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PERRYTON, Texas — A tornado ripped through the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, killing one person, injuring dozens more and causing widespread damage as another in a series of fierce storms carved its way through the South.
The National Weather Service in Amarillo confirmed that a tornado hit the area Thursday afternoon. But there was no immediate word on its size, meteorologist Luigi Meccariello said. “There are still reports of ongoing rescues,” he said.
Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher told ABC 7 that a person was killed in a mobile home park that took a “direct hit” from a tornado. Dutcher said at least 30 trailers were damaged or destroyed. At 6 p.m., firefighters were rescuing people from the rubble.
First responders from surrounding areas and from Oklahoma descended on the town.
Storm chaser Brian Emfinger told Fox Weather that he watched the twister move through a mobile home park, mangling trailers and uprooting trees.
“I had seen the tornado do some pretty serious destruction to the industrial part of town,” he said. “Unfortunately, just west of there, there is just mobile home, after mobile home, after mobile home that is completely destroyed. There is significant damage.”
Nearly 50,000 customers were without electricity in Texas and Oklahoma, according to the poweroutage.us website.
Ochiltree General Hospital in Perryton on Facebook said “Walking/wounded please go to the clinic. All others to the hospital ER.”
The hospital also said an American Red Cross shelter had been set up at the Ochiltree County Expo Center.
Chris Samples of local radio station KXDJ-FM said that according to hospital officials at least 100 people went to the emergency room. The station was running on auxiliary power.
“The whole city is out of power,” he said.
By evening, the weather front was moving southeast across Oklahoma. The weather service said a second round of storms would continue to move through that state and parts of Texas through the evening while the risk of severe weather, including tornados, remained for the metropolitan Oklahoma City area. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/perryton-texas-tornado-deadly-dozens-injured-panhandle/287-906ba969-b739-494a-be58-0aa7e41cd302 | 2023-06-16T02:22:24 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/perryton-texas-tornado-deadly-dozens-injured-panhandle/287-906ba969-b739-494a-be58-0aa7e41cd302 |
COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Editor's note: The video in this story is from a previous report.
A beloved K-9 officer with the Cobb County Police Department was laid to rest Wednesday.
K-9 Chase received full honors at the funeral service including a folded American flag, which is traditionally a symbol of honor and remembrance, and a blanket handstitched in memory of the patrol dog. He also received a salute and bagpipers played during the ceremony.
The K-9 officer died after the air conditioning malfunctioned in a hot patrol car on June 5. Cobb County Police previously said officers were participating in an active shooting training at Allatoona High School.
K-9 Chase was found unresponsive in the patrol car, the police department said. He was almost five years old.
The patrol dog, a Belgian malinois from Hungary, was named for a Locust Grove Police Department officer, Chase Maddox, who died in the line of duty.
He joined the Cobb County Police Department in April 2020.
Cobb County Police previously said K-9 Chase had "seized thousands of dollars worth of illegal narcotics, with numerous arrests and apprehensions."
"His life, service, and legacy will forever be remembered by all of us within the Cobb County Police Department," the police department wrote on its social media page. "His legacy will be etched alongside other fallen officers where he will live on forever."
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Data breach impacts 3.5M Oregon ID, driver's license holders
The Oregon Department of Transportation is among many organizations affected by a data breach inflicted by a global hack of the data transfer software MOVEit Transfer, according to a bulletin the agency sent out Thursday.
It said it discovered the breach Monday. The ODOT data impacted includes personal information for approximately 3.5 million holders of Oregon IDs or driver’s licenses.
While much of this information is available broadly, some of it is sensitive personal information. ODOT has notified law enforcement.
How did it happen?
ODOT has used MOVEit Transfer, a file-sharing tool created and managed by Progress Software Corp that allows organizations to transfer data between business partners and customers, since 2015. On June 1, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced PSC had released a security advisory for MOVEit Transfer and that the software had a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to "take over an affected system."
ODOT said it moved immediately to secure its systems and is confident they are now working safely.
It worked closely with state cyber security services and engaged a third-party security specialist for analysis, identifying multiple files shared via MOVEit Transfer that were accessed by unauthorized actors before receiving the security alert.
Whose data was breached?
ODOT said it cannot determine whose data was breached. Individuals with an active Oregon ID or driver's license should assume information related to that ID is part of this breach.
ODOT recommends anyone who may have been impacted monitor their credit reporters for suspicious activity.
What should you do now?
If you think you may have been affected, here's what you should do now:
You can request a free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three consumer credit reporting companies. A credit report can provide information about those who have received your credit history. Request a report at annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
Check credit reports for transactions or accounts that you do not recognize.
If you see anything suspicious, call the number listed on the credit report or visit the Federal Trade Commission's website on identity theft at consumer.gov/idtheft/. You can also ask the credit monitoring agencies to freeze your credit files.
- Equifax: equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services or 1-800-685-1111
- Experian: experian.com/help or 1-888-397-3742
- TransUnion: transunion.com/credit-help or 1-888-909-8872 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2023/06/15/data-breach-impacts-3-5-million-oregon-id-drivers-license-holders-global-hack-moveit-transfer/70327811007/ | 2023-06-16T02:38:24 | 0 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2023/06/15/data-breach-impacts-3-5-million-oregon-id-drivers-license-holders-global-hack-moveit-transfer/70327811007/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A crash has blocked off a street in southwest Wichita Thursday evening.
The crash happened around 8:10 p.m. near the intersection of South Seneca Street and West Pawnee Street.
As of 8:22 p.m., eastbound Pawnee has been blocked off in the area.
According to Wichita Police Department Sergeant Michael Rotes with the Patrol South Bureau, the crash was caused because of inattentiveness.
“Basically, we have one going east, one going west, the westbound vehicle slightly came into the lane of the eastbound vehicle, caused a collision,” Rotes said.
One of the victims had to be extracted from their vehicle.
“It did take the fire department and some heavy-duty equipment to be able to get to the driver of the, one of the vehicles,” said Rotes. “They had to use some pretty heavy-duty extraction tools basically to remove the door and part of the door frame in order to get the gentleman out of the car.”
Rotes said one person received non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/crash-blocks-off-eastbound-pawnee-thursday-evening/ | 2023-06-16T02:38:42 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/crash-blocks-off-eastbound-pawnee-thursday-evening/ |
Arizona UPS drivers to benefit from new air conditioning in delivery vans
After a years-long endeavor to implement air conditioning to UPS delivery vehicles, the company and union members reached an agreement on Tuesday regarding employees' heat safety measures.
Dave Dapper, UPS Teamsters representative for the Phoenix area, said he believes the agreement is especially beneficial for the more than 2,000 United Parcel Service delivery drivers in Arizona who endure temperatures that climb above 140 degrees inside trucks during the summer months. The deal, which is still subject to change, promises to equip all delivery vehicles with air conditioning starting next year.
"This is a major win for our employees. UPS is finally beginning to recognize climatic conditions affect the health and welfare of our workers." Dapper said, "We've had a number of people go down from heat-related incidents in Arizona. We're happy there's a tentative agreement.
The agreement comes nearly a year after the viral video showing an Arizona UPS driver staggering on a front porch due to the soaring July temperature, bringing awareness to the risks people working outside in Arizona's extreme summer heat face. The roughly 30-second video caught by a doorbell camera captured the UPS employee slumping to the ground while delivering an envelope at the door of a Scottsdale residence.
Dapper said heat-related incidents in the state have gone as far as employees being hospitalized, and some others have suffered from kidney failure.
According to UPS spokesperson Becky Biciolis, the next step after the agreement will be finalizing the contract, which she said does not yet have a set date to be signed.
Some of the portions of the agreement may change before a contract is established, Biciolis said. But new measures discussed in the tentative announcement include equipping all newly purchased small delivery vehicles with air conditioning starting Jan. 1, 2024, and first assigning the new assets to the hottest parts of the country.
The agreement includes other adjustments to package cars that improve airflow, like implementing a system that brings fresh air from the front of the vehicle into the cargo area, which is typically the one that heats up the most.
Biciolis said the new implementations will likely require months of planning. While the majority of delivery vehicles still don't have AC, UPS is taking other measures to protect workers from heat risk.
Some recent implementations include more heat awareness training, additional fans, cooling uniform fabric, and more access to water and electrolyte beverages.
The Tuesday deal came after the local unions representing UPS Teamsters conducted an election for the Teamsters National Negotiating Committee last week to call a nationwide strike at UPS in case an agreement was not met. Results of the vote to authorize a strike were scheduled to be announced Friday, according to UPS Teamsters.
While the results of the vote have not been announced, if the 340,000 UPS Teamsters decided to strike, it would be the largest single-employer strike in U.S. history, according to CNN.
Dapper said he was happy the union obtained a settlement that responds to what employees were asking for. "It may have taken a while to reach an agreement, and it still may take some time to implement, but we look to the future and we're happy we finally got this," Dapper said.
He added he hopes UPS continues to listen to the needs of workers and respond to their demands. In addition to air-conditioned vehicles, the union is demanding higher pay and closing the pay gaps between different types of workers.
"We do not want to go on a strike. All we want is protection for our workers," Dapper said. "It's up to UPS, they're the ones who have made promises over the last number of years, and we want to be rewarded for the hard work that our people do every day."
USA Today reporter Isabelle Butera contributed to this article. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/agreement-win-for-arizona-ups-drivers-mean-vans-get-air-conditioning/70325810007/ | 2023-06-16T02:42:46 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/15/agreement-win-for-arizona-ups-drivers-mean-vans-get-air-conditioning/70325810007/ |
BALTIMORE — Ray Lewis III, son of former Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, has died, according to his brother Rahsaan Lewis.
Younger brother Rahsaan Lewis took to Instagram to remember his brother.
In an Instagram story, Lewis wrote "really can't believe I'm even typing this but RIP big brother."
Former Raven Robert Griffin III posted on Twitter about Lewis' son.
Send a prayer up for Ray Lewis and his family after the passing of his son. Ray Lewis III was only 28 years old. pic.twitter.com/nW6MDntzMZ
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) June 16, 2023
This is a developing story. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/ray-lewis-iii-son-of-former-ravens-linebacker-ray-lewis-dead-at-28 | 2023-06-16T02:45:30 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/ray-lewis-iii-son-of-former-ravens-linebacker-ray-lewis-dead-at-28 |
PITTSBURGH — The City of Pittsburgh kicks off its summer food program next week.
According to a news release, the program starts Tuesday, June 20 at Allegheny Commons Park in the area near the National Aviary from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“Thanks to our partners at Pittsburgh Public Schools-Food Service Division, American Dairy Association-Northeast, and the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank we will continue to feed Pittsburgh youth when school goes on summer break,” said Kathryn Vargas, CitiParks Director.
The kick-off event Tuesday will end with lunch for children from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The program runs from June 21 to August 18 and is free for anyone under 18 or residents with intellectual disabilities up to age 21.
For more information about the program, click here.
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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson will soon be 32 years old and has already played 12 NFL seasons.
That’s closer to the end than the beginning, for sure, but you can put any talk of Peterson retiring in the near term on the back burner, and Peterson said that he’s actually gotten more sure that he wants to keep playing since joining the Steelers and playing for head coach Mike Tomlin.
“I want a Super Bowl,” Peterson said in an appearance on The Jim Rome Show on Thursday. “I don’t have that yet. I came up close in 2015 with the Arizona Cardinals. That’s my why. That’s what I’m still hungry for. Mink [Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick] asked me this question the other day. He said, ‘Why are you still playing?’”
Read the full story from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh here.
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PITTSBURGH — PPG Paints Arena will hold a job fair at the end of June.
Open interviews for part-time positions will take place on June 28 between 2 and 6 p.m., inside the FNB Gate.
Part-time positions include housekeeping, ushers, greeters, event security, concessions and more.
No registration is required to attend the job fair.
For more information, click here.
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PITTSBURGH — A retired Pittsburgh police K9 has died at the age of 10.
According to police, “Fredy” retired from service in January 2023.
Fredy was a patrol/explosive detection K9 who began his service in Pittsburgh in June 2014.
“Fredy enjoyed the last 6 months of his retirement residing with his handler Officer Bogert and his family,” the Pittsburgh Police K9 Unit said on Facebook. “RIP Fredy. Your loyal service to the City of Pittsburgh and its citizens will never be forgotten.”
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SHALER, Pa. — Some Shaler Area High School athletes have made history this season.
The baseball, softball and boy’s volleyball teams from one high school have all advanced to the state championship in the same year.
This is the first time this has ever happened at a high school in Pennsylvania.
Thursday night, the baseball team won the state title.
The boy’s volleyball team will play in their title game this weekend.
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HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Pennsylvania State Police are searching for a suspect accused of stealing credit cards from a vehicle at LA Fitness in Hempfield Township.
According to police, credit cards were stolen from the vehicle and then used at Walmart and Sam’s Club on Tuesday.
The suspect attempted theft of $4,000 in gift cards between the two stores.
In photos shared with the public, the suspect is wearing a mask, but has it pulled down.
Anyone with information is asked to call 724-832-3288.
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BLOOMINGTON — The McLean County Board approved a new voting precinct map during Thursday's board meeting after two party-line votes on differing proposals.
The board ultimately approved a proposal drafted by the Geographic Information System (GIS) department, whose membership consists of representatives of the county, the city of Bloomington and the town of Normal.
McLean County Administrator Cassy Taylor said the map is in response to the redistricting process following the 2020 Census and already has changed the boundaries of Illinois' congressional and McLean County's board districts.
Although no voters would be changing their county board districts, GIS' proposal consists of 81 precincts instead of the 70 precincts on the existing map. Normal Township, in particular, would get six new precincts.
However, McLean County Board Chairman John McIntyre said board member George Wendt proposed a second precinct map that would have 79 precincts. Wendt argued fewer precincts would save money.
"We would have had 10 fewer election judges needed in the county," Taylor said of Wendt's proposal.
In the first vote the 79-district map was defeated by a 10-9 vote with all of the board's Democratic members in attendance voting no. Republican board member Jim Soeldner was absent.
A subsequent vote on the GIS proposal passed by a 10-9 vote, this time with all nine Republican board members present voting against it.
Wendt then made a motion to the redraw the approved map so there would be two precincts in Bloomington Township instead of three.
He also wanted to change the number of Randolph Township precincts from four to three.
"We used to only have three precincts (but) they carved out my 156 voters and put them in one precinct," Wendt said. "We don't need that. We get along very well with the three and it works."
McIntyre said that because a vote already was made on the precinct map, the board couldn't take action on it again on Thursday night. Instead, he advised Wendt to consult with the McLean County State's Attorney's Office to possibly introduce such a measure during the board's next meeting.
Photos: Memorial Day celebrations in Bloomington-Normal history
1940: Memorial Day parade in Bloomington
1940: Memorial Day parade in Bloomington
1941: Memorial Day in Bloomington
1941: Memorial Day in Bloomington
1942: Memorial Day parade, ceremony in Bloomington
1942: Memorial Day parade, ceremony in Bloomington
1942: Memorial Day parade, ceremony in Bloomington
1942: Memorial Day parade, ceremony in Bloomington
1944: Memorial Day in Bloomington
1944: Memorial Day in Bloomington
1945: Memorial Day in Bloomington
1945: Memorial Day in Bloomington
Contact Drew Zimmerman at 309-820-3276. Follow Drew on Twitter: @DZimmermanLee
McLean County Board Chairman John McIntyre, center, reads through the agenda of Thursday's county board meeting. The board voted along party lines for a new precinct map Thursday. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/mclean-county-board-oks-redrawn-precinct-map-on-part-line-vote/article_7a538cfa-0bd7-11ee-b28d-47c69292bc6f.html | 2023-06-16T02:53:08 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/mclean-county-board-oks-redrawn-precinct-map-on-part-line-vote/article_7a538cfa-0bd7-11ee-b28d-47c69292bc6f.html |
Randy Robbins, 72, of Twin Falls died Wednesday, June 14, 2023, at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Twin Falls. Arrangements are under the care of Demaray Funeral Service—Gooding Chapel.
Scott Omelia, 69, of Twin Falls died Tuesday, June 15, 2023, at home. Arrangements are under the care of Parke’s Magic Valley Funeral Home, Twin Falls.
Glen Elmer McCaslin, 90, of Hazelton died Wednesday, June 14, 2023. Arrangements are under the care of Rosenau Funeral Home, Twin Falls.
Karla Rae Cranney, 72, of Oakley died Monday, June 12, 2023, at home. Arrangements are under the care of Morrison Funeral Home, Rupert. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/article_f432b39a-0b9e-11ee-973a-ffc169bd74df.html | 2023-06-16T02:56:33 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/article_f432b39a-0b9e-11ee-973a-ffc169bd74df.html |
CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. — "I have three sisters and a brother, and I had to call all them, and you know, really we were just heartbroken," said Greg Wall.
Stretching over 20 years, The Country Club of Scranton was one of many places prosecutors say a group of nine allegedly broke into, stealing art and other memorabilia.
For Wall, it was the trophy collection belonging to his father, the winner of the 1959 Masters Tournament Art Wall Jr.
"Couple silver cups from his Pennsylvania amateur victory's from back in the 40s, his 1975 Milwaukee open trophy, dad at the time was the second oldest to win a PGA tour event, that was a bummer. Everything that was taken it was very upsetting," Wall said.
Eight out of the nine people indicted turned themselves in, except for Nicolas Dombek of Lackawanna County.
His niece, Olivia Clause, is also the family attorney.
"It is the cornerstones of the United States criminal justice system that we are all innocent until and unless proven guilty we believe Nicolas did not do this crime," Clause said. "He is an innocent man that is in reasonable fear that the government will not serve him justice or value his life."
Clause has been handling her uncle's legal matters for several years and can only imagine what he is going through after this indictment.
"We are devastated That he could possibly be in so much fear That he would run, but that is the fact of the matter. This is our government that we work with," Clause added.
Since 2011, Greg Wall has not seen the original trophies that were taken, but he says his father's legacy lives on.
"Country club in Scranton was kind enough back when this happened we replicated a lot of the items, so they're certainly not the original items, but we were able to replicate some of them, so we still have a pretty neat representation of dad's background here," Wall said.
Nicholas Dombek is considered a fugitive from justice.
His family says he poses no threat to the community.
Among the heists attributed to the thieves was a 1999 break-in at Keystone College in Factoryville.
Mathewson memorabilia stolen
They allegedly swiped a jersey worn by Christy Mathewson, the Wyoming County native who's a member of the baseball hall of fame.
{{-L3 JAMES SCANLON-}}
A couple of Christy Mathewson's signed baseball contracts were also stolen in the 1999 burglary.
Memorabilia from some of the most famous members of the New York Yankees are also listed among the items that were stolen.
Yankees items among those stolen
The Yogi Berra Museum in Little Falls, New Jersey, says the Hall of Famer's priceless world series rings were taken in a burglary in 2014 and likely melted down for metal.
Yogi Berra won ten world series with the Yankees.
Replicas of his original rings are now on display at the museum in New Jersey.
Want to see what Newswatch 16's newscast was like in 1976? Head on over to WNEP's YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/families-react-to-art-sports-memorabilia-theft-art-wall-jr-the-country-club-of-scranton-nicolas-dombek-wnep/523-5f7b3acf-12e9-4604-a221-3894c4164da7 | 2023-06-16T03:00:02 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/families-react-to-art-sports-memorabilia-theft-art-wall-jr-the-country-club-of-scranton-nicolas-dombek-wnep/523-5f7b3acf-12e9-4604-a221-3894c4164da7 |
ORWIGSBURG, Pa. — It was a big welcome home for the state champs.
The girls' softball team from Blue Mountain High School in Schuylkill County won the PIAA title in State College.
They returned to a hero's welcome at an impromptu parade that was organized so the community could cheer on the champions.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/saluting-the-high-school-softball-state-champs-blue-mountain-high-school-in-schuylkill-county-wnep/523-547a395c-2e2c-43f8-aff3-b5b6370a603a | 2023-06-16T03:00:08 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/saluting-the-high-school-softball-state-champs-blue-mountain-high-school-in-schuylkill-county-wnep/523-547a395c-2e2c-43f8-aff3-b5b6370a603a |
Country Fest at Clay's Resort ordered evacuated due to thunderstorms
North Lawrence Fire Department issues evacuation notice
LAWRENCE TWP The North Lawrence Fire Department Thursday evening ordered an evacuation of the Country Fest music festival at Clay's Resort Jellystone Park due to a forecast of inclement weather.
At 9 p.m., the department issued this alert on its Facebook page: "Evacuation notice for country fest. Show postponed. Seek shelter."
The National Weather Service in Cleveland at 9:52 p.m. issued a thunderstorm warning through 11 p.m. for southwestern Stark County, eastern Wayne County and Holmes County. The warning said a line of thunderstorms were moving east from Orrville at 25 miles per hour. It forecast 60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail. It said Canton, Wooster, Millersburg, Massillon and several southwest Stark County communities could be impacted.
The weather service said residents should be prepared to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building. And the heavy rain could lead to flash flooding while the storm could inflict minor damage to vehicles.
Kane Brown had been scheduled at 10 p.m. Thursday to perform at Country Fest.
Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. Twitter: @rwangREP. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/musical-event-at-clays-ordered-evacuated-due-to-thunderstorms/70328438007/ | 2023-06-16T03:00:14 | 1 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/musical-event-at-clays-ordered-evacuated-due-to-thunderstorms/70328438007/ |
Portage Mayor James Snyder talks to reporters after his trial in 2019 at the U.S. District Court in Hammond.
CHICAGO — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit has denied former Portage Mayor James Snyder's appeal of his 2021 convictions of bribery and tax violations.
In a 42-page document filed Thursday, Judges David F. Hamilton, Candance Jackson-Akiwumi and John Z. Lee determined that none of Snyder's Fourth and Sixth Amendment rights were violated during the course of the investigation into his conduct, despite arguments made by his attorneys.
Snyder, 45, was found guilty of soliciting and accepting a $13,000 bribe in 2014 in return for steering a $1.125 million contract for the purchase of garbage trucks for the city of Portage to the local Great Lakes Peterbilt company. Additionally, federal prosecutors said he obstructed the Internal Revenue Service’s efforts to collect unpaid taxes on a private mortgage company he ran.
He was tried and found guilty in February 2019. When Snyder's attorney's moved for a judgment of acquittal or a new trial, the district court denied the motion for acquittal but granted Snyder a new trial on the bribery charge. He was convicted for a second time in March 2021.
In an appeal argued before the court in January, Snyder's defense team said his rights were violated when the government seized email communications between him and his attorney as part of the discovery of evidence in the case. The government maintained the integrity of its investigation through a filtering process in which federal agents determine which emails are considered "privileged" communications that should not be disclosed to the prosecution.
"The emails had been seized and the filter process completed before Snyder was indicted in November 2016, and only at that time did his Sixth Amendment right to counsel attach," the court wrote. The court also concluded that seizure of Snyder’s emails under the warrant did not violate the particularity requirement of the Fourth Amendment.
His team argued that his conviction was not supported by sufficient evidence, which the judges did not find to be legitimate.
"The evidence here was sufficient to support the jury’s verdict," the judges said. "Evidence at trial established that Snyder owed personal and payroll taxes and that the IRS had taken 'specific, targeted' steps to collect by levying Snyder’s personal and business bank accounts."
Snyder's legal team took additional action in March, suing the city of Portage, Democratic Mayor Sue Lynch and city attorney Dan Whitten. In the federal lawsuit, Snyder accuses the two of instructing city employees, including case witness Randall Reeder Jr., to not meet with Snyder and his legal team as they prepared for his second trial. Attorneys for the city, Lynch and Whitten filed a motion in Mayto dismiss. Snyder's legal team has five days to respond to the motion, according to federal court records.
While Snyder was permitted to remain out of prison during the appeal, a 21-month sentence looms.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/former-portage-mayor-denied-appeal-on-bribery-and-tax-obstruction-charges/article_0ad2ac34-0bd3-11ee-a973-d79de00c38ab.html | 2023-06-16T03:00:24 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/former-portage-mayor-denied-appeal-on-bribery-and-tax-obstruction-charges/article_0ad2ac34-0bd3-11ee-a973-d79de00c38ab.html |
Jackson's Juneteenth celebration set for T.R. White Sportsplex, hosted by SAACA
In celebration of Juneteenth, the Society For African American Cultural Awareness (SAACA) invites the Jacksonians to a free outdoor event on Saturday.
The national holiday of Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States on June 19, 1865 following President Abraham Lincoln's signing of the Emancipation Proclamation two years prior. In 2021, President Biden signed a law recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday
Hosted at the T.R. White Sportsplex from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., the 34th Annual Freedom Day event will have a series of vendors, guest speakers, live music, and the recognition of Miss Juneteenth Jackson Mendy Pettirgew.
The celebration comes as a partnership between the city of Jackson, the Jackson Fire Department, SAACA, Delta Faucet Company, Lane College, Jammin' Jackson 97.7, and the Jackson Equity Project.
SAACA wrote on their Facebook that in the instance of inclement weather, the event will be moved inside the Sportsplex. | https://www.jacksonsun.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/jacksons-juneteenth-celebration-set-for-t-r-white-sportsplex-hosted-by-saaca/70323247007/ | 2023-06-16T03:06:14 | 1 | https://www.jacksonsun.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/jacksons-juneteenth-celebration-set-for-t-r-white-sportsplex-hosted-by-saaca/70323247007/ |
LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. — Lebanon County police are searching for a missing woman with dementia.
Cathleen Boyd, 78, from Palmyra, was last seen around 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 15 along the 5600 block of Elizabethtown Road, according to the South Londonderry Township Police Department.
When she walked away, she was wearing gray sweatpants and is likely wearing mismatched shoes.
On prior occasions, Boyd has been spotted walking on the Lebanon Valley Rail-Trail.
Police additionally noted that she suffers from dementia.
Anyone with information on her location has been asked to call 911. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lebanon-county-police-searching-missing-palmyra-resident-dementia/521-7157c3da-d4ca-4ac9-90e9-ca30b99cc9bf | 2023-06-16T03:07:09 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lebanon-county-police-searching-missing-palmyra-resident-dementia/521-7157c3da-d4ca-4ac9-90e9-ca30b99cc9bf |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Pennsylvania lawmakers passed two bills that would increase phone fees, in order to increase funding for '911' and '988' emergency call centers throughout the Commonwealth.
“Anytime you call 911, you expect someone on the other end who can help you with your emergency in what is probably the worst moment of your life," said Lisa Schaefer, executive director for the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania.
The '911' bill would increase the $1.65 monthly fee to $1.97 on people’s phone bills. Lisa Schaefer said the old surcharge isn’t keeping up with expenses, which is causing local counties to foot more of the bill.
“On average, counties are paying about 25 to 30% of the costs for the system, and that’s through county property tax dollars," said Schaefer.
Schaefer said the surcharge increase could bring local property tax relief for homeowners, as well as provide necessary upgrades to 911 call centers. The funding would help purchase next-generation equipment and hire more staff.
“All those things we try to accommodate to make sure we’re providing the best service, and the quickest and most thorough service we can to those who are calling for an emergency," said Schaefer.
The '988' bill would add an additional six-cent fee to provide a stable source of funding for the new suicide prevention hotline, which is required under federal law.
Schaefer applauds the bill but added more funding will be needed to provide additional mental health resources at the county level.
“It’s not just a point in time where you call, work out your crisis, get stabilized, and then you move on," said Schaefer. "You need that support from your community services going forward, as well.”
The two bills will now head over to the Senate. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/pa-house-passes-bills-to-increase-funding-for-911-and-988-call-centers-harrisburg-dauphin-county/521-8cb35967-da10-4c79-a7f5-b568f5512ccc | 2023-06-16T03:07:15 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/pa-house-passes-bills-to-increase-funding-for-911-and-988-call-centers-harrisburg-dauphin-county/521-8cb35967-da10-4c79-a7f5-b568f5512ccc |
YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Barn Manager Samantha Taylor is one of the newer set of hands around Omega Horse Rescue in Peach Bottom Township, York County.
"It's a very meaningful job," Taylor said. "Being able to help [the horses] and see them get their final home."
But she's far from the newest in the stable. The rescue took in five miniature horses from a kill pen this week.
"They won't get any bigger," Taylor said standing in front of an open stall.
And they are expecting more on the way. The three mares they rescued are pregnant, with one fawn born early Thursday morning.
"That's pretty rare," Taylor said "This is kind of special that we're getting two stallions, three mares, and potentially three foals."
The staff is expecting two more little ones. It gives them something to smile about, through a big dilemma.
"We have skimmed back quite a bit," Omega Horse Rescue Director Kelly Smith said, "Because of how expensive it is to actually take care of the animals and rehab them properly."
Rising costs of caring for the animals and dwindling donations continue to make things less stable.
"It's a lot that we put into doing this," Smith said
She says they won't let financial hardships stall their day-to-day work.
"We're here for compassion towards these animals," Smith said. "That our goal at the end of the day is to help them become safe and happy."
Safe, happy, and ready to find a home.
"In the end, it'll be worth it," Taylor said. "Because we'll see them matched up with their perfect person." | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county/york-co-horse-rescue-saves-mini-horses-despite-big-financial-struggles-omega-horse-rescue/521-9ed9ac08-c0ee-4fe4-a813-6a1ff231539c | 2023-06-16T03:07:21 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/york-county/york-co-horse-rescue-saves-mini-horses-despite-big-financial-struggles-omega-horse-rescue/521-9ed9ac08-c0ee-4fe4-a813-6a1ff231539c |
DUNEDIN, Fla. — One person was taken to the hospital after being shot inside a gated community Thursday night in Dunedin.
Deputies responded at around 9 p.m. to a home on Concord Drive in the Dunedin Cove subdivision. That's where they found one person suffering from a gunshot wound.
The sheriff's office did not immediately release details regarding their condition. However, deputies are talking with the shooter and said the community is not in danger. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/shooting-concord-drive-dunedin-cove/67-17f0bd43-96de-4e39-b2db-aa6057b79189 | 2023-06-16T03:09:13 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/shooting-concord-drive-dunedin-cove/67-17f0bd43-96de-4e39-b2db-aa6057b79189 |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The city of St. Petersburg reached a new milestone with its new accessible funding opportunity for businesses located in the South St. Pete Community Redevelopment Area.
After the South St. Petersburg CRA Microfund Program was first announced back in May, the city has now officially selected 56 small businesses in the first cohort.
The selected small business owners met Monday at St. Pete Greenhouse for the program's official "Launch Night" event. They were able to receive program details along with meeting with their business mentors and navigators and joining their first cohort networking event.
"For the next few months, business owners will work to develop a personalized capacity-building plan, a business and spending plan, and complete several surveys and a final report," St. Pete leaders explain in a news release. "Upon completion of the program, each cohort participant will be eligible to receive up to $10,000 to be used at their discretion based on their planning with their Greenhouse Navigator."
The next cohort and application period is set for fall 2023. Anyone interested in learning more about the South St. Pete CRA Microfund Program can attend the next information session at 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 22, or visit stpete.org/microfund.
Back when the program was first introduced, St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch explained it will distribute a $1.35 million "boost" to local small businesses.
Welch says the program is an investment that will bolster the city's small business capacity along with supporting equitable economic development.
"In the city of St. Petersburg, we put small businesses first because when they're competing and thriving, they're the heart of a healthy, vibrant and diverse community that we all love," the mayor previously explained.
The funding will be distributed over four application rounds, with the first round already started in May of this year.
The CRA Microfund Program allows business owners to make "targeted improvements without providing any upfront capital or matching."
According to the city of St. Pete, the funding levels include:
- Existing Brick and Mortar - $10,000
- Existing Family Childcare - $10,000
- Existing Home-Based Business - $5,000
- Existing Shared Commercial Space - $5,000
- Early-Stage Startup - $2,500
City leaders say some highlights of the Microfund Program for anyone interested in the program.
- The Microfund is a no-match program.
- The Program offers personalized capacity building through increased education, mentoring, and networking in exchange for CRA funding so business owners can make targeted and planful improvements without having to provide upfront capital.
- Cohort will be given up to 45 business days to complete the assigned capacity-building curriculum which may require up to 15 hours of attendance and/or engagement.
- Program periods are expected to recur upon the completion of each cohort, approximately every four months.
- Following the completion of the first Cohort, the program will be reviewed for effectiveness, and modifications will be implemented as needed.
"We believe this could be a game changer for South St. Pete businesses as they work to compete, survive and thrive," Welch previously said. "This is what Inclusive Progress looks like." | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/st-pete-56-small-businesses-accessible-funding-program/67-bec55b7f-9f4d-4354-b1ec-d137f50e78ea | 2023-06-16T03:09:19 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/st-pete-56-small-businesses-accessible-funding-program/67-bec55b7f-9f4d-4354-b1ec-d137f50e78ea |
PERRYTON, Texas — A tornado ripped through the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, killing one person, injuring dozens more and causing widespread damage as another in a series of fierce storms carved its way through Southern states.
The National Weather Service in Amarillo confirmed that a tornado hit the area Thursday afternoon. But there was no immediate word on its size or wind speeds, meteorologist Luigi Meccariello said. “There are still reports of ongoing rescues,” he said.
Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher told Amarillo TV station ABC 7 that a person was killed in a mobile home park that took a “direct hit” from a tornado. Dutcher said at least 30 trailers were damaged or destroyed. At 6 p.m., firefighters were rescuing people from the rubble.
First responders from surrounding areas and from Oklahoma descended on the town, which is home to more than 8,000 people and about 115 miles northeast of Amarillo, just south of the Oklahoma line.
Storm chaser Brian Emfinger told Fox Weather that he watched the twister move through a mobile home park, mangling trailers and uprooting trees.
“I had seen the tornado do some pretty serious destruction to the industrial part of town,” he said. “Unfortunately, just west of there, there is just mobile home, after mobile home, after mobile home that is completely destroyed. There is significant damage.”
Nearly 50,000 customers were without electricity in Texas and Oklahoma, according to the poweroutage.us website.
Ochiltree General Hospital in Perryton on Facebook said “Walking/wounded please go to the clinic. All others to the hospital ER.”
The hospital also said an American Red Cross shelter had been set up at the Ochiltree County Expo Center.
Chris Samples of local radio station KXDJ-FM said that according to hospital officials at least 100 people went to the emergency room. The station was running on auxiliary power.
“The whole city is out of power,” he said.
By evening, the weather front was moving southeast across Oklahoma. The weather service said a second round of storms would continue to move through that state and parts of Texas through the evening while the risk of severe weather, including tornados, remained for the metropolitan Oklahoma City area.
The storm system also brought hail and possible tornados to northwestern Ohio.
A barn was smashed and trees toppled in Sandusky County, Ohio, and power lines were downed in northern Toledo, leaving thousands without power. The weather service reported “a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado” over Bellevue and storms showing “signs of rotation” in other areas.
It was the second day in a row that powerful storms struck the U.S. On Wednesday, strong winds toppled trees, damaged buildings and blew cars off a highway from the eastern part of Texas to Georgia. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/perryton-texas-tornado-deadly-dozens-injured-panhandle/287-906ba969-b739-494a-be58-0aa7e41cd302 | 2023-06-16T03:10:41 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/perryton-texas-tornado-deadly-dozens-injured-panhandle/287-906ba969-b739-494a-be58-0aa7e41cd302 |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — It’s been nearly three months since the EF-3 tornado, and Billy Etter has spent every day cleaning up the debris left behind.
Etter, director of the Bennet Davis Group, owns a building along Shackelford that once housed several businesses.
“We’re displaced," Etter said. "We would just want to get back to our regular routine."
They're hoping to rebuild, but they’re still waiting on insurance money. Etter said they're just now starting to a little bit of what's owed.
“We're sitting at less than 10% of what we fully expect to come back to us,” Etter said.
According to Etter, they can't even begin cleaning up the inside of the building.
“It's still in their hands," Etter said. "They have not released it to us since they haven't paid us in full."
He said the entire process has been frustrating.
“The damage to our building was obvious within 30 seconds of when we walked up here that day," Etter said "For it to now be three months, words can't describe how frustrating that is."
And he's not alone.
The Arkansas Insurance Department said they've received several calls from people dealing with similar issues.
“Sometimes they're waiting to hear from the adjuster that first time," Insurance Commissioner Alan McClain said. "Sometimes they've made that claim, and they're just waiting for the adjuster to get back to them to tell them what they're going to be able to do in terms of paying any benefits for the damage."
McClain said they've heard 14 complaints and are working to close any communication gaps.
“We can make that phone call and see what the hold up is, and sometimes it's something that we can move along,” McClain said. “If not, we can at least get an explanation.”
Meanwhile, Etter said they're just hoping to get their money soon.
“There's really nothing we can do," Etter said. "Just waiting on them."
Anyone who is still waiting on their insurance company and has concerns can file a complaint here or call 800-852-5494. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/insurance-delay-little-rock-business/91-5fbf695e-5ade-40cd-a13c-4db86738a1b7 | 2023-06-16T03:12:03 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/insurance-delay-little-rock-business/91-5fbf695e-5ade-40cd-a13c-4db86738a1b7 |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Pride month is held each year in June, and it is meant to celebrate all identities of the LGTBQ+ community.
However, a harsh reality for some is that Pride month isn't as joyous as it should be.
"There has been laws that have been passed that go against the trans community, the LGBTQIA community, it's been a battle," said Dolores Wilk with Central Arkansas Pride.
They said some bills introduced this past legislative session focused on taking away those safe spaces for people who are part of that community.
A recent study from The Trevor Project showed some alarming statistics. Out of the 28,000 13 to 24-year-olds that were surveyed, 41% of LGBTQ young people had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.
Fewer than 40% didn't feel welcome in their own home and 56% who wanted mental health care said they couldn't get it.
Central Arkansas Pride will be hosting its inaugural Youth Leadership Academy on Saturday, June 17th from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
The event is aimed at helping people learn about the resources that are available in Arkansas.
"We have sessions in the morning from nine to 12:00 p.m. in three tracks. A general track, a health track, and an organizational track," Wilk said. "I want to educate them how they can make an impact, how they can change that perspective, going forward [and] how they can be involved with legislation."
Central Arkansas Pride plans to host the Youth Leadership Academy every month from now on. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/lgbtq-central-arkansas-youth-leadership-academy/91-a896b815-b877-4b38-954c-d32bb143d3a7 | 2023-06-16T03:12:09 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/lgbtq-central-arkansas-youth-leadership-academy/91-a896b815-b877-4b38-954c-d32bb143d3a7 |
SEATTLE — Available phone numbers with the 206 area code are running out - so Seattle is getting a new one: 564.
The Utilities and Transportation Commission approved the plan Thursday to address a need for new phone numbers in the Seattle area.
Current phone numbers with the 206 area code aren't going to change. The 564 area code will be assigned to new phone numbers once 206 area code numbers are depleted.
The North American Numbering Plan Administrator estimates that numbers with the 206 area code will run out by the end of 2025. The Utilities and Transportation Commission directed the cell phone industry to develop a nine-month implementation plan to make sure that the new area code will be ready six months ahead of when 206 phone numbers are expected to run out.
The commission originally approved the 564 area code as an overlay for areas in western Washington that needed additional phone numbers in 2000, but didn't actually need to implement it as an option until 2017, when 360 numbers began to run out.
The area code is already in use on the Olympic Peninsula, southwest Washington, eastern Pierce and King Counties and also in Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom Counties.
Part of the overlay area code implementation meant Washington residents needed to switch to 10 digital dialing in the western part of the state in 2017, due to the potential for a 564 number and a number with a different area code to have the same seven preceding digits.
Callers within the 509 area code were the only ones in the state who could do seven-digital dialing until last fall, when the 988 number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline went into effect. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-new-area-code-564/281-0b9aaf92-4aff-4e3b-93b0-e84e560bf345 | 2023-06-16T03:15:43 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/seattle-new-area-code-564/281-0b9aaf92-4aff-4e3b-93b0-e84e560bf345 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento prodigy is achieving another milestone Thursday, becoming one of the youngest Ph.D. holders in the world.
Tanishq Abraham, who just turned 20-years-old over the weekend, is being awarded a doctorate at UC Davis. The Ph.D. was completed when he was 19-years-old but the ceremony for the graduation was held just after he turned 20.
Graduating with a doctorate in biomedical engineering, Tanishq is now one of the youngest Ph.D. holders in the world.
"Getting a Ph.D. is a huge accomplishment for anybody but to be able to do it at such a young age means a lot to me," said Abraham.
Thursday's commencement was bittersweet for Tanishq. The Sacramento native spent all of his teenage years at UC Davis — first getting his undergraduate degree in 2018 at just 14-years-old then going on to research medical AI for his doctorate.
"I was interested in applying deep learning and artificial intelligence to microscopy and pathology for improving diagnosis of patients and to help guide surgeries for curing and treating patients with cancer," said Abraham.
And being a high achiever runs in the family.
Tanishq's sister, Tiara Abraham, graduated with a bachelor of arts in music and vocal performance from UC Davis last year at 16-years-old.
"Our parents are very supportive of what we want to do. My brother, he is in the stem field and I am in the arts," said Tiara Abraham. "I'm going to be rooting for my brother as he walks across the stage."
Tiara also sang the national anthem at her brother's commencement.
The proud parents cheering on these two in their studies: Bijou and Taji Abraham.
Taji is a UC Davis alumna herself.
"When people ask us how do you manage, just always go and see what they are interested in and try to support their passions," said Taji Abraham.
"It's a great achievement at this age to do what he's done. We're amazed by him every day," said Bijou Abraham.
So what's next for this prodigy?
Tanishq plans to continue in the field of medical AI and hopes to one day lead a research lab. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/davis/uc-davis-tanishq-abraham-graduates-phd/103-ba371d57-fd38-4f48-8581-7976118feaae | 2023-06-16T03:19:13 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/davis/uc-davis-tanishq-abraham-graduates-phd/103-ba371d57-fd38-4f48-8581-7976118feaae |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Crime and gun violence taking center stage in Sacramento after a string of murders in the city.
People in North Sacramento are especially on edge after police say 11 people have been shot there in less than a week.
"It just makes me not go outside anymore," said Tyrice Lucas, a teen who lives in Del Paso Heights.
Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester says right now the department is unsure what's driving this spike in crime.
"The numbers are very alarming," said Lester. "75% of our shooting victims are Hispanic or African American. And 50% are under the age of 30. So it's really affecting our youth and it's really affecting the sense of safety."
In Del Paso Heights, Brother 2 Brother is trying to make a difference by opening up a new safe zone building targeting youth.
"A safe zone is consistent if you have a problem with somebody out there in the streets and you need to get away to be safe, come in our building and we're going to protect you and make sure that you are good," said Aaron Cardoza, president of Brother 2 Brother. "Also it's a learning center for us to be able to tutor our kids."
Cardoza says he's working with police to stop youth from becoming a statistic.
Chief Lester says they need organizations like these.
In a plan presented to the city council about a year ago, police are also engaging with the community.
"One of the most valuable pieces of that is to definitely use intelligence to try and reduce crime by looking at specific offenders," said Lester. "We know that violent crime occurs in very small geographic areas of our city and it's committed by a very small number of people." | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/north-sacramento-shootings-brother-2-brother/103-5dab8dff-6ac7-4020-93f9-3f39ad366b57 | 2023-06-16T03:19:19 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/north-sacramento-shootings-brother-2-brother/103-5dab8dff-6ac7-4020-93f9-3f39ad366b57 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra toured and visited UC Davis Medical Center's production kitchen, Thursday.
The visit was to announce the launch of UC Davis' Health Workforce Initiative Food Program where they partner with local farms and agricultural organizations to provide fresh, locally grown food to patients and staff.
The goal of the program is to focus on food sustainability and eating locally. The executive chef wants to change the stigma on hospital food.
"It takes a phenomenal team of dieticians, nutritionists, culinary staff and food service workers to put on a program of this magnitude," said Santana Diaz, Director of Culinary Operations and Executive Chef at UC Davis Health. "We strive to have a great impact on our community so the way we source and procure food is very important, for the appropriate diets to the people that need it most."
Becerra says he's looking forward to seeing the success of the new food initiative program.
"We've got to change our system of healthcare," said Secretary Becerra. "It's time we move from the illness care system to a wellness care system where we talk about how you're keeping healthy and enjoying wellness."
As the Secretary of Health and Human Services, ABC10 also wanted to know Becerra's thoughts on another group of migrants being dropped off in California, this time from Texas.
"Many of these immigrants have gone through tough times," said Becerra. "We have laws that are there to protect those seeking asylum, trying to flee from persecution or potential death. I think we're going to do everything we can to make sure anyone in California has a place to sleep, good food to eat, and has an opportunity to excel the way I did."
He also traveled to Oakland to highlight the Biden-Harris administration’s efforts to tackle food insecurity and increase investment in our nation’s healthcare workforce.
For more information about the Health Workforce Initiative Food Program, you can visit their website at www.HHS.gov.
WATCH MORE ON ABC10: Migrants bussed from Texas to California in move LA mayor calls 'despicable stunt' | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/us-secretary-xavier-becerra-visits-uc-davis-medical-center/103-820c2fae-3dd0-4b8b-b0ba-864f80bfc5d1 | 2023-06-16T03:19:25 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/us-secretary-xavier-becerra-visits-uc-davis-medical-center/103-820c2fae-3dd0-4b8b-b0ba-864f80bfc5d1 |
It was supposed to be a special moment for Hafsah Abdul-Rahman. The 17-year-old senior was graduating from the Philadelphia High School for Girls on Friday.
Abdul-Rahman told NBC10 she was aware of the school’s rule for families to not cheer, clap or shout while students walked across the stage to receive their diplomas and warned her family not to do so. As for Abdul-Rahman, she couldn’t help but celebrate a bit. Video shows her doing the popular “Griddy” dance while walking across the stage to receive her diploma from the school’s principal.
The dance drew some laughter from part of the crowd. Abdul-Rahman said her principal was not amused however in a moment that was also captured on video.
“She was like, ‘You’re not getting your diploma because you made the crowd chuckle,’” Abdul-Rahman told NBC10. “It was like she was going to give it to me but she took it right back. It was just embarrassing. She didn't have to do that."
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While Abdul-Rahman eventually received her diploma off-stage, she doesn’t believe it was fair to be penalized for her dance.
“I didn’t feel like I broke any of the rules because she didn’t say this prior to the graduation that you can’t do this walking across the stage,” Abdul-Rahman said. “She just said our families cannot cheer for us. And my family didn’t cheer.”
She also believes the principal ruined her moment.
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“It was like, you don’t know who I was graduating for,” Abdul-Rahman said. “It wasn’t your moment to take. You already graduated. You still getting paid at the end of the day. I’m only doing this once.”
NBC10 reached out to the School District of Philadelphia for comment. A spokesperson wrote that the district “does not condone the withholding of earned diplomas based on family members cheering for their graduates. We apologize to all the families and graduates who were impacted and are further looking into this matter to avoid it happening in the future.”
NBC10's Leah Uko learned a few other students were also penalized for similar actions at the graduation ceremony. A district spokesperson said they received their diplomas off stage as well. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-grad-says-she-was-denied-diploma-on-stage-because-of-griddy-dance/3586839/ | 2023-06-16T03:21:56 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-grad-says-she-was-denied-diploma-on-stage-because-of-griddy-dance/3586839/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/video-philly-grad-says-she-was-denied-diploma-on-stage-because-of-griddy-dance/3586838/ | 2023-06-16T03:22:02 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/video-philly-grad-says-she-was-denied-diploma-on-stage-because-of-griddy-dance/3586838/ |
Ariz. attorney general opinion backs prevailing wage 2 months after Phoenix repeals ordinance
Two months after Phoenix City Council repealed its prevailing wage ordinance over concerns it violated state law, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes said cities, counties and towns are free to pass the regulation.
The opinion, issued Thursday, is a win for progressive City Council members in Phoenix and Tempe and local labor leaders who support the regulation as a way to ensure non-unionized workers are paid on a level playing field.
Prevailing wage rules guarantee workers are paid similar rates to others who do comparable work in the area. Without it, some construction workers on city-funded projects could be paid less than market-rate wages, although minimum wage laws are still in effect.
Read:Prevailing wage opinion from Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes
In a contentious March vote, four progressive Phoenix council members teamed up with a conservative to narrowly pass a prevailing wage ordinance for companies hired by the city to complete construction projects costing $250,000 or more.
The City Council repealed the ordinance a month later after two new members were sworn in and after the Goldwater Institute, a conservative and libertarian-leaning think tank, hinted at a possible lawsuit. The Phoenix Chamber of Commerce also spoke out against the ordinance.
Controversial:Phoenix repealed prevailing wage rule for construction workers
Mayes weighed in on the issue, despite Phoenix's repeal, because state Sen. Catherine Miranda, D-Phoenix, had filed a complaint against the city's ordinance. The complaint appeared to have strengthened council members' decision to repeal, which was the opposite of Miranda's intent, she told The Arizona Republic.
Miranda said she supported the prevailing wage and filed the complaint as a way to prove cities' rights to implement the regulation and, effectively, end the debate. But complaints from state lawmakers have serious implications for cities. If the state's top attorney finds a city is violating state law, the city could lose state funds. In Phoenix's case, that would be a significant portion of the budget.
Why Mayes believes prevailing wage is legal
Disagreement over the legality of local prevailing wage ordinances boil down to two conflicting state laws: one that bans cities from enacting prevailing wages, which was passed in 1984, and another that allows cities to enact minimum wages, which was passed in 2006.
Mayes, in her opinion, said the minimum wage law takes priority and that prevailing wage is a type of minimum wage, thus protected.
The minimum wage law triumphs, she said, because it is newer and was passed directly by voters. Voter-approved measures are protected by the Voter Protection Act, which bans state lawmakers from amending or repealing voter-approved measures, with some small exceptions.
"The earlier Prevailing Wage statute was obviously enacted with no awareness of the law to come, but the Minimum Wage law was enacted with the benefit of hindsight," Mayes' opinion says.
While both the laws banning prevailing wage and allowing minimum wage were passed as voter-approved referendums, Mayes pointed out that the prevailing wage ban did not apply specifically to cities — referred to as "political subdivisions" in the law — until the Legislature amended the law to say so in 2011 and 2015.
"Such an amendment would be ineffective under the VPA," the opinion says.
Phoenix City Council reacts to the opinion
A spokesperson for Mayor Kate Gallego said the mayor "thanks the Attorney General for her insight into the legality of establishing a prevailing wage and looks forward to collaborating with city staff and elected officials on next steps."
Gallego voted to repeal Phoenix's prevailing wage ordinance in April but said at the public meeting that it was because the process lacked public input.
The ordinance was placed on the council voting agenda the day before the meeting by Councilmembers Carlos Garcia, Betty Guardado and Laura Pastor, who sent a memo to City Manager Jeff Barton.
City staff warned the council members before voting that the ordinance had not been legally vetted, nor had the financial impacts been evaluated. The measure narrowly passed, with then-Councilmember Sal DiCiccio providing the critical fifth vote.
Garcia and DiCiccio have since been replaced by Councilmembers Kesha Hodge Washington and Kevin Robinson. Hodge Washington defeated Garcia in an election that took place the week before the vote to pass prevailing wage, but she was not sworn in until April 17. DiCiccio was term-limited.
Runoff:Kevin Robinson, Kesha Hodge Washington celebrate Phoenix City Council election results
Councilwoman Laura Pastor celebrated Mayes' opinion Thursday.
"My colleagues who were in support of prevailing wage were on the right path. Attorney General Mayes ruled in our favor, now we have to go back to vote for a new ordinance," Pastor told The Republic. "We should have voted for the original motion with a pause until the ruling."
In April, when the council voted to repeal the measure, Pastor posited a middle-ground solution to halt implementation of the ordinance until Mayes' ruling came out. The option, Pastor said, would give the city time to plan for the effects without running the risk of losing the ordinance altogether.
The council rejected the idea and ultimately decided to have Barton, the city manager, bring a new prevailing wage ordinance for the council to vote on this December.
Pastor said she now would like to see an ordinance sooner, potentially in July, given Mayes' ruling.
Councilwoman Kesha Hodge Washington, who was supportive of Pastor's idea but also voted to repeal the ordinance, said she was looking forward to collecting public input to "come up with a policy that works with the entirety of the city."
Guardado, whose office spearheaded the prevailing wage effort, said she hoped Mayes' opinion would quell concerns from the mayor and inspire other cities to pass similar ordinances.
"I'm completely over the moon," Guardado said. "I'm very excited about what this will do for workers."
City spokesperson Dan Wilson said the city still plans to bring a prevailing wage ordinance to council for a vote in December. Between now and then, Wilson said, city officials would work on evaluating potential effects and collecting public input.
The Tempe City Council has also been contemplating a prevailing wage ordinance.
Randy Keating, the council member spearheading the Tempe effort, said the city has hired a consultant to evaluate the financial effects of a prevailing wage and expects the council to take a vote by the end of the year.
Reporter Taylor Seely covers Phoenix City Hall for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at tseely@arizonarepublic.com, by phone at 480-476-6116 or on Twitter @taylorseely95. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/06/15/kris-mayes-opinion-backs-prevailing-wage-ordinance-after-phoenix-backtracks/70327588007/ | 2023-06-16T03:22:04 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/06/15/kris-mayes-opinion-backs-prevailing-wage-ordinance-after-phoenix-backtracks/70327588007/ |
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 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.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/gov-abbott-vetoes-bill-gas-thefts-drafted-by-dallas-county-district-attorney/287-0ce47310-3ccf-44d2-aa3a-7677caed4955 | 2023-06-16T03:22:13 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/gov-abbott-vetoes-bill-gas-thefts-drafted-by-dallas-county-district-attorney/287-0ce47310-3ccf-44d2-aa3a-7677caed4955 |
DULUTH — Due to the Spice Lake wildfire in the Superior National Forest, a portion of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is set to be closed with an emergency forest order effective June 16, according to a news release from Superior National Forest management. This prohibits visitor entry at 47 specific campsites, portages and lakes and pristine management areas within the closure area including:
- All zones of the Pitfall Pristine Management Area 1-3
- The Mugwump Pristine Management Area 1-5
- The Kekekabic Trail area from the BWCAW boundary west of the Gunflint Trail to the portage between Strup Lake and Kekekabic Lake.
A complete map of the closure area and more information about the incident can be found at inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/mnsuf-spice-lake-fire .
Permit holders and outfitters have been notified by Forest Service who is encouraging permit holders to see an alternate area of the BWCAW or non-wilderness area of the Superior National Forest for similar experiences. Overnight paddle, day use and motorized day use is not permitted in the closure area.
Beyond the closures for the Spice lake fire, the forest is open to the public, but with a campfire restriction in place due to severe to extreme drought conditions.
The closure may be modified or extended as conditions allow. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness-wildfire-prompts-forest-service-closures | 2023-06-16T03:33:38 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness-wildfire-prompts-forest-service-closures |
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Food insecurity is an issue for many families across the state, but in Northwest Arkansas, help could be just a delivery away.
Saint James Missionary Baptist Church (STJBC) in Fayetteville is one of six nonprofits partnering with Arkansas 211 and United Way of Northwest Arkansas in the Ride United: Last Mile Delivery program.
The program aims to cover the 'last mile' for families who don't have access to transportation to get the food they need.
STJBC Director of Outreach and Community Engagement Monique Jones says she wanted to provide a way for community members to select items they need each week.
“We have a platform that we work with called OrderAhead,” Jones said.
“They can actually go on the platform and choose fruits, vegetables, produce, protein, bread, dry goods, canned goods, grains … It's similar to Walmart ordering ahead, but there's no cost to it.”
Also joining in on the mission are people who are no strangers to delivering meals— DoorDash drivers.
“Anyone in Washington and or Benton County that has issues with food insecurity within 10 miles, we can deliver to with DoorDash,” Jones said.
To pay the drivers who complete these deliveries, DoorDash donates half the cost of the delivery fee, and Arkansas 211 covers the other half.
Vice President of Business Development for United Way and Arkansas 211 Christina Hinds says this all began as a pilot project last year.
“That pilot program allowed me to apply for additional funding we just received from the Walmart Foundation for $100,000 to support six of our nonprofit partners in Northwest Arkansas,” Hinds said.
The money from the grant will allow the program to provide more than 12,000 free food deliveries to families over the next year.
“I’m so excited that we'll be able to do this continuously to serve our community members that have barriers on access to transportation and access to good and healthy options for food,” Jones said.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/outreach/arkansas-211-awarded-funds-help-deliver-food-families/527-f37c9196-05bc-4320-916b-379d91eaaf99 | 2023-06-16T03:36:57 | 0 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/outreach/arkansas-211-awarded-funds-help-deliver-food-families/527-f37c9196-05bc-4320-916b-379d91eaaf99 |
ORLANDO, Fla. — This Halloween season, can you survive?
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Universal Orlando Resort announced Thursday that “The Last of Us,” inspired by the critically acclaimed post-apocalyptic video game, will come to life at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios.
“The Last of Us” haunted house will propel guests into a world of carnage and mayhem as they follow Joel and Ellie, the game’s protagonists, through a world overtaken by fungal virus that turns humans into various forms of a new threat known as the “Infected,” Universal said in a news release.
Those brave enough to take the journey will encounter the Infected and The Hunters, a band of hostile humans, as the navigate the Pittsburgh Quarantine Zone.
READ: Chucky-themed haunted house coming to Halloween Horror Nights 2023
Along the way, guests will encounter iconic locations from the video game, such as the creepy and desolate The Hotel Grand, and a labyrinth of dark and dank tunnels, Universal said.
“We are excited to bring ‘The Last of Us’ to life in a terrifying haunted house that is true to the spirit of this popular video game featuring our heroes, Joel and Ellie, Clickers and more,” Lora Sauls, Assistant Director, Creative Development and Show Direction at Universal Orlando Resort, said in the news release. “The world inside the game offers a multitude of suspenseful and horrifying opportunities to provide guests with a one-of-a-kind experience that can only be found at Halloween Horror Nights,” added John Murdy, Executive Producer of Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood.
READ: Halloween Horror Nights dates announced, some tickets on sale
The PlayStation and Naughty Dog video game celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year.
“As a massive fan – and frequent attendee – of Halloween Horror Nights, we are honored to have ‘The Last of Us’ included in this year’s lineup. It has been an incredible thrill for us at Naughty Dog to collaborate with Universal, bringing the world of the game to life, focusing on even the tiniest details that our fans know so well,” Naughty Dog Co-President Neil Druckmann said in the news release. “Having just celebrated the 10th anniversary of ‘The Last of Us,’ it’s a perfect time for our fans to team up with Joel and Ellie and come face-to-terrifying-face with Clickers, Raiders and much more!”
Halloween Horror Nights kicks off Sept. 1 in Orlando. Tickets are on sale now. Click here to purchase.
READ: BOO! Universal to bring year-round horror experience to Las Vegas
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/last-us-heading-halloween-horror-nights-this-fall/NLABQNRRUNEGNEQ5FDUPSTRJIU/ | 2023-06-16T03:43:51 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/last-us-heading-halloween-horror-nights-this-fall/NLABQNRRUNEGNEQ5FDUPSTRJIU/ |
A tornado ripped through the Texas Panhandle town of Perryton on Thursday, killing at least three people, injuring more than 75 more and causing widespread damage as another in a series of fierce storms carved its way through the South.
The National Weather Service in Amarillo confirmed that a tornado hit the area Thursday afternoon. But there was no immediate word on its size, meteorologist Luigi Meccariello said. “There are still reports of ongoing rescues,” he said.
Perryton Fire Chief Paul Dutcher told NBC News three people were killed and between 75 to 100 were taken to local hospitals in various conditions.
Among the areas struck by the tornado was a trailer park that took a "direct hit," Dutcher said. At least 30 trailers were damaged or destroyed. At 6 p.m., firefighters were rescuing people from the rubble inside the park.
The tornado also left two blocks of the downtown business district completely destroyed, Dutcher added.
First responders from surrounding areas and from Oklahoma descended on the town.
Storm chaser Brian Emfinger told Fox Weather that he watched the twister move through a mobile home park, mangling trailers and uprooting trees.
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“I had seen the tornado do some pretty serious destruction to the industrial part of town,” he said. “Unfortunately, just west of there, there is just mobile home, after mobile home, after mobile home that is completely destroyed. There is significant damage.”
Nearly 50,000 customers were without electricity in Texas and Oklahoma, according to the poweroutage.us website.
Ochiltree General Hospital in Perryton on Facebook said “Walking/wounded please go to the clinic. All others to the hospital ER.”
The hospital also said an American Red Cross shelter had been set up at the Ochiltree County Expo Center.
Chris Samples of local radio station KXDJ-FM said that according to hospital officials at least 100 people went to the emergency room. The station was running on auxiliary power.
“The whole city is out of power,” he said.
By evening, the weather front was moving southeast across Oklahoma. The weather service said a second round of storms would continue to move through that state and parts of Texas through the evening while the risk of severe weather, including tornados, remained for the metropolitan Oklahoma City area.
The storm system also brought hail and possible tornados to northwestern Ohio.
A barn was smashed and trees toppled in Sandusky County, Ohio, and power lines were downed in northern Toledo, leaving thousands without power. The weather service reported “a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado” over Bellevue and storms showing “signs of rotation” in other areas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/tornado-causes-widespread-damage-in-texas-panhandle-town-of-perryton/3278842/ | 2023-06-16T03:46:52 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/tornado-causes-widespread-damage-in-texas-panhandle-town-of-perryton/3278842/ |
THE DALLES, Ore. — Three homes in The Dalles burned to the ground Wednesday night, after they were engulfed by the Mile Post 87 Fire along the Columbia River Gorge.
One of the victims is 60-year-old Dave Dixon.
“Devastation,” Dixon said. “That’s pretty much what it is.”
On Thursday morning Dixon began sifting through the remains of his home of seven years.
“I lost everything,” Dixon said.
Dixon is a disabled former military member. He said in 1985 he got frostbite on his hands and feet while training in New Jersey. He said he lost function of much of his feet.
When the fire hit his mobile home, Dixon said he was talking to a neighbor outside. He sprinted inside and grabbed his 15-year-old blind and deaf dog. He didn’t have time to take anything else.
Seconds after he sprinted away from the home, the trailer was engulfed in flames, Dixon said.
“I’m wearing what I got on right now. That’s all I got.”
He isn’t the only person who lost everything. Dixon’s next-door neighbor also lost their mobile home in the fire.
Up the ridge from the RV park where Dixon lives, a home overlooking the Columbia River was destroyed.
On Thursday firefighters were nearby, spraying water on ground that was still smoldering. Some trees continued to smoke from the fire.
As of 11:40 Thursday morning, Wasco County officials said the fire is 40% contained. All level 3 evacuations have been lowered to level 2 status, urging people to “Get Ready” to evacuate.
But Dixon said first responders arrived too late to save his home Wednesday.
Thursday, he sifted through ruined family pictures, fishing rod and his melted keys, to find anything worth salvaging.
“That was my house,” Dixon said. “And I don’t have a house, I don’t know what to do, I don't have any money. I mean I’m on minimum income through the VA.”
Dixon said he didn’t have insurance on the home, and only has $20 to his name.
On Wednesday night he slept in a motel. But that’s a temporary solution.
“It’s kind of up in the air since hotels are expensive here,” Chelsea Downey, Dixon’s niece said.
If you’d like to help Dixon, you can visit his gofundme page. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-dalles-fire-homeowners-lose-homes/283-7b5e913f-5a4b-4123-854c-ab2278f931ec | 2023-06-16T03:55:23 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-dalles-fire-homeowners-lose-homes/283-7b5e913f-5a4b-4123-854c-ab2278f931ec |
The awards — no matter how frequent — never get routine, tiresome or mundane at Olsson.
On Thursday, with about 200 of its employees and their family members scattered throughout the crowd at Haymarket Park, the Lincoln-based engineering firm was named the Best Place to Work in the extra-large category.
It was Olsson's fourth straight Best Places to Work top finish and it came on the heels of a second-place showing in 2019.
"Awards like this really bring a great sense of pride for our employees," said Justin Stark, a team leader who has been at Olsson for 18 years — the only full-time job he has ever known. "You know, sometimes with the grind of the day to day — with everybody involved in projects — sometimes you have to find that extra energy.
"Nights like tonight where we can celebrate an award like this give us that extra energy."
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A dozen businesses were honored Thursday before the Lincoln Saltdogs game for being among the 2023 Best Places to Work in Lincoln.
The 11th annual Lincoln's Best Places to Work award ceremony highlighted local businesses for their outstanding efforts to create positive environments for their employees.
Companies were awarded first, second and third places in four categories based on their number of employees.
According to survey results, Olsson, founded in 1956, puts an emphasis on its workforce by encouraging its workers to lead.
"Our employees are always a focus," Stark said. "We take care of the people who take care of our clients who take care of our community."
Assurity Life Insurance Co. finished second in the extra-large category — companies with at least 200 employees — while Nelnet finished in third place.
In the large category (50-199 employees), UNICO Group took home top honors, while Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties was second and Cornhusker Bank third.
Horisun Hospice was awarded first place in the medium category (25-49 employees). Don't Panic Labs finished second, while Lutz was third.
In the small company category for businesses with 10-24 employees, Merrill Lynch took the top prize. Complete Hearing was second, while Children's Hospital Lincoln Specialty Clinic came in third.
Rankings were based on surveys submitted by employees that look at a number of attributes, including leadership, manager effectiveness and career development.
Quantum Workplace then takes the surveys and creates a score for each business. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-best-places-to-work-honorees-are-named-at-haymarket-park/article_f8802d92-0b94-11ee-92d9-17ff3591628d.html | 2023-06-16T04:03:28 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/lincoln-best-places-to-work-honorees-are-named-at-haymarket-park/article_f8802d92-0b94-11ee-92d9-17ff3591628d.html |
WELLS, Maine — Fire crews were able to save a home in Wells that was attached to a barn destroyed in a fire Thursday.
Fire crews responded to a residence located on Loop Road at approximately 1 p.m. for a reported barn fire, the Wells Fire Department said in a Facebook post. Crews reportedly observed from Route 1 a large column of smoke and a second alarm was struck upon arrival.
Fire officials said crews focused on containing the fire to the barn, saving the attached home and ell.
The homeowner was reportedly injured while fighting the flames and was treated by EMS crews.
The barn and its contents "were a total loss," according to the post.
No information has been released regarding the cause of the fire.
The Wells Fire Department was reportedly assisted by the Wells EMS, Wells Police, Ogunquit Fire Department, Kennebunk Fire Department, Sanford Fire Department, South Berwick Fire Department, Biddeford Fire Department, and Arundel Fire Department. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/fire-destroys-barn-in-wells-crews-save-attached-home-loop-road-homeowner-injured-maine/97-3bfe3fe7-9c7a-4fbc-bbc6-abfcf78c63a9 | 2023-06-16T04:05:59 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/fire-destroys-barn-in-wells-crews-save-attached-home-loop-road-homeowner-injured-maine/97-3bfe3fe7-9c7a-4fbc-bbc6-abfcf78c63a9 |
BOISE, Idaho — For the first time, six teams from the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) will compete in the Treasure Valley Triathlon on Sunday, June 18.
"Our original intent to participate included one athlete in one event to dip our toes into community races," NWABA's Idaho Program Manager and a participant in the triathlon, Sam Picciano said. "Now, I'm on a team, The Scorching Scorpios, affixing black scorpion figurines with red eyes to our gear for race day; needless to say, we're all so excited for this accessible race that's happening right here in our backyard."
The NWABA in partnership with Boise Adaptive Snowsport Education (BASE) are supporting eight athletes for the event.
The eight athletes will have seven guides and will participate in super sprint relays that are comprised of swimming, cycling and running. There are also athletes on various relay teams. Some of the members include a father/son duo from Portland, Oregon and two veterans.
"To prepare the teams for race day, in addition to the participants' self-training, NWABA held two triathlon training events at Esther Simplot Park. Triathlon training was newly added to NWABA's roster of events specifically to set athletes up for success by promoting realistic expectations, practicing event transitions, and building trust with their relay team members," a press release stated.
The NWABA's mission is: "To provide life-changing opportunities through sports and physical activity to individuals who are blind and visually impaired."
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See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/local-teams-from-from-northwest-association-for-blind-athletes-compete-in-triathlon/277-ebf06a9e-c187-4f73-a5d5-508737b15ae2 | 2023-06-16T04:09:52 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/local-teams-from-from-northwest-association-for-blind-athletes-compete-in-triathlon/277-ebf06a9e-c187-4f73-a5d5-508737b15ae2 |
ROANOKE, Va. – A tool used to track down COVID-19 outbreaks may now be used to help fight the fentanyl crisis in the Commonwealth.
Wastewater testing is not a new phenomenon but there was a lot more attention brought to it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is tasking the Department of Health to come up with a way to test for fentanyl at treatment facilities.
John Littel, Secretary of Health and Human Resources for Virginia is the one heading the initiative. He – like much of Gov. Youngkin’s team – believes the crisis has gotten way out of hand.
“Last year, 2,000 Virginians died from fentanyl poisoning and so that’s more than motor vehicle deaths and gun-related deaths combined,” Littel said.
VDH is working with localities to figure out how to conduct tests in a cost-efficient way. One of the facilities preparing to do some of the testing is in Roanoke.
Lacy Burnett, Wastewater Operations Manager for the Western Virginia Water Authority, is ready to help out with another crisis similar to the way they’ve been helping with COVID-19.
“This is a pandemic. It may not get the attention that COVID got just because of the level it’s on but it’s getting there. I think the ultimate goal of this project is just to save lives. If we can do that, to me that would be great,” Burnett said.
Wastewater testing data is not the solution to the fentanyl crisis but it’s a step in the right direction for some. Dr. Cynthia Murrow, Director of Roanoke and Alleghany Health District, says it’s all about looking at trends.
“One of the unfortunate realities is that the Roanoke City area is disproportionately impacted. We have one of the highest rates in the country of fatal overdoses associated with it,” Murrow said.
Data from the wastewater testing can be looked at along with other organizations or businesses collecting data on fentanyl use.
“The department of health, the community service boards, emergency rooms, poison control centers … those are various tools that combined with wastewater tracking surveillance will tell us that there’s a spike of a kind of fentanyl or fentanyl in an area,” Littel said.
Many see this imitative as another tool in the toolbox. At the end of the day, they say it’s all about saving lives.
“We’ve lost far too many lives and we want to prevent the next death. It is entirely preventable. We have the tools to do it. There’s potentially a new tool in our surveillance toolbox. To me the executive order brings light to a crisis that we know has been going on for a long time,” Morrow said. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/16/virginia-looks-to-track-fentanyl-through-wastewater-testing/ | 2023-06-16T04:12:54 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/06/16/virginia-looks-to-track-fentanyl-through-wastewater-testing/ |
BANKS COUNTY, Ga. — Banks County Fire is mourning the loss of their beloved Captain Richie Alford. He was killed Thursday after trying to rescue two swimmers, who were caught in a rip current, while in Panama City Beach, the fire department said.
"Unfortunately, Richie was not able to make it back to shore," the fire department wrote on its social media page. "Richie died doing what he loved which was helping others in their time of need. He is a true hero."
The fire department said they've not only lost a friend but a brother -- not just a co-worker.
"We are devastated and heartbroken," the fire department wrote.
Banks County Fire is asking the community to keep Richie's family and friends in their thoughts.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
Also download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/banks-county-fire-captain-richie-alford-dies-florida-rip-current/85-7350a484-211a-41e5-b7fc-056e0097f679 | 2023-06-16T04:14:28 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/banks-county-fire-captain-richie-alford-dies-florida-rip-current/85-7350a484-211a-41e5-b7fc-056e0097f679 |
ATLANTA — A 27-year-old man is recovering after he told Atlanta Police he was kidnapped while on a jog in the early morning hours Tuesday.
The victim, who we are not identifying out of regard for his safety, said he left out on a run around 2:30 a.m. outside Elan Madison Yards apartments in southeast Atlanta. It's an area between Memorial Drive and I-20.
The man said at some point, a black Cadillac Escalade pulled up with three men who jumped out and surrounded him.
He said they put a cloth over his mouth that smelled like a "mixture of vinegar and acetone." The man said he lost consciousness and when he woke up he was in the back seat of the vehicle.
The man said he started to fight the men in an attempt to escape and was pistol whipped by one of the men.
At some point he was able to escape but it's unclear where he managed to get when he was out of the vehicle.
Later that morning just after 7:30 a.m., Cherie Atkins was walking out of her gym at the The Bryant at Buckhead Village apartments along Pharr Road.
Atkins said she noticed a man walking in the opposite direction toward her as she was walking back to her apartment.
"As I get close to him he says, 'Can you please call 911? I was kidnaped,"' Atkins explained.
She called 911 and started relaying the man's story back to the dispatcher.
"He started crying and he was like 'Why would they do this to me, why would they do this to me?,"' Atkins said.
She said he had multiple lacerations on his head.
"Oh my God. He's in bad shape," she told the 911 dispatcher.
Atkins said the man's face was swollen and he was bleeding. She said some of the lacerations over his eye were deep where he told her one of the men pistol-whipped him.
She also noticed it appeared he ran out of his shoes.
"I asked what happened to your shoes and he looked down like he didn’t realize he didn’t have shoes on and he’s just like I don’t know," Atikins explained.
While there are still a lot of questions as to what happened to this man, one things is for certain, he was appreciative Atkins walked into his life.
"He said you'd be surprised how many people I asked to call 911," she said.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call Atlanta Police or Greater Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477). | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/man-allegedly-kidnapped-knocked-out-pistol-whipped-while-out-on-jog-southeast-atlanta/85-a9ea59ee-2167-4207-86a9-b045163eea81 | 2023-06-16T04:14:34 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/man-allegedly-kidnapped-knocked-out-pistol-whipped-while-out-on-jog-southeast-atlanta/85-a9ea59ee-2167-4207-86a9-b045163eea81 |
HOGANSVILLE, Ga. — A search is underway for a possible drowning victim Thursday night at Lake Jimmy Jackson in Troup County, officials confirmed with 11Alive.
Hogansville Police said they are working the incident along with the Troup County Sheriff's Office, Troup County Fire and Georgia Department of Natural Resources at the lake in Hogansville.
Lake Jimmy Jackson reopened on May 23 after it was forced to close in late March after extensive flooding damaged the dock and beach area which forced repairs to be made and the lake to be closed, according to the City of Hogansville Facebook page.
11Alive is working to learn more about about the situation and will update the story as information comes in.
This is a developing story. Check back often for new information.
Also download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/search-underway-possible-drowning-lake-jimmy-jackson-troup-county/85-74ed3052-0ad9-4261-90f4-81195cf220d1 | 2023-06-16T04:14:40 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/search-underway-possible-drowning-lake-jimmy-jackson-troup-county/85-74ed3052-0ad9-4261-90f4-81195cf220d1 |
ODENTON, Md. — When people pass by Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church, they see a banner of support for LGBTQ+ and Black Lives Matter, until Tuesday when their banners were vandalized.
“What you don’t expect and the part that’s really like, if you disagree, OK, we can disagree. If you like to have a conversation about it, we’d love to. If you’re not interested in having a conversation about it, don’t vandalize other people's stuff,“ said Ryan Stavley, a member of Ark and Dove Presbyterian Church.
Surveillance footage from the church shows three people running up to the sign. One person drew something on the sign while the other two people watched.
Their identities were hidden by hats and face coverings.
RELATED: Detectives catch Odenton man stealing rainbow hearts from church's LGBTQ+ sign
“Two of the men came right up to this flag, covering it with some orange spray paint as a third person stood in the corner, recording the crime,” said Stavley.
Stavley is a member of the church and also installed the surveillance cameras. He said he is worried these small hate crimes will lead to bigger crimes if this pattern continues.
“It crosses a line, and there are other lines that have been crossed, and we see when we see the news stories you see what’s going on in the world around you, and yeah, it’s concerning,” said Stavley.
He is also proud of the message his church is promoting. Stavley wishes people would just respect the opinions of others, even if they disagree.
RELATED: Robbing a church of rainbows
“When you read the gospel, any time you find a separation of people where there are the into the in crowd and the others, where do you find Jesus? With the others, and so that’s where we try to go, and that’s other churches don’t believe that way, and that’s absolutely it’s great that they have fun communities that they have; their shared understanding is ours, and I kinda like it," said Stavley.
The church didn't take the flags down. Instead, members cleaned the flags, and they remain there on the post.
Members of the church are hoping not only to find the three people who committed this crime but also that this is the last time they have to deal with the vandalism.
Anyone with information concerning the vandalism can call Anne Arundel County Police at 410-222-6155. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/it-crosses-a-line-vandals-target-odenton-churchs-lgbtq-blm-signs | 2023-06-16T04:16:05 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/it-crosses-a-line-vandals-target-odenton-churchs-lgbtq-blm-signs |
PITTSBURGH — The jury has reached deliberations in the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial. We took a look at what happens next.
The verdict form that must be completed is 27 pages long and details charges that jurors have to unanimously agree on for each of the 11 victims who were killed. The jury now has the case as we wait for the verdict.
PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING TRIAL: FULL COVERAGE ⇒
Twelve days of reliving the horror that unfolded inside the Tree of Life Synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, hasn’t been easy for those in the courtroom who’ve listened to details of the gruesome attack. But they say Thursday marks a milestone.
“The trial comes in three parts. This is the, hopefully, the concluding chapter. This is the first section of that chapter,” said Stephen Cohen is the New Light Congregation co-president.
“It’s a relief to be through this phase of the proceedings, but we’re still really at the beginning,” said Jo Recht, president of Dor Hadash.
Thursday, the jury was handed the case of Robert Bowers who is accused of carrying out the worst anti-Semitic attack in US history, where 11 innocent worshippers were shot and killed. The jury was sent to deliberate at 2:30 Thursday afternoon, and while some may have expected a quick verdict, WPXI legal Analyst Phil DiLucente says he’s not surprised that didn’t happen in this case.
“Typically you might see that in an acquittal if the commonwealth has just not made their case or the government,” said DiLucente. “But, whenever it’s a prosecution-favored verdict or it looks and appears the defense has almost agreed to it, I think they just want to go through that evidence methodically. Do their civic duty and make sure that they have those pieces of evidence in their mind whenever the penalty phase eventually comes.”
Friday, jurors will meet back at the Federal Courthouse to pick up deliberations. DiLucente says that could be the day the jury presents its verdict.
“I don’t think it would be unreasonable to believe that tomorrow or very early the following day, that a verdict will be rendered by this jury,” DiLucente explained.
If the Jury finds Bowers guilty, those jurors will then have to decide to sentence him to life in prison or the death penalty. That’s called the ‘penalty phase’ and DiLucente says that could actually last even longer than this guilt phase.
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PITTSBURGH — On Thursday evening in a crowded room, key players sat down to discuss the future of the Smithfield Shelter.
Emotions ran high; on one side individuals who use the shelter pleading for it to stay open, and on the other side, Downtown residents and business owners were begging for better options as the area’s homeless crisis reaches a tipping point.
In front of the Smithfield Street shelter, individuals wait on the steps lay on blankets, and sit amongst scattered trash and drug needles until the doors open at 7 p.m.
The low-barrier shelter provides a bed and one meal to 125 people a night, but the Department of Human Services says that will end on June 20th leaving stakeholders wondering what will happen next.
“It’s a debate on how this county provides services,” said County Council President, Patrick Catena.
County Council said they were in the dark about the decision and hosted a public hearing to get answers.
“We need to have a strategy and that’s what I am asking,” said Council Member Suzanne Filiaggi.
Officials asked questions such as where these individuals will be moved to and if there will there be enough room for them.
“How are we making sure that these alternatives are as low barrier as Smithfield is right now?” said Council Member Olivia Bennett.
County officials and the Department of Human Services pushing back said that the shelter was never designed to be a permanent solution, it was only a temporary winter facility, and that the time has come to close its doors.
The new plan provides 112 beds.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/leaders-discuss-future-smithfield-street-shelter-public-hearing/DLXPXNZJWBHSFEVFK6CTTPYWPM/ | 2023-06-16T04:23:32 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/leaders-discuss-future-smithfield-street-shelter-public-hearing/DLXPXNZJWBHSFEVFK6CTTPYWPM/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – There have been multiple forums about teen violence in Orange County, and local leaders have been saying that community members need to step in and help with those youth problems.
The founder of iHope Mentoring, Marcus Brown, said he had one hope: to help teen boys in Orlando choose a better path than he did.
“This the same place where I grew up,” he said. “At this, the same place, at a point in time, I polluted because I sold drugs, and I committed crimes over here.”
Brown decided to do something about it, starting iHope Mentoring — a program at the Northwest Community Center that inspires youth to put guns down and stay off the streets.
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“We have too much of ridiculing the youth and not a lot of outreach...” Brown told News 6. “This is a crisis with the youth that are dying. Why aren’t we treating it as such?”
In the program, teens have weekly wellness checks and learn from speakers.
On Thursday in a forum with Orange County deputies, the teens learned how to interact with law enforcement and were taught their rights.
The children also say this creed daily: “I’m an overcomer. I’m someone special. I won’t be defeated. I’m not a part of my environment.”
David Pitts said his parents are thrilled about his involvement in the program.
“They feel good. They feel calm, so they don’t have to worry about me,” he said.
He’s using what he’s learning to help other kids.
“When they wanna do durgs, I be like, ‘No, don’t do that because you can get hurt from it,’” Pitts said.
The mentoring group is also raising money for a van, which will be used to take the teens on various trips. The group is seeking $25,000 for the van, and so far, they’ve raised just under $8,000.
For more information or to donate, visit the group’s website here.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/16/orange-county-youth-mentorship-program-gives-kids-a-better-path/ | 2023-06-16T04:35:59 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/16/orange-county-youth-mentorship-program-gives-kids-a-better-path/ |
WAXAHACHIE, Texas — Creations Baking Company and Bittersweet Bakery are just down the street from each other away in Waxahachie. Some call the two businesses "competitors," but the owners sure don't see it that way.
When Angel Schiffer, who owns Bittersweet Bakery, heard that Deanna Underhill, who owns Creations, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, she planned a fundraiser immediately.
"The world is a really hard place, and if we can do something for someone to make it a little less hard, then we’re going to do it," Schiffer told WFAA.
Schiffer's team announced Wednesday they'd donate 100% of their proceeds that day to Underhill, who is in hospice care and who says she has no insurance.
"We sold out four hours before we were supposed to close," Schiffer said.
Bittersweet Bakery raised $3,000 dollars on Wednesday for Underhill. That's on top of the thousands raised on Underhill's GoFundMe page.
Doole's Baking Company in Maypearl held a similar fundraiser on Thursday night and also sold out of cupcakes, according to its owner.
Both Doole's and Bittersweet, like Creations, are bakeries run by mother-daughter duos.
"Not everybody’s gonna know this in life, how many people care about you, and how many people really do love you," Gwen Moore, who works for Underhill at Creations told WFAA. "And Deanna, Deanna knows how many people love her."
From her hospital bed, Deanna told WFAA she feels all the love.
"I knew there were good people, but oh my, oh my…it's just amazing," Deanna said. "It just kind of breaks your heart you didn’t realize how great everyone was around you."
Deanna’s daughter, Mistie, said she and her mother have tremendous faith Deanna will live.
"We’ve seen miracles so you can't tell me they’re not real," Mistie told WFAA.
Mistie and Danna believe the kindness they’ve received this week only strengthened their faith in God and in the goodness of people.
"I can’t even wrap my heart around that that they would do that for us," Deanna said. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/waxahachie-texas-rallies-around-beloved-bakery-owner-helping-fundraise-medical-bills/287-18275e32-c692-4458-ada1-a35a7ca0abff | 2023-06-16T04:39:00 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/waxahachie-texas-rallies-around-beloved-bakery-owner-helping-fundraise-medical-bills/287-18275e32-c692-4458-ada1-a35a7ca0abff |
Why East Tennessee should welcome immigrants
"We are a multicultural, multiracial nation"
A recent panel discussion addressing controversies surrounding Latino immigrants coming to the United States highlighted an irony: American employers are desperate to fill plenty of job openings that many immigrants and asylum seekers could fill if they were admitted to the country.
Madeline Rogero, the former mayor of Knoxville (2011-'19) who has Spanish and Italian heritage, said the latest data from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce indicated “companies are facing unprecedented challenges trying to find enough workers to fill open jobs right now.”
Across all U.S. industries are 9.9 million job openings, she said. If all 5.8 million unemployed workers in our nation took available jobs, “we’d still have 4.1 million open jobs. So, my question is, why aren’t we saying to immigrants, come here because we have jobs for you?”
Now that the Title 42 public health restriction related to the pandemic has expired, many asylum seekers are still being blocked at the Mexican border from entering the United States. The reason: new rules requiring that appointments be made using a government app.
Rogero’s observations introduced a panel discussion on May 23 that represented the last of four presentations in the "Roots of America" exploration of cultures series co-sponsored by the Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club and the Oak Ridge Institute for Continued Learning. Rogero, the panel moderator, was introduced by Eugenio Vargas, a retired neurosurgeon and Mexican immigrant whose medical practice spanned many years in East Tennessee.
Vargas provided a poignant perspective on Latino immigration.
"Latino and Hispanic immigrants,” he noted, “make up part of the fabric and strength of this nation. We are cashiers, bankers, teachers, construction workers, physicians, actors, landscapers, farmers, CEOs, fast food workers, restaurant owners, legislators, professional athletes, judges, movie directors, professional musicians, small business owners, lawyers, and the list goes on.”
Rogero and three Latina panelists – Arléne Amarante, Claudia Caballero and Patricia Robledo – told moving stories about their experiences and heritages. One member of the audience - the event was held at Oak Ridge Associated Universities' Pollard Auditorium - called the presentation on the realities of immigration today and the myths and misunderstandings complicating local and national responses “a mind-bending experience.”
Amarante, an assistant professor of law at Lincoln Memorial University, is a first-generation American whose parents emigrated from Mexico to the United States. Caballero, president and chief executive officer of Centro Hispano de East Tennessee, was raised both in Honduras and the United States. Robledo, a native of Colombia, South America, works for Knox County Schools as its first Latino community outreach specialist.
Rogero gave some history that explains why many Americans with Mexican ancestors have said, “My people didn’t cross the border; the border crossed them.”
The history between Mexico and the US; immigration stories
When the war between the United States and Mexico ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on Feb. 2, 1848, Mexico gave up 55% of its territory, including the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, most of Arizona and Colorado, and parts of Oklahoma, Kansas and Wyoming.
The treaty effectively halved the size of Mexico and doubled U.S. territory. As a result, 100,000 Mexicans suddenly became U.S. citizens and the expanded nation had access to Pacific Ocean ports and an abundance of minerals and other natural resources.
When Rogero asked the audience members if they have family immigration stories, most raised their hands.
“Your family may have come willingly to seek a better life or to escape persecution, wars or economic hardship,” she said. “They may have come against their will as did the enslaved people from West Africa.
“Some here may have ancestors who were among the 60,000 prisoners in England who were sent to this country and forced into servitude; they were later released, and they mostly settled in Maryland and Virginia to start their new life.”
The former mayor said her Rogero ancestors chose to leave the harsh conditions of the Spanish island of Majorca to sign on in 1768, along with 1,400 others, as indentured servants that were transported by ship to New Smyrna, Florida, then under British rule.
Amarante said her grandfather came to the U.S. from Mexico under the Bracero Program established in 1942. It permitted millions of Mexican men to work legally in the United States on short-term farm labor contracts.
Caballero’s mother was a dairy farmer from southern Illinois who joined the Peace Corps in the 1980s with the intention of going to Honduras, “which she thought was in Africa until she found out it is actually in Central America.” She dated an agricultural engineer and gave birth to Caballero and her four younger siblings.
Caballero said her mother registered all her children as American citizens, “although I was born on a farm without electricity and running water in the western mountains of Honduras.” The family did live for four years in Nebraska, so she speaks fluent English.
Robledo said her oldest sister, who was born in Colombia as was Robledo later, was unable to walk as a 3-year-old. So, her parents finally flew with her to Miami, where the doctors operated on her thigh muscles, allowing her to walk.
“She was written up in the Miami Herald and she was given the key to the city by the mayor of Miami,” she said.
Their father had spent time in the U.S. several times, finally earning a degree from Georgia Tech before returning to Colombia. When his brother was kidnapped and a son-in-law was killed by a drug cartel, he decided to relocate the family to the United States. Robledo had moved to Knoxville in 1982 to work as a VIP hostess at the World’s Fair. Her father managed to get a job in Knoxville at that time, thanks to assistance from the Georgia Tech Alumni Association.
Attitudes change as money comes in
Attitudes toward the Latino community in East Tennessee have shifted over the past few years, said Caballero, whose organization focuses on workforce development and translation. After the 2020 census, she added, “Suddenly everyone cared about counting Latinos in East Tennessee because for every Latino person in each city or county, the governments get more money to improve streets, schools and services.”
Then the pandemic caused numerous Latino frontline workers to become ill with COVID-19 because so many lived close together in individual houses. Her organization helped translate the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on safety measures from English into Spanish to slow the spread of the disease.
Conservative businesses that had complained about the “illegals” in East Tennessee faced staff shortages, so they asked Cabellero’s organization how they could help more Latinos get the papers they needed to work here. Robledo recalled that early this century when so much construction was underway in Knoxville, “people would cross the border not hoping to get a job, but knowing they have a job right now.”
Referring to Vargas, the neurosurgeon, and herself, who just earned an MBA from Vanderbilt University, Caballero called for “breaking barriers for Latino youth” and giving them opportunities to dream, innovate and grow.
“When we talk about Latino workforce development, I don’t want employers to say, ‘Just get them a broom or lawn mower,’” she said. Her comment received applause.
Robledo said that the annual home language survey of families with children in Knox County Schools determined this year that out of about 7,000 students who speak a language other than English, about 5,000 speak Spanish at home.
“Communication in people’s language is key to helping them feel welcome and have a sense of belonging,” she said.
The DACA program
Amarante talked about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program created in 2012 to protect eligible young adults brought to the U.S. as children from deportation. The program does not grant them official legal status or a pathway to citizenship, but it does allow them to apply for a driver’s license, Social Security number and work permit, which must be renewed every two years at a cost of $500.
Robledo noted that DACA residents of the state who are admitted to the University of Tennessee must pay the more costly out-of-state tuition even though they and their families here pay state and local taxes. Former Gov. Bill Haslam supported tuition equality for DACA residents in Tennessee, but a proposed change in the law was blocked by two state legislators from East Tennessee.
Amarante, who called for immigration reform, said, “The immigration law changed in 1952 to say that a foreigner no longer needed to be white to be admitted as a U.S. citizen. We still have these notions of who belongs. We need to wrestle with our minds because our minds are lying to us by creating false ideas of who belongs and who doesn’t in this country. We are a multicultural, multiracial nation.”
In her concluding remarks, Rogero said, “One of my goals as mayor and the goal of the women panelists and their organizations have been to make Knoxville and East Tennessee a welcoming community and a home where immigrants can thrive and get to a position where they can give back as well.”
The "Roots of America team," on the recommendation of the panelists, made donations to Centro Hispano de East Tennessee (https://www.centrohispanotn.org), Adelante (www.adelantemos.org) and the Knoxville Latino Bar Association (https://www.knoxlatinobar.org/donate). | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/why-east-tennessee-should-welcome-immigrants/70314927007/ | 2023-06-16T04:40:58 | 0 | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/14/why-east-tennessee-should-welcome-immigrants/70314927007/ |
Gov. Lee visits with Oak Ridge elementary school students
Oak Ridge Schools are teaching students to read well, governor says
Sitting in the floor of the Woodland Elementary School library Wednesday, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee let young students at Oak Ridge Schools’ Summer Learning Camp ask him questions.
They ranged from do you have any pets (yes, three cats named Rocky, Rose and Shadow, plus cows and horses on his farm) to what inspired him to be governor (when his first wife died he began helping others and found he liked it and wanted to help more people. "When you help other people, you get the help out of it.")
The questions got a bit more complicated when he moved on to a slightly higher elementary age group. "How is COVID-19 like the Black Death," one student asked, using the opportunity to get one of her classwork questions answered. Lee passed on that one, saying the teacher could provide a better answer.
But his message in each classroom he visited Wednesday was the same no matter the age of the children: They're smart, they're special, they're cared for by their teachers and others, and being able to read well will help them have the type of lives they want to have in the future.
Lee is visiting schools that he says are doing the right thing through teaching, tutoring, summer camps and more to help children who are having problems reading. Earlier this week it was Howard Elementary School's summer program in Gallatin; Wednesday it was the summer school for elementary-age children in Oak Ridge Schools.
"A kid who can't read, can't be successful," Lee replied in response to reporters' questions following his Woodland classroom visits. He said it's known that summer programs such as that one at Woodland help children with their reading skills.
Under the state's new third-grade retention law, this year's third-graders who failed the language arts portion of a standardized test could be held back from advancing to fourth grade if they didn't take other steps such as retesting or summer school, or qualified for exemptions because they were still learning English, have a disability that impacts their reading or were previously held back.
Across the state, 60% of third graders fell short of proficiency, but some of them qualified for exemptions. In Oak Ridge Schools, as previously reported, about 41% fell short of proficiency. More than 70% of the Oak Ridge Schools students who did not score proficient qualified for an exemption or an appeal. Students who didn't pass or qualify for an exemption could still advance to fourth grade if they retested and scored at grade level, enrolled in summer school or signed up for tutoring during fourth grade. There is also an appeals process.
The results: Only about 11 of the approximately 200 elementary-age students attending the summer school were there because they failed the language arts portion of the Tennessee Comprehensive Academic Program (TCAP) standardized test, according to a school system spokesperson. It was also noted that the Learning Camp is not only for students in need of additional classroom help in any subject.
Asked how he answers critics of the third-grade retention law who say educators - not lawmakers - should decide on children's education, Lee said everyone cares about children and wants them to be successful.
"We want them to succeed in fourth, fifth and sixth grade," he said.
It's really difficult to watch children fail and we've got to find pathways for success, the governor said.
"If you learn to read really, really well," the governor told the youngest students, it'll help them do better in other subjects in school.
"(And) it makes your adult life a whole lot happier," Lee said.
Donna Smith is The Oak Ridger’s news editor and covers Oak Ridge area news. Email dsmith@oakridger.com. Twitter: @ridgernewsed.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing at https://subscribe.oakridger.com/offers. | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/gov-lee-visits-with-oak-ridge-elementary-school-students/70321549007/ | 2023-06-16T04:41:04 | 0 | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/gov-lee-visits-with-oak-ridge-elementary-school-students/70321549007/ |
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The teenager who was missing out of Hitchcock for nearly a week has been found safe, according to police.
The 13-year-old was found with a man in an apartment complex in Kansas City, Missouri after an investigation revealed she was possibly in the area, officials said.
Hitchcock police will reportedly get the girl from FBI's custody and take her to her parents.
Police suspected the teen's disappearance was connected to online solicitation after detectives found evidence that she was communicating with older men. She was seen on surveillance camera leaving her home in Hitchcock and getting into a silver Toyota Camry with an unknown man.
Information on the man she was with was not released.
What to do when someone goes missing
Thousands of people go missing every year across the United States, and there are organizations and law enforcement agencies that work to bring them home to loved ones.
The Texas Center for the Missing is an organization with Houston roots that works to educate loved ones and authorities on finding the lost.
From resources that deal with missing children to endangered adults, the non-profit organization has compiled a wealth of resources to help.
There is no 24-hour waiting period required to report a person missing, according to the Harris County Sheriff's Office. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/hitchcock-teen-found-safe/285-a4eabe6c-53e2-4904-b6a4-20bbef6b4550 | 2023-06-16T04:42:52 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/hitchcock-teen-found-safe/285-a4eabe6c-53e2-4904-b6a4-20bbef6b4550 |
KATY, Texas — A church in Katy proudly displays Pride flags to celebrate the LGBTQ community and their right to equality.
“It’s a sign and symbol of love and hope,” says First Christian Church Reverend Heather Tolleson. "It's about celebrating who you are and an opportunity where everybody can be exactly who they are at all times.”
But on Wednesday, she said church security cameras caught someone stealing the flags. And not just one -- but seven of them.
"It was broad daylight," Tolleson said,
Video surveillance appears to show someone drive up in a black truck, walk toward the flags and then walk back with them before taking off.
“Zip tie from yesterday, they cut out," Tolleson showed reporter Zack Tawatari. "Our flags are held up by a couple of zip ties each."
Tolleson said she thinks people steal flags to incite fear and intimidate.
This isn’t the first time the church has had its flags stolen. In fact, they say they’ve had 16 stolen in just the last 10 days, but they said nothing is going to stop them from displaying their pride.
"I think there's something particularly interesting about the LGBTQ+ community in that every single day you wake up, and there's a fear for your security," she said.
Fear is something the church – and its community – haven’t given into. Dating back to protests last September during a drag bingo night.
"We get hate mail," Tolleson said. "Sometimes we get comments on social media that are rough."
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said they are aware of the flag-stealing incident and are investigating. If you have any information, you’re urged to call 713-221-6000. You can also Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/pride-flags-stolen-katy-church/285-f16ec1ce-db07-4894-a68e-fec7f69f1878 | 2023-06-16T04:42:58 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/pride-flags-stolen-katy-church/285-f16ec1ce-db07-4894-a68e-fec7f69f1878 |
MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — The Johnson County Commission on Thursday accepted the resignation of Judge Perry Stout for what he called “immoral” acts, but the judge told commissioners he hopes to return to the bench.
Stout serves as a general sessions and juvenile court judge.
A state board began investigating Stout after he allegedly “self-reported an incident involving court staff” that happened in January. County Mayor Larry Potter said at the time that the incident involved “an elected official and a county employee.”
During Thursday’s commission meeting, Stout admitted to “immoral” behavior and said it was best that he step aside. However, he said he did not break any laws.
“Although immoral, no laws were broken,” Stout said. “All acts were consensual with a woman twice the age of consent.”
Although Stout’s resignation will go into effect in early July, he made it clear that he plans to run for judge again in 2024.
“The commission will appoint someone until the August election. Regardless, Lord willing, I plan to run in that election,” Stout said.
Johnson County commissioners have been in a similar situation in recent months. They recently had to appoint a replacement for state Rep. Scotty Campbell after he resigned from his post.
Mayor Larry Potter said the journey to find a temporary appointment for Stout will begin Friday morning.
The county employee involved in the incident and the specifics of the incident were not discussed at Thursday’s commission meeting. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-county-judge-resigns-but-plans-to-run-again/ | 2023-06-16T04:47:39 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/johnson-county-judge-resigns-but-plans-to-run-again/ |
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) — People gathered in Kingsport on Thursday to mark the two-year anniversary of Summer Wells’ disappearance at two different vigils.
Vigils for Wells and all missing persons were held at Warriors’ Path State Park.
Wells was reported missing from her home in the Beech Creek community of Hawkins County on June 15, 2021. The AMBER Alert that was issued for her remains active.
“I never imagined that two years later that we’d be here with no answers,” said vigil attendee Anne Tolley.
The vigil was also held to remember all of the other missing people who have yet to come home.
“If you look at the statistics and the data, it’s really sad to see the number of people that go missing every day,” said vigil organizer Marla Lange.
Many at the other vigil said they want more transparency from law enforcement in Summer Wells’ case.
“We often hear that this is an active investigation, but to the public, it’s, ‘we’re active and what is happening on the law enforcement side?,'” said vigil organizer, Tracy Scott.
Warriors’ Path is significant in the Summer Wells case. She went swimming at the park the same day she was reported missing. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/summer-wells-tn/vigils-held-to-mark-2-years-since-summer-wells-disappearance/ | 2023-06-16T04:47:45 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/summer-wells-tn/vigils-held-to-mark-2-years-since-summer-wells-disappearance/ |
MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – The Johnson County Commission rejected a proposal that would have allowed alcohol sales on Sundays in the county.
The proposal was rejected by a 10-3 vote.
Alcohol sales are permitted in Mountain City on Sundays.
Commissioners who supported the plan said that Johnson County is losing revenue to neighboring counties due to Sunday alcohol sales not being permitted in the county.
Johnson County Mayor Larry Potter said that he wasn’t surprised that the proposal did not pass. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/sunday-alcohol-sales-proposal-fails-in-johnson-county/ | 2023-06-16T04:47:51 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/sunday-alcohol-sales-proposal-fails-in-johnson-county/ |
CHARLOTTE HARBOR, Fla. — A major resort coming to Southwest Florida is offering some employees $100,000. Sunseeker Resorts reports you’ll get that money if you work for them for 10 years.
“It’s a lot of money,” CEO Micah Richins agreed. “People say, ‘how are you going to pay for that, are you going to raise your prices?'”
Richins said no.
The massive resort has come a long way since being bare bones for so long due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now, the exterior is just about complete. Opening day is only about four months away.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Sunseeker Resort has thousands of rooms booked for fall season despite hurricane setbacks
From a sky side vantage point, you can now see where the ground pool will be located and the rooftop lounge. The multi-billion dollar resort will be a popular place not only to visit — but to work.
“We’re in the infancy stages. We’re less than 150 right now, but we’ll rapidly swell to 300, 600. Ultimately when we open, the resort will be around 1,200 people,” Richins said.
Sunseeker is looking for hard workers. People who are compassionate and committed.
“People that when you walk into the restaurant or hotel, that you’re excited that they engage with you and interact with you and make your experience enjoyable,” Richins said.
They’re hoping for housekeepers, fry cooks, and golf course maintenance workers, just to name a few.
“Whether you have 10 years, 15 years of experience, or whether you are just starting out and interested in a hospitality career, we’re excited to have you come talk to us,” Richins said.
As an example of who they hire, Richins introduced Brianna Campione. She’s a lifelong Charlotte County resident.
“I’ve lived here all my life, and there’s not many opportunities for a big company like this,” she explained.
She’s one of many who will be eligible for the six-figure bonus in a decade if she sticks around long enough. The ten-year incentive was announced after she had already signed on.
“I thought it was amazing. We have a people-first culture, so it’s amazing to see that come to life versus something just spoken about. it’s something they’re taking initiative and action on,” Campione said.
Campione works in the HR department. She’s looking forward to the day the resort opens up in her own backyard.
As for anyone looking for work, Richins explained what he looks for.
“I think the most important thing that you can ever ask of someone is their personality, like — and their energy, like? I feel like anything we do in hospitality, we can teach people, but the most important thing they need to know is how to deal with one another and with our customers,” he said. | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/charlotte-county/2023/06/15/sunseeker-resort-introduces-100k-employee-incentive/ | 2023-06-16T04:48:29 | 0 | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/charlotte-county/2023/06/15/sunseeker-resort-introduces-100k-employee-incentive/ |
It’s no secret that air conditioning is a hot commodity during Florida summers.
When June, July and August come rolling around, AC units all across Southwest Florida start putting in overtime, keeping the region cool.
The combination of heat in the 90s and humidity levels riding creates a concoction that blasts you in the face as soon as you walk out the door.
“Stay cool as much as we can,” said Jill Goyette.
During these times, our air conditioners are our best friends. To make sure your AC keeps running, you need to treat it like a best friend, checking up on them, caring for them and making sure they’re okay.
If you do that, HVAC experts say you have a much better chance of making it through the summer heat without a breakup in your AC friendship.
“I’ve got it at 78 degrees,” said Jay Caywood.
“79°,” responded Goyette.
While the recommended temperature is 78°, any degree lower will add an additional 8% to your cooling costs, according to LCEC.
While we escape to cooler air indoors, these machines run nonstop. So do the technicians working to keep them going.
“It is very busy,” said Gordon Durant, owner of Freedom Residential.
It’s that time of year when the calls keep coming and coming and coming at the Freedom Residential office.
“People trying to get out ahead of what we know is going to be ultimately a very hot and long summer,” Durant said.
One of those people that recently called up an HVAC company is Caywood.
“I had to replace the condenser, which was about half the cost,” he said.
He lost the outside portion of his unit, called a condenser, at his house on Sanibel during Hurricane Ian.
The cost just for the condenser was well over $3,000.
“It’s a different beast down here,” Caywood said.
You don’t need to tell that to Goyette, who heads up a team of landscapers in Fort Myers. Anyone working out in the heat knows the number one rule of summer in Florida.
“They stay well hydrated,” Goyette said.
Just like hydration helps to keep us going, there are things you can do to keep your AC humming away. The biggest is maintenance.
“Two times per year,” Durant said. “The machine needs to be looked at two times per year. Proactivity is way cheaper than reactivity.”
Here are some other steps you can take to help keep your AC running:
- Replace the filter once a month
- Schedule routine maintenance at least twice a year
- Keep an ear and eye out for things that look or sound out of the norm
- Use a programmable thermostat to help reduce the workload
- Set the thermostat at 78° to keep cooling costs down
- Save now to lessen the burden of repairs or replacement of HVAC units
If you don’t and your machine breaks down during a week like this, you could be stuck sweating — not just for hours, but days.
“We’re that backed up where it could take a couple of days,” Durant said.
If you’re worried about blackouts from too much energy consumption during the hot summer months, you can rest easy.
LCEC told NBC2 that they’re not near a critical load. If that ever happens, a spokesperson said it’s during winter months in the midst of a cold snap when more people are here and turn on their furnaces.
For more tips and tricks to save money during the summer months, click here. | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/06/15/how-to-keep-your-ac-running-strong-during-heat-and-humidity/ | 2023-06-16T04:48:36 | 1 | https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/06/15/how-to-keep-your-ac-running-strong-during-heat-and-humidity/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-high-school-grad-says-she-was-denied-diploma-on-stage-because-she-did-the-griddy-dance/3586860/ | 2023-06-16T04:53:30 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/philly-high-school-grad-says-she-was-denied-diploma-on-stage-because-she-did-the-griddy-dance/3586860/ |
Full-time workers in Indiana need to earn at least $19 an hour, or $39,526 a year, in order to afford rent on a two-bedroom apartment, according to a report released Wednesday by Prosperity Indiana and the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
However, not everyone is meeting that mark, with Indiana’s average renter wage at only $17.86 per hour.
“Indiana has twin crises of a shortage of affordable homes and too few good-paying jobs to afford them. This is a symptom of a lack of economic opportunity which prevents too many Hoosiers from achieving their true potential and leaves Indiana behind the curve of the Midwest,” said Andrew Bradley, policy director for Prosperity Indiana and board member of the National Low Income Housing Coalition.
In Indiana, almost a third of residents are renters.
Being able to afford rent, according to the report, means spending no more than 30% of your income on housing. With fair market rent for a two-bedroom home at $988 per month, wages are just not keeping up.
In 2023, the $19 wage needed to afford rent rose 12% from $16.97 in 2022, but wages themselves only increased 7.5% in Indiana. Compared to other states in the Midwest region, Indiana wages are consistently lower, lagging by 91 cents in 2023.
The report also notes that those earning Indiana’s minimum wage – $7.25 – must now work 105 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom home at fair market rent.
Individual areas in the state also have higher rent costs; for example, renters in Bloomington need to make $21.62 an hour – the most expensive in the state.
Of the 20 top occupations in Indiana, 10 occupations pay less than $19 an hour. That accounts for 625,000 people – more than a fifth of the state’s workforce, according to the report.
When people have to pay more than 30% of their income on housing, it can make eviction more likely.
According to Princeton’s Eviction Lab, 73,044 evictions have been filed in Indiana in the past year. Almost 40% of these evictions have been filed in Marion County, where almost half of residents facing eviction are Black or Latino.
Having a prior eviction not only makes it harder to apply for other housing, but it also cannot be expunged from your record. Tenants could not even remove unsuccessful eviction filings from their record until the General Assembly passed a bill allowing it in 2022.
Beyond a mark on their record, struggling to pay for housing can reach all areas of a person’s life.
Laurin Embry, director of the Indiana Tenant Association and the Indianapolis Tenants Rights Union, wrote in the report that families have been separated through the Department of Child Services over some parents’ inability to afford housing. Despite paying multiple application fees, one family was repeatedly denied housing with no explanation, she said.
“Indiana’s affordable housing crisis, lack of tenant protections and low wages make securing affordable housing a near impossible task,” Embry said. “Those fortunate enough to afford housing now may later find themselves unable to maintain their housing if their rent is increased when it’s time to renew their lease.”
The report comes as pandemic programs like additional Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits have expired even as food prices rise. From 2021 to 2022, food costs increased 11% – a major change from the 2% average annual increase.
Indiana Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Indiana Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Niki Kelly for questions: info@indianacapitalchronicle.com. Follow Indiana Capital Chronicle on Facebook and Twitter. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/indiana/hoosiers-aren-t-making-enough-to-pay-rent-report-finds/article_ebe4b820-0bbf-11ee-9313-678a304a154c.html | 2023-06-16T04:54:16 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/indiana/hoosiers-aren-t-making-enough-to-pay-rent-report-finds/article_ebe4b820-0bbf-11ee-9313-678a304a154c.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 recovery, prevention and support, 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.
“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.
“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.
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/indiana/whitley-county-nonprofit-plans-to-build-new-shelter-with-3-2-million-grant/article_885e8f66-0b9b-11ee-8eb6-5ff0f1350610.html | 2023-06-16T04:54:23 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/indiana/whitley-county-nonprofit-plans-to-build-new-shelter-with-3-2-million-grant/article_885e8f66-0b9b-11ee-8eb6-5ff0f1350610.html |
Five more confinement officers are expected to start at the Allen County Jail soon.
The Allen County Council on Thursday approved hiring the guards. During the council meeting, Gary Grant, chief deputy for the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, also received permission to use money from the jail’s commissary fund for employee appreciation and to donate to local charities that affect jail operations in some way.
County Councilman Paul Lagemann, R-3rd, said the five new positions were the remaining of the 15 hires the county approved last year. The sheriff’s department could only fill 10 of those last year.
The jail has been understaffed for a while and is required to rectify that under a March 2022 court order issued by U.S. District Court Judge Damon Leichty. The judge required the county to address multiple unconstitutional situations at the jail, including overcrowding and unsafe conditions.
A study by William Wilson of the Indiana Sheriff’s Association found the jail should have at least 171 confinement officers. Even when it hires the five new officers, the jail will have just under 150.
Lagemann said the council’s personnel committee that he’s on encouraged sheriff representatives to return and ask for authorization to hire more confinement officers.
Lagemann said Allen County has one of the few jails in the state seeing the number of applicants increase. Grant said that’s because of the department’s policy of hiring deputies from the ranks of jail guards and courthouse officers. It keeps the ranks full, and the jail would see about 20 fewer confinement officers if the sheriff didn’t promote from within, Grant added.
The department also sees loyalty from the confinement officers, Grant said. They appreciate the training and the ability to see room for advancement.
Harris said loyalty means losing fewer officers to other jurisdictions.
The county set the confinement officers’ full-time salaries at $41,017 a year. The council unanimously approved the requests. Councilman Ken Fries, R-at large, was absent.
Lagemann also encouraged the sheriff’s department to request an increase in starting pay in the future. The department is competing with other agencies. This year, Gov. Eric Holcomb budgeted an increase to bring Indiana State Police officers’ starting salaries from $53,690 to $70,000.
“Pay in the jail, pay in the sheriff’s department, probably needs to increase soon,” Lagemann said.
The commissary fund request was a ratification of spending that’s been done without council oversight before. Sheriff Troy Hershberger, who took office in January, wants to partner with the county on the spending and be transparent, Grant said.
The commissary fund, which is funded by Allen County Jail inmates’ purchases including phone and internet services, became controversial under the county’s previous sheriff. In 2015, David Gladieux’s first year as sheriff, the balance was about $480,000.
It reached almost $1.4 million in January 2022, according to Allen County auditor’s office documents. It hit $3 million last year, and the department spent more than $4 million, leaving the balance at $243,116 when Gladieux left office in December.
State law allows commissary funds to pay for training, equipment and department programs intended to reduce or prevent criminal activity. Grant said past donations out of the fund include victims’ assistance and Crime Stoppers.
Despite requiring little oversight for commissary funds, the Indiana State Board of Accounts reported an audit showed problems in 2021. Gladieux donated a total of $56,500 from the fund in 2021 to an unnamed organization “not within the jurisdiction” of the sheriff.
Gladieux also contracted with a vendor to provide building services for a training facility, the audit showed. Payment exceeded $50,000, which state law requires quotes gathered from at least three vendors to ensure a government department selects the lowest, most responsive bidder. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/local-politics/allen-county-jail-to-hire-five-more-guards/article_2ec6a014-0bb0-11ee-9086-9bec4897c4ee.html | 2023-06-16T04:54:29 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/local-politics/allen-county-jail-to-hire-five-more-guards/article_2ec6a014-0bb0-11ee-9086-9bec4897c4ee.html |
The Republican National Committee’s top leader will speak at the Allen County GOP’s annual fall dinner.
Ronna McDaniel, chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, will be the keynote speaker at the local party’s annual Bean Dinner on Oct. 25 at Grand Wayne Center.
Steve Shine, Allen County GOP chairman, announced McDaniel’s appearance Thursday for the event that will include a VIP reception and dinner. More details – including prices and the time of the event – will be announced in September.
McDaniel is the second woman to serve as the national party’s chair.
She was elected to a fourth term in January after garnering more than twice the votes as her opponent, Harmeet Dhillon.
Shine credited local businessman Bill Bean’s friendship with McDaniel for securing the keynote speaker. Shine said McDaniel’s appearance will continue the tradition of high-profile national Republicans attending Allen County GOP fundraising dinners.
Each year, the Allen County party holds the Lincoln Dinner in the spring and the Bean Dinner in the fall in the weeks leading up to the general election. Shine said the dinners serve to get local Republicans excited ahead of elections.
Former Vice President Mike Pence was the keynote speaker at the 2022 Bean Dinner. Other speakers at Republican dinners have included former U.S. Secretary of State and CIA Director Mike Pompeo and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida.
Shine said the party typically has sold-out attendance with more than 600 attendees for the dinners. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/local-politics/republican-national-committee-chairwoman-to-speak-at-bean-dinner/article_e570b394-0bb6-11ee-9bd3-db3914084f54.html | 2023-06-16T04:54:35 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/local-politics/republican-national-committee-chairwoman-to-speak-at-bean-dinner/article_e570b394-0bb6-11ee-9bd3-db3914084f54.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 Wednesday evening from multiple blunt impact injuries, and his death is the 18th in the county from traffic crashes so far this year, the coroner’s office said in a statement.
The Allen County Sheriff’s Department is 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. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/victim-of-huntertown-crash-identified/article_8155e482-0ba3-11ee-9637-5b06115e6260.html | 2023-06-16T04:54:41 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/victim-of-huntertown-crash-identified/article_8155e482-0ba3-11ee-9637-5b06115e6260.html |
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A person was killed in a shooting Thursday in Sacramento marking the 16th homicide in the city this year.
The shooting happened just after midnight along San Jose Way in Sacramento's Oak Park neighborhood, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
Upon arrival, officers found a person with a gunshot wound who later died. Police are investigating the deadly shooting.
According to the Sacramento Police Department, there have been 17 homicides in the city so far this year, compared to 27 homicides during the same period in 2022.
The Sacramento Police Department encourages any witnesses with information regarding this investigation to contact the dispatch center at (916) 808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at (916) 443-HELP (4357). Callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward up to $1,000. Anonymous tips can also be submitted using the free “P3 Tips” smartphone app.
Watch more on ABC10 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/person-killed-sacramento-shooting-oak-park/103-47d5b52a-2811-49d4-a344-e6f83359322f | 2023-06-16T05:00:44 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/person-killed-sacramento-shooting-oak-park/103-47d5b52a-2811-49d4-a344-e6f83359322f |
VINELAND — Big Brothers Big Sisters of Cumberland & Salem Counties recently announced that Sharon Krementz is now program manager for the organization's Mentor2.0 program. The program is also in need of adult volunteers to mentor students.
“Helping young adults has always been my passion,” Krementz said. “At one time, I was a Big Sister and it was a rewarding experience. I believe education and mentorship are major ways to assist youth in creating successful futures.”
The Mentor2.0 program focuses on improving the graduation rates of low-income, first-generation college students. Mentors and mentees are first matched together, then communicate weekly via a secure web-based platform and monthly group events. Each match is overseen by a Big Brothers Big Sisters staff member.
Mentor requirements include being at least 21 years of age and holding an associate degree or higher; having a reliable internet connection; being committed to sending a minimum of one weekly message on a topic that Mentor2.0 provides through the platform; and commitment to meeting with the mentee once every four weeks for two hours at a Mentor2.0 facilitated event during the school year.
People are also reading…
For more information about the Mentor2.0 program, call 856-692-0916 or visit southjerseybigs.org. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/big-brothers-big-sisters-of-cumberland-salem-counties-seeks-mentors-announces-new-staff-member/article_d8172810-0b9b-11ee-9c31-eff754b440a3.html | 2023-06-16T05:09:21 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/big-brothers-big-sisters-of-cumberland-salem-counties-seeks-mentors-announces-new-staff-member/article_d8172810-0b9b-11ee-9c31-eff754b440a3.html |
Events
Friday, June 16
ATLANTIC CITY JUNETEENTH CEREMONY: 12:30 p.m.; the city’s first Juneteenth Flag Raising Ceremony; music and cultural performances; open to the public; City Hall Courtyard, 1301 Bacharach Blvd., Atlantic City.
CARROLL GALLERY EXHIBIT: 'QUACKERY: THE AGE OF QUESTIONABLE MEDICAL MARVELS': on display through Oct. 30; exhibit of some of the so-called medical marvels during the late 19th and early 20th century; Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May. 609-884-5404 or capemaymac.org.
WILLOW CREEK GONE COUNTRY: noon to 8 p.m.; 4-day event with live music, food and drink specials, and open air artisan market; Willow Creek Winery & Farm, 168 Stevens St., W. Cape May. 609-770-8782 or willowcreekwinerycapemay.com.
People are also reading…
Saturday, June 17
'AN EVENING WITH BERNIE PARENT': 7 to 8:30 p.m.; Philadelphia Flyers' Bernie Parent will talk about his book, "Unmasked: Bernie Parent and the Broad Street Bullies"; Avalon Surfside Park, 2901 Avalon Ave., Avalon. 609-967-7155 or avalonfreelibrary.org.
'AN EVENING WITH JANE WONG': 4 to 6 p.m.; Mighty Writers Atlantic City will host author and poet Jane Wong in celebration of her debut memoir, "Meet Me Tonight in Atlantic City"; 15 N. California Ave., Atlantic City; $25. 609-412-1767 or zeffy.com.
ATLANTIC COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS ELECTRONIC RECYCLING FUNDRAISER: 9 a.m. to noon third Saturdays; drop off old electronics at Recycling Barn at the fairgrounds; accepting TVs, computers, home appliances, office equipment and more; Atlantic County Fairgrounds, 3210 Route 50, Mays Landing. 609-703-1549 or AC4HFair.org.
CAPE ISLAND OCEAN FESTIVAL: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; celebrate the ocean at the Cape Island Ocean Festival; rain date June 18; ocean-themed activities focused on the beauty and importance of the ocean, scavenger hunt, craft, visit with sea creatures, and more; Nature Center of Cape May, 1600 Delaware Ave., Cape May. 609-427-3045.
'FUN, FRIENDSHIP, AND FIBER ARTS!' WITH DAWN CIFUENTES: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; bring your projects with you; Cape May County Library/Sea Isle City Branch, 4800 Central Ave., Sea Isle City; free, registration requested. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
GARDENS OF CAPE MAY TOUR: 1 to 4 p.m.; self-guided tour; visit private gardens of Cape May gardeners as well as the gardens of the Emlen Physick Estate; various locations in Cape May; $35. 609-884-5404 or capemaymac.org.
OCEAN CITY JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION: 1 to 5 p.m.; live music, comedy, vendors, bounce houses, food trucks and more; Haven Avenue between 7th and 8th streets, Ocean City; free. festivalnj.com.
SUMMER OUTDOOR CRAFTS & COLLECTIBLES SHOW: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; crafters and vendors bring their wares to Cape May; Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May. 609-884-5404 or capemaymac.org.
Sunday, June 18
JUNETEENTH PERFORMANCE: 6 p.m.; East Lynne Theater Company is hosting a staged reading, titled “Citizen James, or The Young Man Without a Country” to celebrate Juneteenth; one-man show about acclaimed novelist and civil rights activist James Baldwin; Cape May Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes St.; donation only. EastLynneTheater.org.
STAIRWAY TO THE STARS: 8 to 10 p.m.; see the stars on the night of the new moon from the top of the Cape May lighthouse; Cape May Lighthouse, 215 Light House Ave., Cape May; $12.
Monday, June 19
BEACHCOMBING THE CREST: 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays through August 28; wander the shore in search of tideline treasures; Cape May County Library/Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
ESL CAREER READINESS LAB: 9:30 a.m. to noon Mondays through July 31; learn how to use the Engen Language Upskilling platform, which provides ESL classes and tutorials with a focus on job interview skills, and the food and beverage industry and hospitality industry; Public Library, 1 N. Tennessee Ave., Atlantic City. 609-345-2269 or acfpl.org.
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION AT MACEDONIA BAPTIST CHURCH: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Harriet Tubman Museum at Macedonia Baptist Church, Lafayette Street, Cape May.
LINE DANCING - WITH SUSAN PENNYPACKER: noon to 12:45 p.m. Mondays; no meetings Sept. 4, Oct. 9; Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
MEDITATIVE DRUM CIRCLE: 5 to 6 p.m. Mondays; bring your own instrument or borrow one; no meetings Aug. 28, Sept. 4, Oct. 9, Nov. 6, Dec. 25; Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
OUTDOOR LIVING AND GARDEN TOUR: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; six private gardens and three public gardens on LBI open their gates to visitors; various locations on Long Beach Island; $40. 609-848-9875 or thegardencluboflbi.com.
SIT-N-KNIT: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays, June 19, July 17, Aug. 21; gather together to share your projects; Somers Point Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 801 Shore Road, Somers Point; registration required. 609-927-7113 or atlanticlibrary.org.
For kids
Saturday, June 17
DROP-IN LEGO PLAYTIME: 1 to 2 p.m. Saturdays through August; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org.
SATURDAY FAMILY STORYTIME: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays through August; Egg Harbor Township/Atlantic County Library System, 1 Swift Drive, Egg Harbor Township. 609-927-8664 or atlanticlibrary.org.
Monday, June 19
ART IN ALL FORMS FOR TEENS: 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays, June 19, July 17, Aug. 14; art for teens ages 12 and older; supplies provided; Mays Landing Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 40 Farragut Ave., Hamilton; registration required. 609-625-2776 or atlanticlibrary.org.
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME - ABSECON: 10 to 11 a.m. Mondays; Absecon branch/Atlantic County Library System, 305 New Jersey Ave., Absecon. 609-646-2228 or atlanticlibrary.org.
PRESCHOOL STORYTIME - EGG HARBOR CITY: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays through Aug. 28; Egg Harbor City Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 134 Philadelphia Ave., Egg Harbor City. 609-804-1063 or atlanticlibrary.org.
Groups
Friday, June 16
AMERICAN MAH JONGG: 1 to 3 p.m. Fridays; Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
CONVERSATIONAL LENAPE LANGUAGE - WITH TERI HISLOP: 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Fridays; newcomers welcome; Lower Cape Branch, 2600 Bayshore Road, Lower Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
'LIGHTBULB' ONLINE GROUP: 3 to 4 p.m. Fridays; virtual group presented by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey; weekly online discussion group and forum to ask questions about mental health and wellness. 609-652-3800 or MHANJ.org.
Saturday, June 17
KNIGHTS OF THE SQUARE TABLE CHESS CLUB: 1 to 3 p.m. every other Saturday through Aug. 26; open to all ages; Absecon branch/Atlantic County Library System, 305 New Jersey Ave., Absecon; registration requested. 609-646-2228 or atlanticlibrary.org.
Monday, June 19
AL-ANON FAMILY GROUPS: 11 a.m. Mondays; for those troubled by someone else's drinking; Egg Harbor City Senior Center, 351 Cincinnati Ave., Egg Harbor City. AL-ANON.org.
LONGPORT NEEDLERS: 10 a.m. to noon Mondays; bring your needle/crochet craft project and join us for a time of crafting and socializing; Longport Public Library, 2305 Atlantic Ave., Longport. 609-487-7403 or LongportPublicLibrary.org.
START THE DAY WITH A BOOK CLUB: 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. June 19, July 17, Aug. 14; Mays Landing Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 40 Farragut Ave., Hamilton. 609-625-2776 or atlanticlibrary.org.
Health, fitness
Friday, June 16
YOGA WITH TANYA DELFINI: 10 to 11 a.m. Fridays through December; no class Sept. 8, Nov. 10, 24; Cape May County Library/Sea Isle City Branch, 4800 Central Ave., Sea Isle City. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
Saturday, June 17
MORNING RISE AND SHINE YOGA: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. June 17, July 1, 15, Aug. 5, 19; summer session with certified yoga instructor; Mays Landing Branch/Atlantic County Library System, 40 Farragut Ave., Hamilton; registration required. 609-625-2776 or atlanticlibrary.org.
Sunday, June 18
MEDITATION - ONLINE GROUP: 7:15 to 8 p.m. Sundays; offered by The Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; staff offer a guided calming meditation or breathing exercise; to receive a link by email and join the group online, email btrendler@mhanj.org. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info.
Monday, June 19
CHAIR YOGA - WITH LYNNE CATARRO: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays; no class 9/4, 10/9, 12/25; Cape May County Library/Wildwood Crest Branch, 6300 Atlantic Ave., Wildwood Crest. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
'GOT STRESS?' ONLINE GROUP: 4 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays; online group meets to discuss daily wellness, coping strategies and tools to relieve stress and reduce anxiety; offered by The Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; free. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info.
MEMORY CAFÉ: 2 to 4 p.m. third Mondays; with Brookdale Senior Living Solutions; light refreshments served; for those experiencing memory loss, as well as their caregivers and family members; Cape May Court House Branch, 30 Mechanic St., Middle Township. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE ONLINE GROUP : 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. third Mondays; offered by The Mental Health Association in Atlantic County; for those who lost someone to suicide; via Zoom or by dial-in teleconference; both a therapist and a peer co-facilitate this meeting. 609-652-3800 or MHAAC.info.
YOGA WITH SUZANNE KUBIK: 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays through Sept. 14; no class July 6, Sept. 4; Cape May County Library/Stone Harbor Branch, 9516 Second Ave., Stone Harbor. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
Music
Friday, June 16
BLUES AND R&B VOCALIST CURTIS SALGADO: 7 to 11:30 p.m.; part of the Somers Point Beach Concert Series; Municipal Beach Park, 798 Bay Ave., Somers Point. 609-653-6069 or somerspointbeachconcerts.com.
'ELVISTORY: THE KING OF THE SILVER SCREEN': 2 to 3 p.m.; presented and performed by Ruben Castillo; Cape May County Library/Sea Isle City Branch, 4800 Central Ave., Sea Isle City; free, registration requested. 609-463-6350 or events.cmclibrary.org.
MUSIC TO MY EARS - ONLINE: 7 to 10 p.m. Fridays through Aug. 4; uplifting online discussion group in which participants share favorite music selections and what it means to them; virtual event hosted by the Mental Health Association in New Jersey. 609-652-3800 or mhanj.org.
WOODEN SHIPS BAND: 7:30 to 10 p.m.; tribute to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; The Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main St., Tuckerton; $35. 908-310-2941 or lizzierosemusic.com.
Saturday, June 17
RAEL: 7:30 to 10 p.m.; Genesis and Peter Gabriel; The Lizzie Rose Music Room, 217 E. Main St., Tuckerton; $35. 908-310-2941 or lizzierosemusic.com.
Sunday, June 18
34TH ANNUAL CAPE MAY MUSIC FESTIVAL: 11TH ANNUAL GEORGE MESTERHAZY TRIBUTE CONCERT: 7 to 9 p.m.; tribute to George Masterhazy by his musical colleagues; Cape May Convention Hall, 714 Beach Ave., Cape May; $25 to $35. 609-884-5404 or capemaymac.org.
THE NEW CLUB HARLEM REVUE: 7 p.m. doors open; 8 p.m. showtime; taste of the magic that was Club Harlem; The Claridge Hotel Celebrity Theater, 123 S. Indiana Ave, Atlantic City; $30 to $60. 609-626-0043. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/community-calendar/article_13151f82-0b9f-11ee-876e-e3bfab0f96aa.html | 2023-06-16T05:09:27 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/community-calendar/article_13151f82-0b9f-11ee-876e-e3bfab0f96aa.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — Twelve women from across New Jersey competed June 1 for the title of Ms. New Jersey Senior America.
The annual pageant was held at Harrah's Resort Atlantic City. Contestants were judged on private interview, evening gown, philosophy of life and talent, and each contestant had to be 60 or older to compete.
Ferlie Almonte, of Toms River, was selected as the winner and will represent the state at the Ms. Senior America pageant, to be held in Atlantic City in October.
Runners-up in the Ms. New Jersey Senior America pageant were Mary DeConca, Bernadette Jones, Roe Piccoli and Lenore Cibelli Lambert. For more information, visit newjerseysenioramerica.org. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/toms-river-woman-crowned-ms-new-jersey-senior-america/article_386d39f8-0add-11ee-a013-2393145b4843.html | 2023-06-16T05:09:33 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/toms-river-woman-crowned-ms-new-jersey-senior-america/article_386d39f8-0add-11ee-a013-2393145b4843.html |
ORLANDO, Fla. — We could soon see some changes made to critical services and projects across Central Florida including law enforcement agencies, fire departments and education.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Those are just a few of the dozens of groups losing out on funding after the governor made cuts to the state budget on Thursday.
Some of these cuts will hit places that flooded during last year’s hurricanes, including projects intended for places like Orlovista, which are losing out on $2 million in state funding.
READ: More storms moving into Central Florida tonight
But the Senate sponsor of that project says it doesn’t really mean game over.
See the full story in the video above.
READ: Tropical wave off coast of Africa now at 30% chance of forming next 7 days
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/what-recent-state-budget-cuts-mean-central-florida/G2DP6HMTFJAJ5KYGLTMHDLABZQ/ | 2023-06-16T05:15:26 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/what-recent-state-budget-cuts-mean-central-florida/G2DP6HMTFJAJ5KYGLTMHDLABZQ/ |
Boise’s city council voted unanimously Thursday evening to approve the zoning code rewrite and send it to first reading. The rewrite aims to change how Boise grows by increasing density and limiting sprawl.
The change has inspired many emotions in Boiseans and showcased a generational divide in the city, from young people who feel left behind by the American dream to many older people who don’t want their American dream disrupted.
Many people debated whether the stipulations in the proposed code would actually deliver on promises of walkability and affordability or whether it would just lead to more expensive apartments and congestion.
The decision followed four days of testimony in front of the city council. Boise’s Planning & Zoning Commission held four days of hearings in April. Ultimately, the commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of the proposed rewrite. It then went to city council for a final decision.
The rewrite will become effective on Dec. 1, 2023.
Carolyn Komatsoulis covers Boise, Meridian and Ada County. Contact her at 208-465-8107 or ckomatsoulis@idahopress.com and follow her on Twitter @CKomatsoulis.
Carolyn Komatsoulis covers Boise, Meridian and Ada County for the Idaho Press. She previously worked at a newspaper in rural Nebraska. She's from the D.C. area and went to school in Boston, where she graduated with a degree in journalism. In her free time, she loves watching football, spending time with Kyoko and Pickles, exploring and going on road trips with her best friends. She welcomes news tips in English or Spanish. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-makes-decision-on-zoning-code-rewrite/article_5206a706-0af0-11ee-98ea-c7b3cd13725a.html | 2023-06-16T05:29:56 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/boise-makes-decision-on-zoning-code-rewrite/article_5206a706-0af0-11ee-98ea-c7b3cd13725a.html |
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News from around the state of Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/3-killed-dozens-hurt-after-texas-panhandle-city-of-perryton-takes-hit-by-tornado/3278926/ | 2023-06-16T05:30:20 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/3-killed-dozens-hurt-after-texas-panhandle-city-of-perryton-takes-hit-by-tornado/3278926/ |
This video was captured from the dashcam of a car traveling through Halifax in Canada. And this is the moment a motorist drove straight into the hellscape of a massive wildfire in the area. Veuer’s Tony Spitz has the details.
- Percent of total house fires caused by cooking: 49%
A 53-year-old woman suffered severe injuries after she escaped through a bedroom window during a fire that started in a kitchen at an apartment building on the city’s south side Thursday.
Firefighters responded to the blaze at around 3 p.m. at the Joanne Apartments at 88th Street and 41st Avenue, according to Capt. Stephen Lombardi, the acting battalion for the Kenosha Fire Department at the scene.
Lombardi said the woman, who was the only occupant of the apartment, suffered injuries that included smoke inhalation, along with cuts and bruises from exiting through the first-floor window of the building. Fire and rescue officials transported her to a local hospital.
“She’s still in the hospital,” he said. Lombardi said the woman’s injuries were potentially life-threatening as she had to be intubated during treatment at the scene and was being held overnight at the hospital. Her condition was not immediately known.
Residents were evacuated from the apartment complex, which has multiple buildings. The building where the fire occurred had 30 units alone, he said. According to Lombardi, the fire was under control in about 10 minutes and the damage was confined to the woman’s apartment unit.
“So, the origin was in the kitchen and we believe it was related to unattended food on the stove that was able to get (fire) in the kitchen going,” he said referring to the preliminary investigation. He said the fire then spread throughout the unit.
“We had an engine company stretch an attack line into the apartment and extinguished the fire. We started ventilation and then made sure the fire was contained,” he said. “With that many people, and that big of an apartment we’re glad we kept it to that one apartment.”
Firefighters were at the scene for an hour, however, fire inspectors remained on scene for an additional hour to investigate. No other injuries were reported.
- Percent of total house fires caused by cooking: 49%
- Percent of total house fire deaths: 20% (#2 leading cause)
- Percent of total house fire injuries: 42% (#1 leading cause)
- Percent of total direct house fire property damage: 16% (#2 leading cause)
Even though most cooking-related fires are minor, an average of 470 were reported daily in 2018. The number of reported cooking fires peaks, perhaps unsurprisingly, during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. More alarming still is that there were more cooking fire-related deaths in 2014-2018 than there were 30 years prior, despite advancements in electric and gas ranges and other cooking appliances during the intervening years. Commonly, people are napping or engaged in other activities when the fires start.
For proper risk prevention, avoiding food unsupervised on the stove, in the oven, or in other cooking appliances such as an air fryer or convection oven is crucial. Be aware that households with electrical ranges are at higher risk than those with gas ranges.
This story originally appeared on Westfield and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/kenosha-fire-escape-window-burning-injured/article_a9df2e3a-0bf9-11ee-9bc0-3f08fdfac67f.html | 2023-06-16T05:32:36 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/kenosha-fire-escape-window-burning-injured/article_a9df2e3a-0bf9-11ee-9bc0-3f08fdfac67f.html |
At the All-Star Game in 2015, millions of fans named Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Willie Mays and Sandy Koufax as Major League Baseball’s greatest living players.
That, to say the least, burned Lindsay Berra, who, while watching the ceremony, turned to her grandfather and asked, “Are you dead?”
The great Yogi Berra was in fact very alive, and through its 98 minutes, the documentary “It Ain’t Over” makes the case that Yogi belonged in that quartet.
To wit, he made the All-Star team in 18 of his 19 seasons, he was a three-time MVP (more than Mays or Bench), finishing second twice, third once and fourth once in a seven-year stretch. Only Berra and Joe DiMaggio hit more than 500 home runs with less than 350 strikes — Yogi had one season (1952) in which he only struck out 12 times in 656 at-bats.
And Berra, by the way, had 10 World Series rings, more than anyone ever — and was, as his teammates testify, the heart of the New York Yankees of the 1940s, ’50s and early ’60s.
But Yogi’s on-field accomplishments, the documentary and its testifiers convincingly argue, were overshadowed by his entertaining character, which turned him into a TV commercial pitchman, and the “Yogi-isms” that live on today:
“When you get to a fork in the road, take it."
“Always go to other people’s funerals, otherwise they won’t come to yours.”
And, of course, “It ain’t over ’til it’s over,” which he may or may not have said.
Those Yogi-isms, while bafflingly funny, were also wise, as the documentary conveys by putting them on screen with similar quotes from the likes of Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein as it spins out his life story.
Born Lawrence Peter Berra in St. Louis in 1925, he got his nickname from a childhood friend when he sat on the ground with legs crossed and arms folded waiting to bat at the neighborhood field, looking like a "yogi" from India.
Growing up on “The Hill,” an Italian neighborhood where Joe Garagiola lived across the street, Berra signed with the Yankees in 1942 but joined the Navy, where he was on a rocket boat during the D-Day invasion of 1944.
He made his major-league debut in 1946 and became the Yankee catcher the next season, where he’d stay for nearly two decades. In 1956, he caught Don Larsen’s perfect game in the World Series, which Bob Costas and others interviewed say should be credited as much to Yogi as Larsen.
The documentary, which is narrated by Lindsay Berra, is about much more than just baseball. It details Yogi’s lifelong love affair with his wife Carmen, his life with his sons — who appear in the film — the creation of the “Yogi Bear” cartoons (yes, it was named after Berra) and his decadelong separation from the Yankees after he was unfairly fired as manager by George Steinbrenner.
There are plenty of Yankees who talk about Yogi — from Bobby Richardson and Larsen to Mariano Rivera, Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter — lots of writers, including the legendary Roger Angell, and sportscasters like Costas.
There’s plenty of old footage as well — from Yankee games, home movies and TV appearances, including an interview with Yogi and Carmen by Edward R. Murrow — that provides the documentary’s core visuals.
And, of course, all kinds of Yogi, who’s charming, funny, directly honest — and one of the greatest baseball players ever.
Yogi died in 2015 at age 90, the year in which he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. That was a fitting tribute to Berra as is “It Ain’t Over,” a must-see for any Yankees fan, or baseball fan for that matter.
10 most unexpected MLB pitching performances
10 most unexpected MLB pitching performances
#10. Doug Waechter, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
#9. Ken Reynolds, Philadelphia Phillies
#8. Mike Trujillo, Seattle Mariners
#6. Phil Huffman, Toronto Blue Jays (tie)
#6. Chris Zachary, St. Louis Cardinals (tie)
#5. Ryan Rupe, Tampa Bay Devil Rays
#4. Billy Traber, Cleveland Indians
#3. Philip Humber, Chicago White Sox
#2. Mike Paul, Texas Rangers
#1. Zach Stewart, Chicago White Sox
Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com. On Twitter @KentWolgamott
Review
It Ain't Over
Grade: B+.
Director: Sean Mullin.
With: Billy Crystal, Bob Costas, Willie Rudolph, Derek Jeter, Vin Scully, Ron Guidry.
Rated: PG for some drug references, brief war images, smoking, language.
Running Time: 1 hour, 38 minutes.
Now Showing: Ross.
The Reel Story: This loving documentary looks at the life of Yogi Berra, the New York Yankees catcher, inspiration for Yogi Bear, spinner of "Yogi-isms" and one of the greatest baseball players of all time.
L. Kent Wolgamott, the recipient of the 2018 Mayor’s Arts Award, has written about arts and entertainment for Lincoln newspapers since 1985, reviewing thousands of movies and concerts and hundreds of art exhibitions. | https://journalstar.com/life-entertainment/local/movies-tv/review-it-aint-over-looks-at-baseball-great-yogi-berra-in-loving-fashion/article_c5a75f4e-0a27-11ee-81c2-e39e8f380483.html | 2023-06-16T05:52:19 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/life-entertainment/local/movies-tv/review-it-aint-over-looks-at-baseball-great-yogi-berra-in-loving-fashion/article_c5a75f4e-0a27-11ee-81c2-e39e8f380483.html |
It’s fairly rare that beloved animation studio Pixar makes a straightforward romantic movie — the films they produce frequently focus on family love and friendship love, but it’s not often to see a swooning love story between two individuals as we do in Peter Sohn’s “Elemental,” a kind of “Romeo and Juliet” riff featuring the forbidden love between two elements that never easily mix: fire and water.
“Elemental” is also an immigrant story, about a family forced to leave one homeland to seek a new life in a strange new place. A pre-title sequence follows Bernie (Ronnie del Carmen) and Cinder (Shila Ommi) as they arrive in Elemental City from their home in Fireland. Though the water, earth, air and fire elements share a complicated coexistence in this bustling metropolis, Bernie and Cinder don’t find warm hospitality there. As they seek shelter for their burgeoning family —Cinder is pregnant — and are turned away, it harkens to the biblical story of the birth of Jesus.
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The couple transforms their “manger,” a crumbling old building, into The Fireplace, a shop and cafe that serves as the hub of Firish culture in the heart of Firetown. They hope that their daughter Ember (Leah Lewis) will be able to take over the shop when she’s ready, passing on their business to her with the same reverence that they intend to pass on their beloved, ever-burning Firish blue flame.
Sohn and screenwriters John Hoberg, Kat Likkel and Brenda Hsueh are working well-known, much-beloved stories and tropes, transposing these tales into this fantastical world of humanoid elements. These character types — a pair of star-crossed lovers, or a gruff but loving immigrant father, fiercely proud and protective of his only daughter, who is caught in a perfectionism trap — make it easy to slip into their emotional journey, even if they are made of fire, earth, water and air, and possess all the attendant chemical and physical qualities of each element.
Accepting that the story beats are overly familiar is a bargain one makes with the filmmakers in order to enjoy the visually dazzling world of “Elemental.” One has to wonder if the concept for the film came about because the Pixar animators wanted a chance to demonstrate their aptitude with animating such challenging substances as fire and water. The character’s surfaces are constantly moving: faces of flame flicker and crackle with the grace of a watercolor painting; bubbles float and churn and pop through the bodies of the watery folk, held together with a tenuous viscosity. It’s a truly eye-popping and detailed expression of animation technology and technique. The environments of Element City are vibrantly rendered, especially Firetown, a vague melange of Asian, Eastern European and Middle Eastern influences, which are reflected in Thomas Newman’s score.
But it’s the romance that makes “Elemental” worth your time and emotional investment, too, thanks to a romantic male lead who isn’t made up of the same stuff we’ve seen in Disney movies of yore. Wade (Mamoudou Athie) is water, and he’s an emotional guy. After Ember loses her temper and bursts a pipe in the shop, Wade, a chipper city inspector, comes flowing into her life. They pair up to track down the source of the leak that threatens Firetown and The Fireplace, and along the way fall in love, much to Ember’s chagrin, fearing the disapproval of her parents.
But this modern kind of love proves irresistible. It’s a refreshing update to Shakespeare’s hormonal teens, and the proud, barrel-chested Disney princes of yore. Voiced with a unique tenderness by Athie, what makes Wade lovable is his kindness, his vulnerability, his willingness to share his emotions and his delight in all of Ember’s distinctly fiery qualities. She’s spunky and hot-headed, he’s sweet and adorable — if they touch, it could be a disaster, but somehow, their chemistry just works, bringing the charming “Elemental” to a lively roiling boil. | https://journalstar.com/life-entertainment/local/review-opposites-attract-in-charming-visually-dazzling-elemental/article_ddda3092-0a12-11ee-93a3-ffac75df294b.html | 2023-06-16T05:52:25 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/life-entertainment/local/review-opposites-attract-in-charming-visually-dazzling-elemental/article_ddda3092-0a12-11ee-93a3-ffac75df294b.html |
Narrowing the gap between budgets and safety. How much can Great Falls afford?
It’s been 54 years since Great Falls residents approved a significant increase in funding for the city’s fire/police/city court services. Back when the city saw its last Public Safety Mill Levy increase, Americans were celebrating astronaut Neil Armstrong’s first tentative steps on the moon and President Richard Nixon was just beginning to confront the implications of a break-in at a Washington, D.C., hotel called Watergate.
More than a half-century later city government leaders united at a public town hall meeting Wednesday night to explain why Great Falls voters should approve a substantial local tax increase to support the city’s police, fire, municipal court and legal services departments. If approved, the levy it would add close to $10.7 million annually to Great Falls’ safety department budgets, and roughly $280 to the property tax bill on a $200,000 home.
It’s a big ask. By state law, city officials are prohibited from directly advocating for a proposed tax increase. However, they are not banned from presenting factual information on the current status of department budgets or from offering reasons why they believe an increase in those budgets may be warranted. Wednesday night’s town hall began with a presentation from City Manager Greg Doyon.
“This Public Safety Levy question has been in the making for over 20 years,” Doyon began, noting that city officials throughout his tenure have consistently been confronted with budgetary shortfalls. “There’s a reality check that occurs to all of them very quickly after they take that title … and start to survey their departments in a different way,” he told the audience of roughly 100.
Statistics provided by the city highlight that since passage of Great Falls’ last major safety mill levy increase, the city’s population has remained fairly stagnate, having risen by little more than 3,000 since the 1970 census. However, Montana state law provides for only a 2% inflation based increase in taxation annually. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index, the rate of inflation in the U.S. since 1969 has been 5.46% annually, coming close to tripling the cost of everything from gasoline to bandages over the last 50 years.
At the same time, Great Falls’ geographic footprint has expanded from 18-square-miles to more than 26 — a 44% increase — and fire and emergency medical calls have increased by 700%.
“If you were to talk to some of these department head,” Doyon commented of the many city colleagues he’s served with, “I think you would hear them say things like, we’re trying to keep our heads above water, that we’re in a reactive mode most of the time, and that a lot of times what we’re doing is crisis management.”
Doyon was hired as Great Falls City Manager in 2008. He has overseen city finances through some of the most tumultuous public finance years in living memory. On Wednesday, he delivered an outline of that time and its implications for the current Safety Levy proposal. He outlined two decades of budgetary controversy in Great Falls, a time he described as an extended period of “pause and recovery” fiscal management.
In 2009, the city proposed a Public Safety Levy for fire and police, which was rejected by city voters. One year after that election, the City launched into a failed policy of energy production acquisition that resulted in the loss of $3.25 million in city assets following the bankruptcy of SME Electric and the collapse of the Highwood Generating Station project.
“It basically brought our finances to a pause and recovery mode,” Doyon said, “dribbling in resources where we could.”
By 2020, Great Falls had largely recovered from the SME debacle. However, existential circumstances quickly intervened.
“We were up on stage in March of 2020,” Doyon said. “We had a rash of crime, and the public was very concerned about what we were going to do at that time. And then guess what happened? Shortly thereafter COVID — and that just paused everything for a couple of years.”
The COVID-19 pandemic seemed to freeze everything in time — except for emergency services demands. According to Fire Chief Jeremy Jones, the response times on Great Falls Fire/Rescue calls are now well below national standards.
“In 1969 when the bond was passed to build the current four fire stations, the location and the amount of stations in Great Falls was based off of what we could actually cover and provide as an effective response to in our community,” Jones said. “Great Falls has grown up and Great Falls has grown out since that time.”
National Fire Protection Association standard proscribe a four-minute response time to calls for emergency services, whether it be a heart attack or a home fire. Failure to meet that national standard means that property owners across Great Falls could face higher insurance premiums. That was not Jones’ top priority.
“Look at the growth that we’ve seen north of town,” Jones said. “Look at the growth that we’ve seen south of town and on the east end. If we can’t get there within a four-minute response time a couple of things happen. We are unable to save the valuables of your home involving fire, or you really become incapacitated during a medical emergency. You’re having an impact to your brain, to your life function and your quality of life. That’s how it really affects you.”
City provided statistics note that every single-family structure fire requires a minimum of 15 firefighters. Great Falls Fire/Rescue currently runs approximately 13 staff at any given time. Fifty percent of the time, more than one fire and medical emergency occurs simultaneously, impacting the ability of firefighters to address incidents adequately.
The challenges faced by the Great Falls Police Department has already been addressed, including the observation that assaults on Great Falls police officers have increased by a third since 2018. Less documented is the effect this increase in crime has had on the city’s legal services.
City Attorney David Dennis noted that Great Falls’ current municipal court system is operated with only one judge and three prosecutors, a staff that falls far short of demands from a court system that currently processes close to 10,000 citations and charges a year.
Dennis said that the load of Great Falls’ prosecutorial demands is almost untenable, leading to an unacceptable increase in plea deals offered to simply reduce the load.
“Billings operates with six to seven prosecutors,” Dennis observed. “Missoula, which prosecutes the same number of charges as our office does, operates with twice the number of prosecutors that we have. If you carve off the traffic citations and just look at what’s charged under the criminal code in Montana … we’re ahead of Billings in the number that we prosecute and we’re far ahead of Missoula.”
“It’s a treadmill that never stops,” Dennis added. “You can’t pause that treadmill The cases keep coming through.”
It is unclear how closely Great Falls’ voters are paying attention to the issues. City officials emphasized that Wednesday night’s forum was intended only as an opportunity to present the facts as they see them. How to deal with those facts is up to the City’s electorate, who are asked to vote on the Public Safety Levy proposal this Nov. 7. | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/great-falls-montana-tax-increase-funding-police-fire-court-legal/70327507007/ | 2023-06-16T05:59:19 | 1 | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/15/great-falls-montana-tax-increase-funding-police-fire-court-legal/70327507007/ |
BOISE, Idaho — "Y-e-s" - three letters echoed throughout Boise City Council chambers Thursday night. After sharing personal stories about what Boise means to them, council members unanimously approved the city's zoning code rewrite.
After three days of passionate testimony - council decided on the fabric of Boise's future. The city's zoning code will see its first major changes since 1966.
The zoning code was passed with unanimous approval - with all 6 councilmembers voicing their support.
About 18 amendments were made to the proposed zoning code. In her motion for approval, Council President Holli Woodings outlined them:
- Implement the modern zoning code with an effective date of December 1, 2023.
- Modify the conditional use permit findings to include the word "and."
- Modify the bike parking to increase the long-term bike parking to be calculated to require one bicycle parking space for the first bedroom, and 0.5 parking spaces for each additional bedroom.
- Include R2 and R3 within the neighborhood transition standards.
- Include all proposed changes identified with the April 13 PDS Memo.
- Include all proposed changes identified with the June 1 PDS Memo.
- Allow Class III trees in an eight-feet planter strip along streets.
- Allow Class II trees under overhead powerlines when sufficient height exists.
- Provide noticing for Type 2 applications to adjacent property owners at the approval stage.
- Increase neighborhood association testimony time to 10 minutes for the neighborhood associations that are located within the notification radius.
- Decouple the sustainability and affordability requirements within the affordability incentives.
- Create a use will allow electric substations that will use specific standards that require landscaping and screening requirements in all zones.
- Include language that requires conditions of approval that require all improvements to be completed one year after first occupancy permit is issued.
- Allow all sizes of childcare/daycare facilities allowed in the mixed-use zones by right.
- Allow for a parking reduction to be obtained through conditional use permit.
- Amend on-site and off-site signs to have an eight second dwell time.
- Amend the accessory dwelling unit standards to not require any parking, remove the requirement for owner-occupancy, remove the affordability requirement.
- Reduce the length of deed restriction for affordability incentives to 20 years.
The zoning code outlines how future buildings and developments are planned and approved. City officials call the rewrite a modern zoning code, and a plan that focuses on density - meaning more homes with smaller footprints. Supporters say the new zoning code will help stop the city's sprawl by building up and will help provide more affordable housing options for Boiseans.
"The point of the zoning ordinance is to build the city that the community wants, and it's the rules around which we can ensure that will be the case," Tim Keane, Boise's planning and development services director said. "So, the shape of the city, the growth of the city - part of the way we accomplish that is through the zoning ordinance. So, this has been a multi-year process by the residents of the city to create rules that are reflective of the city that we want to be in Boise. So that's why it's a big decision, because there's little things in here, there's big things in here that people came up with, that will allow us to direct the city's growth in a way that makes the city better and better."
The city has been working on the new zoning code since 2019.
On Monday, council also heard from nearly 40 neighborhood associations.
Before they voted Thursday evening, council did a Q&A with several city officials about topics that were brought up in testimony. They then discussed amendments and changes - some of which were influenced by public testimony.
"This week has been quite a community event in the sense that so many people participated, and that's what makes this satisfying - is that so many residents of the city came," Keane said. "You heard it tonight, we incorporated aspects of public testimony that came up last night got incorporated into the final version of this code. It's just exciting to see something that is such a community effort that comes through city council, it's as good as it gets when it comes to a zoning ordinance, and the people of Boise were so instrumental in what it says. So, that's exciting, and there's a commitment to making sure this works. You know, it's not as though we adopt this, and 50 years later we come back to it. We have to monitor this constantly. It's an intentional decision to say, 'We made a big step forward, but we've got to keep working.'"
The new zoning code is effective December 1, 2023. More information about the zoning code, the full code's text, and the executive summary can be viewed here.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/local-boise-city-council-unanimously-approves-zoning-code-rewrite/277-e0032e24-d752-4335-a806-8293b8a1f5ba | 2023-06-16T06:04:17 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/local-boise-city-council-unanimously-approves-zoning-code-rewrite/277-e0032e24-d752-4335-a806-8293b8a1f5ba |
Robert Lappe, 82, of Lake Mills, died Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at the Lake Mills Care Center. Arrangements: Schott Funeral Homes-Mittelstadt Chapel.
Patricia A. Monson, 83, died Thursday June 15, 2023, at the Country Meadow Place, Mason City. Arrangements: Ward Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/globe-death-notices/article_8abc9233-63e9-54ab-ae6e-3b280a2ff96b.html | 2023-06-16T06:10:17 | 0 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/globe-death-notices/article_8abc9233-63e9-54ab-ae6e-3b280a2ff96b.html |
Paul A. Maskarina
June 14, 2023
MASON CITY-Paul A. Maskarina, 59, passed away Wednesday, June 14, 2023, in Mason City.
A Celebration of Life will be held from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 17, 2023, at Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel, 126 Third St. NE, Mason City. In honor of Paul, casual attire is encouraged.
Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapels, 126 Third St NE, Mason City. (641)423-2372. ColonialChapels.com | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/paul-a-maskarina/article_366dd2a2-2506-5d33-8c69-8360b56bfc77.html | 2023-06-16T06:10:23 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/obituaries/paul-a-maskarina/article_366dd2a2-2506-5d33-8c69-8360b56bfc77.html |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — With Juneteenth set for this Monday, activists in St. Petersburg got an early start on the celebrations out at city hall Thursday evening.
Members from the group Faith in Florida hosted the event in an attempt to honor the city’s Black historic Gas Plant District by carving out a better future for neighbors. They called it the “Juneteenth Day of Action.”
People gathered on the steps of St. Pete City Hall playing music and sharing stories of the historic community.
“That’s where you could go and sit on the porch and meet all the neighbors and everybody was on the same page, everybody was friendly,”St. Pete native Alexa Manning, who grew up frequently visiting the community, said.
The Gas Plant District, which Manning says she knew as “Mango Alley,” was razed in the 1980s to make room Tropicana Field.
Now, activists are pushing for city leaders to use their current multi-million dollar redevelopment of the area to fix injustices of the past with housing reform.
“All we hear is that there’s not enough money and that workforce and affordable housing is not profitable for developers,” Bishop Manuel Sykes, who attended Thursday’s event, said.
At the event, members of Faith in Florida gathered signatures for a petition demanding that city leaders prioritize low-income residents in the redevelopment with mixed income housing.
“Keep us apart of this community. Stop selling us out,” Manning said. “Make things affordable so people can live here and still thrive here.”
To learn more about the Faith in Florida demands, click here. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/activists-petition-st-pete-injustices-historic-gas-plant-district/67-6254f574-a25c-4fb1-99cc-de404258c860 | 2023-06-16T06:20:55 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/activists-petition-st-pete-injustices-historic-gas-plant-district/67-6254f574-a25c-4fb1-99cc-de404258c860 |
CALIFORNIA, USA — While ripping out yellow blooms blanketing hillsides in Los Angeles, Max Kingery has been questioned about his fervor for killing flowers.
But the clothing designer who used the plants to dye his spring and summer lines said he takes no offense at being accused of pillaging this part of California's "superbloom." Instead, he sees it as an opportunity to raise awareness about a destructive flower that proliferated in the state following an unusually wet winter: wild black mustard.
Mustard was among the most prominent of wild flowering plants that seemingly popped up everywhere in California this spring. As temperatures warm it is starting to die, making it tinder for wildfires in a state that has been ravaged by blazes. Its stalks can act as fire ladders, causing flames to climb.
Mustard also smothers native plants, transforming the landscape. Its leaves and roots inhibit the growth of other species, creating a mono-thicket that spreads rapidly. There are numerous kinds of wild mustards in California, but black mustard or Brassica nigra is considered among the most pervasive.
Kingery is part of a growing group of artists, designers and chefs, who are tackling the invasion by harvesting the plant to use in everything from dyes to pesto.
Foragers have led edible hikes to pick its peppery flower and munch on its leaves. There have been workshops and instruction guides on how to turn it into paper, fertilizer and a spicy version of the well-known condiment by the same name.
Kingery's line, aptly named "Pervasive Bloom," features sweatshirts, pants, tank tops and other items dyed naturally using mustard. On the website for his company, Olderbrother, a model embraces the uprooted weed while donning a mustard-dyed jacket. Other photos show the clearing of the land.
The Olderbrother store in Los Angeles is decorated with a huge panel of the plant's stalks, leaves and flowers that were woven on a loom by designer Cecilia Bordarampe. The material came from the first harvest when Kingery said his team initially harvested about 450 pounds (204 kilograms) to make the dye. They have continued, removing more than a 100 pounds (45 kilograms) a week ever since, mostly from public land in Los Angeles.
Even that amount is only nipping at the problem, Kingery said.
The plant from Eurasia was first brought to California in the 1700s — it has been found in the adobe bricks of missions. But its presence exploded this year after a record amount of rainfall from December to April. Years of wildfires also created more spaces for the plant that thrives in disturbed lands.
State and local agencies remove mustard from managed lands, but it's spread to places beyond.
At its peak bloom this spring, undulating swaths of yellow lined freeways. Hillsides jutting up from urban landscapes glowed. Sidewalk cracks were abloom.
"Physically, it's been demanding," Kingery said. "And yes, there seems in sheer volume, if you zoom out a bit, that there could be enough wild mustard here to make salads and dyed sweatshirts for everyone in the United States."
But when Kingery sees native plants sprouting in plots that have been cleared, it makes it all worth it, he said. And, he added, to get the hues that he wants requires a lot of mustard, which in this context is a good thing.
"We don't want to rip a bunch of plants out of the ground for no reason," Kingery said. "The idea of something being utilized that is growing out of the sidewalk is a pretty cool concept."
Artist Erin Berkowitz of Berbo Studio makes dyes from invasive species, including the dye for Kingery's clothing line. She has offered classes along with a chef who crafts pesto from the mustard greens and mashes the flowers into dressing.
"This is an abundant art supply that is all around us." Berkowitz said.
She said her work with Kingery showed the possibilities of what can happen if more people become aware of its uses.
"Visually we watched a whole hill of a park be denuded of mustard, which was a very hopeful thing," she said.
Underneath the towering stalks of mustard, which can grow more more than 8-feet (2.4 meters) tall, blue lupine, poppies and other native plants were fighting to reach sunlight. "One public space, one whole neighborhood, returned to having healthy, functional native ecology," Berkowitz said after the harvest in the working-class neighborhood of El Sereno in east L.A.
Jen Toy of Test Plot, an organization that partnered with Kingery and Berkowitz and helps people restore biodiversity to their neighborhoods, said "it's really about broadening what we mean by land care, and getting other folks who might not see themselves as like environmentalists interested."
To that end, ecological horticulturist Alyssa Kahn and artist Nadine Allan made a zine, a digital magazine, about the uses of black mustard, including to make paper, a face mask and even a kind of natural pesticide to till into garden soil.
Kahn said she was motivated to act in part because she has friends who lost nearly everything to wildfires.
"We wanted to incentivize people to do something about it," she said, and educate them.
"They just look so pretty," Kahn added. "They have those yellow flowers, and if you don't really know kind of what's happening on a larger scale, you might say, oh they're just a sea of yellow flowers."
Jutta Burger of the California Invasive Plant Council applauds the ingenuity and suggests people contact land management agencies to gather left-behind seeds when areas are cleared.
"You'll never completely get rid of it, at least where it's been established for a long time," she said.
Still, Burger said similar efforts to creatively use something have made an impact. For example, she said, when chefs started crafting recipes involving the predatory lionfish and serving it in restaurants, its population decreased in areas, and it became widely known that the species was a threat to native marine life.
"One thing we would like to make sure people know is those yellow fields out there, they were once fields of not just yellow — they were fields of yellow, purple, pink, and blue," Burger said. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-destructive-superbloom-wild-mustard/103-be5de9a9-1278-4bf6-90cc-3d9ce62091fe | 2023-06-16T06:30:43 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-destructive-superbloom-wild-mustard/103-be5de9a9-1278-4bf6-90cc-3d9ce62091fe |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento city leaders held a traffic safety town hall to address concerns and try to find solutions to the growing problem with sideshows.
"That is just a constant worry of mine… it makes it so that I can't actually walk on Folsom Boulevard in fear of safety issues," said Leni Lopez-Nguyen, a College Green resident and mother who attended the meeting.
She says she hears sideshows nightly and they pick up in the summertime.
"[Sideshows] usually happen at 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.,” she said. "There's the schools first credit union next to my house, and it has had someone run into it two times in the last year."
Shirley Chand has captured reckless drivers on her Meadowview home surveillance cameras. She’s not far from Delta Shores which is a popular spot for larger sideshows involving hundred of cars, Sacramento police say.
Mayor Pro Tem Mai Vang and Vice Mayor Eric Guerra say cracking down on reckless driving and sideshows will take time.
“It's going to take all of us a really holistic approach from the state, local level [and] our community to really change behaviors and changes what's happening," said Vang.
During the town hall, current policies and action areas for solutions were discussed — including looking closer at city ordinances to issue penalties or fines for damage caused by sideshow activities.
Guerra says these actions have changed behavior before.
Neighbors are ready for that change.
“I believe that whether you are a homeowner, a renter, someone who lives in an apartment or someone who is unhoused, it is something that affects us all and needs to be addressed by the city," said Lopez-Nguyen.
Sacramento isn’t the only city suffering from these sideshows and reckless driving. Just last month, a Stockton police officer had minor injuries after trying to break up a sideshow. 22-year-old Moses Johnson was also shot and killed when watching a sideshow in Stockton, according to his mother. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/traffic-safety-town-hall-sacramento/103-2bdb4b58-3eeb-4658-89f3-f2d2fe6c3c55 | 2023-06-16T06:30:49 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/traffic-safety-town-hall-sacramento/103-2bdb4b58-3eeb-4658-89f3-f2d2fe6c3c55 |
MAYFLOWER, Ark. — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) announced its five-year plan to renovate Lake Conway on Thursday.
AGFC said it's the largest lake renovation project in the agency's 108-year history, estimating it to cost between $8-12 million.
The plan includes replacing the lake's aging spillway. In September, Lake Conway will be completely drained to remove the sediment, causing it to become shallow.
"I just hope they get it done when they say they are going to do it," Mayflower resident Ron Williams said.
Williams fishes in Lake Conway and also helps a local boat rental business.
"We'll have eight to 10 boat rent,als and the parking lot will be full of people launching their boats," Williams said.
Along with draining the lake, AGFC will also replace the dam, expand the fishing habitats and create more access points.
Mayflower Mayor Danny Hester is excited about what the renovations will bring.
"Walk, have picnics, have all kinds of different activities that we can enjoy at the lake in addition to fishing," Hester said.
AGFC said draining Lake Conway will allow them to start with a clean slate and focus on the lake's nutrients toward desirable species such as crappie, bream, Florida largemouth bass and flathead catfish. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/renovate-lake-conway/91-05f54563-91ea-42c7-917b-1293b5d133bd | 2023-06-16T06:42:22 | 1 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/renovate-lake-conway/91-05f54563-91ea-42c7-917b-1293b5d133bd |
The Capital Gallery’s exhibition “Natural Beauty” features nature photography, ceramic sculptures and paintings.
Work by painter Zhimin Guan, professor of art at Minnesota State University Moorhead; potter Brad Bachmeier, Anamoose native and chairman of the School of Art at Minnesota State University Moorhead; and photographer Dave Bruner of Grand Forks are on display.
The exhibition runs through July. The nonprofit gallery at 109 N. 4th St. in Bismarck is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, go to www.TheCapitalGallery.com. | https://bismarcktribune.com/life-entertainment/local/art-theater/capital-gallery-natural-beauty-exhibition-features-photography-ceramics-and-paintings/article_07ce5ba2-0b8b-11ee-a8f1-c7f549167aec.html | 2023-06-16T06:43:59 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/life-entertainment/local/art-theater/capital-gallery-natural-beauty-exhibition-features-photography-ceramics-and-paintings/article_07ce5ba2-0b8b-11ee-a8f1-c7f549167aec.html |
Theory of a Deadman and Skillet are coming to the Bismarck Event Center at 7 p.m. Nov. 8.
The rock bands will bring their Rock Resurrection Tour with special guest opener Saint Asonia.
Tickets start at $40.50 plus fees and are available at Etix.com, via phone at 800-514-3849 or in person at the Bismarck Event Center, 315 S. 5th St. | https://bismarcktribune.com/life-entertainment/local/music/rock-bands-theory-of-a-deadman-and-skillet-coming-to-bismarck-event-center/article_2c001a08-0ae4-11ee-a8ae-434e7770d78a.html | 2023-06-16T06:44:06 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/life-entertainment/local/music/rock-bands-theory-of-a-deadman-and-skillet-coming-to-bismarck-event-center/article_2c001a08-0ae4-11ee-a8ae-434e7770d78a.html |
BUHL — Tracy Marie Thurlo, 55, of Buhl, passed away at her home on June 13, 2023. A Celebration of Life will be Friday, June 23, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. at Parke’s Magic Valley Funeral Home, 2551 Kimberly Rd. in Twin Falls. To leave online condolences and a full obituary go to: www.magicvalleyfuneralhome.com.
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Two people died and multiple other people were hurt in a raging fire that burned through Bronx homes early Wednesday morning, according to fire officials.
The blaze broke out around 5:30 a.m. on the top floor of an apartment building on 242nd Street in the Wakefield neighborhood, the FDNY said. The building was home to hundreds of people and has three towers, one of which had extensive damage along with the damage on either side.
Two victims, a man and a woman, died as a result of the flames. A third victim suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening. Five firefighters also suffered injuries, but none were considered serious, the FDNY said.
The flames were under control after 7:15 a.m., nearly two hours after the fire erupted. The Red Cross is using P.S. 16 to accommodate the displaced residents this afternoon.
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A cause of the fire was not immediately clear. An investigation was ongoing. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/1-dead-multiple-people-hurt-in-raging-fire-that-destroyed-bronx-homes-fdny/4422161/ | 2023-06-16T07:14:25 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/1-dead-multiple-people-hurt-in-raging-fire-that-destroyed-bronx-homes-fdny/4422161/ |
Three jail inmates in New Jersey were convicted in the brutal beating almost two years ago that left a fellow inmate with permanent brain damage.
A jury found Byad Lockett and Darryl Watson guilty in the Sept. 2021 Essex County jail attack against then 21-year-old Jayshawn Boyd, prosecutors announced Wednesday. The jury found Lockett and Watson guilty of attempted murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The third inmate, Isaad Jackson, was only found guilty of the final charge. Prosecutors said the jury was hung on the attempted murder and assault charges.
The vicious beatdown was caught on video, many of the images too disturbing too watch. In it, the three men stomp on Boyd, hit him with a mop handle, douse him with bleach, throw a water cooler and then a microwave at his head. According to Essex County officials, a total of seven inmates were involved in the attack.
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“The victim was unconscious after sustaining serious head shots during the seven-on-one assault. Lockett, Watson, and Jackson then returned to the defenseless body of Boyd and struck him in the head multiple times with industrial-sized items," Deputy Chief Assistant Prosecutor Justin Edwab said.
The sentencing for the three men is set for September.
That Boyd can walk at all shows his incredible will to survive -- no one thought he could live after the beating in the C-Pod at the Essex County jail. Boyd, whose family says suffers from schizophrenia, had never been put in general population before the day of the beating.
"The way they beat my son, I couldn’t even watch the video," Nacolia Boyd, Jayshawn's mother, said. "My son Is not the same. He can’t do things on his own anymore. He can’t go to the store—can’t dress himself-it’s hard for me. You don’t have the life you did before.”
The Boyd family is now suing the county and correction officials. Attorney Brooke Barnett says the duration of the beating with no intervention by jail guards was unacceptable.
News
”He’s placed in the jail—in less than 10 minutes, this is what’s happening," Barnett said. "And nobody came to his aid.”
The seven-on-one attack went on for two minutes and 23 seconds, according to Barnett.
Union officials said the sole officer on duty in that unit had not been academy trained. According to prosecutors, he left for his safety and called for backup. A year and a half later, officers without academy training are still being put into units at a ratio of one to every 64 inmates.
County officials insist they have implemented safety and security changes since the assault on Boyd.
“We are employing national standards and we are employing best practices," ECCR Director Donald Charles said.
But according to internal documents obtained by the News 4 I-Team, there have been a total of 17 inmate-on-inmate or inmate-on-staff incidents since March. Officer Jeffrey Matos was stabbed and beaten by a group of inmates on May 17.
"They don't care about our safety. I've never seen the jail this dangerous in my life," Matos said.
Barnett, who represents several inmate families, agrees.
"You talk about Rikers, Essex County Jail, they're worse than Rikers," she said.
Boyd, his family says, will need a lifetime of care.
"They should have been on a job protecting these inmates. Just because you’re in jail, doesn’t mean you have to be treated like an animal. And it shouldn’t have happened to my son. No one should have gone through that," his mother said.
One defendant has already pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, while three others have yet to be tried. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/3-inmates-convicted-in-vicious-microwave-mop-bucket-beating-that-left-nj-man-brain-damaged/4424045/ | 2023-06-16T07:14:31 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/3-inmates-convicted-in-vicious-microwave-mop-bucket-beating-that-left-nj-man-brain-damaged/4424045/ |
A woman armed with a knife attacked a mother as she was pushing her toddler in a stroller along a Brooklyn street, according to police.
The 34-year-old mom was with her 3-year-old daughter near Jay Street and Tillary Street in Downtown Brooklyn around 3:30 p.m. Monday when a woman in a blonde wig walking by started arguing with her, police said. The woman threatened to harm the young child, which is when the mother stepped between her and the stroller to protect the child.
The other woman took out a knife and stabbed the mother in the chest and multiple times in the legs before running off on Jay Street, according to police. Surveillance cameras captured the woman talking on the phone – with a blonde wig under her arm.
The mother was taken to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, where she is expected to recover. Her toddler was not hurt, police said.
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Police said Lequasiah Lawrence, 25, was taken into custody on Wednesday for charges including felony assault and attempted murder. Contact information for her attorney was not immediately known. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/brooklyn-mom-stabbed-while-defending-her-toddler-in-stroller-from-woman-with-knife/4422247/ | 2023-06-16T07:15:02 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/brooklyn-mom-stabbed-while-defending-her-toddler-in-stroller-from-woman-with-knife/4422247/ |
Daniel Penny, the man arrested last month in the chokehold death of Jordan Neely, has now been indicted by a Manhattan grand jury, three sources familiar with the matter told News 4.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office declined to comment Wednesday afternoon. Penny's legal team released a statement saying the standard of proof in a grand jury is low and there "has been no finding of wrongdoing."
“We’re all saddened at the loss of human life,” Thomas Kenniff said. “Daniel Penny saw a genuine threat and took action to protect the lives of others.”
After hearing about the indictment, Neely's family attorney said in part: "The grand jury’s decision tells our city and our nation that 'no one is above the law' no mater how much money they raise, no mater what affiliates they claim, and no matter what distorted stories they tell in interviews."
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Mayor Eric Adams seemingly confirmed the grand jury indictment when his office released a statement late Wednesday.
“I appreciate DA [Alvin] Bragg conducting a thorough investigation into the death of Jordan Neely. Like I said when the DA first brought charges, I have the utmost faith in the judicial process, and now that the Grand Jury has indicted Daniel Penny, a trial and justice can move forward," the mayor's statement read.
Penny, 24, was arrested May 12 on a single charge of second-degree manslaughter and was released on $100,000 bond. He was ordered to surrender any passports and must ask the court's permission if he wants to leave the state.
Neely died after he was placed in a chokehold May 1 on a northbound F train in lower Manhattan. The popular Michael Jackson street performer was homeless and on a list of the 50 most at-risk people living on New York City streets.
Penny's lawyers previously said he acted in self-defense and acted to protect fellow subway riders from a supposed perceived threat. They say he could "not have foreseen" Neely would die in the chokehold, and have called his death "the unfortunate result" of good Samaritan intervention. They also say he'll be absolved of the charge.
Donte Mills, a lawyer for Neely’s family, has disputed Penny’s version of events, saying the veteran “acted with indifference. He didn’t care about Jordan, he cared about himself. And we can’t let that stand.”
“Mr. Neely did not attack anyone,” Mills said following Penny's arrest. “He did not touch anyone. He did not hit anyone. But he was choked to death.
“No one on that train asked Jordan: ‘What’s wrong, how can I help you?’” Mills continued, urging New Yorkers in a similar situation: “Don’t attack. Don’t choke. Don’t kill. Don’t take someone’s life. Don’t take someone’s loved one from them because they’re in a bad place.”
News of the indictment comes days after Penny's lawyers released videos where the 24-year-old defends his actions, saying he was scared for himself and others on the F train that day.
Penny doubled down on his defense in the series of short videos, explaining why he put the 30-year-old Neely in the chokehold that killed him, the medical examiner determined. Witnesses said Neely came onto the train yelling about wanting food and threatening riders. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/daniel-penny-indicted-by-manhattan-grand-jury-in-subway-killing-of-jordan-neely-ny-only-spec/4423345/ | 2023-06-16T07:15:27 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/daniel-penny-indicted-by-manhattan-grand-jury-in-subway-killing-of-jordan-neely-ny-only-spec/4423345/ |
Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was ordered Thursday to pay $475,000 by a city ethics board that found he misused public funds on a police security detail during his failed presidential bid.
The hefty fine is the largest ever handed out by New York’s Conflicts of Interest Board, capping off a yearslong investigation into the two-term mayor’s use of taxpayer dollars to cover the travel costs of NYPD officers who accompanied him on cross-country campaign stops.
Under the ruling, which he has vowed to appeal, de Blasio, a Democrat, will be forced to reimburse the city for $320,000 spent on the officers’ flights, hotels, meals and rental cars during the four-month campaign. He will also have to pay a fine of $25,000 for each of the security detail’s 31 out-of-state trips, amounting to $155,000.
The order was handed down by the Conflicts of Interest Board Chair, Milton Williams, who found that de Blasio “plainly violated” the city’s prohibition on using public resources to advance a political campaign. De Blasio was advised of this rule prior to his campaign, but “disregarded the Board’s advice,” Williams wrote in his ruling.
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In a statement, an attorney for de Blasio, Andrew G. Celli Jr., described the ruling as “reckless and arbitrary,” arguing that recent acts of political violence underscored the security needs of public servants.
“In the wake of the January 6th insurrection, the shootings of Congressmembers Giffords and Scalise, and almost daily threats directed at local leaders around the country, the COIB's (Conflicts of Interest Board's) action – which seeks to saddle elected officials with security costs that the City has properly borne for decades – is dangerous, beyond the scope of their powers, and illegal,” he wrote.
De Blasio has faced previous allegations of misusing his security detail. Months before he left office in 2021, a report by the city’s Department of Investigation found he treated the officers as a “concierge service,” using them to move his daughter into an apartment and shuttle his son to college.
News
De Blasio did consult with the Conflicts of Interest Board about the costs of his security prior to announcing his presidential campaign in May 2019. He was told the salaries for NYPD officers would be covered, but that all other costs associated with their travel would not, the board said.
During interviews with investigators, de Blasio said he did “not have a 100% clear understanding” of the guidance, and “suggested that it was an issue for others to resolve,” according to Kevin Casey, an administrative law judge that recommended the fine imposed by the Conflicts of Interest Board.
Casey accused de Blasio of showing a “deliberate indifference” to the city’s ethics board, then blaming his own employees for the error.
“It is troubling that during his DOI (Department of Investigation) interview respondent repeatedly attempted to shift blame to his lawyers and campaign staff, while failing to recognize his personal responsibility for following the law,” Casey wrote.
In an interview with New York Magazine published earlier this week, de Blasio described his White House bid as a mistake.
“I think my values were the right values, and I think I had something to offer, but it was not right on a variety of levels,” he said. “I think I got into a place of just extreme stubbornness and tunnel vision.” | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/de-blasio-ordered-to-pay-almost-500k-for-misusing-police-detail-on-failed-presidential-bid/4427131/ | 2023-06-16T07:15:33 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/de-blasio-ordered-to-pay-almost-500k-for-misusing-police-detail-on-failed-presidential-bid/4427131/ |
Since the New York City Police Department commissioner made the abrupt that she plans to leave the job, Keechant Sewell has been notably silent about the reasons behind her exit.
But several months ago, at an event that got little attention, Sewell shared what it really felt like to be the first woman in the top job at Mayor Eric Adams' NYPD.
In her speech last November, Commissioner Sewell described feeling second guessed, micromanaged, and dismissed. Several of her current and former NYPD colleagues say listening to her words, her resignation should come as no surprise. The writing, they say, was on the well.
"Dear second woman to be the New York City Police commissioner," Sewell offered. "You are different. You will be treated as such."
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In remarks posted by the NYPD Policewoman's Endowment Association, Sewell made it clear she was speaking from her personal experience -- just 11 months into her history-making new role -- in a letter to the next woman who takes the commissioner role.
"You are no experiment. You are no box checker," she continued.
"Understand that you will be second guessed, told what you should say, told what you should write by some with half your experience," the speech went on.
News
Sewell's speech was met with loud applause.
Though the commissioner never explicitly stated who was second guessing or undermining her, several of her NYPD coworkers say the speech reflected some of her specific frustrations. Those frustrations, they say, included City Hall pushing out her close allies, overruling her decisions on promotions and hiring standards, a deputy mayor who felt like a shadow commissioner, and subordinates enabled to go around her to the mayor.
"When you are no pushover, you will be called difficult. When you do things your own way, you don't listen. You are paranoid. Your very existence is a problem for many," Sewell said in November.
Mayor Eric Adams has dismissed reports that Sewell was sidelined and unempowered to lead the department.
A high-ranking retired law enforcement source told News 4, "I know for a fact Sewell was told that her appearance was too businesslike and that she should soften her image."
The feedback of her image, the source said, was referenced in her speech in the fall.
"You will get free unsolicited personal advice: your hairstyle is wrong, you should wear different clothes," she said.
News 4 reached out for clarification on what Sewell was specifically referring to throughout the November speech, but the NYPD refused to comment on the speech or any aspect of the police commissioner's departure.
In a statement, the mayor's spokesperson said:
“When Police Commissioner Sewell gave her speech last year, Mayor Adams praised her comments and appreciated her honesty. That speech should serve as an important reminder to everyone that we should listen to the words of those speaking instead of those whispering in the shadows who are simply regurgitating a story written over six months ago. Commissioner Sewell wrote that speech on her own, with no help, and anyone claiming to know who or what she was referring to should stop spreading rumors and putting words in her mouth. The Police commissioner has had Mayor Adams’ full support and she, like every commissioner in the city, has been trusted to lead her agency.”
Sewell plans to leave her post at the end of June. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/departing-nypd-commissioner-expressed-frustration-in-speech-last-fall-you-will-be-called-difficult/4427368/ | 2023-06-16T07:15:39 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/departing-nypd-commissioner-expressed-frustration-in-speech-last-fall-you-will-be-called-difficult/4427368/ |
A driver was arrested and charged in connection to a deadly car wreck in a New Jersey neighborhood that took the lives of two people from Maryland visiting their grandchildren, law enforcement said.
Abeer Viriani faces two counts each of aggravated manslaughter and second-degree vehicular homicide for the crash that occurred around 6 p.m. Tuesday in Highland Park, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office. The horrific rush hour scene near North 10th Avenue and Raritan Avenue involved three vehicles, one of which was pushed up to the front of a business along the road due to the impact of the crash.
Covered bodies were seen laying near one of the vehicles. On Wednesday, the prosecutor's office identified the victims of the Subaru that Viriani, of Iselin, had struck. Peter Palmer, 75, and Carol Paul, 77, were pronounced dead at the scene. The grandparents were from Easton, Maryland, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.
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Neighbors said the couple had been visiting their grandchildren in the area. Their car was twisted in the wreckage, according to neighbors, leaving them trapped inside as at least two of the cars were on fire.
One neighbor, Dana Cappa, said she saw a survivor pleading with another crash victim to hang on.
"He said 'don't die on me, don't die on me,' he was trying to help his friend," Cappa said.
News
The driver of the other car Viriani struck, a Hyundai Elantra, suffered minor injuries. Viriani, 34, was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, where both are expected to survive.
Attorney information for Viriani, who was being held pending a pre-trial detention, was not immediately known.
Officials have not given a possible cause of the crash, but locals say something like this was bound to happen. They say they see cars racing one another all the time, flying down the road that connects Edison to Highland Park. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/driver-charged-in-nj-car-wreck-that-killed-2-grandparents-visiting-family/4422494/ | 2023-06-16T07:15:45 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/driver-charged-in-nj-car-wreck-that-killed-2-grandparents-visiting-family/4422494/ |
What to Know
- Sam Antar, a convicted felon, accused MGM of preying on his gambling addiction in September 2022.
- MGM responded by admitting no wrongdoing and claiming this was just another scheme from a repeat offender.
- In 2008, a judge had ruled against a gambler claiming it was the casino's duty to stop her from gambling.
Gambling giant MGM Resorts International says it did nothing wrong in its dealings with a New York City man who accuses it of preying on his gambling addiction with repeated cash bonuses intended to keep him gambling.
In court papers, MGM says Sam Antar, a twice-jailed “fraudster” who repeatedly victimized friends, relatives and strangers, is engaging in “his latest scheme” by falsely accusing MGM of wrongdoing.
“Sam Antar is a convicted felon and repeat fraudster who has pled guilty to defrauding numerous individuals out of hundreds of thousands of dollars in false stock investment schemes,” MGM wrote in its June 9 response to Antar’s litigation, filed in U.S. District Court in New Jersey. “Rather than accept accountability for his own actions, Antar blames BetMGM for his crimes, falsely claiming that BetMGM preyed upon his alleged gambling addiction.”
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MGM is asking a federal judge to dismiss Antar’s lawsuit and refer the matter to arbitration, which it says is required by the terms of service to which Antar agreed when he opened an online gambling account with the company.
The company also denies it violated any New Jersey laws.
The company did not respond to requests for comment beyond what is contained in its court filing.
News
Antar is the nephew of Eddie Antar, who founded the Crazy Eddie electronics stores in the 1970s and 1980s. Eddie Antar defrauded investors out of more than $74 million, and died in 2016.
In 2013, Sam Antar was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison for taking $225,000 in a fraudulent investment scheme. He was convicted and jailed last year on theft by deception charges involving nearly $350,000. In April, he admitted committing federal securities fraud for bilking investors including friends stemming from that same case, and was ordered in May to pay restitution.
“I would like to publicly apologize to all the people I hurt,” he said in an interview Wednesday.
His initial lawsuit, filed last September, accused MGM of plying him with bonus cash to dissuade him from reporting to New Jersey gambling regulators numerous instances in which he was gambling online and was disconnected from the system — often when he had a winning hand.
His revised lawsuit, filed in May, drops those allegations and focuses on what his lawyer Matthew Litt calls “what’s really important here to society as a whole: the enticement by the casino of a person who was showing signs of being a problem gambler.”
Antar, who has homes in New York and in Long Branch, New Jersey, gambled $30 million over 100,000 bets during nine months in 2019, according to his lawsuit, which does not specify how much he actually lost. Litt would not estimate those losses, although a previous lawyer in Antar’s case said they totaled “easily hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
In its response, MGM says it did not create or worsen a gambling problem in Antar or anyone else.
“To be sure, BetMGM takes problem gambling seriously, and has numerous options for persons to self-exclude or limit their play, as well as resources for assistance,” the company wrote. “However, New Jersey law does not include a common law duty to protect problem gamblers from their actions.
“Despite a heightened sensitivity to problem gaming, New Jersey courts have repeatedly held that casinos have no common law duty to prevent alleged ‘compulsive gamblers’ from gambling,” MGM wrote.
The latest version of Antar’s lawsuit makes some of the same claims that were raised — and rejected by a judge — in another person’s lawsuit targeting Atlantic City casinos. In 2008, a federal judge ruled against New York gambler Arelia Taveras who sued seven casinos whom she said had a duty to stop her from gambling. She lost nearly $1 million over two years, including dayslong gambling binges.
“She spent money on the bona fide chance that she might win more money,” U.S. District Court Judge Renee Bumb wrote in a 2008 ruling. “In short, she gambled. The mere fact that defendants profited from her misfortune, while lamentable, does not establish a cognizable claim in the law.”
MGM cites that case among its numerous defenses to Antar’s litigation. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/gambling-giant-mgm-says-it-did-not-prey-on-nyc-mans-addiction-amid-lawsuit/4423130/ | 2023-06-16T07:16:04 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/gambling-giant-mgm-says-it-did-not-prey-on-nyc-mans-addiction-amid-lawsuit/4423130/ |
The suspect accused of killing a man who witnesses said had been harassing passengers on a Brooklyn subway train committed the deadly stabbing in an act of self-defense and was defending his girlfriend, his brother said.
Jordan Williams was handcuffed as officers escorted him out of a Williamsburg police stationhouse Wednesday afternoon, just a few blocks away from where he allegedly stabbed Devictor Ouedraogo to death on a northbound J train approaching the Marcy Avenue and Broadway station the day before.
The violent incident broke out just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, and police responded to a 911 call of a man stabbed while aboard the train. When officers got to the train station, they found a 36-year-old man who had been stabbed in the chest.
The victim, Ouedraogo, was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Less than 24 hours later, the 20-year-old Williams had been arrested and charged with manslaughter and weapon possession. Attorney information for Williams was not immediately available.
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Williams said nothing as he was led out of the police station, only nodding "yes" when asked if he acted in self-defense in the previous night's incident.
Law enforcement sources told NBC New York that Ouedraogo had been harassing multiple passengers while acting belligerent and erratic toward others on board. He may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, sources said, but a toxicology report will determine if that was the case.
Williams' girlfriend was one of the people who Ouedraogo had been harassing, and he even punched herm according to a senior police official. That's when Williams sprang into action, his brother told NBC New York.
News
The girlfriend was also questioned by police, but was released. Investigators are now reviewing cell phone video that captured the scuffle that led up to the deadly stabbing. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/man-accused-in-brooklyn-deadly-subway-stabbing-was-protecting-girlfriend-brother-says/4425720/ | 2023-06-16T07:16:26 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/man-accused-in-brooklyn-deadly-subway-stabbing-was-protecting-girlfriend-brother-says/4425720/ |
The man accused in a deadly Brooklyn subway subway stabbing that he claims was done in self-defense was released without bail — just two days after he allegedly killed a man who witnesses said had been harassing passengers.
Jordan Williams was arrested and charged with manslaughter, but was free without bail Thursday afternoon, NBC New York has learned. He was seen leaving Kings County criminal court in street clothes and without handcuffs.
During his court appearance, Williams didn't say a word as he stood next to his attorney, but appeared relieved after the judge opted not to impose bail. The judge told Williams that "I think you have every reason to fight this case with the support of your family and community."
His attorney said after the hearing that "today, the system worked."
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On Wednesday, the 20-year-old was handcuffed as officers walked him out of a Williamsburg police station — just a few blocks away from where he allegedly stabbed Devictor Ouedraogo to death on a northbound J train approaching the Marcy Avenue and Broadway station the day before.
The violent incident broke out just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, and police responded to a 911 call of a man stabbed while aboard the train. When officers got to the train station, they found a 36-year-old man who had been stabbed in the chest.
The victim, Ouedraogo, was rushed to New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Less than 24 hours later, the 20-year-old Williams had been arrested and charged with manslaughter and weapon possession.
News
Williams said nothing as he was led out of the police station, only nodding "yes" when asked if he acted in self-defense in the previous night's incident. His brother told NBC New York that the deadly stabbing was done as Williams defended his girlfriend.
Williams' mother, April, said that her son "cares about life" and that he is "extremely remorseful."
Law enforcement sources told NBC New York that Ouedraogo had been harassing multiple passengers while acting belligerent and erratic toward others on board. He may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, sources said, but a toxicology report will determine if that was the case.
Williams' girlfriend was one of the people who Ouedraogo had been harassing, and he even punched herm according to a senior police official. That's when Williams sprang into action, his brother told NBC New York.
The girlfriend was also questioned by police, but was released. Investigators are now reviewing cell phone video that captured the scuffle that led up to the deadly stabbing. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/man-accused-in-deadly-nyc-subway-stabbing-released-without-bail-2-days-after-incident/4426572/ | 2023-06-16T07:16:32 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/man-accused-in-deadly-nyc-subway-stabbing-released-without-bail-2-days-after-incident/4426572/ |
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