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A home is currently for sale in Pittsburgh’s Point Breeze neighborhood for $4.6 million.
The home is located at 1129 Beechwood Blvd. and is currently listed with Mollie Hanna Lang of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services.
The three-story, Victorian-style home was built in 1900. It has six bedrooms, five full bathrooms and one partial bathroom.
Read more at Pittsburgh Business Times.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/this-point-breeze-home-is-sale-46m-photos/PGPFER32FRDTZGIBAOS6IJMLIY/ | 2023-06-23T18:17:28 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/this-point-breeze-home-is-sale-46m-photos/PGPFER32FRDTZGIBAOS6IJMLIY/ |
CARROLL COUNTY, Md. — Gail D'Anthony, 76, has been arrested and charged with first-and second murder in connection with the death of her husband, 72-year-old John D'Anthony, III.
On March 1, around 7:38 p.m., Westminster police responded to the 300 block of Royer Road for the report of a cardiac arrest.
Medical services attempted lifesaving measures on John but he was pronounced dead.
Upon investigation from the Medical Examiner, the autopsy confirmed John suffered extensive injuries, including blunt forces injuries throughout his body, lacerations to his mouth, a broken neck, a broken right rib, two black eyes and large contusions on his hands.
Ultimately, it was determined these injuries were inconsistent with a fall or natural death and his death was ruled a homicide.
On May 24, detectives became aware of a witness with additional information.
Police say Gail told this witness that she killed her husband by pushing him to the ground where he hit his head on the floor.
She then left the room and returned with a cane, which she allegedly used to bludgeon John on the head, and then used the cane to prevent him from getting up.
Gail then called 911 for assistance.
After determining this information was consistent with evidence found on the scene, police arrested Gail on June 21. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/76-year-old-woman-charged-after-allegedly-beating-husband-to-death-with-cane | 2023-06-23T18:26:44 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/76-year-old-woman-charged-after-allegedly-beating-husband-to-death-with-cane |
More than 30 years ago, a pair of MIT Ph.D. grads landed in Tucson and developed electronically dimmed glass that would later find its way into millions of cars as auto-dimming rearview mirrors.
Now they’re looking to push the latest version of their technology into millions of homes, as spiraling energy costs are driving demand for energy-efficient windows.
Tucson-based startup Glass Dyenamics, co-founded by material scientists Anoop Agrawal and John Cronin, is raising funds to set up a pilot manufacturing line for its dimmable glass windows, after recently hitting a major milestone in a testing program with the U.S. Department of Energy.
The company has developed its own patented electrochromic glass — which is dimmed by means of a low-voltage electrical current acting on layers of special materials — with the aim of cheaply producing it for residential windows.
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While electrochromic glass technology has been around for decades, its use for windows has been limited to commercial buildings because of its high cost — some 10 times the cost of standard insulated windows.
Christopher Angelo, a former solar materials company executive who joined Agrawal and Cronin to co-found Glass Dyenamics in 2017, said the company’s technology can help homeowners achieve energy savings of up to 20% — paying for itself faster than rooftop solar panels.
“We believe that this technology can achieve a much greater percentage of mass adoption than residential solar,” Angelo said.
Pioneering work
Agrawal and Cronin worked to develop electrochromic glass for self-dimming auto mirrors and windows in the late 1980s and 1990s at Donnelly Corp., which made mirror components and had its advanced technology center in Tucson.
Michigan-based Donnelly became a leading supplier of self-dimming auto mirrors, and it was acquired by auto parts supplier Magna International in 2002.
In 2004, Agrawal and Cronin founded a consulting firm, AJJER LLC, and tech startup Berylliant Inc. based on technology to detect particles of beryllium, a toxic metal used in industrial processes. That company is still based in Tucson and is profitable, Cronin said.
The pair continued to work on electrochromic glass, and later formed a company in Tucson called Polyceed with Maha Achour, a MIT physics Ph.D based in California, to advance the technology.
Angelo later joined the company and the name of the company was changed to Glass Dyenamics to reflect its new technology.
“We were working on a variety of different technologies,” Agrawal said, besides electrochromic glass including a collaboration on beryllium analysis with Los Alamos National Laboratory and anti-microbial materials.
The company ended up leasing Donnelly’s former Advanced Technology Center on East Fort Lowell Road and set up labs there to develop its glass products.
Early on, Glass Dyenamics got a $1.5 million grant to advance its research through the Wells Fargo IN2 business incubator, in partnership with the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Lab, which funded successful high-stress weatherization testing of the company’s glass.
How it works
Like existing electrochromic technologies, Glass Dyenamics glass uses a low-voltage electrical current to activate chemical layers that darken.
Agrawal likened the design to a dry-call battery, including a solid electrolyte, or layer that allows electrons to flow between electrodes to charge or discharge a battery.
But instead of exchanging electrons for energy storage, the current changes the state of the active layers in the glass, either becoming oxidized by accepting electrons or “reduced” by losing electrons.
“When we charge it, it’s one color, when it’s discharged it’s another color,” he said.
While electrochromic glass is commonly made with layers of metal oxides, Glass Dyenamics uses proprietary, organic dyes to achieve the dimming effect. The company has 15 issued patents and another 10 applications under review, Agrawal said.
The company’s glass panes start dimming almost immediately and reach their full dimming, down to as low as 5% light transmission, within a couple of minutes.
While Glass Dyenamics has shown its technology works, now it is working to show it will last.
Testing milestone
In May, Glass Dyenamics announced that its dimmable glass lasted an industry-leading 150,000 cycles over 5,000 hours under standard durability testing conditions, while also performing within rarely-achieved optical performance degradation industry standards.
Achieved in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, the test results far exceed the minimum 50,000 cycle threshold required by ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials.
Cronin said the company has refuted the idea that organic dyes can’t match the durability of dimmable glass made with inorganic metal oxides.
“We’ve proven that it’s extremely durable,” said Cronin who is originally from Dublin, Ireland, and after attending MIT came to Tucson in the 1980s to work as a research fellow at the University of Arizona.
Only three companies in the world have ever achieved the minimum 50,000-cycle standard, the company says.
Glass Dyenamics’ collaboration with NREL also has led to the development of customizable glass-tint colors with privacy benefits, the company said.
Robert Tenent, senior materials scientist at NREL, noted the government lab has been working on organic dye based electrochromics with Glass Dyenamics since the initial collaboration with the Wells Fargo’s incubator and continue to be impressed.
“We believe that these results open the door to a new paradigm of dynamic glazing functionality and customer affordability,” Tenent said in remarks when the test results were announced.
Angelo, who spent seven years as chief financial officer at a San Francisco company that makes silicon material for solar panels, said lower expected production costs will make the company’s glass a viable alternative to rooftop solar installations as a way for homeowners to cut their power bills while helping the environment.
“The primary value proposition of residential solar is reducing your monthly energy bill and our view is, look, for homes with with our technology, we can provide that same customer value proposition for more than 10 (times) less cost,” he said, adding that also avoids dependence on a local utility’s power grid.
Looking ahead, the company is working to raise an initial round of venture-capital funding to build a pilot glass plant in Tucson, said Angelo, who recently moved from the San Francisco Bay area to Bend, Oregon.
Raising money
The company is initially focusing on small panes used for doors and home entry areas, but has demonstrated the technology can work in meter-wide glass window panes and expects to produce panes in the one- to two-meter size, or from about three to 6.5 feet.
The company so far has raised about $4.5 million in capital, mainly from friends and family with about $1 million from outside investors, Angelo said, noting that the other companies that reached the 5,000-hour durability standard collectively raised $80 million.
“One of the key reasons for that is the founding team that we have are well-renowned, respected scientists in this particular technology,” he said. “And of course, they were instrumental in developing and bringing to market the most successful electrochromic technology today, which is the automobile rear-view mirror.”
Contact senior reporter David Wichner at dwichner@tucson.com or 520-573-4181. On Twitter: @dwichner. On Facebook: Facebook.com/DailyStarBiz | https://tucson.com/news/local/business/tucson-energy-windows-technology/article_648eacdc-0a1b-11ee-b1de-8f62b389eed3.html | 2023-06-23T18:34:27 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/business/tucson-energy-windows-technology/article_648eacdc-0a1b-11ee-b1de-8f62b389eed3.html |
PHOENIX — Gov. Katie Hobbs is moving to strip the state's 15 elected county attorneys of their ability to prosecute doctors and other medical professionals who perform abortions and give it to fellow Democrat Attorney General Kris Mayes.
And given the AG's views on the issue that could effectively lead to total decriminalization of abortion in Arizona as Mayes has said she won't bring charges.
In a new executive order Friday, the governor noted that the U.S. Supreme Court, in a case called Dobbs, last year overturned Roe v. Wade and its constitutional right of a woman to terminate a pregnancy. That, in turn, led to legal questions — still playing out before the Arizona Supreme Court — about what state laws can now be applied and enforced.
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All that, Hobbs said "could lead to county attorneys across the state to make disparate decisions on whether and how to criminally prosecute the same, or similar, conduct relating to abortion care.''
"The state has an interest in ensuring that abortions laws are applied equally, consistently, and predictably to all people and in all counties in Arizona,'' the governor said in her order.
Hobbs is directing Mayes to "assume all duties with regard to any criminal prosecution of a medical provider or other entity or individual that is pending or brought in the future by the county attorney of any county in the state for violation of any state law restricting or prohibiting abortion care.''
And if the message isn't clear, Hobbs specifically cited a statute that dates back to territorial days which imposes a prison term of between two and five years on anyone who performs an abortion unless it is necessary to save the life of the woman.
What makes that crucial is the Arizona Supreme Court is set to decide whether that law, which never was repealed after the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe in 1973, automatically again became enforceable once the justices voided Roe last year. That was the legal position of Republican Mark Brnovich who was attorney general at the time.
Mayes has instead taken the position that a law banning abortion after 15 weeks, approved by the Legislature before the U.S. Supreme Court action, takes precedence. And that is the law being enforced for the moment based on a ruling by the state Cout of Appeals.
But other abortion foes, picking up where Brnovich left off, are urging the state's high court to restore the territorial-era ban.
The governor's order, though, is about more than whether abortions remain legal through 15 weeks.
During her campaign last year, Mayes said she believes the 15-week ban is no more legal than the territorial law. That is based on her argument that, regardless if what the U.S. Supreme Court says, women in Arizona have a right to terminate their pregnancy based on a specific state constitutional provision which says that "no person shall be disturbed in his private affairs ... without authority of law.''
And Mayes takes an absolutist view of it — including so-called "late-term'' abortions.
"Late-term abortions are extremely rare and almost always done to save the life or the mother or when the fetus is no longer viable,'' said Mayes press aide Richie Taylor. "The attorney general believes decisions in such matters should be made between the woman, her family and her doctor."
The governor's new order goes beyond giving the new authority to Mayes.
It also directs state agencies not to assist in investigations from other states, where abortion restrictions remain, about their own residents seeking abortion care in Arizona. There would be cooperation only if ordered by a court or state or federal law.
And Hobbs said she will decline to extradite anyone from Arizona to a state that seeks to prosecute that person for abortion services that, while illegal in the other state, are not illegal here.
Stay tuned to tucson.com for updates.
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Howard Fischer is a veteran journalist who has been reporting since 1970 and covering state politics and the Legislature since 1982. Follow him on Twitter at @azcapmedia or email azcapmedia@gmail.com. | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-gov-hobbs-strips-county-prosecutors-of-ability-to-prosecute-abortion-cases/article_b4b1a226-11d9-11ee-946f-f39bb13adc38.html | 2023-06-23T18:34:33 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/arizona-gov-hobbs-strips-county-prosecutors-of-ability-to-prosecute-abortion-cases/article_b4b1a226-11d9-11ee-946f-f39bb13adc38.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Kittens abound at the Oregon Humane Society – and adult cats too! That’s why the shelter is waiving adoption fees for adult cats for three days, hoping to make room for more kittens they expect will come in this summer.
From Friday, June 23 to Sunday, June 25, owners can bring home a new cat for free from the Oregon Humane Society’s Salem and Portland campuses.
Adoption fees will only be waived for adult cats 1 year or older.
The Oregon Humane Society said 100 kittens are scheduled to arrive at the Portland campus this week. That’s in addition to the 317 kittens the humane society is already caring for.
In Salem, they’re caring for more than 100 kittens.
“Adult cats make wonderful companions,” said Eleena Fikhman, director of adoptions at Oregon Humane Society. “We are hoping our community will consider adopting a cat this weekend so we can open up space to help as many kittens in need as possible.”
There are dozens of adult cats available for adoption at the Oregon Humane Society in Salem, including one named Percy who has been waiting at the shelter since May 30.
The Oregon Humane Society is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In Salem, adoptions are done by walk-in only. In Portland, they are done by appointment, with same-day appointments for walk-ins.
All pets available for adoption are up to date on their vaccines, have been spayed or neutered, microchipped, and come with a certificate for a free health exam with participating veterinarians. | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-humane-society-temporarily-waives-adoption-fees-for-adult-cats/ | 2023-06-23T18:36:39 | 0 | https://www.koin.com/local/oregon-humane-society-temporarily-waives-adoption-fees-for-adult-cats/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Portland non-profit Cultivate Initiatives is launching its second annual Beautification Give-a-Thon on Monday as the non-profit works to clean up the city and break its record for trash pick-up.
Cultivate Initiatives, which began in 2020, offers community healthcare initiatives in addition to a workforce development program to connect people facing homelessness to local job training — including opportunities to work for the organization’s beautification clean-up crew.
During the give-a-thon, which runs from June 26-30, the organization hopes to beat its previous trash clean up goal of 30,000 pounds of trash to 40,000 pounds next week.
Beautification Lead Jay Ahearn says the workforce program gives hope to both houseless Portlanders.
“We have given the opportunity for people to come back and work for five days and come out with me or my other teams and just to see that they can work again. A lot of them have been out of work for a long time so just to give them a leg up or give them encouragement that they can do it,” Ahearn said.
Cultivate Initiatives Executive Director Caleb Coder added that the beautification program “employs neighbors that are houseless or are formerly houseless, being able to give neighbors confidence that they can be a part of the workforce.”
For the give-a-thon, community members can pledge $1, $5 or $10 for every 1,000 pounds of trash removed, with all donations matched. | https://www.koin.com/local/portland-non-profit-launching-second-annual-beautification-give-a-thon/ | 2023-06-23T18:36:43 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/portland-non-profit-launching-second-annual-beautification-give-a-thon/ |
An Egg Harbor Township man will spend 14 years in prison for distributing heroin with a co-conspirator in what one law enforcement leader called Atlantic County's largest drug seizure in its history.
U.S. District Court Judge Renee Marie Bumb on Thursday sentenced Ricardo Clavijo, 42, for conspiring to distribute over 1 kilogram of heroin, possession with intent to distribute heroin and maintaining a drug-related premises, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Friday in a news release.
He must also be supervised for five years after he leaves prison, Bumb ordered.
Clavijo pleaded guilty in April 2022 to running a drug operation with his brother, Christopher Gonzalez, also of Egg Harbor Township. Gonzalez pleaded guilty last October and will be sentenced at a later date.
CAMDEN — An Egg Harbor Township man faces at least two decades in prison after pleading guil…
Former Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner said after their arrests that authorities had pulled off the county's largest drug raid when it discovered the operation hidden in Clavijo's basement.
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Detectives searched the home July 12, 2021, facing Clavijo at the front door and Gonzalez in the basement, where the duo maintained their drug packaging facility.
Also found there were 4.3 kilograms of heroin, 5.5 kilograms of fentanyl, 10.8 kilograms of cocaine, drug packaging materials and equipment, and a money counting machine.
Heroin had been prepared for sale there in tens of thousands of individual doses, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, citing evidence. Agents also seized a .45 caliber handgun, a loaded magazine for the handgun, a 9mm 50-round drum magazine and $8,457.
Clavijo surrendered each item as part of his guilty plea.
Gonzalez could be sentenced to life in prison. His charges also carry a maximum $10 million fine or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in October. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/eggharbor-court-drug-sentence/article_b8afc84a-11dd-11ee-92e2-7fab262bcf1c.html | 2023-06-23T18:36:56 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/eggharbor-court-drug-sentence/article_b8afc84a-11dd-11ee-92e2-7fab262bcf1c.html |
WILDWOOD — Isaiah Garcia, 13, of Philadelphia, and Jessica Thompson, 14, of Middletown Valley, Maryland, were crowned the 2023 national champions of the National Marbles Tournament on Thursday night.
"I think I have a good chance of winning," Garcia said Thursday afternoon after the boys' preliminary games.
The tournament started on the beach but was moved inside the Wildwoods Convention Center for the remaining preliminary games, semifinals and finals Thursday after Wednesday's games were postponed due to weather.
Garcia competed against Harley Twigg, 14, of Cumberland, Maryland, in the boys' division championship. Thompson competed against Katelyn Gaumer, 12, of Cumberland, in the girls' division championship.
Players competed in makeshift rings inside the Convention Center instead of in concrete rings on the beach at Ringer Stadium, where the tournament is played each year.
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Isaiah Garcia, 13, of Philadelphia, won the boys' championship at the National Marbles Tournament on Thursday. His grandmother Marie Thomas coaches the Philadelphia team. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/national-marbles-tournament-winners-crowned-thursday/article_2ed2767a-11d0-11ee-923b-5bd2b16251a9.html | 2023-06-23T18:37:02 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/national-marbles-tournament-winners-crowned-thursday/article_2ed2767a-11d0-11ee-923b-5bd2b16251a9.html |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
New data shows Orlando’s meteoric post-pandemic rent growth, which soared as high as 24.1% in early 2022, not only has leveled off, but is now lower — if only ever so slightly.
Read: Titanic tourist sub: What is a ‘catastrophic implosion?’
CoStar Group data shows the current pace of rent growth is -0.4% and the average asking rent in Orlando is $1,808 per month — down from $1,828 per month one year prior.
What’s more, Lisa McNatt, CoStar’s director of market analytics in Orlando, told Orlando Business Journal that rent growth is expected to remain negative through at least first-quarter 2024.
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/average-local-rent-has-declined-bit-why-thats-big-deal/XKNIV4J7SJDPTNXELGJEOMGU24/ | 2023-06-23T18:43:05 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/average-local-rent-has-declined-bit-why-thats-big-deal/XKNIV4J7SJDPTNXELGJEOMGU24/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
Stakeholders like the city of Cocoa and Space Coast Transportation Planning Organization are gearing up for a potential Brightline train station in Brevard County.
Read: Titanic tourist sub: What is a ‘catastrophic implosion?’
As Orlando Business Journal previously reported, the Miami-based intercity rail company in a recent ridership report said it is exploring a possible station “in Brevard County to serve the growing space tourism and cruise industries located at and around Port Canaveral,” as its 170-mile route from Miami to Orlando nears the start of service. Brightline did not highlight an exact location in its ridership report.
Brightline — which on June 21 celebrated the construction completion of its Orlando route and is preparing for the start of service here later this summer — also will consider a Treasure Coast station.
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/cocoa-space-coast-group-gear-up-possible-brightline-station/V4GLQQ3ULBBPTLFTTK2D5EGNIY/ | 2023-06-23T18:43:06 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/cocoa-space-coast-group-gear-up-possible-brightline-station/V4GLQQ3ULBBPTLFTTK2D5EGNIY/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Discovery Cove hatched a baby pink flamingo last month and is now asking for help picking out its name.
The attraction said the Caribbean flamingo chick hatched on May 22 to first-time mom Abby and dad LJ.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The chick is expected to reach adult size in four months and will be completely pink in about two to three years.
Discovery Cove said flamingo chicks have a distinct vocalization that only the parents will recognize.
Photos: Meet Discovery Cove’s newly hatched baby pink flamingo
They are asking for the community’s help to name the baby. Voting for its name will happen on Discovery Cove’s Instagram from June 24 through June 28.
Click here to visit their account.
Read: Here are 9 endangered species living in Florida
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/discovery-cove-welcomes-newly-hatched-baby-pink-flamingo/NNJMAN5XT5FH5HQO3QYVHAX3AA/ | 2023-06-23T18:43:08 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/discovery-cove-welcomes-newly-hatched-baby-pink-flamingo/NNJMAN5XT5FH5HQO3QYVHAX3AA/ |
OCALA, Fla. — A total of six Ocala parks are now closed due to flooding damage and environmental concerns.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The city closed Tuscawilla Park, 500 NE Sanchez Ave.; Fisher Park, 900 SE 22nd St.; and S. Stanley Malever Nature, 1600 SE 30th Ave. as of Tuesday. The city added additional closures of Lillian F. Bryant Park, 2200 NW 17th Place; Scott Springs Park, 2825 SW 24th Ave.; and Toms Park, 2245 N. Magnolia Ave. on Friday.
The city said Letty Towles Dog Park is also closed due to flooding.
Read: Ocala duplex residents pack up to move after 30-foot hole opens up in yard
City officials said the parks will remain closed until further notice.
Ocala and Marion County have seen heavy rainfall leading to flooding and storm damage this week.
SEE: Storms flood streets in Ocala
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/ocala-temporarily-closes-3-more-parks-due-flooding/EFTP4LLQXFAZBKZPM2P5LMME3M/ | 2023-06-23T18:43:10 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/ocala-temporarily-closes-3-more-parks-due-flooding/EFTP4LLQXFAZBKZPM2P5LMME3M/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
In another market, two competing health systems likely wouldn’t collaborate on an issue like a nursing shortage.
Read: Titanic tourist sub: What is a ‘catastrophic implosion?’
But here, collaboration beat out competitiveness, said Alexander Cartwright, president of the University of Central Florida — the Orlando-based public research university.
Central Florida’s nonprofit health care giants AdventHealth and Orlando Health each contributed $5 million to UCF to become two of its inaugural “Pegasus Partners.”
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/ucf-receives-10m-area-hospitals-build-new-nursing-school/5UBN7XKBT5FJLFE2EKYKGB7NOM/ | 2023-06-23T18:43:25 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/ucf-receives-10m-area-hospitals-build-new-nursing-school/5UBN7XKBT5FJLFE2EKYKGB7NOM/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – Automobilia and the City of Wichita have reached an agreement on a permit for the popular car show on Saturday, July 8. The show will be held between 4 p.m. and midnight.
Representatives from Automobilia, Wichita City Council members and the Wichita City Manager’s Office worked out the deal.
With the permit, the City of Wichita says Automobilia’s footprint will run along Douglas between Emporia and Hydraulic. Other details include the following:
- Automobilia will accommodate the access and parking concerns for the businesses in the event area. This will include providing additional wayfinding signage and barricade staffing at no cost to the businesses;
- On the day of the event, Washington Street will not be closed to traffic until 5 p.m.;
- Intrust Bank Arena parking lot D will not be used by Automobilia;
- Full access to the Cargill parking garage will be guaranteed. Additionally, signage will be installed that shows free public parking is available in this garage;
- The parking lot at Rock Island and Douglas will not be used by Automobilia and will be available for Public at the Brickyard;
- Access for The Kitchen will be preserved throughout the event, including access from Waterman and full access from Mead, between Waterman and Douglas;
- Food trucks will not be allowed in the immediate vicinity of a brick-and-mortar bar or restaurant unless approved by the owner;
- Naftzger Park will not be used for Automobilia activities;
- Alcohol for the event may only be consumed in designated beer gardens since no common consumption or Temporary Entertainment District permits are being obtained by Automobilia or its caterer;
- Automobilia, City and OTA representatives will meet in August 2023 to review this year’s event and to determine the event footprint for 2024.
The original permit was rejected over the concern of prolonged closing of major thoroughfares and access to some businesses. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/automobilia-will-go-on-in-downtown-wichita/ | 2023-06-23T18:49:09 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/automobilia-will-go-on-in-downtown-wichita/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The Wichita City Council is considering paying $500,000 to settle a claim over a shooting that injured a man at Old Cowtown Museum in 2020.
During a Roaring ’20s event on Sept. 18, 2020, reenactors portraying police and bootleggers staged a shootout around 9 p.m. Shotgun pellets hit a 24-year-old reenactor in the head, face and upper body. The victim had surgery and survived.
The man who fired the shot was accused of using live ammunition and was charged with aggravated battery. He pleaded no contest and was given probation.
On Tuesday, June 27, The Wichita City Council will take up the issue of the $500,000 settlement.
The City’s Law Department is recommending the settlement “due to the uncertainty and risk of an adverse judgment at trial.”
City Staff is also recommending the councilmembers approve the settlement. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-prepares-to-pay-500k-over-cowtown-shooting/ | 2023-06-23T18:49:15 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-prepares-to-pay-500k-over-cowtown-shooting/ |
PEORIA — An Indianapolis woman pleaded guilty to federal charges stemming from the straw purchase of the gun used to kill Champaign police officer Chris Oberheim .
Ashantae Corruthers, 29, entered the plea to a charge of conspiracy to defraud the government by buying and transferring a gun to Darion Marquise Lafayette, 24, of Champaign, and covering up the transaction by falsely reporting to Indianapolis police that the gun had been stolen.
Corruthers faces up to 25 years in prison when she is sentenced Nov. 6. A Normal woman, 28-year-old Regina Lewis, pleaded guilty to the same charges last month.
Lafayette shot Oberheim, a former Decatur officer, on May 19, 2021.
He and another officer, Jeff Creel, had gone to a Champaign apartment complex in response to a report about a domestic disturbance and encountered Lafayette. A shootout ensued in which both officers and the suspect were shot.
Lafayette, who also died, was not legally able to buy a gun because he was a convicted felon.
He persuaded Lewis, 28, to get Corruthers to buy the gun at an Indianapolis gun store, which she did legally in November 2020, according to The (Champaign) News-Gazette .
Lewis is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 2.
PHOTOS: Family, friends gather in Decatur for fallen officer's funeral
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Law enforcement agencies throughout Illinois were represented at the service.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur on Wednesday, May 26.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Police officers from across the Midwest were on hand to pay their respects to Chris Oberheim during a funeral at Maranatha Assembly of God Church. It was on May 26, the day of the funeral, that Oberheim's wife and daughters decided to make something good come out of the tragedy.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
Mourners attend the service for Officer Chris Oberheim at Maranatha Assembly of God Church in Decatur, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW
People walk up the flag line drive the burial site of Champaign Police Officer Christopher Oberheim at Monticello Cemetery in Monticello, Illinois, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.
ROBIN SCHOLZ, THE NEWS-GAZETTE
Cheryl and Dick Wetherell of Monticello, wait along the funeral procession route for slain Champaign Police Officer Chris Oberheim in Monticello, Illinois. Their neighbors placed a patriotic wreath along the road in honor of the Oberheim family and other police officers.
Donnette Beckett
A State Police motorcycle contingent escorts the hearse down State Street in Monticello to the cemetery during the procession and burial of Champaign Police Officer Christopher Oberheim.
ROBIN SCHOLZ, THE NEWS-GAZETTE
A family stands at attention Wednesday as the hearse carrying the earthly remains of Champaign Police Officer Christopher Oberheim passes along State Street in Monticello, Illinois.
ROBIN SCHOLZ, THE NEWS-GAZETTE
Contact Kelsey Watznauer at (309) 820-3254. Follow her on Twitter: @kwatznauer.
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Get local news delivered to your inbox! | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-courts/woman-pleads-guilty-to-straw-purchase-of-gun-used-to-kill-champaign-officer/article_3787b656-11f1-11ee-aa9c-1b2409a9719f.html | 2023-06-23T18:53:21 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-courts/woman-pleads-guilty-to-straw-purchase-of-gun-used-to-kill-champaign-officer/article_3787b656-11f1-11ee-aa9c-1b2409a9719f.html |
DES MOINES -- The Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau is partnering with local law enforcement for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over high-visibility enforcement campaign over the Independence Day holiday.
Running July 1 through 5, the primary goal of the increased law enforcement presence is to prevent tragedies previously seen around the July 4th holiday.
“We want people to enjoy the holiday and to celebrate responsibly,” says GTSB Bureau Chief Brett Tjepkes. “Drunk driving endangers those behind the wheel, their passengers, and other people on the road. Our law enforcement partners know how to spot an impaired driver and will not hesitate to pull them over. If you’re going to drink, plan for a sober ride.”
Annually, about one-third of all traffic fatalities are alcohol/impaired related. In Iowa last year, 57% of the July 4 holiday weekend traffic fatalities were alcohol related.
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Authorities said there are plenty of options to help impaired drivers get home safely; designate a sober driver, schedule a taxi or rideshare, or use your community’s sober ride program.
The Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau works with city, county, state, and local organizations to develop and implement strategies to reduce deaths and injuries on Iowa’s roadways using federally funded grants. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/authorities-stepping-up-safety-patrols-for-independence-day/article_16b76582-11d5-11ee-9a8e-532db4d193be.html | 2023-06-23T18:54:29 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/authorities-stepping-up-safety-patrols-for-independence-day/article_16b76582-11d5-11ee-9a8e-532db4d193be.html |
SEATAC, Wash. — The summer travel season is upon us and Friday is projected to be its busiest day ever at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport tweeted it is projecting more than 72,000 outbound travelers Friday to bring the total number of expected travelers making their way through the airport to 196,000.
Sea-Tac Airport is asking travelers to be prepared and arrive early. Sea-Tac recommends travelers arrive two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international flights.
Before heading out the door, check your flight status through your airline or on the Port of Seattle's website at portseattle.org/sea-tac/flight-status.
Sea-Tac also recommends checking travel conditions to and from the airport as there are many construction projects ongoing. You can find real-time traffic conditions on the Washington State Department of Transportation website at wsdot.com/travel/real-time/map.
With as many travelers expected Friday, TSA security lines will be busier than usual. It is recommended to use the airport's SEA Spot Saver and download the flySEA app to check real-time checkpoint wait times.
According to the Port of Seattle, those who plan to park at the airport can expect to spend about 45 minutes to an hour looking for a spot. Of note, Sea-Tac also raised its parking rates this month, with some spots seeing a 42% increase.
Sea-Tac recommends travelers use alternative modes of transportation. You can find what kinds of transit are available on the Port of Seattle's website at portseattle.org/sea-tac/ground-transportation.
Sea-Tac travel continues to break post-pandemic records as the airport works on numerous capital projects including the SEA Gateway Project and the C Concourse Expansion. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/sea-tac-200000-travelers-friday-what-to-know/281-3120b73a-bc6a-4e84-ae9a-acec9f9a5814 | 2023-06-23T18:54:32 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/sea-tac-200000-travelers-friday-what-to-know/281-3120b73a-bc6a-4e84-ae9a-acec9f9a5814 |
AMORY, Miss. (WTVA) — A busy underpass in Amory will be closed a few days for repairs.
The underpass is on Highway 278, between Highway 25 and Main Street.
It’ll be closed on Monday, June 26 at 7 a.m., according to the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
It’s expected to reopen on Thursday, June 29 shortly after 5 p.m.
Crews will make repairs to the roadway.
The same underpass was temporarily closed in January for renovations to the substructure. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/amory-underpass-to-be-closed-four-days-for-road-repairs/article_d1587e0c-11e0-11ee-9ac6-93b56cb826dc.html | 2023-06-23T19:02:20 | 1 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/amory-underpass-to-be-closed-four-days-for-road-repairs/article_d1587e0c-11e0-11ee-9ac6-93b56cb826dc.html |
FLEETVILLE, Pa. — "It's gonna come home. We're gonna get there. Thank you. I'm speechless."
That was not the first time, and it won't be the last that Sandy Kostick and her family were moved to tears by generosity over the past month.
If you've ever been to Gin's Tavern in Factoryville, chances are you recognize this sign.
The original was lost back in May, when the restaurant was destroyed by a fire.
This morning, friends of the family gave them back a piece of their history.
Just a minute earlier, Sandy's daughter Ashley was talking about rebuilding.
"It's a slow process but exciting and sad at the same time to let go of the old and in with the new," said Ashley Shylkofski.
It's a process they don't have to do alone.
Since the 1950's, the restaurant owners have built up enough goodwill in the community to make everyone want to help in their time of need.
"Phones all started ringing, everybody's like - 'we have to do something to help,' and the family have been so good to our community, it was almost a no-brainer," said Cindy Edwards, one of the organizers for this weekend's benefit.
"Growing up here, it was always a place for my parents to take us to dinner, and then I continued that with my own family. They've always been really quick to step in and help with all of our school and community organizations," said Mallory Griggs, another organizer.
So people were quick to step in now. Within 24 hours of the fire, a benefit was planned.
It's taking place tomorrow at the Fleetville Volunteer Fire Company.
Pretty much everything - even the tents - were donated. All of the 19 bands playing volunteered.
So did Tim Mattocks - he runs Flying Bags cornhole.
"I just wanted to help. I mean, it was devastating when we heard about it. Gin's has always been around - it was the smokehouse back when I was young. You want to help other small businesses when something happens that's so terrible," Mattocks said.
The benefit is taking place - rain or shine - from noon to 10 p.m. There's also a motorcycle ride starting at Gin's, and ending at the fire company. Registration for that begins at 10 a.m.
The family anticipates an emotional day, mostly filled with happy tears.
"To have [the community] stand behind us, is 100% the best feeling in the whole wide world," Kostick said.
Money raised will go towards rebuilding the restaurant, as well as supporting the employees who suddenly lost their jobs at Gin's, the owner of Shannon's Salon which was also destroyed by the fire, and the employee who lived above the restaurant who's apartment is now gone. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/wyoming-county/community-plans-benefit-for-gins-tavern-following-fire/523-2706591d-51de-4241-94d5-50dcd4e20b42 | 2023-06-23T19:04:09 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/wyoming-county/community-plans-benefit-for-gins-tavern-following-fire/523-2706591d-51de-4241-94d5-50dcd4e20b42 |
Lawmakers in both General Assembly chambers are considering a wide range of controversial education bills that could bring broad changes to how kids learn in public and private schools across the state. Here is a summary of nine current proposals.
First, the budget.
The latest version of House Bill 33, passed by the Senate but rejected by the House earlier this week, proposed transformational school voucher funding and folded in several pieces of previously introduced bills in order to fast track them. Here are some educational highlights from the 9,000-plus page document.
1. School vouchers
The House and Senate proposed expanding school vouchers to any student in families within 450% of the federal poverty limit. The Senate proposed that students above that limit would still be eligible for portions of the voucher.
Base vouchers are estimated at $6,165 for K-8 students; $8,407 for students grades 9-12.
2. State higher education regulation: Senate Bill 83
The Senate folded in regulations that would prohibit state university workers from going on strike, ban public universities from taking stances on social issues, and prohibit mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion training, among other things.
3, Ohio Department of Education overhaul: Senate Bill 1
The Senate also folded in policy that would turn the Ohio Department of Education into the Department of Education and Workforce and transfer to it a swath of power from the Ohio Board of Education.
4. Mandated establishment of specific institutions and ideas at two public universities: Senate Bill 117
Senate leadership also folded in mandates for the University of Toledo and the Ohio State University to create specific institutions focused on predetermined American values.
At OSU, the Senate wants to create the Salmon P. Chase Center, required to conduct teachings around “historical ideas, traditions, and texts that have shaped the American constitutional order and society.”
At UT, the Senate wants to create the Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership, required to teach about “American constitutional thought.”
Note: the budget is currently in conference committee, where select members of the two chambers will pick and choose which parts of their proposals to keep, modify, or throw out.
Legislation elsewhere
Other bills that would impact education in the state were proposed in the House. Here’s a list of highlights.
Bills that passed the House:
5. House Bill 8: Establishes the Parent’s Bill of Rights Act which, among other things, requires schools to report changes in students’ mental health, a policy that critics warn acts as a “forced outing” mandate for LGBTQ+ students.
6. House Bill 68: Among other things, the policy bans transgender girls from competing in girls sports in K-12 schools and state universities.
Note: Policy was originally introduced as House Bill 6 before being folded into HB68.
7. House Bill 117: Eliminates the third grade reading guarantee, a longstanding policy that has automatically held back third graders who don’t achieve a required score on a language arts assessment.
Note: The House added this policy to their budget before the Senate rejected it.
Bills still in the House:
8. House Bill 183: A “bathroom bill” that would ban transgender students from using the restrooms that fit their gender identity.
9. House Bill 103: Creates an appointed task force to redevelop the state’s social studies curriculum. The task force would be appointed entirely by the state’s Republican leaders and required to use the controversial “American Birthright” standards as a base.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/9-controversial-bills-aiming-to-overhaul-education-in-ohio/TSOX76F6XBGBDJUNX4JDUMHEQE/ | 2023-06-23T19:09:04 | 1 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/9-controversial-bills-aiming-to-overhaul-education-in-ohio/TSOX76F6XBGBDJUNX4JDUMHEQE/ |
The lane-widening project on Interstate 84 will see rolling closures every weekday afternoon through June, as crews are blasting rock.
The Idaho Transportation Department is blasting rock in the median of I-84 between the South Jerome (Exit 168) and Twin Falls (Exit 173) interchanges as follows:
- Rolling closures will occur on weekday afternoons throughout the remainder of June
- Delays will range from 20-30 minutes
A pilot car will slow motorists down several miles before the blast area. This will allow crews to blast rock and clean up debris.
Travelers are encouraged to plan for delays and give themselves extra time when traveling on I-84.
The project consists of widening Interstate 84 to three lanes in each direction between the Twin Falls interchange and the Jerome interchange. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/i-84-will-see-rolling-closures-weekday-afternoons-through-june/article_287f9ffe-11e5-11ee-b6c4-6f0786e885df.html | 2023-06-23T19:09:15 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/i-84-will-see-rolling-closures-weekday-afternoons-through-june/article_287f9ffe-11e5-11ee-b6c4-6f0786e885df.html |
MIDLAND, Texas — The City of Midland Parks and Recreation will be closing Beal and Hogan Dog Parks for weed maintenance control.
Hogan Dog Park will be closed on June 27, while Beal Dog Park will be closed on July 3. The parks will close each day for maintenance at 6:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. No pets or people will be allowed to go into these areas until the treatment process is finished.
For more information about the maintenance, people can go to the City of Midland website. | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/city-of-midland-to-close-dog-parks-for-maintenance/513-1702c3d9-a575-4b98-bcb5-d742f09db620 | 2023-06-23T19:11:46 | 0 | https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/city-of-midland-to-close-dog-parks-for-maintenance/513-1702c3d9-a575-4b98-bcb5-d742f09db620 |
UTICA, N.Y. (WKTV) -- Today is National Take Your Dog to Work Day, and a pup stopped by our station's Sales Office to help close deals.
Yogi is a 1-year-old Sheepadoodle. WKTV Account Executive Morgan Manfredo who brought Yogi to the office said that Yogi enjoys long walks on the Parkway in Utica.
Some of Yogi's favorite treats include vegetables like carrots.
Yogi also made a stop by the boardroom to take some notes during a meeting.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Take Your Dog to Work Day. Pet Sitters International is the group that created the holiday as a way "encourages employers to experience the joys of pets in the workplace for one day to support their local pet communities."
"An estimated 300 businesses participated in the inaugural celebration of TYDTWDay. Since that time, America’s love affair with pets and interest in TYDTWDay has grown to an all-time high," according to the organizer's website. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/yogi-stopped-by-the-station-for-national-take-your-dog-to-work-day/article_e39a4b72-11cc-11ee-b0c4-435b34f51d26.html | 2023-06-23T19:13:14 | 1 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/yogi-stopped-by-the-station-for-national-take-your-dog-to-work-day/article_e39a4b72-11cc-11ee-b0c4-435b34f51d26.html |
Hopewell officials say the city is getting back on track financially after a harrowing few months of having auditors rummage through their books.
The city has put out a bid for an accountant to help it resolve years of missed audits. It regained some state funding to children’s programs. And, says Mayor Johnny Partin, the commitment to right the ship is paramount.
“This is one of my top priorities as mayor. Getting these issues addressed so we can move forward as a city,” said Partin.
Last month, State Secretary of Finance Stephen Cummings trekked to a Hopewell City Council meeting and described the city’s finances as a “five-alarm fire.”
The visit came in the wake of the state triggering an independent audit of Hopewell’s finances. The auditors found years of missed accounting, and discovered that the city had lost its credit rating.
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Cities need a credit rating in order to borrow money. Not having a credit rating makes it difficult, if not impossible, to fund infrastructure projects.
Most recently, the city had funding pulled from the State Office of Children’s Services, which supports foster care programs and assistance for children with special needs. Agency Executive Director Scott Reiner said they had identified “numerous areas of non-compliance,” with reporting requirements attached to the money.
On June 12, Reiner reversed course, writing to the city manager that the decision was “reflective of progress” made by the city. “It will be imperative to demonstrate continued progress,” Reiner said.
Partin said this month the City Council also funded a number of new positions, including an internal auditor with grant management responsibilities.
The city’s school system came close to losing funding for Head Start, the federal child care program.
However, in a letter shared by Partin, school superintendent Melody Hackney said they, too, had an auditor who would help them correct their books and stave off any federal penalties.
“The auditor has assured us that this is appropriate timing to complete it to satisfy Headstart[sic] requirements,” said Hackney.
Luca Powell
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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. | https://richmond.com/news/local/government-politics/hopewell-childrens-services-act/article_30a76626-1136-11ee-90ed-97fda1ee0459.html | 2023-06-23T19:15:18 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/government-politics/hopewell-childrens-services-act/article_30a76626-1136-11ee-90ed-97fda1ee0459.html |
City commissioners approve agreement to sell emergency radio system to Alachua County
Gainesville city commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to approve an interlocal agreement with Alachua County, moving another step closer to the sale of Gainesville Regional Utilities' trunked radio system for $8 million.
The commission previously voted unanimously in March to make the sale to the county, ending a years-long debate over the management of the communications system used by first responders in emergencies.
Thursday’s meeting was the latest step in approving the agreement, allowing city leaders to look at the final deal put together by GRU and the county. It passed with no discussion from commissioners, as the agreement closely mirrored the plan shown to them in March.
More:Gainesville City Commission OKs sale of public safety system to Alachua County for $8M
More:Alachua County agrees to buy public safety system for $8M pending Gainesville commission approval
Lewis Walton, GRU's chief business services officer, presented the agreement to the commission. He will present the agreement to the county soon, likely at its Board of County Commissioners meeting on June 27, for the commission’s approval.
The sale comes at a time when city leaders are being forced to reconcile debt after being grilled by the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee in February about utility debt and oversight. The city announced a plan in April to reduce $315 million of GRU’s debt over the next 10 years in response to growing calls from lawmakers and residents. Earlier in June the city began looking at budget proposals ranging from slashing nonprofit funding in half to cutting jobs and raising property taxes.
Walton noted at a presentation in March that the sale will save the city $563,000 over five years.
The agreement sets terms for new users GRU and Gainesville. GRU will pay the county $164,000 per year for five years to use the system. The city will pay the county $937,000 per year for two years and $750,000 for the three years.
The agreement includes a commitment from the city and county to try and execute a purchase and sale agreement no later than Aug. 31.
Commissioners also agreed to the term that the closing of the transaction must occur before Sept. 30 for an effective transfer date of Oct. 1. | https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/gainesville-leaders-inch-closer-to-selling-emergency-radio-system/70346136007/ | 2023-06-23T19:20:35 | 0 | https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/gainesville-leaders-inch-closer-to-selling-emergency-radio-system/70346136007/ |
Find out who the 11 candidates are who were recommended for Oak Ridge city manager
Special meeting called for Tuesday to decide which to interview
Executive search firm GovHR USA has recommended 11 candidates for Oak Ridge City Council to consider to fill the city manager's position left with the retirement of Mark Watson on May 5.
"We had a successful outreach effort yielding 54 resumes from 23 states and one other country," GovHR USA President Heidi Voorhees stated in a letter to council, which listed the firm's recommended candidates.
A special called meeting for council to consider which of these candidates they wish to interview, as well as any of the 54 people who applied, is set for 6 p.m. June 27 in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building. Voorhees will attend that meeting via Zoom to provide an overview of the recruitment process and answer any questions regarding candidates.
The 11 recommended by GovHR USA are:
- Brian J. Borne, former city manager for Monroe, North Carolina
- Casey Bradley, city administrator for Baraboo, Wisconsin
- Ciro M. Cetrangolo, village administrator/chief of police for Richmond, Illinois
- Randall Dowling, county manager for Harris County, Hamilton, Georgia
- Aretha R. Ferrell-Benavides, former city manager for Duncanville, Texas
- Randall W. "Randy" Hemann, town manager for Mooresville, North Carolina
- Arthur J. "A.J." Krieger, town manager for Firestone, Colorado
- Shannon Lavrin, planning director/assistant city manager for Greenville, South Carolina
- John D. Manning, former assistant city administrator for Branson, Missouri
- James Tyson "Ty" Ross, city manager for Loudon, Tennessee, general manager for Loudon Utilities
- Julius Suchy, township manager for Ada Township, Ada, Michigan
Nine Oak Ridge-Knoxville area residents are among the 54 people who applied but were not recommended by GovHR USA.
At their monthly meeting earlier in June, council members increased compensation for GovHR USA by $5,000, raising it to $30,000 to pay for travel and other expenses.
The Oak Ridger's News Editor Donna Smith covers Oak Ridge area news. Email her at dsmith@oakridger.com and follow her on Twitter@ridgernewsed. Support The Oak Ridger by subscribing Offers available at https://subscribe.oakridger.com/offers. | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/11-recommended-for-oak-ridge-city-manager-job/70351200007/ | 2023-06-23T19:23:31 | 0 | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/11-recommended-for-oak-ridge-city-manager-job/70351200007/ |
ATLANTA — Bodycam videos and surveillance footage from inside the North Fulton County Jail have been released in a choking incident as a woman under arrest was being processed earlier this month.
11Alive is currently reviewing and editing video for publication. Additionally, Alpharetta Police - whose officers were on scene, and whose bodycam videos have been released - announced Friday that its internal investigation wrapped up June 13 and concluded that its officers have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
"Our officers acted quite well, honestly," Alpharetta Police Chief John Robinson said during the news conference. "Our officers knew she needed immediate care."
Robinson said he would not comment further on the incident as Fulton County Sheriff Pat Labat was also pursuing an internal investigation.
A Fulton County Sheriff's Office detention officer, 31-year-old Officer Clark, has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Sheriff Pat Labat called the incident an "indefensible act" when announcing Clark's arrest.
The incident happened June 5 at the facility on Old Milton Parkway. According to the Alpharetta Police Department, the incident was witnessed by two of the department's officers who "immediately called for medical assistance and notified their supervisors."
The videos show a woman being processed at the jail, handcuffed. She is verbally aggressive during the processing, yelling expletives and insults at officers and at one point telling them, "Call my mom now, or I will f****** hurt you," and, "I will hurt you."
A few minutes into the processing, with the woman struggling against officers, an officer not identified in the video grabs the woman by the back of her neck with one hand to face her toward a camera.
"Do not -" she starts, with the officer then putting her into a choke, placing a second hand around the front of her neck.
"That's a chokehold, so I advise you to cooperate," the officer tells her. "Hold your face, before you lose your breath. The choice is yours."
The chokehold is held in place for about 11 seconds before the officer releases the woman and she collapses to the ground. It appears she loses consciousness briefly, before being roused back up.
The processing then continued with the woman being brought to a medical office. She is eventually taken to an ambulance and transported away from the facility.
An internal affairs investigation by the Alpharetta Police Department cleared its own officers who were on the scene.
Sheriff Labat, with the firing and arrest of Officer Clark, said, "The indefensible acts of this one officer do not reflect the mission of the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office."
Clark had been with the sheriff's office since 2016. The charges against the officer also include violation of oath by a public officer.
“As Sheriff of Fulton County, I am committed to transparency and to holding each and every employee accountable to protect and serve every member of our community, including those in our custody," Labat previously said. "Being a detention officer is a difficult job but even under challenging circumstances there is absolutely no excuse for the behavior that led to this arrest.”
Download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/fulton-county-jail-detention-choking-incident-surveillance-bodycam-videos/85-fee69253-88fa-451c-950b-c3e07b89f4fb | 2023-06-23T19:23:31 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/fulton-county-jail-detention-choking-incident-surveillance-bodycam-videos/85-fee69253-88fa-451c-950b-c3e07b89f4fb |
ATLANTA — Georgia has a higher percentage of people incarcerated than any democracy in the world, according to a study from Prison Policy Initiative, and one project called 'The Vising Room Project' aims to put a voice to those locked behind bars.
The digital project is coming to Atlanta on Saturday through a partnership with the Southern Center for Human Rights. It invites the community to come to the Auburn Avenue Research Library to sit face-to-face with those serving life without parole and hear their stories.
"Just think about it," Terrence Guy said, a formally incarcerated person who gave an interview for The Visiting Room Project. "A person is sentenced to serve the remainder of their natural life in prison without even being given the opportunity to go before a board and present themselves and let the board themselves determine if this person is rehabilitated and worthy of another chance in society."
Each year about 2360,000 people cycle through county and city jails in Georgia. Prison Policy reports Georgia has an incarceration rate of 968 per 100,000 people. Many of Georgia's incarcerated face extreme sentencing due to laws passed during the War on Drugs by President Richard Nixon in the 1970s and declining health conditions within jails and prisons, according to the organization.
"And in Georgia, we have thousands of people who are serving life with or without parole, and most of them will never come home," Guy said, adding later, "It's actually a death sentence because we're sent to prison to die in prison, you know, not by lethal injection, but to be put in prison and beat up till we get old, we die, we get sick, or whatever the case may be."
The main point of the project is to let those incarcerated lend their voices and perspectives as a person within the system. It features interviews with more than 100 people at Angola, the Louisiana State Penitentiary, who are serving life without parole.
"Oftentimes the narrative is always reported about, given to you, you know, from someone else's perspective," Guy said, "from a prosecutor's perspective, from a judge's perspective, from Hollywood's perspective."
Guy was arrested, tried and convicted on charges of second-degree murder in 1994 and, in June 2022, released just a day after his 49th birthday. His Attorney Mike Admirand, who also works with the Southern Center for Human Rights, said, aside from new evidence coming forward, Guy had shown great reform during his time in prison.
During his sentence, Guy earned his GED and furthered his education with two college degrees, mentored others, completed 100 programs, became an award-winning public speaker and, according to Admirand, a master baker.
"I think he proved, like so many others in the project," Admirand said, "that people change whatever the circumstances were."
The stigma that formally incarcerated people will re-offend keeps them from housing and jobs and often keeps them at arms reach from their community.
Guy said he recently participated in a panel where he heard a statement that stuck with him.
"These guys are home now, and the world hasn't blown up," Guy said, quoting a panelist. He said the phrase had a profound impact on him, revealing that there is an opportunity for re-entry.
When it comes to alternatives to incarceration, the Southern Center for Human Rights is urging lawmakers to put programs to help those who are impoverished and lack medical resources and community support at the top of their minds. Only 5% of arrests are for serious violent offenses, Prison Policy said.
The mass incarceration problem in the U.S. is large, with many of its issues stemming from lifetimes of racist and classist lawmaking, according to Prison Policy, adding that it can be amended.
Prison Policy states that in Georgia, per 100,000 people incarcerated, 640 are white, 1,099 are Hispanic, and 2,036 are Black. Those who are poor, disabled, or have mental or substance use disorders are also more likely to be arrested, data shows.
When someone is taken behind that cold prison door, and the lock shuts, they don't stop existing, and not everyone's story of how they made it there looks the same.
"So for people that are feeling hopeless, they shouldn't because, you know, I had a life sentence," Guy said. "I'm home now."
Guy said part of the journey is to never lose hope.
"You got to believe that you deserve what it is that you're hoping for, first and foremost, that you are worthy of it," he said.
Guy invites other people to meet to take part in The Vising Room Project. It will be open on Saturday, June 24, at 3 p.m. Register for the free event here. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/the-visiting-room-atlanta-mass-incarceration-parole-life-sentence-terrence-guy/85-6f7037d7-1c11-4f08-a567-e4081e2d2894 | 2023-06-23T19:23:37 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/the-visiting-room-atlanta-mass-incarceration-parole-life-sentence-terrence-guy/85-6f7037d7-1c11-4f08-a567-e4081e2d2894 |
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The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dangerous-heat-and-rain-chances-the-connection/3283439/ | 2023-06-23T19:24:44 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dangerous-heat-and-rain-chances-the-connection/3283439/ |
The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles announced Friday that some offices across the state will reopen, with limited services, after a system outage forced them to remain closed throughout the morning.
According to the Texas DMV, the outage affected all online and in-person services, including county tax offices. Registration renewal locations such as grocery stores, vehicle dealerships, and MyPlates were also affected while systems were down.
All 16 TxDMV offices across the state will reopen at noon on Friday.
The 16 department offices in Texas are located in Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Longview, Lubbock, Midland-Odessa, Pharr, San Antonio, Waco, and Wichita Falls.
"The department takes cyber security very seriously, and we incorporate every security precaution available to us to protect consumer data," Adam Shaivitz, Media and Communications Officer with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Government and Strategic Communications Division, said. "Consumers should always remain vigilant in the management of their accounts. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles will never solicit user data such as names, account numbers, or password information."
According to the Tarrant County Tax Office, motor vehicle transactions could not be processed on Friday due to the statewide system outage.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
“We will not be able to process any motor vehicle transactions today,” said Tarrant County Tax Assessor-Collector Wendy Burgess. “We have just been informed by Texas Department of Motor Vehicles that the state computer system is expected to be down all day today, June 23. This outage affects all motor vehicle activities and will restrict our ability to provide estimates, search vehicle records, and process any transaction. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
Residents can also plan to visit Tarrant County Tax Office locations on Monday if they have motor vehicle transactions that need to be processed, tax office officials said.
According to the Texas DMV, updates will be provided on the department’s social media sites and www.TxDMV.gov when additional information is available. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-dmv-offices-reopened-friday-after-systems-outage/3283260/ | 2023-06-23T19:24:50 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-dmv-offices-reopened-friday-after-systems-outage/3283260/ |
BRISTOL, Tenn. (WJHL) – Police officers and firefighters in Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia are competing Friday to see who can get the most blood donated.
The Battle of the Badges is being held in the parking lot of the Bristol Tennessee City Hall from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Anyone from the public who donates blood can credit any of the following agencies for their donation:
- Bristol Tennessee Fire Department
- Bristol Tennessee Police Department
- Bristol Virginia Fire Department
- Bristol Virginia Police Department
Donors at the Battle of the Badges receive a snack and a free t-shirt.
Whichever department receives the most credit for blood donations wins bragging rights and the joy of helping the Marsh Regional Blood Center.
Blood donated to Marsh Regional remains in the Tri-Cities area to help local patients. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/bristol-first-responders-battle-for-blood-donations/ | 2023-06-23T19:26:12 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/bristol-first-responders-battle-for-blood-donations/ |
KINGSPORT, Tenn. (WJHL) – As Independence Day approaches, several localities in the area are preparing for fireworks spectacles – and Kingsport is no exception.
Sara Nowell with the City of Kingsport joined News Channel 11 to talk about the Red, White & Boom Independence Day Celebration.
The event will feature Cheap Trick as the headliner in the Centennial Park area of downtown Kingsport on July 1.
Nowell suggests getting downtown early, bringing a chair and enjoying all the festivities. Vendors and food trucks will begin serving people around 5 p.m., and fireworks will cap off the night. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/red-white-boom-fireworks-celebration-returns-to-kingsport-july-1/ | 2023-06-23T19:26:18 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/red-white-boom-fireworks-celebration-returns-to-kingsport-july-1/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — It’s kitten season and shelters across the region are extremely full.
This weekend, the Washington County/Johnson City Animal Shelter is hosting a Kitten Palooza adoption event to help make room in the shelter, and more importantly help these kittens find their forever homes.
Kitten Palooza is happening Saturday, June 24 from noon to 6 p.m. at the Rescue Me Adoption Boutique at The Mall at Johnson City.
Shelter director Tammy Davis stopped by First at Four on Friday to talk about the event and share some tips on how to keep your dogs safe with fireworks as the Fourth of July holiday approaches.
Davis says that fireworks are scary for pets and she suggests keeping them inside (or home if you’re going to an event that has them). She urges pet owners to make sure their pets have collars with identification tags on them and that they are microchipped.
The animal shelter offers microchipping for $20 per pet. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/washington-county-tenn-animal-shelter-to-host-kitten-adoption-event-gives-advice-for-pets-and-fireworks/ | 2023-06-23T19:26:24 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/washington-county-tenn-animal-shelter-to-host-kitten-adoption-event-gives-advice-for-pets-and-fireworks/ |
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A new task force is looking for ways to expand the parking in New Smyrna Beach, especially around Canal Street and Flagler Avenue. While they search for a solution, the city is also cracking down on illegal parking.
It just passed an ordinance increasing the penalties for those who break the parking rules.
“The more people hear about New Smyrna and the more popular we become, parking is a premium,” New Smyrna Beach police Chief Eric Feldman said.
Unless you’re lucky enough to get one of the couple dozen parallel spots on Flagler Avenue or a spot in one of the half dozen or so parking lots, there aren’t many options right now.
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“We don’t have as much parking as we would like and what we see is people taking advantage. They’re parking the wrong way, they’re taking their parking ticket and considering that a good deal and staying all day, or they’re blocking roads,” Feldman said.
The chief said under the newly revised ordinance, officers can now tow or boot more illegally parked cars on top of issuing higher fines. He hopes it will especially help the beachside business owners and residents.
“People come in and they block their driveway,” he said. “They park the wrong way in front of their homes, or they are just waiting for the beach to reopen during high tide and they just park in the middle of the road.”
The city created the parking task force in March, bringing together seven business owners and residents.
Right now, they are looking into hiring a traffic monitoring system or creating more paid parking spots with the ultimate goal of learning how much traffic is coming in. Then, they could determine how many more parking lots, or even garages, may be needed.
“I think the garage is going to be a necessity,” said Kevin Corbi, who manages The Seahorse Inn on Flagler Avenue.
Corbi said his staff has to watch their parking lot constantly.
“They will park right underneath the no parking sign and start to walk away, and we have to catch them,” he said.
With the Fourth of July around the corner, Feldman said that was their busiest day last year and expects this year to be the same.
He said the ordinance went into immediate effect so they will have even more officers out that day looking for those breaking the rules.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/new-smyrna-beach-cracks-down-on-illegal-parking-looks-to-add-additional-lots/ | 2023-06-23T19:28:32 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/new-smyrna-beach-cracks-down-on-illegal-parking-looks-to-add-additional-lots/ |
EVERETT, Wash. — The Everett office of OceanGate will be closed indefinitely after five people aboard its submersible were presumed dead, including the company’s CEO.
The company’s offices, which are located on the Everett waterfront, will be closed “while the staff copes with the tragic loss of their team member,” according to a statement released by the Port of Everett.
“This is an extremely sad time for our dedicated employees who are exhausted and grieving deeply over this loss,” OceanGate said in a statement.
OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush was among five people on the Titan submersible, which lost contact about an hour and 45 minutes after it began its journey to the wreckage of the Titanic on Sunday.
British businessman Hamish Harding, French Titanic expert Paul-Henri Nargeolet, and Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, a father and son from a prominent Pakistani family, were also on board.
Several agencies launched an extensive search for the submersible, which covered an area twice the size of Connecticut in waters 2 ½ miles deep.
The Coast Guard announced Thursday there was a “catastrophic implosion” of the submersible after debris was found about 1,600 feet from the Titanic. A senior Navy official told the Associated Press that the U.S. Navy analyzed its acoustic data and found an anomaly that was consistent with an implosion or explosion when communication was lost.
This was the third year that OceanGate has operated expeditions to the Titanic, following trips in 2021 and 2022.
The company takes paying customers to see the Titanic’s wreckage at a price tag of $250,000 per person. Its goal is to document flora and fauna living in the wreckage, document the condition of the wreck and capture data and images to be used for scientific study, in addition to adventure tourism.
However, the company faced allegations of safety concerns even before it launched its first Titanic mission. In 2018, a former OceanGate employee sued the company claiming he was wrongfully terminated after he sounded the alarm about the “potential danger to passengers of the Titan as the submersible reached extreme depths."
That case was settled outside court. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oceangate-everett-offices-closed-indefinitely-submersible-implodes/281-a11aea1f-1542-460c-8c1b-854f984d41a4 | 2023-06-23T19:33:57 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/oceangate-everett-offices-closed-indefinitely-submersible-implodes/281-a11aea1f-1542-460c-8c1b-854f984d41a4 |
DALLAS — A Dallas man has turned himself in on murder charges, according to the Dallas Police Department.
On Tuesday around 9:20 p.m., Dallas police responded to a shooting call in the 2500 block of Perryton Drive. This is in Central Oak Cliff near Kiest Park.
The preliminary investigation determined that a male suspect and a male victim were involved in an argument that escalated when the suspect shot the victim. The suspect left the location, police said.
The victim, 40-year-old Geoffrey Jones, was transported to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.
On Thursday, Shelby Jackson, 33, turned himself in to the Dallas Police Department for this shooting. He was taken to Lew Sterrett Jail and charged with murder. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-man-turns-himself-in-murder-charges-police-say/287-583a0054-5d15-4c30-b2c7-11e3188a3b9b | 2023-06-23T19:34:11 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/dallas-man-turns-himself-in-murder-charges-police-say/287-583a0054-5d15-4c30-b2c7-11e3188a3b9b |
HALTOM CITY, Texas — Multiple people have been transported to the hospital after a police chase involving two speeding vehicles ended in crashes, according to the Haltom City Police Department.
On Friday, June 23, around 4:40 a.m., a Haltom City patrol officer spotted a Kia Soul and Kia Optima traveling east in the 5400 block of East Belknap at over 70 miles per hour.
The officer attempted a traffic stop on both vehicles, but the two drivers didn't stop.
Both vehicles continued east onto Baker Boulevard going more than 100 miles per hour and were seemingly working together to get away from the officers, police said.
Both vehicles then crossed over the 820 bridge onto State Highway 10 and crashed into the concrete construction barriers. Two suspects from the Kia Soul ran away but were arrested by officers.
Both occupants in the Kia Optima sustained significant injuries and are being treated at a local hospital.
Police said the chase included several juveniles and at least one adult. Initial information indicates that both vehicles were possibly stolen, according to Haltom PD.
Police said the identity of the any adults who were arrested will be released once they have been arraigned. The identities of the juveniles will not be released by police.
If you have information related to this incident, Haltom PD ask you contact the department at 817-222-7000.
More North Texas headlines: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/haltom-city-chase-crash-arrest/287-6253c477-5d7f-494d-8ccd-557b57413928 | 2023-06-23T19:34:17 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/haltom-city-chase-crash-arrest/287-6253c477-5d7f-494d-8ccd-557b57413928 |
IndyRent pauses rental assistance applications as money dries out amid high demand
Indianapolis' federally funded rental assistance program, IndyRent, will temporarily pause taking applications at noon on June 26 to ensure that applications in the queue can be covered by remaining funding, the city announced Friday.
Tenant applications that were submitted before that deadline will still be processed.
Since it started in 2020, the IndyRent program has had to adapt multiple times in response to dwindling funds, first restricting assistance to people facing active eviction in July last year before pausing applications entirely for almost four months from November until April.
The program reopened in April to distribute the $6.7 million in remaining federal emergency rental assistance dollars. The city said the goal was to transform IndyRent from a pandemic-time emergency response to a permanent rental assistance program.
Back then, the city thought the money to help low-income tenants in need would last until the end of this year. But the demand has exceeded what the city expected, deputy Mayor Jeff Bennett told IndyStar, with $1.3 million in rental aid given out in May and $2.8 million given out in June.
Indianapolis is still looking for a way to fund IndyRent permanently after this round of money dries out.
"It is our hope that when Congress passes a spending bill that IndyRent will continue to be powered by federal rental assistance grant funding," Bennett wrote in an emailed statement.
Since 2020, Indianapolis has distributed $199.5 million in IndyRent funds to 68,127 approved applicants, according to the city. That makes the average distribution just under $3,000.
Indianapolis continues to provide free legal assistance and housing help in court to tenants facing eviction.
Contact the reporter at 317-903-7071 or kcheang@indystar.com | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/06/23/indyrent-emergency-rental-assistance-applications-to-pause-on-june-26/70350521007/ | 2023-06-23T19:37:02 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/indianapolis/2023/06/23/indyrent-emergency-rental-assistance-applications-to-pause-on-june-26/70350521007/ |
Jobbie Nooner party proceeds despite rain, gray skies
Clouds and rain on Friday didn't stop one of the largest Lake St. Clair parties of the year as boaters and revelers gathered early afternoon for the annual Jobbie Nooner off the shores of Gull Island.
The turnout for the 49-year-old annual tradition of playing hooky from work to party on the water was affected by the rain, but some dedicated attendees and newcomers were on the lake by noon anyway ready to party.
The rain became heavier around noon, when the party usually begins, but let up just enough around 1 p.m. for people to jump into the water and step out from under their boat’s canopies.
“This is about the tenth of what we normally get, so this is a very small crowd,” said St. Clair County Sheriff's Marine Division Sergeant Gary Reiss.
This year's weather was a departure from last year, when attendance was much higher because of clear skies and temperatures hitting the low 90s. The Jobbie Nooner in 2021 was a rain-soaked event.
A heavy police presence was still patrolling around Gull Island despite the smaller crowds.
The U.S Coast Guard, the St. Clair County Sheriff's office, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, U.S Customs and Border Patrol and other police departments were present by noon. Reiss said about 10 officers from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s patrol the island all day for Jobbie Nooner, while working with other departments.
slewis@detroitnews.com | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/06/23/jobbie-nooner-party-proceeds-despite-rain-gray-skies/70338001007/ | 2023-06-23T19:39:21 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2023/06/23/jobbie-nooner-party-proceeds-despite-rain-gray-skies/70338001007/ |
RENO COUNTY, Kan. (KSNW) — Reno County has issued a health alert over several recent overdose deaths. The Reno County Health Department says the problem is kratom and kratom-based products.
The department has been tracking overdoses and trends since October 2021. In the last six months, it says there have been three deaths involving kratom in the county.
Kratom is an herbal extract that comes from an evergreen tree in Southeast Asia.
It can either give stimulant-like effects or opioid- or sedative-like effects. Scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse say the effects can vary depending on a number of things, including the potency and how the kratom is ingested.
Scientists say kratom products vary, and some of the products have contaminants, so the effects are difficult to predict.
The Reno County Health Department said kratom products are legal in many areas. However, the U.S. and international agencies are reviewing kratom.
The department says naloxone products, such as Narcan, can temporarily reverse the effects of a kratom overdose.
The Reno Recovery Collaborative recommends the following steps and strategies for the community:
- Naloxone (Narcan) education, training, and availability
- Encourage more people to carry naloxone (Narcan)
- Encourage members of our community who use substances to never use alone
- Check on friends or family who regularly use substances
Reno Recovery Collaborative’s website has a dashboard that shows the number of overdoses, naloxone uses, fatalities, and more.
The Reno County Health Department also recommends these resources:
- Click here to find a treatment facility
- National treatment line: 1-800-662-4357
- Never Use Alone Hotline: 1-800-484-3731
- Kansas Substance Use Disorder Treatment Referral line: 1-866-645-8216
- Kansas Recovery Network: harm reduction services and peer navigation
- Crossover Recovery: 620-669-9024
- SACK Detox Unit: 620-259-2063
- Breakthru: 620-218-0636
- Recovery Response Team: 620-663-7595
- Crisis Line: 1-800-794-0163
- Reno ASAP Alcohol and Drug Services: 620-665-6446
- Horizons Mental Health – phone: 620-663-7595
- PrairieStar Health Center – phone: 620-663-8484 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/reno-county-health-alert-3-kratom-deaths-in-6-months/ | 2023-06-23T19:42:10 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/reno-county-health-alert-3-kratom-deaths-in-6-months/ |
TEXAS, USA — The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) issued a weather watch from June 25-30 because of forecasted higher temperatures and higher electrical demand.
Grid conditions are expected to be normal during the watch. ERCOT said it continues to monitor conditions closely and will deploy all available tools to manage the grid and continue its reliability-first approach to operations.
ERCOT set a new June peak demand record of 79,304 MWs June 19. ERCOT’s 6-day Supply and Demand dashboard is showing the possibility of a new all-time peak demand record next week. The dashboards will update in real-time as the week progresses.
A release from the agency said there is currently enough capacity to meet forecasted demand.
Last year, ERCOT set 11 new peak demand records, surpassing 80 GWs for the first time ever. The current record of 80,148 MWs was set on July 20, 2022.
ERCOT encourages Texans to sign up for grid condition notifications through the Texas Advisory and Notification System at ercot.com/txans. Texans can also monitor real-time and extended grid conditions at ercot.com. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/ercot-issues-weather-watch-for-june-25-30/504-5c04aaed-d029-4c02-ab47-501a60f0396c | 2023-06-23T19:45:46 | 1 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/ercot-issues-weather-watch-for-june-25-30/504-5c04aaed-d029-4c02-ab47-501a60f0396c |
TOM GREEN COUNTY, Texas — The body of a missing man was found during a ground search Friday morning, the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office said.
On Thursday, May 18, 2023, the TGCSO received a missing person report about David Hyvarinen, 48, of San Angelo. Hyvarinen was last seen on, or about, Jan. 16, 2023, near his motor home at the Huling RV Park, 2375 Fisherman's Road, in San Angelo.
Hyvarinen utilized a prosthetic and was suffering from underlying medical conditions, the sheriff's office said.
During the investigation, investigators identified a large, heavily wooded area adjacent to the mobile home park as an area of interest. The area extended from the RV park south to Knickerbocker Road and west toward Twin Buttes Reservoir.
Several search teams mobilized including personnel and cadaver dogs from TEXSAR, Texas Parks and Wildlife, (K9 "Dexter") the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security and Advanced Recovery (K9-"Bones").
The search started at 6 a.m. June 22. At approximately 9:30 a.m., an article of clothing known to belong to Hyvarinen was found, but his body was not found throughout the remainder of the day.
The search resumed Friday morning and the body was found at approximately 7:58 a.m. Investigators said they do not suspect foul play and that his family has been notified. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/tgcso-body-of-missing-man-found-after-two-day-ground-search/504-ef88f4e5-e4aa-48c7-bae4-399ae4fa9460 | 2023-06-23T19:45:52 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/tgcso-body-of-missing-man-found-after-two-day-ground-search/504-ef88f4e5-e4aa-48c7-bae4-399ae4fa9460 |
LANCASTER, Texas — In her Lancaster home, Carla Gates is surrounded by family -- a sadness consumes the air. Crosses hang on the wall, and pictures of her wedding day from 2015 are perched high in her living room.
Beside her in those photos is her best friend, 66-year-old Eugene Gates, Jr., a man she now misses dearly.
Gates, a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for 36 years, collapsed delivering mail door-to-door Tuesday in Lakewood and was later pronounced dead at an area hospital.
It was one of the hottest days of the year, with a weather warning even in effect.
Over the last 48 hours, Carla Gates’ faith has guided her through a horrific tragedy she wishes upon no one in this world.
“I don’t wish this on anyone. A mother, a father, a son, a wife -- anyone,” Carla Gates told WFAA. “To have to go to a hospital and be told your husband died in the line of duty -- I don’t want that to happen to anyone.”
Gates was a man of service, according to Carla. Someone who took the utmost pride in their calling. He had already been delivering letters when the two met in 2010 at a church in Lancaster.
The pair started dating in 2013 and tied the knot two years later.
Carla Gates, 56, says she was struck by how sincere and intentional Gates was -- how dedicated he was as a member of their congregation.
“When he meant yes, he meant yes. When he meant no, he meant no, and when he loved you, he loved hard,” Gates said. “If you came across his path, you would have never forgotten him.”
Per Gates, her husband got his sense of duty and service from the military.
The 66-year-old was born at Fort Bragg (now Fort Liberty) in North Carolina and later moved to Killeen with his family.
His family was rooted in the military, which pushed Gates to join the Army, serving eight years.
Carla says Gates joined the post office while looking for a job after his time in the Army and ended up loving it.
“He was a man of integrity,” Gates said. “Once you got to know him, you would think you’d known him all your life. He was a loving father and husband, and he cared about people. When he put his hands into anything, he gave it his all.”
“He liked to walk, he liked being outside, and he loved his route.”
Gates walked that route for more than ten years, she said. It was the one he was on when he collapsed.
Officials said Gates fell over in a yard and was taken to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital.
Gates says she learned about the news first from a post office official and then from a chaplain at the hospital who asked her to arrive immediately.
Hours earlier, Gates showed texts from her husband, who had warned her about how hot it was that day.
“Morning, sweetheart, love you and have a wonderful day,” Eugene texted at 6:48 a.m.
Carla replied, “Good morning, baby. Love you.”
Eugene then texts, “It’s 88 degrees outside.” Carla replies, “Already?”
The two exchanged a few more texts, then Carla never heard from her husband again.
Gates said that Eugene was a very prepared individual, healthy, and took precautions.
USPS officials aren’t ready to say that the heat played a role in Gates’ death. Officially, they’re waiting on an autopsy to be completed.
But Gates isn’t waiting to give her opinion -- and is begging for more answers and considerations to be made for letter carriers during hot days.
“My husband was trying to complete his assignment. That was his job...and the heat got to him,” Gates said. “No one should have been outside working like that when the heat index is that high. No one. Deliver the mail earlier or later, or wait.”
“Am I mad at the postal service? Yes. Am I angry? Yes. The mail will still be there, but my husband won’t.”
Some changes are being made in the wake of Eugene Gates' death. Letter carriers at his office in Lakewood are allowed to begin their routes early on hotter days at 7:30 a.m. instead of 8:30 a.m.
But a union official for the National Association of Letter Carriers told WFAA that was the only office where changes were being made in the metroplex.
That official also told WFAA that OSHA is now investigating Gates’ death.
Gates added that no one from USPS has officially responded to her and offered their condolences.
WFAA asked the USPS about that and was told no comment. Furthermore, WFAA requested the number of times a mail or letter carrier had died due to the heat and have not heard back.
A union official said that Gates’ death is not the first time but didn’t give specifics.
Friday, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), who represents the Gates' district, shared her condolences, saying she's "devastated by the news of the loss of my constituent and one of Lancaster's own, Eugene Gates. My heart goes out to to his wife Carla, his family, friends, USPS coworkers, neighbors, and the entire Lancaster community.
Crockett didn't shy away from saying heat played a role and called for an investigation.
"As a member of the House Oversight Committee, which has jurisdiction over the United States Postal Service, as well as a member of the Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, I intend to investigate the circumstances that led to this tragedy and work with my colleagues to ensure that we prevent avoidable deaths such as this arising from federal employees performing public service during extreme weather conditions," Crockett said in a statement.
"Summer has only just begun, temperatures are only getting hotter, and tragedies like this can happen in any state, and any district. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together to address the hazards faced by our country's postal workers before another life is lost. "
Gates’ daughter, Shanaye Jones, is also eager to see change enacted.
“I don’t want this to happen to anybody else either,” Jones said. “It hits me hard that he’s not with us anymore. Everything that happened was so unexpected; I really want to see better conditions for the workers.”
Late Thursday, the NALC president released a statement regarding Gates’ death for the first time.
“On behalf of NALC, I send my deepest sympathies to Brother Gates’s family, friends, and colleagues,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “Eugene was a dedicated letter carrier with a long and successful Postal Service career. He will be greatly missed by everyone, particularly his fellow branch members and customers.”
Gates’ family said they are hoping to bury the 66-year-old sometime next weekend. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/widow-usps-letter-carrier-died-during-route-pushing-for-answers-change/287-fd54a18b-19f9-46f2-9866-7cefdd4c7506 | 2023-06-23T19:45:58 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/widow-usps-letter-carrier-died-during-route-pushing-for-answers-change/287-fd54a18b-19f9-46f2-9866-7cefdd4c7506 |
NORMAL — The eastbound lane of West Vernon Avenue under the viaduct will be closed starting at 6 a.m. Monday.
The closure is for pavement repairs. A detour will be set up to School Street.
The road closure is expected to last until 5 p.m. Monday, weather permitting.
The lane closure along Gregory Street between Adelaide and Main streets has also been extended until 2 p.m. Friday. The closure is for pavement repairs.
Additionally, beginning Monday, Beaufort Street will be closed between Main and University streets for a water main replacement project. The road is expected to reopen by the end of Wednesday, weather permitting.
Drivers are urged to use caution when traveling through these areas.
Make sure hazardous materials are stored safely and inform first responders of any potential dangers
Who was honored? Photos from Heartland's President’s Medallion Awards ceremony
President’s Medallion Honorees Mary and John Penn
President’s Medallion Honorees Larry and Marlene Dietz
President’s Medallion Honorees Jerry and Carole Ringer
President’s Medallion Honoree Bob Brucker
Bob and Julie Dobski, Karen DeAngelis, Cindy Segobiano, visiting Rotarians from India Sukhi and Kirandeep
Julie Dobski, Al Bedell, Dee Frautschi
Mark and Dianna Johnson, Charlotte and Joe Talkington
Mary Campbell, Julie Dobski
Roosmarijn and Interim ISU President Andover Tarhule, Julie Dobski
Patty McManus, Chris Downing, Steve MacManus
Peg Doran, Joan Bullard, Janet Hood
John Penn, Mike Matejka, Hank Campbell
Jerry Ringer, Pat Grogg, Carole Ringer
Jean-Marie Taylor, Jennifer and Stan O’Connor
Alauna McGee, Kym Ammons Scott
Lidia Halder, Wendy West, Raegan Rinchiuso, Larissa McIlvain, Gena Glover
Heartland Community College Vice President, External Relations, Kelli Hill
Crowd enjoys the beautiful night
Heartland Foundation Board Chair Kirk McCullick
Heartland Community College President Keith Cornille
Heartland Board of Trustees vice-chair Janet Hood
President’s Medallion Honoree Jerry Ringer
President's Medallion honoree Carole Ringer
Janet Hood, President’s Medallion honorees Carole and Jerry Ringer, Jim White, HCC President Keith Cornille
President’s Medallion Honoree Marlene Dietz
President’s Medallion Honoree Larry Dietz
President’s Medallion Honoree Larry Dietz
Janet Hood, Julie Dobski, President’s Medallion honorees Larry and Marlene Dietz, HCC President Keith Cornille
Janet Hood, Nancy Evans, Bob Brucker, HCC President Keith Cornille
President’s Medallion Honoree John Penn
Janet Hood, President’s Medallion honorees John and Mary Penn, HCC President Keith Cornille, Mary Campbell
HCC President Keith Cornille congratulating John Penn
Contact Mateusz Janik at (309) 820-3234. Follow Mateusz on Twitter:@mjanik99
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CALIFORNIA, USA — This story was originally published by CalMatters.
They stood on the steps of the state Capitol, in white bridal gowns and veils, their wrists chained together and their mouths taped shut.
They are survivors of forced and child marriages — and they want California to finally outlaw child brides.
“When I was 14 years old, my parents coerced me into marrying the 27-year-old pedophile who had been abusing me for two years because I became pregnant and it brought “shame” to the family,” said Pat Abatemarco, who said she eventually escaped the marriage, with her daughter, with the help of a social worker.
Thursday, she and others shared their stories of enduring gender-based violence, being forced to abandon their education, and becoming estranged from their families during the “chain-in” protest organized by Unchained At Last, a national advocacy nonprofit, to launch a campaign for the law.
“We are here in gowns and chains to demand an end to a human rights abuse and nightmarish legal trap that gives get-out-of-jail-free cards to child rapists,” said Fraidy Reiss, a forced marriage survivor who founded Unchained At Last. “What better way to urge legislators to take action than to show them what life looks like for those who are forced into marriage?”
In California, you must be 18 to get a divorce. But there is no minimum age to get married, as long as a parent or guardian consent and a court gives permission. California is among just seven states, including New Mexico and Oklahoma, that does not have a minimum age for marriage.
Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, an Irvine Democrat, plans to introduce legislation next year to end child marriage.
“We like to think that here in California…we are ahead of the curve,” she said. “But when it comes to child marriage, we aren’t leading, we aren’t even following. We are failing.”
A false start
In 2017, California was on track to be the first state to pass an absolute ban on marriages for those younger than 18. However, due to opposition from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Children’s Law Center and Planned Parenthood, the bill proposed by then-Sen. Jerry Hill was watered down to add some safeguards for child marriage.
In an opposition letter, the ACLU said that the bill “unnecessarily and unduly intrudes on the fundamental rights of marriage without sufficient cause,” while the Children’s Law Center said that “…for some minors, the decision to marry is based on positive, pro-social factors and the marriage furthers their personal, short and long-term goals.”
Most research disputes the claims made by the Children’s Law Center. A review by the International Center for Research on Women found that married girls are more likely to drop out of school and less likely to complete college, more likely to live in poverty, and at greater risk of diabetes and cancer.
“It’s not at all about maturity.” Reiss said, “but what you wake up with on your 18th birthday, which is crucial, is the rights of adulthood,” including leaving home, renting an apartment, getting into a domestic violence shelter, or taking legal action.
The U.S. State Department classifies forced marriage as a human rights abuse, while the International Labor Organization has called it a form of modern slavery.
“The federal government considers marriage under the age of 18 in foreign countries a human rights abuse, yet it still remains legal right here in our own backyards,” Petrie-Norris said at the protest. “I am committed to ending this human rights abuse in California. One child forced into marriage is one too many.”
Under California law, it’s statutory rape when an adult has sex with someone younger than 18, if they are not married. The crime is a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the age difference.
The law that eventually passed in 2018 required a judge and Family Court Services to interview both parties to the marriage and a guardian to determine that coercion, child abuse and trafficking were not taking place.
The law also required local registrars to begin reporting the number of marriage certificates issued to minors. Since 2019, the state has reported fewer than 20 child marriages.
But in 2021, about 8,800 15- to 17-year-olds in California reported being married in the previous 12 months to the U.S. Census, according to an analysis by Unchained At Last. The vast majority, but not all, are girls.
The group says that the huge difference in the numbers is because many registrars are not keeping track of child marriages.
What other states are doing
Since the limited 2018 law took effect in California, nine states have made the marriage age 18 with no exceptions: Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont. This week, Michigan’s Legislature voted to ban child marriage.
Protestors and advocates hope that California will be the eleventh state to ban child marriage with no exceptions. But a bill to do that has already been weakened in the current session.
Instead of setting a minimum marriage age, the bill now addresses some underage marriages that are done through spiritual ceremonies that are not legally recognized.
“While some — myself included — have concerns with minors getting married under any circumstances, California does have some guardrails to protect children,” the bill’s author, Sen. Aisha Wahab, a Fremont Democrat, said in a statement to CalMatters. “However, current law does not account for instances in which a third party arranges or officiates an underground marriage between a minor and another person, and that is what we are targeting with this bill.”
In May, the state Senate unanimously passed the amended Senate Bill 404, which would make it a misdemeanor for any person to knowingly sanction a religious union or unauthorized secular union between a minor and another person.
While supporters say this proposal would strengthen California’s ability to protect children, some backers of the original bill said the current version could further harm children by criminalizing their families and communities.
“The survivors of forced marriage that we serve often have complicated relationships with the parents or communities who pressure them to marry,” the Tahirih Justice Center says in the bill analysis. “In many cases, even after facing significant abuse, they still love and value these social bonds and hope for reconciliation.”
Unchained At Last also says the amended bill doesn’t address the real problem; it wants a minimum marriage age of 18. Thursday’s protest, similar to those held in other states, is the beginning of building a coalition in California, said Reiss. The group plans to sit down individually with legislators, to make the case for a law.
“There are some human rights abuses we all agree are terrible, but we might not be able to eliminate them in our lifetime,” said Reiss. “But child marriage in California, we can end it, not only in our lifetime…(but) this year.” | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/campaign-starts-to-ban-underage-marriages-in-california/103-6f5b0e99-42d1-4fc6-9afd-c36f5e34e35a | 2023-06-23T19:49:30 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/california/calmatters/campaign-starts-to-ban-underage-marriages-in-california/103-6f5b0e99-42d1-4fc6-9afd-c36f5e34e35a |
STOCKTON, Calif. — The Stockton Police Department is investigating after its unmanned surveillance truck was hit by gunfire.
According to police, officers were notified Wednesday the Stockton Police Observation Truck (SPOT) was struck by bullets while parked in the area of Plantation Place and Brandstetter Place.
The bullets hit the driver's side of the truck and the tire. Investigators say the damage was cosmetic.
Officers moved the truck to another undisclosed location after it was shot and a follow-up investigation is now underway.
The Stockton Police Department operates two bulletproof observation trucks. The unmanned, armored vehicles are equipped with cameras both inside and outside.
When the department brought the first truck online in 2018, it said the truck would be placed on public streets where there is no reasonable expectation of privacy, to try to prevent and better document crime.
Watch more Stockton news from ABC10: "If I can't do it, who will? | Stockton Unified School District's new superintendent | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/gunfire-strikes-spot-truck/103-0ce509f1-0abf-48dc-9b7e-17aefcfbb3ea | 2023-06-23T19:49:36 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/gunfire-strikes-spot-truck/103-0ce509f1-0abf-48dc-9b7e-17aefcfbb3ea |
YUBA COUNTY, Calif. — A wildfire is burning in Yuba County, California, causing an evacuation warning in the Browns Valley Area.
The fire broke out near Bald Mountain Road. People are advised to avoid the area to allow crews to do their jobs.
The Yuba County Sheriff's Office says anyone with large animals or livestock should consider leaving the zone now. The Sheriff's Posse is open to receive livestock.
Cal Fire estimated the fire was about 20 acres as of 11:40 a.m. and is threatening one structure. Residents can find updates in Zonehaven.
EVACUATION WARNING:
STAY INFORMED:
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, the 2022 fire season was quieter than previous years, but there were still several significant fires. January 2022 saw just one major incident with the Colorado Fire in Monterey County burning 687 acres. Fires picked up in May when the Lost Lake Fire burned through 5,856 acres. The largest fire in 2022, the Mosquito Fire, started in early September. It burned through more than 76,000 acres in El Dorado and Placer counties.
Overall, 331,360 acres burned in 2022 from 7,477 wildfires — well below the five-year average of 2.3 million acres. Over 870 structures were affected and nine people were killed, all civilians.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, and supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and knowing your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
What questions do you have about the latest wildfires? If you're impacted by the wildfires, what would you like to know? Text the ABC10 team at (916) 321-3310.
Watch more on ABC10 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/peoria-fire-yuba-county/103-e0138092-c311-4ed1-8289-b531d557b18f | 2023-06-23T19:49:42 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/peoria-fire-yuba-county/103-e0138092-c311-4ed1-8289-b531d557b18f |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Editor's note: Video in this story is from 2020 when the renaming committee was initially created.
The Sacramento City Unified School District voted Thursday to rename and rebrand three schools originally named for historical figures who killed and enslaved large populations of California's native peoples.
Sutter Middle School will become Miwok Middle School
- The district says the old namesake of the school, John Sutter, and his followers inflicted 'extreme brutality' on the Native American community. The new name, Miwok Middle, pays tribute to the people who originally inhabited the region when Europeans came to California.
Peter Burnett Elementary will become Suy:u Elementary
- The district says "suy:u" is the Miwok word for "hawk."
Kit Carson will become Umoja International Academy
- Umoja is the first principle of Kwanzaa and is the Swahili word for "unity."
The district says the work to rebrand the schools will happen over the summer and students returning in the fall will see the new names.
“All students deserve to learn in a school that is welcoming inside and out,” said Chinua Rhodes, SCUSD Board President. “The rebranding of three schools in our district will help us live up to this aspiration. I appreciate the school name selection committee's extensive work to research appropriate options and recommend these inspiring new names for our schools.”
The decision to rename the schools comes after the district identified schools originally named for people who no longer support the district's values in the fall of 2020.
A School Renaming Committee was then appointed by the Board of Education and is made up of one-third of Native American voices, one-third of administrators and staff, and one-third of Board-appointed community members.
Their work was delayed by pandemic school closings and they were just now able to fully convene this school year. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento-city-unified-school-board-votes-to-rename-3-schools/103-e231d986-158d-4e2a-9264-4ef8b1712eb4 | 2023-06-23T19:49:48 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento-city-unified-school-board-votes-to-rename-3-schools/103-e231d986-158d-4e2a-9264-4ef8b1712eb4 |
ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — A man was charged on Friday in connection to a fatal shooting in Pitcairn in August 2021.
According to Allegheny County police, the shooting happened on Aug. 20, 2021, at 1:34 p.m.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Name of man killed in Pitcairn released
First responders found Kaliq Dade, 20, shot inside a vehicle on Center Avenue.
Dade died on the way to the hospital.
The suspect vehicle was stopped a short time later in Turtle Creek and police said Jonathan Dawson was driving.
Dawson was arrested and detectives determined he was one of four individuals responsible for the shooting.
Final Javon Thompson was identified as another suspect. Friday, detectives charged Thompson with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence, recklessly endangering another person and firearms violations.
He is in the Allegheny County Jail on unrelated charges.
Detectives are still working to identify the other two suspects.
Anyone with information is asked to call 1-833-255-8477.
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Plainview's Red, White & Moo Milk Fest set for July 1
The Red, White & Moo Freedom Parade & Milk Fest, along with various other activities, are set for on Saturday, July 1, at the courthouse lawn in downtown Plainview.
Activities will begin with the Red, White & Moo Freedom Parade at 10 a.m. The parade will begin at the Railroad Depot, 12th and Broadway, and turn west at 6th and Broadway ending at City Hall.
Prizes will be given for the Best Decorated Entry and People’s Choice Award. Parade watchers will take a photo of their favorite entry and post it on the Red, White & Moo Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Red, White and MOO Milk Fest). People will be able to vote until midnight July 3. The winners will be announced on the Red, White & Moo Facebook page at noon on Tuesday, July 5.
Candy will be allowed, but no semi-trucks (or other vehicles) unable make the corner turn at 6th & Broadway.
Downtown Plainview /Main Street will be coordinating the parade, and participants are welcome. For more information or to pick up an entry form, contact Melinda at (806) 296-1100. Participants may also visit www.plainviewtx.org for a form.
Following the parade, the Red, White & Moo Milk Fest will be held on the Courthouse lawn from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Activities will include music, bouncy houses, mobile dairy classroom, petting zoo, face painting, food trucks and of course, free ice cream, milk and cheese.
The event is organized by the Red, White & Moo Committee, consisting of local dairies including Grand View Dairy, Fox Dairy, Legacy Farms, Dairy Fountain and Descanso Dairy. It has been held for more than 10 years and is celebrated across the country in June for National Dairy Month. Along with the local dairies, Dairy Max and Southwest Dairy Farmers also support the efforts of the Red, White & Moo Festival.
For more information, contact Downtown Plainview at (806) 296-1100 or visit them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/redwhitemoomilkfest. | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/06/23/plainviews-red-white-moo-milk-fest-set-for-july-1/70324107007/ | 2023-06-23T19:54:00 | 1 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/06/23/plainviews-red-white-moo-milk-fest-set-for-july-1/70324107007/ |
Top artists present works at 9th Annual Art on the Llano Estacado Show and Sale
The Museum of Texas Tech University Association is hosting its 9th Annual Art on the Llano Estacado Show and Sale.
The event opened Thursday with a Celebration of Artists Cocktail Party and continues Friday with a reception and sale. Tickets for this portion of the event are $200 and include cocktails, dinner, an open bar, bid book and musical entertainment.
The event is in the Museum of Texas Tech University’s Helen DeVitt Jones Sculpture Court, 601 Indiana Ave.
Art will be available for public purchase beginning Saturday on a first-come, first-served basis. The event is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday.
Art on the Llano Estacado Show and Sale was established not only as a fundraiser for the Museum of Texas Tech Association, but also to bring a variety of art to Lubbock. The event is an opportunity to purchase high quality art and support the association's mission to assist the museum in providing free exhibitions and public programming. Art on the Llano gives visitors an opportunity to not only buy art but see art not readily available in Lubbock and to visit with artists working in a variety of mediums.
The event will feature about 250 original works of art by more than 40 artists from across the Southwest representing a wide variety of styles and media.
Jim Eppler is the 2023 Art on the Llano Estacado Legacy Artists. He is a sculptor and painter who uses his love of nature to give his work a life-like feeling. Eppler hand-finishes each bronze in his limited editions. Using patina and paint, his intricate knowledge of his subject matter is expressed with distinctive markings unique to each species.
Eppler developed this appreciation for nature at a young age. As a small child growing up in El Paso, he would spend many hours outdoors, observing animals to sketch and paint.
He is represented in galleries from California to New York and has been featured in the book, “Wildlife Art, 60 Contemporary Masters and Their Work” (Joan Muyskens Pursley, Portfolio Press), and in numerous magazines.
His public installations include the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Frederik Meijer Gardens, South Plains Wildlife Rehab Center, National Exhibits Foundation, National Ranching Heritage Museum, Booth Museum, West Texas Museum Collection, the Benson Sculpture Garden, and The Virginia Museum of Animal Art.
Eppler received his bachelor of fine arts degree from Texas Tech University.
For more information, contact the Museum of Texas Tech University Association at (806) 742-2443, by e-mailing jouana.stravlo@ttu.edu or online at www.artonthellanoestacado.com/ | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/06/23/top-artists-present-works-at-9th-annual-art-on-the-llano-estacado-show-and-sale/70305583007/ | 2023-06-23T19:54:06 | 0 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/06/23/top-artists-present-works-at-9th-annual-art-on-the-llano-estacado-show-and-sale/70305583007/ |
Texas officials ID 4 victims of Matador tornado, provide updates on recovery
The Texas Department of Public Safety released new details about Wednesday's deadly tornado in Matador, identifying the victims and providing updates on the damage.
The community of Matador, along with first responders and volunteers who came to provide help, completed the search and recovery of victims from the deadly tornado that occurred around 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to a statement from the DPS.
The loss of life has been reported as four, with 15 persons being injured in the storm that swept through the Motley County town of about 570 people.
All citizens have been accounted for, and no additional deaths have been reported.
DPS identified the victims who died as:
Jo Etta Bumgardner, 85 of Matador
Randell (Randy) Rolin, 59 of Purcell, Oklahoma
Victor Valenzuela Jr., 43 of Austin
Troy Hernandez, 23 of San Angelo, Texas
The damage of property reported was 29 structures destroyed, 11 with significant damage, and 23 with damage, with 61 properties affected by the storm overall.
Power has been restored to 80 percent of the town as of 9:30 p.m. Thursday.
"City and County officials would like to thank all the people from surrounding cities and counties for their overwhelming support and outpouring of food, water, and supplies," reads the statement from DPS. "Matador does not have any unmet needs at this time and would ask that people stop sending water, food, and supplies as they cannot store any more supplies. Please do not donate clothing to this relief effort. Officials are not equipped to store or categorize those types of donations."
Here's how to help Matador tornado victims
For people wanting to offer donations, an account has been set up through Happy State Bank under the name of Matador Relief Fund.
The National Weather Service has not categorized the tornado but announced via social media that it would by the end of the day Friday. | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/officials-id-4-victims-of-matador-tornado-provide-updates-on-recovery/70351240007/ | 2023-06-23T19:54:12 | 0 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/officials-id-4-victims-of-matador-tornado-provide-updates-on-recovery/70351240007/ |
Selwyn Birchwood, 6 p.m. Wednesday, Zoo Bar. Selwyn Birchwood’s got a smokin’ brand new record and he’s on the way to the Zoo Bar to share it with his legion of Lincoln listeners. Recorded in his home state of Florida with Grammy-winning producer Tom Hambridge, "Exorcist" is by far Birchwood’s best album, capturing what he calls his "Electric Swampy Funkin’ Blues" in all its glory.
Mixing deep blues, psychedelic rock and Southern soul with a shade of funk carried by Birchwood’s stinging guitar and expressive vocals, "Exorcist" brings captivating variety. The hilarious Zappa-esque "FLorida Man," which lampoons the inexplicable headline-grabbing behavior of some of the Sunshine State’s geniuses, is followed by the smoldering guitar work of "Horns Below Her Halo" that slips into the funk-guitar, horn-punched soul of "Underdog."
That’s just a three-song stretch on the 13-cut album that finds Birchwood conjuring up the hoodoo on the title cut; uplifting with the soulful "Plenty More To Be Grateful For"; moving to swinging, funky gospel in retelling the Biblical story of "Lazarus"; before bringing the laughs with "Ila View," with lyrics like "Instagram loves strippers."
A Zoo Bar regular since 2014, the year he won the Blues Music Award for best new artist, Birchwood picked up Billboard Music Award No. 2 in 2021 for song of the year for "I’d Climb Mountains" off his album "Living In A Burning House." "Exorcist," which is at the top of the Roots Music Report’s Blues Chart this week, could very well generate BMA No. 3.
For now, it’s time to catch Birchwood, who’s a wicked live performer, taking his guitar to the stratosphere ala "Swim at Your Own Risk" and, as always, rocking the Zoo.
Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, 5 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday, Zoo Bar. Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials return to the Zoo Bar for two shows this weekend. Master showman Lil’ Ed Williams is one of the last connections to the postwar Chicago blues. He learned slide guitar from his uncle J.B. Hutto and has been delivering red-hot bottleneck boogie, ala Hound Dog Taylor, across the country for more than 30 years.
Greet Death with Ghostlike, Bad Self Portraits, 8 p.m. Monday, Bourbon Theatre. Doomgazers Greet Death came out of nowhere — actually, Davisburg, Michigan — in 2017 with "Dixieland," their Pitchfork-approved debut album that combined stoner metal with shoegaze warble into a dark, droning mix. Then came the even darker "New Hell" that mixed its nihilism with catchy melodies. And last year, the EP "New Low" added even more pop, but with the same attitude. Let’s just say the trio’s live show should be interesting. | https://journalstar.com/life-entertainment/local/heres-whats-going-on-in-lincolns-music-scene-june-23-28/article_16517cba-0ebd-11ee-8e08-af6f589be474.html | 2023-06-23T19:55:25 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/life-entertainment/local/heres-whats-going-on-in-lincolns-music-scene-june-23-28/article_16517cba-0ebd-11ee-8e08-af6f589be474.html |
A 4-month-old baby girl was abandoned on a New York City street Friday morning, police said.
A 911 call initially brought officers to Eastchester Road near the corner of Mace Avenue in the Bronx. It was there that they saw the baby alone.
According to a witness, police said, an adult woman in her 30s or 40s, wearing a pink dress and denim jacket, walked up to that location with the child in the stroller and left -- walking away without saying anything to anyone.
The baby was taken to Jacobi Medical Center by EMS and appears to be in good condition, police said.
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Additional information was not immediately available.
Copyright NBC New York | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/4-month-old-baby-girl-abandoned-on-nyc-street-friday-morning-police-say/4448594/ | 2023-06-23T20:03:53 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/4-month-old-baby-girl-abandoned-on-nyc-street-friday-morning-police-say/4448594/ |
What to Know
- Owners of several New York City bars, restaurants, and shops say they’re fed up with an avalanche of city summonses for noise violations
- But these tickets are not being written by city employees
- They’re being written and filed by civilians who stand to make 25 to 50 percent of the fines collected
Owners of several New York City bars, restaurants, and shops say they are fed up with an avalanche of city summonses for noise violations.
But these tickets are not being written by city employees, they’re being written and filed by civilians who stand to make 25-50% of the fines collected.
“It’s outrageous. We have restaurants and bars calling us up and they’re getting 4, 5, 6 violations from the same person before they even get notice of the first violation,” said Andrew Rigie, Executive Director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance. “It’s adding up to thousands and thousands of dollars and these bounty hunters essentially that are issuing these violations are taking home a portion of it!”
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Queens resident Dietmar Detering is one of the city’s most prolific noise ticket writers. He considers ticket writing his primary occupation. Though he concedes it is fair to call him a “bounty hunter,” he believes New York City is becoming a quieter, more pleasant place because of his tickets.
“There are so many violations out there and the lack of enforcement. I see the victims,” Detering said. “My desire for these businesses is not to give me any more work. Be quiet.”
Detering declined to say how much money he has made by taking his cut of the fines collected.
News
Court records from the NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings and obtained by the NBC New York I-Team show, as of April 30, Detering had 560 noise tickets filed in the city’s system for tracking civil violations. The total fines imposed from those tickets was in excess of $600,000. But many of Detering’s tickets have yet to be recorded in court records.
In all, city officials say Detering has generated more than 2,000 noise summonses and at least one other resident has generated even more than him.
“We’re getting bombarded with tickets. It’s insane,” said Patrick Callaghan, who runs The Elgin, a bar and restaurant on West 48th Street.
“They’re not cheap violations,” said Theresa Burke-Sigler, who manages the Pig N’ Whistle, also on West 48th Street. “I’m looking at a minimum of $8,000 [in fines] and a max of $33,000. That’s a lot of money for one business!”
Beyond the financial burden, some have raised concerns that citizen-based enforcement of the noise code could result in uneven or unfair application of the law from one neighborhood to the next.
An I-Team analysis of city administrative court records shows, prior to April 30, Detering filed more than 300 summonses in the predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods of Jackson Heights and Corona in Queens. Those totals far outnumber his tickets in other zip codes.
Yarin Nadel said he believes the ticketing pattern has had a discriminatory impact on his cell phone shops which have attracted multiple tickets from Detering.
“I actually took loans from my mother and my brother to pay for the lawyers,” Nadel said.
But Detering takes issue with any claim his issuance of summonses is discriminatory. Indeed, he says he is sticking up for predominantly minority communities where language barriers might prevent people from complaining about noise.
“It sounds like they are portraying this as, 'oh, I’m going after Latinos because I hate Latinos.' No, I love Latinos!” Detering said. “Latinos are the people here on the street. They are the victims.”
The controversy around citizen-issued noise tickets has gotten so intense, even the New York City Department of Environmental Protection – one of the agencies tasked with reducing noise pollution – is calling for changes to the law.
“The New York City noise code was created to balance our important reputation as the vibrant city that never sleeps, with the needs of those who live and work here,” said Rohit Aggarwala, the DEP Commissioner. “It’s disappointing that a small group of people are instead abusing the system to terrorize local businesses for personal profit under the pretense of protecting the environment.”
Confusion about the city’s noise code may be one reason businesses feel blindsided by the noise tickets. The wording of the code says restaurants and shops are not allowed to play amplified music intended “for advertising purposes or to attract attention.”
While business owners say their music is intended to create ambience for customers already inside, Detering and other citizen-ticket issuers say it is obvious restaurants and shops are trying to capture pedestrians’ attention on the sidewalk.
Detering says the city’s administrative law judges appear to agree with him. Of the approximately 200 of his summonses that have been challenged in court, Detering says he’s lost just 27 cases.
“Throughout the city we have a few neighborhoods with commercial noise pollution spread out like a cancer,” Detering said. “We don’t want the state to have laws that look good but are not being enforced. What good are those for?”
The DEP is now calling on City Council to remove ambiguity in the noise code so that it is clearer what kinds of music should be classified as “commercial or business advertising.” The agency also wants to add requirements for specific decibel levels in order to qualify as a noise violation. Currently, if music is considered to be sidewalk advertising, it doesn’t matter how loud it is.
Additionally, the DEP would like to see a rule requiring businesses be served with one summons before additional summonses can be field against it.
“We look forward to working with the City Council to make common-sense changes to the noise code,” Aggarwala said. “Citizen enforcers driven by profit don’t exercise the judgment and discretion that DEP enforcement agents use.”
Detering said he was looking into filing a formal complaint against Aggarwala and suggested the DEP’s criticism of his ticketing pattern has more to do with the agency’s failure to enforce its own laws.
“[The] DEP is embarrassed by a small group of citizens getting a job done that they probably claimed was impossible to get done,” he said. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/i-team-how-one-nyc-resident-makes-a-living-writing-thousands-of-noise-tickets/4448563/ | 2023-06-23T20:03:56 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/i-team-how-one-nyc-resident-makes-a-living-writing-thousands-of-noise-tickets/4448563/ |
What to Know
- More than a decade without a name, but officials hope that by asking for the public's help that they can identify the woman struck and killed by a train down the Jersey Shore.
- NJ Transit Police says it continues its investigation in order to identify the woman who was struck by a train 15 years ago -- on June 15, 2008, in Brielle, Monmouth County.
- Officials describe the woman as white, possibly of Northeastern European descent. She was about 18 to 30 years old, about 115 to 130 pounds at the time of her death and anywhere between 5 foot 2 inches and 5 feet 5 inches tall.
More than a decade without a name, but officials hope that by asking for the public's help that they can identify the woman struck and killed by a train in the Jersey Shore area.
NJ Transit Police says it continues its investigation in order to identify the woman who was struck by a train 15 years ago -- on June 15, 2008, in Brielle, Monmouth County.
Officials describe the woman as white, possibly of Northeastern European descent. She was about 18 to 30 years old and about 115 to 130 pounds at the time of her death.
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When she was found, she was wearing a long sleeve red sweatshirt with a white undershirt style t-shirt over it. She also had a long-sleeve white shirt wrapped around her waist, white socks, and white and black striped Adidas sneakers. She was wearing rosary beads and a wooden bracelet with religious saints on it.
Police describe the woman as having short fingernails painted silver with white lines that came to a point. She had small scars on both her hands, as well as surgical scar on her lower abdomen that was roughly 2 inches long.
The unidentified woman also had a brown tote bag carrying blue sweatshirt with a winter scene on it, black jeans with zippers on both sides of the waist, a hat with blue flowers, a black and white bandana, a blue and yellow scarf with yellow flowers. Additionally, the tote bag containing all these items had the words "New York" on it.
News
Additional information can also be obtained by accessing the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs) website at https://namus.nij.ojp.gov under file number UP2274.
According to NamUs profile on the unidentified victim, the woman was about 5 feet 4 inches in height, had blonde/brown hair, with fair skin with no freckles or not many freckles. Her eye color is listed as hazel as well as blue/green.
Authorities urge anyone with information to contact Det. Tropeano at 973-491-8634 or email the detective at mtropeano@njtransit.com. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nj-transit-police-continues-probe-into-id-of-mystery-woman-struck-killed-by-train-in-2008/4448424/ | 2023-06-23T20:03:56 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/nj-transit-police-continues-probe-into-id-of-mystery-woman-struck-killed-by-train-in-2008/4448424/ |
Tour Canton's Goodwill campus, learn about its programs, agencies Wednesday
CANTON – Community members are invited to join Goodwill for a free Lunch and Learn event from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday at The Ken Weber Community Campus at Goodwill, 408 Ninth St. SW.
The event is open to the public.
The event features a tour of the Ken Weber Community Campus and will also provide an overview of the 28 mission-based programs offered by Goodwill of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio and the 20 nonprofit agencies housed at the campus. To register for the Lunch and Learn, call 330-445-1032 or email info@goodwillgoodskills.org. Space is limited.
“The community event is a way to connect individuals and families in our community to all types of valuable services,” said Maureen Ater, vice president of marketing and development. “There will be great information about services offered by Goodwill and even free children’s books.” | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/tour-goodwills-ken-weber-community-campus-learn-about-programs/70347151007/ | 2023-06-23T20:07:17 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/tour-goodwills-ken-weber-community-campus-learn-about-programs/70347151007/ |
U.S. EPA provides details about dioxane groundwater investigation in Lake Township
- Dioxane is an emerging contaminant and likely carcinogen.
- The former landfill, which closed in 1980, is a 30-acre site southeast of Cleveland Avenue NW and Hilltop Street NW.
- Crews will work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through September to drill wells in the public right-of-ways around the site.
LAKE TWP. − The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has provided more details about the second phase of groundwater sampling around the former Industrial Excess Landfill.
The agency is overseeing work that began this week to determine the extent of a 1,4 dioxane plume. Dioxane, an emerging contaminant and likely carcinogen, was confirmed in numerous residential wells last year.
Crews will work from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through September to drill wells in the public right-of-ways along East Turkeyfoot Lake Road, Ontario Road, Superior Drive, Spade Road, Fen Way Court, Millview Avenue, Crestview Circle, Kreighbaum Road NW and Cleveland Avenue NW.
Existing wells in public right-of-ways or private property already were installed with the owners' consent along Islandview Avenue NW and Timberlake NW, according to the U.S. EPA.
In an email from EPA spokeswoman Rachel Bassler, the agency answered additional questions this week about the ongoing investigation and vertical aquifer sampling (VAS);
Is this the first move away from private well sampling in the investigation of 1,4-dioxane?
This second phase of the VAS (summer 2023) is a follow-up from the first phase. The progression of these phases and the overall goal is to determine the boundaries of the 1,4-dioxane plume and to ensure residents are protected. The VAS investigation program is a follow-up to the 2022 emergency response effort which included private well sampling and subsequent connections to water utilities when necessary.
Will these newly drilled wells be temporary or permanent?
This phase of the VAS investigation is temporary borings. Data gathered will be used to develop and determine the best locations for an expanded permanent groundwater monitoring well network. Perimeter network wells will be installed at the boundaries of the plume to ensure residents outside of the area of known contamination remain protected.
Could you provide more details about the sampling?
VAS is a high-resolution groundwater investigation technique that is used to determine both lateral and vertical distribution of contamination within an aquifer. Groundwater samples will be collected at 10-foot intervals until bedrock is encountered. Bedrock in the area is generally between 110 and 140 feet deep. Based on the results of previous and routine sampling of site contaminants of concern (which were not detected above clean-up levels in offsite wells), groundwater will only be analyzed for 1,4-dioxane during the continued off-site investigation.
What's the threshold for additional cleanup actions and what might those be?
The EPA is currently in the hazard mitigation and investigation phase of the 1,4-dioxane plume. These investigation activities will generate data that will be used to support the need for any further cleanup actions. Any further actions would be documented in a Record of Decision.
Are there any other updates to include?
The EPA will keep the community informed of investigation and cleanup activities with mailed notifications and updates to the Industrial Excess Landfill Superfund site webpage: www.epa.gov/superfund/industrial-excess-landfill. This is in addition to collaborative outreach efforts with local officials, the health departments and door-to-door interactions.
Resident inquiries should be directed to: Aaron Green, remedial project manager, 312-353-4633, green.aaron.m@epa.gov, or Ruth Muhtsun, community involvement coordinator, 312-886-6595; muhtsun.ruth@epa.gov.
Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323 or kelly.byer@cantonrep.comOn Twitter: @kbyerREP | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2023/06/23/u-s-epa-provides-details-about-dioxane-groundwater-investigation/70350119007/ | 2023-06-23T20:07:23 | 1 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2023/06/23/u-s-epa-provides-details-about-dioxane-groundwater-investigation/70350119007/ |
Stargazing, markets, movies, a plant swap — I don't know about you, but I'm having a tough time deciding which events I want to attend this weekend because there are SO. MANY.
You can also catch a slew of Pride events, the annual Día de San Juan Fiesta, a free family-friendly pool party, late-night rollerskating, a creosote workshop .. and MORE. Of course, things can change quickly these days so check for the latest info before heading out!
Bread & Brews
Beyond Bread is collaborating with Tucson Hop Shop to celebrate 25 years in Tucson. The two are hosting a six-course beer pairing event with live music.
When: 5-8 p.m. Thursday, June 22
Where: Beyond Bread, 3026 N. Campbell Ave.
People are also reading…
Cost: $29
Visit the event page for more information.
Solutions Focused Community Book Club
Journalist Caitlin Schmidt is teaming up with Tucson Tome Gnome and the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona for a solutions-focused community book club centered around "I Never Thought of It That Way" by Monica Guzman. "This book club aims to bring together interested community members from all walks of life to bond over a shared desire to make our community better for all," organizers say.
When: 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, June 22
Where: Community Foundation Campus, 5049 E. Broadway
Cost: Free to attend. RSVP online.
Visit the event page for more information.
The Emo Night Tour
Transport back to 2008 at The Emo Night Tour, spinning hits from Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At The Disco and more of who you loved from the Warped Tour days.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday, June 22
Where: The Rock, 136 N. Park Ave.
Cost: $15. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Allonna Dee's Drag Queen Spelling Bee
Participate in a spelling bee against drag queens, spelling words that were submitted by audience members. The event benefits local nonprofit Tucson Pride.
When: 7 p.m. Thursday, June 22
Where: Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St.
Cost: $10. This event is for ages 18 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Lavender Wreath Workshop
Lavender is officially blooming at the Life Under the Oaks Lavender Farm in Oracle! Create a long-lasting lavender wreath during this workshop.
When: Thursday-Sunday, June 22-25. Availability at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. depending on the day.
Where: Life Under the Oaks Farm, 1221 N. Rancho Robles Road, Oracle
Cost: $45
Visit the event page for more information.
Chocolate Factory Tour
If you love "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" as much as our food writer Ellice Lueders does, this might be your dream come true. Take a tour of Monsoon Chocolate's factory to learn how the chocolate is made.
When: Various times and dates through June
Where: Monsoon Chocolate, 234 E. 22nd St.
Cost: $20
Visit the event page for more information.
Gardening Hour
Learn about gardening and bring home clippings all while connecting with The Garden Kitchen team.
When: 7-8:30 a.m. Thursdays
Where: The Garden Kitchen, 2205 S. Fourth Ave.
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Discovery Nights at Children's Museum Tucson
Visit Children's Museum Tucson for a free night of science and art, including story times and pop-up science experiments.
When: 5-7 p.m. Thursdays
Where: Children's Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave.
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Loft Kids Fest
Loft Kids Fest is back for another summer of family-friendly movies. The festival kicks off with an outdoor screening of "Looney Tunes" on June 23. Then, every Saturday and Sunday morning from June 24 through July 16, free movie screenings will take place indoors at The Loft with pre-show entertainment from local toy shop Mildred & Dildred.
When: 6 p.m. Friday, June 23 for the outdoor screening of "Looney Tunes." On other days, doors open at 9:15 a.m. for pre-show activities and movies begin at 10 a.m. weekends June 24-July 16.
Where: Kickoff event is at Himmel Park, 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. Other screenings are at The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
4th Ave. Flea Market
The folks behind the popular biannual Made In Tucson market are hosting their first summer night market! This market will be a scaled-down version of the market you know and love, this time featuring 40 vendors.
When: 7-10 p.m. Friday, June 23
Where: Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition, 311 E. Seventh St.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping
Visit the event page for more information.
Club Pride
Local group Queer AF is hosting a Pride party at Hotel Congress, set to feature a lineup of music and entertainment.
When: 9 p.m. Friday, June 23
Where: Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St.
Cost: $10 in advance, $15 day of. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Second Chance Prom
Otaku Nation is hosting Second Chance Prom, complete with a dance floor and a DJ, punch, snacks and a photo area. The event is set to benefit The Trevor Project.
When: 8:30 p.m. to midnight Friday, June 23
Where: Otaku Nation, 2900 E. Broadway
Cost: $5
Visit the event page for more information.
Stargazing with Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association
Go stargazing with Tucson Amateur Astronomy Association! Several telescopes will be set up.
When: 8 p.m. Friday, June 23
Where: Saguaro National Park East, 3693 S. Old Spanish Trail
Cost: Free to attend, park entrance fee may apply
Visit the event page for more information.
Community Book Sale
Check out this community book sale hosted by Friends of the Pima County Public Library, where you'll find banned books.
When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday-Monday, June 23-26
Where: Friends of the Pima County Public Library, 2230 N. Country Club Road
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for books
Visit the event page for more information.
Free Film Fridays
Catch a poolside movie every Friday at Hotel McCoy! This Friday's movie is "Selena."
When: 8-10 p.m. Fridays
Where: Hotel McCoy, 720 W. Silverlake Road
Cost: Free to attend and open to the public. Swimming is for hotel guests only, but day passes for the pool are available for $20.
Visit the event page for more information.
'90s Dance Party at Surly Wench
Surly Wench Pub is hosting a '90s-themed dance party. Dress in your best '90s attire or in a "Cool World" theme!
When: 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, June 23
Where: Surly Wench Pub, 424 N. Fourth Ave.
Cost: $5. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Flow for the Soul with Flam Chen
Flam Chen is hosting a flow night where you can join performers and friends for skill-building with juggling, stilts and more.
When: 7:30-10 p.m. Friday, June 23
Where: MSA Annex, 267 S. Avenida del Convento
Cost: $10 suggested donation
Visit the event page for more information.
Fire Show at Sky Bar
The Cirque Roots Fire Troupe puts on a 20-minute fire show every fourth Friday, right outside of Sky Bar.
When: 8:15-8:45 p.m. Friday, June 23
Where: Sky Bar, 536 N. Fourth Ave.
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Art Corner with BICAS
Get free access to recycled bike art parts, tools and other materials and get creative! Once you're finished, you can donate your creation to BICAS or give a suggested donation to the nonprofit, if you're able to. Check in at the front counter before heading to the art area.
When: 4-6 p.m. Fridays
Where: BICAS, 2001 N. Seventh Ave.
Cost: Free to attend, donation suggested
Visit the event page for more information.
Chillin at the Chul
Tohono Chul's summer series Chillin at the Chul is back for another year! Check out music, spirits and bites. On Saturdays, Tohono Chul has partnered with Children's Museum Oro Valley to provide family-friendly nature play.
When: 5-9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 2
Where: Tohono Chul, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Trivia at the Short Rest Tavern
Fridays are for trivia at the Short Rest Tavern, a hidden bar tucked inside Tucson Mall's Tucson Games and Gadgets. This Friday's theme is Pokémon.
When: 7 p.m. Fridays
Where: Short Rest Tavern, 4500 N. Oracle Road
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for drinks. Tables are first come, first served.
Visit the event page for more information.
El Día de San Juan Fiesta
El Día de San Juan Fiesta is held each year on June 24 to celebrate the coming summer rains. The celebration, organized by the Menlo Park Neighborhood Association, includes blessings, food and entertainment.
When: 6-10 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Mission Garden, 946 W. Mission Lane
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Queer & Strange: An Odd Pride Market
Curiosity shop The Heathenry is collaborating with witchy shop Monsoon Mystics to put together an LGBTQ+ market. You'll find paper goods, jewelry, bath bombs, candles and more.
When: 5-9 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: The Heathenry, 657 W. St Marys Road
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping
Visit the event page for more information.
Summer Poolooza
Tucson Parks and Rec is hosting a free pool party this weekend where you'll find food, music, inflatables and games through the Ready, Set, Rec! mobile recreation program.
When: 5-7 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Edith Ball Adaptive Recreation Center, 3455 E. Zoo Court
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Taste the Rainbow Pride Party
Catch a Pride party at Hotel Congress this Saturday, set to feature drag performances, go-go dancers and drink specials.
When: 10 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St.
Cost: Free to attend. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Summer Safari Nights
Enjoy the cooler nighttime temperatures at Reid Park Zoo's after-hours Summer Safari Nights. Each event will have different themed activities including keeper chats, animal encounters and live music.
When: 6-8 p.m. Saturdays through Aug. 12
Where: Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court
Cost: $10.50 for adults, $6.50 for kids ages 2-14
Visit the event page for more information.
Cool Summer Nights
Enjoy the sights of the Desert Museum at night — in cooler temperatures! Bring a flashlight to walk around and possibly spot a nocturnal animal, touch a stingray and check out themed activities.
When: 6-9 p.m. Saturdays through Aug. 26
Where: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road
Cost: $29.95 for adults, $19.95 for kids ages 3-12. $24.95 for Arizona residents.
Visit the event page for more information.
Night Wings at the Pima Air & Space Museum
Catch the sun setting over historical planes during the Pima Air & Space Museum's summer Night Wings event. There will be kids' activities, community booths and scavenger hunts.
When: 5-8 p.m. Saturdays, June 24, July 8, July 29
Where: Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road
Cost: $10 for ages 13 and up, free for ages 12 and under
Visit the event page for more information.
Summer Saturday Night at the Presidio
The Presidio Museum is staying open late! Enjoy cocktails, tapas and charcuterie in the new on-site Dandelion Cafe, plus listen to live guitar music on the patio. The museum will also host two lantern tours throughout the night.
When: 6-9 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, 196 N. Court Ave.
Cost: Free admission to the museum with a purchase at The Dandelion Cafe.
Visit the event page for more information.
Jell-O Wrestling Extravaganza
The Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation is bringing back its Jell-O wrestling event for its 33rd year.
When: 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Slaughterhouse, 1102 W. Grant Road
Cost: $25 in advance, $30 day of. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Retro Game Show Night
Retro Game Show Night, an evening of off-the-cuff comedy that pays homage to old TV game shows with a funky twist, returns this weekend. The upcoming game show is "The Wheel of Misfortune."
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St.
Cost: $17.51. This event is for ages 21 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
Pop-up at Di Luna Candles
Local candlemaker Di Luna Candles recently opened a brick-and-mortar in midtown, home to candles and other gift items. This Saturday, you can shop from Di Luna in addition to five other makers selling baked goods, bookish gifts, crystals, ritual tools and more.
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Di Luna Candles, 3061 N. Campbell Ave.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping
Visit the event page for more information.
Las Mujeres Verdes Mercado
Las Mujeres Verdes are best known for their monthly markets at the Flowers & Bullets Midtown Farm. Those markets are on hold for the summer, but organizers will be back with a smaller indoor mercado this June. Find more than a dozen vendors selling food, jewelry, pressed flowers and more.
When: 2-6 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Move Cycle Studio, 148 S. Fourth Ave.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping and food
Visit the event page for more information.
Science at Sunset Series: Big Mirrors, Big Aspirations
Flandrau's new summer series features a lecture, stargazing, a planetarium show and admission to the exhibits throughout the museum.
When: 6-10 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd.
Cost: $20 for all the activities, or $5 per lecture/show. Stargazing is free.
Visit the event page for more information.
Skate Country Late Skate
Skate Country after hours! The local roller rink is hosting Late Skate, for adults only.
When: 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Skate Country, 7980 E. 22nd St.
Cost: $15, skate rental included. This event is for ages 18 and up.
Visit the event page for more information.
A Night Under the Stars
Local nonprofit Reach For The Stars is hosting a night of stargazing. Learn about the stars and planets, all while gazing through telescopes and binoculars.
When: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead, 16248 E. Marsh Station Road
Cost: Free to attend, donations accepted
Visit the event page for more information.
"West Side Story" Sing-Along
Sing along with the 1961 musical "West Side Story," screening at The Fox.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.
Cost: $7.50-$12.50
Visit the event page for more information.
Archaeology Day at Mission Garden
Learn hands-on archaeology skills at Mission Garden's monthly Archaeology Day.
When: 8-9 a.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Mission Garden, 946 W. Mission Lane
Cost: Free to attend, donations accepted
Visit the event page for more information.
Bellas Tradiciones
Compañía de Danza Folklórica Arizona is putting together a performance of "dance through Mexico," where all levels of the dance company will take the stage.
When: 5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24 and 1 p.m. Sunday, June 25
Where: Pima Community College, 2202 W. Anklam Road
Cost: $20
Visit the event page for more information.
Tucson Repair Cafe
Need something fixed? Bring it to the Tucson Repair Cafe to be fixed for free! All items are welcome.
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: United Way, 330 N. Commerce Park Loop
Cost: Free to attend
Visit the event page for more information.
Goat yoga
Enjoy an hour of yoga and goats with this class at Udall Park!
When: 8-9 a.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Udall Park, 7290 E. Tanque Verde Road
Cost: $25
Visit the event page for more information.
Bachata Social Dance Night
Put on your dancing shoes for a night of music and mingling! Enjoy a bachata class followed by social dancing.
When: 9 p.m. to midnight Saturday, June 24
Where: Tucson Creative Dance Center, 3131 N. Cherry Ave.
Cost: $10, cash or Venmo
Visit the event page for more information.
Walking tours with the Presidio Museum
Explore Tucson's downtown area with walking tours hosted by the Presidio Museum. This Saturday's tour is of public art and murals.
When: 8-10 a.m. Saturday, June 24
Where: Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, 196 N. Court Ave.
Cost: $25. Pre-registration is required.
Visit the event page for more information.
St. Philip's Plaza Market
Visit St. Philip's Plaza to shop from local makers and enjoy live music. While you're there, grab a bite to eat at one of the plaza's several eateries.
When: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays
Where: St. Philip's Plaza, 4280 N. Campbell Ave.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping and food
Visit the event page for more information.
Pride Drag Brunch
This brunch buffet will feature a carving station, omelets, biscuits and gravy, mimosas and more breakfast favorites along with drag performances. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation.
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 25
Where: HighWire, 14 S. Arizona Ave.
Cost: $45
Visit the event page for more information.
Plant Swap
The Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition is hosting a plant swap in collaboration with the Pima County Public Library's Seed Library. Find plants, cuttings, seeds, pots and gardening tools to swap with other plant lovers.
When: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, June 25
Where: Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition, 311 E. Seventh St.
Cost: Free to attend, bring items to swap
Visit the event page for more information.
Creosote Bundle Workshop
Local maker Sonoran Rosie is hosting a workshop where you'll learn all about creosote. You'll get to take home a creosote bundle to hang in your home.
When: 5-6:30 p.m. Sunday, June 25
Where: Arizona Poppy, 150 S. Fourth Ave.
Cost: $28
Visit the event page for more information.
Small Business Night Market
Head to local nonprofit Groundworks for a night market featuring live music and an art show, plus 30 vendors and a petting zoo with baby goats!
When: 5-9 p.m. Sunday, June 25
Where: Groundworks, 2919 E. Grant Road
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for shopping
Visit the event page for more information.
Sunset Sundays
Explore the Tucson Botanical Gardens after hours!
When: 6-8 p.m. Sundays through August
Where: Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way
Cost: $15 for adults, $8 for kids ages 4-17
Visit the event page for more information.
Kitten yoga with Hermitage Shelter
Enjoy a 45-minute yoga flow session at Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter and Sanctuary, followed by kitten play!
When: 10:30 a.m. Sunday, June 25
Where: Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter and Sanctuary, 5278 E. 21st St.
Cost: $20, RSVP in advance
Visit the event page for more information.
Western Tipsy Tea
Join Cafe a la C'Art for a three-course cocktail tea party — Western style!
When: 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. seatings on Sunday, June 25
Where: Cafe a La C'Art, 150 N. Main Ave.
Cost: $60. Reservations must be made in advance by calling 520-273-8841.
Visit the event page for more information.
Group bike ride with Hello Bicycle
Hello Bicycle is putting together a casual group bike ride along The Loop!
When: 8:30 a.m. Sunday, June 25
Where: Hello Bicycle & Cafe, 3702 E. Hardy Dr.
Cost: Free to attend, bring money for coffee and pastries if you wish
Visit the event page for more information. | https://tucson.com/news/local/52-fun-events-happening-in-tucson-this-weekend-june-22-25/article_5de6e962-1088-11ee-94a2-6337bf8b08b7.html | 2023-06-23T20:08:33 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/52-fun-events-happening-in-tucson-this-weekend-june-22-25/article_5de6e962-1088-11ee-94a2-6337bf8b08b7.html |
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Cheverton, Jacqueline L., 89, comptroller, April 19, Evergreen.
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Zellinger, Michael A., 81, bowling center owner, May 31, Hudgels Swan. | https://tucson.com/news/local/deaths-in-southern-arizona/article_337c6d74-1113-11ee-ae7f-ffdd477d0480.html | 2023-06-23T20:08:39 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/deaths-in-southern-arizona/article_337c6d74-1113-11ee-ae7f-ffdd477d0480.html |
ORLANDO, Fla. — A federal judge on Tuesday heard from both sides in a lawsuit over a new state law that bans businesses from allowing children into certain adult live shows.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The owner of Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando is suing the state, claiming the law violates its first amendment rights.
The judge said the bill is so broad to him, but it points out specifics geared toward the LGBTQ community. He also asked if parents should make that decision if they want their child to attend drag shows.
READ: Hamburger Mary’s suing DeSantis over recent legislation targeting drag shows
“It is absolutely crucial to stand up for your first amendment right, so a challenge to anybody who’s free speech is a challenge to everybody’s free speech,” said civil rights attorney Brice Timmons. “In this current climate, it is dangerous. It is physically dangerous for people to stand up against this wave of anti LGBT legislation all over the country.”
The judge asked questions about the word “lewd” and the vagueness of the bill.
SEE: Tool frontman performs in drag during Central Florida show following new state legislation
The law would fine or suspend the licenses of hotels and restaurants that allow children to attend sexually explicit adult performances.
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/federal-judge-hears-both-sides-hamburger-marys-lawsuit-against-state/G5D5D3OP55BEZJNX4I5WCHV5SM/ | 2023-06-23T20:14:23 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/federal-judge-hears-both-sides-hamburger-marys-lawsuit-against-state/G5D5D3OP55BEZJNX4I5WCHV5SM/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — The executive director of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra announced his resignation this week.
The orchestra said Friday that Paul Helfrich will resign as executive director as of Sept. 15.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Helfrich has held the position since February 2020.
“It has been an honor to serve as OPO’s Executive Director during a challenging and eventful time,” Helfrich said.
Read: ‘A refreshed brand’: Orlando REP announces name change
The orchestra said a search committee is being formed to hire the next full-time executive director.
“(Helfrich’s) strong leadership, paired with his artistic knowledge, energy and enthusiasm, has been such a huge influence to me personally, the staff, the musicians, and the whole community,” Music Director Eric Jacobsen said. “While we will miss him so much, we are so excited for his next chapter ahead and will be forever grateful for the impact he had on all of us here at the OPO.”
Read: ‘The future is bright’: Orange County sees tourism numbers grow
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-philharmonic-orchestra-executive-director-resigns/4YAYED4YORDAXAZCGV3YVTPTPM/ | 2023-06-23T20:14:29 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-philharmonic-orchestra-executive-director-resigns/4YAYED4YORDAXAZCGV3YVTPTPM/ |
DOVER-FOXCROFT - A food center in Dover- Foxcroft is breaking the stigma surrounding food insecurity as they've developed a new model to support those residing in Maine's highlands.
"So you come in, grab a cart and you shop as you would at a grocery store. Only you're getting the best deal ever,” said Kelly Sirimoglu, executive director for Piscataquis Regional Food Center.
Imagine a grocery store that offers a grocery shopping experience at no cost or limitations, well in Dover-Foxcroft the Piscataquis Regional Food Center has done just that as the food bank has decided to move away from the previous practice of handing out preselected food boxes.
"The boxes worked for COVID-19 but it was what we could get at the time so they got a standard box,” said Becki Quimby, community and volunteer engagement manager for Piscataquis Regional Food Center. When they walk in and see a fresh produce box. Nine different kinds of tomatoes on the shelf, crushed, puree, all the different branding. Their faces light up.”
Members of the food center said allowing shoppers the right to choose empowers them so they aren't afraid to ask for help.
Pushing for an everyday shopping experience.
"The main priority for us is to restore dignity in the emergency food system. It's really a traumatic experience. When you're in a crisis and you're worried about where your next meal is going to come from, the last thing you want to worry about is how you're going to be treated,” said Sirimoglu.
"Seeing a sriracha on the shelf. You think oh they might not take it but sriracha falls off the shelves as quickly as the tomatoes do,” said Quimby.
The food center serves about 150 residents of Piscataquis, Penobscot and Somerset counties by disrupting food purchased from Good Shepard Food Banks, private donations, and partnerships with grocers like Hannaford.
"The gift that we give by providing food to the community... Is beyond measure,” said Quimby.
The food center is open Tuesday, Friday and every first Saturday by appointment. | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/local-food-bank-serves-those-experiencing-crisis-with-dignity/article_ec1df04c-11f8-11ee-806a-3bd6ff914d91.html | 2023-06-23T20:16:05 | 1 | https://www.foxbangor.com/news/local/local-food-bank-serves-those-experiencing-crisis-with-dignity/article_ec1df04c-11f8-11ee-806a-3bd6ff914d91.html |
Looking for a new restaurant to try in Hattiesburg? We've got you covered
Hattiesburg sometimes has a few gems that are hidden in plain sight.
Have you ever walked or driven by a restaurant and asked yourself, "How long has that been there," only to find out the eatery opened a year ago?
Have you wanted to try that new place on the corner, but wanted to know more about it before you walked in?
We're here to help.
Hattiesburg has some new restaurants that run the gamut from walk-up and outdoor seating to fine dining. Here's what we know about some of the latest.
Art of Roux
You may have seen the Art of Roux food truck at various locations and events around Hattiesburg. Now those who like the Art of Roux's "Cajun comfort" cuisine — dishes like gumbo, po' boys, red beans and rice — can find them at 208 North 38th Ave., Suite 10. Owner Kyle Bass started his food truck business a few years ago and has hosted pop-up experiences and made the rounds of entertainment events around the Hub City.
Royal Spices
A walk-up restaurant with a couple tables for outdoor dining recently opened on the Longleaf Trace and Main Street in Hattiesburg. Royal Spices is located in a new building at 1015 Main St., between Fourth and Fifth streets. Patrons rave about the perfectly seasoned foods by personal chef and caterer Brittney Payton, who also has her own line of seasonings that "bring flavor to life."
Main Street Sno
Next door to Royal Spices is Hattiesburg's newest snow cone stand, Main Street Sno, offers New Orleans-style snowballs as well as snack foods like hot dogs and nachos. In case you're wondering, New Orleans style means the ice will be fluffy rather than crunchy, topped with your flavor or flavors of choice. Main Street Sno is located at 1015 North Main St.
Bourbon on Front
Restaurateur Nelson Haskin added his fifth eatery on Front Street in downtown Hattiesburg. Bourbon on Front is located at 206 Front St., across from City Hall. Like the name implies, there is an emphasis on bourbon, with more than two dozen to choose from. You can go with the familiar, like Maker's Mark or Four Roses, or try some high-end, small-batch products from makers like Widow Jane or Knob Creek. Bourbon on Front dishes focus on steaks and seafood that pair well with the bourbons on hand.
Buschman Street Cafe
Buschman Street Cafe recently opened at 209 Buschman St., at the corner of Buschman Street and River Avenue. Walk inside and you will be transported to another time and place. Imagine Paris of the 1920s and 1930s, with authors like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein sipping on cocktails while other patrons are listening to sultry jazz and going on a culinary adventure. That's the vibe you'll get at Buschman Street Cafe. Expecting to pay a fortune for fine dining? You might be surprised. Dinner for two with cocktails can easily be done for under $100.
The Depot
One of downtown Hattiesburg's longtime restaurants, The Depot, has reopened at its new location at 115 Walnut St. With a larger venue, owners Josh Casper and Keith Cascio were able to expand and enhance the restaurant's breakfast and lunch menus. Some of the local favorites that have been added permanently include the cheeseburger and fried chicken sandwich.
Downtown Hattiesburg:What you need to know about the new Depot location
Do you have a story to share? Contact Lici Beveridge at lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge. | https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/try-some-of-these-new-hattiesburg-ms-restaurants/70338278007/ | 2023-06-23T20:16:05 | 0 | https://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/try-some-of-these-new-hattiesburg-ms-restaurants/70338278007/ |
DULUTH — An interracial West Duluth family that has been subject to dozens of "unfounded" police reports and "endless harassment" has filed suit against the city and a number of officials.
Aaron and Amy Kirk say they spent more than a decade living with "racial animus and discriminatory conduct" perpetrated by their then-next door neighbors, and they fault current and former police and city employees for failing to address a long pattern of "objectively false police reports, express racial slurs and open threats of violence."
The federal lawsuit also cites the 2020 arrest of Aaron Kirk, now 52, following a road-rage incident in which another motorist reportedly called him a racial slur and threatened him with brass knuckles. The other driver was not arrested; Kirk spent a weekend in jail before being released without charges.
"(The) plaintiffs bring this action as a result of — and to remedy — continuous, systematic and ongoing racially discriminatory policies, practices, and actions by the Duluth Police Department, the Duluth Human Rights Commission and many of their members," Twin Cities attorney Phillip Fishman wrote.
"Since at least 2007, members of the Duluth Police Department and Human Rights Commission have racially profiled and targeted plaintiffs based solely on Aaron Kirk’s race, his interracial marriage and the Kirk family’s presence in a predominantly white neighborhood. These defendants have collectively subjected plaintiffs to near constant harassment."
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City officials declined comment, citing the ongoing litigation.
Complaint: Officials 'turned a blind eye' to racism
The Kirks first shared their experience with the News Tribune in 2020, and data obtained from the police department at that time revealed there had been at least 73 calls to the vicinity of their Cody neighborhood home since 2012.
At various times, according to police reports and the lawsuit, the Kirks were falsely accused of operating a meth lab in their home and abusing their two children. They say the harassment started around 2007, when Aaron, who is Black, moved into the house that Amy, who is white, had owned for several years without issue.
Records show that officers were called to the home on one occasion when a neighbor accused Aaron of trying to steal her roofing supplies and another time when she claimed he was erecting a fence on her property. She also accused the father of sending his young child to steal her Meals on Wheels deliveries and once called 911 to complain that one of the girls was drawing on the sidewalk with chalk, among other calls on a long list.
The complaint notes that numerous police reports over the years described the calls as "unfounded" and that other neighbors told officers they believed the reports to be racially motivated. Nonetheless, according to the Kirks, they continued to come under suspicion from police.
Representatives of several city departments attempted at one point to broker peace between the two residences. However, the complaint alleges that officials "turned a blind eye" to the racial discrimination and instead chose to focus on the Kirks' small dog, Shaggy, who had drawn numerous complaints from the other household.
The lawsuit also faults police for failing to arrest, cite or refer for prosecution one of the neighbors who was responsible for the vast majority of the calls and allegedly made threatening comments to officers about buying a gun to shoot the dog.
"No adequate police action was taken by defendants with respect to the racial threats and false reports of crimes, all of which were designed to force plaintiffs out of their home and neighborhood solely because of Aaron Kirk’s race," Fishman said.
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Records previously obtained by the News Tribune showed that police established a new plan for calls related to the Kirk residence in 2017, asking supervisors to call before officers responded unless there was a belief about an active emergency. However, the Kirks said the policy was not always well-enforced.
"It's getting on my nerves," Aaron Kirk, a mental health case manager, said at the time. "There's nothing going on here. We don't have to keep starting over from square one."
While declining to address the specifics of the Kirks' case in 2020, Lt. Chad Nagorski spoke with the News Tribune more broadly about neighbor disputes. He acknowledged that police officers can't always be arbiters of private disputes but said the agency encourages parties to work out differences. He added that officers do sometimes need to show up if there is a question of danger, even when there is a known history of false reports.
"We still have to go check those out," Nagorski said at the time. "But we need to figure out what that response is going to be, where it doesn't continually bring that (person) into question."
Public records show the neighboring house was sold in August 2021.
Charges dropped after Aaron's arrest
The complaint culminates in Aaron's arrest by a Duluth police officer in July 2020. Kirk, according to the document, was driving along Grand Avenue when he honked his horn after being cut off by another motorist, who then displayed his middle finger and called him a racial slur.
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The complaint states that Kirk accelerated to get out of the confrontation but was followed by the man into the parking lot of a nearby business. The other motorist again used the slur and threatened him with brass knuckles, prompting Kirk to retrieve a tire iron for self-defense, according to the suit.
The other motorist left, but they again came together a short time later near a bank, at which point an officer arrived on the scene. The complaint alleges that the other driver fled as Kirk talked with the officer. Having not been placed under arrest or told to stay, Kirk eventually left the scene — only to have officers arrive at his home within an hour and place him under arrest for fleeing an officer, according to the complaint.
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Kirk was issued a citation for disorderly conduct, obstructing the legal process and reckless driving, and spent four days in jail as a result of the allegedly unlawful arrest; all charges were eventually dropped.
The defendants include current and former police chiefs Mike Ceynowa and Gordon Ramsay, current and former human rights officers Carl Crawford and Bob Grytdahl, six other police officers and the other driver in the 2020 altercation.
The suit seeks unspecified damages on on six counts involving racial discrimination and violations of the federal Fair Housing Act by the city defendants, along with a count of assault against the other driver. The defendants have yet to file any answers to the complaint. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/west-duluth-couple-files-suit-over-racially-discriminatory-policing | 2023-06-23T20:17:02 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/west-duluth-couple-files-suit-over-racially-discriminatory-policing |
As heat records fall, Wichita Falls stands tall
Texas may be enduring a scorching heat wave that has broken records in parts of the state, but so far the Wichita Falls area has been spared the most brutal conditions. In fact, as of Thursday temperatures had not even gotten close to breaking any records here.
After a few relatively balmy days in the 90s, the National Weather Service predicted daytime highs here will start inching up over the weekend, reaching 106 on Sunday.
That’s toasty – but nowhere near a record breaker.
Many might think of South Texas being the true hot spot in the state and recent figures show it no doubt gets warm there. Del Rio soared to 115 degrees Wednesday to break the town’s all-time record and Laredo hit 115 on Monday, tying its record.
But those towns ain’t seen nothin’!
Wichita Falls officially reached 117 degrees on June 28, 1980, to set its personal best. Just down the road in Seymour, the mercury reached 120 degrees on Aug. 12, 1936 to set the all-time high temperature recorded in Texas.
Temperatures at or above 110 are not uncommon in North Texas summers.
Between late June and early August in 2011, Wichita Falls went 52 straight days with temperatures over 100 degrees. In that brutal, drought-stricken year, the city endured a total of 100 days at or above 100 degrees, with 41 of those days at or above 105 degrees.
The terrible summer of 2011 may be seared into the memories of Wichitans, but 1980 holds the dubious honor of breaking the most heat records with seven days at 113 degrees or higher and 10 days with highs of 110 degrees.
ERCOT, the agency that oversees the Texas power grid (and disastrously failed in Winter Storm Uri in 2021) has urged electricity customers to turn up their thermostats and conserve energy in some parts of the state. As of Thursday, the grid had held up OK. Forecasters said extreme heat may continue in Texas through the Fourth of July.
Earlier this year the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted the arrival of an El Nino weather event would mean cooler temperatures and more rain for Texas.
Right. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/as-heat-records-fall-wichita-falls-stands-tall/70347062007/ | 2023-06-23T20:18:13 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/as-heat-records-fall-wichita-falls-stands-tall/70347062007/ |
WFPD hosts a Junior Police Academy Graduation ceremony
Graduation ceremony held for Junior Police Academy cadets
The Wichita Falls Police Department held a special graduation ceremony at the training center on Friday, June 23, 2023; where 11 cadets received their certificates of completion of the Junior Police Academy.
"We graduated another group of middle schools students through our junior police academy. Our goal was accomplished that we wanted to expose them to what we do, why we do it, on what authority...and what that does is it gives them the ability to go out and be advocates for us. When they hear things that are being said that are just not true, and it never hurts to recruit a little early as well,” Charlie Eipper, Wichita Falls Police Sergeant said.
While in the academy, the cadets learn starting from the basics; how to patrol, do traffic stops, talk to the SWAT team and a K9 officer. The cadets will also learn how to investigate crime scenes and even learn how to negotiate.
"It's the same reason why we have even our citizens police academy for adults. We want our people to know what we do...we want to show them, so that they have their own personal experience on what's going on; why the police officers do this, by what authority do they do that and I think when you educate the folks you serve you will have a deeper relationship. It's just cultivated a little bit more. That's why we do this.” said Eipper.
The Wichita Falls Police Department will have one more academy coming up in July and still have openings left. You can sign up on their website.
"We serve this greatest community in the nation. Nobody else in this nation supports us like our community, said Eipper. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/eleven-cadets-graduate-the-junior-police-academy/70347844007/ | 2023-06-23T20:18:19 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/eleven-cadets-graduate-the-junior-police-academy/70347844007/ |
IT snafu halts vehicle transactions across Texas
Staff Reports
Times Record News
Texans cannot conduct vehicle transactions on Friday.
Wichita County Tax Assessor-Collector Tommy Smyth put a notice on social media Friday morning that said the entire state is unable to conduct transactions because of technical issues in Austin.
The notice did not say when business might resume. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/it-snafu-halts-vehicle-transactions-across-texas/70350799007/ | 2023-06-23T20:18:25 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/it-snafu-halts-vehicle-transactions-across-texas/70350799007/ |
Regional museums embrace summer with Sunsational theme
Summer heat isn't anything new to area residents, but the Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture is putting an old-time twist on it. The Alliance selected "Sunsational Tales: Texas Summers Through Time" as the theme for this year's regional museum exhibit, on display at the Museum of North Texas History. The exhibit, which features curated selections from museums around North Texas, examines the past, present and even future of several aspects of Texas summers.
Per the Alliance, the museums and their contributing exhibits are:
Archer County Museum – The progression of food preservation and refrigeration
Burkburnett Historical Society – The evolution of the bicycle
Clay County 1890 Jail Museum & Heritage Center – Exploring life for Clay County kids working in agriculture over the decades
Jack County Museum – Summer gathering places in Jacksboro, including at the Jack County
Courthouse
Kell House Heritage Center – Looking at summer fashion between the 1900s and 1980s
Museum of North Texas History – Summer days along Lake Wichita
Red River Valley Museum – How architecture has changed to beat the heat
Tales N’ Trails Museum – The history of the Grape Festival in Nocona, Texas
Wichita Falls Fire & Police Museum – Then & Now: How firefighters tackle grassfires
Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU – Summer Plein Air Painting
Nadine McKown, executive director of the Museum of North Texas History, said it was a challenge to find specific relevant subjects from each museum that could be displayed as part of the exhibit. But she also stressed that showcasing a diversity of historical topics was a priority.
“The challenge is to find something narrow enough that you put it on text panels. And maybe to grab a particular item that, like say, Clay County talks about agriculture. If you think about North Texas, you think “Oh, we’ve got nothing but agriculture.” It’s not true, we have a lot more going on than that,” McKown said.
For Alliance program manager AmbeR Day Scott, the challenge lay in coordinating with the various museums to bring the exhibition to life.
“It’s a challenge, but it’s a fabulous challenge. It’s so fun when people are really enthusiastic, and they went down all the rabbit holes, and they come at you with a mountain of information,” Scott said.
In addition to providing a chance to get out of the heat and learn about how Texans in the past did the same, the exhibit also features interactive activities that allow visitors to use their imaginations and even contribute to the exhibit themselves.
Scott said the exhibit helps bring not only the community, but also local museums together in a unique way.
“I think that this network and the collaborative exhibition that we do every year potentially freshens up all the museums and makes them rethink what they already have because we’re throwing this new theme at them and then getting them to use what they’ve got,” Scott said.
For McKown, the mission is simple: ensure that people leave more knowledgeable than they entered.
“If you walk away with one thing that you remember - I mean yes, there’s a whole lot of boards in here - walk out with just one thing that you remember, then we won. That’s the way I always look at it,” McKown said.
The exhibition at the Museum of North Texas History is open to the public through Aug. 12. The Museum is open Thursday-Saturday, and will also feature a special Family Day July 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/regional-museums-embrace-summer-with-sunsational-theme/70346273007/ | 2023-06-23T20:18:31 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/regional-museums-embrace-summer-with-sunsational-theme/70346273007/ |
Registration opens for Texoma Gives
For the eighth time in as many years, the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation is gearing up to host Texoma Gives, a fundraising event that benefits dozens of local nonprofits. Texoma Gives is a one-day giving drive that nonprofits can sign up to be a part of, and registration for organizations to join is now open.
WFACF president Leslie Schaffner said the event reached an all-time high in donations last year and has provided a large boost to area nonprofits.
“Last year in 2022, for the very first time, we crossed $2 million at the event. And since we started, in 2016, that was the very first one. Since we started then, we’re at $9.4 million total raised,” Schaffner said.
Over 200 organizations have participated in previous years, and Schaffner said over 100 have already signed up for this year’s event since registration opened. The deadline for registration is July 31, with the event set to take place Sept. 7.
Schaffner said there are multiple factors that have helped keep Texoma Gives going strong, including the help and training WFACF gives participating organizations in marketing the event.
“We provide the platform, the training tools, and the promotion. That gives participating organizations the opportunity to focus on connecting with new and existing donors who support their mission,” Schaffner said.
Another reason Schaffner said the event continues to build year-over-year is the generosity of area donors.
“This community and this region is so generous with nonprofit organizations that I’m confident we will have another successful year, whatever the total turns out to be. But of course we are hoping that, you know, we’ll continue that upward trajectory of giving,” Schaffner said.
For organizations interested in signing up, visit www.texomagives.org. Participants must be classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and located in the region covered by the Community Foundation, including 18 counties in North Texas and six in Southwest Oklahoma. For questions, contact the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation at 940-766-0829. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/registration-opens-for-texoma-gives/70343155007/ | 2023-06-23T20:18:37 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/registration-opens-for-texoma-gives/70343155007/ |
Sheriff warns of scam phone calls
The Wichita County Sheriff’s Office warns of a scam in which criminals claim they're law enforcement officers to steal money from people.
A press release from the Sheriff's Office said a male caller tells people they have an outstanding federal warrant against them and they must pay to avoid going to jail.
The caller identifies himself as Lt. Garland Prince or Sgt. Mark Whipple from the Wichita County Sheriff’s Office. He tells people to bring cash to various bail bond companies to pay for the warrant and avoid going to jail.
"The Wichita County Sheriff’s Office does not telephone individuals who have outstanding warrants and does not collect fees from outside the Wichita County Sheriff’s Office," the Sheriff's Office said in the press release. "If you receive a call from someone notifying you that you have an outstanding warrant, or that is requesting that you bring cash to a location, hang up. If they are requesting your credit card information over the telephone, hang up. Notify the Sheriff’s Office."
For further information, contact call 940-766-8170, ext. 4016 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/sheriff-warns-of-scam-phone-calls/70349799007/ | 2023-06-23T20:18:43 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/sheriff-warns-of-scam-phone-calls/70349799007/ |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — According to reports, four people have died following an overnight structure fire in Little Rock.
The fire reportedly happened around 2:00 a.m. in a home located on Greenfield Drive.
Fire crews responded to the call and during the search of the home, found four people that were dead as a result.
Little Rock police and Little Rock fire crews are reportedly working together on the investigation.
There is no other information at this time, but we will work to provide more information as it becomes available. | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/four-dead-little-rock-structure-fire/91-d4f06a20-871a-4f40-a353-d23b014c7953 | 2023-06-23T20:24:02 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/four-dead-little-rock-structure-fire/91-d4f06a20-871a-4f40-a353-d23b014c7953 |
12 NEWS
SCOTTSDALE 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION GIVEAWAY
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7. Participation. By participating, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify persons found tampering with or otherwise abusing any aspect of this Sweepstakes as solely determined by Sponsor. In the event the Sweepstakes is compromised by a virus, non-authorized human intervention, tampering or other causes beyond the reasonable control of Sponsor which corrupts or impairs the administration, security, fairness or proper operation of the Sweepstakes, Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Sweepstakes. Should the Sweepstakes be terminated prior to the stated expiration date, Sponsor reserves the right to award prizes based on the entries received before the termination date. Sponsor will not be responsible for incomplete, lost, late, postage-due, misdirected or illegible entries, or for failure to receive entries or votes or other electronic communications due to transmission failures or technical failures of any kind, including, without limitation, malfunctioning of any network, hardware or software, whether originating with sender or Sponsor. In the event of a dispute, all online entries will be deemed to have been submitted by the owner of the ISP account from which they were sent. For these purposes, an ISP account holder shall mean the natural person assigned to such ISP account by the Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization responsible for assigning ISP addresses for the domain associated with such ISP account. Any questions regarding the number of entries or votes submitted by the owner of an ISP account shall be determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion. By participating in this Sweepstakes, each entrant agrees to fully release, forever discharge and hold harmless Sponsor and Facebook from and against all claims, costs, liabilities, losses, injuries, and damages arising out of the Sweepstakes, including, but not limited to, any claims for personal injury, death or damage to or loss of property or any other harm arising out of entrant’s participation in the Sweepstakes, the receipt, use, or misuse of any prize, or any travel or activity that is related to the Sweepstakes or any prize. This Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.
8. Construction. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of these rules shall not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision. In the event that any such provision is determined to be invalid or otherwise unenforceable, these rules shall be construed in accordance with their terms as if the invalid or unenforceable provision was not contained therein.
9. Sponsor. “The Scottsdale 4th Of July Celebration” contest is sponsored by KPNX-TV, R Entertainment, Star Worldwide Networks and Tegan Inc. (collectively, “Sponsors”), whose decisions regarding the selection of winners and all other aspects of the Contest shall be final and binding in all respects. Sponsor will not be responsible for typographical, printing, or other inadvertent errors in these Official Rules or in other materials relating to the Sweepstakes. For a list of winners (available after Wednesday, July 5, 2023) or a copy of these Official Rules send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to “Winners List/Official Rules” (as applicable), GABE SILVA 200 E VAN BUREN ST PHOENIX, AZ 85004. If you have any questions regarding this Sweepstakes, please contact GABE SILVA at gsilva@12news.com. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/contests/win-4-tickets-to-the-scottsdale-july-4th-celebration-at-westworld/75-1ecda4f9-7752-4de9-94b0-6d79530a555c | 2023-06-23T20:25:57 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/contests/win-4-tickets-to-the-scottsdale-july-4th-celebration-at-westworld/75-1ecda4f9-7752-4de9-94b0-6d79530a555c |
SAN ANTONIO — An off-duty Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy has been terminated following an arrest for driving while intoxicated by the San Antonio Police Department early Friday morning just north of downtown.
Nicholas Glauser, 22, was assigned to the detention division and had been with the BCSO since April 18, 2022. Glauser was pulled over by SAPD around 3:11 a.m. on San Pedro Avenue at W. Woodlawn Avenue suspected of DWI.
Sheriff Javier Salazar served the now former deputy with an order of dismissal in accordance with the BCSO Civil Service Commission due to his probationary status with the Sheriff’s Office.
BCSO says the deputy failed to maintain standards of conduct demanded of an employee with the Sheriff’s Office because of his arrest for DWI.
“As professionals, we all know what is expected of us," said Sheriff Salazar. "I’m continuing to take a strong stance against employee misconduct, both on duty and off duty. This termination should come as no surprise to anyone, especially this now-former deputy.”
The fired deputy won't be able to appeal the probationary dismissal and will not be eligible for rehire, regardless of the outcome of the criminal case.
Glauser is charged with a DWI with blood alconhol 0.15 or higher, which is Class A Misdemeanor. His bond is set at $1,500.00.
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Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/bcso-deputy-terminated-after-dwi-arrest-bexar-county-san-antonio-texas-intoxicated-driving-fired/273-017b7d74-040c-484b-a8d4-ef428ca207b6 | 2023-06-23T20:26:57 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/bcso-deputy-terminated-after-dwi-arrest-bexar-county-san-antonio-texas-intoxicated-driving-fired/273-017b7d74-040c-484b-a8d4-ef428ca207b6 |
TEXAS, USA — Editor's Note | The abstract of this article has been changed for formatting.
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many in Texas, the largest state in the nation to ban nearly all abortions, began to cycle through the stages of grief.
There was denial and anger, as thousands poured into the streets, promising to never stop fighting to turn back the clock and restore abortion access. There was bargaining, in the form of a last-ditch lawsuit to keep clinics open a few weeks longer, and depression, when it failed to change the new legal norm.
Now, a year after the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, an uneasy acceptance has settled over Texas, as even the most ardent abortion advocates acknowledge these new laws aren’t changing anytime soon.
“I don’t see the legal landscape of our state shifting in a major way, certainly not in the short-term future,” said Neesha Davé, executive director for the Lilith Fund for Reproductive Equity, an Austin-based abortion fund. “And so, unfortunately, we have had to figure out how to navigate the current legal landscape, if for no other reason than there are people who need abortion care today, yesterday, tomorrow.”
There are ongoing court challenges to Texas’ laws, but they are narrow and could drag through the courts for years. There is still momentum around meaningful political change, but that is the work of decades and much of the focus has shifted to shoring up the social safety net as a stop-gap measure.
Meanwhile, despite exceptions to the law, the number of monthly abortions in Texas has dropped into the low single digits. Women are nearly dying from pregnancy complications, or actually dying after having to travel out-of-state for abortions, or facing million-dollar lawsuits for helping friends acquire abortion medication. An unknown number are having babies they never planned for.
A year after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson that there is no constitutional right to abortion, some long-time advocates see hope in the hopelessness. They’ve been sounding the alarm about the overturn of Roe and its consequences for years, and finally, people are forced to pay attention.
“There are so many more conversations happening about abortion today than there were two years ago,” Davé said. “I do think a tide is turning. It just takes time.”
Clinics closed, but abortions continue
Dr. Alan Braid first started performing abortions in Texas shortly after Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973. Over the last 50 years, he built two clinics, raised a family and merged the two after his daughter, Andrea Gallegos, came in to help run Alamo Women’s Reproductive Services in San Antonio and Tulsa.
Together, this multigenerational Texas family business weathered protesters and lawsuits and ever-increasing restrictions from the Legislature. But on June 24, 2022, that all came to an end.
Immediately, the clinic stopped performing abortions. A few weeks later, they closed their doors for good. And one year later, Braid has moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Gallegos is preparing to move her family to Carbondale, Illinois, each to run one of the two new Alamo clinics.
“This is my home state, and I feel like I’m abandoning it, in some sense,” Gallegos recently told The Texas Tribune. “But on the other hand, all we can do right now is to provide a viable option, even if it still feels crazy to say that a clinic that is 10, 13 hours away is a viable option.”
The New Mexico clinic primarily sees people driving and flying in from Texas, while the Carbondale clinic mostly gets people driving from Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and other southern states, Gallegos said. But even there, 10 hours from Dallas and two hours from the nearest airport, they see some Texans.
“People are making journeys that long to get to us, and they’re incredibly grateful for it,” Gallegos said. “But, of course, I will always be most concerned about the folks that cannot travel and … the many more patients we don’t see.”
People who have abortions tend to be low-income and already have at least one child, national statistics show. Many of their patients struggled to find time off of work, child care and transportation to make it to a local clinic, Gallegos said, let alone a multiday, out-of-state journey.
As abortion restrictions have tightened over the last few decades, grassroots abortion funds have popped up across the state, helping Texans pay for the procedure and related costs. When Texas banned nearly all abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy in September 2021, these funds became the main infrastructure helping Texans to seek abortions in nearby states.
But immediately after the ruling came down in late June, many of these groups stopped distributing funds, citing the legal uncertainty about their work.
A group of these funds ultimately filed a federal lawsuit, asking a judge to clarify whether their work in-state that helped people travel out of state could make them vulnerable to prosecution.
“Because we’d faced threats of criminalization from anti-abortion state leaders, we knew we couldn’t resume our key work, this core part of our mission, with this uncertainty,” Davé said.
While they awaited a ruling, many of the abortion funds focused on funding other reproductive health care and distributing emergency contraception. Finally, six months after the suit was filed, a judge granted a temporary injunction and the abortion funds tentatively resumed paying for out-of-state abortions and travel.
Davé said re-opening their funding hotline has revealed how much confusion persists, a year into this new landscape.
“I had a caller recently who did not realize they couldn’t access abortion care at a clinic in Texas,” Davé said. “I was the one who had to tell them that.”
Davé walked her through her options, and ultimately Lilith Fund helped pay for a sonogram with a health care provider in Texas. The caller said there was just no way she’d be able to get time off of work for a last-minute, out-of-state trip.
“It’s just staggering and overwhelming to figure out for most people,” Davé said. “We’re thrilled that we can support people as they’re navigating these barriers, but it’s still incredibly difficult.”
Such barriers are creating ripple effects, even for those who are able to travel out of state. In one particularly shocking case, a 26-year-old Dallas woman who traveled to Colorado to terminate her pregnancy was shot and killed by her boyfriend upon her return.
“It is believed that the suspect was the father of the child,” the affidavit said. “The suspect did not want the complainant to get an abortion."
It’s almost impossible to know the true number of Texans who are terminating their pregnancies despite the restrictive laws. While some are traveling to out-of-state clinics, others are quietly obtaining abortion-inducing medication — at pharmacies just over the U.S.-Mexico border, through newly created whisper networks or by ordering the drugs online.
Aid Access, an international telemedicine abortion provider, saw a surge in demand for the two-drug regimen since the decision came down, according to research from the University of Texas at Austin.
Most of this is happening out of the public eye, but the ease of access has infuriated anti-abortion groups, who are seeking ways to crack down on the medication.
In Galveston, three women who helped a friend obtain the medication are facing a million-dollar wrongful death lawsuit brought by their friend’s ex-husband. Two of the women have counter-sued. The ex-husband is represented by prominent anti-abortion lawyers, including former Texas Solicitor General Jonathan Mitchell and state Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park.
In a wider-reaching effort to stop the proliferation of the medication, a group of anti-abortion doctors and medical associations filed a lawsuit last year seeking to revoke approval of mifepristone, a common abortion-inducing drug. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of Amarillo, formerly an anti-abortion religious liberty lawyer himself, agreed to stay the medication’s approval, effectively removing it from the market; the U.S. Supreme Court has put his ruling on hold temporarily.
But while many people are finding ways to circumvent Texas’ laws, an unknown number are likely deciding to just follow through with their pregnancies. In a state with high, and increasing, maternal mortality, staggering uninsured rates and persistent housing issues, advocates say Texas is not prepared to support these parents.
A 2022 study from the Commonwealth Fund found that states that restricted abortion access after the overturn of Roe already have worse maternal health outcomes, greater health care inequities and more maternity care deserts than states that have protected abortion access.
Impact on wanted pregnancies
Lauren Miller didn’t know it yet, but on the day Roe v. Wade was overturned, a clock started ticking. June 24, 2022, was the first day of her last period before she got pregnant, the date doctors use to calculate gestational age.
She didn’t realize she was pregnant until about six weeks later when she started having “frat boy burps” at her son’s 1-year-old checkup.
“That was my first symptom with my son, so my husband started teasing me like, ‘you’re pregnant,’” she recalls. “It had taken us a while to get pregnant the first time, so I didn’t think so, but I took a test and, yep, sure enough.”
Her excitement was immediately replaced with horrible nausea and vomiting, unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. Within a week of that pregnancy test, she’d thrown up more than her entire first pregnancy combined. Eventually, she had to go to the emergency room for dehydration.
There, she learned she had hyperemesis gravidarum, an extreme form of morning sickness, and she had it for two — she was pregnant with twins.
“I was just in complete shock, but then started getting really excited,” she said. “I’ve always wanted three, so it was kind of like ‘buy one, get one free’ at the Miller house.”
She told everyone and started planning a celestial-themed twins nursery. But soon, it became clear that “baby B” wasn’t developing as quickly as his twin and had large fluid masses growing where their brain should have been.
They did more tests and learned the situation was far worse than they initially thought. “Baby B” had Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards’ Syndrome, and was developing without a proper brain, heart or stomach.
Everyone Miller spoke to — the doctors, the specialists, the genetic counselors — told her this baby wouldn’t survive outside the womb.
“And they all said the same thing: Every day that he continues to grow, it puts his twin and yourself at greater risk,” she said.
But time and time again, that’s where the conversation stopped. After presenting her with the problem, her doctors seemed frozen when it came time to discuss the solution. She saw the fear in their eyes as she peppered them with questions, trying to parse the silence to figure out what her next steps might be.
Miller knew what was holding them back. While her pregnancy might eventually endanger her life, and the other life she was carrying inside of her, she wasn’t yet on the brink of death, trapping her doctors in legal limbo. Eventually, one specialist stopped yet another test, ripped off his gloves, threw them in the trash and turned to Miller and her husband.
“He said … ‘This baby isn’t going to make it to birth. You need to go out of state,’” she said. “It was really refreshing that he was so blunt because nobody had been to that point.”
The Millers got together the money to buy a last-minute flight to Colorado, as well as child care for their 1-year-old. Five months pregnant with twins, still horribly nauseous, Miller shoved herself into a middle seat next to a man eating Whataburger and thought about what had brought her to this point.
“Instead of being able to do this 15-minute procedure in my doctor’s office and go home, I’m sneaking out of Texas to do this shadowy thing,” she said. “I felt like the property of the state of Texas, just because I was carrying a baby that wouldn’t even survive.”
At a hospital in Colorado, she took one last ultrasound photo of her two boys together, then had a selective fetal reduction. She considers it an act of love for all three of her sons, including “Baby B,” who they named Thomas.
“This was the most mercy we could give him,” she said. “And I don’t intend to ever hide it from my boys, that Henry had a twin and if we hadn’t gotten an abortion, he may not have made it either, and for Logan, you may not have had your mommy.”
But when they returned to Texas, that openness seemed fraught. Miller was too scared to talk with a therapist about her decision, and even at her next doctor’s visit, they all seemed to speak in code. Eventually, she connected with the Center for Reproductive Rights, which was assembling a lawsuit on behalf of women who had suffered pregnancy complications as a result of Texas’ abortion laws.
“They gave me my voice back,” she said. “I was nervous about speaking and being public, but I am in a place of privilege and I recognize I have to use that. … The way the law is in Texas right now, layers of privilege determine who has access to health care. And it shouldn’t be that way.”
The lawsuit asks the court to clarify Texas’ abortion laws, which currently say abortions are allowed only to save the life of the pregnant patient. Miller is one of 14 women, including her own OB/GYN, who say the vagueness of the law led to them being denied medically necessary procedures.
The lawsuit does not ask the court to block the laws more widely, however. Molly Duane, senior staff attorney at the Center for Reproductive Rights, said they have to be “realistic” about what is achievable through the courts right now.
“We are cognizant of the fact that any lawsuit seeking to expand abortion access in the state of Texas will be an uphill battle,” Duane said. “I want to emphasize that this lawsuit is the beginning, not the end.”
Miller, who has always wanted three children, said this whole experience has made her and her husband very wary about getting pregnant again. In that sense, she said, these laws are having the opposite effect — discouraging people from having wanted pregnancies by diminishing the quality of care they feel they can receive in Texas.
“If you want babies, you need obstetricians,” she said. “Who’s going to want to come practice in Texas with these laws and this risk? That should scare every Texan, no matter how you feel about abortion.”
Disclosure: University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
Also on KCENTV.com: | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/texas/a-year-after-dobbs-decision-texas-has-settled-in-to-post-abortion-reality/500-0475306b-bd3e-4f6d-8d3d-d52829ebd2ac | 2023-06-23T20:30:28 | 0 | https://www.kcentv.com/article/news/local/texas/a-year-after-dobbs-decision-texas-has-settled-in-to-post-abortion-reality/500-0475306b-bd3e-4f6d-8d3d-d52829ebd2ac |
MIDLAND COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) - An Isabella County man was taken to the hospital after being hit by a deer while riding his motorcycle Friday morning.
The accident happened in Midland County on Freeland Road between Meridian and Five Mile Road around 6 a.m.
Emergency responders rushed the 73-year-old man to the hospital, where his condition remains unknown.
No word on what happened to the deer.
The crash remains under investigation. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/man-taken-to-hospital-after-hitting-a-deer-on-his-motorcycle/article_afe47fd2-11fe-11ee-93d7-77961a4cf6ee.html | 2023-06-23T20:31:00 | 0 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/man-taken-to-hospital-after-hitting-a-deer-on-his-motorcycle/article_afe47fd2-11fe-11ee-93d7-77961a4cf6ee.html |
Casper area residents could see their water bills jump soon.
In a Tuesday meeting, the Central Wyoming Regional Water System Joint Powers Board voted to increase its water rate by 8 cents for the 2024 fiscal year, bringing the total cost to $2.32 per one thousand gallons.
That represents a hike of about 3.6%.
While that’s likely to bring water costs up for households eventually, they won’t see an immediate impact.
That's because the Central Wyoming Regional Water System is a wholesale water vendor to area municipalities and special districts, including the city of Casper, Bar Nunn, Mile-Hi, Poison Spider, 33 Mile Road, Salt Creek, Sandy Lake and Lakeview.
It'll be up to those individual government bodies to decide if they want to translate the utility rate increase onto their consumers.
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In Casper, for example, city councilors could vote to approve a local rate adjustment during a council meeting.
City of Casper Assistant to the City Manager Jolene Martinez said Thursday she wasn’t aware of any discussion inside the city about increasing utility rates yet.
Casper Mayor Bruce Knell, who serves on the Central Wyoming Regional Water System Joint Powers Board, said during a Tuesday Casper City Council meeting that the board’s vote to raise rates was related to a damaged water tank.
“It’s a one-and-a-half million dollar fix,” Knell said during the meeting. “We were only slated to have, actually, no raise at all in our water rates, but unfortunately when things like this happen we have to pay for them.” | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/regional-board-increases-water-utility-rate-by-8-cents/article_d2b01874-11da-11ee-99f1-eb57f0d63375.html | 2023-06-23T20:32:07 | 0 | https://trib.com/news/local/casper/regional-board-increases-water-utility-rate-by-8-cents/article_d2b01874-11da-11ee-99f1-eb57f0d63375.html |
Prosecutors say an Atlantic City man convicted in March of murdering his ex-girlfriend will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Maximo Santiago, 72, was sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing 32-year-old Marketa Thorpe during an argument in 2020, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Friday in a news release. He received an additional five years for weapons offenses.
Santiago was found guilty March 10 of murder, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and certain persons not to possess weapons.
Prosecutors said Santiago is "a dangerous recidivist," having committed violent acts against women, including when he used a rifle to shoot Thorpe in her torso.
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Police found Thorpe in the 1500 block of Belfield Avenue on Sept. 12, 2020, and took her to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus, where she later died.
Santiago was arrested shortly after the shooting. He would be indicted a year later.
Prosecutors said Thorpe and Santiago were arguing when the murder happened. They were in a relationship before the murder and had been affiliated with one another for many years. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlanticcity-murder-sentence-prison/article_77344896-11e2-11ee-8cf3-73c9cce51df9.html | 2023-06-23T20:43:09 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlanticcity-murder-sentence-prison/article_77344896-11e2-11ee-8cf3-73c9cce51df9.html |
An Atlantic City man pleaded guilty Thursday to charges stemming from a handgun and drugs incident in 2020.
Divier Silva, 27, pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a handgun and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Friday in a news release.
Silva would spend five years in prison under his plea agreement. He is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 3 before Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury.
Silva was one of two men arrested after a car crash in late December 2020 at Mississippi and Arctic avenues in Atlantic City.
He and Ernesto Contreras-Jimenez were inside one of the vehicles involved. Police interviewing them found they were in possession of two loaded handguns and more than 9 ounces of marijuana.
Silva's gun was equipped with a 30-round magazine. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlanticcity-plea-court-drugs-gun/article_e17a6bfc-11df-11ee-92b7-2f68fff96bc8.html | 2023-06-23T20:43:10 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/atlanticcity-plea-court-drugs-gun/article_e17a6bfc-11df-11ee-92b7-2f68fff96bc8.html |
A Superior Court judge on Friday dismissed charges against Wildwood Mayor Pete Byron, as well as against a former mayor and a city commissioner.
Byron said Friday he was happy with the decision and described Judge Bernard DeLury Jr. as “a pretty cool guy.”
In March, a state grand jury returned a 12-count indictment against Byron, former Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. and current City Commissioner Steve Mikulski, alleging all three fraudulently participated in the State Health Benefits Program.
Friday’s decision was in response to a defense motion that the charges be dismissed, said Eric Shenkus, a public defender in Cape May County representing Byron.
“It was our belief all along that this was a case that never should have been brought,” Shenkus said.
The state could appeal the decision, or file new charges, Shenkus said, although he hopes it does not.
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“We sincerely hope that they take this opportunity to take a second look at the case, or lack of case, that they have against all three defendants,” Shenkus said Friday.
There was no immediate response to a request for comment from the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, which brought the charges. They included four counts each, including official misconduct, theft by unlawful taking, tampering with public records and falsifying or tampering with public records.
WILDWOOD — On his way to retirement, police Chief Robert Regalbuto sees less cooperation wit…
Since 2010, state law requires elected officials to be full-time employees, with fixed hours of at least 35 hours a week, to be eligible for state health benefits.
Byron, Troiano and Mikulski were never eligible because they were never “full-time” employees as defined by state law, according to the announcement of the indictment from Attorney General Matthew Platkin.
But Shenkus said the responsibility fell on the state's Local Finance Board, which guides local officials on matters like eligibility to join the plan.
“They issued a notice and they specifically said that further guidance would be coming as to how it applied to elected officials,” Shenkus said. “That guidance never came.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Mikulski said Friday. He said he and the other defendants tried to do everything by the book, which included publicly approving resolutions to accept the state health benefits.
Under Wildwood’s form of government, with a three-member City Commission, the charges had meant that two-thirds of the city’s governing body was under indictment.
All three seats are up for reelection this year. Krista Fitzsimons, the former running mate of Byron and Mikulski, has decided to run for a second term with a new slate in November. Byron said Friday he was still on the fence.
Mikulski also said Friday he has not yet decided whether he will seek a new term. At that moment, he was still celebrating the dismissal.
WILDWOOD — City officials are taking a stricter stand on alcohol policies in the city, outri…
“I’m very happy with the decision by Judge DeLury,” Mikulski said.
Each of the defendants was represented by a different attorney. David Stefankiewicz, representing Mikulski, gave a very similar statement to what Shenkus said, that he hoped the state Attorney General's Office would reevaluate the charges, rather than bringing them back to a grand jury or filing an appeal.
"I'm not holding my breath that they're going to do that," Stefankiewicz said.
Troiano did not respond to a request for comment Friday. Attempts to reach Brian Pelloni, listed by state officials as Troiano’s attorney, were unsuccessful.
The state had alleged that all three men submitted false time sheets showing they worked Monday through Friday.
“As a result, Wildwood and the (State Health Benefits Program) paid over $286,500 in premiums and claims on behalf of Troiano from July 2011 through December 2019, and paid over $608,900 in premiums and claims on behalf of Byron from July 2011 through October 2021,” the state Attorney General’s Office alleged.
Mikulski became a commissioner in 2020. The state alleged he received more than $103,000 in premiums and claims on his behalf through October 2021.
The decision does not end Byron’s legal troubles. In March, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of filing fraudulent tax returns in 2017 and 2018, failing to report more than $40,000 in income. He faces a potential sentence of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Sentencing in that case is set for Aug. 2. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/state-fraud-charges-dropped-new-jersey-politicians/article_97523788-11fa-11ee-abe8-5f5034de124f.html | 2023-06-23T20:43:10 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/state-fraud-charges-dropped-new-jersey-politicians/article_97523788-11fa-11ee-abe8-5f5034de124f.html |
GREENSBORO — More than 7,500 security cameras are set to be installed in Guilford County Schools buildings over the next year.
The Guilford County Board of Education on Thursday approved a more than $9 million contract with KNC Technologies, LLC to install the cameras. According to the district, KNC Technologies is a woman-owned business based in Forsyth County.
Among the eight bid proposals the district received for video camera turnkey installation for all its schools, KNC Technologies received the highest score.
The district is using federal COVID-19 relief dollars to pay for the project. It's among a series of security expenditures the district has made with federal relief money from county commissioners in the last year or so. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/security-cameras-guilford-county-schools-knc-technologies-million-school-board/article_dca7ce44-1153-11ee-8985-0fba8007efeb.html | 2023-06-23T20:43:12 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/education/security-cameras-guilford-county-schools-knc-technologies-million-school-board/article_dca7ce44-1153-11ee-8985-0fba8007efeb.html |
LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — Lackawanna Pro Bono helps people with low income who are dealing with serious legal problems.
Services are provided by private attorneys who volunteer their time.
The $2,300 donation was provided by the Tegna Foundation.
Tegna is the parent company of WNEP.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/lackawanna-pro-bono-receives-tegna-donation-wnep-legal-services-county-low-income/523-b7d80de9-2562-4eb7-8aae-8d733c3b831f | 2023-06-23T20:44:23 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/lackawanna-pro-bono-receives-tegna-donation-wnep-legal-services-county-low-income/523-b7d80de9-2562-4eb7-8aae-8d733c3b831f |
CARBONDALE, Pa. — A mother from Lackawanna County faces aggravated assault charges after allegedly hurting her infant son so badly he had to be flown to a hospital.
Investigators say, Brandy Lloyd, of Carbondale, shook her baby to the point the child had fractures to his skull, ribs, legs, and spine.
There is no word on the baby's condition.
Lloyd is locked up in Lackawanna County.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/mother-charged-after-allegedly-injuring-baby-brandy-lloyd-carbondale-lackawanna-county-infant/523-a7370479-8336-4709-9eb3-6ecc31d01be3 | 2023-06-23T20:44:29 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/mother-charged-after-allegedly-injuring-baby-brandy-lloyd-carbondale-lackawanna-county-infant/523-a7370479-8336-4709-9eb3-6ecc31d01be3 |
SOUTH ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA — Investigators say 76-year-old Mary Port was hit in the parking lot of a gas station in South Abington Township just after 5 p.m. Thursday evening.
Port was taken to the hospital, where she later died.
Officers say Port accidentally stepped in front of the SUV that hit her.
Officials say no charges will be filed after the deadly crash in Lackawanna County.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/woman-hit-killed-in-lackawanna-county-mary-port-south-abington-township-clarks-summit-suv-gas-station-crash-accident/523-b969f741-6546-4022-abab-1c3f11156202 | 2023-06-23T20:44:36 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/woman-hit-killed-in-lackawanna-county-mary-port-south-abington-township-clarks-summit-suv-gas-station-crash-accident/523-b969f741-6546-4022-abab-1c3f11156202 |
LYCOMING COUNTY, Pa. — The Lycoming Mall is officially getting a makeover.
The current owner of the mall sold it, and FAMvest is repurposing it.
The State College-based investment group plans to bring eateries, residential properties, and a new shopping center to the location.
Officials say the first phase of the project will address infrastructure and parking in Lycoming County.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/lycoming-mall-sold-reconstruction-planned-famvest-state-college-county-revitalization-project/523-a7acbc49-1ea4-46d6-84f2-7f85bab947ac | 2023-06-23T20:44:42 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/lycoming-mall-sold-reconstruction-planned-famvest-state-college-county-revitalization-project/523-a7acbc49-1ea4-46d6-84f2-7f85bab947ac |
SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — Police say a pastor admitted to sexually assaulting three children in Schuylkill County.
According to court paperwork, Marvin Mosley assaulted the girls between 2004 and 2012 at a farm near Orwigsburg.
The 43-year-old faces indecent assault and corruption of minors charges.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/schuylkill-county-pastor-faces-sex-charges-marvin-mosley-orwigsburg-indecent-assault-corruption-of-minors/523-61bd5ecc-4ec7-4ed2-aca4-928a3d234191 | 2023-06-23T20:44:48 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/schuylkill-county-pastor-faces-sex-charges-marvin-mosley-orwigsburg-indecent-assault-corruption-of-minors/523-61bd5ecc-4ec7-4ed2-aca4-928a3d234191 |
Salem may tax everyone who works in the city limits. Here's how much you would pay
The Salem City Council plans to discuss Monday evening a "Safe Salem" payroll tax to cover gaps in funding for police, fire and homelessness services.
Council will conduct a first reading of an ordinance for the proposed employee payroll tax and vote on whether to conduct a July 10 public hearing on the tax, followed by a second reading of the ordinance for enactment.
If passed, the .814% tax would be imposed on all wages for individuals who work in Salem, regardless of where they live, and could be effective as early as July 1, 2024.
The tax would not be imposed on those earning minimum wage.
How much would residents pay?
City officials said this means the average Salem worker would pay $1.39 per day at a rate of 0.814%. A payroll tax calculator is available at egov.cityofsalem.net/PayrollTaxCalculator/.
What would the money pay for?
The proposed tax would bring in an estimated $27.9 million annually. The funds generated from it could only be used for community safety, which includes police services, fire, emergency medical services, 911 call services, code enforcement and unsheltered services.
Eugene has a similar payroll tax that went into effect in 2021.
Why does the city say it needs the tax?
Faced with a looming budget deficit, the Salem budget committee recommended a city operations fee increase and payroll tax to keep current services, like the navigation center and homeless microshelter villages, open while addressing staffing shortages in the police, fire and code enforcement departments.
City leaders said the funds are crucial due to Oregon's property tax system, which limits the amount of revenue the city can collect.
"Salem is a community in transition," city manager Keith Stahley said in his statement in the city's proposed budget. "Over the past 10 years, Salem’s population has grown by over 20,000 people and our service demands have expanded well beyond this increase."
The city has known for years it would be facing a shortfall. City leaders reduced services and slowed hiring in the years since the 2008 recession to keep general fund services solvent. Before the pandemic, leaders considered putting an employee-paid payroll tax on the May 2020 ballot.
The pandemic put a pause on the payroll push. An influx of federal relief dollars, including American Rescue Plan Act funds, temporarily alleviated budget shortfalls. But with the ARPA funds now spent, the city is looking elsewhere to find the money to keep community safety services funded.
In a report to council, staff said community members have urged the city to fill in gaps when it comes to sheltering and homeless services and to decrease crime.
"The Safe Salem Payroll Tax, combined with the increased City Operations Fee in the fiscal year 2024 budget, will help to close the General Fund deficit, increase community safety services, and put the city on a more sustainable financial path," city chief financial officer Josh Eggleston said the report.
Council approved the operations fee increase early this month, meaning single-family homes will see a $5.50 increase on their August utility bills.
Will voters get a say?
Implementation of the payroll tax was not included in the annual budget and required separate action by council.
Some, including councilors Julie Hoy and Deanna Gwyn, said it should only go forward if passed by voters.
More:What’s on the line as Salem faces $11M budget shortfall? Here are 5 things to know
Councilor Virginia Stapleton said the city would be on a tight deadline to get the tax on the November ballot, educate voters on its importance and enact it before the city hit a budget cliff next year. Allowing council to vote on the tax would get the ball rolling faster, avoiding the shortfall and having to cut services.
The proposed ordinance states that the tax will be referred to Salem voters by July 1, 2031 to decide whether to keep it in place. The tax will terminate on Dec. 31, 2031, unless voters opt to continue it.
More information is available at cityofsalem.net/government/shaping-salem-s-future/safe-salem-2023.
Other agenda items
Other items on Monday's agenda include:
- A resolution setting the parking tax rate for the Downtown Parking District.
- Adoption of the Fiscal Year 2024 City of Salem budget.
- Adoption of the capital improvement plan through Fiscal Year 2028.
- A vote on whether to authorize the city manager to apply for federal grant funding to develop the Salem Vision Zero Plan to reduce traffic deaths and the 20-is-Plenty Program to reduce speeding.
- A cooperative agreement with the Siletz tribe to provide municipal services to the tribe's planned 40-unit affordable housing project at 3390 Blossom Dr. NE.
- A public hearing on code amendment to repeal overlay zones in the SCAN neighborhood.
- Adoption of the 2023 Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan.
- An information report on the Downtown On-Street Paid Parking Implementation Plan, which seeks to eliminate free on-street parking in downtown Salem.
- An information report on the city partnering with the University of Oregon’s Sustainable Cities Year Program for the 2023-2024 academic year to advance community priorities, including the implementation of Climate Action Plan strategies, principles of equity, civic engagement, housing production, active transportation and mobility, and furthering the infrastructure bond priorities.
How to participate in the Salem City Council
The meeting is at 6 p.m. It will be held in person at the City Council Chambers at the Salem Civic Center, 555 Liberty St. SE and also can be watched on Comcast Cable CCTV Channel 21 or on the Salem YouTube channel in English/American Sign Language and Spanish.
Those wishing to comment in person can sign up on the rosters at the chamber entrance before the start of the meeting.
Written public comments on agenda items can be emailed by 5 p.m. Monday to cityrecorder@cityofsalem.net. Or preregister between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Monday at cityofsalem.net/Pages/Public-Comment-at-Salem-City-Council-Meeting.aspx to speak during the meeting via Zoom.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/on-the-agenda-salem-city-council-considers-employee-paid-payroll-tax-police-fire-homeless/70344512007/ | 2023-06-23T20:50:51 | 1 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/on-the-agenda-salem-city-council-considers-employee-paid-payroll-tax-police-fire-homeless/70344512007/ |
Sketchy stretch of Center Street in east Salem set to get major overhaul
With missing sidewalks, narrow roads and pothole-ridden shoulders, the stretch of Center Street east of Lancaster Drive has long been a problem area.
The abysmal infrastructure paired with a growing population in east Salem means dozens of kids wait for their school buses on the shoulder of the busy road. In the rainy season, the large potholes become mini ponds. Parents pushing strollers navigate down the street without sidewalks as vehicles whiz by, often well above the posted speed limit of 35 mph. The lack of turn lanes means traffic can get backed up for blocks.
With the addition of new apartments along Center Street and a massive housing development on Cordon Road, even more people will be using the roadway in the coming years.
But those longtime problems could be coming to an end with the help of a $3.1 million federal grant.
Marion County is leading the widening project from Lancaster Drive to 45th Place NE. The design process is underway, and Marion County and the City of Salem are currently working to acquire the rights-of-way needed to move the project forward.
Construction is expected to be completed by the fall of 2024.
A jigsaw puzzle of a road
The area along Center Street is a jigsaw puzzle of county and city jurisdiction. Due to years of spotty annexation, the city limits zigzag north of Center Street and dip down just before Lancaster and past 45th Place.
Salem Mayor Chris Hoy remembers the stretch being a problem when he moved to the area 19 years ago. He even campaigned for city council back in 2017 on making the region safer for cyclists and pedestrians, citing the spot on Center Street specifically.
"There are no sidewalks," he told the Statesman Journal in 2017 while running for council. "There are people pushing their babies, they're walking with their families."
Hoy won the election and said he went to work advocating for fixes on the roadway with the Marion County Board of Commissioners.
He said Center Street is a major walking corridor for people traveling from the hundreds of apartments and homes to bus stops, the nearby Roth's Fresh Market and shopping on Lancaster.
Improvements are a matter of critical safety for the historically underserved and diverse community, Hoy said.
What will be changed?
The area has seen some improvements with the addition of streetlights in recent years.
Now, it is set to get a massive overhaul with sidewalks and bike lanes on the north side of the road, as well as a continuous center turn lane.
In a presentation on the project, Marion County project engineer Shane Ottosen Jr. said the area currently has intermittent sidewalks and substandard or non-existent sidewalk ramps.
"These disjointed sidewalks mean a lot of pedestrians have to walk on the paved shoulder," Ottosen said.
Construction activities, which are set to begin next spring, will include:
- Widening the road on the north side only.
- 6-foot-wide sidewalks on the north side.
- ADA ramps.
- A 12-foot continuous turn lane.
- Upgraded stormwater facilities with water-quality swales.
- Reconnected driveways for residences lining the road.
- Enhanced pedestrian crossings at Citation Drive in front of the bowling alley and at 45th Place.
The bulk of the project, $3.15 million, is funded by a federal grant that Marion County applied for through the Salem-Keizer Area Transportation Study. Marion County is also contributing $643,824 for the project.
Requests for easements coming
The improvements require that the county acquire temporary and permanent easements to widen the road.
This means the county needs temporary access to properties during construction to slope soil for sidewalks, install yard drains and connect driveways to the new sidewalks.
Right-of-way agents will begin contacting property owners starting later this summer to start the process.
During the June 12 Salem City Council meeting, council voted to adopt three resolutions declaring a public need to acquire easements for the project.
The resolutions declared the need for the city to negotiate, and, if necessary, authorize the city attorney to declare eminent domain proceeds to acquire three properties within city limits for the project. The easements do not include the entire properties, only portions bordering Center Street.
How will access be impacted during construction?
During construction, pedestrian access on Center Street will continue and flaggers will be in place for traffic. Driveways will also have continuous access throughout the project.
Temporary mailboxes will be placed. No on-street parking will be allowed.
Hoy said he's happy to see the changes finally coming to Center Street, especially the sidewalks, bike lanes and turn lane. He added that implementation of it highlights the power that can stem from the city having a good working relationship with the county on projects where they have a shared interest in making the region safe and equitable.
"When we work together, good things can happen," he said.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter at @wmwoodworth | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/sketchy-stretch-of-center-street-in-east-salem-set-to-get-major-overhaul/70343088007/ | 2023-06-23T20:50:53 | 0 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/sketchy-stretch-of-center-street-in-east-salem-set-to-get-major-overhaul/70343088007/ |
What's that planned on Wallace Road in West Salem near Roth's?
Location: 1205 Wallace Road NW
Description: Crews are converting a medical office into a new preschool in West Salem on Wallace Road NW across the street from Roth's grocery store.
Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency purchased the property along with a neighboring building on Wallace Road NW to expand its early-learning program.
The agency is focusing on first renovating the former office on the corner of Taybin Road and Wallace while it works to get funding for demolishing and constructing an Early Head Start facility serving babies and toddlers on the neighboring site.
The former office is set to open in September as a Head Start preschool. Head Start is a free preschool and early childhood development service for low-income families and their children, ages 3 to 5. The programs include early learning, nutrition, mental health disability support and family services.
About 17,500 kids are enrolled in Head Start in Oregon.
Eva Pignotti, chief program officer of early learning and child care for the Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency, said the site will have two classrooms, both serving 17 children. One classroom will have morning and afternoon sessions four days a week, and the other will run six and a half hours a day, five days a week.
"We are excited to be increasing our capacity for West Salem Head Start children by 50%," Pignotti said. "Our data shows us that West Salem, and actually Polk County as a whole, has the greatest increase in need for our services, so this is really a great move toward meeting the community need."
Contractor crews are working on changing up the walls, floors, ceilings and plumbing to meet the need of the preschool.
Pignotti said the agency also plans to add an outdoor playground, possibly with the help of volunteers in late summer.
She expects work to be completed on the neighboring property in 2024 or 2025. Until then, the agency is using leased space at the Family Building Blocks Gracie's Place to offer Early Head Start access for kids from birth to age 3.
When the new, eight-child program is completed, it will increase access to Early Head Start in West Salem by 100%.
Multiple studies have found a critical shortage of child care — especially affordable care — in Oregon.
The average cost of center-based child care for a toddler in the state is $13,700 — 12% of the average income for a married couple and 37% of an average single parent’s income.
A sizable portion of the state is considered a "child care desert," meaning there are more children younger than 5 needing care than spots available. All of Oregon's 36 counties qualify as child care deserts for infants and toddlers.
Marion County, as an "extreme desert," has one child care slot for every 10 children younger than 2.
Source: City of Salem and Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency
Statesman Journal reporter Tracy Loew contributed to this report.
Is there something under construction you'd like to tell us about or find out more about? Contact reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com, call 503-910-6616 or follow on Twitter @wmwoodworth. | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/whats-that-planned-on-wallace-road-in-west-salem-near-roths/70338738007/ | 2023-06-23T20:50:54 | 0 | https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/whats-that-planned-on-wallace-road-in-west-salem-near-roths/70338738007/ |
Volunteers pick dandelions during a volunteer event with the Boise Parks and Recreation Department. The city will be hosting its first Dandelion Festival on Saturday to educate the public on its pesticide reduction program and celebrate the program's success so far.
Photo courtesy of Guy Hand and the Boise Parks and Recreation Department
A volunteer shows off a dandelion during a volunteer event with the Boise Parks and Recreation Department. The city will be hosting its first Dandelion Festival on Saturday to educate the public on its pesticide reduction program and celebrate the program's success so far.
Photo courtesy of Guy Hand and the Boise Parks and Recreation Department
Volunteers pick dandelions during a volunteer event with the Boise Parks and Recreation Department. The city will be hosting its first Dandelion Festival on Saturday to educate the public on its pesticide reduction program and celebrate the program's success so far.
Photo courtesy of Guy Hand and the Boise Parks and Recreation Department
Whether you love or despise dandelions, Boise has a festival for you.
The city will be hosting the first ever Dandelion Festival to highlight its efforts in reducing pesticide use on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free event will take place at Cassia Park (4600 W Camas St., Boise) and will feature music from The Trees The Trees (11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.), and dandelion crafts, and dandelion products from local vendors, including samples of dandelion beer from Woodland Empire brewed with 60 pounds of dandelions picked from Boise parks by volunteers.
Other goodies will include dandelion mocktails offered by Free Spirits Beverage Company, dandelion tea bags from the Vervain Collective, as well as food from Linda’s Kitchen and Stella’s Ice Cream.
The city began a three-year pilot program in 2020 to reduce its pesticide use — pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides, said Daniel Roop, a sustainability specialist with the Boise Parks and Recreation Department.
The program has allowed the city to reduce overall pesticide use by 40%, including the use of glyphosate herbicide use by 80%, and eliminated the use of neonicotinoids, a class of insecticides, according to the city’s website.
The festival is designed to highlight the program’s success, said Bonnie Shelton, spokesperson for the parks and recreation department.
“So we thought what better way to celebrate and let people know not only about our pesticide reduction program ... but also why dandelions can be beneficial than hosting a Boise Dandelion Festival?” Shelton said.
The motivation to reduce pesticide use has been driven by two main factors: it is something the public has asked for, and it is known to improve habitat for bees, butterflies, and other pollinators by enhancing plant biodiversity, Roop said.
Dandelions provide “great pollinator habitat,” Shelton said. Reductions in pesticide use has included outreach through social media and other means to tell the public that they may see some additional dandelions and other broad-leaf plants in parks, she said.
The program has targeted reducing cosmetic applications of herbicides, Roop said — when spraying occurs for an aesthetic reason, like not wanting to see a certain plant growing in a certain area, he said. In such situations, however, the plant’s presence rarely impedes people from using the space, he said.
Take dandelions and clover growing in a city park lawn. Their presence, in moderation, would not impinge on the public’s use of the lawn, and would benefit the local ecosystem. Both plants offer flowers for pollinators, like bees, and clover fixes nitrogen, an essential plant nutrient, into the soil, he said.
"That's not to say that we wouldn't ever spray or do some treatment if those populations got out of control," Roop said, "but I think what we are leaning towards is a much higher tolerance than we've had in the past for those types of plants."
The city is continuing to spray sports fields, where the presence of those plants may indeed hamper the use of the space, he said.
Other applications the department has deemed essential include the use of pesticides in riparian areas or open spaces, as such use is almost always for controlling the spread of invasive species, he said.
The program has included a reduction in both glyphosate herbicides, used against broadleaf plants, like dandelions, and grasses, and 2,4-D, an herbicide that targets broad-leaf plants. In addition to being selective about where to spray, the city sometimes switched to different pesticides, he said.
With the completion of the pilot program, the city has expanded the pilot to all of its parks, Roop said. Public approval of the project was about 80% prior to the expansion, and currently sits at about 72%, he said.
The pesticide reduction program has brought the department in line with current views on parks and their management, Roop said.
“This is kind of how people view healthy parks now, which is maybe different from how people viewed a healthy park, say, 50 years ago,” he said. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/a-dandy-affair-boise-to-host-first-dandelion-festival-celebrating-reduction-in-pesticide-use/article_dd223eda-11ea-11ee-9725-2b8a38a38d23.html | 2023-06-23T20:51:46 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/a-dandy-affair-boise-to-host-first-dandelion-festival-celebrating-reduction-in-pesticide-use/article_dd223eda-11ea-11ee-9725-2b8a38a38d23.html |
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Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego talk green energy jobs in Arizona
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Gov. Hobbs, Rep. Salman defend contraception access in Arizona | https://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2023/06/23/blaze-nikola-motor-co-headquarters-phoenix-leaves-4-semitrucks-destroyed/12154361002/ | 2023-06-23T20:59:35 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2023/06/23/blaze-nikola-motor-co-headquarters-phoenix-leaves-4-semitrucks-destroyed/12154361002/ |
'Malicious' death of Nebraska teen found at Tonto National Forest under investigation
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office is investigating the "malicious" death of a Nebraska teen found in the Tonto National Forest last week as a homicide, officials said Friday.
According to the Sheriff's Office, 18-year-old Parker League was visiting Arizona and staying at a home in Tempe, believed to have been his last known location, where his belongings were left behind, the sheriff's office said.
League was also reported missing by Tempe police.
At around 7 a.m. on June 13, League's body was found inside a bonfire pile in a remote desert area in Tonto National Forest (Hackamore).
The Sheriff's Office did not provide any details on the condition or nature of the remains, adding only that the death was "malicious."
"The death of Mr. League was malicious and is actively being worked by the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit," MCSO spokesperson Sgt. Joaquin Enriquez said in a statement.
An investigation remained ongoing, and no other information had been released. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/23/death-of-nebraska-teen-found-at-tonto-national-forest-under-investigation/70351236007/ | 2023-06-23T20:59:41 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/23/death-of-nebraska-teen-found-at-tonto-national-forest-under-investigation/70351236007/ |
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Blaze at Nikola Motor Co. headquarters in Phoenix leaves 4 semitrucks destroyed | https://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2023/06/23/electric-semitrucks-destroyed-fire-nikola-motor-co-phoenix/12154952002/ | 2023-06-23T20:59:47 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/phoenix-breaking/2023/06/23/electric-semitrucks-destroyed-fire-nikola-motor-co-phoenix/12154952002/ |
'Water is a human right': Supreme Court ruling in Navajo case disappoints, angers people
As a young Diné farmer and writer living on the New Mexico side of the Navajo Nation, Alastair Bitsoi waters his non-GMO corn crops with harvested rain and snow water that comes from the runoff and streams of the Chooshgai Mountains. His farm and the area he plans to build a home on sit across the road from the massive Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, which, once completed, will deliver more than 12 billion gallons of water a year to homes and farms.
The project will move water from the San Juan River to the eastern section of the Navajo Nation, the southwestern portion of the Jicarilla Apache Nation, and the city of Gallup, stopping at the Arizona state line. It was made possible by the Navajo Nation San Juan River Basin Water Rights Settlement in New Mexico.
But it helps only a small part of the Navajo Nation. On Thursday, Bitsoi expressed his disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that rejected, on a 5-4 vote, claims by Navajo leaders that the federal government was obligated to help secure and deliver water across the reservation.
A tribe's need for water:Supreme Court rejects claims by the Navajo Nation in a key water case
“I think the people, the leaders of the Navajo Nation, envision water infrastructure across the Navajo Nation through these settlements,” Bitsoi said. “Whether it’s the one in New Mexico or the Utah Navajo Water Rights Settlement, those would build infrastructure in those regions, but because of the court case today from the high court, it’s improbable that my Diné relatives in Arizona may not even have the opportunity for water.”
'We are not going to wait for a settlement'
In his majority opinion, Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that the Treaty of 1868 between the U.S. and the Navajo Nation did not require the government to take active steps to secure water access.
He said to help meet water needs, the tribe has obtained water from, among other sources, rivers, tributaries, springs, lakes and aquifers on the reservation, and that the Navajo Nation contains a number of water sources the people can rely on.
“The Navajo argue that the United States must take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe — for example, by assessing the tribe’s water needs, developing a plan to secure the needed water, and potentially building pipelines, pumps, wells or other water infrastructure,” he wrote.
But while Kavanaugh paints the Navajo Nation as dependent on the federal government to supply infrastructure that would transport water within its communities, experts said Thursday that simply isn't true. The Western Navajo Pipeline would supply water from Lake Powell to Navajo chapters throughout Western Navajo Agency communities such as LeChee, Kaibeto, Coppermine, Bodaway/Gap, Cameron, Coalmine Canyon and Tuba City, providing a stable, reliable, long-term water source.
The Navajo Nation had approved more than $50 million of its funds to go toward Phase I of this project. So far, efforts to secure water for the pipeline have been unsuccessful after Congress failed to act on earlier settlement proposals.
"We showed the state of Arizona we are able to use our own money to bring water into communities," said former Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez, who signed the resolution. "The Western Navajo Pipeline, without a settlement we put in our own money into a water line project to show everyone we are not going to wait for a settlement. We are going to build the infrastructure if need be with our own resources."
Legal experts: Decision ignores past rulings and sovereignty issues
Bitsoi is a millennial Navajo, who like many in that age group, doesn’t live full-time on the Navajo Nation, but is working toward establishing a permanent home and farm there for when he returns, which is what many young Navajos are all told to do.
“Go, get your education, and return to help your people,” is a well-known Navajo proverb often said to young Diné students.
But young people say they can’t come back to make a permanent home without water. In the Treaty of 1868, the tribe agreed to make the reservation their permanent home, but the Supreme Court said Thursday that “does not mean that the United States agreed to take affirmative steps to secure water for the Tribe.”
“SCOTUS completely ignored Winters v. United States, in which it states that the establishment of an Indian reservation implicitly reserves the amount of water necessary to fulfill the purpose of the reservation/sovereign nation,” said Kim Smith, from the Indigenous mutual aid collective Nihi K’é Ba.
She said after decades of resource colonization, the latest ruling came as no surprise to her. She said the decision shows why it’s time for an Indigenous person to get a permanent seat on the Supreme Court.
“We have been on these lands for thousands of years,” Smith said. “Rights of Mother Earth are embedded in our prayer, song and ceremony, essentially our way of life. Navajo water has powered the greater Southwest and sucked our aquifers dry and this is the thanks we get?“
The Navajo Nation is the largest tribe in the U.S., with more than 300,000 enrolled members. About half live on the reservation, which spreads across Arizona, New Mexico and Utah in an area the size of West Virginia, the largest reservation in the country.
And while the average American uses 80-100 gallons of water per day, a person living on the Navajo Nation can use barely one-tenth of that. Even with these daunting facts, many Native scholars, legal minds and academics weren’t shocked by the court's decision.
“These are the battles of sovereignty that the Navajo Nation should be focused on,” Smith said. “Water is a human right. Why is it that every administration acts like this is a new issue? We have been in these water wars for decades, we’ve been in a drought, the climate is changing. We have warned about this outcome. What treaty hasn't the U.S. government not broken or changed to suit themselves? There will never be justice on stolen land.“
How a narrow decision could affect future claims
The decision was not completely unexpected, Heather Whiteman Runs Him said, associate clinical professor at the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona.
"It leaves a lot to be desired," she said.
Whiteman Runs Him, a member of the Crow Tribe, said the Navajo Nation had done everything it could and had knocked on every door to secure water for its people.
She said Justice Neil Gorsuch's dissenting opinion provided a thorough analysis of the court's majority opinion, and how it "got off the train one step short."
Whiteman Runs Him, one of several attorneys and law professors who wrote an amicus brief supporting the Navajo Nation's litigation, said the tribe's request wasn't unreasonable or unprecedented.
"All they asked was for the federal government to do something measurable to put an end to the questions about water," Whiteman Runs Him said.
Monte Mills, a law professor at the University of Washington School of Law and another author on the amicus brief, said the decision may make it harder for tribes to argue that the United States has a trust obligation to assist tribes.
He also praised Gorsuch's dissent. "But it's always beneficial to say the decision isn't as bad as it could have been," Mills said. "Narrow decisions like this one are good."
He said the decision answered a question for the Navajo in terms of what their options are.
Tribes willing to share water:With water, tribes can reclaim their agricultural heritage and restore riverside landscapes
Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, D-Ariz., the ranking member on the House Natural Resources Committee, issued a statement describing the decision as dangerous.
“(It) moves us backward to our shameful past in which treaties were promises not worth the paper they were written on,” Grijalva said. “Forcibly removing Indigenous Peoples from their full homelands is a violence we can never reverse. Today, the Court’s majority states that when a treaty establishes a ‘permanent home’ for a tribal nation, the U.S. government doesn’t have to take the most basic steps to ensure the delivery of water needed for a livable home — let alone a permanent home.”
But even in the Navajo Nation, there are many steps to get to where Bitsoi is. Working through the bureaucracy of trying to obtain a homesite lease or an agricultural land use permit can be a daunting task that can leave one frustrated enough to give up, dealing not only with the Navajo Nation or its monopoly utility company, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, but also the federal government, such as Indian Health Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Add all that to the lack of a secure water source, and building a permanent home in the Navajo Nation can seem like a pipe dream for many Diné.
"The Supreme Court's decision is trying to kill us by dehydrating us," Bitsoi said.
Republic Indigenous issues reporter Debra Utacia Krol contributed to this story.
Arlyssa Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/23/supreme-court-ruling-on-navajo-water-claims/70349767007/ | 2023-06-23T20:59:53 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/06/23/supreme-court-ruling-on-navajo-water-claims/70349767007/ |
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Coverage of the deaths of the Granite Mountain Hotshots in 2013
11 PHOTOS | https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/arizona-wildfires/2023/06/23/coverage-deaths-granite-mountain-hotshots-2013/12155940002/ | 2023-06-23T20:59:59 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/picture-gallery/news/local/arizona-wildfires/2023/06/23/coverage-deaths-granite-mountain-hotshots-2013/12155940002/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – She is used to bringing stories to people in Central Florida on the radio and TV, but now Sandra Osborne is using her voice in a new way.
After stepping away from journalism, Osborne took up voice acting and is getting her son involved in the fun, too.
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The former newscaster recently sat down with Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden on the Florida’s Fourth Estate podcast to talk about her new career.
Osborne said having a good voice is “wonderful” but there is a lot more to it if you want to become a successful voice actor.
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“You actually have to be able to understand the equipment around you,” said Osborne, adding that includes a knowledge of audio editing. “I had to basically take a crash course in audio engineering to make sure that my audio matched the audio that they’re hoping for in studios and with other voice actors if we’re all contributing to the same game or commercial. So it was a lot of learning.”
In addition to learning new things, Osborne said she also had to face a lot of rejection—literally 99 in a row.
But she kept a positive attitude and was having fun until finally, on her 100th interview, she booked a gig.
You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below:
The roles kept coming, eventually including several mobile video game characters, like Betty from “Jetpack Joyride 2″ and Max from “Brawl Stars.”
When her young son saw her in the booth, Osborne said he would imitate her and want to get involved, too.
“So my son, Lincoln, when he was about 4 years old, started kind of copying me a little bit and wanting to watch me in the booth. And then one day, one of my agents was like, ‘Hey, we need kids. You have a kid, right? Can you have him read this script and just send it to us?’ And so I sent it in, and he started booking jobs. Like, right away,” she said.
The voice actress said one of his gigs includes Cowy, a recurring role on “Lingokids.”
At first, Osborne said, she would have to help her son with his recordings.
“He couldn’t read yet,” she said. “And so I would be in the booth and I would have the script and the director and producer there on Zoom with us. And I would act out every scene really big, and he would mimic me.”
Now, she said, he is more independent.
“Now he can read. And so now he’s like, ‘Mom, please, you’re embarrassing me,’” Osborne said. “I’m just like, floored by the progress we’ve seen over the past couple of years. It’s crazy.”
She added while it’s a tough job, once you get the ball rolling, “you can actually establish a career out of it for sure.”
To hear more about Osborne’s successful voice acting career and see her coach Matt Austin and Ginger Gadsden through some voice exercises, check out Florida’s Fourth Estate.
You can download it from wherever you listen to podcasts or watch anytime on News 6+. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/99-rejections-later-central-florida-mom-finds-success-voicing-popular-video-game-characters/ | 2023-06-23T21:00:07 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/99-rejections-later-central-florida-mom-finds-success-voicing-popular-video-game-characters/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida judge granted an injunction on Friday for drag show restaurant Hamburger Mary’s in Orlando against a Florida law penalizing businesses letting children attend live performances considered to be “adult” in nature.
Hamburger Mary’s sued the state and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis last month in federal court, with the owners claiming the law is too vague and broad to satisfy the requirements of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and that it has a chilling effect on protected speech.
The ruling filed on Friday pauses the law dubbed the Protection of Children Act, which allows state agencies to fine or revoke the license of venues that host “adult” entertainment and allow children in the audience.
The law defines “adult live performances,” in part, as “any show, exhibition, or other presentation in front of a live audience which, in whole or in part, depicts or simulates nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement or specific sexual activities, … lewd conduct, or the lewd exposure of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts.”
[STORY CONTINUES BELOW]
“Defendant professes that a statewide preliminary injunction would ‘harm the public by exposing children to ‘adult live performances.’ This concern rings hollow, however, when accompanied by the knowledge that Florida state law, presently and independently of the instant statutory scheme, permits any minor to attend an R-rated film at a movie theater if accompanied by a parent or guardian,” the judge wrote in part of the ruling.
Hamburger Mary’s owners told News 6 in May that once they told customers that children would no longer be permitted at any of its drag shows, bookings in May fell 20%.
“We obviously had to stop allowing people to bring their children in and the moment we announced that 20% of our bookings went down on Sunday and cancelations and then the following Sunday, so it is taking a hit on the business,” owner John Paonessa told News 6 last month.
He said there’s nothing going on with drag queens that affect “any family, children, there’s no nudity at these shows. There’s no grooming. It’s a false narrative that that’s being placed on drag shows.”
In a response filed on June 2, the state attorney said Hamburger Mary’s wouldn’t be impacted by the law, as it doesn’t host “adult live performances.” Instead, officials explained that the law was aimed at live performances with sexually explicit content.
“Hamburger Mary’s claims it has excluded children from its performances because of the act, but it also claims no intention to host performances that even arguably would require it to exclude children,” the defendants wrote.
The judge wrote in the ruling that the plaintiff Hamburger Mary’s “fifteen years of incident-free, harmless drag shows demonstrates the absence of any substantial harm to Defendant or to the public interest.”
“Moreover, existing obscenity laws provide Defendant with the necessary authority to protect children from any constitutionally unprotected obscene exhibitions or shows. The harm to Plaintiff clearly outweighs any purported evils not covered by Florida law and a preliminary injunction would not be adverse to the public interest,” the judge wrote.
Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani said that the ruling was another “legal win” for first amendment rights.
“The United States should not be hindering free speech or erasing communities. In deep contrasts, we should respect different cultural identities and embrace freedom of expression,” she said.
Jeremy Redfern, press secretary for Gov. DeSantis, told News 6 that the ruling was wrong and that the state would be appealing the decision.
“Of course it’s constitutional to prevent the sexualization of children by limiting their access to adult live performances. We believe the judge’s opinion is dead wrong and look forward to prevailing on appeal,” he said.
Read the full ruling below.
Hamburger Mary's injunction ruling by Sam Dunne on Scribd
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/judge-grants-injunction-for-drag-show-restaurant-hamburger-marys-against-florida-law/ | 2023-06-23T21:00:15 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/judge-grants-injunction-for-drag-show-restaurant-hamburger-marys-against-florida-law/ |
HOLLY HILL, Fla. – A man was arrested on Friday nearly two years after a shooting at a Holly Hill apartment complex killed one woman and hurt another, according to the police department.
On Friday, police announced they had arrested Jason Fox, 37, with the help of the East Volusia Narcotics Task Force.
The shooting happened in August 2021 when a 19-year-old woman and her grandmother were shot early in the morning while sleeping at the Holly Point Apartments.
At the time, investigators said at least one person had gotten out of a car and fired several shots through the apartment’s walls and windows, striking the women — who were in separate bedrooms.
They were taken to the hospital and the grandmother died 18 days later due to complications from her injuries, police said.
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No information has been provided at this time on what charges Fox will face stemming from the shooting.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/man-accused-of-killing-1-woman-hurting-another-in-2021-holly-hill-shooting/ | 2023-06-23T21:00:21 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/23/man-accused-of-killing-1-woman-hurting-another-in-2021-holly-hill-shooting/ |
Dollar Tree cited for exposing 'employees to serious risks and injuries' – what we know
COVENTRY – For the third time this year, a Dollar Tree store in Rhode Island has been cited for safety violations by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the agency announced.
OSHA is proposing $294,668 in penalties following an inspection of the Dollar Tree store at 760 Tiogue Ave. in Coventry.
OSHA began an investigation in January after receiving a complaint and says its inspection found "store employees exposed to slip and trip hazards created by haphazardly stacked boxes falling and spilling items in the store’s shopping area and wheeled carts, large boxes, bins and trash spread throughout the stockroom."
Inspectors "also discovered boxes of merchandise stacked unsafely in the stockroom, exposing employees to collapse and struck-by hazards," OSHA said in a press release.
In April, OSHA also cited Dollar Tree Inc. for safety violations at stores in East Providence and Pawtucket that "exposed employees to serious risks and injuries," the agency said in April. Dollar Tree paid $539,095 in penalties for those violations, OSHA said.
“We have cited Rhode Island Dollar Tree locations before for unsafely stored stock and materials, so they are well aware of these hazards and how to fix them,” OSHA Area Director Robert Sestito said in the press release. “It’s time they put worker safety over profits.”
An OSHA spokesperson issued the following statement in response to an inquiry: "We are focused on maintaining a safe environment for our associates and customers and ensuring our stores comply with all health and safety regulations. We take the issues identified in our Coventry store seriously, remediate them as quickly as possible and continue to enhance our safety program and protocols."
The Coventry inspection prompted OSHA to cite Dollar Tree for two repeat violations. The federal agency says it has previously cited the company for similar hazards at stores in Providence, Idaho, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Texas.
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Since 2017, federal and state OSHA programs identified more than 300 violations in more than 500 inspections at Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores, which are also operated by Dollar Tree Inc., according to OSHA.
Dollar Tree Inc., located in Chesapeake, Virginia, operates more than 16,000 Dollar Tree and Family Dollar stores in 48 states and five Canadian provinces, according to OSHA. The publicly traded company has more than 193,000 employees and reported a gross profit of $7.7 billion in 2021, OSHA said.
According to OSHA, the company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/third-ri-dollar-tree-store-cited-by-osha-for-worker-safety-violations/70349609007/ | 2023-06-23T21:01:58 | 1 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/third-ri-dollar-tree-store-cited-by-osha-for-worker-safety-violations/70349609007/ |
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