text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ms] | label int64 | id string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Police are investigating a shooting on the city's south side early Friday morning.
The shooting happened just before midnight in a neighborhood on Hunstock Avenue.
Police say a man suffered a gunshot wound to the hip, but is expected to recover. He is in stable condition at a local hospital.
A police sergeant at the scene said the man was not being cooperative with police or EMS personnel.
Officers were going door-to-door to try to gather information on what led up to the shooting.
This is a developing situation and further details will be added as they are received. Check back to this article for updates.
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/man-shot-in-the-hip-in-a-neighborhood-on-the-south-side/273-ebb452c0-ea50-4f0b-96db-7fbfec201be8 | 2023-07-07T13:53:07 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/man-shot-in-the-hip-in-a-neighborhood-on-the-south-side/273-ebb452c0-ea50-4f0b-96db-7fbfec201be8 |
SAN ANTONIO — Police are asking for help in finding a missing 71-year-old man from San Antonio who was last seen on July 4.
Edward Lee Chase was last spotted in a residential neighborhood east of Highway 37 in the 3400 block of Pollydale Drive.
Police say he is described as 5'10" with curly hair. He was last seen wearing a black baseball cap, grey long-sleeve shirt, and white Champion slides. He had two blankets and a medical bracelet.
The man has a diagnosed medical condition and has been determined to be at risk.
If you know anything about this missing person, please call the SAPD Missing Persons Unit at 210-207-7660.
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/silver-alert-issued-for-missing-71-year-old-man-from-san-antonio-texas/273-1717e78e-2e2a-4645-99c3-e2d692520491 | 2023-07-07T13:53:13 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/silver-alert-issued-for-missing-71-year-old-man-from-san-antonio-texas/273-1717e78e-2e2a-4645-99c3-e2d692520491 |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Next Tuesday, July 11, Orange County will announce a small business “BOOST” grant program during a press conference at the Orange County Administration Building in Orlando.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The new program will offer cash grants for small businesses, home-based businesses, and gig workers.
Some small businesses are still feeling the impacts of COVID-19 and the county hopes these grants can help spark new life into small businesses in Orange County.
Read: Orange County tourist tax collections decline for second straight month
During the height of the pandemic, Orange County provided nearly $80 million in local CARES funding to small businesses and 65 percent of those funds helped minority and women-owned businesses.
Details will be available for the grant program at Tuesday’s 10 a.m. press conference.
Read: AdventHealth explores new construction projects at busy hospital
Until next week, you can see other economic programs Orange County has to offer through the Orange County Economic Development website.
WFTV will update with the program guidelines and application process after next week’s press conference.
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/boosting-business-orange-county-will-introduce-new-grant-next-week/M5IRGAUUTFHZXMWD4KFFKWNQVQ/ | 2023-07-07T13:58:18 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/boosting-business-orange-county-will-introduce-new-grant-next-week/M5IRGAUUTFHZXMWD4KFFKWNQVQ/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A suspect has been arrested in connection to a deadly shooting Monday night. It happened around 10:20 p.m. at Mt. Vernon and Ellis in south Wichita.
The teen killed was identified as 16-year-old Elrecus Nolan from Wichita.
Wichita police said their investigation revealed that a witness heard several gunshots before he noticed a silver 2002 Ford Taurus slowly rolling westbound on Mt. Vernon, hitting the curb before stopping on the sidewalk. Officers arrived on the scene and located Nolan unconscious and not breathing, with a gunshot wound to his upper body. Officers began providing life-saving efforts until EMS arrived. Nolan was pronounced dead at the scene.
The suspect was arrested near Kellogg and Edgemoor. According to jail records, he was booked on suspicion of first-degree murder and failure to appear. KSN News does not name suspects until they have been charged. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/police-make-arrest-in-shooting-death-of-wichita-teen/ | 2023-07-07T14:01:08 | 0 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/police-make-arrest-in-shooting-death-of-wichita-teen/ |
PITTSBURGH — Details for the inaugural Northside Music Festival have been announced.
The free, three-day event will take place July 14-16 within the heart of historic Duetschtown on Pittsburgh’s North Side.
It will feature over 70 musical acts, art vendors and more than 30 food trucks.
“We’re excited to bring this new festival to the Northside,” said Benjamin Soltesz, festival organizer. “We want to showcase the best of what the Northside has to offer, from its vibrant music scene to its diverse community.”
Click the links below to see the full lineups of events each day.
Friday, July 14
Saturday, July 15
Sunday, July 16
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/inaugural-northside-music-fesitval-dates-lineups-more/62PAPOGPORGXXNIF2TUMHLYGIE/ | 2023-07-07T14:01:15 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/inaugural-northside-music-fesitval-dates-lineups-more/62PAPOGPORGXXNIF2TUMHLYGIE/ |
HOMESTEAD, Pa. — Harmony Park, the Waterfront’s new musical play area, is now open to the public.
A celebration of the park’s opening will be held on Sunday, July 9 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
All ages are welcome to come and create their own music, catch a live performance and enjoy free kid’s activities and giveaways.
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/waterfronts-new-musical-play-area-now-open/LJPH6CEYGZEWLDFKDHOWZXZJUM/ | 2023-07-07T14:01:21 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/waterfronts-new-musical-play-area-now-open/LJPH6CEYGZEWLDFKDHOWZXZJUM/ |
Thursday marks seven years since the Downtown Dallas shooting that killed five police officers.
The Omni Dallas Hotel was lit up Friday with the date 07-07-16, the message 'Dallas Strong' and then each of the badge numbers and names of the fallen officers.
The officers who were killed were Brent Thompson of Dallas Area Rapid Transit police, and four officers from the Dallas Police Department - Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens, Michael Smith and Patrick Zamarripa.
Members of the Dallas Police Department as well as the families of the fallen officers will mark the somber anniversary with a private ceremony out front of the department headquarters.
There will also be a wreath-laying ceremony Friday morning at Dallas College El Centro Campus.
Each of the five officers was working a Black Lives Matter protest march on the night of July 7, 2016, in downtown Dallas when a lone gunman ambushed the event. In addition to the five officers who were killed, 9 other people were shot.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
It was the single greatest loss of DPD officers ever.
Police killed the suspect using a robot with an explosive device following an hours-long standoff. It is believed to be the first time that a police department has used a robot to kill a suspect. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-marks-seven-years-since-five-officers-were-killed-in-downtown-ambush-shooting/3291514/ | 2023-07-07T14:06:00 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-marks-seven-years-since-five-officers-were-killed-in-downtown-ambush-shooting/3291514/ |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Responds
Investigations
Video
Sports
Entertainment
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Earth's hottest day ☀️
Warmer oceans 🌊
Beyonce cancellations 🎤
HR Derby ⚾
Watch us 24/7 📺
Sign up for Good News 😊
Expand
Local
The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/events-friday-mark-seven-years-since-downtown-dallas-police-ambush/3291446/ | 2023-07-07T14:06:06 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/events-friday-mark-seven-years-since-downtown-dallas-police-ambush/3291446/ |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Responds
Investigations
Video
Sports
Entertainment
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Earth's hottest day ☀️
Warmer oceans 🌊
Beyonce cancellations 🎤
HR Derby ⚾
Watch us 24/7 📺
Sign up for Good News 😊
Expand
Local
The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/omni-dallas-hotel-marks-seven-years-since-downtown-dallas-police-ambush/3291535/ | 2023-07-07T14:06:12 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/omni-dallas-hotel-marks-seven-years-since-downtown-dallas-police-ambush/3291535/ |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Responds
Investigations
Video
Sports
Entertainment
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Earth's hottest day ☀️
Warmer oceans 🌊
Beyonce cancellations 🎤
HR Derby ⚾
Watch us 24/7 📺
Sign up for Good News 😊
Expand
Local
The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/one-arrested-one-on-the-run-after-robbery-plano-pd/3291499/ | 2023-07-07T14:06:18 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/one-arrested-one-on-the-run-after-robbery-plano-pd/3291499/ |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Responds
Investigations
Video
Sports
Entertainment
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Earth's hottest day ☀️
Warmer oceans 🌊
Beyonce cancellations 🎤
HR Derby ⚾
Watch us 24/7 📺
Sign up for Good News 😊
Expand
Local
The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/one-dead-after-crash-involving-fort-worth-police-cruiser/3291452/ | 2023-07-07T14:06:24 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/one-dead-after-crash-involving-fort-worth-police-cruiser/3291452/ |
Every morning, NBC 5 Today is dedicated to delivering you positive local stories of people doing good, giving back and making a real change in our community. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/something-good/jason-and-charity-serenade-childrens-health-patients-and-families/3291449/ | 2023-07-07T14:06:30 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/something-good/jason-and-charity-serenade-childrens-health-patients-and-families/3291449/ |
West-side Democrats will choose Saturday between at least seven candidates to replace former state Rep. Andrés Cano.
The approximately 87 precinct committeemen in Legislative District 20 must pick three finalists to send on to the Pima County Board of Supervisors. The board could pick the replacement as soon as Tuesday, July 11, though it has another meeting two weeks later and could wait till then.
Cano, 31, announced his resignation July 4 after 2 1/2 terms in the Legislature, including one session this year as House minority leader. He is moving to Boston to pursue a master’s degree in public administration at Harvard University.
People are also reading…
The seven candidates who had declared their interest as of Thursday are:
- Elma Alvarez, an instructional specialist at Miller Elementary School in the Tucson Unified School District who has been an activist on behalf of Democratic candidates across Southern Arizona.
- Wesley Crew, a legislative officer for the U.S. Department of Labor who previously worked for Living United for Change in Arizona, or LUCHA and the Biden presidential campaign.
- Andrew Curley, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Arizona whose research has focused on extractive industries in indigenous nations.
- Lourdes Escalante, a Yaqui tribal member from South Tucson who is the executive director of the Alianza Indigena Sin Fronteras.
- Sami Hamed, a two-time local candidate and Democratic Party activist who is a former staffer to Rep. Raul Grijalva.
- Akanni Oyegbola, a former member of the South Tucson City Council and acting mayor of that city, as well as former chairman of the Legislative District 21 Democrats.
- Betty Villegas, the former director of Pima County’s housing department, current director of housing and community development in South Tucson.
After the death of Pima County Supervisor Richard Elias in 2020, Villegas served as his temporary replacement, vowing before she was chosen that she would not run for the seat in the next election.
This time, though, she said she is planning to run for election if she is selected to replace Cano.
These seven may not end up being the only candidates, said Leslie Stalc, who is Democratic Party chair for that district. Nominations can also be made from the floor.
Once the final three are chosen, their names are passed on to the Pima County Board of Supervisors for consideration.
LD 20 is part of four different supervisors’ districts. Most of the residents are represented by District 5 supervisor Adelita Grijalva and District 3 supervisor Sharon Bronson. But a few precincts are also in District 1, served by supervisor Rex Scott, and District 2, represented by supervisor Matt Heinz.
Wadsack recall update
The effort to recall state Sen. Justine Wadsack has about two months to go, but it’s unclear how far the recall organizers have proceeded.
They need to collect 30,981 valid signatures by Sept. 5 in order to force a recall election of Wadsack, the Republican who represents Legislative District 17.
Rolande Baker, who is leading the effort, said she doesn’t know how many signatures have been collected. They are gradually printing and handing out more petitions, with at least 15,000 sheets handed out so far. Each sheet can contain up to 10 signatures.
While they don’t know how close they are to the goal, it’s clear they’re getting a rise out of Wadsack.
The senator said on Twitter July 4: “The woman who filed the Recall is ‘Rolande Baker’, a registered Arizona Communist (for real) who spent the night is (sic) Federal prison in Nov 2022 for storming the U.S. Supreme Court over Abortion. She hates America.”
The truth is, there is no way to be a registered Communist in Arizona, as it is not an official party in the state. In reality, Baker is a registered Democrat, a registration Baker said she has held since 1972.
She was arrested at the U.S. Supreme Court in November, but not after “storming” the court. She and two others stood up in succession and read short statements protesting the overturning of Roe vs. Wade. She spent the night in a D.C. jail.
Despite the recall effort, Wadsack is persisting with the brash style that brought her to the GOP's forefront in her first term as senator this year. She and Rep. Rachel Jones, also from LD 17, recently posed for a photo in front of the old state Capitol, each holding a rifle pointed downward.
In addition to the similar guns, the two were wearing matching high heels. In social-media posts made in late June and early July, they described themselves as 2nd Amendment supporters and appealed for donations.
Dem, Republican challenge for LD 17 seat
Whether Wadsack faces a recall or not, she has already got a Democratic challenger in the 2024 election that the party is excited about.
Amy Fitch announced last month she will challenge for the seat in the district that narrowly favors Republicans. Fitch is a longtime advocate for abortion rights and co-founder of Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom as well as the Tucson Women’s March.
In 2021, the state redistricting commission drew Legislative District 17 around Tucson, from the northwest side, across the Santa Catalinas, down over the Tanque Verde Valley and down to Vail. The idea was to create a district that favors Republicans.
In 2022, Wadsack defeated incumbent Sen. Vince Leach for the Republican nomination. Leach has filed paperwork to challenge Wadsack in next year’s GOP primary.
Familiar challenger for Scott
The Republican who narrowly lost the race for Pima County supervisor to Democrat Rex Scott in 2020 is planning to challenge Scott next year.
Steve Spain has announced his plans to pursue the GOP nomination in Pima County’s District 1, which covers the northwest side, some of Marana, and the Catalina Foothills.
In 2020, Scott beat Spain by just 730 votes, becoming the first Democrat to represent the district in decades. Redistricting has occurred since then, and the district is more Democratic than it was then, with a narrow advantage for Dems instead of Republicans.
Contact columnist Tim Steller at tsteller@tucson.com or 520-807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/political-notebook-seven-candidates-vie-to-replace-rep-cano-in-tucson-district/article_68afc800-1c18-11ee-8e87-e7ee5376ad00.html | 2023-07-07T14:15:48 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/political-notebook-seven-candidates-vie-to-replace-rep-cano-in-tucson-district/article_68afc800-1c18-11ee-8e87-e7ee5376ad00.html |
3 years since COVID-19 closed schools, online learning in Arizona is here to stay
When Paradise Valley Unified School District reopened in-person learning in the fall of 2020, Jessica Pioquinto initially planned to send her two children back to in-person classes.
But then she felt the pull of reasons to keep them in remote learning. She was still recovering from a car accident, her children were concerned about bullying, and she was a stay-at-home parent with time to help with their schoolwork.
“They get more personal attention,” Pioquinto said. “For example, they can easily contact their teacher and set up a Google Meet, and the teacher will help them out.”
Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic abruptly forced Arizona schools into virtual learning, the online options for families like Pioquinto's are more diverse than ever. Large and small public charter school companies offer online programs. So do some public school districts. Microschooling options, where a small group of students gathers to learn together, have cropped up. Choices exist for both asynchronous and real-time learning.
There may be many options, but one thing is clear: Elementary and secondary online learning is here to stay even as some districts find the programs impractical, and training teachers to be effective online may be challenging.
Now, many students using online instruction are doing so by choice, not necessity.
“Some of the families felt a level of success and comfort with the digital education that was being provided that they didn’t expect,” said Eric Patten, communications director at Yuma Union High School District, which plans to continue running its online school.
That sentiment resonates with Pioquinto, whose children are now in an online program run by Paradise Valley Unified.
“We found a structure and a schedule," she said. "Everything seems to be flowing great for us.”
District schools find online learning helps students who need flexibility
Yuma Union has been running YODA — the Yuma Online Distance Academy — for over a decade. The average yearly enrollment was 15 to 20 students in the years before the pandemic, but then it soared. The 2020-21 school year saw more than 130 students enroll.
The yearly enrollment number has dropped since that pandemic-induced high, but YODA enrollment remained higher than average — 49 students — this past school year, according to the district.
In particular, the program is seeing more interest from first-year high school students.
“Our freshmen coming in, they’re not ready for the big pool yet. So this is one of their options,” said Lisa Anderson, Yuma Union's associate superintendent.
At J.O. Combs Unified School District in San Tan Valley, students who struggle to wake up on time or who need flexibility because they work have found online school an appealing option, said Pat Goolsby, principal of Combs Center for Success, which houses the district's online program, Combs Online School for Success.
“Some of our kids went back to the traditional school after the pandemic, and they spent a little time there,” Goolsby said. “And they made the decision to come back to online learning because they really liked that better.”
Phoenix Union High School District's Phoenix Digital Academy has been particularly popular with students who attend school and work, like Connie Lopez, the student body president.
“I chose to attend Phoenix Digital Academy because I needed flexibility to work a full-time job and attend school,” Lopez said during a presentation about the school at a governing board meeting.
Some districts eliminating online options
Paradise Valley Unified, which serves portions of northeast Phoenix and north Scottsdale, started its first online school in 2009, allowing students to take online courses at their own pace. That option was moderately popular before the pandemic, said Heather Brelo, assistant principal of PVOnline, the district's online school that is now almost 15 years old.
But after the district returned to in-person learning following pandemic-related shutdowns, some families, worried about COVID-19 but also unnerved by the sick days and quarantine that came with in-person school, opted to move their children to remote school.
In the 2020-21 school year, the district started PVConnect, an online school that offered real-time instruction to meet the growing desire for distance learning. But after the 2022-23 school year, Paradise Valley Unified wound down PVConnect, in part as the district determined that some of the younger grades do best with synchronous instruction, particularly for reading, and that an in-person classroom is the best place for that.
Going forward, Paradise Valley Unified families will still have access to online learning through PVOnline, which will incorporate more real-time instruction for early-grade students but still primarily offer instruction that students complete on their own time.
“We’re really looking at what grades do well with online learning and what grades need more support,” Brelo said.
Alhambra Elementary School District, which serves portions of west Phoenix and Glendale, closed its online school in June because enrollment had declined and a significant number of students struggled to remain engaged in online learning.
“Online learning just isn’t the right fit for everyone,” said Melissa Gonzales, the district's deputy superintendent of academics, at a governing board meeting.
The closure will also save the district about $1 million, said Gonzales.
New online charter schools pop up as competition
Before the pandemic, there were just a handful of big public charter schools that dominated the online learning market: Primavera Online School, run by American Virtual Academy, Sequoia Choice Arizona Distance Learning, which EdKey runs, Arizona Connections Academy and Arizona Virtual Academy.
Since COVID-19, other charter schools have entered the online learning marketplace, increasing the competition for remote students.
The number of charter schools registered as Arizona Online Instruction programs, a longtime remote learning option that the state funds at 95% for full-time students and 85% for part-time students, nearly doubled from the 2020-21 to the 2021-22 school year, according to data from the Arizona Department of Education.
But some of that growth seems to have cut into the numbers of the longest-standing operators, data shows.
Primavera Online had 7,030 students enrolled in the 2021-22 school year. This past school year, it had 6,399 students.
EdKey's online school had 5,324 students enrolled during the 2021-22 school year. In 2022-23, the school’s enrollment was 3,062.
ASU Preparatory Academy, the charter school network affiliated with Arizona State University, is one of the charter operators that has seen significant online student growth over the past few years.
ASU Prep Digital, the network's K-12 online school, had 3,454 students in the 2022-23 school year, up from 276 during the 2018-19 school year.
That growth has come from expanding what grades the school serves, but has also benefited from a broader interest in online learning, said Amy McGrath, chief operating officer at ASU Preparatory Academy.
“What can we do to make sure we don't lose our student population that's demanding flexibility to some of the online providers and instead provide our own?” was the question ASU Preparatory Academy leaders asked in the first year of COVID-19 schooling, McGrath said. “The market of full-time online students has increased since the pandemic.”
The class of COVID:4 years of high school interrupted by COVID. Here's what 11 Arizona graduates have to say
Online offers options, but teacher training can be challenging
Even as online learning has rapidly grown, targeted training for teachers and school leaders overseeing virtual learning seems to be lagging.
The charter network American Leadership Academy, for instance, had been developing an online school when the pandemic hit. The network accelerated the opening of the school and trained their online teachers alongside their in-person educators, said Melody Hudson, director of marketing for Charter One, the company that manages the network.
Jacob Skousen, who studies educational policy and leadership at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, has been asking school districts around the country how they prepare online school leaders. So far, he’s found a dearth of preparation options.
That’s important because, while the content students learn may be similar to in-person schools, online schools may need to play a different role in helping students develop interpersonal skills or stay engaged, he said.
Online school principals interviewed by Skousen and his colleagues also said it is more challenging to connect with the parents of online school students.
There is “not a single principal preparation program that's designed to prepare online school leaders,” Skousen said.
ASU Prep Digital has stepped into the training gap for teachers. Its Arizona Virtual Teacher Institute has trained more than 19,000 teachers around the state in online instruction between August 2020 and May 2023, according to the institute's latest quarterly report. That training is free through support from the Arizona Department of Education and the Helios Education Foundation.
Some districts may avoid training or hiring online teachers by contracting with another entity for instruction. Yuma Union’s online school hires teachers through the Mesa Distance Learning Program run by Mesa Public Schools.
Online learning often supplemented with in-person experiences
Thursday, July 6, was graduation day for Primavera Online and Mys'Anyla Porter was thrilled to be walking across the Arizona Financial Theatre stage in person after spending most of her high school experience remote.
Her family had coordinated clothing for the big day. Everyone wore matching shirts announcing themselves as Porter's "grad squad." The back of each shirt said the family member's role: grandma, lil bro, mom.
"Online was way easier," said Porter, who graduated alongside several hundred peers. "It was always quick and easy to do my work, and I could even go ahead sometimes."
Next, she hopes to begin her studies to become a special education teacher. But, for now, "I'm going to go home and celebrate," she said.
While most of Porter's learning was online, her school wasn't alone in creating in-person ways to experience high school milestones.
Many online schools go out of their way to offer in-person experiences or services that approximate some of the community and support built into most brick-and-mortar school experiences.
At ASU Prep Digital, virtual students can attend annual regional meetups, participate in student clubs and attend an in-person prom.
Online students in Yuma Union can access counselors and social workers at the district's physical schools.
At Phoenix Union’s Phoenix Digital Academy, students have a newspaper club, an adventure club, and a meditation and mindfulness club.
“Bringing students and staff together for in-person events is the key component in building a community and connection to school,” said Phoenix Union online student Kalilly Gomez in a presentation to the governing board.
Pioquinto and her children, who are in online school through Paradise Valley Unified, have been meeting with other families with students in online learning programs. Together they go to the park or the zoo, giving her children some much-needed social interaction, she said.
“Online school is a great option right now, especially how technology has evolved,” Pioquinto said.
Yana Kunichoff is a reporter on The Arizona Republic's K-12 education team. You can join The Republic's Facebook page and reach Yana at ykunichoff@arizonarepublic.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2023/07/07/some-az-families-and-schools-choose-online-learning-for-long-haul/70022862007/ | 2023-07-07T14:15:53 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2023/07/07/some-az-families-and-schools-choose-online-learning-for-long-haul/70022862007/ |
Will this hidden gem become a tourist attraction? How park status could affect Chiricahuas
In Arizona's Sky Islands, support grows to protect fragile landscape
CHIRICAHUA NATIONAL MONUMENT — This crown of volcanic rock pinnacles rises above southeastern Arizona grasslands and oak-pine foothills, a largely unknown attraction far from the name-brand national parks that draw millions to the American West each year.
Now, there’s a plan to change its image by changing its name — and its status — from Chiricahua National Monument to Chiricahua National Park.
“I couldn’t believe it when I was here last night and there were (only) two other cars,” hiker Michael Boulter said, after stepping off the monument’s shuttle from a trailhead to the visitors center on a Tuesday afternoon in June. His morning ride up the monument’s eight-mile scenic drive had been on an otherwise empty van, and he had not seen another soul while enjoying nine miles of trail.
The relative seclusion within a 40-mile-long mountain range, once inhabited by the Chiricahua Apaches, remains a getaway mainly for those in the know, possibly numbering no more than 130,000 people a year, according to the National Park Service. For the sake of a burgeoning tourism economy in small towns around the mountains, Arizona politicians and regional boosters hope to draw more attention and traffic by redesignating the 12,025-acre wonder to make it America’s 64th national park. The change would help it stand out among 424 monuments, lakeshores, parkways and other sites managed by the National Park Service.
Visting Chiricahua was a far different experience than Boulter, a “view chaser” from Kalamazoo, Michigan, had encountered at Arches National Park, the previous destination on his western trip. That sandstone spectacle outside of Moab, Utah, was "so flooded with people" it required timed permits for entry. The story is similar at other famous sites adorned with the “national park” moniker far north of Chiricahua. Grand Canyon National Park, about a seven-hour drive from Chiricahua, attracted 4.7 million people last year.
If Congress approves, Chiricahua would become the first national park atop one of Arizona's Sky Islands, a chain of biologically rich and diverse mountain ranges that extend north from Mexico. Also called the Madrean Archipelago, these forested "islands" towering over a sea of desert grasslands are a mixing zone for migrating birds and mammals from the Rockies and Sierra Madres. They attract birders from across America, and at least one jaguar that has set off camera traps as it traversed the mountains in recent years.
The zone faces renewed pressure from mining companies and from a changing climate that could push some species off the mountains. Fire, including one that burned across most of the national monument a dozen years ago, is a constant threat to pine and spruce species living at the edges of their natural range.
Creating a park would require Congress to act
Putting Chiricahua on the national parks map could buoy gateway motels, restaurants and wineries 35 minutes away in Willcox.
“Obviously, you get more exposure when it’s a national park,” said Greg Hancock, a Willcox city councilmember. He moved from Safford to Willcox and bought neighboring motels that had previously closed, hoping to capitalize on the potential he saw when wine-tasting rooms and festivals energized the sleepy Interstate-10 town. He refurbished one motel and is working on the second, both of which stand opposite empty warehouses and near an empty car showroom. “I’d like to see the town grow,” he said.
New crowds streaming to Chiricahua might also deter solo wilderness seekers like Boulter.
“It’s beautiful,” he said, just as it is. “One of the things I really like about it is it flies under the radar.” He said he would prefer national park designations to prioritize preservation, not profit.
Unlike national monuments, which presidents can create on their own under the Antiquities Act to protect landmarks and landscapes of historic or scientific interest, national parks require congressional authorization. The U.S. Senate approved a Chiricahua National Park bill last year, but the House did not act on it before that session ended.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Arizona, announced in March that he had reintroduced the bill with cosponsor support from Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Arizona. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Arizona, introduced companion legislation in the House. All three touted a national park’s ability to boost tourism in the region. If approved this year, the legislation would create Arizona’s fourth national park, after Grand Canyon, Saguaro and Petrified Forest.
Dedicated in 1924 and still featuring rock trail work completed by the New Deal’s Civilian Conservation Corps, Chiricahua National Monument protects wildlands and a broad sprinkling of rhyolite columns and balanced rocks, also known as hoodoos, eroded from the tuff deposited 27 million years ago by a volcanic explosion. A chartreuse layer of lichens clings to the taupe pillars. More than eight-tenths of the monument is congressionally designated wilderness, meaning roads and mechanized travel are generally forbidden beyond the scenic drive, a campground and a visitor center.
Local families who had sought monument status to drive tourism called this part of the mountains the “Wonderland of Rocks.” The Apaches called it the “Land of Standing-Up Rocks,” according to the National Park Service.
Congressional support:Sen. Mark Kelly, Rep. Juan Ciscomani team up to make Chiricahua National Monument a national park
A new level of protection for the landscape
The monument is a “hidden gem” among the national parks and monuments systems, said Tiffany Powers, head of interpretation, education and visitor services for the National Park Service’s Southeast Arizona Group. Only 50,000 to 65,000 people pass through the visitor center in a given year, she said. The monument does not charge an entrance fee or track every visitor, though, and managers assume at least another 50,000 to 65,000 people enter the park but skip the visitor center.
Most of those visitors come in February and March, Powers said, coinciding with the region’s busy birdwatching season. “You can have the park to yourself the rest of the year,” she said.
While the National Park Service takes no official position on the legislation, Powers said, she and others on the monument’s leadership team would welcome the chance to greet more visitors. “What are we preserving this for if people can’t come here and enjoy it?”
Park status would also confer a greater level of protection to the land, Powers said. Management priorities wouldn’t change, but dissolving or shrinking a national park would require an act of Congress. Though reductions to national monuments are rare, former Republican President Donald Trump downsized two Utah monuments that Democratic presidents had created.
Not much is likely to change immediately if Congress redesignates Chiricahua as a park, Powers said. The legislation does not increase funding for the monument or increase its staff of 33. That could change over time if more visitors hear about and visit the park, causing the agency to redistribute funds to keep up.
There’s little developable area to make significant changes. Managers plan to upgrade camp and picnic sites, but don’t have room to add or widen roads. That could change if private lands nearby become available for sale, Powers said.
Where to travel:Top 10 state and national parks around Arizona that aren't Grand Canyon
Not everyone wants a national park nearby
The monument’s compact stature and limited development are reasons some neighbors are skeptical of a park designation. Doubts appear strongest on the east side of the Chiricahua Mountains, opposite the monument’s west-side entry. There, around clusters of homesteads for birdwatchers and night-sky aficionados at the hamlets of Portal and Paradise, some believe they already have their hands full with visitors. It’s a place where people consider the lack of cellphone service an amenity.
“I don’t need any more business,” said Reed Peters, who bought a Portal lodge catering to birdwatchers shortly after he came birding himself in the 1990s. Called Cave Creek Ranch, his business rents rooms and cottages under a canopy of oaks and sycamores in a habitat favoring numerous birds rare to the U.S., including the elegant trogon, a red-white-and-green birder magnet that’s more common in Mexico and Central America. His outpost at the base of Cave Creek Canyon is connected to the monument’s entrance via a narrow gravel road that winds over the mountains through Coronado National Forest and closes in winter.
“The thing that might save us is that the road is so bad,” Peters said.
Local Cochise County services such as EMTs also are scarce in the area, he said, and hiking trails on the U.S. Forest Service lands surrounding the monument are in rough shape. The creek grows algae in summer, he said, nourished by human waste because there are inadequate restrooms. “Nobody here has the staff to deal with more people.”
Mostly, Peters said, the monument itself doesn’t have space to handle more people.
“It’s totally inappropriate for the scale of the place. It works very well the way it is.” He mentioned Massai Point, a commanding viewpoint over the rock spires, and the place most roadside visitors stop for a look when the monument road tops out.
“You can’t expand the mountaintop,” he said. “That’s all there is.”
Still, “You can love an area to death,” said Rick Taylor, a naturalist, author and birding guide. He moved to the east side of the Chiricahuas after he fell in love with the mountains while working as a fire lookout in the 1970s. Through various jobs he held at the monument, he had an arduous but enjoyable daily commute via dirt bike, hike and bicycle left chained in the forest. It was the kind of place he could leave a bike chained to a tree and no one would notice or take it. Making it a national park could change the intimate place he loves, likely disappointing some of the newcomers because there’s no room for upgrades within park boundaries, he said.
“I’m sure we’ll get spillover visitation to this side of the mountains,” he said, noting the likely effect on Peters’ lodge. “It’ll just mean there’s a longer waiting list at Cave Creek Ranch.”
'There's not a lot up there'
Across the mountains in Willcox, though, local officials are all in on the park idea. They began writing to the congressional delegation to press their case two years ago, City Manager Caleb Blaschke said. Having built a tourism reputation on wine grapes and the throng of sandhills cranes that descend on a nearby playa each winter, he said, Willcox is ready for the next step. “We think we’ll get increased visitation to our community.”
“Most people associate the word ‘monument’ with something small,” Blaschke said. But when people arrive and “see all those pillars and start hiking see all the wild turkeys and deer, it’s a totally different thing than you thought it was going to be.”
Some locals who enjoy the Chiricahua Mountains say they’re eager for the business but not necessarily new traffic to their favorite campsites.
“I love Turkey Creek,” said George Burkert, referring to a recreation zone south of the monument. His wife, Janet, agreed, but said she has little use for the monument, especially because there are few campsites and they cost more than camping on the nearby national forest.
“There’s not a lot up there. To us, the monument is: Drive up the road and look,” she said. "It's not my place to go to."
If a national park attracted more people, though, it could benefit the couple’s buy-sell-trade shop, Willcox Traders, which occupies a prominent downtown corner on the intersection where motorists turn south toward the Chiricahuas. The shop sells everything from greeting cards to dishes, books, used vacuum cleaners and live chicks. The couple said a tourist once bought a young goat from them and rented a truck to get it home.
The rock formations are worthy of national park preservation, hiker Dayton VanAcker said while passing through the monument’s Echo Canyon Grottoes, where shaded recesses in the rhyolite open onto dramatic views of the spires. But the rocks alone aren’t what had drawn the young man from Mesa to Chiricahua 13 times and counting.
“I come looking for the rattlesnakes,” he said. An amateur herpetologist who also studied reptiles in college, he enjoys photographing snakes. VanAcker spoke after just missing his chance to photograph a banded rock rattler: He and the snake had startled each other on the trail.
The Chiricahuas have a unique assortment of animals, VanAcker said, including not just reptiles, but birds like the trogon and mammals like the coati. They’re among the nation’s most biodiverse mountains, and he said he hopes park designation will help keep them that way.
“Places like this should be preserved,” he said.
Brandon Loomis covers environmental and climate issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Reach him at brandon.loomis@arizonarepublic.com or follow on Twitter @brandonloomis.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can support environmental journalism in Arizona by subscribing to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2023/07/07/arizona-politicians-seek-states-fourth-national-park-at-chiricahua/70350312007/ | 2023-07-07T14:15:59 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2023/07/07/arizona-politicians-seek-states-fourth-national-park-at-chiricahua/70350312007/ |
There is a shortage of community health workers in AZ. This ASU program can change that
In 2006, Tina Brown sat next to a Black colleague at a work meeting who shared she had just been diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer.
Triple-negative is a highly aggressive form of breast cancer that Black women are three times at higher risk of getting.
Brown, who is also Black, and Tysha Hill became close friends. Before Hill died less than a year later, Brown asked her friend, "What can I do to help?"
"And her response to me was, 'We have got to raise awareness about this disease and how it affects us,'" Brown, 57, recalled. "It was literally a pinky swear. I said I would do everything in my power to raise awareness."
Brown's commitment to her friend led her to a health services career in such high demand that a federal agency recently granted Arizona State University funds to train hundreds of people to do similar work. The program, which will pay trainees a stipend, aims to improve inequitable health outcomes.
After 33,000 COVID-19 deaths:Many Arizonans struggle with mental health
Brown has lived up to her promise, sealed when she and Hill locked little fingers. Brown began educating herself about breast cancer and then using that information to educate other women, especially other Black women.
Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a younger age than white women. They are also more likely to be diagnosed at later stages and with more aggressive types of breast cancer than white women. And they are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, according to Susan G. Komen, a breast cancer organization.
Hill was in her 40s when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a yearly mammogram, Brown said. Her friend's experience underscores the importance of annual screenings, she said.
"After all these years — in her honor — I continue to raise awareness, educate, fight and promote the importance of mammograms every year," Brown said.
Brown eventually became a certified community health worker, specially trained foot soldiers in the battle to reduce health disparities. Community health workers help people from underserved communities gain access to health information and health care so they can live longer, healthier lives. They are often better able to build trust with patients because they come from the same communities they serve and share many of the same lived experiences.
Brown estimates she has helped over 15,000 women get free mammograms through her work as a community health worker. She now runs the mobile health program at Arizona Complete Health, a health insurance exchange. The mobile health program offers free mammogram, vision, dental and prostate screenings. Brown organizes the events that target underserved communities throughout the state.
But experts say there are not enough community health workers in Arizona.
VP Harris in Arizona:Emphasizes dedication to tribes, health care in visit
"Community health workers are basically like linkages between a community and helping them get access to care, either the health care system or other community-based services that they need," including assistance applying for health insurance, public benefits or health screenings, said Mindy McEntee, a professor at ASU's College of Health Solutions.
The college has received a $3 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration to train 200 community health workers in Arizona over the next two years starting in August. McEntee is the director of the online program.
One goal of the program is to offer community health worker training to people from underserved communities who might not otherwise be able to afford it, McEntee said.
Applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent and be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. Those selected will receive a $7,500 stipend to complete the two-semesters program, which requires about 10 to 15 hours a week of online training. After completing the program, newly minted community health workers will be matched with a community organization to participate in a 480-hour internship or a 2,000-hour apprenticeship. Community health workers who complete the 2,000-hour apprenticeship qualify for an additional $7,500 grant, McEntee said.
"So once you complete the online curriculum, you'll be completing on-the-job specialized training, and that's where you're going to get the first-hand experience of really working in the community," McEntee said. "By doing that, we're also helping to extend the reach of care into those communities."
Local emergency responses:Arizona Health Department gets $2 million to expand volunteer medical network
The community organizations participating include Valleywise Health, Valley of the Sun YMCA, Creighton Community Foundation, Mercy Care, Terros Health, Advance Community, Unlimited Potential and Phoenix Area Indian Health Service.
The first two-semester session starts Aug. 17, and the deadline to apply is July 31.
In the past, many community health workers were not paid. But community health organizations can now apply for reimbursement to pay certified community health workers through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, the agency that administers the federal Medicaid program, McEntee said.
Rear Adm. Michael Weahkee, deputy director of Phoenix Area Indian Health Service, said he hopes the ASU program will result in more community health workers trained to work with Native American communities.
There are about 35,000 Native Americans living in Phoenix, the third largest urban Native American population in the U.S. With 22 federally recognized tribes and 383,000 Native Americans, Arizona also has one of the largest Native American populations.
Native Americans have faced many health disparities, including higher rates of diabetes and obesity. Those health disparities have been exacerbated by inequitable access to health care and historical trauma stemming from termination, forced relocation and assimilation policies against Native Americans, Weahkee said.
"We train our community members to be trauma-informed and to take into account the experiences of the people that they're serving," Weahkee said. "It's important that we take a holistic view and not just focus on their physical health, but also on their mental health, their social conditions and their spirituality."
Daniel Gonzalez covers race, equity and opportunity. Reach the reporter at daniel.gonzalez@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8312. Follow him on Twitter @azdangonzalez. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2023/07/07/how-to-become-a-community-health-worker-through-this-asu-program/70365508007/ | 2023-07-07T14:16:05 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2023/07/07/how-to-become-a-community-health-worker-through-this-asu-program/70365508007/ |
Arizona lumber mill struggles to pay interest on $200 million in bonds
The plan was ambitious and sold as righteous in a time of increasing wildfires in the forests of northern Arizona: A mill working under a federal contract would clear out small trees, removing them as potential wildfire fuel, and turning them into usable lumber.
The company with those plans, NewLife Forest Restoration, received help in building the mill from a relatively obscure state agency, the Arizona Industrial Development Authority. In February 2022, the authority authorized the issuance of nearly $200 million worth of bonds for the project.
But the sawmill has run into financial trouble, making it at least the sixth project backed by the Arizona Industrial Development Authority that has reported trouble meeting its obligations to investors.
This project was in forbearance, meaning it had worked out a deal with its investors ahead of its missing payment. The deal avoids a default on the deal, a step towards a foreclosure that could seize the assets.
Four of the other troubled Arizona authority projects were in default and one was in forbearance.
The most high-profile default is Legacy Park, the massive complex of athletic fields and courts built in east Mesa. That project has filed for bankruptcy. And an attorney for the government trustee overseeing the case has raised the possibility that the principals involved misappropriated money or committed fraud.
The federal government allowed the creation of bonding authorities as a way for communities to give a helping hand to needed projects. Most authorities, such as those operated by the city of Phoenix and Maricopa County, use that bonding power to aid affordable housing and senior living projects. The break comes in the form of lower interest rates for the project.
Arizona’s authority has approved aiding more exotic projects, some of which were located out of state: road improvements around a power center in Idaho, a Hilton Garden Inn in Texas and a resort in Puerto Rico.
Gov. Katie Hobbs, who took office in January, has since asked the authority to concentrate on projects that more directly benefit the state, including those that deal with sustainability.
Measured against that, the sawmill would fit the bill.
However, the project has had fits and starts as part of a decade-long plan by the U.S. Forest Service to thin out small pine trees with the aim of avoiding catastrophic wildfires.
In September 2021, the U.S. Forest Service stopped the bidding process for a second phase of its Four Forest Restoration Initiative, which has failed to meet expectations. Officials at the time said they needed time to reassess what should be in future bids. And no word has followed on the future of the program.
Some environmental experts have advocated that small-growth trees and brush be simply set ablaze, as it would be quicker than awaiting a timber industry to rebuild itself in northern Arizona.
Yet, those behind the proposed sawmill in Bellemont are pressing on, with continued support from the Arizona Industrial Development Authority.
At its June meeting of the authority board, the company that owns the sawmill reported that it entered into an agreement with investors that would allow it to miss its scheduled interest payments. It also asked permission to go into debt by $50 million more to complete construction.
The authority unanimously approved.
According to the minutes of the meeting, Ted Dergousoff, the CEO of the company, blamed the delay in building the sawmill on supply chain issues, scheduling delays and inflation.
An attorney for the bond trustee, Bryant Barber, said the holders of the bonds had not only approved the additional debt but were providing direction on the project. Barber, according to the minutes of the meeting, said the investors were ready to invest more in the project so it could be completed.
The company changed its name to Restoration Forest Products in November and announced changes to its management team. It is the third name for the company that was originally known as Good Earth Power before it changed to NewLife Forest Restoration.
It was under the NewLife name that it won approval from the authority to receive the bond funding that would help it construct and equip a sawmill in Bellemont, just west of Flagstaff in northern Arizona.
The bonds allowed it to convert an already existing loan into one covered by government-issued bonds. According to documents filed with the prospectus, NewLife would shave at least 3% off its interest rate under the deal.
No one from Restoration Forest Products returned a request for comment.
Neither did anyone from Lateral Investment Management, who had invested more than $100 million in the company since 2017, the bond prospectus said.
Although the company has had the contract to thin the forests since September 2013, it had only completed about 15,000 acres of work by 2021.
Under its Good Earth name, the company was sued by the company it had hired to run its forest program. The lawsuit accused Good Earth of breaching its contract by not paying some $3 million in fees.
The lawsuit, which was filed in 2015, was settled in late 2016 with Good Earth agreeing to pay an undisclosed sum.
The project came before the Arizona Industrial Development Authority board three times, once for initial approval and two subsequent times for amendments and extensions.
The third time was in January 2022, months after the U.S. Forest Service stopped taking bids on the next phase of the Four Forests Restoration Project.
Still, the prospectus issued to potential investors in February 2022 said even if the federal program stopped, there was enough potential timber in the forest to meet the sawmill’s revenue projections.
The prospectus also contained a consultant’s report that described the sawmill’s plan as “ambitious.”
Its target rate of clearance would be a 600% increase over what it had historically accomplished. And its plan to create lumber from felled logs from the restoration area would be a 1,500% increase over past performance.
Besides Legacy Park, at least three other Arizona Industrial Development Authority projects have fallen into default.
One involved a parking garage at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Another is a collection of senior living homes in Illinois and Indiana.
The fourth is Harvest Gold, a company that converted mine trailings from an abandoned gold mine into plant food in the ghost town of Congress, Arizona. Its initial business plan was to sift through the waste to find gold flecks. In brochures, investors were told they had the option of receiving their payments in gold bars. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2023/07/07/arizona-lumber-mill-struggles-to-pay-interest-on-200-million-in-bonds/70389622007/ | 2023-07-07T14:16:12 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-investigations/2023/07/07/arizona-lumber-mill-struggles-to-pay-interest-on-200-million-in-bonds/70389622007/ |
2 leaders of Phoenix-area housing nonprofit terminated following third-party investigation
Two executives were ousted from one of the Valley’s leading housing nonprofits on Monday.
Mike Trailor, president and CEO of the homeownership assistance organization Trellis, was terminated by the organization’s board of directors during an emergency meeting on Monday, July 3. Jeff Feight, the organization’s chief financial officer, resigned after being asked to by the board.
It’s unclear why Trailor and Feight were axed. Allegations were brought up during a meeting in May that prompted the board to initiate a third-party investigation, said Trellis’ board chair Abraham James, though James would not elaborate on the nature of the allegations except to say they were “more of an HR issue than anything else.” The investigation included interviews with Trellis employees, reviews of exit interviews and emails from former employees and conversations with Trailor and Feight themselves, James said.
CNN CEO Chris Licht's firing is overdue:Here's why he will not be missed
Once the board’s executive committee received the investigation findings in late June, the group determined it was “inappropriate” to keep Trailor and Feight on staff, James said. The executive committee voted unanimously to request their resignations.
By July 3, not yet having received Trailor’s resignation, the full board voted to terminate his employment, James said.
Trailor said his termination was due to not being a “cultural fit” for the organization.
“The board said it well in their termination notice that they lost confidence in my ability to lead the organization, so we parted ways,” he said in an interview.
The Arizona Republic was unable to get in touch with Feight.
Some board members are still largely in the dark about why Trailor and Feight were terminated, despite voting for Trailor's removal. The five-member executive committee, a subset of the board, declined to share the contents of the investigation with the other board members, board members said.
Trellis has recently been criticized for its involvement with the Periwinkle mobile home park, which Grand Canyon University bought in 2016 and plans to redevelop into student housing. Trellis was hired by GCU to help residents of the Phoenix park relocate but was met with resistance from some residents.
Trailor stepped into the Trellis leadership role in June 2022 after serving as chief strategy officer of the affordable housing nonprofit Native American Connections, before that, as director of the Arizona Department of Housing and director of the Arizona Department of Economic Security. Before joining the state government, Trailor worked in the home-building industry.
More in Mesa:US Trustee details mismanagement at Legacy Park
"Trellis hired me to improve operations and grow its housing services. I understand that change can be difficult and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, my leadership is not a good fit for Trellis but, fortunately, my record stands on its own," Trailor said in an emailed statement.
Brenda Lopez, a longtime Trellis executive, will serve as interim CEO while the board searches for a permanent leader.
James, the Trellis board chair, said terminating Trailor and Feight was a difficult decision.
“There’s been a lot of hand-wringing and sleepless nights on my part. ... This is not where we wanted to be, but this is where we are,” he said.
Trailor said he plans to still work on affordable housing issues in Arizona.
“I just wish everybody well, and I’ll pursue my goals in a different way,” he said.
Juliette Rihl covers housing insecurity and homelessness for The Arizona Republic. She can be reached at jrihl@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @julietterihl.
Coverage of housing insecurity on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/07/07/leaders-of-housing-nonprofit-trellis-terminated-by-board-of-directors/70388579007/ | 2023-07-07T14:16:18 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/07/07/leaders-of-housing-nonprofit-trellis-terminated-by-board-of-directors/70388579007/ |
Trial over Phoenix homeless camp 'The Zone' starts next week. Here's what to know
Monday marks the beginning of a high-profile trial over Phoenix’s largest homeless encampment, “The Zone.”
The state court lawsuit, Brown v. City of Phoenix, was filed in August by residents and business owners who say the sprawling downtown encampment is a public nuisance and that the city hasn’t done enough to fix the problem.
The suit is one of three legal disputes the city is contending with over how it has handled the snowballing homelessness crisis.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona filed a federal case against Phoenix in November over the city's treatment of unhoused people. The ACLU argues Phoenix violated the constitutional rights of unhoused people during cleanup “sweeps.”
The U.S. Department of Justice has been investigating the Phoenix Police Department since 2021 for several reasons, including whether officers unlawfully seized or disposed of unhoused people's belongings.
All three disputes could have lasting impacts on how the city addresses homelessness.
Here’s what you need to know about the upcoming Brown v. City of Phoenix trial.
Who is suing the city and why?
Fifteen residents and business owners near The Zone are suing the city, saying the encampment has subjected them to violence and caused damage to their property. Their complaints include finding needles and human feces on their properties and seeing people openly engaging in sex acts and drug use.
The plaintiffs argue that Phoenix police have stopped enforcing laws in the area and that the city has largely turned a blind eye to the problem, which they view as a humanitarian crisis.
Where they may go:Phoenix planning campground for homeless people living in 'The Zone.'
City officials have said that the city is working tirelessly to address homelessness, with an emphasis on creating new and diverse indoor shelter options.
The Zone roughly occupies the blocks bordered by 7th and 15th avenues and Van Buren and Grant streets. Between 500 and 1,000 people live in the area on any given day.
What’s already happened in the lawsuit?
In March, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Scott Blaney ordered the city to clear the encampment, following testimony from several plaintiffs and city staff during an October hearing.
The city began shutting down the area block-by-block in May and has so far cleared three blocks. Once an area is cleared, people residing there are allowed to move elsewhere in The Zone but are not allowed to return to the cleared block.
The city has also worked with nonprofit organizations to create more shelter space and plans to build a structured campground for people living in The Zone in the coming months.
Blaney said Phoenix would need to show that it has made significant progress toward shutting down the encampment during the July trial.
The two lawsuits against the city over its homelessness crisis have become increasingly entangled. In May, the plaintiffs in Brown v. City of Phoenix intervened in the ACLU's case and subsequently requested the court dismiss that case. On Thursday, plaintiffs in the ACLU's lawsuit filed a motion to intervene in Brown v. City of Phoenix and requested the court postpone the July 10 trial until a decision is reached on whether or not to dismiss the ACLU's case.
Policing ‘The Zone’:Phoenix paralyzed as COVID-19 spread, population rose and violence grew
When and where is the trial happening? How can I watch it?
The trial is scheduled for Monday, July 10, through Wednesday, July 12, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day. It will be held in courtroom 411 of the East Court Building at 101 West Jefferson Street.
The trial is open to the public. It will also be livestreamed on the Maricopa County Superior Court website.
Who will be testifying?
A total of nine people are scheduled to testify during the trial.
The plaintiffs plan to call three witnesses:
- Ian Francis Likwarz, who owns property in The Zone.
- Freddy Brown, who owns a company in The Zone that manufactures caskets and cremation supplies.
- Judge Glock, an expert witness and director of research at the Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank.
The city plans to call six witnesses:
- Deputy City Manager Gina Montes.
- Rachel Milne, director of the city's Office of Homeless Solutions.
- Scott Hall, deputy director of the city's Office of Homeless Solutions.
- Sheila Harris, an expert witness and founding director of the Arizona Department of Housing.
- Brian Freudenthal, commander of the downtown Phoenix Police Department unit.
- Jeremy Huntoon, community outreach coordinator for the city's Office of Homeless Solutions.
Blaney will also be able to consider earlier testimony. Many of the witnesses already testified at a hearing in October, including Likwarz, Montes, Freudenthal and Hall.
What are the possible outcomes of the lawsuit?
The lawsuit basically has two possible outcomes, said Ilan Wurman, an attorney for the plaintiffs: Blaney could side with the plaintiffs and set a deadline by which the city must permanently clear out the entirety of The Zone, or he could side with the city and reverse his March ruling requiring the city to clear out the encampment.
If the city loses, it could appeal the decision. City spokesperson Kristin Couturier declined to comment on whether or not it plans to do so.
Is there a precedent for a case like this?
This lawsuit is the first of its kind and could set a precedent for other cities in the Valley and beyond, said Wurman.
“Other cities and other states have public nuisance laws. And we want to show that they can be used,” he said. “Because you can't just let this problem fester to the detriment not only of the unsheltered community but the neighborhoods in which they're located.”
Juliette Rihl covers housing insecurity and homelessness for The Arizona Republic. She can be reached at jrihl@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @julietterihl.
Coverage of housing insecurity on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/07/07/phoenix-trial-the-zone-homeless-encampment-next-week/70385447007/ | 2023-07-07T14:16:24 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/07/07/phoenix-trial-the-zone-homeless-encampment-next-week/70385447007/ |
A vape cartridge, a fight, a gun: Teen gets life in prison after fellow 15-year-old slain
A 15-year-old in Pinal County was sentenced to life in prison in the killing of another 15-year-old, reportedly over a vape cartridge.
The case is one of 175 in 2021 that a person under 18 faced adult prosecution in Arizona in a violent crime.
In interviews with The Arizona Republic, both the victim and defendant's families described generous and beloved teenagers whose lives were cut short.
In May, a Pinal County jury found Joshua Franklin, 16, guilty of first-degree murder and burglary. He was sentenced June 22 to life in prison for homicide and 10.5 years for burglary, to be served consecutively. Franklin can be evaluated for supervised release after 25 years, and if deemed eligible, he can be freed after serving a 10.5 year sentence for burglary.
Arizona formally abolished parole in 1993. A prisoner must petition the Arizona Board of Executive Clemency to be released. The board can recommend a pardon or commutation from the governor.
The prosecution alleged that, in September 2021, then-15-year-old Franklin shot and killed Joshua McCoy, 15, in McCoy’s San Tan Valley home. According to court documents, police said McCoy had sold Franklin a vape cartridge that Franklin thought was defective.
Investigators reported that McCoy had sent Franklin his home address shortly before the shooting. The two reportedly met to swap the defective cartridge for a working one.
McCoy’s older brother was home at the time of the shooting. The shooter fled on an electric scooter.
According to the Pinal County Attorney’s Office, investigators tracked Franklin’s movements using his cellphone and Snapchat data.
Franklin turned himself into police custody on Oct. 20, 2021. He was initially held at a juvenile detention center. Shortly before the trial, he was transferred to an adult jail in Pinal County.
When 15- to 17-year-olds are tried as adults
In Arizona, juveniles 15 years or older who are accused of certain felony crimes are charged as adults. In 1996, during a nationwide push for harsher sentencing laws, Arizona voters approved a constitutional amendment mandating adult prosecution for murder, forcible sexual assault, and armed robbery.
Deterrence is often touted as a foundational principle of criminal justice, but there is little evidence that long sentences prevent recidivism in children. A longitudinal study the University of Pittsburgh conducted on juvenile offenders in Maricopa County and Philadelphia County found that more severe punishment did not reduce the chances of reoffending.
The process of automatically charging juveniles in adult court is known as “direct filing.” According to a state report, direct filings hit a high of 804 in 1999. In 2021, there were 216 direct filings, 175 of which were for “felonies against persons.”
In 2021, of juveniles directly charged in adult court, 50% were Hispanic and 19% were African American.
When tried in adult court, juveniles face harsh sentences in adult prisons.
“It's very traumatizing for a young person to be put into an adult prison setting with older individuals ― their risk of physical harm, their risk of psychological harm,” said Marsha Levick of the Juvenile Law Center.
Though youth can be taken into account as a mitigating factor, it does not necessarily result in a more lenient sentence.
A 2012 Supreme Court case, Miller v. Alabama, struck down mandatory sentences of life without parole for juvenile offenders convicted of homicide. But, in 2020, the Arizona Supreme Court upheld juvenile sentences beyond life expectancy.
Supreme Court decisions regarding juvenile justice, including Miller, have cited developmental neuroscience, arguing that it explains impulsive adolescent behavior.
Two families torn apart by violence
Both the McCoys and the Franklins have had to come to terms with the aftermath of Joshua McCoy's death.
Joshua McCoy was a sophomore at Poston Butte High School, where he played on the basketball team. His mother, Gina McCoy, said he would bring extra water bottles and snacks for his teammates.
The McCoys had three dogs, which Joshua McCoy doted on.
“He wouldn’t kill a fly,” Gina McCoy said.
When he was younger, Joshua McCoy wanted to be an astronaut. In high school, he turned toward social media and website design.
For Gina McCoy’s other son, who was home at the time of the shooting, recovery has been slow but steady. Gina McCoy said their family moved out of their San Tan Valley residence, and, after transferring schools, her son recently graduated from high school.
The June 22 sentencing of Joshua Franklin brought the McCoys some measure of relief. But Gina McCoy felt compassion for Joshua Franklin and his family.
“I know what it’s like to lose your child,” McCoy said. “At the same time, they are still able to speak to their son.”
Joshua Franklin’s father, Michael Franklin, believes his son is innocent. He said that, in his view, police did not adequately investigate other potential suspects.
He wanted to express his condolences to the McCoys.
“I am just totally devastated for them, but my son did not do this,” Michael Franklin said.
He described his son as a “good kid.” Joshua Franklin had been home-schooled. He loved history and was interested in the Civil War.
Michael Franklin said his son had planned to enter a more hands-on profession, like carpentry or welding.
While being held at a juvenile detention center, Joshua Franklin earned his high school equivalency diploma. He’s now pursuing an associate degree.
Joshua Franklin is currently appealing his case in state court. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal/2023/07/07/joshua-franklin-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-in-death-of-joshua-mccoy/70388866007/ | 2023-07-07T14:16:30 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/pinal/2023/07/07/joshua-franklin-sentenced-to-life-in-prison-in-death-of-joshua-mccoy/70388866007/ |
Surprise shopping center expected late 2024
As the population of the West Valley is rapidly growing, so are the developments. Surprise residents can expect to see a new shopping center as soon as next year.
Surprise welcomed The Village at Prasada just last year, a 700,000-square-foot retail and dining center located at the intersection of Loop 303 and Waddell Road. Now, Scottsdale-based national retail developer, SimonCRE is looking to expand on the new development.
Though it is still in the planning phase, Prasada North will include about 350,000 square feet of retail and dining space.
"Currently, we have leases signed with Boot Barn, Verizon, Shake Shack, Torchy’s, Einstein Bros, Ahipoki Bowl, Sneakybird, First Watch, and Portillo’s," said Elena Wall, SimonCRE Vice President of Marketing.
In addition to the mentioned restaurants and stores, another major retail chain has also committed to joining the Prasada family. Target Corporation recently acquired 10 acres of land. Once complete, the store is anticipated to be a 150,000-square-foot anchor for Prasada North.
The goal with this new expansion is to provide residents with the opportunity to shop within their own neighborhood rather than commuting to other destinations. And according to Wall, the residents have been pleased with this opportunity as many have already visited the tenants at the Village at Prasada.
Wall and SimonCRE even talked about how they have been examining traffic activity as an indicator of success. Wall shared that as of lately they have seen "tremendous traffic within that center."
Though that is a good sign as it suggests a lot of people are visiting the area, Wall also noted that increased amounts of traffic can oftentimes lead to frustrations among locals.
Nevertheless, Wall ensured that they are taking locals into account when it comes to designing Prasada North, as she emphasized the infrastructure will be constructed in a way that congestion is kept at a minimum.
From the sounds of it, the proper infrastructure will come in handy being that SimonCRE is anticipating this new expansion to be one of high demand.
"With 43% of the projected population growth for all of Maricopa County occurring within the West Valley during the next 25 years, according to a study by the Western Maricopa Coalition, there is going to be an increased demand for these kinds of options," Wall said.
Wall even predicted that in the next decade, the intersection at Loop 303 and Waddell Road, will become one of the strongest retail intersections in the Valley.
"These developments are being made in support of the continued growth of Surprise and should bring a number of jobs as well as shopping opportunities to the area," she said.
Prasada North is expected to open by late 2024 with their first round of tenants. SimonCRE is expecting that all additional tenants open by the middle of 2025. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/surprise/2023/07/07/surprise-shopping-center-expected-late-2024/70373082007/ | 2023-07-07T14:16:36 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/surprise/2023/07/07/surprise-shopping-center-expected-late-2024/70373082007/ |
RamSat mission’s goals achieved, says mentor
ORNL Climate Change Science Institute director outlines history of the mission to FORNL
Like the miniature satellite built by middle-school students in Oak Ridge that flew in an orbit 280 miles above Earth starting June 14, 2021, and then 16 months later burned up in Earth’s atmosphere, the successful, seven-year research and educational mission at Robertsville Middle School (RMS) had its high points and low points.
The history of the mission was recently presented by Peter Thornton, director of the Climate Change Science Institute, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He helped recruit adult volunteers and he served as a lead mentor of 235 RMS students involved in developing hardware and software for the miniature satellite they built and tested. He gave the talk online and at High Places Community Church (because Roane State Community College was closed on Juneteenth, June 19) at a meeting hosted by ORION, the amateur astronomy and science club.
Guided by Thornton and other adult mentors, who had never built a satellite before, the students constructed RamSat, a CubeSat named after the school’s mascot. It measured about 4x4x8” and weighed less than 3 pounds.
On June 3, 2021, NASA launched RamSat using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket as part of a resupply mission to the International Space Station, from which the little satellite was deployed into orbit 11 days later by a Japanese robot arm.
The research mission of RamSat, which was proposed by two RMS students and approved by NASA, was to use the satellite’s cameras to capture images of a Great Smoky Mountains forest devastated by a 2016 wildfire in a search for signs of regrowth. RamSat was the only CubeSat built by a middle school that NASA agreed to support and launch (a service valued at $300,000). Most CubeSats are built by universities and high schools.
A high point in the RamSat story, the achievement of the research goal, happened only a few days before a low point in RamSat’s journey. Atmospheric drag forced the CubeSat to slow down from its orbital speed of 17,000 miles per hour, leave its original orbit around Earth every 90 minutes, fall toward Earth and burn up in its atmosphere on Oct. 11, 2022, over the Southern Indian Ocean.
On Oct. 5, as RamSat descended closer to Earth and as the Great Smoky Mountains experienced a cloudless day, the miniature satellite’s two cameras enabled the RMS students and their adult leaders to “see burn scars in the Chimneys area” and signs of regrowth of vegetation in other burned areas, Thornton said. “Our definition of success was met.”
He explained that “when we traced back six years through Google Earth imagery, we could see how over time one burn scar did fill in significantly. We were incredibly lucky to get images of the fire scar area on a nice, clear day over the target area just six days before the satellite completely burned up. It had already lost a tremendous amount of altitude, so our resolution was a lot better than it would have been in its orbit.”
Thornton explained that one camera received light in the visible spectrum and the other received light in both the near-infrared and visible spectrum. Both cameras were needed to detect areas of regrowth because vegetation is highly reflective in the near-infrared wavelengths and absorptive in the visible wavelengths.
Another high point was the launch of RamSat on June 3, 2021, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. About 20 of the RMS students, their families and the adult leaders involved in the RamSat mission were present at the launch. Several RMS students were interviewed on NASA TV.
A low point came when the ham radio station in an RMS classroom received no signal from RamSat on June 14, 2021, after it was deployed into its orbit. Was the miniature satellite failing to work?
A high point soon followed when a ham radio operator from Virginia notified David Andrews, the local ham radio operator involved in the RamSat mission, that he had received RamSat’s first signal. The problem was resolved by correcting the alignment of the antenna on the RMS roof. It had been misaligned during work on the roof.
The digital data in the images the RamSat cameras took are relayed from the satellite antenna as radio signals that carry “packets” to a few of the 400 open-source global network ground stations, as well as to the ground stations at RMS and Andrews’ home. The RamSat team worked hard to tediously stitch the packets together to make a jpeg image that they improved by removing lens glare and increasing the contrast. In RamSat’s early images of the Atlanta region, team members could identify locations of warehouses.
Thornton credited Ian Goethert “with programming for the ground station that turned raw data into useful data by deconstructing and reconstructing the images and with developing the command-and-control interface with the ground station radios for sending commands to the RamSat to re-orient its cameras and for receiving data from it.”
Thornton gave a chronology of the mission’s important events. It began with an engineering enrichment class in 2015 taught by Todd Livesay, a science and technology teacher at RMS who was encouraged by a former Oak Ridge High School classmate to consider involving students in a NASA project. His classmate was Patrick Hull, an aeronautical engineer at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Students in seventh and eighth grade traveled with Livesay to the Huntsville facility to meet with Hull and others. They came up with a science mission for a miniature satellite in 2016.
The next year they submitted a proposal to NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative. The Gatlinburg fire scar imaging proposal, which was approved, ranked second out of 26 proposals. The RamSat mission was selected by NASA in 2018.
Under the guidance of Thornton, Livesay and other adult mentors, as well as sponsors and NASA experts, the spacecraft design was completed, and the purchasing of components began in 2019.
The project, which ended up costing $70,000, had numerous sponsors, Thornton said. They included ORNL, Consolidated Nuclear Security LLC/Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex, Comcast, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge Public Schools Education Foundation, Oak Ridge School District, Protomet (machine shop) and Pumpkin Space Systems, which provides nanosatellite components for CubeSats.
Despite the global pandemic and school lockdown in the spring of 2020, the RMS student-mentor team designed software and completed the first full build of hardware that year. The low point was the discovery during testing that a chip had shorted and burned up. So, the team rallied and pulled off a second full build of hardware in 2021. In June, RamSat was launched and deployed into orbit.
Thornton said that two groups of RMS students gave a RamSat poster session at the annual American Geophysical Union (AGU) meetings in December 2021 and December 2022 in New Orleans and Chicago, respectively. The students submitted an abstract and were invited to join other students in presenting poster sessions at the AGU conference, which is attended by 15,000 to 25,000 scientists.
“Several of the students on the RamSat team who have recently graduated from high school and gone onto college are majoring in aerospace engineering or some other kind of engineering,” said Thornton. “They have told us that the RamSat experience was formative for them in their selection of a career pathway.”
Thornton described the complexity of RamSat, calling it a “system of systems” that worked surprisingly well. He said it starts with the flight computer and its software that are connected to a power system, including its battery and solar panels; an attitude system, including its magnetorquers, magnetometers and sun sensors/electronics; a radio system, including its receiver, antennas and transmitter; an imaging system, including two cameras; a data system and a structural system.
Andrews said that if a CubeSat is ever built again in Oak Ridge – the possibility of a high school project has been discussed – he would recommend the installation of higher-resolution cameras and a higher bandwidth downlink to enhance the ability to capture and download quality images.
He praised the leadership of Thornton in recruiting skilled adult volunteers and motivating the team of RMS students and adult leaders “who are crazy enough to spend their every waking hour on this tremendous labor of love to get this done. You can’t even think about doing something like this without having someone like him as the leader.”
Thornton said that the highlight of and key to the success of the RamSat project was the “collaboration and communication” among mentors, teachers, students, the broader community of engineers and scientists, sponsors, vendors and NASA flight partners.
“It was a real joy,” he said, “for all of us to be able to have these contacts around the world.” | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/07/05/oak-ridge-students-mini-satellite-achieved-its-mission-mentor-says/70360518007/ | 2023-07-07T14:24:26 | 0 | https://www.oakridger.com/story/news/local/2023/07/05/oak-ridge-students-mini-satellite-achieved-its-mission-mentor-says/70360518007/ |
Boise is often touted for its outdoor opportunities, from mountain biking to hiking to whitewater rafting. That’s part of why so many people moved here during the COVID-19 pandemic. But as we all learned during lockdown, when there was nothing else to do, a good walk can be very enjoyable.
Now that it's summer, we can get outside. Experiencing the area on foot can be eye-opening. I asked the Idaho Press staff to help me come up with their favorite places to walk in Ada County and let me tell you our group chat went off when I asked this question. (I won't say what we decided the worst walk is.)
From people-watching to nature to crying in public, the Boise area offers a wide variety of walking experiences. Here are of the six best. And believe me, I made sure to pet every dog I came across along the way.
Kathryn Albertson Park
The name “Kathryn Albertson Park” is plastered on huge brown rocks greeting incoming cars.
Its namesake, Kathryn McCurry, met her husband Joe Albertson at the College of Idaho when she spilled an acid solution on her leg during chemistry class. He came to her rescue.
But this site is a far cry from a school classroom.
Around 5 acres of lawn area were replaced with flowering and self-seeding pollinator meadow plantings. The entry path is lined with swaths of grasses, some dotted with golden yellow flowers, some with thin beige fronds and others still with spiraling levels of green leaves.
On the edge of the grasses are towering trees, dark green and almost blue in a couple cases. Here, Sarah Allman walked her dog Ollie along the path recently. The two come here in every season, but Allman said she prefers the summer.
“It’s just like a nature path,” Allman said. “You see the birds and all the different wildflowers.”
Allman and Ollie walk into the Eyrie, one of two locations in the park where people can get married. Wood beams overhead provide some respite from the sun. Water bubbles out of the top of a rock formation, crashing down into the pond below.
“I think this is one of the prettiest places,” Allman said. “I can’t imagine why more people don’t get married here.”
In this moment, with green stalks rising out of the river, you’d never know you were in a city. This is part of the appeal of this park. The other is the beauty that comes from nature in its natural state. There’s a manicured, landscaped aesthetic. And then there’s the walk through Kathryn Albertson Park.
Flowers are everywhere, but not in rows or pots. Yellow flowers pop up near a patch of purple bulbs in a sea of messy grasses growing in all sorts of directions. There’s a pop in the water and small waves ripple out.
Chuck Stanley comes here every day. Over the years he’s seen many kinds of wildlife. On Tuesday, he was wandering the paths with a pair of black binoculars around his neck.
“This is by far my favorite,” Stanley said. “It’s like I’m in the outdoors. It's almost like I can get away.”
There’s more to the park than its beauty. The Oregon trail crossed near where nuptials are shared at the Rookery. The roof tiles were rescued from the demolition of Joe Albertson’s first store.
And on some level, the park is about co-existence. The earliest vision was to “ensure a connection with nature on nature’s terms.” And as Hans Borbonus, the original park designer and builder, once said:
“This park is for the birds.”
The Military Reserve
Cars rumble past at the entrance to the military reserve. A biker pedals down a sandy path that stretches through the greenery. Tall and waving trees create elusive spots of shade. The foothills are right here, off to the side and ahead.
Tilly, a Labrador retriever, is licking the grass on the side of the trail before digging in. Her owner, Zoya Polakow, pets her and tells her to stop behaving like a cow.
“It’s more peaceful,” Polakow said. “It’s not as populated as Camel’s Back Park…there’s a lot of nice flat trails here.”
This area is more of what Boise is known for. We’re in “a high desert forest,” Polakow said.
The military reserve’s landscape is Western and there’s beauty in that, too. It’s not necessarily lush and certainly not all green, but it’s gorgeous and colorful. In fact, there’s all kinds of shades in the sagebrush and other native plants.
Though the flowers are few, a couple pink bulbs hang below leaves on a tall bush. The hills are green and blue and brown and the sky above is deep in its color.
Trees form a tunnel for people to walk through, emerging out to a spectacular view of the hills. Each one rises gently out of the earth and comes back down again, over and over into the distance. The American flag waves lazily in the breeze.
Somewhere in the vicinity, the sound of children playing fills the air. A bird titters. Many people here are biking on this Tuesday afternoon, along with a black dog who runs past.
Its owner pedals on the bicycle beside the dog.
“On your left,” the owner called out.
But for those who don’t want that kind of exercise, walking is beautiful, too. The only developments in sight are a few brown fences. Maybe the occasional house in the distance.
Walking along this trail can be slow. Every few steps draws attention to something different: Pale grasses mixing with shockingly blue and purple flowers. A white butterfly flitting past.
And the whole experience of this 734-acre reserve is a respite from the city.
“We’re literally right there,” Polakow said, pointing down the hill towards downtown. “We’re less than five minutes away from everything that’s going on down there.”
Julia Davis Park
The entrance to Julia Davis Park is framed by a tall black arch with gold lettering - instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever spent time downtown.
This walk has more to see and do than perhaps any other. There’s the sloping front of the Idaho State Museum. The colorful Boise Art Museum. Flat pink and white flowers bloom early on along the path. But of course, the best known flowers here come from the Rose Garden.
Before you can get to the garden, however, you can walk back in time. The Idaho State Museum owns several 19th century homes visible from the path. You can also sneak a peek at the sculptures in the art museum’s garden. But then it’s time to get to the real garden.
The grass is dewy still on Friday morning, flinging up little droplets of moisture. The wind brings the smell of roses floating over the park. Two women in a large group pull out their phones to document the flowers.
“Wow, this is so beautiful,” a teenager tells her friends.
And it really is a sight to behold. There’s the bright red, classic kind of roses. But there’s also flaming pink. One bulb is tight, not yet expanded, with pink outside and yellow in the curled up core. Classical music plays from somewhere.
The thorns aren’t the only risk here: A shockingly blue fountain bears a warning to all to keep off due to electrical and chemical hazards.
Behind the rose garden, Boise’s skylines and foothills loom large. A couple pavilions are available for events. Then there’s the zoo.
Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can walk along the shade behind the zoo and spot a giraffe.
This walk isn’t necessarily an escape — cars wind through the park itself and on busy Capitol Boulevard along the park’s edge. But it’s a connection to Boise past and present, from the various little monuments, plaques and old buildings to the current iteration of roses and art on display.
The Boise River has been here for ages. But the people strolling on Friendship Bridge are experiencing this area now.
Many benches and places to sit have dark memorial plaques inset or in the ground. A rock is inlaid with a sign with “The story of Julia and Tom Davis.”
In a circle of pale pink, almost white roses, is a statue of Julia herself. In it she offers an apple to a young girl. The wind rustles past. The roses bob along. A volunteer snips a leaf.
“Few things in Boise,” the sign says, “Compare with the quiet charm of Julia Davis Park.”
Julius Kleiner Park/The Village at Meridian
Children play at the pond’s edge, watching a baby duck and its mother swim along. The mother duck submerges her head, legs wiggling in the air. In the middle of the pond, a fountain spouts its continual stream of water.
This walk, through Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park and the nearby Village at Meridian is more manicured than many others on this list. The grasses are mowed. The paths are paved. But there’s still a view of the foothills. The flowers, while in their specified areas, are still beautiful. And both the park and the shopping center offer prime people watching.
For example, there’s people fishing, a couple talking and a group of older women who join the children who are watching ducks. It’s unclear what the children’s mission is today, but it definitely involves filling Wendy’s cups with pond water and transferring it to a bucket.
Eventually, the older ladies move on. The Wendy’s water cup mission continues.
People love this park but so do the geese, which means watching your step often. But for David Wani and his toddler Junior, that’s a feature not a bug.
“He has a lot of energy running around the house and I can’t manage it. I bring him here to run around,” said Wani, who was taking a break with Junior on a bench. “He also likes to follow the birds, the geese. Sometimes the geese are mean to him and he runs away.”
Junior also likes the splash pad, but Wani didn’t bring his son’s swimming clothes today. Wani puts his arm around Junior, who starts climbing on his dad.
“I like this park very much,” Wani said. “In the morning I just walk around and smell the flowers and see the birds in the water. And then evening time also is a cool time to just walk around and see people.”
Across the street, music is blaring from somewhere in the Village.
“Does that make me crazy,” the song asks. “Does that make me crazy?”
The first thing you hear besides the song is people laughing. Copious customers sit outside in patios and on benches. If the park is manicured, then this is extra manicured. But there are people galore here to watch. And as a new song starts, the fountains start shooting water in preset routines.
The water, curving into the shape almost of a seashell, looks like it’s dancing. And as the chorus builds, higher and higher, the water stretches upward.
“Woohoo,” the music blares, and the stream falls back to earth.
The North End and its alleys
The loudest sounds on Monday morning in the North End are the mild cracking sounds of a squirrel running through a tree. Occasionally, a bird chirps, a bicycle whirs by or a car drives past. But then it’s back to shaded streets with thick tree trunks.
In the North End, a simple walk can show a lot. Most of the homes are close to or exceed $1 million and are unique — very different from the McMansion suburban aesthetic. One is red, with peppermint-striped awnings. One is blue with columns and planters out front on the patio.
Along the walk you can ask yourself or your companions why they’re worth so much or which ones are really worth it — the typical conversation of a nice neighborhood.
You can also imagine yourself parking out front and walking into one of those homes. Plenty do. On Monday, a gray-haired couple stopped out front of a real estate office to admire the listings. The woman read out the specifications to her partner.
In real estate, location is everything. The North End is home to Hyde Park, awash with its local businesses and patios. Camel’s Back Park is nearby and often packed with screaming kids, fluffy dogs and families. Harrison Boulevard is THE Halloween spot for Boise. Downtown is just a short walk away.
But the real joy of the North End is what you can find in the alleys — aside from dumpsters and garages. You never know what you’ll see. Perhaps two discarded decorative pink flamingos in a bowl atop cinder blocks. Maybe a lone plant that is taller than you with two stalks and exactly seven red flowers.
It’s even calmer and quieter in the many alleys than in the front-facing parts of the North End. A woman putting out her trash stops to say hello. A squirrel races across the path and down a garage that has a basketball hoop perched on it. In the alley behind The Royal, a cocktail bar in Hyde Park, someone’s painted their garage with a graffiti-style mural of Bugs Bunny.
In another alley, two scarecrows lurk besides a shed, perhaps to enforce the special permit-parking only sign plastered on the outside of the structure. They stand back-to-back, a flower in each hat, their happy smiling faces staring blankly down the path.
It may feel weird to wander the alleys behind homes and businesses. But it’s a fascinating adventure into the odds and ends of this quirky part of town. It’s a treasure hunt without a map.
Maybe you won’t find anything. Or maybe seeing decorative pink flamingos aren’t your jam. But there’s a lot of fun in looking.
The Boise River Greenbelt
A man with wet hair carrying a surfboard is the first to exit the greenbelt. Next up is three people and their dog.
A bridge with brown sides stretches across the swift moving water. From it you can see someone clad in black navigating the choppy waters of a small waterfall. Several others wait their turn on the side.
The surfer collapses into the water. Another plops their board down and paddles out. The surfer immediately wipes out, his blue board following him back to shore. The third, a yellow-clad surfer, swims out as two men stop along the bridge to watch.
The greenbelt may seem like a more basic addition to this list, but it boasts 25-miles of “tree-lined pathway,” following the river, according to the city of Boise. There are also unique parts of the greenbelt, like the Whitewater Park section in Garden City.
This place is peaceful. But it’s also cool and vibrant and full of energy.
Someone passes by, blaring music from their bike. However, you don’t have to wipe out or cycle to exist on the greenbelt.
A mother and her child crossed the bridge near the white water section recently.
“It’s a happy, full river,” the mother told her child.
Below, a surfer is finding out just how true that is. The surfer waves their hands as they try to stay afloat. In front of them, the waves make little peaks, over and over again in the water.
This is not necessarily an escape into nature but it does feel like an escape from the city. The humanity and water skills of everyone on display along with the trees and flowing body of water are almost entertainment. | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/walking-reporter-the-six-best-walks-in-ada-county/article_1ca432a8-1460-11ee-9112-3f13e4bfd8d9.html | 2023-07-07T14:25:21 | 0 | https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/walking-reporter-the-six-best-walks-in-ada-county/article_1ca432a8-1460-11ee-9112-3f13e4bfd8d9.html |
Check out these top stories and more in The Times and nwi.com.
View the local weather: https://bit.ly/43d0WVu
Stay connected with all your Region News at www.nwi.com.
Video provided in partnership with The Times, JEDtv and WJOB. Sponsored by Strack & Van Til. Weekend weather sponsored by NIPSCO. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/219-news-now-check-out-top-stories-and-the-weekend-forecast-7-7-23/article_78202c9a-1c7b-11ee-8731-575ff762a5eb.html | 2023-07-07T14:27:01 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/219-news-now-check-out-top-stories-and-the-weekend-forecast-7-7-23/article_78202c9a-1c7b-11ee-8731-575ff762a5eb.html |
PORTAGE — A heavily intoxicated man carrying four knives was found by an elderly woman in wheelchair sleeping on a couch in her living room, Portage police said.
The 88-year-old woman, who lives in the 2600 block of Vivian Street, reportedly told police she awoke Wednesday morning to find the stranger in her home.
"I immediately observed a male sleeping on the sofa and a filled wine glass nearby on a coffee table," the officer reported.
The man, identified by police as Maxwell Rodriquez, 37, of Fort Wayne, was so combative that he had to be drugged at the hospital before taken to jail, according to the report.
He was eventually taken to the Porter County Jail and faces a felony count of residential entry.
The woman reportedly told police she did not hear anything overnight and had left her front door unlocked. When she came out into her living room Wednesday morning, she found the unknown man sleeping on her couch.
He is further accused of using two Twitter accounts and two Snapchat accounts without notifying authorities.
"(The woman) stated she attempted to wake the male and called 911," the report says.
Police said they found four knives on Rodriquez and had a tough time understanding him due to his level of intoxication. He reportedly admitted to drinking alcohol, and taking "benzos" and "kratom."
"The male was asked where he was to which he stated he did not know," police said.
"To know Grace was to love her," her father, Jake Norris, said. "She had a heart of gold."
He told police he parked his vehicle at an address in the 5000 block of Boulder Avenue and police confirmed its location.
A portable breath test revealed he was intoxicated, police said. When he had a seizure in a police vehicle, he was taken to the hospital where he reportedly kicked at and pulled away from staff, and yelled vulgarities.
"Mr. Rodriquez had to (be) physically restrained to be treated, and was given a dose of Haldol to calm his combative state," police said.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/elderly-portage-woman-wakes-to-find-intoxicated-stranger-with-knives-sleeping-on-couch-cops-say/article_3882dffc-1cbb-11ee-956d-8330c38a7e29.html | 2023-07-07T14:27:15 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/elderly-portage-woman-wakes-to-find-intoxicated-stranger-with-knives-sleeping-on-couch-cops-say/article_3882dffc-1cbb-11ee-956d-8330c38a7e29.html |
GARY — Last week smoke from wildfires in Canada blanketed the Great Lakes region, causing Chicago and Detroit to have the worst air quality in the world.
Over the weekend, torrential rains flooded streets and basements throughout the Chicago area, and Monday and Tuesday gave the world the two hottest days ever recorded.
As the Earth's climate continues to change, scientists say extreme weather events will become more and more common.
The question is, are communities ready to adapt?
With help from Indiana University's Environmental Resilience Institute, the city of Gary is working to get ahead of the problem.
People are also reading…
Gary, Bloomington, Carmel, Monroe County, New Albany, South Bend and Terre Haute will work throughout the next year with the Environmental Resilience Institute to asses climate vulnerabilities and craft an environmental resilience plan. An IU student is working with Gary on the project as a McKinney Climate Fellow.
Not one-size-fits-all
According to a "Climate Change Impacts Assessment" released by Purdue University in 2018, Indiana has warmed 1.2°F since 1895. The report also found that annual precipitation increased 5.6 inches during the same time period. Temperatures are projected to rise 5°F to 6°F by midcentury, and extreme rain events will become more likely.
"We really need to be planning ahead," said Therese Dorau, the ERI's assistant director for policy and implementation. "We know it’s going to be hotter, we know it’s going to be wetter, we've acknowledged that this is going to happen no matter what we do mitigation-wise."
While some climate trends will have a broad impact on the Hoosier State, many will be location specific.
Social and environmental factors influence how climate change affects different communities. More urban areas like Gary may be subject to the heat island effect created by high amounts of concrete, and Northwest Indiana's proximity to Lake Michigan makes it more vulnerable to flooding.
Studies also show that older, low-income residents and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by climate change.
"It’s not one-size-fits-all," Dorau explained. "You really have to take environmental justice and the characteristics of your unique population into account."
Gary's Environmental Affairs Department released a climate vulnerability and resilience survey this week. The city wants to get responses from as many residents as possible; the feedback will be incorporated into the larger climate resilience plan. The survey can be accessed at qfreeaccountssjc1.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bx9nZzfSVIdeDDo; it asks respondents to rank climate concerns, potential resilience strategies, their favorite natural elements in Gary and more.
On July 18, the city plans a workshop with community stakeholders. Participants will include city department heads, elected officials, medical professionals and Gary Community School Corp. representatives.
"We’re really trying to gather information from the people who know the systems well and would be on the front line of responding to a climate emergency," Dorau said.
Green growth
Before coming to the ERI, Dorau led South Bend's newly created Office of Sustainability. When she started the position in 2014, only a few other communities in Indiana had sustainability/environmental affairs departments.
Environmental offices are becoming more common, but Dorau said many city employees who work in sustainability also have other responsibilities.
In Northwest Indiana, Michigan City and the city of LaPorte have sustainability commissions, Gary has a Department of Sustainability and Environmental Affairs, Valparaiso has a citizen-led sustainability group, and Highland has an advisory committee on sustainability.
“Your budget is an indication of your priorities, and if you’re not budgeting for a full-time sustainability position, that says a lot," Dorau said.
That's why the ERI's climate fellows are so important, Dorau said: They help local governments complete initiatives they wouldn't have had the capacity or resources to do on their own. In some cases, communities have even created permanent sustainability positions after participating in the ERI.
Gary and Michigan City participated in ERI's first cohort, which involved the creation of a greenhouse gas inventory. Then in 2021, Gary partnered with ERI again, using the information learned from the inventory to craft a Climate Action Plan.
The Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission, NWI Region Resilience and Earth Charter Indiana also partnered with ERI, conducting greenhouse gas inventories for Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties as well as for Cedar Lake, Chesterton, East Chicago, Highland, Hobart, Lake Station, LaPorte, Merrillville, Munster, Schererville, Valparaiso, Hammond and Portage.
Since the ERI launched in 2019, 48 local governments have participated in at least one cohort. Communities representing 44% of Indiana's population have completed greenhouse gas inventories, collectively identifying the equivalent of 34 million metric tons of carbon dioxide for elimination.
For more information about Gary's climate resilience plan, visit gary.gov/environmental-affairs. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/gary-working-with-indiana-university-on-climate-resilience-plan/article_dea340d0-1c1f-11ee-844d-ff90fb0f897b.html | 2023-07-07T14:27:17 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/gary/gary-working-with-indiana-university-on-climate-resilience-plan/article_dea340d0-1c1f-11ee-844d-ff90fb0f897b.html |
What to Know
- Two firehouses are in mourning in the East Ward of Newark after two of their own perished while fighting a massive fire that that broke out aboard a cargo ship in Port Newark Wednesday night.
- Augusto Acabou, 45, and Wayne Brooks Jr., 49, had a spark that drew people in, but now their deaths have the City of Newark in deep mourning.
- "I just can't imagine what they were going through when they were lost and not able to come out," Newark Fire Dept. Capt. Jose Alves said.
UPDATE: Newark officials, USCG to hold press conference on latest in deadly cargo ship fire at Port Newark
Two firehouses are in mourning in the East Ward of Newark after two of their own perished while fighting a massive fire that that broke out aboard a cargo ship in Port Newark Wednesday night.
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
Augusto Acabou, 45, and Wayne Brooks Jr., 49, had a spark that drew people in, but now their deaths have the City of Newark in deep mourning.
"This is like the ultimate, ultimate sacrifice," Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson said.
Firefighters draped mourning bunting outside the East Ward firehouses where Acabou and Brooks worked: Engine 16 on Ferry Street and Ladder 9 on Elm Street.
News
Acabou worked in Engine 16 for 10 years, where he was known as the firefighter who was destined to become captain. Brooks was with Ladder 9, where he had even more experience in the fire department.
"It's a tough loss for the community," Jason Torres, who manages a restaurant across the street from Ladder 9, said.
Torres saw Brooks, who everyone on the block lovingly called "Bear" on that same day Wednesday. The weight of the loss has not yet settled in, he said.
"It was always, 'Hey, good morning. How you doing?'" Torres said. "Very good guy."
Mayor Ras Baraka and other city dignitaries were seen at Acabou's Newark home to express their condolences and console his family, while his neighbors were still in shock.
"I feel sorry that he passed away trying to help in an emergency," John Alarcon said.
The double loss has Newark firefighters reeling -- trying to process what happened.
"I just can't imagine what they were going through when they were lost and not able to come out," Newark Fire Dept. Capt. Jose Alves said.
Firefighters from Newark were dispatched to the docked vessel around 9:30 p.m. for a report of multiple vehicles on fire on board one of the cargo ships at the port, Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé said.
The fire was visible from some distance away as smoke billowed up from the ship that has the capacity to hold around 5,000 cars.
According to Newark Fire Chief Rufus Jackson, the fire was found on the 10th floor of the ship where five or seven vehicles were fully engulfed. It quickly extended to the 11th and 12th floors.
Firefighters initially made an attempt to extinguish the fire but because of the intense heat, they were pushed back out of the area. It was at this time that two firefighters became lost while backing out, Rufus said.
Searches were subsequently made to find the two firefighters but the rest of the unit were unable to do so.
The fire became so intense that numerous rescue companies were called to assist, Rufus said during a press conference, adding that several specialized rescue companies throughout New Jersey and the state of New York came and assisted with primary and secondary searches to try to locate the unaccounted for firefighters, which were eventually found and removed from the structure.
"I just want the world to know that we just lost two of our best here in the city of Newark," Baraka said hours after the fire during a press conference to update the public on the matter. "Two of our bravest here in this city who without hesitation gave their lives and probably that morning didn't think they'd be fighting the fire on a ship of five thousand cars. Something they had not trained for. And would not return home that evening."
The fire is still burning as of Friday morning as thick black smoke was seen billowing from the structure -- more than 36 hours since the massive fire was first reported on Wednesday night. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/two-of-our-best-community-mourns-newark-firefighters-killed-in-cargo-ship-fire/4485273/ | 2023-07-07T14:29:36 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/two-of-our-best-community-mourns-newark-firefighters-killed-in-cargo-ship-fire/4485273/ |
MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — A crash is tying up traffic in part of Monroe County.
Route 33 northbound in the Saylorsburg area is closed because of a crash, according to PennDOT.
There is no word on how long the closure will last or what led to the wreck.
Check real-time conditions with the WNEP Traffic Tracker.
PennDOT updates are available HERE.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/monroe-crash-snarls-traffic-saylorsburg-route-33/523-3a376ecc-3153-40fb-9421-51d72d514318 | 2023-07-07T14:38:44 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/monroe-crash-snarls-traffic-saylorsburg-route-33/523-3a376ecc-3153-40fb-9421-51d72d514318 |
A new study by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) that could shape how the U.S. Space Force tracks members’ physical fitness has drawn two-thirds of Space Force Guardians as voluntary participants, study leaders said in a new interview.
Called a “Continuous Fitness Assessment,” the two-year study could “lay a new path for the DOD (Department of Defense),” updating how service members’ fitness is gauged and tested at a time when the U.S. military is pushing against stubborn challenges in recruiting and retention, said Dr. James Christensen, product line lead for the 711th Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Force Base, where AFRL is headquartered.
Anything services leaders can do to help members get and stay fit “enables us to meet the really big goals of defending the national interest,” Christensen said.
“That’s essentially the goal,” he said.
There are more than 5,800 participants in the test, including about 150 enrolled at Wright-Patterson. Response was “a little larger than we expected, and very positive,” Christensen said.
According to AFRL, 71% of all Guardians are enrolled, including 69% of male Guardians and 76% of women Guardians.
Exemption from regular annual Air Force physical tests may have had something to do with that enthusiasm. (Space Force is part of the Department of the Air Force, just as the Marine Corps is part of the Department of the Navy.)
Study organizers hope better tracking of exercise habits over a longer duration of time will lead to better fitness with fewer injuries.
“This is essentially a very large pilot program,” Christensen said.
The AFRL study will have participants wearing Garmin watches to gather data about their physiology and fitness.
A smart phone app used in the study will take that data and render it so that users can easily see how they’re doing.
“The idea of using wearables to track fitness, I think, is not new,” said Dr. Adam Strang, a product area lead for AFRL and a certified athletic trainer.
What might be new: Shedding light on how a familiar technology may boost operations and define policy.
“You can think of this as sort of crowd-sourcing the Guardians ... to help define the policy and the capability for themselves,” Strang said.
Strang said regular Air Force physical fitness tests typically happen once or twice a year. Airmen and Guardians schedule the test and perform required activities under supervision, usually in less than hour.
There are variations, but the basic test involves a 1.5-mile run, with the option of a shuttle run or timed sprints. Airmen are also expected to perform push-ups and sit-ups, as many as they can manage in a minute’s time.
The results can have implications for careers. At lower ranks, poor test results can delay promotions or end careers.
While tests today can be done almost anywhere and don’t require special equipment, they can promote “sort of a cramming” for the once-a-year test, Christensen said.
“You don’t necessarily work out very much for a lot of the year,” he said with a laugh. “You can kind of work yourself into shape quickly if needed. Then in the month or two before the test, ‘OK, it’s time to go out and run again. I have pass my test.’”
So the downside of annual tests can be periods of relatively poor fitness, with a higher risk of injury when members push themselves to prepare.
“Our hope is that regular moderate physical activity will provide benefits to the force in terms of a higher performing, more ready force,” Christensen said.
Study leaders say only the study team will monitor individual performance, and personal information will not be shared with commanders during the study.
“There’s no way to attach anybody’s personal information to the data flowing from the watch,” Michael Hanke, the cybersecurity authorizing official for Air Force science and technology activities, said in an AFRL release. “That information is protected and behind firewalls. Very few people will have access to it and [the personal info] is not intended for any other purposes than study management to ensure participation.”
Wright-Patterson is home to 35,000 military and civilian employees, working for both the Air Force and Space Force. It’s the largest single-site employer in Ohio.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/new-afrl-study-could-shape-future-of-military-fitness-tests/YETUP45PFVFPLI3FD7NPTV4SQQ/ | 2023-07-07T14:39:54 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/new-afrl-study-could-shape-future-of-military-fitness-tests/YETUP45PFVFPLI3FD7NPTV4SQQ/ |
Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week is nearly upon Seattle, and if you don’t want to spend a ton of money, there are plenty of free or cheap activities that you can check out and still get the fan experience.
Here’s a round-up of some of the best ones. Read more
The Everett-based company that owned a submersible that fatally imploded on its way to explore the wreck of the Titanic said Thursday it has suspended operations.
OceanGate, a company based in Everett, Washington, owned the Titan submersible that is believed to have imploded as it made its descent on June 18 in the North Atlantic. The implosion killed all five people on board.
The company's website said Thursday that it “has suspended all exploration and commercial operations.” Read more
Nursing homes in Washington are now seeing more money coming in the door thanks to an increase in Medicaid funding that kicked in on July 1.
The $107 million boost is thanks to a $69.3 billion budget approved earlier this year by state lawmakers to fund critical state services over the next two years.
It comes as the industry battles staffing and occupancy issues as nursing homes face an upward battle post-pandemic. Read more
The man suspected of making a false bomb threat on an Alaska Airlines flight told investigators he did it because he believed members of the Cartel were waiting for him to land in Seattle, according to newly filed court documents.
Several flights were diverted to the Spokane International Airport on Thursday after 38-year-old Brandon L. Scott wrote a note threatening to blow up the plane if it landed in Seattle, its planned destination. He handed the note to a flight attendant and, shortly after, the plane landed at the Spokane airport. Nobody was injured and there was no bomb found anywhere on the plane. Read more
Seattle Seahawks star Bobby Wagner hopes to inspire the next generation of students interested in the tech industry.
Wagner visited Boeing's Renton factory Thursday with dozens of students as part of what he's calling his "Seattle Tech Tour." The goal is to open students' eyes to jobs after high school.
Wagner said his favorite part of the tour so far is seeing the students ask questions that are difficult for even the experts to answer. Read more
Have the "5 things you need to know" delivered to your inbox. Sign up for the daily morning email here. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/5-things-to-know-friday/281-08be68be-0544-45bc-b0cf-3c6c1350a025 | 2023-07-07T14:40:33 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/5-things-to-know-friday/281-08be68be-0544-45bc-b0cf-3c6c1350a025 |
SEATTLE — Experts predict more than $50 million in revenue to flow into Seattle this week from the Major League Baseball All-Star experience.
Pioneer Square businesses are scrambling to make sure they get their piece of it.
The neighborhood's proximity to the All-Star festivities is putting business owners in a prime position for reaping the benefits of this five-day event.
"We're ready," said Rachelle Galloway, general manager of Sea Crab House. "It's so exciting. We've done so much to get to this point."
Galloway said she is hopeful to see, "A line out the door, just all the tables full."
Galloway said their staff has been preparing for this event for months.
"Trainings, making sure that we're staffed," Galloway said.
They're debuting new cocktails on their menu for the event, and "bringing in as much product as we can," as she explained.
Down the street on 2nd Avenue South, one man's bar is debuting Thursday night.
"We've been trying to get the space open and ready to go, because we know how many people are coming down," said Jonathan Fleming, owner of two restaurants in the square: D and E, and now The Marble Room.
The Marble Room is a new speakeasy in the back of his other restaurant, which has been in business for about five years.
"A lot of the cocktails will be rum-based, tropical, fruity," Fleming said.
But after a few of those cocktails, patrons may need a place to lay their heads. Silver Cloud Hotel is hoping they'll choose their hotel for that.
"We are hoping that we do sell out," said Luis de la Torre, Front Desk Supervisor, Silver Cloud Hotel. "We've been definitely getting our rooms booked and things like that. After COVID and everything, hopefully this will bring everything back, and, somewhat go back to normal."
A leader at Visit Seattle said she believes the long-term economic impact of this five-day event is going to include job creation.
“Seattleites can take pride in knowing the impact of hosting the All-Star festivities will expand well beyond the week, with lasting benefits expected for our local economy and the hospitality industry," said Kelly Saling, Visit Seattle senior vice president and chief sales officer. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/pioneer-square-businesses-prepare-2023-mlb-all-star-week/281-6aac1784-7963-441e-b713-b8796b24abcf | 2023-07-07T14:40:36 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/pioneer-square-businesses-prepare-2023-mlb-all-star-week/281-6aac1784-7963-441e-b713-b8796b24abcf |
DALLAS — New details emerged Tuesday in the investigation of an 8-year-old boy who was shot in his Dallas apartment while in bed on Sunday night.
Police sources told WFAA that investigators believe the child, identified as Kyrie Barnes, was shot by celebratory gunfire as people were setting off fireworks in the area.
The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. on July 2 in the 8000 block of Rothington Road, just east of Skyline High School.
Barnes was in bed with his mother and other children and was watching a movie on an iPad when he was shot, according to sources.
Barnes was transported to a hospital in critical condition. On July 7, Dallas police said Barnes died from his injuries on July 6.
A source said fireworks and gunfire were heard during that time and that investigators haven't been able to determine where the shots came from. Numerous shell casings from different guns were found all over a parking lot outside the apartment, according to sources.
Investigators are waiting for ballistics tests to help them in their search for any suspects, according to sources.
Neighbors who spoke to WFAA on Monday said they heard the gunshots while fireworks were going off.
"All of a sudden, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow!" Ricky Barnes said about the gunfire.
"I feel sorry, because I'm a dad. Can you imagine, something like that could happen to me?" Sule Garcia told WFAA. "Tomorrow there are going to be a bunch of fireworks and guns. Don't let your kids go outside."
Anyone who may have information is asked to call the Dallas Police Department at 214-671-4267. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/investigators-believe-8-year-old-shot-dallas-apartment-celebratory-gunfire-sources-say/287-87cc1c35-b4a9-4861-9b18-e147e41878f3 | 2023-07-07T14:40:55 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/investigators-believe-8-year-old-shot-dallas-apartment-celebratory-gunfire-sources-say/287-87cc1c35-b4a9-4861-9b18-e147e41878f3 |
WEST BALTIMORE — Baltimore City Fire Department has confirmed a man has died in a fire early Friday morning.
Firefighters responded to a house fire in the 2500 block of West Lafayette Avenue around 9:30am where a man was rescued from a house.
Fire officials confirmed the man was treated for smoke inhalation but died a short time later.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/man-dies-in-early-friday-morning-fire | 2023-07-07T14:45:19 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/man-dies-in-early-friday-morning-fire |
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carowinds announced how it plans to repair the Fury 325 roller coaster that developed a large crack last week.
The theme park announced that after consulting and inspecting the entire ride with Bolliger & Mabillard, the company that manufactured Fury 325, it has determined the crack formed along a weld line in the steel column of the support beam.
"Working in close coordination with B&M, we are planning to remove and replace the existing support column," Carowinds said in a statement. "The new support column, which is being fabricated by B&M, is expected to be delivered to the park next week."
Carowinds did not provide an estimated date on when Fury 325 could reopen. The coaster has been closed to the public ever since the crack was reported to security last week.
Carowinds said it will conduct an extensive series of tests to ensure the safety of the coaster once the new beam is installed. Those tests will include operating the ride for 500 full cycles with engineers inspecting the entire ride throughout that period. Once the tests are completed, B&M and a third-party testing firm will each perform inspections to ensure the ride exceeds all safety specifications.
"B&M is regarded as one of the premier ride manufacturers in the world, with an impeccable reputation for quality and engineering," Carowinds' statement reads. "It's important to understand that rides like Fury 325 are designed with redundancies in place to ensure the safety of guests in the event of an issue such as this."
Carowinds said it plans to implement additional inspection procedures to go along with regularly scheduled inspections. Those new procedures will include the regular use of drones to inspect hard-to-reach areas.
Once inspections and testing have been completed, Carowinds said it will work with the North Carolina Department of Labor to prepare the ride for reopening.
WCNC Charlotte reached out to the North Carolina Department of Labor about the crack. The Department said once the repair has been made, it will do its own check for safety. The check is the same as the annual evaluation.
Since the closure, WCNC Charlotte asked Carowinds for a detailed explanation of what a daily inspection looks like. It pointed us to a website that explained the 10 things to know regarding safety. It said mechanics cycle the rides unoccupied each morning to ensure the ride and its systems are properly functioning.
Because the support beam isn't close to the starting platform, we asked if there was a special test to look at the support beams of if staff walked underneath the coaster. Carowinds referred WCNC Charlotte back to the website, which didn't have the answer.
WCNC Charlotte is committed to reporting on the issues facing the communities we serve. We tell the stories of people working to solve persistent social problems. We examine how problems can be solved or addressed to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference. WCNC Charlotte is seeking solutions for you. Send your tips or questions to newstips@wcnc.com. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/carowinds-fury-325-roller-coaster-crack-support-beam-update-manufacturer-inspection/275-4c7e6d3a-4310-42a5-9b06-3f98a9fb430e | 2023-07-07T14:46:30 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/carowinds-fury-325-roller-coaster-crack-support-beam-update-manufacturer-inspection/275-4c7e6d3a-4310-42a5-9b06-3f98a9fb430e |
Here is your Duluth News Tribune Minute podcast for Friday, July 7, 2023.
The Duluth News Tribune Minute is a product of Forum Communications Company and is brought to you by reporters at the Duluth News Tribune, Superior Telegram and Cloquet Pine Journal. Find more news throughout the day at duluthnewstribune.com. Subscribe and rate us at
Apple Podcasts
,
Spotify
or
Google Podcasts
. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/listen-ely-deer-crasher-avoids-jail-time | 2023-07-07T14:51:42 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/listen-ely-deer-crasher-avoids-jail-time |
DANVILLE, Va. – A man has been charged after authorities said he is behind the armed robbery of a Danville Food Lion in late June.
Christopher Harris, 30, has been arrested on Thursday, according to the Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office. He has been charged with robbery with additional charges pending.
Harris was found in Danville and arrested by the sheriff’s office with help from the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Virginia State Police and Danville Police Department.
Authorities said no further information will be released during the course of the investigation. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/arrest-made-in-armed-robbery-at-danville-food-lion/ | 2023-07-07T14:51:48 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/arrest-made-in-armed-robbery-at-danville-food-lion/ |
DULUTH — Now that we’re on the other side of July 4, you’ll often hear the tired, old cliche about summer being over — or at least the theory that time will speed up and Labor Day will be here when we least expect it.
But there’s no reason to put the lawn chairs away and scrounge up our mittens and ski masks just yet. We’re at the height of summer … that sweet spot that starts near the end of June and stretches through July and August until the Labor Day Weekend. Eleven weeks of summer bliss!
Heck, September and even October usually give us a hot summer flashback or two.
There’s still a ton to enjoy about the season — despite the big summer holiday being in the rearview mirror — including:
- Blowing up the rest of your fireworks stash (but not too late at night to keep your neighbors awake and their dogs terrorized).
- The lush green of the leaves in the trees and your well-manicured lawns … and the sweet smell of a freshly shaven yard.
- Chasing fireflies and peering up at the summer stars at night.
- Shorts and T-shirts wardrobe.
- Driving with your windows down and tunes cranked up.
- Falling asleep to the drone of insects and frogs.
- Summer beach time.
- Hot days and warm nights.
- Soaking up the sun on long, lazy days.
- Summer road trips and vacations.
I could go on and on, but this space is finite and so, ultimately, is summer.
So, let’s get outdoors and soak up the sweet spot of summer!
ADVERTISEMENT
Here are some DNT highlights from the past week:
Fourth of July redux
Weekly Wave hopes you had a fun and safe Fourth of July earlier this week.
If you weren’t able to take in an Independence Day parade, the DNT’s Dan Williamson attended Superior’s big parade and brought back plenty of photos and a video for you to check out.
There are a couple of fireworks shots from DNT photographer Jed Carlson, too.
Tiny house, big price tag
So how can a 205-square-foot house come with a $195,000 price tag?
Great question.
Last week, DNT city hall reporter Peter Passi helped answer readers’ questions about the big asking price for the tiny home by asking city leaders how that could happen with the “Rebuild Duluth” housing initiative.
ADVERTISEMENT
Spartan spark plug
A lot of hyperbole gets thrown around when stellar athletes receive accolades, but it’s no exaggeration to say that Emma Raye is one of the best athletes to compete for the Superior Spartans. Ever.
Just ask her basketball coach, Dave Kontny, who said that Raye “is by far one of, if not the best female athlete our school has ever had.”
After she led the Spartans to another Wisconsin state softball tournament appearance last month, DNT sports reporter Jamey Malcomb caught up with her and discussed her stellar high school playing days and also the next stage of her career — playing Big Ten softball at Northwestern University.
Catch a wave
Here are a few more stories from the past week to check out:
- In-depth reporting: Northland lacks teen mental health resources
- End of the voyage: Cruise company to leave Great Lakes, sell ships
- Bird flu trending down: Avian influenza killing far fewer birds this year
- Astro Bob: Starry sights for sultry July nights
- Northlandia:
Ghost stories from Two Harbors’ haunted restaurant
Editor's note: Weekly Wave is a newsletter that I publish every Friday morning. Please consider subscribing — it's free — and hits your inbox just once a week. You can sign up here. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/weekly-wave-the-best-vacations-help-you-forget-the-day-1 | 2023-07-07T14:51:52 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/weekly-wave-the-best-vacations-help-you-forget-the-day-1 |
BEDFORD, Va. – The trial date has been set for a Roanoke man charged with killing a man found in a burned car, according to Wes Nance, Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Joseph Walker has been indicted on the following in the death of Ethan Bert: aggravated murder (murder in the commission of a robbery), use of a firearm in the commission of a murder, robbery, use of a firearm in the commission of a robbery, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, arson of personal property, and transportation, secreting or alteration of a dead body.
Walker was originally charged with second-degree murder. He was arrested in Florida, and is now being held at the Western Virginia Regional Jail in Salem.
Investigators said they believe Bert and Walker knew each other. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/trial-date-set-for-roanoke-man-charged-with-killing-man-found-in-burned-car/ | 2023-07-07T14:51:54 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/trial-date-set-for-roanoke-man-charged-with-killing-man-found-in-burned-car/ |
Outdoor smoking banned at Guadalupe Mountains National Park as fire danger remains high
Guadalupe Mountains National Park banned outdoor smoking Tuesday as hot, dry and windy weather has increased fire danger at the national park southwest of Carlsbad.
In a press release, the U.S. Department of Interior’s National Park Service (NPS) said smoking was prohibited except inside personal vehicles until further notice.
The smoking bans are part of overall stage one fire restrictions enacted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Forest Service (NFS).
No campfires, charcoal, or propane fire rings are allowed in Guadalupe Mountains National Park at any time of year, said Theresa Moore, park spokesperson.
Closures were implemented June 28 due to increased fire risk, Moore said.
More:High heat and fire danger close portions of Guadalupe Mountains National Park Wednesday
Fire danger remained high Thursday in the Smokey Bear Ranger District, Sacramento Ranger District and Guadalupe Ranger District of the Lincoln National Forest too, according to the Forest Service website.
Fire danger along the Lincoln National Forest was listed as high as of June 15, said Lincoln National Forest Spokesperson Amanda Fry.
More:Extreme heat and wind cause fire restrictions at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Eddy County very dry in 2023
The New Mexico State University Agricultural Sciences Center south of Artesia received .79-hundredths of an inch of rain as of July 6.
Paul Pastelok, senior meteorologist with Pennsylvania based AccuWeather, said short- and long-term forecasts indicated a high-pressure ridge could break up as weak weather disturbances in the upper part of the atmosphere in northeast New Mexico could kick up winds in southeast New Mexico and west Texas.
More:Blistering summer heat threatens wildfires, strains power grids in southeast New Mexico
“We’re still looking at winds for the rest of the work week heading into the weekend,” he said.
“It’s just not very favorable right now as far to try and burn anything. That’s why we need the stop burning thing going because the wind and the dryness combined right now is going to kick up and flare up the next few days,” he added.
Pastelok said southwestern New Mexico could see beneficial summer or monsoon rains next week. He said those rains might increase wind activity over southeast New Mexico next week.
“Until we get to next Saturday or Sunday that we might have a slight chance of a shower or thunderstorm. That would be like the 15th of the month,” 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/2023/07/07/outdoor-smoking-banned-at-guadalupe-mountains-national-park-heat-high-fire-danger-nps-forest-fire/70386987007/ | 2023-07-07T14:53:43 | 1 | https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/outdoor-smoking-banned-at-guadalupe-mountains-national-park-heat-high-fire-danger-nps-forest-fire/70386987007/ |
PORTLAND, Ore. — The city of Portland's ban on daytime camping begins today.
Under the new ordinance, camping on city property is prohibited between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. People living in vehicles or RVs will also need to be lawfully parked and follow the city's general parking rules between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Camping is also banned at all times in specific areas, including in parks and on sidewalks, within 250 feet of schools and childcare centers, and along city-designated high crash corridors.
Mayor Ted Wheeler brought fourth the ordinance and city council passed it in a 3-1 vote last month. The ban is intended to get more people into temporary or affordable housing. Wheeler has said that his goal is to have enough shelter and housing space available to eliminate unsanctioned camping.
People living on the streets can be prohibited from camping anywhere if they decline offers for shelter or housing. They can be warned to move their tents and belongings twice, but on the third violation, they could be fined up to $100 or face up to 30 days in jail, or both. However, City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez said in June that almost no one will be going to jail.
Questions have been raised as to how the city will enforce the ban, as the Portland Police Bureau continues to deal with a staffing shortage. Wheeler's office said there will be an education period before taking a "phased-in" approach to enforcing the ban, which would start in late July at the earliest.
The ordinance updates the city's existing restrictions on public camping, and puts Portland in compliance with House Bill 3115. That law, passed in 2021, mandated that Oregon cities update their camping ordinances by July of this year, adopting "reasonable" time, place and manner restrictions instead of maintaining blanket bans.
A federally mandated "point-in-time" count conducted in late January found that there are more than 6,200 people experiencing homelessness in Multnomah County. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/portland-daytime-camping-ban/283-914342ff-c046-4f72-a346-d3d0b5d9768b | 2023-07-07T14:56:03 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/portland-daytime-camping-ban/283-914342ff-c046-4f72-a346-d3d0b5d9768b |
CLARK COUNTY, Wash. — Last week, the Washington State Department of Corrections (DOC) announced it will close Larch Corrections Center in Clark County in the fall due to a decline in prison population.
Since the news, many corrections workers at the facility, community members who live nearby and state officials have spoken out against the planned closure, and are now fighting to keep it open.
A group of more than 100 people met on Thursday to discuss the importance of Larch Corrections Center and how they can advocate for its continued operation. Several people told KGW they were shocked and blindsided to hear that the prison was slated to close this year.
"Right now, we have to fight ... to keep this facility open because, as you can see, it has a domino effect on our community and what we do," said one speaker.
Located in Yacolt, Larch Corrections Center is a minimum-security facility with 240 beds. The DOC said the 115 staff members there will be offered jobs at other facilities.
DOC officials also stated, "The decision to close LCC is in no way a reflection of the facility’s leadership or its employees. They have been invaluable DOC employees."
However, the bulk of the meeting wasn't so much focused on the workers as it was the incarcerated population. Speakers highlighted the contributions from the inmates when it comes to helping fight wildfires, participating in work programs and crews around town, and in working towards a degree in a one-of-a-kind educational environment.
"We have [the inmates] currently down in the Tunnel 5 fire. The Tunnel 5 fire is a huge fire and a challenging fire, and we have right now over 40 inmates down there fighting these fires," explained Hilary Franz, commissioner of public lands for Washington state, the agency that over sees the Department of Natural Resources.
Franz said 10% of their firefighting crews come from Larch.
"As we are seeing this fire season and future fire seasons ... grow more and more catastrophic fires, these individuals are absolutely essential in protecting our community," she said.
Hannah Valenti is the interim education director at Larch.
"Education reduces recidivism by 90%. That is not a joke. That sounds like an insane statistic that you could never say for anything else," Valenti said. "The staff at Larch are supportive of that effort. That is not the attitude you get everywhere in this world when it comes to corrections education."
Some also read notes from men currently incarcerated, who said the opportunities provided at the prison are unique and meaningful, and will help them down a productive path post-release.
"It gives me hope to see so much positive response from the community," said Unit Sergeant Laura Finn. "We're a strong community and we do all have each others back."
The group plans to hold additional meetings, and will work in the coming weeks to contact legislators and local leaders to reverse the decision.
Find out more by visiting the Keep Larch Corrections Center Open Facebook page. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/larch-corrections-center-closure-push-back/283-45791552-c64e-4e67-ac37-200d6356d9b7 | 2023-07-07T14:56:05 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/larch-corrections-center-closure-push-back/283-45791552-c64e-4e67-ac37-200d6356d9b7 |
PORTLAND, Ore. — Beginning Friday, the city of Portland begins something like a soft launch of a new ordinance governing how and when homeless people can camp on public property. It includes a ban on camping during daylight hours, plus round-the-clock bans in certain parts of the city.
When Mayor Ted Wheeler brought the proposed ordinance before Portland City Council, it garnered hours of impassioned public testimony — much of it against the ban. But Wheeler later defended the ordinance by saying that it was actually less restrictive than the laws technically already on the books in Portland, and would align with a state law passed back in 2021 requiring more nuanced rules on homeless camps.
That law, passed as House Bill 3115, was itself the distillation of several important court cases establishing what rights homeless people have in a given city when there is insufficient shelter space for them. There's a reason why police simply can't arrest someone for camping on public property at any time of day, and its because of this court precedent.
One of those cases actually came from Oregon, originally called Blake v. City of Grants Pass. And it just this week saw an important development that ensures the legal landscape won't be changing any time soon.
But to get the full story, we first have to go back to the first and foremost of those two cases, Martin v. City of Boise.
How did we get here?
In 2018, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Martin v. City of Boise that a city cannot charge someone with a crime or give them a ticket for sleeping in a public space if there's a lack of shelter beds — in other words, if there's nowhere else for them to go.
The judges declared that charging with someone with a crime for sleeping outside when they have no other choice is a violation of the Eighth Amendment, qualifying as cruel and unusual punishment.
Since that ruling, Martin v. Boise comes up just about any time camping bans do, because it's often what legally stands in the way of a total ban. It's a key component of Portland's ban, and now has a place in every Oregon city's ordinance thanks to HB 3115. The bill directed cities to update their camping ordinances to align with the ruling.
In order to broadly criminalize camping on public property with the threat of jail time or fines, police have to prove that there are shelter beds available when a homeless person refuses to relocate. They can't simply make an arrest on the spot.
Regardless of shelter capacity, cities are allowed to enact "reasonable" time, place and manner restrictions — which is why Portland is able to ban camping on public property during daytime hours, or full-time around places like schools and shelters, but can't ban homeless camps everywhere and at all times.
A timely decision
On Wednesday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to re-hear a case out of Oregon that stopped the city of Grants Pass from criminally punishing homeless people found sleeping in public spaces when they had nowhere else to go.
Last year, a three-judge panel of the court determined that the city cannot enforce its camping ban. The city appealed, asking for the full court to hear its case instead of just three judges.
But according to a 155-page order delivered Wednesday, a majority of the court's 29 judges refused a full court hearing.
Now, according to the Oregonian, the lawyer representing Grants Pass says the city plans to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.
So far, the Grants Pass case has taken a very similar path to Martin v. Boise. The city in Idaho likewise wanted a full-court review of the ruling against it, but the Ninth Circuit rejected that idea. They then brought the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which denied the petition for review.
Only time will tell if Grants Pass suffers a similar rebuke from the nation's highest court, or if the case could end up setting a standard for cities across the U.S.
Regardless, there are a few passages from the Ninth Circuit's 155-page order that are worthy of mention. The two judges that wrote the majority opinion said the Grants Pass camping ban indeed violates the Eighth Amendment, and their choice to not hear the case is consistent with precedent.
"According to the City, it revised its anti-camping ordinances to allow homeless persons to sleep in City parks," the majority judges wrote. "However, the City’s argument regarding the revised anticamping ordinance is an illusion. The amended ordinance continues to prohibit homeless persons from using 'bedding, sleeping bag, or other material used for bedding purposes,' or using stoves, lighting fires, or erecting structures of any kind. The City claims homeless persons are free to sleep in City parks, but only without items necessary to facilitate sleeping outdoors."
But a senior Ninth Circuit judge did not mince words in his opposing statement, joined by 14 other judges.
"It is easy enough for us, behind marble walls and sealed doors, to dismiss the consequences of our decisions," wrote Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain. "But for those who call these communities home — who must live by the criminal violence, narcotics activity, and dangerous diseases that plague the homeless encampments buttressed by our decisions — the consequences of our judicial arrogation are harder to accept."
The judge said that the original Boise ruling "invented" a federal constitutional right to sleep on public property, saying that the Eighth Amendment argument is wrongly applied when it comes to camping bans.
Another Ninth Circuit judge, Milan Smith Jr., wrote his own dissent, saying that the Boise and Grants Pass rulings "use a misreading of Supreme Court precedent to require unelected federal judges … to act more like homelessness policy czars than as Article II judges applying a discernible rule of law."
Judge Milan Smith Jr. went on to say that the Boise ruling "handcuffed local jurisdictions" trying to respond to the homeless crisis, while the Grants Pass ruling "now places them in a straitjacket."
The two judges who wrote the majority opinion rebuffed the dissenting claims, saying that they had mischaracterized their rulings with exaggerations. The rulings do not, they argue, allow homeless people to sleep wherever and whenever they want — and when there is sufficient shelter space, cities can ban sleeping anywhere in public. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/homeless-camp-ban-portland-appeals-court-grants-pass/283-a2803fcc-a51e-4e44-aebb-981d6b25adac | 2023-07-07T14:56:05 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/homeless-camp-ban-portland-appeals-court-grants-pass/283-a2803fcc-a51e-4e44-aebb-981d6b25adac |
RI Health Department recommends closing 8 beaches to swimming
After the Health Department added eight to the list Thursday, a total of 10 RI beaches are under closing recommendations due to high bacteria counts.
The Rhode Island Department of Health on Thursday recommended closing eight beaches for swimming because of high bacteria levels.
Here's a list of the beaches: Scarborough North, Narragansett; Goddard Park Beach, East Greenwich; Oakland Beach, Warwick; Warren Town Beach, Warren; Camp Watchaug, Charlestown; Kingston’s Camp and Camp Hoffman in South Kingstown, and Sandy Point Beach in Portsmouth.
Charlestown beach banner:Activists take stand on beach access with airplane fly-over
As of Friday morning, 10 Rhode Island fresh or salt water beaches were closed for swimming. Closing recommendations for Ginny-B Campground in Foster, on June 28, and Kent County YMCA, on June 29, have not been lifted.
Meanwhile, the Health Department recommended reopening two Warwick beaches, City Park and Conimicut, after bacteria levels returned to safe levels. They had been closed for seven days.
The Health Department will monitor beach water quality through Labor Day and says the status of a beach can change with new data.
Unpredictable killers:Rip currents tear along RI beaches. Here's how to stay safe
The most up-to-date beach information is available through a recorded message on RIDOH’s beaches telephone line (401-222-2751), the Health Department says. A list of closed beaches is posted on the Health Department's website, health.ri.gov/data/beaches/. | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/ri-health-department-bacteria-too-high-for-swimming-at-8-beaches/70390450007/ | 2023-07-07T14:59:44 | 0 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/ri-health-department-bacteria-too-high-for-swimming-at-8-beaches/70390450007/ |
DALLAS — Editor's note: A previous version of this story reported the boy was 8 years old. In an update from Dallas PD, police said the boy was 7 years old.
New details emerged Tuesday in the investigation of an 7-year-old boy who was shot in his Dallas apartment while in bed on Sunday night.
Police sources told WFAA that investigators believe the child, identified as Kyrie Barnes, was shot by celebratory gunfire as people were setting off fireworks in the area.
The shooting happened around 9:30 p.m. on July 2 in the 8000 block of Rothington Road, just east of Skyline High School.
Barnes was in bed with his mother and other children and was watching a movie on an iPad when he was shot, according to sources.
Barnes was transported to a hospital in critical condition. On July 7, Dallas police said Barnes died from his injuries on July 6.
A source said fireworks and gunfire were heard during that time and that investigators haven't been able to determine where the shots came from. Numerous shell casings from different guns were found all over a parking lot outside the apartment, according to sources.
Investigators are waiting for ballistics tests to help them in their search for any suspects, according to sources.
Neighbors who spoke to WFAA on Monday said they heard the gunshots while fireworks were going off.
"All of a sudden, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow, pow!" Ricky Barnes said about the gunfire.
"I feel sorry, because I'm a dad. Can you imagine, something like that could happen to me?" Sule Garcia told WFAA. "Tomorrow there are going to be a bunch of fireworks and guns. Don't let your kids go outside."
Anyone who may have information is asked to call the Dallas Police Department at 214-671-4267. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/investigators-believe-8-year-old-shot-dallas-apartment-celebratory-gunfire-sources-say/287-87cc1c35-b4a9-4861-9b18-e147e41878f3 | 2023-07-07T15:28:49 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/investigators-believe-8-year-old-shot-dallas-apartment-celebratory-gunfire-sources-say/287-87cc1c35-b4a9-4861-9b18-e147e41878f3 |
THE TEXAS TRIBUNE – The Texas Division of Emergency Management will receive $60.6 million from the federal government to help utilities strengthen infrastructure on the state’s electricity grid.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that it will award the funds so that Texas’ power grid might better withstand extreme weather events. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created the grant program.
“These grants will help modernize the electric grid to reduce impacts of extreme weather and natural disasters while enhancing power sector reliability,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.
State emergency officials will develop parameters for how to use the money. The funds could go toward programs such as trimming trees around power lines or improving how equipment functions in extreme heat or cold, for example.
The TDEM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Grid resilience has been top of mind for Texans since the 2021 winter storm forced power grid operators to call for electricity cuts to millions in the state. Hundreds of people died as the freezing weather took hold and residents could no longer heat their homes.
Texas legislators later required power generators to better prepare their equipment for extreme weather, but recent storms have showed the ongoing vulnerability of the transmission system.
A winter storm in late January and early February knocked out power in various parts of the state, including Austin, where tree limbs weighed down with ice fell onto power lines. Severe storms in June took out power lines in East Texas.
The Department of Energy plans to give out $2.3 billion over the next five years to states, territories and tribes to address power grid resilience issues.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-funds-strengthen-power-grid-extreme-weather/269-ac0fa6b4-2a57-4cdf-9659-7c6fd669e733 | 2023-07-07T15:28:55 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-funds-strengthen-power-grid-extreme-weather/269-ac0fa6b4-2a57-4cdf-9659-7c6fd669e733 |
FORT PIERCE, Fla. — An Amber Alert was issued Friday morning for a missing 12-year-old boy who officials believe may have been kidnapped.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigators said Leon Scarborough, 12, last seen on Thursday in the area of the 6500 block of Nuevo Lagos in Fort Pierce.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Investigators believe Leon may be in the company of Tracey Scarborough, 54, of Fort Pierce.
Leon was last seen wearing a dark-colored shirt, dark-colored shorts and yellow Crocs. Investigators said Leon has a mole on his left shoulder blade and is known to wear a large silver chain around his neck.
Read: Deputies investigate deadly shooting at Orange County gas station
If you see Leon or Tracey, investigators say not to approach them and to instead call 911 immediately.
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/amber-alert-issued-missing-florida-boy-12-last-seen-fort-pierce/JQVSS4POMFEGVNY3YQCEBZXNUA/ | 2023-07-07T15:30:01 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/amber-alert-issued-missing-florida-boy-12-last-seen-fort-pierce/JQVSS4POMFEGVNY3YQCEBZXNUA/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An Orange County deputy was fired this week after deputies said he was arrested on charges of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Deputy Juan Morales-Padilla, who the department hired in September 2022, was arrested by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office on July 5.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
He is accused of fleeing and eluding a law enforcement officer and resisting a law enforcement officer without violence.
The sheriff’s office said Morales-Padilla was terminated, effective immediately.
“These are serious allegations, and I have been clear that there will be no tolerance for criminal behavior involving deputies,” Sheriff John Mina said. “At the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, we hold our deputies to the highest ethical standards whether they are on duty or off duty.”
Channel 9 is working to gather additional details regarding Morales-Padilla’s arrest. Stay tuned to Eyewitness News for updates.
Read: Orange County deputy arrested for soliciting minor in sex crimes case, sheriff says
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county-deputy-fired-after-being-accused-fleeing-resisting-law-enforcement-officer/TE2N6KI6F5EDZJGBVKV4RFC7XU/ | 2023-07-07T15:30:07 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orange-county-deputy-fired-after-being-accused-fleeing-resisting-law-enforcement-officer/TE2N6KI6F5EDZJGBVKV4RFC7XU/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Police Department said it is seeking information about a doctor accused of sexually abusing children.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Investigators said Mehul Dixit practiced pediatric nephrology in Florida and Mississippi until May 2023.
A nephrologist is a doctor who specializes in kidney care.
READ: Amber Alert issued for missing Florida boy, 12, last seen in Fort Pierce
Orlando police said Dixit, 59, was arrested in Mississippi in May and charged with sexual battery, which caused his medical license to be suspended.
OPD opened its own criminal investigation into Dixit after underaged girls accused him of sexually abusing them while he was a doctor in Florida.
READ: Ocoee police arrest 4 juveniles and warn Kia and Hyundai owners about TikTok trend
Police said they believe there may be more cases involving former patients of Dixit and are asking anyone who feels they were victimized under his care to come forward.
Tips can be made to Orlando Police Department at 321-235-5300. Callers who want to remain anonymous can also contact Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS (8477).
The Orlando Police Department is seeking information in an open investigation into Mehul P. Dixit. Please see further details below. pic.twitter.com/IIctL7y0US
— Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) July 7, 2023
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-police-doctor-accused-sexually-abusing-girls-may-have-more-victims/WWW64ECL3FFRBHDIZUSY6ZWQ5U/ | 2023-07-07T15:30:13 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/orlando-police-doctor-accused-sexually-abusing-girls-may-have-more-victims/WWW64ECL3FFRBHDIZUSY6ZWQ5U/ |
Body of unidentified person found Friday in bag on Detroit's east side
Charles E. Ramirez
The Detroit News
Detroit Police are investigating the death of an unidentified person whose body was found early Friday in a bag on the city's east side, officials said.
Officers were called at about 6:16 a.m. to the 11200 block of Maiden Street near Conner Street and Interstate 94 for a report of a dead body.
Police arrived and found a deceased person in a bag.
Investigators said the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office will perform an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Authorities are not releasing any further details at this time, they said.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/07/body-of-unidentified-person-found-friday-in-bag-on-detroits-east-side/70390487007/ | 2023-07-07T15:31:51 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/07/body-of-unidentified-person-found-friday-in-bag-on-detroits-east-side/70390487007/ |
Boy, 8, wounded in shooting Friday on Detroit's east side
Charles E. Ramirez
The Detroit News
An 8-year-old boy is in temporary serious condition after being shot early Friday morning, Detroit Police said.
Officers were called at about 4:14 a.m. Friday to a home in the 500 block of Eliot Street near Mack Avenue and Brush Street for a report of a shooting, officials said.
According to a preliminary investigation, the boy was struck by a bullet that was fired by an unknown shooter outside of the home.
Police said medics took the boy to a hospital. They also said the investigation is ongoing.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/07/boy-8-wounded-in-shooting-friday-on-detroits-east-side/70390452007/ | 2023-07-07T15:31:57 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/07/boy-8-wounded-in-shooting-friday-on-detroits-east-side/70390452007/ |
Man rescued from Huron River in Ann Arbor Tuesday dies
A man pulled out of the Huron River in Ann Arbor's Bandemer Park Tuesday has died, police said.
Officials said Thursday the man died at a hospital. They said the victim is a 34-year-old Ypsilanti man.
According to a preliminary investigation, the man was swimming with friends near the dock when he went under the water and never resurfaced.
He was reportedly underwater for 5 minutes before being pulled out by bystanders, according to authorities.
Officers at the park were called at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday for a report of an unresponsive male being pulled out of the river near the park's dock, they said.
First responders rendered life-saving measures at the scene and he was taken to the hospital.
Investigators said they do not believe alcohol or drugs were factors in his death.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/07/07/man-rescued-from-huron-river-in-ann-arbor-tuesday-dies/70390427007/ | 2023-07-07T15:32:03 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/07/07/man-rescued-from-huron-river-in-ann-arbor-tuesday-dies/70390427007/ |
Police seek tips in Thursday armed robbery of Monroe Co. Dunham's Sports store
Monroe County Sheriff's deputies are looking for an armed man who robbed a Frenchtown Township sporting goods store Thursday.
Officials said the robbery happened at about 6:15 p.m. at the Dunham's Sports store at 2149 NorthTelegraph Road between Stewart and Lasalle roads.
According to a preliminary investigation, the suspect entered the store, approached a clerk and asked for an item. As the clerk rang the person up, the register opened and the suspect produced a firearm. The suspect then took an undisclosed amount of cash from the register and fled, police said. He was last seen running south.
Deputies were called and a canine unit attempted to track the suspect but was unable to locate him, officials said.
Investigators said the suspect is an older White man, about 5 feet 9 inches tall with a thin build, tanned skin and short hair. He was wearing a black T-shirt, a grey hat, and dark pants.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the robbery should call the Detective Bureau of Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at (734) 240-7530 or submit tips to Crime Stoppers at 1 (800) SPEAK-UP.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/07/07/police-seek-tips-in-armed-robbery-of-monroe-co-dunhams-sports-store/70390548007/ | 2023-07-07T15:32:09 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/07/07/police-seek-tips-in-armed-robbery-of-monroe-co-dunhams-sports-store/70390548007/ |
Person of interest arrested in man's fatal Dearborn shooting Thursday
Charles E. Ramirez
The Detroit News
A 28-year-old man is dead and one person is in custody in connection with his death, Dearborn Police officials said.
Officers were called at about 12:55 a.m. Thursday to a location in the 2200 block of Olmstead Street near West Outer Drive and Monroe Street for a report of a shooting, authorities said. They arrived and found a deceased man with a gunshot wound.
Police said they continue to investigate the shooting and have a person of interest in custody.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/07/07/person-of-interest-arrested-in-mans-fatal-dearborn-shooting-thursday/70390505007/ | 2023-07-07T15:32:15 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/07/07/person-of-interest-arrested-in-mans-fatal-dearborn-shooting-thursday/70390505007/ |
PITTSBURGH — Nearly 20 people have been arrested for drug trafficking-related charges in Downtown Pittsburgh since June 28, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety.
A majority of the arrests have resulted in felony charges for drug delivery or possession with intent to deliver.
Police said large quantities of heroin, crack cocaine, designer pills, marijuana, and cash were recovered, as well as one gun.
Pittsburgh Police said they “will continue with their focused efforts to mitigate drug trafficking Downtown.”
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/nearly-20-drug-trafficking-arrests-made-downtown-pittsburgh-last-9-days/GW6SPK32NZGRLLG75ZOK3K5XEU/ | 2023-07-07T15:33:35 | 0 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/nearly-20-drug-trafficking-arrests-made-downtown-pittsburgh-last-9-days/GW6SPK32NZGRLLG75ZOK3K5XEU/ |
A new fund aims to increase child care availability in the Salina community. Here's how
After years of declining child care availability and stagnant wages in the profession, a new initiative is looking to make strong and lasting steps toward improving child care shortages in Saline County.
In the county, like much of the nation, child care availability is diminishing for families. As of July 2023, there are an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 fewer available child care spaces than needed, according to Child Care Aware of Kansas, a statewide resource and referral agency.
This means for every opening at a local facility, there are 10 children in need of that spot.
It's an issue that is both widespread, affecting communities across the U.S., and deeply personal for families in Salina who are searching for quality care close to home.
"Wages have been pinpointed as the No. 1 critical piece as to why we’re struggling to retain child care workers and keep rooms open at centers,” said Claire Ludes, executive director of the Salina Area United Way.
Early Childcare Initiative Fund will work to address wages, capacity at existing facilities
The lack of child care availability is a multifaceted issue, but two big components leading to a shortage have been stagnant wages and fewer people pursuing jobs in early childhood care and education.
In late 2021 and early 2022, a workforce group approached the Salina Area United Way in hopes of finding solutions to this problem. A lack of child care created a domino effect in the local workforce; people would be attracted to Salina for its growing job market but turned away when they found out there were no openings for their children.
It took some head-scratching and collaboration for local entities to come up with a solution that would work in the short term and be sustainable. Then in April this year, the United Way announced the creation of an Early Childcare Initiative Fund.
"We were really trying to understand what Salina's specific needs were," said Renee Duxler, president and CEO of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce. "We really wanted to tackle what the needs are and then have that conversation with our employers about how they can address it. (Employers) want to invest and they want to help but it's always been that question mark of 'how do we do that?' "
The fund itself is set up to have multiple phases, Ludes said, but in the immediate future, it will serve as an annual grant cycle to supplement and increase wages at existing child care facilities in Saline County. In addition to the ECI fund, an endowment has been created at Greater Salina to support long-term investments in local child care.
“We have to be able to start putting dollars back into the community right now to see any type of forward progress,” Ludes said.
The majority of child care centers are not paying staff livable wages, according to market research from the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce.
A rate of $15 per hour is considered a livable wage in the county, at a conservative estimate. Some centers are currently paying up to $4 to $6 less than that mark.
Phase one of the ECI fund aims to provide enough wage supplement grants to increase all teaching assistant wages at local facilities to $15 an hour, and all lead teacher wages to $18 an hour.
Then comes the capacity piece. While surrounding areas have been investing in brand new centers, United Way is looking at helping expand existing facilities and grow capacity in ways that are more cost-effective.
"Building new centers to combat the ongoing issue, which costs anywhere between $1.5 million to $3 million depending on licensing numbers, is not what is needed as a resolution at this time in the community," United Way said in an April news release.
Instead, it will continue to look at helping centers operate closer to their licensed capacity.
How many child care openings will be funded?
Salina Area United Way was awarded a pair of grants to be used in this ongoing effort. The organization was awarded $1,872,100 from the highly competitive Kansas Children's Cabinet Child Care Capacity Accelerator grant program.
Three local centers will benefit from the funds, creating 187 new child care slots in the Salina area: Salina Family YMCA McAdams Center, Love N’ Learn and St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church.
United Way received another grant totaling $45,000 from Childcare Aware to be put toward a new child care center at First Covenant Church. This adds another 39 spots, and 226 new spots total.
Among these spots will be 40 new infant care openings.
“This will be huge for Saline County considering how short we are in infant care," Ludes said.
Stagnant wages, low capacity:The desperate, persistent need for childcare
Initiative focuses on progress now for a sustainable future
Ludes and her team are shooting for the first grant cycle through the ECI fund to be awarded in early 2024. A year from now, she hopes to see workers paid a living wage.
Of course, Ludes said, this is just the first step in addressing local child care shortages. There are longer-term goals on the docket, like support for at-home providers, working with schools and students to establish scholarships, and encouraging a new pipeline of workers in early childhood roles.
But those aspirations are further down the road.
“Right now with where the wages are, it just doesn’t make sense to push our kids into a field that’s not a living wage,” Ludes said. “We would be pushing graduates into poverty immediately. And that’s not smart, sustainable, and we’re not able to make forward progress in our community that way.”
For now, Ludes said, increasing wages and the number of spots open is the key starting point in moving the needle for child care shortages in Saline County.
"This is going to benefit the whole community, whether it’s for businesses in recruiting and retaining staff, or peace of mind for families knowing that their kids are going to places that are being taken care of and have the best quality of care. … Taking care of kids is hard, and (child care workers) deserve to be paid for their worth," Ludes said.
Kendrick Calfee has been a reporter with the Salina Journal since 2022, primarily covering county government and education. You can reach him at kcalfee@gannett.com or on Twitter @calfee_kc. | https://www.salina.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/salina-will-get-more-child-care-openings-with-new-funding/70379105007/ | 2023-07-07T15:40:49 | 0 | https://www.salina.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/salina-will-get-more-child-care-openings-with-new-funding/70379105007/ |
PHOENIX — The Valley is heating up, and excessive heat warnings are expected to continue for some time. If you need to get out of the heat, the Salvation Army provides several heat relief stations across the Valley.
“Anyone can come into a Salvation Army location for indoor cooling and hydration during regular operating hours, but when the National Weather Service issues an Excessive Heat Warning, The Salvation Army considers it a disaster situation,” said Salvation Army Divisional Secretary Tim Smith.
Salvation Army heat relief stations are open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on any day that the National Weather Service issues an excessive heat warning. The list of Valley heat relief stations can be found below:
- Apache Junction – Apache Junction Corps, 605 E. Broadway Ave.
- Avondale – Estrella Mountain Corps, 11 N. Third Ave.
- Chandler – Chandler Corps, 85 E. Saragosa St.
- Glendale - Glendale Corps, 6010 W. Northern Ave.
- Mesa – Mesa Corps, 241 E. Sixth St.
- Phoenix:
- Phoenix Citadel Corps, 628 N. Third Ave.
- Phoenix Maryvale Corps, 4318 W. Clarendon Ave.
- Ray & Joan Kroc Center Phoenix, 1375 E. Broadway Road
- The Salvation Army Phoenix Family Services Office, 2707 E. Van Buren St., Bldg. 2
- Surprise – North West Valley Corps, 17420 N. Avenue of the Arts Blvd.
- Tempe – Tempe Corps, 40 E. University Drive
Most Valley heat relief stations allow dogs on leash.
For more information about the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services heat relief program, visit their website at salvationarmyphoenix.org.
For a full list of Salvation Army heat relief stations across Arizona, click here.
Heat Beat
Here are several videos about Arizona's extreme heat and how you can stay safe during the state's summer months. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/heatbeat/salvation-army-valley-heat-relief-station/75-338dc384-a12e-416e-84a0-6e984d467fa3 | 2023-07-07T15:52:52 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/heatbeat/salvation-army-valley-heat-relief-station/75-338dc384-a12e-416e-84a0-6e984d467fa3 |
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — The lack of affordable housing is an issue many people in the Treasure Valley are dealing with, but they aren’t the only ones. Many parts of Idaho are in the same boat, including the Magic Valley.
There are many community leaders making sure Idahoans are housed like the nonprofit Habitat for Humanity of the Magic Valley. They have helped house 104 adults and 214 children.
“It takes work and dedication, and it takes some sacrifice," Habitat for Humanity’s Executive Director Linda Fleming said. "We build on Saturdays, and we build together as a unit.”
The non-profit helps improve people’s living conditions and advocates for fair and just housing policies. They also provide training, resources and build homes for families that need it.
Habitat home buyers are a part of the construction process, and with the help of volunteers, they work together to find an affordable mortgage that works for each family.
“Once you get into your home, you are not done. It's time to help the next person get into their home,” Fleming said.
The higher rent and home prices become, the more requests they get from people for this type of service. In 2022, their applications more than doubled with 208 applications, compared to just 91 in 2021. Of those who expressed interest, the non-profit is only able to help six families with new homes.
To help more families, the organization was one of 12 local non-profits to receive a grant from D.L Evans Bank in Burley. The bank said it is a once in a generation opportunity.
"It's really important to us to identify our needs and be able to give back through these donations, or our time," D.L Evans Bank’s Chief Operating Officer Brenda Sanford said. "It's meaningful to us because it's one of our core values is giving back to the community.”
Habitat for Humanity of Magic Valley hosts an annual giving online campaign and encourages the community to help house more people.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET NEWS FROM KTVB:
Download the KTVB News Mobile App
Apple iOS: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live for FREE on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching 'KTVB'.
Stream Live for FREE on FIRE TV: Search ‘KTVB’ and click ‘Get’ to download. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/habitat-for-humanity-receives-burleys-dl-evans-bank-grant-to-house-more-people/277-2d4f99fe-689e-46a4-8bee-f521db4bd4c2 | 2023-07-07T15:56:53 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/habitat-for-humanity-receives-burleys-dl-evans-bank-grant-to-house-more-people/277-2d4f99fe-689e-46a4-8bee-f521db4bd4c2 |
Police: No charges against Flagler sheriff's sergeant found passed out in Flagler Beach
The investigative file has been turned over to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office for its internal investigation.
No criminal charges will be filed against a Flagler County Sheriff's Office sergeant who was found passed out along North Oceanshore Boulevard after an alleged incident inside Finns, a popular Flagler Beach pub, according to police.
Flagler County Sheriff's Sgt. Michael F. Breckwoldt was found passed out about 1:16 a.m. on May 26 at North Second Street and North Oceanshore Boulevard, according to Flagler Beach Police.
Officers awoke Breckwoldt; as they spoke to him, a man walked out of Finn's Beachside Pub at 101 N. Oceanshore Blvd. and said that Breckwoldt had "chest bumped him" inside the pub, police stated.
Flagler Beach Police Detective Rosanna Vinci investigated and "with consideration of the totality of the circumstances, there will not be any criminal charges filed in conjunction with this case; which is hereby closed," police stated.
Deputy disciplinedFlagler deputy disciplined for boating dispute; loud music and sprayed water
The investigative file, including video surveillance, has been turned over to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office for its internal investigation, police stated.
The police department thanked ownership and staff at Finn's for their cooperation during the investigation.
Check back for updates on this developing story.
Man sentenced for shooting dogPalm Coast man gets 18 months in prison for shooting dog, pup gets a new home | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/flagler/2023/07/07/flagler-sheriffs-sergeant-found-passed-out-on-beach-wont-face-charges-for-alleged-incident-at-finns/70390775007/ | 2023-07-07T15:58:38 | 1 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/flagler/2023/07/07/flagler-sheriffs-sergeant-found-passed-out-on-beach-wont-face-charges-for-alleged-incident-at-finns/70390775007/ |
1 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-1.jpg
Corn stalks stand tall in a field on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
2 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-2.jpg
Corn stalks stand tall in a field on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
3 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-3.jpg
A sprinkler line runs through a corn field on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
4 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-4.jpg
A tractor sprays weed killer on a field of soy beans on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
5 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-5.jpg
A tractor sprays weed killer on a field of soy beans on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
6 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-6.jpg
A tractor sprays weed killer on a field of soy beans on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
7 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-7.jpg
A tractor sprays weed killer on a field of soy beans on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
8 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-8.jpg
A tractor sprays weed killer on a field of soy beans on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
9 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-9.jpg
A tractor sprays weed killer on a field of soy beans on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
10 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-10.jpg
A tractor sprays weed killer on a field of soy beans on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
11 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-11.jpg
A tractor drives through a field of soy beans spraying to kill weeds on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
12 of 16: 7-6-23Crop-WeedSpraying-12.jpg
A tractor sprays weed killer on a field of soy beans on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
13 of 16: 7-6-23DroneCropPhotos-1.jpg
Corn stalks stand tall in a field on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
14 of 16: 7-6-23DroneCropPhotos-2.jpg
Corn stalks stand tall in a field on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
15 of 16: 7-6-23DroneCropPhotos-3.jpg
Corn stalks stand tall in a field on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic
16 of 16: 7-6-23DroneCropPhotos-4.jpg
Water pools in a field of soy beans on Thursday, July 6, 2023, near Mitchell.
Adam Thury / Mitchell Republic | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/gallery-7-6-23-farming-photos | 2023-07-07T16:03:01 | 0 | https://www.mitchellrepublic.com/news/local/gallery-7-6-23-farming-photos |
HAMMOND — A Portage resident has filed a federal lawsuit claiming the city of Portage is trying to infringe on his rights to free speech by ordering him to remove a flag that contains a profane word directed at President Biden and a local homeowners association.
"(Kyle) Vottero's flag constitutes core political speech, which is afforded the broadest protection by the First Amendment," according to the suit filed Sunday on behalf of Vottero by Indianapolis-based attorney Jay Meisenhelder.
U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon Wednesday granted Vottero's request for a 14-day temporary restraining order halting the city's effort to remove the flag, records show.
At issue, according to the suit, is a 3-foot by 5-foot flag Vottero posted outside his home in the 2800 block of Winterberry Road in protest against the 2020 election. The flag reportedly reads, "(Expletive) Joe Biden and HOA."
Vottero said he received a letter June 28 from Portage Code Enforcement Officer John Siroky ordering him to remove the flag, citing a violation of a city ordinance prohibiting signs or flag with obscene language. The sign was ordered to be removed by July 2 or the city would take further action.
The lawsuit argues a First Amendment violation, claiming the flag in question does not "fall within those relatively few categories of instances where prior decisions have established the power of government to deal more comprehensively with certain forms of individual expression."
"I immediately observed a male sleeping on the sofa and a filled wine glass nearby on a coffee table," the officer reported.
"Vottero's flag is neither obscene nor indecent, because it is not erotic," the suit claims.
He argues the message on the flag is protected political speech.
Portage Mayor Sue Lynch, who is among the city officials targeted by the suit, declined comment Friday morning other than saying that the litigation has been turned over to the proper officials, including city attorney Dan Whitten.
He is further accused of using two Twitter accounts and two Snapchat accounts without notifying authorities.
Whitten could not immediately be reached Friday morning.
Vottero is asking the court to prohibit the city from using its sign ordinance to remove his flag and to find the ordinance unconstitutional as it applies to political speech.
He is also seeking an unspecified amount of money to "make him whole with respect to emotional distress, humiliation, embarrassment, damage to reputation he has suffered."
Simon said he will soon set another hearing date in the case, records show.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into the Porter County Jail | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/portage-resident-files-suit-claiming-political-flag-with-expletive-outside-his-home-is-not-obscene/article_7f32139c-1cc9-11ee-8aee-370ddfa633b8.html | 2023-07-07T16:03:13 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/portage-resident-files-suit-claiming-political-flag-with-expletive-outside-his-home-is-not-obscene/article_7f32139c-1cc9-11ee-8aee-370ddfa633b8.html |
CROWN POINT — Lake County Treasurer John Petalas is warning the public to beware of phony tax bills being sent from an address in Texas.
Petalas said he received an inquiry recently from Humane Indiana in Munster about a letter from the “Tax Resolution Unit Lake County." It claimed that the animal shelter owed $707 in delinquent taxes.
“The letter is a scam. The Humane Society is a nonprofit organization, so they don’t owe any property taxes,” Petalas said.
A similar letter went out to a house on Gary’s west side, claiming that the resident owed more than $29,000 in overdue taxes. The letters are designed to scare people into sending money to the scammer by mail, Petalas said.
“I’m afraid a lot of these have been sent out and that some senior might just send a check to these people,” he said.
People are also reading…
Petalas said he called a telephone number listed on the letter and when someone answered, he identified himself as the county treasurer. “They hung up.” He called a second time, and the person at the other end cursed and hung up again.
He said the letters are postmarked from Dallas and are labeled “Distraint Warrant” in bold print. Petalas said that is a rarely used legal term and is not used by Lake County tax collectors.
Petalas said similar letters turned up last year in a western New York county south of Buffalo.
The Internal Revenue Service warns on its website that thousands of people have lost millions of dollars in a variety of tax scams that seek money and identification information that can be used to steal money.
“The IRS doesn't initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text messages or social media channels to request personal or financial information,” the website states. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-county-treasurer-warns-of-fake-tax-bill-mailings/article_9ed71c78-1c39-11ee-a4b1-1b264281e7cb.html | 2023-07-07T16:03:19 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-county-treasurer-warns-of-fake-tax-bill-mailings/article_9ed71c78-1c39-11ee-a4b1-1b264281e7cb.html |
LOCAL
Project REBUILD accepting applications for YouthBuild program that starts July 17
The Repository
CANTON – Project REBUILD, a nonprofit organization serving youth in Stark County, is accepting applications for its paid YouthBuild Greater Stark County Program that starts July 17.
Young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who aren't actively attending high school and are unemployed or underemployed are encouraged to apply for the nine-month education, work readiness, and youth development program. Youth with previous court involvement are encouraged to apply.
To submit an application or learn more, visit www.projectrebuild.org, or call the office at 330-588-3205, option 4 to learn more. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/project-rebuild-is-accepting-applications-for-a-for-the-nine-month-education-work-readiness-and-yout/70384670007/ | 2023-07-07T16:09:14 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/project-rebuild-is-accepting-applications-for-a-for-the-nine-month-education-work-readiness-and-yout/70384670007/ |
Ragtown Gospel Theater to present latest production 'Fire Drill in Nashville'
Ragtown Gospel Theater in Post presents an all-new production for six performances only.
Scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturdays, July 15, 22 and 29 and Aug. 5, 12 and 19, "Fire Drill in Nashville" tells the story of Thee Hallelujahs taking the coast-to-coast Holy Ghost Revival Crusade to Music City, USA.
"The irrepressible Reverend Joey Hallelujah’s tent revival is well on its way across America. In Nashville, Tennessee, he discovers the spot where they have erected the big revival tent has been reserved by another evangelist, Sister Lovonya Boudreaux," according to synopsis provided by Ragtown. "Joey quickly discovers Sister Lovonya is a force to be reckoned with — as does John K. Pernum, when he attempts to capture their confrontation for Thee Hallelujahs reality TV show."
At the same time, a strained relationship with his son --- a would-be country music star --- is complicated further when Shout Hallelujah attempts to persuade his daughter, Hosanna, to leave the revival crusade and join her parents and little brothers in a family singing group in Nashville.
All the Hallelujah family are in on the fun, making "Fire Drill in Nashville" a laughter-filled experience the whole family can enjoy.
"As with all Ragtown Gospel Theater productions, woven into the story is a powerful presentation of the love and grace of Jesus the whole world needs to hear," the site reads.
The production is written by Chip Polk and directed by Glenn Polk.
Chip Polk is joined by Jeff Bailey and other special guests from the cast to open with a memorable music show.
Tickets for this production are $22 for adults and $10 for children. Veterans and active military are admitted for free.
For more information, to purchase tickets or for directions to the theater, visit https://ragtown.com/ or call 1-877-RAGTOWN (877-724-8696), during regular business hours. | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/07/07/ragtown-gospel-theater-to-present-latest-production-fire-drill-in-nashville/70380625007/ | 2023-07-07T16:11:22 | 0 | https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/07/07/ragtown-gospel-theater-to-present-latest-production-fire-drill-in-nashville/70380625007/ |
NEWS
Watch Live: Funeral for slain Trooper Aaron Smith
Indianapolis Star
The funeral service for slain trooper Aaron Smith is being held Friday, July 7, at Emmanuel Church of Greenwood.
Smith, 33, had been on the Indiana State Police force for about five years and served in the state’s National Guard since 2011.
The trooper died after he was struck by a fleeing driver north of Interstate 70 on Ronald Reagan Parkway, just outside Indianapolis in Plainfield on June 28.
How to help:Donation funds for slain Indiana State Trooper Aaron Smith
Contact the reporter at 317-503-7514 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/watch-live-funeral-slain-indiana-trooper-aaron-smith-isp/70378430007/ | 2023-07-07T16:18:18 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/watch-live-funeral-slain-indiana-trooper-aaron-smith-isp/70378430007/ |
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — No, someone isn't dumping spaghetti on the beach like they did in the woods that one time... still, clumps of noodle-like plants are washing ashore along several Pinellas County beaches, leaving many people wondering what it is.
Thankfully, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWC) was able to shed some light on the situation and identify the mysterious substance.
FWC researchers started their "investigation" after someone reported seeing the white material wash ashore on a beach in Pinellas County, they explained on Facebook.
The culprit — Syringodium filiforme, FWC says. But let's call it by its common name — manatee grass!
Manatee grass is a "type of seagrass characterized by its cylindrical leaves, which have a remarkable buoyancy when detached from the roots and rhizomes of the plant," FWC said in part on Facebook.
"Once separated, the leaves floated to the surface where they were bleached over time by the intense tropical and subtropical sun — causing the white appearance," FWC continued.
FWC said their researchers went the extra step in "cracking the case" by comparing a sample of the bleached manatee grass to a sample of healthy manatee grass. Taking a peek under a microscope, researchers said they were able to confirm both samples were from the same plant.
If you happen upon manatee grass, bleached or not, you don't have to worry about coming into contact with it — it's harmless. Other things could be tangled up with it, so it's probably best to just leave it alone.
According to the University of Florida, manatee grass is the second-most common seagrass found in Florida waters. Its also frequently found throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas.
It's a favorite food for manatees, hence the name. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellas-county-beach-manatee-grass-what-is-it/67-f57dfca4-668f-40d4-8729-d0f8c265b9e1 | 2023-07-07T16:20:34 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellas-county-beach-manatee-grass-what-is-it/67-f57dfca4-668f-40d4-8729-d0f8c265b9e1 |
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — Pinellas County Solid Waste is considering changes to its recycling efforts, and they want to know what you think about it.
Officials want to revise the current solid waste ordinance to help the county reach its goal of zero waste to landfill by the year 2050. Public meetings will be held starting next week to discuss the changes being considered and to hear from residents.
In a news release from the county, "Pinellas County’s Chapter 106 Solid Waste (“Ordinance”) has not been significantly revised since the 1980s. To support the County’s 2020 30-year Solid Waste Master Plan (Master Plan) and its vision of zero waste to landfill by 2050, a countywide focus on waste reduction and recycling programs is needed."
The Department of Solid Waste (DSW) wants to hear from residents of unincorporated Pinellas County. The county is soliciting feedback on potential ordinance revisions. In the public sessions, an overview of the current solid waste management system will be explained, as well as why the county believes countywide waste reduction and recycling programs are needed.
"The public will be able to provide input about potential ordinance revisions that may affect residents and businesses in the unincorporated areas," the news release reads. "There will be additional public engagement opportunities within the next 12 months.
Three public engagement meetings are scheduled for this month:
- St. Petersburg College EpiCenter, 13805 58th Street N., Clearwater
- Tuesday, July 11, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Virtual session on Zoom, visit pinellas.gov/swordinancefor log-in instructions
- Monday, July 17, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Harbor Hall, 1190 Georgia Ave., Palm Harbor
- Wednesday, July 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Malique Rankin is a general assignment reporter with 10 Tampa Bay. You can email her story ideas at mrankin@10tampabay.com and follow her Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/pinellas-county-wants-input-on-recycling-changes/67-b691360f-b8f7-4317-b231-0830e213dea3 | 2023-07-07T16:20:40 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/pinellas-county-wants-input-on-recycling-changes/67-b691360f-b8f7-4317-b231-0830e213dea3 |
DULUTH — Small airplanes will be buzzing low, slow and loud over several neighborhoods in coming days, spraying against an infestation of spongy months, the invasive insects that defoliate trees.
Formerly called gypsy moths, spongy moths are marching east across the U.S. and the front line in the battle to slow their spread is now over the Northland.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture said aerial spraying will occur between July 12 and July 25, depending on the weather and the growth stage of the insect.
The planes will be spraying across 27,000 acres, including 14,000 acres near Holyoke in southeastern Carlton County and 9,700 acres in the Duluth area, including the Endion, East Hillside, Duluth Heights and Kenwood neighborhoods, as well as parts of Hermantown and Proctor.
A second block includes Piedmont and Denfeld neighborhoods and other western portions of Duluth and into Proctor.
ADVERTISEMENT
A third block includes Midway Township areas just north of Interstate 35 and west of Proctor to about Midway Road.
The material being sprayed is a non-toxic, water-based, biodegradable mating disruptor — not an insecticide. The disruptor doesn’t kill anything, but lures male moths away from females and stops them from successfully producing more moths.
Minnesota entomologists found a record number of spongy moths in the state in 2022. More than 101,000 male spongy moths were caught in traps in 2022 in Minnesota — eight times the number caught in 2021, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture reports. Most moths were caught in Lake and Cook counties, but more are being found in Duluth and Carlton County as well. The 2022 catch broke the previous record set in 2013, when about 71,000 male moths were trapped.
The European native moths are considered a major problem for North American trees because they have few natural enemies here and can overwhelm patches of forest, defoliating trees quickly. They will munch on more than 300 species of trees and bushes, including aspen, birch and oak.
Spongy moth caterpillars can defoliate trees several times in one growing season, unlike native pests like the forest tent caterpillar which generally defoliate trees only once per season. Most of the trees survive losing all their leaves, but some — up to 20 % in one Wisconsin study — succumb to the stress and die.
The Department of Agriculture says the aircraft may begin treatment in the early morning and may continue into the evening, weather permitting. Residents may be awakened on that day by the noise of the airplane or hear it later in the day depending when the area is treated.
The aircraft flies over the treatment block, making sequential passes. It will be low, about 100-200 feet above the treetops, and loud.
The department offers the following tips and information to residents in and around the treatment area:
- The residue from the SPLAT (Specialized Pheromone and Lure Application Technology) GM-O product will not damage a vehicle's finish or outdoor items; however, you may notice a fine mist on the surface. Residents may wish to park vehicles indoors to avoid having to wash them after the application. Soapy water will remove any residue on vehicles or outdoor items.
- SPLAT GM-O has no known health effects for humans, but residents may wish to stay indoors during the treatment and keep windows closed for a half hour after application.
- SPLAT GM-O has no known health effects for pets; however, they may be startled by the noise from the low-flying aircraft.
Since 1970, more than 83 million acres, an area equal to 37 Yellowstone national parks, have been defoliated by the spongy moth in the U.S., about 700,000 acres annually in recent years, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The name "spongy," from the common French word "spongieuse," refers to the moth's egg mass, which have the color and texture of a sea sponge. The insect's name was changed in 2022 because its former name was considered offensive to the Romani people of Europe.
Spongy moths first came to the eastern U.S. from Europe in the 1860s, arriving by ship, and have been expanding ever since. They travel slowly on their own but have ridden west as egg clusters on cars, trucks, trains, trailers and campers. They have been in eastern Wisconsin since the 1970s and have now spread across the entire state and into eastern Minnesota.
ADVERTISEMENT
The moth does its damage when it's in its caterpillar stage. Forest health experts say the moths can't be stopped. But their westward movement can be slowed, and outbreaks can be kept smaller, with annual aerial spraying efforts where the largest concentrations of moths are located.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has been setting traps across eastern portions of the state for years, using scent to lure male moths in, and last summer they came in record numbers. The high number of male moths trapped wouldn't necessarily indicate that large-scale defoliation is certain.
But, for the first time, 2022 saw several public reports of both spongy moth egg masses and caterpillars in the Arrowhead region. And state entomologists found egg masses "at almost every location surveyed" along the North Shore, according to the Department of Natural Resources annual forest pest report. Because each egg mass can contain 500-1,000 eggs, infestations that may start small can grow rapidly.
In Wisconsin, the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection will be spraying against spongy moths at 37 sites in 10 counties this summer: Washburn, Barron, Chippewa, Crawford, Dunn, Grant, La Crosse, Lafayette, Rusk and Vernon.
For more information on the Minnesota spraying effort, go to mda.state.mn.us/smtreatments.
For more information on spongy moths and treatment efforts in Wisconsin, go to smaerialspray.wi.gov. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/planes-to-spray-areas-of-duluth-carlton-county-for-spongy-moths | 2023-07-07T16:23:15 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/planes-to-spray-areas-of-duluth-carlton-county-for-spongy-moths |
BIWABIK — A man who was found dead in a chest freezer last month entered the appliance on his own accord while attempting to evade police, according to preliminary findings by investigators.
The body of Brandon Lee Buschman, 34, of Babbitt, was recovered from a chest freezer in the basement of a home at 304 Fourth Ave. N. in Biwabik on June 26. The residence had been unoccupied since February.
Gilbert Police Chief Ty Techar indicated Friday that foul play is not suspected based on several interviews conducted with those familiar with Buschman.
"The individuals revealed that Buschman was last seen by those present in the home fleeing from the upstairs area of the house due to a possible police presence near the residence," Techar said. "Buschman had an active outstanding warrant for his arrest."
Techar did not specify when the incident occurred, and he did not immediately respond to an inquiry from the News Tribune. He wrote that investigators were "continuing to narrow down the timeline regarding the last time that Buschman was seen alive."
ADVERTISEMENT
The chief described the freezer as an "older model with a latching mechanism on the outside." When closed, it is not capable of being pushed open from inside. The unit was not running when Buschman's body was found, as Techar said the residence had no utilities since April 2022.
Police indicated all evidence points to Buschman climbing into the freezer on his own.
"Investigators located a metal lawn ornament rod that was inserted from inside of the freezer towards the latching mechanism," Techar reported. "The rod was jammed between the gasket and manufactured edge, preventing the rod from being able to manipulate the latching mechanism from the inside."
An autopsy conducted by the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office also showed no evidence of trauma or injury. Final toxicology reports will not be available for at least several more weeks.
The Gilbert Police Department, which contracts with the city of Biwabik, is leading the investigation. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, St. Louis County Sheriff's Office and East Range, Chisholm and Babbitt police departments have assisted. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/police-iron-range-man-who-died-in-freezer-was-hiding-from-cops | 2023-07-07T16:23:25 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/police-iron-range-man-who-died-in-freezer-was-hiding-from-cops |
ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Va. – An Alleghany County man has been sentenced to serve 25 years for several charges including sexual acts with children as well as child porn, according to Sheriff Hall with the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation started back on June 18 of 2021 when Internet Crimes Against Children notified the Sheriff’s Office of apparent child pornography that had been uploaded onto the KIK app. Authorities were then able to determine the location of the uploaded images was on Dunlap Creek Road in Covington.
Investigators with the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office then executed search warrants on electronic devices, the electronic service provider and at a home on Dunlap Creek Road. Once that phase of the investigation was over, indictments were sought against Dakota Garett Seymour, 25. He was arrested on May 4, 2022 and incarcerated in Alleghany Regional Jail without bond.
Seymour was charged with sodomy, age of victim 13 years or less, child pornography - reproduce, indecent liberties with a child less than 15 years old, and producing child pornography with a victim less than 15 years of age.
On Sept. 27, 2022 Seymour pled guilty to sodomy and the reproduction of child pornography and on June 13, 2023, he was sentenced to 20 years on the sodomy charge and 5 years on the reproduction of child porn charge.
Seymour is still incarcerated at Alleghany Regional Jail and will eventually be remanded to a Dept. of Corrections facility. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/alleghany-county-man-sentenced-to-25-years-for-sexual-acts-with-children-child-porn/ | 2023-07-07T16:23:27 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/alleghany-county-man-sentenced-to-25-years-for-sexual-acts-with-children-child-porn/ |
On Friday, Virginia State Police reported five fatalities in four traffic crashes over the July 4 holiday weekend.
We’re told of the fatalities, one was a motorcyclist, two were drivers and two were passengers.
Police said the crashes took place in Arlington, Buchanan, Charles City, and Craig counties.
This year, state police participated in Operation Crash Awareness Reduction Effort (C.A.R.E.) Operation CARE is a state-sponsored, national program intended to reduce crashes, fatalities, and injuries.
“We are in the height of the summer travel season, so traffic safety should be of the utmost importance for all Virginians,” Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent said. “Excessive speeding, drivers and passengers failing to buckle up and distracted driving continue to put all at risk traveling on our highways. Our state troopers cannot be everywhere all the time. We need Virginians to put forth the extra effort and comply with speed limits, buckle up, and put the phone down. That’s how we save lives on our highways.”
Over the 2022 Independence Day weekend, VSP said Virginia troopers:
- Arrested 36 drivers for operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Cited 2,051 speeders
- Cited 980 reckless drivers
- Cited 254 individuals for not wearing seatbelts
- Cited 74 drivers for children not being properly secured in a vehicle
- Cited 124 drivers for being in violation of the state’s “hands-free” law
VSP investigated 377 total traffic crashes statewide and assisted 392 disabled/stranded motorists during the July 4 statistical period. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/state-police-report-five-fatalities-in-traffic-crashes-over-the-holiday-weekend/ | 2023-07-07T16:23:34 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/state-police-report-five-fatalities-in-traffic-crashes-over-the-holiday-weekend/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – BREAKING UPDATE
William Fleming school officials have confirmed that the employee charged is Warren Craft, an assistant football coach at the school.
10 News reached out to Roanoke City Schools to discuss the charges, and officials confirmed the letter sent was in regard to Craft.
According to online Roanoke City Circuit Court documents, Craft has been charged with indecent liberties with a child and carnal knowledge.
10 News has reached out to Roanoke City Police for more information on the incident and is waiting for a response.
The offense date listed on both charges is Nov. 23, 2021 and they went before a grand jury on July 5, 2023. Craft is a former UVA player and played for the Cavaliers in 2017, after being a standout athlete at William Fleming High School.
ORIGINAL STORY
A William Fleming employee has been charged and arrested for crimes against a student, according to an email sent to parents from school officials.
School officials said that any individuals named in the investigation have been contacted and the employee has been on leave since the allegations were made.
Officials also said that the employee’s employment status will be determined pending the results of the investigation and that school and division administrators are providing the RCPD and the Commonwealth’s Attorney with the information needed for the investigation.
School officials did not provide the name of the employee and stated that they are limited in what they can say due to the police investigation. 10 News is working to confirm the identity of the employee.
You can find the full email sent to families below:
William Fleming High School Families,
We are writing to inform you that the Roanoke City Police Department (RCPD) has charged and arrested a school employee for crimes committed against a student.
While we are limited in what we can say due to the police investigation, we have promised you transparency; therefore, we want to make you aware that:
• All individuals named in this investigation have been contacted.
• School and division administrators are providing the RCPD and the Commonwealth’s Attorney with the information needed for the investigation.
• The employee has been on leave since the allegations were made.
• The employee’s employment status will be determined pending the results of the investigation.
Roanoke City Public Schools and William Fleming High School take the safety and well-being of our students seriously and it is our top priority. Prior to employment, all applicants are vetted through a rigorous process of background checks and reviews. Continuous training and attention to student safety and well-being is an ongoing focus in RCPS.
As educators, we are entrusted with the well-being of the children in our care every day. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We are dedicated to supporting our students and our William Fleming community in any way we can and encourage students in need of counseling to reach out to their school counselor or to call Carilion Connect at (540) 981.8181 for immediate assistance.
Thank you for your support of William Fleming High School.
Roanoke City Public Schools | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/william-fleming-employee-charged-for-crimes-against-a-student/ | 2023-07-07T16:23:40 | 1 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/07/william-fleming-employee-charged-for-crimes-against-a-student/ |
East Jordan holds annual Freedom Festival with dunk tank fun
EAST JORDAN — Each year, the East Jordan area kicks off summer with their annual Freedom Festival. This year's events took place from June 21-25.
The Freedom Festival weekend was filled with parades, fireworks, and the famous Friday night block party. The block party features the dunk tank sponsored by BA Accounting and this year the East Jordan Ambulance Association had an all-star lineup in the dunk tank. Some local celebrities willing to get dunked in icy cold water were: East Jordan City Manager Tom Cannon, Scott Gillespie of the Depot Teen Center, East Jordan Police Chief George Lasater Jr., Matt Hamilton of the East Jordan Public Schools, and Nikki Skrocki of The Insurance Shop.
Subscribe:Check out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231)675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com. Follow her on Twitter, @adoylenews | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/07/07/east-jordan-holds-annual-freedom-festival-with-dunk-tank-fun/70383125007/ | 2023-07-07T16:33:33 | 1 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/entertainment/local/2023/07/07/east-jordan-holds-annual-freedom-festival-with-dunk-tank-fun/70383125007/ |
Charlevoix heroes: Civilians and officers recognized for recent life-saving actions
CHARLEVOIX — At the July 3 Charlevoix City Council meeting, Chief of Police Jill McDonnell presented awards to law enforcement officers and civilians for their heroic life-saving efforts in two recent emergency situations.
Civilians Heather Lewis and Cam Done and Charlevoix Police Officers Barbara Orban and Christopher Munk were recognized for saving the life of a 73-year-old runner at the Charlevoix Marathon on June 17.
At approximately 10:30 a.m. on the day of the marathon, a participant in the event from Indiana collapsed as he was approaching the finish line. Bystander Done was first on the scene and found the man didn't have a pulse and called 911. Off-duty registered nurse Lewis saw what had occurred and rushed to the scene and began administering CPR.
Responding to the 911 call, officers Orban and Munk aided Lewis in her efforts. Orban deployed a defibrillator, then Lewis continued CPR and Munk administered breaths to the man. After another round of CPR, Lewis was finally able to detect a pulse and EMS took over shortly afterward, according to McDonnell.
Subscribe:Check out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you
Charlevoix Police Officer Morgan Stewart was recognized for pulling a pedestrian out of the path of a vehicle on May 26.
While crossing the street, Officer Stewart moved the pedestrian who was in a crosswalk to safety as a vehicle who didn't see either of them barreled down the street, nearly hitting them. Officer Stewart risked his own life in a situation that could have been fatal if action had not been taken, according to McDonnell.
— Contact reporter Annie Doyle at (231)675-0099 or adoyle@charlevoixcourier.com. Follow her on Twitter, @adoylenews | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/charlevoix/2023/07/07/charlevoix-civilians-and-officers-recognized-for-recent-life-saving-actions/70383012007/ | 2023-07-07T16:34:27 | 1 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/charlevoix/2023/07/07/charlevoix-civilians-and-officers-recognized-for-recent-life-saving-actions/70383012007/ |
Early start, new events mark arrival of 58th Alpenfest celebration
GAYLORD — Coming off a record year in 2022 that saw attendance top 80,000, the 58th Alpenfest returns with an earlier start and even more activities and entertainment.
This year's festival will take over downtown Gaylord from July 11 through July 15.
"A lot of our vendors and crafters all signed up again for this year. We have a maximum amount of vendors (65) and a waiting list and that makes me very happy," said Ken Mattei of the Alpenfest board.
Alpenfest's entertainment last year usually drew 1,000 people underneath the Pavilion on South Court Avenue, noted Mattei.
"(The concerts) were sold out and we had another 400 to 500 people in lawn chairs around the Pavilion," he said. "Our entertainment stage will be packed and we will start earlier than we normally do."
On Saturday, July 8 the Genesee Valley Concert Band will be playing a wide variety of music including patriotic numbers to celebrate the Fourth of July. They will perform at 7 p.m. at the Pavilion and there is no charge to attend. Mattei said food will be available from one of the sports teams at Gaylord High School.
The annual Alpenfest Street Sweep will begin at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 9. The public is encouraged to bring a broom and join the Alpenfest Committee and Black Jackets as they sweep the streets clean prior to the start of the festival.
Alpenfest opening ceremonies will occur an hour earlier at 5 p.m. on July 11 with the annual Willkommen from Gaylord Mayor Todd Sharrard, and the singing of the National Anthem. The Ralph Holewinski VFW Post 1518 will headline the Presentation of Colors while the 2023 Alpenfest der Buergermeister, Dona Wishart, along with the Honored Business, Dar and Edelweiss Award winners will also appear.
New this year will be a daily wood carving demonstration in the Alpenstrasse.
"We will raffle off one of the carvings each day to those who purchase a raffle ticket," said Mattei. "The money will be donated to five different local charities."
Mattei said organizers have added events for pets and their owners.
"In our art tent we will have dog obedience training which will go over the basics of training a dog. We will also have an Ugly Dog contest and a pet parade," Mattei said.
SubscribeCheck out our latest offers and read the local news that matters to you
Also debuting this year will be the Miss Alpenfest Princess competition in addition to the Alpenfest Queen and her court.
"Normally we have the queen competition but this year we included the princess with over 20 little girls (ages 7 to 12) competing," said Mattei.
Alpenfest pins that give festivalgoers access to entertainment and other events will again cost $5 each and are available at the merchandise booth in the Alpenstrasse and at the Gaylord Area Chamber of Commerce.
A full listing of Alpenfest events can be found at gaylordalpenfest.com.
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at pwelitzkin@gaylordheraldtimes.com. | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2023/07/07/early-start-new-events-mark-arrival-of-58th-alpenfest-celebration/70383561007/ | 2023-07-07T16:34:33 | 1 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2023/07/07/early-start-new-events-mark-arrival-of-58th-alpenfest-celebration/70383561007/ |
Seymour man killed in 4th of July crash in South Knox County
Liz Kellar
Knoxville News Sentinel
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office has identified the victim of a fatal Fourth of July crash as Mark Anthony Dinkins, 54, of Seymour.
Officers responded to a single-vehicle, single-occupant crash just before 12:30 a.m. July 4 in the 600 block of West Marine Road in South Knox County, a spokesperson said in a press release. The vehicle struck a utility pole, the release said. Dinkins was pronounced dead at the scene.
Liz Kellar is a public safety reporter. Email lkellar@knoxnews.com.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe. | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/seymour-man-killed-4th-of-july-crash-in-south-knox-county/70383509007/ | 2023-07-07T16:38:01 | 1 | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2023/07/07/seymour-man-killed-4th-of-july-crash-in-south-knox-county/70383509007/ |
SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — Firefighters are working to put out flames at a South Fulton apartment complex on Friday, according to the department on Twitter.
It started at an apartment on the 5400 block of Old National Highway, officials said. Four units are completely destroyed.
The department said there were no injuries to report and that EMS was on the scene assisting. The cause of the fire is unknown.
News happens fast. Download our 11Alive News app for all the latest breaking updates, and sign up for our Speed Feed newsletter to get a rundown of the latest headlines across north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/crews-battling-fire-south-fulton-apartment-complex-old-national/85-1e7d808a-c36f-4070-aff2-9d6a229964f6 | 2023-07-07T16:44:21 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/crews-battling-fire-south-fulton-apartment-complex-old-national/85-1e7d808a-c36f-4070-aff2-9d6a229964f6 |
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A 31-year-old father of four who had been living in Alexandria, Virginia for less than a year was gunned down early Monday morning as he finished up a late Lyft shift.
Nasrat Ahmad Yar's wife wanted him to come home after a night out with friends, but he told her rent was due soon and he needed to keep working, right before he was shot and killed in his car.
DC Police officers responded to 11th Street Northeast, near D Street Northeast, just after midnight for a reported shooting, and found Ahmad Yar with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital for treatment but died of his injuries.
"He was so happy he got a new car because he could take care of his family," his best friend Rahim Amini told WUSA9. "His wife asked him to stay home but he said, 'I have to pay rent. I don't have that much money. I have to work.'"
Ahmad Yar was the sole provider for his wife and four children, ages 13 years to 15 months, and was still sending money home to family overseas in Afghanistan. He served as an interpreter alongside U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan. Ahmad Yar escaped with his family in 2021 after the fall of the Afghan government to the Taliban.
Amini said Ahmad Yar would often drive up to 12 hours a day for Lyft to make ends meet. A GoFundMe has been set up to provide help for Yar's family left behind. The local Afghan community also started a donation page.
Loved ones described him as hardworking, generous, diligent and positive.
"We need justice for Nasrat," his cousin Samim Amiri said. "That's all the family wants."
'He was always helping'
Ahmad Yar and his family first moved to Philadelphia, before relocating to Alexandria. He felt unsafe in Pennsylvania after being robbed at gunpoint, according to his friend Jeramie Malone.
"I can't emphasize enough how he was always helping," Malone added. "Leaving the house was very dangerous for him, but he was always eager to help somebody else who is a good guy. His children were the most important thing to him, and he brought them here so he could be safe."
Malone helped his family relocate to the U.S. through a volunteer organization. They fled to Abu Dhabi in 2021 from Mazar-i-Sharif, an evacuation site. Since he served as an interpreter for the U.S. government, Ahmad Yar was considered a target for the Taliban.
"He was most certainly a marked man if he stayed," Retired Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Butler told WUSA9. "He served this country a great deal more than I did. I did 42 months in combat but that was nowhere near what he had."
Butler, who was with the U.S. Army Special Forces, worked closely with Ahmad Yar in Camp Vance of the Bagram Airfield for two of his deployments. He last saw Ahmad Yar in Pennsylvania in 2022, and helped start his immigration process before the Taliban takeover.
"You just don't have words to describe how you feel about someone who had given so much to his country, not as a citizen, but then comes here and experiences some of the worst behavior our country has to offer," Butler said. "The irony is really thick here."
Home surveillance video captures gunshot
Nest camera footage on the night of the shooting was sent to WUSA9 by a neighbor who lived nearby. In the surveillance video, you hear a single gunshot and then see four boys running down an alley near the in the 400 block of 11th Street Northeast where Nasrat gunned down in his car. In the video you hear one of the boys shouting, "You killed him! He was about to get out" and another responds, "he was reaching, bro."
"There's like a lot of questions we should be asking like: Why do these kids have access to a gun," the woman who sent the Nest video to WUSA9, said. "Will they be held accountable? Why don't they comprehend life-altering consequences of pulling the trigger. Who is this person?"
Lyft confirmed that Nasrat was a driver for their platform.
"Our hearts are with Mr. Nasrat's loved ones as they confront this unspeakable tragedy," Lyft said in a statement after Nasrat's death. "We have reached out to his family to offer our support and are in contact with law enforcement to assist with their investigation."
According to DC Police stats, there have been 127 homicides so far this year, which is a 19% increase from the same period in 2022.
A $25,000 reward is being offered for anyone that can provide information that will result in an arrest in this case. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the police at 202-727-9099. Additionally, anonymous information may be submitted to the department’s TEXT TIP LINE by sending a text message to 50411. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/lyft-driver-killed-dc-afghanistan-interpreter-us-army-special-forces-escaped-taliban-father-of-four/65-9210b742-2fc8-4292-a440-07b8cee60ef6 | 2023-07-07T16:44:27 | 0 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/lyft-driver-killed-dc-afghanistan-interpreter-us-army-special-forces-escaped-taliban-father-of-four/65-9210b742-2fc8-4292-a440-07b8cee60ef6 |
GLEN BURNIE — Four teens from Baltimore were arrested early Friday morning after breaking into a Glen Burnie mall.
At 1:30 a.m., officers responded to calls for a burglary at Marley Station Mall in the 7000 block of Ritchie Highway.
When officers arrived on scene, the suspects attempted to escape but were apprehended by incoming officers assisted by K-9.
According to police, the suspects gained entry into the mall by shattering a door.
Once inside, the suspects went into Carnage Gaming and Kicks and started removing several boxes of shoes.
During the investigation, police also learned the vehicle the suspects arrived to the mall in was stolen.
The suspects ages range from 15-years-old to 13 years of age.
Four of the five suspects were arrested and charged.
Note: The last suspect was too young to be arrested. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/four-teens-arrested-for-breaking-into-mall-trying-to-steal-shoes | 2023-07-07T16:47:47 | 1 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/four-teens-arrested-for-breaking-into-mall-trying-to-steal-shoes |
WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. — Maryland State Police arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of a teenager and the shooting of a man on April 16 in Wicomico County.
The suspect is identified as a 16-year-old boy from Salisbury, Maryland. He is charged with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, attempted murder and related charges.
His name is being withheld due to his age.
He was arrested in Baltimore before being taken to the Maryland State Police Glen Burnie Barrack for processing.
A little after midnight on April 16, officers from the Salisbury Police Department responded to 911 calls reporting shots fired in the 300 block of E. Carroll Street near Buena Vista Avenue.
Responding officers found both victims suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
The deceased victim is identified as Ja’siah Sin’cer Johnson, 16, and he was taken to TidalHealth Peninsula Medical Center where he died from his injuries.
Police say Jamere Capri Mayne, 22, was also injured and taken to the same medical center to receive treatment for his injuries.
The Maryland State Police Homicide Unit was requested to respond and take the lead on this investigation.
Anyone with information about this shooting is urged to contact Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack at 410-749-3101. Callers may remain anonymous. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/teen-arrested-for-double-shooting-in-wicomico-county | 2023-07-07T16:47:53 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/teen-arrested-for-double-shooting-in-wicomico-county |
On Friday, Baltimore Police announced that a 17-year-old they believe to be involved in the mass shooting on Sunday, has been arrested.
He has been charged with three counts of weapons-related violations, and reckless endangerment. Notably, he has not been charged with any counts of homicide or attempted homicide.
Police, in a statement called the investigation still "open and ongoing," adding that three of the 28 injured victims remain at the hospital and are listed in fair condition.
There is an up to $28,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest and charges in this case.
Homicide detectives need your help in locating those responsible for the death of 20-year-old Kylis Fagbemi and 18-year-old Aaliyah Gonzalez.
— Baltimore Police (@BaltimorePolice) July 3, 2023
Anyone with information is urged to contact Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.
Metro Crime Stoppers Of Maryland pic.twitter.com/sP952ABW0V
This story is breaking and will be updated. | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/teen-arrested-in-connection-with-mass-shooting-in-brooklyn-neighborhood | 2023-07-07T16:47:59 | 0 | https://www.wmar2news.com/local/teen-arrested-in-connection-with-mass-shooting-in-brooklyn-neighborhood |
Here's how Mauldin will use $1.5 million in SC funding for city improvements
The City of Mauldin will be receiving $1.5 million for improvements to City infrastructure and facilities from the Fiscal Year 2024 South Carolina state budget.
The budget will include $1 million for sidewalk safety improvements, $250,000 for the Mauldin Fire Department and the $250,000 for the Ray W. Hopkins Senior Center.
Funding for the Mauldin Fire Department will be used for facility repairs. It will also be used for improvements at the department's four existing fire stations and equipment purchases.
Funding will also enhance sidewalk safety, with repairs and remediation of existing sidewalks. New sidewalks will be built in the City as well, with a focus on Miller Road, said the press release.
“This sidewalk safety project will play a key role in improving the mobility of residents and visitors and connecting residential neighborhoods with our schools,” stated Mayor Merritt. “We appreciate this assistance from the state, as these projects are vital to the continued growth and development of Mauldin and the future success of our region.”
Nina Tran covers trending topics for the Greenville News. Reach her via email at ntran@gannett.com | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/greenville/2023/07/07/mauldin-receives-1-5-million-in-fy2024-state-funding-funding-for-senior-center-sidewalks-city-sc/70388988007/ | 2023-07-07T16:55:01 | 0 | https://www.greenvilleonline.com/story/news/local/greenville/2023/07/07/mauldin-receives-1-5-million-in-fy2024-state-funding-funding-for-senior-center-sidewalks-city-sc/70388988007/ |
SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio Police said a road rage incident led to a shooting on the west side Friday morning.
The shooting happened at the 2600 block of South Zarzamora around 8 a.m. Friday.
Police say the suspect shot a man after reportedly being cut off in traffic. The bullets went through the truck and hit the victim in the leg.
The victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition.
The suspect took off and has not yet been arrested. Police do not have a description of the vehicle.
This is a developing story and further details will be added as they are received.
Learn more about KENS 5:
Since going on the air in 1950, KENS 5 has strived to be the best, most trusted news and entertainment source for generations of San Antonians.
KENS 5 has brought numerous firsts to South Texas television, including being the first local station with a helicopter, the first with its own Doppler radar and the first to air a local morning news program.
Over the years, KENS 5 has worked to transform local news. Our cameras have been the lens bringing history into local viewers' homes. We're proud of our legacy as we serve San Antonians today.
Today, KENS 5 continues to set the standard in local broadcasting and is recognized by its peers for excellence and innovation. The KENS 5 News team focuses on stories that really matter to our community.
You can find KENS 5 in more places than ever before, including KENS5.com, the KENS 5 app, the KENS 5 YouTube channel, KENS 5's Roku and Fire TV apps, and across social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more!
Want to get in touch with someone at KENS 5? You can send a message using our Contacts page or email one of our team members. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/road-rage-incident-leads-to-shooting-on-zarzamora-san-antonio-texas/273-06aa5001-b900-4451-acec-735c9006c40e | 2023-07-07T16:56:22 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/road-rage-incident-leads-to-shooting-on-zarzamora-san-antonio-texas/273-06aa5001-b900-4451-acec-735c9006c40e |
LYNNWOOD, Wash. — A customer at a Lynnwood 7-Eleven was shot in the leg while intervening in a robbery early Friday morning, the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office (SCSO) said.
Around 2:50 a.m., SCSO deputies responded to an attempted robbery at a 7-Eleven location on 148th Avenue SW. Four suspects took items from the convenience store, and were confronted by a regular customer of the 7-Eleven as they were exiting the location.
The four suspects are said to have gotten into their car, and one of them shot the customer in the leg before their vehicle fled the scene. The customer was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Deputies later located the suspects and a pursuit was initiated, where the vehicle was tracked to Everett. The car with the four suspects ended up crashing near 35th Street and Grand Avenue into an unoccupied civilian car.
One suspect, an 18-year-old man, was taken into custody but three others remain outstanding, according to SCSO.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/lynnwood-7-eleven-customer-shot-intervene-robbery/281-52fa9abd-b812-4bb6-8792-2c80c0146188 | 2023-07-07T16:59:53 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/lynnwood-7-eleven-customer-shot-intervene-robbery/281-52fa9abd-b812-4bb6-8792-2c80c0146188 |
SEATTLE — Nearly half a million fans are expected to gather in Seattle for part of MLB All-Star Week, and the roads around T-Mobile Park and Lumen Field will see above-average congestion throughout the schedule of events between July 7-11.
The Mariners have created a fun way for fans to beat the traffic, with walking and biking maps for fans of the surrounding areas involved in the various All-Star Game events.
"Our paths kind of take our fans through the different neighborhoods of Seattle and gets them right here," said Kelsey Smith, the Mariners' senior manager of ballpark operations.
Smith rides a bike to the ballpark for work most days. She said the team reached out to fans in advance of All-Star Week for help creating the routes.
"We've compiled this list from Ballard, to Cap Hill from Fremont district, U-District, Chinatown International District," Smith said.
There are maps available to guide fans from transit stations to major event areas.
Accessibility for all is the main goal for Smith's team.
"So really focusing on not having too many strenuous hills, we all know Seattle can be pretty hilly," Smith said. "To trying to find the lowest number of hills possible to get to the ballpark.:
There will be 150 bike spaces available for free. A new ride-share lot was unveiled to make pick-ups and drop-offs easier for users of Uber or Lyft.
For the remainder of All-Star Week, these kinds of transit alternatives will be necessary.
"On a typical day, we are still rolling over 100 routes," said Al Sanders of King County Metro. "And we are carrying over 250,000 people every day. With this event, we're going to we're asking people who work here and who go to regular Mariner games to think of this as a sold-out game."
Sanders said King County Metro has been planning for months. Service on the King County Water Taxi will be extended for both the Home Run Derby on Monday and the All-Star Game itself on Tuesday.
Extra buses will be on standby just minutes away from the ballpark.
"If there is an overflow, we've got large crowds waiting to leave the game," Sanders said. "A call will be put into the bullpen we'll have buses ready to come in and pick up passengers and get them away from the fields."
Agencies will be monitoring traffic throughout the week and adjusting transportation plans accordingly, so keep an eye out for updates from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) as well as King County Metro. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/transportation-guide-mlb-all-star-week-seattle/281-06201869-47ca-425d-8132-5038f951be56 | 2023-07-07T16:59:59 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/transportation-guide-mlb-all-star-week-seattle/281-06201869-47ca-425d-8132-5038f951be56 |
ABILENE, Texas — Hardin-Simmons University is hosting the Abilene Fire Department’s deep water rescue training Friday, July 14.
The university said in a release that Abilene firefighters will use scuba gear for the training and utilize the Brand Swimming Pool on campus.
“HSU UREC is excited to provide our facility space and resources to the local Fire Department as a way to give back to our first responders in the Abilene community, and a way to say thank you for keeping the city of Abilene and patrons safe,” Chantelle Lancaster, director of the Fletcher Fitness Center, said in the release. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/hardin-simmons-to-host-abilene-fire-department-for-deep-water-rescue-training/504-fd31feb7-80b7-4cf4-96bf-3763817094ed | 2023-07-07T17:00:31 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/hardin-simmons-to-host-abilene-fire-department-for-deep-water-rescue-training/504-fd31feb7-80b7-4cf4-96bf-3763817094ed |
ABILENE, Texas — The Abilene Police Department needs the public's help finding David Rucker, 16. He was last seen on North Mockingbird Lane in a white Dallas Cowboys shirt, black shorts and flip-flops.
David is disabled and needs regular medical attention, the APD said on social media.
If you see him or have seen him, call the APD at 325-673-8331. | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/have-you-seen-him-abilene-pd-needs-the-publics-help-finding-missing-teen/504-9bd9c888-3cd4-417b-a7aa-ed09fa191e33 | 2023-07-07T17:00:37 | 0 | https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/have-you-seen-him-abilene-pd-needs-the-publics-help-finding-missing-teen/504-9bd9c888-3cd4-417b-a7aa-ed09fa191e33 |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
For Mark Jones, the recent $2.95 million sale of a Baldwin Park home that set a new high-water mark for the trendy neighborhood is more than just a feather in the cap for LRK, the architecture and design firm where he is a principal and which designed the home.
Read: ‘Jaws’-themed restaurant announces updated location in Central Florida, opening date
Rather, because he and his firm serve as town architect for the 1,093-acre community, the sale — and other recent sales like it topping $2.5 million — represents a proof of concept for the development, which opened in 2003 and is celebrating two decades this year.
Jones described the role of town architect as that of a “keeper of the vision,” and it’s one his firm also is responsible for in Celebration and Oakland Park — two of the region’s other popular communities.
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/biggest-lessons-learned-baldwin-parks-success-20-years-later/QXSHFHVF6JCSZJNL2LOOZPI4KQ/ | 2023-07-07T17:01:44 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/biggest-lessons-learned-baldwin-parks-success-20-years-later/QXSHFHVF6JCSZJNL2LOOZPI4KQ/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — An American crocodile named “Bonecrusher” brought notoriety to Gatorland in the 1950s. Now, the park is celebrating the birth of his latest line of descendants.
The hatchlings are descendants of his son, Bonecrusher II, and an American Crocodile named Pretty Croc.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
“This is an incredibly special event for all of us as we welcome the third generation of Bonecrushers into our Gatorland family,” said Mark McHugh, president and CEO of Gatorland. “The original Bonecrusher was such an iconic symbol of the early years at Gatorland, and the continuation of his lineage is symbolic of the generational growth of our family park.”
Read: Meet Yuma & Sakari: 5-month-old Florida panthers arrive at Gatorland
Team members said they retrieved the eggs from a nest inside Bonecrusher II’s exhibit.
Officials said members of Gatorland’s Animal Care Team incubated the crocodile eggs and watched over them as they hatched over Father’s Day weekend.
Read: ‘A truly remarkable alligator’: Gatorland icon Chester dies at 60
At birth, the hatchlings were seven to eight inches long. Fully grown, at about ten to twelve years old, they’re expected to weigh an average of 880 pounds and measure up to 14 feet long.
See photos of the babies and the original Bonecrusher here.
Photos: Gatorland celebrates birth of baby crocs, 3rd-generation descendants of ‘Bonecrusher’
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/gatorland-celebrates-birth-baby-crocs-3rd-generation-descendants-bonecrusher/MFC2LHIAGNBNZOHBLZBLJ3UQT4/ | 2023-07-07T17:01:51 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/gatorland-celebrates-birth-baby-crocs-3rd-generation-descendants-bonecrusher/MFC2LHIAGNBNZOHBLZBLJ3UQT4/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
More details have emerged about Central Florida’s first Slim Chickens restaurant that is set to debut in Kissimmee.
Read: ‘Jaws’-themed restaurant announces updated location in Central Florida, opening date
The Fayetteville, Arkansas-based chicken chain is building a 3,920-square-foot eatery at the corner of Celebration Drive and World Boulevard in Kissimmee at Unicorp’s Celebration Pointe development, according to plans filed with the state.
The application, filed June 26, shows the restaurant will feature two drive-thru lanes that merge into a single lane.
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-latest-future-local-slim-chickens-restaurant/6NYGQVIJRZAV3EK2USMA4GOOZM/ | 2023-07-07T17:01:53 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/heres-latest-future-local-slim-chickens-restaurant/6NYGQVIJRZAV3EK2USMA4GOOZM/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.
As recently as 2018, Akarsh Kolaprath was telling people there was no better place to be in the apartment business than Central Florida.
Read: ‘Jaws’-themed restaurant announces updated location in Central Florida, opening date
Lately, though, the principal and director of Orlando-based development and investment firm American Apartments Management LLC changed his tune. His company — which owns small to midsize apartment communities in Orlando and Cocoa — has expanded out of state, into Memphis, Tennessee.
One of the reasons for that, Kolaprath said, was to “balance out” the headwinds he is taking on for his properties in Florida — namely, surging property insurance costs. “Things are changing.”
Click here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/what-floridas-property-insurance-rate-hikes-mean-deals-markets/7FUOK77W6VDIFEZHNXGI2KH37M/ | 2023-07-07T17:01:59 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/what-floridas-property-insurance-rate-hikes-mean-deals-markets/7FUOK77W6VDIFEZHNXGI2KH37M/ |
WINONA, Miss. (WTVA) — Montgomery County authorities arrested four teenagers in connection to a string of auto burglaries.
Montgomery County Sheriff Jeff Tompkins said the teens broke into cars looking for handguns and key fobs.
The sheriff said the alleged thieves targeted dimly lit areas, checking for open car doors.
Everyone should keep their vehicles locked and keep valuables in a safe place and out of view, the sheriff said.
He said motion lights, security cameras, alarms, security systems and dogs are good deterrents.
The sheriff did not identify the teenagers. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/lock-your-car-doors-montgomery-county-sheriff-reminds-public/article_a0ad78d6-1c47-11ee-80df-9f68e647ea5e.html | 2023-07-07T17:06:19 | 0 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/lock-your-car-doors-montgomery-county-sheriff-reminds-public/article_a0ad78d6-1c47-11ee-80df-9f68e647ea5e.html |
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) — NFL player Jeffery Simmons sponsored a shopping spree Thursday for young athletes in Starkville.
The Noxubee County native gave $150 Academy Sports gift cards to 10 lucky kids. The store matched his gift.
The biggest joy for him was to see the kids’ excitement, he said.
Simmons starred at Mississippi State University and now plays for the Tennessee Titans. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/nfl-star-jeffery-simmons-sponsored-shopping-spree-in-starkville/article_8eb6e5a0-1cd2-11ee-a9f1-cfae1837533f.html | 2023-07-07T17:06:25 | 0 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/nfl-star-jeffery-simmons-sponsored-shopping-spree-in-starkville/article_8eb6e5a0-1cd2-11ee-a9f1-cfae1837533f.html |
Updated July 6, 3:19 p.m.
This boil water notice has been lifted.
Original article below
SALTILLO, Miss. (WTVA) — The North Lee Water Association issued a boil water alert on June 29 for some of its customers.
The alert affects customers on:
- Drive 1774
- Waterford Drive
- County Road 811
- Drive 1794
- Drive 809
- County Road 1900
- County Road 817
- Drive 1764
- County Road 831
- Drive 1752
North Lee issued the alert after a water line burst. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/north-lee-water-lifts-boil-alert-issued-on-june-29/article_eff310a6-16b9-11ee-98f0-cf20bb051153.html | 2023-07-07T17:06:31 | 0 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/north-lee-water-lifts-boil-alert-issued-on-june-29/article_eff310a6-16b9-11ee-98f0-cf20bb051153.html |
BOONEVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) — Authorities continue to search for a man accused of running away from Prentiss County deputies.
Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar identified the suspect as Charles Kennedy, 30.
The sheriff said deputies traveled on Wednesday to Kennedy’s home on County Road 3401 to serve a warrant.
The sheriff said Kennedy saw the deputies coming and ran into a nearby wooded area. Deputies spent the rest of the day searching for him.
A deputy spotted Kennedy Thursday morning at approximately 8:30 at a store in the Burton community, the sheriff said.
Tolar said Kennedy got into a vehicle and sped away. Deputies chased after him. The sheriff claims Kennedy tried to ram the deputies' vehicles.
Kennedy crashed the car back on County Road 3401 and ran away, according to the sheriff. Deputies are currently searching in the vicinity.
Kennedy is not believed to be a danger to the public. | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/suspect-wanted-in-prentiss-county-after-fleeing-from-deputies/article_57f6fe04-1c34-11ee-9a83-5be3a1f9d328.html | 2023-07-07T17:06:37 | 1 | https://www.wtva.com/news/local/suspect-wanted-in-prentiss-county-after-fleeing-from-deputies/article_57f6fe04-1c34-11ee-9a83-5be3a1f9d328.html |
PITTSBURGH — You might start to notice yellow dot stickers on the rear windows of cars. It’s part of a statewide program to help save lives.
PennDOT’s Yellow Dot program is designed to help first responders access critical medical information in a time of need. If a person is involved in a car accident or suffers from a medical emergency and cannot properly communicate, the system will help medics know more about the patient.
“It is a cooperative program – the Pennsylvania Departments of Transportation, Health and Aging, the state police, turnpike, as well as first responders and law enforcement,” said Theresa Podguski, director of legislative affairs for AAA East Central.
Those who enroll in the free program receive a Yellow Dot decal to place on the lower left section of their car’s rear window. They’ll also fill out a Yellow Dot booklet, listing an emergency contact, medications they’re taking, allergy information, and their doctor’s name and number. If first responders see the decal on the car, they’ll know to look for that booklet in your glove compartment, so they’ll have vital information quickly.
“Anyone can take advantage of it. You don’t necessarily have to be a senior, especially if you have other medical conditions where it may be important to communicate that information,” Podguski said.
AAA held a clinic in Greensburg Friday for people to sign up and plans to hold several others in the coming months (listed below). You can also sign up online at PennDOT’s website. https://www.penndot.pa.gov/TravelInPA/Pages/Yellow-Dot.aspx
Friday, Aug. 11
AAA North Hills Branch Office (with Allegheny County Health Department)
4790 McKnight Rd., Pittsburgh
Thursday, Sept. 14
AAA Uniontown Branch Office (with Highway Safety Network)
209 Walmart Dr., Uniontown
Tuesday, Oct. 10
AAA Washington Branch Office (with Highway Safety Network)
196 Murtland Ave., Washington PA
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/penndot-aaa-team-up-yellow-dot-program-save-lives/TQGX4XE7RFGCJCGLVYBT3YRXGE/ | 2023-07-07T17:07:51 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/penndot-aaa-team-up-yellow-dot-program-save-lives/TQGX4XE7RFGCJCGLVYBT3YRXGE/ |
PITTSBURGH — Thousands of senior athletes are arriving in Pittsburgh for the National Senior Games.
They will compete in 20 sports categories over the next 12 days. The event is expected to boost Pittsburgh’s economy.
Carrie Fehringer is the National Senior Games Director of Athletes. She said Pittsburgh is a great hosting city.
“This year happens to be our 4th largest event, so we are very excited about that in terms of the registration numbers. So that is great for Pittsburgh,” says Fehringer.
Great for Pittsburgh in terms of revenue. Visit Pittsburgh says the National Senior Games will likely generate more than $30 million in direct visitor spending for the region.
Deb Smith and Janice Pendleton are already spending money in the city. They arrived Thursday to represent their Maine basketball team.
“We have 32 women here, so on average, people probably spend $2,000 in flights and driving,” said Smith.
All the athletes pay for their expenses which include, hotel, food and activities. So organizers say it’s a huge financial commitment that benefits Pittsburgh.
The last time Pittsburgh hosted the National Senior Games was in 2005. The 2023 National Senior Games has 10,000 senior athletes representing 50 states and eight foreign countries. Plus more than 15,000 family and friends will attend the games.
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/thousands-athletes-arriving-pittsburgh-national-senior-games/WTCMJNGLINGVTMKYSA3LIEZBR4/ | 2023-07-07T17:07:57 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/thousands-athletes-arriving-pittsburgh-national-senior-games/WTCMJNGLINGVTMKYSA3LIEZBR4/ |
Police are urging residents who may have recently used an ATM in north Lincoln to keep a close eye on their finances after an employee at Walgreens found a credit card skimmer had been attached to the store's cash machine.
An employee at the Walgreens location near 14th and Superior streets called police at around 4 p.m. Thursday after he found a false keypad had been attached to the store's ATM, Lincoln Police Capt. Todd Kocian said.
Further inspection revealed a card skimmer — a device that can be attached to ATMs, gas pumps or any other payment terminals to steal credit or debit card information — had been installed in the ATM's card terminal, Kocian said.
Police are working to determine how long the skimmer had been attached to the machine and who might be responsible.
Kocian urged anyone who used the ATM recently to closely monitor their bank or credit card statements for potentially fraudulent activity.
Most dangerous cities in Nebraska
Dangerous Cities in Nebraska
See how your hometown ranks among the most dangerous cities in Nebraska. Ratings have been determined according to the number of violent crimes per 1,000 people in cities of at least 10,000, with violent crime being classified as murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. The numbers are for 2019, the most recent year for which the FBI provides data.
6. South Sioux City
With 30 violent crimes in 2019 and a population of 12,771 (the smallest on our list), the city in northeast Nebraska had 2.35 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
Photo: An RV park in South Sioux City on the Missouri River.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
5. Scottsbluff
The city of 15,862 had 53 violent crimes for a rate of 3.34 per 1,000 in 2019.
Photo: Gering Police Officer Jordan McBride talks with Scottsbluff Police Officer Michael Modeac as he puts up crime scene tape at the scene of an armed standoff in Scottsbluff in June 2021.
STAR-HERALD FILE PHOTO
4. North Platte
With a population of 23,705 and 89 violent crimes, the city had a rate of 3.75 per 1,000.
Photo: Union Pacific train engines line up outside a service building in North Platte.
FILE PHOTO
3. Lincoln
The Star City had a population of 291,128 with 1,115 violent crimes, a rate of 3.83 per 1,000.
Photo: Police in Lincoln investigate a shooting near the intersection of 14th and E streets in August 2019.
JOURNAL STAR FILE PHOTO
2. Grand Island
With a population of 51,821 and 236 violent crimes, the largest of the Tri Cities had a 2019 rate of 4.55 per 1,000 people.
Photo: Grand Island police and State Patrol personnel investigate after a body was found in a Grand Island yard in August 2020.
GRAND ISLAND INDEPENDENT FILE PHOTO
1. Omaha
In 2019, the state's largest city at 470,481 people had 2,833 violent crimes for a rate of 6.13 per 1,000.
Photo: Omaha police and University Police guard the entrance to the Nebraska Medicine Emergency room after an Omaha police officer was shot at Westroads Mall in March 2021.
WORLD-HERALD FILE PHOTO
A note about the numbers
With eight violent crimes in 2019, Boys Town topped the state at 13.82 per 1,000 people, which is a misleading stat because it only had a 2019 population of 579.
Photo: The statue at the entrance to Boys Town. It doesn't take much to skew the numbers.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
Be the first to know
Get local news delivered to your inbox! | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-courts/credit-card-skimmer-found-on-atm-in-lincoln-walgreens/article_a4e066e6-1cd5-11ee-ab68-cb69c4ca61bd.html | 2023-07-07T17:08:35 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-courts/credit-card-skimmer-found-on-atm-in-lincoln-walgreens/article_a4e066e6-1cd5-11ee-ab68-cb69c4ca61bd.html |
Police identified the woman who was killed after being hit by a train in Chesterfield County.
Around 8:34 p.m. Thursday, Chesterfield police responded to an incident on the 11900 block of Chester Rd. involving a train striking a pedestrian.
The woman, later identified as Sharon B. Goodbred, 45, of Chester, was walking north on the tracks when she was struck by a northbound train, according to police.
Police are continuing to investigate the crash. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Chesterfield County Police Department at (804) 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at (804) 748-0660.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Customize your experience so you see the stories most important to you. And sign up for personalized notifications so you don't miss any important news.
TO DOWNLOAD
For Android users: https://go.richmond.com/googleplay
For Apple users: https://go.richmond.com/apple
From the Archives: Richmond tunnels
Tunnels
07-01-1938 (cutline): Richmond's 'Holland Tube'--Shown above is the southern opening of the tunnel beneath the James River and Kanawhat Canal, built originally to carry water from the old pump house to the city reservoir but later used as a passageway by Richmonders of a few decades ago. J. L. Munson, engineer at the electric power plant which now stands on the site of the pump-house, is shown near the mouth of the tube.
Times-Dispatch
Tunnels
06-12-1974 (cutline): Workmen view partly cleared tunnel entrance on Gamble's Hill. Tunnel runs for some three blocks east to west under Byrd Street.
Bob Jones, Jr.
Tunnels
03-06-1941 (cutline): Filling up Byrd Street Tunnel--Workers start filling in the old Byrd Street tunnell, formerly used by the R., F. & P. Railroad. The job will cost $14,299. The Department of Public Works will supply $3,657 and the WPA will furnish $10,642.
Staff photo
Tunnels
11-11-1977 (cutline): Tunnels, containing steam heating lines, zigzag to government buildings.
Carl Lynn
Tunnels
10-29-1970 (cutline): The Overton Street tunnel connecting Seventh and Ninth Streets just north of the Ninth Street Bridge, will be closed permanently after 9 a.m. Monday. City Traffic Engineer W.F. Thomas said the tunnel is being demolished to make way for the north abutment of the new Ninth Street Bridge. The city authorized construction of the tunnel by the former Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, now Seaboard Coast Line Railroad, in February 1917. The tunnel now carries a daily traffic load of nearly 2,700 vehicles.
Sterling A. Clarke
Tunnels
11-13-1977: Plan of Property showing tunnel systems of State Capitol Buildings and Medical College of Virginia.
handout
Tunnels
01-25-1953 (cutline): An MCV orderly pushes a wheelchair patient to old Memorial Hospital for physical therapy. This tunnel passes under Broad Street traffic.
Times-Dispatch
Tunnels
08-12-1970 (cutline): Work continues on the tunnel which will permit persons to pass between the new City Hall and the Health, Safety, Welfare Building without having to cross Marshall Street. This photo, taken from the new City Hall, shows the forms for the walls of the tunnel, expected to cost $91,000 and the walk way about it, where now-closed Marshall Street will be replaced. The automobiles and construction vehicles are parked in the future site of a mall, planned for next fiscal year at cost of $1.1 million. Construction of the tunnel is expected to be completed in about six weeks, and Marshall Street should be reopened before winter.
Bob Brown
Tunnels
12-10-1941 (cutline): In real emergency, Captiol Square tunnels might be air raid shelters. But city officials hope better shelters will be available if bombers come.
Staff photo
Tunnels
01-25-1953 (cutline): Governor Battle takes subterranean route to Mansion during rain. He used tunnels once in campaign to help Adlai Stevenson dodge crowd.
Times-Dispatch
Tunnels
10-16-1966 (cutline): Julian Cornwell (left), Park Supervisor, studies tunnel blueprints. Bob Davis (right) is construction foreman for the project. The tunnel was located in Petersburg and was originally built in 1864 during the Civil War and was being excavated in 1966.
Staff photo | https://richmond.com/news/local/pedestrian-killed-by-train-in-chesterfield-county-identified/article_26b2c55e-1cba-11ee-a994-53de797ba6d0.html | 2023-07-07T17:09:13 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/pedestrian-killed-by-train-in-chesterfield-county-identified/article_26b2c55e-1cba-11ee-a994-53de797ba6d0.html |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Responds
Investigations
Video
Sports
Entertainment
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Earth's hottest day ☀️
Warmer oceans 🌊
Beyonce cancellations 🎤
HR Derby ⚾
Watch us 24/7 📺
Sign up for Good News 😊
Expand
Local
The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/need-to-cool-down-check-out-the-best-pools-in-dallas/3291115/ | 2023-07-07T17:10:05 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/need-to-cool-down-check-out-the-best-pools-in-dallas/3291115/ |
DALLAS — File this one in your bookcase under: Heartwarming.
A TikTok video that has gone viral just goes to show what a small act of kindness can do. This one has changed the life of an author from Arlington.
The video shows two men walking by the local author, Shawn Warner, promoting his debut novel at a Kroger in Fort Worth. The opening caption reads, "This new author seemed super defeated when I first walked past him. So before I left the store, I decided to go back."
Warner explains the premise of his book, "Leigh Howard and the Ghosts of Simmons-Pierce Manor," to the men.
"It's about a teenage girl who teams up with a ghost of multiple personalities to solve the mystery of her parents' murder," Warner said.
Jerrad Swearenjin told WFAA he filmed the video after feeling inspired by Warner's dedication to selling his book.
"It was just supposed to be, hey, here’s a fellow neighbor who’s just struggling and I wanted to help him out," Swearenjin said.
Swearenjin's caption in the middle of the video reads, "I don't know this guy and this isn't a sponsorship. I just wanted to show a stranger some kindness."
The TikTok poster bought two copies of the book. After just two days since it was posted, the video garnered over 15 million views, and Warner's book shot up to the No. 1 best seller on Amazon.
"[The response to the book] hasn't stopped!" Swearenjin told WFAA Wednesday. "I can barely open the app without it freezing and crashing because it’s getting so much love."
Warner thanked everyone who saw the video and bought his book. He said he was still looking into the next book signing at another Kroger location in Dallas.
He told WFAA the outpouring of support makes him emotional.
"Just to be nice to some guy sitting alone selling books...the generosity that poured out of that was just amazing, I get choked up," Warner said tearfully. "They gave me a chance. And that’s just beautiful."
Warner's wife, Lizette, said she was blown away by her husband's dedication.
"He doesn’t give up, and he’s been like that for years!" she said.
Warner is an Army veteran and lost his job several years back after layoffs and his company. But he never gave up on himself.
"That whole demeanor it’s so admirable of someone who just stays on that path and keeps believing," Lizette gushed.
You can watch all the videos below:
Original video:
Warner reaction:
More Texas headlines: | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/dallas-author-best-seller-shawn-warner-book-tiktok-viral/287-9e41be5d-6db0-43a5-a9a2-b196dae46bb5 | 2023-07-07T17:11:10 | 0 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/dallas-author-best-seller-shawn-warner-book-tiktok-viral/287-9e41be5d-6db0-43a5-a9a2-b196dae46bb5 |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.