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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The lights are staying on at Towne West Square. Evergy confirmed with KSN News in a statement that payment for an overdue energy bill has been received.
“Payment has been received and disconnection process cancelled,” said Evergy.
Evergy said Towne West Mall had been delinquent on its electric bill since last November, and after the energy company gave a firm cutoff date of Wednesday, Evergy received payment.
Initially, Kohan Retail Investment Group, which owns Towne West, was given a Tuesday cutoff date, but after “documentation” had been received showing a plan to make payment Wednesday, the energy company pushed the date back to Wednesday. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/towne-west-pays-evergy-bill-power-to-remain-on/ | 2023-06-22T12:12:58 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/towne-west-pays-evergy-bill-power-to-remain-on/ |
A pile of money and a cellphone on the ground marked the spot near where a person was gunned down in Southwest Philadelphia overnight.
Police officers responded to Woodland Avenue, near South 67th Street, late Wenesday night.
Police confirmed that at least one person died, but didn't give any further details about the shooting. It wasn't clear if anyone else was shot.
No motive was given for the shooting.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
Entering Thursday, at least 201 homicides have been reported in Philadelphia this year, according to police data. That's down about 18% from the same date last year, but still well ahead of the pace of many other recent years on record.
This story is developing and will be updated.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/deadly-shooting-southwest-philly/3590314/ | 2023-06-22T12:22:44 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/deadly-shooting-southwest-philly/3590314/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/person-gunned-down-in-philly-pile-of-cash-left-on-ground/3590330/ | 2023-06-22T12:22:51 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/person-gunned-down-in-philly-pile-of-cash-left-on-ground/3590330/ |
Daytona Beach hopes buying $2 million of mostly blighted land will help start a renaissance
DAYTONA BEACH — For decades, local residents have watched blight and decay metastasize around Daytona's beachside and mainland urban core.
Many thousands of dollars and hours have been spent on masterplans and redevelopment plans, and only the downtown riverfront is finally seeing a real renaissance.
Within the course of four hours Wednesday night, city commissioners took a series of votes that maybe someday will be remembered as the spark that ignited the redevelopment desperately needed east of Clyde Morris Boulevard.
Commissioners agreed to spend nearly $2 million buying privately owned property in Midtown and on the beachside that's hoped to become the site of a new hotel, restaurant, shops, a movie theater, office space, multi-family housing, and an African-American museum.
Commissioners also voted to donate 10 city-owned lots, some of which are in the impoverished Midtown neighborhood, to two agencies that will use the land to build affordable housing.
"We're asking you to help us change the way we look," Daytona Beach Redevelopment Director Ken Thomas told commissioners before they voted.
Strategic land buys
Thomas told commissioners that change and improvements won't be immediate, but they can happen.
"Developers are afraid to make an investment," Thomas said at Wednesday's City Hall meeting.
The city is opening its wallet first to communicate that it believes the areas chosen for redevelopment can turn around.
"We want to make it known you can invest your money and you won't lose your money," Thomas said.
Other Florida cities have managed to attract new hotel construction to their struggling areas. Thomas highlighted the Luminary Hotel built in the Fort Myers community redevelopment area and the Hotel Melby built in Melbourne's downtown community redevelopment area that has a rooftop bar, restaurant, and parking garage.
Daytona Beach commissioners agreed to buy a 1-acre property at 210 N. Peninsula Drive in the Main Street Redevelopment Area with the goal of finding a developer who'll build multi-family housing there. Once closing costs and broker fees are added in, the total bill will be about $860,000.
A church and another building that once stood on the site at the corner of Earl Street have been demolished.
Commissioners also voted to buy two properties in the 500 block of West International Speedway Boulevard at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. With brokers' fees and closing costs included, the total cost will be about $1 million.
"The property located at 562 and 558 W. ISB were appraised at $430,000 and $207,000 respectively," Thomas wrote in a meeting agenda item summary. "Although the appraised values are lower than the asking price, the purchase and removal of slum and blighted conditions along our major corridors is consistent with our Midtown Master Plan intent."
'We're starting the renaissance'
City officials have big hopes for the two ISB properties in Midtown, which are currently home to aging buildings that don't appear to have had much investment or beautification for years.
"That's one of the major intersections in the city," Thomas said. "By acquiring it we have the ability to change the way we look."
Conceptual renderings shown to commissioners depict a new plaza, an outdoor cafe, new landscaping, a large multi-story hotel, and mixed-use development that could include both new housing and offices. There is also mention of melding new development with the Bethune-Cookman University campus that has property fronting ISB.
Another color rendering shows a large town square complete with an amphitheater and public art where festivals and community events could be held.
The city hopes to make back some of its money by possibly selling the properties, and with the increased property taxes the sites would generate with new development. If more new development is attracted nearby, that will also provide more property tax revenue.
It's too early to determine if the city would donate any of the land or provide incentives to clinch deals with developers, Thomas said.
While the mayor and at least a few commissioners are excited about what could happen on the newly acquired property, City Commissioner Monica Paris is skeptical. She cast the lone no vote on the purchases.
"Why do you think private developers have not already acquired the property?" Paris asked Thomas.
She said she doesn't believe it's "the business of the city to be in real estate." She also queried "what would be different" once the city owned the land?"
"We're starting the renaissance," Thomas said. "The private sector is waiting for us to start. In a few years after we clean it up, our phone will be ringing off the hook."
If the city had waited to buy the property, the price just would have risen, he said.
'We can't just sit here wishing'
Mayor Derrick Henry said he expects the city will have to offer some enticements to investors to get top-notch development.
"It's not going to be easy," Henry said.
Now that the city owns the land, change can begin, said City Manager Deric Feacher.
"The biggest thing is being able to control what goes there," Feacher said.
The city can clean up the properties and maybe create some green space and allow food trucks there until new development comes along.
"No one will invest in it looking the way it does now," Henry said. "We're investing because we want the community to be better."
Redevelopment on Daytona's beachside:End of an era: Daytona Boardwalk arcade and gift shop building being reduced to rubble
New downtown Daytona Beach development:Daytona Tortugas seek $30 million for historic Jackie Robinson Ballpark renovation
The change could be dramatic. Over the past 20 years, a section of Winter Haven has gone from having just one restaurant to more than 30 now, Feacher said.
It all started with Winter Haven's community redevelopment area purchasing one property, he said.
"We've been waiting for something to happen on ISB for a long time," said City Commissioner Paula Reed, whose zone includes Midtown. "We can't just sit here wishing. I'm definitely in favor of this."
You can reach Eileen at Eileen.Zaffiro@news-jrnl.com | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2023/06/22/daytona-beach-buying-beachside-and-urban-core-properties-to-redevelop-land/70341121007/ | 2023-06-22T12:23:12 | 0 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2023/06/22/daytona-beach-buying-beachside-and-urban-core-properties-to-redevelop-land/70341121007/ |
Hermitage to host five educators as part of 2023 State Teachers Artist Residency program
The Hermitage Artist Retreat, in partnership with the Florida Alliance for Arts Education, will host five Florida public school arts teachers on Manasota Key as winners of the 2023 State Teachers Artist Residency program (STARs).
The teaching artists will present a showcase of their work on July 14 at 1 p.m. The event will be at the Hermitage’s beachfront campus on Manasota Key, 6660 Manasota Key Road, in Englewood. The program is presented in partnership with the Englewood YMCA.
Now in its 13th year, this year's recipients are Jeffrey Brown, a keyboard instructor at Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando; James Finch, a visual arts instructor at West Shore Jr/Sr High School in Melbourne; Katherine Gebhart, an art instructor at Jerry Thomas Elementary School in Jupiter; Omar Otero, a photography and painting instructor at Hagerty High School in Oviedo; and Rachael Pongetti, a visual art instructor at the Escambia High School in Pensacola.
The July program will be open to the public with a $5 registration fee. Registration is required at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.
"Over the years, the STARs have created some truly stunning works of art, music, theater, dance, and literature during their time at the Hermitage," said Andy Sandberg, Hermitage artistic director and CEO. "Many Hermitage teaching artist alumni have shared that this program enables them to return to their students with a new fire and passion for arts education.”
Since the start of the Hermitage STARs program in 2011, 62 teachers have represented over 30 Florida counties.
The STARs program is one of the only Hermitage residency programs open to application; arts educators from schools throughout Florida are eligible, including music, theater, visual art, dance, and creative writing teachers. For more information about the Hermitage STARs program, visit FAAE.org. For more information on the Hermitage and upcoming programs, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.
Submitted by The Hermitage | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/hermitage-to-host-five-florida-arts-teachers-as-part-of-star-program/70319259007/ | 2023-06-22T12:34:06 | 0 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/hermitage-to-host-five-florida-arts-teachers-as-part-of-star-program/70319259007/ |
Selby Foundation awards $100,000 to Sarasota Audubon to support Celery Fields project
The William G. and Marie Selby Foundation recently awarded $100,000 to Sarasota Audubon in support of the re-wilding project at the Celery Fields. The local Audubon chapter is partnering with the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast to increase the biodiversity of the Celery Fields by building and enhancing the habitat of the adjacent 33 acres of protected land known as the Quad Parcels.
“The Selby Foundation’s gift of $100,000 is an enormous contribution to our efforts to enhance the southwest parcel which serves as the front porch and welcome mat of the re-wilding project,” said Jeanne Dubi, president of Sarasota Audubon. “Residents and visitors will find parking, family-friendly spaces, ‘open flex lawns,’ discovery areas for children, ADA-friendly walkways, and a Celery Fields history kiosk; the public restrooms with an attached covered picnic pavilion are the focus of the Selby Foundation funds.”
The completed re-wilding project also will feature a wooded habitat with a pollinator meadow and a bird and wildlife viewing platform on the southeastern parcel; the northeast parcel with an existing stormwater retention pond will have littoral plantings and added wooded areas. Together, the quad parcels will serve as a buffer to the Celery Fields, an international and national birding hotspot with more than 250 species of migratory and resident birds as well as native mammals, reptiles, and other wildlife.
“Wildlife viewing is one of the biggest draws of visitors to Sarasota County,” Dubi said. “With the addition of woodland habitat and the public amenities that make it accessible, this area of the Celery Fields will become its own destination, drawing people from around the state, country and world.”
Sarasota Audubon and the Conservation Foundation are currently fundraising and finalizing the habitat design with Sarasota County. The organizations hope to break ground by the end of the year.
“Bill and Marie Selby loved to be outdoors and appreciated our natural environment,” said Susie Bowie, president and CEO of the Selby Foundation. “We are delighted that the Selby Foundation has invested $100,000 in the Quad Parcels by supporting the efforts of Sarasota Audubon Society and know that this gift will increase accessibility to nature for children, families, and individuals.”
To learn more about the re-wilding of the Quad Parcels or to make a donation, visit SarasotaAudubon.org/quad.
Submitted by Suzanne Dameron | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/sarasotas-celery-fields-re-wilding-project-receives-financial-boost/70319238007/ | 2023-06-22T12:34:12 | 1 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/sarasotas-celery-fields-re-wilding-project-receives-financial-boost/70319238007/ |
Science and Environment Council hosts Growing Green Reception; EcoSummit announced
The Science and Environment Council and philanthropist Elizabeth Moore recently hosted the Growing Green Reception to announce details of two major events taking place in December: the EcoSummit and Green Living Expo.
Approximately 70 guests participated, representing interests across the region from Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor, including members of the community, SEC sponsors and partners, and elected officials.
The EcoSummit, scheduled on Dec. 5-6 at Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, will feature solutions-oriented lectures, panel discussions, and storytelling and include author Carl Hiaasen and Australian environmental thought leader and filmmaker Damon Gameau.
The Green Living Expo, scheduled Dec. 2-3 at Sarasota Municipal Auditorium, will showcase sustainable products, services, and opportunities to get involved in environmental issues. At The Bay, Sarasota’s new park along Sarasota’s bayfront, families will be able to enjoy hands-on environmental activities and eco-tours from SEC partners. All activities will be free.
“Our environment is central to who we are, to our work and play, to our health and future. To preserve our quality of life, we must find a new balance with nature,” Moore said.
Incorporated in 2001, the Science and Environment Council is a not-for-profit consortium of 40 leading science-based environmental, nonprofit and government organizations in Sarasota and Manatee counties. One project is its comprehensive “Green Living Toolkit” that can be found at greenlivingtoolkit.org. For more about the SEC and the 2023 EcoSummit and expo, visit scienceandenvironment.org. To learn about sponsorships, visit eco-summit.org.
Submitted by Gayle Guynup | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/science-and-environment-council-to-host-regional-ecosummit-at-van-wezel/70315275007/ | 2023-06-22T12:34:18 | 1 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/science-and-environment-council-to-host-regional-ecosummit-at-van-wezel/70315275007/ |
Heartland Theatre sets senior showcase
NORMAL — Heartland Theatre Company's senior acting troupe, Young at Heartland, will perform their summer showcase at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 28 and 2 p.m. Friday, June 30.
The showcase will take place at Heartland Theatre, 1110 Douglas St., One Normal Plaza in the Community Activity Center. The shows will be on a donations-at-the-door basis. No reservations will be taken.
The actors will perform scenes on stage that were written mainly by local seniors. Doors will open 20 minutes before curtain and the show is open to the public. Facemasks are welcome, but not required.
To prep for the showcase, the seniors participated in a two-month acting workshop. The program is directed by Ann B. White, who founded the project 19 years ago.
The workshop instructors include Julie Kistler and Terri Whisenhunt. The troupe often performs at area nursing and retirement homes, and church and civic groups in McLean County.
The program is supported by grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the McLean County Arts Center.
Visit heartland theatre.org or email boxoffice@heartlandtheatre.org for more information. | https://pantagraph.com/life-entertainment/local/arts-in-brief-heartland-theatre-to-present-senior-showcase/article_68966cc8-0c70-11ee-951d-ffdeaa617dc4.html | 2023-06-22T12:34:20 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/life-entertainment/local/arts-in-brief-heartland-theatre-to-present-senior-showcase/article_68966cc8-0c70-11ee-951d-ffdeaa617dc4.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 22, 1923: The Central Illinois Holiness Association announces their 37th annual camp meeting to be held here Aug. 17-26. On July 4, a basket dinner will be held at the tabernacle to which the public is invited. There will be preaching services on the evening of July 3 by the pastor of the Nazarene church of Tallula. On the Fourth, preaching at 10 a.m. will be Mrs. M.E. Stretch of El Paso, who is well known here. The picnic dinner will be served at 12:30 p.m.
75 years ago
June 22, 1948: Sharing in a nationwide recruiting spurt, McLean County's 296th Anti-aircraft battalion signed up eight new members. The fact that men who join the national guard before the raft bill is signed will not have to register for the draft was given as the most important factor in the recruiting speedup.
50 years ago
June 22, 1973: Four committees have been established to work on an urban beautification project in Normal, said Mrs. Jacelyn Bell of 1105 Valentine in Normal. The committees will report back at a July 17 meeting of the 30-member group.
25 years ago
June 22, 1998: For once, something really is bigger and better than ever before. With 25% more teams than last year, organizers of the fourth annual American Cancer Society's 24-hour Relay for Life hope to raise $250,000 this year. In 1997, 77 teams raised $205,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year, 104 10-member teams will take part.
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/100-years-ago-central-illinois-holiness-association-plans-events/article_a845f68c-106b-11ee-b5c2-9f6eb0acc463.html | 2023-06-22T12:34:21 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/100-years-ago-central-illinois-holiness-association-plans-events/article_a845f68c-106b-11ee-b5c2-9f6eb0acc463.html |
BLOOMINGTON — Home Sweet Home Ministries announced they raised $117,858 for their May Community Challenge.
In May, a group pledged $50,000 to HSHM and challenged community members to match their contribution.
The money will go to help individuals and families experiencing homelessness find refuge and renewal.
HSHM CEO Matt Burgess said in a news release they are grateful for the love and support from the community.
Photos: Families build Christmas tradition at Home Sweet Home
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Family tradition
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Contact Olivia Jacobs at 309-820-3352. Follow Olivia on Twitter: @olivia___jacobs
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/home-sweet-home-ministries-raised-over-117k-in-may-challenge/article_94f7b758-0f9b-11ee-a6f3-1fc896ff7549.html | 2023-06-22T12:34:28 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/home-sweet-home-ministries-raised-over-117k-in-may-challenge/article_94f7b758-0f9b-11ee-a6f3-1fc896ff7549.html |
Harbor Light Christian School opens new track for community use
HARBOR SPRINGS — School may be out for summer, but Harbor Light Christian School’s new walking track is open for use.
Housed on the upper level of the gym at the newly constructed Solid Rock Center, the gym is open to the community.
More:Harbor Light Christian School receives matching grant for Solid Rock Center expansion
The new walking track is designed to promote physical wellness and fitness and support the well-being of students, staff and the community.
School officials said the walking track is intended to encourage healthy and active lifestyles while providing a safe indoor space to do so. The space is open to people of all ages and allows people to engage in regular exercise, especially during the winter months.
According to a press release, the track’s construction was made possible through donations from local organizations within the community, parents and further fundraising efforts.
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The track is open two hours at a time five days a week. It’s closed on Mondays and Fridays. There is a $2 suggested donation to use the track.
The hours are:
- Sunday: 7-9 p.m.
- Tuesdays: 8-10 a.m.
- Wednesdays: 8-10 p.m.
- Thursdays: 8-10 a.m.
- Saturdays: 8-10 p.m.
For more information, visit harborlightchristian.org.
— Contact reporter Karly Graham atkgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at@KarlyGrahamJRN. | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/harbor-light-christian-school-opens-new-track-for-community-use/70341504007/ | 2023-06-22T12:34:32 | 1 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/harbor-light-christian-school-opens-new-track-for-community-use/70341504007/ |
TREMONT — Ham radio operators from the Tazewell County Emergency Management Agency in Tremont will participate in a national amateur radio exercise.
The ARRL Field Day will be held from noon Saturday, June 24, until noon Sunday, June 25. The event has been put on by the American Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio in the United States, since 1933.
For Field Day, hams from across North America establish temporary radio stations in public locations to demonstrate their skill and service.
Some hams from the area will also use the radio stations set up in their homes or backyards and other locations to operate individually or with their families.
Visit arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio or contact eoc@tazewell-il.gov or 309-925-2271 for more information.
Photos: DeSantis speaks at Lincoln Day Dinner in Peoria
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves to the crowd after the Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. The event was sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis shakes hands with guests before the Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. The event was sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves to the crowd after the Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. The event was sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, introduces Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday during the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. The event was sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Former State Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, talks with guest before the Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the event sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White speaks during the Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the event sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Tazewell County Republican Chairmn Jim Rule speaks before the Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the event sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during the Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. The event was sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White speaks during the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the event sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Tazewell County Republican Chairmn Jim Rule speaks before the Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke at the event sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White shakes hands with U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, Friday at the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, introduces Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday during the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom. The event was sponsored by Tazewell County and Peoria County Republicans.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
The audience watches U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, speak at the Lincoln Day Dinner on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, right, shakes hands with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday during the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Peoria, right, embraces Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday during the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Lincoln Day Dinner with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Friday at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waves to the crowd on Friday during the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
The audience listens to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday during the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks on Friday during the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Peoria Civic Center Ballroom.
CLAY JACKSON, THE PANTAGRAPH
Contact Olivia Jacobs at 309-820-3352. Follow Olivia on Twitter: @olivia___jacobs
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/tazewell-county-ema-plans-amateur-radio-field-day/article_108fc768-1053-11ee-9bbf-538d798d839b.html | 2023-06-22T12:34:34 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/tazewell-county-ema-plans-amateur-radio-field-day/article_108fc768-1053-11ee-9bbf-538d798d839b.html |
Health department offers restaurant staff training to comply with new state requirements
CHARLEVOIX — The Health Department of Northwest Michigan is offering education and training opportunities geared toward staff of full-service restaurants updating their Certified Food Manager status.
Currently, the 2009 food code requires food service establishments to have a Certified Food Manager onsite the majority of the time they are operating. The pending updated food code will soon require a Certified Food Manager to be present whenever the restaurant is open.
“We want to make sure our licensed food service businesses are prepared for when the updates to the Michigan Food Code take place,” said Jeremy Fruk, Health Department of Northwest Michigan Director of Environmental Health.
“The changes have been written for some time, but passage is expected in the next year or so.”
Over the summer, the state required one-day training will be offered at the health department's offices in Bellaire, Charlevoix and Gaylord. The training is designed for restaurants with more complex food safety requirements, such as batch cooking that requires two-step cooling and serving foods with minimum internal temperatures for serving.
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“We know the online classes fill up fast,” said Rhiannon Pomerville, Health Department of Northwest Michigan Environmental Sanitarian II, who will be the instructor. "We also know that online learning isn’t for everyone — whether they prefer in-person instruction or lack the level of technology needed for online training and unsupervised testing. Our class is close to home and uses less sophisticated technology.”
Having a qualified instructor present during online testing simplifies that process, as cameras aren’t necessary for verification. However, all registrants are required to bring their own laptop. Chromebooks and iPad are not compatible for the electronic exam.
Class sizes will be limited to a maximum of 15 people. Anyone interested in taking the Always Food Safe Certified Food Manager training can preregister using the following links:
- Bellaire, July 12: surveymonkey.com/r/ZZPMFJW
- Charlevoix, Aug. 16: surveymonkey.com/r/T6YLTRY
- Gaylord, Sept. 12: surveymonkey.com/r/T63KHKL
Cost of the training and testing is $145 and the cost for the test only is $55 (for revalidation for those already certified). Registration is at 8:30 a.m. and class begins at 9 a.m. Lunch is from noon to 1 p.m. and is not provided. The exam is from 3-5 p.m.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231)675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com. Follow her on Twitter, @adoylenews | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/health-department-offers-restaurant-staff-training-as-food-code-is-updated/70329779007/ | 2023-06-22T12:34:46 | 0 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/health-department-offers-restaurant-staff-training-as-food-code-is-updated/70329779007/ |
Petoskey library to host first USCF-rated chess tournament on Saturday
PETOSKEY — On Saturday, June 24, the Petoskey District Library will host its first U.S. Chess Federation rated tournament, the Petoskey Open Chess Classic.
The tournament is for all ages and will take place at the Carnegie Building in downtown Petoskey.
The tournament will consist of four rounds, timed-controlled at 45 minutes per player with a five-second delay. There will be two sections for participants: an open section for players with any rating or who are unrated, and a reserve section for players rated 1200 and under or unrated. Trophies will be awarded to players finishing first and second place in each section. The top player rated under 1600 and the top unrated player will also be awarded trophies.
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Junior players ages 8-18 play for free, though they must obtain a USCF membership. The cost to participate for persons over age 18 is $10. Those planning to compete in the tournament are encouraged to register online ahead of the tournament to help event organizers plan most efficiently.
More details about the event and online registration is available at petoskeylibrary.org/chess-classic.
Carnegie Building doors will open at 8 a.m. with sign-in running until 9 a.m. The first round is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.
The tournament is made possible through a grant from the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation’s Youth Advisory Committee. Questions regarding the tournament should be directed to Robert Bemben at rjbemben@gmail.com.
For more information about other library events, call (231) 758-3100 or visit petoskeylibrary.org. | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/petoskey-library-to-host-first-uscf-rated-chess-tournament-on-saturday/70342752007/ | 2023-06-22T12:34:49 | 1 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/petoskey-library-to-host-first-uscf-rated-chess-tournament-on-saturday/70342752007/ |
Heading to Summerfest this weekend? Here's your weather forecast.
Summerfest kicks off its 55th anniversary this weekend on Milwaukee's lakefront. This year, the festival runs from June 22-24, June 29-July 1 and July 6- 8.
Here's how to prepare for the weather this weekend:
What's the weather for Summerfest this weekend?
Don't forget to pack your sunscreen. Festivalgoers will enjoy plenty of sunshine with temps in the mid to upper 70s on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, said Denny VanCleve, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Milwaukee-Sullivan.
Storms should hopefully hold off until late Saturday night into Sunday.
What's the air quality for this weekend?
Milwaukee could see more wildfire smoke Thursday night into Friday, said VanCleve. Here's an air quality map of Wisconsin with a focus on Milwaukee. The map is updated every hour.
Can I bring my water bottle into Summerfest?
No cans, glass, plastic or metal containers, including Yeti bottles, tumblers, thermos and disposable plastic bottles are allowed on Summerfest grounds.
If it rains during the festival, is there a place you can put your umbrella?
Yes, you can visit one of the information booths located inside the park near the mid or south gates for information to check items. There is a fee of $2 to check each item.
RELATED:Here are 5 ways you can get to Milwaukee's Summerfest without driving | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/milwaukee-weather-forecast-for-summerfest-2023-opening-weekend/70330075007/ | 2023-06-22T12:37:08 | 0 | https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/milwaukee-weather-forecast-for-summerfest-2023-opening-weekend/70330075007/ |
A student rocketry team from the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force competed earned a top 100 slot and competed in the American Rocketry Challenge national finals last month, the museum said Wednesday.
Team members include Springboro High School senior and team captain Adam Bellware; Springboro senior Danielle Price; Northmont High School senior MiKayla Aaron; omeschool junior Xander Cottle; Fairborn High School sophomore Evan Wall; and Hayes High School freshman Eeshaan Pabbuleti.
The museum had two rocketry teams this year with 12 students from area schools including Fairborn, Northmont, Springboro, Centerville, Kettering, Dayton Regional STEM School, Hayes, and homeschools. Team Orion placed in the Ohio Cup but did not qualify for nationals.
In April, Team Prometheus finished first in the Ohio Cup launch where they had the best score in a field of seven teams.
Team Prometheus was able to place 60th this year in the national competition.
“We were very excited to see Team Prometheus from the museum participate in the finals after earning a position in the top 100 out of more than 798 teams,” Jennifer Hess, a museum educator, said in a statement. “The team had to decide how they would approach the types of flights needed to win the national finals. Recent practice launches from the museum grounds really helped the team finalize their rocket configurations.”
“Both of our rocketry teams, Prometheus and Orion, worked very hard this year to make successful launches after coming together as individual teams to learn about the science of rocket flight,” Hess added.
This is the third time a museum rocketry team qualified for the national finals.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/air-force-museum-rocketry-team-powers-through-national-finals/MM7NYRSRRNB6TCJWDLOLLLTDME/ | 2023-06-22T12:38:24 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/air-force-museum-rocketry-team-powers-through-national-finals/MM7NYRSRRNB6TCJWDLOLLLTDME/ |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Technology helped in a big way Tuesday night during a rescue in a fire in north Shelby County, as equipment like thermal cameras and drones are becoming more common tools to see around fire stations.
Cahaba Valley Fire and Rescue say firefighters arrived Tuesday night to find heavy fire coming from a townhouse on Reach Drive. While some began putting out the flames, others began searching the house for people using a thermal cameras.
The fire department says these cameras can help firefighters not only see where people may be but also where the fire may be spreading next.
Though technology within the fire department has come a long way, Cahaba Valley Fire Chief Buddy Wilkes says it’s not foolproof.
“But we also have to be aware that technology [has] their fail points so a lot of things we do still goes back to the manual things we have to do,” says Wilkes. “We have a camera to help search but a lot of times we still have to do the manual searching. That’s why in training, we still teach those methods.”
Wilkes says some things that may keep a thermal camera from being 100% accurate, such as if the person’s body or clothes have become the same temperature as the floor they’re on or if the person is hidden by blankets on a bed.
The fire department says it’s crucial to check smoke detectors and make sure everything is working to help protect yourself and your loved ones. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/technology-helps-firefighters-in-rescue-but-local-department-says-its-not-fool-proof/ | 2023-06-22T12:42:59 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/technology-helps-firefighters-in-rescue-but-local-department-says-its-not-fool-proof/ |
June 22 is National Onion Rings Day ... and you know what to do! Keep plenty of napkins on hand for all that greasy goodness.
Play ball! The Kenosha Kingfish are back in action today at Simmons Field. Bonus: It’s a doubleheader! The Kingfish are hosting the Battle Creek Battle Jacks for games at 11:35 a.m. AND 6:35 p.m. The morning game is Kid’s Day, while the evening game is this season’s first Bark in the Park. Bring your canine pals to the ballpark. For tickets, call 262-653-0900 or go to kingfishbaseball.com.
Head outside for “Library Field Day” at the Uptown Library, 2419 63rd St. From 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., everyone is welcome to join in classic outdoor games like a three-legged race, an obstacle course and more. Admission is free, and everyone is welcome.
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The new Rhythm on the Lake Concert Series continues it summer season of weekly free concerts in Old Settlers Park, 24100 75th St. in Paddock Lake. Concerts are 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, each week through Aug. 17, on the new band shell in the park, overlooking the lake. The group Gravity of Youth performs on June 22. Bring lawn chairs and/or blankets. Concessions will be available for purchase, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from a pop-up beer garden. For more details, go to parks.kenoshacounty.org.
The Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 First Ave., is hosting the Transparent Watercolor Society’s annual exhibit, showcasing paintings from the top transparent watercolor artists in the country. Admission is free. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. www.KenoshaPublicMuseum.org.
In Milwaukee, the Big Gig is back! Summerfest opens today, with headliners Eric Church and Elle King. For more details about the festival, including how to get in FREE, see our story in today’s Get Out & About entertainment section. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-thursday-june-22/article_21d8dce4-103f-11ee-af2c-1f8b849d60d5.html | 2023-06-22T12:43:01 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-thursday-june-22/article_21d8dce4-103f-11ee-af2c-1f8b849d60d5.html |
KENOSHA — The Kenosha Pops Concert Band continues its 101st season, with its “Stately Splendor” program at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 21.
The band's weekly concerts continue through Aug. 2 on Wednesday nights.
Admission to all the concerts is free. Bench seating is provided in Pennoyer Park, and audience members are also welcome to bring lawn chairs.
“We’ve programmed a lot of tunes that haven’t seen the light of day for several years, which is really cool,” said Craig Gall, who is starting his 21st season as the band’s musical director. “The band has hundreds of pieces in its library, and these songs deserve to be played.”
Gall crafted the summer programs with Kathy Ripley, who returns to the Pops for her second season as assistant conductor. She also plays flute with the band.
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“It’s much easier to be getting ready for this season, now that I know what to expect,” Ripley said. I’m excited to be back for another summer.”
At the June 28 concert, the program will take audience members on "a musical travelogue of the United States,” Gall said, featuring songs such as our own “On, Wisconsin.”
Also on the program: a medley from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical “Oklahoma,” a jazzy arrangement of “Indiana (Way Back Home Again In),” “Tennessee Salute” and a Henry Fillmore march called “Men of Ohio.”
Fillmore, a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, composed the march in 1921 and dedicated it to President Warren G. Harding, a senator from Ohio when he was elected president.
Despite being a popular march through the decades, this piece is new to the Pops this summer.
“We had an old, incomplete set of parts for this march, but our librarian, Vera Olguin, was able to complete it so we could perform it,” Gall said.
German band
Pre-concert entertainment on June 28 will start at 6:15 p.m., performed by The Hungry Five German band.
The group’s name has nothing to do with growling stomachs, however.
“The name refers to music written by Paul Yoder,” said Chip Millholland, the group's leader and a clarinet player with the Pops Band.
The original Hungry Five pieces, he said, were written for two clarinets, a trumpet, a trombone and a tuba.
Millholland discovered the music back in 1980 when he was a high school band director in Brown County, Indiana.
“I found the pieces in the band library,” he said.
Luckily, Millholland made copies of the out-of-print and difficult to find Hungry Five arrangements.
The Pops Band's outdoor concerts, including July 4, take place on the band shell in Pennoyer Park, on Seventh Avenue at 35th Street, along Kenosha's lakefront. The indoor concert on July 26 is at Siebert Chapel on the Carthage College campus. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-pops-band-performs-stately-splendor-program-on-june-28/article_2e44db76-0f73-11ee-81d9-0b2bcc46d4b3.html | 2023-06-22T12:43:07 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-pops-band-performs-stately-splendor-program-on-june-28/article_2e44db76-0f73-11ee-81d9-0b2bcc46d4b3.html |
KENOSHA — Twilight Jazz continues its 20th season of free concerts on the Anderson Arts Center grounds, 6603 Third Ave., on Kenosha's lakefront.
The 2023 season features the Chicago-based Street Jaxkson Band on June 27 and then continues every other Tuesday through Aug. 22.
Roo Jaxkson, the group's lead singer, formed the band in 2010 with Bill Whitehead.
"In February of 2019, our 'Smoochie Man' album was featured on 'The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,'" Jaxkson said. "Bill and I love blues and funk with a mixture of rock 'n' roll."
Jaxkson, a Mississippi native, "grew up listening to Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Howling Wolf, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Jimmy Reed and Elmore James," he said.
He describes the band as "an energetic blues variety band that rocks."
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For two decades, the Twilight Jazz Summer Concert Series has established itself as one of Kenosha’s signature events, drawing crowds throughout southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois, organizers said.
Funds raised during the concert series support and sustain the Anderson Arts Center and the Kemper Center and help to promote the arts and art education in the community.
Grounds open at 6 p.m. for the concerts, which are 7 to 9 p.m. Concert-goers should bring lawn chairs and/or blankets. No seating is provided.
Food and drinks will be available for purchase. No carry-ins of alcohol are allowed. Families are welcome to bring their own picnic baskets.
This year's lineup also includes:
- July 11: Kal Bergendahl Project
- July 25: Ivy Ford Band
- Aug. 8: Dave Braun Trio
- Aug. 22: Deeppockets
For more details, go to andersonartscenter.com or call 262-925-8040.
New this year: Audience members are asked to bring new pillows to be donated to local families at Women & Children’s Horizons. Donations of new pillows will be collected during each of the Twilight Jazz concerts this summer. Spectrum Wealth, Tax & Accounting is hosting this pillow drive. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenoshas-twilight-jazz-concert-on-june-27-at-anderson-arts-center/article_8f283a50-0ee7-11ee-ba74-83d31be6e807.html | 2023-06-22T12:43:14 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenoshas-twilight-jazz-concert-on-june-27-at-anderson-arts-center/article_8f283a50-0ee7-11ee-ba74-83d31be6e807.html |
News Tribune, June 22, 1983
Superior bars could serve liquor until 2 a.m. from May through October under an ordinance change approved yesterday by a City Council committee. The amendment, which also eliminates "blue laws" restricting the serving of drinks on Sundays, comes before the full City Council July 5.
About 18,600 acres of Superior National Forest will be sprayed with herbicides this summer, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The two herbicides, Round-up and Esteron 99C, will be used to kill brush and to clear weeds from potential tree-growing areas.
News Tribune, June 22, 1923
An expected 2,000 people will take a special train from Duluth to Cloquet this Sunday morning to attend the picnic in honor of Americans of French origin. The picnic in the Cloquet City Park is organized by the French Society of St. Jean Baptiste of Duluth.
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Work has begun on Chisholm's Finnish Lutheran Church, with congregation members handling the excavation and the laying of the foundation walls. The church, which will seat 350 people, will be made of tile with stucco finish and should be completed early this fall. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-in-1983-superior-committee-approves-2-a-m-liquor-sales-eliminating-blue-laws | 2023-06-22T12:43:19 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-in-1983-superior-committee-approves-2-a-m-liquor-sales-eliminating-blue-laws |
PADDOCK LAKE — The new Rhythm on the Lake Concert Series continues it summer season of weekly free concerts in Old Settlers Park, 24100 75th St.
Concerts are 6 to 8 p.m. Thursdays, each week through Aug. 17, on the new band shell in the park, overlooking the lake.
The group The Gravity of Youth performs on June 22.
Audience members should bring lawn chairs and/or blankets. Concessions will be available for purchase, including alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages from a pop-up beer garden.
After today’s concert, the Rhythm on the Lake concerts will feature:
- June 29: Feed the Dog
- July 6: Hot & Dirty
- July 13: Blues Addiction
- July 20: Disconapse
- July 27: Kat and the Hurricane
- Aug. 3: Yesterday’s Children
- Aug. 10: Flood Brothers
- Aug. 17: Kojo
- Somers considers liquor license changes after biergarten loses wine license
- Thousands converge at Prairie Springs Park for inaugural Pleasant Prairie HarborMarket
- Kenosha area eye doctor ranked as one of best in the country
- Kenosha woman escapes through window of burning apartment, suffers severe injuries
- Mediterranean cuisine straight from Bethlehem offered in Kenosha at Moody's Subs + Sweets
- Downtown gets ax throwing, craft pouring combo venue Hold My Beer
- Woman, 18, boy, age 16, both charged as adults with attempted homicide in connection with April shooting
- Ben Metz, local businessman, creates custom motorcycles
- A 33-year-old man fell 4,000 feet to his death from the Grand Canyon Skywalk, authorities say
- Make Music Kenosha returns for its third year of all-day performances on Wednesday, June 21
- Bear hangs from 2nd-floor window, climbs into Colorado home, then eats family's pork chops
- Baraboo's Big Top Parade will be big this year, elephant-sized big
- Family, Kenosha community turn out for prayer vigil for three shooting victims
- Pleasant Prairie HarborMarket opens June 18
- Kenosha's Juneteenth festival draws large crowd to community celebration Saturday
For more details about other activities and amenities in Kenosha County Parks, visit parks.kenoshacounty.org, call 262-857-1869, or check out Kenosha County Parks on Facebook For more details, go to parks.kenoshacounty.org.
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Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/thursday-night-concert-series-in-paddock-lake/article_4846a57c-0eba-11ee-b479-ebdbdb6d1676.html | 2023-06-22T12:43:20 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/thursday-night-concert-series-in-paddock-lake/article_4846a57c-0eba-11ee-b479-ebdbdb6d1676.html |
DULUTH — Mayor Emily Larson has all too often heard the refrain that Duluth is a hard place to do business.
But she would beg to disagree.
“I would actually say, because we have had three record years of permitting, because we have seen all the incredible interest in this community with all these projects that are literally just on the cusp of kind of cannonballing forward, I would say we’re an incredible place to do business,” Larson said Wednesday afternoon, as she shared the results of a just-released economic development audit . Larson announced the city’s plans to commission the audit in her 2022 State of the City address and subsequently hired the consulting firm of Baker Tilly to conduct it.
“That’s actually one of the reasons why I did the economic development audit, to be honest,” she said, explaining the need to counter the negative narrative that has sometimes taken root in the past.
“I actually wanted to unpack that, and we spent literally months in this audit process giving people the opportunity to tell us how that is the case or to tell us why that is the case,” Larson said.
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More than 200 developers and members of the public, many of whom have had experience seeking construction permits, offered their insights to the city during the recently completed audit.
“I do think we have room to grow,” Larson said, describing the need to change negative perceptions “by doing some more-forward education and more-forward communication about what we’re doing and why.”
“Because what you will see in here are people who have some very specific concerns or have had a hard time with a very specific project. But there is also a tremendous amount of confidence in the staff that we have, and some of the disconnect we’re seeing in the responses to the audit arise from not understanding exactly what the city’s role is in economic development,” Larson said.
“We are not your designer. We are not your strategist. There are a whole bunch of things that we’re not that I think people want the city to be. So, my best hope is that as we come in with a clearer vision, as we come in with strong direction, as we come in with better communication tools, greater education and outreach in the community, is that I think our role gets more closely and evenly defined in a way that will be easier for developers to understand,” she said.
While city staff are still mourning the recent death of Chris Fleege , director of Duluth’s planning and economic development division, Larson said the leadership change and the job posting that went up Thursday also represents an opportunity for the city to take its development efforts to the next level.
With the intensifying pace of development, Larson said city staff have been “stretched” but “remain on target.”
She described the situation as both a challenge and an opportunity, saying: “With that comes the need to really continue to expand and grow our tax base so we can continue to reinvest back into the city and its staff. We really do have to grow that pie, because we do need people to help do this good hard work.”
Larson said the city’s new director of planning and economic development will oversee a staff of about 40 people during an “exciting time.” She cited projects stretching from the redevelopment of the Lester Park Golf Course in the east to the former Atlas Cement site in the west, as well as much in between, including the former Central High School campus on the hill and the Lot D waterfront property, in addition to several housing projects currently in the works.
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“It’s a really exciting time to join this leadership team,” Larson said, encouraging people to apply for the post. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/duluth-seeks-new-leader-as-it-looks-to-foster-economic-development | 2023-06-22T12:43:37 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/duluth-seeks-new-leader-as-it-looks-to-foster-economic-development |
Brockton Rox, immigration office — 4 cuts City Council made to mayor's budget and why
BROCKTON — It's a yearly dance: The mayor proposes a budget and city councilors make a few cuts.
City councilors just approved the $552 million revenue and spending plan. Mayor Robert F. Sullivan had asked for $2.6 million more than that. Councilors made cuts in four areas.
1. Office of Immigration Services
One of Sullivan's major new initiatives was creation of an Office of Immigration Services.
"I previously explained before the council and during my state of the city address the need for a stand-alone city department, the Office of Immigration Services, as our city has always been comprised of residents and business owners who immigrated to our 'City of Champions' from around the world," Sullivan said.
Other Bay State cities with high levels of immigration have similar departments, including Somerville and Boston.
A majority of councilors have signaled theoretical support for the office. However, all but one councilor voted to cut the $352,295 Sullivan wanted for the new department.
"This is a procedural matter," Ward 6 Councilor Jack Lally said before the June 15 vote. "We have a long established precedent of not funding departments or offices within departments that have not been created by ordinance. We can't put gas in a car that isn't built yet."
The one holdout was Councilor-at-large Rita Mendes.
Brockton closing school buildingsBrockton closing multiple school programs, scaling back 1 of 4 buildings at BHS
"When we pass a budget, we're passing our values," said the lame-duck councilor, who is serving out her council term before turning her full focus to her new job representing Brockton at the State House. "This is one thing the community has been asking for."
Sullivan said Tuesday he'd keep pushing for the new department.
"Today I filed an order for a supplemental monetary amount in my office that will fund two positions: a director of immigration services and an administrative assistant to help our residents. These much-needed positions meet the goal of providing services to our immigrant population."
2. Emergency water supply vendor
Sometimes councilors trim a mayor's budget to send a message not to the mayor but to city vendors. That was the case for the next two cuts.
The 10 councilors present for the June 15 vote (all but Ward 2's Maria Tavares, who was out of the country on business) agreed to slice $2 million from a Public Works' $8.7 million budget line for water desalination. The haircut was aimed not at the DPW, but rather city vendor Aquaria. In broad terms, the company is charged for making sure city residents and businesses have access to water if something goes wrong with the city's primary water source.
"We're paying the money and I'm not seeing anything," said Councilor-at-large Win Farwell. "This isn't political. Let's force them in here and drill down on the details."
At-large Councilor Moises Rodrigues has long been unimpressed with Aquaria.
"Think of the money we've sent down the drain," said Rodrigues, who also sparred with the company while he was mayor. "If they up and left tomorrow, we've got nothing to show for the $80 million we paid them over the last 15 years."
Jeff Thompson, who represents downtown's Ward 5, cautioned that sending such a signal could put the city at legal risk. In the end, he also agreed to the $2 million cut.
2 Brockton cops made more than $400KHere are the city's top 10 highest paid workers.
3. Brockton Rox
The city leases Campanelli Stadium to the Brockton Rox, an amateur college baseball team. The Rox have a major effort underway to attract more folks to the games, including upgrades to the facility and putting out a more entertaining product.
Rodrigues said he wanted to zero out a line item for purchase of services at the stadium to demonstrate his displeasure.
"We need to send the message that the city isn't going to be one of these landlords that cleans toilets for people," he said.
Because that line item includes money for the stadium complex as the temporary home for the Council on Aging, Rodrigues argued for and got a unanimous vote to trim $60,000 from that line item.
4. Unfilled jobs
Mark D'Agostino of Ward 3 took aim at six open city jobs that haven't been filled in years. His fellow councilors agreed with him on four of them. Councilors voted to cut line items representing the following vacant positions:
- $75,000 out of Planning and Economic Development.
- $50,000 for a vacant assistant engineer job at the DPW.
- $68,816 for an unfilled job in the DPW's sewer division.
- $38,337 for an entry-level admin position in the City Clerk's office.
Councilors rejected two jobs D'Agostino sought to trim: one in the DPW's water division and another in the information technology department.
What's next?
Brockton budgets by fiscal years. The just-approved saving and spending plan covers July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. Mayors and department heads in the past have come back to the City Council later to ask them to reconsider. Speaking in particular of the Office of Immigration Services, Sullivan said he'd be back, but the sentiment could apply to other cuts as well.
"The art of diplomacy is the ability to compromise and this filing will be heard before the city council in the near future, and I believe it will be fully supported," said Sullivan, who is seeking a third term. "I look forward to continuing to collaborate with my fellow elected local officials in FY24 and beyond to continue to enhance our city and our community."
The mayor and City Council increased the budget by $36 million from last year, reaching a total appropriation of $552 million. The city pays most of that out of state aid and property taxes. Brockton also spends money from excise taxes, fines and other, smaller revenue sources. If you're wondering what this means for your property taxes, you'll have to wait until about November, when city leaders set the property tax rate and determine the split between the residential and commercial tax rate.
Send your news tips to reporter Chris Helms by email at CHelms@enterprisenews.com or connect on Twitter at @HelmsNews.Thank you, subscribers. You make this coverage possible. If you're not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise of Brockton. | https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/brockton-ma-budget-cuts-rox-immigration-office-aquaria-water-jobs-money/70338552007/ | 2023-06-22T12:52:00 | 1 | https://www.enterprisenews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/brockton-ma-budget-cuts-rox-immigration-office-aquaria-water-jobs-money/70338552007/ |
SOMERS POINT — The city's only vegan cafe, Earthly Cafe, announced it will close June 30, according to the business' social media.
"Words cannot describe how difficult it is to bring this news to everyone. We have been amazed by this entire journey, have learned so much & have met so many wonderful people throughout it," said Earthly Cafe on its Instagram and Facebook pages. "We never thought this day would come so soon and so sudden, but life has a way of letting us know it’s time for change."
Comments on Earthly's socials from customers who enjoyed the cafe included plenty of "good lucks," "best of wishes" and "you will be missed," since the restaurant that opened in 2020 was one of a select few in South Jersey that served food for people who don't consume foods derived from animals or animal products.
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The vegan restaurant said it will still serve food from a limited menu until June 30.
"Thank you all for your support throughout the years and also throughout this transition," said Earthly Cafe via social media. "We will truly miss seeing and serving all of you, alongside our amazing team members over the years." | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/somers-point-vegan-food-restaurant-earthly-cafe-closing/article_00904664-1047-11ee-9e50-ab2ff40a056f.html | 2023-06-22T12:56:18 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/somers-point-vegan-food-restaurant-earthly-cafe-closing/article_00904664-1047-11ee-9e50-ab2ff40a056f.html |
SANFORD, Fla. – One person suffered minor injuries and four pets were killed early Thursday in a house fire in Sanford, officials said.
The fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. on Aldean Drive, near West 25th Street and Country Club Road.
Fire officials said at least one person in the home was injured but was expected to be OK.
Several pets were in the home, but two dogs, a rabbit and a hedgehog died in the fire. The other pets were rescued.
The house sustained extensive damage.
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The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/22/dogs-rabbit-hedgehog-killed-in-sanford-house-fire/ | 2023-06-22T13:00:37 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/22/dogs-rabbit-hedgehog-killed-in-sanford-house-fire/ |
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Police are investigating after a man was found shot in the chest in an area on the north side of town.
The shooting happened just off of Blanco Road near St. Winston Street around 3:22 a.m.
Witnesses told police they saw another man standing over the victim right after the shooting. He then walked away from the scene.
Officials say the man who was shot was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
This shooting is still being investigated and no arrests have yet been made.
This is a developing situation and further details will be added as they are received.
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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.
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Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-found-shot-in-the-chest-on-the-north-side-san-antonio-texas/273-d1efc622-6d03-40bb-ba76-f1be7553f742 | 2023-06-22T13:02:27 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-found-shot-in-the-chest-on-the-north-side-san-antonio-texas/273-d1efc622-6d03-40bb-ba76-f1be7553f742 |
SAN ANTONIO — Firefighters battled a massive apartment fire on the north side of San Antonio that resulted in evacuations of those residents.
The fire started just before 3 a.m. in the 1300 block of Patricia Drive.
When crews arrived on the scene, they found large flames coming from one of the buildings. Some people had to be rescued from their balconies and one person actually jumped from their balcony, fire officials said. Other residents were evacuated from the building.
Two people were taken to the hospital, one with burns on their arm, according to fire officials.
A total of four units were heavily damaged in the fire and the cause is still under investigation.
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/residents-evacuated-massive-apartment-fire-north-side-san-antonio-texas/273-88074caa-27ec-417a-92b7-2af495a1bae0 | 2023-06-22T13:02:33 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/residents-evacuated-massive-apartment-fire-north-side-san-antonio-texas/273-88074caa-27ec-417a-92b7-2af495a1bae0 |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita Police Department issued a Silver Alert for a man missing who is believed to be in Wichita.
The department says Philip Seth Dyauli, 49, has Alzheimer’s and was last seen in the 2700 block of S. Topeka St.
He was last seen wearing a black jacket with a gray stripe, black or gray sweatpants, and he wears glasses.
If you see Dyauli or know his whereabouts, you are urged to call 911 immediately. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wpd-releases-silver-alert-for-missing-man-with-alzheimers/ | 2023-06-22T13:05:52 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wpd-releases-silver-alert-for-missing-man-with-alzheimers/ |
Five inmates housed within Nebraska's Department of Correctional Services were charged with felonies earlier this month for their alleged role in an attack on a sixth inmate at the Reception and Treatment Center in February, according to prosecutors.
Three of the inmates — 34-year-old Juan Gonzales, 28-year-old Anthony Lavallie and 29-year-old Tyler Simmonds — were charged with second-degree assault in the Feb. 15 attack on Sebastian M. Draper, a 32-year-old Lincoln man who has been incarcerated since November 2021.
Two other inmates — Michael Sherlock, 28, and Jacob Cullen, 27 — were charged with attempted second-degree assault in the same instance, according to complaints filed in Lancaster County court on June 8.
Cullen, who has been in state custody since August 2020 after he was convicted of gun and assault charges in Douglas and Lancaster counties, is also charged with assaulting Anthony R. Asaro, a lieutenant at the Reception and Treatment Center, as a part of the same altercation, according to court filings.
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Though all five men have been charged with felonies for the assault of Draper, who was sent to prison in 2021 for an assault that sent his former boss to a Lincoln hospital with a collapsed lung, few details in the case have been made public.
Prosecutors did not file a probable cause affidavit — the public document that outlines what gives authorities cause to arrest a defendant accused of a crime — when they charged the inmates because they were already in state custody, meaning they did not have to be arrested.
Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Chris Turner declined to detail what led to the charges, but said that Nebraska Department of Correctional Services’ Criminal Investigator Ross Bartlett referred the five inmates to prosecutors for felony assault charges in late March following a monthlong investigation into the alleged attack.
Dayne Urbanovsky, the Corrections Department's communications director, also declined to provide details on the incident, citing state statute that prevents the department from sharing information related to inmate conduct.
Doug Koebernick, the inspector general of the Corrections Department, said his office was aware of the incident and had reviewed it but declined to comment further.
In the months since the alleged assault, all five inmates allegedly involved have been moved from the Reception and Treatment Center, the newly reimagined south Lincoln prison that includes a 384-bed maximum-security wing, which opened last summer.
The maximum-security unit was the subject of scrutiny from Koebernick's office before it took in inmates last year. In an October report, the inspector general's office raised safety and security concerns about the potentially agitating restrictions that would be placed on inmates' movement within the housing unit, which opened as the department continued to face staffing challenges.
Koebernick's office made five recommendations ahead of the unit's opening — four of which were rejected by the correctional services department, according to the report.
Inmates in one of the Reception and Treatment Center's maximum security housing units stabbed five staff members and injured two others in an attack there last month, authorities said then.
It's unclear which housing unit the inmates involved lived in at the Reception and Treatment Center.
Gonzales, Lavallie, Sherlock and Cullen are now incarcerated at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution, according to public inmate records.
Simmonds has since been moved to the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln while Draper, the assault victim, is still incarcerated at the Reception and Treatment Center. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-courts/five-nebraska-inmates-charged-in-february-attack-of-incarcerated-man/article_d7cc9d2a-1070-11ee-b6e2-bb4d3b5ccca3.html | 2023-06-22T13:09:38 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-courts/five-nebraska-inmates-charged-in-february-attack-of-incarcerated-man/article_d7cc9d2a-1070-11ee-b6e2-bb4d3b5ccca3.html |
Route 50 getting big improvements with infrastructure law: Here's what's in works
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was passed and signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021. Last month, an $11.9 million grant from the law came down the pike, designed to reduce congestion and improve safety on a main road on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
“In Maryland, we understand that getting to, from and around the Eastern Shore is a critical issue for all Marylanders,” said Federal Highway Administrator Shailen Bhatt, in a May release, announcing the funds. “This advanced technology grant to the Maryland Department of Transportation will improve safety and mobility for those traveling along the Eastern Shore.”
The money will be used to deploy software, sensors, traffic cameras, and message signs along 113 miles of Route 50, which runs from Prince George’s County outside Washington, D.C. to Ocean City on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The road reaches all the way to West Sacramento, California at its western terminus, and in a section unconnected to the state’s Eastern route, the road also runs about 10 miles through Western Maryland’s Garrett County to West Virginia.
The grant, which supports the Maryland State Highway Administration’s Rural Opportunities to Use Traffic Technology Enhancements (ROUTE) project on Route 50, is aimed at the state's Eastern Shore stretch. Installation of the technologies is scheduled to begin in late 2026, according to a release from the State Highway Administration.
The release said that once deployed, the new hardware and software will monitor traffic queues in real-time, predict flow and adapt signal timing to help allow traffic on side streets to enter and exit Route 50 more safely and efficiently.
“Emerging technology is providing us with new tools to monitor, predict and respond to traffic congestion and safety concerns,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld, in a June release announcing the grant. A collision on the road occurred earlier this year at a Salisbury intersection.
More:Officials unveil dashboard to track crashes on Maryland highways
'BABY AVA' DIES:'Baby Ava,' survivor of 2011 Ocean City car crash, dies at age 13
The grant is one of eight projects, totaling $52.78 million, announced across the country by the Federal Highway Administration that are part of the Advanced Transportation Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) program of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Dwight A. Weingarten is an investigative reporter, covering the Maryland State House and state issues. He can be reached at dweingarten@gannett.com or on Twitter at @DwightWeingart2. | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2023/06/22/route-50-safety-improvements-heres-whats-coming-with-federal-boost/70342692007/ | 2023-06-22T13:14:45 | 0 | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/maryland/2023/06/22/route-50-safety-improvements-heres-whats-coming-with-federal-boost/70342692007/ |
How Wallops trains next generation of rocket scientists with RockOn program
For students and employees of Wallops Flight Facility, Friday's launch of NASA's RockOn student flight program is more than a feat of technological prowess, it is a calling card of research and talent investment.
With more than 30 university teams launching experiments into space as part of the RockOn and RockSat-C student flight programs, some 80 additional experiments will take flight as part of the Cubes in Space program, which partners with Wallops to provide learning opportunities for students ages 11 to 18.
The payload will fly on a Terrier-Improved Orion suborbital sounding rocket.
"One of the things NASA utilizes is real-world experience, so we use our suborbital platforms to help students see what it's like to be a scientist," said Joyce Winterton, senior advisor for Education and Leadership Development at the flight facility. "They build experiments launched on sounding rockets, retrieve them and get that data. Hopefully they're part of our future workforce as engineers, technicians, scientists and educators. We keep the groups small because we don't want observers. We want hands on experience."
Recruiting specifically from HBCU, largely Hispanic universities
More on NASA's Eastern Shore economicsNASA by the numbers: Just how big is its impact on Virginia and Maryland?
For the past 15 years, the sounding rockets program has relied on students in these educational initiatives, with Winterton being there for 13 of them.
The range of work done by participants runs the gamut of experiment development, rocket construction and quality control, and data collection. As a special treat, a portion of the rocket to be launched will include a segment signed by all the participants of the RockOn program through the years. Consider it an homage to all the hands that made it possible.
Even more impressive are the efforts by Wallops Flight Facility to aggressively recruit candidates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, largely Hispanic colleges and a large number of local talent.
"We want the students to come year after year, and there's certainly excitement with the chance to fly something in space that you built. They get rush of wanting to do that again once they see the nuts and bolts of a rocket and its payload," Winterton said.
Grant Biggers, a 19-year-old from Northern Oklahoma College, is one of those eagerly awaiting the launch of what has been countless hours worth of work. Being part of such an immersive program quickly became a calling to one day join the aeronautics industry full-time.
"I didn't expect going to a two-year institution to be able to experience this. There's not many people that can do this, and I was in awe of the size of the rockets which we are building," Biggers said. "I saw the student-teachers as mentors rather than my peers. Although there's only a few years difference, they experience so much in that time. It was nice to ask someone that was fairly recent through the program any question I had to get through the process."
Biggers recalled the work that went into reaching this moment into a burgeoning career.
"I don't know where I'll be in (10 years), but hopefully I'll be working for someone involved in aerospace. I'm hoping it's something meaningful and contributes to society. I'm hoping it includes launches into space as a job. Getting paid to launch rockets would be great, and not everyone can do that," Biggers said.
Building the next generation of rockets
The expansive manufacturing building replete with individual rocket parts and machinists is home to the sounding rockets slated for space travel.
"Generally in each payload, there are 150 to 200 machine parts. Each one is different and there is no standard part for them, although they look similar. They are made of 90% aluminum, 5% brass and 5% other materials like steel and Teflon," said James D. Ruhl, the facility's manufacturing supervisor.
Building a standard rocket takes anywhere from three months to two years, depending on the specific model. Despite the expedient nature of the fabrication process, they have not been immune to supply chain and inflation issues.
According to Ruhl, they have seen materials become twice as expensive across the board. With employees from across the country, the union jobs that make this location possible also makes Wallops Flight Facility unique as it is one of the few locations with such on-site production.
More on past electron rocket launchesReplay: Watch Rocket Lab's successful big Electron launch from Wallops
"Some of our missions have slipped for various reasons out of our control, but some of the experiments do have issues on their end that don't have to do with the manufacturing side," Ruhl said.
Quality control starts with reviewing all the work that is designed and created, with anywhere from 95% to 99% making the cut to make it into space. From there, the full slate of data from each rocket is collected and meticulously studied.
"In my area of the building, we do all testing and the power checks and data acquisition checks. The final build-up takes place here and we'll work at the component level and wire by wire checks. We start with what controls the rocket and build up from there," said Ahmed Ghalit, principal electrical engineer.
Not being ones to waste a single component, rockets are actually reused up to seven times with parts of it rebuilt when necessary.
The number of annual launches from Wallops keeps increasing
Jeffrey Reddish, chief of the range at Wallops Flight Facility knows every step of the process is vital to the workload the location will see.
According to Reddish, managing the projects, infrastructure and launches begins with including the public on what the former naval base is doing. Sometimes, it is as simple as explaining the power of a launch could shake area buildings. Other times, it entails keep them safe from certain areas impacted by projects.
"Within the next five to six years, we have an uptick in tempo that's about a 200% increase," Reddish said. "We average about 18 to 20 launches a year now and each year that goes up. Next year, we're looking at 25 to 27, and the year after that, we're looking at 30. In the next decade, we're looking to launch 50-60 out of Wallops."
New technology will play an integral role in that pursuit just as turning the range around quickly will free the space needed.
Streamlining processes and updating older equipment is becoming a larger priority to meet those launch needs, Reddish noted. The work done at the flight facility is often overlooked, he explained, even though the location has roots going back 80 years.
"It's a kept secret and more people are getting to know about it as we get more and more busy," Reddish said.
More on dignitary visits to WallopsKaine touts support for Wallops in visit to Shore | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2023/06/22/wallops-is-training-next-generation-of-rocket-scientists-heres-how/70342707007/ | 2023-06-22T13:14:51 | 0 | https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/virginia/2023/06/22/wallops-is-training-next-generation-of-rocket-scientists-heres-how/70342707007/ |
PITTSBURGH — Police are looking for a Pittsburgh man who allegedly shot a male early Tuesday morning in the city’s Troy Hill neighborhood.
Gerald Sanders, 38, is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault.
Officers responded to the 1700 block of Hatteras Street around 12:15 a.m. for a report of a person shot.
They found a male down in the street with a gunshot wound to the leg. The victim was jumped by a group of people who beat him and stole a necklace from around his neck, according to the complaint. While the victim was being hit, Sanders came out from behind a building and shot him once, police said.
Sanders is also charged with reckless endangerment and firearms violations.
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WASHINGTON — A recent decision from the US Supreme Court could have big implications for North Carolina farmers.
Let's connect the dots.
The Supreme Court upholds a California law that bans the sale of pigs raised in small metal cages.
They're called 'gestation crates' and they're used to raise more pigs in a smaller space. The law requires pigs to have more space in their cage, which is why animal rights advocates championed the legislation.
But it's bad news for the Tar Heel State.
North Carolina is one of the top pork producers in the country, and with California consuming 13% of all pork produced in the country, it could have a big effect on business.
Almost all pig farms in North Carolina are family-owned, but still, farmers may have to update their crates and make more space.
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TUPELO – The Boys & Girls Club of North Mississippi have announced this year’s lineup of dancers for their popular Dance Like the Stars fundraiser.
The nonprofit announced the participants in this year’s event — the organization’s largest fundraiser of the year — Wednesday night at Park Heights restaurant in downtown Tupelo. Participants will partner with professional dancers from The Dance Studio in Tupelo to learn a dance routine and garner contributions.
This year’s dancers include Erskine Cummings of Ripley, Sam Creekmore of New Albany, Sierra Cannon of Oxford and Carol Farris, Iffat Jarin, Windy Scruggs, Rosa Birks, Jackson Taylor, Beau Melton and Jamison “J.J.” Birks, all of Tupelo.
Dancers will perform their routines on Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Cadence Bank Arena in Tupelo. The dancer who raises the most money by the end of the night will be named Grand Champion.
Evie Storey, director of marketing and special events for Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi, said organizers and participants are equally excited about this year’s event.
“We’re gaining this combined effort to support the movement of The Boys and Girls Club,” Storey said. “Every year brings its own energy, its own personality, and I think this year, we’re going to have a dynamic show.”
Participant Jackson Taylor said that although he’s not a dancer, he’s excited about learning a new skill to help further the Boys & Girls Clubs’ mission to provide a positive environment for area kids.
“I knew it was for a good cause, so I decided to give it a whirl (and) try something new,” Taylor said.
It was the same for first-time participant Carol Farris, who said she was quick to agree to take part in the event because of the cause it supports.
“This particular event benefits kids in our region and gives them opportunities they may never have been able to acquire,” Farris said. “How can you say no?”
Jamison “J.J.” Birks knows about the good the Boys & Girls Clubs’ can do. He was one of the first members of Tupelo’s Northside club. Now, he’s raising money to support the program he remembers fondly from his childhood.
“I participated in all the talent shows we used to have (in The Boys & Girls Clubs),” Birks said. “Just reflecting back on those memories and putting on all those shows with all my friends — that established friendships I’m with now — and just being on a big platform like that, standing in front of everybody, it’s just going to be a big reflection on my childhood years.”
Birks is the first club alumnus to take part in Dance Like the Stars, following the first club parent, Shaletha Knox, who participated last year.
“We were really excited to get J.J. involved on this side of the club experience,” Storey said.
As of Wednesday, this year’s dancers had raised $101,000. Cannon was awarded an anonymous $5,000 for meeting the challenge of being the first dancer to reach $25,000 in donations. This same anonymous donor has been supporting the event since 2014.
“That $5,000 dollar donation, everyone wins from that,” Storey said. “I know that that donor definitely wants (the donation) to be an example to others on a way to give to The Boys & Girls Clubs.”
This is the 18th Dance Like the Stars event since 2006. Since then, nearly 170 community volunteers from Lee, Lafayette, Tippah, Chickasaw and Union counties have taken part.
“We get other people on board who are excited mainly about supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs and raising the money,” Storey said when asked about why she thinks the event is so successful.
Although the fundraising and event happen during the summer, the organization works year-round to bring Dance Like the Stars together.
The Boys and Girls Club provides after school and summer programming for children aged 6 to 18. Their mission is to support local, often underserved, communities and give children bright futures.
“Our goal is to allow (the children) to grow up to be responsible, caring, and productive citizens,” Storey said.
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VALPARAISO — Bond was set at $20,000 cash and $30,000 surety for a 17-year-old Ohio resident waived to adult court last week to face charges of calling in threats and causing panic at multiple area schools earlier this year.
The accused, Ryan Krajewski, appeared Wednesday afternoon before Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer for an initial hearing on seven felony counts of intimidation involving threats to commit terrorism, court records show.
Krajewski allegedly contacted Valparaiso High School on Jan. 9 and reported a bomb in the building, and then called in another threat to the school Jan. 17.
On Jan. 26, Krajewski allegedly made threats to schools in Valparaiso, Portage, Wheeler, Union Township and Washington Township. He “threatened to use a weapon or weapons of mass destruction to commit mass murder” at Valparaiso and Portage high schools, according to the charges.
All the threats he is accused of making proved to be noncredible, officials have said, but the threats sent schools scrambling into lockdown or lockout status.
The Jan. 9 call to Valparaiso High School resulted in a lockdown and early release of students, police said. A false threat of violence Jan. 17 at the same school triggered a lockout response from police and disrupted school operations.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Derek Hartz during this difficult time," Porter County police said.
The Portage Police Department said in a social media post at the time that the local high school had “received an anonymous phone call in which a person threatened violence later in the day,” prompting its lockdown.
Wheeler High School had also implemented a lockout in response to the threats, officials said.
Krajewski is further accused of impersonating a public servant stemming from a Jan. 4 call to Valparaiso police of a supposed shooting, according to a charging document. Officials said the youth, who was 16 at the time, falsely portrayed himself as a special agent with the FBI.
Krajewski was to continue to be housed at the Porter County Juvenile Detention Center unless he’s transferred to an adult facility or released on bond, according to a court order.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail
Bond was set at $20,000 cash and $30,000 surety for a 17-year-old Ohio resident waived to adult court last week to face charges of calling in threats and causing panic at multiple area schools earlier this year. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/bond-set-for-ohio-teen-charged-as-an-adult-in-region-school-threats/article_13827480-10f7-11ee-8bad-2332c60c5038.html | 2023-06-22T13:41:08 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/bond-set-for-ohio-teen-charged-as-an-adult-in-region-school-threats/article_13827480-10f7-11ee-8bad-2332c60c5038.html |
PORTAGE — The 7-year-old Chicago child who died June 15 after being swept away in Lake Michigan off the local Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk Beach has been identified by the Porter County Coroner's Office as Onyx Torres.
"Investigations have revealed the boy was playing in waist-deep water before entering deeper water," officials said at the time.
"A witness reported it appeared the child was caught in a current that pulled him away from shore. A family member entered the water in attempt to rescue the boy but also was caught in a current and lost sight of the boy."
Riding Shotgun with Merrillville Police Officer Amanda Earley
The child was reported missing shortly before 5 p.m. and emergency responders found the boy in the water along nearby Ogden Dunes minutes later.
"The child was removed from the water and taken to a waiting ambulance. Lifesaving measures were started, and the boy was transported to Northwest Health–Portage hospital, where he was pronounced dead," officials said.
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An autopsy listed the cause of the 7-year-old's death as an accidental drowning.
The National Weather Service had put a beach hazard statement in effect at the time of the incident.
The identity has yet to be released of a 19-year-old man who also presumably drowned in Lake Michigan Tuesday evening just a few miles to the east off Porter Beach.
The man is a resident of Mexico and release of his name is pending notification to his family, the coroner's office said.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Derek Hartz during this difficult time," Porter County police said.
"Investigation at the scene revealed that the 19-year-old was swimming with a 14-year-old family member when the current pulled them into deeper water where both began to struggle," according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Emergency responders were called to Porter Beach around 6:50 p.m. and Porter Fire Chief Jay Craig said the girl had been pulled from the water by a bystander by the time his crew arrived.
The whereabouts of the man was unknown and his body was not located until 7:07 p.m. and brought to shore, police said.
"Lifesaving efforts were provided on the scene, and he was transported to Northwest Health-Porter Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead," the DNR said.
The girl pulled from the water was also taken for medical care and is reportedly in good condition.
Gallery: Get to know these new Indiana laws that take effect July 1
AirTags
The unlawful use of a remote tracking device, such as an Apple AirTag, is in most cases a felony, punishable by up to 2½ years behind bars for a repeat offense or if the person being tracked has a protective order against the tracker, or 6 years in prison if the equipment is used for stalking. Prosecutors may also seek a penalty enhancement of up to 6 additional years in prison if the person employing a remote tracking device commits another felony causing serious bodily injury while using the equipment. (Senate Enrolled Act 161 )
Business Wire via AP
Alcohol permits
The city of Valparaiso is awarded five extra alcohol-sales permits for downtown restaurants. The new permits may be deployed at properties up to 1,500 feet outside the historic district centered on the Porter County Courthouse, instead of the former 700-foot maximum distance. (House Enrolled Act 1200 )
John Luke, file, The Times
Animal facilities
All newly constructed or remodeled facilities for dogs and cats, including animal shelters, veterinary offices, pet shops and boarding centers, must have an operating fire alarm system that automatically contacts the local fire or police department, or staff present in the building any time a dog or cat is on site. The mandate follows a 2021 inferno at an Indianapolis pet shop that killed more than 100 animals. (Senate Enrolled Act 277 )
Dreamstime
Annexation
A yet to be constructed residential subdivision located south of Aberdeen, in Porter County, may also employ the voluntary annexation process created last year for the Aberdeen neighborhood to choose to be annexed by Valparaiso, despite being located well outside current city limits. (House Enrolled Act 1418 )
Jerry Davich, file, The Times
Book bans
Every public school board and charter school governing body is required to establish a procedure for the parent of any student, or any person residing in the school district, to request the removal of library materials deemed "obscene" or "harmful to minors." School districts must also post a list of the complete holdings of its school libraries on each school’s website and provide a printed copy of the library catalogue to any individual upon request. (House Enrolled Act 1447 )
AP file photo
Bullying
All Indiana school corporations must update their discipline rules to include provisions prioritizing the safety of bullying victims, as well as to ensure bullying incidents are reported to the parents of the victim and the alleged perpetrator no more than five business days following the incident. School corporations may also set guidelines for determining whether a bullying incident warrants the forced transfer of the victim or the alleged perpetrator to a different school in the district. (House Enrolled Act 1483 )
Getty Images
Charter schools
The proceeds of each new voter-approved school funding referendum in Lake County must be shared with local charter schools in proportion to the number of children living in the school district who attend charter schools. Beginning July 1, 2024, all incremental property tax revenue growth at Lake County school districts must be shared on a proportional basis with local charter schools. (Senate Enrolled Act 391 , House Enrolled Act 1001 )
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Child molesting
A person over age 21 who has sex with a child less than 14 years old may be sentenced to a maximum term of 50 years in prison, instead of 40. Athletic coaches and workplace supervisors in Indiana no longer are permitted to engage in sexual conduct with certain individuals between ages 16 and 18, similar to other adults in a position of authority over children. (Senate Enrolled Act 301 , House Enrolled Act 1228 )
Dreamstime
Children’s hospitals
Northwest Indiana families covered by Medicaid will continue to have access to children's hospitals in neighboring states after Hoosier lawmakers agreed to maintain Indiana's increased payment rates for services at out-of-state children's hospitals first authorized in 2021. (House Enrolled Act 1313 )
ARMANDO L. SANCHEZ, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
Domestic violence
Individuals arrested for any of 13 domestic violence-related offenses must be jailed without bail for at least 24 hours after arrest — triple the state's former eight-hour cooling-off period. The crime of invasion of privacy also is a Level 6 felony, instead of a Class A misdemeanor, if the person has a prior, unrelated conviction for stalking. (Senate Enrolled Act 158 )
Times file photo
Drinking water
Every child care center, child care home and preschool in Indiana is obligated to test its drinking water for lead at least once before Jan. 1, 2026. If the test shows a lead level higher 15 parts per billion, the person responsible for the facility or preschool must either entirely eliminate the lead in the drinking water or install a state-approved lead filtering system. (House Enrolled Act 1138 )
Richard B. Levine/Sipa USA
Electric/hybrid vehicles
The state's special annual fee imposed on owners of electric and hybrid vehicles to make up for their reduced fuel-tax payments increases approximately 44% on Jan. 1, 2024, to account for inflation since the fees first were enacted in 2017. The new rates are $214 for electric vehicles and $72 for hybrid vehicles. (House Enrolled Act 1050 )
Molly DeVore, file, The Times
Encroachment
Twenty-five feet is set as the minimum bystander distance if a police officer orders a person to stop approaching when the officer is lawfully engaged in the execution of his or her official duties. Police and firefighters may clear an area 25 feet away from any emergency incident, such as a car crash or fire, or a greater distance if the area is marked using flags, barricades or emergency tape. (House Enrolled Act 1186)
TINA SFONDELES, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES VIA AP
FAFSA
Every high school senior attending an Indiana public, charter or voucher-accepting private school is required to fill out and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before April 15 to determine their eligibility for grants and loans for postsecondary education. There are no penalties for students or families who fail to fulfill the FAFSA mandate. (Senate Enrolled Act 167 )
Getty
Financial literacy
Successful completion of a one-semester financial literacy class is a new graduation requirement at every public, charter and private high school in Indiana, beginning with the class of 2028. The course must cover basic money management principles, debt management, retirement and investment accounts, taxes, loan applications, interest rate computation, credit scores, personal insurance policies and simple contracts, among other topics. (Senate Enrolled Act 35 )
Adobe Stock
Firefighting equipment
All firefighting gear purchased in Indiana beginning July 1, 2024, must include a permanently affixed label indicating whether it contains PFAS, potentially cancer-causing substances, also known as "forever chemicals," used in firefighting equipment because they're heat- and moisture-resistant. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is directed to establish a biomonitoring pilot program to sample the blood of up to 1,000 current and retired firefighters for PFAS. (House Enrolled Act 1341 , 1219 )
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Food and beverage tax
The Merrillville Town Council may impose a food and beverage tax of up to 1% on all dine-in and take-home food and drinks sold at Merrillville eateries, bars and similar outlets. If adopted, the town plans to use the money to construct an 18,000-square foot expansion of the indoor recreational amenities at the Dean and Barbara White Community Center to attract more sports tournaments and out-of-town visitors to Merrillville. (House Enrolled Act 1454 )
Joe Ruffalo, file, The Times
Gender-affirming care
Indiana hospitals and medical providers cannot administer any treatment, including hormone therapy, puberty-blocking drugs or surgeries, intended to transition the gender of a person under age 18, even if the child has their parent's consent and financial support. Hoosier children currently receiving gender transition hormone therapy must end their treatment by Dec. 31 and de-transition. A federal judge concluded June 16 that most of this law likely is unconstitutional and temporarily halted its enforcement. (Senate Enrolled Act 480 )
Darron Cummings, AP file photo
Gary schools
A five-member, appointed school board is reestablished for the Gary Community School Corp. to eventually replace the Indiana Distressed Unit Appeals Board as the governing body for the formerly cash-strapped school district. Gary’s mayor and the Gary Common Council appoint one member each, and the three others are chosen by the Indiana secretary of education, including at least one Gary resident, one resident of Gary or Lake County, and a final member from anywhere. (Senate Enrolled Act 327 )
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Gasoline tax
Indiana's gasoline tax increases by one penny to 34 cents per gallon, and by an additional penny each July 1 through 2027 to account for inflation. The rate was just 18 cents per gallon as recently as June 30, 2017, prior to enactment of the Republican road funding plan. (House Enrolled Act 1001)
Gene J. Puskar, Associated Press
Human trafficking
First-time applicants for a commercial driver’s license must watch an instructional video on how to recognize, prevent and report human trafficking as a condition of receiving a CDL. (House Enrolled Act 1196 )
John Luke, file, The Times
Illiana Expressway
All references in state law to the never-constructed Illiana Expressway, a public-private toll road that would have connected Interstate 65 in south Lake County to Interstate 55 near Joliet, Illinois, in an effort to relieve through-truck congestion on the Borman Expressway, are deleted in the hope of ending Illiana uncertainty that has depressed property values and slowed development in south Lake County. (Senate Enrolled Act 44 )
Natalie Battaglia, file, The Times
Inmate gender
The Indiana Department of Correction cannot use any state or federal dollars to provide "sexual reassignment surgery" to state prison inmates, even if the surgery is deemed medically necessary. (House Enrolled Act 1569 )
Indiana State Prison photo
Insurance fund
The state insurance commissioner may begin the process of permanently closing the funds operated by the largely inactive Indiana Political Subdivision Risk Management Commission and returning the $5 million remaining in the commission's accounts to entities including the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District and the city of Portage. (Senate Enrolled Act 353 )
Dreamstime
Juror pay
The pay for prospective jurors is doubled to $30 a day while seated jurors must be paid $80 a day for the first five days of a trial, and $90 for each trial day thereafter. Prospective and seated jurors also continue to be entitled to a daily mileage reimbursement for travel to and from the court. It's Indiana's first juror pay increase in a quarter-century. (House Enrolled Act 1466 )
Times file photo
Juveniles
Law enforcement officers no longer can intentionally lie to children under age 18 during an interrogation in an effort to secure a confession or for any other purpose. In addition, a police officer who takes a child into custody at a school, or during a school-sponsored event, must attempt to immediately notify the student's parent, guardian or emergency contact. (Senate Enrolled Act 415 )
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Lake County convention center
The Lake County Board of Commissioners must begin soliciting proposals to construct and operate a convention center and adjacent hotel. The Lake County Council may increase the innkeepers' tax rate on hotel stays up to 10% from 5% to partially fund the convention center. The city of Gary can obtain up to $3 million a year for blighted building demolition from the Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority, so long as the city puts up a matching amount. (Senate Enrolled Act 434 )
Joseph S. Pete, file, The Times
Lake County recorder
The Lake County Council is authorized to make a one-time transfer from the county's overstuffed elected officials training fund to the recorder's records perpetuation fund to help complete projects underway for the past two years aimed at improving accuracy in the county's record-keeping systems. (Senate Enrolled Act 65 )
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Landlords
Utility companies may ask a judge to appoint a receiver when a multifamily residential property owner with more than four units hasn't paid a utility bill for the property for an extended period of time. If appointed, the receiver would have broad powers to operate the rental property in place of the landlord, including the authority to collect rents, pay debts and even sell the property. (Senate Enrolled Act 114 )
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Little Calumet River
The Little Calumet River Basin Development Commission is subject only to directives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when engaged in the removal of sediment and flood-causing debris, or when making improvements to the riverbank. It's not obligated to follow Indiana Department of Environmental Management mandates that go above and beyond federal requirements. (Senate Enrolled Act 412 )
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Lost farmland
The Indiana Department of Agriculture is directed to conduct an inventory of all farmland lost in the state between 2010 and 2022, and to identify the primary cause of the farmland reduction. The agency must submit a report to the General Assembly by July 1, 2024, detailing its findings and any recommendations, including potential legislation. (House Enrolled Act 1557 )
Doug Ross, file, The Times
Machine guns
The definition of machine gun is revised to include a firearm with an attached "switch," or any similar device, that enables fully automatic shooting with a single pull of the trigger. A person with a switch attached to their gun is subject to a variety of state penalty enhancements for the possession or use of a machine gun. (House Enrolled Act 1365 )
Provided by Cook County Sheriff's Department
Mail-in ballots
To receive an absentee ballot, Indiana citizens age 18 and up submitting a paper application for a mail-in ballot must now provide their driver's license number, state identification card number, or voter identification number, along with the last four digits of their Social Security number, or a photocopy of the voter's driver's license or state ID card. (House Enrolled Act 1334 )
Kale Wilk, file, The Times
Mental health
An additional $50 million is provided to expand community mental health services across the state, a toll-free help line to provide confidential emotional support and referrals is created, Indiana is authorized to participate in the national 9-8-8 suicide and crisis lifeline, and the Indiana Behavioral Health Commission is reestablished. (Senate Enrolled Act 1 )
Times file photo
Military bases
Citizens of China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, and companies based in or controlled by individuals from those counties, are prohibited from leasing, purchasing or otherwise acquiring real property located adjacent to any military installation in Indiana. (Senate Enrolled Act 477 )
Melissa Sue Gerrits, file, Getty Images
Military pay
Military wages earned by a member of an active or reserve component of the United States armed forces or National Guard are 100% exempt from Indiana income tax. The tax exemption is expected to reduce state and local income tax receipts by $30 million to $50 million a year. (House Enrolled Act 1034 )
Joyce Russell, file, The Times
Pension investments
The $45 billion Indiana Public Retirement System is prohibited from contracting with investment managers who consider environmental, social or governance (ESG) factors — such as reducing air pollution or ensuring diverse corporate board membership — when making investment decisions, unless the INPRS board determines ESG investments are in the financial best interest of its members. INPRS also is required to divest all of its holdings that are closely associated with the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party. (House Enrolled Act 1008 , Senate Enrolled Act 268 )
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Public health
More state resources are available to local public health departments to prioritize preventative health care and enact other organizational and mission-driven reforms following the COVID-19 pandemic. Altogether, $225 million is appropriated over two years to begin the work. (Senate Enrolled Act 4 )
Doug Ross, file, The Times
School board elections
The start of the 30-day school board filing period is shifted in 2024 to mid-May from late-July to give Hoosier voters more time to learn about the nonpartisan candidates running for local school boards and what they stand for. (Senate Enrolled Act 177 )
Marc Chase, file, The Times
Service animals
Only a dog or miniature horse qualifies as a service animal for individuals with disabilities in Indiana. Facilities open to the public must take reasonable steps to accommodate a disabled Hoosier assisted by a dog or miniature horse. (House Enrolled Act 1354 )
File photo
Sex education
Teachers and other school personnel are explicitly prohibited from providing instruction on "human sexuality" to students in prekindergarten through third grade. Indiana schools typically don't provide any kind of sex education until at least fifth grade, except for state-mandated programs focused on preventing child abuse and child sexual abuse, which must continue under the law. (House Enrolled Act 1608 )
iStock photo
SNAP assistance
The Indiana Family and Social Services Administration is directed to simplify the process for senior citizens and disabled Hoosiers to apply for federal food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP. Qualified applicants automatically remain eligible for SNAP benefits for up to three years, so long as they annually certify their income remains at or below the level required to receive SNAP assistance. (Senate Enrolled Act 334 )
Tony V. Martin, file, The Times
Speed cameras
The Indiana Department of Transportation is authorized to use camera enforcement to ticket motorists exceeding the speed limit by at least 11 mph in highway work zones. Speeding motorists would get off with a warning for a first violation, a $75 fine for the second and a $150 fine for each subsequent violation. (House Enrolled Act 1015 )
Kale Wilk, file, The Times
State comptroller
The office of auditor of state is redesignated as the "state comptroller" for all public and legal purposes to better reflect its duties overseeing state accounting tasks and financial reporting, and to try to eliminate the mistaken belief that it audits the books of local governments or the tax returns of individual Hoosiers. (House Enrolled Act 1001 )
Doug Ross, file, The Times
Storage units
Storage companies are authorized to seize the storage unit of a delinquent renter just five days after a missed payment, instead of 30 days. An auction of the stored contents may be held if the rent remains unpaid after 60 days, instead of 90. (House Enrolled Act 1621 )
Photo provided
Tax sales
Individuals barred from bidding on tax sale properties, due to unpaid property taxes of their own or for any other reason, are prohibited from being assigned a tax sale certificate by another successful bidder. Lake County also may begin using other means to dispose of land parcels with unpaid property taxes that otherwise continually churn through tax sales. (Senate Enrolled Acts 156 and 157 )
Lauren Cross, file, The Times
Taxpayer receipt
The Indiana Department of Revenue must make available to each Hoosier who paid income taxes in the prior year a detailed receipt showing how the money paid by the taxpayer is being spent by the state. The receipt must be provided in an electronic format on a state website. (House Enrolled Act 1499 )
Adobe Stock
Teachers unions
School superintendents no longer have a statutory obligation to regularly meet with the union representative of school employees, outside of collective bargaining periods, to discuss various issues relating to school operations, such as curriculum, teaching materials, hiring and retention, performance evaluations, student discipline, class size, school safety and working hours. (Senate Enrolled Act 486 )
Kale Wilk, file, The Times
Throwing stars
The easily concealable, star-shaped, knife-like weapons with blades set at different angles are treated the same as other types of knives recognized by Indiana — ending a nearly four-decade state throwing star ban. Throwing stars still cannot be brought to a school, on a school bus or another student transport vehicle. (Senate Enrolled Act 77 )
Amazon.com
Transit Development District
The Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority (RDA) is authorized to establish a Transit Development District (TDD) centered on Valparaiso's bus station at 260 Brown St., and to sell bonds to speed construction of nearby transit-oriented residential and retail development, subject to local planning and zoning ordinances. The borrowed funds will be paid back using the captured growth of state income and local property tax revenues in the TDD. (House Enrolled Act 1046 )
Suzanne Tennant, file, The Times
21st Century Scholars
Eligible students automatically are enrolled in the state's 21st Century Scholars program that guarantees a low- or no-cost college education to individuals who comply with program guidelines. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education must inform eligible students and their families of their enrollment in the program, along with the academic requirements the student must meet to obtain and maintain a college tuition scholarship. (House Enrolled Act 1449 )
michaeljung // Shutterstock
Valparaiso lawsuit
Valparaiso's legal efforts to require video streaming services pay a franchise fee of 5% of local gross revenue for using equipment located in the public right-of-way to transmit programming, similar to cable television companies, are squelched by a retroactive law specifically exempting streaming services from the fee. (House Enrolled Act 1454 )
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Xylazine
Coroners in all 92 Indiana counties must test apparent opioid overdose victims for xylazine. Also known as "Tranq," xylazine is a sedative and pain reliever primarily used in veterinary medicine that's increasingly being cut into supplies of fentanyl, cocaine and heroin, putting users of those substances at higher risk of suffering fatal drug poisoning. (House Enrolled Act 1286 )
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VALPARAISO — Murder charges have been filed against two men in connection with last week's death of a 35-year-old Hobart man at the Chustak Public Fishing Area in Portage Township, records show.
Domonic Brothers, 27, of Gary, and Jada Monroe, 28, of Danville, Va., are each charged with two counts of murder and robbery resulting in serious bodily injury in the death of Derek Hartz, according to court records.
Both men are in custody in Ohio, according to the Porter County Sheriff's Department.
Riding Shotgun with Merrillville Police Officer Amanda Earley
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Derek Hartz during this difficult time," the department said.
The body of Hartz was found around 11 a.m. June 13 on a small trail on the edge of the public access site on a deflated air mattress, according to court documents.
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He had "excessive bleeding" from his skull and was nude from the waist down, officials said.
The Porter County Coroner's Office ruled Hartz's death a homicide from blunt-force trauma to the head.
The area in question is located at 331 W. County Road 600 North and is described by police as a 76-acre public fishing area just off State Road 149.
Investigators found a Virginia identification card at the scene and learned that a cell phone and vehicle belonging to Hartz were missing.
"The people of Chesterton should be livid that a coward decided to vandalize town property with a call to violence and derogatory language," state Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton, said.
Using state-of-the-art technology and with the assistance of Ohio law enforcement, Porter County police said they located the stolen vehicle in Ohio and Brothers and Monroe were taken into custody.
Court records say Hartz's mother told detectives he had taken their shared car after 4:30 a.m. June 13 and left her a note that he was going to see a friend. She tried to contact him to return the car after he was deceased and continued to receive texts back.
"This case would not have ended the way it did if we didn’t have the cooperation of our local/state/and federal law enforcement partners," Porter County police said. "This was an isolated incident and there is no other concerns to the public."
Anyone in the area of the Chustak Public Fishing Area from 4 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. June 13 is encouraged contact the sheriff's department at 219-477-3140.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail
Travis Vaughn
Arrest date: June 16, 2023
Age: 32
Residence: Chesterton, IN
Booking Number: 2302506
Charges: OWI, Misdemeanor
Provided
Brittany Fitzgerald
Arrest date: June 16, 2023
Age: 25
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2302504
Charges: OWI, Misdemeanor
Provided
Bailey Ficek
Arrest date: June 16, 2023
Age: 24
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number: 2302505
Charges: OWI, Misdemeanor
Provided
Changquan Tang
Arrest date: June 15, 2023
Age: 39
Residence: Brooklyn, NY
Booking Number: 2302501
Charges: Dealing hash/marijuana/salvia, felony
Provided
Stevie Seymour Jr.
Arrest date: June 15, 2023
Age: 42
Residence: Chesterton, IN
Booking Number: 2302492
Charges: Auto theft, felony
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Michael Rodich
Arrest date: June 15, 2023
Age: 28
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number: 2302487
Charges: Leaving the scene of an accident, felony
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Jackelyne Medrano
Arrest date: June 15, 2023
Age: 23
Residence: San Antonio, TX
Booking Number: 2302485
Charges: OWI, Misdemeanor
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Michael Menear
Arrest date: June 15, 2023
Age: 24
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number: 2302491
Charges: OWI, felony
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Joseph Coleman
Arrest date: June 15, 2023
Age: 36
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302493
Charges: Theft with a prior conviction, felony
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Brandon Allen
Arrest date: June 15, 2023
Age: 39
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2302488
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
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Ashley Marshall
Arrest date: June 14, 2023
Age: 26
Residence: Chesterton, IN
Booking Number: 2302483
Charges: Possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, felony
Jill Tenorio
Arrest date: June 14, 2023
Age: 32
Residence: Lake Station, IN
Booking Number: 2302472
Charges: Resisting law enforcement, felony
Blake Brown
Arrest date: June 14, 2023
Age: 30
Residence: LaPorte, IN
Booking Number: 2302480
Charges: Robbery, felony
Jessica Gates
Arrest date: June 14, 2023
Age: 36
Residence: Glen Ellyn, IL
Booking Number: 2302484
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Cameron Kerr
Arrest date: June 12, 2023
Age: 25
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302457
Charges: Weapons/serial number has been removed, obliterated, or altered, felony
William Hanyard
Arrest date: June 12, 2023
Age: 23
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number: 2302454
Charges: Invasion of privacy, felony
Jarell Jenkins
Arrest date: June 12, 2023
Age: 27
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2302450
Charges: Criminal recklessness, felony
Kevin Garcia
Arrest date: June 12, 2023
Age: 21
Residence: Schiller Park, IL
Booking Number: 2302445
Charges: Resisting law enforcement, felony
Michael Dolan
Arrest date: June 12, 2023
Age: 48
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2302460
Charges: Battery, felony
John Weir II
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 26
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302433
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Julie West
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 31
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2302441
Charges: Possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, felony
Jeremy White
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 43
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number: 2302432
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Robert Veden
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 40
Residence: LaCrosse, IN
Booking Number: 2302436
Charges: OWI, felony
Jeremiah Gonzalez
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 19
Residence: Delray Beach, FL
Booking Number: 2302431
Charges: Auto theft, felony
Miguel Pulido Jr.
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 23
Residence: Kouts, IN
Booking Number: 2302429
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Kenneth Quinn
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 37
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302430
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Nicholas Serrano
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 37
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302437
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Marvin Buckland
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 57
Residence: Porter, IN
Booking Number: 2302442
Charges: Auto theft, felony
Maxamillion Correa
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 23
Residence: Westville, IN
Booking Number: 2302434
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Joseph Croy
Arrest date: June 11, 2023
Age: 56
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302443
Charges: OWI, felony
Kuldeep Singh
Arrest date: June 10, 2023
Age: 26
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2302420
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
David Rudd
Arrest date: June 10, 2023
Age: 26
Residence: Knox, IN
Booking Number: 2302424
Charges: Possession hypodermic syringe or needle, felony
Johnathan Nelson
Arrest date: June 10, 2023
Age: 29
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302425
Charges: OWI, felony
Amelia Pack
Arrest date: June 10, 2023
Age: 18
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number: 2302418
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Eric Lewis
Arrest date: June 10, 2023
Age: 52
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2302426
Charges: Theft, felony
Rabecca Broschat
Arrest date: June 10, 2023
Age: 58
Residence: Lincoln Park, MI
Booking Number: 2302421
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Steven Dunn
Arrest date: June 10, 2023
Age: 41
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302419
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Travis Talley
Arrest date: June 9, 2023
Age: 32
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302413
Charges: Battery, misdemeanor
Dustin Neuliep
Arrest date: June 8, 2023
Age: 44
Residence: Valparaiso
Booking Number: 2302409
Charges: Burglary, felony
Lawrence Reilly
Arrest date: June 9, 2023
Age: 46
Residence: Rensselaer, IN
Booking Number: 2302403
Charges: Intimidation, felony
Arthur Schmidt III
Arrest date: June 8, 2023
Age: 42
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2302410
Charges: Reckless homicide, felony
Devon Malerich
Arrest date: June 8, 2023
Age: 31
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2302402
Charges: Invasion of privacy, felony
Dylan Merrell
Arrest date: June 8, 2023
Age: 29
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number: OWI
Charges: Misdemeanor
Shaunna Dickson
Arrest date: June 9, 2023
Age: 40
Residence: Braddock, PA
Booking Number: 2302414
Charges: Possession hypodermic syringe or needle, felony
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Get local news delivered to your inbox! | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/porter-county-murder-charges-filed-against-2-in-last-weeks-death-of-hobart-man-records/article_7c41fd56-10ed-11ee-bcd6-f38d863d537b.html | 2023-06-22T13:41:21 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/porter-county-murder-charges-filed-against-2-in-last-weeks-death-of-hobart-man-records/article_7c41fd56-10ed-11ee-bcd6-f38d863d537b.html |
VALPARAISO — Valparaiso has been awarded state funding through a National Opioid Settlement match grant program.
The city will receive $211,335 from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration's, or FSSA's, Division of Mental Health and Addiction. The money will go towards Valparaiso's newly-created Community Recovery Care Coordinator position, a role that was designed to make addiction recovery and treatment more accessible.
The Valparaiso Common Council approved the creation of the position in May, according to a city news release the care coordinator initiative will begin July 1. The city is helping fund the role with its own pot of National Opioid Settlement money.
In 2021, 46 states and many other local units of government came together and brought litigation against the three largest pharmaceutical distributors — McKesson, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen — and pharmaceutical manufacturer Johnson & Johnson. The four companies agreed to pay $26 billion to settle allegations that they fueled the deadly opioid crisis. Indiana will receive $507 million from the National Opioid Settlement. Valparaiso will ultimately receive $1.2 million, but the money will be distributed over 18 years.
Also using National Opioid Settlement money, the FSSA provided matching grants to 30 projects across the state. Valparaiso was one of just four local governments to receive funding. In Northwest Indiana, the Community Foundation of Pulaski County, Inc. and Three20 Recovery Center in Porter County also received funding.
The idea for a care coordinator grew out of a panel discussion the city held in January. The panel was convened to discuss potential uses for the opioid settlement money and featured experts versed in the many elements of addiction: those who work in the court system, run halfway houses, lead prevention efforts in the Valparaiso school district and more.
Panelist David Cummins, a physician who specializes in addiction and emergency medicine, said the care coordinator could connect people with resources and could even identify people who may be high-risk for addiction, intervening before the drug abuse begins.
Indiana has been hit hard by the opioid crisis. According to the Indiana Attorney General's Office, the rates of opioid prescribing in the Hoosier state peaked in 2012 when, on average, there were 112 opioid prescriptions for every 100 residents in the state.
The care coordinator position will be hosted through Porter County PACT, which works with individuals referred by the court, offering substance-abuse treatment, case management and community service restitution. The opioid settlement match grant will fund the role for two years. According to the news release, if the position proves to be successful, the city will go after additional grant funding.
“In studying the impact of addiction, we see that those with addictions can see recovery as insurmountable. This new recovery coordinator will link people with resources so that treatment and recovery become realistic,” Valparaiso Mayor Matt Murphy said in the city news release.
PHOTOS: Valparaiso hosts panel on National Opioid Settlement
Nitha Fiona Nagubadi speaks during a panel convened to discuss the National Opioid Settlement. Valparaiso will receive about $1.2 million through the settlement. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/valparaiso-opioid-settlement-recovery-addiction/article_9cdf719c-105c-11ee-95bd-a75759120aeb.html | 2023-06-22T13:41:27 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/valparaiso-opioid-settlement-recovery-addiction/article_9cdf719c-105c-11ee-95bd-a75759120aeb.html |
Dry to start the day, but isolated showers and storms will be popping up this afternoon. The chance of rain will continue on Friday as well. See which day has the higher chance and when rain is most likely in our weather update video.
5 delicious and colorful salad recipes to try this summer
1. High-Protein Tomato and Basil Salad
If you’re looking for a protein-rich meal that takes less than half an hour to whip up, try this tomato and basil salad with a twist from Cooking for Peanuts. The recipe is packed with seasonal produce, and chickpeas and artichoke hearts make the dish more satiating.
2. Watermelon, Cucumber, and Feta Salad
Sweet and savory flavors come together in this this Recipe Runner salad. Ripe sweet watermelon and refreshing cucumber pair together perfectly while feta adds some brine and balance.
3. Lemony Cucumber Couscous Salad
This simple and affordable lemony cucumber couscous salad from Budget Bytes will be a staple in your fridge all summer. It’s a quick and healthy option for weekday lunch and keeps well as leftovers.
4. Savory Peach and Snap Pea Salad
This is the salad to try during peak peach season. The Allplants recipe combines peaches, snap peas, and dill for an unexpected but delicious flavor.
5. Chopped Veggie Salad
Maple and Mango’s chopped veggie salad recipe pairs fresh summer produce with a tangy vinaigrette for a light, refreshing dish. Eat it as is, or pile it on a pita for a more filling meal. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/weather/weather-forecast-hammond-valparaiso-crown-point-chicago/article_ea38b84a-104d-11ee-8a78-e7ab2fbe13c7.html | 2023-06-22T13:41:33 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/weather/weather-forecast-hammond-valparaiso-crown-point-chicago/article_ea38b84a-104d-11ee-8a78-e7ab2fbe13c7.html |
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — A Flagler County man is in custody at the hospital after deputies said he swallowed cocaine during a traffic stop.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Deputies said Leslie Brock had a torn open bag across his lap with white flakes on his face and beard.
The baggie spilled across the ground after deputies removed him from his vehicle.
Watch: Flagler County to receive millions in funds for dune restoration project
Deputies said Brock then spat out a white substance several times which deputies claim was cocaine.
Brock was taken to a nearby hospital and is being held there until he’s medically cleared.
Read: Flagler County School Board decides against proposal to arm teachers, staff on campus
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/flagler-county-man-swallows-cocaine-during-traffic-stop-deputies-say/2QO4FJMKYRFQXBHAWHBJDKC6FQ/ | 2023-06-22T13:44:12 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/flagler-county-man-swallows-cocaine-during-traffic-stop-deputies-say/2QO4FJMKYRFQXBHAWHBJDKC6FQ/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando and Orange County officials held a hurricane preparedness workshop Thursday.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Residents were able to ask questions about their experience during Hurricane Ian as well as how to handle future storms.
Leaders provided important deadlines on flood insurance.
Read: Hurricane season: Are you ready? Survey says many Floridians are not
They also discussed how to prepare important documents, stock up before storms and collect debris, once storms have rolled through.
“I know we pray that nothing happens, but I wanted to be educated for the hurricane season,” said resident Dionne Turner.
Read: NOAA forecasters release predictions for 2023 Atlantic hurricane season
If you still need to get supplies this hurricane season, the next sales tax holiday is set to start Aug. 26 and run through Sept. 8.
The tax breaks are added to hurricane supplies including batteries and generators.
Watch: Search and rescue task force spotlights importance of disaster preparation
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-county-leaders-hosts-hurricane-prep-workshop-residents/U7UEH2FQ4ZFVLPUW3T7HIO5SNM/ | 2023-06-22T13:44:18 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-county-leaders-hosts-hurricane-prep-workshop-residents/U7UEH2FQ4ZFVLPUW3T7HIO5SNM/ |
MOUNTAIN CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Doe Elementary teacher Sadie Fletcher started a program called “Fresh Start” to help students.
Fletcher collects hygiene products and creates care packages for her students as they need them. Her team is collecting donations for the upcoming school year.
Donations can be dropped off at Doe Elementary School or Johnson County Schools Central Office in Mountain City. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/celebrating-70-years/fresh-start-program-looking-for-donations-to-help-students-get-their-day-started-right/ | 2023-06-22T13:46:04 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/celebrating-70-years/fresh-start-program-looking-for-donations-to-help-students-get-their-day-started-right/ |
ARLINGTON, Texas — The city of Arlington is conducting target ground spraying this week after confirming four positive West Nile Virus (WNV) mosquito samples.
This comes nearly a month after the city announced one positive West Nile Virus mosquito sample in the area of Forest Edge Drive and Park Row Drive – which too resulted in ground spraying.
City officials said targeted ground spraying will take place between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Wednesday, June 21 and Thursday, June 22 – weather permitting – in the following four areas:
- Park Hill Drive at Mossy Oak Street
- Cooper Street at Lovers Lane
- Jake Langston Park at Woodside Drive
- Forestwood Drive at Arbor Oaks Drive
Officials said the goal of targeted ground sprayings is to reduce the known virus-infected adult mosquito population as soon as possible.
The city said, since the start of mosquito season, it has done routine trapping, deployed larvicide in strategic locations and surveyed low-lying areas for standing water throughout Arlington.
Officials said the city’s contractor for ground spraying will use an ultra-low volume application of a water-based permethrin product in specific areas, especially where deploying the larvicide and “other measures have not proven effective.”
The city said no specific risks to animals or the environment are expected while the contractor conducts the targeted ground spraying. But recommend those who are concerned about exposures to a pesticide, such as people with chemical sensitivity or breathing conditions, to stay indoors during the process.
The city said once the pesticide dissipates, it breaks down in the environment and “produces little residual effect.”
Arlington has also partnered with Tarrant County Public Health to educate the public on simple measures they should take while enjoying the outdoors to prevent mosquito bites:
- Dress in long sleeves and pants when you’re outside. For extra protection, you may want to spray thin clothing with repellent.
- DEET is an ingredient to look for in your insect repellent. Follow label instruction, and always wear repellent when outdoors.
- Drain standing water in your yard and neighborhood where mosquitoes can breed
For more information concerning the ground spraying, you can call the city’s action center at 817-459-6777. | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/arlington-targeted-ground-spraying-for-second-time-after-west-nile-virus-confirmed-mosquito-samples/287-f3351003-5b02-4c12-b2b3-aeb7c0150a48 | 2023-06-22T13:46:59 | 1 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/arlington-targeted-ground-spraying-for-second-time-after-west-nile-virus-confirmed-mosquito-samples/287-f3351003-5b02-4c12-b2b3-aeb7c0150a48 |
Average daily flows
Snake River at Jackson 289 cfs
Snake River at Palisades 12,172 cfs
Snake River at Heise 13,122 cfs
Snake River at Blackfoot 6,362 cfs
Snake River at American Falls 12,697 cfs
Snake River at Milner 3.002 cfs
Little Wood River near Carey 353 cfs
Jackson Lake is 80% full.
Palisades Reservoir is 98% full.
American Falls Reservoir is 93% full.
Upper Snake River system is at 91% of capacity.
As of June 21 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_d29f96e8-1081-11ee-8683-6bf3f8a21b16.html | 2023-06-22T13:49:45 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_d29f96e8-1081-11ee-8683-6bf3f8a21b16.html |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/moms-no-leads-to-this-teen-becoming-a-bike-fixer-for-his-community/3590350/ | 2023-06-22T13:54:18 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/moms-no-leads-to-this-teen-becoming-a-bike-fixer-for-his-community/3590350/ |
Name: John Kinzler
School: Central High School
Parents: Jeff and Karie Kinzler of Salem
Most memorable high school moment: Playing in the 2021 State Championship volleyball match in Green Bay
Most influential teacher: Ms. Radzik as Teacher Aid; I have never seen her without a smile on her face. She works with the special education department each day with love and patience. She is a living example of what it means to be selfless and kind, and is a role-model I will remember forever.
School activities/clubs: Badger Boys/Girls State, DECA, forensics, freshman mentors, Future Business Leaders of America, Key Club, leadership team, National Honor Society, peer helpers/tutors, student government, Students Modeling a Research Topic (SMART) Team, school store CFO, Special education helper
People are also reading…
School athletics: Basketball, tennis, volleyball
School offices held: Student Council President; DECA / FBLA chapter president; Peer Helpers co-president; school store CFO; class Treasurer
Honors, letters or awards: 3x DECA International Qualifier; FBLA International Qualifier; 2x Forensics Gold Medal Recipient; Academic Medal Recipient; Summa Cum Laude Honors; First team all-conference volleyball; 2x first team all-conference tennis; honorable mention all conference basketball; state appearances in volleyball, basketball, and tennis; Boys Nation 2nd Alternate; 10 varsity letters
Out-of-school activities/hobbies: Religion Ed. Instructor at Holy Rosary Catholic Church; Altar server for Saint Anthonys Catholic Church; AAU basketball
College choice: Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.
Intended major/field of study: Finance
Role model: My Dad
Three words that best describe my role model: Dependable, Courageous, Sacrificing
What I hope to accomplish in my lifetime: I hope to always be a follower of God's word and lead as many souls as possible to Christ. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-teen-2023-john-kinzler-of-central-high-school/article_f01fd940-0e19-11ee-b5bb-73645b04cf3d.html | 2023-06-22T13:57:05 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-teen-2023-john-kinzler-of-central-high-school/article_f01fd940-0e19-11ee-b5bb-73645b04cf3d.html |
Detroit fire officials probe cause of 5-story apartment fire
Detroit ― Officials are investigating the cause of a massive fire that engulfed a vacant, five-story apartment building Thursday morning on the city's west side.
Just before 5 a.m., firefighters were dispatched to the apartment building at Dexter Avenue and Cortland Street, a half mile south of West Davison Street, where they reported elevated flames that towered the complex, upon arriving, Detroit Fire Chief James Harris said. Just before 8 a.m., he said crews were still extinguishing the complex's hotspots. There were no injuries.
"Upon arrival, there were flames everywhere — from the basement to the roof — so we took a defensive posture, meaning we didn't go in because we didn't want to get any firefighters hurt," Harris said. "But no civilians were hurt and no occupied dwellings in the area were damaged, so we're gonna call it a success."
Harris said the three-hour blaze was declared a third alarm, which requires more manpower to combat the flames. He said there were nearly 20 firetrucks and 60 firefighters and medics on the scene.
Officials are investigating the cause of the blaze, White said. No details were available.
jaimery@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @wordsbyjakkar | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/06/22/detroit-fire-officials-probe-cause-of-5-story-apartment-fire/70345500007/ | 2023-06-22T13:58:51 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/06/22/detroit-fire-officials-probe-cause-of-5-story-apartment-fire/70345500007/ |
Teen dead after shooting Thursday on Detroit's east side, police said
A teenage boy is dead after being shot in a home early Thursday on Detroit's east side, police said.
Officers were called at about 1:15 a.m. to a home in the 16000 block of Fordham Street near Kelly and Moross roads for a report of a shooting. They arrived and found the victim.
Police said the circumstances around the shooting are unknown at this time and they are not releasing any further information. The investigation is ongoing.
According to media reports, the teen was making a video when the firearm discharged accidentally and a round struck him in the side. They also report the teen died at a hospital and at least two adults and several other teens were at the home when the shooting happened.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/06/22/teen-dead-after-shooting-thursday-on-detroits-east-side-police-said/70345447007/ | 2023-06-22T13:58:57 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/06/22/teen-dead-after-shooting-thursday-on-detroits-east-side-police-said/70345447007/ |
Report: 7,500+ U.S. pedestrians killed by drivers in 2022
An estimated 7,500-plus pedestrians in the United States were struck and killed by drivers last year — the most since 1981 — according to a new study released Thursday.
The number of U.S. pedestrian deaths, 7,508, in 2022 also is up 1% from the previous year, said the study, conducted by the Governors Highway Safety Association, a nonprofit that represents highway safety offices of states, territories, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
"Every day, 20 people go for a walk and do not return home," Jonathan Adkins, the association's CEO, said in a statement. "The saddest part is that these crashes are preventable. We know what works ― better-designed infrastructure, lower speeds, and addressing risky driving behaviors that pose a danger to people walking.
"We must do these things and more to reverse this awful trend and protect people on foot. Enough is enough."
For its study, the association analyzed preliminary pedestrian fatality data for 49 states and Washington D.C. Oklahoma did not provide data for the study, the group said. It looked at statistics for the first six months of 2022 and projects the total could be as high as 7,600 for the entire year.
In Michigan, there were 179 pedestrian deaths, down 2.2% from the previous year, according to the report.
Overall, pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. have soared 77% since 2010 alone, compared with 25% for all other traffic-related deaths, the report found.
Among the report's other findings:
∎ Most pedestrian fatalities continue to occur at night.
∎ Drivers of passenger cars account for most fatal pedestrian crashes, but the number of drivers of SUVs involved in the crashes is growing.
∎ A majority of pedestrian fatalities happen on non-freeway arterial roads that carry large volumes of traffic at high speeds. Approximately 18% of pedestrian deaths were on freeways. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/06/22/report-7500-u-s-pedestrians-killed-by-drivers-in-2022/70345576007/ | 2023-06-22T13:59:09 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/06/22/report-7500-u-s-pedestrians-killed-by-drivers-in-2022/70345576007/ |
Air Force and military families take heed: You may not need to find a new home for the family dog or cat before moving to that next assignment.
The Department of Defense Wednesday announced a new policy to cover pet travel expenses, like pet shipping or quarantine fees, incurred by service members when they move to a new assignment.
The policy covers pet expenses during a permanent change of station (PCS), the DOD said, and will be effective as of January 1, 2024.
Military members going through a PCS within the continental United States can be reimbursed up to $550 for one household pet, either cat or dog, and up to $2,000 for moves to or from a location outside the continental United States to cover costs related to the transportation of a pet, the department said.
The military estimates that this new allowance may be used by an some 227,000 service members.
“Historically, service members paid the majority of out-of-pocket expenses to transport pets when assigned to a new duty station,” the department said. “This policy reduces that financial burden while recognizing the important role a pet plays in a military family’s household.”
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/new-dod-will-reimburse-pet-expenses-when-military-families-move/LVSY2HO3ONCRDIY5HXNI7VBMJQ/ | 2023-06-22T14:09:44 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/new-dod-will-reimburse-pet-expenses-when-military-families-move/LVSY2HO3ONCRDIY5HXNI7VBMJQ/ |
ROCKLAND, Maine — Virginia Oliver, affectionately known as Maine's "Lobster Lady," is still lobstering at the age of 103.
Virginia, or Ginny as her friends call her, celebrated her 103rd birthday on Tuesday. She gathered with friends and family at the Rockland Historical Society to mark the occasion, and check out the earrings she was wearing.
"Virginia, who still does her own cooking, didn't have to bake this cake, but she did slice it for members of the Society and her daughter and three sons," Wayne Gray, who attended the celebration, told NEWS CENTER Maine in an email.
Gray said Virginia has renewed her lobster fishing license for the 2023 season. She started lobstering with her father and older brother when she was 8 years old, so this marks her 95th year hauling traps.
She was born on Claredon Street in Rockland at her parents' home in June of 1920. The centenarian still lives on the same street but in a different house, one where she raised her four children. All of her four children lobster, too, just as her late husband had.
What does Virginia like best about lobstering? "Being the boss," she told 207's Beth McEvoy in 2021. She doesn't go out if she doesn't want to, but she likes the independence life on the water has afforded her and her family.
Her story has also been told in an illustrated book for children called “The Lobster Lady—Maine’s 102-year-old Legend.” Two Maine residents, writer Barbara Walsh and illustrator Shelby Crouse, collaborated on the project.
“I’ve been a journalist for 35-plus years,” Walsh said, “And when I saw 207’s segment on her last July, I kept watching it and I fell in love with her. And I thought, 'This is a children’s book.'”
For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic alerts, download the NEWS CENTER Maine mobile app. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/maine-lobster-lady-birthday-book-virginia-oliver-rockland-maine/97-e7e9f743-a1e5-466d-bcaf-e1ff65b5dcb9 | 2023-06-22T14:09:45 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/maine-lobster-lady-birthday-book-virginia-oliver-rockland-maine/97-e7e9f743-a1e5-466d-bcaf-e1ff65b5dcb9 |
BALTIMORE — Many Marylanders are struggling to pay their household expenses.
Families often have to choose if they can afford gas to get to the grocery store.
The Maryland Food Bank saw this need and now brings the grocery store to you.
The Mobile Market is a 26 foot long 'grocery store on wheels.' It's chock full of all the foods you could get at the store but it travels to where it is most needed. Families get everything for free.
Jennifer Small with the Maryland Food Bank says, "We are using data through our Maryland hunger map, to be able to earmark...what we call hunger hotspots. So areas of high need that, again, are within 30 miles, in some cases of the nearest grocery store, emergency feeding program."
Right now they have two trucks that go all over the state. They hope to get a third one going soon. At last check, they were trying to find a driver.
From November 1, 2021 to October 31, 2022, the two Mobile Markets served more than 11,000 households across Maryland, or nearly 30,000 Marylanders in need. They also distributed more than 400,000 pounds of food, enough food to provide nearly 335,000 meals.
For more information on the Maryland Food Bank and its programs click here. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/maryland-food-bank-deploys-grocery-store-on-wheels-to-help-more-people | 2023-06-22T14:13:50 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/maryland-food-bank-deploys-grocery-store-on-wheels-to-help-more-people |
COLORA, Md. — A deadly overnight tractor-trailer crash in Cecil County.
It happened around 2:15am along Route 276 (Jacob Tome Memorial Highway), near Cowan Road in Colora.
Maryland State Police say the truck was pulling a tanker trailer when for some reason it drove off the side of the road.
It ended up striking and breaking an electrical support pole, which caused power lines to fall onto the street.
The driver, 26-year-old Dylan Edwards, of Port Deposit, died on scene.
As of 8:30 Thursday morning, police had both directions of Route 276 closed.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/tractor-trailer-drives-off-side-of-the-road-in-cecil-county-leaving-one-dead | 2023-06-22T14:13:56 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/tractor-trailer-drives-off-side-of-the-road-in-cecil-county-leaving-one-dead |
ROCKLAND, Maine — Virginia Oliver, affectionately known as Maine's "Lobster Lady," is still lobstering at the age of 103.
Virginia, or Ginny as her friends call her, celebrated her 103rd birthday on Tuesday. She gathered with friends and family at the Rockland Historical Society to mark the occasion, and check out the earrings she was wearing.
"Virginia, who still does her own cooking, didn't have to bake this cake, but she did slice it for members of the Society and her daughter and three sons," Wayne Gray, who attended the celebration, told NEWS CENTER Maine in an email.
Gray said Virginia has renewed her lobster fishing license for the 2023 season. She started lobstering with her father and older brother when she was 8 years old, so this marks her 95th year hauling traps.
She was born on Claredon Street in Rockland at her parents' home in June of 1920. The centenarian still lives on the same street but in a different house, one where she raised her four children. All of her four children lobster, too, just as her late husband had.
What does Virginia like best about lobstering? "Being the boss," she told 207's Beth McEvoy in 2021. She doesn't go out if she doesn't want to, but she likes the independence life on the water has afforded her and her family.
Her story has also been told in an illustrated book for children called “The Lobster Lady—Maine’s 102-year-old Legend.” Two Maine residents, writer Barbara Walsh and illustrator Shelby Crouse, collaborated on the project.
“I’ve been a journalist for 35-plus years,” Walsh said, “And when I saw 207’s segment on her last July, I kept watching it and I fell in love with her. And I thought, 'This is a children’s book.'”
For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic alerts, download the NEWS CENTER Maine mobile app. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/maine-lobster-lady-birthday-book-virginia-oliver-rockland-maine/97-e7e9f743-a1e5-466d-bcaf-e1ff65b5dcb9 | 2023-06-22T14:14:50 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/maine-lobster-lady-birthday-book-virginia-oliver-rockland-maine/97-e7e9f743-a1e5-466d-bcaf-e1ff65b5dcb9 |
CEDAR FALLS — On Tuesday, public safety leadership shared with the City Council its progress toward its goals.
Public Safety Director Craig Berte, Police Chief Mark Howard and Fire Chief John Zolondek were joined by almost all the senior command team to share more about their focuses and what they’ve been working on, while also being candid about their failures and what needs improvement.
“Our public safety program really started in about 2015-16,” said Berte. “We’re still a new program. We’re a different organization than we were a couple years ago and I think we’ll be a different organization a couple years from now.
“And after a lot of us are gone and some of the younger people sitting behind us are in charge, it may be really interesting how they provide police and fire services. It might be a lot different than what we do right now.”
About 10 minutes of the hour-long discussion involved the council and came mostly in the form of questions and answers.
The update came as a result of a council motion for an internal review following a proposal for a review of the department by an outside firm. The update was based on the goals of the previously adopted strategic plan known as the “Cedar Falls Public Safety Special Report 2021-2025.”
The councilmembers who previously advocated for the external review said after the meeting there are no serious deficiencies nor enough political support to warrant another push in the coming months before the next city election.
The public safety department will have 75 officers budgeted next fiscal year – 26 on the fire side and 49 on the police side. All but two of the current squad, which tends to total 5-10% less than the budgeted, are cross-trained.
One weakness is less institutional knowledge in the fire service in its higher ranks compared with police. That’s in part due to losing retired fire chief John Bostwick’s more than 40 years of experience.
One of the bigger concerns has been how to bring about optimal staffing and boost its recruitment and retention success.
The department has worked to bolster its advertising for openings, target colleges (in particular athletic teams) for new recruits, make clear the various opportunities it offers and compete with the bonuses being offered by other agencies for new hires.
“We’re working on it, and it’s not going to go away,” said Berte.
Additionally, a push is being made to strengthen its police reserves force, as well as revitalize the paid-on-call and volunteer fire program to supplement the fulltime staff at a low cost and introduce people to the career.
Mental health too has been a work in progress with its officers and doing more to limit the risk of officer suicide.
Howard highlighted a past instance when a newer officer completed CPR on a victim and no one checked in on that officer for days. Additionally, the body and car cameras are outdated, another instance when officials acknowledged failure because of having not checked in on the latest technology.
“We’ll be back to you guys with some kind of a contract, explaining to you the predicament we found ourselves in. We set aside a certain amount in the CIP (capital improvements program), and now we’re finding out it costs ourselves a lot more over the next five or 10 years,” said Berte.
Constant improvement is being sought on scenes of emergencies through more live fire training. Officials, too, will be looking to bring aboard another school resource officer, mostly for educational purposes, on top of the one already present in the school system.
Admittedly, they’ve lost some presence in the schools, according to Zolondek, as he recalled the days when he was young and used to get all excited when seeing the fire truck.
A future station could be added on First Street at some point, possibly taking over the school administration building once the district moves its operation out to the new high school on West 27th Street in 2024.
A new aerial truck will be purchased in a few years to replace its older one. A K-9 program also is in the works.
Officers took pride improvement in its work to improve community outreach, as well, whether that being in its communication with community organizations and businesses, or getting out to host events like active shooter drills and “Coffee with a Cop” or its newer offerings like CPR training and blood drives.
In other business, the council moved to:
Approved the first of three readings of an ordinance amending snow and ice removal requirements, adding language clarifying the “the full width of all sidewalks” must be cleared and the job must be completed within 48 hours of the end of the weather event, as opposed to in a “reasonable amount of time.” The proposed rule also outlines the procedure to create an alternate snow-free path around a sidewalk because of unsafe conditions or hardship on the owner.
Approved the first of three readings of an ordinance rezoning 2.26 acres for Advanced Technical Services at 702 LeClair St. for a 6,900-square-foot expansion to the south of its existing facility for more storage space for equipment.
Approved the first of three readings of an ordinance allowing vinyl siding on residential buildings with six or fewer dwelling units in residential areas of downtown. The proposal is part of a flurry of changes introduced by a council majority to the fairly new code and reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Approved a resolution to remove councilmembers’ obligation to vote on proclamations forwarded to them by Green, who was wrapped up in controversy following his initial decision not to sign one recognizing LGBTQIA+ Month.
Accepted the resignation of Anne Bonsall Hoekstra from the Art & Culture Board.
Appointed Gina Weekley, Jason Droste, Madeleine Seymour, and Tyler Ingham to the Human Rights Commission.
Approved resolutions establishing the payroll for employees and setting the pay ranges for the various positions as well as various fees imposed by the city.
Photos: What if? A look at how things are, and how they could be | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-and-politics/cf-public-safety-leaders-talk-progress/article_3188463e-0fb3-11ee-ab64-1bd9e216d1df.html | 2023-06-22T14:14:52 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-and-politics/cf-public-safety-leaders-talk-progress/article_3188463e-0fb3-11ee-ab64-1bd9e216d1df.html |
CEDAR FALLS — Cedar Falls Utilities is in the early stages of completing due diligence on a possible massive, generational project.
The goal is to position the municipal utility to provide reliable and affordable power for years to come. Preliminary estimates for the “reciprocating engine electric generating plant,” shared last week with the board of trustees, detail a $64 million investment during 2023 through 2026, a cost that will require selling bonds for the first time since 2015.
Officials say most reciprocating engine plants run on natural gas but offer flexibility, with the potential to burn low- or no-carbon fuels. The plant would help the city avoid rolling blackouts created by a lack of wind or solar power and give the utility more local control of the base electrical load.
General Manager Steve Bernard said the need arose because of a “dramatic shift toward renewables in the Midwest, particularly in Iowa.”
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Several coal-fired plants and some nuclear plants are closing. Wind is a variable renewable source in terms of how much energy can be produced and may be unreliable when the city’s energy demand spikes and requires “generation that responds quickly.”
“This has the ability to start quickly and ramp up and down quickly as opposed to Streeter Station, which has start times of maybe up to 12 hours if it’s cold,” said Bernard. “Reciprocating engine plants could start within minutes and be able to meet the load.”
“It’s a significant difference in terms of being able to react quickly. And again, renewable energy abundance in Iowa is really making fast-acting generation really valuable in the capacity and in the energy market and from a reliability perspective.”
Reciprocating engines are controllable and complement the large amount of renewable energy already in the market. More than 60% of the energy in Iowa in 2022 was from renewable sources, but that energy fluctuates based on available wind and sun.
“Fast-starting reciprocating engines support renewables to balance the energy load when needed,” said Mollie Strouse, CFU marketing manager, in an email.
“Adding this generation would help CFU meet the needs of our customers and support resiliency. Local generation allows CFU to continue to provide energy to our customers even when regional grid operations are impacted by a major storm event or extreme weather.”
In essence, it helps ensure that Cedar Falls has power if the grid experiences problems and that the base load is supported as the utility adds more renewable sources of power.
The board also heard more last week from Jon Burmeister, managing director with its financial consultant PFM, about financially preparing for the large undertaking.
The project will require CFU to bond. How much exactly is still to be determined as officials analyze financial position and their options when it comes to liquidity, future rate adjustments and other financing.
In October, CFU contracted with DGR Engineering of Rock Rapids for $67,000 to complete a feasibility study. The results could be released as soon as this summer.
The study will determine if the project is feasible. If it is, recommendations will be provided for a possible location for the facility, the total generation capacity, type of building, necessary substation and transmission system improvements and other long-term planning.
Other Midwest utilities have taken on such massive projects. They include Omaha Public Power District in Nebraska, Rochester Municipal in Minnesota, Central Iowa Power Cooperative in Cedar Rapids, and WEC Energy in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/cedar-falls-utilities-plant-could-cost-millions/article_7f089d8a-0ba5-11ee-9ccd-a3f20c80e1c3.html | 2023-06-22T14:14:58 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/cedar-falls-utilities-plant-could-cost-millions/article_7f089d8a-0ba5-11ee-9ccd-a3f20c80e1c3.html |
GREENSBORO — Police are reporting that one person is dead after an officer-involved shooting shortly after midnight.
Police have not released any details about the person who was killed, or about the involved officer who has been placed on administrative duty per departmental policy.
Officers responded to the 1000 block of Tuscaloosa Street at approximately 12:12 a.m. in reference to a suspicious vehicle. When an officer saw someone walking in the street and approached in a police vehicle, the person displayed a firearm, Greensboro police said in a news release.
"The officer fired their weapon from inside their police vehicle, striking the subject," police said in the news release. "The officer began rendering aid until additional officers and EMS personnel arrived."
The person was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and was declared dead upon arrival, police said in the news release.
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The news release does not say whether the person in the street took aim at the officer or fired their weapon.
As is standard protocol, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation will conduct a criminal investigation into the incident.
In addition, the Greensboro Police Department’s Professional Standards Division will conduct an internal investigation to determine whether departmental policies were followed.
— This is a developing story. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/greensboro-police-1-person-dead-after-officer-involved-shooting-overnight/article_e75d294e-10ed-11ee-aa68-1fd9bf4b56d5.html | 2023-06-22T14:15:02 | 0 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/greensboro-police-1-person-dead-after-officer-involved-shooting-overnight/article_e75d294e-10ed-11ee-aa68-1fd9bf4b56d5.html |
OELWEIN — Thirty residents forced to leave their apartment building after a large slab of brick fell from the historical structure have been allowed to move back in.
On the morning of June 18, Oelwein police were alerted to bricks falling off the facade of the Mealey Apartments – formerly known as the Hotel Mealey – located at 102 S. Frederick Ave.
Tuesday, those living there were allowed to move back in after an inspection on Monday from a structural engineer. Jim Jacobs of VJ Engineering in Coralville determined the structure was safe for occupancy.
Along with bricks falling outside, David Kral, the city’s building official, also noticed cracked drywall and crooked door frames throughout the building, which he said indicates general movement of the structure.
Dylan Mulfinger, the city’s administrator, said the drywall was reviewed but the structural engineer “did not find an issue with the concerns” they had.
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The block of bricks that fell from the fourth floor on the east side of the building measured three feet by 15 feet, according to Kral. Mulfinger said the city is working with the property owner, John Kalb of Tiki LLC, to open up South Frederick Street. Before the street is open, “extensive repairs” need to happen, according to Mulfinger.
Repairs will include replacement of some of the brick. There is no timeline on the reopening of the street or completion of the repairs because the owner has to hire a contractor.
Mulfinger said the Mealey gets inspected as part of the city’s rental inspection program every three years. He said the last inspection was in 2022 so the next inspection will be in 2025. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/hotel-mealey-inspection-allows-residents-return/article_7caf2546-0faf-11ee-bb86-a78b7efac881.html | 2023-06-22T14:15:09 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/hotel-mealey-inspection-allows-residents-return/article_7caf2546-0faf-11ee-bb86-a78b7efac881.html |
Wildfire, heavy use strained the Santa Catalinas. A new Forest Service plan could help
TUCSON — Southern Arizona's beloved Santa Catalina Mountains are getting their first comprehensive trail plan, along with a wealth of federal funding for the U.S. Forest Service to implement it.
About 50 projects are included in the document that the U.S. Forest Service’s Coronado National Forest plans to release on Friday. It will serve as “an aspirational, conceptual-level plan” for the Santa Catalina Ranger District over the next 15 years.
The plan aims to increase opportunities for outdoor recreation and ensure the sustainability of the trail system. Some 23 more miles of trails would be built, while others will be closed or modified in the district, which includes popular destinations like Mount Lemmon, Sabino Canyon and Pusch Ridge. New beginner trails, added parking space in popular trailheads, and a balance in the number of trails for different users are some of the planned changes.
The Forest Service is responsible for maintaining and overseeing more than 250 miles of trails in the area, but limited budget and personnel have created a work backlog. With no trail crews on staff, the bulk of that work is done by contractors, volunteers and partners.
Volunteer workforce will remain a need, according to officials. But a new stream of federal funds from the Great American Outdoors Act, or GAOA, is creating opportunities to invest in ambitious projects and infrastructure as well as to restore many miles of trails.
Lack of investment in Forest Service trails has been a national issue. There is a backlog of about $6 billion on “deferred maintenance” of trails and other infrastructure on Forest Service lands, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Early allocations of funding have allowed the Coronado National Forest to start some of the planned projects. The new funding stream, and other non-federal grants, make this a good time to get ahead as the agency pays increasingly more attention to outdoor recreation.
“The history of public-land funding for recreation comes in these sorts of waves and pulses,” said Adam Milnor, the Coronado National Forest’s recreation, heritage and lands staff officer, and lead of the trail plan development.
“We've been creative about finding volunteers and partners, but we recognize as an agency overall that there is a little bit of a mismatch between the public interest in this amenity, this opportunity to get outside, and what we're currently investing in it," Milnor added.
He believes that is changing.
“Recreation is the primary way that most people interact with nature," Milnor said. "People need nature the same way that they need art and music."
Plan addresses spike in visitors, 2020 wildfire
The Santa Catalina Ranger District is one of the most biologically diverse areas in Arizona. Rising to 7,000 feet in elevation above Tucson, the mountains harbor everything from desert shrubs to ponderosa pine.
Maintaining the roughly 250 miles of trails was already a big challenge for the Forest Service. The growth of outdoor tourism and a record number of people going out to the trails during the pandemic created new pressures.
Trails like Finger Rock, which used to see on average about 4,500 people each month, drew about 14,000 visitors in the same period during the pandemic, Milnor said.
Wildfire damage also amplified the need for a plan. About two-thirds of the trail system was affected in 2020 by the Bighorn Fire, which ravaged nearly 120,000 acres in the Santa Catalina Mountains.
“The fire certainly added some urgency to that situation,” and increased the costs of trail work and restoration, Milnor said.
The agency started reaching out for public comment in 2021, talking to key partners and volunteer organizations that for over a decade sustained trail maintenance on the mountain. They also received more than 3,000 public comments.
The most popular requests were to create more trails, the ability to adopt trails and bike-only trails.
Milnor said the request for more trails was the “central tension of the whole project,” because the agency is struggling to take care of existing ones. Creating new trails would also add environmental impacts, such as damaging the Mexican spotted owl habitat. The trick is how to modify the trail system to meet everyone’s needs and to add new routes where possible.
Some highly popular trails are not within the Forest Service trail system. The most popular, the Milagrosa Trail and the 50 Year Trail, don’t have secured access. Because trailheads are on Arizona State Trust land, users could lose access permanently if those lands are sold. The Forest Service hopes to adopt about 23 miles into the system.
Bike-only trails are a demand from mountain bikers and other users. The sport has grown enormously over the last decades, and single-use trails could reduce conflict with other trail users, like hikers.
The plan also includes the removal of 21 miles of trails, some of which were severely damaged by wildfires.
Some of the spotlight projects of the plan include two new beginner-intermediate trails: a canyon rim trail on Tanque Verde Falls, and an 8.5-mile trail in Mount Lemmon connecting Rose Canyon, Palisades, higher elevation campgrounds and Sunset trailhead. Several small trail sections are also planned to connect existing trails.
Most projects are still in the conceptual stage and have to go through environmental assessment and approval before they can compete for funding. Between 30 to 40% of the projects' costs are covered, Milnor said.
Trail maintenance relies on volunteer power
On a sunny winter morning, Patrick Diehl worked his way around a large boulder. Using a lever, he made the rock topple and settle where the trail dropped, creating a solid step down the dirt path. Along with other volunteers, he has worked on about 1.3 miles of the Pima Canyon Trail.
Along with his partner Victoria "Tori" Woodard, Diehl coordinates trail work for Friends of the Santa Catalina Trails, a newly founded nonprofit with four board members. They move rocks, cut back the brush and rake the ground, working on trails sometimes 40 hours a week, often with volunteers.
The couple moved to Tucson around 2009. Avid hikers, they hit the trails at least once a week, and noticed that many were severely unmaintained. It seemed that “something wasn’t happening,” Diehl said. There was an “appearance of general neglect.”
In 2015, they told the Forest Service about it.
Diehl got the former district ranger on the phone, who said the Forest Service didn't hire paid trail crew and that there was talk about closing one-third of the trails.
“We now know that, legally speaking, the Forest Service is required to maintain a trail if it's designated 'open' in the trail system,” Diehl said. “But I didn't like the idea that a whole bunch of trails might be closed.”
He and Woodard signed up as volunteers. They adopted sections of the Davis Spring Trail, Butterfly Trail and Pima Canyon Trail, and worked on six other trails.
Mountain bikers have also volunteered for over a decade.
“You kind of get tired hopping over the same tree for six months or, you know, riding on a trail that has erosion issues and the tread is slowly wearing away,” said Duncan Caldwell, president of the Tucson Off-Road Cyclists and Activists.
Even before the organization came to life in 2012, several people got together to start working on the trails. The 300-member cycling organization logged 2,700 hours of trail work last year on Mount Lemmon.
Mountain biking has grown exponentially in the last decade, and the organization was a key community partner in developing the new trail plan. Caldwell has been in touch with agency staff since 2009. The constant personnel movement has been a challenge, since proposals and communications often get lost, he said.
He recognizes the Coronado National Forest doesn’t have the funds or personnel to maintain the trails. When it comes to volunteering, “at the end of the day, it’s kind of fun,” Caldwell said.
On Pima Canyon Trail, a steady stream of hikers stopped to chat with Diehl and Woodard and thank them for their work.
"Our greatest challenge is finding people to help with trail work more than three miles from the trailhead," said Woodard. "Our greatest reward is seeing people who are no longer young and agile happily hiking on trails that our work has made safe for them."
Forest Service doesn't get enough funding
Diehl and Woodard also acknowledge the agency is strained.
“It's the legislature in Washington, D.C., that doesn't give them enough money to do their job properly. I would like the Forest Service to have enough funding to maintain the trails so people can enjoy them, and also enough to protect the resource,” Woodard said.
“One of our goals is to educate the public about the fact that the Forest Service doesn't get enough funding for trail maintenance," Woodard added, "and to try to build a constituency that supports the Forest Service getting a bigger budget for recreation.”
Relying on volunteer groups to maintain the trails “isn’t proper management,” she said.
One mile of trail maintenance costs about $5,000. Annually, the Coronado National Forest gets $45,000 to $65,000 for taking care of about 1,000 miles of trails. There are some $30,000 extra in fees paid by visitors and trail guides that help.
“For every $10 we get to maintain trails from Congress and appropriations, we’re getting $50, $60 or $70, depending on the year, of volunteer and partner support,” Milnor said, considering trail work was compensated at $27 an hour.
The agency has 11 partnerships in the Santa Catalina Ranger District alone. In 2019, more than 3,500 volunteers helped, though numbers have been going down since 2020.
Contractors generally do the heavy trail work in very remote areas.
Last year, Wild Arizona, an organization that partners with the Forest Service across Arizona, started working in the Santa Catalina Ranger District.
“It's nearly impossible for programs to be all volunteer, because you just can't make headway in a weekend or so," said Brian Stultz, deputy director of Wild Arizona. The nonprofit hires trained staff to work on the area.
Paid crews often spend eight days out in a row. There are many trails that are nearly impassable, covered by brush or washed out by monsoon storms and fires.
“They had to hike in six and a half miles just to get to work in Upper Romero, just before they even put a pick in the ground,” he said.
The plan envisions expanding the volunteer workforce and removing the Sutherland, Lower Box Camp, Evans Mountain, Brush Corral, and a good portion of the Cañada del Oro trail, from the system.
Every Last Drop:Threatened by mining and Forest Service indifference, Pinto Creek is barely hanging on
Solving access issues
The sustainability of the trail system goes beyond nature conservation and trail restoration.
“A high priority in the plan is making sure that we retain access," Milnor said. "And so by that, I mean a legal way to get in."
Securing access to the 50 Year Trail, between Oro Valley and Oracle Junction, is one of the priorities. The area is extremely popular, as hundreds of people use it every weekend, according to the plan. It is a crisscross of unauthorized trails, outside of the trail system. People can only access it because of a 50-year lease (hence the name) of state land. But it could be sold at any time. The lease is up in 2038.
Duncan, with TORCA, has been biking there for almost two decades. For him, it is a given that the Forest Service should adopt the 50 Year Trail.
“You just can't simply ignore it, you can't keep kinda turning a blind eye,” he said.
That trail is not the only one at risk. National forest boundaries are surrounded by state trust or private land. A new owner cutting access is a likely scenario in many areas.
Milnor said solving the issue is not easy or cheap, but it’s something that everybody supports. Building a permanent road is the only way to maintain access for future generations, he added.
Hiking on an early winter morning on Finger Rock Trail, one of the most popular trails in Tucson located just above the Catalina Foothills, he greeted other visitors as they passed by. Many large houses are contiguous to the trail.
“If someone hadn't been proactive, in a different world, this entire area would have been completely inaccessible to people,” he said. “We have other areas where we're facing that same concern or threat now, where future development is going to mean that you can't get up to the forest or to the trails that you like to use.”
An altered mountain face:How wildfires are changing the Santa Catalina Mountains
Clara Migoya covers environment issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can support environmental journalism in Arizona by subscribing to azcentral today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2023/06/22/new-funds-and-15-yr-plan-for-tucsons-popular-outdoor-recreation-area/70327619007/ | 2023-06-22T14:16:08 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2023/06/22/new-funds-and-15-yr-plan-for-tucsons-popular-outdoor-recreation-area/70327619007/ |
His parents didn't graduate, but he's headed to an Ivy. What made a difference for him
Rodrigo Guizar Jr. is the son of Mexican-American parents who didn't graduate from high school.
In September, the 18-year-old will head to Columbia University to study civil engineering with a full-ride scholarship. He graduated in May from Cibola High School in Yuma with a nearly 4.7 grade point average.
Rodrigo will join his older sister, Esperanza, 19, who is already a student at Columbia studying psychology and public health. That will make two young adults from the same working-class Latino family studying at the Ivy League university in New York City as first-generation college students.
It would be easy to portray Rodrigo as an exception considering Latino students in Arizona overall enroll in college at lower rates than white students, let alone make it to the most prestigious universities.
But Rodrigo is an example of the often untapped academic potential of the state's large number of Latino students, who make up nearly 50% of the state's K-12 student population, and therefore represent a significant share of the state's future workforce, experts say.
"Rodrigo is not the exception, in my mind. Rodrigo is an example of the potential of Arizona as a state," said Paul Luna, president and CEO of Helios Education Foundation, which works to increase educational opportunity.
All students face obstacles getting into college, Luna said. But students from lower-income families with a parent or parents who have not attended college often face added hurdles that can be overcome with support, he said.
"I think what you are seeing in Rodrigo is an example of students who have additional challenges and barriers that not every student has," Luna said. "But when given the same opportunity to succeed" they can overcome those barriers and challenges.
Rodrigo's mother, Imelda, is a Mexican immigrant from Mexicali, a border city across from Calexico, California. She only attended school through middle school. She now works as a food production worker making tortillas. Rodrigo's father, Rodrigo Sr., is from Calexico. He left high school before graduating but later earned his general education diploma. He works as a carpenter.
Rodrigo said his parents wanted their children to have more opportunities in life than they did. They instilled a passion for learning and doing well in school despite their own lack of education, he said.
"They stressed the importance of education and pursuing the opportunities you get," Rodrigo said.
He and his sister also received critical guidance through College Knowing and Going. The program helps schools develop a culture of attending college. It also guides students like Rodrigo through the complicated college application process. The statewide program is run by Education Forward Arizona with funding from Helios.
Rodrigo was selected as a College Knowing and Going "ambassador" his senior year. He received a $2,000 college scholarship and training on how to write an effective college essay, apply for college scholarships and complete the federal student aid application, known as FAFSA, a requirement for determining whether college students qualify for financial aid.
In exchange, Rodrigo agreed to spread the information he learned to other students. He was required to help 10 students apply for college, 10 students apply for scholarships and 10 students complete a FAFSA form.
Students often feel intimidated asking teachers and counselors for help applying for college, and feel more comfortable asking a peer for assistance, said Ramona Lore, who coordinates the College Knowing and Going program at high schools in the Yuma area, including Cibola High School, where Rodrigo attended.
"They don't want to feel like they don't know. So when they have that peer like Rodrigo who is going through the process, who is giving them the tools, then we have students coming to him and asking him for those resources," Lore said.
Cibola is one of 30 high schools in Arizona participating in the College Knowing and Going program. Helios has invested more than $9 million into the program since 2015.
The program began as an initiative to get more low-income high school students to take the ACT, a college admissions test, to boost the number of students from working-class families attending college, said Rich Nickel, the president and CEO of Education Forward Arizona which now administers the program.
Greater chances for debt-free education:Arizona universities still implementing system to provide state financial aid to 'Dreamers'
The program has since expanded to work with schools that serve lower-income communities to develop a culture that encourages more students to pursue college and other post-secondary education after graduation, Nickel said. That culture includes offering a rigorous curriculum, including advanced placement courses, he said.
"What we are doing now is building teams in high schools across the state, mostly focused on lower-income communities, to help them think about what a great college-going culture looks like in their high school and what are some practices and programs they can implement and institutionalize to help more of their students gain access to post-secondary education in whatever form they desire," Nickel said.
In 2016, dozens of Arizona institutions and groups, backed by then-Gov. Doug Ducey, set an ambitious goal: 60% of the state's working adults between 25 and 64 would have a post-secondary degree or credential by 2030 to provide educated workers to companies and ensure the state's economic success. At the time, the rate was 43%, according to Education Forward Arizona's data.
Currently, 48% of the state's working-age population has a post-secondary degree or credential. To reach the goal, the state needs 500,000 more people to attain a post-secondary degree or certificate. That will be impossible without increasing the number of Latino students who earn post-secondary degrees, considering they make up nearly 50% of Arizona's K-12 student population, Nickel said.
In Yuma, where 60% of the population is Latino, compared to about 32% statewide, efforts to boost the number of high school graduates who pursue post-secondary education appear to be showing results. About 53% of Latino students in Yuma enrolled in post-secondary education in 2021, which is consistent with the county's overall share of students regardless of race or ethnicity going on to pursue more education.
COVID took away years of learning:Here's what 11 Arizona graduates have to say looking back
But statewide, Latino students lag behind their white peers in postsecondary enrollment. More than half of white students across Arizona — 52.7% in 2021, according to Education Forward Arizona data — enrolled in postsecondary opportunities after high school, compared to 41.3% of Latino students.
Rodrigo said he was in fourth grade when he realized he was less fortunate than other students at his school. The school he attended asked parents to volunteer about 30 hours per year or donate $10 per volunteer hour they missed. But his parents had a hard time volunteering because they both worked long hours just to make ends meet. And they couldn't afford to donate the $300 for the volunteer time they missed.
The experience motivated him to work harder in school, Rodrigo said.
"At that point forward I was more inspired to pursue education so that money would never be an issue again and I could pursue what makes me happy," Rodrigo said.
In high school, Rodrigo took 13 AP courses and six dual enrollment classes, to earn college credit while in high school, which helped push his GPA above 4.0. He also worked at the school bookstore for about 15 hours a week.
During his sophomore year, Rodrigo participated in the National Summer Transportation Institute at Arizona State University. The one-week program funded by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and the Arizona Department of Transportation inspired Rodrigo to study civil engineering with an emphasis on hydrology.
Visiting his grandparents in Baja California, Mexico, he saw how they lacked access to clean water. At Columbia, he plans to participate in the Engineers Without Borders program to work on water projects in developing countries. After graduation, he plans to return to Yuma, a major agricultural center, to work on sustainable water projects to combat the Colorado River crisis.
"Agriculture has employed many generations of my family, and I want to keep that option open for many more generations to come," Rodrigo said.
Daniel Gonzalez covers race, equity and opportunity. Reach him at daniel.gonzalez@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8312. Follow him on Twitter @azdangonzalez. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/22/first-generation-latino-student-going-to-columbia-university/70306821007/ | 2023-06-22T14:16:14 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/22/first-generation-latino-student-going-to-columbia-university/70306821007/ |
Hundreds tour new Yavapai County jail in Prescott offering on-site mental health support
PRESCOTT — Hundreds of Yavapai County residents showed up in droves to the grand opening of the Yavapai County Justice Center in Prescott last week where they could tour the new 98,000-square-foot facility.
“This is a symbol of community security, it's a symbol of public safety,” said Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes.
The new Justice Center will handle bookings for all arrests in western Yavapai County and hold pretrial detainees for a maximum of 14 days before they are either released using on-site reentry services or transferred to the Camp Verde Detention Center.
The new facility also includes a full-service Superior Court, alongside offices for the county attorney, public defender and probation.
The jail is unique in that there will be permanent behavioral health support on site in the connection center provided by Polara Health to help address some of the root causes of many low-level crimes, including mental illness and substance use.
“With the opening of the connection center, we’re taking a giant leap forward in fulfilling our commitment of serving our community in a holistic and inclusive manner,” Tamara Player of Polara said during the opening.
“By treating each person with dignity, respect and fairness, we can help them regain their lives, rediscover their worth and rebuild their future,” Player said.
Additionally, the county's "Reach Out" program is in place to connect recently released people to mental health and medical treatment providers, in addition to employment and transportation assistance.
"By recognizing what is driving that behavior, connecting people to services and compelling them to stay engaged through accountability practices involving the court, we’re going to lower recidivism,” Rhodes said. “In fact, we already have.”
County leaders have long expressed a need for a new jail
The new facility took nearly three years to build and cost $65 million, funded by the jail district quarter-cent tax in addition to property tax. The jail is free to use for all agencies in Yavapai County, other than tribal law enforcement, who do not pay the county property tax.
Prescott resident James Berney has personal experience working on the construction of a jail in California and determined the new jail is "pretty impressive."
“This is a whole different side of justice,” Berney said, referring to all of the programs and services offered at the single site.
The new location replaces the old jail in downtown Prescott that closed in 2009 after multiple U.S. Department of Justice reports noted unsafe conditions and overcrowding at the site.
The facility is the second jail serving Yavapai County, alongside the Camp Verde Detention Center, which was built in 2004 and has 600 beds. Like the new jail, it is also co-located with Superior Courts and provides reentry services.
Stretching back years, law enforcement leaders have reported the jail has been consistently at or over capacity in peak months since at least 2013.
This has only been exacerbated by the explosive population growth across the county and state within the last decade.
As the local population has continued to grow rapidly over the last decade, Prescott resident Kirk Storms said the city's need for a new jail increased along with it.
“They had to do this," Storms said.
And while just building more room to house inmates would solve the issue of overcrowding, it wouldn't attempt to address and resolve the impetus for crime in the first place, which is where the auxiliary services come into play.
“It's more than just jailing them, it's getting them resources so they don’t come back,” Storms said.
Verde Valley talks:Yavapai County sheriff talks flooding response, fentanyl, staffing in town halls
New jail will better serve community needs, eliminate unnecessary travel for law enforcement
An independent consultant conducted a study of the county’s detention system between 2015 and 2016, known as the Chinn Report, and concluded that 65% of all arrests occurred in the Prescott/Quad Cities area.
There were 7,090 bookings in 2022, according to the Sheriff's Office, 65% of which were in western Yavapai County. Despite being arrested in or around Prescott, law enforcement would have to transfer many individuals to Camp Verde in order to detain them and move forward with their cases.
After spending a career working with telecommunications systems for detention centers, Doug Omata was impressed by the "state of the art" facility after completing the tour and took note of its location in the county. While working locally, Omata saw firsthand the hassle that came with having to shuttle inmates to and from Camp Verde.
“They’ll get better use of the personnel here,” Omata said.
The Chinn Report determined that having to transport inmates between Prescott and Camp Verde costs $2 million a year, while it simultaneously creates a major security risk for citizens of the county as officers are out of service for the hours it takes to travel back and forth.
The report recommended that the county implement programs to reduce jail populations and strengthen efficiency within the system, including developing pretrial and post-arrest diversion programs, expanding specialty courts and offering inmate assistance programs.
With the creation of the new jail in Prescott and other programs throughout the county, local law enforcement has taken steps toward meeting all of those recommendations.
“Reducing recidivism increases public safety, it increases positive outcomes for the community, positive outcomes for those people who have broken the law and positive outcomes for their families,” Rhodes said. “And that is what the intent is behind this facility."
Reach the reporter at LLatch@gannett.com.
The Republic’s coverage of northern Arizona is funded, in part, with grants from Vitalyst Health Foundation and Report from America. To support regional Arizona news coverage like this, make a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/22/yavapai-county-jail-opens-in-prescott-includes-mental-health-support/70339964007/ | 2023-06-22T14:16:20 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/22/yavapai-county-jail-opens-in-prescott-includes-mental-health-support/70339964007/ |
Developers and Gilbert residents compromise on controversial rezoning request
Following months of delays and residential pushback, the Gilbert Town Council approved developers' request Tuesday to rezone a nearly 310-acre property along Power and Elliot roads.
The controversial project The Ranch went through several iterations, after the council pushed the developers to go back to the table in November to come up with a plan that would satisfy council members and residents.
After numerous neighborhood meetings and one-on-one conversations with residents in the Morrison Ranch master-planned community, residents seemingly came together before the Town Council to voice their support for the plan. It was a striking difference from November, when more than 1,000 residents voiced their opposition to it.
This time, nearly half a dozen residents spoke in support of the project, and another 40 residents submitted online comments in support on Tuesday.
Many residents said they felt they had come to a good compromise and urged the council to ensure the project would be developed how it is planned.
Kevin Marvin told council members this plan was a compromise but also a “win-win” for both residents and developers.
“I hope we are figuring a way to use this as a model for the future, so it doesn’t take heroic efforts” to find a solution, he said.
The rezoning request was passed 6-1 with Councilmember Bobbi Buchli the dissenting vote.
Working together:Gilbert's The Ranch developers meet with residents on revised plans
Changes to project
The developers significantly changed the vision for the project, scaling down the industrial land use from 93% to 71%. They also increased the commercial use from 7% to 12%.
Within that, the biggest concessions to the community were to better buffer the light industrial buildings from the residential neighborhoods and to address traffic concerns.
The project will also restrict different types of businesses from locating at The Ranch, including, but not limited to:
- Battery manufacturing facilities.
- Toxic waste incineration facilities and storage sites.
- Marijuana cultivation or dispensaries.
The project will also bring in 39 acres of multifamily home development, which was not a part of the 2022 plan.
The Ranch will be built in three phases, with the commercial and multifamily portions in phase one and the light industrial portion in phases two and three.
Developers also committed $20 million to off-site improvements that include streets and landscaping.
Gilbert resident Sarah Strazza said she looked forward to becoming a patron of the anticipated retail and dining options at The Ranch and thanked the developers for making concessions that were “tremendously meaningful for the community.”
“My biggest hope, being a dedicated part of this process, was to unite all of us as a community to make changes that lead to prosperity and meaningful growth for all parties involved,” she said.
Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa/Gilbert and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on Twitter @maritzacdom. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/gilbert/2023/06/22/gilbert-council-approves-controversial-rezoning-project/70343519007/ | 2023-06-22T14:16:26 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/gilbert/2023/06/22/gilbert-council-approves-controversial-rezoning-project/70343519007/ |
This weekend in Bloomington: summer solstice, Lemonade Day and art everywhere
Townie summer started as soon as Indiana University's graduation ceremonies were over, but the official start of summer was just this week. Celebrate the longest day of the year (a couple days late) at Switchyard Park, support young entrepreneurs by drinking some lemonade and check out what local and national makers have created at the Arts Fair on the Square. Oh, and the Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show is this weekend. Sorry about getting the date wrong last week.
Sunny summer solstice at Switchyard
It’s officially summer! Come celebrate the solstice this Saturday, June 24, at the Switchyard Park Pavilion Lawn. Catch some rays with your family in the park from 1-4 p.m. There will be sun-themed games and arts and crafts, and it’s free for everyone. For more information, or to register as a volunteer, head to https://bloomington.in.gov/parks/events/summer-solstice.
Sweet and sour: It's Lemonade Day
Squeeze every drop of fun out of this weekend with Saturday’s Lemonade Day Monroe County. Whether you want to help your kids host their own lemonade stand, or sample the lemony goodness across town, you can be part of the celebration. The organization’s mission is to help youth become involved in their communities and learn about entrepreneurship. So far, there are nearly 50 locations registered for Saturday’s event. Find Bloomington sweet spots or register your own stand at https://lemonadeday.org/monroe-county.
Crack up with Shanda Sung
Laugh out loud Friday and Saturday at The Comedy Attic with local stand-up comedian Shanda Sung as she tapes her first special. Sung’s work gives audiences a glimpse into motherhood, womanhood and the absurdities of human life. There are shows at 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. both nights. Student tickets are $15, and general admission is $18.
It rocks! Annual Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show
If you like gems, fossils, jewelry — if you’re a fan of any and all things shiny — visit the Annual Gem, Mineral and Fossil Show this weekend, June 23-25 at the Lawrence County Fairgrounds. There will be food, too, and a variety of minerals and jeweler tools for sale. Proceeds benefit scholarships. Swing by Friday from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., or Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Food and spirits from across the country
Indulge in flavors from across the country this Saturday in Brown County during the first-ever Hard Truth Food and Spirits Festival. Five regions of the U.S. will be represented with food, desserts and cocktails, sponsored by Hard Truth Distilling Co. Buying a $20 ticket gets you a swag bag including sunglasses and a “passport” that earns stamps with each food or drink purchase. The day lasts from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Hard Truth Hills, 418 Old State Road 46, Nashville, IN 47448.
Get creative at the Arts Fair on the Square
Fine art and crafts will be showcased Saturday during the Arts Fair on the Square. This annual event has drawn crowds to the Monroe County Courthouse square for over 40 years. The juried art show will feature local and national creatives. You can meet artists, purchase art or browse the booths for inspiration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Puppet performances: Ventriloquism at the Tivoli
If you feel like staying indoors this weekend, head to Spencer’s Tivoli Theatre for the International Ventriloquism and Arts Festival. The three-day event, coined VentFest is the first of its kind in Owen County. It will feature renowned ventriloquists, like Landon Harvey and Jay Johnson, and tickets can be purchased at ventfest.org. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $10-$25.
Dreams, Landslides and Silver Springs at The Bluebird
Rumor has it Fleetwood Mac is back. Tribute band Back 2 Mac will harness the iconic sounds of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham Friday at 9 p.m. at The Bluebird. Anyone over 21 can purchase tickets ahead of time and flock to the nightclub to revisit the sounds of the ‘70s. Doors open at 8, and tickets are about $20 apiece.
Find your muse and perform at Morgenstern Books
Slow Sunday afternoons spent reading and listening to poetry, sharing your work and finding like-minded writers — sound like your cup of tea? Lounge at Morgenstern Books for the Last Sunday Poetry Reading & Open Mic on June 25 from 3-4 p.m. The event is presented by the Writers Guild at Bloomington, and it’ll feature writers C. S. Matthews and Bree Jo’ann Flannelly. Poets of all experience levels can sign up for the open mic.
Comics and creation, all day long
Eight hours of celebrating comics and manga. A challenge to start and finish a piece of art in one day. Monday at the Monroe County Public Library, comic fans age 7 and up can attend the program, which is in partnership with Vintage Phoenix Comic Books. Snacks, lunch and art supplies will be provided. Feel free to stay from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., or just hang out for an hour or two. More information at https://mcpl.info/. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/06/22/summers-here-things-to-do-this-weekend-in-bloomington-in/70337208007/ | 2023-06-22T14:27:16 | 0 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/06/22/summers-here-things-to-do-this-weekend-in-bloomington-in/70337208007/ |
Two-way streets, two-way bike lanes, roundabout: See the Walnut/College designs
Minor sidewalk repairs or major construction project? The city of Bloomington is weighing vastly different options for one-way streets College Avenue and Walnut Street.
Here's what we know about the proposals and how you can make your voice heard:
Where is the College/Walnut corridor?
The corridor is a roughly 2.2-mile stretch of College Avenue and Walnut Street from the Ind. 45/46 Bypass to Allen Street.
What along the College/Walnut corridor is the city examining?
Everything from the streets and sidewalks to trees, bike paths, pedestrian walkways, bus stops, outdoor seating space, merchandising space, parking and delivery areas.
Why is the city studying the College/Walnut corridor?
The city’s Transportation Plan, adopted in 2019 by the Bloomington City Council, identified the need for a corridor study. The goal is to make sure the city's public spaces can be used efficiently and effectively by a range of residents.
The major problems with the corridor the city has identified include missing sidewalks, bus stops lacking shelter, and a lack of physical separation between cars and pedestrians/cyclists, which increases the danger for non-motorized traffic participants.
What are possible solutions to the College/Walnut corridor problems?
The city’s consultant, Toole Design Group, last week presented potential options to redesign the streets, but company and city officials emphasized they are still gathering input and one of the options is to not make any changes, except adding sidewalks where they are missing and ramps for accessibility.
Affordable housing this year:The what, where and how of Bloomington's new land trust neighborhood
Other options, however, would involve large and costly construction and would include adding trees, bike lanes on one or both sides of the roads and making both roads two-way streets. Changes would not look uniform across the entire corridor and likely would be different downtown compared to the corridor's northern and southern ends.
What the downtown corridor looks like today:
How it might look with a new separated bike lane:
How it might look with a two-way bike lane and two-way traffic.
The city's consultant also suggested adding a roundabout at the corridor's northern end.
The entry as it exists now:
A possible redesign:
How much would the College/Walnut projects cost? Who would pay?
City officials said how much any project would cost is unclear at this point, and they hope to secure federal funding to pay for the bulk of construction.
When would the College/Walnut projects be started/completed?
Beth Rosenbarger, assistant director of the city’s planning and transportation department, said physical changes are at least two years away, though that depends a bit on how significant the changes will be. Rosenbarger said she hopes the community narrows the current proposals down to two in the fall and to one by year's end.
How can you provide input on the College/Walnut proposals?
Visit the corridor study website and sign up for emails to receive updates and opportunities for input: bloomington.in.gov/transportation/plan.
Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/bloomington-considers-updates-to-collegewalnut-corridor/70329667007/ | 2023-06-22T14:27:22 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/bloomington-considers-updates-to-collegewalnut-corridor/70329667007/ |
The what, where and how of Bloomington's new land trust neighborhood
Bloomington's land trust will have a neighborhood of affordable houses under construction by the end of this year, said the city’s director of real estate development in an information session last week.
The Summit Hill Community Land Trust will use a shared-equity model to provide housing to low- and middle-income families in Bloomington. Construction has not yet begun, but a ribbon-cutting ceremony is expected in August, according to Nathan Ferreira, director of real estate development.
Where will Bloomington's land trust neighborhood be?
The neighborhood will be built on 40 lots in an area between Interstate 69, Arlington Road and West 17th Street. It is tentatively called Arlington Park. The Summit Hill Community Development Corporation is a non-profit division of the Bloomington Housing Authority.
What is a land trust?
A land trust splits up the ownership of a home and the land it is built upon.
Buyers can purchase houses for less because the community land trust retains ownership of the land itself. This subtracts both land and infrastructure costs from the buyer’s responsibility, which can eliminate up to 25% of the purchase price, Ferreira said.
He described a growing affordability gap in the housing market.
"As we all know, in Bloomington, the cost of housing rises faster than our incomes do.”
Here are a few things to expect when purchasing a house under the land trust:
- The agreements are long-term, renewable and inheritable.
- Loans will be available to finance improvements.
- Owners pay a monthly stewardship fee, which is like an HOA fee, but less expensive.
Each owners' mortgage payment will depend on their monthly take-home pay. Payments won't exceed 30% of monthly take-home, Ferreira said. The land trust will provide subsidies to help buyers get approved if their take-home does not meet the appraised value. Down payment assistance will also be provided as needed.
Where will the subsidies come from?
Arlington Park contains 45 lots, but only 40 of these will be used to build land trust homes. The remaining five will be sold to developers like Clear Creek Homes to build market-rate homes. The gains from market-rate sales will be used to create cash subsidies to make land trust houses more affordable, Ferreira said.
People who exceed income qualifications for land trust homeownership but still want to live in Arlington Park, can purchase a market-rate home in the neighborhood directly from Clear Creek.
Do I qualify?
You might be eligible for shared equity homeownership if you’re a Monroe County resident who qualifies for a mortgage and meets income guidelines. For example, according to the 2023 annual income guidelines, a family of three with an annual income from $40,650 to $81,300 could qualify for this program.
You’ll also have to take two Saturdays of free classes from the City of Bloomington’s Home Buyers Club education course.
About the future Arlington Park neighborhood: houses, restrictions and community impact
Summit Hill is partnering with Clear Creek Homes, which uses modular building to manufacture homes quickly and inexpensively, said Clear Creek representative Charlie Webb. This means that the houses are partly assembled in factories.
They will first build four model homes, each a single story with two to five bedrooms, Webb said. After that, the rest of the houses will be built according to applicants' family size. It takes about eight weeks to prepare the home, another eight to 10 for the home to arrive, and then 30 days to complete it, Ferreira said.
Though he estimates it will take three years to run out of space at Arlington Park, Ferreira said he hopes to have the first houses built and occupied by the end of this year. The area can fit about 40 land-trust homes, but could house more people if some of the houses are made into duplexes, Ferreira said.
Can owners sell a land trust home?
If owners want to resell the home, the land trust allows for that. Buyers must meet income qualifications, take the homebuyers course and be approved by the land trust. Sellers will owe their remaining mortgage, depending on how long they lived in the house and how much they paid per month. The home’s appreciation, or its increase in value since the original purchase, will be split between the seller and the land trust.
The difference between this model and the typical selling process is that when a market-rate homeowner sells their home, they keep all of the appreciation.
“The trade-off is that we’re keeping it affordable for tomorrow’s buyer,” Ferreira said.
And the community, too, benefits, according to Ferreira. The land trust preserves affordable access to homes and recycles public subsidies. Because Summit Hill owns the land, it’ll be kept off the speculative market, mitigating gentrification, Ferreira said.
Where can I find out more about Bloomington's land trust development?
You can follow the Summit Hill Community Development Corporation on Facebook to stay updated. Applications for the new housing will be available in the next few weeks. Request one by email at info@schdc.org. | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/bloomington-in-will-develop-land-trust-neighborhood-this-year/70324978007/ | 2023-06-22T14:27:28 | 1 | https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/bloomington-in-will-develop-land-trust-neighborhood-this-year/70324978007/ |
Sampson Road between Paulding Road and Lincoln Highway will be closed Monday, according to the Allen County Highway Department.
A road crew will be working in the area and should finish June 30.
For more information, call 260-449-7369.
Sampson Road between Paulding Road and Lincoln Highway will be closed Monday, according to the Allen County Highway Department.
A road crew will be working in the area and should finish June 30.
For more information, call 260-449-7369. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/sampson-road-closure/article_ec99cbd8-1101-11ee-bd96-3781b8da6903.html | 2023-06-22T14:41:52 | 1 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/sampson-road-closure/article_ec99cbd8-1101-11ee-bd96-3781b8da6903.html |
A jury in Richmond convicted two men Wednesday for their roles in a drive-by shooting that killed a 15-year-old girl last September.
Tynashia "Nae" Humphrey was not the target of the shooting. She was walking from her grandmother's home in the Gilpin Court neighborhood to the store shortly before 7:30 p.m. that evening when she was struck by a stray bullet.
Police responding to the 900 block of North First Street found Humphrey unresponsive on the sidewalk. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Friends and family described Humphrey, an Armstrong High School freshman at the time, as someone who loved to draw and had "the voice of an angel ."
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After a four-day trial, the jury deliberated for more than nine hours over two days before finding Tyree Coley, 21, of Richmond, and Savonne Henderson, 24, of Henrico County, guilty on six charges: first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, discharging a firearm in a public place, shooting from a vehicle and two counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Three other Richmond residents face the same charges: Rarmil Coley Pettiford, 26; Rashard Jackson, 22; and Mitchell Hudson, 20. Court records indicate that all three are scheduled to appear in Richmond City Circuit Court on July 5.
Sentencing hearings for Coley and Henderson will be held Sept. 18.
PHOTOS: Rally for Tynashia Humphrey
A memorial for 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey, who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, stands across the street from Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church, not far from where Tynashia was killed, on September 18, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
The family of Tynashia “Nae” Humphrey, 15, who was killed on Sept. 12, joined community members, victims’ families and local politicians in a march from Greater Mt. Moriah Baptist Church to the John Marshall Courts Building on Sunday.
Eva Russo/times-dispatch/
Karen Cheatham, grandmother of 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, marches from Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church to the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority CEO Steven Nesmith chanted “Stop the killing. Save our children” with others supporting the family of Tynashia “Nae” Humphrey, who was killed in the Gilpin Court area while walking to the store on Sept. 12.
photos by Eva Russo/times-dispatch
Community members, families of other victims, and local politicians joined the family of 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey, who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, as they marched from Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church to the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
A woman marched along Leigh Street with other community members, victims’ families and local politicians on Sunday as they honored Humphrey, who was in ninth grade at Armstrong High School.
Eva Russo
Community members, families of other victims, and local politicians joined the family of 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey, who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, as they marched from Greater Mount Moriah Baptist Church to the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022. Here, drivers show their support as the group blocks Leigh Street during their march. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Richmond City Council member Ann-Frances Lambert (left) speaks during a rally in front of the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022 for15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey, who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Tyrone Humphrey, the father of the 15-year-old girl, was comforted by Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith in front of the John Marshall Courts Building on Sunday.
Eva Russo
Tyrone Humphrey, father of 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, is comforted by Richmond police chief Gerald Smith and Keonia Dickerson, Tynashia's step-mother, during a rally in front of the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Tyrone Humphrey, father of 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, is comforted by Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith during a rally in front of the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022. Present were also Tynashia's grandmother Karen Cheatham (left) holding her sister Tyanna Humphrey, 1, and her step-mother, Keonia Dickerson (right). EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Karen Cheatham, grandmother of 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, takes part in a rally in front of the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022. She is seen holding Tynashia's sister, Tyanna Humphrey, 1, and nearby are Tyrone Humphrey, Tynashia's father, Richmond Police Chief Gerald Smith, and Tynashia's step-mother, Keonia Dickerson (right). EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
During a rally outside the John Marshall Courts Building on Sept. 18, Police Chief Gerald Smith vowed to find those responsible for killing Tynashia “Nae” Humphrey.
Eva Russo/times-dispatch
Del. Delores McQuinn speaks at a rally in front of the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022 for 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey, who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Community members, families of other victims, and local politicians pray over Tyrone Humphrey, father of 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey, who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, during a rally in front of the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Tyrone Humphrey, father of 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, takes part in a rally in front of the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo
Men gather around to support Tyrone Humphrey, father of 15-year-old Tynashia Humphrey who was killed while walking to the store in the Gilpin Court neighborhood on September 12, during a rally in front of the John Marshall Court Building in Richmond, Va. on September 18, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH
Eva Russo | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-courts/tynashia-humphrey-shooting-tyree-coley-savonne-henderson-convicted/article_174ab930-10f5-11ee-ac8a-b7e5b148b71e.html | 2023-06-22T14:44:01 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-courts/tynashia-humphrey-shooting-tyree-coley-savonne-henderson-convicted/article_174ab930-10f5-11ee-ac8a-b7e5b148b71e.html |
All eastbound traffic on Interstate 64 was halted Thursday morning after a tractor-trailer jackknifed and caught fire in Newport News.
Virginia State Police troopers were called to I-64 near the Jefferson Avenue exit around 7:30 a.m. Thursday. Newport News Fire and Rescue also responded to the scene.
Police say that the tractor-trailer overturned in a crash that caused its fuel tank to ignite.
Lanes started to reopen around 9 a.m., but delays stretched as far as five miles, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation.
This morning's top headlines: Thursday, June 22
Evan Gershkovich detention; Titanic sub update; NBA Draft preview; and more morning headlines.
A Moscow court on Thursday upheld an earlier ruling to keep Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerhskovich in jail on espionage charges until late August, rejecting the American journalist’s appeal. The 31-year-old U.S. citizen was arrested in late March while on a reporting trip. A Moscow court agreed last month to keep him in custody until Aug. 30. Defense lawyers challenged the decision, but the Moscow City Court rejected the appeal on Thursday. Gershkovich and his employer have denied he spied in Russia. The U.S. government has declared him to be wrongfully detained and demanded his immediate release.
The search for the missing submersible on an expedition to view the wreckage of the Titanic neared the critical 96-hour mark Thursday when breathable air is expected to run out.
India's Modi is getting a state visit with Biden, but the glitz is shadowed by human rights concerns
President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are marking the state visit of the Indian leader by announcing several major deals between the two countries. Biden and Modi on Thursday are launching new partnerships in defense, semiconductor manufacturing and other sectors. The leaders of the world’s two biggest democracies are looking to strengthen the crucial but complicated relationship between their countries. But as Biden celebrates Modi, human rights advocates and some U.S. lawmakers are questioning the decision to offer the high honor to a leader whose nine-year tenure has been marked by a backslide in political, religious and press freedoms.
A line of severe storms produced what a meteorologist calls a rare combination of multiple tornadoes, hurricane-force winds and softball-sized hail in west Texas. At least four people were killed and there's significant damage around the small town of Matador. Search and rescue efforts continue Thursday even though all locals are accounted for to make sure no one passing through town is missing. National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Ziebell says the supercell developed about 8 p.m. Wednesday near Amarillo and later produced 109 mph winds at Jayton in addition to hail at least 4-inches wide.
China's president has ordered a national safety campaign after a massive cooking gas explosion at a barbecue restaurant in the northwest killed 31 people and injured seven others on the eve of a long holiday weekend. State media say the blast tore through the restaurant Wednesday evening in the capital of the traditionally Muslim Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. President Xi Jinping demanded urgent treatment for the injured and a safety overhaul after the explosion. It happened on the eve of the Dragon Boat Festival, a national holiday devoted to eating rice dumplings and racing boats propelled by teams of paddlers. Industrial accidents occur regularly in China, usually because of poor oversight, corruption and lax safety practices.
The House has voted to censure California Rep. Adam Schiff for comments made several years ago about investigations into Donald Trump’s ties to Russia. The House on Wednesday rebuked the Democrat in a vote that fell along along party lines. The censure resolution says Schiff held positions of power during Trump’s presidency and “abused this trust by saying there was evidence of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia.” Schiff was one of the most outspoken critics of the former president as both the Justice Department and the Republican-led House launched investigations into Trump’s ties to Russia in 2017. Schiff becomes the 25th House lawmaker to be censured.
A surprise effort by hard-right House Republicans to impeach President Joe Biden has been sidelined for now. But the ability of GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert to force the issue demonstrates the challenge Speaker Kevin McCarthy faces in controlling his own Republican majority. Conservatives are lining up other such votes — to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, among others. It’s all part of the right flank’s broader effort to steer control of the House away from the traditional centers of power, including the speaker’s office. For now, McCarthy negotiated a deal with Boebert, the Colorado Republican, to send the Biden impeachment resolution to committees for review. The House is expected to vote on the plan Thursday.
The Justice Department says it has begun turning over evidence to former President Donald Trump as his lawyers prepare a defense to charges that he illegally retained classified documents. The evidence includes transcripts of grand jury testimony taken in both Washington and Florida, copies of closed-circuit television footage obtained by the government and copies of interviews of Trump “conducted by non-government entities, which were recorded with his consent." The interviews include an audio-recorded 2021 meeting with a writer and publisher in which Trump, according to the indictment, showed and described a Pentagon “plan of attack” that he said was prepared for him by the Defense Department.
A judge is about to consider whether to allow Wyoming’s first-in-the-nation ban on abortion pills to take effect or be put on hold pending the outcome of a lawsuit challenging it. While other states have instituted de facto bans on abortion-inducing medication by outlawing most abortions outright, Wyoming became the first state to ban abortion pills specifically. The new law is scheduled to take effect July 1. Two nonprofits, including an abortion clinic that opened in Casper in April, and four women have sued to challenge the abortion pill ban. Judge Melissa Owens, in Jackson, will hear arguments Thursday about whether to let the abortion pill ban take effect.
A federal judge has struck down Florida rules championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis restricting Medicaid coverage for transgender treatments. Judge Robert Hinkle wrote Wednesday that a health code rule and a new state law violate federal law. Hinkle said "gender identity is real" and treatments are backed by major medical associations. He accused the state of attacking funding of puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for biased political reasons. The ruling involved a lawsuit filed last year on behalf of two adults and two minors but advocacy groups say it could affect thousands. Florida is one of more than a dozen states that have newly restricted gender-affirming treatments — mainly for minors — even though they've been available in the United States for more than a decade.
Microsoft on Thursday will try to gain clearance to complete a $69 billion takeover of video game maker Activision Blizzard in a legal showdown with U.S. regulators that will reshape a pastime that’s bigger than the movie and music industries combined. The battle will pit Microsoft’s ambition to expand its video game imprint beyond its Xbox console against the U.S. Federal Trade Commission’s bid to block a deal that it contends will stifle competition and innovation. Both Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick are expected to testify at some point during five days of hearings scheduled in San Francisco.
Victor Wembanyama’s towering shadow has hung over this NBA draft for months, blocking much of what is usually part of the process. There has been no debate about who the San Antonio Spurs should take with the No. 1 pick on Thursday night. When a player like Wembanyama comes along — and maybe none ever has — there’s no real reason to drum up any drama. The Spurs are not going to pass up someone who is listed at 7-foot-4 but has the skills of a player much smaller. The 19-year-old from France has been called the best prospect since LeBron James came out of high school in 2003. | https://richmond.com/news/local/interstate-64-newport-news-tractor-trailer-crash/article_6c89f30e-10fd-11ee-a78f-4b4305d9abfe.html | 2023-06-22T14:44:07 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/interstate-64-newport-news-tractor-trailer-crash/article_6c89f30e-10fd-11ee-a78f-4b4305d9abfe.html |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Birmingham City Schools is hosting a summer hiring fair Thursday.
Their talent management recruitment coordinator, Charles Mickle, said it can be difficult at times to convince people education is the way to go, saying it’s challenging and ultimately a calling.
But Mickle says their schools need people who are dedicated, committed and educated to serve their students. There are multiple holes they need to fill in a wide variety of positions.
He said every position from teachers to custodians and bus drivers are crucial to providing the best education experience possible.
To help bridge the gap, he said they are offering competitive pay and benefits.
Mickle said some of their greatest needs are special education and fine arts teachers along with custodians and bus drivers.
“We’ll help you get your CDL, so that’s something and we are also offering bonuses for a lot of those different positions. $10,000 for education. $7,500 for ESL, foreign language, math and science. So, it’s a great opportunity,” said Mickle.
Brandon Davis is an assistant principal at Malachi Wilkerson Middle School. He said they believe in being ready day one, and that students need to see caring faces in every position.
Davis said he has always found that compassion here, from office staff, administration and teachers to district level leaders.
He said you can be anything you want to be in their schools because BCS offers you the opportunity to thrive.
Davis was brought up in this school system, so he said what makes his job worthwhile is doing what was done for him.
“I get an opportunity to give back and despite several opportunities when I first started teaching, I knew that I wanted to come to Birmingham City Schools so that I could give back to the community and the district that helped to raise me,” said Davis.
“What better way to make a difference than to serve the needs of the children who will predict the future and make this world a better place,” said Mickle.
Today’s hiring fair will take place at Parker High School from 4-8 p.m. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/birmingham-city-schools-to-host-hiring-fair-filling-positions-on-the-spot/ | 2023-06-22T14:44:23 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/birmingham-city-schools-to-host-hiring-fair-filling-positions-on-the-spot/ |
Some of the key decisions made in the aftermath of February’s fiery derailment of a Norfolk Southern train in eastern Ohio will be examined at a hearing Thursday.
The National Transportation Safety Board is holding a rare field hearing in East Palestine, Ohio, over the next two days. Thursday’s hearing will focus on the emergency response to the derailment and the crucial decision officials made days later to release the toxic vinyl chloride in five tank cars and burn it to keep those cars from exploding.
That decision sent a towering plume of black smoke over the town near the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and prompted the evacuation of about half of East Palestine’s 5,000 residents. Officials have defended that decision as the best option when faced with the prospect of an explosion that would have sent shrapnel into the town.
But residents have been left with many questions about possible lingering health effects even though state and federal officials say tests have shown the air and water in town remains safe.
The railroad has been working ever since the Feb. 3 derailment to dig up and remove contaminated soil and water from the derailment site. The Environmental Protection Agency and Ohio officials have been overseeing the cleanup.
Norfolk Southern has committed more than $62 million to helping the town recover. The railroad has said it expects the derailment to cost it nearly $400 million, although insurance will cover some of that and any other companies that are found responsible may have to contribute. But the total cost will likely increase over time as various lawsuits filed by states, the federal government and residents work their way through the courts.
The NTSB said in its preliminary report that an overheating bearing on one of the railcars likely caused the derailment, but it may take more than a year before the agency publishes its final report. The bearing started heating up miles before the derailment, according to sensors Norfolk Southern has along the tracks, but it didn’t get hot enough to trigger an alarm until just before the crash. The crew had little time to react.
The derailment, and several others since February, generated nationwide concern about railroad safety and prompted members of Congress to propose a package of reforms. Norfolk Southern’s CEO Alan Shaw was grilled at two different Senate hearings where he apologized for the derailment and promised to make things right in East Palestine.
All the Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability sent Shaw a letter that was released Thursday morning expressing frustration that his railroad has refused to produce documents they asked for related to the way it uses trackside detectors and some of the operating decisions Norfolk Southern has made in recent years as it slashed its workforce to reduce costs.
The railroad has followed the industry practice to rely more on running fewer, longer trains so it doesn’t need as many crews and locomotives. Rail unions have raised concerns about whether all the cuts have made railroads riskier, while executives have defended their approach.
Norfolk Southern’s lawyers told the congressional committee that the railroad couldn’t release the internal documents because of the ongoing NTSB investigation. Committee Democrats have rejected that explanation and said nothing about the NTSB probe should keep the committee from looking into the matter and the railroad knows that. So far, the railroad has provided only two small batches of documents that appear to be publicly available.
“We are profoundly troubled by Norfolk Southern’s illegitimate efforts to mislead Committee Democrats and use NTSB’s investigation as a shield to impede Congressional oversight,” the 21 Democrats wrote in their letter.
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates unveiled their City Connect uniform, which will be worn for the first time on June 27 as the Pirates take on the San Diego Padres at PNC Park.
The design of the Nike Pittsburgh Pirates City Connect Jersey takes elements from the city’s steel industry, its three rivers and the checkerboard found in Pittsburgh’s flag, and transforms them with a custom, geometric graphic across the top of the jersey, according to a release from the team.
The “PGH” chest graphic references the technical abbreviation of design/data systems of the future, features a structural font, and is arched similarly to the city’s bridges, according to the team. Each letter also contains a texture found on the Roberto Clemente Bridge. The iconic Pirates “P” on the sleeve sits on a generative image of a baseball.
Starting at 4:30 p.m. on June 27 before the game, there will be a Pirates City Connect Block Party on Federal Street with a live DJ, interactive games, food and drinks, and appearances by current Pirates players.
The Pirates are scheduled to wear the City Connect uniforms every Friday home game, excluding Clemente Day on Sept. 15.
For more information, visit pirates.com/CityConnect.
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PITTSBURGH — Wednesday was “Austin Martinelli Day” in Pittsburgh.
He’s the teenager raising money for kids with cancer who Channel 11 has been telling you about since 2017.
When he was 9, Austin heard about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital on the radio.
That’s when he decided he wanted to help kids who were sick, so he started organizing his first Wagon Walk.
Now, Austin is 16 and he just hosted his fifth and final Wagon Walk, raising a total of $35,000 for St. Jude over the years.
Wednesday, Pittsburgh city council recognized Austin for the inspiring work he’s been doing and gave him a proclamation, making it “Austin Martinelli Day” in Pittsburgh.
“When you hear something really amazing that’s sustainable and lasting like what Austin has been doing, you really want to highlight that and let people know that there’s great things happening with our young people,” said council President Theresa Kail-Smith.
Austin goes to Pittsburgh CAPA and will be a junior next year.
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Here is your Duluth News Tribune Minute podcast for Thursday, June 22, 2023.
The Duluth News Tribune Minute 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
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/thousands-left-without-power-in-navarro-and-ellis-counties-after-storms/3282378/ | 2023-06-22T14:50:06 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/thousands-left-without-power-in-navarro-and-ellis-counties-after-storms/3282378/ |
Surprise, severe thunderstorms Wednesday evening left a trail of damage and thousands without power in Navarro County.
A train derailed along Highway 31 and SE County Road 0080 in Powell, 9 miles east of Corsicana. Strong winds may have played a roll in the mess.
The Navarro County Office of Emergency Management said on Wednesday evening, radar data and damage inspections indicate there were straight line winds of more than 80 miles and hour at the time. Union Pacific is pointing to the winds as the cause too, but the National Weather Service has not yet confirmed.
Rail employees were at the site early in the morning, working to repair the tracks and overturn the 26 cars. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Most of Wednesday night’s storms impacted the Eastern part of the county. Hundreds of trees were split, downed, or fell into homes. Clean-up is expected to continue through the weekend. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/thousands-without-power-after-severe-storms-cause-major-damage-in-navarro-county/3282377/ | 2023-06-22T14:50:13 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/thousands-without-power-after-severe-storms-cause-major-damage-in-navarro-county/3282377/ |
Is the future of the City Park Pool in jeopardy? Architectural assessment will determine potential renovations
Structural issues have local officials concerned for the City Park Pool's future.
The local swimming hole will undergo a thorough study by architects this summer to determine whether the park's current structure can be repaired or if it needs to be completely replaced.
The 74-year-old pool hasn’t witnessed any major renovations in more than three-and-a-half decades and sports several key issues, including major leakage that caused the main pool to lose roughly 30,000 gallons of water per day last summer. According to a report presented to the Iowa City City Council on Tuesday, efforts to seal cracks and mitigate water loss were unsuccessful.
Swimmers have also been injured by pieces of the pool’s chipped fiberglass gutter, city staff told the council.
The council all voted to proceed with the assessment. Councilors will consider the results of the first phase of the restorative plan later this year, likely in September. They will then decide, based on recommendations from the architects, city staff and continued input from the public, how to move forward.
Renovations are expected to begin in 2025, likely closing the pool for the entire summer.
The Iowa City City Council recently considered pool renovations at a meeting in October.
What does the future of the city park pool look like?
Williams Architect Group, based out of Itasca, Illinois, will handle the project's first phase. The assessment will cost the city $99,590 and is estimated to collect data through July, the city’s recreation superintendent Brad Barker told the council on Tuesday.
Phase one is largely data-driven, he said, and would prioritize understanding what is wrong with the pool and whether or not it can be addressed without completely replacing the old pool. The findings would then be presented, alongside the raw data itself, to the council.
The actual process of repairs, renovations, or the construction of new facilities is targeted to begin after the 2024 season.
Data collection will include evaluations of the park’s current facilities, including compliance with building codes and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Williams Architects would also provide an estimate of repair costs.
If the council proceeds with a full redesign, phase two will begin, opening with a conceptual design phase and a community open house with the developer.
Councilor Andrew Dunn asked Barker about concerns he had heard from the community, particularly whether the developer would be incentivized and self-interested to recommend a full redesign for financial gain.
Barker said the developer’s recommendation and data would be presented to the city council where councilors could make a collective decision.
City staff will also review the recommendation, as is typical, and provide one of their own.
Residents voice support of longstanding pool
The council's pool discussion brought out more than 20 supporters Tuesday night, representing the local City Park Pool: Back to the Future advocacy group, which aims to maintain the legacy of the pool while also understanding the need for repairs.
Rick Spear said he’s been swimming laps in the pool since the 1980s. When he first started swimming recreationally, he would drive a bus full of kids to beaches and pools throughout Polk County as an employee of the YMCA. He supports the pool's restoration and believes the widespread availability of public swimming holes is vital to Iowans.
“Because we know in Iowa, the water quality of our freshwater is not what it used to be,” Spear told the council. “If I was driving that bus today, I don’t know if I’d be making the same stops. So having a safe, clean place to swim and recreate and just be a community is more important than ever.”
More:Seven Iowa City construction projects set for 2023 and 2024
Dennis Befeler said by his account that the pool draws in 20-30 swimmers daily in the mornings and around lunchtime. He also encouraged council members to stop by the pool and noted the timing of the council's opening declaration of July as Parks and Recreation Month.
“I would also say that if we’re going to repair this pool, which I believe is possible, we wouldn’t have to have to lose it for a season,” he told the council. “I think if we’re creative with the way we bid the work, in the off-season, things can be repaired.”
Is a temporary closure imminent?
Williams Architects projects a full closure of City Park Pool during the 2025 season.
Befeler said the project could mirror the upgrades to Kinnick Stadium’s north end zone, the bulk of which was finished during the spring and summer months of 2019. However, the pool’s off-season is largely in the colder months of fall, winter, and early spring.
Councilors said good faith from the developer and a good track record, as the Williams Architect group appears to have, are important reasons for the public to have confidence in the future of this project.
“[The pool] has been here a long time, and it does have a lot of history, and Iowa City’s full of history,” Councilor Pauline Taylor said. “I believe we need to honor that and I would hope that this company truly does believe that, about honoring the legacy.”
Mayor Bruce Teague encouraged Iowa City residents to envision the future of the pool as a place that welcomes its regular guests but also brings in a new crowd.
More:Englert Theatre debuts Track Zero concert series, featuring Kate Bollinger, Tennis and Emily Wells
“I’m going to put my trust and hope in that this community’s words have been loud and clear on what they’re hoping for, which is someone to really come in and, looking at this without their own agenda, giving us an honest opinion on what they see,” Teague said.
Councilor Megan Alter said the architect firm would risk damaging its reputation by manipulating the project against the will of the people.
“I think this has been a really fraught process up to now…” Alter said. “It’s been messy, it’s been painful at times, but I appreciate you continuing to reach out.”
Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached atrhansen@press-citizen.com or on Twitter @ryanhansen01. | https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2023/06/21/city-park-pool-architect-assessment-williams-architects-to-determine-future-of-the-pool/70339301007/ | 2023-06-22T14:54:10 | 1 | https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2023/06/21/city-park-pool-architect-assessment-williams-architects-to-determine-future-of-the-pool/70339301007/ |
Englert Theatre debuts Track Zero concert series, featuring Kate Bollinger, Tennis and Emily Wells
A young, alternative wave will blast through Iowa City this fall.
The Englert Theatre is preparing to host several artists “defining the next wave alternative music” through its newest concert series, Track Zero, which takes flight in September across a pair of local venues.
The event is the theater’s first new original series since 2014 and will kick off with a performance by Emily Wells on Sept. 20 at The James Theater. Wells is a multi-faceted chamber pop artist utilizing her violin, voice, and other instruments.
Track Zero aims to highlight up-and-coming artists, something Englert senior programming manager Brian Johannesen said the theater was missing.
“The Englert has a long, established history of presenting legendary artists,” Johannesen said to the Press-Citizen. “Track Zero gives us the opportunity to specifically highlight those young, exciting artists, and a home for those who seek their next favorite band.”
More:Here's what to expect at downtown Iowa City's sixth annual Block Party Saturday.
Englert programming coordinator Elly Hofmaier said the demand for new artists was evident last year when the theater sold out performances by Lucy Dacus and Indigo De Souza in February 2022.
The Theatre believes a strong, local stream of artists also helps anchor the new series, with Track Zero performances also held at Gabe's.
“Alongside that audience demand is a bopping local music scene that is more than ready for the opportunities that come with presenting a series like this," Hofmaier said. "Our goal with the series is to explore the sonic and cultural zeitgeists of the current generation.”
Kate Bollinger, Tennis highlight series lineup
Singer and songwriter Kate Bollinger will visit the Englert Theatre on Oct. 3. Bollinger has more than a million monthly listeners on Spotify and her 2022 EP, “Look at it in the Light,” features “Yards / Gardens,” her most popular song.
Indie-pop duo Tennis comes to town on Oct. 19. The pair are a husband-and-wife duo featuring Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley, who met in a college philosophy class at the University of Denver. Their latest album, “Pollen,” came out in February.
An R&B artist, Madison McFerrin will perform on Oct. 25 at Gabe’s. She has drawn praise from national media critics as well as R&B icon Questlove. She performed on Stephen Colbert’s #LateShowMeMusic series earlier this year before releasing her latest album, “I Hope You Can Forgive Me,” released in May.
Alternative artist Sen Morimoto will land on Nov. 11. He is a featured performer at next month's Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.
Minneapolis-based alt-pop musician and rapper Zora rounds out the artist list the theater has released. Her website says she takes inspiration from several sources, including Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Kendrick Lamar, and more. Her debut album, “Z1,” came out in 2021.
Additional artists will be added to the Track Zero lineup in the coming weeks, Englert Theatre wrote in a release. Tickets are available through the theater’s website. | https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2023/06/21/englert-theatres-track-zero-concert-series-tennis-music-kate-bollinger/70340419007/ | 2023-06-22T14:54:15 | 0 | https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/2023/06/21/englert-theatres-track-zero-concert-series-tennis-music-kate-bollinger/70340419007/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – North Pole Studio is a non-profit art studio on a mission to empower artists with autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities to pursue delf-determined lives and careers in the arts.
The studio serves artists of a variety of ages — offering an inclusive studio, workshops, art classes, exhibitions and other community activities.
The studio is also in the heart of Portland’s art scene at Northwest Marine Artworks — a venue featuring over 100 other artists.
“We are completely embedded in the Portland art scene, which is so important for our artist’s work to be seen and represented,” North Pole Studio Events and Marketing Director KT Poirer said.
Within the inclusive space, Founding Artist Davis Wohlford encourages fellow artists to keep pursuing their craft, adding, “art is the extract of our generosity.”
North Pole Studio will be participating in Northwest Marine Artwork’s open studios from July 8-9.
Watch the video above to learn more. | https://www.koin.com/local/art-studio-aims-to-empower-artists-with-autism-intellectual-disabilities/ | 2023-06-22T14:57:48 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/art-studio-aims-to-empower-artists-with-autism-intellectual-disabilities/ |
The Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, has announced that the Kenosha Public Library is the recipient of the 2023 ALSC/Candlewick Press Light the Way grant.
The library will receive $3,000 to expand its Family Night outreach program and to establish library collections at local emergency shelters.
The Light the Way grant, which honors National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature emerita and two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo, was first awarded in 2008. Although originally conceived as a one-time award, it has continued to be awarded through the generosity of Candlewick Press.
With the grant, the Kenosha Public Library will provide more Family Night boxes, with guided activities that encourage parent-child bonding as they explore, experiment, craft, and play. Residents at the emergency shelters in the program will also have access to in-residence library materials without navigating transportation issues or compromising their safety.
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Co-chairs Maren Ostergard and Stephie Luyt noted, “This project will enhance outreach programming for those experiencing homelessness and is a shining example of the spirit of this award. It is innovative, collaborative, and promotes family connection. It was a joy to select this recipient.”
"We are honored that ALSC’s Programs and Services Recognition Committee selected the Kenosha Public Library as the recipient of the 2023 Light the Way grant," said Megan Nigh, Teen Services librarian, and Heather Thompson, head of Youth and Family Services at Kenosha Public Library. "The generosity of Candlewick Press will allow us to expand existing partnerships with local shelters and increase access to library materials and services for families experiencing homelessness. We hope that this program can someday serve as a model for other public libraries around the country."
“We are incredibly honored to be able to support the Kenosha Public Library in this innovative and collaborative initiative through the Light the Way grant this year," said Sawako Shirota, manager of Library Marketing at Candlewick Press. "The Family Night box program provides an avenue for families in need to access books and ignite a lifelong passion for reading in their children, and the creation of in-shelter library collections greatly reduces physical and social barriers that families can face in accessing library materials. It is a privilege for us to play a part in these initiatives, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact that they will bring to the community.”
Candlewick Press is a children’s book publisher based in Somerville, Mass. For more than 30 years, Candlewick has published children’s books for readers of all ages, including books by award-winning authors and illustrators. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-public-library-receives-2023-alsc-candlewick-press-light-the-way-grant/article_1899ac34-0c53-11ee-850a-33094acfd306.html | 2023-06-22T15:02:29 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-public-library-receives-2023-alsc-candlewick-press-light-the-way-grant/article_1899ac34-0c53-11ee-850a-33094acfd306.html |
SCRANTON, Pa. — The owner of Kelly's Pub and Eatery on Cedar Avenue says someone got into the place sometime after closing up last night.
They were able to break their way in through the side door.
She says the thief swiped the cash register and ransacked the bar here in Scranton.
See news happening? Call our Newstip hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/thief-breakin-kellys-pub-and-eatery-overnight-wings/523-b996d67d-d516-4265-9b58-73db9cddc27d | 2023-06-22T15:04:20 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/thief-breakin-kellys-pub-and-eatery-overnight-wings/523-b996d67d-d516-4265-9b58-73db9cddc27d |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Frustrated by partisan polarization, two Democratic state senators are now affiliated with the Forward Party, founded by 2020 presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
State Sens. Anthony Wiliams (D-Philadelphia/Delaware) and Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh/Northampton) said they felt pressured by their caucus to always vote with the party, regardless of what they believed.
“I refuse to be bullied or intimidated by an ideology that frankly doesn’t represent the interests of my people. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or not,” Williams said.
The Forward Party is billed as a centrist alternative to the Democratic and Republican political parties.
More than half of Americans think the existing political parties “do such a poor job that a third major party is needed,” according to a Gallup poll.
“The Forward Party is here to provide those resources to legislators that want to take a stand for a better form of politics and get away from the ideological warfare that is unfortunately defining too much of our news today instead of solving the problems where we work and live,” Yang said.
The Forward Party is not legally recognized as a political party in Pennsylvania, though it is making efforts to get ballot access in the state.
For that reason, two state senators affiliating with the Forward Party will remain officially Democrats. The Forward Party in Pennsylvania will for now act more as an intra-party caucus, similar to the U.S. House Problem Solvers Caucus.
Forward Party organizers said their ultimate goal is to put forward party candidates on ballots across the country running officially with the party.
For now, though, they are dealing with the structural elements of America’s democracy that make it almost impossible for third parties to win elections. Historically third parties have failed throughout the history of U.S. elections.
U.S. democracy is based on a winner-takes-all system in which each political district gets one representative, and the representative with the most votes wins, even if they did not receive a majority of votes. Also called plurality voting, it disincentives smaller party candidates because they’re unlikely to win a plurality over the two major parties. In addition, voters may be wary of choosing the smaller party because each vote not made for one of the major parties gives a relative advantage to the other major party.
“Any time a third party is on the ballot there is concern from one of the two major parties closest to that third party that they’re just going to skim votes away from them and act as a spoiler,” said Stephen Medvic, professor of government at F&M College.
The U.S.’s majoritarian system of representation thus tends to favor a two-party system.
The Forward Party is calling for structural reforms that would make third party candidates more viable in U.S. elections, such as ranked choice voting and proportional representation. Both are widely used in other democracies around the world.
“We need to be able to examine those kinds of reforms,” Yang said.
Pennsylvania lawmakers have also introduced legislation for open primaries that would allow unaffiliated voters to have a say in party primary elections.
Yang said he was not running for president again in 2024, but that the Forward Party is sorely needed ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
“You’re looking at a potential Biden/Trump rematch that two thirds of Americans don’t want,” he said. “So that’s a sign of just how out of touch our politics have become.”
The Pennsylvania Senate Democratic Caucus could not be reached for comment on the lawmakers' affiliation announcement. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lawmakers-new-political-party-partisan-polarization-forward-party/521-8adfbb9b-59db-47e6-bdd2-af68ede5dc97 | 2023-06-22T15:04:26 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lawmakers-new-political-party-partisan-polarization-forward-party/521-8adfbb9b-59db-47e6-bdd2-af68ede5dc97 |
FORTY FORT, Pa. — They should've been enjoying a relaxing summer vacation, maybe preparing for their first semester of college.
Instead, Jim Gower and his friend John were stacking sandbags trying to stop the raging water from the Susquehanna River.
It was about a week after they graduated high school.
"We were 17, we thought we ruled the world. We thought - We're gonna stop this river, this isn't gonna do anything," Gower said.
That sense of invincibility kept the pair of teenagers there for another couple of hours, even after the third alarm went off from the National Guard telling people to evacuate.
"All the smart people had left."
The sandbags would prove useless. It was time to go.
"From here to Butler Street, we had to swim," Gower recalled.
They reached a National Guard truck that took them to Lake-Lehman High School.
"For two days, I had no idea where my family was."
Remember, he said all the smart people had left before him.
That included his father and two brothers.
He found out they were safe. Evacuated to Sweet Valley but he wasn't reunited with them for another 2 weeks.
That whole time waiting to learn whether his house had been destroyed by the flood.
Since their property sits on an incline, they got pretty lucky. They lost everything in the basement and the rugs on the first floor.
"And yet people across the street - they had water, some of them, their whole first floor was inundated."
But no one was lucky enough to avoid the next task.
"A week, maybe two weeks, all we did was shovel mud. I mean, mud like you couldn't believe."
Jim is 68 now; his daughter lives in his old home.
He has the stories and the photos, but he says nothing compares to living through it.
"I can't remember what I had for lunch yesterday, but I can remember this from 51 years ago." | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/forty-fort-resident-recalls-hurricane-agnes-flood-anniversary/523-33c5ccbc-9d30-458b-875f-2ad7a9f3b36b | 2023-06-22T15:04:32 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/forty-fort-resident-recalls-hurricane-agnes-flood-anniversary/523-33c5ccbc-9d30-458b-875f-2ad7a9f3b36b |
Last week, I told the story of the 2007 rockfall at Walnut Canyon National Monument, when a 49-ton boulder blocked the popular Island Trail for nine months while the boulder was reduced to building blocks that became a handsome retaining wall and the damage to the Island Trail was repaired.
Another significant rockfall at Walnut Canyon National Monument occurred in December of 2015. This one had far less impact on the visitor experience, however, since it happened on a backcountry trail in the canyon that is only accessible during ranger-led hikes in the summertime. Before the rockfall, the "Ranger Ledge hike" was a round-trip loop hike about a mile in length, allowing visitors not only to view archaeological sites in overhangs along the ledge, but also to continue along the ledge and exit the canyon via a side tributary.
The rockfall occurred when the alcove roof above an archaeological site collapsed, crushing several courses of stonework laid by the ancestral Puebloan residents 800 to 1,000 years ago.
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Although there has been no official estimate of the tonnage of this rockfall, it appears to be nearly as massive as the 2007 one on the Island Trail. In addition, the site continues to be unstable, as smaller slabs have spalled off the overhang from which the rock fell.
The 2015 rockfall effectively blocked through-hiking on the Ranger Ledge Trail, making it into two shorter trails, one accessed from each side. Although still worthwhile hikes, they are both much shorter out-and-back trails now.
Walnut Canyon rangers and volunteers will again be leading this hike for the summer of 2023, and visitors will be able to see not only the two major rockfalls, but also some outstanding archaeology. Signups beforehand are required for Ranger Ledge hikes.
Since rockfalls are a regular occurrence in canyons, should you be afraid when visiting Walnut or other canyons? Well, there are two ways to look at this question. First and most importantly, on any given day the threat of a rockfall poses no greater danger than any other risk one might encounter in the outdoors, such as snakebite, lightning or wild animals. The best bottom line using this approach is that it is always worth paying attention to your surroundings when recreating in nature.
The other way to consider the question of rockfall danger is that not all canyons are equal. For geological reasons, some may be more prone to rockfalls than others (e.g., proximity to — and severity of faults; presence or absence of overhangs as opposed to continuous slopes; etc., etc.). Walnut Canyon seems to be a bit prone to overhang rockfalls (the December 2015 rockfall was an overhang collapse — but the earlier 2007 rockfall was not).
The extensive alcoves and overhangs that attracted ancient cliff-dwelling Puebloans to Walnut Canyon and Mesa Verde for obvious reasons likely made those habitation sites a tad riskier than other canyons. The alcoves and overhangs of Walnut Canyon formed as a result of alternations of more- and less-erosion-resistant beds within the Kaibab formation. For the first inhabitants of Walnut Canyon, the trade-off was worth it. And they lived there; you're just briefly visiting.
(It's also worth bearing in mind that the first inhabitants were keenly aware of their environment and its potential dangers. Might it be possible that some of the sturdy walls they built in Walnut Canyon's alcoves actually helped to stabilize their overhangs? Archaeologists have found surprisingly little evidence of rockfalls in cliff dwellings during the times of their habitation.)
Perhaps the single-most important factor to consider in producing rockfalls is precipitation. Rainwater reduces friction, and when water turns to ice, it expands. Either or both of these factors can cause mountainsides to become mountain slides. In the case of Walnut Canyon, both the 2007 and 2015 rockfalls occurred in association with snowfalls likely producing freeze-thaw effects.
And finally, here's a special bonus attraction! This spring (after a particularly snowy winter) yet another rockfall occurred, slightly down-canyon from the visitor center. If you look sharply from the saddle at the bottom of the Island Trail, you should be able to make out the long, fresh scar it left on the canyon wall.
Janice Richmond was a longtime interpretive ranger with the Flagstaff Area National Monuments. She retired in 2018, but continues to volunteer with the Monuments.
The NPS/USFS Roving Rangers volunteer through a unique agreement between the Flagstaff Area National Monuments and the Coconino National Forest to provide interpretive ranger walks and talks in the Flagstaff area each summer.
Submit questions for the Ask a Ranger weekly column to askaranger@gmail.com. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/ask-a-ranger-walnut-canyon-rockfall-continued/article_78108e9e-108b-11ee-86aa-47c627b03f78.html | 2023-06-22T15:06:29 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/ask-a-ranger-walnut-canyon-rockfall-continued/article_78108e9e-108b-11ee-86aa-47c627b03f78.html |
Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) received on June 6 zoning approval for phase one of its new campus, marking the end of a stage of the planning process for the proposed move of Flagstaff Medical Center.
Though a petition is currently circulating in the hopes of holding a referendum on the Flagstaff City Council’s recent approval of the zoning amendments, NAH is continuing to move forward on its plans for the new hospital and health and wellness village.
Next steps for phase one
What’s left for phase one after the zoning approval is approvals from the city on plats (both preliminary and final), the site plan, building permits and grading and drainage permits -- which will allow NAH to begin work on the site.
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The city had approved the project’s specific plan on June 6 alongside the rezoning and development agreement. The site plan, which Council has requested be brought to a meeting (though these are typically only reviewed by city staff), deals with the plans for phase one “on a much more granular level of detail,” seeking to ensure that they meet city code.
Steve Eiss, NAH's vice president of construction and real estate development, mentioned that examples of items on a site plan include the required width of parking spaces and making sure emergency vehicles have proper access to the site.
After the approvals are finished, NAH will begin work on the new site, starting with the grading and drainage preparations. Eiss expects this work to begin in February of 2024.
That date is nine months past the initial date set for groundbreaking on the new campus. According to Eiss, the delay has not affected the campus’ design, but it has increased the cost.
This is “normal, to some extent,” he said, as escalation (a construction term for inflation) is expected whenever a construction timeline is moved back. He said inflation has been higher than usual in past few years, but NAH has reflected the changes in its presentations (from $750 million to over $800 million) and does not expect it to be an issue.
“It is something NAH is cognizant of, it is something we feel we’re equipped to handle and it is something we track in real time,” he said.
Another thing he said has not affected the campus plans are the recent changes in NAH leadership.
“This project is something that NAH has been working on for years to plan and to adapt and change through COVID and post-COVID with the community,” he said. “It's something that the NAH board of directors has approved in various steps over the last three years and was not something that was one person's vision, but it's ultimately NAH's vision as a system to continue to take care of the healthcare needs of northern Arizona.”
NAH’s plans for the hospital, meanwhile, are currently in the design development phase, as it determines logistics such as the number and size of patient rooms before moving to the next step of schematic design.
Schematic design, Eiss said, is starting to create the building’s layout, looking at what departments need to be next to each other, and how to best design for patient and staff flow. After that comes design development, which looks at the departments and rooms in more detail -- particulars such as where the medical equipment and furniture will fit into the space.
After this comes construction documents -- a process NAH has not yet reached that turns the information from the various design phases into blueprints for the construction of the building.
“We probably have about six more months of that design process, but what our plan is -- and pretty typical in large-scale construction — is we know enough to get started. So the first thing we have to do in the construction process is start work on grading and drainage," Eiss said.
The construction will begin by clearing the site and working on grading and drainage, then plumbing and other structural needs.
“We have a level of detail to know that already, and we have months of work,” he said. “So we do try to overlap that beginning of the construction process where we’re doing that grading, drainage and underground structural work with the design work.”
The plan is to issue multiple packages of construction documents on various parts of the hospital (grading, drainage and underground work is one example, or the building’s superstructure).
“With our entire construction duration being almost four years, we try to phase out the documents in appropriate phasing of when the construction is going to happen," Eiss said.
If the project continues on its current timeline (the only delay Eiss said he anticipated was if the referendum moves forward), the first stage of work on the location next to Fort Tuthill County Park will begin in February.
From there, it's expected to take 46 months to build the hospital with about three more to transition between the two hospitals. The ambulatory care center (ACC) is expected to be ready to open about 30 months after the start of construction.
NAH is planning to open each building as it is completed, so the proposed timeline places the opening of the ACC in Aug. 2026, with the hospital opening Feb. 2028.
He gave less specific timelines for the project’s second phase, construction on which will be completed in smaller pieces and is expected to continue through 2045.
“I think housing’s probably the only piece that we can say, as soon as phase two’s zoning process is over, we will be actively pursuing housing developers to come do that work,” he said. “That is directly related to the community need for housing. ... We’d like to do that as quickly as we can.”
In the development agreement, NAH has committed to providing at least 315 housing units in the health village. At least 10% will be permanently affordable and all but 35 cannot be used for short-term rentals (those 35 units are expected to house NAH traveling employees).
Phase two planning
NAH is also in the beginning stages of creating a zoning application for phase two of the new campus’s development.
The project’s second phase will need to go through the same rezoning approval process just completed for phase one before NAH can begin working with developers on the rest of the planned health and wellness village.
“We are planning on starting that work in earnest here in the next couple weeks,” Eiss said, “and working with city staff on putting that application for phase two together.”
He added that while a firm timeline has not been set, “we’re hoping to see that happen in the next six to nine months.”
Those plans include housing, hotels, retail, and research and development uses -- which NAH will not be developing itself, but instead will be partnering with third-party developers. It is working with Flagstaff company Genterra Enterprises as a development partner to find those other developers.
Visioning for current campus
The last major area of development related to the campus move is the plans to redevelop the existing FMC campus after the move. NAH is still early in this process.
NAH had given a timeline on a community participation process for deciding how to reuse that location at a meeting in early May, with the plan to begin in the fall of this year.
That timeline is still in place, Eiss said, with the first meetings on the topic expected “later this year” and “within a few months taking place” (meaning, 30 days after the city council’s June 6 zoning approval).
The presentation had given a 2029-2030 time frame to begin the current FMC redevelopment -- which Eiss said was still NAH’s plan. As with phase two of the new campus, NAH plans to find development partners to complete that work, whatever the new use ends up being.
The process starting soon will focus on community visioning, with more detailed planning for how to implement the decided use from that process happening toward the end of phase one construction on the new hospital, Eiss said.
This is meant to allow the redevelopment to start “very shortly” after the move between the two campuses is complete.
“I think we want to hear and understand what the community’s needs are, and then we want to be able to put those into action later in the process,” he said. “ ... In a perfect world, we would have a redevelopment plan complete by the time the new hospital was open, so that redevelopment of the existing campus could start right away.”
The visioning process is also happening around the same time as the city is developing its next 10-year master plan; Eiss said NAH has committed to “dovetail” NAH’s process with the city’s “to see how we could benefit the overall vision for the growth of the City of Flagstaff.”
It has partnered with PUMA on the redevelopment planning process, and has already had meetings with the community advisory board, which includes members of Council and the housing commission, local business owners and “prominent community members.”
“It’s going to start with hearing from them first," Eiss said. 'Ultimately, I think, what you’re going to see is public participation meetings similar to what we did for the new campus.”
These meetings will be advertised on NAH’s website as well as other public locations, he said, and will both show ideas “PUMA has put together” and be a place for community members to share their thoughts.
When asked about residents commenting at public meetings that had been given a chance to speak, but some felt NAH had not made meaningful changes in response, Eiss said the changes over the course of development of phase one plans showed otherwise. He gave the parking solar commitments and adjustments to Flagstaff Urban Trail System connections and site access from county meetings as examples.
“I think we have listened and we have shown that we made modifications,” he said, “and I think that ultimately the community process for the existing campus would be similar.
“One of the things that we need to keep at the front of mind is we also have to be good stewards of the development of that process and make sure we’re listening to the community, but also developing something that has long-lasting community benefit, and is going to be something that is economically viable and prosperous for decades to come in that location."
More information about the campus plans can be found at nahealth.com/expansion. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/fmcs-future-nah-continues-developing-plans-for-new-hospital/article_36cada3a-1085-11ee-86dc-732455b66a74.html | 2023-06-22T15:06:30 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/fmcs-future-nah-continues-developing-plans-for-new-hospital/article_36cada3a-1085-11ee-86dc-732455b66a74.html |
With the typical summer routine underway, the Gary Cook era has begun for the Coconino Panthers football team.
Hired as head coach this offseason after several decades of coaching at different levels, Cook has been impressed with his new team as it goes through June workouts.
Coach Cook speaks to his team after an exhibition against Mingus. It’s his first summer with the team after being hired in the offseason pic.twitter.com/qtL0vYwHtC
— Eric Newman (@enewmanwrites) June 21, 2023
He also has the benefit of feeling like he didn’t have to come into a program that needed a full overhaul, thanks to several good years of coaching from Mike Lapsley before he retired in the winter.
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“I have gone into a lot of different jobs over 40 years, and almost all of them were turnaround situations,” Cook said. “This has been radically different. It’s been way easier for me, and the kids have embraced it. I give Mike Lapsley a lot of credit for that.”
What is changing is the offense the Panthers will run. That’s even more obvious in summer, as the team takes part in 7-on-7 passing competitions and learns the playbook.
Simply put, Cook likes to pass. His goal is not truly a spread offense, but one with several receivers on the edges and a tight end or two either blocking or running routes that allow a mobile quarterback such as incoming junior Colton Buckingham to maneuver and make plays.
This style differs from the run-heavy approach Coconino took the last few seasons to great success. That doesn’t mean that the current Panthers will shy from the run, though.
The Panthers will also have a sizable offensive line, and a few running backs that will look to break off big plays on handoffs. The top returning back from last season is incoming senior Bridger French, who rushed for 518 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior. He stepped up late in the season, too, carrying the ball well as his brother -- 2023 graduate Cooper French -- suffered an ankle injury in the second half of the 2022 campaign.
“I am excited because I think we have a chance to have true balance where we’re physical in the running game and also get the ball down the field,” Cook said.
He added: “I think the skill guys will be able to express themselves.”
That transition started during this period in which the Panthers have played 7-on-7 contests. Coconino faced off in an exhibition against Mingus Union at Cromer Stadium Tuesday. Score was not kept, but the Panthers had several moments in which the offense looked sharp.
The day also served to help the players better understand their expectations.
“He’s just helping players a lot technically. You can see the improvement,” Buckingham said.
Defensively, Coconino will likely play a similar style to what it’s done in the past few years. Cook still has yet to meet individually with each of the players and coaches, due to his late hire and the seemingly endless snow during what would have been the normal spring period a few months ago.
The top returning defensive player, statistically, is also Bridger French. His 69 tackles were second on the team in 2022, and are the best of any player back on this year’s squad.
Incoming senior Prayer Young-Blackgoat was next with 43.
Though it’s more of a time to focus on offense, the time spent playing 7 on 7 has a few defensive benefits. That’s especially true for the secondary.
“Tonight, for example, we just really concentrated on base coverages that aren’t necessarily going to be what we would play against that team if we were game planning in the season. We’re just trying to work on basic skills,” Cook said Tuesday after playing the Marauders. “Here, you’ve got three or four seconds to throw, and you know it’s never like that in a game. But you can learn some things, even though you have to take it with a grain of salt.”
It’s still early in the process, but the players appear excited about the direction of the team.
“We all like the new coach a lot, so I think it’s going to be a good year,” Buckingham said.
Coconino will continue to train throughout the summer. Its first game of the regular season is scheduled for Aug. 25 at home against Carl Hayden. | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/panthers-cook-ing-something-up-coconino-football-takes-on-summer-under-new-coach/article_1ad5f57c-1089-11ee-90a2-6325e23d31ab.html | 2023-06-22T15:06:32 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/panthers-cook-ing-something-up-coconino-football-takes-on-summer-under-new-coach/article_1ad5f57c-1089-11ee-90a2-6325e23d31ab.html |
SEATTLE — For people who live and work in downtown Seattle, the new Ben Bridge Jeweler flagship store on 5th and Pine is a glimmer of hope for the Emerald City.
"It feels safe, the more people that are around here the more businesses that are open the more safer it feels," Alex Trost said.
And that's exactly the kind of impact President and CEO Lisa Bridge said she was looking to make when they thought about the company's future.
"In 2019 we started talking about expanding and what that looked like and in 2020 it was really the opportunity to look around and say well if we're going to grow is this the right spot," Bridge said.
But if you think back to downtown Seattle in 2020, the city was shutting down taking big-name retailers like Macy's with it.
Meanwhile, Ben Bridge doubled down on its investment.
"We've been in Seattle for over a century and we've seen a lot of things over that time," said Bridge who's great great grandfather started the company after being a watchmaker for local train conductors.
Bridge said 2020 was not the first time their family businesses weathered a retail storm. Now they are looking ahead.
The new flagship store is a third larger than the jewelers' previous location on 4th and Pike and features high ceilings with nods to the Pacific Northwest.
"Whether it's moss, whether it is geo specimens, a lot of wood being in this space," Bridge said.
City leaders have taken notice.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was at Ben Bridge's open house reception recently. The Downtown Seattle Association said the store's presence is bringing confidence back into the Westlake Park area which saw 23 store close since 2022, including Nike.
"Those were gut punches you never want to lose long-time retailers," said Jon Scholes, the Downtown Seattle Association president and CEO.
But Scholes said they have welcomed new retailers with 42 stores opening downtown in that same time. And there's more on the way like the new retail and dining space Cedar Hall opening soon.
"We need to double down we need to increase the urgency around the investments we're making the policies were putting in place dealing with the fentanyl crisis we do those things were going to see more retailers like Ben Bridge hat want to invest," Scholes said. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/new-ben-bridge-flagship-stores-seattle-retail/281-a7436091-0bae-4389-9851-a317a57eaed5 | 2023-06-22T15:11:31 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/new-ben-bridge-flagship-stores-seattle-retail/281-a7436091-0bae-4389-9851-a317a57eaed5 |
It was about 20 years ago in the suburbs of Minneapolis that Big Al's Lemonade — Alexis Wingert's grade-school precursor to Grazing Gouda, Lincoln's answer to the charcuterie-board craze — came to be.
On the surface, Big Al's wasn't so different from any other lemonade stand in Any Town, U.S.A.
However, her lemonade stand was run differently. More efficiently. Dare we say, a bit more mature. Maybe it had something to do with her parents, both of whom are entrepreneurs and did their best to pass along their business acumen.
"We had coupons — buy three and get the fourth one free," said Wingert, the 27-year-old who left Minnesota to attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and never returned north. "It was a seven-year run and the (lemonade) stand was profitable, which was great."
Looking at her today, you would have expected nothing less.
She came to Lincoln to become a school counselor and quickly learned she had no desire for such a career. Instead, she took a job as a marketing copywriter at Hudl while coaching the high jumpers at Lincoln High School for a few years until COVID-19 put a halt to that in 2020.
And all the while, she's dabbled in anything that would allow her to combine a gherkin with a Kraft single.
Grazing Gouda handles corporate outings, weddings, showers or any kind of celebration. It also offers its adult Lunchables, an assortment of meats, cheeses, crackers, nuts, fruit and chocolate for $15.
They're more hearty than they look, she said.
"People will say, 'I feel like I need more,' and then they can barely get through the box," she said.
It's an old approach to food that is celebrating a renaissance, and with Grazing Gouda, Wingert is betting that its popularity continues.
"I've had people ask me, 'How are you going to just make a living off of cheese and meat?'" Wingert said. "Well, we have been eating this way since the 15th century."
Keep in mind that cheese and crackers have been a part of just about every family gathering known to man.
In 1988, Oscar-Meyer created the Lunchable, a portable kid-size portion of meat, cheese and crackers, that — 35 years later — dominates with an 84% market share.
Kids aren't the only ones willing to nosh on finger food. In November 2020, there were roughly 500 charcuterie businesses in the United States. Three years later, that number has grown to 3,500.
While most of Wingert's business is online, Grazing Gouda is located inside of Scooter's Coffee, 2901 S. 84th St., which serves as a pickup place for some of her customers.
Her goal is to eventually have a space where she can both make charcuterie boards and also teach classes on how to make them. Right now, she is conducting corporate outings that offer instruction.
"I just wanted to do something where people can just gather around a table, whether it's with two people or 10 people, and just get into really good quality interaction," she said. "There have been some fun stories that come out of the workshops."
They might be strangers to start with, but by the end of one of Wingert's charcuterie workshops, friendships develop.
"By the end of the night, they're like, 'Oh, tell me when you go to Montana,' or they'll friend each other on Facebook, or they happen to know someone's friend of a friend," she said. "It's all pretty fun." | https://journalstar.com/news/local/business/grazing-gouda-answer-to-lincoln-charcuterie-craze/article_bc322e38-0baa-11ee-96d8-0b77fec181af.html | 2023-06-22T15:11:31 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/business/grazing-gouda-answer-to-lincoln-charcuterie-craze/article_bc322e38-0baa-11ee-96d8-0b77fec181af.html |
TACOMA, Wash. — For the first time, a summer program will provide “safe zones” for Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) middle and high school students.
The program, “Summer Late Nights,” is free. It runs from Monday, June 26, through Sept. 1.
It will be open to TPS teens from 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.
From $300,000 the City of Tacoma is investing to the contributions from Pierce County, Tacoma Public Schools and Metro Parks Tacoma – Summer Late Nights is being made possible.
The goal, according to Tacoma leaders, is to provide a safe place for teens to hang out and have dinner on summer evenings.
“The first two weeks of January, we had three homicides that involve youth. That was something we haven't seen,” said Kristina Walker, Tacoma’s deputy mayor. “It's not like a problem hadn't existed. It's not like there hasn't been tons of people working on this for years. It's not a new problem but that really struck us. That was too much too fast, and we said this is the time to make a change.”
Currently, more than 300 students are pre-registered for Summer Late Nights. Pre-registration is not required, but is recommended.
Students will have access to open gym, arts and music, 3-on-3 basketball tournaments, videogames, WiFi, dinner and snacks, and opportunities to see guest speakers.
The program is “drop-in” style, which means teens can come as often as they want to throughout the summer.
City, schools, and parks leaders are hoping to change what has reportedly become an alarming uptick in crimes involving youth.
According to the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, January 1 through May 31, 2022, there were 133 cases charged in Juvenile Court. In the same time frame this year, there are 235 charged cases so far.
“We know it's not the end all solution,” Walker said. “We know there are a lot of other things we need to address, but it is one thing we can do right now with our partners.”
In addition to alerting Tacoma families about the program via social media and email, Walker said program organizers and supporters are going door to door this weekend to get the word out.
Currently TPS has a total student population of 28,615. Of those students – 5,998 are middle schoolers and 8,774 are in high school.
TPS leaders told KING 5 they are proud to be part of this collaborative effort and believe it will make an impact in this pilot summer season.
“This program will have tremendous impact just due to the fact that, when having conversations with community, this is one of the number one trends that come up, young people have nowhere to go,” said Korey Strozier, Tacoma School Board vice president. “We all knew that we had to do something. There's no way that we can sit around idle and expect for a problem to solve itself.”
While community centers and program, have hosted single night summer programs for youth – everyone involved in this effort say offering a five-night weekly program was a pleasant surprise to Tacoma Schools families.
Several locations will be hosted by Metro Parks Tacoma.
The team said this is a good time to remind youth that the city’s parks and community centers were created for them and are open for them.
“This will definitely make an impact,” said Ralph Thomas, community centers and services manager for Metro Parks Tacoma. “It's hard to put a number on it, you know, save lives or save someone from making around decision. This is really huge.”
Thomas said teens can be themselves, and enjoy new activities
Across the 12 Summer Late Nights locations – some will be designated as middle school-only or high school-only, but some will host both with each group given separate areas for activities.
For more information about Summer Late Nights, or to pre-register your TPS middle or high school student, click here.
Summer Late Nights Locations:
Al Davies Boys & Girls Club
Bryant Montessori Middle School students
Hilltop Heritage Middle School students
Baker Middle School
Baker Middle School students
Mt. Tahoma High School students
Center at Norpoint
SOTA High School students
Stadium High School students
Eastside Community Center
First Creek Middle School students
Lincoln High School students
Giaudrone Middle School
Giaudrone Middle School students
IDEA High School students
Willie Stewart Academy High School students
Mason Middle School
Mason Middle School students
Silas High School students
Meeker Middle School
Meeker Middle School students
Morgan Family YMCA
Hunt Middle School students
Silas High School students
Wainwright Intermediate students
People’s Community Center
Stadium High School students
TOL High School students
Stewart Middle School
Lincoln High School students
Stewart Middle School students
Topping Regional Hope Center
Gray Middle School students
Mt. Tahoma High School students
Truman Middle School
Foss High School students
Oakland High School students
SAMI High-School students
Truman Middle School students | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/tacoma/tacoma-summer-night-hangouts-youth-crime/281-c968f711-eae8-46bf-8157-bbbeefdbd62d | 2023-06-22T15:11:37 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/tacoma/tacoma-summer-night-hangouts-youth-crime/281-c968f711-eae8-46bf-8157-bbbeefdbd62d |
BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — A arrest was made in a serious crash on Old Pearsall Road that injured a Bexar County deputy and the K-9 in his patrol vehicle.
An arrest affidavit says the injuries to the K-9 were more serious than first reported back on May 26th. The court document says the dog sustained serious bodily injury, a severe concussion and a large laceration to his head that needed stitches.
18-year-old Camillus Galvan was arrested Wednesday and charged with aggravated assault on a public servant, evading arrest and failure to stop and render aid. His bonds total $135,000.
Galvan apparently admitted to detectives that he was driving the car and that after the crash he saw the injured deputy on the roadway - but he ran away without stopping to help. The affidavit says a juvenile suspect who was in the car at the time is also being detained.
KENS 5 has asked for condition updates on both the deputy and his K-9.
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/arrest-made-in-old-pearsall-road-crash-that-injured-a-deputy-and-k-9-bexar-county-texas/273-e4b873e7-9168-47d4-8b06-d00b31e6bffe | 2023-06-22T15:11:39 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/arrest-made-in-old-pearsall-road-crash-that-injured-a-deputy-and-k-9-bexar-county-texas/273-e4b873e7-9168-47d4-8b06-d00b31e6bffe |
SAN ANTONIO — A Bexar County deputy and a K-9 were taken to local hospitals after a crash involving a wrong-way driver.
It all happened before noon in the 6800 block of Old Pearsall Road not far from Covel Road. Old Pearsall Road is now closed in both directions.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar spoke around 1 p.m. to provide more details about the incident. He said that a deputy saw the driver weaving in and out of traffic, "overall driving recklessly."
The deputy reportedly tried to get the driver to pull over, but the suspect sped off. The deputy lost sight of the vehicle until another deputy attempted to put spike strips on the road in the direction the vehicle was going.
That's when the suspect tried to swerve around the spikes but lost control, crashing into the deputy's vehicle. The deputy was standing outside the car, and the vehicle hit him, knocking him unconscious. The K-9 was inside the vehicle at the time when the crash took place.
At this time, both the deputy and K-9 do not appear to have life-threatening injuries. However, both continue to be evaluated by medical staff at area hospitals.
Salazar said the two suspects, who are ages 15 and 18, got out of the vehicle and ran to a nearby field. It's unclear right now if the vehicle was stolen.
About 25 to 30 minutes later, authorities were able to find the suspects and take them into custody. One of the suspects was found on a person's porch.
The crash led to nearby schools going into "secure status."
Southwest Independent School District was put on a "secure" status at their main campus and central office. This included Southwest Elementary, Southwest High School and the CAST STEM High School campuses. Medio Creek Elementary was also put in “secure” mode. That has been lifted.
"They showed no regard for human life," said Sheriff Salazar.
As for their charges, the sheriff said they will face Fleeing the Scene of a Crash, Evading Arrest and potential other charges, particularly if the K-9 is more injured than appears. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/bexar-county-deputy-k-9-taken-to-hospitals-after-crash-involving-wrong-way-driver-nearby-schools-placed-on-secure-status/273-d0d8334e-343d-4441-b1da-60e545bf1cae | 2023-06-22T15:11:42 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/bexar-county-deputy-k-9-taken-to-hospitals-after-crash-involving-wrong-way-driver-nearby-schools-placed-on-secure-status/273-d0d8334e-343d-4441-b1da-60e545bf1cae |
MELBOURNE, Fla. — Hundreds of seniors in Brevard County now have three days’ worth of rations in case of a storm.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
It’s all thanks to Florida Power and Light.
Volunteers gave out emergency supplies at the Joseph Davis Community Center in Melbourne on Wednesday.
Watch: Orlando County leaders host hurricane prep workshop for residents
Each senior received three hurricane kits, providing them with three days of food and water that can be used if they were trapped without power.
One organizer told Channel 9 this will help ease the burden for seniors if a storm comes their way.
Read: Hurricane season: Are you ready? Survey says many Floridians are not
FPL said it is planning to provide the kits to more seniors throughout the state.
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/melbourne-seniors-receive-hurricane-supply-kits-fpl/T5E7CLIWYRGU5AH3OEZCZHPQ3U/ | 2023-06-22T15:12:05 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/melbourne-seniors-receive-hurricane-supply-kits-fpl/T5E7CLIWYRGU5AH3OEZCZHPQ3U/ |
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A motorcyclist died Wednesday following a crash Wednesday night in Brevard County.
Troopers said the driver of a 2022 Toyota Camry made a righthand turn from Friendship Place onto U.S. Highway 1 in the direct path of a man driving a 2013 Harley Davidson motorcycle around 8:50 p.m.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Troopers said the motorcycle crashed into the back of the rider and was thrown from the motorcycle.
Troopers said the motorcyclist, a 57-year-old Melbourne man, died on the scene. The driver of the Camry, a 44-year-old Cocoa woman, was not injured and remained on scene.
Read: Melbourne seniors receive hurricane supply kits from FPL
The crash remains under investigation.
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/motorcyclist-killed-brevard-county-crash/3KTXRPDOVBA6JIWJPZ3ENXVS24/ | 2023-06-22T15:12:12 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/motorcyclist-killed-brevard-county-crash/3KTXRPDOVBA6JIWJPZ3ENXVS24/ |
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. — Residents in the Palm Coast area will have a chance to pick up food items at no cost Thursday morning.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Farm Share, a nonprofit that aims to help food-insecure residents in Florida, will hold a food giveaway.
Organizers said the distribution will be hosted in conjunction with Inspiration of Hope Community Resources.
READ: TS Bret moves into Caribbean as Tropical Depression 4 forms in Atlantic
The June 22 event is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and will be held at Mt Calvary Baptist Church, located at:
- 75 Pine Lakes Pkwy, Palm Coast, FL 32164
Food availability will be on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies run out.
READ: Boy, 13, bit by alligator in Seminole County calls 911: ‘It just stings a little bit’
The distribution event will be drive-thru style to minimize contact and to help ensure the safety of everyone who participates, organizers said.
Attendees should arrive in a vehicle with a trunk or cargo bed.
READ: Melbourne seniors receive hurricane supply kits from FPL
Farm Share also distributes food to communities throughout Florida, free of charge, through soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, churches, and senior centers.
To find a food pantry near you, click here.
See the map below for event location:
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/today-free-food-giveaway-palm-coast/2NP4KCOETBDIPO7GXIWD65O42I/ | 2023-06-22T15:12:18 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/today-free-food-giveaway-palm-coast/2NP4KCOETBDIPO7GXIWD65O42I/ |
A man was shot during a shooting that took place in Center City late Wednesday night.
At 11:54 p.m. police responded to 12th and Chestnut for reports of a shooting, police said.
When police arrived they found a 45-year-old man suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach. Police determined the man was shot during a robbery.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
The victim was taken to the hospital where he was placed in stable condition, according to police.
At this time there have been no arrests and the incident is under investigation.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-shot-during-robbery-in-center-city/3590476/ | 2023-06-22T15:21:41 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-shot-during-robbery-in-center-city/3590476/ |
Two years after a former Gettysburg College student finally saw charges filed over her 2013 campus sexual assault, the man suspected of sending her a Facebook message that said, “ So I raped you,” remains on the run.
Shannon Keeler, 28, and her attorneys question how Ian T. Cleary has avoided capture in an age when people are tracked by their cellphones, internet connections, security cameras and credit card purchases. Investigators, led by the U.S. Marshals Service, believe the 30-year-old from Silicon Valley is likely overseas and on the move.
“How is he financially supporting himself? How is he able to travel abroad without detection? Has he assumed a false identity?” asked Andrea Levy, legal director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, who represents Keeler. “Who’s helping him?”
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Keeler was sexually assaulted on a snowy December night in her dorm room. She texted friends for help even before he fled, and went to police the same day.
For years, local officials declined her pleas to file charges, even after she showed them the startling Facebook messages she discovered in 2020. They reversed course weeks after she went public in an Associated Press story that examined the reluctance of local agencies to prosecute campus sexual assaults.
For Keeler, the years of limbo have been painful, even as she moves forward with her life and career. She works for a software company and is getting married this fall. But she remains on high alert for an arrest that could come at any time, knowing a trial could disrupt her life for months or even years.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
“She’s had to push and push and put herself out there … and then he’s just literally gone on with his life. It’s hard to measure that impact on her as a human being, (and on) her family, her partner,” Levy said. “There’s a cost. There’s a real human cost. It’s someone’s life.”
After leaving Gettysburg, Cleary, 30, graduated from Santa Clara University, near a family home in Saratoga, California, worked for Tesla, then moved to France for several years, according to his website, which describes his self-published medieval fiction.
Adams County District Attorney Brian Sinnett, who filed the arrest warrant on June 29, 2021, called the duration of the search “somewhat frustrating.”
“I just have to think this person is accessing resources from somewhere,” Sinnett said.
Neither Cleary’s father in California, a marketing executive who has served as a professor and trustee at Santa Clara, nor his mother in Baltimore returned messages this month seeking comment.
U.S. marshals said the search remains active. An Interpol Red Notice has been issued, asking police agencies worldwide to detain Cleary, although he is not yet listed in the public database, which includes a few dozen rape and sexual assault cases.
“We put a lot of work and effort into it,” said Deputy U.S. Marshal Phil Lewis, warrant supervisor for the office in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. “Any crimes against women and children, we take seriously and we make those types of cases a priority.”
As the #MeToo movement continues to shape society — and some adults, including accusers of Bill Cosby and Donald Trump, use the courts to seek monetary damages if it’s too late for criminal charges — college students are also seeking accountability.
In California, students are lobbying for campus health centers to keep rape kits on hand, or pay for victims in the throes of trauma to travel to a hospital for an exam. More states are requiring colleges to survey students on the climate around sexual assault, and groups such as End Rape on Campus are working on tools to make school data more accessible.
And some law enforcement agencies have shown sustained commitment, including police who stayed on top of advances in DNA science to make an arrest this year in a 2000 knifepoint rape on a Penn State golf course.
In 2004, they matched the DNA to an unsolved 1999 golf course rape in Michigan. In 2011, they filed a “John Doe” arrest warrant, identifying the subject only by his DNA before the 12-year statute of limitations in Pennsylvania expired. Using genetic genealogy, they identified the suspect this year as Michigan business owner Kurt Rillema, and matched the DNA samples to a coffee cup he discarded at a Lexus dealership before charging him in both cases.
“The police so often get beat up for doing the wrong thing. Here, it’s pretty impressive, they were on the ball,” said lawyer Conor Lamb, who sued Rillema last month on behalf of the Penn State accuser, a 42-year-old woman in suburban Philadelphia.
Rilemma's lawyers plan to fight the charges, at least in part by contesting the privacy issues raised by the genetic sleuthing, especially the way his DNA from the coffee cup was obtained without a warrant.
“Everybody wants to solve old crimes, but the process is so invasive, and when it’s done without a warrant, people ought to think about that. It’s creepy and scary,” said defense lawyer Deanna Kelley of suburban Detroit.
In Gettysburg, meanwhile, a small town known for its Civil War history, Sinnett said there is now more coordination between campus and local police, in the hope that more college rape victims can have their day in court.
Keeler is still waiting for that day, nearly a decade after she reported the attack and Cleary left school, ending the college's Title IX investigation.
“Since then, he has again run away from facing this felony charge," she said, while she tries to “to finally close this never-ending, painful chapter of my life.” | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pa-campus-assault-suspect-eludes-arrest-for-2-years-after-so-i-raped-you-facebook-message/3589545/ | 2023-06-22T15:21:47 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pa-campus-assault-suspect-eludes-arrest-for-2-years-after-so-i-raped-you-facebook-message/3589545/ |
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