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One person was taken into custody after an incident in Bessemer Monday night.
State police are investigating that incident, which took place along Bestview Avenue in Bessemer, Lawrence County, just before 10 p.m.
Officials told Channel 11 state police from New Castle were called to the scene and expected to be there for hours. They have not yet released any additional information.
Channel 11′s Lori Houy is at the scene, where she saw multiple law enforcement vehicles. She has updates through 7 a.m. on Channel 11 Morning News.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/state-police-investigating-incident-bessemer-1-custody/OLBSZDOPAVEOZOXOXPS4H52XQ4/ | 2023-06-20T10:49:43 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/state-police-investigating-incident-bessemer-1-custody/OLBSZDOPAVEOZOXOXPS4H52XQ4/ |
SAGINAW — Looking to celebrate the longest day of the year Finnish-style? The Finlandia Foundation Northland has you covered with its annual Juhannus celebration Saturday from 1-4 p.m. at Sampo Beach, 7095 Saginaw Road, on Little Grand Lake.
A national holiday in Finland, Juhannus is also called Midsummer. It was renamed for St. John the Baptist when Catholicism moved into the region.
"It had been a pagan celebration before then," said Finlandia Foundation Northland Chair Mary Lukkarila. "It celebrated fertility and good crops. Young girls would put flowers under their pillow and that night they'd dream about their future husbands. So a lot of mythology is wrapped up in there."
Lukkarila said the holiday is generally a laid-back festival where people go to their cabins and enjoy saunas, bonfires, singing and dancing.
"We embrace that with our celebration. It's a time to get out by the lake and eat food and learn more about Finnish culture," Lukkarila said. "It's a family-friendly time to play games and listen to good music and maybe have a fire, if we can with the restrictions."
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This year's celebrations include a craft demonstration on how to make a Finnish star and a vihta, which is a sauna whisk made out of birch branches.
Members of the foundation have dug through their closets and found vintage Finnish items, which will be for sale at the festival. Coffee and pulla — a Finnish cardamom bread — will be available along with other food.
Sara Pajunen, a violinist who has music degrees from the U.S. and Finland and was the 2015-16 Finlandia Foundation Performer of the Year, will play music.
Lukkarila said she looks forward to the celebration every year because it's a chance to connect with others.
"It's a holiday which has been celebrated in Finland and Nordic countries forever," Lukkarila said. "It's a piece of culture we can share and let people get a taste of Finland, past, present and maybe even the future. We get to connect with our ancestors and our cousins."
Connecting with her Finnish heritage is what drew Lukkarlia to the Finlandia Foundation in the first place. The national organization is self-described as "fiercely Finnish since 1953," with a focus on championing Finnish culture and heritage across the U.S. Lukkarlia was drawn to the local chapter when she and her former fellow librarians received travel grants from the organization to travel to Cloquet's sister library in Finland.
"We got to visit and learn about how they did library service in Finland, then we spoke to a group of library directors in the area about how we did things here," she said. "It was a very cool experience that made me want to get involved to help others connect."
To learn more about the Finlandia Foundation Northland and about Juhannus, visit finlandiafoundationnorthland.org.
ADVERTISEMENT | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/celebrate-midsummer-with-finnish-juhannus-festival | 2023-06-20T11:09:13 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/celebrate-midsummer-with-finnish-juhannus-festival |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Deputies in Orange County are investigating a deadly shooting in Pine Hills.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Investigators said the shooting happened in the 6500 block of Stardust Lane.
Deputies were called around Monday at 9:49 p.m. after reports of a shooting.
Watch: Tropical Storm Bret continues to move towards Caribbean, expected to strengthen
When deputies arrived, they found a man who had been shot.
The man was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries.
Read: Tourist sub goes missing near Titanic wreck; search will continue overnight
Officials said everyone involved in the shooting remained on the scene and are cooperating with the investigation.
No other details were released by law enforcement. Channel 9 has a crew working to gather more information and will provide updates on Eyewitness News.
Watch: Strangers rush to help rescue 4 after houseboat capsizes off Florida’s coast
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/orange-county-deputies-investigate-deadly-shooting-pine-hills/GYWA4RWVSRGDFG54GWNLLEZHVE/ | 2023-06-20T11:24:42 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county-deputies-investigate-deadly-shooting-pine-hills/GYWA4RWVSRGDFG54GWNLLEZHVE/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tropical Storm Bret continues to hold steady as it moves west towards the Caribbean.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Bret has winds around 40 mph and is moving west at 17 mph.
Bret is still forecast to briefly become a hurricane as it heads towards the Lesser Antilles.
Read: Hurricane season: Are you ready? Survey says many Floridians are not
A weakening trend is then expected as it moves into the eastern Caribbean, south of Puerto Rico.
Another tropical disturbance behind Bret is also moving west through the Atlantic Ocean.
Read: NOAA forecasters release predictions for 2023 Atlantic hurricane season
That storm system is expected to develop this week.
It’s too early to forecast if either storm system will impact Florida.
Red tide guide: How to check Florida beach conditions
Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/tropical-storm-bret-continues-move-towards-caribbean-expected-strengthen/3KHESJ7ILNEI7NJPWAQ3HXS7AI/ | 2023-06-20T11:24:48 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/tropical-storm-bret-continues-move-towards-caribbean-expected-strengthen/3KHESJ7ILNEI7NJPWAQ3HXS7AI/ |
Lakeland resident wants city to recognize golf's role in the city's development
LAKELAND — A longtime Lakeland resident would like to see the city recognize golf's critical role in its development, as yet another course is plowed over for a housing development.
Gene Owen has looked out from the shore of Lake Parker at the roughly 56-acre field toward East Memorial Boulevard. Passing drivers see a cow pasture that's been dug up as construction starts on a 199 single-family home development, dubbed Cypress Point at Lake Parker.
Honoring a hero:Ceremony marks naming of Lakeland post office building for Marine who died in Afghanistan
Also:Polk County couple charged with child abuse, torture after death of 6-year-old boy
To Owen, it's part of the former home of one of Lakeland's first public golf courses — Lakeland Country Club. One whose story he says has been lost to time.
"Flying, golf and citrus were all wrapped up in one big ball of wax," he said. "Golf was huge, especially for Lakeland."
Owen said his goal is to have historic monument or marker put up at Cleveland Heights Golf Course to commemorate its 100th anniversary in 2025. He wants to see public acknowledgement the Heights and other early golf courses that put the city on the map.
It started when Owen found a 1920 pamphlet that described Lakeland as having two golf courses. It didn't specify which ones. It was dated prior to Cleveland Heights Golf Course and, even later built, Carpenter's Home golf course.
"I wanted to know: What two golf courses was it talking about?"
In 1910, Willard Fordyce Hallam, a Washington, D.C-based publisher, bought roughly 3,000 acres in Lakeland Highlands and Highlands City for $25,000 ($5.25 an acre). Within two years he built a three-story hotel off what is now Clubhouse road where he invited investors and wealthy families to stay. Hallam's goal was to sell off 10-acre lots of a citrus grove for $960 ($96 an acre) with an additional fee for a home to be built on the property. In exchange, land owners were promised part of the proceeds of the citrus co-op. As part of his efforts to attract people to the area, Owen said Hallam began building a golf course on the shores of Scott Lake, in an area now a nature preserve. It opened in January 1917. Not everyone in Lakeland was thrilled about the travel distance from downtown Lakeland to the golf course at Scott Lake, according to Owen.
Lakeland businessman Clinton Todd wrote a 1919 letter to The Lakeland Evening Telegram expressing his frustration with having to travel so far to Hallam's golf course, according to Owen. By the following year, Todd and a group of investors had acquired land off Lake Parker building a boathouse and pier.
A public golf course opened off the south shore of Lake Parker in 1921. Owen has a postcard of the course titled "18-hole golf course overlooking Lake Parker, Lakeland Country Club."
It made its mark on early golf history when the Professional Golf Association held a tournament at the Lake Parker course.
"The early legends of golf were here in Lakeland," Owen said
Among those who played were Bobby Jones, a World Golf Hall of Fame inductee who founded and helped design Augusta National Golf Club and co-founded the Masters Tournament. Others included Sandy Alves, a golf course construction manager for the world-famous Donald Ross; American amateur golfer Eddie Loos; Cyril Walker, a U.S. Open champion; and more.
The course, early maps show the railroad running through it, faced some stiff competition. Cleveland Heights Golf Course opened for private membership in 1925.
The Lakeland Country Club off Lakeshore Drive can be found listed in Lakeland's 1928 directory, Owen said. However, it's name is no longer appears in the directory by 1931.
Vetoed:DeSantis nixes projects for Polk State College, Florida Poly; also Kathleen Road widening
By that time, Carpenter's Home was now listed among the directory. The home was opened in 1929, with the greens to become known as Wedgewood Golf Course opened in 1931. The land has been purchased and is slated to be developed into 954 homes by Mulberry-Based SJD Development to create Gibson Trails.
Cleveland Heights Golf Course is the only one of Lakeland's four early golf courses remaining, Owen said.
Bob Donahay, Lakeland's director of parks, recreation and cultural arts, told The Ledger he would be very supportive of efforts to put a historic plaque or monument at Cleveland Heights Golf Course.
"It's amazing what he's found," Donahay said. "I think it's a rich part of Lakeland's history."
Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on Twitter @SaraWalshFl. | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/lakeland-resident-wants-city-to-recognize-golfs-role-in-the-citys-development/70331800007/ | 2023-06-20T11:26:00 | 1 | https://www.theledger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/lakeland-resident-wants-city-to-recognize-golfs-role-in-the-citys-development/70331800007/ |
WATERLOO — Waterloo native Akeem Carter has made a name for himself as a national champion on the wrestling mat. But before he could forge his success story, he had to overcome the barriers in his education and personal life.
“I come from a family of nine. It was rough,” Carter said. “I was dyslexic, and at the time I didn’t know, so life was always a struggle for me in general.”
Carter found his salvation in sports. He was a gifted athlete who succeeded in football and excelled in wrestling at West High School. Before he graduated, Carter was a two-time state champion in wrestling with the Wahawks. At Wartburg College, he added two Division III national titles to his resume.
Throughout that time, Carter received the assistance he needed with his studies.
“It started through athletics,” he said. “People started coming my way, helping me out, tutoring me, helped me to advance, helped me get past high school, helping me get in (to Wartburg). And next it carried on to college and people started helping me get through college.”
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Athletics was one of two major factors in Carter’s life that came to shape his way of thinking. The other was the eight years he spent living in Texas and working as a personal trainer. During his time in the Lone Star State, Carter said, he was amazed by the kindness of the people there and came to admire them, hoping to bring back some of what he saw there to Iowa when he made his way back home.
“We hear from afar: ‘Oh, it’s this way and that that way.’ It’s actually beautiful,” Carter said about Texas. “Now I’ve just got a different perspective on things as to what I see in Iowa as a whole and … things that could potentially be fixed or improved, or just be the state that could lead other states to be successful in certain areas.”
One of the things Carter most admires about Texas is what he sees as a greater appreciation for the nuclear family. He believes it leads to greater stability in the lives of young people. It also shaped how he looks at the debate around abortion.
Carter considers himself pro-life. However, he acknowledges the social and economic difficulties single-parent families face. He feels care for pregnant women and their families needs to go beyond nine months, and being pro-life needs to go hand-in-hand with being pro-family.
Driving through town and seeing billboards addressing abortion serves as a reminder of this for Carter.
“That’s the thing I think is frustrating, especially in Waterloo. I see the signs, but what are you doing to be proactive and help that kid be successful?” Carter asked. “So that’s kind of one of the things that I’ve seen that just needs to be tackled. There’s no nothing out there to be proactive for families.”
Providing more funding to family counseling and coaching for expectant couples is a step in the right direction, Carter said, and he supports the Legislature passing bills to fund to the state Department of Health and Human Services to make it happen. Helping families to stick together, he explained, will benefit children throughout their development.
“I’m coming from the Black perspective, as well, because we’re trying to be inclusive and help all these communities out. This is going to help Black kids stay out of the street, (not) staying out late at night, start tailoring towards more gang-related stuff,” Carter said. “I think it’s something Iowa could lead the charge on for other states to follow, like, ‘Hey, we’re the state that’s actually making this happen.’”
Carter said he understands people who support the right to an abortion and says abortion opponents should support state aid to provide stability in the lives of young families as a means of meeting in the middle.
“What’s the contingency plan? That’s all I’m saying. What can we do for that? And that’s where I’m getting at,” he said.
Another part of child development that Carter thinks is important is the thing that helped him through adolescence – sports.
In high school, sports helped Carter build a support network and graduate. One thing he would like to see in Iowa is to lower academic prerequisites for participation, making the minimum grade point average 1.5 instead of 2.0. He believes that would ultimately put the right people in young peoples’ lives to help them succeed.
After being bullied during grade school and struggling with dyslexia, Carter said, taking part in athletics raised his self-esteem and forced him to get serious about his studies. It also raised the expectations he had for himself and encouraged him to continue his education by going to college, something he previously considered unfeasible.
“Once the sports came up and all the clout from the sports and football and wrestling, I actually wanted to learn more,” he said. “Because then the competitive spirit started coming in, like, ‘OK, I’ve got to be successful – I can’t let my team down.’”
Overall, Carter said, he loves Iowa and the Cedar Valley, but there are things on the local level he would like to see improved. He’s bothered by the mentality of segregation in Waterloo and Black Hawk County.
“When you drive through, you start seeing this segregation, too. It’s still the segregation concepts,” he said.
But Carter stressed he still is proud to call Iowa home.
“It’s peaceful. You can make it peaceful the way you want to. … Waterloo-Cedar Falls is kind of a small kind of environment.” | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/akeem-carter-focused-on-family-values/article_3d04d9fc-03e5-11ee-b256-bb3b3b6a47f5.html | 2023-06-20T11:27:53 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/akeem-carter-focused-on-family-values/article_3d04d9fc-03e5-11ee-b256-bb3b3b6a47f5.html |
OELWEIN — After recently celebrating its 125th birthday, first responders evacuated residents from a former hotel in Oelwein’s main corridor.
On Sunday morning, police were alerted to slabs of brick falling off the Mealey Apartments – formerly known as the Hotel Mealey – located at 102 S. Frederick Ave.
The Fayette County Assessor’s website states there are 34 residential units in the building. Oelwein’s Building Official David Kral said he’s not certain how many of those units were occupied by people, but they have all been evacuated.
On the first floor of the building, which is reserved for commercial space, there is an architect’s firm that was also evacuated.
At this time, residents are being housed at the American Legion or with family members. According to the Iowa Secretary of State’s office, the building is owned by John Kalb through Tiki LLC. Kral said Kalb has been cooperating with the city and also purchased rooms in a nearby hotel for residents to temporarily live.
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On Sunday, Kral was called in to inspect the building. He said he noticed signs of stress in the building, and recommended evacuating the building “erring on the side of caution.” He noted that with blocks of bricks falling off the front of the building as well as drywall stress on the interior of the building, the city shouldn’t take any chances.
He defined drywall stress as cracked drywall as well as crooked door frames. He said that indicates general movement of the building, but he was not sure when the actual shifting took place. Kral noted the interior damage was generally throughout the whole building.
The block of bricks that fell from the fourth floor level was about three feet by 15 feet.
“The extent of the pieces that fell is more concerning than one or two bricks,” he said.
He said it is not uncommon for brick buildings to have weather wear, especially in Iowa’s climate of hot summers and cold winters.
Kral has been with the building department since last year but in that time has not been alerted of any structural issues. He said he was unsure about the building’s previous inspections prior to his tenure.
Earlier this month, a six-story apartment building in Davenport collapsed, resulting in the death of three men. A woman also had part of her leg amputated to free her from the rubble, according to the Quad-City Times.
“We definitely don’t want something like that to take place,” Kalb said. “So we’re erring on the side of caution.”
He said a structural engineer will walk through the building, hopefully this week, to verify the safety of the structure.
The building was constructed in 1897 after a boom of business from the Chicago Great Western Railway reaching the city a decade before, according to a National Register of Historic Places nomination from 1983.
The fourth floor was added in 1916. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/business/real-estate/oelwein-building-evacuated-after-bricks-fall/article_3e04911c-0ebc-11ee-a13d-0bd596612a13.html | 2023-06-20T11:28:00 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/business/real-estate/oelwein-building-evacuated-after-bricks-fall/article_3e04911c-0ebc-11ee-a13d-0bd596612a13.html |
CEDAR FALLS — The Cedar Falls Rotary Club has kicked off its fundraising campaign for an intricate new monument downtown in honor of essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leaders say more than $100,000 has already been raised, putting the club in a good position to reach the $400,000 goal for the future Rotary Plaza in celebration of the club’s 100th birthday.
Work will begin within the next 30 days after planning had been in the works the last three years.
The site sits in the 200 block of First Street between the Little Red Schoolhouse and Behrens-Rapp filling station and will include a paved path connecting the landmarks.
About a year ago, Rotary gained the consent of the City Council to build on the municipal land. The club hopes in six to nine months the plaza will be completed.
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“I think it’s important we show appreciation to those who risked their lives to keep our world going,” said Gale Bonsall, project co-chair. “We think this will be an appropriate, good looking, quality project that will accurately depict history.
“We really want it to last 100 years, and we believe it will with a foundation like a house.”
The grey and black monument will sit on a granite base and be two inches thick and 40 feet in diameter. Granite benches will surround it. Three eight- by five-foot granite structures in the center will represent the pandemic heroes – educators and public servants as well as the “sustainers” (factory workers, truck drivers, custodians, and other behind-the-scenes workers who carried on during the pandemic).
Seven stainless steel bands – 12 inches wide, two inches thick and 14 feet tall – will be draped over the plaza, representing the seven continents and the fact the whole world was impacted by COVID-19.
“We initially started with a much smaller project,” said Bonsall. “But we thought with that valuable of downtown ground we better make it quite special.”
What will look like steel lecterns will be placed around the monument with significant donors, Rotary milestones, Rotary philosophy and the meaning of the project outlined on each of them.
Additionally, smaller features like inscriptions and lights are part of the design.
Two trees were removed, the lone issue some councilmembers had with the project last year. At least two trees will replace them. Leaders say a dozen local businesses will play a role in the project.
“It’s so exciting to be at this point,” said Mike Butler, project co-chair, “and it will feel even better when equipment is there and earth is being moved around.”
Checks can be written to “Cedar Falls Rotary Foundation” and mailed to the foundation at PO Box 301, Cedar Falls 50613. A donation also can be made at www.cedarfallsrotary.org/plaza.
Questions can be directed to Bonsall at gale.bonsall@gmail.com and Butler at mike.butler052@gmail.com.
Waterloo and Cedar Falls neighbors: Obituaries for June 15
Read through the obituaries published today in The Courier.
Ronald Dean “Rocky” Preece, 61, of Cedar Falls, died on Friday, June 9, 2023. Arrangements: Dahl-Van Hove-Schoof Funeral Home.
Jon Adam Engel, a Cedar Falls firefighter and former Cedar Falls City Council member, passed away on June 8, 2023, in Oceanside, California, a…
Caleb James Parsons, 27, died Thursday June 8, 2023. Arrangements: Hagarty Waychoff Grarup Funeral Service. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/cedar-falls-rotary-plaza-progresses/article_d62f6af4-0ba4-11ee-9d00-c787f5f89c72.html | 2023-06-20T11:28:06 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/cedar-falls-rotary-plaza-progresses/article_d62f6af4-0ba4-11ee-9d00-c787f5f89c72.html |
This year’s legislative session was hugely consequential, criticized by some Iowans and praised by others. The laws passed, from tax cuts to school regulations to book bans to restrictions on transgender students, will influence the everyday lives of people across the state for years to come.
We wanted to know how these actions and others by the state government affect the lives of people across the state. What they like, what they don’t like, where they see our leaders falling short and what they think needs more attention.
This story is part of a larger series involving Lee Enterprises newspapers in Council Bluffs, Davenport, Mason City, Muscatine, Sioux City, Waterloo-Cedar Falls and our Des Moines Bureau reporter. The “What Do Iowans Want?” series attempts to probe the thinking of people across the state about how the government is working for them.
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The 25 Iowans profiled represent the broad perspectives in our state. They’re teachers, artists, retirees and athletes. They’re Republicans, Democrats and independents. They’re your neighbors and your friends.
Jesse Persons, a special education teacher from Moville, said she worries about public school funding, private school assistance, and how that will impact teacher recruitment: “I worry, do we still have or will we still have highly qualified teachers in Iowa?” she said.
Forest Dillavou of Waterloo likes the direction the state is headed. He said Gov. Kim Reynolds is helping return the state to more traditional and more conservative roots: “Iowa was at one point considered in the Bible Belt and I think we have drifted a long way to the left,” he said.
Jason Squier, business and social studies teacher at St. Ansgar Community High School, is the epitome of a proud Iowan citizen, having spent his entire life in rural Iowa. Squier chose to stay in Iowa because he loves St. Ansgar. But, as a teacher, he worries education opportunities will dwindle without proper funding and fears state government is turning away from public education.
The stories will focus on who the people are, what challenges they face daily and how government affects their lives. The entire project will publish online June 29 on all Lee sites, including wcfcourier.com. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/state-and-regional/what-do-iowans-want-overview/article_356c2412-0ad3-11ee-8105-334a6c27fb46.html | 2023-06-20T11:28:12 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/state-and-regional/what-do-iowans-want-overview/article_356c2412-0ad3-11ee-8105-334a6c27fb46.html |
How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region.
100 years ago
June 20, 1923: The parking proposition in the business district of Bloomington is rapidly being worked out by the police department. Police Chief Paul Giermann is completing the parking space painting to show where cars may be permanently parked. At unmarked places, cars may not stop except for a few moments. When East Jefferson Street is paved, there will be considerable parking space available.
75 years ago
June 20, 1948: Chilly weather failed to curb enthusiasm for the Corn Belt Horseman's Association opening night for the Sixth Annual Horse Show at Farm Bureau Field. A total of 137 horses showing in 11 classes circled before a canopied reserve seat section, a well-filled north bleachers, south bleachers and the usual circle of faces that lined the rail near the entrance gates.
50 years ago
June 20, 1973: A Lincoln Memorial plaque has returned to its rightful place near Carlock after an extended absence. The marker, erected in 1922, reminded wayfarers that Abraham Lincoln had traveled this way as he rode the circuit of the Eighth Judicial District from 1847 to 1859. The plaque fell to vandals in May 1972, was found in some weeds in Bloomington in August and taken to the McLean County Historical Society until this week.
25 years ago
June 20, 1998: State Farm Insurance Cos. will construct a $200 million, 900,000-square-foot addition to its Corporate South complex that will consolidate customer service operations under one roof. Groundbreaking is set for fall, the company said, and the building is expected to be occupied in 2001. By way of comparison, the new development will be larger than four Walmart Supercenters stacked on top of each other.
101 years ago: See vintage Pantagraph ads from 1922
Gerthart's
Union Gas and Electric Co.
Hoover
Dr. J.A. Moore Dentists
Moberly & Klenner
W.P. Garretson
W.H. Roland
Pease's Candy
Thor 32 Electric Washing Machine
The Kaiser's Story of the War
Ike Livingston & Sons
Gossard Corsets
Cat'n Fiddle
'Stolen Moments'
Case Model X
The Johnson Transfer & Fuel Co.
The Pantagraph want ads
Franklin Motor Car Co.
'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'
Calumet Baking Powder
Mayer Livingston & Co. Newsmarket
'The Emperor Jones'
'California Fig Syrup'
Compiled by Pantagraph staff | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/25-years-ago-state-farm-to-expand/article_ffeb0948-0ccb-11ee-bbd6-339f90994ee0.html | 2023-06-20T11:34:15 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/25-years-ago-state-farm-to-expand/article_ffeb0948-0ccb-11ee-bbd6-339f90994ee0.html |
AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center
GRACE — To Taylor and Christopher Grace, of Cape May, a daughter, May 17.
IRIZARRY-WRIGHT — To Shaakira Irizarry and Tyshiek Wright, of Atlantic City, a daughter, May 18.
LORENZ — To Rula and Jeffrey Lorenz, of Egg Harbor Township, a son, May 18.
HINSON-HARDEMAN — To Areesha Hinson and Joshua Hardeman, of Egg Harbor City, a son, May 18.
PHAM-LE — To Nhung Pham and Thanh Le, of Egg Harbor Township, a son, May 19.
REILLY — To Amanda and Jason Reilly, of Mays Landing, a son, May 19.
VIERA-CAMPOS — To Ashley Viera and Jose Campos, of Mays Landing, a daughter, May 19.
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ALLEN — To Melissa and Tyree Allen, of Atlantic City, a son, May 19.
ORTEZ-NOLASCO — To Blanca Hernandez Ortez and Pedro Rincon Nolasco, of Vineland, a son, May 24.
GIBSON-ORTIZ — To Julianna Gibson and Juan Ortiz, of Pleasantville, twins — a daughter and a son, May 25.
TORRES-FELICIANO — To Lucy Torres and Joselito Feliciano, of Atlantic City, a daughter, May 26.
ELLIS — To Stevi and Brent Ellis, of Brigantine, a daughter, May 26.
PINKERTON — To Samantha and Jeffrey Pinkerton, of Ocean View, a son, May 26.
NUNEZ-RODRIGUEZ — To Awilda Javiela Maria Nunez and Pedro Francisco Alvarez Rodriguez, of Absecon, a son, May 26.
IANNELLO — To Kasey and Patrick Iannello, of Ventnor, a son, May 27.
McKOY-WYMAN — To Kashonda McKoy and Kyshawn Wyman, of Galloway Township, a son, May 27.
SANTIAGO-THOMAS — To Jasmine Santiago and Qawi Thomas, of Atlantic City, a daughter, May 28.
COLLIER — To Jailynn Collier, of Egg Harbor City, a son, May 28.
JABLONSKI-FINGER — To Kristin Jablonski and Kurtis Finger, of Ocean View, a daughter, May 28.
SMITH — To Brittany and Brandon Smith, of Ocean City, a daughter, May 29.
CARR-ALFONSO — To Ashley Carr and Christian Alfonso, of Ventnor, a son, May 30.
MIGLIN — To Sarah and Matthew Miglin, of Little Egg Harbor Township, a daughter, May 30.
GARLAND — To Brandi and Nigel Garland, of Atlantic City, a son, May 31. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/south-jersey-hospital-births-for-june-20/article_167a471c-0bb6-11ee-8832-2f52ddb87d8b.html | 2023-06-20T11:44:09 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/south-jersey-hospital-births-for-june-20/article_167a471c-0bb6-11ee-8832-2f52ddb87d8b.html |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – An 18-year-old is now paralyzed and in the hospital after someone opened fire at a gas station parking lot in south Wichita.
On June 3, just after 11:30 p.m., Christopher “Chris” Halbrook was leaving a car show in south Wichita and decided to get a soda at a gas station at MacArthur and Meridian when it happened.
“He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and it’s devastating,” said Chris’ mom Tiffany Halbrook.
Tiffany said she later learned someone was in the middle of a robbery and made the choice to fire shots. Chris was hit in the spine and is now paralyzed from the waist down.
The challenge now is rehab so Chris can come home and welcome his first child in about two months.
Christopher “Chris” Halbrook (Courtesy: Tiffany Halbrook)
“I can’t fathom a reason why,” said Tiffany. “It’s terrible. Like he didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve this at all. I think this through, and through in my head, and many times, I wish I would have been there, and I wish it would have been me. Like, why couldn’t it just have been me?”
Tiffany says Chris has good days and bad in rehab with his fiancée, who is about six months pregnant.
“He’s strong. But I can tell. You just know your kid. You just know when they are overwhelmed,” said Tiffany. “You just don’t want people to know that you are breaking. Put a smile on your face, crack a joke and go about your day. It’s kind of what you do.”
Tiffany says it’s now a struggle juggling her other four kids and their needs with time at the rehab facility.
“I think she’s doing great. I mean, during all this, it’s been such a hard like thing to cope with, but with all the other kids that she has. She’s doing great. She’s a great mom. But I know it’s hard on her,” said family friend MacKenzie Jack. “Chris, he’s holding up. I know it’s hard on him about to have a baby and stuff. But he’s being strong, you know. He has to be. Especially for his mom. He tries to hold it together for his mom.”
Tiffany did get some help recently from Billy Sharp and the Second Chance men’s group.
“They got a good start to put in a ramp for Chris when he is strong enough to come back home,” said Tiffany. “Just basic renovations to accommodate a wheelchair is going to cost at least $50,000. And Chris did not have full insurance. So the bills are just overwhelming.”
Family friend Zack Rowan has started a GoFundMe to help with expenses for now.
“I just know the important thing is Chris is a fighter. He’s got it in him,” said Tiffany. “It’s not something you can make sense of, especially with everything going on and him being paralyzed. It’s our whole life changed in a matter of seconds over people’s decisions to unload a gun in a crowd of people.”
The Wichita Police Department says this remains an active investigation. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/its-devastatingly-hard-wichita-mom-speaks-out-after-son-while-getting-a-soda/ | 2023-06-20T12:01:49 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/its-devastatingly-hard-wichita-mom-speaks-out-after-son-while-getting-a-soda/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — In 2021, June 19 was recognized as a federal holiday, but that doesn’t mean state and local governments have to follow suit.
In Kansas, Juneteenth is not a public paid holiday. But Senator Oletha Faust Goudeau and other lawmakers are trying to make it happen.
“I know that the governor has talked about supporting it, but we would certainly have to get it through the full body of the legislature before that bill would go to her desk,” Faust Goudeau said.
She has proposed multiple bills, but none have received a hearing. Faust Goudeau says having the day off is empowering.
“To know that they matter, it gives us a feeling of belonging, a feeling that we are Americans, that we have all equal rights,” Faust Goudeau said.
In Sedgwick County, 2023 is the first year employees have Juneteenth off. But, he says, it has been a conversation for the last few years.
Commissioner Jim Howell said holidays cost taxpayers about $180,000 extra.
“We were a little bit slow to do that initially because there is a cost associated to that to the taxpayers, and so we want to make we’re very careful with people’s money obviously,” Howell said.
From this point on, the holiday schedule will be a part of the August budget discussion.
“Freedom is a pretty big thing for us to celebrate,” Howell said. “And so a lot of us celebrate the Independence Day, Fourth of July, but much like that, when you think about human slavery, what that meant for our history as a country, to celebrate true freedom from slavery is also something we should celebrate.”
The original decision was to replace Presidents Day with Juneteenth, but that changed in January.
“There was a lot of upset people about that, we wanted to trade out a holiday, and it seemed at the time that Presidents Day was one that a lot of people don’t even know why we have Presidents Day, just a day off work,” Howell said. “And so we thought we could sacrifice one to establish maybe one that’s more recognizable.”
Then, they discussed having a floating holiday so people could choose the holiday most important to them.
“We had a debate whether we should go to a floating holiday and maybe we should recognize one or the other. We let employees choose,” Howell said. “And through all that discussion, it just became obvious that adding a holiday was really the better option. So we went ahead and decided to get with the program and add the holiday.”
The City of Wichita recognizes the holiday for city employees.
TaDonne Neal is the co-chair for the Juneteenth ICT celebration and says she’s happy about the milestones Kansas has made, but there is still work to be done.
“We seek to educate not only our community about this celebration but also those that seek for understanding,” Neal said. “Seek to know how they can be involved. We know that we are not where we need to be, but it’s important to take time out to celebrate where we have, how far we’ve come.”
She says having that time off gives people the opportunity to celebrate and learn.
“I think it’s gonna be important for African Americans to have that be recognized on a local level so that they have the opportunity to take off work and come and celebrate with us so they can engulf themselves in the culture and community that we love,” Neal said.
One of her goals is to change the Kansas Bill of Rights.
“If you look at the 13th Amendment, most specifically the Kansas Bill of Rights, slavery is still a clause in our books,” Neal said. “And so that is something that we decided we want to make sure we keep at the forefront of conversation because we want to progress are not our state.” | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/juneteenth-not-recognized-as-public-holiday-in-kansas/ | 2023-06-20T12:01:50 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/juneteenth-not-recognized-as-public-holiday-in-kansas/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Local and state leaders are in Paris, France, this week, representing the Air Capital and Kansas at the largest air show in the world.
Textron, Spirit Aerosystems, Airbus, and many other local aerospace companies are promoting opportunities to bring more jobs and growth to the Sunflower State.
“Our brand is the Air Capital of the world, and the world is here,” said Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Pete Meitzner.
Governor Laura Kelly, Senator Jerry Moran, U.S. Representative Ron Estes, and many other leaders, along with businesses, are showcasing Kansas worldwide at the Paris Air Show.
“This is one of the greatest opportunities for Wichita as the Air Capital of the world to really highlight what we offer on a global scale,” said Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple.
Mayor Whipple wants to see more jobs and economic growth come to south central Kansas and a new generation of aerospace.
“Getting into drones, getting into satellites, getting into rockets, that type of stuff,” said Mayor Whipple.
State and local leaders are connecting with military, commercial, and private aviation industries.
“Four or five of them are major companies that are looking to expand their operations in the Wichita area as a supplier,” said Meitzner.
He said not all states are seeing representation like Kansas.
“It proves to me that Senator, Congressman, Governor, they really care about the success of what we are doing,” said Meitzner.
“We are one of the leading cities when it comes to manufacturing and building aircraft, so being here really allows us to capitalize on our reputation to allow us to bring more jobs, more work back to Wichita, and again it allows us to open up opportunities for that next generation of aeronautics including satellites, including drones, that type of stuff as well,” said Mayor Whipple.
The Greater Wichita Partnership and others are sharing information about Kansas through an information booth at the show.
The Paris Air Show runs until June 25. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/local-and-state-leaders-attend-paris-air-show-promoting-air-capital/ | 2023-06-20T12:01:55 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/local-and-state-leaders-attend-paris-air-show-promoting-air-capital/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/3-shot-at-parties-at-airbnbs-in-philadelphia/3588721/ | 2023-06-20T12:10:21 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/3-shot-at-parties-at-airbnbs-in-philadelphia/3588721/ |
Law enforcement officials in Philadelphia are investigating after two teens were shot at a party in a Brewerytown property that had been rented through Airbnb.
According to police, at about 11:50 p.m. on Monday, officers responded to the 1700 block of N. 29th Street where they worked to disburse a crowd of about "30 to 40 individuals both inside and outside this property, consisting of many juveniles," according to Capitan Nicolas DeBlasis of the Philadelphia Police Department.
While first responders were working on the scene, DeBlasis said, officers were alerted that there was a 13-year-old girl who had been shot around the corner from the property.
Officers found the girl, who had been shot in the buttocks one time, and transported her to a local hospital where, DeBlasis said, she was listed in stable condition.
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He said that officers found a spent shell casing in the property where a party was held that evening.
While officers were on location, DeBlasis said, an 18-year-old man showed up at a local hospital, driven by a private vehicle, after he had been shot in both legs.
DeBlasis said that police believe this individual was injured in the same incident where the teen girl was shot.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Also, earlier in the evening -- in an shooting that is unrelated, but also at an Airbnb property -- an individual was injured in a shooting that took place along the 2000 block of Amber Street in Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood.
However, on Tuesday morning, law enforcement officials could not confirm additional details on this incident nor provide information on the individual reportedly injured in that shooting.
This is a breaking news story. It will be updated as more information becomes available.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/teens-shot-at-airbnb-party-in-brewerytown/3588713/ | 2023-06-20T12:10:27 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/teens-shot-at-airbnb-party-in-brewerytown/3588713/ |
REEDVILLE — The emergency call came in shortly before 2 p.m. on April 1, and it was far from a joke: a boat was sinking in the chilly Chesapeake Bay with eight people aboard.
“I was sitting on my boat, out at the dock, and as soon as I heard there was a boat with eight people taking on water, I literally ran down my dock and across the yard, hopped in the truck and headed this way,” said Robert Gwaltney, sitting in the boathouse on Cockrell Creek, across from downtown Reedville and near the mouth of the Great Wicomico River, where Smith Point Sea Rescue keeps two of its rescue boats. Gwaltney is a “duty captain” with the all-volunteer organization.
“I carry a radio around with me all the time, and Robert does, too,” said Bill Turville, another duty captain, noting that they keep up with emergency calls from Northumberland County Sheriff’s Department dispatchers. “When I heard the call, I called Robert immediately, and I said, ‘Are you going?’ He said, ‘I’m on my way.’ So, I followed right behind him.”
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Other members of Smith Point Sea Rescue heard the radio chatter, too, and headed for the boathouse. Once their crew numbered four, they set out on Rescue 1, a 42-foot deadrise designed to be an all-weather fishing boat, into the Chesapeake Bay; late arrivals stood by for further instructions.
It was a blustery day on the bay, with a bad storm expected later. By the time Rescue 1 reached the scene, the 50-foot boat — which had been headed from Virginia Beach toward New Jersey — had sunk and the eight people were floating in the cold water, all in life jackets and tethered together. Turville estimated the people had been in the 49-degree water for more than 40 minutes. The crew quickly pulled the eight aboard the boat and hurriedly began trying to warm them.
The Coast Guard and Virginia Marine Police also responded to the call, but Smith Point Sea Rescue arrived at the scene first. The Coast Guard boat accompanied Smith Point Sea Rescue to Ingram Bay Marina, while the marine police provided additional blankets for the survivors and stayed behind to clean up debris in the water before following.
Rescue 1 delivered the eight people to Ingram Bay Marina, where Northumberland County Rescue Squad and Emergency Medical Services were waiting. Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources also assisted.
It was a team effort, but it was Smith Point Sea Rescue, a grassroots organization largely made up of retirees, that led the way.
All eight were treated — one was suffering from hypothermia — and all declined transport to Rappahannock General Hospital. If they had spent much longer in the chilly water, the outcome could have been far different.
“There’s no doubt about that at all,” said Northumberland Sheriff John A. Beauchamp, when asked if Smith Point Sea Rescue’s fast response had saved the boaters’ lives. He noted “how fortunate we are being a waterfront community” to have such a group in the area.
“The vast number of boaters just pass by Northumberland and don’t even know Smith Point Sea Rescue exists. Until they need them.”
***
Smith Point Sea Rescue is the only volunteer rescue unit on the Chesapeake Bay, and organization leaders believe they are one of only two such organizations on the East Coast. The group has been serving the community for almost 50 years — towing boaters who have broken down or become grounded in shallow waters or delivering fuel to those who have run out. They also tend to more serious matters, such as capsized boats or people who have fallen overboard and have been carried away by the current.
Though Smith Point Sea Rescue is always on call, there are often long gaps between calls, said Buddy Sylvia, who has been involved with the organization for 29 years and is the group’s senior captain. The group generally responds to an average of 60 to 65 calls a year, he said.
The organization was founded in 1974, as part of a community response to a near-tragic incident when a father and his two young children were rescued after spending an autumn night hanging onto the bow of their sunken boat near Reedville.
“Based on that, the locals said, ‘We’ve got to protect each other,’” said Sylvia, 84, a Richmond native who moved to the Northern Neck in 1994 after retiring from federal government.
A nonprofit organization was formed and started enlisting volunteers, who kept in touch in those days by CB radio. They have advanced now to VHF radios and cell phones, and the group has evolved into a combination of rescue squad on the water and the marine version of AAA roadside assistance.
Now, as then, there are other entities that respond to emergencies on the water — the Coast Guard (the nearest station is at Milford Haven in Mathews County), Virginia Marine Police, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and for-profit businesses such as TowBoatUS — but they are not always “as readily available by boat as Smith Point Sea Rescue,” said Beauchamp, the Northumberland sheriff.
Smith Point Sea Rescue fills in the gaps, and keeps boats in two locations — Reedville and another near Lottsburg, on the northern edge of the county, to handle calls on the upper Potomac.
“They respond in the way that fire and rescue do,” Beauchamp said.
But without any government funding.
“We are strictly good Samaritans,” Sylvia said.
Remaining financially afloat is always a challenge for the organization. It relies on donations from local residents and boaters and proceeds from an annual oyster roast (which restarted this year after a COVID-19 hiatus), as well as grants from foundations and trust funds. It recently ordered a new 43-foot boat to add to its rescue fleet. Sylvia plans for it to be operating in time for the organization’s 50th anniversary next year.
Smith Point Sea Rescue has a roster of about 40 volunteers, none paid, most retired, because they have the time necessary to devote to the organization. Not only that, said Sylvia, volunteers on the rotating weekly “watch” lists need to live within 15 or 20 minutes of the boats in order to be useful on emergency calls.
The group is always seeking new members.
It helps immensely for volunteers to be familiar, not only with the bay, but also with the numerous rivers and creeks that define the edge of this end of the Northern Neck as Northumberland County has more than 500 miles of shoreline.
Turville and Gwaltney became involved with Smith Point Sea Rescue in the last decade. Turville, 74, a retired Navy pilot, was a weekend resident in the Reedville area for a number of years before retiring and moving there full-time in 2013. Beyond his Navy experience, he was a recreational boater and knew of Smith Point Sea Rescue. When he had the time, he joined.
“You need something to keep yourself busy (in retirement), and we enjoy boating, and we enjoy helping people,” Turville said.
Similarly, Gwaltney, 69, who owned a home inspection business in Northern Virginia, is also boater who has had a home on the Northern Neck since 2004.
“It was always a comfort to me to know (Smith Point Sea Rescue) was available if I got into trouble,” said Gwaltney, who has lived full-time in the Northern Neck since 2017. “So, when the time came that I was fully retired and had the time to find something to do to stay out of trouble, this was a good fit.
“It’s a good way to give back. It’s a niche that nobody was filling here.”
From the Archives: Who remembers Buckroe Beach?
Buckroe Beach is located in Hampton, Virginia, on the Chesapeake Bay. It is one of Virginia’s oldest recreational spaces. Originating in the 1600s as “Buck Roe” plantation, it was open to the public to use when new settlers arrived from England.
In the 1920s, the beach became a popular vacation destination for visitors up and down the East Coast. Several hotels and an amusement park stretched along the beach. Recreation areas were segregated until after the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
By the 1960s, Buckroe Beach lost its popularity, as many beach goers shifted to other areas like Virginia Beach. Also, there was amusement park competition from the nearby Busch Gardens in Williamsburg.
In the early 2000s, investors contributed to a revival for Buckroe Beach. They installed walking paths, pavilions, barbecue grills and a playground into a mile-long boardwalk. | https://richmond.com/news/local/on-northern-neck-all-volunteer-smith-point-sea-rescue-answers-the-call-for-boaters-in/article_4047e9e0-0b8a-11ee-8d83-b7e7d0c23a59.html | 2023-06-20T12:12:45 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/on-northern-neck-all-volunteer-smith-point-sea-rescue-answers-the-call-for-boaters-in/article_4047e9e0-0b8a-11ee-8d83-b7e7d0c23a59.html |
AUSTIN, Texas — Guests of the Hyatt Centric hotel in Downtown Austin are back in their rooms Tuesday morning after they had to evacuate overnight due to an electrical issue.
When Austin Fire Department crews arrived at the hotel – located on Congress Avenue, just a couple of blocks from Lady Bird Lake – at around 10:45 p.m. Monday, they said there was no power in the building. Guests had to evacuate for about two hours.
There was a lot of smoke coming out of the hotel's upper floors, but fire crews said they did not find any active fires or flames.
As of Tuesday morning, everything at the hotel should be running smoothly.
No additional information is available at this time. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-hyatt-centric-hotel-evacuated-electrical-issue/269-1360f8d1-137f-4925-8f88-3e48423dd4eb | 2023-06-20T12:13:20 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/austin-hyatt-centric-hotel-evacuated-electrical-issue/269-1360f8d1-137f-4925-8f88-3e48423dd4eb |
HURON COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) - Huron County deputies helped save a woman stranded on an inner tube in Lake Huron on Sunday late afternoon, just before 6 p.m.
The woman was rescued about a half-mile offshore near Sleeper State Park.
Two kayakers were trying to help, but the wind made it too difficult. Rescuers arrived and the woman was brought onto the patrol boat and taken to the Caseville Harbor.
The Huron County Sheriff's Office wants to remind beachgoers that water temperatures are still cool and to take extra caution at the beach, especially on a windy day. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/huron-county-deputies-rescue-woman-on-an-inner-tube-in-lake-huron/article_81d6be82-0eea-11ee-94ad-677fec2321a1.html | 2023-06-20T12:15:31 | 0 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/huron-county-deputies-rescue-woman-on-an-inner-tube-in-lake-huron/article_81d6be82-0eea-11ee-94ad-677fec2321a1.html |
Endowed scholarship from USF Sarasota-Manatee regional chancellor gives students the world
Karen Holbrook, regional chancellor for the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee, is no stranger to world travel. While she never completed a study abroad program as a student, Holbrook has had opportunities to conduct research, teach and provide consulting services across the globe.
Holbrook believes strongly in the value of study abroad as a catalyst for personal growth and would like more students to be able to take advantage of the broad range of programming available at USF. To that end, Holbrook and her husband, Jim, an oceanographer who spent his career with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, recently gave $25,000 to establish the Karen and James Holbrook Study Abroad Scholarship.
“The people, the environment, the geography, the cuisine – everything can be so unlike what you experience at home,” Holbrook said. “The student who returns from a study abroad program is transformed. It makes such an impact on their lives and future careers."
The Holbrooks have already given generously to USF, supporting the Sarasota-Manatee campus annual Brunch on the Bay fundraiser and contributing toward the new student center and residence hall as well as the nursing and STEM building, both in progress on the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
“The Holbrooks’ generosity is greatly appreciated and will enhance USF’s global footprint,” said Kiki Caruson, vice president of USF World. “USF currently ranks 13th in the U.S. among public institutions for the number of students studying abroad and this gift will increase our ability to make study abroad a possibility for all students.”
Holbrook recognizes that many students don’t have the resources for a study abroad program. This scholarship, which gives preference to students enrolled or taking the majority of their classes at the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, will provide the funds to make those experiences possible.
“This gift brings together two things I care about deeply: international travel and students,” Holbrook said. “There is so much students learn from studying abroad and many doors open for them as a result of international experiences. I’m very excited about every student traveling abroad if they can.”
Submitted by Marc Masferrer
Submitted by | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/usfsm-regional-chancellor-gives-students-the-world-with-new-scholarship/70315265007/ | 2023-06-20T12:18:12 | 1 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/usfsm-regional-chancellor-gives-students-the-world-with-new-scholarship/70315265007/ |
Bradenton to update vacation rental rules to include condos, deadline to register extended
Bradenton is hoping to find balance with new updates to vacation rental regulations that aim to keep the peace between short-term rental business owners and local residents who often raise concern about their tenants.
City Administrator Rob Perry said the city is treading lightly to stay within the bounds of state laws that restrict the authority of local municipalities over vacation rentals, while still addressing basic concerns about safety and ensuring code enforcement compliance.
"We recognize that there are two complementary interests, some would say adverse interests here," Perry said. "But we are trying to balance the interest of our community for the quiet enjoyment of their community and the economic interest of tourism, and people wanting to come to visit."
Also in Bradenton:Hotel, housing and retail development chosen for Bradenton City Hall site
ICYMI:Bradenton approves new regulations on short-term vacation rentals
Bradenton's city council approved an ordinance regulating vacation rentals in February 2022 but has delayed the deadline for vacation rental owners to register until Dec. 31, 2023, because of delays with implementing the vacation rental system.
"We were beta testing this and we realized that we have some quirks that we have to work out," Perry said.
The city council is also using the additional time to consider amendments to the ordinance that include condominiums used as short-term rentals.
The council will also consider approval of an initial $250 registration fee, and $150 every year thereafter, during that time. Perry said the fees are based on an economic analysis meant to ensure the program is revenue neutral.
"We don't want to be overly onerous on the business community, and at the same time balance neighborhood building and community safety," Perry said. "We think we can do that." | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2023/06/20/bradenton-set-to-update-vacation-rental-rules-to-include-condos/70329228007/ | 2023-06-20T12:18:18 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2023/06/20/bradenton-set-to-update-vacation-rental-rules-to-include-condos/70329228007/ |
Ross Township police are warning residents that a black bear cub was spotted in a resident’s yard on Monday evening.
The department shared a video of the cub having a snack from a bird feeder in the area of Highland Pines Drive.
They also shared links to the state Game Commission and BearWise sites, which advise residents to remove bird feeders when black bears are active and to check the yard for bears before letting dogs out.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/black-bear-cub-spotted-eating-bird-feeder-residents-yard-ross-township-police-say/SNIR6L4TNBDPFF6CCRRVG5G36Y/ | 2023-06-20T12:20:14 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/black-bear-cub-spotted-eating-bird-feeder-residents-yard-ross-township-police-say/SNIR6L4TNBDPFF6CCRRVG5G36Y/ |
More than 1 million people have been dropped from Medicaid in the past couple months as some states moved swiftly to halt health care coverage following the end of the coronavirus pandemic.
Most got dropped for not filling out paperwork.
Though the eligibility review is required by the federal government, President’s Joe Biden’s administration isn’t too pleased at how efficiently some other states are accomplishing the task.
“Pushing through things and rushing it will lead to eligible people — kids and families — losing coverage for some period of time,” Daniel Tsai, a top federal Medicaid official recently told reporters.
Already, about 1.5 million people have been removed from Medicaid in more than two dozen states that started the process in April or May, according to publicly available reports and data obtained by The Associated Press.
Florida has dropped several hundred thousand people, by far the most among states. The drop rate also has been particularly high in other states. For people whose cases were decided in May, around half or more got dropped in Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and West Virginia.
By its own count, Arkansas has dropped more than 140,000 people from Medicaid.
The eligibility redeterminations have created headaches for Jennifer Mojica, 28, who was told in April that she no longer qualified for Medicaid because Arkansas had incorrectly determined her income was above the limit.
She got that resolved, but was then told her 5-year-old son was being dropped from Medicaid because she had requested his cancellation — something that never happened, she said. Her son’s coverage has been restored, but now Mojica says she’s been told her husband no longer qualifies. The uncertainty has been frustrating, she said.
“It was like fixing one thing and then another problem came up, and they fixed it and then something else came up,” Mojica said.
Arkansas officials said they have tried to renew coverage automatically for as many people as possible and placed a special emphasis on reaching families with children. But a 2021 state law requires the post-pandemic eligibility redeterminations to be completed in six months, and the state will continue “to swiftly disenroll individuals who are no longer eligible,” the Department of Human Services said in statement.
Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has dismissed criticism of the state’s process.
“Those who do not qualify for Medicaid are taking resources from those who need them,” Sanders said on Twitter last month. “But the pandemic is over — and we are leading the way back to normalcy.”
More than 93 million people nationwide were enrolled in Medicaid as of the most recent available data in February — up nearly one-third from the pre-pandemic total in January 2020. The rolls swelled because federal law prohibited states from removing people from Medicaid during the health emergency in exchange for providing states with increased funding.
Now that eligibility reviews have resumed, states have begun plowing through a backlog of cases to determine whether people’s income or life circumstances have changed. States have a year to complete the process. But tracking down responses from everyone has proved difficult, because some people have moved, changed contact information or disregarded mailings about the renewal process.
Before dropping people from Medicaid, the Florida Department of Children and Families said it makes between five and 13 contact attempts, including texts, emails and phone calls. Yet the department said 152,600 people have been non-responsive.
Their coverage could be restored retroactively, if people submit information showing their eligibility up to 90 days after their deadline.
Unlike some states, Idaho continued to evaluate people’s Medicaid eligibility during the pandemic even though it didn’t remove anyone. When the enrollment freeze ended in April, Idaho started processing those cases — dropping nearly 67,000 of the 92,000 people whose cases have been decided so far.
“I think there’s still a lot of confusion among families on what’s happening,” said Hillarie Hagen, a health policy associate at the nonprofit Idaho Voices for Children.
She added, “We’re likely to see people showing up at a doctor’s office in the coming months not knowing they’ve lost Medicaid.”
Advocates fear that many households losing coverage may include children who are actually still eligible, because Medicaid covers children at higher income levels than their parents or guardians. A report last year by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services forecast that children would be disproportionately impacted, with more than half of those disenrolled still actually eligible.
That’s difficult to confirm, however, because the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services doesn’t require states to report a demographic breakdown of those dropped. In fact, CMS has yet to release any state-by-state data. The AP obtained data directly from states and from other groups that have been collecting it.
Medicaid recipients in numerous states have described the eligibility redetermination process as frustrating.
Julie Talamo, of Port Richey, Florida, said she called state officials every day for weeks, spending hours on hold, when she was trying to ensure her 19-year-old special-needs son, Thomas, was going to stay on Medicaid.
She knew her own coverage would end but was shocked to hear Thomas’ coverage would be whittled down to a different program that could force her family to pay $2,000 per month. Eventually, an activist put Talamo in contact with a senior state healthcare official who confirmed her son would stay on Medicaid.
“This system was designed to fail people,” Talamo said of the haphazard process.
Some states haven’t been able to complete all the eligibility determinations that are due each month. Pennsylvania reported more than 100,000 incomplete cases in both April and May. Tens of thousands of cases also remained incomplete in April or May in Arizona, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, New Mexico and Ohio.
“If states are already behind in processing renewals, that’s going to snowball over time,” said Tricia Brooks, a research professor at the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. “Once they get piles of stuff that haven’t been processed, I don’t see how they catch up easily.”
Among those still hanging in the balance is Gary Rush, 67, who said he was notified in April that he would lose Medicaid coverage. The Pittsburgh resident said he was told that his retirement accounts make him ineligible, even though he said he doesn’t draw from them. Rush appealed with the help of an advocacy group and, at a hearing this past week, was told he has until July to get rid of about $60,000 in savings.
Still, Rush said he doesn’t know what he will do if he loses coverage for his diabetes medication, which costs about $700 a month. Rush said he gets $1,100 a month from Social Security.
In Indiana, Samantha Richards, 35, said she has been on Medicaid her whole life and currently works two part-time jobs as a custodian. Richards recalled receiving a letter earlier this year indicating that the pandemic-era Medicaid protection was ending. She said a local advocacy group helped her navigate the renewal process. But she remains uneasy.
“Medicaid can be a little unpredictable,” Richards said. “There is still that concern that just out of nowhere, I will either get a letter saying that we have to reapply because we missed some paperwork, or I missed a deadline, or I’m going to show up at the doctor’s office or the pharmacy and they’re going to say, ‘Your insurance didn’t go through.’”
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The Pirates had a very good outing from Osvaldo Bido on Monday after he went six strong innings and only gave up three earned runs in the process.
Other than Henry Davis notching his first hit, extra-base hit, and walk in the majors, the Pirates’ offense ran cold and lost 8-0 as a result.
First pitch at PNC Park is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
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GREENSBORO — Police say they are investigating a shooting overnight at a local gas station that sent one person to the hospital.
Officers responded at 1:35 a.m. today to Moses Cone Hospital after someone took a gunshot victim there in a private vehicle, Greensboro police said in a news release.
Police received information that the shooting occurred at the Citgo in the 1100 block of Summit Avenue, where they located evidence of a crime scene.
The suspect was described in the news release as a black male in his 20s with dreadlocks wearing a black T-shirt, red shorts and black shoes.
Police have not released any information about the shooting victim or about what may have led to the shooting.
Authorities are asking anyone with information to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Residents can also download the mobile P3tips app for Apple or Android phones to submit a mobile tip, or go to P3tips.com to submit a web tip. All tips to Crime Stoppers are anonymous. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-courts/greensboro-police-search-for-man-suspected-in-gas-station-shooting-overnight/article_90510ddc-0f58-11ee-8d57-930a7dbf8f66.html | 2023-06-20T12:26:10 | 0 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-courts/greensboro-police-search-for-man-suspected-in-gas-station-shooting-overnight/article_90510ddc-0f58-11ee-8d57-930a7dbf8f66.html |
The Rudd-Rockford-Marble Rock school district has joined a growing list of local entities opposed to a carbon dioxide pipeline planned by Summit Carbon Solutions that would pass near the Rockford school building.
The school board approved a motion at its June 6 meeting voicing opposition to the project. In a letter dated the same day and filed with the Iowa Utilities Board June 15, the district said the proximity to the pipeline could negatively impact the health of students, staff and others.
"The increased concentrations of CO2 in the air can have the effects of headaches, dizziness, confusion and loss of consciousness," said the letter, jointly signed by Board President Angie Johnson and Superintendent Todd Leichty, "[the] proposed route of the CO2 pipeline is not in the public interest of a safe learning environment for the [the RRMR school district], as it subjects students, staff and community to the potential hazards of a CO2 pipeline leak or rupture."
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The pipeline would join Summit's network of existing pipelines with those planned and currently under construction as part of a project that would create a pipeline network spanning five U.S. states, with more than 700 miles of pipeline in Iowa. If approved, Summit’s pipeline would be the world’s largest carbon capture project, according to Food & Water Watch.
The process known as 'Carbon capture' isolates carbon dioxide leftover from the fermentation process of biorefineries such as ethanol plants and compresses the captured CO2. Summit's pipelines would channel the CO2 to North Dakota, "where it will be permanently and safely stored underground in deep geologic storage locations" to be utilized in "enhanced oil recovery" the use of CO2 to extract oil reserves that would otherwise be unusable.
Eighty-eight percent of global CO2 use is for fossil fuel recovery, a practice many of the pipeline's opponents oppose due to it prolonging the fossil fuel industry's grip on energy production, along with the environmental concerns with emissions and contaminated groundwater. Summit and similar companies have also faced backlash from communities in its proposed use of eminent domain to seize property for pipeline construction. As reported in the Summit-Tribune, March 2023 polling found that 78% of Iowans oppose eminent domain for carbon pipelines.
Golden Grain Energy of Mason City is one of the ethanol plants along Summit's proposed pipeline route. It received a letter of support from Mason City Chamber President Colleen Frein stating, "I see firsthand the positive economic impacts ethanol provides for our state and our farmers. Maintaining support for ethanol production is essential to the life of Iowans. The Summit project will provide an opportunity to produce ethanol sustainably for the next several years and keep Iowa’s ethanol producers viable in their markets." The Mason City Chamber's letter of support of the project was filed with the Iowa Utilities Board on June 16.
As reported by the Iowa Capital Dispatch in March, income for Iowa farmers might decline $1.1 billion per year if the state’s ethanol plants are unable to capture and sequester carbon dioxide with the help of proposed pipelines to transport it, according to a study commissioned by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.
The Cerro Gordo County Board of Supervisors, however, made its opposition to the project clear in a February 2022 letter to the IUB, one of 44 Iowa counties who in 2021-22 formally filed opposition to planned carbon pipeline projects. The Floyd County Board of Supervisors adopted a similar measure and filed opposition in September.
The city of Rockford registered its opposition in March 2022, with Mayor Scott Johnson saying in a statement on behalf of the City Council, "These pipelines' potential health, safety and environmental concerns will be a deterrent for future growth in our already struggling small community. It will place tremendous stress on the budgets for city, county, HAZMAT, volunteer fire departments and school systems."
Much of the local opposition, including that from RRMR schools, cited the additional danger the pipeline could physically pose to the population and environment if it leaked or caught fire, saying "The construction of a CO2 pipeline will require additional training and equipment for local first responders who are primarily volunteers."
Construction on the pipeline was scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2023, but the matter remains under review with the IUB as parties register their support or opposition to the project. According to its website, The board's July 10 meeting in Des Moines is scheduled to be held between two 'status conferences' on the project, which it says will "see the board receive updates from parties, provide additional information about events and logistics for the docket, and to address any issues or concerns that may arise."
Alexander Schmidt is an Education/General Assignment Reporter for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at alexander.schmidt@globegazette.com or at 641-421-0527. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/education/rrmr-schools-summit-pipeline-opposition/article_6590de2a-0eb7-11ee-8b99-a32ca6145da7.html | 2023-06-20T12:26:10 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/education/rrmr-schools-summit-pipeline-opposition/article_6590de2a-0eb7-11ee-8b99-a32ca6145da7.html |
More than 60 people who serve Mitchell County as emergency responders participated in training from the University of Iowa Simulation in Motion-IA program held in St. Ansgar on Thursday.
Personnel from the Mitchell County Regional Health Center emergency department, providers, and EMS personnel, along with St. Ansgar EMS and the Mitchell County Sheriff's Office participated in the training
SIM-IA is a cutting-edge mobile education program that brings high-quality, evidence-based clinical education to EMS and hospital professionals across the state. Each fully equipped mobile simulation truck features a simulated emergency bay, ambulance box, and video recording for analysis and debriefing, as well as four patient simulators.
Brian Rechkemmer, who directs the program through the University of Iowa College of Nursing, says the first truck, which hit the road in July, is the first of three trucks purchased through an $8 million endowment from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. "With this simulation vehicle, we're able to come right to (rural communities') front door, right at their location and everybody can get the exact same training."
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The training in St. Ansgar was hosted with the support of St. Ansgar residents Gary G. Gerlach and Karen Ann "Kacie" Conner.
“Kacie and I are pleased and honored to host the SIM-IA training team and the big and beautiful SIM-IA truck in our town,” Gerlach said in a statement. “Rural communities like St. Ansgar don’t often have ready access to the best of the best. Our volunteer and professional health care workers are all looking forward to a fabulous training event.”
Gerlach continued, “Kacie and I are especially proud that the UI College of Nursing is home to an undergraduate merit scholarship program in honor of my sister, St. Ansgar native LuAnn Gerlach. LuAnn was a student in the College of Nursing when she died tragically in 1965, at age 20. Over 100 merit scholarships have been awarded to UI nursing students in LuAnn’s honor."
In it's first year, the truck runs four to five days a week, this being the 126th event in 52 counties. The truck is based in Iowa City, but future trucks will provide coverage based out of Sioux City and Des Moines, allowing the program to reach all 99 of Iowa's counties by 2024.
The truck is fitted with four high-fidelity patient manakins: one adult male, one adult female who can give birth, one school-aged child, and one newborn infant. The two rooms can simulate either a fully equipped emergency room bay or the ambulance treatment box for treating patients at the scene, and are capable of running dozens of training scenarios -- from heart attacks and traumatic injuries to airway obstruction and medication errors -- in order to provide safe training environment for emergency personnel.
Thursday's simulation ran two scenarios: a tractor rollover resulting in an arm dismemberment, and an incident in which a vehicle struck a child.
David Husmann is lead educator for the truck and says he makes scenarios as immersive as possible.
"Not only do our techs have to know and control the vitals of the patient, but they have to be a bit of an actor as well," Husmann said. "Children are going to be scared and their parents may or may not be around, so it's important [we] portray that voice to give the students the full experience of the seriousness of the emergency."
Beth Trees, chief nursing officer at MCRHC, said after undergoing the training, "It's very impressive, very lifelike." Mitchell County Sheriff's Deputy Luke Irvin said his training in the past has "tried to be as lifelike as possible, but this is actually giving you feedback in real-time ... you get a pretty good way to gauge yourself."
This training provides first responders credit hours toward their re-certification. The University of Iowa says that there are 11,770 certified EMS providers in Iowa, and 70% of Iowa hospitals are critical-access hospitals.
Alexander Schmidt is an Education/General Assignment Reporter for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at alexander.schmidt@globegazette.com or at 641-421-0527. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/mitchell-county-ems-training-emergency-simulator/article_b67f3838-0c67-11ee-bbd6-0b9a34395398.html | 2023-06-20T12:26:11 | 0 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/mitchell-county-ems-training-emergency-simulator/article_b67f3838-0c67-11ee-bbd6-0b9a34395398.html |
First in a series.
Jason Squier, business and social studies teacher at St. Ansgar Community High School, is the epitome of a proud Iowan citizen, having spent his entire life in rural Iowa.
With his diverse education and experience working with youths, Squier brings a unique perspective to Iowa life.
He grew up and graduated high school in St. Ansgar and began his undergraduate degree in business at North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City. His wanted to pursue a career in banking but quickly realized that a degree in education would better suit him.
Squier was heavily inspired by his high school teachers and wanted to provide students with similar educational experiences. He went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in social studies education through Buena Vista University, and when the business position opened at St. Ansgar Community High School, he returned to his alma mater.
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“My ultimate goal was to come back here, because I had such a great education, and I wanted to hopefully continue that tradition of giving our kids a great education,” Squier said.
Squier chose to stay in Iowa because he loves St. Ansgar. He believes the town’s school district, sense of civic pride and proximity to major cities are part of what makes the city exceptional.
As a public educator, Squier worries education opportunities will dwindle without proper funding. This fear has increased across the state in response to Iowa passing the Students First Act. The law will give any child in grades K-12, regardless of family income, vouchers of up to $7,598 per year to attend any nonpublic school of their choosing.
Passed during the 2023 legislative session, the law has yet to show its impacts on public school funding.
“As a rural school with a lower population of students, the state’s funding for rural schools is a big concern we have,” said Squier. “I think we are able to offer our kids a lot of opportunities, but when the funding isn’t there for rural education, that’s something that can take a hit on smaller schools, and we have to get creative.”
Squier also believes Iowa is neglecting to pass laws that encourage youths to move to or stay in the state. Cedar Rapids television station KCRG stated in an article that the National Bureau of Economic Research found “34% of Iowa’s college-educated workforce leave the state.”
“The younger generation seems to be accepting of others, and it feels like we have not made a whole lot of policies to be welcoming to diverse groups,” said Squier.
Squier is an advocate for civil discourse, and wants the Iowa Legislature to turn its attention away from national hot-button topics and come together to focus on the daily needs of Iowans.
“We just don’t do that anymore,” Squier said. “It’s talking points and trying to get people fired up versus trying to find common ground. That’s an issue I wish our state government would go back to.”
One topic he would like to see improvements in is rural development. He says it sometimes feels like legislators prioritize urban development.
Squier also wishes Iowa put more focus on improving access to mental health services, saying the government talks about doing so, but never allocates the funds to benefit the majority of citizens.
“I love our state, and I think it will continue to be a great state,” said Squier. “I just hope that we’re welcoming to all, and I hope we see future opportunities and technology to help our young people to want to stay in the state.” | https://globegazette.com/news/local/what-iowans-want-jason-squier-st-ansgar/article_8e21bcc8-0972-11ee-9983-cfc975b5dd32.html | 2023-06-20T12:26:11 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/what-iowans-want-jason-squier-st-ansgar/article_8e21bcc8-0972-11ee-9983-cfc975b5dd32.html |
PICKSTOWN — There’s plenty of energy and excitement radiating through the Pickstown and Wagner area this week, as the small Missouri River communities are bracing to host their first National Walleye Tour tournament.
Some of the nation’s top pro anglers have descended on south-central South Dakota over the past few weeks to prepare for the two-day tournament on Thursday and Friday. The Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shops National Walleye Tour event will feature 133 pro anglers and 133 co-anglers competing on Lake Francis Case in the southeast corner of the state.
Coming off a historic 2022 season in which he claimed a tournament championship and was named Angler of the Year, South Dakota pro angler Duane Hjelm is among the big names competing in the Pickstown tournament. The Woonsocket native is sitting in third place for Angler of the Year standings, and a top place finish could move him up the leaderboard.
Like many of the pro anglers entered into the event, Hjelm has been feeling out Lake Francis Case over the past few days – a river system that’s similar to his home body of water Lake Oahe in Pierre. Pinpointing where the larger walleye are at has been challenging thus far, Hjelm said. He is predicting a close tournament that could come down to a “game of ounces” in the end.
“I think it's going to be a lot of fun. I think a lot of people are going to catch a lot of fish. I still don’t know where the big fish are. They always seem to elude me there,” Hjelm said of Lake Francis Case.
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Pre-fishing the river system has pro angler Ed Stachowski impressed with Lake Francis Case thus far, dubbing it a “healthy system with a ton of fish.”
“There’s fish all over here. It’s just going to be a matter of getting the right bites in the right order,” Stachowski said of the reservoir. “You can catch them anyway you want to right now.”
With 100,000 acres of water to fish on the reservoir lake, anglers will have plenty of territory to cover in two days.
The Pickstown stop is the lone South Dakota tournament on this year’s schedule. Chamberlain-Oacoma hosted a regular season tournament back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022. But this year, it’s Pickstown’s turn to play host. And that has community leaders excited.
Cindy Broyhill, president of Pickstown’s board of trustees, has been preparing for the tournament for a year, and she’s ready to showcase the small town on a national scale.
“It’s a huge economic benefit for the town. We are excited for this big event,” Broyhill said, noting that the nearby community of Wagner – a town that’s much larger with over 1,500 people – has played an instrumental role in preparing for the tournament. “It’s been a team effort.”
As part of the tournament rules, anglers have a daily five fish limit. Each day, they are allowed to weigh two walleye over 20 inches and three under 20 inches. However, the minimum length of the three under 20-inch fish is 15 inches.
The Pickstown stop is the third tournament of the season. The final regular season tournament will take place in late July on the St. Mary’s River in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan. After the Michigan stop, anglers in the top 40 for Angler of the Year standings will qualify for the Sept. 6-8 championship event in Devils Lake, North Dakota.
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As of now, Hjelm, Brian Bashore, of Sioux Falls, and Jeremy Coon, of Wolsey, are among the South Dakota pro anglers sitting in the top 40 Angler of the Year standings.
The field of pro anglers will be competing for over $89,000 in prizes and cash, including a new 2023 Ranger boat with a Mercury engine. The top co-angler will take home $7,500 in cash.
Boats will launch each day at 7 a.m. from the Prairie Dog Bay ramp in Lake Andes. Weigh-ins will be held at the Prairie Dog Bay ramp at 3 p.m. on Thursday and Friday.
A chance of scattered thunderstorms are in the forecast for Thursday, while Friday’s forecast is calling for a sunnier 88-degree day in the Pickstown area. | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/pickstown-geared-up-to-host-first-national-walleye-tour-event-anglers-feeling-out-river-system | 2023-06-20T12:49:33 | 0 | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/pickstown-geared-up-to-host-first-national-walleye-tour-event-anglers-feeling-out-river-system |
There's a story behind Milwaukee's city flag. All three of them.
Not every American city has its own flag so it's unusual that Milwaukee has had three of them — sort of.
One of them is the official flag, one of them is the "people's" flag and the other one never actually got used.
Here's the full story about all three of them:
Milwaukee Journal contest picks a Milwaukee flag, but it's never raised
In 1897, the Milwaukee Journal decided to hold a contest to design a city flag. The winning entry, by John Amberg, was published in the Journal in January 1898. Amberg won $15.
The flag design depicted an oak tree branch with a cluster of acorns with the words "Steady Progress" written across. While the rendering was in black and white, the design was set on a cream-colored background with a blue border.
But, there's no record that the winning flag was ever put into use.
In 1954, a Milwaukee flag is named — and later mocked
City leaders in the 1950s realized Milwaukee was one of only four cities with a population of over 500,000 without an official city flag. So, in 1954, former alderman Fred Steffan put together elements from several designs to create an amalgamated version of what's currently known as the Milwaukee city flag.
It depicts a gear in the center, representing industry, and houses different symbols in each quadrant.
In the top left corner of the gear is an Indian head, likely resembling the former logo of the Milwaukee Braves but also the city's Native American heritage.
The bottom left depicts a flag with two stars, thought to be a Civil War-era flag or also a service flag.
In the upper right is a lamp symbol once associated with the Milwaukee City Library.
Below the gear is a depiction of Milwaukee City Hall, representing the local government and flanked by outlines of a church, housing, a factory, the UW-Milwaukee Arena and the former County Stadium, all along a shoreline of Lake Michigan.
Finally, a golden barley stalk represents the city's brewing history, a red ship represents Milwaukee as a port city, and the 1846 inscription for the date when Milwaukee was incorporated as a city.
In a 2004 poll by the American Vexillion Association, the Milwaukee flag was ranked 147th out of 150 American city flags and has been described as "a hot mess," because many of the symbols are outdated and the design is aesthetically busy.
The unofficial 'People's' flag of Milwaukee is created in 2016
Since the first adoption of the official Milwaukee flag, there have been three attempts at redesigning it. The People's Flag of Milwaukee became the third proposed design candidate, winning a 2016 contest — and winning the hearts of many city residents.
Designed by Robert Lenz and called "Sunrise Over the Lake," it's a two-block gold and navy flag, the top gold representing the city's brewing history and the bottom navy represents Lake Michigan and Milwaukee as a port city. A white circle in the center represents peace and unity (and cold winters) while the three stripes represent Milwaukee's three original settlements — Kilbourn Town, Juneau Town and Walker's Point. The light blue color represents the three rivers that run through the city: Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic.
More:Stingl: Milwaukee's unofficial new flag is showing up in more places
Despite efforts by the board of the People's Flag of Milwaukee to make it official, the Milwaukee Common Council and the Milwaukee Arts Board have rejected the proposal in favor of a more "inclusive" design process team.
For now, Milwaukeeans will have to decide for themselves which flag best represents their city. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/milwaukee-city-flags-all-three-of-them-each-tell-a-story/70184353007/ | 2023-06-20T12:55:55 | 0 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/milwaukee-city-flags-all-three-of-them-each-tell-a-story/70184353007/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Showers and storms are likely again across Central Florida on Tuesday.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Storm chances will be high for our area in the late morning and afternoon.
High temperatures will be lower in our area due to the storm activity.
Watch: Tropical Storm Bret continues to move towards Caribbean, expected to strengthen
The high temperature in Orlando should reach around 84 degrees Tuesday afternoon.
The afternoon storm pattern will continue in Central Florida for the foreseeable future.
Read: Tourist sub goes missing near Titanic wreck; search will continue overnight
Our forecast will remain the same for Wednesday.
Red tide guide: How to check Florida beach conditions
Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/strong-storms-possible-tuesday-central-florida/2WJORXKBGRCBLAG3D3RTZXLEEU/ | 2023-06-20T12:56:03 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/strong-storms-possible-tuesday-central-florida/2WJORXKBGRCBLAG3D3RTZXLEEU/ |
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — United Launch Alliance is planning to launch from Florida’s Space Coast early Wednesday.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
ULA is set to launch its Delta IV Heavy rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
The launch is planned for 3:29 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 37.
Watch: ULA rocket’s debut launch delayed again due to large explosion
The launch is for the NROL-68 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office.
Officials said the weather is around 75% favorable for Wednesday morning’s planned launch.
Watch: ULA gears up for another attempt of Vulcan Centaur rocket maiden launch
Channel 9 will have live coverage of the launch on Eyewitness News when it happens.
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/ula-set-delta-iv-heavy-rocket-launch-wednesday-floridas-space-coast/MWHM42ABWVG53ERXDCBK5FCIRA/ | 2023-06-20T12:56:04 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/ula-set-delta-iv-heavy-rocket-launch-wednesday-floridas-space-coast/MWHM42ABWVG53ERXDCBK5FCIRA/ |
Councilman Santiago has missed 4 of 11 regular meetings; county has no policy on absences
New District 5 Councilman David Santiago has missed four of the 11 regular Volusia County Council meetings that have occurred since he joined the governing body this year while his six fellow council members have had near-perfect attendance.
This has not gone unnoticed. Deltona City Commissioner Dana McCool, who lives in Santiago's district, recently raised the issue on "The Smoking Truth" podcast, which she cohosts.
"I want to understand, when is it ethically and responsibly wrong for an elected official to miss meetings that they were elected for?" she asked. "And I love this person but I want it answered to the constituents because I deserve better in District 5."
Santiago says he has had good reasons for missing those meetings and said he doesn't plan to miss any more. He also noted the council's job goes beyond the dais, including serving on committees.
"There's countless discussions and meetings and conference calls and constituent services that happen throughout the week," he said in a phone interview.
Where was he?
Five new council members, including Santiago, joined the seven-member council in January. He didn't show up for his first meeting until February. Santiago said he missed those two meetings because he had a family trip that was planned before he decided to run for election.
He also missed the May 2 and June 6 meetings. Santiago initially said he wasn't sure why he missed May 2, but later clarified it was because of the flu. He said he missed the June 6 meeting because he had to travel to Washington, D.C., for his new job.
Santiago is now the strategic director of LIBRE Initiative-Florida, a nonpartisan group focused on advocacy for the Hispanic population on a variety of issues.
Volusia County Council members make about $51,292 a year, while the chairman earns about $61,550.
Council has no policy on attendance
Volusia County government doesn't have a rule in ordinances or its charter that limits councilmember absences, according to county spokesman Clayton Jackson.
State law leaves that issue up to a local government to decide, said Tammi Bach, the chair-elect of the Florida Bar's City, County, and Local Government Law Section. Bach is also the city attorney for Fernandina Beach.
But Bach said she isn't aware of any absence regulations for elected officials in local government.
"I don't think it is very common at all to have rules about attendance (for elected officials)," she said.
It is common for elected officials to limit absences for their appointed boards, Bach said.
For example, Volusia County's Code says that if a member of the Planning and Land Development Regulation Commission misses three meetings in a calendar year "regardless of the reason," his or her seat will be considered vacant.
'Unwavering commitment'
Santiago shared an additional statement with the News-Journal via email addressing the absences.
Among other things, Santiago wrote: "I want to reaffirm my unwavering commitment to serving the residents of Volusia County. I am immensely proud of the work accomplished thus far, and I am eager to continue the positive momentum for the betterment of our community."
Marathon meetingsSome Volusia County Council meetings last long enough to watch the Daytona 500 three times
The council meets twice a month to handle the county's business unless members schedule a special meeting, and meeting agendas are often jam-packed. Council members can only talk to each other about county business at a public meeting.
At the June 6 meeting, the council handled over 20 items, including voting to keep $611,758 in the county budget for a grant program that provides funding to nonprofits for arts and cultural programming.
In addition to the 11 regular meetings, the council had a special meeting in May to talk about goals this year. Santiago attended that workshop.
Other council members have attended all of the meetings so far this year. At-Large Councilman Jake Johansson missed most of the April 4 meeting, though.
He said via text message that he had a personal obligation, which wasn't job-related, that he made prior to getting elected. He also plans to miss the Aug. 1 meeting for a vacation but doesn't plan to miss any others, he wrote.
Deltona mayor supportive
Deltona Mayor Santiago Avila Jr. said while he doesn't support ongoing absences, he's pleased with Santiago's performance overall.
Santiago formerly served on the Deltona City Commission and has begun to forge a better relationship between the county government and the city, Avila said. Santiago typically meets weekly with Avila to discuss local government issues and is prompt in responding to concerns, he said.
"I can't really be upset at David ... because when I do reach out to him he does respond and he helps me get things resolved," Avila said.
Stephen Spaulding is the vice president of policy and external affairs for Common Cause, "a nonpartisan, grassroots organization" focused on government accountability and transparency, among other things.
Best practice
He said that it's important for elected officials to take care of their health and family. But a best practice for a local government is to make note of absences and say why an elected official missed the meeting.
Volusia County posts meeting minutes that show who attended and how each council member voted. But there's a lag in how quickly the minutes get posted. The county also posts a recording on its YouTube channel promptly after each meeting.
If a council member's absence from the dais will be prolonged, it's a good idea to provide notice to the public, Spaulding said.
"I think voters appreciate being kept in the loop about why somebody may be missing from the job that they're elected to do," he said.
There is no rule in county government policy governing attendance. They can miss as many as they choose.
Can an attendance policy be implemented?
Implementing a rule limiting the number of council absences would likely need to be adopted by voters in the Volusia County Charter, Bach said. Bach said she thinks removing someone from an elected office would be difficult to do via ordinance.
According to Volusia County spokesman Jackson, "County governing bodies cannot remove a fellow member from a county governing body."
But there are other options for dealing with a council member who misses meetings, Bach said.
Voters can sign a petition to try and have an elected official removed via a recall election. Elected officials can publicly censure each other. And council members could look into an ordinance to take back some of that elected official's salary for not showing up to meetings, she said.
Avila said he would support some measure to cap absences if it takes into account unforeseen circumstances such as family emergencies. But he would not support a salary cut for council members based on absences. Avila talked about his own role as mayor, which he said requires extensive work outside of meetings.
As for McCool, she told the News-Journal Thursday that she doesn't think the absences speak to Santiago's community service as a whole. She spoke with him and told him her view on absences as an elected official, she said.
"It's important that unless there's medical emergencies that you be there for your constituents," she said. | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2023/06/20/volusia-councilman-misses-4-meetings-county-policy-is-silent/70317002007/ | 2023-06-20T13:01:55 | 0 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2023/06/20/volusia-councilman-misses-4-meetings-county-policy-is-silent/70317002007/ |
Dog rescued from Tiverton home looked and acted like a wolf. So the RISPCA had him tested
Another wolf dog has surfaced in Rhode Island, this one at the Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
It's at least the fifth wolf dog discovered this year in Rhode Island, one of 12 states where it's illegal to own such dogs.
Howl, a 6-year-old male, was among 34 dogs removed from a home in Tiverton last month, and the dog's wolf bloodlines will make it more difficult for the RISPCA to place it in a home, says Wayne M. Kezirian, president and general agent for the RISPCA.
The RISPCA decided to have the dog tested because of its appearance and behavior. Kezirian wasn't surprised when a DNA test showed the dog was 18.4% gray wolf.
"It looked like it could have been a hybrid, and it has a very strong prey drive," Kezirian said.
Howl doesn't like being cooped up in a kennel but is great out on walks, Kezirian said. He's about the size of a German shepherd.
"It's a beautiful animal, really pretty, but you don't want to be a small animal if you're near him," Kezirian said.
What the DNA test found
Howl is also 53.8% Siberian husky, 15.6% Alaskan Malamute and 12.2% German shepherd, the DNA test found.
Wolf dogs have been making the news in Rhode Island since January, when the Potter League for Animals started looking for a home for Zeus after he was surrendered by his owner. Zeus was adopted by a man in Vermont, where it's OK to own wolf dogs.
Later in January, Sirius Black found a home at a wolf-dog sanctuary in Kansas a few months after he was abandoned in West Warwick. In May, two wolf-dog sisters, initially mistaken for coyotes when spotted running free in Warwick, were placed in an Ohio sanctuary.
Howl and the other dogs were seized after the RISPCA received a tip. The RISPCA said the dogs were being kept in unsanitary conditions, and an unlicensed rescue was being run from the home.
How RISPA finds new homes for wolf dogs
Kezirian acknowledged that the Tiverton woman who took in the dogs may have become overwhelmed, feeling pressure to accept the dogs from rescues in Texas so they wouldn't be killed. She was charged in District Court, and her case was placed on file Thursday with the provision that she refrain from running a rescue for five years, Kezirian said.
"We do think she was well-intentioned but got in over her head," Kezirian said.
The RISPCA has contacted several wolf-dog sanctuaries in the hope of placing Howl, said Megan Yaffe, director of operations for the RISPCA. She said, "We are hoping to have some answers and place for him by the end of the weekend."
Kezirian has been president and general agent for the RISPCA for three years, but this is the first time he's dealt with a wolf dog. | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/dog-rescued-from-tiverton-home-found-to-be-part-wolf/70327152007/ | 2023-06-20T13:02:02 | 0 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/dog-rescued-from-tiverton-home-found-to-be-part-wolf/70327152007/ |
Average daily flows
Snake River at Jackson 282 cfs
Snake River at Palisades 12,136 cfs
Snake River at Heise 12,911 cfs
Snake River at Blackfoot 7,377 cfs
Snake River at American Falls 11,671 cfs
Snake River at Milner 3,000 cfs
Little Wood River near Carey 494 cfs
Jackson Lake is 79% full.
Palisades Reservoir is 97% full.
American Falls Reservoir is 93% full.
Upper Snake River system is at 92% of capacity.
As of June 19 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_d82d1d94-0ed1-11ee-a141-937034aa49f2.html | 2023-06-20T13:06:11 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_d82d1d94-0ed1-11ee-a141-937034aa49f2.html |
Q: What are they doing in the median between Twin Falls and Jerome?
A: “The Idaho Transportation Department is widening I-84 between South Jerome Interchange (Exit 168) and Twin Falls Interchange (Exit 173),” said Anne Marie Peacock, spokesperson for the Idaho Transportation Department. “I-84 serves as a major corridor through South-Central Idaho and beyond, with traffic counts expected to increase substantially over the next 20 years. The purpose of this project is to increase capacity and improve safety on I-84. This project is part of Idaho Governor Brad Little’s ‘Leading Idaho’ transportation funding solution.”
The next closest stretch of freeway with three lanes in each direction is in the Treasure Valley.
“Construction started in April 2023 and will be completed in late fall 2025,” Peacock said. “This year, construction crews will build the new lanes and median wall on I-84. In addition, work began at the 400 South Road Bridge to accommodate the widening of I-84.”
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Improvements include widening I-84 to three lanes in each direction, reconstructing the 400 South Road Bridge, constructing drainage facilities for the increased pavement surface, and placing a concrete overlay on existing pavement.
These improvements will be coordinated with plans to improve South Jerome Interchange.
How will this impact traffic?
Interstate 84 will be restricted to one lane in each direction at night. Occasional daytime lane restrictions may be necessary.
Rolling closures on I-84 will occur over the summer for blasting rock in the median.
400 South will be closed intermittently.
Traffic shifts will be used throughout construction with reduced speeds.
For project updates, visit itdprojects.org/projects/84jerometotwin.
“ITD, Idaho State Police, and local law enforcement caution motorists to slow down and pay attention when driving in work zones, where increased speeding fines and other penalties apply. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and dial 511 or visit 511.idaho.gov for information on the state highway or interstate system,” Peacock said.
Have a question? Just ask and we’ll find an answer for you. Email your question to Kimberly Williams-Brackett at timesnewscuriousmind@gmail.com with “Curious Mind” in the subject line. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/expanding-to-three-lanes-on-the-interstate-indicates-growth-in-twin-falls-and-jerome-counties/article_97102368-0ece-11ee-9c27-03b433922924.html | 2023-06-20T13:06:18 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/expanding-to-three-lanes-on-the-interstate-indicates-growth-in-twin-falls-and-jerome-counties/article_97102368-0ece-11ee-9c27-03b433922924.html |
A crowd gathered Friday at Twin Falls City Park at the Magic Valley Refugee Day Celebration, enjoying food and catching a glimpse into cultures of faraway countries.
It is an annual event where refugees from various countries, whether Burma, Ukraine or Cuba, dish out food for free and sing and dance on stage.
Not only is it a way for refugees to say thanks to the community, said Zeze Rwasama, director of the College of Southern Idaho Refugee Center, but the event also celebrates refugees’ successes.
The event is held near the same day as World Refugee Day, established in 2000 by the United Nations to be celebrated each year on June 20, and also gives residents of the community the opportunity to interact with refugees and learn more about their cultures, Rwasama said.
In the first half of 2023, Boise, Nampa and Twin Falls have welcomed 500 individuals from 13 countries, officials say. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/magic-valley-celebrates-refugees/article_a9910d38-0ec7-11ee-aca3-b3e5ed4567ac.html | 2023-06-20T13:06:24 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/magic-valley-celebrates-refugees/article_a9910d38-0ec7-11ee-aca3-b3e5ed4567ac.html |
TUPELO – By the end of July, the city of Guntown will officially be one-third larger.
Lee County Chancery Court Judge Steven Bailey ruled late last week that the city of about 2,000 people in north Lee County could annex 1.6 square miles – just more than 1,000 acres – including an undeveloped subdivision. The move will increase the town’s size 34% to 6.3 square miles.
“If you don’t grow, you die out,” said Guntown Mayor Brent Lindsey. “I’m glad (the trial) is over with. Now we have a lot of homework to do.”
The city will have to offer city services – including water, sewer and both police and fire protection – to the new areas within a reasonable time, usually five years.
The effort to increase the boundaries of Guntown began in earnest more than four years ago. In early 2021, alderman approved an annexation plan that would have brought in 3.1 square miles. The bulk of that addition was undeveloped land on the west side of the city.
City attorney Drew Stuart said Guntown filed that petition in chancery court in the spring of 2021 but later voluntarily dismissed the petition.
“There were a lot of homes out west included in that parcel and we got a lot of (negative) feedback,” said Lindsey, who served two terms as alderman before being elected mayor in the summer of 2021. “We all sat down as a board and took a hard look at things. We cut out a good bit but were able to square up the city limits.”
The only anomaly in the new map is the annexation of a road to reach a future subdivision on the west side of town. The current residents along the road did not want to be annexed.
“We are a roof top community. There are no houses there at this point, but the infrastructure is already in place,” Lindsey said. “We took in the road, but not the 13-14 houses along the road getting there.”
The map approved by chancery court has four areas of annexation.
Area 1 on the west is the largest addition and is mostly open farmland and easy to develop. It also includes the prime commercial property along both sides of the Highway 45 corridor south to near Pull Tight Road.
Area 2 is a small parcel between Guntown and Baldwyn where there is currently no police coverage. If there is a wreck on the highway, people have to wait for a Mississippi Highway Patrol trooper to show up.
Area 3 is located to the northeast, behind the former Norbord plant and between Ford Avenue (County Road 941) and the railroad tracks.
“The city owns a sewer lift station out there,” Lindsey said. “Years ago, the homeowner let us put it there. This is just to bring it in to the city to avoid any situations down the road.
Area 4 on the south end, cleans up the city limits by adding the section between the railroad tracks and Highway 145.
The last annexation was about 17 years ago when the city took in Guntown Hills and Woodland Hills subdivisions on the northwest end of town.
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Error! There was an error processing your request. | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/chancellor-gives-ok-to-guntown-annexation/article_4095ccf8-0ede-11ee-a1d4-1f5f2d1a9a92.html | 2023-06-20T13:08:41 | 1 | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/chancellor-gives-ok-to-guntown-annexation/article_4095ccf8-0ede-11ee-a1d4-1f5f2d1a9a92.html |
ATLANTA — Atlanta Police are investigating a shooting that occurred at Boulevard Northeast and Pine Street.
The shooting itself happened just before 9 p.m. Monday.
Two people were shot and police said one of them is still in critical condition.
Officers add that all those involved are in custody. However, detectives are still working to determine why the incident occurred in the first place.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/old-fourth-ward-shooting-boulevard-northeast/85-61cb76e5-17f7-4f90-b2f9-5b7db90914da | 2023-06-20T13:10:49 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/old-fourth-ward-shooting-boulevard-northeast/85-61cb76e5-17f7-4f90-b2f9-5b7db90914da |
Otsego County Commission on Aging to present AARP safe driving course
GAYLORD — The Otsego County Commission on Aging will be hosting two sessions of the AARP Smart Driver Course next month.
The course is the nation’s largest classroom and online driver safety course and is designed specifically for drivers over 50. By taking the AARP Smart Driver Course drivers learn the current rules of the road, defensive driving techniques, and how to operate a vehicle more safely in today's increasingly challenging driving environment.
The Smart Driver Course is a refresher designed to help drivers learn the following:
- Research-based safety strategies that can reduce the likelihood of having a crash.
- Proper use of technology in the vehicle when linked with the driver and road environment.
- How age-related changes, medications, alcohol, or health issues affect driving ability.
- Knowing the importance of eliminating distractions when sharing the road with others.
- Discover the newest or latest safety and advanced features in vehicles.
- Ways to monitor your own and others’ driving skills and capabilities.
- Explore other options for travel when driving may no longer be safe.
There are no tests to pass.
Upon completion, drivers may be eligible for a discount on auto insurance. The classroom course costs $20 for AARP members and $25 for non-members (cash or check only, no credit or debit cards, before the first session begins). Bring a valid Michigan driver license and AARP card, if you have one.The course will be offered on July 18 and 19 at the Otsego County Commission on Aging (OCCOA) at 1165 Elkview Dr. in Gaylord. The sessions are scheduled for 8:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. and drivers must attend both. Contact OCCOA Customer Service at (989) 732-1122 for more information. | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2023/06/20/otsego-county-commission-on-aging-to-present-aarp-safe-driving-course/70325042007/ | 2023-06-20T13:15:47 | 1 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2023/06/20/otsego-county-commission-on-aging-to-present-aarp-safe-driving-course/70325042007/ |
News Tribune, June 20, 1983
The economic recovery in Minnesota is alive and well, according to Bill Toal, the state's economist. There were 29,000 new jobs in Minnesota in May, which Toal said was the first month to show significant employment growth since August 1981.
Twenty-seven of Minnesota's Special Olympians, who will compete in the International Special Olympics summer games next month, completed a week of training at UWS yesterday. Eleven of the competitors are from Northeastern Minnesota, including Duluth, Cloquet, Hermantown, and Iron Range communities.
News Tribune, June 20, 1923
Two men drowned, three were seriously injured, and considerable property was damaged in the wind and rainstorm that swept through Duluth yesterday afternoon. Trees were uprooted by the 80-mph gale which raged through the city, tearing roofs off buildings and smashing windows.
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Rebuilding of the new Eveleth Elks' headquarters should begin within the next week when a large shipment of terra cotta arrives. The shipment replaces terra cotta that was destroyed more than a month ago when a large section of the building collapsed during construction. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-2-men-drowned-3-injured-in-duluth-storm-100-years-ago | 2023-06-20T13:19:59 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-2-men-drowned-3-injured-in-duluth-storm-100-years-ago |
Here is episode 16 of the Northlandia podcast.
Members Only
It was no grand auditorium, but miners would gather there to watch safety films and comedies and play accordion for their co-workers.
The Northlandia podcast is a product of Forum Communications Company and is brought to you by reporters at the Duluth News Tribune, Superior Telegram and Cloquet Pine Journal. Find more news throughout the day at duluthnewstribune.com. Subscribe and rate us at Apple Podcasts , Spotify or Google Podcasts . | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/listen-a-movie-theater-250-feet-below-an-iron-range-city | 2023-06-20T13:20:09 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/listen-a-movie-theater-250-feet-below-an-iron-range-city |
CULLMAN COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — Two people drowned at Smith Lake in the last week, with the most recent victim being a five-year-old on Saturday. With more people taking to the lake on the weekends, fire and rescue crews say it’s important to remember safety when out on the water.
Fire and rescue crews around Cullman County say while being on the lake should be fun and enjoyable for everyone, it can also be dangerous. Firefighters say over the last few years, drownings at Smith Lake have only continued increasing.
“We foresee that there’s going to be possibly one or two more before the year is out, it’s just been gaining every year,” Logan Fire and Rescue Chief Toby Bates said.
The Crane Hill, Logan and Tremble volunteer fire departments have teamed up to work rescues on the Cullman County portions of Smith Lake. Crane Hill Fire and Rescue says while the causes of last week’s drownings are still unknown, one thing they had in common was that neither victim was wearing a life jacket.
“If you’re the best swimmer there is or whatever, it doesn’t matter. I would encourage everybody to wear a life vest on the boat, especially if you’re just swimming around because this lake is so deep in most places,” Crane Hill Fire and Rescue Chief Brandon Williams said.
The waters can get around 300 feet deep in some places, according to the fire departments. The three Cullman County fire departments got sonar equipment just two months ago to help in the deep-water searches.
“When we made the recovery with it, I think it paid for itself. It was an expensive unit, $60,000, but it paid for itself that day. I mean, it done what we needed it to do,” Bates said.
Fire and rescue crews say keeping a safe distance between boats and wearing a life vest when the boat is moving are easy ways to keep yourself and others safe on the water.
“It’s crucial. Especially in the boat because you don’t know what’s going to happen. You could hit your head, go unconscious and you can’t swim if you’re unconscious,” boater Adam Crain said. “It always worries me but we try not to be too worried, still want to have fun at the same time.”
Crane Hill and Logan rescue crews say there’s still more sonar equipment and bigger boats they’d like to have to help in searches but funding is a hurdle they’re facing. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/rescue-crews-encourage-life-vests-at-all-times-on-smith-lake/ | 2023-06-20T13:28:23 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/rescue-crews-encourage-life-vests-at-all-times-on-smith-lake/ |
Check out these top stories and more in The Times and nwi.com.
Woman identified in Hobart drowning was pregnant, coroner says: https://bit.ly/3p9EBtX
Stay connected with all your Region News at www.nwi.com.
Video provided in partnership with The Times, JEDtv and WJOB. Sponsored by Strack & Van Til. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/219-news-now-woman-identified-in-hobart-drowning-was-pregnant-coroner-says/article_2b60bdba-0f1b-11ee-b22c-6328d0a4960a.html | 2023-06-20T13:28:49 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/219-news-now-woman-identified-in-hobart-drowning-was-pregnant-coroner-says/article_2b60bdba-0f1b-11ee-b22c-6328d0a4960a.html |
CEDAR LAKE — The pilot of a helicopter that crashed into Cedar Lake early Monday afternoon had leased the aircraft and lives near the crash site, Deputy Police Chief Carl Brittingham said.
The update comes after officials initially announced the pilot and passenger escaped injury in the crash.
Brittingham said that around 1:09 p.m. Monday he saw a small Robinson R22 helicopter flying low over the lake heading north.
"I observed the aircraft go low just above the water and move towards land on the east side of the lake," he said. "I then observed as the aircraft hit the water's surface and spun out of control."
Brittingham said he immediately radioed for assistance and responded to the crash site by boat with officers Shaun Meyer and Cliff Wroe.
The group learned the pilot and passenger were out of the helicopter and safe. Neither person was injured nor anyone in the area, police said.
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The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were notified have been working closely with police, Brittingham said.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is also investigating.
A man was rescued by a witness, while a woman went under the water and did not resurface, the DNR said.
"Divers were placed into the water at the crash site to confirm the condition and placement of the aircraft, as well as confirming no one else was inside as reported," according to Brittingham.
The helicopter was removed from the water using a crane boat and was placed on a trailer on shore.
"The pilot was leasing the aircraft out of the Lansing Airport and does reside on the lake near the crash site," police said. "The flight plan and intentions of the pilot are part of an ongoing investigation."
Brittingham said, "Thank you to all the citizens who provided information and to all responding agencies who did an incredible job today. We are thankful that no one was injured in today's event." | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/new-details-released-on-mondays-helicopter-crash-into-cedar-lake/article_e8534508-0f59-11ee-b45a-4bb3fc8d4dba.html | 2023-06-20T13:28:55 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/new-details-released-on-mondays-helicopter-crash-into-cedar-lake/article_e8534508-0f59-11ee-b45a-4bb3fc8d4dba.html |
June is Dairy Month. Since we’re living in the Dairy State, it’s your patriotic duty to consume as many dairy products as possible. Sure, you could pour skim milk over your breakfast cereal and enjoy some plain Greek yogurt with fruit after lunch. But we prefer to celebrate Dairy Month in the most delicious way — and that means eating ice cream! And we’re pretty sure whipped cream is also a dairy product, so go ahead and build that sundae.
Play ball! The Kenosha Kingfish are back in action tonight at Simmons Field. The Kingfish are hosting the Traverse City Pit Spitters for a 6:35 p.m. game. It’s “The Sandlot” Night, celebrating the iconic baseball movies. For tickets, call 262-653-0900 or go to kingfishbaseball.com.
Bicycle racing is back tonight at the Washington Park Velodrome. The historic venue in Washington Park, 1901 Washington Road, hosts bicycle racing every Tuesday through the summer (except July 4). Registration for Tuesday night racing opens at 6 p.m., with racing scheduled to start at 7 p.m. Tonight’s races include Tuesday Night Premier Races — State Scratch Race. Tuesday night racing is held under the discretion of USA Cycling, and a valid USA Cycling license is required to compete. For more information, visit the Velodrome’s website at kenoshavelodromeracing.com.
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Prost! The Petrifying Springs Biergarten is open daily for the season. The Biergarten is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 8 p.m. Sundays. The Biergarten is located near the Highway JR entrance on the south end of Petrifying Springs Park, 5555 Seventh St., in Somers.
“From Curiosity to Science” — a permanent exhibit — can be toured on the second floor of the Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 First Ave. The exhibit offers visitors the chance to “take a journey of discovery from the 1600s through modern museum displays.” Admission is free. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. For more information, call 262-653-4140 or log on at KenoshaPublicMuseum.org. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-tuesday-june-20/article_7839e682-0eaf-11ee-92d5-9bb3d355b101.html | 2023-06-20T13:30:52 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-tuesday-june-20/article_7839e682-0eaf-11ee-92d5-9bb3d355b101.html |
MANTUA, Ohio — A search warrant executed by the Portage Animal Protective League’s Humane Investigations Department last week resulted in 146 deceased dogs being found at a house in Mantua.
"The state of that house and everything that was in it was just, there's not even words to describe it. It was just horrendous," neighbor Jon Collier told 3News.
Per the Protective League, 146 dead dogs found were in various stages of decay, with many of them confined in their crates. No dogs were found alive at the residence.
The search warrant was executed after the Protective League received a tip regarding a pending animal cruelty charge against the homeowner in another jurisdiction. According to a release, the homeowner is a founding operator of Canine Lifeline, Inc., a nonprofit animal rescue.
According to an IRS 990 form from 2021, Barbara Wible is the president of Canine Lifeline, Inc. County records indicate she is the owner of the decrepit home.
Collier says he hasn't heard much from his neighbor in the last six to eight months.
"She just left. Not a care in the world. I don't know who could do that or why she would do that, but just to leave them and not even have food or water," he added.
Necropsies (animal autopsies) will be performed in order to determine the dogs’ causes of death and an investigation remains ongoing. Anybody with information regarding this investigation is asked to contact the Humane Agent, Holly Ebner at humaneofficer@portageapl.org.
Late Monday afternoon, Canine Lifeline, Inc. wrote a long post on Facebook expressing shock at the revelations discovered at Wible's house. The nonprofit added that Wible was hospitalized on June 2 after having been found collapsed in her home. A subsequent investigation revealed "overwhelming evidence of ongoing fatal animal neglect in both her current Parma residence as well as her former home in Mantua."
The surviving dogs found at Wible's Parma residence were taken to Parma Animal Shelter, who have been providing care until good homes can be found for the canines.
3News has reached out to the Mantua Police Department and the Portage County Sheriff's Office, but have not heard back. In the meantime, search warrant papers hang on the front door of the home while all of the kennels sit outside.
More local coverage from WKYC:
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- Parma Heights woman crushed to death by ambulance after police said she was OK in a welfare check, and more: 3News Daily with Stephanie Haney
- 75-year-old grandmother and 1-year-old child reported missing in Cleveland
- Mother arrested after 3-year-old Cleveland boy's death ruled homicide
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- Brain tumor vaccine study giving hope to those with deadly glioblastoma
- Cleveland celebrates Juneteenth, other celebrations taking place across Northeast Ohio
- Lorain Police Department: 1 dead, another injured in Saturday car crash
- Woman dies after being hit by ambulance pulling away in Parma Heights
- 33-year-old woman shot dead in Lakewood backyard; police investigating
- 64-year-old man killed in Stark County motorcycle crash
- Mission Possible: Vision to transform Veterans Memorial Bridge
- Father's Day recipe from Chef Eric Wells
- 15-year-old boy shot in Akron, taken to hospital | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/146-dead-dogs-found-portage-county-home/95-0d24d149-b41e-4573-bfa8-66cbc7e73056 | 2023-06-20T13:36:54 | 1 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/146-dead-dogs-found-portage-county-home/95-0d24d149-b41e-4573-bfa8-66cbc7e73056 |
EVERETT, Wash. — Washington-based OceanGate Expeditions is the company behind a submersible that was reported missing on Sunday after losing contact with a surface team an hour and 45 minutes into a trip to survey the wreckage of the Titanic.
The company takes paying customers to see the Titanic at a price tag of $250,000 a spot.
Teams from OceanGate Expeditions began surveying the deterioration of the iconic ocean liner in 2021, and have returned every year since. There are five mission legs planned for 2023.
The company said the aim of their Titanic expeditions are to document flora and fauna living in the wreckage, document the condition of the wreck with high-definition photographs and video, and supplement the work of previous scientific expeditions by capturing data and images that can be used for continued scientific study at the site.
In a previous interview with KING 5 back in 2021, OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush said, "For me, the whole mission is how do we get access to the deep ocean that isn't limited by government research dollars or billionaires' yachts? And so, the Titanic is the way to do that."
The submersibles
The company has three submersibles: Antipodes, which can go 305 meters or 1,000 feet deep, Cyclops 1 which can go 500 meters or 1,600 feet deep, and Titan which can reach depths of up to 4,000 meters or 13,200 feet. According to a promotional video by the company, the controls are made using a repurposed PlayStation 3 controller.
Titan is the submersible that the company takes on Titanic expeditions. The vessel was designed in consultation with a team of engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
The submersible includes the company's proprietary Real Time Hull Health Monitoring systems (RTM) which assesses the integrity of the hull throughout every dive, according to the company's website. The company said off-the-shelf components helped to streamline the submersible's construction.
The expeditions
Each mission leg is 10 days, which includes eight days at sea. In an interview with KING 5 back in 2021, the company said missions would include roughly 40 paid tourists, who take turns operating sonar equipment and performing other tasks on the five-person submersible, in addition to archeologists and marine biologists.
The submersible goes on several missions down to the Titanic over the course of the expedition. Each one of the trips is between eight to 10 hours. Each submersible trip typically includes a pilot, a researcher and three "mission specialists," or paying customers.
Mission specialists' training and support fees underwrite the expeditions and the participation of the science team, according to the company's website.
The submersible is launched from a platform that is towed behind the mothership, according to a promotional video. The submersible command module then leaves the platform, performs its mission and returns to the underwater platform to be brought back to the surface. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/oceangate-expeditions-missing-submersible-not-submarine-titanic/281-58d1676c-dc66-4c8e-9620-50032f3555ed | 2023-06-20T13:37:00 | 1 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/oceangate-expeditions-missing-submersible-not-submarine-titanic/281-58d1676c-dc66-4c8e-9620-50032f3555ed |
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A man arrested in the rape and murder of a woman in Seminole County in July 1986 is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday.
Danny Lynn Emitt, 54, was arrested in 2019, 33 years after Eveline Aguilar’s murder, when investigators resubmitted DNA evidence collected from the apartment the woman was found stabbed to death in.
He was indicted by a grand jury on first-degree premeditated murder with a weapon and burglary of a dwelling with assault or battery.
According to officials, a friend of Aguilar’s found the woman’s body after discovering her apartment door was open.
Officials said Aguilar’s body had been brutally and repeatedly stabbed to death, and the medical examiner ruled her death a homicide.
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During the investigation, deputies found that a pane of glass had been removed from a window, allowing it to be unlocked. Deputies also discovered palm prints on the window sill inside the apartment, as well as seminal fluid.
Investigators were able to match the seminal fluid collected in Aguilar’s case to a sexual assault case investigated by the Melbourne Police Department in 2005, according to an affidavit.
In the 2005 case, Emitt voluntarily gave his DNA for Melbourne police to compare it with evidence collected in the case involving the sexual assault of two underage girls. Though Emitt was cleared in the sexual assault case, his DNA remained in the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Combined DNA Index System.
A judge is expected to sentence Emitt to life in prison.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/20/man-to-be-sentenced-in-1986-rape-murder-of-woman-in-seminole-county/ | 2023-06-20T13:45:31 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/20/man-to-be-sentenced-in-1986-rape-murder-of-woman-in-seminole-county/ |
CEDAR FALLS — Aaron Hawbaker says for years neighbors have asked him to consider running for City Council.
The attorney has always "wanted to help people" and now is ready to take that step. He formally announced his decision Monday to make a run at the Ward 4 seat after having lived in town for a more than 30 years.
He serves as the state's chief public defender in Waterloo, focused solely on criminal defense. He previously practiced out of private offices, handling legal matters and consulting for individuals, businesses and small city governments.
Ward 4 Councilmember Simon Harding is not seeking reelection to a second four-year term. Hawbaker will join Gabe Groothuis, a recent University of Northern Iowa graduate and now financial adviser, in the race.
A third candidate, a downtown business owner, is strongly considering a run for the seat or the mayoral chair and told The Courier he expects to announce a decision in the next several weeks.
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After redistricting, Ward 4 represents the eastern sliver of the city and the College Hill District, the area between University Avenue and 18th Street from Iowa Highway 58 and the Cedar River to the east side of Hudson Road.
A Des Moines area native, Hawbaker, 55, first came to Cedar Falls for an education at the University of Northern Iowa on a debate scholarship in 1986 and earned a political science degree.
He’s always felt like he could make an impact but never was in a place professionally until recently where he felt he could give an elected role the necessary time. He now has the encouragement of his wife, Becky, to make a run at the seat.
“This place is a lot different than when I came here in 1986 – all for the better,” he said. “My hope on council would be to continue to work in that vein with the staff, councilmembers and mayor.”
No single issue is driving his interest. He feels he has the right demeanor and the right experiences to make a difference.
Hawbaker noted he’s dealt with emotionally charged situations through his legal work and believes he’s capable of dealing with those in a similar way at the council dais.
“I’m good at staying level-headed while staying focused on my responsibilities in that particular environment, and I think I would bring that same balance to making policy decisions at the city level,” said Hawbaker.
Additionally, he’s “principled and sticks to his guns” but goes into decisions with an open mind.
“I’m more than happy to listen, and you can ask anyone I’ve worked with, I can change my mind when it shows that I’ve been wrong,” he said.
Focuses will include the redevelopment of College Hill business district as well as economic development and making sure Cedar Falls is part of the solution to Iowa's statewide exodus.
“I would like to see the same type of development that happened on State Street and Main Street happen in the Hill area as well," Hawbaker said. "We have some great anchor businesses there but obviously there are some vacancies.”
He pointed to the city's $2.69 million project to revamp Pettersen Plaza as hopefully acting as “almost a perfect springboard” for future development.
Additionally, he'd like to address the nearly empty College Square Mall and push for the continued westward expansion of the city.
“It will be interesting to see how those neighborhoods are going to develop, because it won’t just all be residential and clearly there will be some commercial development to meet the needs," he said. "There will also presumably be additional firehouses and police to ensure adequate response time.”
He’s OK with growth, especially with the way Cedar Falls has gone about it. Iowa’s “stagnating” population trends are concerning. He feels Cedar Falls needs to continue to find ways to incentivize people to come and live here, not just stay, as part of his larger strategy to build "strong neighborhoods."
“You need to have a diverse business and employment opportunities but also have to have an emphasis on quality of life. We have an amazing trail system, but I think it could get better. The park improvements (are) in the works," he said. "All those things are important that make people want to live here.”
Waterloo and Cedar Falls neighbors: Obituaries for June 19
Read through the obituaries published today in The Courier.
Richard LeeHublerMay 31, 2023Leawood, KS - For moreinformation please visitmtmoriah.net
Ralph Samuel Scott, Jr., 95, formerly of Cedar Falls, Iowa, passed away Wednesday, June 7, 2023, in Quincy, Illinois. He was born on July 31, …
Sherry Ione DuCharme 85, passed away with her family by her side on Tuesday May 2, 2023. Sherry was born to Kenneth and Dorothy Overkamp Augus…
Carol Banner, 79, of Iowa Falls, died Friday, June 16, 2023 at Independence Village in Waukee. Arrangements: Woodley Funeral Home of Iowa Falls. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-politics/hawbaker-joins-cf-ward-4-race/article_54f0f31e-0ba3-11ee-8b6c-233641b9a087.html | 2023-06-20T13:47:12 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-politics/hawbaker-joins-cf-ward-4-race/article_54f0f31e-0ba3-11ee-8b6c-233641b9a087.html |
WATERLOO — When Vietnam War-era veteran PFC-E3 Thomas J. Erpelding died July 3, 2021, he left behind no surviving family members to mourn his passing, or celebrate his life. His ashes have been held for more than two years in a locked vault at Locke Funeral Home.
On Friday, the veteran community is mustering to provide Erpelding a memorable send-off. In an effort organized and directed by Locke Funeral Home Director Paul Smith, a caravan of vehicles will escort his remains to a military burial service at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Adel.
“Veterans are coming together to be his family. The camaraderie and pride among veterans shows how they look at a fellow veteran,” said Smith. “This is their way of showing their respect.”
His goal is to have a caravan that’s at least a mile long.
The public may participate. Drivers should arrive no later than 7:30 a.m. Friday in the Locke Funeral Home parking lot at 4140 Kimball Ave. in Waterloo. A drivers’ meeting starts at 7:45 a.m., and the caravan will depart at 8 a.m.
He expects to have representatives from such veterans’ organizations as the American Legion, Patriot Guard Riders, AMVET Riders, Iowa Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association and additional motorcycle clubs as well as a host of classic cars, street rods, hot rods, two Jeep clubs, three Corvette clubs, law enforcement and private citizens. There will be a police escort.
Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson will accompany the caravan to the county line. “As we cross each county line, various sheriffs will escort us across their counties,” Smith said.
Smith will transport Erpelding’s ashes himself, driving his personal 2003 50th anniversary Corvette Pace Car convertible. “It’s red and has all the graphics on the sides. It’s a cool car. I wanted to do something appropriate and memorable for the send-off,” Smith explained.
The caravan will travel on U.S. Highway 20 to Interstate 35 with a stop in Des Moines at the Hamilton Funeral Home, where a short memorial service is planned at 11:30 a.m. That service is for Erpelding and 12 other veterans and two spouses.
“Two veterans’ remains are coming from Garner, one from Corydon and the rest from the Des Moines area,” Smith noted.
All of the remains will be transported via caravan to the Iowa Veterans Cemetery, where a military service and internment will take place at 2 p.m. The public may attend.
“We did something similar last year, but not on the same scale. It was impromptu, but very well-received. We had a veteran with no family, and I contacted the veterans’ cemetery to make arrangements to have that gentleman taken to the cemetery. I learned there was a similar group from Des Moines doing the same thing, so we teamed up,” Smith explained.
“When we got to the cemetery, it was a big crowd. I was absolutely shocked but it shows how veterans come together to honor their own. This year, I wanted to get out and garner interest early and really build this send-off into something. It will be a touching program. This will make my whole year totally worthwhile.”
Last year, Smith cranked up his Corvette to 125 miles per hour on the open highway with police escort.
“Lights were flashing and it gave the veteran one last ride. We may be able to do the same this year but it depends on traffic and conditions, of course.”
PFC-E3 Thomas G. Erpelding was born Jan. 15, 1950, in Dubuque, the son of William and Norine Erpelding. He played football at Dubuque High School, then served in the U.S. Army from 1970 to 1971, including serving more than a year overseas. He earned the National Defense Service Medal and an M16 sharpshooter badge, serving in the 182nd Light Equipment Maintenance Company, as a chemical equipment repairman.
He married Dixie Carnicle but they divorced in 2007.
Smith was unable to find information on Erpelding’s employment history and other family members. It is known that he lived in Waterloo and died at 71 after a battle with dementia at Pillar of Cedar Valley, a care facility in Waterloo.
Counties with the most veterans in Iowa
Counties with the most veterans in Iowa
There are roughly 19 million veterans living in the U.S., according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs . Though, the VA anticipates the percentage of the U.S. population with military experience will continue to decline over the next couple of decades—by 2046, it expects the number of living U.S. veterans to decrease by 35%.
Stacker compiled a list of the counties with the most veterans in Iowa using data from the U.S. Census Bureau . Counties are ranked by the highest percent of residents that are veterans based on the Census’ 2020 5-year estimate.
California, Texas, and Florida are home to the most veterans, and Wyoming, Vermont, and Washington D.C. home to the least. American veterans live in virtually all of the country’s 3,142 counties.
Keep reading to see where the most veterans live in your home state.
JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons
#50. Jasper County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.1% (2,324 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 86
--- Korean War: 238
--- Vietnam War: 824
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 467
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 407
Canva
#49. Monroe County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.1% (481 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 5
--- Korean War: 77
--- Vietnam War: 114
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 145
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 65
Carol M. Highsmith // Wikimedia Commons
#48. Fayette County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.1% (1,248 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 44
--- Korean War: 97
--- Vietnam War: 414
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 244
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 239
Canva
#47. Plymouth County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.1% (1,533 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 79
--- Korean War: 242
--- Vietnam War: 549
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 238
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 297
Scott Romine // Wikimedia Commons
#46. Pocahontas County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.2% (430 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 29
--- Korean War: 70
--- Vietnam War: 153
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 52
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 34
Pettingills // Wikimedia Commons
#45. Adair County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.2% (453 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 10
--- Korean War: 52
--- Vietnam War: 221
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 56
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 62
C. A. Tucker // Wikimedia Commons
#44. Guthrie County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.3% (685 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 9
--- Korean War: 62
--- Vietnam War: 253
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 130
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 88
Nst101 // Wikimedia Commons
#43. Clarke County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.3% (584 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 20
--- Korean War: 73
--- Vietnam War: 228
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 62
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 104
Altairisfar // Wikimedia Commons
#42. Adams County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.3% (240 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 8
--- Korean War: 20
--- Vietnam War: 145
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 13
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 35
Bdearthco // Wikimedia Commons
#41. Franklin County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.3% (645 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 30
--- Korean War: 112
--- Vietnam War: 229
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 110
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 90
Rudi Weikard // Wikimedia Commons
#40. Humboldt County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.3% (605 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 11
--- Korean War: 65
--- Vietnam War: 282
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 128
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 96
Cory Maylett // Wikimedia Commons
#39. Butler County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.4% (946 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 76
--- Korean War: 134
--- Vietnam War: 369
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 120
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 118
Chris Pruitt // Wikimedia Commons
#38. Lee County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.5% (2,263 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 73
--- Korean War: 170
--- Vietnam War: 1,024
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 417
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 399
Library of Congress
#37. Hardin County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.5% (1,137 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 108
--- Korean War: 158
--- Vietnam War: 390
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 170
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 94
Daniel Schwen // Wikimedia Commons
#36. Buchanan County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.6% (1,331 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 46
--- Korean War: 80
--- Vietnam War: 584
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 201
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 209
Kevin Schuchmann // Wikimedia Commons
#35. Scott County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.6% (11,332 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 357
--- Korean War: 583
--- Vietnam War: 3,959
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 2,373
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,863
Brandonrush // Wikimedia Commons
#34. Jefferson County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.6% (1,256 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 25
--- Korean War: 132
--- Vietnam War: 365
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 261
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 137
M Floyd // Flickr
#33. Calhoun County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.6% (657 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 18
--- Korean War: 106
--- Vietnam War: 281
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 67
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 98
Rivers Langley; SaveRivers // Wikimedia Commons
#32. Howard County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.7% (603 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 17
--- Korean War: 115
--- Vietnam War: 233
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 108
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 112
Valis55 // Wikimedia Commons
#31. Jackson County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.8% (1,323 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 35
--- Korean War: 192
--- Vietnam War: 495
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 236
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 167
Springfieldohio // Wikimedia Commons
#30. Page County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.8% (1,078 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 11
--- Korean War: 77
--- Vietnam War: 436
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 191
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 173
Jim Roberts // Wikimedia Commons
#29. Montgomery County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 8.8% (676 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 2
--- Korean War: 73
--- Vietnam War: 307
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 91
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 95
Chris Pruitt // wikicommons
#28. Greene County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.0% (623 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 33
--- Korean War: 64
--- Vietnam War: 211
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 135
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 27
Canva
#27. Sac County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.0% (682 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 24
--- Korean War: 107
--- Vietnam War: 244
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 67
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 105
User:Magicpiano // Wikimedia Commons
#26. Benton County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.1% (1,776 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 39
--- Korean War: 154
--- Vietnam War: 618
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 298
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 203
Brandonrush // Wikimedia Commons
#25. Union County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (874 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 19
--- Korean War: 78
--- Vietnam War: 393
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 92
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 131
Canva
#24. Mills County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (1,045 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 58
--- Korean War: 43
--- Vietnam War: 363
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 289
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 229
Jared Winkler // Wikimedia Commons
#23. Taylor County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (434 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 17
--- Korean War: 32
--- Vietnam War: 245
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 55
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 34
Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons
#22. Appanoose County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (891 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 65
--- Korean War: 103
--- Vietnam War: 360
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 137
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 88
Jim Roberts // Wikimedia Commons
#21. Mitchell County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (746 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 30
--- Korean War: 87
--- Vietnam War: 359
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 105
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 55
Canva
#20. Pottawattamie County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.2% (6,613 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 131
--- Korean War: 467
--- Vietnam War: 2,345
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,464
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 1,019
Skinzfan23 // Wikimedia Commons
#19. Shelby County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.3% (835 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 16
--- Korean War: 85
--- Vietnam War: 319
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 114
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 85
Rivers Langley; SaveRivers // Wikimedia Commons
#18. Jones County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.3% (1,501 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 41
--- Korean War: 208
--- Vietnam War: 601
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 150
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 245
Bubba73 // Wikimedia Commons
#17. Dickinson County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.3% (1,300 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 33
--- Korean War: 204
--- Vietnam War: 525
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 149
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 155
TheCatalyst31 // Wikimedia Commons
#16. Cass County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.3% (943 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 23
--- Korean War: 115
--- Vietnam War: 315
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 168
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 191
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
#15. O'Brien County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.3% (985 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 60
--- Korean War: 178
--- Vietnam War: 312
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 114
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 123
Scott Romine // Wikimedia Commons
#14. Clay County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.4% (1,173 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 35
--- Korean War: 187
--- Vietnam War: 395
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 133
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 169
JNix // Shutterstock
#13. Van Buren County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.4% (514 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 8
--- Korean War: 51
--- Vietnam War: 262
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 73
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 48
Brandonrush // Wikimedia Commons
#12. Clinton County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.5% (3,444 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 122
--- Korean War: 352
--- Vietnam War: 1,451
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 558
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 519
Nyttend // Wikimedia Commons
#11. Kossuth County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.6% (1,125 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 33
--- Korean War: 124
--- Vietnam War: 500
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 176
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 39
Alejandro Pulido // Wikimedia Commons
#10. Henry County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.7% (1,507 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 36
--- Korean War: 115
--- Vietnam War: 519
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 249
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 277
Rivers Langley; SaveRivers // Wikimedia Commons
#9. Floyd County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.7% (1,185 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 62
--- Korean War: 193
--- Vietnam War: 373
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 157
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 160
Thomson200 // Wikimedia Commons
#8. Des Moines County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.8% (2,986 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 176
--- Korean War: 257
--- Vietnam War: 1,345
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 495
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 378
Ian Poellet // Wikimedia Commons
#7. Cedar County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.9% (1,418 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 61
--- Korean War: 116
--- Vietnam War: 506
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 258
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 273
Kevin Schuchmann // Wikimedia Commons
#6. Worth County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 9.9% (586 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 25
--- Korean War: 66
--- Vietnam War: 235
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 63
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 39
Canva
#5. Harrison County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 10.2% (1,107 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 28
--- Korean War: 146
--- Vietnam War: 411
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 163
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 139
W.marsh // Wikimedia Commons
#4. Marshall County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 10.3% (3,076 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 184
--- Korean War: 245
--- Vietnam War: 1,127
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 439
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 469
Canva
#3. Cherokee County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 10.3% (915 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 50
--- Korean War: 99
--- Vietnam War: 350
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 186
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 63
Rudi Weikard // Wikimedia Commons
#2. Osceola County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 10.8% (494 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 15
--- Korean War: 64
--- Vietnam War: 175
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 35
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 74
Ebyabe // Wikimedia Commons
#1. Monona County
- Percent of residents that are veterans: 10.8% (743 veterans)
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 17
--- Korean War: 75
--- Vietnam War: 302
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 52
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 75
JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD // Wikimedia Commons
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Come view an affordable home in Oak Ridge for first-time buyers
106 Waddell Place, furnished and staged will be open for public viewing later this week
The Oak Ridge Community Development Corp. (ORCDC) will host a ribbon cutting and open house to showcase three homes built to offer affordable home ownership to first-time homebuyers who are part of the community workforce.
The ribbon cutting will be at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, June 22, at 106 Waddell Place, in front of the three new homes in the Highland View neighborhood. The event will also showcase how nonprofits and community partners came together to enable the Oak Ridge Housing Authority and ORCDC to build affordable housing for new homeowners for the first time in Oak Ridge.
“Our intent was to design a quality home that is not only architecturally pleasing and energy saving, but also affordable for first-time homebuyers in the Oak Ridge community,” said Maria Catron, executive director of the Oak Ridge Housing Authority.
“This is just the beginning of opportunities for the Community Development Corporation, along with the Oak Ridge Housing Authority, to provide quality affordable housing to the residents of Oak Ridge,” Tom Beehan, ORCDC chairman said.
The one-level homes have similar floor plans, with three bedrooms, two baths, and wide front porches. The exteriors each have a different historic paint color with unique style touches.
Each home is offered for its appraised value, $238,000. Catron noted that the affordable price point a few years ago, as this project was being conceived, was $150,000 to $180,000. Today, it’s $200,000 to the low $200,000s.
The house at 106 Waddell Place will be open for viewing for three days, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, June 22-24.
Interior designer Judy Gooch has fully staged the house, volunteering her time to decorate and be at the home while it’s open. She plans to donate window treatments used in staging to the family that purchases the house. Gooch invited Bill Cox Furniture of Knoxville to furnish the rooms for the open house. Furnishings will be available for sale when the open house ends on Saturday.
“Judy has really stepped up to showcase this project to our community, so we can really see what affordable housing can be. It can be done beautifully and tastefully, with all the appeal we would like to see in our homes,” Catron said.
“This is a wonderful first step on what a community partnership looks like and what it can accomplish,” Catron said. “This has truly been a group effort the Oak Ridge Land Bank, the city of Oak Ridge, other nonprofit housing providers, Pinnacle Bank, and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency (THDA), along with volunteers and potential homeowners we have been working with.”
She added, “This is how to make a meaningful impact, not only for our families who want to purchase a home, but for the community as a whole.”
Anyone who hasn’t purchased a home before or hasn’t owned a home in the past three years, with a gross income at 80% of the average median income for this area is eligible to purchase the homes, Catron said. For a family of four, that household income would be $69,100.
Those interested should contact the Oak Ridge Housing Authority, 865-482-1006, to see if they qualify and to learn about loan programs that support the purchase. After the three-day open house, the houses will be available to see by appointment with the Housing Authority.
While the Housing Authority manages public housing units, the nonprofit Oak Ridge Community Development Corp. was formed five years ago by the Housing Authority to manage developments such as the new homes on Waddell Place.
The project began when the Oak Ridge Land Bank gave ORCDC four lots on Waddell Place. Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) will build an affordable home on the fourth lot.
Partnership support came from THDA, which enabled use of the Community Investment Tax Credit (CITC) by the construction lender, Pinnacle Bank. The bank receives a credit on its state sales and excise taxes in exchange for providing loan products to nonprofits for developing affordable housing opportunities, Catron explained.
“So hats off to Pinnacle Bank for agreeing to use the CITC program. The bank has been a great partner to work with. With THDA support, we’ve been able to keep the cost low, which means we have affordable homes to put on the market,” she said.
The Architecture Collaborative of Knoxville designed the homes, looking at the architectural history of homes in Oak Ridge. S&J Design and Construction LLC, Knoxville, was the general contractor. | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/19/groups-work-together-to-construct-three-affordable-oak-ridge-homes/70329735007/ | 2023-06-20T13:58:51 | 0 | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/19/groups-work-together-to-construct-three-affordable-oak-ridge-homes/70329735007/ |
Oak Ridge council awards contract for nearly $5M conference center
Part of Oak Ridge Civic Center will be transformed into conference center; 15-month project
A portion of the Oak Ridge Civic Center will become a conference center in the future. Oak Ridge City Council has awarded the construction contract to Path Construction Northeast Inc., of Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Path Construction submitted the lowest bid at $4.26 million. Clark Nexsen, the Johnson City company that provided the design for the new conference center, reviewed the bids and recommended the low bidder be awarded the contract and that a $327,000 contingency be added for unexpected costs, bringing the cost up to $4.59 million, according to information provided through the June 12 city council meeting agenda packet.
The state of Tennessee is providing $2.9 million of the funding through a grant for the Science and Energy Education and Meeting Center. A total of $435,000 of that grant has been committed to architectural and geotechnical services, according to the city information, leaving nearly $2.47 for the 15-month construction project. The remaining amount will be paid through the city's general fund budget.
The conference center, which won't include the gym, will be 10,834 square feet and will have a banquet hall that could comfortably seat at least 400 people at tables. Partitions could be set up to turn that large hall into three smaller meeting spaces. There would also be smaller breakout rooms located at the front of the facility.
"The project will include improvements to shower and restroom facilities as well as a remodel of the existing Civic Center kitchen and establishing a corridor outside of the Civic Center for visitors to be able to see the entrance to the conference center from Oak Ridge Turnpike. As a part of the project, a sprinkler system will be installed in the entire Civic Center facility. The Civic Center’s recreational spaces like the pool and gym will remain at the facility," stated a city news release.
"Prior to developing the design of the conference center, project managers met with volunteers on some of the city’s advisory boards, including the Recreation & Parks and Youth Advisory boards, to collect input. Architects gave a public presentation at the City Council work session in January and Council was also given an update at its work session in April," the release stated.
At recent city council meetings, officials have discussed that offices for the city's Recreation and Parks Department staff can be moved from the Civic Center to the old Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic building on Badger Road. That building, vacant for many years, is owned by the city.
There will be more costs for transforming the Civic Center into a conference center.
City consultant Ray Evans has estimated that technology, furniture and fixtures, at an estimated cost of $450,000, also will be needed, according to the city information. Council also took action to extend Clark Nexsen's contract to Dec. 31 and their payment from $185,000 to $416,768.
In addition, city officials are looking at possible reconstruction of the plaza area between and connected to the Oak Ridge Public Library and the Recreation Building. This was considered as an additional alternate to the construction project bid process, but officials decided it needed more study and consideration, including items such as lighting and "development of a central focus of interest item."
Plaza reconstruction, replacing the plaza lighting, a central feature and landscaping was estimated at $652,000.
Council member Derrick Hammond asked if pricing for use of the conference center would be affordable for area residents to use it for functions, as well as it being used for conferences. Interim City Manager Jack Suggs said they will be studying how to price the facility's use so the city could strike a balance between making it affordable for community functions and recovering the costs of construction and needed purchases.
Council member Jim Dodson asked about the fountain and sculpture in the plaza. Suggs said the sculpture will need to be removed and stored during the construction work, and the "whole thing" of the fountain and sculpture will need to be looked at.
More parking is expected to be made available, and city council members were told parking for bigger events could lead to having people park at Oak Ridge High School and take a shuttle to the conference center.
Council member Ellen Smith said she saw at the previous Saturday's ORNL Summer Sessions concert at A.K. Bissell Park, adjacent to the Civic Center, that 1,000 people or more could park nearby and easily get to the area.
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/2023/06/19/oak-ridge-council-awards-contract-for-nearly-5m-conference-center/70312902007/ | 2023-06-20T13:58:52 | 1 | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/19/oak-ridge-council-awards-contract-for-nearly-5m-conference-center/70312902007/ |
SEARCY, Ark. — The Searcy Police Department is investigating after a citizen notified them of possible human remains in a wooded area between Hubach Drive and South Poplar Street on June 16.
Upon arrival, officers located skeletal remains and confirmed them to be human.
The remains were collected and sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for identification.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Evidence Recovery Team (ERT) was notified to assist with the recovery of the remains.
This is an ongoing investigation. We will provide updates as more information becomes available. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/police-human-remains-searcy/91-f612b8be-d7fa-4e31-9d67-4e3f3fe7d85e | 2023-06-20T14:07:18 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/police-human-remains-searcy/91-f612b8be-d7fa-4e31-9d67-4e3f3fe7d85e |
NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — More than 100 people were evacuated due to an ammonia leak in a food processing facility in New Braunfels late Monday night.
The HAZMAT situation occurred at the New Braunfels Smokehouse food production facility in the 400 block of North Guenther Avenue.
New Braunfels Fire Department posted on its Facebook page that a small leak of a large ammonia tank happened inside the facility. All employees working at the time were evacuated, the post said.
As a precautionary measure, additional evacuations of nearby homes and businesses were ordered. Using the reverse 911 system as well as door-to-door notifications, NBPD and the New Braunfels Fire Department evacuated those within two tenths of a mile around the facility, affecting approximately 115 people.
Around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, NBFD updated its Facebook post to say the evacuation was lifted.
Here is the full statement:
"The Guada-Coma Hazmat Team, which was established in 2014 by regional fire departments (including New Braunfels) to be able to assist during hazardous materials incident, made the scene of the ammonia leak, made entry into the facility, and was able to locate and stop the leak. As a precaution, air monitoring has been established by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) around the plant. The voluntary evacuation order was lifted and there were no injuries associated with this incident."
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/100-people-evacuated-due-to-ammonia-leak-at-new-braunfels-food-processing-facility-texas/273-974391a3-0270-466b-9e47-93c36df4d9c5 | 2023-06-20T14:08:10 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/100-people-evacuated-due-to-ammonia-leak-at-new-braunfels-food-processing-facility-texas/273-974391a3-0270-466b-9e47-93c36df4d9c5 |
ZAVALA COUNTY, Texas — A high-speed chase with a suspected human smuggler in Zavala County ended with a crash after the driver tried to run from officers.
The chase happened Monday around 1 a.m. after a deputy tried to make a traffic stop on a Blue Toyota Tundra on Highway 57 east of La Pryor, Texas. The chase ended just before they entered Batesville when deputies put down spike strips.
The spike strips blew out the tires and caused the driver to lose control and roll several times.
Four people inside the truck were taken to the hospital. They were all from Honduras, country officials said.
The driver and one passenger got away in the brush.
This is a developing story and further details will be added as they are received.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/four-people-detained-after-chase-with-suspected-human-smuggler-in-zavala-county-texas/273-2f0e1b0a-954c-49e5-98b7-0c11f9c192fb | 2023-06-20T14:08:16 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/four-people-detained-after-chase-with-suspected-human-smuggler-in-zavala-county-texas/273-2f0e1b0a-954c-49e5-98b7-0c11f9c192fb |
EVERETT, Wash. — Washington-based OceanGate Expeditions is the company behind a submersible that was reported missing on Sunday after losing contact with a surface team an hour and 45 minutes into a trip to survey the wreckage of the Titanic.
The company takes paying customers to see the Titanic at a price tag of $250,000 a spot.
Teams from OceanGate Expeditions began surveying the deterioration of the iconic ocean liner in 2021, and have returned every year since. There are five mission legs planned for 2023.
The company said the aim of their Titanic expeditions are to document flora and fauna living in the wreckage, document the condition of the wreck with high-definition photographs and video, and supplement the work of previous scientific expeditions by capturing data and images that can be used for continued scientific study at the site.
In a previous interview with KING 5 back in 2021, OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush said, "For me, the whole mission is how do we get access to the deep ocean that isn't limited by government research dollars or billionaires' yachts? And so, the Titanic is the way to do that."
The submersibles
The company has three submersibles: Antipodes, which can go 305 meters or 1,000 feet deep, Cyclops 1 which can go 500 meters or 1,600 feet deep, and Titan which can reach depths of up to 4,000 meters or 13,200 feet. According to a promotional video by the company, the controls are made using a repurposed PlayStation 3 controller.
Titan is the submersible that the company takes on Titanic expeditions. The vessel was designed in consultation with a team of engineers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
The submersible includes the company's proprietary Real Time Hull Health Monitoring systems (RTM) which assesses the integrity of the hull throughout every dive, according to the company's website. The company said off-the-shelf components helped to streamline the submersible's construction.
The expeditions
Each mission leg is 10 days, which includes eight days at sea. In an interview with KING 5 back in 2021, the company said missions would include roughly 40 paid tourists, who take turns operating sonar equipment and performing other tasks on the five-person submersible, in addition to archeologists and marine biologists.
The submersible goes on several missions down to the Titanic over the course of the expedition. Each one of the trips is between eight to 10 hours. Each submersible trip typically includes a pilot, a researcher and three "mission specialists," or paying customers.
Mission specialists' training and support fees underwrite the expeditions and the participation of the science team, according to the company's website.
The submersible is launched from a platform that is towed behind the mothership, according to a promotional video. The submersible command module then leaves the platform, performs its mission and returns to the underwater platform to be brought back to the surface. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/oceangate-expeditions-missing-submersible-not-submarine-titanic/281-58d1676c-dc66-4c8e-9620-50032f3555ed | 2023-06-20T14:08:22 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/oceangate-expeditions-missing-submersible-not-submarine-titanic/281-58d1676c-dc66-4c8e-9620-50032f3555ed |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita Fire Department battled a vacant house fire Tuesday just south of downtown Wichita.
The department said crews were called around 3:40 a.m. to the 400 block of E. Orme.
Firefighters found the boarded-up home involved in flames, and crews initiated an aggressive interior attack and search. The house had been known to have been inhabited by squatters, the department said.
No injuries were reported in the fire. The Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department will evaluate the home due to the damage. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/vacant-house-burns-overnight-near-downtown-wichita/ | 2023-06-20T14:12:39 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/vacant-house-burns-overnight-near-downtown-wichita/ |
GREENSBORO — After recently putting a pause on its operations, Triad Stage will permanently close its doors, its Board of Trustees announced in a news release this morning.
This spring, the professional regional theater stopped selling tickets to shows while examining available options amid its financial struggles.
“Despite the best efforts of the Board and a small and extremely dedicated staff, as well as the evaluation of numerous options, we have concluded that the operation of Triad Stage is unsustainable. The Board has determined that the only responsible option remaining is to liquidate our assets and dissolve the organization,” Board Co-Chair Sarah Saint said in the news release.
The ticket office will remain open to support the Eastern Musical Festival through its 2023 season. In the coming weeks, ticket holders will be contacted directly regarding outstanding ticket credits.
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— This is a developing story. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/triad-stage-board-of-trustees-announces-permanent-closure/article_a1e0f174-0f63-11ee-ad2f-777247fc2e69.html | 2023-06-20T14:18:02 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/triad-stage-board-of-trustees-announces-permanent-closure/article_a1e0f174-0f63-11ee-ad2f-777247fc2e69.html |
An annual half-hour walking tour across UNCG’s campus on Juneteenth revealed the depth of African Americans’ contributions to the school, something that many community members say they had never fully realized.
Some of those on Monday’s tour read and listened for the first time to stories deeply embedded within the walls of 11 buildings they had spent time in as faculty, staff and alumni of the University.
UNCG, whose student population is 28% Black, has undergone a significant transformation from its status as a college for white women in the early 20th century. The change began when Elizabeth JoAnne Smart and Bettye Tillman, the first two African American students, enrolled in 1956.
The two were forced to room in Shaw Hall, in a wing that was segregated to house only Smart and Tillman. Monday’s tour guided visitors through the renovated building.
People are also reading…
“I never really knew about this history and how it’s in most of the buildings on campus,” said Faith Kirkpatrick, who graduated from UNCG in May.
Shay Bracewell, a training specialist with UNCG’s Human Resources department heard about the tour from her colleagues and decided that she should learn about many of the historical markers across the grounds.
Those on the tour were able to see historic pictures of the first African American workers on campus, the trumpet Miles Davis used to record “Kind of Blues”, the bestselling jazz album of all time. The trumpet was donated by Davis’ friend Buddy Gist to commemorate their friendship. Visitors also were able to see the lounge of the historic Neo Black Society, a student organization founded in 1968, and a display of the accomplishments of Olympian Paul Chelimo, a graduate of UNCG.
The 30-minute journey through history had a unique connection to public health and wellness that the organizers of the tour say is central in African American culture and the civil rights movement.
“We’ve seen the cultural significance of walking throughout African American history,” said Dr. DeAnne Brooks, an associate professor and graduate program director in the department of kinesiology. “During the (1960) sit-in protests, both students at the women’s college and local high schools walked to lunch counters. We know that physicality and being mobile was central to the importance of the Underground Railroad.”
The tour culminated in a presentation that encapsulated the African American contribution to UNCG. When Christina Yongue and the other members of the UNCG Juneteenth Committee stood before a full room of those willing to learn and commemorate the African American contribution to the school, there was a feeling of pride.
“I knew there was history there. It’s been hidden, and not talked about,” said Yongue, who is the director of undergraduate studies at UNCG’s department of Public Health Education. “This tour encourages our whole community to know Black history, and I want Black people specifically to know about what they’ve done and to take pride in it.” | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/unc-greensboro-community-walks-through-black-history/article_db446be4-0ecd-11ee-b5c7-d7032c540589.html | 2023-06-20T14:22:23 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/unc-greensboro-community-walks-through-black-history/article_db446be4-0ecd-11ee-b5c7-d7032c540589.html |
Council approves fines for Fishers businesses that have excessive police runs.
The Fishers City Council on Monday approved an ordinance that will fine certain businesses for excessive emergency calls, contending they take police officers away from more important duties.
Businesses that make seven calls in a three-month period will be issued a warning. The 10th call in that period of time would require a meeting with the city to discuss ways to fix the problem. If the calls persist, every call after the 15th will merit a $250 fine.
The Public Safety Nuisance Ordinance applies to most commercial and industrial businesses, including bars, car dealers, and daycare centers. The council unanimously approved the measure.
Police Chief Ed Gebhart said the vast majority of businesses are not a problem but some large retailers and hotels are chronic offenders.
Indiana caseSupreme Court denies Health & Hospital Corp.'s effort to block civil rights lawsuits
“The calls range from fighting to trespassing, loitering, suspicious activity, and abandoned vehicles,” Gebhart said.
One hotel had 26 calls in two months and another had 29 calls to 911 in three months. City officials said between 2017 and 2021 the Top 10 callers for police included five large retailers and three hotels, totaling more than 5,300 calls. One hotel made 521 calls in that time.
The city declined to provide the names of the businesses they've deemed problematic.
Gebhart said not all the calls are meritless and the ordinance's purpose isn’t to dissuade businesses from calling police but to help them reduce the troubling activity.
“We want to build a partnership,” he said. “To sit with the owners and see what we can do to alleviate the activity.”
Some of the solutions will be obvious and simple he said, such as posting “no loitering” signs or adding burglar alarms. Other possible fixes include hotels registering vehicles and putting lights in the parking lot, or restricting key cards to one per customer, he said.
“Some of the calls are legitimate and we want to keep going out on these,” Gebhart said.
But the false alarms take officers away from more serious crimes because each call is required to be answered by two officers, which means two patrol cars, Gebhart said.
If the ordinance were in effect now, 10 businesses — large retailers, hotels and a few other businesses — would be eligible for fines.
The city has hosted meetings with businesses along 96th Street and the One Zone Chamber of Commerce. Officials also met with the businesses that call the police most frequently.
One Zone President Jack Russell said the business community approves of the ordinance because it is proactive rather than punitive.
"I like that they formed a task force and created a plan and shared the information to ask us to help solve a problem," Russell said. "And it is good that it is data-driven."
The ordinance will take effect Aug. 1.
Call the reporter at 317-444-6418. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/fishers/2023/06/20/fishers-businesses-could-face-fines-excessive-police-calls-nuisance-ordinance/70303291007/ | 2023-06-20T14:24:39 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/fishers/2023/06/20/fishers-businesses-could-face-fines-excessive-police-calls-nuisance-ordinance/70303291007/ |
Another big development to land on 116th Street in downtown Fishers
Fishers plans to build a six-story apartment building downtown in the latest addition to a voluminous redevelopment overhaul that is lining 116th Street with mid-rise structures.
The city council Monday unanimously approved an economic agreement to build CityView at the southwest corner of Lantern Road. The building will have 184 apartments for residents 55 and older and commercial space on the first floor. The $90 million project, by Carmel-based developer Hageman Group subsidiary, HighGround, is scheduled to be finished in spring 2026.
The council also approved an agreement with Rebar Development to construct a five-building $32.4 million complex on South Street between Lantern Road and the Nickel Plate Trail.
District South will be anchored by a four-story building that will be the headquarters for the Annex Group, a housing developer. The company plans to relocate 83 employees from Indianapolis and add 40 more workers by 2028. The development will have seven small businesses, 38 residential lofts, 44 apartments, a civic plaza and a courtyard. It is expected to open in early 2025.
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"We want to establish ourselves as a really cool, walkable downtown neighborhood," Rebar President Shelby Bowen told the council.
Large-scale development in the downtown Nickel Plate District has exploded in the past eight years.
CityView will be built next to the 6-story First Internet Bank building. Across the Nickel Plate Trail, the 5-story Hotel Nickel Plate is under construction and a 5-story condominium development called the REV is planned.
On the northside of 116th Street is the Nickel Plate Station, a 5-story three-building complex of apartments and first-floor shops. To its west are the first mid-rise buildings in the redevelopment surge: The Depot at Nickel Plate and The Flats at Switch, two 4-story luxury apartment buildings that bookend the entrance to the Municipal Complex.
Long term plan
The developments are in the city’s long-range plan to spur economic activity downtown by increasing the number the people living there.
“I’m excited to see the dynamic facets of these developments breathe new life into this area of the Nickel Plate District,” Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness said in a news release. “The transformation of this area will be incredible with high-end architecture, and new spots for small businesses to call home, all bringing a variety of people together from the corporate headquarters location to the 55+ community to visitors enjoying the amenities.”
Since 2015, more than $500 million has been invested in new development downtown with hundreds of apartments, more than 30 retail units, 11 new businesses and several new public gathering spots, city officials said.
The most expedient way to achieve density is the construction of multi-story mixed-use buildings because they can pack lots of residences and businesses in relatively tight spaces. Sometimes called “five-over-ones,” the buildings usually have a concrete first-floor base with storefronts and three of four floors of wood frame construction.
Some residents have groused that the proliferation of the buildings creates a canyon effect, out of proportion to the rest of the city’s architecture, that tends to look alike and increases traffic congestion.
At a recent Fishers community meeting to discuss how to revamp busy Allisonville Road, the No. 1 suggestion by residents was to avoid mixed-use buildings like those downtowns. Some critics have derisively referred to the five-over-ones as “blandmarks” and “stumpies.”
Meeting demand
Several other suburbs, however, have followed the same blueprint to revitalize their downtowns.
CityView developer Hageman Group and District South developer Rebar have been involved in the construction of the Barlow in Plainfield, the Levinson in Noblesville and the Spark Apartments in Fishers.
Rebar has also developed 1300 Block, a condominium development in Speedway, and will build McCord Square, in McCordsville.
City leaders and developers say they are simply meeting the demand for housing within walking and biking distance of shops restaurants and recreation, which is especially sought by younger renters and those nearing retirement age.
Tom Dickey, President of HighGround, said the 55-and older CityView project satisfies two Fishers objectives at once; adding housing for the older population while increasing density downtown. The building itself, he said, "is a perfect fit."
"It has height, it establishes a presence," Dickey told the council. "We think it will be generational. We got the architecture right."
Fishers will provide $25.7 million in financial assistance to the CityView project through developer and city-backed bonds and $9.4 million in city-backed bonds for the construction of District South.
Call the reporter at 317-444-6418. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/fishers/2023/06/20/fishers-development-116th-street-cityview-nickel-plate-trail-latern-road/70330841007/ | 2023-06-20T14:24:45 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/fishers/2023/06/20/fishers-development-116th-street-cityview-nickel-plate-trail-latern-road/70330841007/ |
WINTER PARK, Fla. — With summer break in full swing, families are headed for the water.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
State officials are also raising awareness about water safety.
Photos: Florida officials spotlight water safety after spike in child drownings
So far this year, there have been 44 reports of child drowning deaths.
That’s already eight more than last year.
Nine of those drownings happened in the Orlando area.
Read: 2 hospitalized after near-drowning in Daytona Beach
The Department of Children and Families says these tragedies can be prevented by taking simple steps.
Officials said an adult needs to watch kids while they’re playing in the water.
Read: Seminole County firefighter, wife speak out about child drowning death awareness
Children can also start swimming lessons as young as six months old.
They also recommend adults and teenagers be certified in CPR.
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/florida-officials-spotlight-water-safety-after-spike-child-drownings/XHHOTF5M7BCSZJ2WL56MMVLXKA/ | 2023-06-20T14:27:56 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-officials-spotlight-water-safety-after-spike-child-drownings/XHHOTF5M7BCSZJ2WL56MMVLXKA/ |
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood plans to make a special announcement Tuesday.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
He hasn’t said what it is yet, but records obtained by Channel 9 show he filed for reelection last week.
So far, it appears no one else has filed to run in the race.
Read: ‘Guardian of Israel’ award given to Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood
Voters first elected Chitwood as sheriff in 2016, and they reelected him in 2020.
Before serving as sheriff, he was chief of the Daytona Beach Police Department.
Read: Another 4chan user arrested for threatening to kill Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood
Tuesday’s event is scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Volusia County Courthouse in Deland.
Channel 9 will have a crew at Chitwood’s announcement and will provide updates on Eyewitness News.
Watch: ‘Racist cowards’: Volusia Sheriff vows to fight against white supremacist spreading hate
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/volusia-county-sheriff-mike-chitwood-make-announcement-about-2024/UJWV7GPLXNG4LNIRBQPHHYSSFI/ | 2023-06-20T14:28:03 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/volusia-county-sheriff-mike-chitwood-make-announcement-about-2024/UJWV7GPLXNG4LNIRBQPHHYSSFI/ |
MITCHELL, S.D. — When Gavin Richardson ran down the stairs at 10:45 p.m. from his Edgerton apartment he noticed two things.
The first was the fire: flames were shooting out wildly from garage units 50 yards from his apartment, whipping as high as 20 feet above the low-rise wooden frames in the hot night wind. Waves of fire engulfed the garage structures, burning so hot that they made Richardson sweat, as he recorded the fire after calling it in to a 911 operator on speakerphone.
“I started screaming my roommate's name and banging on the window," Richardson said. "And I was like, we have to go down there and see if there's anybody we can help ..."
Within 15 minutes, the Mitchell Fire Division was on the scene. Another 30 minutes later, the fire was out. With the last dredges of flame sprayed out, the damage was revealed: the wood framed structures of two garage units were completely totaled, with a truck inside one rendered black and unrecognizable.
The second thing Richardson noticed was almost as jarring. A fully nude man rolled around on the grass, just yards from the blazing fire.
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As fire officials arrived to fight the blaze, the man had been on the ground before being driven to be treated for burns at the Mitchell Avera Queen of Peace Hospital.
“We looked over and there's just a guy in the grass over there,” said Richardson. “That's what I just heard — him completely naked, just rolling around screaming things.”
Fire Marshal Shannon Sandoval confirmed that the garage unit that initially caught on fire belonged to the man seen rolling around on the ground. Mitchell police officers were also at the scene to investigate the cause of the fire, choosing not to immediately comment. No definitive statement was made by an official as to the man's involvement, if any, in the fire.
But as Richardson stood milling about with other residents as the last dredges of ember were put out, around 11:45 p.m., the Californian exchange minister from the Church of the Latter Day Saints saw a third thing, perhaps putting the first two in perspective. He called out to a couple clad in white, who were talking to a police officer.
He was talking to Naomi and Ethan Ulrich, who were married last year and live together at the apartments, their first place together. Their garage was one of the destroyed — "totaled" as Sandoval described it later. Sandoval was unsure of the monetary damages. But no price tag was needed to understand Naomi Ulrich’s response.
“It’s all our memories that were in there — all of our photos and memories. And now…” Ulrich said, her words hanging around in the air as if waiting for an exit cue, as Ethan rubbed her hand with his thumb.
"We’ll rebuild,” he said, placing an arm around her, one that seemed to not know what else to do. It was unclear if he meant their garage or their memories.
“She smiled, trying to laugh. “I guess you're right,” she said. “What choice do we have?” | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/mitchell-blaze-destroys-edgerton-garages-memories-for-newly-married-couple | 2023-06-20T14:29:52 | 1 | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/mitchell-blaze-destroys-edgerton-garages-memories-for-newly-married-couple |
Name: Reese Rynberg
School: Central High School
Parents: Jason and Kelly Rynberg of Salem
Most memorable high school moment: My basketball seasons each year.
Most influential teacher: Sarah Vozel in Learning, Earning, and Investing; Sarah was both my teacher and my basketball coach and was always very supportive of me.
School athletics: Basketball
School offices held: Sophomore Class Officer
Out-of-school activities/hobbies: Snowboarding
College choice: University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tenn.
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Intended major/field of study: Biology
Role models: My parents
Three words that best describe my role models: Driven, Compassionate, Hardworking.
What I hope to accomplish in my lifetime: I hope to become an orthodontist and be able to travel the world. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-teen-2023-reese-rynberg-of-central-high-school/article_707c346a-0e17-11ee-b5f2-0fa048024d39.html | 2023-06-20T14:31:52 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-teen-2023-reese-rynberg-of-central-high-school/article_707c346a-0e17-11ee-b5f2-0fa048024d39.html |
Austin Smith of St. Paul added to Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial
The 30-year-old died Feb. 3, 2022 while fighting a barn fire in St. Paul.
Austin Smith’s name has been added to the Oregon Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial at the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training campus in Salem.
Smith's name was unveiled along with wildland firefighter Logan Taylor at a ceremony on June 15. They are the 175th and 176th fire fighters who died in the line of duty in the state since 1881.
Smith, a life-long resident of St. Paul, was a volunteer for the St. Paul Rural Fire Protection District. He responded to a barn fire Feb. 3, 2022 when an explosion occurred.
The 30-year-old was treated at the scene, then transported via helicopter to Oregon Health & Science University, but died en route. He is survived by his wife, Ashley, and a daughter.
Taylor, 25, was the owner of Sasquatch Reforestation, an Oregon Department of Forestry-contracted wildland firefighting company. He died from injuries he sustained when a falling tree struck him August 18, 2022, while responding to the Rum Creek Fire in southern Oregon.
Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/austin-smith-of-st-paul-added-to-oregon-fallen-fire-fighters-memorial/70335628007/ | 2023-06-20T14:38:12 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/austin-smith-of-st-paul-added-to-oregon-fallen-fire-fighters-memorial/70335628007/ |
World record-holding Salem Class of 1944 celebrates 79th high school reunion
Nine members of the Class of 1944 from Salem High School gathered Saturday for their 79th reunion, their first since gaining recognition by Guinness World Records.
The ultimate authority on record-breaking achievements notified the class in April that it now holds the world record for "longest-running class reunion."
"We worked hard for that," Doris Ritchey Powers said before boarding the Willamette Queen for a two-hour lunch cruise.
She and her classmates received Guinness World Record certificates during theire celebration on the sternwheeler with family members and friends.
A certificate also will be presented to Salem High School, which is now North Salem High School. The school changed its name 10 years after the Class of 1944 graduated and when South Salem High opened.
Capi Lynn is the Statesman Journal’s news columnist. Send comments, questions and tips to her at clynn@statesmanjournal.com or 503-399-6710. Follow her work on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ. | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/world-record-holding-salem-class-of-1944-celebrates-79th-high-school-reunion/70327972007/ | 2023-06-20T14:38:13 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/world-record-holding-salem-class-of-1944-celebrates-79th-high-school-reunion/70327972007/ |
Electric rates skyrocketed a year ago when AES Ohio increased from a “standard offer” price of 4.805 cents per kWh (kilowatt-hour) to 10.91 cents per kWh.
That’s recently led numerous southwest Ohio cities and townships to pursue and finalize electric aggregation deals for their residents either on their own or by teaming up with neighboring communities.
We want to hear from local residents. Have electric aggregation rates helped your electric bill and for how long? If not, have you changed your habits or done anything on your own to bring down your rates?
In Other News
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/how-have-you-been-affected-by-electric-rates/KVY5LODMNZB2BJH6JTZL7WQ2AM/ | 2023-06-20T14:46:36 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/how-have-you-been-affected-by-electric-rates/KVY5LODMNZB2BJH6JTZL7WQ2AM/ |
PLEASANTVILLE — Atlantic County is partnering with city officials to help connect young people with new jobs during the summer.
The One-Stop Career Center, located off Main Street, held an orientation earlier this month for the Atlantic County Summer Youth Employment program. This year, the program will offer about three dozen young city residents seasonal positions in the Pleasantville municipal government.
Mayor Judy Ward, who attended the orientation, said the augmented program would connect young people with new economic opportunities and help them improve the neighborhood around them.
“It’s a big benefit to Pleasantville, because it gives our youth a chance to make money, first of all, and be off the street,” Ward said. “It’s giving us an opportunity…to employ our youth and give them a sense of worth.”
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Francis Kuhn, the executive director of the Atlantic County Workforce Development Board, credited the city with growing its partnership with the county. He said city officials, particularly Ward and city Personnel Director Dasha Brown, are leading the area in leveraging county resources to help employ the youth to support their communities.
“Pleasantville is the first real municipality that has stepped forward and said we want to be a part of this process, we want to help benefit the youth of this community,” Kuhn said. “Pleasantville needs to get that recognition, because we usually don’t work with city government on this kind of level.”
The Atlantic County Summer Youth Employment program was open this year to county residents ages 16 to 24, connecting them with participating area businesses. Youth workers can be paid $15 per hour and work 25 hours per week over an eight-week period, meaning that they can make $3,000 through the program. According to the Atlantic County website, the deadline for registering in the program was June 15.
Dakota Bivens, 19, was at the orientation on June 8. He said he was interested in the program, so he would be able to receive funding to help his mother with her afterschool program, which operates in the summer.
“I’m going to help kids with stimulating activities,” Bivens said.
Cynthia Torres, supervisor of Atlantic County youth works, said that eligibility criteria for the summer-youth work program had been relaxed this year. In the past, young people had to have faced particular “barriers to education or employment,” like homelessness, experience in the foster-child system, a history with the juvenile-justice system or having a dependent, to be admitted to the county summer-work program. This past cycle, all Atlantic County residents within the age range were eligible.
“In this case, I can bring in just kids from 16 to 24 who just have an interest in a particular career,” Torres said. “Without those strict guidelines I can provide more guidance to just youth in general.”
Torres said that this increased accessibility to the program helped her reach a broader range of ambitious young people and connect them with the particular jobs in which they have expressed an interest.
“In many cases, based on their applications, we try to connect them with the jobs and careers they’re interested in learning more about,” Torres added.
Torres said the county has allocated enough funding for 200 participants in the program. although the number of applicants for youth-summer work far exceeded that number.
Torres said she would work with Kuhn to secure the funding accommodate as many youth workers as possible.
“I’m going to work…with our director (Kuhn) to get that funding,” Torres said. “The last thing I want to do is cut students.”
A large share of the growing program come through the county’s growing partnership with Pleasantville.
In the past, Ward said that the city has employed only a couple young residents through county summer programs and that this year has seen that figure grow about 10-fold. The city is having summer-youth workers help in a range of departments, with some working in code enforcement; public works; administration; or city summer camps, which have been able to expand this year due to the augmented summer-youth work program. Ward said that the growing youth summer work force would help lessen the regular summertime strain on city services.
“(This) takes the load off of our employees, because during the summer we’re bombarded with work,” Ward said. “This will not only ease the burden on the city, but it will also give them (the youth) a chance to work and give them good work ethics.”
The program received the support of several members of City Council, with some members in attendance at the June 8 orientation. City Councilwoman Carla Thomas, who was in attendance, said the large number of young people participating evidenced their commitment to their community.
“It is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and resilience in the face of challenging economic conditions,” Thomas said via text message. “I believe that investing in our youth is critical to building a strong and prosperous future for our communities.”
Kuhn said he hoped that other municipalities would explore expanded youth-work partnerships with the county.
“They (Pleasantville) got a group of 30, 35 (summer-youth workers) that can really help this community,” Kuhn said. “I’m hoping that her (Ward’s) example is going to lead to other municipality’s taking advantage and saying ‘well we can benefit our population from our community too.” | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-pleasantville-collaborate-on-summer-youth-employment/article_42760e18-0edc-11ee-87c8-2fe45158e6ee.html | 2023-06-20T14:46:54 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-pleasantville-collaborate-on-summer-youth-employment/article_42760e18-0edc-11ee-87c8-2fe45158e6ee.html |
Wichita Falls man charged in shooting death of 6-year-old
Lynn Walker
Wichita Falls Times Record News
A Wichita Falls man has been charged in the shooting death of a six-year-old boy.
Frederick Green II was booked into the Wichita County Jail on manslaughter charged Saturday and was released Sunday after posting $25,000 bond.
The shooting happened about 7:30 p.m. April 22 in the 2800 block of Featherston Street near the intersection of Kemp Boulevard and Southwest Parkway.
Police who arrived on the scene found the boy had a gunshot to the chest. He was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later.
Police initially said in a news release it appeared the child was shot while his father was dismantling the firearm for cleaning. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/wichita-falls-man-charged-in-shooting-death-of-6-year-old/70337154007/ | 2023-06-20T14:46:58 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/wichita-falls-man-charged-in-shooting-death-of-6-year-old/70337154007/ |
VENTNOR — The city's code enforcement office reopened Tuesday a day after being closed while investigators probed "discrepancies" in its records, city officials said.
The issues were found over the past several days by the city's Finance Department, city officials said on Monday in a news release.
Mayor Lance Landgraf decline to the comment on the probe Tuesday.
The nature of the discrepancies was not released.
The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office was assisting the investigation, police said Monday, declining to comment further.
The office oversees construction permitting and inspection material. It operates under the uniform construction code under the state Department of Community Affairs.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/ventnor-code-enforcement-office-reopens-tuesday-amid-probe-into-records/article_b05ab7fc-0f73-11ee-ad18-97f7cbfda86c.html | 2023-06-20T14:47:00 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/ventnor-code-enforcement-office-reopens-tuesday-amid-probe-into-records/article_b05ab7fc-0f73-11ee-ad18-97f7cbfda86c.html |
KOSCIUSKO, Miss. (WTVA) — Weekend storms left behind damage in Attala County.
This includes downed trees and power lines and even a road washed away.
Crews have been working all weekend to restore power and repair the road north of Kosciusko.
Attala County Emergency Management Agency Director Danny Townsend said a tree fell on top of a house on Elm Street. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/weekend-storms-left-behind-damage-in-attala-county/article_97ef01c6-0ee4-11ee-ad9c-43def791adfd.html | 2023-06-20T14:50:41 | 1 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/weekend-storms-left-behind-damage-in-attala-county/article_97ef01c6-0ee4-11ee-ad9c-43def791adfd.html |
‘East Tennessee is bear country’: Get used to seeing more bears roaming Knoxville
Be aware, the black bears are out! Black bears have been spotted roaming Knoxville in recent months, notably on the east side of town. And now there’s at least one that’s made its way to the west side of the city.
“The west Knoxville bear is still continuing to move large distances each day within the city,” Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency spokesman Matthew Cameron told Knox News late last week.
“We will continue to evaluate its movement but are attempting to let it find its way out.”
Thirty percent of bears that have to be relocated die within three months, Cameron said. Bears have a better chance of survival if they move out of city limits on their own. And you might want to get used to spotting bears creeping around town or in your backyard.
“If you live in East Tennessee, you live in bear country and should expect to see them at some point,” Cameron said. “This is not a new phenomenon and will only increase with time.”
Back in April, a bear was spotted near Pellissippi State campus on Magnolia Avenue and in the Old City. Knox News reported police had received calls about the bear "in the general area of Washington Avenue, East Glenwood Avenue, Cherry Street and Nichols Avenue.”
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has received 70 calls about bears in Knox County over the past three years, Cameron noted.
What’s causing more bear sightings in Knoxville?
Bear activity has been a regular occurrence in Knox County for the past 10 years because of the increasing population in the Great Smoky Mountains, nearby national forests and the Cumberland Mountains that surround the area.
Bears typically come out of the woods during late spring and early summer. But as spring grasses become less nutritional while cherries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries and other summer fruits continue to ripen, bears begin to move further distances for food, Cameron explained.
Male bears are specifically on the move during the summer. Older bears roam for receptive females during mating season and young male yearlings are forced from their habits to settle in their own territories.
How to reduce neighborhood bear sightings and stay safe
Wildlife experts advise anyone spending time outdoors in bear-populated areas to have bear spray. It’s an effective way to deter all bear species, Cameron said. Everyone should also avoid feeding human food to bears, including by unintentional means of giving them access to garbage, birdseed and pet food.
Other black bear tips include:
- Keep grills and smokers clean and stored in a secure area when not in use.
- Feed outdoor pets a portion size they will completely consume during each meal.
- Talk to family and neighbors when bear activity is occurring in your area.
- Immediately report any bear sightings in towns, cities and neighborhoods to the TWRA using an online form at tn.gov/twra/wildlife/mammals/large/black-bears.html, or call local police. To report a sick or injured bear in the Knoxville area, call the TWRA Region 4 office at 423-587-7037.
- Do not form a crowd if a bear enters an area with human populations. A cornered bear’s behavior can be unpredictable.
- Locate and remove the lure that caused the bear to come into your area.
More information about living responsibly with black bears can be found at BearWise.org.
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/bear-sightings-increasing-knoxville-summer-season-smokies/70329050007/ | 2023-06-20T14:56:10 | 1 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/bear-sightings-increasing-knoxville-summer-season-smokies/70329050007/ |
SAGINAW, Mich. (WJRT) - Amid inflation and an affordable housing crisis -- homelessness still a major concern both nationally and right here at home.
But often, shelters are geared toward women and children -- leaving men without many options.
The Well is a brand-new shelter in southeast Saginaw exclusively serving men and is already impacting lives on day one.
The Well has been a passion project of the executive director for years and today is the first day they have residents staying here and already have four people calling it home.
"So, I was all prepared to come here, I was excited. I was excited," resident Antonio Neitzelt said.
Neitzelt has been bouncing around friends' homes and is relieved to finally call The Well his home.
"I already feel good vibes and I'm excited to see what's going to happen in my life," he said.
It can house 10 men at a time in semiprivate rooms with availability for six more men right now.
"Society--it's understandable that women with children it's more of priority to look after them and care for them, but the city of Saginaw does have minimal help for the men," Executive Director Bert Herrera said.
The Well is Saginaw's second shelter serving only men - joining the city's five existing 24/7 shelters.
"There are 330 or 340 men who are homeless just in the city of Saginaw," Herrera said.
It's modeled after two women's shelters in Saginaw -- Mustard Seed and Emmaus House -- who donated the home - and customizes plans for its residents to get on their feet.
"Men are struggling out there with mental health, that's one of the top issues these men are struggling with. And we have of course substance disorder, struggling with drugs and alcohol and so forth," Herrera said.
The shelter offers not only a comfortable bed and meals, but support and resources to get to the root of struggles, and Herrera says this is his calling after he, too, suffered from homelessness and other challenges.
"It gives me goosebumps. I look back at my own life and where I'm at today and can honestly say God does have a hand in this," Herrera said.
Men in need of shelter or emergency shelter can call The Well or go to their website - https://thewellofsaginaw.org.
If you'd like to donate skills, personal care items, clothing or make a monetary donation you can contact the shelter for more information. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/new-saginaw-shelter-for-underserved-homeless-men-opens/article_bdfde314-0ee4-11ee-97b5-43da45381006.html | 2023-06-20T14:59:12 | 1 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/new-saginaw-shelter-for-underserved-homeless-men-opens/article_bdfde314-0ee4-11ee-97b5-43da45381006.html |
SAGINAW COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) - The Saginaw County controller's job may be in jeopardy when he likely faces criticism from the county's IT Department and animal control staff on Tuesday.
Robert Belleman has been Saginaw County's controller for a little more than ten years, but it appears the county's chief executive is facing his biggest crisis since taking the job.
The Saginaw County Board of Commissioners meeting on Tuesday will feature speakers in support of Belleman, including Saginaw Mayor Brenda Moore.
Government and business officials across the county received a letter last week asking them to speak in support for Belleman at the meeting.
The head of Saginaw County's Information Technology Department for the last eight years, Joshua Brown, will be speaking out against Belleman.
Brown will be critical of Belleman's management style, as he has been the target of a number of disciplinary actions by the controller, including four unpaid suspensions since late March. Other people from the IT Department are expected to speak at the meeting, as well.
Brown declined to comment Monday on what he will say at the meeting.
Belleman also recently fired a volunteer at the Saginaw County Animal Care and Control Center for the way the volunteer spoke to a person who wanted to drop off an animal at the shelter.
The firing has angered other volunteers at the shelter, who have been forwarding their complaints to commissioners.
Saginaw County Animal Control Director Bonnie Kanicki thought the volunteer should have been suspended, but she doesn't believe the incident had to result in a permanent ban. It's not clear whether the volunteer's termination will be brought up at the meeting.
If the commissioners decide they want to fire Belleman, they would need a super-majority to vote in favor. That requires eight of the 11 commissioners to approve his termination. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/saginaw-county-controller-under-fire-from-it-staff-animal-control/article_88478632-0f64-11ee-b393-c3369a8f5079.html | 2023-06-20T14:59:18 | 1 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/saginaw-county-controller-under-fire-from-it-staff-animal-control/article_88478632-0f64-11ee-b393-c3369a8f5079.html |
PORTAGE — A 46-year-old Valparaiso woman nabbed after leading officers on a vehicle chase then slipped out of a police vehicle window along U.S. 20 near Willowcreek Road, according to the arrest report.
The accused, Jennifer Malocha, was handcuffed behind her back in the rear of the police vehicle on her way to be checked out at the hospital when she undid a seatbelt and found her way to the front seat, the officer reported.
"I observed Jennifer stand up on the front seat and wedge her body out of the passenger window which happened to have been open," the officer said. "I attempted to pull Jennifer back into the vehicle by her legs to which she continued to pull away from me."
"Eventually, Jennifer was able to fall out of the passenger side window backwards and onto the pavement below," police said.
She allegedly ran to a nearby tree line before being tackled by an officer, who suffered a minor injury.
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Malocha faces four counts of resisting law enforcement, escape, invasion of privacy, operating while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident, and disorderly conduct, in addition to being picked up on three Lake County warrants for cases involving possession of methamphetamine, possession of paraphernalia and theft, conversion and failure to return to lawful detention, according to Portage police.
"I then observed as the aircraft hit the water's surface and spun out of control," police said.
Portage police said they were called out around 4:32 p.m. Friday to the 5800 block of Stagecoach Road for a report of a woman stealing a vehicle.
The alleged victim said the woman, later determined to be Malocha, showed up at his home asking for money and then took his vehicle, police said.
Police found the vehicle in question westbound on U.S. 12 at County Line Road and the driver, Malocha, allegedly led police on a chase southbound on County Line Road before leaving the roadway and crashing.
Malocha fled on foot and was caught by officers, the report says. She reportedly resisted arrest and urinated on herself and an officer.
She was placed in the rear of a police vehicle and was enroute to the hospital when she allegedly fled on foot a second time and was again taken into custody. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/handcuffed-valpo-woman-jumps-from-portage-police-car-on-u-s-20-in-second-attempt/article_3a686b8e-0f64-11ee-86d5-931c62edfd7f.html | 2023-06-20T15:00:24 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/handcuffed-valpo-woman-jumps-from-portage-police-car-on-u-s-20-in-second-attempt/article_3a686b8e-0f64-11ee-86d5-931c62edfd7f.html |
Ask Royale: Why do I see so many power trucks in the city of Greenville and the county?
Question: I have noticed power trucks (Duke Energy & Pike) all over town. In Greenville city and county. They appear to be working on the utility/power poles. Could they possibly be updating the electrical/power equipment?
Answer: Duke Energy is working to make the power grid stronger in Greenville County. The company is preparing for storms before they happen and working to meet Greenville County’s growing energy demands, according to Duke Energy representative, Libby Foster.
Recent upgrades to the county’s electric grid included pole and line upgrades and targeted undergrounding. The upgrades also included vegetation-based improvements, such as tree trimming and plant growth removal. These changes are why residents are seeing Duke Energy and contract crews throughout the county.
Upgrades are being made along Hammett Street. Duke Energy updated lines and equipment to optimize the performance of one of their primary downtown substations. The company is also actively upgrading lines and wires along South Markley Street and East Stone Avenue.
A new power line will be added along White Horse Road to support the need for more power capacity in a growing commercial and retail corridor. Near Simpsonville, significant upgrades will be installed to primary distribution lines that support areas along Highway 25 and Georgia Road.
Duke is adding smart, self-healing technology to the grid as well. This technology automatically detects outages and quickly reroutes power to restore service faster, or even avoid outages altogether. Self-healing technology can reduce the impact of outages by up to 75% and often restores power to affected customers in less than a minute, Foster said.
Last year in Greenville County, self-healing technology helped to automatically restore more than 9,000 customer outages and saved 30,000 hours of total lost outage time. More than 50% of this saved outage time was during a major storm.
We want to give our readers the opportunity to have their questions about Greenville County answered. Email your questions to rbonds@gannett.com.
Royale Bonds covers affordable housing and gentrification for the Greenville News. | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/ask-royale-duke-power-trucks-updating-greenville-electrical-systems/70330606007/ | 2023-06-20T15:03:41 | 0 | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/ask-royale-duke-power-trucks-updating-greenville-electrical-systems/70330606007/ |
With Mallory Beach suit next, here's how much Murdaugh cases have cost SC taxpayers so far
The multiple criminal and civil cases against convicted murderer and accused fraudster Richard "Alex" Murdaugh have already proven costly to the State of South Carolina and Colleton County government, and the next stop on this expensive legal tour will be cash-strapped Hampton County, a poor rural area that is already struggling through a state of financial reconstruction after years of mismanagement.
After an internationally followed, six-week trial in Walterboro's Colleton County Courthouse, Murdaugh was convicted of murdering his wife and younger son and sentenced to consecutive life sentences.
The disbarred attorney is also accused in a decade-plus spree of financial and drug-related crimes in multiple S.C. counties, and Judge Clifton Newman, who presided over the murder trial and is expected to preside over Murdaugh's future criminal trials, has announced possible plans to hold trials in the various counties where the alleged crimes occurred.
And then there are the civil suits pending against Murdaugh--at least a dozen by last count--and the biggest of all of these lawsuits will be the Beach wrongful death suit that is slated for Hampton County beginning Aug. 14.
How much did the Murdaugh criminal cases cost taxpayers so far?
Prosecutors and state police say justice was served when the Colleton County jury found Murdaugh guilty on four felony counts in the killings of his family. But that justice has come at a price for taxpayers.
Just the six-week double murder trial alone cost the S.C. Attorney General's Office $264,316.68, according to figures provided to The Hampton County Guardian by Robert Kittle, spokesperson for the A.G.'s Office.
Most of that expense was to house the prosecutors in hotels for several nights a week, for six weeks, but a portion of that $264K was for items that could be used again in other cases, said Kittle.
But that figure does not include the prosecution team's salaries, nor does it include the massive costs that the Colleton County Sheriff's Office, the S.C. Law Enforcement Division, and the SCAG expended during the almost two-year criminal investigation.
Meanwhile, in local government costs, the Colleton County Sheriff's Office spent an estimated $19,600 in overtime pay and another $3,471 in transporting and housing Murdaugh during the trial, reported The (Walterboro) Press and Standard on June 8.
Colleton County Clerk of Court Rebecca Hill told The Guardian that her office alone spent $60,000 on the trial. The City of Walterboro's total cost for the trial was $44,590.
One S.C. media outlet, WCSC, recently reported that with salaries and local costs combined, the total cost of the murder trial to taxpayers was roughly $488,000.
"This may be the largest amount of money spent by the S.C. Attorney General's Office while prosecuting a case," wrote The Press and Standard.
"This trial did cost much more than most because of the length of the trial," Kittle said. "The biggest expenses were for travel and lodging, which were so high because of the location and duration of the trial."
How will Murdaugh's other cases impact poor, rural counties?
Criminal trial dates have been set for several of Murdaugh's alleged accomplices in Colleton and Beaufort counties, and while Murdaugh's criminal trials have not been scheduled, his largest civil case is just ahead.
On Aug. 14, the Hampton County Court of Common Pleas will hear the wrongful death suit filed by Renee Beach and the Estate of Mallory Beach against Murdaugh and other parties. Mallory Beach died as a result of a boating accident involving Murdaugh's boat and his late son, Paul Murdaugh.
While this case won't be as massive as the murder trial--in either cost or length--it is expected to last at least two weeks, say attorneys, and is expected to attract similar crowds of reporters and bystanders, requiring security from both town and county police, and extra courthouse staff and security.
Hampton County government funds the majority of the Hampton County Sheriff's Office budget, and funds a portion of the H.C. Clerk of Court's budget, while the state funds the rest. In an unfunded mandate by the state, counties are required to pay all the costs for courthouse security in their jurisdictions.
However, Hampton County is currently in a condition of financial turmoil and reconstruction. In 2022, the Hampton County Council, after months of pressure and investigation by concerned citizens, admitted that the county had misspent at least $3 million in protected Capital Projects Sales Tax funds and at least another million in fire department funds.
Citizens have cried foul, even reaching out to the governor and SLED to investigate. Since then, the state has frozen funding to the county pending the completion of an audit, which was overdue.
To compound matters, both the county administrator and county finance director resigned within the past year, forcing the county council to hire a team of outside consultants to take over the financial and administrative wheels of the ship and hopefully steer it to a stable port.
It is unclear at this point what the remaining Murdaugh criminal and civil trials will cost small, S.C. Lowcountry counties, but in the case of cash-strapped Hampton County, any cost will likely have a negative impact. | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2023/06/20/murdaugh-trials-costly-for-state-colleton-now-headed-for-hampton-sc-updates-beach/70317805007/ | 2023-06-20T15:03:47 | 0 | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/south-carolina/2023/06/20/murdaugh-trials-costly-for-state-colleton-now-headed-for-hampton-sc-updates-beach/70317805007/ |
Spring Street between Lindenwood Avenue and Leesburg Road will have intermittent lane restrictions Wednesday, according to the Fort Wayne Traffic Engineering Department.
A road crew will be working in the area and should finish June 28.
For more information, call 311 or visit www.trecthefort.org. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/spring-street-lane-restrictions/article_838d4834-0f78-11ee-a74a-9fee33c0b853.html | 2023-06-20T15:04:22 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/spring-street-lane-restrictions/article_838d4834-0f78-11ee-a74a-9fee33c0b853.html |
The Allen County Department of Health issued the following:
Fort Wayne (June 20, 2023) – The level of ozone in Allen County has been forecast by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to be high for today.
Active children and adults, the elderly and people with heart or lung disease should limit or avoid prolonged outdoor exertion while an Air Quality Action Day for Ozone is in effect. If breathing becomes difficult, go indoors and contact your health care provider.
Ground-level ozone – a lung irritant that can cause coughing and breathing difficulties – is formed when sunlight and hot weather bake vehicle exhaust, factory emissions and gasoline vapors. Weather conditions used in forecasting levels of ground-level ozone include amount of sunshine, temperature, wind direction and humidity. Even at low levels, breathing ground-level ozone can trigger a variety of health problems for people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses.
To reduce ozone levels, everyone should:
• Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation
• Avoid using the drive-thru, and combine errands into one trip
• Avoid refueling vehicles or using gas-powered lawn equipment until after 7 p.m.
• Turn off engines when idling for more than 30 seconds
• Conserve energy by turning off lights or setting the air conditioner to 75 degrees or higher
For more information, visit the IDEM Smog Watch website at www.SmogWatch.IN.gov. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/verbatim-air-quality-action-day-declared/article_85751a7e-0f72-11ee-91be-432f56ce6da4.html | 2023-06-20T15:04:28 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/verbatim-air-quality-action-day-declared/article_85751a7e-0f72-11ee-91be-432f56ce6da4.html |
Law enforcement officials are investigating after a man was found beaten to death at a home along the 4200 block of Passmore Street in Philadelphia's Mayfair neighborhood on Monday morning.
According to police, officers responding to a report of "screaming" inside a home along Passmore Street, found Michael Schaefer, 67, unresponsive at about 9:14 a.m., in the home after he had suffered blunt force injuries to his face.
Officials said that Schaefer was pronounced on the scene by first responders at about 9:22 a.m.
An individual has been arrested and, police said, an investigation into this incident is ongoing.
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Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-beaten-to-death-in-mayfair/3588777/ | 2023-06-20T15:14:56 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-beaten-to-death-in-mayfair/3588777/ |
1 dead, 3 injured in Pontiac shooting Thursday
A man is dead and three others wounded after a shooting early Tuesday morning in Pontiac, the Oakland County Sheriff's Office said.
The investigation is ongoing, the agency said.
Deputies were called to a location on Fireside Lane in the North Hill Farms Apartments just after midnight Monday for a report of a shooting, officials said.
They arrived and found four Pontiac men who had been shot nearby. A 22-year-old was found deceased on Fireside Lane. A second man, 31, was found inside an apartment. The third man, 23, was found in front of the apartment and the fourth man, 27, was found near Cherry Hill and Fairmont.
Police said the wounded were taken to a hospital with injuries that they believe are non-life-threatening.
Officials also said a reward of up to $2,000 is being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects in the shooting. Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) SPEAK-UP.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/06/20/1-dead-3-injured-in-pontiac-shooting-thursday/70337622007/ | 2023-06-20T15:18:18 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/06/20/1-dead-3-injured-in-pontiac-shooting-thursday/70337622007/ |
Here is your Duluth News Tribune Minute podcast for Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
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The Maine Lobstermen's Association is speaking out on their historic win in a federal appeals court last week, in which a panel of judges unanimously ruled to vacate a lower court ruling. That earlier ruling had sided with the National Marine Fisheries Service, upholding potentially devastating new regulations for the Maine lobster fishery.
The new decision came down Friday from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
The judges noted in their decision that the National Marine Fisheries Service had used quote "worst case scenarios" where they lacked the data to fully substantiate their proposed regulations and cuts to the lobster fishery.
Those measures were meant to protect north atlantic right whales from entanglement in fishing gear. The species is critically endangered, with fewer than 350 of them left in the wild.
The judges addressed the use of worst-case scenarios directly in their ruling, saying the National Marine Fisheries Services was not allowed to use those assumptions as a basis for the biological opinion.
"That was the crux of our argument. You just can’t use the worst case scenarios because the law says you have to use what is likely to occur. And worst case scenarios and likely to occur are two totally different things," said Kristan Porter, who serves as Board President of the MLA.
Senior Appeals Court judge Douglas H. Ginsburg wrote that the changes would, in fact, represent a potential worst-case scenario for the lobster fishing industry.
“The result may be great physical and human capital destroyed, and thousands of jobs lost, with all the degradation that attends such dislocations,” Ginsburg wrote.
Porter says the focus now will be on developing new science surrounding how best to protect the right whale, and new ways of gathering the most accurate statistics surrounding entanglements.
He says the judges ruling means the Fisheries Service must draft a brand new biological opinion and proposed rules for the right whale and lobster fishery.
"We are definitely taking a victory lap but there is a lot of work to be done. We need to make sure that national marine fisheries service gets this new bio opinion right. And we need to be with them and holding their feet to the fire all the way," Porter said.
He says he's not sure whether conservations groups who pushed for the new regulations will take further legal action.
"We hope that it's done. The environmental groups have a pretty big war chest so we don’t really know what their next move might be, but we will be ready for it and we will defend this fishery as much as we can for as long as we can," he said.
One of the groups involved in the MLA lawsuit was the Center for Biological Diversity. We reached out to them for comment but we did not receive a response. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/mla-discusses-federal-court-victory-looks-ahead-to-industry-future/article_98ac229a-0f04-11ee-8d24-437027a718e2.html | 2023-06-20T15:24:55 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/mla-discusses-federal-court-victory-looks-ahead-to-industry-future/article_98ac229a-0f04-11ee-8d24-437027a718e2.html |
AUGUSTA -- On Tuesday, the Maine Senate is set to vote on LD 1364, "An Act to Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths by Authorizing Harm Reduction Health Centers.
This bill is among a few others that law enforcement says will decriminalize drugs in Maine.
Over the past few months, WVII has reported on how laws like these have affected states like Oregon, where drug use without penalty is tying the hands of state prosecutors and police, who say they have been left to watch without any way to protect citizens.
Some law enforcement leaders are sending a message as they face the war on drugs at the statehouse.
"When you take this and you flip the laws we enforce upside down and say you can enforce them everywhere except for this particular location, it's very very problematic," said Augusta Police Chief Jared Mills, who also served as a past president of Maine Chiefs of Police Association.
"I think if this legislation does go through this is going to be the first step in essentially in a downhill slide and you know we're at risk of losing this fight. Let's take a common sense look at what's gone on around the country and other parts of the world. Oregon with decriminalization is a shining example this is one step from decriminalization," Brewer Police Chief Jason Moffitt said.
LD 1364 passed the house last week with a vote of 77 in favor and 66 against.
If made law, the bill authorizes municipalities to approve the operation of harm reduction centers in their communities. It also offers immunity from prosecution for those who use the centers as well as the center staff. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/police-leaders-speak-out-following-advancement-of-bill-to-authorize-overdose-prevention-centers/article_70bc4862-0f06-11ee-be2e-17f39e3e4f4e.html | 2023-06-20T15:25:02 | 0 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/police-leaders-speak-out-following-advancement-of-bill-to-authorize-overdose-prevention-centers/article_70bc4862-0f06-11ee-be2e-17f39e3e4f4e.html |
Judge orders removal of the Enbridge Line 5 pipeline from tribal lands within three years
MADISON - A federal judge is giving a Canadian oil company three years to either reroute its pipeline that is currently on tribal land in northern Wisconsin or face a shutdown of a pipeline responsible for carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil across the upper Midwest.
Judge William Conley of the Western District of Wisconsin said that Enbridge Energy needed to speed up its reroute of Line 5 to remove the pipe from the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa land, an action which has already been 10 years in the making.
"The court will give Enbridge an additional three years to complete a reroute. If Enbridge fails to do so, the three years will at least give the public and other affected market players time to adjust to a permanent closure of Line 5," wrote Conley in the decision released late Friday.
"At the expiration of three years from the date of this order, therefore, Enbridge must have decommissioned Line 5 on the 12 affected parcels, as well as arranged removal of any sidelined pipe and remediation of area."
Conley said that evidence presented during a hearing in mid-May showed that the Bad River was eroding the banks near the pipeline on the reservation at a concerning rate, and that experts brought in by Enbridge did not do enough to assuage his fears of a leak.
"If Line 5 were not purged in time, a rupture at the meander could result in a release of as much as 20,000 barrels (840,000 gallons) or more of crude oil," Conley wrote in his opinion.
"Such a discharge would unquestionably be a substantial and unreasonable interference with the Band’s and the public’s rights ... In light of the unpredictability of the Bad River and recent events, the court is simply no longer comfortable relying on Enbridge or its experts’ attempts to quantify the likelihood of a risk of an exposure or pipeline rupture at the meander."
Conley also ruled that Enbridge should pay the band $5,151,668 for its past trespass on the land, as well as a fee moving forward.
But Conley did not rule to shut down the pipeline indefinitely, as the Band asked for, raising concerns over the impact to the economy, and concerns that an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court could end up ruling in a way that could take away rights held by tribes.
The Band said in a statement Monday that three years could be plenty of time during which a disastrous spill could still occur.
“The Band appreciates the Court putting an end to Enbridge’s flagrant trespass and disregard for our rights. Tribal sovereignty prevailed over corporate profits,” Mike Wiggins, chairman of the Bad River Band, said in a release. “But the Band’s victory is not a cause for unqualified celebration. We are under no illusion that Enbridge will do the right thing. We expect them to fight this order with all of their corporate might. This is just one step in protecting our people and water.”
Enbridge expressed frustration at the ruling.
"While Enbridge agrees with the Court’s decision to reject the Band’s argument that Line 5 must immediately shut down, the company disagrees with several aspects of the Court’s orders, including that Enbridge is in trespass, and that Line 5 must cease operations on the Bad River Reservation within three years," said Juli Kellner, a communications official for the company. "Enbridge’s position has long been that a 1992 contract between Enbridge and the Band provides legal permission for the line to remain in its current location. Enbridge is weighing all of its options, including requesting a stay of the judge’s decision while an appeal is heard."
The company is planning to appeal the decision.
Previous rulings from Conley have held off on removal orders
In September, Conley ruled that the pipe could remain in operation as long as Enbridge worked to assuage concerns that erosion along the Bad River could cause a devastating spill.
The Bad River Band in 2019 filed a filed a lawsuit to remove the pipeline after right-of-way easements between the tribe and the company expired in 2013. The pipeline operates on about 12 miles of reservation land.
Tribal officials no longer wanted Enbridge to operate the pipeline on tribal lands and feared that a rupture would pose grave environmental damage.
In response to the lawsuit, Enbridge proposed a 41.2-mile reroute of the 645-mile-long pipeline. If approved, construction for the new line would occur in Ashland and Iron counties.
The environmental impact statement for the reroute is under review by the Department of Natural Resources, with no date yet projected for when it will be completed. The statement will be one of many documents that will be used to determine whether to issue a permit to Enbridge to allow the project to move forward.
The reroute proposal has been met with criticism and concern over oil spills or pipe leaks, as well as the potential impacts to the environment when the company disrupts forests and digs underneath streams and rivers.
More: Oil contaminated soil found near Enbridge's Line 5, one mile outside Bad River Band reservation
This year, the largest concern is a meandering channel of the Bad River that has gotten steadily closer to the buried pipeline. The tribe argued in past court documents that if the erosion were to reach the pipe, the footing could be washed away and cause the pipeline to rupture and oil to enter the Bad River and other waters that flow into Lake Superior.
This spring, after a large amount of rain and snow melt, the Bad River Band said in court documents that erosion has taken place at a "staggering pace." In some locations, the river is only 15 feet from the pipeline, the document said. And at some of the locations, "more bank has been lost in the past few weeks than presently stands between the pipeline and the river."
But the company countered those claims, saying the erosion that took place this year has a very slim chance of causing a situation where a leak could occur, especially because the section of concern is under monitoring. The company also pledged to install sandbags in areas where erosion was most concerning, shoring up the pipeline and restoring safety to 100%, but contends that the band will not provide access to the easements on which the pipe is buried.
Line 5 carries hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil a day
Line 5 transports 545,000 barrels a day of light crude oil, light synthetic crude oil and natural gas liquids from western Canada through Wisconsin and Michigan and into eastern Canada. The products the pipeline carries are used to make transportation fuels, as well as fuel used to heat homes and businesses.
The relocated pipeline will cross 186 waterways and requires the conversion of some wetlands, as well as the permanent and temporary fill of other wetlands along the route.
The underground pipe is 30 inches in diameter and has been in operation since 1953. The reroute of the line is expected to cost about $450 million and employ about 700 union workers from Wisconsin and beyond.
Enbridge's reroute project is still awaiting crucial permits from the DNR and the Army Corps. of Engineers, which would allow construction to begin.
The reroute will cross 300 properties where owners granted Enbridge permission, though the company planned originally to invoke eminent domain. It withdrew its application to take land from unwilling owners in August 2020.
That plan likely would have received approval thanks to a 2015 addition to state law by Republican legislative leaders — including now-Assembly Speaker Robin Vos of Rochester — that implemented wording requested by Enbridge lawyers to make the process for condemning easier for Enbridge.
The change to state law was done in private, with no public hearings, in a state budget bill passed right before the 4th of July holiday.
Special report: Greasing oil's path
But the permitting process has been rocky along the way, with Enbridge facing hours of pushback from residents and activists at public meetings who expressed concerns about the potential for spills and the need for investments in green energy over fossil fuels.
Supporters have highlighted the importance of the propane carried by the line for heating homes, as well as the construction jobs the reroute will create.
Line 5 has also faced resistance in Michigan, where Enbridge wants to drill a new tunnel under a strait connecting two of the Great Lakes. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel have sought to shut down the pipeline. Nessel filed a brief Wednesday in support of the tribe’s request, saying a rupture in Wisconsin would also cause environmental damage in Michigan.
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on Twitter at @SchulteLaura. | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/judge-tells-enbridge-to-remove-line-5-from-tribal-lands-within-3-years/70336904007/ | 2023-06-20T15:25:09 | 1 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/judge-tells-enbridge-to-remove-line-5-from-tribal-lands-within-3-years/70336904007/ |
MIDLAND, Texas — First Methodist Church in Midland will be holding its fine arts camp this summer.
This is the third year of the camp. When the camp first opened, it only offered music, but now the camp will also offer dance, drama and art.
"Kids will get to do music, they will play instruments," said Director of Worship Arts Beth Garza. "They'll be doing a little bit of music theory, everybody's gonna be dancing no pressure it's gonna be lots of fun. Everybody gets to do art, everybody gets to do drama; we have puppets, we have skits, the opportunity for the older kids to learn guitar if they want to learn guitar."
This one-week camp starts on July 24 and registration will end on June 30. To register, you can go online to FirstMethodistMidland.com. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/first-methodist-church-in-midland-to-host-fine-arts-camp/513-b56a52a6-edae-405a-ace4-0d7244f681da | 2023-06-20T15:30:25 | 1 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/first-methodist-church-in-midland-to-host-fine-arts-camp/513-b56a52a6-edae-405a-ace4-0d7244f681da |
ODESSA, Texas — The Odessa Police Department is asking the public for help with gathering up information about a hit and run incident that occurred on June 17.
The major crash occurred around 9:30 p.m. and involved three vehicles. OPD and OFR both responded to the incident at Murphy and Fitch.
The initial investigation revealed that a Gray Jeep Cherokee was traveling eastbound in the 1200 block of East Murphy, while a White Kia Rio was stopped northbound in the 600 block of Fitch. Then, the Black GMC Sierra was traveling southbound in the 500 block of Fitch when it failed to yield the right of way and struck the Jeep Cherokee before hitting into the Kia Rio.
The driver of the GMC Sierra left the scene after the crash and failed to help out the other drivers involved in the major crash. Officers did find the GMC Sierra later on, but the driver was no longer in the vehicle.
The driver of the Jeep Cherokee was transported to a local hospital in the area with serious bodily injuries. There were no other injuries reported.
If anyone has any information about the crash or the driver of the GMC Sierra, contact OPD at 432-335-3333 or Odessa Crime Stoppers at 432-333-TIPS.
The investigation is still ongoing, and no arrests have been made at this time. We will continue to update this story as we receive more information. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-police-department-asks-for-help-with-gathering-information-in-a-hit-and-run-incident/513-e738967a-f770-4a99-9948-6bd40d9eec72 | 2023-06-20T15:30:28 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/odessa-police-department-asks-for-help-with-gathering-information-in-a-hit-and-run-incident/513-e738967a-f770-4a99-9948-6bd40d9eec72 |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A new flag policy proposed by the Anne Arundel County Board of Education is sparking debate.
At their June 26 meeting the board will consider whether certain flags can be displayed on school property.
If approved the new policy would only allow flags with a "bona fide educational purpose."
Under the proposal that would include the American, Maryland State, Anne Arundel County, and Annapolis City flags.
"The Board is committed to honoring the flag of the United States of America as a symbol of this country’s national ideals and pride," the board states in its drafted version of the policy.
As for what else constitutes a "bona fide educational purpose," that would be up to the school principal or their designee.
The proposed policy has garnered some public support.
A parent in Severna Park had this to say at the board's meeting on June 7.
"No one is saying that we can’t be a mix of religions, races, or ideologies, or that we want to limit self-expression. And we are not “biased parents,” as some people claim we are. We just don’t understand the need to display multiple flags representing all these different groups when the American flag can get counter the divisiveness and unite all under one umbrella."
Another resident from Linticum expressed similar support.
"Children need structure and boundaries in school – with a focus on education. Schools should be a safe space for all students, without the division and problems of adult society, where they are allowed to be children - to learn and thrive in an academic environment. Allowing flags other than the American, state, and local flags only calls attention to division and separates groups - something we should be working against, not advocating for."
Meanwhile the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, issued a statement opposing the proposal.
“Flags are not just a piece of cloth but hold meaning and allow our schools to be a safe, inclusive, environment that celebrates diversity. When AACPS prevents flags to be flown, they are disregarding the policy of “All means All” and the driving values of “All Students, Families, Employees & Community Members Feel Welcome” and “Diversity is invited, nurtured and celebrated.” We ask AACPS with this policy, are we creating a culture of all means all or are we discouraging it?”
The teacher's association said they plan to rally against the policy outside the Board of Education before their meeting next Monday. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/proposed-school-flag-policy-sparks-debate-in-anne-arundel-county | 2023-06-20T15:34:32 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/proposed-school-flag-policy-sparks-debate-in-anne-arundel-county |
One person is dead after what appears to have been a medical incident on Highway 89 near Conoco and Matador Coffee on Monday morning.
Traffic slowed on the highway when Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies and other first responders blocked the right-most lane of traffic heading north toward Flagstaff.
According to Coconino County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) spokesperson Jon Paxton, a woman had experienced what investigators believe was a medical emergency while behind the wheel of her car. According to CCSO, Passers-by found her car rolling off the roadway with the driver slumped over the steering wheel. Passersby were able to get the woman out of the car, and when deputies arrived they determined that she had died on scene.
Paxton said the incident is being investigated, but no one other than the driver was injured. The vehicle did not collide with other cars or damage any infrastructure. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/driver-suffers-fatal-medical-emergency-on-highway-89/article_855b7176-0ede-11ee-a19f-d7056560ca06.html | 2023-06-20T15:34:35 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/driver-suffers-fatal-medical-emergency-on-highway-89/article_855b7176-0ede-11ee-a19f-d7056560ca06.html |
Flagstaff Unified School District’s (FUSD) board was presented with spring benchmark testing and ACT results at its meeting last week. Overall, the testing showed that students had made progress during the 2022-2023 school year.
The district currently measures student progress using two benchmark tests administered in the fall, winter and spring of each year. Those in elementary school take AIMSWeb+, while middle schoolers take Study Island.
The key difference between the two is that AIMSWeb+ is a norm-referenced test, meaning it compares to national averages in percentiles, while Study Island is criterion-referenced, using comparisons to state standards, similar to a typical classroom test.
This means Study Island results can’t be compared to the state or national average, said director of research and assessment Mike Vogler, who presented the results Tuesday. This is part of the reason FUSD is in the process of switching to using the AIMSWeb+ benchmark for middle schoolers as well.
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Switching the middle school to the same benchmarking tool used for elementary students also allows the district to make comparisons between a wider range of grade levels.
“Right now, I can't do that,” Vogler said. “I can’t really give you a good sense of how our kids are doing in 7th grade compared to two years prior or even 6th grade, so we would like to be able to give our community, our students, our teachers, our principals better information and hopefully better access to intervention tools.”
Benchmark results
For both benchmark tests, the hope is for the number of students in the average and above-average categories to increase, with a corresponding downward trend in the number of students falling in the below average and well below average categories. This means that on the graphs Vogler presented, the blue trend lines moving down between the fall, winter and spring benchmarks is good news for the district.
Students throughout elementary school showed progress in both English and math at each grade level, with 1st graders showing the most improvement in both categories and second and 3rd graders showing similarly high levels of improvement in math.
Strengths for kindergarten and 1st graders included phoneme segmentation, concepts and applications and nonsense word fluency in English and concepts and applications in math, while their weakest categories were naming letters and numbers, word sounds, quantity (kindergarten) and word reading (first grade).
For 2nd through 5th graders, strengths included silent reading fluency, mental computation and concepts, and applications in math, while areas for improvement were reading comprehension, vocabulary and number sense fluency.
Similarly, the middle school Study Island results showed improvements in all grades and subjects between the fall and spring assessments, with similar levels of growth across both grade levels and subjects. (The changes appear more drastic on the math chart because scores are shown on a range from 80-100%, rather than 0-100%.)
The majority of students in 7th and 8th grade (slightly more than 85%) had no change in year-on-year ELA proficiency in the 2022-2023 school year, with roughly equal amounts of students either improving or declining in proficiency. Math scores showed similar results, with about 90% of students in both grades showing no change in proficiency. The changing proficiency levels in math had more variety between the two grades, however, with 7.47% of 7th graders showing improvements (compared to 0.8% declining), while a similar amount of 8th graders declined in proficiency (7.53%, compared to 1.6% who had improved).
Sixth graders were not included in these charts, Vogler noted, because there were no previous scores to compare them to, as this was their first year taking the assessment.
The highest scores for 6th through 8th graders on Study Island were in writing and language and ratios and proportions (which, Vogler noted, had been one of the categories with the lowest scores in the previous school year), with the district seeing increases in functions, geometry and statistics. Their lowest scores were in informational text and geometry.
ACT scores
Vogler's presentation also analyzed ACT scores for 11th graders in the district, comparing them to statewide results.
(The presentation did not include scores for state standardized testing — the Arizona Academic Standards Assessment, or AASA -- as he said the results had not yet been finalized across the state.)
ACT scores “appear to be increasing” at FUSD, he noted, with science and reading scores increasing from the previous school year (from 17.6 to 18.2 for science and from 18 to 18.6 for reading) to above the state average (which for both categories was 17.8 this spring).
District math results showed a continuation of a slight downward trend from the year before, while English scores decreased slightly (after rising slightly the previous year) and writing scores stayed mostly the same at FUSD.
Composite scores for ACT testing showed improvement from the previous year (the district’s scores had been on a downward trend since fall 2020, though the decline in last year’s spring testing was much slighter than the year prior), rising to just above the state average for the first time. The district’s composite score was 17.7 this spring, compared to the state’s 17.6.
Vogler noted, however, that the ACT scores over time represent different classes of students, so they aren’t necessarily a direct comparison. He also said the number of students taking the ACT was lower in 2020, due to the pandemic and has been increasing the years since.
Areas of strength for FUSD 11th graders included language knowledge, craft and structure, data interpretation and writing overall. Among the places they needed to grow were English conventions, algebra and functions.
Both this year and last year, Vogler said he reported that under 10% of FUSD students were STEM-ready, based on a cut-score created by combining math and science scores.
This group of students did not take the ACT Aspire, so there was no data available to compare their progress over time. Both the class before and after them have, so this comparison will be available for next year’s 11th graders.
Future testing focuses for FUSD include data sharing across the district and focusing on essential learning outcomes.
“Rather than just trying to focus on everything that could possibly be tested by focusing on a few things and having students learn those skills really well, we’re hoping and believing that that will increase student achievement,” Vogler said of that last focus. “If students are learning more, their test scores will be better.”
The first will be aided by the collaborative teams and professional learning communities FUSD is already prioritizing, he said.
“Trying to put that data more into the hands of teachers to help them have more of an awareness of information that’s available and also having that kind of dialogue between not only each other, but as a district learning community talking about what we can do to help students learn more and be more successful.”
A recording of the presentation is available starting about 2 hours and 10 minutes into the meeting at vimeo.com/835483190. The slideshow, with graphs, can be found in the agenda. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/flagstaff-unified-school-district-board-hears-results-of-benchmark-testing/article_91e86052-0ee8-11ee-ac58-d77589f8852f.html | 2023-06-20T15:34:41 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/education/flagstaff-unified-school-district-board-hears-results-of-benchmark-testing/article_91e86052-0ee8-11ee-ac58-d77589f8852f.html |
SEATAC, Wash. — The lower Arrivals Drive at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will be closed overnight Monday and Tuesday this week.
Traffic will be routed to Departures Drive from 11:59 p.m. June 19 to 8 a.m. June 20 and 11:59 p.m. June 20 to 8 a.m. June 21 as crews finish work on the Curbside Accessibility and Safety Project.
Drivers picking people up will either have to meet travelers at Departures Drive or in the parking garage, according to a statement on Twitter. A spokesperson for Sea-Tac Airport said drivers should give themselves extra time.
During those closures, crews will be wrapping up work on the zero grade curb, which requires paving. The project will allow people to access the curb without having to use steps. The work is weather dependent.
When complete, the entire Arrivals Drive will be ADA accessible.
The Curbside Accessibility and Safety Project is creating improvements to the main terminal of Sea-Tac Airport. Other improvements include increasing the number of accessible loading zones from three to 12 at the upper Departures Drive, installing bollards along both drives to increase safety and making windows in the main terminal and skybridges shatter proof.
The improvements were part of a recommendation by the Accessibility Study, as well as an agreement with the FAA.
For a daily roundup of everything you need to know for across western Washington, sign up for our 5 Things to Know email newsletter.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/washington/arrivals-drive-seatac-airport-closure/281-b7c36057-ea99-43c6-ae7d-8f8162216dfe | 2023-06-20T15:34:46 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/washington/arrivals-drive-seatac-airport-closure/281-b7c36057-ea99-43c6-ae7d-8f8162216dfe |
Serve on a board for Catholic Charities, Constellation Stage or help at Activate!
The City of Bloomington Volunteer Network is your source for information about volunteering locally. For a complete listing, visit BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org or call 812-349-3433. The inclusion of an organization in this list does not imply City endorsement or support of the organization’s activities or policies. Information and registration information for the following opportunities can be found online at BloomingtonVolunteerNetwork.org.
Catholic Charities advisory council member needed
The Catholic Charities Bloomington Counseling Services is looking for an advisory council member. This position will provide consultation to the agency director on agency operational and policy matters. Individuals are selected because of their standing in the community and their interest in Catholic Charities Bloomington and its mission. The advisory council member will be involved in meetings and events throughout the year. Visit https://tinyurl.com/advisory-council-member to learn more about the expectations for this vital role. Contact Michael Stribling at 812-332-1262 or info@ccbin.org with additional questions.
Constellation Stage & Screen board member applicants
Constellation Stage & Screen is seeking applicants who are passionate about supporting theater in Bloomington and southern Indiana and willing to make a commitment to advancing Constellation's mission and vision. The board is composed of people with a broad range of backgrounds and skills, and no prior experience on a theater board is necessary. Constellation Stage & Screen seeks to create an inclusive, welcoming environment and encourages anyone with interest to apply. Learn about the details for board membership at https://tinyurl.com/board-member-applicants. Questions? Contact Managing Director Gabe Gloden at gabe@seeconstellation.org or 812-336-7110.
Activate! Volunteers needed
Are you a volunteer, a member of an organization that utilizes volunteers, a board member, committee, or commission member? Would you like a chance to share your experiences, spread the word about your organization, and motivate others in the community to get involved? If so, consider sharing your stories. Activate! is a partnership between WFHB and the City of Bloomington Volunteer Network, which presents first-person narratives from people working for positive change. Interested participants will pre-record interviews at the WFHB Community Radio Station, which will air at a later date during the end of their 5 p.m. Monday Evening News. Interviews are currently being scheduled on Thursdays at 4:30, 5, 5:30, 6 or 6:30 p.m. Interviews can take up to 30 minutes but are often shorter. For more details and to sign up contact Michelle Moss at 812-349-3433 or getconnected@bloomington.in.gov.
Community Wish List Spotlight
New Hope Wish List
Donations to New Hope For Families will directly benefit families in our community navigating the crisis of homelessness. New Hope for Families staff members work with unhoused families to make sure they have necessary essentials, food, and the support they need to move from homelessness to stable housing.
Donations: Donations are accepted most weekdays 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Please call their office at 812-334-9840 in advance to arrange delivery.
For questions or special arrangements contact: Thom Atkinson at thom@newhope4families.org
Featured Wishes: shampoo and conditioner, body wash, laundry detergent pods ("free & clear" for sensitive skin), deodorant (men’s and women’s), feminine hygiene products, razors and shaving cream, diapers (sizes 4-6) and Pull-ups (sizes 3T-5T), baby wipes (unscented), and Kroger gift cards
View their Wish List online at: https://tinyurl.com/new-hope-wish-list
You can find current in-kind, material needs on the year-round Community Wish List at bloomingtonvolunteernetwork.org/communitywishlist. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/catholic-charities-constellation-stage-activate-need-your-help/70326060007/ | 2023-06-20T15:34:47 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/catholic-charities-constellation-stage-activate-need-your-help/70326060007/ |
WALLA WALLA COUNTY, Wash. — Washington state fire crews have been mobilized to contain a wildfire burning near the town of Touchet in Walla Walla County.
Fire officials are calling this blaze the "Oasis Fire," which reportedly started around 3:22 p.m. Monday afternoon. According to the Washington State Fire Marshal's Office, the fire is estimated to be 1,500 acres and growing, burning grass and sage. Officials say the fire is threatening agriculture, homes and infrastructure in the area, but no evacuations are in effect at this time.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Right now, the State Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray is activated at Level 3 to help coordinate state assistance with the Oasis Fire. Personnel with the State Fire Marshal's Office will work remotely to coordinate the dispatch of resources.
This is a developing news story and we will provide more updates as we receive them.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/wildfire/washington-state-crews-authorized-wildfire-walla-walla-county/293-854d3971-3994-4a19-8eb5-bd7f1562b983 | 2023-06-20T15:34:52 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/wildfire/washington-state-crews-authorized-wildfire-walla-walla-county/293-854d3971-3994-4a19-8eb5-bd7f1562b983 |
Here's five times Indiana University was used as a filming location
From the towering limestone of the Sample Gates to the tombstone cemetery at Beck Chapel, the beauty of Indiana University Bloomington has been featured in quite a few films, television shows and music videos over the years.
Here's five times the local campus made its way into popular culture.
"Firefly Lane" Netflix at Sample Gates (2022)
A "blink and you'll miss it" moment occurred recently on this Netflix series, though many eagle-eyed Hoosiers caught it when the episode was released in December 2022.
"Firefly Lane" is a romantic drama, based on a bestselling novel, where Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke play inseparable best friends who lean on each other through the growing pains of life. While the show is based in the Seattle area, Indiana University's iconic Sample Gates make a cameo in the second season while the characters are in an unnamed college setting. If you're a curious viewer with a Netflix account, you can see the IU landmark in season two's ninth episode, “Hart Shaped Box,” at the 18:22 minute mark.
"The Nights" by Avicii at Sample Gates (2014)
It might seem bizarre for a Swedish DJ to give screen time to a university in Indiana as part of the video for his explosive hit single, "The Nights" — until you take a closer look at the man behind the production.
The music video, which has 907 million views on YouTube, was produced, directed by, and stars Rory Kramer. Kramer is a lifelong Hoosier and IU alumnus. This video showcases his action-packed adventures and motivation to live life to the fullest extent. The video features a few locations around Indiana, including a photograph of a smiling Kramer standing outside the Sample Gates at the 2:25 minute mark.
Beyond this collaboration with Avicii, Kramer has worked closely with Justin Bieber. One of Kramer's photos is the album cover of Bieber's 2021 release "Justice."
"A Ride Back Home" by John Mellencamp at Beck Chapel (2009)
While it won't be long before his likeness is immortalized near the IU Auditorium, it wasn't so long ago that John Mellencamp commemorated the beauty of IU's campus in his own way.
Back in the late 2000s, the singer-songwriter, painter and native Hoosier shot a music video for his song "A Ride Back Home" featuring Karen Fairchild from Little Big Town at the Beck Chapel. The video includes interior shots of mourners gathered in pews as well as a rolling glimpse at the campus cemetery near the end.
"An Evening with Kevin Smith" at the IU Auditorium (2002)
Over 10 years ago, Indiana University was one of several college campuses featured on "An Evening with Kevin Smith," where the famous comedian and filmmaker discusses his films, influences and other topics in a question and answer format. About 3,200 people attended the Bloomington performance.
In a particularly memorable moment of the special, an attendee shares how he was let go from his job at a local Italian restaurant because he wanted to attend the show. Smith invites the attendee on stage and calls his boss right then and there, but alas, a celebrity endorsement over the phone was not enough to get the attendee re-hired.
"Breaking Away" at the Indiana Memorial Union (1979)
Of course, no list about IU's place in the popular culture lexicon would be complete without the enduring coming-of-age classic, "Breaking Away." The film follows a Bloomington teenager with a slight obsession for Italian cycling as he contemplates his life ambitions and bucks against a group of upper-class college students.
It was filmed in town, so the movie features several visual references to Bloomington and the IU campus, but none more iconic than the fight scene shot at the Indiana Memorial Union. If you're looking to remember what the campus looked like over 40 years ago, consider a rewatch.
Reach Rachel Smith at rksmith@heraldt.com. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/heres-a-list-of-times-when-bloomington-hollywood-have-crossed-paths/70296800007/ | 2023-06-20T15:34:54 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/heres-a-list-of-times-when-bloomington-hollywood-have-crossed-paths/70296800007/ |
DALLAS(KDAF)—This is the gift that keeps on giving to your hand and hopefully mine as well.
The Texas Lottery reports a $25,000 winning #Cashfive ticket from Monday’s drawing was sold in Arlington.“A $25,000 winning ticket for last night’s #CashFive drawing was sold in #Arlington“, Texas Lottery tweeted.
The ticket matched all five winning numbers from the June 19 drawing (7,18,20,27 and 29). The ticket was sold at Quick Track on 1508 W Mayfield Dr in Arlington; the ticket was a Quick Pick.
The lottery reminds players, “Tickets must be claimed within 180 days after the draw date. | https://cw33.com/news/local/did-you-win-25000-texas-lottery-winner-in-arlington/ | 2023-06-20T15:39:23 | 0 | https://cw33.com/news/local/did-you-win-25000-texas-lottery-winner-in-arlington/ |
OXFORD, Ala. (WIAT) — Crews responded to a call around 1:56 a.m. Tuesday morning regarding a house fire in Oxford.
Upon arrival at 24 Main St., it was confirmed that people were trapped in the house. The Oxford Fire Department were able to rescue an 8-year-old girl, who was taken to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham.
Two adult males died in the fire. Three others were taken to Regional Medical Center in Anniston and have been treated and released.
Fire crews are still on the scene according to Fire Chief Gary Sparks. The State Fire Marshal is investigating the circumstances surrounding the fire.
This story will be updated as more information is made available. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/crews-on-scene-of-fatal-oxford-fire/ | 2023-06-20T15:47:48 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/crews-on-scene-of-fatal-oxford-fire/ |
A Hutchinson occupational therapist came from India to study. He earned a doctorate in May
For decades, Wesley Towers Retirement Community has provided assisted and independent living to older people in the community.
While this is mainly what they are known for, many patients are just there for short-term rehab. Many come to Wesley directly from the hospital for rehabilitation services provided by their talented staff.
There is one man, in particular, they can count on, Utakarsh “Sammy” Malge.
For seven years, Malge has been an occupational therapist with Summit Wellness, based in Wesley Towers. He works in the occupational area of therapy, where he helps people learn to do day-to-day tasks and improve their lives.
In May 2023, Malge earned his doctorate in occupational therapy from Grand Valley State University in Michigan — a huge achievement, as he is one of the few therapists in the area to reach this level of education. As a result, the president and CEO of Wesley Towers, Mark Mains, presented Malge with a plaque to recognize him for his accomplishment.
“Receiving the plaque just means I did hard work with extra effort,” Malge said. “It means all my sacrifices paid off.”
Malge earned his bachelor’s degree in India, where he is originally from. The pursuit of his master’s degree is what eventually brought him to the birthplace of occupational therapy — the United States.
Malge chose his area of study due to an injury his grandmother sustained. When he was 16, she fell and broke her leg. Through his grandmother, he got to see first-hand the compassionate care that occupational therapy offers people.
“Seeing her suffer and seeing occupational therapy work for her — that made me want to go into the field,” Malge said.
Malge has faced many obstacles coming to America from India. He experienced a sort of culture shock, facing changes in the education system, socialization and environment in general.
“Seeing snow for the first time was an interesting experience,” Malge said, joking.
There were problems with the language, tuition and more. Malge also began working on his master’s degree at 29, eight years after receiving his bachelor’s, adding even more stress onto his education.
But despite these obstacles, Malge has come so far and accomplished much at Wesley Towers.
Aaron Dinkel, the director of rehabilitation, has seen Malge’s work up close many times and speaks very highly of him.
“The way he approaches health care is different than what I’ve seen before,” Dinkel said. “He has the passion to find what people love and exhaust all options to give it to them.”
Malge mentioned one accomplishment in particular that he is most proud of: His time with a patient named Jerry.
Jerry was in his 70s and a long-term resident of Wesley Towers. He had trouble maintaining a happy lifestyle in the environment he was in, and reportedly only left his room for physician visits.
Malge got to know Jerry when he started occupational therapy, and in doing so discovered Jerry loved to go fishing before moving to Wesley Towers. He used this information, allowing Jerry to participate in an activity he loved doing while improving his fine motor skills.
Malge not only gave Jerry the fishing trip of a lifetime but also boosted his sense of purpose and self-identity.
Jerry’s story was also featured in the May 2023 issue of OT Practice Magazine.
While Malge is really making a name for himself in the occupational therapy field, his long-term plan is to teach at the university level.
Malge knows the importance of an education — a belief inherited from his father, who was also a professor. He wants to give students the same foundation of knowledge that he was given.
He recalls professors going above and beyond for him when he began school in the United States, when his professors would give him rides to class on snowy days.
“My professors empowered me,” Malge said. “I want the chance to empower others.”
For now, Malge plans to stay at Wesley Towers, where his passion for healing will continue to encourage his peers and improve the lives of his patients.
“I strongly believe anything is possible with hard work and God,” Malge said. | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/hutchinson-occupational-therapist-recognized-for-academic-achievement/70321076007/ | 2023-06-20T15:51:55 | 0 | https://www.hutchnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/20/hutchinson-occupational-therapist-recognized-for-academic-achievement/70321076007/ |
CEDAR FALLS — A new business is planned at the old Hydrant Firehouse Grill building on College Hill.
Thomas Benedict, a former part-owner of Sharky’s nightclub, is opening Cooper’s Taproom, a bar at 2002 College St. where patrons will be able to get drinks and meals while hanging out with friends, watching televised sports or singing karaoke.
He named the new spot after his 6-year-old son, Cooper, and expects it to be fully opened by early August.
“I’ve always loved the location and going to the Hydrant and the Mexican restaurant that used to be there,” said Benedict. “I used to live down the street and it is cool how it’s off on its own on the Hill. It’s not too small and it’s not too big. It’s a happy medium.”
The Hydrant closed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was previously the home of El Mariachi Mexican Restaurant and Bar. The 2,624-square-foot space is one floor with an occupancy of 106. It is still owned by Dwayne Eilers, who operated the Hydrant, and will be leased by Benedict.
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“I really love living in Cedar Falls and love the community a lot,” he added. “I never went to UNI but feel we have a great area that’s shared between the university and College Hill.”
The taproom will offer a variety of craft, imported and domestic beers, including eight on tap, as well as a specialty cocktail menu and a slate of liquor and mixed drinks.
He doesn’t plan to “reinvent the wheel” and is still ironing out what drinks will be offered. He’s thinking of a New Orleans-styled cocktail as well as four “signature” cocktails based on the tastes of his family.
Additionally, Benedict is subleasing the kitchen to Umer Malik Ali, a chef who ran the Munchees food truck on College Hill and in the 500 block of Broadway Street in Waterloo three to four years ago.
He plans to offer gyros and Pakistani cuisine as well as fish and burgers, pizza, chicken wings, specialty fries, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings.
“There are no gyro places in Cedar Falls,” said Ali. “I guess there’s Arby’s. But we’re going to have authentic, international food and give college students options. Many don’t have cars and live in the dorms and they don’t have a lot of late-night options. And our food will be affordable.”
The taproom plans to be open 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The kitchen, will have late night hours mirroring that of the time drinks are served.
Benedict returned Sunday to Cedar Falls after taking a weekend trip with his family to Chicago to enjoy the scene, a baseball game and gain some “inspiration” for his new business.
“I’ve always loved going to Chicago,” said Benedict. “We have friends there and I’ve been a lifelong Cubs fan.”
Benedict plans to paint the establishment’s walls ivy green, in honor of the renowned ivy-covered outfield walls at the team’s home stadium, Wrigley Field.
He’ll also be adding new hardwood floors, re-staining the bar, adding televisions, and bringing in some sports memorabilia.
But he’s planning to largely maintain the footprint and what had been inside the old Hydrant Firehouse Grill, including the horseshoe-shaped bar, high-top tables and booth seating.
His hope is to build up a group of regulars patronizing the establishment during the daytime and then cater to the college students on the weekends.
Benedict noted he also plans to offer karaoke on Thursdays. His wife is a teacher and the couple hopes to also cater to educators Friday after they get off work.
The owner-manager plans to hire 15 people for the taproom, eight to nine bartenders as well as other floor staff and a DJ. The kitchen staff will range between three to five people. Anyone interested in applying can reach out through the business’ Facebook, Instagram or Twitter pages.
Originally from Monticello, Benedict came to the Cedar Valley to attend Hawkeye Community College for a photography degree and has remained in the area since the early 2000s. He began working at Sharky’s in 2005 as a DJ and manager and eventually became part-owner in 2011 until his decision to divest in March.
Immediately to the south of the old Hydrant building, the city has taken on a $2.69 million infrastructure project. One component is the expansion and beautifying of the Pettersen Plaza. Benedict said that did not influence his decision to open the business there.
College Hill has seen changes over the years. Among them is the closure of Tony’s Pizzeria and The Other Place, longtime staples.
Dior’s Slushee & Bar had opened on the Hill, but did not last more than a year. Balance Hot Yoga recently moved away to a relatively new Viking Road plaza. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/business/coopers-taproom-opening-on-college-hill/article_8aec233c-0ba1-11ee-a330-f7cb31d16b5c.html | 2023-06-20T15:53:25 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/business/coopers-taproom-opening-on-college-hill/article_8aec233c-0ba1-11ee-a330-f7cb31d16b5c.html |
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