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PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A family finally has some closure more than 40 years after their loved one went missing leaving the Tampa Bay area, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said.
On Oct. 28, 1980, then-29-year-old Ronald Gilchrist left a home on Bonner Avenue near 69th Way N in Clearwater. His destination — Miami. He was set to pick up his in-laws on Nov. 3 at the Miami International Airport and then take them to Marco Island.
Gilchrist climbed into this 1977 Ford 4-door car and started on his journey. Detectives said on Oct. 29 Gilchrist called a family member from a restaurant payphone in Mulberry.
That was the last communication he had with his family. He never arrived at the airport and has been missing ever since.
Detectives said they got photos of Gilchrist from 1980 and sent them to investigators at the Miami-Dade Police Department and the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office.
Miami police reportedly investigated a homicide in November 1980 involving a John Doe. That unidentified man, detectives would later learn, matched a similar description of Gilchrist.
On June 7, 2023, detectives received word from the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner's Office that it had formally identified Joe Doe as Gilchrist.
His death is still being investigated as a homicide by the Miami-Dade Police Department. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/ronald-gilchrist-missing-person-1980-identified/67-79529386-ff5c-4620-aca9-a692eac9d379 | 2023-06-15T22:10:34 | 0 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/ronald-gilchrist-missing-person-1980-identified/67-79529386-ff5c-4620-aca9-a692eac9d379 |
FREESTONE COUNTY, Texas — A spokesperson for private developer Todd Interests, Monica Latin, explained the family's frustration at a press conference on Thursday, June 15 after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) used eminent domain to seize land from the buyers.
TPWD voted unanimously to use eminent domain on Saturday, June 10, in order to seize around 5,000 acres of land for the reason specified by the department as the need to save Fairfield Lake State Park for Texans.
Todd Interests' spokesperson explained that TPWD appeared to have no interest in saving the park for citizens when the opportunity presented itself.
Latin went on to criticize the way TPWD explained the situation to the press and citizens of Texas, claiming the department lied on multiple occasions.
"Commission Chairman Arch Aplin III, Executive Director David Yoskowitz and the Commission wrongly deflect blame through a series of false statements to the press and the people of the State of Texas about their conduct," Latin stated.
"The Todd family has engaged legal counsel to ensure their property rights are protected and the false statements stop." Latin added.
According to Latin, Vistra Energy had to agree to sell the property to TPWD after the department offered to buy out the Todd family's contract with them, but Vistra refused to do so.
Latin also explains how the Todd family sent TPWD a counteroffer back on May 23, but the department did not respond to it.
According to Latin, TPWD also claimed that the Todd family would mess with the lake's water, which would affect the wildlife around the state park.
In response to that claim, Latin stated, "That is not true. The lake's world class fishing and boating venue are at the center of the Todds' development plan."
The spokesperson debunked TPWD's claim that the Todd family would not work with realistic negotiations stating, "The Commissioners made a written offer to Vistra on June 1 to purchase the property. But the Commissioners have made no such offer to Todd Interests, ever, and have not communicated with them since the closing."
Latin then went on to condemn TPWD's use of eminent domain as it claims it is only to be used in the rarest circumstances.
"The only extraordinary, unusual, or unique circumstance here is an unelected group of commissioners' irresponsible use of power to deprive private landowners of their rights, to accomplish by force an outcome not supported by the Texas Legislature," Latin exclaimed.
The press conference ended with a bold warning to other landowners in Texas.
Latin stated, "If the Commission can do this to the Todd family, they can do it to any rancher, farmer, or property owner in the State of Texas."
Also on KCENTV.com: | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/texas-parks-and-wildlife-receives-backlash-after-exercising-eminent-domain-land-that-included-fairfield-lake-state-park/500-6baab178-af46-4dfe-9461-b47a73dd2adb | 2023-06-15T22:10:34 | 1 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/texas-parks-and-wildlife-receives-backlash-after-exercising-eminent-domain-land-that-included-fairfield-lake-state-park/500-6baab178-af46-4dfe-9461-b47a73dd2adb |
WASHINGTON,D.C.- A cost of living adjustment signed into law today will help approximately 30,000 Maine veterans and their families.
The bill was sponsored by Maine Senator Angus King.
It ensures the Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation, surviving family member payments and clothing allowances get the same annual cost-of-living adjustment as Social Security.
In a statement, Senator King said "As everyday costs for Maine veterans grow, we have a responsibility to make sure their benefits are keeping pace. This bipartisan benefit increase is a step to help ensure those who served aren't struggling with their basic household budgets." | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/benefits-increase-for-veterans-military-families-signed-into-law/article_b7acdff8-0bb8-11ee-bcaa-07ae9975c277.html | 2023-06-15T22:14:49 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/benefits-increase-for-veterans-military-families-signed-into-law/article_b7acdff8-0bb8-11ee-bcaa-07ae9975c277.html |
UM expands Go Blue Guarantee free tuition eligibility
The University of Michigan is expanding eligibility for its free tuition program by opening the doors to potentially hundreds more families in Michigan.
UM's Go Blue Guarantee, in existence for five years, currently offers free tuition up to four years to students who come from families whose incomes are $65,000 or less.
On Thursday, UM Regents unanimously agreed to increase the income threshold for students to families earning $75,000 or less. UM said that the $10,000 income threshold increase would open the door to approximately 450 more students in the scholarship program. The new threshold goes into effect for the 2023-24 school year.
UM Regent Michael Behm said that last year, one in five UM students from Michigan were recipients of the Go Blue Guarantee. Nearly 3,400 in-state undergraduate students, including about 1,300 students who participate in the Go Blue Guarantee, pay no tuition because of financial aid.
"It's a significant amount of our student body," Behm said. "The one thing I always like to say is that their cumulative GPA is also higher than the rest of our students."
UM Regent Jordan Acker called the program "revolutionary."
"This program, the Go Blue Guarantee, is really life-changing for a lot of our students," Acker said.
Acker added that one of the things that UM doesn't promote about the program is how the Go Blue Guarantee inspired other universities, including Big Ten schools, to create and offer similar programs.
"As we lead the way again by increasing the (income threshold to) $75,000, I am hopeful that we continue to lead the way in making sure that middle class and working class (students) are able to attend this university and graduate without student debt," Acker said.
The Go Blue Guarantee scholarship rolled out in 2018 for students seeking to attend UM on the Ann Arbor campus. It was expanded to students on the Dearborn and Flint campuses in 2021.
The program was announced in 2017 with a lot of fanfare, and has since been imitated by numerous colleges across Michigan. For instance, Wayne State University announced in March that its Wayne State Guarantee would provide free tuition this fall to incoming Michigan students who come from families with annual incomes of $70,000.
kkozlowski@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/06/15/um-expands-go-blue-guarantee-free-tuition-eligibility/70299062007/ | 2023-06-15T22:17:08 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/06/15/um-expands-go-blue-guarantee-free-tuition-eligibility/70299062007/ |
Antonio Brown and his National Arena League team, the Albany Empire, have been kicked out and evicted from the league, the league announced on Thursday.
The team had won back-to-back championships prior to Brown acquiring the majority ownership of the team. He acquired that ownership because the team is the legacy team that his dad played for in Albany. Brown and the team were booted after an inflammatory press conference that he held on Wednesday, calling out players, coaches, fans, and more.
Antonio Brown did not pay the league’s mandated and overdue assessments. He was also fined for his public comments in that press conference but refused to pay the fine. Each month, the team must pay the assessments, and Brown did not pay the May assessment and challenged the April assessment, with the money credited back to him.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/antonio-browns-arena-football-team-bounced-league/TC6NKJGUXVHA5NERI56OXATPKI/ | 2023-06-15T22:19:44 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/antonio-browns-arena-football-team-bounced-league/TC6NKJGUXVHA5NERI56OXATPKI/ |
WASHINGTON — There’s another push in Congress to give federal protection for the right to access birth control after similar efforts failed last year.
Congressional Democrats have reintroduced the Right to Contraception Act, which codifies the right for individuals to access and use birth control and for healthcare providers to provide it, according to the bill’s sponsors.
“It protects the full range of FDA-approved contraceptive methods including birth control pills, IUDs and emergency contraceptives like Plan B,” said Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC), a sponsor of the House bill.
“Your healthcare is your business,” said Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.). “This is fundamentally about freedom.”
Supporters say it’s necessary after last year’s U.S. Supreme Court reversal of Roe v. Wade, which overturned the federal right to abortion.
It’s also in direct response to conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas signaling he wants the high court to reconsider birth control access, too.
“We have a good reason to be gravely concerned about access to contraception,” said Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a sponsor of the Senate bill. “The Right to Contraception Act would set the bare minimum standard that the right to contraception should be protected even if the Supreme Court overturns settled precedent.”
Nearly all U.S. women who have been sexually active have used some form of birth control at some point in their lives, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
The proposal in Congress comes as at least ten states have passed some kind of restriction on access to emergency contraception.
Those states include Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Dakota and Texas, according to the Guttmacher Institute.
This is the second time Congressional Democrats have introduced the bill.
It passed in the House last year, but it was blocked by Senate Republicans.
In last year’s House vote, 195 Republicans voted against the measure.
“H.R. 8373 is a trojan horse for more abortions,” said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers in July 2022. “It should be called the payouts for Planned Parenthood Act.”
Anti-abortion rights groups say the measure would override state and federal freedom of conscience laws and would exclude the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
“Far from being a bill that simply allows for access to contraception, this bill seeks to bail out the abortion industry, trample conscience rights, and require uninhibited access to dangerous chemical abortion drugs,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.
The bill is likely to fail again this year since there is a divided Congress, which includes a GOP-led House.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/bill-reintroduced-congress-gives-federal-protection-right-birth-control-access/VDEJE6QFBVDVNHL5KSQD66DXHM/ | 2023-06-15T22:19:50 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/bill-reintroduced-congress-gives-federal-protection-right-birth-control-access/VDEJE6QFBVDVNHL5KSQD66DXHM/ |
CANONSBURG, Pa. — Investigators said a group of teenagers is responsible for causing tens of thousands of dollars in damage at Canon-McMillan High School’s football stadium.
Officials said the fire got so hot, it burned right through the metal bleachers.
11 News found a gaping hole in the bleachers on Thursday, where investigators say they were set on fire overnight.
Fire officials told Channel 11 that immediately, it was suspicious.
“It definitely was very suspicious, no reason for it to burn there, and as hot as it burned to melt that aluminum on the bleachers,” said Fire Chief Tim Solobay.
Investigators believe a group of young teenagers, likely around 8th grade, set the fire that spread to the roof of the concession stand. It happened around 2 a.m.
Police spent the morning reviewing the surveillance video that show the teens before and after the fire.
The state police fire marshall spent Thursday investigating.
Canon-McMillan said they’re waiting for the insurance company report as well as a report from the fire marshall.
They have no estimate on how much damage this caused, but Solobay said he guesses $150,000 at the very least.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/teens-responsible-fire-that-caused-massive-damage-canon-mcmillan-stadium-investigators-say/BO6RMRKNGZHWTBBYBRPFQPLIPU/ | 2023-06-15T22:19:56 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/teens-responsible-fire-that-caused-massive-damage-canon-mcmillan-stadium-investigators-say/BO6RMRKNGZHWTBBYBRPFQPLIPU/ |
Round up the family -- the Dallas Zoo's annual Dollar Days are almost here.
The wildly popular discount admission day will be held on July 13 and Aug. 8. Tickets are only $1 and must be purchased online on the zoo's website.
To combat the heat, the zoo will open at 8:30 a.m. on both Dollar Days. The Dallas Zoo said guests should dress accordingly to the weather, stay hydrated and wear sunscreen.
Dollar Days will also feature snack shops selling $1 popcorn and cotton candy, $2 frozen treats and chips and $3 sodas.
Guests can park at the zoo for $10 by purchasing parking at the admission booth. The Dallas Zoo recommends guests consider using rideshare apps or using the DART Red Line to avoid traffic. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-zoos-dollar-days-return-july-13-and-aug-8/3278384/ | 2023-06-15T22:20:17 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-zoos-dollar-days-return-july-13-and-aug-8/3278384/ |
The Texas Beach Watch Program allows Texas to receive alerts from the Texas General Land Office about bacteria levels on beaches.
Dawn Buckingham, a Texas Land Commissioner, encourages Texans to sign up to receive alerts. Those who sign up can specify what beaches they want to be notified about.
Water is tested every week for the presence of Enterococcus bacteria (fecal indicator bacteria) from March until October and every other week November through February under the program, according to Buckingham.
Advisories are issued when bacteria levels exceed the standard set by the EPA, lasting a minimum of 24 hours. The public may use a beach under an advisory if local authorities have not closed the beach, but is discouraged to. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/new-texas-beach-watch-program-will-send-alerts-on-bacteria-levels/3278472/ | 2023-06-15T22:20:18 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/new-texas-beach-watch-program-will-send-alerts-on-bacteria-levels/3278472/ |
RIPON, Calif. — Overgrown vegetation covered the few emergency access roads still in place along the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Stanislaus River property the day Dennis Bitters and the Ripon Fire Department responded to a fire threatening homes in 2021.
Two years after firefighters knocked down the multi-day 70-acre blaze, the Ripon Fire Department and other agencies who responded to help have yet to see a check for their work.
"It's a huge burden on the local taxpayer," said Ripon Fire Chief Bitters. "We tell the federal government about it and, you know, it's kind of a split thing."
Bitters, who commands a staff of 15 firefighters, says his department is often called to battle fires on federal or state-owned property. Neither pays property taxes, the sole funding source for many fire jurisdictions like Ripon.
While the occasional two or three-hour grass fire doesn't put a substantial dent in the small department's pocket, Bitters says the flames aren't always on the first responders' side.
"I have to make sure I can still answer medical calls, I can still answer the calls for service every day," said Bitters. "It gets very difficult when all my stuff is stuck way down in the river, buried in the trees and I can't get them out, and I've had damage to vehicles and damage to personnel."
Beyond injuries and damage, the toll of frequently providing free fire service to the federal government lingers.
"It challenges our budgets," said Bitters. "Then, we have to look at where do we go to make the budget balance. Most of the time it ends up being in the personnel area, whether in pay or benefits or people themselves."
The 2021 fire, which allegedly started on federal property and threatened $100 million in home values, cost the responding agencies at least $35,000, according to Bitters.
It was his department that was forced to pay for and bring in a bulldozer. When fires break out on state-owned property, Bitters already knows how to apply for and get reimbursed, but at the federal level, the same process doesn't exist.
"If this was a state fire, the state's responsibility area, there's a vehicle in place that allows us to start an incident and then get reimbursed for all of our costs, just like we do when we go to these large wildland fires that we see on the news," said Bitters. "We'd like to see the federal government be able to have something like that in place so that we know how to process these fires, to make sure that when we have to call in lots of resources that we're going to be reimbursed for them from the federal side."
San Joaquin County Democrat Congressman Josh Harder is aiming to change that. In May, he introduced a bill that would establish a process for the federal government to pay local fire departments back for fires fought on federal land.
The Fire Department Repayment Act would call on the secretaries of agriculture, the interior, homeland security and defense to draw up the plan within a year.
"Our local firefighters put everything on the line to keep us safe from wildfires, which are only getting bigger and burning longer year after year," Harder said in a statement. "The federal government is responsible for reimbursing our fire departments for their service on federal lands, and they shouldn’t be skipping out on the bill."
The bill now heads to subcommittees where five Republicans and two Democrats have already agreed to cosponsor it.
"At the federal level, it's your property and you're responsible for it," said Bitters. "We put the same fuel in our equipment that everybody else puts in at the gas pump. We don't get any breaks."
Watch more from ABC10: 'It has to end': San Joaquin County authorities call on public's help amid surge in copper theft | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/bill-reimburse-fire-departments-federal-land/103-3ff2dba0-72d2-4f22-9143-290e11e088c2 | 2023-06-15T22:22:51 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/bill-reimburse-fire-departments-federal-land/103-3ff2dba0-72d2-4f22-9143-290e11e088c2 |
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — The Sacramento County grand jury is criticizing county officials' response to homelessness in recent reports, describing the county as having "an almost endless array of boards and commissions."
Made up of civilian watchdogs, the grand jury also says its investigation observed political infighting between the city and county with the absence of a comprehensive plan.
"When it comes to the battle to conquer mental illness and substance abuse among the homeless, the County is clearly 'active,'" said foreperson Norval Wellsfry. "Lots of meetings. Lots of plans. Lots of public concern. Real achievement, however and unfortunately, remains an illusion."
The grand jury report says the county has too many boards and committees centered around homelessness, and the groups often don't communicate.
California state legislators responded Wednesday to the first grand jury report by proposing a countywide authority to address homelessness known as a Joint Powers Authority (JPA). It was one of the grand jury's recommendations.
It would be made up of six elected officials: one from Sacramento County, one from the city of Sacramento, and then one each from Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, Folsom and Rancho Cordova.
"We've never had a response like that come from state officials. The first step to change is getting elected [officials] to speak with each other," Wellsfry told ABC10. "If they just create an organization and don't sit on the board, they're dodging responsibility."
As for the grand jury's 10 remaining recommendations? They say Sacramento County should develop a plan with specific goals and outcomes to address unhoused residents dealing with mental illness or substance abuse.
Between 50-80% of unhoused Sacramento County residents deal with mental illness or substance abuse.
County spokesperson Janna Haynes says behavioral health and substance abuse disorder services are addressed in the county's 2022 Local Homeless Action Plan (LHAP).
Homelessness went up more than 250% countywide since 2018, according to the grand jury.
"Virtually none of the county homelessness response leadership has elected officials, but we're hoping that will change," said Wellsfry. "Executive leadership is needed to ensure policies and plans get implemented."
Haynes says the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors' recent AT HOME plan was developed by the California State Association of Counties.
The plan is a multi-county effort to establish clear lines of responsibility and accountability between the state and local governments to help coordinate strategies for services and funding.
"By integrating action steps and metrics for a comprehensive roadmap, the County aims to achieve change while promoting accountability," Haynes told ABC10. "Cross-sector collaboration and collective support is the most effective way to care for people who need it most."
WATCH MORE: Where are the 100s? California’s unusual season, peak snowmelt and nearly full water storage | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/grand-jury-reports-slam-sacramento-county-homelessness-response-as-illusion/103-4a6afee4-ec6f-4e6a-8c96-71acf53f4ee2 | 2023-06-15T22:22:57 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/grand-jury-reports-slam-sacramento-county-homelessness-response-as-illusion/103-4a6afee4-ec6f-4e6a-8c96-71acf53f4ee2 |
SACRAMENTO COUNTY, Calif. — It’s been months since someone stole and crashed a helicopter at the Sacramento Executive Airport, but a recently unsealed search warrant sheds new light on the investigation.
The warrant identifies the suspect as 20-year-old Jaden Edwards and contains details unknown prior to now.
Around 2:30 a.m. on March 15, someone started tampering with four helicopters at the Sacramento Executive Airport.
The warrant says the person was able to start the first helicopter but damaged one of the engines. They could not start the second helicopter; they started the third one, but it had low battery and they successfully started the fourth helicopter.
The warrant describes surveillance footage showing the blades of the fourth helicopter starting to turn around 4:50 a.m. It briefly left the ground before flipping onto its side when an object shot off from it and damaged another aircraft.
Investigators say they found an EBT card with Edwards’ name in the cockpit, and a representative of Capitol Helicopters told them no one with that name was given permission to access or operate the helicopters.
Investigators then went to the Placer County Welfare Center where an individual told Sacramento police to pull footage from the ‘ampm’ convenience store across the street from the airport. The warrant says investigators got the footage and it shows Edwards making a purchase at the store just after 1 a.m. the same day as the crash.
Two days after the helicopter crash, Sacramento County deputies found Edwards in a Cessna airplane and he told them he was trying to start the plane but it was out of fuel.
The warrant ends with an agent requesting permission for a DNA sample from Edwards.
To date, no charges have been filed against him related to the helicopter crash in Sacramento. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/warrant-identifies-suspect-helicopter-crash-sacramento-airport/103-dfa727fd-4f11-4024-b27e-eb392f5a9927 | 2023-06-15T22:23:03 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/warrant-identifies-suspect-helicopter-crash-sacramento-airport/103-dfa727fd-4f11-4024-b27e-eb392f5a9927 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The upcoming weekend will be just about average for mid-June, but a major change in the weather will make its presence known by Sunday afternoon.
In the meantime, the warming trend continues for Northern California as high pressure noses its way into the region. Thursday is expected to be the first day with an above-average high temperature in Sacramento since June 4, and the city has still failed to reach 100 degrees this year.
June 17 is the first day of the year the average high temperature is 90 degrees in Sacramento, which is right about where temperatures will sit the next few days.
By the end of the weekend, a deep low pressure system and its associated cold front will drop into Northern California and temperatures will once again be below average.
Whether the plan is to hit the road or stay local, check out the localized forecasts below.
Central Valley
Friday and Saturday will be fairly warm across the Central Valley, especially with how cool it's been lately. Friday will be the warmest day of the week, as Sacramento is expected to reach 92.
Locations further north that don't have the influence of the Delta breeze will be a bit hotter and a few spots may even reach 100.
Saturday will be slightly cooler as the low pressure system inches closer, but Sacramento will still be near 90 degrees.
Expect limited cloud cover this weekend, even as the system moves in on Sunday, but winds will become gusty by Sunday afternoon. Gusts of 25 mph are expected in Sacramento. Low to mid 80s are expected in the valley Sunday and highs are expected to drop further by Monday.
The authorities still recommend staying away from rivers.
"Area waterways continue to run fast and cold due to snowmelt, creating dangerous conditions for even experienced swimmers," said NWS Sacramento. "Use extreme caution near waterways!"
Tahoe/Sierra
The daily pop-up thunderstorms will cease this weekend due to the high pressure promoting stable air. June has been wet in the Sierra and most locations are exceeding 300% of average in terms of rainfall. Moisture has also been elevated this past week but humidity values will drop by this weekend and mostly sunny conditions will persist.
Temperatures will be pleasant in the Sierra this weekend, warming into the lower 70s Friday and Saturday. Sunday will be cooler and breezier due to the influence of the low pressure and temperatures will drop into the 60s. Gusts upwards of 40 mph are expected across the Sierra by Sunday afternoon.
Bay Area/Coast
Seasonal temperatures are expected this weekend along the coast and in the Bay Area. High temperatures Friday and Saturday in San Francisco will be in the upper 60s.
The persistent weather pattern has made "May Gray" and "June Gloom" even more noticeable this spring. Cumulative downward solar flux, a measure of how much solar radiation makes it to the ground vs. how much is reflected by cloud cover, is presented on the map below. Purple correlates to cloudier than normal conditions and it's easy to see how uncommonly cloudy it has been in the past month, especially along the coast.
The marine layer will once again be present this weekend but should burn off by the afternoon, leaving partly cloudy skies.
Temperatures will drop Sunday into the low 60s along with gusty winds as the cold front passes through.
WATCH MORE: Where are the 100s? California’s unusual season, peak snowmelt and nearly full water storage | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-travel-forecast-hot-friday-saturday-pattern-change-sunday-northern-ca-tahoe-sierra-sacramento-bay-area-san-francisco/103-7beafcdb-dd37-4b32-9df5-b09441199f67 | 2023-06-15T22:23:09 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-travel-forecast-hot-friday-saturday-pattern-change-sunday-northern-ca-tahoe-sierra-sacramento-bay-area-san-francisco/103-7beafcdb-dd37-4b32-9df5-b09441199f67 |
Arizona gas prices continue to fall, national average increases
The song has remained the same over the last few weeks as Arizona's average price for a gallon of gas took the largest dip across the country once again, while the national average remains in flux.
According to AAA, the national situation is a big improvement compared to prices last year — even with a two cent increase from last week — as the current U.S. average for a gallon of gas sits at $3.58, around $1.43 less than this time in 2022.
It is, however, five cents more than this point in May.
“We may be in a bit of a demand lull heading into the July Fourth holiday,” AAA spokesperson, Andrew Gross, said in the release. “Drivers are benefitting financially, with 20 gallons of gas costing nearly $30 less than last year. And with the cost for oil low, drivers will find pump prices that are flat or drifting slightly lower for now.”
Updated data from the Energy Information Administration concluded that gas demand fell since last week, from 9.22 million barrels per day to 9.19 million.
This, coupled with total domestic gas stocks increasing by 2.1 million barrels of crude oil for a total of 220.9 million, has helped hold pump prices from hiking further, AAA said.
Total domestic commercial crude inventories took a big leap as well, to the tune of 7.9 barrels of crude oil since the week prior, now residing at 467.1 million.
Wednesday's close to the formal trading session saw West Texas Intermediate (WTI) drop by $1.15, settling at $68.27.
Arizona gas prices take nation's largest decrease, again
In line with the past month or so, gas prices across the Grand Canyon state have continued their descent since last Thursday, sporting a nation-leading statewide 14 cent decline in average price at the pump.
The mean price, now at $4.21, is about 63 cents above that of the current national average and will likely find its way toward somewhere in the middle, according to experts.
Arizona still holds a spot among the 10 most expensive markets in the country as well, but that too has dropped, and is currently in sixth place seated behind California ($4.88), Washington ($4.85), Hawaii ($4.73), Oregon ($4.49) and Nevada ($4.27).
The problem could have been mitigated better, of course, as Patrick De Haan, Head of Petroleum Analysis at GasBuddy, told the Arizona Republic in May the state faced its own "unique challenges."
Lack of refinery capital, maintenance, Arizona fuel requirements and local officials all had a part in the Copper state's woes - one that a Republic investigation has delved into - finding that oil companies had warned state officials about the issue in early March.
"There is no doubt the price surge harmed Arizona economically the past three months, though it's impossible to know exactly how much of the increase could have been prevented with a fuel waiver," Republic reporter Ryan Randazzo wrote in a June 12 article.
Investigation:Fuel refinery outages cost Arizonans millions this spring, but that's only part of the story
County by county rankings
As is tradition, Maricopa County remains the most expensive place on average to fill up in Arizona at $4.46, 18 cents cheaper than last week.
After a few stagnant weeks, Graham took a 7-cent dive and stays as the cheapest county.
Yuma County was the sole entry to not have any price change since last Thursday, while everyone else got to shed some much-needed weight.
The rest of the breakdown looks like this:
- Maricopa: $4.46 (-0.18)
- Pinal: $4.09 (-0.15)
- Yavapai: $4.07 (-0.04)
- Santa Cruz: $4.07 (-0.13)
- Coconino: $4.05 (-0.12)
- Pima: $4.00 (-0.15)
- Mohave: $3.94 (-0.07)
- Navajo: $3.92 (-0.06)
- La Paz: $3.91 (-0.09)
- Yuma: $3.90
- Apache: $3.83 (-0.05)
- Gila: $3.75 (-0.14)
- Cochise: $3.62 (-0.07)
- Greenlee: $3.32 (-0.12)
- Graham: $3.31 (-0.07) | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/arizona-gas-prices-fall-again/70326563007/ | 2023-06-15T22:25:04 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/arizona-gas-prices-fall-again/70326563007/ |
Trevor Bauer faces another sexual assault allegation, which he denies
Baseball pitcher Trevor Bauer has been accused by another woman of sexual assault and choking her unconscious, this time in Arizona in late 2020, when the woman said in court filings that he raped her, got her pregnant and also held a jagged steak knife to her throat.
Bauer, 32, has denied the allegations in court records and has countersued the woman, accusing her of fraud, extortion and fabricating her pregnancy. The woman filed her civil complaint against him in December and then amended it more recently with details of her alleged encounters with him, becoming the fourth publicly known woman to make similar allegations against the former Cy Young Award winner.
Bauer since has moved on to play professionally in Japan after being suspended by Major League Baseball under its sexual assault and domestic abuse policy. He was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers in January and then went unsigned by other teams in MLB after being reinstated from his 194-game suspension, the longest in MLB history under that policy.
The Arizona woman asked for $3.7 million in her lawsuit, along with an “apology to any women the defendant has sexually humiliated and abused against their consent.”
Bauer’s legal team has responded by saying the lawsuit “is another attempt to harass and extort Mr. Bauer.”
What is Trevor Bauer's response?
His attorneys are fighting back, saying he had a single, consensual encounter with the Arizona woman in December 2020, when he said the condom broke during sex. After that encounter, the woman claimed she was pregnant and demanded $1.6 million to terminate her pregnancy, according to Bauer’s countersuit against the woman. His attorneys stated in court documents that Bauer made an audio recording of this demand.
Bauer declined to pay this demand and told her the decision whether to have the child was her own and that he would support her decision, including paying any medical expenses or child support required by law, according to his filing from April.
He ended up paying $8,761 for the expenses related to her “alleged pregnancy and its subsequent termination,” according to his countersuit.
“Based on (the woman’s) demand letter and failure to provide any medical records to substantiate her pregnancy or termination thereof, Mr. Bauer now believes that (the woman) fabricated her pregnancy to try to extort him for money,” his countersuit states.
The woman filed an amended complaint Tuesday that said she decided not to terminate the pregnancy but had a miscarriage in April 2021.
His countersuit states he met the woman via Instagram, much like how he met a woman from San Diego in 2021 who then made similar allegations against him in court in late June 2021. That case was the first to go public with such allegations against him and led to an investigation by MLB and police in Pasadena, California.
Bauer was never arrested or charged in any of the cases. But after the San Diego woman came forward, two other women from Ohio made similar accusations against him in the Washington Post.
Months after the San Diego woman came forward, Bauer’s attorneys noted the Arizona woman sent a demand letter through an attorney and for the first time accused him of various improprieties, “echoing claims made by his public accuser (the San Diego woman).”
In Arizona, Scottsdale police said they have a report of a sexual assault involving Bauer dated Dec. 20 but said it is listed as “inactive” with no charges filed. His attorneys said the woman has "serious credibility issues." They didn't immediately return messages Tuesday seeking further comment. An attorney for the Arizona woman declined comment.
Where did this come from?
The Arizona woman’s allegations recently surfaced in court documents that stem from a civil defamation lawsuit Bauer brought against the San Diego woman last year. The documents, filed by the San Diego woman’s attorney, also reference another woman besides the Ohio women, the Arizona woman and the San Diego woman. This other woman, described as Jane Doe 5, reached out to the San Diego woman’s former attorney about a sexual interaction with Bauer, according to the filings. The details of that case are redacted in the court filing.
In the Arizona case, the woman describes a tumultuous relationship and series of incidents with Bauer in Scottsdale, Arizona. USA TODAY's policy is not to identify victims of alleged sexual assault unless they agree to be named.
On Dec. 12, 2020, she said she was having dinner with Bauer and sitting on his lap while watching UFC.
“The Defendant swiftly caught me off guard and held me at knife point,” her court filing stated. “The Defendant placed his jagged steak knife to my throat. I was stunned and did not dare to move. The Defendant asked me, 'Have you ever been held at knife point?' to which I hesitantly respond, 'No.' The Defendant took a deep breath in and exhaled. The Defendant's steak knife scratched my throat as he released me and I got up from his lap."
Two days later, she described a more violent encounter with him and said he raped her.
“The Defendant then takes my butterfly braids and uses them as rope to choke me unconscious with my hair,” her filing states. “When I was conscious yet delirious, I recall being on my back while hearing the Defendant yell unusual sounds/moaning.”
Her filing states that she was bedridden for several days afterward with pain on her scalp, neck and head. She also referenced "medical records" and an X-ray.
The last incident she described in her amended complaint was in March 2021.
“The Defendant invited himself into my home, gaslit me as he recorded me,” the filing stated. “Later in my bedroom, the Defendant disrobes himself without care while my bedroom windows are wide open for all to see. Knowing I am pregnant, the defendant body slams me on my back on top of my computer breaking the screen before telling me he will no longer be in a relationship with me if I have this baby."
Bauer disputes all of this and said an audio recording shows this claim is also false.
The MLB case
In response, the Arizona woman said she recorded several video diaries and journal entries to use in family court outlining the “rape, abuse and pregnancy” – documentation she said was made before the first public accusation in June 2021.
“Unless (Bauer) has discovered time travel, it is highly unlike (sic) the (woman) traveled into the future and returned to the past to create alleged 'echoed claims,' " the woman said in a filing last month. “Metadata will attest. From these recorded video diaries, Major League Baseball was able to corroborate the claims of the various victims that were mentioned.”
The woman then said Bauer is using "highly distorted allegations" to “bait her into a rabbit hole of self explanation and character and distract the court.”
It's not clear how involved she was with the MLB investigation or how any of her documentation was used in it. MLB also spoke to the San Diego woman and two Ohio women as part of its investigation, according to court records filed by the San Diego woman.
MLB initially suspended Bauer for 324 games, but Bauer appealed, leading to a private arbitration proceeding in which the San Diego woman also said she testified for several days.
The arbitrator in that proceeding later reduced Bauer’s punishment to 194 games, which is still the longest in MLB history under that policy.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2023/06/15/trevor-bauer-new-sexual-assault-allegation-arizona/70327734007/ | 2023-06-15T22:25:10 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2023/06/15/trevor-bauer-new-sexual-assault-allegation-arizona/70327734007/ |
Arizona capital defendant to be released after 29 years for a crime he did not commit
Arizona will release a man from death row after serving 29 years for a crime he was wrongfully convicted for, his lawyer and the state Attorney General's Office said.
Barry Jones was sentenced in Pima County Superior Court to death after being found guilty of fatally assaulting Rachel Gray, a four-year-old child, in 1994.
In 2018, a federal district court judge ordered that Jones’ convictions were to be vacated based on the compelling medical evidence that it was not Jones who caused Rachel’s injuries. A unanimous panel of Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed that order.
But the U.S. Supreme Court ignored its own precedent and said federal courts had no power to even consider his case.
Despite the high court decision, the State of Arizona was still able to reconsider the new evidence. After careful review, the Arizona Attorney General agreed that Jones' conviction and death sentence should be vacated and asked the Pima County Superior Court to vacate them both.
As a result, Jones agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder because he neglected to take Rachel to the hospital the night before she died, despite seeing how sick she was, from an unknown fatal injury, according to the press release. He was due for release because he's served time for that agreed conviction.
“After almost 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit, Barry Jones is finally coming home,” said Federal Public Defender Cary Sandman, whose office has represented Barry Jones for over 20 years in a prepared statement. “Mr. Jones spent nearly three decades on Arizona’s death row despite compelling evidence that he was innocent of charges that he had fatally assaulted Rachel Gray.”
Jones was kept on death row because of the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision, Shinn v. Ramirez. In that case, the high court decided to not follow precedent and said federal courts had no power to consider Jones' case and despite the evidence that proved he was wrongfully convicted and denied a "constitutionally just trial," Sandman stated in the press release.
At Jones' trial in 1995, his court-appointed lawyer failed to conduct an investigation into whether Rachel died as a result of an injury she sustained while in Jones' care, the press release stated. The release stated Rachel sustained her injuries when she was not in his care, but the jury never heard any of that evidence. It convicted him and recommended he be sentenced to death.
This is a developing story. Check back here for updates. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/barry-jones-wrongfully-convicted-to-be-out-after-29-years/70327643007/ | 2023-06-15T22:25:17 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/barry-jones-wrongfully-convicted-to-be-out-after-29-years/70327643007/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — On Wednesday night, Coast Guard crews saved a German Shepard that accidentally tumbled down a cliff on the Oregon Coast.
According to U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest, the rescue happened around 7 p.m. on Wednesday. They say the Cannon Beach Fire Department asked USCG’s Sector Columbia River to assist a female dog who had fallen 300 feet down a cliff located in Ecola State Park and landed on the beach with injuries.
Visitors can only access that particular area of the beach by plummeting down from the hiking trail, according to officials.
USCG reports that an Air Station Astoria MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew responded to the assistance request, and arrived on the scene around 8:20 p.m. After rescuing the dog, crews helped the pup reunite with her owner in the Ecola State Park parking lot.
Officials released a video of the rescue mission. You can watch the full footage above, but USCG notes that the timestamp does not factor in daylight saving time. | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/video-dog-rescued-after-falling-hundreds-of-feet-down-cliff-at-ecola-state-park/ | 2023-06-15T22:27:43 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-coast/video-dog-rescued-after-falling-hundreds-of-feet-down-cliff-at-ecola-state-park/ |
DALLAS — A bill drafted by the Dallas County District Attorney's Office and passed by both the Texas House and Senate has been vetoed by the governor.
The Dallas County DA had drafted Senate Bill 467, which would increase penalties for gasoline thefts, and submitted it to state Sen. Paul Bettancourt (R-Houston) to bring to this year's legislative session.
SB 467 would have made any impairment or disruption of a retail gas pump a third-degree felony in the state. Despite passing in both chambers at the Texas Capitol, Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed the bill.
In a statement, Dallas County DA John Creuzot said the goal of the bill was to stop gasoline thefts that were leading to price increases.
"We are disappointed to learn that SB 467 has been vetoed by Governor Greg Abbott," Creuzot said in his statement. "If designated as an issue for consideration in a special session, we look forward to working with our legislative partners to stop and punish those who steal gasoline, thereby driving up prices for consumers and businesses."
Sen. Bettancourt also responded to Abbott's "unneeded" veto of SB 467.
"[SB 467] would of (sic) increased the penalty for tampering with a retail motor fuel pump to a third-degree felony, which mirrors the exact language the legislature passed last session for tampering with an ATM machine!" Bettancourt said in a tweet.
"One large tanker truck can suck out 11,600 gallons of fuel after the fuel dispenser 'pulsar' is tampered with and manipulated, givings these criminal gangs a 'free ride' of $44,960 of premium gas (retail value per load...!" he added.
In his veto document, Abbott gave a short explanation of his reasoning:
"Senate Bill No. 467 would impose a harsher sentence for tampering with a gas pump than for damaging the electric grid or cutting a livestock fence. This bill can be reconsidered at a future special session only after property tax relief is passed." | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/gov-abbott-vetoes-bill-gas-thefts-drafted-by-dallas-county-district-attorney/287-0ce47310-3ccf-44d2-aa3a-7677caed4955 | 2023-06-15T22:28:52 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/gov-abbott-vetoes-bill-gas-thefts-drafted-by-dallas-county-district-attorney/287-0ce47310-3ccf-44d2-aa3a-7677caed4955 |
CHULUOTA, Fla. – A high-ranking state official has called for an investigation into the Chuluota Cemetery’s policies prohibiting certain florals and personal belongings from gravesites.
Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis is looking into the policies set in place by the Chuluota Cemetery Association limiting what items loved ones can leave at gravesites.
“When I first heard about this incident that took place, I called my office immediately, and this was last week when I first heard about it. (I said), ‘Guys get to the bottom of it,’” Patronis said. “You know, sometimes you’ve got policies that are reasonable, some that are unreasonable, and some that are being interpreted in an unreasonable way.”
Some of the rules include no personal items, such as pictures, poems or letters, are permitted to be left at the gravesite. The placing of toys, ornaments, chairs or benches is also not allowed. Families will have until July 1 to remove the prohibited items.
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One resident started a petition on Change.org called “Stop Chuluota Cemetery Association from taking our loved one’s decorations down!” in response to the situation.
The Chuluota Cemetery Association told us these rules have been a part of its bylaws for years and Patronis said he is hopeful they can come together to find a solution.
“People need to have the ability to grieve and honor their lost loved ones,” Patronis said. “I encourage all parties to sit down together if there’s not a resolution. Sometimes this will trigger a passionate legislator wanting to change the law. And that law and moving forward will be what my office will have to enforce.”
We reached out to the Chuluota Cemetery Association for its response to Patronis’ investigation and a spokesperson said they’ve had a conversation with his office.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/15/florida-cemetery-limits-what-families-can-place-on-gravesites-prompting-state-investigation/ | 2023-06-15T22:30:24 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/15/florida-cemetery-limits-what-families-can-place-on-gravesites-prompting-state-investigation/ |
LANCASTER, Pa. — After fielding reports for several days about an escaped pig roaming around their jurisdiction, a Lancaster County police department announced Thursday that the wayward pig has been penned.
But what a chase it was, according to the Manheim Township Police Department -- whose account of the swine's capture is really a must-read.
According to police, residents of the Hamilton Park neighborhood in Lancaster Township have been calling in reports of pig sightings for the last few days.
At about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, one resident on the 900 block of Elm Avenue called police to report that the pig, later named "Hamilton" by members of the police department, was napping under a trampoline in his backyard.
Three police officers and a civilian aide responded to find that the pig, which the police department described as "enormous," was still there.
But according to police, the officers were baffled about what to do next.
"Had this been a dog or cat, it would have been resolved within the hour," the department said. "But livestock on the loose? Not exactly in our wheelhouse."
Manheim Township Police officers do not typically carry the equipment necessary to catch, contain, or transport a pig, the department said. Nor did anyone with the department know where exactly to take the pig even if they could capture it.
After calling around to several agencies and rescue organizations, police finally called the Lancaster Farm Sanctuary, which sent out volunteers to help secure the swine.
But when police and the volunteers attempted to catch him, Hamilton proved to be quite elusive.
"We're fairly certain he's the fastest pig alive," the department said in its account.
Hamilton was able to elude police, found a portion of the yard that was not fenced in, and staged a daring escape, leading the officers and volunteers on a foot pursuit back into the neighborhood.
"Yes, we see the irony of three cops chasing a pig," the department said.
The pig continued to elude his pursuers and was nearly struck by a passing Tesla on Atkins Avenue, police said. He then raced to a courtyard outside Pediatric Specialty Care on Rider Avenue, according to police.
There, the officers and volunteers were able to pen the pig in a fenced-in courtyard. It took roughly more minutes of chasing Hamilton around the courtyard -- "probably much to the amusement of the staff inside Pediatric Specialty Care" the police department quipped -- before the officers were able to coax the pig into a dog crate.
The Farm Sanctuary then transported Hamilton to his new home in Mount Joy.
The Sanctuary intends to post updates on Hamilton on its social media pages, the police department said.
"The Manheim Township Police Department is extremely thankful for the assistance of several neighbors, the staff at Pediatric Specialty Care, and the staff of Lancaster Farm Sanctuary in getting 'Hamilton' in custody," the department said. "We are much better at catching criminals than we are at catching farm animals, and without Lancaster Farm Sanctuary, we'd probably still be standing in that backyard on Elm Avenue, staring at that sleeping pig, asking, 'So, now what?'" | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/manheim-township-police-escaped-pig-capture/521-ac5b1949-5caf-492d-bdce-c64bb289c3d6 | 2023-06-15T22:30:26 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/manheim-township-police-escaped-pig-capture/521-ac5b1949-5caf-492d-bdce-c64bb289c3d6 |
EATONVILLE, Fla. – A historical preservation group is looking to get results for the community and generate more economic growth as the group discusses why it should be chosen to receive funding from an Orange County task force.
“You can count on the Preserve Eatonville Community to go to the bat,” said N.Y. Nathiri, the executive director of the association to Preserve the Eatonville Community (P.E.C.).
P.E.C. is set to present before Orange County’s Tourist Development Tax Citizen Task Force, which put out a funding interest form.
One of the respondents was P.E.C., which became one of 55 organizations and businesses looking to be chosen for funding.
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“Eatonville is positioned perfectly, perfectly to take advantage of cultural heritage tourism,” Nathiri said.
P.E.C. proposed to build the Zora Neale Hurston campus for the arts, humanities and sciences — as well as a STEM center.
The plans would take 10 years to complete and is set to cost more than $87 million, but Nathiri said there is one challenge.
“This is contingent on the ability to use a parcel of land currently owned by and controlled by Orange County Public Schools,” Nathiri said.
That parcel of land mentioned by Nathiri is 23 acres of the historic Hungerford Preparatory School property.
Back at the end of March, Eatonville residents celebrated after Orange County Public Schools canceled a deal to sell the land to a private developer.
“I still look for an opportunity, so that way, we can be able to move forward in economic development in our community,” said Wanda Randolph, a councilwoman in Eatonville.
Randolph says she hopes P.E.C.’s proposal can lead to further improvements in the town’s roads, water, and sewage.
But in the meantime, Randolph says building a museum is a step in the right direction.
“It’s our time now in Eatonville, the PEC has been in existence for over 30 years and we do not have our own museum,” Randolph.
If approved for funding, P.E.C.’s proposal would call for a three-tier plan starting with a 3-year planning phase.
That phase would then be followed by a 7-year building phase and the last tier, which is marketing, starts the moment the planning phase begins.
Nathiri said she hopes this project inspires all in her community to get results together.
“We hope that the people of Eatonville have the confidence that we really can bring revenue to the town of Eatonville,” Nathiri said.
As a reminder, even if P.E.C does get approved for funding, Orange County Public Schools have still not released their plans for this portion of land.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/15/historic-preservation-group-in-eatonville-pushes-funding-proposal-for-museum-stem-center/ | 2023-06-15T22:30:31 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/15/historic-preservation-group-in-eatonville-pushes-funding-proposal-for-museum-stem-center/ |
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A Lake Mary man was arrested on early Wednesday morning after threatening to kill his family and their dog, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
In an affidavit, deputies said they responded to a home along Lakebreeze Circuit on Tuesday shortly after 11:30 p.m. following reports of a “family disturbance.”
Upon arrival, deputies learned that 30-year-old Tristin Greene had been asking to take his family member’s car to the store, deputies said. The affidavit shows that when she refused, he threatened to slice her dog’s throat.
Greene then pointed a knife at the family member — who was sitting in the car — and told her to give him the car’s keys, investigators explained.
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According to the affidavit, Greene slammed the dog into the car’s windshield and threatened to “slice everyone up” while demanding the keys. He eventually stabbed two of the car’s tires, causing the woman inside to drive off in fear, deputies stated.
Deputies later found and arrested Greene around 1:49 a.m. on Wednesday.
Greene faces charges of criminal mischief, aggravated assault and carjacking with a weapon. He is held on bond of $45,500.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/15/lake-mary-man-accused-of-threatening-to-kill-family-dog-during-tantrum/ | 2023-06-15T22:30:37 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/15/lake-mary-man-accused-of-threatening-to-kill-family-dog-during-tantrum/ |
Michelle Morgan is the latest member of the News 6 weather team.
She joined Chief Meteorologist Tom Sorrells on Talk To Tom to answer viewers’ questions.
“How old were you when you knew you wanted to be a meteorologist and what were the deciding factors?” News 6 viewer Phyllis Moore asked.
Morgan said it all started when she was around 5 or 6 years old. She lived in Brooklyn, New York.
“We had a huge winter storm and I asked my parents, ‘Where is the snow coming from,’” she said. “This was way before the internet. So, they got me a bunch of books to read. Then shortly after, in my teenage years, we moved to Florida where we had back-to-back hurricanes and that was the cherry on top where I knew I wanted to be a meteorologist.”
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“Who inspired her to seek a career in meteorology?,” viewer Anthony Jackson asked.
Morgan said a fellow News 6 weather expert actually encouraged her to forecast weather on TV.
“I actually did not want to become a broadcast meteorologist. I wanted to work behind the scenes in a cubicle away from people, looking at models and stuff, putting my forecast together, that was my main goal. But, a good friend of mine, Samara (Cokinos), called me one day and said ‘What do you think about getting into broadcast’ and I said, ‘I have this fancy degree, why not use it, and here I am.”
“What’s the ultimate weather event she ever witnessed on or off the job?,” Jackson also asked.
Morgan said her favorites are Chinook Winds, a phenomenon she reported on in Montana, and the Northern Lights.
“I would like to know where she is from,” News 6 viewer Victoria French said.
Morgan proudly states she spent the first few years of her life in New York before moving to Clermont in high school. She moved away for a bit to get her start in weather forecasting, including stops in Montana and New Orleans, before moving back home to Florida.
Sorrells asked her what her hobbies are, and she said she is a fan of painting, making candles and skating.
“When I’m not forecasting or working or anything like that, I love hanging out with my family, but for myself, I love to roller skate. You can always find me with a pair of quad skates rolling somewhere, doing something. That is the most enjoyable thing for me to do. I have been quad skating since I was young.”
Learn more about Morgan on Talk to Tom. The show airs every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. on News 6 or anytime on News 6+.
You can also watch Morgan on Saturday and Sunday mornings as she forecasts your weather right here on News 6 weekends.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/15/what-you-should-know-about-news-6s-newest-meteorologist/ | 2023-06-15T22:30:43 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/15/what-you-should-know-about-news-6s-newest-meteorologist/ |
MITCHELL — The signs of the support Denise Royston has are hanging on her walls in her living room.
Scores of get well soon cards are affixed to her wall, right next to the collage of photos of her friends and family wearing the “Team ‘Nise” shirts that have rallied support around Royston, a wife of more than 40 years, mother of four and grandmother of 12.
And then there’s the metal artwork of that very same logo, which blends Royston’s love of music, her faith, a purple ribbon for fighting pancreatic cancer and has Royston’s motto in her cancer battle that began earlier this year: “In it to win it.”
“My nephew works with metal and he did a beautiful job with it,” Royston said of the artwork, which hangs prominently at the center of the family’s east Mitchell home. “It means a lot.”
Royston is one of three honorary chairs for the Heart and Sole Cancer Walk, which will take place on Friday, June 16 at Hitchcock Park. It’s always been a special event for Royston and her family, frequently participating in the walk each year in part because their family has been impacted by breast cancer.
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“We started doing the walk about 20 years ago. And I never thought we’d be doing it because of me,” she said. “But our whole family is excited to be there on Friday and we have a lot of people coming to be together. We’ve always enjoyed the event a lot.”
Royston, 61, was diagnosed with stage 2B pancreatic cancer on Jan. 17. It came after more than a week’s worth of an illness, fierce pain and vomiting. She became worried when she realized her bile duct to her liver had become closed off and there was a mass on her pancreas, with the liver issue being more pressing to her at the moment.
“The tumor had wrapped around that bile duct, so that was closed off and I had surgery to open it back up,” she said.
When she made the trip to the emergency room in Sioux Falls, a stent was inserted into her liver to open the duct back up and she had a biopsy for the mass. Two days after her surgery, Royston learned she had cancer.
“It’s not something I thought would happen to me. I know people say that but that was me too,” she said. “But I’ve really tried to keep a good attitude, rely on my family and my faith and battle it the best I can.”
Her chemotherapy is a three-day process every other week, with one day in the cancer center in Mitchell, followed by two days with an automated pump that continues the process at home. At her side is her husband, Mike, as they’ve been married for 42 years.
“I have a hard time explaining it because he does so much,” Royston said. “It’s hard on the caregiver because they are putting so much into supporting the patient and then they have their own responsibilities too. He goes to every treatment with me and he keeps up with his maintenance business.”
Overall, Royston’s prognosis is good, with little side effects to this point, she said. There are a few more rounds of treatments ahead and then she will have a Whipple procedure, which is a “really tough, big ol’ surgery,” Royston said. It involves removing the pancreas, removing the tumor, cleaning up the blood vessels that have been impacted by the cancer and then re-attaching everything. It’s about eight hours in length, and after the surgery is complete, she will have to be careful with what she eats to help with the recovery and also to prevent the onset of diabetes.
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“The tumor has shrunk, so we know the chemo is doing what it should be,” Royston said. “We’re looking at surgery in the beginning of August and then I’ll have eight more weeks of recovery from there.”
At Fischer Rounds and Associates, where she is a front-facing staff member that works with customers on a daily basis, Royston credited her work friends for their support of her both in and out of the office.
“They’ve been so good to me,” she said. “They really are a part of the family for me.”
Her grandchildren have been having selfie contests with the Team ‘Nise shirts — her shortened name for the family's kids who have a tough time saying the name Denise — to help fill up the living room wall.
She said she’s learned she has to take her life and her battle day by day. She’s joined a cancer support group, which she said is a great help.
“When you first are diagnosed, it’s scary. I'm lucky that they caught mine early,” Royston said. "You just want to keep your hopes up and pray that things go the way they’re supposed to go. You can have your pity party but then you have to keep going on. You have to get down and then come back up again.” | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/optimism-family-support-carries-mitchells-denise-royston-in-cancer-fight | 2023-06-15T22:38:50 | 0 | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/optimism-family-support-carries-mitchells-denise-royston-in-cancer-fight |
MITCHELL — Faith, family and friends.
That’s what has guided Jerry Thomsen through his difficult two-year journey with throat cancer.
After discovering he had stage 4 throat cancer in 2021, Thomsen’s first thought that entered his mind was, “Thank God it’s me and not one of my grandkids.”
Everyone who battles cancer deals with the disease differently. Thomsen’s approach is one steeped in focusing on the positive things in his life.
“To me, your attitude is everything. If you just want to sit in the corner and feel sorry for yourself, that isn’t going to do you any good. You have to go out and live life,” Thomsen said. “My faith, family and friends mean the most to me, and this journey has taught me why that is.”
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Thomsen is one of three honorary co-chairs for Friday’s Heart and Sole Cancer Walk that will be held at Hitchcock Park.
The first round of treatment – which entailed surgical procedures to remove lymph nodes in his neck – resulted in Thomsen becoming cancer free about a year later in 2022. But that changed after a routine scan in February showed the cancer returned and spread to a bone in his leg.
While Thomsen is 16 weeks into an 18-week treatment cycle that entails radiation therapy and bouts of serious fatigue, it hasn’t affected his positive energy. Despite learning the cancer came back and spread to his femur bone, Thomsen has kept his upbeat spirit alive through it all. He even manages to fit rounds of golf in with friends and family in between treatments and medical trips to Sioux Falls.
“I have been so blessed. My family is healthy. I have a great occupation, and I’ve lived a great life. It’s all part of God’s plan,” Thomsen said. “I don’t know how I would have done this without faith.”
Thomsen was informed the type of cancer he’s diagnosed with is treatable, but it can’t be eradicated due to it spreading into his bone. That means he’s looking at continued treatment practices from here on out, a fact which Thomsen is optimistic.
One of the most important life lessons cancer has taught the 64-year-old businessman is cherishing the “little things” in life that he says are easy to take for granted.
Hugs from grandkids, golfing with his kids and boating on Lake Mitchell are among the little things Thomsen said he’s learned to deeply cherish amid his health battle.
“When my grandkids come to swim, I’m right there with them. I value those times. It’s made me so much more aware to appreciate the things I took for granted. You embrace it and take it all in,” he said of spending time with his loved ones. “None of know how long we’re going to live. Just embrace those times.”
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While being named an honorary co-chair for this year’s Heart and Sole Cancer Walk was an honor for Thomsen, he wants the spotlight to be on the disease and not himself. By agreeing to take part in a clinical trial, Thomsen hopes it can provide a breakthrough in cancer treatment for others who come down with the same type of disease.
“The attention needs to be on the disease and how to cure it, along with how it impacts families,” Thomsen said.
Thomsen's approach to cancer is not unlike how he's approached his life, as someone who quietly built a legacy as a successful entrepreneur and business owner.
By sharing his approach to dealing with cancer, Thomsen hopes it can lead others to faith. And he’s already witnessed it in others.
“If my journey will help others come to faith and understand how important faith is, that’s awesome,” he said. | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/through-faith-family-and-friends-mitchells-jerry-thomsen-keeps-positive-spirit-amid-two-year-cancer-battle | 2023-06-15T22:39:00 | 1 | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/through-faith-family-and-friends-mitchells-jerry-thomsen-keeps-positive-spirit-amid-two-year-cancer-battle |
Sarasota state Sen. Joe Gruters criticized DeSantis for vetoing money for local projects
Sarasota state Sen. Joe Gruters slammed Gov. Ron DeSantis Thursday after the governor vetoed many Sarasota area projects that had been included in the state's 2023-24 budget.
"The Governor is clearly upset I endorsed Donald Trump for President, and so he took it out on the people of Sarasota County," he said in a statement.
Gruters' blistering statement is the most dramatic break with DeSantis by any member of the Legislature, and a sign of how presidential politics are creating rifts in the Florida GOP.
Some examples of the governor's vetoes are $4 million for the widening of a segment of Fruitville Road, $1 million for a project that could potentially create a new Midnight Pass and $500,000 for a project that will relocate the city of Venice’s Fire Station #2.
DeSantis signed the $116.5 billion state budget at a ceremony in Fort Piece on Thursday after striking about $511 million in funding for projects and programs requested by state lawmakers.
The governor can take individual projects out of the budget through line-item vetoes. In Sarasota County, seven of the 12 funding requests made by local governments (or by a non-profit related to the government) were vetoed. So was $20 million in funding for a Nursing/STEM facility at the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and funding for some other projects requested by Sarasota area nonprofits.
Gruters and others linked the vetoes to the rift between DeSantis and Sarasota's state senator, though Gruters didn't sponsor the USF funding request.
Most Republicans in the Legislature have endorsed DeSantis in the 2024 GOP presidential primary. Gruters is the only lawmaker who has endorsed former President Donald Trump.
Gruters was co-chair of Trump's presidential campaign in 2016 and has a long relationship with the former president, having twice brought him to Sarasota to receive the local GOP's "Statesman of the Year" award when Gruters was party chair. Gruters also served as chair of the Florida GOP during DeSantis' first term, but wasn't known to have a close relationship with the governor. This spring, Gruters also voted against a bill aimed at strengthening DeSantis' hand in upcoming court hearings with Walt Disney Co.
Now Gruters is accusing DeSantis of punishing him and Sarasota County residents for his relationship with Trump.
"Trump and I understand that people come first, and it's our job to deliver clean water, jobs, and a better America for the next generation," Gruters stated. "The governor clearly sees politics differently. Simply because I support his political opponent, the governor chose to punish ordinary Floridians who want better water quality, less traffic congestion and increased resources for disabled children to find gainful employment. It’s mean-spirited acts like this that are defining him here and across the country.”
Last year, DeSantis approved money for the three projects requested by Sarasota County and funds for a Longboat Key project, but vetoed all but one of the city of Sarasota’s five funding requests, as well as a request made by the city of Venice.
The Herald-Tribune has compiled this year's lists of denied and approved projects that involve Sarasota County government or any of the municipalities in the county.
Local government projects vetoed by DeSantis
- $4 million for a project that will widen Fruitville Road between Debreccen Road and Lorraine Road, construct sidewalks and bike lines along that stretch and make other improvements. This project received $4 million from the state last year.
- $1 million for the design and permitting of a project that would re-establish a tidal connection between the Gulf of Mexico and Little Sarasota Bay. Midnight Pass once connected those two bodies of water.
- $4 million toward the construction of an indoor sports complex at Nathan Benderson Park. This appropriation was requested by Nathan Benderson Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages the park, but Sarasota County is also involved in the project. The request form for the funding says the facility will serve a dual purpose. In addition to being a sports complex, it will act as a staging facility during hurricanes and a post-storm shelter.
- $1 million for a Sarasota County project that will replace an aging water main and sewer main that cross Alligator Creek. The current pipes are held above the creek with concrete pillars. The county plans to remove the pillars and the old pipes and add in new mains underwater.
- $250,000 for the city of Sarasota’s Bobby Jones Nature Park project. The city will be turning some of the Bobby Jones golf complex into a park.
- $800,000 for the city of Sarasota’s Whitaker & Hudson Bayous Water Quality Project, which will improve the city’s stormwater infrastructure.
- $500,000 for the design of a project that will relocate the city of Venice’s Fire Station #2, which is currently in an Evacuation Level A zone for hurricanes. The city plans to build a new station next to the police department – an area that is less flood-prone and more centrally located in the city, according to Venice’s funding request form.
Projects approved by DeSantis
- $2 million toward the building of a Regional Fire/EMS Training Academy, which is a partnership between the Sarasota County School Board, the county and other government entities. This academy (which received $2 million in state funding last year) will provide training both to people wanting to become firefighters or EMTs and to individuals already in those fields. The state funding requested this year will pay for some of the cost of building the academy’s primary classroom facility, according to a request form submitted by the school district.
- $8 million for a project that will widen Laurel Road between Knights Trail Road and Jacaranda Boulevard, build a multi-use recreational trail along the road and add a traffic light to the intersection of Jacaranda and Laurel.
- $1.5 million for a city of North Port project that will widen Price Boulevard from two to five lanes. The project also includes other improvements such as a multi-use path on both sides of the road and mitigation measures to prevent damage during hurricanes.
- $850,000 for a city of Venice project that will replace 1950’s water mains along Tarpon Center Drive and corroded water mains on Inlet Circle and Gibbs Road.
- $1,541,985 for improvements to the town of Longboat Key’s potable water system. The town plans to replace asbestos cement water pipes that were installed in the 1960’s and 1970’s with new pipes.
Background:Top Florida Republican votes against DeSantis' latest Disney bill as feud strains GOP
Last year's budget:DeSantis vetoes funds for St. Armands Circle, Main Street and Legacy Trail projects
Herald-Tribune Political Editor Zac Anderson contributed to this report. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/06/15/gov-ron-desantis-vetoed-these-sarasota-area-projects-this-year/70326020007/ | 2023-06-15T22:43:08 | 1 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2023/06/15/gov-ron-desantis-vetoed-these-sarasota-area-projects-this-year/70326020007/ |
Gas prices in Midland remain 5 cents lower than the Texas average, according to AAA Texas in its weekly report.
The organization reported prices in the region fluctuated this week with averages dropping in Abilene (2 cents) and San Angelo (4 cents) and increasing in Midland (1 cent), Odessa (2 cents), Amarillo (2 cents) and Lubbock (1 cent). The state average rose by 3 cents, according to the weekly report.
The average in Midland ($3.09) continued the late spring trend of staying below the state average ($3.14). Midland’s average also is lower than averages in Abilene ($3.13), Amarillo ($3.20) and El Paso ($3.39, the highest in the state). San Angelo posted the lowest average in the state ($2.95). Other regional averages include $3.02 in Odessa (the fourth lowest in the state) and $3.06 in Lubbock.
The state average moved to $3.14, according to AAA Texas.
“Crude oil prices increased last week with news of Saudi Arabia planning to reduce its oil output next month. However, even with interest rate hikes on pause this month, market watchers are still waiting to see if more interest rates could be on the way, which may slow down demand for fuel. Demand remains at summer-like levels, which continues to support the outlook of strong demand for travel over the summer months,” AAA reported Thursday.
Price gaps include 7 cents between Midland and Odessa and 5 cents between Midland and the state average. Last year, Midland’s average of $4.51 was 18 cents lower than the state average.
Texas dropped to the third-lowest gas price average in the country at $3.14. Mississippi and Louisiana have cheaper gas price averages that Texas. Arkansas also sits $3.14.
“Many spots around the Lone Star State are noticing slightly higher prices from last week,” said AAA Texas spokesperson Daniel Armbruster. “But price trends may reverse as crude oil prices fell below $70 a barrel earlier this week.” | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/aaa-texas-midland-s-gas-prices-remain-lower-18155060.php | 2023-06-15T22:44:12 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/aaa-texas-midland-s-gas-prices-remain-lower-18155060.php |
The following is Bryan Murry’s statement Thursday during the special board meeting when he turned in his resignation as the representative of District 7.
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I would like to begin today by giving thanks to God for providing me the opportunity to be a part of something so important to our community and our future, as is the Midland Independent School District. He sent his son that I may have eternal life, and I hope my living testimony and my serving heart bear my witness.
I would like to thank my wife of over 12 years for standing beside me, supporting me, and defending me when things were both good and bad. She has been a rock and I have been blessed to have her as my partner.
Next, I would like to thank my family. Family is everything to me. My boys, who are all three graduates of Midland Lee High School, and my daughter, who will be a sophomore at Legacy next year, have planned their schedules around me for the last several years as I participated in all things – MISD. My mom and dad were/are amongst my biggest supporters, and I know my mom will be smiling down on me from heaven today for how wonderful our family has become and the effort I have put in to being an elected official. My parents raised me to serve the Lord, love your family and give back to those around you.
Lastly, I would like to thank my employer, Lissa Noel Wagner. She has given me the time to participate in such a worthy cause. She has supported me and MISD financially because she dearly values public education in our local community.
It has been my distinct honor to serve alongside each of you during my term on the board. For 6 1/2 years, I have given my all to make decisions that were in the best interest of our students and would improve our student outcomes. I did the work prayerfully, thoughtfully and invested my time. I prepared the best I felt possible. Not all the decisions have been easy. There are several instances when I wish we had been offered better solutions. Running a school district is tough work. It produces new challenges every day, and I challenge each of you to keep up this work.
As for the board, we are a team. We all have a common goal. Improve student outcomes across the district. We are full of different personalities, opinions, and perspectives. I have full faith in this board because the differences are so small in the items that are most important. Debate is good for the process as are new ideas. However, with this knowledge, it must be understood that some systems have been put in place and do work. We must agree to correct what should be corrected and never lose respect for those that disagree with our thoughts.
Public education is ever changing. We must, as a community, fight for our morals and our beliefs as should our state that really produces the bulk of our governance. Make no mistake, the state has their hand thrust deeply into our curriculum and school district finances. Whether you hear it as a political weapon from Austin or see it locally, school choice already exists. The most recent session was held hostage by “school or parent choice” but these terms are blatantly misused for “vouchers.” We have charters and 1882 schools already receiving public funding. We have private choice in many, many forms. Be careful to follow what is actually being done as opposed to what it is being called publicly. If we can agree that the state is writing curriculum and the states also write the laws, then we shouldn’t have to wonder what is being taught in our classrooms. We should have parent choice by electing officials who will write laws that protect our children. Hold our state elected officials accountable – directly the governor and lieutenant governor. Vocalize your support for the State Board of Education who are elected to represent the people of Texas. In doing this, it will take back some of the power that has been given to the Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency. This is in no way a shot at Mike Morath. I believe him to be a good, hard- working, well-meaning and highly intelligent individual. However, he has become one of the most powerful people in the state and he is not elected. State testing must be altered to test grade-level TEKS and not used as a weapon to demean public education or to select winners and losers based on ratios. I ask that our board and all the voters in Midland County pay attention and encourage our elected officials to represent public education and our West Texas way of life as their priority. I do believe we have very good state elected leaders locally who are working hard for these objectives.
It has recently come to my attention that a state nepotism law precludes MISD from hiring my college-educated children from working in the district because of my service to the District as a trustee. This is the same district in which they grew up and graduated. I am sure this state law was written for good reason, but sometimes good reasoning has unintended consequences. In a time when districts across our great state have unprecedented teacher shortages, I find it difficult to understand how this law has not been amended to offer opportunities for family members of trustees. Trustees volunteer so much of their time as a service to all our public-school children. In MISD, the board has authorized the superintendent to make hires at every level below the position of principal. The board employs only two people, the superintendent and the in-house Counsel, and has no direct oversight of any other MISD staff. Teachers, coaches, and all staff follow the same compensation plan and there is no deviation. There is little chance for favoritism from one trustee and the other six board members would have any final say in any conflict.
I have made the extremely difficult decision to resign my position as MISD trustee for District 7 effective as of the adjournment of this meeting. In accordance with Board Policy BBC(LEGAL), I will continue to perform the duties of my office until my successor has been sworn in, otherwise known as the “holdover period.” It was not without great anguish that this final decision was formed. There are so many great things that I have seen come to fruition during my six plus years on the board, and there are so many more on the horizon. The board is focused on improving academics and culture. We have selected a superintendent who is a strong leader, and who is at home in our community. She has an unparalleled work ethic and has hired a great administrative team around her. I have and will always be a strong proponent of our teachers and fully believe they will pave the way for improved student outcomes when provided with the proper support. Lastly, we have an amazing auxiliary support staff! I am deeply saddened not to be able to complete my term but confidently feel that great things are ahead!
I will always cherish my time serving the students and community of Midland, but for now, I am choosing to provide my own children with the ability to return to their alma mater and give back by educating the future of Midland. I will continue to volunteer and promote MISD in all possible ways.
Thank you District 7 for allowing me to represent you. Hopefully, you are pleased with my service. I know not everyone will agree with every decision but please know I considered all the facts available and did what I considered best for the students of MISD. I ask that District 7 and all of Midland pray for our District, our school board, our staff, and our students. WE ARE MISD! | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-isd-board-president-bryan-murry-comments-18154904.php | 2023-06-15T22:44:19 | 0 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-isd-board-president-bryan-murry-comments-18154904.php |
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Midland ISD board President Bryan Murry resigned his position as the representative of District 7 on Thursday.
Murry is required to give up his elected position as his two sons have accepted positions to teach and coach football at Legacy High School, their alma mater. A state nepotism law doesn’t allow them to start work for MISD if he is on the board, he previously told the Reporter-Telegram.
“The night I found out about this, when we heard back from the attorney, I cried most of the night,” Murry said. “Because this is important to me, we've started really good work, and we're not finished yet. And so, it was difficult. But I also knew that this was an unbelievable opportunity for my sons. … At the end, I just had to decide what was best for my children.”
Murry has served as the elected representative of District 7 (generally northwest Midland) for 6.5 years and as board president since January 2021. During his time on the board, Midland ISD has been through the Lone Star Governance process, worked with three different superintendents, ushered in the era of in-district charters with three different operators working with four different campuses, closed two different elementary school campuses, dealt with multiple long-term failing campuses, worked with Midland College on opportunities for career and technical education (CTE) and put processes in place to reverse last decade’s downward trend of declining student outcomes.
Midland ISD leaders are currently watching a community bond committee go through options for facilities improvements and what might be part of a bond presentation to the board in July.
Murry, a CPA, said he will get back to work at his full-time job and support the district in whatever way is possible as a non-elected official. He said after the meeting he would like to work on the district’s School Safety committee. He also stated on his Facebook page earlier this week he looks “forward to running for the seat again as soon as it is legally possible.”
Midland ISD board members will appoint Murry’s replacement, who will serve until voters in District 7decide on a person to finish the term in November.
“It's really tough work,” Murry said. “I cannot emphasize that enough, because it's hard and there's hard decisions that you make, and sometimes you make people happy and sometimes you don't. But you're given all of these facts and all of the different information about the decisions you make, and sometimes you want to please everybody, but at the end of the day, you can't and you have to do what's best for the kids.” | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-isd-s-board-president-bryan-murry-resigns-18154871.php | 2023-06-15T22:44:25 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-isd-s-board-president-bryan-murry-resigns-18154871.php |
Midland ISD released a statement Thursday afternoon about the two juveniles who were airlifted to Lubbock earlier this week, following an accident involving an ATV on a public roadway in central Midland.
The district confirmed that both juveniles are students at MISD.
District officials released the following statement:
"We are saddened to learn that two Midland ISD students were involved in an ATV accident over the weekend that resulted in their transport to Lubbock for medical care. Our thoughts and prayers are with the students and their family during this difficult time, and we are optimistic they will make full recoveries. Midland ISD has been in contact with the family and will continue to provide support to them as needed. At this time, the family is asking for continued prayers." | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-isd-statement-juveniles-injured-atv-18154997.php | 2023-06-15T22:44:31 | 1 | https://www.mrt.com/news/local/article/midland-isd-statement-juveniles-injured-atv-18154997.php |
What to Know
- Nine people are accused of stealing major artwork and sports memorabilia -- including World Series rings and MVP plaques for baseball legends Yogi Berra and Roger Maris -- in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York over the span of two decades.
- After stealing the items, the suspects transported the stolen goods back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, often to the home of one of the suspects, investigators said. They then allegedly melted the memorabilia down into metal discs or bars that were easy to transport. They then sold the raw metal in the New York City area for hundreds or thousands of dollars, significantly less than the items would be worth at fair market value, officials said.
- One of the suspects also allegedly burned one of the stolen items, the painting “Upper Hudson,” by Jasper Crospey, in order to stop investigators from recovering it. The painting was worth approximately $500,000, officials said. Many of the stolen items have not yet been recovered, according to investigators.
Nine people are accused of stealing major artwork and sports memorabilia -- including World Series rings and MVP plaques for baseball legends Yogi Berra and Roger Maris -- in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York over the span of two decades.
Nicholas Dombek, 53, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Damien Boland, 47, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, Alfred Atsus, 47, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania, and Joseph Atsus, 48, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania, were all indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage and interstate transportation of stolen property, officials announced on Thursday.
The four men were also charged with theft of major artwork and concealment or disposal of objects of cultural heritage while Dombek was charged with interstate transportation of stolen property as well.
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Five more suspects – Thomas Trotta, 48, of Moscow, Pennsylvania, Frank Tassiello, 50, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Daryl Rinker, 50, of Thornhurst, Pennsylvania, Dawn Trotta, 51, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania, and Ralph Parry, 45, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania – were also charged for their alleged roles in the theft, officials said.
The nine suspects conspired over a period of 20 years to break into multiple museums and other institutions to steal priceless works of art, sports memorabilia and other objects, according to investigators. After stealing the items, the suspects transported the stolen goods back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, often to Dombrek’s home, investigators said.
They then allegedly melted the memorabilia down into metal discs or bars that were easy to transport. They then sold the raw metal in the New York City area for hundreds or thousands of dollars, significantly less than the items would be worth at fair market value, officials said.
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Dombrek also allegedly burned one of the items, the painting “Upper Hudson,” by Jasper Crospey, in order to stop investigators from recovering it. The painting was worth approximately $500,000, officials said. Many of the stolen items have not yet been recovered, according to investigators.
The FBI, Pennsylvania State Police, New Jersey State Police, New York State Police and several police departments in multiple states all took part in the investigation.
The stolen items include the following:
- A Christy Mathewson jersey and two contracts signed by Mathewson stolen in 1999 from Keystone College in Factoryville, Pennsylvania
- “Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum, Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Nine World Series rings, seven other championship rings, and two MVP plaques awarded to Yogi Berra, worth over $1,000,000 stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, Little Falls, New Jersey
- Six championship belts, including four awarded to Carmen Basilio and two awarded to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame, Canastota, New York
- The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy awarded to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum, Fargo, North Dakota;
- The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library, Liberty Corner, New Jersey
- Fourteen trophies and other awards worth over $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Goshen, New York
- Five trophies worth over $400,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame, Saratoga Springs, New York
- Eleven trophies, including 4 awarded to Art Wall, Jr. stolen in 2011 from the Scranton Country Club, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania
- Three antique firearms worth a combined $1,000,000 stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey
- An 1903/1904 Tiffany Lamp stolen in 2010 from the Lackawanna Historical Society, Scranton, Pennsylvania
- “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Cropsey, worth approximately $500,000, and two antique firearms worth over $300,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor, Ringwood, New Jersey
- $400,000 worth of gold nuggets stolen in 2011 from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, Ogdensburg, New Jersey
- Various gems, minerals, and other items stolen in 2017 from the Franklin Mineral Museum, Franklin, New Jersey
- An antique shotgun worth over $30,000 stolen in 2018 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum, Wantage, New Jersey
- Various jewelry, and other items from multiple antique and jewelry stores in New York, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/9-charged-in-thefts-of-major-sports-memorabilia-and-artwork/3586659/ | 2023-06-15T22:47:03 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/9-charged-in-thefts-of-major-sports-memorabilia-and-artwork/3586659/ |
NESQUEHONING, Pa. — Kathy Kovatch Reaman has walked the main building here at the former Kovatch Mobile Equipment facility in Carbon County for years.
First when her father opened and owned the business and now as the co-owner of the property.
"My father was exactly my age when he bought this building, to begin with. This facility has been something for the community, and now it's just different for the community," said Reaman.
The plant closed in March of 2022 after KME's parent company REV Group decided to move its fire truck operations elsewhere.
Reaman, her husband, and their business partner took it as an opportunity to purchase the property and reopen it.
But not as a factory, instead, the building located at the intersection of Routes 209 and 54 is being turned into Narrow Valley Sportsplex, a multiuse complex for both recreation and business.
Offering a space not just for athletes to train but for everyone in the community.
"Facilities like this change areas. They really do," Reaman said. "It's now something to do. The community comes around it, and that's super important."
The projects are rolling out in several phases. The first one was adding batting cages and turf to the building behind me. Now, the second includes moving everything into the main factory area, which will feature a variety of basketball and volleyball courts and a track. People here in the community say they're thrilled that this building will not be sitting empty.
"I think it's wonderful. Such a good family, and there still evidently bring to the community," said Cheryl Hendricks of Nesquehoning.
"We just couldn't let it fall, Reaman said. "Just couldn't let it happen, so the voice in my head is saying just keep going, just keep going, and that's kind of exciting."
Demolition is already underway in phase one, which is expected to open in the fall.
Reaman says not only will it keep the building in the Kovatch family but in the community for years to come.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/carbon-county/bringing-new-life-to-former-kovatch-plant-kathy-kovatch-reaman-nesquehoning/523-2b94c666-7bb8-4301-97d5-b4bf24cfcd77 | 2023-06-15T22:47:03 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/carbon-county/bringing-new-life-to-former-kovatch-plant-kathy-kovatch-reaman-nesquehoning/523-2b94c666-7bb8-4301-97d5-b4bf24cfcd77 |
JIM THORPE, Pa. — Being on the Lehigh River in his kayak at the Lehigh Gorge State Park in Jim Thorpe is where Stephen Bretzik III feels most comfortable.
"When I'm not in that boat, I'm in another kayak. I'm always in a boat. The day I'm not in a boat is like one day a week," Bretzik III said.
It's a hobby of his that turned into a passion when the 17-year-old started competing in Wildwater Kayaking races just a year ago.
His most recent race in Maryland, along with the first-place win, qualified him to represent Team USA in an upcoming competition in the Czech Republic.
Giving him what he calls a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Everyone talks about the narrow gate, like you know you got one shot. You have to do this, you gotta do this," Bretzik III said. "It's like this sport is so small, and hopefully, it doesn't stay this small. Hopefully, it grows. Like I said, I kinda just walked down there and raced and won, and now I'm here."
But his dad Stephen Bretzik Jr. says he's been training for this his entire life, whether he knows it or not.
"He always spends the extra time, and when he got into racing, all that time that he spent racing 7-8 years just becoming a good kayaker paid off, so he was able to really improve quickly," Bretzik Jr. said.
Bretzik III, along with three other USA team members, leaves in two weeks to head to Europe for the Junior Wildwater World Championship.
They'll have five days of training before hitting the water to compete.
"It is definitely something I never could have thought of," Bretzik III said. "Especially a year ago for never even doing it before, going this far into it already."
"I know he will represent, you know, our country, our family, our community really well when he's over there, and I think people are just as excited as he is for someone local to get this amazing opportunity," Bretzik Jr. said.
The competition runs from July 5th to the 8th.
A gofundme has been started to help Bretzik III get to Europe; if you would like to donate to him, click here.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/carbon-county/carbon-county-kayaker-to-represent-team-usa-in-upcoming-competition-lehigh-river-stephen-bretzik-czech-republic-junior-wildwater-champion/523-7446c029-fd50-4643-816f-3091c3de9d09 | 2023-06-15T22:47:09 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/carbon-county/carbon-county-kayaker-to-represent-team-usa-in-upcoming-competition-lehigh-river-stephen-bretzik-czech-republic-junior-wildwater-champion/523-7446c029-fd50-4643-816f-3091c3de9d09 |
MCADOO, Pa. — A World War II soldier from Carbon County whose remains were missing for decades will now be laid to rest.
Army Corporal Leo Barlosky of Audenried died on July 27, 1942.
Officials say the 24-year-old was captured in the Philippines and died as a prisoner of war.
His remains weren't identified until last year, and his family was recently notified.
Barlosky will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/carbon-county/missing-wwii-soldier-from-carbon-county-identified-leo-barlosky-of-audenried-wnep/523-13939d69-e4dd-4107-8864-563a69d0ea1f | 2023-06-15T22:47:16 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/carbon-county/missing-wwii-soldier-from-carbon-county-identified-leo-barlosky-of-audenried-wnep/523-13939d69-e4dd-4107-8864-563a69d0ea1f |
COLUMBIA COUNTY, Pa. — Briar Creek Lake near Berwick was the place to be for music, food, and support Thursday.
It's all part of United in Recovery's second annual Recovery Picnic, celebrating people in recovery as well as community organizations that help.
"It's through the support of everyone that people make it through their journey of recovery, so we're celebrating today. As you can see, there's quite a crowd," Loreen Comstock said.
United in Recovery is part of the Susquehanna Valley United Way.
The goal is to expand access and improve treatment for substance abuse disorders in central Pennsylvania.
"When it comes to addiction, people like to point fingers and say you have a choice. And really, if people had a choice, they wouldn't choose to be an addict or use substances," Comstock said.
The event featured speakers sharing personal recovery stories.
"When you get to share your story, and you hear other stories, it really does help. That is why I am here to show that, and hopefully, we can help someone who needs it," Blaise Mordan said.
Blaise Mordan is a recovering alcoholic.
"There is something in us that shows we have an issue, and I want to express that so we can save a life," Mordan said.
Community organizations were on hand to provide resources and support.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/columbia-county/picnic-in-columbia-county-celebrates-and-supports-those-in-recovery-briar-creek-lake-loreen-comstock-united-in-recovery/523-30110b1b-36b9-4d2c-a2a6-6c67b9700465 | 2023-06-15T22:47:22 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/columbia-county/picnic-in-columbia-county-celebrates-and-supports-those-in-recovery-briar-creek-lake-loreen-comstock-united-in-recovery/523-30110b1b-36b9-4d2c-a2a6-6c67b9700465 |
LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — Police in Scranton say a man admitted to raping a child.
Investigators say Caleb Smith sexually assaulted a six-year-old in West Scranton.
He faces rape, aggravated indecent assault, and related charges.
Smith is locked up in Lackawanna County.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/man-faces-child-rape-charges-in-lackawanna-county-caleb-smith-assault-west-scranton/523-127fce31-b8d0-46db-b2e7-5afd275e1d36 | 2023-06-15T22:47:28 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/man-faces-child-rape-charges-in-lackawanna-county-caleb-smith-assault-west-scranton/523-127fce31-b8d0-46db-b2e7-5afd275e1d36 |
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Children spent the morning playing at Lose Park in Williamsport, which is something they have not been able to do in a long time.
The park had been closed for renovations.
"We came here once over a year ago, and it was kind of rundown," said Jarrod Newman, Williamsport.
The park now has new equipment, lights, basketball courts, a community garden, and is ADA-accessible.
The $500,000 project was paid for with grant money.
"Now folks can enjoy it the way parks were meant to be enjoyed without having to worry about any public safety or broken equipment. It's very gratifying," said Mayor Derek Slaughter, Williamsport.
Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter says several city parks and playgrounds are being renovated.
"The parks, they were just rundown. Kids couldn't play on them. Families couldn't enjoy them. Everything that we're doing, now you see all of that come to fruition. Seeing the kids this morning already enjoying the park," said Mayor Slaughter.
Jarrod Newman's son Nico also enjoyed the playground, "Are you having a good time?" 'Yeah.'
"I saw that the fences were down yesterday, so I knew we had to come here today. He's already having a blast," said Newman.
The children say they're looking forward to playing at the park as much as possible this summer.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/lose-park-reopens-in-williamsport-lycoming-county-jarrod-newman-mayor-derek-slaughter-ada-accessable/523-665727a3-5b00-41c2-bebb-a76f3f3743cc | 2023-06-15T22:47:34 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/lose-park-reopens-in-williamsport-lycoming-county-jarrod-newman-mayor-derek-slaughter-ada-accessable/523-665727a3-5b00-41c2-bebb-a76f3f3743cc |
Man shot, killed by Navajo police during domestic disturbance call
A disturbance call for an intoxicated man ended with the man being fatally shot Thursday morning by the Navajo Police Department at a Kaibeto home, the agency said on Facebook.
Around 4:30 a.m., officers responded to a call about an intoxicated man causing a disturbance at a home and refusing to leave, according to police. Officers couldn't locate the man and when they left they received another call about the same man on the porch trying to force his way back into the residence, police said.
An officer deployed a stun gun when the suspect became "combative" upon being met by the officer, police said in a Facebook post. The man was unaffected and physically attacked the officer, taking the stun gun and attempting to use it on the officer, according to police.
The officer shot the man and then rendered aid, according to police, but the man died soon after.
The department has not identified the man who died. Police could not be reached for further comment.
The shooting has been referred to the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation for further investigation, police said. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/man-shot-dead-by-navajo-police/70326967007/ | 2023-06-15T22:51:16 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/man-shot-dead-by-navajo-police/70326967007/ |
Cold case arrest made in 1996 death of woman at CD store in Lakeside
The Pinetop-Lakeside Police Department announced Wednesday that an arrest was made in connection with a 1996 cold case homicide.
On Nov. 6, 1996, Jody Hemphill was found stabbed to death inside the Mountain Edge Tapes & CD Store in Lakeside, police said.
According to the release, the case had been reviewed multiple times since the incident in hopes of developing new leads and possible evidence.
Following a recent review, however, investigators obtained and analyzed new evidence, which led them to arrest 45-year-old Romeo Massey Jr. of Whiteriver. Police did not release exactly what evidence was found and analyzed.
Police said they believe an additional person was involved in the case and has yet to be taken into custody.
Those with information relating to the case are urged to contact Detective Bunch at 928-368-8800 or the WETIP anonymous hotline at 1-800-782-7463.
An investigation remains ongoing, and no other information has been released. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/police-arrest-1996-lakeside-cold-case-homicide-jody-hemphill/70326386007/ | 2023-06-15T22:51:22 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/police-arrest-1996-lakeside-cold-case-homicide-jody-hemphill/70326386007/ |
No public Juneteenth events planned in Manitowoc this year
Juneteenth is a national celebration commemorating the freeing of slaves in the 1800s.
MANITOWOC - This year will be the first since 2020 without a Juneteenth celebration in Manitowoc.
Lakeshore's United Visionaries shared that announcement on their Facebook page June 13 and wrote to encourage people to attend the Juneteenth event in Sheboygan hosted by the Black-American Community Outreach.
Juneteenth is a national celebration commemorating the freeing of slaves in the 1800s and celebrates Black history, heritage and culture, as well as raises awareness to equity, diversity and inclusion.
The group did not respond to emails from the Herald Times Reporter asking to talk with an LUV representative about why the group decided not to host an event this year.
The Facebook post stated: "Juneteenth is just around the corner and we are saddened to say we will not be co-hosting a Juneteenth event in Manitowoc in 2023. Due to vacancies and other factors, we did not have the capacity to make the event happen this year."
Despite the lack of a public celebration in Manitowoc, Mayor Justin Nickels said he considers the holiday an important one.
"It's a great opportunity for everyone to take a little look internally and be reminded of what some folks in our community and in our nation had to endure," he said in an interview with the Herald Times Reporter.
Nickels said he still plans to issue a proclamation on Juneteenth, just like he has done each year since 2021.
"I think we're starting to see a diversified population in the community," Nickels said. "There's people of all different types living in Manitowoc. There are a lot of folks with different backgrounds and different beliefs who all live in the same community."
He said reaching out to all populations is key in representing them in local government.
"I think we need to make sure that we're in contact with these groups and with these folks because it's not always where we have folks coming to us like to council meetings and sharing something," Nickels said. "There's a lot of things that are happening in the community and a lot of people who see things differently and are going through different things that we may not know about unless we, as the leaders of the community, take an active role in reaching out."
He said he has also seen local groups like LUV, PFLAG and Crusaders of Justicia take active roles in advocating for People of Color and LGBTQ.
LUV was created in 2020 after Manitowoc County citizens gathered to mourn and protest the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.
Shortly after, the organization hosted a community barbecue in Washington Park, which was attended by hundreds of people, including local law enforcement officers.
Jay Meeks, who helped organize the event in 2020, said: "It was wonderful. I can't even describe it. It was outstanding."
Since then, representatives from LUV have been active in a variety of ways, from community service, to organizing events and offering opinions to local government officials.
The group's mission statement from its website reads: "Lakeshore's United Visionaries is dedicated to bringing unity in our community through education, understanding and love."
The group co-hosted Juneteenth events in 2021 and 2022, and has organized annual Unity Walks since 2020.
Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter. She can be reached through email at aschafer@gannett.com. | https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/juneteenth-manitowoc-2023-no-event-planned/70262817007/ | 2023-06-15T22:53:57 | 1 | https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/juneteenth-manitowoc-2023-no-event-planned/70262817007/ |
Health system Bon Secours and insurer Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield have stopped negotiating for their next contract. If an agreement isn't reached this summer, roughly 50,000 Richmond-area residents with Medicare and Medicaid could be forced to pay higher medical bills.
Both sides said they are willing to keep negotiating but that the other party has left the table.
Bon Secours claimed it has negotiated for nine months, asking for an increase in the reimbursement rate in response to the higher costs required to treat patients.
Elevance Health, Anthem's parent company, said Bon Secours is cutting off Medicare and Medicaid coverage as a negotiating tactic to raise rates on all other customers.
The stalled negotiation affects Virginia patients with Anthem's HealthKeepers Plus Medicaid plan and Anthem Medicare Advantage. Last year, 37,000 Anthem Medicaid patients and 13,000 Anthem Medicare patients visited Bon Secours hospitals in the area.
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The Medicare contract expires Aug. 1, and the Medicaid agreement ends Oct. 1. Without an agreement, patients with Anthem insurance would no longer be in network at Bon Secours facilities, meaning they would pay higher rates or have to visit another hospital system.
Bon Secours, which in 2018 merged with another health system to become Bon Secours Mercy Health, operates five local hospitals: St. Mary's Hospital, Memorial Regional Medical Center, Richmond Community Hospital, St. Francis Medical Center and Southside Medical Center.
In Virginia, Medicaid patients can choose one of five plans, including Anthem, Aetna Better Health or UnitedHealthcare. Medicare patients in the state can choose one of four Medicare Advantage Plans.
Health systems and insurance providers negotiate the price of everything at a hospital, from CT scans to colonoscopies and Cesarean sections. The prices are posted online but can be hard to decipher.
Bon Secours said it needs to raise its prices because the cost of labor has gone up nationwide. The wages of hospital employees rose 13% between 2021 and 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The cost of patient care at Bon Secours went up 7% between 2021 and 2022, the health system said.
Bon Secours criticized Elevance for not paying its fair share. The insurer has demonstrated "a lack of awareness regarding the real-world challenges faced by providers and our communities in the current economic environment," said Jenna Green, a Bon Secours spokesperson.
Elevance is paying below fair market levels, the health system attested, and the requested increase is short of the current inflation rate, which fell to 4% in May, the lowest rate in two years. The health system said Elevance owes Bon Secours $100 million in late and unpaid claims.
"Bon Secours promises to continue doing our part and work hard, in good faith, to reach a new agreement with Elevance Health with a clear understanding that it takes two parties working hand in hand to reach a resolution," Green said.
But Elevance accused Bon Secours of leveraging an at-risk population to secure higher rates for privately insured patients. Bon Secours won't care for Anthem's oldest and lowest-income patients unless Elevance agrees to pay more for everyone else, the insurer said. The contract for Anthem's privately insured patients runs through 2024.
"Those people cannot have a change in care," said Kersha Cartwright, a spokesperson for Elevance. "They're very at-risk."
Elevance claimed that Bon Secours is asking for a reimbursement hike three times the current hospital inflation rate. An increase that high would raise insurance premiums for businesses and individuals and is not in the best interest of consumers, Elevance said.
"We remain firmly at the negotiating table, and we continue to advocate for solutions that do not include the termination of contracts for our most vulnerable populations," Cartwright said. | https://richmond.com/news/local/business/health-care/bon-secours-anthem/article_b5ce8278-0b85-11ee-b482-ab0c60d60d06.html | 2023-06-15T22:58:01 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/business/health-care/bon-secours-anthem/article_b5ce8278-0b85-11ee-b482-ab0c60d60d06.html |
An outpouring of grief, compassion and love spread throughout the funeral for Huguenot High School graduate Shawn Jackson and his stepfather, Renzo Smith.
"Shawn and Renzo's lives are not in vain," said the Rev. Fred Wyatt of Speaking Spirit Ministries. "Their memories will live on forever."
Thursday's service at the Henrico County church was an opportunity for the Greater Richmond community to mourn and celebrate Jackson, 18, and Smith, 36, who died during the June 6 shooting outside the Altria Theater. The shooting occurred just after the Huguenot High School graduation when, in a flash, a joyous momentous occasion turned tragic.
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"He had a lot of challenges, but he never gave up," said Kevin Olds, a former assistant principal at Huguenot High School. "When I saw him the morning of graduation, he stepped out of line, ran and hugged me and stated, 'Mr. Olds, is this what you mean when you said return on your investment?'"
Family and friends — many who sported red clothing in honor of Jackson's favorite color — lined up before Jackson and Smith’s open caskets prior to the service. The already-heightened emotions peaked during the closing of the caskets and the sense of finality took over.
The Ricky Johnson and Friends Foundation, a Richmond community nonprofit organization, presented a crown to Jackson and Smith as the gospel hymn “I Shall Wear a Crown” was sung. The crowning is a longstanding tradition at many African-American "homegoing" ceremonies.
A video tribute for Jackson and Smith played throughout the service, showcasing their milestones: Shawn playing sports and recording music in the studio, Renzo, an U.S. Army specialist, dancing at his wedding and serving in the Army, the two hanging out with friends, family and each other.
Toward the end of the video, a clip showed Jackson walking out of the Altria Theater in joyous celebration after his graduation, moments before tragedy struck.
The shooting caused a shockwave through the City’s public school system, postponing graduation ceremonies and causing the school year to end early.
Jackson was a prolific rapper, who had released eight albums in the past two years. His rap moniker was “OTG Shawn."
"He was tireless," said Mary Catherine Golding, his manager at Joe's Inn in Bon Air, where Jackson worked for nearly a year as a dishwasher. "He had his challenges, but he always came to work with a smile," she added. "He had a good heart."
Those who knew Jackson said his smile was one of his features that stood out.
“His smile was contagious; he did light up a room when he walked in,” said Olds. “Despite what you hear or what you see in the media, this was a child of God.”
'He spent his time taking care of his family'
Jackson is survived by his mother, Tameeka Jackson, and sisters Destini Jackson and Rennyah Jackson-Smith, according Jackson’s obituary. Rennyah, 9, who was hit by a car during the shooting, attended the services while in a wheelchair.
Renzo will be buried at Quantico National Cemetery, a national military cemetery in Prince William County. Jackson was buried at the Internment Oakwood Cemetery.
Smith was a military veteran, deploying to Iraq in 2008, said Bryce Dubee, an Army spokesman. He served as a motor transport operator in the Army Reserve from October 2005 to August 2006 and was in the regular Army until 2010.
“He spent his time taking care of his family,” Wyatt said. “The kids knew him as ‘dad.’ He spent his time taking care of his family, and that’s where his heart’s desire was.”
Grenda Smith, Renzo's mother and Shawn's grandmother, said she's continued to hear her grandson's voice even after his death.
“He always would talk to me,” Grenda said. “(I would say) Shawn I love you, and he’d call me and say ‘I love you more.’”
Smith said she's spoken with many mothers and families who lost loved ones to guns and other violence. She lamented how she only had to worry about fire drills during school, while the current generation has to worry to potential harm from other people.
"These kids are being trained when people enter their school, what to do for their lives," she said. "We're putting them out there in the lion's den...stop. Stop and make some changes."
Investigation into shooting continues
Police have said little about the investigation, and no clear link to Amari Pollard, the only suspect in the case, has been established. In early briefings, Acting Police Chief Rick Edwards said that the two had been in an “ongoing dispute” for the better part of a year.
Added to the mix have come allegations by Jackson’s aunt, Datrell Glover, that a second-shooter was involved. “Turn yourself in; you will not get away with this,” Glover said at a vigil for Smith and Jackson held last week.
Officers did arrest, and then release, a second suspect on the night of the shooting. This Monday, RPD would not answer questions about whether that suspect might again be under investigation. When pressed, RPD said that the investigation was “fluid.”
Richmond Police Officer Mervin Mayo sung and performed on the keyboard throughout the service, with many attendees standing and shouting praise while he delivered songs of worship.
Local officials, including Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras, Henrico County Manager John Vithoulkas and Varina District Supervisor Tyrone Nelson were in attendance. Henrico police, fire and EMS, as well as additional security, were on hand to ensure the safety of homegoing attendees.
In the funeral eulogy, speakers called for those leaving the service to make good from tragedy.
“There are a lot of us here that need to do some self-reflection,” said Wyatt.
Wyatt’s eulogy came shortly after reflections offered by friends of Jackson. One of whom, Jahari Brown, told the funeral crowd spoke fondly about Jackson, before saying, “This is just getting started.”
Moments after Brown said that, Wyatt tapped him on the shoulder and whispered to keep the eulogy about Jackson’s character. “It was inappropriate,” Wyatt said as he exited the funeral home. “You heard what was said.”
Olds, who is now the principal at George Wythe High School, also addressed the comment. “It’s exactly what we’re trying to stop,” said Olds. “‘This is just getting started? What does that mean? That has me very worried.”
Charles Willis, a spokesman for the family and executive director of United Communities Against Crime, a local advocacy group, said that the comment was likely in reference to the “grieving process just beginning for the family."
Willis said he spoke specifically to Jackson’s friends before the funeral so that they could “put out the right message.”
The tension around the comment underscored the desire for community leaders to keep the peace, particularly before a crowd of Jackson’s friends, colleagues, and family.
“When we leave her a lot of y’all are going to have to make some decisions moving forward about how you’re going to live,” said Wyatt. “Vengeance is the Lord’s. You cannot live your life in unforgiveness and think that you’re going to make it through the gates.”
Said Wyatt: “Death is inevitable. It just shouldn’t be like this.” | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime/shooting-richmond-virginia-shawn-jackson-renzo-smith-altria/article_99b92518-0af2-11ee-892b-17dede9f4a08.html | 2023-06-15T22:58:07 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime/shooting-richmond-virginia-shawn-jackson-renzo-smith-altria/article_99b92518-0af2-11ee-892b-17dede9f4a08.html |
Over the next several days , the weather repeats the theme of the past few weeks. It will be warm, but not oppressively hot. Humidity will remain low for the time of year. And rain will be sparse.
June is rarely cool, but temperatures this month have been distinctly below normal. And for most folks, summertime temperatures below normal are welcome. Midway through this month, Richmond is about 3.3 degrees below normal.
Sunday and Monday will see temperatures into the upper 80s, but even if we edge into the low 90s, it would only be for an hour or so in the afternoon. Richmond has hit 89 degrees three times this year, but has yet to reach 90.
Thunderstorm season is in full swing across the country and with it comes the threat of lightning. Unfortunately, there’s lots of bad information floating around about this weather hazard.
The lower humidity this month has led to cooler nights, which is helping pull the average temperatures down more than the afternoon highs. Low temperatures so far this month are 4.5 degrees cooler than normal, with the majority of mornings starting off in the 50s.
The lack of substantial rain the past couple of weeks has allowed drought to work southward, but there are signs of more beneficial rain next week.
Drought monitor for the week of June 12, 2023 (Data: USDA/NOAA).
Over the past couple of weeks, a broad area of low pressure has been spinning off and on a few hundred miles northeast of Virginia. This has repeatedly sent air in from the north or northwest, keeping big heat and humidity away. Rather than moving offshore, which is typical for this time of year, it will spiral around and send another broad area of low pressure into the southeastern United States next week.
How far south that system settles will determine how much rain we get next week. For now, it appears it will be far enough south to turn our winds from the southeast, draw moisture in from the Atlantic Ocean, bring up the humidity and increase the chance for rain.
A southeast wind in Virginia also moves upward in the atmosphere, as the wind moves from the coast to the Blue Ridge. This further enhances the chance of rain as the air climbs in elevation, enhancing cloud cover and keeping high heat away in spite of the higher humidity.
This all suggests most of next week also will be cooler than normal, as normal highs are nudging toward the upper 80s; it also means we will go most of the month without reaching 90 degrees.
Once that system breaks free late next week, there are some fuzzy indications that we may get into the 90s right before the end of the month. But if we manage to avoid 90 degrees this weekend and early next week, we will be in rare territory.
In Richmond, we have hit 90 degrees before the end of June every year except 1972.
While the absence of big heat to start the summer is nice, it does not necessarily mean that summer will stay that way. Early data suggest July and August will return to more typical summer heat, or perhaps tilt warmer than normal.
Either way, there is still plenty of summer ahead of us. Enjoy the break from the heat as long as we have it.
The Times-Dispatch's 'Photo of the Day'
Jan. 1, 2023
Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb (24) carries the ball as Washington Commanders cornerback Danny Johnson (36) tries to stop him during the first half of a NFL football game between the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Commanders on Sunday, January 1, 2023 in Landover, MD.
Shaban Athuman/ RICHMOND TIMES-D
Jan. 2, 2023
Sharon MacKenzie of Mechanicsville walked with her friend Cindy Nunnally and her golden retriever, Sunny, during a GardenFest for Fidos at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on Jan. 2.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Jan. 3, 2023
People remember 8-year-old P’Aris Moore during a vigil in Hopewell on Jan. 3. The girl was shot and killed while playing in her neighborhood.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 4, 2023
UR's Jason Nelson presses down court as George Washington's Brendan Adams, left, and Hunter Dean defend in the Robins Center Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 5, 2023
Manchester's Olivia Wright reaches in on James River's Alisha Whirley at James River Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 6, 2023
Daron Pearson plays basketball at Smith Peters Park in the Carver neighborhood on Friday, January 6, 2023 in Richmond, Va.
Shaban Athuman/ RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 7, 2023
UR's Tyler Burton takes a shot as Duquesne's Joe Reece defends Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 8, 2023
Park ranger Bert Dunkerly leads a walking tour of Revolutionary Richmond on the grounds of the Chimborazo Medical Museum in Richmond on Jan. 8. The tour was part of a multiday annual event interpreting Richmond’s Revolutionary history, including the capture of the city by British General Benedict Arnold on Jan. 5, 1781.
EVA RUSSO, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 10, 2023
Bon Secours Richmond Community Hospital COO Joey Trapani and Richmond City Councilwoman Cynthia Newbille react after cutting the ribbon to commemorate the opening of the East End Medical Office Building on Tuesday. Bon Secours Richmond Market President Mike Lutes (left) and Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, were also part of the festivities.
EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
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Jan. 11, 2023
Pages are introduced at the Senate chamber during the first day of Virginia General Assembly at Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 12, 2023
Sen. Scott Surovell, D-Fairfax, worked at his desk at the Virginia State Capitol on Thursday. Above him is a portrait of former Lt. Gov. Don Beyer, now a congressman representing the 8th District in Northern Virginia.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 13, 2023
Elizabeth Leggett is photographed with her pup Pallas, 10, in her neighborhood in Richmond's business district on January 13, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Jan. 14, 2023
Aubrey Nguyen, age 5, and Andrew Nguyen, age 8, eye the dragon as it comes by during the Tet celebration at Vien Giac Buddhist Temple Saturday, Jan. 14, 2023. Jow Ga Kung Fu, of Virginia Beach, performed the Dragon Dance.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 15, 2023
The St. James's West Gallery Choir sings during "Evensong, A Celebration of the Life and Work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr." at St. James Episcopal Church Sunday, Jan. 15, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 16, 2023
James "States" Manship of Thornburg came to the gun rights rally at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square on Lobby Day, Monday, Jan. 16, 2023, dressed as President George Washington.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 17, 2023
Del. Emily Brewer, R-Suffolk, confers with Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, at the state Capitol on Jan. 17. Brewer sponsored the bill on state purchasing, House Bill 2385.
EVA RUSSO, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 18, 2023
Aaliyah Rouse, 9, and Jennifer Rouse stand by as Aaron Rouse is sworn in in the Senate by Clerk of the Senate Susan Clarke Schaar during a general assembly session at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Jan. 19, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin talks to the media at George W. Carver Elementary School on Jan. 19.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 20, 2023
VCU's fans cheer for the team against Richmond during the second half of the NCAA men's basketball game at University of Richmond, Richmond, Va., on Friday, January 20, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 21, 2023
Jacqueline Dziuba, bottom left, and Steven Godwin, who live in Greenville, N.C., and other visitors check out the exhibits at the Poe Museum in Richmond in January as the museum celebrates Edgar Allan Poe’s 214th birthday and its own 100-year anniversary.
Daniel Sangjib Min, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 22, 2023
Paul McLean (left), founder of the Virginia Minority Cannabis Coalition, listens alongside Mark Cannady during the “Is Social Equity in Off the Table in 2023?” portion of the program on Sunday on the second full day of the Virginia Cannabis Conference presented by Virginia NORML at Delta Hotels Richmond Downtown. Lobby Day takes place Monday.
SHABAN ATHUMAN photos, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 23, 2023
The flags at the Executive Mansion are at half-staff to honor those killed and injured in Monterey Park, California last weekend. Photo was taken on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 24, 2023
Sen. Steve Newman, R-Lynchburg, listens to debate during a Senate floor session in the state Capitol on a bill to make Daylight Savings Time year-round.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 25, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin listens to George Daniel as he tries some Brunswick stew on Brunswick Stew Day at the Capitol Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023. Next to Daniel are (L-R) Dylan Pair, stewmaster Kevin Pair and Austin Pair. The yearly event returned to the Capitol for the first time since the pandemic.
ALEXA WELCH EDLUND/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 26, 2023
Meghan Vandette is photographed with her dogs, Pepper, a deaf mini Australian shepherd, and Finn on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at Ruff Canine Club in Richmond, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 27, 2023
Three-year-old London Oshinkoya (from left) and 3-year-old twins Messiah and Malkia Finley go through the toys brought by Crystal Holbrook-Gazoni near the Gilpin Resource Center in Richmond on Friday.
EVA RUSSO, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 28, 2023
Dance instructor Paul Dandridge (foreground) works with youngsters as he teaches a theater dance during the “Genworth Lights Up! Youth Series: On the Road” at the Center for the Arts at Henrico High School on Saturday. The series offers free workshops and performances throughout the year for youth of all ages.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 29, 2023
Ronnie Jenkins II of Chesterfield County sits inside a Barefoot Spas hot tub with his 11-year-old son, Connor, and his wife, Amber, during the RVA Home Show at The Meadow Event Park in Caroline County.
Daniel Sangjib Min photos, TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 30, 2023
Frank Saucier listens as elected officials give remarks during a vigil for Tyre Nichols on Monday at Abner Clay Park in Richmond. Nichols died from the injuries he sustained after being beaten by police officers in Memphis.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Jan. 31, 2023
Mayor Levar Stoney gets ready to deliver his State of the City on Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at the Richmond Main Street Station in Richmond, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 1, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin attends the Virginia March for Life in Richmond, VA on February 1, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 2, 2023
Petersburg High School's basketball standout Chris Fields Jr. on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at the Petersburg High School in Petersburg, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 3, 2023
Shawnrell Blackwell, left, a Southside Community Development & Housing Corporation homeowner and board member, watches as Dianna Bowser, president and CEO of SCDHC, shares a moment with Suzanne Youngkin during a ceremony at Virginia Housing in Richmond on Friday after Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the first lady presented the first Spirit of Virginia Award of 2023 to the affordable housing nonprofit.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Feb. 4, 2023
Members of the Break it Down RVA Line Dancing group perform during a Black History Month Celebration at Virginia State University on Feb. 4.
SHABAN ATHUMAN, TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 5, 2023
Wide receiver Terry McLaurin (17) of the Washington Commanders, right, look on before the flag football event at the NFL Pro Bowl on Sunday in Las Vegas. With him are, from left, NFC wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) of the Detroit Lions, NFC wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) of the Dallas Cowboys and NFC wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) of the Minnesota Vikings.
John Locher, Associated PRess
Feb. 6, 2023
(From left) U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman, and Sethuraman Panchanathan, Ph.D., director of the National Science Foundation, arrive for a tour of VCU's Nanomaterials Core Characterization Facility with lab director and physics professor Massimo Bertino, Ph.D. (right) on Monday, Feb. 6. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 7, 2023
Sen. Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, is seen 4 1/2 hours into Tuesday's crossover session at the state Capitol.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Feb. 8, 2023
Chef Patrick Phelan works with his staff on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 at Lost Letter in Richmond, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 9, 2023
Onlookers stand near a shattered window on East Broad Street following a shooting on Thursday. One person was killed and another wounded.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Feb. 10, 2023
Colonial Williamsburg moves a 260-year-old building, originally called the Bray School, on a truck to a new location a mile away, where it will be put on public display, in Williamsburg, Va., on Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. The Bray School is believed to be the oldest building in the US dedicated to the education of Black children.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb 11, 2023
Randolph-Macon celebrate after beating Roanoke College during a NCAA Division III Basketball game on Saturday, February 11, 2023 at Randolph Macon Crenshaw Gym in Ashland, Virginia. With today's win, the Yellow Jackets hold the longest home winning steak in NCAA Division III history.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 12, 2023
The Science Museum of Virginia hosted a competition for student engineers during a commemoration of Celebrate Engineering Ingenuity Day. A packed crowd watches Sunday as a team of “Bridge Breakers” from the American Society of Civil Engineers puts students’ inventions to the test.
Lyndon German
Feb. 13, 2023
A crew from Walter D. Witt Roofing installs a new roof for Melvin Washington, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, as part of the Owens Corning National Roof Deployment Project in Richmond, VA on February 13, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 14, 2023
Richmond City Council member Cynthia Newbille pulls the winning raffle ticket as Marc Edwards, from InnovAge Virginia PACE, holds the basket during the 9th annual "For the Love of Our Seniors" event at Main Street Station in Richmond, VA on February 14, 2023. The event is a resource fair for senior residents and caregivers in Church Hill. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 15, 2023
A crew from the Richmond-based company Cut Cut installs the new art installation "McLean" by Navine G. Dossos on the façade of the Institute for Contemporary Art in Richmond, VA on February 15, 2023. The installation is part of the exhibit "So it appears" opening February 24th. The vinyl pieces being used are adapted from a series of paintings. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 16, 2023
Giov. Glenn Youngkin meets with the community at Westwood Fountain in Richmond, VA on Thursday, February 16, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 17, 2023
Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Alison Linas, left, and Franklin greet Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Jennifer Guiliano and attorney Alex Clarke at the Henrico County Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court building on Friday.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
Feb. 18, 2023
Fans take pictures during the All-alumni Block Party before VCU’s game against Fordham on Saturday.
SHABAN ATHUMAN, TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 19, 2023
Virginia Tech's Georgia Amoore, left, waits for a pass from Elizabeth Kitley (33) during the first half of the team's NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023, in Blacksburg.
Matt Gentry, The Roanoke Times
Feb. 20, 2023
Richmond resident David Scates filed an appeal with the VEC last summer four days after the state agency notified him that he had been overpaid unemployment benefits after catching COVID-19 and losing his job. Now, Scates is one of almost 17,000 Virginians at risk of having their appeals dismissed because the VEC contends they filed too late.
EVA RUSSO, TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 21, 2023
State Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, greets chief election officer and college friend Sheryl Johnson (right) at the Tabernacle Baptist Church polling station in Richmond, VA on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 as (from left) election workers Katie Johnson and Eric Johnson look on. McClellan is running to succeed Rep. Donald McEachin, D-4th. McClellan would be the first African American woman to represent Virginia in Congress and would give Virginia a record four women in its congressional delegation. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 22, 2023
Members of the media tour Fox Elementary School in Richmond, VA after Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox provided an update on construction plans to rebuild the school on Wednesday, February 22. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 23, 2023
Marley Ferraro and her boyfriend, Zack Bannister, both VCU freshmen, spend time together between classes at Monroe Park as Thursday weather reaches around 80s in Richmond, Va., on Feb. 23, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 24, 2023
Sen. Aaron Rouse, left, D-Virginia Beach, talks with Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, before a general assembly session at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Friday, Feb. 24, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 25, 2023
Jenna Anderson of Cosby High shows her medal to her dad, Waylon Anderson, after winning the 112-pound weight class during the VHSL Girls State Open Championships at Unity Reed High in Manassas on Saturday.
SHABAN ATHUMAN, TIMES-DISPATCH
Feb. 26, 2023
Contestants in a duathlon race (run-bike-run competition) dash from the starting line in the first event of the West Creek Endurance Festival at the West Creek Business Park in Goochland County on Sunday.
Mark Bowes
Feb. 27, 2023
Eric and Linda Oakes speak to a small crowd before unveiling a plaque and bench dedicated to their son, Adam Oakes, in the VCU Student Commons building near the office of Fraternity and Sorority Life on February 27, 2023. The date marks the two-year anniversary of Oakes' death in a hazing incident, and VCU is calling this an annual hazing prevention day and day of remembrance for Oakes. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Feb. 28, 2023
Jess Tanner (center) looks on as her daughters Aubrey (left), 10, and Charleigh, 8, deliver Girl Scout cookies to school counselor Michelle Nothnagel (right) and the other teachers and staff members at Manchester High School on February 28, 2023. With help from groups of retired teachers and others in the community, the girls, who are members of Girl Scout Troop 3654, raised over $1,000 to purchase the cookies for the staff. Jess Tanner, is an art teacher at Manchester and also a co-leader of their troop. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
March 1, 2023
Shirley Wiest, left, and Wilma Bowman, center, show a blanket for a veteran with the help of Julie Wiest, daughter of Shirley Wiest, at Sunrise of Richmond in Henrico, Va., on Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Shirley Wiest and Wilma Bowman sewed over 3000 blankets for people at the VA Hospital, the Children’s Hospital and Moments of Hope Outreach among others.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 2, 2023
Carl Gupton, president of Greenswell Growers, is shown at the greenhouse of the company in Goochland, Va., on Thursday, March 2, 2023. Greenswell Growers, an automated indoor farming, can produce 28 times more greens per acre than traditional farming. They just sealed a deal with Ukrops and will start selling on Kroger shelves all across the mid-Atlantic.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 3, 2023
Highland Springs walks off the court after beating Stone Bridge during the Class 5 boys basketball quarterfinal on Friday, March 3, 2023 at J.R. Tucker High School in Henrico, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 4, 2023
Nutzy plays with Shane Paris-Kennedy,9, during the Richmond Flying Squirrels Nutzy's Block Party on Saturday, March 4, 2023 at The Diamond in Richmond, Virginia.
SHABAN ATHUMAN/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 5, 2023
Patrons wait in line for Caribbean soul food from Mobile Yum Yum, one of the food trucks participating in Mobile Soul Sunday in Monroe Park. The event kicked off the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience, a weeklong celebration of Richmond’s Black-owned restaurants.
Sean McGoey
March 6, 2023
Henrico County officials celebrate the start of renovations at Cheswick Park in Henrico's Three Chopt District on March 6, 2023. The 24.5-acre park, Henrico's oldest official park, will receive $2.1 million in improvements, including a new open fitness area and upgrades to its trails, playground, restroom facilities, pedestrian bridges, parking lot, main entrance, stormwater management infrastructure and signage. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
March 7, 2023
Congresswoman-elect Jennifer McClellan heads into the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC for orientation on March 7, 2023 in preparation for her swearing in as the first Black Congresswoman from Virginia. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
March 8, 2023
Kate Chenery Tweedy shows the exhibition of Secretariat at Ashland Museum in Ashland, Va., on Wednesday, March 8, 2023. Kate Chenery Tweedy is spearheading an effort to bring a monument of Secretariat to Ashland.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 9, 2023
John Marano of Top Trumps USA speaks to the media next to Mr. Monopoly at Maggie Walker Plaza in Richmond, Va., on March 9, 2023. Top Trumps USA, under license from HASBRO, will design a Richmond-specific board that highlights the region’s favorite historic landmarks.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 10, 2023
The U.S. Postal Service commemorate the history and romance of train travel with the unveiling of its Railroad Stations Forever stamps during a ceremony at the Main Street Station in Richmond, Va.
Lyndon German
March 11, 2023
Susie Williams of Richmond gets a makeover at the Shamrock the Block Festival in Richmond on Saturday. The festival was relocated to Leigh Street this year.
Daniel Sangjib Min, TIMES-DISPATCH
March 12, 2023
A procession of Fifes and Drums moves down Duke of Gloucester Street in Colonial Williamsburg on Sunday. It traveled from old Colonial Williamsburg Courthouse to the Raleigh Tavern, where Thomas Jefferson and other leaders formed a Committee of Correspondence in 1773.
Sean Jones photos, Times-Dispatch
March 13, 2023
Cuong Luu, foreground, a volunteer of Feed More, prepares boxes of meals with other volunteers and staff at the food bank in Richmond, Va., on Monday, March 13, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 14, 2023
Bill Barksdale, technical director of Virginia Video Network, works with Kelli Lemon, director of digital programming, at the video studio of Richmond Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Va., on March 14, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 15, 2023
Del. Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, looks on a portrait after unveiling it as former Speaker of the House at the house chamber of the State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Filler-Corn made history as the first woman and first Jewish Speaker in Virginia.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 16, 2023
MIKE KROPF, THE DAILY PROGRESS Virginia's Isaac McKneely (11) becomes emotional after an NCAA Tournament first round game against Furman in Orlando, Fl., Thursday, March 16, 2023.
Mike Kropf
March 17, 2023
Brian Erbe, center, a pipe manager, and other members of Greater Richmond Pipes and Drums perform to celebrate St. Patrick's Day at Rosie Connolly's Pub Restaurant in Richmond, Va., on Friday, March 17, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 18, 2023
Virginia Tech's Mekhi Lewis takes down Oklahoma State's Dustin Plott during the consolation semifinals at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships, Saturday, March 18, 2023, in Tulsa, Okla. (Ian Maule/Tulsa World via AP)
Ian Maule
March 19, 2023
Virginia Tech's Kayana Traylor (23) is congratulated by teammates after scoring just before halftime of a second-round college basketball game in the women's NCAA Tournament, Sunday, March 19, 2023, in Blacksburg, Va. (AP Photo/Matt Gentry)
Matt Gentry
March 20, 2023
Hannah and Ty Bilodeau of Lynchburg visit the recently completed Richmond Virginia Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with their children, Blythe, 5, Goldie, 4, and Graham, 2, in Glen Allen in Henrico, Va., on Monday, March 20, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 21, 2023
Doug Ramseur, center left, and Emilee Hasbrouck, center right, defense lawyers for Wavie Jones, one of three Central State Hospital employees , who was charged in death of Irvo Otieno, speak to the media at Dinwiddie Courthouse in Dinwiddie, Va., on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 22, 2023
WRANGLD's, from left, senior customer success manager Trevor Lee, chief business officer Andy Sitison and CEO Jonathan "JD" Dyke work at their office of the 1717 Innovation Center in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 23, 2023
New Bon Secours Community Health Clinic is open in Manchester, Richmond, Va., on Thursday, March 23, 2023. The clinic will serve scheduled appointments and same day call-in appointments for the uninsured. The 8,000 square foot building is also home to the Bon Secours Care-A-Van, a mobile health clinic.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 24, 2023
Liz Kincaid, CEO of RVA Hospitality and owner of Max's On Broad, is photographed at the restaurant in Richmond, VA on March 24, 2023. Max's On Broad will be closing April 1 and will relaunch as a new concept in the summer. Kincaid also owns Tarrant's & Bar Solita. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
March 25, 2023
Henrico County families gather at Deep Run Park & Recreation Center on Saturday to celebrate all things agriculture during the county's second annual Farm Graze event. Children went booth to booth learning about the wonders of agriculture while participating in fun activities and scavenger hunts.
Lyndon German
March 26, 2023
Church Hill resident Alex Gerofsky finishes the Hill Topper 5K at the Church Hill Irish Festival with a time of 20 minutes, 26.8 seconds.
Thad Green
March 27, 2023
Wyatt Kingston, center, conducts a strength training session with Marshall Crenshaw, left, and Kevin Wright, right, at Hickory Hill Community Center in Richmond, Va., on Monday, March 27, 2023. Kingston, 71, has been working with the parks department for nearly 40 years on all kinds of initiatives, particularly those aimed at children in public housing communities.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
March 28, 2023
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, center, talks about the ongoing housing crisis in the city during a news conference on March 28.
Daniel Sangjib Min, TIMES-DISPATCH
March 29, 2023
From left, Caroline Ouko and Leon Ochieng, mother and older brother of Irvo Otieno, react near the casket during the celebration of life for Irvo Otieno at First Baptist Church of South Richmond in North Chesterfield on March 29.
Eva Russo
March 30, 2023
Senior students in Charlottesville-Albemarle Technical Education Center's culinary program presented Taj Mahsala: an Indian fusion menu.
SYDNEY SHULER, THE DAILY PROGRESS
March 31, 2023
Richmond Police address onlookers Friday, March 31, 2023 at the intersection of North Avenue and Moss Side Avenue, near Washington Park. Richmond police shot a man who was suspected of shooting a woman earlier in the day in the 1100 block of Evergreen Avenue on Richmond's Southside.
April 1, 2023
Sculptor Jocelyn Russell takes photos of the crowd after the unveiling of her statue of Secretariat at Ashland Town Hall Pavilion on Saturday.
Michael Martz photos, TImes-Dispatch
April 2, 2023
Drivers race in the Toyota Owners 400 at the Richmond Raceway in Richmond, VA on April 2, 2023.. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 3, 2023
Dinwiddie County Commonwealth’s Attorney Ann Cabell Baskervill plans to resign from her post to attend graduate school in Paris, where she will start a master’s program in international governance and diplomacy at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, colloquially known as SciencesPo.
EVA RUSSO, TIMES-DISPATCH
April 4, 2023
From left, Judy and Ron Singleton pose for a photo on Tuesday, April 4, 2023. MIKE KROPF/TIMES-DISPATCH
Mike Kropf
April 5, 2023
Beatrix Smith dips her matzah in salt water as she enjoys a Pasover Seder with her classmates (from left) Helen Corallo, Camp Maxwell, and Amara Ellen at the Weinstein JCC Preschool Program in Richmond, VA on April 5, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 6, 2023
Virginia Community College System Chancellor David Doré speaks with students at Piedmont Virginia Community College on Thursday.
SYDNEY SHULER, THE DAILY PROGRESS
April 7, 2023
A worker pushed water off a tarp on the field at The Diamond Friday, when the Flying Squirrels were scheduled to open their season against Reading.
MIKE KROPF/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 8, 2023
Ember O’Connell-Evans, 1, plays with hula hoops during the Dominion Energy Family Easter event at Maymont on Saturday.
Mike Kropf, TIMES-DISPATCH
April 9, 2023
Mike Kearney plays an early form of badminton with grandkids Savannah and Ashton on the lawn of Montpelier during “We, the Kids” Day.
ANDRA LANDI, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REVIEW
April 10, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, center left, tours Richmond Marine Terminal with W. Sheppard Miller III , Virginia Secretary of Transportation , center right, as Stephen A. Edwards, left, Virginia Port Authority CEO, and Christina Saunders, manager of Richmond Marine Terminal, give them the tour on Monday, April 10, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 11, 2023
Inaara Woodards, 5, of Henrico, visits Italian Garden at Maymont with her mother, Victoria Crawley Woodards, and three brothers, Kai, 13, Zion, 12, and Avion Woodards, 11, during their home-school field trip to the park in Richmond, VA., on Tuesday, April 11, 2023. "It’s gorgeous!" Victoria Crawley Woodards said of Tuesday weather. She said it was the perfect weather for the field trip and other activities.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 13, 2023
Clarence Thweatt, right, a lead trainer for Chesterfield Public Schools, works on marking points during a transportation road-e-o event, which is friendly competition of school bus drivers demonstrating their driving skills and knowledge of laws, at Chesterfield County Fairgrounds on Wednesday, April 12, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 14, 2023
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at Liberty University.
PROVIDED BY LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
April 15, 2023
Tyson Foods workers attend a job fair at Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church on Mechanicsville Turnpike. The Glen Allen plant is closing, displacing about 700 employees.
Em Holter
April 16, 2023
A display of 32 white balloons were raised and a 32-second moment of silence was observed in honor of the victims of the April 16, 2007, tragedy at the start of the 2023 3.2-mile Run in Remembrance on the Virginia Tech campus.
MATT GENTRY, The Roanoke Times
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April 17, 2023
Albert Hill Middle School sixth-grader Drew Sirpis looks for birds during the educational boat trip on the James River on Monday.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
April 18, 2023
Richmond Flying Squirrels Luis Matos steals the second base against Erie SeaWolves shortstop Gage Workman in the 3rd inning at The Diamond, Richmond, VA., on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 19, 2023
Children participate in Little Feet Meets at Matoaca High School in Chesterfield, VA on April 19, 2023. A total of 1,400 Special Olympic athletes from grades PK-5 throughout Chesterfield County Public Schools competed in Little Feet Meets between two dates, April 12 at James River High and April 19 at Matoaca High. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 20, 2023
Mike Blau, center, a line cook, and others work on preparing a soft opening of The Veil's new taproom, located in Scott’s Addition at 1509 Belleville St., on Thursday, April 20, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 21, 2023
(From left) VCU sophomore Caroline May, of Pittsburgh, PA, and senior Lee Finch, of Norfolk, VA carry a coffin with a blow-up Earth ball during a VCU Student Climate Protest in Richmond, VA on April 21, 2023. The small crowd walked from the James Branch Cabell Library, though Monroe Park, to the office of VCU President Michael Rao in a mock funeral procession. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 22, 2023
Anthony Clary gestures as he runs through confetti during the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k on Saturday.
Mike Kropf, TIMES-DISPATCH
April 23, 2023
A volunteer picks up an old wooden palate and brings it to a trash pile during Friends of Fonticello Park's community cleanup on Sunday.
Sean Jones, Times-Dispatch
April 24, 2023
Kay Ford spends time with her cat, Patches, at her home in Mechanicsville, VA., on Monday, April 24, 2023. Ford recently adopted Patches, a 40-pound cat, from Richmond Animal Care and Control. The story of Patches went viral after RACC publicized the cat.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 25, 2023
Emily Cover, a project manager with DPR Construction, is shown at Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, left top, in Richmond, VA., on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. DPR is the team that built the hospital.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 26, 2023
Guests tour the Anthropology Lab at the new College of Humanities and Sciences STEM building on West Franklin Street in Richmond, VA on April 26, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 27, 2023
Police tape marks the scene outside George Wythe High School.
ANNA BRYSON/TIMES-DISPATCH
April 28, 2023
Sculptor Kate Raudenbush takes in her finished piece "Breaking Point" in the Flagler Garden Near the Monet Bridge at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden on April 28, 2023. The garden is set to debut "Incanto: An Oasis of Lyrical Sculpture" on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Incanto features five designed, allegorical sculptures, accompanied by poetry, throughout the garden. The exhibition is the work of Raudenbush and poet Sha Michele. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
April 29, 2023
Pharrell Williams performs during the Pharrell's Phriends set at Something in the Water in Virginia Beach on Saturday.
Kendall Warner
May 1, 2023
A man carries a piece of furniture through a neighborhood in Virginia Beach, Va. on Monday May 1, 2023. The City of Virginia Beach declared a state of emergency after a tornado moved through the area and damaged dozens of homes, downed trees and caused gas leaks. (AP Photo/Ben Finley)
Ben Finley
May 2, 2023
Sports Backers Stadium is shown next to The Diamond in this drone photo, in Richmond, VA., on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
May 3, 2023
CAL CARY, THE DAILY PROGRESS UVa cheerleader, Madison DeLoach, in front of other UVa cheerleaders tour the The Avelo Airlines Boeing 737 after landing at Charlottesville Albemarle Airport coming from Orlando on May 3, 2023. Avelo Airlines launched its first Charlottesville to Orlando flight line at the Charlottesville Albemarle Airport on May 3, 2023. The inaugural event consisted of a returning flight from Orlando to Charlottesville Albemarle Airport, a firetruck water salute upon arrival and a tour of the airplane.
Cal Cary
May 4, 2023
(From left) Maryann Macomber, of Mechanicsville, VA, leads a small group prayer with Gloria Randolph, of Richmond, VA, Randolph's great-grandson Xavier Jones, also of Richmond, and John Macomber, of Mechanicsville, during a National Day of Prayer event at the Bell Tower in Capitol Square in Richmond, VA on May 4, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
May 5, 2023
Steffiun Stanley preps dishes at Birdie's in Richmond, VA on May 5, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
May 6, 2023
People at the ¿Qué Pasa? Festival sit on the grass and enjoy the weather on Brown’s Island on Saturday.
Mike Kropf/TIMES-DISPATCH
May 7, 2023
Arts in the Park saw thousands pass through Byrd Park over the weekend. The festival is sponsored by the Carilion Civic Association.
Charlotte Rene Woods, Times-Dispatch
May 8, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin shares a quiet moment with Holocaust survivor Halina Zimm on Monday afternoon before ceremonially signing a bill that adds a definition of antisemitism to Virginia law.
David Ress, Times-Dispatch
May 9, 2023
The Molcajete Sinaloa at Mariscos Mazatlan in Henrico, VA on May 9, 2023. Mariscos Mazatlan focuses on traditional Mexican cuisine from the city of Mazatlan and all along the Mexican coast. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
May 10, 2023
A goose, seen here on May 10, 2023, has built a nest in a median of the parking lot near Dilliards at Short Pump Town Center. The mall has put out orange cones to keep cars away and Jerome Golfman, assistant manager at Fink's Jewelers, said he regularly brings it water, cracked corn and other grains.
Eva Russo, TIMES-DISPATCH
May 11, 2023
Mary Finley-Brook, a professor of environmental studies at the University of Richmond and an expert on American gas infrastructure, says repairing the pipes no longer makes sense as gas prices continue to rise.
Mike Kropf, TIMES-DISPATCH
May 12, 2023
(From left) Sam Amoaka, a freshman at Virginia State University, helps his girlfriend, Tamia Charles, a freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University, move out of her dorm along with her dad, Thomas Charles, of Fredericksburg, VA, in downtown Richmond, VA on May 12, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
May 13, 2023
Virginia’s Thomas McConvey (left) defends the ball from Richmond’s Jake Kapp during an NCAA Tournament game at Klockner Stadium in Charlottesville on Saturday.
Mike Kropf/TIMES-DISPATCH
May 14, 2023
University of Richmond outfielder Christian Beal made a catch on the run during the Friday game of Spiders-VCU series at The Diamond.
MIKE KROPF, TIMES-DISPATCH
May 15, 2023
The flags at Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission building are flown at half-staff on Monday. Governor Youngkin announced that flags would fly half-staff in honor of Peace Officers' Remembrance Day.
Mike Kropf/TIMES-DISPATCH
May 16, 2023
Ukrop's crumb cake has been picked up by Kroger and is being sold nationwide. Here, fresh cinnamon crumb cakes are packaged at the Ukrop's bakery in Richmond, VA on May 16, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
May 17, 2023
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney officially proclaims May as Jewish American Heritage Month during a celebration held in collaboration with the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond and the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) at Richmond City Hall in Richmond, VA on May 17, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
May 18, 2023
Acting Police Chief Richard Edwards stands by as Penn and Victoria Burke places a flower in honor of Sergeant J. Harvey Burke in the wreath at the memorial stone at the Richmond Police Training Academy in Richmond, VA during the Richmond Police Department Police Officers' Memorial Service on May 18, 2023. The ceremony, which took place during National Police Week, paid homage to Richmond's fallen officers. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
May 19, 2023
Doumit Bouhaidarat fries falafel balls to order during the St. Anthony Lebanese Food Festival on Friday.
Mike Kropf, TIMES-DISPATCH
May 20, 2023
Dogs compete in the Subaru Ultimate Air Dogs — Splash Qualifier #4 event on the second day of Dominion Energy Riverrock on Saturday.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
May 21, 2023
The Virginia men’s tennis team celebrates after winning the national championship on Sunday in Orlando.
Courtesy UVa athletics photos
May 22, 2023
Vietnam War veteran Stuart Blankenship is photographed at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, VA on Monday, May 22, 2023. Blankenship is one of 50 Vietnam War Veterans from throughout the Commonwealth featured in the exhibit “50 Years Beyond: The Vietnam Veteran Experience” which opened at the Virginia War Memorial on January 28, 2023. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
May 23, 2023
Wilbert Hobson poses for a portrait at the Virginia War Memorial in Richmond, Va, on May 23, 2023. Hobson was part of the 101st Airborne unit of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam war. Hobson is very active in his chapter of the American Legion and helped found the Friends of Dupont, and organization. Graduating from an all-Black high school, Vietnam was Hobson’s first real experience with integration. MARGO WAGNER/TIMES-DISPATCH
Margo Wagner
May 24, 2023
Powhatan Owen, shown at the Virginia War Memorial, volunteered for a Burial Honor Guard company in Washington state to commemorate the service of fellow veterans and has further connected with veterans while attending powwows across the U.S.
Eva Russo, Times-Dispatch
May 25, 2023
Madi Mabry laughs with other members of Mango Salon at the 2023 Top Workplaces awards in Richmond on Thursday.
Margo Wagner, Times-Dispatch
May 26, 2023
A solar cell receives light at the Agecroft Hall and Gardens on May 26, 2023, in Richmond, Va. MARGO WAGNER/TIMES-DISPATCH
Margo Wagner
May 27, 2023
Julia Hunter, a shawl dancer, participates in the Upper Mattaponi Indian Tribe’s powwow on Saturday.
Mike Kropf, TIMES-DISPATCH
May 28, 2023
Festival organizers Pete LeBlanc, left, and Zavi Harman enjoy the second installation of Daydream Fest in front of the Main Line Brewery stage on Sunday.
Gabriela De Camargo Goncalves
May 30, 2023
Gov. Glenn Youngkin speaks during the Commonwealth’s Memorial Day Ceremony at the Virginia War Memorial on Monday.
Margo Wagner, Times-Dispatch
May 31, 2023
Earl Gary, owner of YME Landscape, used a compact tractor to move topsoil for a temporary landscaping at the former site of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's statue on Monument Ave. in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, May 31, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min/TIMES-DISPATCH
June 1, 2023
Jorge Figueroa leads tenants and New Virginia Majority organizers in a rally at Southwood Apartments, in Richmond, VA on June 1, 2023 to protest rent increases. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
June 2, 2023
This screenshot from the Virginia Department of Transportation's real-time traffic cameras shows multiple southbound lanes of Interstate 95 closed after a crash near the Belvidere Street exit the morning of Friday, June 2, 2023.
Virginia Department of Transportation
June 3, 2023
Richmond Kickers defender Simon Fitch shoots the ball defended by Chattanooga Red Wolves forward Walter Varela at City Stadium on Saturday, June 3.
Mike Kropf, TIMES-DISPATCH
June 4, 2023
Mark Whitfield and Ciara Dickson watch Samaya Dickson throw the ceremonial first pitch at the Flying Squirrels game on Sunday.
Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves, Times-Dispatch
June 5, 2023
People bow their heads before eating as Dr. Stepfanie Ramsey gives the invocation at the 2023 Times-Dispatch/Sports Backer Scholar Athlete Awards Ceremony on June 5, 2023 at the Jefferson Hotel. MARGO WAGNER/TIMES-DISPATCH
Margo Wagner
June 6, 2023
A radar measure the speed of passing cars on Main Street on June 6, 2023, in Richmond, Va. MARGO WAGNER/TIMES-DISPATCH
Margo Wagner
June 7, 2023
A piece from a mortar board lays on the ground at the site of a shooting at Huguenot High School's graduation ceremony.
Mike Kropf/TIMES-DISPATCH
June 8, 2023
A participant holds a candle during a vigil hosted by Grace & Holy Trinity Church on Thursday to remember Huguenot High School graduate Shawn Jackson and his stepfather, Renzo Smith.
Mike Kropf, TIMES-DISPATCH
June 9, 2023
Louisa softball players celebrate after beating Hanover 5-3 in the Class 4 state semifinals on Friday, June 9.
Mike Kropf/TIMES-DISPATCH
June 10, 2023
Riverside lacrosse players and coaches run on the field after defeating Freeman in the Class 5 championship game in Ashburn on Saturday, June 10.
Mike Kropf/TIMES-DISPATCH
June 11, 2023
The Shockoe Bottom African Burial Ground featured drumming, dancing and music Sunday as visitors gathered for Elegba Folklore Society’s 27th annual Juneteenth, A Freedom Celebration, on Sunday.
Katie Castellani, Times-Dispatch
June 12, 2023
Leigh Sewell plans to open Monkee's, a boutique clothing store in Carytown, after leaving her job as local hospital president. Sewell poses for a portrait in front of where the clothing store will be on June 12, 2023, in Richmond, Va. MARGO WAGNER/TIMES-DISPATCH
Margo Wagner
June 13, 2023
Horace Trower Jr walks down a ramp at the Richmond International Airport on June 13, 2023 in Henrico, Va. MARGO WAGNER/TIMES-DISPATCH
Margo Wagner
June 14, 2023
Ellie Fishman, 5, spoons ice cream out of her cup at Ellie’s Hot Dogs & Ice Cream on June 14, 2023, in Richmond, Va. MARGO WAGNER/TIMES-DISPATCH
June 15, 2023
A funeral attendee stands and waves her hands during Shawn Jackson and Renzo Smith’s Homegoing Service on June 15, 2023, at Speaking Spirit Ministries. MARGO WAGNER/TIMES-DISPATCH
Margo Wagner | https://richmond.com/news/local/weather/how-much-longer-before-we-hit-90-degrees-in-richmond/article_f7452dee-0bba-11ee-af4f-23ac9f2cdc81.html | 2023-06-15T22:58:13 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/weather/how-much-longer-before-we-hit-90-degrees-in-richmond/article_f7452dee-0bba-11ee-af4f-23ac9f2cdc81.html |
Homeownership lets you build equity, put down roots, and make a place your own. But in recent years, achieving this part of the American dream has become much more difficult.
Adjusting for inflation, the cost of a newly constructed single-family home in 2022 was over 2 1/2 times more expensive than in the 1960s. So for young adults in their mid-20s—an age when many people think they should buy a home—the goal might seem out of reach. The actual average age of a first-time home buyer in 2022 was 36, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Stacker ran the numbers on the cost of a new, single-family home for the last 60 years to illustrate how home prices have grown. Using Census Bureau data, we analyzed the median list price for a newly constructed home from 1963 to 2021 and the Consumer Price Index to calculate each year's absolute and inflation-adjusted prices.
The basis of the Census Bureau data is new constructions, which are often more expensive than existing homes. The list price includes both the house and the land. This story does not include houses built for rent, those built by the owner, or ones by a general contractor on the owner's land.
It's true that location plays a role in home prices. For example, homes in the Northeast and West have always generally been higher than the rest of the country. But the data still shows that average prices have grown substantially over time.
Check out the cost of buying a home the year you turned 25. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/waterloo-sanitation-make-up-schedule-for-juneteenth/article_10c06f8a-0af4-11ee-8cfd-c3459f5f3205.html | 2023-06-15T23:03:15 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/waterloo-sanitation-make-up-schedule-for-juneteenth/article_10c06f8a-0af4-11ee-8cfd-c3459f5f3205.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — The state on Thursday designated the resort a Transit Village, making it the 35th New Jersey municipality to be recognized by the initiative, the Department of Transportation said.
To become a Transit Village, a town must have a redevelopment plan encouraging economic activity, state Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said in a news release.
“Atlantic City’s plan to create a mixed-use neighborhood near the Atlantic City rail station will transform one of New Jersey’s premier destinations in a way that will enhance the quality of life for the residents, as well as visitors, through enhanced bike and pedestrian facilities near public transportation, shops and restaurants," she said.
The city wants to increase housing opportunities within walking distance of shops, restaurants, offices, entertainment and cultural centers by increasing opportunities for pedestrian activity and reducing reliance on automobiles, state officials said.
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By revamping the area, traffic and pollution likely would be lessened, in addition to providing a boost to the local economy.
The Atlantic City Rail Terminal, located inside the Atlantic City Convention Center, serves as an endpoint for NJ Transit's Atlantic City rail service to Philadelphia. The agency also runs bus service in and out of the city.
The Transit Village initiative provides participating municipalities with planning expertise and grant opportunities to redevelop land near trains or other transit facilities in a way that elevates economic conditions and public transportation use, officials said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlanticcity-newjersey-transient-village/article_07d80590-0bc1-11ee-bf00-9f320e31e200.html | 2023-06-15T23:03:50 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlanticcity-newjersey-transient-village/article_07d80590-0bc1-11ee-bf00-9f320e31e200.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — A city man was arrested days after an anonymous tip claimed he was seen hiding a handgun behind an apartment building, police said Thursday.
Quanife Wynn, 23, faces multiple weapons and drug charges after he was arrested Wednesday following a foot chase, police said in a news release.
On Monday, a person sent information via tip411, an anonymous texting service, in regard to a man placing a firearm in the rear of an apartment building in the 2800 block of Atlantic Avenue.
Officer Joseph Kelly Jr. located a handgun in a crawl space that was open to the public, police said. Kelly and Sgt. Garry Stowe, with assistance from Detective Christopher Dodson, identified Wynn as the man who discarded the gun.
On Wednesday, Dodson and Detectives Alberto Valles and James Barrett attempted to arrest Wynn in the area of Tennessee and Atlantic avenues. Wynn fled when approached, police said. He was arrested and found in possession of marijuana packaged for distribution.
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Wynn was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of hollow-point ammunition, certain person not to possess a weapon, possession with intent to distribute, obstruction of justice and resisting arrest.
He is being held at the Atlantic County jail. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/anonymous-tip-leads-to-arrest-of-atlantic-city-man-who-hid-handgun/article_b2e9b1d4-0ba5-11ee-82de-b75c233e86d3.html | 2023-06-15T23:03:56 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/anonymous-tip-leads-to-arrest-of-atlantic-city-man-who-hid-handgun/article_b2e9b1d4-0ba5-11ee-82de-b75c233e86d3.html |
NORTH WILDWOOD — Police are trying to identify two suspects in a burglary that occurred earlier this month.
Police say the burglary happened between 3 and 6 a.m. June 4 in the Anglesea section of the city. The two were seen driving a white Pontiac G6 with New Jersey license plates.
Anyone with information can call police at 609-522-2411 or email detectives@nwpd.org, or text TIP NWPD to 888777.
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John Russo
Digital producer
I graduated from Rowan University in 2011 where I studied journalism. I've done everything from cover sports to news and have served as a copy editor and digital producer with The Press since July 2013.
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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/north-wildwood-police-seeking-to-identify-burglary-suspects/article_889176f6-0bb9-11ee-9e3d-7b81916321ce.html | 2023-06-15T23:03:58 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/north-wildwood-police-seeking-to-identify-burglary-suspects/article_889176f6-0bb9-11ee-9e3d-7b81916321ce.html |
FLINT Mich. (WJRT) - Power is out in the area of Miller Rd. between I-75 and Lennon Rd. in Flint following a car accident.
The car accident did snap a powerline, and power utility/lines are lying across Miller Rd.
Consumers energy is on the scene working to restore power.
Qdoba in Flint is also without power, and they are closed for the rest of the night. The restaurant was planning on holding a fundraiser tonight to support Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village following the theft of around $60,000 worth of equipment last week.
WJRT-TV has learned that the fundraiser has been postponed. No word on when the new date will be. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/car-hits-a-powerline-on-miller-rd-in-flint-area-businesses-without-power/article_81a96d96-0bbc-11ee-b922-3ffc65943b4d.html | 2023-06-15T23:07:19 | 1 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/car-hits-a-powerline-on-miller-rd-in-flint-area-businesses-without-power/article_81a96d96-0bbc-11ee-b922-3ffc65943b4d.html |
FLINT Mich. (WJRT) - The bricks along Saginaw Street in downtown Flint are in the middle of a renovation project.
Crews are currently stamping brick patterns into concrete at intersections to match the restored bricks.
Saginaw Street is closed from Court to Third Street until Aug. The bricks are being restored over the next few years. This is the first 'overhaul' of the bricks in decades.
The City of Flint adds that about 90% of the sidewalks will be replaced. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/crews-continue-to-renovate-saginaw-st-bricks-in-downtown-flint/article_8c2a0ca8-0bc6-11ee-9d5d-1f0c9af98324.html | 2023-06-15T23:07:25 | 1 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/crews-continue-to-renovate-saginaw-st-bricks-in-downtown-flint/article_8c2a0ca8-0bc6-11ee-9d5d-1f0c9af98324.html |
MID-MICHIGAN (WJRT) - The Michigan Department of Transportation announced that Thursday night's planned ramp closure from southbound I-475 to southbound I-75 has been postponed because of inclement weather.
According to MDOT, drivers should expect a full closure of the southbound I-475 ramp to southbound I-75 beginning June 19 at 9 p.m. until the next morning at 5 a.m. During this time traffic will be detoured via Hill Road, northbound I-475, and westbound I-69 to southbound I-75.
The work is part of an overall investment of $5.2 million to resurface 4.2 miles of I-75 from M-54 to US-23. The work includes joint repairs, shoulder corrugations, and pavement markings. Drivers should also expect up to two lanes closed throughout the project limits the week of June 19. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/planned-ramp-closure-along-south-i-475-postponed-tonight-because-of-weather/article_6adf9a3c-0bc0-11ee-940d-8fbdc277ad47.html | 2023-06-15T23:07:31 | 1 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/planned-ramp-closure-along-south-i-475-postponed-tonight-because-of-weather/article_6adf9a3c-0bc0-11ee-940d-8fbdc277ad47.html |
CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Nearly a year after she was shot while responding to a crisis call, a Clayton County police officer is marking a tremendous milestone in her road to recovery: coming home.
The Clayton County Police Department announced Thursday that it will host a homecoming celebration for Officer Demika Lloyd.
People are invited to support her journey home by lining the streets and the front lawn of CCPD headquarters with signs and posters with encouraging messages Friday. Lloyd will not be leaving the car but will appreciate the warm welcome from the community she serves, the department said.
Lloyd was shot several times on July 27, 2022, while tending to a crisis call regarding a woman considering suicide in Jonesboro. Police said they received three separate calls about the woman with the final caller reporting they heard multiple shots and that an officer was down in the yard.
Lloyd was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and had to undergo surgery. At the time, she had been with the department for a year and a half and working the overnight shift, according to the chief.
A former colleague Ronnie Perkins said he met Lloyd in the military over a decade ago when they worked together in the National Guard. He described her as a loving mother who is family-oriented; her mother-like nature extended to her fellow soldiers as she would travel a weekend a month to Savannah to cook for them.
"Stuff can change in the blink of an eye. It hits different when you actually know the person and known them for a long time and actually still communicate with them," Perkins previously said.
Welcome Ofc. Demika Lloyd home
Friday, June 16 | 3:45 p.m.
Clayton County Police Department Headquarters
7911 N. McDonough Street
Jonesboro, GA 30236
*The public is encouraged to line the streets and to bring signs with encouraging messages. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/clayton-county-demika-lloyd-homecoming-event/85-6b4980b1-be2d-4435-9efb-d1090642bc67 | 2023-06-15T23:08:50 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/clayton-county-demika-lloyd-homecoming-event/85-6b4980b1-be2d-4435-9efb-d1090642bc67 |
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County gas station owners have just two weeks now to install a high-definition camera system or else they could lose their business license.
The required cameras must record every part of their properties and owners must then provide police with video -- if requested within 72 hours.
DeKalb County Commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, who announced the ordinance, said a total of 243 gas stations will have until June 30 to install the high-definition surveillance system to help fight crime in the county.
“Hopefully it is model legislation for anyone who wants to control the quality of footage, and also to address these areas where we tend to have a high incidence of crime and violence," she said.
The most recent shooting at a gas station in the county occurred this week, where a 35-year-old man died as a result.
"By and large, violent crimes in DeKalb County are more likely to occur at a gas and service station," she added.
Her ordinance passed unanimously in December and now the clock is ticking.
She said the systems could cost business owners up to $5,000 out of their own pockets.
"It is a small price to pay because video surveillance definitely, definitely cuts down on criminal activity," Cochran-Johnson said. "But most importantly, it allows us, when it occurs, to send a strong message so that we can be swept in apprehending people that commit crimes at these locations."
Gas station employees, like Daba Tuli, who11Alive spoke with when the ordinance passed, agreed.
“It's a lot of crime happening outside and inside the store," he said. "Sometimes a shooting is happening inside, or outside the store. It’s a big problem. Cameras are good."
Commissioner Cochran-Johnson said come July 1, code compliance officers will begin visiting all gas and service stations.
If they don’t have the system installed yet, they could lose their business licenses by the end of the year.
"Our business license renewal must be complete by December 31. That is the renewal date. So as of July 1, if they are not in compliance, they will be made aware of what is necessary, and they technically will have until December 31 to go in to become fully compliant," she explained.
Cochran-Johnson explained other jurisdictions, including the City of Atlanta, have reached out to her about this ordinance, which she said, has already proven to work.
"We've had numerous incidents where we have high quality footage. We are also requiring that there is infrared night vision because we find that the majority of these crimes occur late afternoon and in the night," she said. "Being able to utilize current footage for many who have already sprung into compliance and apprehend perpetrators, it's definitely making a difference." | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/dekalb-county-gas-stations-deadline-install-high-definition-cameras/85-10a71127-24ac-4fbc-9bb0-9c32f989496e | 2023-06-15T23:08:56 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/dekalb-county-gas-stations-deadline-install-high-definition-cameras/85-10a71127-24ac-4fbc-9bb0-9c32f989496e |
EATONVILLE, Fla. — A community group in Eatonville is gearing up to make a funding pitch for $87 million in tourism tax dollars to try and connect the past to the future.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Eatonville made history as the first incorporated Black community in the country.
READ: Here’s how Orlando wants to address the open office space downtown
The group wants to transform some abandoned property into a large project named after its most famous resident: Zora Neale Hurston. It would include a STEM lab, conference center and museum. But whether this is hitting an opportunity right on the mark or missing it is what’s up for debate in the community.
Some community members support the associations’ vision, while others feel a different request would have given the town a better chance at getting the money and a bigger impact for its people.
See the full story in the video above.
READ: Bill reintroduced in Congress gives federal protection for right to birth control access
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/community-split-effort-turn-abandoned-property-into-museum-space/PA2MW3HGVJARBJ6SMTEJPRFMXM/ | 2023-06-15T23:09:42 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/community-split-effort-turn-abandoned-property-into-museum-space/PA2MW3HGVJARBJ6SMTEJPRFMXM/ |
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Volusia County deputies said a woman called 911 to report that a child was drowning in a backyard where there was no pool or body of water.
On their way to respond to the report, the sheriff’s office said two deputies were injured in a crash when they were T-boned going through an intersection with their lights and sirens on.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Fabiola Robles, 47, of Deltona is accused of misusing 911.
Deputies said Robles called 911 around 4:30 p.m. on June 8 and reported, “My next-door neighbor’s kid is drowning right now.”
Read: Man accused of trying to rape 18-year-old at Orange County hotel let out of jail 6 days prior
At the house where the drowning was alleged to have happened, the neighbor told deputies that Robles had been complaining all day about the noise his children were making in the backyard. Deputies said there was no pool or other body of water at the home, only an inflatable water slide.
When asked if she ever actually saw a child drowning, deputies said Robles said she didn’t.
In addition to the three deputies and three Deltona Fire Rescue units who responded to the false drowning call, the sheriff’s office said multiple deputies, Deltona firefighters, Volusia County EMS and Florida Highway Patrol units responded to the scene of the traffic crash.
The sheriff’s office said both deputies injured in the crash were ultimately taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment of their injuries.
Robles was arrested Wednesday and booked at the Volusia County Branch Jail where she later posted $5,000 bond.
Read: Here’s how Orlando wants to address the open office space downtown
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/deputies-deltona-woman-made-fake-report-child-drowning-backyard-with-no-pool-body-water/LOQ5RPS4BJF5PIZ2X4MTDNSM64/ | 2023-06-15T23:09:48 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/deputies-deltona-woman-made-fake-report-child-drowning-backyard-with-no-pool-body-water/LOQ5RPS4BJF5PIZ2X4MTDNSM64/ |
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Experts are concerned about your money and privacy as the banking industry leans on Artificial Intelligence. They believe there are new challenges of AI in the financial sector.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau helps protect your finances as technology continues to evolve.
“We have to focus on how big tech and AI will transform banking,” Director Rohit Chopra said.
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He recently told a group of lawmakers the country must strike a balance while using Artificial Intelligence.
“Will we harness technology to maintain and enhance relationship banking, to drive competition and protect privacy or will we continue our lurch toward a system marked by surveillance,” Chopra asked.
Senators agree there are worries based on the stories constituents are bringing them.
“We’re seeing it across our state,” Sen. Katie Britt (R) Alabama said. “We had a number of people targeted through the use of AI.”
Some believe scams aren’t the only issue here -- there are privacy and discrimination concerns when it comes to your information and AI.
“They already are ingesting enormous amounts of data to feed some of these Artificial Intelligence models,” Chopra explained.
Read: Tropical wave off coast of Africa could slowly develop over next week
“There’s the ability to have these algorithms literally discriminate against consumers in the financial services sector,” Sen. Mark Warner (D) Virginia said.
Chopra believes as the industry evolves, consumer protection needs to change, as well.
Read: Police identify victim in Palm Bay officer-involved shooting
“In the age of AI, pamphlets won’t be what solves it,” he added. “We’re looking at digital literacy tools, ways in which consumers can protect themselves, spot scams. We’re also looking at how it could be focused on specific populations.”
The CFPB said it is also working to bring more technical talent into the agency.
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/experts-concerned-about-your-money-privacy-with-ai-banking/ROIX2HTTZNBHZCXFCD4DFT7HAU/ | 2023-06-15T23:09:55 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/experts-concerned-about-your-money-privacy-with-ai-banking/ROIX2HTTZNBHZCXFCD4DFT7HAU/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — If you’ve been downtown lately, you’ve probably seen signs advertising available office space.
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It’s all part of a nationwide trend after the pandemic forced people into working remotely.
Research firm Knight Frank surveyed firms with more than 50,000 workers and found that half of them plan to cut down on office space.
The available office space also means less workers in the city during the day, and that’s a problem that has a trickle impact on small businesses who have lots an important part of their customer base, but it’s something the city is working to address.
The city of Orlando said the Downtown Development Board is working toward long-term solutions.
The Downtown 2.0 Action Plan is a work in progress that reimagines downtown to attract new kinds of businesses and visitors.
READ: Florida officials raise alert over fake theme park tickets, bogus vacation rental scams
Office space developer Mike Fess said landlords are also thinking creatively about how to utilize their space. For some, it means trying to shift away from traditional offices used for lawyers and accountants. His business model, instead, focuses on high tech work environments.
“We’ve been very fortunate because of the specialized nature of the products that we develop,” Fess said. “Orange County, Osceola County, Seminole, Lake County, those guys are being a lot more open to allowing office building owners to rezoning to medical office, because they see the pain that the owners of those properties are having.”
READ: Disney makes new move related to $350M+ affordable housing community in Horizon West
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/heres-how-orlando-wants-address-open-office-space-downtown/CE2LD2A5OBGHDH647ZFJUHXP3I/ | 2023-06-15T23:10:01 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/heres-how-orlando-wants-address-open-office-space-downtown/CE2LD2A5OBGHDH647ZFJUHXP3I/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Investigators said a man tried to rape an 18-year-old in a hotel room just days after getting out of jail.
Investigators said Fredrick Howard attacked the victim about a week after he was released. They said he was let out after the Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office did not file formal charges within 33 days of his carjacking arrest.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
State Attorney Monique Worrell said police failed to give her team contact information for the carjacking victim. But police said the victim in the carjacking case is homeless and did not have a current address or additional contact information to provide to the officers.
Worrell said her office has not been able to track him down, and she said without him their case is weak and legally they can’t hold Howard in jail. But she recognized Howard’s long criminal history and said they are working hard to try and keep him off the streets.
Read: Deputies: High-risk felony offender arrested for attempted rape at Orange County hotel
“It’s important to note the difference between the law enforcement standard of probable cause versus the state attorney standard of beyond a reasonable doubt,” she said.
Worrell said the request for the victim’s contact information was made multiple times throughout May.
“On the 31st, the assistant state attorney reached out to law enforcement, again requesting contact information for the victim. On June 1, our investigations unit began trying to attempt to locate this victim and there were no results,” she said.
Read: Deputies arrest second suspect after veteran shot, killed in Pine Hills shopping center
On June 5, after Howard had spent 33 days behind bars, Worrell said her office could not file charges and Howard’s defense attorney filed a motion for his client to be released, which was granted.
Six days later, Howard, who has a long criminal history and spent 36 years in prison, was arrested again after Orange County deputies said he showed up at the Stayable Suites on Orange Blossom Trail and tried to rape an 18-year-old woman.
Orlando police provided the following statement following Worrell’s news conference discussing the case Thursday afternoon:
Read: Officials: Jack Teixeria, suspect in Pentagon leak, indicted by federal grand jury
“On May 4, 2023 at approximately 9:58 pm, officers responded to the area of West Amelia Street and North Westmoreland Drive in reference to a carjacking. As a result of their investigation, probable cause was established to charge the suspect, Fredrick B. Howard, with Carjacking with a Deadly Weapon. It should be noted that the victim in this case is homeless and did not have a current address or additional contact information to provide to the officers.
The case package for this incident was forwarded to the State Attorney’s Office with all of the information that was available to law enforcement, which included Howard’s date of birth and Florida Identification card information, to include his last known residential address. On June 1, 2023 at 3:28 pm, the primary officer received a tasking sheet from the State Attorney’s Office requesting the name, address, phone number and sworn written statement from the witness/victim. The officer provided the information that was known to law enforcement at the time from his Florida Identification card. At no time was this officer requested to assist in locating the witness/victim by the State Attorney’s Office or any of their investigators assigned to locate the victim.
It is disappointing that yet again, the investigative efforts of our agency are being unjustly scrutinized by the State Attorney.”
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/man-accused-trying-rape-18-year-old-orange-county-hotel-let-out-jail-6-days-prior/TJTKXHVWYNDKBBWFGWBSCMK3OA/ | 2023-06-15T23:10:08 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/man-accused-trying-rape-18-year-old-orange-county-hotel-let-out-jail-6-days-prior/TJTKXHVWYNDKBBWFGWBSCMK3OA/ |
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — After a major hailstorm on Wednesday evening, people in and around Hot Springs have been dealing with the consequences.
The storm left many people with extensive damage to their vehicles, so because of that business has been booming at auto body shops as the dented cars just keep coming.
Dwayne Graves, Manager of Gregg Orr Collision in Hot Springs explained that he has never seen hail like this.
Before their shop opened up on Thursday morning, Graves had a line of people ready to go in for repairs.
"You open up at eight, and cars are stacked up at the gate waiting on you at 7:15 a.m.," Graves described.
Though there aren't signs of that slowing down.
"There's been at least eight to 10 customers in the office since 7:15 a.m. this morning," he added.
They recently expanded their garage because they were expecting business growth, but he said he didn't expect it to happen so fast.
"If you add up all the insurance companies and the phone calls and the customers we've seen this morning, we're probably way over 80 that are already trying to get on the books," Graves said.
After hail damaged his truck on Wednesday night, Ralf Bailes made an appointment as soon as he could.
"Windshield's good, it's just the hood, roof and there's dings around the sides," Bailes explained.
During dinner with his family, Bailes said he thought about quickly moving it when the hail started but for his own safety, he decided not to.
"There's no way because the hail was probably two or three inches out there. And you know, I wasn't gonna get out there and get knocked out," he explained.
Even though it's something nobody wants to deal with, he said he's thankful for only minimal damage.
"There's a lot of that hail damage that busted the windows out. So I'm lucky," he said.
In the meantime, Graves has been working around the clock.
"We've ordered extra crash wrap and stuff for people's windows because we've got a lot of body shops in Hot Springs, but no one is going to have windows in stock or this or that. So we're crash wrapping people's windows to keep water out so they can go and hopefully, we see them back," he added.
One of their insurance companies is sending out a catastrophe response team to help them during this busy time.
"We're just gonna have to schedule the customers the best we can," Graves explained.
The influx of customers isn't just a one-day thing and they expect to stay busy for the next couple of weeks as they continue to write estimates. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/hot-springs-hail-damage-auto-body/91-aa4b271b-cbbe-44d6-90dc-716f655d4370 | 2023-06-15T23:11:34 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/hot-springs-hail-damage-auto-body/91-aa4b271b-cbbe-44d6-90dc-716f655d4370 |
RICHMOND, Texas — The Richmond Fire Department is helping lift the spirits of a 2-year-old girl fighting a rare form of brain cancer.
Danya Salem was diagnosed with a high-grade neuroepithelial tumor with BCOR-ITB in January. There have only been 24 reported cases of the cancer. She underwent brain surgery just two days after receiving the diagnosis.
Her mom, Yasmin Dudin, wanted to find a way to lift her daughter's spirits. Knowing how much her daughter loves Dalmatians, she reached out to the Richmond Fire Department, which just so happens to have one.
"Come be here in an hour and we'll have it all figured out," is what Yasmin said the fire department told her.
Danya instantly fell in love with Lady the Dalmatian. As soon as she saw the dog, her face just lit up.
"Lady just rolled out in front of her, she started petting her," Yasmin said. "I knew it meant the world to see the Dalmatian."
Danya spends two weeks a month in the hospital, admitted four days at a time for each chemo treatment.
"She'll receive two chemos a day for four days in a row," Yasmin said. "Prett intense. She has to be premedicated for chemo and all that."
The family of five said it's been exhausting, but they're grateful for the kindness strangers have shown them.
As for Danya's prognosis, Yasmin asked this of her doctors:
"Just tell me that she has a chance. I didn't want to hear the words. I know it's aggressive, I know that it's a tumor," she said. "I let the rest speak to God."
Yasmin has set up a Facebook page called "Danya Strong" to share updates and information on her fight. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/richmond-dalmatian-girl-fighting-cancer/285-5eb9dc09-22f1-49c7-ab1d-001f5f377e56 | 2023-06-15T23:11:40 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/richmond-dalmatian-girl-fighting-cancer/285-5eb9dc09-22f1-49c7-ab1d-001f5f377e56 |
A heavy thunderstorm caused flooding late Thursday afternoon along some streets in Casper and throughout Natrona County.
Multiple intersections were impassable as of 4:30 p.m., the Casper Police Department reported. And there's a potential for additional closures as the storm continues.
Among the flooded streets were:
- Poplar and Ash;
- Poplar and Collins;
- several areas of CY Avenue from Wyoming Blvd west to Valley Drive;
- East C St and Lincoln; and
- the North McKinley Street underpass.
If possible, it's best to avoid underpasses around Casper while the storm is occurring because they are more susceptible to collecting extra rainfall, said city of Casper spokeswoman Rachel Bouzis.
"Just be cautious, and be smart," Bouzis said.
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The Natrona County Fire Protection District also reported flooding on Interstate 25. A live-streamed photograph of the interstate confirmed some mild flooding on the roads.
The National Weather Service in Riverton issued a flood advisory until 6 p.m. City and small stream flooding is expected.
Casper Mountain, Mills, Evansville, Bar Nunn, Red Butte, Paradise Valley and Bessemer Bend are also likely to experience flooding.
Minor flooding in low-lying and poor drainage areas is expected, and some low-water crossings may become impassable.
"Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads," the warning said. "Most flood deaths occur in vehicles."
PHOTOS AND VIDEO: Flooding in Casper
Several streets around Casper flooded on Thursday after yet another day of heavy rains.
Flooding
A downpour caused minor flooding across Casper on Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Casper.
Flooding
A downpour caused minor flooding across Casper on Thursday in Casper.
Flooding
A downpour caused minor flooding across Casper on Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Casper.
A storm rolled into Casper on Thursday afternoon and brought a torrent of rain.
Flooding
A downpour caused minor flooding across Casper on Thursday, June 15, 2023, in Casper.
Flooding
Flooding occurs on Casper's east side on Thursday. | https://trib.com/news/local/weather/thunderstorm-causes-flooding-in-natrona-county/article_9ea50c70-0bc6-11ee-a20c-ab9e12bc9b23.html | 2023-06-15T23:12:05 | 1 | https://trib.com/news/local/weather/thunderstorm-causes-flooding-in-natrona-county/article_9ea50c70-0bc6-11ee-a20c-ab9e12bc9b23.html |
Meet Martha Coston, international celebrity and developer of life-saving flare for sailors
“Almost everybody in Washington recognizes the noticeable figure and face of Mrs. Martha (Jane) Coston whenever she appears in public places,” the Portland (Maine) Daily Press noted on April 8, 1892. “She has had a remarkable career, and her name is known in many countries.”
The surfmen of the Life-Saving Service in Delaware certainly knew the name “Coston,” but they may not have recognized Mrs. Coston if she had visited one of their stations.
Born in the 1830s, Martha was a tall, attractive teenager when she married Capt. Benjamin Franklin Coston, a young scientist and inventor who was in charge of the laboratory in the Washington Navy Yard. Benjamin’s work gave the young couple an entrance into Washington’s elite, where they hobnobbed with the likes of Dolly Madison, Daniel Webster and Henry Clay.
In 1848, Benjamin was wrestling with the problem of communications at sea, when he suddenly took ill and died. Martha was only 21 years old and the mother of four children. Benjamin’s death was quickly followed by the death of one of the couple’s young children, and shortly after this calamity, Martha’s mother also passed away.
Alone and without means to support herself, she recalled, “I knew not how to dig, I was ashamed to beg.”
On a rainy day, Coston was going through her late husband’s papers when she stumbled upon one of his unfinished projects: “At last I came upon a large envelope containing papers and a skillfully drawn plan of signals to be used at sea, at night, for the same purposes of communication that flags are used by day.”
Fires were the only way to communicate at night. On nights when rain drenched the Delaware coast, lighting a fire quickly was nearly an impossible task. In the early 19th century, the most reliable way of starting a fire was to strike a piece of steel with a flint and catch the resulting sparks in a nest of thin kindling.
Using her late husband’s notes, and with the help of civilian chemists, Martha began a decade-long quest, to develop a set of signal flares that were easy to use, portable and dependable.
By 1859, she had perfected a self-contained flare that was activated by a plunger that stuck a charge, which, in turn, ignited brightly-burning chemicals to provide a strong, steady light. An assortment of chemicals produced flares of different colors, and the color combinations were keyed to a codebook with a large variety of messages.
After perfecting her system of signal flares, Coston established a company that manufactured the flares and sold them throughout the world. When she traveled abroad to promote her company, she was introduced to many European leaders, including England’s Queen Victoria.
After the United States Life-Saving Service was established in 1878, a series of stations were eventually built at Lewes, Cape Henlopen, Rehoboth Beach, Indian River Inlet, Bethany Beach and Fenwick Island. The Life-Saving surfmen were issued a set of Coston flares, which they carried with them while they were on patrol.
When a surfman spotted a ship that was sailing too close to shore, he would ignite a flare to warn those on the ship to change course. If he saw a vessel that had run aground, the surfman would use his flares to signal that help was on the way.
Over the years, the use of Coston flares saved countless lives, but few people knew that they were developed by the international celebrity, Martha Coston, who once said, “I knew not how to dig, I was ashamed to beg.”
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DELAWARE HISTORY:How 'Three-Gun' Wilson led Prohibition fight against bootleggers and jellyfish officials
Principal sources
Topeka State Journal, Jan. 25, 1902
Arizona Republican, Sept. 9, 1893
Portland [Maine} Daily Press, April, 8, 1892
New York Tribune, Jan. 16, 1904
Coston, Martha, A Signal Success, Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Co., 1886,pp. 37, 40, 43-44. | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/delaware/2023/06/15/how-martha-coston-developed-life-saving-flares-for-sailors-in-distress/70313667007/ | 2023-06-15T23:17:44 | 1 | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/delaware/2023/06/15/how-martha-coston-developed-life-saving-flares-for-sailors-in-distress/70313667007/ |
Assateague, Chincoteague parks get big boosts with federal funds. Here's what's in works.
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island National Seashore are set to see a bevy of improvements thanks to newly approved federal funding.
The $17,744,862 came after U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine, both D-VA, announced the funding, awarded through the Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects Program. That was made possible by passage of the bipartisan infrastructure law.
That legislation reduced minimum project sizes from $25 million to $12.5 million and increased the federal share of projects on Tribal transportation facilities to 100 percent.
More on trail openings at these parksAssateague Island announces big changes with new speed limit, two trail reopenings
What will the money do?
According to the official announcement, the federal funding will be used to enhance beach access at both locations.
Specifically, these federal dollars will be used at both sites to relocate the existing public recreational beach to a more stable part of the island. This funding will also go toward constructing a new access road, four new parking lots, new boardwalks and paving for a multiuse path.
More on the Chincoteague poniesThree Chincoteague herd foals die ahead of 2023 Pony Penning
How large are the areas in question?
Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is located on the Indigenous homelands of the Pocomoke and Occohannock people, and protects beach, dune, marsh, and maritime forest habitats. Originally established in 1943 to protect migratory birds, this refuge is now one of the most visited in the United States.
The refuge boasts 15 miles of hiking and beach trails, is home to habitat for migratory birds and features 14 moist soil management units that serve as a rest and refueling location for waterfowl, shorebirds and other coastal birds during their long journeys.
In the summer, the area's biology team works to protect the habitat and nesting sites of the threatened piping plover, as well as other beach nesting birds such as the American oystercatcher and least tern. The adjoining forests are locations for the recovery of the once endangered Delmarva Peninsula fox squirrel population.
Assateague Island National Seashore became dedicated as a National Seashore on Sept. 21, 1965.
According to the overview of the park by the National Park Service, "the waters surrounding Assateague are valued by the aquaculture industry, providing a livelihood for many in the surrounding area. Watermen 'farm the water,' raising and harvesting clams and oysters."
Much like the wildlife refuge, the 24.4 square miles of the seashore draws thousands of visitors, with the Summer being its peak season.
SAVING BEEBE RANCH:Beebe Ranch, home to Misty of Chincoteague, gets its savior with big museum announcement | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2023/06/15/federal-funds-give-boost-to-assateague-chincoteague-whats-coming/70321931007/ | 2023-06-15T23:17:50 | 1 | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2023/06/15/federal-funds-give-boost-to-assateague-chincoteague-whats-coming/70321931007/ |
'Recruitment’s the most difficult thing': How police undertake it in new environment
Police Chief Arnold Downing has been on the job on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in Berlin for over two decades, interviewing and hiring many officers during his tenure in Worcester County, always asking one clear-cut question.
“Are you running from something or to?” Downing asks prospective officers. These days there are fewer recruits running toward policing than when Downing was selected from among 50-plus applicants to join the small department in the early 1990s. Downing’s last round of applicants dwindled to less than a dozen. “Recruitment’s the most difficult thing,” the longest active chief in the state said.
“You can’t go to a baker shop and think you’re going to find police officers,” said the chief, whose department had 18 total employees according to the 2021 Uniform Crime Report.
More:Police 'under fire': Md. law enforcement calls for community partners after officers shot
Other agencies in the state, which are allotted far many more officers, are also facing the challenge of recruitment, and in some cases, a shortage of sworn personnel. The Baltimore Police Department’s budget provided for 2,605 sworn members, but the agency had only a shade over 2,000 as of June 8, the same day it was announced that Commissioner Michael Harrison would be stepping down from the post he had held for more than four years.
While the vacancy of 521 sworn members in Baltimore may be among the largest gaps in the state, a nationwide survey this year from the Police Executive Research Forum, a D.C.-based research organization, showed that “agencies are losing officers faster than they can hire new ones.” The survey included Maryland agencies as one of 38 states represented in the survey.
“The field is changing,” said Sheldon Greenberg, professor emeritus at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education in the Division of Public Safety Leadership and a former officer with the Howard County Police Department. “Police work will not look the same in five years.”
Police reform driven by equity
Part of the change is driven by “equity issues,” Greenberg said, driven largely by the 2020 police-involved killing of George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which caused a wave of calls for reform across the country, including in Maryland, where the decades old Law Enforcement Officers Bill of Rights was repealed, replaced with Police Accountability Boards.
More:They joined police accountability boards to ensure fairness. It's been a wobbly start
Officer Chase Meadows of the Salisbury Police Department joined the field after Floyd’s death. The onetime college student in Delaware majored in human services and retains a passion for preventing domestic violence in his police work.
“I’m a police officer after the George Floyd incident,” said Meadows, in an interview at the West Salisbury Parkway police station. He said the job is not like the life-saving efforts shown on tv, and includes 12-hour shifts, responding to everything from parking tickets to shootings to lost dogs.
“Every now and then, you do get a chance to feel like you really help someone,” he said, recounting a recent incident where he resolved an active domestic dispute.
Another one of those surfacing “equity issues” in the policing profession is gender. Nationally, only 12 percent of sworn officers and 3 percent in police leadership are women. New York Police Department Commissioner Keechant Sewell, a woman leading the country’s largest police department, resigned after 18 months on the job this week.
The most recent Maryland statistics show that 25 percent of the state’s law enforcement employees are women, though not all employees that were included in the 2021 Uniform Crime Report were necessarily sworn officers. Currently, none of the state’s 24 sheriffs are women.
Greenberg called a recent nationwide 30x30 initiative aiming for 30 percent of women in the field by 2030 “critical.” So far, nine Maryland agencies, ranging from the Frederick Police Department to the Charles County’s Sheriff’s Office, have signed on to the pledge to make hiring, retaining and promoting qualified women a strategic priority.
“The need is absolutely paramount,” said Greenberg, a board member of the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association, a nonprofit organization which brings individuals from both sectors together to address communities’ well-being and safety.
‘The best thing for our society is trying to bridge that gap’
Speaking in a church parking lot after commemorating Cpl. Glenn Hilliard, one of his former officers killed in the line of duty, Chief Downing recounted that in his interviews with prospective officers, when one answers that they are running from something, he asks a follow up question.
More:'Glenn is so much more': Roadway signs unveiled for slain law enforcement officer
“Why aren’t you taking initiative to change things and make it better?” the veteran officer asks. The young officer in a different department on the Lower Shore has answered that call and taken that approach in the field he has recently entered.
“Why don’t you come try and do it the right way?” Meadows asks those who speak negatively of the profession. He said he sees that there are different viewpoints on the way the public and police see the profession, with both lacking some context.
“The best thing for our society is trying to bridge that gap,” he said.
Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2. | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2023/06/15/police-recruiting-a-challenge-in-new-environment-with-md-law-change/70322248007/ | 2023-06-15T23:17:56 | 1 | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2023/06/15/police-recruiting-a-challenge-in-new-environment-with-md-law-change/70322248007/ |
Driver dies in single-vehicle crash on Virginia Eastern Shore
One person is dead following a single vehicle car crash in Northampton County, according to Virginia State Police.
At approximately 5:31 a.m. on June 15, Virginia State Police Communications Center received a call for a single vehicle crash in front of 7187 Bayside Road in the Nassawadox area of Northampton County.
Preliminary investigations reveal that a 2010 Ford Edge was traveling southbound on Bayside Road, when the vehicle failed to navigate a curve. The vehicle ran off the road to the left and struck a tree, causing the vehicle to flip out of control, ejecting the driver and only occupant.
Due to there being no witnesses, it is unclear at what time exactly did the crash occur. The occupants of the nearby houses where the crash occurred were unaware of the crash. State police are also still attempting to identify the driver with the assistance of the medical examiner.
More:Assateague, Chincoteague parks get big boosts with federal funds. Here's what's in works.
More:No survivors found after plane that led to sonic boom crashes in Virginia | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2023/06/15/driver-dies-in-single-vehicle-crash-in-northampton-county/70326159007/ | 2023-06-15T23:18:02 | 0 | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2023/06/15/driver-dies-in-single-vehicle-crash-in-northampton-county/70326159007/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A former teacher for the USD 259 school district has been sentenced for aggravated indecent solicitation of a child.
According to the Office of the District Attorney (DA), 33-year-old Christin Covel from Tulsa has been sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for two counts of aggravated indecent solicitation of a child. She will be serving two years and 10 months for each count consecutively.
Her sentence includes lifetime post-release, and she must register as a sex offender for the rest of her life.
On Feb. 9, Covel pled no contest to the above crimes.
Last January, Covel was arrested in Tulsa, where she was working as a math teacher, and brought back to Wichita to face charges of three counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child and one count of unlawful sexual relations. The incidents happened between 2018 and 2019 but were not reported to the police until December 2021.
According to a probable cause affidavit released to KSN News on Jan. 18, 2022, the teen, who was attending Mead Middle School at the time, reported that Covel viewed their relationship as a “lover relationship” and that she became “touchy” and would text her scenarios on Snapchat about doing inappropriate things. A detective retrieved nearly 10,000 text messages from Snapchat of conversations between the two.
Covel is to turn herself into the Sedgwick County Jail on Monday morning. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/former-wichita-teacher-sentenced-for-aggravated-indecent-solicitation-of-a-child/ | 2023-06-15T23:22:38 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/former-wichita-teacher-sentenced-for-aggravated-indecent-solicitation-of-a-child/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. — Sara Boone, chief of Portland Fire & Rescue, will retire from the agency next month, according to a statement released Thursday.
Boone was appointed chief in 2019 by then-Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty following the abrupt resignation of Mike Myers from the role. Boone was both the first Black firefighter with PF&R and the first Black chief.
She joined the agency as a firefighter back in 1995, moving up the ranks in PF&R's Emergency Operations division and earning promotions to lieutenant, then captain, then battalion chief, followed by bureau safety chief. She also served as deputy chief of the Logistics/Management Services division and division chief of Medical Services & Training.
Boone's tenure as chief straddled the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest amid the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, record-breaking wildfires in Oregon and a mounting humanitarian crisis on Portland's streets.
“Together we have experienced some of the most challenging times in the history of Portland Fire,” said Boone in a statement. “Considering all that we’ve faced over the past four years, I couldn’t be prouder and more honored to have closed out my career by leading one of the nation’s premier fire agencies.”
Under Boone's leadership, the Portland Fire Bureau launched both the Community Health Assess & Treat program and took on Portland Street Response.
“As we bid farewell to Chief Sara Boone, let us acknowledge the formidable path she has walked for others to follow," said Commissioner Rene Gonzalez, who took over the Portland Fire Bureau from Hardesty. "Making history as Portland's first African American female fire chief, she has steered our fire bureau through the most difficult moments in living memory. To Chief Boone we extend our gratitude for her years of sacrifice and selfless commitment to the Portland Fire Bureau. As her duty comes to an end, a legacy of excellence and resilience remains.”
PF&R said that Gonzalez has named Ryan Gillespie as interim fire chief. He'll stay in the role until the new city administrator takes over Portland's agencies in 2025.
“No one is better prepared than Chief Gillespie to successfully lead the Fire Bureau into the City of Portland’s next phase," Gonzalez said. "We entrust Portland Fire & Rescue in his experienced and steady hands, knowing he will carry the torch of excellence forward with resolve and innovation.”
Gillespie has been with PF&R since 1998, working his way up from firefighter to division chief. Following Myers' retirement in 2019, Gillespie served as interim chief for six months until Boone's appointment.
Boone's retirement becomes effective July 12, according to PF&R. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-fire-rescue-chief-sara-boone-retires/283-05f7b3e9-efa3-45cc-8c10-bb0dbe0a1485 | 2023-06-15T23:29:56 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-fire-rescue-chief-sara-boone-retires/283-05f7b3e9-efa3-45cc-8c10-bb0dbe0a1485 |
Twenty-seven local nonprofits will receive funding from the Fort Wayne’s Community Development Block Grants to provide services for low- and moderate-income residents, the city announced today.
The city’s grant has made $470,000 available to help residents with shelter, basic needs, employment skills, youth development and language translation and interpretation, a news release said. Mayor Tom Henry made the announcement at Blue Jacket Inc., a nonprofit that offers pre-employment and job readiness training through the Blue Jacket Academy.
The city receives dollars from the Community Development Block Grant annually from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to fund activities that primarily benefit low- and moderate-income residents.
“Because of federal cuts to CDBG allocations over the past decade, many cities have stopped funding non-profit services,” a news release said. “Mayor Henry, however, continues his commitment to these services.”
Henry said in a statement that Fort Wayne is a people-focused community in which residents care about one another.
“We’re coming together to say that individuals and families matter,” Henry said. “Through collaborative efforts, we’re going to continue the positive momentum that we’ve been experiencing in our city. Our best days are ahead.”
The city uses a competitive application process to award the grants, a news release said. Volunteer committee members help score the applications and make recommendations on how to use the grant dollars.
The following nonprofits will receive grants this year:
• A Mother’s Hope, $30,000
• Blue Jacket Inc., $20,000
• Boys & Girls Clubs, $7,500
• Brightpoint, $20,000
• Building a Stronger Family, $15,000
• Catholic Charities, $20,000
• Circles of Allen County, $8,229
• Euell A. Wilson Center, $20,000
• Fort Wayne Urban League, $20,000
• Healthier Moms & Babies, $10,000
• Housing Opportunities Program, $53,243
• Just Neighbors, $30,000
• Language Services Network, $22,500
• The Lutheran Foundation Inc., $15,000
• Lutheran Social Services Inc., $15,000
• The Literacy Alliance, $14,000
• St. Joseph Missions Women’s Shelter, $30,000
• Vincent Village, $17,500
• Wellspring, $35,000
• YMCA, $10,000
• YWCA Northeast Indiana, $32,228 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/fort-wayne-announces-27-recipients-of-grants-to-help-low--and-moderate-income-residents/article_c6ec7ee0-0bba-11ee-8e54-2bda85b6bee5.html | 2023-06-15T23:30:41 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/fort-wayne-announces-27-recipients-of-grants-to-help-low--and-moderate-income-residents/article_c6ec7ee0-0bba-11ee-8e54-2bda85b6bee5.html |
A 78-year-old Fort Wayne man has been identified as the victim of a three-vehicle crash at Indiana 3 and Gump Road in Huntertown, the Allen County coroner's office said.
Michael Melvin Aker died accidentally Wednesday evening from multiple blunt-impact injuries because of a motor vehicle crash, and his death is the 18th in the county from traffic crashes so far this year, the coroner's office said in a statement.
Allen County Sheriff’s Department officers are investigating the 6 p.m. crash, which also injured two women.
Officers believe a SUV was traveling west on Gump Road when it collided with another SUV headed south. An idle car on the west side of the intersection was struck as well.
A man behind the wheel of the southbound SUV, later identified as Aker, was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but later died, police said.
They said the driver of the westbound SUV, a woman, and a woman passenger inside the southbound vehicle were taken to a hospital in serious condition.
The driver of the car was not hurt.
The crash remains under investigation by Allen County police, the county prosecutor's office and the coroner's office. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/victim-of-huntertown-crash-identified/article_8155e482-0ba3-11ee-9637-5b06115e6260.html | 2023-06-15T23:30:47 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/victim-of-huntertown-crash-identified/article_8155e482-0ba3-11ee-9637-5b06115e6260.html |
A Whitley County nonprofit plans to build a shelter capable of housing up to 50 people after receiving a $3.2 million grant stemming from the National Opioid Settlement.
Mission 25, an organization that works to lay out a path to {span}recovery, prevention and support,{/span} received the grant from Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Mental Health and Addiction, a news release said. The state division awarded $19 million in one-time funding to 30 projects across the state after receiving 78 proposals.
Douglas Huntsinger, state executive director for drug prevention, treatment and enforcement, said in a statement that real change happens at the local level.
Funding for the project came from the National Opioid Settlement. It will be administered by the Community Foundation of Whitley County under the Next Level Whitley County framework, a news release said.
Next Level Whitley County is a plan to improve identified problems with corrections, mental health, vocational training and ongoing support services in the county. The framework has identified needs, including a new shelter, according to a news release.
{span}“Next Level Whitley County has provided a map for improving mental health, therapeutic recovery services and vocational training – all of which filter down to creating a better way of life for the most vulnerable children and families in Whitley County,” September McConnell, CEO of the Community Foundation, said in the release.{/span}
{span}“Our accomplishments are the result of an unprecedented synergy – we have government leaders, judges, elected officials, educators, non-profit organizations, and private foundations all pulling in the same direction,” she added.{/span}
Mission 25 CEO Shawn Ellis said in a statement that the organization is looking forward to collaborating with the other groups.
“The Mission 25 Board of Directors and staff are excited to partner with the Community Foundation in building a trauma-informed space that will accommodate up to 50 individuals (single men and women and single parents with children),” Ellis said.
“With the continued support of our community, our 23-year-old organization will journey with individuals coming from hard places in providing a pathway for recovery, prevention and support, while fostering long-term success.”
Ellis anticipates the new shelter will be able to provide services as early as the end of 2024, the release said. Construction plans are in the works, and the nonprofit has secured a location for the shelter.
“The current building has served us for many years but age is taking its toll,” Ellis said. “We look forward to serving people in an environment that reflects the message that everyone is valued and deserving of care.” | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/whitley-county-nonprofit-plans-to-build-new-shelter-with-3-2-million-grant/article_885e8f66-0b9b-11ee-8eb6-5ff0f1350610.html | 2023-06-15T23:30:53 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/whitley-county-nonprofit-plans-to-build-new-shelter-with-3-2-million-grant/article_885e8f66-0b9b-11ee-8eb6-5ff0f1350610.html |
Originally published June 15 on IdahoEdNews.org.
Gov. Brad Little and state Superintendent Debbie Critchfield on Thursday announced a new history resource for Idaho schools, citing a need to combat a nationwide decline in history and civics scores.
Originally published June 15 on IdahoEdNews.org.
Gov. Brad Little and state Superintendent Debbie Critchfield on Thursday announced a new history resource for Idaho schools, citing a need to combat a nationwide decline in history and civics scores.
“It’s more important than ever that Idaho children learn the facts about American history,” Little said. “Our students must learn about the roots of our country, how America became the great country that it is today and understand the hope and opportunity that exists for future generations of America.”
Called “The Story of America,” the curriculum is intended as supplementary material for students in grades 8-12 — and marks the first time the state has directly provided learning resources to districts in this way.
“We know for many districts that the budgetary constraints that they have around purchasing new materials can be very difficult to overcome, and many of our districts rely upon supplemental levies to do that,” Critchfield said. “This is an opportunity not only to supply the curricula and the educational side, but also to relieve some burdens for the local taxpayers and patrons.”
Critchfield said the resource will support students’ knowledge of America while boosting literacy skills like writing, analyzing, evaluating, and presenting.
“These skills will help prepare our students to be strong American citizens, capable of self-government at the local, state, and national level.”
And the resource will help graduating seniors complete their civics exam, which is required to receive a diploma, Critchfield said.
“The Story of America” curriculum was created by leading experts in the field of American history, and was vetted and tested by the State Department of Education.
“This curriculum presents a picture of America that aligns with our Idaho values of embracing patriotism and a sense of pride about the success of our great country, and it teaches American history in a fair and factual way,” Little said in a press release.
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A receipt was sent to your email. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/governor-superintendent-announce-new-history-resource-for-idaho-schools/article_42abb944-0bc8-11ee-bce8-b32dfa5c28f6.html | 2023-06-15T23:33:01 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/governor-superintendent-announce-new-history-resource-for-idaho-schools/article_42abb944-0bc8-11ee-bce8-b32dfa5c28f6.html |
Originally published June 14 on KTVB.COM.
Nine months ago, a jury found a former Caldwell police lieutenant guilty of three federal felonies.
Joseph Hoadley was sentenced in February to three months in federal prison. His family said he's currently serving out that sentence in California.
Multiple letters given to the court supporting Hoadley weighed into the judge's sentencing; many of the letters were written by current and former elected officials and public figures.
Those letters were originally sealed, but KTVB fought to intervene in the case to get them unsealed.
Decades of friendship and professional partnerships were summed up in sentences considered in sentencing.
Among those who submitted letters supporting Hoadley: Canyon County Prosecutor Bryan Taylor; retired Caldwell Police Department chief Frank Wyant; Caldwell City Councilmen John McGee and Chris Allgood, who is also a legislator and former CPD chief; former Canyon County Sheriff Chris Smith and Caldwell Police Sgt. Scott Crupper.
In his letter to the court, Smith said: "Men like Joey Hoadley were part of the solution that transformed our community to the vibrant and popular destination that it is now."
Taylor's letter described Hoadley as, "a positive advocate for the city." He said, "Joey is not only an excellent police officer, he is a good person and friend."
Wyant, Hoadley's former chief, echoed other letters in asking the judge to consider the years of dedicated service and sacrifice Hoadley made over the past 20-plus years of law enforcement and community service. He said Hoadley had a positive impact on reducing crime in Caldwell.
"Please consider the impact this is having on him, and his son's lives. Joey is a great man, father and Christian role model to his son and many others," Wyant's letter reads. He is more than this case, more than what the media has tried to make him out to be."
Allgood told the court, "Joey was tough and professional; he was not abusive nor was he corrupt. He was asked to do an extremely tough and dangerous job and he did it exceptionally well. His actions played a large part in the reduction of violent crime and the improvement of public safety in Caldwell."
Sgt. Crupper said in his letter to the judge that he was surprised when Hoadley was charged with "a federal offense for conduct I knew for certain he did not do. Joey and I have talked about the situation often since then, and we both agreed that our justice system is designed to find the truth. Knowing that he is innocent of the charges, we both trusted that the truth would eventually prevail in the process as we had seen happen countless times before. Unfortunately, in Joey's case the truth was twisted like a pretzel and ended up looking like guilt."
Those excerpts are just some of what past and current public officials said about the former Caldwell police lieutenant in letters written to the court. Their letters stacked up among 65 letters written to influence a federal judge's sentencing of Hoadley after he was found guilty of falsifying a record in a federal investigation, tampering with a witness by harassment, and tampering with documents last September.
Criminal defense attorney Jeff Brownson, who has no connection to this case, said attorneys and defendants often ask for letters of support ahead of sentencing.
"I would not want to be judged based upon the worst decision or my worst act in life," Brownson said. "Most likely, all the judge knows about this person is the conduct that is subject to the trial or their admission of guilt, if they admitted to a crime. And a court typically wants to take in the whole picture of who they're sentencing. And one way to tell the court about who a person is, is to ask for and obtain letters of support by people who know him best, or her, best."
KTVB reached out to the authors of the letters for comment, but didn't hear back from any except Allgood when KTVB and Allgood talked briefly at a February city council meeting.
"My experience with Joey Hoadley was a positive one," Allgood told KTVB. "I did not have any reason to doubt his actions. My letter and my being [at sentencing] was based on my experience. I don't have any inside information — I didn't pay attention to the trial or anything like that."
Current Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue believes these public officials — both current and former — chose the wrong side.
"It sends the wrong message," Donahue said. "I haven't seen their letters. I haven't seen what they said. But the fact is, this was a problem. Obviously, there was a very thorough and lengthy investigation by the FBI, which I support."
"I disagree with them writing those letters. We don't get to pick, we don't get to choose, we need to stay neutral," Donahue added. "I don't care how long you've known the person, or how long he's worked for you."
All sentencing letters were originally sealed, but KTVB's attorneys asked the judge to unseal them.
KTVB's attorneys argued that the public has a right to know the "extent to which these officials support the former lieutenant convicted of federal crimes" and that access to the letters supports the functioning of our government, allowing citizens to be informed.
U.S. District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl unsealed some letters to promote transparency and integrity, agreeing the public has a strong interest in the use officials make of their positions of public trust.
When asked his perspective on a public official writing a letter of support for a law enforcement officer found guilty of three federal crimes, Brownson, the criminal defense attorney, said, "My personal opinion would be that a public officer should not lose their individual voice of who they choose to support or not support. Whether that comes from them individually or as the person with X office is a different question. That's an individual question for that person to answer. You know, if I were to write a letter of support — not that I'm a person of import — but whether that comes on my letterhead, or just a blank letter is probably a personal decision for me to make. But, in my personal opinion, public officials are just like you and I. They should be able to lend their support to friends, family, loved ones, when they feel appropriate."
"If it's simply. ... 'I've known this person for 35 years; here's how I know them. This is what I know them to be,' why shouldn't they be permitted to lend their support to somebody they care about?" Brownson added.
This isn't the first time a public official has written a letter of support for a convicted felon. Former Boise mayor Dave Bieter wrote a letter of support for a priest who pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in 2018.
Bieter said Thomas Faucher was a family friend for decades and his history and faith led him to have compassion for Faucher.
But Donahue feels public officials should be held to a higher standard.
"When you have this messaging that he's a cop, let's treat him a little bit differently, then you're breaking the system. And the people who've elected us or appointed or what have you, who trust in us, you have just vacated that trust," Donahue told KTVB.
Hoadley and his attorney are trying to appeal his conviction, meaning they want another court to review the case. KTVB will follow that process as it moves its way through the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
More from KTVB.COM: | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/multiple-public-officials-wrote-letters-of-support-for-ex-caldwell-police-lieutenant-convicted-of-federal/article_8e6bc566-0b98-11ee-8e44-4fab30250a53.html | 2023-06-15T23:33:08 | 1 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/multiple-public-officials-wrote-letters-of-support-for-ex-caldwell-police-lieutenant-convicted-of-federal/article_8e6bc566-0b98-11ee-8e44-4fab30250a53.html |
Originally published June 13 on IdahoEdNews.org.
Longtime Payette educator and administrator Rick Hale has been a principal without students — or a school — for the past year.
That’s all changed.
Through the fall and into spring, Hale watched concrete walkways between buildings poured, dormitories and a gymnasium built, carpets, flooring and sinks installed, a non-scalable security fence erected around the campus perimeter.
And on a recent hot, dusty afternoon, Hale smiled and announced that his classroom whiteboards were going in that day.
Hale was hired last summer as education director for a new charter school in Middleton that offers a unique public education model for kids who’ve experienced severe trauma.
“They were looking for someone to build it and lead it,” he said. “It was like it spoke to me.”
The 64-student Promise Academy school will be located on the campus of the Idaho Youth Ranch’s new Residential Center for Healing and Resilience, a residential treatment facility — which means 24-hour care — for kids ages 11-17 experiencing severe mental health and behavioral issues.
The charter school provides intensive treatment while they attend school, all on the same campus. It will serve grades 6-12 and is set to open in the fall with eight students. It is estimated that students will spend six to nine months in the program.
“In my 25 years in education, this was the first year in all that time that I haven’t had kids, teachers or classes to be in. So I’m really looking forward to having school again,” Hale said.
In order to heal these young people, the program needs to provide a very stable environment for a number of months, said Scott Curtis, CEO of Idaho Youth Ranch.
That means highly trained staff to meet their emotional needs and engaging them in academics immediately, Curtis said.
Often mental illness has caused them to be removed from public schools: a detention, suspension or expulsion, Hale said. They may suffer from disorders like depression, bipolar, oppositional defiance, post traumatic stress or suicidal feelings.
“We really have to get the resources and personnel to focus on them,” Hale said.
Educators and care staff will be part of one team, speaking the same language with the youth. Teachers and support staff will train in de-escalation techniques and incident management, just as the care team will train in areas of curriculum, assessment, instruction and classroom management, explained Susan Visser, director of Idaho Youth Ranch’s Hands of Promise Campus.
“We did a lot of in-depth work around both the residential program itself and also the school to come to the place where we are now,” she said.
The charter school’s authorizer is Middleton School District. Because it is a public school, the education is free but the treatment portion will be covered by Medicaid, private insurance or scholarships.
“There’s such a need, and there just are not enough places that can offer that kind of service. Being able to support something that provides that service for kids was tremendously important to us,” Middleton Superintendent Marc Gee said.
Because students come and go at all times of the year, the school must provide highly individualized instruction, assessing them when they arrive and providing them with their individualized education plan requirements and grade-level instruction.
For those who have fallen behind in their studies, “we’ll also have significant intervention resources available,” Hale said.
With over 250 acres surrounding the campus, the education experience will be hands-on. “This is not sitting in front of a computer. We’re going to be very involved with doing things, being outside, really finding out what the kids are interested in,” Hale said, like cooking, gardening, outdoor activities and working with animals.
Promise Academy will work closely with parents and guardians. The plan is to have family housing on-site, because families are part of the therapy and healing, he said.
“We’re all here for them. And whether they believe it or not, on day one we want to see them do great things,” Hale said.
IDAHO YOUTH RANCH’S HISTORY DATES BACK 70 YEARS
The Idaho Youth Ranch was founded in 1952 by Reverend James Crowe and Ruby Carey Crowe. President Harry Truman and Congress granted the Crowes the right to buy 2,560 acres in Rupert for $1 per acre per year for 25 years, with no interest. Eventually, the campus grew to include five large residential lodges, a full-size gymnasium, dining hall, education building, and riding arena.
In 2015, Idaho Youth Ranch decided to relocate the ranch facility from Rupert to a location closer to the state’s population center in the Treasure Valley. The same year, a 258-acre piece of property was purchased in Middleton to serve as the new ranch.
EDUCATION NONPROFITS, LOCAL FOUNDATIONS PLAY KEY ROLE
Bluum, a Boise-based nonprofit, has played an “instrumental role in the school’s development, from assisting with formation of the charter school to assistance and guidance as we prepared to hire our school leader,” said Jeff Myers, Idaho Youth Ranch vice-president for marketing and communications. “Bluum has brought invaluable expertise and support.”
Promise Academy also secured a competitive federal Charter School Program grant through Bluum.
Foundations like the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, as well as more than 500 individuals, helped cover the cost of construction, program design, and early staffing. The facility will open debt-free, Myers said.
Disclosure: Idaho Education News and Bluum are funded by grants from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/new-public-charter-in-canyon-county-provides-lifeline-for-students-with-severe-trauma/article_a706498c-0b04-11ee-9c25-233ac6010d6c.html | 2023-06-15T23:33:14 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/new-public-charter-in-canyon-county-provides-lifeline-for-students-with-severe-trauma/article_a706498c-0b04-11ee-9c25-233ac6010d6c.html |
It was a covert op at Jones School, in south Utica, today. Private First Class, Haden Ward, was hidden away in a room, while kindergarten graduates got ready for their moving up ceremony, Including PFC Ward's little sister, Liliana, whom he hadn't seen in six months.
"I was like, 'my sister's graduating, I need to go home. I need to get home. So I got a six-day pass, fought for it and now I'm here," said PFC Ward. "I was like, I missed enough. I'm not missing this."
The students filed into the gym to the sounds of Pomp & Circumstance. PFC Ward told us how "Operation Big Brother Surprise would go down.
"They're gonna be like 'we have a special guest all the way from the Second Airborne, yada yada, PFC Haden Ward.' I'm gonna walk out. I'm gonna do the Pledge of Allegiance. My mom's gonna scream, Lily's gonna be like "Oh, my God," said PFC Ward.
He was pretty close. They brought him on stage and mom's face said it all.
"I dropped my phone and I couldn't believe it. I'm like, 'my son!' and I tried to take a video and I couldn't," said Tamara Guminiak.
Before the ceremony, a pause for a hug between big brother and little graduate. He told her she did a good job and how cute she looked.
Big brother and all the graduates' families were treated to a few songs, diplomas were handed out, and graduate Liliana Guminiak got a special escort out of the gym, from big brother. The family reunited in the hallway. Mom was so happy. But not just for herself.
"For Liliana, because all she wanted was her brother to be home for her graduation. It was her big day and all she wanted was him," said Guminiak.
Asked if she was surprised, Liliana joyfully proclaimed, "Yes!"
Operation Big Brother Surprise: Mission accomplished. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/kindergarten-graduation-or-covert-op-soldier-surprises-little-sister-at-moving-up-ceremony/article_3eea0f00-0bc2-11ee-9e6c-bbf94756598a.html | 2023-06-15T23:35:29 | 1 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/kindergarten-graduation-or-covert-op-soldier-surprises-little-sister-at-moving-up-ceremony/article_3eea0f00-0bc2-11ee-9e6c-bbf94756598a.html |
BALITMORE — Instead of playing with dolls, these ladies are making them.
"I got this fascination with dolls," said Nikki Nichols-Ridgely.
Nichols-Ridgely is a paraprofessional for Baltimore County Schools, she decided to put her curiosity and crafting to a good cause.
"I need to build these girls up. I need to build these women up," Nichols-Ridgely said.
She reached out to her friend professor Gabrielle McLemore from Morgan State to help her with a very unique Juneteenth celebration.
"What I want out of this whole thing is for young women to feel comfortable using what we are providing, creating something beautiful. That's what it's about," McLemore said.
McLemore had already made two dolls of her own, so with her accessories and her pipe cleaner, she's lending a hand to help Nichols-Ridgley put on an African doll making workshop for Juneteenth.
"Once you secure it to the doll then you can start really building on it and shaping it which is what I did with these two," McLemore said.
Nichols-Ridgley is making her doll first, and this weekend when they make their dolls with their guests, they'll let them know they're encouraged to see themselves in their creations.
"Juneteenth is about community. It's about the elderly, it's about generational gaps that's what is going to be here," Nichols-Ridgely said.
In addition to making the dolls, they will also have live music and a Juneteenth cuisine Saturday at SoBotanical from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. for the holiday celebration.
"One of the best gifts us older ladies have to give to younger ladies is how freaking cool it is to be an older black lady. That's it," McLemore said. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/educators-use-crafting-culture-to-bring-communities-together-this-juneteenth | 2023-06-15T23:36:29 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/educators-use-crafting-culture-to-bring-communities-together-this-juneteenth |
ABERDEEN, Md. — A man accused of detonating explosives for weeks in an Aberdeen neighborhood has been apprehended, police say.
Around 3:30 a.m., officers responded to the area of South Rogers and James Street for reports of a loud explosion.
When they arrived, police noticed a discovered a huge crater near a wood line littered with Pokémon cards.
One of the officers recall arresting a man, 34-year-old Jeremiah Burnette, a few days before with a stack of Pokémon cards on his person.
Police also say that a citizen called Aberdeen Police the same day to report he had argued with Burnette, who allegedly ended the conversation with "boom." The same citizen said Burnett left a card on his front step a few days later.
The Pokémon cards and other evidence immediately linked Burnett to the explosion.
A search warrant was conducted at Burnette's home where police located several packages of Pokémon cards. Burnette was arrested shortly after.
While being questioned, Burnete admitted to investigators he was the one who detonated the devices, which were described as illegally manufactured explosive devices, commonly known as M-80's, which are federally banned.
Burnette gave no reasoning behind detonating the explosives, police say.
Officials also say there is no evidence of Burnette being affiliated with any group posing a threat to Homeland Security, and no injuries occurred during the explosions.
Burnette was charged with two counts of possessing a destructive device and two counts of using a destructive device.
He was taken to Harford County Detention Center and was released after posting a $10,000 personal unsecured bond. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/man-accused-of-detonating-homemade-explosives-identified-by-pokemon-cards | 2023-06-15T23:36:35 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/man-accused-of-detonating-homemade-explosives-identified-by-pokemon-cards |
BALTIMORE — The Red Line is back, at least the early stages are underway.
Governor Wes Moore announced the revitalization of the multi-billion dollar project that was scrapped by the previous administration this afternoon.
"We need to make sure that everyone in the region can get from where they live to where opportunity lies whether that’s in West Baltimore or East Baltimore County. Sticking together it is clear we are moving with an urgency our community demands and that our community needs," said Moore.
A lot of the details are still being worked out and this project is going to take a long time.
The governor set a timeline of late 2026 and early 2027 for construction to begin.
He won’t commit to either buses or light rail for the new red line though.
The funding is also an issue – right now the state has $100 million in the transportation budget not allocated to play with but this project will cost billions.
The governor did say he expects this project to be on time and on budget, also saying he wants to get this done during his administration which would put a limit of 2030 if he’s elected to a second term.
Governor Moore mentioned this project could’ve been done by now if it wasn’t scrapped by the previous one, millions of dollars of investment in West and East Baltimore were pulled from the city and county.
RELATED: Origins and History of the Red Line in Baltimore
“It was very clear and a message was sent that Baltimore was not going to be a priority, they weren’t going to be a priority," said Moore.
Now the Governor is making Baltimore’s transit issues a priority.
It’s going to take help from the federal government and local government to get this done. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/red-line-transit-project-revitalized-by-governor-wes-moore | 2023-06-15T23:36:41 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/red-line-transit-project-revitalized-by-governor-wes-moore |
BALTIMORE — Abandoned rowhomes fill a neighborhood in Harlem Park. It's a community that once was thriving and now thanks to one nonprofit, it will be made whole again.
A ribbon cutting took place Thursday evening for two rehabilitated homes. It's a dream come true, not only for Bree Jones who started the nonprofit ‘Parity’ that is revitalizing the rowhomes in Harlem Park, but also the people who get to buy them to call it home.
Jones says her approach is rehabilitating abandoned properties to create affordable homeownership for local residents.
She does this by working with future residents, getting them mortgage ready to qualify for a home, while also keeping the price at an affordable range.
These homes start at $260,000 for a five bedroom home.
This is the first two rowhomes of 96 in the Harlem Park that Parity is looking to rehabilitate.
Ako Boyd is one of the two owners of the newly rehabbed rowhome. His first walkthrough was Thursday.
He says he watched his new home be transformed from a boarded up, crumbled lot to a house of his dreams and hopes to inspire others.
"There's a bad stigma with the city in general and then with West Baltimore, and hopefully I can show that it's ok to live over here and with me kind of taking that leap, hopefully others will see oh ok you know what I see, what it used to look like, and I want to be apart of that too. I look at this like a lighthouse when you're at sea and you see that beacon of light and you keep pressing forward,” said Boyd.
All homes are pre-sold, and Parity is looking to rehab 200 homes total in Baltimore over the next few years. There are over 600 people on the waitlist for one of those.
The future Parity homes have flags above them in the Harlem Park neighborhood.
Jones says construction on the next five homes will start July 1. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/two-families-get-the-keys-to-their-new-rehabilitated-homes-in-harlem-park | 2023-06-15T23:36:47 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/two-families-get-the-keys-to-their-new-rehabilitated-homes-in-harlem-park |
They finally did it. Now can they do it again?
That’s what coach Tyrone Johnson and the Flagstaff Eagles girls basketball team is in the early process of figuring out after the team won its first championship in over 30 years in March.
The Eagles went 21-3 (12-0 Grand Canyon) and defeated Pueblo in Phoenix on March 2 to secure the 4A Conference title.
They are returning much of the talented roster that allowed them to reach the summit, including five of their six top scorers. Many of the girls are now defending a title -- and even were part of the runner-up finish in 2022.
Now the process of readying for the winter season begins. And Flagstaff is coming from an unfamiliar -- though encouraging -- spot.
“My whole goal was to not have anybody get complacent after last year,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to start it all over, and it’s not going to be easy, because of where we’re coming from. We’ve got a target on our backs now.”
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The Eagles have, like much of Arizona, taken to the June preseason period to form their new team identity by playing a slew of tournaments and exhibition games.
Flagstaff will undoubtedly play its signature style of press defense, allowing steals and stops to dictate a fast offense that creates easy baskets for a roster that does not possess a ton of length.
After the offseason, several of the players have competed with different AAU teams or participated in other sports for the Eagles. This June schedule of competition, Johnson said, is a chance for them to reapply the lessons they’ve learned while playing in green and white.
“The girls want to step up and be able to contribute. And a lot of girls are coming back from their clubs into our team in June, and the difference is the style of play. So getting them back into the rhythm and flow is what we’re trying to do,” he said, “and then we have to do it all over again in November.”
Flagstaff has seen a strong start. In the first weekend of June, the Eagles won a tournament at Casteel High School in Queen Creek. They were victorious over several solid 5A opponents along the way. They defeated 5A state tournament quarterfinalist Williams Field in the championship round.
The Eagles played 23 girls at some point during the tournament, allowing several players to compete at the varsity level for the first time. Johnson tightened the rotation, just like he might in the regular season and state tournament, in bracket play. The resulting championship was a pleasant moment to begin the summer.
“That felt more real when bracket play started, so the girls locked in and we beat some good teams,” Johnson said.
Then the Eagles went 4-1 in an event hosted at Flagstaff High School over the weekend, losing only to a Rez Bombers club team that has played together for several months since the high school season ended.
Flagstaff gets a win in its home exhibition tournament, beating Winslow 46-40 pic.twitter.com/jUzACK1dkf
— Eric Newman (@enewmanwrites) June 10, 2023
Even the girls vying for spots on the JV and freshman teams, playing in the competition as “Flagstaff Green” and “Flagstaff White,” went 3-2 against quality competition.
In all, Flagstaff’s had more than 40 kids in summer play. The sheer number of players vying for spots at different levels is encouraging.
It’s needed, too. Though the Eagles are returning several talented athletes, they will have to make up for the production of graduate Sage Begay -- who averaged 11.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists last season and was named the Arizona Daily Sun's girls basketball athlete of the year -- along with a handful of other recent graduates.
And many of the returners are looking to make their own impact and stamp on the program while competing for playing time and production when the actual season begins. That’s keeping the team fresh as the journey begins anew.
“There’s a lot of people excited to be part of the program. On days it can be grueling to have all these games and practices, it’s good to have that energy,” Johnson said.
Flagstaff will compete in Section 7, Arizona’s biggest summer exhibition tournament, that began Friday in Glendale at State Farm Stadium, among other competitions for the rest of June.
The Eagles’ official season begins Nov. 16 in Flagstaff against Seton Catholic Prep. | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/fhs-girls-hoops-begins-early-stages-of-title-defense/article_0f5c564e-0bb8-11ee-9cd9-ebbf4d727d52.html | 2023-06-15T23:37:22 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/fhs-girls-hoops-begins-early-stages-of-title-defense/article_0f5c564e-0bb8-11ee-9cd9-ebbf4d727d52.html |
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL)- Earlier this month, Sullivan County investigators told the public they had identified a suspect in the murder of Floyd ‘Otis’ Turner. Don Turner, Floyd’s brother, said he is grateful to have a name behind his brother’s death.
“I’m glad they’ve brought it to a head,” said Turner.
Floyd was found slumped over in his car under the Interstate 81 bridge in 1984. Almost 40 years later, Johnny Barb, who has since passed away, has been named as a suspect in the case.
Don said that having this knowledge is a huge accomplishment.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Turner. “I don’t know how to express it. It’s just hard going on 40 years and then it gets solved.”
While Don is grateful for the name, he still wishes he had more answers.
“That’s one thing I’d like to get closure to. Why it was him? Why he’d done it?”
Don said that if his brother was still alive, there’s one thing he’d want him to know.
“I didn’t stop,” Turner said. “I kept on it and checked with them and finally got some results.”
Don expressed his thanks to everyone who has worked beside him to solve this case and is especially grateful to former Detective Strickler and Detectives Cassidy and Clemmons. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/brother-of-sullivan-co-cold-case-victim-speaks-out-after-suspect-ided/ | 2023-06-15T23:37:37 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/brother-of-sullivan-co-cold-case-victim-speaks-out-after-suspect-ided/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — It blew up last July – public concern about how Johnson City police handle sexual assault cases in the wake of a lawsuit filed against the city.
The city quickly hired a consultant to review the department’s practices, and while Eric Daigle’s full report isn’t back yet, Johnson City’s first budget since then reflects some of his findings. City Manager Cathy Ball reviewed those changes Thursday morning ahead of final budget passage later that night.
“The recommendations we’re getting from the consultant are being taken very seriously, to the point that…if you look at the dollar figure that the staff is recommending and the City Commission is considering, it’s a significant amount of money to improve that process,” Ball said.
One place new dollars are headed is to a digital forensics staffer – something that’s previously been contracted.
“We’ve found it to be more efficient if we had those resources on site and we were able to bring somebody on board that specifically could analyze cellphone data, computers, any kind of information video that we had captured and be able to work with it in a better way to help our investigation.”
Another $265,000 is earmarked for cameras on downtown smart poles.
“We’re able to capture video,” Ball said. “Anything that happens specifically in the nature of trying to make sure we’re able to solve crimes, we’re able to get ahead of situations that may occur. Those cameras will be live…they will be a great safety feature for our downtown.”
Ball says more than $1 million in new police department funding goes beyond just the recommendations from Daigle and includes more training and higher investigator pay – as well as a new public information officer position.
“I am very confident that we have a new command staff that understands our community and wants to provide the highest level of service,” Ball said, referring to recently promoted Chief Billy Church and a slate of veteran officers who have been promoted to other high-ranking positions.
She said reaching that level of service clearly requires resources on the labor and equipment sides.
“Paying people what they need to be paid in order for us to be able to hire folks and retain them, but also in the way of technology and training to be able to do their job.
“So it’s a matter of building a system together that provides the best service and that folks have confidence in, and I am 100% confident we’re on that path and that we have all the right people in place for that to happen.”
Specifically related to the Daigle Law Group report, the city is investing $100,000 more for training than it did this fiscal year for a total of $208,000.
It’s adding $100,000 to increase pay for criminal investigations division officers who commit to at least five years in the department. They’ll receive 10% raises as opposed to the previous 3%.
The forensics analyst is an $85,000 cost, including new software, while the city is also putting $50,000 toward a new records management system.
Outside the Daigle report recommendations, $50,000 is earmarked for the Child Advocacy Center and $357,000 for additional body cameras.
The city will spend $100,000 to renovate the now-empty jail to make space for records and evidence and will put $200,000 toward a $1.2 million improvement to downtown crosswalk lighting.
Additionally, 10 cents of a 25-cent property tax increase is going to augment budgets at the 911 center ($1.3 million) and EMS ($1.5 million).
The city will also hire a public information officer specifically for the police department, Ball said.
“When there is an event that occurs we want the public to know what the public can know about it,” she said.
“They can’t know everything because we have to protect the integrity (of an investigation), but being able to have somebody on the scene that can talk to the media, say what we can say (and) be able to reach out and answer questions faster.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-city-beefs-up-police-funding-in-new-budget/ | 2023-06-15T23:37:43 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-city-beefs-up-police-funding-in-new-budget/ |
HAWKINS COUNTY, Tenn. (WJHL) – June 15, 2023 marks two years to the day that Summer Wells was reported missing from her family’s home on Ben Hill Road in Hawkins County.
Dozens of searches, hundreds of tips and countless hours of searching and investigating have yielded no new details in the search for Summer. Two years later, the AMBER Alert for Summer remains active.
News Channel 11 has covered the entirety of the ongoing search and has provided a timeline of the past two years below from the most recent developments down to the day Summer was reported missing:
June 15, 2023
The search for Summer Wells hit the two-year mark with no arrests or new details announced by authorities.
June 14, 2023
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released an age-progressed photo of Summer Wells, who would be 7 years old at the time.
Feb. 21, 2023
The Hawkins County Chancery Court declared that the entirety of the Summer Wells Reward Fund will be given to the Child Advocacy Center of the Third Judicial District. The reward fund totaled $40,365.73.
Feb. 2, 2023
Don Wells, the father of Summer Wells, spoke out for the first time after being released from jail. Don Wells was jailed after pleading guilty to an October 2021 DUI arrest, which violated his probation.
Oct. 31, 2022
Don Wells was released from jail in the early morning hours. While he was in jail, Don Wells released several letters. Some were addressed to Summer, while others were directed toward who he called her kidnappers.
June 15, 2022
A vigil is held in Kingsport to mark one year since Summer was reported missing.
The TBI released a FAQ sheet answering questions aimed at the agency while the search for Summer remained ongoing. Among the answered questions were inquiries as to whether Summer was abducted, which places had been searched and what evidence had been collected.
March 1, 2022
Candus Harer, Summer’s maternal grandmother, spoke with News Channel 11 in her first on-camera interview since Summer’s disappearance. She recounted the day of Summer’s disappearance and the last time she saw her granddaughter.
Feb. 7, 2022
Don Wells pleaded guilty to his DUI charge.
Dec. 1, 2021
A two-day search in the Beech Creek community results in what the TBI described as “no significant developments.” The search took place in the winter, six months after Summer was reported missing, and investigators said they’d hoped the more bare foliage may aid in the search.
Nov. 11-12, 2021
Summer’s parents, Candus Bly and Don Wells, appeared on the Dr. Phil show. Dr. Phil was also joined by body language experts Greg Hartley and Scott Rouse.
Oct. 30, 2021
Don Wells is arrested on a DUI charge.
July 26, 2021
Don Wells confirmed that he and Candus Bly’s sons had been removed from their custody by the Department of Children’s Services.
June 15, 2021
Summer Wells is reported missing from her home in the Beech Creek community by a family member. Her disappearance prompts ground searches that utilize multiple organizations and methods. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/summer-wells-tn/2-years-later-timeline-of-the-search-for-summer-wells/ | 2023-06-15T23:37:49 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/summer-wells-tn/2-years-later-timeline-of-the-search-for-summer-wells/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital has a new tool to offer the least invasive surgical care for patients.
The new robot, called “Da Vinci S.P.” can help treat throat cancer with better imaging, and smaller cuts during surgery.
Ultimately, the technology shortens recovery times and significantly increases patient comfort.
“This allows us to reach difficult spaces like the back of the throat has been extraordinarily challenging to get to and back in the day we had to offer some pretty morbid surgeries to reach it surgically,” Patrick Carpenter, a surgeon with Carilion said.
Roanoke Memorial performed its first procedure with the new Da Vinci S.P. in May. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/carilion-roanoke-memorial-hospital-offers-new-tool-for-minimally-invasive-procedures/ | 2023-06-15T23:38:58 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/carilion-roanoke-memorial-hospital-offers-new-tool-for-minimally-invasive-procedures/ |
Heads up! Changes are coming to this year’s James River Batteau Festival.
The 38th annual event is one of the largest living history reenactments in the country.
This year, because water levels on the James River are extremely low, the Batteau’s won’t be stopping at Percival’s Island for a launch celebration.
They want to get a head start downriver and get to the next destination safely before dark.
You can still cheer them on at River Edge Park if you get there by 8 a.m. Saturday.
The festival pays tribute to the special boats used to transport goods to and from Richmond back in the 1700s — they were designed and patented by two brothers from Amherst County. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/changes-coming-to-james-river-batteau-festival/ | 2023-06-15T23:39:04 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/changes-coming-to-james-river-batteau-festival/ |
LYNCHBURG, Va. – In the face of grief, the Lynchburg community is rallying together to fight gun violence.
It’s been over a month since 6-year-old Kingston Campbell was shot and killed while playing video games in bed.
Police released this surveillance video from the night it happened, but still no arrests have been made.
10 News is working for you to explain how people are coming together to keep kids safe after this senseless tragedy.
On Thursday, the Peacemakers, police, and Kingston’s family stood together to show they won’t stand for violence in their neighborhood.
“I hurt. I hurt”
A pain Christopher Campbell lives with every day after his 6-year-old son Kingston was shot and killed back in May.
[RELATED: Reward fund launched to help find suspects who killed Lynchburg child]
“The world keeps spinning … I got two other daughters to take care of … Kingston on my mind every day.”
Kingston’s tragic death united a grieving community determined to prevent more gun violence.
On Thursday, the Lynchburg Peacemakers announced their newest effort to fight gun violence: the Safe Streets initiative.
President Shawn Hunter said that thanks to $1,100 in community donations from Diamond Hill Baptist Church, they were able to buy six surveillance cameras, which will be strategically placed along Floyd Street where the deadly shooting happened.
“If they are doing something criminal … helps reduce crime … electronic eyes or human eyes ... doing devilish deeds.”
Lynchburg Police Chief Ryan Zuidema couldn’t release any new details about the investigation but said police are continuing to follow leads.
“We’re continuing to comb through evidence. Our continued plea ... need to come forward, they need to step up. If this was your child, you’d absolutely want someone to come forward,” he said.
Campbell called on the community to act.
“You know, somebody needs to come forth. Can’t have any murderers running loose in our city and killing no kids,” Campbell said.
The Peacemakers are still collecting donations to buy more surveillance cameras.
Citizens who want one can contact the Peacemakers. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/i-hurt-kingston-campbells-father-speaks-out-calls-on-lynchburg-community-to-act/ | 2023-06-15T23:39:10 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/i-hurt-kingston-campbells-father-speaks-out-calls-on-lynchburg-community-to-act/ |
LEXINGTON, Va. – A memorial to remember and honor the families who lost a loved one in the line of duty.
That’s the purpose of Gold Star Family Memorials.
Lexington will soon be home to one, thanks to efforts by Jaden Keuhner.
10 News first introduced you to Keuhner in March, when he started spearheading the effort to bring a memorial to Lexington at Jordan’s Point Park.
In a record-breaking 89 days, Keunher met and surpassed his fundraising goal of $60,000.
“It feels so amazing that I have so many people backing the plan and the project. And I can rely on these people to help build something that is so important to the community,” he said.
Gold Star Family memorials honor those who have lost a loved one in the line of duty.
The Lexington memorial will honor two hometown heroes in particular, Chase Prasnicki and Andrew Ross, both were from Rockbridge County and paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
“You know my son is gone, he’s not with us. He’s not here to necessarily receive the honor. But for us as a family to know the community cares enough,” Andrew Ross’ father, Stephen Ross said. “This initiative by the Keuhners and the other donors who have stepped up, it shows just how wholesome and patriotic the community is.”
The Woody Williams Foundation is the one behind the 127 Gold Star Family Memorials across the country.
This one in Lexington will be the fourth memorial in Virginia. Others are located in Chesapeake, Lovettsville, and Bedford.
“It’s more or less for those families and for them to have closure. And for us to be able to support them,” Woody Williams Foundation Director of Programs, Alex Nauert said.
Keuhner plans on having the Lexington memorial complete and a dedication ceremony on September 24, which is nationally recognized as Gold Star Family Day.
“Building these memorials and honoring these families is something really cool and special to me that I think we are able to help honor, not just one family but as many families as possible,” Keuhner said. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/lexington-gold-star-family-memorial-surpasses-fundraising-goal-in-record-breaking-amount-of-time/ | 2023-06-15T23:39:16 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/lexington-gold-star-family-memorial-surpasses-fundraising-goal-in-record-breaking-amount-of-time/ |
Two candidates who battled each other in court are battling for your votes for the 47th House of Delegates seat which represents Carroll, Floyd, Henry, and Patrick counties and the City of Galax.
“I did not do anything intentionally to Marie March,” Delegate Wren Williams said.
It’s a battle fought in the courtroom after a Republican fundraiser in Wytheville last fall.
“I don’t know if he’s lost his mind or what doing that in front of people,” March said.
There is body cam footage from Wytheville police after March accused Williams of bumping into her.
However, the judge found Williams not guilty, and the two candidates are battling again, this time for your votes.
“I believe those results will be displayed in the winning margin in our re-election,” Williams said.
10 News made several attempts to hear from March but have not heard back and according to her website, she wants to help the local economy.
In part, she said, “I will work to eliminate wasteful government spending and ensure your tax dollars are handled with care – not spent to enforce gun control or fund abortion.”
“My personal belief and most of my constituents is life begins at conception,” March said last year to 10 News.
An issue Williams wants to address is if elected, is better infrastructure in rural communities.
“We have crumbling water pipes and sewer as well as school systems, we have been fighting in this area for a long time,” Williams said. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/march-and-williams-face-off-in-gop-primary-for-house-of-delegates/ | 2023-06-15T23:39:23 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/15/march-and-williams-face-off-in-gop-primary-for-house-of-delegates/ |
Bowl for the Cure hit a strike for Franciscan Health Foundation’s Cancer Care Fund.
The Michigan City United States Bowling Congress Bowling Association's recent fundraiser raised $16,735 for the Franciscan Health Foundation’s Michigan City Mammography Department/Breast Cancer Fund. The money will go to help breast cancer patients at the Franciscan Health Breast Care Center in Michigan City.
It will specifically go to give breast cancer patients receiving treatment there comfort bags with blankets, journals and other resources. It will help those struggling financially with supermarket gift cards, gas cards and other assistance.
The Michigan City United States Bowling Congress Bowling Association has raised more than $100,000 for Franciscan Health Michigan City through its annual bowling fundraising since 2008.
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This year's donation is the biggest so far.
“We are so grateful to this amazing team who works tirelessly to put on this event year after year and we appreciate their commitment to supporting our breast cancer patients in this very special way,” said Franciscan Health Foundation Director of Development Debbie Tatum.
For more information, call 219-661-3404 or visit www.franciscanhealth.org.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
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219 News Now 5/19/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Unbeatable Eatables, DRIPBaR Crown Point, Taco Depot and Flashback Antiques open; Da Burger House closes
Major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital 'a victory for East Chicago'
EAST CHICAGO — A major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital is being hailed as a victory for East Chicago.
The long-standing hospital in the Indiana Harbor neighborhood landed a $1.5 million federal grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration to improve health care access for people who are medically vulnerable or underinsured.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan helped line up the money and helped announce the investment.
"Today is a victory for the residents of East Chicago because it's access to health care," he said. "I was born at St. Catherine Hospital. My grandparents were taken here. My mom and dad were cared for here. My sister was a candy striper here and went on to become a nurse practitioner for Northwestern. This was and still is an anchor for the community."
East Chicago leaders were concerned about the hospital's future after Franciscan Health decided to close the similarly aged former St. Margaret Hospital in neighboring Hammond, Northwest Indiana's most populous city.
"They wanted to make sure the safety-net hospital continued," he said. "What today is about is assuring the city of East Chicago and every resident that St. Catherine is thriving and investing in new technology that gives them access to care equal to anywhere around the world. This is an investment in East Chicago itself, and it allows the residents to understand they have access to quality care here in the city."
When Mrvan was North Township trustee, he often heard complaints from residents that they didn't have access to care.
"This is a safety-net hospital. That means it takes care of the most vulnerable populations," he said. "This technology is the gold standard for Northwest Indiana. It's the same technology you would have in the city of Chicago, but it's right here in East Chicago. The hospital is working to provide world-class health care. As a congressman, I will listen to your concerns and try to provide access to health care, the best technology and the best for East Chicago."
St. Catherine CEO Leo Correa said the hospital continues to provide advanced technology to East Chicago and surrounding communities.
"St. Catherine Hospital is committed to ensuring that our community has state-of-the-art cardiac care close to home," Correa said. "It's a well-known fact that in the 1960s, St. Catherine Hospital became the choice facility in the Chicagoland area for the treatment of heart disease, performing the first open-heart surgery in Northwest Indiana. And today, we continue to invest in cardiac care and treating heart disease."
The hospital will install an Azurion 7 C20 Catalyst table, an image-guided therapy system that provides high-quality images with low doses of X-rays. Philips Healthcare is installing the new technology in its cath lab, which is undergoing a multiphase modernization project.
It will allow for precision diagnosis and treatment for patients. The new technology can capture uncommon angiography views, provide real-time 3-D impressions for complex vascular interventions and better visualize stent and balloon placement in coronary arteries.
"Our patients and clinicians benefit from the fast procedure times, reduced radiation exposure and superior image quality of this new technology," said Mary Miller, director of Cardiovascular Services.
St. Catherine Hospital has long placed an emphasis on cardiac care while serving the community for nearly a century, Correa said.
"During that time, we built a reputation for providing unparalleled cardiac care," he said. "That did not happen by chance. That's the result of an intentional investment in top health care providers and resources.
"We have fortified a culture of excellence in cardiac care by continuing to invest in skilled specialists and technologies to diagnose and treat heart disease. St. Catherine, along with our fellow hospitals in Community Healthcare System, Community Hospital in Munster and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, operates one of the largest and most advanced cardiovascular programs in Northwest Indiana. Our hospitals are certified chest-pain centers that are fully accredited by the Joint Commission or the American College of Cardiology.
"Every day, highly skilled cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, electrophysiologic and cardiac support staff walk through our doors and use their expertise to treat patients who put their trust in us."
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
Open
Open
Closed
Renovated
New mural
Opening
Opening
Coming soon
Coming soon
Expanded
Expanded
219 News Now 5/19/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Unbeatable Eatables, DRIPBaR Crown Point, Taco Depot and Flashback Antiques open; Da Burger House closes
Major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital 'a victory for East Chicago'
EAST CHICAGO — A major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital is being hailed as a victory for East Chicago.
The long-standing hospital in the Indiana Harbor neighborhood landed a $1.5 million federal grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration to improve health care access for people who are medically vulnerable or underinsured.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan helped line up the money and helped announce the investment.
"Today is a victory for the residents of East Chicago because it's access to health care," he said. "I was born at St. Catherine Hospital. My grandparents were taken here. My mom and dad were cared for here. My sister was a candy striper here and went on to become a nurse practitioner for Northwestern. This was and still is an anchor for the community."
East Chicago leaders were concerned about the hospital's future after Franciscan Health decided to close the similarly aged former St. Margaret Hospital in neighboring Hammond, Northwest Indiana's most populous city.
"They wanted to make sure the safety-net hospital continued," he said. "What today is about is assuring the city of East Chicago and every resident that St. Catherine is thriving and investing in new technology that gives them access to care equal to anywhere around the world. This is an investment in East Chicago itself, and it allows the residents to understand they have access to quality care here in the city."
When Mrvan was North Township trustee, he often heard complaints from residents that they didn't have access to care.
"This is a safety-net hospital. That means it takes care of the most vulnerable populations," he said. "This technology is the gold standard for Northwest Indiana. It's the same technology you would have in the city of Chicago, but it's right here in East Chicago. The hospital is working to provide world-class health care. As a congressman, I will listen to your concerns and try to provide access to health care, the best technology and the best for East Chicago."
St. Catherine CEO Leo Correa said the hospital continues to provide advanced technology to East Chicago and surrounding communities.
"St. Catherine Hospital is committed to ensuring that our community has state-of-the-art cardiac care close to home," Correa said. "It's a well-known fact that in the 1960s, St. Catherine Hospital became the choice facility in the Chicagoland area for the treatment of heart disease, performing the first open-heart surgery in Northwest Indiana. And today, we continue to invest in cardiac care and treating heart disease."
The hospital will install an Azurion 7 C20 Catalyst table, an image-guided therapy system that provides high-quality images with low doses of X-rays. Philips Healthcare is installing the new technology in its cath lab, which is undergoing a multiphase modernization project.
It will allow for precision diagnosis and treatment for patients. The new technology can capture uncommon angiography views, provide real-time 3-D impressions for complex vascular interventions and better visualize stent and balloon placement in coronary arteries.
"Our patients and clinicians benefit from the fast procedure times, reduced radiation exposure and superior image quality of this new technology," said Mary Miller, director of Cardiovascular Services.
St. Catherine Hospital has long placed an emphasis on cardiac care while serving the community for nearly a century, Correa said.
"During that time, we built a reputation for providing unparalleled cardiac care," he said. "That did not happen by chance. That's the result of an intentional investment in top health care providers and resources.
"We have fortified a culture of excellence in cardiac care by continuing to invest in skilled specialists and technologies to diagnose and treat heart disease. St. Catherine, along with our fellow hospitals in Community Healthcare System, Community Hospital in Munster and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, operates one of the largest and most advanced cardiovascular programs in Northwest Indiana. Our hospitals are certified chest-pain centers that are fully accredited by the Joint Commission or the American College of Cardiology.
"Every day, highly skilled cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, electrophysiologic and cardiac support staff walk through our doors and use their expertise to treat patients who put their trust in us."
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
Open
Open
Closed
Renovated
New mural
Opening
Opening
Coming soon
Coming soon
Expanded
Expanded
219 News Now 5/19/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Unbeatable Eatables, DRIPBaR Crown Point, Taco Depot and Flashback Antiques open; Da Burger House closes
Major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital 'a victory for East Chicago'
EAST CHICAGO — A major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital is being hailed as a victory for East Chicago.
The long-standing hospital in the Indiana Harbor neighborhood landed a $1.5 million federal grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration to improve health care access for people who are medically vulnerable or underinsured.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan helped line up the money and helped announce the investment.
"Today is a victory for the residents of East Chicago because it's access to health care," he said. "I was born at St. Catherine Hospital. My grandparents were taken here. My mom and dad were cared for here. My sister was a candy striper here and went on to become a nurse practitioner for Northwestern. This was and still is an anchor for the community."
East Chicago leaders were concerned about the hospital's future after Franciscan Health decided to close the similarly aged former St. Margaret Hospital in neighboring Hammond, Northwest Indiana's most populous city.
"They wanted to make sure the safety-net hospital continued," he said. "What today is about is assuring the city of East Chicago and every resident that St. Catherine is thriving and investing in new technology that gives them access to care equal to anywhere around the world. This is an investment in East Chicago itself, and it allows the residents to understand they have access to quality care here in the city."
When Mrvan was North Township trustee, he often heard complaints from residents that they didn't have access to care.
"This is a safety-net hospital. That means it takes care of the most vulnerable populations," he said. "This technology is the gold standard for Northwest Indiana. It's the same technology you would have in the city of Chicago, but it's right here in East Chicago. The hospital is working to provide world-class health care. As a congressman, I will listen to your concerns and try to provide access to health care, the best technology and the best for East Chicago."
St. Catherine CEO Leo Correa said the hospital continues to provide advanced technology to East Chicago and surrounding communities.
"St. Catherine Hospital is committed to ensuring that our community has state-of-the-art cardiac care close to home," Correa said. "It's a well-known fact that in the 1960s, St. Catherine Hospital became the choice facility in the Chicagoland area for the treatment of heart disease, performing the first open-heart surgery in Northwest Indiana. And today, we continue to invest in cardiac care and treating heart disease."
The hospital will install an Azurion 7 C20 Catalyst table, an image-guided therapy system that provides high-quality images with low doses of X-rays. Philips Healthcare is installing the new technology in its cath lab, which is undergoing a multiphase modernization project.
It will allow for precision diagnosis and treatment for patients. The new technology can capture uncommon angiography views, provide real-time 3-D impressions for complex vascular interventions and better visualize stent and balloon placement in coronary arteries.
"Our patients and clinicians benefit from the fast procedure times, reduced radiation exposure and superior image quality of this new technology," said Mary Miller, director of Cardiovascular Services.
St. Catherine Hospital has long placed an emphasis on cardiac care while serving the community for nearly a century, Correa said.
"During that time, we built a reputation for providing unparalleled cardiac care," he said. "That did not happen by chance. That's the result of an intentional investment in top health care providers and resources.
"We have fortified a culture of excellence in cardiac care by continuing to invest in skilled specialists and technologies to diagnose and treat heart disease. St. Catherine, along with our fellow hospitals in Community Healthcare System, Community Hospital in Munster and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, operates one of the largest and most advanced cardiovascular programs in Northwest Indiana. Our hospitals are certified chest-pain centers that are fully accredited by the Joint Commission or the American College of Cardiology.
"Every day, highly skilled cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, electrophysiologic and cardiac support staff walk through our doors and use their expertise to treat patients who put their trust in us."
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
Open
Open
Closed
Renovated
New mural
Opening
Opening
Coming soon
Coming soon
Expanded
Expanded
219 News Now 5/19/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Unbeatable Eatables, DRIPBaR Crown Point, Taco Depot and Flashback Antiques open; Da Burger House closes
Major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital 'a victory for East Chicago'
EAST CHICAGO — A major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital is being hailed as a victory for East Chicago.
The long-standing hospital in the Indiana Harbor neighborhood landed a $1.5 million federal grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration to improve health care access for people who are medically vulnerable or underinsured.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan helped line up the money and helped announce the investment.
"Today is a victory for the residents of East Chicago because it's access to health care," he said. "I was born at St. Catherine Hospital. My grandparents were taken here. My mom and dad were cared for here. My sister was a candy striper here and went on to become a nurse practitioner for Northwestern. This was and still is an anchor for the community."
East Chicago leaders were concerned about the hospital's future after Franciscan Health decided to close the similarly aged former St. Margaret Hospital in neighboring Hammond, Northwest Indiana's most populous city.
"They wanted to make sure the safety-net hospital continued," he said. "What today is about is assuring the city of East Chicago and every resident that St. Catherine is thriving and investing in new technology that gives them access to care equal to anywhere around the world. This is an investment in East Chicago itself, and it allows the residents to understand they have access to quality care here in the city."
When Mrvan was North Township trustee, he often heard complaints from residents that they didn't have access to care.
"This is a safety-net hospital. That means it takes care of the most vulnerable populations," he said. "This technology is the gold standard for Northwest Indiana. It's the same technology you would have in the city of Chicago, but it's right here in East Chicago. The hospital is working to provide world-class health care. As a congressman, I will listen to your concerns and try to provide access to health care, the best technology and the best for East Chicago."
St. Catherine CEO Leo Correa said the hospital continues to provide advanced technology to East Chicago and surrounding communities.
"St. Catherine Hospital is committed to ensuring that our community has state-of-the-art cardiac care close to home," Correa said. "It's a well-known fact that in the 1960s, St. Catherine Hospital became the choice facility in the Chicagoland area for the treatment of heart disease, performing the first open-heart surgery in Northwest Indiana. And today, we continue to invest in cardiac care and treating heart disease."
The hospital will install an Azurion 7 C20 Catalyst table, an image-guided therapy system that provides high-quality images with low doses of X-rays. Philips Healthcare is installing the new technology in its cath lab, which is undergoing a multiphase modernization project.
It will allow for precision diagnosis and treatment for patients. The new technology can capture uncommon angiography views, provide real-time 3-D impressions for complex vascular interventions and better visualize stent and balloon placement in coronary arteries.
"Our patients and clinicians benefit from the fast procedure times, reduced radiation exposure and superior image quality of this new technology," said Mary Miller, director of Cardiovascular Services.
St. Catherine Hospital has long placed an emphasis on cardiac care while serving the community for nearly a century, Correa said.
"During that time, we built a reputation for providing unparalleled cardiac care," he said. "That did not happen by chance. That's the result of an intentional investment in top health care providers and resources.
"We have fortified a culture of excellence in cardiac care by continuing to invest in skilled specialists and technologies to diagnose and treat heart disease. St. Catherine, along with our fellow hospitals in Community Healthcare System, Community Hospital in Munster and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, operates one of the largest and most advanced cardiovascular programs in Northwest Indiana. Our hospitals are certified chest-pain centers that are fully accredited by the Joint Commission or the American College of Cardiology.
"Every day, highly skilled cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, electrophysiologic and cardiac support staff walk through our doors and use their expertise to treat patients who put their trust in us."
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Pierogi stand, Brown Skin Coffee and Alpha Family Resale opening; Ixxa and Dan's Pierogies updating
Open
Open
Closed
Renovated
New mural
Opening
Opening
Coming soon
Coming soon
Expanded
Expanded
219 News Now 5/19/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Unbeatable Eatables, DRIPBaR Crown Point, Taco Depot and Flashback Antiques open; Da Burger House closes
Major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital 'a victory for East Chicago'
EAST CHICAGO — A major investment in life-saving cardiac care at St. Catherine Hospital is being hailed as a victory for East Chicago.
The long-standing hospital in the Indiana Harbor neighborhood landed a $1.5 million federal grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration to improve health care access for people who are medically vulnerable or underinsured.
U.S. Rep. Frank Mrvan helped line up the money and helped announce the investment.
"Today is a victory for the residents of East Chicago because it's access to health care," he said. "I was born at St. Catherine Hospital. My grandparents were taken here. My mom and dad were cared for here. My sister was a candy striper here and went on to become a nurse practitioner for Northwestern. This was and still is an anchor for the community."
East Chicago leaders were concerned about the hospital's future after Franciscan Health decided to close the similarly aged former St. Margaret Hospital in neighboring Hammond, Northwest Indiana's most populous city.
"They wanted to make sure the safety-net hospital continued," he said. "What today is about is assuring the city of East Chicago and every resident that St. Catherine is thriving and investing in new technology that gives them access to care equal to anywhere around the world. This is an investment in East Chicago itself, and it allows the residents to understand they have access to quality care here in the city."
When Mrvan was North Township trustee, he often heard complaints from residents that they didn't have access to care.
"This is a safety-net hospital. That means it takes care of the most vulnerable populations," he said. "This technology is the gold standard for Northwest Indiana. It's the same technology you would have in the city of Chicago, but it's right here in East Chicago. The hospital is working to provide world-class health care. As a congressman, I will listen to your concerns and try to provide access to health care, the best technology and the best for East Chicago."
St. Catherine CEO Leo Correa said the hospital continues to provide advanced technology to East Chicago and surrounding communities.
"St. Catherine Hospital is committed to ensuring that our community has state-of-the-art cardiac care close to home," Correa said. "It's a well-known fact that in the 1960s, St. Catherine Hospital became the choice facility in the Chicagoland area for the treatment of heart disease, performing the first open-heart surgery in Northwest Indiana. And today, we continue to invest in cardiac care and treating heart disease."
The hospital will install an Azurion 7 C20 Catalyst table, an image-guided therapy system that provides high-quality images with low doses of X-rays. Philips Healthcare is installing the new technology in its cath lab, which is undergoing a multiphase modernization project.
It will allow for precision diagnosis and treatment for patients. The new technology can capture uncommon angiography views, provide real-time 3-D impressions for complex vascular interventions and better visualize stent and balloon placement in coronary arteries.
"Our patients and clinicians benefit from the fast procedure times, reduced radiation exposure and superior image quality of this new technology," said Mary Miller, director of Cardiovascular Services.
St. Catherine Hospital has long placed an emphasis on cardiac care while serving the community for nearly a century, Correa said.
"During that time, we built a reputation for providing unparalleled cardiac care," he said. "That did not happen by chance. That's the result of an intentional investment in top health care providers and resources.
"We have fortified a culture of excellence in cardiac care by continuing to invest in skilled specialists and technologies to diagnose and treat heart disease. St. Catherine, along with our fellow hospitals in Community Healthcare System, Community Hospital in Munster and St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart, operates one of the largest and most advanced cardiovascular programs in Northwest Indiana. Our hospitals are certified chest-pain centers that are fully accredited by the Joint Commission or the American College of Cardiology.
"Every day, highly skilled cardiologists, cardiovascular surgeons, electrophysiologic and cardiac support staff walk through our doors and use their expertise to treat patients who put their trust in us." | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/bowl-for-the-cure-rolls-for-franciscan-health-foundation-s-cancer-care-fund/article_75822f0e-05ad-11ee-be63-cb3150e2b1f0.html | 2023-06-15T23:44:20 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/bowl-for-the-cure-rolls-for-franciscan-health-foundation-s-cancer-care-fund/article_75822f0e-05ad-11ee-be63-cb3150e2b1f0.html |
Hoosier Lottery officials are urging Region residents who play Powerball to find any old tickets they might have lying around and check to see if they've overlooked a winner.
Two winning tickets sold in Lake County during the holidays — worth $50,000 and $150,000 — soon will expire if the prize is not claimed.
According to lottery officials, the $50,000 ticket was purchased for the Dec. 24, 2022, Powerball drawing at Mr. Fuel, 2945 Burr St., Gary.
A ticket sold for Saturday's Powerball drawing at at Mr. Fuel, 2945 Burr St., Gary, matched four of the five white balls and the red Powerball to win $50,000.
It matched four of 17-37-46-54-67 and the Powerball, 8, to win the game's third-highest prize.
The $150,000 ticket was purchased for the Dec. 31, 2022, Powerball drawing at Speedway, 9299 Broadway, Merrillville.
It also matched four of 18-37-44-50-64 and the Powerball, 11, but the purchaser opted for a "Power Play" — tripling the value of the prize.
Thornton Quarry, I-80's Grand Canyon, an economic bedrock with another 200 years of reserves left
34-year-old woman identified in Merrillville homicide; suspect in custody
Bone Dry bar closes in Highland after more than 2 decades
Duke goes home, ending status as longest dog resident at Region shelter
Woman dead, man 'critical' from overnight shootings in Merrillville
2 dead in separate car crashes in Gary, Hebron
101-year-old Wheatfield painter has long championed the arts, still going strong
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Honey Berry Cafe, The Sports Card Shop, Trader Buck's, Winfield thrift store and Dunkin opening; Sicilian Joe's closes
Crown Point nurse says she stole Xanax and Norco from patients, police say
Cedar Lake man, 53, dies in car crash in Winfield Township
Several hurt in Winfield Township crash
Lowell woman, 22, dies in car crash in Hebron
Porter County investigating after body found near fishing area
Northwest Indiana man charged with stalking, threatening Taylor Swift: 'We will destroy you,' accusations say
Motorist makes big splash in Crown Point, rescuers say
A ticket sold in Merrillville for Saturday's Powerball drawing matched four of the five white balls and the red Powerball to win $150,000, the Hoosier Lottery announced.
Lottery rules require prizes in all draw games be claimed within 180 days of the drawing. Otherwise, the prize is forfeited and the money remains in the lottery's prize fund to pay future jackpots won by Hoosier Lottery players.
The deadline to claim the $50,000 winner is June 22. The last day to collect the $150,000 prize is June 29.
The lottery recommends that the person holding the winning ticket fill out the information on the back of the ticket and call 800-955-6886 to set up an appointment to claim their winnings at Hoosier Lottery headquarters, 1302 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis.
The odds of a Powerball ticket matching four of the five white balls and the red Powerball are 1 in 913,129.
The overall odds of winning any Powerball prize are 1 in 25.
Gallery: Take a virtual tour of Indiana's state parks
Brown County State Park
Location: Nashville
Size: 15,776 acres (largest state park)
Opened: 1929
Activities: 12 hiking trails spanning 18 miles; 25 mi. of mountain biking trails; 20 horseback riding trails; hiking; birdwatching; fishing; leafing; cross-county skiing; sledding; ice fishing
Amenities: Abe Martin Lodge and annex, 84 rooms with water park; 86 cabins; modern and primitive campgrounds
DNR description: Nicknamed the "Little Smokies" because of the area's resemblance to the Great Smoky Mountains, Brown County encompasses nearly 16,000 acres of rugged hills, ridges and fog-shrouded ravines. Glaciers from the most recent ice ages stopped short of the "hills o' Brown," but their meltwaters helped create the narrow ridges, steep slopes and deep gullies of Brown County State Park. Indiana's largest park is a traditional fall color hot spot, with nearly 20 miles of tree-lined roads and many scenic vistas overlooking miles of uninterrupted forestland.
Dan Carden
Chain O' Lakes State Park
Location: Albion
Size: 2,718 acres
Opened: 1960
Activities: 13 lakes for boating, canoeing, fishing, swimming; hiking
Amenities: Stanley Schoolhouse Nature Center; boat rental; furnished cabins; primitive campsites
DNR description: This is lake country and a small boater's paradise. Nine connecting lakes will be the center of your adventures at Chain O'Lakes. Paddle through the chain of serene kettle lakes, hike the 10 miles of forested trails, fish the electric-motors-only lakes, stay overnight in a forested hillside family cabin, or visit the park's old one-room schoolhouse nature center. Other facilities available for visitors to enjoy include a campground, beach and picnic shelters.
Dan Carden
Charlestown State Park
Location: Charlestown
Size: 5,100 acres
Opened: 1996
Activities: Hiking; Fishing; Picnicking; Camping; Birdwatching
Amenities: 182 modern and primitive campsites
DNR description: Once a largely undeveloped portion of the Indiana Army Ammunition plant, Charlestown State Park is located in southern Indiana. With scenic vistas of the Fourteenmile Creek valley and the Ohio River and elevation changes of over 200 feet, Charlestown has much to offer the visitor with its rugged hills and deep ravines. While hiking the rugged terrain you will see Devonian fossil outcrops and areas of karst sinkhole topography. Bird watchers will enjoy the 72 species of birds, including bluebirds, black vultures and an occasional bald eagle.
Dan Carden
Clifty Falls State Park
Location: Madison
Size: 1,416 acres
Opened: 1920
Activities: Four waterfalls; hiking; swimming; picnicking; tennis
Amenities: Clifty Inn and Restaurant; nature center
DNR description: The park's waterfalls change moods with the weather and the seasons and can range from roaring plunges to delicate bridal-veil mists to gleaming frozen titans. Winter and spring visits reveal them at their best. The rugged splendor of Clifty Canyon offers exciting year-round hiking and scenery.
Dan Carden
Falls of the Ohio State Park
Location: Clarksville
Size: 165 acres
Opened: 1990
Activities: Hiking; fishing; picnicking; boat launch
Amenities: Interpretative Center
DNR description: Meriwether Lewis and William Clark met at the Falls prior to launching the 1804 Lewis and Clark Expedition to the Pacific Ocean. The park's 386-million-year-old fossil beds are among the largest exposed Devonian fossil beds in the world. The park features a spectacular interpretive center overlooking the fossil beds that reopened in 2016 with completely new exhibits.
Dan Carden
Fort Harrison State Park
Location: Indianapolis
Size: 1,700 acres
Opened: 1996
Activities: Hiking; bicycle trails; golf; fishing; canoeing; dog park; sledding; ice fishing; cross country skiing; recreation buildings; horseback riding
Amenities: 18-hole golf course; inn; restaurant; saddle barn; nature shop; Museum of 20th Century Warfare
DNR description: Landscape and history blend together at this unique setting on the northeast side of Indianapolis. The 1,700-acre park — comprising a portion of the former Fort Benjamin Harrison military base — features walking and jogging trails, picnic sites, fishing access to Fall Creek and two national historic districts. An oasis of green in an urban landscape, Fort Harrison is one of the hidden gems to be found in the state, just minutes from home for many visitors needing contact with nature.
Dan Carden
Harmonie State Park
Location: New Harmony
Size: 3,465 acres
Opened: 1996
Activities: Hiking; bicycle trails; horseback riding; boat launch; fishing; picnicking; swimming
Amenities: 200 modern campsites; youth tent campsites
DNR description: Harmonie State Park is located "on the banks of the Wabash" and a beautiful swimming pool, shady picnic areas, ravines and pristine landscape await you here. Trails for walking, biking and nature hikes will lure you for a visit. Nearby Historic New Harmony honors two unique communities from the early 1800s. The Rappites located here in 1814. They were fleeing from religious persecution and awaiting the impending millennium. In 1824, the Owenites brought many great scientists and philosophers into the area when they purchased the Rappites' holdings.
Dan Carden
Lincoln State Park
Location: Lincoln City
Size: 1,747 acres
Opened: 1932
Activities: Historic sites; hiking; boat launch; picnicking; swimming; fishing
Amenities: Nature center; general store; boat rental; cabins; campsites
DNR description: Discover the boyhood home of the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Among the rolling hills and thick forest, young Lincoln learned many life lessons. Lincoln State Park offers 10 miles of hiking trails, two scenic lakes, and an interpretive center to help you experience early life of settlers in southern Indiana. Tour the Colonel Jones Home, the historic home of the merchant and Civil War officer who employed young Lincoln. The Little Pigeon Creek Baptist Church and Cemetery, located on the property, is where Lincoln’s sister Sarah is buried. Sarah Lincoln Woods Nature Preserve is located in the southernmost portion of the park. A visit to Lincoln State Park is like taking a step back in time to when the land was wild and Lincoln was a boy.
Dan Carden
McCormick's Creek State Park
Location: Spencer
Size: 1,924 acres
Opened: 1916 (oldest state park)
Activities: Hiking; horseback riding; swimming; recreation center; tennis; picnicking; caving
Amenities: Canyon Inn; nature center; saddle barn; cabins; 221 modern and primitive campsites; youth tent camping; camp store
DNR description: Explore the spectacular limestone canyon, flowing creek, and scenic waterfalls that highlight Indiana’s first state park. Hike trails featuring diverse forest trees, spicebush, and native wildflowers, including a trail through Wolf Cave Nature Preserve and an accessible trail at the recently renovated nature center. Experience history as you climb the fire tower, use shelter houses or cross the stone arch bridge created by the Civilian Conservation Corps, or examine the historic Statehouse Quarry near White River, which furnished limestone used for the Indianapolis Statehouse. Relax in the lobby of Canyon Inn, open to all park visitors, or watch birds from the dining room porch. Catch cultural events such as concerts in the park amphitheater or attend the several special events hosted annually at the park. McCormick’s Creek State Park offers active enjoyment through all seasons of the year.
Dan Carden
Mounds State Park
Location: Anderson
Size: 252 acres
Opened: 1930
Activities: Historic sites; hiking; fishing; swimming; picnicking
Amenities: Nature center; gift shop; 75 modern campsites; youth tent camping; camp store
DNR description: Mounds State Park features 10 unique earthworks built by prehistoric Indians known as the Adena-Hopewell people. The largest earthwork, the Great Mound, is believed to have been constructed around 160 B.C. Archaeological surveys indicate the mounds were used as gathering places for religious ceremonies, from where astronomical alignments could be viewed. Naturalist-led hikes and interpretive programs are offered every weekend throughout the year.
Dan Carden
O'Bannon Woods State Park
Location: Corydon
Size: 2,000 acres
Opened: 2004
Activities: Swimming; water slides; hiking; horseback riding; picnicking; fishing; boating;
Amenities: Aquatic center; nature center; cabins; 353 modern and primitive campsites
DNR description: O'Bannon Woods State Park (formerly Wyandotte Woods State Recreation Area) lies in the central and extreme southern part of the state, bordering the Ohio River. It was the location of one of the few African-American Civilian Conservation Corps units. The property also has a uniquely restored, working haypress barn, complete with oxen for power and a pioneer farmstead. Indiana’s first natural and scenic river, Blue River, flows through the state park and forest. The Corydon Capitol State Historic Site is located near the park. Visitors can learn about early Indiana history as they tour the beautiful first state capitol building, built entirely of limestone, and old town square.
Dan Carden
Ouabache State Park
Location: Bluffton
Size: 1,104 acres
Opened: 1962
Activities: Hiking; swimming; fishing; boating; volleyball; paved bicycle trail; tennis; basketball courts; picnicking
Amenities: Nature center; recreation center; campsites
DNR description: Ouabache is difficult to spell, but easy to pronounce. Simply say "Wabash"...just like the river that forms the southwest boundary for the park. This is the French spelling of an Indian word, so don't be surprised to hear some folks call it o-ba-chee. Kunkel Lake offers excellent fishing. During the summer months, a naturalist provides information about the natural wonders of the park. A lodge recreation building is available all year.
Dan Carden
Pokagon State Park
Location: Angola
Size: 1,260 acres
Opened: 1925
Activities: Hiking; swimming; cross country skiing; tobogganing; horseback riding; picnicking; playground; sand volleyball
Amenities: Potawatomi Inn; nature center; toboggan run; boat rental; saddle barn; 273 modern and primitive campsites; youth tent camping; camp store
DNR description: Being one of the state’s original parks, Pokagon features the unique work of the Civilian Conservation Corps, whose members lived and worked at Pokagon from 1934 to 1942. The “boys of the CCC” built the beautiful stone and log structures that dot the park landscape and provide accent to the rolling wooded hills, wetlands and open meadows. Natural lakes created by glaciers that melted 10,000 to 15,000 years ago, highlight Steuben County, which has more lakes than any other Indiana county. The park is framed by Lake James and Snow Lake, which offer abundant opportunities for boating, swimming, fishing and scenic sunsets. Pokagon is also Indiana State Parks’ winter wonderland, with cross-country ski rental, sledding, ice fishing and a twin-track toboggan run.
Dan Carden
Potato Creek State Park
Location: North Liberty
Size: 3,840 acres
Opened: 1977
Activities: Biking; hiking; swimming; boating; fishing; ice fishing; cross-country skiing; wildlife observation; horseback riding; snow tubing
Amenities: Nature center; 3.2 mile paved bike trail; 6.6 mi. mountain bike trail; recreation building; boat/bike rental; 17 cabins; 347 campsites; youth tent camping; camp store
DNR description: Potato Creek is in north-central Indiana about 12 miles southwest of South Bend. The park features a wide array of activities and facilities for year-round enjoyment. A variety of natural habitats await, including the 327-acre Worster Lake, old fields, mature woodlands, restored prairies and diverse wetlands. Each offers unique opportunities for plant and wildlife observation. Native peoples used the area for hunting and fishing. The area’s first people of European descent settled here in the 1830s.
Dan Carden
Prophetstown State Park
Location: Battle Ground
Size: 2,000 acres
Opened: 2004 (newest state park)
Activities: Hiking; bicycling; camping; swimming
Amenities: 2.75 mile hiking trail; 2.4 mile bike trail; aquatic center; 110 campsites
DNR description : Indiana’s newest state park, Prophetstown is located where the Tippecanoe River meets the Wabash near the town of Battle Ground northeast of Lafayette. The park's landscape has been shaped by ice from glaciers, moving water, fire and human hands that helped maintain the vast tall prairie grass. Native American people hunted and lived along the two rivers for thousands of years. The Aquatic Center features a 30-foot tube slide, body flume, lazy river float area, adventure channel, zero-entry pool with play features, and an aquatic activity area with basketball.
Dan Carden
Shades State Park
Location: Waveland
Size: 3,082 acres
Opened: 1947
Activities: Hiking; fishing; picnicking; canoeing
Amenities: Nature preserve; 123 campsites (Apr.-Oct.); youth tent camping
DNR description: Shades State Park is that peaceful place you've sought; a favorite for hikers and canoeists. The beautiful sandstone cliffs overlooking Sugar Creek and numerous shady ravines provide the backdrop for your journey through this nature lover's paradise. Also on the property is Pine Hills Nature Preserve, which affords spectacular topography for those willing to take a fairly long hike.
Dan Carden
Shakamak State Park
Location: Jasonville
Size: 1,766 acres
Opened: 1929
Activities: Swimming; water sliding; boating; fishing; ice fishing; hiking; picnicking; basketball; tennis
Amenities: Nature center; aquatic center; boat launch; cabins; recreation building; boat rental; 174 campsites; youth tent camping; camp store
DNR description: Ready to relax? Head for Shakamak. Three man-made lakes offer 400 acres of water for fishing and boating while a family aquatic center provides swimming fun. About two-thirds of the campsites are in a wooded area, offering cool shade in the summer and beautiful fall colors in autumn. Nearby is a play field area for family fun. A popular feature of the park is the group camp.
Dan Carden
Spring Mill State Park
Location: Mitchell
Size: 1,358 acres
Opened: 1927
Activities: Historic sites; cave tours; hiking; biking; picnicking; swimming; hayrides
Amenities: Spring Mill Inn; pioneer village; Gus Grissom memorial; boat tour; bike rental; 221 modern and primitive campsites; youth tent camping; camp store
DNR description: Spring Mill State Park offers a powerful illustration of the link between the natural and cultural worlds. The water flowing from several cave springs led to the founding of an industrial village in the early 1800s. Pioneer entrepreneurs took advantage of a constant water source that never froze, using it to power several gristmills, a wool mill, a saw mill and a distillery. In turn, pioneer settlers shaped the landscape around the village, clearing land for agriculture and timber.
The park today continues to illustrate how nature shapes us and how we shape our environment. A parcel of virgin timber sits in contrast to regenerated forest, a man-made lake struggles to survive against the in-flow of silt from cave-fed systems and the native flora and fauna face challenges from man’s introduction of new species.
Visitors can explore this story in the park’s four interpretive facilities—the Pioneer Village, Nature Center, Grissom Memorial and Twin Caves Boat Tour—and see it reflected on the landscape as they hike the trails.
Dan Carden
Summit Lake State Park
Location: New Castle
Size: 2,680 acres
Opened: 1988
Activities: Fishing; birdwatching; swimming; ice fishing; boating; hiking; cross-country skiing; picnicking
Amenities: Boat launch; picnic shelters; boat rental; 73 campsites; youth tent camping
DNR description: An expansive view and good fishing beckon you to Summit Lake State Park, near New Castle. Summit Lake has an excellent bird watching and wildlife observation area. The property has always been an important area for waterfowl because of the many low-lying wet meadows and prairies. Migratory species have included rare species like the black tern, bald eagle, sandhill crane, American bittern, least bittern, king rail and osprey. Zeigler Woods, in the southwest corner of the park, is Henry County’s first nature preserve. Zeigler Woods has rich flora and fauna with little evidence of human disturbance.
Dan Carden
Tippecanoe River State Park
Location: Winamac
Size: 2,761 acres
Opened: 1943
Activities: Canoeing; horseback riding; hiking; boating; fishing; picnicking; cross-country skiing
Amenities: Recreation building; cabins; 178 modern and primitive campsites; youth tent camping
DNR description: Attention canoers! Get ready for a relaxing journey as you float down the beautiful Tippecanoe River. You must bring your own canoe or make arrangements with the local canoe livery. When you return, you can enjoy the beautiful campground facilities with your group, family or friends.
Dan Carden
Turkey Run State Park
Location:
Marshall
Size:
2,382 acres
Opened:
1916
Activities:
Hiking, fishing, horseback riding, swimming, tennis, playgrounds, cultural programs
Amenities:
Turkey Run Inn, nature center, planetarium, saddle barn, cabins, 213 campsites, youth tent camping, camp store
DNR description:
You’ll marvel at the natural geologic wonders of this beautiful park as you hike along its famous trails. Nestled along State Road 47 southwest of Crawfordsville, the park offers the chance to explore deep, sandstone ravines, walk along stands of aged forests and enjoy the scenic views along Sugar Creek. Make sure to visit the Colonel Richard Lieber Cabin, which commemorates the contributions of the father of Indiana’s state park system.
Dan Carden
Versailles State Park
Location: Versailles
Size: 5,988 acres
Opened: 1943
Activities: Hiking; fishing; horseback riding; mountain biking; boating; swimming; picnicking; kayaking
Amenities: Covered bridge; boat launch; boat rental; 226 modern campsites; youth tent camping; camp store
DNR description: Take a drive through the beautiful rolling hills of southeastern Indiana with Versailles State Park, Indiana’s second-largest state park, as your destination. Numerous fossils tell the story of an ancient sea that covered the region. During the Civil War, Morgan’s Raiders made their way through the area that is now the park. The town of Versailles was briefly under Confederate control. Relax while fishing on the 230-acre lake where you can rent a rowboat, kayak or canoe. Get a workout and see the beauty of the park by taking a walk on the hiking trails or a ride on the mountain bike trails. Bring your horses for the day to enjoy the more than 20 miles of horse trails. Steps to a scenic overlook at the dam are a prime spot to see herons and other aquatic wildlife.
Dan Carden
White River State Park
Location: Indianapolis
Size: 250 acres
Opened: 1979
Activities: Museums; sports; concerts; theaters; zoo; hiking; Segway rides; historic canal; gardening; maze; picnicking; art
Amenities: Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians & Western Art; IMAX Theater; Indiana State Museum; Indianapolis Indians baseball at Victory Field; Indianapolis Zoo; White River Gardens; NCAA Hall of Champions; Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial; Indiana History Center; Central Canal; Military Park
Description: White River State Park boasts world-class attractions and destinations that offer distinctive experiences for every interest and visitor! Yes, you will find green spaces, trails, trees and waterways that you expect at any state park. In addition to nature’s wonderland, you will find cultural, educational, and recreational attractions and events in our urban getaway’s 250-acres. Located in the heart of downtown Indianapolis, White River State Park is the place you can enjoy the outdoors without ever leaving the city.
Dan Carden
Whitewater Memorial State Park
Location: Liberty
Size: 1,710 acres
Opened: 1949
Activities: Hiking; fishing; horseback riding; boating; swimming; canoeing; picnicking; ice fishing; archery; hayrides; birdwatching
Amenities: Marina; saddle barn; boat launches; boat rental; cabins; 318 modern and primitive campsites; youth tent camping; camp store
DNR description: Whitewater Memorial State Park is a great family getaway because of its 200-acre Whitewater Lake, access to Brookville Reservoir and other recreational facilities. Shoreline hiking, flat-water boating, swimming, fishing and camping opportunities are abundant around the man-made lake. The access to Brookville Reservoir provides many opportunities for seeing migrating flocks of birds. Whitewater Memorial State Park boasts 9 miles of horseback riding trails with access both for day users and from the horsemen’s campground. The land for the park was originally purchased by the surrounding counties of Union, Fayette, Franklin and Wayne as a memorial to the men and women who served in World War II.
Dan Carden
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Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/business/2-winning-powerball-tickets-sold-in-lake-county-on-verge-of-expiring-unclaimed/article_8c9e4200-0bb5-11ee-80b2-136befa9b856.html | 2023-06-15T23:44:26 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/business/2-winning-powerball-tickets-sold-in-lake-county-on-verge-of-expiring-unclaimed/article_8c9e4200-0bb5-11ee-80b2-136befa9b856.html |
MERRILLVILLE — An East Chicago couple was charged with dealing heroin, fentanyl and cocaine.
According to charging documents officers organized three separate controlled purchases from Michelle Moore, 31, and Desmond "Scooter" Greer, 29. The purchases, between June 7 and Tuesday, occurred in a parking lot in the 7000 block of Calumet Avenue in Hammond and in an apartment building in the 600 block of 143rd Street in East Chicago, the charges say.
In total, Moore delivered 36.6 grams of a tan powdery substance that tested positive for heroin and fentanyl, according to a probable cause affidavit, and also delivered 0.7 grams of cocaine to the confidential informant.
Police said the confidential informant would arrange meetings with Greer on the phone, and then Moore would deliver using her silver Chevy Monte Carlo.
After arresting the two at the East Chicago apartment, officers found multiple forms of identification for Greer, the charges say.
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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/east-chicago-couple-caught-dealing-heroin-fentanyl-and-cocaine-cops/article_9cf4fa1e-0ba5-11ee-9a86-ab946532832e.html | 2023-06-15T23:44:33 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/east-chicago-couple-caught-dealing-heroin-fentanyl-and-cocaine-cops/article_9cf4fa1e-0ba5-11ee-9a86-ab946532832e.html |
EAST CHICAGO — An East Chicago man was charged with hitting a woman’s car and fleeing the scene of the crash.
Riding Shotgun with Merrillville Police Officer Amanda Earley
Xavier Norris, 41, was charged Thursday with failure of duty and intimidation, which are both level 6 felonies, as well as criminal recklessness and operating while intoxicated, which are both misdemeanors.
Charging documents stated on May 7, Norris drunkenly drove his red pick-up truck into a woman’s car at the intersection of East 149th Street and McCook Avenue and subsequently fled the scene.
When officers arrived about 2 p.m., they immediately noticed “heavy damage to the front driver side door,” according to a probable-cause affidavit.
Officers wrote in the affidavit that the woman whose car was struck complained of pain to the whole right side of her body but refused medical attention. She told officers she knew the man who hit her car because he had been bothering a friend of her daughter’s.
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Woman dead, man 'critical' from overnight shootings in Merrillville
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Crown Point nurse says she stole Xanax and Norco from patients, police say
Cedar Lake man, 53, dies in car crash in Winfield Township
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Lowell woman, 22, dies in car crash in Hebron
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The woman’s daughter reportedly told officers that Norris came by their house on McCook Avenue because he thought her friend was there. She said Norris shouted toward her, “Tell her bring her (expletive) out here, I know she is in there. Or I will kill you!” according to charging documents.
The girl also said she believed Norris was “on something” because he was slurring his words, charges stated. She detailed to police how she then saw Norris drive his red pickup truck toward her mother’s blue car, at which point she yelled, “Don’t hit my mom!”
Officers detained Norris after they saw a red pickup truck with heavy front end damage at a traffic stop on the 4800 block of Walsh Avenue, charging documents stated. Police wrote in the probable cause affidavit that Norris appeared intoxicated, as his eyes were bloodshot and he was struggling to stand.
When officers began reading Norris his Miranda rights, Norris said “You all do not understand. It was an accident,” charges stated.
Police also wrote in charging documents that Norris’s speech sounded slurred and there was an odor of alcohol emitting from his breath.
Norris also purportedly told officers, “I know how this goes, but you all are not listening to me,” charges stated. When police asked him if he had been drinking, he said “earlier today.”
Norris also allegedly refused to comply with any of the officer’s sobriety tests, the probable cause affidavit stated.
Norris does not yet have his first court appearance set, according to court records.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
Matthew Roggenkamp
Age : 22
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305148
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - STRANGULATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Ruben Vega III
Age : 36
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305181
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE - PRESENCE OF CHILD < 16 YEARS OLD
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Jordan Picotte
Age : 29
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305144
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - MODERATE BODILY INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Rakeem Pippins
Age : 27
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305141
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: Other
Offense Description: ROBBERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Victor Odgen
Age : 26
Residence: Lake Station, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305151
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - MODERATE BODILY INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Matthew Moses
Age : 48
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305154
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: Other
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Thomas Murray
Age : 34
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305164
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Kurt Gonzalez II
Age : 32
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305146
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: ROBBERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Anthony Green
Age : 41
Residence: Cedar Lake, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305160
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: Cedar Lake Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - METHAMPHETAMINE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Robert Hollis
Age : 67
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305169
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake Station Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Johnny Jones
Age : 50
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305170
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: STRANGULATION; DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: Felony; Misdemeanor
2305170
Kenny Flagg Jr.
Age : 19
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305179
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Howard Geib Jr.
Age : 52
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305165
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department
Offense Description: MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT; UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY OF A MOTOR VEHICLE; POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Keith Cales
Age : 41
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305153
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: CONFINEMENT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Daniel Dillman
Age : 26
Residence: Lowell, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305175
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Robert Allison
Age : 48
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305142
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: HOMICIDE - VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Lavonya Banks
Age : 44
Residence: Harvey, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305163
Arrest Date: May 31, 2023
Arresting Agency: Other
Offense Description: FRAUD - FORGERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Jacob Pritt
Age : 35
Residence: Hebron, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305296
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: HEALTH- POSSESS HYPODERMIC SYRINGE OR NEEDLE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Joshua Pritt
Age : 40
Residence: Hebron, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305295
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Danny Serrano Jr.
Age : 40
Residence: Whiting, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305282
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Michael Valdez
Age : 46
Residence: Dyer, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305319
Arrest Date: June 4, 2023
Arresting Agency: Dyer Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Mary Powers
Age : 36
Residence: Lake Station, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305289
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG; THEFT - PROPERTY - SHOPLIFTING - < $750
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Bryan Oparka
Age : 49
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305308
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Crown Point Police Department
Offense Description: FRAUD
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Vishad Patel
Age : 34
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305305
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Latrice McNeil
Age : 36
Residence: Chicago Heights, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305301
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Highland Police Department
Offense Description: THEFT - PROPERTY - SHOPLIFTING - < $750
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Edwin Negron
Age : 50
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305285
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: INTIMIDATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Oscar Martinez Ocampo
Age : 33
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305290
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Devonte Gipson
Age : 30
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305283
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: CONFINEMENT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Bryne Manns
Age : 34
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305287
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Edgar Martinez
Age : 33
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305315
Arrest Date: June 4, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Martin Cruz Jr.
Age : 53
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305304
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: INTIMIDATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Bianca Dominguez
Age : 33
Residence: Munster, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305311
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Munster Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Anthony Combs Jr.
Age : 36
Residence: Lafayette, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305297
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: INTIMIDATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Cachun Combs Jr.
Age : 45
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305288
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: WEAPON - POSSESSION - FIREARM - BY A FELON
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Dameka Ali
Age : 32
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305299
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL
Highest Offense Class: Felony
William Alms
Age : 28
Residence: Whiting, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305316
Arrest Date: June 4, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE - PRESENCE OF CHILD < 16 YEARS OLD
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Jesse Argandona
Age : 21
Residence: Whiting, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305314
Arrest Date: June 4, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: INTIMIDATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Ryan Vaughn
Age : 29
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305221
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OPERATE VEHICLE AFTER BEING HABITUAL TRAFFIC OFFENDER
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Allan Triplett
Age : 34
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305217
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: FAMILY OFFENSE- INVASION OF PRIVACY; BURGLARY - PROPERTY - RESIDENTIAL ENTRY - BREAKING AND ENTERING
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
David Roper
Age : 22
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305193
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: LCCS
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Louwon Scott
Age : 22
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305218
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Lamont Murdaugh
Age : 23
Residence: Schererville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305228
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY; BATTERY - SIMPLE - AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Delvin Perkins
Age : 28
Residence: South Holland, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305223
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Timothy Pettis
Age : 28
Residence: Kentland, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305211
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: St. John Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESS LEGEND DRUG OR PRECURSOR
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Matthew Midkiff
Age : 39
Residence: Griffith, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305190
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG; POSSESS LEGEND DRUG OR PRECURSOR
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Christopher Lanman
Age : 21
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305196
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Merrillville Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Christopher Hedges
Age : 44
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305197
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Misti Harbison
Age : 39
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305188
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Kenneth Babiarz
Age : 23
Residence: Chicago Heights, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305201
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Munster Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Shawntina Beatty
Age : 30
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305191
Arrest Date: June 1, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Timothy Brown
Age : 45
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305214
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake Station Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Marcos Gutierrez
Age : 39
Residence: Whiting, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305219
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Shannon Alelunas
Age : 44
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305225
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Gabriel Washington
Age : 39
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305271
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: FAMILY OFFENSE- NEGLECT OF DEPENDANT/CHILD VIOLATIONS
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Keorra Wilson
Age : 24
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305270
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: FRAUD - DECEPTION - IDENTITY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Jesus Salas Jr.
Age : 42
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305235
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Clarence Sistrunk
Age : 33
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305257
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: BURGLARY - PROPERTY - RESIDENTIAL ENTRY - BREAKING AND ENTERING
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Richard Vinet Jr.
Age : 46
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305249
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: N/A
Offense Description: FAIL TO COMPLY A FINAL ORDER
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Sadat Wade
Age : 47
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305261
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: LCCC
Offense Description: ROBBERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Lavell Nylon
Age : 19
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305231
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Whiting Police Department
Offense Description: ROBBERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
David Pitts
Age : 48
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305245
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Robert Moore
Age : 29
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305259
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: FALSE REPORTING - REPORT, CRIME, OR COMPLAINT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Asia Munford-Winters
Age : 28
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305266
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: FRAUD - FORGERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
George Lowe Jr.
Age : 60
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305274
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Michael Malkowski
Age : 37
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305233
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Raul Mendoza
Age : 50
Residence: Griffith, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305267
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department
Offense Description: OPERATE VEHICLE AFTER BEING HABITUAL TRAFFIC OFFENDER
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Carlos Larrea
Age : 25
Residence: Whiting, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305263
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: LCCC
Offense Description: CONFINEMENT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Jessica Hegwood
Age : 32
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305272
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: FAMILY OFFENSE- NEGLECT OF DEPENDANT/CHILD VIOLATIONS
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Jerome Kusbel
Age : 68
Residence: Schererville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305269
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Llewain Hardin
Age : 41
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305265
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Keith Gardenhire
Age : 46
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305246
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Yancey Gray
Age : 54
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305247
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: THEFT - PROPERTY - SHOPLIFTING - < $750
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Lorenzo Crooks
Age : 50
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305277
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Marko Duric
Age : 36
Residence: Park Ridge, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305281
Arrest Date: June 3, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Carlos Castillo
Age : 26
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2304984
Arrest Date: May 26, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Brandon Cramer
Age : 39
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305264
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hobart Police Department
Offense Description: RESISTING LAW ENFORCEMENT DEFENDANT USES A VEHICLE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Brayan Benavides Acevedo
Age : 22
Residence: Berwyn, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305258
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: ROBBERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Erica Brooks
Age : 37
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305232
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Daniel Castaneda Jr.
Age : 33
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305239
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Cordaryl Bell
Age : 35
Residence: Sauk Village, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305250
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: FRAUD - FORGERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
William Barnes
Age : 75
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305237
Arrest Date: June 2, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
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Get local news delivered to your inbox! | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/east-chicago-man-charged-with-drunken-car-wreck/article_904baede-0baf-11ee-8059-f7c1b0bf3c96.html | 2023-06-15T23:44:39 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/east-chicago-man-charged-with-drunken-car-wreck/article_904baede-0baf-11ee-8059-f7c1b0bf3c96.html |
CEDAR LAKE — The 82-foot blue-and-white dredge barge wasn't hard to spot.
A trail of bobbing buoys led the way Thursday as Bob Gross navigated his boat across Cedar Lake. He watched as the barge's red cutter head spun steadily, digging up the lake's sediment.
Gross has waited nearly three decades for this view.
“It’s kind of like a dream," he said. "Is this real? Is it really happening?"
The barge, operated by Dredge America, will likely call Cedar Lake home for the next three summers. Cedar Lake's Ecosystem Restoration Project has finally set sail.
Cedar Lake's Pinecrest Marina Boat Dealership has been in Gross's family since 1948.
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"When I was a kid we used to (water) ski, and (the algae) was this thick," Gross said, holding his thumb and index finger about 5 inches apart. "Me and my neighbor, we would go out and ski and we’d spray each other, and whoever came back the greenest lost."
In 1996 Gross helped found the Cedar Lake Enhancement Association. The nonprofit has been conducting shoreline stabilization projects around the lake for years; they've also raised about $350,00 for the dredge project.
The lake's water quality has improved with stricter stormwater regulations, but Gross said the lake has about a foot of visibility "on a good day."
Once the restoration project is complete, the lake's bottle-green color will change to blue, with 3 to 4 feet of visibility.
The Cedar Lake Restoration Project will be a lengthy undertaking.
The Dredge America crew will spend the entire summer focused on the northeast quadrant of the 790-acre lake. Crews will be on the lake 12 hours a day, seven-days a week until early winter. Dredging will continue next summer, with completion scheduled by December 2025. The town hopes to dredge about 500,000 cubic yards.
The town broke ground on the first phase of the project last spring, for construction of the dewatering facility. The structure, off Parrish Avenue between 151st and 155th streets, occupies about 45 acres of a 114-acre parcel. The dredged material will be pumped from the lake into the facility using a slurry pipeline. Once at the facility, the sediment and the water will be separated and the water will run back into the lake.
The sediment will be tested regularly. Once the sediment is dry enough, Town Manager Chris Salatas said, it will likely be spread and used on site. Once the dredging is complete, the town plans on removing the dewatering facility and using the land for a sportsplex.
To restore native fish and wildlife populations, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources will be completing a fish kill after the lake is dredged. The water is filled with carp and white perch, invasive species eat the eggs of the native game fish before they hatch.
The DNR will restock the water with native species, such as crappy, perch and bass. However, before the fishery is restored, the lake will undergo an alum treatment. According to the Wisconsin DNR, alum is a nontoxic material used to reduce the amount of phosphorous in water. The treatment will essentially make any phosphorous that remains in the lake insoluble; it will also collect suspended particles and bring them to the bottom of the lake, making the water clearer.
Salatas said Cedar Lake does not have much plant growth because all the sediment blocks sun from reaching the lake bottom. So when the dredging is complete, water quality should steadily improve, causing the lake's natural plant life to return and begin to filter the water.
Cedar Lake's past and present are forever entwined with the glacial body of water that is its namesake.
The town became a popular resort community in the late 1800s when the Monon Railway was created. Chicago residents built summer cottages around the lake and a number of hotels popped-up. Today, Cedar Lake is known for its boating, fishing and lakefront restaurants.
"I grew up right there," Police Chief William Fisher said, pointing toward the shoreline. “When we were kids, we spent our whole summer on the lake."
That's why restoring the lake's health is so important. Salatas said the goal is to get the lake back to its original state.
Even though Gross has been working to get Cedar Lake dredged for more than two decades, he said it's actually the town's second-most important project.
"Number 1 was the sewers," he said.
Cedar Lake didn't have a sewer utility until the 1970s. Before that, septic tanks and leach fields would contaminate the lake. On top of that, when the area surrounding the lake was made up of farm fields instead of housing, agricultural fertilizer would run off into Sleepy Hollow Ditch, eventually reaching Cedar Lake.
The dredging project is estimated to cost $9.2 million. The town has received money through grants, fundraising, a $3.6 million TIF bond and $4 million from the sewer utility. The town hopes to raise an additional $1 million so it can fill the dewatering facility with an additional 100,000 cubic yards of material.
“The town is called Cedar Lake. If this lake isn’t in good condition and safe for people to enjoy, what do you have?” Crown Point Community Foundation President Mary Nielsen said as Gross's boat cut through the water. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/cedar-lake/cedar-lake-dredge-water-quality-barge-contamination/article_f8887f52-0afd-11ee-8ba9-2fdb49eb6cb9.html | 2023-06-15T23:44:45 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/cedar-lake/cedar-lake-dredge-water-quality-barge-contamination/article_f8887f52-0afd-11ee-8ba9-2fdb49eb6cb9.html |
DALLAS — Eleven years after President Barack Obama's administration protected from deportation young immigrants who illegally entered the U.S., so-called "dreamers" face uncertainty about their futures.
A Texas judge who previously ruled against the program could soon move to eliminate it altogether.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen ruled in 2021 the Obama administration did not have the authority to create the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative. He contended such policy should be left to the legislative branch.
Hanen allowed the roughly 600,000 immigrants currently enrolled in the program to renew their protections, but he halted new applications. The federal government estimates another million immigrants are eligible.
President Joe Biden's administration tried to codify the policy in administrative law, prompting new legal challenges. Hanen again will decide DACA's future, though the U.S. Supreme Court will likely have the final say.
"We knew from the beginning it was just a band-aid," DACE enrollee Sandra Avalos said. "It was just something that would temporarily hold you until something better comes up. Eleven years later, and something better hasn't come up."
Avalos arrived in the U.S. in 1996, when she was 7 years old. Her mother brought her from Mexico, seeking educational opportunities.
"I didn't understand the concept of legality or borders," she said.
As a teenager, Avalos said she began to realize why she probably wouldn't get a driver's license and why she might have a harder time gaining entry to a college.
Eventually, her mother gave Avalos a list of people to contact if she was deported.
"It was always uncertain," she said.
But in 2012, DACA protected from deportation young immigrants who entered the U.S. before 2016, as long as they'd lived continuously in the states since 2007. These immigrants could obtain driver's licenses and work permits.
"At that moment in my life, it was kind of light at the end of the tunnel," Avalos said.
Enrollees are subjected to background checks, educational requirements and must stay out of serious legal trouble. They have to re-enroll every two years.
But, legal challenges repeatedly destabilized the program, prompting young immigrants to fear they'd lose their jobs or be deported.
"Now, it's kind of in limbo," Avalos said.
Biden on Thursday called on Congress to protect dreamers in a new immigration package. Avalos echoed that sentiment.
"DACA is not enough," she said. "We need a permanent solution." | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/daca-anniversary-dreamers-face-uncertainty/287-1068e58f-0b4a-4d0e-9d64-ba8bced2c334 | 2023-06-15T23:47:21 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/daca-anniversary-dreamers-face-uncertainty/287-1068e58f-0b4a-4d0e-9d64-ba8bced2c334 |
DALLAS — It's that time of the year at the Dallas Zoo!
The zoo on Thursday announced the dates for this year's popular Dollar Day events, which allow visitors to enter the zoo at just $1 per ticket.
This year's Dollar Days are on Thursday, July 13, and Tuesday, Aug. 8.
If you're planning on spending the day at the zoo on these dates, you'll need to be aware of some changes that accommodate for the special events.
According to the zoo, Dollar Day admission tickets must be purchased online. Tickets will not be sold at the gate on these two days.
Tickets are already on sale and be purchased here.
The zoo also says it plans on opening early at 8:30 a.m. on those two days so that visitors have a chance to beat the Texas summer heat.
During checkout, patrons will choose what time they will be arriving at the zoo.
Those interested in going on either of those days are encouraged to purchase their tickets as soon as possible. The zoo says it will be capping ticket sales again this year.
Due to limited parking, visitors on Dollar Days are also encouraged to use ride-share or DART to get to the zoo. Those planning to use the parking lot will still need to pay $10.
"Each year, the Dallas Zoo holds Dollar Days to show appreciation for the community’s support by offering lower admission costs and special deals throughout the park. Dollar Days make the zoo accessible to all and provide an affordable experience the entire family can enjoy," the zoo said in a news release. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-zoo-dollar-days-2023-dates-times-tickets/287-f488125d-979b-46e0-adcd-38ffc1c2ef91 | 2023-06-15T23:47:27 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-zoo-dollar-days-2023-dates-times-tickets/287-f488125d-979b-46e0-adcd-38ffc1c2ef91 |
AUGUSTA -- Legislation is being considered to add further funding to a program that sets volunteer firefighters and EMS workers up with retirement funds.
The Length Of Service Award Program, also known as L.O.S.A.P., has been offering registered volunteer firefighters and EMS personnel retirement funding for multiple years but the biggest issue so far has been where the program gets its funding from.
The program receives no state funding and relies on the fire departments themselves and the areas they serve for capital.
L.O.S.A.P. Chair, bill gillespie, says, with an annual maintenance cost of $500,000 for the program, more funding is needed.
LD 588, an act to promote public safety and retain essential first responders by funding the Maine Length Of Service Award Program, is aiming to change that, at least a little.
If passed, LD 588 would give a one-time payment of 2.5 million dollars to L.O.S.A.P. in order to give more volunteer firefighters and ems workers retirement funding.
Gillespie says, "It's really meant to retain our volunteers that are currently giving as much as they can... And also through word of mouth, we would hope that that would get out that you can actually earn a retirement earlier just by volunteering on your local fire or ems department and get more people involved that way."
Gillespie says it is likely that 588 will pass, but he would still like to see further changes made in the future.
"We would love to have the governor put it in the budget to have the 2.5 million in there annually so that we didn't have to come back every year and fight for the money but at this point in time we have not had any success with a continuous funding portion", says Gillespie. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/bill-aims-to-give-l-o-s-a-p-over-2-million/article_814b8176-0bc7-11ee-9c7f-5363bad54e8a.html | 2023-06-15T23:47:30 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/bill-aims-to-give-l-o-s-a-p-over-2-million/article_814b8176-0bc7-11ee-9c7f-5363bad54e8a.html |
TEXAS, USA — Like most families, the Browns want the best for their children. That can be challenging when you’re trying to make ends meet.
"There’s a lot of financial challenges and challenges with just getting from point A to point B sometimes," Chris Brown said. "There are just challenges with day-to-day living."
To bring in more cash, Brown bought a box truck to start a hauling business, but someone stole it.
“Once it was stolen, we weren’t able to get it back,” Brown said. “That just put a whole damper on everything else in our life.”
Brown credits the support of his wife, Amy Brown, for his ability to stay upbeat even when things get gloomy.
“I know it sounds kind of comical, but my wife Amy is so supportive and she’s always there," Chris Brown said.
Amy Brown feels the same way. So, she nominated him for Little Wishes.
“He always puts everyone else first no matter what even if he’s having a rough day or the kids are a-OK,” Amy Brown said.
Amy Brown read her husband a letter from Sam Pack Auto Group, which is granting their Little Wish.
"Dear Chris, 'We heard that the economy and several unwelcome surprises have kept you constantly scrambling and away from enjoying the great outdoors. Sam Pack Auto Group is proud to be part of your North Texas family, and it is our privilege to help our neighbors when they need it. We believe it's important to celebrate your positive determination and hard work-- like earning your recent CDL license, especially after a major burglary squeezed your family finances. So, Chris, that's why Sam Pack Auto Group is granting you a Little Wish.'"
The Little Wish from Sam Pack Auto Group includes:
- $500 Wal-Mart gift card for family groceries
- 5 Fishing rods & reels
- 5 portable chairs plus tackle equipment to go fishing with your sons
- "Behind the Scene Tour Tickets" to the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center with a hotel stay, and a meal gift card | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-family-granted-little-wish-sam-pack-auto-group/287-4571b580-d3eb-48c1-a9c5-2f53fefbdc84 | 2023-06-15T23:47:33 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/north-texas-family-granted-little-wish-sam-pack-auto-group/287-4571b580-d3eb-48c1-a9c5-2f53fefbdc84 |
FILE -- The Hope House Health and Living Center in Bangor is expanding a program to help those living in the shelter transition to homes of their own.
The Hope House is run by Penobscot Community Health Care.
A P.C.H.C. spokesperson confirmed more than $2 million in pandemic relief funds will be used to add 10 transitional housing units and hire 10 new staff members.
The units would be located near the clinic where tenants pay rent for a single-person room while they attain employment and gain independence.
The spokesperson also confirms the project will likely start in October and finish up in the late spring or early summer of 2024. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/hope-house-expanding-temporary-housing/article_0bd063c2-0bcb-11ee-94dd-ab7837857f14.html | 2023-06-15T23:47:36 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/hope-house-expanding-temporary-housing/article_0bd063c2-0bcb-11ee-94dd-ab7837857f14.html |
STATEWIDE -- If you're a Versant Power or Central Maine Power customer chances are you'll be paying more for your electricity starting July 1st.
In just two short weeks, those who use electricity to keep their homes alive, will be paying more.
According to Maine Public Utilities Commission, for those using Central Maine Power and Versant (both Bangor Hydro and Maine Public Division) customers will have an increased rate of around 10 dollars respectively.
One of the reasons for this increase is the rates towards distribution and delivery of the electricity to your house.
The other reason is the Net Energy Billing.
According to Chair of the Public Utilities Commission Phil Bartlett, "The most recent decisions that we issued this week related to the stranded costs which are, so the public policy programs, there contracts for renewable energy which actually provides revenue to ray-pairs to lowers their rates, and then there's the Net Energy Program which is the distributed solar program that is adding a significant new cost to the program this year."
In 2019, Maine legislature passed bill LD-1711 which will expand Maine's solar panel and renewable energy infrastructure which in turn will be distributed to consumers.
This is shown on the stranded costs portion of your bill. That is the amount you will be paying towards the net energy billing. That amount is also the incentive solar developers will receive from the bill passed in 2019.
On the surface it looks like the electric companies are receiving all the money you pay; but, because of supplying electricity and a strong relationship with the public, CMP and Versant Power are now stuck in the middle between both solar developers and Maine legislature, and you, the consumer.
The answer to question, how can I lower my bill, has never been a simple explanation. Converting to reusable energy is easier said then done.
According to Versant Power Lead Communication Specialist Marissa Minor, "As you may have seen in the mail and on social media advertising, there are a variety of community solar companies who are soliciting members and looking for them to join onto their community solar project. If you choose to do that, that is an option, we just recommend to customers that they do their research and make sure their entering into an agreement that they're comfortable with"
The future of our electricity is approaching, and now we're in a period of costs having to be made. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/mainers-electric-bills-to-rise-july-1st-and-a-bill-from-2019-is-a-reason/article_1de2901a-0bc8-11ee-918f-3f2d4e1c051a.html | 2023-06-15T23:47:42 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/mainers-electric-bills-to-rise-july-1st-and-a-bill-from-2019-is-a-reason/article_1de2901a-0bc8-11ee-918f-3f2d4e1c051a.html |
FILE -- A discussion held by Penobscot County Cares featured Maine's Director of Opioid Response Gordon Smith, who provided updated statistics on the overdoses and deaths in the state this year.
Smith says in 2023, fatal overdoses dropped 6%. Overdose deaths also saw a decrease from 215 to 201.
Those statistics encompass the first half of 2023 as compared to this time last year.
He went on to highlight proposals in the current legislative session such as L.D. 1714, a bill that would provide funding for recovery centers.
Stakeholders say it's important that the community comes together to address this ongoing problem.
"We lost over 700 [people] last year, and that surpassed the record from the year before when we lost over 600 people. So we have to continue to be sensitive to the fact that this is not normal. We can't accept this," said Doug Dunbar, Co-Founder of Penobscot County Cares.
Smith also previewed Maine's fifth annual Opioid Response Summit taking place July 20. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/penobscot-county-cares-hosts-mid-year-opioid-crisis-presentation/article_d107704c-0bc9-11ee-b6e6-db8dfff6be55.html | 2023-06-15T23:47:48 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/penobscot-county-cares-hosts-mid-year-opioid-crisis-presentation/article_d107704c-0bc9-11ee-b6e6-db8dfff6be55.html |
FILE -- Cooler temperatures are having a chilling effect on the summer rental market.
Local agencies we spoke with say they are usually fully booked by this time of the year but they're seeing a slow start due to the cooler conditions.
The tourism industry as a whole dipped last year. A report from Maine Biz found the state's total visitor numbers were down 1.5%.
Experts say they're optimistic that business will warm up.
"I'm looking at the projections that are provided to me from the National Vacation Rentals Association and a couple of the companies that do the data crunching numbers for us and I say it looks pretty bright for this season," said Alexis Miller, Reservationist at Cottage Connection of Maine Inc.
When it comes to finding the best summer rental in Vacationland, Miller says she recommends calling your local chamber of commerce and booking local rather than going through renting apps like Vrbo and Airbnb. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/short-term-rental-industry-off-to-slow-start/article_b476afe8-0bc8-11ee-aa91-b3488afd6253.html | 2023-06-15T23:47:55 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/short-term-rental-industry-off-to-slow-start/article_b476afe8-0bc8-11ee-aa91-b3488afd6253.html |
ORONO -- University of Maine researchers are learning more about our official state berry thanks to recent funding.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $650,000 to a University of Maine project to investigate the impact of climate change on wild blueberries.
This comes after recent data from the USDA showed last year's harvest of blueberries fell to 77.5 million pounds -- a 25 percent decrease.
Researchers say the dip is due to the impact of erratic weather.
"Last year we saw the effect of drought -- where a lot of berries were very very small because the just didn't get the rainfall they needed," said Seanna Annis, associate professor of mycology at the University of Maine School of Biology and Ecology.
Members of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine say blueberry yields for each year can be unpredictable, and that funding blueberry research is essential because of the impact the fruit has on the state's economy.
"It's a major economic engine in the state. We estimate that through indirect and direct impacts, we generate about two-hundred-and-fifty-million dollars for the state's economy every year," said Eric Venturini, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine.
Researchers say wild blueberries aren't just an important crop for the state -- they also support ecosystems by providing pollination, food for wildlife, and more.
"Blueberry plants are a great resource of nutrients for bees and native pollinators. And they are a really abundant source of food, nectar, and pollen," said Annis.
Based on their findings, researchers plan to share recommendations with members of the wild blueberry industry to help with production.
"In the long term, what we're hoping to do is to see what kind of conditions and what stages the plants will be in under different types of climate change," said Annis.
To learn more about the work being done by UMaine researchers, visit UMaine's website. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/umaine-receives-funding-to-investigate-impact-of-climate-change-on-wild-blueberries/article_09b03bb6-0bc7-11ee-9366-4b628521fb1d.html | 2023-06-15T23:48:01 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/umaine-receives-funding-to-investigate-impact-of-climate-change-on-wild-blueberries/article_09b03bb6-0bc7-11ee-9366-4b628521fb1d.html |
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