 34, who represents parts of Queens and Long Island, has refused to resign and plans to seek a second term.
On Tuesday, U.S. Magistrate Judge Anne Shields ordered that the names be revealed but gave Santos until Friday to appeal. Murray had told Shields that Santos would rather go to jail than subject bond cosigners to the kind of threats he has gotten.
Murray filed a letter with Seybert on Friday morning.
In it, he repeatedly decried the “media frenzy” that has surrounded the criminal case, saying that three individuals lined up to cosign his bond “grew very fearful and concerned” on May 10 and one of them had a “change of heart and backed out.”
Murray said he publicly notified the House Ethics Committee that those who signed his bond were family members and not lobbyists, donors or others seeking to influence Santos, and he was willing to do the same in court documents.
In asking Seybert to overturn the magistrate judge's decision, Murray wrote that Shields “failed to perceive the importance of the privacy issues” facing the cosigners.
Murray said Santos has faced “hateful attacks” since his arrest and been confronted with individuals who were “extremely angry, anti-gay, anti-Republican and all around anti-social.” Prior to Friday, Murray has said he, Santos and Santos’ staff have been receiving threatening and harassing calls and messages, including death threats.
If the names of the cosigners are revealed, they too might face attacks, he argued in Friday's letter.
“Moreover, given the political temperature in this Country and acts of political violence that occur, the privacy interests of these suretors are far more concerning, especially considering their ages and respective employment,” Murray wrote.
In a May 23 letter requesting release of the names, attorney Dana Green wrote on behalf of the Times that the First Amendment required public access to the identities of those who signed the bond.
She said the signing of the bond “presents an obvious opportunity for political influence,” but she also noted that the public has an interest in ensuring that Santos appears in court and in exercising oversight of the effectiveness of the bond.
___
Associated Press Writer Michael R. Sisak contributed to this report. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/rep-santos-says-hes-protecting-family-members-by-seeking-to-keep-bond-cosigners-secret/4409411/ | 2023-06-10T18:43:43 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/rep-santos-says-hes-protecting-family-members-by-seeking-to-keep-bond-cosigners-secret/4409411/ |
Air quality improves to moderate levels after days of hazy conditions in Delaware, region
A smoky haze that lingered across Delaware for several days due to Canadian wildfires cleared up significantly on Saturday morning.
The First State recorded “moderate” air quality conditions on Saturday, meaning acceptable conditions but some sensitive people may wish to limit outdoor exposure, according to AirNow.gov, a government-run air-quality monitoring website.
One major improvement Saturday morning: The sky was visible and much of the smoke that blanketed Delaware was gone. The conditions represent a stark contrast from Wednesday, when much of the state reported an air quality index above 200, which is categorized as “very unhealthy" and officials recommended residents stay indoors as much as possible and wear masks outside.
When did air quality start to improve?
Most parts of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey began seeing air quality index numbers drop throughout Thursday night into Friday. However, through Friday, Delaware and Pennsylvania were still under a Code Orange air quality alert, and New Jersey issued an Air Quality Action Day statewide.
As of 1 p.m. Saturday, the latest air quality index in much of Delaware and surrounding areas was in the “yellow” zone, a moderate range of 51-100. Here are the air quality index numbers through the Delaware Valley, according to AirNow.
- Philadelphia: 92
- New Castle County: 81
- Sussex County: 73
- Wilmington: 81
- Doylestown, PA: 92
- Levittown, PA: 68
- Yardley, PA: 92
- Cherry Hill, NJ: 68
- Mount Holly, NJ: 68
- Atlantic City, NJ: 70
Impact of the Canadian wildfires
So far, more than 6.7 million Canadian acres have burned in 2023, federal officials announced last week, marking one of the worst starts to wildfire season. Around 14,000 people were forced to evacuate Quebec, and there are reports of over 150 fires, CBC News reported.
The poor air quality led some Delaware sports leagues to postpone games and practices on Thursday. In addition, Delaware Park, a casino and racetrack in Stanton, canceled live horse racing on Wednesday and Thursday.
Low visibility from the haze also forced temporary "ground stops" on all flights out of New York's LaGuardia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport early Thursday.
What can Delawareans expect this weekend?
As air quality improves, the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey, reports that we should enjoy the rest of the weekend. Sunny skies are expected with highs in the 80s on Saturday and Sunday.
Smoke and haze will continue to depart through the weekend, according to the weather service.
Contact local reporter Cameron Goodnight at cgoodnight@delawareonline.com, or by calling or texting 302-324-2208. Follow him on Twitter at @CamGoodnight. | https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/air-quality-delaware-pennsylvania-new-jersey-canadian-fires-update/70307871007/ | 2023-06-10T18:44:50 | 1 | https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/air-quality-delaware-pennsylvania-new-jersey-canadian-fires-update/70307871007/ |
VENICE, Fla. — A man is in the hospital with serious injuries after a helicopter crash Saturday morning, according to the city of Venice.
Officials say a call came in around 11:30 a.m. about a small helicopter that crashed into a fence between Venice Municipal Airport and the Festival Grounds.
The pilot was the only person onboard the helicopter and was taken to a local hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities say airport management is on the scene and making Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notifications.
No events are taking place at the Airport Festival Grounds this weekend. No further details were released at this time. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/man-seriously-injured-after-helicopter-crash-venice/67-3794b391-c769-497d-bf75-786aa0c22134 | 2023-06-10T18:46:53 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/man-seriously-injured-after-helicopter-crash-venice/67-3794b391-c769-497d-bf75-786aa0c22134 |
BALTIMORE — Baltimore Police have arrested one person in connection to deadly stabbing that happened Saturday in the Northern district.
Around 6:33 p.m., officers responded to the 400 block of Lorraine Avenue for a report of a stabbing.
When they arrived, they found a 43-year-old woman lying unresponsive, suffering from an apparent stab wound.
She was later pronounced dead by medics a short time later. A relative of the victim was taken into custody at the location after admitting to officers that he stabbed the victim.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Baltimore Police Department Homicide detectives at 410-396-2100. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/relative-arrested-for-deadly-stabbing-in-northern-baltimore | 2023-06-10T18:50:02 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/relative-arrested-for-deadly-stabbing-in-northern-baltimore |
LEBANON, Va. (WJHL) – News Channel 11 has confirmed that the Curklin’s location in Lebanon, Virginia has permanently closed.
The restaurant opened in late December 2022 following a lengthy renovation process of the Old Mill property.
Old Mill Ventures was awarded a $50,000 grant by the town to help drive economic tourism downtown by bringing a restaurant to the heart of Downtown. No word yet on if or how the closure will impact the status of the grant.
Saturday morning, Matthew Lindamood of Old Mill Ventures confirmed Curklin’s Management was no longer involved in the Lebanon location and is speaking with potential tenants to get the restaurant back up and running soon.
Lindamood said the property was left in excellent condition and new tenants will easily be able to pick up where they left off.
Lindamood and his team hope to have the restaurant back up and running and at full capacity as soon as possible. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/curklins-lebanon-location-permanently-closed/ | 2023-06-10T18:55:21 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/curklins-lebanon-location-permanently-closed/ |
The rainbow came before the rain at Lincoln's third annual Pride parade Saturday morning.
The Star City Pride Parade started at 9:30 a.m. Saturday around the state Capitol — nearly three weeks after Gov. Jim Pillen signed LB574 into law, restricting access to abortions and gender-affirming care for minors.
The rain held up as hundreds wrapped around the Capitol and as the parade passed by twice in about 30 minutes. From motorcycles and drag queens to puppies and balloons, nearly 40 groups participated in the parade.
Andrew Farias, community outreach coordinator for Star City Pride Events said the event was a success. This was his second year attending the parade and his first time on the Board of Directors.
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“It’s really phenomenal for Star City Pride Events to be visibly present,” Farias said. “Especially around the Nebraska state Capitol, which is a very central part of Lincoln. I think that it’s really vital that we are visible, that we’re present, not just to the queer community but to the city of Lincoln as a whole.”
Signs reading “You Can’t Erase Us” and “You Are Safe Here” were plentiful around the crowds. Beaded necklaces, pride stickers, candy and ‘mom hugs’ were handed out to supporters of all ages in attendance.
Kendra Carlson of Lincoln was one of the many moms at the parade handing out hugs. She attended the parade on behalf of her nonbinary teenager.
“It’s the least I can do, and if I get to hug anybody today, I’ll tell them that they’re perfect,” Carlson said. “I have a kid that I have the privilege of supporting and I know how hard it is still for them. I can’t imagine and it breaks my heart that anybody, even if their mom has passed or is not with them, doesn’t have that kind of support.”
This was Carlson’s second time attending the Pride parade in Lincoln.
“I’m relieved that it wasn’t disturbed and also I can feel people holding back,” Carlson said. “I totally get it, people have to protect themselves. I miss the indigenous people. We just do the best we can and hopefully next year will be a lot better and a lot safer.”
Those in support of the parade came from surrounding areas as well including Emma Radziunas from Bellevue. She walked in the parade with the Omaha Pride Guard for her second time.
“It was just so exciting seeing everyone coming together and just celebrating who we are and just having fun,” Radziunas said. “Especially with everything going on, it’s just nice to have a little happy moment.”
Other organizations also attended the parade such as St. Paul United Methodist Church, NRC Health, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Winslow’s Wardrobe, Zoetis, Star City Chorus and the parade sponsor, Ameritas.
Bryson Cole and Ben VandeVere walked with St. Paul United Methodist Church in flashy gold outfits expressing the community they love. VandeVere, a cosplay artist, spent nearly 100 hours creating the shiny gold costumes.
“I really wanted it, of course, to be fabulous because we wanted to celebrate here with pride,” VandeVere said. “The whole point for me with pride is that it’s such a heightened level of expression that we get to show and emulate consistently throughout the day.”
VandeVere has attended the parade each year and has spent the past two years walking in it. He said that each year, the crowd seems to grow in numbers.
“It’s always so heartwarming to see the amount of love that is still persistent,” VandeVere said. “We’re not going to be able to continue pushing forward and progressing through this nasty war that we have to fight if we don't remember why we’re doing it and come back and feel the love.”
As for Bryson, this was his first time in the parade and was glad to see the young children in attendance supported by their parents.
“It’s always so nice to see the support, not just from the queer community, but all the allies who come out to support you,” Bryson said. “At the end of the day, it’s about love.” | https://journalstar.com/news/local/hundreds-gather-at-nebraska-capitol-to-celebrate-lincolns-third-pride-parade/article_b7e0f1f6-06e7-11ee-8e1d-8fe23b737134.html | 2023-06-10T18:58:11 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/hundreds-gather-at-nebraska-capitol-to-celebrate-lincolns-third-pride-parade/article_b7e0f1f6-06e7-11ee-8e1d-8fe23b737134.html |
A 68-year-old woman was killed Friday evening when authorities say her car was struck by a van whose driver ran a red light at an intersection on Tucson's south side.
Estela Gallegos was driving east on East Drexel Road just after 5 p.m when she entered the intersection at South Palo Verde Road, the Pima County Sheriff's Department said Saturday in a news release.
A southbound van driven by 64-year-old Ignacio Peña drove
through the intersection on a red light, colliding with Gallegos' vehicle, the release said.
Gallegos died at the hospital.
Peña had minor injuries. He was cited for causing death by moving violation, the news release said.
The crash is still being investigated. | https://tucson.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/woman-killed-in-crash-on-tucsons-south-side/article_318b377c-07ac-11ee-b490-77d6951e910e.html | 2023-06-10T19:12:51 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/woman-killed-in-crash-on-tucsons-south-side/article_318b377c-07ac-11ee-b490-77d6951e910e.html |
All day, people drive up to Tucson City Councilmember Steve Kozachik's office in midtown, pull out bags of plastic garbage and dump them in a large, orange roll-off container.
It's been like this for many months, since Kozachik started a test program last year of accepting non-recyclable plastic and transferring it to a company that makes blocks used in construction.
"It’s unbelievably popular," Kozachik said. "The roll-off is being emptied six days a week now."
The project has revealed a huge pent-up demand in Tucson to do something better with our waste plastic. And it appears to be a better process than traditional plastic recycling, using improved methods and more types of plastic. Still, it leaves the deeper problem unsolved and may perpetuate the misperception that we are doing something significant if we steer a bit of our plastic away from the landfills.
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In May, the city entered into a deal with the company that makes the plastic blocks, ByFusion, to set up a production site at Los Reales Landfill. The city will build a $2.4 million structure in which ByFusion will place its block-making machine to start churning out construction materials from our waste plastic.
The 22-pound blocks are used the same way as cinder block, but they are interlocking, like Legos, so they are easier to use. Non-recyclable plastics will be collected at four sites to make the block, and potentially could divert significant waste away from the landfill.
That is a good thing, on one level. But it also perpetuates a misconception thatthe industry has been spreading for decades — that recycling plastic makes buying plastic ok. It doesn't.
As PBS Frontline and National Public Radio revealed in 2020, the idea of recycling plastic emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a marketing effort. The oil and gas industry realized that the image of plastics was dangerously bad among the American public, which viewed it, correctly, as polluting.
Their solution: Promote the idea of recycling plastic. I say "the idea" because so little plastic has ever been recycled. They stamped the chasing-arrows recycling symbol on plastic containers, included a code for the type of plastic it is, and, functionally, misled the public into thinking plastic isn't so permanent after all, that it's OK to buy it if you put it in a recycling bin at the end.
But very little plastic is ever recycled, in part because it costs too much to recycle most plastics. In Tucson, only four types of plastic are recyclable through the municipal program — largely those used in bottles and jugs.
And much of the American plastic that goes into recycling bins ends up shipped abroad to an uncertain fate. For a couple of decades, China accepted our junk plastic by the containerloads, but it stopped in 2018. As PBS and NPR revealed, Indonesia replaced China as an importer for a time, and plastic exported there might be recycled, might be dumped, might be burned, and might end up in the ocean.
Worse, a recent study found that even the process of recycling plastic can be bad for the environment. The analysis of water discharge from a plastic-recycling plant in the United Kingdom found substantial microplastics were discharged with the wash water used in the plant.
It shouldn't be surprising that slicing up plastic to recycle it releases microplastic pieces into the environment, but now we know. Trying to save the environment, we still pollute it.
The ByFusion process is better than normal recycling, CEO Heidi Kujawa explained in an email.
"Instead of grinding plastic into particles, we cut the raw material, which is then transferred to a confined chamber," she said. "Inside this chamber, the plastic undergoes our fusion process, resulting in the formation of the ByBlock. Unlike conventional recycling, where plastic is ground down to particles, our process reduces items like a regular potato chip bag to only 6-8 larger pieces."
So that is better. But of course the ByFusion process also likely releases some microplastics. And the company acknowledges that using ByBlock will also lead to some plastic debris. An answer on the company's Frequently Asked Questions page notes:
"Every ByBlock purchase comes with a collection bag for construction debris. Because ByBlock is created using only steam and compression (no melting or extrusion) it is normal to have some pieces fall away when rough handling the material. These can be collected and sent back to ByFusion and we can use the debris to make more ByBlock!"
One of the authors of the recent study, Erina Brown, pointed out in an email to me that their research shows the initial milling and washing of the plastic is what releases microplastics in the typical recycling process.
She went on, "Unless I have misunderstood the meaning of this construction bag (which I understand to be essentially a large bag for manual collection of pieces visible to he human eye), this will be insufficient in collecting the likely majority of 'pieces fallen away' during any cutting — the majority of which I expect to be microplastics invisible to the naked human eye."
Kujawa explained that ByFusion intends to ship only the precise quantity of blocks needed.
"In the event that cuts are required during the construction process, builders can conveniently sweep up the offcuts and send them back to us. These off-cuts can then be converted back into new ByBlocks through our recycling process, ensuring a closed-loop system and minimizing any potential waste."
It's a better, more conscientuous process, but the fact is, plastic is plastic. Once it is made, it is destructive no matter what we do with it. I asked Kozachik about that, and he noted that he has received some criticisms from people, but he says it's worth a minor amount of microplastics production to make use of all this previously unusable plastic waste.
"It would be wonderful if we could say, 'Stop using plastic.' It’s not going to happen."
The oil and gas industry is counting on us not going that direction. They are depending on plastics as a "plan B" that will make up an increasing portion of their revenue as demand for more traditional oil and gas products decline.
And that's the real problem. A powerful industry needs us to keep buying single-use plastics, relying on us believing that they will be recycled somewhere somehow, when they very rarely will be, even with innovative products like ByBlock.
The plastic itself remains the problem.
Tim Steller is an opinion columnist. A 25-year veteran of reporting and editing, he digs into issues and stories that matter in the Tucson area, reports the results and tells you his conclusions. Contact him at tsteller@tucson.com or 520-807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/tim-stellers-column-despite-new-tucson-project-recycling-plastic-is-problematic/article_3506cc76-0005-11ee-a3a0-53eabc15acb2.html | 2023-06-10T19:12:57 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/tim-stellers-column-despite-new-tucson-project-recycling-plastic-is-problematic/article_3506cc76-0005-11ee-a3a0-53eabc15acb2.html |
Q. A few years ago, I got a judgment against someone for a specific amount, that I recorded so it would be a lien on his property, but now a friend told me that I should look at renewing that judgment. Do I have to renew my judgment? What does that mean?
A. Obtaining a judgment concludes a case. Recording an abstract of judgment creates a lien on the judgment debtor’s non-exempt real property within that county, and an abstract can be recorded in multiple counties. However, the judgment, the abstract and the lien are not effective forever. While judgments for child support and for crime victims’ restitution are treated differently, it sounds like you have a general civil judgment.
The applicable statute, Idaho Code § 10-1110, currently specifies that “(t)he lien resulting from recording of a judgment … continues ten (10) years from the date of the judgment,” unless the judgment is paid (satisfied) or unless there is an appeal pending (which usually pauses or “stays” enforcement of judgment). That is to say that the lien created by a recorded abstract of judgment lasts for 10 years from the date the judge signed the judgment — not from the date it was recorded. Unless the judgment is renewed, it will lapse and no longer constitute a lien.
Before 2015, this statute only provided for a five-year time period. As the Idaho Supreme Court has explained, this means that “(t)he ten year lien time applies only to judgments issued on and after July 1, 2015,” Smith v. Smith, 164 Idaho 46, 50, n. 3 and 4 (2018) (citations omitted) (available online at https://isc.idaho.gov/opinions/44970.pdf). Thus, judgments from before July 1, 2015, must be renewed every five years until it is satisfied, while judgments from after that date must be renewed every 10 years until it is satisfied.
Renewing a judgment requires a motion (which is subject to payment of a fee, currently categorized as K.6., which is $29) that can be supported by a declaration or affidavit, all of which needs to show the status of the currently operative judgment (from the original judgment through any prior renewals), that it has not expired, that it remains unsatisfied and the amount due in the renewed judgment. The amount can increase from the face value of the original judgment because of the accrual of interest on all judgments. Each year, pursuant to statute, the Idaho State Treasurer annually publishes the legal rate of interest on all judgments entered during that year. This interest rate is available online at https://sto.idaho.gov/Reports/Legal-Rate-of-Interest.
D. Andrew Rawlings is an attorney practicing in Idaho Falls.
This column is provided by the 7th District Bar Association as a public service. Submit questions to “It’s the Law,” P.O. Box 50130, Idaho Falls, ID 83405, or by email to rfarnam@holdenlegal.com. This column is for general information. Readers with specific legal questions should consult an attorney. A lawyer referral service is provided by calling the Idaho State Bar Association in Boise at 208-334-4500.
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BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas — Mother nature is doing its thing with the heat in Houston.
We, humans, aren't the only ones feeling the effects of the scorching weather. Seas of dead fish are washing up along the coast of Brazoria County because of the hot temperatures.
Katie St. Clair, the sea life facility manager at Texas A&M University at Galveston, said the fish simply can't breathe because of the lower-than-normal, dissolved oxygen in the water.
“As we get these warmer Gulf water temperatures, the water itself has less capacity to hold dissolved oxygen, which of course is really important and essential for the fish and other animals to breathe," she said.
St. Clair said this phenomenon affects schools of fish the most.
A video posted on social media shows hundreds -- and we mean hundreds -- of fish washed ashore on Bryan Beach in Freeport, Texas.
“It's still alarming to see that and just because it's a natural occurrence doesn't mean it's necessarily a pleasant one," said Bryan Frazier, Brazoria County's park director.
Less wave action has also been a contributor to the dead fish.
Brazoria County has used heavy equipment to rake up the dead fish. They then bury them in the dunes to take away the smell. The fish become compost, which serves as a health park of the ecosystem for the dune grass.
As wild as this is, this isn't all that uncommon.
“It’s happened before," one beachgoer we talked to said. "I’ve seen it twice.”
It's hard to say how long this will last, but it's an issue the county said it will continue to deal with.
The Texas Department and Wildlife Department released the following statement on the dead fish:
"According to the Kills and Spills Team in Region 3, the fish kill was investigated and it was determined to have been caused by a low dissolved oxygen event. The species most impacted was Gulf menhaden. Fish kills like this are common in the summer when temperatures increase. If there isn't enough oxygen in the water, fish can't "breathe." Low dissolved oxygen in many cases is a natural occurrence. Daily variations in dissolved oxygen concentration are attributed to photosynthesis and aerobic respiration. Increased dissolved oxygen during the day is a result of photosynthesis which is driven by sunlight. Photosynthesis stops at night and may slow down on cloudy days, but plants and animals in the water continue to respire and consume free oxygen, decreasing the dissolved oxygen concentration. Often before a kill event occurs, fish can be seen trying to get oxygen by gulping at the surface of the water early in the morning. Some fish may also be lying on the bottom or at the edge of the water." | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/dead-fish-texas-coast/285-27758df0-5825-4e7a-aacd-d91232d974ce | 2023-06-10T19:25:37 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/dead-fish-texas-coast/285-27758df0-5825-4e7a-aacd-d91232d974ce |
EVERMAN, Texas — Nearly three months since police began investigating the case of missing Everman boy Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, who police believe is dead, there’s still no sign of the 6-year-old’s body.
The Everman Police Department released airport surveillance photos Friday of Noel’s family preparing to board a flight out of the country without Noel.
“They just continued on through the airport like it was just another day,” Everman Chief Police Craig Spencer said.
The photos, captured in March at DFW Airport, are the last U.S. sighting of the family. Noel's mother, stepfather and six siblings boarded an international flight to Turkey on March 25, then flew to New Dehli, India. Noel was last seen the last week of October 2022, police said.
“This is your child. Why would you wanna completely leave the country? Unless it’s something nefarious,” Spencer said.
There are warrants out for the arrest of Noel’s mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh and his stepfather, Arshdeep Singh.
Everman police were called in March to the family’s home, a converted backyard shed on Wisteria Drive.
Police say Noel’s mother told them the boy was with his biological father in Mexico. Police say they’ve determined that statement to be false, along with a rumor that the child may have been sold.
Everman police turned Noel’s case into a death investigation on April 6.
“Almost immediately after law enforcement starts questioning them about Noel, they rushed to the airport in a rush to get out of the country,” Spencer said.
According to Everman police, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh paid for a new concrete patio in the backyard where the family lived.
On April 11, investigators tore through the concrete patio. Newly-released police footage shows several cadaver dogs alert to soil in one particular area repeatedly. Police say a carpet Ashdeep Singh disposed of used to sit above the soil cadaver dogs alerted to.
Cadaver dogs also alerted to the carpet, which police recovered from a dump. Police say Noel's stepdad disposed of the carpet days before the family flew out of the country.
Noel’s remains may have sat on the carpet at some point, but to date, nothing forensic has been found, Spencer said.
Police say Arshdeep Singh allegedly stole thousands in company cash to purchase the plane tickets used to flee out of the country.
Spencer told WFAA investigators are still working the case, along with a new team of investigators to ensure they’ve checked every bit of information. The lack of physical evidence in the case has been a challenge, he said, but investigators have uncovered new information the department isn’t ready to release.
“I’m confident in the team, the investigation and where it’s going,” Spencer said.
Billboards in Everman and along Fort Worth highways remind drivers the little boy's body is still missing.
“I do worry that we may never find his body,” Spencer said. “But that’s not gonna stop us from doing our jobs, from seeking justice.”
Spencer said the missing piece of this puzzle is bringing Noel’s mother and stepfather back to the states for questioning, but federal agents tasked with extradition have not provided him with an update.
Police have obtained arrest warrants for Cindy Rodriguez-Singh and Arshdeep Singh on charges of abandoning or endangering a child. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/everman-police-airport-photos-missing-everman-boy-noels-family-fleeing-country/287-52d4b1c7-4102-42c2-9f8c-ff90432f2241 | 2023-06-10T19:25:43 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/everman-police-airport-photos-missing-everman-boy-noels-family-fleeing-country/287-52d4b1c7-4102-42c2-9f8c-ff90432f2241 |
SAN ANTONIO — SAPD is releasing new surveillance video in hopes of someone identifying the suspect who shot and killed a man Wednesday.
Police responded around 8:52 p.m. to the 800 block of W Laurel after a witness reported a shooting.
They found 35-year-old Eloy Hernandez with a gunshot wound. He was able to tell officers that he had been walking down the street when he got into an argument with two men in the middle of the road. One of the men pulled out a weapon and shot him.
Despite an extensive search of the area, no suspects were found and no arrests have yet been made.
Saturday, police released new video that shows two men arguing in the street. Take a look at the full video below:
Police also released a photo of Hernandez Saturday.
If you know anything about this crime, you are urged to call Crime Stoppers at 224-STOP and you could get a reward of up to $5,000. You can also choose to remain anonymous.
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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/new-surveillance-video-released-in-murder-of-man-in-the-five-points-area-san-antonio-texas/273-4cd58a6c-6b40-44f3-8f17-3c9e8e67bbfc | 2023-06-10T19:25:50 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/new-surveillance-video-released-in-murder-of-man-in-the-five-points-area-san-antonio-texas/273-4cd58a6c-6b40-44f3-8f17-3c9e8e67bbfc |
SAN ANGELO, Texas — The city of San Angelo experienced severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings June 9, resulting in tree limbs in various areas falling to the ground.
The landfill is closed June 10 but will be open June 12 for tree limb disposal at 3002 Old Ballinger Highway, where citizens are required to provide their utility bill in order to access the free once-a-month services.
Bulk pickup options will also be available and the city encourages smaller limbs to be bundled together. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/city-of-san-angelo-provides-tree-limb-disposal-information-after-june-9-thunderstorms/504-88134813-34a2-4a80-9b05-072ed4aa83d2 | 2023-06-10T19:30:58 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/city-of-san-angelo-provides-tree-limb-disposal-information-after-june-9-thunderstorms/504-88134813-34a2-4a80-9b05-072ed4aa83d2 |
VENICE, Fla. — It's pretty common to find a shark tooth in Venice, "the Shark Tooth Capital of the World," but not one to this magnitude.
While diving near the end of May, Michael Nastasio found the largest megalodon tooth he's ever discovered yet just a few miles off of Venice Beach. Measuring 6.25 inches, combined with the colors, Nastasio said it's rare to find a tooth like this in the area.
"It's the tooth that our dreams are made of," he said.
When he saw it, Nastasio said he couldn't believe his eyes.
"I had to come to the surface to even catch my breath," he added.
Nastasio found the tooth about 35 feet below. He said it's a memory he'll never forget.
Megalodons roamed the oceans 10 million years ago. Many people who visit Venice can find shark teeth ranging from sand, lemon, Mako, bull, whitetip and megalodons. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/florida-diver-finds-megalodon-tooth-venice/67-7dd5542d-df0d-43d2-bcf4-b76fd4f47ee3 | 2023-06-10T19:31:04 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/florida-diver-finds-megalodon-tooth-venice/67-7dd5542d-df0d-43d2-bcf4-b76fd4f47ee3 |
DALLAS — A popular dating show is getting ready to premiere its latest season -- and this time it's helping singles find love in Dallas.
"Ready to Love" premieres its eighth season July 7 on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).
The show features 18 men and women in their 30s and 40s who are looking for their special someone -- even through all the drama that comes with the television show.
A trailer for the newest season can be seen here:
While it's unclear where the show will take the 18 love seekers, fans in North Texas should keep an eye out for popular landmarks and dating spots in the area.
The show airs at 7 p.m. CT Friday on OWN.
This is second time in a year that a popular dating show has been set in the Dallas area.
In late 2022, Netflix's "Love Is Blind" had its third season in North Texas, featuring 30 singles from the area. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/ready-to-love-dallas-new-season-own/287-ee4cc573-0f9d-46df-ac00-f7cf52f140ee | 2023-06-10T19:31:10 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/ready-to-love-dallas-new-season-own/287-ee4cc573-0f9d-46df-ac00-f7cf52f140ee |
ARLINGTON, Ind. — Police have issued a Silver Alert in the search for a teen missing from Rush County.
The Rush County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the disappearance of Valerie Tindall, 17.
Tindall is 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 162 pounds and has brown hair with hazel eyes.
She was last seen wearing a light blue shirt, jean shorts and sandals and driving a green 2000 Honda Accord with Indiana license plate ZYK833.
Tindall is missing from Arlington, Indiana and was last seen on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. She is believed to be in extreme danger.
If you have information, contact the Rush County Sheriff’s Department at 765-932-2931 or 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-teen-missing-from-rush-county-valerie-tindall-arlington/531-ed4733ae-4f32-4701-9076-a58446601353 | 2023-06-10T19:32:59 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/silver-alert-issued-for-teen-missing-from-rush-county-valerie-tindall-arlington/531-ed4733ae-4f32-4701-9076-a58446601353 |
PALM DESERT, Calif. — The Hershey Bears have the chance to steal home-ice advantage in the Calder Cup Finals Saturday.
They'll need a big rebound performance after being blanked by the Coachella Valley Firebirds Thursday, 5-0.
It was 2-0 headed to the third period. Then, the Firebirds heated up. They scored three in a little more than 10 minutes. Coachella Valley's Joey Daccord stopped all 25 shots he faced.
Hershey went 0-3 on the power play, a stat they'll look to change Saturday.
During practice Wednesday, Bears Head Coach Todd Nelson said watching video of the game wasn't very good and he saw his team doing things on the ice they hadn't done since Christmas.
"We have to clean a lot of areas up and we have to be a lot better," Nelson said.
Bears forward Garrett Pilon agreed with his coach's assessment. He said there are things the team can correct on the ice.
"There's obviously some mental lapses and mistakes that we made as a group, you know, that's out of character for us. So I think for us it's just kind of nipping those in the bud and moving forward," Pilon said.
At Saturday's pregame morning skate, the focus was forward.
Left winger Mason Morelli echoed what his coach said Wednesday.
"We're just looking to redeem ourselves and just improve a few spots in our game, and just play hard and play simple," Morelli said.
Morelli added that the forecheck is one of the spots the Bears could improve upon Saturday.
It is still a significant opportunity to be playing in the Calder Cup Finals with a shot to win a championship.
"It's obviously very special and our older guys keep saying that. You know our leaders say you've got to cherish it. We're trying to do that, but at the same time we've got to be better and give ourselves a chance to bring that cup home," Morelli said.
Quick Notes:
- Hershey hasn't scored a Calder Cup Finals goal since game 3 vs. Lake Erie in 2016. They've been shutout for the past 162:18 of Finals play.
- Coachella Valley's Joey Daccord recorded the first game 1 shutout in the Calder Cup Finals since Hamilton’s Carey Price did it to the Bears in 2007.
- The Bears' last Calder Cup Finals game 2 win was in 2006. Tomas Fleischmann's four points (2g, 2a) led the Bears to a 6-3 victory over Milwaukee. The win tied the series, 1-1. Hershey won the series in six games.
Tonight's Officials:
Referees: Cody Beach (#45), Brandon Schrader (#46)
Linesmen: Ryan Jackson (#84), Dan Kelly (#98)
Where to Watch:
You can watch tonight's game on Antenna TV, which is FOX43.2 over the air.
You can also find it on Xfinity Ch. 247 and 1178, Verizon FiOS Ch. 463, Blue Ridge Ephrata Ch. 91, and Blue Ridge Newberry/Duncannon Ch. 88 in the Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York area.
The FOX43 broadcast will be simulcast on NBC Sports Washington for fans in the Washington, D.C. area.
The Bears are also hosting a watch party at Arooga's in Hummelstown. It starts at 9 p.m. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/bears-calder-cup-finals-game-2-hershey-coachella-valley-firebirds-todd-nelson/521-e000a156-c625-4959-8435-6bc48be5cf26 | 2023-06-10T19:41:55 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/bears-calder-cup-finals-game-2-hershey-coachella-valley-firebirds-todd-nelson/521-e000a156-c625-4959-8435-6bc48be5cf26 |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Don’t have a meltdown, Starbucks fans, but there’s a big change coming to your favorite iced beverage.
The coffee chain is changing its ice cubes.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Starbucks locations are slowly trading out its current cubes for “nugget ice.”
According to CNN, initial reactions to the new ice on Reddit are mixed, but passionate. Some said that the new ice is chewier or flakier and claim it’s similar to the ice used at Sonic and the Coffee Bean. CNN reported that the so-called “pellet ice” has some fans, but other people are worried that it will water down the drinks or change the texture of their Frappuccinos.
Read: Family charged $4,444 for tip during trip to Starbucks
The company told CNN that the nuggets don’t melt any faster and the switch to nuggets doesn’t mean customers will get any less ice since baristas are using the same ice scoop.
The company’s new iteration of ice has had a “resoundingly positive response” in its tests, it said.
Read: Family awarded $8.2 million after police handcuff, detain them in Starbucks parking lot
Starbucks said in a statement to CNN that the new ice machines use less water and will be rolled out to all its stores over the next several years.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/dont-have-meltdown-starbucks-fans-coffee-chain-change-its-ice/V2OL6S6EKZFYZPN7IKUNAZLAKQ/ | 2023-06-10T19:51:31 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/dont-have-meltdown-starbucks-fans-coffee-chain-change-its-ice/V2OL6S6EKZFYZPN7IKUNAZLAKQ/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — SeaWorld Orlando celebrated the grand opening of its new SeaWorld Coral Rescue Center on Friday.
Officials said the center will provide a safe and stable home for coral colonies as they receive care from a team of SeaWorld’s coral experts.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The center features advanced aquarium lighting, filtration systems, a working laboratory, and rows of water tanks that serve as homes for the rescued coral.
Officials said the center will help bring the story of Florida’s dynamic reefs to millions of park guests each year, educating and informing them about threats to the unique Florida resource.
Read: Threatened species of Florida coral propagated in human care for the first time
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/seaworld-orlando-opens-center-focused-rehabbing-conserving-coral-colonies/2TCX5KCFU5FBVLDBWCY62AUJTE/ | 2023-06-10T19:51:37 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/seaworld-orlando-opens-center-focused-rehabbing-conserving-coral-colonies/2TCX5KCFU5FBVLDBWCY62AUJTE/ |
AUSTIN, Texas — Neighbors at a South Austin apartment complex are complaining after a mandatory curfew was put in place with very little explanation.
Residents of the Array Apartments in southeast Austin said they were not notified of any issues and wonder if the move is even legal.
The curfew lasts from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. every night for people living at the Array Apartments in Southeast Austin. During that timeframe, residents are not allowed to leave their homes.
"Make sure you have your provisions before 10 p.m., sounds like I'm in some hurricane area where they have martial law," said Kristie Broadaway, an Array resident.
Kristie Broadaway lives at the Array and has been a tenant there for the last eight years with little to no issues.
When she got this notice, she was shocked and confused.
"I went back and there's nothing in my lease saying they can do it," said Broadaway.
The notice says the curfew is due to security concerns and potential public health and safety concerns, but there isn't a specific reason given.
KVUE reached out to the leasing office seeking comment, but was given none. KVUE also attempted to reach the property manager by phone, but the line wasn't active.
Bill Gammon, an attorney with experience in real estate law in Austin, believes this move isn't legal.
"That has to be done by the city, and the city has to have the authority to do this. The apartment complex can't do this. This is ludicrous," said Gammon.
According to Gammon, the answer is simple for residents.
"I would tell people to ignore it," said Gammon.
Broadaway said the new rule is constricting, noting that it makes her feel like she is on house arrest.
And with no end-date listed on the notice, residents are being faced with decisions about staying at the complex.
"If I can't go outside or have friends over after ten, I may look for somewhere else to live," said Broadaway. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/apartment-complex-enacts-10pm-5am-curfew-residents-wonder-if-its-legal/269-faa6730a-ac98-4c05-a074-3f6d11a8be72 | 2023-06-10T19:57:56 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/apartment-complex-enacts-10pm-5am-curfew-residents-wonder-if-its-legal/269-faa6730a-ac98-4c05-a074-3f6d11a8be72 |
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Interim City Manager Jesus Garza has named Bob Kahn the new General Manager of Austin Energy. His tenure as GM will begin on July 3.
As GM, Kahn will oversee the day-to-day operations of Austin Energy.
Kahn currently serves as the General Manager of the Texas Municipal Power Agency, and was formerly the CEO of ERCOT. He previously worked at Austin Energy as the Deputy General Manager, General Counsel and Vice President for Legal Services.
“I’m very excited to return to Austin Energy and look forward to working with the community and the hardworking, dedicated staff at Austin Energy to accomplish the City Council’s goals,” Kahn said. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/bob-kahn-named-austin-energy-gm/269-bfd9bb38-9033-41bb-b4b7-5bbbc9b9f885 | 2023-06-10T19:58:02 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/bob-kahn-named-austin-energy-gm/269-bfd9bb38-9033-41bb-b4b7-5bbbc9b9f885 |
GOLDEN, Colo. — An 11-year-old boy is home from the hospital after he was bitten by a rattlesnake earlier this week while riding the trails with his dad on North Table Mountain.
Ethan Vogel has been riding the trails in the Jefferson County Open Space park since he was 6 years old, and on Tuesday evening, he was excited to get out with his dad for a ride before it got dark.
While on the trail, Ethan went to put his foot on a rock but instead slowly fell over. The fall didn't hurt, but what he landed on did.
"And then landed in a bush, and I just saw a rattlesnake right there," said Ethan, describing how he felt a pinch on his chest near his armpit seconds later. "So my face started turning numb, and I couldn't really feel my toes or fingers."
His dad, Zach, was riding right behind him, and called 911 within a minute of realizing his son had been bit.
He had hoped for a dry bite, meaning one without venom, but realized the bite was venomous as his son felt the symptoms.
"I was just scared, really," Ethan said. "I didn't wanna, I didn't wanna go. I didn't want to kick the bucket."
His dad held him, keeping him calm until the medics arrived.
"Laying in my arms and saying he's not ready to die, you know as a dad it's the last thing you want to hear," Zach said.
That moment didn't last long. Paramedics arrived in 19 minutes. Luckily, Ethan and his dad were close to a trail access point, and it wasn't difficult to get off the mountain.
Ethan first went to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood and then to the pediatric ICU at Children's Hospital Colorado.
His dad said Ethan was given 16 vials of anti-venom. Doctors told Ethan he was lucky he wasn't bit in a vein.
He's sore, but not scared to ride again. He and his dad now know the importance of having a buddy and a phone on the trail.
"He can't wait to get back out," Zach said. "I can't wait to get back out."
Jefferson County Open Space says that rattlesnakes can be active through early November and to stay alert on the trails. You can help prevent bites by wearing closed-toe shoes, keeping out one earbud and always looking before you step.
If you do encounter a rattlesnake, back away 30 feet and give the snake 30 seconds to decide to leave, then repeat as necessary. Throwing rocks or disturbing a snake only makes them defensive.
In the case of a bite:
- Call 911 immediately and be prepared to provide an exact location.
- Keep the bitten area at or below the level of the heart and take off jewelry or other constricting items in anticipation of swelling.
- Do not cut, suck or ice the bite area.
Keep pets safe by keeping them on short leads, and watching where they sniff or investigate. If a pet is bitten, immediately transport them to a vet and be sure to call ahead to make sure they stock anti-venom.
You can help support Ethan with their medical expenses through their GoFundMe campaign.
More 9NEWS coverage of animals and wildlife:
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Animals and Wildlife | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/colorado-boy-survives-rattlesnake-bite/73-d17ab252-8c34-4ab1-9185-a91026c53e27 | 2023-06-10T19:58:08 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/colorado-boy-survives-rattlesnake-bite/73-d17ab252-8c34-4ab1-9185-a91026c53e27 |
AUSTIN, Texas — Four people are injured after a multi-vehicle crash in southeast Austin on Saturday afternoon.
The crash happened around 12:18 p.m. on FM 812 near Creedmoor Drive, according to Austin-Travis County EMS. ATCEMS said three to four vehicles were involved.
One person was pinned following the crash.
STAR Flight and two ambulances, as well as fire crews responded to the crash.
One person was airlifted to Dell Seton Medical Center with serious injuries, while two others were taken by ambulance to St. David's South Austin Medical Center with potentially serious injuries. One other person refused treatment, ATCEMS said.
Continued delays and road closures are expected in the area.
No other information is available at this time. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/fm-812-crash/269-94a4b8de-57ef-40c5-94fd-12cea9042e1a | 2023-06-10T19:58:15 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/fm-812-crash/269-94a4b8de-57ef-40c5-94fd-12cea9042e1a |
HOOD COUNTY, Texas — Texas health officials have reported the state's first confirmed case of measles since 2019.
The Department of State Health Services on Friday announced that the case was confirmed in a child in Hood County, which is just southwest of Fort Worth. The department did not say what city the child resides in.
The state department said the child was treated and is recovering from the highly contagious respiratory disease.
According to the department, the child had no known travel in an area where measles was spreading and there is currently no known exposure to a person with the illness.
It's unclear if the child was around others while contagious.
The last confirmed case of measles in Texas was in 2019 when there were 23 reports due to travel-related outbreaks, the department said.
State health officials said measles is transmitted through direct contact with infected droplets or by airborne spread through breaths, coughs and sneezes. The virus can remain in the air up to two hours after an infected person leaves the area, officials said.
Symptoms include high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. A rash can also break out on the face and then spread down the neck and trunk of the body.
A person can remain contagious four days before and four days after the rash appears, according to health officials.
The state department said two doses of the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) vaccine are the best way to prevent getting the virus. However, the department added that vaccinated people can sometimes become infected.
Any suspected cases of measles should be reported to local health departments, which can be found here. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/measles-case-confirmed-north-texas-child/287-7f91a11b-9788-400d-8dc8-1b22d5787b3b | 2023-06-10T19:58:21 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/measles-case-confirmed-north-texas-child/287-7f91a11b-9788-400d-8dc8-1b22d5787b3b |
AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police are looking for a driver suspected in a hit-and-run.
The crash happened at the intersection of East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Harvey Street around 5:40 p.m. on Saturday, June 4.
Police say the driver of a Dodge Ram truck hit and forced a driver of an SUV onto the sidewalk. The SUV then hit a residential fence and telephone pole.
The driver of the pickup left the scene without attempting to render aid or call 911.
The victim did not have any life-threatening injuries.
The suspect vehicle is described as a newer model, dark colored – possibly green – with black-colored rims and possible damage on the front passenger side.
Anyone with any information about the driver or truck should contact Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477. A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/mlk-blvd-harvey-street-east-austin-hit-and-run/269-8707e9a8-4f21-4414-bd21-a2aa740cde35 | 2023-06-10T19:58:27 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/mlk-blvd-harvey-street-east-austin-hit-and-run/269-8707e9a8-4f21-4414-bd21-a2aa740cde35 |
DALLAS, Texas — A former Richardson ISD bus monitor is now facing an injury to a child charge after he was seen in security footage choking a student with special needs for several seconds during an after-school route last month.
Per the Dallas Police Department, 52-year-old Earl Brooks now faces an injury to a child charge.
The charge was filed on May 18, per a DPD spokesperson who added that Brooks has yet to be arrested.
In the video, which was recorded on May 8, a disturbance can be seen between a group of students with special needs during the route.
Per investigators, after Brooks breaks it up, he can be seen in the video putting an 8-year-old boy in a chokehold after the student said something to the 52-year-old.
"I don't think you know who you're playing with," Brooks said in the video.
Brooks' arm then lunges toward the boy's throat, and he can be heard saying, "Stop playing with me!"
The boy's mother, Treniece Hawkins, told WFAA that her son notified her that he was choked by a monitor while being taken home on the bus.
Hawkins, a bus driver for the district who has worked as an employee in various roles for RISD for 14 years, told WFAA that she was furious.
"He immediately sent me pictures," Hawkins said. "I was in tears. I was frustrated, and I was angry."
In the photos, discoloration and ripped skin can be seen on the boy's neck.
"When your child is in the care of someone else, you feel like they're going to protect them. Then you see stuff like this happen, and it bothers me," Hawkins said.
Per a spokesperson from Richardson ISD, Brooks was terminated one day after the incident. The spokesperson also said that law enforcement was notified after reviewing the video and that Brooks had passed a background check.
The spokesperson also said there were no other reported incidents involving Brooks before this situation.
"The actions of the former employee are both inexcusable and inconsistent with RISD's employee standards of conduct," the spokesperson added.
Hawkins told WFAA that her son is in a special needs class for emotional behavior and that all the students on his bus are in the same education plan.
She said she took him to the hospital to be checked out and that he has since recovered. However, Hawkins added that her son has trouble sleeping and also struggled to eat for days after the incident due to swelling in his throat.
Hawkins also said her son is beginning therapy due to the incident.
"A grown man -- an adult -- attacked an 8-year-old child," Hawkins said.
"Whatever happens on these busses -- you could have just stopped and called for help if you felt overwhelmed," the mother added.
WFAA asked Richardson ISD if bus monitors receive special training before interacting with students.
A spokesperson told WFAA, "Bus monitors only work on routes serving students with special needs and upon employment receive safety training and training related to any specific accommodations individual students on their route may have (based on each student's individual education plan (IEP)."
Hawkins questions what kind of training Brooks received and if protocols should be reviewed.
"I have plenty of questions, I do," Hawkins said. "I feel like the district let me down."
Hawkins also told WFAA that she had retained legal representation following the incident. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/richardson-isd-bus-monitor-charged-video-shows-choking-student-special-needs/287-0237285d-5a50-47d9-8783-31e93730ba79 | 2023-06-10T19:58:33 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/richardson-isd-bus-monitor-charged-video-shows-choking-student-special-needs/287-0237285d-5a50-47d9-8783-31e93730ba79 |
DALLAS — A Texas man whose hostile actions forced a Southwest Airlines flight to divert to Dallas Love Field faces a federal charge, according to officials.
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced on Friday that Marcus Huff, 45, of Houston was arrested this week after he was indicted on April 25 for interference with a flight crew. He will be arraigned in North Texas.
Huff is accused of throwing a drink at a flight attendant, yelling profanities at the crew and refusing to remain seated during a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Houston, according to court documents.
Officials stated that the 45-year-old's actions caused the flight to divert to Dallas Love Field.
He faces up to 20 years in federal prison if he's convicted. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas-man-allegedly-threw-drink-at-southwest-flight-attendant-faces-federal-charge/287-a0fdc573-ac5e-4380-a6e0-c95cd6586d6e | 2023-06-10T19:58:39 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas-man-allegedly-threw-drink-at-southwest-flight-attendant-faces-federal-charge/287-a0fdc573-ac5e-4380-a6e0-c95cd6586d6e |
NORMAL — An autopsy for a man found dead in Normal indicated that he died of natural causes, but an investigation remains ongoing, authorities said Saturday.
The man was identified as 47-year-old Aaron Marroquin Jimenez of Normal in a joint statement from the Normal Police Department and McLean County Coroner's Office.
Jimenez was found after police responded shortly before 11:30 a.m. Friday to a report of an unresponsive person, officials said. Sgt. Rob Cherry said he was located in a wooded area near the Quik 'n' EZ gas station, 1609 N. Main St.
Cherry said there was "nothing that would indicate an obvious cause of death." In the joint statement, officials said the preliminary autopsy opinion indicated that he died of natural causes.
Toxicology testing is pending. Both agencies continue to investigate.
Anyone with information should contact the NPD Criminal Investigations Division at 309-454-9593.
Photos: Emergency crews train on air disaster readiness at Bloomington airport | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/normal-man-found-dead-investigation/article_e22a6f40-07ba-11ee-8601-1f065fd7307f.html | 2023-06-10T20:01:44 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/normal-man-found-dead-investigation/article_e22a6f40-07ba-11ee-8601-1f065fd7307f.html |
Four part-time jobs approved at County jail. Here is what we know.
A change in job classifications at the Eddy County Detention Center could save taxpayers nearly $75,000 in the long run, said Warden Billy Massingill.
Eddy County’s Board of County Commissioners agreed to change two full-time Eddy County Detention Center (ECDC) officer positions to four part-time on call positions.
The full-time positions were vacant. In a memorandum to commissioners, Massingill wrote Eddy County set aside $191,000 for both jobs, including benefits.
More:Eddy County uses long-term planning and projections to calculate yearly budgets
By changing the jobs to four part-time positions, Massingill said salary costs would go down to $109,000 a year. There are no employee benefits with the on-call positions.
Massingill said on call the jobs can act as an extra source of income for retired people receiving payments from the U.S. Social Security Administration. Along with those who work seven days a week and then are off for another seven days.
“You have individuals that would like working two shifts to subsidize what they’re doing,” he said.
Eddy County Commission records indicated the four on-call positions pay over $1,000 a month and total employee pay is $29,000 a year.
Monthly costs for the two full-time employees varied from $2,000 a month to $3,700 a month. Which translates to a yearly wage of $95,000 a year, read commission records.
Hourly pay would not change as wages range from $26.21 to $26.87 an hour for full-time, part-time and on-call employees.
More:Increased mental and behavioral health services needed in Eddy County as demand grows
Three advantages of working part time
The employment website Indeed defines part-time work as employment of less than 40 hours per week.
Maximizing personal time was the first advantage of part time work, according to Indeed.
More free time allows someone to pursue special interests or education and provides a better work-life balance, read the website.
Flexible work hours was another advantage cited by Indeed. Working part time allows someone to determine how many hours they want to work.
Flexible hours gives someone an opportunity to explore multiple career options.
More:Eddy County seeks public's help in guiding long-term government plans
Increased earning potential was another part time working advantage.
Part time employees can increase earnings by advancing and earning promotions while on the job, per Indeed.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. | https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/what-we-know-about-job-changes-at-county-jail-saving-tax-money-eddy-county-commission-jobs-hires/70290470007/ | 2023-06-10T20:12:02 | 1 | https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/what-we-know-about-job-changes-at-county-jail-saving-tax-money-eddy-county-commission-jobs-hires/70290470007/ |
After 14 years as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Debbie Ford is moving closer to home and on to her next endeavor as Chancellor of Indiana University Southeast.
Ford began her tenure at Parkside in 2009 after serving as vice president for student affairs at the University of West Florida, and vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Spalding University in Kentucky.
During her time at Parkside, Ford said she is proud of meeting her goal of reengaging alumni at the start of her tenure, keeping students at the center of university decision making, renovating the Callahan Family Student Success & Learning Commons to create a welcoming environment and enhance the learning experience for students and library renovations, among other community and university successes.
Before her departure from southeastern Wisconsin, the Kenosha News walked through the Parkside campus with Ford to talk about her time at Parkside and in the Racine and Kenosha communities.
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What made you want to come to Parkside?
The short answer is I applied. I was actually nominated for the position. I was a vice president for student affairs at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, and was nominated for this position. What really attracted me was the mission of the university and and its focus on student success. And so many of the things that we needed to work on here at UW-Parkside and the students that we serve -- first generation college students- - that's what really attracted me here.
What has been consistent is before I came, when I arrived, and certainly certainly as I'm leaving, is the focus on our mission and a focus on keeping students at the center of decision making. That is what attracted me, that is what has kept me and that is what I'm most proud of.
And one of the things that I'm talking a lot about is how we've increased the number of graduates. Just before I came, in my inauguration speech in November of 2009, I said one of my goals was to reengage with our just under 20,000 alumni. Today, we are over 30,000 (alumni). That means more people in our communities, our region, our state, our country and the world, as we have international partnerships, have been educated and prepared for what is next in their lives at UW-Parkside.
What's changed since you started?
We broke ground on an expansion, and the creation of The Rita Tallent Picken Regional Center for Arts and Humanities in my first year, so I had an opportunity to work with our campus community and our contractors to create these amazing facilities for the arts. When we created The Rita, it was all about bringing the community to UW-Parkside for the arts and humanities, and I know that is what we have accomplished.
(Wiley Hall) underwent a major infrastructure renewal during COVID. We upgraded and updated all the mechanicals and also a lot of the electrical systems. At the same time, we were able to do some enhancements in the library and in the Callahan Family Student Success and Learning Commons.
One of the goals of the Wiley project was to certainly improve the infrastructure function of the building, and then it was to open it back up. Over a period of almost 50 years, we had put a lot of walls up. So we told our contractors -- the majority of this project was state funded so thank you to our legislators for their significant partnership -- we said if you have to get behind walls to look at mechanicals, then let's take the walls down.
We worked with all the teams here that now make up the students success and Learning Commons, and invited them to design these spaces for students ... We wanted to put the Parkside Academic Resource Center (in the front) ... All of the essential services were then organized. We have student support services and our success coaches, we have academic and career advising, our Career Closet with Jockey (thank you for that partnership), study abroad, International Student Services, and the Alan Guskin Center for Community and Business Engagement. They all make up Zone two. Zone three -- which is the registrar, financial aid and the cashiers office -- (are) not in the back, but out here in the front, all in one counter.
We decided that we wanted to bring in and have space for many of the identities that our students bring. There are lots and lots of identities, so we have our Military and Veterans Success Center, we have our LGBTQ Resource Center, we have our Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, and our intercultural commons. So each of these areas, again, are for students and a place for them to gather with other students who may share in those identities. The importance was the intersectionality, because we bring our whole selves to our campus and to our learning.
More of our spaces now have a name associated with them, be that a family name, a foundation name, it could be a corporate partnership, it could be an alum. It shows that investment in our mission and to academic excellence and in student success here at UW.
How did you get involved in organizations?
When I first started at Parkside, I was very involved in our economic development groups including the Kenosha Area Business Alliance, the Racine County Economic Development Corporation and Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce. When our community started the strive together networks, Building Our Future in Kenosha and Higher Expectations in Racine, I became very involved in those organizations. They are focused on making sure that there are smooth transitions all the way through the educational process. So we call it from cradle to career or from career to cradle.
I also added work with Milwaukee 7. I'm on that board, and also a group out of the Chicagoland area called the Alliance for Regional Development.
I was on the Girl Scouts of Southeast Wisconsin board, and I completed three two-year terms. I have a real passion for advancing opportunities for girls and women. And I've always said that that was soulful work because I know how defining those opportunities were for me, to be able to pay that forward. I really, really enjoyed that.
I'm finishing up as the first president for the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood. I'm very proud of of the work that we have done to build the governance for Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, Inc, which is a nonprofit entity that is partnering with the city and building out the mayor's vision to really revitalize the site where the former Chrysler engine plant was. Our hope is, in the coming months, that road infrastructure will go in and then we'll start to see the first buildings go under construction in the next six months.
I've also served on Froedtert Health board out of Milwaukee, and I finished seven years on that board. So for me, the the opportunities were always, "How does it fit and align with the mission of the university?" "What did I think I could bring in support of the organization?" I also didn't do everything at once. I had to finish some things before I started something else, so they really evolved over time.
What was the student reaction to your leaving?
One of the reasons why I love working here at Parkside is I get to know a lot of students so I can walk these halls and say, "Hello." I have received some of the nicest notes and emails. I had students at commencement say, "I'm so glad I finished while you were here," and I've had a few say, "I really wanted you to present my diploma."
It's just been very heartwarming. To know that I tried to get to know as many students as possible so that they know that as chancellor and as part of this great administrative team here that we care about students.
Commencement is among my favorite days on campus because it symbolizes such an important day and milestone for so many of our students... I never grow tired of celebrating commencement with our students and their families and our faculty, and launching this next group of Parkside alumni. So it was a little sad, but I kept my focus on our graduates.
On May 10, the Alumni Association made me an honorary alumna here at UW-Parkside. I am an honorary member of the class of '23, so for me, I'm graduating and moving on what is next. That's the way I've looked at it.
How does it feel to be leaving?
The campus community, the broader community, the UW community has certainly made a profound impact on my life -- I would say an imprint. As I like to tell folks, UW-Parkside will always have a huge place in my heart because it's the people at Parkside. I could talk about the progress all day long, but you don't have progress without people. I could talk about our partnerships, and I'm appreciative of the folks who accepted our invitation to partner, but also who invited us to partner.
What are some lessons you've learned?
This was a new role, so I had to learn about what it was like to be the chancellor, the president of the university. I think one of the lessons is that you can't do it alone, and you have to surround yourself with a phenomenal team... It's also our faculty and our staff, and ensuring that every day they are focused on the delivery of our mission, and that they have the tools and the support they need to succeed. My job as chancellor was to provide the environment for folks to learn, to grow and do their best work. That's what's most important.
One of my mentors for my grad school, where I did my doctoral program, hosted me for presidential teaching in June of 2009. He really gave me a lot of information on how to do this. At the very end of our time together he wrote down some notes on a card. That card is still in my wallet and I bring it out often. It has these words on it: Be calm, absorb chaos, and give back hope. I think there are times in any leadership role, particularly as a chancellor at a highly energetic campus, you have to be calm.
What's next?
I am very excited and to be able to continue this important work as a leader in higher education, and at a university that's in my home community, that's full circle. And I'm also excited to begin at Indiana University Southeast. I'm also excited to get back closer to home and family, and of course, our new grandson who's in Indianapolis.
I'm going to miss the relationships. I tell folks I may be leaving the position, but I'm not leaving my relationships and I think that's really important. I just want to say thank you. I want to say thank you to the Parkside learning community; I want to say thank you to the UW community; (and) I want to say thank you to the community of Kenosha and Racine for all of their support over the years. It has been my honor to serve as chancellor and, as I said, Parkside and this role here will always have a big, big place in my heart. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/uw-parkside-outgoing-chancellor-debbie-ford-reflects-on-her-tenure-changes-at-campus-here/article_1c7a44c8-06de-11ee-83f4-07322c1cd592.html | 2023-06-10T20:17:38 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/uw-parkside-outgoing-chancellor-debbie-ford-reflects-on-her-tenure-changes-at-campus-here/article_1c7a44c8-06de-11ee-83f4-07322c1cd592.html |
BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas — Mother nature is doing its thing with the heat in Houston.
We, humans, aren't the only ones feeling the effects of the scorching weather. Seas of dead fish are washing up along the coast of Brazoria County because of the hot temperatures.
Katie St. Clair, the sea life facility manager at Texas A&M University at Galveston, said the fish simply can't breathe because of the lower-than-normal, dissolved oxygen in the water.
“As we get these warmer Gulf water temperatures, the water itself has less capacity to hold dissolved oxygen, which of course is really important and essential for the fish and other animals to breathe," she said.
St. Clair said this phenomenon affects schools of fish the most.
A video posted on social media shows hundreds -- and we mean hundreds -- of fish washed ashore on Bryan Beach in Freeport, Texas.
“It's still alarming to see that and just because it's a natural occurrence doesn't mean it's necessarily a pleasant one," said Bryan Frazier, Brazoria County's park director.
Less wave action has also been a contributor to the dead fish.
Brazoria County has used heavy equipment to rake up the dead fish. They then bury them in the dunes to take away the smell. The fish become compost, which serves as a health park of the ecosystem for the dune grass.
As wild as this is, this isn't all that uncommon.
“It’s happened before," one beachgoer we talked to said. "I’ve seen it twice.”
It's hard to say how long this will last, but it's an issue the county said it will continue to deal with.
The Texas Department and Wildlife Department released the following statement on the dead fish:
"According to the Kills and Spills Team in Region 3, the fish kill was investigated and it was determined to have been caused by a low dissolved oxygen event. The species most impacted was Gulf menhaden. Fish kills like this are common in the summer when temperatures increase. If there isn't enough oxygen in the water, fish can't "breathe." Low dissolved oxygen in many cases is a natural occurrence. Daily variations in dissolved oxygen concentration are attributed to photosynthesis and aerobic respiration. Increased dissolved oxygen during the day is a result of photosynthesis which is driven by sunlight. Photosynthesis stops at night and may slow down on cloudy days, but plants and animals in the water continue to respire and consume free oxygen, decreasing the dissolved oxygen concentration. Often before a kill event occurs, fish can be seen trying to get oxygen by gulping at the surface of the water early in the morning. Some fish may also be lying on the bottom or at the edge of the water." | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/dead-fish-texas-coast/285-27758df0-5825-4e7a-aacd-d91232d974ce | 2023-06-10T20:20:53 | 1 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/dead-fish-texas-coast/285-27758df0-5825-4e7a-aacd-d91232d974ce |
EVERMAN, Texas — Nearly three months since police began investigating the case of missing Everman boy Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez, who police believe is dead, there’s still no sign of the 6-year-old’s body.
The Everman Police Department released airport surveillance photos Friday of Noel’s family preparing to board a flight out of the country without Noel.
“They just continued on through the airport like it was just another day,” Everman Chief Police Craig Spencer said.
The photos, captured in March at DFW Airport, are the last U.S. sighting of the family. Noel's mother, stepfather and six siblings boarded an international flight to Turkey on March 25, then flew to New Dehli, India. Noel was last seen the last week of October 2022, police said.
“This is your child. Why would you wanna completely leave the country? Unless it’s something nefarious,” Spencer said.
There are warrants out for the arrest of Noel’s mother, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh and his stepfather, Arshdeep Singh.
Everman police were called in March to the family’s home, a converted backyard shed on Wisteria Drive.
Police say Noel’s mother told them the boy was with his biological father in Mexico. Police say they’ve determined that statement to be false, along with a rumor that the child may have been sold.
Everman police turned Noel’s case into a death investigation on April 6.
“Almost immediately after law enforcement starts questioning them about Noel, they rushed to the airport in a rush to get out of the country,” Spencer said.
According to Everman police, Cindy Rodriguez-Singh paid for a new concrete patio in the backyard where the family lived.
On April 11, investigators tore through the concrete patio. Newly-released police footage shows several cadaver dogs alert to soil in one particular area repeatedly. Police say a carpet Ashdeep Singh disposed of used to sit above the soil cadaver dogs alerted to.
Cadaver dogs also alerted to the carpet, which police recovered from a dump. Police say Noel's stepdad disposed of the carpet days before the family flew out of the country.
Noel’s remains may have sat on the carpet at some point, but to date, nothing forensic has been found, Spencer said.
Police say Arshdeep Singh allegedly stole thousands in company cash to purchase the plane tickets used to flee out of the country.
Spencer told WFAA investigators are still working the case, along with a new team of investigators to ensure they’ve checked every bit of information. The lack of physical evidence in the case has been a challenge, he said, but investigators have uncovered new information the department isn’t ready to release.
“I’m confident in the team, the investigation and where it’s going,” Spencer said.
Billboards in Everman and along Fort Worth highways remind drivers the little boy's body is still missing.
“I do worry that we may never find his body,” Spencer said. “But that’s not gonna stop us from doing our jobs, from seeking justice.”
Spencer said the missing piece of this puzzle is bringing Noel’s mother and stepfather back to the states for questioning, but federal agents tasked with extradition have not provided him with an update.
Police have obtained arrest warrants for Cindy Rodriguez-Singh and Arshdeep Singh on charges of abandoning or endangering a child. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/everman-police-airport-photos-missing-everman-boy-noels-family-fleeing-country/287-52d4b1c7-4102-42c2-9f8c-ff90432f2241 | 2023-06-10T20:20:59 | 0 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/everman-police-airport-photos-missing-everman-boy-noels-family-fleeing-country/287-52d4b1c7-4102-42c2-9f8c-ff90432f2241 |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Anne Arundel County Fire is investigating the cause of deadly fire that broke out overnight Saturday in the 3200 block of Blackwalnut Drive.
According to officials, the fire broke out around 2:12 a.m. It took crews almost an hour and 60 personnel from the Anne Arundel Co. Fire, Annapolis Fire and the Naval Academy to knock down the blaze.
Crews found one victim inside the home at 6:32 a.m. That person perished in the fire.
The estimated loss is around $225,000. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/firefighters-discover-body-after-battling-fire-in-annapolis | 2023-06-10T20:26:46 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/firefighters-discover-body-after-battling-fire-in-annapolis |
Energy companies needing capital are finding it still available but more challenging to obtain.
“I do think capital is still there, despite fewer institutions. The outlet is there. If you have a solid business plan, a prudent idea, there’s ways to fund it,” said Jeremy Bishop, regional president for Prosperity Bank in Midland.
Participating in the Oilfield Strong webinar presented by OTA Environmental Solutions, Bishop said there has been consolidation in the banking industry over the last couple of years. Not only has the number of banking institutions declined due to smaller banks being acquired by larger banks, but it’s become harder to start a bank, he said.
He attributed that to changes in banking regulations and capital requirements.
“That’s No. 1 – there’s not as many new banks,” he said. “Additionally, consolidation – mergers and acquisitions – are having an impact on the number of banks in the country. That means less institutions out there to fund debt.”
He used his own experience as an example of a possible benefit of those mergers: FirstCapital Bank, which he served as president, was acquired by Prosperity Bank last month. That means, he said, the bank’s ability to fund deals has risen from the $30 million cap at FirstCapital to several hundred million at Prosperity.
Grant Swartzwelder, president of OTA, observed that there are other obstacles to banks lending to oil and gas companies, from concerns about environmental issues and ESG – Environment, Social and Governance – initiatives to the cyclical nature of the industry.
“You need to understand the energy industry to lend to it, and that’s more what happened – banks got out of the energy space when the downturn happened and now it’s hard for them to get back into it,” responded Bishop. “Folks like us have been in it, we know the energy space, we’re comfortable with it.”
Another issue, he said, is regulators who are unhappy with the energy industry’s volatility and scrutinize banks who issue credit to energy customers who then experience difficulties due to commodity prices. They’re also raising concerns about environmental impact and ESG, he added.
At Prosperity, the bankers want to see evidence the operators are following best environmental practices, he said.
“Go inspect it,” he said. “The saying in real estate – go kick the tires – related to oil and gas. Go out with the operators, do a spot check. We want to ensure the environmental care is there. It needs to be done and we don’t take it lightly. We do really consider it part of the package when we look at funding and credit.”
Bishop also addressed current concerns about regional banks in the aftermath of several bank failures, including Silicon Valley Bank.
“I will tell you, with what everyone has heard about regional banks and the few that failed, I will tell you Prosperity is a very healthy bank,” he said. “What happened – a lot of folks don’t know or understand we were in such a low interest rate environment for so long, a few banks that got in trouble really stretched for some yields. Every dollar in deposits we get we turn around and loan – energy loans, restaurant loans, you name it. If we don’t loan funds, we have to get a yield and with such low interest rates bringing such little income, some banks went further out on the yield curve.”
Now that interest rates have risen so far so quickly, that has created a liquidity crunch and prompted lenders to bring in underwriting metrics and getting more conservative to ensure the loans they’re making are that much stronger, he said.
“It circles back to why there may not be as much credit – the deal has to be stout with a lot of equity, a strong deal, to get done. If someone wants to start fresh, drill wells or start a service company, it’s going to be harder to get financial backing. That’s why we’re seeing less of a senior debt market for energy, the market’s tightened and we’re ensuring deals are credible and bankworthy.” | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/bank-consolidation-another-hurdle-finding-capital-18142330.php | 2023-06-10T20:27:47 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/bank-consolidation-another-hurdle-finding-capital-18142330.php |
Midland police reported that no citations were issued after a fatal collision involving a truck and pedestrian Friday night in south Midland.
MPD reported that at approximately 9:30 p.m., officers with the Midland Police Department responded to a call regarding a fatality accident involving a pedestrian in the 900 block of South Midkiff Road.
“Upon investigation, officers found that a truck pulling a fifth wheel flatbed trailer was southbound in the inside left turn lane,” MPD reported. “While attempting to turn left, the vehicle and trailer went onto the center median and struck a pedestrian who was soliciting money from drivers in the roadway. The pedestrian suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.”
No citations were issued, according to MPD, and pedestrian identification is still pending.
The fatality is the 19th reported inside Midland County this year, according to Reporter-Telegram records and the first reported in more than one month. | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-police-fatality-south-midland-kills-18145898.php | 2023-06-10T20:27:54 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-police-fatality-south-midland-kills-18145898.php |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A Tampa Bay Rays fan went into cardiac arrest during the game Friday evening at Tropicana Field, according to St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue.
Authorities said in a news release the incident happened around 6:45 p.m. when the man went unconscious. Another fan was able to get the man on the ground and began performing CPR.
EMS crews at the stadium were also able to respond to the man and were able to get the man's heart beating again, authorities wrote.
While being transported to a nearby hospital, authorities say the man was "completely awake" and "speaking clearly."
"With the teamwork of the nearby fans, SPFR, Tampa Bay Rays staff, and St.Petersburg Police hopefully this fan will be able to return and enjoy the experience of another baseball game," St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue said. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/rays-game-fan-cardiac-arrest/67-b232e99d-3747-4610-bc64-8e0ef0465d7b | 2023-06-10T20:31:33 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/rays-game-fan-cardiac-arrest/67-b232e99d-3747-4610-bc64-8e0ef0465d7b |
Meet our Mid-Valley: Jack Brittan operates Oregon’s oldest ferry crossing
This is part of a weekly series introducing readers to individuals who are passionate about our Mid-Valley community.
For 180 years, a ferry has crossed the Willamette River at or near Wheatland north of Keizer, guided by ferry operators like Jack Brittan.
The ferry crossing, established in 1843, is Oregon’s oldest. As the state grew, ferries dotted the river, operating at various times from Boone’s Ferry, Champoeg, Corvallis, Independence, Jefferson, Portland, Salem and other landings.
Today, just three ferries cross the Willamette. In addition to the Wheatland Ferry, Marion County operates the Buena Vista Ferry between Marion and Polk counties south of Salem.
Those two ferries are among the last cable-guided ferries in the country, said Michael Shepard, Marion County’s bridge maintenance and ferry operation supervisor.
The third is the Canby Ferry, operated by Clackamas County and connects Canby and Wilsonville.
Brittan, 47, is one of three full-time Wheatland Ferry operators.
Running the ferry itself isn’t difficult, Brittan said, although ferry operators need to have a U.S. Coast Guard license and an Oregon boater’s license.
The challenge, he said, is avoiding boaters, floaters and underwater hazards.
“People come to the river to have a good time, to relax,” Brittan said. “There are inner tubes and kayaks, people in drift boats, Sea-Doos, WaveRunners and not very smart people trying to swim across the river.”
About 80% of people on the water know what they’re doing and wait for the ferry to pass, he said.
Brittan lives in Woodburn, where he grew up and has family. He’s been a ferry operator for four years.
Brittan previously worked as a tow truck driver, for more than 15 years, but says he likes his new job much better.
“Nobody likes to see a tow truck driver. There’s never a good day,” he said. “I was always dealing with people having a worst-case scenario.”
Now, he knows all the regulars, from residents of the small communities on the Yamhill County side of the river to local farmers moving huge tractors between farms.
Unlike the frustration drivers sometimes express crossing Salem’s Willamette River bridges, folks on the ferry are almost always pleasant, he said, especially on his afternoon and evening shift.
Regulars often pay for other drivers who don’t know the ferry doesn’t take plastic, he said. The fee is $3 per car, with a higher charge for large vehicles.
They’ve even been known to pull out a tow cable and help customers whose vehicles break down on the ferry, Brittan said.
“People are always just super nice,” he said.
The latest Wheatland ferry, launched in 2002, is named the Daniel Matheny V, after the person who originally established the service. The first four ferries also were called Daniel Matheny.
During the summer, the ferry carries 900 or more vehicles and a couple hundred pedestrians each day, Brittan said. With a capacity of about nine vehicles, that’s a lot of trips.
“I kind of joke with some of the regulars that sometimes I feel like a carny,” he said. “It’s kind of like a fun, cheap ride.”
How to ride the Wheatland Ferry
The Wheatland Ferry operates from 5:30 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. seven days a week.
The cost to ride is free for pedestrians, $1 for bicycles, $2 for motorcycles and between $3 and $18 for vehicles depending on the size. Fees must be paid in cash, check or ferry toll cards.
To get to the ferry terminal from Salem, take River Road north to Wheatland Road. To get there from Interstate 5, take the Brooks exit and head west to Wheatland Road.
If you have an idea for someone we should profile for this series, please email Statesman Journal senior news editor Alia Beard Rau at arau@gannett.com
Tracy Loew covers the environment at the Statesman Journal. Send comments, questions and tips totloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779. Follow her on Twitter at@Tracy_Loew | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/oregon-oldest-ferry-crossing-willamette-river-wheatland-ferry-jack-brittan/70249606007/ | 2023-06-10T20:41:36 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/oregon-oldest-ferry-crossing-willamette-river-wheatland-ferry-jack-brittan/70249606007/ |
DULUTH — The prospect of play ever again returning to the Lester Park Golf Course continues to dim, as the anticipated costs of restarting the operation have mounted in recent days.
While city administration had previously spitballed the course to lose about $600,000 under a plan to temporarily reopen the idled Lester Park links in 2024, those anticipated losses have now doubled to more than $1.2 million, according an updated estimate Duluth received this past week from an agronomist.
Jim Filby Williams, Duluth’s director of parks, libraries and properties, said the city has received increasingly precise cost projections of late that have brought the outlook into sharper focus.
“The increased costs are due largely to the intrinsic cost to reopen an exceptionally old and deteriorated golf course that has been shuttered for four years,” he said.
While some of the costs were anticipated, Filby Williams said others were not, such as some of the expenses related to failing infrastructure.
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“There are many components of the course that require substantial reinvestment even to operate it for a year,” he said.
The city originally planned to reopen Lester for the 2024 season, while the only other municipal golf course in town, Enger Park, would be closed to undergo substantial improvements, including the replacement of its failing irrigation system.
But even during a potential closure at Enger, Filby Williams said the course would require substantial continued upkeep to ensure a prompt and successful restart when the renovations are completed.
Filby Williams also noted that the Lester Park golf course has traditionally underperformed its Enger Park companion, from a financial standpoint.
At its Monday night meeting, the Duluth City Council will consider an alternative to reopening Lester in 2024, instead opting to keep Enger operating on a limited basis while renovations are in progress. Filby Williams expressed confidence that at least 18 holes could be maintained and made available for continued play at Enger while the course overhaul was underway in 2024. He said that all 27 holes at Enger might be offered for play on certain weekends during the 2024 season.
Enger might still operate at an anticipated annual operating loss of $26,000 for the season. But that’s just a small fraction of what the city likely would stand to lose at Lester. And Filby Williams said Enger might operate at close to a break-even point under some scenarios.
To keep its options open, Filby Williams said the city has been paying for an “intermediate” level of care at Lester Park, which he characterized as well beyond the maintenance typically found in city parks or private yards but well below the manicured status one would expect to find at an operating golf course.
“So, we have been able to retard some of the deterioration. But in looking at some of the areas, inevitably there have been some new unwanted weed growth in places like tee boxes and greens and the failure of bridges and the concerning condition of the clubhouse itself that our minimum maintenance regime was not sufficient to keep at bay,” Filby Williams said.
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Even if the decision is made not to reopen Lester as a golf course, he said the city likely will spend about $15,000 this year to keep it mowed and maintained.
The city continues to explore the possibility of selling a portion of the golf course for future development , in conjunction with its partner, the Duluth Economic Development Authority.
City officials decided to pull the plug on the Lester Park Golf Course after years of financial losses.
As it contemplates the city’s plans for its public golf program, the Duluth City Council tabled three resolutions last month that would authorize $5.5 million in improvements to Enger Park, which is expected to continue operating as Duluth’s only remaining municipal golf course. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/duluth-to-decide-fate-of-lester-park-golf-course | 2023-06-10T20:46:50 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/duluth-to-decide-fate-of-lester-park-golf-course |
Single-engine plane crashes near Superstition Mountains
A plane crashed in the Superstition Mountains area near Apache Junction, according to the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office.
A PCSO air support helicopter was able to confirm a crash site in the area and recovery efforts are currently underway at the site of the crash.
According to an emailed statement from Federal Aviation Administration officials, the plane involved in the crash was a single-engine Socata TB 30 Epsilon which took off from Falcon Field Airport in Mesa. Officials also noted that the plane crashed at around 8 a.m. Saturday morning.
“Multiple parties reported witnessing an incident involving a plane,” PCSO said in a tweet.
Two people were inside the plane during the incident, but their conditions have not been released. Officials from the PCSO are expected to hold a press briefing at Lost Dutchman State Park. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal/2023/06/10/superstition-mountains-scene-of-plane-crash-saturday-morning/70309485007/ | 2023-06-10T21:12:04 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal/2023/06/10/superstition-mountains-scene-of-plane-crash-saturday-morning/70309485007/ |
SOMERS -- Large crowds turned out for "Babies on the Farm" hosted by Jerry Smith Farm Saturday under sunny skies with summer-like conditions.
Baby goats, ducks, horses and even a kangaroo and more filled the grounds at 7150 18th St., as families and friends eagerly ran to pet and feed them. Guests could also pay to go into an enclosure to hold and spend time with specific animals up close.
For one family, they came to Babies on the Farm to hold the fennec fox, Zumi. "She's a big fox fan (referring to sister Colleen Vana)," said Hannah Gleich.
Vana's daughter, Grace Norman, 4-years-old, nodded, saying her favorite animal at the event was also the fennec fox.
"This is my sixth summer doing the Babies on the Farm. I started with my son who will be 10 this summer and I think he was about her (Norman's) age when we started coming," Gleich said. "We love Babies on the Farm."
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"We wanted our son to be able to meet some of the baby animals since this is his first summer," said Kristy Hurd, who was with son Augustus Hurd, just 7 months old.
Hurd said being interactive with the animals by feeding and playing with them was her favorite part about the event.
"Gus has been laughing at the goats and smiling," Hurd said. "I think he's having a good time," adding she thinks the goats are Gus' favorite because of his expression.
The goats were also Madison Jensen's favorite. Six years old, she said she liked petting all of the animals.
Her mom, Taylor Jensen, said they came for the baby animals. "We've been to Jerry Smith's a couple times, but we've never done this before. This was our first time," she said.
Amy Smith, owner of Jerry Smith Farm, said the baby animals -- especially the ducks -- helped make the day special for her, but mainly Saturday was about opening the farm again.
"Really it's just bringing life back because we close around Christmas season," Smith said. "Now it's beautiful."
Smith said Babies on the Farm brings people from the community together. She loves seeing returning customers who have been coming to the event for many years.
"They were in strollers and now they're like, 'Hi!.' It's neat. They grow with our family," Smith said. "They just become part of this family. We get to see our summer family."
The event wasn't always called "Babies on the Farm." Originally, Smith said her and her sister created "Babies and Berries." She said she changed the event because they don't grow strawberries and people were getting confused.
This year Smith said they incorporated new aspects like many of the vendors and their beer garden.
Saturday kicked off the four-day event, which will continue today, as well as on June 17-18. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/babies-on-the-farm-brings-out-big-crowds-at-jerry-smith-farm-in-somers/article_43e2ab86-07ba-11ee-be64-8f150d3a1e95.html | 2023-06-10T21:14:09 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/babies-on-the-farm-brings-out-big-crowds-at-jerry-smith-farm-in-somers/article_43e2ab86-07ba-11ee-be64-8f150d3a1e95.html |
Originally published June 5 on IdahoEdNews.org.
More and more Idaho students are habitually missing class, according to data EdNews acquired from the State Department of Education via a public records request.
Last school year, more than 60,000 Idaho students (or 21%) were chronically absent — and that’s up from 15% in the 2020-2021 school year, when many schools resorted to remote or hybrid learning due to the pandemic.
Those 60,000 students missed 10% or more of the school year, according to the SDE’s definition. On average, most Idaho students attend about 160 days of school each year, so that equates to about 16 days or more of missed classes.
And those days matter. Chronic absenteeism “can translate into students having difficulty learning to read by the third grade, achieving in middle school, and graduating from high school,” according to research gathered by Attendance Works, a national nonprofit.
The escalating numbers of frequently absent students are pervasive in Idaho.
In the state’s largest districts, nearly all saw jumps in chronic absenteeism. In Nampa and West Ada, the percentage of habitually absent students almost doubled.
But the highest rates of chronic absenteeism are in rural schools, and/or those serving at-risk students.
Even so, students from nearly all demographic subgroups are increasingly missing significant chunks of the school year.
Chronic absenteeism is a relatively new metric; the SDE didn’t start collecting data on it until 2020-2021. Prior to that, it was difficult to gauge how many students missed school often.
That’s partly because a more well-known attendance metric — average daily attendance — can obscure those who are frequently absent.
For example, a school might have 95% average daily attendance but have 20% of its students chronically absent. That’s because those students are likely not all absent on the same day.
Another nuance: If a school has 95% average daily attendance, are the remaining 5% primarily the same students? If so, their learning is at risk.
Absenteeism has been in the spotlight recently as students, families and educators work to rebound from the pandemic, which raised questions about where and how students learn best, especially when technology and health are factored in.
Plus, education leaders are preparing for a post-pandemic return to attendance-based funding. Some worry the change could spell financial hardship if student attendance doesn’t pick up. Others say tying funding to attendance is necessary to incentivize school leaders to get kids in desks.
At the heart of the conversation: students who aren’t in class. Here’s what the data says about the state’s most absent learners.
CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM CLIMBED IN IDAHO’S LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Chronic absenteeism spiked in nearly all of the state’s largest districts last school year. More than a quarter of students were chronically absent in West Ada, Boise, Nampa and Vallivue. And frequent absences nearly doubled in West Ada and Nampa.
The highest rates of chronic absenteeism are at rural schools and/or those that serve at-risk students.
For example, Cardinal Academy serves pregnant and parenting teens. In Wilder, 70% of students are low-income; 61% are Hispanic; and 21% are English language learners. And Lapwai and Plummer-Worley are both located on reservations and serve large Indigenous populations (92% and 46% respectively).
According to Attendance Works, children living in poverty and those from communities of color are more likely to be frequently absent.
STUDENTS ACROSS DEMOGRAPHICS ARE INCREASINGLY — AND FREQUENTLY — ABSENT
Nearly all student subgroups are missing school more often, though some more than others.
Those experiencing homelessness had the highest rates of chronic absenteeism — 41% — last school year.
That squares with national trends. In 2020-2021, 41.9% of students experiencing homelessness were chronically absent — more than twice the rate of housed students (20.3%). That’s according to SchoolHouse Connection, a national advocacy organization addressing child, youth, and family homelessness.
“This trend has been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has further deepened the inequities faced by homeless students,” Leconte Lee, communications director for the organization, said in an email. “Yet homelessness is often overlooked in efforts to re-engage students and increase regular school attendance.”
That’s because homelessness is often hidden and hard to identify, Lee wrote.
In Idaho, migrant students, those with disabilities and American Indians had the next highest rates of chronic absenteeism (30% or more).
And the groups with the greatest increases of absenteeism from 2020-2021 to last school year were migrant students, multiracial students and those with disabilities. All saw jumps in chronic absenteeism of 7% or more.
INCENTIVES, COMMUNICATION AND ASSISTANCE HELP COMBAT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
Some districts ramped up efforts to get kids in class this school year.
Caldwell School District hosted an attendance awareness month to spread the message that “every day matters.” Jerome Middle School also adopted an attendance slogan: “Attend today, achieve tomorrow.”
And districts like Nampa and Bonneville are moving away from punishment-based attendance initiatives. Instead, they’re focusing on increased communication and relationship-building.
And that’s the kind of approach Attendance Works advocates for — removing barriers to attendance rather than casting blame on parents or students.
“The way you have to solve (chronic absenteeism) is by understanding why kids miss in the first place,” Hedy Chang, founder and executive director of Attendance Works, told EdNews in October. “…There are a lot of reasons kids can miss school that aren’t a matter of their own control.”
For at-risk students, like those experiencing homelessness, removing barriers might mean providing transportation, conducting home visits, providing families with cellphones or minutes, or connecting families with housing agencies, Lee said.
Chronic absenteeism data for the 2022-2023 school year should become available this fall. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/chronic-absenteeism-is-on-the-rise-among-idaho-students/article_f8cf37a6-057d-11ee-b7e4-2b8ed988c2b9.html | 2023-06-10T21:18:50 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/chronic-absenteeism-is-on-the-rise-among-idaho-students/article_f8cf37a6-057d-11ee-b7e4-2b8ed988c2b9.html |
Originally published June 8 on KTVB.COM.
Hispanics and Latinos are the largest ethnic group in the Gem State with more than 239,000 people, but there are still major gaps when it comes to health.
Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs Community Resource Development Specialist J.J. Saldaña said, “Health and education continue to be the biggest issues when it comes to Idaho’s Hispanic population.”
Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs and Idaho State University worked together to collect data for the Idaho Hispanic Health Report. One of their biggest findings was the increase in obesity in Hispanic adults.
“We are also seeing that we tend to be overweight than our counterparts, that also leads to diabetes,” Saldaña said.
The report shows 74.6% of Idaho’s Hispanic adults are overweight or obese compared to 67.5% of non-Hispanic adults. Saldaña says it stems further from just the foods they eat.
“I think a lot of people here in Idaho in the Hispanic community have hard-working jobs, so when they get off work, that is our down time, that is time to relax, so we are not going to the gym as much as our counterparts are,” Saldaña said.
Children are not left behind when it comes to this data. The report shows Hispanic high school students are less likely to join a sports team, limiting their options.
“Cost is a big deal. You have to pay for uniforms, physicals, pay for this. It’s also an acceptance thing. A lot of students don’t feel they would be accepted in certain sports. It can be a tricky thing,” Saldaña said.
Accessing health care is also an issue in Idaho’s Hispanic community. Saldaña says Hispanics are less likely to have health insurance because of the cost and because some agricultural or hospitality jobs don’t offer health insurance. The report shows 25.5% of Hispanic adults and 10.5% of children are uninsured.
“We had conversations with families that told us, ‘We dropped our insurance because we had to pay the power bill this month or the insurance.’ I think having more accessible insurance is going to play a huge key,” Saldaña said.
Limited access to health care providers is another disparity.
“We do need to do a lot better. For the smaller rural areas, they have to travel to get any kind of health care,” Saldaña said.
In 2020, Idaho saw 16,402 total deaths statewide. Of that number, 733 were Hispanic. The report shows 19.2% of those Hispanic deaths were caused by COVID-19, making it the leading cause of death for that community.
“There was a lot of misinformation. We did not do a good job getting the word out to that community. By the time we tried getting the info out, it was too late,” Saldaña said.
On Wednesday, ICHA hosted its first Hispanic/American Indian Healthcare Conference in Twin Falls to talk about these issues with health agencies.
“They are here, and they want to know how they can do a better job. They have said, ‘Help us, we want to do better. How can we do better outreach?’ That’s a really great opportunity for us to have right now,” Saldaña said.
Another part of the report detailed that many Hispanic and Latinos rely on relatives and community members to help heal using a traditional system also known as curanderismo, which is a holistic approach.
More from KTVB.COM: | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/new-data-reveals-obesity-and-accessing-health-as-hardships-in-idaho-s-hispanic-community/article_585d41a0-063b-11ee-80ab-07af7ece22db.html | 2023-06-10T21:18:56 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/new-data-reveals-obesity-and-accessing-health-as-hardships-in-idaho-s-hispanic-community/article_585d41a0-063b-11ee-80ab-07af7ece22db.html |
Ukrainian entrepreneur Mykola Zomchak said he and his co-founders at startup Noty.ai knew the United States was going to be a critically important market for its online meeting transcription service.
But Zomchak said they were unsure of how to navigate the American market.
“We knew that we wanted to and would have to enter the U.S. at some point, but we didn’t really know how should we go about it, and what it’s like working there,” he recalled.
After recently completing a six-month entrepreneurial program for international companies at the University of Arizona Center for Innovation, Zomchak and founders of three other participating Ukrainian startups are better prepared to succeed in America and worldwide — and will hopefully contribute to economic recovery of Ukraine at the end of its still-raging war to repel Russia’s 2022 invasion.
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Besides Noty.ai, the other Ukrainian startups are EQ Production, developer of an emotional intelligence app; SorbiForce, maker of a sustainable, cost-effective carbon-based battery made from renewable raw materials; and Zeely, a mobile-first web store and ad builder that helps small-business owners start selling online.
The startups were selected through the U.S. Department of State’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) initiative to take part in the UACI’s Global Advantage Soft Landings program, which offers business coaching, mentoring and other resources to help international businesses enter the U.S. market.
The startups also receive logistical support from VentureWell, a U.S.-based global nonprofit organization and partner of the GIST initiative.
Founders of the companies went through a custom course from December through the end of May at the UACI, which has been hosting and helping foreign companies since taking over Tech Parks Arizona’s international program in 2019.
All four companies are coached by Carie Davis, an Atlanta-based business consultant and successful entrepreneur who was an executive at the International Business Innovation and spent nearly 13 years at Coca-Cola Co. including a stint as global director of innovation and entrepreneurship.
Coming to America
Zomchak, a software engineer and chief technology officer at Noty.ai, said he was hooked on the idea of creating a software startup a few years ago after attending an event for student entrepreneurs at a university in Lviv, in western Ukraine.
There he met his future business partner, Natalie Marina, a young lawyer who had the idea of developing software tools to allow Ukrainian companies to easily complete legal transactions online.
But there turned out to be a small market for the product, it wasn’t gaining traction, and then the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Zomchak recalled.
“We decided to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and just to explore, how can we make business video calls more productive in general?” he said.
The result is Noty.ai, an app that not only provides speech-to-text transcription for Google Meet or Zoom virtual meetings, but uses ChatGTP to generate summaries of key meeting points and makes tasks from meeting action items, pre-drafts follow-up emails and allows sharing of transcripts and conversations with colleagues.
“We started to take a look at what kind of problems people have, like not writing the action items and things like that,” Zomchak said. “A lot of people were doing video recordings, which like 99% of the time were not getting used, just wasting money and resources.”
Even before the war in Ukraine began last year, Zomchak and Marina had decided to move to the West, and spent a year in Lisbon, Portugal, working on Noty.ai.
The app launched in December, as the founders began the UACI program and about a year after the company raised $500,000 in a pre-seed funding round.
The company is now looking to raise another $1.5 million in a seed funding round, Zomchak said.
Through the UACI program, Zomchak said he learned U.S. investors want to meet startup founders in person, not via videoconference.
“What I realized from being on this program is that if we want to do business in the United States, then I will I have to have the ability to be present here,” he said.
While Marina is back in Lisbon, Zomchak just finalized his master’s thesis in computer science.
But Zomchak plans to move to Toronto, Canada, since his exchange visitor visa requires him to return to his home country for two years before filing to immigrate to the U.S.
“That’s not really an option for me right now,” Zomchak said of returning to his war-torn home country, adding that he plans stay in Canada on a business visa and make business trips to the U.S. as needed.
Emotional rescue
Gnat Panok, co-founder of EQ Production, went to high school in Florida and was attending Florida International University on an academic scholarship when COVID-19 restrictions shut down the school and he went home to Kyiv.
Panok’s mother, Olga Panok, an author under the pseudonym Sara Bright with a Ph.D. in political science with a background in public relations, became interested in teaching people about emotional intelligence — essentially the ability to identify, understand and manage one’s emotions.
Together with angel investor Andrii Zibran, they decided amid COVID restrictions the best option was to develop an app to help users develop their emotional intelligence to help them move away from negative feelings. They founded EQ Production in 2020.
While there are a number of emotional-help apps already, including Calm, an app promoting meditation and emotional health, EQ’s Emotional Intelligence app teaches people to track their emotions to develop a better understanding of their feelings.
“People can actually open the application and start to change the emotional state, if they have negative emotion, how they transform that into the positive state, track their progress, choose what kind of emotion they’re feeling, and then add all that to their diary so they can track progress day to day, week to week and month to month,” he said.
The EQ app was launched in 2021, it has had 150,000 downloads and has about 15,000 active users — with more than 70% of its user base in the U.S., Panok said.
“When we found out about the (GIST) program, and we were given an opportunity that was like, ‘Hey, there’s like a great half-year program in the United States where you can actually connect with the people who you’re targeting to or you’re selling your product to,’ ” he said. “It just made all the sense in the world.”
Though EQ Production was able to assemble a team including a psychologist and teams of software developers in Ukraine, Panok said through the UACI program the company realized it needed a U.S.-based team to help attract investors and tailor its content to an American audience.
“You have to have your own operation here in the United States, we kind of understood that perception from investors and other companies and potential partners, so that’s our second goal to kind of create our separate team here in the States,” he said.
Better batteries
Another Ukrainian startup at UACI, SorbiForce, has developed a prototype liquid-based battery that uses porous carbon and a non-toxic chemistry to store electrical power.
The battery is made from recycled materials, doesn’t need costly or potentially toxic metals like lithium and cobalt and can be easily neutralized for safe recycling, the company said.
Serhiy Kaminsky, main founder and chief technology officer of SorbiForce, said the UACI helped the company identify potential markets and customers, connect with investors and refine its business strategy for scalability.
“Through UACI, we have gained access to mentorship, resources and networking opportunities, which have played a crucial role in our growth,” Kaminsky said in an email.
Kaminsky said the company is in the process of opening a research and development facility in Fremont, California, and intends to set up a high-tech production facility in Tucson.
While its been difficult for the Ukrainian entrepreneurs to be away from family as the war in Ukraine wears on, Panok and Zomchak said they’ve received a warm welcome in Tucson.
“I have my dad there, I have so many so many friends still there (in Ukraine),” said Panok, whose mother moved from France to Los Angeles a few months ago. “So, praying, hoping that everything is resolved as soon as possible, in the best way for us as possible. That’s the No. 1, you know, goal for us and we’re with them, praying every single day.”
Panok said the Tucson community has been universally supportive.
“I hear all the time that people know about situation in Ukraine and they support us very much and they would like for this (war) to end,” he said. “This just shows that we are really not alone, there are whole countries standing alongside us.”
Panok recalled how at Easter the Ukrainian entrepreneurs were invited to the home of a local businessman whose parents were Ukrainian and was treated to traditional Ukrainian holiday food and family pictures from Ukraine.
“We felt like we were back home during this time, which meant a lot to us, knowing that we’re so far away and there’s a war going on,” he said. “Just to have that feeling of something so familiar, and something we can cherish.”
Continued support
UACI Executive Director Eric Smith said the incubator’s involvement with the Ukrainian companies is the result of a relationship the UA formed with the State Department several years ago.
In 2019, the business incubator hosted four Eastern European startups — two from Belarus and one each from Ukraine and Kosovo — for a four-week crash course in American-style entrepreneurship under the GIST program.
While the UACI member startups typically join for an average of two years of business coaching, its international members can participate in a completely online program, and nine companies are currently doing that, Smith said.
Under the Global Advantage program, foreign companies can come to Tucson as part of a cohort of startups for a four-week program, or a longer program like the Ukrainian startups attended.
Besides the UA, funding and support is provided by local partners including CAID Industries, the law firm Farhang & Medcoff, Cushman & Wakefield PICOR, Tucson Electric Power Co. and Tetakai, which provides manufacturing and technology companies with turnkey solutions to establishing world-class factories in Mexico.
“We provide them with a truncated version of our program and introduce them to the leadership in our community and help them to see that Southern Arizona would be a great landing point for them if they choose — they don’t have to go to New York or Florida or Boston or L.A. or San Diego,” Smith said.
The UACI has an offer of extended support to the four Ukrainian startups for an additional six months, he said.
In 2020, the UACI earned the “Soft Landings” designation from the International Business Innovation Association, as one of 50 entrepreneur organizations to meet the group’s high-level standards for supporting international companies’ operations in the U.S.
Since 2019, UACI has helped 25 international startups from 17 different countries including Australia, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Great Britain, Kosovo, Mexico, Spain, and Ukraine explore U.S. expansion opportunities.
Nine companies have moved here from outside Tucson, including four from other countries.
Contact senior reporter David Wichner at dwichner@tucson.com or 520-573-4181. On Twitter: @dwichner. On Facebook: Facebook.com/DailyStarBiz | https://tucson.com/news/local/business/university-of-arizona-hosts-ukrainian-startups/article_f845ec48-03bc-11ee-baf1-efcc15e3ba5c.html | 2023-06-10T21:23:12 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/business/university-of-arizona-hosts-ukrainian-startups/article_f845ec48-03bc-11ee-baf1-efcc15e3ba5c.html |
A ribbon of water trickled Wednesday morning through an opening in a rock-walled crossing of Sabino Creek, along the paved road winding through Sabino Canyon.
The water first radiated outward in circular fashion, then came to rest in a large pool, maybe 40 feet long and 20 to 30 feet across. Tiny minnows circled around just under the surface; all appeared to be endangered Gila chub, says retired federal fish biologist Jeff Simms.
Upstream of the crossing, the creek formed a smaller pool. White-wing doves cooed their usual "Who cooks for you?" call, as a breeze wafted through the branches of cottonwood and willow trees towering along both sides of the water.
The sight of water running in the creek at all in early June or even late May startled Janet Marcotte. She has lived near and regularly walked the canyon for 32 years. Marcotte has no recollection of seeing any water at the creek's first bridge, lying about 500 feet upstream of the crossing, this late in Tucson's normally dry spring except for this year and last year.
Typically, the creek is at its driest in late spring, when Tucson normally has its driest weather, in between its winter rains and summer monsoons.
This year's rainfall, however, is running nearly 30% above normal, putting more water than normal into not only Sabino Creek but several others, including the Rillito River, Tanque Verde Creek and Bear Creek, a tributary to Sabino Creek, federal records show.
Last year's rainfall was well below normal. But rainfall just in December 2022 was almost one-third of an inch above normal, giving a head start to this year's flows in Tucson's seasonal watercourses.
Continuous 100-day flows
Besides the findings of official, federal stream gauges, volunteers for a nonprofit group who monitor many Tucson-area streams saw continuous flow for at least 100 days this year in three — the Rillito, Bear Creek and Aqua Caliente Creek.
The flows were recorded for the Watershed Management Group, which has long advocated for preserving and enhancing stream flows and for reducing groundwater pumping to allow streams to flow more often.
The continuous 100-day flows have never happened before on those three creeks during the group's eight years of monitoring, said Laura Monheim, manager of the group's River Run Network. "It's definitely a record," she said. "It's really incredible, really impressive, for sure."
"Running water always makes it wonderful; just to have it so much longer in the year is fantastic," said Marcotte, a retired executive director of the YWCA of Southern Arizona.
Her observations are backed up by formal statistics, recorded in a U.S. Geological Survey stream gauge located about 40 feet above Sabino Dam, a rock structure a few hundred yards downstream of the paved Sabino Canyon Road.
This year, average monthly flows at the gauge have exceeded the monthly averages covering the period 1991 through 2022 for every month except April. Sabino also ran continuously for an extended period both this and last year, from July 27, 2022 until June 1 at the U.S.G.S. stream gauge site.
Looking farther back, this year's average monthly flows were less than those averaged over 35 years, from 1987 through 2022. But that's most likely because many years in the 1980s and 1990s were much wetter than most years have been since the Southwest's long-term drought started around 2000.
Because it's drier now than it was 25 or 30 years ago, the creek's average date for drying up was June 3 from 2015 through 2022, compared to a longer-term average drying date of June 23, said Kurt Ehrenberg, U.S.G.S.'s Tucson field office chief.
'It's been flowing without stop'
This year's Sabino flows also stand in marked contrast from those of 2020, Tucson's driest year on record.
That year, the creek ran dry 216 days, including 136 straight dry days from late summer through the fall, the federal agency's records show. That was the longest consecutive stretch of dry days since the U.S.G.S. started keeping records at Sabino in the 1980s.
But looking at this year's flows, Marcotte said she had been struck by the strength of the creek's flow during the last week of May because "I could hear it just as I dipped into the canyon ... a mile before I even got to the first bridge.
"By early August 2022, there was so much water, the bridges were not safe to cross and it’s been flowing without stop at least since then," said Marcotte, who today walks the canyon three days a week. "When I went there first week of April of 2023, it was the first time this year I didn’t have to wade in water all over the bridges."
On Tanque Verde Creek, water ran continuously at its U.S.G.S. stream gauge near Sabino Canyon Road from Dec. 31, 2022, through April 15 of this year.
Its monthly average flows at the gauge were higher than their 21st-century averages in January, February and March, the only months this year for which such data is yet available. Its January 2023 flow was the highest flow for that month on the creek since the start of the 21st century, U.S.G.S. records show. March 2023 saw the third-highest March flow on record in this century, and the February 2023 flow was the sixth-highest for that month.
At U.S.G.S.' Rillito River gaging station at Dodge Road, the January 2023 flow was by far its highest for January this century. The February flow, the only other one for 2023 for which data is available, was also above normal and was its fifth-highest flow since 2000. The Rillito flowed continuously from Jan. 1 through Jan. 27 and from Feb. 22 until March 26.
Upstream at Craycroft Road, where the Pantano Wash and Tanque Verde Creek merge to form the Rillito, the river ran continuously for 107 days until drying on April 18, Monheim said. That's "the most we've ever seen" in eight years of monitoring on the Rillito, she said.
At the group's informal monitoring spot at the Bear Creek trailhead near Sabino Creek, water was running down Bear Creek for 120 consecutive days before it dried up on May 3. Aqua Caliente Creek at Milagrosa Lane ran 100 days before drying on April 11, Monheim said.
Where the group monitors Tanque Verde Creek at Wentworth Road, it's flowed continuously for 153 days from Jan. 4 through Wednesday, June 7, said Monheim, adding, "We're hopeful that we can see it all the way into the monsoons. That would be cool."
Watershed Management Group has 70 volunteers who collect river flow data annually at 40 spots across the Tucson area, she said.
"This water year, I would definitely describe it as encouraging. I think it’s definitely due to the awesome winter rains we had this year that we had this much flow," Monheim said.
Photos: Sabino Canyon through the years
Reporter Tony Davis covers the environment for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact him at 520-349-0350 or tdavis@tucson.com. Follow Davis on Twitter@tonydavis987.
Tony graduated from Northwestern University and started at the Star in 1997. He has mostly covered environmental stories since 2005, focusing on water supplies, climate change, the Rosemont Mine and the endangered jaguar.
Early morning hikers walk over the second bridge at Sabino Canyon on Wednesday. Sabino Creek is running much later than normal this year. Water is usually dried up between April and May.
Janet Marcotte takes a photo of the scenery while on one of her early morning walks through Sabino Canyon this week. Marcotte has been walking Sabino Canyon for 32 years and observes the changes in water in the creek and near the bridges. She says the water is usually dried up between April and May, and that this is one of the latest times of year she’s seen water.
Water is seen near bridge two in Sabino Canyon on June 7. Sabino Creek is running much later than normal this year. Water is usually dried up between April and May.
Early morning hikers walk over the first bridge at Sabino Canyon as water still runs through on June 7. Sabino Creek is running much later than normal this year. Water is usually dried up between April and May. | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/really-impressive-flows-as-rainy-year-nourished-tucson-streams/article_c031bbf8-04c9-11ee-aa67-e744afc91b15.html | 2023-06-10T21:23:18 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/really-impressive-flows-as-rainy-year-nourished-tucson-streams/article_c031bbf8-04c9-11ee-aa67-e744afc91b15.html |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A newly filed lawsuit in Arkansas asks the courts to look at possible gerrymandering that diluted the Black vote.
The Christian Ministerial Alliance and some Pulaski County voters filed the lawsuit against the Arkansas Secretary of State and the Arkansas State Board of Election Commissioners.
It claims the redistricted map of 2021 is unconstitutional because it split voting power in Black neighborhoods and intentionally gerrymandered the vote.
"It's rare for a single county to be divided into that many congressional districts... and where Pulaski County was split strikes right through the heart of a Black community of Little Rock and Pulaski County," said Michael Skocpol, an attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund who is representing Pulaski County voters.
Now, the attorneys are asking a federal judge to weigh in.
But this isn't the first time a lawsuit claimed discrimination through gerrymandering in Arkansas. The previous ones have been struck down.
However, Skocpol said this case is different, and he has complete confidence that his team has enough evidence to prove their case.
We reached out to the Arkansas Attorney General's office. They said the recent Alabama ruling would have no impact on this case.
The next step for this lawsuit is for the state's response. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/arkansas-sued-for-gerrymandering/91-01b4ee35-0bc8-4f93-8b3a-188cc4dadd0a | 2023-06-10T21:26:21 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/arkansas-sued-for-gerrymandering/91-01b4ee35-0bc8-4f93-8b3a-188cc4dadd0a |
ARKANSAS, USA — The Citizens for Arkansas Public Education and Students (CAPES) announced via Twitter on Friday, June 9, that they have now begun their signature-collecting campaign as they strive to stop the LEARNS Act.
CAPES is against the Act saying it will be "detrimental to public education in the state" and are wanting to put it on the November 2024 ballot for people to vote on.
The referendum is one step closer to being on the November 2024 ballot after attorney general Tim Griffin approved the referendum on Monday.
"CAPES achieved a significant milestone on Friday, June 9, by collecting its first signature, officially launching the signature gathering campaign." said the Twitter post. CAPES continued by saying this "marks the beginning of a historic movement in the state of Arkansas."
CAPES must collect 55,000 signatures from 50 Arkansas Counties for the petition to go on the November ballot. Their goal is 90,000, but they say they are expecting even more legal challenges.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/capes-starts-collecting-signatures-stop-learns-act/527-9cb7cb4e-8297-4b20-9498-7a843df7a38e | 2023-06-10T21:26:27 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/capes-starts-collecting-signatures-stop-learns-act/527-9cb7cb4e-8297-4b20-9498-7a843df7a38e |
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Crews are working to repair a water main that broke on Martin Luther King Boulevard in the morning of Saturday, June 10, according to the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD).
FPD says they received the call at around 7:30 a.m. and crews have been out working on the issue ever since. FPD says this type of repair can take anywhere from 4-6 hours.
The main break caused a lane to be blocked off but is no longer impacting traffic.
Check out these videos of the water main break sent in by one of our viewers.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/crews-working-repair-water-main-break-fayetteville/527-849d56d9-b7ea-4fda-aaa0-e58ec2a07004 | 2023-06-10T21:26:33 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/crews-working-repair-water-main-break-fayetteville/527-849d56d9-b7ea-4fda-aaa0-e58ec2a07004 |
LEFLORE, Okla. — A Spiro man has been sentenced to 42 months in prison for manslaughter according to The United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
According to the press release, on Oct. 28, 20-year-old Caleb Spence was under the influence of "one or more intoxicating substances" when driving a vehicle that he crashed, killing the passenger inside.
Officials say Spence was driving on US Highway 270 in LeFlore County when he tried to pass a vehicle when his car flipped. The passenger in Spence's vehicle died after being "ejected" from the vehicle. Officials say Spence admitted to smoking marijuana before the crash and blood tests later confirmed that.
On March 9, Spence pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 42 months in prison without parole, the release says. Spence is now in the custody of the U.S. Marshals as he awaits to be transported to a designated prison.
This case was investigated by the Poteau Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/spiro-man-receives-42-months-prison-manslaughter/527-b4a42c16-293b-4306-9ab9-45e0a88c0e20 | 2023-06-10T21:26:39 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/spiro-man-receives-42-months-prison-manslaughter/527-b4a42c16-293b-4306-9ab9-45e0a88c0e20 |
PORTLAND, Ore. — A shooting in downtown Portland early Saturday morning left one person dead and two others were wounded.
Officers working detail in the entertainment district came upon the scene of a shooting in progress at the intersection of Southwest 3rd Avenue and Harvey Milk Street around 1:47 a.m.
Two victims were given first aid on scene. One didn't make it. A second person is said to have life-threatening injuries. The third is expected to survive.
The person who died has not yet been identified.
Police have not released any information about a suspect or said if anybody is outstanding.
This is the 37th reported homicide in the city this year. There were nearly 350 shootings in the first four months, according to police.
Portland Police Bureau homicide detectives are leading the investigation. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact Detective Shaye Samora at Shaye.Samora@police.portlandoregon.gov or Detective Tony Harris at Tony.Harris@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case #: 23-152485.
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See a typo in this article? Email web@kgw.com for corrections | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/downtown-portland-shooting-1-dead-2-wounded/283-22cf96cc-4b14-4622-ae7e-13e6e9355416 | 2023-06-10T21:30:21 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/downtown-portland-shooting-1-dead-2-wounded/283-22cf96cc-4b14-4622-ae7e-13e6e9355416 |
PORTLAND, Ore. — In 1989, a young man named Martin Cerezo told his mother he wanted to join the United States Navy. He wanted to travel, to see the world, and to have some structure and discipline in his life.
Cheryle Cerezo-Gardiner said, she couldn't agree more. But, she was worried about him.
"It was very scary to me," she said, "And I told him that, and he said, 'Mom, it'll be fine, I'll be fine. Nothing will happen."
Not long after high school, Cerezo came out to her as gay.
"He just blurted it out," she recalled. "My world kind of stopped in that moment. I didn't know what to do except hug him and cry with him and tell him that I loved him."
Though it didn't happen right away, she fully embraced him as he was.
"I thought, you know, this child is the person I have always known. The only thing different is I have a new piece of information about him. He hasn't changed. I just have learned something, that's all," Cerezo-Gardiner said. "It just seemed like such a natural way to feel about it that I really never looked back."
Sitting in her Portland living room, she recalled his skill as a sailor — high marks, recommendations for both retention and promotion. Her son had been told that he had a fine career ahead of him in the Navy. She couldn't be more proud.
"He was assigned to the U.S.S. Constellation, which is an aircraft carrier," she explained. "They were making a trip from San Diego down around Cape Horn and then up to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard because they were doing a kind of an overhaul of the ship, and it was a long trip. It was several months and he loved it."
But her son's dreams would soon come crashing down.
"It was June of 1990, shortly after he had turned 20," Cerezo-Gardiner said, "He called me, and he was crying. Someone had outed him as gay. He had been told that they had proof, and he had to write down what he knew. Name names, and the Navy would go easy on him."
"He hesitated, and then he was told you've just been given a direct order, you will follow that order. So he wrote it all down, and the result was that a lot of men were discharged, some were sent to other commands, some were allowed to finish their enlistments if they were almost done, but Martin and several others were given an other than honorable discharge. At 20, my son was told he was not honorable."
It hit him hard, breaking his heart — and his mother's.
"The Navy not only didn't go easy on him, they couldn't have gone much worse."
Though Cerezo lived a full life, this moment followed him. He couldn't get certain jobs, nor could he get military benefits. The times he tried to start the paperwork to get his discharge upgraded, the painful trauma returned.
"He was 20 years old and being kicked out of the Navy again," she said.
Then came liver problems, then worsening liver cancer. In 2020, doctors gave Cerezo the prognosis: he had only months to live.
Before he died, his mother promised him that his discharge status would be upgraded, and that he'd be buried with full military honors.
"I held his hand and I told him and he squeezed my hand," she said. "On January 2, 2021, he died with his brothers and me by his bed."
More than two years later, and after so many obstacles, Cerezo-Gardiner finally secured not only the honorable discharge for her son, but also the honor of being buried at Willamette National Cemetery.
"I did everything I could to get all the support I could, of the people I needed. I know that I have done what I promised him I would do as he lay dying. He was a good man. An honorable man."
Cerezo-Gardiner said she believes her son's health outcomes could have been much different, had he received care from the VA. She also said, her fight continues to help the many more — over 100,000 discharged for being who they are — get their full benefits and full honors for their service in the United States Military. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/navy-veteran-dishonorably-discharged-gay-buried-full-military-honors/283-0af8bf8e-c399-4916-bce1-6ed99675a95e | 2023-06-10T21:30:27 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/navy-veteran-dishonorably-discharged-gay-buried-full-military-honors/283-0af8bf8e-c399-4916-bce1-6ed99675a95e |
MOLALLA, Ore. — Summer is basically here, and unfortunately that means wildfire season is too.
“It’s one thing to talk about fire, it’s a whole different thing when you’re faced with it,” said Philomath Fire & Rescue Deputy Fire Chief Rich Saalsaa. “If anything, the last 10 years, it's taught us we used to be deployed on four and seven-day conflagrations before. Now they're 14 and 28 days.”
It’s a big reason why firefighters from the Willamette Valley and Portland metro area are meeting in Molalla on June 9-10. It’s the 12th annual Metro Advanced Wildland School (MAWS).
A total of 125 firefighters from 25 different agencies are sharpening their skills in a controlled environment. It’s designed to get structural firefighters familiar with wildland techniques.
“Out in the wildland, out in a forest, if we don't have ready water sources there…out there, it's you and your shovel and your axe, and be able to basically cut a line to stop the forward progress of the firewall,” Saalsaa said.
The MAWS training provides opportunity to see how fire behaves in certain conditions and more importantly, how to put it out.
“I think the challenge is always just not knowing necessarily when things are going to happen just knowing that when it does, it generally happens in a very big way,” he added.
Some of the techniques practiced on Friday were use of hand tools, radio communications with a helicopter doing water drops, triaging homes, and extinguishing live fire.
“This training brings in resources from the whole Willamette Valley and beyond area and allows us to really get some hands-on training that we wouldn't get during the rest of the year for a lot of wildland urban interface, conflagration, deployments, even things that we'll be doing in our own districts and beyond,” said Keizer Fire District Captain Rachel Brozovich.
Brozovich anticipates another busy fire season. Getting these teams together now can make a big difference when it’s the real thing. The training helps gain experience and also complete certifications required to respond to fires in Oregon and other neighboring states.
“We really rely on our neighbors throughout the whole year. And it's important for us to get those interactions again in these lower stress situations before we go out on emergencies with our neighbors,” Brozovich said.
“We're always using our feedback and what happened in the last season to improve our practices and really develop those performance measures that we can take to do our best in the next season.” | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oregon-firefighters-wildland-firefighting-training/283-27fd8426-d977-4633-95dc-3bbfacc65cbc | 2023-06-10T21:30:33 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oregon-firefighters-wildland-firefighting-training/283-27fd8426-d977-4633-95dc-3bbfacc65cbc |
LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — A teen was killed in an early morning crash in Lackawanna County.
The crash happened around 6 a.m. Saturday morning along Route 307 in Spring Brook Township.
Officials with the Lackawanna County coroner's office say the 17-year-old victim, Kaden Rabender from the North Pocono School District, was a passenger in a vehicle that left the roadway and went down a steep embankment.
Rabender died in the crash.
Officials have not said what led to the crash in Lackawanna County.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/teen-killed-in-crash-in-lackawanna-county-north-pocono-school-district-17-coroners-office-spring-brook-township/523-b78e427d-230d-4304-9892-3adaacb0667e | 2023-06-10T21:35:50 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/teen-killed-in-crash-in-lackawanna-county-north-pocono-school-district-17-coroners-office-spring-brook-township/523-b78e427d-230d-4304-9892-3adaacb0667e |
After 29 cats were saved from a Coventry house, some felines are still looking for a home
The cats were all suffering from upper respiratory illnesses.
Coventry Animal Control has found new homes for most of the 29 cats removed from a home last month.
Six are still in need of homes, but the others have been placed, Animal Control Supervisor Carolyn Lacombe said Friday.
The Coventry Police Department put out a news release Tuesday saying adoptive homes are being sought.
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"Animal Control Officers are asking the public’s help to find each of them a good home," the police said in the release.
The cats were removed from a house May 22, when Coventry police and animal control officers, along with the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and West Greenwich animal control officers, executed a search warrant.
All of the cats were suffering from upper respiratory infections, according to the police.
The cats were put in the care of Coventry Animal Control and treated for their illnesses, the police said. All of them have been vaccinated and neutered.
Lacombe says she hopes the remaining cats get adopted soon.
"Hopefully, this weekend we'll get another push," she said.
If interested, contact Coventry Animal Control at (401) 822-9106. It's located at 1666 Flat River Road and open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/coventry-animal-control-hoping-cats-from-hoarding-case-will-be-adopted/70305676007/ | 2023-06-10T21:36:27 | 1 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/10/coventry-animal-control-hoping-cats-from-hoarding-case-will-be-adopted/70305676007/ |
Flagstaff group protests new hospital plan, citing lack of information
With the community flea market well underway in the nearby parking lot on Saturday afternoon, organizers with Flagstaff Community First gathered on the front lawn of City Hall with signs and petition sheets awaiting signatures.
The group, a coalition of residents and more than 25 community organizations, was formed in response to the city council’s recent decision to move forward with the first phase of Northern Arizona Healthcare’s plan for a new hospital and accompanying Health and Wellness Village south of town.
As former medical staff president at Flagstaff Medical Center, physician Doug Mapel was involved in a near decade-long planning process for the existing hospital to be upgraded to meet the growing needs of the community.
Plans had reached the point where blueprints were being drawn up when, “almost out of the blue,” NAH announced their purchase of 200 acres of undeveloped land outside of town, Mapel said.
“We went from upgrading this and adding to our beds and then suddenly that's not good enough,” Mapel said.
“It was never driven by the community, it was driven by the developers,” he added.
Development agreement reached:Flagstaff City Council approves construction of new hospital
Flagstaff Community First argues that the city doesn’t have sufficient information about the project or its potential impact on the community — whether it be economic, environmental or otherwise — to make the right decision for residents. Without a community impact study, they are concerned the city doesn’t know exactly what they’re getting into.
More specifically, the area’s large environmental community has concerns that the project could directly contradict the city’s carbon neutrality goals.
“City council needs that information to make an informed decision,” said coalition member Buck Sanford with the Northern Arizona Climate Change Alliance.
The Saturday demonstration comes a day after nearly two dozen volunteers signed up to help collect signatures for a referendum the group filed with the city on June 6, asking that the question of rezoning the land for the project go to voters.
“This petition asks to reverse the council’s decision until we have answers about cost to the taxpayers, cost to the city, about what they’ll do with Hospital Hill if that becomes a vacant property,” said Sandra Lubarsky, a board member for Friends of Flagstaff’s Future, one of the groups in the coalition.
“There’s a myriad of things, of questions that are unanswered,” she said.
They have until July 7 to collect a few thousand signatures in order for it to be considered. If it succeeds, the referendum will appear on the ballot for the next election in the city, which could be as soon as this fall.
Flagstaff City Council is expected to discuss the authorization of a special election for this November during their June 20 meeting, according to the draft agenda. In addition to this referendum, the city is proposing various changes to the city charter that need to be approved by voters.
“I think it should be up to the citizens to vote on this because it's going to affect everybody in many drastic ways,” said Jill Stephenson, a Flagstaff resident and volunteer with the Climate Change Alliance.
Reach the reporter at LLatch@gannett.com.
The Republic’s coverage of northern Arizona is funded, in part, with grants from Vitalyst Health Foundation and Report from America. To support regional Arizona news coverage like this, make a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/10/flagstaff-group-protests-new-hospital/70309505007/ | 2023-06-10T21:42:58 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/10/flagstaff-group-protests-new-hospital/70309505007/ |
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