text string | url string | crawl_date timestamp[ms] | label int64 | id string |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Responds
Investigations
Video
Sports
Entertainment
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Miss Texas
Watch 24/7 on Roku
Cheez-It Tostada
July 4th Events
Expand
Local
The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/three-dallas-firefighters-hurt-fighting-overnight-house-fire/3004043/ | 2022-06-30T11:07:57 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/three-dallas-firefighters-hurt-fighting-overnight-house-fire/3004043/ |
INDIANAPOLIS — One person is dead after a shooting on Indianapolis' west side Thursday morning.
IMPD officers responded to an apartment complex in the 3000 block of Rolling Dunes Drive, near I-465 and I-74, around 6:30 a.m. on a report of a person shot. There, they located a victim who was pronounced dead.
Police have not shared any information on any suspect information or the circumstances of the shooting.
The victim's identity is not yet known.
Anyone with information on the shooting can contact Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana at 317-262-8477.
This is a breaking story and will be updated. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/impd-1-dead-in-shooting-on-indys-west-side-indianapolis/531-92b02308-e841-467d-9b88-17182d71af65 | 2022-06-30T11:20:06 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/impd-1-dead-in-shooting-on-indys-west-side-indianapolis/531-92b02308-e841-467d-9b88-17182d71af65 |
Three Dallas firefighters were injured fighting a fire just after midnight Thursday according to a firefighter on the scene.
Dallas Fire-Rescue crews were called to a fire in the 2200 block of Mail Avenue near Dallas Love Field and the occupants of the house were evacuated to safety.
Shortly after crews arrived on the scene, there was a mayday call.
Three firefighters were injured, one was treated at the scene and two were taken to a local hospital according to a firefighter at the scene.
No word on the extent of their injuries or their current condition. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/three-dallas-firefighters-hurt-fighting-overnight-house-fire/3004026/ | 2022-06-30T11:20:58 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/three-dallas-firefighters-hurt-fighting-overnight-house-fire/3004026/ |
100 years ago
June 30, 1922: Charity and pleasure mingled at "The Oaks," Bloomington's residential garden, where the Russian Near East relief carnival opened for its first night. Roughly 10,000 people contributed to the cause and enjoyed amusements, including the cartooning of Sidney Smith, the famous creator of the "Gumps" comic strip.
75 years ago
June 30, 1947: Complaints received by the Bloomington Police Department concerning unnecessary noise by motorcyclists, taxi drivers and automobile drivers has resulted in a "fair warning to all of them" by Police Chief S. Clyde Hibbens. Specifically, one of the chief complaints was the gunning of motorcycles about 2 or 3 a.m. each morning in downtown Bloomington.
50 years ago
June 30, 1972: Effie R. Swearingen, postal clerk at McLean for the past 30 years, retires today. When she began her career in 1942, mail came in by train four times a day; later it came twice a day by bus, and now it is trucked in twice a day. After her retirement, she will use her new time to "do what I want to do and not hurry."
25 years ago
June 30, 1997: No mountains in Illinois? No matter, notes National Geographic World magazine, which profiled Bloomington's Upper Limits Rock Gym and a group of local kids in a recent issue. The article discussed the climbing routes, which begin at 35 feet high, with names like Twister and Orange Crush. The monthly magazine has a circulation of about 1 million.
Compiled by Pantagraph staff | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/75-years-ago-loud-motorcycles-in-downtown-bloomington-draw-complaints/article_ed4c030a-f7d2-11ec-a1e4-774db1755d77.html | 2022-06-30T11:26:36 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/75-years-ago-loud-motorcycles-in-downtown-bloomington-draw-complaints/article_ed4c030a-f7d2-11ec-a1e4-774db1755d77.html |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Weather
Local
Sports
Entertainment
Investigators
Videos
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Wawa Welcome America
Decision 2022
Helping Our Heroes
Talking to Kids About Violence
Phillies
Watch NBC10 24/7 on Roku
Expand
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/local/violent-crash-closes-i-95-during-thursday-morning-rush/3286391/ | 2022-06-30T11:30:24 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/local/violent-crash-closes-i-95-during-thursday-morning-rush/3286391/ |
Union negotiators and casino management tried Thursday to reach new contracts that would avoid a costly and disruptive strike during one of Atlantic City's busiest weekends.
Local 54 of the Unite Here union has set a 12:01 a.m. Friday deadline to reach a new agreement with the Borgata, Caesars, Harrah's and Tropicana. If not, it has authorized a strike against those properties.
And a fifth casino, the Hard Rock, faces a similar deadline early Sunday.
Even if the union does go on strike, the casinos and their hotels will remain open for business; staffing levels and the quality of service could vary greatly depending on many variables.
The union was due to resume negotiations with MGM Resorts International, which owns the Borgata, Thursday morning.
It negotiated with Caesars Entertainment, which owns three casinos — Caesars, Harrah's and the Tropicana — for hours on Wednesday without reaching a new deal.
The union has said it is seeking “significant” salary increases in new contracts to help workers keep pace with rapidly rising prices for gasoline, food, rent and other expenses.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Individual workers also say they helped keep the casinos open and running for most of the coronavirus pandemic, now in its third year, and deserve to be compensated for it.
Two casinos, Bally's and Ocean, have reached “me-too” agreements with the union, in which they commit to adopting the terms of contracts eventually reached with larger properties in the city, and will not face a walkout.
Likewise, union president Bob McDevitt said that two smaller casinos, Resorts and the Golden Nugget, are not at risk of a labor stoppage for the time being, as the union has yet to negotiate with them. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/friday-strike-deadline-looms-for-4-atlantic-city-casinos/3286226/ | 2022-06-30T11:30:30 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/friday-strike-deadline-looms-for-4-atlantic-city-casinos/3286226/ |
Loss of boat launch upsets residents near Little Bradford Lake
GAYLORD — Otsego County commissioners heard from residents upset with the loss of an unofficial boat launch site on Little Bradford Lake in Waters.
At Tuesday's board of commissioners meeting, residents complained after a project from the Otsego County Road Commission on Passenheim Road made it almost impossible to launch watercraft near a curve in the road that borders the lake.
Years ago, local lore has it that fire trucks pulled up to the site and took water out of the lake according to Kirk Harrier, managing director of the road commission.
"The area that was used in the past as a boat launch was never an 'official' launch site when it was researched by the road commission," Harrier. "The road commission contacted the DNR and they verified it was not an authorized public boat launch. Otsego Lake Township was contacted and they had no record of it being a township owned or maintained launch site either."
This spring the road commission repaved Passenheim Road including the area used for boats.
"There has been a long-standing erosion issue at this location with the shoulder on the north side washing out. As part of the road resurfacing project on Passenheim Road, the correcting of the drainage issue essentially made the area used in the past as a boat launch less conducive to launching watercraft," noted Harrier.
There was also a safety issue because of the lack of dedicated parking for trailers and/or vehicles when boats were being placed into the lake, he added.
Residents told the board that they have been using the site for years for boat launches and even fishing. While sympathetic to their plight, the county board noted the road commission was responsible for the Passenheim improvements which inadvertently limited the use of the site.
"I have talked to some residents on the lake and there seems to be division among property owners on what the residents desire on the lake regarding type of access," said Harrier. "The road commission does not have jurisdiction regarding who has access to the lake or if it is public or private lake. The road commission only has jurisdiction over the road right-of-way and cannot legally construct a boat launch site using road funds."
The road commission's next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 21 at the OCRC offices, 669 W McCoy Road in Gaylord.
Subscribe:Check out our offers and read the local news that matters to you
In other matters before the county board, commissioners approved a resolution authored by commissioner Henry Mason.
The resolution said on Jan. 6, 2021, over 100,000 attended a "peaceful" rally at the U.S. Capitol and a "very small group" decided to enter the Capitol uninvited. As a result on June 10, a Michigan Republican candidate for governor (Ryan Kelley) was charged with four misdemeanors related to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
"Therefore be it resolved that the Otsego County Board of Commissioners supports all freedom loving Americans’ right to peacefully assemble without harm, in support of this great country, and its constitutional freedoms, given to us by our founding fathers nearly 250 years ago," said the resolution.
Commissioner Jason Caverson said he has never seen a riot "that was peaceful."
The resolution did not mention that some members of the mob who invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6 were armed with weapons including guns and knives and trashed parts of the building by damaging historical statues, murals and furniture. The rioting also contributed to five deaths, assaults on 140 police officers and the evacuation of a joint session of Congress.
In addition to Mason, commissioners Paul Liss, Brett McVannel, Rob Pallorito, Doug Johnson, and Bruce Brown approved the measure while Caverson, Ken Glasser and Julie Powers voted against it. All are Republicans. | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2022/06/30/area-used-past-boat-launch-never-official-launch-site/7766428001/ | 2022-06-30T11:33:43 | 0 | https://www.petoskeynews.com/story/news/local/gaylord/2022/06/30/area-used-past-boat-launch-never-official-launch-site/7766428001/ |
Fourth of July at Delaware beaches: Here's everything you need to know for food and fun
It's time for what is arguably summer's biggest weekend at the Delaware beaches: the Fourth of July.
If you're heading for one of the state's favorite beach towns, prepare yourself for traffic, lots of people and a whole bunch of Fourth of July celebrations. With the holiday landing on Monday this year, there will be plenty of activities stretching throughout the long holiday weekend and plenty of people spending their holiday with some fun in the sun.
So what do you need to know? We've got you covered.
For anyone looking to visit the beaches during the weekend of July 2, this guide will help answer questions ranging from event details to parking and the latest weather reports.
TASTES OF SUMMER:Delaware has a new canned Orange Crush and the son of Wilmington's mayor is behind it
Fourth of July fireworks
Not every Delaware beach town sets off its own fireworks, and not every one does it on the formal Fourth of July. Here's where you can see the fireworks if you're in town. Keep in mind, most towns close roads as part of their celebrations so expect to arrive early, plan for road closures and delays and bring your patience.
Leweswill launch its fireworks from a barge in the bay off Savannah Beach around 8:30 p.m. Monday The fireworks can be seen throughout town, especially at higher elevations. The bridges at Savannah Road and Freeman Highway will be closed, so it may be wise to park downtown and walk toward the fireworks if possible.
Rehoboth Beach will set off its fireworks on Sunday from anytime between 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. -- it all depends on the weather, though festivities in town begin at 8 p.m. Zambelli Fireworks will handle the show, which is launched from south of Rehoboth Avenue and visible up and down the beach and boardwalk.
Dewey Beach's fireworks, hosted by Highway One, will launch at 9 p.m. on the Fourth of July from a barge in Rehoboth Bay.
Bethany Beach will host a fireworks show at dusk on Monday, July 4, but live music will start at 7:30 p.m. downtown.
For more information on all of the Fourth of July events happening at the beaches, check out our roundup here.
Weather for the Fourth of July holiday weekend
If you're a Delaware beaches fan, then you probably know this already: The weather can certainly be unpredictable and quickly changing here. So here's a reminder to always check your weather channels or apps before settling in on the sand.
That being said, the National Weather Service is predicting a mix of sun, rain and storms this weekend in the Rehoboth Beach area.
Friday is looking to be a beautiful beach day with a high of 84 and sunny skies throughout the day. As some light winds pick up in the evening, temperatures will drop to 73 overnight.
Saturday is forecast to bring a high temperature of 82 degrees, though the National Weather Service is forecasting a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Heavy rainfall may come along with those storms. Showers will likely continue overnight and drop the temperatures to the low 70s.
More showers are slated for Sunday, with a chance of thunderstorms again after 2 p.m. The high will top out at 77 degrees, according to forecasters. Overnight, temperatures will slightly drop again with a chance of rain continuing into the early morning hours.
As for the actual Fourth of July holiday, forecasters say it's going to be a mostly sunny day with highs topping out at 79 degrees. While we're still a few days out, forecasters are saying there's a slight chance of showers that evening.
What to expect at restaurants, beach businesses
Delaware’s beach towns are preparing for a summer that’s as busy – if not busier – than last year.
That means it’s once again time for this reminder: Have patience, folks.
Many restaurants, bars, and others in the service industry are still facing staffing shortages. While some businesses are getting more help from international students than in the past two years when COVID-19 restrictions limited that workforce, several other factors are impacting the seasonal labor shortage this year – especially a lack of affordable housing.
Remember last year when some businesses were limiting hours or services? Visitors could see that again this summer, according to Carol Everhart, president of the Rehoboth-Dewey Chamber of Commerce.
Hiring signs are still hanging in many business windows and some are forced to have limited hours due to staffing.
HOUSING:Work near the beach but can't afford to live here? How the county, others plan to fix that
It may be wise to make early reservations, follow your favorite spots on social media or call ahead to stay updated on any changes.
As far as outdoor dining, many beach towns found ways to continue that in the 2022 season. However, Rehoboth Beach no longer allowed parking spaces to be blocked off for dining on public sidewalks.
OUTDOOR DINING:Rehoboth Beach passes new outdoor dining rules for public sidewalks ahead of 2022 summer
Public health guidelines, COVID cases
An unfortunate reality: COVID-19 is still present for summer vacations at the Delaware beaches. But the good news is cases and hospitalizations have been decreasing since late May, according to the Delaware Division of Public Health.
The Delaware Division of Public Health reported that an average of 14.3% of tests were coming back positive as of June 27.
COVID'S TOLL:What Delaware can learn about grief and hope amid another tragic milestone for COVID-19
Even with these downward trends, though, DPH reminds people to stay vigilant – especially when traveling for crowded events or visiting the beaches.
This is the latest advice from DPH:
- Stay home if sick and get tested if you have symptoms or were exposed to someone with COVID-19.
- There are no mask mandates, but DPH advises masking up in indoor places or if you are at higher risk for illness.
- Get vaccinated and boosted when you’re eligible.
- Stay informed and turn to reliable sources for data, information, and treatment options like de.gov/coronavirus.
Want to know where to receive booster shots? Visit coronavirus.delaware.gov/vaccine/where-can-i-get-my-vaccine/#publichealth.
Parking and transportation
All resort towns from Lewes to Fenwick Island have their seasonal parking rules in place.
PARKING 2022:How much will it cost to park at the Delaware beaches? Parking changes coming this summer
Both Rehoboth and Lewes increased some parking rates this year. It is now a universal $3 per hour rate in Rehoboth, and Lewes is charging $1.50 downtown and $2.50 at the beaches.
Lewes has several free non-metered parking lots listed on its website, as well as metered lots and spaces on side streets.
When visiting Delaware State Parks like Cape Henlopen, parking is included in the entrance fee.
In Dewey Beach, parking is free in all permit-only and metered spaces Monday through Wednesday from 5 to 11 p.m. only. All other days and times, you must pay to park on public streets.
(These free parking times coincide with family-friendly movie nights and bonfires in Dewey, events that continue throughout the summer).
Fenwick Island and South Bethany mostly require permits to park, but Fenwick offers free parking on its side streets after 4 p.m.
In Bethany Beach, all spaces are either metered or require a permit through Sept. 15.
Many of these towns and cities offer payment through the ParkMobile app.
For more about parking (or State Park fees), visit each beach town's website:
If planning to visit one of the State Parks, it's wise to check the parks' Facebook pages where staff will post whether the park is closed due to full parking.
Consider taking the Beach Bus
Want to forget about parking or paying for gas? Take a bus to the beach. Parking is free at the park and rides in Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.
The Beach Bus has already started its routes and will continue seven days a week until Sept. 11. The stops include Rehoboth Beach and the Boardwalk, Lewes, Long Neck, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, South Bethany Beach, Fenwick Island, Ocean City in Maryland, Millsboro and Georgetown.
The cost to ride the bus is $2 per trip, $4 for a daily pass, $16 for a seven-day pass or $60 for a 30-day pass.
Traveling from northern Delaware or Kent County? The 305 Beach Connection from Wilmington to Rehoboth Beach started last weekend. It runs Saturdays, Sundays and holidays through Sept. 5.
WEST REHOBOTH:Hidden no more: How the West Rehoboth community is telling their stories through art
Riders taking this bus will pay $6 for one-way trips from Wilmington, Christiana Mall and Odessa and $4 from Dover and South Frederica. A daily pass is $10 from New Castle County and $8 from Kent County.
If traveling around Bethany Beach, the town also offers a trolley with a single route that runs from 9:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and costs 25 cents per trip.
In Lewes, the new seasonal transit option Lewes Line cost $1 per ride. Stops include the two municipal beaches, downtown locations, the library and more. To learn more, visit www.ci.lewes.de.us/363/Lewes-Line.
Emily Lytle covers Sussex County from the inland towns to the beaches. Got a story she should tell? Contact her at elytle@delmarvanow.com or 302-332-0370. Follow her on Twitter at @emily3lytle. | https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/fourth-of-july-delaware-beaches-rehoboth-lewes-dewey-fireworks-weather-restaurants/65365068007/ | 2022-06-30T11:35:48 | 0 | https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/fourth-of-july-delaware-beaches-rehoboth-lewes-dewey-fireworks-weather-restaurants/65365068007/ |
Touting the success of a nearly 40-year-old program to rehabilitate blighted properties in the city, Bethlehem is looking to target its scope even more over the next five years.
The Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance program, developed by state law in the 1970s, has spurred over $1 billion in private investment in Bethlehem, city officials said Tuesday. But now Bethlehem wants to target a much smaller region of the city in which it will give developers tax breaks to develop dilapidated or polluted parcels of land.
Further, City Council members want to harness the state program to bolster affordable housing and renewable energy in the city.
Deputy Community and Economic Development Director Alicia Miller Karner said even though the map is being reduced, no one is being pushed out of the program. Developers that have taken advantage of LERTA will still get its benefits, but future eligibility will only be available in the smaller area.
“What we didn’t want to do is cut anyone out of the LERTA,” Karner said.
The remainder of the map is mostly vacant industrial parcels on the eastern side of the city, including the Lehigh Valley Industrial Park. These are challenging to develop because the land is unstable due to past industrial use, Karner said.
The city also kept a few properties on the South Side downtown that are functioning buildings but that the “city is not impressed with,” Karner said, like the CVS and Wendy’s on Fourth Street.
Last year, City Council added a provision to its LERTA program that requires residential developers looking to build more than 10 housing units to either make 10% of the units affordable, or donate $25,000 per unit to the city’s affordable housing trust fund. Karner said most developers choose to make the $25,000 contribution rather than designate affordable units.
The city is looking to increase that amount to $26,350, but some council members want to require an even larger investment, citing the lack of affordable housing in Bethlehem.
Over the last year, average rents in Bethlehem have soared. A one-bedroom unit in Bethlehem costs $1,670 per month on average, 24% more than one year ago, according to a Rent.com report.
Council Vice President Grace Crampsie Smith said she would introduce an amendment to the LERTA ordinance that would increase the amount developers are required to contribute to the trust fund. Council member Paige Van Wirt agreed, and proposed introducing a sliding-scale contribution instead of a flat rate per unit.
First Call
“There is room for us to harness the power of LERTA, and it is powerful,” Van Wirt said. “There might be a more reasonable sliding formula with current real estate market that will not prohibit people from building in Bethlehem, but will more accurately reflect the power of our very active real estate industry right now.”
Karner warned council members that making the fee too high could discourage developers from investing in LERTA properties. The primary goal of the state program is to remediate blight, not address affordable housing, she said.
Van Wirt also proposed the city require LERTA-eligible developers to install solar panels on site. Karner said the city is considering requiring not just LERTA developments, but all new major developments in the city to use solar energy.
LERTA partially exempts developers of eligible land parcels from land and new assessment taxes for 10 years. The city has 28 properties in that 10-year stage, most of which are manufacturing or warehouse projects. They include the Bowery farm, Factory and Ecotech Marine.
It’s likely these developers would not have chosen Bethlehem if not for the LERTA incentive, Asher Schiavone, the city’s economic development coordinator, said. The city implemented its LERTA program in 1984.
The new LERTA map is not finalized: The city will hold a public hearing Tuesday. The new LERTA map, if approved by City Council, Northampton County and Bethlehem Area School District, would expire in 2027.
Morning Call reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at 610-820-6681 and liweber@mcall.com. | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-nws-bethlehem-lerta-progress-update-20220630-klfg5gwl6bdcdioswjizcfjt5e-story.html | 2022-06-30T11:37:27 | 0 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-nws-bethlehem-lerta-progress-update-20220630-klfg5gwl6bdcdioswjizcfjt5e-story.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — The $235 million city budget for 2022 will be voted on during a special meeting Thursday night.
The budget as introduced raises $38.6 million from local taxpayers, down 3.7% from the $40 million collected from property taxes last year, resulting in a 2.9% tax rate decrease.
City Council is expected to pass the budget after asking for more details and having four council members meet with department heads to get questions addressed.
“The department heads answered all the questions we had,” said Councilwoman Stephanie Marshall. “I support the budget. They assured us the state reviewed the budget as well several times before it even got to council.”
Councilman Bruce Weekes, also at the meeting, said he was concerned that council had so little role in budget decisions, which he said is in opposition to training he has received from the state about council’s role.
“The administration said we can’t make changes,” Weekes said, “that the meeting was just for clarification.”
People are also reading…
He said those restrictions are probably due to the 2016 Municipal Stabilization and Recovery Act that allowed the state takeover of the city’s finances and operations.
Weekes said he would have asked for more police to be hired under the 2022 budget.
ATLANTIC CITY — City Council finally received a detailed 2022 city budget that includes how …
Some takeaways: Insurance (liability, workers’ comp and employee group health) at $38.8 million and debt service at $38.3 million are the two biggest expenses this year.
The next biggest chunks are two public safety divisions, police at $28 million and fire at $20.8 million.
Statutory expenditures are about $20.4 million for payments into the Public Employees Retirement System, Social Security system, police and fire pensions, Unemployment Insurance, lifeguard pension fund, Defined Contribution Program and the Pension Increase Act.
Mayor Marty Small Sr. is one of the best paid people in city employment, with a 2022 salary of $147,512, but he isn’t the highest paid. That honor goes to the head of the Atlantic City Police Department, interim Officer-in-Charge James Sarkos, whose salary for 2022 is listed at $193,568.
Fire Chief Scott Evans comes in at $165,000, and the seven deputy fire chiefs each make $157,309.
Several department heads make just under the mayor’s salary. Business Administrator Anthony Swan’s salary is $147,124; Chief Financial Officer Toro Aboderin’s salary is $140,353; and Tax Assessor Novelette Robinson makes $140,912.
The budget uses $15 million in surplus to increase spending on city employee salaries by 10% and on debt service by 7%, even as the state will provide $5.7 million less in aid.
The municipal tax rate will fall roughly 5 cents, from $1.6480 to $1.5997 per $100 of assessed property value, Chief Financial Officer Toro Aboderin has said.
ATLANTIC CITY — City workers will get substantial raises and the minimum full-time annual sa…
“For the average household with a $125,000 assessment, that’s a decrease of the local tax of $60.43,” Aboderin has said.
Below are some of the highlights of departmental spending from the itemized budget provided to council about two weeks ago. It includes each division or department’s two highest salaries.
All city workers receive a 2022 raise of $4,500 starting July 1, with another $3,000 raise to start Jan. 1.
CITY COUNCIL
Municipal attorney: $55,951.59
Salaries for each council member: $30,300 (Council President George Tibbitt gets a bit more at $32,855.88)
Biggest other expense: $2,400 for education
Total spending: $343,722 (down about $30,000 from 2021 budget)
ATLANTIC CITY — City Council will consider at a special meeting Thursday an ordinance to lea…
CITY CLERK
Municipal clerk salary: $116,272.10
Assistant municipal clerk salary: $77,256.69
Biggest other expense: $21,812 for elections and special purchases
Total spending: $392,404.00 (down about $8,000 from 2021 budget)
ADMINISTRATION
MAYOR’S OFFICE
Mayor’s salary: $147,512
ATLANTIC CITY — City Council passed a resolution in support of casino workers in their quest…
Confidential aide to mayor: $107,186.36
Biggest other expense: $127,950 for professional consultants
Total spending: $716,450 (up about $9,000)
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR’S OFFICE
Business administrator salary: $147,124
Public information officer: $85,000
Biggest other expense: $379,000 for professional consultants
Total spending: $825,010 (up about $175,000 over 2021 budget)
ATLANTIC CITY — The city will run free summer camps and other programs for youth, seniors, t…
SOLICITOR’S OFFICE
Municipal attorney: $130,000
Assistant municipal attorney: $110,335
Biggest other expense: $874,800 for legal services
Total spending: $1.89 million (up about $90,000)
PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
Municipal prosecutor salary: $112,642
Assistant municipal prosecutor: $87,247
ATLANTIC CITY — Uncertainty about the outcome of a county lawsuit against the state over the…
Biggest other expense: $15,000 for legal services
Total spending: $328,310 (down about $3,000 from 2021 budget)
PUBLIC DEFENDER’S OFFICE
Public defender: $112,895
Paralegal: $60,285
Biggest other expense: $73,800 for legal services
Total spending: $293,400 (up about $55,000 from 2021 budget)
INSURANCE
General liability insurance: $5.36 million
Worker’s Compensation insurance: $5.27 million
Employee group health: $28 million
Total spending: $38.6 million (up about $7 million)
MUNICIPAL COURT
Municipal Court judge: $139,641
Municipal Court judge: $132,559
Biggest other expense: $13,000 each for printing and binding and professional consultants
Total spending: $1.29 million (up about $100,000 from 2021 budget)
TAX ASSESSOR’S OFFICE
Tax assessor salary: $140,912
Deputy tax assessor: $75,690
Biggest other expense: $385,000 for professional consultants
Total spending: $685,000 (an increase of about $73,000 over 2021 budget
MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM DIVISION
Director of data processing salary: $114,700
Network administrator 1 salary: $62,186
Biggest other expense: $1.08 million for professional consultants
Total spending: $2.5 million (up about $400,000 over 2021 budget)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (CDBG)
Assistant director of community development: $102,250
Principal community organizational specialist: $68,978
Biggest other expense: None listed
Total spending: $107,612 after subtracting $165,000 in grant funding (up about $7,000 from 2021 budget)
SPECIAL EVENTS
Program coordinator salary: $59,170
Office supervisor: $52,250
Biggest other expense: $25,000 toward special events
Total spending: $231,000 (up about $75,000 over 2021 budget)
HUMAN SERVICES
Personnel director salary: $116,944
Assistant personnel director: $103,751
Biggest other expense: $132,950 for data processing services
Total spending: $1.06 million (up about $400,000 from 2021 budget)
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Department head: $137,752
Assistant director of redevelopment: $104,250
Biggest other expense: $235,000 for professional consultants (for both director and department as a whole)
Total spending: about $870,000 for both director and department (up about $120,000 from 2021 budget)
REVENUE AND FINANCE
COMPTROLLER’S OFFICE
Chief financial officer: $140,353
Comptroller: $110,000
Biggest other expense: $223,610 for payroll services
Total spending: $1.55 million (up about $250,000 from 2021 budget, but office merged with Director’s Office in 2022)
TAX COLLECTOR’S OFFICE
Tax collector: $86,489
Assistant municipal tax collector: $64,395
Biggest other expense: $60,900 for data processing services
Total spending: $452,144 (down about $44,000)
PURCHASING
Purchasing agent salary: $84,596
Assistant purchasing agent: $62,792
Biggest other expense: $10,400 for data processing services
Total spending: $336,190
PUBLIC SAFETY
POLICE DIVISION (not including civilian or communications divisions)
Officer in charge: $193,588
Deputy police chief: $171,997
Biggest other expense: $392,000 for vehicles
Total spending: $28.1 million
FIRE DIVISION (does not include Fire Civilian Division or Uniform Safety Division)
Chief: $165,000
Deputy chiefs (7): $157,309 each
Biggest other expense: $124,000 for uniforms
Total spending: $20.78 million (up about $1.5 million from 2021 budget)
PUBLIC WORKS
Director of public works salary: $122,985
Assistant director: $111,860
Director’s Office: $2.6 million (about the same since 2021 budget)
Electrical Bureau: $519,000 (up about $120,000)
Parks: $555,000 (up about $160,000)
Beach and Boardwalk: $991,000 (up about $180,000)
Vehicle maintenance: $2.4 million (up about $100,000)
Facilities: $653,000 (up about $220,000)
Sanitation: $3.9 million (up about $200,000)
Street repairs: $521,000 (down about $90,000)
Paint and Sign: $100,000 (down about $20,000)
Building maintenance: $1.2 million (about the same)
Engineering: $1.9 million (down about $100,000)
Gardner’s Basin/Aquarium: $1.1 million (up about $250,000)
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Chief Reg Environmental Health Spec: $112,600
Director salary: $110,000
Director’s Office: $1.28 million (about the same)
Health Administration: $845,000 (up about $180,000)
Environmental Services: N/A
Vital Statistics: N/A
Recreation and Cultural Affairs: $1.3 million (up about $450,000)
Animal Control: $43,000 (about the same)
LICENSING AND INSPECTION
Construction official: $123,617
Department head salary: $116,944
Director’s Office: $228,000 (decrease of $16,000)
Code enforcement: $1.1 million (increase of $300,000)
Landlord Tenant: N/A
Mercantile: $603,000 (up about $63,000)
Construction Office: $1.6 million (up about $120,000) | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/highlights-of-235-million-atlantic-city-budget-to-be-voted-on-thursday/article_e33b7fc8-f6ef-11ec-bfe2-2bfe8ad4e859.html | 2022-06-30T11:41:55 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/highlights-of-235-million-atlantic-city-budget-to-be-voted-on-thursday/article_e33b7fc8-f6ef-11ec-bfe2-2bfe8ad4e859.html |
SAN ANTONIO — A group of boys were playing basketball when a drive-by shooting took place, the San Antonio Police Department said.
The shooting happened around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday on West Gerald near Tupper Avenue on the city's south side.
Police said an unknown dark-colored vehicle drove by, and shots were fired. A 16-year-old was not directly hit by a bullet. However, a bullet ricocheted off of the street and a fragment hit the teen.
He was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Authorities said the group was uncooperative with police.
More on KENS 5: | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/drive-by-shooting-south-san-antonio-texas-group-playing-basketball-gunman-fires/273-38b190c2-b1e4-4412-9db5-d49e8913930b | 2022-06-30T11:47:57 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/drive-by-shooting-south-san-antonio-texas-group-playing-basketball-gunman-fires/273-38b190c2-b1e4-4412-9db5-d49e8913930b |
TEXAS, USA — A man who was acquitted for murder by reason of insanity has escaped a state hospital in Vernon, Texas, according to police.
Alexander Scott Ervin, 29, escaped from the North Texas State Hospital and hasn't been seen since Sunday.
Surveillance footage shows Ervin escaped from his room Sunday night, then was seen scaling an 8-foot security fence around 9:15 p.m. He was last seen heading north.
Ervin is described as standing between 5 feet 8 inches tall and 6 feet. He's approximately 206 pounds, bald and has a mustache. He was last seen wearing a gray hoodie, black shirt and tan pants with black shoes.
Vernon police say Ervin is armed and dangerous.
Ervin was acquitted of stabbing his father to death in 2013 in the Austin area, claiming that his father, Ray Ervin, was an imposter. He also claimed to be a trained member of the CIA on a mission to kill his father, according to testimony from his brother Maxwell Ervin.
Maxwell said Alexander attacked their dad with a pipe wrench and a folding knife. When police arrived at the home, they found Alexander calm and quiet, but scratched, beaten and covered in blood, according to the Austin American-Statesmen.
A Travis County jury found Alexander Ervin, who is autistic, not guilty of murder by reason of insanity.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-news-man-acquitted-of-murder-insanity-escapes-hospital/285-7aeae926-2a7e-42f5-a356-6e38a5d0870a | 2022-06-30T11:48:04 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-news-man-acquitted-of-murder-insanity-escapes-hospital/285-7aeae926-2a7e-42f5-a356-6e38a5d0870a |
From a 'poverty kid' on 42nd and Post: 'What I wish others would have told me'
Na'Shan Clay's Instagram posts caught my attention after we exchanged messages in early 2020.
Her posts were so raw, real and spoken or written with such thought and conviction.
Clay, who refers to herself as a "poverty kid" from 42nd and Post, grew up in the Towne and Terrace housing complex on the city's east side.
What used to be a bustling housing complex is now riddled with crime and drugs, mixed with "families just trying to survive," Clay says.
She remembers seeing neighbors deal drugs on her street. They'd run to waiting cars with open hands sticking out the window.
One photo shows a pair of shoes hanging from a wire above stacks of flowers on a sidewalk. At that spot, her friend was shot and killed.
In a video post, Clay looks into the camera to tell viewers why she chose to get out of the street life.
Her posts, often at or about the dilapidated housing complex, explore her belief that the environment in which she grew up was grooming her to become something she didn't want to be.
She says as a kid she lived by street code. No talking to police. No positive affirmation, No going against the code.
Instead, Clay removed herself from her situation and graduated from Lawrence North High School, where she focused on basketball.
Even there she felt judged, like she couldn't remove the stigma about who she was. She was still just a "poverty kid." But Clay says she is done letting others tell her who she should be.
Clay hasn't lived at Towne and Terrace for 20 years but says she wants to help the neighborhood change.
She's dedicated herself to understanding the mind, spending countless hours in the library, because she believes that's where change starts.
She and I have stayed in contact over the years and I've always wanted to give her a platform, a voice. So I asked her to write a letter to her younger self.
What I wish others would have told me
By Na’Shan Clay
When I was younger, I wish others would have told me it’s OK to be smart, that it’s OK to be true to who you are.
I wish I was told it’s OK to not honor the street code. That it doesn’t make you weak, it makes you strong.
I wish others would have shown me, instead of always telling me.
I wish I would have heard “I love you” more from the ones who mattered.
I wish my environment loved me for who I am and not who it wanted me to be.
On Brentwood Court, near 42nd and Post Road, I experience the dark side of America as a poverty kid in the ‘hood.
Having this address made outsiders look at me in a negative light, though they didn’t know me.
My address on Brentwood Court helped me appreciate the struggle and also helped me grow into the strong person I am today.
Na'Shan writes more about her life in the book "Shoes Ona Wire," available on Amazon.
Contact IndyStar photojournalist Mykal McEldowney at 317-790-6991 or mykal.mceldowney@indystar.com. Follow him on Instagram or Twitter. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/indianapolis-life-indys-east-side-what-wish-others-would-have-told-me/10002776002/ | 2022-06-30T11:54:23 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/indianapolis-life-indys-east-side-what-wish-others-would-have-told-me/10002776002/ |
Indiana woman ordered to pay $225k for making racist insults, death threats toward neighbors
Within a month of moving into a rental house in the Twin Creeks subdivision in Indianapolis’ northwest side in 2016, Donata Banks and her family found themselves on the receiving end of vicious racial slurs and harassment — all at the hand of their neighbor, Vicki New, according to a decided federal lawsuit.
New, who is white and had lived there for a little over a year at that point, called Banks a “Black n----- , b---h” and commented that the neighborhood was “better before all of you n----- moved in," according to the lawsuit.
New was ordered by a federal judge June 16 to pay over $225,000 to Banks and the Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana. Banks and the housing center had filed the lawsuit in April 2020.
More:Vonnegut Library to donate 1,000 copies of 'Slaughterhouse-Five' to Florida schools
Banks will receive a total of $150,000 in compensatory and punitive damages, as well as attorney fees, and the Fair Housing Center will receive about $50,000 along with attorney fees, according to the decision, which was announced Thursday, June 30.
In addition to harassing Banks, following her daughter and other children of color to the bus stop, New hurled a regular volley of racist insults at her neighbors of color for more than two years that escalated to death threats and calling the cops on her neighbors for no valid reason, according to the federal complaint.
The complaint detailed numerous other allegations of New hurling racially derogatory remarks at Black and Hispanic neighbors, including calling a Black neighbor’s sons “drug lords” and her teenage daughters “whores.”
A default judgement was entered against New in April 2021 after she refused to participate in court proceedings. She could not be reached for comment by IndyStar.
“We are extremely pleased with this judgment against Vicki New, which reflects the great harm that occurred,” stated Amy Nelson, executive director of the FHCCI. “Our client and others residing in the Twin Creeks subdivision endured relentless harassment based on race or national origin for far too long. This ruling sends a message to all that harassment and housing discrimination of any kind is unacceptable and the law will be enforced.”
Along with New, the Twin Creeks Homeowners Association and property management firm Kirkpatrick Management, who govern the approximately 266 single-family homes in the residential subdivision, were named as defendants in the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged they violated the Fair Housing Act, Civil Rights Act, Indiana Fair Housing Act, and state law regarding inflicting emotional distress.
The homeowners association and Kirkpatrick Management settled the case in March 2022, As part of that separate settlement, they agreed to pay $262,500 as compensation for the Plaintiffs’ damages, attorneys fees and costs. The association and management made no admission of liability or wrongdoing in connection with the allegations and claims, the Fair Housing Center stated.
When reached for comment by IndyStar, the homeowners association president Wyatt Smith responded in an emailed statement, “The settlement is not an admission of liability, and the Twin Creeks HOA continues to deny liability for the unfortunate actions of a former homeowner, who was never on the HOA Board, was never an HOA officer, and in no way was a representative of the Twin Creeks HOA.
“The volunteers serving on the HOA Board took a number of steps to intervene in this matter, up to and including a formal letter to Ms. New from the HOA’s attorney ordering that she cease all communication with her neighbors and sell her home, which she did shortly after receiving the letter. No judicial ruling has been entered against the Association, and we wholeheartedly dispute that the HOA and its Board violated any fair housing laws.”
Kirkpatrick Management did not immediately respond to a request for comment by IndyStar.
‘You wouldn’t be alive if my grandfather were still alive’
New frequently yelled racial slurs at Latino and Black neighbors, including calling a Latino woman “fat b---h” and said that “you wouldn’t be alive if my grandfather were still alive,” according to the federal complaint. She made death threats, such as threatening to “wrap a hose around your neck,” according to the complaint.
When New’s Mexican neighbors began running a licensed and permitted day care in their home, three houses down from New, New yelled through the closed door that it was illegal to operate a business in the neighborhood and that the day care’s clients were “a piece of shit and do not belong here,” according to the complaint.
She called the police to claim the day care was an illegal business. The allegations eventually were dismissed as unfounded but harmed the neighbor’s business reputation and several clients left the day care out of fear of New’s harassment, according to the complaint.
The neighbor finally closed the day care, a year after it opened, due to fear of New, according to the complaint.
Homeowners association also held responsible
The homeowners association was contacted by many residents between 2016 and 2018 about New's campaign of racist behavior but, the federal complaint alleges, did not do anything to stop New's conduct. They advised residents to call the police instead.
However, the legal complaint outlines that the homeowners association had the power to stop New's discrimination and harassment. It states that the association and property management could have enforced covenants that banned “noxious, destructive, or offensive activity," among other things.
Contact IndyStar reporter Ko Lyn Cheang at kcheang@indystar.com or 317-903-7071. Follow her on Twitter: @kolyn_cheang. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2022/06/30/indiana-woman-ordered-pay-225-k-racial-harassment-neighbors-lawsuit-racism/7770528001/ | 2022-06-30T11:54:29 | 0 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/marion-county/2022/06/30/indiana-woman-ordered-pay-225-k-racial-harassment-neighbors-lawsuit-racism/7770528001/ |
'Good pandemonium' as Indiana races toward plans for a new era of electric vehicles
After 35 miles of fields and farmland outside the southern tip of Indianapolis, the small town of Hope appears suddenly with a sign that proclaims “A surprising little town.”
Town manager Jason Eckart recently introduced one of the newest surprises in the community known for hot-rod parades, barbecue cookoffs, bluegrass music on the bandstand and classic car cruise-ins: two electric vehicle charging ports on the town square.
“Hope is pretty rich in tradition,” he told a smattering of councilors and laypeople gathered for the unveiling. “We’re proud of our rural heritage. But yet, we’re able to adapt to the future.”
The new charging stations are a "big wink," Eckart said, not just the future of Hope, but the state as a whole.
Indiana, historically a crossroads of transformational transportation innovation, is racing toward an electrified automotive future.
“Maybe not today, but very quickly, every community will need EV [electric vehicle] infrastructure,” said Rep. Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis, who has worked closely on electric vehicle efforts in the state.
Indiana already trails its Midwest neighbors in the adoption of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and lingers in the middle of the pack across the country.
The prep work, for the most part, has been happening behind the scenes in research silos for decades.
But now, market forces — including hundreds of millions in federal dollars and rapidly approaching deadlines — are coming to bear all at once, driving an accelerated push toward transformation.
In a matter of months, the state must come up with a deployment plan for $100 million for electric vehicle infrastructure.
"We have to look forward and invest these dollars now,” said Hamilton. “If we don’t, it will be an incredible lost opportunity and a real travesty for Hoosiers.”
And it's not just state officials under the gun.
Stakeholders like utility companies, manufacturers and advocacy groups are forging new and unfamiliar partnerships.
On the product side, a consortium of industry leaders have given themselves a similar deadline to report the current state of production and labor capability.
And from the energy perspective, Indiana’s utilities are deliberating how to ensure the grid will be ready to meet the growing fuel needs.
But one critical aspect of the transition — public engagement — is struggling to keep pace. Surveys have been circulated and public webinars scheduled, but some communities and advocacy groups say it’s all moving so fast and worry they will be left behind.
To truly make a difference, they say, the transformation must touch every corner of the state: urban, rural, low-income and communities of color.
State officials acknowledge there is a lot to do in a short amount of time, but it’s confident it will get there.
“Right now it’s pandemonium,” said Carl Lisek, executive director of Drive Clean Indiana, a nonprofit focused on alternative fuels. “But it’s good pandemonium.”
The state of Indiana's EV infrastructure
At some point in the next decade or two, it’s possible — if not likely — that electric vehicle charging ports will rival or outnumber traditional gasoline pumps. Beyond the wires, these pit stops will require new behaviors and infrastructure of a different kind: restaurants, shops, and the unhurried mindset that refueling will take more than five minutes.
Like parking spots, charging ports will become part of the building code for new apartments, homes and office buildings.
But virtually none of that exists now.
In a state of more than 5 million adults, there were 7,000 registered electric vehicle owners as of 2020, the latest data available, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. They have access to only 900 public charging ports — think, single gasoline pumps — spread among 320 stations throughout the state.
The federal government’s goal, as outlined in the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program created by President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law, is to have 500,000 public charging stations placed along the country’s interstates by 2030. In theory, there will be charging stations every 50 miles, at least, which must be less than one mile off the highway. Each of these stations must have at least four ports supporting the kind of power that charges in about 30 minutes, known as DC Fast.
In Indiana, only five existing public stations meet that criteria.
“We’re really kind of going from 0 to 1,” said Adam Berry, vice president of economic development and technology at the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, referencing investor Peter Thiel’s book. “We’re starting with nothing and we have to go to full accommodation.”
One of those five stations is in Indianapolis, at the Walmart off South Emerson Avenue.
It's never difficult to get a spot, said 22-year-old Emma Pate, filling up her 2017 Chevy Bolt on a recent sunny morning. But she still has to plan her week around this particular station, aligning her grocery trips with fuel-ups, since she doesn't have a plug in her apartment complex located a 15-minute drive away.
"There really needs to be more chargers," she said. "It needs to be more popular, I guess."
Even California, the state leading the nation with hundreds of thousands of EV owners and tens of thousands of ports, has fewer than 200 stations that fit the bill for the ambitious federal plan released in February.
The Indiana Department of Transportation — accustomed to timelines on major projects that usually span years — now has just weeks to lay out Indiana’s EV future and how it plans to catch up. By August, the agency must submit a plan detailing where and how it would spend $100 million over the next five years to build a network that meets the federal requirements — and doesn’t leave behind Indiana’s swaths of disenfranchised communities.
“It’s an aggressive timeline,” said Scott Manning, INDOT deputy chief of staff, “but manageable.”
Manageable, he said, because INDOT started researching the issue in partnership with Purdue University about five years ago.
Purdue researchers are soon publishing a strategic needs assessment of Indiana’s electric vehicle infrastructure landscape. It is mainly focusing on long-distance trips and what’s known as “range anxiety” — the worry that there won't be enough charging stations available to get from point A to point B.
Right now, Indiana’s infrastructure — or lack of — has electric vehicle drivers quite anxious.
Marion County residents would have no issue traveling within the county or just outside.
“You want to go to Columbus, Ohio? That’s where you got to think about it a little bit,” said Darcy Bullock, director of Purdue’s Joint Transportation Research Program.
Based on Indiana’s current setup, long-distance trips across the state tend to have high failure rates in Marion and Hendricks counties, based on these counties’ central location and their population demands. Charging deserts persist almost everywhere outside Marion County and the South Bend area.
Having more stations can encourage more people to consider and buy electric vehicles, the researchers said, but only to an extent.
The team is also working on research to determine where drivers already tend to stop and fuel up, so that the incoming EV infrastructure can line up with some degree of existing demand.
“Wherever those investments are made, we want them to be fully utilized,” said Nadia Gkritza, principal investigator on the Purdue project.
Matching infrastructure to demand
The questions around EV adoption are endless.
- How will cold weather impact battery performance?
- Will manufacturers find and train enough workers to make the products for vehicles and chargers?
- What’s the EV-equivalent of running out of gas on the side of the road and calling AAA?
- How will dense residential buildings be retrofitted?
- Who will set the pricing and what will it be?
- How can Indiana incentivize more EV adoption?
The first meeting of the Electric Vehicle Product Commission last fall consisted of a string of these questions and thoughts, none followed to completion. The commission is a group of industry leaders and lawmakers convened by legislation in early 2021. Berry was there taking notes for the chamber.
“I was truly nervous,” he said. “After that first meeting, I walked out frustrated and confused and just bewildered that they weren’t focused on the statutory obligations they had.”
Their task is to evaluate the existing inventory of electric vehicle product manufacturing capabilities, including the skills and size of the workforce and opportunities for growth. The goal is to complete a report by September, in time for lawmakers to digest the state of things before the 2023 legislative session, a budget year.
After that first meeting, however, momentum is now rolling.
The commission has met seven times this year, and has divvied up research and writing responsibilities among the members. It represents another group project of unlikely partners — competitors like Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors — racing to meet a deadline.
“I feel more confident," Berry said, "than I did before.”
Nearly every major automaker is supportive of the forward momentum, as evidenced by their announcements that they’ll produce fully electric fleets in the next five to eight years, said Andrianna Hji-Avgoustis, director of governmental affairs for the Indiana Manufacturers Association.
The potential in Indiana is immense, and pivotal, for the legacy auto industry.
The state is a manufacturing powerhouse and one of the nation’s leading automotive producers with five assembly plants. Stellantis also just announced it was partnering on a multi-billion dollar battery manufacturing plant in the state.
While none of Indiana’s auto plants are currently producing a purely electric vehicle, their parent companies are taking big strides in that direction. Right now, however, Rep. Hamilton worries that many of the parts and cars produced in Indiana would head outside the state.
“Many auto manufacturers are moving quickly to mostly electrification, and we need to be ready to support that if we hope to have transportation continue to flow through our state,” she said. “There is an urgency to build out what is absolutely coming and to not drag our feet as we so often have in these areas.”
One question that the state legislature hasn't yet tackled is the implications of an EV transition for the state's roads and infrastructure, which are heavily funded by gasoline taxes.
If nothing changes in the state’s funding mechanism for roads, the projected loss of fuel tax revenue, based on predictions of EV adoption rates, could amount to $2.1 billion by 2035, the Purdue researchers found.
Who can sell the electricity?
Beneath the fray of Critical Race Theory and permitless carry, a key piece of electric-vehicle-related legislation did make it to Gov. Eric Holcomb’s desk this year. It’s one that stakeholders see as integral to a very practical hurdle in the EV transition: Who can actually sell and pay for electricity for vehicles?
“We don’t know what we don’t know,” State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso, said in a January committee hearing on his House Bill 1221. “And any bill we do on EV is going to have to be iterative.”
The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission asked lawmakers to start tackling some basic questions, he said — which the bill, now law, starts answering.
It allows private companies, such as gas stations and convenience stores, to buy and sell electricity from the utilities that service their area for the purpose of electric vehicle charging. Under the law, doing so would not reclassify that gas station or convenience store into a public utility, thus opening the door for countless new sites to host charging stations.
Not only does this clear mom-and-pop convenience stores from having to be regulated by the IURC, but it creates a path for them to pursue a new source of revenue, said Greg Ellis, the chamber’s vice president of energy and environmental policy. If President Biden’s vision comes to fruition, electric fuel may increasingly outpace traditional gas sales.
“It was simple,” Ellis said of the legislation, “but it was a big deal.”
The law also allows electric utilities to create pilot programs deploying charging infrastructure for “public use” electric vehicles — such as public transit, school buses and emergency vehicles — and recover the cost of those programs by charging higher public rates.
If approved by the IURC, the extra ratepayer dollars would go only toward those public vehicles within their utility's service area.
“Nowhere are we going to have grandma subsidizing fancy cars up where I live,” Soliday said.
That’s what the federal funding is for: to help fund charging stations for EV drivers across the state. Still, the owners and operators of the stations will work to set the “price at the pump,” or the cost of electricity when charging.
Can the grid handle it?
Having more charging stations won’t mean anything, however, without the electricity to power them. That is another looming question — and concern: Will there be enough fuel, in the form of electrons moving through wires?
“The power availability," said Manning with INDOT, "is probably the biggest consideration for Indiana.”
As such, utilities are a key part of the infrastructure and transition process. The state is working closely with Indiana’s power providers, as well as Purdue researchers, to map out the corridors in need of EV charging stations and how that overlaps with where the necessary level of power is available. They are also looking at what it would take to provide adequate electricity where it is not available.
It will be different for every utility based on charging stations being considered in their service territory, according to Danielle McGrath, president of the Indiana Energy Association.
Finding the right spot could be something as simple as moving the charger across the street or down a block, where it would require significantly less upgrades or work to the wires, said Cory Gordon, Duke Energy’s director of transportation electrification. That’s why the utility wants to coordinate early with the private businesses that plan to sell the electricity.
The utilities have some practice as they are in the process of building dozens of chargers across Indiana that they will own and operate. Just last year, a group of eight utilities was awarded roughly $5.5 million from the Volkswagen Settlement Fund, which resulted from the company installing defective emissions-control devices in hundreds of thousands of diesel-powered vehicles.
With that money, the utilities are building 61 of the DC Fast chargers — those that charge within about a half hour — along Indiana’s major roadways. They hope many of them will be operational next year.
“That’s pretty exponential growth,” said Shawn Seals, a senior environmental manager with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that oversees the VW fund. “Then factor in what is likely to follow from the federal program and the scale of that, and the state should be seeing some really significant coverage for EV charging.”
It’s unclear at this time just how many chargers will come from the $100 million in federal funding, but Seals said “It’s safe to presume we would expect a lot” — potentially in the range of a couple hundred DC fast chargers.
This comes at the same time businesses and towns, like Hope, are adding slower charging stations and homeowners are installing chargers in their garages.
So can the grid handle the impending “exponential" growth? Experts say it comes down to how it’s managed.
Zac Elliot with AES Indiana said they don’t expect any near-term adverse impacts to grid reliability. He points to the 1950s during a time of widespread adoption of central air and heating, which created massive new demand.
“We’ve been accommodating load growth for more than 100 years now, so it’s not new,” said Elliot, the electrification portfolio lead. “There will definitely be a learning process over time, but simplistically the impact will be new load in areas where DC Fast charging is installed.”
To manage that load, both Gordon and Elliot said the utilities are exploring new paradigms — including different rate structures — that would incentivize EV drivers to charge during off-peak times when it is the most efficient for the grid and maintains its reliability.
AES Indiana said it is forecasting around 175,000 electric vehicles in its service territory, or roughly 35% of its 500,000 customers in the Indianapolis area, by 2030.
“The future is electric,” Elliott said. “We feel with public policy trends, public and private infrastructure investment, and manufacturer goals — these are all tailwinds.”
Transformation for all
The Rev. David Greene said his predominantly Black neighborhood could really use an EV charger. He thinks his church, Purpose of Life Ministries, could be the perfect spot. It has about 10 acres, it’s right off an I-65 exit on 38th Street, and it’s a place that feels safe in the community.
But he has no clue where to start. Greene said he is raising his hand to show interest, but he’s not sure if anyone is listening.
“I’m not even sure how to plug in right now,” he said. “We can’t address disparity issues without putting forward the energy and effort.”
Part of the federal plan requires states to think about rural and low-income areas. A separate, $2.5 billion grant program will be available specifically to help deploy chargers in disadvantaged communities.
Equitable public engagement is "a major component" of this process, Manning told attendees of a recent webinar on the EV infrastructure plan. INDOT's public engagement plan is a "living document," he said, and will continue throughout the five years of the federal infrastructure deployment process.
But Denise Abdul-Rahman, the Indiana state chair of environmental and climate justice for the NAACP, said the engagement process thus far raises some serious concerns for her.
“Has it been equitable? I think I have to say it’s still unfolding, and I think it will depend,” she said.
In April, INDOT put out a request for information, or an RFI, from all interested stakeholders, hoping to gain insight into the market, funding opportunities, and the needs of underserved communities. It has hosted online webinars and three in-person public meetings, one each in Indianapolis, Plymouth and Seymour — the latter two are both in rural areas where more than 80% of the population is white, according to the latest census data. The meetings were limited to 50 attendees.
Abdul-Rahman said she didn’t learn about the state’s efforts until just a couple weeks ago. From her own outreach, she said many constituents and communities “weren’t even aware” the public engagement process was taking place or that they could submit comments as part of the RFI.
That shows the state needs to do more to actually identify and reach Black and brown communities so they can fairly participate, Abdul-Rahman said. These communities also stand to benefit substantially from the build out of EV infrastructure, she added.
Station hosts could see additional revenue from drivers using their chargers, and neighboring businesses could see more foot traffic as those drivers look for something to do while fueling up. Those communities also could see the creation of skilled jobs to help operate and maintain the chargers, Abdul-Rahman said.
Beyond the economic opportunities, the environmental gains could also be considerable.
“Most Black and brown folks live close to highways and roads that are frequently driven, so we know if we can electrify vehicles then our air quality and breathing will be better,” she said. “But if the charging stations aren’t in ethnically diverse communities, then that means no EVs are coming through and there will continue to be that pollution in the community.”
Greene said he sees the environmental benefits and the additional funds it could bring for the church’s outreach initiatives. He also sees the importance of showing his parishioners and the surrounding community that EVs are for everyone, including them.
Having a charging station at the church would not only help passersby on the highway, Greene said, but also the many apartment renters in the area who don’t have the ability or option to access chargers at home. Creating infrastructure in low-income and minority communities is a way to promote and encourage using EVs — an easier argument to make as EV prices come down and gas prices rise.
“This could be transformational, for everyone,” Greene said. “But we can’t speak to it if it isn’t in our neighborhoods, otherwise, people will say ‘this isn’t in our communities, this isn’t for us.’”
No town left behind
Hope, population 2,100, decided not to wait for the feds.
The town council voted earlier this year to invest $6,000 to buy the two charging ports, which output enough energy to charge a car in a couple hours. It’s not the level charger the federal plan desires, but Eckart, the town manager, believes it’s sufficient for Hope, where he can only think of a handful of people in town who might have an electric vehicle. One of them is the town marshal.
But this is as much for them as it is for outside electric vehicle drivers in a future where they need a quaint place to stop, charge up and grab a bite.
“If we could just get them to stop in our tiny little town," Eckart said, "they might come back.”
In this small town, the politics are such that a self-described “motor-head” like councilor Ohmer Miller also voted for the proposal. He cited a concept called “the greater good,” despite his personal misgivings about electric vehicles.
“I don’t think you’re going to see an electric vehicle at a cruise-in,” he said.
Even INDOT and Purdue are only using a 5% adoption rate figure by 2030, among personal automobiles, in their modeling.
Major changes are often difficult to imagine before they really start to come to fruition.
The weekend of Hope's charging station unveiling, former resident Bonnie Miller Smith happened to be in town for a 50-year class reunion. Her eyes welled up as she took in the old and the new.
Some things are the same: the funeral parlor on the corner, the playground where she played as a kid and her own children after her. Others are new and improved, like the winding sidewalks and upgraded facilities through the square. And the two new parking spots with the bright green EV insignia.
Of all the changes, that last part was not what she expected for her little hometown of 62 years.
“I never thought it would happen — I never even thought about it,” she said.
Contact IndyStar transportation reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.
Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129 or email at sarah.bowman@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters: Join The Scrub on Facebook. | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/transportation/2022/06/30/electric-vehicles-cars-indiana-future-gm-business-tesla-industry/7580651001/ | 2022-06-30T11:54:35 | 1 | https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/transportation/2022/06/30/electric-vehicles-cars-indiana-future-gm-business-tesla-industry/7580651001/ |
A 20-year-old mother pushing her 3-month-old child in a stroller was executed at point-blank range by a gunman wearing all black on Manhattan's Upper East Side Wednesday, and that suspect remained on the loose early Thursday, authorities say.
Cops responding to a 911 call about shots fired near Lexington Avenue and East 95th Street around 8:30 p.m. found the woman, whose identity has not yet been released, unconscious. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
The baby wasn't hurt. Few details were immediately available on the Manhattan shooting. Top police officials said at a press conference late Wednesday they were looking into whether the gunman may have had a relationship with the victim or might be the child's father, but there was no immediate confirmation of that early Thursday.
The gunman approached the woman from behind and shot her once in the head before taking off on foot on East 95th Street, sources said.
Police said he fired a single shot at the woman's head before running off. He was last seen running eastbound on East 95th Street, the NYPD said. One shell casing was recovered at the scene, police sources added.
Mayor Eric Adams, who had spent the day talking about gun violence -- announcing a ghost gun crackdown with New York State Attorney General Letitia James before meeting with Democratic U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York on gun trafficking -- stood alongside NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell as she briefed the media.
"This entire day we have been addressing the problem of overproliferation of guns on our street, how readily accessible they are and how there is just no fear in using these guns on innocent New Yorkers," Adams said Wednesday. "This is the result of that."
News
"These are real lives, when a mother is pushing a baby carriage down the block and is shot at point-blank range it shows just how this national problem is impacting families," the Democratic mayor added as he called for bail reform. Adams also demanded, as he has frequently in recent weeks, more government action to buckle a trend he says applies whether "you are on the Upper East Side or East New York, Brooklyn."
"We’re going to continue to do our job," he continued. "We’re going to find this person who is guilty of this horrific crime. We’re going to find him and bring him to justice. We need to make sure this innocent person receives the justice we’re asking for."
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/manhattan-shooting-woman-stroller-shooting-execution-gun-violence/3756349/ | 2022-06-30T11:59:58 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/manhattan-shooting-woman-stroller-shooting-execution-gun-violence/3756349/ |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — One person is dead following a car crash in Birmingham early Thursday morning.
The Birmingham Fire and Rescue Department responded to a report of an overturned vehicle in the 2000 block of Jefferson Avenue SW in the city. No other injuries or fatalities have been reported.
This is a developing story. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/1-dead-in-early-morning-wreck-in-birmingham/ | 2022-06-30T12:22:00 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/1-dead-in-early-morning-wreck-in-birmingham/ |
SCRANTON, Pa. — Wawa clears another hurdle in its bid to move into Scranton.
Wednesday night the city zoning board gave the company the variances it needs to open up in the Electric City.
It's not a done deal.
The store would be located at the corner of Meadow Avenue and Moosic Street.
See news happening? Call our Newstip hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/wawa-is-one-step-closer-to-coming-to-scranton-meadow-ave-lackawanna-county-sheetz/523-8f54e102-f6ee-400a-ad0f-ab6f01c264e9 | 2022-06-30T12:26:53 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/wawa-is-one-step-closer-to-coming-to-scranton-meadow-ave-lackawanna-county-sheetz/523-8f54e102-f6ee-400a-ad0f-ab6f01c264e9 |
In unanimous decision, Hale Memorial Church to be given 'death with dignity' demolition
PEORIA – Even though approving the demolition of Hale Memorial Church was painful for members of the Peoria Historical Preservation Commission, the decision was unanimous.
“None of us want this church to be demolished or to be in the state that it is in,” said commissioner Marisa Farrell Gould, her voice breaking. "I almost see this decision as being kind of a death with dignity situation. We can take care of this problem before worse things continue to happen, and turn this little lot into a little green space. ... If that could truly be maintained as some sort of beautiful entrance to the High Wine District, which in my opinion is like the gem of this city.”
The demolition was approved on the condition that KDB Group, which owns the church, presents the commission with a plan in 90 days detailing how the parcel will be used and maintained in the future.
“I can assure that the KDB Group, Kim (Blickenstaff) and myself, will make this a very positive and beautiful entrance to High Street that will pay homage to the church itself and also High Street,” said Greg Birkland, President and CEO of KDB Group.
From 2021:Why new owners already want to sell Peoria's Hale Memorial Church to Kim Blickenstaff
Birkland said he will work with a landscape architect to formulate a plan, possibly using stone salvaged from the structure to build a gazebo or some other structure, and also erect a plaque memorializing the historic church.
Built in 1900, the church sits at the corner of High and Main Streets. It was named in honor of early community leader Asahel Hale, and over the years was home to a number of congregations until a fire in 1999 caused $100,000 in damage. Since then, the historic structure has captured the imagination of three different couples with plans to repurpose it.
The final couple, Utah residents who bought the church sight-unseen online, sold it to the KDB Group after flying to Peoria and seeing the scope of the renovation. Owned by medtech entrepreneur and community philanthropist Kim Blickenstaff, KDB Group purchased the building with the intention of restoring it.
“We knew going in when we bought it the state that it was in, but once we received the report that Farnsworth Group had provided back in 2016, it really opened our eyes quite a bit as far as the issues with the property, with water infiltration that had been happening two years prior to the 2016 survey. So unfortunately, the property has been receiving water penetration for almost a decade now ... through the foundation, through all the walls and trusses.”
More in historic buildings:Dilapidated 1930s-era Manias Manor apartment complex demolished
Water and fire damage led to serious structural degradation. Photographs of the church shown during the meeting were explained by Rich Storm, building inspections manager for the City of Peoria.
“The floor, in multiple areas, is failing,” said Storm.
Joists, which once sat on brick pillars built into the wall, are no longer supported. The joists were also damaged by fire.
“Overall the building is in such a state of disrepair that there is absolutely no way I can say that we would keep the building as it sits. It does pose an extreme danger," said Storm.
It was an opinion shared by Joe Dulin, assistant director of community development for Peoria, who stepped in to stress the importance of moving forward with the demolition when it began to look like the Historical Preservation Commission might defer the decision until there was more information about how the parcel will be used once the church is gone.
"I think the decision of waiting to approve the demo provides a giant safety risk for the people on Main Street and in the neighborhood, and my concern is that the longer we wait, we might have to declare an emergency," he said. “We’re not at that point yet, but we are slowly approaching it with the damage that’s occurred.”
The demolition will have to be done carefully since the building sits in a highly populated area. Birkland, who estimated the cost to be more than $200,000, said after the meeting that he has already chosen a contractor for the job, though he doesn’t know when work will begin.
Leslie Renken can be reached at (309) 370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken. | https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/hale-memorial-church-demolition-approved-peoria-historic-commission/7770359001/ | 2022-06-30T12:34:17 | 0 | https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/hale-memorial-church-demolition-approved-peoria-historic-commission/7770359001/ |
Last week, Representative Peter DeFazio (OR-04) and Oregon Sen. Wyden sent a bicameral letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) about their significant concerns with the ongoing siting process for offshore wind facilities off the southern Oregon coast.
BOEM has issued Call Areas for potential offshore wind leasing off Coos Bay and Brookings. These Call Areas are the first step in the leasing process and are meant to assess commercial interest and public input on offshore wind leasing activities in the designated areas. However, stakeholders have raised critical issues that need to be addressed before the process should move forward.
In the letter, DeFazio and Wyden urge BOEM to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for wind energy off the entire Pacific Coast to address critical data gaps on environmental impact, to move the Oregon Call Areas beyond a 1300-meter depth to minimize the impact on sustainable fishing operations, formally consult with all relevant stakeholders throughout the siting process, and fully collaborate with federal partners. The letter calls on the agency to take a thorough and collaborative approach to ensure that economic, environmental, and safety impacts of the nascent technology of floating offshore wind facilities in the Coos Bay and Brookings Call Areas are understood and mitigated before moving any further in the siting process.
The Oregon Members express concern that the Call Areas would significantly disrupt sustainable fishing operations. They write, “The seafood industry is economically critical to Oregon as a whole, and especially Oregon’s coastal communities. . . Fishing grounds have been steadily shrinking for decades and coastal communities up and down the Pacific coast continue to suffer economic and cultural loss. Further limiting Oregon’s fishing industry from the productive fishing grounds in the current Call Areas could spell economic disaster for these towns that have relied on harvesting seafood for generations.”
“I strongly support the use of renewable energy alternatives, like wind, solar, wave, and thermal energy, to address the climate crisis, but the installation of these alternatives cannot be to the detriment of vitally important fisheries, mariner safety, near- and on-shore habitat, and endangered marine species. Any offshore wind leasing near Coos Bay and Brookings will have a significant impact on these coastal communities and the Pacific Coast ecosystem, but BOEM has a troubling history of ignoring the most immediate stakeholders on this issue,” said Representative Peter DeFazio. “BOEM needs to seriously revise its decision-making process to ensure that stakeholders have a full seat at the table and that the cumulative impact of Pacific coast offshore wind leasing is understood and mitigated before moving forward.”
“Fishing is an integral and iconic part of the coastal economy with job-creating benefits that ripple into communities throughout Oregon,” Senator Wyden said. “That’s why I’m working to make sure federal officials listen to concerned coastal officials and don’t inadvertently damage this core Oregon industry so it can continue to provide economic and recreation opportunities for generations to come.”
“Oregonians and coastal users have spoken, calling for more comprehensive analysis to address data gaps for wildlife, fisheries and user conflicts with the call areas. It's important that BOEM's process meets these concerns and builds trust and transparency through opportunities for engagement and collaboration at the ground level,” said Charlie Plybon, Oregon Policy Director, Surfrider Foundation.
“It does not make sense to risk an environmental catastrophe and create a food security issue trying to solve the climate crisis. BOEM must slow down this process and the environmental and economic impacts must be known and understood upfront before leases are issued – at the end of the process, which is the current plan, is too late,” said Heather Mann, Executive Director, Midwater Trawlers Cooperative.
The Oregon members also call on BOEM to consult with all relevant stakeholders and federal partners including NOAA, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, and the United States Coast Guard to make sure the most relevant expertise is included in each step of the decision-making process.
The full text of the letter follows below:
Dear Director Lefton,
We write to express our significant concerns about the siting process for floating offshore wind facilities in federal waters, especially the Calls for Information and Nominations (Calls) off the coast of Oregon, near Coos Bay and Brookings. We urge BOEM to take a thorough, systematic, fully-inclusive, and collaborative approach to ensure that economic, environmental, and safety impacts of floating offshore wind facilities in the Coos Bay and Brookings Call Areas are understood and mitigated before moving any further in the siting process. Specifically, we request that you complete a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for wind energy off the entire Pacific Coast, move the Oregon Call Areas to minimize impact on sustainable fishing operations, and formally consult with all relevant stakeholders in the full siting process.
The California Current, in the Pacific coastal waters, is a unique and exceptional ecosystem that provides immeasurable environmental and economic benefits to the region. It is critical to conduct a Programmatic EIS before continuing the current leasing process to evaluate the cumulative impact of all siting, design, and operation of energy projects on this rich and rare natural resource. It is short-sighted at best and negligent at worst to develop floating offshore wind projects along the Pacific coast piecemeal without studying and planning for the system as a whole. A thorough Programmatic EIS for floating offshore wind facilities off the entire Pacific coast is necessary to provide clarity on unanswered questions on this nascent technology, make informed choices about the best course of action (including considering a no action scenario), and develop mitigation strategies before it’s too late to make meaningful adjustments.
Additionally, we urge you to move the Coos Bay and Brookings Call Areas beyond the 1300-meter depth in critical areas to minimize displacing current sustainable fishing activities to the greatest extent possible. The seafood industry is economically critical to Oregon as a whole, and especially Oregon’s coastal communities. Coastal communities rely on the jobs and economic activity that come from the seafood industry, including sport and commercial fishermen, seafood processers, related marine user businesses, and many other jobs that come from that economic activity. Fishing grounds have been steadily shrinking for decades and coastal communities up and down the Pacific coast continue to suffer economic and cultural loss. Further limiting Oregon’s fishing industry from the productive fishing grounds in the current Call Areas could spell economic disaster for these towns that have relied on access to fish for generations.
We also call on BOEM to consult with all relevant stakeholders to fully evaluate the wide-ranging impacts of these proposed developments along the Pacific coast. Currently the BOEM Oregon Intergovernmental Energy Task Force is comprised exclusively of government employees, without industry and stakeholder representation, and closes official meetings before taking public comment. BOEM should revise this task force to include a range of relevant non-governmental stakeholders, such as the task forces within the Marine Fish Advisory Committee at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Additionally, we request that BOEM consistently provide a publicly-accessible lay interpretation of scientific analysis throughout the process to help Oregonians better understand the complex issues at hand and BOEM’s rationale for its siting decisions.
Finally, BOEM should fully coordinate with federal partners including NOAA, the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, and the United States Coast Guard to make sure the most relevant expertise is included in each step of the decision-making process. These agencies are well-versed in implementing federal law and have valuable insight into furthering science-based decision making, finding consensus among stakeholders, and ensuring navigational safety in federal waters. Although BOEM is charged with ocean energy management, federal partners need to be guaranteed input at the table.
Thank you for your work to move our country toward a renewable energy future. The federal government must lead the way to combat the climate crisis rapidly and aggressively. We appreciate that the Administration has prioritized deployment of offshore wind energy to achieve those goals, but we need an offshore wind strategy based in science and thoughtful planning that will ensure a basic level of economic security for the fishing industry and help protect ocean ecosystems. | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/defazio-wyden-send-letter-to-bureau-of-ocean-energy-management-on-oregon-coast-offshore-wind/article_2087145e-f598-11ec-bef8-43968612edc8.html | 2022-06-30T12:43:20 | 0 | https://theworldlink.com/news/local/defazio-wyden-send-letter-to-bureau-of-ocean-energy-management-on-oregon-coast-offshore-wind/article_2087145e-f598-11ec-bef8-43968612edc8.html |
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (WJHL) — Tennessee’s oldest town is bringing back Jonesborough Days for the 51st year. Taking over Main Street Fourth of July weekend.
The weekend will begin with a Low Country Shrimp Boil Thursday, June 30 at 6 p.m. On July 2-3, Jonesborough Days festivities are set to include kids activities, storytelling, live music and more.
A parade will kick off the celebration at 10 a.m. Saturday with activities continuing until 10 that night.
Part of that fun will be the 4th Annual MoonPie Eating Contest in front of the Washington County Courthouse at 2 p.m. Contestants are challenged to see who can finish their MoonPies the fastest. Reigning champion from 2021, Ethan Malone, is ready to compete once again.
“It wasn’t that easy because after you finish the moon pie, you had to scream to the top of your lungs ‘I love moon pies’ and clap your hands,” said Malone. “I didn’t eat a meal for like, a whole day beforehand.”
Zach McNabb and the Tennessee Esquires will be taking the Main Stage Saturday night. McNabb said he’s ready to hit the stage.
“We love when people interact with our group and get up and dance and sing along because one of our favorite things,” said McNabb. “We always love to incorporate a couple of gospel songs everybody’s familiar with like I saw the light and love for everybody to join in on that. It always makes a lot of fun.”
On Sunday, the festival launches again at 12-10 p.m., with Jonesborough Days ending with a fireworks finale at 10 p.m.
New this year, on both Saturday and Sunday there will be a dunk tank at Storytelling Park. For a small donation, take a shot at dunking your favorite coach, teacher or police officer. Donations benefit the Jonesborough Police Department’s Shop with a Cop Program and the Jonesborough Athletic Boosters.
“Jonesborough’s Shop with a Cop provides Christmas for 250 kids each year, we provide their full Christmas and we provide Christmas dinner for their families,” said Kerrie Aistrop, head of Shop with a Cop. “Our athletic Booster Club, we provide uniforms and gear for anything that any of our student-athletes make a pretty big impact. It’s a huge impact on our community. We love helping our kids, especially with the economy the way that it is this year. It’s gonna take a lot of money to be able to help do both of these programs.”
Parking is available at Jonesborough Middle School for $5 per car, and a free shuttle will run all weekend.
For more information, click here or call 423-753-1010. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/jonesborough-days-festival-returns-for-51st-year/ | 2022-06-30T12:49:40 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/jonesborough-days-festival-returns-for-51st-year/ |
(WJHL) — There has been a fatal crash on Highway 421 S near Grover Reece Road in Johnson County Thursday morning.
Johnson County Sheriff Eddie Tester confirmed the sheriff’s office and Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) responded to the scene.
Tester would not provide any additional information such as how many people the crash involved or what time it occurred.
News Channel 11 has reached out to the THP for more details. This is a developing story. Stay updated on-air and online at WJHL.com. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/sheriff-fatal-crash-on-highway-421-s-in-johnson-county/ | 2022-06-30T12:49:46 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/sheriff-fatal-crash-on-highway-421-s-in-johnson-county/ |
HENRY COUNTY, Ind. — Farmers across Indiana and the country are scraping by this year because of inflation prices. Many are barely getting by. Some are using new ways to help generate cash flow by selling their products online.
Fourth-generation farmer Kyle Becker of Becker Farms, northeast of New Castle, is eating into equity every day with a two year leeway to make up for lost money or he will have to resort to selling land.
Becker hasn't raised prices to make up for the extent of his costs. This year, they'll have to borrow money against the equity built during the pandemic to stay afloat.
"The farm part is the easy part," he said. "It's when you're at the desk and you're trying to pay bills, that's the challenge, and the meetings with the banker this year. The last year the banker has been excited, and this year, the banker is not going to be very excited," Becker said.
Cost of production at Becker Farms in Mooreland, Indiana, is up by 43-to-48 percent, depending on the week. Fertilizer, fuel and packaging were hit hardest.
"Just the price of our sausage, just the processing, is up basically double because the packaging cost is double. So, it's not only the processor is paying the employees more to retain them because they can go somewhere else for more money, also, the cost of the packaging because of the price of fuel and physically being able to get it," Becker explained.
Becker, who sells his produce at farmers markets, relies on Market Wagon for cash flow and a further reach. Business done through the Market Wagon website now accounts for 30 percent of Becker's sales. The site acts as a middle man to deliver produce right to customers' doorsteps in 19 counties of central Indiana from Bloomington to Lafayette. This allows farmers like Becker to spend more time on the farm.
Around 200 farmers and food producers are on Market Wagon in Indiana. It's also available in markets across the country. In the next couple of months, Becker Farms plans expand to other states through Market Wagon. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/market-wagon-website-bridges-gap-for-hoosier-farmers-hurt-by-inflation/531-e4a50d5c-93e1-4380-9056-64fc287c6d7d | 2022-06-30T12:51:47 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/market-wagon-website-bridges-gap-for-hoosier-farmers-hurt-by-inflation/531-e4a50d5c-93e1-4380-9056-64fc287c6d7d |
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana State Fair is looking to hire more seasonal employees for the July 29-Aug. 21 event, and has scheduled a second job fair on Wednesday, July 6 at the fairgrounds.
The fair held its first job fair on June 2.
(Note: The video accompanying this story featured a preview of the first State Fair job fair in early June, 2022.)
The second job fair will take place at the State Fairgrounds & Event Center in the Agriculture/Horticulture Building, located 1202 E. 38th St. in Indianapolis. Applicants are asked to bring a copy of their resume. Knowledge about the fair is not a prerequisite.
The job fair runs from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday.
If an applicant cannot attend in person, they may visit the State Fairgrounds Employment Office, located on the northeast corner of the Fairgrounds from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday.
The following positions are still available:
- Parking
- Gates
- Security
- Operations
- Tractor shuttles
- Information booths
- Education exhibits
Some positions are ideal for college students, retirees and people with full-time jobs who want to earn extra money. The fair is offering referral and attendance incentive programs for seasonal workers for the first time.
"Our seasonal employees help make the Indiana State Fair the best in the country," said Mark Anderson, director of human resources for the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center, in a news release. "We are excited to introduce new referral and attendance incentive programs to our staff this year. Many of our year-round employees began as seasonal workers, and we hope that trend continues." | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/second-job-fair-scheduled-to-recruit-indiana-state-fair-workers-july-6/531-f0cce867-20bd-4df3-a2dc-e697726f609c | 2022-06-30T12:51:53 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/second-job-fair-scheduled-to-recruit-indiana-state-fair-workers-july-6/531-f0cce867-20bd-4df3-a2dc-e697726f609c |
HOUSTON — Texas Governor Greg Abbott is ordering more truck checkpoints across the state of Texas to prevent more deaths like what we saw in San Antonio earlier this week, when 53 people who were being transported in a big rig died. But we're learning the semi-truck actually made it through two checkpoints undetected.
Four hours before first responders descended on the semi-truck in San Antonio in a desperate attempt to save lives, the driver – identified by Mexican government officials as Homero Zamorano -- was caught on camera crossing through a Customs and Border Patrol checkpoint in Encinal, Texas.
This new information was released in a press conference hosted by Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Mexican officials released a map of the truck's alleged route. It’s believed the migrants were loaded into the truck on the U.S. side near Laredo before heading north. The truck also cleared the Cotulla checkpoint before ending up in southwest San Antonio.
Zamorano was arrested in a nearby field pretending to be one of the injured smuggled migrants, according to authorities.
"Border Patrol does not have the resources to be able to inspect all of the trucks and as a result, Border Patrol didn't have the capability of saving those lives," said Gov. Abbott.
In Eagle Pass Wednesday, Governor Abbott highlighted what he calls a catastrophe at the border -- record crossings at the border. There were 44,000 alone last month in the area near Eagle Pass and Del Rio. Abbott is ordering new measures.
“DPS will create and implement a checkpoint strategy beginning immediately. They will begin targeting trucks like the one used where the people perished," said Abbott.
DPS will deploy teams trained to detect cloned trucks along smuggling corridors. In addition to more checkpoints, Abbott says DPS will deploy at least two new 20-trooper strike teams to areas seeing record crossings.
And the Texas National Guard plans to put more drones in the air in the coming months.
“Our prayers are with the families who were affected,” said Gov. Abbott. “We never want to see that again.”
Victims in alleged deadly human smuggling
Reporting below is from the Associated Press.
Victims have been found with no identification documents at all and in one case a stolen ID. Remote villages lack phone service to reach family members and determine the whereabouts of missing migrants. Fingerprint data has to be shared and matched by different governments.
More than a day after the discovery of a stifling trailer in San Antonio where dozens of migrants died after being abandoned in the sweltering heat, few identities of the victims have been made public, illustrating the challenges authorities face in tracing people who cross borders clandestinely.
The number of dead rose to 53 on Wednesday after two more migrants died, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office. Forty of the victims were male and 13 were female, it said.
Officials had potential identifications on 37 of the victims as of Wednesday morning, pending verification with authorities in other countries.
“It’s a tedious, tedious, sad, difficult process,” said Bexar County Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores, who represents the district where the truck was abandoned.
The bodies were discovered Monday afternoon on the outskirts of San Antonio in what is believed to be the nation's deadliest smuggling episode on the U.S.-Mexico border. More than a dozen people were taken to hospitals, including four children. Three people have been arrested.
The truck, which was registered in Alamo, Texas, but had fake plates and logos, was carrying 67 migrants, Francisco Garduño, chief of Mexico’s National Immigration Institute, said Wednesday.
The driver was apprehended after trying to pretend he was one of the migrants, Garduño said. Two other Mexican men also have been detained, he said.
Among the dead were 27 people from Mexico, 14 from Honduras, seven from Guatemala and two from El Salvador, he said. One of the victims had no identification, Garduño said.
The tragedy occurred at a time when huge numbers of migrants have been coming to the U.S., many of them taking perilous risks to cross swift rivers and canals and scorching desert landscapes. Migrants were stopped nearly 240,000 times in May, up by one-third from a year ago.
With little information about the victims, desperate families of migrants from Mexico and Central America frantically sought word of their loved ones.
Several survivors were in critical condition with injuries such as brain damage and internal bleeding, according to Rubén Minutti, the Mexico consul general in San Antonio.
Guatemala’s foreign ministry said late Tuesday that it had confirmed two hospitalized Guatemalans and was working to identify three possible Guatemalans among the dead. Honduras’ foreign relations ministry said it was trying to confirm the identities of four of the dead who were carrying Honduran papers.
Eva Ferrufino, a spokesperson for Honduras’ foreign ministry, said her agency was working with the Honduras Consulate in south Texas to match names and fingerprints and complete identifications.
The process is painstaking because among the pitfalls are fake or stolen documents.
Mexico’s foreign affairs secretary identified two people Tuesday who were hospitalized in San Antonio. But it turned out that one of the identification cards he shared on Twitter had been stolen last year in the southern state of Chiapas.
Haneydi Antonio Guzman, 23, was safe in a mountain community more than 1,300 miles (2,092 kilometers) away from San Antonio when she began receiving messages from family and friends. There is no phone signal there, but she has internet access.
Journalists started showing up at her parents’ home in Escuintla -- the address on her ID that was stolen and found in the truck — expecting to find her worried relatives.
“That’s me on the ID, but I am not the person that was in the trailer and they say is hospitalized," Antonio Guzman said.
“My relatives were contacting me worried, asking where I was,” she said. “I told them I was fine, that I was in my house and I clarified it on my" Facebook page.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Marcelo Ebrard deleted his tweet identifying her without comment. The other victim Ebrard identified turned out to be accurate.
In the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca, municipal officials in San Miguel Huautla were traveling to the community of 32-year-old José Luis Vásquez Guzmán late Tuesday to find out if his mother wanted to travel to San Antonio to be with him in the hospital.
Manuel Velasco López, San Miguel Huautla’s municipal secretary, said that a cousin had been traveling with Vásquez Guzmán and was now considered missing.
Another cousin, Alejandro López, told Mexico's Milenio television that their family worked in farming and construction and that they migrated because “we don’t have anything but weaving hats, palms and handicrafts.”
“Growing corn, wheat and beans is what we do in this region and that leads to a lot of our people emigrating and going to the United States,” he said.
Miguel Barbosa, the governor of neighboring Puebla state, set off a scramble for information in the town of Izucar de Matamoros on Tuesday when he said two of the dead were from there although that was not confirmed.
In the heavily migrant town, everyone was asking if their friends or neighbors were among the dead found in Texas. Attempting to cross into the United States is such a tradition that most youths in the town at least consider it.
“All of the young people start to think about going (to the U.S.) as soon as they turn 18,” said migrant activist Carmelo Castañeda, who works with the nonprofit Casa del Migrante. “If there aren’t more visas, our people are going to keep dying.”
Migrants typically pay $8,000 to $10,000 to be taken across the border and loaded into a tractor-trailer and driven to San Antonio, where they transfer to smaller vehicles for their final destinations across the United States, said Craig Larrabee, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Antonio.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar told The Associated Press Wednesday that Homeland Security investigators believe the migrants boarded the truck in or around Laredo, on U.S. soil, but have not confirmed that. He said the truck went through a Border Patrol checkpoint northeast of Laredo on Interstate 35 on Monday.
Before leaving on the more than two-hour trip to San Antonio, the truck had been parked Monday in South Texas just north of the border, Garduño said.
Authorities think the truck had mechanical problems when it was left next to a railroad track in an area of San Antonio surrounded by auto scrapyards that brush up against a busy freeway, said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff.
San Antonio has been a recurring scene of tragedy and desperation in recent years involving migrants in semitrailers.
Ten migrants died in 2017 after being trapped inside a truck parked at a San Antonio Walmart. In 2003, the bodies of 19 migrants were found in a sweltering truck southeast of the city.
Other tragedies have occurred before migrants reached the U.S. In December, more than 50 died when a semitrailer rolled over on a highway in southern Mexico.
During a vigil Tuesday at a San Antonio park, many of the more than 50 people who attended expressed sadness and anger at the deaths and what they described as a broken immigration system.
Back in Puebla, farmer Juan Sánchez Carrillo, 45, was sickened when he heard of the deaths in Texas.
He narrowly escaped death when he and his friends ran away from dozing migrant rustlers in the mountains near Otay Mesa near San Diego.
“For the smugglers, we the migrants are not human,” Sánchez Carrillo said. “For them we are no more than merchandise.” | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/texas-big-rig-driver/285-30be725b-2b4e-41fd-bd16-d3512663ab9b | 2022-06-30T12:51:59 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/texas-big-rig-driver/285-30be725b-2b4e-41fd-bd16-d3512663ab9b |
DALLAS — Le Roy Torres spent his career serving as a Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper, and as an Army Captain.
"It's definitely something that I had always dreamed of doing," said Torres.
In 2007 to 2008, he was deployed to Iraq, where he said he was exposed daily to toxic fumes from the largest burn pit in the country. Years later, it left Torres with severe lung damage. He was diagnosed with a brain injury called "toxic encephalopathy" that impacts his short-term memory and cognitive abilities.
"I never thought that this was going to be an issue that I was going to have to deal with returning back from war," said Torres.
Today, he relies on supplemental oxygen to take a full breath.
"The effects of toxic exposure is real, and it's a monster because you don't know what to expect," he said. "One day, you can be fine. And then the next day, everything goes south."
When Torres returned home from Iraq, he said Texas DPS wouldn't accommodate his injuries at work. He said he was forced out of his job after 14 years.
Torres decided to file a lawsuit in Texas State Court in 2017, arguing wrongful termination. His case was declined.
"The army, the soldiers creed -- there's a line that says, 'I will never quit. I will never accept defeat,'" he stated.
Instead of letting it be, Torres and his attorneys took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The question was raised whether a private individual can sue their state employer in state court for violating a federal law.
After months of waiting, by a 5-4 vote by the justices, the answer came on Wednesday in Torres' favor. He can now argue his case in Texas, meaning the state can be sued under federal law.
"This is much bigger than me. It's going to help countless others," Torres said with relief. He hopes it will change the fate for tens of thousands of veterans who are facing injuries.
He describes the Supreme Court decision as a sense of closure, though his fight is far from over. Torres will soon take his case back to state court, where he will argue for wrongful termination.
As for his health, Torres just received stem cell therapy in April in Columbia. He's hoping his body responds well to the treatment. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-iraq-veteran-interview-scotus-supreme-court-decision/287-9c314015-03b6-4820-9479-0206e3b7ee75 | 2022-06-30T12:52:11 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-iraq-veteran-interview-scotus-supreme-court-decision/287-9c314015-03b6-4820-9479-0206e3b7ee75 |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Responds
Investigations
Video
Sports
Entertainment
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Miss Texas
Watch 24/7 on Roku
Cheez-It Tostada
July 4th Events
Expand
Local
The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-native-gaye-arbuckle-hits-all-the-right-notes/3004044/ | 2022-06-30T12:52:20 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-native-gaye-arbuckle-hits-all-the-right-notes/3004044/ |
In honor of Independence Day, The Courier is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th!
Presented by
Community Bank and Trust
WATERLOO — An East High School parking lot will receive an asphalt overlay at a cost of $85,000 after signs of wear and tear have emerged.
The lot is on the north side of the school. The project will be paid for through Waterloo Community Schools’ physical plant and equipment levy funds, which are used to repair and maintain school buildings, among other things.
The Board of Education on Tuesday approved the quote from Mack’s Asphalt of Waterloo during a special meeting, the lowest of two bids. It includes removal of all speed bumps except one, removal of unstable materials from the existing lot, skim patching the entire lot to fill holes and low spots, and applying adhesive. Contractors will also machine lay three inches of hot mix asphalt and roll it for compaction.
The project is scheduled to be completed this summer.
In other business, the board approved:
Joshua Payton as the interim principal at George Washington Carver Academy with an annual salary of $121,000.A change order for the Waterloo Career Center expansion project related to relocating the fire department connection at an additional cost of $7,514. Total construction costs for the project are $28.86 million.
Waterloo Community Schools substitutes will be paid more this fall after the Board of Education approved increases tied to set wage percentage for teachers and support staff. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/east-high-school-parking-lot-to-be-overlaid/article_d7427f88-7c29-51e7-b552-68b09316853b.html | 2022-06-30T12:55:33 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/east-high-school-parking-lot-to-be-overlaid/article_d7427f88-7c29-51e7-b552-68b09316853b.html |
In honor of Independence Day, The Courier is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th!
Presented by
Community Bank and Trust
WATERLOO — Classroom and lab “under-utilization” data was one hot topic discussed Tuesday by Hawkeye Community College’s board of trustees when introduced to its newly drafted, comprehensive master facilities plan.
The assessment, developed by RDG Planning and Design, includes an outlook for the next 10 years.
The Board of Trustees approved President Todd Holcomb’s new salary of $262,135 on Tuesday night as part of a modification to his three-year rolling contract.
The trustees learned Hawkeye could better utilize its classrooms and labs to “increase efficiency and effectiveness” after the firm dove into the hours they’re available in the fall 2021 semester versus the hours actually being used.
“All the classrooms on campus combined for 1,109 hours per week of usage. There was still a capacity of 2,219 hours per week,” said architect Nick Schulz.
He said the college should target about 80%, or 32 hours of the average work week.
For perspective, Black Hawk Hall is 50% utilized while Bremer and Butler halls are used 44% and 45% of the time, respectively. About 60-70% is where a lot of institutions end up landing.
The college’s station occupancy – better put as “butts in seats,” or how many classroom seats are filled throughout the day – stood, on average, at about 40%. Labs landed at about 50%. The goal is 68%.
“What that starts to tell us is you don’t have the right-sized classrooms,” Schulz said. “You have classes that are 40 people or larger, and you’re only putting 20 people in them. So how do we start to look at right-sizing those classrooms, so we’re creating spaces that are the right size for the number of students that are actually going to be in there.”
Station occupancy for Black Hawk, Bremer and Butler halls are 42%, 49% and 39%, respectively.
“Once you start getting the data, you have to analyze what your culture is and what your community desires are,” Schulz said.
“It’s not about spending a ton of money, it’s about spending it wisely,” he added.
Many attendees are appreciative of the wide array of music and food, the parades that each year attract hundreds, and the family-friendly activities in Overman Park.
Moving to central scheduling of all education space to “remove silos of ownership” was one recommendation. Reductions in the number of classrooms for general education needs was another.
The master plan is viewed as a road map for possible building projects that would help the college better meet the needs of students and the community.
College leadership will need to determine its next steps at a later date.
Also discussed during the nearly 90 minute period was how “the bones” of the existing facilities are in “good” shape, but that the various finishes, technology and systems (electric, HVAC, etc.) are outdated.
Plans for other larger building projects, like a future Butler Hall remodeling and addition, as well as a new facility for Hawkeye’s Iowa Law Enforcement Academy are among those being contemplated by the trustees, staff, and consultants.
I've covered city government for The Courier since August 2021. I'm a Chatham, NJ native who graduated from Gettysburg College in 2018 and previously worked for publications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Since it became legal in Iowa in 1991, homeschooling has seen steady annual growth, though U.S. Census Bureau surveys showed a slight dip in the early months of the pandemic.
The Board of Education approved plans for referendum after receiving petition calling for a bond issue vote to address Hudson High School's facility needs.
The Board of Trustees approved President Todd Holcomb’s new salary of $262,135 on Tuesday night as part of a modification to his three-year rolling contract.
Brenda Fite called to attention the district’s strengths, but also decried an era in which America’s schools have no choice but to be built in preparation for armed intruders. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/master-plan-says-hcc-can-better-utilize-its-classroom-lab-space/article_e2a51432-594f-5525-b200-742838531667.html | 2022-06-30T12:55:39 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/master-plan-says-hcc-can-better-utilize-its-classroom-lab-space/article_e2a51432-594f-5525-b200-742838531667.html |
CEDAR FALLS — Rooted Carrot Co-op Market officials say they are looking at multiple potential sites for the planned $2.89 million brick-and-mortar store.
A previous proposal to construct the building at the corner of Seventh and Main streets fell apart in March largely because of parking-related issues and some confusion about the newly adopted downtown zoning code.
Rooted Carrot is a community-owned grocery store that seeks to enhance the health and well-being of the greater Cedar Valley, according to its mission statement.
“It’s hard to say whether we’re close” to finalizing plans for a new site, said Tom Wickersham, a board member and founder. “Because we’ve been up and down this roller coaster before.”
The co-op continues to look for a site that can accommodate a 7,000-square-foot grocery store operation which has good access and visibility in or around downtown Cedar Falls, Wickersham said.
People are also reading…
CEDAR FALLS — West Fork Crossing will soon have lots developed for single family homes north…
“Starting a $3 million dollar business is not an easy task and there have been multiple obstacles – but ones that we’ve seen other co-ops face,” Wickersham said.
“This is one of the largest grassroots efforts ever seen in Cedar Falls,” he added. “We’ve been astonished by the community support and buy-in, and we’re confident more than 25,000 volunteer hours will lead to a successful outcome.”
The potential for a co-op market in Cedar Falls was dreamt up about a decade ago after Roots Market closed on Main Street in 2012.
“It left a void in the community. And people felt it was time to capitalize on a successful business model, one that would suitably meet the community’s needs,” Wickersham said.
A total of 75 community members showed up to the first meeting about the possible venture that was first named the “Cedar Falls Food Co-op” and was incorporated in 2014, said Wickersham.
Developer Brent Dahlstrom proposed constructing a new building at 123 W. Seventh St. That led to the demolition of the old First Baptist Church at the end of last year.
If built, it would have housed the co-op and other tenants at the Main Street corner.
“The building on 7th and Main was a lost opportunity in part because of an unmet agreement that was pitched to the developer if underground parking was pursued and in part because of confusion regarding when the new downtown code would take effect for a project already submitted,” said Kate Dunning, another board member, in a statement to The Courier.
Dunning said the co-op asked if the new code would apply to a project submitted before the ordinance was adopted. But a response was not provided until after the plans were submitted and it indicated “that the project would not be reviewed due to the code change.”
“Rooted Carrot supports the new code and the research and work involved in implementation and we’re proud to be seeking roots in Cedar Falls and we continue to seek partnership with the city to add local grocery to the impressive lineup of all things Cedar Falls,” Dunning said.
In addition to the former parking requirements not being met, Karen Howard, city planning and community services manager, noted in a statement there were concerns from Community Main Street and other members of the public about the lack of parking in the plans.
City staff offered “several suggestions” on how the project could be revised to meet the requirements.
“It was not until Oct. 25, 2021 when a revised plan was submitted to the city. New zoning rules were adopted on Nov. 1, 2021. The new code opened up new possibilities for development and city staff has offered to assist the developer in refining their plans for the site,” Howard said.
In a video update in March, the co-op said the “real sticking point” with the new code was that “80 percent of the lot lines fronting the three streets (Washington, 7th and Main) would need to be occupied by a physical building. That is to say parking or a driveway to parking could only front 20% of the linear feet along those lot lines.”
As a result, the building would need to be shaped like an extended “U” and parking would need to be on the interior of the lot, accessed by a driveway, according to the update. “The simple fact” is a grocery store needs to be rectangular or square in shape in order to be “financially and operationally feasible.”
In the meantime, while searching for a new site, the team also is working to grow its owner-member base, recruit volunteers, negotiate bank loans, and update those interested in the venture on social media, Wickersham said.
The Board of Trustees approved President Todd Holcomb’s new salary of $262,135 on Tuesday night as part of a modification to his three-year rolling contract.
He noted that the Rooted Carrot has raised about 45% of its $1.75 million capital campaign goal, between donations and interest-earning loans.
The push for funds has been “quiet” since last summer, he said. And the campaign will not again go “public” until a new site is selected and its stakeholders “feels confident” about it.
And while not publicly pushing to raise funds, it welcomes more owner-members and financial contributions.
Wickersham said the co-op has about 1,200 member-owners, a majority of whom live in Black Hawk County and eight surrounding counties.
“While we do not have the brick-and-mortar store yet, member-owners already receive benefits ranging from business partner discounts to having a vote and say in how the store will be,” according to its website. “Your input could influence this community more than anything you’ve ever done before.”
The Rooted Carrot will be like “most other food co-ops started in the last 20 years,” said Wickersham, and will incorporate “national models for efficiency and smart practices.”
But the team will look to develop some unique programs and services, possibly like a food truck.
Once up and running, it will be operated by 13 employees, Wickersham said.
And when fully “matured” in about seven years, he said it will employ 22 people. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/rooted-carrot-co-op-committed-to-finding-new-site-in-cedar-falls/article_4a724135-e382-5ecf-9c80-f22e09125b13.html | 2022-06-30T12:55:46 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/rooted-carrot-co-op-committed-to-finding-new-site-in-cedar-falls/article_4a724135-e382-5ecf-9c80-f22e09125b13.html |
In honor of Independence Day, The Courier is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th!
Presented by
Community Bank and Trust
Second in a series on The Courier’s Eight Over 80 winners.
WAVERLY — If there is a concert band in the Cedar Valley, Diana Blake probably plays in it, directs it, or helped found it. Sometimes all three.
At 80, the longtime, former music instructor at Waverly-Shell Rock Community Schools hasn’t slowed down a bit.
Originally from Osceola, Blake played the clarinet in school and then took up the bassoon in college at Drake University. She graduated with a degree in music education in 1965 and started working at Waverly-Shell Rock that same year.
“I heard about a job opening,” Blake said. “I was told it was a good school system and a good town. They were right.”
She spent her entire career with the school system, retiring in 2003.
“I never seriously looked anywhere else,” she said.
Jim Vowels, a band director in the school district, was one of many people who nominated Blake for Eight Over 80 honors.
“She’s never really retired,” he said. “She continues to teach private lessons to WSR students on clarinet, bassoon and oboe. She is a fixture in our band room, and all our band students know her. She voluntarily helps prepare students for solo festival every spring and attends all our performances regardless of her involvement with the preparation.
“To me personally, Diana is a sounding board. She and I talk about band literature all the time and what pieces would fit our ensembles. This is my 30th year teaching, and I can honestly say that Diana has forgotten more about band than I’ll ever know.”
Blake has seen the children and grandchildren of her original students come through the district’s music program.
“It’s a great connection,” she said.
Blake, who never married and didn’t have children, has found her home among other musicians.
“Being part of a musical group is like being in a family,” she said.
If that is the case, her extended family just continues to grow.
Blake is a member of both the Cedar Falls and Waterloo municipal bands. She is a member and director of the University of Northern Iowa New Horizons Band and founded an area bassoon band that plays Christmas concerts at the Waverly Public Library.
“As a member of the Cedar Falls Municipal Band, (Diana) Blake has played bassoon and served as the assistant conductor,” said another nominator, Scott Muntefering, a trumpet professor at Wartburg College and director of the Waterloo Municipal Band.
“She serves on the executive board and as a member of the clarinet section of the Waterloo Municipal Band. … Her dedication to performing, teaching and directing music at a high level for almost 60 years has served as an example of her leadership and passion for music making. She has received numerous awards for her work, including awards from the Iowa Bandmasters Association.”
New Horizons Band colleague Linda Moeller calls Blake a “vital force” in the Cedar Valley.
“Under her baton, the UNI New Horizons Band has grown to more than 90 participants from across Northeast Iowa. She leads twice-a-week rehearsals for these 55-and-older musicians during fall, spring and summer terms. Her twice yearly concerts at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center draw larger crowds than most UNI music events, and she takes the band to other communities in the summer.”
“I will keep going until I and others know it’s time to hang it up,” Blake said. “The conducting is a bit taxing for me now, but I can still hear wrong notes, by God.”
Blake’s community involvement extends beyond the musical spectrum.
She has been a trustee on the Waverly Public Library Board since the early 1980s and has served as both president and vice president numerous times. She is also a member of the Waverly Public Library Foundation.
“Diana helped champion the idea of a new library building for Waverly in the mid-1990s, which resulted in the beautiful facility that exists today,” said Sarah Meyer, library director. “She has remained very committed to the library over the years – she is an avid reader, a book club member, and the caretaker of the library’s indoor plants, which is a time-consuming task.
“Diana believes in the public library as an institution that exists for the entire community and has always supported the idea of diverse viewpoints being expressed in the collection.”
Blake is also involved with the Waverly Rotary Club, Meals on Wheels, Salvation Army bell ringing, Kids Kingdom and the Waverly Rail Trail bridge project.
She doesn’t plan to slow down anytime soon.
“Being active, being around young people, if you’ve done it all your life, why turn it off now,” she said. “If I can remain relevant to the community, why not?
“There are so many dedicated people out there. I see people doing a good job, and I want to be like that. I just can’t imagine not doing (what I do).
“I’m not a traveler, not me. I’m here. I get up every day and try to have something productive for myself and others to do. It’s good for my physical and mental health. I keep looking for things to make every day fresh.
“Music is for your whole life,” Blake said. “You never have to stop doing it.”
This is our 12th class of honorees chosen from among candidates who have spent a lifetime making a difference and having an impact on their communities. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/watch-now-diana-blake-strike-up-the-band-for-this-vital-force-in-the-community/article_c45f0e26-899b-55bb-bf83-cb5d7d00c586.html | 2022-06-30T12:55:52 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/watch-now-diana-blake-strike-up-the-band-for-this-vital-force-in-the-community/article_c45f0e26-899b-55bb-bf83-cb5d7d00c586.html |
ANDOVER, Kan. (KSNW) — Wednesday marks two months since an EF-3 tornado made its way through Andover, damaging and destroying homes, buildings, and everything else in its path.
Two of the families who lost their homes that night said that even though it’s been two months, sometimes it feels like the tornado happened yesterday. They said they have a long way to go before things feel normal again. Regardless, it’s a day they will never forget.
“It was a normal day. We got ready for bed, and I heard a roar, and I told Jim, I said, ‘Jim is that a tornado?’ And bam,” said Kathy Moore.
“We were evicted overnight essentially. We didn’t have anywhere to go,” said Zach Dinicola, whose family lost their home during the Andover tornado.
Jim and Kathy Moore are two of the three people that were injured. Jim saved his wife, Kathy. While he only received minor injuries to his arm, Kathy broke two vertebrae. Now, she is back with her family.
“I love my family,” said Kathy.
“It doesn’t matter where we are. As long as we are together, we are home,” said Jamie Seipel, Moore’s daughter.
The Moore family said they spent a month searching for their current place. Zach said after two weeks of staying with family, they were able to get a rental home. For both families, this is temporary.
“A house that we want might not come on the market for another six months. So really, we’ve just been doing our due diligence every day. We check the different real estate listing sites,” said Zach.
“We are hoping to rebuild. The supply and demand of building a home right now is terrifying,” said Jamie.
Both Kathy and Zach said that the support has meant everything.
“We’re very appreciative of everyone that has helped us,” said Kathy.
“This really restored our faith in humanity. You know, we had people that we didn’t even know inside of our house,” said Zach.
We also have an update on the Moore family dog, Wrigley, who was believed to be picked up by the tornado. He has been doing amazing, and two months after his encounter with the twister has a clean bill of health.
If you would like to donate to the Moore’s GoFundMe, click here. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/two-months-since-the-andover-tornado-impacted-the-community/ | 2022-06-30T12:56:19 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/two-months-since-the-andover-tornado-impacted-the-community/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Faith, humor, and communication. Those are the secrets one Wichita couple says are key to a long marriage.
Darrell Plinsky, 98, and Wanda Plinsky, 92, celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on Wednesday, June 29.
The pair met when Wanda was a baby. Their parents lived just a few miles away from each other in a farming community just west of Salina. Their love grew as they wrote to each other every day during World War II when Darrell was in service.
“All the guys in the service would be writing their girlfriend or wife or someone, and it was always good to have words,” Darrell said.
All these years later, the two joke about their time together.
“Years ago, I told Darrell, ‘I would divorce you, but I have decided to just stay with you and torture you the rest of your life,’ and he said I was doing a good job,” laughed Wanda. “He’s a must in my life.”
Time sure flies when you’ve been married for 75 years.
“It goes very fast,” said Wanda. “We need each other more now than we did when we were young, and really, time is so precious, but we thank the lord that he brought us together, and he has seen us through all these years.”
As for celebrating their anniversary, they went to the doctor’s office on Wednesday and plan on having a party with family this weekend. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-couple-celebrated-75-years-of-marriage-on-wednesday/ | 2022-06-30T12:56:25 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-couple-celebrated-75-years-of-marriage-on-wednesday/ |
Officers in Goose Creek conducted a welfare check and found the dentist and one other person dead from apparent suicide. (Getty Images) Officers in Goose Creek conducted a welfare check and found the dentist and one other person dead from apparent suicide. (Getty Images) Read Less by: Carina Branson Posted: Jun 29, 2022 / 07:04 PM CDT Updated: Jun 29, 2022 / 08:09 PM CDT SHARE WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — On Wednesday, June 29, the Wichita Police Department requested the public’s assistance in a welfare check for four people. Police were looking for two adults and two children. They have since been found. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-police-are-asking-for-help-locating-four-people/ | 2022-06-30T12:56:31 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-police-are-asking-for-help-locating-four-people/ |
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Wichita teen is warning others of a recent car scam after losing more than a year’s worth of savings.
Adelaide Winn is 19 years old. She has spent the last two years working multiple jobs and long hours to save up to buy her first car. Which would allow her to help out her family of five get around.
“I was so disappointed like, ‘hey, I just spent $1,200 on something that I didn’t even get after all,'” Adelaide said.
It all started with an ad on Facebook Marketplace for a 2010 Nissan Altima.
“She would send the car up here for like a five-day trial kind of thing. If we were able to put like the $1,200 on like a hold so we can get the car inspected,” Adelaide’s dad, Adam Winn, explained.
The seller from Oklahoma City said she used eBay for sales.
“We got an email, and it looked official, I mean down to the color and the font,” Adam said. “It was identical.”
The email claimed they would need to use gift cards for the purchase. So Adelaide bought three $400 American Express gift cards.
“We sent the receipts, cards, everything. Then I got an email saying it was confirmed,” Adelaide said. “A few hours later, it said I’d have to pay $1,200 more just to, you know, get the insurance for the car. So I was like, ‘why?'”
Concerned, Adelaide’s dad called eBay directly.
“‘I’m sorry, you were just scammed. I know it looks official, but we’ve been getting that a lot lately,'” eBay told Adam.
After filing a police report and spending hours on the phone, they were told nothing could be done.
“It just broke my heart. There was nothing I could do. They kept telling me there was nothing we could do. This person took her money and is gonna get away with it,” Adam said.
Now, they hope others will learn from their mistake.
“Make sure every aspect of it is 100% accurate and real because to us, it was what it turned out to be nothing but a scam,” Adam said.
“Just be careful overall. I don’t want anything to happen to anyone like this because they could be struggling really bad, and they really need it, and they just spent what they worked hard for nothing,” Adelaide added in.
If you would like to help Adelaide restart her saving, you can click here. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-teen-warns-people-about-car-scam-after-losing-a-year-of-savings/ | 2022-06-30T12:56:38 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/wichita-teen-warns-people-about-car-scam-after-losing-a-year-of-savings/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – Join us at 9 a.m. for an update on what’s happening right now and what you need to know today.
Not free at 9? Don’t worry, we’ll post the complete show when it’s finished so you can watch whenever you’d like!
Watch here:
ROANOKE, Va. – Join us at 9 a.m. for an update on what’s happening right now and what you need to know today.
Not free at 9? Don’t worry, we’ll post the complete show when it’s finished so you can watch whenever you’d like!
Watch here:
Copyright 2021 by WSLS 10 - All rights reserved. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/30/watch-live-the-morning-sprint-june-30-2022/ | 2022-06-30T13:08:53 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/30/watch-live-the-morning-sprint-june-30-2022/ |
SENOIA, Ga. — A police chase ended tragically Thursday when the suspect car, driven by a 14-year-old boy, slammed into a house killing a woman inside.
Around 2 a.m., a Coweta County deputy was patrolling the area of Highway 54 and Johnson Road when a car failed to dim its headlights, the sheriff's office said.
The deputy turned around and tried to initiate a traffic stop. The suspect vehicle continued driving -- reaching speeds over 130 miles per hour, they said.
The deputy lost sight of the vehicle but eventually located it crashed into a home along the 900 block of Johnson Road in Coweta County.
Coweta County Fire and EMS responded and rendered aid to the occupants of the house. A man and woman were transported to the hospital. However, a second woman from the home died as a result of her injuries, the sheriff's office said.
The 14-year-old driver was taken to the hospital for medical clearance then transported to a youth detention center.
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office will be handling the traffic offenses on the juvenile. Georgia State Patrol will be handling the charge of Homicide by Vehicle.
The names of the driver and the deceased woman have not been released yet, however, family on scene provided 11Alive with a photo of the woman.
This is a developing story and we will continue to update as we learn more. We have a photographer and reporter on the scene gathering new details. Check back often for new information.
Also download the 11Alive News app and sign up to receive alerts for the latest on this story and other breaking news in Atlanta and north Georgia. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/coweta-county-car-house-police-chase/85-3dff1f99-2598-4194-8b57-b9ef823a74b2 | 2022-06-30T13:22:33 | 1 | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/local/coweta-county-car-house-police-chase/85-3dff1f99-2598-4194-8b57-b9ef823a74b2 |
Over the last 14 years, Richmond Kickers fans have seen players, coaches and even leagues come and go, but there has always been one constant - Kickeroo.
The team's lovable marsupial mascot has been played by the same man, Jacob Maupin, during that entire time.
Maupin is planning to hang up the big red shoes after this season.
“Being Kickeroo has been a part of so many different chapters of my life,” Maupin said. “From being a high school and college-aged kid, to getting married and having kids of my own.”
While sitting in French class as a sophomore at Hermitage High, Maupin decided he would reach out to the Kickers about joining as a game day volunteer. After five years of volunteering, Maupin was offered the full time Kickeroo position heading into the 2009 season.
“I thought it was going to be just for a few years, just to make a little extra money, and I just fell in love with it from there,” Maupin said. “It was a really good way to stay close to pro soccer.”
People are also reading…
Maupin has been involved with the Kickers organization for nearly 20 years of its 30-year existence. Maupin has been through three suits, three coaches and a handful of league changes over his tenure.
Richmond sits at second place in the USL League One standings entering Saturday night's game against North Carolina FC. The game begins at 7 p.m. at City Stadium, with a fireworks spectacular to follow.
A lifelong soccer fan, Maupin coaches the boys and girls soccer teams at Holman Middle School, where he holds a full-time position as a safety official.
Maupin said what started as a way to stay close with pro soccer soon became a place he could continue his passion of working with kids.
“I’ve always enjoyed working around kids,” Maupin, a father of a 3-year-old and 1-year-old, said. “You see kids and their faces light up when they see Kickeroo, just like they’re seeing Santa Claus.”
Maupin said that although Kickeroo’s outer appearance has changed over the years, what's inside hasn't.
“I like to think that the personality of Kickeroo has always stayed the same,” Maupin said. “A fun loving, goofy but intimidating character, at the same time who is not afraid to pull pranks.”
Maupin said unlike other professional mascots that have handlers and follow scripts, the Kickers have allowed him to be as creative as he’d like on the job. One fan favorite during hot games is to chant ‘Roo needs a beer,' and one of the team's Red Army supporters will then pour a beer into a small hole in Kickeroo's suit.
A question frequently asked to Maupin is how he manages not overheating while wearing the girthy suit. Maupuin said he credits the team doctor and trainer, who keeps track of Maupin’s water consumption and air conditioning breaks.
Over his 14 seasons Maupin said his favorite memory is when the late David Bulow, a beloved player and coach, approached him before a game and enlisted his help with a goal celebration in which Kickeroo would pretend to be paparazzi taking photos of a posing Bulow.
“I was trying to interact with the crowd, but also keep an eye on the game, and sure enough, he scored,” Maupin said. “I ran over to the field and we started doing this goal celebration and it was just so much fun.”
Maupin had two pieces of advice for whomever takes over as Kickeroo next season.
“Be creative, have fun and treat every person who comes up to you as if this is the first time they’re around a mascot,” Maupin said. “Lesson number two would be to drink plenty of water.” | https://richmond.com/sports/local/the-henrico-soccer-coach-behind-kickeroo-is-hanging-up-his-cleats-after-14-years/article_5a42834a-a7ae-587e-9016-44c9b8a41df9.html | 2022-06-30T13:24:37 | 1 | https://richmond.com/sports/local/the-henrico-soccer-coach-behind-kickeroo-is-hanging-up-his-cleats-after-14-years/article_5a42834a-a7ae-587e-9016-44c9b8a41df9.html |
In honor of Independence Day, The Times is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th!
Presented by
Dr. Bethany Cataldi’s Center for Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery
Independence Day travel is projected to be the second busiest since 2000 despite near record-high gas prices.
AAA projects 47.9 million people will travel more than 50 miles from home over the Fourth of July weekend, a 3.7% increase over 2021. The overall travel volume will be just shy of the 2019 record in spite of the historically high gas prices hovering near $5 per gallon.
“The volume of travelers expected over Independence Day is a definite sign that summer travel is kicking into high gear,” said Debbie Haas, vice president of travel for AAA Auto Club Group. “Earlier this year, we started seeing the demand for travel increase, and it’s not tapering off. People are ready for a break and despite things costing more, they are finding ways to still take that much-needed vacation.”
It's estimated air travel will grow by 3% this year, though it will remain below pre-pandemic levels.
AAA forecasts a record 42 million Americans will travel by car, accounting for 87.6% of overall travelers on the holiday weekend.
“Traveling by car does provide a level of comfort and flexibility that people may be looking for given the recent challenges with flying,” AAA Senior Vice President of Travel Paula Twidale said. “But not all destinations are within driving distance, which doesn’t mean you have to abandon your vacation plans. The best advice we can give travelers is to consider working with a travel agent who can help plan for the unexpected — like a flight cancellation. They are your best advocate.”
Chicago is expected to be one of the most visited destinations nationwide, along with Orlando, Seattle, New York, Anaheim, Anchorage, Ft. Lauderdale, Las Vegas, Honolulu and Denver.
Traffic will be heavier than normal with as much as double the travel times on Thursday and Friday afternoons when commuters and holiday travelers both clog the highways. Traffic volumes, for instance, are expected to double on Interstate 290 West from Morgan Street to Wolf Road in Chicago on Friday afternoon.
“Even with gas hitting record prices, travelers are still eager to hit the road this summer. We expect nationwide travel times to increase about 50% compared to normal. Drivers around major metro areas must be prepared for significantly more delays,” says Bob Pishue, transportation analyst at INRIX. “Knowing when and where congestion will build can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic. Our advice is to avoid traveling on Thursday and Friday afternoon.”
Overall, travel bookings this Fourth of July weekend are up 60% domestically and 252% internationally, AAA estimates.
Hotel rates are up 23% and airfare 14%. Independence Day gas prices are up 64% and the most expensive in history, according to AAA. Car rental rates are down 34% compared to 2021 but $40 more per day on average than they were pre-pandemic in 2019.
"Prices will be at the highest level ever," GasBuddy Petroleum Analyst Patrick De Haan said. "Prices have deterred some people. There are some behavioral changes taking place. Some people are staying closer to home. Some people are not leaving home because of the high price of gasoline."
An estimated 33% of those GasBuddy surveyed said they would hit the road for the Fourth of July weekend. That's lower than the unofficial kickoff to summer on Memorial Day weekend but still strong.
"Overall, demand is not going down because of high prices. That's kind of the fascinating thing here," De Haan said. "I would suspect a lot of people are not wanting to stay closer to home, especially given where we've been the last two summers with COVID and lockdowns. The federal mask mandate is now gone so people are now traveling and getting out more and getting out and about."
Gas demand is weaker than in past years but still remains relatively elevated.
"Americans are biting the bullet on those high gas prices," De Haan said. "Overall, 70% said high gas prices weren't going to derail your summer travel plans. It's very surprising but indicative of what we're experiencing. People want to hit the road. It's having some impact but not keeping many people from hitting the road."
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Crumbl Cookies, Southlake Mall stores and StretchLab opening; Chop House on Wicker site slated for redevelopment
Joseph S. Pete is a Lisagor Award-winning business reporter who covers steel, industry, unions, the ports, retail, banking and more. The Indiana University grad has been with The Times since 2013 and blogs about craft beer, culture and the military.
"It is another tale in a long string of betrayals by the company, which now has permanently closed nearly two thirds of the assets it acquired from National Steel along with other acquisitions."
The 12/20 landscape of Dunes Highway and the largely parallel U.S. 20 highway in Gary's Miller neighborhood have been undergoing a major transformation as many decrepit old buildings get demolished.
“Disney was dealt a tough hand by the pandemic, yet with Bob at the helm, our businesses—from parks to streaming—not only weathered the storm, but emerged in a position of strength." | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/independence-day-travel-to-grow-by-3-7-fall-just-shy-of-record-despite-high/article_03cf040f-3113-51b3-ab5a-29a92784f043.html | 2022-06-30T13:26:26 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/independence-day-travel-to-grow-by-3-7-fall-just-shy-of-record-despite-high/article_03cf040f-3113-51b3-ab5a-29a92784f043.html |
In honor of Independence Day, The Times is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th!
Presented by
Dr. Bethany Cataldi’s Center for Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery
Hobart Police Chief Garrett Ciszewski argues his point last week at the Lake County Public Safety Communications Commission meeting in Crown Point.
John J. Watkins, file, The Times
Jody Jackson handles dispatch last week for Hobart, Lake Station and New Chicago at the Lake County E-911 Center. Jackson was listening to one department in his earpiece and others from a speaker on his desk.
CROWN POINT — Hobart Police Chief Garrett Ciszewski said that Lake County E-911 Executive Director Mark Swiderski doesn't have the authority to merge dispatch channels and that Hobart police won't share a talk group with Lake Station police until proper procedure is followed.
The interlocal agreement for E-911 consolidation in Lake County, which was signed in 2014, requires the E-911 director to "assign the duties of the department's employees in a manner that achieves the effective operation of the department and assists to increase public safety."
Ciszewski said that he and other affected police chiefs have all expressed concern that "this proposed change does nothing to increase public safety, by having to compete for air time."
Because the change won't increase public safety, Swiderski is "acting outside the scope of his authority," Ciszewski said.
During a meeting last week of the Lake County Public Safety Communications Commission, Ciszewski, Hobart Councilman Chris Wells, R-5th, Merrillville Assistant Police Chief Kosta Nuses and Lake Station Mayor Bill Carroll each said they were concerned the proposed mergers would negatively affect officer and community safety and reduce quality of service to residents.
Swiderski plans to merge the Hobart and Lake Station/New Chicago police dispatch channels onto one frequency and the Merrillville and Crown Point police dispatch channels onto another frequency.
The channel realignments, which are expected to take effect after Labor Day, would allow dispatchers to monitor a single channel instead of listening to one channel in an earpiece and a second from a speaker on their desks.
Police officers, who currently hear talk on their radios from only those within their departments, would begin hearing communications from all agencies using their shared channels.
During the meeting, Ciszewski asked other members to consider a motion for Hobart and Merrillville police to each have their own talk and dispatch groups by January 2023.
Lake County Commissioner Mike Repay, D-Hammond, who serves as chairman of the Public Safety Communications Commission, refused to accept Ciszewski's motion.
A motion would have to be on the board's agenda to be considered, but the board's special session was called for the purpose of approving a budget, Repay said.
Ciszewski asked if his motion could be placed on an agenda for the board's next meeting, which is scheduled for October.
Repay said Ciszewski's motion could be placed on an agenda, but so could a discussion about the color of a room. Later, Repay said commission members had specific duties, such as hiring an E-911 director and approving an annual budget, but they needed to trust Swiderki to make operational decisions for the E-911 Center.
Swiderski, Repay and Public Safety Communications Commission attorney Nicole Bennett did not return messages seeking comment for this story.
Ciszewski said Swiderski has the authority to give Hobart and Merrillville police their own talk channels because such a change would increase public safety.
"Any changes that fall out of the scope of increasing public safety would have to be brought before the commission for approval," he said.
However, the Public Safety Communications Commission doesn't currently have a duly elected chairman, Ciszewski said.
County ordinance requires the commission's members to elect a chairman, vice chairman and secretary during the first meeting of each calendar year.
The commission lacked a quorum in January, so its first meeting of the year was in April, he said. During that meeting, Repay didn't call for an election of commission officers.
"The chairman chose to follow the rules of meeting in denying a motion and not putting an item on the agenda but does not want to follow the rules to hold an election which provides him his position as chairman to lead these meetings," Ciszewski said.
The police chief accused Repay of failing in his "responsibility to public safety" and urged commission members to "explore replacing board leadership" with those who will "act responsibly for public safety."
Ciszewski said the E-911 Center has a problem with employee retention that should be addressed. Commission members should consider whether dispatcher pay might be an issue, or perhaps hire an outside company to study the problem, he said.
Swiderski said last week the E-911 Center, like many Region police departments, has faced some challenges in hiring since the coronavirus pandemic began.
The E-911 Center is budgeted for 105 employees, but current staffing was 71, he said. Six new employees were expected to be released from training this week, and another five in training could begin by September.
Even when the dispatch center is fully staffed, having more call takers than dispatchers is a priority, Swiderski said. The goal is to ensure all calls to 911 are being answered, he said.
In the event of a public safety emergency, such as a mass shooting, the dispatch center would give one department exclusive control of the talk group and open a temporary second channel for other agencies using the shared channel, he said.
Nuses said situations can quickly become dangerous and officers may not immediately be able to call for backup if they're sharing air time with another department.
Swiderski said police have an "officer down" button on their microphones. When pushed, the button gives an officer automatic priority on the channel and allows them to talk over others, he said.
Swiderski said he has advocated since he joined the E-911 Center in 2016 for the proposed realignment because asking one dispatcher to monitor separate channels creates a public safety risk.
"This realignment is happening because we want the dispatcher to manage the one channel, not have to bounce back and forth through these different talk groups," he said. "Because that's how mistakes happen."
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Lake County Jail
As the Lake County 911 center moves to consolidate four departments onto two channels in the near future, police departments raised the alarm on officer safety concerns.
Jody Jackson handles dispatch last week for Hobart, Lake Station and New Chicago at the Lake County E-911 Center. Jackson was listening to one department in his earpiece and others from a speaker on his desk. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-chief-says-e-911-director-lacks-authority-to-merge-dispatch-channels/article_bdbcceb7-a608-564b-ae7e-ebeb6ae7c481.html | 2022-06-30T13:26:32 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-chief-says-e-911-director-lacks-authority-to-merge-dispatch-channels/article_bdbcceb7-a608-564b-ae7e-ebeb6ae7c481.html |
VALPARAISO — A retired Chicago police officer is behind bars and faces multiple felony counts based on allegations of twice shooting at a neighbor and his children over a property line dispute, a newly-filed court documents shows.
Aunzette Smith, 71, is charged with four counts of attempted aggravated battery, criminal recklessness, criminal confinement, pointing a firearm and misdemeanor battery, records show.
Porter County police said they were called out around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday to the area just north of Shorewood Forest where Smith, who was on the phone with police dispatch, told them her neighbor had shoved her down, thrown her lawn mower and beat her with a stick.
Smith said she was cutting the grass when her neighbor began yelling at her over an ongoing property line dispute, threw the lawnmower in her driveway, shoved her and spray painted a property line, police said.
Smith said she grabbed her .38 Special revolver from inside her house and came back out as her neighbor was attempting to drive away with his children ages 7, 12 and 15, according to police.
Valpo man accused of having sex with 15-year-old co-worker, court records show
New era for school choice in Indiana begins Monday
Valpo-area dad finds kids naked with babysitter; family friend charged, police say
Man found shot to death in idling car, police say
Theft suspects strike in Schererville parking lots, police warn
Just keep your returns: Stores weigh paying you not to bring back unwanted items
U.S. Steel to cut jobs, end steelmaking operations at Granite City Works as it looks to bolster iron ore supplies
Man with a gun shot by Gary officer, police say
Valpo man guilty of molesting 8-year-old; rape case pending, officials say
UPDATE: Man dies after going into waves to help teen in distress, officials say
Man accused of shooting into Schererville home, forcing woman to help him hide gun
Region family anchors Culver's in Lake County
Chicago Stamping Plant temporarily laying off workers this summer
JERRY DAVICH: Lily lived only 46 days. Her death gave birth to her teen parents' legacy.
Motorist shoots at trooper during pursuit that ended with gunman nabbed naked in river, cops say
"Aunzette stated, 'He always leaves before the cops get there, and never wants to talk to them after things happen,' " a charging document says.
Smith said she stood in front of the vehicle attempting to stop the neighbor from leaving when he grabbed a stick and beat her, police said.
When the vehicle reached the road, Smith said she pulled out her gun and fired two shots, charges say.
"Aunzette stated she was trying to shoot the vehicles tire so he/she could not leave, as he/she normally does when cops are called," police said.
The neighbor reportedly told police she confronted Smith when she began mowing on his property and close to his landscaping. She aimed her mower at him and he responded by throwing the mower on to her property, police said.
When he and his children were in their truck ready to leave, Smith confronted them and hit him in the chin with the handle of a shovel, charges say.
The neighbor said he shoved the stick away, at which time Smith fell to the ground, according to police. Smith then shot at them as they drove away.
The man provided police with video surveillance of the incident, which is expected to be played Thursday afternoon when Smith appears before Porter Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Clymer for a bond hearing.
Smith had appeared in court Wednesday afternoon via video from the county jail during which time the charges were read to her.
Upon hearing that prosecutors wanted to play the surveillance video as part of the bond hearing, defense attorney Bob Harper asked that Smith be brought over from the jail to see it in person since she recently had eye surgery.
The most serious of the charges Smith faces carries a potential sentence of three to 16 years behind bars.
Gallery: Recent arrests booked into Porter County Jail
Antoine Whiting
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 49
Residence: Lake Station, IN
Booking Number: 2202362
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Terry Markwell
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 30
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202361
Charges: Possession hypodermic syringe or needle, felony
Gloria Maxon
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 50
Residence: Highland, IN
Booking Number: 2202368
Charges: Theft, felony
Trent Nicholas
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 21
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202371
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Ryan Malarik
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202357
Charges: OWI, felony
Gary Bolcerek
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 48
Residence: Porter, IN
Booking Number: 2202375
Charges: Burglary, felony
Stefan Colville
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 34
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202358
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jacob Henn
Arrest date: June 10, 2022
Age: 32
Residence: LaPorte, IN
Booking Number: 2202359
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Haley Greco
Arrest date: June 9, 2022
Age: 30
Residence: South Bend, IN
Booking Number: 2202350
Charges: Possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, felony
Junice Busch
Arrest date: June 9, 2022
Age: 64
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number: 2202352
Charges: Fraud, felony
DeVante White
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 28
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2202345
Charges: Resisting law enforcement, felony
Timothy Szparaga
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 52
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202335
Charges: Domestic battery, misdemeanor
Agustin Rios Guzman
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 37
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number: 2202346
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Henry Scaggs
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 26
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number: 2202334
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Spencer Marsh
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number: 2202337
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Carlos Castillo
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number: 2202336
Charges: OWI, felony
Ronald Epting
Arrest date: June 8, 2022
Age: 23
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202343
Charges: Possession legend drug, felony
Michael Swienconek
Arrest date: June 7, 2022
Age: 40
Residence: Highland, IN
Booking Number: 2202320
Charges: Theft, felony
Gregory Devetski
Arrest date: June 7, 2022
Age: 73
Residence: Chesterton, IN
Booking Number: 2202324
Charges: OWI, felony
Jamey Goin
Arrest date: June 7, 2022
Age: 43
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202321
Charges: Theft, felony
Michael Miller
Arrest date: June 6, 2022
Age: 59
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202316
Charges: OWI, felony
Nicholas Cervantes
Arrest date: June 6, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number: 2202318
Charges: Resisting law enforcement, felony
Josip Markovich
Arrest date: June 6, 2022
Age: 40
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202317
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Bianca Martin
Arrest date: June 6, 2022
Age: 26
Residence: Crete, IL
Booking Number: 2202315
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Kevin Zaragoza
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 43
Residence: Porter, IN
Booking Number: 2202314
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Travis Ridge
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202305
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Maurice Russell Jr.
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 22
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number: 2202310
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jewel Summers
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2202309
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Crystal Jenkins
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 31
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2202308
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jacob Nimon
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202311
Charges: OWI, felony
Kenneth Clasen
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 22
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202307
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jacob Furlow
Arrest date: June 5, 2022
Age: 38
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number: 2202306
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Tyler King
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 28
Residence: Westville, IN
Booking Number: 2202437
Charges: OWI, felony
Daniel Brubaker
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 40
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202399
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Bryan Burke
Arrest date: June 14, 2022
Age: 36
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202420
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Patrick Navarro
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 49
Residence: Michigan City, IN
Booking Number: 2202406
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Christina Creech
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 36
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202391
Charges: Theft, felony
Debra Veatch
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 68
Residence: Westville, IN
Booking Number: 2202438
Charges: Domestic battery, misdemeanor
Rafael Rodriguez
Arrest date: June 14, 2022
Age: 58
Residence: East Chicago, IN
Booking Number: 2202419
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Rudolph Carrillo III
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 41
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202448
Charges: Battery, misdemeanor
Isiaha Gonzalez
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 24
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202400
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Nancy Becker
Arrest date: June 13, 2022
Age: 64
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202408
Charges: Domestic battery, misdemeanor
Nathaniel Guzman
Arrest date: June 16, 2022
Age: 21
Residence: Hammond, IN
Booking Number: 2202457
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Benjamin Wright
Arrest date: June 14, 2022
Age: 32
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202424
Charges: Habitual traffic offender, felony
Robert Carter Jr.
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 39
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202439
Charges: Possession of paraphernalia, felony
Nicholas Hadarich
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 22
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202402
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Nicole Culpepper
Arrest date: June 13, 2022
Age: 35
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202418
Charges: Maintaining common nuisance, felony
Sandra Isom
Arrest date: June 16, 2022
Age: 38
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202453
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Tylor Ahrens
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 27
Residence: Stanwood, MI
Booking Number: 2202403
Charges: Battery, felony
Jeremy Hostetler
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 35
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202393
Charges: Theft, felony
Cheryl Pittman
Arrest date: June 13, 2022
Age: 51
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202415
Charges: Battery, felony
Amanda Kesler
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 49
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202392
Charges: Habitual traffic offender, felony
Sierra Gentry
Arrest date: June 15, 2022
Age: 31
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202446
Charges: Intimidation, felony
Anthony Peek
Arrest date: June 16, 2022
Age: 27
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202454
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Robert Brown
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 38
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202405
Charges: Theft, felony
Susanne Morgan
Arrest date: June 12, 2022
Age: 57
Residence: Harvard, IL
Booking Number: 2202398
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jared Struss
Arrest date: June 16, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202456
Charges: OWI, felony
Starr Kuchta
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202524
Charges: Battery, misdemeanor
Harry Lake
Arrest date: June 20, 2022
Age: 50
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202505
Charges: Domestic battery, misdemeanor
Joseph Smarzewski
Arrest date: June 21, 2022
Age: 47
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202516
Charges: Domestic battery, misdemeanor
Jonathan Herr
Arrest date: June 19, 2022
Age: 57
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202494
Charges: Intimidation, felony
Faith Hepler
Arrest date: June 18, 2022
Age: 22
Residence: Hebron, IN
Booking Number: 2202478
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Tiarah Williams
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 31
Residence: South Bend, IN
Booking Number: 2202533
Charges: Identity deception, felony
David Jackson Jr.
Arrest date: June 18, 2022
Age: 21
Residence: Fort Wayne, IN
Booking Number: 2202474
Charges: Theft, felony
Marcus Martin
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number: 2202523
Charges: Theft w/prior, felony
Mark Iacobazzi
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 43
Residence: Porter, IN
Booking Number: 2202525
Charges: OWI, felony
Jermya Washington
Arrest date: June 19, 2022
Age: 21
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2202491
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Martha Marshall
Arrest date: June 19, 2022
Age: 58
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202497
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Corey Bornt
Arrest date: June 21, 2022
Age: 52
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202512
Charges: Resisting law enforcement, felony
Kimberly West
Arrest date: June 19, 2022
Age: 38
Residence: Buchanan, MI
Booking Number: 2202487
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Todd Bechtold
Arrest date: June 19, 2022
Age: 42
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202493
Charges: Battery, felony
Charles Matheny Jr.
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 55
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number: 2202526
Charges: Burglary, felony
Unjoo Menard
Arrest date: June 18, 2022
Age: 60
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202484
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Steve Utley
Arrest date: June 21, 2022
Age: 60
Residence: DeMotte, IN
Booking Number: 2202515
Charges: OWI, felony
Kirk Brown
Arrest date: June 23, 2022
Age: 55
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202537
Charges: Possession of methamphetamine, felony
Zachary Hope
Arrest date: June 21, 2022
Age: 20
Residence: Wanatah, IN
Booking Number: 2202508
Charges: Intimidation, felony
Chiquita Hallom
Arrest date: June 19, 2022
Age: 28
Residence: Chicago, IL
Booking Number: 2202495
Charges: Battery, felony
Cameron Morton
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 21
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202520
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Samuel Andrews
Arrest date: June 18, 2022
Age: 51
Residence: Winamac, IN
Booking Number: 2202475
Charges: Domestic battery, felony
Daniel Munoz
Arrest date: June 18, 2022
Age: 57
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202482
Charges: Theft, felony
Brendan Richardson-Willis
Arrest date: June 21, 2022
Age: 19
Residence: Little Rock, AR
Booking Number: 2202511
Charges: Battery, felony
Courtney Murphy
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 21
Residence: Hobart, IN
Booking Number: 2202522
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Jodoniss Edwards
Arrest date: June 18, 2022
Age: 29
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202477
Charges: Neglect of a dependant, felony
Joseph Neal
Arrest date: June 18, 2022
Age: 30
Residence: South Bend, IN
Booking Number: 2202480
Charges: Possession of firearm by serious violent felon, felony
Wyatt Blair
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 44
Residence: Chicago Heights, IL
Booking Number: 2202529
Charges: Battery, felony
Stephen Moore
Arrest date: June 19, 2022
Age: 32
Residence: Valparaiso, IN
Booking Number: 2202489
Charges: OWI, felony
Jennifer Albrecht
Arrest date: June 20, 2022
Age: 50
Residence: Three Oaks, MI
Booking Number: 2202503
Charges: OWI, felony
Chaz Murray
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 22
Residence: Dolton, IL
Booking Number: 2202528
Charges: Criminal recklessness, felony
Marcos Rivera
Arrest date: June 21, 2022
Age: 23
Residence: Portage, IN
Booking Number: 2202519
Charges: Intimidation, felony
Carson Nyaundi
Arrest date: June 23, 2022
Age: 25
Residence: Plymouth, MN
Booking Number: 2202538
Charges: Possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, felony
Verdell Thomas
Arrest date: June 19, 2022
Age: 53
Residence: Gary, IN
Booking Number: 2202492
Charges: Possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug, felony
Donell Hinton
Arrest date: June 22, 2022
Age: 28
Residence: Merrillville, IN
Booking Number: 2202521
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Hunter Ryan
Arrest date: June 18, 2022
Age: 23
Residence: Crown Point, IN
Booking Number: 2202479
Charges: OWI, misdemeanor
Sign up for our Crime & Courts newsletter
Get the latest in local public safety news with this weekly email. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/retired-cop-behind-bars-on-charges-of-shooting-twice-at-porter-county-neighbor-records-show/article_e11031be-0321-5291-b2ca-65e3f5135a6c.html | 2022-06-30T13:26:38 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/retired-cop-behind-bars-on-charges-of-shooting-twice-at-porter-county-neighbor-records-show/article_e11031be-0321-5291-b2ca-65e3f5135a6c.html |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Investigations
Baquero
Video
TV Listings
Our Voices
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
COVID-19
BA.5
Monkeypox
Gun Violence
Upper East Side
Cassidy Hutchinson
Ketanji Brown Jackson
NY Governor
R. Kelly
July 4 Fireworks
Watch 24/7 on Roku
LX News
New York Live
Expand
Local | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/he-was-smuggled-into-the-us-as-a-kid-now-hes-one-of-nycs-top-cops/3756364/ | 2022-06-30T13:28:58 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/he-was-smuggled-into-the-us-as-a-kid-now-hes-one-of-nycs-top-cops/3756364/ |
In honor of Independence Day, The Lincoln Journal Star is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th!
Presented by
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
The former owners of 1834 Ryons had not been kind to the historic home.
But Alene Swinehart saw through their sins — the dropped ceiling in the kitchen, the black spray paint on the oak floors, the ugly lighting.
“There were some terrible things done to that poor house,” she said. “But you could tell when you walked in there was potential to bring it back.”
She bought the house — built near the turn of the last century for Joseph Ryons, the street’s namesake — in 1988, and her family began a never-ending renovation project.
Her father and brother helped replace the kitchen and bathroom, and they built crown molding, wainscoting, bookshelves and a window seat.
“We spent 30-some years fixing it up, trying to restore as much as we could to what the Ryonses had done. I felt such a sense of stewardship to its history.”
The two-story stucco house served more than her family. Swinehart let her friends — and friends of friends — use it as an informal business incubator, hosting yoga classes, herbalists, meditation groups, artists.
And it became a place of fellowship and friendship. Four or five years ago, Swinehart started hosting a monthly women’s group. Dozens gathered the first Sunday of the month for wine, chocolate and discussions about politics and social issues.
They felt welcomed there. “The house (like Alene’s open heart) was a center of love and friendship and healing for a community,” Patte Newman, a friend and member of the women’s group, said in an email.
In late February, while Swinehart was visiting a high school friend in Columbus, a space heater too close to combustibles started a fire.
Within hours, the flames seemed to undo everything — 100 years of history, all of her family’s restoration work and so many sentimental heirlooms, like her great-grandmother’s handmade pin cushion.
Her friends rallied for the woman who had offered them so much, Newman said.
“The community gave back that love and gracious sense of spirit in offering what they could — emotional support, financial support, helping her clean up, wash what was salvaged and hold onto things until they can be returned to where they belong.”
Newman launched an online fundraiser with a $15,000 goal — and quickly raised more than $18,000.
And it turned out the fire didn’t take everything. In the months that followed, her house became something of an organ donor, Swinehart said.
A friend salvaged the clawfoot tub and pedestal sink for a house he’s refurbishing. The window weights went to Missouri. Others took the light fixtures and sconces. Swinehart had an elaborate garden, and friends rescued hundreds of her plants.
All of that means something to her, she said. “It gives me a lot of comfort. It’s living on in other places. It’s not just all ruined.”
The house also yielded a treasure. When they removed the dining room bookcases her late father had built, they found a glass LaCroix bottle, with a note inside.
“It was a sweet I-love-you message,” she said. “It said he made this for me.”
Swinehart has been living in an apartment since the fire, but she returned to the home earlier this week, to watch an excavator pull down what remained of her house.
Her neighbors joined her. An Episcopal priest who lives nearby performed a small service.
And as she watched that part of her past disappear in a dump truck, she's already been thinking about the future.
She’d like to rebuild on the big corner lot, if she can. A smaller house, so there’s more room for her gardens — pollinators and native plants and stone walkways, another gathering place.
Abortions are still legal in Nebraska. But the latest ruling is expected to prompt a special session for the Legislature to consider banning abortions in the state.
History Nebraska gave Lincoln a $40,000 grant to develop a management plan for Robber’s Cave, digitize material, make more information available on the website and to hold lectures.
Sunday's shooting marks the second this year at Seacrest Field, where a 17-year-old boy suffered a grazing gunshot wound in May. It's unclear if the cases are related, said the police, who offered few details on the latest shooting.
Mindy Rush-Chipman was a 17-year-old girl on her own, barely making ends meet and in an abusive relationship when she chose to get an abortion. That decision helped set her life on a different trajectory.
The 32-year-old man had forced his girlfriend to drive a vehicle from Elk Creek toward Lincoln, Sheriff Terry Wagner said, and the woman stopped the car near 120th Street and Nebraska 2 before fleeing on foot.
In April and May, the city spent $278,030 on police overtime over the course of four, two-week pay periods, including one period when the payments totaled $85,419.
The red and black Spider-Man inspired sculpture that sparked controversy in 2019 when it was mistaken for devil horns lost its final battle after a tree fell on top of it during a storm last weekend.
The home at 1834 Ryons St. that burned in February was originally built in 1909 for Joseph and Rebecca Ryons. The street — and an entire addition to Lincoln — were named after the Ryonses, who moved to Lincoln in 1878. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/watch-now-demo-crew-takes-out-historic-home-gathering-place-on-ryons-street/article_bf5eec27-0d24-5d11-bb17-98362c8ea72e.html | 2022-06-30T13:30:20 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/watch-now-demo-crew-takes-out-historic-home-gathering-place-on-ryons-street/article_bf5eec27-0d24-5d11-bb17-98362c8ea72e.html |
GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. (WJRT) - A veteran judge from Genesee County's probate and circuit courts could get a promotion to the federal bench.
President Joe Biden nominated Judge F. Kay Behm to serve as the next U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of Michigan. The nomination must be approved by the U.S. Senate for her to take the job.
"Judge Behm has been a thoughtful public servant throughout Genesee County at the 7th Circuit Court," said Democrat U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow. "She is an outstanding choice and I look forward to moving her nomination through the Senate confirmation process.”
Behm has worked as a probate and circuit court judge in Genesee County since 2009. She worked as an attorney in private practice for 15 years before that.
“Judge Behm is a highly-qualified jurist whose extensive legal experience and dedication to public service will serve our state and nation well,” said Democrat U.S. Sen. Gary Peters. | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/biden-nominates-genesee-county-judge-to-federal-judgeship/article_183ce206-f872-11ec-a76a-534a790a6d34.html | 2022-06-30T13:34:07 | 0 | https://www.abc12.com/news/local/biden-nominates-genesee-county-judge-to-federal-judgeship/article_183ce206-f872-11ec-a76a-534a790a6d34.html |
A Delaware judge on Wednesday struck down a small town’s ordinance mandating burial or cremation of fetal remains.
The ruling by Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster came in a lawsuit filed by Democratic Attorney General Kathleen Jennings against the southern Delaware town of Seaford. The town council passed the ordinance in December after Planned Parenthood opened a facility in Seaford in September, its first clinic in southern Delaware since a Rehoboth Beach location closed in 2011.
Laster noted that the case did not involve any federal constitutional rights or any Delaware law regarding abortion, and was not affected by recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on abortion. Instead, he wrote, the state’s argument relied on Delaware’s laws regarding disposal of human remains.
“In Delaware’s governmental hierarchy, the state is the senior sovereign. The city is the junior sovereign. Because the ordinance conflicts with Delaware law, it is preempted,” Laster wrote.
Laster noted that state law requires an official record of death before human remains can be cremated or interred. An official record of death can be issued for fetal remains only if they result from a miscarriage and either weigh more than 350 grams (12.5 ounces) or otherwise indicate a gestational stage of 20 weeks or more.
Fetal remains that do not meet that criteria are not considered a “dead body” under Delaware law and must be incinerated as “pathological waste.”
“However one might view aborted remains for ethical, moral, or religious purposes, they do not constitute a dead body under Delaware’s statutory regime,” Laster wrote. “Aborted remains therefore cannot be buried or cremated.”
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
Despite Laster’s explanation that the case had less to do with abortion than with state laws regarding disposal of human remains, Jennings seized on the ruling to attack what she described as “a wave of extremist, draconian laws” unleashed by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Jennings also described Seaford’s ordinance as “a cruel and frankly hateful policy,” having previously labeled it “anti-choice.”
The ordinance made clear that women have the right under state and federal law to get an abortion, while also noting that courts have held that the disposal of fetal remains can be regulated.
Jennings argued that the ordinance would pose a hardship on women by forcing them to pay for burial or cremation, even though a woman could opt not to select either option. In that instance, the abortion facility would be left to decide, at its expense, how and where to dispose of the remains.
“This ordinance is part of a national wave of anti-abortion policies funded by extremists who would have our country dragged fifty years into the past,” Jennings said when the lawsuit was filed in January.
Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. John Carney on Wednesday signed a bill further broadening access to abortions in Delaware. The bill allows physician assistants, certified nurse practitioners and nurse midwifes to perform abortions before viability. It also includes various legal protections for abortion providers and patients, including out-of-state residents receiving abortions in Delaware. Those provisions include protections from civil actions in other states relating to the termination of a pregnancy, and protecting individuals from extradition to other states for criminal charges related to terminating a pregnancy. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/judge-nixes-del-town-mandate-to-bury-or-cremate-fetal-remains/3286101/ | 2022-06-30T13:36:33 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/judge-nixes-del-town-mandate-to-bury-or-cremate-fetal-remains/3286101/ |
Summer is the time for the most amount of outdoor fun! However, that fun can come at the price. Heat waves are the biggest weather killer in the United States. Between 1990 to 2019, an average of 138 people died from the heat, according to the National Weather Service.
The definition of a heat wave is murky, and varies from place to place. Meteorologist Joe Martucci has more on the topic and explains what one meteorologist says could bring a standard definition across the globe.
Tags
Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter.
Joe Martucci
Meteorologist
It's great to forecast for you in N.J., where I was born and raised. I earned my degree from Rutgers and have been at The Press since Fall 2017. I'm honored to be a 10 time N.J. Press Association award winner and a South Jersey "Top 40 Under 40".
Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/watch-now-defining-a-heat-wave-is-murky-heres-one-way-to-define-it-better/article_34cb3c6c-f7ee-11ec-9646-7f596b8f17d5.html | 2022-06-30T13:50:51 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/watch-now-defining-a-heat-wave-is-murky-heres-one-way-to-define-it-better/article_34cb3c6c-f7ee-11ec-9646-7f596b8f17d5.html |
Skip to content
Main Navigation
Search
Search for:
Local
Weather
Responds
Investigations
Video
Sports
Entertainment
Newsletters
Live TV
Share
Close
Trending
Miss Texas
Watch 24/7 on Roku
Cheez-It Tostada
July 4th Events
Expand
Local
The latest news from around North Texas. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/irving-police-fatally-shoot-armed-man-inside-hospital-police/3004084/ | 2022-06-30T13:53:14 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/irving-police-fatally-shoot-armed-man-inside-hospital-police/3004084/ |
Three Dallas firefighters were injured fighting a fire early Thursday and, according to Dallas-Fire Rescue, the occupant of the home has been arrested for starting the fire.
Firefighters were called to a house fire in the 2200 block of Mail Avenue near Dallas Love Field just after midnight. Dallas Fire-Rescue public information officer Jason Evans said the occupant of the home made it out safely, but when firefighters entered they were overcome by extreme heat.
The conditions forced firefighters to retreat, but one of the firefighters became disoriented, and according to Evans that's when a mayday call was made.
"Thankfully, that team of firefighters managed to self-extricate, with the assistance of additional firefighters already on scene, and the mayday response was canceled," said Evans.
Three firefighters suffered varying degrees of burn injuries and were taken to Parkland Hospital for treatment. Evans said two firefighters were admitted, but one has already been treated and released. None of the firefighters' injuries are considered life-threatening.
Evans said investigators were able to determine the occupant of the home started the fire in the bedroom with a cigarette, and after being interviewed by fire investigators, the woman admitted to starting the fire and was arrested and taken to Lew Sterrett Justice Center. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/one-arrest-after-three-dallas-firefighters-hurt-battling-overnight-house-fire/3004026/ | 2022-06-30T13:53:17 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/one-arrest-after-three-dallas-firefighters-hurt-battling-overnight-house-fire/3004026/ |
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/garland-isd-step-teams-stellar-performance/3004056/ | 2022-06-30T13:53:18 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/something-good/garland-isd-step-teams-stellar-performance/3004056/ |
Detroit police seek two in shooting outside west side liquor store
Detroit — Police are asking the public for help to find the man who shot and wounded two people Monday outside a west side liquor store.
Detectives are also looking for a person of interest who was in the area at the time shooting and may have information about the crime.
Officials said the shooting happened at about 4:30 a.m. in the parking lot of the Big B liquor store in the 5200 block of Trumbull between Interstate 94 and Warren Avenue.
According to a preliminary investigation, shots were fired at a 24-year-old woman who was inside a red Jeep Cherokee and a 26-year-old man standing outside the vehicle, wounding them. The shooter fled and the two victims were privately conveyed to a hospital.
The two were released after being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Anyone with information about the person of interest or the shooting should call the Detroit Police Department’s Third Precinct at (313) 596-1340 or Crime Stoppers of Michigan at 1 (800) SPEAK-UP. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/06/30/detroit-police-seek-two-shooting-outside-west-side-liquor-store/7775511001/ | 2022-06-30T13:58:24 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/06/30/detroit-police-seek-two-shooting-outside-west-side-liquor-store/7775511001/ |
Woman, 66, rolls car down embankment on to I-94, suffers minor injuries
A Roseville woman suffered only minor injuries after her car rolled down an expressway embankment and onto another freeway Wednesday, officials said.
Michigan State Police said troopers were called at about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday to eastbound Interstate 94 at westbound Interstate 696 for a report of a crash. They found St. Clair Shores police officers and medics at the scene.
Troopers spoke to the driver of the vehicle, a 66-year-old Roseville woman, before she was loaded into an ambulance. The woman was conscious and answered the troopers' questions.
She told them she was about to stop at the ramp from westbound I-94 to 11 Mile but could not stop her vehicle at the stop sign. She said she traveled into the intersection and swerved around vehicles on 11 Mile before her vehicle rolled down the embankment and onto the freeway.
Officials said the vehicle hit several large trees along the embankment, causing them to fall to the roadway.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @CharlesERamirez | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2022/06/30/woman-66-rolls-car-down-embankment-94-suffers-minor-injuries/7775834001/ | 2022-06-30T13:58:39 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/macomb-county/2022/06/30/woman-66-rolls-car-down-embankment-94-suffers-minor-injuries/7775834001/ |
1st probable case of monkeypox found in Michigan; what is it and where is it spreading
London — European and American health authorities have identified a number of cases monkeypox, mostly in young men. It's a surprising outbreak of disease that rarely appears outside Africa.
Health officials around the world are keeping watch for more cases because, for the first time, the disease appears to be spreading among people who didn’t travel to Africa. They stress, however, that the risk to the general population is low.
On Wednesday, the Michigan Department of Heath and Human Services announced that it had identified the first probable monkeypox case in the state.
The case involves an Oakland County resident, according to the state health department.
Here's what to know about monkeypox:
What is monkeypox?
Monkeypox is a virus that originates in wild animals like rodents and primates, and occasionally jumps to people. Most human cases have been in central and west Africa, where the disease is endemic.
The illness was first identified by scientists in 1958 when there were two outbreaks of a “pox-like” disease in research monkeys — thus the name monkeypox. The first known human infection was in 1970, in a 9-year-old boy in a remote part of Congo.
What are the symptoms?
Monkeypox belongs to the same virus family as smallpox but causes milder symptoms.
Most patients only experience fever, body aches, chills and fatigue. People with more serious illness may develop a rash and lesions on the face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body.
The incubation period is from about five days to three weeks. Most people recover within about two to four weeks without needing to be hospitalized.
How is monkeypox treated?
Monkeypox can be fatal for up to one in 10 people and is thought to be more severe in children.
People exposed to the virus are often given one of several smallpox vaccines, which have been shown to be effective against monkeypox. Anti-viral drugs are also being developed.
U.S. health officials on Tuesday expanded the group of people recommended to get vaccinated against the monkeypox virus.
They also said they are providing more monkeypox vaccine, working to expand testing, and taking other steps to try to get ahead of the outbreak.
How many monkeypox cases are there typically?
The World Health Organization estimates there are thousands of monkeypox infections in about a dozen African countries every year. Most are in Congo, which reports about 6,000 cases annually, and Nigeria, with about 3,000 cases a year.
Patchy health monitoring systems mean many infected people are likely missed, experts say.
Isolated cases of monkeypox are occasionally spotted outside Africa, including in the U.S. and Britain. The cases are typically associated with travel to Africa or contact with animals from areas where the disease is more common.
In 2003, 47 people in six U.S. states had confirmed or probable cases. They caught the virus from pet prairie dogs that been housed near imported small mammals from Ghana.
Where has monkeypox been identified in the U.S.?
As of Wednesday, the U.S. had identified 351 cases in 27 states and the District of Columbia, according to the CDC. Since the beginning of a global outbreak, 5,115 monkeypox cases have been confirmed in 51 countries.
Case count by state:
- Arizona 1
- California 80
- Colorado 7
- District Of Columbia 21
- Florida 35
- Georgia 8
- Hawaii 6
- Illinois 46
- Indiana 2
- Kentucky 1
- Maryland 5
- Massachusetts 15
- Minnesota 2
- Missouri 2
- Nebraska 1
- Nevada 2
- New Jersey 4
- New York 72
- North Carolina 2
- Ohio 3
- Oklahoma 2
- Oregon 1
- Pennsylvania 8
- Rhode Island 1
- Texas 8
- Utah 5
- Virginia 3
- Washington 6
What's different about these cases?
It's the first time monkeypox appears to be spreading among people who didn't travel to Africa.
In Europe, infections have been reported in Britain, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Most of the cases involve men who have had sex with men.
Expert:Monkeypox likely spread by sex at 2 raves in Europe
Britain's Health Security Agency said its cases are not all connected, suggesting that there are multiple chains of transmission happening.
The infections in Portugal were picked up at a sexual health clinic, where the men sought help for lesions on their genitals.
Is monkeypox being spread through sex?
It's possible, but it's unclear at the moment.
Monkeypox has not previously been documented to have spread through sex, but it can be transmitted through close contact with infected people, their body fluids and their clothing or bedsheets.
Michael Skinner, a virologist at Imperial College London, said it's still too early to determine how the men in the U.K. were infected.
“By nature, sexual activity involves intimate contact, which one would expect to increase the likelihood of transmission, whatever a person’s sexual orientation and irrespective of the mode of transmission," Skinner said.
Francois Balloux of University College London said monkeypox said sex qualifies as the kind of close contact needed to transmit the disease.
The U.K. cases "do not necessarily imply any recent change in the virus’ route of transmission,” Balloux said. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/06/30/monkeypox-symptoms-treatment-how-does-it-spread/7776027001/ | 2022-06-30T13:58:45 | 1 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2022/06/30/monkeypox-symptoms-treatment-how-does-it-spread/7776027001/ |
It's the final day of June, which means it's also your last chance this year to celebrate Dairy Month! Since we’re living in the Dairy State, it’s your patriotic duty to consume as many dairy products as possible. Sure, you could pour skim milk over your breakfast cereal and enjoy some plain Greek yogurt with fruit after lunch. But we prefer to celebrate Dairy Month in the most delicious way — and that means eating ice cream!
- Prost! The Biergarten in Petrifying Springs County Park is now open seven days, serving up cold beverages and warm pretzels. For more details, check the Biergarten’s Facebook page.
- The free Bristol Woodstock concert series features JiMarth, performing from 6 to 8 this evening. The concerts take place Thursday nights, through Aug. 4, in Bristol Woods County Park, 9800 160th Ave. For more details, “like” Kenosha County Parks on Facebook.
- The new season of “Music & More” concerts continues today. The free concerts are noon to 1 p.m. Thursdays in Racine at First Presbyterian Church, 716 College Ave. For more details, see the story in today’s Get Out & About entertainment section.
- In Milwaukee, Summerfest starts its second weekend today, with 12 stages of music and lots of food and other activities. If you go between noon and 6 p.m. today, you'll get in for $5 for "Throwback Thursday." For more details, go to summerfest.com. | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-thursday-june-30/article_2bb20024-f7b3-11ec-a109-5ff65713ef58.html | 2022-06-30T14:00:25 | 1 | https://www.kenoshanews.com/news/local/todays-events-for-thursday-june-30/article_2bb20024-f7b3-11ec-a109-5ff65713ef58.html |
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:
After graduating from high school in Tombstone, I dreamed of leaving for a big city where everything that wasn’t possible in my hometown would finally be within my reach. Once I got to college in an urban area, I was shocked to see how easily accessible things like clean water, public transportation and reliable, high-speed internet were.
When I returned to Cochise County, once thriving with mining and tourism industries, I found my desert home had become a food and health-care desert, forcing some residents to drive nearly 40 minutes one way just to buy groceries or access medical care. It was clear to me that the gap between rural and urban areas had only widened in my time away, leaving many rural communities with even less access to resources and opportunities.
The disparity was profound, and I knew then that something had to be done to ensure that folks in rural communities have access to the same opportunities as those in urban centers. In my current role as the executive director of Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation (AREDF), I get to do just that.
People are also reading…
Our work took on new urgency when the pandemic hit. While no community was spared from COVID-19, rural communities were hit particularly hard. On top of health- care supply and personnel shortages, a lack of broadband and reliable internet meant people in rural areas often couldn’t access remote work, online school or telehealth appointments from home. As the pandemic drove most of our lives online, many in rural communities found themselves left behind.
At AREDF, one of our pillars is access to health care. We collaborate with partner organizations, local and state leaders to advance health equity and access in rural Arizona. During a state health-care advisory group meeting, I learned about the federal funding from President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan earmarked for broadband to support telehealth projects.
In a place like Cochise County, where under 70% of the county lacks high speed internet, this funding would be life-changing. Unfortunately, living in a rural community often means limited access to quality health care. But, for my community and others like it, access to reliable internet would mean access to critical resources like telehealth services, which kept the rest of the country safe and healthy during the pandemic.
Living and working in rural communities taught me to be resourceful and creative. So, I got to thinking how our organization could best utilize the historic federal funds made available to our community. Our plan was to create a rural telemedicine health-care incubator. A place where both medical professionals and community members could conduct in-person and virtual appointments in a safe, clean, and connected environment.
With the funding from the American Rescue Plan, the local cable company laid fiber optic cables to connect our facility to the wider broadband grid. We invested our own money to finish the last mile, but with such a big project, there would be no way for us to complete it on our own.
Six months later, we have two professionals who rent our office spaces to serve our rural community members as well as a dedicated telehealth office. The hub focuses on behavioral and mental health services — something that rural communities have needed for decades. We painted the walls a calming shade of blue to welcome our community and signal this is a safe place — a place where they can escape the stresses of the outside world and access the services they need.
In the time since we completed the telemedicine incubator, Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, legislation that is directing even more funding toward rural communities. Similar to the funding from the American Rescue Plan, the infrastructure law includes funding earmarked specifically to update the roads, public transportation and broadband in rural communities.
This funding will support communities like ours right now, and will determine the future of rural communities across the country. Public transportation helps people get to work, safer roads lead to more commerce, and broadband will attract those 21st century industries that can fill the void past industries left. All of these investments in the infrastructure attract and retain the people and businesses that can revitalize long forgotten communities.
When I talk to people about why investing in rural communities is important, I like to say, “you are only as good as your weakest link.” I don’t mean that rural communities are weak, but it helps to put rural issues into perspective. Every link in the chain must be supported and connected to ensure it works all together. Leaders working to build the economy of a state must understand that if rural areas suffer, the whole state suffers.
America has always been rural. Rural communities have always been the backbone of our country. Rural Americans are smart, strong and beautiful people. We cannot allow these communities to disappear because it is easier to neglect them than to invest in their futures. I’m grateful to have an administration that wants to see these communities flourish, and with the American Rescue Plan and the infrastructure law, we can do just that.
Mignonne Hollis is the executive director of Arizona Regional Economic Development Foundation. She lives in Hereford. | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-biden-administration-breathes-new-life-into-cochise-county-rural-america/article_5a6a029a-f335-11ec-9b85-3362e4896cb0.html | 2022-06-30T14:02:32 | 0 | https://tucson.com/opinion/local/local-opinion-biden-administration-breathes-new-life-into-cochise-county-rural-america/article_5a6a029a-f335-11ec-9b85-3362e4896cb0.html |
MILTON, WV (WOWK) – It’s not hard to find people who recognize the name Hershel “Woody” Williams. As family and friends continue to mourn their loss, his closest friends are sharing stories of the time they shared together.
World War II veteran, Medal of Honor recipient, and supporter of fellow veterans and their families, Hershel “Woody” Williams is known for many things. Hours after his death, dear friends are sharing an inside look into his everyday life.
Seen with Woody at multiple events, close friend Kim Wolfe says anytime woody would need to travel somewhere he was right there by his side, which happened quite often!
“His energy was remarkable. My wife always said ‘ anytime woody needs you to travel, you go with Woody, that’s where you need to be,'” Wolfe says. They met when he was a mounted policeman and woody was a horse trainer and they’ve been close ever since.
Wolfe also says when they started traveling together, it was never like “work”, it was always a pleasant experience to watch woody interact with people. “He never knew a stranger, whether it was a child or an older veteran. He always took time, he was very kind to people and very accommodating.”
Many communities noticed this. Kenneth Bird was one of many who would often share breakfast with woody every Tuesday at Shonet’s Country Cafe. He says they would share stories both old and new and he always enjoyed this fellowship.
For those who knew Woody the best, his name will not be forgotten and his legacy will live on for years to come. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/close-friends-remember-hershel-woody-williams/ | 2022-06-30T14:09:56 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/close-friends-remember-hershel-woody-williams/ |
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is searching for an 89-year-old man who was last seen Friday on the far West Side.
Jack Kirk Wells was last seen in the 3000 block of Grosenbacher, according to a Silver Alert posted on the office’s Facebook page. He has a medical condition that may require medication, the post states.
Wells is 5’6” and weighs 150 pounds. He has blue eyes and white hair.
His vehicle is a 2014 Gray GMC Sierra with the Texas, disabled plate 6JWTH.
Wells is reported to have traveled to Boerne and Houston in the past, according to the post.
People with information on where Wells might be are asked to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office at 210-335-6000.
megan.rodriguez@express-news.net | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Bexar-County-Sheriff-s-Office-searches-for-17276394.php | 2022-06-30T14:15:20 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Bexar-County-Sheriff-s-Office-searches-for-17276394.php |
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper is expected to decide Thursday whether to block a 15-week abortion ban, signed in April by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, currently set to go into effect Friday.
The court returned at 8:30 a.m. to hear more about a lawsuit to stop the ban, filed June 1 by such groups as the American Civil Liberties Union, Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the Center for Reproductive Rights, seeking a temporary emergency injunction.
[TRENDING: Florida’s Freedom Week: Here’s a list of what to buy tax-free | Think it’s hotter when you walk the dog at night than you’re used to? Here’s why | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Those challenging the law argue it violates the state constitution, amended by Florida voters in 1980 to guarantee “broad protections for individual privacy rights — including abortion,” the groups said.
Cooper has previously indicated he would rule from the bench as soon as the hearing is over Thursday, which would ensure a decision is made before the law potentially takes effect the following day.
The law, which landed on DeSantis’ desk as HB 5, defines gestation “as calculated from the first day of the pregnant woman’s last menstrual period,” stipulating that “a physician may not perform a termination of pregnancy if the physician determines the gestational age of the fetus is more than 15 weeks,” and does not include exceptions for victims of rape, incest or human trafficking.
Physicians who perform abortions in Florida under allowed circumstances — including after 15 weeks of gestation as defined in the law if two physicians submit in writing that a pregnant woman could die or be irreversibly impaired physically, but not mentally, without an abortion — must report them to the Agency for Health Care Administration on a monthly basis, the law states.
Those who violate the law would face a five-year prison sentence, loss of medical licensure and a $10,000 fine per violation. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/30/judge-expected-to-decide-whether-to-block-floridas-15-week-abortion-ban/ | 2022-06-30T14:23:34 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/30/judge-expected-to-decide-whether-to-block-floridas-15-week-abortion-ban/ |
This retired Fond du Lac priest celebrated 75 years since ordination. Next? His 100th birthday
FOND DU LAC - He was born before the Great Depression and, 100 years later, he still offers Mass.
Fr. Edward Sippel this weekend celebrated his 75th anniversary of his ordination into priesthood, in the same year that he turns 100 years old.
"Many remember him for playing a prominent role in major milestones of their lives — weddings, baptisms, funerals, First Communions, and Confirmations," the church said in a news release.
A special Mass Saturday at Holy Family Church, 271 Fourth Street Way, recognized both achievements and a lifetime of religious leadership and learning.
Archdiocese of Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki could not attend in person due to a wedding, but passed along a message and gift for Sippel through Fr. Jim Lobacz, the archdiocese's vicar for senior priests.
"A lot has changed since 1947, both in the church and in our world," Lobacz said on behalf of Listecki. "But one thing that has not changed is your call, your fidelity. The people benefitted by your ministry over the years are countless."
Sippel was born in Fond du Lac on July 2, 1922, and raised in a religious-centered household, where parents Louis and Della Sippel encouraged making a difference in the community, including through volunteer work at St. Vincent de Paul.
"I had so many great examples, and the first were my parents," Sippel told The Reporter in 2017.
He attended high school at St. Lawrence Seminary in Mount Calvary and, inspired to enter priesthood, studied at St. Francis de Sales Seminary in Milwaukee.
He was ordained June 7, 1947, and served in West Allis, Racine, Milwaukee and Waukesha. He also taught high school religion at various schools in Milwaukee and Waukesha.
Sippel returned to Fond du Lac in 1971 to serve at St. Patrick Parish, which later became part of Holy Family Catholic Community. He was a distinguished figure at the church, and a familiar face for important events in church members' lives.
"You get a great deal of personal satisfaction through this kind of work," he said before his retirement in 1991. "I look back and am pretty happy with the way I spent my life. We all have a need to feel needed, and being in this line of work satisfies that need."
Since his retirement, he's maintained his parents' legacy and continued to serve the community, offering Mass when he's called upon and having acted as chaplain at the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes.
He also has helped maintain the garden at the congregation, as well as the Fond du Lac Community Garden and his own garden.
A recording of Saturday's Mass is available on the Holy Family FdL YouTube channel.
Contact Daphne Lemke at dlemke@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @daphlemke. | https://www.fdlreporter.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/father-sippel-celebrates-75-years-priest-near-100th-birthday/7711098001/ | 2022-06-30T14:26:23 | 1 | https://www.fdlreporter.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/father-sippel-celebrates-75-years-priest-near-100th-birthday/7711098001/ |
SAN DIEGO — Tens of thousands of California families unable to pay their rent due to COVID-19 could soon be facing eviction.
On Friday morning, the legal protections these renters have, essentially shielding them from eviction proceedings, will officially expire.
In the meantime, thousands of these Californians are still waiting on millions of dollars in rental relief promised by the state.
Those statewide eviction protections put in place for renters impacted by the pandemic are set to expire Friday morning, even though more than 80,000 households who applied for emergency assistance are still waiting for an answer on their applications.
"I just feel the state has failed us: they have failed us," said Imperial Beach resident, Patricia Mendoza, who is still waiting for $9,000 in rental assistance from the state.
The mother of two has already received an eviction lawsuit from her landlord.
"Honestly, my anxiety is going through the roof," she told CBS 8.
That anxiety which she feels is not only for herself, but for other renters in similar situations who are facing homelessness as they await assistance promised by the state.
"I pray, I pray to God that they'll do something for this program, that they'll do something for our people, because this was supposed to help people...not have people like this," she cried.
According to the non-profit group PolicyLink, there are currently 85,901 renter households who applied for COVID rental assistance from the state who are still waiting for an answer.
"It is highly unlikely that they are going to be able to get through all of these applications by June 30, so that means people will be waiting in line and they will be exposed to eviction," said Sarah Treuhaft, vice-president of research for Policy Link. "They will likely be evicted or have eviction proceedings against them."
CBS 8 reached out to the state to see if the current eviction moratorium to protect applicant for COVID rent relief could possibly be extended beyond June 30, but has not yet received a response.
Several non-profits dedicated to protecting California renters, though, including the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), are not keeping quiet.
They have filed a lawsuit against the state to challenge more than 150,000 denials for rent relief, which is about one out of every three applicants.
"(This is) to challenge the practice of tenants not being told the reasons that they were denied, so that they can appeal, " said Jackie Zaneri, senior attorney for ACCE. "We are seeing tenants denied rental assistance for reasons that we can not figure out."
Mendoza, now working as a statewide organizer for ACCE, says she is dedicated to getting renters the help they need.
"I want to make sure this program does what it was supposed to do," Mendoza added, "and that's to help people stay in their homes!"
(Patricia Mendoza of ACCE can be contacted at pmendoza@calorganize.org)
WATCH RELATED: Decision on controversial renters' protections in Chula Vista postponed (May 2022) | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/eviction-protections-thousands-of-renters-impacted-by-covid-to-expire-friday/509-d359c226-2ff1-42d9-b3ac-9f4cf67342d7 | 2022-06-30T14:26:51 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/eviction-protections-thousands-of-renters-impacted-by-covid-to-expire-friday/509-d359c226-2ff1-42d9-b3ac-9f4cf67342d7 |
MERCED, Calif. — Merced police are investigating after a stabbing Wednesday night left one man injured.
According to a news release, it happened at the Food 4 Less store at 1115 W. Olive Ave. around 8:30 p.m.
The victim, a 31-year-old employee, told officers he was stabbed while trying to confront a person he said was stealing from the store.
Witnesses and surveillance footage show a man in a beanie entering the store with another person and then running from the store with items in his hands.
The employee tried to confront the customer, at which time he was stabbed and the customer left in a dark blue sedan.
The employee was taken to a hospital, where he is listed in stable condition.
Anyone with information can call Sergeant Haygood at 209-385-6998 or email haygoodk@cityofmerced.org. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/merced-grocery-store-employee-stabbed/103-f522b310-5423-4881-9f9f-138da7c4e521 | 2022-06-30T14:26:57 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/merced-grocery-store-employee-stabbed/103-f522b310-5423-4881-9f9f-138da7c4e521 |
SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — The strange mystery lights that seemed to float over the ocean were seen by many off the San Diego coast around 10 p.m. on Monday, June 27, 2022. Posts from up and down the county filled social media feeds as San Diegan's tried to figure out what they were seeing in the sky and offering up their theories on what the lights could be.
CBS 8 called San Diego Police to see if they knew what the lights were. They told us that lifeguards said the lights were flares used for military exercises. However, Camp Pendleton and Naval Air Station North Island both said they did not know what the lights were.
There were rumblings on social media that it could be for an Imperial beach 4th of July drone show. Imperial Beach Police say they don’t know what the lights were either.
Then - on Wednesday - CBS 8 spoke to Adam Stanton, a Coast Guard Public Affairs specialist.
Stanton said that it was indeed the Navy doing "flare training." and that it was "organized and planned" He said that the flares were fired off of SW of San Clemente Island.
During training like this, they often have people who have never fired one and they use "expired" flares -- so they can look a little different.
Stanton said that the flares were dropped from a Navy C130 plane and possibly were attached to a parachute, which is why they seemed to stay in place and lingered for so long.
When asked why no one reported seeing a plane, Stanton didn't have an answer for that.
WATCH: Mysterious lights off San Diego coast light up social media on Monday night
A similar sight and answer were given back in 2018. CBS 8 confirmed that those lights were part of a military flare training exercise 30 miles off the San Diego Coast. The flare lights were from Squadron VMGR-325, "The Raiders," according to Sandy Demunik, a public information officer for Naval Station Coronado.
WATCH RELATED (2018): Mystery lights caused by military flares | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/mystery-solved-coast-guard-strange-lights-san-diego-coast/509-44f5e7e8-007d-4a5e-983f-9641931a38c6 | 2022-06-30T14:27:03 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/mystery-solved-coast-guard-strange-lights-san-diego-coast/509-44f5e7e8-007d-4a5e-983f-9641931a38c6 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A person has died after being hit by a train in Sacramento late Wednesday night, according to the Sacramento Police Department.
Officers responded around 10:40 p.m. to reports of a crash with a train and a person on J Street between 19th and 20th Streets. Officers found a person with major injuries who later died at the scene.
The name of the person has not been released.
Watch more on ABC10 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-person-hit-killed-train/103-db8585f3-2774-4b4b-bb87-2271f1f3ae00 | 2022-06-30T14:27:09 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-person-hit-killed-train/103-db8585f3-2774-4b4b-bb87-2271f1f3ae00 |
NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. — 300 people were forced from their homes after the Rices Fire sparked in Nevada County, officials said.
The Rices Fire sparked around 2 p.m. Tuesday off Rice's Crossing Road and Cranston Road west of North San Juan. The fire is at 904 acres and 10% containment, however, Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit Chief Brian Estes said crews are still far from being out of the woods.
Crews have been trying to keep the fire from crossing into neighboring Yuba County. Despite the fire getting into the Yuba River drainage, Estes said the fire is 100% holding in Nevada County.
Estes said the fire burned to the north and to the northeast, toward the Yuba River drainage.
"At last check, about one hour ago, our hand crews on the left flank were about 1,000 feet out from cutting this out and tying it into the bottom of the river canyon. On the right flank, an hour ago, they were 150 feet from the river's bottom," Estes said.
At least four structures have been destroyed and about 340 structures are threatened along with South Yuba State Park. Crews are still assessing the structural damage and structures threatened within the burn area.
Captain Sam Brown, of the Nevada County Sheriff's Office, said 250 homes were evacuated along with 300 people.
The fire started after an uninhabitable structure caught fire and spread to vegetation in the area, according to Estes. The cause of that structure fire is under investigation.
KEY FIGURES:
- Acres: 904
- Containment: 10%
STAY INFORMED:
Evacuation Map
Nevada County and Yuba County
The Nevada County Office of Emergency Services issued evacuation orders for certain areas due to the fire.
The Yuba County Sheriff's Department issued an evacuation warning for areas in Yuba County.
View the evacuation map below for updates on evacuations.
Evacuation Centers
- Madelyn Helling Library at 980 Helling Way
- Nevada County Fairgrounds at McCourtney Road open to animal shelters
Road Closures
- Pleasant Valley Road at Birchville
- Pleasant Valley Road at Bridgeport
- Birchville Road at Hwy. 49
FIRE MAP
This wildfire map was created using data from NASA, NGA, USGS and FEMA.
WILDFIRE PREPS
According to Cal Fire, the 2021 fire season started earlier than previous years, but also ended earlier, as well. January 2021 saw just under 1,200 acres burned from nearly 300 wildfires. Fires picked up in the summer when the Dixie Fire burned in five Northern California counties — Butte, Plumas, Shasta, Lassen and Tehama. The Dixie Fire started on July 13 and wasn't contained until Oct. 25, burning nearly 1 million acres. It has since become the second-largest wildfire in state history and the largest non-complex fire.
Overall, 2.5 million acres were burned in 2021 from 8,835 wildfires. Over 3,600 structures were destroyed and 3 people were killed.
If you live in a wildfire-prone zone, Cal Fire suggests creating a defensible space around your home. Defensible space is an area around a building in which vegetation and other debris are completely cleared. At least 100 feet is recommended.
The Department of Homeland Security suggests assembling an emergency kit that has important documents, N95 respirator masks, and supplies to grab with you if you’re forced to leave at a moment’s notice. The agency also suggests signing up for local warning system notifications and knowing your community’s evacuation plans best to prepare yourself and your family in cases of wildfires.
Some counties use Nixle alerts to update residents on severe weather, wildfires, and other news. To sign up, visit www.nixle.com or text your zip code to 888777 to start receiving alerts.
PG&E customers can also subscribe to alerts via text, email, or phone call. If you're a PG&E customer, visit the Profile & Alerts section of your account to register.
What questions do you have about the latest wildfires? If you're impacted by the wildfires, what would you like to know? Text the ABC10 team at (916) 321-3310. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/rices-fire-maps-evacuations-updates-california-wildfires/103-633c333f-0b5b-4b8b-b44c-0ac83cc09da7 | 2022-06-30T14:27:16 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/rices-fire-maps-evacuations-updates-california-wildfires/103-633c333f-0b5b-4b8b-b44c-0ac83cc09da7 |
SALINA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Kansas Highway Patrol said a pedestrian was killed on I-135 in Saline County. It happened on southbound I-135 near milepost 86 at 6:30 a.m.
The Kansas Highway Patrol was notified of a two-vehicle non-injury crash with one driver walking south. Shortly afterward, an additional crash involving a pedestrian was reported resulting in death.
The patrol said the person was not local. The identity of that person hasn’t been released. | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/pedestrian-killed-on-i-135-in-saline-county/ | 2022-06-30T14:32:00 | 1 | https://www.ksn.com/news/local/pedestrian-killed-on-i-135-in-saline-county/ |
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — Public records from the city of Coeur d'Alene detail the known presence of the Patriot Front in the community one year ago. Patriot Front is a group with white nationalism ties.
More than two weeks ago, Coeur d'Alene Police arrested 31 members associated with the group from the back of U-haul. Police say the men planned to start a potentially violent riot at a Pride celebration.
On Tuesday, June 28, Property of the People, a non-profit, released more than 1,200 pages of public records from a request filed with the city of Coeur d'Alene regarding the Patriot Front. The documents detail the hate group's presence in the town and on the North Idaho College campus last year.
The first report mentioning the hate group dates back to May 2021. According to public records, NIC staff started noticing stickers and vandalism referencing the hate group on campus and reported them to the police. Reports of these stickers continued to come in throughout the summer months. One email from a city maintenance worker even says he removed 15 stickers from McEuen Park.
This shows that the city and CDA PD were at least aware of the group trying to establish a presence in Coeur d'Alene last year. But, the records show no indication that police knew about the group's plans to riot on June 11 during the Pride Celebration event.
That said, the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations claims there's been a rise in hate group discussions and presence online in the last two years. Tony Stewart with the task force says they didn't know the plans of the 31 men who ended up arrested from the back of the U-haul. But, they knew something was brewing.
"On social media, there was a discussion particularly directed at the LGBTQ community," Stewart said. "A lot of very offensive comments. Certainly, there were comments on racism as well. And we also saw a growing tendency to attack public education, was saying that they want to interfere with trying to shut down things like study social justice."
Stewart says the task force recently held a meeting with local leaders asking to rally the community against hate groups. Something similar to what the task force did in the late 90s when the Aryan nation marched in town.
That meeting led to a series of action items, one of which is a campaign you'll likely see during the Fourth of July holiday weekend. The message reads, "Coeur d'Alene Rejects Hate." The task force plans to put that message on 1,000 t-shirts and in the windows of local businesses.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/leaked-documents-detail-patriot-front-coeur-dalene-north-idaho/293-909a3cf5-e230-4924-82f8-3e6052337719 | 2022-06-30T14:35:54 | 1 | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/leaked-documents-detail-patriot-front-coeur-dalene-north-idaho/293-909a3cf5-e230-4924-82f8-3e6052337719 |
OLD TOWN, Maine — The Old Town Police Department issued a Silver Alert early Thursday morning for a woman from Old Town.
Shortly after 9:30 a.m., the Maine Department of Public Safety issued an update noting that the woman was found and is safe.
For the latest breaking news, weather, and traffic alerts, download the NEWS CENTER Maine mobile app. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/bangor/silver-alert-police-trying-to-locate-old-town-maine-woman-missing/97-e9bc66d1-070e-45f8-9e88-f36902f126b6 | 2022-06-30T14:36:07 | 0 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/bangor/silver-alert-police-trying-to-locate-old-town-maine-woman-missing/97-e9bc66d1-070e-45f8-9e88-f36902f126b6 |
MINNEAPOLIS — Federal prosecutors asked a judge Wednesday to sentence one of the four former Minneapolis police officers convicted of civil rights violations in George Floyd's killing to as many as 6 1/2 years in prison but to impose significantly stiffer yet unspecified sentences on two others.
They urged U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson to follow the nonbinding federal sentencing guidelines for former officer Thomas Lane and impose a penalty between 5 1/4 and 6 1/2 years in prison.
Prosecutors also said former Officer J. Alexander Kueng deserves a “substantially higher” sentence than Lane's, but less than the 20 to 25 years Derek Chauvin is expected to get. And they said they'll seek a ”comparable" sentence to Kueng's for former Officer Tou Thao.
Both Lane and Kueng helped restrain Floyd on the night in May 2020 when Chauvin, who is white killed Floyd, a Black man, by kneeling on his neck for more than nine minutes despite Floyd's fading pleas that he couldn't breathe. Thao helped hold back a crowd of concerned bystanders.
The killing sparked immediate protests in Minneapolis that spread around the U.S. and beyond in a reckoning over police brutality and discrimination against people of color.
Chauvin reached a plea agreement in December that calls for a 20- to 25-year sentence. Prosecutors are seeking 25 years for him. Thao, Kueng and Lane went to trial and were convicted on related federal civil rights charges in February. Lane is white, Kueng is African American and Thao is Asian American.
Prosecutors said in a sentencing memo for Kueng that “several factors weigh heavily in favor of a lengthy prison sentence" for him.
They cited Kueng's “abuse of state powers,” his “lack of acceptance of responsibility, including his (at-times obstructive and incredible) trial testimony," the need to deter other officers from standing by when colleagues abuse arrestees who aren't resisting, and the need for consistency with other cases of officers accused of failing to intervene to protect an arrestee from abuse.
Prosecutors noted how it was established at trial that Kueng “directed a helpful firefighter away from Mr. Floyd and rebuffed Lane’s questions about whether Mr. Floyd should be rolled on his side. He personally assessed that Mr. Floyd did not have a pulse, and then did nothing about it.”
And they said some of Kueng's testimony “directly and obviously conflicted with other, irrefutable evidence presented at trial” in ways that amounted to perjury, particularly as it related to whether Kueng knew that Floyd “had a serious medical need.”
The prosecutors indicated they would lay out different reasons for a similar sentence for Thao in a separate memo that had not been filed as of Wednesday evening.
In a sentencing memo for Lane, prosecutors said a penalty within the federal guidelines range would be appropriate, but not less as the defense is seeking. They said Lane's failure to provide aid that could have saved Floyd had “serious consequences” for Floyd and the broader community.
Attorneys for Lane and Thao have not filed their sentencing recommendations yet. A filing outlining what Kueng is seeking was not publicly available Wednesday, but his attorney filed another document Wednesday indicating he would seek a sentence below the guideline range.
Magnuson has not set sentencing dates for the four former officers. The federal civil rights cases were separate from the state murder and manslaughter charges against them.
Chauvin was convicted in state court last year of second-degree murder and sentenced to 22 1/2 years. Lane accepted a plea agreement in May to a state charge of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter and is awaiting sentencing on that count. Thao and Kueng, who turned down plea bargains earlier, are scheduled to go on trial Oct. 24 on state charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Watch more local news:
Watch the latest local news from the Twin Cities in our YouTube playlist: | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/prosecutors-seek-prison-for-3-ex-minneapolis-police-department-cops-in-george-floyd-killing/89-4e280d90-ae72-4e7d-8ebf-2264180f1389 | 2022-06-30T14:36:08 | 1 | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/prosecutors-seek-prison-for-3-ex-minneapolis-police-department-cops-in-george-floyd-killing/89-4e280d90-ae72-4e7d-8ebf-2264180f1389 |
CLIVE, Iowa — Editor's note: The above video was published June 3.
Beginning this Friday, July 1, the Clive Public Library will eliminate fines on overdue materials.
The library joins a growing number of public libraries ditching the fees. Other fine-free public libraries in Iowa include the Van Meter Public Library, the Cedar Falls Public Library and the Waterloo Public Library.
“We are excited to be a part of this growing movement,” said Director of Leisure Services Richard Brown in a press release.
The library cited several reasons for the switch, saying that fines disproportionately affect children, teens and low-income families, creating a barrier to using the library.
“It is important that the library remains a place that is open and easily accessible to all patrons, and we hope that the elimination of fines on overdue materials will help visitors to feel welcome," Brown said. "We also hope that this will encourage past patrons to visit the library that may have outstanding fines to come back to the library again.”
Furthermore, the library noted that overdue fines typically only account for less than 1% of the total budget.
That's not to say returning items late will be completely excused. On the first day an item is overdue, a notice will be delivered via text, email or mail and the account will be blocked from checking out other materials.
If an item has still yet to be returned 60 days after the original due date, the library will send a bill to cover replacement costs and processing fees. At 120 days after the due date, if no action has been taken, the library will send the patron to the Collection Agency for further contact.
Items such as Makerspace items, mobile hotspots, in-house laptops, video games and board games will be excluded from the fine-free program.
The library will also continue to charge for lost or damaged items.
For those with outstanding fines, the library will have a period of amnesty that will run from July 1 to December 31, 2022. During this period, overdue or lost items that are returned will be accepted and fines will be waived.
Fines that are on a patron's account from materials that were returned late in the past will be forgiven. To benefit from amnesty, patrons must call or make a physical trip to the library.
If you have questions about the process, visit www.cityofclive.com/finefree or call 515-453-2221 to speak with a librarian. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/clive-public-library-overdue-fine-free/524-f957690a-a951-4e4b-abe1-c5b053b93b36 | 2022-06-30T14:36:35 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/clive-public-library-overdue-fine-free/524-f957690a-a951-4e4b-abe1-c5b053b93b36 |
DES MOINES, Iowa — Editor's Note: The above video was originally published in October 2021.
"What should we focus on to best serve your community?" That's the question that Disability Rights Iowa is asking Iowans as the organization releases its biannual public survey.
DRI's mission is "to protect and advocate for the rights of Iowans with disabilities and mental illness," according to its website.
To help advance this mission, the survey is designed to help DRI evaluate what barriers and discriminatory practices exist within the state.
“We believe that for every person that shares a disability rights issue, there are many other individuals experiencing that same issue," said Executive Director Catherine Johnson in a press release. "By focusing on fixing the root of the problem – the reason discrimination is occurring, DRI can not only help all of the people who request services, but also those who don’t know we can help them.”
By completing the survey, DRI says individuals across the state can help ensure full access and inclusion for all Iowans with disabilities.
The survey is currently available in English and Spanish. To complete the survey, visit https://disabilityrightsiowa.org/public-survey. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/disability-rights-iowa-survey/524-3df80999-5f8d-43c7-ab96-d467f8032b06 | 2022-06-30T14:36:36 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/disability-rights-iowa-survey/524-3df80999-5f8d-43c7-ab96-d467f8032b06 |
DES MOINES, Iowa — He’s a familiar face to Local 5 News viewers on “Good Morning Iowa.” Whether it’s sunny, snowy or rainy, Brandon Lawrence is the guy who’s going tell you as you get your day started.
“One day, weather just kind of clicked,” he said.
That moment was pivotal for Lawrence. After pursuing science ever since he was a kid, he had a career in mind.
“I always took part in science fairs and I was a part of the different science and math honor societies. I was always super interested in the different fields of science and when I went to Mississippi State, I went and got my degree in meteorology,” Lawrence said.
He put in all that work to earn his place in the field of STEM, but, according to Lawrence, his biggest challenge was still ahead of him.
Lawrence's pronouns are he, him and his and he identifies as a gay man.
“I was worried about public perception. My first job in TV was in the South, and I did not publicly acknowledge it at all. I just kind of kept it to myself and I did not put that part of my life in the public eye and I was very worried that if I did, people would start to write into the station and maybe they would comment on social media and disapprove of it," Lawrence said. "Then, I was worried that my managers or leaders would say ‘Either tone it down or we can’t have this because people are complaining about you."
Lawrence's experiences are not uncommon for LGBTQ+ people in STEM. A 2021 American Association for the Advancement of Sciences study highlighted inequalities in the field.
Researchers surveyed more than 25,000 full-time STEM employees, more than a thousand of which identified as LGBTQ+.
The study found “LGBTQ STEM professionals thought about leaving their job more frequently and were more likely to have considered leaving their stem field entirely."
LGBTQ+ STEM workers experience a higher rate of social exclusion in the work place and are more likely to have their expertise discounted. The study also said they face more colleague devaluation.
“The data is very clear that it’s a cis(gender) male dominated profession and that queer people that are working in STEM right now are at a much higher risk of discrimination within their field,” said Damian Thompson, the director of public policy for Iowa Safe Schools.
Thompson said the organization has worked through the years to encourage LGBTQ+ youth to explore stem careers.
“We really need more LGBTQ folks in that field to increase representation to hopefully make it a more attractive career choice for our students,” he said.
For Lawrence, a more inclusive STEM landscape is something that's not only achievable but preferable.
“We want our world and our career fields to be as diverse as possible because I’m such a firm believe that diversity makes us better, makes us stronger,” he said.
With the research showing the odds against LGBTQ+ people, Lawrence's strength came from none other than his mom.
“When I came out to her, I don’t know that I’d ever been that scared of anything in my whole life. And I don’t know why I was that scared because I always knew she would accept me and that she would be there for me. She has been really helpful. She pushed me along in school, held me to a really high standard and always said ‘You go after whatever it is you’re going to go after,’” he said.
That’s the kind of support Lawrence and Thompson want to show other youth interested in STEM careers.
“One misconception I hear is that it’s just a bunch of nerdy old guys in a computer lab, which is far from the truth,” said Thompson.
Take it from the familiar “Good Morning Iowa” face who’s not a nerdy, old guy in a computer lab.
“Go for it and don’t let anybody tell you, you can’t do it,” Lawrence said. | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/lgbtq-stem-career-advocacy-iowa-safe-schools-brandon-lawrence-pride-month-des-moines/524-dbbe1351-6bc9-4a6c-b58f-b93070d8bb0c | 2022-06-30T14:36:38 | 1 | https://www.weareiowa.com/article/news/local/lgbtq-stem-career-advocacy-iowa-safe-schools-brandon-lawrence-pride-month-des-moines/524-dbbe1351-6bc9-4a6c-b58f-b93070d8bb0c |
PULASKI, Va. – The Pulaski County School Board approved its final budget for the 2022-2023 school year at a special called meeting on Wednesday.
The approved budget’s changes included
- A five percent increase plus a step raise for all teachers
- A five percent raise for all support staff
- An updated salary scale for custodians and bus drivers
- Converted all paraprofessionals to a full-time salary scale
- The addition of an elementary gifted education teacher
- The addition of an additional teacher at Snowville Elementary School to assist with increased enrollment
- The funds to begin a replacement cycle for Chromebooks
“We are extremely pleased with the additional state funding that was provided in this year’s budget and excited that we are able to offer a minimum of a five percent salary increase to all employees” stated Dr. Kevin Siers, Pulaski County Public Schools Superintendent. “The increases for our teachers and staff were certainly well deserved after all that they’ve worked through during the past few years.”
But some of the School Board’s objectives were not funded in the final budget.
The Pulaski County School Board initially requested an additional $1.6 million from the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors to address all of their budget objectives but then reduced that request to $914,294 after the final state budget was approved.
The Board of Supervisors appropriated an additional $10,000 at its meeting on Monday.
The Pulaski County Board of Supervisors and School Board entered into an agreement two years ago that allows retired debt service from school construction projects to be rolled into the school division’s capital funds account and used for upcoming school construction projects.
This amounted to over $400,000 of funds in the fiscal year 2022 that can go toward building projects such as school security upgrades.
Those funds should increase for the fiscal year 2023 with additional revenue generated by the cigarette tax.
“The agreement between our two Boards to allow retired debt service to go toward future construction and capital projects is a great plan that allows us to take a preventative approach to facility maintenance instead of our previous system of having to ask for funds in reaction to system failures or to deal with deteriorating buildings. There’s really nothing like it in place for any other school division in our region and we greatly appreciate the Board of Supervisors and county administrator for allowing these funds to remain with our schools” stated Dr. Siers. “The money provided this year can be added to the additional two million dollars of state money and will allow us to make significant progress with our safety and security upgrades.”
Pulaski County Public Schools has already issued teaching contracts for the upcoming school year and will now move forward with sending letters of appointment for all support staff with updated salary information. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/30/pulaski-county-schools-passes-budget-for-fiscal-year-2022-2023/ | 2022-06-30T14:40:22 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/30/pulaski-county-schools-passes-budget-for-fiscal-year-2022-2023/ |
ROANOKE, Va. – Over the years, Center in the Square is known as a cultural staple for Downtown Roanoke.
But for president Dr. Jim Sears, Center in the Square has been his passion for the better part of 30 years.
“There was this building, that one building, and that was it. Now we’re running about five buildings, so we’ve grown over the years. We have more organizations than we did at one time,” Sears said.
Center in the Square looks a lot different than it did 30 years ago, largely in part to Dr. Sears’ contributions, including Kid’s Square.
“Kid’s Square was filling a gap that we didn’t have in Roanoke,” Sears said. “If you can have a children’s museum, you can serve the kids and their families and always be active.”
But now it’s time for Dr. Sears to pass the baton along to newly elected president, Tara Marciniak.
“I feel great. She and I have worked together for four and a half years. She’ll take Center farther than I have,” Sears said.
But this isn’t the first time that Dr. Sears has tried to retire – He retired for only a few months in 2014, only to return as president for nearly another decade.
“The last ten years have been very exciting,” Sears said. “So were the first twenty, but looking back at it thinking I was going to retire ten years ago, and look at what we’ve done in the last ten years.”
Looking back at his time with the center, there is a lot for Sears to reflect on.
“I started here with a very small budget, and shortly after coming here we had to make a major change in employment of personnel because of the state’s withdrawal of $600,000 with no promises of it to come back,” Sears said.
Sears is leaving behind a legacy of progress and success for not only Center in the Square, but for the entire city of Roanoke.
“I’m glad that we continue to prosper, even in times that others were not,” Sears said. “It just takes a lot of work, a lot of commitment, and knowing what you’re going to do. it’s important to have that understanding and commitment and act on it.”
This time, when Dr. Sears retires, he says he’s going to stay retired - at least, that’s what he plans to do. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/30/roanokes-center-in-the-square-president-set-to-retire/ | 2022-06-30T14:40:28 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/06/30/roanokes-center-in-the-square-president-set-to-retire/ |
LANCASTER, Pa. — Police in Lancaster County have released updated information on a single-vehicle crash that killed a 16-year-old high school student and injured another on Saturday.
A third occupant in the vehicle, a 17-year-old male, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a home along the 600 block of Aaron Lane following the crash, according to East Lampeter Township Police.
The crash occurred shortly after midnight Saturday on the 500 block of Willow Road, police say.
A 16-year-old boy, whose identity has not been released by police, was pronounced dead at the scene.
A female occupant of the vehicle, whom police have identified as Amalie Wendt, 18, of Ronks, was transported to a local hospital for treatment of serious injuries, police say.
The vehicle involved in the crash, a 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe, was registered to Wendt's father, according to police, but investigators have not yet confirmed who was driving the vehicle.
Police say the 17-year-old boy found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after the crash was an occupant of the vehicle.
Both he and the 16-year-old were students at Conestoga Valley High School; Wendt graduated this year, police say.
Police said they will not release the identities of the two juvenile boys.
The investigation of the incident is ongoing, according to police. Anyone who has additional information is asked to contact the East Lampeter Township Police Department. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/lancaster-county-crash-conestoga-valley-students/521-a198fe63-b0a5-47b1-9285-71228f4310af | 2022-06-30T14:41:40 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/lancaster-county-crash-conestoga-valley-students/521-a198fe63-b0a5-47b1-9285-71228f4310af |
LANCASTER, Pa. — The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday that it is donating $40,000 from its drug forfeiture fund to support a new voluntary diversion program designed to help those with addiction issues to get help and avoid criminal records.
The new program, called Pathways to Recovery, launched Monday. It is a partnership between the DA's Office, SecondChancePA, and Compass Mark, according to District Attorney Heather Adams.
The program, which works at the Magisterial District Judge level, is aimed at those who commit low-level drug- or alcohol-related offenses, Adams said.
“Our office looks forward to implementing this program that was designed to be less costly, more inclusive, and more accessible to all while assisting those in recovery in leading hopeful, successful lives,” Adams said in a press release. “The launch of this program would not have been possible without the commitment from SecondChance PA and Compass Mark.”
Participants in the program will be required to undergo a level of care assessment and follow through with all treatment recommendations, as well as perform community service and be subject to random drug testing.
Completion of the program entitles the participant to dismissal of the charges and the ability to seek an expungement of the charges from their criminal record, Adams said.
Pathways to Recovery is designed to shift away from box-checking measures in the current program, many of which were behind a paywall of administrative fees, according to Adams.
The new program offers participants support, education, alignment, referral to appropriate treatment services, monitoring and follow-up for a low, flat fee and appropriate behavioral health experts and peers trained to assist individuals in utilizing services and supports.
The most significant aspect of Pathways to Recovery is that it will offer education and treatment to individuals when it’s needed, Adams said.
This will be accomplished from resulting work done by the two partner organizations, SecondChancePA and Compass Mark, according to Adams.
SecondChance PA is led by Chris Dreisbach of Blueprints for Addiction Recovery and aims to do its part in turning the tables on addiction, relapse, and needless death. The organization will supply Certified Recovery Specialists (CRS) who will provide direct engagement, screening and assessment, referral, and wraparound services for all program participants.
“We’re thrilled to be able to offer this innovative new service to the people of Lancaster County,” Dreisbach said. “Diversion programs are often far too limited and restrictive to affect real change in the lives of people struggling with substance use and other behavioral health disorders."
Compass Mark is a non-profit organization serving Lancaster, Lebanon, and Chester counties. For over 50 years, Compass Mark has played a leading role in developing and implementing high-quality addiction prevention programs. Its mission is to prevent addiction through education, skill-building, and community mobilization.
Compass Mark will administer the Skills for Life program for any eligible participant as identified by the CRS staff after an intake, screening, and assessment.
“The Skills for Life program is designed to educate individuals about substance use disorder and guide them on a path toward health and resilience,” Compass Mark Executive Director Erik Kennel stated.
“Compass Mark is honored to partner with the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office and SecondChance PA to offer an important skill-building component for participants in this promising county-wide diversion initiative."
SecondChancePA received a $25,000 donation from the District Attorney's Office forfeiture fund, while Compass Mark received $15,000, Adams said.
Illegal proceeds seized by the Lancaster County Drug Task Force that are later forfeited by Order of Court are, by law, to be used for the enforcement of the Drug Act and to support community-based drug and crime-fighting programs.
“I am so pleased to be able to provide this funding for this important program that seeks to rehabilitate offenders by addressing the root cause of crime,” Adams said. “This investment in rehabilitation will lead to greater public safety as participants will ultimately be less likely to reoffend.”
Participants who must complete Compass Mark’s Skills for Life program will be given a $50 scholarship also from forfeiture funds in order to keep program costs low.
More information regarding Pathways to Recovery can be found here. | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/lancaster-county-donates-40000-drug-forfeiture-funds-diversion-program/521-97f42688-a96c-46d7-b061-17b9b7c46b74 | 2022-06-30T14:41:47 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lancaster-county/lancaster-county-donates-40000-drug-forfeiture-funds-diversion-program/521-97f42688-a96c-46d7-b061-17b9b7c46b74 |
SEATTLE — A historic building dating back to the 1890s was severely damaged in a fire in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood early Thursday morning.
The fire at Wayne Apartments, located on the 2200 block of 2nd Avenue, was first reported shortly after 4 a.m.
At one point, black smoke from the fire could be seen over the Seattle skyline as crews worked to put the fire out.
Seattle Fire said the fire was under control around 5:45 a.m. and scaled back the response to “a few units” by 6:15 a.m. Seattle Fire tweeted crews will remain on the scene until the fire is fully extinguished.
The Seattle Department of Transportation said all lanes of 2nd Avenue are closed from Battery to Lenora streets. All westbound lanes of Bell Street are closed from 3rd Avenue to 1st Avenue, and all lanes of 3rd Avenue are closed from Battery to Blanchard streets.
The emergency response is causing service delays for buses traveling on Wall Street. King County Metro said in a 5:30 a.m. service bulletin that commuters should expect delays on routes 5, 21, 28, 131, 132 and the RapidRide E Line.
The cause of Thursday’s fire is currently unknown. No injuries have been reported at this time.
The Wayne Apartments building was built between 1889 and 1891 and is one of the last examples of a rowhouse, according to Steve Hall, SEPA representative for the Friends of Historic Belltown.
Photos: 2-alarm fire in Belltown
During the Denny Regrade, the iconic rowhouse portion of the building was raised and the first-floor commercial space was created. In 2015, the building landmark designation said it "contributes to the distinctive quality or identity" of the neighborhood.
The city's Department of Neighborhoods said when it came to the Wayne Apartments it evaluated "economic hardship factors" that are in the city's Landmarks Ordinance and placed "no controls" on the building.
Documents from the city show the Wayne Apartments was to be replaced with seven stories of market-rate housing with first-floor retail. It's a brand new design that seemed to leave the building's history in the past. The building's design plan states part of the 2nd Avenue façade will pay "homage" to portions of the Wayne Apartments.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington. | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/2nd-ave-fire-belltown/281-6c0f0d1a-9297-4a6c-8ea2-4adafdd71bc7 | 2022-06-30T14:44:19 | 1 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/2nd-ave-fire-belltown/281-6c0f0d1a-9297-4a6c-8ea2-4adafdd71bc7 |
SAN ANTONIO — A woman is in the hospital after she was shot by her husband in a domestic violence situation, the San Antonio Police Department said.
The shooting happened on Thursday morning at a home on the city's east side.
Police said the husband and wife were fighting over a gun. The husband reportedly knocked his wife over and shot her in the head. Then, the man shot himself.
Their son, who is in their mid-20s, witnessed the incident, SAPD said.
The woman was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center and her condition was not reported. However, police said she was able to communicate. She is in her mid-40s.
The family was gathering because they were going to a funeral for another relative.
Homicide investigators arrived at the scene and the weapon was recovered. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/domestic-dispute-san-antonio-family-funeral-gathering-shooting/273-cbd0424c-5b20-4eb4-a5c4-cf7df7cee262 | 2022-06-30T14:46:00 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/domestic-dispute-san-antonio-family-funeral-gathering-shooting/273-cbd0424c-5b20-4eb4-a5c4-cf7df7cee262 |
More 'upskirt' videos of students have been found on a phone belonging to a Delaware County school bus driver previously charged for taking photos and videos of teens, the Maple Newtown School District said Wednesday.
In a letter to parents, the school district said additional videos were discovered on 70-year-old Bruce Garner's personal cellphone.
"These allegations still do not involve physical contact, however, they do include videos taken of students unknowingly being recorded exiting the school bus," Marple Newtown superintendent Tina M. Kane, Ed.D. said.
The letter did not say how many more videos were found, however, parents and guardians of students identified in them have been notified by the Upper Providence Police Department, the district said.
Last month, Garner was charged with hundreds of counts after teen students accused him of taking upskirt photos and videos of them.
"The unspeakable actions of Bruce Garner were an invasion of the teenage and pre-teen victims' privacy and absolutely an attack on their innocence," Upper Providence Police Chief David Montella said at a news conference in May.
Investigators confirmed they found 139 upskirting images of Catholic school students on Garner's cellphone in May, but found no evidence Garner had shared the images with anyone else. They didn't reveal exactly how many girls were depicted.
The driver was assigned to bus No. 302 in the Marple Newtown School District, according to Wednesday's letter. A spokesperson had previously said the driver was fired and was not allowed to enter school grounds.
Investigators said Garner worked for the school district since 2015.
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
The school district said they continue to work with police and county advocates to help the student victims.
Upskirting occurs when someone photographs or takes video of another person’s private parts without their consent, police said.
Garner posted 10% of $250,000 bail set in May, according to court documents.
He waived his a preliminary hearing on June 15. Garner's next court appearance is scheduled for July 6 in Media for a formal arraignment.
Garner's listed attorney did not immediately return a request for comment from NBC10. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/more-upskirt-videos-of-students-found-on-charged-school-bus-drivers-phone/3285494/ | 2022-06-30T14:50:35 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/more-upskirt-videos-of-students-found-on-charged-school-bus-drivers-phone/3285494/ |
Delta Air Lines warned that it expects “operational challenges” over the busy Fourth of July weekend, and is taking the unusual step of allowing customers to change their travel dates to avoid the havoc.
It’s the latest development in a tumultuous summer travel season punctuated by weekends with hundreds of flight cancellations that disrupt trips, just as millions of travelers take to the skies in a return to flying.
Staffing problems among pilot ranks and other airline workers along with strains on short-handed air traffic control towers, airports and security checkpoints are combining to exacerbate the effects of weather disruptions. It’s resulting in an upheaval of air travel that could continue through the busy summer season. And there’s no simple fix on the horizon.
Atlanta-based Delta issued a travel waiver for the July 1-4 period on any flights across its entire system, so customers can easily shift their trips to before or after that period and avoid what the carrier calls “potentially challenging weekend travel days.”
The airline says flight dates can be changed via its website or app to any time by July 8 without a fare difference or change fee, as long as the origin and destination remain the same.
The advisory ahead of a major summer travel holiday follows a Memorial Day weekend debacle that angered some passengers and led to Delta’s pilots to publish a rare letter empathizing with frustrated customers.
Delta pilots are planning to picket at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and other major airports around the country on Thursday, as they call out the carrier for flight cancellations and push for a new labor contract.
The pilots union, which started contract talks years ago and is seeking more pay, retirement benefits and job protections, said it has opened a “strike center” in its Atlanta office to start preparing for “scenarios as permitted under the Railway Labor Act.” The act, which governs pilot contract negotiations, lays out a number of hurdles that must be cleared before airline workers can go on strike.
Delta said it expects to carry passenger volumes “not seen since before the pandemic” over the Independence Day travel period, and that the waiver is intended to give flexibility to avoid “busy travel times, weather forecasts and other variables.”
Airlines and airports are bracing for a major test over the upcoming weekend. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport expects to handle 1.7 million passengers from June 30 through July 5.
Going into the holiday weekend, Jason Ambrosi, head of the Air Line Pilots Association union at Delta, said in a written statement: “The perfect storm is occurring. Demand is back, and pilots are flying record amounts of overtime but we are still seeing management cancelling, leaving our customers stranded and their holiday plans ruined.”
The potential for the air travel system to unravel is capturing the attention of officials at some of the highest levels of government.
“There are going to be challenges” over Independence Day weekend, said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on NBC Nightly News this week, adding that he is watching it closely.
“A lot of people, including me, are expecting to get to loved ones over this holiday weekend and we need a system that’s resilient enough to get them there,” Buttigieg said.
U.S. Sens. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent letters to Delta CEO Ed Bastian and leaders of nine other major airlines this week citing cancellations and delays over the Memorial Day and Juneteenth weekends urging them to “address flight schedule issues now.”
“Flight cancellations and significant delays have real-world consequences for the travelers who may miss vacations, sacrifice time with loved ones, or incur significant financial costs,” the senators wrote to the airline CEOs.
Delta has been struggling for months through pilot staffing issues amid labor shortages, including at contractors it relies on for services, and had hundreds of flight cancellations over the Memorial Day travel period and other weekends this summer.
“This phase of our recovery has been the most difficult. We’ve never had to bring the airline back at this speed before,” said John Laughter, Delta’s chief of operations, in a written statement.
The airline cut about 100 flights a day from its schedule from July through early August in an attempt to make its flight schedule more manageable with the number of workers it has available.
Still, that apparently hasn’t been sufficient to avoid a “ripple effect” of flight cancellations that multiply after an initial disruption.
About the Author | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/delta-warns-about-challenges-for-july-4th-travel-allowing-rebooking/RMWN4FNHMVB2ZIWXMAKFGZWVKY/ | 2022-06-30T14:50:51 | 0 | https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/delta-warns-about-challenges-for-july-4th-travel-allowing-rebooking/RMWN4FNHMVB2ZIWXMAKFGZWVKY/ |
by: Kohr Harlan Posted: Jun 30, 2022 / 05:54 AM PDT Updated: Jun 30, 2022 / 07:24 AM PDT SHARE PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The NW’s Largest Garage Sale & Vintage Sale is back this weekend at the Clark County Fairgrounds. That’s where Kohr Harlan got a sneak peek of what’s for sale. | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/nws-largest-garage-sale-vintage-sale-opens-shop-in-clark-county/ | 2022-06-30T14:58:42 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/nws-largest-garage-sale-vintage-sale-opens-shop-in-clark-county/ |
The New Jersey man convicted of murdering most of his family -- both parents and his sister -- along with a family friend in a New Year's Eve shooting massacre when he was just 16 years old will be sentenced in the 2017 quadruple homicide on Thursday.
Scott Kologi, now 20, faces up to four life sentences. He was found guilty on all counts -- four counts of first-degree murder and a second-degree weapons offense -- in late February in the shooting deaths at his family's Long Branch home on Dec. 31, 2017.
According to the prosecution, Kologi used a high-powered rifle to kill his 42-year-old father, Steven, and 44-year-old mother, Linda, as well as his 18-year-old sister, Brittany, and his grandfather's partner, 70-year-old Mary Schulz, just before the ball dropped.
Kologi's brother, grandfather and another friend were in the house at the time of the shooting but escaped unharmed, authorities have said.
More Coverage
Kologi was arrested at the scene. A semi-automatic rifle was also recovered. Kologi was initially charged as a juvenile but the case was later moved to adult court.
Authorities haven't disclosed a possible motive for the slayings.
Defense attorneys had tried to get Kologi transferred to a psychiatric facility, but a judge ordered him to remain behind bars as he stood trial. They argued that Kologi's mental health issues included a history of hallucinations, autism and "distorted thinking."
Prosecutors said when the verdict was handed down that the jury ruling confirmed Kologi was responsible for his "decisions and actions" on the night his family died.
"This trial hinged on issues of mental health and the responsibility of this defendant ... In recognizing the criminality of the defendant’s actions, we also recognize that this is a tragedy for all of the family members who are left to mourn this tremendous loss," Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey said in February. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nj-man-who-massacred-his-family-on-new-years-eve-at-age-16-to-learn-prison-fate/3756748/ | 2022-06-30T15:06:00 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nj-man-who-massacred-his-family-on-new-years-eve-at-age-16-to-learn-prison-fate/3756748/ |
New York will ban people from carrying firearms into many places of business unless the owners put up a sign explicitly saying guns are welcome, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Wednesday.
Last week, Hochul said she is bringing state lawmakers back on Thursday to consider gun safety legislation in response to the Supreme Court striking down key portions of the state's licensing law.
The Democrat said she and legislative leaders have agreed on the broad strokes of a gun control bill that is poised to pass as soon as Thursday, just days after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the state’s handgun licensing law.
Because of the court’s ruling, ordinary New Yorkers will, for the first time in more than a century, be able to get a license to carry a gun outside the home for personal defense. Previously, it was hard to get an unrestricted handgun license unless you worked in law enforcement or security.
But Hochul said she also wanted to protect the rights of property owners who decide they don’t want firearms on the premises.
Businesses that want guns around would have to put up a sign reading, “Concealed weapons welcome here,” or words to that effect, Hochul said. “Otherwise the presumption will be in the state of New York that they are not.”
“We’re going to protect the rights of private property owners allow them to not have to be subjected to someone walking into their workplace or a bar, restaurant with a concealed weapon,” Hochul said.
Gun rights groups bristled at the idea that firearms could be banned from many places by default.
“She’s telling business owners how they need to conduct their business if they want to stay open. These are unconstitutional mandates, and I think it’ll be struck down by the courts,” said Aaron Dorr, the executive director of the New York State Firearms Association.
The push to pass new restrictions follows the Supreme Court’s decision striking down a provision in New York’s licensing law which required people to show an unusual threat to their safety to carry a handgun.
The state is setting new requirements for getting a handgun permit, Hochul said, including mandating 15 hours of in-person fire range training. The legislature will also enact new rules around firearm storage in homes and vehicles, she said.
Hochul and fellow Democrats also plan on creating a comprehensive list of “sensitive places” where the average citizen will be banned entirely from carrying firearms, including government buildings, hospitals, schools and public transit.
A handful of states, including California, are considering similar steps to revise gun control measures after the Supreme Court ruling.
New York would be the first state to pass a law to allow concealed weapons only in businesses that explicitly allow it, according to David Pucino, deputy chief counsel for Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
In many states where carrying guns is common, the onus is usually on businesses to post signs saying firearms aren’t allowed. Some states, including Louisiana and South Carolina, require people to get permission to bring firearms into private dwellings.
“The state is responding in a very strong way to address the new risks created by the court, but in a way that fits into the framework the court has put forward about what a constitutional set of gun laws look like,” Pucino said.
The Supreme Court ruling said states could ban firearms in particular locations but warned it would be unconstitutional to simply ban guns in all densely populated areas.
Hochul said she is still working with lawmakers to hammer out specifics of the gun control legislation, including on her proposal to bar people with a history of dangerous behavior from getting handgun permits.
Lawmakers will also require background checks for all purchases of ammunition for guns that require a permit, Hochul said.
That’s something already required in several states, and a 2013 state law also would have required such checks in New York once the state set up a database. But legislative leaders and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo agreed in 2015 to halt work on that database.
Dorr, the executive director of the New York State Firearms Association, said requiring background checks would hassle law-abiding gun owners without helping public safety.
“No criminal is going to walk into a retail store to purchase ammunition,” Dorr said. “This is an absurd attempt to demonize law abiding gun owners one more time.”
___
Maysoon Khan contributed reporting from Albany, N.Y. Khan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Maysoon Khan on Twitter. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/hochul-ny-lawmakers-to-hold-special-session-today-state-to-limit-where-guns-can-be-carried/3756758/ | 2022-06-30T15:06:06 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/hochul-ny-lawmakers-to-hold-special-session-today-state-to-limit-where-guns-can-be-carried/3756758/ |
MOUNT CARMEL, Pa. — Flames damaged several row homes in Northumberland County. Photos from Northumberland County's Fire & Rescue Departments Firewire show the damage on East 7th Street in Mount Carmel.
Officials say the fire broke out just before 7 Thursday morning.
Everyone made it out safely, but several homes were damaged. There is no word what caused the fire in Northumberland County.
See news happening? Call our Newstip hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/northumberland-county/fire-damages-row-homes-mount-carmel-northumberland-county/523-41858982-c189-4fa5-9f65-5564ff0e0972 | 2022-06-30T15:08:00 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/northumberland-county/fire-damages-row-homes-mount-carmel-northumberland-county/523-41858982-c189-4fa5-9f65-5564ff0e0972 |
AUSTIN, Texas — A man accused of stabbing his father to death in Austin in 2013 is on the run.
Alexander Ervin has been in a state health institution since 2014. Police said he got out of the North Texas State Hospital in Vernon on Sunday night.
Alexander's mother, Leslie Ervin, said she's worried he could be in Austin.
"I never, ever thought it would be possible that he would escape, ever," Leslie Ervin said about her son escaping the facility.
Vernon Police posted on social media that Alexander Ervin is "armed and dangerous."
He was at the North Texas facility after being accused of murdering his father in 2013. A Travis County jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity.
"When he's on his meds, he's a sweetheart. I just talked to him Sunday morning. But when he's off his meds, all bets are off. He's psychotic. He killed his dad when he was off his meds under the delusion he was an imposter," Leslie Ervin said.
According to police, Alexander Ervin escaped his room on Sunday night, scaled an 8-foot security fence, and was last seen heading north. His mother said it's possible he could return to his hometown of Austin and that it's not her family she's worried about this time.
"I'm worried for everyone else that has no idea what Lex can do. I'm worried for those people that might run into him in their backyard. That's what scares me the most right now," Leslie Ervin said.
All she wants now are answers. She said she hopes her son is found and that no one gets hurt.
"I need to know what happened, first of all, because it sounds like gross incompetence to me that anyone could leave that facility. Number two, I want to make sure that this does not happen again in the future," Leslie Ervin said.
KVUE reached out to local law enforcement about this case, but we have not heard back. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services, which runs the hospital Alexander Ervin escaped from, told KVUE it can't comment on this case due to state law and HIPAA.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/alexander-ervin-hospital-escape-mother/269-bff996e4-9188-4751-b963-3ec5684e336e | 2022-06-30T15:14:23 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/alexander-ervin-hospital-escape-mother/269-bff996e4-9188-4751-b963-3ec5684e336e |
SAN ANTONIO — Blue Bell has released a new ice cream flavor just in time for the summer season.
The Strawberry Lemonade ice cream is strawberry flavored with lemonade sherbet and lemon flakes, Blue Bell says.
“Ice cream is the perfect summer dessert, and we are excited to kick off the season with our new Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream,” said Sara Schramm, marketing brand manager for Blue Bell. “We wanted this flavor to be light and refreshing, just like drinking a strawberry lemonade. The texture of the lemonade sherbet combines perfectly with the strawberry ice cream. And, for an extra burst of flavor we added lemon flakes in the sherbet. We know Strawberry Lemonade will be the flavor of the summer.”
The new flavor is in stores now and you can get the scoop while supplies last, Blue Bell says.
To see more Blue Bell products, click here. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/blue-bell-releases-flavor-summer-ice-cream/273-0b2379ad-54f8-4cbc-ac22-75a6bd9e4871 | 2022-06-30T15:14:23 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/blue-bell-releases-flavor-summer-ice-cream/273-0b2379ad-54f8-4cbc-ac22-75a6bd9e4871 |
DALLAS — A woman was arrested Thursday after starting a fire at a home in northwest Dallas, fire officials said.
Dallas Fire-Rescue (DFR) units were dispatched at 12:15 a.m. to Mail Avenue for a 911 call about a structure fire. When firefighters arrived at the one-story, wood-framed residence, they saw smoke coming from the front of the home and heavy fire from the side, DFR said.
According to them, the conditions forced firefighters to immediately retreat from the home. During the process, one of the firefighters became disoriented and initiated a Mayday, which also resulted in a second-alarm response.
"Thankfully, that team of firefighters managed to self-extricate, with the assistance of additional firefighters already on scene, and the Mayday response was cancelled," DFR officials told WFAA in an email.
DFR was able to put out the fire in a little over 30 minutes.
There was a woman – identified by DFR as 29-year-old Diana Marie Davila – inside the home when the fire began. Officials said Davila made it out safely, but investigators found out she was the one who started the fire "by use of a cigarette, in the bedroom which was located where flames could be seen upon arrival."
DFR said Davila "admitted to the act" and she was arrested. It is unknown what Davila has been charged with at this time.
Three firefighters were injured in this incident, according to DFR. One firefighter suffered 10% burns, one suffered 5% burns and one suffered burns to the ears.
DFR said none of the injuries suffered by the firefighters seem to be life-threatening. The firefighter with burns to the ears has already been released and the other two are doing well, according to officials.
More Dallas headlines: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/northwest-dallas-fire-mail-avenue/287-6a537718-7374-43d3-b536-396066bd409d | 2022-06-30T15:14:25 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/northwest-dallas-fire-mail-avenue/287-6a537718-7374-43d3-b536-396066bd409d |
SAN ANTONIO — Mexican-born artist Roberto Marquez doubles as a humanitarian activist, wielding a paint brush as he illustrates the tragedies of society.
His latest mural rests just off the railroad tracks on San Antonio’s far southwest side, near the site where dozens of migrants spent their final breaths inside a sweltering semi-tractor trailer Monday evening.
“I need to tell that reality, tell the world what is happening to our brothers,” Marquez said.
Fifty-three migrants from multiple countries have died as a result of heat-related sickness after authorities discovered the gruesome scene of stacked bodies inside a semitruck.
Eleven others remain in the hospital fighting for their lives.
“This is an injustice. This shouldn’t have happened,” Marquez said.
The canvas depicts scenes of struggle, pain and uncertainty surrounding the lives of those who aspired to live a better life in the U.S.
Marquez described the mural, which stands behind a growing memorial in honor of the migrants who passed away.
“This is a body that is laid down and this is the interior of the truck. The dark side what I call the negative space and then we have my positive which is the fear is the migrant is like they’re open the door and we see this body coming out of it,” Marquez said.
Marquez’s story begins on the border an ambitious 15-year-old boy hoping for fruitful opportunity in America.
“At that time, I wanted to find me a job in Mexico, but I couldn’t it was difficult just like it is now. I came straight to Tijuana and then I remember paying something like $250-$300 to the courier to cross me over,” Marquez said.
His life as a migrant took him from California to Arizona and eventually Texas where he raised a family. Marquez, who’s now a U.S. citizen, always had a creative spark in him but to turn his hobby into fulltime work is a dream he never thought would come true until it did in 2018.
“And one day after 40 years I decided okay, I like painting, I’m an artist now,” Marquez said.
His artistic activism has taken him around the world, including war-torn Ukraine where he established a mural under a destroyed bridge in the heavily bombarded city of Irpin.
Marquez also painted a mural across the street from Robb Elementary in Uvalde in honor of the 19 children and two teachers who were killed by a teenaged gunman just days before the start of summer break.
Now in the Alamo City, Marquez grips his paintbrush and with each stroke, hopes Americans can learn from such disasters involving migrants.
“This is a big problem, and everyone needs to get away from differences and come and do something about it,” Marquez said. And hopefully government, they do more because we don’t want to see tragedies like this. We don’t want it to repeat.” | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-artist-paints-mural-as-tribute-to-migrants-found-dead-in-semitruck/273-c19c30de-1bf5-4e74-96b2-a971b1a00dd3 | 2022-06-30T15:14:35 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas-artist-paints-mural-as-tribute-to-migrants-found-dead-in-semitruck/273-c19c30de-1bf5-4e74-96b2-a971b1a00dd3 |
Indigenous law experts say it's wrong to expect tribes to offer 'safe harbor' abortion services
As the country reeled over the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Tucson City Councilmember Steve Kozachik suggested that land could be given to the Pascua Yaqui tribe to allow Planned Parenthood to build a clinic to offer abortion services.
He stepped back from his statement later, saying that, “even when the land is ceded to tribal authority, non-Indian residents are not beyond the reach of federal or state law so no such facility could operate and effectively circumvent federal or state law.”
His comment was made without legal counsel, he said, and not with any authority from the city or any representatives from the tribe.
But he’s not the first person to bring up the idea of moving abortion services to tribal lands in the wake of the Roe decision. An Arizona law professor said it appeared most of the people talking about creating so-called safe harbors for abortions on tribal lands were non-tribal members.
"That's consistent with all of the stories I've been tracking. That's the part that stuck out to us so much," said Stacy Leeds, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation who serves as a foundation professor of law and leadership at Arizona State University's Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law.
Since the leak of the Supreme Court's draft of the abortion decision in May, talks of making tribal lands "safe harbors” for those seeking safe abortions started to light up social media, most noticeably on Twitter. The focus of many discussions was tribal sovereignty.
The assertion that tribal lands could be seen as a spot for non-Native women to get safe abortions did not sit well with many Indigenous people, who recalled the horrific historical trauma Indigenous women suffered, such as forced sterilization, boarding schools and adoptions.
Arizona abortion law:What you need to know now that Roe v. Wade is overturned
Why would tribes take the step?
Leeds said she, along with her fellow colleagues from across the country, were being inundated with questions on whether it was possible for tribal lands to be used as a place for abortions for non-Native women.
After being badgered by this question so much, Leeds and the other Indigenous academics decided to write a paper about it, outlining the basics of tribal law when it comes to abortion rights.
“If it were a tribe saying, 'We would like to protect the choice of our women,' that would be one thing,” said Leeds. “But this outside expectation that tribes are going to somehow save everyone, and give up use of their land one more time for outside use — that was the piece of it where we were like, we had to say something, number one, as a resource for people who are presuming that this can happen, but number two, that the presumption tribes would even want to do that when it's not coming from the tribe.”
Robert Miller, also a professor at Sandra Day O’ Connor whose expertise also includes federal Indian law, told The Arizona Republic that even if it were easy to make tribal lands a place for accessible abortions for nontribal members, the real questions would be: Would any tribes actually want to do this after decades of Christian influence and colonization?
“The first question would be, is this even practical? Is there any tribal government that would want to take this on?” Miller said. “The history of some tribal nations is they were heavily proselytized by Christian religion. In the 1870s, the Grant administration put churches in charge of reservations. There are some reservations that are known as being this denomination or that denomination. There is a possible political and or religious objection to tribes even doing this.”
Leeds backed this up by acknowledging that there are “really conservative ideas” within tribal communities, which come from Christianity as well as cultural teachings.
"The Indian Country Abortion Safe Harbor Fallacy" was the name of the article Leeds, along with co-authors Lauren Van Schilfgaarde, Aila Hoss, Sarah Deer and Ann E. Tweedy, wrote.
“In theory, this idea rests on a simple premise: State governments lack the power to regulate tribal lands, so tribal governments could open abortion clinics that serve as islands of access in conservative states,” states the article. “However, as we will argue in the following post, this proposal overlooks important legal, financial, political, and ethical considerations that, in our view, make the possibility of abortion safe harbors highly unlikely.”
The article delves into legal concerns, criminal jurisdiction, civil jurisdiction, health law, financial resources, political consideration, and ethical considerations. Among the talking points the authors said should be considered in discussions about whether Indigenous people could step in with assistance are:
- The Hyde Amendment prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion care unless the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest or if the pregnancy endangers the life of the parent.
- The United States prohibits tribes from exercising criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian United States citizens, except in very limited circumstances. A non-Indian who provided abortion care to a non-Indian patient would violate state criminal laws, subjecting both parties to state prosecution, even if the care was provided in Indian country, the articles state.
- While Native people overwhelmingly vote for Democrats, many have more complicated views on abortion, often based on generational traumas.
- Native reproductive health has been corralled into underfunded yet paternalistic clinics, the authors wrote.
What are the alternatives? Most Arizona abortion providers have paused services
'This is not a new restriction'
"People have always presumed that tribes offer this space where there is no regulation," Leeds said. "They do it in the environmental law context, maybe we can put these spent fuel rods on a reservation, if the state won't let us. Maybe we can have marijuana, if the state won't let us. So it's bubbled up in other contexts over the years."
But abortion seems to be different, because since 1973 there was a presumed right of privacy to have that choice. The recent court decision, seen by many as the first time an established constitutional right was pulled back, has led to a sense of fear and vulnerability that has never been felt before, Leeds said.
That doesn't mean using tribal lands and limited resources is the solution, especially when others don't know the historical trauma that is prevalent within tribal communities today, she said.
The Indian Health Service has 12 area offices and 170 IHS and tribally managed service units across the country. The population these facilities serve is about 2.56 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, according to IHS.
"For Native women, if their only access to health care has been IHS, they have been restricted for a very long time," Leeds said. "This is not a new restriction on them. It may be new to everyone else not to have a choice, but this is something that women in Indian Country have had since the Hyde Amendment was passed."
In Arizona, the state Legislature passed a new anti-abortion law this year and Gov. Doug Ducey signed it into law in March. The new law bans abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy except if necessary to save the mother’s life and takes effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns its current session.
Kozachik, the Tucson councilmember, reiterated his understanding of the law after walking back his suggestion to locate a clinic on what would become Pascua Yaqui land.
“The United States prohibits tribes from exercising criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian United States citizens, except in very limited circumstances,” he said. “A non-Indian who provided abortion care to a non-Indian patient would violate state criminal laws, subjecting both parties to state prosecution, even if the care was provided in Indian country.”
The Pascua Yaqui tribe told The Republic its leaders did not wish to comment on the situation and referred to Kozachik's statement. Other tribes, such as Navajo Nation and the Gila River Indian Community, also did not respond to requests for comment, reflecting the sensitivity of the issue.
"None of the tribal leaders want to go on record politically one way or the other because they're afraid there might be a backlash against the sovereignty of the tribe for even having that conversation," Leeds said. "It's a precarious political situation that tribes themselves didn't choose to put themselves into."
Arlyssa Becenti covers Indigenous affairs for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send ideas and tips to arlyssa.becenti@arizonarepublic.com.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/06/30/tribes-cant-be-expected-to-offer-abortion-services-on-indian-reservations-experts-say/7758033001/ | 2022-06-30T15:15:59 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2022/06/30/tribes-cant-be-expected-to-offer-abortion-services-on-indian-reservations-experts-say/7758033001/ |
Vitalant hosts blood drive on Fourth of July Weekend amid blood shortage
Fourth of July weekend in the Valley will kick off with a blood drive, hosted by Vitalant, in an effort to fight the blood shortage across the state.
The Saving Arizona Blood Drive will be held Saturday and Sunday in Glendale and Tempe in an effort to increase blood supplies in Arizona hospitals. And while all types are needed, blood Type O is the hardest to come by.
According to Sue Thew, communications manager with Vitalant, Vitalant strives to keep a four-day supply of blood on the shelf at all times. Currently, there is only a two-day supply for several blood types.
As of the morning of June 28, Type O blood supply reached below a two-day supply. It takes two days to test and process blood before it can be sent to the hospital for a blood transfusion, according to a press release from Vitalant.
"If Doctors have ample Type O blood on their shelves, then they can get an immediate transfusion without worrying about typing the patient's blood," Thew said, adding that Vitalant is Arizona's largest nonprofit blood provider and services 62 hospitals.
June 14 was World Blood Donor Day and Vitalant saw decreasing numbers of blood drives. Blood drives decrease 12% every year and April and May saw 13,000 fewer donations this year than last year, a release said.
Arizona has seen a 20% decrease in blood drives
Thew said that as of Wednesday afternoon, 343 appointments were booked for the Saving Arizona Blood Drive. The goal is to for 900 people to donate during the holiday weekend.
According to a release from Vitalant, the Fourth of July holiday weekend is the lowest week of the summer for donations.
Saving Arizona Blood Drive
Blood drives will be held in Glendale and Tempe.
July 2, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gila River Arena (9400 W Maryland Ave.) in Glendale.
July 3, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Tempe Center for the Arts (700 W Rio Salado Pkwy.) in Tempe.
Every donor will receive a Whataburger voucher and a Vitalant grilling apron. Vitalant will have a raffle drawing with ten finalists who gave blood and one of them will win a 2022 Volkswagen Taos S.
Additionally, another donor will win tickets to the PBR event at Gila River Arena on Oct. 14.
To sign up for the Saving Arizona Blood Drive visit their website https://vitalant.org/saveAZ.
To sign up to visit a Vitalant location to give blood, visit https://vitalant.org. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2022/06/30/fourth-july-weekend-blood-drive-aims-fight-shortage-arizona/7773035001/ | 2022-06-30T15:16:11 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-health/2022/06/30/fourth-july-weekend-blood-drive-aims-fight-shortage-arizona/7773035001/ |
Hit and run kills man in central Phoenix
A man died early morning Thursday after he was hit by a car near 24th Avenue and Indian School Road, according to Phoenix police.
Police identified the man as Robert Tsiosdia, 53.
Police said they responded to the area after receiving a call of a collision with injuries around 4 a.m.
Officers said Tsiosdia was crossing northbound on Indian School Road and was struck by a car going eastbound. He was pronounced dead at the location.
The driver left the scene but was later taken into police custody near 7th Street and Peoria Avenue, in the area of North Mountain Park, police said.
The identity of the driver was not released.
Reach breaking news reporter Laura Daniella Sepulveda at lsepulveda@lavozarizona.com or on Twitter @lauradNews.
Support local journalism.Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-traffic/2022/06/30/police-investigate-fatal-hit-and-run-central-phoenix/7776986001/ | 2022-06-30T15:16:17 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-traffic/2022/06/30/police-investigate-fatal-hit-and-run-central-phoenix/7776986001/ |
In honor of Independence Day, The Lincoln Journal Star is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th!
Presented by
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Shahab Bashar, the Yazidi cultural liaison for Community Crops, stands in plots in Prairie Pines, northeast of Lincoln, after adding biochar in an attempt to improve the soil for planting. Those beds had standing water in them, and biochar absorbs more than two times its weight in water.
COURTESY PHOTO
Tim Rinne, co-founder of the Hawley Hamlet neighborhood garden and chairman of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Food Policy Council, stands next to two beds of Sudan grass planted last year in soil enhanced with biochar. The biochar and Sudan grass were used to improve soil in problematic beds in Hawley Hamlet. Tillering the grass with biochar allows a plant to invest more energy in its roots thereby increasing soil organic matter. Today, vegetables are growing in those beds.
COURTESY PHOTO
Biochar, a product of wood waste, is a carbon-rich charcoal that promotes plant growth, water retention, fertilizer reduction, carbon sequestration, waste management and soil health.
Lincoln’s fledgling initiative to produce and use biochar — a charcoal-like material produced from plant materials that can be used to improve soil quality — just got a big boost.
Bloomberg Philanthropies awarded the city a matching grant of up to $400,000 for a project to turn ash trees felled because of emerald ash borer infestation and other wood waste into biochar that will be used for tree plantings, urban agriculture, public gardens, composting and stormwater treatment.
City leaders plan to build a biochar production facility at the solid waste management facility on North 48th Street, which should be operational by 2023. The grant also will give the city access to technical support.
Biochar is produced by heating biomass in the total or partial absence of oxygen, most commonly by a process known as pyrolysis, and has benefits beyond a soil enhancement. When used as a soil fertilizer it also absorbs carbon from the atmosphere, known as carbon sequestration.
“Biochar is proven to improve soil health, reduce stormwater runoff, and minimize the need for chemicals on crops and plants,” said Liz Elliott, director of the Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Department.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, who has made resiliency and sustainability one of her administration’s priorities, said the grant will help the city advance the goals set out in its Climate Action Plan.
It also will allow the city to explore biochar’s potential for agricultural carbon credits, recovery and resale of energy byproducts, and direct sale to gardeners and farmers, the mayor said.
The University of Nebraska and the Nebraska Forest Service have spent nearly 10 years testing and analyzing biochar, and the forest service is contributing $100,000 to the Lincoln Biochar Initiative. That money makes up a portion of the matching funds necessary for the grant, Gaylor Baird said.
Lincoln isn’t producing biochar now — and much of the grant will be used to buy equipment so it can do that, said Frank Uhlarik, the city’s sustainability and compliance administrator.
But it is using about 20 tons it got from Oregon, which the Nebraska Forest Service paid to get to Lincoln. City staff have distributed about half of it to groups such as the Historic Hawley neighborhood garden and Community Crops, Uhlarik said. It’s also been used to enhance soil at Sunken Gardens.
Once the city can make its own, Uhlarik said he hopes the city will be able to produce 600-700 tons a year.
Among the possible uses will be to enhance soil on city-managed farmland and an urban agriculture pilot program in the West Haymarket, expand the number of local groups that use it, and add to mulch, city officials said.
Lincoln Transportation and Utilities, city Parks and Recreation, UNL, neighborhood organizations, the Nebraska Forest Service and the Natural Resource Conservation Service are all part of the city’s initiative.
Lincoln is just one of six cities in the United States and Europe to receive the grant, which builds off a program in Stockholm, Sweden, that won a Bloomberg award in 2014.
Since opening its plant in 2017, Stockholm has produced more than 100 tons of biochar — the equivalent of taking 700 cars off the streets — and distributed it to 300,000 citizens, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies. The plant has also begun to send energy back to the city’s power grid and is heating 80 apartments.
The other grant recipients are Darmstadt, Germany; Heinsingborg, Sweden; Sandnes, Norway; Helsinki, Cincinnati and Minneapolis.
In total, the projects are expected to produce 3,750 tons of biochar, which would sequester almost 10,000 tons of CO2 per year — the equivalent of taking 6,250 cars off the roads every year, according to Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Margaret Reist is a recovering education reporter now writing about local and county government and the people who live in the city where she was born and raised.
City leaders officially launched a project to find a second water source for Lincoln, naming an advisory council and contracting with Olsson to analyze the two options identified by the city.
The Planning Commission voted to recommend a waiver to allow two houses where people recovering from substance abuse live to have up to nine residents, but it voted against a waiver for a similar house where up to 14 people live.
In the Panhandle, advocates against abortion praised a 6-3 Supreme Court decision, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion set out in Roe v. Wade. Local Democratic leaders expressed disappointment in the decision, feeling such a decision could have unforeseen consequences.
Bennie Shobe, the only council member not to say publicly how he would vote, ultimately sided with Richard Meginnis, Tom Beckius and James Michael Bowers in voting to rescind the ordinance the council passed on a 5-0 vote in February.
The Nebraska Secretary of State's office has received at least five new complaints against a voter identification petition in the last week claiming that petition circulators are being misleading.
A group of longtime Lincoln advocates disappointed in the City Council's decision to rescind the so-called fairness ordinance plans to launch an initiative to get the question on the November ballot.
There are still two weeks left to reach the $400,000 goal set for the monthlong campaign, which ends July 7. A total of about $245,000 has been raised.
In this week's City Hall column, Margaret Reist looks at why supporters of a fairness ordinance in Lincoln aren't simply satisfied by a mayor's executive order.
Shahab Bashar, the Yazidi cultural liaison for Community Crops, stands in plots in Prairie Pines, northeast of Lincoln, after adding biochar in an attempt to improve the soil for planting. Those beds had standing water in them, and biochar absorbs more than two times its weight in water.
Tim Rinne, co-founder of the Hawley Hamlet neighborhood garden and chairman of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Food Policy Council, stands next to two beds of Sudan grass planted last year in soil enhanced with biochar. The biochar and Sudan grass were used to improve soil in problematic beds in Hawley Hamlet. Tillering the grass with biochar allows a plant to invest more energy in its roots thereby increasing soil organic matter. Today, vegetables are growing in those beds.
Biochar, a product of wood waste, is a carbon-rich charcoal that promotes plant growth, water retention, fertilizer reduction, carbon sequestration, waste management and soil health. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-lincoln-will-use-400-000-grant-to-begin-producing-biochar-with-felled-ash/article_eaa3866d-1fe8-5fdc-9ad6-18a9c0ec8e30.html | 2022-06-30T15:27:47 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/watch-now-lincoln-will-use-400-000-grant-to-begin-producing-biochar-with-felled-ash/article_eaa3866d-1fe8-5fdc-9ad6-18a9c0ec8e30.html |
In honor of Independence Day, The Lincoln Journal Star is providing unlimited access to all of our content from June 28th-July 4th!
Presented by
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
The former owners of 1834 Ryons had not been kind to the historic home.
But Alene Swinehart saw through their sins — the dropped ceiling in the kitchen, the black spray paint on the oak floors, the ugly lighting.
“There were some terrible things done to that poor house,” she said. “But you could tell when you walked in there was potential to bring it back.”
She bought the house — built near the turn of the last century for Joseph Ryons, the street’s namesake — in 1988, and her family began a never-ending renovation project.
Her father and brother helped replace the kitchen and bathroom, and they built crown molding, wainscoting, bookshelves and a window seat.
“We spent 30-some years fixing it up, trying to restore as much as we could to what the Ryonses had done. I felt such a sense of stewardship to its history.”
The two-story stucco house served more than her family. Swinehart let her friends — and friends of friends — use it as an informal business incubator, hosting yoga classes, herbalists, meditation groups, artists.
And it became a place of fellowship and friendship. Four or five years ago, Swinehart started hosting a monthly women’s group. Dozens gathered the first Sunday of the month for wine, chocolate and discussions about politics and social issues.
They felt welcomed there. “The house (like Alene’s open heart) was a center of love and friendship and healing for a community,” Patte Newman, a friend and member of the women’s group, said in an email.
In late February, while Swinehart was visiting a high school friend in Columbus, a space heater too close to combustibles started a fire.
Within hours, the flames seemed to undo everything — 100 years of history, all of her family’s restoration work and so many sentimental heirlooms, like her great-grandmother’s handmade pin cushion.
Her friends rallied for the woman who had offered them so much, Newman said.
“The community gave back that love and gracious sense of spirit in offering what they could — emotional support, financial support, helping her clean up, wash what was salvaged and hold onto things until they can be returned to where they belong.”
Newman launched an online fundraiser with a $15,000 goal — and quickly raised more than $18,000.
And it turned out the fire didn’t take everything. In the months that followed, her house became something of an organ donor, Swinehart said.
A friend salvaged the clawfoot tub and pedestal sink for a house he’s refurbishing. The window weights went to Missouri. Others took the light fixtures and sconces. Swinehart had an elaborate garden, and friends rescued hundreds of her plants.
All of that means something to her, she said. “It gives me a lot of comfort. It’s living on in other places. It’s not just all ruined.”
The house also yielded a treasure. When they removed the dining room bookcases her late father had built, they found a glass LaCroix bottle, with a note inside.
“It was a sweet I-love-you message,” she said. “It said he made this for me.”
Swinehart has been living in an apartment since the fire, but she returned to the home earlier this week, to watch an excavator pull down what remained of her house.
Her neighbors joined her. An Episcopal priest who lives nearby performed a small service.
And as she watched that part of her past disappear in a dump truck, she's already been thinking about the future.
She’d like to rebuild on the big corner lot, if she can. A smaller house, so there’s more room for her gardens — pollinators and native plants and stone walkways, another gathering place.
Abortions are still legal in Nebraska. But the latest ruling is expected to prompt a special session for the Legislature to consider banning abortions in the state.
History Nebraska gave Lincoln a $40,000 grant to develop a management plan for Robber’s Cave, digitize material, make more information available on the website and to hold lectures.
Sunday's shooting marks the second this year at Seacrest Field, where a 17-year-old boy suffered a grazing gunshot wound in May. It's unclear if the cases are related, said the police, who offered few details on the latest shooting.
Mindy Rush-Chipman was a 17-year-old girl on her own, barely making ends meet and in an abusive relationship when she chose to get an abortion. That decision helped set her life on a different trajectory.
The 32-year-old man had forced his girlfriend to drive a vehicle from Elk Creek toward Lincoln, Sheriff Terry Wagner said, and the woman stopped the car near 120th Street and Nebraska 2 before fleeing on foot.
In April and May, the city spent $278,030 on police overtime over the course of four, two-week pay periods, including one period when the payments totaled $85,419.
A public open house is scheduled for 5:30-7:30 Thursday night in the Lincoln Southwest High School gym to discuss a proposal to redesign the intersection of 14th Street, Old Cheney Road and Warlick Boulevard.
The home at 1834 Ryons St. that burned in February was originally built in 1909 for Joseph and Rebecca Ryons. The street — and an entire addition to Lincoln — were named after the Ryonses, who moved to Lincoln in 1878. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/watch-now-demo-crew-takes-out-historic-home-gathering-place-on-ryons-street-in-lincoln/article_bf5eec27-0d24-5d11-bb17-98362c8ea72e.html | 2022-06-30T15:27:53 | 1 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/watch-now-demo-crew-takes-out-historic-home-gathering-place-on-ryons-street-in-lincoln/article_bf5eec27-0d24-5d11-bb17-98362c8ea72e.html |
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — An inmate at William E. Donaldson Correctional Facility in Bessemer died Tuesday, five days after being taken to UAB Hospital due to a possible drug overdose.
Maxamillion Ward, 36, was taken to the hospital on June 23 and died Tuesday, according to the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.
Ward, who was serving a life sentence for a 2020 sodomy conviction out of Autauga County, had been taken to UAB over what the Coroner’s Office reports was a possible drug overdose.
An autopsy will be performed Thursday to determine the cause and manner of Ward’s death. The Alabama Department of Corrections is investigating the circumstances surrounding Ward’s death. | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/donaldson-prison-inmate-dies-days-after-arriving-at-uab-hospital-due-to-possible-drug-overdose/ | 2022-06-30T15:28:55 | 0 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/donaldson-prison-inmate-dies-days-after-arriving-at-uab-hospital-due-to-possible-drug-overdose/ |
John Tyler Community College officially becomes Brightpoint Community College on Friday, two years after the renaming process began.
The school revealed a new logo – red, black and yellow arrows in the shape of open books pointing toward a center. The book shapes represent wisdom gained through education, and the points coming together represent community, a school spokesperson said.
The colors signify diversity, and the yellow arrows point up, representing upward mobility gained through education.
Signage on the Midlothian and Chester campuses will arrive in the next few weeks.
In 2020, the state board for community colleges asked its schools to review the appropriateness of their names. A few months later, John Tyler opted to change its name.
Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, was a slave owner and supporter of the Confederacy. He was buried under a Confederate flag in Richmond's Hollywood Cemetery.
People are also reading…
John Tyler Community College chose the name Brightpoint because it reflects an uplifting and welcoming environment and aligns with the school's mission, vision, values and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
Other community colleges in the state are changing their names, too. Patrick Henry is becoming Patrick & Henry, a nod to the two counties that surround the school, Patrick County and Henry County. Patrick Henry, the founding father, had little connection to the region, school leaders said.
Dabney S. Lancaster in Clifton Forge will become Mountain Gateway. Lord Fairfax in Warrenton chose Laurel Ridge as its new name. Thomas Nelson in Hampton is renaming itself Virginia Peninsula. | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/john-tyler-community-college-becomes-brightpoint-on-friday/article_2e52343e-a5a5-5ea8-bf18-b8a4ef1dd9a5.html | 2022-06-30T15:31:10 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/john-tyler-community-college-becomes-brightpoint-on-friday/article_2e52343e-a5a5-5ea8-bf18-b8a4ef1dd9a5.html |
The United Network for Organ Sharing has honored the late Lisa Schaffner by renaming the annual award she helped establish in her honor.
And the first recipient since the name change is Schaffner.
In an announcement made Monday, UNOS has renamed the National Donor Memorial Award for Excellence as the Lisa Schaffner Community Advocate Award. Schaffner was posthumously named the recipient of the award that now bears her name.
Schaffner originally promoted the award “with the amount of energy, passion and dedication that she brought to everything she did,” said UNOS CEO Brian Shepard.
The award honored unsung heroes who went above and beyond promoting organ donation in their community. Schaffner “understood the importance of making connections with people,” said UNOS board president Dr. Matthew Cooper. “Meeting them where they were, hearing their stories, and amplifying their voices.”
Schaffner, 59, died last August. The highly personable Schaffner spent almost 15 years at UNOS as director of marketing and public relations following a career as a local television news anchor. She was well-known for emceeing charity events and supporting nonprofits in the Richmond area.
People are also reading…
An autopsy determined she died from a kidney infection stemming from a urinary tract infection. | https://richmond.com/news/local/lisa-schaffner-honored-by-unos/article_c307012f-d0bd-5864-9cdc-d989ff1c45c8.html | 2022-06-30T15:31:16 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/lisa-schaffner-honored-by-unos/article_c307012f-d0bd-5864-9cdc-d989ff1c45c8.html |
Another tough challenge: Ben Tuff to swim Narragansett Bay to raise money for clean ocean
Ben Tuff swam 19 miles from Block Island to Jamestown last year to raise money, and now he's found another, longer challenge to support his work for a clean, healthy ocean that's accessible to everyone.
Tuff plans to swim the length of Narragansett Bay, 25 miles from Providence to Newport, on July 22. He's trying to raise $100,000 for Clean Ocean Access, an environmental nonprofit agency where he serves as president. Tuff says it will mark the first time anyone has swum the length of the Bay.
“We can’t sit back and think our oceans will heal on their own," Tuff said in announcing his swim, adding that the organization works "day in and day out to eliminate marine debris, improve water quality and protect and preserve shoreline access."
Tuff, 41, has already swum two fundraisers for Clean Ocean Access, raising more than $160,000 with a 23-mile swim around Conanicut Island in August 2020 and last summer's swim from Block Island.
A recovered alcoholic, Tuff says he wouldn't have the discipline or drive to complete such tests of endurance, if he hadn't quit drinking a decade ago.
Last year's swim:Man fights off chill, swims 19 miles from Block Island to Jamestown
"I am, by far, in the best shape I've ever been in in my life," he says. "I know I wouldn't have the drive and the mission-based mindset."
Tuff grew up in Jamestown and still considers it home despite a job in Connecticut. He typically swims two hours a day. Last Sunday, he did an eight-hour swim and plans a five-hour swim this weekend, as he tapers down for the fundraiser.
Tuff says wasn't much of a swimmer before a sponsor suggested he try the sport. Even now, he doesn't consider himself a great swimmer. He hopes his experience can also encourage people to try new challenges at any point in their lives.
Rhode Island Beaches 2022:Your guide to the best beaches in the state
An upcoming documentary called “Swim Tuff: How I Swam My Way Out of the Bottle” will explore Tuff's story. By being open about this struggle with alcohol, Tuff says he hopes it will encourage at least one person to live "a healthier life."
For last year's swim, Tuff's big concern was the potential that he'd share the water with great white sharks as he swam across Block Island Sound. To prevent a possible encounter, Tuff wore an electronic device designed to repel the fish.
This year, Tuff isn't worried about sharks, but he says strong tides in the Bay will create problems. He plans to start with the tide, but since he expects to swim for about 14 hours, he will also have to swim against the tide.
Heavier boat traffic could also create challenges, especially near the finish. Tuff plans to emerge from the water at the Newport Folk Festival, an area likely to be filled with water craft as fans enjoy the music.
Current threat: Jamestown man will use anti-shark device in Block Island to Jamestown swim
He's still trying to figure out the logistics of the finish, but says "there's no better way of putting the spotlight on the health of the ocean" than finishing amid a crowd of people enjoying it.
Information on donating to Tuff's swim is available on Clean Ocean Access's website.
(401) 277-7614
Be the first to know. | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/ben-tuff-swim-narragansett-bay-clean-ocean-access-fundraiser/7765465001/ | 2022-06-30T15:32:01 | 0 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/ben-tuff-swim-narragansett-bay-clean-ocean-access-fundraiser/7765465001/ |
CLEARWATER, Fla. — No one was hurt following a fire at a Whole Foods store, according to Clearwater Fire and Rescue.
Area firefighters responded just after 8 a.m. Thursday to the store on U.S. Highway 19 at Countryside Boulevard, a spokesperson said.
The store was filled with smoke because of a fire in the vent system. Firefighters reportedly had to access the system from the building's roof to put out the fire. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/clearwater-whole-foods-fire/67-7e5f7cec-82cb-445c-b482-7b4952119e6f | 2022-06-30T15:32:39 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/pinellascounty/clearwater-whole-foods-fire/67-7e5f7cec-82cb-445c-b482-7b4952119e6f |
Average daily flows
Snake River at Heise 9,856 cfs
Snake River at Blackfoot 1,234 cfs
Snake River at American Falls 11,427 cfs
Snake River at Milner 0 cfs
Little Wood River near Carey 219 cfs
Jackson Lake is 48% full.
Palisades Reservoir is 76% full.
American Falls Reservoir is 54% full.
Upper Snake River system is at 62% of capacity.
As of June 29. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_d3e5602a-f7b7-11ec-b215-532bd81bc2f1.html | 2022-06-30T15:36:16 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_d3e5602a-f7b7-11ec-b215-532bd81bc2f1.html |
As long as Roe v. Wade remained the law of the land, Idaho’s political leadership could have it both ways.
It could indulge its sanctimony by voting pro-life.
Then it could cynically remain anti-child.
Now that bluff has been called.
By overturning a woman’s 50-year-old constitutional right to reproductive autonomy, the U.S. Supreme Court has activated the Gem State’s intended abortion ban — which presumably will bring hundreds of children into this world, most of them poor and many of them disabled.
Surely, Idaho’s Republican lawmakers will not abandon them.
Or will they?
Here’s the record so far:
Poverty — Nearly 1 in 8 Idaho children lives in poverty. Idaho’s child-poverty rate is the nation’s 35th highest. The state’s real estate boom has also given it the 19th least affordable housing rate.
People are also reading…
Teen birth rate — At 16 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 19, Idaho has the nation’s 30th highest teen birth rate.
Child care — Idaho already had a shortage of affordable, quality child care before the COVID-19 pandemic sent that sector into a tailspin. More than two years ago, the Bipartisan Policy Center estimated the state needed services for nearly 75,000 children, but fell 18,000 short of meeting that demand.
There are pockets of this state described as child care deserts.
Federal child care subsidies for low-income families are unavailable for anyone who is not desperately impoverished.
Because of that, Idaho parents of working age are staying out of the work force, which is hurting the state’s economy by an estimated $479 million every year.
Early childhood education — Idaho is among a handful of states that refuses to spend any of its own money on early childhood education. It even went so far as to reject a $6 million-a-year, three-year federal early childhood education grant.
By the way, the Idaho Republican most associated with creating an all-day kindergarten program, Sen. Carl Crabtree, R-Grangeville, got labeled a Republican-in-name-only and was booted out of office in the GOP primary.
Public education funding — No state allocates less for the education of each of its children than the Gem State. Even with a robust budget increase this year and the potential for a citizens’ initiative adding $323 million to the effort, it won’t get the state out of the deep hole it’s been digging during the past 20 years.
Two years ago, the state reported 2,007 Idaho women underwent abortions — although 433 of them were performed out of state. Assuming the law works as intended, that would mean that each year nearly 1,600 more children will be born.
A state that means what it says about the sanctity of life would do something to help those families.
You would expect an expanded child tax credit to enable parents to raise their children.
If these women are going to return to work, they’re going to need child care subsidies — after the state does more to expand the number of child care centers.
A leadership that is pro-life would access every source of federal assistance available, from the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant program to the early childhood education grants.
It would expand Head Start.
And it would get serious about providing young people with accurate sexual education and access to contraception.
None of this will come cheaply.
Consider two examples.
The cost of educating those 1,600 children throughout 13 years of schooling will come to nearly $174 million.
And the cost of providing them with child care until they’re eligible for kindergarten would come to nearly $58 million.
Of course, those numbers rise every year with the birth rate.
Add to that the expense of providing nutrition, health care, housing and special services.
In other words, you can forget about indulging the GOP’s tax-cutting fetish. Those days are over.
In this post-Roe world, no politician — and no voter who supported their anti-abortion rights agenda — can turn away. This should be their concern.
This is their legacy. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/idaho-view-which-is-it-idaho-sanctimony-or-cynicism/article_9f117fe8-f7ba-11ec-9ec4-3f9c4ec0fbd1.html | 2022-06-30T15:36:19 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/idaho-view-which-is-it-idaho-sanctimony-or-cynicism/article_9f117fe8-f7ba-11ec-9ec4-3f9c4ec0fbd1.html |
Poop talk makes everybody fidget and giggle uncomfortably. We like our poop to disappear. We want shiny white porcelain toilets and privacy.
But how do you cope when you’re in the woods behind a tree?
When I took my first course at the National Outdoor Leadership School in Lander, Wyoming, years ago, the preferred method of waste disposal was bringing a trowel to dig a six-inch cat hole, a practice still the norm for many backcountry travelers today. There was even a how-to guide by Kathleen Meyer, published in 1992, titled bluntly, How to Sh*t in the Woods.
We thought the soil would break down the nasty stuff pretty quickly. In fact, we were taught to stir dirt into our deposit to speed things along. But our faith in the speed of nature has been shattered.
Studies by a University of Montana research team have found that from as far back as the early ‘80s, high levels of pathogens remained in feces even after they’d been properly buried. Maybe a few piles of poop in millions of acres of wilderness weren’t so bad when it was just a few piles of poop. But if you visit the backcountry or beaches on public land these days, you know lots of people are visiting the outdoors and leaving their waste behind.
People are also reading…
In 2020, 7.1 million more Americans participated in some form of outdoor recreation than in the previous year, for a total of roughly 200 million people, according to the Outdoor Foundation’s 2021 Outdoor Participation Trends Report.
Fifty-three percent of Americans age six and over recreated in the outdoors at least once in 2020, which is the highest participation rate on record. The Bridger-Teton National Forest, near where I live, recorded a 44 percent increase in the number of people camping between 2016 and 2020. Outdoor recreation is enjoying, if you can call it that, a boom.
Each human, on average, produces roughly a pound of poop each day. That adds up quickly. Anyone who has done a 21-day Grand Canyon river trip probably noticed the stacks of metal boxes that filled up over the course of a trip. By the time you got to the takeout, the cargo in one 18-foot raft was mostly poop.
Outside Magazine recently published a story about the changing etiquette of pooping in the outdoors, citing a startling study from 2007 that said 91 percent of the sand on 55 California beaches was contaminated with fecal indicator bacteria. Packing out poop thus became a necessity in that state if people wanted to avoid disease.
But this is true even in a forest where people dig their perfect cat holes 200 feet from trails and water. If thousands of people hike the same trails every day of the season, that’s a minefield of waste festering below the surface. Over time, pathogens in that poop will leach into the soil.
What, then, are we supposed to do? Though we may not like it, just like river guides and other outfitters, it’s past time for all of us to pack out our poop. But good news: There are a number of products available commercially to make this as lightweight and odor-free as possible.
Trevor Deighton, of Victor, Idaho, an Exum Mountain Guide in the Tetons, recommends WAG bags, WAG being short for Waste Alleviation and Gelling. Since more people started carrying them, he says “There’s so much less poop on the Grand. The (bags) don’t smell and never break. It’s worse thinking about it than it is in practice.”
He adds, “You see a lot of plastic bags with dog poop left along trails around here. People don’t want to put them in their pack because the bags are so flimsy, but then they forget about them.” The beauty of WAGs, he adds, is that your sturdy portable toilet never fails and is easy to use.
But there’s no getting around it, packing out poop is still an inconvenience, especially for those of us who look forward to a mostly light pack at the end of a hiking trip. But for our health and for the health of the forest or anywhere we recreate, it’s our responsibility to leave no waste behind. It’s the right thing to do.
Molly Absolon is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She writes and travels often through the West. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/writers-on-the-range-how-do-you-you-know-what-in-the-woods/article_087d1f78-f7d9-11ec-a1a3-cf1d50ab3af5.html | 2022-06-30T15:36:21 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/writers-on-the-range-how-do-you-you-know-what-in-the-woods/article_087d1f78-f7d9-11ec-a1a3-cf1d50ab3af5.html |
Mother Maybelle Music Fest set for Saturday at Elm Street Brewing Company
MUNCIE, Ind. — The second annual Maybelle Music Fest, a female-fronted festival celebrating Mother Maybelle Carter and local women in music, will be at 4 p.m. Saturday, July 2, at Elm Street Brewing Company, 519 N. Elm St.
The family-friendly, all-ages event will feature eight female-fronted acts, female-owned vendors, food and drink. "Although the event is 100% non-political, we do believe this event happens to occur at a poignant time in the history of women's rights," a release stated.
The event is named after Mother Maybelle Carter of the Carter Family, a pioneer of women in music.
Network Huddle peer groups to provide support for nonprofits
MUNCIE — The Nonprofit Support Network, established earlier this year to provide support to nonprofits serving Muncie and Delaware County, has announced its first lineup of services, Network Huddles.
Network Huddles are peer group meetings hosted and facilitated by the Nonprofit Support Network to offer nonprofit professionals, in any role, ongoing opportunities to connect and learn with their peers who share similar job responsibilities, face similar challenges or have interest in a similar topic.
Network Huddles will kick off with a Shared Services Huddle 1-2 p.m. July 18 at Mitchell Early Childhood and Family Center. Nonprofit staff in the roles of executive director, staff accountant, board chair or similar positions are encouraged to attend to learn more about shared services and collaborating with other nonprofits to explore efficiency in business functions, according to a release.
A second Network Huddle, called Development Huddle, 1-3 p.m. July 25 at the Innovation Connector, will provide a space for dedicated work on fundraising plans and allow for group brainstorming about challenges. This Network Huddle is for individuals who are responsible for development and fundraising at their nonprofit organization.
Additional Network Huddles are being explored with a goal of offering a variety of peer groups for all nonprofit professionals to have a space to learn and connect, the release stated. To learn more about Network Huddles and the Nonprofit Support Network, visit the Resources page at muncienonprofits.org or email Carly Acree King, relationship and resource director, at carly@muncienonprofits.org.
Send news items to The Star Press at news@muncie.gannett.com. | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/mother-maybelle-music-fest-set-saturday-elm-street/7772304001/ | 2022-06-30T15:46:06 | 1 | https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2022/06/30/mother-maybelle-music-fest-set-saturday-elm-street/7772304001/ |
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.