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WATERLOO — UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital is partnering with Lost Island Themepark and Waterpark to host #BeSomeoneDay on July 21 in support of the Allen Child Protection Center. The event features discounted tickets as well as special activities at locations throughout the parks focused on child and family safety.
Admission can be purchased at thelostisland.com/tickets with discount code ‘BESOMEONE’ for $6.50 off each ticket purchase. The discount code can only be used on tickets for admission on July 21.
Activities at the park will feature police and fire rescue personnel from Waterloo and Cedar Falls and first responders and staff from the Allen Child Protection Center.
The exhibition features Joan Webster-Vore's series of ethereal, graceful watercolors of the California coastline painted while looking down from a high sea cliff.
Joan Webster-Vore, right, discusses her artistic inspiration with fellow artist Sandy Nordahl. The artists were allowed inside the UNI Museum's storage area to find inspiration for an artwork, now displayed at the museum, taken Wednesday, Sept. 15. MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor
Left to right, Sandy Nordahl, Rebecca Hackemann, Scott Hudson, and Joan Webster-Vore in the new Object as Subject exhibit at the UNI Museum Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor)
Joan Webster-Vore, right, shows her artwork with Sandy Nordahl, left, in the new Object as Subject exhibit at the UNI Museum Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor)
Award-winning artist Joan Webster-Vore often works with natural and inorganic materials – paper, thread, sticks, wire, screen and paint to create striking and complex three-dimensional structures that play with movement, light and shadow. She also paints watercolors and acrylics, and creates nature-oriented art objects.
The exhibition features Joan Webster-Vore's series of ethereal, graceful watercolors of the California coastline painted while looking down from a high sea cliff.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Delicate insects drift and dance on filament threads in Joan Webster-Vore's hanging art installation.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Joan Webster-Vore (COURTESY PHOTO)
Joan Webster Vore's Collective Fortunes: What's Our Future? Courtesy Photo
Joan Webster-Vore, right, discusses her artistic inspiration with fellow artist Sandy Nordahl. The artists were allowed inside the UNI Museum's storage area to find inspiration for an artwork, now displayed at the museum, taken Wednesday, Sept. 15. MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor
Left to right, Sandy Nordahl, Rebecca Hackemann, Scott Hudson, and Joan Webster-Vore in the new Object as Subject exhibit at the UNI Museum Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor)
MATTHEW PUTNEY
Joan Webster-Vore, right, shows her artwork with Sandy Nordahl, left, in the new Object as Subject exhibit at the UNI Museum Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (MATTHEW PUTNEY / Courier Photo Editor) | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/unitypoint-health-lost-island-partner-on-tickets/article_2ee75088-0f9e-11ee-beb1-53c52622bcdd.html | 2023-06-22T22:57:41 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/unitypoint-health-lost-island-partner-on-tickets/article_2ee75088-0f9e-11ee-beb1-53c52622bcdd.html |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/no-arrests-in-fort-worth-shooting-that-left-1-dead-and-3-injured/3282805/ | 2023-06-22T22:57:54 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/no-arrests-in-fort-worth-shooting-that-left-1-dead-and-3-injured/3282805/ |
The discovery of a body along the road to Mount Lemmon early Thursday is being investigated as a homicide, the Pima County Sheriff's Department says in a news release.
The body was reported about 5:30 a.m. along General Hitchcock Highway, near milepost 4.5, the department said in a news release.
Homicide detectives were called to the scene because the body had obvious signs of trauma, the release said.
Anyone with information is asked to call 9-1-1 or 88CRIME, the anonymous tipster line. | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/body-found-along-road-to-mount-lemmon/article_e1a733de-1140-11ee-bb58-ef155bc18988.html | 2023-06-22T23:00:30 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/body-found-along-road-to-mount-lemmon/article_e1a733de-1140-11ee-bb58-ef155bc18988.html |
The Northern Arizona women's soccer team -- defending regular-season and tournament champion in the Big Sky Conference -- announced its 2023-24 schedule this week.
Northern Arizona will host 11 home matches at Lumberjack Stadium, including home scrimmages against Arizona Western on Aug. 10 and Embry-Riddle on Aug. 12.
This year will mark the first season for Alan Berrios as the head coach of the program after serving as interim head coach in 2022. Alongside Berrios are assistant coaches Chris Campbell (fourth season), and Ray Leone (first season).
"Going into the 2023 season, we felt like we had to put together a schedule that was properly balanced, challenging and exciting at the same time. The only way to prepare for a brutal conference schedule is to get tested early during our out-of-conference schedule," Berrios said.
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The Lumberjacks will begin the regular season on the road on Aug. 17 at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) at 4 p.m. Then they will open the home portion of the regular season with a match against the New Mexico Lobos on Aug. 20.
"Starting off with an early road trip to UTEP and UNM on Aug. 17 and Aug 20 provides just that. Two quality opponents that will give us the opportunity to see where we are at early on," Berrios said.
He added: "Then we come home to a three-game homestand where we play three very good teams in Cal St. Bakersfield, Arizona and Oregon. We hope that this three-game homestand gives us a clear vision of what we need to do going forward. Hosting opponents like Arizona and Oregon here at Lumberjack Stadium gives us an opportunity to play in front of what we hope to be a jampacked stadium. It is always fun to play our in-state rivals."
The Lumberjacks play their first Big Sky match of the upcoming season at Sacramento State on Sept. 22 against the Hornets, who were the opponent on the other side of Northern Arizona's win to clinch the regular-season title last season.
"We are confident by the time we get to Big Sky play our team will be battle-tested and ready to face the task at hand. We are looking forward to a great season, one that will end with the Big Sky tournament right here in Flagstaff," Berrios said.
Northern Arizona have a four-game stretch of home matches in the middle of the conference schedule before two road matches to end the regular season. The regular-season finale will be at Idaho on Oct. 22.
Northern Arizona is the host for the 2023 conference tournament, which is set to take place in November -- with dates yet to be announced by the conference. | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/nau-roundup-soccer-announces-2023-schedule/article_98f4bd64-1140-11ee-9eac-cb7e756abb0f.html | 2023-06-22T23:01:10 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/nau-roundup-soccer-announces-2023-schedule/article_98f4bd64-1140-11ee-9eac-cb7e756abb0f.html |
Bowen Recovery Center celebrated five years of helping people through addiction Thursday afternoon.
Since opening in 2018, the Bowen Recovery Center has helped more than 1,853 individuals in the last five years for an average of 371 patients annually. Each year, more than 100 patients complete treatment at the Fort Wayne center.
The center is open 365 days a year to provide methadone treatments to support patients through physical withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Patients also receive on-site addiction recovery counseling services and medical care.
Beyond physical and mental needs of patients, people utilizing resources at the center can also get help navigating insurance, accessing food, looking for housing and other essentials needed for recovery.
However, Bowen Center vice president of clinical services Dr. Siquilla Liebetrau said one of the best things they do is meet people where they are with a harm reduction model.
“We want you to get healthy for you but also for your community so you can work, so you can take care of your kids, so you can just be there and support everyone else,” Liebetrau said. “We're helping people get healthy little by little but meeting them where they're at so that they can take the next step and the next step and the next step.”
“It's all about making our communities healthier and giving people back their quality of life.”
A problem patients face is the stigma around substance abuse and those experiencing addiction, Liebetrau said. Most people don’t realize how widespread addiction is, she said.
Those people require support despite outdated beliefs on addiction, Liebetrau said.
“I think in the past, the way we looked at things was sort of like that person needs to fix those things for themselves, they need to pick themselves up by their bootstraps,” Liebetrau said. “We understand now that there's so much going on.”
Addiction knows no race, gender, age or socioeconomic status, Liebetrau said. People facing addiction are someone’s neighbor, sibling, parent, grandparent or even child.
“People think of a junkie and what I really want people to think of is everybody can fall into a position where they struggle with addiction,” Liebetrau said. “And they are all humans.”
President and CEO of the Bowen Center Dr. Rob Ryan celebrated patients who have completed treatment, the 436 people the center currently serves and the staff that supports them. He said they come, rain or shine, to participate in treatment.
“What does all that hard work and discipline get our patients?” Ryan asked. ”It's the mom who's returned to her family and to her job, it’s the student who's returned to their classroom and is able to finish their degree or it's the grandparent who's returned to the retirement and to their grandkids.” | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/bowen-recovery-center-celebrates-5-years-of-opioid-treatment-in-fort-wayne/article_34584548-1126-11ee-99ff-a357ff1629e9.html | 2023-06-22T23:17:47 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/bowen-recovery-center-celebrates-5-years-of-opioid-treatment-in-fort-wayne/article_34584548-1126-11ee-99ff-a357ff1629e9.html |
PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — The summer heat is here, which means families are spending more time by the water with their kids -- whether that's at the lake, a pool or a water park.
But the one thing that's at the forefront of every parent's mind? Safety.
That’s why water parks across Texas are helping kids stay safe in the water by participating in the “World’s Largest Swimming Lesson.”
“This is a swim lesson that's happening all over the world,” said Jessi O’Daniel, the General Manager of Typhoon Texas Waterpark.
Drowning continues to be the number one cause of death of children ages one to four, so these lessons are still of high importance during the summer months.
"It's a driving force to teach kids under the age of four specifically how to swim because swimming lessons save lives,” O’Daniel said.
The day is sponsored by the World Water Park Association to raise awareness and promote water safety. Here in Central Texas, families came to the Typhoon Texas Water Park on Thursday to take part in the event.
"They have fun, and they know how to swim already, but we just came out with some more lessons,” said Delvin Rogers, a parent whose two children took part in the event.
Rogers' two children, Jasmine and Jayden, learned how to swim at 4-years-old but are continuing to work on their skills.
"We go out in the lake and we camp and so we're out in different types of water, so it's good for them to know how to swim, so if I'm not looking for a second, they can be able to sustain themselves,” Rogers said.
Adult supervision is the number one tip to make sure kids stay safe, but the next best is making sure children have the skills they need to be a confident swimmer, which is something his daughter Jasmine is working on.
"I do know how to swim, but I cannot swim way in there because I can't touch [with my] feet,” said Jasmine Rogers.
That's why Thursday’s lesson was so crucial for families trying to keep their kids safe.
“Everyone loves a swim and everyone wants to go out and beat the Texas heat, but swimming lessons and knowing how to swim is a critical portion of a lot of childhood development and learning those critical skills so that they can enjoy the pool with ease and no problems all summer long,” O’Daniel said. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/water-parks-participate-in-largest-swim-lesson/269-03e35a3c-c461-4e8a-89e3-bb704ee6988e | 2023-06-22T23:19:34 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/water-parks-participate-in-largest-swim-lesson/269-03e35a3c-c461-4e8a-89e3-bb704ee6988e |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — As the summer heat kicks into gear, the last thing anyone wants to deal with is a power outage.
Rob Roedel with Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas said year-round maintenance is critical when preparing for the winter cold and summer heat.
“We make sure our power plants are running as efficiently and as well as possible,” Roedel said. “24/7, 365, we're doing maintenance on the plants and our transmission infrastructure.”
With neighboring states, like Texas, already concerned and bracing their power grids for the heat, Roedel said Arkansas is in good shape.
“Based on the information we've received from our regional transmission organizations, which include Southwest Power Pool and MISO," Roedel said. "We have adequate capacity throughout the region for the summer of 23."
MISO is a company that helps manage Arkansas’s electrical grid. MISO and Entergy agree and are prepared to meet the region's demand. Both companies are also closely monitoring the weather.
“We have concerns as always," Roedel said. "If a power plant happens to trip or go out of service, that can cause some strain on the system, and there's always a possibility of that."
Roedel said they evaluate all power sources to ensure reliable options.
“Some are good for peaking times," Roedel said. "Some are good for that steady flow of energy you must have to maintain it... Here in Arkansas, we're at about 20% non-fossil emitting power generation because that made sense and was affordable.”
While Arkansas shouldn't have issues this summer, Roedel said there is a concern for the future.
“We're looking at some baseload gas plants that will need to be constructed to replace the energy that will come offline when some of our coal-based assets close in the 2028-2030 timeframe,” Roedel said.
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas said they're working to get ahead of that situation.
“We're doing our best to navigate the available resources,” Roedel said.
The summer heat usually produces higher energy bills. If anyone needs help, LIHEAP will begin next month for those who qualify.
You can find the information on how to apply here. | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/summer-heat-arkansass-power-grid/91-1086e98f-a01c-41e8-9d1f-55bdd6d931be | 2023-06-22T23:20:35 | 0 | https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/summer-heat-arkansass-power-grid/91-1086e98f-a01c-41e8-9d1f-55bdd6d931be |
LOS ANGELES — A California man has been found guilty of illegally importing an ancient mosaic from Syria, federal prosecutors said.
Mohamad Yassin Alcharihi, 56, of Palmdale, was convicted by a jury Wednesday on one count of “entry of falsely classified goods,” the U.S. attorney's office said in a news release.
The mosaic, which depicts a tale from mythology in which Hercules rescues Prometheus, dates to the Roman Empire, prosecutors said. Authorities believe it was looted from war-torn Syria.
According to prosecutors, Alcharihi purchased the mosaic for $12,000 and falsely classified its value and quality when it was imported through the Port of Long Beach, California.
It arrived as part of a container shipment from Turkey that was declared as ceramic tiles worth less than $600. The approximately 2,000-pound (907-kilogram) mosaic was trucked to Alcharihi's home, where federal agents seized it from his garage in 2016.
Alcharihi had paid $40,000 to restore the mosaic and a government appraisal expert valued it at $450,000, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
Alcharihi faces up to two years in prison. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for Aug. 31. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-man-convicted-illegally-importing-an-ancient-mosaic-syria/103-78bf6b6c-8137-4dc6-99b9-91aef9ff1254 | 2023-06-22T23:28:58 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/california-man-convicted-illegally-importing-an-ancient-mosaic-syria/103-78bf6b6c-8137-4dc6-99b9-91aef9ff1254 |
STOCKTON, Calif. — String trimmer in hand, Tony Noceti is busy cleaning up his racetrack and event venue, the Stockton 99 Speedway. This weekend it'll be filled with more than 100 cars and spectators ready to see cars do what they normally don't.
"Drift Day is coming up this weekend," said Noceti. "This last winter was extremely wet so we got a little late start this year. Everybody's excited about it."
Summer couldn't have come sooner for Noceti and his team, but this year they're also excited about the chance to make a difference. While the speedway has hosted similar events in the past, this weekend's Drift Day has a specific focus.
"Getting the kids off the streets," said Noceti. "To basically learn some experience, learn some manners about how you take to the open road and do it at a racetrack, don't do it on the streets."
Noceti says he's seen the impacts of illegal sideshows firsthand and has heard the recent calls from law enforcement and elected officials across Northern California to stop them.
He believes his event could not only pump the brakes on sideshows, but also give the young participants some important lessons.
"It's serious business out here versus being out on the street," said Noceti. "We're running the show here with folks showing them the safety of it, the hazards of it, you know, trying to teach them."
Medical, fire, security and towing resources will be on-site just in case. Drivers have their cars inspected, attend a brief meeting with other drivers and their instructor, then hit the track.
"You've got multiple courses here around the oval, or through the figure eight, lefts and rights... who can get the highest, who can keep the car sideways the longest," said Noceti. "It is a competition, moving up to a competition event later on in the year, where people are going to be judged. This is more [of a] practice run this weekend."
With more Drift Day events planned for the rest of the summer and fall, Noceti hopes Sunday's event will leave an impression.
"We want them to leave here and tell people, 'Hey, we can go the 99 Speedway on a scheduled event and do it out there' and be safe and sane," said Noceti. "They still can do all their videos and things like that out here and put it on social media of what's going on...but just keep it off the street. Let's do it at the racetrack."
Drift Day details:
- June 25 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Stockton 99 Speedway at 4105 Wilson Way in Stockton
- $20 for general admission, $30 for a pit pass, $40 for a ride-along, $140 per driver
- More Drift Days planned for July 22, Sept. 23, Oct. 14 and Oct. 28
Watch more from ABC10: 'Gentle giant' | Stockton family mourning 22-year-old son killed in sideshow shooting | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/speedway-drift-day-sideshows/103-cc9224cc-6e27-4bb4-bb10-594cbe237fde | 2023-06-22T23:29:05 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/speedway-drift-day-sideshows/103-cc9224cc-6e27-4bb4-bb10-594cbe237fde |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The first official weekend of summer is here!
It may be the last weekend with below average temperatures for a while before the first extended period of heat sets in and it really starts to feel like summer.
Yet another low pressure system swept cooler air in Northern California Thursday as has been the case for much of 2023. High pressure has had a difficult time gaining a foothold across the western United States, which could be due to a variety of factors including the developing El Nino and cool sea temperatures near California.
Temperatures will begin to rebound by Friday and a warming trend will continue through the weekend, but will still remain below average... for now.
The welcome presence of cooler than average temperatures looks to halt by the last few days of June. Early signs are pointing to the possibility of Sacramento breaking its streak of failing to reach 100 degrees by late next week.
A midweek temperature spike into the mid to upper 80s was quickly followed by another low pressure system dropping temperatures into the upper 70s and lower 80s in the Central Valley.
High temperatures in the Central Valley Friday will sit about 10 degrees below average and will be in the low 80s. The rest of the weekend will see a warm up into the low to mid 80s Saturday and a few degrees warmer Sunday.
Areas that don't receive the cooling effects of the Delta breeze will remain warmer and could push into the 90s by Sunday, such as Redding and Chico.
Gusts of 15-20 mph are likely in Sacramento in the evening hours as the Delta breeze kicks in and drops temperatures. Expect sunny skies all weekend in the valley. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-forecast-below-average-temps-before-potential-heatwave-next-weekend-california-sacramento-bay-area-tahoe-sierra/103-cd4451be-7345-4762-97e8-4f50f18cbdd1 | 2023-06-22T23:29:11 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-forecast-below-average-temps-before-potential-heatwave-next-weekend-california-sacramento-bay-area-tahoe-sierra/103-cd4451be-7345-4762-97e8-4f50f18cbdd1 |
CROWN POINT — A Hammond man was sentenced to 32 years in prison on Thursday for an April 2022 shooting at a Hammond smoke shop, which left one man dead.
Marcus Ross, 29, was originally charged with murder and criminal recklessness, according to court records. A jury found Ross guilty of a lower charge — voluntary manslaughter — on May 11. Ross was sentenced to 22 years for the voluntary manslaughter.
Ross was found guilty on the voluntary manslaughter charge because his attorney argued said he acted in “sudden heat” when he fatally shot Zachery Smith, 27, of Chicago. He was also found guilty of a weapons enhancement charge, which added an additional 10 years to his sentence.
Charging documents described on April 1, 2022, Ross shot Smith in retaliation to an earlier confrontation, during which Smith pointed a gun at Ross.
After he shot Smith, Ross got into Mycheal Thomas’s car and fled the Oasis Smoke Shop parking lot, located at 5535 State Line Ave., according to a probable-cause affidavit.
Thomas was also charged with murder and criminal recklessness, according to court records. Her next court appearance is set for July 5 in Judge Gina Jones’s courtroom.
Before Ross was sentenced, Smith’s parents spoke to how the shooting death of their son has affected them.
Smith’s mother told the courtroom on Thursday how no sentence could fill the hole in her heart left by her son’s passing.
“As much as I pray for myself, I pray for you too, man,” Smith’s father said to Ross.
Ross apologized to Smith’s family and his own, and said “I still myself do not know why this occurred.”
Prosecutors maintained that Ross should serve 22 years for the manslaughter charge because of his criminal history, which spanned back to when he was 14.
Prosecutor Cole Galloway said Ross got many second chances during his run-ins with the criminal justice system.
Galloway said Ross could’ve taken that experience and turned things around and instead of enacting the “cool, calm and collected killing of Mr. Smith.”
Defense attorney Lakeisha Murdaugh said Ross should receive a shorter sentence, in part, because he expressed remorse and he has six children whom he needs to care for.
Ross’s mother detailed how she and his children need him home. She pleaded Judge Jones to show mercy and said “I know he knows what he did is wrong.”
Ahead of delivering Ross’s sentence, Jones disagreed with Ross' mother and attorney’s characterization. She said she did not believe that he was remorseful, because he had been untruthful on multiple occasions.
Jones also highlighted Ross’s prior felony convictions and said “you knew you weren’t supposed to have a gun.”
Ross indicated that he plans to appeal his sentence.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
Tevin Jones
Age : 30
Residence: Waukegan, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305480
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: WEAPON - POSSESSION - FIREARM - BY A FELON
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Stephanie Pabon
Age : 28
Residence: Chesterton, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305540
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Soula Campbell
Age : 22
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305550
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department
Offense Description: FRAUD - DECEPTION - IDENTITY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Shanta Baker
Age : 30
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305476
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Dyer Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - TOUCH W/NO INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Mykia Canady
Age : 34
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305555
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Monica Acevez
Age : 36
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305556
Arrest Date: June 12, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG; RESISTING - ESCAPE
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Michael Novak
Age : 40
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305528
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: POSSESS HYPODERMIC SYRINGE OR NEEDLE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Michael Frassrand
Age : 38
Residence: Steger, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305544
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Mark Stovall Jr.
Age : 36
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305490
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hobart Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Mark McGowan
Age : 38
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305526
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: East Chicago Police Department
Offense Description: STRANGULATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Manuel Arce
Age : 44
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305538
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Louis Adkins
Age : 70
Residence: Gary
Booking Number(s): 2305498
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - W/PERMANENT INJURY OR DISFIGUREMENT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Lois Williams
Age : 53
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305497
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: Motor Vehicle Theft
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Larondo Thomas
Age : 43
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305523
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: RESISTING - OBSTRUCTION OF TRAFFIC
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Laquintae Taborn
Age : 41
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305520
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Kevin Johnston
Age : 44
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305479
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: OPERATE VEHICLE AFTER BEING HABITUAL TRAFFIC OFFENDER
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Kevin Cokes
Age : 33
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305533
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: RESISTING - INTERFERING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Keturah Carter-Lampkins
Age : 68
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305554
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Merrillville Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Keith Nowling
Age : 61
Residence: Dolton, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305539
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department
Offense Description: IMPERSONATION - PUBLIC SERVANT; OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony; Misdemeanor
Keith Eastwood
Age : 65
Residence: Chesterton, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305500
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: DNR
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Katina Kidd
Age : 33
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305522
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: FAMILY OFFENSE- NEGLECT OF DEPENDANT/CHILD VIOLATIONS
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Jordon Novorita
Age : 20
Residence: Dyer, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305517
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SIMPLE - AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIAL; RESISTING - OBSTRUCTION OF TRAFFIC
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Jonathon Thomas
Age : 36
Residence: LaPorte, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305553
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - METHAMPHETAMINE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Jhust McBride
Age : 18
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305495
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - W/PERMANENT INJURY OR DISFIGUREMENT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Ervin Pearson
Age : 64
Residence: Chicago Heights, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305560
Arrest Date: June 12, 2023
Arresting Agency: Schererville Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - COCAINE OR NARCOTIC DRUG
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Erin Dunning
Age : 41
Residence: Cedar Lake, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305535
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: St. John Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Dyequan Kizer
Age : 28
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305478
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: HOMICIDE - MURDER
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Derek Akins
Age : 35
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305487
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Highland Police Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - AGGRAVATED - W/INJURY
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Demetrius Morris
Age : 31
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305491
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Merrillville Police Department
Offense Description: DOMESTIC BATTERY - SIMPLE - PRESENCE OF CHILD < 16 YEARS OLD
Highest Offense Class: Felony
David Garza
Age : 33
Residence: Highland, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305503
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: St. John Police Department
Offense Description: CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE - POSSESSION - METHAMPHETAMINE; HEALTH- POSSESS HYPODERMIC SYRINGE OR NEEDLE; RESISTING - INTERFERING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY
Highest Offense Class: Felonies
Courtney Hill
Age : 26
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305519
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: ASSISTING A CRIMINAL
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Christopher Hawkins Jr.
Age : 35
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305532
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Charles Schuler
Age : 23
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305489
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Carvell Thomas
Age : 26
Residence: Rockford, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305482
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: POSSESSION - FIREARM - BY A FELON
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Carrington Pitts
Age : 33
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305543
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Crown Point Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Butch Ferry
Age : 35
Residence: Cedar Lake, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305488
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Cedar Lake Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Brockton Lane
Age : 22
Residence: Allendale, IL
Booking Number(s): 2305485
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Brandon Dubose
Age : 24
Residence: Schererville, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305486
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: BATTERY - SEXUAL BATTERY
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Ashley Griffith
Age : 34
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305548
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Gary Police Department
Offense Description: POSSESS HYPODERMIC SYRINGE OR NEEDLE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Ashley Cook
Age : 32
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305542
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Indiana State Police
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Anthony Mysliwiec
Age : 30
Residence: Highland, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305518
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Anthony Hiles
Age : 32
Residence: Munster, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305484
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake County Sheriff's Department
Offense Description: INTIMIDATION
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Andrea Black
Age : 37
Residence: Cedar Lake, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305552
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Cedar Lake Police Department
Offense Description: FRAUD F6 ($750 - $50,000)
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Amber Kowal
Age : 42
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305496
Arrest Date: June 9, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: RESISTING - ESCAPE
Highest Offense Class: Felony
Amanda Sellers
Age : 40
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305541
Arrest Date: June 11, 2023
Arresting Agency: Lake Station Police Department
Offense Description: OWI
Highest Offense Class: Misdemeanor
Alejandro Sanchez
Age : 30
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number(s): 2305524
Arrest Date: June 10, 2023
Arresting Agency: Hammond Police Department
Offense Description: MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT
Highest Offense Class: Felony
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Get local news delivered to your inbox! | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/hammond-shooting-sentenced-smoke-shop/article_2443739e-1130-11ee-98fa-9b7f23023bd4.html | 2023-06-22T23:29:13 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/hammond-shooting-sentenced-smoke-shop/article_2443739e-1130-11ee-98fa-9b7f23023bd4.html |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The first official weekend of summer is here!
It may be the last weekend with below average temperatures for a while before the first extended period of heat sets in and it really starts to feel like summer.
Yet another low pressure system swept cooler air in Northern California Thursday as has been the case for much of 2023. High pressure has had a difficult time gaining a foothold across the western United States, which could be due to a variety of factors including the developing El Nino and cool sea temperatures near California.
However, temperatures will begin to rebound by Friday and a warming trend will continue through the weekend, but will still remain below average... for now.
The welcome presence of cooler than average temperatures looks to halt by the last few days of June. Early signs are pointing to the possibility of Sacramento breaking its streak of failing to reach 100 degrees by late next week.
Thunderstorm chances will rise this weekend as the low pressure returns limited instability to the region. Thunderstorm development will be greatest in the afternoon hours. Places where the storms pop up will experience brief downpours, small hail, lightning, and gusty winds. When thunder roars, head indoors.
High temperatures Friday in the Sierra will range about 10-15 degrees below average. By Saturday and Sunday they will raise slightly, and temperatures will be in the 60s and low 70s.
The presence of high pressure next weekend means high temperatures will be much warmer next weekend, likely in the 70s and lower 80s. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-forecast-cooler-high-temperatures-thunderstorms-likely-in-sierra/103-dc3eacf1-c860-4c9e-9921-146bd3512ecc | 2023-06-22T23:29:17 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-forecast-cooler-high-temperatures-thunderstorms-likely-in-sierra/103-dc3eacf1-c860-4c9e-9921-146bd3512ecc |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The first official weekend of summer is here!
It may be the last weekend with below average temperatures for a while before the first extended period of heat sets in and it really starts to feel like summer.
Yet another low pressure system swept cooler air in Northern California Thursday as has been the case for much of 2023. High pressure has had a difficult time gaining a foothold across the western United States, which could be due to a variety of factors including the developing El Nino and cool sea temperatures near California.
However, temperatures will begin to rebound by Friday and a warming trend will continue through the weekend, but will still remain below average... for now.
The welcome presence of cooler than average temperatures looks to halt by the last few days of June. Early signs are pointing to the possibility of Sacramento breaking its streak of failing to reach 100 degrees by late next week.
The persistent fog typically engulfing the coast this time of year lightened up a bit midweek under a short lived high pressure regime.
Current satellite imagery (as of Thursday afternoon) shows the stratus cloud deck occupying the skies of coastal California. Similar conditions are likely this weekend, so bring a jacket if you're headed to the beach.
Expect partly cloudy skies this weekend (in places where the fog burns off) and periods of gusty winds to go along with the below average temps.
It will be a relatively cool weekend along the coast and in the Bay Area thanks to the system passing through. Expect temperatures in the low to mid 60s along the coast and in San Francisco with lows hovering in the lower 50s.
Further inland, in areas like San Jose, temperatures will rise only into the lower 70s but some areas could be in the 90s by next weekend. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-forecast-stubborn-fog-below-average-temperatures-coast-california/103-1b270b2b-677b-4135-9847-c77aef826332 | 2023-06-22T23:29:23 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-forecast-stubborn-fog-below-average-temperatures-coast-california/103-1b270b2b-677b-4135-9847-c77aef826332 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The first official weekend of summer is here!
It may be the last weekend with below average temperatures for a while before the first extended period of heat sets in and it starts to feel like summer.
Yet another low pressure system swept cooler air in Northern California Thursday as has been the case for much of 2023. High pressure has had a difficult time gaining a foothold across the western United States, which could be due to a variety of factors including the developing El Nino and cool sea temperatures near California.
Temperatures will begin to rebound by Friday and a warming trend will continue through the weekend, but will still remain below average... for now.
The welcome presence of cooler than average temperatures looks to stop by the last few days of June. Early signs are pointing to the possibility of Sacramento breaking its streak of failing to reach 100 degrees by late next week.
Whether you plan to hit the road or stay in the area, check out the localized forecasts below.
Central Valley
A midweek temperature spike into the mid to upper 80s was quickly followed by another low pressure system dropping temperatures into the upper 70s and lower 80s in the Central Valley.
High temperatures in the Central Valley will sit about 10 degrees below average and will be in the low 80s Friday. The rest of the weekend will see a warm-up into the low to mid 80s Saturday and a few degrees warmer Sunday.
Areas that don't receive the cooling effects of the Delta breeze will remain warmer and could push into the 90s by Sunday, such as Redding and Chico.
Gusts of 15-20 mph are likely in Sacramento in the evening hours as the Delta breeze kicks in and drops temperatures. Expect sunny skies all weekend in the valley.
Tahoe/Sierra
Thunderstorm chances will rise this weekend as the low pressure returns limited instability to the region. Thunderstorm development will be greatest in the afternoon hours. Places where the storms pop up will experience brief downpours, small hail, lightning and gusty winds. When thunder roars, head indoors.
High temperatures Friday in the Sierra will range about 10-15 degrees below average. By Saturday and Sunday they will raise slightly, and temperatures will be in the 60s and low 70s.
The presence of high pressure next weekend means high temperatures will be much warmer next weekend, likely in the 70s and lower 80s.
Bay Area
The persistent fog that typically engulfs the coast this time of year lightened up a bit midweek under a short lived high pressure regime.
Current satellite imagery (as of Thursday afternoon) shows the stratus cloud deck occupying the skies of coastal California. Similar conditions are likely this weekend, so bring a jacket if headed to the beach.
Expect partly cloudy skies this weekend (in places where the fog burns off) and periods of gusty winds to go along with the below average temps.
It will be a relatively cool weekend along the coast and in the Bay Area thanks to the system passing through. Expect temperatures in the low to mid 60s along the coast and in San Francisco with lows hovering in the lower 50s.
Further inland, in areas like San Jose, temperatures will rise only into the lower 70s but some areas could be in the 90s by next weekend. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-forecast-weekend-below-average-temperatures-potential-heatwave-next-weekend-california-sacramento-tahoe-sierra-bay-area/103-454fb300-8423-4374-a49a-d8f9e62b5d3c | 2023-06-22T23:29:29 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/weekend-forecast-weekend-below-average-temperatures-potential-heatwave-next-weekend-california-sacramento-tahoe-sierra-bay-area/103-454fb300-8423-4374-a49a-d8f9e62b5d3c |
GREENSBORO — A 61-year-old woman died Thursday as a result of injuries sustained in a crash a day earlier in Greensboro.
Police identified the victim as Lisa Chilton.
Officers were called at 8:43 a.m. Wednesday to the scene, at West Avenue and Merritt Drive.
Chilton was operating a 2013 Hyundai Sonata west on West Avenue and was attempting to make a left turn to go south on Merritt Drive. Police said she failed to yield the right of way to northbound traffic on Merritt and her vehicle collided in the middle turn lane with a 2006 Nissan Pathfinder driven by Darwin Galeano-Ramirez.
Chilton was taken to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. Galeano-Ramirez, 32, suffered minor injuries in the crash.
Greensboro Police Crash Reconstruction team responded and is investigating the crash.
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Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Greensboro/Guilford Crime Stoppers at 336-373-1000. Citizens can also download the mobile P3tips app for Apple or Android phones to submit a mobile tip, or go to P3tips.org to submit a web tip. All tips to Crime Stoppers are completely anonymous. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/woman-dies-after-crash-at-intersection-in-greensboro/article_4be9dfb2-1137-11ee-a682-cf830ae66c73.html | 2023-06-22T23:32:32 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/woman-dies-after-crash-at-intersection-in-greensboro/article_4be9dfb2-1137-11ee-a682-cf830ae66c73.html |
The 87th installment of the Deep Run Horse Show is underway in Manakin-Sabot.
"It's an elegant, more formal style of jumping," said Allison Whittemore, show chairman. "We're considered a Heritage horse show, due to the quality of the competition which enters."
Heritage is a title "reserved for competitions that have been established for a long period of time and have made substantial contribution toward the development and promotion of the sport, both within the broader community, by achieving, maintaining and promoting the equestrian ideals of sportsmanship and competition," according to the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
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"This year, we had to have a waiting list, since we had so many contestants enter," Whittemore said.
All proceeds go back into maintaining the Deep Run show grounds, which sit adjacent to the Deep Run Hunt Club.
Saturday's main event is the annual presentation of the Bryan Trophy. The horse show concludes Sunday. | https://richmond.com/news/local/deep-run-horse-show-hunter-jumper-horse/article_b38dcf26-0ebb-11ee-8cf6-f3ec2579ec30.html | 2023-06-22T23:32:52 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/deep-run-horse-show-hunter-jumper-horse/article_b38dcf26-0ebb-11ee-8cf6-f3ec2579ec30.html |
SAN ANGELO, Texas — With parts of West Texas beating previous heat records and reaching triple-digit temperatures, it can be important not only for people to stay safe in the sun, but for pets, too.
Just like humans, animals can suffer from heat exhaustion and strokes which can lead to death in some instances.
To help avoid these issues, Prickly Pear Veterinary Hospital in San Angelo provides detailed information on how to keep pets shielded from the summer heat.
"The biggest thing you can do is lots and lots of water, make sure they're drinking water, lots of water because it's very easy to get dehydrated," owner and veterinarian Dr. Catie Morris said.
Putting a pet's feet in water, covering their body with a cool rag or an ice pack are other ways to help remain a regulated body temperature.
According to Morris, younger and older dogs and cats, as well as brachycephalic, or "squish-faced" breeds, often have the most trouble in the heat.
Both dogs and cats sustain an average body temperature of approximately 102.5 degrees but with heat exhaustion, this can quickly raise to 103, 104, 105 and even 106 along with multiple physical symptoms.
"They kind of get like people where they get disoriented, they can lose consciousness, pass out, a lot of times they drool or vomit just, you know, that kind of thing," Morris said.
Dogs' gums might also turn a bright red color and if owners notice these issues, it is advised to transport pets to a veterinary clinic as soon as possible.
Once pets arrive at Prickly Pear, they are given I.V. liquids and gastrointestinal protectants to help cool them down and the recovery process can begin from there.
To avoid heat exhaustion, do not leave pets alone in a vehicle or allow them to walk on sidewalks or concrete.
"It's such a serious condition, you can have sudden death with this," Morris said. "Everybody loves their pets and they don't want their pet to die from something as simple as getting overheated."
Contact Prickly Pear Veterinary Clinic to learn more. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/looking-to-keep-your-pets-cool-in-the-100-degree-heat-heres-what-you-need-to-know/504-e688e70f-23fd-4637-8e63-3109291896e9 | 2023-06-22T23:32:52 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/looking-to-keep-your-pets-cool-in-the-100-degree-heat-heres-what-you-need-to-know/504-e688e70f-23fd-4637-8e63-3109291896e9 |
The seeds of drought have been washed away again in metro Richmond.
After more than an inch of rain since Monday, and several more rounds of showers between Friday and early next week, dryness is no longer of much concern.
Additional rain between Friday and Tuesday will range from half an inch to an inch, so the risk of flooding is small.
The wet weather of the past several days is an offshoot of the cooler weather pattern Virginia has been in since May. Roughly half of the days this month in Richmond have been more than 2 degrees cooler than normal, and none has been more than 2 degrees warmer than normal.
A consistent southern sagging of the jet stream across eastern North America and the western Atlantic Ocean is responsible for the cooler weather, but that sag went even farther south and west recently, cutting off from the main jet stream flow. A large gyre of low pressure has formed deep in the atmosphere, parking over Kentucky and Tennessee.
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Rain and storm development tends to flourish on the eastern side of these atmospheric spirals, which put Virginia in a prime spot for a prolonged period with clouds and rain.
Very slowly over the next couple of days, that spiraling system will weaken and finally get nudged along by the jet stream winds, but a couple of smaller ones will follow for later next week. While that does not mean soaking rain every day, it does keep reasonable chances for rain in the forecast later next week. And, importantly, it continues to keep the big heat away from Virginia. The intense heat coming to Texas and the southern Plains this weekend will never quite make it this far east.
Richmond has hit 90 degrees only once this year. With some breaks of sun returning, afternoon temperatures will be flirting with that level on Sunday and Monday but, later in the week, 80s will be the rule.
The latest Richmond has gone without a high above 90 degrees is July 2, when it reached 92 degrees on that date in 1972. Ten days that month had high temperatures above 90 degrees, suggesting it is still premature to assume that this cool June will hold for the rest of the summer.
However, even through Independence Day, there are no obvious signs of an oppressive heat wave developing for Virginia. With only one week left in June, Richmond will probably finish the month a couple of degrees cooler than normal. And with this recent wet spell, it will finish wetter than normal.
July is the climatologically hottest month of the year, and there are some very early indications that we could run into a string of days over 90 starting in the second week of July, but that is still more than a couple of weeks away.
Tracking tropical storms
The core of hurricane season is from mid-August to mid-October, but the unusually warm water in the central Atlantic has led to two early season storms. Fortunately, neither poses a threat to the United States.
The first, Tropical Storm Bret, will cross the islands of the Lesser Antilles and move into the Caribbean Sea on Friday before dissipating over the weekend. It will bring brief heavy rain and some strong wind gusts, but nothing that causes major damage.
The second storm is much farther eastward into the Atlantic. Expected to become Tropical Storm Cindy, it will move northeastward, bypassing the Caribbean altogether, holding just north of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. Early next week, it will weaken further before approaching the Bahamas.
Happily for beachgoers in Virginia and North Carolina, these storms are nothing to worry about. But it is only the beginning of what may be a long hurricane season.
Bret is alive in the tropics, here is the complete list of 2023 hurricane names
Arlene
Bret
Cindy
Don
Emily
Franklin
Gert
Harold
Idalia (pronounced ee-DAL-ya)
Jose
Katia (pronounced KAH-tyah)
Lee
Margot (Pronounced MAR-go)
Nigel
Ophelia
Philippe (Pronounced fee-LEEP)
Rina
Sean
Tammy
Vince
Whitney
Here's a graphic of all 2023 Atlantic primary storm names
What happens if all of those names are used?
If the National Hurricane Center wants to classify a tropical cyclone beyond Whitney, a supplemental list of names are used.
These names have been in place since 2021. Before 2021, the Greek alphabet was used for additional storms. However, a very active 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season, and the Greek alphabet storm names, brought confusion. This led the World Meteorological Organization to swap those names for this list. | https://richmond.com/news/local/weather/more-rain-ahead-for-friday-and-the-weekend/article_8f60909e-1144-11ee-b7ac-ff3af58ed751.html | 2023-06-22T23:32:58 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/weather/more-rain-ahead-for-friday-and-the-weekend/article_8f60909e-1144-11ee-b7ac-ff3af58ed751.html |
ABILENE, Texas — Abilene Zoo has a new baby!
For the first time in 30 years, a secretary bird has been hatched on the property.
On June 15, the new two-three ounce bird was born to seven-year old Pam and nine-year old Jagger, a process that began earlier this year when the mother began collecting sticks and building a nest.
Last month, Pam laid her egg while Jagger helped in the incubation process.
“Secretary Birds are such majestic animals, I just love them. They’ve been my favorite animal at the Zoo since I can remember and I’m so excited that we have a baby,” Stan Chapman, Abilene Zoo Board Member said. “A lot of people don’t know about secretary birds. We have an opportunity to do more to educate the community about this chick and the plight of the species. We encourage everyone to come see the chick and learn about these snake-stomping birds!”
Since the baby was hatched, the two parents have been taking on parental roles of feeding and overall supervision.
It is difficult to see the baby in the habitat at the moment because of plants to protect them, but soon the bird will grow to be more than four feet tall.
Check out the zoo's website for more information. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/secretary-bird-hatches-at-abilene-zoo/504-d7089e5a-ac7d-474a-bddb-711ceef371bc | 2023-06-22T23:32:58 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/secretary-bird-hatches-at-abilene-zoo/504-d7089e5a-ac7d-474a-bddb-711ceef371bc |
BLOOMINGTON — Cocaine charges are pending against a Normal man.
Richard T. Lyke, 50, is charged with five counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, accused of making cocaine sales in Normal with amounts between 1 and 15 grams on May 31 and June 12 and less than 1 gram on May 31, June 12 and June 16.
He is also charged with one count of unlawful possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, for an amount between 15 and 100 grams of cocaine on June 20 in Normal.
Lyke was jailed in lieu of posting $30,035. An arraignment was scheduled for July 7. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/drug-charges-filed-against-normal-man/article_6b31c198-1130-11ee-8621-f3f4745292df.html | 2023-06-22T23:33:31 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/drug-charges-filed-against-normal-man/article_6b31c198-1130-11ee-8621-f3f4745292df.html |
The Ocean City Nor’easters continued their unbeaten season Wednesday with a 4-1 victory over host Philadelphia Lone Star FC at Bartram High School in Philadelphia.
Jamie Davis, Sander Roed, Nick Pariano and Josh Jones scored a goal apiece for O.C. Alessandro Arlotti tied a single-game team record with three assists.
Ocean City improved to 6-0-2 (20 points) to lead the Mid-Atlantic Division of the United Soccer Leagues League Two. Lone Star, which lost for the first time at home this season, dropped to 3-3-1 (10 points).
The Nor’easters extended their regular season undefeated streak to 23 games (dating to July 2021) and their regular season road unbeaten streak to 20 games (dating to June 2019). Both are club records.
Nor’easters goalie Stefano Camerlengo held Lone Star scoreless before coming out in the 87th minute. Philadelphia scored on substitute goalie Brady Hochman in stoppage time. Camerlengo has a 0.43 goals against average this season.
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Davis scored in front to make it 1-0 in the 24th minute after a pass from Arlotti. Roed added his team-leading fifth goal of the season from the left wing 10 minutes later, and Arlotti again assisted. Pariano scored in front at five minutes into the second half after Arlotti’s feed from the left wing.
Arlotti’s three assists tied Byron Carmichael (2005), Frank Tweneboa (2012), Nathan Regis (2016) and Ryan Howe (2016) for the team's single-game record.
Jones made it 4-0 in the 88th minute after Pariano sent a free kick into the box.
The Nor’easters return to Carey Stadium in Ocean City (known to the team as the Beach House) at 7 p.m. Saturday against rival Reading United AC. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/unbeaten-noreasters-defeat-philadelphia-lone-star/article_056fadbe-114b-11ee-aa18-1784e3f13b6f.html | 2023-06-22T23:36:41 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/unbeaten-noreasters-defeat-philadelphia-lone-star/article_056fadbe-114b-11ee-aa18-1784e3f13b6f.html |
Detroit man charged with torching his car at Speedway gas station
A 57-year-old man has been charged in connection with torching his car this week at a downtown Detroit gas station, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced Thursday.
Jessie Tom Day has been arraigned through 36th District Court on possessing or manufacturing an explosive device with intent and two counts of fourth-degree arson.
Magistrate Laura Echartea set bond at $1 million. A bond re-determination hearing is scheduled for Monday.
The incident was reported around 6:33 p.m. Monday at a Speedway in the 710 block of East Jefferson Avenue.
Investigators allege Day drove there "with a large number of explosive materials in his vehicle," the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement. "It is alleged that the defendant set the interior of his vehicle on fire before fleeing the scene."
Around 7:20 p.m., the Detroit man returned and set the car's exterior ablaze before fleeing again, according to the release.
An investigation by the Detroit Police Department led to his arrest the same day.
“I cannot even begin to imagine how much loss of life and property that could have occurred," said Prosecutor Kym Worthy. "We are very fortunate that the explosive materials found at the gas station did not explode. Detroit firefighters might still have been fighting this fire." | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/06/22/detroit-man-charged-with-torching-his-car-at-speedway-gas-station/70348588007/ | 2023-06-22T23:40:05 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/06/22/detroit-man-charged-with-torching-his-car-at-speedway-gas-station/70348588007/ |
Tuition to go up 3.5% at WSU, but down for those who take 15 credits or more
Wayne State University Board of Governors on Thursday unanimously approved a 3.5% tuition increase for undergraduate and graduate students for 2023-24, but officials said a flat-rate tuition recently approved for undergraduates will result in a lower cost for students who enroll in 15 or more credits.
The flat-rate tuition structure, approved by the board in December, means that tuition costs to students are the same whether they take 12 credits, 18 credits or any number in between. Officials said the flat-rate structure is designed to encourage students to take more classes so they can graduate sooner, enter the workforce earlier and reduce their overall college costs.
For instance, an undergraduate, lower-division student enrolling in fall 2023 would pay $6,246.49 in tuition for 15 credits — which is lower than the fall 2022 cost of $6,466.35.
For students who attend WSU during fall and winter, the cost for a student taking 30 credits would be $12,499 in 2023-24, versus $12,933 in 2022-2023.
"The top priority of this board is student success, and that was certainly top of mind late last year when we approved our restructured tuition model," said Board of Governors Chair Mark Gaffney. "As to the 3.5% tuition rate increase, as the governing body of the university, we are keenly aware of the financial burdens many of our students face. However, faced with ongoing economic challenges, the board felt that this increase was necessary to ensure Wayne State continues to provide the excellent experience our students expect and deserve."
The tuition increase is part of a $698 million general fund operating budget approved by the board for 2023-24.
"Enabling students to pay one flat price for full-time tuition allows them to save money now and in the future," said David Massaron, Wayne State University’s chief financial officer and senior vice president. "It makes great financial sense. In making it more affordable to take a full course load, Wayne State is helping students graduate and enter the workforce sooner, while also saving on room and board, transportation, and other expenses associated with going to college."
Part-time undergraduate students, graduate students and law students will continue to be charged per credit hour.
Officials said the move to a flat-rate tuition puts Wayne State below the average cost of Michigan public universities for full-time, lower-division resident students.
"Wayne State remains one of the best investments a person can make in their future, and a leader in providing affordable access to higher education," said Wayne State President M. Roy Wilson. "We are proud to be one of the top-performing schools in the nation — and the best in Michigan — when it comes to social mobility, helping economically disadvantaged students succeed and graduate."
kkozlowski@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/06/22/wsu-approves-3-5-tuition-increase-but-new-flat-rate-will-lower-costs/70347858007/ | 2023-06-22T23:40:17 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/06/22/wsu-approves-3-5-tuition-increase-but-new-flat-rate-will-lower-costs/70347858007/ |
Warren Mayor Fouts urges Nessel to investigate Michigan courts; critic calls it 'wild'
Warren — Mayor Jim Fouts delivered his final state of the city address on Thursday, calling on Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel to investigate the decisions of the Michigan State Supreme Court and the state Court of Appeals after he lost a case to remain eligible to run for re-election.
The Michigan State Supreme Court recently denied Fouts' bid to seek re-election for a fifth term. A 2020 amendment to the Warren city charter set a limit of three, four-year terms for the mayor but Fouts had argued that these should not be applied retroactively and not apply to him for this year's election. A three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals ruled that Fouts was not eligible to run for a fifth term in April and the state Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal.
Fouts has said the language of the 2020 amendment was unclear about applying term limits retroactively and argued that allowing it sets a dangerous precedent for future ballot proposals. The city council's lawyer Jeffrey Schroeder, who works for the Bloomfield Hills-based Plunkett Cooney law firm, previously said the ballot language was very clear and stipulated that terms served prior to its passage should be included.
If the state won't investigate, he will request a federal investigation into the Michigan court system, said Fouts, who has served as Warren's mayor since 2007 and was previously on city council for 26 years.
"The questionable decision, without public arguments, leaves the voters at risk that a future legislative body could put forth an unfair proposal," Fouts said at a luncheon hosted by the Area Chamber of Commerce.
Nessel's office couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
Fouts accused the Michigan Court of Appeals, specifically Judge Mark Cavanagh, of being hostile toward him. He also expressed concern about a potential conflict of interest for Judge Cavanagh, whose brother Philip Cavanagh is a senior attorney at the Plunkett Cooney law firm that represented the city council.
"Should Mark Cavanagh have recused himself or at least disclosed that his brother is on the law firm that's arguing the case against Jim Fouts?" Fouts said. "Isn't that a minimum that should be happening?"
A representative for Plunkett Cooney couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
The mayor's "wild accusations" are unfounded and the investigation will never happen, City Council member Jonathan Lafferty said.
"The issue is not with the courts and it never has been. The voters voted nearly 70% in favor of term limits back in November of 2020," Lafferty said. "The fact that the mayor is claiming that the courts took away anybody's right to vote for him is ludicrous."
The mayor also made endorsements for the upcoming election, indicating he is supporting candidate George Dimas, the city’s human resources director, for mayor.
"George, unlike the rest of the opponents running for mayor, you have executive and legislative experience," Fouts said. "I know George will have the action and drive to continue the cause."
Other mayoral candidates are City Council President Patrick Green, Macomb County Commissioner Michelle Nard, Alfonso King, Scott Cameron Stevens and state Rep. Lori Stone.
Green has applauded the state courts' decision, saying they upheld "the will of the Warren residents who voted overwhelmingly for term limits."
The mayor claimed he would help Dimas, if elected, in an unofficial capacity.
Fouts also endorsed Sonja Buffa for city clerk and candidates Adam Sawka, Dave Dwyer, Brittani Tringali, Daniel Bozek, Gary Boike and Donna Kaczor Caumartin for City Council.
"We need a new council. and we need a new day to bring civility back to government," Fouts said.
Fouts listed several projects as unfinished business, including his proposed $170 million downtown development project surrounding city hall, which would have included retail, dining, apartments, a food market and a hotel. The project stalled last year due to disputes between Fouts and the city council. City council critics say there is too much financial uncertainty surrounding the project and the price for Warren taxpayers. Fouts says it would cost Warren residents nothing and the city council stalled the project because they don't like him.
"It would be at no cost to the residential taxpayers of Warren. ... The money would be generated by a bond paid for by the Brownfield Authority," Fouts said. "It'll be a destination place and, ... we have sent over to the city council 40 requests. I've said please vote on it. ... The city council has refused to even put it on the agenda."
Lafferty said the city council did vote to reject the downtown development's proposed financing model, which was the "responsible thing."
"Despite his (Fouts') claims that it would be zero cost, the last time I checked there is no money tree at City Hall," Lafferty said.
A large portion of Fouts' address was dedicated to talking about the City Council, which he repeatedly called "dysfunctional."
Green has previously said "It is sad that the mayor, after all of his tenure in city government, has made a mockery of our laws and forced numerous unnecessary lawsuits that we have won on behalf of our residents."
There have been several lawsuits over the council and Fouts' respective powers in city government and the budget.
In 2021 Fouts submitted his recommended budget to the council, which proceeded to cut $615,000 in spending for contractual services for the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Fouts vetoed the amended budget but the council overrode the veto and Fouts attempted to fund DDA projects anyway. The council proceeded to hire outside counsel and sue the mayor. The current council initially asked the courts to remove Fouts from the ballot in the upcoming election.
hmackay@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/06/22/warren-mayor-fouts-urges-nessel-to-investigate-michigan-courts/70340266007/ | 2023-06-22T23:40:23 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/06/22/warren-mayor-fouts-urges-nessel-to-investigate-michigan-courts/70340266007/ |
Ann Arbor man found slain in apartment
Mark Hicks
The Detroit News
Ann Arbor police are seeking tips in the slaying of a 56-year-old resident on the city's west side.
Officers were called to an apartment on Arbordale, near Eberwhite Nature Area, around 4 a.m. Thursday, the Police Department said in a statement.
They found the man with multiple gunshot wounds, according to the release.
Investigators do not believe the incident was random; they described the death as a homicide.
Details were not released Thursday.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Ann Arbor Police Department at (734) 794-6920 or email the tip line at tips@a2gov.org. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/06/22/ann-arbor-man-found-slain-in-apartment/70348184007/ | 2023-06-22T23:40:23 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/06/22/ann-arbor-man-found-slain-in-apartment/70348184007/ |
Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit breaks ground on phase 2 of new facility
The organization is still in need of $3.3 million in order to complete construction.
A Dearborn animal rescue broke ground Thursday on phase two of construction at a new location — but said they still have to raise more than $3 million to complete the project.
Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit celebrated the groundbreaking at their Reckinger Road facility with a panel of speakers from FAMD's president, board chair and the Mayor of Dearborn, along with refreshments, a tour of the new facility — and adorable adoptable animals.
During phase two of construction, 10,000 square feet will be added to the facility that will include a new animal intake and evaluation space, community educational space, medical facilities and administrative offices.
There was also an untraditional ribbon cutting ceremony, with an enlarged image of the old building that FAMD President and CEO Cory Keller ripped through to symbolize new beginnings at Reckinger Road.
The organization is in the process of relocating from their Greenfield Administrative and Animals Services intake facility, but has only been able to raise 57% of the funding needed to complete phase two of the construction project.
"We have to be out of our Greenfield location by the end of the year. So, we're essentially flying and building the airplane at the same time," said Cory Keller, president and CEO of FAMD. "We need your support. We need your help. We need your resources, and we need to come together not only just as friends because we are friends for animals, but as family."
Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud expressed his support and also emphasized the need for a new facility at the ceremony.
"The reality is more than just caring for the pets and the animals that come through these doors," he said. "We want to make sure that the employees and staff are also working in an area that is meaningful and of high quality to them."
The Greenfield building, which is still used for intake and to shelter animals who are not adoption-ready, suffers from crumbling floors, water leaks and an outdated HVAC system, Keller said.
Keller also explained that the kennels at the Greenfield shelter are facing each other, which stressed out the dogs, and that the cage sizes are not ideal.
"The Greenfield location is run down and redundant," said MaryAnn Wright, chair of the board of FAMD. "By completing Phase Two of the Reckinger building, we will be able to take better care of the 2,500 animals that pass through our doors each year."
The overcrowded Greenfield location is owned by the city of Dearborn, which will determine what its future holds.
FAMD will launch a capital campaign landing page on their website with information about how people can donate, provide support, see naming opportunities available and monitor the construction process.
For more information on how you can adopt a pet, support their campaign or volunteer, visit Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit (metrodetroitanimals.org). | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/06/22/construction-enters-phase-2-at-grounds-of-famds-new-facility/70347894007/ | 2023-06-22T23:40:29 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/06/22/construction-enters-phase-2-at-grounds-of-famds-new-facility/70347894007/ |
How USA cyclist Shayna Powless uses her platform to give back to her Indigenous community
OAK RIDGE − Shayna Powless' cycling career has taken her all over the world, but she always remembers where her roots lie.
Powless, who is competing at the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships this weekend, is part of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, where she has family ties. She was cycling as soon as she could walk, and was racing when she was four.
Powless started out in mountain bike racing and switched to road racing in 2017. She added track racing, too, last year and found so much success it landed her on the USA Cycling national team for the 2022 Tissot UCI Track World Championships in Saint Quentin En Yvelines, France. Powless also competed at the UCI Track Nations Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia in February for the national team.
France was her seventh time being selected for a World Championship. Powless has represented Team USA in mountain biking and Esports, and she is one of the first tribally recognized Indigenous women to be a member of the USA Cycling national team. Powless said it's an honor to represent the U.S. because Indigenous people are underrepresented in not only cycling, but sports in general.
"I'm really proud to kind of be a trailblazer for other native people and hopefully inspiring other Native people, especially Native youth to get into sport," Powless said. "I would eventually love to see a lot more Native athletes, especially at the elite level, in cycling and in sports in general. But that's my ultimate goal is just to inspire that next generation."
Inspiring the next generation isn't just words for Powless. She started a nonprofit with her fiancé, Eli Ankou, who's a defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills, called Dream Catcher Foundation. Ankou is part of the Ojibwe Nation and has family on the Dokis First Nation reservation in Ontario, Canada.
Both Powless and Ankou were raised to take pride in their Native background and felt strongly that they should use their platforms as professional athletes to give back to their communities. Through the nonprofit, they've hosted cycling and football camps for Native youth and raised money to donate bikes and footballs to youth on different reservations.
In 2019, they hosted a football camp in Ankou's hometown of Ottawa and 150 Native kids participated. They also donated 200 bikes and helmets last year to the kids of the Seneca Nation near Buffalo, New York, last year.
The other part of the foundation's purpose is to raise awareness of the Indigenous women and girls who go missing and are murdered every year.
"It's something that most people have no idea about, but it's something we feel everyone should know about," Powless said. "Native women are murdered at a rate 10 times higher than the national average, and most people have no idea that that's the case. We just do whatever we can to raise as much awareness of that through our nonprofit as well, whether it's through social media, donating some of the proceeds from our fundraisers to go towards organizations combating the crisis."
Powless and Ankou have a couple fundraisers lined up this year and next year, and they hope to continue hosting camps for cycling and football in the future.
"I've always taken a lot of pride in being Native, and I feel like with my platform that I have, and also with my fiancé's platform, we both just feel like we're in a great position to give back," Powless said. "It's always been something that's been near and dear to our hearts." | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/local/2023/06/22/knoxville-usa-cycling-pro-national-championship-shayna-powless-indigenous-community/70343074007/ | 2023-06-22T23:42:38 | 1 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/local/2023/06/22/knoxville-usa-cycling-pro-national-championship-shayna-powless-indigenous-community/70343074007/ |
DALLAS — A Dallas capital murder suspect who removed his ankle monitor and went missing days before his trial has been captured in Oklahoma.
Dallas police on Thursday announced that Tyrese Simmons, 23, was taken into custody in Tulsa after he went missing earlier this month. He will soon be extradited back to Dallas.
The now 23-year-old was charged with capital murder in the shooting death of 9-year-old Bradoniya Bennett in August 2019 as he allegedly targeted a rival rapper who lived next door to the victim at an East Dallas apartment.
Police at the time said there had been an ongoing feud between Simmons and the other rapper that led to an exchange of gunfire. During the incident, Bennett was shot in the head while sitting on a sofa in her apartment.
“It is believed that the suspect mistakenly fired at the wrong apartment unit after running around the building to the back of the apartment complex," Simmons' arrest warrant stated.
Simmons' trial was set to begin on June 5 before sources told WFAA that he removed his ankle monitor and went missing.
Police in Tulsa said in a statement that Simmons was located on Thursday, June 22, at a hotel. There was a standoff between the 23-year-old and police after he refused to come out of the room, according to police.
He was taken into custody after officers deployed pepper balls, police said. He will be booked into the Tulsa County jail.
A second man, Davonte Benton, was arrested and charged with capital murder for his involvement in the deadly shooting that August 2019 day. He was convicted in 2022 and was sentenced to 45 years in prison. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-capital-murder-suspect-removed-ankle-monitor-before-trial-captured-in-oklahoma/287-9e5c4948-eb0e-4b54-909d-fadc13e0c5e5 | 2023-06-22T23:45:17 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-capital-murder-suspect-removed-ankle-monitor-before-trial-captured-in-oklahoma/287-9e5c4948-eb0e-4b54-909d-fadc13e0c5e5 |
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL)- Local educators gathered at Greeneville High School for a Day of Learning event through the STEM.LD Summer Institute. Funded by an $8.8 million federal research grant, the Niswonger Foundations STEM.LD project is geared towards increasing student success and future outcomes.
Several sessions were held throughout the day, during which educators were taught new ways to create STEM activities for students to engage in. Dr. Vickie Kirk, Project Director of the STEM.LD project said it’s a good way to inspire new ways of learning.
“We want to disseminate information to the region and help expose teachers to new ideas for learning in science and math, such as BioBuilder, Purdue Engineering or Stream Works Robotics,” said Kirk. “We have a lot of sessions here that are taught by our partners but also some sessions taught by teachers who are doing really innovative things in their classroom.”
The STEM.LD project is meant to inspire teachers and students to see beyond the opportunities right in front of them.
“It will help them dream a little bit and connect to things that are really what they want to do with their lives,” said Kirk. “That will be beneficial for the community and also for them as individuals.”
Cindy Propst, a biology teacher at Greeneville High School said the STEM.LD project is an important tool for student success.
“Being able to educate and bring in these new cutting edge technologies, information and opportunities for our students is going to really make them more competitive when they start to look at schools that they’re going to go to, as well as different jobs,” said Propst.
Propst said it’s not just about finding new ways to engage students but also about providing resources for educators to use.
“The presenters here are experts in these fields,” said Propst. “And so I’m leaving today with not only tools, I’m leaving with expertise and contacts to be able to network with.” | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/educators-receive-stem-instruction-at-day-of-learning-in-greeneville/ | 2023-06-22T23:45:17 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/educators-receive-stem-instruction-at-day-of-learning-in-greeneville/ |
DALLAS — Summer 2023 has officially arrived! And with the rising heat, comes a little fun under the sun. As many North Texas take their pick of waterparks, public/private pools or lakes -- it's a good reminder to stay safe.
According to the Department of Family and Protective Services, 76 Texas children drowned in 2022 – including one in a bucket.
This year, so far, 29 children have drowned, including two in Collin County, two in Tarrant County and one in Ellis County.
Here are some water safety tips to keep you and your children safe.
Swimming lessons are also more than just training, but a way of learning about proper swim clothes and practicing self-rescue when falling in.
List of places to get swim lessons in DFW:
Dallas
AquaMobile - At Home Swim Lessons
Sigma Swimming (several locations) | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/where-to-get-swim-lessons-in-north-texas-dallas-fort-worth/287-129e17ca-3031-4063-9372-2a5eb36e139a | 2023-06-22T23:45:23 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/where-to-get-swim-lessons-in-north-texas-dallas-fort-worth/287-129e17ca-3031-4063-9372-2a5eb36e139a |
TELFORD, Tenn. (WJHL)- Marsh Regional Blood Center is hosting a blood drive in honor of Kayneese Gilmore for her 10th birthday.
Kayneese has Von Willebrand Disease, a bleeding disorder that causes the blood to not clot properly. Ballad Health says the disease is the most common bleeding disorder in the U.S., but it is still very rare as only 1% of the U.S. population has it.
Kayneese, her mother, Debra Gilmore and Steffanie Sukel with Marsh Regional Blood Center stopped by First at Four to talk about the event.
On Monday, the day before her birthday, Marsh Regional Blood Center is hosting a blood drive at the Telford Ruritan.
The blood drive is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kayneese and her family also ask that donors bring Small Treasure Box Toys in packages and/or children’s DVD movies. These will be donated to the children at St. Jude’s. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/first-at-four/tri-cities-girl-asking-for-blood-donations-for-10th-birthday/ | 2023-06-22T23:45:23 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/first-at-four/tri-cities-girl-asking-for-blood-donations-for-10th-birthday/ |
BLOUNTVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Like other counties and cities across the region, Sullivan County is facing a budget shortfall for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
In order to balance its budget this year, the county is reconfiguring funding for local school districts and reducing the amount of property tax revenue reserved for schools.
In 2022, the county allocated $49,117,806 to fund Sullivan County, Kingsport City, Bristol City and Johnson City schools. The budget, as proposed, this year allocates $40,144,678 split among the districts.
“For us in Kingsport would result in a loss of funding in a little over $3 million,” Kingsport City Schools Assistant Superintendent Andy True told News Channel 11.
With their budget already approved, Kingsport school leaders say the county’s proposed spending plan could put them in a financial bind.
“It really puts us in a position to need to prioritize and think about how would we spend that fund, how we planned on spending those funds,” said True.
But Sullivan County Mayor Richard Venable says reducing the amount of property tax revenue moving towards schools was necessary to fill a gap in the county’s budget without increasing the county’s tax property tax rate.
“We replaced property tax with sales tax revenue,” said Venable. “Our sales tax revenues were up about 18% last month and so it makes sense for us to keep the pressure off the property tax rate.”
Venable says the county is leveraging raising sales tax rates to maintain funding for county schools.
“As the $4 million in property tax left they adjusted the sales tax and we’re receiving almost that equal amount back in the sales tax,” incoming Sullivan County Schools Superintendent Charles Carter told News Channel 11.
True said Kingsport can’t rely on sales tax revenue to make up for the potential lost revenue.
The county commission is scheduled to vote on the budget on June 27. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/kingsport-city-schools-could-lose-3-million-from-county-budget/ | 2023-06-22T23:45:30 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/kingsport-city-schools-could-lose-3-million-from-county-budget/ |
BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) – More steps are being taken to make a passenger train rail service in Bristol a reality.
A town hall event was held Thursday morning to discuss the progress being made to make the project happen. Several city leaders from both sides of Bristol and state officials from Tennessee and Virginia made remarks at the event.
State leaders will soon receive a new report from the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations that will provide the next steps on how to proceed with a potential passenger rail service in Bristol.
Tennessee Sen. Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol) said that legislators will analyze the report as soon as they receive it.
“We’ll take a look at those and see if there’s legislative action that we need,” Lundberg said. “I think our Virginia counterparts will look and see what they need to do on the Virginia side as well.”
This new report will head to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). TDOT Assistant Bureau Chief Dan Pallme said the plan is to take a deep dive into the report to analyze every detail. Pallme said he’s in the process of redoing the state rail plan.
“I’m going to have to hire a consultant and really get into the weeds of how does it physically work,” Pallme said. “Work with the class one railroads and work with the communities.”
Several officials acknowledged that both Bristols are years away from anything official. However, Lundberg said that it’s absolutely a reality that a passenger rail service will be available in Bristol. He said that it would provide big things for the cities.
“Opportunities for communities, opportunities for businesses and opportunities for employment,” Lundberg said.
VDOT Director of Rail and Public Transportation Jennifer Debruhl said she’s pleased to see the interest shown by the community for this project.
“We need to have folks that are interested in and willing to use it when it does happen and are here to partner with us to make it happen,” Debruhl said.
The Federal Rail Administration approved Virginia’s statewide rail plan that calls for passenger rail service from Washington to D.C. to Bristol back in March. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/officials-optimistic-for-bristol-passenger-rail-service/ | 2023-06-22T23:45:36 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/officials-optimistic-for-bristol-passenger-rail-service/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — From federal lawsuits to a federal criminal case and state drug charges, former Johnson City businessman Sean Williams is either a defendant or key figure in a quartet of court battles.
From depositions this week to a plea deadline next month, the array of appearances and subpoenas, testimony and trials, is nothing short of dizzying. Given the gravity of the allegations and the breadth of people and entities that are implicated, News Channel 11 has compiled a timeline reflecting where things stand as of Thursday.
Drugs, weapons, sexual assault, a fall from a fifth-story window, police incompetence or corruption — the allegations related to Williams are wide-ranging and dramatic.
Two criminal, two civil cases
- June 23, 2022: Kateri Lynne Dahl v Chief Karl Turner, Officers John Does 1 through 3, City of Johnson City. Federal civil lawsuit claiming retaliatory termination is filed.
- April 29, 2023: Felony-level drug distribution charges (cocaine and methamphetamine) after Williams was allegedly arrested in Cullowhee, N.C. with 12 ounces of cocaine and 14 ounces of methamphetamine.
- May 5, 2023: Williams transferred from Jackson County to Swain County, N.C. after being remanded to the custody of federal agents — this to face a federal “felon in possession of ammunition” charge on a warrant taken out by Dahl in April 2021.
- June 21, 2023: Jane Does 1 through 9 v City of Johnson City, Karl Turner, Kevin Peters, Toma Sparks and six other unnamed JCPD officers. Federal civil lawsuit is filed claiming equal protection and due process violations against alleged victims of sexual assaults by Williams.
News Channel 11 has investigated and followed the stories centering around Williams for the past year. The coverage launched with News Channel 11’s report on former federal prosecutor Kateri (Kat) Dahl’s lawsuit against Johnson City, the police department and individual police leaders.
Dahl’s suit claimed that “Robert Voe” (a pseudonym used for Williams, who at that time was on the run from a federal arrest warrant), was a serial rapist and drug dealer and that the Johnson City Police Department (JCPD) was either incompetent or corrupt in not charging him with multiple crimes.
It continued through community protests over the allegations that police mishandled rape allegations against Williams and Johnson City’s response, including its enlisting of a well-known attorney to review its sexual assault procedures. News Channel 11 also covered tendrils of the case, from interviews with a woman who fell five stories from Williams’s apartment to county officials who called police when Williams, already wanted, made a scene at the Register of Deeds office in Jonesborough.
News Channel 11 broke the story when Williams was arrested on drug charges in Cullowhee, N.C. April 30, and reported when, after his transfer to federal custody on a charge of being a felon in possession of ammunition, his name was finally revealed in Dahl’s lawsuit.
Wednesday, another lawsuit was filed on behalf of nine alleged sexual assault victims. It claims police violated those alleged victims’ constitutional rights to equal protection and due process, and were negligent in their training and supervision.
It says this amounted to discrimination on the basis of sex as, “when the JCPD officers and employees were made aware of the numerous complaints of Williams’ sexual assault, failed to investigate those complaints, and failed to protect female citizens of Johnson City from further criminal activity by Williams.”
Below are the timelines for various hearings, appearances, deadlines and more in each case, as of the time of reporting:
Dahl v Chief Karl Turner et al
- June 20, 2023: Scheduled video deposition of Kateri Dahl by defendants’ counsel.
- June 21, 2023: Scheduled video deposition of former police chief Karl Turner by Dahl’s counsel.
- September-October 2023: Expert witness disclosure deadlines.
- Dec. 1, 2023: Discovery deadline.
- Jan. 16, 2024: Dispositive motions deadline.
- April 30, 2024: Final pretrial conference.
- May 14, 2024: Trial begins.
State of North Carolina v Sean Williams (multiple felony drug counts)
- Aug. 8, 2023: Preliminary hearing, Jackson County District Court
United States of America v Sean Christopher Williams (felon in possession of ammunition)
- April 13, 2021: Original sealed indictment filed by Kateri Dahl.
- July 29, 2021: Kat Dahl replaced as U.S. representative by Meghan Gomez.
- May 5, 2023: Sean Williams arrested by federal agents (remanded from N.C. custody)
- May 9, 2023: Sean Williams arraigned in U.S. District Court, Greeneville.
- May 9, 2023: David Leonard appointed as defense counsel for Williams.
- June 21, 2023: David Leonard informs News Channel 11 that Bryce McKenzie is now acting as Williams’s counsel.
- July 14 and 24, 2023: Deadlines for motions and responses.
- Aug. 22, 2023: Plea bargain deadline and jury trial.
Jane Does 1-9 v City of Johnson City, Karl Turner et al
- June 21, 2023: Complaint filed; motion to proceed under pseudonym
- June 22, 2023: Johnson City media briefing on case.
Sean Williams remains in federal custody but is currently being housed in the Washington County Detention Center in Jonesborough. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/sean-williams-case/depositions-and-deadlines-where-sean-williams-related-cases-stand-today/ | 2023-06-22T23:45:42 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/sean-williams-case/depositions-and-deadlines-where-sean-williams-related-cases-stand-today/ |
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Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 53F. WSW winds at 10 to 15 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph.
The Marshfield High School Class of 2023 walked across the stage for the last time Saturday night, celebrating graduation for a group of resilient, talented and passionate students.
The night started off with a surprise as Athletic Director Greg Mulkey unveiled the 2023 state championship banner for the boys track and field team. Mulkey specifically called out senior Alex Garcia-Silver, who won five individual state titles and two team titles in his time at Marshfield.
Principal Eli Ashton bragged even more about the senior class. He said the students amassed more than 1,000 college credits while in high school, volunteered more than 3,500 hours and represented the school well in athletics, CTE and other school activities.
Ashton also pointed out the six seniors who will be joining the military after graduation.
In his last speech before the Class of 2023, Ashton told the students to never be afraid to stand and stand out.
“Be original and be the best you, you can be,” Ashton said. “You may not be perfect, but that’s why you can be perfect. Don’t be afraid to take a risk, even it won’t be the best. If it’s your best, it’s perfect.”
Superintendent Charis McGaughy thanked the senior class for making her first year leading the district so successful.
“You are incredibly talented,” McGaughy said. “The depth and breadth of your talent is awe inspiring. I am deeply moved and inspired by your incredible community service, more than 3,500 hours. You are amazing role models. Thank you for your service and for your leadership.”
Kim Brick, the chair and Coos Bay School District Board of Directors, told the seniors that life may throw curve balls at them, but she is confident they can succeed.
“You may know exactly what you want to do in your life,” Brick said. “I say, go forth, but know that life happens. Be flexible with your expectations so you can change when needed. For those of you who have no idea what’s next, that’s OK. There’s still time to pivot.”
Brick ended her comments by quoting Winston Churchill.
“Success is stumbling from failure to failure without a loss in enthusiasm.”
Five Marshfield seniors shared their thoughts about graduation and their years at the school.
“I’m beyond proud of what all my friends and classmates have accomplished over the last four years, especially this past year,” Zoe Thomas said. “I could go on and on listing the accomplishments of this class. I consider myself lucky to have spent five years with this group of talented, funny people.”
“Remember, as we’re entering the real world, all of the people who have helped us along the way,” Destiny Grissom said. “When times are rough, remember the people who have your back and are willing to help.”
Asher Colm talked about his experiences fighting through serious issues but still coming out on top.
“I thought my experience is important to hear about because I thought it proves everyone who struggles with mental health can still accomplish great things,” Colm said.
“People ask what motivates me, and the answer is and always will be my parents and my siblings,” said Marisol Carreno-Yanez, who graduated a year early. “Thank to those two amazing people who sacrificed everything for me to stand on this stage today. You may be traveling the road less travelled, but you are not always alone. We are paving the road for those coming behind us.”
“We began our Marshfield experience in a normal way, and we ended that way,” said Elizabeth Delgado. “The time in between taught us to be grateful for what we had. It’s about joining, learning, thinking and finding our own voice.”
History teacher Garrett King was chosen to talk for the Marshfield staff, and he told the Class of 2023, he grew up as a teacher as they grew up as students.
“In many ways, we’ve grown up together, and we have finally found our footing,” King said. “You are a group I will always cherish and remember. It’s because of the students here that I’m still a teacher and still passionate about it.
Finally, after listening to speech after speech, the Class of 2023 got what it came for as each of the students crossed the stage and received the diploma from Ashton. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/photos-marshfield-class-of-2023-remembered-for-talent-excellence/article_9829fe30-1145-11ee-a5fa-af975e35fe90.html | 2023-06-22T23:48:16 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/photos-marshfield-class-of-2023-remembered-for-talent-excellence/article_9829fe30-1145-11ee-a5fa-af975e35fe90.html |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — Seconds matter when reversing the effects of an opioid overdose.
The Jefferson County Department of Health spent time in the community Thursday educating people on the life-saving medication Narcan. A free training was held at Holy Family Enrichment Center in Ensley.
Participant Alexas Brewer said she wanted to learn as much as possible in order to help others.
“I learned a lot about the fentanyl distribution, how it reacts with skin, the alcohol barrier and also how it reacts to temperature and how ineffective the Narcan can be if it gets hot,” Brewer said. “Unfortunately, Alabama does have an opioid epidemic and if there is anything we can do as everyday citizens, then it’s our duty to do that.”
Ensley business owner Alex Brewer said the training is vital for the community.
“As we have seen here lately is that kids are receiving fentanyl laced in gummies, so they don’t know what they’re taking,” Alex Brewer said. “But being able to test that and know that you have a tool on hand that can reverse that effect is lifesaving.”
Another Narcan training will happen Saturday at Legion Field and Faith Chapel Community Center. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/free-narcan-training-held-in-jefferson-county/ | 2023-06-22T23:48:56 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/free-narcan-training-held-in-jefferson-county/ |
The whirls, twirls, spins and thrills of Funland at the Zoo will be returning to Idaho Falls this summer. About 25 volunteers worked together Thursday to help prepare the park for its reopening.
“We’ve been working on it for about two and a half years now,” said Theresa Flannery, treasurer of the Funland Restoration Committee. “The first year was raising the money to get all of the rides revamped.”
The Eli Wheel, Octopus, carousel, kids’ train and airplane swing rides will be ready for operation later this summer.
“We have all the same rides that were there, but the safety standards are a little better than they used to be,” Flannery said.
The attractions are historic in nature and are being lovingly restored. The airplane swing is constructed of “gasoline drop tanks from B-17 bombers in World War II,” according to the Funland at the Zoo Twitter account. Meanwhile, the carousel dates back to the 1940s.
Flannery also clarified that the Eli Wheel is not a Ferris wheel.
“Eli and Ferris were opposing companies, so this is an Eli Wheel,” she said. “ It is one of the oldest in the nation to be in its original location."
City officials have yet to announce the official reopening date, but plan to sell $10 wristbands that offer unlimited rides the evening of the ribbon cutting.
“This is a big moment for our city,” said David Pennock, director of the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park. “ This thing has been running since 1947. To have it shut down for a few years, to make this (renovation) happen — that’s never happened. … People will be proud of what’s happened to this treasured community venue.”
In February, the city of Idaho Falls contracted with Amuse LLC to update Funland’s historic rides and prepare them for a new generation of riders, the Post Register reported previously.
“We brought in a professional company that works at Six Flags and some of those big amusement parks and gets all their rides up to spec every year,” Flannery said. “They came in and they did refurbishes on all of our rides — got us some new parts, new pieces, told us what to do and trained our guys.”
Thursday’s volunteers from Keller Williams Realty planted four truckloads worth of annual flowers, shoveled gravel, dug trenches, trimmed the grass, placed landscaping fabric and helped spruce up the surrounding park area.
In the future, Funland plans to install a second, larger train ride that fits entire families — winding around the other rides and into the zoo. Organizers also intend to bring back a 18- hole mini golf course, a $200,000 project, and are raising money by selling sponsorships for individual holes.
“There’s a five-year plan for all the different pieces that we want to get in,” Flannery said.
The City of Idaho Falls purchased Funland in 2019, and it is now run under the auspices of the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park.
The Kookaburra Kafe intends to expand into one of the log homes on site, providing food and drinks for Funland visitors.
The individual horses on the carousel will also be painted two at a time as sponsors become available, Flannery said.
For longtime Idaho Falls residents, the park brings back a rush of nostalgia from fun summer afternoons.
“I was born and raised in this area and have so many memories being here as a child, as well as my kids, bringing them here to enjoy it,” said Steven Hatch, a realtor with Keller Williams.
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Tell us your personal accounts and the history behind articles. | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/funland-at-the-zoo-preparing-for-its-grand-reopening/article_f7568bd4-114b-11ee-ad8f-3f7b355aa246.html | 2023-06-22T23:49:16 | 1 | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/funland-at-the-zoo-preparing-for-its-grand-reopening/article_f7568bd4-114b-11ee-ad8f-3f7b355aa246.html |
In the wake of Disney’s "The Little Mermaid" live-action feature film, Fin Fun, an Idaho Falls-based company, is seeing a tsunami of sales for its mermaid tails.
“We’ve seen in some of our channels as much as a 50% increase,” said Eric Browning, Fin Fun’s CEO.
The film, starring Halle Bailey, was released May 26 and is pushing a worldwide wave of interest in mermaids.
Fin Fun has released five products inspired by "The Little Mermaid" — including a Fantasy Mermaid Tail, Seafoam Serenade Atlantis Mermaid Tail inspired by Ariel, and a Violet Ink Atlantis Mermaid Tail inspired by Ursula.
Additionally, Netflix released a four-episode “Merpeople” documentary on May 23. The series dives into the lives of professional mermaids and says that demand for mermaid products powers a half-billion dollar industry.
Fin Fun is a leader in that market, offering mermaid tails, monofins, shark fins, swimwear, mermaid blankets, toys and accessories through Amazon and at finfunmermaid.com. Its mermaid tails and shark fins are the number one ranked products in their categories on Amazon.
The company also has partnered with Walmart and Sam’s Club to sell its products.
A little over a decade ago that kind of success seemed unfathomable.
The company started from humble beginnings in St. Anthony.
The Browning family were serial entrepreneurs, having started close to 30 businesses before founding Fin Fun. Those ventures included selling furniture, flipping houses, running a reception center, building storage sheds and manufacturing chokecherry syrup.
But it was a granddaughter's persistence that pushed the family unknowingly into its biggest success. As a young girl Emily Browning was obsessed with mermaids — a fascination shared by many Little Mermaid fans today — and after seeing a friend with a homemade mermaid tail, begged her grandma Karen Browning to make her one.
At first Grandma Karen rebuffed the request, according to a documentary about the company. Emily asked again and Karen said no again. Finally, Emily asked a third time and Grandma Karen gave in.
“I grew up loving mermaids so much,” Emily said in the documentary. “In the past, I had mermaid tails my mom made for me out of fabric with a cardboard piece in the bottom.”
Once her grandma finally made the mermaid tail, Emily would scarcely take it off.
“I wore that thing out, like I would just wear it in the house all the time,” Emily said.
Soon, her friends and family members were asking for mermaid tails to swim in as well. The Brownings then realized they might be onto something.
According to the company’s website, in 2010, Grandma Karen launched her Sparkle mermaid tails on eBay in 2010, and the rest is history.
“When we got started way back in 2011 from my mom, it was interesting because it was huge,” Eric said. “It just took off. (In 2016) we were the No. 119 fastest-growing company (on the Inc. 5000) — 3000% growth over three years. Mermaids were big.”
Interest in Fin Fun's products took off. The Kardashians even held a swimming party in Fin Fun mermaid tails.
Today, the company has sold more than 2 million mermaid tails. It has 55 employees and multimillion dollars in annual sales, Eric said.
Using its e-commerce business model, the company sells internationally in more than 50 nations. The United States remains its biggest market, but sales are also concentrated in Europe, Canada and Australia.
“There are always kids, young girls especially … that love the mermaid culture,” Eric said. “There’s a massive culture that love to express themselves.”
In the Fin Fun documentary Eric mused about the company's future.
"… One thing I know for sure is that we as Fin Fun are gonna do all we can to help children to be able to continue to dream," he said. | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/summer-of-the-mermaid-fin-fun-riding-a-sales-wave/article_a28747b6-0fba-11ee-bbf8-cf50da2bd971.html | 2023-06-22T23:49:23 | 1 | https://www.postregister.com/news/local/summer-of-the-mermaid-fin-fun-riding-a-sales-wave/article_a28747b6-0fba-11ee-bbf8-cf50da2bd971.html |
As work on Pawtucket soccer stadium slows, McKee does not plan to step in
In the heart of the summer construction season, work is slowing at Pawtucket's half-built professional soccer stadium.
Developer Fortuitous Partners broke ground on the 10,500-seat riverfront stadium nearly a year ago, but the company is still looking for the private investment and loans it needs to finish the job.
And with the state unwilling to commit any piece of the approved $60-million public financing package until Fortuitous can raise its share, the developer is ramping down some of the work at the site.
"The Fortuitous team continues to work collaboratively with city and state partners and expects to finish the private equity and debt financing in the near term," Fortuitous spokesman Mike Raia wrote in an email to The Journal on Wednesday. "In analyzing the work completed at the site to this stage and the amount of private funding already allocated to construction, this is an appropriate time to demobilize certain components of the construction while others continue. We remain fully committed to completing a transformative project in the heart of Pawtucket."
On Thursday morning a handful of workers were visible at the construction site, where the concrete foundation of a stadium and elevator towers stand on the west bank of the Seekonk River.
At an unrelated ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon, Gov. Dan McKee said Fortuitous had not told his office that anything had changed with the stadium project called "Tidewater Landing" and that he is not concerned that it is in jeopardy.
"Well, first of all, until I hear that it's a permanent situation, I'm not going to believe it," McKee said about the slowdown in work at the stadium, first reported by WPRI-TV. "So my understanding is that there's a relatively small amount of funding that is in the works that'll complete their commitment in terms of the amount of money that they're going to privately put in."
Fortuitous has so far spent around $30 million on the stadium, which is to be the permanent home of Rhode Island FC, a team playing in the second tier of American professional soccer.
The stadium was originally supposed to be ready for the team to play its first match next spring, but the financial struggles pushed that timeline back and the team now plans to play its inaugural season at Bryant University's Beirne Stadium in Smithfield.
The most recent cost estimate for the stadium – $124 million – was made last year.
The $60 million in public borrowing and tax credits are expected to net Fortuitous $46 million toward construction, with private financing covering the rest, just under $50 million.
Last month, Fortuitous founder and principal Brett Johnson told the Boston Globe he was around $10 million short of raising the equity he needs from private investors and hoped to have it by the end of June.
With the end of the month approaching, Johnson is still working on it.
On Thursday, Rhode Island Building & Construction Trades Council President Michael Sabitoni, who helped McKee win approval for public stadium financing a year ago, urged the state to not wait any longer to commit its portion of project financing.
"That happens from time to time in these types of projects," Sabitoni said about some workers being called off the job. "It is now time for both the state and the city to make good on their obligations forthwith because time is money and the longer you wait the higher the increase in the project cost. Once these government entities fulfill their promised obligations, I am confident that this project will be completed."
Is McKee considering putting public money in before all the private money is in place, or any other action to prevent the stadium from languishing?
"We've done everything we're going to do in the project," he told reporters. "We're keeping up our commitment. We expect that the developer will keep up their commitment and the City of Pawtucket will do the same."
Originally, Tidewater Landing was to include a mixed-use residential development across the river from the stadium, but that part of the project was pushed back to concentrate resources on the stadium.
On Thursday, McKee said "we also have provisions in the budget to help and assist with the housing on the other side of the river."
Asked for details about what is in the just-signed state budget for Tidewater, Housing Secretary Stefan Pryor said he would have to review what McKee had said before he could comment. | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/pawtucket-stadium-financing-still-not-secured-so-work-on-site-slows/70346862007/ | 2023-06-22T23:53:47 | 1 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/22/pawtucket-stadium-financing-still-not-secured-so-work-on-site-slows/70346862007/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A man who shared his love and care of eagles over the years on KSN News has died.
Ken Lockwood, the founder of Eagle Valley Raptor Center, Cheney, died Tuesday at home.
At one time, Lockwood was a regular guest on KSN News at Noon. He would bring eagles, owls, and other raptors to our studio. They were often birds that had been injured, and his center was trying to rehabilitate them and return them to the wild.
Lockwood was passionate about the topic. In addition to his appearances on television, he shared his knowledge with student tour groups and other visitors. And he would invite KSN to watch as the rehabilitated birds were released back into the wild.
KSN News remembers Lockwood fondly, and we offer our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.
A message on the Eagle Valley Raptor Center Facebook page announced Lockwood’s death and said, “He will be deeply missed by many.”
The Facebook post goes on to say that those still at Eagle Valley will discuss its future in the coming weeks to determine the best path forward.
For now, tours, programs, and rehab intake are suspended for the foreseeable future. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/remembering-the-founder-of-eagle-valley-raptor-center/ | 2023-06-22T23:55:47 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/remembering-the-founder-of-eagle-valley-raptor-center/ |
PITTSBURGH — September marks two years since Karli Short was gunned down in McKeesport. Her dad told Channel 11 it doesn’t get any easier as he continues to fight for justice as they wait for the accused shooter’s trial at the courthouse.
“Talking to her, just saying hello, her positive spirit lifting me up when I’m down, holidays, everything,” said Brandon Short, Karli’s father.
RELATED >>> “There’s a killer on the loose”: Former NFL player remembers pregnant daughter killed in McKeesport
Just thinking about his beloved daughter Karli brings tears to Short’s eyes. He knows she’s looking out for him as he fights for justice for her and her unborn child.
“It will be okay, I’m okay, see you again someday,” Short said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Man accused of killing woman, her unborn child heading to trial
Short and his wife spent hours inside the courthouse Thursday morning as they waited for a hearing for the accused shooter, Isaac Smith.
That hearing got postponed again, but that’s not getting this family down.
“We will see. So we are just hanging in there, whatever God’s plan, we will be there,” Short said.
In the meantime, he can’t thank the community enough from the Steelers to the Pirates, Penn State, and even New York.
“The outpouring of support has been overwhelming. It’s been necessary, we needed it and I’m eternally grateful and appreciative of everyone,” Short said.
He knows his daughter’s legacy lives on as he started “The Karli Short Better Together” Foundation scholarship.
“We couldn’t think of a better way than offering people who have been affected by gun violence, that are dealing with a similar tragedy, access to education,” Short said.
Short and his wife are already helping to mentor the first scholars and hope to grow that program.
The motion hearing was moved to Monday morning and Short hopes to be back in Pittsburgh for it.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/hearing-postponed-man-accused-killing-woman-her-unborn-child/RKU3CJX7UJBW7DNUGUMDIG4LEU/ | 2023-06-22T23:55:51 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/hearing-postponed-man-accused-killing-woman-her-unborn-child/RKU3CJX7UJBW7DNUGUMDIG4LEU/ |
WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — A local hair salon owner facing prostitution charges for what she allegedly was doing inside of her hair salon appeared in court Thursday.
Her attorney said that she did what she had to do to pay medical bills.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Washington County hairstylist facing charges for allegedly running prostitution business in salon
Hair stylist Amy Zlobin, owner of Embellish Hair Cuts, was allegedly caught by an undercover police officer whom she offered sexual services at her salon.
Police say the officer made a half-hour appointment for $130.
When he arrived, Zlobin allegedly offered to perform sex acts, closed the blinds and locked the door.
Investigators say neighbors tipped off police, after growing suspicious over the number of men going in and out of the salon, day and night.
Zlobin was arrested by the undercover officer that day. Her attorney says his client was simply trying to pay medical bills for her daughter.
“She has a disabled daughter. She’s the sole provider for her daughter. It’s a sad situation,” her attorney said.
Today’s hearing was continued for 90 days for a mental health evaluation. If she completes it, the charges will be lowered to a summary offense.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/washington-county/washington-county-hairstylist-charged-allegedly-running-prostitution-business-appears-court/UXQMNVQLFNHOLB6QYTZLWTO43M/ | 2023-06-22T23:55:52 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/washington-county/washington-county-hairstylist-charged-allegedly-running-prostitution-business-appears-court/UXQMNVQLFNHOLB6QYTZLWTO43M/ |
TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) — A Tupelo man is accused of head-butting a police officer.
Tupelo Police arrested William Westmoreland, 43, on Monday, June 19 and charged him with simple assault on a police officer and felony possession of a controlled substance.
He allegedly attacked a police officer who pulled him over in the South Gloster Street area for traffic violations.
Police claim Westmoreland tried to put the officer in a headlock and later head-butted the officer who was trying to fasten Westmoreland’s seatbelt.
He later bonded out of jail. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/tupelo-man-accused-of-head-butting-officer/article_1d73691c-1139-11ee-9354-1b660b1928a6.html | 2023-06-22T23:57:45 | 1 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/tupelo-man-accused-of-head-butting-officer/article_1d73691c-1139-11ee-9354-1b660b1928a6.html |
The voice is familiar to the millions who ride New York City's subways, its deep and resonant tone ringing through tunnels and across the tracks. For more than a decade, Bernie Wagenblast has lent that voice to automated announcements alerting passengers to train arrivals and politely directing people to “please stand away from the platform edge.”
But earlier this year, Wagenblast, 66, went on the radio to publicly reveal a different voice — higher pitched and softer spoken — that is more reflective of the transition from the man she was to the transgender woman she was always meant to be.
For decades, Wagenblast’s voice — low, authoritative and benign all at once — has provided a career and livelihood. Yet she knows that her transformation won’t be complete unless she replaces her “guy voice” with one that has the vocal register, timbre and tone of a woman.
“Because my voice has played such a critical role in my life, to me it’s important that my voice sound as authentically female as it can,” she said at her home in Cranford, New Jersey, about 20 miles southwest of Manhattan.
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By sharing her story, she aspires to use her new voice, literally and figuratively, to inspire and empower others struggling with gender dysphoria during fraught times for LGBTQ+ communities as a wave of legislation restricts their rights across the country. Lawmakers in 20 states have moved to ban gender-affirming care. Some new laws keep transgender students off girls sports teams or out of certain bathrooms. Still others limit drag performances.
“I think just my existence, by sharing my story, helps to make people understand,” Wagenblast said.
Wagenblast knew as a child that she was meant to be a girl. But different social mores prevailed at the time, so she kept her secret inside as she got older.
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She embraced the voice she had and pursued a career in radio, contributing to several stations in New York as an on-air traffic reporter.
More than a dozen years ago, Wagenblast landed the job that has given her an audience of millions.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates the country’s busiest public transit system, uses several announcers. Wagenblast's voice is heard on most numbered train lines. Another oft-heard message, “Stand clear of the closing doors, please,” is voiced by a different announcer, Charlie Pellett.
Now semi-retired, Wagenblast continues to produce transportation-themed podcasts and newsletters.
Although Wagenblast is retraining her voice for a more feminine sound, she won’t leave her former voice totally behind — she can switch between vocal registers — because she could still use it professionally.
“I’m happy that millions of people are familiar with it,” she said. “Almost everybody who lives in New York has heard my voice at one time or another, and that just kind of blows my mind to think 8 million people — more than 8 million people — know my voice.”
The change won’t affect the subway announcements that have made Wagenblast’s voice recognizable. There are no plans to rerecord the work she did for the MTA or for the Port Authority of New York, which uses her voice for announcements on the AirTrain that serves Newark airport.
Wagenblast is mindful of all the strife and mental anguish suffered by transgender people still too afraid to become their true selves publicly, as she once was.
Over the years, she’s revealed her gender identity to family, including the woman Wagenblast married.
“I did tell my future wife, before I asked her to marry me, about this part of my life because I knew it was not going to change,” Wagenblast said, “and I wanted her to know that before I asked her to marry me.”
Together, they raised three daughters. They separated right before Wagenblast began socially transitioning and presenting as a woman.
One night last fall, Wagenblast decided to attend a community event as a woman, her first time doing so publicly. That night, she put on a wig and wore a borrowed dress. A friend did her makeup.
“In the past year, Bernie had concerns with acceptance, with people accepting her for who she is, how she wanted to appear, how she wanted to sound,” said Nicole Brownstein, who ran a support group at a New Jersey pride center and befriended Wagenblast several years ago.
Brownstein called coming out a double-edged sword that makes transgender communities more visible but also “brings you into the public eye and potentially makes you a target.”
As communities across the country celebrate Pride Month, transgender rights are front and center at some parades and other festivities as a show of solidarity. Organizers of Sunday’s annual Pride Parade in New York City, the nation’s largest commemoration of the 1969 riots that launched the gay rights movement, say the hostile acts “disproportionately targeting our trans siblings are disturbing and devastatingly not new.”
Waiting for a train at Grand Central Terminal, rider Billy Navarrete said she considered it unimportant that the voice she hears now belongs to a transgender woman.
“I think it’s fine because now they’re their true self. So I’m happy for them,” she said, before correcting the pronoun to “her." | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/as-a-transgender-woman-a-new-york-city-subway-icon-finds-her-voice/4445404/ | 2023-06-22T23:57:58 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/as-a-transgender-woman-a-new-york-city-subway-icon-finds-her-voice/4445404/ |
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Local | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/construction-worker-rescued-after-30-foot-fall-in-manhattan/4445566/ | 2023-06-22T23:58:04 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/construction-worker-rescued-after-30-foot-fall-in-manhattan/4445566/ |
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Local | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/man-charged-with-3-more-murders-in-nyc-nightclub-druggings/4445553/ | 2023-06-22T23:58:10 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/man-charged-with-3-more-murders-in-nyc-nightclub-druggings/4445553/ |
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and fellow Democratic leaders in the Legislature announced a deal Wednesday on a sweeping property tax rebate plan that had been a sticking point amid negotiations over the state’s more than $50 billion budget.
Murphy, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and Senate President Nicholas Scutari said homeowners 65 and older who make $500,000 or less will qualify for up to $6,500 in property tax relief under their plan. Renters would also get up to $700 in rebates.
Those benefits will take until 2026 to ramp up fully, Murphy said, but seniors and renters can expect to see $250 in immediate relief if the plan passes.
The program could be complex to roll out, and the economy could use more time to improve, Murphy said by way of explaining why it wouldn’t take full effect right away.
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The program will cost $1.2 billion once fully implemented, the governor said.
It still must be voted on by the Democratic-held Assembly and Senate, which are considering the governor’s $53.1 billion proposal ahead of a July 1 constitutional deadline to enact a balanced budget.
The leaders said it’s needed to stem the flow of seniors leaving the state for more tax-friendly locales, particularly in the South.
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“This agreement says we care about our seniors and making New Jersey affordable for all,” Murphy said.
Coughlin added: “This will give people the opportunity to stay in New Jersey. It is the right thing to do, not just for seniors, although they’ll get the checks. The benefit really extends to all of the family.”
Republicans criticized the plan, which the Democrats are calling “StayNJ,” calling it an election year gimmick aimed at wooing seniors.
“Trenton Democrats are trying to buy votes this year with the promise they’ll deliver StayNJ property tax relief starting in 2026,” state Sen. Joe Pennacchio said.
All seats in the Legislature are on the ballot this November.
The plan had become a sticking point among top state Democrats as the end of the fiscal year approaches. As originally proposed by Coughlin, the program would have offered up to $10,000 in benefits to seniors. It also didn’t have an income cap or include renters.
Coughlin had made it clear he wanted to include senior property tax relief in this year’s budget negotiations. Murphy described the agreement as the result of the men trying to find a “fiscally responsible” solution.
State revenues fluctuate from year to year, and certain line items are required under New Jersey’s constitution, like education spending.
That has sometimes made it difficult for earlier administrations to fully fund all promises made by governors and lawmakers.
Murphy expressed optimism that it will be within the state’s means to fund the plan and still meet other obligations such as education and pension funding.
New Jersey has among the highest property taxes in the country, with the average bill approaching $9,500 a year. The taxes pay for local government and schools. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-jersey-governor-lawmakers-announce-deal-on-property-tax-break-for-seniors/4444285/ | 2023-06-22T23:58:17 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/new-jersey-governor-lawmakers-announce-deal-on-property-tax-break-for-seniors/4444285/ |
What to Know
- A grandmother was sentenced to 23 years in prison for shooting the father of her grandchild in his Queens home in July 2020, according to prosecutors.
- Suzette Olin, 68, was sentenced Wednesday after being convicted in March to 23 years in prison followed by 5 years post-release supervision for manslaughter in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree
- A subsequent probe revealed that three days before the shooting, Olin’s daughter filed a domestic incident report with police alleging Ifil broke a door in their apartment. Police responded, and bodycam footage showed the broken door. The girlfriend did not appear to be injured.
A grandmother was sentenced to 23 years in prison for shooting the father of her grandchild in his Queens home in July 2020, according to prosecutors.
Suzette Olin, 68, was sentenced Wednesday after being convicted in March to 23 years in prison followed by 5 years post-release supervision for manslaughter in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree
According to Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, citing the trial testimony, on July 26, 2020 at around 2 p.m. a neighbor called 911 after discovering Shaka Ifil, who at that time was 40 years old, on the floor of his 91st Avenue apartment with a gunshot wound to his back.
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Ifil, who was the boyfriend of Olin's daughter and had a child with her, told police that his girlfriend’s mother shot him, according to trial testimony. He died later that day at a local hospital due to gunshot injuries.
Security camera video showed a woman apparently smoking a cigarette get out of an Access-A-Ride car service vehicle near Ifil’s home at about 1:51 p.m. July 26, 2020, and then leave the home at 2:01 p.m., according to the trial testimony. The woman was identified as Olin and a DNA test of a cigarette butt found in the apartment linked her to the location.
A subsequent probe revealed that three days before the shooting, Olin’s daughter filed a domestic incident report with police alleging Ifil broke a door in their apartment. Police responded, and bodycam footage showed the broken door. The girlfriend did not appear to be injured. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/queens-grandmother-sentenced-for-shooting-death-of-daughters-boyfriend/4445078/ | 2023-06-22T23:58:20 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/queens-grandmother-sentenced-for-shooting-death-of-daughters-boyfriend/4445078/ |
One teenager is dead, and a second hospitalized, after police sources say they were subway surfing in Brooklyn.
The tragedy happened around 2 p.m. Thursday at the Bushwick Avenue subway station where the pair were struck by a Manhattan-bound train.
When the train the 14-year-old boys were riding went from above ground into an underground tunnel, officials say they were knocked off the top of the train.
The teenager who survived was said to be in critical condition.
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L train service was running with extensive delays heading into the evening rush hour.
At an evening press conference with the NYPD, Mayor Eric Adams made demands for TikTok to take down videos that show kids subway surfing. He says those videos have been viewed millions of times.
Copyright NBC New York | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/teen-killed-second-critically-hurt-subway-surfing-in-brooklyn/4445497/ | 2023-06-22T23:58:26 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/teen-killed-second-critically-hurt-subway-surfing-in-brooklyn/4445497/ |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/navarro-county-residents-clean-up-after-storm-damage/3282857/ | 2023-06-22T23:58:46 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/navarro-county-residents-clean-up-after-storm-damage/3282857/ |
Arlington City Manager Trey Yelverton has appointed Bret Stidham, a 30-year professional firefighter with Dallas Fire-Rescue, as the city's new fire chief and director of emergency management.
Stidham has served as second-in-command with Dallas Fire-Rescue since 2019 and was assistant fire chief of emergency operations and special operations there for two years prior.
On Aug. 7, Stidham will begin leading Arlington's 399-person Fire Department and 113-person 911 Dispatch Center.
Assistant Fire Chief Jonathan Ingols will continue to serve as the department's interim fire chief until then.
Following Fire Chief Don Crowson's announcement that he was retiring after a 40-year career, nearly 50 public safety professionals from across the country applied for the role.
Earlier in June, Stidham and four other fire chief candidates engaged in a series of panel interviews that included a diverse group of the city's executive leadership team, Arlington Professional Fire Fighters Association representatives, and business leaders.
"Chief Stidham stood out in a very robust selection process and everyone we spoke with who had the chance to work with him in the City of Dallas had nothing but glowing remarks about his leadership, skills and ability to collaborate," Yelverton said.
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The latest news from around North Texas.
Stidham said he is looking forward to beginning his career in Arlington, which is home to nearly 400,000 residents and draws more than 14 million visitors each year.
"I feel like my 30-year career has led me to this moment. There's a lot going on in Arlington - it's a destination city and a city on the grow," said Stidham, who said he grew up in North Texas and has visited Arlington for Rangers and Cowboys games, days at Six Flags Over Texas and other activities throughout his life. "This is a fire chief's dream job, to be honest." | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/new-fire-chief-announced-for-city-of-arlington/3282822/ | 2023-06-22T23:58:59 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/new-fire-chief-announced-for-city-of-arlington/3282822/ |
Law enforcement in Arizona are investigating the suspected homicide of an 18-year-old Gretna man, whose body was found last week in the rubble of a bonfire pit in a remote area near Phoenix.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office called Parker League's death "malicious" and told the Journal Star the case is actively being worked by its homicide unit, according to Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez, a public information officer.
On the morning of June 12, deputies responded to reports of a body being found in Bulldog Canyon, a remote area about 40 miles northeast of Phoenix.
According to local news reports about the gruesome discovery, neighbors say the off-highway vehicle area in a desert area of Tonto National Forest is being overrun with homeless people, drug users and criminals.
The sheriff's office hasn't released any further information about the investigation into League's death. The cause of his death remained pending, according to the Maricopa County Medical Examiner's office, and no arrests had been made as of late Thursday morning.
The Tempe Police Department says a family member reported League missing on June 15.
A public information officer told the Journal Star he had been visiting Tempe and staying at a home there, where investigators found his belongings left behind.
League's grandmother, Trish Westphal of Lincoln, said Thursday any words she has aren't suitable for print.
"What kind of evil monster does this," she said.
Westphal said League had just graduated from Gretna High School this spring. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-courts/gretna-teens-body-found-in-arizona-homicide-suspected/article_57da42a6-1116-11ee-86b8-27093689a5c2.html | 2023-06-23T00:02:59 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-courts/gretna-teens-body-found-in-arizona-homicide-suspected/article_57da42a6-1116-11ee-86b8-27093689a5c2.html |
All abortions will remain legal in Wyoming, at least for now, after a Teton County judge Thursday blocked a first-of-its-kind ban on medication abortions that was set to go into effect next month.
Ninth District Court Judge Melissa Owens halted the abortion pill ban after a group of medical providers, Wyoming women and a Wyoming abortion fund challenged the new restrictions passed by lawmakers earlier this year as a part of their legal battle to preserve abortion access in the state. Anti-abortion advocates will now have to wait while the medication abortion ban and the state’s other abortion ban, also known as the Life is a Human Right Act, work their way through the courts.
"Essentially the government under this law is making the decision for a woman rather than the woman making her own health care choice, which is what the overwhelming majority in Wyoming decided that we should get to do," Owens said.
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Sponsored by Sen. Tim Salazar, R-Riverton, and backed by roughly three dozen lawmakers in the House and Senate, the law would have made it illegal for anyone to prescribe, dispense, distribute, sell or use any drug to perform an abortion in Wyoming as of July 1. Anti-abortion advocates pushed for the law, saying it was necessary to protect women and would ensure that abortions were banned in the state.
"The abortion lobby will try to use chemical abortion pills to circumvent future abortion bans in the state of Wyoming and this law will ever stop that from happening," Michael Barrow, a Wyoming state action captain for Students for Life of America, testified before the Senate Labor, Health and Social Services Committee.
The ban makes some exceptions in the cases of "natural miscarriage," rape, incest and if the life of the woman is in danger. However, it excludes "any psychological or emotional conditions" and would see any physician or person who helped a woman obtain abortion pills face misdemeanor charges, up to six months in jail and up to a $9,000 fine.
The ban targets the most common form of abortion in Wyoming and would have effectively ended abortion in the state. According to the Wyoming Department of Health’s most recent report, all 98 abortions in Wyoming in 2021 were via medication abortion. Of the more than 200 abortions that have taken place in the state from 2019 – 2021, only three were not confirmed medication abortions.
"Because nearly all Wyoming abortions are in fact medication abortions, it acts as a complete ban," Marci Bramlet, one of the lawyers for the medical providers, women and Chelsea’s Fund, the Lander-based abortion fund, told Owens.
She added that the law does not even meet the state's own goal of prohibiting abortions because it still allows surgical abortions. Bramlet said the only purpose of the law was to make abortion more invasive and difficult for women. "It effectively tells people you must have an open-heart surgery when a stent would do," she said.
As in its legal challenge to the Life is a Human Right Act, the group argued that the abortion pill ban violates the Wyoming Constitution and the women’s right to make their own health care decisions, causing irreparable harm. However, they also call attention to the broader implications of the state’s abortion pill ban, which they contend would have severe consequences for all women.
"The Ban will also impact my ability to care for many of my other patients, not just patients seeking to terminate a pregnancy," Dr. Giovannina Anthony, a medical and abortion provider at the Women’s Health and Family Care clinic in Jackson, said in an affidavit.
Mifepristone and misoprostol are the two drugs typically used together in a medication abortion. However, misoprostol has other important uses for reproductive and women’s health, including inducing labor during pregnancies and treating postpartum hemorrhaging. Without clear guidelines when the drugs can be used, and with narrower exceptions (the law does not include exceptions for ectopic pregnancies or in the case of fatal fetal abnormalities like in the Life is a Human Right Act), the group argues that the ban will effectively end the use of the medications in Wyoming, harming patients even if they are not pursuing an abortion.
"Due to the legal risks associated with filling prescriptions for these medications under the Ban, it is likely that private pharmacies will not stock the medications that are necessary for routine gynecological care and CWC will be unable to care for our patients," Dr. Rene Hinkle, an OB-GYN with Cheyenne Women’s Clinic, testified in an affidavit. "In the context of debilitating health conditions like postpartum hemorrhages, there is the risk that CWC will be delayed in providing care while physicians and pharmacists determine if there is any legal risk with administering medication."
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked a lower court’s decision that would have restricted access to mifepristone, ruling that the drug should remain widely available nationwide while legal challenges to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval and the loosening of regulations around mifepristone make their way through the courts.
Jay Jerde, Wyoming’s special assistant attorney general, urged Owens to let the ban take effect, saying that the plaintiffs were improperly trying to get the ban thrown out.
In legal filings, Jerde and the state have used similar arguments to their defense of the Life is a Human Right Act. They maintain that abortion is not health care, that the women do not have a constitutional right to decide what medical services are legal and that the 2012 constitutional amendment that lawmakers and voters passed guaranteeing "each competent adult shall have the right to make his or her own health care decisions" only applies to the federal government.
“The framers and the voters took the state of Wyoming out of the mix and directed the state to act to preserve the Section 38 rights [guaranteed by the Wyoming Constitution] from undue infringement by other governments,” Jerde said. “It makes no sense to tell the state of Wyoming to act to preserve the rights from yourself.”
However, Owens questioned Jerde’s reasoning.
"It’s chopping up a constitutional amendment and saying we get to apply C and D because it works for the Legislature, but we don’t have to apply A because abortion isn’t health care," she said.
Owens struggled throughout the hearing with Jerde's arguments, pointing out that the state’s defense can be ambiguous and at times the conflicts itself. Jerde held that an elected abortion is “unrelated to health care” even if part of the women’s decision is to avoid the myriad of physical effects of pregnancy. Jerde also had difficulty explaining how a healthy fetus produced by rape or interest, in which abortion is allowed under both bans, was different than that of other pregnancies.
But it’s the way Jerde and the state interpret the Wyoming Constitution with some parts justifying lawmakers’ decision to prohibit abortion, but others not applying to the state that gave Owens the most confusion.
“It is still the answer that I've been looking for that I don't seem to get,” she said.
Owens’ decision on the abortion pill follows her ruling at an emergency hearing in March blocking the state’s broader abortion ban just days after it went into effect. Sponsored by Rep. Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, the Life is a Human Right Act aimed to answer the legal questions raised after the Legislature’s first trigger ban was challenged in court. Rodriguez-Williams and other lawmakers during this year’s legislative session expressed confidence that the new law would hold up in court and bring an end to abortion in Wyoming sooner.
However, Owens questioned the constitutionally of the new ban, which critics and even supporters cautioned violated the separation of powers in its wide-ranging assertions and interpretations, including that abortion is not health care under the Wyoming Constitution.
"The Legislature declaring that abortion is not health care takes away from the duty of this court to decide constitutional questions of law, and that violates the separation of powers," Owens said during the March hearing.
"The state cannot legislate away a constitutional right," she added.
Earlier this month Owens scheduled a three-day bench trial beginning April 15, 2024 that will decided the fate of Wyoming’s broad abortion ban at least temporarily with an appeal to the Wyoming Supreme Court likely.
This story has been updated. | https://trib.com/news/local/business/health-care/teton-county-judge-halts-abortion-pill-ban/article_a7ec834e-1111-11ee-8396-971a4bc6033c.html | 2023-06-23T00:03:00 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/business/health-care/teton-county-judge-halts-abortion-pill-ban/article_a7ec834e-1111-11ee-8396-971a4bc6033c.html |
Alex Azevedo sits on his dad's vintage motor car before the International Speedsters Trials and Reunions road trip Thursday morning.
HAYDEN ROONEY, Journal Star
Vintage cars line up before departing on the International Speedsters Trials and Reunions road trip Thursday morning.
HAYDEN ROONEY, Journal Star
Chadwick Azevedo and his son, Alex, make last minute preparations before the International Speedsters Trials and Reunions road trip Thursday morning.
HAYDEN ROONEY, Journal Star
Chadwick Azevedo and his son, Alex make last minute preparations before the International Speedsters Trials and Reunions road trip Thursday morning.
HAYDEN ROONEY, Journal Star
Vintage car enthusiasts David Wacker Sr. (from left), Martin Helgerson and Chris Wiggins check the engine oil of a classic car before the International Speedsters Trials and Reunions road trip Thursday morning.
If you saw a few dozen vintage cars cruising down the highway on Thursday, don’t worry, you didn’t jump back into the 1900s.
On Thursday morning, dozens of classic cars and hot rods left the Museum of American Speed in Lincoln at 8:30 a.m. for a 180-mile ride through Southeast Nebraska. The road tour is part of the International Speedsters Trials and Reunion weekend hosted by Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed.
The events continue Friday with a Hill Climb from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 6200 West Fletcher Ave. On Saturday, the reunion ends with a family friendly Cars & Coffee gathering from 8 a.m. to noon at Speedway Motors, 340 Victory Lane.
Tim Matthews, curator of the museum, said there are more than 120 registrants for the weekend events with participants coming from around the world. Several have traveled from New Zealand and Canada to partake in the festivities.
“This is our 10th running of the speedster reunion and it just keeps growing,” Matthews said.
Mike Vaughn, a volunteer at the Museum and a local Model T expert, took the lead for the road tour with an early 1900s Model T.
A few other notable car enthusiasts have made the trek to Nebraska for the weekend including car builder Chip Foose from California and 101-year-old Ed Iskenderian. The diverse participants have brought a large variety of cars that have passed through generations of hands.
“It’s an opportunity to take really old equipment, basically cars that come from the dawn of automotive activity in America, and then souping them up with old period parts,” Matthews said. “The cars are usually using speed equipment to make them faster and go further.”
Chadwick Azevedo traveled from Tennessee with a Model T that his dad and grandfather built in the late '70s with all original parts.
“My grandfather, mom’s dad, had built this to be the fastest speedster at the time,” Azevedo said. “This sucker would do well over 100 easily.”
Azevedo attended the Lincoln reunion for the first time with his son, Alex. The two were decked out in racing goggles, vintage clothing and said they were excited to reunite with friends.
The car is a family treasure as it was passed down to Azevedo’s mom, Shirley, in 1985 after his dad’s death. The slick white speedster is on its second paint job with “Shirley” scribed in a bright blue on the side.
Just as a parent can’t choose a favorite child, David Coleman from West Virginia can’t choose a favorite car. This weekend, Coleman decided to bring his 1920 Ford Model T Hot Rod. It’s one of the many cars he owns that he rebuilt and has been driving for 20 years. Coleman often travels to events around the country with this weekend marking his sixth time in Lincoln.
“There’s a lot of people that you meet here that have similar interests with cars,” Coleman said.
Dean Robertson from South Dakota is another longtime attendee who has been participating for the majority of the event’s history. He drove a 1932 Model A Roadster, a hot rod in the '50s.
Vintage car enthusiasts David Wacker Sr. (from left), Martin Helgerson and Chris Wiggins check the engine oil of a classic car before the International Speedsters Trials and Reunions road trip Thursday morning. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/weekend-of-vintage-car-events-officially-underway-in-lincoln/article_9b8a0502-111d-11ee-b9eb-477ffb117eed.html | 2023-06-23T00:03:06 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/weekend-of-vintage-car-events-officially-underway-in-lincoln/article_9b8a0502-111d-11ee-b9eb-477ffb117eed.html |
Maricopa County attorney resolves lawsuit with Arizona over executions
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office says it has resolved a lawsuit with Arizona after the state Department of Corrections confirmed it was prepared to carry out executions.
Gov. Katie Hobbs announced the establishment of a Death Penalty Independent Review Commission in January, and Attorney General Kris Mayes filed to withdraw a motion for the only pending death warrant, effectively pausing executions in Arizona.
When death-row prisoner Aaron Gunches and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office challenged that decision, the state claimed in March that it lacked the personnel and expertise to carry out executions because of the turnover in administrations after the appointment of new Department of Corrections Director Ryan Thornell.
At his confirmation hearing in June, Thornell said the department has been prepared since May 5 to carry out an execution should a warrant for one be issued. The only remaining matter would be the compounding of the execution drugs because they have a limited shelf life, he said.
He was on death row for 29 years:His case pingponged through the courts. Now, he's free
"The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office recently brought a lawsuit asking that Arizona’s Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry be prepared to carry out an execution in accordance with the law," the office said in a statement on Thursday.
"As part of that lawsuit, ADCRR has now affirmed to the victims, MCAO, and the court that it is operationally prepared to carry out executions in compliance with the law," the statement said.
As a result, the office and victims' families have agreed to dismiss the lawsuit.
In a statement, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said, “It is agonizing for families to remain mired in grief and anger as they await justice.
"I believe the law is clear ― once a defendant is sentenced to death, the state is obligated to act," Mitchell said. "I am committed to these families and will continue to take appropriate steps to make sure that they do receive justice and that the law is enforced." | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/06/22/maricopa-county-attorney-resolves-lawsuit-with-arizona-over-executions/70348313007/ | 2023-06-23T00:10:06 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/06/22/maricopa-county-attorney-resolves-lawsuit-with-arizona-over-executions/70348313007/ |
Wildhorse wildfire forces evacuations and highway closure in Cochise County
Evacuations were ordered and a portion of State Route 92 was closed Thursday afternoon due to a wildfire in Cochise County.
The Wildhorse Fire was reported just after noon in the Palominas area near Hereford in Cochise County, according to information shared by the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management on Facebook. It was not immediately clear how many acres the wildfire had consumed.
Wildfire map:Track where fires are burning in Arizona in 2023
At 2 p.m., firefighters stopped progress of the fire and crews were working to get containment lines around it.
Evacuations and closures
The Cochise County Sheriff's Office ordered evacuations about 12:30 p.m. The following were still in place:
"Go" status:
- East of State Route 92, south of Hereford Road, to Three Canyons.
"Set" status:
- West of State Route 92.
Large-animal shelters were available at the Sierra Vista riding club, which could be reached at 520-226-0861, and at the Wern Arena on Fort Huachuca, according to the Sheriff's Office.
SR 92 was closed in both directions south of Sierra Vista, between mileposts 327 and 343. The wildfire also caused a road closure at Hereford Road, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.
The Sheriff's Office advised drivers to check updates and road conditions at az511.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-wildfires/2023/06/22/wildhorse-wildfire-forces-evacuations-in-cochise-county/70348590007/ | 2023-06-23T00:10:07 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-wildfires/2023/06/22/wildhorse-wildfire-forces-evacuations-in-cochise-county/70348590007/ |
Man arrested after blood trail connects him to fatal stabbing outside Gilbert bar
Detectives with Gilbert police have arrested a man in connection to a fatal stabbing in a parking lot last weekend.
Isaiah Panez, 22, was found in a parking lot near Ash Street and Vaughn Avenue at around 1:16 a.m. on Sunday, Gilbert police said. Officers found him with multiple stab wounds. He was later pronounced dead at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa, police said.
The suspect was identified as 36-year-old Dennis Fernando Pacheco, according to a statement released by the Gilbert Police Department.
According to court documents, police obtained footage from several surveillance cameras near the Porch Bar and The Hale Center, where the stabbing occurred.
The footage shows a couple, identified by police as Panez and his girlfriend, leaving the bar located on Gilbert Road at around 1 a.m. and walking over to a parking lot in front of The Hale Center. The couple is then confronted by three people and a physical altercation ensues, according to court documents.
Detectives believe that the victim was attacked during this altercation, identifying at least three suspects of which only Pacheco was named, according to court documents.
Gilbert police did not provide further information regarding any outstanding suspects in this case.
According to court documents, officers on the scene found two blood trails: one that belonged to Panez as he was carried on a gurney to receive medical attention and another that trailed away from the scene, which belonged to Pacheco.
On Monday, a day after the incident, police received a call about blood found on the exterior of a resident's car parked at an apartment complex near Gilbert and Elliot roads. When officers arrived, they followed the blood trail to a unit registered to Pacheco and his wife. However, Pacheco was not there and his wife told police that he no longer lived at the residence, according to court documents.
After searching the area, police found hospital records that showed Pacheco had been treated for a cut to the hand, and blood tests showed that the blood trail found at the apartment complex belonged to him and matched the one at the scene of the stabbing, court documents state.
Police attempted to locate Pacheco at different addresses and by tracking his location using his cellphone, but eventually, his lawyer contacted police, informing them of his intentions of turning himself in, court records say. He was taken into custody on Tuesday.
Pacheco was arrested and booked Tuesday in Maricopa County Jail on a charge of second-degree murder. His bond was set at $500,000. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/gilbert/2023/06/22/man-arrested-connected-to-fatal-stabbing-outside-of-gilbert-bar/70344606007/ | 2023-06-23T00:10:07 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/gilbert/2023/06/22/man-arrested-connected-to-fatal-stabbing-outside-of-gilbert-bar/70344606007/ |
GLADWIN, Mich. (WJRT) - The City of Gladwin is asking people who live south of Grout Street to boil their water before drinking it or cooking with it.
The advisory will last for about 48 hours.
There is ongoing work on the city's water system caused which caused a drop in pressure.
The Village of Holly is still under a boil water alert after a water main break this week. The water is safe for bathing, washing, and for any other chores. The alert is expected to last until at least tomorrow morning. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/parts-of-gladwin-under-a-boil-water-advisory/article_a62a019e-1148-11ee-839b-efaeac7568ac.html | 2023-06-23T00:13:14 | 0 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/parts-of-gladwin-under-a-boil-water-advisory/article_a62a019e-1148-11ee-839b-efaeac7568ac.html |
PEORIA, Ariz. — Authorities are investigating a drowning at Lake Pleasant on Thursday afternoon.
Peoria Fire said when firefighters arrived on the scene, they found bystanders performing CPR on the adult victim.
Officials said firefighters took over life-saving measures, but the person did not survive.
Police are investigating what led up to the incident.
The victim is not being identified at this time.
This is a developing story. Stay with 12News for updates.
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Drowning Prevention Tips:
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children between ages 1-4 aside from birth defects, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Three children die every day as a result of drowning. Here are some tips from the CDC on how to protect children around water:
Learn life-saving skills.
Everyone should know the basics of swimming (floating, moving through the water) and CPR.
Fence it off.
Install a four–sided isolation fence, with self–closing and self–latching gates, around backyard swimming pools. This can help keep children away from the area when they aren’t supposed to be swimming. Pool fences should be completely separate the house and play area from the pool.
Life jackets are a must.
Make sure kids wear life jackets in and around natural bodies of water, such as lakes or the ocean, even if they know how to swim. Life jackets can be used in and around pools for weaker swimmers too.
Keep a close watch
When kids are in or near water (including bathtubs), closely supervise them at all times. Because drowning happens quickly and quietly, adults watching kids in or near water should avoid distracting activities like reading books, talking on the phone, or using alcohol and drugs.
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12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/drowning-at-lake-pleasant/75-7576fc28-fd3e-43c5-9cf4-aabcabf4edf3 | 2023-06-23T00:15:45 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/drowning-at-lake-pleasant/75-7576fc28-fd3e-43c5-9cf4-aabcabf4edf3 |
PRESCOTT, Ariz. — Two Prescott residents are suing the state for allocating over $15 million to the operators of a local rodeo event, claiming the appropriation violated Arizona's gift clause.
The Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest filed the litigation Wednesday on behalf of Howard Mechanic and Ralph Hess, in an effort to stop the state treasurer from distributing the funds to Prescott Frontier Days.
The appropriation was among many items included in the state budget recently passed by lawmakers and signed by the governor. But the plaintiffs argue that the $15 million allocation was given without strings attached.
“In other words, the organization has not promised to do anything in return for the money, including even spending it on the rodeo or the fairgrounds," Danny Adelman, the center’s executive director, said in a statement.
The lawsuit claims the money allocated to Prescott Frontier Days violates a clause in the Arizona Constitution that prohibits the government from distributing monetary gifts to private entities not providing a public service.
"No provisions regarding this appropriation were set forth in any budget reconciliation bill," the plaintiff's attorneys wrote in a court filing. "Indeed, the entity that is set to receive the funds made no promises in any contract as to how the money will be spent."
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has also been critical of the money given to the Prescott rodeo operators, especially since she feels the state budget offered little resources to government agencies.
“Explain to me how that makes sense. State agencies across the board are facing the same situation. These were bad choices that they made,” Mayes told Arizona PBS.
The plaintiffs are attempting to obtain a temporary restraining order from the court to stop the state from distributing the funds. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/lawsuit-challenges-15m-given-prescott-rodeo-arizona-constitution/75-1ee46003-0265-4062-a6be-b561368750e4 | 2023-06-23T00:15:51 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/lawsuit-challenges-15m-given-prescott-rodeo-arizona-constitution/75-1ee46003-0265-4062-a6be-b561368750e4 |
PHOENIX — Maricopa County's top prosecutor has agreed to drop a lawsuit against state officials after getting reassurance that Arizona is prepared to continue executing inmates.
Gov. Katie Hobbs announced earlier this year the state would pause executions until her administration could conduct a review of Arizona's death penalty procedures.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell responded by filing litigation to compel the Department of Corrections to carry out an execution.
Ryan Thornell, the state's new prisons director, recently told lawmakers his department is ready to resume executions on death row.
"The issues, the questions, the concerns I had as director have all been resolved," Thornell told the Senate's Committee on Director Nominations.
Mitchell announced Thursday her office was dismissing its lawsuit after getting reassurance from the prisons that they were prepared to carry out executions in compliance with the law.
"I believe the law is clear – once a defendant is sentenced to death, the state is obligated to act. I am committed to these families and will continue to take appropriate steps to make sure that they do receive justice and that the law is enforced," Mitchell said in a statement.
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12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/rachel-mitchell-drops-lawsuit-assured-executions-prison-death-row/75-b07a04eb-6e11-4bca-81f8-a33259438444 | 2023-06-23T00:15:57 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/rachel-mitchell-drops-lawsuit-assured-executions-prison-death-row/75-b07a04eb-6e11-4bca-81f8-a33259438444 |
BENSON, Ariz. — A wildfire called the Post Fire burning 7 miles southwest of Benson in southern Arizona has forced the closure of State Route 90, according to the state's Department of Forestry.
The fire had grown to 620 acres as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Officials said structures to the north might have been impacted and the fire was "moving very rapidly to the northeast."
Officials said 250 fire personnel are on the scene.
Benson is 50 miles southeast of Tucson
How many acres has it burned?
The Post Fire Fire has burned 620 acres, fire officials said.
Are there any evacuations?
No evacuations are in place at this time.
>> Go to the Arizona Emergency Information Network website to learn how the READY, SET, GO evacuation system works.
Are there any road closures?
State Route 90 is closed in both directions between Interstate 10 and State route 82.
>> This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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Wildfire Go-Kit:
Residents in wildfire-prone areas are urged to have an emergency supplies kit to bring with them of they are evacuated from their homes, especially as Arizona residents are beginning to see early widespread fire activity throughout the state.
An emergency supply kit should be put together long before a wildfire or another disaster occurs. Make sure to keep it easily accessible so you can take it with you when you have to evacuate.
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that residents near a disaster store emergency supplies in a plastic tub, small suitcase, trash can, backpack, or other containers.
Residents should make sure they have the necessities, such as three gallons of water per person and a three-day supply of ready-to-eat food, the NFPA said. A first-aid kit, prescription medications, contact lenses, and non-prescription drugs should also be taken into account.
Copies of any important family documents, including insurance policies, identification, bank account records, and emergency contact numbers should also be taken and put into a waterproof, portable container in your kit, the NFPA said.
The association lists other items that would help in a disaster, including:
Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
Battery-powered or hand-cranked radio and a NOAA weather radio to receive up-to-date information
Dust mask or cotton T-shirt to filter the air
Matches in a waterproof container
Complete change of clothing including long pants, long sleeve shirts, and sturdy shoes stored in a waterproof container
Signal flare
The entire NFPA checklist of supplies can be found here. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/wildfire/post-fire-burning-southwest-benson/75-338e66ed-f096-40bb-909e-076a008ec608 | 2023-06-23T00:16:04 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/wildfire/post-fire-burning-southwest-benson/75-338e66ed-f096-40bb-909e-076a008ec608 |
SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — Firefighters said they had stopped the forward progress of a wildfire burning in southern Arizona Thursday.
The "Wildhorse Fire" is burning in Hereford, located southeast of Sierra Vista. According to officials, the fire has burned about 30 acres near Ramsey Canyon and is still burning.
The fire forced evacuations and threatened structures nearby.
Here's a breakdown of the current evacuations:
- South of Three Canyons, East of Highway 92 to Deer Ridge, Wildhorse Area, Andalusian Way area
There are also important closures to be aware of:
- Highway 92 is closed to all traffic from Ramsey Canyon Road through Palominas Road
- Hard Road Closure at Hereford Road
- SR 92 is CLOSED in both directions south of Sierra Vista
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Estructuras en peligro, ordenaron evacuaciones debido a un incendio al sureste de Sierra Vista
>> We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.
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Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/wildfire/structures-threatened-evacuations-underway-wildfire-start-hereford-arizona/75-2b0a81f3-1a91-4512-9f6a-fb63fff8a003 | 2023-06-23T00:16:10 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/wildfire/structures-threatened-evacuations-underway-wildfire-start-hereford-arizona/75-2b0a81f3-1a91-4512-9f6a-fb63fff8a003 |
SAN ANTONIO — A trial spanning nearly three weeks is coming to a close. An US Army lieutenant colonel and his wife are one of several families suing AETC II Privatized Housing, which owns Hunt Military Communities, a company that leased homes on JBSA Randolph and Laughlin Air Force Base.
The jury began their deliberations around 3:00pm after closing arguments were delivered Thursday afternoon.
Lawyers for Hunt argue the Vinales family delayed and denied maintenance from completing work on the home.
In what will be the first of many cases—US Army Lt. Col. Shane Vinales and his wife Becky sued Hunt Military Communities, claiming mold, and other structural issues like toilet leaks, cracks in the floor joints, holes in floors, occurred in their house and others like it on JBSA Randolph. The issues cascaded from there, including mold in their vents and on some of their belongings.
The jury was asked to consider if the defendant made a diligent effort to repair the conditions inside the home. They will also be asked if Hunt Military Communities failed to maintain all electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, AC inside the Vinales home.
Attorney Ryan Reed argues for the Vinales family that diligence means making more than band-aid fixes.
They claim mold, HVAC issues, toilet leaks and ant infestations persisted while the Vinales lived in the home from October 2017 until they moved out in May 2019. More than a hundred work orders were submitted for the various issues, including a full mold remediation towards the end of their lease.
“What we see is a cobbled-together protocol,” plaintiff attorney Ryan Reed told the jury that the mold remediation was unsuccessful since mold was still found on the family’s belongings when they moved.
Defense attorney Walter Boone stated that Hunt Military Communities made a diligent effort by following up with the family after work orders were completed. In those warm calls, Boone says the Vinales only responded to two emails sent.
“We fixed what the Vinales told us about, we tried to fix the problems, but Vinaleses delayed us or wouldn’t let us,” Boone presented during his argument.
Boone says that Randolph Family Housing took mold very seriously, but states there was no mold detected in the house that would’ve triggered the landlord’s policies to remediate such issues.
Defense attorneys claim the Vinales didn’t mention mold until a 2019 town hall, which multiple families attended. The Vinales family testified they believed there was mold since day one when they moved in.
The Vinales family testified they told the housing company about mold when they moved in 2017—but according to defense witnesses, mold wasn’t reported until 2019.
The defendants claim they paid more than $35,000 to cover the family’s out of pocket expenses when they had to vacate the home for mold remediation.
According to work order history, mold was only reported on four items after the remediation was done, but the Vinales family says they found additional mold on their belongings when they moved to their next base.\
The jury will also consider more than $96,000 in damages, both for rent paid during the Vinales’ tenancy and for their goods damaged by mold.
Multiple families have sued Hunt, but each case is being heard individually.
This is a developing story. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/jury-army-family-suing-jbsa-randolph/273-12122914-d7c2-4687-8136-04e587fb9640 | 2023-06-23T00:18:45 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/jury-army-family-suing-jbsa-randolph/273-12122914-d7c2-4687-8136-04e587fb9640 |
SAN ANTONIO — The countdown is on to the start of the NBA Draft.
Anticipation is growing for what's expected to be a legendary first pick by the San Antonio Spurs.
Brian Birdy, a self-proclaimed super fan, hopes the team will select the top prospect: Victor Wembanyama.
"We've only had [the] number one [pick] twice before, and we took David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Two big guys who changed our team," said Birdy.
Two basketball players who are now enshrined in the Hall of Fame. The duo's picture is framed on the wall in Birdy's office at work.
"This is my team and it has been since I was 13 years old. I'm about to be 58, so 45 years of watching," he said.
Birdy watched his first Spurs game on May 16, 1979. Twenty years later he became a season ticket holder, and has been for 24 years. Birdy attends at least one home game a week. He's also attended games away.
"Houston, Dallas, New Orleans, Orlando, Miami, New York, Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix, Sacramento. I think that's it," he said. "Oh wait, Utah."
If he had to guess, Birdy would say he has 150 items in his office dedicated to the Spurs. One of his very first collector's items is from 1999.
"The one up here [on the wall] with the tickets on it is actually from one of the games from the first championships."
He has flags, photos, rings, medals, Legos, basketballs, bobbleheads and more. After Thursday night's draft, he hopes to add more merchandise of the 7-foot-3 French prospect to his collection.
"Hopefully, Wemby can be my new favorite player," he said. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/spurs-super-fan-wemby/273-76569f08-075c-4ca4-9f34-4ef950f30c75 | 2023-06-23T00:18:51 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/spurs-super-fan-wemby/273-76569f08-075c-4ca4-9f34-4ef950f30c75 |
SAN ANTONIO — A senate bill originally meant to prevent anyone under 18 from being exposed to drag shows now has language so broad that it could put many kinds of performances out of business, at least according to the American Civil Liberties Union.
The first draft of SB 12 included one definition for "sexually oriented performance" that included "a male performer exhibiting as a female, or a female performer exhibiting as a male, who uses clothing, makeup, or other similar physical markers and who sings, lip syncs, dances, or otherwise performs before an audience..."
That language was later removed but the final version of the bill in the legislative process but the version signed by Governor Greg Abbott still includes overly broad language according to the ACLU.
The final version of the bill, which is meant to regulate "sexually oriented performances, now includes one definition of "sexual conduct" reads: "The exhibition of sexual gesticulations using accessories or prosthetics that exaggerate male or female sexual characteristics."
The law goes into effect on September 1 and violations will be a class A misdemeanor, which is punishable by up to a year in prison or a $4,000 fine. The bill would apply to any show or performance that is either public or where minors are allowed to attend.
Pride San Antonio Parade Director James Poindexter told KENS 5 their parades have had a drag element for around 20 years and now it's not clear what is legal and what isn't.
"Drag is art. If you do drag as art you are going to artistically make yourself appear to be more like a woman or a man," Poindexter said. "What makes a certain accoutrement that someone has for their costume sexual? I think they need to define that in the law."
The bill also defines a "sexually oriented performance" as "any other performer who engages in sexual conduct; and (B) appeals to the prurient interest in sex."
ACLU staff attorney Brian Klosterboer said the phrase "appeals to the prurient interest in sex" doesn't have a more specific legal definition and opens the door to civil lawsuits simply based on opinion.
"It's so vague and broadly written that, even without the mention of drag, it subjects all kinds of performers across Texas to criminal penalties. It would also impose fines on Texas businesses," Klosterboer said.
Klosterboer told KENS 5 the language that mentions accessories or prosthetics "would very clearly target drag performers" but is much broader.
He said the language "appeals to the prurient interest in sex" could also be used to target other performances.
"It targets things like Shakespeare. It targets performers like Miley Cyrus dancing on stage, Michael Jackson Impersonators dancing in a sexual way," Klosterboer said. "This bill is so broadly written that even kissing on stage could be considered sexual."
Klosterboer also said there are other lines in the bill that could affect any stage play that suggests that sex happened under a blanket or behind a curtain. He said city governments, county prosecutors, or the Texas Office of the Attorney General could all use the new bill to sue a venue owner.
Poindexter said LGBTQ community would likely be wary of putting together any shows or parades as the law goes into effect, or at least until a legal challenge reveals how the law will be enforced.
"The concern is always going to be there until it is delineated one way or the other. There is going to be a concern until the (legal) argument is over with," Poindexter said. "Having it under appeal or tied up in the courts, the argument will still exists about what it actually means."
The ACLU issued the following statement after Abbott signed the bill:
"SB 12 is a clear affront to the free expression of all Texans, particularly members of our LGBTQIA+ community. The bill will not take effect until September 1st, but we worry that the threats and harassment it fosters will be felt before then, especially during Pride month. If anyone is impacted by this bill, we encourage them to reach out to us, and we are actively exploring all possible options to stop SB 12 from taking effect." | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas-law-endangers-drag-shows/273-a0c22e43-9236-4123-a84b-e12f37adc51b | 2023-06-23T00:18:58 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas-law-endangers-drag-shows/273-a0c22e43-9236-4123-a84b-e12f37adc51b |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A purr-ecious pet was reunited with its owner on June 13 after he had been stuck under the floorboards of a home addition for five days.
Clackamas Fire crew members and an Oregon Humane Society volunteer pulled the cat named Zion out of the floorboards after “some brainstorming.”
According to a Tweet from Clackamas Fire, “We’re #hereforyou & your fur babies too!” | https://www.koin.com/local/clackamas-county/firefighters-rescue-cat-that-was-stuck-under-floorboards-for-5-days/ | 2023-06-23T00:19:32 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/clackamas-county/firefighters-rescue-cat-that-was-stuck-under-floorboards-for-5-days/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Once summer break starts, many students miss out on the consistent meals that are provided for them during the school year.
Fortunately, sites across Southwest Washington will host free meal programs this summer, filling a gap for children who could otherwise face food insecurity.
Three locations in the Battle Ground School District will start serving free meals to people ranging from 1 to 18 years old. According to district officials, the Summer Food Services Program provides the meals that are mostly funded through a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.
Here is when and where residents can find free meals this summer.
River HomeLink
- Breakfast: Monday to Thursday starting July 10 through July 20, from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
- Lunch: Monday to Friday starting June 26 through August 18 from 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Daybreak Primary
- Lunch: Monday to Friday starting June 26 through August 18 from 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Glenwood Heights Primary
- Breakfast: Monday to Thursday starting July 10 through July 20, from 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
- Lunch: Monday to Friday starting June 26 through August 18 from 11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
BGPS says children and teens don’t have to be district attendees to participate in meal service, but they must eat the meals on site.
Vancouver-based nonprofit organization Share will offer a free food program as well, with meals that must be consumed at its many sites across the city.
Twenty-one locations will host Share’s program for all children under 18 years old. The free lunches start as early as Monday, June 16, and end as late as Saturday, August 12. A full list of sites can be found here.
Vancouver residents can also text ‘FOOD’ or ‘COMIDA’ to 304-304 to find the site closest to them. | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/southwest-washington-free-meal-programs-to-keep-children-fed-this-summer/ | 2023-06-23T00:19:38 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/southwest-washington-free-meal-programs-to-keep-children-fed-this-summer/ |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida higher-education officials on Thursday put on hold a request by university presidents to raise tuition for out-of-state students, hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis touted efforts to avoid tuition hikes over the past decade.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The state university system’s Board of Governors, which oversees Florida’s network of 12 universities, was slated to weigh approval of a plan that would allow schools to individually raise tuition by up to 15 percent for students who come from other states.
Read: FTC: 37,800 student loan borrowers to get money after debt relief company ‘pocketed payments’
But Eric Silagy, the board’s vice chairman, announced Thursday that the plan was being postponed, saying “additional work” is needed before potentially implementing the tuition increase.
“We are not going to be taking that up today. Although a lot of work has already been done on this item, upon some further examination, it was determined that there was going to be some additional work and time spent on this before we bring it up formally,” Silagy said.
Read: Flagler County School Board decides against proposal to arm teachers, staff on campus
Silagy’s comments came shortly after DeSantis addressed tuition during a media event in Tampa Thursday morning.
“We are the lowest in America for tuition and fees in higher-education, and that’s really important,” DeSantis said, eliciting applause from an audience. “And I don’t think we have done tuition increases in Florida for about 10 years. So, that’s something that’s been very, very significant.”
The presidents of each state university and the chairs of the universities’ boards of trustees backed the idea of a tuition hike for out-of-state students.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-officials-put-out-of-state-tuition-hike-pause/UZSYZ53KD5AC3HYMX54NGIKQEI/ | 2023-06-23T00:25:03 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-officials-put-out-of-state-tuition-hike-pause/UZSYZ53KD5AC3HYMX54NGIKQEI/ |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Calling the state’s policy “invidious discrimination” against transgender people, a federal judge ruled that Florida’s prohibition against Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy is unconstitutional.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle’s ruling Wednesday largely echoed a decision he issued earlier this month in a challenge to state restrictions on gender-affirming care for children and adults.
“Same record, same findings and conclusions,” Hinkle’s 54-page ruling said. “Gender identity is real.”
Wednesday’s ruling came in a lawsuit filed by two adults and the parents of two children against the state Agency for Health Care Administration, which runs most of the Medicaid program. The agency last year adopted a rule banning Medicaid reimbursements to health-care providers for “sex-reassignment” treatments, such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries. Hinkle’s ruling addressed only gender-affirming medicines.
Read: Thousands raised to support those seeking transgender care following new legislation
The health agency adopted the rule based on a report that concluded such treatment was “experimental” and “not medically necessary,” and thus did not meet the threshold for Medicaid coverage. The report was by researchers who oppose gender-affirming care.
But Hinkle, who held a two-week trial in the challenge, found that the state only sought evidence to support a foregone decision to scrap the coverage.
The process “was, from the outset, a biased effort to justify a predetermined outcome, not a fair analysis of the evidence,” Hinkle wrote. “The conclusion was not supported by the evidence and was contrary to generally accepted medical standards.”
Read: LGBTQ+ people flock to Florida for Gay Days festival
The state had no “rational basis to categorically ban these treatments or to exclude them from the state’s Medicaid coverage,” the judge said. “The record includes no evidence that these treatments have caused substantial adverse clinical results in properly screened and treated patients.”
Gov. Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate, and his legislative allies have made a high-profile issue of targeting treatments for transgender people.
The lawsuit was amended this spring to include a challenge to a new state law that cemented the Medicaid coverage ban. The law (SB 254) also made it a crime for doctors to order puberty blockers or hormone therapy for children and imposed new restrictions on gender-affirming care for adults.
Hinkle’s ruling Wednesday harshly criticized the state’s handling of treatment for transgender people, noting that the “widely accepted standard of care calls for evaluation and treatment by a multidisciplinary team.”
Proper treatment begins with mental-health therapy and is followed, when appropriate, by puberty blockers and hormones, the judge wrote.
“Florida has adopted a rule and statute that prohibit Medicaid payment for these treatments even when medically appropriate. The rule and statute violate the federal Medicaid statute, the (U.S. Constitution’s) Equal Protection Clause and the Affordable Care Act’s prohibition of sex discrimination,” he wrote.
Hinkle disputed state allegations that many young patients later “regret” using gender-affirming care.
“Regret is rare; indeed, the defendants have offered no evidence of any Florida resident who regrets being treated with GnRH agonists (puberty blockers) or hormones,” Hinkle wrote, noting that 98 percent of children who use puberty blockers go on to use cross-sex hormones.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs hailed Hinkle’s decision.
Read: Parents of transgender children seek to block DeSantis ban on gender-affirming care for minors
“The court’s order is a much-needed win for Floridians, amidst a climate where the rights of transgender individuals are being relentlessly attacked by the state,” Simone Chriss, director of the Transgender Rights Initiative at Southern Legal Counsel, said in a statement late Wednesday. “Judge Hinkle said it best — ‘the statute and the rule were an exercise in politics, not good medicine’ — and today’s ruling sends a strong message that the state of Florida cannot continue to play politics with people’s lives. We are so grateful to the courageous plaintiffs who made this case possible, and so grateful to the court for holding the state accountable for its unapologetic bigotry.”
August Dekker, a 29-year-old Hernando County man who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit, also praised Hinkle’s ruling.
“I am extremely relieved and pleased with this decision so I don’t have to worry about whether I will be able to get the medical care I need. Florida’s policy effectively denied me the treatment my doctors recommended, because as a low-income Floridian with disabilities, I rely on Medicaid to afford my health care. I am also happy for other transgender Floridians that get care through Medicaid, as now access to that lifesaving, critical care can continue,” Dekker said in a statement.
Hinkle’s ruling rejected the state’s justification for banning Medicaid coverage because gender dysphoria is difficult to diagnose. The federal government defines gender dysphoria clinically as “significant distress that a person may feel when sex or gender assigned at birth is not the same as their identity.”
“The difficulty diagnosing a patient calls for caution. It does not call for a one-size-fits-all refusal to cover widely accepted medical treatment. It does not call for the state to make a binary decision not to cover the treatment even for a properly diagnosed patient,” the judge wrote.
Hinkle noted that his order copied and pasted much of his June 6 ruling that rejected a state prohibition on gender-affirming care for children. That ruling affected a group of transgender children and parents who challenged the prohibition.
“The elephant in the room should be noted at the outset. Gender identity is real. The record makes this clear. The medical defendants, speaking through their attorneys, have admitted it. At least one defense expert also has admitted it,” he wrote in both rulings.
Although the vast majority of medical groups support gender-affirming care, the DeSantis administration and state medical boards argued that the treatment isn’t supported by high-quality clinical research. The state also alleged that medical groups supported the care for ideological, not clinical, reasons.
But Hinkle rejected the state’s stance.
“If ever a pot called a kettle black, it is here. The statute and the rules were an exercise in politics, not good medicine,” he wrote.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/judge-rules-against-floridas-ban-transgender-medicaid-coverage/KS3WLQOOJNAJJIHRJNNHBLBWRA/ | 2023-06-23T00:25:05 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/judge-rules-against-floridas-ban-transgender-medicaid-coverage/KS3WLQOOJNAJJIHRJNNHBLBWRA/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — We are less than an hour away from the start of tonight’s NBA draft.
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The drama -- the buildup is giving fans plenty to look forward to ahead of tonight’s watch party at the Amway Center.
It will be hard to beat last year’s excitement when the Orlando Magic drafted Paolo Banchero as No. 1 overall.
But with two lottery picks, tonight’s selections are just as critical for a team ready to make some noise.
Read: Magic have tons of flexibility with two lottery picks in NBA Draft
The Orlando Magic is set to draft at No. 6 and No. 11 overall.
There’s a ton of talent at the top of the draft, and after working out most of the lottery picks, the Magic have a good sense of who they want in the City Beautiful.
It is also important to remember that the Magic is one of the youngest teams in the league.
Now the question is, do they want to add two more rookies to this roster? The team can also trade up to get one player, trade out of the lottery, or trade for current players in the league.
Read: Here’s what to expect from the Orlando Magic at the NBA Draft Lottery
Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said the possibilities are endless.
“How does having two lottery picks make us look different in the draft than it would if we had one,” he said. “We can have all those layer conversations, but it is all about the players- getting to know them as people.”
Once again, the Magic have two lottery picks at No. 6 and No. 11 overall.
In 2021 they also had two lottery picks and drafted both Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner.
Read: Qatar sovereign wealth fund buys stake in Washington’s NBA, NHL and WNBA teams, AP source says
Both of those players have been a big part of this young core.
They also have the No. 36 overall pick in the second round.
Watch the first round of tonight’s NBA draft here on Channel 9.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/nba-draft-day-arrives-orlando-magic-fans-are-ready/Z2CJZ7ODIFCQVC3OLDKEVHQ2ZM/ | 2023-06-23T00:25:12 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/nba-draft-day-arrives-orlando-magic-fans-are-ready/Z2CJZ7ODIFCQVC3OLDKEVHQ2ZM/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Believing thousands of homes are illegally being kept off the market as short-term rentals as housing costs soar, an Orange County commissioner says she’s found a way to force them off sites like Airbnb and Vrbo without costing taxpayers a dime.
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Currently, the county does not allow short-term rentals in residential zones, which includes most neighborhoods, as well as townhomes and condos.
However, a quick search of the major listing sites shows homes for rent in every corner of the county, including more than a dozen properties in one residentially zoned Azalea Park neighborhood WFTV visited Thursday.
Commissioner Mayra Uribe’s proposal would have the county hire a company to track down illegal short-term rental listings and gather information on their owners.
READ: Orange County task force looks at ways to curb crime, but money remains a hurdle
“What if you could actually house a couple, two people there for a year as opposed to just seven days or whatever vacation, because we really have a huge need [for housing],” she said. “There is no quick fix.”
Orange County is projected to be short 54,000 housing units by 2030, data from the Florida Apartment Association shows, with the shortfall most severe among low-income households.
Since many short-term rentals are found in lower- to middle-class neighborhoods that don’t have HOA protections, the plan would theoretically add housing stock where it is most in demand.
READ: Safety task force members send dozens of proposals to Orange County commissioners
Calling illegal short-term rentals an issue she hears about “constantly” from her constituents, Uribe’s two-for-one plan piggybacks off itself to assist other parts of the county.
The companies the county would solicit bids for also specialize in tracking foreclosures, staff explained. Uribe’s proposal would create a foreclosure registry. Banks with properties on the registry would pay a fee for their maintenance and ensuring the properties are safe to prevent blight like the county saw during the Great Recession.
Uribe said the fee would also cover the cost of the tracking services.
READ: Teens get more violent charges dropped in Orlando than rest of state, report shows
The proposal is based on similar programs implemented in Tampa, Miami and Jacksonville. Uribe said her team is still uncovering additional benefits.
“When we get squatters, what we’re talking about a crime issue,” she explained. “Now this [ownership] data would be available to law enforcement… immediately when they go to a house.”
Houses on the registry would be removed once they are sold to a new owner.
READ: Missing Titanic tourist sub: Titan suffered ‘catastrophic implosion,’ killing 5 onboard
Uribe, who introduced her plan as a discussion item in a memo last week, said she’s looking forward to hearing the thoughts of her fellow commissioners in an upcoming public meeting.
“We can be proactive,” she said. “It’s getting discouraging to be reactive because we’re not reacting to anything.”
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county-commissioner-proposes-crackdown-illegal-short-term-rental-properties/GD4W7FM5TJBC3JAZUXGE3HIYYM/ | 2023-06-23T00:25:19 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county-commissioner-proposes-crackdown-illegal-short-term-rental-properties/GD4W7FM5TJBC3JAZUXGE3HIYYM/ |
The Dallas County District Attorney said Thursday that the City of Dallas has finally joined the overdose mapping project that he has been promoting for years.
Dallas was a hold-out over privacy concerns regarding the release of medical information. The lack of Dallas data left a large gap in maps supported by the federal government.
Irving Police have been sharing their data on overdoses since 2019 to help watch for spikes.
“Maybe that means we need more proactive officers in that area, kind of finding where the crime is coming from or what the drugs are,” said Irving Officer Bethany Vidaurri.
Because North Texas is a "High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area," the federal government provides the mapping program, but relies on input from individual communities.
The number of tragedies in North Texas has been soaring from deadly fentanyl. Ruben Pena’s 21-year-old granddaughter Angelina Rogers died in October 2020.
“I think the mapping would be a great step. That way you go to those sections and make people more aware of what’s going on,” he said.
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Her grandfather said Angelina had just started a business after attending cosmetology school. She’d run out of painkillers after surgery and he said she took what she thought was oxytocin from a friend of a friend in Dallas. It turned out to be a fatal dose of fentanyl.
Dallas was not mapping overdoses at the time.
“I think we need to really prosecute the ones that are giving these or selling these tablets or lacing the pills with fentanyl,” Pena said.
Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said he worked to get overdose mapping more widely used to help save families from grief.
“I know lives will be saved, yes. If we can understand the patterns, we can intervene and stop more things,” Creuzot said.
After asking many questions, the top prosecutor was finally told that Dallas was not participating because of advice from the city attorney at the time that sharing overdose data could violate privacy laws about medical information, even though the mapping did not include names or other personal information.
Creuzot went to Austin with city officials for a new law that clarified a privacy exception for sharing overdose mapping data.
“It’s really a testament in an interesting way of breaking down silos, and city government and county government working together to solve a problem that’s a crisis,” Creuzot.
The DA’s office said Dallas Fire Rescue has confirmed it is now sharing data daily for overdose mapping. The goal now is getting all cities onboard with roadblocks removed for mapping to better combat fentanyl deaths. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-joins-project-mapping-overdoses/3282844/ | 2023-06-23T00:29:14 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-joins-project-mapping-overdoses/3282844/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/friend-helps-raise-money-for-family-of-man-killed-in-i-95-crash-and-fire/3590821/ | 2023-06-23T00:36:06 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/friend-helps-raise-money-for-family-of-man-killed-in-i-95-crash-and-fire/3590821/ |
As motorists across the region anticipate Friday’s reopening of I-95, a friend of the man who died after his tanker truck crashed and caught fire on the highway is making sure he won’t be forgotten.
“This was a dad. This was a partner. This was a community member,” Alex Harcharek of Merchantville, New Jersey, told NBC10.
On June 11 at 6:20 a.m., Harcharek’s friend and neighbor, 53-year-old Nathan Moody, was driving a tanker truck that was carrying about 8,500 gallons of gasoline in Northeast Philadelphia.
As Moody exited I-95 onto Cottman Avenue, he lost control of the vehicle while navigating a turn at the end of the exit, according to investigators. The vehicle then turned onto its side before it ruptured and eventually exploded, officials said. Surveillance video from a nearby business captured the crash and explosion.
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Fire from the explosion caused an elevated section of I-95 to collapse. Responding firefighters were eventually able to get the flames under control.
Moody’s remains were found in the rubble of the collapse the next day. Investigators said he died from blunt trauma to the head, inhalation and thermal injuries. His death was ruled an accident.
The collapse closed I-95 in both directions between the Aramingo and Woodhaven exits. Officials announced Thursday that temporary lanes on I-95 will reopen to traffic on Friday at noon, well ahead of schedule.
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While much attention has been placed on the rebuild of I-95 and the impact on traffic, Harcharek is making sure none of those things overshadow the fact that her friend lost his life.
“I wanted to make sure the story of the man didn’t get overshadowed by the story of a bridge repair and that people understood that this was a real human being,” she said.
Moody’s family described him as a hardworking father of three and Army veteran who owned his own truck and had been driving trucks for a decade. Harcharek also talked about the connection her family has with Moody’s.
“Our daughters just finished first grade together and I just loved seeing them play on the playground,” she said. “They had just started to really get to be closer friends.”
Harcharek also said the timing of Moody’s death only added to the tragedy.
“From one parent to another, thinking about how their child must feel, on top of it being Father’s Day and this past Saturday would’ve been Nate’s 54th birthday,” she said.
While funeral plans have not yet been finalized, Harcharek created a GoFundMe to help Moody’s family cover the costs. So far, more than $35,000 have been raised. Harcharek talked about the impact the support has had on Moody’s longtime partner who continues to cope with her loss.
“Overwhelmed is a good word to describe it,” Harcharek said. “There’s so much that goes into dealing with a sudden loss that you don’t even think about it until it happens. But she’s very grateful for the support. We’ve been able to talk every day.”
In addition to the money, friends and family of Moody have also shared their own stories in a series of messages.
“Some of the stories that people have shared about their own loss or their life as a truck driver, we’re going to be collecting those to share with Nate’s daughter so people continue to have kind messages,” Harcharek said. “We will collect those. Make sure that she gets them.” | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/friend-raises-money-and-support-for-family-of-man-killed-in-i-95-crash-and-fire/3590872/ | 2023-06-23T00:36:12 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/friend-raises-money-and-support-for-family-of-man-killed-in-i-95-crash-and-fire/3590872/ |
ATLANTA — Mary Hooks put pen to paper, becoming the first person to sign a petition to try and put the construction of a new public safety training center for the City of Atlanta to a vote in the next local election this fall.
"It is essential, particularly for oppressed people, to fight for what it is that we want," Hooks said. "This signature means nothing when you think about what's been given. My signature is an easy ask as it relates to broadly what people have done inside this movement and given to this movement, talking about blood, sweat, tears literally."
Organizers opposed to the training center are backing efforts to get more than 70,000 physical signatures in the next 60 days. The push hit a snag in the last week, when the municipal clerk's office said a key line was missing from the required petition form. However, a revised version was approved Wednesday. Atlanta residents who voted in the last local election in 2021 are eligible to sign the petition.
Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari signed the petition second inside City Hall, a place that had hundreds of people protesting the funding of the $90 million public safety training center in DeKalb County. Bakhtiari recently voted against funding the project.
"It's easy to vote no and then walk away," Bakhtiari said. "I think it's another thing to vote no, and continue to stay and be a resource and do the work. I think it’s why I support democracy. And we encourage this movement, we keep telling them to invest in democratic methods and this is about as democratic as it gets.”
Emory University law professor Fred Smith likened this movement to one last year in Camden County, where voters overrode a county decision and blocked the building of a space port through a referendum. Smith said voters were able to take advantage of the Municipal Home Rule Act of 1965, and the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the voters' wishes earlier this year.
"This law outlines the process for when voters want to repeal or amend an ordinance or charter that has been enacted by their local legislature, in this case city council," Smith said. "I've never seen anything quite like this at the city level."
Smith said even if the referendum petition movement succeeds and the question of continued construction on the public safety training center lands on the ballot this fall, the city and other entities would probably respond with legal action.
"I assume there'd be a lot of pressure on the state legislature to override the voters," Smith said. "I couldn't imagine city council passing another ordinance in that situation, but there might be pressure somewhere else."
Meantime, protesters plan to hit neighborhoods, churches, schools and city events to spread the word and gain support for their cause. A week of action against the public safety training center is planned starting Saturday.
Hooks said as a mother and victim of police violence, this issue is personal for her.
“We’re asking people to vote in the interest of our lives, our values, our children and what we see in how we want this city to be run and what resources and ways in which we want to grapple with public safety," Hooks said. "We know we want something different, so this is an opportunity for us to all weigh in. I’m doing my part, part of a larger movement that’s willing to risk it all and put it on the line. So, yeah, it’s personal.”
The City of Atlanta declined to comment on the petition movement and process of getting the referendum on the ballot. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/first-signatures-petition-vote-atlanta-public-safety-training-center/85-8cc24c20-232a-4081-8a16-f9fbbaa44c02 | 2023-06-23T00:36:26 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/first-signatures-petition-vote-atlanta-public-safety-training-center/85-8cc24c20-232a-4081-8a16-f9fbbaa44c02 |
COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Marietta church is getting some scrutiny for how it's promoting its Pride Month sermon series.
The Worship with Wonders Church debuted a massive rainbow banner across the front of the church, with the simple message: Proud to be Delivered.
The banner is accompanied by a web address bearing the same phrase. Matching billboards were also erected across the Atlanta area, according to the church’s pastor on Facebook.
While it may look like the church is advertising a pro-LGBTQ+ message, the website paints a different picture.
In a media statement, the church announces its true intention.
“As members of the body of Christ we stand on Biblical truth and the love of God. Our intent through ProudtobeDelivered.com and the testimonies featured therein is one of celebration for those who have found freedom in Jesus and one of hope for those who want to experience that same freedom. The Bible is clear that any sin separates us from God," its media statement reads.
"As Christians, we understand that it is possible to affirm the truth of the Bible and still love people well. Worship with Wonders Church is committed to disciplining those who are seeking freedom from a sinful lifestyle and praying with those who are believing for the freedom of loved ones.”
The website also shares “Stories of Freedom” of those previously within the LGBTQ+ community who were “set free” from homosexuality and turned to God.
Worship with Wonders’ head pastor, Myles Rutherford did not return 11Alive’s request for comment.
Local faith leader Reverend Matt Laney of Virginia-Highland Church weighed in on the matter, saying messages like this walk back years of progress for the LGBTQ+ community’s relationship within Christianity.
“Demonizing the LGBTQ community, it doesn’t help anyone,” Laney said. “I think it hurts everyone, especially queer folk. But anytime anyone’s humanity is limited or diminished, I think that limits all of humanity.”
Laney explained that grace and salvation don’t come with conditions.
“Gay and Christian are not incompatible. Can same-gender love be sinful and harmful? Of course it can. Heterosexual love can be sinful and harmful as well. But neither are inherently, automatically sinful," he said. "It is no crime, it is no sin to be gay or to be in a loving relationship with someone of the same gender.”
The Worship with Wonders Church plans to continue its Proud to be Delivered sermons every Sunday in June, according to its advertisements. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/marietta/worship-wonders-church-pride-month-marietta/85-8801a7d9-ed16-43f4-9512-7b01b1053c5e | 2023-06-23T00:36:32 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/marietta/worship-wonders-church-pride-month-marietta/85-8801a7d9-ed16-43f4-9512-7b01b1053c5e |
MERRILLVILLE — Police said an accounting firm employee used accounting software to embezzle $31,641.91 from a long-time client.
Lowell resident Donna Valentine, 46, was charged with forgery, fraud and theft on Thursday.
At KBCPA Accounting, at the 900 block of Court St. in Crown Point, Valentine had access to clients' electronically-stored signatures via QuickBooks, a primary accounting software at the firm, the police allege. When a client noticed a number of discrepancies between company records and QuickBooks records, the client alerted the owner of the firm, police said
Officers worked with the owner to find three bank accounts, two created in 2021 and one opened in Feb. 2022, that Valentine used to disperse her client's funds, according to police. The probable cause affidavit said the owner identified the accounts by referencing payroll direct deposit information.
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The owner claimed, in charging documents, that Valentine illegally diverted at least $32,141.91 of the company's client's funds and falsified their financial records in order to conceal her theft.
Valentine was said in reports to make checks payable to herself or to "Cash," which she then used on purchases at numerous businesses like Lowes and Royal Caribbean Cruises.
In the probable cause affidavit, police stated they were able to confirm at least 23 of the 24 fraudulent transactions.
Valentine remains at large as of Thursday.
What you missed this week in notable Northwest Indiana crimes and court cases
This week's local crime and court updates from The Times.
Xavier Norris, 41, was charged on Thursday with failure of duty and intimidation, which are both level 6 felonies, as well as criminal recklessness and operating while intoxicated, which are both misdemeanors.
The charges were dismissed because the “filing detective believes that Ryan Andrews was misidentified as the perpetrator of the crimes charged,” according to a motion to dismiss filed on Tuesday.
Roger Mashburn, 29, of Kouts, is accused of sexually assaulting his co-worker's wife in June 2020, according to court records.
An investigation by Lee Enterprises and Type Investigations looked at how agencies have responded to calls for more accountability — including the use of cameras — after George Floyd's murder.
Roger Mashburn, of Kouts, is on trial for allegedly sexually assaulting his coworker's wife in June 2020, according to court records. If convicted, the 29-year-old faces up to 16 years in prison.
Ryan Andrews, 26, was arrested Friday in Tinley Park, Illinois, in connection with setting fire to the lobby of the Lake County Jail.
A jury found Kevin Varner, 51 guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon and firearm enhancement.
Roger Mashburn, 29, was charged in August 2020 with rape and battery, according to court records. Jurors deliberated for about two hours before returning with the not guilty verdict.
Tyler McHenry, 26, was charged with stalking, criminal confinement and invasion of privacy, which are Level 6 felonies; and a misdemeanor count of invasion of privacy. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/lowell-forged-checks-fraud-merrillville/article_bfa8c246-1129-11ee-8064-8bb7bd9546a9.html | 2023-06-23T00:43:21 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/lowell-forged-checks-fraud-merrillville/article_bfa8c246-1129-11ee-8064-8bb7bd9546a9.html |
HOBART — “If you’ve never seen me at a loss for words, enjoy the moment,” former Mayor Linda M. Buzinec said Wednesday at the ceremony naming the downtown lakefront clock tower in her honor.
Buzinec served as Hobart’s mayor from 1996 to 2007. She lost her bid for another term to Brian Snedecor, who is completing his fourth term as Hobart’s longest-serving mayor.
Speaking at the ceremony, Snedecor commented, “I see so many people that you have impacted over the years. You always told me, if there’s anything I can do, give me a call. You’ve never lost that excitement and commitment for the city.”
Citing the “beauty of the lake, she played a major part in making that happen,” the mayor said.
The ceremony followed the City Council meeting. The council had unanimously passed a resolution naming the tower the Mayor Linda Buzinec Clock Tower on Lake George.
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The resolution cited Buzinec’s time as mayor and as 1st District councilwoman during 1988-1995. Buzinec, who was named a Sagamore of the Wabash by the governor in 2005, was cited as a “dedicated servant to the city of Hobart, a thoughtful and beloved neighbor, and friend to many residents of the city.”
Praised for her involvement in numerous local and regional organizations, Buzinec was hailed as “instrumental in completing Lakefront Phase II, including the addition of the clock tower.”
The Hobart Rotary Club originally dedicated the tower in 1997. The image of the clock tower is used on municipal vehicles and other community signage.
Snedecor said Buzinec’s efforts were “able to make the lake a beautiful place to see.”
During Buzinec’s time as mayor, Lake George underwent a dredging.
Other city officials, including Clerk-Treasurer Deb Longer and Council President Matt Claussen, D-at-large, praised the former mayor.
Longer recalled Halloween in 2001 following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when Buzinec decided to hold trick-or-treating by the clock tower. Although no one at the time knew how people would respond, 2,000 children filled the lakefront plaza.
“That was the best coming together of the city of Hobart,” Longer recalled, “at a time when we needed to come together.”
Much of those attending the tower naming ceremony continue to address their former mayor as simply “Linda.”
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Hobart,” Buzinec said. “I grew up here. I went to school here. I appreciate all the city has done for my family and the community. I thank you for all the support you’ve given me over the years.”
Mike James, Buzinec’s son, added, “We’re just really honored as a family. We appreciate all Brian and the council have done.” | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/hobart-mayor-lakefront-linda-m-buzinec-brian-snedecor/article_6f4b2010-1114-11ee-a451-23dce7f63365.html | 2023-06-23T00:43:27 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/hobart-mayor-lakefront-linda-m-buzinec-brian-snedecor/article_6f4b2010-1114-11ee-a451-23dce7f63365.html |
The Idaho Attorney General’s Office has filed a lawsuit alleging the State Board of Education violated the Open Meetings Law in proceedings leading up to approval of a state university acquiring a for-profit online school.
In court documents filed Tuesday in Ada County Fourth District Court, Attorney General Raúl Labrador and Solicitor General Theo Wold argue that at least one of the executive sessions held by the state education board regarding The University of Idaho’s proposal to purchase the University of Phoenix should have been held publicly. The lawsuit says that if the meetings were held in violation of code, then subsequent actions by the board regarding the transaction are “null and void.”
The State Board of Education and University of Idaho both declined to comment on pending litigation.
The attorney general’s office confirmed that the lawsuit hasn’t been served yet and it won't be if the state board chooses to hold the meetings in question again in public.
“A number of people have raised concerns about the legality and transparency of the University of Idaho’s purchase of the University of Phoenix,” attorney general office spokesperson Beth Cahill said in an emailed statement. “In our review of the Idaho State Board of Education (ISBE) meeting timeline, it does not appear the parties involved in this transaction satisfied the requirements of Idaho’s Open Public Meetings Law, outlined in Idaho Code Section 74-206(1)(e). Attorney General Labrador will do whatever is legally necessary to ensure that ISBE and the University of Idaho comply with Idaho’s commitment to transparency. If a violation occurred, our office will work with ISBE to ensure any breach is cured.”
The education board held three executive sessions on March 22, April 25 and May 15, according to board meeting materials. The exemption in code cited as legal justification to hold these meetings behind closed doors was, to “consider preliminary negotiations involving matters of trade or commerce in which the governing body is in competition with governing bodies in other states or nations.”
The lawsuit argues the May 15 meeting likely did not discuss negotiations that were "preliminary," as three days later the board approved the proposal to create a not-for-profit organization in order to acquire the online university.
“In effect, the May 18, 2023, vote was an illegal pro forma meeting to ratify a half-billion-dollar agreement whose terms were discussed and established outside of public view in direct contravention of Idaho’s Open Meeting Law,” the lawsuit states.
It also argues that it wasn’t proven that the University of Idaho was “in competition with governing bodies in other states or nations” by the time the board held its May 15 meeting. On April 24, the University of Arkansas Board of Regents rejected a similar proposal to acquire the University of Phoenix. Because of this, the lawsuit argues that the University of Arkansas “had already removed itself from competition” by the time the last executive session was held.
During a hearing with the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee on June 16, several committee members questioned the secrecy of negotiations ahead of the May 18 decision, the Idaho Press previously reported. Those involved in negotiations had been under strict nondisclosure agreements, and most of the public didn’t know of the proposed acquisition until the day before the state board voted to allow it to move forward.
UI President C. Scott Green faced questions from JFAC Co-Chair Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, over who the other interested party was that necessitated the executive sessions; Green responded that they were told two other entities were interested but he doesn’t know who they were. State Board of Education Executive Director Matt Freeman also said they were told two other states were in competition for the purchase and that the board’s deputy attorney general counsel had said it was an appropriate exemption from the open meetings law.
Green also said negotiators were working up until the morning of the vote, in response to questions about whether negotiations were preliminary.
“We did not have a deal or even an outline to where we felt comfortable bringing it to the state board until that morning,” Green said. "... these were preliminary, they were just keeping the board up to date, trying to answer any questions that they had.”
The lawsuit is asking the court to declare that the May 15 meeting violated the open meeting law and that the May 18 vote is “null and void.”
Green has said the university has thoroughly evaluated the transaction and expressed confidence in its legality and its potential for benefiting UI.
“I wouldn’t be standing before you today … if we did not have the full confidence of the team of experts who performed this detailed due diligence and helped us structure this transaction,” Green told JFAC members.
Cahill wrote of the lawsuit, “An open and honest government is fundamental to a free society. The Idaho Legislature formalized our state's commitment to open government by enacting the Idaho Open Meeting Law in 1974. The Open Meeting Law codifies that the public's business should be done publicly and requires the Idaho Attorney General to vindicate the people’s paramount interest in transparency.”
The transaction is not yet complete, it will need to be approved by both schools' accreditors. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/idaho-ag-questions-legality-of-university-of-phoenix-executive-sessions/article_6ad7e40a-113c-11ee-b99d-f3cde9c0e0e4.html | 2023-06-23T00:45:39 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/idaho-ag-questions-legality-of-university-of-phoenix-executive-sessions/article_6ad7e40a-113c-11ee-b99d-f3cde9c0e0e4.html |
CEDAR FALLS -- The Compost Facility will be temporarily closed Friday through Sunday due to the high amount of pedestrian traffic around the site during the Sturgis Falls Celebration.
The facility, in the 300 block of East Main Street, will re-open on Monday. Questions can be directed to the Public Works Department at: (319) 273-8629. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/cedar-falls-compost-facility-to-close-during-sturgis-falls-celebration/article_c0b404c2-114f-11ee-889f-6737ef46d1aa.html | 2023-06-23T00:50:53 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/cedar-falls-compost-facility-to-close-during-sturgis-falls-celebration/article_c0b404c2-114f-11ee-889f-6737ef46d1aa.html |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/amid-national-debate-drag-queens-make-sure-the-show-goes-on-at-philly-schools/3590905/ | 2023-06-23T00:53:45 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/amid-national-debate-drag-queens-make-sure-the-show-goes-on-at-philly-schools/3590905/ |
New Hartford, N.Y. -- Most students are excited to leave school for the summer. But, a dozen courtyard guests at Myles Elementary School, in New Hartford, had to be removed Thursday using nets and pet carriers.
"Trying to get the ducks out of the courtyard at the end of the school year," said Judy Cusworth, of Woodhaven Wildlife Center, in Sauquoit.
Every spring, new duck families make the courtyard of Myles Elementary School, in New Hartford, their home.
"For one thing, the courtyard is a very safe place from predators. So, you know, they don't have to worry about mammals coming after them, that's for sure," said Cusworth, from the courtyard, Thursday.
But the ducks can't stay once school's over.
"The normal people who take care of them all year are not here," said Cusworth. "They may not get in here to feed them and clean the pool."
They don't need to remove all the ducks.
"One of these groups is completely, totally flighted. No reason for them to be in here. We're not touching them. They can fly out," said Cusworth. "But the mother with the 11 or 12 babies, they'd be here for a while."
"Because I am an animal person and it keeps them happy," said K-6 music teacher, Sue Gleeson.
Gleeson has been coming to the school on weekends to feed the ducks and fill the pool with clean water.
"When they weren't getting fed regularly or watered regularly, they go after each other, so it kind of keeps the peace if everybody's bellies are full," said Gleeson.
Lots of nets, pet carriers, chirping and chasing-that's what it took to capture the 12 ducks, out of a total of more than two dozen. Woodhaven Wildlife Center did it at no cost to the school district. Once captured, they brought the ducks to Woodhaven.
"We put the mother and the babies in a big cage, she continues to take care of them, we just supply the food and water every day. When they're fully flighted, we open up the door and they usually go right up to our pond," said Cusworth. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/duck-family-removed-from-new-hartford-elementary-school-courtyard/article_51fb46ae-113f-11ee-bda9-e39436622a3d.html | 2023-06-23T00:59:42 | 1 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/duck-family-removed-from-new-hartford-elementary-school-courtyard/article_51fb46ae-113f-11ee-bda9-e39436622a3d.html |
9 College Students are spending their summer at the Masonic Medical Research Institute. Their learning how to help people with cardiovascular, neurological, and autoimmune disorders. The students will work alongside Research Scientists who try to methodically find a cure to these diseases. It’s an incredible opportunity for the students even if they’re not sure where their field of expertise will be. Joey DeTraglia is attending the University of Rochester for Molecular Genetics.
"I’m actually still trying to figure that out. I’ve had a lot of options between Graduate School, PhD, and Medical School. I’ve just always been really interested in research, particularly genetic research, so the opportunity to come here this summer I think is really going to help me on deciding what exactly it is I want to do."
Other students like SUNY Polytechnic Institute Biology Student Nikita Shah have figured out exactly what they want to do and are working on getting experience and professional development.
"I’d want to do more clinical-based research that would eventually help my patients that I’m working with. So I can kind of just like work hand in hand in both the things that I’m interested in which is helping others as well as conducting research and seeing like world-life experience and like connecting them."
It often takes years to find a cure to any disease, but the students are here to move the research forward. Postdoctoral Affairs Program Coordinator Dr. Khanh Ha believes this experience will help these students develop practical research skills, but isn't expecting too much to happen in the short amout of time they're here.
"I don’t expect them to make like big scientific discovery, but you never know."
Students will spend 10 weeks working alongside some of the brightest researchers in the country. Their time here will not only help them decide on a career path, but will connect them with professionals in the industry. Joey DeTraglia and Nikita Shah know what the internship could mean for their future.
"It’s also giving me great networking. The people you meet here, they’re all super nice and they are so knowledgeable, and they know so many other people in other labs."
"It’s a great way to like connect with others, and really like go into the professional world with like more experience and knowledge."
The program wouldn’t be possible without local donations. The majority of the funding comes from the M&T Bank and the Community Foundation, as well as the Mason’s and some smaller grants. The Fellowship Program is expected to wrap up on July 28th. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/masonic-medical-research-institute-welcomes-fellowship-students/article_67a5f21e-1136-11ee-90bf-cb31a0224222.html | 2023-06-23T00:59:48 | 0 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/masonic-medical-research-institute-welcomes-fellowship-students/article_67a5f21e-1136-11ee-90bf-cb31a0224222.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — The new leaders of the Atlantic City Housing Authority have been interviewing candidates for important leadership roles in the agency, Executive Director Matt Doherty said at Thursday's board meeting.
"Tom and I have diligently been interviewing for CFO, human resources director, director of maintenance, management specialist and contract administrator," Doherty said of himself and Chief Operating Officer Tom Sahlin. "These are five very important posts that are now vacant."
He hopes to have the positions filled soon, he said.
Once the director of maintenance is hired, the authority will begin advertising for more maintenance workers, Doherty said.
"We anticipate the next 30-60 days to be a transition period where we staff up," Doherty said. "We would love to employ folks who live in Housing Authority buildings or in Atlantic City (in maintenance). These are good jobs, with good pay, health insurance, dental and a pension."
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There are now 12 maintenance workers on staff, and Doherty hopes to add 10 more "to start to improve services to residents. Right now we are not doing a very good job."
The board also voted to rescind emergency declarations and contracts at its Thursday meeting, and discussed ways to get needed services to tenants outside the emergency route.
The meeting was the second in-person board meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.
ATLANTIC CITY — The new executive director at the troubled Atlantic City Housing Authority k…
Work on testing gas lines, remediating mold and fighting pest infestations had to stop earlier this month at Stanley Holmes Village and the eight other complexes owned by the Housing Authority.
Contractors were working under emergency contracts, and the authority has been told by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development it must now move to awarding regular contracts, Doherty said.
"Our goal is to have contractors starting to come online mid-July," he said of those hired under standard competitive contracts.
The process for awarding regular contracts takes longer than for emergency contracts but assures competitive bidding.
Doherty said he has been working with HUD's Newark office and with Mayor Marty Small Sr.'s administration to figure out ways of getting contractors in the short term, until they can properly be procured for the long term.
"We are also working with the Fire Department on the gas monitoring under the buildings," Doherty said.
Doherty has been on the job about a month, and some of the emergency contracts were negotiated by his predecessor, interim part-time Executive Director John Clarke, who is also executive director of the New Brunswick Housing Authority and runs the Princeton Housing Authority on an interim basis.
Clarke, who continues as a consultant with the Atlantic City Housing Authority, had put out regular contracts for some work, like bedbug extermination, while those for elevator maintenance and repair predate him. That work will continue, Doherty said.
ATLANTIC CITY — Work on testing gas lines, remediating mold and fighting pest infestations h…
But work on the gas lines at Stanley Holmes, and on eradicating rodent and roach infestations and mold intrusions, was only put out under emergency contracts, so it must stop until regular contracts can be obtained.
It is unclear why regular contracts were not negotiated for all services at some point in Clarke's tenure, which started in August.
South Jersey Legal Services is suing the authority over conditions at Stanley Holmes Village and has serious concerns about how the work stoppage will affect residents.
The city declared an emergency at Stanley Holmes Village in October, when the heating and hot water systems failed, and the authority was unable to continue providing trash pickup and other services.
The heating system has since been stabilized, and the city had provided trash pickup for some time. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-housing-authority-working-to-fill-key-management-roles/article_64b9f9b6-1126-11ee-bf95-6bd01453dbda.html | 2023-06-23T01:07:53 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-housing-authority-working-to-fill-key-management-roles/article_64b9f9b6-1126-11ee-bf95-6bd01453dbda.html |
Stockton University senior lacrosse player Kerstin Axe was named to the NCAA Division III Academic All-America women’s at-large third team.
The College Sports Communicators selects the teams, and the women’s at-large category includes multiple sports including lacrosse, field hockey, gymnastics, golf and ice hockey.
Axe graduated from Stockton in May with a 4.0 GPA and a bachelors degree in marine science. She is Stockton’s 19th Academic All-American. Her selection marked the fourth straight year and seventh in the last eight that Stockton had at least one Academic All-American.
Axe was a solid defender for the Ospreys and was a New Jersey Athletic Conference honorable mention. She helped Stockton (12-5) finish with its most victories since it won a school record 13 games in 2016. Axe finished with 29 ground balls, 14 caused turnovers and 14 draw controls. She helped anchor the defense to a 9.35 goals-against average.
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Axe She played in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game on June 3 at USA Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Maryland.
Axe transferred to Stockton from St. Francis University (Pennsylvania), and started all 34 games in her two years as an Osprey. She finished her career 49 ground balls, 16 caused turnovers and 14 draw controls. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/stocktons-kerstin-axe-voted-csc-academic-all-american/article_30726850-114e-11ee-a8b1-cf64ef304f67.html | 2023-06-23T01:07:59 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/stocktons-kerstin-axe-voted-csc-academic-all-american/article_30726850-114e-11ee-a8b1-cf64ef304f67.html |
A man traveling by train with the gunman who shot and killed a DEA agent during a stop in Tucson in 2021 was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison.
Devonte Okeith Mathis, 24, of Mesquite, Texas, was ordered to serve 10 years in prison by Federal Court Judge Rosemary Marquez in connection with the death of Michael Garbo, who was killed in a shootout when he approached a man Mathis accompanied on an Amtrak train.
Mathis previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On Oct. 4, 2021, Mathis and Darrion Taylor, 26, were traveling together on an Amtrak train in Tucson.
They were seen by a DEA agent sitting in the same row but on opposite sides of the aisle. The agent then saw Mathis move several bags a few rows away and return to his seat, the Arizona Daily Star previously reported.
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When the bags were opened, agents found 2.39 kilograms of marijuana, marijuana edibles and other products related to the drug, the Star reported. Mathis told agents that the bags weren’t his.
As agents approached Taylor, a shootout erupted, killing Garbo and injuring two other DEA agents. Taylor was also killed in the shootout.
Further investigation revealed that Mathis knew Taylor had guns, that Taylor was “on the run” and had told Mathis that he did not want to go back to jail, court documents say.
Stephanie J. Meade asked the that Mathis be sentenced to five years and six months in prison followed by supervised release. She said Mathis plans on completing drug treatment in prison, will seek mental health counseling and wants to get his commercial driver’s license in hopes of becoming a long-haul truck driver.
However, prosecutors asked Marquez to sentence Mathis to 10 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, saying Mathis knew he was traveling with a dangerous person and allowed law enforcements officers to be blindsided.
Vida Garbo, Michael Garbo's wife, tearfully told the court that he was a man who was deeply loved and respected. She said her family's lives have been shattered since the incident.
"Mathis has robbed me of the love of my life," Garbo told the judge.
Their daughter, Alexis, said her father was the kind or person to drop everything for you. She recalled a time when she made him walk into work with painted toenails because she had a new glitter polish.
"He is gone but his memory is irreplaceable," Alexis Garbo said.
Mathis sat with this his head down, wiping tears from his face, as the pair talked about Garbo.
Mathis apologized to the victims when he spoke in court.
"I wish I could take it all back," Mathis said.
Jamie Donnelly covers courts for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-involved-in-tucson-amtrak-shooting-sentenced/article_178e140e-111e-11ee-a9a6-9350c0ad902b.html | 2023-06-23T01:10:38 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/man-involved-in-tucson-amtrak-shooting-sentenced/article_178e140e-111e-11ee-a9a6-9350c0ad902b.html |
The identity of a man found dead inside a hotel room in Nogales two decades ago has been solved thanks to DNA testing.
In September 2002, a man checked to the hotel claiming to be from St. Petersburg, Florida. He had an 8-inch surgical scar along his hairline and told the hotel manager that he’d been consulting a doctor in Mexico about surgery on his head, according to the DNA Doe Project.
The manager later found the man's body, hours after he had died.
The man was between 49-73 years old, about 6-feet tall with brown eyes. He wore a silver necklace with a “C” medallion.
The name he used at the hotel led authorities to nothing but records of identity theft and fraud. A fingerprint search came back with the name of Donald Hadland, Jr., but investigators were unsure whether that too was a stolen identity.
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The death was treated as a John Doe case for more than 20 years.
The Pima County Medical Examiner's Office on Wednesday said it could not immediately confirm the man's cause of death. This year the agency approached the DNA Doe Project with this Nogales case.
Founded in 2017, the volunteer non-profit organization has the goal of helping investigators and law enforcement identify people using genetic genealogy. It creates family history profiles with a combination of DNA tests and traditional genealogical methods, such as oral interviews and historical records.
A blood sample was taken from the Nogales case for DNA analysis by the project in conjunction with the new-Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) Center at Ramapo College of New Jersey. The undergraduate certificate program teaches students how to conduct research and effectively work alongside investigating agencies and forensics labs.
The profile was uploaded to a database to help law enforcement and investigative authorities match raw DNA files with those in their system. Almost immediately, the name ‘Hadland' began popping up.
“This case was unique as there was an investigative lead to the identity of Donald Hadland, Jr., to begin with,” Cairenn Binder, the Ramapo program director said in a news release. “Our students … were able to compile additional supporting information using investigative genetic genealogy to demonstrate how Nogales John Doe’s genetic matches were consistent with Donald Hadland, Jr.”
Confirmation of the man's identity was obtained by a comparison with the DNA of a close family member, the news release said, and thus Donald Hadland, Jr., had his name back. | https://tucson.com/news/local/dead-man-in-hotel-in-2002/article_71491f82-111b-11ee-917f-a7e11bb79245.html | 2023-06-23T01:10:44 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/dead-man-in-hotel-in-2002/article_71491f82-111b-11ee-917f-a7e11bb79245.html |
PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs joined a state lawmaker and the leader of a reproductive rights advocacy group Thursday to announce an effort to enact a law protecting the right to access contraceptives.
The Democratic governor said reproductive freedoms are at risk following last year’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade, the 50-year-old court decision that said abortion is a constitutional right. Since the so-called Dobbs decision, laws blocking or limiting access to abortion that Roe had barred have been implemented in Arizona and a host of other states with Republican-led legislatures.
There is more on the way if no one prevents it, Hobbs said.
“It didn’t take long for extremist politicians to turn this into a full-core attack on access to reproductive care, including contraception,’’ Hobbs said. “Just last year, every Arizona Republican in Congress voted against ensuring that every American can access basic contraception.’’
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Speaking on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the high court’s decision overturning Roe, state Rep. Athena Salman, D-Tempe, said she will introduce legislation next year making access to contraception a right for all Arizonans.
“Enough is enough,’’ Salman said. “We believe that contraception is central to a person’s privacy, health, well-being, dignity, liberty, equality, and ability to participate in social and economic life.’’
But getting the legislation through the Republican-controlled Legislature will be a heavy lift, and one GOP lawmaker pronounced Salman’s bill dead on arrival.
‘Unsellable’ to GOP lawmakers
Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, said that while he has not seen the proposal, he thinks Salman will include provisions that make it unpalatable for Republicans.
“All I’m doing is guessing based on who is introducing the bill what’s going to be in it, and it will be totally unsellable to a majority of the caucus and the majority of the Legislature,” Grantham said. “You need 31 (House) votes and I personally don’t know one Republican who will support that bill if it’s the bill I think it is.’’
Salman said her proposal has not even been drafted.
Despite that, Grantham called the proposal unnecessary since contraception is protected by other Supreme Court rulings.
“Everybody’s got a right to contraception anyway,’’ he said.
Clarence Thomas quotes cited
But Hobbs, Salman and others who spoke at Thursday’s news conference highlighted Justice Clarence Thomas’ concurring opinion in the Dobbs case as a reason to be fearful that the right to contraception is also at risk.
Thomas pointed to cases that established the right to contraception, outlawed sodomy laws and legalized same-sex marriage as decisions that hinged on privacy rights he says are not in the Constitution.
He specifically suggested the full court “should reconsider’’ those decisions — including the 1965 ruling in Griswold v. Connecticut that there is a right to privacy that prevents states from making the use of contraception by married couples illegal.
That part of his ruling spurred Democrats in the U.S. House to pass a law last year protecting contraception access across the nation, but it was blocked by Senate Republicans.
Cathi Herrod of the Center for Arizona Policy, a powerful group that has pushed anti-abortion laws at the state Capitol for years, said Democrats are making much ado about nothing.
“The proposal appears to be a solution in search of a problem,’’ Herrod said.
“No one is talking about restricting contraception,’’ she continued. “No one is talking about making contraception illegal or leaving it up to the state Legislature to determine access. So it’s a non-issue.’’
Salman, however, pointed to a fetal “personhood’’ law pushed by Herrod’s group and enacted in 2021 as a concern. The law confers rights to unborn children and she said it could be used to ban certain forms of contraception in the state if higher courts overturn a federal judge’s ruling that has so far blocked its implementation.
“Arizona is one of the states where birth control can just be under extreme legal jeopardy at the snap of a court (if) they lift that injunction,’’ Salman said.
Herrod called that “a far-fetched notion.’’
“The language in what we call the preemption clause that is before the Ninth Circuit (Court of Appeals) currently, that is about unborn children in the womb,’’ she said. “I thought that the individuals today were talking about preventing pregnancy. That would be the point of contraception.’’
Plans for abortion rights ballot measure
Both Hobbs and Salman acknowledged that politics — and Democrats’ hope of getting voters to pass a separate constitutional amendment allowing abortion in the state and winning control of the Legislature in 2024 — are part of the reason they’re acting now.
Bre Thomas, CEO of Affirm, a nonprofit that coordinates federal contraception funds and advocates for making reproductive health care accessible, said backers of an abortion rights ballot initiative are doing polling and working to write a ballot measure. They have not yet made any public announcement, she said.
“And you know, there’s a huge amount of resources that will be needed,’’ Thomas said in response to a question about the status of a potential ballot measure.
“We’re looking at $40 (million) to $50 million,’’ she said, so fundraising “needs to be successful.’’
Hobbs said her agenda is to protect the rights and freedoms of Arizona residents.
“I think this legislation, (and) a ballot measure to protect abortion rights, is in line with that.’’ she said.
“That’s my focus,’’ Hobbs said. “And in an election year, voters will have the ability to reinforce that or not.’’
The governor also issued a warning to lawmakers should they pursue any new restrictions on what she called “access to basic reproductive health care.’’
“Legislators should know that any effort to take away our reproductive rights will quickly meet with my veto pen,’’ she said. | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-governor-contraceptives-laws-courts/article_4fdef6ee-110e-11ee-b746-67b60c8a9efa.html | 2023-06-23T01:10:50 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-governor-contraceptives-laws-courts/article_4fdef6ee-110e-11ee-b746-67b60c8a9efa.html |
A Tucson environmental group filed suit Thursday to try to force the federal government to move faster on protecting the once-endangered pygmy owl and a flock of other species it says are imperiled.
The Center for Biological Diversity lawsuit alleges that, specifically for the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is now six months past its formal, legal deadline for deciding whether to list the tiny bird as a threatened species.
The wildlife service proposed listing the owl as threatened in December 2021, saying it is imperiled due to loss of habitat, proliferation of endangered species and climate change. The center said in its lawsuit that the service should have made its decision 12 months after it proposed the listing, meaning by Dec. 22, 2022.
The lawsuit also listed 12 other species for which service decisions on whether to list or not are running behind schedule.
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“These fearsome little owls and many other species have waited too long for lifesaving protection,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the center, in a news release announcing Thursday's lawsuit.
Wildlife service spokesman Al Barrus didn't return a phone call seeking comment on the suit. Typically, service officials decline to comment on pending litigation.
Greenwald said, “The Fish and Wildlife Service’s program for protecting species is badly broken and the administration is doing nothing to fix it. The Endangered Species Act is our best tool for addressing the extinction crisis, but it only works if we actually use it.”
Center: Biden administration lags
Suing over missed federal deadlines for endangered species protection has long been a common tactic of the center, one that has resulted in numerous listings of various plants and animals as endangered or threatened.
Indeed, the center successfully sued under similar grounds to force the wildlife service to list the cactus ferruginous pygmy owl as endangered back in 1997. It had first petitioned the service to list the owl in 1992.
In its news release Thursday, the center said the Biden administration is lagging behind other, recent Democratic administrations in listing imperiled species. The Biden administration has protected 11 species per year compared to 65 species a year under the Clinton administration and 36 species each year under the Obama administration, the center said.
Many critics of the center have said its litigation on endangered species diverts service officials from carrying out other important duties. But center officials have said their lawsuits forced the wildlife service to carry out a basic responsibility — listing and protecting imperiled animals and plants.
The original pygmy owl listing had major impacts on development on Tucson's northwest side for many years, forcing developers to delay and in some cases scale back their projects to accommodate the owl's presence. In many instances, the developers set aside land to preserve owl habitat.
But that protection disappeared in 2006, when a lawsuit filed by various homebuilder groups led to a service decision to "de-list" the owl. The homebuilders groups, including the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association, said the owl didn't deserve protection in the United States because it was far more common in northern Mexico.
The center fought back, petitioning and suing once again, and in 2017, a federal judge ruled that the service's opposition to re-listing the owl was not valid. That led to the service's proposal to re-list the owl has threatened four years later.
Habitat loss
The service in 2021 proposed to list the owl as threatened in Southern Arizona, south Texas and in parts of northern Mexico, including northern Sonora.
It concluded at the time that the owl was threatened by habitat loss from development and other urbanization, invasive species and either crop production or forest-based timber harvesting. It also said the bird could be affected by hotter, more arid conditions throughout much of its range, due to past, present and future climate changes.
In Arizona, the service said the bird’s potential range covered eight counties, including Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise and Yuma counties in Southern Arizona.
The pygmy owl tops out at 6.7 inches long and weighs 2 to 2.6 ounces, depending on its sex. It’s colored reddish brown overall, with a cream-colored belly streaked with reddish brown. Its eyes are yellow and its tail is relatively long for an owl, the wildlife service said in its 2021 proposal to list the bird as threatened.
The owls nest in cavities in various trees and cacti, including the saguaro. In Arizona and northern Sonora, they are known to live in Sonoran desert scrub and semi-desert grasslands, and have been known to concentrate in riparian areas along rivers and washes.
In addition to the pygmy owl, the new lawsuit also seeks federal decisions on protecting the Mt. Rainier white-tailed ptarmigan, the Peñasco least chipmunk, the Humboldt marten, the tall Western penstemon, six Texas mussel species, the pyramid pigtoe mussel and four distinct populations of the foothill yellow-legged frog.
Contact Tony Davis at 520-349-0350 or tdavis@tucson.com. Follow Davis on Twitter@tonydavis987. | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-threatened-species-pygmy-owl-development-tucson-environmentalists/article_9a6feeba-112d-11ee-8cbb-9f001e07903f.html | 2023-06-23T01:10:57 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-threatened-species-pygmy-owl-development-tucson-environmentalists/article_9a6feeba-112d-11ee-8cbb-9f001e07903f.html |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a homicide in South Sacramento Thursday afternoon.
According to a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, the call came in from a home on the 7400 block of La Mancha Way around 3 p.m.
The sheriff’s office says a man is confirmed dead and homicide detectives are on their way to the scene now.
The death marks the third homicide Sacramento County deputies have responded to in the last 48 hours.
The first happened around 9 a.m. Wednesday at a home in Fair Oaks. The sheriff's office says a woman walked into the hospital complaining of a medical issue and then called dispatch to report a suspicious death at her home. She and her son — also the victim's roommates — were later arrested in connection with the man's death.
The second happened around 5 p.m. Wednesday on Alder Avenue as investigators were still at the scene of the Fair Oaks homicide. In this case the victim was shot in the neck and pronounced dead at the scene. Few details are available about what happened leading up to the shooting.
This is a developing story and will be updated as we learn more. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/deputies-investigating-homicide-la-mancha-way/103-cfb99b3b-398c-41b4-9ff7-832f152902db | 2023-06-23T01:10:59 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/deputies-investigating-homicide-la-mancha-way/103-cfb99b3b-398c-41b4-9ff7-832f152902db |
Evacuations were ordered in Cochise County Thursday after separate wildfires started near Sierra Vista and Benson, officials say.
The Wildhorse Fire about three miles east of Ramsey Canyon was reported about 12:30 p.m. when it had already grown to about 30 acres, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management first reported on Twitter.
That fire prompted the closing of a section Arizona 92 south of Sierra Vista. The Cochise County Sheriff's Department later ordered evacuations for affected areas. By 2 p.m., crews said they stopped forward progress on the fire, and are working to create a containment line around the area.
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Also Thursday, another wildfire was reported about seven miles south of Benson, according to the state. The Post Fire was more than 600 acres by Thursday afternoon, the state Forestry Department said.
Heavy air tankers were requested, however winds gusts of over 30 mph in the area caused issues with air support for both fires, the National Weather Service Tucson posted on Twitter.
The Arizona Traveler Information site, az511.gov, provides updates on highway conditions. Updates can also be received via the AZ511 app, the Department’s Twitter account, @ArizonaDOT, or by calling 511. | https://tucson.com/news/local/wildfires-burning-in-cochise-county/article_0f7cefae-1152-11ee-88e9-3f1951714578.html | 2023-06-23T01:11:03 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/wildfires-burning-in-cochise-county/article_0f7cefae-1152-11ee-88e9-3f1951714578.html |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Sacramento school district is planning to feed school-aged children two meals a day for free over the summer starting in late June.
Schools in the Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) will be offering free breakfast and lunch to kids Monday through Friday every week from June 26 to July 28 on participating sites.
"If students are worrying about where their next meal comes from, they don't do well in school," said Diana Flores, Director of Nutrition Services at SCUSD. "A lot of our students rely on school meals during the school year and when we shut down for school, that resource goes away and they don't have the reliable breakfast and lunch that they're accustomed to getting at school."
Some campuses will offer meals as late as the first two weeks in August for students and families with additional need.
"We have 63 sites this year that will be open for summer meals, which does include some community sites, where typically we'll have about 40," said Flores.
Locations offering free meals include:
- Abraham Lincoln Elementary
- Bowling Green Chacon Elementary
- California Middle School
- Camellia Basic Elementary
- Caroline Wenzel Elementary
- CK McClatchy
- David Lubin Elementary
- Earl Warren Elementary
- Elder Creek Elementary
- Ethel I. Baker Elementary
- Ethel Phillips Elementary
- Fern Bacon Middle School
- Golden Empire Elementary
- Hiram Johnson High School
- H.W. Harkness Elementary
- Hubert H. Bancroft Elementary
- Isador Cohen Elementary
- John Bidwell Elementary
- John Cabrillo Elementary
- John Still K-8 School (ends 8/4)
- Leataata Floyd Elementary
- Leonardo da Vinci K-8 School
- Martin Luther King Jr. K-8
- Matsuyama Elementary
- New Joseph Bonnheim (ends 7/22)
- Oak Ridge Elementary
- Pacific Elementary
- Parkway Elementary (ends 8/4)
- Peter Burnett Elementary
- Pony Express Elementary
- Rosa Parks K-8 School
- Rosemont High School
- Sam Brannan Middle School
- School of Engineering Sciences
- Tahoe Elementary
- Washington Elementary
- Will C Wood Middle School
- William Land Elementary
- West Campus High School
- *La Familia (Monday – Thursday)
- *The Language Academy (June 19 – July 14)
- *Breakthrough Academy at Sacramento Country Day School (thru 8/2)
- *Forever Friends Early Learning Care (thru 8/11)
Enrollment in the participating school is not required and no paperwork is necessary to receive a free meal.
Breakfast will be served from 7:45-8:15 a.m., while lunch is served from 11:35 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. throughout the week.
"All children are invited," said Flores. "They just show up at that site during that mealtime, and they will be offered a meal."
Children must be present to receive a meal and it must be eaten on campus in the cafeteria.
Each child can receive up to one breakfast and one lunch per day, and they can receive those two meals every day throughout the participating dates.
"On Centralkitchen.org we will be posting our menus there. We'll post all the sites that are offering summer meals, their breakfast meal times, their lunch meal times," said Flores. "Also if they go to the food truck tab, they can find our food truck and pick up lunch at our food truck which travels around to a different school every day."
Watch more from ABC10: "If I can't do it, who will? | Stockton Unified School District's new superintendent | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento-city-schools-offering-free-meals-over-summer/103-1d3ebffb-a1be-447c-8fad-ae9560de68dd | 2023-06-23T01:11:06 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento-city-schools-offering-free-meals-over-summer/103-1d3ebffb-a1be-447c-8fad-ae9560de68dd |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A Del Paso Heights father is grateful to be alive after a motorcycle accident left him severely injured. Now, he’s looking for the Good Samaritans who pulled over to save his life.
Neil Miles says the only reason he's alive today is because of the protective gear he was wearing and the people who stopped to help him. He considers himself lucky.
“I was just going from one job to another trying to provide,” said Miles.
He remembers the accident that left him in a UC Davis Medical Center bed with two broken arms, hands and wrists. He also broke his left foot and leg, and severed an artery in his arm.
“I put my own tourniquet on,” said Miles.
He left his home on June 15 after a full day's work with the Postal Service to go to his second job. He was going 30 mph onto the freeway on the westbound Interstate 80 connector ramp to I-5 when he hit gravel while down shifting his bike. Then, he hit the pavement.
“I was going left to right trying to catch my balance but there was so much gravel there and then there was a rail there, so I rode the rail,” said Miles.
He was bleeding out on the side of the highway when a stranger blocked traffic with their car so no one would hit him. Two bikers arrived and moved his bike, and one gave him the shirt off his back to use for his injuries.
“Thank you God that I can live another day to see my beautiful eight children and my wife,” said Miles.
A father of eight children ranging from six-months-old to 19-years-old, Miles spent Father's Day in a hospital bed. He wants to use his luck to pay it forward with a message for fellow riders.
“A turtle shell backpack. It saved my bacon just sliding across the asphalt. It kept me above that and took a lot of the impact. Get a good jacket with a lot of padding, a good helmet. Without that, it’s not worth riding. I regret not wearing my boots,” said Miles.
The California Highway Patrol says this is the time of year when they see an increase in accidents. Speed is the number one cause.
Officer Margarito Meza wants to remind drivers to share the road.
"We do have to take into consideration those motorcyclists. We have to be on the lookout for them on the roads and highways. Before you make a lane change, use your blinker, look over your shoulder, check your mirror and then do it again to make sure there is no motorcycle there,” said Meza.
The family is hoping to connect with those Good Samaritans, if possible, to say thank you. They're waiting to see if they qualify for any assistance while his wife is caring for him and they will both soon run out of time off from work.
The family has a Meal Train and GoFundMe page set up. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento-motorcyclist-looking-for-good-samaritans-who-saved-his-life/103-a602ca9a-73cf-4c38-a5b9-ce8aa502ffb9 | 2023-06-23T01:11:12 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento-motorcyclist-looking-for-good-samaritans-who-saved-his-life/103-a602ca9a-73cf-4c38-a5b9-ce8aa502ffb9 |
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced on Thursday that 7.5 million Baby Shark toys were being recalled due to their risk of injuring children.
In a release, the agency explained that the “Robo Alive Junior Baby Shark Sing & Swim Bath Toys (Full-Size)” and the “Robo Alive Junior Mini Baby Shark Swimming Bath Toys (Mini-Size)” were the specific toy lines affected by the recall.
The release shows that when used — particularly in a bathtub or wading pool — children can slip and fall or sit onto the hard plastic top fin of the shark, posing risks of impalement, laceration and punctures.
The toys were sold in three colors: yellow, pink and blue.
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The recalled toys also came with tracking label information on the bottom, which includes model numbers “7163,” “7175,” “7166,” or “25291.” According to the release, only those full-size Baby Shark toys that have a hard plastic top fin are included in the recall.
The agency urged customers to immediately stop using the recalled bath toys and contact Zuru for a full refund of $14 for each full-size toy and $6 for each mini-size toy. Refunds will be paid out in the form of a prepaid virtual Mastercard, the release states.
To contact Zuru for a refund, call 833-820-0839 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Monday through Friday or visit by clicking here.
For more information on the toys being recalled, click here.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/75m-baby-shark-toys-recalled-due-to-risks-of-injuring-children/ | 2023-06-23T01:11:33 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/75m-baby-shark-toys-recalled-due-to-risks-of-injuring-children/ |
The summer series that's a result of the Sedona Film Festival partnering with Theatrikos Theatre Company continues on Wednesday with the Flagstaff premiere of “Darling Companion” at 7:30 p.m. at Theatrikos Theatre Company.
“Darling Companion” — from four-time Academy Award-nominated director Lawrence Kasdan — features a stellar ensemble cast that consists of Diane Keaton, Kevin Kline, Dianne Wiest, Richard Jenkins, Elisabeth Moss, Mark Duplass, Ayelet Zurer and Sam Shepard.
“Darling Companion” is a comedy about many varieties of companionship. At the center of the movie is a marriage that has gone on for a long time and become frayed. Surrounding that union are young people falling in love, a brand-new marriage and the surprise of midlife romance.
The film is also about the connection that sometimes happens between a human being and a pet -- the love, friendship and solace that can pass between species.
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On the side of a busy freeway, Beth (Keaton) finds the love, devotion, commitment and courage she needs — all wrapped up in a stray dog who becomes her “darling companion.” When the beloved canine goes missing, a shaggy-dog search adventure plays out, drawing together friends and family and rekindling a lifelong love.
Tickets are $12 general admission, $9 for Film Festival members and $10 for students.
For tickets and more information on Movies in Flagstaff and related events, please call 928-282-1177. Tickets can also be ordered in advance online at www.SedonaFilmFestival.org. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/movies-in-flagstaff-darling-companion-explores-variety-of-connections/article_36d26a2e-109f-11ee-8c81-67abc379f83c.html | 2023-06-23T01:11:52 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/movies-in-flagstaff-darling-companion-explores-variety-of-connections/article_36d26a2e-109f-11ee-8c81-67abc379f83c.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland radio station debuted what it bills as the world’s first artificial intelligence DJ earlier this month. The AI host is modeled on the voice and speaking pattern of Ashley Elzinga, a Michigan-based radio host.
"Today I go from just Ashley to 'AI Ashley' on Live 95.5. So let’s see how close the AI sounds to me," Elzinga said on June 13.
Developers said they have been developing 'AI Ashley' since November. Elzinga said she worked with the program for about 10 to 20 hours, in conjunction with people behind the scenes to get 'AI Ashley' ready to go on air.
Dylan Salisbury, content director at 95.5, said 'AI Ashley' can update Portlanders on major news in the area at any time of day. That’s something Elzinga, who lives in Traverse City, Michigan, can’t do. Salisbury said the goal isn’t to replace Elzinga as DJ, but to use ‘AI Ashley’ as an alter ego to Elzinga.
"We really like the idea of an angel and devil and Eminem and Slim Shady kind of dynamic between the two," Salisbury said.
But some experts are worried the advance of AI will result in jobs being taken from people.
"Companies will eliminate jobs with AI if they can," said Kerry Tomlinson, a cyber news reporter at Ampere News.
Tomlinson said AI is expected to eliminate hundreds of millions of jobs worldwide.
"For any human being, it is scary to know that the job that you’re doing, especially if you enjoy it, could be eliminated," Tomlinson said.
Tomlinson said there are benefits of AI, like innovative ideas that can be accomplished worldwide. Portland State University Computer Engineering Professor Christof Teuscher believes AI will change how people work.
"It’s a tool for me, I think," Teuscher said. "It’s a bit like a hammer, right? You can use it for good or for bad."
He said the technology should be embraced with more regulation. But so far, Teuscher said United States regulation lags behind Europe and the UK.
The White House released a national artificial intelligence plan in May, concluding that an expansive AI Research and Development program is needed to ensure the technology is used ethically and legally.
The plan says there's an immediate need to identify ways to effectively govern AI intelligence, while also counteracting risk.
But as regulation continues to evolve, Elzinga stresses the unique possibilities of AI.
"There are good people who are working really, really hard on this new and fresh thing who do not mean to use it for bad, we want to use it for good," Elzinga said. "And this can be fun, this can be exciting." | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-radio-station-first-ai-radio-host/283-4abd601e-d88f-4b82-a64f-25fcbda1638b | 2023-06-23T01:12:14 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-radio-station-first-ai-radio-host/283-4abd601e-d88f-4b82-a64f-25fcbda1638b |
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