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ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
Brightline’s train schedule between South Florida and Orlando could be adversely affected by a U.S. Coast Guard plan to open a rail draw bridge in Martin County twice each hour.
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Under the proposed Coast Guard plan, the Florida East Coast Railroad bridge above the Okeechobee Waterway near Stuart will open regularly at the quarter and three-quarter hour and remain open “until all vessels requiring or requesting an opening have cleared.” The open period will not exceed 15 minutes, the Coast Guard stated.
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
Read: Google to pay out $23 million settlement over search results; how to apply for yours
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ORLANDO, Fla. — Cheers, Cheerwine fans: The beloved Southern soft drink is now available at Publix locations across Florida.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The soft drink company announced this week that Cheerwine and Cheerwine Zero Sugar 12-pack cans are now available at Publix stores throughout the Sunshine State.
The cherry-flavored soda is a staple in its home state of North Carolina, where its been produced since 1917.
Read: White Castle wants your Sliders recipe for a new contest
A social media post announcing the news was met with celebratory comments.
“Christmas came early! Finally!” one commenter said.
“Best news I’ve heard all day!!” another commenter added.
Read: Bite30 is back: Orlando area restaurants offer multi-course meals for $35
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/cheers-cheerwine-cans-now-available-all-florida-publix-stores/LDB7TALO6FB3DIRQM4CJJCMLDM/ | 2023-06-14T20:43:58 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/cheers-cheerwine-cans-now-available-all-florida-publix-stores/LDB7TALO6FB3DIRQM4CJJCMLDM/ |
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — The Florida Commission on Ethics said Wednesday that it found no probable cause that an Osceola County School Board member misused his position.
The commission said in a statement that it rejected the claim that Jon Arguello misused his position when he solicited campaign funds for his sister’s campaign, using school board letterhead for a press release that included his personal opinion.
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Arguello took to his Facebook page to announce that the complaint was dismissed.
“A terrible act of political vengeance is what it was,” he said.
Read: Osceola County school board asks DeSantis to decide fate of member accused of intimidation
In February 2022, Arguello was accused of intimidating a vendor that would not contribute to his sister’s campaign.
At that time, a letter was sent from the school district to Gov. Ron DeSantis asking him if Arguello should be suspended from office or not.
Read: Second complaint made against Osceola County school board member accused of intimidation
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/ethics-commission-finds-no-probable-cause-osceola-county-school-board-member-misused-his-position/ITYQ5CYJWJBQ3EB344IPZXRUX4/ | 2023-06-14T20:44:04 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/ethics-commission-finds-no-probable-cause-osceola-county-school-board-member-misused-his-position/ITYQ5CYJWJBQ3EB344IPZXRUX4/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
The downtown Orlando restaurant space that was home to the now-closed Neon Beach bar and eatery appears to have a new tenant lined up.
Read: Maitland asks for input on construction of new public library
Signs posted this week at 131 N. Orange Ave., Ste. 104, reveal Schmankerl Stub’n Orlando — a German scratch kitchen related to Orlando-based Dan’s Bavarian Takeout at 18 N. Dollins Ave. — will open soon in the space.
The new concept also was announced on a newly created Schmankerl Stub’n Orlando Facebook page, as well as that of Dan’s Bavarian Takeout. The post notes the new concept will “bring German classics and modern dishes to Orlando.”
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
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/german-scratch-kitchen-schmankerl-stubn-open-downtown-orlando/7U6SM37IHRBD5MBCJADHUOHJ6A/ | 2023-06-14T20:44:10 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/german-scratch-kitchen-schmankerl-stubn-open-downtown-orlando/7U6SM37IHRBD5MBCJADHUOHJ6A/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
International Drive businesspeople and Orange County staff have decided on a design for the envisioned pedestrian bridge that will provide tourists a safer way to cross the I-Drive/Sand Lake Road intersection in Orlando.
Read: Breeze Airways announces 10th nonstop route from OIA
The group met for the final time on June 12 to vote on a bridge design concept before seeking public feedback and county approvals.
Two designs were considered that were semi-intersecting “C” shapes with design aspects to help make the bridge an iconic structure — something often said during the I-Drive bridge meetings, which started last August.
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
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/i-drive-leaders-orange-county-reach-agreement-design-30-mil-pedestrian-bridge/QU6E536PRNGMTHRPEOXOM4BM3A/ | 2023-06-14T20:44:16 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/i-drive-leaders-orange-county-reach-agreement-design-30-mil-pedestrian-bridge/QU6E536PRNGMTHRPEOXOM4BM3A/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — The XFL will host its first Rookie Draft Friday and the Orlando Guardians are set to make the very first pick.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The draft is open to players who were eligible for the 2023 National Football League Draft held in April, but aren’t under contract with any professional teams.
READ: Central Florida Special Olympics athletes headed to Germany for World Games in Berlin
The Rookie Draft was announced along with plans to expand XFL team rosters from 51 to 90 players during the offseason.
2023 Rookie Draft is coming... 🔗 See the link below to get all the info you need to welcome these newest athletes into our XFL family.#XFL | #XFL2024 | #XFLRookie
— XFL (@XFL2023) June 14, 2023
The Guardians earned the first pick in the draft by finishing last season with the worst record in the eight-team league at 1 win and 9 losses.
The draft will take place virtually on Friday, June 16 at 11 a.m. and will consist of 10 rounds.
READ: Olympian Tori Bowie died from childbirth complications, autopsy report states
The selections will be posted later that day on XFL.com
For more information, click here.
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/orlando-guardians-set-make-first-pick-xfls-first-rookie-draft/OZICY5ONOZCM3NB3GZRCY2SU5Q/ | 2023-06-14T20:44:22 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-guardians-set-make-first-pick-xfls-first-rookie-draft/OZICY5ONOZCM3NB3GZRCY2SU5Q/ |
Virginia Commonwealth University Health's failed plan to redevelop the Public Safety Building in downtown Richmond was the result of the health system prioritizing its mission over its finances, among several other factors, a report released Wednesday stated.
VCU president Michael Rao promised "immediate changes" following the report's suggestions, which include creating a culture that allows for open communication and to establish project management teams.
Earlier this year, VCU Health paid $73 million to exit a development deal in which it no longer wanted to participate. VCU Health had planned to be the master tenant in a 17-story office building on Clay Street. But a change in leadership, problems caused by COVID-19, a lack of financial analysis and insufficient due diligence led to the deal's failure, the report said.
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Dr. Marlon Levy, interim CEO of VCU Health, said the health system needed to better scrutinize the financial implications of its decisions and improve "team-based decision making."
The 24-page report does not assign blame to any person or groups of people. Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder has put the responsibility at the feet of Rao, who oversees the university and its health system.
Rao said he has "tremendous regard for Governor Wilder as an icon that has encouraged so many of us to believe that we can make anything happen in this country."
To get to the root of what happened, VCU hired law firm Saul Ewing to investigate. The firm obtained emails from employees involved in the transaction, studied the contracts and interviewed the people involved.
On Wednesday, it presented a PowerPoint to a joint meeting of the university's board of visitors and the health system's board of directors recapping the plan's demise and issuing recommendations.
Some of the observations in the report were already reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, including how VCU Health chose a financing plan with a high exit payment and how the health system's new leaders disapproved of a deal formed by the previous administration.
After the deal was agreed upon in July of 2021, the project became impossible to build as designed within the budget, the report states. The ground under the Public Safety Building was too soft to build every parking spot, inflation affected cost projections, and the pandemic weakened the demand for office space.
(The project's developer, Capital City Partners, said in a letter last year that the ground beneath the building wasn't a hindrance to completing a meaningful project.)
This story will be updated.
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Eric Kolenich
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Eric Kolenich writes about higher education, health systems and more for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. He joined the newspaper in 2009 and spent 11 years in the Sports section. (804) 649-6109
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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. | https://richmond.com/news/local/business/health-care/vcu-healths-73m-blunder-prioritized-mission-over-finances-report-says/article_7f6ddedc-0ae9-11ee-bf9f-439d2cef4a50.html | 2023-06-14T20:44:35 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/business/health-care/vcu-healths-73m-blunder-prioritized-mission-over-finances-report-says/article_7f6ddedc-0ae9-11ee-bf9f-439d2cef4a50.html |
Jurors in federal court have awarded $25.6 million to a former Starbucks regional manager who alleged that she and other white employees were unfairly punished after the high-profile arrests of two Black men at a Philadelphia location in 2018.
Shannon Phillips won $600,000 in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages on Monday after a jury in New Jersey found that race was a determinative factor in Phillips' firing, in violation of federal and state anti-discrimination laws, Law360 reports.
In April 2018, a Philadelphia store manager called police on two Black men who were sitting in the coffee shop without ordering anything. Phillips, then regional manager of operations in Philadelphia, southern New Jersey, and elsewhere, was not involved with arrests but lost her job less than a month later after objecting to another white manager being placed on leave amid the uproar, according to her lawsuit.
The company's rationale for suspending the district manager, who was not responsible for the store where the arrests took place, was an allegation that Black store managers were being paid less than white managers, according to the lawsuit. Phillips said that argument made no sense since district managers had no input on employee salaries.
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The lawsuit alleged Starbucks was instead taking steps to “punish white employees" who worked in the area "in an effort to convince the community that it had properly responded to the incident."
During closing arguments on Friday, Phillips' lawyer Laura Mattiacci told jurors that the company was looking for a “sacrificial lamb” to calm the outrage and show that it was taking action, Law360 reported. Picking a Black employee for such a purpose "would have blown up in their faces,” she said.
Starbucks denied Phillips' allegations, saying the company needed someone with a track record of “strength and resolution” during a crisis and replaced her with a regional manager who had such experience, including navigating the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, Law360 reported.
“A peacetime leader is very different from a wartime leader,” Starbucks attorney Richard Harris said during his closing arguments, Law360 reported. “These were turbulent times. Starbucks needed someone to show strength and resolution.”
Phillips' attorney, however, cited earlier testimony from a Black district manager, who was responsible for the store where the arrests took place, who described Phillips as someone beloved by her peers and worked around the clock after the arrests.
Phillips broke into tears and hugged one of her lawyers after the verdict was read, Law360 reported. In an email, Mattiacci confirmed the award amount and said the judge will consider awarding back pay and future pay, as well as attorney’s fees. Mattiacci told the New Jersey Law Journal that she will seek about $3 million for lost pay, and roughly $1 million on her fee application. Starbucks declined comment Tuesday.
In the April 2018 incident, Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson were arrested in a Starbucks coffee shop near tony Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia shortly after the manager called police to report that two men were refusing to either make a purchase or leave the premises. They were later released without charges.
Video of the arrest prompted national outcry and led the current CEO of Starbucks to personally apologize to the men. The company later reached a settlement with both men for an undisclosed sum and an offer of free college education. The company also changed store policies and closed locations across the country for an afternoon for racial-bias training.
The two men also reached a deal with the city of Philadelphia for a symbolic $1 each and a promise from officials to set up a $200,000 program for young entrepreneurs. The Philadelphia Police Department adopted a new policy on how to deal with people accused of trespassing on private property — warning businesses against misusing the authority of police officers. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/ex-manager-of-starbucks-awarded-25-6-million-in-suit-over-firing-after-2018-arrests-of-2-black-men/3585673/ | 2023-06-14T20:50:30 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/ex-manager-of-starbucks-awarded-25-6-million-in-suit-over-firing-after-2018-arrests-of-2-black-men/3585673/ |
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Wednesday's Child | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/wednesdays-child/wednesdays-child-josyiah/3585709/ | 2023-06-14T20:50:36 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/wednesdays-child/wednesdays-child-josyiah/3585709/ |
A teenage swimmer was pulled from a Brooklyn lake Tuesday afternoon, but despite the best efforts of good Samaritans, the boy is struggling to survive.
Law enforcement sources say the swimmer was a 13-year-old boy, who was taken to the hospital in grave condition after he was pulled from the water in Prospect Park.
Emergency responders rushed to the lake around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday after a group of men helped carry the boy out of the water.
"We saw them pulling him out. He was on the stretcher. They were pumping his chest in the back of the ambulance," a witness to the rescue attempt, Alana Thomas, said.
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Witnesses said the boy was in the lake — playing with friends— when he suddenly went under.
"One went too far in. When he went in, he was like I can’t swim and he dropped down. The friends tried to help," Thomas said.
The Prospect Park Alliance warns visitors from going into the water, but residents told News 4 they see people do it frequently. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/13-year-old-in-grave-condition-after-nearly-drowning-in-brooklyns-prospect-park/4420922/ | 2023-06-14T20:50:39 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/13-year-old-in-grave-condition-after-nearly-drowning-in-brooklyns-prospect-park/4420922/ |
Keechant Sewell, the first woman to lead the New York City Police Department, will step down at the end of the month -- a decision that reports claim she made after being micromanaged in the position from City Hall.
Mayor Eric Adams repeatedly praised Sewell's character and accomplishments on Tuesday, one day after the commissioner delivered her resignation to the mayor after nearly 18 months on the job.
But what the mayor won't say is why she handed in her notice. He declined to say whether Sewell gave a reason for her upcoming departure and scolded City Hall reporters who asked about the suggestion by NYPD insiders and recent reports that the commissioner felt micromanaged and unempowered to make decisions.
"If Commissioner Sewell wants to tell you why she's leaving, then you should speak to her," Adams said Tuesday. "Don't put words in her mouth that she did not tell you."
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Those who know Commissioner Sewell says it's likely she will never spill the real reasons why she is walking away from a policing dream job. She is famous for avoiding the spotlight, as she did Tuesday, when she tried to stop a standing ovation in her honor.
Adams also refused to hint at any names for her replacement, as speculation over who could take over as the top cop already gets underway. Among the name circulating is Adams' close associate Chief of Department Chief Jeffrey Maddrey.
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Sewell tried to discipline Maddrey for interfering in the arrest of a police officer. Adams on Tuesday denied that tensions over the situation caused a rift in his own relationship with Sewell, and he defended his right to be involved in NYPD decisions.
"Some people might call it a micromanager, I call it being the mayor of the city that you love," he said.
The mayor would not budge on another potential contender, his close friend Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Phil Banks -- who in recent weeks is suddenly taking a more public role.
"When we're ready to make an announcement, we'll make an announcement," Adams said. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/sewell-speculation-claims-of-micromanager-mayor-following-nypd-commissioners-resignation/4420644/ | 2023-06-14T20:50:46 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/sewell-speculation-claims-of-micromanager-mayor-following-nypd-commissioners-resignation/4420644/ |
EF-0 tornado touched down in northern York County on Monday: National Weather Service
A tornado touched down in northern York County on Monday and traveled about one-third of a mile, according to the National Weather Service.
The weather service sent a storm assessment team to the 400 block of Cloverleaf Road in Conewago Township on Tuesday to survey damage after the storm. It found trees knocked down and a flattened strip of grass in a field, according to the weather service and Ted Czech, public information officer for the York County Office of Emergency Management/York County 911.
The tornado was classified as an EF-0, which is the lowest rating on the Enhanced Fujita Scales.
The tornado touched down around 1:30 p.m. Monday and was on the ground for less than two minutes, the weather service said. Its estimated peak winds were 75 m.p.h.
No injuries or deaths were reported.
The weather service issued a tornado warning for northern York County on Monday afternoon. | https://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/tornado-touched-down-near-interstate-83-in-northern-york-county-nws/70320448007/ | 2023-06-14T20:51:07 | 1 | https://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/tornado-touched-down-near-interstate-83-in-northern-york-county-nws/70320448007/ |
Large community fireworks displays for the 4th? They might not happen with county burn ban
Fireworks might not be lighting up the skies for large Fourth of July community celebrations this year because of the dry conditions and a burn ban in York County.
York Area United Fire and Rescue Chief Daniel Hoff is advising municipalities that they should lead by example and honor the most recently-issued countywide burn ban that prohibits fireworks because of the moderate drought. The 30-day ban, which took effect on Monday, allows municipalities to give written approval for pyrotechnics in their jurisdiction.
Hoff said he was asked about the issue by Manchester Township supervisors at a meeting on Tuesday night. Supervisors at the meeting said the township would lead by example and not allow public fireworks displays unless the county burn ban is lifted.
Hoff said he was planning to talk about the issue with Spring Garden Township commissioners Wednesday night.
He also is trying to set up a meeting with Springettsbury Township. The municipality plans to host its annual Independence Day Celebration, part of the Summer Concert Series at Springettsbury Township Park, on July 2.
Even if fireworks are set off from a well-watered, manicured golf course, for example, no one can control where the fallout goes, Hoff said.
"Nobody is trying to put a damper on the Independence Day celebrations," he said. "Safety of the community has got to come first."
Many Fourth of July celebrations are only a few weeks away, and now is the time to plan, Hoff said.
At this time, the July4York 2023 celebration − with the fireworks display in the evening − is still planned at the York Revolution stadium, York City Fire Deputy Chief Adam Smith said. The fire department will stand by on site for the event.
Hanover borough also plans to move forward with its fireworks display on Independence Day, manager Margaret Lewis said. She is working on a resolution to be approved by council that will allow it.
The fire department will be providing extra staffing and equipment to help prevent any issues, she said.
Hoff said he hopes that enough precipitation falls to reverse the dry conditions and the ban.
Nearly all of York County is experiencing a moderate drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
This comes after much of the region recorded the driest month of May on record. Only 0.19 inches of rain fell in Harrisburg. The old record was 0.29 inches set in 1902, according to the National Weather Service in State College.
In addition to fireworks, the countywide burn ban prohibits burning in backyard fire pits, burn barrels or on the ground.
Anyone who violates the countywide burn ban can face a fine of up to $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second and $300 for a third or subsequent offense, it says.
Northern York County:EF-0 tornado touched down near I-83 in Conewago Township on Monday: National Weather Service
Archaeological dig:Uncovering a Revolutionary POW camp in York County: 'It will ... be a tourist destination' | https://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/york-county-pa-burn-ban-might-put-damper-on-public-4th-of-july-fireworks/70320795007/ | 2023-06-14T20:51:13 | 0 | https://www.ydr.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/york-county-pa-burn-ban-might-put-damper-on-public-4th-of-july-fireworks/70320795007/ |
MITCHELL — Verizon said Wednesday that it is expanding 5G technology in the Parkston area, among other regions of South Dakota.
The company said 5G expansion will take place in Parkston, Aberdeen and Pine Ridge, allowing those areas to receive 5G service for the first time, with the company vowing that its 5G Ultra Wideband "brings power and performance comparable to a wired broadband internet connection to customers’ pockets." The upgrades also include improvements in the Three Forks region of the Black Hills.
The company says its upgrades will allow "people to do things on their mobile device that many could only do before when connected to their home internet service."
"This includes everything from downloading huge documents and streaming movies in HD audio and video, to playing console quality games and conducting video chats, video conferencing and FaceTime calls with clear sound and video," the company said.
“Verizon’s expansion into more markets across South Dakota will bring enhanced connectivity across our state,” said South Dakota Senate Majority Leader Casey Crabtree, R-Madison, in a statement. “This technology will not only bring faster speeds and more reliable connectivity, but expanding 5G service into more areas of South Dakota will fuel tourism in our state and unlock new opportunities for innovation and economic growth.”
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The deployments use Verizon’s recently acquired C-band spectrum. Verizon will deploy 5G Ultra Wideband using up to 100 megahertz of C-Band spectrum in multiple South Dakota markets, and will add even more bandwidth once all of its licensed spectrum is made available. This additional bandwidth, which will be available at the end of this year, will provide exceptional speed and capacity.
Verizon said the addition of 5G service in South Dakota will result in exponential increases in data carried into and out of the cell sites serving the community, which requires upgraded fiber optic cable links, the company said. | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/verizon-says-it-is-expanding-5g-technology-in-parkston-area | 2023-06-14T20:51:31 | 1 | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/verizon-says-it-is-expanding-5g-technology-in-parkston-area |
GREENSBORO — The Guilford County Division of Social Services has been ordered to take corrective action after a state review found deficiencies following the deaths of three children in a December house fire.
Among other things, the N.C. Department of Health and Rehabilitation found the county's DSS did not properly handle an open case involving the children's mother, who was later charged with three counts of negligent felony child abuse inflicting serious bodily injury.
Since 2016, DSS has investigated several complaints filed with Child Protective Services against Brandi Sturdivant, including one less than a month before a horrific fire claimed the lives of her three youngest sons on Dec. 12. Antonio Little Jr., 4, and his 1-year-old twin brothers, Aerious and A’nyis Little, were alone at the house when the fire started, authorities said.
A Nov. 17 complaint that alleged the children were being left unsupervised was still under investigation when fire swept through the home at 2518 Grimsley St., according to court documents.
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According to a May 16 letter from NCDHHS to county officials, the state learned of the deaths shortly after the fire and Regional Child Welfare Consultant Mirna Gereige conducted a Jan. 3 review of the open complaint.
The review, which used a monitoring tool to determine if laws, rules and policies are followed, determined:
• The original Child Protective Services (CPS) report was not properly screened.
• All the children were not initially seen and interviewed.
• Safety was not initially thoroughly assessed.
• Ongoing contact with the family was not sufficiently maintained to ensure safety.
• Lack of follow up on reported safety concerns by the mother.
• Structured Decision Making (SDM) tools were not completed correctly.
From April 13-26, an NCDHHS team also reviewed 29 CPS assessment cases and 10 permanency planning cases. The latter were included because of several complaints that DSS was not "achieving timely permanence and foster parents were not supported in their efforts to provide for the children in their home," the May 16 letter said.
In reviewing the assessment cases, the state found policy violations. The letter cites the following:
• All children were seen and interviewed at initiation in 48% of the cases. Ten of those cases were initiated by the After-Hours unit and 7 of the 10 were not initiated timely.
• The Safety Assessment was adequate to ensure safety in 48% of the cases.
• Supervisory oversight was conducted according to policy in 55% of the cases.
• Ongoing Contacts with the children were made according to policy in 62% of the cases.
• Ongoing contacts with the parents were made according to policy in 69% of the cases.
• Collateral contacts were completed according to policy in 70% of the cases.
• SDM tools were completed correctly in 55% of the cases.
• Case decisions were appropriate and supported by documentation in 52% of the cases.
• Documentation reflected discussions of ongoing safety and risk in 69% of the cases.
A review of the permanency planning cases also found violations of policy. The letter cited the following:
• Ongoing contacts with children occurred in 70% of the cases.
• Children were interviewed separately in 50% of the cases.
• Ongoing contacts with the parents did not occur according to policy in any of the cases.
• Documentation reflected discussion of risk and safety factors as well as observations and actions in 50% of the cases.
• SDM tools were not completed correctly in any of the cases.
• Family Service Agreements were completed timely with the parents in 20% of the cases.
• Family Service Agreements were reflective of SDM tools in 18% of the cases.
• Family Time occurred frequently and in a variety of places in 22% of the cases.
• Supervisory oversight was conducted according to policy in 30% of the cases.
NCDHHS is requiring the DSS to develop a "corrective action plan" that includes:
• Providing all staff with ongoing supervisory oversight at least every other week and high-risk cases weekly.
• Ensuring all staff remain current in narrative within 7 days of event as per policy and that narrative accurately reflects the activities of the case.
• Mandatory Back-to-Basics training for all social workers and supervisors/program managers that is focused on safety and risk and appropriate use of SDM tools.
• Mandatory practice standards training for all social workers and supervisors/program managers that utilizes self-assessment tools.
• CPS supervisors/managers will participate in technical assistance on conducting thorough assessments.
• Permanency planning supervisors/managers will participate in technical assistance on ensuring timely permanence.
• Coaching to develop strategies for providing ongoing, effective supervisory oversight for social work supervisors/managers.
• Ensuring all staff participate in training to address areas of needed improvement in NCSWLearn.org.
NCDHHS noted in the letter that DSS already has taken some steps to address the deficiencies it found.
In a written statement, Guilford County Board of Commissioners' Chairman Melvin "Skip" Alston said the county is committed to "sharing updates on our progress in enacting the plan.
“The Board of County Commissioners places the highest level of importance on the protection of our county’s most vulnerable residents, especially children," he said. "The Board will be closely monitoring progress to address all of these findings and ensure children are safe and families are supported in Guilford County.” | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-courts/fatal-fire-guilford-social-services-corrective-action/article_165e7568-0ae0-11ee-8032-e3946bcb051f.html | 2023-06-14T20:55:34 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-courts/fatal-fire-guilford-social-services-corrective-action/article_165e7568-0ae0-11ee-8032-e3946bcb051f.html |
SEATTLE — Seattle homeowners could pay hundreds more a year in property taxes if voters pass the 2023 Housing Levy.
The levy would replace the 2016 levy which expires at the end of the year. The new levy proposes several changes, but the one most likely to have the largest effect on voters in Seattle is a proposed increase in property taxes.
The increase would allow for property taxes to be increased for a maximum of seven years to provide housing for low-income individuals and families, under the Revised Code of Washington 84.55.
If the taxes are raised, the average homeowner in Seattle would pay an additional $383 a year, or $32 a month, in property taxes.
The housing levy is currently estimated to create $138.6 million a year in funding if passed, bringing the seven-year total budget to $970 million. That funding will be divided up into different projects, focusing on different aspects of low-income housing, including affordable rental housing, rent supplementing and wage stabilization.
City analysts predict the levy would help build over 3,100 new housing units and help provide assistance for over 9,500 households.
The legislation was approved by the City Council Tuesday and was signed by Seattle City Mayor Bruce Harrell later that afternoon. Now it will make its way to voters.
Voters will have the chance to approve the housing levy in the fall, when it appears on the Nov. 7 ballot. If approved, the levy would take effect in 2024. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/homeowners-pay-hundreds-year-voters-pass-2023-housing-levy/281-eca298bb-c7db-4ed9-b210-76b37397d641 | 2023-06-14T21:05:34 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/homeowners-pay-hundreds-year-voters-pass-2023-housing-levy/281-eca298bb-c7db-4ed9-b210-76b37397d641 |
DULUTH — A felon who fired several shots at a chaotic Central Hillside murder scene two years ago has been sentenced to prison.
Markus Seville Morris, 33, of Duluth, fired twice in the direction of Patrick Wilson Battees Jr. immediately after the teen accidentally killed his own best friend, Juamada Keller Anderson Jr., according to court documents and testimony.
Battees had been confronted seconds earlier by Morris and his cousin, Laurel Larice Ladd Jr., leading to a brief scuffle among a sizable crowd on the 100 block of East Third Street on May 22, 2021.
Morris, a one-time rising boxer in the Twin Ports, pleaded guilty in March to being a felon in possession of a firearm, becoming the fifth and final defendant convicted in connection with the case. Judge Shawn Pearson last week rejected his request for probation, imposing the guideline five-year prison term.
Surveillance video showed Battees, then 17, and Anderson, 22, casually talking on the front porch of Battees' sister's residence when Morris and Ladd pulled into a nearby parking lot around 7 p.m.
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Then men were then seen approaching the teen, with authorities describing Morris as demonstrating "preattack cues" before Anderson stepped in between them. The video then showed Ladd punching Battees and the scrum moving toward the street, with another woman also hitting the teen.
Ladd then passed his handgun to Morris, according to authorities. The video showed Battees initially walking away before turning around and firing one shot, striking Anderson in the head.
As Battees fled the scene, at least four other people, including Morris, fired shots. And while Battees seemingly pointed his weapon in Morris' direction at one point, a prosecutor indicated there was no indication he fired any additional rounds.
Battees' attorney, J.D. Schmid, asserted at a January trial that he was acting in self-defense when he accidentally shot Anderson. Schmid told the panel that his client saw the handoff of the weapon and, fearing for his life, attempted to shoot at Morris.
The jury, while acquitting Battees of intentional murder, apparently rejected the self-defense claim in finding him guilty of unintentional murder. Now 19, he was sentenced by Judge David Johnson in March to a guideline term of 12 ½ years in prison.
Morris reached a plea agreement the same day with the St. Louis County Attorney's Office, which dropped an additional count of reckless discharge of a firearm within a municipality.
Defense attorney Gerald Magee was critical of the account given by Battees' legal team, and recited in news stories, that he said essentially identified Morris "as the reason that (Anderson) was unintentionally shot." Magee called the version of events "unsubstantiated" and noted Battees himself never testified as to his mindset at the time of the shooting.
"Mr. Morris is a good candidate for lengthy supervised probation and will follow through with any and all court- and probation-ordered conditions and recommendations, and if granted, Mr. Morris respectfully understands that any violation would send him to prison," Magee wrote in the motion requesting a departure from sentencing guidelines.
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However, prosecutor Nichole Carter noted Morris' criminal history, including convictions for first-degree sale and fifth-degree possession of controlled substances, fleeing police in a motor vehicle and multiple cases of impaired driving.
She noted that he expressed remorse for his role in the crime, but said he has a history of failing to adhere to basic requirements of probation and committing new crimes while under active supervision — including an incident as recent as last August, when he was found in possession of cocaine.
"At a time when the defendant had the most to gain showing his amenability to probation, he instead failed to report and was charged with a new felony crime," Carter told the court.
Morris, who had credit for approximately four months already served, is expected to become eligible for supervised release in June 2026.
Ladd, 27, successfully completed a year of supervised probation after pleading guilty to aiding an offender as an accomplice after the fact. Another shooter, Tyrone Deshun Childs Sr., 37, is serving a 67-month prison term for drive-by shooting and felon in possession of a firearm convictions.
Eddie Ezra Conyers Jr., 19, who also admitted to firing shots in the aftermath of Anderson's kill, was set to be sentenced to prison in February for reckless discharge and firearm possession convictions. However, records show he was arrested and charged on new gun-related charges in Missouri in December and he remains in custody there.
Attorneys have indicated there was another shooter documented at the scene who has not been identified and charged. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/duluth-felon-gets-5-years-for-shooting-at-murder-scene | 2023-06-14T21:05:36 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/duluth-felon-gets-5-years-for-shooting-at-murder-scene |
DULUTH — In commemoration of the June 15, 1920, lynching of three black carnival workers wrongfully accused of rape, a mobile museum is visiting Duluth.
Nearly 103 years ago, a mob broke into the local police station, seizing Isaac McGhie, Elmer Jackson and Elias Clayton, before publicly hanging them.
The TRACES Center for History and Culture , in collaboration with the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, has parked a bus-borne exhibit that will be open to the public next door to a memorial erected in honor of the three men at the corner of East First Street and North Second Avenue East, through 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, and from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, June 15.
From 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, author and historian Michael Luick-Thrams will discuss the cultural backdrop of the lynchings during a presentation at the Zeitgeist Theater, 222 E. Superior St.
On the June 15 anniversary of the lynchings, a service will be held at the memorial from noon-1 p.m.
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People may visit the mobile museum, dubbed a BUS-eum, free of charge, although financial donations are welcome.
TRACES will bring an exhibit called "Hidden and Forbidden no More: Prequels to the Greatest Generation," as well as a separate forward-looking exhibit titled, "Hearthland's Future: How Can We Live Together on a Changing Planet?" In that second offering, German students seek to raise awareness of climate change and explore how society can meet the challenges that await us. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/mobile-museum-calls-on-duluth-to-mark-lynching-anniversary-look-ahead-to-brighter-future | 2023-06-14T21:05:36 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/mobile-museum-calls-on-duluth-to-mark-lynching-anniversary-look-ahead-to-brighter-future |
HITCHCOCK, Texas — An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old girl who has been missing for nearly a week.
Leanna Willis was last seen Friday leaving her home in the 6500 block of Bell Street, which is in the Hitchcock area. Her family reported seeing her getting into a silver 4-door Toyota Camry with an unknown man who is about 40 to 50 years old, according to police.
Leanna reportedly chats with adult men online and her disappearance may be connected to online solicitation, police said.
Leanna is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. She was last seen wearing an oversized gray hoodie with black shorts, a backpack and slippers.
Anyone with information on Leanna's whereabouts is urged to call the Hitchcock Police Department at 409-986-5559 or Detective Williams at 409-750-3469.
What to do when someone goes missing
Thousands of people go missing every year across the United States, and there are organizations and law enforcement agencies that work to bring them home to loved ones.
The Texas Center for the Missing is an organization with Houston roots that works to educate loved ones and authorities on finding the lost.
From resources that deal with missing children to endangered adults, the non-profit organization has compiled a wealth of resources to help.
There is no 24-hour waiting period required to report a person missing, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/missing-teenager-hitchcock/285-e43c4639-d54a-4fe4-9207-b58f855fc523 | 2023-06-14T21:05:53 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/missing-teenager-hitchcock/285-e43c4639-d54a-4fe4-9207-b58f855fc523 |
STEWARTSTOWN, Pa. — Puddles are a rare sight in South Central Pennsylvania this year.
Scattered showers brought temporary relief in Stewartstown on Wednesday, but municipal officials know it's not enough, pointing to the water shortages that began last year.
"With a lack of snowpack, the ground was extremely dry even coming into the spring," said Ira Walker Jr., Stewartstown's sewer water supervisor. "The little bit of rain that we did have helped, but what people might forget is that we're fighting for this water with vegetation, crops, they're all fighting for this water as well."
The borough's water system has six wells that produce 150,000 gallons per day, with another 150,000 gallons coming from the York Water Company.
The authority's five-thousand-plus customers usually use about 250,000 gallons per day, but the dry weather has driven up consumption.
Now, the communities are using more than 330,000 gallons per day.
"If you do the math, that's 80,000 gallons per day difference," Walker said. "All that adds up."
Municipal employees are keeping an eye on the water supply, monitoring wells and recording the numbers every day. They're slowly growing more concerned.
"Our levels in our wells are starting to show that signs of distress, not critical, but we're trying to avoid getting critical," Walker said. "Let's be proactive and let's cut back the use now."
Officials say to let your green grass go, blaming some of the highest water usages on sprinklers watering lawns. They're also asking residents to cut back on washing their cars, helping conserve a precious resource and preventing further concerns later this year.
"Who knows what could happen going into the fall," Walker said. "This trend could continue. If we don't take the steps now, we might be in real bad shape then." | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county-municipality-concerned-water-shortage-could-get-worse/521-356fa7e0-4240-40a3-abdf-925e7a2ffad7 | 2023-06-14T21:05:59 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county-municipality-concerned-water-shortage-could-get-worse/521-356fa7e0-4240-40a3-abdf-925e7a2ffad7 |
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth Community Arts Center will be getting a big facelift in the future as city council members voted unanimously in favor of a plan to redevelop the building.
Many people came out in support of the arts center, and a task force developed to study the building presented their recommendations, which was to "reimagine 1300 Gendy as a world-class cultural hub and redevelop the property accordingly."
More than 20 people spoke in favor of the redevelopment.
"This is the place where you can come and make things and share things and show things and learn and teach things to other people," writer Laurie Isbell said. "It is truly art for Fort Worth by the people of Fort Worth."
Estimated repair costs in the presentation state that the required total funding for the repairs would be about $19.2 million. And if they included recommended repair costs, it could cost more than $26 million. This includes to repairs to the Scott and Sanders Theaters, the roof, bathrooms, and other mechanical, electrical and plumbing issues.
Potential funding sources listed in the presentation include a 2026 general obligation bond program, certificates of obligation, hotel occupancy tax revenue and private capital.
The presentation states the task force would prefer whichever developer is selected for redevelopment to incorporate the history and architecture of the existing building, as well as to include an incubator for emerging artists and organizations, as well as a theater.
Future proposals to redevelop the building will be reviewed by city staff, including the economic development director, and two task force members.
The presentation concludes that, while the arts center has effectively served supporting emerging artists and organizations, the visitor base has been limited in size and diversity and the management model currently isn't financially sustainable.
"The City can draw valuable insights from other existing models for managing City-owned cultural facilities, and from the experiences of other cities with successful arts venues," the presentation concludes.
City Council members will vote on a final draft of the request for proposals, and a community meeting will be held at 6 p.m. June 27 at the Community Arts Center where Arts Fort Worth will ask the community what they would like to see in the future. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/fort-worth-city-council-approves-redevelop-community-arts-center/287-63df2687-2ddf-4c73-b37a-23fb7d290540 | 2023-06-14T21:06:26 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/fort-worth-city-council-approves-redevelop-community-arts-center/287-63df2687-2ddf-4c73-b37a-23fb7d290540 |
DALLAS — Country music star Jelly Roll is going viral on TikTok after showing some love at a Whataburger drive-thru in Dallas.
According to the viral video, the musician asked a drive-thru worker how many employees were working and gave everyone $200 each, totaling more than $1,000 with the generous tip.
The TikTok video has garnered more than 300,000 views since it was posted.
A day later, a 17-second video posted to the same TikTok account showed the Whataburger employees celebrating in the kitchen after receiving Jelly Roll’s big tip.
You can watch both videos below:
More Texas headlines: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/jelly-roll-dallas-whataburger-money-tiktok/287-1b308ac5-a150-4fd8-a088-0244d276339a | 2023-06-14T21:06:32 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/jelly-roll-dallas-whataburger-money-tiktok/287-1b308ac5-a150-4fd8-a088-0244d276339a |
HITCHCOCK, Texas — An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old girl who has been missing for nearly a week.
Leanna Willis was last seen Friday leaving her home in the 6500 block of Bell Street, which is in the Hitchcock area. Her family reported seeing her getting into a silver 4-door Toyota Camry with an unknown man who is about 40 to 50 years old, according to police.
Leanna reportedly chats with adult men online and her disappearance may be connected to online solicitation, police said.
Leanna is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. She was last seen wearing an oversized gray hoodie with black shorts, a backpack and slippers.
Anyone with information on Leanna's whereabouts is urged to call the Hitchcock Police Department at 409-986-5559 or Detective Williams at 409-750-3469.
What to do when someone goes missing
Thousands of people go missing every year across the United States, and there are organizations and law enforcement agencies that work to bring them home to loved ones.
The Texas Center for the Missing is an organization with Houston roots that works to educate loved ones and authorities on finding the lost.
From resources that deal with missing children to endangered adults, the non-profit organization has compiled a wealth of resources to help.
There is no 24-hour waiting period required to report a person missing, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/missing-teenager-hitchcock/285-e43c4639-d54a-4fe4-9207-b58f855fc523 | 2023-06-14T21:06:38 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/missing-teenager-hitchcock/285-e43c4639-d54a-4fe4-9207-b58f855fc523 |
RICHARDSON, Texas — Video of a cement tanker engulfed in flames near U.S. 75 in Richardson showed the vehicle explode.
The cement tanker was near the intersection of East Collins Boulevard and North Glennville Road. The Richardson Fire Department told WFAA the boom on a cement tanker hit a power line, which caused it to catch fire.
As the tanker was set ablaze, chopper video showed it explode. Here is aerial footage of the explosion:
Richardson fire said the downed power line caused outages in the area, and Oncor was notified and responding to affected customers. Oncor told WFAA approximately 1,200 customers were affected and there was no official estimated restoration time available. Oncor officials said crews were working to fix the issue as quickly as possible.
The downed power line shut down all traffic at East Collins Boulevard and North Glennville Road. Richardson FD said crews needed to wait for the power line to be shut off before starting to put out the fire.
There were no injuries as a result of the fire, Richardson officials said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
More Texas headlines: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/truck-fire-explosion-richardson-texas/287-f252d9ea-7903-47e8-9850-7f075bd9f665 | 2023-06-14T21:06:44 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/truck-fire-explosion-richardson-texas/287-f252d9ea-7903-47e8-9850-7f075bd9f665 |
LOCAL
News in 90: Space Coast heat, Green Gables and Ellis Road
Rob Landers
Florida Today
Support local journalism. Unlock unlimited digital access to floridatoday.com
Looking for the stories included on today's News in 90 Seconds? Click the links below:
Hot Enough?: Brevard heat index to hit a sweltering 108 degrees before weekend
Green Gables nonprofit finally buys Melbourne historic house after years of fundraising
Funding shortfall to widen Ellis Road tops $50M, leaving construction start date in limbo
Rob Landers is a veteran multimedia journalist for the USA Today Network of Florida. Contact Landers at 321-242-3627 or rlanders@gannett.com. Instagram: @ByRobLanders Youtube: @florida_today | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/brevard-heat-index-historic-green-gables-and-ellis-road-ni90/70322338007/ | 2023-06-14T21:09:29 | 0 | https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/brevard-heat-index-historic-green-gables-and-ellis-road-ni90/70322338007/ |
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Washington County Detention Center is now certified as a “Tier 1” facility, something Sheriff Keith Sexton says will benefit taxpayers and the overall community.
It is the first time in the facility’s history that it has attained “Tier 1” status by the Tennessee Corrections Institute’s Board of Control.
“Tier 1 and Tier 2 accreditation through the Tennessee Corrections Institute is the way for facilities to improve, to improve training, to improve the quality of the facility, to improve services to the inmates, and it’s just to become a more professional department,” Sexton said.
According to the sheriff, the certification will increase the reimbursement rate for housing state inmates by $3 a day. That could bring in an additional $153,000 in revenue a year for the county.
To become a Tier 1 jail, a facility must meet 25 standards, including five mandatory and 20 optional standards. According to the sheriff’s office, the mandatory standards are:
- One evidence-based program for inmates focusing on life skills or behavioral health
- One program focusing on life skills or education
- Two years of continuous TCI certification preceding the application
- Leadership development and succession planning that includes a comprehensive training plan with 40 hours of training for newly hired correctional employees
- A zero-tolerance policy of sexual abuse and sexual harassment with a plan for preventing, detecting, and responding to sexual abuse and sexual harassment
The remaining standards include tracking data on inmate programs, maintaining enough space for evidence-based programs, and improved oversight of the facility in general, according to the sheriff’s office.
On Wednesday, Sexton said his department will now work to attain “Tier 2” status.
“We want to be that agency in this area that achieves those two levels of accreditation because it shows professionalism,” Sexton said. “It shows that you’re trying to provide the taxpayer the best service that we can provide them.
Improving the facility and inmate services can help reduce recidivism, Sexton said. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/washington-county-detention-center-certified-as-tier-1-facility/ | 2023-06-14T21:10:55 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/washington-county-detention-center-certified-as-tier-1-facility/ |
HITCHCOCK, Texas — An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 13-year-old girl who has been missing for nearly a week.
Leanna Willis was last seen Friday leaving her home in the 6500 block of Bell Street, which is in the Hitchcock area. Her family reported seeing her getting into a silver 4-door Toyota Camry with an unknown man who is about 40 to 50 years old, according to police.
Leanna reportedly chats with adult men online and her disappearance may be connected to online solicitation, police said.
Leanna is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 160 pounds. She was last seen wearing an oversized gray hoodie with black shorts, a backpack and slippers.
Anyone with information on Leanna's whereabouts is urged to call the Hitchcock Police Department at 409-986-5559 or Detective Williams at 409-750-3469.
What to do when someone goes missing
Thousands of people go missing every year across the United States, and there are organizations and law enforcement agencies that work to bring them home to loved ones.
The Texas Center for the Missing is an organization with Houston roots that works to educate loved ones and authorities on finding the lost.
From resources that deal with missing children to endangered adults, the non-profit organization has compiled a wealth of resources to help.
There is no 24-hour waiting period required to report a person missing, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/missing-teenager-hitchcock/285-e43c4639-d54a-4fe4-9207-b58f855fc523 | 2023-06-14T21:11:18 | 1 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/missing-teenager-hitchcock/285-e43c4639-d54a-4fe4-9207-b58f855fc523 |
State Highway 78 remained closed early Wednesday morning near the junction with Highway 45 in Owyhee County because of flooding on the road. The Idaho Transportation Department calls it a "major closure."
The highway was closed northwest of Murphy just after 6 p.m. Tuesday. An Owyhee County dispatcher said Wednesday morning that a thunderstorm brought heavy rain and flooding. County officials said in a Facebook post from Tuesday night that water and mud was over the road at milepost 28, that the road was impassible and that no estimate for reopening was available.
As of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, there was no new word on the highway's condition, and it remained closed.
Video posted on Facebook by the Owyhee County Historical Museum shows the highway being completely washed out.
"A small, normally dry creek bed became a roaring current around 5:30 p.m. as a massive thunderstorm moved across the Snake River Plain just outside of Murphy. Highway 78 is currently closed until morning, when an evaluation can be made," the museum's post stated. It also said the museum would be closed Wednesday.
The Owyhee County Courthouse in Murphy also was closed Wednesday. County officials say anyone needing help with court business should call the Homedale court office at 208-337-4540. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/flooding-shuts-down-highway-78-in-owyhee-county/article_fda8a646-0ae0-11ee-b13a-d302f06d75c5.html | 2023-06-14T21:13:11 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/flooding-shuts-down-highway-78-in-owyhee-county/article_fda8a646-0ae0-11ee-b13a-d302f06d75c5.html |
Originally published June 14 in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News
As the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office prepares for the trial of the Moscow quadruple murder suspect, it is asking the county for a significant increase in its trial expense budget.
Originally published June 14 in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News
As the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office prepares for the trial of the Moscow quadruple murder suspect, it is asking the county for a significant increase in its trial expense budget.
Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson met with the county commissioners Tuesday to submit his office’s annual budget request. He requested $135,000 for trial expenses, a significant jump from the $15,000 that has been consistently budgeted for that purpose in previous years.
His office is preparing for what is expected to be a long and complex trial of Bryan Kohberger, who faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary charges in the November 2022 stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin.
Kohberger remains in Latah County Jail as he awaits his trial that is scheduled for Oct. 2 to Nov. 12. Latah County District Judge John Judge entered a not guilty plea on Kohberger’s behalf as the suspect chose the option of standing silent during his May 22 arraignment.
According to Thompson’s request, trial expenses include paying for the services of expert witnesses, witness travel fees, transcript fees and exhibit displays.
“It’s hard to project exactly what’s going to be involved,” he said. “We know that it’s not going to be cheap.”
According to court documents recently filed by Kohberger’s attorneys, led by Kootenai County Public Defender Anne Taylor, the Latah County Prosecutor’s Office has disclosed 51 terabytes of information about the case that includes thousands of pages of discovery, thousands of photographs, hundreds of hours of recordings and gigabytes of phone records and social media data.
Thompson said his office is trying to keep its budget projections as conservative as possible, but at the same time, “we need to make sure that we don’t cut corners on anything with regard to making sure this case is handled properly.”
Commissioner Kathie LaFortune expressed her support and even suggested he raise his request to $150,000 for trial expenses to safely cover any future costs.
The commissioners are expected to adopt the county’s annual budget in September.
Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.
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A receipt was sent to your email. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/kohberger-case-prompts-hefty-budget-request/article_db2f141c-0ae3-11ee-8884-a3cbeedaa54b.html | 2023-06-14T21:13:14 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/kohberger-case-prompts-hefty-budget-request/article_db2f141c-0ae3-11ee-8884-a3cbeedaa54b.html |
The State Board of Education is hoping to have its review of ineligible purchases made under the Empowering Parents grant program completed and the issues resolved by the fall, in time for the next cycle of applications.
The board met Wednesday in Pocatello and discussed its review of purchasing made under the grant program. The meeting occurred shortly after Gov. Brad Little wrote a letter to board leadership last week requesting a “full financial audit” of the educational microgrant program, Idaho EdNews reported.
Staff intend to provide a full report on the review to the recently formed Empowering Parents Advisory Council at its meeting on July 10, said Jenn Thompson, the chief planning and policy officer for the board. The council will provide recommendations to the board.
The program, which has been among Little’s top priorities, first rolled out in 2022 using federal pandemic-relief funds to provide grants to eligible students for educational expenses, such as tutoring or technology. The Legislature made the program permanent during the 2023 session, allocating $30 million of state money toward it. Grants are $1,000 per student or up to $3,000 per family, and lower-income households are prioritized.
Board members Wednesday stood by the program, lauding its successes amid its early struggles.
“It’s clear to me that this has been, in my mind at least, a highly successful program when you look at the amount of interest that it has received from all Idaho,” board member Kurt Liebich said at the meeting. “... To me, this is a terrific program but with any program, there’s room for improvement.”
Around $50 million has been distributed to nearly 50,000 Idaho students, he said.
The online marketplace, through which the grants must be used, launched in mid-November 2022. Within a couple of months, the Empowering Parents Grant Program Coordinator Heather Zeitlin identified purchases that appeared to be ineligible, Thompson said. The team worked with the contractor to “provide clarity on the statutory definitions of eligible expenses,” and required the contractor to conduct a review of all the purchases made on its platform as well as provide additional reporting.
Staff also stepped in to suspend some subcontractors' accounts until they could verify that issues had been resolved.
In April, staff began an independent review of all purchases made with the grants.
“That’s a pretty big undertaking because we’re looking at a manual review of more than 50,000 purchases, each of those purchases contains multiple items, and so this has been a really intensive process,” Thompson said.
The review is about three-quarters of the way complete, she said, and 80% of purchases reviewed so far have been determined “very clearly eligible,” and 7% appear to be ineligible or are clearly ineligible — such as smart watches or cleaning supplies. Other items in the review are questionable, such as backpacks or equipment that could be used for physical education, she said; for this category, the advisory council will determine if these types of purchases should be added to the list of eligible purchases.
Parents who clearly used grant funds inappropriately will be notified, removed from the program and unable to participate in the future. This decision can be appealed to the Parent Advisory Council, which may recommend reinstatement of the account.
Thompson said she is working with the state Division of Purchasing to determine if there is a way to recoup funds. There are also plans to increase frequency of the release of review reports from monthly to weekly.
Thompson said staff is working with the contractor to get itemized purchase reports to more clearly determine exactly how much money was spent on ineligible purchases, and the issue should hopefully not persist in the future.
“It appears the contractor has now established procedures that will protect against ineligible expenses with the funds that remain in parent accounts,” she said.
Empowering Parents has had its share of struggles. In December 2022, many Idaho parents were frustrated by the slow pace of application reviews, the Idaho Capital Sun reported at the time.
The budget bill to make the Empowering Parents grants permanent also faced an uphill battle in the Legislature, narrowly passing the House in the final days of the session.
Legislation was also introduced, but did not pass, that would have added to the program to allow tuition grants for private schools — something Little has said he is against.
The Empowering Parents Advisory Council will discuss the review of purchases and how to move forward at its July 10 meeting in Twin Falls. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/state-board-of-education-discusses-embattled-empowering-parents-grants-remains-committed-to-program/article_b6b45a70-0ae3-11ee-9b67-4702a9dfa5b6.html | 2023-06-14T21:13:15 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/state-board-of-education-discusses-embattled-empowering-parents-grants-remains-committed-to-program/article_b6b45a70-0ae3-11ee-9b67-4702a9dfa5b6.html |
BUCKEYE, Ariz. — A Buckeye man has been arrested on suspicion of hitting his girlfriend with his Jeep during a fight outside their home last month, police said.
Adrian Cabrales, 42, was arrested in Avondale this week after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend on May 26 near Yuma and Rainbow roads.
Buckeye police were dispatched to the scene at about 5:30 p.m. after neighbors reported finding a bleeding woman in the street who was yelling for help.
Court records show the victim sustained skull fractures and significant road rash across her skin. Police said she's continuing to receive medical treatment.
Detectives discovered Cabrales was the registered owner of a Jeep spotted in video surveillance of the May 26 incident.
The suspect allegedly admitted to driving the Jeep and indicated he fled the scene because he was scared, court records show. Cabrales is facing charges of aggravated assault and leaving the scene of a collision.
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12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/buckeye-man-accused-running-girlfriend-jeep-police/75-62594f16-c468-4999-8f62-82a956127f55 | 2023-06-14T21:14:18 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/buckeye-man-accused-running-girlfriend-jeep-police/75-62594f16-c468-4999-8f62-82a956127f55 |
BEACH HAVEN, N.J. — A woman from Lackawanna County was killed in a crash in New Jersey.
Investigators say a 78-year-old woman from Springbrook Township was walking across a street in Beach Haven on Monday when she was hit by a car.
Police say the driver of the car had a green light.
No charges are being filed.
Want to see what Newswatch 16's newscast was like in 1976? Head on over to WNEP's YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/lackawanna-county-woman-killed-in-nj-crash-springbrook-township-beach-haven-wnep/523-c6b75bc9-75fe-42c6-ac0c-d6af62eba024 | 2023-06-14T21:20:44 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/lackawanna-county-woman-killed-in-nj-crash-springbrook-township-beach-haven-wnep/523-c6b75bc9-75fe-42c6-ac0c-d6af62eba024 |
SCRANTON, Pa. — Volunteers are hard at work sprucing up a house in Scranton that will soon provide a roof over the heads of families experiencing homelessness.
Krista Murray is the executive director of the Catherine McAuley Center and says the house was provided by the Scranton Housing Authority.
The McAuley Center's mission is to assist women and children experiencing homelessness. Now, they are expanding their services to help single dads with kids and whole families.
"We're getting everything ready to make this house a home for the people who are coming in, and just some external things, and then the all the joys that come with a home too, so replacing a furnace and a water heater," Murray said.
The Keystone Job Corps Center in Luzerne County provided some of the volunteers who are learning a trade and are happy to help a good cause.
"Some of our students are experiencing similar situations in their own lives. So, this is a good way to help out the community and learn a little bit about their craft and their trade," Matthew Lazar said.
Based on the number of requests so far this year, the center knows the need is out there, and this is a good place to start.
"Our shelter that we already have in Lackawanna County and Luzerne County serves about 60 people each year, too, so we expect to see a similar pattern this year," Murray said.
Murray says they will be choosing families to move into the three-bedroom house based on the size of the families.
The new shelter is expected to be finished by July. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/new-shelter-to-help-homeless-fathers-scranton-catherine-mcauley-center-keystone-job-corps/523-563a91e5-1282-4476-96bc-90058623c70a | 2023-06-14T21:20:50 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/new-shelter-to-help-homeless-fathers-scranton-catherine-mcauley-center-keystone-job-corps/523-563a91e5-1282-4476-96bc-90058623c70a |
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce spoke for roughly 20 minutes at the Luzerne County Courthouse.
He talked about the results of a lengthy investigation into November's shortage of ballot paper, whether there was any evidence of tampering with voting machines, paper being purposely removed from machines or voter suppression.
According to the district attorney's office, the answer to all those questions is no.
The investigation did not find any evidence that shows criminal intent or activity that indicated the paper shortages were done intentionally.
The district attorney's report found that 16 polling sites in Luzerne County ran out of ballot paper during the general election on November 8 of last year.
Some voters had to use emergency or provisional ballots.
It was also determined that there is no evidence that the paper shortage was done to deter voting in Republican or conservative areas.
While the district attorney's office says no criminal charges will be filed against any County or Election Day workers, they say positions ranging from Director to poll workers all play a role in making sure there is enough paper stocked for voting machines.
"A major factor in this occurrence is a lack of training and experience in the bureau of elections, and that comes from the fact that, as listed, the personnel have not been there for an extended period of time, but in addition to that, as reported in a previous investigation, the training and experience I should say the training and classes are sometimes difficult to come by," D.A. Sanguedolce said.
With the next election just a few months away, the district attorney's office hopes that this investigation will help to avoid future issues.
Want to see what Newswatch 16's newscast was like in 1976? Head on over to WNEP's YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/da-releases-report-on-voting-paper-problems-in-luzerne-county-sam-sanguedolce-wnep-papergate/523-c991dbc2-1e00-4ad7-be8f-bc2fbda1911d | 2023-06-14T21:20:56 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/da-releases-report-on-voting-paper-problems-in-luzerne-county-sam-sanguedolce-wnep-papergate/523-c991dbc2-1e00-4ad7-be8f-bc2fbda1911d |
HAZLETON, Pa. — Sitting before the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, members of the Hazleton community told stories about how they felt discriminated against.
More than half of the city's population is Hispanic.
"Under our PA Human Relations Act, it is very explicit that people have the right to work, live and move freely in the Commonwealth without harm by bigotry and discrimination," Chad Dion Lassiter, Executive Director of the Human Relations Commission.
The commission spent the day at the Hazleton One Community Center on East Fourth Street.
Members heard stories of alleged discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and education.
Many people came to advocate for students within the Hazleton Area School District.
"You're always looking for equity. You're always looking for kids having a fair shot at doing well and having the opportunity," said Frank Mariano, a former Hazleton Resident.
"Some of them come here with English as their second language. Many of them don't even speak English yet. So not only do they not have a voice, they don't speak the same voice we speak, so we want to be sure we are giving them the necessary tools," Francisco Torres-Aranda of Hazleton.
The Pennsylvania Human Rights Commission came to the city after hearing allegations about potential racial discrimination.
Complaints heard here will be reviewed by the state's legal team to determine if further action or investigation is needed.
"As a neutral party, we're not saying that discrimination has happened in this case, but we are here as a neutral party to take complaints," said Dion Lassiter.
"The best way to get that attention is to be sure they come from outside the area and say we are watching, we are here. We support you, and what do you need in order to improve," said Torres-Aranda.
For more information on the PHRC or to file a complaint, you can find information here.
Want to see what Newswatch 16's newscast was like in 1976? Head on over to WNEP's YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/stories-of-discrimination-heard-in-hazleton-pennsylvania-human-relations-commission-wnep/523-7506877b-4535-48a2-9741-bbb438d2546b | 2023-06-14T21:21:02 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/stories-of-discrimination-heard-in-hazleton-pennsylvania-human-relations-commission-wnep/523-7506877b-4535-48a2-9741-bbb438d2546b |
BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
The State Board of Education is hoping to have its review of ineligible purchases made under the Empowering Parents grant program completed and the issues resolved by the fall, in time for the next cycle of applications.
The board met Wednesday in Pocatello and discussed its review of purchasing made under the grant program. The meeting occurred shortly after Gov. Brad Little wrote a letter to board leadership last week requesting a “full financial audit” of the educational microgrant program, Idaho EdNews reported.
Staff intend to provide a full report on the review to the recently formed Empowering Parents Advisory Council at its meeting on July 10, said Jenn Thompson, the chief planning and policy officer for the board. The council will provide recommendations to the board.
The program, which has been among Little’s top priorities, first rolled out in 2022 using federal pandemic-relief funds to provide grants to eligible students for educational expenses, such as tutoring or technology. The Legislature made the program permanent during the 2023 session, allocating $30 million of state money toward it. Grants are $1,000 per student or up to $3,000 per family, and lower-income households are prioritized.
Board members Wednesday stood by the program, lauding its successes amid its early struggles.
“It’s clear to me that this has been, in my mind at least, a highly successful program when you look at the amount of interest that it has received from all Idaho,” board member Kurt Liebich said at the meeting. “... To me, this is a terrific program but with any program, there’s room for improvement.”
Around $50 million has been distributed to nearly 50,000 Idaho students, he said.
The online marketplace, through which the grants must be used, launched in mid-November 2022. Within a couple months, the Empowering Parents Grant Program Coordinator Heather Zeitlin identified purchases that appeared to be ineligible, Thompson said. The team worked with the contractor to “provide clarity on the statutory definitions of eligible expenses,” and required the contractor to conduct a review of all the purchases made on its platform as well as provide additional reporting.
Staff also stepped in to suspend some subcontractors' accounts until they could verify that issues had been resolved.
In April, staff began an independent review of all purchases made with the grants.
“That’s a pretty big undertaking because we’re looking at a manual review of more than 50,000 purchases, each of those purchases contains multiple items, and so this has been a really intensive process,” Thompson said.
The review is about three-quarters of the way complete, she said, and 80% of purchases reviewed so far have been determined “very clearly eligible,” and 7% appear to be ineligible or are clearly ineligible — such as smart watches or cleaning supplies. Other items in the review are questionable, such as backpacks or equipment that could be used for physical education, she said; for this category, the advisory council will determine if these types of purchases should be added to the list of eligible purchases.
Parents who clearly used grant funds inappropriately will be notified, removed from the program and unable to participate in the future. This decision can be appealed to the Parent Advisory Council, which may recommend reinstatement of the account.
Thompson said she is working with the state Division of Purchasing to determine if there is a way to recoup funds. There are also plans to increase frequency of the release of review reports from monthly to weekly.
Thompson said staff is working with the contractor to get itemized purchase reports to more clearly determine exactly how much money was spent on ineligible purchases, and the issue should hopefully not persist in the future.
“It appears the contractor has now established procedures that will protect against ineligible expenses with the funds that remain in parent accounts,” she said.
Empowering Parents has had its share of struggles. In December of 2022 many Idaho parents were frustrated by the slow pace of application reviews, the Idaho Capital Sun reported at the time.
The budget bill to make the Empowering Parents grants permanent also faced an uphill battle in the Legislature, narrowly passing the House in the final days of the session.
Legislation was also introduced, but did not pass, that would have added to the program to allow tuition grants for private schools — something Little has said he is against.
The Empowering Parents Advisory Council will discuss the review of purchases and how to move forward at its July 10 meeting in Twin Falls.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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- Still reading this list? We're on YouTube, too: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/idaho-state-board-of-education-discusses-embattled-empowering-parents-grants-remains-committed-to-program/277-d093e66a-4bf4-4bc8-a142-c8ab8456b357 | 2023-06-14T21:21:08 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-press/idaho-state-board-of-education-discusses-embattled-empowering-parents-grants-remains-committed-to-program/277-d093e66a-4bf4-4bc8-a142-c8ab8456b357 |
HUGHESVILLE, Pa. — In central Pennsylvania, the Lycoming County Fair is right around the corner.
"It is 152 years old, but every year is a rebirth. We have something new every year for everybody to come out and enjoy," said Mike Bieber, fair director.
Fair board members and local officials gathered at the fairgrounds in Hughesville for media day.
Newswatch 16 learned about new additions to this year's edition of the Lycoming County Fair.
"The outdoor corner is new, micro-wrestling is new, and we are adding new things all the time. Our circus event will be new back in the Amelia Earhart Funway," said Rocky Reed, fair president.
"A lot of new acts on our free stage. We are featuring a lot of local entertainment. We also have entertainment out of Nashville for the country music fans," said Bieber.
The ten-day fair promises to offer fan favorites like livestock, food, monster trucks, tractor pulls, carnival games, and much more.
This year lucky fairgoers might even catch a glimpse of Elvis.
"Well, Elvis is going to be here every day of the fair. He will be kind of ghosting us, you'll kind of get glimpses of him in the distance," Reed stated.
Admission for adults will remain at $4.
A key topic at media day was making sure kids had access to their local fair.
"Kids under 12 are free. So, we hope that every kid gets an opportunity to come to the fair, be at the fair, and do all the things they enjoy," Reed added.
The Lycoming County Fair will run between July 12 and July 22.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/new-attractions-coming-to-the-lycoming-county-fair-hughesville-wnep-mike-bieber/523-a263b69e-4ace-4788-9b93-a47878385a30 | 2023-06-14T21:21:08 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/new-attractions-coming-to-the-lycoming-county-fair-hughesville-wnep-mike-bieber/523-a263b69e-4ace-4788-9b93-a47878385a30 |
CHATTAROY, Wash. — Two families, originally bonded together by the love they shared for their children, are now bonded in shared trauma and pain.
Over the weekend, Calvin "CJ" Miller, 36, Dakota Miller, 17, Jack Miller, 10 and Delilah Miller, 8, were all found dead in an upside down car in the Salmon River just north of Riggins.
Zella Blair is the mother of Jack and Delilah. She said she's still processing her reality after a weekend of tears and tragedy.
"I don't know if I can get used to them not coming through the door after school and yelling for me again," Zella said. "They were huge. They were my whole life."
Blair said she dropped off Jack and Delilah Friday afternoon with their dad Calvin, much like any other weekend as a co-parent.
She said she didn't know Calvin would be taking the kids to visit his grandfather who's in hospice care. She later found out that Calvin, her kids, and Calvin's oldest daughter, Dakota, never made it to their destination.
"I just dropped to my knees... I just started crying," Zella said. "I just couldn't believe it."
Blair said Calvin's partner, Amberlynn, told her what had happened. She said she's also navigating her new life without the ones she learned to love the most.
"I feel really bad for Amber though because she did lose all four people of her household," Blair said. "Even though they weren't they weren't her blood kids. She was always really great to them. Calvin and Amber were always wonderful."
Amberlynn's stepfather Scott Henri shared a statement with KREM2 on her behalf:
"Words cannot express how devastating this loss is to our family. Calvin was a truly exceptional human being and we’re lucky to have had the time with him that we did. His kind heart and sensitive soul, not to mention his amazing sense of humor, brought a richness to our lives that can’t be replaced. He’d found his soul mate in Amberlynn, he fiercely loved her and all of his children & family.
Dakota, Calvin’s oldest, just turned 17 and was still deciding how she wanted to tackle the world after high school. She had amazing friends that brought her so much joy. We were looking forward to seeing the heights she’d reach in life, with her generous and caring heart.
Jack just turned 10 and was so proud to be in the double digits. He was so smart, loved to read, could figure anything out and was going to make waves in the world.
Our sweet Delilah, Calvin’s younger daughter, would have been 9 in August. She was so creative, loved to draw and color and was talented! Funny and sweet, always making sure everyone was taken care of, corn will always be pronounced “coin” in her honor.
Our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for the love and support all have shown us."
Blair said Dakota was Calvin's daughter from a previous relationship, but lived with her dad and Amberlynn.
Blair said Jack and Delilah were taken from her just as they were beginning to blossom.
She said her son was making his first really good friend and her daughter was learning to write poetry.
"I'm just gonna miss so much, just being able to just go give them a hug and go give them a kiss and talk to them about their day," Zella said. "And just little conversations because it just, it just made my heart full. You know, just to hear all the little things they were learning and everything they were becoming, you know, day by day."
Fiancé Taylor Schaefer-Bishop said he's been supporting Blair as much as he can while also coping with losing his children.
"I've had to really be the foundation for her," Taylor said. "Before I met them, I wasn't a father. I had no experience being a dad. They honestly inspired me to be the man that I am today, step up in those shoes and become a father figure."
Schaefer-Bishop said he'll miss playing with Jack and Delilah and teaching them new skills.
"Just a month ago, I was teaching the kids how to swim," Schaefer-Bishop said. "I taught Jack how to split firewood. I mean, Jack and Delilah, we were all gardening for like the last couple months. We've been spending a lot of time gardening in the backyard and just doing a lot of landscaping and you know, foraging for mushrooms and I was teaching them how to shoot guns."
Schaefer-Bishop said even though he isn't Jack and Delilah's birth father, the pain doesn't hurt any less.
"It's just devastating to the ultimate degree," Schaefer-Bishop said. "I can't imagine anything worse."
Blair said she will always tell people how wonderful her kids were.
She said they were incredible older siblings to their younger brother, Barrett, Blair's four-year-old son from another relationship.
She said Jack and Delilah gave the world so much love.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/two-families-mourning-deadly-car-accident-riggins/293-36d5c88b-2cac-46ac-8377-2c2926e96cbc | 2023-06-14T21:21:09 | 1 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/two-families-mourning-deadly-car-accident-riggins/293-36d5c88b-2cac-46ac-8377-2c2926e96cbc |
EAST STROUDSBURG, Pa. — Setting more students up with success this upcoming school year is a goal Sherry Scott tasked herself with a couple of years ago after starting Angels and Dragonflies Children's Charity at the First Baptist Church of East Stroudsburg. This year, she hopes to achieve it once again.
"A lot of the clients that we take care of need these things because they can't afford to buy their child a new backpack and school supplies to start out the year. So, people have reached out over the last three years that I've been doing this, and that seems to be one of the things they need to start school off with," said Scott.
The organization's mission is to provide necessities and toys to children. That's why Scott is looking ahead and collecting everything that goes inside a backpack.
"Crayons, markers, pencils, pens, rulers, folders—anything along those lines—the backpack itself, lunch boxes," Scott said.
But it's not just school supplies. The organization also collects birthday toys for the children they serve, and this weekend you'll be able to donate to both programs during the nonprofit's Food Truck and Vendor Festival.
"We have ten food trucks, and we have 30 vendors. We have live DJ music. We have petting and adoption. Case Critters is coming with animals, snakes, and all sorts of things, so that's fun," Scott said.
The festival is Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at Mountain View Vineyard in Hamilton Township. Money raised goes right back into helping serve children and families in need.
"It helps us operate. It helps us buy what we need. We have so many programs now that we need funding for, so this just helps us out to get through the year," Scott says.
If you can't make it to the Food Truck and Vendor Festival, you can drop off new toys and school supplies during the nonprofit's business hours.
Check out WNEP's YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/poconos-charity-collect-school-supplies-for-children-angels-and-dragonflies-childrens-charity-first-baptist-church-east-stroudsburg/523-21647f3d-f5ac-459d-8418-1ee19fac80bd | 2023-06-14T21:21:14 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/poconos-charity-collect-school-supplies-for-children-angels-and-dragonflies-childrens-charity-first-baptist-church-east-stroudsburg/523-21647f3d-f5ac-459d-8418-1ee19fac80bd |
MILTON, Pa. — Blue Sparrow Farm sits along Route 147 just outside Milton. Pam Harper bought the property in 2021 and started farming.
"Then we decided to get some lavender. Then we got more lavender and more and more and more. We had 200 plants, and then we just keep adding to it," Pam Harper said.
Harper currently has 700 lavender plants and plans to add more every year. She says, like most farming, lavender is very weather-dependent. It needs a mixture of rain and sunshine to grow. Harper says the recent drought did not help.
"Even though we irrigate as much as possible, it's not the same as natural rain. Also, we had a bad winter. We had a winter where it was hot, cold, hot, cold, and we lost about 200 plants," Harper said.
This weekend, Harper will open the farm to the public for the Pennsylvania Lavender Festival. It's the first of many events she hopes to hold here. The two-day festival will feature live music, food and craft vendors, a fishing derby, and of course, lavender.
Harper will teach people about the growing process, give tours, and sell lavender plants.
"We encourage people to bring a chair, bring a pop-up tent. Sit, relax, and listen to the music. Enjoy the fields, walk down by the water, relax, and have a good time," Harper said.
The Pennsylvania Lavender Festival is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Blue Sparrow Farm.
Tickets are available online.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/northumberland-county/bringing-the-pa-lavender-festival-to-life-blue-sparrow-farm-milton/523-3617318b-e65c-4202-8f8a-781c72d01d88 | 2023-06-14T21:21:20 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/northumberland-county/bringing-the-pa-lavender-festival-to-life-blue-sparrow-farm-milton/523-3617318b-e65c-4202-8f8a-781c72d01d88 |
RINGTOWN, Pa. — While the streets of Ringtown may look empty now, this weekend, they will be packed with runners, walkers, and spectators for their 14th annual Ringtown Loop 5K.
It's a race Megan Tomtishen and her family look forward to every year, even if they aren't the most avid runners.
“I wouldn't consider myself a distance runner. I prefer 5K's that are short and sweet, between 30-40 minutes, I'm not the fastest. However, this morning I ran the loop twice,” she said.
What makes this 5K different is that it's meant for non-runners, showing you can still be active and run the race, all at your own pace.
“A few years ago, my grandfather was in his 80s, and he participated and enjoyed it. He just enjoyed seeing the people and helping the park out and walking around the beautiful Ringtown Valley,” added Audra Kufro, Ringtown Loop 5K Organizer.
Kufro calls herself a walker, not a runner, and takes part in the race every year.
She hopes this race makes a 5K seem less intimidating and more enjoyable for participants of all ages.
“No person is telling you to run in a certain period of time, it's really nice that we have people around our community cheering on all of the runners. Including people who are runners, they're coming back running through, cheering on people still running the race or walking,” explained Tomtishen.
Whether participants are running or walking, they're being active for a cause.
All of the proceeds will go to keeping the Ringtown Recreation Center a safe place where families can be active all year round.
“Just the price of fuel to pay for the lawnmowers, if a swing breaks, we like to have it repaired so children can use it, but those things aren't free, so it does take a small village,” Kufro said.
The race kicks off Saturday at the Ringtown Recreation Center at 9 a.m., right after the kids run fun.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/ringtown-hosts-annual-5k-this-weekend-14th-annual-ringtown-loop-5k-wnep-race-runners-walkers/523-d4a54d14-5c60-4b15-af91-90e78536d6f6 | 2023-06-14T21:21:26 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/ringtown-hosts-annual-5k-this-weekend-14th-annual-ringtown-loop-5k-wnep-race-runners-walkers/523-d4a54d14-5c60-4b15-af91-90e78536d6f6 |
HONESDALE, Pa. — On Wednesday, members of the Honesdale American Legion Post 254 raised the American flag in a light rain outside the Wayne County Courthouse.
"Today is Flag Day, and you have to do it regardless of the weather," said James Bruck, the post commander.
County officials, workers, and neighbors gathered to honor this symbol of freedom.
"It's a time for people to honor the flag of our country that we've all fought for, that veterans will be buried under," Bruck said.
"The American flag, far from being a mere symbol or piece of cloth, is an embodiment of hope, freedom, and unity," said Victoria Wargo, the director of veteran's affairs in Wayne County.
The ceremony only lasted about 20 minutes, but it sent a strong message
"Ever since the men and women who dreamed up freedom under the 13 colonies and the whole premise of what we put together in the Declaration of Independence still is represented by our children here today," said Wayne County Commissioner Brian Smith.
"Whenever you say your pledge of allegiance, please do remember the important words and think about the meaning of it—the words indivisible, and with liberty and justice for all," said Wayne County Commissioner Jocelyn Cramer. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/wayne-county/hope-freedom-unity-celebrated-on-flag-day-in-wayne-county-honesdale-courthouse-american-legion-commissioner/523-e6783b6b-39bf-41bd-8b61-b63c049ff6dc | 2023-06-14T21:21:32 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/wayne-county/hope-freedom-unity-celebrated-on-flag-day-in-wayne-county-honesdale-courthouse-american-legion-commissioner/523-e6783b6b-39bf-41bd-8b61-b63c049ff6dc |
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — A former Fulton County detention officer has been arrested after "using excessive and unnecessary force" during a custody exchange of a detainee last Monday, according to the Fulton County Sheriff's Office.
Clark, 31, faces felony charges of aggravated assault and violation of oath by a public officer. Clark's also being charged with one count of reckless conduct, which is a misdemeanor charge, the sheriff's office said.
The charges stem from the custody exchange of a detainee at the Alpharetta Police Department on June 5.
"The indefensible acts of this one officer do not reflect the mission of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office,” Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat said. “As Sheriff of Fulton County, I am committed to transparency and to holding each and every employee accountable to protect and serve every member of our community, including those in our custody. Being a detention officer is a difficult job but even under challenging circumstances there is absolutely no excuse for the behavior that led to this arrest.”
Clark joined the Fulton County Sheriff's Office in 2016. Clark has been terminated, the sheriff's office said.
Bodycam video of the incident will soon be released once the Alpharetta Police Department finishes its internal affairs investigation, the Fulton County Sheriff said.
Download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/former-fulton-county-detention-officer-clark-arrested/85-6ba2588c-57fc-4480-860a-7e6e84f8686d | 2023-06-14T21:23:23 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/former-fulton-county-detention-officer-clark-arrested/85-6ba2588c-57fc-4480-860a-7e6e84f8686d |
ATLANTIC CITY — An investigation into a late-April shooting led to charges against three Atlantic County residents, including the person who was shot, police said on Wednesday.
Jeffrey Luckett, 43, of Mays Landing, Jayce Thomas, 32, of Pleasantville, and Terika Timberlake, a 35-year-old city resident, are all charged with unlawful possession of a weapon in the case, police said in a news release.
Thomas and Timberlake are each charged with possession of hollow-point ammunition, possession of a large-capacity magazine, certain persons not to possess a weapon and receiving stolen property.
Thomas was separately charged with aggravated assault for the April 30 shooting, police said.
The charges stem from a shooting in which Luckett drove himself to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, for a non-life-threatening gunshot wound he sustained in the first block of south Bellevue Avenue.
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Authorities searched his car parked in the ambulance driveway and found a handgun in it.
Thomas was later deemed a person of interest. He was arrested on May 10 after being seen by police in the same block on Bellevue Avenue where the Luckett was struck by gunfire.
As he was approached, Thomas removed a handgun from his waist and handed it to Timberlake, who was stopped by police after walking away. The gun was stolen out of Louisana in 2016, police said.
After laboratory tests, Thomas was charged with the shooting on June 6. He was already in Atlantic County jail at the time, but police did not say if his inceration was tied to the case or for unrelated offenses.
Police did not say if they know what caused the shooting to happen.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office aided the investigation. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlanticcity-shooting-arrests-april/article_c58dd09c-0af4-11ee-8a50-83c06f689371.html | 2023-06-14T21:31:43 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlanticcity-shooting-arrests-april/article_c58dd09c-0af4-11ee-8a50-83c06f689371.html |
BRIGANTINE — A man charged with having sex with a teenage boy near the city's observation tower believed the minor to be 19 years old when they met over the dating application Grindr, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Thomas G. Aljian Jr., 55, of Stafford Township, was caught in his car with the teenager by a police officer patrolling area near East Beach Avenue and 14th Street North early on Saturday morning, police said on Tuesday.
While initially interviewed at the scene and released, Aljian turned himself in to police on Tuesday before being taken to Atlantic County jail.
Police said Aljian and the teenager were found around 4 a.m.
The teen, who was identified in the affidavit as being 15, ran from police, making his way to the city's north-end sea wall, where he was later apprehended by officers.
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At the tower, Aljian admitted to meeting the teenager on social media, adding that the two were "making out in his truck," according to the affidavit.
The 15-year-old gave officers a false identity when questioned, police said.
Officers returned to where Aljian's vehicle, finding a used condom near there and collecting it as evidence, the affidavit states.
BRIGANTINE — An Ocean County man was arrested Tuesday on charges that he engaged in sex acts…
Meanwhile, at the police station, the teenager admitted that he and Aljian engaged in sexual activity inside the car, the affidavit states.
The teenager later went to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, for a "SANE Exam," which is often used in sexual assault cases, the affidavit states. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/brigantine-arrest-sex-assault/article_ccb60288-0acf-11ee-9852-ebf22cc99fa5.html | 2023-06-14T21:31:44 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/brigantine-arrest-sex-assault/article_ccb60288-0acf-11ee-9852-ebf22cc99fa5.html |
Not an 'appropriate fit:' Back to square one to find a new Shasta County health officer
Longtime Shasta County Supervisor Mary Rickert pines for the good old days when board meetings were relatively routine, void of the drama and chaos that reverberate through the chamber today.
Tuesday’s board meeting offered a slice of the challenges facing Shasta County, and laid bare again the bitter divide that has defined the county since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What was supposed to be a routine action to officially terminate the county’s contract with Dominion Voting Machines instead sparked renewed and unsubstantiated election fraud claims and heated calls by some for Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen to resign. One speaker asked for a resolution registering county leaders' opposition to statewide regulations for hand-counting votes.
The Dominion discussion culminated with one speaker getting kicked out of the meeting — the second time in two weeks that Chairman Patrick Jones asked security to escort someone out.
After the public portion of Tuesday’s meeting, supervisors went into closed session. They emerged to announce they voted 5-0 not to move forward with the latest finalist for the long-vacant Health Officer position, now marking three failed attempts to find a replacement for former Health Officer Dr. Karen Ramstrom.
Here’s a rundown of Tuesday’s meeting.
Anything but routine
Supervisors voted 5-0 to approve a termination agreement with Dominion Voting Systems. The vote came nearly five months after Supervisors Kevin Crye, Chris Kelstrom and Jones voted to prematurely end the county’s contract with Dominion and move forward with a system to hand count all votes.
Dominion was on the board’s consent agenda, which is typically reserved for routine and non-controversial items.
But, before the start of Tuesday’s meetings, Jones announced that the Dominion contract had been pulled from the consent agenda.
Jones said Rickert initially asked for the item to be pulled. Rickert withdrew her request.
Then, Crye asked that the item be pulled from the consent agenda, Jones said.
“I pulled it just because I wanted more information. Once I was satisfied with the answers I got, I said … put it back on,” Rickert said.
She did not know why Crye asked for it to be pulled.
Crye didn’t respond to a text message seeking comment.
Several public speakers took the opportunity again to thank the board’s far-right majority for ditching Dominion in favor of hand-counting votes.
Bob Holsinger, who challenged Darling Allen in 2022 and lost by nearly 40 percentage points, said voting machines can’t be trusted. Holsinger got 32% of the vote.
“We need physical ballots to count,” Holsinger said.
Like the rest of California, Shasta County uses paper ballots that up until now have been tabulated by voting machines.
Jeff Gorder defended Darling Allen.
“You guys have bought into the lies and you got 32% here that are attacking Cathy Darling Allen and it’s on you, Mr. Crye, it’s on you, and that’s why you are being recalled,” said Gorder, who retired as Shasta County Public Defender in 2018.
Gorder is leading an effort to recall Crye, who was elected in November 2022.
After listening to speakers criticize Darling Allen, Supervisor Kelstrom defended her.
“It’s a done deal. You just want to get this equipment out of your office. So, thank you very much for just being very clear and short and to the point and I’m sorry that it turned into what we got here. But thank you,” Kelstrom said.
Rickert said she has not seen any evidence that Dominion machines were a problem in Shasta County and getting rid of them is a waste of taxpayer dollars.
The ballot tally machines were used in the November 2020 election, when Donald Trump carried about two-thirds of the vote in Shasta County and Jones won his District 4 seat convincingly.
They were also used in last November’s election, when both Crye and Kelstrom won seats on the board.
“I think that it’s reprehensible that we’re going through this process. It’s causing more divide and more unrest in this county,” Rickert said.
Jones, who made the motion in January to terminate the Dominion contract, asked the chamber why are reporters from around the world calling him about Shasta County’s quest to go back to hand counting?
“So there is consequences with what we’re doing and I think it will be in a positive manner,” Jones said.
More:Why this supervisor's apology to Black man he kicked out after racist incident fell flat
Meanwhile, Christian Gardinier attempted to speak about Dominion after already addressing the topic. The rules state speakers can address a specific agenda item once.
Jones warned Gardinier three times to step away from the speaker's podium before Jones asked security to remove him.
Gardinier is a frequent speaker who is critical of the board’s far-right majority.
Back to square one with Health Officer
For the third time in less than a year, Shasta County is having to restart its search for a Health Officer.
Supervisors Rickert and Tim Garman told the Record Searchlight after Tuesday's meeting that the offer was rescinded after a background check on the individual came back.
"Let's just say he met the minimum requirements on paper and he was a cordial individual. But I had my concerns after the interview, then the background check confirmed he wasn't an appropriate fit for the county," Rickert said.
Rickert said this latest finalist was the only person to interview this time around.
“It’s very concerning to me again that we are not able to attract qualified candidates and I’m hoping at some point we will be able to convince someone to fill this position because our county desperately has a lot of health issues that need to be addressed,” Rickert said.
It’s been more than a year since former Health Officer Ramstrom was fired without cause by a 3-2 vote. Voting to dismiss Ramstrom were Supervisors Les Baugh, Jones and Garman. Voting against the termination were Supervisors Mary Rickert and Joe Chimenti.
In February, county officials were set to interview a finalist. But the person pulled out of the interview after taking a similar position in another state, Health and Human Services Agency Director Laura Burch told the Record Searchlight.
The first attempt to replace Ramstrom failed in August when the preferred candidate declined the job offer after a panel of county officials interviewed him. The panel that interviewed the candidate was unanimous in its endorsement of him. It was only after that interviews that the county extended an offer to him.
David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. | https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2023/06/13/the-offer-was-rescinded-after-the-latest-candidates-background-check/70319625007/ | 2023-06-14T21:31:45 | 1 | https://www.redding.com/story/news/local/2023/06/13/the-offer-was-rescinded-after-the-latest-candidates-background-check/70319625007/ |
PLEASANTVILLE — A period of uncertainty that has stretched over two years is coming to an end, although lingering concerns about transparency and internal disputes on the local school board remain.
The Board of Education voted Tuesday to hire Marilyn Martinez as the superintendent of Pleasantville Public Schools. The hiring comes 20 months after the board voted to suspend its last superintendent and is meant to stabilize a district rocked by turnover in leadership and attendant controversies in recent years. She is to succeed Superintendent Natakie Chestnut-Lee, who was subject to a controversial suspension in October 2021; and acting Superintendent Karin Farkas, who has served as head of the district since that suspension.
Martinez, who currently serves as the chief schools officer for the Camden City School District, attended the meeting Tuesday and spoke after her appointment.
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“It is my deepest honor and sincerest gratitude to have the privilege to lead as your next superintendent,” Martinez said. “I come with a heart and a passion that is about children and youth and families and what public school systems are able to provide.”
The vote to hire Martinez was 7-0, with one board member, Cassandra Clements, absent from the meeting. Due to members having conflicts of interest, such as having a family member employed by the district, the board invoked the doctrine of necessity under state law, allowing all present members of the board to vote.
Board President Doris Rowell said it was a “privilege and an honor” to hire Martinez, and the other six board members in attendance also voiced their support for Martinez.
“We’re excited to work with you, we’re excited to see great things you’re going to do for the district,” Rowell said. “We’re in with the new, and we got to be out with the old.”
Martinez has had an extended career as an administrator. She served as the superintendent of Pennsauken schools from October 2011 to September 2014, according to her LinkedIn page, and as the interim executive dean of Camden County College from 2017 to 2018. Before coming to Camden, Martinez worked as the interim superintendent at the Allentown School District in Pennsylvania from April to July 2021. Her LinkedIn page also lists Martinez as having served as an adjunct principal supervisor trainer at New Leaders, which trains school leaders.
Martinez said she started her career in the Philadelphia School District. Her LinkedIn shows her beginning in the district in 1989 and said she worked as a teacher, principal and in several other administrative roles.
When she takes her role as superintendent in Pleasantville, Martinez will lead a district in a city where half of residents are Hispanic and more than a quarter are immigrants to the United States. Martinez spoke about the importance of realizing the potential of all students in the district and spoke briefly about her heritage. After being asked by a resident in Spanish where she was from, Martinez replied in Spanish that she was from New Jersey and her parents were from northwestern Puerto Rico, before repeating her comments in English.
The remarks from the new superintendent followed a presentation from district Director of Curriculum and Instruction Darlyne De Haan. The presentation indicated that the district had improved this year in reading and math, according to internal measures of success.
NORTHFIELD — Eight girls from Pleasantville Middle School took a field trip last week to see…
“And I’m very, very excited that I get to join such a committed group of school leaders and administrators and staff that are genuinely committed to closing the achievement gap for all of our students,” Martinez said.
School officials said the superintendent search was overseen by the New Jersey School Boards Association and Michelle Kennedy, the field service representative for the association in Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties. The process involved a superintendent search committee, which included board members Alejandrina Alberto, Andrea Gray and Anny Melo. District officials said other school board members were left off the search committee due to conflicts of interest.
Twenty-eight candidates applied for the superintendent position. Of those, seven were deemed qualified and three received a call back for a follow-up interview. Two town halls were held in March to solicit public input in the superintendent search.
Before the vote for the new superintendent, the board publicly interviewed candidates to replace Yadira Falcone, who resigned in May. The resignation followed allegations that Falcone did not live in the district, although she has denied those allegations and said her resignation was due to the hostile, adversarial atmosphere on the school board.
The hiring of Martinez caps a long, at times discordant process to change school leadership.
The Board of Education first voted to suspend Chestnut-Lee on Oct. 12, 2021. The tenure of Chestnut-Lee is not a significant aberration from the district’s past. The district has gone through myriad superintendents over the past two decades, whose tenures are seldom longer than a couple years. In addition to the turnover in leadership, the district has been disrupted by scandal, such as in 2007, when several then current and former members of the school board were arrested in a federal corruption probe. That same year, Pleasantville Public Schools was subject to the control of state monitors. The monitors’ tenure lasted until fall 2021, ending days before Chestnut-Lee’s suspension.
Priscilla Noel, a resident often outspoken at school board meetings, exhorted the board and new superintendent to end years of strife in the district.
“There is a current revolving door of superintendents that come through this district,” Noel said. "If you’re invested, if you’re interested in this district, you’re going to do what’s necessary to make it work.”
PLEASANTVILLE — Citing hostile internal conditions, a member of the school board is leaving …
Martinez said she appreciated the community input at the lengthy meeting, which, including executive session, lasted over three hours.
“This evening has been very important to me, because I’ve gotten the opportunity to listen to the voice of the community,” Martinez said. “To the community at large, I stand ready to listen and to learn from you about your ideas and your concerns about how we together work to improve our district on behalf of all of our students.” | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/education/pleasantville-camden-superintendent/article_2058a848-0add-11ee-97a1-eb602c7c8c67.html | 2023-06-14T21:31:45 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/education/pleasantville-camden-superintendent/article_2058a848-0add-11ee-97a1-eb602c7c8c67.html |
Cage Fury Fighting Championships will return to Atlantic City on Friday at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and will feature two southern Ocean County fighters on the card.
CJ LaFragola, who starred in three sports at St. Joseph High School and went on to do the same at the NCAA Division I level, will make his professional debut in mixed martial arts at CFFC 120. He will compete on the preliminary card, which starts at 7 p.m. in the Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena.
The main card will start at 9 p.m. and include Luke Fernandez, a Lacey Township High School graduate who made his debut in March.
The main event will feature Vilson Ndregjoni (7-3), of Albania, defending the bantamweight title against Wendel Araujo (7-3), of Brazil. The fights will stream on UFC Fight Pass.
LaFragola, 26, of Little Egg Harbor Township, will take on Aaron Walker (1-0; Orlando, Florida). LaFragola, listed at 5-foot-10 and 184 pounds, went 5-0 in an amateur career that began in May 2021.
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LaFragola was the 2014-15 Press Male Athlete of the Year as a senior. He led the Wildcats’ football team to an undefeated season and a state championship, placed second at the state individual wrestling tournament and led the Cape-Atlantic League in home runs in baseball.
"I’m so excited to be making my pro debut, not only for an amazing promotion like CFFC, but also in front of my home town crowd in AC," LaFragola said Wednesday. "I’ve been training for AC since high school with (high school state championships) being there, and now it’s coming full circle."
"I'm fighting for more than myself in that cage Friday," he added.
He went on to star as a wrestler at Brown University. There, he reached the NCAA Tournament three times. After graduating in 2019, he went to Sacred Heart University, where he played football in the fall and baseball in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 spring season. He spent the past two years as an assistant wrestling coach at Drexel.
Fernandez, 27, won his CFFC pro debut with an uppercut KO over Derik Overstreet at CFFC 217 on March 31. He will face Jesse Romans (1-0; Williamstown, Kentucky) on the main card Friday.
Fernandez wrestled at Lacey and went on to wrestle at D-III Elizabethtown College. He made his MMA debut in October 2020.
The 6-foot, 204.5-pound Fernandez won CFFC's NextGen Championship, going 6-0 as an amateur.
Tickets for Friday start at $60. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. To purchase, visit cffc.tv. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/boxing/former-press-athlete-of-the-year-to-make-pro-mma-debut-in-atlantic-city/article_e2c9289a-0adc-11ee-b5b3-1beb7657dff9.html | 2023-06-14T21:31:45 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/boxing/former-press-athlete-of-the-year-to-make-pro-mma-debut-in-atlantic-city/article_e2c9289a-0adc-11ee-b5b3-1beb7657dff9.html |
Air Quality Alert
Areas Affected: Dodge; Fillmore; Houston; Mower; Olmsted; Wabasha; Winona
...AIR QUALITY ALERT NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 AM CDT FRIDAY...
* WHAT...The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has expanded the Air Quality Alert for fine particle pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to reach the Orange or Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category.
* WHERE...Southeast Minnesota.
* WHEN...Through 6 AM CDT Friday.
* IMPACTS...Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, and children and older adults, may experience health effects.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Smoke from Canadian wildfires has settled across central Minnesota this afternoon and will gradually move into southeastern Minnesota Wednesday evening. Smoke will gradually dissipate across the area Thursday - but may be slower to clear Mississippi River Valley. Therefore the alert has been extended until Friday morning. In addition, sunny skies, warm temperatures, low humidity, and light winds will produce an environment for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) to react in the air to produce elevated levels of ozone Wednesday afternoon. Ozone will be elevated the Rochester area during the afternoon hours, but will decrease Thursday evening. For information on current air quality conditions in your area and to sign up for daily air quality forecasts and alert notifications by email, text message, phone, or the EPA AirNow mobile app, visit https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/current-air- quality-conditions. You can find additional information about health and air quality at https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water- land-climate/air-quality-and-health.
The general public should limit prolonged or heavy exertion. Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, and children and older adults, should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to air pollution, such as outdoor burning, and use of residential wood burning devices. Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle idling as much as possible. Keep windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors.
Air Quality Alert
Areas Affected: Anoka; Benton; Blue Earth; Brown; Carver; Chippewa; Chisago; Dakota; Douglas; Faribault; Freeborn; Goodhue; Hennepin; Isanti; Kanabec; Kandiyohi; Lac Qui Parle; Le Sueur; Martin; McLeod; Meeker; Mille Lacs; Morrison; Nicollet; Pope; Ramsey; Redwood; Renville; Rice; Scott; Sherburne; Sibley; Stearns; Steele; Stevens; Swift; Todd; Waseca; Washington; Watonwan; Wright; Yellow Medicine
...AIR QUALITY ALERT NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 AM CDT FRIDAY...
* WHAT...The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has expanded the Air Quality Alert for fine particle pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to reach the Red or Unhealthy category.
* WHERE...Central and southern Minnesota.
* WHEN...Through 6 AM CDT Friday.
* IMPACTS...Some members of the general public may experience health effects. Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, and children and older adults, may experience health effects.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Smoke from Canadian wildfires has settled across central Minnesota this afternoon. AQI observations are in in the Red (Unhealthy for Everybody) category across the alert area and will continue to be until at least Thursday morning. Smoke will gradually dissipate across the area Thursday - but may be slower to clear in the Minnesota and Mississippi River Valleys. Therefore the alert has been extended until Friday morning. For information on current air quality conditions in your area and to sign up for daily air quality forecasts and alert notifications by email, text message, phone, or the EPA AirNow mobile app, visit https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land- climate/current-air-quality-conditions. You can find additional information about health and air quality at https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/air-quality- and-health.
The general public should limit prolonged or heavy exertion. Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, and children and older adults, should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to air pollution, such as outdoor burning, and use of residential wood burning devices. Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle idling as much as possible. Keep windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors. | https://www.kimt.com/news/local/air-quality-alert-extended-until-friday-morning-in-se-minnesota/article_c80e767c-0abe-11ee-a01f-5b6a6192e318.html | 2023-06-14T21:32:18 | 1 | https://www.kimt.com/news/local/air-quality-alert-extended-until-friday-morning-in-se-minnesota/article_c80e767c-0abe-11ee-a01f-5b6a6192e318.html |
BREWER -- The city of Brewer approved its new municipal budget on Tuesday, which included a decrease in property taxes.
The property tax rate is set to decrease by 4.7% or $1 following the city's approval of a 16.7 million dollar budget. The current rate is $21.90 per one thousand of assess valuation.
The decrease in tax rates is possible after the town city received additional school funding from the state and additional municipal revenue sharing funds.
"Property values have been growing at a very rapid pace and brewer has been trying to keep up with that because we are a 100% full value community so we try to keep assessed valuations current with market values," said Finance Director for Brewer Karen Fussell.
Fussell says that they haven't seen a decrease in the tax rates this large since around 2005. However, she says the overall tax base is increasing about 6% due to valuation growth on sales, so some may be actually seeing increases on their tax bills depending on the location or condition of the home.
The city's goal was to decrease the mill rate as much as they could to offset increases in the tax base.
If people don't think their property value matches the market value they are encouraged to talk with the city assessor.
Fussell says they hope to use their additional budget funds towards improvements to the brewer River Walk and other developmental work to increase the recreational value of the city. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/city-of-brewer-approves-highest-decrease-in-property-taxes-since-2005/article_12d9929a-0aec-11ee-ad51-b762420c40b8.html | 2023-06-14T21:34:17 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/city-of-brewer-approves-highest-decrease-in-property-taxes-since-2005/article_12d9929a-0aec-11ee-ad51-b762420c40b8.html |
HANCOCK -- On June 13th, 1954, Maine Central Railroad Engine 470 made its last trip from Portland to Bangor, sixty-nine years later, the New England steam Corporation is working hard to restore it so it can make a few more scenic trips.
Since 2016, New England Steam has gone back and forth between raising money for the restoration and actually working on it.
Despite the obstacles they have overcome and the ones still remaining in their way, the group remains undeterred and plans on having the locomotive eventually join the down east scenic railroad system.
Chief mechanical officer and president of New England Steam Corporation, Leverett Fernald says, "All of us with New England Steam feel this is an important part of the history of the state of Maine and the Maine Central Railroad... This was once a very important part of our transportation system and we feel that it deserves to be preserved and deserved to operated again".
Fernald says restoring the train is about more than just having an old set of wheels on the tracks.
It's about honoring the legacy of railroad workers from years past.
"You think of all the people that it took to do all of that and they made it happen," says Leverett, "It's hard to appreciate that when none of this stuff is around to observe and we hope to preserve that part of it".
Due to funding constraints, Fernald isn't sure when the train will be operational but he does know what it will take, he says, "If somebody handed us a million dollars right now we could probably have this done in five years or less".
If you happen to have a million dollars or just some spare cash lying around, donations can be made here. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/getting-engine-470-back-on-track/article_b52432a8-0aec-11ee-8462-abe87ffe9efb.html | 2023-06-14T21:34:23 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/getting-engine-470-back-on-track/article_b52432a8-0aec-11ee-8462-abe87ffe9efb.html |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sacramento resident Genea Slaughter needed to find a way to keep her children busy.
“I figured what better way to do that than to build them their own personal garden that they would have to go outside and tend to every day,” said Slaughter.
Her passion for building wood products evolved into Playwood Crafting, an online business where she sells garden and sensory boxes for kids and adults. As a first-time entrepreneur, Slaughter was eager to find resources to help her during this new endeavor.
In 2022, she heard about a new program called the Black Entrepreneurs Success Academy (BESA), a 13-week course in Sacramento providing Black business owners with a range of skills to help grow their business.
“It’s very difficult to figure out what you can do to build, scale, [and] sustain a business and I think that's where we come in... we're going to show you how to do it,” said Anthony Robinson, co-founder of BESA.
Throughout the course, students learn how to create a business, marketing and financial plan.
Robinson co-founded BESA with Robynne Rose-Haymer. Both are currently getting their doctorates in education, which is how they met. What inspired these two scholars to create the Black Entrepreneurs Success Academy was a stroke of serendipity.
In April 2022, our ABC10 Race and Culture team hosted a film screening for a two-part series called “Sacramento’s Black Wall Street.”
The project highlighted the Florin Square Shopping Center in South Sacramento where more than 200 Black owned businesses and nonprofits operate. Our series traced the roots to one of the most prosperous Black Wall Streets in the United States — the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A panel discussion followed to learn more about the needs and challenges of current Black entrepreneurs in Sacramento. Guest panelist Rose-Haymer said the conversation was a “catalyst” for her.
“Screening a documentary like ['Sacramento’s Black Wall Street’] brings together a certain group of interested folks,” said Rose-Haymer. “And that panel really served as a knowledge lifter for me that there is information that people need that is not readily accessible.”
Shortly after the film screening, Rose-Haymer met with Robinson to figure out how to help local Black entrepreneurs. Little did she know Robinson had built a curriculum specifically for entrepreneurs during the pandemic. They launched BESA with the curriculum over the course of a few months.
Some of the sponsors included The Sacramento Observer, The Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce and the Florin Square community Development Corporation.
While there are programs at the college level teaching someone how to be successful in business, the co-founders say they are aware those programs exist and serve a certain niche population.
“We have a heart for the understanding that traditional education models are not best suited for marginalized populations,” said Rose-Haymer.
Brigitte Muderhwa runs The House of Royals, a place where visitors can reconnect and reclaim their African roots by taking selfies in traditional African garments. She has been an entrepreneur for 15 years.
“But I always felt something was missing in my journey and the BESA Academy, kind of, it was like, my dream come true as training and education,” said Muderhwa. “It's the best that can exist at the moment for the community because the directors saw what was missing in the training of entrepreneurs.”
The academy is a “for us, by us” program designed specifically for African Americans.
“One of the things that I've found is there is a huge gap in access to the knowledge, to the education, to finances, specifically for African Americans, predominantly for African Americans living in low-income communities,” said Robinson. “So, one of the reasons that I co-founded this program was because of people like me, people who didn't have much guidance, I had to learn many of the things on my own.”
In 2020, only 3% of businesses in the U.S. were Black-owned compared to 86% of White-owned businesses, according to data from the Pew Research Center.
“Structural racism is not a myth anymore,” said Rose-Haymer. “It's very, very clear that there were some systems, in particular, financial institutions that worked adversely toward Black folks and people of color in terms of being able to access pathways to wealth.”
Black Americans are less likely to attain wealth than white Americans and are less likely to move up the economic ladder and more likely to slide down it, according to a report by The Brookings Institution on intragenerational wealth mobility in the United States.
Ultimately, the co-founders hope the academy helps Black entrepreneurs close the wealth gap.
“We look at BESA as the catalyst for that, like this is the foundation, right?” said Robinson. “One person, which leads to one family, which ultimately leads to whole communities, swiftly closing that wealth gap, at least here in Sacramento specific.”
It’s not lost on Slaughter being a Black entrepreneur is everything her ancestors couldn’t be. She is taking a “leap” and the Black Entrepreneurship Success Academy is part of her journey.
“We all have this idea, and we want to build our dreams off of our idea, and [BESA] was able to open doors for me like for pitching, showing me how to talk to investors, showing me where to bank,” said Slaughter. “The networking capacity has been great; you meet so many other likeminded people that are all going the same way. So, it's like you can collaborate to really like cultivate your dream.”
The next cohort begins in July 2023.
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The Race and Culture team's mission is to serve our diverse communities through authentic representation, community engagement and equitable reporting.
Accomplishing our goals of inclusive reporting requires hearing from you. Is there a person or place that you want us to highlight? Email us at raceandculture@abc10.com or fill out the form below. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/black-entrepreneur-success-academy-sacramento/103-1152122f-6da6-49bd-a9d7-4fb49521767f | 2023-06-14T21:34:29 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/black-entrepreneur-success-academy-sacramento/103-1152122f-6da6-49bd-a9d7-4fb49521767f |
STOCKTON, Calif. — In a new report, San Joaquin County's Civil Grand Jury says more can and should be done to keep students safe.
The 26-page report released Monday gave 25 recommendations for each of the county's 14 school districts and one recommendation for eight local law enforcement agencies.
Recommendations for the school districts ranged from updating and getting more input on state-required school site safety plans to having more robust drills and frequent trainings.
The sole recommendation the grand jury gave to the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office and the Escalon, Lathrop, Lodi, Manteca, Ripon, Stockton and Tracy Police Departments was to "meaningfully collaborate and approve" updated safety plans for each school site within their jurisdiction.
Jurors noted one of the best forms of violence prevention and emergency preparedness involves the school's culture.
"The emphasis on physical security measures has created a failure to focus on human factors and the fundamentals of school security and culture," the report said.
As part of the investigation, jurors visited one school site from each of the districts. In addition to scrutinizing those schools' safety plans and levels of preparedness, the jurors also analyzed the culture and sense of school pride.
"A school safety culture is encouraged by involving parents/guardians, students, teachers, administrators, and other school personnel in a school’s safety planning process," the report said. "It also is encouraged by creating an overall positive climate at the school."
Some recurring issues jurors found in the districts included limited mentions of the needs of disabled students during emergencies, safety plans not specific to each school site, a lack of training for individuals responsible for emergency incident command roles, a lack of diversity on the times and dates schools held emergency drills, inconsistent visitor sign-in processes and a lack of training for substitute teachers.
All of the school districts and agencies investigated are required to give the court a response to the report within 90 days. Each of the grand jury's recommendations came with different deadlines.
Jurors say they first began investigating the districts after several school shootings across the nation, the deadly-on campus stabbing of Alycia Reynaga at Stagg High School, and threats of violence targeting county schools.
The districts included the San Joaquin Office of Education, Banta Unified School District, Escalon Unified School District, Jefferson School District, Lammersville Unified School District, Lincoln Unified School District, Linden Unified School District, Lodi Unified School District, Manteca Unified School District, New Hope Elementary School District, New Jerusalem School District, Oak View Elementary School District, Ripon Unified School District and Stockton Unified School District.
In the report, jurors commended four of the districts. According to jurors, Lincoln Unified had the best visitor sign-in procedures by using the Raptor system to issue visitor badges and collect them before visitors leave campus.
Meanwhile, jurors found Banta Unified had the best physical barrier system. Their visitor check-in process includes being buzzed through a half-door to a waiting area where identification is checked and a sign-in form is completed before being buzzed into the main office.
The New Hope Elementary School District was commended for its magnetic window covers with emergency procedures printed onto them.
Jurors also recognized Jefferson Unified for creatively using long roller shades to block windows and a magnet to allow classroom doors to be open while still locked.
"School districts in San Joaquin County have taken important steps to make schools safer, but more can and should be done to reduce safety threats," the report said. "While no one can predict an emergency, proper training, drills, plans, and creating a positive school culture, including a strong safety culture, can best mitigate tragic outcomes from those emergencies."
Watch more from ABC10: Consultant finds Stockton Unified safety plans out of legal compliance | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sj-grand-jury-releases-report-school-safety/103-8e36832c-7229-4271-8481-76650fd220de | 2023-06-14T21:34:35 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sj-grand-jury-releases-report-school-safety/103-8e36832c-7229-4271-8481-76650fd220de |
Fewer people moved into and around Ohio in 2021, and the vast majority of Ohio residents who recently moved came from other places within the state, according to new Census data released this week.
Nationally, Ohio trailed just one other U.S. state — California — for the share of its movers who came from other in-state locations.
Ohio saw its largest influx of new residents from Florida, which overtook Kentucky as Ohio’s leading source of state-to-state migration.
One study found that the top reason people moved to Ohio was to be closer to family.
“We’re seeing that lifestyle changes — including the increased ability to work from home — and wanting to be closer to family are key factors in why Americans are moving today,” Eily Cummings, vice president of corporate communications at United Van Lines, said after the company released its 2021 annual movers study.
About 1.4 million Ohio residents said they moved within the last year in 2021, which was down from about 1.6 million residents who moved in 2019, according to new U.S. Census data from the American Community Survey.
About 12% of Ohio’s population changed homes in the previous 12 months, and about 87% of Ohio residents who moved relocated from other places within the state.
California was the only U.S. state that had a higher share of movers from in-state locations (90%).
At the other end of the spectrum, fewer than 58% of Vermont residents and Delaware residents who had moved in the previous year came from somewhere else within those tiny states.
Biggest increases
In 2021, Ohio gained more new residents from Florida than any other state (14,785 people). Kentucky had been Ohio’s leading source of in-migration in 2019, before the pandemic. Florida ranked third that year.
Of course, Kentucky borders Ohio, while Florida is 1,060 miles away.
Ohio’s second leading source of transplants from other states was Pennsylvania, its neighbor to the east.
A 2021 study by United Van Lines found that people moved to Ohio primarily for family and jobs. Less common reasons included retirement, lifestyle and health.
The interstate moving company said Ohio offers a low cost of living, short commutes, good colleges and plenty of opportunities to explore.
The annual movers survey said about 44% of people who moved to Ohio did so to be closer to family.
Many Floridians have family members in Ohio. Census data show that about 523,300 people who were born in Ohio now reside in the Sunshine State.
Florida, the third most-populous state in the nation, attracts more residents from Ohio than it loses to the Buckeye State. It gained 22,440 residents from Ohio in 2021.
Florida was the fifth-leading state for inbound moves in 2021, while Ohio had the ninth-most outbound moves, United Van Lines said.
While Florida has warm weather, beaches and other attractions, Ohio has some advantages, such as greater affordability.
Florida was the 36th-cheapest state in overall cost of living, according to U.S. News & World Report, while Ohio ranked 19th-cheapest. The rankings were based on regional price parity data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Factoring out the larger Tampa and Orlando, even in smaller cities, the cost of living in Daytona Beach, Florida, is about 3% higher than living in Dayton, according to Bankrate. And the cost of living in Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, is 6% higher than in the much larger Columbus, Ohio’s capital.
Cummings, with United Van Lines, said the states with the largest populations are going to send the most people to other states.
“For instance, almost every continental state has high inbounds from Texas, Florida and California in their top five,” she said. “Even though of those three, only California is a state that we see more traffic out of than into.”
Ohio received its second most new residents from Pennsylvania in 2021 (14,180), while California contributed the third most (12,850 people).
California has the most people of any state in the nation, while Pennsylvania ranks fifth. Ohio is the seventh most populous U.S. state.
Census estimates suggest that Ohio gained no new residents from Nebraska in 2021, and the state only lured 115 people away from Wyoming, Vermont and Maine that year.
Wyoming and Vermont are the smallest states in the country by population.
Cummings said Ohio has been more of an “outbound state,” going back several years, with more people leaving than coming in.
But she said Ohio since the pandemic has become more balanced when it comes to inbound and outbound moves.
By the numbers
1.4 million: Number of Ohioans who moved in 2021
1.2 million: Number of Ohio residents who moved from other places in Ohio
184,475: Number of Ohio residents who moved here from out-of-state
U.S. states with largest share of in-state movers
California: 89.6% of residents who moved in the most recent measured year already lived in the Golden State
Ohio: 86.9% of residents who moved in the state already lived in the Buckeye State
States sending most residents to Ohio
Florida: 14,785
Pennsylvania: 14,180
California: 12,850
Kentucky: 12,700
Illinois: 11,845
States sending fewest residents to Ohio:
Nebraska: 0
Wyoming: 16
Vermont: 32
Maine: 66
Montana: 100
Source: U.S. Census American Community Survey
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/moving-in-ohio-chances-are-you-were-already-a-buckeye-ohio-2-for-in-state-moves/NIQ7ZNVI6BGOPL2ZFPZGENMQ7U/ | 2023-06-14T21:36:13 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/moving-in-ohio-chances-are-you-were-already-a-buckeye-ohio-2-for-in-state-moves/NIQ7ZNVI6BGOPL2ZFPZGENMQ7U/ |
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Va. – Wednesday marked day two of the Heather Hodges case in Franklin County where her then-boyfriend Paul Jordan is being accused of murder.
The Commonwealth is continuing to call witnesses to the stand including Hodges’ former drug dealer who testified he owed Hodges pills and she never came back for them.
We also heard from some of the last people to see Hodges alive just days before she went missing including Roger Bowman, who married Jordan’s ex-wife.
He said he and his son, Nick, stopped by Hodges’ and Jordan’s home for a fishing rod and that’s when they noticed Hodges acting strangely.
“It was an image that kind of burned in my mind, I still see it today just as clear as can be she was standing there she was staring at myself and Nick,” Bowman said.
Hodges’ sister also took the stand for a second time, describing the last time she saw her sister.
The trial is expected to continue for two more days. 10 News will keep you updated as we learn more.
Read more on day one of Jordan’s trial here. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/14/heather-hodges-court-case-continues-with-day-two-of-jury-trial/ | 2023-06-14T21:36:21 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/14/heather-hodges-court-case-continues-with-day-two-of-jury-trial/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – Roanoke City Public Schools have begun the process of building a new Preston Park Elementary School.
The existing Preston Park Elementary currently does not meet zoning requirements.
Designers of the new school said they hope to increase safety and enhance learning.
The rezoned school will also align with crime prevention through environmental design principles and place the school further from the road, reducing distractions.
“Having parked in the front entrance enhances natural surveillance, and allows a clear line of sight for authorities, staff, and visitors to observe their surroundings. This visibility creates a deterrent effect, making it easier to identify safety hazards and suspicious activities. It fosters a sense of collective responsibility and encourages a proactive approach to safety,” said Joshua Johnson, youth development and intervention coordinator.
There will be an opportunity for public comment on the rezoning July 10 and 17. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/14/rezoning-of-preston-park-elementary-school-in-roanoke-begins/ | 2023-06-14T21:36:27 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/14/rezoning-of-preston-park-elementary-school-in-roanoke-begins/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. — A graduating class of Grant High School students surprised their kindergarten teacher all while dressed in their caps and gowns. Many of them hadn’t seen her in 13 years but turned out she remembered them like it was yesterday.
Ask anyone and they almost always can remember their kindergarten teacher.
And in this case, 20 high school seniors — all about to graduate surprised Sabin Elementary kindergarten teacher Emily Foster in the very classroom they first met her.
“All of a sudden, these high school graduates started walking in and kind of shocked me and blew my mind,” said Foster.
“It was a little overwhelming a little bit I think she was super excited to see all of us,” said Grant High School student Eli McConnachie.
Foster has been teaching for 42 years but she remembered the now high school graduates as she sat behind her desk pointing to them and reciting the memories she had of each one.
“She was the first teacher that most of us ever had…I met most of my friends I’m still friends with today in that class being able to say I’ve known them since kindergarten,” said McConnachie.
Foster called it "the surprise of her life."
“Just fun to see all of them just looking at them and thinking about when they were kids,” said Foster.
She’s impacted so many of them…doing a job she loves.
“It’s amazing I don’t really think about that I think about what I’m doing right now I get paid to do this and I can’t believe that I get paid to do this,” said Foster.
The seniors graduated from Grant High School over the weekend and have this message to leave behind:
“Listen to your teacher because they know what’s best they will get you where you need to go and sometimes it may not seem like that but they definitely have your best intentions at heart and they definitely care about you a lot,” said McConnachie. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/high-school-graduates-kindergarten-teacher/283-517f8d54-f1a7-4e3e-8ddb-08b662c6518f | 2023-06-14T21:39:41 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/high-school-graduates-kindergarten-teacher/283-517f8d54-f1a7-4e3e-8ddb-08b662c6518f |
CLEARWATER, Fla. — The summer weather is here! And at one of America's favorite beaches, it stays busy, not just now, but all year long. To keep Clearwater Beach safe, the lifeguard recruitment efforts start early.
These kids shown below might be the ones manning the lifeguard stand in a few years. Each year, Clearwater Fire and Rescue hosts its junior lifeguard training camp.
"These kids learn valuable information on basic first aid, water rescue, in-water conditions, beach safety, water safety, and things like that," Patrick Brafford said. Brafford is the Clearwater Beach Lifeguard manager.
The program is for kids, ages 8 to 16, teaching them how to have a safe beach experience and what to do in an emergency.
"As many people as we invite in that live here, we have a due diligence and a duty to protect them," Brafford said. "That's why it's so important that we have a lifeguard service here."
A recently hired Clearwater Beach lifeguard is Dylan Feger. He's 17 and an alum of the lifeguard summer training program.
"In my free time trying to come out here more and help out," Feger said. "We do need more lifeguards, and then whenever I can, I come out."
Clearwater Fire and Rescue is always hiring additional lifeguards. Right now, they're looking to fill five part-time openings. This week, junior lifeguards learn how to administer CPR, conduct a water rescue, and use lifeguard equipment, like rescue boards.
"It's a lot to take in," 11-year-old Quynh Tollon said. "But like if it's going to help somebody if you might need it one day," Tollon says that now she wants to be a lifeguard using her newly-acquired lifesaving skills to help others.
"Rescuing people would probably be a big thing because like tourists go here, they are probably going to need help," Tollon said.
She is one of the roughly two dozen children participating in this week's training camp.
Clearwater Beach has seven lifeguard towers. In a couple of years, you may just see the kids taking these courses now, in those towers, keeping you safe.
"It's like one little kid can do like crazy big things as being a lifeguard. It's just cool," Tollon said.
Clearwater Beach, Sarasota, and Manatee counties are the only three areas on the Gulf Coast to staff their beaches with lifeguards year-round.
Not every beach has a lifeguard. In Pinellas County, there are 25 full-time Lifeguard positions budgeted for the County’s three regional beach parks. Those parks include Fort Desoto, Sand Key and Fred Howard.
Of the 25 positions the county budgets for, 16 positions are currently filled. A Pinellas County spokesperson said the Parks and Conservation Resources Department continues to recruit for the remaining vacancies.
For the city of St. Petersburg, lifeguards are hired for community pools. There are just eight positions open, with 117 lifeguards currently on staff.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/clearwater-beach-lifeguard-training-program/67-621775c8-dc3a-4045-ba59-1f2f79452a9f | 2023-06-14T21:39:47 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/clearwater-beach-lifeguard-training-program/67-621775c8-dc3a-4045-ba59-1f2f79452a9f |
RICHARDSON, Texas — Video of a cement tanker engulfed in flames near U.S. 75 in Richardson showed the vehicle explode.
The cement tanker was near the intersection of East Collins Boulevard and North Glennville Road. The Richardson Fire Department told WFAA the boom on a cement tanker hit a power line, which caused it to catch fire.
As the tanker was set ablaze, chopper video showed it explode. Here is aerial footage of the explosion:
Richardson fire said the downed power line caused outages in the area, and Oncor was notified and responding to affected customers. Oncor told WFAA approximately 1,200 customers were affected and there was no official estimated restoration time available. Oncor officials said crews were working to fix the issue as quickly as possible.
The downed power line shut down all traffic at East Collins Boulevard and North Glennville Road. Richardson FD said crews needed to wait for the power line to be shut off before starting to put out the fire.
There were no injuries as a result of the fire, Richardson officials said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
More Texas headlines: | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/truck-fire-explosion-richardson-texas/287-f252d9ea-7903-47e8-9850-7f075bd9f665 | 2023-06-14T21:39:53 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/truck-fire-explosion-richardson-texas/287-f252d9ea-7903-47e8-9850-7f075bd9f665 |
As downtown Lincoln continues to see development eastward, Open Harvest's $4.4 million relocation from South Street to the Telegraph District seems to make sense.
"Look around us," said Jason Ball, president and CEO of the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, pointing toward a skyline suddenly dominated by apartment buildings and businesses in an area that was left for dead a couple of decades earlier.
"Anytime you're going to expand higher-density living options for people, you're going to need food options conveniently located for folks — particularly those that live and work downtown and aren't going to be in their cars all the time," Ball said. "They need that within walking distance."
Open Harvest, the Lincoln co-op grocery store that was founded 48 years ago, helps to fill that void, Ball said.
On Wednesday, community members gathered at the site of Open Harvest's new location, 330 S. 21st St., for what was dubbed a groundbreaking for the 10,000-square-foot space that had been used for storage by Allo Communications.
The renovation project is scheduled to be completed early in 2024 and will provide Open Harvest with some amenities that aren't available on South Street, said Amy Tabor, general manager.
"This place checks a lot of boxes for us," she said.
It's a much bigger space, she said. In addition, the Telegraph parking lot will provide ample parking, which was limited on South Street.
Also, the apartments are more than 100 feet away from the new store site, which adhere to city bylaws that prevented Open Harvest from selling beer and wine at the South Street store because houses are too close.
Those perks matter, but the one thing that kept coming up in customer surveys as they searched for a new home was location.
"We kept hearing 'Please don't go too far,'" she said. "We've served the core of Lincoln, pretty much our whole existence and you know Lincoln has grown a lot in the last 40 years."
Despite Lincoln's growth in all directions, Open Harvest hasn't strayed too far geographically — a short walk, actually — since opening its doors in July 1975.
Open Harvest's founders, Tabor said, saw a community need for "good wholesome food" and they sprung into action by pooling their resources to form a buying club.
That eventually led to its first storefront at 27th and Randolph streets, which was soon outgrown and prompted the move to South Street.
Today, 25% of the food sold at Open Harvest — totaling more than $1 million — is made or grown locally.
"That means local dollars stay within our local economy," while supporting a local marketplace for local farmers and producers, said Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird.
But any move — even one to a bigger space with more perks — doesn't come without a few tears.
"Our move from our current store is bittersweet as it holds memories for many people," Tabor said. "... But this move is critical to our future success, and we are thrilled to find a new home not too far away."
The move comes in the midst of an ambitious fundraising campaign that has seen them raise more than $1.5 million of the $2 million goal.
Open Harvest did so by sending letters to its membership — about 2,300 in total — asking them to consider investing in the co-op through preferred shares, with a minimum investment of $1,000.
The rest of the $4.4 million needed has come through a combination of loans, grants and donated funds.
The store also received a $200,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that is available to grocery stores that operate in areas considered "food deserts."
The USDA defines a food desert as a tract of at least 100 households located more than one-half mile from the nearest supermarket with no vehicle access.
"Having food availability in this area is essential," Ball said.
15+ essential places for college students off campus in Lincoln
Employees of Open Harvest listen to plans for the new Open Harvest location at 330 S 21st St., during a groundbreaking in the Telegraph District on Wednesday.
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Jason Ball gives opening remarks at the Open Harvest groundbreaking in the Telegraph District on Wednesday.
Open Harvest General Manager Amy Tabor, (from left) board chairman Carla McCullough, Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Lincoln Chamber of Commerce President Jason Ball shovel gravel at the Open Harvest groundbreaking in the Telegraph District on Wednesday. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/business/open-harvests-move-to-lincolns-telegraph-district-takes-a-step-forward/article_6e28f300-0ad0-11ee-8ef5-33a3865986aa.html | 2023-06-14T21:40:16 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/business/open-harvests-move-to-lincolns-telegraph-district-takes-a-step-forward/article_6e28f300-0ad0-11ee-8ef5-33a3865986aa.html |
New, 10-day Infinite Dream Festival debuts at Hancher in October
A new, 10-day festival arrives on campus in October, celebrating various musical genres and guest speakers in an effort to decipher America's deep history.
The recently-announced Infinite Dream Festival will highlight several different art forms and explore the complexity of the American Story when in Iowa City.
The festival, a creation of the University of Iowa’s Hancher Auditorium and the Office of Performing Arts and Engagement, begins Oct. 11 and runs through Oct. 21, highlighting a broad range of music, including orchestral, jazz, and alternative music, and features a performance installation at Hancher.
Performers include The Sphinx Virtuosi, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Love in Exile, Makaya McCraven, Model/Actriz, and Lonnie Holley with Mourning [A] BLKstar.
The various acts will perform throughout Iowa City at Hancher, the Englert Theatre, and Gabe’s.
The festival will explore several facets of a complex story about the United States, including “our grand accomplishments, disruptive failures, and remarkable potential for excellence.”
“The festival’s theme serves as a reference point for the performances and conversations—a loose frame for artists and patrons to consider as they share and experience transformative work,” Hancher executive director Andre Perry said in a statement provided to the Press-Citizen.
Perry said it also leans on the university’s inspiring history with arts as a guidepost.
The festival will feature a conversation with John Irving, an Iowa Writers’ Workshop alum and acclaimed novelist, and the workshop's current director Lan Samantha Chang on Oct. 13.
The performance installation, NOWISWHENWEARE (the stars) will be available for viewing between Oct. 18 and 21 at Hancher. The festival's centerpiece presentation, which draws inspiration from “Visions of the Milky Way,” will be housed in Strauss Hall, immersing viewers in complete darkness, allowing them to explore 4,000 reactive points of light while also experiencing a 496-channel sound design. A narrator will guide patrons through the experience.
“It is an experience in which we might lose ourselves in the grand expanse of our lives, country, and universe — all on the journey toward finding our deeper meaning,” a statement released by the auditorium said.
NOWISWHENWEARE (the stars) debuted at the Brooklyn Academy of Music last fall. Creator Andrew Schneider, specializing in theater, video, and arts technology, will bring the installation to the Iowa City community. He detailed the creation of the project in a video last year.
The broad scope of performances allows the festival to host performances outside of Hancher, like the opening performance by The Sphinx Virtuosi at the Englert or the Friday night performance by Model/Actriz at Gabe’s.
“So many of the artists and arts advocates leading culture in the region found their initial spark as students at the University of Iowa,” Hancher programming and engagement director Aaron Greenwald said in a statement. “It’s an amazing feedback loop that spotlights our vibrant city as one of the great incubators for artistic practice in America.”
Some events will be free. Festival passes will be sold to the general public on the auditorium website on June 19. The passes will cost $85 for adults, and for children and UI students, they will cost $35. Individual show tickets will be available on July 31.
Infinite Dream Festival Schedule
- Oct. 11: The Sphinx Virtuosi at The Englert Theatre
- Oct. 12: Love in Exile and Makaya McCraven at Hancher
- Oct. 13: Conversation with John Irving and Lan Samantha Chang at Hancher
- Oct. 13: Model/Actriz at Gabe’s
- Oct. 14: Kurt Vile & The Violators and Lonnie Holley w. Mourning [A] BLKstar at Hancher
- Oct. 18—21 – Performance installation of NOWISWHENWEARE (the stars) at Hancher | https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/hanchers-infinite-dream-festival-to-host-kurt-vile-sphinx-vitruosi/70318664007/ | 2023-06-14T21:40:17 | 0 | https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/hanchers-infinite-dream-festival-to-host-kurt-vile-sphinx-vitruosi/70318664007/ |
CenterPointe CEO and President Topher Hansen gives a tour of renovations to Trabert Hall on Friday, April 1, 2022.
CenterPointe is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a free summer concert series focusing on health and well-being.
Nearly a month after its move to 2202 S. 11th St., the CenterPointe Campus for Health and WellBeing is ready to invite the public to its “Wellbeing Garden” for a night of concerts, community and cuisine.
The monthly concerts will be held in the newly renovated outdoor amphitheater and are free, family-friendly events for the community.
The next concert is Thursday 5-7 p.m. and features Native singer Chris Sayre with a mix of traditional and contemporary folk music. Food from Rutabagas and Kona Ice will be available.
Next month, bassist Xavier Foley will perform on July 6 from 6:30-7:45 p.m. The Tidball Barger Band will perform on Aug. 15 from 5-7 p.m. To close out the series, Hans Sturm and his wife, Jackie Allen, will present a vocal and bass performance on Sept. 19 from 5-7 p.m.
For more information, visit www.centerpointe.org .
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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LEROY — A LeRoy woman has been sentenced to probation for failing to file tax returns and ordered to pay over half a million dollars in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Jill D. Little, 60, pleaded guilty in January to failing to file federal tax returns, a Class A misdemeanor, according to a press release Tuesday.
According to the release, "Little failed to file personal tax returns and corporate returns for the business where she served as corporate secretary for the tax years 2015-2019, failed to file quarterly returns for the tax years 2015 through the third quarter of 2020, and failed to pay over to the federal government the payroll taxes collected from employees."
In court, U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Central District of Illinois Jonathan E. Hawley rejected Little's claim that her failure to file was a mistake, according to the press release.
"You knew you had to pay," the press release quoted Hawley, "but you kept not paying, and you got caught."
The total amount owed to the IRS is $514,814.
According to the release, Little has already paid a significant portion, over $150,000, and is working on a payment plan with the IRS.
Little must also serve two years of probation with one year served "in home detention with electronic monitoring."
The Pantagraph's top 10 crime stories of 2020
Statistics may tell us that crime, overall, dropped somewhat in Central Illinois in 2020, with the exception of domestic violence cases. COVID-19 may have had something to do with a perceived drop in such categories as armed robberies, but still, the criminal damage done in the span of one week - May 31 - June 6, outweighed previous years. Several Twin City businesses were looted and 11 Normal Police cars were damaged in the civil unrest that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In response to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, civil unrest kept first responders busy on the last day of May and through the first …
Police said a 20-year-old man died and two other men were in critical condition after they were shot Oct. 12 in the 1600 block of Iowa Street …
Dewon Griffin, 19, is charged with two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon i…
On May 31, a crowd estimated at 1,000 gathered for a peaceful rally outside the McLean County Law and Justice Center. After the rally, some pa…
Shaun A. Kink, 34, was arrested at 4:45 p.m. January 15, Bloomington police said.
What a year for Don Whalen. Convicted of killing his father, he served 28 years in prison before the conviction was vacated by the 4th Appella…
Police are investigating three shootings that were reported Aug. 19, leaving one man injured.
Police are investigating after a man was shot in the foot on July 28. Officers were sent to 115 Valley View Circle for a call of shots fired a…
Police are continuing to investigate after a man was shot in the foot in Bloomington. Police were called to the 700 block of East Monroe Stree…
A man shot in Bloomington early Wednesday was being treated for what are thought to be life-threatening injuries at OSF HealthCare Saint Franc… | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-courts/half-a-million-in-missing-taxes/article_5cb335a6-0ad8-11ee-9b9a-13af7c6d1e52.html | 2023-06-14T21:40:34 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-courts/half-a-million-in-missing-taxes/article_5cb335a6-0ad8-11ee-9b9a-13af7c6d1e52.html |
HUTCHINSON, Kan. (KSNW/AP) — The Hutchinson community is mourning the loss of a local doctor and is stepping up to help his family. Dr. Dustin Harker, a neurologist at Hutchinson Clinic, died last week in a rafting accident in Colorado. The 47-year-old man leaves behind a wife and 13 children.
Harker was on a white water rafting trip with four of his children and friends from his church last Friday. They were in the Sunshine Falls area on the Arkansas River.
The family had rafted the same river in previous years, but the rapids were more turbulent than usual due to high amounts of rainfall, Harker’s sister-in-law, Sharon Neu Young, said in an email to the Hutchinson News.
The raft with Harker and three of his children capsized. Young said Harker threw the raft off one of his children who was trapped underneath, and everyone made it to shore.
She said Harker was even able to speak, but he soon became unresponsive, and first responders could not save him.
Young said the autopsy results indicate he passed away from two cerebral hematomas.
“They suspect his head crashed against some rocks in the river when he was thrown from the raft,” she said. “The brain trauma is what took his life.”
One of the first responders who tried to save Harker contacted Young on Tuesday. Yvette Ramos, of Aurora, Colorado, was on the Royal Gorge Train with friends around 12:30 on Friday.
Ramos told Young the train stopped, and employees ran to the front with first aid kits. She heard on the intercom that they were asking for medical. The train employees escorted Ramos to the front of the train.
She said the workers told her they were picking up a man who fell off his raft. Ramos thought someone had cut their foot on rebar or something. Two men got off the train and helped get the victim onto the train.
Ramos, another gentleman, and a nurse performed CPR on Harker for 35 minutes. Then firefighters arrived and continued CPR while Ramos continued giving rescue breaths. They were not able to save him.
“He’s the first person I’ve ever lost,” Ramos told Harker’s sister-in-law. “It’s torn me up. We continued CPR for so long because we really thought we could save him. I saw the wedding ring on his finger, and I knew he was someone’s husband, someone’s father.”
Young has started a GoFundMe account to help Harker’s wife and children. Click here if you would like to donate. She said Harker’s wife has been raising and homeschooling the children at home and is thankful for the community’s support.
The employees at Hutchinson Clinic are also dealing with the doctor’s loss. The Hutchinson Clinic posted this message on its Facebook page:
With great sadness, we share the untimely passing of our friend and colleague, Dr. Dustin Harker, Neurologist. Dr. Harker joined the Hutchinson Clinic family in early 2022 and has built meaningful relationships with his patients and our community over the last year and a half. He cared deeply about his patients and regularly shared this sentiment with those around him. We are keeping his family, friends, and patients in our thoughts and prayers, today and every day, as we process this tragic loss. If you were scheduled with Dr. Harker, we will be in touch about the next steps.
Hutchinson Clinic
Cheryl Gonsalves, marketing manager for Hutchinson Clinic, said Harker cared deeply about his patients.
“We are still processing this sudden loss. He was an amazing physician who cared deeply about his patients, family, and our organization,” she said. “He was absolutely revered here.” | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/hutchinson-doctor-husband-father-of-13-dies-in-rafting-accident/ | 2023-06-14T21:43:50 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/hutchinson-doctor-husband-father-of-13-dies-in-rafting-accident/ |
In a controversial move, the Hanover County School Board voted to update its library policy, which dictates what books are in school libraries.
Immediately after voting to approve that new policy, school board members voted unanimously to ban a list of 17 books that was first introduced by Hanover School Board member Steven Ikenberry, Cold Harbor District, in May.
The full list of banned books includes:
"Choke" — A 2001 novel by American author Chuck Palahniuk. The story focuses on Victor, a sex addict and con man.
"Flamer" — A semi-autobiographical graphic novel by Mike Curato. It is set in 1995, in a Boy Scouts summer camp, and tells the story of Aiden, who is bullied for his appearance and for acting in a manner considered stereotypical of gay men.
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"Red Hood" — A modern retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
"Lucky" — A memoir that recounts the 1981 rape of a 19-year-old student at Syracuse University.
"Tricks" — A story about five deeply troubled teenagers, all from different areas, backgrounds and family situations, who end up falling into prostitution.
"Tilt" — A young adult novel about three teenagers, their families and love relationships. Explores ideas of teenage pregnancy, HIV, sex and LGBTQ themes.
"Sold" — Tells the story of a girl from Nepal named Lakshmi, who is sold into sexual slavery in India.
"This Book is Gay" — A young adult nonfiction book on sexuality and gender
"Infandous" — A queer romantic comedy
"Identical" — The third Ellen Hopkins novel on the list. It follows 16 year-old identical twins Kaeleigh and Reanne. It explores themes of incest, rape and drug and alcohol abuse.
"Haunted" — A second novel from Chuck Palahniuk on the list. The main story follows a group of 17 individuals. The characters agree to be locked in an abandoned theater after finding an invitation; scenes devolve into violence, suicide and death.
"A Court of Silver Flames" — A fantasy novel by Sarah J. Mass that follows two close female friends, Nesta and Cassian, who find solace in each other during a turbulent time of their lives.
"A Court of Mist and Fury" — A second Sarah J. Maas fantasy novel.
"Looking for Alaska" — A young adult fiction novel by John Green that touches on themes of meaning, grief, hope and youth-adult relationships.
"The Bluest Eye" — A Toni Morrison novel that is one of the most banned in the country. It tells the story of a young Black girl during the Great Depression, exploring themes of race relations.
"Water for Elephants" — A fiction novel that follows Jacob Jankowski, a young man whose parents pass away; he joins a second-rate circus, and takes care of animals during the Great Depression.
"All Boys Aren't Blue" — A series of personal essays that addresses Black queer boys, by prominent activist George M. Johnson. | https://richmond.com/news/local/full-list-of-the-17-books-banned-from-hanover-schools/article_8002070c-0ad4-11ee-9515-d77c8e1b95ca.html | 2023-06-14T21:45:10 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/full-list-of-the-17-books-banned-from-hanover-schools/article_8002070c-0ad4-11ee-9515-d77c8e1b95ca.html |
HARFORD COUNTY — Months of disagreement finally leads to a new budget being signed in Harford County for the 2024 fiscal year.
The budget passed on Tuesday and was officially signed by County Executive Bob Cassilly on Wednesday.
The budget totals $1,225,209,000, an increase of only 0.34% over the current year.
Representatives from the County Executive's office say that the budget reduces the County's structural deficit by 25%.
RELATED: HCPS calls Cassilly's budget proposal 'disaster for the children'
The budget includes:
- $10 million for Harford County Public Schools for instructional salaries
- $750,000 for the Harford County Health Department
- $150,000 for two victim rights advocates in the Harford County Sheriff's Office
- Upgrades to the Bel Air library
- Accelerated funding for the new Joppatowne Activity Center
- Increased funding for parks & recreation projects
- Increased funding for nonprofits that serve vulnerable citizens
Although Cassilly and the Board of Educationreached a compromise on the school budget, one proposal that was approved over a year ago was left off.
In a statement from the Harford County Sheriff's Office, they say that funding for the central precinct and training academy were not included in the budget.
"This project was proposed, funded, and approved two years ago under the previous administration and County Council. During this budget cycle, the County Council unanimously approved a resolution for County Executive Cassilly to move the project forward, as planned. At this time, County Executive Cassilly has not committed to completing this already funded, and much needed, public safety project."
In April, WMAR-2 News spoke with Sheriff Jeffery Gahler, who was not happy about the Sheriff's Office proposal being shelved after already being approved in May of 2022.
“I’ve met with the county executive both before he came into office and after and each time, I’ve heard different things from him to the point where I’m 100 percent convinced, he’s just not being honest,” said Gahler.
Cassilly responded saying he is not obliged to meet a commitment from a former county council that left him with a $90 million structural deficit.
“These are tough choices you know and I respect the sheriff that he wants the best for the men and women of the sheriff’s department, and they deserve the best, but so do the children, so do the teachers, so do the old folks,” said Cassilly, “Everybody deserves the best. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/harford-county-executive-signs-news-budget-for-upcoming-fiscal-year | 2023-06-14T21:45:34 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/harford-county-executive-signs-news-budget-for-upcoming-fiscal-year |
The Idaho Department of Finance focus on senior financial vulnerability on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and caution Idahoans to be wary about financial exploitation.
"U.S. regulators fielded 1,320 tips and complaints, opened 605 investigations, and filed 304 enforcement actions related to senior fraud in 2021," according to the news release.
"Preventing fraud requires knowledge and vigilance from both the public and industry as scammers continue to target our senior community," Patricia Perkins, director of the financial department, said in the release.
The financial department provided eight possible signs of financial exploitation.
- A new, overly protective associate or friend offering to help with financial transactions or asking for money.
- A caregiver or family member shows excessive interest in an older customer's finances and assets or will not leave their side to allow the customer to speak for himself/herself.
- Unsolicited offers via phone, email, or text promising high returns, but needing upfront cash or fee payment.
- New acquaintances, potential business partners, friends, or supposed government officials asking seniors to purchase gift cards, prepaid cards, or other alternative financial products.
- Large, uncharacteristic withdrawals or account closings without regard for fees and penalties.
- A customer mentions how an online friend or romantic partner is asking them to liquidate assets and send money to them personally or to an account for a "business opportunity."
- Sudden changes to financial documents such as wills, powers of attorney, or account beneficiaries.
- Frequent password reset requests or new online account access requests.
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Protecting our seniors from financial exploitation is a top priority for Idaho's Securities Bureau and we're committed to providing them with the knowledge and resources they require to protect themselves," John Yaros, the securities bureau chief of the financial department, said in the release.
Contact the agency at 208-332-8000, Idaho toll free at 1-888-346-3378 or Finance.InternetMail@finance.idaho.gov if you are experiencing possible senior financial exploitation. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/magic-valley-briefs/article_7c889498-0ae2-11ee-a6b4-3f399ab5cc81.html | 2023-06-14T21:45:36 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/magic-valley-briefs/article_7c889498-0ae2-11ee-a6b4-3f399ab5cc81.html |
Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith will join Raiders safety Jonathan Abram in a week-long NFL-USO tour to Japan to visit U.S. troops and their families at military bases.
This year's tour will visit an Air Force base, and Marine bases, with a focus on seeing an array of base activities, including unit visits, one-on-one meetings for mission briefings, and hosting NFL PLAY 60 camps on-site.
"We're proud to participate in another USO Tour and excited to be able to travel internationally with the USO for the first time since the pandemic," said Anna Isaacson NFL SVP of Social Responsibility. "The NFL takes great pride in supporting the military community year-round through Salute to Service and we think these tours are a great way for our players to interact with servicemembers and thank them face-to-face for the sacrifices they make to protect our country."
Smith and Abram join many hall of fame NFL players, coaches, and executives who have embarked on the tour, including Terry Bradshaw, Drew Brees, Bill Cowher, Larry Fitzgerald, Cameron Jordan, Von Miller, and Jason Witten.
"The USO is proud to partner with the NFL to help bring a 'sense of home' to service members and their families across the globe," said Christopher Plamp, USO Senior Vice President of Operations, Programs and Entertainment. "We are always excited for the opportunity to bring NFL players to overseas bases, where service members and their families are often far away from loved ones. It's partners like the NFL that make our mission at the USO possible."
To learn more about the USO, click here. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/linebacker-roquan-smith-to-take-weeklong-tour-to-japan-to-visit-u-s-troops | 2023-06-14T21:45:40 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/linebacker-roquan-smith-to-take-weeklong-tour-to-japan-to-visit-u-s-troops |
JESSUP, Md. — For cannabis to be sold in Maryland it has to be grown and processed here.
For facilities like Verano’s that means output is going up to meet the demand.
“I'm really confident about the ability of the operators to rise to the challenge as they’ve rose to the challenge over the last couple of years and meet the needs of the state," said
Darren Weiss, president of Verano.
Cannabis is grown differently than your average plant.
Instead of massive open fields it’s grown in rooms filled with LEDs and on layers of tables.
Everything is monitored and controlled, from the humidity in the room to the amount of nutrients they receive from these massive fertilizer containers.
“Plants like different things at different points of the life cycle. Sometimes we want it to be really dry and cold, other times, particularly in vegetative, we want to simulate almost a rain forest environment so plants can take on the nutrients and build up and bulk," said Weiss.
The process starts with mother pants of each strain, a piece is planted in these little containers until it can grow on its own.
Eventually it moves here – where each plant produces about 110 grams of cannabis.
“At this point we want to focus as much of the energy into flower production," said Weiss.
Before the plant can be used in any products, they have to be dried out, which happens in a cool dry room compared to the warm humid grow room.
“Plants are in here between 7-10 days to get them to the correct moisture content," said Weiss.
Then, the flowers are hand pulled off the stem, weighed and transferred to a room to cure – like fine wine or bourbon.
“Once we get it to a particular moisture level and water activity threshold, we’re ready to put it into a jar and send it on its way," said Weiss.
That process happens on location and sites like these are pumping out more and more product as we move closer to the first day of recreational marijuana in Maryland. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/maryland-cannabis-growers-prepare-for-increase-in-demand | 2023-06-14T21:45:46 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/maryland-cannabis-growers-prepare-for-increase-in-demand |
Monsoon season might just be kicking off, but it’s not to early to think about back-to-school.
Banner/Aetna is teaming up with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department to provide 2,700 free backpacks and school supplies for kids in need at the Ninth Annual Badges & Backpacks.
The giveaway will also include free physicals, along with dental, hearing and vision exams courtesy of El Rio and Banner-University Family Care. Additionally, the Pima County Health Department will be offering free COVID and flu vaccines.
“This is a one-stop shop to help get kids ready for school. It makes it easy to get medical concerns taken care of and helps parents and families out so they don’t need to worry about backpacks and supplies for the upcoming school year,” said Detective Brittany Abarr, coordinator of the event.
Backpacks are available on a first-come, first-serve basis; children must be present (alternatively, the parent must have a birth certificate for the child) and enrolled in kindergarten through grade 12 to receive backpacks.
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Each child will receive one backpack.
The event also offers indoor mid-summer fun.
Attendees can enjoy coupons for free haircuts and free meals as well as visits with University of Arizona Mascots Wilbur and Wilma, Disney princesses, Arizona Ghostbusters and Star Wars characters.
Pima Animal Care Center will be on site with animal adoptions and other activities include a bounce house and viewing of fire engines and emergency vehicles.
The event provides opportunities for positive networking between first responders and the community, according to Abarr.
“There will be something fun for everyone. Instead of people only seeing us on one of their worst days, they get to see us in a positive environment,” Abarr said. | https://tucson.com/news/local/tucson-back-to-school-event-provides-free-backpacks-other-goodies/article_5e78eade-0ad3-11ee-8f77-5bbaae7ae7df.html | 2023-06-14T21:50:02 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/tucson-back-to-school-event-provides-free-backpacks-other-goodies/article_5e78eade-0ad3-11ee-8f77-5bbaae7ae7df.html |
FLINT Mich. (WJRT) - People in and around the City of Flint are pitching in to help Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village replace $60,000 worth of stolen equipment from last week.
Qdoba off of Miller Rd. in Flint, will be hosting a fundraiser on Thursday to help the non-profit get new equipment. 25% of sales from 4-8 p.m. will be donated.
Sylvester Broome is also accepting donations.
The nonprofit says that someone broke into its building on Saginaw Street twice a week ago.
Computer equipment, TVs, and XBoxes were all stolen.
The organization adds that the theft came at the worst time as the organization is preparing to host nearly 300 kids for its STEM camp next week.
Anyone with information about the thefts is asked to call Flint Police. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/qdoba-in-flint-hosting-a-fundraiser-thursday-to-help-a-local-non-profit/article_f0786fb2-0af2-11ee-b50a-cbe968a8f583.html | 2023-06-14T21:56:19 | 0 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/qdoba-in-flint-hosting-a-fundraiser-thursday-to-help-a-local-non-profit/article_f0786fb2-0af2-11ee-b50a-cbe968a8f583.html |
FENTON (WJRT) - On this Flag Day, kids in Fenton got the chance to show off their civic pride today by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
Kids who recited the Pledge of Allegiance at Uncle Ray's Dairyland between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. got a free ice cream and a coupon for a free round of putt-putt.
More than 600 kids took part in the event in 2022.
The Linden VFW was on hand helping out, including a 98-year-old veteran from World War 2. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/uncle-rays-dairyland-celebrates-flag-day-with-tradition/article_7f648c4a-0af5-11ee-a3f8-ab7c35295f67.html | 2023-06-14T21:56:25 | 1 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/uncle-rays-dairyland-celebrates-flag-day-with-tradition/article_7f648c4a-0af5-11ee-a3f8-ab7c35295f67.html |
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) — The Tupelo Public School District is working with Itawamba Community College (ICC) to give its students early entry into the college’s nursing program.
The two formally signed an agreement Wednesday morning to kickstart the Associate Degree Nursing Preferred Candidacy Middle College program, which begins in the fall.
ICC instructional coordinator Brandi McCraw said nursing students typically take their prerequisites as entering college freshmen.
The new program will allow Tupelo students to take those prerequisites while still in high school.
Those nursing students will be on track to finish the program early.
"With this program we have the opportunity to turn out quality nursing students a year earlier than what we normally would with them taking the prerequisites while they're still in high school,” McCraw said. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/tupelo-schools-and-icc-working-together-to-give-students-early-access-to-nursing-program/article_252a4e64-0af9-11ee-a9f1-c777c76f33bd.html | 2023-06-14T21:57:48 | 1 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/tupelo-schools-and-icc-working-together-to-give-students-early-access-to-nursing-program/article_252a4e64-0af9-11ee-a9f1-c777c76f33bd.html |
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WTVA) — Two people are in custody and one person remains at large in connection to an armed robbery in Columbus.
Columbus Police officers arrested Zachary Antwan Slaughter and Theodis Brown on Saturday, June 10.
The robbery happened on May 27 at a house in the 2700 block of Highway 45 North.
Slaughter, Brown and Da’Quavious Roberston entered the house after being invited inside to use the bathroom, according to the Columbus Police Department.
They then allegedly held a small girl at gunpoint and demanded money, which they left with. No one was hurt.
Robertson has yet to be arrested. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/two-arrested-one-wanted-for-columbus-armed-robbery/article_b5569886-0ae9-11ee-bcfe-070a2c197fa4.html | 2023-06-14T21:57:54 | 1 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/two-arrested-one-wanted-for-columbus-armed-robbery/article_b5569886-0ae9-11ee-bcfe-070a2c197fa4.html |
MERRILLVILLE — A Crown Point nurse remained at large Wednesday after admitting to stealing Xanax and Norco pills from patients in 2021, police said.
On Tuesday, Kandice Duke, 42, of Merrillville was charged with obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or deceit, a crime punishable by a maximum of two and a half years in prison.
Charging documents said a drug diversion investigation took place in early 2021 after a staff member reported missing pills from a drug cart at Symphony of Crown Point, a senior living and medical rehabilitation center.
When investigators spoke with Duke, according to a probable cause affidavit, she eventually admitted taking patient medication. She reportedly admitted to stealing about 19 Xanax pills and seven Norco pills. The original complaint, however, said 23 Xanax pills, seven Norco pills and an unknown amount of Percocet pills were missing.
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A written statement from Duke said, "I understand what I did was wrong. I cannot return medication because they are gone."
Police reports said Duke was very emotional and repeatedly stated how sorry she was for the theft that had occurred.
Because Duke remains at large as of Wednesday, her next court date has not yet been set.
What you missed this week in notable Northwest Indiana crimes and court cases
This week's local crime and court updates from The Times.
Ryan Andrews, 26, was charged on Thursday with two counts of arson for allegedly setting fire to the lobby of the Lake County Jail on Monday. Andrews remains at large, according to court records.
A man was in critical condition on Monday after he fell into a manhole at Festival Park, according to the Hobart Fire Department’s Facebook page.
A Cedar Lake 18-year-old faces a murder charge after prosecutors upgraded his charges in connection to the fatal shooting of his best friend, 16-year-old Jason Paholik.
A Chicago woman who fatally shot her ex-girlfriend in Hammond after learning that she had started dating a man received a fair trial, according to the Indiana Court of Appeals.
The revisions cover a variety of child-support issues that arise in dissolution-of-marriage cases, legal separations, paternity cases and Title IV-D proceedings.
Jason "Lafa" Hinton, 27, was sentenced to 63 years for murder, plus an 18 year firearm enhancement, for a total of 81 years in prison.
Charging documents say that Lloyd Clark Gatlin, 28, killed Martin Cabrera on Aug. 18, 2021, in East Chicago.
A 14-year-old boy wounded during the initial shooting died at a hospital. The others — ages 16 to 21 — were taken to hospitals for treatment.
Ryan Andrews, 26, was arrested Friday in Tinley Park, Illinois, in connection with setting fire to the lobby of the Lake County Jail. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/crown-point-nurse-says-she-stole-xanax-and-norco-from-patients-police-say/article_58153ea8-0ae3-11ee-921a-1f44d8154816.html | 2023-06-14T22:05:57 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/crown-point-nurse-says-she-stole-xanax-and-norco-from-patients-police-say/article_58153ea8-0ae3-11ee-921a-1f44d8154816.html |
WINFIELD — The town’s new comprehensive master plan is now part of its history going forward into the next 10 to 20 years.
The Town Council at its meeting Tuesday adopted the master plan, which can be used in future development of a town ranked as the ninth fastest growing community in the state.
“Winfield is a gem,” Veridus Group representative Jack Woods said.
Woods, a Veridus Group project analyst, and Alaina Shonkwiler, Veridus Group director of community and economic development, have been working on the master plan since early this year.
Town officials late last year hired Veridus, an Indianapolis-based company, for $50,000 to draft a new comprehensive master plan for the community.
Shonkwiler said the last time the town had any type of master plan in place was 2007, and given the growth in the community, a comprehensive plan was very much needed to guide it in the next 10-20 years.
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Woods said six focus areas were identified based on community feedback and findings from previous phases of the planning process.
Those focus groups are: land use, economic development, housing and neighborhoods, transportation, parks, recreation, open space, and natural resources and infrastructure.
Goals are listed under each of the focus groups, such as under housing, which lists as its goal: “provide high quality housing that reinforces and expands existing residential offerings to add value and promote sustainability.”
Shonkwiler said information for the plan was gathered from two public workshops and an online survey.
“We are now at conclusion,” she said.
Woods said the study, which is incorporated in the plan, examined the composition of the town’s population.
Though younger overall when compared to county and state statistics, Winfield has a lower percentage of residents in the 25-34 age bracket which represents an age group starting a family or buying homes, he said.
So planning efforts may want to consider strategies that help Winfield attract more residents in this adult age group in regard to housing stock and amenities, he said.
Some other statistics Woods presented under data analysis: 74% of Winfield homes are valued at $250,000 from 2000 to 2020 statistics; the town’s housing stock mostly consists of owner-occupied units or 84% of all housing units; and median household income for residents is over $115,000 annually or almost twice as large as the median income of both Lake County and Indiana.
Town Council officials, including president Tim Clayton, had only good things to say about the final plan.
“This is a great little tool for us,” Clayton said.
Town Councilman Zack Beaver also praised the final plan.
“It’s refreshing for us. It backs up what we were doing,” Beaver said.
A snapshot of the town shows that Winfield has increased in population by 212% between 2000 and 2020, with it ranking ninth-largest in growth rate for a town or city in Indiana.
Winfield, incorporated as a town in 1993, had a population of 2,298. That figure increased to 4,383 in 2010 and to 5,987 in 2019.
In the 2020 U.S. Census the town of Winfield’s population was listed as 7,000. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/winfield/winfield-adopts-plan-to-guide-continuing-growth/article_fda633cc-0ac0-11ee-b635-776fa5736ae0.html | 2023-06-14T22:06:03 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/winfield/winfield-adopts-plan-to-guide-continuing-growth/article_fda633cc-0ac0-11ee-b635-776fa5736ae0.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland City Council voted Wednesday to purchase most of the Morrison Bridgehead blocks for Portland Parks & Recreation, seemingly cementing the site's future after a long-running plan for a public market ultimately failed to launch.
The Bridgehead blocks consist of the four blocks beneath and between the ramps on the downtown side of the Morrison Bridge; three contiguous blocks along Naito Parkway and a fourth block on the other side of Southwest 1st Avenue, separated by MAX light rail tracks.
The city only appears to be buying the three blocks along Naito; the council agenda describes the 3.26-acre parcel as being situated between Naito, Morrison, Harvey Milk and 1st, which would exclude the fourth block.
All four blocks are currently surface parking lots, and the city appears to want to keep it that way for the three blocks moving over to Parks and Rec, at least for the immediate future.
The council agenda states that the site will be added to the Waterfront Park to provide parking for existing events, and could also serve as an area for festivals, fairs and other new events. A Parks & Rec staffer told the council that the bureau has no major redevelopment plans for the blocks and plans to use them as-is.
"This property is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to add large, open area to Waterfront Park," Commissioner Dan Ryan said at Wednesday's meeting, adding that "large trucks and equipment won't take up as much valuable Waterfront Park lawn space during events."
The purchase price is $8 million, paid with Parks and Rec system development charges. The site is projected to become a revenue generator due to parking fees, according to the city, although it will take time for demand to build up.
Shifting redevelopment plans
Multnomah County originally acquired the blocks to serve as a staging area during construction of the Morrison Bridge in the 1950s, and they've been used as surface parking lots ever since.
The county sold the blocks (except for the bridge infrastructure) to Melvin Mark Development Company for $10.4 million in 2012, with a plan in place to redevelop the site as the James Beard Public Market, envisioned as an indoor-outdoor food market on the three contiguous blocks. A high-rise tower would be built on the fourth block.
The developers of the market worked with the county to plan out the project, but there were some disputes over possible reconfigurations of the bridge ramps, according to The Oregonian, and the market's developers abandoned the plan in 2016, opting to seek out a new site.
Melvin Mark Development Company, now known as MMDC, still lists the project on its website, but the tower on the fourth block has yet to materialize and a recent real estate listing spotted by architect Iain MacKenzie includes all four blocks and says the fourth could be sold separately. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-buy-morrison-bridgehead-blocks-parking-event-space/283-5a9cc4f4-0efd-46f0-a553-12879cbad774 | 2023-06-14T22:06:32 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-buy-morrison-bridgehead-blocks-parking-event-space/283-5a9cc4f4-0efd-46f0-a553-12879cbad774 |
PORTLAND, Ore. — A jury in Oregon says the electric utility PacifiCorp must pay punitive damages for causing devastating wildfires in 2020 — on top of an earlier verdict already expected to amount to billions of dollars.
The decision Wednesday came two days after the jurors found PacifiCorp liable for the fires and said it must pay for damage to property as well as emotional distress. The jury on Monday awarded $73 million to 17 homeowners named as plaintiffs in the case, with damages for a broader class involving the owners of nearly 2,500 other properties to be determined later.
The property owners alleged that PacifiCorp negligently failed to shut off power to its 600,000 customers during a windstorm, despite warnings from then-Gov. Kate Brown’s chief of staff and top fire officials, and that its power lines were responsible for multiple blazes.
The fires over Labor Day weekend in 2020 were among the worst natural disasters in Oregon’s history. They killed nine people, burned more than 1,875 square miles (4,856 square kilometers) and destroyed upward of 5,000 homes and other structures.
PacifiCorp, owned by billionaire Warren Buffett’s Omaha, Nebraska-based investment conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, said it plans to appeal.
The Multnomah County Circuit Court jury in Portland found Wednesday that the additional damages were warranted to punish the utility’s alleged indifference to the safety of others and to deter such conduct in the future.
The jury determined the amount should be one-quarter of whatever is eventually awarded for property damage and emotional distress — meaning the punitive damages could reach hundreds of millions of dollars or more.
"The jury’s verdict is extremely gratifying after PacifiCorp refused to accept responsibility for any of the damages caused by its incompetence and utter disregard for people and property on Labor Day 2020,” Cody Berne, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said in a news release Wednesday.
Doug Dixon, an attorney for the power company, told the jury Tuesday that punitive damages were unwarranted, saying that PacifiCorp “was not indifferent to the threat of wildfire risk, let alone outrageously or consciously so.”
The company has invested hundreds of millions of dollars since the fires to upgrade equipment and expand its weather stations and weather modeling, he said.
Further, Dixon said, the utility could face bankruptcy if punitive damages exceed its net worth of $10.7 billion.
The plaintiffs' attorney told the jury such damages would be the only way to hold the company accountable.
“This should’ve never happened,” Berne said. “The way to make sure it never happens again is to speak to them in the language that they know. And it’s the language of money.” | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/wildfire/jury-pacificorp-punitive-damages-wildfires/283-56eb64e7-be3c-4a03-8817-295b9de28cd2 | 2023-06-14T22:06:38 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/wildfire/jury-pacificorp-punitive-damages-wildfires/283-56eb64e7-be3c-4a03-8817-295b9de28cd2 |
ORLANDO, Fla. – As we enter the hot summer months, a social organization is pushing for change when it comes to heat safety protections for outdoor workers.
Jeannie Economos with the Farmworkers Association of Florida said the organization has made four attempts at passing laws at the state level to require heat safety precautions for outdoor workers.
“That’s what we’re fighting for, is the will to make the change, to give dignity, respect and safety to the workers, the outdoor workers of the state of Florida,” Economos said.
Some of those precautions include required annual training on heat illness, ensuring cold drinking water is available to all employees and access to shade. Their most recent attempt was during this past legislative session.
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“This is the fourth time we’ve tried, and we just don’t understand how anybody can possibly think that it’s OK for these workers to be doing this work while the rest of us are in our air-conditioned offices or homes or buildings,” Economos said. “And these people are out there doing the essential work that all of us need.”
News 6 Meteorologist Jonathan Kegges said the humidity plays a big part in what makes the hot weather so dangerous.
“The way your body cools yourself is by sweating,” Kegges said. “And when there’s a lot of extra moisture in the air, the humidity, it becomes harder for your body to cool itself. And when you have these very, very humid days like this, and especially as we go deeper into summer, that’s where it becomes so, so dangerous. It’s hot, but it’s the humidity that’s really going to get you.”
Kegges also said that it doesn’t take long for Florida to reach those high temperatures on a daily basis.
“When the humidity is cranked up like it’s been over these past few days, like it is a lot of times during the summer, it’s already feeling more like the mid to upper 90s even at 8 (a.m.), 9 (a.m.),” Kegges said.
For more information on how to stay safe in the heat, click here.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/14/activists-push-for-heat-safety-laws-as-summer-hits-florida/ | 2023-06-14T22:06:49 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/14/activists-push-for-heat-safety-laws-as-summer-hits-florida/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – There are several events planned across Central Florida this weekend to commemorate Juneteenth, the end of slavery in the United States.
This year marks the fourth annual Juneteenth 407 Weekend celebration in Central Florida and event organizers are planning even more activities aimed at supporting Black-owned businesses and teaching others about Juneteenth and the history of freedom.
Knakeesha Samuels is the organizer of the event, which also includes a block party at Luminary Green Park on Saturday where more than 60 Black-owned businesses will take part.
“We create events that help people understand the history, while having fun doing it,” Samuels said. “We believe at Juneteenth 407 Weekend that celebrating Black freedom is also celebrating Black joy, Black excellence.”
[RELATED: Here are festivals, events to celebrate Juneteenth in Central Florida]
Ahead of the official Juneteenth federal holiday on Monday and several events planned for the weekend, Takyshia Freeman, the owner of Shay’s Kitchen located inside the Hall on the Yard in Orlando, is getting her best meals prepped and also promoting a specialty Juneteenth drink.
“Everybody knows, come to Shay’s Kitchen if you want good food,” Freeman said. “We’ve got friend chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese and our sweet honey cornbread.”
Her restaurant is one of several Black-owned business across Central Florida part of a scavenger hunt running from 9 a.m. Friday through 9 p.m. Saturday for Juneteenth. The idea of the scavenger hunt is to complete various challenges for prizes at different Black businesses around the community.
Freeman said while she welcomes the business, it’s also about learning and appreciating history.
“It’s more than just supporting the business,” Freeman said. “This weekend it’s about supporting us, Black people as a whole, and supporting what we stand for.”
Nikki Akins at Nikki’s Place, a spot selling soul food in Parramore, is also on the scavenger hunt list and is inviting everyone to learn more about Black history in honor of the holiday.
“We want everyone to know how important it was for us to be emancipated and how important it was for us to be unified together,” Akins said.
There will be a QR code posted at those many business for the scavenger hunt for people to scan and there will also be prizes.
The final list of businesses has not yet been released.
To find out more about the scavenger hunt and the 407 Juneteenth events that begin Friday, click here.
Check out the Real Talk, Real Solutions podcast in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/14/its-about-supporting-us-heres-how-central-floridians-can-celebrate-juneteenth/ | 2023-06-14T22:06:55 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/14/its-about-supporting-us-heres-how-central-floridians-can-celebrate-juneteenth/ |
WATERLOO --- Jurors deliberated for about two hours before finding Matthew Dee Buford III guilty of killing his girlfriend and her friend in their Waterloo home in 2020.
The panel delivered a verdict convicting Buford, 39, guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of flight to avoid prosecution Thursday afternoon following a week of testimony.
Buford sat quietly at the defense table upon hearing the decision. Some relatives of his victims silently dabbed at tears.
First-degree murder is punishable by life in prison without parole, and sentencing will be at a later date.
Buford’s defense attorney said the deaths of Buford’s girlfriend Tamica Allison, 42, and her friend, Andrea Anderson, 41, was a tragedy.
But the deaths didn’t amount to murder, attorney Alfred Willett told jurors during final arguments in Buford’s trial.
Prosecutors allege he shot the two in the dining room of the West Second Street home he shared with Allison while her teenage children were upstairs on the night of Feb. 10, 2020. He then shuffled off the teens to friends’ home, said goodbye to friends and family in Waterloo and left for Illinois.
Willett noted there were no signs of a prior struggle, no evidence of an argument and nothing indicating Buford acted with malice or premeditation. He said there were no eye witnesses to the slayings.
The defense also noted witnesses stated Buford had been drinking that night, and the women had blood-alcohol levels beyond the legal limit to drive.
“When you get three people together who are drinking or are impaired by alcohol, and a weapon is present, tragedies can happen and accidents can happen,” Willett told jurors, noting they also had the option of finding him guilty of the lesser offenses of manslaughter.
Prosecutor Alisha Stach challenged the notion that the victims’ drinking played a role in their demise.
“Who cares? It’s not legal to murder somebody just because they are intoxicated. Your jury instructions don’t say shoot away if somebody is drunk. It’s still illegal,” Stach said.
The state said the fact a gun was used, and both women were shot in the head was enough to concluded the shooter intended to kill.
“You can infer premeditation, specific intent to kill and malice by use of a dangerous weapon. And even more so when you use it twice,” said Black Hawk County Attorney Brian Williams.
Williams said it isn’t possible that someone else fired the gun.
“There were five people in the house. Two of them are dead. Two of them were kids. And then there is the defendant,” he said.
During testimony, Allison’s 13-year-old daughter told jurors she was upstairs in her room when she heard her mother say “What are you going to do, shoot me in the face? I don’t care, I’m not scared.”
That was followed by two gunshots.
When the daughter went downstairs, she saw the bodies on the floor in pools of blood and Buford sitting in a chair holding a silver-colored pistol.
Buford later told her that she would hate him, and told others that he would be dead by morning.
He surrendered to police in Peoria, Illinois, days later.
The gun was found months later, hidden in an unsecured Waterloo garage belonging to one of Buford’s friends. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/buford-found-guilty-in-double-murder/article_7893d576-0a08-11ee-9dd3-d3b14cf2611f.html | 2023-06-14T22:10:43 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/buford-found-guilty-in-double-murder/article_7893d576-0a08-11ee-9dd3-d3b14cf2611f.html |
LOCAL
Lanes of northbound I-69 to be closed beginning Monday for bridge work
Carol Kugler
The Herald-Times
Northbound lanes on I-69 in Monroe County will be closed starting on or after Monday, June 19, according to Indiana Department of Transportation officials.
Where will lanes be closed on I-69?
The northbound lanes near the bridge at Kinser Pike will be closed.
Why will the lanes be closed?
Indiana Department of Transportation contractor RAM Construction Services will be completing a bridge pier patch.
How long will the lanes be closed?
The work, expected to begin on or after Monday, June 19, is expected to be completed by June 24, unless it is delayed by inclement weather.
Will Kinser Pike traffic be affected?
No. Only traffic on I-69 will be affected.
Will I-69 be closed?
Interstate traffic northbound will continue during the work but because it's a construction zone, posted speeds will be lowered. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/northbound-lanes-of-i-69-in-bloomington-will-be-closed-for-bridge-work/70321527007/ | 2023-06-14T22:14:05 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/northbound-lanes-of-i-69-in-bloomington-will-be-closed-for-bridge-work/70321527007/ |
Investigation into New College faculty censure letter denies claims
SARASOTA — An investigation by the administration into the claims within a recent censure letter targeting school leaders by New College of Florida's faculty concluded that the faculty's claims were unfounded.
Investigator and NCF Vice President for Legal Affairs David Brickhouse responded to the faculty's formal censure of the college's board of trustees in a three-page memo addressed to New College's Interim President Richard Corcoran on June 12. The memo, released Tuesday to the Herald-Tribune, lays out Brickhouse's 10 responses to the faculty's May 19 claims of various issues the faculty raised regarding the board of trustees' handling of the conservative transformation of the small public liberal arts campus that began in early January.
The school's faculty members voted on the censure prior to distributing it to the Board of Trustees, with 80% of the faculty voting in favor of the censure.
Tensions between the former liberal arts college's faculty and its appointed board of trustees, led by Cocoran who was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in early February, have increased as more changes have been implemented at the school. The faculty contends that the NCF board of trustees has failed in its duties.
The faculty has argued that the board of trustees has "failed in their fiduciary duties of first: caring for the institution’s reputation and for student, faculty, and staff well-being; and second: endangering the College’s ability to fulfill its mission..." and criticized board members' handling of public input, the selection of Corcoran, a no vote on some faculty members' tenure and other issues.
Brickhouse's investigation says otherwise, however. He called the claims of the trustee's lack of knowledge in the tenure process "false".
"The members of the Board of Trustees discussed and debated for over 30 minutes on whether togrant, deny or defer tenure for five faculty members. This discussion specifically included adetailed description of the tenure process and procedure under the NCUFF Collective BargainingAgreement and the Faculty Handbook ..." the memo reads. "To suggest the Trustees offered no “explanation or evidence of having read the tenure files or understanding tenure processes” is demonstrably false."
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Brickhouse's memo goes on to rebut the faculty censure letter's complaints point by point.
Samantha Gholar covers social justice news for the Herald-Tribune and USA TODAY Network. Connect with her at sgholar@gannett.com or on Twitter: @samanthagholar | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/06/14/censured-new/70321248007/ | 2023-06-14T22:15:13 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/06/14/censured-new/70321248007/ |
ABILENE, Texas — Felipe Esparza is set to perform Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Abilene Convention Center, 1100 N. 6th St.
The comedian is known for his stand-up specials on Netflix and HBO and appearances on "Last Comic Standing" and "Superstore."
Presale tickets will be live at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 15, with the presale code: BIGFOO.
Regular ticket sales start at 10 a.m. Friday.
For more information about Esparza, click here. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/comedian-felipe-esparza-to-perform-in-abilene/504-a8751a43-74db-4be9-99b3-30f5cf54d990 | 2023-06-14T22:15:38 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/comedian-felipe-esparza-to-perform-in-abilene/504-a8751a43-74db-4be9-99b3-30f5cf54d990 |
HOUSTON — Texas’ highest criminal court ruled Wednesday that the securities fraud case against now-suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s should remain in Houston, settling a key issue in the 8-year-old case as Paxton faces an impeachment trial in the Texas Senate this summer.
In a 6-3 ruling, the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals, made up of nine Republicans and no Democrats, overturned lower-court decisions that said Paxton’s trial had been improperly moved from Collin County, where he lives, to Harris County. They said the trial judge had lost jurisdiction over the matter.
"The standards we use to judge will inevitably be applied against us. Thus, even the noblest of goals, no matter how righteous, cannot justify improper means, Judge Bert Richardson wrote for the majority. "Today we fulfill our duty by upholding our Constitution’s rule of law and affirming the wisdom of its framers."
However, the Texas Constitution and state law protected the judge’s authority over the case, the court ruled.
“We’re gratified but not surprised that the Court recognized that this defendant must stand trial before a Harris County jury and a judge who will follow the law,” prosecutor Brian Wice said.
Paxton’s defense attorney for his impeachment trial -- but not the Collin County case -- said they're not fazed by the decision.
“Today’s decision doesn’t matter. This case is a loser and that’s why the so-called prosecutors have continued to delay this case for almost a decade now," Attorney Tony Buzbee said in a statement. "This case has been before the Court of Criminal Appeals for nearly two years and the timing of today’s decision was no coincidence, specifically timed and designed to create maximum negative press and political damage to the attorney general and targeted to hurt him with the Senate.”
In 2015, a Collin County grand jury indicted Paxton on two counts of securities fraud, a first-degree felony with a punishment of up to 99 years in prison, and one count of failing to register with state securities regulators, a third-degree felony with a maximum 10 years in prison.
The securities fraud charges related to Paxton’s efforts in 2011 to solicit investors in Servergy Inc. without disclosing that the McKinney-based tech company was paying him to promote its stock.
Paxton has said he did nothing wrong and dismissed the charges as motivated by his political rivals.
Prosecutors were able to remove the case from Collin County in 2017, arguing that they could not get a fair trial in a county that Paxton had represented during his 10 years in the Texas House and two years in the state Senate.
Paxton’s lawyers, arguing that the judge who ordered the case to Harris County had lost jurisdiction over the case, succeeded in sending the case back to Collin County in 2020, leading to appeals from prosecutors that resulted in Wednesday’s ruling.
Paxton was suspended from acting as attorney general when the Texas House voted to impeach him late last month.
This is a developing story.
This story comes from The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans - and engages with them - about public policy, politics, government, and statewide issues. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/texas/ken-paxton-securities-fraud-trial/285-fa483b24-75af-4b2e-91c9-89a27fd4463f | 2023-06-14T22:15:39 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/texas/ken-paxton-securities-fraud-trial/285-fa483b24-75af-4b2e-91c9-89a27fd4463f |
Smoke from wildfires raging in Canada once again reduced air quality across North Dakota on Wednesday.
Hundreds of wildfires have burned across Canada this spring, scorching more than 12 million acres, prompting the evacuations of thousands of people and sending dense smoke across that country and the U.S., as far as the East Coast. Smoky skies were prevalent across North Dakota during parts of May, and smoke reduced visibility in several areas again Wednesday.
Much of the smoke was in higher elevations. Ground-level impacts were worst in the north central and eastern parts of North Dakota. Air quality in the Bottineau, Devils Lake, and Red River Valley regions was rated as "unhealthy" or "unhealthy for sensitive groups" at various times throughout the day, according to AirNow, a partnership of many federal and state agencies including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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Air quality throughout western North Dakota including Bismarck was mostly rated "moderate."
"We may see some air quality issues over the next few days across the Upper Midwest, especially the eastern Dakotas through Minnesota and northern Wisconsin and upper Michigan due to some of the lower level smoke from numerous fires burning across northern and northwestern Ontario," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said.
Nearly all of northern Minnesota was considered to have unhealthy air Wednesday, and that state's Pollution Control Agency issued an air quality alert for the region.
The smoke is expected to dissipate by Friday due to a combination of storms and shifting winds, according to AccuWeather. The National Weather Service reports that thunderstorms are expected Wednesday night across western North Dakota, while storms are possible Thursday for the rest of the state.
However, wildfires north of the border are expected to remain a problem in coming months, according to Natural Resources Canada.
“We are already seeing one of the worst wildfire seasons on record, and we must prepare for a long summer," Steven Guilbeault, Canada's minister of environment and climate change, said in a recent statement.
Smoky skies in North Dakota are likely to be an off-and-on issue in North Dakota, according to Ryan Mills, manager of ambient air monitoring for North Dakota's Department of Environmental Quality.
"It seems these fires are in areas not easily accessible for fire crews," he said. "One source even said that this may be a problem until the snow comes this fall. Only a guess at best; pray for some heavy rains in the short term."
DEQ advised residents -- especially the elderly, young children and people with respiratory conditions -- to consider limiting prolonged outdoor activities in smoky areas.
Extremely small particles of ash and soot, known as particulate matter, were increasing due to the smoke, according to DEQ. Particulate matter can irritate the respiratory system, especially for those who suffer from lung conditions or allergies.
People reacting to smoke to the extent that it affects breathing are advised to seek immediate help from a medical provider.
General health-related smoke questions can be directed to the state Health and Human Services Operating Center at 701-328-0707.
DEQ also offered these tips for dealing with the smoke:
- Stay inside with windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside.
- Reduce outside physical activity.
- Set air conditioning units and car vent systems to "recirculate" to prevent outside air from moving inside.
Information on wildfires and air quality is on the DEQ website, at bit.ly/3OhrD7E. The EPA's map of fire and smoke conditions is at https://fire.airnow.gov/. The AirNow mobile phone app, and many other weather apps, also include air quality information. Wildfire smoke pattern predictions can be found at https://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/health/canadian-wildfire-smoke-returns-to-north-dakota-reducing-air-quality/article_00d8200c-0ac9-11ee-989b-5b40e01ae819.html | 2023-06-14T22:16:02 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/health/canadian-wildfire-smoke-returns-to-north-dakota-reducing-air-quality/article_00d8200c-0ac9-11ee-989b-5b40e01ae819.html |
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream is releasing a new flavor of ice cream inspired by one of America's favorite breakfast pastries.
The ice cream company is teaming up with Pop-Tarts to make Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Ice Cream.
The frozen treat will be available in stores and for nationwide shipping on June 22.
"Our tribute to the best thing to spring out of a toaster … possibly ever. Brown sugar-cinnamon ice cream and crumbled pastry with a caramel swirl," Jeni's wrote on its website.
Jeni's is also inviting fans to celebrate the limited-edition flavor by creating a dessert using Pop-Tarts or Jeni's Pop-Tarts-inspired dessert.
You can share your dishes with the company or check out some of the recipes already posted on the website here. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/jenis-brown-sugar-cinnamon-pop-tart-flavor/530-697206d7-ce12-494f-a4cc-2930032fcca1 | 2023-06-14T22:17:05 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/jenis-brown-sugar-cinnamon-pop-tart-flavor/530-697206d7-ce12-494f-a4cc-2930032fcca1 |
BOSTON — Six people are charged with trafficking stolen human remains from Harvard University, and two of the suspects are from Pennsylvania.
According to the US Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, this was part of a nationwide network of buying and selling human remains.
RELATED >>> 6 arrested in trafficking scheme of stolen body parts from Harvard Medical School morgue
Joshua Taylor, of West Lawn, and Jeremy Pauley, of Bloomsburg, are the Pennsylvanians facing charges.
Court documents allege that Taylor bought remains that had been stolen from Harvard Medical School. He then allegedly sold them to Pauley and others.
Pauley is also accused of buying remains from a crematorium.
The six suspects could face up to 15 years in prison.
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PITTSBURGH — Scammers are going to great lengths to try to trick you into paying big bucks for fake tickets to Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour.”
With the tour arriving in Pittsburgh this weekend, 11 News did some digging on how you can protect yourself from scams when buying last-minute tickets.
On Channel 11 News at 6:15 p.m., what you need to know before you hand over your money.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/how-avoid-scams-when-shopping-last-minute-taylor-swift-tickets/CQCJ7F7VURBZBMZNYOIPEAETVY/ | 2023-06-14T22:17:52 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/how-avoid-scams-when-shopping-last-minute-taylor-swift-tickets/CQCJ7F7VURBZBMZNYOIPEAETVY/ |
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have invited former Bethel Park and West Virginia linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski as a tryout for their mandatory minicamp at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex this week.
Kwiatkoski, 30, is a Pittsburgh native. The 6-foot-2, 242-pound linebacker has played seven NFL seasons since joining the Chicago Bears in fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
Kwiatkoski played in 57 games and made 22 starts over four seasons with Chicago, playing inside linebacker in the Bears’ 3-4 scheme. He had his most productive season in 2019, when he made eight starts, and recorded career highs with 76 tackles, eight tackles for loss and three sacks.
Click here to read the full story from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/steelers-bring-ex-wpial-wvu-linebacker-tryout/G2BBQICSQZEPBAX5IW7XKINLTU/ | 2023-06-14T22:17:58 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/steelers-bring-ex-wpial-wvu-linebacker-tryout/G2BBQICSQZEPBAX5IW7XKINLTU/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — “Homelessness is bad for everyone, especially those who are experiencing it.”
That’s the bedrock belief driving Johnson City’s funding and creation of a new Homeless Outreach Coordinator position, City Manager Cathy Ball told News Channel 11 Wednesday.
“We are trying to find a way to help homeless individuals get housed,” Ball said of the top priority for a position that will be funded starting July 1 and will fall under the Johnson City Police Department (JCPD).
She said the coordinator will work with the numerous nonprofits and other agencies that provide services to unhoused people in the area.
“Everything we’re doing is trying to make sure that … the work that’s being done is helping people get housed so they don’t have to live on the streets,” Ball said.
The city’s leadership has been trying to figure out the city’s best role in helping people get housed. It appears to be learning the barriers people are facing so they can be housed — and convincing the “ecosystem” of supportive service providers to buy into an approach that puts housing first.
“From our perspective, if you’re not helping people get housed, you’re hurting them,” Ball said. “So if people don’t have the vision of, every contact is to ultimately get them to a safe place, a protected place, then we may not be successful in the long game.”
She said homeless people often become crime victims, that a number have substance use disorders, and that accessing things as important as jobs and as basic as regular showers and keeping up with their belongings is often difficult.
“Every touch is to say, how do we get them housed?”
An early task is understanding what the city’s homeless population looks like. Ball said a completed study shows what she described as a homeless “desert” within Northeast Tennessee’s eight counties. If that’s the case, with its Veterans Affairs hospital and a university that focuses on serving the region, Johnson City is a bit of an oasis.
“Johnson City tends to be the area where most homeless folks come because we have services, so the more we can identify about these folks, about why they’re here, and are they here from the eight-county region or are they coming in from somewhere else, the more we can understand how to get them housed.”
A data-driven model just up the road
Ball and city leaders didn’t have to look far for a model. Kingsport has had an outreach coordinator for a couple of years now, who works out of its police department as well.
Ball said leaders reached out to Kingsport and have largely modeled their approach on Kingsport’s.
“Their program is successful, they’re monitoring it through metrics and so much of what we think we’re trying to accomplish here has been proven. It’s not new across the country, it’s not even new in our region, so we’ve relied heavily on the success that they’re having in Kingsport.”
The program will use data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s “Continuum of Care” program, which includes statistics from the annual 24-hour “point in time” counts of area homelessness each winter.
Slotting that position within the police department isn’t based on a punitive approach to the program, Ball said. Rather, the connection offers protection for the employee who will almost certainly visit some risky environments and for people experiencing homelessness.
The JCPD can also help by sharing information about some of the people the effort is trying to help who have had brushes with the law.
Eventually, the coordinator may use a database that tracks the success of interventions.
Ball’s been walking the beat with some JCPD officers and learned about the relationships many of them have with some people who are currently homeless in Johnson City.
“We have a police department that very much understands the constitutional rights of everyone, and we’re very fortunate in that. A lot of communities may struggle with the understanding around the rights of folks.”
A ringing early endorsement from Salvation Army
One provider of homeless services said the city position could be a game changer in several ways.
“Our hope is that … it’s going to allow a more holistic approach, a more collaborative approach and it gives also a person we can reach to at the city — a voice that we have direct contact with as an agency provider,” Salvation Army Capt. Benny Carringer said.
He said city leaders did “a really good job of reaching out to all the nonprofit agencies, those who work with our neighbors in need” as they worked to define the position. Carringer said he thinks the person who fills the slot can serve as a facilitator for multiple agencies that serve both homeless individuals and families as well as people who are at risk of becoming unhoused.
He said area nonprofits have been addressing homelessness and trying to collaborate for years — and they all serve constituencies with different types of challenges and family compositions.
“Hopefully, with this person, what we could is we could gather around, see what each nonprofit is offering, what essential services — maybe we need to up something, maybe we need to scale back on some things — what we can do together to continue to provide that holistic approach to help those individuals.”
Carringer said the primary agencies serving people offer some of the same things but that each offers some unique services as well.
If the new coordinator can effectively turn the noun in their job description into a verb and coordinate, “it’s going to make it all worthwhile and we’re going to be able to see a substantial impact moving forward, which is what we all want to see.”
No quick fix
Ball said the city is considering contracting with a consultant to help develop the position’s strategic plan.
The ideal candidate for the job, she said, will be someone who’s passionate about getting people housed, is willing to “play the long game,” and can be straightforward but convincing as they try to rally the stakeholders.
“It isn’t just meeting this temporary need of food, or handing out tents or handing out sleeping bags,” Ball said.
“It would be somebody who has a longer-term vision of what it means to reduce homelessness in our community and what it means to really help someone, as opposed to potentially making their situation worse by providing them with a resource that continues to keep them on the path of homelessness.”
Success will also require an increase in available assisted housing. That could involve convincing more property owners to accept Section 8 vouchers and possibly putting Community Development Block Grant funds behind that. Ball even envisions an “accreditation-like” program that people could complete and show a greater readiness to succeed in a rental environment.
“It isn’t just the outreach person that’s going to do this. It’s a system that we’re working to create through a group of people including our nonprofits.”
Ball said the next year-plus will mark the raw beginnings of a very heavy lift.
“The whole country’s facing homelessness issues,” she said.
“I believe if we develop this in a way that is helping people and we’re truly committed to getting them housed … there’s a real potential — if everyone starts working in that same direction and understanding the message, having compassion — that we can get this right for our community – all of our community.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-city-has-lofty-goals-for-homeless-coordinator-position/ | 2023-06-14T22:20:22 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-city-has-lofty-goals-for-homeless-coordinator-position/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/i-95-collapse-site-to-be-filled-with-backfill-before-lanes-can-be-paved-officials-say/3585846/ | 2023-06-14T22:21:54 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/i-95-collapse-site-to-be-filled-with-backfill-before-lanes-can-be-paved-officials-say/3585846/ |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Wednesday, the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau (LRCVB) announced that they have now launched a free mobile-exclusive Black Culture Pass that is aimed at highlighting the city's top Black history and civil rights attractions, Black-owned restaurants, Juneteenth events, and much more.
The mobile pass is available for both residents and tourists alike. Participants who use the pass are able to redeem a prize based on the "check-ins" they have made at the various locations.
“We’re excited to launch our new Black Culture Pass to purposefully coincide with upcoming Juneteenth events and activities,” said LRCVB Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Community Engagement Kasey Summerville. “It’s a great way to honor our city’s Black history, and explore our Black culture,” she added.
She explained that the free mobile pass will help showcase nearly 40 local cultural attractions, events, and dining locations in the capital city in an easy and mobile-friendly manner.
The pass allows people to use it as a kind of personal guide to help provide things to see and do as you electronically check-in at the designated locations and earn points along the way.
Right now, the first 50 participants to earn 50 points will receive a special Juneteenth in Da Rock commemorative poster.
The Black Culture Pass is the fourth mobile pass that has been introduced since the series was launched last summer. Other passes include the Attractions Pass, Pedal Pass, and the seasonal Holidays in the Little Rock Pass.
For more information regarding the Little Rock Black Culture Pass or any other passes in the city, please click here. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/little-rock/mobile-black-culture-pass-little-rock/91-e904d38c-28e4-4304-b597-63084378d6d4 | 2023-06-14T22:22:13 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/little-rock/mobile-black-culture-pass-little-rock/91-e904d38c-28e4-4304-b597-63084378d6d4 |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Little Rock Police Department has asked for the public's help in locating a runaway teen.
15-year-old Bracy Cloird is described as being 5'2" in height and weighing about 110 pounds. He was last seen in Little Rock.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to contact Detective Boyd at (501) 404-3016, Detective Dearing at (501) 404-3014, or the Little Rock Communications Center at (501) 371-4829. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/missing-persons-reports/search-little-rock-runaway-teen/91-44bb2f02-dee9-4ed0-a90e-2acffb87ee77 | 2023-06-14T22:22:19 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/missing-persons-reports/search-little-rock-runaway-teen/91-44bb2f02-dee9-4ed0-a90e-2acffb87ee77 |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is heading to Europe on her first overseas trade mission since taking office this year.
Sanders, a Republican, said she planned to meet with aerospace industry leaders at the Paris Air Show during the trip. She also planned to meet with American, British, French and German business executives to make the case for investing in Arkansas, Sanders said in a statement released Wednesday.
Sanders said Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald and Arkansas Economic Development Commission Executive Director Clint O'Neal will also go on the trade mission.
The governor's office said they planned to meet with executives from several companies, including Lockheed Martin, Aerojet Rocketdyne and Raytheon. Sanders' mission will also include meetings in Cologne, Germany, her office said.
Aerospace and defense is a major part of Arkansas' economy and makes up about 20% of the state's exports, according to the Arkansas Economic Development Commission.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette first reported details of Sanders' trip on Wednesday. Her office said the state won't have a breakdown of the cost of the trip until after the governor returns.
“It’s time for the whole world to learn what Arkansans already know: there’s never been a better time to invest in the Natural State and call it home,” Sanders said in a statement.
Sanders, who served as former President Donald Trump's press secretary, was inaugurated in January as Arkansas's first woman governor.
= | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/sanders-overseas-trade-mission/91-1cf62651-f36f-4548-9a7a-57a12fd94003 | 2023-06-14T22:22:25 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/sanders-overseas-trade-mission/91-1cf62651-f36f-4548-9a7a-57a12fd94003 |
A nonprofit that aims to persuade pregnant woman to seek alternatives to abortion opened a site earlier this month down the street from the new Casper abortion clinic.
The True Care Women’s Resource Center, a nonprofit organization with a main location on South Poplar Street, opened its second location June 1 in the old Ricoh USA Inc. building on Second Street, Jessica Baxter, the center’s CEO, said.
The new clinic is about two blocks away from the Wellspring Health Access clinic, which opened in April nearly a year after an arson destroyed most of the building’s interior.
A spokesperson for Wellspring Health Access said the clinic doesn’t have a comment about True Care’s operations at this time.
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The new walk-in True Care center on Second Street is open a couple days a week now to “serve women right in the midst of crisis,” Baxter said.
“It’s an opportunity for us to reach women in maybe a new and different way.”
Baxter said the center tries to coincide its hours of operation with those of the Wellspring clinic. A doctor and licensed registered nurses will oversee the second True Care location, she said.
True Care has also partnered with Sidewalk Advocates for Life, a “Christ-centered” national organization that aims to end abortion. Volunteers with the local chapter of the organization have stationed themselves near the abortion clinic to intercept patients and refer them to the True Care center on Second Street.
The organization’s only presence in Wyoming so far is in Casper.
Baxter said she didn’t know how many patients Sidewalk Advocates volunteers have referred to the Second Street True Care center so far.
She said at least one patient did end up going to the nearby True Care center after meeting volunteers near the Wellspring clinic. But the patient ended up leaving the facility before having an appointment.
‘Out of business’
In a May 17 Pregnancy Help News article about the new True Care location, which was written by the patient resources director of True Care Giving, the center’s fundraising arm, Baxter spoke about the impact of deterring women from accessing the abortion clinic, which she said could “put them out of business.”
When asked about her statements in the article, and if True Care aims to close the Wellspring clinic, Baxter said the pregnancy center’s ultimate hope is that “women will seek all the information that they need.”
“I think that most of what women need can be provided by a place like True Care and local physicians,” Baxter said, adding that Wyoming has “stated very clearly” in the Legislature that “we are a state that values life.”
The True Care Women’s Resource Center has been in Casper for more than 30 years, according to its website. It became a licensed medical clinic roughly a decade ago.
The center offers free pregnancy testing, ultrasounds and STI/STD testing and treatment, as well as abortion counseling and abortion pill reversal medications.
The center doesn’t provide or refer patients for abortions, although it does include some information about abortions on its website.
Protests
The True Care center on Poplar Street has been the site of abortion rights protests following the fall of Roe v. Wade last summer. Roughly 60 people gathered on the sidewalk outside the center on the day the historic decision was overturned.
The Wellspring Health Access clinic has also been a place of regular protest. The Casper Police Department received a call on June 8 regarding a complaint of protesters blocking the alley next to the abortion clinic and barring patients from entering the facility. The dispute was peacefully resolved, according to a Casper Police Department spokesperson.
In addition to abortion services, Wellspring Health Access, which is led by founder and president Julie Burkhart, offers family planning services as well as gynecological and gender affirming care.
The Wyoming Legislature passed the Life is a Human Right Act, a sweeping abortion ban, as well as the nation’s first medication abortion ban earlier this year.
Both became law in March, though abortion until viability is still legal in Wyoming after a Teton County judge blocked enforcement of the Life is a Human Right Act as the measure undergoes a challenge in court. Plaintiffs in the court challenge have also requested a block on the medication abortion ban, which is set to take effect next month.
Wellspring Health Access is one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging these abortion bans.
A trial for the abortion lawsuit is scheduled for April 15 of next year. | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/group-that-pushes-abortion-alternatives-opens-site-near-casper-abortion-clinic/article_c1a75fc0-0a0e-11ee-943d-4f25978717b1.html | 2023-06-14T22:34:56 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/group-that-pushes-abortion-alternatives-opens-site-near-casper-abortion-clinic/article_c1a75fc0-0a0e-11ee-943d-4f25978717b1.html |
Western Oregon wolf that exhibited 'un-wolflike behavior' killed on Highway 138
A wolf that showed a lack of wariness around humans was killed in a vehicle collision on Highway 138 east of Roseburg earlier this week, according to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The yearling wolf, designated OR-143 of the Indigo Pack, has its range in the upper North Umpqua area west of Diamond Lake and east of Glide. It had shown “very un-wolflike behavior,” officials said, by trotting close to cars and people and even showing up in multiple social media videos.
Meghan Dugan, spokeswoman for ODFW, said the odd behavior was most likely from being fed by people and having “minimal to no negative interactions with people,” she said. She equated the behavior to bears that are fed by humans and then end up approaching cars in places like Yellowstone National Park.
“It was seen approaching and laying down near vehicles on Highway 138 and Bird Point Road, not reacting to human voices, honking horns, traffic and vehicle noises,” she said.
The wolf's body will be taken to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service lab for additional examination.
Dugan warned people to remain wary in the area because a 2-year-old male wolf that had been seen at times with OR-143 also displayed a lack of wariness toward people.
Dugan noted that it’s illegal to feed wolves in Oregon.
“Don’t feed wildlife,” she said. “Do not approach wolves and stay at least 100 yards away.”
Wolves in western Oregon — including the Indigo Pack — are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. In the latest count, at least 178 wolves were counted across Oregon, with the number of wolves moving into the state's west side rising by 39%.
“Wolves are growing in numbers and expanding in distribution in western Oregon,” Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife wolf coordinator Roblyn Brown said. “We are confident in the continued health of the state’s wolf population as they expand in distribution across the state and continue to show an upward population trend.”
What to do if you see a wolf
A flier from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service advises people to do the following if they see a wolf:
- Stay at least 100 yards away.
- Keep dogs on a leash.
- Stay alert by not wearing headphones
- Carry bear spray.
- Do not feed wolves.
- Don't run.
- Make noise.
- Appear large.
The flier encourages people to stay calm if they encounter a wolf.
"Talk in a loud, firm voice or make loud noises and the wolf will likely run away," the flier said.
If a wolf approaches, the flier encourages people to back away slowly while facing the wolf and to fight back if attacked.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors. | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/oregon-wolf-indigo-pack-killed-vehicle-highway-138-diamond-lake/70322155007/ | 2023-06-14T22:37:29 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/oregon-wolf-indigo-pack-killed-vehicle-highway-138-diamond-lake/70322155007/ |
Here's why your Salem utility bill will go up in August
An increase in Salem's operations fee — passed by City Council Monday to address an $11-million budget shortfall — will take effect July 1.
The change will be reflected on August's utility bills.
An operations fee is already tacked on to utility bills for single-family homes, multi-family units, commercial, industrial, institutional and public facilities in the city.
The change means a single-family home that was once paid $8.93 in operations fees a month will soon be charged $14.43 — an increase of $5.50.
Commercial, industrial, institution and public accounts will all have an operations fee of $69.55. Their fees are going up about $26 a month.
Multi-family residential units will pay $11.54. Those fees are rising the least, about $4.50 a month.
Low-income households with people over the age of 60 or those living with disabilities may apply for the Utility Rate Relief Program to receive a monthly discount for wastewater services, Streetlight Fee and City Operations Fee.
Leaders said the fee increase, included in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2024, is intended to maintain and expand current city services.
"Salem is one of many Oregon cities projecting a deficit in their General Fund in coming years due to property tax limitations," city officials said in a statement. "For FY 2024, $11 million in general fund reserves were needed to balance the budget."
The looming deficit meant many of the recently opened homelessness services, like the navigation center and microshelters, would be the first on the budget chopping block. Staffing cuts to the fire and police departments were also considered if additional revenue was not found to address the shortfall.
“We’re leaving no stone unturned in our search for revenue and we’re doing everything we can to address the needs of our residents," Mayor Chris Hoy said. "This is an important step towards stable funding for our homelessness response and for the fire and police departments."
A payroll tax paid by employees working in Salem is also being considered by the council for deficits in next year's budget.
This operations fee increase will:
- Fund and expand Salem Outreach and Livability Services (SOS) team, which works with people experiencing homelessness and surrounding neighbors, including garbage removal and sanitation and hygiene efforts.
- Increase code enforcement response team.
- Increase park ranger capacity through more staffing.
- Continue downtown parking security.
- Add needed staff like human resources, IT, legal and finance to support front-line staff.
The base fee will be as follows as of July 1, 2023:
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/salem-oregon-raising-utility-fees-utility-bill-operations-fee-increase/70322052007/ | 2023-06-14T22:37:31 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/salem-oregon-raising-utility-fees-utility-bill-operations-fee-increase/70322052007/ |
Jury hits PacifiCorp with punitive damages in Labor Day fires trial, increasing payout to victims
A jury decided Wednesday that PacifiCorp should pay additional money to victims of four of Oregon’s Labor Day fires by imposing punitive damages on the utility.
The verdict was essentially a rebuke of PacifiCorp’s actions the night of Labor Day 2020 for its role in igniting wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes and upended countless lives in the Santiam Canyon, Lincoln City area and in southern Oregon.
The jury ruled earlier this week that PacifiCorp was liable for the Santiam, Echo Mountain, 242 and South Obenchain wildfires and must pay out more than $73 million to 17 plaintiffs, in addition to damages to around 5,000 class members.
Lawyers for the property owners successfully argued the utility's power lines ignited numerous wildfires and that PacifiCorp was at fault for the destruction because it did not proactively shut down power — while other utilities did — and didn’t maintain vegetation around power lines, leading to the explosion of the fires.
PacifiCorp said immediately after the Monday verdicts that the subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy will appeal.
In Wednesday’s ruling, the jury imposed a multiplier of 0.25 on all economic and non-economic payouts. What that means, in essence, is that every award will be multiplied by 0.25 as a way of preventing future similar scenarios.
The ruling means that the award to the 17 named plaintiffs — or class representatives — was bumped up to around $87 million, from $73 million previously.
“The class members will automatically have their individual damage awards multiplied by 25%, potentially reaching billions in future compensation for the class,” said plaintiffs lawyers in a news release.
The payout could reach to an estimated $11 billion in damages, according to estimates from PacifiCorp during closing arguments over the punitive damages.
“This verdict is believed to be the first time a jury has found a utility company liable to property owners in a wildfire case,” a news release from plaintiffs’ lawyers — Keller Rohrback LLP, Stoll Berne and Edelson PC — said. “When factoring in the damages available to the class, it would be the largest civil jury verdict in Oregon history.”
A website set up by the court shows maps of the areas that are included in the class here. Anyone with property within the boundary that had wildfire damage is a member of the class and could claim damages in a special court proceeding that will take place later.
Multnomah County District Judge Steffan Alexander will rule on how claims will be processed for members of the class to claim damages. Instructions and updates are expected to become available in the coming weeks and months on the same website — pacificorpfirelitigation.com
“Finally, years after these fires, Oregonians have answers and these fire survivors have accountability. The jury confirmed what plaintiffs have long alleged: PacifiCorp is responsible for these four fires that burned thousands of properties across the state,” said Matthew Preusch, a partner at Keller Rohrback.
The appeal from PacifiCorp would need to be filed in the next 30 days, and the appeals process could potentially be stretched out for years.
Preusch credited the 17 lead plaintiffs for being willing to go through a contentious and years long court process.
“These class representatives won this liability verdict not just for themselves but for the thousands of others who were affected by the fires,” he said. “Now, those who were effected can come in and prove their losses without having to go through the trial process.”
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 15 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. To support his work, subscribe to the Statesman Journal. Urness is the author of “Best Hikes with Kids: Oregon” and “Hiking Southern Oregon.” He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on Twitter at @ZachsORoutdoors. | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2023/06/14/pacificorp-hit-with-punitive-damages-in-labor-day-fire-trial/70323264007/ | 2023-06-14T22:37:33 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2023/06/14/pacificorp-hit-with-punitive-damages-in-labor-day-fire-trial/70323264007/ |
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