text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ms] | label int64 | id string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
CEDAR FALLS — A Cedar Valley “American Ninja Warrior” legend will return to the national stage on Monday night, this time with a very special fellow competitor.
Scott Behrends and his 16-year-old son, Ben, both found themselves a spot on Season 15 of the hit NBC reality show “American Ninja Warrior.” Their episode, filmed in early March, will air at 7 p.m.
While Scott and Ben can’t reveal too much about what’s in store for the viewers at home, they say it’s, “more than likely” that one or both of them will be shown.
The fact that Scott and Ben are competing on the same stage is rather fitting – Scott’s children were a major inspiration for him not only entering the sport, but also starting his own ninja training gym, Ninja U on University Avenue.
“It all started in our backyard,” Scott said.
People are also reading…
- Cooper’s Taproom to open in August on Cedar Falls' College Hill
- Lincoln Savings Bank CEO resigns, plans to rediscover entrepreneurial spirit
- Cedar Falls City Council defends proposed salary raise of more than 70%
- Waterloo native, now back in Iowa, admires focus on family values he found living in Texas
- Cats saved from burning mobile home in Cedar Falls
- Mother sentenced to prison after son harmed by drain opener
- Waterloo police arrest man following brief chase Monday night
- Police investigate overnight gunfire as two teenagers are detained
- Man arrested for a stabbing at Waterloo bar earlier this month
- Mile-long caravan to carry veteran's ashes from Waterloo to Iowa Veterans Cemetary
- Stolen car found submerged in Singing Bird Lake
- UPDATE: Man killed by deputy was wielding a pellet gun
- Franklin County Sheriff's deputy shoots, kills man in Sheffield
- Salon approved to give former Faith Wesleyan Church makeover
- From book bans to LGBTQ rights, teacher believes recent Iowa legislation harms students
When his kids were younger, Scott says they were too shy for team sports. After the kids came home talking about the obstacle courses they had done in gym class at school, Scott began creating his own obstacle courses in the family’s backyard made up of trees, logs, stumps and whatever else he could find.
Soon enough, a hobby grew into a passion and then a livelihood. Scott and co-owner Jacob Pauli opened Ninja U in 2018, where they offer classes for all ages and experience levels.
Scott and Ben are not total newcomers to the reality show. Scott made his first appearance on the show on Season 11 in 2019, where he advanced to the finals in Las Vegas. Ben also appeared on the first season of “American Ninja Warrior Junior” in 2018 alongside his brother, Jason.
While the show often features athletic prowess and competitors with the perfect mix of strength and agility, when it came time to submit applications for this season in December, Scott knew that there was more to getting on television than skill alone.
“They want to see high energy. You’re a TV personality,” he said. “You’re technically an actor.”
Scott received the call in early January that he had earned a spot on the show. The family anxiously awaited the word on Ben.
“We were almost nervous. Why did I get a call and not Ben? If anything it’d be the other way around,” Scott said.
However, about a week later, the 818 area code came through on the phone with the news that Ben would be joining his dad to compete in the Los Angeles qualifying rounds.
The pair flew out in early March with Scott’s wife, Lindsey, and their two other kids.
Ben was right in the middle of his sophomore year of high school when they made the trip to compete.
“I can tell you I was on the show, I can’t tell you anything more,” he had told his teachers. Despite the required secrecy, there was a buzz of excitement from his teachers and classmates.
One key aspect of the show most viewers at home don’t know is that the episodes are filmed overnight between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. While the nocturnal competition poses an added challenge for many participants, Ben had a particularly tough time.
“It was awful,” he said, dealing with both the two-hour time zone change and transitioning right from a busy high school life to an overnight performance.
Through all of the challenges, the Behrends competitors have always had a strong backing of supporters in the Cedar Valley. They have a watch party planned for Monday night at Ninja U with their “gym family,” more than 12 of whom have also competed on the show.
Monday will be the first time Ben has been aired on the show. Scott and Ben were invited to compete on season 14 but, as they say, “failed miserably” and weren’t aired.
“I don’t count it,” Ben said. They look at this season as a form of redemption.
“I’m excited for Ben to be shown and have the feeling of the community cheering him on on TV,” Scott said. “I’m excited as a dad, as a gym owner, as a friend and as a training partner for him to experience that.”
This season, fans will also be able to catch Hudson native Jackson Twait in his fifth appearance on the show and Nate Person, formerly of Cedar Falls and now manager of Ninja U’s Ankeny location. The two are set to appear on episode five airing July 3.
All of the Cedar Valley ninjas competing also have the possibility of appearing in later episodes this season if they performed well enough during the qualifying rounds.
Whatever their level of success this season, Scott recognizes the rarity of being able to share not only a sport with his son but also such a large national stage.
“I almost didn’t have this goal of someday being on Ninja Warrior with my son, whether my dreams were too small or whatever,” Scott said. “Now that it’s here it’s pretty cool. Chase the dream and you never know where it’s going to go.”
PHOTOS: Cedar Valley residents on 'American Ninja Warrior'
Cedar Falls resident and Ninja U gym owner Scott Behrends, 39, along with Hudson native and UNI student Jackson Twait, 21, both got onto the 2019 season of NBC's "American Ninja Warrior."
Behrends and Twait both got separate calls to separate cities -- Behrends in Tacoma, Washington, and Twait in Cincinnati -- and both taped their episodes in May.
In late June and early July, when the episodes aired, the Cedar Valley learned both contestants hit the buzzer, moving on to their respective City Final (which both have already taped). Both of those episodes are expected to air sometime in August 2019.
Here's a photo gallery of the pair as they trained and appeared on the show so far.
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
Mallory Schmitz
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/scott-ben-behrends-compete-american-ninja-warrior/article_80c9f29e-112d-11ee-bcb8-73517af858db.html | 2023-06-24T10:35:02 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/scott-ben-behrends-compete-american-ninja-warrior/article_80c9f29e-112d-11ee-bcb8-73517af858db.html |
Extreme heat and wind cause fire restrictions at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
High to extreme fire danger at Carlsbad Caverns National Park prompted the National Park Service to implement fire restrictions as of Saturday, according to a news release.
“The increased fire danger is due to prolonged hot, dry and windy weather,” read the release.
The hot weather in Eddy County caused the National Park Service (NPS) to prohibit fire, charcoal and propane grill usage on park lands.
More:Blistering summer heat threatens wildfires, strains power grids in southeast New Mexico
Smoking is prohibited, except inside personal vehicles and open flames and cooking stoves are not allowed in the back country of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
Eddy County is under a heat advisory until Sunday at 8 p.m., per the National Weather Service (NWS) in Midland, Texas.
High temperatures in Carlsbad were forecasted at 109 through Sunday with a forecast high of 110 Monday, according to NWS.
Heat and wind result in extremely dry vegetation which could catch fire with a small spark, per the NPS news release.
The measures are in effect until the fire danger subsides.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. | https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/extreme-heat-wind-dry-weather-prompts-fire-restrictions-at-caverns-national-parks-service-fire/70350623007/ | 2023-06-24T10:43:31 | 1 | https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/extreme-heat-wind-dry-weather-prompts-fire-restrictions-at-caverns-national-parks-service-fire/70350623007/ |
Eddy County native Steve McCroskey new head of County Community Services department
Eddy County Manager Roberta Gonzales praises McCroskey's experience in new role
Steve McCroskey, Eddy County’s new Community Services director, said he was grateful and excited to direct the department which oversees multiple county functions from indigent healthcare administration to the Eddy County DWI Program.
McCroskey was the assistant community services director and was named interim head in April after former director Wesley Hooper resigned.
McCroskey was named the new director in early June, said Eddy County Manager Roberta Gonzales.
More:New homes to be built in Artesia. Here's what we know about the Joy Subdivision
“He has had a vast array of knowledge and oversight in project management, grant administration, rural addressing, code enforcement, planning and much more. He also holds several degrees in environmental management, environmental science and hazardous materials technology. We look forward to having Mr. McCroskey lead the Community Services Department,” she said.
McCroskey has worked for Eddy County for nearly 17 years, the majority of his time in county government has been with the Community Services Department.
“I came to employment with the county as a vector control technician at the Public Works Department then transferred as the code enforcement officer for almost eight years. Then moved to code enforcement manager for a couple of years and then to the county planner position in 2016,” he said.
McCroskey said Hooper was instrumental in helping him move into the assistant community service director’s spot in 2019.
More:Cannabis businesses in Artesia wait for Eddy County approval before opening
Former District 2 Eddy County Board of County Commissioner Royce Pearson worked with McCroskey from 2013 to 2016.
“He was a real pleasure to work with. We worked together to tackle some problems in north Eddy County,” he said.
“He was fair to Eddy County (and) he did his job. He’ll make a good one in his promotion,” Pearson added.
McCroskey said the main goal is to move the department forward and he described the department’s functions as broad and fast.
He said community services oversees geographical information system (GIS), code enforcement, county planning, subdivision approval and the Artesia Motor Vehicle Department.
“We’re kind of a catch all for most of the other questions that need to be fielded. We do our best to help people out with questions ranging from where property lines are, how to obtain plats and who to contact for wells and water,” McCroskey said.
He said focusing on customer service was another goal as director of the community services department. McCroskey said there is some unfinished business within the department.
“We are finishing up the second of two Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) in the area of York and Parish Street on the west side of Artesia. It’s a small section that remains in the county, our goal with the one that is finished and the one that we’re currently working on is to finish and install sewer lines,” he said.
More:Cannabis regulations for unincorporated areas of Eddy County passes County Commission
“The water is already there from the City of Artesia, the other services are there. We’re working to get them off the substandard septic system and cesspools that may be in the area and install a good sewer system that installs with the City of Artesia,” McCroskey added.
The CDBG Program provides yearly grants on a formula basis to states, cities and counties to develop communities by providing housing, a suitable living environment by expanding economic opportunities for low- and moderate-income persons, stated the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website.
“The program was designed to reinforce several important values and principles of community development,” according to HUD.
More:Takeaways from Eddy County's proposed cannabis and business registration ordinances
McCroskey is an Eddy County native and worked in Albuquerque before moving back in 2000.
“My dad still lives in the house I was born and raised in. I’m familiar with almost every aspect of Eddy County having been here for 52 years,” he said.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on Twitter. | https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/community/2023/06/23/eddy-county-native-heads-county-community-services-department-steve-mccroskey-eddy-county-commission/70331649007/ | 2023-06-24T10:43:37 | 1 | https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/community/2023/06/23/eddy-county-native-heads-county-community-services-department-steve-mccroskey-eddy-county-commission/70331649007/ |
25 years ago: ISU, Mennonite College of Nursing in merger talks
Learn to navigate the Newspapers.com database, perform browsing and complex search functions, and save clippings using a free user account. Tutorial developed by the University of Alabama Libraries.
How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region.
100 years ago
June 24, 1923: The public opening of New Castle Hall, No. 10, Knights of Pythias, located at 410 W. Jefferson, will be June 26. There will be open house from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. for the members and their neighbors and friends. The dedication ceremonies will take place June 28, beginning with a banquet at 6:30 p.m.
75 years ago
June 24, 1948: General Mills will expand operations at its Bloomington appliance plant by moving the steam ironing attachment for its Tru-Heat iron here from Minneapolis, Arthur D. Hyde, president of mechanical division, revealed. Eventually the firm hopes to manufacture additional appliances in Bloomington.
50 years ago
June 24, 1973: Eggs are their business. At 1416 S. Main St., a car wash has been stripped, painted eggshell white and converted into a haven for those who like their eggs. The store is owned and supplied by John Paul Jones of Funks Grove.
25 years ago
June 24, 1998: While details have yet to be worked out, negotiations have begun to make Mennonite College of Nursing part of Illinois State University, officials said. BroMenn, which owns the nursing college, hopes to stay involved as a site for clinical education and retain an advisory role.
101 years ago: See vintage Pantagraph ads from 1922 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/25-years-ago-isu-mennonite-college-of-nursing-in-merger-talks/article_b6454db4-1200-11ee-a01d-ff7e96196cb1.html | 2023-06-24T11:10:21 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/25-years-ago-isu-mennonite-college-of-nursing-in-merger-talks/article_b6454db4-1200-11ee-a01d-ff7e96196cb1.html |
Two Rivers yarn bomb lasts through July, Washington House plans grand reopening and more news
The yarn bombs will remain on view through the end of July.
MANITOWOC - As part of its centennial celebration, Two Rivers’ Crescent Woolen Mills has partnered with Two Rivers Main Street to organize a “yarn bomb” of the lamp posts adjacent to the city’s new Central Park West, which is slated to open July 16.
According to a news release, a “yarn bomb” is a form of street art similar to graffiti, but instead of paint or chalk, the artwork is made from yarn or fibers — a good fit for Crescent Woolen Mills, a yarn manufacturer.
Crescent Woolen Mills’ Cathy Haley worked with Linda Hansen of Intertwined, a local yarn store on the second floor of Schroeder’s Department Store, to recruit volunteers to knit and crochet coverings for the city’s lamp posts.
Spinning yarn for nearly a century:This Wisconsin manufacturer has been spinning yarns for close to 100 years in Two Rivers
Two Rivers Utilities’ Electric Director Brian Dellemann and staff, alongside a group of volunteers, installed 11 yarn bombs on Washington Street between 17th and 18th streets.
Yarn bomb participants created a variety of designs including a tree of life, an abstract sunrise over Lake Michigan, a variety of colorful waves, stripes and flowers, a fishing net with crocheted aquatic creatures, and a Minion character.
Individual yarn bomb participants included Cally Lampereur, Mindy Koentopp, Patti Hayes, Marie Hayes, Tricia Egan, Paige Cobarrubias, Adrienne Weiss, Barbara Lyons and Faith Webb.
Two groups, one including Diane Bruder and her family and another including Amy Sobush, Carol Michels and Manitowoc Yarn Divas, also completed yarn bombs.
The yarn bombs will be on display in Two Rivers until the end of July.
Welcome to your weekly dose. Here is more news from throughout Manitowoc County.
Washington House grand reopening features ice cream sundae with rhubarb sauce
Two Rivers Historical Society invites the public to attend a grand reopening of the Washington House Museum and Visitor Center, 1622 Jefferson St., Two Rivers.
From noon until 4 p.m. June 24, visitors can explore many updated exhibits and rooms featuring local history.
Also included will be music, guided tours at 1 and 3 p.m., and door prizes.
Admission is always free and the Washington House is completely accessible. Off-street parking is available on the south side of the building, facing Lake Michigan.
The Washington House features Berner’s Ice Cream Parlor, commemorating the invention of the ice cream sundae in 1881, a feat for which Two Rivers is renowned.
Birthplace of the ice cream sundae:Here's how Two Rivers became birthplace of the ice cream sundae
This season’s specialty sundae is the Ruby (tangy rhubarb sauce and hot caramel sauce over butter pecan or vanilla ice cream, topped with whipped cream, nuts and a cherry).
Stop in the museum gift shop for Two Rivers merchandise, unique Two Rivers jigsaw puzzles and Mystery at Point Beach books. Also, White Cap Beer logo T-shirts are in stock in both short- and long-sleeve. Music for sale includes a range of both new and used vinyl and CDs with the Schmitt Brothers Quartet among the selections.
Manitowoc County Historical Society plans Pints and Plates fundraiser, tickets on sale
Manitowoc County Historical Society’s Pints and Plates fundraiser will be at the museum from 5 to 8 p.m. July 17.
The event will bring together local breweries and wineries, live music and unique historical tastes in an outdoor setting.
Guests can wander wooded gravel roads through Pinecrest Village’s historical areas while sampling food from local restaurants, amateur “chefs,” breweries and wineries. Tunes will be provided by Nettle Hill.
All tickets include entry into the Manitowoc County Historical Society, tastings from all restaurants, breweries and wineries, and a commemorative glass. The event is for ages 21 and older. Attendees need to present ID at the door.
The fundraiser takes place at the museum, 924 Pinecrest Road, Manitowoc. Tickets are $65 and advanced tickets are suggested as a limited number of tickets are available. They may be purchased at the museum or call 920-684-4445.
Asteroid Night set at Sub Pub
Space-themed drinks and telescopes to view the stars will be among the attractions at Asteroid Night at the Sub Pub at Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Drive, Manitowoc.
The event will run 5-11 p.m. June 30. It will also include a chance to make a paper spacecraft and take part in asteroid trivia.
June 30 is International Asteroid Day, an educational and awareness program to inspire the world about asteroids including their role in the formation of the universe, how their resources can be used, and how asteroids can pave the way for future exploration.
Contact Maritime Museum at 920-684-0218 for more details.
United Way Manitowoc County plans Stuff the Bus
United Way Manitowoc County is partnering with Brandt Buses, Inc., and Walmart Manitowoc for the second annual Stuff the Bus event from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. July 11.
In support of area schools’ community closets, United Way is collecting essential supplies for youth. Items needed include toiletries, clothing, gift cards, non-perishable snacks, gloves/mittens and socks. A full list is at unitedwaymanitowoccounty.org.
During the Stuff the Bus event, donations can be dropped off by the bus in Walmart’s parking lot at 4115 Calumet Ave. Staff and volunteers will sort and deliver the donations to schools across Manitowoc County following the event.
United Way is recruiting more volunteers to sort the supplies from 9 to 11 a.m. July 12. If interested, contact Laura Drida at 920-682-8888 or laura@unitedwaymanitowoccounty.org.
Fourth of July holiday weekend road detours set in Manitowoc
Fourth of July celebrations in downtown Manitowoc will lead to road closures and detours.
To accommodate a July 3 celebration, the following will be in effect:
- July 3, the 600 and 700 blocks of U.S. 10/Quay Street will be closed to traffic to allow event organizers to set up for a downtown concert and food trucks as part of celebrations July 3.
- Quay Street will be closed from 8 a.m. July 3 until 2 a.m. July 4.
- The approved detour will be south on South Eighth Street for one block, east on Franklin Street for two blocks, north on South Sixth Street, east on U.S. 10/Quay Street.
To accommodate Fourth on the Shore July 4, the following will be in effect:
- From 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. July 4, South Eighth Street from Washington Street to Maritime Drive and Maritime Drive from South Eighth Street to Huron Street will be closed to traffic for the Fourth on the Shore parade.
- The approved detour will be South 21st Street, Revere Drive, N. 18th Street and Waldo Boulevard.
Maritime Metro Transit adjusts hours
Maritime Metro Transit bus routes and the Intermodal Transfer Center at 915 S. 11th St. will have reduced service hours of 9 a.m.-4 p.m. July 3 and will not operate July 4. Regular service hours will resume July 5.
National Amateur Radio Field Day exercise planned
Lakeshore Amateur Radio Service Club (W9RES) will be participating in the National Amateur Radio Field Day exercise from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. June 24 at Citizen Park, 930 N. 18th St., Manitowoc.
Since 1933, ham radio operators across North America have established temporary ham radio stations in public locations during Field Day to showcase the science and skill of amateur radio.
The event is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. For more details, contact John Hamilton at President@W9RES.com or 920-917-9918.
Get your dose — stay connected
Get your dose of local community news here each week. For updates throughout the week, come back to htrnews.com or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
News tips
Send tips to htrnews@htnrews.com. See our contact page.
Award-winning content
The Herald Times Reporter earned the top award, Best in Division B, for all newspapers in the state with daily circulation of less than 9,999 in the 2022 Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation Better Newspaper Contest. The Best in Division award came after the Manitowoc paper won 14 individual awards in the contest, including five first place, three second place, five third place and an honorable mention. Read more about the awards and follow links to the award-winning content by clicking here.
Our impact
The Herald Times Reporter — part of USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin — strives to make a difference in our community. Read our 2022 Community Impact Report and our 2021 Community Impact Report.
Thanks for reading!
We appreciate your readership! Support our work by subscribing.
Contact Brandon Reid at 920-686-2984 or breid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @breidHTRNews. | https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/24/two-rivers-hit-by-yarn-bomb-washington-house-grand-reopening-set/70350404007/ | 2023-06-24T11:14:05 | 0 | https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/local/2023/06/24/two-rivers-hit-by-yarn-bomb-washington-house-grand-reopening-set/70350404007/ |
Because of an IT outage, production of The Bismarck Tribune newspaper was affected Friday night and your print delivery might be delayed today.
For all of the latest news from The Bismarck Tribune, please visit www.bismarcktribune.com.
Because of an IT outage, production of The Bismarck Tribune newspaper was affected Friday night and your print delivery might be delayed today.
For all of the latest news from The Bismarck Tribune, please visit www.bismarcktribune.com.
A Mandan man is accused of dealing fentanyl after police said they discovered $10,000 worth of illegal drugs in his Bismarck hotel room.
Damage reports are mounting after stormy weather this week in central and western North Dakota, and a rainy weekend appears in store for much …
Nine people have applied for an open seat on the Mandan School Board.
The building of an access road to support construction of a new BNSF Railway bridge across the Missouri River between Bismarck and Mandan wil…
A Mandan man allegedly crashed into the Federal Building’s railing during a police chase in Bismarck that ended with authorities seizing what …
Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/it-issue-delays-production-of-bismarck-tribune/article_62cab0ec-1251-11ee-a49d-c7f4eb1434b7.html | 2023-06-24T11:24:06 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/it-issue-delays-production-of-bismarck-tribune/article_62cab0ec-1251-11ee-a49d-c7f4eb1434b7.html |
A group of five Idaho Republican legislators has come out against proposed GOP rule changes they say will harm young voters and party leaders.
Idaho GOP party officials will vote on 23 proposed rule changes and 26 proposed resolutions, during this weekend’s Idaho Republican Party state central committee meeting at Living Waters Ranch in Challis.
Two of the proposed rules drew opposition from five GOP legislators — Sen. Ben Adams, R-Nampa, and Reps. Kevin Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs; Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello; Jeff Ehlers, R-Meridian; and James Petzke, R-Meridian.
One of the party’s top officials also spoke out this week, in a published commentary, against the proposed rules and other recent changes within the party.
“Most Idahoans don’t realize the gravity of several proposed rules being voted on this weekend,” wrote Daniel Silver, first vice-chair of the Idaho Republican Party. “They risk further fracturing our party. They will take power away from Idahoans and give it to a select few.”
People are also reading…
The first proposed rule: A GOP purity test
One rule would make it so that voters who are affiliated with a different political party could have to wait for more than two years after affiliating with the Idaho Republican Party to vote in a Republican primary election.
The proposed rule states that voters must be affiliated with the Idaho Republican Party by Dec. 30 each year to vote in the next year’s primary election. But if a voter was affiliated with a different political party any time within the 12 months prior to changing their affiliation, they would need to wait an additional 12 months after Dec. 30 to affiliate with the GOP. The same proposed rule also would allow GOP county central committees and GOP legislative committees to determine party affiliation and make endorsements in county and legislative races, respectively.
In a joint letter they publicly posted Wednesday night, the five Republican legislators said the proposed rule would counteract efforts by young Republicans working on college campuses and in churches to court first-time voters who registered with the Democratic Party. Those young party volunteers are trying to persuade such voters to switch their affiliation to the Republican Party.
In their letter opposing the rule, the five Republican legislators said Democrats are already more effective at registering young and first-time voters. This proposed rule change could limit how converted new voters are able to participate in the Republican Party, they said.
“By placing a 25-month restriction for Republican affiliation, the current rule will effectively eliminate any success made on campuses, churches, and in our communities with students and young families. We are essentially telling our young voters they are not able to participate in our primaries for potentially up to four years,” they wrote in the letter.
Proposed rule: Remove voting power from young, college and women GOP groups
Another proposed rule would stop the Idaho Young Republicans, Idaho College Republicans and Idaho Federation of Republican Women from voting on party matters as members of the Idaho Republican Party’s executive committee. As of now, each group’s leader has a voting seat on the committee; the rule would make them non-voting members.
“It takes effort to keep younger voters engaged. We can attest to that as five Young Republican legislators,” the legislators wrote in Thursday’s joint letter. “While these rule changes may look good to some on the surface, we are certain they will have unintended consequences that will negatively impact Republican prospects for the future.”
The Idaho GOP has considered versions of the proposal before — tabling it in January for consideration at this summer’s meeting. Those backing the proposal argued that the groups shouldn’t have a vote on the party’s core committee because they aren’t elected by party delegates, but rather by their own group members.
Tracey Wasden, president of the Idaho Federation of Republican Women, told the Idaho Capital Sun after January’s GOP winter meeting that Republican women of Idaho worked hard for the party and contributed nearly 44,000 volunteer hours in the last election cycle.
“Over 50 years ago, they put the women, the Idaho Young Republicans and the College Republicans on the executive board back when we were not considered a red state,” Wasden told the Sun at the time. “And we helped turn that around.”
According to the Idaho Republican Party’s website, party leaders who are eligible to vote on the rules and resolutions this weekend will include the following:
- Voting members of the state executive committee
- County Republican Party chairs
- State committeemen and state committeewomen
- The state youth committee person
- Legislative district chairs
Among the other rules and resolutions up for consideration this weekend is a proposal to hold a new presidential caucus on the first Saturday in March of a presidential election year — if the Idaho Legislature does not act by Oct. 1 to restore the presidential primary that it unintentionally eliminated earlier this year. There is also a competing proposed rule to create a new Republican state presidential preference convention. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/government-politics/high-profile-idaho-republicans-speak-out-against-gop-proposals-as-party-leaders-gather-to-vote/article_90386728-1237-11ee-b532-4311a5f40fcf.html | 2023-06-24T11:45:50 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/government-politics/high-profile-idaho-republicans-speak-out-against-gop-proposals-as-party-leaders-gather-to-vote/article_90386728-1237-11ee-b532-4311a5f40fcf.html |
TWIN FALLS — Just how impressive is Shoshone Falls, the “Niagara of the West”?
With increased flows that began last week sending an additional 3,000 cfs of water cascading over the falls, it is quite the sight, said Rudy Castillo, of Stockton, California, who was visiting Friday.
The raging water, which is strong enough to send a refreshing mist onto onlookers’ faces, is a spectacle deserving a second trip to see before heading back to California next week, Castillo said.
“I’ll be back for sure,” he said.
The additional water isn’t just enough to impress tourists, who were in plentiful numbers and were seen taking selfies with the thundering falls in the background.
Shirl Bennett of Twin Falls, was also there on Friday. They are pretty, she said, and recounted the high water that was seen in 1997.
People are also reading…
She occasionally visits Shoshone Falls and nearby Dierkes Lake.
And then there are people who grew up in Magic Valley but now live elsewhere.
Shoshone Falls brings back fond memories for Willene Griffin, who lived in Twin Falls during her childhood years but now lives in Boise. She said her family at that time didn’t have a lot of money, but a trip to Shoshone Falls was a great way to spend a relaxing day picnicking or having a family gathering.
“I loved it,” Griffin said. “It still holds a place in my heart.”
On Friday she organized a road trip with her friends, one of them being Debora Wilhelm, who grew up in the Boise area and had never made it to Shoshone Falls until now.
“This was my first opportunity,” Wilhelm said. “Nobody wanted to take me.”
The increased flows on the river are meant to improve salmon habitat as the water works its way down the Snake and Columbia rivers and are expected to last until July 11.
Increased numbers of visitors are expected to follow, and there is a sign on the road warning motorists that they might see delays getting to the falls.
There is a $5 vehicle fee to drive to the park, or season passes are available for purchase for $25. The fee is charged from March 1 through Sept. 30. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/oh-the-falls-increased-flows-impress-locals-tourists/article_14f254e2-121a-11ee-b5ce-7b85292728fd.html | 2023-06-24T11:45:57 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/oh-the-falls-increased-flows-impress-locals-tourists/article_14f254e2-121a-11ee-b5ce-7b85292728fd.html |
Classic auto enthusiasts probably remember the term “sleeper” as applying to an ordinary looking car — like the kind your parents drove to work or to get groceries — with a souped-up engine under the hood that enabled it to blow the doors off a Corvette.
That concept kind of applies to the home at 8501 Fremont Ave. in Margate, which is sited on an oversized corner lot that was originally two buildable lots conjoined into one by its original owner in the early 1960s.
The two-story, four-bedroom home, which features two full bathrooms and two half-baths (all completely refurbished), has a neat, traditional look to it from the street, with a vinyl siding-over-brick façade and a long front porch bordering an attached garage.
Once guests enter the home from the front walkway, however, jaws start dropping.
The current owner, who has lived there for about 12 years, completely gutted the interior when she first purchased the home. She then added personal touches that are as stunningly aesthetic as they are incredibly efficient, from a huge modern kitchen to a formal living room with original woodburning fireplace, a high-ceilinged family room with linear gas fireplace, and a bright formal dining room with oversized windows that was designed for large gatherings.
People are also reading…
There is upscale wainscoting, crown molding and decorative chandeliers in nearly every room, including the kitchen, plus gleaming original hardwood floors in all four upstairs bedrooms and luxurious porcelain tiles throughout most of the main living area. The wow factor does not end inside, either, as a humongous backyard is highlighted by a built-in grill area on a semi-enclosed paved patio that has its own sink and refrigerator.
Ironically — with a backyard that would be a grill afficionado’s paradise and a huge kitchen with double oven, modern stainless-steel appliances, custom cabinetry, dual wine fridges and granite countertops over abundant counterspace — the current owner would not place cooking among her passions.
“I don’t really like to cook, but I come from an Italian family and I do like holidays,” she says. “That’s why the dining room is as big as it is. I made two rooms into one room there, and installed much larger windows to make it bright and airy.”
As is the case with many major metropolitan areas, where home buyers pay a premium for being…
As someone with significant past experience in real estate, having owned properties in the Philadelphia area for 37 years, the owner developed a knack for knowing how to make a home as spectacular as it is functional.
“What I tend to do is just look through magazines and if I see something I like, I’ll cut it out and put it aside,” she says. “I’ll use those for ideas. When I bought this home, I sat in there day after day, and over time things just started coming together for me as far as what I wanted to do.”
The existing kitchen was not only completely redesigned, it was relocated from where it had been originally. She also installed a cozy back porch that steps down onto the patio-grill area, and reconfigured what had been an inside powder room into being a bathroom accessible from the backyard. The home — which could be subdivided back to two buildable lots, with Zoning Board approval, if future ownership were inclined go to that route — also has an enclosed outdoor shower and a storage shed that was added by the current owner.
Fremont Avenue is in a secluded section of Margate where off-street parking is usually readily available, even during the summer. It is known as a quiet area yet still close enough to all the activity on nearby Amherst and Monmouth avenues, where there is a plethora of dining and entertainment options.
The home is about half a block away from Jerome Avenue Park and its public playgrounds, ballfields, tennis and basketball courts. The nearby Milton & Betty Katz Jewish Community Center (JCCAtlantic.org) provides plenty of social, recreational and fitness opportunities, and the home is also within close proximity to Casel’s supermarket and a bustling Ventnor Avenue business district.
The home is easily accessible to Margate’s Downbeach Express, which directly connects Absecon Island to the mainland and even more dining and shopping options. The start of the six-mile Boardwalk through Atlantic City is a brisk walk or bike ride a few blocks away at the Ventnor border.
“It’s a nice neighborhood that’s wonderful in both summer and winter,” the owner says. “You’re away from the hustle and bustle and traffic, the bay is right there and there’s plenty of things close by.
“I’ve loved it here, but my three kids are grown and have moved out, and there was more going on when I bought 12 years ago than there is now. I don’t really need as much space.”
While the mastermind behind the design of the magnificent Ventnor home at 5801 Atlantic Ave.…
For more information or to take a tour of this luxurious Margate home, qualified buyers can call the direct line of listing agent Paula Hartman at 609-271-7337 or Todd Gordon at 609-553-5098, or the office of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach at 609-487-7234. Prospective buyers can also email Paula at redheadedrealtor@aol.com or Todd at todd.acrealtor@gmail.com.
This article was sponsored by Paula Hartman of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox & Roach. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/traditional-looking-margate-home-gives-way-to-stunningly-exquisite-interior/article_28161172-110b-11ee-884b-afda624b6b12.html | 2023-06-24T11:48:20 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/traditional-looking-margate-home-gives-way-to-stunningly-exquisite-interior/article_28161172-110b-11ee-884b-afda624b6b12.html |
Due to significant delays on the production side because of a server outage, delivery of Saturday's Arizona Daily Sun may be delayed this morning, though an ETA is not known at this time. For questions, please call the circulation team at 928-913-8618. The e-Edition will still be available as usual.
alert top story
Daily Sun delivery delayed Saturday, June 25 due to production delays
- DAILY SUN STAFF
- 0
Related to this story
Most Popular
In many ways the structure, tucked on a hill and behind some ponderosa pines off Herold Ranch Road, looks much like any other house under cons…
The group has until July 6 to gather just over 2,600 signatures on the petition.
Driver's medical emergency leads to fatality on Highway 89; CCSO says an investigation is underway.
Overall, the results showed that students had made progress during the 2022-2023 school year.
Officials say departments tasked with snow-clearing operations were understaffed. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/daily-sun-delivery-delayed-saturday-june-25-due-to-production-delays/article_30cb3f96-125e-11ee-9caa-ff358083fc73.html | 2023-06-24T11:56:49 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/daily-sun-delivery-delayed-saturday-june-25-due-to-production-delays/article_30cb3f96-125e-11ee-9caa-ff358083fc73.html |
LIVING CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH Jun 25 — 500 W. Riordan Road, 500 W. Riordan Road, Flagstaff. 928-526-8595. 10-11 a.m., We invite all to celebrate with us God's love and presence in our lives and be God's hands in the world. We are intentionally inclusive. We worship through music, teaching, prayer, and the sacraments each Sunday at 10 a.m., at the Campus Ministry Center located on the NAU campus or join us online. Join Rev. Kurt Fangmeier for the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost! God does not promise that the path of the disciple will be easy. Jeremiah feels the pain of rejection from those who do not want to hear what he has to say. Jesus declares that his words may bring stark division. Even so, we need not be afraid for God accounts for each hair on our heads. Though we may experience rejection, frustration, division, and death, God’s grace and love make us a new creation each day. Marked with the cross and filled with holy food, we are sent from worship to witness to Christ in the world. We will learn more with our First Reading of Jeremiah 20:7-13 (The prophet must speak despite opposition), Psalm 69:7-10[11-15] 16-18 (Answer me, O Lord, for your love is kind.) and the Second Reading of Romans 6:1b-11(Buried and raised with Christ by baptism) together with the Gospel Matthew10:24-39 (The cost of discipleship). https://go.evvnt.com/1805918-0.
People are also reading…
PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH Jun 25 — 3430 N. Fourth St., 3430 N. Fourth St., Flagstaff. 928-526-9578. 10-11 a.m., We invite you to join the family of Peace Lutheran Church (LCMS) on Sunday at 10:00am for in person blended service (Combined Liturgical, hymnal based and Praise Worship) with Holy Communion. Pastor William Weiss Jr. (Pastor Bill) will be presiding. The service will be live streamed on our website (peacelutheranflagstaff.org) and on YouTube. Fellowship and refreshments are available before the worship service beginning 9:15am. https://go.evvnt.com/1802992-0.
BEACON UU SUNDAY SERVICE: "Faith for Those Who Question" Jun 25 — Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff. (928) 779-4492. 10-11 a.m., ALL ARE WELCOME! You BELONG at Beacon. Spiritually open and intentionally inclusive since 1958. Unitarian-Universalists have a long history of asking deep questions. Dr. Andy Hogg will explore how we can experience faith within our broad spiritual belief system. He will illustrate some of those concepts with classical music selections from Beethoven, Strauss, Copland, Holst, and Mozart. Spirituality needs to involve head, heart, and soul. The Annual Congregational Meeting will follow the service. https://go.evvnt.com/1792657-0.
Unity of Flagstaff Spiritual Center Jun 25 — Unity of Flagstaff, 1800 S. Milton Road, Flagstaff. 10:30-11:30 a.m., www.unityofflagstaff.org youtube.unityofflagstaff.org 1800 S. Milton Suite 103 Live or LIVESTREAM 10:30 AM Sunday Do you GET It? The Art of Receiving: Learning to receive gracefully is one of the greatest arts we can master. Receiving is what enables the action of giving to take place; it is a necessary complement and a gift to the giver. However, have you noticed how difficult it can be? Shying away from receiving is even encouraged and can be seen as a sign of humility. Rev. Penni invites us into a new thought about receiving: Perhaps we can see it as an art. And does the inability to receive the good that the Universe has for us impede more good from coming to us? In our hurry to avoid receiving, what message are we sending? How could Spirit bless us more were we to learn The Art of Receiving? Unity of Flagstaff Spiritual Center, Find YOUR Expression. ALL are Welcome!. https://go.evvnt.com/1806268-0.
Flagstaff Federated Community Church Please join us for in person services Sundays at 10 a.m. We are located at 400 W Aspen Ave. on the corner of Aspen and Sitgreaves in Downtown Flagstaff. All are welcome to our services. For more information about Flagstaff Federated Community Church please call our office at 928-774-7383, Mon – Thurs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Church of the Resurrection Sunday Church Services 740 W. University Heights Drive S., 740 W. University Heights Drive S., Flagstaff. 928-853-8522. 10-11:30 a.m., Church of the Resurrection Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): We invite you to join us for worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays at 740 W. University Heights Drive South. Please feel free to contact us for information on our mid-week gatherings and for more information on our church. You can find us at www.cor-pca.org and www.facebook.com/CORFlagstaff or we can be reached at corflagstaff@gmail.com and (928) 699-2715.
Leupp Nazarene Church The church, near mile post 13 or Navajo Route 15, has been holding services by teleconferences and doing drive-up meetings. For information, call pastor Farrell Begay at 928-853-5321. Teleconference number: 1-7170275-8940 with access code 3204224#. Services are 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.
Christian Science Society of Flagstaff 619 W. Birch Ave. Bible Lesson services every Sunday 10-11am (Zoom option: https://zoom.us/j/369812794). Testimony Meetings every Wednesday: 5:30-6:30pm (Zoom option: https://zoom.us/j/971672834). Zoom password: CSS. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-religion-news-for-june-24-2023/article_1ffa1646-1214-11ee-a560-83390be08e35.html | 2023-06-24T11:56:55 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-religion-news-for-june-24-2023/article_1ffa1646-1214-11ee-a560-83390be08e35.html |
Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative recently announced its partnership with CoBank in a $10,000 donation to Oregon Coast Community Action (ORCCA) for its energy assistance program.
CoBank, a national cooperative bank that provides financial services to rural America, matched the Cooperative’s $5,000 donation through its “Sharing Success” grant program. The Sharing Success program is intended to support and celebrate the vital role that cooperatives play in rural communities across the nation.
“We are delighted to partner with CoBank to support ORCCA’s energy assistance program,” said Keith Buchhalter, marketing and member service manager at CCEC. “This program provides much-needed financial assistance to vulnerable populations within our service territory. We are proud to do our part to help our community members who are struggling to pay their energy bills.”
ORCCA’s energy assistance programs provide help with heating, cooling, and electricity bills for low-income households. The funds will specifically aid CCEC members who require assistance with their power bills and may not qualify for other assistance programs.
“This grant opportunity throws a life-ring to some of our members,” said Buchhalter. “The energy assistance helps them through a time of need. It provides stability and peace of mind as they work toward a brighter future.”
Established in 2012, the Sharing Success program by CoBank has provided substantial funding to rural communities across the nation. Together with its partners, CoBank has contributed over $44 million to various organizations, including volunteer fire departments, local schools, and hunger relief programs. Coos-Curry Electric Cooperative has been actively participating in the Sharing Success matching grant program since 2013. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/coos-corry-electric-cobank-donate-10-000-to-energy-assistance-program/article_f3dc8ac0-11e2-11ee-b9f3-bf207ece0787.html | 2023-06-24T11:59:22 | 1 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/coos-corry-electric-cobank-donate-10-000-to-energy-assistance-program/article_f3dc8ac0-11e2-11ee-b9f3-bf207ece0787.html |
2,300 marijuana plants found at illegal grow operation in Westlake
The Lane County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency executed a search warrant Tuesday at a property in Westlake and found 2,300 marijuana plants and other growing rooms.
Deputies detained an individual and seized $20,000 in cash and a 2023 Dodge TRX truck valued at more than $80,000. The individual cited and released on marijuana-related charges. Additional charges are being considered.
The property was in the 7400 block of Maple Creek. Deputies believe the operation typically grew about 5,000 marijuana plants at a time and had been operating for at least two years, according to a news release from the Sheriff's Office.
The property was not licensed by the state to grow marijuana. The Sheriff's Office said it believes the marijuana was shipped out of state. The detained individual had been previously arrested in Washington for similar crimes.
Lane County Code Enforcement also found violations on the property including:
- Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work without permits or inspections.
- Interior structural changes to existing agricultural buildings and single-family dwelling without permits or inspections.
- Replacement of agricultural building without permits.
- Use of agricultural buildings for an unlawful purpose.
- Unsafe storage of hazardous materials, including CO2 tanks.
- Commercial marijuana growing in the Impacted Forestlands Zone without land use approval.
The State Watermaster also responded and found illegal water use on the property and issued a notice of violation. The operation used about 70,000 KWH hours of electricity per month. The average home uses about 1,500-3,000 KWH per month.
This law enforcement effort was funded by a grant from the State of Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to mitigate large-scale illegal marijuana operations. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/2300-marijuana-plants-found-at-illegal-grow-site-in-westlake-oregon-lane-county-fda/70352497007/ | 2023-06-24T12:06:03 | 0 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/2300-marijuana-plants-found-at-illegal-grow-site-in-westlake-oregon-lane-county-fda/70352497007/ |
In brief: ShelterCare upgrades, University Park proposal
Renovation of ShelterCare Medical Recuperation facility complete
Renovations to ShelterCare Medical Recuperation (SMR), an 18-bed facility that serves houseless individuals while they recover from a medical event, have been completed, thanks to community support, spokesperson Alyssa Gilbert said.
The $122,000 in renovations included paving and widening a sidewalk to a gazebo, adding a wheelchair ramp to a deck where residents' rooms are located, installing air conditioning in each unit, and updating the electrical system throughout the facility, Gilbert said.
She said the Eugene nonprofit was able to raise $109,000 from donors and partners for the renovations.
"These renovations allow us to better serve those with respiratory illnesses (such as COPD), which are exacerbated by wildfire smoke in the summer, and those with a physical disability which require them to use items like wheelchairs or walkers," she said in a news release.
The recuperation program provides shelter-based services with staff support centered around connectingindividuals with continued medical services for acute medical conditions, and transition planning to secure shelter or housing when they leave.
Springfield healthcare professional wins award
Tina Noland, who works in Springfield, was among five PeaceHealth employees in Oregon, Washington and Alaska honored with PeaceHealth's 2023 Mission and Values Award.
This award recognizes inspiring caregivers living PeaceHealth’s mission and values of social justice, stewardship, respect and collaboration.
Known for her "above-and-beyond" attitude, Noland, a supply chain manager at PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend, was recognized for her volunteer activity.
Since 2008, Noland has volunteered to help with the annual Thanksgiving Basket project. In 2019, she stepped up to lead the project. The program provides a turkey and all the trimmings to area families that might not otherwise be able to afford the traditional holiday meal. Noland coordinates volunteers and donors to gather supplies and distribute the baskets to hundreds of households every year.
In 2022, Noland led the supply chain team in assisting with the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. That same year, she led a project to save $2.1 million in operating room supplies.
Eugene Parks and Open Space seeks public input ahead of renovations
Eugene Parks and Open Space will host a community meeting on Tuesday, June 27 as it seeks public input on the renovation of University Park.
Staff will present the latest landscape designs before giving the floor to community members for questions and comments. Currently in its first round of drafts, the renovation plan will be funded by the 2018 parks and recreation bond.
All ages are welcome to RSVP through the city website and attend the meeting, which will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. in the Hilyard Community Center, 2580 Hilyard Street in Eugene. Those unable to attend in person can participate online by attending virtually and taking the online survey. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/eugene-in-brief-sheltercare-upgrades-university-park-proposal/70340623007/ | 2023-06-24T12:06:09 | 1 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/eugene-in-brief-sheltercare-upgrades-university-park-proposal/70340623007/ |
Lawsuit claims Springfield Police overreacted, stifled rights at 2022's 'Night of Rage'
A year after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, the Civil Liberties Defense Center has filed a federal lawsuit alleging police overreaction to a protest outside of an anti-abortion pregnancy clinic in Eugene.
The lawsuit is filed on behalf of Amanda Becker-Henske, a 42-year-old medic, and claims Springfield Police Officer Brian Bragg physically assaulted her by pushing her, hitting her with his baton and kicking a container at her. The lawsuit's defendants are Bragg and the City of Springfield.
During the protest, Eugene Police Department requested support from Springfield Police Department.
Becker-Henske is seeking compensatory damages, including punitive damages against Bragg, for violating the "civil rights guaranteed to her through the First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, namely the rights to freedom from excessive force, deliberate indifference to health and safety, and First Amendment retaliation."
Springfield Police told the Register-Guard that the city has received the lawsuit and it is being reviewed.
Lawsuits pile up:Lawsuits, claims against sheriff, police in Springfield, Eugene have cost $10M in 5 years
Lawsuits against Springfield add up
This is the latest in a list of lawsuits Springfield has settled or is still facing relating to police behavior towards the public.
Springfield has paid out millions of dollars for lawsuits alleging inappropriate police behavior over the past five years, including $4.5 million to the family of Stacy Kenny, a transgender woman who police shot and killed in March 2019 during a traffic stop, and $2 million in 2019 to the family of Tyson Christian, who died in the Springfield Municipal Jail from what police called a "medical emergency" in October 2015.
A lawsuit filed by Eugene-based Black liberation group Black Unity and protesters alleging Springfield officers stifled their free-speech rights during protests against the killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020 is still working its way through federal courts. Bragg is also named in this lawsuit.
Another federal lawsuit filed by resident Ashley Carr in 2021 alleged Springfield Officer Joseph Burke unlawfully detained her and harassed her base on her race after she reached out about concerns about a neighboring hanging a skeleton on a noose in his yard.
The lawsuit claims Burke accused Carr, a Black woman, and a friend who was with her of “not belonging in that neighborhood and of being with ‘that mob,’ ” referring to the activist group Black Unity.
Earlier this year, Burke was recorded on a live radio show suggesting to a woman faced with violating the city's camping ban that she might want to go to Eugene.
Eugene's 'Night of Rage'
On June 24, 2022, after the Dobbs decision struck down Roe v. Wade, protests emerged around the country. One nationwide and anonymous call to action was called the 'Night of Rage.'
Locally, the protest took place at 11th Avenue and Ferry Street outside Dove Medical Center, an anti-abortion clinic that offers pregnancy services such as "decision coaching," according to its website. A digital flier advertising the protest instructed participants to "bloc up," meaning to wear black clothing that would help to hide their identities, and included at the bottom the tagline "If abortions aren't safe, then they aren't either."
The protest began at about 10 p.m. Eugene police were there in force and the situation quickly became antagonistic, according to reporting from the Register-Guard. Eugene police arrested 10 people between the ages of 18-29 before the protest ended, according to a news release.
Eugene police blocked the protesters from approaching Dove Medical Center, using a line of vehicles and officers. As the crowd of protesters grew and moved into the street, police issued warnings to disperse.
Eugene police called in Springfield officers and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Officers fired pepper balls without chemicals inside them at protesters' "feet and legs," the news release from Eugene Police said.
At about 12:40 a.m., some protesters linked arms in the middle of Ferry Street as officers ordered them to leave the roadway. Officers pulled some of them out of the line and arrested them, bringing them to a nearby transport van. Officers and protesters fought during the arrests and officers fired more pepper balls at protesters.
The scene quieted down by about 1:30 a.m. with most police and protesters leaving over the next half hour.
Allegations against officer
Becker-Henske claims she attended the event as an observer and a medic. According to the lawsuit, she spoke with a Eugene Police sergeant who directed her where to stand — kitty-corner from the anti-abortion center that was the subject of the protest.
She wore a green cross patch and a shirt that said “Medic," as well as a backpack that said “Medic.” The lawsuit alleges that the arrival of Springfield Police brought more chaos to the protest with conflicting orders from officers regarding where to be.
According to the lawsuit, Bragg shoved his baton into Becker-Henske’s sternum, hard, and also hit her lip. It alleges he then kicked her eyewash container into her and then kicked it 15 feet back into someone else, breaking it. She was not arrested, told she was under arrest, or charged with a crime.
"Our complaint names both Officer Bragg and the City of Springfield because the pattern of abuses exhibited by Bragg and other SPD officers indicates that the city is a motivating force behind such behavior, either through active training and guidance, or turning a blind eye, and ratifying its officers’ misbehaviors," Marianne Dugan, senior staff attorney for the CLDC, said in a news release.
Contact reporter Tatiana Parafiniuk-Talesnick at Tatiana@registerguard.com or 541-521-7512, and follow her on Twitter @TatianaSophiaPT. | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/lawsuit-claims-spd-overreacted-stifled-rights-at-abortion-protest/70351352007/ | 2023-06-24T12:06:15 | 1 | https://www.registerguard.com/story/news/local/2023/06/23/lawsuit-claims-spd-overreacted-stifled-rights-at-abortion-protest/70351352007/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A man is dead, another suffered critical injuries and two more were also hospitalized after a shooting reported just past midnight at the address of a banquet hall near Pine Hills, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies responded at 12:10 a.m. Saturday to 2620 N. Hiawassee Road, the listed address of Unity Banquet Hall, locating a man who had been shot and was inside of a vehicle. The three other men who deputies said were shot in connection to what prompted multiple 911 calls from the 2600 block self-transported to area hospitals, a news release states.
Of the four victims — so far identified as being in their 20s and 30s — one of the men who self-transported was pronounced dead at a hospital, two were in stable condition at last check and the man from the vehicle was in critical condition, the sheriff’s office said.
No suspect or motive information was available at the time of this report.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
This is a developing story. Check back with News 6 for the latest updates.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/24/shooting-kills-1-in-orange-county-man-with-critical-injuries-among-3-others-wounded-deputies-say/ | 2023-06-24T12:13:23 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/24/shooting-kills-1-in-orange-county-man-with-critical-injuries-among-3-others-wounded-deputies-say/ |
The West Alabama Women’s Center in Tuscaloosa has new art on the walls of its spruced-up waiting room and a quieter vibe than last year, when it acted as a magnet for protesters carrying bullhorns and speakers.
Things have changed below the surface, too, for the facility that once served as the busiest abortion clinic in Alabama. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could outlaw abortion. As soon as the ruling came down, its providers stopped terminating pregnancies and helped about 100 patients shift their care to a clinic in Atlanta.
After a brief closure, West Alabama Women’s Center reopened last year with a different set of services, providing birth control, testing for sexually transmitted infections and prenatal care to local patients. On a recent Tuesday morning, medical director Dr. Leah Torres saw two patients nearing the ends of their pregnancies, both of whom had struggled to piece together care in the first two trimesters. Prenatal care has emerged as a major part of the clinic’s new offerings, a transformation that Marty said embodies her longtime goal to serve the state’s most vulnerable women.
“I think it’s completely consistent,” Marty said. “I have always been an activist whose major focus was the fact that people should be able to control their bodies in any way possible.”
Two of Alabama’s five abortion clinics closed after the ruling in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The remaining three have stopped offering terminations, but still provide other types of care.
Although adding prenatal and contraception care had always been part of Marty and Torres’ vision for West Alabama Women’s Center, the abrupt shift away from abortion has been difficult to navigate. Marty immediately encountered a maze of bureaucratic hurdles that have kept the clinic from having access to federal grants and drug reimbursement programs that make it easier to offer low-cost care. And the transition from a cash business providing abortions to a clinic that bills Medicaid and private insurance has taken longer than expected, leaving the center without reliable streams of income.
“We have applied for a grant that would be a year’s worth of funding, but we won’t know until September if we made it to the next round,” Marty said. “And I’m out of money in October if I don’t raise more.”
Marty and Torres have pledged to provide affordable care, but it’s expensive, and the clinic often loses money providing things like IUDs or supplies for women who may need to test and control their blood sugar, Marty said. Uninsured women are more likely to be in poor health when they arrive at the clinic and need more intensive, expensive treatments for conditions like preeclampsia or gestational diabetes that can cause complications or death.
The costs have drained the center’s bank account, and Marty has been fundraising constantly. She and the clinic have managed to tread water for a year.
“Those are the people we are really focused on at this moment, but unfortunately those are the people who both need the most care and are the most expensive and this is something we are not charging for,” Marty said. “We have raised $1 million in the last year and spent $1 million.”
Marty has another fundraiser planned soon. And she continues to work on the structural problems that have kept the clinic from gaining access to federal grants and insurance reimbursement.
Still, she said the clinic has struggled to make the transition in part because of the way abortion became illegal in states across the South. Marty said she believed the end was coming in December 2021, after a hearing at the U.S. Supreme Court in the Dobbs case. She knew Alabama had laws in place that could immediately kick in depending on how the justices ruled on the case.
“At that point, that was when we started planning for our pivot,” Marty said. “But we were basically stuck in this rock-and-a-hard place situation where we could have started to do all the processes that we needed in order to turn ourselves into a full-scale reproductive health center. But we didn’t have the time because there were still so many patients who needed abortions.”
Instead of winding down the abortion practice, the clinic ramped it up, accepting patients fleeing from places as far away as Texas, where laws had already limited termination. The average number of patient visits increased from 200 a month to 250, she said.
The number of average monthly patients has now dwindled to between 80 and 100, Marty said. But the patients they see now require more intensive care. Torres, who had moved to Alabama to provide abortions, said she chose to stay to help the women left behind.
“We knew before Dobbs happened that healthcare was not accessible for people without money,” Torres said. “The healthcare that was accessible was not the best quality. And then Dobbs happened. So that was only going to get worse.”
Although there has been a decrease of recorded abortions in Alabama and across the nation, so far health officials have not reported a surge in births. A spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Public Health said preliminary data shows a slight uptick in births and a slight decrease in infant mortality. Those numbers may not be complete, she said. Torres, who is trained as a gynecologist/obstetrician, has spent the last year caring for many women who have fallen though the cracks in the state’s safety net system.
“In order to obtain Medicaid of Alabama insurance, and one presumes that one is applying for Medicaid because one doesn’t have insurance, a doctor needs to administer a pregnancy test and write a letter,” Torres said. “Guess what’s really hard to do? Get a doctor’s appointment when you don’t have insurance.”
The West Alabama Women’s Center isn’t the only abortion organization that has pivoted to helping pregnant women in the wake of Dobbs. The Yellowhammer Fund, which provided money to patients to pay for abortions, has diverted part of its resources to providing diapers and other supplies to new moms. They also provide information about contraception and organizations that fund out-of-state abortion care, although they cannot directly assist people who want to terminate pregnancies. Jenice Fountain, executive director of the Yellowhammer Fund, said a handful of donors have pulled out so they can direct their funds to places where abortion remains legal.
“I’ve told them that’s a very dangerous stance to take for people in Alabama that are suffering under conservative legislation,” Fountain said. “People are still going to need care.”
Marty said it has been more difficult to raise money for the clinic after abortions stopped. When the Dobbs decision was announced, Marty took to social media to seek funding to help the remaining 100 patients scheduled for procedures travel to facilities out of state. About $180,000 flowed in over the next couple of days. It has taken an entire year for her to raise the same amount from small donors to keep the center afloat serving patients with contraception or prenatal care.
Marty said she wants to stay and do what she can to keep serving patients in an around Tuscaloosa.
“What we are doing, in my opinion, is just as important,” Marty said. “And it’s not just about the birth control and the prenatal care and the HIV and the trans. It’s about the fact that we know there are people who are going to be doing their own abortions. We want them to know that this is a safe place for them to go to if they have complications.” | https://www.al.com/local/2023/06/an-alabama-clinic-reinvented-itself-after-the-abortion-ban-but-struggles-to-stay-open.html | 2023-06-24T12:15:30 | 1 | https://www.al.com/local/2023/06/an-alabama-clinic-reinvented-itself-after-the-abortion-ban-but-struggles-to-stay-open.html |
Atlantic County on Friday issued the following traffic advisories for next week:
A single-lane alternating traffic pattern will be in effect on Millville Avenue in Hamilton Township between Wheeling and Pittsburgh avenues from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday.
There will be a detour on Head of the River Road between Lords Lane and Route 50 in Corbin City from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Local traffic will be permitted from Cape May Avenue and Route 50, but through traffic will not be permitted at times.
A detour will be in effect on Moss Mill Road between Pomona-English Creek Road and Wrangleboro Road on the border of Galloway Township and Port Republic from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday for pavement repair and resurfacing work. There will also be a single-lane alternating traffic pattern in effect along Pomona-English Creek Road between Moss Mill Road and Upper Pomona Avenue.
People are also reading…
Motorists should plan travel time accordingly or seek an alternate route. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-issues-traffic-advisories-for-4-towns/article_c150218e-11ec-11ee-a392-e7d0219d4b7e.html | 2023-06-24T12:31:52 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-issues-traffic-advisories-for-4-towns/article_c150218e-11ec-11ee-a392-e7d0219d4b7e.html |
Because of an IT outage Friday, production of The Press of Atlantic City was affected last night and delivery of your print delivery may be affected today.
You can still access your e-edition of today's newspaper and all of your latest news from South Jersey, by visiting www.pressofatlanticcity.com. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/production-issues-may-affect-delivery-of-todays-press-of-atlantic-city/article_aaf6cbbc-127e-11ee-aea5-dfedb9399e01.html | 2023-06-24T12:31:58 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/production-issues-may-affect-delivery-of-todays-press-of-atlantic-city/article_aaf6cbbc-127e-11ee-aea5-dfedb9399e01.html |
BLOOMINGTON — A Carbondale man is accused of failing to register as a sex offender.
Darryl R. Vinson, 60, is charged with violation of the Illinois Sex Offender Registration Act, a Class 2 felony.
According to court documents, Vinson was convicted in 1985 of aggravated criminal sexual assault in Jackson County and failed to report his residence in person to the Bloomington Police Department between April 23 and June 21.
Vinson's bond was set at $30,000 with 10% to apply for release.
He is also required to report to the Bloomington Police Department upon release to provide and update all information required by the sex offender registration act.
An arraignment was scheduled for July 14. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/carbondale-man-charged-with-sex-offender-registration-violation/article_2fa06fba-1209-11ee-a34c-8bbe06412e99.html | 2023-06-24T12:38:30 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/carbondale-man-charged-with-sex-offender-registration-violation/article_2fa06fba-1209-11ee-a34c-8bbe06412e99.html |
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh police are investigating after a man was shot overnight.
According to police, the 30-year-old man arrived at a hospital by private means just after 6 a.m.
Police said the victim had been shot once, but didn’t tell officers where he had been shot.
The man is currently in stable condition.
The investigation is ongoing.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/person-stable-condition-after-being-shot-least-twice/7CN54N54KRACBLDN3Q33M2EJBE/ | 2023-06-24T12:41:26 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/person-stable-condition-after-being-shot-least-twice/7CN54N54KRACBLDN3Q33M2EJBE/ |
Police are investigating after an officer on patrol discovered a man who had been shot to death on Kelly Drive early Saturday.
According to police, an officer was walking the 2200 block of Kelly Drive, near Temple University's East Park Canoe House and Saint Joseph's University's Gillin Boathouse on Boathouse Row at about 2:45 a.m., when they found a 30-year-old man who had been shot multiple times in a nearby parking lot.
Law enforcement officials said that the man was found laying next to a vehicle that had its hood open and hazard lights on, as if it had been having car trouble.
The vehicle had temporary tags from Delaware and, police said, it was reported stolen.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
Officials said the man -- who police have not yet shared the identity of -- was pronounced at the scene.
According to police there were no shell casings found at the scene, though there was one bullet recovered.
No arrests have yet been made and, officials said, no motive is yet known for this slaying, however, an investigation is ongoing.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-found-shot-to-death-along-boathouse-row/3591911/ | 2023-06-24T12:48:08 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-found-shot-to-death-along-boathouse-row/3591911/ |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Weather
Local
Sports
Entertainment
Investigators
Videos
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Watch NBC10 24/7 on Streaming Platforms
Phillies baseball
Wawa Welcome America
I-95 reopening
Expand
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-shot-to-death-near-kelly-drive-boathouses/3591910/ | 2023-06-24T12:48:14 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-shot-to-death-near-kelly-drive-boathouses/3591910/ |
ATLANTA — Funding was approved for the City of Atlanta to purchase and hand out free gun lock boxes to increase firearm responsibility and safety, according to a councilman at a recent meeting.
Atlanta Councilman Antonio Lewis proposed legislation in January aimed at preventing guns from being stolen and preventing accidental shootings. It's estimated 54% of gun owners do not securely lock up all of their firearms.
This week, Lewis announced the city would receive $227,746 from a federal grant to purchase the gun lock boxes.
"We're a gun totting community." Lewis said.
The councilman added that he typically brings his gun as long as it's allowed, but where it isn't, it's important to have a safe place to store them. He met with 11Alive at Cleveland Avenue Barbershop in his district, where the business does not allow firearms inside the shop.
"I have a cousin who had a gun stolen from this barbershop (parking lot), so I'm thinking about folks like that," he said.
He said that's why this initiative is so important to him because he wants to ensure gun owners are responsible. A gun owner himself admitted, "When I purchased my first firearm, I didn’t purchase a gun lock box with it."
Those ideals changed once he tied the knot, and his wife admitted she was not a big fan of guns.
Lewis hopes this initiative will help cut down on trends law enforcement often see across the city. That being guns stolen from vehicles and then later used in violent crimes.
Recently, we've seen several youths seriously hurt or killed by irresponsible gun owners.
Most recently, King Black, a 9-year-old in East Point, was shot and killed by another child. Police say the child was playing with a loaded Glock handgun inside a home, and the gun accidentally discharged. King was standing outside the front door, and the bullet hit him in the chest.
On Friday, we got an update on a 3-year-old Amir Porter, who got a hold of a handgun and ended up with a gunshot wound right above his eye.
It happened in January inside a Douglasville motel where Amir was staying with his dad at the time.
Amir's mom, Sierra Scott, sent the following update on her little guy:
"As of today my miracle baby is up running around with much energy thanks to the man above. My son had a traumatic brain injury. He had to learn how to walk and talk all over again and for that to happen to him he still has all his memories. He can tell you his name, age, birthday, he still knows all his colors and numbers.
There is not a day goes by that I don’t thank God for covering my baby from the top of his head to the soul of his feet. I just want to say to all gun owners especially with kids in the household to purchase gun locks. Me personally, I don’t think a gun should even be sold without a gun lock purchased.
No parent should have to ever experience the pain that I recently went through. Put all gun out of these kids reach!"
Lewis said their next step is to find a vendor to purchase the gun lock boxes. They believe the grant will cover between 9,000 - 11,000 gun lock boxes. Those looking to get one must be residents of the City of Atlanta to receive a free box.
Anyone interested in getting help securing their firearm can contact Project ChildSafe, which partners with many local law enforcement agencies to provide free cable-style gun locks. Find an agency nearby here. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/city-atlanta-thousands-free-gun-lock-boxes/85-e8bcaf01-ff8e-43a4-bc59-46d2b36ee543 | 2023-06-24T12:56:07 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/city-atlanta-thousands-free-gun-lock-boxes/85-e8bcaf01-ff8e-43a4-bc59-46d2b36ee543 |
8 a.m. Update:
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has learned that three men took themselves to nearby hospitals after an early morning shooting.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
When deputies arrived at the Unity Banquet Hall, they found a man with a gunshot wound inside a car.
The sheriff’s office said the man was taken to the hospital, where he is in critical condition.
According to a news release, there were four victims in the shooting, all men in their 20s and 30s. One man was pronounced dead at a hospital, and two other men are in stable condition.
Deputies said they do not have any suspect information yet and will provide updates as it becomes available.
Read: Saturday forecast: Hot, humid afternoon with evening storms
Earlier story:
A man has died, and another is in critical condition following a shooting overnight, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies said they received multiple 911 calls for a shooting on North Hiawassee Road near Silver Star Road around 12 a.m. Saturday.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they found a man had been shot, and he was taken to the hospital.
Read: Roads blocked after explosion at Ocala restaurant, police say
The sheriff’s office said another man took himself to the hospital, where he died.
Orange County deputies will continue to investigate the shooting.
Watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News at Noon for the latest updates.
See a map of the scene below:
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/1-man-dead-1-man-critical-condition-after-orange-county-shooting/KVHFBGBM45H2ZD3WRDQ7B4NP3U/ | 2023-06-24T13:00:13 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/1-man-dead-1-man-critical-condition-after-orange-county-shooting/KVHFBGBM45H2ZD3WRDQ7B4NP3U/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — It will be hot and muggy this afternoon, with highs expected to reach the low 90s, and heat index values will reach 100-103 degrees.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Meteorologist Kassandra Crimi said a more traditional setup would be in place for rain and storms Saturday.
Evening storms will develop along the sea breeze, and areas from the metro to our local beaches will see the best chance for rain.
Read: 1 man dead, 1 man in critical condition after Orange County shooting
We should expect isolated downpours and lots of lightning.
Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:
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/saturday-forecast-hot-humid-afternoon-with-evening-storms/II2LDCOTFZAUFDG2S7EGVZ3FU4/ | 2023-06-24T13:00:19 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/saturday-forecast-hot-humid-afternoon-with-evening-storms/II2LDCOTFZAUFDG2S7EGVZ3FU4/ |
TUPELO - Smoke rises from the rooftop of a building in downtown Tupelo, filling the air with the warm scent of fire, tobacco and spices. The din of conversation, boisterous and joyful, rises with it.
During the next half-hour or so, more and more members of Tupelo Smokes Cigar Club join in to celebrate the club’s 10th anniversary. Each is greeted with light fanfare as they step onto the rooftop, grab a drink at the small bar set up there, and light up a fresh cigar.
Amy Whatley of Tupelo is one of the early arrivals. A member for nine of the club’s 10 years, Whatley was Tupelo Smokes’ first female member.
When asked what brought her to the club — and cigar smoking in general — Whatley grins and shrugs.
“You pick your vices,” she says.
From nearby, Kayla Simpson — one of Whatley’s best friends both inside and outside of the club — lowers a cigar from her lips and lets loose a wry laugh.
“It’s not as bad as meth,” she says. “I’m going to smoke a cigar; I’m going to eat a doughnut and drink booze. Don’t judge me.”
Besides the love of a good cigar, there is often little connective tissue running among the 35 or so members of Tupelo Smokes. They come from different backgrounds, may share disparate political points of view or spiritual beliefs.
In fact, that seems to be the point.
“Cigars sort of level the playing field,” Whatley says. “No matter what walk of life you’re from, you can enjoy (a cigar). Whether you’re a forklift driver or a CEO, you can sit in a room and have a conversation, and nobody cares where you’re from or what you do.
“This …,” she says, holding out the smoldering cigar between her fingers, “... just bonds us in a way that other things don’t.”
Simpson nods.
“What sold me on becoming a member and really getting into this world is going into a room and knowing someone who was in the custodial business and a doctor are just sitting there and having a conversation,” she says. “They’re just people.”
What a cigar lover does for a living, how much money they have, doesn’t matter. The club’s membership includes a mix of entrepreneurs, business leaders and blue-collar workers.
“It’s just a unique environment,” Simpson says. “You’re no longer a title; you’re no longer a dollar amount; you’re just a person. Cigars are a great equalizer in society.”
Tim Jeter of New Albany joined the club roughly seven years ago. Like Whately and Simpson, he is eager to talk less about what he smokes than about with whom he smokes.
He is quick to claim he is not addicted to smoking cigars.
“I’m addicted to the environment it creates,” he says. “It brings a lot of people together who never would have been together otherwise. We’ve made a lot of beautiful relationships because of that.”
Part of that is built into the hobby itself. Cigars are meant to be enjoyed. Savored. The very act of lighting up a cigar is a clarion call to slow down. Take time. Enjoy the moment.
“You can take a cigarette break, but you can’t take a cigar break,” Jeter says. “A decent-sized cigar … it’s going to take you an hour, hour-and-a-half to smoke. Smoking a cigar is a planned event.”
It’s why he doesn’t care to smoke cigars on his own. He says doing so feels off, as if something crucial is missing from the process.
For him, Tupelo Smokes and its members have become integral to his de-stressing process. Being around people with different mindsets, personalities and viewpoints has changed his view of the world.
“We can have some of the most intense conversations about things that normally people would fight about — religion, sex, politics,” he says. “I tell people I need to intox to detox. It makes me a more level person.”
It’s difficult to say if this type of bonding is what Fred Pitts of Tupelo had in mind when he and his friend Jim Goodwin created the club a decade ago, although he knew the bonding power something as small and simple as a cigar — just paper, tobacco and fire — could have.
It was just the two of them during that first meeting. Smoking. Talking. Laughing. Although the group is now much larger — expanding, Pitts said, largely because of word-of-mouth — the overall flow of the monthly meetings has changed little over the years.
As he puffs a few times on his cigar — something medium … neither too light nor too rich — Pitts says he’s proud to see the club’s membership grow beyond those early days.
“It’s been good,” he says. “It’s a good group of (people) who basically have one thing in common: cigars.”
Now in his late 70s, Pitts has been smoking cigars off and on for over 40 years. Once a member of the Tupelo City Council, Pitts frequently traveled during his time in office, and as he did, he made it a point to stop in at a local cigar shop whenever visiting a town or city.
Inside the smoky haze of the cigar shop, Pitts says he always found people who were gracious with both time and conversation.
“No matter where you went, you thought you were from there in just a few moments,” Pitts says.
As more people drift up to the rooftop and join their friends in small talk, Pitts points to a basket sitting atop a small table. Unopened cigars fill the thing to the top.
Everybody brings an extra cigar to each meeting and tosses it into the basket, Pitts says.
“Sometime during the night, everyone will draw a cigar out of the basket,” he says. “The idea there is to get one that maybe you haven’t tried before.”
As a metaphor for the club, the practice is à propos. No matter who you are — blue collar, white collar, rich or poor — if you show up at a club meeting, you toss a cigar in the basket. It may be something expensive; it might be something cheap. It doesn’t really matter. All are welcome.
Just a stone’s throw away, huddled together around a table, Whatley, Simpson and Jeter share a joke. They sip their drinks and puff on their cigars, enjoying themselves and each other's company.
Jeter wears a big grin on his face.
“It’s a melting pot,” Jeter says of the club. “I’ve got some people who are such good friends, and I would have never known them … if we didn’t have cigars in common.”
Plumes of cigar smoke rise from the tight circle, swirling together into a singular cloud rising above the rooftops of downtown Tupelo.
Newsletters
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request. | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-smokes-cigar-club-celebrates-10-years-of-tobacco-and-conversation/article_f71b09b6-11db-11ee-af9a-df10d11d5242.html | 2023-06-24T13:02:05 | 1 | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/tupelo-smokes-cigar-club-celebrates-10-years-of-tobacco-and-conversation/article_f71b09b6-11db-11ee-af9a-df10d11d5242.html |
The Rudd Public Library is starting a new chapter, with plans for a new building at a new location following a December 2021 tornado.
There will be a groundbreaking in the lot next to the Rudd Gym at 10 a.m. Sunday. The location at the corner of Sixth and Floyd streets was sold to the library by the Rudd Community Betterment Committee for just one dollar.
The library will then partner with the Lion’s Club for a luncheon fundraiser to support efforts to rebuild after the twister that caused destruction throughout the town.
The event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 25 at the Rudd Fire Station will serve up Maid-rites, hot dogs, potato salad, beans, chips and bars for a free-will donation.
“It’s funny, but we don’t really have a lot of open property here in Rudd. There are a couple spots on Main, but they weren’t right. The museum made the decision to rebuild where they were, and we took the donated land,” Sharp said.
People are also reading…
On Dec. 15, 2021, Library Director Shelly Sharp made the decision to close the library early due to a high wind warning. At 4 o’clock, she dutifully locked the doors and went home. By 7:15 that evening an EF1 tornado had roared through the rural town, leaving a path of devastation.
Dan and Amy Leaman were among the first on scene at the library after the storm. Dan Leaman is a City Council member and Amy Leaman sat on the library board at the time.
“It’s something you never forget. I don’t even know how to describe it. Surreal. I can still hear the sound of the tin hanging and clanging on the wires,” she said. “This has been a long road. The project has brought a lot of stress to a lot of people, so it’s good to finally see the light of day on it.”
Kelly Leaman, (no relation to Amy and Dan) grew up in Rudd and was terrified by the news of the tornado she saw online. “Once we verified that my grandma was okay and hadn’t had any property damage, we got online and started looking at the news and the photos of the aftermath. It was surreal to see.”
She decided to start a GoFundMe to be as much help as she could. “I thought of my younger self, sitting on the floor, spending hours turning all those pages. I wanted to do it for her, but also for other young kids like her who found their happy place inside a book, “ she said.
The Rudd Historical Society Museum was heavily damaged by the storm and it’s collections scattered to the four winds.
“We were fortunate, in that there was no loss of life. What we did lose is nothing compared to that,” said Joyce Navratil, president of the historical society. “The old church building blew right over into the neighbor’s yard.”
“Folks are still finding items around town and returning them to us,” she adds.
Sharp estimates that the library lost about 60% of it’s collection of books. The public library is currently housed in City Hall. A significant reduction in space means the majority of books that were saved are still boxed up in storage. Those that are on the shelves have been commemorated with a small tornado sticker on the upper spine.
The decision to relocate the library meant the city had a space it could put to other use. The conclusion was to continue using the space for children, this time as a splash pad and playground. Construction is well underway and should be completed by the end of July.
The museum is hoping to complete construction by this fall with the sorting and display of the remaining collection to follow. Navratil says she and the committee are unsure of what is still in display condition as volunteers packed up and stored everything they could find the day after the tornado.
“It’s unknown still what’s there. We haven’t been in to go through everything since it happened,” she said.
Construction of the library should be complete in about 10 months. Amy Leaman is looking forward to the library having a dedicated space again. “It hasn’t been too much for our older residents, but the kids are used to a kid space. They aren’t as comfortable at City Hall,” she said.
Sharp is grateful for the support of the Rudd community, people across the state and even donors from across the country. “Our tornado siren was destroyed in the storm, and someone from Oklahoma sent us a new one,” she said.
Stanley Johnson is a Lion’s Club member and wanted to make an impact for the library. He and others collaborated to provide seven Lenovo computers and a high quality printer. “It’s a nice printer, but we were a few dollars short. I pitched in some and others pitched in some and we got it for them,” he said.
It’s that community spirit that has buoyed organizers of the rebuilding efforts. Johnson’s wife, Lynne, is mixing up five gallons of potato salad for the fundraiser, and folks are already signed up to greet and serve 200 or so guests expected Sunday.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the new library, and I hope it can become a place where future little kids can make their own memories like I did,” said Kelly Leaman.
Organizers welcome donations of newly published materials for the library, historical items for the museum and cash donations. At this time, only new books are being accepted due to storage concerns. Checks may be sent to P.O Box 305 for the library and P.O. Box 282 for the museum. Both are Rudd, Iowa 50471.
Rudd Fire Station is located at 60 Floyd St. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/rudd-library-fundraiser-historical-society-museum-fire-station/article_22944f9a-110e-11ee-a3fc-df9879d36ec8.html | 2023-06-24T13:02:42 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/rudd-library-fundraiser-historical-society-museum-fire-station/article_22944f9a-110e-11ee-a3fc-df9879d36ec8.html |
WHITING — Whiting officials have declared the week of June 26 Unity Week in the city.
Mayor Steve Spebar said a proclamation designating the week as such was read at both a City Council meeting and a Board of Public Works meeting on June 20.
The proclamation states the city is "committed to supporting visibility, dignity, and equality for all people in our diverse community."
It is in response to a large crowd that attended a June 6 City Council meeting after a sign was posted by by someone on a pole near the Whiting Public Library. The sign encouraged the boycotting of businesses that support Pride Month, according to Spebar.
It's not known who posted the sign, officials said.
The sign was removed by a city worker shortly after Spebar was notified of its presence.
People are also reading…
Pride Month is typically celebrated in June as a way to celebrate LGBTQ+ pride.
Several people addressed the mayor and City Council at the June 6 meeting andasked the city consider a proclamation stating that it recognizes June as Pride Month.
Spebar said the Unity Week proclamation does not specify one particular group but encompasses all.
"I felt and the Council felt it was important to make a statement that we don't condone any discrimination in the city of Whiting," Spebar said. "We want all our residents to be equally treated and feel welcome here. And we thought that a proclamation serves that purpose by mentioning all groups, all individuals, need to be respected."
The proclamation encourages "residents to display unity, civility, and tolerance in our daily lives" and asks people to eliminate prejudice wherever it exists.
It says education and awareness are "vital to end discrimination and prejudice regardless of race, creed or sexual orientation." | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/whiting-celebrates-unity-week/article_52c696ea-11e1-11ee-a5da-ff087b470327.html | 2023-06-24T13:03:16 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/whiting-celebrates-unity-week/article_52c696ea-11e1-11ee-a5da-ff087b470327.html |
Two of California's largest home insurance providers are freezing sales of their home policies, triggering calls of extortion by a local watchdog group.
WAUKON — A district court judge has found in favor of a New Hampton woman who was given bad checks for consignment merchandise sold at a Minnesota store.
The Minnesota store’s owner is a Waterloo woman who is awaiting trial for arson in connection with a suspicious fire at her other retail location in Waukon, Iowa.
Marsha Angell said she had an agreement with Tin Rust and Harmony in Harmony, Minn., to sell her craft and vintage gift items at the shop in 2021. The store – operated by Mindy Jo Jones, also known as Mindy Riley – was to keep 25% of the price and pay her the rest on a monthly basis.
Angell also loaned Jones $10,000 in 2020.
And when Angell eventually decided against the consignment arrangement, the two reached an agreement for the store to buy the leftover inventory in the shop for 35% to 50% off.
But Angell said in court records that consignment checks she received – ranging from $3,623 to $8,461 – in March, June and August 2021 bounced. And she didn’t receive a check for one month’s worth of sales in the summer of 2021.
She never received repayment for the loan, and the check for the leftover inventory was $792 short, Angell claimed.
She filed a suit against Jones and Tin Rust and Harmony in October 2022.
The case went to a bench trial in June 2023. Jones didn’t show up for the trial, and her attorney had removed himself from the case months earlier.
Judge Richard Stochl entered a judgment awarding Angell $55,750, which includes $5,359 in attorney fees and $1,876 in interest.
A criminal trial regarding financial troubles surrounding Jones’ Harmony, Minn., store is pending in Fillmore County, Minnesota.
The Minnesota store has since closed.
Trial for arson charges in the February 2022 fire at her Waukon shop has been scheduled for October in Allamakee County District Court in Waukon.
10 weird traffic laws you don't know you're breaking
10 weird traffic laws you don't know you're breaking | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/consignment-case-verdict-against-gift-shop-owner/article_4f348a6a-11db-11ee-951f-afc5fd7e9b52.html | 2023-06-24T13:06:54 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/consignment-case-verdict-against-gift-shop-owner/article_4f348a6a-11db-11ee-951f-afc5fd7e9b52.html |
CEDAR FALLS — 2023 will mark the second year fireworks are allowed to be legally shot off in Cedar Falls since a change in state law lifted Iowa’s prohibition.
Fireworks tents already have begun to pop up in advance of the celebration of Independence Day. Last year, fireworks were allowed to be used three days around the holiday, but this year the window only includes two – 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, July 3, and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday, July 4.
“We want people to stay within that window,” said Police Chief Mark Howard. “It just makes it easier for everyone. We have to remember there’s a lot of people that don’t like fireworks and are affected by fireworks. If they are going to use them during that time, make sure their neighbors know.”
Officials emphasize Cedar Falls will enforce the ordinance as a “zero-tolerance policy” and remind residents and visitors they could be charged with a simple misdemeanor, meaning a court visit and a minimum $250 fine if found guilty.
Only first-class, second-class and novelty consumer fireworks are allowed to be purchased, not commercial combustible ones. They can only be shot off on a user’s own private property or on a property for which the owner has given consent.
Public property, like in parks, sidewalks or streets, are not allowable spots to use fireworks under the ordinance.
The Cedar Falls Public Safety Department will assemble separate teams from its regular patrols to help with strict enforcement, especially over the weekend Friday, June 30, Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2.
Officers will focus most of their enforcement on that weekend, as well as the evening hours July 3 and 4, as well as potentially July 5.
Officials encourage residents not to be afraid to call if they learn of fireworks being used in an inappropriate manner or outside the legal window.
“The more we address it each year going forward with the zero tolerance policy, the more we can get people to use the legal window created by council each year,” said Howard.
It is a change from last year, when the timeframe was between noon and 11 p.m. July 4 and noon to 10 p.m. July 3 and 5.
Howard also reminds the public that it really does come down to courtesy in a lot of cases. One example of a call his department will often receive pertains to property owners who didn’t pick up leftover trash and debris left behind after using the fireworks.
Additionally, Fire Chief John Zolondek is reminding the public of safety precautions, as well as to use the fireworks as instructed and intended.
“Don’t shoot them off indoors and definitely not at each other,” said Zolondek. “We’ve noticed the last few years the importance to having a platform, something sturdy. A lot of them are in canisters or a tube that they put in their backyard, but their backyard is uneven. They light them and run away, and they go in a direction they don’t want them to go.”
“Keep them away from exposures, which are houses, garages, and sheds,” he added. “I know some people’s yards are limited, but the further away you can stay from those things the better.”
To dispose of fireworks, he says, put the remains in a bucket of water, let them sit there and cool off before throwing them away in the trash bin.
“We always get three or four garbage can fires or small grass fires,” he said. “With it being so hot and dry, it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a hose close by if you’re introducing hot embers and sparks to a dry backyard.”
“And be aware if something falls or tips over,” he added. “Just go make sure it’s out.”
The City Council played around with the ordinance most of last year. The current version of the ordinance, adopted in December, allows fireworks to be used 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 4 each year, unless the council passes a resolution between January and March to allow for an additional day.
That’s what happened this year when council set the parameters for July 3, as well.
“I’m not a fireworks person and don’t light them, but it is a celebration of our country and freedoms,” said Howard. “I love that the council has decided to give the citizens an opportunity to do that. It’s just the courtesy part that has to remain. We have to remember that many animals and people are affected by fireworks and we have to be courteous of that and conscious of that.”
The 2024 presidential field, in the order they've announced | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-and-politics/fireworks-receive-attention-around-july-4/article_b2f97fa8-06e9-11ee-bdac-e3cbd59fddff.html | 2023-06-24T13:07:00 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-and-politics/fireworks-receive-attention-around-july-4/article_b2f97fa8-06e9-11ee-bdac-e3cbd59fddff.html |
WATERLOO -- A reception and exhibition opening will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial St. The party, hosted by Friends of the Art Center, will celebrate the retirement of WCA Executive Director Kent Shankle. It will also mark the opening of a new exhibition, “WTF (What The Fun)?”
Shankle is retiring after 28 years as cultural and arts director for the City of Waterloo and 35 years of service in the Cedar Valley arts community.
Bob Dorr & Friends will present live music. There will be refreshments.
PHOTOS Treasure Chest of wonderful, weird objects at Cedar Valley museums, galleries
WCA 1
Waterloo Center for the Arts Curator Chawne Paige holds “Running Jaguar and the Mystery of the Cob," created by Jacobo and Maria Angeles from Oaxaca, Mexico, a piece in the center's permanent collection.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
WCA 5
Sculptures in storage at the Waterloo Center for the Arts' permanent collection.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
WCA 3
Marvin Cone’s “I Have Loved the Unloved" is on display at the Waterloo Center for the Art's gallery.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
WCA 2
Waterloo Center for the Arts Curator Chawne Paige and Registrar Elizabeth Andrews unpack a new addition to the center's collection.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Cedar Falls Historical 1
Julie Huffman-Klinkowitz, collections manager at the Cedar Falls Historical Society, pulls a coat made from stallion hide out of its storage box on April 21 in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Cedar Falls Historical 2
The coat, which belonged to Mathias Sadler, a German who arrived in the United States in 1895, is part of the permanent collection at the Cedar Falls Historical Society.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Cedar Falls Historical 3
A woman’s three-speed bicycle made by John Deere that dates from 1972-1978, was recently donated to the historical society.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Cedar Falls Historical 4
A storage area in the Cedar Falls Historical Society.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
Cedar Falls Historical 5
A garment storage area in the Cedar Falls Historical Society.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
UNI Art 1
University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art Director Darrell Taylor removes a Robert Rauschenberg lithograph, titled "Post Rally, edition 36/42," from an archive shelf on April 8 in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
UNI Art 3
University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art Director Darrell Taylor uncovers a piece from the gallery's collection on April 8 in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
UNI Art 4
University of Northern Iowa Gallery of Art Director Darrell Taylor talks about new additions to the gallery's collection on April 8 in Cedar Falls.
CHRIS ZOELLER Courier Staff Photographer
100820bp-uni-gallery-art-6
Rembrandt etching at the UNI Gallery of Art.
BRANDON POLLOCK
100820bp-uni-gallery-art-5
John Dabour pastel on canvas on board-UNI Gallery of Art. Photographed Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Cedar Falls, IA.
BRANDON POLLOCK
100820bp-uni-gallery-art-7
Gregorian chant vellum and ink-UNI Gallery of Art. Photographed Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, in Cedar Falls, IA.
BRANDON POLLOCK
100820bp-uni-gallery-art-4
George Grosz watercolor and ink on paper-UNI Gallery of Art in Cedar Falls.
BRANDON POLLOCK
Grout 1
Nicholas Erickson, Grout Museum of History and Science registrar, lifts a doll out of a toy box belonging to Diane Broessel, who grew up in Waterloo in the 1940s.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Grout 2
Nicholas Erickson, Grout Museum of History and Science registrar, handles a rifle from the museum's collection.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Grout 3
Nicholas Erickson, Grout Museum of History and Science registrar, looks over one of the museum's storage rooms.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Grout 4
One of the storage rooms at the Grout Museum of History and Science.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Grout 5
Nicholas Erickson, Grout Museum of History and Science registrar, places a boxed quilt back onto a shelf in one of the museum's storage rooms.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Hearst 1
Emily Drennen, the curator/registrar for the Hearst Center of the Arts, holds up a water color painting by Marjorie Nuhn titled "Atalya Hill, Santa Fe," a piece in the center's permanent collection.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Hearst 2
A storage room in the Hearst Center of the Arts holds many pieces of the center's permanent collection.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Hearst 3
Emily Drennen, the curator/registrar for the Hearst Center of the Arts, looks over Ruth Hardinger’s “Tres Tiempos,” a new acquisition for the center's permanent collection.
CHRIS ZOELLER, Courier Staff Photographer
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/party-marks-kent-shankle-retirement-from-waterloo-center-for-the-arts/article_79a3ed1e-1126-11ee-a286-2bbe61001222.html | 2023-06-24T13:07:06 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/party-marks-kent-shankle-retirement-from-waterloo-center-for-the-arts/article_79a3ed1e-1126-11ee-a286-2bbe61001222.html |
Car show season continues this weekend, with two local events:
“Pistons for Hope” is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, 9091 Prairie Ridge Boulevard in Pleasant Prairie. This is a benefit for the Shalom Center and features games, food trucks, a DJ and a beer tent.
Community members are asked to bring non-perishable food items to support the Shalom Center’s Food Pantry.
The public will vote for their favorite car — “new school” vs. “old school.” The winners will be announced at 1 p.m.
It’s $10 to show a car ($5 in advance) and free for spectators.
The Kenosha Car Club’s show is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday outside the Fireside Restaurant, 2801 30th Ave. This is a benefit for the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight of Wisconsin.
- Somers considers liquor license changes after biergarten loses wine license
- Thousands converge at Prairie Springs Park for inaugural Pleasant Prairie HarborMarket
- Mediterranean cuisine straight from Bethlehem offered in Kenosha at Moody's Subs + Sweets
- Woman, 18, boy, age 16, both charged as adults with attempted homicide in connection with April shooting
- Bear hangs from 2nd-floor window, climbs into Colorado home, then eats family's pork chops
- A 33-year-old man fell 4,000 feet to his death from the Grand Canyon Skywalk, authorities say
- Three charged in fatal shooting incident in Kenosha church parking lot
- Make Music Kenosha returns for its third year of all-day performances on Wednesday, June 21
- Baraboo's Big Top Parade will be big this year, elephant-sized big
- Historic Kenosha parade locomotive restored, returning after 12 years
- Pilot and 4 passengers on missing submersible are dead, US Coast Guard says
- Family, Kenosha community turn out for prayer vigil for three shooting victims
- UPDATE: Pleasant Prairie police safely locate missing 12-year-old
- Somers changes retail theft call ordinances after increase in Walmart calls
- The honors keep rolling in for former Wisconsin player J.J. Watt
The car show also features live music, food and drinks, silent auction items, a 50/50 raffle and goodie bags.
All makes and models of cars are welcome.
It’s $10 to show a car ($5 in advance) and free for spectators.
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/car-show-season-two-shows-in-kenosha-this-weekend/article_2cad8102-1142-11ee-a038-2767e41b8d83.html | 2023-06-24T13:09:02 | 1 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/car-show-season-two-shows-in-kenosha-this-weekend/article_2cad8102-1142-11ee-a038-2767e41b8d83.html |
June is national Camping Month — and this is the last weekend in June, so get out there! Luckily, we have plenty of wonderful places to pitch a tent in Wisconsin and our neighboring states. For a guide to our state campgrounds, go to travelwisconsin.com.
Car show season continues today with “Pistons for Hope,” 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, 9091 Prairie Ridge Boulevard in Pleasant Prairie. The car show is a fundraiser for the Shalom Center. Admission is free for spectators, who will vote for their favorite car — “new school” vs. “old school.” There will also be games, food trucks, a DJ and a beer tent. Non-perishable food items will be collected for the Shalom Center’s Food Pantry.
Laura Doherty and the Heartbeats will perform from 10:30 to 11:30 this morning at the Southwest Library, 7979 38th Ave. According to organier, “This children’s music show will be interactive and silly with plenty of opportunities to sing and dance along!” Admission is free.
People are also reading…
The Kenosha Yacht Club, 5130 Fourth Ave., is hosting “Boats & Doughs” from noon to 5 p.m. today. The event features pizzas from Cut Stone (that’s the “doughs”), along with chicken wings from Mr. Wings. The food and beverages will be served outside on the Yacht Club’s Island Deck. The veteran local band Spirit Shakers will be performing live from 2 to 5 p.m., with no cover charge. The Yacht Club is working to repair interior damage from a fire.
The new outdoor beer garden in Pleasant Prairie is open today. The Lake Andrea Beer Garden offers craft beers, wine, non-alcoholic beverages and an ongoing lineup of food trucks, live music and other events. The beer garden is located along the southwest shore of Lake Andrea, next to — but not part of — the beach area. Admission is free. The beer garden is open 4 to 9 p.m. Thursday-Friday and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday through early autumn. For more details, visit the Facebook page (“LABeerGarden”) or log on at VisitPleasantPrairie.com.
In Milwaukee, the Big Gig is back! Summerfest continues today, with headliners James Taylor and Sheryl Crow. At 3 p.m. in the Sportzone, festivalgoers can enjoy a Milwaukee Brewers tailgate Party, featuring the Famous Racing Sausages. For more details about the festival, go to summerfest.com. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-saturday-june-24/article_cdc4e588-1135-11ee-8510-9309a866da35.html | 2023-06-24T13:09:08 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-saturday-june-24/article_cdc4e588-1135-11ee-8510-9309a866da35.html |
By morning, Richmond’s main streets welcomed hundreds as they headed to and from work, dined in at their favorite restaurants and shopped in the numerous storefronts that lined its many strips.
By night, those same streets, and restaurants, took on a different look, transforming into a temporary home for some of the city’s vulnerable residents forced to hide behind barroom doors.
For nearly a century, Richmond’s First, Franklin, Main and Foushee streets became known by many in and out of the queer community as “The Block.”
While these streets initially served as cruising spots for gay Richmonders to meet one another, the scene quickly grew as restaurant and bar owners recognized that they could profit from the demands of their nightlife clientele.
So, a blossoming, underground scene was born – with it came an ever-growing queer culture that led to the eventual creation of a drag scene and grassroots movements.
People are also reading…
In its history, the Block housed dozens of gay bars including Benny Sepul’s, which adopted a “business-in-the-front, party-in-the-back” business model with its straight clientele patronizing its front room while queer patrons entered through the back; the Dial tone, a bar that had phones at each booth for patrons to discreetly talk to one another from different booths; and Smitty’s, which became a common hangout for women’s queer softball teams.
While the Block continued to thrive, it did not come without its fair share of challenges – from both the government as well as those within the Block.
With the Richmond Police Department’s Vice Squad constantly patrolling its streets and the state’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority revoking liquor licenses, effectively shutting down places for being “gathering places for homosexuals” and “promoting lewd behavior,” the Block, like its patrons, learned to be fluid shifting its location often as one place closed and another opened.
In 1967, Eton Inn, a prominent queer bar, located at 938 W. Grace St., which until recently housed VCU Police headquarters, shut its doors permanently after losing its liquor license. With the bar’s location resting in the center of the growing present-day Virginia Commonwealth University, college administration officials wrote to the authority citing fears of having a gay hangout on campus.
For restaurateur Robert Gene Baldwin, two of his bars, Renee’s and the Rathskeller, saw their licenses revoked on the same day forcing them both to close.
A section titled “Saw Men Kissing” in The Times-Dispatch’s Thursday, March 6, 1969, edition details the hearing which led to the revocation of the licenses.
In it, the department director testified that one ABC agent went to the two restaurants undercover and witnessed “men wearing makeup, embracing and kissing.”
The two bars were among numerous bars that shuttered their doors as a result of these policies and for one bar owner, it became a way to monopolize the underground scene.
When the self-proclaimed “godfather of the gay community,” Joseph Leo Koury opened his first restaurant on Lakeside Avenue, he had already begun what would become a reign of terror.
With each gay bar that closed its doors, Koury seized on the opportunity by purchasing them, giving them a new name but never changing the clientele. When Smitty’s closed, Koury took it over changing its name to Leo’s. He also owned the Dialtone and opened up his own bar, the 409 Club next to rival bar Cha Cha’s Palace.
Koury learned early on that if he monopolized the gay bar scene in the city, he could raise his prices, effectively, profiting off of the queer community because of the demand.
Koury maintained this practice for over a decade, turning in his competitors and intimidating other bar owners. But in an attempt to grow his empire, Koury ultimately caused his own demise.
In October 1978, Koury’s empire came toppling down when a U.S. District Court indicted Koury for murder, racketeering mail fraud, loan sharking and planning a kidnap-for-ransom scheme.
In an attempt to intimidate his rival bar, Koury allegedly murdered a bouncer at the Cha Cha’s Palace in 1977 before throwing the victim's body in the Rappahannock River, according to reports in the June 22, 1991 edition of the Times-Dispatch.
“When competing clubs began to appear, authorities have charged, Koury became violent. He allegedly killed a bouncer and sent a thug to blast another with a shotgun, killing one person and wounding two others,” the Times-Dispatch reporter Eric Sundquist stated. “Charles Kernaghan was believed to be at Koury’s house when Koury emptied a revolver into his body.”
Before an arrest was made, Koury fled his North Side home leaving behind his wife and four children and essentially vanished.
A year later, with little to go on and no leads, Koury was added to the FBI’s Most Wanted List. Pictures of Koury’s mugshot filled the pages of the Times-Dispatch and others across the country.
In the years that followed, Koury moved his way up to senior member joining a list of longtime fugitives who managed to evade capture.
Koury received some notoriety from “America’s Most Wanted” and “Unsolved Mysteries” when episodes aired calling for folks to call in with any tips.
But, the years continued to pass with no sign of Koury. Finally, after 13 years, the hunt ended in 1991 when the FBI announced Koury, 56, had died of a brain hemorrhage in San Diego.
While Koury was busy eluding police, Richmond’s queer community was doing its fair share of mobilizing.
When Anita Bryant, a leading anti-gay activist and the face of the “Save the Children” movement, made an appearance at the University of Richmond, the underground scene became an out-and-proud movement holding the first organized Gay Rights Rally in Monroe Park.
In the years that followed, many of the gay-friendly bars closed their doors. But the movement continued. More organizations formed and rallies continued ultimately, laying the groundwork for the generations of queer Richmonders to come. | https://richmond.com/news/local/history/queer--gay-richmond-history-archive/article_b72bd964-0fa8-11ee-af4b-dba1bdf9c290.html | 2023-06-24T13:13:15 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/history/queer--gay-richmond-history-archive/article_b72bd964-0fa8-11ee-af4b-dba1bdf9c290.html |
Labor shortages continue to frustrate and stymie local employers, but the Dayton region is seeing more people join the workforce, hiring is increasing and some experts say this job market is extremely favorable to job-seekers.
“If you are somebody in the labor market looking for work, now is the best time in Ohio’s history to be on the job market,” said Rea Hederman Jr., vice president of policy with the Buckeye Institute. “If you are looking for work, you can find a job.”
When COVID hit in early 2020, tens of thousands of local workers were laid off, and it has taken more than three years for the local economy to finally be on the verge of regaining all of the jobs that were lost.
About 377,100 people were employed last month in the Dayton metro region, which includes Montgomery, Miami and Greene counties, according to not seasonally adjusted data from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Local employment increased about 3.5% between May 2022 and May 2023, which was the sixth consecutive month of year-over-year job gains, Ohio Labor Market Information data show.
Many workers exited the labor force during the pandemic and did not quickly return.
The labor force is the number of people who have jobs plus the number of unemployed people who are actively looking for work.
But the Dayton metro area’s labor force increased last month by 2.5% from a year ago, and there were about 390,600 people working or looking for work.
Until December of 2022, the Dayton region’s labor force had declined year-over-year for 29 out of the previous 32 months.
But the labor force has now grown for six straight months, compared to the same periods a year earlier, and the labor pool is the largest it has been in more than two and a half year.
Workers who had been sidelined during COVID are deciding to get back into the job market because of rising wages, said Hederman, with the Buckeye Institute, which is a conservative-leaning think tank.
“The market is doing what we’d expect: Wages are going up because businesses are competing with each other to find more workers and the unemployment rate is low,” he said.
Some data indicate that people are leaving low-paying jobs to take better ones, which is a good thing, said Michael Shields, senior researcher with liberal-leaning Policy Matters Ohio, a research organization.
Ohio’s leisure and hospitality industry, where waiters and waitresses work, is still down more than 14,000 jobs compared to pre-COVID times, he said. But some industries have recouped the COVID losses, while others have surpassed pre-COVID peaks.
“The median pay for a waiter or waitress in Ohio was $11.25 per hour last year,” Shields said. “If restaurants want those workers back, they can pay them more.”
Some local employers have struggled to fill their job openings because there is so much competition for workers.
The Brunch Club in Dayton recently closed down temporarily because of staffing issues. Child care centers and preschools have had trouble finding staff.
Some businesses and organizations are having to reduce hours or scale back operations, and lower-wage jobs may be especially tough to fill given the high demand for employees.
“This ‘tight’ labor market favors workers,” Shields said. “I think that’s a good thing, because it’s going to help restore some balance to the labor market, where employers have been able to hold wages down despite decades of productivity growth that have delivered record profits.”
Flexible work arrangements, expanded quality childcare options and increased access to training and education could result in more people joining the labor force, some researchers said.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/dayton-regions-labor-force-is-finally-growing-during-best-time-in-ohios-history-to-be-in-job-market/VFPOTM3IKJHYPG6YLRUTJLUSJM/ | 2023-06-24T13:22:05 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/dayton-regions-labor-force-is-finally-growing-during-best-time-in-ohios-history-to-be-in-job-market/VFPOTM3IKJHYPG6YLRUTJLUSJM/ |
Average daily flows
Snake River at Jackson 275 cfs
Snake River at Palisades 12,250 cfs
Snake River at Heise 13,035 cfs
Snake River at Blackfoot 7,397 cfs
Snake River at American Falls 12,720 cfs
Snake River at Milner 3,003 cfs
Little Wood River near Carey 274 cfs
Jackson Lake is 82% full.
Palisades Reservoir is 99% full.
American Falls Reservoir is 90% full.
Upper Snake River system is at 92% of capacity.
As of June 23 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_4d6506b2-11f2-11ee-819f-736f006c66e7.html | 2023-06-24T13:31:31 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_4d6506b2-11f2-11ee-819f-736f006c66e7.html |
As the country continues to struggle with how to address the continually rising overall costs of healthcare, the expanded use of prior authorization has become a powerful tool used by insurance companies.
How does it work and why it is used? One of the common themes heard in healthcare is the overutilization of services. This can be referred to as “not medically necessary services” when an insurance company denies payment or reduces payment. This is confusing to the patient who has a health issue, sees their physician, the physician believes diagnostic work is required to confirm a diagnosis, and then the insurance carrier rejects the request to prior authorize- essentially refusing to pay for the requested service. The process of ‘prior authorizing’ is the most common definition of an insurance plan’s process for only approving “high-value care.” How much more confusing can it get to the patient? The doctor believes it is needed. The testing is available in their network. But the insurance plan says no. Is this “insurance-directed care or physician-directed care?” Now what?
People are also reading…
Prior authorization is a tool used by insurance plans to determine if the test or chemotherapy drugs or inpatient admission or almost any service that is ordered meets the plan’s definition of “value-based or medically necessary care.” Prior authorization can be a concern to the healthcare community as it can cause serious delays in treating the patient‘s condition along with the ongoing dialogue with the insurance plan to try to “negotiate” coverage, change to another test, or tell the patient they can pay for it themselves since the insurance will not authorize the service, and/or appeal the insurance plan’s decision (which patient knows how to do this?) or forgo the testing/procedure?
Many times a patient will hear their provider state, “I am ordering an MRI to see the damage but will have to wait to see if your insurance will cover it.” Or “I really need a Vitamin D test to rule out this issue with your undetermined muscle pain but I know your insurance won’t cover this.” Patient may be thinking: “And what am I supposed to do if my insurance says no? Is my doctor ordering something that is not ‘medically necessary’?” Wow — the terminology in healthcare can be confusing.
Idea: When a medical test/procedure/specialized medication is needed for your health, the person who cares the most is you. The provider is best prepared to provide the insurance plan with the medical information they need during the prior authorization process. But if the plan denies the care, immediately place a call to the insurance plan. There is usually a customer service number on the card. This is the first call as you will need to “push” a bit to get to the right person to discuss their denial. Request to know why it was not approved; what you can do to get it approved; and what other options you have. The patient is the one most impacted and has the least ability to understand what has occurred. Controlling cost and inappropriate use of healthcare resources is the driving factor behind prior authorization of services. Now comes the balancing act to ensure the patient receives the most appropriate and timely care, as the patient is also the one paying the insurance premiums and the co-payment after the service is received. The country is moving toward “value-based care” and has a long way to go to develop the definition — not just value-based payment.” We won’t be bored but let’s hope for a little less frustration thru cooperative education.
Day Egusquiza is the president and founder of the Patient Financial Navigator Foundation Inc. — an Idaho-based family foundation. For more information, call 208-423-9036 or go to pfnfinc.com. Do you have a topic for Health Care Buzz? Please share at daylee1@mindspring.com. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/health-care-buzz-what-is-prior-authorization-and-how-does-it-work-when-accessing-healthcare/article_1d512410-11ed-11ee-97c2-9b6306622983.html | 2023-06-24T13:31:37 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/health-care-buzz-what-is-prior-authorization-and-how-does-it-work-when-accessing-healthcare/article_1d512410-11ed-11ee-97c2-9b6306622983.html |
SAN ANTONIO — A 19-year-old man was shot in the leg and arm in an incident late Friday night near Southtown.
The shooting happened in the 500 block of Cevallos, near South Laredo and I-35, around 9:17 p.m.
A police officer on the scene said surveillance video shows the victim park next to another vehicle at a Shell gas station parking lot. At some point, a man got out of the second car and leaned into the passenger's window and shot the victim two times, police said.
The suspect then got back in his vehicle and took off from the parking lot. The victim was shot in the leg and arm. He was taken to University Hospital in stable condition.
Police say the 19-year-old victim is not cooperating with police and no arrests have been made.
MORE ON KENS 5:
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/19-year-old-in-critical-condition-after-shooting-near-southtown-san-antonio-texas/273-698ab148-4579-4317-8cb2-0c478970724d | 2023-06-24T13:41:49 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/19-year-old-in-critical-condition-after-shooting-near-southtown-san-antonio-texas/273-698ab148-4579-4317-8cb2-0c478970724d |
This year’s Coconino County tentative budget is $137 million larger than last year’s, totaling more than $546 million.
There’s a few reasons for that, according to Coconino County finance director Siri Mullaney.
Catastrophic wildfires, severe flooding and a brutal winter with near record-breaking snow accumulation have taken a toll on the county’s infrastructure, created a need for mitigation planning and floodwater diversion, and caused the budget to balloon.
“Our budget in total is increasing compared to last year. The flood control district is the main driver of that. Last year when we set the budget, it was before any of the fires and flooding,” Mullaney said. “Our budget last year for the flood control district was $10 million; this year it's $83 million just as the baseline budget. That entire gap between the 10 and the 83 is being covered through federal dollars that are coming our way to mitigate flooding.”
People are also reading…
The county is expecting major infusions of federal money for flood control, but also for a number of individual departments and special districts. Those awarded and expected funds have to be built into the budget and authorized, in order to be spent when they effectively hit the county’s bank account.
“Unawarded grants are really the placeholder that we set for money that we’re either in the process of applying for or that we’re fairly comfortable that we may be on tap to receive,” Mullaney said. “We are really well positioned with a lot of our projects to be eligible for things like broadband access. We’re hoping to apply for some of those grants, so we put a placeholder in.”
When county residents pay property taxes, sales taxes and other fees to the county, those monies typically end up in the general fund. That general fund money can be augmented by federal grant dollars, but ultimately the county has a statutory expenditure limit.
“As an organization, we have historically been a pay-as-you-go. That’s pretty much been our way of doing business for a very long time,” Coconino County Manager Steve Peru explained. “At the same time, we have needs that continue to accumulate in terms of facilities and roads especially. All of these roll up against our expenditure limit. It came as a constitutional amendment in the '80s. All cities, towns, counties, school districts, etc. have an expenditure limit that they must operate within. That is another part of our process in terms of how we’re trying to navigate delivering services to the public, i.e. roads, etc., at the same time managing our expenditure limit.”
When weather emergencies and general wear and tear leave infrastructure and public works equipment in need of repair and replacement, the county sometimes has to look beyond what they can accomplish with cash on hand, Peru explained.
That’s why this week the Coconino County Board of Supervisors voted to incur long-term indebtedness, in order to meet the area’s needs for capital improvements.
“We’re trying to balance delivering service, because the public wants their tax investments, property taxes, etc. put into use. Not being able to provide those services because of an expenditure limit is not the best position to be in,” Peru said.
The county is entering a financing deal with Capital One for $80 million. The money would be spent on capital improvements only — roads, infrastructure, transportation, public safety, county equipment, and building acquisition, maintenance and improvement.
One of the projects that will be funded by this financing plan is the repair of Slayton Ranch Road.
“We had the failure with the snowmelt this year in one of our drainage systems -- which caused a road to fail -- impacting how the community moves,” said Andy Bertelsen, the county's deputy manager . “We have a lot of needs in the community, and a lot of weather impacts have created those needs and created emergencies that we have continually been tasked with managing as a local government representing our communities. A lot of the restrictions are our local funds and our local ability to meet the demands of these emergencies.”
Because many of the repairs, projects and purchases made with those $80 million will last far longer than a single year, in some ways it didn’t make sense to imagine them as annual budget items, Mullaney said.
Financing allows the county to spread out the expense of a project that will last more than one year over the course of a longer time span.
“When we think of capital expenditures, the expenditure limit is an annual amount that you can spend. The way that we have to do our financial presentation, it is based on annual expenditure funds, but we’re really buying something that lasts multiple years," Mullaney said. "If we were to think more like a company or in terms of traditional accounting, you’re buying an asset that has a use life of multiple years. It becomes a skewed picture -- if we were to just take our funds to buy a new road, for example, we would have to recognize that as a one-year expenditure and we’re capped as to how much we can spend in one year.
“Really, if we were to look at this more from a depreciation perspective, if you were to expense that in more traditional accounting terms, you would be expensing that over multiple years. That is one of the reasons why this mechanism is important to us: it allows us treat that expenditure a little bit differently. It moves us from an annual expenditure to more in line with the lifetime of the asset.”
The nature of the financing deal is also unique.
“Typically, when we look at debt service is we’re given a schedule for bonds and then you have to pay principle and annual interest on that schedule. We have a unique kind of call feature if you will on these, where we’re not held to that schedule other than that’s the most time we can take to pay off that principle portion," Mullaney said. "If we spend everything by December 31st, we could pay off 100% of the principle, stop the interest from the date we issued, We’re also able to do that in portions. If we’ve drawn 25% we could repay 25% of that balance quarterly, or however it works out in order to minimize that total interest cost."
Prior to approving the incursion of long-term debt, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors hosted a public comment period that lasted a week. They did not receive any public comment. The measure to accept the deal and ensure the funds necessary to begin the county’s capital projects are on hand by the end of the fiscal year was passed.
“The financing that we put together provides us the ability to execute all of those projects, and also get those investments purchased, because the other part of it that’s happening with regard to capital expenditures is that each year they’re escalating," Peru said. "Our ability to best get those projects going, make some of those capital purchases done this year, is actually something that we want to do pretty quickly because of the inflation that everyone is experiencing relative to the capital."
Next week, the Board of Supervisors will review a final budget presentation and consider its adoption. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/coconino-county-grapples-with-infrastructure-uses-financing-to-balance-tentative-budget/article_8c60d3d0-11f9-11ee-975b-835a8b18df14.html | 2023-06-24T13:54:25 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/coconino-county-grapples-with-infrastructure-uses-financing-to-balance-tentative-budget/article_8c60d3d0-11f9-11ee-975b-835a8b18df14.html |
Whether your home is surrounded by native vegetation or you live in a more urbanized area, gardeners are fortunate to have wildlife in their yards. Even amongst the sounds of police sirens, traffic and barking dogs, I am always astonished by the variety of birds, insects, reptiles and mammals I encounter in my small garden. To discover the diversity of wildlife in your garden, try sitting in silence, studying the sky, the earth and plants around you. In a short time, the world should come alive with non-human life.
Unfortunately, the future of many wildlife species is in jeopardy. As urban development continues to eliminate natural areas, habitat is fragmented or destroyed making it harder and harder for wildlife to access the resources they need to survive. One compelling and empowering solution to this problem is for gardeners to reestablish and/or maintain wildlife habitat intentionally in their yards.
People are also reading…
Habitat gardening involves some simple practices. Since the goal is to attract and sustain wildlife, habitat gardening begins with a naturalistic landscape design. Your cultivated garden should emulate nature’s complexity by incorporating many species of plants, boulders, and differences in soil grades. If you have natural areas on your property, use a low disturbance approach in the maintenance of these areas (i.e. removal of noxious weeds, fire prevention, etc.) as they support wildlife in the most natural way.
The plants that make up your backyard habitat should provide three basic elements animals need: food, cover, and water. Food is provided by growing plants that provide leaves, nectar, seeds, fruit or berries for animals to eat. Here are some guidelines to follow when thinking about the characteristics of plants that have wildlife value:
Songbirds need plants that produce abundant seeds and fruits. Remember to leave ripe seed heads in the fall on perennials and wildflowers so they can be enjoyed by songbirds.
Small mammals prefer the fruit, seeds, and foliage.
Hummingbirds like trumpet-shaped flowers in hues of red and orange that provide lots of nectar.
Butterflies and bees like flat-topped or cluster flowers especially in blues, purples and pinks. To make it easier for pollinators to locate your plants, it is good to group plants of the same species in clusters instead of growing individual plants alone. It is also important to plant species with varying heights and bloom times to ensure nectar/pollen over a longer period of time.
Cover can be created by leaving brush and rock piles or by allowing trees and shrubs to grow together into dense thickets. These tangles of leaves and branches will become places of refuge for hiding, nesting, perching and raising young. If trimming is needed, use naturalistic pruning methods that involve the removal of selective branches while maintaining the plant’s natural form.
Water in some form and quantity is essential to wildlife survival. Chemical-free water features and bird baths are a great way to provide wildlife water, especially if you remove the stand and place the saucer on the ground so that ground dwelling animals can access it. The water should be changed at least every other day and the saucer given a good scrub when needed. This keeps the water fresh, pathogen and mosquito free. To provide honeybees and butterflies water, create swallow areas and/or seeps in your water feature.
By employing habitat gardening practices in your landscape, you will be on your way to turning your backyard into a wildlife sanctuary. Keep in mind that habitat gardening involves attracting both the animals people adore, such as bees, hummingbirds and butterflies, as well as the animals people commonly try to deter from their yards. This may include spiders, skunks, mice, snakes, and rabbits. As earth stewards, we should welcome these animals into our gardens for they too are vital to a healthy ecosystem.
Looking for wildlife-friendly plants? Visit The Arboretum at Flagstaff’s nursery Wednesdays through Sundays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Or come to our Summer Plant Sale featuring our plants and other local growers on July 8 (9 a.m.-11 p.m. members only; 11 p.m. to 3 p.m. general public). Admission to The Arb is free that day.
Nate O’Meara is the Executive Director of the Arboretum at Flagstaff (www.thearb.org) and has worked as an ethnobotanist and horticulturist. This article was adapted from his blog www.omearagardens.com. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/gardening-etcetera-gardening-for-wildlife-with-simple-practices/article_fe1a0f82-1217-11ee-a8ef-479ee9feb950.html | 2023-06-24T13:54:32 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/gardening-etcetera-gardening-for-wildlife-with-simple-practices/article_fe1a0f82-1217-11ee-a8ef-479ee9feb950.html |
As city staff continue to develop a new recreation plan for a wide swath of area on Observatory Mesa, they are hoping to hear feedback on everything from the use of electric bikes to one-way trails.
The City of Flagstaff is taking public comments on the draft plan, which is in its second of three planned comment periods, until July 16 through its online community forum.
The draft plan, which will apply to well over 2,000 acres of land owned by the city, Coconino National Forest and Lowell Observatory, currently outlines about 24 miles of new single-track trails, two new trailheads and new signage.
The plan also proposes to make some social trails and roads into official city trails, while eliminating others that run through areas that are sensitive to wildlife or erosion.
The primary trailhead listed within the plan is off of Old Route 66 on a 20-acre piece of city-owned land near the new public works yard.
People are also reading…
“We're trying to be proactive with this plan, and trying to manage the use for now and well into the future,” said Mark Loseth, who has been working closely with staff to develop the plan through the company Southwest Decision Resources.
The plan comes as the city seeks to provide additional access to parks and open spaces to residents, and after voters approved a bond to purchase parts of the mesa back in 2013.
But while the actual lines on the map have remained very similar to the first draft of the plan, city open space supervisor Robert Wallace and Loseth agreed that public input has already made significant changes to what the plan holds.
As they started to receive the 585 comments during the first public input period, they had been expecting comments critiquing particular trail alignments, Loseth said.
Instead, he said, the feedback they received focused more on the larger vision for management of the area, and the kinds of trails and uses that should be allowed within it.
Some comments requested certain kinds of e-bikes be allowed to use the new trails, while many others asked for the creation of one-way downhill trails for biking, or the preservation of many roads that crisscross the area.
Given that feedback, Loseth said this time they are focusing their questions to the public on some of those very topics, hoping to get a clearer picture of what the public might want in terms of the larger management of the area.
Develop to conserve?
Wallace said while the plan does outline the construction of new trails and ways to access the area, he believes the implementation of the plan will actually help conserve the area.
Since the city purchased parts of Observatory Mesa, it has largely taken a hands-off management approach. And Wallace said the negative results of that approach are obvious.
At the moment, the mesa is crisscrossed by social trails made informally by individuals wanting to recreate in the area.
“I think if you take a hands-off approach, you get these areas that have like a spider network of trails that are very confusing. They're not in sustainable alignment, so they cause more erosion, they might be through sensitive resources, like archaeological sites, or a tank that the wildlife are relying on,” Wallace said. “So I personally think if you look at the two plans, like the current conditions and what we proposed, it's a step in a direction of providing better management for the landscape and a better experience for users as well.”
At the moment, Loseth said, trails within the plan largely avoid significant wildlife corridors to the west of the area.
He said those user-created trails also communicate an important message as to the need for additional recreation, and that if those opportunities are not provided by the city and other agencies, some residents may create those experiences on their own.
Loseth said he believes that if the city can provide the desired recreation experiences that residents are looking for through official trails within the plan, it will be far less likely that user-created trails will pop up, and the mesa will be better protected.
“These user-created trails are a recognition of a lack of desired experience. Right? So when you're seeing these things, it's like, what is not currently available to folks that they're looking for, whether it's a view shed or a connection from one road to another,” he said.
And Loseth said those desired experiences are part of what they are hoping to hear about from the public throughout the public comment periods.
Biking experiences
Loseth said one question they are hoping to answer would be whether class 1 e-bikes, which must be pedaled to use battery power and can usually travel no more than about 20 miles per hour, should be allowed on single-track biking trails.
At the moment, such devices are allowed on the Flagstaff Urban Trail System, which does cross Observatory Mesa.
But the Coconino National Forest, which also controls land included in the plan, classifies such devices as motor vehicles, and thus bans their use on many single-track trails.
Loseth said should residents like the idea, it might be possible to ask the national forest for a special use permit to allow the use of e-bikes on Observatory Mesa.
“We have not worked it out with the Forest Service yet,” Wallace said.
And it is not clear whether residents would support the idea.
The plan also includes the construction of several miles of accessible trails. Such trails are built wider than a traditional single-track trail, allowing three- and four-wheeled bicycles to be ridden on them by individuals who may not be able to ride a traditional bike.
“They are mobility devices; they're looked at the same way as wheelchairs are. So they are not limited to like a non-motorized trail designation. But if the trails are 18 inches wide, they're not physically able to use those trails, so they are limited right now,” Loseth said.
At the moment, there are very few trails that work for such bikes, and even the trails that do accommodate accessible bikes were not designed specifically for that purpose.
For example, both the Campbell Mesa trail system and the Soldiers Trail at Fort Tuthill are built wide enough for accessible bikes, but that comes more as a coincidence of design rather than a purposeful decision.
In a different vein, Loseth said they have also heard a desire for the construction of dedicated downhill trails, many of which could be one-way paths.
At the moment, the plan only includes bi-directional trails. But several of the social trails that exist in the area now do provide these dedicated downhill biking experiences.
Feedback so far
So far the city has received about 150 comments throughout the second feedback period. Wallace said it is hoping to receive as many as 1,000 comments as to better understand what the public wants.
Loseth said many of the comments received so far have spoken to the importance of preserving the area for wildlife, both inside and outside of the wildlife corridor that biologists have identified.
He said they are also hearing from residents hoping to see more trails built closer to town that can be easily accessible to residents.
“[We’ve heard that] people want trails near what you could refer to as the urban interface, close to the neighborhoods, close to the current FUTS connections, close to where people are already accessing the mesa. People really looking at a place for some shorter experiences, and things that they're able to do before work, after work,” Loseth said. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/in-observatory-mesa-trails-plan-city-looks-for-feedback-on-e-bikes-one-way-trails/article_4640312a-1217-11ee-9bb1-3394ec9ec3a3.html | 2023-06-24T13:54:38 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/in-observatory-mesa-trails-plan-city-looks-for-feedback-on-e-bikes-one-way-trails/article_4640312a-1217-11ee-9bb1-3394ec9ec3a3.html |
PHOENIX -- The first COVID-19 case on the Navajo Nation came in March 2020, and by the end of the month the tribe already had in place a curfew to keep residents home.
The curfew was among the most stringent measures any U.S. tribal or non-tribal government enacted to check the spread of the virus. Violators who were issued citations could face fines of $1,000 and up to 30 days in jail.
When the tribe faced a shortage of protective gear for public safety officers, many of whom were on the front lines of the pandemic, the tribal government passed legislation to direct revenue from fines to the Navajo Police Department.
At the time, former Navajo Nation Council Delegate Wilson C. Stewart Jr., who sponsored the dedicated fund to help the police, said the department should spend whatever it needed “to keep themselves safe, to keep our police officers safe and to keep our facilities as clean as possible.”
People are also reading…
An investigation into the aftermath of the Navajo Nation public safety measures by the Howard Center for Investigative Journalism found multiple breakdowns in their implementation.
Even before citations were issued, the curfews faced sticky legal questions that public health and public safety officials had to sort through.
The nation’s nine prosecutorial offices didn’t receive guidance on how to handle the cases sent to them, and few were prosecuted.
And the designated fund for the police department to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) never materialized because tribal administrators never set up the funding mechanism.
In the end, the investigation found, the most consequential legacy of the curfews is the impact on hundreds of residents who were issued citations and who still have them hanging over their heads as a part of their criminal history.
“The spirit of it was good -- the intent -- but there was nothing behind it to benefit anybody,” said former Navajo Police Chief Phillip Francisco.
Early challenges
Following the nation’s first COVID-19 case, the Navajo Department of Health issued the first public health emergency order on March 18, 2020.
Residents were placed under curfew starting March 30, 2020. Each day, residents were ordered to stay home from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
As COVID-19 cases climbed, health officials added lockdowns that spanned 57 hours during the weekend, starting April 10, 2020.
The police department faced two challenges in the early weeks of the pandemic, according to Francisco.
The first was keeping officers safe from the virus as they responded to calls for service.
Like many law enforcement agencies across the United States, the tribal police department faced shortages of face masks, gloves and other PPE as COVID-19 spread.
The second problem was enforcing the curfews.
The department was put in charge of enforcing them after the matter was discussed by administrators in the executive branch, including the president’s office and the health department, Francisco said.
The Division of Public Safety and the Navajo Department of Justice also had to figure out if the curfews were legal because there was no tribal law that specifically addressed people violating public health orders or adults breaking curfews.
The tribe has curfew laws for minors.
But because there was none for adults, officials used the offense of criminal nuisance, defined in the tribe’s criminal code as a person who “knowingly or recklessly creates or maintains a condition which endangers the safety or health of others.”
“There were a lot of challenges in trying to balance people’s rights and freedoms versus trying to enforce an order that was meant to protect the public from a health crisis,” said Francisco, who is now police chief of the Bloomfield Police Department in New Mexico.
Curfews in Navajo Nation begin
The police department was ready to begin issuing citations the first weekend the curfew went into effect.
In the days before, the department set up checkpoints to inform the public about curfews and to encourage them to stay home.
The former chief had the task of announcing that police officers would start citing people for not complying with curfews, outlining the measures on April 3, 2020, during a town hall that live streamed on the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President Facebook page.
The first weekend of curfews officers issued 115 citations, according to a news release the police department issued on April 13, 2020.
“The enforcement was successful in that we saw a decline in the number of people traveling during the weekend,” Francisco said in the release. “An operation of this capacity takes a lot of planning and coordination, and our districts did a great job in enforcement efforts.”
Exceptions were made if travel was for emergencies, or if the person could prove they were an essential worker.
“The intent and purpose of the curfew was to restrict the movement of individuals on the Navajo Nation and minimize the growth and spread of COVID-19 in communities,” the release stated.
As the number of COVID-19 cases declined and vaccines became available, the curfews became less restrictive. The daily curfew was discontinued on Aug. 6, 2021.
Officers across the police department’s seven districts issued 726 citations over the 16 months the curfews were in effect, according to statistics released by the police department.
The Tuba City District had the most citations at 207; the Chinle District, 172; Kayenta District, 169; Shiprock District, 56; Window Rock District, 44; Crownpoint District, 41; and Dilkon District, 37.
Figures included in quarterly reports from the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, however, show a higher number of citations.
Their figures show 1,280 total citations.
Lawmakers back police fund, but don’t set it up
In late 2020, former tribal council delegate Stewart sponsored a bill to direct revenue collected from curfew violations to the police department to buy PPE.
Members of the 24th Navajo Nation Council and then-President Jonathan Nez supported the financial initiative to help the police department.
The measure, however, required the Division of Public Safety to set up a special fund management plan, so that revenue from the citations could be put into a separate fund for police use.
Supporters of the bill said the fund management plan would prevent any fines from going into the tribe’s general fund.
In the tribal council resolution Nez signed, the public safety division had 30 days to present a fund management plan to two tribal council committees as part of the process to establish the fund.
No plan was ever presented, and the fund was not established, the tribe’s legislative services office and the controller’s office confirmed.
“No revenue source was generated due to FMP (fund management plan) not being established,” the police department said in response to questions about the fund.
Former Division of Public Safety Executive Director Jesse Delmar declined to comment about the fund and referred questions to the current division director. “I no longer have a voice with the Navajo Nation government,” Delmar wrote in an email on April 20.
Since no fund was set up, any amount collected from fines was deposited into the tribe’s general fund.
In the end, the police department did get enough protective gear, Francisco said. It received federal COVID-19 funds and was also able to use PPE that the tribe’s casinos weren’t using because they were closed.
At any given time, Francisco said, 25% of his officers were sick with COVID-19 and out of commission.
The virus also sickened or killed frontline workers from other agencies.
Among those who died from the virus were Navajo Police Officer Michael Lee, a 29-year veteran of the department, and Esther Charley, a criminal investigator. Both died in June 2020. Approximately 2,100 people died of COVID-19 on the Navajo Nation, according to the Navajo Department of Health.
Case dispositions unknown
Chief Prosecutor Vernon L. Jackson Sr. did not respond to repeated requests for information about how the citations forwarded to the nation’s prosecutors’ offices were handled.
Francisco, who left the police department at the end of 2021, said only a handful of cases were ever properly adjudicated.
“From my understanding, there was only maybe one or two cases that ever went in front of the judge and were ever found guilty,” he said.
Because of the pandemic, tribal courts were operating on a reduced schedule while the curfews were in effect.
As a result, Francisco said curfew citations went “on the back burner.”
“Most of those cases weren’t heard ever, or maybe a year and a half out,” he said.
Quarterly reports from 2020 and 2021 from the Navajo Nation Department of Justice mention that 1,280 citations were received by the prosecutors’ offices. But the reports mention only one case that resulted in a sentence.
In 2020, a defendant was sentenced to 30 days in jail after a plea agreement that included a charge of criminal nuisance for curfew violation.
“This defendant had prior criminal convictions and appeared for arraignment on the criminal nuisance charge after being arrested for a Violence Against Family Act offense,” according to the report.
A district prosecutor who did not want to be identified because the person was not authorized to comment, said citations came to the district offices without narratives that would help them prosecute a case.
References to citations in other reports indicate that many of those cited have not had their cases resolved because the courts have not summoned defendants to appear.
Most of those cited were released on their own recognizance, according to the justice department reports, with return dates for reappearance set many months into the future.
“Each district court has opted to treat these return dates differently, with some of the return dates being ignored completely,” according to a justice department report from January 2021. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/navajo-nation-s-covid-19-curfews-saddled-hundreds-with-citations-netted-no-money-for-police/article_b4acdad4-121f-11ee-8ed1-1fd8df0c0434.html | 2023-06-24T13:54:44 | 0 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/navajo-nation-s-covid-19-curfews-saddled-hundreds-with-citations-netted-no-money-for-police/article_b4acdad4-121f-11ee-8ed1-1fd8df0c0434.html |
CITRUS SPRINGS, Fla. — A man is in custody after he attempted to drive away from Citrus County deputies Friday evening, running into other motorists in the process and threatening the safety of a K-9, the deputies and other drivers, the sheriff's office said.
This all began after deputies attempted to make a traffic stop on a black four-door sedan in Citrus Springs, but the driver failed to pull over and stop for law enforcement, the Citrus County Sheriff's Office reported in a news release.
Deputies spotted a similar car and driver matching the earlier description just before 2 p.m. in Inverness and after verifying that it was the same car, they attempted another traffic stop. However, the driver did not pull over.
The driver continued west on East Gulf to Lake Highway and was forced to stop when he met traffic congestion near the intersection of South Croft Avenue. At this time, the sheriff's office said deputies attempted to make contact with the man who "refused all commands."
A K-9 was deployed but his handler retrieved them just before the driver's car struck another car and almost slammed the door on the dog.
"The suspect vehicle then began to intentionally and violently ram the vehicles in front of it in an attempt to flee, carelessly and recklessly disregarding the safety of the innocent motorists and the deputies who were on scene," the sheriff's office said in the release.
This is when deputies fired upon the man in an attempt to put a stop "to this motorist's deadly action."
By ramming the cars near him, the driver was able to open a space so he could drive off. The sheriff's office said he continued west on Gulf to Lake Highway for another 7 miles at speeds of more than 100 mph before driving into oncoming traffic and losing control of the car. The driver side-swiped multiple cars before coming to a complete stop near the ramps of the Suncoast Parkway along Highway 44.
Citrus County deputies were able to secure the man and begin rendering first aid until EMS arrived. He was taken into custody and then transported to the hospital for medical treatment.
Authorities are not identifying the man at this time but say multiple charges are pending in this case which is under investigation.
"Traffic stops can be dangerous; when we initiate one, everyone's safety is always at the forefront of our minds," Sheriff Prendergast said in a statement. "Thanks to the courage, quick thinking, and immediate actions of our deputies, no law enforcement or citizens were injured due to this suspect's chaotic and irrational actions." | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/citruscounty/citrus-county-deputies-fire-shots-man-chase/67-66a28f38-cf91-42e8-951e-d8cc42334c04 | 2023-06-24T13:57:06 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/citruscounty/citrus-county-deputies-fire-shots-man-chase/67-66a28f38-cf91-42e8-951e-d8cc42334c04 |
PLANT CITY, Fla. — Starting Friday through Sunday, people across the Tampa Bay area can pick up a new 'fur'-ever friend at the Petco Love Mega Pet Adoption Event in Plant City.
More than 500 dogs from eight municipal and county shelters will be available until June 25 and the best part — the dogs are vaccinated, spayed/neutered, microchipped and all fees are waived.
You can find the 'paw'-fect pooch at the Strawberry Festival Grounds located at 2508 W. Oak Ave. in Plant City. Hours are from noon to 6 p.m. on Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon on Sunday.
Here's a list of participating shelters and animal services:
- Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center
- Pasco County Animal Services
- Hernando County Animal Services
- Manatee County Animal Services
- Polk County Animal Services
- Orange County Animal Services
- Sumter County Animal Services
- Marion County Animal Services
This event comes as pet shelters across the country have become overcrowded in the last few years with more pets coming in than are being adopted, the Pet Resource Center said in a news release.
"Nationwide we are seeing about a 7% increase in animals coming to shelters as opposed to outgoing," Senior Supervisor of Volunteer Services Chelsea Waldeck said in a statement. "Housing crisis, economic downturn. A lot of different things are playing a factor in that. So an event like this is huge for us to get a number of animals out like this at one time."
Many families who went to check the dogs out were able to bring home a dog Friday.
"I feel like having another animal in the house would be perfect for the boys to like you know, enjoy and to have a little bit more structure on routine too," Asia Eason explained. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/500-dogs-available-hillsborough-county-dog-adoption-event/67-a013d63e-4859-452b-91ab-f489e0e9733d | 2023-06-24T13:57:12 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/500-dogs-available-hillsborough-county-dog-adoption-event/67-a013d63e-4859-452b-91ab-f489e0e9733d |
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa police arrested a 60-year-old man they say is connected to a deadly shooting that happened Tuesday night.
Carl Bradwell was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder on Thursday, police said in a news release.
Investigators were able to find Bradwell through witness statements and also collected video surveillance of the 60-year-old leaving the park on his bike after the incident.
"The swift identification and arrest of this suspect is a result of an outstanding investigation and the fact that witnesses stepped up to provide information to detectives," Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said.
"I hope the arrest of this criminal, and the fact that our community came together to aid in the investigation, provides the family with some closure as they navigate the grieving process."
The shooting occurred a little after 6 p.m. on Tuesday in the 800 block of East Yukon Street and that's where the man was found dead.
Bradwell is currently in the Orient Road Jail. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/tampa-police-arrest-man-deadly-shooting/67-659a04cb-af86-4f77-9998-08a0fd8a983b | 2023-06-24T13:57:18 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/tampa-police-arrest-man-deadly-shooting/67-659a04cb-af86-4f77-9998-08a0fd8a983b |
Pima Community College's Governing Board has named an acting chancellor as the search begins to replace outgoing Chancellor Lee Lambert.
Dolores Duran-Cerda, PCC's provost and executive vice chancellor, will be acting chancellor as of July 1, "to promote an orderly transition and continuity of leadership," said a news release late Friday from Theresa Riel, the board chair. The appointment is expected to last until the board selects an interim chancellor, the statement said.
Lambert, chancellor since 2013, is leaving to helm the Foothill-De Anza Community College District near Silicon Valley, California.
The news release said the board will retain a consulting firm, the Registry, to identify candidates for interim chancellor. It did not immediately say how much the consultants will be paid.
People are also reading…
While that is going on, it said, the board will search for a permanent chancellor by:
- Selecting an executive search firm;
- Developing criteria for preferred candidates;
- Appointing a selection advisory committee;
- Providing opportunities for input from college stakeholders and the broader community;
- Setting up a communication plan;
- Selecting a chancellor and negotiating an employment contract.
Lambert's annual PCC salary was $348,935.
The Governing Board voted June 14 to approve a 3% rise in property taxes supporting PCC and a $367.5 million college budget for fiscal year 2024, which starts July 1.
State funding makes up around 2% of PCC’s budget. Property taxes make up 37% of revenues, while the rest comes from a mix of tuition and fees; grants, contracts and financial aid; and college equity.
The increased taxes will generate about $4 million in extra money for PCC to put toward its operations costs. The owner of a property valued at $100,000 will pay $128.02 a year in taxes to support the college, up from $124.29 a year. | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/college/tucson-college-pima-community-college-education/article_d1b49412-1226-11ee-9d64-e73bc7be22a0.html | 2023-06-24T13:57:23 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/college/tucson-college-pima-community-college-education/article_d1b49412-1226-11ee-9d64-e73bc7be22a0.html |
WIMAUMA, Fla. — One year ago a 12-year-old girl was the lone survivor of a horrific crash that killed her parents and grandparents while vacationing in Mexico.
Since then it's been a long road to recovery for Jasmin Cervantes-Garcia, but the now-teenager can walk and is continuing to improve.
"She is our strength. She was what we needed to continue and push and go move forward and she still is," her aunt Cindy Garcia said.
Garcia sat down with 10 Tampa Bay's Angelina Salcedo exclusively on the one-year anniversary of the crash that killed her sister, brother-in-law and his parents. June 23, 2023, is the family's eighth day of praying and honoring the lives taken.
The family never thought they'd experience a tragedy like this. The truck the five were in was hit head-on by a charter bus. They were headed to a quinceañera while on a trip in Mexico. Jasmin, who was 12 years old at the time, is the only survivor.
"She's a strong little girl. I don't know how she did it, but she did," Garcia said.
"She still has to come and do her purpose, whatever it is. She was the only one that survived. She was very critical. Very critical. We didn't know if she was gonna make it or not."
It's a miracle she survived. Almost 20 days after the crash, Jasmin and Cindy landed in Tampa. They were finally home where she could get the care she needed.
All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg is where Jasmin started her journey to recovery. The 12-year-old turned 13 in the months she was here. She was finally allowed to go home last October after going through rehabilitation in Jacksonville.
"Today's a year from the anniversary, but she's done so much within that year," Garcia said. "I didn't expect for her to do this well. I knew she was going to do good. I knew she was going to get better, but I never thought that she was going to be this great."
Today, Jasmin is here with her family and friends, walking with a big smile on her face. As they honor and celebrate the lives lost, Cindy says Jasmin doesn't remember the crash, but her resiliency is the reason this family is so strong.
"She kept pushing and she kept pushing and just seeing that makes my heart happy," Garcia said.
Jasmin will turn 14 years old in August surrounded by her family. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/wimauma-teens-recovery-helps-family-honor-loved-ones-mexico-crash/67-5d9812a7-faee-4d2a-b398-444c10f67d62 | 2023-06-24T13:57:24 | 0 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/wimauma-teens-recovery-helps-family-honor-loved-ones-mexico-crash/67-5d9812a7-faee-4d2a-b398-444c10f67d62 |
BRADENTON, Fla. — A week from Friday, Manatee County Superintendent Cynthia Saunders will officially head into retirement.
Saunders has been superintendent for the last five years and reflects on her time with the district.
An educator for more than three decades, Saunders said she is glad to have led the district in the twilight of her career and is now ready to see the world.
"It's bittersweet getting to the end of your professional career," Saunders explained. "I feel very blessed that I have spent 34 years in education."
In her last days on the job, Saunders has had the opportunity to take stock and look back on the events and people who've shaped her career.
As is for many in her position, the pandemic ranks not only as the most challenging time, but Saunders said it was equally the most innovative.
"Working with the churches for the Wi-Fi, having the Wi-Fi buses, and just all the things we learned and still prospered from that tragedy," she said.
When Saunders took over in 2019, the school district was 47th in the state in academic ranking but is now 25th in the state out of 67 counties. It's an improvement the superintendent said involved restructuring the vision for the district and recruiting many skilled hands.
"Our math achievement exceeds the state in predominantly every category so we had very many wonderful milestones, and how we've expanded our dual language programs, our community partnership programs, and the partnerships that we've established," she said.
However, Saunders said that the district still needed more improvement in third-grade reading achievement and regretted that she wasn't able to fully close that gap.
"We are still lagging in that area more than what I would've liked to have seen," she said.
Last month, Manatee County School Board members selected Dr. Jason C. Wysong as the next district superintendent. He will take over the role starting on July 1.
Saunders had some parting advice for the new upcoming superintendent.
"Ensuring that they're embracing the community, knowing our school administration, knowing that they're out in visible and communicating with parents and community leaders," she said.
As for her retirement plans, Saunders said she plans of spending more time with her family including her aging mother and two grandchildren. She also plans to do a lot of traveling with her husband.
"Oh, Alaska is first on our bucket list. I will be going there in the summer and we're RV advocates so I will be hitting all the national parks," she explained.
Saunders' last day as superintendent is Friday, June 30.
"The future for Cynthia Saunders is very bright, and I am looking forward to the next chapter," she said. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/manateecounty/manatee-county-superintendent-speaks-on-retirement/67-32c508e8-3a52-4517-afef-a6a2ec10fd17 | 2023-06-24T13:57:31 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/manateecounty/manatee-county-superintendent-speaks-on-retirement/67-32c508e8-3a52-4517-afef-a6a2ec10fd17 |
CLEARWATER, Fla. — A line of squally weather spurred a meteotsunami on Clearwater Beach earlier this week. A what — a tsunami on the Gulf of Mexico? In Florida?
Let's explain.
Radar showed a line of showers and storms moving toward the coastline Wednesday afternoon. Weather data just after 1 p.m. noted winds out of the south at 10-15 mph, with gusts pushing 20 mph at times.
But toward 1:45-2 p.m., the squall line, or line of thunderstorms, hit the coast. The atmospheric pressure suddenly increased by a couple of millibars and winds gusted at 40 mph from the west.
The combination of wind speed and pressure rise right on the coastline, as first reported by The Weather Channel meteorologist Ari Salsalari, created what's called a meteotsunami. This is verified by the observed water levels: They ran about 3-4 feet leading up to the squall line hitting the coast — and spiked to about 5.5 feet at 1:48 p.m.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "Unlike tsunamis triggered by seismic activity, meteotsunamis are driven by air-pressure disturbances often associated with fast-moving weather events, such as severe thunderstorms, squalls, and other storm fronts. The storm generates a wave that moves towards the shore, and is amplified by a shallow continental shelf and inlet, bay, or other coastal feature."
The Gulf of Mexico is known for its shallow slope, so the combination of weather factors resulting in a meteotsunami occurring along the coastline isn't uncommon.
This rapid rise in water can be dangerous to anyone caught in the elements. Thankfully, there were no reports of any injuries or water rescues Wednesday afternoon. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/meteotsunami-hits-clearwater-beach-florida/67-7c248c6f-68bf-42e7-9b52-f17e0c426637 | 2023-06-24T13:57:37 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/meteotsunami-hits-clearwater-beach-florida/67-7c248c6f-68bf-42e7-9b52-f17e0c426637 |
Question to candidates: What steps should the City Council take to deal with rising housing costs in Tucson?
Mayor
Arthur Kerschen
I would vote to lift zoning restrictions and deregulate home manufacturing.
Regina Romero
Tucson needs to increase our housing supply, with affordability being the goal. Under my leadership, the City of Tucson has laid out the policies that will help us to deal with rising housing costs and the need for more housing stock in Tucson through our Housing Affordability Strategy for Tucson. It is important to use every tool available to us and to create the ones we need to address this complex issue.
During my first term, I took concrete action to deal with rising housing costs by passing ordinances to allow for the construction of accessory dwelling units or casitas. Recently, this ordinance was reviewed, and improvements were made that will further reduce the costs and barriers of building these casitas.
People are also reading…
I have and will continue to identify opportunities to build density in suitable locations, particularly along transit corridors. Putting the City of Tucson’s non-profit development arm El Pueblo Housing Development, established during my first term, to work is essential.
Leading the state in prohibiting source-of-income discrimination for renters who receive government housing assistance or Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers is another concrete action I have taken.
In a historic partnership with the Arizona Department of Housing, the City of Tucson applied for and received its first-ever low-income housing tax credit project. This project, Milagro on Oracle, is an excellent example of adaptive reuse, with 63 units of new affordable housing for seniors supported with $2.1 million in tax credits. It highlights the possibilities that result from re-imagining what is possible with public/private partnerships.
Janet “JL” Wittenbraker
Housing prices (either low or high) respond to various factors such as inflation/interest rates, internal migration/attrition, supply and demand, and other market forces. It is not the function of the city government to control housing costs.
City government has a duty to ensure the city’s financial stability and that residents' taxes/utility costs do not cause financial hardship. The former and latter are achievable through fiscal responsibility, utility cost reductions, neighborhood beautification and attraction of new businesses thereby creating a competitive job market and increased wages.
Ed Ackerley
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Encourage more companies to bring more jobs to Tucson, bolster the businesses established here to create more jobs, and foster an environment of economic growth for the community. A good-paying job is the best opportunity for good housing options.
Ward 1
Victoria Lem
Victoria Lem did not respond to our questionnaire.
Miguel Ortega
The city should do all it can to identify more housing stock, including expediting the identification and use of available housing stock owned by the city. City bureaucrats should be directed to robustly promote the current city programs available to senior citizens on fixed incomes and working families. I also support the consideration of implementing rent-control measures to protect working families from the ongoing crisis of rent increases. We should not lean on the excuse that state legislation prevents us from advocating for rent control measures, as this has not stopped us from taking legal and political action on other issues that are not allowed by the state. I don’t support radical measures like eliminating zoning conditions and protecting open space for the sake of more affordable housing, especially when we have other alternatives to address the lack of housing stock. I will bring a sense of urgency to our housing crisis and propose sensible yet aggressive measures that do not carry with them intended or unintended consequences that impact working people and our precious environment.
Lane Santa Cruz
Although the City of Tucson cannot control or regulate the cost of housing, there are things we can and should do to address the rising costs. Our city has a need to more rapidly develop a diverse array of middle housing such as row houses, casitas/duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, multiplexes, and cottage courts that fit seamlessly into existing Tucson neighborhoods and can fill the gap along the spectrum of affordability for our residents. We can more efficiently update building and zoning regulations that limit the types of housing developments. We can update building and zoning regulations like excessive parking requirements that limit the types of housing developments and increase costs. Tucson has an opportunity to show leadership along with Pima County and continue to invest in the Prosperity Initiative policy ideas to help mitigate other rising costs that put pressure on housing.
Ward 2
Paul Cunningham
We have to figure out ways to increase density in our city to increase the general housing supply while remaining sensitive to historic preservation and neighborhood concerns. Develop more affordable housing projects and bring more partners and creativity into the conversation.
Using the Code — The City Council recently approved a package of code amendments that will increase and standardize heights (and commiserate setbacks) along major streets and allow a more straightforward way to construct townhomes. We need to continue the refinement of our codes to promote the kind of city that we all want to live in. I want to continue to explore code amendments and other ways to increase density in appropriate areas and to incentivize the repurposing of abandoned big box stores for housing.
Building Partnerships — We need to be working with more non-profit and for-profit developers to build more affordable housing projects in Tucson. I also support the City’s efforts to develop our own affordable housing projects. We also need to look at other, more creative ways to add to our affordable housing stock. Sometimes we can encourage developers seeking a rezoning to voluntarily construct affordable units as part of their project. We also need to be working with the faith community. I am working with a number of churches to allow places of worship on large parcels or with large parking lots to house a few people in need of housing, either in a trailer in the parking lot or in an actually small residence on site.
Lisa Nutt
More often than not, the issue with rising housing costs has as much to do with inventory as it does anything else. I am very much in favor of building out greater housing capacity but doing so in a fashion that (a) puts affordable housing central to job locations and public transportation, and; (b) we make regulations a little more common sense when it comes to building in an environment where critical elements like water resources need to be better managed or height restrictions need to be reconsidered. We also need to explore public-private partnerships as a way to leverage resources and reduce costs.
Ernie Shack
Ernie Shack echoed Wittenbraker’s responses.
Pendleton Spicer
The City of Tucson can interface with Pima County to work on reducing property taxes and rent while encouraging free market principles to dictate the market. Supporting the free market will create a more realistic supply and demand for housing and help create more affordable housing. Right now, there is an imbalance between large predatory companies buying up housing and smaller companies with fewer resources which are attempting to do the same, which prevents a truly free market. One way to combat the extreme imbalance that currently exists in our community is to educate the public about the situation. I don't have answers to the whole dilemma at this time, and will do research to find possible solutions.
Ward 4
Ross Kaplowitch
Rising housing costs, like all inflation issues, are a concern for all Arizona communities. By improving city services, including safety, housing values in Tucson will organically increase. We should emphasize the value of financing affordable housing at the local, not federal level, and allow the free market to reign.
Nikki Lee
The City of Tucson has been grappling with the issue of rising housing costs, affecting both homeowners and renters alike. Many cities across America, and the world, are experiencing these same challenges. Affordable housing has been a top issue for City of Tucson leadership during my entire first term and well before I joined the Council. Many strategies to focus on housing affordability have been in place for quite some time, and we’ve worked hard to expand efforts to create more affordable housing for the community.
In 2022 alone, 226 new affordable rental housing units were constructed and opened with City of Tucson funds. Funds in the amount of $418,050 were provided to low-income homebuyers to provide down payment assistance to get into homes. Grant awards totaling $11 million were made to local nonprofit organizations for community services related to housing. The City of Tucson assisted 13,832 people with rent through Housing Choice Vouchers. To ensure maximum utilization of public housing, we achieved a 97% overall occupancy rate in public housing units. Over 1,490 people received housing navigation services to support them on their housing journeys.
Tackling affordable housing is a marathon, not a sprint, requiring long-term dedication and strategic investments. By consistently investing in housing affordability, we can ensure a bright future for Tucson, with opportunities for all residents. This steadfast commitment will create a more equitable, diverse, and thriving community for generations to come. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/city-election-questionnaire-housing/article_8de0e950-d7f4-11ed-af0c-43ddeb648b1c.html | 2023-06-24T13:57:42 | 1 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/city-election-questionnaire-housing/article_8de0e950-d7f4-11ed-af0c-43ddeb648b1c.html |
AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating a 71-year-old man missing since Monday afternoon.
Paul Dominguez was reported missing on Friday.
Dominguez was last seen on June 19 around 4 p.m. leaving the 4600 block of Lennox Dr. walking to the Menchaca Branch Library at 5500 Menchaca Road.
He is about 5 feet, 11 inches tall, 220 pounds, with white hair and blue eyes.
There are concerns for his immediate welfare, police said.
If you have any information on his whereabouts, you are asked to call 911. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/missing-man-paul-dominguez/269-035768a3-1ee3-4552-9bcd-dfb62e0d61c8 | 2023-06-24T14:04:33 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/missing-man-paul-dominguez/269-035768a3-1ee3-4552-9bcd-dfb62e0d61c8 |
ROUND ROCK, Texas — The United States Postal Service is hosting a passport fair on Saturday in Round Rock.
The event is for those who have not been able to schedule a passport appointment.
The fair will be held at Frontier Post Office at 2250 Double Creek Dr.
Potential travelers should bring documentation that shows proof of U.S. citizenship and proof of identity. Passport photo services will be available for those needing new or updated passport photos.
The fair is happening from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Appointments are not required, but customers are encouraged to arrive early. Applicants will be served on a walk-in, first-come, first-served basis until the applicant maximum capacity has been reached, USPS said.
To save time, customers can visit www.usps.com/passport to learn about the application process and download and complete an application form (except for signature) before coming to the passport fair. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/round-rock-post-office-passport-fair/269-24396ab8-d1d0-4b75-9e7a-758fac57c17f | 2023-06-24T14:04:39 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/round-rock-post-office-passport-fair/269-24396ab8-d1d0-4b75-9e7a-758fac57c17f |
News Tribune, June 24, 1983
About 50 Duluth merchants plan to join a lawsuit challenging the extension of Interstate 35 to 26th Avenue East. The lawsuit, brought by the Lakeshore Bypass Committee, will argue the extension should instead be a parkway ending at Fifth Avenue East.
A rubber-wheeled trolley bus may be ferrying passengers between tourist attractions in downtown Duluth by July. The Duluth Transit Authority plans to run the bus--called the Port Town Trolley--from early July to mid-September with a fare of 25 cents for adults.
News Tribune, June 24, 1923
A new boat service from Duluth to Bayfield and Madeline Island has been instituted by the South Shore Transit Company. The steamer Thomas Triant is being fitted to accommodate passengers and will maintain a regular schedule during the navigation season.
ADVERTISEMENT
Fully 10,000 persons are expected to visit Lincoln Park in Duluth this afternoon and evening to attend the 13th annual Midsummer Festival of the Swedish American League. A program of music and speeches has been arranged for both afternoon and evening performances. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-duluth-merchants-joined-lawsuit-opposing-i-35-extension-in-1983 | 2023-06-24T14:12:07 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-duluth-merchants-joined-lawsuit-opposing-i-35-extension-in-1983 |
Duluth School Board, at large
Alanna Oswald
Age: 50
Neighborhood of residence: 50 years at the same address in West Duluth
Occupation:
- Licensed K-6 elementary, 5-8 science teacher
- Duluth School Board member
- Community equity advocate
Education:
- 1991 Denfeld High School
- 1995 Gustavus Adolphus College B.A./Psychology
- 2008 College of St. Scholastica/1st Cohort of the Graduate Level Teacher Licensure Program
- 2012 College of St. Scholastica/Masters in Teaching
Public service:
ADVERTISEMENT
- School Board member since 2016
- School Board clerk, Sept. 2019-Dec. 2022
- Various School Board committees including Federal Programs, Transfer Appeals, Parent Advisory Council for Special Education, city of Duluth Parks and Rec Board, Human Resources and Business Finance Committee, Policy Committee, Student Resource Officer Accountability Committee
- ISD709 Office of Education Equity districtwide parent involvement coordinator
- ISD709 Office of Education Equity PASS program facilitator (family engagement program)
- ISD709 Office of Education Equity diversity trainer teacher
- ISD709 Office of Education Equity grant researcher
- Minnesota Department of Education Title programs Committee of Practitioners, 2009-2020
- NAACP/NAACP Education Committee, 2016-2022
- Americorps VISTA/Federal Programs in ISD709, 2003-2005
- ISD709 Education Equity Advisory Committee, 2004-present
- Education Equity Alliance
- MacArthur PTA member
- Districtwide PTSA member
- Parent Action Council at Lincoln Park Middle School
- Senate District 8 Executive Committee member
- FIRST Robotics Denfeld Nation Automation adult mentor volunteer
- Various community-based equity initiative committees
- Community Action Duluth board member 2022
- Barkers Island Yacht Club/Social Club member
1. If elected, what cause or initiative would you champion and how would you pursue it?
Equity is front and center with everything I do. I will continue being a fierce advocate helping our community navigate the district, making connections, and staying involved until resolution. Using my extensive experience in family engagement, I will work with administration on bettering the services for our students, especially in special education, and creating more opportunities for family involvement. My recent medical disability has created eye-opening experiences regarding equitable accessibility. The administration and I will work together focusing on how everyone in our community is able to participate in our schools.
2. What is Duluth Public Schools' greatest strength and how would you bolster it?
Duluth Public Schools’ greatest strength is the people who make up our school district. Every staff person, employee, teacher, administrator, board member, volunteer, community partner, student, family, and alumni that create and shape our schools. We are a people business, and we need people to help people. Every single person is important, and we have many of the best in our community lifting each other up, and helping shape our students to be their best. I will continue to bolster this strength by making the best decisions possible, centered on students, and keeping expectations aligned with the district strategic plan.
3. What is Duluth Public Schools' greatest weakness and how would you fix it?
ISD709’s greatest weakness is the inability to meet all our students' needs, yet still be responsible for all the outcomes. Many in our community learned during the COVID years with limited access to school facilities, school isn’t only teaching. Our schools have transformed into places where not only are education needs met, but social, emotional, health, food security, and various other needs are expected to be taken care of for all kids. I will continue to seek, support, and promote partnerships for the well-being of our students with community organizations that improve circumstances our students encounter outside our school walls.
Stephanie L. Williams
Age: 41
Neighborhood of residence: Denfeld
ADVERTISEMENT
Occupation: Business advisor
Education: B.A.
Public service:
- NAACP
- Cofounder of the BIPOC Business Directory
- Fuse Duluth Advisory Board
- 1200 Fund board of directors
1. If elected, what cause or initiative would you champion and how would you pursue it?
My priorities include fully funding our schools to reduce class sizes and assuring that we are putting students first in our decision-making processes. Additionally, I will advocate for the recruitment and retention of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) administrators, teachers, counselors, and nurses, along with taking care of our teachers holistically so they can be the best versions of themselves in the classroom. This can happen through legislation and policy that supports fully funding our schools.
2. What is Duluth Public Schools' greatest strength and how would you bolster it?
A major contributor to the district's strength is our teachers and their passion and love for our students. I know from the wonderful teachers that I had, those my son had, and from watching my mother teach at Duluth Schools that our teachers put students first; investing extra hours and often paying for classroom supplies out of their own pockets. Fully funding our schools means paying teachers their worth, and making sure classrooms have the tools they need to support students' success.
3. What is Duluth Public Schools' greatest weakness and how would you fix it?
ADVERTISEMENT
There are glaring disparities in our school district depending on which neighborhood students live in and which schools they go to. These disparities exist in everything from reading rates, MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment) test scores, and suspension rates to graduation rates and more. The only way for us to be a truly great community is for us to support all students regardless of their race, socio-economic status, and ability levels equitably across the district. By providing schools the specific tools their students need to be successful, in addition to improving representation in teachers, we can improve student outcomes and strengthen community.
Duluth School Board, District 2
Sarah Mikesell
Age: 46
Neighborhood of residence: Woodland
Occupation: Review analyst nurse in the Department of Quality Management at St. Luke’s hospital
Education: BSN from University of Iowa
Public service:
- PTA member
- Duluth East music booster
- Active classroom and school volunteer
- BeSMART for Kids presenter
- Citizens in Action planning committee
- Past League of Women Voters — Duluth board member
- Past Lake Superior Medical Society Alliance board member
- Past Winter City Showdown Youth Boys Basketball Tournament planning committee
1. If elected, what cause or initiative would you champion and how would you pursue it?
Fostering a safe and trusting school climate where students can learn and staff can work is an initiative I will champion as a school board member. I will support the continued use of trauma-informed crisis intervention and threat assessment practices that prevent violence and provide appropriate treatment, support, and resources to students in crisis.
ADVERTISEMENT
If and where needed, I will support the implementation of best practices for physical security upgrades. I also support building upon the community school model used at Myers-Wilkins, Lincoln Park and Denfeld High School to offer more accessible resources to students and families we serve.
2. What is Duluth Public Schools’ greatest strength and how would you bolster it?
ISD709’s greatest strength is its dedicated staff. The team includes teachers, paras, counselors, bus drivers, food service workers, building engineers, principals, health care staff, office staff, administrators and so many others in front of and behind the scenes.
Each person plays an important part in helping our public schools and programs run smoothly. As one of the largest employers in Duluth, it is paramount that the district continues to recruit, support and retain employees in this competitive job market — not only for the benefit of students, but also for the good of our community where employees live and raise their families.
3. What is Duluth Public Schools’ greatest weakness and how would you fix it?
ISD709 is currently well-balanced financially due to thoughtful fiscal policy, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds and the recent sale of District property have helped for the short term. Since funding for public schools in Minnesota is directly tied to student enrollment, as a school board member I will advocate for policies and programs that continue to improve academic success of our students, work collaboratively with administration and staff to promote Duluth Public Schools and make sure the district’s budget is balanced. I will be a strong advocate to ensure our students and staff have the resources they need.
Duluth School Board, District 3
Henry Banks
Age: N/A
Neighborhood of residence: Central Hillside
ADVERTISEMENT
Occupation: Independent contractor/consultant (All of my current assignments are outside
Duluth.)
Education: N/A
Public service:
- Founder and 1st co-chair, Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial
- Served on Juneteenth Committees in Superior and Duluth
- Former president, The Damiano Center of Duluth
- Member, NAACP
- Currently: Vice president, Duluth Transit Authority
- Former regional talk show host and senior producer
- Currently: Volunteer instructor/facilitator, University for Seniors
- Past recipient of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Peace Award
- Former Volunteer, St. Michael’s Used a Bit Store
- Graduate, Blandin Community Leadership Program
- Graduate, Knight Foundation Creative Communities Initiative
1. If elected, what cause or initiative would you champion and how would you pursue it?
If elected, I would champion a BIPOC teachers and administrators recruitment team.
The team will consist of retired and current BIPOC education professionals. I will develop this team by working with BIPOC organizers, leaders and professionals from the community. The team will be developed and maintained in collaboration with the superintendent and selected designees. The district must align itself with national and predominantly BIPOC universities and colleges to hire and retain high-quality educational professionals. As a first start: the 10 highest ranking African American teacher education programs and our regional Native American educational campuses.
2. What is Duluth Public Schools’ greatest strength and how would you bolster it?
ADVERTISEMENT
Duluth Public Schools’ greatest strength is threefold:
- Its high-quality teaching faculty and professional staff is a strength.
- Its capable and resourceful administrators is a strength.
- However, its ultimate and most important strength is that of its excellent study body.
I would bolster these strengths by making needed curriculum changes that address BIPOC demographic shifts occurring in the district. One of the first things I would pursue is this: implementation of elective courses in African American, Asian American, Latino American and Native American studies as a necessary start. These courses will benefit all children in the district.
3. What is Duluth Public Schools’ greatest weakness and how would you fix it?
Duluth Public Schools’ have fantastic opportunities ahead for all children and families of the district. The system struggles to promote, hire and include educational administrators and teachers from the BIPOC community. The district needs a strong BIPOC presence in all of its buildings. Demographics are rapidly changing. Our local school system must elevate itself to meet or exceed these changes. I would fix this disconnect by first working with administration and the school board by writing and implementing policies that provide a solid infrastructure for hiring and retaining high-quality BIPOC teachers and administrators. All children deserve this level of educational experiences for their future.
Valerie Joeckel
Age: 37
Neighborhood of residence: Harbor Highlands
Occupation: Housing director at a local nonprofit (start date TBD)
Education: Diploma, started an associate’s degree at Lake Superior College
Public service:
- Community Development Committee (9/18-12/21)
- Heading Home
- Advisory Council (4/23-present)
- Affordable housing advocacy
- Housing instability awareness advocacy
- Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance Program advisory board (1/22-present)
1. If elected, what cause or initiative would you champion and how would you pursue it?
I am focused on inclusion and representing the underrepresented and underserved. I think having someone with my life experience on the board would bring a voice to the table that could be beneficial to the district. I would pursue this cause by being an advocate for families that are like mine. I would hope to help create policy that helps to shine light on families slipping through the cracks.
2. What is Duluth Public Schools’ greatest strength and how would you bolster it?
I think one of Duluth Public Schools’ greatest strengths is the early learning programs. The preschool and Head Start programs really benefit the families and the children involved. I would bolster this strength with advocacy for more para’s in the classroom for the kids with special needs. I would continue to support the teachers by advocating for fair wages, benefits, and budgets.
3. What is Duluth Public Schools’ greatest weakness and how would you fix it?
I see Duluth Public Schools’ greatest weakness is a non-diverse board and lack of equal opportunity education. Families in low-income neighborhoods need to have the same access to transportation to school as other neighborhoods. Advocating with the school board to the city for fair plow routes would be a way to give the children in those neighborhoods the opportunity for an equal education. Furthermore, I think I would add some diversity to the board as well by representing a life experience not already present on the board.
Loren Martell
Age: 70
Neighborhood of residence: Central Hillside
Occupation: Business owner, semi-retired
Education: B.A., University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Public Service: Long-time Salvation Army volunteer and citizen watchdog of school district
1. If elected, what cause or initiative would you champion and how would you pursue it?
I would have agreed with putting more money into early childhood education during the last state legislative session. The best chance to make any academic progress, including with the achievement gap, is to catch any impediments to learning early. Much of the funding appears to be earmarked for things outside the classroom: scholarships, child care, etc., but my focus will be on how much latitude we have locally. I want to make certain we maximize the value of every dollar for early childhood education and intend to do my best to protect local taxpayers from shouldering any more of the burden.
2. What is Duluth Public Schools’ greatest strength and how would you bolster it?
Its top tier position as the area’s legacy educational organization and biggest player in the marketplace is the Duluth public school district’s greatest strength. Residual goodwill exists in the community, despite some poor school board decisions that soured public relations. We have to capitalize on that remaining goodwill, by directing increased funding toward what parents are looking for, such as smaller class sizes. The educational marketplace has become more competitive. Recently an acquaintance told me she and a friend wanted to send their children (five in total) to the public schools, but they chose another option because of class size.
3. What is Duluth Public Schools’ greatest weakness and how would you fix it?
The consolidation plan poorly fit a town with a historical divide, causing east-west inequity to become district 709’s biggest weakness. Denfeld’s graduation rate of 73% compared to East’s 92% is an unacceptable disparity. An expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars left no good option on the table. Any possible use of the abandoned central corridor was eliminated when the school board approved the tear-down of Central High, and families are not going to react well if they are forced to go west from east by redrawn boundaries. We have to find some way to direct more funding to Denfeld.
Matthew Moses
Age: 51
Neighborhood of residence: Piedmont Heights
Occupation: Data Architect and Consultant, Adjunct Professor, Photographer
Education:
- B.S. in Computer Science (U of MN, Twin Cities)
- M.S. in Software Design and Programming (Capella University)
Public service:
- Active in Piedmont Elementary PTA
- Duluth Homegrown Music Festival Steering Committee Member
1. If elected, what cause or initiative would you champion and how would you pursue it?
My initial focus would be oversight on how the new three-year strategic plan gets implemented. As a parent I completed surveys, along with the Duluth community, that helped shape this plan. Given the broad vision and goals that have been set forth, the school board needs to ensure district plans are executed in a consistent and measurable way. Three areas I want to watch are:
- The mental health and social-emotional needs of all enrolled students
- Students having multiple options for courses including life-skills classes and extracurricular activities
- Current and relevant, educational resources and technology for teachers and students
2. What is Duluth Public Schools' greatest strength and how would you bolster it?
Within ISD 709, I think our greatest strength is our teachers and staff. They are on the frontlines of education working with our kids on a daily basis. They changed, adapted, and proved how resilient they are as COVID-19 disrupted everything to do with our educational system. Our teachers, in particular, need more support. As a school district we need to find ways to get to more manageable class sizes while also giving teachers the support they need to deal with the increasing mental health challenges and classroom disruptions that take away from their main role as educators.
3. What is Duluth Public Schools' greatest weakness and how would you fix it?
Like many public-school districts, Duluth Public Schools has challenges that include rising mental health concerns, crowded classrooms, boundary balancing, school budgeting, technology management, as well as updating the curriculum to provide students better options while staying competitive with neighboring school districts. The first step in addressing these concerns started with the new strategic plan. The next step will be ensuring that the plan has thoughtful, data-driven oversight by a strong school board as well as community engagement and feedback from key stakeholders including parents, students and teachers. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/duluth-school-board-candidates-show-where-they-stand-on-the-issues | 2023-06-24T14:12:18 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/duluth-school-board-candidates-show-where-they-stand-on-the-issues |
Duluth City Council At Large
Ashlie Castaldo
Age: 37
Neighborhood of residence: Piedmont
Occupation: Digital marketing director for the Center for Democratic and Environmental Rights
Education: St. James Elementary (now Stella Maris Academy), Morgan Park Middle School, Denfeld High School, Lake Superior College and Greenville College for Bachelor of Arts, University of Illinois-Springfield, Master of Arts
Public service: Vice chair of the Commission on Disabilities, city of Duluth Racial Bias Audit, board of directors member for the Duluth Community Garden Program, outreach and inclusion officer for DFLEC, Capitol Connectors team member
ADVERTISEMENT
1. What is the greatest challenge facing Duluth and what would you do to address it?
Addressing the crisis in safe, affordable housing has the ability to comprehend almost every other challenge facing our city. We must look toward a “whole community” approach that calls on targeted housing development, effective public safety, thoughtful zoning, and land-use policies — including short-term rentals, and wise city investment. Taken together, they can meet the needs of the citizens and families of our great city. Creating a partnership among developers, organized labor, police and fire departments, and a forward-looking administration and council can, together, meet the challenges with a united front. We must set ourselves to that task.
2. If elected to an at large City Council seat, you will represent the whole of Duluth. Do you see disparities across the city, and if so, what, if anything, would you do to address them?
Our city is a collection of neighborhoods that reflect historical disparities in ethnicity, jobs, and socio-economic character. Along with those disparities are strengths and opportunities for diverse growth and development that takes advantage of every neighborhood's strength to create a city that can grow and progress together. It is not a zero-sum game, rather, it is an opportunity to take advantage of our collective strengths and resources to build a city that mitigates disparity and accentuates our shared vision for the future. That is the challenge an at large councilor must confront; I look forward to meeting it.
3. Duluth’s population has been pretty stagnant in recent years. Does that concern you? And what, if anything, should the city should do to foster growth?
Population is only one measure of a city's growth, development and vibrancy. It is what we do with our current population and the citizens, families, businesses, and working women and men that comprise it that will determine our future character and success. I am more concerned with creating opportunities for the people that live in our city than focusing solely on growing our numbers. If we prioritize safe neighborhoods; businesses that reflect our environment and natural resources; and our extraordinary working women and men, we will create the kind of community of which people want to be a part of.
Asher Estrin-Haire
Age: 58
Neighborhood of residence: Lincoln Park
ADVERTISEMENT
Occupation: Craftsperson
Education: Arts and humanities
Public service: Former city commissioner
1. What is the greatest challenge facing Duluth and what would you do to address it?
Duluth's current challenge is the glaring disconnect between city government and the citizens they represent. With a housing shortage, property management companies with unchecked power, and deteriorating infrastructure, the city population has grown weary of watching the best the city has to offer get delivered to tourists and out-of-state investors, and even the work of attracting tourism outsourced. City leadership needs to be citizen-focused in order to better serve everyone, tourists included.
2. If elected to an at large City Council seat, you will represent the whole of Duluth. Do you see disparities across the city, and if so, what, if anything, would you do to address them?
Food deserts are a huge problem in areas with the greatest poverty, which exacerbates the issue. Convenience stores are relied upon as grocery stores, which cannot deliver the same quality as an actual market. Out-of-state slumlords keep rental properties barely liveable (if even) and people are forced to live in subhuman conditions, simply by circumstance. Accountability needs to happen yesterday. There are opportunities to deliver better neighborhoods. We need to make it easier for this to happen, and harder to stop the status quo.
3. Duluth’s population has been pretty stagnant in recent years. Does that concern you? And what, if anything, should the city should do to foster growth?
ADVERTISEMENT
Attracting new businesses (industries) with liveable wages is the answer to our stagnant growth. The tax revenue the city needs to run should not be coming from property tax increases and levies. It should be coming from a flowing, healthy economy. Tourism is not a reliable income source. With new industry, it's easier to have jobs with liveable wages, affordable housing, and service workers to serve the tourism industry. Without it, the ones who serve tourists can no longer afford to live here. The existing industries need to be able to offer more than just a place to work.
Arik Forsman
Age: 35
Neighborhood of residence: Kenwood
Occupation: Economic development at Minnesota Power
Education: Bachelor of Business Administration, UMD
Public service: Duluth city councilor 2018–present. Currently serving on the Duluth Economic Development Authority, Spirit Mountain board, Visit Duluth board, and 1200 Fund board. Previously served on the Duluth Public Utilities Commission, Spirit Mountain Task Force, Downtown Duluth Task Force, and as City Council liaison to the Library board and Parks & Recreation Commission.
1. What is the greatest challenge facing Duluth and what would you do to address it?
ADVERTISEMENT
Duluth is a special place with incredible potential. But we face urgent challenges. Rather than spending time on resolutions that have nothing to do with the city, my focus will continue to be on solving our long-term city budget problems so that we can finally catch up on our streets and infrastructure, which is slipping further into disrepair; hire more plow drivers, police, and firefighters; create more housing; slow down rising property taxes; clean up downtown; and provide better options than a tent for people experiencing homelessness. This will require leadership, prioritization, and hard choices. I'm ready for the challenge.
2. If elected to an at large City Council seat, you will represent the whole of Duluth. Do you see disparities across the city, and if so, what, if anything, would you do to address them?
Yes. While investment in infrastructure and parks has become more balanced across Duluth in recent years, the statistics are clear that there are still disparities in income- and health-based outcomes according to the neighborhood Duluthians live in. Evidence shows the most impactful way to change the lives of a family is access to a higher income career. We must double down on workforce development programs to help better align the skills that people have with career opportunities on the rise that pay living wages. And then work with industry partners to create more of these quality jobs in Duluth.
3. Duluth’s population has been pretty stagnant in recent years. Does that concern you? And what, if anything, should the city should do to foster growth?
Yes. Our population is stuck in neutral because we have a lack of housing supply. People want to move to Duluth but they can't find a decent place they can afford. This drives up demand for what we have, increasing prices for renters and homeowners. The only real solution is to build a lot more housing. The facts are clear that policies like rent control, which are being shopped by some candidates, would be disastrous for Duluth long term. We must build our way out of this and create more quality career opportunities to sustain growth. There are no shortcuts.
Lynn Marie Nephew
Age: 45
Neighborhood of residence: Congdon
ADVERTISEMENT
Occupation: Realtor
Education: UMD, studied communications; licensed real estate salesperson, Minnesota and Wisconsin
Public service: I have served on the Neighborhood Housing Services board, merger committee of Neighborhood Housing Services and Northern Community Land Trust, 1 Roof Community Housing, and the City of Duluth Housing Task Force. I currently served on Common Ground Construction, Housing and Redevelopment Authority of Duluth, and Housing For Inmates.
1. What is the greatest challenge facing Duluth and what would you do to address it?
Lack of housing is the greatest challenge facing Duluth. When we increase the amount of housing units of all kinds, prices stabilize, we can expand economic development, increase the revenue coming into the city and fully fund core city services. To encourage investment, we need to streamline, simplify, and improve our permitting and inspection processes. Duluth ordinances should be amended to trim unnecessary red tape and amend outdated policies that only stand in the way of our success.
2. If elected to an at large City Council seat, you will represent the whole of Duluth. Do you see disparities across the city, and if so, what, if anything, would you do to address them?
Yes there are disparities across the city. While recently certain funding has been allocated more equally, there is still a lot of work to do. Income and health disparities are extremely evident within Duluth. We must increase public transportation and housing to draw people to historically struggling neighborhoods, with the purpose of creating socioeconomic diversity. We must expand workforce development programs and create neighborhoods that reinforce sustainable career paths.
3. Duluth’s population has been pretty stagnant in recent years. Does that concern you? And what, if anything, should the city should do to foster growth?
ADVERTISEMENT
We need to return to being a city of over 100,000 — a true City of the First Class. Duluth finally has growing economic development and an increase in people moving here. But the housing does not exist and threatens this change. We need to reprioritize the city budget, and expand our tax base through housing and economic development. Duluth has infrastructure to support a much larger population, we need to take advantage of that. With a growing tax base we can fully fund our core services and become the destination rather than the stepping stone for young people.
Miranda Pacheco
Age: 42
Neighborhood of residence: West Duluth
Occupation: Addiction counselor, inclusivity consultant
Education: Associate degree from Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
Public service: Chum, Life House, Zeitgeist's Healthy Hillside Initiative, AICHO’s domestic violence shelter, SOAR, and the Workforce Development Center.
1. What is the greatest challenge facing Duluth and what would you do to address it?
When members of our community are lost to deaths of despair, when they turn to crime, or when they are forced out onto the street, we all suffer.
People are falling through the cracks, and we are failing people at the moment they most need these services. We have to make sure mental health services are available to everyone and appropriate for everyone, and that includes more culturally specific services.
This will not only help us keep people off the streets, this will help teenagers graduate from high school, help people keep their jobs, and keep families together.
2. If elected to an at large City Council seat, you will represent the whole of Duluth. Do you see disparities across the city, and if so, what, if anything, would you do to address them?
From a felon and homeless to homeowner, from active addiction to alcohol and drug counselor, from running the streets to running Grandma’s half-marathon and now running for office, I have experienced many of the disparities here in Duluth. I have also seen how we, as a community, can make better lives for ourselves and for everyone.
Every day I am fighting for people, and every day I am giving back to the city that gave me life. I want to carry people’s stories into these spaces where they will make a difference.
3. Duluth’s population has been pretty stagnant in recent years. Does that concern you? And what, if anything, should the city should do to foster growth?
We are not doing enough to prepare for climate migrants. We are already seeing people moving to Duluth as a climate refuge, and that number is expected to grow. If we don’t prepare now, our housing crisis could get worse, and we could put more pressure on our infrastructure and streets.
We need to invest now in systems that will work. We made these systems, and we can make them better. While these crises don't have easy solutions, the answer starts with city councilors who are willing to look at all possible solutions and take this problem head-on.
Shawn A. Savela
Age: 56
Neighborhood of residence: Kenwood
Occupation: Software consulting and services
Education: Master of Science, computer science, UMD
1. What is the greatest challenge facing Duluth and what would you do to address it?
While there are many challenges in Duluth, the greatest challenge I see is the city budget. It is and will be an ongoing struggle to provide necessary funding for essential services while not increasing the tax burden on the citizens. I will work hard with the other council members, the mayor, and the various departments to come up with a balanced and fair budget while also minimizing the tax burden for everyone in the city.
2. If elected to an at large City Council seat, you will represent the whole of Duluth. Do you see disparities across the city, and if so, what, if anything, would you do to address them?
I haven’t noticed nor have I heard anyone speaking of any disparities across the city, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed a lot of spending and development recently in downtown and the west end and less so in the east or central areas, but that’s to be expected for different areas at different times. When someone encounters what they believe is unfair or imbalanced I encourage them to bring it to my attention and I will work to find a solution that works in the best interest of all of the residents of Duluth.
3. Duluth’s population has been pretty stagnant in recent years. Does that concern you? And what, if anything, should the city should do to foster growth?
One of the benefits of Duluth is that it feels like a small city and isn’t overpopulated. I didn’t really appreciate this when I grew up here but after living in much larger areas I now understand how nice it is. Any substantial influx of population brings with it stresses on our infrastructure and resources such as fire and police. Given our current tight housing situation, if we did want to foster growth, we would need a well-thought-out solution that works for both new and current residents while also maintaining the beauty of the city.
Therese Wisocki
Age: 64
Neighborhood of residence: East Duluth
Occupation: Retired telecommunications professional
Education: Graduated from Duluth Cathedral High School, extensive technical on-the-job training pertaining to engineering, customer service wholesale delivery and operations.
Public service: Served on the pastoral council of my parish; taught religious education for first grade through high school.
1. What is the greatest challenge facing Duluth and what would you do to address
it?
Duluth needs jobs involving engineering, manufacturing, and industrial technology. These types of businesses will also attract a supplier level of light manufacturing businesses, creating yet more jobs. I would like to see a robust recruitment process. We have the capability of attracting domestic and international companies that are looking to locate in the United States, and cities with the quality of life Duluth has to offer. In order to have business development or new expansion, we need adequate housing at all price levels. I would promote building more housing to initiate this process.
2. If elected to an at large City Council seat, you will represent the whole of Duluth. Do you see disparities across the city, and if so, what, if anything, would you do to address them?
I have talked to a lot of people about disparity in Duluth. Each with a different perspective based on their life experiences. One example is to grow business in the western part of Duluth. My understanding is we have land available for development at the Atlas Industrial Park site. We have the space, we have the talent, we have hard-working people with great work ethic. I would actively organize a vehicle to recruit manufacturing and technology organizations to consider western Duluth for expansion and work closely with the community leaders to accomplish this.
3. Duluth’s population has been pretty stagnant in recent years. Does that concern you? And what, if anything, should the city should do to foster growth?
Duluth’s stagnant population is absolutely a concern. It’s about jobs. Jobs attract people. The city could develop a strategic program to tap into our University graduates. We could utilize local business people in mentoring programs and create financial packages with local banks and government funding, to encourage graduates to locate and open businesses here. The success of Citon Computer Corporation is a great example. Citon started with two college graduates who found their niche in the computer industry. They created their company here and now employ approximately 80 employees. It's all about tapping into the resources we already have.
Jenna Yeakle
Age: 32
Neighborhood of residence: Denfeld
Occupation: Community organizer
Education: Bachelor of Liberal Arts, Luther College, 2012; Master of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 2022
Public service:
- Chum — Rhubarb Fest Planning Committee
- Duluth Climate and Energy Network — member
- We Walk in Duluth — member
- Health Professionals for a Healthy Climate — Policy Committee member
- Duluth NAACP Health and Environmental Equity — committee member
- Senate District 8 DFL — Executive Committee member
- Showing Up for Racial Justice, Northland Chapter — team member
- Duluth Community Garden Program — board chair, Executive Committee, Events Committee
- Lyndale Neighborhood Association — board member, Executive Committee, secretary
- Zion Lutheran Church — Community Dinner coordinator
- Corcoran Neighborhood Association, Midtown Farmers Market — farmers market manager
- Open Arms of Minnesota — volunteer coordinator
- Lyngblomsten Care Center — volunteer coordinator
- Free Bikes 4 Kidz — volunteer coordinator
- Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration — service manager, trainer
- Bolder Options — mentor
- Minnesota Literacy Council — volunteer adult ESL teacher
- Minnesota Literacy Council — AmeriCorps VISTA, AmeriCorps VISTA leader
- Safe Haven — women’s advocate
1. What is the greatest challenge facing Duluth and what would you do to address it?
Too many Duluthians are struggling to find or maintain quality housing. Housing is a human right. The city has tremendous opportunities to build more affordable housing, while upgrading our existing housing stock, and doing more for community members experiencing homelessness. I support:
- Transparency from developers, ensuring that decisions are made locally by the community and use local union contractors.
- Protections for renters.
- Improving the quality of existing housing through rehabilitation programs.
- Expanding first-time homeowner support.
- Expanding temporary and permanent housing options for community members facing homelessness.
2. If elected to an at-large City Council seat, you will represent the whole of Duluth. Do you see disparities across the city, and if so, what, if anything, would you do to address them?
Duluth has serious wealth and racial inequalities. These disparities affect everything from employment opportunities to health to generational stability. I am committed to working alongside our local government bodies, organizations, and community leaders toward economic and racial justice.
We have opportunities now to invest in community development projects. There is a $17 billion state surplus and federal funding opportunities through the Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act. The city of Duluth must use these opportunities to undo systemic inequalities. Our community members have solutions, and I will ensure that all Duluthians have a seat at the table.
3. Duluth’s population has been pretty stagnant in recent years. Does that concern you? And what, if anything, should the city should do to foster growth?
Equitable opportunities and thriving neighborhoods help both Duluthians who want to stay and welcome newcomers here. Too often, the city greenlights development that benefits tourists and the wealthy few instead of all Duluthians. I support building neighborhoods that undo past mistakes, benefitting our residents now and into the future. I am committed to smart growth and strengthening neighborhoods through:
- Fully funding public schools, libraries, and community centers.
- Expanding child care options.
- Mixed-use development that benefits residents and business owners.
- Replacing lead service pipelines.
- Increasing access to grocery stores and fresh food.
- Expanding broadband high-speed internet.
- Caring for our parks and trails.
Duluth City Council, 1st District
Wendy Durrwachter
Age: 45
Neighborhood of residence: Lakeside
Occupation: Composer, server, wine sales representative
Education: Bachelor’s degree in music from University of Minnesota, Master of Music in film from Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program
Public service: Served on the Arrowhead Regional Arts Council Grant Panel; served on the
planning team for the Martin Luther King Day rally; and currently volunteer with TakeAction Minnesota, Duluth for Clean Water, and the local DFL.
1. As 1st District Councilor you would represent Duluth’s easternmost neighborhoods. What do you see as the most pressing concerns facing your fellow local residents?
Now is the time when we need to foster and support everything that makes Duluth great. Duluthians and the 1st District deserve city services and infrastructure that work and are fully funded. This includes safe roads, lead-free pipes, protected green spaces, parks, and trails. Working parents need access to quality child care and I will work to make it abundant and accessible to all. This district is also facing unaffordable housing and a housing shortage across all income levels. I am committed to increasing housing stock and supporting policies that help keep folks on fixed incomes in their neighborhoods.
2. The city has been talking about the future use of the Lester Park Golf Course property. What do you think should happen to that site?
Parks and protected green space are core to why many of us call Duluth home. The current plan by City Council puts most of this site into a public, undeveloped preservation status — a move I fully support. Only if the following conditions are met, would I support developing the smaller part of the course. First, the money from the sale of land must go directly to maintaining Enger Park’s course. Second, the development is mixed-income housing that integrates seamlessly into the existing Lester Park neighborhoods. Third, the city holds accessible community input sessions about any proposed development at the site.
3. What makes you the candidate best suited to represent Duluth’s 1st District?
I know what it’s like to have your kids leave Duluth and wonder if they can return to where they grew up. We all want our kids to be able to follow their passions, pursue careers, and build their lives. When something needs to be done I step up and do it. I’ve spent my whole life working in the restaurant industry which is all about listening to and understanding people and their needs. I am dedicated to listening to our community while promoting the types of opportunities that will allow our kids to make a life here.
Tim Meyer
Age: 61
Neighborhood of residence: Lakeside/Lester Park, 32 years
Occupation: Principal architect
Education: Pre-engineering, St. Cloud State University, 1982; bachelor’s degree in environmental design, 1986; bachelor’s degree in architecture, 1987, North Dakota State University, Fargo
Public service: Duluth Housing Redevelopment Authority Commission; city of Duluth Planning Commission; Duluth Public Arts Commission; Downtown Waterfront Design Review Commission; Historic Preservation Commission; Superior Public Museums Board; city of Superior, Historic Preservation Commission, professional member.
1. As 1st District Councilor you would represent Duluth’s easternmost neighborhoods. What do you see as the most pressing concerns facing your fellow local residents?
Housing expansion and tiers of housing; affordable housing; expansion of child care options; diversification of economic development; London Road reconstruction resident input and Lester Park Golf Course redevelopment.
2. The city has been talking about the future use of the Lester Park Golf Course property. What do you think should happen to that site?
Personally, I would like to see a limited golf facility maintained, but housing developed around it, along with additional parkland. Many residents are also proponents of the golf course being entirely removed. I would recommend the future of Lester Park Golf Course be placed on a referendum.
3. What makes you the candidate best suited to represent Duluth’s 1st District?
I believe my City of Duluth Commission experience and my project management and planning experiences as an Architect and a planning commissioner. I believe these would be very valuable with the London Road reconstruction happening and the redevelopment of the Lester Park Golf Course site and need for road replacement infrastructure upgrades. I would work hard to ensure the wants and desires of 1st District residents are incorporated into these projects.
Duluth City Council, 4th district
Howie Hanson
Age: 68
Neighborhood of residence: District 4
Occupation: Semi-retired
Education: Bachelor of Science in communications, University of Wisconsin-Superior; Leadership and Change master's program, College of St. Scholastica
1. As 4th District Councilor, you would represent a number of neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park, Piedmont Heights and Duluth Heights. What do you see as the greatest concerns of district residents?
Lincoln Park's poverty rate is 39%. Rental rates are also spiking, and hopefully with the support of fellow councilors, I plan to co-author a resolution to cap annual rent increases in Duluth, likely in the first or second council meeting in January 2024 if I am elected. Upgrading Piedmont Heights and Duluth Heights will also be a priority, as we work closely with the administration to prioritize parks capital improvements projects in our three neighborhoods thanks to the recently passed, $30 million tax renewal authorization by the Legislature. Keeping Enger Park Golf Course open in summer 2024 is another priority.
2. There has been a fair degree of redevelopment in the 4th District recently. How well do you feel that has been managed?
The Lincoln Park Craft District continues to be a major economic development achievement for our community, which I supported and helped to push along during my four previous years serving as our 4th District city councilor. A major shout-out to the administration, the planning staff, city councilors and to restaurant owner-operator Tom Hanson and his family of OMC for launching the vision and continuing to nurture the business district-wide development throughout the last eight years. Business development over the hill — in the Miller Hill district, Arrowhead Road and Central Entrance in particular — has been mostly thoughtful and brisk as well.
3. What makes you an effective voice for your district?
My wife, Beth, and I have lived, owned a business and been homeowners in two District 4 neighborhoods for over 40 years. My experience as a former 4th District councilor will enable me to hit the ground running as a strong advocate for our three neighborhoods. I have remained highly engaged in our communities since losing consecutive District 4 elections running against my late friend Renee Van Nett, whose record of strong service representing our neighborhoods is exemplary. I grew up in poverty and was raised by a community. I'm proud of my nearly 100% attendance record as a councilor.
Nathaniel James Rankin
Age: 48
Neighborhood of residence: West End/Lincoln Park District
Occupation: Technical quality assurance field technician
Education: High school graduate
1. As 4th District Councilor, you would represent a number of neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park, Piedmont Heights and Duluth Heights. What do you see as the greatest concerns of district residents?
Safety. Citizens and people visiting don't feel safe walking in most of our public places due to the rise of crime in the city. Supporting our local law enforcement, firemen and firewomen is a major must. Infrastructure of the city has been ignored way too long, costing our fellow citizens a lot in automotive repairs. Abandoned buildings in town that are causing a lot of issues for neighborhoods. Taxes are getting out of hand with no end or return. Housing is not affordable due to taxes and fees. Reasonable jobs that pay well. Porkbelly budget problems.
2. There has been a fair degree of redevelopment in the 4th District recently. How well do you feel that has been managed?
As with all managed projects, there's issues. As far as I can see and have heard it's been going all right so far. A few hiccups don't mean it's going bad.
Parking spots are the only one major management issue that sticks out in a lot of people's minds that live around these areas that are growing.
I do feel that there should be more effort into promoting more blue-collar jobs around the airport area. Manufacturing jobs that pay well would be nice to see.
3. What makes you an effective voice for your district?
What makes me an effective voice is I'm always going to be 99% sure I know what I'll be fighting for; 1% not too sure because you can never be sure on a few things in life until you try. I speak my mind without hesitation. For me, a quiet voice never gets things done. I listen to what people say and take all opinions into consideration; everyone deserves a voice regardless if I agree with them. My ideas and opinions are not always right. I want to bring more higher-paying jobs to the area, not just minimum-wage jobs.
Tara Swenson
Age: 34
Neighborhood of residence: Piedmont
Occupation: Human resources professional
Education: Bachelor’s degree, St. Cloud State University
Public service: FUSE Leadership Duluth with Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce, Duluth Charter Commission
1. As 4th District Councilor, you would represent a number of neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park, Piedmont Heights and Duluth Heights. What do you see as the greatest concerns of district residents?
The 4th District is one of the most diverse districts in the city. Some areas in Lincoln Park need better access to groceries and public transportation. Other areas need improvements to roads and infrastructure. The district has various cultures and socioeconomic status including seniors and long-term residents to younger families with everything in between. I want to make sure we have a sense of community, safety, services, and amenities for everyone. I want citizens to know I am here for you and listening.
2. There has been a fair degree of redevelopment in the 4th District recently. How well do you feel that has been managed?
The development of Lincoln Park is amazing. The craft beer/cider district is one of the most vibrant, fun, and exciting sections of the city. As Lincoln Park continues to grow, I will work with local businesses on developing a strategy for parking. Central Entrance also has strong business development. The mall does need help attracting businesses. I am committed to supporting the diverse business areas that continue to offer many goods, services, and activities for residents of the district, and all Duluthians. I am excited about the opportunities and the possibilities for everyone that lives or does business here.
3. What makes you an effective voice for your district?
I am invested in my community and genuine care about the well-being and development of our city. We have work to do, and I am not afraid to collaborate and work alongside you to drive positive changes that will make Duluth better and inspire others to do the same. I listen; communication is key to our city’s success, and I am committed to engaging with you, listening to you while bringing clarity to the strategy. I have and will continue to lead with integrity, for our community and for our future.
Salaam Witherspoon
Age: 38
Neighborhood of residence: Lincoln Park
Occupation: Community outreach specialist
Education: Lake Superior College, Associate of Arts in sociology
1. As 4th District Councilor, you would represent a number of neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park, Piedmont Heights and Duluth Heights. What do you see as the greatest concerns of district residents?
The greatest concern for district residents is housing affordability, community health care, and education. Housing affordability would mean that everyone, no matter their economic status, is able to maintain and afford quality housing. Community health care resources need to be affordable and available so that people can obtain them when they need them. This can be very important for an individual struggling with mental health problems. Supporting our educators and school staff is important for students and their future. Honoring union contracts and offering competitive wages helps ensure teachers and staff remain at their best.
2. There has been a fair degree of redevelopment in the 4th District recently. How well do you feel that has been managed?
The redevelopment of the fourth district has been met with optimism and disagreement. I feel that more voices need to be heard across the 4th District. Duluth Heights, Piedmont Heights, and Lincoln Park each have their own issues that require different solutions. While one solution might work in Lincoln Park, the same solution might not work in Piedmont Heights or Duluth Heights.
3. What makes you an effective voice for your district?
I am a community outreach specialist. I specialize in creating community focus groups, finding gaps in systems, and working on identifying issues and fact-based solutions for communities across Duluth. At times, I may not know every answer but I am willing to learn about the issues in my district and come up with a resolution by continuing to be a proactive member of my community.
Bruce Firmin Woodman
Age: Candidate did not respond.
Neighborhood of residence: Candidate did not respond.
Occupation: Candidate did not respond.
Education: Candidate did not respond.
1. As 4th District Councilor, you would represent a number of neighborhoods, including Lincoln Park, Piedmont Heights and Duluth Heights. What do you see as the greatest concerns of district residents?
As a candidate I believe the balance of the makeup of the neighborhood is an important factor as well as the need to address the road repairs ignored for years at a time.
2. There has been a fair degree of redevelopment in the 4th District recently. How well do you feel that has been managed?
As the craft district has brought a new energy to our neighborhood, I believe it has also not been inclusive of the budgets and tastes of many people living in the neighborhood. The money seems to be funneling to a very few and “affordable” housing incentives were misappropriated as they attempt to turn units into a boutique hotel after the fact.
3. What makes you an effective voice for your district?
I will be a voice of the underdog as someone who interacts with a diverse and varied set of constituents and I will always try to articulate justice, common sense, and equity.
Duluth City Council, 5th District
Janet Kennedy
Age: 60
Neighborhood of residence: Western Duluth
Occupation: Public service official; president of the Duluth City Council, 5th District; proprietor, principal director of Operations Healthy Alliances Matter LLC Company; founder and executive director, Healthy Alliances Matter for All DBA Health Equity Northland; Arrowhead Parish Nurse Association, parish community health coordinator for St. Mark AME Church Central/East Hillside Duluth; retired physical therapy assistant clinician and director of rehabilitation
Education: I possess skills in organizational consulting, development, management, and sustainability with positive results. Outreach, organizing, and analysis implementing effective strategies that are making a difference.
- Urban Land Institute Real Estate Diversity Initiative 2023 cohort
- National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health Cohort 9 fellow
- Bridging Health Duluth
- National Empowering Women Leadership Development Institute
- Conflict Resolution and Civil Mediation Training
- Bachelor of Science, interdisciplinary major: health and human services, University of Superior-Wisconsin
- Associate of Arts in liberal arts, Associate of Science in corrections, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
- Associate of Applied Science, physical therapy assistant, Duluth Technical College (Lake Superior College)
Public service: Serving Council District 5 since 2019, I have led authentically with a collaborative model for consensus. Using strategic problem-solving, with the ability to fit the pieces of the puzzle together to improve quality of life.
- President, City Council, 2023
- Committee of the Whole
- Council vice president, 2022
- Council finance chair
- Co-chair, Spirit Mountain Recreation Task Force
- Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council Policy Board, 2021-23
- Council personnel chair, 2020-22
- Northern Lights Express Alliance Commission
- City of Duluth Planning Commission, 2015-January 2020
- Planning Commission president, 2019-20
- Vision Committee member, Imagine Duluth 2035 Comprehensive Plan
- Crowd Control Police Protective Gear Policy Working Group
1. As 5th District Councilor you would represent Gary-New Duluth, Morgan Park. Denfeld, Irving, Fond du Lac, and Cody neighborhoods. What do you view as your constituents’ most pressing concerns?
District 5 Western Duluth has unique assets and concerns in our neighborhoods: Bayview Heights, Norton Park, Fairmont, Keene Creek, Oneota, Smithville, Riverside, Fremont, Magley/Snively, Spirit Valley and our newest neighbors, Wade/Wheeler. Concerns range from having access to vote in your neighborhood to ensuring we have accessible parks and infrastructure that meet the needs of the community for indoor and outdoor active living. Placemaking for families, individuals, children, including child care. Tax burden on property owners for public services. I will continue to fight for yearly tax levy decisions that make sense and improve quality of life for everyone.
2. People have often cited disparities between the east and west sides of town. Are those perceptions receding or still a genuine local concern, and what would you do to lift up the 5th District?
Serving our community and District 5 since 2019, I have deep connections and built networks to continue lifting up the 5th District. We continue to see health and well-being disparities across neighborhoods, using the lens for the social determinants of health. As president of the council, I am fostering increased action strategies within the intergovernmental body designating city councilor leadership to work with St. Louis County, and ISD 709 representatives. I am committed to working with state and federal representatives building strategies and policies to create community impact developments that meet community needs. Community impact development is good economic development.
3. What sets you apart from your opponent in this race?
As a public service official, serving as president of the City Council running for reelection, I lead authentically with our community’s vision for the changes we want to see. My lived experience as a lifelong Duluthian in Western Duluth, I believe our community will prosper when everyone is walking on even ground. I have developed effective public policies rooted in citizen engagement that results in excellent municipal services, improvements for equitable neighborhoods and building communities prepared for the challenges of the future. I work strategically in making a difference both independently and collectively by building solutions that work.
Ginka Tarnowski
Age: 29
Neighborhood of residence: Spirit Valley
Occupation: Youth care counselor
Education: Denfeld High School, College of St. Scholastica
Public service: Yes, please
1. As 5th District Councilor you would represent the Gary-New Duluth, Morgan Park. Denfeld, Irving, Fond du Lac and Cody neighborhoods. What do you view as your constituents’ most pressing concerns?
I’ve had too many individuals ask “why the heck would you want to do that” when they learn I’m running for council. That’s feedback about trust and belief in government, and that feedback says Duluth isn’t doing its best.
Politics should amplify, not control. What’s that mean? It means living in a city that doesn’t leave small business owners in tears after meetings. It means never saying a pothole doesn’t exist until reported, and if you report too many, you’re creating a nuisance and may be referred to the prosecutor’s office if you continue.
2. People have often cited disparities between the east and west sides of town. Are those perceptions receding or still a genuine local concern, and what would you do to lift up the 5th District?
Those perceptions are reality. This city didn’t tear down Chester Park for a plant. This city didn’t tear down Lakeside for I-35.
Working at my grandpa Kenny’s pharmacy in Lincoln Park taught me to watch out for the needles. I still keep an eye out, and when I do a needle count it’s not Lester Park, where I’d feel unsafe to let a kid play.
Becoming a cohesive city requires admitting truth, especially politically inconvenient truth. Right now, what I see is a city doing more to prevent growth in West Duluth than enhancing the capacities of West Duluthians.
3. What sets you apart from your opponent in this race?
This I know: No matter who you are, where you live, you deserve better. Building your family's future in Duluth should be the quickest and easiest choice you ever make. And right now, it isn't.
My friends move away and can't afford to come back. I don't know how much longer I can afford to live here. Duluthians could have so much more, at such lower costs. All it takes is a little more tolerance of difference.
It's time for the American dream to live again in West Duluth. It's time for a new generation. It's time for change. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/find-out-where-duluth-city-council-candidates-stand | 2023-06-24T14:12:28 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/find-out-where-duluth-city-council-candidates-stand |
BLOOMINGTON — A LeRoy man was arrested Wednesday on his seventh driving under the influence charge.
Stanley M. Miller, 61, was charged Friday with aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol, a Class X felony, and driving while driver's license revoked, a Class 4 felony.
According to court documents, Miller has been previously charged with driving under the influence in DeWitt County once in 1979 and in McLean County once in 1985, once in 1987, once in 2002 and twice in 2007.
Miller's bond was set at $100,000 with 10% to apply for release. An arraignment is scheduled July 14. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/leroy-man-charged-with-aggravated-dui/article_9e9a4420-1206-11ee-85cf-f36796e236b6.html | 2023-06-24T14:12:35 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/leroy-man-charged-with-aggravated-dui/article_9e9a4420-1206-11ee-85cf-f36796e236b6.html |
Emily Larson
Age: 49
Neighborhood of residence: East Hillside
Occupation: Mayor of Duluth
Education: College of St. Scholastica (Bachelor of Arts); University of Minnesota, Duluth (Master of Social Work)
Public service:
ADVERTISEMENT
- Duluth mayor (2016-present) — Currently serving on the Governor’s Housing Task Force and the Young Women’s Initiative of Minnesota; board member to the Greater Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway Cities Initiative and the Minnesota Sea Grant.
- Duluth city councilor at large (2011-15) — liaison to parks and libraries, commissioner on Duluth’s Economic Development Authority, Great Lakes Aquarium Board and the Area Regional Development Commissions.
- Pre-elected life — Served on the boards of Life House, Center City Housing, YMCA and YWCA. Service to this community began with 12+ years at Chum.
1. What specifically motivated you to enter this race?
We’re making true progress on the most important issues facing Duluth, issues that have been decades in the making. And as a community, we cannot afford to go backwards. We are seeing real, unprecedented results and I am committed to ensuring we continue to solidify these solutions of lasting impact for the betterment of our beautiful city. Together, we have accomplished so much. There is more work to do to build a better Duluth and I am not yet satisfied. I know where we’ve been and where we’re going, and I know the vision it takes to get us there.
2. Is Duluth heading in the right direction at present or does it need to change course? Describe how you would guide the city forward.
We’re absolutely headed in the right direction. Since taking office, we’ve achieved three straight years of record-breaking private investment; increased street maintenance and repairs by 850%; funded a specific plan to remove lead from our pipes that is setting the standard for the entire state; added 1,700-plus new housing units; created the Housing Task Force to build more affordable housing; established a Climate Action Plan other cities across the nation follow; reduced city greenhouse gas emissions by 32%; and decreased crime citywide by 22%. Looking ahead, our city will continue to lead and innovate as we accelerate our progress.
3. What makes you the best pick to serve as mayor of Duluth?
This race offers a very clear choice between proven, trusted and specific impact versus imprecise promises lacking funding infrastructures or concrete plans. I encourage everyone to compare our records. Mine is about making steady progress on difficult issues through persistence, focus, and collaboration. I don’t need the spotlight. I build strong teams; empower them in their jobs; take heat on behalf of others when it needs to be taken; and remain laser-focused on delivering tangible solutions that keep us moving forward. That’s the difference: Progress for this community, not personal credit, is the success I am seeking.
Julie Mead
Age: 57, born in Duluth.
ADVERTISEMENT
Neighborhood of residence: Protected by Safe at Home, but I have a good view of Lake Superior.
Occupation: 21-year corporation owner, Hair Resort Inc.
Education: In order by age — Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College, cosmetology; Rocco Altobelli training in St. Paul; Electrical and Lighting Design School in St. Paul; Carlson School of Business and Insurance, Minneapolis, Bachelor of Science in legal studies and minor in psychology, graduated magna cum laude and dean’s list.
Public service: Elected to office as Fredenberg supervisor; silent auction fundraising for township of Fredenberg and local animal shelters, Animal Allies, Superior and Cloquet; Festival of Lakes organizer; animal rescue and advocacy; domestic violence survivors group.
1. What specifically motivated you to enter this race?
I'm paying attention.
Taxes that are drowning citizens and not being used on what they were collected for, like maintaining roads, filling potholes when they start devouring vehicles, snowplowing, crosswalks, so the city is safe for all means of travel; the nonsensical bag fee when the city doesn't even mandate recycling; no tenant protection mandate against slumlords; the rising crime and taking away from the public safety budgets.
The lack of transparency and honesty, period, including the Lincoln Park Flats, the breach of Duluth's laws, by the developers of the London Road townhomes, and Larson pushing it through anyway.
ADVERTISEMENT
2. Is Duluth heading in the right direction at present or does it need to change course? Describe how you would guide the city forward.
No, I would change course.
Transparency: I would post the city's itemized expenditures for taxpayers, and allow them relief and recourse if they disagree.
Crime: I will absolutely partner with the DPD, and post itemized crime stats, and support DPD, period. People must feel safe in Duluth, and most of us don't. Especially downtown.
Mayor Larson asserted that Duluth is a climate refuge, so that in itself has pushed up prices for housing. I'd have the condemned and tax forfeiture property all over Duluth developed and used for housing, every income level.
No more excuses, because Duluth deserves better.
3. What makes you the best pick to serve as mayor of Duluth?
I'm independent; I've never sought the endorsement of political parties, businesses, or unions for elected office, so I won't be beholden to anyone but the taxpayers of Duluth.
ADVERTISEMENT
I have a history of being a transparent, elected official.
I sent out a newsletter to taxpayers about the other supervisor's deceitful acts, threatened about recording meetings, got word about them passing a law to forbid me; with help from taxpayers and the media, we shut that down. I listened to taxpayers, I've got grit, won't do a “Red Plan,” make excuses for not snowplowing, or forget who I work for.
Roger Reinert
Age: 52
Neighborhood of residence: West Hillside (Observation Hill)
Occupation: Attorney, educator, Navy Reserve commander
Education: Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Minnesota, Master of Science degree at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Juris Doctorate degree at Mitchell Hamline School of Law.
Public service: City councilor 2004-09 (City Council president 2005 and 2008), state representative 2009-10, state senator 2011-17, interim executive director at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, 2020-21.
ADVERTISEMENT
1. What specifically motivated you to enter this race?
Duluth did. After previously serving 13 years in local and state elected service, running for mayor was not on my agenda. But many of you asked me to consider it, and I listened. I also realized that I shared your concerns and priorities. Core city services focusing on streets, utilities, and public safety. A property tax burden that is affordable and sustainable. Housing across all income levels. Growing our commercial tax base. Maintaining and improving our neighborhood parks, community centers, and libraries. Those things that only local government does, and right now we’re clearly not doing well enough.
2. Is Duluth heading in the right direction at present or does it need to change course? Describe how you would guide the city forward.
Our campaign slogan is, “Expect More — Do Better.” Because, there is definitely room for improvement. The primary job of mayor is to function as CEO of the city. To be hands-on, to set priorities, to align required fiscal and human resources, to hold others — and yourself — accountable. In over 1,000 conversations since January, Duluth has made these priorities clear. City government is charged with providing effective core city services, with a tax burden we can afford and sustain. We aren’t delivering the way Duluthians expect, and this disconnect is leading to an erosion of trust in City Hall.
3. What makes you the best pick to serve as mayor of Duluth?
I’ve been blessed with a lifetime of relevant experiences. I have a track record of coalition building and nonpartisan elected service at the local and state level. I am a licensed attorney, and have worked with local units of government including cities, counties, and townships. I am actively serving as Navy Reserve commander, and help lead our largest Public Affairs unit. I am passionate about Duluth, and committed to getting my hands dirty doing the work of local government. And, for the first time since 2007, we have multiple well-qualified candidates running. Meaningful choice is a win for Duluth.
Robert Schieve
Age: Candidate did not respond.
Neighborhood of residence: Candidate did not respond.
ADVERTISEMENT
Occupation: Candidate did not respond.
Education: Candidate did not respond.
Public service: Candidate did not respond.
1. What specifically motivated you to enter this race?
We need a change. The city is broken … I’m in touch with people, better than most. Duluth is the most racist city in Minnesota, and that has to change. Being a Native American would help with people of color issues
2. Is Duluth heading in the right direction at present or does it need to change course? Describe how you would guide the city forward.
Candidate did not respond.
3. What makes you the best pick to serve as mayor of Duluth?
Candidate did not respond.
Jesse Peterson
Age: Candidate did not respond.
Neighborhood of residence: Candidate did not respond.
Occupation: Candidate did not respond.
Education: Candidate did not respond.
Public service: Candidate did not respond.
1. What specifically motivated you to enter this race?
Candidate did not respond.
2. Is Duluth heading in the right direction at present or does it need to change course? Describe how you would guide the city forward.
Candidate did not respond.
3. What makes you the best pick to serve as mayor of Duluth?
Candidate did not respond. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/how-duluth-mayor-contenders-compare | 2023-06-24T14:12:39 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/how-duluth-mayor-contenders-compare |
As a cold front approaches and moves over Illinois, showers and storms are likely. Damaging wind and hail could occur in spots. Get the latest on the timing of the storms and where they're most likely to be severe in our weather update video.
25 states Americans visit the most
25 states Americans visit the most
U.S. travelers are expected to visit U.S. destinations more in 2023 than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council. Thanks in part to rising inflation rates, which make international travel far more difficult to budget for a family, along with the general public's desire to freely move about now that COVID-19 restrictions are fully lifted. Combining that with the plethora of places to choose from when it comes to making your way across America, domestic travel rates went up 30.1% in 2022, and it seems to be on trend to continue its ascent.
With so much to do, however, who could blame someone for wanting to get in the car and leave their cares behind during an epic road trip? For booking that last-minute flight on a whim because the mood seems to strike. The U.S. is home to 424 National Parks, 620 amusement parks , over 35,000 museums , and don't even get us started on how many restaurants there are to try!
As summer approaches, and many are beginning to plot out their itineraries for the road, we wondered—which states are the most popular to visit by U.S. tourists? Using data from YouGov to determine what states Americans are visiting, Stacker has ranked the top 25 by the percentage of U.S. adults who have already made a visit. Check the rankings to see if your next destination is among these popular choices, or find your next adventure as you scroll.
Canva
#21. Oklahoma (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 30%
In a state full of early American history, Oklahoma City visitors can take the opportunity to learn about the state's 39 Native American nations in Oklahoma by visiting the First Americans Museum . Tulsa's museum Greenwood Rising tells visitors about the city's Black neighborhood, Greenwood, a once-historic space known as a freedom colony after slavery was abolished. The area, lauded as Black Wall Street, was infamously bombed in 1921 during an incident known as the Tulsa Race Massacre .
Canva
#21. New Mexico (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 30%
Travelers who like visiting the cultural landmarks listed among the bevy of UNESCO World Heritage sites can see more here than in any other U.S. state. In order to achieve UNESCO World Heritage status , a place must be a work of human genius, contain superlative natural phenomena, or any of the eight other requirements on the qualifications list. The sites located in New Mexico, such as Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and Taos Pueblo all manage to fit the criteria!
Canva
#21. Missouri (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 30%
While Missouri may be most well known for the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, many are unaware upon first glance that the museum housed beneath the landmark is full of history about the "Show Me State" including how it got the nickname. Don't be fooled though, Missouri offers so much more. Branson, for example, is known as the "Live Entertainment Capital of the World " per their tourism site because of the amount of entertainment that is accessible at any given time, and the state has six national parks you can visit .
Canva
#21. Michigan (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 30%
Michigan offers a mixture of natural beauty, history, and culture all wrapped up in one state. Visitors often make their way to Detroit to visit the Motown Museum , where curators pay homage to a form of music that, in essence, created the blueprint for all other music to follow. Home to four of the Great Lakes (Erie, Superior, Huron, and Michigan) travelers can also enjoy a car-free adventure—including a side trip to Mackinac Island , home to Arch Rock. On top of that, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor offers a huge list of attractions from the University of Michigan Museum of Arts, to the Museum of Natural History Planetarium.
Canva
#20. Louisiana
Percentage of US adults who have been: 31%
There are some places that make you feel like you've stepped back in time and Louisiana is one of them. It is known for having a multitude of plantations , with at least 14 still open to visit, but they also represent a painful chapter of enslaved people in the state's history. New Orleans is home to the French Quarter, known for jazz on Bourbon Street, shimmery beads during Mardi Gras, and some of the best beignets you can find. Grand Isle is known as a "sportsman's paradise " with amazing fishing spots that offer unencumbered views of the Gulf of Mexico. Plus, if you've always wanted to delve a little deeper into understanding Voodoo, an African diasporic religion, there are plenty of places to dive in.
Canva
#18. Kentucky (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 34%
Travelers can walk through part of the world's longest-known cave system in Mammoth Cave National Park . With more than 400 miles of explored caves and nearly 53,000 acres of land to explore, you can spend a whole day there and not even notice. If you're in more of a sporty mood, you can head north to Louisville for river cruises, horse racing at Churchill Downs, and baseball nostalgia at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.
Ko Zatu // Shutterstock
#18. Massachusetts (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 34%
Massachusetts is the kind of state where the kid in you can come out and play! Baseball fans will feel right at home in Boston's Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox and the oldest ballpark of any Major League Baseball team. Fans can surround themselves with the peanuts and Cracker Jacks as the stadium is open for tours all year round . In the fall, Salem, Massachusetts, becomes the state's focal point as a popular destination to celebrate Halloween—and no wonder, considering the town's history! The infamous Salem Witch Trials took place in the state, a time when religious persecution and fear allowed women to be burned at the stake if they were found to be witches. Speaking of American history, you can also visit Plymouth Rock , known as the landing spot of the Mayflower.
Joseph Sohm // Shutterstock
#17. Colorado
Percentage of US adults who have been: 36%
Winter sports are definitely the draw when it comes to the popularity of Colorado, or at least one of the big ones thanks to the Rocky Mountains as the state's backdrop. Aspen, Vail, and Breckenridge are some of the most well-known ski towns in the country. Colorado is also home to one of the most amazing outdoor amphitheaters, Red Rocks , which gets world-class musical acts on a constant basis and is housed within a natural rock formation. For history fans, the Chicano Movement was a heavy influence on the landscape of the state, and you can visit the Chicano Humanities and Art Council Gallery to learn about the rich history of the 60s and 70s.
Canva
#15. South Carolina (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 38%
When you think of white sand beaches you might not necessarily think of anywhere stateside—but that's where South Carolina comes in to prove you wrong. The state has a bevy of beaches, including the popular family tourist attraction Myrtle Beach, which offers 60 miles of white sand and a fantastic boardwalk full of carnival rides, games, and delicious food. Speaking of the cuisine, culinary tourists can head to Charleston, which is known for making a killer bowl of shrimp and grits. For a sweet treat, the brown sugar and butter explosion known as Charleston chewies is the local favorite. Both of these borrow heavily from the influence of the Gullah Geechee , descendants of West and Central Africa forced upon the lands during the trade of enslaved people, and who have been well known for preserving and maintaining their cultural heritage.
Canva
#15. Maryland (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 38%
Maryland is another state well-loved for its seafood dishes, but here crab is king. Travelers will find plenty of unique local dishes, including Maryland Crab Soup, Smith Island Cake, and stuffed ham. Travelers can also make their way to Baltimore, where you can find everything from the National Aquarium, to the Baltimore Museum of Art, and Oriole Park to spend a day traversing.
P. Dorman // Shutterstock
#13. Nevada (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 39%
Lucky be a lady in Nevada, or at least she does in its most famous city, "Sin City" Las Vegas, Known as the kind of destination where what happens there, stays there, you can hit the Strip for gambling, fine dining and residency shows that alternate throughout the season. If the bright lights of the big city aren't your thing, Nevada also has spectacular natural attractions like Red Rock Canyon and Lake Tahoe.
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
#13. Ohio (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 39%
Ohio is full of family-friendly stops, like Cleveland's Great Lakes Science Center and the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Tourists can head out of town to learn about a different way of life with a visit to Amish country, where you can learn about what life is like without technology.
Canva
#11. Tennessee (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 40%
Nashville, Tennessee, is where country music and bachelorette parties meet in the lively downtown honky-tonks. Head west to Memphis for the soulful sounds of blues music on Beale Street. If you're looking for a strong drink, the Tennessee Whiskey Trail is home to at least 30 distilleries open for a visit.
f11photo // Shutterstock
#11. New Jersey (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 40%
Boardwalk and beach lovers get both along the Jersey Shore, which is far more entertaining than what the MTV series made it seem like. In fact, it's known for being a well-loved family destination, especially in Ocean City, which is known as an alcohol-free city . Gamblers can try their luck by heading north to the casinos in Atlantic City, home to the first boardwalk built in the world.
Canva
#10. Arizona
Percentage of US adults who have been: 41%
The natural red-rock formation known as the Grand Canyon may be Arizona's top stop, but Arizona has many natural feats to admire. Saguaro National Park protects the state's majestic cacti, as well as the petroglyphs left behind by the Hohokam tribe. Guided tours in Antelope Canyon can feel like hiking through another world, with canyons and formations that look more like they belong on Mars than in America.
Canva
#8. North Carolina (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 42%
North Carolina is a regular pit stop for racing fans. Charlotte's NASCAR Hall of Fame not only tells the history of the sport but puts visitors in the driver's seat in its racing simulators. Those who want off the roads and into the great outdoors can make their way to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park , full of lush forests, wildflowers, and waterfalls as far as the eye can see.
Canva
#8. Virginia (tie)
Percentage of US adults who have been: 42%
Outdoor lovers have plenty to choose from between Virginia's Atlantic Ocean beaches and the Blue Ridge Mountains. Literary fans can enjoy the Poe Museum in Richmond , dedicated to one of the United States' most famous writers and a tragic tale in literary history, Edgar Allen Poe. Fans of history can visit the sites for the Battle of Yorktown, the last battle of the Revolutionary War, as well as the colonial town of Williamsburg known as the world's largest living history museum .
Canva
#7. Illinois
Percentage of US adults who have been: 43%
Foodies have many options in Illinois' biggest city, Chicago, from the city's deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs to upscale dining from award-winning chefs. Tourists and locals alike flock to the lakefront in the summer, when the weather is ideal. The state is also known for playing a heavy role in the Underground Railroad , and in Alton, you can partake in either driving or walking tours that guide you along some of the most important landmarks.
Canva
#6. Georgia
Percentage of US adults who have been: 46%
Atlanta's film and music industries make Georgia's capital city an entertainment hub. You can take a tour of Tyler Perry's massive production studio , or catch a glimpse of The Dungeon , the studio where Outkast recorded their albums. Tourists who want a more relaxing pace choose Savannah's historic downtown and coastal living.
Christopher V Jones // Shutterstock
#5. Pennsylvania
Percentage of U.S. adults who have been: 48%
Head to Philadelphia to bring a U.S. history lesson to life, with visits to Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the Benjamin Franklin Museum . Art lovers can hop over to Pittsburgh to The Andy Warhol Museum, home to the largest collection of Warhol art and archives. You can also get your fill of chocolate as Pennsylvania is the home of Hershey's Chocolate World .
gg5795 // Shutterstock
#4. Texas
Percentage of US adults who have been: 52%
Trips to Texas leave a lot of ground to cover, from Space Center Houston for NASA lovers, to the Alamo in San Antonio for history buffs, and Big Bend National Park's limestone cliffs in the western part of the state. Fans of live entertainment can also make their way to Austin for SXSW every March for a week-long festival and conference centering around music, arts, technology, and culture.
PiercarloAbate // Shutterstock
#2. New York
Percentage of US adults who have been: 55%
The city that never sleeps is also the city that brings the most visitors to the state of New York. First-time U.S. and international tourists love to visit Times Square, catch a Broadway show, and eat a New York slice of pizza. Music lovers can take walking tours that show you the birthplace of punk in Greenwich Village and the East Village or the birthplace of hip-hop in Harlem . Not to mention the city's countless museums, galleries, live music venues, and more.
Canva
#1. Florida
Percentage of US adults who have been: 61%
For countless families, a visit to Orlando's Disney World makes a childhood, or adulthood, dream come true. Florida's pristine beaches also make it the top-ranked state for a trip in the U.S. Everglades National Park offers a great day trip for families, and if you happen to have a birdwatcher in your family, the wetlands in the park are home to the largest breeding ground for tropical wading birds in North America .
Data reporting by Lucas Hicks. Story editing by Olivia Monahan. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
Canva
Local Weather
Get the daily forecast and severe weather alerts in your inbox! | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/weather/weather-forecast-illinois-storms-severe-cold-front/article_030c19e7-41c9-53d5-93e4-36f3b7b31c7a.html | 2023-06-24T14:12:42 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/weather/weather-forecast-illinois-storms-severe-cold-front/article_030c19e7-41c9-53d5-93e4-36f3b7b31c7a.html |
Lubbock entertainment brief: High Noon Concerts, live theater and more
The Edge presents 'The Mountaintop'
The Edge: A Company of Fine Artists presents its final performance of "The Mountaintop," at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
"The Mountaintop", directed by Stephanie Johnson and written by Katori Hall, is a gripping reimagination of events the night before the assassination of the civic rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (portrayed by George Stern).
On April 3, 1968, after delivering one of his most memorable speeches, an exhausted King retires to his room at the Lorraine Motel while a storm rages outside. When a mysterious stranger (Naomi Taylor) arrives with some surprising news, King is forced to confront his destiny and his legacy to the people.
Due to profanity and adult subject matter, this production is for mature audiences only.
Tickets are $17 for adults and $15 for students (with ID) and seniors ages 55 and older (plus taxes and fees).
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://edgetheatrelubbock.org/
High Noon Concert Series kicks off
Lubbock County presents its annual High Noon Summer Concert series 2023 every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. at the courthouse gazebo and lawn.
This free event includes $50 cash drawings. It is free to enter, but you must be present to win. Only one ticket is allowed per person.
Performance schedule includes:
June 28: Caldwell Kids
July 5: Robert Lopez
July 12: Dustin and Kristi Garrett
July 19: Amber Pennington
July 26: Mariachi Mi Tierra
Aug. 2: D.G. Flewellyn
Aug. 9: Jenni Dale Lord
In addition, there will be various food trucks available including Chilly Lily's, J&D Bar-B-Que and Catering, Mi Cocina, and Grub Gauntlet.
For more information, email commissionerscourt@lubbockcounty.gov or call (806) 775-1335.
Buddy Holly Center hosting Summer Showcase
The Buddy Holly Center, 1801 Crickets Ave., is hosting its Summer Showcase at 5:30 p.m. every Thursday through Aug. 17.
In addition to viewing the concerts, guests are encouraged to visit Buddy Holly exhibitions and the Fine Arts Gallery during Summer Showcase hours with free admission.
This week's entertainment will feature Jeremy Coture and his band.
Upcoming performances include:
June 29: Mojave Sol
July 6: Anthony Garcia
July 13: Cameron James Smith and the Band Monarch
July 20: Alma Quartet
July 27: Mark Wallney
Aug. 3: Marco's Crew
Aug. 10: Mouse Shadow
Aug. 17: Phlip Coggins
For more information, visit https://ci.lubbock.tx.us/departments/buddy-holly-center/summer-showcase-2023
LTC presents 'Liberty Valance'
Dawmi Entertainment and Lubbock Theater Company present "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 30 and July 1, and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 2, at Buddy Holly Hall.
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is a classic story of good versus evil, law versus the gun, one man versus Liberty Valance. A tale of love, hope and revenge set against the vicious backdrop of a lawless society in the American West.
Reserved seat tickets range from $25 to $40 (plus taxes & fees), depending on seating. There is a special offer of $5 off for students and seniors (60 and older), with proof of valid ID.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.buddyhollyhall.com/
Alamo hosting 'Indiana Jones' brunch
Join Alamo Drafthouse Lubbock for a special menu brunch and a screening of "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" on Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2 at 11:20 a.m.
The world’s most dangerous archeologist is back in action doing what he does best – finding priceless artifacts and punchin’ Nazis. Harrison Ford once again picks up the iconic whip (and hat, with just moments to spare) for another globe-trotting adventure in search of a mythical dial with the power to change history.
Movie goers can order from a special brunch menu or the regular full menu while they watch the action on the big screen.
Tickets for the movie are $10 and available in advance online at drafthouse.com/lubbock
CATS presents 'Snow White and the Wicked Queen'
Children and Adults Theatrical Studio, 2257 34th St., will present "Snow White and the Wicked Queen" at 7:30 p.m. on June 30 and July 1, 7, 8, 14 and 15.
Take one beautiful girl, one handsome prince, one evil queen, seven little dwarfs and you have a spin on a classic tale.
The play is written by the theater's founder Tim McIntire and directed by Lisa DeClerk and Tyson Lemasters.
General admission tickets are $10 each and available online at https://catsplayhouse.ludus.com/
Caldwell show highlights 80s rock
Caldwell Entertainment presents a night of Van Halen, AC/DC and Tom Petty at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 30, at the Cactus Theater.
These three legendary rock groups brought some of the best music to the charts in the ’80s. From “Jump” to “Back In Black” to “I Won’t Back Down” this show is guaranteed to be a night you won't forget.
Tickets for this show are $25 for all floor and standard balcony and $50 for balcony box seats, which include concessions.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cactustheater.com
Alamo hosting 'Jaws' movie party
Duh, nuh…duh, nuh…nothing quite says "ah, summer" like watching an elusive giant shark terrorize Amity Island on the big screen.
Join Alamo Drafthouse Lubbock for a "Jaws" (1975) movie party at 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 2.
All over America in the mid-1970s, motels, YMCAs, and community parks posted "Shark-Free Pool" signs. Was swimming really that dangerous 50 years ago? No, they were just cashing in on the JAWS phenomenon, which took the country by storm in the summer of '75.
This is a Movie Party, so you can live the shark-hunting adventure along with your pals Brody, Hooper, and Quint – minus the salty sea air and actual mortal peril. Featuring Shark Hats, Yellow Floatie Drink Holders (CAUTION: very susceptible to shark attacks), and other surprises, it’s the most fourth-wall-busting fun you can have on dry land.
Tickets for this special event are $15.15 and available online in advance at drafthouse.com/lubbock
Caprock Jazz Festival set for July 8
Caprock Jazz Festival welcomes Soul Patrol featuring Tom Braxton, Blake Aaron and Aubrey Logan on July 8 at the TTU Museum - Helen Devitt Jones Auditorium. Dinner is at 5 p.m. and doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Saxophonist Braxton's distinct, melodic sound has been thrilling audiences of all ages from coast to coast and abroad for nearly two decades. This native Texan has recorded eight albums including The Next Chapter (2014), Endless Highway (2009), and Imagine This (2007) on the Pacific Coast Jazz label and Bounce (2005) on the Rendezvous label.
Guitarist Aaron has taken the contemporary jazz world by storm with a total of five No. 1 Billboard singles. Following in the footsteps of the smash album "Color and Passion", Aaron’s upcoming album release, "Love and Rhythm" rockets out of the gate with another two No. 1 singles.
Logan is a singer, trombone player, songwriter and performer. Her own No. 1 album in 2019 helped Logan become a household name with music aficionados around the world.
Tickets for this show are $50 for the concert only; $100 for an individual ticket (includes dinner); table of 8 tickets for $700.
All sales are final and there are no refunds. For more information, call (806) 535-2475 or visit selectaseatlubbock.com
Mike and Moonpies to perform at Cactus
Join the historic Cactus Theater for an intimate show for Mike and the Moonpies - The Solo & Steel Tour: A Night with Mike and Zach at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 8.
Mike and Zach perform an acoustic selection of songs spanning the Moonpies’ catalogue in their first appearance on our stage.
Reserved seat tickets for this show are $20 for all floor and standard balcony and $40 for balcony box seats, which includes concessions.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cactustheater.com
Eady, Wilson bring tour to Cactus
Jason Eady and Jamie Lin Wilson bring their Old Friends Tour to the Cactus Theater at 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 9.The elite due of Texas singer/songwriters is making their Cactus Theater debut.
All floor and standard balcony seats are $20 in advance and $25 the day of the show; balcony box seats are $40 in advance and $50 the day of the show and include concessions.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cactustheater.com
Moonlight Musicals presents 'Little Mermaid Jr.'
Get ready to go under the sea this July and join Moonlight Musicals for our Academy production of Disney’s "The Little Mermaid Jr."
The production is scheduled for July 13, 14 and 15 at the Moonlight Musicals Amphitheater, 413 E. Broadway.
"The Little Mermaid", tells the tale of Ariel, the youngest daughter of King Triton, who wishes to be part of the human world above and pursue the human Prince Eric.
Ariel bargains with the evil sea witch Ursula and trades her tail for legs. Ariel soon finds out this bargain is not what it seems and will need the help of her friends Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull, and Sebastian the crab to help restore order under the sea.
"The Little Mermaid" is based on the beloved fairy tale and animated film and features the songs we all know and love, “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl” and “Part of Your World.”
General admission tickets are $21 (plus taxes and fees) and available by calling the Select-a-Seat Box Office at (806) 770-2000, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or visiting selectaseatlubbock.com
ZZ Top tribute band to rock Cactus
AZ-Z Top, an acclaimed tribute to the "Little Ol' Band from Texas" is set to take the stage at 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 14, at the Cactus Theater.
The music and showmanship of that Little Ol’ band from Texas is captured by this Arizona trio that loves the music just as much as anyone! All three members have been playing ZZ songs for years and were just waiting for the right combination of talents to fall into place to create this top touring tribute to the original legends - creating a spot-on show that makes you feel like you're right there at a live ZZ Top concert.
Tickets for this show are $27.50 for floor roas A-F; $25 for floor rows G-M; $22.50 for standard balcony seats; and $50 for balcony box seats, which includes concessions.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cactustheater.com
Sweeney to perform at Cactus
Sunny Sweeney, a genre-bending, songwriting spitfire who has spent equal time in the rich musical traditions of Texas and Tennessee, is set to take the Cactus Theater stage at 7:3 p.m. on Saturday, July 22.
Sweeney returns with "Married Alone", the celebrated singer-songwriter’s fifth studio album and the follow-up to 2017’s critically acclaimed Trophy.
All floor and standard balcony seats for this show are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the show; balcony box seats are $40 in advance and $50 the day of the show.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit cactustheater.com
'National Lampoon's Vacation' marks 40 years
Cinemark Movies 16 and XD, 5721 58th St., is hosting Fathom's Big Screen Classic presentation of "National Lampoon's Vacation" 40th anniversary at 4 and 7 p.m. July 16 and at pm. on July 19.
The all-American Griswold family just wants to go on an all-American vacation. Everyone is packed. The route is planned … And absolutely everything goes wrong as a simple trip quickly becomes a madcap cross-country odyssey and heroic quest in search of National Lampoon's Vacation.
For the Clark W. Griswolds of Chicago, 50 weeks of work and routine will soon be rewarded with a fortnight of frenzied freedom. Mom and the kids would rather fly, but Dad (Chevy Chase) insists on driving west to Walley World. He's programmed everything on the family's PC--from tire wear to best routes, from choice sights to the finest AAA-recommended lodgings. With such planning everything should go right … wrong!! From director Harold Ramis and screenwriter John Hughes.
Tickets for this special screening are $12.45 and available online at fathomevents.com
Bryan brings Country on Tour 2023 to USA
Country music superstar Luke Bryan will be taking the stage on July 27 at the United Supermarkets Arena as he brings Country on Tour 2023 to the Hub City.
Special guests will be Tyler Braden, Ashley Cooke and Jackson Dean.
Bryan has been named Entertainer of the Year five times, awarded by the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association. In 2019, his 2013 album "Crash My Party" received the first Album of the Decade award from the ACM. Worldwide, he has sold more than 75 million records.
Some of Bryan's biggest hits include "Do I" "Rain is a Good Thing" "Someone Else Calling You Baby" "Country Girl (Shake it for Me)" and "Drunk On You", among many others. He has had nearly 30 No. 1 hits.
Tickets for this concert range start at $35 and up depending on seating and VIP package features.For more information or to purchase tickets, visit selectaseatlubbock.com
Ranching Heritage Center to host inaugural Ranch Verse
Join cowboy songster Andy Hedges and special guests, Boots O’Neal, Randy Rieman, Dave Stamey, Red Steagall, and Andy Wilkinson, for a day of Western storytelling, song and poetry at the inaugural Ranch Verse on Saturday, Aug. 5.
"Ranch Verse will feature a variety of programming that will include working cowboy stories, cowboy poetry, western music, and discussions of ranch culture,” host Andy Hedges shared.
Daytime events will be free to the public and take place from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the National Ranching Heritage Center (NRHC) in Lubbock. A special welcome performance of cowboy poetry, range ballads, and storytelling by Red Steagall, Andy Wilkinson, Randy Rieman, and Dave Stamey will kick off the day from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
From 1 to 2 p.m., visitors will have the opportunity to hear a live, onstage interview with Four Sixes Ranch cowboy and Ranching Heritage Association Working Cowboy Award recipient Boots O’Neal for broadcast on the Cowboy Crossroads podcast with Andy Hedges.
Randy Reiman will take the stage from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. to present the illustrated letters of cowboy artist Charles M. Russell through slides, commentary, and the spoken word.
Daytime events will conclude with a discussion from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. featuring Red Steagall, Andy Hedges and Dave Stamey on the poetry, music, and art emerging out of Western culture.
An evening performance will follow from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at the historic Cactus Theater with cowboy songster Andy Hedges, western songwriter Dave Stamey, and the legendary Red Steagall. Tickets for the evening performance start at $25 and are on sale on the Cactus Theater website.
To learn more about Ranch Verse, visit bit.ly/ranchverse. For questions, contact (806) 742-0498.
Jelly Roll coming to USA
Jelly Roll has announced a 44-date headlining tour and will be taking the stage at the United Supermarkets Arena at 7 p.m. on Aug. 29, with his Backroad Baptism Tour 2023.
Jason Bradley DeFord, known professionally as Jelly Roll, is an American singer, rapper, and songwriter known for his collaborations with Lil Wyte, Struggle Jennings, and Tech N9ne In 2023, he won three CMT Music Awards for the song "Son of a Sinner".
Before his transition into country music with 2023's Whitsitt Chapel album, Jelly Roll launched his career in hip hop.
Tickets for this show range from $21 to $650 (plus taxes and fees), depending on seating and VIP package features.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit selectaseatlubbock.com | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/06/24/lubbock-entertainment-brief-high-noon-concerts-live-theater-and-more/70344841007/ | 2023-06-24T14:27:42 | 0 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/06/24/lubbock-entertainment-brief-high-noon-concerts-live-theater-and-more/70344841007/ |
STAUNTON, Va. — Deep below the ground across the Shenandoah Valley, there are pockets of history waiting to be found.
The Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in Staunton is the birthplace of President Woodrow Wilson. Andrew Phillips, the museum curator, said it was first built by the Presbyterian Church and the Wilsons resided in it from 1855 to 1858. In the 1920s and 30s, he said, it became a museum.
The archaeological project started in 2018 after a fungal disease called the Boxwood blight decimated the boxwood shrubs in the garden. Phillips said the historical site wanted to explore if there was any archaeology work worth doing in the area.
The work started with shovel tests — students dug dinner plate size holes into the subsoil to get a sample of what artifacts the area might hold. Blanton wasn’t hopeful they would find anything, he said, because the area had extensive work done in the 1920s and 30s to create a garden in honor of the president.
“Literally, right away, our first hole in the ground, we started to see evidence that there was what we call good integrity,” Blanton said. “The site was in really good shape.”
From there, Blanton and student volunteers returned year after year, slowly expanding the area they explored.
Phillips said it was known that when the Wilsons lived in the home, they had three enslaved domestic workers leased to them by the nearby church, with most of the evidence coming from letters from Woodrow Wilson’s mother. What they didn’t know, was who the enslaved people were.
“She just sort of mentioned them casually. We know their relative ages, we know the duties they performed and their genders, but we never knew names,” Phillips said.
In the summer of 2019, student volunteers found small black beads that were worn by enslaved women at the time, Phillips said.
“This was the first tangible evidence connection, really, to these people who had been here and whose stories aren’t told the same way that the white families were told,” Phillips said.
After the pandemic, Phillips said the museum worked with Blanton to find the next time students could come out and excavate the site on a larger scale. Over this summer, a group of 15 students, two graduate assistants and others, had a field school focusing excavations on the lower terrace of the garden.
This year, after five weeks of excavation work, the students found a variety of artifacts that Blanton said confirmed the presence of enslaved people at the house.
“We do have what I would call a series now of fairly iconic artifacts in the sense that they are usually closely aligned with what we see on other slave occupations,” Blanton said.
The group found more glass beads typically worn by enslaved women, buttons, shards of pottery and even a clasp for jewelry with the depiction of a clenched fist. Annie McGowan, a senior who found the clasp, and Blanton said some speculate that the fist is a sign of resistance, but it’s not known for sure.
“It was something really interesting … it kind of very much so points in the direction of enslaved people operating in that space, on that property,” McGowan said.
The artifacts aren’t earthshattering,” Blanton said, but they do “contribute to the larger quest to tell the story of enslaved people and the complexities of 19th-century society.”
Although the excavation found a variety of artifacts, Blanton said they still have to complete an analysis of what was found to understand the full extent of what story the artifacts tell.
“The story is not told,” Blanton said. “We have a number of working hypotheses, and this is sort of a scientific endeavor. And what we’ll be doing is putting those hypotheses to test through our analysis.”
In the spring, Blanton said, the class will present the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum a report with comprehensive data from the site, with interpretations. Regardless, the act of finding artifacts from enslaved people brings a direct connection to communities where stories often went untold, Blanton said.
“We as archaeologists really work hard to try to give a voice to these people who don’t have a voice,” Blanton said. “Enslaved folks weren’t writing their own history, most of the time, if anyone was discussing them, it was with a biased perspective, or poorly informed perspective … and so this is a way to maybe tell a more accurate, meaningful human story.”
Abigeal Cronan, a junior who participated in the project, said the work of finding artifacts of enslaved people helps to complete a record of lives that are underrepresented in the historical record.
“I really liked that we get to be able to contribute to a better understanding of specifically Shenandoah Valley history,” Cronan said.
The Valley specifically, Blanton said, has been neglected in the study of slavery through archaeology, in part due to the lack of classic plantation culture. This project will be one of the first to explore and answer questions about the way slavery developed in the Valley.
Moving forward, Phillips said the artifacts found, and the report that follows will help the library and museum in the process of reimagining the campus and telling a more full story. When the museum was first established, it was focused on the good aspects of Wilson and his history, but in the decades since, Phillips said they’re telling the story “warts and all.”
“These tangible connections to people that right now we only have mentions in letters or some oral histories about — this helps to ground them, I think, really bring them into reality,” Phillips said. “We feel that the context of slavery both here and at (Wilson’s home in Georgia) really help to provide more information about why he did what he did, and to give that fuller picture.” | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2023/06/24/exchange--woodrow-wilson-home-archaeology/4b784c7c-128f-11ee-8d22-5f65b2e2f6ad_story.html | 2023-06-24T14:28:41 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2023/06/24/exchange--woodrow-wilson-home-archaeology/4b784c7c-128f-11ee-8d22-5f65b2e2f6ad_story.html |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
Standing in front of one of the trains that soon will make the trip between Orlando and Miami regularly, Brightline President Patrick Goddard said on June 21 that thousands of tickets already have been sold for service to and from the new station at Orlando International Airport.
Read: Titanic tourist sub: What is a ‘catastrophic implosion?’
Goddard, speaking at an event to celebrate the completion of the 170-mile extension of Brightline from South Florida to Orlando, declined to cite a specific number of tickets sold so far.
However, he did characterize who has been buying tickets so far — a mix of Central and South Florida residents, domestic tourists and international travelers. Goddard added that although there is plenty of interest from those who want to be aboard any of the first few trips to and from Orlando, Brightline also has seen people booking trips as far out as January.
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/heres-what-brightline-exec-said-about-local-ticket-sales/EZGJFXWKBRBAVC6X4PC3ABL2NU/ | 2023-06-24T14:31:43 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/heres-what-brightline-exec-said-about-local-ticket-sales/EZGJFXWKBRBAVC6X4PC3ABL2NU/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Channel 9 meteorologists are tracking two tropical storms on Saturday.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Tropical Storm Bret and Tropical Storm Cindy will remain a “non-issue” for Central Florida.
Bret will likely fizzle out by early Sunday.
Read: Saturday forecast: Hot, humid afternoon with evening storms
Tropical Storm Cindy is about to interact with some vertical wind shear, which will help weaken the storm.
We expect to see Cindy remain a tropical storm through the middle of the week.
Read: 1 man dead, 3 men injured after shooting near Orange County banquet hall
Watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News at Noon for live updates.
Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:
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/tropical-storm-bret-likely-weaken-tropical-storm-cindy-remains-atlantic/R2YK6C4YVVF5NFSR6KKO34BV2A/ | 2023-06-24T14:31:44 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/tropical-storm-bret-likely-weaken-tropical-storm-cindy-remains-atlantic/R2YK6C4YVVF5NFSR6KKO34BV2A/ |
No injuries were reported in an early morning garage fire in Bismarck on Saturday.
Firefighters responded to the detached four-car garage at 1502 Hanaford Ave. shortly after 1:30 a.m. and extinguished the blaze, according to the Fire Department.
The garage roof partially collapsed, damaging a vehicle inside.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/bismarck-garage-fire-damages-vehicle/article_a26b23cc-1291-11ee-9519-27971744fd3f.html | 2023-06-24T14:32:04 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/bismarck-garage-fire-damages-vehicle/article_a26b23cc-1291-11ee-9519-27971744fd3f.html |
The weather forecast has not looked good for much of the week, putting the McQuade softball tournament schedule up in the air.
But for a few lucky hours Friday evening, the clouds cleared and the rain stopped falling, letting the tournament kick off unimpeded.
Among the first events to take place was the exhibition game between Men's Rec II team Bismarck Team Prime and the Men's Rec III team USA Patriots, a wide-ranging team comprised of military vets with at least one amputation.
"It was an honor to play in the same game as these guys," Team Prime coach Ian Ely said. "I've been watching them come to the tournament since I was a little kid, and to see how much better they've gotten over the years, it's pretty fun to watch and be a part of."
"It was a good game, it was a close game," USA Patriots coach and U.S. Army veteran Kai Schjang said. "They're a good group of young ballplayers. We played well, could have been a little more offensive, but that's how games are sometimes."
People are also reading…
Exhibition games such as the one at 6 p.m. Friday at Clem Kelly Field No. 8 are a regular part of the McQuades tournament.
What was a little new was the exhibition Friday morning for the USA Patriots before the softball fields around the city began to swell with vendors, spectators and players.
"Yeah we had a nice time at the penitentiary," Schjang said. "The weather didn't cooperate, but we got in four innings and it was still a nice event. We love the exhibition games, because the more we can play, the better it is."
While the exhibition match at the state penitentiary was called after four due to weather, all seven innings were played at Clem Kelly.
Thanks to a pair of runs in the top of the second and late add-on runs, Bismarck Team Prime defeated USA Patriots 6-3 in less than an hour, one of the speedier games that will be played over the weekend due to both teams racing through the middle innings.
"It was a little nerve-wracking, but it's always fun to come out, because this is one of the best nights of the whole weekend," Ely said. "Opening up the tournament against USA Patriots was a real honor. It turned out to be a nice night, and hopefully it'll stay like this for the rest of the weekend.
"It's good to get a warm-up game in, get our legs warmed up, and it should help us for the rest of the tournament."
Playing against the USA Patriots is an even bigger honor for Bismarck Team Prime because they, like the state penitentiary game, have to schedule these kinds of exhibition games out almost a year in advance.
"I don't know how long we had to prepare, but when we knew we were playing it, we were super excited to play in this exhibition," Ely said. "We embraced the game, this was pretty cool for us."
The exhibition games like the ones at the state pen and against Bismarck Team Prime aren't just games, they're also chances for USA Patriots to fundraise for, among other things, their kids camp.
"A lot of the places and tournaments we go to are similar, but this is obviously on a bigger scale," Schjang said. "We raise money for our kids camp, so the attention in those other events are similar but this is on a larger scale."
Bismarck Team Prime and USA Patriots are regular exhibition foes at McQuades, giving each team a good opener for the biggest tournament around.
"We have our schedule planned almost a year out," Schjang said. "We usually play Prime every year, and we've also played them once in the tournament itself as well."
While arriving at this year's McQuades tournament with a new name and sponsor, Bismarck Team Prime is an old hand at McQuades.
In fact, they are one of several returning champions, having brought home the Men's Rec IV title as Bismarck BioSteel last year.
"We've been together for about five years now, and winning Rec 4 last year was one of the best experiences of my life," Ely said. "That was a fun experience, having everybody here, being able to celebrate, being able to put together wins and have it work out for us."
The USA Patriots are also old hands at McQuades, and also have a history of bringing home tournament titles.
"We've been here seven or eight times, and I think we won our division back in 2019," Schjang said. "The guys are competitive, and hopefully we hit a little better this weekend.
"I've been here before and seen the weather in the Dakotas and it changes from one minute to the next, but hopefully it stays a nice weekend."
This year Bismarck Team Prime climbs up and tests their luck at Men's Rec II, while USA Patriots remains in the Rec III Budweiser bracket.
While the Patriots will be able to remain friendly with the confines at Clem Kelly Diamonds, Friday's matchup was the lone game at Clem Kelly for Bismarck Team Prime, who as part of Rec II will be playing the rest of their tournament games at Cottonwood.
Ely isn't quite sure if that will remain the case, as the lone location changes to be announced before the start of the tournament came at Cottonwood due to wet field conditions.
"Playing at Clem felt like home for us because we play our league games here, so we'll have to adjust a little going to Cottonwood," Ely said. "It shouldn't be too big of a change for us. The weather hasn't affected our schedule yet, but we'll keep an eye on it for the rest of the weekend."
But for all the worries about the weather, Bismarck Team Prime and the USA Patriots will enjoy their time at McQuades, surrounded by old friends, new teams to compete against, and plenty of beer.
"The intensity turns up when it's McQuades," Ely said. "You want to play your best and be swinging your best, playing your best in the field and giving your best effort. This is the best weekend of the year, especially when the weather cooperates, but even when it doesn't, it's still great to be around friends and family."
"This is such an amazing tournament," Schjang said. "I'm from St. Croix Virgin Islands, and I've never seen anything else like this in my life. The amount of teams here, the camaraderie, how we're treated, it's all great. Our purpose is serving beyond the uniform and raising money for our kids camp." | https://bismarcktribune.com/sports/local/bismarck-prime-usa-patriots-kick-off-mcquades-with-exhibition/article_62b8fbf6-1227-11ee-a543-4fa09a6e4066.html | 2023-06-24T14:32:10 | 1 | https://bismarcktribune.com/sports/local/bismarck-prime-usa-patriots-kick-off-mcquades-with-exhibition/article_62b8fbf6-1227-11ee-a543-4fa09a6e4066.html |
After a rainy Friday morning, the skies started to clear in time for the McQuade softball tournament to get under way.
The Russel’s Paint & Body team from Longwood, Florida, was glad to be able to get out to the diamonds at Clem Kelley Complex and get some practice swings in.
Hunter Jacobs was one of the Russel’s players to grab a bat and get some cuts in during the opening rounds of the Home Run Contest.
After a wet weekend in a recent tournament, the cool, windy but dry weather was a welcome change.
“We’ve been watching the weather all week. It kept showing rain Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, a little bit Sunday,” Jacobs said. “We actually just got back, last week we were playing in Minnesota and it rained the whole weekend – Friday, Saturday, Sunday. So we were glad to see it wasn’t raining when we got here.”
People are also reading…
The Russel’s team consists of players from the Tampa and Orlando areas and players from North Florida near Tallahassee. They’ll be playing in the Men’s Class C division this weekend in Bismarck.
On Friday, Jacobs and several teammates jumped into the home run contest to get some work in.
“Get some BP in,” Jacobs said. “We didn’t know of a field we could swing at, so we were going to come out, get some swings and have fun, make fun of each other. That’s what I came for, for everybody to laugh at.”
Jacobs was the first batter to hit more than three balls over the fence on Clem Kelley Diamond No. 9. Then he took a turn throwing BP, and teammate Jeremy Migs topped him with six.
“Sometimes you’ve got to get in there and serve up some cookies and let everybody hit it,” Jacobs said.
“I got five and then Migs got six. Of course, I had to pay his way in. How about that? I pay his way in and then he gets more home runs than I did. I should’ve thrown him a knuckle ball on that last one.”
The Florida team is playing in the McQuade for the fourth consecutive year.
“We love this tournament,” Jacobs said. “I came two years ago. We’ve been in the last three years running. We didn’t win it last year, we won it the year before. We just enjoy the environment, the amount of people that com, its nothing like back home.
“This is 10 times better than what we play around the house as far as the environment, there’s plenty of booths set up. We love it up here. The weather’s better too. At home right now, it’s like 95 degrees and about 75 percent humidity.”
Russel’s will open Class C division play on Saturday at 9:50 a.m. against Red Wing (Minn.) Sioux Nation at Clem Kelly No. 5.
They plan to enjoy the weekend, hopefully with less rain than they saw in Minnesota. But they also have a goal in mind.
“I’d be lying if I said we didn’t come to win,” Jacob said. “But overall, we just want to enjoy ourselves, have fun, get ready for worlds. We just enjoy coming up here. Or coach loves it up here.
“But like I said, I’d be lying if I said we didn’t want to win.” | https://bismarcktribune.com/sports/local/derby-provides-softball-players-chance-to-get-some-swings/article_e95d2d5c-1237-11ee-a825-6bf68987a9de.html | 2023-06-24T14:32:16 | 1 | https://bismarcktribune.com/sports/local/derby-provides-softball-players-chance-to-get-some-swings/article_e95d2d5c-1237-11ee-a825-6bf68987a9de.html |
North Canton school board takes step in seeking $27.8M bond issue for new middle school
- The North Canton school board took the first step of a two-step process Wednesday to ask voters in November to approve a $27.8 million bond issue and a 0.7-mill continuing tax levy.
- The second step of the process is for the board to place the tax issue on the November ballot.
- The new tax would fund the building of a new middle school and updates to the high school.
NORTH CANTON ‒ North Canton City Schools plans to ask voters in November to approve nearly $30 million in new funding for the district’s next phase of its facilities project, which includes a new middle school and improvements at the high school.
The North Canton school board took the first of a two-step process Wednesday to ask voters to approve a $27.8 million bond issue and a 0.7-mill continuing tax levy. They asked the county auditor to calculate how many mills would be needed to generate $27.8 million, which is the basis to determine how much would it cost each property owner.
“While the auditor will determine the final millage and amounts, we estimate that the 0.7 mill levy will generate $700,000 a year which will be in addition to the $27.8 million,” said Superintendent Jeff Wendorf.
The second step of the process is for the board to place the tax issue on the November ballot. That board vote is expected to happen at the July 19 meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. in the media center at Hoover High School.
North Canton facilities projects:'Let’s save a nice symbol of it.' Effort begins to save North Canton's Portage school arch
What would the new tax cover in North Canton City Schools?
The new tax would fund the building of a new middle school and updates to the high school.
The new middle school, which would serve students in grades sixth through eighth, is expected to cost $52.7 million, with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission’s Classroom Facilities Assistance Program contributing $33.8 million to the project.
The $27.8 million would cover the district's $18.8 million for the construction of the middle school, as well as the demolition of the existing 118,610-square-foot middle school at 605 Fair Oaks Ave. SW.
Most of the additional 0.7-mill levy would be used for the state-required reserve fund to pay for the ongoing maintenance of the new middle school, as well as the new primary and intermediate schools whose construction will be completed this summer.
The remaining 0.2 mill would be used for renovations to the high school.
Where would a new North Canton Middle School be built?
A map shared in January during a community meeting about the Phase II project shows the new middle school being built south of the existing high school in the space between the high school and Seventh Street NE.
But Wendorf said Wednesday the location of the new middle school is still to be determined.
“The board will have to make a decision on the location in the future and what the district will do with the land that the current middle school is located on. There is a possibility that the new middle school will be built on Seventh Street close to the high school, but that decision has not been made,” Wendorf said.
Wendorf said the feedback from the community about the Phase II details has been positive.
All of this comes as two new schools, North Canton Primary (for students in preschool to second grade), North Canton Intermediate (for students in grades third through fifth) and the new stadium updates are finishing up. The district is preparing for students to be in both school buildings at the start of the 2023-24 school year.
Wendorf said the new buildings are on schedule, and the district has been able to manage any cost overruns without additional funding. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/north-canton/2023/06/24/north-canton-seeks-levy-for-new-middle-school-hoover-high-school-upgrades/70345844007/ | 2023-06-24T14:45:19 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/north-canton/2023/06/24/north-canton-seeks-levy-for-new-middle-school-hoover-high-school-upgrades/70345844007/ |
Half-built Canton Township house attracting vandals, vagrants
- House on Dueber Avenue SW appears abandoned, but isn't.
- Site has attracted vandals, thieves.
- Property is subject of recent forecloure action.
CANTON TWP. ‒ The big, vacant, unfinished house in the woods has attracted attention, and problems, the last few years.
Stark County sheriff's deputies have been called to the site at 3710 Dueber Ave. SW a half-dozen times. Mostly for reports such as suspicious activity, theft and a suspicious vehicle.
The house and 19-acre property is an anomaly.
Most probably presume it's abandoned. After all, construction on the new house was well underway, but by 2018, work had promptly stopped. The 4,600-square-foot, four-bedroom, four-bath home has sat in its suspended state of completion since.
A chain and cement blocks across the driveway at Dueber keep vehicles from entering. Still, the curious simply park at Morris Auctions across the street and walk over.
"There was a lady and a guy trying to get in (two weeks ago), so I started to walk down and they took off," said Thomas Mogus, who lives next door to the house.
Fact is, the house isn't abandoned.
Foreclosure action filed in court
And it soon could fall into the hands of a new owner because last month Stark County officials filed a complaint for foreclosure in Stark County Common Pleas Court.
According to the court filing, current owner, Sipasak Properties, owes $44,543 in back property taxes on three adjoining parcels. The money is due to a third-party company, Tax Ease Ohio IV, which had purchased the tax liens in 2021 and 2022.
"Sipasak" is a company created by Paul and Debra Kasapis — and it's their surname spelled backward.
Paul Kasapis, who previously sold the property to the Sipasak company, said he recently installed security cameras to fend off trespassers. Canton Township Zoning Director Mike Hanshaw said the partially-boarded house is secure and complaints have ceased.
The long construction hiatus at the site coincides with the time the 53-year-old Kasapis spent in prison.
In 2018, he pleaded guilty to federal charges of income tax evasion, failure to collect and pay employment taxes and money laundering, tied to a pair of Stark gambling operations disguised as skills game parlors, and a produce business in Cleveland.
At the time, prosecutors said Kasapis' actions had cheated the government out of a combined $533,000.
Vacant house is secured
That was on the heels of a Stark County criminal case, in which the Kasapises pleaded guilty to operating an illegal casino, operating a gambling house and gambling.
Today, the Kasapises remain in the midst of a divorce.
"I know that (Dueber) house is completely boarded up now," said Debra Kasapis.
Paul Kasapis said he has an "interest" in the Dueber site.
"But it's not mine; my wife owns it," he said.
Reach Tim at 330-580-8333 ortim.botos@cantonrep.com.On Twitter: @tbotosREP | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2023/06/24/a-vacant-unfinished-house-in-canton-twp-attracts-unwanted-attention/70316563007/ | 2023-06-24T14:45:20 | 1 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2023/06/24/a-vacant-unfinished-house-in-canton-twp-attracts-unwanted-attention/70316563007/ |
A computer outage Friday night could mean some Globe Gazette customers may not get their newspapers Saturday. If your newspaper doesn't arrive on time, go to globegazette.com or check out our E-edition for all the content from Saturday's edition and more.
Related to this story
Most Popular
According to a release from the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation, 30-year-old Matt Davis of Hampton was shot and killed.
A man was shot and killed Wednesday night by a Franklin County Sheriff's deputy at 1124 Gilman Street in Sheffield.
A Mason City woman allegedly started a fire a her residence on June 11. The house is a total loss.
A Garner man was injured in a motorcycle crash in Mason City Wednesday morning.
First in a series. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/computer-glitch-may-cause-some-delivery-problems/article_58d47080-1244-11ee-bbed-43b6cadf0973.html | 2023-06-24T15:03:48 | 0 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/computer-glitch-may-cause-some-delivery-problems/article_58d47080-1244-11ee-bbed-43b6cadf0973.html |
BULLS GAP, Tenn. (WJHL) – Several agencies in Hawkins County responded to a commercial structure fire Friday night that lasted into Saturday morning, according to the county’s emergency management agency (EMA).
A social media post by EMA Director Jamie Miller said the fire happened in the 700 block of Highway 113 in the Whitesburg/Bulls Gap area of the county.
The post said surrounding residents were initially asked to evacuate their homes while crews battled the fire due to “propane and welding tanks near the structure.” Those neighboring homes were allowed to return shortly after.
According to Miller, a portion of Highway 113 was closed completely while the fire was being contained, but the roadway reopened once fire crews cleared the scene.
Responding agencies included all Hawkins County Fire Departments, Hawkins County Emergency Response Team, Hawkins County Emergency Medical Services, Hawkins County Rescue Squad and the Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/structure-fire-temporarily-closes-highway-prompts-home-evacuations-in-hawkins-co-officials-say/ | 2023-06-24T15:11:12 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/structure-fire-temporarily-closes-highway-prompts-home-evacuations-in-hawkins-co-officials-say/ |
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — Tennessee Hills Distillery owner Stephen Callahan hopes his Jonesborough location won’t have to wait much longer to get a beer permit.
It’s been a year since Tennessee Hills applied for an on-premise beer permit at the distillery, where it already serves cocktails and provides liquor tastings. That span has included several Jonesborough beer board meetings, according to Tennessee Hills representatives, with no votes on whether to grant a permit.
Tennessee Hills (THD) representatives were on the agenda at the June 12 Board of Mayor and Alderman and Beer Board meetings. Those meetings ended with no resolution, and letters sent prior to those meetings show differing opinions on Jonesborough’s rules regarding beer sales and beer brewing.
THD lawyer Clark Jordan said he wasn’t involved with the company when the permit was first sought. He told News Channel 11 the town’s beer ordinances haven’t actually kept up with a 2017 state law change that allowed beer to be sold with up to 8% alcohol content.
Jonesborough’s permit applications and ordinance limit the definition of beer to “5% alcohol by volume or less”.
Jordan said that effectively renders any place that does have on or off-premise beer sales in violation of the town’s own ordinance any time it sells a beer with higher than 5% alcohol, something that applies to many current beers, from supermarkets and convenience stores to restaurants.
“We’ve asked them to assess that and kind of get their ordinances up to date,” said Stephen Callahan, owner and founder of Tennessee Hills Distillery. “It’s taken a little while longer than anticipated and so we’ve tried to really help them move the ball forward. But we’ve got quite a bit of pushback in the last year.”
Callahan and Jordan said other businesses in the town already have a permit to sell craft beer.
“We’ve looked at a couple of other places that are on-premise like Main Street Catering and Cafe and Texas Burritos, and they all have beers that are over 5%,” Jordan said. “And thankfully, and we appreciate it, some of them are ours. So it would be a little ironic if our beer is already being sold in Jonesborough and the beer board was to tell us no — telling the brewer no when retailers are actually selling it there.”
Jordan said THD has tried to give Jonesborough “a pathway” for them to approve THD, and then “offer to work with them to update their code if they would like our assistance because we’ve been looking at this so hard. A lot of other cities have updated it and we know what some of the better practices are.”
Callahan said he believes it will be a safer option to have craft beer sales at the Jonesborough location.
“We can sell 45%, 90 proof shots all night long. But people don’t have a lesser alcohol option here,” said Callahan. “Not everybody wants to drink liquor, and not everybody wants to drink beer, and I just feel like it’s going to provide a safer option for folks in the long run.”
Jonesborough Mayor Chuck Vest said their leaders think about the town as a whole when making decisions about ordinances.
“One issue with all beer ordinances is how they impact other businesses or future businesses,” said Vest. “So here in Jonesborough, we’re really cautious to make sure when we make decisions, it’s best for the town of Jonesborough for years to come.”
Vest said granting the permit should be favorable to Tennessee Hills as long as they meet a different standard.
“I think one discussion and one thing we’ll need to validate is whether or not they can manufacture 100 barrels of beer here locally in Jonesborough,” said Vest. “Because that will allow them to get the manufacturing permit. And I’m sure as successful as Tennessee Hills is, 100 barrels is a drop in the bucket for them.”
Brewing versus Selling
A June 5 letter from Town Administrator Glen Rosenoff to Callahan and Jordan traced THD/Jonesborough beer conversations back to 2020. It referenced Jonesborough’s rule that on-premise beer permits require a business to get at least 75% of its taxable sales from food and non-alcoholic beverage sales.
Rosenoff, who is Erwin’s former Town Administrator, explained that Erwin had eventually dropped that requirement as “taprooms” became more popular. Jonesborough still has not changed that rule.
Rosenoff’s letter also referenced a May 2023 request that Jonesborough approves beer manufacturing, distribution, and off and on-premise sales.
Jordan said THD actually has a state beer manufacturing permit, and that Jonesborough has changed its stance on that matter anyway.
He said now all THD needs from the town is a permit allowing it to sell beer at the location it hopes to make the primary site of its innovative small-batch brewing project as part of East Tennessee State University’s Brewing and Distillation Studies program.
Students currently train and study at the brewstillery location in Johnson City. With the granted permit, the primary training site can be moved to the Jonesborough location.
“Being Tennessee’s oldest town and that the program got moved to Appalachian studies, it makes sense that we kind of allow our students to touch our original location right here in downtown Jonesborough,” said Callahan. “Because there is so much history and so much culture and heritage.”
Callahan said all of the distilling is done on-site at the Jonesborough location.
“So, it makes sense to kind of concentrate our efforts and just provide more of a learning experience for our students,” said Callahan.
Mayor Vest said it will be a great addition to have ETSU students at Tennessee Hills in Jonesborough.
“It’s a benefit to Jonesborough as well, but it’s exciting to have Tennessee Hills, which is a great partner with us here in Jonesborough, to be working with students up at ETSU,” said Vest.
Callahan said having beer at the location will also be great for the economy and tourism in Jonesborough. He said Tennessee Hills as a company has a mission for the region.
“Number one is to elevate the region,” said Callahan. “I think we’re doing that with a footprint in Jonesborough, our footprint in Johnson City and then now a 20-plus million dollar expansion in Bristol, Tennessee. Two is to provide experiences for not only local people, but tourists that come to town, give people a reason to stay and enjoy our town. And three is to provide learning experiences through our ETSU program.”
Callahan said having beer will help Jonesborough have uniformity with the Johnson City location and the upcoming Bristol location. He also said if the permit is granted, they will start serving and manufacturing beer as soon as possible in Jonesborough.
“We’ve already bought the equipment to sell beer,” said Callahan. “We’ve already bought the equipment to make beer on a small batch scale with our ETSU brewing program. I think it’s a long time overdue. We’ve got a heavy customer demand of people who are just waiting.”
Mayor Vest said Tennessee Hills sent a letter to the Town of Jonesborough hoping to have the permit issue resolved by July 27. Vest said he is expediting that date to July 10 for the beer board to make a decision. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tennessee-hills-distillery-pushes-to-have-beer-permit-granted-in-jonesborough/ | 2023-06-24T15:11:18 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/tennessee-hills-distillery-pushes-to-have-beer-permit-granted-in-jonesborough/ |
Deb Allen (left) and her kids Isabelle (center) and Jasmine (right) watch the Uncle Sam Jam fireworks show at Oak Lake Park in Lincoln in 2021.
Journal Star file photo
It’s almost time to pull together all the red, white and blue in your wardrobe for this year's Fourth of July.
The majority of fireworks stands open Saturday across Nebraska. In Lincoln, stands are only open July 3-4.
Numerous celebrations are set to occur the weekend leading up to July 4 with food trucks, music, parades and fireworks displays.
Wes Anderson of Lincoln moves a box of fireworks off a trailer at Kracklin' Kirk's Fireworks Friday in Hickman.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Lincoln’s annual Uncle Sam Jam is again set for July 3 at Oak Lake Park. Food vendors open at 4 p.m., live music from Soul Dawg is scheduled at 6:15 p.m. and fireworks end the night starting at 10 p.m.
Food includes ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, funnel cakes, kettle corn, hot dogs, pizza and hamburgers.
Free parking is available at Oak Lake Park and the lots adjacent to Haymarket Park.
The annual Seward Fourth of July celebration will include a weekend filled with food, car shows, concerts and tournaments. On July 4, the annual grand parade begins at 4 p.m. and fireworks will begin at 10 p.m.
Here’s a guide to community events celebrating the Fourth of July:
Workers unload fireworks at Kracklin' Kirk's Fireworks Friday in Hickman.
JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, events July 3, Oak Lake Park. lincoln.ne.gov .
Fireworks, Pine Lake, July 3.
Fireworks, Capitol Beach, July 4.
Show and Fireworks, Country Drive Golf Course. facebook.com .
Fireworks, Ashland Ballfields, July 4. visitnebraska.com .
Avenue of Flags, Legion Memorial Park, July 4. auburn.ne.gov .
Celebrate Bennet, events July 3-4, fireworks July 3 at ballfield. cityofbennet.com .
Fireworks, ballfield, July 1. facebook.com .
Fireworks, College Heights Country Club, June 30. facebook.com .
Fireworks, Village of Denton, June 30. facebook.com .
DeWitt Days, events July 1-4, fireworks July 1 at ballfield. facebook.com .
Community celebration, fireworks at Nerud Field, July 4. dorchester4thofjuly.com .
Eagle Raceway, fireworks following races July 1. lincoln.ne.gov .
Pioneer Shrine Club Flea Market, vendors July 2-4, parade and fireworks July 4 at city park. facebook.com .
Fireworks, Friend Country Club, July 4. facebook.com .
Geneva Days, events June 30-July 4, fireworks July 4. genevane.org .
Fireworks, Main Park, July 4. hickman.ne.gov .
Block Party, 1718 3rd Corso, July 1. facebook.com .
Treestock, events July 1-2, fireworks July 2 at Steinhart Park. NebraskaCity.com .
Fireworks, Fairview Golf Course, July 4.
Fourth of July festivities in Seward include a classic car show. The annual celebration also includes a parade and fireworks display.
KENNETH FERRIERA, Journal Star file photo
Fourth of July Celebration, events July 1-4, fireworks July 4 at Plum Creek Park. julyfourthseward.com .
Fireworks, Johnson County Fairgrounds, July 4. tecumsehne.com .
Fireworks, Lake Wanahoo, July 4.
Fourth of July Celebration, events July 4, fireworks at Lawson Park.
Firecracker Frenzy, York County Fairgrounds, July 3. yorkchamber.org .
The Fourth of July is undoubtedly the biggest day for fireworks in the United States.
Photos: Uncle Sam Jam at Oak Lake Park
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Deb Allen (left) and her kids Isabelle (center) and Jasmine (right) watch the Uncle Sam Jam fireworks show on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
The A-Lami and Mashfi families watch the Uncle Sam Jam fireworks show on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
AM/FM performs their last set of the night before the fireworks show at the Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
American Red Cross volunteer Bryan Leavitt hands out water bottles to attendees at Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
AM/FM Lincoln performs 80s hits to the crowd during Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Lincoln Police Department officers sit in golf carts during Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
People line up outside the Dig-N food truck during the Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
A general view of the AM/FM Lincoln concert during Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
In this file photo from 2021, Brooke Pfeiffer hands shaved ice cones to customers during Uncle Sam Jam, the city of Lincoln's annual Fourth of July weekend celebration at Oak Lake Park.
Journal Star file photo
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Musician "Featherbeard" sleeps in the shade at Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Friends Haywood Johnson (9, left) and Ethan Hurlburt (9, right) play in Oak Lake during Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Kona ice server Charlotte Schuerman hands shaved ice cones to customers during Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Spectators dance to AM/FM Lincoln during Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Michael Ayala (5, center) tastes his shaved ice cone during Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Adrionan Hamilton, 8, puts a fifth flavor onto his shaved ice cone during Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Spectators arrive at the Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Uncle Sam Jam, 07.03
Families pass through security as they arrive at Uncle Sam Jam on Saturday at Oak Lake Park.
EAKIN HOWARD, Journal Star
Reach the writer at 402-473-7241 or ajohnson2@journalstar.com . On Twitter @ajohnson6170
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/25-places-to-celebrate-the-fourth-of-july-in-and-around-lincoln/article_86682d40-1058-11ee-91d1-43ac079077b6.html | 2023-06-24T15:13:12 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/25-places-to-celebrate-the-fourth-of-july-in-and-around-lincoln/article_86682d40-1058-11ee-91d1-43ac079077b6.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – On a sunny afternoon in June, Ralph Bloemers pushed away chest-high shrubs blocking trails that few people travel in the Columbia River Gorge.
In an area above Multnomah Falls and Ainsworth State Park, Bloemers has spent six years watching the greenery rise from the ashes left in the wake of the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire. Now, these new plants and re-sprouting trees blanket the hills, cliffs and mountain sides above the massive Columbia River.
“The vegetation is so, so happy in this post-fire area that to be able to get not a lot of blowing ferns and wild peas and everything else, I have to come in here and regularly do some vegetation maintenance,” Bloemers said as he yanked away plants from in front of one of his motion-sensor cameras.
Bloemers, a former environmental attorney who now works as the director of fire safe communities for the organization Green Oregon, spends his free time documenting the transformation in the gorge.
He’s photographed about 100 locations since the Eagle Creek Fire, finding the exact spot of each picture and capturing it year after year to show how it’s transformed.
He’s also set up cameras to record timelapse videos, and uses motion sensor cameras, like the one he cleared branches in front of, to record wildlife.
“I’ve gotten herds of elk. I’ve gotten lots of bobcats and cougars, cougars with kits, of course deer and little baby fawns,” he said.
He’s invested hours in documenting the rejuvenation of the burned area and shares the images online with the hope of showing people that the environment isn’t completely destroyed. In fact, it’s quickly bouncing back.
It’s been almost six years since the Eagle Creek Fire burned nearly 50,000 acres in the Columbia River Gorge, and Bloemers feels it’s time to let people know that the landscape is regenerating.
“I felt like the best way to do that was to use the camera, use the camera over time to show how resilient these landscapes are, and how quickly they come back,” he said.
And so, in the heat and the snow, Bloemers will hike up the hillsides to capture his photos.
Without the tall canopy covering the forest floor, all sorts of vegetation has been given the chance to sprout, inviting animals in to feast on the young shoots.
When the forest changed so drastically in the Eagle Creek Fire, Bloemers said he had the sense that residents in the Columbia River Gorge, or people who visited it often, felt a sense of “solastalgia” – a type of distress caused by environmental change.
To help alleviate this, Bloemers has taken groups of elementary school students from Cascade Locks into the burned area to do what he calls “charcoal treasure hunts.”
“I think the kids being out in the forest allowed them to see how the forest was doing. And then that allowed them to move from ‘the fire is still this present thing in my life’ to understanding and moving on from it,” he said.
It’s hard, Bloemers said, when places we love change in our lifetime. He tries to remember that the Columbia River Gorge was originally created by a great disturbance – the repeated floods caused by Glacial Lake Missoula and volcanic activity – and that like the gorge, beauty can also rise from a disturbance like the Eagle Creek Fire.
“I like to think of what did we get versus what did we lose? Well, we just got a forest that’s now in a younger stage of life,” Bloemers said, “a reset for parts of the forest.” | https://www.koin.com/local/6-years-later-photographer-documents-columbia-gorge-reset-after-eagle-creek-fire/ | 2023-06-24T15:13:12 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/6-years-later-photographer-documents-columbia-gorge-reset-after-eagle-creek-fire/ |
SANFORD, Fla. – The city of Sanford on Friday — several hours following its announcement of a water main break on Lake Mary Boulevard — notified residents of a precautionary boil water advisory.
The advisory will remain in effect until further notice for the following impacted areas:
- State Road 46 and E. Lake Mary South to Seminole State College
- East U.S. 17-92 from Lake Mary Boulevard North to Airport
- U.S. 17-92 and Airport Boulevard East to Red Cleveland Boulevard
- W. Lake Mary Boulevard From U.S. 17-92 to Hidden Lake Drive
- Hidden Lakes Subdivision
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
Generally, those under such an advisory are instructed to keep water at a rolling boil for at least one minute if intended for consumption, whether in cooking or drinking.
Seminole County Emergency Management is monitoring the situation closely, according to the city.
No other details have been shared.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/24/sanford-issues-boil-water-notice-after-water-main-break/ | 2023-06-24T15:16:07 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2023/06/24/sanford-issues-boil-water-notice-after-water-main-break/ |
Rebecca Ulloa handles calls from the public Thursday at the Lake County Communication Center. On other days she may handle dispatching calls t…
CROWN POINT — "Hi, this is Lake County 911, what is the location of your emergency?"
It's as if a switch flips in Rebecca Ulloa's brain the moment those pre-recorded words, in her voice, signal to her a 911 call is coming in. A shrill voice pierces through her headset. A woman on the other line is hysterical, telling the Ulloa someone with an automatic weapon has tried to hurt her and her child.
Ulloa works quickly through the procedural questions she must ask: When did this happen? Can you describe the suspect? Are you still at the location? She handles the caller with patience and professionalism.
Within minutes, police and fire are on their way. The call ends and the metaphorical switch in her brain flips back off. She's gotten good at compartmentalizing, she said.
"I've been working on that," Ulloa said. "There are some days where it's easier to leave work at work, and other days where the client comes home with you. It just depends what happens that day."
People are also reading…
Before police, fire and medical first responders answer the call for an emergency, there are others who must answer it before them: telecommunicators.
The telecommunicators at the Lake County Emergency Communications Center are multi-tasking experts. Although their priority is to collect and transmit information related to an emergency through use of an amalgamation of high-tech equipment to make emergency calls proceed seamlessly, they can also give CPR instructions, de-escalate verbal conflict, deliver babies, help anyone trapped in a sinking vehicle escape from their car and more, all the while staying calm and efficient.
Call takers handle calls from the public Thursday at the Lake County Communication Center. This is the Hammond pod.
"When people are calling 911, that expectation is that we answer," Swiderski said. "We do so much more than just answer the phone and provide services."
The center is consolidated in a suite within the Lake County Government Center, tucked away and off limits to the public. Between 22 and 26 call takers and dispatchers work at a time under the guidance of Swiderski, Deputy Director of Operations CJ Whittmer and numerous other telecommunication leaders. One person, the call taker, triages the call and takes down information from the caller before sending it to the dispatcher, who listens closely to radio scanner traffic and transmits the details to first responders. The center has automatic call distribution, which will send a call to the call taker who has been idle the longest, Swiderski said. Each person monitors six computer screens with location, call and radio data. Certain types of calls require specific questions, which dispatchers are prompted by once they enter the type of emergency into their database.
"The job, from what it was when I started, from what we're being asked to do now, is lightyears different," Executive Director Mark Swiderski said. "We have so many different technologies that are available to us now that we wouldn't have even thought of."
Fire calls have their own pod at the Lake County Communication Center.
The 82 total telecommunicators who work rotating shifts take emergency calls and dispatch fire, police and emergency medical professionals from 43 agencies around the county, excluding agencies from Schererville and Cedar Lake. They work four days on, two days off, switching between eight and 12-hour workdays. Dispatchers monitor scanner radio traffic for between one and three agencies, whereas call takers answer phones from people calling all over Lake County.
Fridays are their busiest days and Sundays their lightest, Swiderski said, according to their call data. He said 68% of calls come in between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. Between January and May, the center fielded approximately 300,000 calls.
To be successful in this role, Swiderski said, one must not only be able to multitask or have the proper data skills, but also be resilient. Telecommunicators have a limited amount of time to answer a call, provide service and take a quick breath before they move onto the next call. The average call time is one minute and 58 seconds.
"We have a minute and 58 seconds to build a rapport, connect with someone and make them feel valued," Swiderski said. "Like their emergency matters, because it does." | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-county-911-dispatch-emeregency/article_e05ed910-115d-11ee-8665-1fd6a107aa0a.html | 2023-06-24T15:18:32 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-county-911-dispatch-emeregency/article_e05ed910-115d-11ee-8665-1fd6a107aa0a.html |
ATLANTIC CITY
Lifeguards: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Beach tags: Not required
Beaches open: As of July 1, all beaches from Caspian Avenue to Jackson Avenue are open.
What to do: Swimming is permitted only when a lifeguard is present. Surfing is permitted at Crystal Beach at New Hampshire Avenue, Delaware Avenue and Raleigh Avenue. Kayaking and windsurfing are permitted at the Jackson Avenue beach only. Volleyball is allowed in designated areas. Fishing is permitted from the jetties.
More information: atlanticcitynj.com
People are also reading…
AVALON
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Beach tags: $30 preseason (before May 31), $35 seasonal, $17 weekly, $8 daily. Free for children 11 and younger.
What to do: Rafts are permitted on all bathing beaches. Surfing is permitted at 10th-11th Street, 13th-14th Street and 30th Street. Surfing and stand-up paddle boarding are permitted at 16th-17th, 20th, 39th, 63rd and 67th streets. Kayaking is permitted at the 57th Street beach, as well as the bay. Surf fishing is permitted between 40th and 60th streets, just not near the lifeguard stands.
There are also free sunscreen dispensers at 30th Street and the beach, the 8th Street tennis and pickleball courts, the Bay Park Marina and the 39th Street playground.
More information: visitavalonnj.com
BRIGANTINE
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Beach tags: $20 preseason, $25 seasonal, $15 weekly, $10 daily. Seniors ages 60-64 can get a preseason beach tag for $8. Beach tags are free for seniors 65 and older with proof of age (one tag per identification), active military (four per family) and veterans (free only for that veteran).
What to do: Swimming is permitted while lifeguards are on duty at the following beaches: 10th Street North, 7th Street South, 22nd Street South, 38th Street South, 5th Street North, 14th Street South, 26th Street South, 43rd Street South, 2nd Street North, 15th Street South, 28th Street South, Bramble Drive, 2nd Street South, 16th Street South, 32nd Street South, Surfside Road, 4th Street South, 20th Street South, 34th Street South and Sandy Lane. Surfing is permitted at 12th Street North, 10th Street South, north of the South End Jetty and south of the Sandy Lane bathing area. Fishing is allowed north of 14th Street North, 45th to 47th streets, north of Seaside Road on 49th Street, south of the jetty or on the Brigantine Bridge. Kayaking is permitted adjacent to all lifeguard-protected beaches, 26th Street South-City Dock area, Absecon Inlet beaches and the area between Sandy Lane and Seaside Road lifeguard station.
More information: bb-nj.org
CAPE MAY
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Beach tags: $30 seasonal, $20 weekly (Saturday to Saturday), $15 for three days, $8 daily. Free for active military and family members, veterans and kids 11 and younger. Commercial beach tags for hotels, motels, Airbnbs, etc. are $100 per tag.
What to do: Swimming is permitted. Skimboarding is allowed with lifeguards’ permission. Volleyball is also permitted; a beach tag and ball are required to play. Nets are located at Steger Beach (Beach Avenue and Jackson Street) and at Second Avenue. Food is permitted, but not alcohol. Fishing is allowed just east of the Brooklyn Avenue storm pipe and is prohibited at all other beaches during lifeguard hours. Kayaking is allowed past the bathing zone. Surfing is permitted at Poverty Beach (Wilmington Avenue), The Cove, Surfing Beach (Gurney Street) and South Queen (Queen Street).
More information: capemay.com
LONGPORT
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Beach tags: Preseason beach tags are $20 for adults and $5 for seniors before June 2. After that, seasonal tags are $30 for adults, $10 for seniors. Beach tags are free for active military, veterans and children 11 and younger. Beach tags will be available at Borough Hall, Monday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
What to do: Swimming is permitted when lifeguards are present. Surfing is permitted at 12th, 22nd, 28th and 32nd avenues. Kayaks can be dropped in between 14th and 15th avenues, 22nd and 23rd avenues, 27th and 29th avenues and 32nd and 33rd avenues.
More information: longportnj.gov
MARGATE
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Beach tags: Preseason beach tags are $10 for people 12 and older, and $3.50 for seniors until May 31. After that, seasonal tags for all general public over 12 and senior citizens are $20. Beach tags are free for ages 11 and younger, active military members and veterans. Badges can be picked up daily between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Martin Bloom Pavilion, as well as Granville Avenue and the beach.
What to do: Swimming is permitted in the presence of a lifeguard. Kayaking and surfing are allowed only at specific beaches. Contact Beach Patrol headquarters for those locations.
More information: margate-nj.com
NORTH WILDWOOD
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Beach tags: Not required.
What to do: Swimming is permitted in areas designated by lifeguards. Surfing is permitted between 11th and 13th avenues. Volleyball nets are provided at 19th, 13th, 8th and Ocean avenues. Handicapped beach transport is available via surf chairs at the 15th Avenue first aid station. Contact the Wildwood Beach Patrol at 609-522-7500.
More information: northwildwood.com
OCEAN CITY
Beaches are guarded from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekends and holidays and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Beaches at Brighton Place, Eighth Street, Ninth Street, 12th Street and 34th Street will be guarded for extended hours until 7 p.m. daily.
Beach tags: Preseason tags are $30 before May 31. Then, tags cost $35 seasonal, $20 weekly and $10 daily. Children 11 and younger, veterans and active military members, along with their spouses and immediate children up to age 23, are also free.
What to do: Swimming. Surfing is permitted at Waverly Boulevard, Seventh Street and 16th Street. Tents and canopies will be limited in size to 10 feet by 10 feet and cannot block public or emergency vehicle access. Unsafe ball playing, fires, alcohol and smoking are prohibited.
More information: ocnj.us
SEA ISLE CITY
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekends.
Beach tags: $25 seasonal, $10 weekly, $5 daily, free on Wednesdays. Free for children 11 and younger and veterans, as well as active military members and their families.
What to do: Swimming is permitted at 24th, 28th, 32nd, 34th, 38th, 40th, 43rd, 45th, 49th, 51st, 54th, 56th, 59th, 61st, 64th, 68th, 71st, 75th, 77th, 81st, 84th, 86th, 89th and 92nd streets. Surfing is allowed at 26th, 37th, 42nd, 48th, 53rd, 63rd, 74th and 82nd streets. Rafting is permitted at 24th, 28th, 34th, 40th, 45th, 51st, 56th, 59th, 64th, 68th, 75th, 81st, 86th and 92nd streets. Volleyball nets and poles are available at 25th, 35th, 53rd, 57th, 67th and 72nd streets. Kayaking is permitted at 30th, 35th, 58th and 79th streets. Fires, glass bottles, alcohol and picnics are prohibited on all Sea Isle beaches.
More information: sea-isle-city.nj.us
STONE HARBOR
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Beach tags: Preseason tags are $32 until May 31. Then, beach tags are $40 seasonal, $17 weekly, $8 daily. Free to children 11 and younger. Also free to veterans and active military and their families (available for purchase/pickup at the Stone Harbor Beach Tag Office at 95th Street and the beach).
What to do: Lifeguards are on duty from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Memorial Day to Labor Day. Lifeguard protected beaches include 81st, 83rd, 86th, 87th, 90th, 93rd, 94th, 95th, 96th, 100th, 102nd, 103rd, 105th, 108th, 110th, 112th, 113th, 116th, 117th, 120th and 122nd streets. Swimming and rafting are permitted at all beaches except 81st, 86th, 110th, 112th and 122nd streets. Licensed sailboats are allowed in designated areas. Surfing is allowed 81st and 110th streets. Kayaking and catamaran rides are allowed from 122nd through 126th streets. No alcohol, picnics, fires or glass bottles.
More information: stoneharbornj.org
UPPER TOWNSHIP
Beesleys Point, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Strathmere, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday-Sunday. Protected beaches in Strathmere are at Williams Avenue, Whittier Road, Tecumseh Avenue, Sherman Avenue, Prescott Road and 1495 Commonwealth Ave. Beesleys Point protected beaches are to be determined.
Beach tags: Not required
What to do: Surfing is permitted south of Tecumseh Avenue and north of Sherman Avenue. Fishing is allowed south of Prescott and north of Seacliff. Lifeguards may allow surfing and fishing on other protected beaches pending the conditions of the given day. Boogie boards and rafts are permitted. Beach parties, fires, motor vehicles, alcoholic beverages and changing of clothes are not permitted.
More information: uppertownship.com
VENTNOR
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Beach tags: Preseason beach tags before June 1 are $10 for people 12 and older. After that, tags are $20 seasonal and $3.50 for seniors. There are no daily or weekly tags. Beach tags are free for veterans.
What to do: Lifeguards will be on duty at all beaches from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Swimming is allowed. Surfing is allowed next to the fishing pier at Cornwall Avenue and the Boardwalk. Kayaking is permitted at Princeton Avenue and the beach. Beach volleyball is open near the fishing pier on Cambridge Avenue. Beach mats are located at the Suffolk, Dorset, Newport, Derby, Oxford and Somerset avenue beaches. Surf chairs are available daily through reservations via the Beach Patrol by calling 609-823-7948. Alcohol is prohibited.
More information: ventnorcity.org
WILDWOOD
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Beach tags: Not required
What to do: Swimming. Ask lifeguards on duty if ball throwing, surfing, kayaking, canoeing or use of an inflatable is allowed. Surfing permitted at Taylor Avenue. No glass containers, barbecues or alcohol. For handicapped access, contact the lifeguard headquarters at Lincoln Avenue and the beach by calling 609-522-8528.
More information: wildwoodnj.com
WILDWOOD CREST
10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Beach tags: Not required
What to do: Swimming. Surfing is permitted at Hollywood Avenue (10 a.m.-noon only), Rambler Road and Aster Road. Kite flying, ball playing, Frisbees, etc., are restricted to the back areas of the beach. No animals, alcohol, fires, barbecues or picnics are permitted. Surf fishing is prohibited in bathing areas during bathing hours. For handicapped access or first aid, call the lifeguard headquarters at Rambler Road and the beach at 609-522-3825.
More information: wildwoodcrest.org | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/here-s-how-much-a-beach-badge-costs-in-south-jersey/article_3e21c5c4-11ba-11ee-b44c-67e295f813d8.html | 2023-06-24T15:30:18 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/here-s-how-much-a-beach-badge-costs-in-south-jersey/article_3e21c5c4-11ba-11ee-b44c-67e295f813d8.html |
As the weather gets warmer, more people are looking for different ways to have some fun in the sun. Here are five parks in South Jersey where you can kick back and relax in the great outdoors with a picnic, hike or even a hunt.
O’Donnell Memorial Park, Atlantic City
Located at Providence and Atlantic avenues in the city’s Chelsea neighborhood, O’Donnell Park regularly hosts community events with live music, food and fun activities.
But on a regular day, parkgoers can set up their picnics on one of the many patches of green grass or under a tree. People can also take a seat at one of the park’s benches or relax in one of the colorful Adirondack chairs painted by local artists through the Atlantic City Arts Foundation’s 48 Blocks program.
Winding paths lead parkgoers to several memorials honoring those who have served in the military.
People are also reading…
For more information on the park, visit the Atlantic City Free Public Library’s website at acfpl.org.
sset)7830cb74-0fe5-11ee-be41-3752f9593ee1[1](/tncms-asset) John
F. Kennedy Park, Somers Point
The bayfront park at 24 Broadway was acquired by the city in 1938.
The park has picnic areas with benches, gazebos, trees for shade, public restrooms and a playground. It also offers views of the Great Egg Harbor Bay and the Route 52 causeway to Ocean City.
Other amenities include a volleyball area, swings and bird watching.
There’s also a beach area thanks to the park’s coastal bluff. People can fish off the pier or launch their boats into the water, although there’s no swimming allowed.
The park also doesn’t allow dogs or smoking.
Kennedy Park is open from sunrise to sunset every day. For more information, visit visitsomerspoint.com/venue/john-f-kennedy-park.
Beach, Lower Township
The beach on Sunset Boulevard offers views of the Delaware Bay and Cape May Lighthouse, making it an attractive spot for those looking to catch views of the sunrise or sunset.
Climbing the World War II Concrete Tower that was refurbished in 2009, or seeing the wrecked Concrete Ship, also known as the SS Atlantus, that was used right after World War I ended, allows visitors to experience local history.
There’s also fishing, mini golf, a chance to find sea glass or crystals while strolling along the beach, businesses to shop at and a daily flag raising ceremony.
For more information, visit Sunset Beach’s Facebook page.
Grove Park, Northfield
The 271-acre park at 1675 Burton Ave. offers a great space for nature lovers due to its hiking/walking trails in the woods or around the pond, fishing and wildlife like ducks and geese. People also can grill in the picnic area.
There’s a gazebo with benches where movie showings, concerts and other events happen outdoors; two main playgrounds with updated equipment; and a pavilion with picnic tables and bathrooms.
Birch Grove Park is open seven days a week from dusk to dawn. For more information, visit the city’s website at cityofnorthfield.org.
County Park, Estell Manor
The park at 109 Route 50 offers a plethora of activities for parkgoers, such as bird watching, boating, hiking, skiing, camping, fishing and even hunting.
The 1,677-acre site that borders the Great Egg Harbor River has 27 miles of trails where people can explore the old Glassworks ruins, the Atlantic County Veterans Cemetery and other local landmarks.
Besides picnicking, people can interact with the area’s wildlife through the natural landscapes or butterfly gardens, learn more about the area’s indigenous animals at the Warren E. Fox Nature Center, sightsee off the floating dock and more.
For more information, visit the county’s website at atlantic-county.org. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/south-jersey-outdoor-parks-nature/article_f5e44826-11ba-11ee-9fc9-07482213ddd2.html | 2023-06-24T15:30:24 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/south-jersey-outdoor-parks-nature/article_f5e44826-11ba-11ee-9fc9-07482213ddd2.html |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Weather
Local
Sports
Entertainment
Investigators
Videos
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Watch NBC10 24/7 on Streaming Platforms
Phillies baseball
Wawa Welcome America
I-95 reopening
Expand
Clear The Shelters
Finding forever homes across the country | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/clear-the-shelters/clear-the-shelters-meet-douglas/3591912/ | 2023-06-24T15:33:53 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/clear-the-shelters/clear-the-shelters-meet-douglas/3591912/ |
Police in Philadelphia are investigating a killing after a 21-year-old man died after being shot in the head in North Philadelphia, early Saturday.
According to police, at about 2 a.m., officers responded to a report that two men had been shot near the intersection of Broad Street and Girard Avenue.
Here, officer found a man who had been shot in the head and, police said, he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced.
Also at this location, officials found another male who had been shot in the leg, police said.
Get Philly local news, weather forecasts, sports and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia newsletters.
However, in speaking with NBC10 at the scene of the shooting, early Saturday, Captain Anthony Mirabella of the Philadelphia Police Department said this individual is being "treated as a prisoner at this time."
This individual, he said, was also transported to a nearby hospital where he is being treated.
No weapon has yet been recovered, but the captain said that an investigation into this shooting is ongoing.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
Sign up for our Breaking newsletter to get the most urgent news stories in your inbox. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-dies-after-being-shot-in-the-head-on-broad-street-at-girard-ave/3591924/ | 2023-06-24T15:33:59 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/man-dies-after-being-shot-in-the-head-on-broad-street-at-girard-ave/3591924/ |
The League of Women Voters of Greater Dayton Area (LWV) is hosting a conversation with former Governor Bob Taft and longtime former Columbus Dispatch Editor Michael Curtin on the potential impacts of August’s historic Issue 1 vote.
Moderated by Dayton Daily News Community Impact Editor Nick Hrkman, the event will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday June 27 in the Fred Smith Auditorium at Sinclair College, Building 12, 301 W. Fourth St.
The event is free, but registration is required by June 26. Reserve your spot by emailing the League at league@lwvdayton.org.
In Other News
1
Dayton region’s labor force is finally growing during ‘best time in...
2
Ohio Secretary of State sent wrong Issue 1 ballot language to election...
3
9 controversial bills aiming to overhaul education in Ohio
4
Ohio COVID cases dramatically down: See what vaccine FDA is...
5
Judge denies request for demolition of Troy Tavern, requires repairs in... | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/former-gov-bob-taft-part-of-tuesday-discussion-on-issue-1-heres-how-to-go/HLWWYB46HFFNDHWHLFLF6JSGLM/ | 2023-06-24T15:35:12 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/former-gov-bob-taft-part-of-tuesday-discussion-on-issue-1-heres-how-to-go/HLWWYB46HFFNDHWHLFLF6JSGLM/ |
Saguaro No. 322 was just two inches tall when it was first spotted growing in the shade of a palo verde tree near the western slope of the Rincon Mountains in 1971.
Today, the cactus tops out at more than 20 feet, with a pair of arms, crowned in flowers, hoisted to the sky above the desert flats of Saguaro National Park.
Tom Orum and Nancy Ferguson can tell you just about everything that has ever happened to No. 322.
The husband-and-wife science team visited this saguaro — and hundreds of others in the park’s Rincon District — every year for more than four decades.
Until this year, the retired University of Arizona researchers were the keepers of one of the longest-running annual plant surveys anywhere in the world: six, 10-acre scientific plots that have been studied continuously since 1942.
People are also reading…
Tom and Nancy began helping with the work in 1979 and kept it going pretty much on their own since 2000.
“This has been a labor of love by two really talented and thoughtful biologists,” said longtime Saguaro National Park biologist Don Swann. “The amount of information they have gathered about the saguaro is really nothing short of astonishing.”
Last year, Tom, now 75, and Nancy, 79, decided it was time to hand the project off to the next generation of researchers. The 2022 survey was their last.
“We may be spry now,” Nancy said with a laugh, “but we won’t be spry forever.”
Bleak origins
The annual survey was borne out of desperation in 1941, just eight years after Saguaro National Monument was established.
Scientists at the time were growing increasingly alarmed by signs that the monument's namesake cactus might be dying out. A number of research projects were launched to determine what was happening and how it could be stopped.
In one audacious experiment, every saguaro with signs of bacterial rot across a 320-acre patch of desert was chopped down, burned with kerosene and buried in a trench in hopes of halting what researchers wrongly feared was an infectious fungus similar to Dutch elm disease or chestnut blight.
The six scientific plots that are still being studied today were part of an original, 1-square-mile survey performed in preparation for that bacterial rot experiment at what is now the east end of Broadway.
Swann said most scientific studies only last a few years — the duration of a typical master’s or doctoral degree program. Longer efforts are far more difficult to sustain, as funding inevitably runs out and researchers move on.
This project almost certainly represents the longest-running annual plant survey in Park Service history, he said.
“If there’s a longer one in the national parks, I don’t know about it,” Swann said. “It’s really neat because it kind of tells the story of this plant in the park that’s named after it.”
So far, though, the story is not a happy one.
The data collected over the past 80-plus years charts population declines triggered by drought and changes to the landscape and the climate, much of it wrought by people.
Before the cactus forest was protected, nurse trees were cut down for firewood, ground cover was grazed away by livestock and natural predators were killed off by ranchers, allowing a surge of rodents to feed unchecked on vulnerable young saguaros.
Now the cactus forest rests within a federal preserve, but it still faces an increasing onslaught of heat waves, deep freezes and long dry spells widely linked to human-caused climate change.
During the original survey in 1942, researchers mapped and counted almost 1,500 saguaros on the six research plots. All but 30 of those cactuses have since died, but only about 600 saguaros have grown in to replace them over the ensuing decades, two of which ranked as the driest 10-year periods Arizona has seen for centuries.
As Swann put it: “We’re seeing in a detailed way how we don’t get a new crop of saguaros every year.”
But what earlier scientists mistook for looming extinction might be something more basic. “Maybe this is the way saguaros work,” Tom said.
“They call it episodic recruitment,” Nancy explained. “There are really two strategies for dealing with the desert: One is to hang out and wait for the rain over a long lifetime, and the other is the spring ephemeral — make your seeds quickly and let them do the waiting.”
Saguaros have evolved to wait things out.
Aging giants
Tom and Nancy met in Tucson through mutual friends, after each of them moved here for a research job in 1974, he from California and she from Tennessee.
He is a plant pathologist. She is an ecosystems ecologist with a background in data management.
They were married in 1980, the year after Tom took part in his first saguaro survey. She joined the effort a few years later.
They were brought into the study by Stan Alcorn, a veteran University of Arizona scientist and professor who took over the project in 1955 and kept it going until his death in 1999, about a month after his annual visit to the research plots.
Tom said Alcorn originally came to Arizona to work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Research Service, where then-U.S. Sen. Carl Hayden had “set up a line item for saguaro research” to keep the plant from disappearing from the national monument.
“Saguaros weren’t establishing,” Tom said. “They had been doing the plot research since ‘41, and in ‘55 they still weren't finding little ones.”
Alcorn’s job was to figure out why.
His tenure began with a dismal, two-decade stretch during which almost no saguaro reproduction seemed to be taking place. Year after year, acre after acre, all he found were aging giants and nothing to replace them.
That ugly period was still going on in the late 1970s, when Alcorn lured Tom to the UA for a research job and recruited him to help with the saguaro survey.
Tom said they used to head out to the plots each year when the university went on spring break, because the study wasn’t part of their official work.
“It was off the books, so to speak,” he said.
Any funding for the research ran out sometime during the Kennedy administration, when Saguaro National Monument was expanded to include the Tucson Mountain District. (Congress elevated the monument to national park status in 1994.)
Nancy wanted to be a part of the study from the moment she heard about it.
At previous research jobs, she said, you’d be lucky to get enough funding to pay for even five years of work. Here was a project that had already lasted for 35 years, with no end in sight.
“That’s an amazing thing to be able to participate in,” she said, “and, like everybody else, saguaros were something that I wanted to see more of.”
Story of 322
Nancy spent her first few surveys with Alcorn and Tom taking photos and serving as an extra pair of eyes to hunt for young saguaros.
Eventually, though, she took custody of the field books and the crucial job of jotting down every measurement and observation.
By the 1990s, Tom said, he and Nancy were essentially working the plots as a two-person team, freeing up Alcorn to concentrate on finding baby cactuses.
Nancy said Stan had a good eye for that. He was the one who first spotted No. 322 on plot C-7 and assigned it its number, 52 years ago.
The story of that particular cactus through the decades since includes an abduction, a graduation and an infestation.
In 1982, when 322 was still less than 2 feet tall, the survey team showed up to find a hole in the ground where another, slightly smaller saguaro — No. 321 — used to grow just a foot away.
“We wrote down ‘swiped,’” Tom said.
“A technical term,” Nancy added with a grin.
The remaining saguaro reached a milestone in 1992, when 322 grew past 6 feet and officially “graduated” into the next height class.
“For a while, we were taking graduation pictures of our saguaros, but we eventually let that go,” Nancy said.
Three years later, the tip of 322’s stem was damaged by a run-in with the palo verde that sheltered it. Six years after that, the cactus sprouted its first arm.
Through it all, 322 kept growing at a robust rate, possibly fueled by the extra water runoff it gets from the nearby dirt road leading to the park’s Mica View Picnic Area. By 2003, it had outlived its nurse tree, the remains of which still litter the ground at its base.
The most recent entries for 322 include a second arm in 2018 and a bout of cactus borer moths in 2019 that left dozens of exit wounds, like acne scars, along its stem.
“I think it's an example of what you can know about a plant if you look at it once a year,” Nancy said.
No GPS needed
In the early days, the researchers could finish the entire census over the course of two or three 12-hour days.
But once Tom and Nancy retired from their university jobs in 2000, they decided to spread the work out over about two weeks, so they could enjoy themselves out there. “It was an opportunity to go slower,” Tom said.
In late winter or early spring, they would set out for one of their scattered plots with the tools of the trade in hand: maps, field journals, a compass, a carpenter’s ruler and a tape measure. They would use a clinometer to gauge the height of their tallest specimens. For mid-range cactuses, they’d use a 12-foot length of plastic pipe they nicknamed Charlotte.
“The PVC was probably made in Charlotte, North Carolina,” Tom said with an embarrassed chuckle. “It just said ‘Charlotte’ there on the pipe.”
To get to one of their research areas, they had to hike about a half a mile up and over two ridges, but they never carried a GPS unit with them because they didn’t need it.
“Tom in particular finds the plots by recognizing the saguaros,” Nancy said.
“That is a great pleasure to know the landscape well enough to just go out walking a half mile and say, ‘yeah, we’re here,’” Tom said.
They would start by finding a saguaro they knew near one corner of the plot, then confirm it with the map and any identifying details recorded in the field book.
From there, they would work their way from cactus to cactus, recording their heights, general condition and distinguishing features — everything from bird holes and lightning strikes to new arms or soon-to-be arms they referred to as “nubbins.”
The process typically took about five minutes per plant, and included the occasional surprise.
“Over a couple of years, we were able to document a hailstorm,” Tom said. “We could see the scarring from the hail just on one side and only up to a certain point. Then, as the saguaro grew, the scarring stopped.”
Discovering a new young cactus was the ultimate thrill, but it wasn’t easy. It can take 10 years for a saguaro to grow just an inch or two, and the ones that seem to do the best are usually tucked away underneath a tree or bush.
“You could walk right by them and not see them,” Tom said.
Other times, they would stumble across obvious ones they had somehow missed for several years in a row.
“They were called embarrassments,” Nancy said.
“As in, ‘How could we not have seen that?’” Tom added with a laugh.
Lifetime of work
Earlier this month, Saguaro National Park honored Tom and Nancy for their lifetime contribution to science.
Swann nominated them for the award, which is named after Ray Turner, a groundbreaking desert ecologist and author who popularized the use of repeat photography to reveal changes in vegetation in the cactus forest and elsewhere.
The park has only given out the honor one other time, to Turner himself in 2016.
Swann remembers the first time he joined Tom and Nancy on one of their annual surveys about 15 years ago.
“I learned so much from just going out in the field with them,” the seasoned park biologist said. “They knew all these saguaros personally. I was blown away.”
Their study is now in Swann's hands. He and fellow Saguaro biologist Kara O’Brien officially took it over last year, and conducted the survey themselves for the first time a few months ago.
Tom and Nancy are thrilled with the project’s new caretakers. Putting the research plots in the hands of the park’s own scientists was the best and most obvious choice.
“We feel really lucky that Don and Kara are going to carry it on for a while,” Tom said.
“It wasn't like it was onerous and we were trying to get rid of it. It was something we enjoyed,” Nancy added. “But it is wonderful to have it valued by the park and to have them pick it up.”
As it turned out, the couple timed their handoff perfectly.
Last September, Tom got an infection in his knee that required surgery and a spell in a wheelchair. He was still using a walker when survey time rolled around.
“We couldn’t have done it this year,” Tom said, “but there was Don and Kara, and they did it, which was amazing.”
“We were wiping our brows,” Nancy said.
Ultimately, Tom said, his wife deserves the credit for making sure they kept the survey going for as long as they did.
“She was a real proponent of how important it was,” he said. “Come spring, there wasn't any question about what our priority was.”
Nancy said they still joke about whether the study “motivated the marriage” or the other way around.
In 2016, the couple teamed up with a third researcher for a comprehensive paper — published in the peer-reviewed, open-access journal PLOS ONE — based on their decades of work in the field.
Both scientists believe there are more discoveries waiting to be made from the data that’s been collected from the plots over the past 80 years. They also think there is a lot to learn from keeping the survey going long into the future.
Despite the project's already eye-popping length, Nancy said a few more generations of researchers may be required to finish something unprecedented: a complete and detailed picture — in one-year increments, at least — of a single saguaro’s entire lifespan from establishment to death.
“We've got this group now of 600 that have been measured every year since they were found, and the park has the opportunity to carry them until they die,” she said. “Then there will be actual numbers on how long those saguaros live.”
Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@tucson.com or 573-4283. On Twitter: @RefriedBrean | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/tucson-couple-keeps-saguaro-study-alive/article_53bad644-0a37-11ee-a763-eb849945dd0a.html | 2023-06-24T15:41:38 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/tucson-couple-keeps-saguaro-study-alive/article_53bad644-0a37-11ee-a763-eb849945dd0a.html |
Question to candidates: What should the City of Tucson do to help Tucson's economy?
Mayor
Arthur Kerschen
Tucson can help the economy by cutting taxes, deregulating business and eliminating business mandates.
Regina Romero
As Mayor, one of my top priorities is to make sure Tucson is an equitable, sustainable, thriving desert city.
In my first term as Mayor, I continued the work I began as a Council Member on Economic Development. Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, and bringing in or expanding businesses are the job creators. I am committed to supporting our local entrepreneurs, small businesses and legacy businesses while creating appropriate incentive packages to bring in high-wage, long-term jobs.
People are also reading…
Hiring the City’s first small business program manager, with a team of bi-lingual small business navigators is key to supporting Tucson’s economy. The classes we offer in Spanish and English that support our small businesses are filling a niche. Our Sazon Emperarial program and Academia de Belleza program are two examples. Our small business navigators are available to help small businesses navigate the City of Tucson systems as well as gain financial literacy and other business skills.
Under my leadership, the City of Tucson also hired an International Trade Specialist. Mexico is our biggest trading partner. We have already welcomed 20 dignitaries and companies from Mexico and Canada.
The City of Tucson can continue to support the University of Arizona and Pima Community College as important partners in developing the workforce we need here in Tucson. We need mechanics and engineers. We need emergency medical technicians and doctors. We need people who can work in manufacturing, and drivers. The programs offered by these institutions help make sure we have the educational opportunities that are needed.
In my first term as Mayor, the City of Tucson worked with community stakeholders to update our Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. We need to continue to expand in the sectors where we already excel and invest in the opportunity areas that were identified.
Now, I will work on powering the future of Tucson with green jobs and infrastructure, greater diversity and upward mobility in our small business ecosystem, investments in a 21st-century workforce and a resilient, climate-adapted city through the Transform Tucson Fund. We are setting a national standard for excellence in driving public-private investment into innovation, business and job creation, as well as investments in equity and sustainability.
Overall, the City of Tucson needs experienced leadership, evidence-based policies and innovative solutions to make sure that our resources are maximized, and our state and federal assets are leveraged where they are needed the most.
Janet “JL” Wittenbraker
Refer to question 2: be business-friendly and bring the movie/production industry back to Tucson.
Ed Ackerley
MARKETING. Other cities are in Tucson with billboards, television and radio commercials, newspaper ads, magazine ads, signs, wrapped buses — all encouraging Tucsonans to visit elsewhere. Tucson needs a robust marketing plan with a sustainable and increased marketing budget to run in key markets to encourage businesses to open locations in Tucson, provide meaningful employment and focus on higher-paying jobs. The Economic Development office and Visit Tucson should have a coordinated marketing effort to this end.
Ward 1
Victoria Lem
Victoria Lem did not respond to our questionnaire.
Miguel Ortega
We need to take full advantage of our regional and cultural position as a City in Southern Arizona. Tourism is extremely important to our economy, and we must do all that we can to strengthen our city as a top destination for tourists so that they spend money at our locally-owned businesses, pumping more money into our economy via sales taxes. A stronger emphasis should be placed on Sonoran tourists - we need to do more to promote ways to have them exit on Irvington, 22nd Street, Congress and Speedway instead of limiting their visits to only our malls. Many of these Sonoran visitors are our tios and tias and cousins — we need to develop educational programs in Sonora that explain when they spend more of their dollars at locally owned businesses in Tucson, they are making the lives of their cousins and nephews in Tucson by generating more money for the schools they attend, the roads they drive and the public safety agencies that keep them safe.
Even if families traveling to Tucson from Sonora shift just 10 to 15% of their shopping to locally owned businesses, that would generate a significant pump to our general funds. We also need to compare how we generate revenue to our general funds to other models by other cities. How do we compare? How can we improve? We need to make sure we are at the top of the list when it comes to ensuring that growth and development is paying for itself and contributing to our housing and needs. We also need to compare our efforts to support labor organizing efforts to unionize. We need to explore ways we can incentivize larger businesses to provide for discussions by their workers to unionize and also hold larger businesses accountable if they are practicing union-busting tactics to prevent their workers from unionizing. We need to be open and upfront about being a union-friendly town and make the direct link between union jobs and a strong economy.
Lane Santa Cruz
The South and West sides of our city have experienced historic disinvestment. It has been a priority of mine to focus investments and resources to those who are most impacted. For instance, during my first term, I worked to solicit private funding to provide cash assistance to Tucson’s immigrant community who were often excluded from federal aid. I also worked to develop the framework used to distribute American Rescue Plan dollars into our community. Our focus on communities hardest hit by the pandemic and investments in parks, youth employment, affordable housing, our small businesses and legacy businesses, frontline workers, and neighborhood investments is a key component of helping Tucson’s economy.
Our community holds the solutions to many of the problems we face. Holding roundtables and listening sessions with local business owners helped to guide the work that the City of Tucson’s Small Business Navigators do. Providing support to our new and existing businesses, including access to financial literacy classes in English and Spanish, helping businesses to develop succession plans, including transitioning to worker-owned cooperatives and helping to access needed capital keeps our small businesses stable.
Investing in our youth through employment opportunities in the City, innovative partnerships with nonprofits that teach skills and career exploration, and expanding community-school partnerships is a long-term strategy to help Tucson’s economy.
Ward 2
Paul Cunningham
I believe that the best economic development that the City of Tucson could do would be to implement my Childcare for All program. Childcare for All would be a collaboration between local school districts and the City of Tucson to provide sliding scale, after-school childcare until 5:30 p.m. for all City of Tucson residents. Not only would a city that provided universal child care attract the young professional talent base that companies want, it would encourage UofA grads to stay in the city.
Universal afterschool care would bring together City programs (and their funding) like KidCo and afterschool open rec at the neighborhood centers with the afterschool programs that exist at some TUSD schools. Additional funding would come from sliding scale user fees (between $20 and $50 per week, depending on income) and DES vouchers.
We also have to continue the good work that the City has done in the last decade to attract companies offering high wages and health insurance to their employees to Tucson, whether that is through economic incentives or good old-fashioned networking and promoting our city.
Lisa Nutt
As a single mother of two small boys AND a small business owner, I'm keenly aware of the struggles people and families in our city have experienced in recent years. The challenge for government is to balance the best interests of the people with the need to grow and expand. That’s why I believe Tucson needs to do a top-down review of current economic development policies and practices, its regulatory scheme and the process by which businesses can start in or move to Tucson. In some cases, the Council can assist by streamlining some regulations that can make it much easier for businesses to grow and prosper here. We also need to prioritize increasing the number of our high school graduates (which lags the national average) and our educational attainment rate if we are to attract and retain the most fitting companies and employers.
Ernie Shack
Ernie Shack echoed Wittenbraker’s responses
Pendleton Spicer
Small businesses are the backbone of Tucson’s economy. Small businesses and entrepreneurships should be encouraged by implementing deregulation of businesses, easing their tax burden, and eliminating mandates of all kinds. This will also create a conducive atmosphere for industry and manufacturing to come to Tucson in the future. Above all, we should remove all mandates that inhibit a welcoming atmosphere for people entering a business. I believe that we need to strengthen the economy as it exists more than grow it at this time. I would encourage tourism and film production as a way to strengthen small businesses. I would work toward eliminating as many layers of government as possible to allow free market principles to dictate a healthy supply and demand — in other words, to do what the free market does best.
Ward 4
Ross Kaplowitch
Tucson’s economy could be vastly improved by truly supporting our business community. We need a strong local economy to attract new businesses and encourage our current businesses to stay in Tucson. Lower sales tax, safe business districts, improved parking, and especially reduced regulation (red tape) at the city level will encourage businesses to stay and local residents to support them.
Nikki Lee
In spite of the pandemic, we’ve had many economic successes during my first term. To name a few, in 2020, Raytheon selected Tucson as its headquarters for Raytheon Missiles & Defense following the merger of the Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) and Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) business units. In Ward 4, TuSimple expanded its Research & Development and Operations functions, creating additional jobs and opportunities in Tucson. American Battery Factory selected Tucson as its corporate headquarters, and the project will provide an estimated $1.2 billion in capital investment, $3.1 billion in economic impact to the state, and accelerate the growth of the clean energy economy across the country.
To bolster Tucson's economy, the city must continue to focus on fostering a supportive environment for existing businesses of all sizes and new enterprises. My background as a leader with private sector experience is a significant advantage, as I have been able to leverage my expertise, insights, and network to drive growth and foster collaboration between public and private entities.
Tucson must have a favorable business climate to attract new ventures, support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and support our community’s existing employers. This includes streamlining the permitting processes within the Planning & Development Services Department and ensuring that the department has all the necessary resources and staff to be successful. We must continue to evaluate and offer tax incentives when it is fiscally sound to do so and provide resources to help businesses navigate regulatory requirements. Additionally, the city must continue to invest in modern infrastructure, including transportation and digital connectivity, making our city an attractive destination for businesses of all sizes. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/city-election-questionnaire-economy/article_61a9e436-d7f9-11ed-aca4-83e63de0fb0d.html | 2023-06-24T15:42:03 | 1 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/city-election-questionnaire-economy/article_61a9e436-d7f9-11ed-aca4-83e63de0fb0d.html |
BLOOMINGTON — A man from South Bend, Indiana, is facing multiple felony burglary and retail theft charges from 2018 in McLean County.
Terrance L. Ford, 25, is charged with two counts of burglary and two counts of retail theft.
A grand jury returned a bill of indictment charging him in September 2018 and a warrant was issued. Ford was taken into custody July 22 in McLean County.
According to court documents, Ford is accused with entering both Walmart stores at 300 Greenbriar Drive in Normal, and 2225 W. Market Street in Bloomington, on Aug. 20, 2018, and committing theft.
Ford's bond was set at $30,000 with 10% to apply. He was also ordered to have no contact with any Walmart store in McLean County including any other buildings on the property and parking lots.
An arraignment was scheduled for July 14.
Retail thefts are on the rise. Some do it discreetly and others are downright brazen, like a couple walking out of Target with shopping carts full of stolen merchandise. And it's hurting retailers bottom line.
Updated mug shots from The Pantagraph
Bryant Lewis
Bryant Lewis, 28, of Bloomington, is charged with home invasion causing injury, a Class X felony. His next appearance is Dec. 30.
Connor Wood
Derek Roesch
Derek Roesch of Saybrook was charged Thursday, Nov. 10 in McLean County Law and Justice Center with several counts, including:
-Two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, Class 2 felonies
-One count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon while on parole, Class 2 felony
-Two counts of unlawful possession of firearm ammunition by a felon, class 2 felonies
-One count of unlawful possession of firearm ammunition by a felon while on parole, class 2 felony
-Unlawful possession of cannabis with intent to deliver (greater than 2000 grams but less than 5000 grams), a class 1 felony
-Unlawful possession of cannabis (greater than 2000 grams but less than 5000 grams), a class 2 felony
-Unlawful possession of a controlled substance, psylocibin less than 15 grams, a class 4 felony
-Unlawful possession of methamphetamine, less than five grams, a class 3 felony.
-Unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia, a class A misdemeanor
Justin M. Mata
Justin M. Mata, 28, no address given, is charged with possession of less than five grams of meth with intent to deliver, a Class 2 felony, and possession of less than five grams of meth, a Class 3 felony. He was released on a $50,000 personal recognizance bond and his next appearance is Dec. 30.
Connor Wood
Marcus D. Wesley
Marcus D. Wesley, 36, is charged with aggravated unlawful use of a weapon in a vehicle (Class 4 felony), unlawful possession of cannabis (Class 3 felony) and unlawful possession of cannabis with the intent to deliver (Class 2 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Phillip Tinch
Phillip Tinch of Normal was charged Thursday, Nov. 10 at the McLean County Law and Justice Center with several felonies including:
- Five counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, more than one but less than 15 grams of a substance containing cocaine, a Class 1 felony.
-One count of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, less than one gram of a substance containing cocaine, a Class 2 felony.
Trisha L. Hanke
Trisha L. Hanke, 36, is charged with theft of over $10,000 (Class 2 felony). Court documents indicate she knowingly took $14,000 belonging to a Love's Travel Stop, in LeRoy, where she was employed.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
William B. Givens
William B. Givens, 49, no address given, is charged with unlawful possession of five to 15 grams of meth with intent to deliver, a Class 1 felony, possession of less than five grams of meth with intent to deliver, a Class 2 felony, possession of five to 15 grams of meth, a Class 2 felony, and possession of less than five grams of meth, a Class 3 felony. His next appearance is Dec. 30.
Connor Wood
David L. Oliver
David L. Oliver, 51, of Bloomington, is charged with predatory criminal sexual assault.
Kenneth E. Funk
Kenneth E. Funk, 27, is charged with residential burglary (Class 1 felony) involving an apartment in Lexington on Dec. 31, 2022.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Jordan R. King
Charges have been filed against Jordan R. King, 34, for violation of the Illinois Violent Offender Against Youth Act.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Holly M. Isaacson
Isaacson
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Kenneth L. Minton
Kenneth L. Minton, 51, is charged with aggravated home repair fraud (Class 2 felony) and theft (Class 3 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Tony L. Jackson
Tony L. Jackson, 50, is charged for violation of the Illinois Violent Offender Against Youth Act (Class 2 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Britley L. Hilger
Britley L. Hilger, 32, is charged with aggravated battery (Class 2 felony) after she supposedly punched a McLean County Detention Facility officer in the chest.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Jasmine L. Smith
Jasmine L. Smith, 31, is charged with aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol (Class 2 felony) and five counts of endangering the life or health of a child (Class A misdemeanors).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Jackie S. Claypool
Jackie S. Claypool, 46, appeared for a Friday bond court hearing for two new cases which charged her for one count of burglary (Class 2 felony), four counts of forgery (Class 3) and one count of deceptive practices (Class 4 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Noah R. Demuth
Noah R. Demuth, 22, of Evanston, is charged with aggravated battery of a peace officer, a Class 2 felony, aggravated battery in a public way, a Class 3 felony, mob action, a Class 4 felony, and obstructing a peace officer, a Class A misdemeanor. His next court date is Feb. 17.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Brandon L. Parsano
Brandon L. Parsano, 39, is charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, a Class 2 felony. His next appearance is Feb. 17 for an arraignment.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Alexander N. Williams
Alexander N. Williams, 24, was charged Feb. 2 with the following:
3 counts of unlawful delivery of cannabis between 30 and 500 grams - Class 3 felonies. 2 counts of armed violence - Class X felonies. 1 count of unlawful possession of cannabis between 2,000 and 5,000 grams with the intent to sell - a Class 1 felony. 1 count of unlawful possession of cannabis between 500 and 2,000 grams with the intent to sell - a Class 2 felony. 3 counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon - Class 3 felonies. 1 count of unlawful possession of firearm ammunition by a felon - a Class 3 felony 3 counts of violating the Illinois FOID act - Class 3 felonies.
PROVIDED BY MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Carlos Sanchez-Solozarzano
Carlos H. Sanchez-Solozarzano, 22, was charged with 1 count of criminal sexual assault, a Class 1 felony.
PROVIDED BY MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Jaylin S. Bones
Jaylin S. Bones was charged with four counts of first-degree murder stemming from a homicide in Bloomington last year. A McLean County grand jury also returned a bill of indictment charging him with attempted first degree murder and aggravated battery with a firearm (Class X felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Jordan R. King
Jordan R. King, 34, was charged with violating the Illinois Violent Offender Against Youth Act (Class 2 felony) a second time in under a month.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Dominique M. Banks
Dominique M. Banks, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery involving strangulation (Class 2 felony). The incident happened in October 2022 and involved one victim.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Austin T. Daugherty
Austin T. Daugherty, 29, was charged with burglary (Class 2 felony) after he entered an Avis Car Rental, 3201 Cira Drive, in Bloomington, without permission and with the intent to commit theft.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Sandra M. Lewis
Sandra M. Lewis, 77, is charged with unlawful possession of a controlled substance containing MDMB-4E-PINACA, a synthetic cannabinoid, with the intent to deliver (Class X felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Samantha E. Morris
Samantha E. Morris, 40, is charged with aggravated battery of a peace officer (Class 2 felony) after supposedly spitting on a Colfax police officer.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Nolan C. Love
Nolan C. Love, 46, appeared in court Friday for a bond review hearing after being charged with aggravated domestic battery involving strangulation (Class 2 felony) on Feb. 26.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Nikkita L. Sandefur
Nikkita L. Sandefur, 36, is charged with unlawful delivery of a controlled substance (Class 2 felony) containing cocaine.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Katlin M.B. Wilson
Katlin M.B. Wilson, 32, is charged with aggravated identity theft (Class 2 felony) after being accused of fraudulently obtaining money exceeding $300 but not exceeding $10,000 from a 60 year old man.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Eli C. Garozzo
Eli C. Garozzo, 20, is charged with two counts of home invasion, a Class X felony, two counts of attempted armed robbery, a Class 1 felony, and two counts of residential burglary, a Class 1 felony. His bond was set at $200,000 as a 10% bond, meaning he must pay $20,000 plus fees to be released. His next appearance is an arraignment on April 13.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Tysean T. Townsend
Tysean T. Townsend, 35, is charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle (Class 2 felony), three counts of child abduction, aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer and obstructing justice (Class 4 felonies).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Curtis J. Byrd
Curtis J. Byrd, 31, is charged with two counts of burglary (Class 2 felony), two counts of fraud and two counts of financial institution fraud (Class 3 felonies).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Noral K. Nelson
Noral K. Nelson, 31, was charged with reckless discharge of a firearm (Class 4 felony) after he was arrested in connection to a shooting along the 1500 block of S. Main Street.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Charles J. Tankson
Charles J. Tankson, 23, was charged with burglary (Class 2 felony), theft and two counts of unlawful use of a debit card (Class 3 felonies).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Davis, Micah S
Davis was charged with 3 counts of arson, Class 2 felonies, and 3 counts of criminal damage to property, Class 4 felonies.
His next court date is May 5 at 9 a.m.
PROVIDED BY THE MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Livingston, Joshua D.
Livingston was charged with 2 counts of possessing stolen vehicles, Class 2 felonies, possession of less than 5 grams of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony, and criminal damage to government property, a Class 4 felony.
His next court date is May 5 at 9 a.m.
PROVIDED BY THE MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Kevin L. Ewen
Kevin L. Ewen, 42, appeared in a Thursday bond court hearing and was charged with aggravated battery (Class 2 felony), obstructing a peace officer (Class 4 felony) and two counts of resisting a peace officer (Class A misdemeanor).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Emmanuel K. Mpay
Emmanuel K. Mpay, 23, appeared in a Thursday bond court hearing following a grand jury indictment for two counts of criminal sexual assault (Class 1 felonies).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Ahmad S. Manns
Ahmad S. Manns, 19, appeared in a Friday bond court hearing and was charged with cannabis trafficking (Class X felony), unlawful possession of cannabis with the intent to deliver (Class 1 felony) and unlawful possession of cannabis (Class 2 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Dylan R Mann
Dylan R Mann, 31, appeared Friday in bond court following four grand jury indictments for two separate cases relating to aggravated assault and battery.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Tony L. Jackson
Tony L. Jackson, 50, was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle (Class 2 felony), domestic battery, violation of an order of protection and driving while license revoked or suspended (Class 4 felonies).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
William R. Linden
William R. Linden, 79, was released Tuesday on felony burglary charges for trying to pass a forged check at Busey Bank.
Zadek U. Moen
Zadek U. Moen, 20, is facing six felony drug charges after being arrested by the Illinois State Police on Thursday.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Zachary T. Willis
Zachary T. Willis, 27, is charged with aggravated domestic battery by strangulation (Class 2 felony) and domestic battery subsequent offense (Class 4 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Cecily M. Sexton
Cecily M. Sexton, 39, was charged with two counts of burglary, a Class 2 felony; one count of forgery, a Class 3 felony; financial institution fraud, a Class 3 felony, and possession of a controlled substance, a Class 4 felony.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Tonisha A. Jackson
Tonisha A. Jackson, 27, was charged with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, a Class 3 felony.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
James A. McConnaughay
James A. McConnaughay, 53, appeared in a Friday bond court hearing before Judge Amy McFarland. McConnaughay is charged with unlawful possession of 5-15 grams of methamphetamine (Class 2 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Jessica M. Longberry
Jessica M. Longberry, 38, appeared in a Friday bond court hearing before Judge Amy McFarland. Longberry is charged with burglary (Class 2 felony) and forgery (Class 3 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Barry D. Guyton
Barry D. Guyton, 26, was charged with two counts of unlawful delivery of a controlled substance, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon (Class 2 felonies) two counts of unlawful possession of 15-100 of cocaine with the intent to deliver with one being a Class X felony and the other being a Class 1 felony.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Keon E. Spiller
Keon E. Spiller, 22, appeared in a Friday bond court hearing before Judge Amy McFarland and was charged with attempted escape after his jury trial reached a verdict.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Melina Aguilar
Melina Aguilar, 32, was charged with harassment of witnesses (Class 2 felonies) after asking a witness to lie on the record.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Carlos D. Cregan
Carlos D. Cregan, 35, was charged with harassment of witnesses (Class 2 felonies) after asking a witness to lie on the record.
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Andrea M. Sheets
Andrea M. Sheets appeared was charged Friday with possession of a stolen motor vehicle (Class 2 felony), aggravated fleeing a police officer (Class 4 felony) and obstructing a peace officer (Class A misdemeanor).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Wayne M. Damron
Wayne M. Damron, 52, is charged with one count of violation of the Illinois Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registration Act (Class 2 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Terrance L. Ford
Terrance L. Ford, 25, is charged with two counts of burglary (Class 2 felony) and two counts of retail theft (Class 3 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Stanley M. Miller
Stanley M. Miller, 61, was charged Friday with aggravated driving while under the influence of alcohol (Class X felony) and driving while driver's license revoked (Class 4 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Darryl R. Vinson
Darryl R. Vinson, 60, is charged with violation of the sex offender registration act (Class 2 felony).
MCLEAN COUNTY JAIL
Contact Mateusz Janik at (309) 820-3234. Follow Mateusz on Twitter:@mjanik99
Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter
Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/indiana-man-accused-of-2018-theft/article_4e4643be-1203-11ee-91df-1758e5c27a60.html | 2023-06-24T15:42:59 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/indiana-man-accused-of-2018-theft/article_4e4643be-1203-11ee-91df-1758e5c27a60.html |
PITTSBURGH — Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger absorbed a ton of bone-crushing hits during his 18-year Hall of Fame career, but the hit he took from Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Bart Scott in Week 12 of the 2006 season was by far the most painful. Roethlisberger said as much on his Footbahlin podcast recently with Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt.
“No. The hardest hit, we talked about it, was early on in my career, we were in Baltimore. And remember Bart Scott? Bart came around his left, my right side, and Willie Parker, love you to death. But Willie went left instead of right to pick him up. So, I just thought he was picked up. So, I was looking left, and he hit me in my chest,” Roethlisberger said. “Everything went slow motion from there. You know, like, I saw, like, I felt my body get lifted off the ground, and I saw my feet just kinda go past level one, level two, there’s the sky, hit the ground, lay there like I can’t breathe.”
Click here to read more from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/ben-roethlisberger-reveals-hardest-hit-his-career/YMBTNMZ7MNH53FVS6KEJ5VKXZU/ | 2023-06-24T15:46:47 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/ben-roethlisberger-reveals-hardest-hit-his-career/YMBTNMZ7MNH53FVS6KEJ5VKXZU/ |
PITTSBURGH — Kyle Dubas knows the Pittsburgh Penguins need some significant personnel upgrades if they are to have any real hope of contending for a Stanley Cup.
He also recognizes that they’re not going to get that kind of help out of the NHL Draft next week in Nashville.
Read more from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/dubas-draft-philosophy-should-sound-familiar/3F6V6H3MBZA53DLD7PMPPANTNA/ | 2023-06-24T15:46:53 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/dubas-draft-philosophy-should-sound-familiar/3F6V6H3MBZA53DLD7PMPPANTNA/ |
MIAMI — The Pittsburgh Pirates (35-40) won for the first time in a long time after beating the Miami Marlins 3-1 at loanDepot park.
The Pirates squeaked out the win over the Marlins (43-34) thanks to eight stellar innings from Luis Ortiz and three times on base from Henry Davis.
Nick Gonzales made his major league debut in the contest. He went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts but flashed some leather at second base.
The win on Friday snapped an 10-game losing streak for the Pirates, their longest skid of the season.
First pitch at loanDepot Park is scheduled for 4:10.
Read more from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/pirates-preview-broke-losing-streak-so-whats-next/2RPKI23VHVHMRBD5VMX6E32V74/ | 2023-06-24T15:46:59 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/pirates-preview-broke-losing-streak-so-whats-next/2RPKI23VHVHMRBD5VMX6E32V74/ |
PITTSBURGH — Pitt baseball assistant coach Joe Mercadante will serve as the head coach of North Florida, the program announced on Friday.
He served as assistant coach for the Panthers the past two seasons under head coach Mike Bell. Mercadante saw Pitt win 54 wins over the past two seasons, including back-t0-back ACC Tournament appearances and an appearance in the Semifinals in 2022.
Read the full story from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh here.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TRENDING NOW:
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/pitt-baseball-assistant-coach-joe-mercadante-named-north-florida-head-coach/ZPUHEWDOUVEHXHV26NUOGKM2BI/ | 2023-06-24T15:47:14 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/pitt-baseball-assistant-coach-joe-mercadante-named-north-florida-head-coach/ZPUHEWDOUVEHXHV26NUOGKM2BI/ |
For such a seemingly simple game, pickleball has caused quite a stir in Flagstaff.
With the city continuing to consider -- and reconsider -- permanent courts at Bushmaster Park or other locations, it remains unclear whether there will be suitable public facilities to host the growing population of local players.
For now, pickleballers find themselves playing on makeshift courts on the Bushmaster Park tennis and basketball courts. There are mobile nets placed in the middle, with lines that were painted on to the other sports' courts.
Dozens of players line the courts most mornings when the weather allows, playing for several hours. It's become a social group for many -- which fully came to a head in 2020 when group activities were limited due to COVID-19. Many of the players fondly recall pickleball giving them a rare outlet during a trying period.
People are also reading…
Flagstaff City Council is reconsidering its goal of creating permanent courts at Bushmaster, both to house the pickleball players and to reopen the basketball and tennis courts for those sports' athletes in the mornings when they were otherwise being used.
Some residents are happy that the courts haven't been built yet.
“Bushmaster is our backyard, but don’t you think we have some rights to peaceful enjoyment of property and take a stand for the integrity of this place we’ve looked after for all these decades? I feel so invaded upon, so disrespected, so irrelevant,” Audria Smith, a resident whose house borders the park and the person who created and gathered signatures for a petition, said in an article by Daily Sun reporter Adrian Skabelund. “I have invested everything into my home -- which includes moving my massage therapy practice here in 1995 and then building my art studio. I am so invested in the livability of any resident beside this park.”
It's clear there's a growing community, though. In just its second year of existence, the Flagstaff Pickleball Open, hosted by the Flagstaff Pickleball Association (FPA), had 220 players over a weekend earlier in the month. It was an increase of 10% from the inaugural competition.
FPA President Lynn Walsh expressed frustration over the topic coming back.
“Money was approved in 2022 [for courts] to be spent this year, this summer to be done,” Walsh told the Daily Sun. “We’re already there. That’s where we are playing, that’s where we have been playing, and there haven’t been any complaints until we went, ‘Oh, we actually might get permanent ones a few feet away on the other side of the basketball court.'”
Like the small yellow ball in a long rally, the future of pickleball courts in Flagstaff goes back and forth. Also like the sport, the arguments have become a bit loud with a pair of opinionated sides.
For now, though, there's no stopping the game from being played. | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/pickleball-players-in-flagstaff-continue-games-amid-uncertainty-of-courts/article_736bffd2-120b-11ee-90c6-1bd3532f6492.html | 2023-06-24T15:47:29 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/sports/local/pickleball-players-in-flagstaff-continue-games-amid-uncertainty-of-courts/article_736bffd2-120b-11ee-90c6-1bd3532f6492.html |
'This is my home': After 127 years, Franciscans to leave Phoenix's St. Mary's Basilica
Church's current rector says not enough young friars are available to fulfill pastor roles.
Following 127 years of stewardship, Franciscan friars will be handing over the reins of downtown Phoenix’s St. Mary’s Basilica come month’s end.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix in September announced a July 1 leadership handover from the Franciscan order of friars who established St. Mary’s as the city’s first Catholic church.
Father Michael Weldon, 69, will be leaving after nine years as rector. Of St. Mary’s four brown wool-robed Franciscan friars, which includes Weldon, only one will remain in Phoenix.
Weldon said this will be an especially poignant farewell. He joined the order at the church and is a former student of St. Mary’s Catholic High School, which was also founded by Franciscan friars.
"This is my home, and it’s gonna be very difficult to let it go," Weldon said in an interview with The Arizona Republic.
Weldon cited the reason for the departure as a lack of young men within the Franciscan order that are willing to become parish priests. According to Weldon, most younger friars are seeking to instead do social outreach involving the impoverished, migrants on the border and the environment.
The youngest of St. Mary’s friars is in his 50s, Weldon noted. Even finding a temporary replacement if he were to become sick is difficult because there are not enough young friars, he added.
A service celebrating the friars’ legacy will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the church located at North Third Street near East Van Buren Street.
Early years bore fruit, discord
The history between the Phoenix church and Franciscan friars begins 142 years ago.
Franciscan missionaries built the original 2,400-square-foot church with adobe walls and a shingle roof in 1881. The Franciscans of the Order of Friars Minor took over in 1896. By 1903, the structure was razed and a "basement church" — now the basilica’s reception hall — was dedicated as the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Construction on the church’s current structure, the "upper church," began in 1913 at the direction of Father Novatus Benzing.
St. Mary’s exterior is in the Mission Revival style, featuring cream-colored stucco-over-brick walls and a red-tile roof. The ornate interior of the church reflects the Romanesque style and is adorned with images depicting the immaculate conception and the lives of the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph.
Phoenix Catholic Diocese:Bishop draws from personal grief to confront suicide
As much of a visionary as Benzing was in setting out to make St. Mary’s a cultural jewel of downtown Phoenix, a key decision of the priest’s would leave cracks in the social foundation of his parish.
By orders of Benzing, Spanish-speaking parishioners were relegated to Mass in the "basement church" downstairs. English Mass would continue upstairs. Hispanic parishioners petitioned an unrelenting Benzing to continue holding Mass in the "upper church."
The priest’s segregation of Mass by language would lead to Latino congregants leaving and founding the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church about a mile and a half southeast of St. Mary’s.
Weldon issued an apology to the Hispanic community in 2015 for the church’s actions. The church rededicated its doors through a second blessing as a way of reaching reconciliation.
"(We) prayed for a future where the doors would be open to everybody," Weldon said.
Influence reaches beyond the church
And through the decades, the house of worship would find its footing in social works and as a destination church.
In 1946, Franciscan Pastor Father Louis Shoen helped secure the start of the Society of St. Vincent DePaul in Phoenix by using St. Mary’s rectory as a gathering place. The charity continues helping the needy to this day.
St. Mary’s Food Bank was founded as the world’s first food bank in 1967 by activist John van Hengel and the Franciscan Pastor Father Ronald Colloty. The food bank continues helping the community, and as of 2022 was feeding more than 100,000 families a month.
St. Mary’s would be added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, and Pope John Paul II would elevate the church to minor basilica status in 1985.
The pope went on to address an estimated crowd of 100,000 on Sept. 14, 1987, from the church’s sun-drenched balcony, commending the Hispanic community for its “strength, vitality and generosity” early in his speech. He also exulted "the majesty and beauty" of the Arizona landscape.
Pope John Paul then knelt for a five-minute prayer inside the basilica.
Lore among parishioners tells of a second future saint visiting the basilica not long after Pope John Paul.
Mother Teresa walked the grounds of the diocesan grounds where the basilica stands while in Phoenix on a three-day visit in February 1989. There is, however, no documented proof that the caregiving crusader stepped foot inside St. Mary’s.
Basilica provides a sense of comfort
Suzanne Padilla Kovalcik, 81, and her husband Robert Kovalcik, 71, have been attending St. Mary’s for the past decade.
Since Padilla Kovalcik battled cancer and out of concerns about COVID-19, she and her husband now rarely go to in-person Mass and instead watch it at home via live stream.
On Holy Thursday 2022, Padilla Kovalcik found herself in crisis over the political strife and divisiveness facing the country and had to talk to a priest.
With the support of a cane and her husband, Padilla Kovalcik walked up the church’s steps to ring its doorbell and seek confession that very day. She wept as she shared her troubles with an obliging Franciscan priest.
"I didn't want to pass away someday with anger and frustration and bitterness on my soul," she said, adding, "I felt much better after the confession."
Recently, she ventured back to St. Mary’s in-person Mass. The outing wore her out, she said. But having found solace in the Franciscans, she wants to be at the basilica for their final Mass.
"I'm trying to get strong" to attend, she said.
St. Mary's Food Bank:Inflation leads to 'skyrocket' needs for families
An enduring legacy
Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix Bishop John Dolan assured St. Mary’s will remain committed to the faithful following what he said was "a big shift" in the transfer of church guardianship.
Father John Muir, whose background is in the Phoenix diocese, will be the church’s new pastor who will offer "more of the same message" of outreach the Franciscans have long given the broader community, Dolan said. He added, Muir “is not of that mindset to go and disrupt or change things.”
The friary where the Franciscans reside will be turned into a seminary for college students.
Meanwhile, Weldon plans to start a one-year sabbatical in San Antonio followed by a return to teaching at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
The Franciscan order in the U.S. is consolidating its multiple ministerial provinces that are spread throughout different regions in the country, Weldon explained. Releasing the Franciscans of their possession of St. Mary’s is but one way the order is trying to better use its friars, he said.
Weldon points to institutions like St. Mary’s Food Bank and St. Vincent DePaul as hallmarks of the Franciscan order’s good deeds in Phoenix.
"Those all bear the stamp of education and care for the poor, especially the poorest of the poor and those on the margin," DePaul said. "We hope that frame and that culture will continue to grow here and perhaps even take some new faces."
Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on Twitter @jrgzztx.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/06/24/friars-to-leave-phoenix-st-marys-basilica/70350314007/ | 2023-06-24T15:55:12 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/06/24/friars-to-leave-phoenix-st-marys-basilica/70350314007/ |
Fight over DNA evidence delays trial in 2015 murder of Scottsdale's Allison Feldman
A 2015 Scottsdale murder case cannot go to trial until an Arizona appeals court decides whether police lawfully acquired key DNA evidence and if prosecutors can use it to make their case.
Prosecutors have appealed after a Maricopa County judge threw out that pivotal evidence in the case against Ian Mitcham in the 2015 killing of Allison Feldman.
On June 14, the Arizona Court of Appeals heard oral arguments relating to a blood sample collected from Mitcham during an investigation for an unrelated case. The appellate court will determine whether that DNA evidence can be used in the Feldman murder trial. Prosecutors say that police did not need a warrant to use the old blood sample to develop a DNA profile. But Mitcham's lawyers argue doing so was a violation of his constitutional right to privacy.
The appellate court has to decide if police can, without a warrant, test physical evidence already in their possession. A key factor will likely be whether or not appellate judges believe that the development of a DNA profile from an old blood sample constitutes an illegal search.
It has been more than eight years since Feldman was killed, and the appeals process is yet another delay.
Feldman, 31, was found murdered in her Scottsdale home on Feb. 18, 2015. According to court documents, investigators found evidence of sexual assault.
Though DNA evidence of the suspected killer was collected at the scene, no arrests were made for three years.
Feldman's murder reverberated through her community. In the months that followed, a women's safety event and a candlelight vigil were held in her honor. A scholarship at the University of Arizona was established in her name.
According to court documents, a breakthrough came after the Scottsdale police received approval to conduct a familial DNA investigation in 2017. Feldman’s murder case was the first time an Arizona law enforcement agency had used this technique, which can be time-consuming.
Police say the investigation indicated that the DNA profile collected at the crime scene was a close male relative of Mark Mitcham, an inmate in the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Scottsdale police:Arrest made in 2015 murder of Allison Feldman
According to court documents, police discovered that Mark Mitcham had two brothers in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
One of the brothers, Ian Mitcham, had been arrested by Scottsdale police in January 2015 on suspicion of driving under the influence. During this investigation, Ian Mitcham consented to have his blood drawn and tested for blood alcohol content.
Two vials were collected from Ian Mitcham, and, according to court documents, he was informed that they would be destroyed after 90 days. However, the Scottsdale Police Department retained Ian Mitcham’s blood sample.
In late 2017, a DNA analysis was performed on the vials. According to court documents, the investigating officer did not acquire a search warrant to test Ian Mitcham's blood because he "did not believe he needed to get one." According to Scottsdale police, the 2015 sample was a match for evidence collected at the scene of Feldman’s murder.
On April 10, 2018, Scottsdale police arrested Ian Mitcham.
In a warrant filed by Scottsdale police to perform searches of Ian Mitcham's person, residence and car, DNA evidence played a primary role in connecting Ian Mitcham to Feldman's murder.
The warrant allowed investigators to collect a buccal swab from Ian Mitcham, which police say matched evidence collected from the crime scene.
Later that April, a Maricopa County grand jury indicted Ian Mitcham on counts of first-degree murder, sexual assault and burglary.
Mitcham plead not guilty on all counts and denied ever knowing Feldman.
Four years elapsed as both sides readied their case. During the discovery process, both prosecutors and defense attorneys had an opportunity to challenge the evidence that may appear during the trial.
In July 2022, the defense filed a motion to suppress the evidence collected from Ian Mitcham’s 2015 DUI arrest. In the motion, Ian Mitcham’s defense argued that extracting a DNA profile from his original blood sample “went far beyond the scope of what was permitted by his prior consent” and violated Ian Mitcham’s Fourth Amendment rights, which protect against unreasonable searches and seizures.
In response, the Maricopa County Attorney's Office argued that the development of a DNA profile from a previously collected sample did not constitute a “search,” and the Fourth Amendment did not apply.
They added that even if the use of the 2015 DNA evidence did constitute a constitutional violation, it would still be admissible because of a legal doctrine known as “inevitable discovery.” It states that illegally obtained evidence can still be used in court if the prosecution can prove that it would have inevitably been found.
The prosecution argued that there were three avenues through which police would have inevitably discovered Ian Mitcham’s DNA profile. They pointed out that the familial DNA test run on evidence collected from the scene of Feldman’s murder identified a close male relative of Mark Mitcham. Because Ian Mitcham is Mark Mitcham’s brother, the prosecution wrote, his DNA would have eventually been collected through other avenues.
Maricopa County prosecutors also argued that police would have acquired Ian Mitcham’s DNA profile through his three other felony convictions. In April 2022, Ian Mitcham pled guilty to two charges of aggravated DU from a 2016 arrest and one charge of possession of narcotics from a 2015 arrest.
An Arizona statute dictates that the state must collect a DNA sample from anyone convicted of a felony offense.
Mitcham's defense lawyers responded to this claim in court, writing that Mitcham only pleaded guilty to the other felony charges because of the homicide case against him. His lawyers argued that the guilty pleas were strategic moves.
“The state should not be allowed to speculate as to the outcome of his felony DUI and drug charges, absent the pending murder case,” they wrote.
In late December, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Roy Whitehead ruled to suppress the DNA evidence collected in 2015.
He wrote that the prosecution did not deliver the “preponderance” of evidence necessary to prove that police would have inevitably discovered Ian Mitcham's DNA. Whitehead agreed with the defense that the prosecution could not assume that Ian Mitcham’s other felony charges otherwise would have resulted in convictions.
“Application of the inevitable discovery doctrine in this relies solely on speculation, and such speculation alone cannot sustain the state’s burden,” Whitehead wrote.
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office appealed the ruling to the Arizona Court of Appeals.
In oral arguments presented to the appellate court on June 14, Nicholas Klingerman from the Arizona Attorney General’s Office said that he did not believe Ian Mitcham had a reasonable expectation of privacy regarding the 2015 blood draw.
“Sequencing the DNA profile did not intrude further on any protected constitutional privacy interests,” Klingerman said.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which filed a brief to the appellate court in support of Ian Mitcham, disagreed and argued that admitting the evidence into court would set a troubling precedent.
Body found in Peoria:Divers recover body of man who drowned at Lake Pleasant
“What the government is asking for is sweeping and radical, and could eradicate the right to privacy for our blood and DNA,” said Jared Keenan of the ACLU.
Former Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley said prosecutors are trying to get clarity on when and how investigative techniques can be used.
"You’re always trying to figure out what is proper in law enforcement and what is appropriate in using these tools," Romley said.
It is not yet clear how a ruling on the DNA evidence would affect the criminal case against Ian Mitcham.
In a brief submitted to the Court of Appeals, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office argued that if the inevitable discovery doctrine is not applied, it would “put the state in a worse position than it would have been if the alleged Fourth Amendment violation did not occur.”
In oral arguments, Klingerman reiterated that if the DNA evidence is suppressed, the state's case is weaker than it would have been if police had not used the 2015 blood sample.
The trial against Ian Mitcham was set to begin in February but will remain on hold until the appeals process is resolved. It is not clear how long the Court of Appeals will take to return a decision.
Harley Feldman, Allison Feldman’s father, described the pace of the criminal justice system as frustrating. Harley Feldman said he worked with Arizona politicians to help make it possible for state law enforcement agencies to use familial DNA in investigations.
Since Allison Feldman's death, Harley Feldman has been involved with Parents of Murdered Children, a national victim advocacy organization.
Harley Feldman said he hopes for a conviction, but it will only bring so much peace. He mourns the milestones he will never get to celebrate with his daughter.
"There will be no weddings, no grandchildren," he said.
He continued, “There’s no closure. There’s never closure." | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2023/06/24/allison-feldman-ian-mitcham-murder-appeals/70343313007/ | 2023-06-24T15:55:18 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2023/06/24/allison-feldman-ian-mitcham-murder-appeals/70343313007/ |
Tempe adopts rule to help staffers access abortion, other out-of-state medical procedures
Tempe leaders have approved a new rule to give city employees extra time off to obtain medical procedures that aren't available in Arizona, a first-of-a-kind move in the Valley that's primarily meant to ensure employees can access abortion.
The policy grants city workers two additional days of paid time off each year for out-of-state medical travel. It's designed to spare Tempe employees from having to bite into their existing PTO because of limitations in Arizona's health care system, such as hyper-restrictive abortion laws that might crop up down the line.
Fear of such laws taking root in Arizona drove city leaders to begin crafting the rule last summer. The U.S. Supreme Court had just nixed Roe Vs. Wade and some state leaders were trying to make Arizona's 1864 abortion ban the law of the land, so Tempe sought to help its employees access abortions in pro-choice states.
But the final version of the policy that was unanimously adopted by the City Council June 15 — not quite one year after the Supreme Court's landmark Dobbs decision — covers far more than just abortions. It applies to any out-of-state medical procedure that city employees might need, ranging from cancer treatment to spinal surgery to stem cell therapy.
“It is vitally important that City of Tempe employees can access available treatments, therapies and procedures they need for themselves or their family members," said Tempe Councilmember Randy Keating, who spearheaded the effort. "Unfortunately, not all available medical treatments are available in today’s Arizona. I am proud that the City Council took this action to ensure that city employees can access the care they choose and need.”
A 'no questions asked' policy with nearly no city cost
Getting the policy on the books wasn't easy going for Keating, however. Several practical questions remained unanswered, including how Tempe could administer the program and vet employees' requests.
Top city staffers even advised against the policy, concluding that "the City offers ample leave time for employees, and those who do not have available leave time may be eligible to receive compassionate leave donations from other employees," according to a city memo.
Those staff members also objected to the program over concerns that it couldn't be run in a "fair and equitable" way. An abortion-focused policy would apply to a portion of Tempe's workforce and could require the city to deny other PTO requests for medical reasons that are just as legitimate, for example.
Keating said Tempe's then-City Manager Andrew Ching spent seven months working "behind the scenes" to address those issues. The solution was for Tempe to take a hands-off approach by not requiring employees to prove that they're using the time off for an eligible reason — they simply have to ask for the extra PTO day.
"Look, if you are telling us that you or a loved one needs to seek medical treatment outside of the state of Arizona, we can provide you PTO days to travel to and from that destination," Keating said. "We're essentially no-questions-asked. We're not going to look at any receipts (and) we're not going to make you report anything."
Keating added that the cost of the program would be negligible, especially given that the city doesn't have to dedicate any resources to its administration.
A safety net against future abortion bans
The statewide abortion ban that Tempe's policy originally was intended to combat never came to fruition.
About six months into the city's yearlong policy crafting process, an Arizona appeals court ruled that abortions performed in the state by licensed physicians are legal up to 15 weeks of gestation. That means more than 93% of abortions performed in Arizona will remain legal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Where things stand statewide:Here's how reproductive rights have changed in Arizona since Roe vs. Wade was overturned
But that won't necessarily always be the case. Anti-abortion activists have appealed that ruling to the Arizona Supreme Court, so there's a chance that the state's highest court could upend the 15-week rule in favor of a near-total ban.
Even if that doesn't happen, state legislators always could pass a more restrictive law. Plus, the door is open for a future court challenge if the 1864 abortion ban remains on Arizona's books.
"A future, different Arizona Supreme Court could change its mind — we’ve seen expressly how the U.S. Supreme Court has been willing to overturn its own precedent — and other courts may take the same tack in future decisions," health law expert Jen Piatt told The Arizona Republic. "Essentially, if this law is not repealed, there will always be an underlying threat to abortion access in the state of Arizona."
Keating said that his initiative will now function as a sort of safety net in case any of those future restrictions come to pass, making it easier for city staffers to overcome a potential ban.
In lieu of any major shakeup in Arizona's abortion law, he believes the policy still will help Tempe employees who might have other medical needs and that it "will ultimately leave our city a better place.”
"I am not saying this will ... open up avenues now that don't exist currently. But it could (eventually). We don't know what's going to happen here in the future." he said. "And there are other people who have to leave the state (for other reasons). There's a first responder who has to take a child out of state for experimental treatment not available here in Arizona. So, there's other uses for this as well."
Arizona Republic reporter Stephanie Innes contributed to this article.
Reach the reporter at sam.kmack@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter@KmackSam. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe/2023/06/24/new-tempe-policy-to-help-staffers-access-abortions-out-of-state-care/70348006007/ | 2023-06-24T15:55:24 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe/2023/06/24/new-tempe-policy-to-help-staffers-access-abortions-out-of-state-care/70348006007/ |
SANFORD, Fla. — Seminole County officials said eastbound lanes on State Road 46 are closed after a crash Saturday.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
According to the Sanford Police Department, SR-46 is closed from Town Center Boulevard/Hickman Road to Rinehart Road.
Police said people should expect delays around SR-46 and the Interstate 4 exit.
Read: 1 man dead, 3 men injured after shooting near Orange County banquet hall
The closure is expected to last around three hours, county officials said.
Drivers are asked to avoid the area and seek alternate routes.
Stay with Channel 9 for updates on this developing story.
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/eastbound-lanes-close-state-road-46-after-sanford-crash/FQ3M4ECMU5HJTL34W6JV2SABZI/ | 2023-06-24T16:03:11 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/eastbound-lanes-close-state-road-46-after-sanford-crash/FQ3M4ECMU5HJTL34W6JV2SABZI/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A motorcyclist died early Saturday following a crash along International Drive in Orange County, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Troopers said that around 2:25 a.m., a man was driving a Harley Davidson traveling south on International Drive near the Hawaiian Court intersection.
According to the crash report, the man lost control of the motorcycle for unknown reasons while negotiating a curve.
The driver then went southeast, hit the concrete curb, continued off the road, and struck a sign support.
Read: 1 man dead, 3 men injured after shooting near Orange County banquet hall
Troopers said the motorcyclist was a 53-year-old man from Orlando; he was transported to the Orlando Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The crash remains under investigation.
Read: Woman hides on Disneyland ride trying to avoid arrest
See a map of the scene below:
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/fhp-orlando-motorcyclist-dies-international-drive-crash/ER7CUKQ7URCKNDWMVVSPR6CEUM/ | 2023-06-24T16:03:12 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/fhp-orlando-motorcyclist-dies-international-drive-crash/ER7CUKQ7URCKNDWMVVSPR6CEUM/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — A Florida organization will be recognized Saturday for its significant milestone in education.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Make Us Visible Florida is part of a nationwide coalition to present solutions to anti-Asian American bullying, hate and violence, starting in schools.
The coalition sponsored a bill to require Asian American and Pacific Islander history in K-12 curriculums.
MUV-FL fought to pass the AAPI bill in the Florida legislature for two years, which became law in May.
Photos: Brightline completes construction of tracks connecting Orlando to South Florida
Orlando Mayor Jerry Demings will present MUV-FL with a proclamation at the celebration.
Guests can enjoy refreshments, guest speakers, a lion dance and a kung fu performance from the Wah Lum Temple.
People can also learn more about APPI education in schools from community members.
Read: ‘Just asking for inclusion’: Movement aims to make Asian American history taught in schools
According to MUV-FL, Florida is now the fifth state to include the requirement of teaching AAPI history.
MUV-FL Director Mimi Chan started a Florida petition in 2021 that garnered over 15,000 signatures.
Other Florida senators and representatives are expected to attend the event, including Sen. Linda Stewart, Rep. Rene Plasencia and Rep. Anna Eskamani.
The event will start at 3 p.m. at the Wah Lum Temple on Goldenrod Road.
Click here for more information.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-organization-celebrates-orlando-after-aapi-education-bill-passes/PGRVNHVCH5GABLSHRJ6HYNXWHA/ | 2023-06-24T16:03:13 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-organization-celebrates-orlando-after-aapi-education-bill-passes/PGRVNHVCH5GABLSHRJ6HYNXWHA/ |
Umpqua Hall was one of the few original buildings still operating on the Southwestern Oregon Community College campus. Now, a decades-long vision has come to reality with the completion of the new health and science building.
The building is no longer antiquated. It is a hub for modern technology and sets a standard for innovative, locally sourced materials. Umpqua Hall’s revitalization aligns with the college’s 60-year anniversary.
A group of college faculty, community members and nonprofit staff and board members from the Energy Trust of Oregon recently took a tour of the newly-renovated building.
“This was a vision of a college president over 25 years ago about, ‘How can we get new science and health building on campus and how do we transform it?’” said Jeff Whitey, V.P. of Administrative Services at Southwestern Oregon Community College.
“Funding is obviously our biggest piece. But how you get a high-technology building in a rural community – that was a huge challenge,” he said.
The college broke ground in April 2019 on the 35,690 square-foot building. The project repurposed and modernized the small, historic building by adding new a highly energy-efficient instruction space and installing a solar photo-voltaic system to generate electricity.
“I'm happy to say that it saves about 44 percent of our energy budget and we get to put that back into the college contributions and fund this whole energy package,” Whitey said during the tour.
“But again, in small rural communities, these things don't happen overnight. This has been a long journey. I've been here 26 years and I get to see it – which is cool,” he said.
The building architect, Opsis Architecture, designed it to be energy efficient to decrease operation costs in the long term. The building is in the Path to Net-Zero program through the Energy Trust of Oregon. It is estimated that Umpqua Hall will be 70 percent more efficient than today’s standard, similar buildings.
The college tapped into the Energy Trust’s cash incentives and technical assistance, and they assisted in the design process. The college chose a site layout to ensure the building works in harmony with the coastal climate.
Some of the new features include efficient LED lighting, coupled with daylight harvesting that illuminates the space. The building is passively heated and ventilated with a radiant floor heating system throughout. Operable windows are connected to a digital control system. Rainwater run-off flows through swales and a native vegetation filtration.
During the recent renovation, workers blasted stained beams to restore the woods original look, and in the new building section they erected colossal beams that stretch up to stories. The College sourced all wood products from regional manufacturers.
College representatives say Umpqua Hall symbolizes a fusion of past and present, architecture and engineering and it celebrates their pursuit of knowledge and place in the ecosystem. The energy savings means SWOCC can put more resources toward doubling the size of its nursing program and hiring more faculty. Additionally, the green energy designs implemented in the hall’s construction are utilized in SWOCC's physics, engineering, and chemistry curriculum.
At $25 million, and more than 35,000 square feet, this is the largest capital project in the college’s history and is being touted as a “triumph of teamwork.” The investment includes an $8 million state grant, more than $6.5 million in community donations. $5.75 million in college investments, a $3 million U.S. EDA grant and $1.9 million in new market tax credits. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/community-college-s-new-health-and-sciences-building-a-triumph-of-teamwork/article_1ec4acd4-1145-11ee-b6b3-9339a04bd713.html | 2023-06-24T16:03:56 | 0 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/community-college-s-new-health-and-sciences-building-a-triumph-of-teamwork/article_1ec4acd4-1145-11ee-b6b3-9339a04bd713.html |
VALPARAISO — The Valparaiso Noon Kiwanis ramp project for Carissa Little won bronze in the Kiwanis International global competition.
John Bowker, who led the project, estimates there were 18,000 Kiwanis service projects worldwide, of which more than 450 were entered in the competition for project of the year.
The emcee at the “signature project” breakfast at the annual Kiwanis International convention was from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. As vice president of Kiwanis International, he had visited Indianapolis for a meeting and was driven to Valparaiso for a visit.
While here, he saw Little’s ramp. “He actually walked up and down the ramp and was impressed,” Bowker said.
The metal ramp project for Little, paralyzed since an Aug. 12, 2022, traffic accident, went far beyond normal. In addition to installing two chairlifts for Little at her parents’ bilevel house, the club asked Louis Leone, of Liberty Construction and Renovation, to build an addition because the foyer was too small for her wheelchair to turn around. Materials were donated by an anonymous local business owner. Leone, who donated his time, later joined Kiwanis.
People are also reading…
A local Realtor donated the chairlifts after selling a house to a new owner who no longer needed the chairlifts.
As of Friday, more than $44,000 had been donated to a GoFundMe account in her.
Carissa Little and her mother, Cheryl Little, spoke to the Kiwanians last week about the project.
Carissa was living her dream life, riding with her boyfriend in the semitruck he drove. Carissa was in the sleeper compartment when the crash occurred.
She recounted her story at a Kiwanis meeting earlier this year.
“I’m not going to lie. It was the worst pain of my life,” Carissa said. Her spinal cord was broken. She was paralyzed from the waist down. A doctor told her she would never walk again, but Carissa refused to accept that pronouncement and began going to the Shirley A. Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago three times a week for rehab.
Cheryl was so overwhelmed by all the help the family has received that she was in tears telling the story.
When Carissa texted Cheryl, “Mom, I broke my back,” Cheryl ran to the car. “I don’t care that I’m in my pajamas,” she said. Cheryl quickly drove to Loyola University Medical Center, to be with her daughter. Doctors used an American Sign Language interpreter on an iPad to tell Cheryl, who is hearing impaired, what was happening.
Bowker said ramps typically cost $5,000, funded by money raised through Kiwanis fundraisers like its annual pancake breakfast. Kiwanians install the ramps for free.
So far this year, the club has installed 16 ramps, two of them removed after they were no longer needed. Last year, the club installed 30 ramps and uninstalled 16 ramps no longer needed. In one case, the ramp meant a grandchild could see a grandmother for the first time.
As one of the largest clubs, the Valparaiso contingent at this week’s convention had to wait for the awards to be announced for the smaller clubs first. Then the Group 2 projects that placed fourth through 10th were announced. “We were kind of counting down,” Bowker said.
Then the Valparaiso group knew their placed among the top three. “They put together about a 30-second video describing the ramp program. We were backstage and couldn’t hear it,” Bowker said. He’s looking forward to seeing it next week.
In addition to the plaque, the Valparaiso Kiwanis Club will receive a write-up in the Kiwanis magazine and will be featured on the website. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/valparaiso-ramp-project-places-third-in-world/article_9e94a79e-1225-11ee-811d-bb1aa968a66b.html | 2023-06-24T16:06:22 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/valparaiso-ramp-project-places-third-in-world/article_9e94a79e-1225-11ee-811d-bb1aa968a66b.html |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Spirit AeroSystems has paused factory production ahead of the union worker strike beginning at midnight on Saturday.
Subcontractors who provide for Spirit AeroSystems received a message to pause all shipments beginning Thursday. Many of those companies now have nowhere to send the excess mechanical parts.
“It’s going to affect our sales by probably about 40 to 50 percent,” said McGinty Machine president Don McGinty.
He says half of their sales currently go to Spirit AeroSystems. Globe Engineering also provides products to Spirit.
“Fuel lines, hydraulic lines, fire wall, just a variety of different parts,” said Globe Engineering CEO Jeff Teague.
Teague says if the worker strike continues, they could potentially lose up to $100,000 a month.
McGinty says he’s been through worker strikes before, and he believes Spirit and the Machinists won’t take long to come to a negotiation.
“They’ll get an agreement and allow us to ship parts in. They have in the past, that is. So it may be a month from now that they get the door opened up,” said McGinty.
But if it takes months, the production plans will need to shift.
“We’ll just shift our workload over to Lockheed Martin or Gulfstream or some other areas,” explained McGinty.
Teague says Globe Engineering provides to about 15 different companies, so the loss of Spirit won’t be detrimental. But it could lead to less work for employees.
“We start cutting back that much, we start cutting hours on employees, and we’ll look at Furlow and things like that. But we’ve got enough other work, I think we can offset it,” said Teague.
Both businesses say a prolonged decision will have a ripple effect on the manufacturers who provide them with raw materials.
“Paragon services does a lot of finishes for us on our spirit parts and painting and film, that kind of stuff, Hyrdaflow and Wiggins people that build fittings,” said Teague.
McGinty explained that even tool shops could have their sales impact because of the decline in demand from manufacturers.
“This is the way it works. And it takes time, and you just have to be prepared for it and work your way through it,” said McGinty. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/spirit-aerosystems-union-worker-strike-causes-a-decrease-in-sales-for-subcontractors/ | 2023-06-24T16:15:17 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/spirit-aerosystems-union-worker-strike-causes-a-decrease-in-sales-for-subcontractors/ |
PENNSYLVANIA, USA — A Pennsylvania lawmaker charged with DUI following a single-vehicle crash earlier this year will be enrolled in a nine-month Accelerated Rehabilitative Dispostion program, court records show.
State Rep. Torren Ecker, a Republican representing the Commonwealth's 193rd Legislative District, which covers parts of Adams and Cumberland counties, crashed his vehicle on Carlisle Pike at about 11:45 p.m. on April 18, according to State Police.
Ecker's vehicle drifted off the roadway and struck a guide rail, police said. No one was injured.
An investigation of the crash determined alcohol was a factor, as Ecker's BAC was found to be at .13, which is above the Pennsylvania limit of .08.
Ecker was charged with DUI and failure to drive within a single lane on May 2. It was his first offense for DUI, according to court records.
On Thursday, Judge Shawn Wagner ordered Ecker to enroll in ARD for nine months. Ecker must also pay for and obtain a CRN evaluation and follow any recommendations resulting from it and pay for the cost of prosecution, Wagner ordered.
Ecker's driving privileges were also suspended, court records show.
In a statement following his arrest, Ecker apologized for his actions with the following statement:
“Most importantly, I am relieved that my lack of judgment did not result in any injury to others or myself.
“I take responsibility for my actions. To my family, constituents, and colleagues, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible behavior and ask for your forgiveness.
“As this process moves forward, I will accept accountability and seek to restore the trust so many have put in me.” | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/adams-county/torren-ecker-ard-program-ordered-dui-charges/521-fb72eb2a-4dae-4f41-ad0f-55376e9ce128 | 2023-06-24T16:19:20 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/adams-county/torren-ecker-ard-program-ordered-dui-charges/521-fb72eb2a-4dae-4f41-ad0f-55376e9ce128 |
HIGHSPIRE, Pa. — Reservoir Park became part of a crime scene investigation late Thursday night, after a pair of human remains were found along the lake.
Dauphin County investigators are now working to piece together how the remains got there.
“They’re in an advanced stage of decomposition, so it’s believed that they have been there for a period of time," said Jennifer Fitch, the press secretary for Dauphin County.
Highspire Borough's public safety director tells FOX43 that a group of kids found skeletal remains in a heavily wooded area of the park while fishing. Some clothing fragments were also found at the scene.
Fitch said forensics units are now working to identify the remains.
“The Dauphin County Coroners Office has retrieved the skeletal remains and will be sending them off for DNA analysis," said Fitch.
Dr. Robert Furey, a forensic entomologist, is among the investigators on the case for the Dauphin County Coroner's Office. He said investigators will comb through each bit of evidence collected at the scene.
“The smallest bit of evidence is important when we’re trying to figure out what happened," said Dr. Furey. “Some of (the clothing fragments) may be unique enough that family members could identify them. Then we will examine dental records, but ultimately, we will do DNA.”
The DNA of the remains will then be compared to that of missing persons' families in the area.
"It’s very easy for us to say, ‘this may be someone’s father,’ and we’ll get DNA from their offspring and work our way backwards," said Dr. Furey.
The process to identify the remains will likely take several months. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county-forensics-team-to-test-dna-of-human-remains-found-in-highspire-park-dauphin-county/521-5a9b2022-1b30-4f90-9e41-847ef7216f76 | 2023-06-24T16:19:27 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county-forensics-team-to-test-dna-of-human-remains-found-in-highspire-park-dauphin-county/521-5a9b2022-1b30-4f90-9e41-847ef7216f76 |
LANCASTER, Pa. — Church Street is closed after a gas main was damaged due to a vehicle crashing into a home early Saturday morning.
Authorities say UGI is making emergency repairs in the area of Church Street and Pershing Avenue.
Church Street is closed to vehicles from South Lime, East Mifflin, and Jefferson Streets.
Fire crews were called to the 1st block of Church Street on Saturday around 6:47 a.m. for a vehicle crash into a house that happened sometime overnight.
Police say the vehicle was already gone when the homeowner called emergency services.
The crash damaged the home's front porch and gas main.
Officials say they could smell natural gas and evacuated nearby homes.
Police are investigating the hit-and-run crash.
Authorities did not say how long Church Street is expected to be closed. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/lancaster-street-closed-gas-main-repair-vehicle-crashes-into-home/521-b0b49346-c95e-4e7a-bc73-c60df803dbbc | 2023-06-24T16:19:33 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/lancaster-street-closed-gas-main-repair-vehicle-crashes-into-home/521-b0b49346-c95e-4e7a-bc73-c60df803dbbc |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.