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JEROME—Kandee born October 17, 1963 in Arco, Id. passed away July 12, 2023 At Intermountain Healthcare, Murray, Utah following a lengthy illness with PAH. Cremation under the care of Jenkins-Soffe funeral chapels, Murray, Utah. A celebration of life will be held at a later date TBD. Formal obituary to follow.
Kandee Laree Schulz
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/kandee-laree-schulz/article_5db96a31-c12e-5824-b585-ca72da9a506e.html | 2023-07-15T07:32:52 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/kandee-laree-schulz/article_5db96a31-c12e-5824-b585-ca72da9a506e.html |
TWIN FALLS — Leland ‘J’ Muir Jr. had a joyful reunion with his heavenly family on June 27, 2023, at age 82. He was born in St. Anthony, Idaho on April 20, 1941, to Leland J Muir Sr. and Donna Bernice Thompson and was the oldest of four children.
He married the love of his life, Carolyn Hunt on June 3, 964 in the Idaho Falls Temple. They have resided in Twin Falls, for nearly 60 wonderful years, raising nine children, and have made many lifelong friends.
‘J’ was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints all his life. He served a two-year mission in the West Central States Mission for his church at the age of nineteen. He served in various teaching and leadership positions throughout his church service. Some of his most cherished and beloved callings included seminary teacher and gospel doctrine teacher. ‘J’ was a natural born teacher, and these callings gave him the opportunity to do two things he loved: teach and share the gospel with those he loved.
He was very active in the community. ‘J’ spent time teaching for The Red Cross, was the President of the Board for Sawtooth Country Cloggers, and served on the Idaho Juvenile Justice Council. He also served in the Boy Scouts of America Organization for 35 years.
‘J’ enjoyed and participated in many activities throughout his life including singing, sports, hunting, target shooting, camping, motorcycle trail riding, boating, playing chess and riding snowmobiles. He loved words of wisdom, playing the guitar, writing poetry, reading, and to sketch and design things like sports cars, airplanes and mountain scenes. He most cherished time was spent building friendships.
He is survived by his wife Carolyn Hunt, his children: Julie (Brent) Whitehead of Twin Falls, ID, James (Marin) Muir of Herriman, UT, Joelle (Clayland) Quinton of Twin Falls, ID, Jared (Stacey) Muir of Herriman, UT, Jana (Caleb) Mills of Rigby, ID, Jentri (Corey) King of Twin Falls, ID, Stefan Muir of Twin Falls, ID and Hunter Muir of Twin Falls, ID; twenty- two grandchildren and a quiver full of great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his daughter Jilynn Elizabeth Muir, his parents and a sister.
“O be wise, what can I say more.”
Funeral Services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, on 667 Harrison St. Twin Falls, Idaho 83301. With an opportunity to visit the family from 9:30—10:30 a.m. before the service. To share memories and condolences please visit www.rosenaufuneralhome.com. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/leland-j-muir-jr/article_5529f8d1-ec75-5e74-8d68-1d31db3f5101.html | 2023-07-15T07:32:58 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/leland-j-muir-jr/article_5529f8d1-ec75-5e74-8d68-1d31db3f5101.html |
February 13, 1936 - July 10, 2023
JEROME — Norma Jean Fiscus passed away Monday evening, July 10, 2023, at home surrounded by her loving family.
She was born February 13, 1936, in Twin Falls, Idaho, the daughter of Benjamin Wade Martin and Gladys Mae Bigley Martin. Norma grew up and attended schools in the Magic Valley area.
Norma married Stanley Herzinger in 1952. To this union two daughters were born, Vicki and Susan. Stanley and Norma later divorced.
In 1963 Norma became the Society Editor of the Times News. During her 16-year career, she was selected to conduct the first Times News Hawaiian tour and later lead a Times News tour to Portugal and Spain. With the help of her two daughters, Norma insured that each of the suitcases of her tour members was adorned with a hot pink pompom for easy airport identification. She was one of the original members of the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service. She joined a number of other women from around the nation in this important national committee. Norma also received a number of Idaho Press Association awards for her outstanding talent in page layout. She also served as President of the Altrusa Club. For Norma, one of her most enjoyable job opportunities was meeting and interviewing some of her favorite Country Music legends.
In 1977 Norma and Jerome Fiscus formed the partnership of J & N Bus Co. and started operating school buses for the Hagerman School District for the next 40 years. In addition to her responsibilities with J & N Bus Co., she made the decision to leave the Times News and join the team at North Side Bus Company. With all of her vast skills and wisdom, she married the boss in 1985. While working and living in Jerome, Norma became active in the community. She served as a Board Member and President of the Jerome Chamber of Commerce and served on the Board of Directors for the Jerome Senior Center. In 1997 Norma and Jerome were named Citizens of the Year.
Norma had many interests that included playing Pinochle and Poker, camping with family and friends, listening to her husband sing and play music, dancing at local senior centers, and taking road trips to satisfy her love of gambling. Norma's biggest joy was the memories she made with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Much to Norma's delight, her only surviving sibling, Arlene "Sis" Francis, moved to Jerome in 1994. The two of them were very close and aside from being sisters, they were inseparable friends.
Norma was preceded in death by her father; mother; siblings; and a son-in-law.
She is survived by her husband, Jerome Fiscus; her daughters, Vicki Kenworthy and Susan (LeRoy) Hartgrave; grandchildren, Jeremiah (Nicole) Kenworthy, Jessica (Leland) Moore, Joe (Julia) Kenworthy, Mathew (Shannon) Hartgrave, Mark (Linda) Hartgrave; great-grandchildren, Javin and Zander Hartgrave, Garrison, Gabby and Grayden Moore, Stephanie Kenworthy and Freja Kenworthy. Norma is also survived by her sister Arlene's children, Ben (Mary) Francis, Sandra (Keith) Brunskill, Janell White, Wayne (Mitzie) Francis, and their families who were all very dear to her.
Memorial contributions can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 28105, or the Jerome Senior Center, 520 N. Lincoln Ave., Jerome, ID 83338.
The family would like to express sincere appreciation to St. Luke's Hospice for their kindness and support during Norma's final days.
Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, July 17, 2023, at Farnsworth Mortuary, 1343 S Lincoln, Jerome, with a viewing beginning at 1:00 p.m. Burial will conclude at Jerome Cemetery.
Memories and condolences may be shared with the family on Norma's memorial webpage at www.farnsworthmortuary.com. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/norma-jean-fiscus/article_0857bf6a-3abf-5783-a866-68b15fb17825.html | 2023-07-15T07:33:04 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/norma-jean-fiscus/article_0857bf6a-3abf-5783-a866-68b15fb17825.html |
March 14, 1931 - July 12, 2023
BURLEY — Sharol Joy Woodbury Searle, a 92-year-old resident of Burley, passed away Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at her home.
She was born March 14, 1931, in Declo, Idaho, to Leland Rogers and Luella Myrlene Snow Woodbury. Sharol grew up in the View area with her eight siblings where they enjoyed a ranch life. They were poor but it was an adventurous place to live, climbing mountains, wading the creek and swimming in the canal. She attended the View School through the eighth grade and then went to Burley for junior high school and high school. She graduated with the class of 1949.
In high school she enjoyed her journalism class where she wrote many featured articles and school news stories for the school's paper. Home economic class was also a favorite and she used the skills she learned throughout her life.
After graduation, Sharol attended Utah State University in the fall and married Raymond Clayson Searle the next spring in the Idaho Falls Idaho Temple (March 9, 1950). After their marriage they farmed and raised their seven children in the View area. She was an excellent cook and her family enjoyed all her cooking, especially her delicious homemade bread.
When Raymond bought a small acreage that had an established raspberry farm on it, she took over the business and, with the help of her family, ran it for ten years becoming known as the Raspberry Lady.
She was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and faithfully served where she was called. She served with her husband on missions to Pima, Arizona, and Olongapo, Philippines.
She is survived by her five sons, Cloyd (Gwendolyn), Kent (Marilyn), Craig (Beverly), Clifford (Terri), and Kelly (Shawna) all of Burley; daughters, Marla (Brent) Stoker of Burley, and Janna (Lane) Webb of Rexburg; her brother, Verl (Hilda) Woodbury of Riverbed Ranch, Utah; sisters-in-law, Gwen Woodbury, Karen Woodbury and Linda Woodbury of Burley, and Carol Woodbury of Raft River; 43 grandchildren; and 106 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Raymond; a sister, Doris (brother-in-law, Clyde) Stewart; older brother, Vernon (sister-in-law, Vernetta) Woodbury; younger brothers, Mervin (sister-in-law, Elnor) Woodbury, Lyle Woodbury, Roger Woodbury, Stanley Woodbury and Orin Woodbury; and a great-grandson, Jace Searle.
The family would like to thank Lisa Asher, Valle Stuby, Aisha White, Marshalyn Timm, and Horizon Home Health & Hospice for their love and help caring for Mom.
The funeral will be held at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, July 19, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - View 2nd Ward, located at 490 E. 550 S., of Burley. Burial will follow at View Cemetery.
Family and friends will be received from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, July 18, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and from 10:00 until 10:45 a.m. Wednesday, prior to the service, at the church.
A webcast will be available and maintained at rasmussenwilson.com. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/sharol-joy-woodbury-searle/article_71a612f5-ed60-52cb-8161-6bd7706f064b.html | 2023-07-15T07:33:10 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/sharol-joy-woodbury-searle/article_71a612f5-ed60-52cb-8161-6bd7706f064b.html |
MODESTO, Calif. — A vigil was held Friday to remember Christine Chavez, a woman who was killed in an accident involving a lawnmower at Beard Brook Park in Modesto.
"I lost my daughter and I feel a lot of pain about that,” said Cristobal Chavez.
The vigil honored the 27 year olds life, bringing her family together to mourn her.
Chavez’s family says she was unhoused, sleeping on the grass in a park when she was run over by a lawnmower.
"I'm still speechless. I'm still shocked that we're actually still standing again for the fifth day in a row in the same spot where Christine took her last breath,” said Dez Martinez, CEO & founder of We are not Invisible. “And yet it's still not cordoned off. It's not taped off. There's no one here to pick up the remaining parts that are still here."
The Modesto Police Department says the accident happened around noon Saturday. Martinez says it’s a time of day that should be safest for someone in Chavez’s position.
“We have to stay up all night because it's dangerous to sleep at night. You might be raped, stabbed, murdered,” she said. “When the daytime comes, it's time to go to sleep, it's broad daylight, there's a lot of traffic, a lot of people, what's going to happen to me?"
Sharon Bear, spokesperson for Modesto Police Department, says the accident happened around noon Saturday while a Grover Landscape Services employee was cutting the grass. He was using a riding John Deere tractor with a pull-behind mower.
Bear says the employee saw a body in an area he had already passed through and called 911.
Grover Landscape Services Inc. provided the following statement on the accident.
“At approximately noon on July 8, 2023, a Grover landscaping crew member, operating a tractor and pull-behind mower, was performing weed abatement and fire prevention services for our customer E. & J. Gallo Winery. In a dry, overgrown area, our operator discovered the body of a woman impacted by the pull-behind mower, at which time he contacted the Modesto Police Department. Grover is cooperating with law enforcement officials in their investigation. Out of respect for the on-going investigation, we cannot speculate as to the cause of or circumstances surrounding her death."
"We are deeply saddened by these events. Our hearts and sympathies go out to her friends and family. Grover is providing counseling services to the operator due to this traumatic experience.”
Chavez’s father says more should be done about his daughters death.
“They didn't pick up everything. they left parts of the body there,” he said. “Justice, I'm asking for justice."
Police say investigation into the incident is complete and it appears to have been an accident. No charges have been filed at this time.
Beard Brook Park was formerly city property, but was transferred to new owner E. & J. Gallo Winery Friday. City officials say they are cooperating with the investigation. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/modesto/family-mourn-woman-killed-lawnmower-modesto/103-62639d5e-0456-4ed1-9204-5aa7743b0788 | 2023-07-15T08:15:17 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/modesto/family-mourn-woman-killed-lawnmower-modesto/103-62639d5e-0456-4ed1-9204-5aa7743b0788 |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sacramento Police Department officials released new video weeks after a man experienced a medical emergency and died while he was being detained.
Police responded to a home on 51st Avenue back on June 27 where they located the suspect who seemed dazed and confused.
The man insisted he was at his own home, but police assert it isn’t his property and he’s scaring people inside due to the time — 4 a.m.
Police try to understand why he is where he is and if he was involved in a nearby car accident.
The man eventually tells police he needs to sit down and reveals he was actually involved in the accident.
The man identifies himself as Joseph and police ask if he’s hurt and they should call the fire department for medical aid. Joseph says yes.
Police try to render aid, but he starts to have a medical emergency and is later pronounced dead. The officers did not use force and did not handcuff the man during the encounter.
It's not clear if this was a mental health issue, substance abuse, medical emergency or even a combination of the all above. But questions remain in these type of in-custody deaths.
The Sacramento Police Department Mental Health Unit trains officers for situations like this.
Officer Dan Bean with the unit says officers are more specifically trained to see things in these situations.
"They're able to identify mental health developmental disabilities. Things like that and realize that maybe there is something more going on here. Maybe it's not that they don't want to comply, but maybe they can't mentally or physically comply in that moment," said Bean.
Community leaders launched the first annual Stephon Clark Mental Health Expo Friday.
"I believe my mental health was affected after the death of my brother and I believe if I'm not showing people the difference between pain and mental illness, if I'm not showing people that what I went through was because of untreated trauma,” said Stevante Clark, community activist. “It was passion but it had no direction".
Stephon Clark was shot and killed by Sacramento Police in his grandmother's backyard. Police had been chasing Clark following reports of someone breaking into cars. Officers say they believed he was armed but found only a cellphone.
Going forward, the Clark family hopes this expo will help others who might be struggling or who still have questions about a tragedy. | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-police-department-releases-new-video/103-90a128c1-6b1e-4ef1-ab20-0f3610ede908 | 2023-07-15T08:15:23 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-police-department-releases-new-video/103-90a128c1-6b1e-4ef1-ab20-0f3610ede908 |
From left, Les and Bobbie Perkins and Rufus and Dorothy Beason of the Columbus Friendly City Campers Club present a check for more than $3,000 to Elizabeth Herndon of Wren at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. Herndon lost her home, husband and 1-year-old child on March 24 during a devastating tornado.
TUPELO - Members of a local club recently pitched in to help a Wren resident who lost her home and family members to a devastating tornado in March.
Members of the Columbus Friendly City Campers Club donated $3,256 to Elizabeth Herndon, who lost her husband, Ethan, and 1-year-old daughter, Riley, when a tornado touched down in Wren on March 24.
Herndon also lost her home. Her two other children were taken to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis for treatment of their serious injuries.
Les Perkins, club president, said the club wanted to do something to help the victims. After much research, the club decided the Herndons needed every ounce of love and financial support they could get.
Perkins matched what the members donated, and an anonymous donor gave $700.
Rufus Beason gave money collected by the Mississippi Good Sam’s Veterans Chapter. He felt it was appropriate since Herndon’s husband was a veteran.
Herndon has since been released from the hospital, but she and her children are still recovering.
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Error! There was an error processing your request. | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/local-club-makes-donation-to-victim-of-wren-tornado/article_c4cfe7da-228c-11ee-b259-e3f143fa62a8.html | 2023-07-15T09:38:57 | 0 | https://www.djournal.com/news/local/local-club-makes-donation-to-victim-of-wren-tornado/article_c4cfe7da-228c-11ee-b259-e3f143fa62a8.html |
Richmond police said they have arrested two teenagers in a series of robberies in the Fan, Byrd Park and Carytown.
The incidents happened over the past 10 days and had similar circumstances and suspect descriptions, police said.
Richmond police worked with Virginia State Police and received videos and information from the community, then conducted a joint operation in the Byrd Park area, authorities said.
Both of the suspects are male. One is 17, and the other is 15. They are charged with robbery, with more charges pending.
Anyone with information is asked to call 3rd Precinct Detective Sgt. N. Castrinos at (804) 646-1144 or Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.
15 photos of the Richmond City Jail from The Times-Dispatch archives
Richmond City Jail
07-09-1957 (cutline): Prisoners eat first meal--spaghetti and meatballs--in new city jail (at temporary facility in Deep Water Terminal). Dining hall was segregated by large white brick wall down the center.
Staff photo
Richmond City Jail
01-20-1966: Richmond City Jail dining hall.
Bill Lane
Richmond City Jail
01-30-1966 (cutline): Prisoners familiar with barbering operate two-seat facility in the jail. Both guards and prisoners are allowed to get their hair cut here.
Staff photo
Richmond City Jail
10-16-1964 (cutline): Prisoners debark inside city's new 3-million-dollar facility on 17th Street. New Jail has administrative building, four buildings for felons and three for misdemeanants.
Times-Dispatch
Richmond City Jail
12-30-1965: Female prisoners at the Richmond City Jail.
Staff photo
Richmond City Jail
06-17-1964 (cutline): Getting inside lockup--Patrolman John E. Patterson Jr. (right) uses communications system to contact desk sergeant, who opens door for wagon to back inside with prisoners. After vehicle is in, heavy mesh door is closer for prisoner unloading.Wagon driver shown above is patrolman Dennis Norris.
Staff photo
Richmond City Jail
10-09-1964: Warehouse at Deepwater Terminal was used as temporary jail until prisoners were moved to new facility in downtown Richmond.
Staff photo
Richmond City Jail
10-22-1961 (cutline): Prisoners lounge in bunks, have shower area availabe in dormitory.
Staff photo
Richmond City Jail
10-17-1964 (cutline): One-way ride brings prisoners to their new home in Richmond's modern city jail.
Staff photo
Richmond City Jail
07-19-1962 (cutline): Mayor Sheppard breaks ground for new jail building. Others are City Manager Edwards (center), City Sergeant Frank A. Cavedo.
Joseph Colognori
Richmond City Jail
08-13-1964 (cutline): This is the woman's cellblock of the city's new jail at 17th and Fairfield Avenue. New 2.5 million dollar facility has been called 'Best in Virginia' and 'Little Penitentiary.'
Don Pennell
Richmond City Jail
01-28-1966 (cutline): In misdemeanor section of new jail, men are house in dorm-type rooms.
Bill Lane
Richmond City Jail
10-16-1964: Richmond City Jail
Crawford
Richmond City Jail
08-13-1964: Richmond City Jail
Don Pennell
Richmond City Jail
01-28-1966: Richmond City Jail chapel.
Bill Lane | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-courts/2-teens-arrested-in-robberies-in-the-fan-byrd-park-and-carytown/article_daadb0fa-229b-11ee-a070-8b4cc46a72ba.html | 2023-07-15T10:19:00 | 1 | https://richmond.com/news/local/crime-courts/2-teens-arrested-in-robberies-in-the-fan-byrd-park-and-carytown/article_daadb0fa-229b-11ee-a070-8b4cc46a72ba.html |
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New research shows that many Americans are misled by ‘low fat’ food labels thinking it also means the items contain lower levels of sugar. According to researchers in Germany, this mismatch between what consumers believe “low fat” labels signify and what they actually indicate means the labe…
A Mason City man arrested in April for allegedly having methamphetamine and drugs in his apartment has been federally indicted.
According to court records, 46-year-old Andrew Earl Lofton was charged with a felony controlled substance violation and three counts of control of a firearm by a felon by the state of Iowa. He was facing up to 40 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Those charges have been dismissed to allow for the federal indictment.
The affidavit states that a search warrant was executed around 8:30 a.m. April 20 at Lofton’s residence. During the search three handguns were allegedly found and a backpack was located outside Lofton’s bedroom window containing approximately 22 one-ounce-sized bags of methamphetamine. The third gun was found in the backpack as well.
An unspecified amount of currency, packaging material and a digital scale were also allegedly found in the apartment. A trial date has not been set as of Thursday. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/methamphetamine-guns-mason-city-federal-indictment/article_c86e1dfc-21ac-11ee-bd1c-83faf5f0bcc9.html | 2023-07-15T11:20:26 | 0 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/methamphetamine-guns-mason-city-federal-indictment/article_c86e1dfc-21ac-11ee-bd1c-83faf5f0bcc9.html |
A Mason City woman facing more than 50 years in prison on felony drug charges in Iowa will now be tried in federal court.
According to court documents, the state charges against 44-year-old Lisa Ann Smith were dismissed Wednesday in order for her to be tried federally.
The Iowa affidavit states her residence was searched at 6 a.m. April 20. Smith was allegedly found with “a multi-pound” quantity of methamphetamine and a “multi-ounce quantity” of heroin. She also allegedly was in possession of a pistol and an AR-15 rifle.
A federal trial date has not been set as of Thursday.
What do Iowans want? An inside look at what 20 Iowans say about their lives, government
About the series
This year’s legislative session was hugely consequential, criticized by some Iowans and praised by others. The laws passed, from tax cuts to school regulations to book bans to restrictions on transgender students, will influence the everyday lives of people across the state for years to come.
We wanted to know how these actions and others by the state government affect the lives of people across the state. What they like, what they don’t like, where they see our leaders falling short and what they think needs more attention.
This story is part of a larger series involving Lee Enterprises newspapers in Council Bluffs, Davenport, Mason City, Muscatine, Sioux City, Waterloo-Cedar Falls and our Des Moines Bureau. The “What Do Iowans Want?” series attempts to probe the thinking of people across the state about how the government is working for them.
The 20 Iowans profiled represent the broad perspectives in our state. They’re teachers, artists, retirees and athletes. They’re Republicans, Democrats and independents. They’re your neighbors and your friends. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/methamphetamine-heroin-federal-indictment-drugs/article_62fea6f0-21aa-11ee-ab4c-7bca24972b7a.html | 2023-07-15T11:20:32 | 0 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/methamphetamine-heroin-federal-indictment-drugs/article_62fea6f0-21aa-11ee-ab4c-7bca24972b7a.html |
The Central Springs Community School District School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to set a vote on a Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) on Sept. 12.
According to a press release, the district is seeking the funds to improve school safety, playgrounds, career and technical education equipment, transportation, technology and other improvements.
“Providing a high-quality education for all students is our highest priority,” said Darwin Lehmann, superintendent. “To do that, we need to continually ensure our buildings are safe and updated to provide the optimal learning environment for students. This funding will allow us to do that and address several projects over the next 10 years including playground updates on both campuses, a shop expansion and a potential greenhouse to support the growing CTE and vocational agriculture programs and a new wrestling room.”
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Over the next eight weeks, residents will have the opportunity to learn more about the ballot question and the proposed funding to support the projects. The district will host community informational meetings:
- 6:30–7:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 16, at the Nora Springs campus, 509 Iowa Ave.
- 6:30–7:30 p.m. Monday, August 21, at the Manly campus, 105 S. East St., Manly.
Voters will be asked to approve the PPEL for an amount not to exceed $1.34 per $1,000 of assessed property value with an income surtax for the next 10 years.
“Central Springs is one of the 52 of 327 districts in Iowa to not have a voter approved PPEL (VPPEL) and all of our surrounding districts have voter approved PPEL. These funds will be an important piece of ensuring a high-quality learning environment for current and future students,” concluded Lehmann.
Alexander Schmidt is an Education/General Assignment Reporter for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at alexander.schmidt@globegazette.com or at 641-421-0527. | https://globegazette.com/news/local/education/central-springs-ppel-levy-for-facilities-improvement/article_02f46f8c-21b5-11ee-9605-f7a1f1b34595.html | 2023-07-15T11:20:38 | 1 | https://globegazette.com/news/local/education/central-springs-ppel-levy-for-facilities-improvement/article_02f46f8c-21b5-11ee-9605-f7a1f1b34595.html |
BLOOMINGTON — Two local athletes competed and won bronze medals at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin June 17-25.
SOAR athletes Drew White, 30, and Rob Kelley, 66, represented the community among 6,500 other athletes from 190 countries.
White won bronze in single tennis and bronze playing in unified doubles with Kelley. The duo has competed together in unified tennis for eight years.
SOAR, which stands for Special Opportunities Available in Recreation, provides a variety of unified sports, including volleyball, golf and bocce, which are all recognized as Special Olympic sports. SOAR also offers recreational unified programming such as Foot Golf and Seat to SOAR, a walking/running program.
SOAR will celebrate its 50th anniversary this fall with an open house from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Tipton Park North Shelter and West Ballfield. No registration for the event is required.
The program is sponsored by the City of Bloomington and the Town of Normal through their Parks & Recreation Departments. SOAR aims to empower individuals who are unable to participate in traditional recreational programs with an emphasis on leisure, social and developmental skills to promote the highest level of recreational engagement possible. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/2-from-central-illinois-take-bronze-at-special-olympics-world-games/article_f8a7c52a-20e1-11ee-bcda-23aa4cdd2049.html | 2023-07-15T11:22:54 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/2-from-central-illinois-take-bronze-at-special-olympics-world-games/article_f8a7c52a-20e1-11ee-bcda-23aa4cdd2049.html |
NORMAL — Heartland Community College named Téa Wheat as assistant director of TRIO Student Support Services.
The role helps support college students with traditionally disadvantaged backgrounds, according to a news release from the college.
Wheat will manage the programming and services of Project RISE, the college's TRIO program. The project is an essential support service that provides opportunities for a diverse target population of students who are low-income, first-generation and/or have a disability.
The assistant director manages programming and services, including academic, personal, career and transfer counseling in support of program goals of retention, graduation and transfer of students served by TRIO.
Wheat previously worked in the Student Life Office at Eastern Illinois University. She has a Master of Science degree from EIU and a Bachelor of Arts from Western Illinois University.
TRIO Student Support Services receives federal funding from the Department of Education.
TRIO is not an acronym, but refers to a number of U.S. federal programs to increase access to higher education for economically disadvantaged students. That number started out as three, but there are now eight programs.
Federal TRIO programs include Talent Search, Upward Bound, Upward Bound Math/Science, Veterans' Upward Bound, Student Support Services, Educational Opportunity Centers, the Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, and Training Grants.
Who was honored? Photos from Heartland's President’s Medallion Awards ceremony
President’s Medallion Honorees Mary and John Penn
President’s Medallion Honorees Larry and Marlene Dietz
President’s Medallion Honorees Jerry and Carole Ringer
President’s Medallion Honoree Bob Brucker
Bob and Julie Dobski, Karen DeAngelis, Cindy Segobiano, visiting Rotarians from India Sukhi and Kirandeep
Julie Dobski, Al Bedell, Dee Frautschi
Mark and Dianna Johnson, Charlotte and Joe Talkington
Merriann and Dave McGee
Camille and Ron Springer
Sandra and Gordon Bidner
Mary Campbell, Julie Dobski
President’s Medallion
Roosmarijn and Interim ISU President Andover Tarhule, Julie Dobski | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/a-look-at-the-latest-central-illinois-academic-successes/article_0bd436aa-225f-11ee-8275-ef92ca1d7eca.html | 2023-07-15T11:23:00 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/a-look-at-the-latest-central-illinois-academic-successes/article_0bd436aa-225f-11ee-8275-ef92ca1d7eca.html |
How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region.
100 years ago
July 15, 1923: Mr. and Mrs. Ben Heiniger live on a farm four miles southeast of Morton, where their triplets were born on Oct. 21, 1915. The children — Elda, Elma and Elsa — attend the Phillips school near their home. Miss Clara Oekei is the teacher; the triplets are in second grade.
75 years ago
July 15, 1948: Another old Bloomington mansion is crumbling, and it's for the birds. Literally: The fabulous but weather-beaten little birdhouse at 108 S. Morris Ave. is marking its 35th year. It was crafted by the late Peter Edling, a coal miner who enjoyed watching birds in the yard. He placed the structure, which was modeled on a home he admired, 15 feet in the air on stilts.
50 years ago
July 15, 1973: Some of the business leaders who have been working in recent years to revitalize downtown Bloomington say they would like to bring a mall to the area. The speaker at the upcoming annual meeting of Bloomington Unlimited Inc. will be Kenneth Paust, the driving force behind a $750,000 downtown mall in Richmond, Indiana. The possibility comes as the central business district has seen $22.3 million in public and private investment in recent years.
25 years ago
July 15, 1998: After more than five months of demolition, construction and waiting out the weather, Feeney Oil Co. is now in the process of opening its new Northtown Thrifty Mart and Shell Station at the corner of Raab Road and U.S. 51 in Normal. A Burger King restaurant being built in the same 5,000-square-foot building is slated to be finished and ready for service by Sept. 1. The 24-hour service station includes 12 new pumps and a variety of convenience store food items.
101 years ago: See vintage Pantagraph ads from 1922
Gerthart's
Union Gas and Electric Co.
Hoover
Dr. J.A. Moore Dentists
Moberly & Klenner
W.P. Garretson
W.H. Roland
Pease's Candy
Thor 32 Electric Washing Machine
The Kaiser's Story of the War
Ike Livingston & Sons
Gossard Corsets
Cat'n Fiddle
'Stolen Moments'
Case Model X
The Johnson Transfer & Fuel Co.
The Pantagraph want ads
Franklin Motor Car Co.
'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'
Calumet Baking Powder
Mayer Livingston & Co. Newsmarket
'The Emperor Jones'
'California Fig Syrup'
Compiled by Pantagraph staff | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/75-years-ago-majestic-bloomington-birdhouse-succumbing-to-age/article_f0b46ffc-1f89-11ee-98a4-d762407a5e6a.html | 2023-07-15T11:23:06 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/history/75-years-ago-majestic-bloomington-birdhouse-succumbing-to-age/article_f0b46ffc-1f89-11ee-98a4-d762407a5e6a.html |
MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Residents in the Mount Dora area can pick up food items at no cost Saturday morning.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Farm Share, a nonprofit that aims to help food-insecure residents in Florida, will hold a food giveaway.
Organizers said the distribution event will be hosted in conjunction with Bethel Independent Free Methodist Church.
READ: Rev. Jesse Jackson stepping down as head of Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
The July 15 event is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at the church, located at:
- 303 East Jackson Avenue, Mt. Dora, FL 32757
See the map below for event location:
Farm Share said it helps to fight hunger “by working hand-in-hand with local farmers to recover and redistribute produce that would otherwise be thrown away due to aesthetic imperfections.”
Food availability will be on a first-come, first-served basis until supplies run out.
SEE: These dogs are only $5 to adopt in Central Florida this month
The distribution event will be drive-thru style to minimize contact and to help ensure the safety of everyone who participates, organizers said.
Attendees should arrive in a vehicle with a trunk or cargo bed.
Farm Share also distributes food to communities throughout Florida, free of charge, through soup kitchens, food pantries, homeless shelters, churches, and senior centers.
To find a food pantry near you, click here.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/happening-today-food-giveaway-mount-dora/7RHPACEHBVDYRCXTCI2WVUIUCA/ | 2023-07-15T11:24:55 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/happening-today-food-giveaway-mount-dora/7RHPACEHBVDYRCXTCI2WVUIUCA/ |
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Hundreds of Winter Garden-area families can pick up free, nutritious food items on Saturday morning.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Orange County District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson has partnered with Second Harvest Food Bank for a food distribution event.
It will get underway at 10 a.m. and be held in the parking lot of Kingdom Culture Church, located at:
READ: AAA to drop some Florida policyholders
- 12201 West Colonial Drive, Winter Garden, FL 34787
Organizers said the event will be drive-thru style; volunteers will hand out food to cars that line up to participate.
PHOTOS: These dogs are only $5 to adopt in Central Florida this month
Wilson said her office also worked closely with the Tildenville Safe Neighborhoods Program to coordinate the July 14 food giveaway.
The community outreach effort is expected to provide food for about 500 families.
Supplies will be given to residents on a first-come, first-served basis.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/saturday-food-distribution-west-orange-county/HD2K6VGA25GKXKY3NRIK72OTYQ/ | 2023-07-15T11:25:01 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/saturday-food-distribution-west-orange-county/HD2K6VGA25GKXKY3NRIK72OTYQ/ |
The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany Jul 16 — The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, 423 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff. 978-774-2911. 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Come join in prayer, fellowship, friendship, come and see! www.epiphanyaz.org, or 978-774-2911 for more info. https://go.evvnt.com/1834274-0.
BEACON UU SUNDAY SERVICE: Annual Labyrinth Service Jul 16 — Flagstaff Community Labyrinth, 136 E. Paseo del Rio, Flagstaff. 928-779-4492. 10-11 a.m., ALL ARE WELCOME! You BELONG at Beacon - Spiritually open and intentionally inclusive since 1958. Please join us for Beacon's ANNUAL LABYRINTH WALK SERVICE at the Flagstaff Community Labyrinth. A labyrinth is a maze that leads a person to the center. Walking the labyrinth in Flagstaff is like a movement meditation that directs a person to their own center. The service is a self-guided spiritual activity with other members of the congregation. The labyrinth is located in the south end of the Liz Archuleta County Park at Lone Tree and Sawmill. The service will begin at the usual 10 a.m. time. Please wear sensible walking shoes. Children are welcome to walk the labyrinth with a spirit of reverence or, under the supervision of their parents, to visit the nearby Sawmill Park. Unfortunately, the labyrinth is not currently wheelchair-accessible. Three parking options and a google map can be found here on the "Where Is It?" page of the Flagstaff Labyrinth website. SPIRITED CONVERSATIONS, AN ALTERNATE SUNDAY MORNING ACTIVITY AT BEACON: For those who are unable or choose not to walk the labyrinth, there will be an informal gathering at Beacon from 10 to 11 a.m. We'll get to know each other in new and deeper ways through sharing stories of our spiritual experiences. Char Tarashanti will facilitate. https://go.evvnt.com/1841099-0.
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PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH Jul 16 — 3430 N. Fourth St., 3430 N. Fourth St., Flagstaff. 928-526-9578. 10-11 a.m., We invite you to join the family of Peace Lutheran Church (LCMS) on Sunday at 10:00am for in person blended service (Combined Liturgical, hymnal based and Praise Worship) with Holy Communion. Pastor William Weiss Jr. (Pastor Bill) will be presiding. The service will be live streamed on our website (peacelutheranflagstaff.org) and on YouTube. Fellowship and refreshments are available before the worship service beginning 9:15am. https://go.evvnt.com/1840108-0.
LIVING CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH Jul 16 — 500 W. Riordan Road, 500 W. Riordan Road, Flagstaff. 928-526-8595. 10-11 a.m., Join Rev. Kurt Fangmeier for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost! God’s word is like the rain that waters the earth and brings forth vegetation. It is also like the sower who scatters seed indiscriminately. Our lives are like seeds sown in the earth. Even from what appears to be little, dormant, or dead, God promises a harvest. At the Lord’s table we are fed with the bread of life, that we may bear fruit in the world. We will learn more with our First Reading of Isaiah 55:10-13(The growth of the word to accomplish God’s purpose), Psalm 65: [1-8] 9-13 (Your paths overflow with plenty.) and the Second Reading of Romans 8:1-11 (Live according to the Spirit) together with the Gospel Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 (The parable of the sower and the seed). https://go.evvnt.com/1836221-0.
Flagstaff Federated Community Church Please join us for in person services Sundays at 10 a.m. We are located at 400 W Aspen Ave. on the corner of Aspen and Sitgreaves in Downtown Flagstaff. All are welcome to our services. For more information about Flagstaff Federated Community Church please call our office at 928-774-7383, Mon – Thurs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Church of the Resurrection Sunday Church Services 740 W. University Heights Drive S., 740 W. University Heights Drive S., Flagstaff. 928-853-8522. 10-11:30 a.m., Church of the Resurrection Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): We invite you to join us for worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays at 740 W. University Heights Drive South. Please feel free to contact us for information on our mid-week gatherings and for more information on our church. You can find us at www.cor-pca.org and www.facebook.com/CORFlagstaff or we can be reached at corflagstaff@gmail.com and (928) 699-2715.
Leupp Nazarene Church The church, near mile post 13 or Navajo Route 15, has been holding services by teleconferences and doing drive-up meetings. For information, call pastor Farrell Begay at 928-853-5321. Teleconference number: 1-7170275-8940 with access code 3204224#. Services are 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.
Christian Science Society of Flagstaff 619 W. Birch Ave. Bible Lesson services every Sunday 10-11am (Zoom option: https://zoom.us/j/369812794). Testimony Meetings every Wednesday: 5:30-6:30pm (Zoom option: https://zoom.us/j/971672834). Zoom password: CSS. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-religion-news-for-july-15-2023/article_73a29260-226c-11ee-81c8-d313522d206e.html | 2023-07-15T11:27:26 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-religion-news-for-july-15-2023/article_73a29260-226c-11ee-81c8-d313522d206e.html |
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber was among 70 House Republicans who voted to cut all U.S. military aid to Ukraine.
The proposed amendment to the defense spending bill failed 70-358 with all Democrats and the vast majority of Republicans voting against it on Thursday.
The $868 billion National Defense Authorization Act itself, which had Stauber’s support, passed the Republican-controlled House on Friday morning, largely along party lines, 219-210. Four Republicans voted against it and four Democrats voted for it. Democrats withheld support after Republicans attached amendments targeting abortion, gender transition procedures, and diversity, equality and inclusion programs in the military.
However, several amendments introduced by Republicans to curb financial support to Ukraine in its nearly year-and-a-half-long war with Russia did not pass.
The amendment to cut all military aid, introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., was just one sentence long: “Notwithstanding any provision of this or any other Act, no Federal funds may be made available to provide security assistance to Ukraine.”
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Stauber, of Hermantown, defended voting for it in a statement to the News Tribune on Friday.
“My vote was to address this Administration’s lack of transparency and accountability,” Stauber said. “There are billions and billions of American taxpayer money and military equipment currently unaccounted for with no strategic plan to end the conflict. I support the Ukrainian people’s efforts to defend themselves and defeat Russian aggression.”
But earlier this year, a report by inspectors general at the U.S. Department of Defense Office, Department of State and United States Agency for International Development Offices found no widespread fraud at that time.
“As of March 1, 2023, the three (Offices of Inspector General) had received 189 complaints alleging misconduct related to the Ukraine response. Investigations related to the Ukraine response have not yet substantiated significant waste, fraud, or abuse,” a summary of the report said.
Their offices continue to oversee the handling of U.S. aid sent to Ukraine.
Stauber also backed another failed amendment introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., that would have cut $300 million in funding to Ukraine. That amendment failed Thursday in an 89-341 vote.
Stauber has voted for aid to Ukraine in the past. In April 2022, within two months of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he voted to send $40 billion to the country.
And in the hours after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, Stauber tweeted that Russia's atack was attack "unprovoked" and "unacceptable" and urged the U.S. and allies to "stand strong" with Ukrainians. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/stauber-votes-to-end-u-s-military-aid-to-ukraine | 2023-07-15T11:45:18 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/stauber-votes-to-end-u-s-military-aid-to-ukraine |
A former Twin Falls man faces a dozen felony lewd conduct charges after he engaged in various sex acts with two underaged starting when they were 6 years old.
Robert Kolb Sr., 65, was bound over to district court Friday after the girls, now 18, testified that they were repeatedly forced to engage in the acts. The case against Kolb was filed in April and is still listed in the state’s online court system as being sealed, but Friday’s preliminary hearing was open to the public.
The girls testified that Kolb stopped his behavior about four years ago when they more aggressively began to reject his advances. One of the girls said Kolb has since moved to the Murphy area of Owyhee County.
In addition to making them perform sex acts, the victims said he forced them to view pornographic videos and he took nude photos of them from the neck down.
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Going into the preliminary hearing, Kolb faced 11 counts of lewd conduct, but after testimony, deputy prosecutor Suzanne Ehlers said she would amend the complaint to include an additional count.
Judge Thomas Kershaw bound Kolb over to district court on all of the charges.
“Each of these has been supported by evidence, which is substantial,” Kershaw said.
The girls, in their testimonies, which sometimes became emotional, said Kolb told them not to tell anyone about what he was doing to them. If they did, “he just told us he’d have to go away for a very long time,” said one of the victims.
“I felt it was time to address the issue,” one girl gave as the reason she eventually spoke out. One of the girls said that she felt her parents would be disappointed if she told them.
But after she told them, she said, she discovered that they weren’t angry at her.
Kolb posted $100,000 bond in May, and his next court date has not been determined. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/former-twin-falls-man-faces-12-lewd-conduct-charges/article_1e29ffc0-229a-11ee-a6dd-033dbb2d694c.html | 2023-07-15T11:49:03 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/former-twin-falls-man-faces-12-lewd-conduct-charges/article_1e29ffc0-229a-11ee-a6dd-033dbb2d694c.html |
A former youth pastor at a Twin Falls church faces sexual battery charges after police say he fondled a girl in 2021 when she was 16 years old.
Dakota Austin Kennemer, 31, was charged June 30 after an investigation started in January when the pastor at Grace Baptist Church contacted police after learning about the alleged incident that occurred within the church and the accompanying Twin Falls Christian Academy.
The victim, now 19, told investigators that she and Kennemer began texting each other, and he started to ask for inappropriate pictures, and on one occasion fondled her.
Investigators examined Kennemer’s phone and found a dozen photos of the girl, court records say. While investigators deemed the photos inappropriate, none showed explicit nudity.
Pastor Mark Sjostrom told police he and three church deacons met with Kennemer in December 2022 and he was fired that month.
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"Our hearts go out to the victim," Sjostrom said, but declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.
Kennemer has posted a $75,000 bond and a preliminary hearing is set for July 28.
There is a possibility that there are more victims but no additional charges have been filed, court records show. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/former-youth-pastor-charged-with-sexual-battey/article_c6db5efa-21d9-11ee-afb7-6fbf68ae89c4.html | 2023-07-15T11:49:09 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/former-youth-pastor-charged-with-sexual-battey/article_c6db5efa-21d9-11ee-afb7-6fbf68ae89c4.html |
The number of defendants listed on a complaint filed against the City of Burley in April over a water and sewer development agreement is expected to increase after a ruling by a judge.
Administrative District Judge Eric Wildman ruled Wednesday that the complaint, which names the city of Burley as the sole defendant, must, as outlined by Idaho Code, include all parties who have a claim or any interest which would be affected by a declaratory judgment.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and several other landowners are expected to be named on an amended complaint that attorney Don Chisholm, acting for the client and former Mayor Jon Anderson, plans to file.
The church is building a temple on the southeast edge of the city and others plan to develop property for homes.
“Our response to the motion was that Jon would be willing to join any party the judge deemed to be an indispensable party, so dismissal for failure to join them as defendants would have been inappropriate,” Chisholm wrote in a written statement to the Times-News.
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Cory Stegelmeier, an Idaho Falls attorney, represented the city during the hearing.
Stegelmeier argued that the complaint should be dismissed on several grounds. In addition to not all interested parties being named in the lawsuit, he said Anderson lacks standing to bring his action.
Anderson “hasn’t been harmed at all” by the development agreement, Stegelmeier told Wildman.
Wildman did not address the lack of standing argument in his order, and wrote that in the event Anderson chooses to amend the complaint, the court will schedule a future hearing to take up the issue.
The amended complaint needs to be filed on or before July 28, otherwise, the court will enter an order dismissing the complaint.
Besides the church, five other parties — property owners LeRoy and Ronda Funk, Lisa Funk, Carol Fowler, DDBL Investors LLC, and Garth and Patricia Heidel — are identified in the development agreement that the city says would provide infrastructure for future housing in addition to making sewer and water lines accessible to the temple.
Anderson contends the violation of the Idaho Constitution and religious favoritism in the development agreement.
The mayor and all six council members of the city and key appointed officials are members of the LDS Church, Anderson said.
City officials, meanwhile, say they did not grant any favors to the church through the development agreement, and that the project will benefit the public because much of the involved property was recently annexed, conceptually planned for hundreds of homes and includes a 72-acre city-owned parcel adjacent to the temple that may become a city recreational complex with a pool.
The lawsuit asks for the court to rule on whether the interest-free loans to property owners who elected not to participate in the project funding were unconstitutional; whether the church is not a licensed public works contractor and not authorized to contract out the water and sewer lines to the new temple site, whether the delegation of the purchasing function for the lines to the church for the city’s portion of the work was unlawful; whether the city’s declaration as sole source did not exempt the city from competitive bidding laws; whether payment to the church for the city’s share of costs was unlawful; and whether the city council’s actions with the development agreement is void because it was negotiated in private meetings. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/judge-complaint-involving-burley-development-agreement-must-be-amended/article_26931994-210a-11ee-8c2f-4be8cbfbcc4c.html | 2023-07-15T11:49:15 | 1 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/judge-complaint-involving-burley-development-agreement-must-be-amended/article_26931994-210a-11ee-8c2f-4be8cbfbcc4c.html |
COREY LEE GREGA
Age: 38
Height: 5 feet, 7 inches
Weight: 175 pounds
Sex: Male
Hair: Blond (shaved)
Eyes: Blue
Wanted for attempted strangulation
Bond: $150,000
The Twin Falls County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information to call 208-735-1911 or Crime Stoppers at 208-343-2677, where they can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a cash reward. Tips can be made at www.343cops.com or download P3 Tips on your cellphone. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/twin-falls-county-most-wanted/article_98e62abc-2296-11ee-abbd-6f5023c39a65.html | 2023-07-15T11:49:21 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/twin-falls-county-most-wanted/article_98e62abc-2296-11ee-abbd-6f5023c39a65.html |
TWIN FALLS — A multi-vehicle crash on Tuesday night got a start when two motorists were racing each other down Pole Line Road, police say.
Two people were sent to the hospital after the 10 p.m. four-vehicle crash.
The two teenage male drivers face reckless driving charges, Twin Falls Police Lt. Craig Stotts said.
They were westbound on Pole Line, when one of the vehicles struck a car pulling onto the road from Canyon Crest Drive.
One of the vehicles involved in the crash went airborne and ended up facing eastbound traffic, Stotts said. Part of the road was closed for about an hour.
Stotts said he was unsure of the seriousness of the injuries, and that investigators are trying to determine how fast the vehicles were traveling. | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/twin-falls-police-2-injured-in-wreck-that-involved-racing-motorists/article_b0847fb8-229e-11ee-9ddb-c3570d93c32d.html | 2023-07-15T11:49:27 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/twin-falls-police-2-injured-in-wreck-that-involved-racing-motorists/article_b0847fb8-229e-11ee-9ddb-c3570d93c32d.html |
Atlantic County has issued the following traffic advisories for next week:
Absecon: From Monday through Friday, a lane shift and/or single-lane, alternating traffic pattern will be in effect on Mill Road between Cordelia Lane and Delaware Avenue from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for concrete improvements.
Hamilton Township: On Wednesday and Thursday, a single-lane, alternating traffic pattern will be in effect on Weymouth Road between mileposts 17 and 18 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. for drainage improvements.
Egg Harbor Township: From Monday through Friday, single-lane, alternating traffic patterns will be in effect in the following areas:
- Ocean Heights Avenue between Steelmanville and Blackman roads from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Mill Road between Fire Road and Patcong Drive from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Steelmanville Road between Ocean Heights Avenue and Blackman Road from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Zion Road between Bargaintown and Old Zion roads from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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All work is weather permitting. Motorists may experience delays and should plan travel time accordingly or seek an alternate route. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-issues-traffic-advisories-for-next-week/article_9eca472e-2291-11ee-b914-6fe0018cd85b.html | 2023-07-15T12:12:47 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-county-issues-traffic-advisories-for-next-week/article_9eca472e-2291-11ee-b914-6fe0018cd85b.html |
AVALON — Local sailors say a boat that partially sank after hitting the Townsends Inlet Bridge last month should serve as a renewed call for efforts to replace the bridge and others for which Cape May County has so long advocated.
“It’s too tough to be able to go at a safe speed through that bridge without risking your boat getting dragged into those pilings,” said Jake Kowalski, who was aboard a 52-foot Viking yacht involved in last month’s accident, one of a dozen documented at the bridge.
In Townsends Inlet, an area of water between Sea Isle City and Avalon, a dozen bridge strikes have been documented going back to 2011, according to Bridge Commission records from Executive Director Karen Coughlin. Eight reports show boats hitting the structure’s fender beneath its span.
South Jersey boaters who frequent that area believe more strikes have happened than have been reported.
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“We definitely need a brand-new bridge there,” said Bob Rush, owner of the Starfish, a charter vessel that partially foundered after hitting the bridge last year when it was carrying upward of 20 people.
Rush says the bridge is tedious to pass under at times because of how quickly the water moves, an element of the waterway that changed when rock pilings were placed nearby, changing the nature of its flow. That fast-flowing water forces boaters to pass under quickly to prevent their watercraft from getting caught in the current, which could push it into the bridge.
Couple that aspect with an older structure, and going underneath the bridge can be risky, both Rush and Kowalski said.
“Your boat has to have a lot more speed and be stronger than the current,” Kowalski said of safely navigating under the bridge’s middle span.
AVALON — As a lifelong boating fanatic, Jake Kowalski hoped he would never have to make the …
A need for change at the bridge is part of a larger effort by Cape May County officials over the years to have all of its aging bridges either repaired or replaced. Doing so is part of a “comprehensive bridge plan” announced by county commissioners nearly three years ago.
The Townsends Inlet Bridge is owned and operated by the Cape May County Bridge Commission, an agency created to oversee the county’s five toll bridges. Its liaison to the county Board of Commissioners is Commissioner Director Leonard Desiderio, who did not return multiple requests for comment.
There’s hope that a new bridge will be erected in the future.
Townsends Inlet is one of four Bridge Commission structures to receive nearly $1.9 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation for their overhaul. The others are the Corsons Inlet Bridge connecting Ocean City and Strathmere, Grassy Sound Bridge connecting Stone Harbor and North Wildwood, and Middle Thorofare Bridge connecting Lower Township’s Diamond Beach section with the mainland.
The money will be used to determine preliminary preferred alternatives to replace the four bridges, according to the DOT’s website. Two would be bundled into one large project, and the remaining two would be advanced as individual bridge projects.
Two incidents from 2019 involve a barge striking the Townsends Inlet Bridge’s fender, the barrier that protects the bridges underneath. In 2012, a dredge broke free and hit the fenders during a storm.
Seven others show a vessel striking the fenders, two of which were recorded June 6 and 9.
Lawmakers have argued for aid in fixing the bridges. They’re deteriorating, showing noticeable signs of age through rusted railings and other aspects.
SEA ISLE CITY — The Starfish, which made headlines this past week for partially sinking in t…
Gov. Phil Murphy’s office directed questions about bridge funding to the state Department of Transportation, which said it has given about $3 million in the past four years to bridge projects in Cape May County.
In Fiscal Year 2023, the county received $3.45 million in funding from the DOT county aid program, which helps keep local roads and bridges structurally sound, department spokesperson Steve Schapiro said.
The NJDOT’s Local Bridges Fund is also a $47.3 million program funded through the Transportation Trust Fund that provides funding for each of New Jersey’s 21 counties for the improvement of bridges. The grants focus on the repair, reconstruction and replacement of bridges with the greatest structural deficiencies, Schapiro said.
The NJDOT’s Local Aid and Economic Development Division provides several avenues for funding, he said, adding the state provides “hundreds of millions of dollars each year to counties and municipalities through County Aid, Municipal Aid, the Local Bridges Fund, and other grant programs.”
Cape’s comprehensive bridge plan intends to replace county and commission-operated bridges over the next 15 years that have surpassed their lifetime and pose a safety threat for motorists, most of whom occupy the bridges during the county’s bustling tourism season.
Some of them are over 75 years old, according to the bridge plan.
Every two years, at minimum, each New Jersey bridge is inspected, adhering to federal mandates, Schapiro said. More frequent inspections often happen to address emergent condition, he said. That information is provided to bridge owners, such as Cape May County, which uses the reports to decide on needed work.
Stories among sailors, however, show bridges like Townsends Inlet urgently need to be addressed, Rush said.
As the summer of 2023 warms up, a beach replenishment project in Stone Harbor and Avalon is winding down, the latest in a decades-long effort to keep sand on the beaches of New Jersey.
The Starfish was trekking through the waters when it was pushed into the bridge by a fast-moving current, punching a hole in its hull, allowing it to fill with water and partially sink on its starboard side. Despite being brought to a marina in Upper Township, the boat was deemed unsavable, totaling about $500,000 in losses, Rush said.
The charter boat owner, given the water traffic, doesn’t want someone else enduring the same fate.
Last month, a Viking yacht, like the Starfish, struck the bridge’s fender, which pierced the boat. Kowalski was one of several on board who helped guide the boat to a nearby dock at the Avalon Yacht Club, arriving in time to get off before it partially sank.
The strike and subsequent sinking have made Kowalski extra cautious when proceeding through the bridge. He passed under it again this week.
“You really, really be like 110% focused going through that (Townsends Inlet Bridge), and as soon as you get your nose into the bridge, you’ve got to get some speed,” Kowalski said Tuesday. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/capemay-newjersey-boat-bridges-crash/article_34a48d64-20b6-11ee-9220-73859359f5bf.html | 2023-07-15T12:12:53 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/capemay-newjersey-boat-bridges-crash/article_34a48d64-20b6-11ee-9220-73859359f5bf.html |
An Atlantic City man arrested with a gun earlier this year was sentenced to five years in prison Thursday.
John Stevens' sentence will run concurrently with a separate 3½ years he received in March for unlawful possession of a weapon, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Friday in a news release.
Stevens, 21, and Carlos Garcia-Perez, 23, of Brigantine, were caught carrying guns in their waistbands Jan. 10. They were arrested at a convenience store in the 1500 block of Atlantic Avenue in Atlantic City.
Stevens' weapon was a 9mm Taurus handgun for which he did not have a permit. Garcia-Perez was armed with a "ghost gun," police said in January. Ghost guns lack a serial number for tracing.
Both men were initially charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of hollow-point ammunition.
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Garcia was additionally charged with possession of a ghost gun and possession of a high-capacity magazine. His case is pending, the Prosecutor's Office said Friday. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/1-of-2-men-caught-in-atlantic-city-with-guns-in-january-sentenced/article_09e9279c-2282-11ee-a944-eb0e0ebf1c13.html | 2023-07-15T12:13:06 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/1-of-2-men-caught-in-atlantic-city-with-guns-in-january-sentenced/article_09e9279c-2282-11ee-a944-eb0e0ebf1c13.html |
The state is investigating the death of a man Sunday following his arrest by State Police the day before in Fairfield Township.
In a news release, the Attorney General’s Office said it is not identifying the 30-year-old who died.
According to a preliminary investigation, emergency medical personnel were called to the State Police's Bridgeton Station on Saturday after the man became unresponsive about 8 p.m. Troopers performed life-saving measures before the man was transported to Inspira Medical Center Vineland. He was pronounced dead at 11:37 p.m. Sunday, the Attorney General's Office said.
The man was arrested Saturday evening on a charge of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer.
According to state policy, the Attorney General’s Office investigates any death that occurs during an encounter with a law enforcement officer acting in the officer’s official capacity or while the decedent is in custody. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/attorney-general-investigating-cumberland-county-death-after-arrest/article_5dd55fd0-2267-11ee-a842-57b6405a5898.html | 2023-07-15T12:13:13 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/attorney-general-investigating-cumberland-county-death-after-arrest/article_5dd55fd0-2267-11ee-a842-57b6405a5898.html |
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP — Police arrested a township woman Friday who they say was behind a multistate elder fraud scheme.
About 10:35 a.m., officers searched a home on Pitney Road after Detective Tim Giberson was made aware of a potential scam in Texas in which an elderly victim sent a large sum of money to an address in Galloway, police said in a news release.
The investigation led to the discovery of multiple victims in multiple states, police said.
Police found about $360,000 in the home and determined the money to be the proceeds of the fraud scam.
Michelle Mendonca, 42, was charged with fraud, theft by deception and money laundering.
Police reminded residents to be cautious when solicited to send money over the phone or internet. Government agencies such as the IRS will never solicit monetary payments over the phone or by email and will never ask for payments to be made in cash. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/galloway-woman-accused-of-multistate-elder-fraud-scheme/article_38f17668-22a3-11ee-84d0-77e1cb1fa843.html | 2023-07-15T12:13:19 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/galloway-woman-accused-of-multistate-elder-fraud-scheme/article_38f17668-22a3-11ee-84d0-77e1cb1fa843.html |
A New York man was arrested Thursday after police found he'd left two animals in a car with the windows up for an extended period in an Atlantic City parking garage, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.
Thomas Cabot, 53, of Brooklyn, was charged with cruelty to animals.
About 6 p.m., a bystander called 911 to report seeing a dog and a cat inside a car with the windows up. Police determined Thomas had left the animals inside the car without adequate water, ventilation or cooling since early that morning, the Prosecutor's Office said Friday in a news release.
Both animals survived and were seized pending the outcome of the criminal charges, the Prosecutor's Office said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/man-accused-of-leaving-pets-in-hot-car-in-atlantic-city/article_90335b6a-2269-11ee-b671-4348cc8a2e12.html | 2023-07-15T12:13:25 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/man-accused-of-leaving-pets-in-hot-car-in-atlantic-city/article_90335b6a-2269-11ee-b671-4348cc8a2e12.html |
OCEAN CITY — A 61-year-old city man was charged Tuesday with possession and distribution of child pornography.
Daniel C. Farrell was arrested following a court-authorized search of his cellphone, the Cape May County Prosecutor's Office said Friday in a news release.
The search was executed by members of the prosecutor’s High-Tech Crimes Unit and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations and city police.
Farrell was found to have been using his phone to upload and view child sexual abuse material, the Prosecutor's Office said.
He is being held at the Cape May County jail.
The possession charge carries a three- to five-year prison sentence, while the distribution charge carries a five- to 10-year sentence, according to the Prosecutor's Office.
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. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/ocean-city-pornography-charges/article_a4994f3a-2285-11ee-bf34-77425ef08bf0.html | 2023-07-15T12:13:31 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/ocean-city-pornography-charges/article_a4994f3a-2285-11ee-bf34-77425ef08bf0.html |
A Trenton woman charged in a nighttime crash that killed a state Human Services police officer and hospitalized others and herself will spend 12 years in prison, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said Friday.
Michael Luko Sr., 53, of Mays Landing, was coming home from work on the White Horse Pike when his car was hit by another vehicle driven by Taquaysha Bell, 31, in Hammonton. Luko was taken to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, Mainland Campus in Galloway Township, where he was pronounced dead.
Atlantic County Superior Court Judge Dorothy Garrabrant sentenced Bell on Thursday to seven years for vehicular homicide and five years for assault by auto with serious bodily injury, the Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. The judge also suspended her driver's license for five years after she is released.
Bell pleaded guilty to the charges in late May.
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Bell was westbound on the pike about 11 p.m. June 19, 2020, when, near Moss Mill Road, her 2010 Chevrolet Silverado crossed into the eastbound lanes, hitting Luko's 2003 Honda Civic. Bell and her rear passenger, Chanelle Morgan, were transported to AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center, City Campus in Atlantic City, where her blood was drawn for toxicology tests.
Taquaysha Bell, 29, was arrested Dec. 15 at her home by detectives of the Mercer County Pros…
Morgan underwent surgery as well.
Two male passengers were also taken to the hospital, but neither required medical attention, according to past reports.
Bell was arrested in December 2021 at her home and turned over to Atlantic County and Hammonton law enforcement. She was released from custody.
Bell was ordered to return to jail last year, however, after she struck a bicyclist with her car in Trenton in August, leaving the scene and leading to fresh offenses.
The Prosecutor's Office did not provide an update on the Mercer County charges Friday.
Luko was also a former Egg Harbor City police officer, the Prosecutor's Office said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/trenton-newjersey-crash-hammonton-death-officer-crime/article_8b16e344-2288-11ee-bd92-9f9d493a4cac.html | 2023-07-15T12:13:37 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/crime-courts/trenton-newjersey-crash-hammonton-death-officer-crime/article_8b16e344-2288-11ee-bd92-9f9d493a4cac.html |
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP — A nearly $700,000 grant will allow Stockton University faculty to work alongside experts from the Atlantic Marine Conservation Society to attach satellite tags to New Jersey harbor seals.
The grant is from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Research and Monitoring Initiative, which is researching and monitoring the state's marine resources amid ongoing offshore wind development.
Collecting the data before construction of offshore wind begins along New Jersey’s coast will allow researchers to assess how seal movements, behavior and health may be affected by the windmill projects, according to a news release from Stockton.
“The purpose of the study is to, first, better understand the movement patterns of harbor seals both in New Jersey, as well as regionally,” said marine mammal biologist and Stockton adjunct faculty Jackie Toth Sullivan. “We would like to understand if these harbor seals are using specific areas offshore for certain behaviors. For example, are windfarm lease areas being used as foraging grounds, and does this behavior change over time due to natural or anthropogenic impacts?”
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Personnel from Stockton's Marine Field Station, AMSEAS, the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Marine Mammals of Maine and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center will begin tagging seals in December.
The tags will allow researchers to monitor the seals throughout the winter as they migrate to other areas on the East Coast.
Various biological samples will be taken from harbor seals during the tagging process for health assessment purposes, and the data will then be included with other harbor seals studies along the coast.
Stockton students will be able to assess the data starting in spring 2024. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/education/stockton-receives-700-000-to-tag-harbor-seals-in-wind-study/article_283e465c-2258-11ee-9491-7ba6a871ca60.html | 2023-07-15T12:13:43 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/education/stockton-receives-700-000-to-tag-harbor-seals-in-wind-study/article_283e465c-2258-11ee-9491-7ba6a871ca60.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — Father and son Chick and Sam Westby, of Wisconsin, completed a cross-country bike trip in Atlantic City on Wednesday.
They began in Pacific City, Oregon, on June 1. The coast-to-coast trip took 42 days and 3,627 miles total, according to a post on Sam Westby's Instagram.
"42 straight days of riding. Our lowest mileage was 41 and we'd do 'low' mileage days about once a week," Westby said on Instagram.
Westby documented each day of their trip in videos on TikTok, which garnered millions of views. Most videos had over 100,000 views, while one video gained 3.5 million views.
The pair camped and stayed in hotels throughout the trip.
The Westbys began the trip by dipping their bike tires in the Pacific Ocean, as shown in their first video, and ended by dipping their tires in the Atlantic. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/father-and-son-end-cross-country-bike-ride-in-atlantic-city/article_c5e2deb4-2252-11ee-a509-cb54e90ebc29.html | 2023-07-15T12:13:50 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/father-and-son-end-cross-country-bike-ride-in-atlantic-city/article_c5e2deb4-2252-11ee-a509-cb54e90ebc29.html |
“Oysters taste like the water and everything that’s in it,” said Scott Lennox, as he cracks open half a dozen oysters and lays them out on a platter for a group of visitors, some of whom have never tasted shellfish before.
Lennox and his business partner Matt Gregg, founded the Barnegat Oyster Collective in 2016, a sustainable farm-to-table shellfish growing organization dedicated to expanding the industry in New Jersey. Along with a dozen farming members, they deliver quality oysters to restaurants, food cooperatives, and individual customers.
The group has helped revitalize the area’s shellfish population in Barnegat Bay, which over the last century has been depleted by pollution, disease, and over-harvesting. They have also become leading advocates for shellfish aquaculture, a fast-growing sector in New Jersey with an annual economic impact of $36 million.
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Recently, they were successful in efforts to have aquaculture added to the state’s Right to Farm Act, which gives oyster farmers greater protections.
And they believe that the experience of oysters can help lead to change.
“People come, learn, taste, and then go back to their home and tell everybody how cool it was,” said Lennox. “The more people that know about it, the more that they're going to want to protect the bay.”
From Seed to Table
Growing marketable oysters is not a quick process. It takes about two years before they are ready to be sold to restaurants and consumers.
The process begins with Lennox and Gregg purchasing “seed” oysters from a hatchery. They then place them in nursery tanks, a controlled environment where raw bay water is pumped in, giving the tiny animals the food and oxygen they need to begin growing. Once they’ve reached a half-inch in size, they’re put into “grow-out bags” that are stored in a cage that sits in the water.
After another year to a year and a half of care, including being sorted, cleaned, and dried, the oysters are harvested and prepared for sale.
Beyond the growing process, the Collective farmers face an array of challenges, like changes in sea level and temperature, predator migration, and residential development in the area.
One of the biggest challenges came very early on. Lennox and Gregg had been farming oysters in the bay prior to the Collective's formation. When Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012, they were faced with an immense challenge.
Though they were able to harvest their oysters a week before Sandy’s landfall, the Category 3 hurricane destroyed their equipment and oyster beds. It was clear to them that they had to figure out how they would fulfill their dream of starting an oyster aquaculture business while at the same time being aware of, and resilient against, the threat of more storms of Sandy’s magnitude.
Adapting to Climate Change on the Bay
Barnegat Bay is perfect for growing oysters, according to Lennox. But there are also challenges, he explained in a video interview.
Pollution from run-off is a significant problem and the state is implementing new strategies to improve water quality. Oysters are a key part of these efforts, as they act as natural filters and are essential to the health of estuaries.
Increased concentrations of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, as well as pollution, have caused the ocean to absorb vast quantities of heat.
This rise in water temperature has influenced the migration of new predators, like cownose rays, into Barnegat Bay, according to Lennox.
The rays feed on growing oysters and can have a significant impact on both aquaculture operations as well as efforts to restore degraded oyster beds. While oysters and hard clams are not a significant part of a ray’s diet, intense feeding in one localized area does occur – and can be devastating.
“They come in schools that could be up to 70 strong, and they remember where the good feeding spots are,” said Lennox. “They didn't used to be here in New Jersey; they’re known for being in points further South. But as we have warming oceans, they’re slowly populating bays up the coast.”
Though the rise in water temperature presents threats, for the time being, it also allows growers to reap some rewards, including a longer season. On average, spring starts earlier and fall starts later, allowing for a longer growing and harvest period than in decades past.
But this positive will be a negative down the line, as Lennox acknowledged the less favorable impact that global warming will have on oyster farming in the future.
“There are immediate benefits,” said Lennox. “But with long-term scary stuff…that is a big picture concern of ours.”
Protection for Shellfish Farmers
To better prepare for this uncertain future, the Collective is also a part of The Shellfish Growers Climate Coalition, a group of restaurants, farmers, and other stakeholders in the industry that lobbies for climate policy.
The group won a key victory recently with an amendment to the state’s Right to Farm Act, which now classifies aquatic agriculture entities as farmers. This gives them the same state-backed protection that land farmers have held since the introduction of the original piece of legislature in 1983. A key aspect of the legislation is language that allows oyster farmers in New Jersey to grow and harvest without the fear of disruption from developers or complaints from property owners.
In the future, the Collective hopes to further expand and grow the oyster farming footprint in Barnegat Bay by committing to restoration and education.
This involves repopulating the bay’s habitat by growing oysters on shorelines and on shell to make reef structures.
The Collective is looking for partnerships with educational organizations in the area, specifically trade schools like Ocean County Vocational Technical School and its culinary program, as well as Atlantic Cape Community College so that restaurant owners, chefs, and servers better understand the shellfish they are selling to consumers.
Lennox believes educating people about the oyster growing process, as well as about the consumer and culinary side of aquaculture, will lead to a rise in interest in their market. This will in turn, he hopes, inspire people to get involved in restoration efforts in the area.
“Aquaculture is an understandable story that people can engage with,” said Lennox. “The ultimate purpose of it is ecosystem conservation, but it's something tangible. You come out and you taste it, you feel it, smell it, you go out on the water and you have an experience with it.”
“And those experiences are what drive responsible humans to make responsible decisions about the environment.”
(This article and photographs, which originally published May 7, were produced by South Jersey Climate News. It is being republished here with their permission. For more stories on climate change and the impact on South Jersey, go to https://sjclimate.news/.) | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/future-proofing-new-jerseys-oyster-industry/article_f3d8d7b2-20de-11ee-8c4f-930badad16f1.html | 2023-07-15T12:13:56 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/future-proofing-new-jerseys-oyster-industry/article_f3d8d7b2-20de-11ee-8c4f-930badad16f1.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — Extermination services will start again, after a six-week delay, as the Atlantic City Housing Authority approved a contract with Anchor Pest Control of East Brunswick at a special meeting Friday.
The one-year contract is for $142,836 for regular scheduled maintenance services, and up to $180,000 for supplemental services to treat existing serious infestations.
Executive Director Matt Doherty, who started in the job this spring, said dozens of families are waiting for treatments for existing pest problems.
Resolutions to raise maintenance worker wages to $20 per hour, however, and to adjust existing contracts to reflect the new wage and raise supervisor salaries by a similar amount, were tabled to allow board members to study the issue.
Board Chair Stephanie Marshall moved to table the wage increase, and authority attorney Robert Manfredi said it was to collect more information.
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“The next three resolutions the executive committee ... recommended they be carried to the next meeting to allow more time to address the content of the resolutions,” Manfredi said.
Doherty has said the wage raise from $15 to $20 per hour was needed to attract more and better quality candidates to the jobs. There is a long list of problems to be fixed in the nine complexes throughout the city, including broken windows and doors, replacement of ceiling and wall sections, and more.
There is money in the budget to cover the wage increase, Doherty has also said, as many maintenance positions have gone unfilled with few people applying for them.
The Atlantic City Housing Authority is expected to take steps to approve regular contracts and take other steps to meet federal rules at a special meeting Friday.
Doherty thanked the board for passing the resolution to award the extermination contract to get a company started on eliminating roaches, mice and other pests.
“We’ve had no extermination anywhere in the authority for almost six weeks now,” Doherty said.
Rodent and roach extermination contracts had been awarded on an emergency basis under former interim part-time Executive Director John Clarke, but in June the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development said emergency contracts were no longer appropriate because it had lifted spending restrictions on the authority.
Other emergency contracts for mold remediation, heat and hot water system replacement and more also had to stop, Doherty said.
“Regarding mold remediation, I believe the bids are going to come back July 27, unfortunately the same day as (the next) authority meeting,” Doherty said. “My guess is there will have to be a special meeting scheduled at the beginning of August.”
No bids have yet gone out on replacing the heat and hot water system, Doherty said. He did not know why the bids have not gone out on replacing the antiquated central boiler system with an on-demand heat and hot water system in each building.
Doherty had hoped to replace the heat and hot water system in time for the new heating season in October, but delays are making that seem unrealistic.
The consultant who has been handling the bidding process for about a year, Jerry Volpe, said the board’s executive committee was responsible.
The Atlantic City Housing Authority has not followed federal rules for years in most of its …
“The only thing I can add is the bid is placed on hold on the direction of the executive committee,” Volpe said. “That is the reason it has not gone out.”
A new director of procurement, Rob Campbell, has just started, Doherty said. Campbell will be responsible for handling the bidding process and understands the urgency of getting the bidding started, Doherty said.
Campbell worked for the Housing Authority years ago and has also worked for the Camden Housing Authority, Doherty said.
The board also passed a resolution approving and authorizing the posting of policies related to the federal Violence Against Women Act.
“We will have more of these as the months go on, as we comply with HUD regulations,” Doherty said.
The lack of a policy to comply with the Violence Against Women Act was one of dozens of violations HUD found in a compliance review in March. The report was delivered to the authority in June and provides a long list of reforms the board must make to run the authority properly, according to HUD.
Melissa Pellechio, a lawyer in Manfredi’s office, said the resolution brings the authority into compliance with federal law to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence in either moving to another public housing unit or getting a Section 8 voucher to protect themselves.
HUD’s compliance report said the authority has not followed federal rules for years in most of its operations, including how public housing residents are chosen, how their rent is calculated and collected, and how public health and security issues are handled.
ATLANTIC CITY — The new leaders of the Atlantic City Housing Authority have been interviewin…
HUD listed 42 violations of its public housing rules and 18 violations of its Housing Choice Voucher program rules in the report.
According to HUD, the Housing Authority owns and operates 1,476 units of federal public housing, and in Fiscal Year 2022 HUD provided almost $9.6 million in operating grant funds and $4.8 million in capital grant funds to support those units. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/government-politics/atlantic-city-housing-authority-exterminator/article_705e20d0-225b-11ee-a1da-8be8016cb7c1.html | 2023-07-15T12:14:02 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/government-politics/atlantic-city-housing-authority-exterminator/article_705e20d0-225b-11ee-a1da-8be8016cb7c1.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — While political tensions continue to build over offshore wind development at the Jersey Shore, Gov. Phil Murphy believes the obstacles can be resolved for the projects to happen.
“I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to work through these challenges,” Murphy said Friday during a news conference as the National Governors Association meeting at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City wrapped up.
Murphy’s remarks come two weeks after Ørsted, the Danish company preparing to build a cluster of turbines in the Atlantic Ocean visible from local beaches, filed a lawsuit against Cape May County alleging it has not granted the easements needed for the project.
Ørsted couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Friday.
Murphy continues to champion efforts to place the wind farms off New Jersey’s coast despite opposition from Republicans at the local, state and federal levels, as well as marine mammal advocates.
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“Offshore wind is really important to us,” Murphy said. “It’s our next big source of energy. It’s a huge job creator. It’s clean energy. We need it.”
Republicans, however, fear placing the wind farms along the Jersey Shore could harm the region’s tourism economy and commercial fishing industry. Conservatives have also criticized the project for being spearheaded by a foreign entity.
Ørsted contends the Cape May County government is dragging its feet on the project, defying orders from the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and not granting permits for roadwork.
The nation's first lady shared memories of growing up in South Jersey and defined "Bidenomics" as a way to create good-paying jobs for the middle class in a brief speech Thursday at the National Governors Association's meeting at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City.
The county Board of Commissioners, which is made up entirely of Republicans, passed a resolution against the project in May.
Murphy spoke on the topic Friday alongside Utah Republican Gov. Spencer Cox and Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. New Jersey’s top officials said the three-day conference was well received in the resort by visiting dignitaries.
Murphy said he remains in contact with local officials on the wind matter.
“We engage with county and local officials as a matter of course all the time, whether it’s the mayor, county officials, both in Cape May County and every one of our 21 counties,” he said.
Republicans also have criticized Murphy for signing into law a tax break, granting that Ørsted keep federal tax credits it otherwise would have had to return to New Jersey ratepayers.
“Are you now going to just sit back as they sue your constituents?” U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, tweeted Tuesday in response to news of the Ørsted lawsuit, directing the question to the Murphy administration.
The Danish energy provider has been granted all of its needed approvals to build a 98-turbine wind farm off the coast, supplying energy through underground infrastructure leading to the site of the decommissioned B.L. England power plant in Upper Township.
Earlier in the week, Maddy Urbish, an Ørsted official, told The Associated Press, “Ocean Wind I remains committed to collaboration with local communities, and will continue working to support New Jersey’s clean energy targets and economic development goals by bringing good-paying jobs and local investment to the Garden State.” | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/government-politics/newjersey-governor-murphy-wind-jerseyshore/article_79345250-226b-11ee-b511-975c4011c4a7.html | 2023-07-15T12:14:07 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/government-politics/newjersey-governor-murphy-wind-jerseyshore/article_79345250-226b-11ee-b511-975c4011c4a7.html |
On July 8, 2023, Jim Dietz, owner of mini -golf and ice cream parlor Jurassic Swirled, talks about his experience with the recent power issue in Wildwood.
WILDWOOD — The total cost to local businesses from an island-wide power outage last week could be in the millions of dollars, Mayor Pete Byron said Thursday.
That includes lost sales from powerless registers and businesses forced to shut down when the lights went out. In one instance, he said, the owners of a hotel sent everyone home for the busy summer weekend, only to have power restored about an hour later.
Last Friday, a fire at Atlantic City Electric’s Lake Avenue substation led the utility to shut down power for about 24,000 customers throughout the Wildwoods.
Electricity was back on for most of them by Saturday, with power on for the entire island by Sunday.
So far, no cause has been determined for the fire, although officials in Wildwood say there has been no indication of wrongdoing, an assessment confirmed by Atlantic City Electric.
“A thorough and comprehensive investigation into this incident is ongoing. This investigation includes support from third-party experts to assist us in determining the cause of the fire,” said electric company spokesperson Frank Tedesco. “We will ensure we communicate with you when the cause is confirmed. At this time, there is no indication that the cause of the incident was a result of foul play.”
Tedesco said the utility is performing upgrades to the power grid throughout the Wildwood area, including upgrading transmission lines from the mainland to improve service reliability. He said two major reliability projects were recently completed in Cape May County.
Wildwood Crest Mayor Don Cabrera said Thursday he had received assurances from Atlantic City Electric that power is back on for all customers.
The cause of a fire at a substation Friday that temporarily knocked out power for about 24,000 customers in the Wildwoods is still under investigation, Atlantic City Electric said Monday.
“However, there is still work and repairs that need to be done and further investigation,” Cabrera said.
At the other end of the barrier island, North Wildwood Mayor Patrick Rosenello said he drove to the substation Wednesday and there were dozens of Atlantic City Electric trucks and staff members working.
“The electric company has been keeping me notified of their progress, and we have been in turn placing that information across our city’s social media sites,” Rosenello said.
Byron, too, said officials with Atlantic City Electric have worked to keep the community informed, which included a warning before a brief outage early Wednesday evening.
He said he was told the lights would be out for about 15 minutes, but they were back on in 10.
Utility crews have been checking lines throughout the island, he said, with the aim of preventing future outages.
“As previously communicated, additional temporary interruptions may be needed as our operators continue to balance customer energy demand across the system and as more permanent devices are brought back online,” Tedesco said Thursday. “We are doing everything possible to reduce the impacts of these interruptions on our customers and the local community. We appreciate the patience and understanding of our customers and the community.”
But the loss of revenue on one of only a few summer weekends will have an impact, Byron said. The July 4 weekend was intensely busy in the Wildwoods and other Jersey Shore communities, and Byron said the town was filling up again for the weekend.
WILDWOOD — Atlantic City Electric customers in the Wildwoods remained without power Saturday…
The Independence Day holiday starts the busiest part of the summer, he said, with kids out of school and more visitors coming for the week. With warm temperatures and large crowds, Byron said the power grid was under strain, although he stressed that the investigation into a cause continues.
“This certainly wouldn’t have happened in the wintertime,” he said.
Some business owners have approached the city about potential compensation for lost funds. He said there was no budget item for that.
Tedesco said Atlantic City Electric did not have an estimate of potential loss of business from the summertime outage.
“We manage all claims from customers on a case-by-case basis,” he said, adding customers who would like to learn more about the claims process or secure a claim form can visit the utility’s website.
Wildwood police had their hands full with the outage, with officers stationed at the busiest intersections to direct traffic with the traffic lights out of commission.
The usually brightly lit Boardwalk was dark, but Byron said he has not heard reports of any problems or an increase in crime in the city with the lights out.
“I was proud of the people in town,” Byron said. “People were taking their turns to cross intersections where there would normally be a light. Everybody acted accordingly, which was great.”
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The search for a missing Northfield woman with dementia has continued into a second week.
Idalia Mendez, 72, left her home in the 400 block of Walnut Avenue on July 5, appearing on video in various areas.
Police initially believed she was walking toward New Road or Tilton Road.
Authorities have searched the Atlantic County Utilities Authority's Environmental Park off Delilah Road in Egg Harbor Township as part of the investigation, township police Capt. Cherie Burgan said Thursday.
Northfield police and the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office were both investigating the disappearance.
The Prosecutor's Office did not return multiple requests for comment. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/northfield-newjersey-missing-woman/article_8f00ba36-2245-11ee-b52e-effa8241e1fe.html | 2023-07-15T12:14:19 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/northfield-newjersey-missing-woman/article_8f00ba36-2245-11ee-b52e-effa8241e1fe.html |
MAURICE RIVER TOWNSHIP — A portion of Route 47 is scheduled to be closed and detoured next week for a drainage pipe inspection, the state Department of Transportation said Friday.
Beginning at 8 a.m. Monday, Route 47 will be detoured in both directions between Main Street and Hunters Mill Road for water removal and pipe inspection. The closure is part of a sinkhole investigation and expected to last about four days, the DOT said in a news release. The following detours will be in place:
Traffic on Route 47 northbound will be directed to turn left onto Hunters Mill Road, right onto Main Street and left onto Route 47.
Traffic on Route 47 southbound will be directed to turn right onto Main Street, left onto Hunters Mill Road and right onto Route 47.
The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Visit 511nj.org for updates and real-time travel information. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/route-47-in-maurice-river-to-close-next-week-for-roadwork/article_56860ce2-2263-11ee-b26f-4f781cf2334e.html | 2023-07-15T12:14:25 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/route-47-in-maurice-river-to-close-next-week-for-roadwork/article_56860ce2-2263-11ee-b26f-4f781cf2334e.html |
It’ll be another weekend when the thunderstorm icon shows up on our generic weather apps. However, there will be dry time all weekend long, especially Saturday. Temperatures will be seasonable with the humidity all the way up.
We’ll start off Friday with a few showers through 8 a.m. Damaging winds and flooding rain are possible, but it should largely be plain rain.
Then we’ll be dry for a few hours, until about 1 p.m. Temperatures will rise from the balmy low to mid-70s into the low to mid-80s during this time. It will be muggy, too. We’ll have a partly to mostly cloudy sky.
Then, a line or two of showers and thunderstorms will try to pass during the afternoon. There will be dry time for outdoor activities, but have an indoor plan B to run to quickly. Rain is expected up to 90 minutes.
Similar to Friday morning, any storm could bring localized flooding rain and wind damage. Most will be safe from this, though.
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After the sun sets, the thunderstorms will turn into showers and wane in coverage. I do expect isolated showers throughout the night, with patchy areas of fog, too. Be safe driving or walking around, especially at the beach on another summer weekend.
Temperatures will fall into the 70s during the evening. Low temperatures will be in the low 70s for Galloway Township and inland areas. Margate and the shore will be in the mid-70s. That summertime muggy air remains, too.
Saturday will be the driest day of the weekend. The morning will be dry, with a mostly sunny sky. We’ll mix with a few more afternoon clouds, and isolated showers and storms will flare up after 1 p.m.
Given that it’s isolated, a number of us should be completely dry. When it rains, it should be for up to 60 minutes. When you take a look at the whole afternoon, that leaves plenty of time to enjoy outside.
Highs will be in the upper 80s inland. The sea breeze will cap high temperatures in the lower part of the 80s for the shore towns.
A couple of showers will last through the evening. Temperatures will fall into the 70s.
After midnight, we will be dry. Sunday morning lows will be between 70 and 75 degrees.
Sunday will likely be the wettest day of the weekend. Isolated morning showers will give way to scattered midday and afternoon thunderstorms. If you have all-day outdoor plans, it’ll be best to move them. Otherwise, it should be OK.
Highs will be a degree or two cooler than Saturday, owing to the mostly cloudy sky expected.
Recapping all of this, from the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival in Hammonton to the 42nd annual Avalon 5 Mile Run, there’s plenty to do this weekend. All events need a dry forecast to succeed. While we need the rain to cure our drought woes, we should have the best of both worlds. We’ll get our much needed rain, but it should be brief enough to keep nearly all outdoor plans. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/weather/july-14-nj-weekend-weather-rain-forecast/article_7ccd4a96-21b4-11ee-88f7-a7729c011e26.html | 2023-07-15T12:14:27 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/weather/july-14-nj-weekend-weather-rain-forecast/article_7ccd4a96-21b4-11ee-88f7-a7729c011e26.html |
Every morning, Zach Katzen, 44, of Atlantic City, heads out to the beach for a walk and, sometimes, a swim.
While Atlantic City is no tropical destination, the water temperatures have certainty made the resort feel like it.
"This past weekend, it was the warmest it's been all year, great weekend for swimming. After the (Sunday night) storm, it was a little cooler but still very nice, especially with the 90-degree days," Katzen said.
Water temperatures at Steel Pier in Atlantic City registered 78.6 degrees at 3:36 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Water temperatures have been in the low to mid-70s consistently all week long.
The average water temperature for the resort is 68.9 degrees, according to the weather service.
While daily and monthly water temperature records are not available like they are for air temperatures, this stretch is clearly near the warmest for the first half of July.
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Steve Downey, chief of the Atlantic City Beach Patrol, said it's only been this warm this early "once or twice" in the past 20 years.
It's a strong contrast to last summer, where water temperatures were in the 50s at times deep into August.
ATLANTIC CITY — Those flocking to the area’s beaches in order to beat the oppressive heat ma…
"It really has been pushing 70 since late June. The southeast winds last week put it over the top with the warm water pushing high 70s," Downey said.
Near persistent southeasterly winds the week of Independence Day pushed warm waters from the Gulf Stream, which itself is running warmer than average, to the Jersey Shore.
The lack of upwelling, which has a cooling effect and typically comes from south to southwest winds at the Jersey Shore, and strong July sun further bumped up water temperatures.
The 78-degree reading Wednesday is more the average water temperature for the Outer Banks of North Carolina, 250 to 300 miles south of Atlantic City.
Even mid-70s, seen frequently at the shore since the Fourth of July, is more typical for Virginia.
Beachgoers in Atlantic City have taken notice. Katzen said the waves have been "great" all week and surfers have taken advantage of the clean breaks in the ocean.
The lifeguards have responded to the increase in swimmers.
"The water has been packed with swimmers from opening through closing. We have had to increase the number of personnel we deploy on our after-hours emergency response teams due to the heat and water temperatures," Downey said.
Air temperatures at Sen. Frank S. Farley State Marina in Atlantic City have averaged 1.9 degrees above average for the month through Wednesday.
Warmer than average water temperatures have been noted across nearly all of the Atlantic Ocean. In fact, the record warm sea surface temperatures prompted Colorado State University to increase the number of tropical systems in its hurricane season forecast updated July 6. Now, a more active than usual season is forecast, though the risk of a landfalling or close pass from a tropical system in New Jersey remains around average at 27%.
In 2022, it was thought that the city broke the all-time warmest water temperature record. The Steel Pier water sensor registered a tropical 84.2 degrees Aug. 25. However, the National Weather Service deemed the sensor to be faulty, keeping the old record of 83.3 degrees recorded Aug. 10, 2016, in place.
ATLANTIC CITY — A faulty sensor at the Steel Pier is believed to be the reason officials tho…
Still, water temperatures did reach the 80s in late August, after hovering in the mid-50s earlier that month.
Since near shore water temperatures are heavily influenced by wind direction, there is no guarantee that the near tropical waters will stay into the summer. A string of south or southwest winds can drop water temperatures a few degree a day.
For now, Atlantic City can say it feels like a tropical paradise, even far away from the tropics.
The July 7-9 Shore Summer Weekend Weather Report Card update
July 7-9 Weekend: B+
July 7-9 was a great example of how the icons on your generic phone weather app can't tell the whole weather story. That is where a meteorologist comes in to help.
Storms Friday were expected to stay inland and did. Come Saturday, it stated dry at the coast, though there was the potential for isolated storms.
Sunday did bring soaking rain but most of this was after 5:30 p.m. when many are off the beaches and boats anyway.
Throughout the weekend, temperatures were 75 to 85 degrees. The winds were generally let and it was humid but not overly so for July.
If Sunday wound up dry and sunny, we could have had our first "A" of the summer. If this were an inland report card, it'd be a "C-plus".
However, a "B-plus" is right here.
Grade point average so far: 3.1 (B)
Fourth of July Weekend: B
Boy, this was a long weekend to grade. I believe it's the longest in the six years I've been doing this. When Independence Day has been on a Wednesday, I've just broken it out into the weekend before, the holiday and then the weekend after.
After digging through the archives and going off of memory, a B felt right.
It was pretty typical summertime weather at the shore, which is good news for the ever busy weekend. It was perfectly warm for the beach and the breezes were generally light (except on Sunday). Sure, there were showers and storms, but they either were brief or happened overnight. We only grade daytimes on this report card.
On the downside, smoke filled the air Friday, June 30. It was cool and cloudy on Saturday, which was the worst weekend day, in my opinion. Then, we had a breeze Sunday.
Grade point average so far: 3.0 (B)
June 23-25 Weekend: B
It was another week where Friday dragged down the weekend grade. It was cool and cloudy with showers around.
Saturday was decent for the shore while Sunday was great for most places. Both days were in that ideal 75 to 85 degree range with light breezes. Showers and storms only hit a few shore towns and when it rained it was only for less than an hour or so. It feels like a "B" to me.
Grade point average to date: 3.0 (B)
Father's Day and Juneteenth Weekend: B+
It's the best grade of the summer so far! A line of severe weather Friday that brought strong winds and hail and frequent lightning to parts of the shore was the only real blemish on this weekend. Saturday and Sunday were both warm, dry and comfortable. There was gray haze Saturday but air quality was largely OK.
Cumulative GPA: 3.0 (B)
June 9 to 11 Weekend: B
Saturday was the best day of the weekend and could be the best day of the summer at the Jersey Shore. There was a good amount of sunshine, a bit of a breeze, low humidity and comfortable temperatures.
Friday and Sunday brought the grade down. Friday had some rain showers, which automatically brings a bump down to a "B". Sunday was dry, but it was a bit on the breezy side. Most high temperatures were 70 to 75 degrees. In my opinion, that's not bad, but not top of the class worth temperatures.
June 2 to 4 Weekend: C+
Memorial Day Weekend: B
This was the viewers' choice grade. Thank you for giving me your shore weekend weather grade while I was away. It was a good start to the beach season. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/weather/july-jersey-shore-warm-ocean-water-temperatures/article_ee868992-21d5-11ee-9788-031a30335aee.html | 2023-07-15T12:14:33 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/weather/july-jersey-shore-warm-ocean-water-temperatures/article_ee868992-21d5-11ee-9788-031a30335aee.html |
For as long as Connor “Cassidy” Boyd can remember, the sounds of bird songs have prompted visions of circles, and Boyd would see flashes of red when someone sounded the letter “A.”
Growing up as someone diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism, the Richmond-based artist (who uses they/them pronouns) said they always thought these sensory crossings were more examples of how their mind functioned differently from others. But when Boyd was 19 and learned about synesthesia online, they finally understood why their senses felt so interconnected.
“I always just thought I was extra creative and my parents just thought I was just being a kid when I told them something tastes like a circle,” Boyd said. “Then I discovered it (synesthesia), and I thought, ‘Oh, I’m not crazy, other people have this, too.’”
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Synesthesia is a rare and complex neurological trait that causes a blending of the senses, said Dr. Joel Salinas, a behavioral neurologist and researcher at NYU Langone Health, who also identifies as having synesthesia.
The trait causes a person to perceive a mix of senses that are usually felt separately and is a result of involuntary or automatic communication between brain cells in different sensory regions, Salinas said.
“It’s essentially differences in connectivity in the brain,” said Salinas, who also serves as chief medical officer at Isaac Health and has written a memoir titled “Mirror Touch” about his own synesthesia. “The brain of someone who experiences synesthesia is likely to have more hyper connectivities especially at a local level, meaning lots of connections in one part of the brain.”
Salinas specified that synesthesia is categorized as a trait instead of a medical disorder or condition because it alone does not impair a person’s physical health.
“For the most part, you’re just going through life enveloped with extra information and for me it’s like any other sensory experience,” Salinas said.
Boyd agreed, saying the intensity of their synesthesia is related to how overstimulated they feel in an environment.
“It’s only when I’m in a loud environment like a concert when my vision becomes 80% or 90% sounds,” Boyd said. “But it’s not something that affects my daily life that makes it dangerous to drive or anything, and I’ve adapted to it as I’ve gotten older.”
Salinas said that approximately 4% of the population has synesthesia. But he noted this is likely an underestimation because more people may identify with the trait as additional research is conducted.
Whether it’s seeing sounds like Boyd or Salinas’ blend of sight and touch causing him to physically feel sensations he sees in other people, there are many kinds of synesthesia, and it is common for those with the trait to exhibit multiple types.
“The brain is messy and it’s noisy, so people with synesthesia are more likely to have lots of different connections and everyone experiences it differently,” Salinas said.
Though there is no specific diagnostic code for synesthesia, Salinas said the most objective way for someone to learn if they have it is to participate in research studies.
Researchers believe the trait runs in families and studies have shown that synesthesia is more prevalent in people who have autism.
Synesthesia is also commonly associated with artists or musicians. Some notable people who are believed to possess the trait include pop star Pharrell Williams, a Virginia native; singer Billy Joel; and famous painter Vincent van Gogh.
For Boyd, creating art and music has allowed them to foster a deeper understanding of their unique senses.
“The arts just help me channel all the extra information that I’m getting in my head. ... I write music, too; a lot of what I write is my sensory experience and more for me, but it’s just super validating to put it out there,” Boyd said. “I’d love to go somewhere to figure out my synesthesia, but it’s mostly been a journey of self-discovery, and there’s beauty in that, too.”
Boyd’s studio is filled with various instruments and dozens of intricate paintings depicting what they sense. Boyd has even painted some of their instruments based off what they sound like.
Among Boyd’s favorite pieces is a collage including all of Radiohead’s album covers as well as paintings created based on what they envision while listening to music.
For years, Boyd has gifted their friends paintings of songs and has been commissioned to create live art pieces of what they hear while attending concerts. During these events, Boyd said they arrive with a blank canvas, an open mind and simply paint while they listen.
One of Boyd’s most loyal clients is longtime friend Robb Saffell, co-founder and director of the singing ensemble Harmonic Introductions. Saffell has hosted events in which Boyd will create live paintings of the group’s distinctive overtone singing performances. The paintings are auctioned off after the concert and while they have hosted a few events, both Boyd and Saffell agreed they hope to work together more often.
“Connor’s art is alive, it’s really beautiful and I’m endlessly fascinated by what they create,” said Saffell, who is based in Maryland. “There’s not many other people I’ve heard of doing this kind of art, and I’m hoping to come down to Richmond and work with Connor more.”
Along with creating art and music, Boyd enjoys giving music lessons to students and connecting with others who also identify as neurodivergent or have synesthesia.
“Whenever I find someone else with synesthesia and who sees anything remotely like I do, it’s just an instant connection,” Boyd said. “Some of the students I also get along with best are those who also engage differently with music, and it really warms my heart when we work together and it clicks for them.”
While Boyd continues to navigate the world from their unique perspective, Boyd plans to remain true to themself.
“We just need the education out there that these things like synesthesia exist,” Boyd said. “I believe that by being authentic to myself — whether it’s through art or music — I can help show people that there are ways for us to fit in and carve out our own paths.” | https://richmond.com/news/local/synesthesia-richmond-artist--connor-boyd/article_858cd1e0-2242-11ee-a353-7baa688bebb4.html | 2023-07-15T12:15:14 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/synesthesia-richmond-artist--connor-boyd/article_858cd1e0-2242-11ee-a353-7baa688bebb4.html |
A Guilford County Sheriff’s detention services officer resigned prior to being charged Friday with providing a cell phone/electronic device to an inmate, which is a felony, the sheriff's office said in a news release.
Between June 17 and June 20, detention services officer Beverly Annette Chavis, 50, allegedly provided a cell phone to an inmate, Waleed Ahmad Faydi, 25, at the High Point Detention Center, according to the news release.
Sheriff Danny Rogers initiated a criminal and an internal administrative investigation. Shortly after the investigations began, Chavis resigned.
Chavis appeared before a magistrate in High Point and was released on a written promise to appear in court at a later date. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-courts/guilford-detention-officer-resigned-before-criminally-charged-with-providing-cell-phone-to-inmate-officials-say/article_e7ee2a48-2277-11ee-93c1-df2e24754db6.html | 2023-07-15T12:24:05 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-courts/guilford-detention-officer-resigned-before-criminally-charged-with-providing-cell-phone-to-inmate-officials-say/article_e7ee2a48-2277-11ee-93c1-df2e24754db6.html |
GREENSBORO — A man and a woman arrested Thursday on charges of human trafficking and promoting prostitution were each jailed in Greensboro on $1 million bond, according to online booking records.
Lisset Culpepper, 39, and Christian Barrera Valadez, 26, were arrested at a home in the 3500 block of Fiesta Drive, records show. They were also charged with conspiracy and with aiding and abetting.
The Greensboro Police Department is unable to comment on the arrests or details of the case because of an ongoing investigation, a spokeswoman said Friday.
According to state laws: “A person commits the offense of human trafficking when that person (i) knowingly or in reckless disregard of the consequences of the action recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means another person with the intent that the other person be held in involuntary servitude or sexual servitude or (ii) willfully or in reckless disregard of the consequences of the action causes a minor to be held in involuntary servitude or sexual servitude.”
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According to the city’s website, human trafficking victims may present the following behaviors:
- Acts fearful, anxious, submissive, tense, or paranoid
- Unusually afraid or anxious around law enforcement
- Avoids eye contact
- Has very little personal property
- Not in control of their identification documents or money
- Does not know where they are or what city they are in
- Claims to be just visiting the area with an inability to clarify where they are living
- Does not have access to healthcare
- Shows signs of physical abuse, physical restraint or confinement
- Always accompanied by someone and unable to speak for themselves
Authorities ask anyone who suspects human trafficking in the community to report it to Crime Stoppers by calling 336-373-1000. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-courts/two-people-charged-with-human-trafficking-in-greensboro-jailed-on-1-million-bond-each/article_473c0446-2248-11ee-8492-4fcdd619d1c7.html | 2023-07-15T12:24:11 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/crime-courts/two-people-charged-with-human-trafficking-in-greensboro-jailed-on-1-million-bond-each/article_473c0446-2248-11ee-8492-4fcdd619d1c7.html |
GREENSBORO — The City Council approved funding on Tuesday for a trolley service downtown, a crosstown bus route and doubling service on an existing route.
The board agreed to a $1.2 million contract addendum with RATP Dev USA, which operates the Greensboro Transit Agency.
The trolley service, which is set to begin at noon on July 20, will operate under a six-month pilot program at no charge to riders.
About $281,375 of the money also will pay for doubling service on Route 15 (Yanceyville St/Brightwood School Road) from hourly to 30 minutes during the week. The one-way fare will remain at $1.50.
A new crosstown route also will begin next January, although the exact direction is still being determined, city Transportation Director Hanna Cockburn said. That should be determined in the next 30 to 60 days, she said.
- Squeals and deals: At this new Greensboro thrift store, 'it gets pretty intense'
- The buzz about those green June beetles swarming Triad yards
- Seven tubers pulled from Dan Saturday, injured 69-year-old dies
- As Tyarra Williams' disappearance wears on, leads are in short supply. So is hope.
- High Point police ID brothers who died Friday in murder-suicide
- Leader Lucy: Madison student's accomplishments, acceptance to Harvard, are dizzying
- 69-year-old man dies after injuries in weekend tubing accident on Dan River
- Police arrest woman, 44, on accessory charge in 2022 homicide in Greensboro
- Greensboro weighs paying ABC general manager up to $200,000 a year
- UPDATE: Man, 56, dies after fatal collision on Benjamin Parkway this morning, police say
- Two people charged with human trafficking in Greensboro, jailed on $1 million bond each
- Piedmont Triad quarterbacks to watch for the 2023 season
- UPDATE: Man, 20, dies after assault Wednesday in Greensboro, police say
- One person hospitalized after assault today in Greensboro, police say
- UPDATE: East Wendover Avenue reopens in Greensboro after closure for police investigation
The route, which initially will cost $426,615, is the first of five recommended in the Mobility Greensboro 2040 report. The route will launch at the regular $1.50 one-way fare.
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Get local news delivered to your inbox! | https://greensboro.com/news/local/government-politics/greensboro-trolley-bus-service-crosstown-expansion-route/article_5c7dbddc-2017-11ee-bd5e-b78ee0c87083.html | 2023-07-15T12:24:17 | 0 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/government-politics/greensboro-trolley-bus-service-crosstown-expansion-route/article_5c7dbddc-2017-11ee-bd5e-b78ee0c87083.html |
GREENSBORO — Guilford County approved a new contract Thursday aimed at restarting the demolition of the old Greensboro jail and construction of the new law enforcement center, four months after it terminated the previous contract amid controversy.
The Board of Commissioners voted 8-0 to hire Blum-WC, a joint venture between Greensboro-based Blum Construction and Winston-Salem-based WC Construction, to manage the project. Commissioner Pat Tillman was absent.
Blum-WC will oversee the completion of the demolition of the old jail and construction of the new law enforcement administrative office. The project also includes removing the Otto Zenke building, where the sheriff's administrative offices are currently located, to make way for parking.
Among other things, the $92,430 contract approved Thursday is for Blum-WC to review the project status, develop bid packages, generate minority participation and develop a guaranteed maximum price to complete the project.
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Samet Corp. had completed $5.9 million of the estimated $23.9 million project before work stopped unexpectedly in February. County officials have been tight-lipped about why they terminated Samet's contract on March 2.
At the time, Samet officials accused the county of requiring it to hire Black-owned businesses after the bids were opened.
"The county acted improperly by instructing, after the subcontractor-bid process was completed in compliance with all laws and county policies, that Samet identify and hire additional Black-owned subcontractors outside of the bid process," Samet said in a statement earlier this year.
The company also said it fired an employee "who demonstrated their frustration with the request and openly questioned the validity of the county’s directive. The tenor of the employee’s remarks were inconsistent with Samet’s values and commitments."
County spokeswoman Julie Smith said in March that the contract was terminated because "the working relationship was disrupted by an incident that was wholly inconsistent with Guilford County’s commitment to its core values."
The exact nature of the incident remains unclear. Whatever the county's reason for engaging another contractor, the rift has delayed work on the project for nearly a year. Blum-WC is expected to begin finishing the demolition work early next year, according to a county news release.
Blum-WC is responsible for bidding the remaining work on the project and is expected to present the final price tag for commissioners' approval in December. Underground work necessary to allow for the demolition to begin is already complete.
The final cost of the project will be presented to commissioners for approval at a later date.
Other companies that bid on the project were Shelco LLC and Batson-Cook Co.
Commissioners' Chairman Melvin "Skip" Alston was pleased with speed at which the project management was rebid.
“The Board directed staff to restart the solicitation process expeditiously, and I am pleased to see staff following through on that commitment,” Alston said in a news release. “A Joint-Venture company is a forward-thinking approach to project delivery and I look forward to seeing the team restart the new Law Enforcement Center construction and complete it in a timely manner.”
According to background included with Thursday night's meeting agenda, the county developed a new "template for future projects" while it worked to accelerate the contract review and negotiation on the jail project. That includes the county's Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise office working with the contractor to design a process to identify potential minority firms for the project.
Blum-WC has promised a 40% MWBE participation rate for the project — 20% African American and 20% from other underrepresented minority groups.
The old jail, which was built in 1975, is being mostly demolished to make room for a new law enforcement center. The basement and first floor will be renovated and a new second floor added to the 41,000-square-foot center. The facility will allow the sheriff’s office to combine its administration, information technology division, legal and fleet teams into one space. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/government-politics/jail-demolition-contract-guilford-county-law-enforcement-administrative-offices-minority-contractors-bid/article_ad75583c-21dc-11ee-b909-3f9fd1cf7ec4.html | 2023-07-15T12:24:23 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/government-politics/jail-demolition-contract-guilford-county-law-enforcement-administrative-offices-minority-contractors-bid/article_ad75583c-21dc-11ee-b909-3f9fd1cf7ec4.html |
GREENSBORO — There aren’t many stores where you can find over 100 customers lined up outside on a Friday morning. In Greensboro, there might only be one: Treasure Hunt Liquidators on Bridford Parkway.
Consumers to the city’s newest thrift store might find the idea way too good to be true. Welcome to a place where you might find a Dutch oven, new Nike sneakers and a hair dryer — all for $10 apiece.
Like its name implies, Treasure Hunt Liquidators buys overstocked inventory and returned items from big-box retailers such as Amazon, Costco, Target and Home Depot.
And on Fridays, it all goes on sale to a salivating public.
Residents arrived as early as sunrise until a line stretched its way through the neighboring strip mall. Some stood. Some sat. One lady closed her eyes as she rested on a yoga mat. Wily flea market dealers were mixed among families as they both leaned against storefronts and cement columns, waiting to ravage the insides of the store.
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“People get to be like wild animals,” said Savannah Fields, a Greensboro native. “They start throwing things around and it gets pretty intense.”
Walking into the warehouse feels like you’ve been transported into a giant bazaar. Dumpster-sized bins hold hundreds of random packages. At the front of the store, you can find packaged clothes from Carhart, Levi, Wrangler and Nike. Near the back, power tools are jumbled together with car parts and motors. Even farther back are two bins filled with electronics in cardboard packaging.
Searching for a blender or a worn-yet-reliable pair of Turtlebeach headphones has never been a more spellbinding experience. Within five minutes of the store opening at 10:00 a.m., a river of red shopping carts flooded the aisles.
Some of the people digging through the bins carried bottles of hand sanitizer in fanny packs. The only words spoken were “excuse me” and “behind you,” which interrupted a silent, almost mechanical focus on finding a great deal.
And while people pressed the flesh, somewhere in the store, there was a man smiling. His name is Mo Smaki.
Smaki, the Greensboro manager of Treasure Hunt Liquidators, usually strolls the aisles between bins and keeps a close eye on employees. At one moment he could be reminding them to restock a certain bin. Or he could be leaning back against the wall, looking out proudly over the bustling marketplace.
“This is something you would get for $27,” said Smaki on a recent day, picking up a pipe cutter from one of the bins. “It’s $2 today.”
Although most of the action occurs on Friday, there is still a steady stream of customers all through the week.
If you show up on Saturday, items are $8 and decrease by $2 until Wednesday — when items are priced at $1. “It’s practically free!” a sign on the side of the store declares.
The whole idea began awhile ago in Raleigh, where a man named George Milano bought truckloads of overstocked merchandise and returns from retailers. Since then, Milano has brought the Treasure Hunt concept to Goldsboro, Norfolk, Va. and, now, Greensboro.
Just as a range of stuff can be found across the emporium, there is also a variety of customers to encounter within its aisles. One person might be coming in for a deal on an expensive phone case while another might come in looking to resell from the reseller. Smaki calls the latter his “VIPs.”
One VIP, Kimberly Dinkins, probably wouldn’t miss a question on “The Price Is Right.” She spends $4,000 to $5,000 a month on her side hustle: buying items from liquidator stores and reselling them on an eBay account.
“I can look at things and tell their value,” said Dinkins, who works in consulting. “But you don’t want to be a hoarder so you sell it.”
VIPs and other resellers tend to go for the stuff near the register. Among smart watches, cellphones and old laptops there are two “mystery” boxes that contain an assortment of higher-end products. Experienced customers buy these boxes for around $1,000 and make a profit when the contents are resold.
As the customers roll through the line at the register, Smaki is still out there smiling.
To him, it isn’t all just stuff. He’s also selling the experience.
“Our philosophy is not to be making the most money,” Smaki said. “We try to provide the best value for the customer.” | https://greensboro.com/news/local/squeals-and-deals-at-this-new-greensboro-thrift-store-it-gets-pretty-intense/article_a0992f5e-2023-11ee-9ad9-539bfa98e203.html | 2023-07-15T12:24:29 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/squeals-and-deals-at-this-new-greensboro-thrift-store-it-gets-pretty-intense/article_a0992f5e-2023-11ee-9ad9-539bfa98e203.html |
GREENSBORO — Police believe a medical event experienced by the driver of a pickup truck was a factor in a fatal collision on Benjamin Parkway this morning.
The 56-year-old driver was identified as Eric Scott Marshall, who was pronounced dead after he was taken by ambulance to Moses Cone Hospital, Greensboro police said in a news release issued after his next-of-kin was notified.
Officers responded just before 8:30 a.m. today to the intersection of Benjamin Parkway and Pembroke Road, where the crash occurred.
Police say Marshall was driving his 2004 Ford F-150 south on Benjamin Parkway and went left of center through the intersection of Pembroke Road. His truck overturned after striking a Ford Taurus stopped in the left turn lane of northbound Benjamin Parkway at Pembroke Road.
Firefighters had to extricate Marshall from the truck. The other driver was not injured, police said in the news release.
- Squeals and deals: At this new Greensboro thrift store, 'it gets pretty intense'
- The buzz about those green June beetles swarming Triad yards
- Seven tubers pulled from Dan Saturday, injured 69-year-old dies
- As Tyarra Williams' disappearance wears on, leads are in short supply. So is hope.
- High Point police ID brothers who died Friday in murder-suicide
- Leader Lucy: Madison student's accomplishments, acceptance to Harvard, are dizzying
- 69-year-old man dies after injuries in weekend tubing accident on Dan River
- Police arrest woman, 44, on accessory charge in 2022 homicide in Greensboro
- Greensboro weighs paying ABC general manager up to $200,000 a year
- UPDATE: Man, 56, dies after fatal collision on Benjamin Parkway this morning, police say
- Two people charged with human trafficking in Greensboro, jailed on $1 million bond each
- Piedmont Triad quarterbacks to watch for the 2023 season
- UPDATE: Man, 20, dies after assault Wednesday in Greensboro, police say
- One person hospitalized after assault today in Greensboro, police say
- UPDATE: East Wendover Avenue reopens in Greensboro after closure for police investigation
All lanes of Benjamin Parkway have reopened.
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Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. | https://greensboro.com/news/local/update-man-56-dies-after-fatal-collision-on-benjamin-parkway-this-morning-police-say/article_c3206258-224a-11ee-8588-1fe3d8b70d39.html | 2023-07-15T12:24:35 | 1 | https://greensboro.com/news/local/update-man-56-dies-after-fatal-collision-on-benjamin-parkway-this-morning-police-say/article_c3206258-224a-11ee-8588-1fe3d8b70d39.html |
WATERLOO — Tallest corn in a bucket. Pocket fruit pies. Kids in the ring showing beef cattle, swine, llamas and horses. Mutton busting.
Excitement is building for the annual Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair, Sunday through July 20 on the National Cattle Congress grounds. Youths are expected to herd nearly 300 animals through livestock judging. When it’s over, competitors will have ribbons and high praise to show for their efforts.
“We’re looking at 950 projects, both livestock and non-livestock projects, including static displays, food and nutrition. All of the entries are from 4-H and FFA youth from throughout Black Hawk County who have spent the last year working on their projects,” said Shelby McDonald, communication specialist and office assistant for Iowa State Extension and Outreach in Black Hawk County.
The annual fair highlights work of 4-H youths and Future Farmers of America in the county. Exhibits and project entries include livestock and non-livestock projects from kids ages 5 years and older.
The 4-H program offers youth fun, educational experiences and leadership opportunities, McDonald said.
“There is personal growth for kids who get a lot of experience taking care of livestock, creating and showing their projects, meeting with judges to talk about what they’ve done or made,” she said. “It gives kids more self-confidence.”
About 95 swine, 80 sheep, 50 poultry, 36 beef cattle, 17 goats, 15 to 20 horses, seven rabbits and three llamas have been registered for competition. Children can make crop monster rockets, tissue paper flowers and fans and watercolors in workshops that are open to the public.
On Sunday, activities include judging challenge projects, which gave participants the chance to grow the tallest corn in a bucket, make pocket fruit pies or shoot an action photo.
Monday’s events include the llamas show at 5 p.m. in the Pullin-Simonsen arena, and sheep and goat show in the Paul Barger building. On Tuesday from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., free breakfast will be available outside the Hippodrome.
At 8:30 a.m., the swine show begins, followed by a dog show, the Iowa Corn Trailer, 4-H alumni showmanship showdown, a roping clinic, mutton busting at 6 p.m., and family games at 7 p.m.
Wednesday’s schedule begins with a horse show at 9 a.m., and the annual STEM Fair is from 1 to 4 p.m. “The STEM Fair is our big event during the week, one that we’re hoping to grow. We have more than 20 businesses and organizations participating,” McDonald said.
Other activities on Wednesday include a Wacky Science Show at 2 and 4 p.m., a wood carver from 4 to 6:30 p.m., and the poultry show at 4 p.m. At 6 p.m., the barbecue cookout begins. The event includes family activities such as a carnival as well as the king and queen coronation and a concert by Throwback Jack.
Beef will be judged on Thursday, along with dairy cattle, rabbits and a pet show. Pies will be delivered to judges for tasting, and the afternoon will include a pedal tractor pull, Ag Olympics and a family picnic and ice cream sundaes at the Pavilion. Activities end at 6:30 p.m. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/2023-black-hawk-county-4-h-ffa-fair/article_7a89b676-2000-11ee-bc01-e734ece4b583.html | 2023-07-15T12:34:11 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/2023-black-hawk-county-4-h-ffa-fair/article_7a89b676-2000-11ee-bc01-e734ece4b583.html |
WAVERLY — The Bremer County Community Foundation held its 2023 grant awards celebration at the Waverly Area Veterans Post on July 12, announcing the distribution of $185,796 to 37 projects of organizations serving Bremer County through its 2023 grant cycle.
“Our local nonprofits are working hard to improve the quality of life for people in Bremer County, and the Bremer County Community Foundation is honored to be able to support these efforts through grantmaking,” said Stacie Schroeder, chair of the BCCF committee.
The grant recipient organizations, project each grant will fund and grant amounts are listed below by funding area.
Arts and Culture
- Tripoli Community School District, piano for Music Room, $7,675
- Wartburg Community Symphony Association, Season 71: Making Music Together, $3,000
- Waverly Chamber Music Series, Music Series 2023-2024, $3,000
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Community Betterment
- City of Denver, Library - computer replacement, $2,000
- City of Frederika, Fire Department - personal protective equipment, $10,000
- City of Janesville, Library - A Community Space For Everyone, $10,000
- City of Plainfield, Library - book drop and cart, $2,000
- City of Readlyn, Library - technology improvements and learning through STEM, $2,000
- City of Readlyn, Police Department - security cameras, $4,000
- City of Sumner, Fire Department - replacement turnout gear, $10,000
- City of Sumner, Library - things, $2,000
- City of Tripoli, Fire Department - thermal imagers and pressure washer, $9,820.16
- City of Tripoli, Library - new public computers, $3,300
- City of Waverly, Economic Development - Northwest Community Gardens repair, $2,000
Education & Youth Development
- Bremer County Fair Association, Youth Enrichment Center at the new fairgrounds, $4,000
- Denver Community School, Building Kids and Community, $5,000
- Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa, Creating Boundless Possibilities for Students, $2,000
- Nashua-Plainfield Community Schools, Nashua-Plainfield baseball/softball complex, $8,000
- Sumner Daycare and Learning Center, new facility, $10,000
- Waverly Child Care and Preschool, Waverly Child Care & Preschool expansion, $5,000
- Waverly Public Library Foundation, room for renewal, $8,000
Environment & Animal Welfare
- City of Waverly, Leisure Services - Waverly Bark Park lights addition, $2,424
Health
- Bremer County Community Partners, Bremer County Health and Hygiene Project , $2,000
- City of Plainfield, first responders - communication devices, $4,000
- City of Tripoli, Ambulance Service - monitor/defibrillator unit, $10,000
- Readlyn EMS Association, Stryker Stair-Pro stair chair, $2,400
- SEMS Ambulance, recertified ZOLL monitors, $5,000
- Senior Citizens Group of Waverly, Waverly Senior Center, $3,900
Human Service
- Families Helping Families of Iowa, program support for Bremer County youth in foster care, $2,000
- Fostering Families Together, training foster parents and back-to-school event, $2,250
- Friends of the Family, safe shelter and housing stability, $4,500
- North Star Community Services, accessible transportation, $5,000
- Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, Bremer County congregate and home delivered meals program, $7,500
- Northeast Iowa Community Action, food pantry, crisis assistance and extracurricular activity program, $9,000
- Northeast Iowa Food Bank, Feeding Communities, $5,000
- The Larrabee Center, community support services, $5,000
- Waverly-Shell Rock Area United Way, Holiday Shoppe, $3,000
Decisions on grant awards are determined by a local committee, which consists of volunteers from Bremer County. Committee members include Lisa Biersner, Lois Buhr, Brian Bunce, Gloria Campbell, Deb Hanson, Mike Johnson, Jane Juchems, Karen Neuendorf, Stacie Schroeder (chair), Jennifer Seward and Judi Tripolino.
Grants are awarded through BCCF’s competitive grant process to projects in the program areas of arts and culture, community betterment, education and youth development, environment and animal welfare, health and human service. Grant applicants must be a 501(c)(3) designated organization or government entity serving Bremer County in order to be considered for funding. More information about the BCCF can be found at www.bremerccf.org. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/bremer-county-community-foundation-185000-nonprofits/article_03c90400-21af-11ee-9009-f32d580d9438.html | 2023-07-15T12:34:17 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/bremer-county-community-foundation-185000-nonprofits/article_03c90400-21af-11ee-9009-f32d580d9438.html |
WATERLOO — A Waterloo man has been arrested for allegedly threatening his pregnant girlfriend and their children.
Authorities allege the man pushed and slapped the woman during an argument in the early morning hours of June 29. She went to a friend’s house, and the boyfriend then sent her pictures of him burning her clothing.
He also sent messages threatening to throw her 6-year-old daughter off a bridge and sent a picture of him holding a knife while one of their 4-year-old sons slept, according to court records. He also threatened her unborn child and said he would “make a whole bunch of people disappear from existence,” according to court records.
Deputies arrested Brian Charles Riley, 43, on July 7 for child endangerment. He is also charged with domestic assault and first-degree harassment. He was released pending trial. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/arrest-for-threatening-pregnant-girlfriend-children/article_6dd911fe-20e8-11ee-8f09-efb7f11068f3.html | 2023-07-15T12:34:24 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/arrest-for-threatening-pregnant-girlfriend-children/article_6dd911fe-20e8-11ee-8f09-efb7f11068f3.html |
CEDAR FALLS — A Cedar Falls man has been sentenced to prison for shooting his friend with a shotgun and holding police at bay for hours in December 2021.
Nathan Allen Wilson, 33, pleaded to intimidation with a weapon, interference while armed and reckless use of a firearm causing injury and in June was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
Authorities allege Wilson shot at Robert Smull with a shotgun during an argument at Wilson’s East Lake Street home. Smull was injured on his hand, arm and buttocks.
When police responded, Wilson retreated back inside home and barricaded himself inside while threatening officers.
Police eventually launched tear gas into the home and detained Wilson. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/cedar-falls-man-sentenced-in-shooting-standoff/article_d1d66fb6-20da-11ee-a341-13969b294fd4.html | 2023-07-15T12:34:30 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/cedar-falls-man-sentenced-in-shooting-standoff/article_d1d66fb6-20da-11ee-a341-13969b294fd4.html |
WATERLOO — Police arrested an alleged burglar who cut his hand while breaking into a Waterloo home while armed with a pistol Thursday night.
Officers arrested Isaiah Jordan Ricketts, 18, of 435 Morrell Ave., Evansdale, for second-degree burglary, carrying weapons and assault while participating in a felony. Bond was set at $20,000
Authorities also arrested Scott Dietrick Overman, 44, 149 Argyle St., for conspiracy for allegedly accompanying Ricketts to the scene earlier in the day.
According to court records, Ricketts threw a rock through a window at 87 Sycamore St. and then cut his hand while pulling out the broken glass. He then crawled in through the window.
A home security company called Boundary allows homeowners to hire a burglar to test their home security. The consultation involves the felon explaining how they would gain entry to the owner's home. The ex-burglar will also offer the homeowner tips on how to improve their security against potential robbers. "Most of us don’t have the mindset of a burglar and, therefore wouldn’t spot half of the places they might be able to gain access to in our homes," Robin Knox, CEO Of Boundary. The company’s employees include people who had been burgling homes for up to 12 years. Boundary are looking to expand the service after receiving large amounts of interest. The company are currently hiring burglars with at least one conviction and have knowledge of domestic burglaries.
The resident came home around 9:10 p.m. He heard rustling and found Ricketts inside. The victim chased Ricketts, who then reached for his pants and dropped a handgun, records state.
Ricketts then picked up the gun, pointed it at the resident and said “don’t f*** with me,” records state. The victim fled his house and called police.
Officers followed the blood trail to a nearby convenience store, where they obtained a video showing Ricketts getting into a Chevrolet Blazer that was driven by someone else.
Investigators traced the vehicle to a relative of Ricketts. The driver told police Ricketts had called for a ride claiming someone was shooting at him.
Officers searched Rickett’s home and found a bloody Glock handgun, records state.
The cities with the most break-ins and burglaries
Cities With the Most Break-Ins / Burglaries
Despite perceptions of rising crime, theft has become far less common in recent years than it used to be, and property crime rates declined even more sharply during the pandemic. That said, there are still hotspots where break-ins and burglaries are far more common than the typical American neighborhood. While approximately 400 burglaries and 1,700 larceny-thefts per 100,000 people annually have been the national norm over the past five years, there are cities in the United States that report rates double or even triple those numbers.As with anything, an understanding of what burglars are after and where they are active can help keep the trend heading lower. Over the last decade, the number of larceny-thefts fell nearly 20% from 6.3 million to 5.1 million, and the number of burglaries were cut in half from 2.2 million to 1.1 million, according to FBI statistics from 2015 to 2019. And it’s not a new trend. Since 1993, property crimes declined dramatically—55% to 71% depending on which source of stats you look at, Pew Research found.
Antonio Guillem / Alamy Stock Photo
Over the past decade burglary and larceny rates have declined
Looking at the past five years of crime data, burglars were about twice as likely to target a home than a business or other building, and nearly half of all burglaries occurred during broad daylight. Once in, thieves were often after two items in particular: money and jewelry. Together, those valuables were worth more than the remaining top categories of stolen goods combined. Of those other items, office equipment, electronics, and clothing were common targets.
Daytime break-ins of homes are most common
Protecting your home and taking initiatives to deter potential burglars are obvious steps to fight crime, but choosing a safe location to begin with is one of the most important factors. For example, burglaries occur in New York, New Hampshire, and Virginia less than half as many times as the national average, while residents of New Mexico, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana are burglarized nearly twice as often. In general, states in the South have higher-than-average property crime rates, and the states in the Northeast enjoy the lowest theft rates of any region in America.
Southern states experience the most property crime
To find out which cities were hotspots for theft, researchers at Porch analyzed data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program between 2015 to 2019 and then calculated the average number of burglaries and larceny-thefts per 100,000 residents. For comparison, cities were divided into three groups based on population. Here are the 15 U.S. cities with the most burglaries.
Small and midsize cities with the most burglaries
15. Dallas, TX
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 752 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 1,925 Average annual burglaries total: 10,044 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 25,729
D Guest Smith / Alamy Stock Photo
14. Houston, TX
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 763 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 2,931 Average annual burglaries total: 17,762 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 68,295
Duy Do / Alamy Stock Photo
13. Las Vegas, NV
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 782 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 1,608 Average annual burglaries total: 12,618 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 26,052
12. Columbus, OH
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 782 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 2,558 Average annual burglaries total: 6,833 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 22,374
Harley Rouda / Alamy Stock Photo
11. Minneapolis, MN
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 818 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 2,950 Average annual burglaries total: 3,445 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 12,438
Sunisa / Alamy Stock Photo
10. Milwaukee, WI
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 828 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 1,794 Average annual burglaries total: 4,943 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 10,710
Keith Homan / Alamy Stock Photo
9. Wichita, KS
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 841 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 3,935 Average annual burglaries total: 3,289 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 15,381
Henryk Sadura / Alamy Stock Photo
8. Kansas City, MO
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 872 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 2,592 Average annual burglaries total: 4,216 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 12,577
7. Oklahoma City, OK
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 918 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 2,532 Average annual burglaries total: 5,936 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 16,364
4k-Clips / Alamy Stock Photo
6. Bakersfield, CA
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 1,014 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 2,471 Average annual burglaries total: 3,869 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 9,425
Chris Boswell / Alamy Stock Photo
5. Seattle, WA
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 1,064 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 3,583 Average annual burglaries total: 7,669 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 25,807
Zoonar GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo
4. Baltimore, MD
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 1,132 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 2,772 Average annual burglaries total: 6,927 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 16,942
Canva Pty Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo
3. Detroit, MI
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 1,168 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 2,161 Average annual burglaries total: 7,825 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 14,471
Peter Mocsonoky / Alamy Stock Photo
2. Tulsa, OK
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 1,314 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 3,351 Average annual burglaries total: 5,302 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 13,518
Zoonar GmbH / Alamy Stock Photo
1. Memphis, TN
Average annual burglaries per 100k: 1,384 Average annual larceny-thefts per 100k: 4,070 Average annual burglaries total: 9,056 Average annual larceny-thefts total: 26,609
Jesse Kunerth / Alamy Stock Photo
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Get local news delivered to your inbox! | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/police-follow-blood-trail-after-burglar-cuts-hand/article_27d106ec-2257-11ee-8dbe-dfda60eb2ce9.html | 2023-07-15T12:34:36 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/police-follow-blood-trail-after-burglar-cuts-hand/article_27d106ec-2257-11ee-8dbe-dfda60eb2ce9.html |
WATERLOO — A Waterloo woman has been sentenced to probation for allegedly firing a gun at another woman in October.
Shaparis Zhane Davis, 29, was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison suspended to two to five years of probation after pleading to a charge of intimidation with a weapon on Monday in Black Hawk County District Court.
The victim had pulled up at Davis’ home on Rosehill Terrace on Oct. 31 to pick up some items. Davis allegedly exited the home and fired a shot.
No injuries were reported and Davis was arrested in May.
Police seized a 9 mm Kimber pistol during the investigation. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/probation-sentence-for-firing-gun-at-woman/article_72a8bd20-20d3-11ee-b45a-7b14090f0101.html | 2023-07-15T12:34:42 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/probation-sentence-for-firing-gun-at-woman/article_72a8bd20-20d3-11ee-b45a-7b14090f0101.html |
EVANSDALE — An Evansdale woman has pleaded guilty to charges of allegedly buying guns for her boyfriend, who is a member of an outlaw motorcycle club.
Jennifer Ann Wach, 45, pleaded to one count of aiding and abetting a felon in possession of a firearm Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids. She remains free pending a sentencing hearing.
Court records allege Wach purchased handguns and a rifle in 2018.
Some of the firearms were later in the possession of Bradley Aaron Ball, who was a member of a Sons of Silence Motorcycle Club support club and by September 2019 was a full Sons of Silence member. Ball is prohibited from possessing guns because of a prior felony burglary conviction, records state.
Wach and Ball later relented and returned some of the firearms to the store.
Another gun she bought was later found with another club member who is a convicted felon, records state.
Ball pleaded to charges of felon in possession of a firearm in May and is awaiting sentencing.
According to court records, Ball accompanied Wach when she bought a .45-caliber Smith and Wesson MP Shield pistol and a 9 mm Kimber Micro from Scheels Sporting Goods in Cedar Falls on Oct. 5, 2018.
The following day, she returned to the store to return the Smith and Wesson.
On Oct. 10, 2018, Wach filled out paperwork to buy a .22-caliber Mossberg rifle that was made to resemble an AR-15. Ball handed the store employee cash and handled the gun on the way out of the store, records state.
Three days later, on Oct. 13, 2018, they were at the Scheels store in Coralville where Wach bought a 9 mm SCCY pistol.
A .380-caliber Glock 42 was bought on Oct. 22, 2018, and three days later she returned the Glock 42 and the Kimber that had been bought earlier in the month, according to court records.
A year later, on Sept. 5, 2019, authorities searched their home and other locations as part of an investigation into Sons of Silence members. They found a .380-caliber Ruger LCP handgun in the bedroom and about 100 rounds of ammo in different calibers.
Agents seized patches and clothing as well as correspondence between Ball and incarcerated motorcycle club members.
Ball allegedly told investigators he had directed Wach to buy the guns. He also said they later researched the consequences of straw man firearm purchases and decided to return the guns, court records state. Detectives found evidence they researched penalties for such purchases online.
During the searches, the SCCY pistol that had been bought in Coralville was found with another club member, records state.
The charges are the newest filed in recent investigations into the Sons of Silence and affiliated clubs.
In April 2020, a Sons of Silence enforcer and several members of Sworn Silence were arrested after they allegedly forced an off-duty police officer on a motorcycle to pull over in Clarion. The officer was wearing “colors” – a vest and patch – for the Gunfighters Motorcycle Club, an organization for law enforcement, and Sworn Silence demanded he hand over the vest.
As part of the investigation, the enforcer was convicted of federal firearm charges and charges against the rest were dropped.
In 2019, the president of the Central Iowa Chapter of the Sons of Silence was sentenced to federal prison on firearm charges. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/sons-of-silence-girlfriend-pleads-gun-investigation/article_8d8ec6ac-21a5-11ee-afd4-af32be78ed87.html | 2023-07-15T12:34:51 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/sons-of-silence-girlfriend-pleads-gun-investigation/article_8d8ec6ac-21a5-11ee-afd4-af32be78ed87.html |
WATERLOO — Cedar Valley radio icon Dolly Fortier has died.
The 86-year-old broadcaster suffered a heart attack last week. Her absence was noticeable to her regular listeners on Cruisin’ KCFI Radio because of a change in programming. She died Wednesday, according to the KCFI website.
“Dolly was an amazing lady. She worked so hard for her listeners. No one loved them more than Dolly and they returned that love to her,” said Jim Coloff, president of Coloff Media and station owner.
Fortier was a member of The Courier’s class of 2017 Eight Over 80 winners. In an interview at the time, she confessed she had “a motor that never stops. God has blessed me with the energy to do things. I just love being busy, and I love people.”
She officially retired from KWLO Radio in 2008 after a 39-year-career in radio broadcasting. She continued to devote her time to community service, but returned to the broadcast booth after a five-year hiatus in 2013.
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Fortier filled the airwaves from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. “Lunchtime with Dolly” quickly became a popular program on KCFI FM 105.1 and AM 1250. Listeners tuned in for Big Band Monday, Girl Tuesday, Whatever Wednesday, Guy Thursday and Featured Artist Friday. They also loved when she shared trivia and “thoughts for the day,” telling The Courier, “I pick them up from magazines, people’s refrigerators.”
Coloff said when Dolly was on the air, the phones “would explode in the studio with caller requests, well wishes, questions, and even a wedding proposal. She had a lot of admirers. It wasn’t uncommon for a gentleman to send flowers occasionally.”
In 2016, she was named Broadcaster of the Year by the Iowa Broadcasters Association.
“I loved radio because I grew up with radio,” the quick-witted broadcaster told The Courier. “It’s just a fascinating industry. I’m just so grateful to have been a part of it, the local history here, and to meet the people that have been involved in it.”
Born in Britt, Fortier had lived in Waterloo since 1956. A stay-at-home mom, she was active in the Parent Teacher Association when her sons were in school and the Association for Retarded Citizens, now the Arc Cedar Valley, after her daughter, Julie, was born with disabilities.
Her radio career began in 1970 as a copywriter and sales coordinator for KWWL-FM and she later moved to sales. Fortier sat down behind the microphone in 1996 and steadily gained a following of devoted listeners.
Fortier coordinated the Wedding Extravaganza event in downtown Waterloo for 25 years, was active in the annual Fourth Street Cruise for many years and received an award in 1998 for a series of U.S. Navy public service announcements.
She served on the Waterloo Planning, Programming and Zoning Commission, Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau, and at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. In addition, she appeared on stage in Waterloo Community Playhouse productions.
Fortier worked tirelessly on behalf of disabled individuals, serving on the Arc board, an advisory board for the former Country View Nursing Home and organizing a bowling program at Maple Lanes.
“I will miss Dolly poking her head in my office each morning as she walked into the studio. She always had a smile and a bit of advice to make my day better. She was one of a kind,” Coloff said.
When receiving The Courier’s Eight over 80 Award, Fortier offered her advice for a long and happy life.
“I don’t think we’re put on this earth to just sit and twiddle our thumbs. We’re put here to serve. I am hoping that when I go, I’m going to wear out. I’m not going to rust out.”
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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/dolly-fortier-obit-kcfi-am-1250-fm-1051/article_48fc4b44-21b5-11ee-8294-47180a864911.html | 2023-07-15T12:34:58 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/dolly-fortier-obit-kcfi-am-1250-fm-1051/article_48fc4b44-21b5-11ee-8294-47180a864911.html |
WATERLOO — If you build it, they will come.
That’s the pitch East High alumnus Cory Haberstitch makes for a proposed complete renovation of the school’s outdoor athletic complex, which was unveiled this week in a promotional video.
The $6 million project has been in the works since 2022 and the committee behind it is reimagining the entire athletic campus. The project would transform the baseball and softball fields by adding lights, extending dugouts, replacing fencing, updating the press box and scoreboard, adding bleacher seating, installing batting cages and enhancing entrance gates.
There will also be a court expansion with the addition of pickleball and basketball courts as well as a renovation of the existing tennis courts. This will include bleacher seating and a new entrance gate.
To connect the entire complex, a plaza will be constructed with sidewalks, concessions, restrooms, a storage building, a clubhouse, locker rooms, a team facility, a study zone, and coaches quarters. The parking lot and street near the complex will also be updated to provide more safety for players, opposing teams and spectators driving and crossing the road.
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East High Athletic Director Tim Moses said the ball field hasn’t been updated for more than 30 years. It has no lights, no locker rooms and little shade for spectators.
Eric Jesse, East’s baseball coach, said the current facility affects the game and the team has tried its best to make the diamond playable.
“The outfield is pretty rough and close to the road,” he said. “The seating options for fans … there’s not a lot of options and the amount of shade makes it hot. Little things like that add up.”
He also said the outfield has hills and valleys and an infamous hole which the team refers to as the “crater.”
Moses related the dilapidated fields and courts to the loss of booming businesses like Chamberlain Manufacturing and the Rath Packing Company on the east side of Waterloo.
“It was a community that you could be ... just extremely proud of. And just to see how things have kind of mirrored (the business loss) … it’s my job as the athletic director here to bring back the pride of East High School,” he said. “And to me that starts with our facilities.”
He also noted that, currently, players change in the bathrooms, Trojans in Training facility, or the press box.
“As the old saying goes, if you look good and you feel good, more likely you’ll play good,” Moses said.
He said that at many away games players get off the bus are in awe because that school has nicer facilities, charter buses and catered lunches.
“Kids are saying ‘Mr. Moses, why don’t we have that?’” he said. “You’re not going to ask me that question (anymore) because we’re going to have it.”
Chad Shipman, the project director, said Moses came to him saying the school didn’t have lights. After traveling to other districts and seeing what they had, he thought “Why not us?” He said West High School across town has had lights on its fields for more than a decade.
In June, the Waterloo Community Schools’ Board of Education unanimously approved the purchase of lights for the baseball field. The six light poles and their electric installation will cost $343,079. That money is coming from the physical plant and equipment levy budget.
The lights are expected to be installed before the next baseball season, which begins May 1. At this point, no other district funds are expected for the projects.
“I just wanted to make sure that, again, that I fought for my kids,” Moses said. “I will always fight for my kids and make sure that they’re being treated fairly and that the playing field is level and that they don’t feel like they’re less than because we have some very good kids here.”
Along with addressing equity issues, the transformation will provide added safety for everyone involved.
The addition of lights alone will allow games to start later than 3:30 p.m. That will help prevent students from both teams having to miss school and keep athletes and spectators out of the heat, resulting in higher attendance.
Moses said about three years ago when a game was played while the temperature was in the triple digits, an umpire had to leave the field due to being overheated.
“In my conversation (the umpire) said to me, ‘Tim, when are you guys gonna get lights?’ Moses recalled, saying the school was 30 years behind the times. “I felt bad because it’s not something I can control, but it just made me feel bad that our facilities were that far dated, you know, and it’s a safety concern.”
Currently, the spectators are provided with little to no shade. Moses said with added shade and better seating, more parents and community members would enjoy watching the game. He said the athletes would love to have the opportunity to play in front of more people – including more of their parents and grandparents.
In the promotional video, East High alumnus Matthew Gilbert, a member of the action committee, said he was disappointed to see how the facility had fallen into disrepair.
“I’m really excited someone’s taking a point to actually invest in really lighting this place up to be a meaningful place for more families and more future athletes,” he said in the video.
Shipman said it’s not just about the installation of lights but giving a new energy to the school.
“The district is investing in the future, into the future of our residents,” he said. “The kids that are going to school, they’re the ones that are going to live and work in our community. That’s just more evidence that the district’s willing to invest in our future.”
Shipman said the fundraising phase has just started for the project and that different organizations have already reached out about becoming possible donors. He has received multiple in-kind donations and received a letter of intent for a “sizable amount” of funding.
The Waterloo Schools Foundation has agreed to be the fiscal sponsor for donated financial assets.
Bob Hellman, the founder of Build Our Ballpark, an organization that builds and restores athletic campuses, will be a mentor for the project. Hellman grew up in east Waterloo and the organization has built or restored 59 fields in 14 communities and three states.
Shipman is hoping the project will be finished within three years.
For more information about the project or to donate, go to EastWaterloo.com. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/east-high-school-athletic-facility-transformation/article_2ee8cf36-1f5b-11ee-b301-3b2370c15844.html | 2023-07-15T12:35:04 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/east-high-school-athletic-facility-transformation/article_2ee8cf36-1f5b-11ee-b301-3b2370c15844.html |
CEDAR FALLS — Cedar Falls Utilities has nearly finalized a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency sparked by a 2019 oil leak, acknowledging several technical violations related to its response in the incident.
However, disagreements with the EPA remain on more egregious claims.
CFU will pay a civil penalty of $79,500 for its failure to properly prepare and implement what’s known as a spill prevention control and countermeasure plan. Additionally, the utility says it responded to the directives given by the agency to address noncompliance.
The CFU board of trustees approved all agreements last month.
While CFU officials don’t deny the leaks occurred, they say the utility addressed the issues promptly and adequately, and described them as being minor in nature.
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“We respect the role of the EPA and what they’re all about,” said General Manager Steve Bernard. “It plays an important role for the environment and public’s safety. But we were pretty surprised it got to this point. We take a lot of pride in how we operate safely and with our community in mind.”
Inspections followed an incident on Nov. 22, 2019, reported by CFU to the National Response Center that oil leaks were allowed from Streeter Station, but were contained to a few feet of the outfall area of Dry Run Creek.
“It was pretty easy to contain,” said Bernard. “There isn’t heightened risk, and (we) disagree that it’s not being operated safely.”
During a Sept. 10, 2020, inspection, EPA officials noted oil discharge from the 27th Street Station into diked areas. The 27th Street issue was a “pinhole” leak that saturated a “few wheel barrels of soil,” Bernard said.
“It’s not like we needed a backhoe,” he said. “We responded promptly, and shoveled that out the day after and addressed the tank quickly.”
The spill prevention control and countermeasure plan is designed to address accidental discharges of oil from CFU facilities. Those include Streeter Station, the primary electric generating station at 1 Utility Parkway; its backup generation station on West 27th Street; and at least seven substations spread through Cedar Falls.
The regulations are designed to protect public health, public welfare, and the environment from potential harmful effects of oil discharges to navigable waters.
CFU officials didn’t expect the EPA’s heightened response. But they noted that continuing to dispute the claims was not worth the administrative and court costs. In the settlement, the utility neither formally admitted nor denied the factual allegations and legal conclusions asserted by the EPA.
It was the first such time CFU had its plan scrutinized to that extent and the only time it had ever received a fine from the EPA for noncompliance, according to Bernard. The regulations are a result of the Federal Clean Water Act and require any operator of facilities with over 1,320 gallons of oil to have a plan.
The EPA is declining comment on the ongoing enforcement matters until the agreement is finalized. The proposed consent agreement and final order is expected to be posted on Region 7’s website within the next week, when a public comment period will open.
The proposed agreement will be finalized no sooner than 40 days after it is posted for public comment. The administrative order for compliance on consent is pending until signed and finalized by the EPA, which is also expected to be soon. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-and-politics/cfu-settles-epa-oil-leakage-allegations/article_cf921cbe-19b9-11ee-9618-9f054ee25c78.html | 2023-07-15T12:35:10 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-and-politics/cfu-settles-epa-oil-leakage-allegations/article_cf921cbe-19b9-11ee-9618-9f054ee25c78.html |
CEDAR FALLS -- The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the city of Cedar Falls for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022.
The certificate is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting and represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
“Cedar Falls has received this honor from GFOA for the past several years and it is a tribute to the continued outstanding work by the City finance team to ensure that there is an efficiently organized annual comprehensive report that not only conforms to program standards, but is also easily readable for our community,” said Jennifer Rodenbeck, finance and business operations director.
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“Each year, our finance staff puts in hundreds of hours in preparation for the annual audit. This includes creating a complete set of audited financial statements that are presented in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. Staff also ensures that the financial statements are in compliance with the Government Standards Board and financial accounting is in compliance with Iowa Code.
“This recognition is truly made possible because of the commitment of the City finance team. We thank them for their hard work and dedication to Cedar Falls.”
The report has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program, demonstrating a constructive "spirit of full disclosure" to clearly communicate the city’s financial story and motivating potential users and user groups to read the report.
The public can view the annual audit report at bit.ly/CFFYR23.
What do Iowans want? An inside look at what 20 Iowans say about their lives, government
About the series
This year’s legislative session was hugely consequential, criticized by some Iowans and praised by others. The laws passed, from tax cuts to school regulations to book bans to restrictions on transgender students, will influence the everyday lives of people across the state for years to come.
We wanted to know how these actions and others by the state government affect the lives of people across the state. What they like, what they don’t like, where they see our leaders falling short and what they think needs more attention.
This story is part of a larger series involving Lee Enterprises newspapers in Council Bluffs, Davenport, Mason City, Muscatine, Sioux City, Waterloo-Cedar Falls and our Des Moines Bureau. The “What Do Iowans Want?” series attempts to probe the thinking of people across the state about how the government is working for them.
The 20 Iowans profiled represent the broad perspectives in our state. They’re teachers, artists, retirees and athletes. They’re Republicans, Democrats and independents. They’re your neighbors and your friends. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-politics/city-of-cedar-falls-recognized-for-financial-excellence/article_1913f1a4-2109-11ee-bc22-a7bd186952c8.html | 2023-07-15T12:35:16 | 1 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-politics/city-of-cedar-falls-recognized-for-financial-excellence/article_1913f1a4-2109-11ee-bc22-a7bd186952c8.html |
Sixth in a series on The Courier’s Eight Over 80 winners.
WATERLOO — The co-founder of a summer camp for children of incarcerated people is being recognized for his work in the community.
The Rev. Chuck Lane, 82, is a Courier Eight Over 80 recipient. His work spans decades and includes Cedar Valley Hope Camp, which is always the third week in June. The program completed its 15th year this summer.
“We’re trying to break the prison cycle for the young people. That’s what we’re after. We don’t want kids going to prison,” he said. “People just don’t realize what these kids go through on a daily basis.”
Lane, a retired deacon at Trinity Episcopal Parish and Waterloo resident since 1972, believes the free Christian camping experience is achieving its mission. Each year it provides outdoor experiences for nearly 50 kids, ages 6 to 18, including living in a cabin, enjoying acres of a wooded area and participating in meaningful activities.
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They get the chance to cook, clean and gain valuable life skills as well as take part in swimming, hiking, basketball, volleyball, ziplining, tie dying, archery and other games.
It’s open to any child with an incarcerated parent or one who’s in prison waiting for a trial. The camp primarily serves Black Hawk County kids but children from all over take part, Lane said.
There have been numerous success stories, including A’Daris Washington and JoJo Frost who were both campers, eventually became counselors and later went onto excel in college.
No matter what, Lane said the kids who’ve been there are always coming up to him, clamoring for the chance to return another year.
“The kids are always looking forward to it every year.”
But the retired deacon’s work doesn’t stop after the young people return home from their summer adventure.
“I see most of these kids every day, mostly on Sunday, because I attend their churches,” said Lane. “Since I’m retired, I only go to my own church once per month.”
The camp is a piece of his resume of service, one that includes time on various boards. Among those are Hope4Healing, the Waterloo Housing Trust, the Jesse Cosby Center, the Iowa Justice Action Network, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s local chapter and the Eastside Ministerial Alliance.
He’s had other impactful roles. For example, he was a UnityPoint Health night chaplain for 25 years. He was there to help people in crisis who were going through some of their most challenging moments in life.
“Rev. Chuck Lane has been a pillar in the Waterloo community for over 50 years through volunteering,” wrote Daniel Shafer, jail & prison reentry coordinator at the Archdiocese of Dubuque, in his nominating letter. “He has been very active in social justice within the Waterloo/Cedar Valley area with mentoring, defending, and supporting people within the community in all areas of the justice system.”
In terms of The Courier recognition, Lane said he hopes others will be encouraged “to be out there in the community and be with people. Instead of being at home, we need to be out there shaking people’s hands. There comes a point, too, where you need to hug them and tell them ‘I’m here to listen.’”
Prior to arriving in Waterloo, Lane served in the U.S. Marine Corps on the Japanese island Okinawa. He emphasizes great advice he received from the late Rev. Ed Browning, one of the greatest influences on his life.
“The first book he wrote was ‘No Outcasts,’” said Lane. “He was one of the few I know who preached it and believed very strongly that nobody is an outcast regardless of anything. We’re all welcomed in the church and at the altar.
“God loves everybody. I tell men getting out of prison that we all make mistakes. I mean I made a lot of mistakes myself,” he added.
Another experience he had in Japan led him to that guiding principle of wanting to get to know people.
“That means sitting down and talking with them,” he said, “and learn things like the history. Sometimes it can be terrible to hear, but that’s how you learn about people and their backgrounds.”
Additionally, diversity is one reason he’s stuck around Waterloo. He’s passionate about pushing back against racism, after witnessing it for the first time in Perry, his hometown.
“He always states that he wants to pattern his ministry work after Martin Luther King Jr. by bridging the cultures here in Waterloo and the surrounding areas,” said Shafer. | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/inspiring-young-people-among-retired-deacons-roles/article_d51ad65c-1136-11ee-a4d5-d7ce616eef7c.html | 2023-07-15T12:35:22 | 0 | https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/inspiring-young-people-among-retired-deacons-roles/article_d51ad65c-1136-11ee-a4d5-d7ce616eef7c.html |
Did you follow Arizona news this week? Test your skills with the azcentral.com news quiz
Lorenzino Estrada
Arizona Republic
Did you pay attention to the top headlines in Arizona this week? Now is the time to test your knowledge with this week's azcentral.com news quiz, covering stories from July 8-14. Best of luck!
Did you get a perfect score? If so, great job! You're in the know with Arizona news.
Didn't get the score you wanted? Sign up for the AZ Briefing to get all the top Arizona headlines in your mailbox every morning. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/07/15/azcentral-news-quiz-july-15-2023/70415127007/ | 2023-07-15T12:48:29 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/07/15/azcentral-news-quiz-july-15-2023/70415127007/ |
Arizona's summer weather in 5 charts. Is the data what you expected?
Central Arizona is sweltering under soaring temperatures.
Is it normal?
Take a look at the five charts below to better understand the Phoenix metro area's summertime weather.
Monthly average temperature
National Weather Service weather data from 1991 to 2020 shows that the average first 100-degree day for the Phoenix area is May 2, and the average last day is August 26.
July is often the hottest month in the Phoenix metro area. In most years over the past two decades, the monthly average temperature in July at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was over 95 degrees.
Hottest and coldest days each month
Historical weather data from National Weather Service shows that the highest temperature recorded at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was 122 degrees in June 1990.
For July, the highest recorded temperature since 1933 is 121 degrees.
January is generally the coldest month in the Phoenix metro area. The current record for the month is 17 degrees. That low was recorded on Jan. 5, 1950.
How many days are over 110 degrees each year?
So far, Phoenix has seen 16 days over 110 this year — and more are coming. This already puts 2023 ahead of more than half of the last 90 years.
How much rain in a typical July?
National Weather Service records from the past 10 years show an average of 0.77 inches of rain in July.
Over the past decade, July 2021 and July 2013 were exceptions when more than double the average rainfall for July was recorded.
When does flooding occur?
Because of Arizona's torrential monsoon downpours, communities are particularly prone to flooding in July and August.
Over the past 10 years, nearly 80 people have died across Arizona in flood incidents. At least one person has already died this year, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information, a unit of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Apart from the loss of lives, flood incidents have caused more than $1.5 billion in damage to property over the past decade. Neighborhoods are particularly prone to flood in July and August.
With all this data in mind, take advice from the Arizona Department of Health Services: Drink plenty of water, stay indoors when possible, take regular breaks from physical activity on warm days and monitor people at high risk of health issues stemming from heat exposure.
During a flood, the National Weather Service advises the following: stay informed, get to higher ground, obey evacuation orders, practice electrical safety and avoid flood waters.
Reach the reporter at olakunle.falayi@gannett.com. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-weather/2023/07/15/arizona-summer-weather-in-5-charts/70408243007/ | 2023-07-15T12:48:35 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-weather/2023/07/15/arizona-summer-weather-in-5-charts/70408243007/ |
Age and injury can’t keep 62-year-old Julie Bosch from her love of running, and that same love was what led the Bismarck woman to become a national champion in the Steel City.
The National Senior Games is a biennial multisport event that began in 1987 for adults 50 and older. The games this year in Pittsburgh featured 20 sports and attracted more than 11,000 athletes -- some in their 90s -- from across the country.
Bosch found out about the Senior Games about five years ago and began competing at the North Dakota State Senior Games. Athletes must qualify at one of the annual state Senior Games to be eligible for the national competition. There are no regulations about which state an athlete can compete and qualify in. Bosch even competed in South Dakota’s state games at one point.
Bosch has qualified for nationals before, but prior commitments prevented her from going. She was finally able to compete at the national event in Pittsburgh this month. She made it a memorable one by taking home the gold in the women’s 1500-meter dash and the women's 5K Road Race for her age group. She placed third in the Road Race overall. Bosch also competed in the 400-meter and 800-meter dashes, placing fifth and second, respectively.
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Bosch’s grandchildren gave her small little notes to read every day while she’s in Pittsburgh. Some are encouraging, telling her she’s going to do well. One simply told her to just have fun.
The Senior Games groups athletes by age in five-year intervals. At Bosch’s age, a year can make all the difference in how an athlete feels or how much the body can endure, she said.
Being at the event is exhilarating but also intimidating, Bosch said. Some of the athletes she's met have hired trainers and are quite competitive, but she finds that motivating. Seeing people in their 70s, 80s or 90s being active is inspiring for Bosch.
“I feel blessed; all of this is a joy and a blessing,” she said.
Bosch first began running as a teenager with her high school’s track and field team. She stopped when she got to college, but picked it up again after her first child was born. She said she found a talent for it and began to run in marathons, locally and outside of North Dakota. She ran in North Dakota's Prairie Rose State Games, and did some coaching.
A doctor recommended that Bosch quit running when she badly injured her knee about 12 years ago. But that didn’t stop her, and she began to run again after six months of rehab.
Bosch said the people she’s met through running and how running makes her feel all contribute to her love of the sport. She shares that love with a running group she and others began 10 years ago called Team Kaizen. The group is meant for youth and young adult runners. It’s low-key, with no registration required and a simple goal of encouraging others to get out and run.
“It’s the most rewarding thing I’ve done with my running,” Bosch said.
Not many people know about or compete in the North Dakota Senior Games, according to Bosch. She said participation totals in the hundreds of athletes, compared to thousands of athletes in other states' games. Six sports were offered in the last North Dakota games, and the same ones are being offered again this year.
Des Moines, Iowa, will host the 2025 National Senior Games. Bosch hopes the closer location will prompt more people to join the state games. Bosch will compete again in the North Dakota Senior Games this August in Fargo and West Fargo. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck-woman-takes-home-the-gold-at-the-national-senior-games-in-pittsburgh/article_09f35a52-225d-11ee-bcc4-0fb8245c0aa5.html | 2023-07-15T12:49:34 | 0 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/bismarck-woman-takes-home-the-gold-at-the-national-senior-games-in-pittsburgh/article_09f35a52-225d-11ee-bcc4-0fb8245c0aa5.html |
ORLANDO, Fla. — The heat wave continues.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Meteorologist Kassandra Crimi said daytime highs will reach the mid-90s today, with heat index values reaching 102 to 107 degrees.
Some showers and storms will again bring some relief from the heat.
Read: Saturday: Food distribution in west Orange County
Our best chance for rain and storms will be after 3 p.m. and for areas east of Interstate 4.
As for the tropics, Subtropical Storm Don has no threat to Florida or really anyone, as it’s expected to stay in the Central Atlantic.
Follow our Severe Weather team on Twitter for live updates:
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/heat-wave-carries-this-weekend-with-some-afternoon-storms/OYP2YNZLBRGZ3NOGLEHQ3KKY44/ | 2023-07-15T12:56:58 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/heat-wave-carries-this-weekend-with-some-afternoon-storms/OYP2YNZLBRGZ3NOGLEHQ3KKY44/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando City will head north to battle for king of the south in the MLS when they play Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Saturday night.
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City (34-points) sits one point behind Atlanta (35-points) in the Eastern Conference but well ahead of Charlotte (26-points) and Miami (18-points), who could stake their claim as the best MLS team in the south.
Orlando City is coming off their third away loss of the season last Saturday against RSL, 4-0.
The travel out west and altitude appeared to affect the Lions in Sandy, Utah. Orlando gave up two goals off headers in the first half.
The backline seemed sluggish, leaving RSL players open in the box or allowing forwards to run behind the line to score RSL’s other two goals.
The Lions are ready to bounce back this week.
Atlanta dominated this series when they entered the league in 2017, with nine wins, three losses, and seven draws in six years.
Read: Big 12 newcomer UCF shines in Power 5 Media Days debut
The Lions have a much better record over the Five Stripes since 2020, winning three games, drawing five, and losing one game in the last three years.
The Lions should have everyone available from Oscar Pareja’s last two starting lineups. Barring any tactical changes or resting some players, we should expect to see the same starters this week.
The only other factor impacting tonight’s lineup could be Leagues Cup play starting next week. With the new competition in 2023, how teams will stack their rosters for those games is yet to be seen.
For Atlanta, center back Miles Robinson is questionable and could be back from international duty with the U.S. Men’s National team after their defeat against Panama on Wednesday in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
After tonight’s game, the Lions return to Exploria Stadium next week for their first Leagues Cup match against the Houston Dynamo FC on Friday.
If you are a fan of the Orlando Pride, they also return home next Sunday, July 23, for a Challenge Cup match against MY/NJ Gotham FC.
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/lions-vs-atlanta-king-mls-south-showdown-saturday/C4KZKNW4W5FFXL6N44RVAYMOC4/ | 2023-07-15T12:57:02 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/lions-vs-atlanta-king-mls-south-showdown-saturday/C4KZKNW4W5FFXL6N44RVAYMOC4/ |
An adult male motorcyclist was in life-threatening condition early today after fleeing police who attempted a traffic stop, Fort Wayne police said.
In a statement, police said an officer attempted the traffic stop shortly after midnight after seeing the motorcyclist run a red light at West State Boulevard and Wells Street. They said the motorcyclist refused to stop and led police on a short pursuit.
During the pursuit, the motorcyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, lost control and crashed in the area of Northside Drive and Glazier Avenue, police said. He was taken to a local hospital in life-threatening condition.
The crash remains under investigation by city police and the Allen County prosecutor's office. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/police-motorcyclist-badly-hurt-after-fleeing-attempted-traffic-stop/article_6d8e5308-22fa-11ee-9a71-93c96d0db88f.html | 2023-07-15T13:01:37 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/police-fire/police-motorcyclist-badly-hurt-after-fleeing-attempted-traffic-stop/article_6d8e5308-22fa-11ee-9a71-93c96d0db88f.html |
The city of Fort Wayne issued this news release today:
When it rains, the 100-year-old combined sewers in older parts of Fort Wayne can overflow, resulting in the discharge of a combination of stormwater (rain or snowmelt) and untreated sewage into CSO impacted waterways within the Great Lakes Basin. Today's forecast indicates a strong possibility that overflows will occur or have started to occur within the past four (4) hours. The overflow may be continuing. The approximate times when the overflow started and stops will be summarized within seven (7) days in a supplemental notice available on the City's website at https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/cso-notification.html.
Consumption of or direct contact with sewage-contaminated water could make you sick. Signs are posted along affected waterways in Fort Wayne to identify the locations of combined sewer overflow points and areas where contact with water could be hazardous to your health. These locations, and waterbodies potentially impacted, may also be found by clicking the following link: https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/cso-notification.html.
During and after a combined sewer overflow event, individuals should avoid direct contact with water in any of the waterways that are potentially impacted by CSOs as shown on the map found at https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/cso-notification.html.
In addition, City Utilities encourages the public to take the following precautions:
* Avoid direct contact with CSO-impacted streams during and for three days (72 hours) after a rain event and for 72 hours after receiving a CSO notification;
* Alter recreational activities to avoid direct contact with CSO-impacted water;
* If contact does occur with CSO-impacted water, wash your hands immediately, especially prior to eating;
* Use a waterless hand sanitizer at outings that occur near CSO-impacted streams.
Every Wednesday City Utilities will post information at the following location giving details of any CSO discharge events that have happened in the previous seven (7) days:
https://www.cityoffortwayne.org/cso-notification.html.
Clean water is a priority for the City of Fort Wayne. City Utilities is implementing a variety of projects to improve waterways and reduce CSO discharges. The long-term costs to control CSOs in Fort Wayne will likely exceed $250 million. | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/verbatim-combined-sewer-overflow-warning-today/article_1368454c-22fe-11ee-816e-77593eff8f5e.html | 2023-07-15T13:01:43 | 0 | https://www.journalgazette.net/local/verbatim-combined-sewer-overflow-warning-today/article_1368454c-22fe-11ee-816e-77593eff8f5e.html |
Cafeteria report card: Brophy, other Phoenix schools knocked in recent health inspections
Faulty dishwashers, dirty food slicers and a leaky pipe — all found in Maricopa County school kitchens and cafeterias last school year.
Back-to-school season is here again, so The Arizona Republic reviewed Maricopa County health inspection reports for school food prep and service areas from the 2022-23 school year, finding four schools received two or more serious violations in their most recent inspection.
Some schools that performed poorly earlier in the school year improved their rating in a later inspection. Those schools were left off this list.
The Maricopa County Environmental Services Department inspects schools in the county as well as restaurants, nursing homes and catering services.
Recent inspection reports can be found on The Republic’s searchable database.
What is a priority violation?
The Maricopa County Environmental Services Department defines a priority violation as “a major violation that directly contributes to increasing the risk of foodborne illness or injury.”
Often, a priority violation stems from insufficient hand-washing or improper food storage.
What does it mean when schools have violations?
Most of the time, both minor and major violations are corrected during the inspection, according to Maricopa County records. Educational materials are also provided to improve cleanliness and safety.
When repeated violations can contribute to foodborne illness, the county may take legal action.
What does it mean when a school does not receive a letter grade from health inspectors?
According to the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department, grades are given on a voluntary basis.
The manager of each location chooses whether or not to receive a letter grade before an inspection. Even if a school opts out of the grading scale, any violations they receive are included in their publicly available report.
Which schools received two or more priority violations?
Brophy College Preparatory —No grade; two priority violations
Brophy College Preparatory is a Jesuit high school in Phoenix. The school opted not to participate in the county's health inspection grading scheme during its two most recent inspections but received two priority violations in its January inspection and one priority violation in a September 2022 inspection.
Jan. 25, 2023, inspection:
- Dishes not properly sanitized after insufficient chlorine levels were found in a dishwasher; service request made.
- Fried food stored at 115 F as opposed to the required 135 F or warmer
- In addition, a less severe violation noted food being improperly cooled in a sealed container.
Sept. 7, 2022, inspection:
- Cooked pasta and salad bar items were stored at temperatures warmer than the 41 F limit. The food was thrown away, and more ice was added to the salad bar during the inspection.
All Saints’ Episcopal Day School — No grade; two primary violations
All Saints’ Episcopal Day School is a private school in Phoenix serving preschool through eighth grade. In its most recent inspection, inspectors gave the school two primary violations. It has been cited twice in the last year for an improperly running dishwasher.
March 22, 2023, inspection:
- Pasta salad was stored at 51 F as opposed to the required 41 F or cooler.
- Dishes were improperly sanitized after testing for insufficient levels of chlorine both in March 2023 and September 2022; repair work was requested both times.
Kyrene Traditional Academy — C; two primary violations
Kyrene Traditional Academy is a public school in Chandler serving kindergarten through eighth grade. The school was given a C rating in March after receiving two primary violations. Educational materials were recommended to prevent future violations. These are the only two primary violations the school has received in recent inspections.
March 28, 2023, inspection:
- An employee took a drink from their water bottle, replaced the cap, then returned to work without washing their hands.
- Low levels of chlorine were used in the dishwasher after the sanitizer had run out.
Trevor G. Browne High School — D; three primary violations
Trevor G. Browne High School is a public high school in Phoenix. The school was given a D grade in February 2023 and a C in an evaluation in August 2022. In both inspections, the school was cited for storing food at temperatures that are too warm for cold foods. The reports specified that training would take place to prevent future violations and maintenance was requested to fix the leaking pipe.
Feb. 3, 2023, inspection:
- Pizza and chicken sandwiches were stored at temperatures lower than the required 135 F or warmer.
- Salads were stored at room temperature as opposed to the required 41 F or cooler.
- An employee was seen touching their clothing, then handling dishes without washing their hands.
- Food was found accumulating around a slicer.
- A pan was left in the kitchen to catch water from a dripping pipe.
Aug. 26, 2022, inspection:
- A pizza slicer was not properly cleaned before use.
- Chicken patties were not stored at the required 41 or cooler. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2023/07/15/back-to-school-maricopa-county-schools-health-inspections-food-cafeteria-kitchen/70393763007/ | 2023-07-15T13:10:21 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-education/2023/07/15/back-to-school-maricopa-county-schools-health-inspections-food-cafeteria-kitchen/70393763007/ |
Summer break is in full swing, meaning parents are trying to keep the kiddos busy outside of school. Experts at The Toy Insider are ready to help, with suggestions that are interactive and within your budget.
“Kids are spending tons of time on screens, even at school that’s becoming a norm,” said Toy Insider Editor-In-Chief Ali Mierzejewski. “At home kids as young as three are getting their own devices to play with.”
Mierzejewski’s first recommendation is the Zuru “Bunch O Balloons Waterslide Wipeout.” Complete with an inflatable water slide and 100 self-sealing water balloons that fill in 60 seconds, it’s under $40.00 and sure to get kids moving outside.
“It gets kids up and active,” said Mierzejewski. “You just hook it up to a hose, it inflates, it’s weighted down, you stick in the stakes. It’ll keep kids cool as they’re sliding down.”
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One major factor Mierzejewski considers when recommending toys to clients or friends, is their benefit both to the child and parent.
“What I love about this is it’s great for pretend play,” she said when describing the “Nature Fun Gardening Tool Set” by Hape. “It’s also awesome for you to have a little helper out there in the garden with you during the summertime. You get those fine motor skills with all that dexterity, you’re learning how to plant things. So it’s a whole bunch of educational stuff all packed into one.”
Toy Insider also recommends toys that won’t leave behind a huge mess, and are great for both outside and inside if the weather turns sour.
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“If your kids are looking to get outside and pretend play, this is also perfect for inside on a rainy day if they can’t get outside,” Mierzejewski said of the Pretendables Picnic Basket Set by Fat Brain Toys.
Finally, for the parent looking for a little distraction that’s easy on-the-go, Mierzejewski recommends Cepia’s “Bears VS Donuts” line. At less than five dollars each, they won’t break the bank, either.
“They’re collectible bean bag toys,” said Mierzejewski. “You can just throw them in your bag, keep kids busy at restaurants, they have something to play with that’s not a screen.”
Check out Brenna Weick's story on ideas for summer fun on Monday on NBC10. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/expert-tips-for-summer-fun/3604861/ | 2023-07-15T13:13:15 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/expert-tips-for-summer-fun/3604861/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pennsylvanias-budget-is-past-due/3604851/ | 2023-07-15T13:13:15 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pennsylvanias-budget-is-past-due/3604851/ |
With a Pennsylvania budget two weeks past due to Governor Josh Shapiro’s desk, negotiations could change parts of the spending plan for taxpayer dollars.
“I don’t know what it would take for our caucus to vote for some of the things the governor negotiated with us that are in this general appropriate budget,” Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R-Westmoreland) said in an interview for NBC10 @issue airing Sunday morning. “I can tell you that some of those items are nonstarters.”
The Senate and the House both passed a budget bill, but the Senate is not due back in session until mid-September and has yet to sign the bill -- a formality that has become a more significant stumbling block after the governor announced he will veto money for school vouchers, or PASS scholarships that were a Republican priority.
Shapiro, a Democrat, supported the plan, but House Democrats did not.
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“If we can make a major investment on what we owe public schools, we are open to a discussion about options and choices for all families across Pennsylvania,” House Speaker Joanna McClinton said in a separate interview also airing on NBC10 @issue on Sunday.
McClinton said that could include a voucher program. Asked if she was open to changing the spending plan on things such as new programs, she said House Democrats are “open to every conversation.”
In addition to the Senate signing the budget bill, additional legislation is also needed to set out how allocated funds would be spent.
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Ward pointed to some specific items to target for changes, including eliminating $100 million in “Level Up” education funding designated for the state’s poorest districts.
Asked about the way forward, Ward said it would be for the governor to “blue line all of those goodies that he put in the budget that were negotiated in exchange for” the school vouchers.
Both McClinton and Ward said talks are underway.
NBC10 @issue airs Sunday at 11:30 am. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/school-voucher-conflict-stalls-pa-budget-approval/3604854/ | 2023-07-15T13:13:16 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/school-voucher-conflict-stalls-pa-budget-approval/3604854/ |
Court filing says FDLE recommended that two Daytona Beach Shores officers be charged
A court filing reveals that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement recommended charges be filed against two Daytona Beach Shores police officers who jailed their child last October for a potty-training lesson.
Despite the recommendation, State Attorney R.J. Larizza did not charge Lt. Michael Schoenbrod and Sgt. Jessica Long with any crime.
The FDLE investigation − even though it has been completed − has been blocked from public view by court order, according to a new filing by the State Attorney's Office.
Schoenbrod said Long put the 3½-year-old child in a city holding cell for several minutes on Oct. 5, then he followed up the next day by handcuffing the boy and putting him in the jail for "13 minutes or something like that."
Schoenbrod made the admissions during an interview with a Department of Children and Families caseworker later that month, according to Volusia County Sheriff's Office bodycam footage released to The News-Journal and other parties.
Schoenbrod, who's on administrative leave and facing two active professional standards investigations, and Sgt. Jessica Long filed a petition in Volusia Circuit Court last March that was sealed and is inaccessible to the public. A subsequent filing in May showed them petitioning the court, but the filing itself was marked confidential.
A hearing to deal with questions about the confidentiality of records in the case is scheduled for Monday. Ahead of that, the State Attorney's Office filed a 4-page response on Friday.
In it, the state revealed that an attorney representing Schoenbrod and Long started the process to expunge records from the FDLE investigation. In doing so, the attorney certified that neither Schoenbrod nor Long had been arrested, "and a charge was recommended by FDLE."
Records that may be expunged, under state law, include "criminal history information" and "descriptions and notations of arrests, detentions, indictments ... or other formal criminal charges" and any disposition of such cases, the state attorney's response notes.
Neither Long nor Schoenbrod was arrested or charged, so the expungement process is null, the filing states.
On May 18, unbeknownst to the State Attorney's Office, the petitioners asked a judge to order the state to sign off on the application for expungement, according to the filing. The State Attorney's Office concludes that expungement is not "the most direct process for the relief sought by petitioners," and that the petition filed by Long and Schoenbrod be denied.
Separately, Tampa attorney Mark Caramanica, on behalf of the Florida Council for Government Accountability and The Daytona Beach News-Journal, filed an appearance, seeking to weigh in on the confidentiality of documents in the matter at the hearing Monday.
Also relating to the case is a letter from the Clerk of Circuit Court to Michael Lambert, the attorney representing Schoenbrod and Long. The letter, which appeared in the case file Thursday, stated that a filing Lambert identified as "confidential" isn't. The letter states that the clerk will render the filing public within 10 days unless a judge orders it confidential.
Lambert, reached by email Friday afternoon, did not comment on the latest filings, saying he had "not seen anything" as of 5 p.m.
Daytona Beach Shores Case:Lieutenant who jailed toddler under investigation for violating six department policies
Potty Training Fallout:Nonprofit asks judge to open records in case involving Daytona Beach Shores officers | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2023/07/15/fdle-investigated-shores-officers-who-jailed-son-for-potty-training/70415587007/ | 2023-07-15T13:13:31 | 0 | https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2023/07/15/fdle-investigated-shores-officers-who-jailed-son-for-potty-training/70415587007/ |
July is Picnic Month, so grab a basket or cooler, load up the food and drinks and head to one of our beautiful parks. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even grill some food, but remember that PB&J sandwiches travel well.
Play ball! The Kenosha Kingfish are back in action today at Simmons Field. The Kingfish are hosting the Kokomo Jackrabbits for a 6:35 p.m. game. Stick around for the post-game fireworks! For tickets, call 262-653-0900 or go to kingfishbaseball.com.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s church festival continues today at 4 p.m. in Columbus Park, 22nd Avenue and 54th Street. Entertainment today features Vinyl Remix at 5 p.m. and Who Knew, starting at 8:30 p.m. Also: The homemade spaghetti dinner is 4 to 8 p.m. in the Church Hall. There are also children’s games and food and beverages. Everyone is welcome, and admission is free.
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Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum, 880 Green Bay Road, is hosting a grand opening for its new trail system from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. This area features an additional 2.5 miles of never-before-hiked trails. The opening ceremony has a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Also, the Charles and Kathryn Heide Observatory will be open during the event. Guided hikes will be available, led by our Hawthorn Hollow staff, who will share insights about native ecology and the history of the sanctuary. For more details, go to hawthornhollow.org.
Comedian Rocky LaPorte performs tonight at the Kenosha Comedy Club, located inside the Wyndham Garden Hotel, 125 Sixth Ave. Tickets are $18 (plus fees). For tickets, go to kenoshacomedyclub.com.
The skies above Waterford will be filled with color during the Waterford Balloonfest, open from dawn to dusk on Saturday, July 15. The festival features an eclectic mix of hot air balloons, live music, food and drinks and local vendors. (A craft fair is noon to 6 p.m.) Want to get in a balloon? Tethered rides are available from 5 to 8 p.m. A huge attraction is the festival’s “evening glow,” from 8:30 to 9:15 p.m. The balloons stay on the ground and light up, looking like glowing bulbs. The one-day festival takes place at Waterford Town Park on Jensen Parkway. Admission is free. Parking is $10 (cash only). For more information, go to waterfordballoonfest.com. | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-saturday-july-15/article_b77ada4c-2104-11ee-811e-23ed96b1ffc6.html | 2023-07-15T13:14:19 | 0 | https://kenoshanews.com/news/local/kenosha-area-events-for-saturday-july-15/article_b77ada4c-2104-11ee-811e-23ed96b1ffc6.html |
MUNHALL, Pa. — A man was killed and two others were hurt in an early morning shooting in Munhall.
PHOTOS: Man dead, 2 others injured in Munhall shooting
According to Allegheny County police, the shooting happened in the 1100 block of Ravine Street at around 1:49 a.m.
Police said responding officers found evidence of a shooting at the location and were then notified that multiple people were driven to area hospitals by private means after being shot there.
A man was pronounced dead while another man is in critical condition and a woman is in stable condition.
The investigation is ongoing.
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©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/man-dead-2-others-injured-after-shooting-munhall/OCEXVQL4NBAGNEJVBPQP7UGADY/ | 2023-07-15T13:14:27 | 1 | https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/man-dead-2-others-injured-after-shooting-munhall/OCEXVQL4NBAGNEJVBPQP7UGADY/ |
PITTSBURGH — Watch for areas of patchy fog this morning especially over the river valleys northeast of Pittsburgh. Otherwise, find a way to stay cool as it will be a steamy day with temperatures pushing into the mid to upper 80s this afternoon.
Much of the day will be dry but scattered showers and storms will move into the area this evening. Widespread severe weather is not expected but a few stronger storms are possible with the primary threats being heavy rain and gusty winds. Most of the rain clears out overnight, with areas of fog possible again Sunday morning. There could be an isolated storm tomorrow but most of the day will be dry.
One more round of showers and a few storms late Monday before a couple of drier days Tuesday and Wednesday. We’ll see a break in the humidity then as well with high temperatures dropping near average.
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News Tribune, July 15, 1983
- Duluth Mayor John Fedo said yesterday he's disappointed that Jeno's Inc. corporate headquarters will be moving to Florida, but he's not despondent about Duluth's economy. He said the loss of Jeno's is lessened by bright prospects for an economic recovery this summer.
- The local group TOOT, or reTurn Our Old Tone, is celebrating the return of a fog horn to Duluth with tomorrow's Fog Festival. The festival master of ceremonies will be Richard "Heatwave" Burler, and activities will include skydivers, power kiters, a hillbilly band and belly dancers.
News Tribune, July 15, 1923
- About 20,000 Duluthians are expected to vote in the special senatorial election to be held tomorrow, according to A. H. Davenport, city clerk. Preparations to handle that many voters have been made and extra supplies have been sent to election judges.
- Construction on a new $30,000 church for the Serbian people of Duluth will begin in August, according to Rev. Vladimir Porobich, priest of the Serbian Orthodox Church. A site at 104th Avenue West in New Duluth has been selected for the church. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-40-years-ago-duluth-prepared-for-fog-festival | 2023-07-15T13:16:53 | 1 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/bygones-40-years-ago-duluth-prepared-for-fog-festival |
DULUTH — This city's streets are infamous for their potholes.
But in the early 1900s, several streets in the Chester Park neighborhood were ahead of their time in quality and durability as they were the first streets in Minnesota paved with concrete.
Today, Granitoid Memorial Park — a small triangular park and garden where 25th Avenue East, Seventh Street, Clover Street and Irving Place meet — serves to keep the memory of the unique method of road construction alive.
Patented in 1907 and installed in Duluth in 1909 and 1910, the method was among the first designed for automobiles. But since horses and buggies were still being used, it needed to accommodate both.
The street is marked with rectangles, but those are not faux bricks. Instead, the grooves were scored into the surface before it hardened to provide “footholds for the horses’ shoes,” according to the Granitoid patent on display at the park.
But at about the same time these streets were built, the Ford Model T was taking off, ushering in the era of families being able to afford a car.
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“The horse and buggy quickly went away and there really was no need for this type of product that accommodated both horse and buggies and cars,” said Carolyn Sundquist, who lives on Sixth Street and led the effort to preserve the streets when they faced being replaced with asphalt in 2000.
Sundquist and her neighbors spent four years trying to save the streets.
Ultimately, the original Granitoid surface remains on a two-block stretch of Seventh Street, between 26th Avenue East and Wallace Avenue, though it is heavily patched with asphalt today. It's believed to be the second-oldest concrete street remaining in the U.S., after a 1891 road in Ohio.
And in 2004, the Granitoid surfaces along several blocks of East Seventh Street, Irving Place and Clover Street were replaced with a replicated concrete design based off the old patent.
But East Sixth Street, which was in the worst condition, didn’t survive. It is now paved in asphalt.
“That was a tough summer,” said Sundquist.
Granitoid Memorial Park also underwent a transformation in 2004.
What was once just a couple plaques on a pedestal in the middle of a sea of grass has been turned into a community garden, complete with interpretive signs about historic streets. Old slabs of Granitoid street are now used for stairs and to hold the park’s sign.
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Several of those pieces were removed directly in front of Anita Stech’s house on Sixth Street prior to it being paved with asphalt.
Stech, the former president of the Longview Garden Club, led the efforts to revamp the park. She said the park and garden have served as a “peacekeeper” among neighbors who were once deeply divided over whether to keep or replace the street surfaces. Now, neighbors pitch in to help weed and water the garden.
The park also serves as the gathering place for the neighborhood’s annual National Night Out event, which will be held again Aug. 1 from 6-8 p.m.
“Once we got the garden, everybody’s working together. Nobody cared who was on what side of the blacktop versus preservation wars,” Stech said. “It was interesting.”
Neighbors on both sides spoke out at highly contentious public meetings.
“It's a piece of cement," one neighbor said in 2000, according to a News Tribune article at the time. “People drive on it to get to work and to school. This is a lovely neighborhood, but whether or not we have etched lines in the cement does not improve our quality of life. We can't even drive on our own street, our hubcaps fall off."
Beyond its historical value, Stech said the rough road surface also served another purpose: controlling traffic speed.
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Today, driving more than 15 mph on the two-block section of the original Granitoid on Seventh Street feels too fast.
It’s riddled with asphalt patches, but there hasn’t been any recent talk about replacing it.
“Hopefully, that 1910 Granitoid will last many, many, many more years,” Sundquist said. “And frankly, I would like to think that the residents of Seventh Street like it because it provides natural traffic calming. ... If for some reason it ever does reach its demise, I would hope that that stretch would be redone using the Granitoid patent like Irving Place and around the park has done.”
“Because this is truly a significant part of Minnesota and frankly national history,” Sundquist said. “Because it's just such an important story in the history of transportation in the United States.” | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/northlandia-the-duluth-park-that-honors-a-historic-street-surface | 2023-07-15T13:17:03 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/northlandia-the-duluth-park-that-honors-a-historic-street-surface |
DULUTH — So, I’m sitting in a darkened theater watching “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and doing some rough math.
How old was I when the Harrison Ford classic “Raiders of the Lost Ark” hit silver screens in 1981? About 11 years old.
I turn to my right and see my 17-year-old son and think, “Wow, I was six years younger than that when I saw ‘Raiders’ with my family.”
I felt very old.
But maybe age is truly just a number … if Hollywood can take an 81-year-old Ford and drop him into Nazi Germany in “Dial of Destiny” (with some help of computer-generated imagery in those opening scenes), why should I feel old at 53?
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I mean, Ford was practically half his age when he was fleeing giant rocks, fearing snakes, cracking whips and beating up Hitler’s minions in “Raiders” and he looked good doing much of the same in “Dial of Destiny.”
I guess we’re all just aging like our heroes.
Last year Tom Cruise jumped back into fighter jets for the wonderful “Top Gun” sequel “Top Gun: Maverick.” I doubt many of our top fighter pilots are still “feeling the need for speed” in their late 50s and early 60s.
But that’s Hollywood.
I hear that Brad Pitt is filming a Formula 1 movie, despite being almost 60 years old — nearly 20 years older than the current eldest vet in the series and old enough to be a father to most of the younger drivers.
Wouldn’t it be nice to walk around wearing some of that movie magic CGI for a while? I’d opt for Rick Lubbers, version summer 1991, when I was just starting my 20s.
But that’s the thing about being an old newspaper editor. We just get older and crustier as the years and editions pass — No CGI (or math) needed.
Here are some DNT highlights from the past week:
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Construction milestones
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but Northland drivers swear the Twin Ports Interchange project is taking twice as long!
Well, take heart, Duluth chariot drivers. The end is within sight. Sort of.
DNT summer reporting intern Noah Beardslee provided readers an update on how the Twin Ports Interchange project (in the area formerly known as the “Can of Worms”) is going as project managers still aim to have the immense undertaking completed by the end of 2025.
Predicting space weather
Forecasting the weather on earth seems difficult enough — Lake Superior loves fooling meteorologists — but I can’t imagine predicting space weather. “Tonight we will have clear skies and an 80 percent chance of northern lights.”
Hometown hero
Minnesota Vikings fullback — and proud Duluth Denfeld alum — C.J. Ham held his annual youth football camp last weekend, and that means NFL training camps, preseason games and the kickoff of the 2023 season can’t be far away.
Catch a wave
Here are a few more stories from the past week to check out:
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- Medical merger: St. Luke’s plans to affiliate with Aspirus Health
- “Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy”: Duluth looks to feds for help as it strives to meet growing labor needs
- Prep baseball player of the year: Esko’s Cale Haugen battles through adversity in storybook season
- Loon lifeline: Entangled in fishing line, Deer Lake loon is saved with midnight rescue effort
- Sweet treats:
Duluth home baker specializes in treats with Nordic twist
Editor's note: Weekly Wave is a newsletter that I publish every Friday morning. Please consider subscribing — it's free — and hits your inbox just once a week. You can sign up here. | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/weekly-wave-aging-movie-stars-make-this-newspaper-editor-feel-old | 2023-07-15T13:17:13 | 0 | https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/local/weekly-wave-aging-movie-stars-make-this-newspaper-editor-feel-old |
DYER — Laurie Lafferty framed the tree-lined sidewalk with her hands.
“See how the shrubs and the trees soften the hardscape? It looks cared for, it looks safe. Then look over here,” Lafferty said, spinning to face the bare parking lot.
“If you pretend that there are no trees here and you’re just looking at the hardscape, that’s pretty desperate.”
That’s the goal of America in Bloom: help municipalities create a sense of community through beautification. Dyer has been an America in Bloom member community since 2015; in 2017 the town officially formed Dyer in Bloom, which then joined the Parks Department in 2022.
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Dyer in Bloom consists of about 15 regular members. The volunteers, known as DIBs, maintain various flower beds in town, including outside the police station, fire station, Town Hall and at several parks. This year, DIBs have taken on some bigger projects — and America in Bloom is taking note.
Lafferty and fellow America in Bloom adviser Galen Gates spent Thursday and Friday touring Dyer as part of the town’s annual evaluation. They asked questions about town initiatives, saw several municipal projects and looked at a few residential gardens. In the fall they will give DIBs a list of recommendations on how they can improve the town even more.
Galen, who worked with the Chicago Botanic Gardens for 30 years, explained that America in Bloom uses seven categories to evaluate communities: floral display, landscaped areas, celebrating heritage, urban forestry, environmental initiatives, community vitality and overall impression.
“America in Bloom organizations do such a remarkable job of making their communities welcoming to visitors and making it better for the people who live there,” Lafferty said. “It’s more than just planting flowers.”
Using the recommendations from last year’s America in Bloom evaluation, DIBs launched a number of new initiatives, including the “Curb Appeal” awards. Members went around to Dyer’s five wards and chose five of the best-looking yards from each. Winning houses were listed on the Dyer Parks social media and were given yard signs.
DIBs are working to create a sensory garden and a butterfly garden at Dyer’s newly renovated Central Park. The sensory garden will feature various herbs and other plants that activate the senses. The butterfly garden will be filled with asters, goldenrod, butterfly weed and other native plants that butterflies feed on. Both gardens will be near the Gold Star Family veterans memorial, which will be installed at the end of August. The gardens will likely be planted in late fall.
“People can come to the memorial and have a quiet place to sit and think,” Town Council President Mary Tanis, R-4th, said.
During the tour Thursday morning, advisers also saw the Town Hall’s newly installed sign commemorating the Lincoln Highway; the partially complete splash pad, which is scheduled to open Aug. 19 behind Town Hall; and the town’s two-stage ditch.
The ditch, completed last fall, stretches from the southeast edge of Franciscan Health along Hart Street to the bridge near Plum Creek Center. For years, stormwater has rushed through Plum Creek, also known as Hart Ditch, spilling over the banks during extreme events. The two-stage ditch creates a flat floodplain zone that will store water, allowing it to soak into the soil gradually, reducing erosion.
A sidewalk has been installed alongside the ditch, 400 trees and 1,100 shrubs have been planted in the area, and there are plans to add benches and informational signage.
Last year, American in Bloom honored Dyer’s stormwater retention efforts by giving the town the Best Example of Protecting Water Resources Award. During America in Bloom’s annual symposium, member communities across the country receive awards.
Lafferty said 40 to 50 municipalities participate annually in America in Bloom. She got involved in the program when she moved to the California farming community of Arroyo Grande.
Even though she was not much of a gardener at the time, she joined Arroyo Grande in Bloom and helped the organization gradually transform the city. Streets that used to attract speeding cars and litter became filled with colorful planters and flowerbeds.
Beautification efforts can help lower crime rate, draw economic development and improve overall quality of life, Lafferty said.
“There’s just something about plants and greenery and taking care of things ... people tend to be more friendly,” Lafferty said, and beautification efforts show “that the people who live here love their community.”
A study conducted by researchers with University of Illinois found that Chicago public housing developments with more greenspace experienced less crime. Gates said the Chicago Botanic Garden would conduct programming in hospitals because research shows that access to gardening and plants can result in improved symptoms.
The Japanese practice of “forest bathing” involves spending time in nature to reduce stress levels.
“Your blood pressure drops, you are more relaxed, and your brain works better,” Gates explained. “People may not even notice the plants are there, but it makes them feel better.”
More information about Dyer in Bloom is available at
(hover over Government, then Committees). | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/dyer/dyer-in-bloom-beautification-flowers-stormwater/article_8d129e18-21ac-11ee-91d9-37777fe39c48.html | 2023-07-15T13:21:21 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/dyer/dyer-in-bloom-beautification-flowers-stormwater/article_8d129e18-21ac-11ee-91d9-37777fe39c48.html |
The United Auto Workers union is kicking off a new members' handshake tradition before this year's negotiations with the Big Three automakers.
The recently elected union leadership, largely a slate of reform candidates who have pledged to take a more aggressive approach to negotiations and more vigorously represent workers' interests, went to plants to shake members' hands and hear what they have to say.
"Instead of kicking off Big Three negotiations with a dog and pony show shaking hands with CEOs, we’re putting the membership first," President Shawn Fain said in a letter to members. "Our UAW leadership went directly to the plant gates at Stellantis’s Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, GM’s Factory ZERO, and Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant to shake members’ hands and take their message to the bargaining table."
Union leaders plan to seek higher pay, cost-of-living adjustment and an end to the two-tier system in which newer hires are paid less to do the same work. They toured plants to hear what rank-and-file workers wanted.
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"Leadership heard from members about what they want to see change at the Big Three," Fain said in the letter to members. "They also asked members what they are willing to do to win big, not just for autoworkers, but for their families, their communities, and working-class people everywhere."
The UAW represents thousands of autoworkers at the Chicago Assembly Plant in Hegewisch, at the Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights and the Lear Corp. seat-factory in Hammond. Many workers have signed support cards avowing that they're united in the struggle for a fair contract.
The UAW hopes to preserve good-paying union jobs at a time when automakers have been transitioning more to electric vehicles and investing in new operations in less union-friendly states like Tennessee and Kentucky.
"We have a once in a generation opportunity to make things right at the Big Three. We’re fighting to end tiers, to win back COLA and fair raises, and to secure our jobs in this transition to electric vehicles," Fain said. "If we stick together, as a united UAW, there’s nothing we can’t achieve. Let’s go make history."
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Mi Tierra closing after 22 years; La Carreta, Flako's Tacos, Wendy's, Bulldog Ale House, WhoaZone, The Love of Arts and Illinois Dermatology Institute opening
219 News Now 6/23/23
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Maple + Bacon, deli and Divalicious Desserts Bakery & Cafe opening | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/uaw-starts-members-handshake-tradition-before-big-three-negotiations/article_a7012818-21ba-11ee-87d8-9b0995b121d3.html | 2023-07-15T13:21:28 | 0 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/uaw-starts-members-handshake-tradition-before-big-three-negotiations/article_a7012818-21ba-11ee-87d8-9b0995b121d3.html |
Detroit man charged in fatal stabbing of Royal Oak woman
A Detroit man has been charged in connection with the death of a Royal Oak woman whose body was found Tuesday behind a building on Detroit's west side.
Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged Andrew James Hall, 31, with first-degree murder in connection with the homicide of Lisa Moffett, 40, of Royal Oak the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced Saturday.
Hall has also been accused of assaulting a woman in a Target store parking lot in Troy last week.
More:Troy assault suspect also linked to woman's murder in Detroit, police say
At about 5:50 a.m. Tuesday, Detroit police were dispatched to a building in the 300 block of West McNichols and found Moffett's body at the rear of the building with multiple stab wounds, the Prosecutor's Office said.
Hall was arrested by Dearborn police and turned over to Detroit Police later the same day.
Hall is expected to be arraigned on Saturday in 36th District Court. | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/15/detroit-man-charged-in-fatal-stabbing-of-royal-oak-woman/70416739007/ | 2023-07-15T13:22:04 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/15/detroit-man-charged-in-fatal-stabbing-of-royal-oak-woman/70416739007/ |
WAXAHACHIE, Texas — An AMBER Alert has been issued for an 11-year-old girl from Waxahachie who is believed to have been abducted in southern Dallas on July 14.
The Waxahachie Police Department (WPD) issued the AMBER Alert for Tanya Jackson, who was last seen at around 8 p.m. on July 14 in the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in southern Dallas. Waxahachie police told WFAA they received information overnight that confirmed Jackson had been abducted and that her well-being was at serious risk. The AMBER Alert was issued on the morning of July 15.
Jackson is from Waxahachie and was reported missing there, which is why the AMBER Alert was issued from Waxahachie police.
Police said Jackson stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes, weighs about 160 pounds and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with red lettering before her disappearance.
Jackson is believed to be in grave or immediate danger and anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or contact the Waxahachie Police Department at (469)309-4400.
"We would like to thank the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Homeland Security Investigations North Texas Trafficking Task Force, Dallas Police Department, our area Child Advocacy Center, and the local branch of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services with whom we have been working throughout this investigation," Waxahachie police said.
More Texas headlines: | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/amber-alert-dallas-texas/287-17568705-c317-4438-9770-4c5eceff4969 | 2023-07-15T13:22:56 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/amber-alert-dallas-texas/287-17568705-c317-4438-9770-4c5eceff4969 |
ROANOKE, Va. — Gripping a wrench and pulling back with all his might, Tashmorad Qara loosened the heavy cap on a fire hydrant. When the water spouted, he took a sample, closed the hydrant at a Roanoke apartment complex, then he and his partner headed off for the next one.
Almost 10 years into his career as a military pilot, Qara, 37, became completely grounded after his evacuation from Afghanistan in 2021, when the United States military left the country and the Taliban regained power. Qara lost his career, his family and his ability to fly.
Two years ago, Qara flew the skies of northern Afghanistan in a PC-12 airplane, helping U.S. special operations forces by scouting for Taliban positions in the rugged mountains.
“I’ve done a lot of dangerous missions in Afghanistan to capture the bad guys like Al-Qaeda and Taliban,” Qara said.
“We were always chasing the bad guys.”
Equipped with night vision goggles and infrared cameras, Qara flew hidden by darkness at maximum altitudes of 12,000 to 25,000 feet — “nobody can hear us or see us,” he said.
Now, he is grounded in Roanoke, where his pilot experience does him no good because the Federal Aviation Administration does not recognize his Afghan military credentials and requires multiple steps before he can obtain a pilot license or commercial-flight certificate in the United States.
“I feel sad sometimes because I am still thinking about flying,” Qara said. “It was my dream to fly a plane.”
When he was about 10 years old, Qara watched an Afghan pilot make an emergency landing with a helicopter in his farming village in northern Afghanistan. Qara has wanted to fly ever since. “It was the first time I have seen a big helicopter,” Qara said. “People was all around, it was kind of exciting to see.”
When Qara was in high school a family friend in the Afghan military visited his village. Qara went to ask him about being a pilot and was told he needed to learn English, the language used in aviation around the world.
Qara did not know anyone who could teach him, so he bought a book from a local shop translating phrases in his native language of Dari to English
He earned a degree in language and culture with a focus on aviation from the U.S. backed National Military Academy of Afghanistan in 2012. After graduation, he underwent flight training from the U.S. military in western Afghanistan.
“I loved my job when I was flying and serving my country,” he said. “Flying is my great passion. I wish I could fly again one day, but I don’t have the budget to go to school here” in the United States.
Qara would like to get his commercial pilot license in the U.S., but he said he cannot afford the cost of flight school. His story is common among refugees who come to the United States and find themselves in a place where their skills and talents go unused.
Qara works full-time as a water quality technician for the Western Virginia Water Authority at the Crystal Spring Plant in Roanoke, and on weekends and evenings he delivers food through DoorDash. After paying bills and sending money home to his family who remain in Afghanistan, Qara said he has no money left to pay for schooling to get a flight license in the U.S.
“It’s just like a sad story, leaving my own country. We had everything, I had a good salary. I was with my family with my kids,” Qara said.
Twenty-five percent of working-age Afghans who are newcomers to the United States are professionals with a higher education, according to a report from Upwardly Global, a nonprofit that helps refugees and immigrants restart their careers.
Joshua Garner, strategic communications director with the organization, explains that talent of foreign skilled individuals often goes unrecognized by U.S. employers.
“There are 2 million underemployed immigrants and refugees in the U.S. who are unable to find jobs at their skill level. It’s very common for us (Upwardly Global) to see people who are what we typically say have survival jobs, or jobs to make ends meet, when really they could contribute so much more to our country and our economy,” Garner said.
The professional or educated population of all newcomers to the United States is growing, with 48% coming with higher education experience in 2019 compared to 27% in 1990, according to a 2021 study from the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank that supports expanded immigration. However, the country is failing to leverage the skills from those educated immigrants trying to regain the career they left behind. Highly skilled immigrants are slightly less likely to use their professional skills, compared to those educated and born in the United States, according to the institute.
Family torn apart
During the chaos of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Qara did not realize that when he parted with his family to fly a mission that it would be the last time he saw them.
Qara had started a two-week assignment in northern Afghanistan when a family friend called him from Kabul and informed him the Taliban was taking over the city. Qara reached out to the helicopter squadron commander on duty who confirmed the situation.
“We didn’t know what was going on,” Qara said. “He said, ‘The mission is done.’ I said ‘Why? The Taliban are still all around.’”
The squadron leader told Qara to fly back to Kabul where he would help with an evacuation of military personnel to the neighboring country of Uzbekistan.
“It all happened so fast,”Qara recalled.
He was stationed in the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan, about a 10-hour drive or 45-minute flight from Kabul, the country’s capital where Qara’s family lived.
The country was about to fall back into the hands of the Taliban, an extremist Islamist regime that had controlled Afghanistan in the 1990s before the United States invasion in 2001 in response to the 9/11 attacks.
Qara narrowly escaped the Mazar-e-Sharif airport. He did a tactical takeoff that he learned in training to get off the ground in a short distance. He turned off his airplane lights, a dangerous act as it was getting dark, he did not want to be seen. “I made a good decision at that time,” he recalled. He saw a fellow Afghan pilot, who departed with aircraft lights on, get shot down. The pilot ejected himself and landed back in the airport and survived but was badly injured from the landing.
When Qara made it back to Kabul, the Taliban was seizing his city.
“I saw the situation was not good,” he said. The capital of Afghanistan, typically bustling with men and women shopping at bazaars, visiting historic gardens or attending university, was filled with people running in terror, frantic to escape. His commanders told him it was not safe to leave the airport, but the next morning Qara went home to see his family.
“I said, ‘I haven’t seen my family. I want to at least see my family.’”
He made it home to his then-pregnant wife and two young sons, but could not stay long because he was instructed to help evacuate military personnel. Qara’s wife handed him his passport and cash before he left.
“I didn’t think I would leave forever,” he said. “I thought, ‘I will be back.’” That’s the last time he saw his family in person.
Qara said he took flight with 50 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to neighboring countries of Afghanistan. During the airlift operation, he carried 12 Afghan military personnel aboard a Pilatus PC-12 single-engine aircraft, designed to hold seven people. Qara said a helicopter squadron commander told him to fly to Uzbekistan where the U.S. had pre-authorized temporary relocation.
“Everyone was rushing,” Qara said. The Afghan pilots were taken by surprise as they approached the border and were forbidden to land in Uzbekistan. Qara circled the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan border for 45 minutes until he ran low on fuel and was forced to make an emergency landing at an airport in Uzbekistan. He would not talk to his family for a month.
Qara said when he landed his phone was taken from him and they were transported in a van with no windows to an Uzbeki military base and forced to stay in a tent encampment.
He said over the next two weeks they were held in tight quarters inside tents in the extreme heat with no showers and given stale and moldy bread to eat. “They treated us like prisoners,” Qara said.
Qara speaks Uzbeki, like many other people in Afghanistan. He chastised the military personnel for their poor treatment.
“I told them we were in a dangerous situation and they are not treating us like a good neighbor,” he said.
An Afghan commander had sneaked in a phone and texted a contact with the U.S., who two weeks later got them out of the camp and into a hotel where they stayed for two more weeks until Qara was able to get his phone back and call his family.
“My wife was shocked I was still alive,” he said. “She told me she went to the airport and try to escape but (realized) ‘I have two young kids, they are going to be killed.’”
Because of the chaos, shooting and bombing at the Kabul airport, his wife decided not to risk trying to escape.
After months of going through security procedures in multiple locations, Qara arrived in Roanoke in December 2021.
It was not safe for him or other U.S. allies to return to Afghanistan due to possible reprisals by the Taliban. Qara came to the United States under humanitarian parole and was sent to Roanoke by immigration officials because he had a contact nearby — a sister of a fellow pilot who lived near Blacksburg — and because the city is home to an office of Commonwealth Catholic Charities, one of the largest resettlement agencies in the state. More than 350 Afghans have resettled in the Roanoke and New River valleys since August 2021, with those numbers increasing.
Meanwhile, his wife and children are still on the run in Afghanistan, frequently changing locations, so the Taliban won’t find them and take revenge for Qara’s service with the Afghan military. He has yet to meet his infant daughter.
Qara desperately wants to get his family to Roanoke.
“Life doesn’t make sense for me with being away from my family,” Qara said.
“When I came here, I thought the government would help me bring my family because I used to work with the U.S. government.”
He is not alone in having family members left behind in Afghanistan and scared for their lives.
In November , the U.S. State Department launched an Afghan family reunification page on its website to help separated families reunite.
Approximately 3.2 million Afghans are displaced inside Afghanistan due to conflict, with two-thirds of the population in need of humanitarian and protection assistance, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency.
The Virginia Department of Social Services reports that 10,782 refugees from Afghanistan have been resettled in Virginia since 2021. Nearly 90,000 Afghans have been welcomed to the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, according to the State Department. Iran and Pakistan host 85% of displaced Afghans.
“My wife blames me everyday saying, ‘This is your fault we are still in Afghanistan,’” Qara said. “I say, ‘this was a tough situation, I didn’t know,’” Qara said.
Hope and friends
Bored and tormented with loss, Qara sat in a small studio room at the Mainstay Suites Airport hotel near Valley View in December 2021 after he arrived in Roanoke. CCC provided the temporary accommodation until it could find a permanent residence. Qara knew no one other than another Afghan pilot who fled with him, and who was also relocated to Roanoke. A couple of months later, the two became roommates when CCC found them an apartment in Roanoke.
Qara reached out on a neighborhood social media group and introduced himself. He asked if anyone would help him practice English and show him around his new Roanoke home.
After reading negative responses to his post, with people warning others not to trust him, Qara did not expect anyone to help him.
“I think they see my name, and not trust me,” Qara said.
Somebody replied anyway.
Andreas Panagore had been following the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in the news and said his heart felt for the Afghan people. Panagore, 30, who moved to Roanoke from Maine three years ago and owns a landscaping company called Ecoscape, also said he empathized with Qara’s loneliness in an unfamiliar city.
“I’ve been to new places before without friends and it can be hard,” Panagore said. “I was happy to help.”
Panagore wrote to Qara through a messaging app.
“Hello my friend, you want English lessons?”
They quickly formed a friendship.
“He’s such a personable guy,” Panagore said about Qara. “It’s really difficult to not be friends.”
Qara knew English but wanted to improve his communication skills. He began to inquire about terms and phrases that he did not understand. When watching a movie, he heard a couple say “on the rocks.” So, he asked Panagore what the phrase meant.
“On the rocks = not doing well,” Panagore wrote.
Panagore started sending Qara daily slang definitions.
“Today’s slang term is chillin,” Panagore said using the voice feature. “Chillin is usually used when somebody’s just hanging out. They’re either with friends or they’re alone. They’re not really doing much of anything. They’re chillin.”
Later, in May, the two reminisced while enjoying a traditional Afghani dish of chicken karahi that Qara prepared with tomatoes and hot peppers. The two sat at the table in Qara’s kitchen, holding their phones.
Panagore laughed when replaying his voice message defining “chillin.”
“I used a slang term in the definition,” he said, referring to “hanging out.” Qara probably didn’t know what either meant.
The two discussed a year and a half ago, during a chilly day in January, when Panagore drove Qara and his roommate to see downtown Roanoke. The three of them squeezed in the front of his Ford F-150 pickup. Panagore took his new Afghan friends to Cedars Lebanese Restaurant and to get savings rewards cards from Food Lion.
In a short time, Qara’s social circle grew because of his friendship with Panagore, who introduced him to Chris and Micki Brumfield.
“They was giving me positive energy to move forward and never give up, even though I lost everything. I’ve made really good friends here,” Qara said.
The Brumfield’s were motivated to help Qara and his roommate after hearing their stories.
“The fact that they were our allies, they were helping the U.S. We wanted to help them,” Micki said.
After a couple months staying at the hotel, CCC found the former Afghan pilots a place to live and provided them with beds, blankets and basic household items.
Katie Dillon, marketing manager with CCC, explains that a variety of factors make it time-consuming to find long-term housing for refugees, including low availability of affordable housing and need for government identification.
The nonprofit was in the process of obtaining additional furnishings when the Brumfield’s jumped into action, taking Qara and his roommate shopping for clothes and household items.
“They came to my house and they saw we had nothing,” Qara said. “They brought us TV and couches, a microwave, a new grill. I thought that one day I hope we can help them, too.”
Qara and his roommate took the first job they could get when they applied at Voyant Beauty, a cosmetics factory in northeast Roanoke where many refugees find work.
CCC works with the factory on a regular basis and is thankful for their partnership and readiness to promptly hire refugees. “While the positions may not always match the refugees’ skills they (the beauty factory) are still a way for them to earn an income and establish residency while they find something more suitable,” Dillon wrote in an email.
Qara was working on the assembly line at the factory, which became monotonous after having flown airplanes. He wanted a challenge.
The factory also lacked opportunities to improve his English.
“There was no chance to speak English with anyone,” he said. “The other people there, they do not speak English.”
Chris Brumfield, who works for the Western Virginia Water Authority, told Qara about a job fair for the water authority and gave him a good recommendation. Qara landed the job.
“I am so thankful to get a job at the water authority,” Qara said. “There, at least I can learn something.”
The past year Qara has worked to expand his skills and knowledge at the water authority. He is learning to look for water breaks and leaks to troubleshoot and read meters. Qara is on his way to getting a promotion to the second step of a water quality technician, according to his supervisor, Joel Bostic, water quality assist management strategist.
“We love having him, he’s a very hard worker,” Bostic said.
Panagore and the Brumfields, also helped him navigate his way through the confusing federal departments to try and get his family out of Afghanistan. Each of them emailed Rep. Ben Cline, R-Botetourt, whose office has started to work with the State Department on the reunification process.
“I said, ‘Hey, we need his family over here.’” Panagore said. “His office came back and said, ’OK, we’re gonna try to start working on that.”
As that process started, another major complication erupted. Russia invaded Ukraine and refugees from Ukraine started flooding the U.S. immigration network.
After four months of sending documents to the U.S. government and answering questions for U.S. officials, Qara received an email in early June from the State Department that began:
“Dear …….……,
Your application for family reunification assistance has been received, and you qualify for U.S. government assistance to provide family reunification assistance to your eligible family members outside the United States.”
Charlotte Law, communications director for Cline, confirmed the office is working on Qara’s case but would not discuss ongoing cases.
Qara called his wife to tell her the U.S. government approved her and their children to come to the U.S., but he warned he is still not sure how long it will take for action.
“She was so happy,” Qara said. “She said, ‘I’m counting the seconds to know some good news.’”
Qara’s wife had completed two years of her nursing degree when the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, he said, and banned higher education for women. The family remains in hiding, he said, while she and their children wait to come to the U.S., and as she studies English with a tutor three days a week in hopes of completing her degree when they resettle.
“I tell her to study English,” he said. “If you don’t know English it will be so difficult.”
In Afghanistan, Qara liked to fish, hunt and hike. Now settled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, he has visited places such as Apple Orchard Falls in Botetourt County and Mill Mountain.
While fishing at Smith Mountain Lake in early June, Qara set aside his rod in the boat and used his cellphone to speak to his family on FaceTime. It was night in Afghanistan, but daytime in the U.S. His youngest son cried, frustrated he was unable to be with his dad.
“My son, he was kind of mad and sad because he said, ‘Why are you not bringing us there? We are stuck here, I need a fish but I can’t find fish,’” Qara said. “It make me so sad.”
He asked his brother, who is in Afghanistan, to buy a fish from a market and take it to his family, but the feeling of helplessness remained.
Back in the pit
Qara said memories flooded his mind as he sat in the cockpit of a Diamond Star single-engine airplane, a type often used for pilot training. There was silence as he stared at the instruments and controls.
Orin Osmon, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot who was Qara’s flight instructor in Afghanistan, stood outside the airplane.
“How do you feel?” he asked. Qara smiled.
Although Qara cannot fly in the U.S., he enjoyed the experience sitting in the cockpit.
“One of my great memories was when I did my first solo flight,” Qara said.
He had bad memories too. Qara recalls the time when he lost control of the aircraft and recovered the plane after losing between 4,000 and 5,000 feet of altitude.
“I was so lucky I had altitude that night and (was) not close to the mountain,” Qara said.
The two pilots toured airplanes at Star Flight Training, a flight school located at Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. Osmon, who lives in Washington, D.C., visited Qara in December and organized the visit with Star Flight management. He thought Qara would appreciate sitting in an aircraft again.
Osmon now does contract work for Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, flying a Beechcraft King Air plane to help the international agency enforce fishing rules in the South Pacific.
Osmon trained Qara during a flight screening program at Shindand Air Base in Afghanistan for about a year in 2012 and then again a few years later in Kabul. He also flew with Qara when he advanced from co-pilot to a pilot in command.
“He would come to class well prepared,” Osmon said. “He had a positive attitude. Very excited. He made it clear to the instructors there that he was glad to have them as instructors. And he had a sense of humor.”
Osmon explains that even though Qara was approved to fly by the U.S. military, the Federal Aviation Administration does not recognize documents that say he trained adequately. The FAA only accepts military pilot training if it is done in the U.S. And flight school can cost anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000.
Osmon said he has kept in contact with about 36 of the Afghan pilots he’s trained who resettled in the United States since the fall of Kabul. Some of the pilots have been able to pursue licensing from the FAA, but most try to save money to send home to family members left behind.
“As far as I can tell, they’re kind of in blue-collar working type jobs,” Osmon said of the Afghan pilots he trained who are now in the U.S. He added: “And even though this (flight) training could very well pay off to a much better job ... if you’re trying to send money back home, you feel like it’s a frivolous act, to go pursue flying.”
After a full day of flushing fire hydrants for the water authority, Qara got in his 2004 Toyota Corolla, opened the DoorDash app on his cellphone and clicked “confirm pickup.” Minutes later he delivered McDonald’s carryout to a hungry customer. “Enjoy your food,” he said, giving a thumbs up as he returned quickly to his car to accept another delivery.
I kind of need to do this to survive to support my family, I don’t have another option,” Qara said about his second job.
He took a sip from a silver tumbler filled with coffee and put his car into drive.
“I used to drink tea back at my home, but I am getting used to it (coffee) like Americans,” he said.
Qara said he hopes to buy a house with at least two bedrooms for his family when they come. “This is one of my dream, hopefully I can buy a house someday,” he said.
Filled with American dreams and caffeine, Qara is ready for new opportunities. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2023/07/15/exchange-former-afghan-pilot/08473e8a-2311-11ee-8994-4b2d0b694a34_story.html | 2023-07-15T13:26:39 | 0 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/2023/07/15/exchange-former-afghan-pilot/08473e8a-2311-11ee-8994-4b2d0b694a34_story.html |
The National Weather Service has a heat advisory in effect for the Flagstaff area from this morning until 8 p.m. Monday night.
Forecast high temperatures are well into the 90s for northern Arizona, but the Valley is set for a scorcher. According to NWS, 115-degree high temperatures are in store on both Saturday and Sunday in Phoenix.
Most UPS ground shipping and USPS mail sorting from Flagstaff is done in Phoenix. So, for one local business owner, the promise of a heat wave across the state has been cause to completely pause ground shipping.
On Thursday, Evan Anderson, the owner of Drinking Horn Mead and the Mead Hall in downtown Flagstaff, decided his company would only ship its small-batch honey wine by air until the region cools down.
“Anything that ships UPS ground pretty much goes through Phoenix before going out somewhere else. The backs of those trucks aren’t insulated or anything like that. As we all know from living here in the desert, the inside of a vehicle can get extremely hot when left out in the sun. We know that people pay a lot for our product,” Anderson said. “It hurts our bottom line ... but we want to make sure people can get the best quality product straight to their mouths.”
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Making mead is a delicate chemical process, and Anderson, a former fish biologist, relishes the technical aspects of it.
“When you’re making a batch of mead, it's controlled decomposition. That’s all fermentation is,” Anderson said.
Anderson grew up keeping bees and understands the ins and outs of the honey harvest, but he didn’t start making mead until his wedding.
“The term honeymoon actually stems from mead. You’re supposed to have enough honey wine to last a moon cycle,” Anderson said. “I was trying to be romantic and make some mead for our wedding. The family loved it so much that it was like, maybe this is something that I could turn into a job.”
Anderson’s first batches of mead were well-received, so he started to tinker with ancient recipes -- many maintained by English monks -- trying to find a modern way to produce shelf-stable mead. In the process, he decided Drinking Horn’s meads would not contain sorbates or sulfates.
“Our first batch of mead -- it was a batch of black cherry -- we used sulfites in it, because that was kind of the industry standard for how to keep your wine or mead shelf stable. I had to relearn how to do titrations and do a whole bunch of chemistry and math,” Anderson said. “When you add the sulfites as a preservative for the wine, you have to wear a re-breather and goggles and gloves. My mask slipped and I ended up smelling sulfur for a week. I thought, 'I don’t want to be putting these chemicals into something that I enjoy drinking.' We just wanted a product that was not full of preservatives and stuff. After that, we kind of came up with our own method [of preservation].”
Anderson said the new system worked well, and he felt like he had caught a tiger by the tail. The popularity of Drinking Horn has grown over the past six years, and Anderson has cultivated a client base that relies on shipping to fill their cups and horns.
The trouble is that while Anderson’s proprietary system creates a mostly stable product, in high temperatures the flavor profile the Drinking Horn team works hard to define begins to deteriorate.
“Our product is pretty stable in warm temperatures, but especially stuff with alcohol in it, you get above 100 degrees, it can start to change the flavors in it,” Anderson said. “People pay a lot to get a quality product to them. We don’t want it to end up sitting in Phoenix and baking and becoming a less high-quality product.”
Just as the decision to pause ground shipping was in the hands of Anderson as a business owner, a spokesperson with the U.S. Postal Service told the Arizona Daily Sun the choices that improve a product’s chances of ended up at their destination intact belong to the shipper.
“The Postal Service does not have a separate method to process/deliver items that require temperature-controlled environments. These items are handled based on the class in which they are sent, priority mail, priority mail express or first-class mail, and the choice is decided by the sender. The sender takes the action for items that require cold chain or temperature control through packaging and temperature-control measures inside their packages,” said Sherry Patterson, a USPS communications specialist. “When shipping perishable items, it is highly recommended to use priority mail express or priority mail to help ensure it arrives in a timely manner. Customers can use any number of insulated coolers or containers sealed with cold packs, or even dry ice as an option to help keep items cool, especially during the hot summer days.”
Anderson’s team uses UPS, and decided ground shipping wasn’t worth the risk -- which means they’ll miss out on some mead sales during the parching days ahead.
Running hot
Anecdotally, hot weekends don’t just throw a wrench in shipping for Flagstaff business owners as mail and packages are routed through Phoenix. According to Discover Flagstaff, visitorship from the Valley increases.
“The summer months are definitely a high season for Flagstaff, we don’t see this season being much different as far as demand. The warm weather down in the Valley definitely drives visitation to Flagstaff,” said Lori Pappas, the Discover Flagstaff marketing and media relations manager.
She said tourists from the Phoenix and Tucson markets are critical contributors economically. When folks travel north to beat the heat, they spend money at Flagstaff bars, restaurants, shops and hotels.
The challenge for the communicators at Discover Flagstaff is in relaying fire-wise messaging to the flocks of people that rush away from the high heat in their hometowns.
“We’re working hard on responsible visitation,” Pappas said. “Discover Flagstaff has been working a lot with fire agencies to communicate to that market about being fire aware, making them aware of their fire restrictions. That’s an everyday educational message that we push out.”
It's a message Anderson supports, especially this time of year.
“There was one year when we didn’t get rain at the Celtic Festival and I had to leave and leave all my people there pouring because there was a big wildfire and we got called for evacuation right in the middle of the Celtic Festival,” Anderson said.
This weekend his team will be pouring mead in the 94-degree weather at Fort Tuthill for the same event.
Bees, meanwhile, are pretty resilient to heat.
Anderson said even if Drinking Horn goes a month without ground shipping, he hopes the business will be fine, too.
“They need the inside of their hive to be 95 degrees or so. When they get too hot, they’ll actually, all the ladies, because they’re the ones that do all the work, will fan [their wings] and they work themselves in such a way that creates an amazing amount of circulation within the hive as it starts to get hotter. They make a lot of noise when they do at, so you can hear the hives really going when it’s warm out.”
While humans aren’t likely to take a play from the honeybee playbook, the NWS does have some tailored tips for making it through the warm weekend ahead.
During this weekend’s heat advisory, the weather service encourages Flagstaff residents and visitors to drink plenty of water, utilize air conditioning, reschedule athletic activities for the early morning and evening, wear loose-fitting and light-weight clothing, and check in with relatives and neighbors to make sure they’re keeping cool. NWS officials also remind Arizonans not to leave children or pets unattended inside vehicles this weekend under any circumstances. | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-honey-wine-maker-ends-up-with-a-less-than-sweet-summer-shipping-problem/article_fc654022-2274-11ee-8532-47ce2ffb6104.html | 2023-07-15T13:35:21 | 1 | https://azdailysun.com/news/local/flagstaff-honey-wine-maker-ends-up-with-a-less-than-sweet-summer-shipping-problem/article_fc654022-2274-11ee-8532-47ce2ffb6104.html |
BLOOMINGTON — A Bloomington woman was sentenced to two years probation after accepting a plea agreement that saw prosecutors drop a charge of aggravated domestic battery.
Carissa J. Watt, 28, pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor domestic battery. The Class 2 felony charge was dropped as part of the agreement.
The incident in question occurred in February 2022 when, prosecutors say, Watt attacked the victim in the home they shared.
Watt was sentenced to 24 months probation and forbidden to consume or possess alcohol, cannabis and other illicit substances as part of her sentence and ordered to have no contact with the victim and the residence.
Watt's attorney, Michael Doubet, said the outcome was a positive one for everyone involved. "We are happy that the state worked with us to get this resolved," he said. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-courts/domestic-battery-woman-probation/article_243a82dc-226c-11ee-b329-3718e310369a.html | 2023-07-15T13:44:37 | 1 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/crime-courts/domestic-battery-woman-probation/article_243a82dc-226c-11ee-b329-3718e310369a.html |
Snake River at Jackson 1,787 cfs
Snake River at Palisades 13,155 cfs
Snake River at Heise 13,948 cfs
Snake River at Blackfoot 1,864 cfs
Snake River at American Falls 14,523 cfs
Snake River at Milner 1,497 cfs
Little Wood River near Carey 204 cfs
Jackson Lake is 91% full.
Palisades Reservoir is 92% full.
American Falls Reservoir is 65% full.
Upper Snake River system is at 81% of capacity.
As of July 14 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_e7adc1b0-2268-11ee-8b98-434e7656345a.html | 2023-07-15T13:46:47 | 0 | https://magicvalley.com/news/local/average-daily-streamflows/article_e7adc1b0-2268-11ee-8b98-434e7656345a.html |
WAXAHACHIE, Texas — An AMBER Alert has been issued for an 11-year-old girl from Waxahachie who is believed to have been abducted in southern Dallas on July 14.
The Waxahachie Police Department (WPD) issued the AMBER Alert for Tanya Jackson, who was last seen at around 8 p.m. on July 14 in the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in southern Dallas. Waxahachie police told WFAA they received information overnight that confirmed Jackson had been abducted and that her well-being was at serious risk. The AMBER Alert was issued on the morning of July 15.
Jackson is from Waxahachie and was reported missing there, which is why the AMBER Alert was issued from Waxahachie police.
Police said Jackson stands 5 feet, 7 inches tall with black hair and brown eyes, weighs about 160 pounds and was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with red lettering before her disappearance.
Jackson is believed to be in grave or immediate danger and anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call 911 or contact the Waxahachie Police Department at (469)309-4400.
"We would like to thank the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Homeland Security Investigations North Texas Trafficking Task Force, Dallas Police Department, our area Child Advocacy Center, and the local branch of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services with whom we have been working throughout this investigation," Waxahachie police said.
More Texas headlines: | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/amber-alert-dallas-texas/287-17568705-c317-4438-9770-4c5eceff4969 | 2023-07-15T13:56:04 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/amber-alert-dallas-texas/287-17568705-c317-4438-9770-4c5eceff4969 |
ATLANTA — In a world where love stories often seem fleeting, one story, though not destined for the stars, unfolded through a simple connection.
Two pairs of young hearts connected, making their love story last over 100 years.
Reflecting on their first encounter, Jack fondly reminisces, "I guess I thought she was good looking," sharing a lighthearted joke. However, the depth of their affection has always been apparent.
Jack and May Milner's journey stands as a remarkable testament to the enduring love forged in their teenage years.
May, with a smile, recalls the early days of their courtship, saying, "I wrote him every day. My mom said, 'How do you come up with something to talk about?' I said, 'I'll think of something,'"
This remarkable dedication and devotion laid the foundation for their enduring love. Now the couple cherishes the letters they exchanged, safeguarding them in the very bag Jack carried during his deployment to Germany.
These precious notes hold the essence of their love, allowing them to journey back through 70 years of shared history, back to the night they made their commitment official.
As they embarked on their lifelong journey together, leaving the Preachers' house in 1953, Jack and May knew exactly where their hearts would lead them. May points to her dear friend Betty Crow, with whom their lives became intertwined at the age of 14. Betty, sharing the story, recalls, "me and her were such good friends, and they just became a part of it with us."
It was Jack's 1939 Ford sedan, the coveted car of their youth, that brought the group together. Betty, fueled by her desire to see her boyfriend, Charles Crow, introduced May to Jack, setting in motion a series of events that would shape their lives forever.
Summer brought the blossoming romance to fruition as Jack and May exchanged vows and became husband and wife.
"I don't want to even think about how it would have been," Betty said, reflecting on their intertwined lives, "because that's all I've ever known. Me and her, Charles and Jack. We've just always been couples. We have each other; we can rely on each other, no matter what. I know I can depend on them."
Together, these four individuals have woven a beautiful tapestry of family, friendship and lasting commitment. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/two-couples-100-years-best-friend-marriage-heart/85-88f6ceb6-215c-47a1-9912-c483c1d8d6b9 | 2023-07-15T13:56:10 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/two-couples-100-years-best-friend-marriage-heart/85-88f6ceb6-215c-47a1-9912-c483c1d8d6b9 |
AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin is providing a new way to cool off this summer.
Misting tents are now in Republic Square and open until 6 p.m. each day. The City is also handing out chilled water in the square.
The tents can provide much-needed heat relief that can be up to 30 degrees cooler, according to city officials.
The City says libraries will be used as heat relief centers and will have extend hours for those trying to get some immediate relief.
To prevent heat illness, city officials urge residents to take frequent breaks and drink lots of water to help people stay cool.
“As the temperature and heat in Central Texas have become more dangerous, we are asking you to take the necessary precautions to protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your pets,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said. “Residents can find heat-related resources in 12 languages online at austintexas.gov/alerts that will help provide you information on how you can stay safer during this time.”
To date, at least 13 heat-related deaths have been reported in Texas this year, but as of Friday, no heat-related deaths have been reported in Austin this summer.
June 2023 heat-related illnesses doubled from June last year, and EMS calls in July of this year have dramatically increased in volume. Recommendations on how to stop heat-related illnesses include learning the signs and symptoms of being overheated and acting quickly by moving the person, then cooling the person down and calling 911, and being sure to take care of one another, especially young children and the elderly. | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/misting-tents-republic-square/269-ea0a4a8b-4ce7-443b-97ce-33044fb22195 | 2023-07-15T14:01:55 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/misting-tents-republic-square/269-ea0a4a8b-4ce7-443b-97ce-33044fb22195 |
Few have regularly shown great interest in decisions made by the Pamunkey Regional Library Board. But two recent appointments to the board that governs libraries 10 libraries in central Virginia has made it a flashpoint around censorship and book banning.
On one side of the debate are residents and parents worried that the public library system is allowing children to have an abundance of access to sexual content that is too mature for their age level.
On the other side are advocates concerned that parental rights are encroaching on freedom of speech, and that while parents should determine what is appropriate for their children, their choices cannot be a substitute for the public.
The recent appointments Hanover residents Christie Schumacher and Bob Johnson has been seen as a turn toward the ideals of the parent’s rights movement, with fears that censorship could soon follow.
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The Pamunkey Regional Library Board of Trustees is made up of 10 members from the counties of Hanover, Goochland, King and Queen, and King William. Local governments make appointments to the board. Hanover has a total of four positions on the board.
Schumacher specifically has become a vocal critic of the library board over the past year. She’s spoken out at trustees meetings and gave a presentation to the Hanover Republican Committee detailing her protests against the board. Both hers and Johnson’s appointments were publicly endorsed by the Hanover Republican Committee.
Hanover’s $3.7 million in funding to the Pamunkey Regional Library Board represents 72% of its overall funding, but the county has only 40% of its voting power. Schumacher, the Hanover Republican Committee and several public speakers advocated for the county to increase its voting power.
Board Chairman W. Canova Peterson said in a statement at the June 28 Board of Supervisors meeting that he did not believe the Pamunkey Regional Library system would be “banning” books or that there was an effort to dismantle that library board.
“No one in their right mind would want to do away with such success and growth. ... It is time for it to be reviewed and updated to reflect current operations,” Peterson said of the 81-year-old library system, which first signed its agreements for services and facilities in 2000.
Supervisors ultimately directed County Administrator John Budesky to review that contract with a focus on the amount of funding compared to the number of seats.
A number of people spoke for, and against, changes to the regional library board at the Hanover Board of Supervisors meeting when Schumacher and Johnson were approved.
James Sanderson, who identified himself as a lifelong library employee, said the library’s current leadership has done a good job of balancing the needs of a community with different viewpoints.
“To provide free and fair access to information requires that they be independent of control or undue influence by any partisan organization and perhaps especially any political party,” Sanderson said. “Public libraries do not advocate for or discriminate against any political, religious or other viewpoint. The exception is that libraries do advocate for democracy with a small d.”
Schumacher’s opposition
Another Hanover resident, Tara Swinford, said she was speaking in favor of the libraries operating as they are.
“Children should have access to the books that they need to grow up to become who they are. ... There are a lot of us, and we all think about things differently," Swinford said. "I don’t think any librarian here is trying to corrupt people’s moral upbringing by providing them with a book or providing them with the opportunity to read a book.”
One of the speakers in favor of the parents’ rights movement was Jack Dyer, chair for the Hanover Republican Committee.
He called it “disingenuous rhetoric and nonsense” that the push to change the Pamunkey library board had anything to do with banning books, but that the push was instead focused on fettering access to violent and sexually explicit content in “unrestricted open areas of our public libraries.”
A Virginia nurse disciplined at one hospital left to work for another hospital where he sexually assaulted a patient.
“We find ourselves in a time where our society has become inflicted with an out of control, boundless, woke insanity. We cannot placate this destructive agenda of confusion, chaos and division any longer,” Dyer said. “Good common sense, decency and moral compass must be restored.”
Ashland District Supervisor Faye Prichard voted in favor of Schumacher's appointment, but against the appointment of Johnson.
“The reality is that sometimes very important books with very important stories have difficult sexual explicit material in them and they require guidance by adults. None of us here argues that,” Prichard said. “But what is appropriate for my child may not be appropriate for your child, and what is appropriate for your child may not be appropriate for mine. It is common sense that we should all pay attention to what our children are doing. It is not common sense that you should pay attention to what my children are doing.”
Schumacher’s disagreements with the board were ignited by a display at the Atlee Branch Library during Banned Books Week in September 2022.
The display said to be in the “young adult” section showed at least 20 books that have been the subject of challenges around the country. They were marked with red X’s labeling them in categories like “sex/nudity,” “anti-police” and “LGBTQ+.” Information sheets at the center of the exhibit explained more about why those books were banned.
According to emails obtained by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Schumacher raised concerns with the library board’s director in September 2022 and has continued correspondence with the board and its trustees.
Schumacher complained to Tom Shepley, the Pamunkey Regional Library director, saying the display was ineffective at educating children about banned books.
“In my opinion, this display didn't do much to educate children on censorship or banned books,” Schumacher wrote. “What it did do, is confront children with material that they would not have necessarily picked up on their own from the shelves of the library.”
Responding to Schumacher’s concerns about the display, Shepley wrote that parents have the “right and responsibility to restrict access of their children — and only their children” to library resources.
“This display for Banned Books Week is promoting our first amendment rights to free speech by explaining efforts — like censoring and banning materials — that infringe on this right,” Shepley wrote to Schumacher after she requested the display be removed. “Censorship is not just the removal of books and materials, but also any attempt to limit or restrict that access.”
Shumacher later made several suggestions for a more “family friendly” approach to choosing library displays was the suggestion that a banned books display should be put in the adult section, away from children.
In many of her letters, Schumacher has said that she is not in favor of censoring or banning books, but rather placing materials with sexual content into the adult sections.
What books were part of the Atlee display
Over 20 books were featured as part of that display at the Atlee Branch Library. Books had other labels for such topics as “drinking,” “socialist,” “religious viewpoint” and “anti-family,” “violence,” “profanity” and “gross out humor.”
“Lush” by Natasha Friend was one of the books labeled for sex and nudity. The realistic fiction follows a teenage girl named Sam who has a father struggling with alcoholism. The book features frequent scenes of alcohol abuse, as well as scenes of sexual assault involving the fictitious 13-year-old character.
Another featured book titled “Melissa” centers around a transgender fourth-grader named Melissa, who is known as George, a boy, by the rest of the characters. The plot follows Melissa’s journey with coming into her gender identity, and wanting to play a female character in the school play.
Some of the other books were such titles as “Me and Early and the Dying Girl,” by Jesse Andrews; “The Fault in our Stars,” by John Green; “Vampire Academy,” by Richelle Mead; and “The Hate U Give,” by Angie Thomas.
Labeling system
Schumacher also questioned the American Library Association, which organized the Atlee display, through its Office for Intellectual Freedom. The Pamunkey Regional Library system also recognizes a number of statements that align with the ALA, like its opposition to a labeling system. The ALA says labels can be prejudicial and hinder material access to certain groups.
A March 7 letter from Schumacher to the library board describes the ALA as a “left-leaning, breeding ground for pushing all kinds of radical viewpoints and ideas in our society and on future generations.”
She asked that the board not endorse anything from the ALA, saying she worried about sexually explicit content ending up in kids sections or the hosting of “drag queen story hour” at libraries.
Debates over libraries are not unique to Hanover County — or Virginia.
The ALA reported in March that demands to censor library books and resources doubled nationwide between 2021 and 2022. A record 2,571 unique titles were targeted with a vast majority written by or about members of the LGBTQ+ community and people of color, the ALA said.
Of the reported book challenges, 58% targeted school libraries and 41% were in public libraries.
Hanover’s debate in the public libraries follows a controversial process in the county’s schools, where the School Board voted to remove 19 books from the shelves of its school libraries. Those books were removed immediately after the board gave itself the authority to remove books at-will with a majority vote, taking the control from the school system. | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/hanover-library-book-ban-pamunkey-regional-library-board-of-trustees/article_c93bdd98-1f66-11ee-8606-a797e36ae8e4.html | 2023-07-15T14:07:31 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/hanover-library-book-ban-pamunkey-regional-library-board-of-trustees/article_c93bdd98-1f66-11ee-8606-a797e36ae8e4.html |
Providence's seaside Camp Cronin got a facelift, but when will it reopen for kids, seniors?
NARRAGANSETT - In sweltering Providence, the temperature was approaching 90 degrees. But at the city's long-unused summer camp in Narragansett, cool winds were blowing in from the nearby Atlantic Ocean.
"There's a gorgeous breeze here today," community advocate Vincent "Vin" Marzullo, who happens to be renting the house across the street from shuttered Camp Cronin, said on Tuesday. "You could walk to the beach, you could enjoy outside, have line-dancing, bingo, socializing ... kids could be out there playing basketball."
For years, inner-city children and senior citizens were bused to Camp Cronin for those sorts of summertime activities. But the city-owned facility at the tip of Point Judith has been sitting empty for about a decade, and, to Marzullo's frustration, this summer looks like it will be no different.
"It moves at glacier speed," said Marzullo, who until recently served as interim director of the Da Vinci Center in the north end of Providence.
Last year, in his final months in office, outgoing Mayor Jorge Elorza set aside $750,000 in American Rescue Plan Act money to give the summer camp a facelift. Overgrown brush was cleared away, and the once-derelict buildings were refurbished with new roofs, siding, windows and doors. But it's not clear when it will reopen.
"There are still significant repairs that need to be made to the facility before it can be used," Patricia Socarras, a spokeswoman for the mayor, wrote in an email. She later added, "While we are hopeful the space will be useable, we are unsure when the facility will be open for use at this time."
What's happening at Camp Cronin?
When he announced the upgrades to Camp Cronin in December, Elorza told The Providence Journal that he expected the facility to reopen sometime in 2023, but that regular programming probably wouldn't return until 2024.
But he also acknowledged that it would be up to current Mayor Brett Smiley, who took office less than two weeks later, to decide what to do with the property.
More on Camp Cronin:Camp Cronin's $750K facelift unveiled as Providence-owned site prepares to reopen
The new administration "is still in the process of determining the best use for this space going forward," Socarras said. She said that Smiley is "committed to ensuring this facility can once again be a positive and productive site."
Marzullo, who has rented the house across the street from Camp Cronin for several summers in a row, said he's noticed occasional signs of life since arriving on June 25.
Landscapers came and mowed the lawn, and workers appeared to be repairing the brand-new roof, he said. The city's recreation director visited with a group of consultants. All that made him wonder when children and senior citizens might actually have a chance to benefit from the property.
"I think, at this point, the Jamestown Bridge got built quicker than what they’re doing over here," said Marzullo. Recently, he said, he noticed that the Elorza administration's renderings for a new-and-improved Camp Cronin had disappeared from the city's website.
Josh Estrella, a spokesman for Smiley, said that those images were "likely conceptual." The city hasn't settled on a final design plan yet, and is "reviewing the potential development options and cost estimations," he said.
Socarras clarified that the city is currently finishing the final repairs that were part of the first phase of construction, "and will not be entering the design process for phase two for some time." Construction is not expected to start up again for several months, she said.
Of the $750,000 in ARPA funds that were allocated for the project, $412,000 have been committed, Socarras said.
"The Administration continues to have conversations with City Council members about potential next steps for this facility and we have heard loud and clear from many voices that they hope to see this facility revitalized so that the city and/or partners can use it for programming," she wrote.
More on empty properties:For decades they pushed to revive Cranston Street Armory. All they have is an empty shell.
Calling for a community conversation
Marzullo said that he understands that Smiley is a "numbers guy" and that reopening Camp Cronin as a recreational facility will cost the city money.
However, he said, the city should be looking to form public-private partnerships with corporations and foundations, who he believes would be "bumping into one another" for a chance to get involved.
The unique property could also generate revenue for Providence in the off season, he said. Alternatively, the city could sell the land to the state Department of Environmental Management, which owns the neighboring Camp Cronin Fishing Area.
He called on the mayor to "bring people together to begin the conversation, and do some creative visioning around what the property and the facility could be."
"We’ve got elderly packed into high rises in Providence sweating," Marzullo said. "They could be down here, playing bingo, walking down to the beach, enjoying clam chowder and clam cakes." | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/07/15/camp-cronin-providences-own-seaside-summer-camp-narragansett-likely-to-stay-closed/70402307007/ | 2023-07-15T14:08:52 | 0 | https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/07/15/camp-cronin-providences-own-seaside-summer-camp-narragansett-likely-to-stay-closed/70402307007/ |
An AMBER Alert was issued before dawn Saturday for a missing Waxahachie girl who was last seen in Dallas and is believed to be in grave or immediate danger.
According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, 11-year-old Tanya Jackson was last seen at about 8 p.m. Friday along the 2300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue in Dallas.
The girl was wearing a white T-shirt with red lettering.
Jackson is Black, stands 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds. She has black hair and brown eyes.
Police shared no further information about her disappearance or her description.
Anyone with information about Jackson's location or disappearance is asked to call the Waxahachie Police Department at 469-309-4400.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As developments unfold, elements of this story may change.
TEXAS STATEWIDE ALERT PROGRAMS
There are eight kinds of alerts that can be issued for missing or endangered people in Texas. They are listed below with links to a page with more information. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/amber-alert-issued-for-missing-waxahachie-girl-last-seen-in-dallas/3296583/ | 2023-07-15T14:14:46 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/amber-alert-issued-for-missing-waxahachie-girl-last-seen-in-dallas/3296583/ |
The whimsical children's playhouses part of an effort to raise money for Dallas CASA are back at NorthPark Center starting July 14-30.
There are 14 houses on display, varying from a golf-themed playhouse, a spaceship, a yellow submarine, a hobbit house, an old-school movie theater, and a design inspired by The Quadrangle.
But apart from the miniature architecture's appeal to the eyes, the playhouses hope to bring attention to abused and neglected children.
Various builders and companies have donated their time and materials to build the houses.
The event raises money through a raffle with tickets at $5 each or at $20 for five tickets. They are available at ticket tables throughout NorthPark or at DallasCASA.org.
Dallas CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) volunteers serve as the voices in court for abused and neglected children removed from their homes and placed in the protective care of the state.
NorthPark Center has hosted the event since 1996. You can see a list of this year's playhouses here. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-casas-28th-annual-parade-of-playhouses-returns-to-northpark-center/3296179/ | 2023-07-15T14:14:52 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/dallas-casas-28th-annual-parade-of-playhouses-returns-to-northpark-center/3296179/ |
Food insecurity during the summer affects children all across the Tarrant area.
As schools are not in session, those that rely on free and reduced breakfast and lunch are missing the meals they would rely on.
The Tarrant Area Food Bank received a $100,000 grant from Albertsons/Tom Thumb Foundation's Nourishing Neighbors Program to combat this issue.
"It could not have come at a more critical time in the year," Albertsons Companies Foundation said in a statement. "Summer hunger sees hundreds of thousands of children, within their 13-county service area, in need of food, as families are being hit even harder this summer due to SNAP reductions and the on-going inflation crisis."
The food bank has worked alongside Fort Worth ISD to establish 61 food pantries in school that operate during the summer, according to TAFB. This grant will allow them to invest more money in similar projects.
The Albertsons Companies Foundation contributed more than $200 million in food and financial support, including over $40 million through TAFB's Nourishing Neighbors Program in 2022, according to a statement. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/tarrant-area-food-bank-receives-100k-grant-to-combat-child-hunger/3296249/ | 2023-07-15T14:14:58 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/tarrant-area-food-bank-receives-100k-grant-to-combat-child-hunger/3296249/ |
Heat wave carries on this weekend, with some afternoon stormsAmtrak train carrying nearly 170 passengers derails in Lakeland, officials saySmall bowel obstruction revealed as Lisa Marie Presley’s cause of death1 shot while walking near Millenia area, police sayWoman missing after reporting child on side of road | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-health-department-appeals-orlando-tampa-dog-bars-ruling/4PBMRWHR4ZCFJGRDF32HJODJSQ/ | 2023-07-15T14:28:44 | 0 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-health-department-appeals-orlando-tampa-dog-bars-ruling/4PBMRWHR4ZCFJGRDF32HJODJSQ/ |
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Seminole County organization is helping students in low-income households get ready for the upcoming school year.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Tools 4 Seminole Schools will hold a school supply drive through July 31.
These supplies will benefit Seminole County Public Schools students and classrooms.
Read: Orange County Public Schools hosting job fairs to hire ‘school lunch heroes’
According to the county, 50% of students participate in the free and reduced meals program.
Drop-off locations will be at all Seminole County Fire Department stations, Seminole County Library branches and Red Bug Lake Park.
The county is asking for the following new items:
- Color markers
- Color pencils
- Crayons
- Dry-erase markers
- Pencils
- Erasers
- Pens
- Scissors
- Glue
- Folders
- Notebooks
- Notebook paper
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/seminole-county-organization-collects-school-supplies-upcoming-year/OXZY3MZOM5CLJIBI3FS5WHK3FQ/ | 2023-07-15T14:28:50 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/seminole-county-organization-collects-school-supplies-upcoming-year/OXZY3MZOM5CLJIBI3FS5WHK3FQ/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. — Let’s get bananas, the Savannah Bananas, that is.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Sometimes called the “World Famous Baseball Circus,” or “the Harlem Globetrotters of Baseball,” the Savannah Bananas are not your typical baseball team.
According to the team website, the Savanah Bananas challenge the way things are supposed to be and implemented some deviations from standard baseball rules, otherwise known as “Banana Ball” – the fastest and most entertaining game of baseball.
On Friday, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled the first Savannah Bananas Bobblehead. The officially licensed, limited-edition bobblehead features Split, the mascot of the Savannah Bananas.
Founded in 2016, the Savannah Bananas competed in the Coastal Plain League’s West Division, where they won three Petitt Cup championships.
Split was announced as the name of the Savannah Bananas mascot after the team received 1,200 suggestions in a “Name the Mascot” contest.
“Split was by far the most popular name suggested in our contest and we feel it is the perfect fit for our Bananas mascot,” team president Jared Orton said. “The first ever Bananas bobblehead will be our iconic mascot, Split, and I can’t think of a better way to introduce our King of Potassium to the world.”
Read: Back to school: Tips for teachers, students, parents on how to beat high cost of supplies
The new individually numbered bobbleheads will feature Split standing on a banana-shaped base with his name the Savannah Bananas’ logo, as well as sporting his trademark sunglasses.
“We’re excited to be offering the first Savannah Bananas bobblehead for all of the Bananas’ fans across the country,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “Bobblehead and baseball are a perfect combination, and we know fans of the Savannah Bananas are going to love this new bobblehead.”
Read: Children explore sea life at Crayola Experience Orlando ocean-themed attraction
Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2023 Cox Media Group | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/split-savannah-bananas-mascot-gets-his-own-bobblehead/ZWGFKALPJZB2VOWKVU63CAKE7I/ | 2023-07-15T14:28:57 | 1 | https://www.wftv.com/news/local/split-savannah-bananas-mascot-gets-his-own-bobblehead/ZWGFKALPJZB2VOWKVU63CAKE7I/ |
Video exclusively obtained by NBC New York shows the moments before the man accused in the murders of three Gilgo Beach victims was taken into custody by law enforcement in New York City.
Well after the afternoon rush, as the sun set over midtown, Rex Heuermann can be seen calmly strolling by New Yorkers on Fifth Avenue and East 36th Street with a work bag over his left shoulder, Heuermann appeared to be completely unaware he was being followed by police detectives who were about to place him under arrest in connection with the infamous Gilgo Beach murders — a decade-long mystery that has caused pain for several families.
The three detectives in dark suits can be seen on video following behind Heuermann on the sidewalk from a distance. He was arrested just after 8:30 p.m. Thursday, then arraigned on Friday on three first-degree murder charges and three second-degree murder charges in the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, according to court documents. He is also a suspect in a fourth killing, of Maureen Brainard-Barnes.
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For years, Heuermann ran his architectural firm from Fifth Avenue in midtown Manhattan, the area where detectives alleged he used a cellphone to arrange meetings with women he would later kill.
On Friday, those who worked in the same building and shared the same hallways were stunned.
“I’m just in shock to find out he worked in my building. I could’ve been in an elevator with him,” said Jordan Resnick. “It’s insane. I can’t believe it. I’m in shock right now.”
Michelle Gargano knows the facts and lore of the Gilgo Beach murders, but she had no idea the man suspected of being the serial killer worked in her same building.
"It’s a little scary that he was two floor above me. We are on the ninth floor and no one had any idea obviously. That’s really scary and it went on for so long which is also horrifying," Gargano said. "That’s really scary. I mean, day-to-day, I’m here every single day. I come here five days a week. Work late nights and stuff too, so that’s also scary that at night I could have been walking out of the building and just passing someone who was a murderer, and I had no idea.”
Manhattan was the place investigators say Heuermann made several calls to set up meetings with potential victims. One specific call was made near the 59th Street Bridge. In midtown, investigators alleged Heuermann used a burner cell phone to taunt the family of one of his victims, saying he sexually assaulted and killed their loved one. | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/exclusive-video-shows-moments-before-gilgo-beach-suspect-rex-heuermann-arrested-in-nyc/4506065/ | 2023-07-15T14:39:51 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/exclusive-video-shows-moments-before-gilgo-beach-suspect-rex-heuermann-arrested-in-nyc/4506065/ |
A discarded pizza box, thrown into a 5th Avenue trash can in the middle of Manhattan, would eventually help investigators link Rex Heuermann to DNA evidence collected from the body of a Gilgo Beach victim killed more than 10 years ago.
After reigniting investigative efforts into the Long Island serial killings early last year, officials said Friday that Heuermann became a focus of the unsolved case in early 2022.
"On March 14, 2022. the name Rex was first mentioned. A New York state investigator was able to identify him in a database and from that point on we used the power of the grand jury, over 300 subpoenas and search warrants, looking into this individual's background to bring us to this day," Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said.
A freshly formed task force had started working six weeks earlier, and would eventually use a combination of cellphone pings of calls and DNA evidence to charge Heuermann for the murders of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello. Prosecutors said in court documents that he remains the prime suspect in Brainard-Barnes' death, but there are no charges as the investigation "is continuing and is expected to be resolved soon."
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"Fresh eyes in this case and the resiliency of our investigators allowed us to identify Rex Heuermann," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison said Friday afternoon. "Rex Heuermann is a demon who walks among us."
Court documents explain how a team surveilling the 59-year-old in midtown, where he worked as an architect, observed him toss a pizza box into a trash can. The leftover pizza crust was collected, swabbed and analyzed by a forensics lab.
News
Investigators said the tested sample matched a mitochondrial DNA profile from a male hair collected off burlap recovered from the body of Megan Waterman.
The DNA test results that allegedly linked Heuermann to the Gilgo Beach bodies came back on June 12 — with the results having a 99.96 degree of accuracy. Investigators said "it is significant that Defendant Heuermann cannot be excluded from the male hair recovered near the 'bottom of the burlap' utilized to restrain and transport Megan Waterman's naked and deceased body."
Prosecutors and investigators worked to keep details secret because they knew Heuermann was watching, the district attorney said.
“We knew we were playing before an audience of one person,” Tierney said at a news conference.
As part of the investigation, law enforcement looked into his internet search history. According to prosecutors, Heuermann repeatedly searched for child pornography, sadistic material and online images and information of his victims. His email account was connected to more than 200 searches between March 2022 and June 2023 about known and active serial killers, the disappearances of his alleged victims, and articles written about investigations into the murders.
Among the searches were:
- "why could law enforcement not trace the calls made by long island serial killer"
- "why hasn't the long island serial killer been caught"
- "FBI active serial killers"
- "Map of all known serial killers"
- "8 Terrifying Active Serial Killers (We Can't Find)"
- "Mapping the Long Island Murder Victims"
- "Inside the Long Island Serial Killer and Gilgo Beach"
- "In Long Island serial killer investigation, new phone technology may be key to break in case" | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/how-leftover-pizza-crust-linked-an-architect-to-gilgo-beach-serial-killings/4506598/ | 2023-07-15T14:39:57 | 0 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/how-leftover-pizza-crust-linked-an-architect-to-gilgo-beach-serial-killings/4506598/ |
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