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AUSTIN, Texas — A new development has been revealed in the case surrounding a 2013 murder in Austin.
Police responded to a shooting on the 3500 block of Gonzalez Street on July 19, 2013, around 12:40 a.m. Roberto Reyna, 36, was found in the living room of his grandmother's residence and taken to the University Medical Center Brackenridge, where he was pronounced dead at 1:28 a.m.
Police have now revealed the suspect vehicle in the case is a black SUV. APD investigators said all known leads have been exhausted at this point.
A family member who was with him at the time he was shot told police they were swimming in the pool behind the residence when a vehicle pulled up to the front of the home. The suspect then got out and walked toward the backyard. Officials said Reyna got out of the pool and spoke with him for several minutes before the man shot him. Police said Reyna and his family member then fled into the house, where he collapsed.
The suspect was described as follows:
- Hispanic male
- Estimated to be between 5 feet, 7 inches and 5 feet, 9 inches tall
- He was bald or had very short hair at the time of the shooting
- Medium build
- Last seen wearing a knee-length, black T-shirt and dark blue jeans
Police said Reyna owned an upholstery shop and was teaching his younger cousins about the craft. He was planning to get a degree in business. At the time of his death, police said he and his family were looking forward to a lake trip on the following day for his birthday.
Police spoke with witnesses, family members and others who knew Reyna in an effort to identify the suspect. At this time, all leads have been exhausted.
Anyone with more information is asked to call police at 512-472-TIPS (8477) or use the Crime Stoppers App. Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest.
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/roberto-reyna-new-details/269-0fff4500-7fe6-4290-84dc-1ba3b995e413
| 2023-07-20T00:40:44
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/roberto-reyna-new-details/269-0fff4500-7fe6-4290-84dc-1ba3b995e413
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JARRELL, Texas — Crews are battling a 100-acre fire off Cobb Creek Road near Jarrell on Wednesday evening.
At around 6 p.m., a spokesperson for Williamson County said there were no evacuations in place and no homes were currently threatened.
As of 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, none of the fire has not been contained.
The Jarrell Fire Department is leading the firefighting efforts.
Video sent to KVUE from viewer Angela Baldo, filmed going westbound on CR 234, showed a large plume of smoke from the fire.
No other information is available at this time.
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/williamson-county/jarrell-brush-fire-cobb-creek-road/269-e445b0a6-7668-4a2f-ba06-892f5b448cc3
| 2023-07-20T00:40:50
| 1
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/williamson-county/jarrell-brush-fire-cobb-creek-road/269-e445b0a6-7668-4a2f-ba06-892f5b448cc3
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What Will Save Us? | Remembering the Stockton school shooting
Survivors of the shooting are revisiting the school together for the first time and sharing how the shooting led them to lifelong advocacy
Five students were shot and killed at Stockton's Cleveland Elementary School on Jan. 17, 1989. It was one of the nation's worst school shootings at the time.
Many people thought they would never see a school shooting like it again, but it's unfortunately a relived reality. Survivors of the shooting are revisiting the school together for the first time and sharing how the shooting led them to lifelong advocacy. Here are their stories.
Chapter 1 THE DAY OF THE SHOOTING
Barbara Sarkany-Gore was a kindergarten teacher at Cleveland Elementary School in 1989.
“I had just stepped back to view my work when the bullets came to the wall and landed at my feet, at which point I yelled to my morning teacher to run," she said.
Fellow colleague Adrienne Egeland was also a kindergarten teacher. She thought she heard firecrackers before realizing moments later it was the sound of gunfire.
“We opened the doors and there were kids coming through the hallway right outside our room and they were racing. Some of the kids would get partway into the hallway and fall because they had been shot," said Egeland.
A gunman set his car on fire with a Molotov cocktail during recess. He then walked onto the elementary school campus where 300 first, second and third-graders were playing. He fired more than 100 rounds with an assault rifle in less than a minute.
“I had been trained, very seriously trained in first aid in basic training, but we had no supplies. There was nothing to stop the bleeding with except our hands,” said Egeland.
Rob Young was 6-years-old at the time of the shooting. He says his mom would walk him to school.
“She walked me up to the back gate. At the time it was just an open gate of just a pole and a pole. She gave me a hug and a kiss on my cheek and told me, 'Have a good day.'"
Unbeknownst to him, it would be the same gate the gunman walked through. Gunfire erupted while he was on the playground.
“I knew everybody was running and screaming and that alone was terrifying for me,” said Young.
He started running to his classroom when he was shot.
“I turned to see where my best friend Scotty was and when I turned around, that's when I got hit. That's when the round went through my right foot. I landed on the ground and another round struck me in my chest, too. It hit the pavement right before it went into my chest," said Young.
When he looked up from the pavement, he could see his substitute teacher holding a classroom door open.
“I took off running. Bullets were coming through the wall and she was just telling us to get down under our desks," said Young.
Salvador Cortez was finishing up the last month of his paramedic ambulance career when a call for a man with a gun came in at Cleveland Elementary.
“We didn't have a protocol for active shooter response. In fact, the term had not even been coined yet (active shooter),” said Cortez. “As we started walking out some of the hallways, you could see the blood trails of the kids who had been shot and it would lead to a cupboard. Then we would open the cupboard and there would be a child there."
The shooter was 24-year-old Patrick Purdy, a former student of Cleveland Elementary. Purdy shot himself and died at the scene.
“What I realized is that the scene was so disorganized and so chaotic that none of the systems that are in place today were in place that day [in] 1989. We didn't have kind of an incident command system structure,” said Cortez.
Since Rob was in first grade, the only thing he knew about gunshot victims was what he'd seen in the movies.
“You get shot, you die," said Young. "The thing that went through my mind? I can't die right now because my mom's not here, my family's not here with me.”
Five students all under the age of 10 died that day. More than 30 others were injured. At the time, an overwhelming majority of the student population was Southeast Asian.
"Those families, you know, a lot of them had escaped the Killing Fields of Cambodia, Khmer Rouge and Vietnam. They came here as refugees to escape what was going on in their home countries and they come here to be safe,” said Young.
Chapter 2 THE NEXT DAY
Some students and teachers returned to school the following day.
“I was in disbelief, because who would shoot children? And why?” said Sarkany-Gore.
She says returning the next day was almost as bad as the day of the shooting. She felt overwhelmed and unsafe.
“I wanted to be with my colleagues, someone else, other people [who] had been through the same thing... but I didn't want any children in my room," she said.
Staff would continue to find bullet shells in supply cupboards well into the school year.
The shooting changed the little moments Egeland shared with her students.
“I never pulled one of my students aside to talk to them about their behavior when it was time for them to go out for recess or to go to lunch or to go home for the day. I never wanted a harsh word or a message to be part of them leaving me; the last thing they would remember," she said.
PTSD is something the two teachers live with today.
"I do have PTSD and panic disorder, and I do take medication,” said Sarkany-Gore. “It's something that I've learned to live with. It's never going to go away. Sometimes it feels like it was yesterday, and other times it feels like in some other life.”
For Egeland, each time she hears about another mass shooting it impacts her more and more.
“How frustrating is it that 34 years later these incidents are still happening,” she said.
For Rob, the shooting robbed him of the innocence of being an invincible little kid. He soon realized many of his friends were killed that day or sustained significant injuries. The injuries he sustained are something he still lives with.
"It (the bullet) narrowly missed my heart and lungs. They're still there," he said.
The bullet that went through his foot left him with nerve damage and he had to learn how to walk again.
Surviving the shooting is one thing, living with the trauma decades later is another, but these survivors turned a painful tragedy into action.
Chapter 3 LIFE AFTER THE SHOOTING
State assembly members passed the Roberti-Roos Assault Weapons Control Act of 1989 after the shooting. The California assault weapons ban was a first in the nation legislative restriction on assault weapons and served as a model for the U.S. assault weapons ban passed by congress in 1994. The federal law expired in 2004.
California's assault weapons ban remains uncertain today.
“A big focus of my life since the shooting has been trying to get people to understand why we are so determined to reduce the incidences like this,” said Egeland.
She and Barbara are members of the nonprofit Cleveland School Remembers. The organization promotes gun safety and advocates for legislation.
"It makes me feel very angry. It makes me feel like giving up. What does it take to have some kind of better gun laws?” said Sarkany-Gore.
Rob dedicated the last 20 years of his career to law enforcement, beginning his career as a Stockton Unified School District police officer.
“I was always proud to come back and really serve in that capacity. Everybody always asked, 'Did the shooting really push you towards that career choice?' And I would say it definitely strengthened it. I am a product of this district. I am a product of this school. I am a product of this community,” he said.
Salvador Cortez spent more than 30 years with California Highway Patrol before starting his own company, TacMed Services. He now teaches tactical medicine and active shooter training.
He says it gives him hope when he sees people take a class because he wants everyone to be safe.
"So much of the training that occurs today is lecture-based and so that makes it very difficult for an officer to actually understand what the feel of an active shooter event is. My course is scenario-based,” said Cortez.
A large part of the survivors' stories is making sure nobody forgets the young lives taken that day.
"I've always been afraid that if we stopped talking about it that my friends who were killed... that we're going to forget their memory. I don't want to let that happen. Their lives mattered,” said Young.
The organization Everytown for Gun Safety tracks school shootings. In the last 10 years there have been at least 1,092 incidents of gunfire on school grounds across the country.
More than 360 people have died and more than 770 have been hurt. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens, according to the CDC.
Chapter 4 NEW GENERATION OF SCHOOL SAFETY
School campuses like Cleveland Elementary have been the backdrop of horrific scenes of gun violence for the last three decades. Day after day, devastated families and communities are grieving and trying to build a safer future. It’s changing the way schools are run and built.
Take Kairos Public Schools [in Vacaville], for example. They recently built a brand-new school and say they aren’t taking any chances.
When you first enter the parking lot of Kairos Public Schools, they have cameras with license plate readers capturing everyone who comes onto the campus. Their cameras also use AI, facial and license plate recognition. They can set the school on lockdown with just the push of a button.
"On our phones we can push 'active shooter' and it's going to send an alert to every single person on the phone, as well as our intercom system. Then that sends law enforcement immediately coming into our direction," said Kairos Public Schools co-founder Jared Austin.
In the event of a lockdown, one button can also deactivate everyone's key card in the event someone harms a staff member and tries to access their card.
Leslie Shebley, a fellow co-founder of Kairos Public Schools, believes security is a primary focus. For her, one of the main features to help Kairos are panic buttons located in multiple locations throughout the building.
"So if there's ever an issue in any one workshop space, all they have to do is lift this up and hit the button. It locks the facility down and begins to notify the police,” said Shebley.
Every classroom also has an intercom system which gives vocal, audio and text instructions on what to do during a lockdown so staff and students have step-by-step instructions during a potentially high-stress situation.
The mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, happened as Kairos Public Schools was breaking ground on its newest school. Austin says it changed everything and the charter school began rethinking every detail of campus security.
He believes school safety must be a priority in any school design and will only continue to enhance in the future.
“We may never know if any of these measures were worth it, but we also may never know how many potential acts of violence they deter because of the steps we were willing to take and the investment we're willing to make," said Austin.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/remembering-the-stockton-school-shooting/103-edb265db-b3e4-44f9-bac0-0f76e9a0ea43
| 2023-07-20T00:45:53
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/remembering-the-stockton-school-shooting/103-edb265db-b3e4-44f9-bac0-0f76e9a0ea43
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SACRAMENTO, Calif — Editor's note: Video in this story is from prior coverage of Measure L.
Eight months after voters passed Measure L, Sacramento city officials are launching a planning and oversight commission to create youth wellness and violence prevention programs.
An estimated $10 million in annual funding is expected to flood in because of Measure, which takes money from the city equal to 40% of city cannabis tax revenue.
Not only is the city looking for commissioners to help plan the programs, but officials also released a bidding process looking for consulting firms to help establish them.
The firm they choose will also support the Sacramento Youth Commission in developing similar youth-focused programs. Goals include:
- Preventing and reducing child and youth homelessness
- Supporting mental and emotional health of children and youth
- Preventing youth violence
- Prevent and reduce substance abuse
- Support the healthy development of children ages 0 to 5.
The finished plans are set to be implemented from July 1, 2024 to June 2029.
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento-childrens-fund-launching-cannabis-tax-funding/103-f5a5116e-2d79-4fa8-b959-9fb41abfd609
| 2023-07-20T00:46:00
| 0
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento-childrens-fund-launching-cannabis-tax-funding/103-f5a5116e-2d79-4fa8-b959-9fb41abfd609
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The biggest lottery jackpot wins in Arizona
With the current Powerball drawing and current Mega Millions drawing increasing in price with no jackpot winner, you may be wondering how likely it is your ticket would hit big if you bought it in Arizona.
Arizona has had its fair share of jackpot winners between the Powerball and Mega Millions drawings. Here are the top ten biggest jackpot wins in Arizona from both the Powerball and Mega Millions lottery.
10: $47.05 million in 2006
The 10th biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a Powerball prize on Nov. 1, 2006, for $47.05 million. A group of coworkers and two spouses from a Valley architecture firm split the jackpot with a winner from Minnesota, the East Valley Tribune reported in 2006.
“This will be the first time in my life I’ll be debt-free,” winner Scott Alack said at the time.
Cash or annuity: Cash that was split because there were two sets of winners in a $94 million jackpot
Who: Tanya and Steve Poirier, Mark Kristen, Dawn and Mitchel Levy, Jinia Sarkar, Eve Kalliokoski, Andrew Schuh, and Scott Alack
Jackpot: $94 million
Type: Powerball
When: 2006 (Nov. 1)
9: $60 million in 2017
The ninth biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a Powerball prize on April 1, 2017 for $60 million.
Cash or annuity: Cash for $36,452,004.24
Who: Anonymous
Jackpot: $60 million
Type: Powerball
When: 2017 (April 1)
Winning tickets:$200k Powerball winner sold in Chandler; $50k Powerball winner sold in Flagstaff
8: $77 million in 1995
The eighth biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a Powerball prize on April 12, 1995, for $77 million.
Jackpot: $77 million
Type: Powerball
When: 1995 (April 12)
7: $83.9 million in 2001
The seventh biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a Powerball prize on April 15, 2001, for $83.9 million.
Jackpot: $83.9 million
Type: Powerball
When: 2001 (April 15)
6: $95.3 million in 2002
The sixth biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a tie between the Powerball prize won on Jan. 26, 2002, and the Powerball prize won on Dec. 1, 2011, both for $95.3 million.
Jackpot: $95.3 million
Type: Powerball
When: 2011 ( Dec. 1) and 2002 (Jan. 26)
5: $101 million in 1995
The fifth biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a Powerball prize on March 4, 1995, for $101 million.
Jackpot: $101 million
Type: Powerball
When: 1995 (March 4)
4: $108 million in 2021
The fourth biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a Mega Millions prize on Oct. 20, 2021, for $108 million. The prize was claimed by three family members from Lake Havasu: a man, his wife and her brother, who wanted to remain anonymous.
The three prize winners said they played $60 every week. For this drawing, they chose a quick pick.
"I was jumping up and down and screaming," the winner said to Arizona Lottery.
Jackpot: $108 million
Cash or annuity: Cash for $75.2 million
Who: Three family members from Lake Havasu City: a man, his wife and her brother, who wanted to remain anonymous.
Type: Mega Millions
When: 2021 (Oct.20)
Million dollar weekend:Over $1M in lottery ticket wins from metro Phoenix over weekend
3: $414 million in 2020
The third biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a Mega Millions prize on June 9, 2020, for $414 million. A Glendale couple who wanted to remain anonymous took home the money. He was 70 at the time and she was 63.
"It’s an amazing feeling, and this is proof that you can't win if you don’t play,” he said to Mega Millions. “I feel lighter now and it’s incredible to know that there will never be another bill that I can’t pay.”
Jackpot: $414 million
Cash or annuity: Cash for $319.9 million
Who: A couple from Glendale who remained anonymous
Where: Circle K, located at 20203 N. 67th Ave. in Glendale.
Type: Mega Millions
When: 2020 ( June 9)
2: $473.1 million in 2022
The second biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a Powerball prize on April 27, 2022, for $473.1 million.
Jackpot: $473.1 million
Cash or Annuity: Cash for $283,269,626.72
Who: An anonymous Gilbert couple
Type: Powerball
When: 2022 (April 27)
1: $587.5 million in 2012
The biggest jackpot won in Arizona was a Powerball Prize on Nov. 28, 2012, for $587.5 million.
Who: Matthew Good
Cash or Annuity: Cash for $384,747,857.92 (split)
Jackpot: $587.5 million
Type: Powerball
When: 2012 (Nov. 28)
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/07/19/10-biggest-lottery-jackpots-won-in-arizona/70433180007/
| 2023-07-20T00:48:17
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona/2023/07/19/10-biggest-lottery-jackpots-won-in-arizona/70433180007/
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Man dies after losing consciousness during Mesa police arrest
A man died Monday afternoon after he fell and lost consciousness while police were arresting him in Mesa, according to police.
The man was identified as Michael Medina, 33.
Just after 4:30 p.m. on Monday, officers found Medina, whom they had been looking for since June 22, and stopped the vehicle he was in near Southern Avenue and Mesa Drive, police said.
Medina stepped out of the vehicle and tried to run away from officers, but they chased him until one of them "caught up and made contact" with him, police said, causing him to fall down and lose consciousness.
While Medina was unconscious, officers un-handcuffed him and administered life-saving measures until paramedics arrived to further treat him, according to police.
Medina was then taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.
According to police, Medina was facing multiple crime charges including disorderly conduct, burglary, criminal trespassing, and resisting arrest. Medina had five additional outstanding warrants.
The incident was being reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa-breaking/2023/07/19/man-dies-after-falling-losing-consciousness-mesa-police-arrest/70434577007/
| 2023-07-20T00:48:23
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/mesa-breaking/2023/07/19/man-dies-after-falling-losing-consciousness-mesa-police-arrest/70434577007/
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Maricopa County report confirms 18 heat-related deaths in Phoenix area so far this year
So far this year, there have been 18 heat-related deaths in Maricopa County.
There are 69 other deaths also under investigation by officials that could potentially cause the number to balloon even further.
According to a weekly report published by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, out of the 18 deaths this year, 13 were caused by heat while five were related. By the same time last year, 29 deaths were already confirmed and 193 were under investigation by the county.
This year’s first heat-related death came later than last year with it being on April 11. The first heat-related death in 2022 was on March 13.
About one-third of the confirmed deaths were unhoused people. One-third of the deaths were of people 75 years or older.
Lack of air conditioning led to at least three indoor deaths. Hospital visits related to heat-related illnesses have increased as the summer progresses and temperatures increase.
Hot weather tips
The Arizona Department of Health Services provided tips to prevent heat-related illness:
- Drink water: It is recommended to drink at least 2 liters of water per day if people are staying inside all day. Those who spend time outdoors should drink 1 to 2 liters per hour they are outside.
- Dress for the heat: wear lightweight and light-colored clothing. Sunscreen should always be applied to exposed skin and it is recommended to wear a hat or use an umbrella when outdoors.
- Eat small meals and eat more often: Officials recommend avoiding foods high in protein that increase metabolic heat.
- Monitor those at risk: Check on friends, family or others for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
- Slow down and avoid strenuous activity: It is recommended to only do strenuous activity during the coolest hours of the day, between 4 and 7 a.m.
- Stay indoors.
- Take breaks when engaged in physical activity: Take a break in a cool place when doing activity outside on a hot day.
On the watch:Record temperatures prompt Arizona to start inspecting workplaces for heat-related safety
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-weather/2023/07/19/latest-report-shows-18-confirmed-heat-deaths-in-maricopa-county-phoenix-area/70434903007/
| 2023-07-20T00:48:29
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-weather/2023/07/19/latest-report-shows-18-confirmed-heat-deaths-in-maricopa-county-phoenix-area/70434903007/
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Phoenix clears block of 'The Zone' amid record-breaking heat wave
By 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, a line of about two dozen people was already wrapped around the side of the Justa Center.
The center is located amid “The Zone,” Phoenix’s largest homeless encampment, and operates year-round as a community space for seniors experiencing homelessness. On hot summer days, it also doubles as an escape from the blistering heat — a reprieve that dozens of older Phoenicians queue up for each morning.
As people waited to get out of the sun and into the AC, just three blocks away a crew of nonprofit and city workers buzzed along a block of 13th Avenue with no shade in sight as they cleared people and tents out of another section of The Zone.
As Phoenix endured the third week of a record-breaking heat wave, the city pressed on with clearing out The Zone and homeless service providers in the neighborhood worked overtime to keep people cool, hydrated and safe.
It was already above 90 degrees when workers at the cleanup began breaking down the tents and shuttling people to shelters.
The group worked quickly. It was well over 100 degrees by the time the street was clear and a city sanitation truck rolled through at 11 a.m. The block cleared Wednesday was the fifth to be cleaned and cleared since May 10, when the city began the process of closing The Zone.
The cleanup took place on 13th Avenue between Madison and Jefferson streets just steps away from the Old Station Sub shop. Joe Faillace, the shop’s owner, is one of several business and property owners who are suing the city over The Zone, saying the encampment has subjected them to violence, crime and property damage. It remains to be seen how much time the court will give the city to finish clearing out the encampment.
Faillace said he felt relieved after the cleanup, adding that several of his customers had noticed it taking place.
“It’s amazing to look across the street and not see garbage,” he said.
Most people displaced by cleanup accept shelter
James Burress, who was living on the block of The Zone being cleared, was on his first extra large cup — 44 ounces — of blue Powerade by 7 a.m. as workers prepared to clear out the street. He would refill it at least three or four times throughout the day, he said.
“You have to,” Burress said. “It’s just too hot.”
Burress was hesitant to leave his tent during the cleanup. After being evicted from his home in September, he worked hard to make his tent comfortable. Three large solar panels provided him with enough energy to power a small air conditioning unit, a desktop computer and a Wi-Fi router. To conserve resources, he wouldn't run the air conditioning until he absolutely had to, around 11 a.m. each day.
On the side of the tent, Burress even added a door with a latch.
“I’m trying to make it look like home,” he said.
On Wednesday morning, Burress was one of 34 people still living on the block scheduled to be cleared. After speaking with city officials, he agreed to take a room at a local hotel-turned-shelter. He spent most of the morning packing up his belongings and taking down his tent. He will store most of it for sentimental reasons, he said.
Stretched:Phoenix commander: 'The Zone' lawsuits pulling police in two directions
Of the people still living on the block Wednesday morning, 26 accepted shelter or other services, city spokesperson Kristin Couturier said.
Like Burress, Austin Anderson also agreed to go to a hotel-turned-shelter. He had been camping on the block for about four months and was grateful to finally be heading inside, he said.
“It’s bad enough being homeless, but being homeless in Arizona with the heat — it’s different,” he said before he got in a car headed for the hotel.
Staying cool in 'The Zone'
Throughout The Zone, people were doing what they could to survive the heat.
“A lot of times, I get cold water and just pour it over the top of my head. I drink a lot of water. I get Propel packets to replenish my electrolytes," said Sheryl Menzer, 61, who was in an outdoor area of the Justa Center. "I’ve got a towel, too. And when it’s really hot, I’ll wet it down, I’ll wrap it around my neck. Sometimes I just place it over my head.”
Harm-reduction volunteers dragged coolers up and down the street, delivering bottled water and the opioid-overdose antidote naloxone to people’s tents.
A man pushed a cart with Gatorade and ice for sale. His dog, panting heavily, was in the cart too.
At the Human Services Campus, a collective of nonprofits that sits at the center of The Zone, a group of people sprawled out under a white event tent as a giant cooling unit pumped cool air in their direction. Inside, about 200 people took refuge in the air conditioning at the campus resource center.
Dean Scheinert, executive director of the Justa Center, said he's grateful for the extra attention Phoenix's homelessness nonprofits are receiving during the hot summer months — and that he hopes it will continue even after the heat has dissipated.
"This is a 365-day-a-year crisis," he said.
Fatal hot weather:Maricopa County report confirms 18 heat-related deaths in Phoenix area so far this year
Juliette Rihl covers housing insecurity and homelessness for The Arizona Republic. She can be reached at jrihl@arizonarepublic.com or on Twitter @julietterihl.
Helen Rummel is a Pulliam Fellow for The Arizona Republic. She can be reached at hrummel@gannett.com or on Twitter @helenrummel.
Coverage of housing insecurity on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/07/19/phoenix-clears-block-of-the-zone-homeless-camp-amid-record-heat-wave/70422946007/
| 2023-07-20T00:48:35
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2023/07/19/phoenix-clears-block-of-the-zone-homeless-camp-amid-record-heat-wave/70422946007/
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LAKE CUSHMAN, Wash. — A cougar attacked a dog near Lake Cushman on Wednesday morning, according to the Mason County Sheriff's Office.
The dog is expected to be OK, the sheriff's office said.
A Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife houndsman is in the area to search for the cougar.
Officials said if the cougar is located it will likely be killed because of the attack.
At this time officials do not believe the general public is in danger.
A man was walking with what was described as a small dog on a leash when one of his neighbors stopped to talk to him. Terry Hutchinson told KING 5 the cougar came out of the woods and immediately attacked the dog. Hutchinson said she used an air horn, which she believes scared the cougar away.
"He had a hold of the dog's leash, and when the cougar grabbed the dog it pulled him to the ground. So he was laying on the ground," Hutchinson said. "So that was kind of my other fear, if the cougar let go of the dog he'd go after the next lowest thing, which was ... yeah, it was pretty scary, actually."
Cougar/human interactions are rare in the northwest. But if you encounter one, officials say to do the following:
- Do not run
- Make noise and appear large
- If attacked, fight back
- Carry bear spray
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Download our free KING 5 app to stay up-to-date on news stories from across western Washington.
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| 2023-07-20T01:00:54
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COUPEVILLE, Wash. — Fire destroyed an equipment shop at a Whidbey Island dairy farm on Wednesday.
It broke out just after noon at the Engle Dairy Farm at the intersection of Fort Casey Road and Terry Road just outside of Coupeville.
Video posted to social media shows thick, black smoke billowing from the scene.
One person said they saw it as far away as Port Townsend.
Central Whidbey Fire & Rescue responded, along with every other fire agency on the island, including Naval Air Station Whidbey Island.
It took more than three hours to put the fire out.
The fire was isolated to the one building.
Along with the fire, crews also battled the heat with temperatures in the low 80s.
Because it is a rural area, there are few fire hydrants around, which posed some challenges for those firefighters.
"Basically what happens is we have the hose lines laid out to the fire engine itself and we bring in water tenders. Those are trucks full of water, typically about 2,500 gallons. They drop their water. Then they go and refill," explained Central Whidbey Fire Chief Jim Mirabile.
There were no injuries.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/fire-destroys-building-whidbey-island-farm/281-900e2f2b-ec34-4a54-8ba5-098c62a85c5d
| 2023-07-20T01:01:00
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SOUTH BOSTON, Va. – The South Boston Police Department is searching for a man who they believe is responsible for shooting and killing another man on July 16.
Around 3:38 a.m. on Sunday (July 16), SBPD said they received a report of possible gunshots near the Willow Oaks Apartment Complex.
Officers got to the scene and said they found evidence consistent with gunshots near the rear parking area.
Police said that a 25-year-old, now identified as Quaheim Chandler, then arrived at Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital with a single gunshot wound. He later died, according to SBPD.
After further investigation, it was determined that Javante Jordan and Chandler had gotten into an altercation, authorities said.
We’re told Jordan took out a gun and fired multiple times at Chandler during the incident, with one of the bullets striking Chandler in the upper torso.
Now, SBPD said they have obtained arrest warrants on Jordan for 2nd-degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Officers said Jordan is considered armed and dangerous.
Anyone with information about Jordan’s whereabouts is asked to contact the South Boston Police Department at 434-575-7273 or 434-476-3334.
Stay with 10 News as this story develops
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https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/19/south-boston-pd-searching-for-armed-dangerous-man-after-deadly-shooting/
| 2023-07-20T01:07:35
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Wheeling Avenue reopens as sewer work continues
MUNCIE, Ind. − Wheeling Avenue has reopened.
The thoroughfare that runs north and south from the northside of the city into downtown had been closed several weeks by a sewer project between Wheeling's intersection with Riverside Avenue and Minnetrista Boulevard.
City Street Superintendent Adam Leach said the portion of the project that required the avenue to be closed has concluded and Wheeling Avenue should remain open.
However, the sewer project, which involves separating storm sewers from sanitary sewers, in continuing and work involving the parking at Amazing Joe's restaurant is continuing. The project, which started early in June, was estimated to take three to four months.
The Muncie Sanitary District provided a new parking lot for Amazing Joe's because of the work.
David Penticuff is a reporter for The Star Press. He can be contacted at dpenticuff@gannett.com.
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https://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2023/07/19/wheeling-avenue-reopens-as-sewer-work-continues/70434163007/
| 2023-07-20T01:10:32
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WATERLOO — Thousands of guests are descending on the National Cattle Congress grounds this week for the Black Hawk County 4-H and FFA Fair, giving Cedar Valley youths a chance explore agriculture, as well as science and technology.
The fun started Sunday and runs through Thursday evening. Agriculture and livestock remain the centerpiece, as 4-H and Future Farmers of America members show animals ranging from pigs to poultry, cattle to rabbits, and literally dogs and ponies.
According to Diane Wolfe, youth outreach coordinator for Black Hawk County, recent years have seen a new emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. That was reflected Wednesday by the STEM Fair in the Hippodrome.
“4-H has really expanded from what used to be just a rural organization to really develop into an urban program as well as still honoring our rural heritage,” Wolfe said. “So we still show animals here, but we also expand into science, technology, engineering and math.”
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There were 950 projects at the fair ranging from livestock to crops, and from nutrition to a “Wacky Science Show,” as well as food — both to be judged and enjoyed — and family-friendly entertainment.
The Olson family represented the ongoing agricultural focus of the event. On Tuesday morning, nine-year-old Liam put his pig through its paces at the swine show.
“It’s fun because some of my friends are here, and it’s just a really fun time watching the show,” he said.
Liam’s sister, Brinn, 11, also was there to give her brother encouragement. Though she didn’t show any livestock this year, she presented sheep, pigs and goats in previous shows. Both siblings have an interest in raising livestock, with the 4-H and FFA Fair helping them gain experience and confidence as they get a head start on their career of choice.
“I like working with animals, and then it gives me experience — like showing off what I can do with my animals,” Brinn said
The pair follow in the footsteps of their father, Ben, who grew up with 4-H. Now he’s passing on the tradition to the next generation. And he’s been more than happy to see his children explore what the STEM side of 4-H has to offer.
“I was a 4-H’er growing up, and I showed animals growing up, so when my kids started to get to that age, I wanted to kind of show them that side of things as well and see if they’re interested in agriculture and so on,” he said. “And they also get involved in the other projects like the photography, making rockets for science, technology, projects about tagging butterflies — all sorts of different things.”
“It’s a great opportunity for the kids to learn some new things and experience some new things,” Ben Olson added.
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/black-hawk-county-4-h-and-ffa-expands-into-stem/article_c1610cc6-2590-11ee-a749-5fa72e8d8e8b.html
| 2023-07-20T01:22:45
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WEST UNION — A month-long drug investigation came to a head last weekend when an Elgin man pulled up to the Elgin Fire Department around 3 a.m.
Authorities allege the driver, 29-year-old Ryan James Smith, was in a Chevrolet Malibu and turned right with his left turn signal on and approached a Fayette County sheriff’s deputy parked in the lot on July 11. Smith began talking to the deputy about a pending court case and admitted he used drugs.
Smith pulled out a backpack full of documents while jabbering quickly, according to court records. He was taken to the jail as part of an intoxicated driver investigation.
Officers called for the assistance of a K-9 and found meth, marijuana and a scale in the Malibu. Smith was arrested for possession with intent to deliver and operating while intoxicated.
What followed was a series of searches that ended with the arrest of a dozen other people on an array of drug charges.
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On Friday, July 14, several agencies came together to execute five warrants. Officers with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, West Union Police Department, Iowa State Patrol, Fayette Police Department, Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office and Postville Police Department searched 116 E. Elm St. Apt. 101; 118 E. Elm St. Apts 201, 202, and 204; and 124 S. Vine St. Apt. 7.
One of those arrested was Jeffrey Jay Blue, a 51-year-old West Union resident who is charged with possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and morphine and possession of heroin. Officers found morphine pills, loaded syringes, THC cartridges and a ledger with names, according to court records.
Records also show authorities responded to a report of an overdose at Blue’s residence on June 18, 2019. Officials found Blue with an unresponsive man, amid two needles and a spoon.
Blue was administering Narcan nasal medication — also known as naloxone — to the man. Paramedics took the man to Palmer Hospital.
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/crime-courts/multiple-arrests-in-fayette-county-drug-investigation/article_e7cacde8-24e1-11ee-b5dc-ffff7babdcda.html
| 2023-07-20T01:22:51
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EVANSDALE — A second person has been arrested for allegedly repossessing a dog from an Evansdale campsite in May.
Police arrested Sarice Nicole Rue, 33, of Waterloo, on Monday on a warrant for second-degree burglary. She also was arrested for providing false identification information.
Bond was set at $15,000.
Authorities allege Sondra Hayes agreed to buy a dog from Rue, and a dispute over the purchase and care of the dog followed.
On May 16, Sarice Rue and 19-year-old Yasmine Esparanza Rue went to Hayes’ campsite at Deerwood Park and removed the dog by force, court records state. Hayes suffered minor injuries in the scuffle.
Yasmine Rue was arrested in June.
Waterloo police found Sarice Rue during a Monday night traffic stop, and she allegedly gave police a fake name during the encounter, records state.
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Is it too hot to walk your dog? 5 safety tips for summer weather
How hot is too hot to walk my dog?
Summer can bring scorching temperatures that leave responsible dog owners wondering when it’s too hot to take their pup on a walk. Dogs tend to overheat more quickly than humans, so paying careful attention to the temperature and your dog’s body language is essential.
As a general rule, if the temperatures are over 90 degrees, you’ll likely want to wait until the cooler evening for a walk. You can also place the back of your hand on the sidewalk or pavement and hold it there for seven seconds. If that’s too hot for your hand, it’s also too hot for your dog’s paws.
How can I prevent my dog from overheating on walks?
Following a few simple safety tips can make long summer strolls just as fun for your dog as they are for you. Here’s what you need to know as the temperatures rise.
1. Timing is everything.
When the sun is at its peak, pavement can become scorching hot. It’s best to save walks for early mornings or late evenings when the temperature is cooler. Skip mid-day walks when the sun is blazing unless you can stroll in a wooded area where the ground gets plenty of shade.
2. Stay hydrated.
Just as it’s important for people to get plenty of water on hot days, it’s also important for dogs. When walking in the summer, grab a cold water bottle and a collapsible dog bowl. If you notice excessive panting or salivation, take a break and give your dog time to hydrate. Freezing low-sodium broth in an ice cube tray is also a great way to get your dog more fluids in the summer.
3. Stay in the shade.
Staying in shady wooded areas is ideal, but for city-dwellers, it’s best to cross to the shady side of the street. Plan your dog's walking routes in areas with more tree or building coverage to keep your dog’s paws cooler. As a bonus, it might help you avoid your next sunburn.
4. Protect their paws.
As mentioned before, if the sidewalk is too hot for the back of your hand, it’s also too hot for your dog’s paws. Stick to grassy areas, or get some breathable dog booties to protect their paws from hot pavement.
5. Watch for signs of overheating.
Dogs produce far less sweat than people, so they’ll need your help to stay cool in the summer.
Watch for common signs of your dog overheating which include:
Excessive panting
Difficulty breathing
Drooling
Weakness
Fatigue
Collapsing
If you notice any of these symptoms, get to a shady spot and offer your dog plenty of water. Wetting your dog’s paws, belly, and ears with cool water can also help bring down their body temperature. You can even store some dog ice cream in the freezer for a special treat when you get home.
Is it safe to walk my dog in the summer?
When walking your dog in the summer, it’s important to keep the warning signs of overheating in mind, especially with dog breeds that have short noses or thick coats. If you follow a few simple safety tips, your dog can enjoy the long summer days and all the extra evening walks that come with the season.
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WATERLOO – Waterloo Schools earned national recognition for its communications efforts in several categories from the National School Public Relations Association.
Projects, spearheaded by School and Community Relations Director Akwi Nji, amassed a total of 14 awards is NSPRA's annual Publications and Electronic Media Awards competition.
Of those awards, five were Awards of Excellence which is the highest national honor awarded in any category. These top awards were presented for a variety of assets produced through the office of school and community relations, including the anchor video and branding assets for their "Be Bold" campaign, copywriting and LinkedIn content covering progress associated with closing the achievement gap, infographics presenting important information in an accessible format and a suite of logo designs that impacted every school in the district.
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Nji will speak at the annual NSPRA conference this week about the marketing and public relations efforts at Waterloo Schools, with a focus on the "Be Bold" campaign.
“A lot of school districts are hungry for exciting and innovative approaches to telling their stories, but it takes strategy, consistency, and a team,” Nji said. “It’s been a team effort here, along with our incredible administrators and staff, to amplify the strengths of Waterloo Schools, our passion for the work, compassion for our students, and our Waterloo Pride.”
NSPRA also presented Waterloo Schools with five Awards of Merit for the district's social media content, poster designs and print materials such as for the Kindergarten information asset.
The district also received four awards in the category of Honorable Mention for materials such as LifeLab mailers, school-related video production and e-newsletter content and design.
In addition to the 14 national awards, the district earned 29 state awards from the Iowa School Public Relations Association, including 20 Awards of Excellence, three Awards of Merit and six Blue and Gold awards which is the highest state-level honor.
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.
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/education/waterloo-schools-communications-awards/article_277e3cbe-258b-11ee-bd9b-8fe80655f907.html
| 2023-07-20T01:23:04
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COURIER STAFF
CEDAR FALLS -- A contractor will have to close the alley from W. 13th Street to W. 14th Street between Franklin and Clay streets for four to six weeks. Reconstructions begins as soon as this Thursday.
For the first time in 43 years, actors in Hollywood have gone on strike, bringing the U.S. film and television industry to a halt.
Officials ask people to stay away from the construction area and behind the sidewalk on the property side. Heavy equipment will be moving back and forth.
If wanting additional information about alley reconstruction, head to www.cedarfalls.com and find the “2023 Alley Reconstruction Project” under the projects tab.
PHOTOS: Bettendorf first-round state softball vs. Ankeny Centennial
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Bettendorf second baseman Alexa Schmidt's glove collides with Ankeny Centennial runner Mariah Belzer during a play at first base Monday in Fort Dodge at Harlan Rogers Park.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf first baseman Navy Clark snares a throw at first to complete an out Monday in a 5A state quarterfinal against Ankeny Centennial at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf's Brooklyn Teerlinck shares a laugh with a coach Monday after reaching first base during a Class 5A state quarterfinal against Ankeny Centennial at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf's Breanna Caffery fouls off a pitch during a Class 5A state quarterfinal with Ankeny Centennial Monday at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf leftfielder Kaylin Wentink squeezes a fly ball for an out in the first inning of a 5A state quarterfinal game with Ankeny Centennial Monday at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf leftfielder Kaylin Wentink grimaces as she prepares to throw the ball into the infield Monday after fielding a ground ball during a 5A state quarterfinal against Ankeny Centennial at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Ellie Erpelding, right, and Navy Clark celebrate after Erpelding scored for Bettendorf in a 5A state quarterfinal against Ankeny Centennial Monday at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf's Navy Clark celebrates with teammate Ellie Erpelding after Erpelding scored in the Bulldogs' 5A state quarterfinal with Ankeny Centennial Monday at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf's Ellie Erpelding prepares to leadoff third base during a 5A state quarterfinal with Ankeny Centennial Monday at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf catcher Ellie Erpelding throws to second to try to nab a base stealer during a 5A state quarterfinal Monday against Ankeny Centennial at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf's Ellie Erpelding prepares to leadoff first base during a 5A state quarterfinal with Ankeny Centennial Monday at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf's Brookly Teerlinck lines a ball back up the middle during a 5A state quarterfinal with Ankeny Centennial Monday at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf shortstop Emma Woltz squeezes a pop up for an out Monday in a 5A state quarterfinal with Ankeny Centennial at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
Bettendorf 071723-spt-state softball-13.JPG
Bettendorf players celebrate a base hit during a 5A state quarterfinal with Ankeny Centennial Monday at Harlan Rogers Complex in Fort Dodge.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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Bettendorf second baseman Alexa Schmidt catches a pop up for an out Monday during a 5A state quarterfinal against Ankeny Centennial at Harlan Rogers Complex.
JIM NELSON, Courier Sports Editor
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-politics/cedar-falls-alley-to-close-for-reconstruction/article_39c2b092-24e3-11ee-84a2-9fb97743ba01.html
| 2023-07-20T01:23:10
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CEDAR FALLS – The City Council agreed to cut a proposed 72% salary increase in half Monday night, setting its future pay at $8,500 annually instead of the previously considered $12,000.
That’s still 22% higher than the current $6,982.
The proposal goes into effect in 2024 if it is approved on three readings.
Councilmember Kelly Dunn proposed the compromise, calling it “more reasonable” than the original plan.
The council agreed to the lower amount in a 4-3 vote. Councilmembers Dustin Ganfield and Simon Harding opposed, as did Daryl Kruse, who had proposed the $12,000 figure.
The council then passed the ordinance setting the salary amount and allowing for raises in the subsequent years to be based on the consumer price index on a 5-2 vote. The passage counted as the plan’s first reading since the original amount of the increase was changed. The second of three readings will take place Aug. 7.
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Dunn said she wanted the salary set high enough to encourage people from all walks of life to run for office, but noted the council could look at raising it again in the future.
“I want a diverse council, or at least the ability to attract a more diverse council,” Dunn said in the telephone interview. “People should be able to participate, and it’s disgusting to me if people can’t afford to.”
Dunn noted a salary survey by Controller/City Treasurer Lisa Roeding influenced her proposal, determining the average annual council salary of the 25 most populated Iowa cities (minus Davenport which did not respond) was $9,372 and the median to be $7,864. When Cedar Rapids and Des Moines are excluded, Iowa’s most populous cities, the average is $7,902.
The council could again consider raising the salary after the 2023 city election, to take effect in 2026. Councilmember Gil Schultz first suggested “phasing in” the raises, rather than the one-time boost.
Councilmembers Susan deBuhr and Dave Sires dissented because they believe the elected officials shouldn’t earn a salary at all. They supported $8,500, however, over the originally proposed $12,000.
Kruse’s suggested $12,000 was based on an average he calculated for councils in Iowa’s top 15 most populous cities. After removing the highest and the lowest compensated, that was $12,062.
He wasn’t comfortable using the top 25 because of a significant drop in population between the largest 15 cities and the next 10.
Dunn, in one exchange, vehemently opposed Kruse, who said one reason the salary should be higher is to help reimburse candidates for their own money spent on the campaign.
“Another thing to consider is it costs roughly five grand to run a City Council election,” said Kruse. “People will spend more, even. Some people get donations. Some people spend their own money. I think, to another point that Simon (Harding) made, you’re getting compensated for money you’re spending to get into this position, or the time you take away from your work.”
And Dunn suggested in the interview she’d be open to an idea of Harding who said it might be necessary to look at giving out stipends to the currently unpaid members of the various boards and commission if the volunteer work starts eating into their professional work.
“I’m pretty open to everything. The boards and commissions are very important,” said Dunn. “If we’re having trouble getting people signed up and serving then we may need to look into the reasons why and find out what’s hindering them. Money isn’t everything, but people need to be financially OK to give their time.”
Monday’s debate did not attract any public comments, in stark contrast to the June 20 meeting when five residents spoke against it.
“I was pleased to see the council find a compromise on their salary increase tonight,” Josh Wilson, one of the residents who spoke June 20 but who was out of town Monday, said in a statement. “Their smaller raise is much more in line with the realities of salary increases that all citizens face in the real world.”
The discussion dates back to at least November when city officials were working to set goals for the upcoming year. Mayor Rob Green, also a former councilman, took credit Monday for initiating the discussion on an adjustment he refrained from calling raise.
“It’s not like in normal business having better performance should get more money and get more authority,” he said about the change from the ordinance passed in 1999 that established pay for councilmembers the first time in 2000 of $4,098, and allowed for increases over the years based off the consumer price index .
He exclaimed that the pay was warranted in part because of the “deliberate” change in responsibilities.
“The quality of governance and the involvement of your elected representatives in the processes of the city are greater than it was 10, 15, 20 years ago” and they’re “compensated for that extra work (easily 10 hours a week) that I doubt they had two decades ago.”
He mentioned the relatively new committee structure allowing for more council authority, especially as one gets to serve as the chair, when previously in committee of the whole, it had been the mayor facilitating discussion.
Additionally, Green says, “You’re getting phone calls they never got in the 90s or emails. They didn’t have email back then. We’re expected to be accessible all the time.”
DeBuhr, who’s been in office since 2004, tried to hold back a smile from across the dais.
“I’m completely opposed to this and I remain opposed to it,” she said. “I was on two decades ago, and we did do that work with all the committees back then.”
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/government-politics/dunns-pay-proposal-supported-in-cf/article_e1f19130-24dd-11ee-9148-6b84fff0e553.html
| 2023-07-20T01:23:16
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WATERLOO – Mike Donohue, CEO of Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging, has been elected as a USAging Board alternate.
Donohue will serve a three-year term in this role, partnering with Kelly Butts-Elston from Connections Area Agency on Aging to represent Region VII which encompasses Iowa and Nebraska.
Donohue will have the responsibility of ensuring that USAging fulfills its mission to help older adults and people with disabilities live with optimal health, well-being, independence and dignity in their homes and communities effectively.
As an alternate, Donohue will actively engage in USAging's standing committees such as conference, corporate, relations, membership and public policy and grassroots. By participating in these committees, he will provide input and contribute to shaping the association.
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.
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/mike-donohue-nei3a/article_8dd07378-24ba-11ee-acf1-93d0a8085c72.html
| 2023-07-20T01:23:23
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/mike-donohue-nei3a/article_8dd07378-24ba-11ee-acf1-93d0a8085c72.html
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From left, NCC Fair Manager Jim Koch, NCC Board Members Wayne Frost and Mark Little, Fair Queen Emily Ingalls, First Runner-Up Rebekah Craighton, Second Runner-Up Madeleine Leary, NCC Board Member Deb Pullin-Van Auken
WATERLOO – The National Cattle Congress has named Emily Ingalls from Van Horne as the 2023 National Cattle Congress Fair Queen.
First runner-up was Rebekah Craighton of Latimer, and second runner-up was Madeleine Leary of Waverly.
Ingalls will reign over the National Cattle Congress Fair, Sept. 20-24 and will represent the fair in the Iowa State Fair Queen Contest in August. She will also appear at the Friends of NCC Barn Bash, Aug. 26 and assist with the first Little Miss National Cattle Congress Contest on Sept. 16.
“We were thrilled with all our contestants today,” said National Cattle Congress Board President Deb Pullin-Van Auken. “Any of our competitors would be wonderful ambassadors of our fair, and they are fantastic young women. We wish Emily the very best at the Iowa State Fair Contest and look forward to her reign as our fair queen.”
From left, NCC Fair Manager Jim Koch, NCC Board Members Wayne Frost and Mark Little, Fair Queen Emily Ingalls, First Runner-Up Rebekah Craighton, Second Runner-Up Madeleine Leary, NCC Board Member Deb Pullin-Van Auken
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/national-cattle-congress-2023-queen-emily-ingalls/article_35c63f00-2587-11ee-ba05-4bc2693c6d84.html
| 2023-07-20T01:23:29
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/national-cattle-congress-2023-queen-emily-ingalls/article_35c63f00-2587-11ee-ba05-4bc2693c6d84.html
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- Typical speed limit: Between 55 and 75 mph
- Fatalities per 100 million vehicle-miles traveled, 2021: 0.62 (5,027 fatalities)
- Fatalities involving speeding: 1,430 fatalities, 28.4% of total
Interstate roadways that cross state lines are funded and maintained by the U.S. Department of Transportation—which is to say by the federal government, as opposed to DOTs in the respective states they pass through. "Principal arterial" roads generally refer to heavily used highways that see higher speeds because they stretch for longer distances.
The Interstate Highway System grew out of the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. One of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's crowning achievements, the IHS has in subsequent decades continued to expand. According to nonprofit organization TRIP, the IHS, while comprising only 3% of the nation's roadways, handles around 26% of all national vehicular traffic. What's more, between 1956 and 2019, just prior to the onset of the pandemic, vehicle-miles traveled on the interstate system have grown by 427% to reach 3.3 trillion miles driven.
In more recent years, the IHS has undergone a sociopolitical reevaluation for the ways in which the initiative disproportionately impacted Black communities through the use of eminent domain. In terms of driving safety, interstates have over time evolved to implement measures that, as of 2019, save an estimated 6,555 lives annually, according to TRIP. These measures include a minimum of four lanes, distance from other roads and train tracks, more gradual curves, median barriers, and rumble strips, which alert drivers when they're leaving the roadway and need to course-correct.
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/pedestrian-dead-in-fredericksburg-crash/article_3425681e-263c-11ee-90b0-97807962fcf7.html
| 2023-07-20T01:23:35
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/pedestrian-dead-in-fredericksburg-crash/article_3425681e-263c-11ee-90b0-97807962fcf7.html
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CEDAR FALLS – The Rooted Carrot Co-op Market Board has scheduled a special member-owner meeting for the summer.
All member-owners are asked to attend one of the following meetings at the Cedar Falls Community Center.
- 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, July 24
- 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 15
The board will share information on the progress and future challenges in developing a full-service cooperative grocery store in Cedar Falls. The site team will share the process of site selection, updates on potential sites and key features needed for a successful business and the challenges the co-op has faced.
There will be a formal vote on the future of the co-op and how to move forward.
What to make this week: Hot-weather recipes
How To Make A Salad That Will Keep You Full
Cool as a cucumber: Beat the summer heat with these refreshing cold soups
When it comes to humble, ho-hum vegetables, cucumbers often find their way to the top of the list.
Available in every grocery store produce aisle, no matter what the season, the long, green members of the gourd, or Cucurbitaceae, family of plants is so ubiquitous that the average American will eat more than 8 pounds of cucumbers each year, either raw in salads or bathed in brine as pickles.
Yet to dismiss the fruit as nothing more than a reliable, crunchy base for a salad or sandwich, or a crisp green garnish on a bowl of noodles, is to deny yourself of one of the most versatile culinary ingredients.
For instance, cucumbers can be blended into smoothies, thinly sliced and filled with cream cheese and salmon as a roll-up finger food, or stirred together with yogurt, garlic and lemon into the Greek dressing tzatziki. They also can add a colorful garnish to certain cocktails and mocktails and sliced a little on the thicker side, make a great bread substitute for appetizer spreads.
Pureed with a little lime juice and simple syrup, cucumbers also can be frozen into popsicles.
This time of year, with temperatures rising, they also make a good base for a cool, fresh-tasting soup.
Cucumbers have the highest water content of any food — more even than the eponymous watermelon. Each is a whopping 96% water, which means cukes are not only great for watching your weight (an entire cucumber counts just 45 calories), but also make the perfect ingredient when you need something refreshing and hydrating to chill out on a hot summer day.
To get you started, we offer three recipes where cucumber plays a starring role: a bright-red strawberry-cucumber gazpacho with just a hint of chili; a spicy curried cucumber soup that gets its kick from fresh ginger, garlic and lemon; and a classic, no-fuss cucumber soup flavored with citrusy-tart Granny Smith apple.
All can be made in a blender or food processor, and are best served after cooling in the fridge for at least an hour to allow the flavors to meld.
I used English cucumbers, which have thin skins, minimal seeds and a mild flavor, but you could easily swap in garden cucumbers, which are the most common variety in the U.S. and the ones you're most likely to find at a farmers market or grow in your backyard. Just remember they have a thicker skin and grocery store cukes often come waxed, so you may want to peel and seed them before tossing them into the food processor or blender.
When buying, look for cucumbers that are an even medium or dark green color, without any blemishes or yellow spots that indicate they're over ripening. They also should be firm, without any soft spots. Smaller cucumbers will have fewer seeds and tend to be a bit crisper.
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STRAWBERRY GAZPACHO
PG tested
The pink-red color of this gazpacho is amazing! I gave it some kick with a little New Jersey-made Hank Sauce.
- 12 ounces cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded then coarsely chopped
- 3 cups strawberries, hulled and coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 scallion, the root end and any dry tips cut off, then coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- Pinch of cayenne
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Chive stalks, cut into 3 or 4-inch pieces, for garnish
Place cucumber, strawberries, lime juice, scallion, hot sauce, cayenne, olive oil, and sea salt into a blender or bowl of food processor. Pulse, making sure not to over process — you want a coarse texture.
Taste to make sure it has the level of spicy heat you like — add more cayenne or hot sauce, if desired.
Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until it's time to serve. Put your serving dishes (I used martini glasses, but small bowls also work) into the fridge, too.
To serve, ladle the soup into the chilled glasses or bowls. Garnish by standing 1 or 2 chive stalks in the soup. They will start to droop, but no worries.
Serves 4.
— Adapted from blue-kitchen.com
EASY COLD CUCUMBER SOUP
PG tested
If you have a blender, you can make this soup in about 2 minutes. I used a combination of fresh parley, dill and mint.
- 2 cucumbers, peeled and seeds removed, if desired
- 1 green apple (I used Granny Smith)
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup fresh herbs
- Juice and zest of 2 limes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- Sea salt and black pepper
Cut off the ends of the cucumbers and core apples. Cut both into small chunks.
Add cucumbers, apple, yogurt, herbs, lime juice and olive oil to a food processor or blender. Blend everything until you have the desired consistency — it should be pretty smooth. If the soup looks too thick, thin with a little water.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more lime juice, if desired. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.
When soup has chilled, portion the soup into pretty glasses or small bowls; or, can allow people to serve themselves from a large bowl. The soup is most refreshing when served chilled, though you can also serve it at room temperature.
Just before serving, drizzle a little olive oil on top of the individual portions, and sprinkle over with some fresh herbs.
Serves 4-6.
— Gretchen McKay
CURRIED CUCUMBER SOUP
PG tested
This vegetarian soup gets a bit of heat from curry powder, fresh ginger and lemon.
- 2 tablespoons olive or avocado oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 cucumbers, peeled and seeds removed
- 8-ounce container Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2-3 tablespoon fresh mint, coarsely chopped
- 2-3 tablespoon fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
- Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon
- Pinch or 2 of cumin
- Pinch or 2 of turmeric
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Thinly sliced cucumber, for garnish
In small skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Set aside to cool while you prepare cucumbers.
Chop peeled cucumbers into chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender. Add yogurt, sour cream, mint, parsley, and lemon juice and zest. Blend everything until you have the desired consistency — it should be quite smooth. If the soup looks too thick, thin with a little water.
Add a pinch or two of cumin and turmeric, and give it another whirl to combine. Taste, and adjust seasoning to desired spiciness.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill in refrigerator for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.
To serve, ladle the soup into the chilled glasses or bowls and garnish with cucumber slices.
Serves 4.
— Gretchen McKay
EatingWell: Kids say they’re bored? Make yummy pizza sliders with them for dinner!
Mini burgers make a fun, kid-friendly meal. Italian herbs, marinara and melty mozz give them the appeal of pizza.
Pizza Sliders
Makes 8 sliders; serves 4
Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup low-sodium marinara sauce
- 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
- 8 small leaves Boston lettuce
- 8 whole-wheat dinner rolls, toasted
1. Preheat grill to medium-high.
2. Mix beef, parsley, oregano, pepper and salt in a large bowl until well combined. Divide the meat into 8 equal portions and shape each into a 1-inch thick patty. Try to make all the patties the same thickness for even cooking, and shape them a little larger than the buns — they’ll shrink as they cook.
3. Grill the patties, turning once halfway, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 130 degrees F, 2 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Spoon marinara onto each patty and top with mozzarella. Grill until the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes more. Serve the patties with lettuce on rolls.
Tasty tips
To ensure your burgers are done just right, insert the tip of an instant-read thermometer in the center of the burger. Doneness temps are 135 degrees F for medium-rare (about 3 minutes per side), 140 degrees F for medium, 150 degrees for medium-well and 160 degrees for well-done (the USDA recommendation).
Here, the sliders cook with sauce and cheese for a couple more minutes, which will raise their temps about 5 degrees after you check in Step 3.
Recipe nutrition per serving: 451 Calories, Total Fat: 16 g, Saturated Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 78 mg, Carbohydrates: 39 g, Fiber: 6 g, Protein: 38 g, Sodium: 618 mg, Potassium: 518 mg, Iron: 5 mg, Folate: 53 mcg, Calcium: 258 mg, Vitamin A: 834 IU, Vitamin C: 3 mg.
(EatingWell is a magazine and website devoted to healthy eating as a way of life. Online at www.eatingwell.com.)
Seriously Simple: Tortilla soup offers a taste of Mexico
Recently I visited the seaside community of Punta Mita in Mexico, where I enjoyed different tortilla soups. This recipe is a compilation of the various types of soup I tasted.
Stale or dried corn tortillas are used as a thickener and garnish along with fresh corn kernels for a double dose of corn flavor. I like to toast the tortilla strips to avoid extra fat, but if you prefer them fried go ahead.
Tortilla soup can be very spicy or rather mild, depending upon what chilies are included. Here, I’ve added a jalapeno to the soup as it cooks. If you like it hot and spicy, just add another jalapeno to the soup. You can also experiment with hotter Mexican chilies, like serrano or habanero, but start with a small amount because they are very hot.
You can serve this soup any time of year, as a satisfying starter or a main course. The tortilla strips are added at the last minute to preserve their crisp texture. A squirt of lime juice brings all the flavors together. I often serve a simple salad with romaine lettuce, toasted pepitas, tomatoes and shrimp to go along with the soup. I like to serve ice-cold Mexican beer with this tortilla soup.
Tasty tips
- Try to find fresh, handmade tortillas for a more authentic flavor. Cut them as below and dry them out by leaving them on the counter for an hour before cooking.
- For a heartier version, add 1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips (You can use chicken tenders). This should be added at the end of Step 2 and simmered for about 3 minutes or until the chicken pieces are just cooked through.
- Use fresh corn for optimum sweetness and flavor.
Punta Mita Vegetable Tortilla Soup with Corn and Jalapenos
Serves 4
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
- 1 small jalapeno, seeded and chopped (more if you like it spicy)
- 1 corn tortilla, torn into 8 pieces
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 (14.5- ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, or regular diced tomatoes, with juice
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips
- 1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-by-2-inch strips
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the topping:
- 4 corn tortillas, preferably stale or at least dry, halved crosswise and sliced into thin strips
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled pitted and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese or pepper jack
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1. In a medium soup pot, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and saute until golden brown, making sure the mixture does not burn, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add the corn kernels, jalapeno and tortilla pieces. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cilantro and saute another minute. Add the tomatoes and cumin; cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Transfer the mixture and puree into a blender until smooth.
2. Return the soup to the pot. Add the broth, carrot and zucchini, and simmer, partially covered, over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the soup is slightly thickened and the vegetables are tender. Taste for seasoning.
3. While the soup is cooking, prepare the toppings: To toast the tortilla strips: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Place the tortilla strips on a baking sheet, spreading them evenly over the pan. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes or until crisp and beginning to brown. Reserve for the garnish. (Don’t do this ahead, or they will soften.)
4. To serve: Ladle the soup evenly into each bowl. Squirt some lime juice over the soup. Garnish with the toasted tortilla strips, cilantro, avocado and cheese. Serve immediately.
Advance preparation: This may be made through Step 2 one day ahead, covered and refrigerated. Taste for seasoning when reheating.
(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including “Seriously Simple Parties,” and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)
How to make a bacon old fashioned, the original meat-infused cocktail
PHILADELPHIA — If you’re under the impression that meat and booze don’t mix, bartenders have been proving otherwise for years. The trend’s been booming in Philly lately: There was the chicken martini at Martha, the Lambhattan at Andra Hem, a duck vieux carre at Fork, the Duck L’Orange at Townsend, a wagyu old-fashioned at ITV.
It’s all done via fat-washing: Combine a spirit and any liquid fat (it need not be meat; think olive oil, coconut oil, butter, etc.) in a jar or a bottle, shake it up, let it sit for a few hours, then freeze and strain. The resulting liquor is not only infused with the flavor and scent of the ingredient, it also has a smoother, fuller-bodied texture thanks to trace amounts of fat left behind.
The technique was first popularized in 2007 by the Benton’s Old-Fashioned at New York City speakeasy Please Don’t Tell (PDT). Four Roses bourbon was washed with fat from brown-sugar-cured, hickory-smoked Benton’s bacon, combined with a little maple syrup, and served over a clear ice cube. The drink was an instant success that inspired various spinoffs — including the bacon old-fashioned at Four Humours Distilling (fourhumourswhiskey.com). Its recipe is similar to PDT’s, using Benton’s bacon fat, bourbon from Lehigh County’s Eight Oaks Farm Distillery, and housemade bitters. A scrumptious candied bacon garnish makes it worth the $20 price tag.
Founder Jonathan Anolik remembers the cocktail’s debut in 2020. “We were very, very nervous about putting it on the menu — a $20 cocktail in Olde Kensington. We had no idea how it would work,” he recalls. “We had one bottle [of bacon fat-washed bourbon] ready to rock and roll when we opened at 4 o’clock. By 5:30 we were sold out.”
The bar has kept a steady supply of bacon-infused bourbon at the ready ever since. You can swing by and order it Thursday through Sunday, or mix up a batch of your own. Anolik uses 1 1/2 ounces of bacon fat to a bottle of bourbon and lets the mixture sit for four hours before freezing for two hours and straining. “All that smoky flavor stays behind,” Anolik says.
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BACON OLD-FASHIONED
Ingredients
- 2 ounces bacon fat-washed bourbon
- 1/4 ounce dark maple syrup
- 2 dashes bitters
- Orange peel and candied bacon, for garnish
Directions
In a mixing glass, combine the bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters with lots of ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass. Express the orange peel, then use for garnish along with the candied bacon.
There’s more rosé wine than ever. Here are the best to drink
As the summer season kicked off, I wondered: Has the world has finally reached peak rosé?
“Definitely not,” says Jean-Guillaume Prats, the former chief executive officer of Château Lafite Rothschild. In the past three years, his family and two high-profile partners have acquired three châteaux in Provence, and this spring launched a new global rosé brand, Roseblood. They’ll make 1 million bottles in vintage 2023, and even more next year.
Although rosé sales have rocketed ever upwards for more than a decade, IWSR Drinks Market Analysis shows a possible slowdown in the U.S., with the volume of retail sales declining 3% from 2021 to 2022. Adam Rogers, research director for the U.S. market, says, “Quality brands with authenticity and style have continued to increase in demand, while many of the lower quality brand offerings have fallen out of favor.” He adds that the outlook for future declines will be “largely driven by the lower-priced end of the market.”
Sales of rosé in restaurants and bars grew 27% over the same time frame, according to market research firm CGA Strategy.
Prats isn’t worried. After all, pink wine from France, especially Provence, continues to dominate rosé sales on e-commerce platform Drizly.
“New investors are all focusing on Provence,” says Prats. “It has terroir, history and great vineyards, which is why it’s attracting big players like LVMH. We want Roseblood to be one of the major brands, like Whispering Angel.”
How did Roseblood take off?
Media entrepreneur and chairman of Banijay Entertainment Stephane Courbit and the Bordeaux Prats family acquired historic Château d’Estoublon in 2020, then were joined by former French President and First Lady Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni. Earlier this year the group snapped up Château Beaulieu in Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence and Château Cantarelle in the Var. They now own just over 400 hectares of vineyards, and the cream-colored châteaux, with tile roofs, are becoming ever more luxurious hotels.
The partners are banking that rosé will continue to be a symbol of the glam life, a key element in Provence’s image as a luxury destination. Prats sees potential for pink drinking among the younger generation in China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Africa. Later this year the partners will debut a luxury version of Roseblood, to be labeled 1489.
Rosé has largely shed its girly image in the worlds of culture and fashion and is now featured in a host of products that want some of pink wine’s fairy dust. From now until the end of October, for example, Le Meridien hotels are offering a rosé sorbet created by TikTok chef Meredith Hayden that uses the wildly popular Whispering Angel in the recipe. Spanish wine giant Freixenet will be peddling boozy sparkling rosé ice pops at UK Pub in the Park festivals this summer.
The sweet stuff doesn’t appeal to me, but I’ve become a fan of one new pink thing: rosé vinegar, especially a new release from the Ponti brand you can find on Amazon. It’s lighter than red and spicier and more flavorful than white — ideal for marinating salmon and chicken for the grill.
Plenty of spirits have jumped on the pink bandwagon, especially gin (up 21% in 2021), according to IWSR, which also reports pink tequila will rise next. Inspiro Tequila even produces its Rosa Reposado, using former rosé wine barrels.
In the wine world, the number of new rosés continues to multiply.
Celebs such as CJ McCollum have joined the action; the basketball star has recently released his third vintage of McCollum Heritage91 rosé of pinot noir made in conjunction with Oregon’s Adelsheim Vineyard. New low- and no-alcohol versions I’ve tried aren’t very appealing, but the latest cabernet-based rosés from such places as Bordeaux and Napa are great with food, especially rare grilled lamb and barbecue, respectively.
Global warming is poised to boost rosé’s popularity. During last summer’s heat waves in France, rosé sales in supermarkets from May to July jumped 10% over the same months in the previous year, according to NIQ (formerly Nielsen IQ). Earlier this month, supermarket Aldi Stores Ltd. put up a temperature-sensitive billboard in Manchester, England, that dispenses free rosé ( seriously!) when the outdoor temperature hits 19.2 degrees centigrade (67F) — the ideal weather to begin drinking pink according to their survey of customers.
Still, the hotter it gets, the better it is for rosé. When the temperature hit 26 degrees centigrade (79F) this month, Aldi’s sales went up 50% in a day. Proving once again that pink wine is the perfect summer drink.
Here are my picks of 11 new pink wines worth trying, from least to most expensive.
Best Rosé Wines for Summer 2023 — Bottle Buying Guide
2021 Pasqua “11 Minutes” ($17)
Pasqua’s first vintage of a fresh, delicate and complex blend of organically grown red and white grapes is from Italy’s Veneto region. It may look like a white wine, but it just won the medal for best rosé in the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles competition. The monicker “11 minutes” reflects how long the grapes stayed in contact with the skin to pick up color and flavor.
2021 Roseblood ($20)
Very crisp, fresh and mineral, this elegant Provence rosé has more complexity than Whispering Angel, at about the same price. It’s from organic grapes, too.
2021 Kylie Minogue Côtes de Provence Rosé ($29)
I’ve been unimpressed by most celebrity pink wines. But this pale cuvée under the Australian pop singer-songwriter’s label, which debuted in the US last year, is no brand gimmick. Crisp, citrusy, round and silky textured, it’s what to drink while listening to Minogue’s latest hit, Padam Padam.
2021 Acta Rosé of Zinfandel ($30)
I discovered this sophisticated, complex bottling from a brand-new winery in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley at the Healdsburg Wine and Food Festival’s Grand Tasting. The zinfandel vines are nearly 100-years old, giving the wine a deliciously spicy, savory intensity. It will go on sale on July 1.
2021 Smith-Madrone Rosé ($30)
This serious rosé with a vibrant dark-pink color is the third vintage of a tart blend of merlot and cabernet franc from Napa’s Spring Mountain. It shows bright, bold, cherry and spice flavors and has a surprisingly long finish.
2022 Ashes & Diamonds Rosa No. 3 ($45)
This juicy, crunchy, light, ruby-colored rosé is a limited-edition blend of mostly sangiovese, cabernet franc, merlot and syrah. It’s one of Napa’s few zero-zero wines, meaning it’s vinified with no additives, including no sulfur. The delicious result, which looks almost like a light red, has floral and herb aromas, a bright red fruit taste, and enough oomph to be great with everything from hamburgers to spicy tacos. You have to join the wine club to get it.
2021 Hirsch Rosé of Pinot Noir ($45)
This famous vineyard planted on the Sonoma coast has long been noted for its luscious pinot noirs. This is the second vintage of its rich, deep, salmon-colored rosé from the same grape. It’s a serious, complex pink wine with ripe berry fruit flavors.
2022 Fantastique Château Sainte Marguerite Cru Classé Cotes de Provence ($46)
Last year, Pernod Ricard acquired a majority stake in Château Sainte Marguerite, one of 18 cru classé estates in Provence. My favorite of the two cuvées the company launched in the US this month is the savory, refined and silky Fantastique, from organic grapes. It comes in a pretty, flower-painted bottle.
2022 Frank Family Vineyards Leslie Rosé of Pinot Noir ($50)
Created in 2020 and named for the wife of winery founder and former Disney executive Rich Frank, this thirst-quenching, strawberry-and-orange blossom-scented wine is perfect for a wedding or for an elegant brunch with veggie crostini or a warm brie and apple tart.
Drink Pink Wine gift box ($95)
For the first time, New York Korean steakhouse Cote’s wine club is offering a box of three different, excellent rosés. The newest cuvée in the bunch is citrusy quaffer 2021 Souleil Vin de Bonte Le Rosé, made from organically farmed grenache grapes grown on the Mediterranean coastline.
2022 Bedrock Ode to Lulu Bag-in-Box (3-liter, $100)
One of my favorite California rosés is this rich, layered wine, mostly from old mourvedre vines. This year, for the first time, Bedrock is trialing some of it in a recycled cardboard bag-in-box format for eco-conscious reasons. I’d say it’s tops for a party.
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https://wcfcourier.com/news/local/rooted-carrot-meeting/article_3cde5798-24bd-11ee-bb61-5b5943b1c944.html
| 2023-07-20T01:23:41
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SAN ANGELO, Texas — For the Leech and Palmour families, Monday, July 17 will be a day they will never forget. Mazlynn Leech along with her sister Mya, her uncle James and her mother Morgan were involved in a car accident that took the life of two-year-old Mazlynn Leech.
Her sister, uncle, and mother all are being treated for injuries at hospital facilities, two of which are in Lubbock and one in San Angelo, as the family is now looking to take the next steps. Both Shana Henley and Brittney Albers watched little Mazlynn grow up and they are now are calling on the West Texas community to lend a hand.
"We really appreciate all the help, this has been such a tragic accident, and we really appreciate and need all the help," Henley said.
Mazlynn's family members and those close to the family have united to raise funds to cover the costs of her funeral as well as medical and travel expenses for those involved in the car accident and people looking to pay their respects.
The genesis of the fundraising efforts began July 19 with a barbecue plate sale where the Leech and Palmour families served plates to people from across San Angelo. Yet, that has not been the only act to help the family get through this time.
Local tattoo shop "Savy Tattoos" has offered raffle tickets for a $500 tattoo with proceeds going towards the families involved.
Residents from the area have poured in love and support financially and spiritually by spreading awareness. In just one day, the GoFundMe page created to cover the aforementioned expenses has had over $11,000 dollars in donations, with hundreds of shares and posts sending condolences to the family.
"We are surprised at how fast that has come through. We could not ask for more. We appreciate all the help we are getting, (this allows us) to be able to put Mazlynn to rest," Henley said.
If you are unable to donate funds to the cause, the family asks you to send your prayers and to also lift up Mazlynn's father, Michael, specifically in prayer as well.
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https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/community-unites-to-raise-funds-for-mazlynn-leech-and-her-family/504-4ada4ab8-51e6-4b83-9e34-389f37c97fc6
| 2023-07-20T01:25:41
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https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/community-unites-to-raise-funds-for-mazlynn-leech-and-her-family/504-4ada4ab8-51e6-4b83-9e34-389f37c97fc6
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AUSTIN, Minnesota — Hormel Foods is betting that a breakfast-focused flavor will be a popular choice for consumers of the famous canned meat.
The Austin, Minnesota-based company introduced maple flavored SPAM to the brand's family of flavors.
The other varieties are classic, lite, less sodium, with bacon, oven-roasted turkey, hickory smoke, hot & spicy, jalapeno, teriyaki and tocino, which is a Filipino-style bacon.
Hormel has been around since 1891 and the company invented the world's first canned ham in 1926.
The SPAM brand was introduced in 1937, two years before World War II.
Promoted as "the miracle meat," SPAM became a food ration for soldiers all over the world during the war.
"For 86 years, the SPAM brand has introduced a unique variety of products, aligning our great flavors with consumer trends and feedback," Lisa Selk, vice president of marketing, said in a news release. "When recent research showed a resurgence of cooking breakfast at home and an unwavering consumption of maple products, we knew it was time to create SPAM maple flavored. And as a permanent addition to our lineup, we can't wait to see the culinary creations our fans cook up for breakfast and beyond."
Maple flavored is the permanent addition to the flavor lineup since 2015.
As far as limited editions go, you might remember last year SPAM offered a figgy pudding seasonal flavor for the holidays. Other popular flavors that have come and gone: Black Pepper, Portuguese Sausage, Garlic and Chorizo.
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https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/hormel-foods-taps-maple-as-spams-new-flavor-austin-minnesota/89-6e1e536d-1379-45d0-aa11-3fa918e3fe97
| 2023-07-20T01:25:47
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SAN ANGELO, Texas — Learning to swim can be a daunting task for those with little to no experience.
To make this process easier, the San Angelo Municipal Pool is offering children ages 4-12 the chance to dive into swim lessons from July 24-27 and July 30- Aug. 3 at 18 E. Avenue A #6902.
"So far the kids are progressing very well and seem like they're having a great time," San Angelo Parks & Recreation Recreational Coordinator Belen Castro said.
These $60 sessions will take place from 9-9:45 a.m., 10-10:45 a.m. and again from 11-11:45 a.m. depending on the specific group.
Each class welcomes six children in the following categories: preschool, level 1, level 2 and level 3.
In a typical preschool session, participants will learn basic skills like blowing bubbles and becoming more confident in the water.
Levels 1 and 2 will also help with confidence and paddling while level 3 includes side breathing, swimming longer distances and incorporating specific strokes.
"All of our lifeguards are Red Cross certified so they know about the water and stuff like that so all of them [the participants] will be with lifeguards and stuff like that so we don't want the parents to worry about not having certification or anything like that," Castro said.
Castro herself has utilized her knowledge as a water safety instructor to teach the lifeguards what they need to know.
After five years without sessions, the pool now has enough lifeguards to continue to offer this program, teaching water safety skills to a new generation.
"I think that a lot of people don't have respect for water and especially with us, yes, we live in West Texas and there's not a lot of water [here]," Castro said. "But there is water everywhere and some people don't understand the power water can have."
Go to the COSA website to sign up or learn more.
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https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/san-angelo/dive-into-swim-lessons-at-the-san-angelo-municipal-pool/504-bcf414e1-4dba-4b2b-b3bd-d6b4a39ff50f
| 2023-07-20T01:25:53
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SAN ANGELO, Texas — Various parts of Southeast San Angelo have been advised to boil water before use following a July 19 water main break.
Particular areas include Tres Rios, Belaire, Glenmore, Goodfellow Air Force Base, Christoval Road and Janie Lane to Butterfly Lane along FM 1223.
According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, residents in these areas should boil and cool water for two minutes if being used for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, washing hands or hair and/or making ice.
This information is especially important for children, senior citizens and individuals with weakened immune systems.
As such, it is advised to share updates with those in the affected areas.
The public water system will provide updates as to when the water is safe to consume.
Call public works director Shane Kelton at 325-657-4206 with any additional questions.
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https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/southeast-san-angelo-residents-advised-to-boil-water-following-water-main-break/504-4f273eac-ac8b-4472-9806-1ff89996862f
| 2023-07-20T01:25:59
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BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — U.S. Congressman Bill Posey (8th District) said Wednesday he believes that continuing to invest in the commercial space industry will make the United States a more secure place for future generations.
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
Posey wrote an editorial on the topic for the “Washington Times,” and then then spoke to Channel 9′s Melonie Holt about what the U.S. can do to maintain its preeminence in space.
Read: Florida Board of Education approves new African American history standards despite opposition
Posey said it’s about staying competitive.
Earlier this year Posey and other Florida lawmakers introduced a bill that would extend incentives for American space firms and keep them investing in the US and launching on American soil.
Read: Orange County looking into $30M pedestrian bridge to make tourist corridor intersection safer
Florida’s Space Coast has already seen more than thirty government and commercial launches this year.
In Posey’s “Washington Times’ editorial, published Wednesday, he wrote, “Our investment in space is critical to our national security, scientific discovery, technological advancement, and economic competitiveness.”
Read: This Central Florida police department is launching an online citizen reporting portal
Posey told reporter Melonie Holt, “I’m always worried about getting NASA authorized and pretty soon we’re going to be meeting as a committee to set the NASA budget,”
“It’s a special good time to get the word out there,” he said.
Read: Fire rips through home, kills several pets in Sanford
Posey, Congressman Darren Soto, and Senator Marco Rubio joined in their support of “The American Space Commerce Act of 2023.”
The bill was sent to the U.S House Committee on Ways and Means earlier this year.
At this time no action has been taken.
Read: Owner of Seminole Towne Center mall in Sanford owes more than $800K in property taxes
Posey said, “It (the bill) extends the existing tax for 10 years, for payloads for companies that launch from American soil, “
“Once again, it just frees up more capital to be churned back into space, " he said.
Read: Streetlights turned on in Sanford neighborhood after months of darkness
Posey also said that the U.S. has plenty of competition. “China, the Europeans they’re not competing with us just for that payload that goes up in the air.”
“They know all the spinoffs that come as a result of that,” Posey said.
Congressman Posey said, another piece of legislation supporting the commercial launch industry is coming up for re-authorization this year.
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
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https://www.wftv.com/news/local/florida-congressman-bill-posey-strong-commercial-space-industry-will-secure-americas-future/X4CZK2DIRVEX7NVB3P2TDCJUNY/
| 2023-07-20T01:26:19
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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas women who were denied abortions despite pregnancy complications had their day in court Wednesday. Several women and doctors are suing the State of Texas in a challenge against the state's draconian abortion restrictions.
Hearings for the lawsuit, Zurawski vs. State of Texas, began Wednesday morning at the Travis County Courthouse in Downtown Austin.
The plaintiffs in the case claim they were denied abortions despite experiencing complications with their pregnancies. Some claim to have nearly died as a result.
State law criminalizes performing an abortion unless the pregnant patient is facing "a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by or arising from a pregnancy." The plaintiffs are not asking the State to overturn abortion restrictions, but rather grant doctors the ability to perform abortions when a pregnancy is deemed unsafe.
One of the women named in the lawsuit, Amanda Zurawski, is from Austin. Zurawski said 18 weeks into her pregnancy, her water broke. Her doctor told her that her baby would die, but because the fetus still had a heartbeat, an abortion could not be performed.
Zurawski said she was at risk for a life-threatening sepsis infection, which led to her getting an emergency abortion after she went into toxic shock.
Another woman in the lawsuit, Ashley Brandt, testified about her traumatic experience of having to travel out of state to get a fetal reduction after one of her twins was diagnosed with anencephaly.
Brandt said after seeing how the Texas law handles situations like hers, she does not want to have another child in this state.
"I don't feel safe to have children in Texas anymore," Brandt said. "I know that it was very clear that my health didn't really matter, and my daughter's health didn't really matter and that's heartbreaking."
All of the women involved in the lawsuit, as well as a few doctors, traveled to Austin for the hearings.
The court will decide whether to immediately block the state's abortion ban as it applies to these kinds of situations. It also heard arguments on the State's request to dismiss the case.
The State is calling to dismiss the case, arguing the law is already clear enough defining a medical exemption. In their opening statements Wednesday morning, the State argued changing the definition would broaden the statute too much.
The hearing is scheduled to continue on Thursday.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/texas/texas-abortion-rights-lawsuit-travis-county/269-515c548f-2c4a-46c6-9486-687193475c22
| 2023-07-20T01:33:41
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Allen County Council members today are set to discuss – and possibly make a decision on – the proposed local income tax increase that would help pay for a new jail.
The Allen County commissioners have proposed a 0.2% local income tax increase toward the costs of building the new facility, which is estimated to cost $350 million.
State law caps a local income tax for a confinement facility at 0.2% and requires councils to approve it in increments of 0.01%. If County Council approves the new local income tax, members could set it at an amount between 0.01% and 0.2% and for up to 20 years.
The amount each resident would pay would be determined by their taxable income. For someone making $50,000 a year, a 0.1% increase would mean paying $50 more in income tax each year, while the full 0.2% would mean $100 more, Auditor Nick Jordan has said.
The Department of Local Government Finance has similar parameters set on some other types of local income taxes, including to benefit emergency medical services, Jordan said.
In response to a lawsuit filed by former inmate Vincent Morris, U.S. District Court Judge Damon Leichty ordered the county to address inhumane conditions, including overcrowding and understaffing, at the downtown jail.
The commissioners have said the only way to address overcrowding is to build a larger facility. The jail’s current capacity is 741 inmates, but it is considered to be operationally full with 593 inmates.
The new correctional facility is expected to be built on farmland that will take up about half of the 140 acres at 2911 Meyer Road the county bought in April for $6.3 million. It’s expected to have at least 1,200 beds.
County Council members were expected to consider the request in June after holding a public hearing to gather input from the community. Three days before the June meeting, Council President Tom Harris, R-2nd, announced that the discussion would be delayed until July to give members more time to take a closer look at the request.
Members are expected to discuss the request today, but acting on the proposal will be up to members’ discretion. They could make a final decision, decide to table the discussion until a later time or simply not act on it.
Tony Borton of the Help Not Handcuffs Coalition, which has asked county officials to consider other options, said he will be disappointed if County Council members make a final decision on the local income tax today.
Borton said County Council hasn’t “done anything” to engage local residents since the public hearing, when numerous members of the grassroots group spoke out against the jail construction plan.
Help Not Handcuffs members have asked officials to look at alternatives to incarceration for many defendants. They favor allocating more money to addiction and mental health programs that would keep some offenders out of jail.
“For them to just do that tomorrow morning and to say, ‘We just decided this $300 million bond issue and new tax for you guys,’ I find that it’s an irresponsible way to manage taxpayer funds,” Borton said Wednesday. “They are the stewards. This project, in general, does not have enough well-researched documentation to support going forward with it.”
Helps Not Handcuffs released a study the coalition commissioned about the jail population that also offers alternatives to incarceration. Borton said he’s disappointed because he’s reached out to four County Council members, offering to talk about the study and local income tax request.
Borton hadn’t received any responses as of Wednesday evening.
“We’ve kind of been saying the same thing for 15 to 18 months that there’s a lot of problems with it, and the process is basically cutting out the public of a major, major, major decision,” he said.
In other business, County Council is expected to start annual budget discussions and consider approval of amended salaries for some county employees.
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https://www.journalgazette.net/local/allen-county-council-to-discuss-local-income-tax-increase-for-jail-at-thursday-meeting/article_5b8124e6-2689-11ee-aa7d-4fc78120076b.html
| 2023-07-20T01:36:17
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CHANDLER, Ariz. — As the Valley hit the hottest day of the year, thousands of students went back to school on Wednesday.
Students at Chandler Unified School District, the second-largest in the state, braved the record-breaking temperatures on their official day back in the classrooms.
“It’s hot being out here,” said Alexa Paredes, a senior at Hamilton High School. “It’s really bad. I wish I could have done online [classes], stay home with the AC.”
To keep students safe, the district told 12News they follow the Arizona Department of Health Services Heat Index Guidelines, which recommends indoor activity only when the temperature exceeds 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Other districts told 12News they also follow the guidelines that limit recess and recommend 20 gulps of liquids every 20 minutes.
None of the districts changed their bus policy to include students who can’t ride the bus but live in a one-mile radius and must walk home.
“It’s been tough. I’m glad my air conditioning is being replaced,” said Nicki Pousson who will pick up her granddaughter a couple times a week.
“It’s too far for her to walk in this type of heat,” Pousson said. “I’m worried about her just crossing the street from the high school to here.”
While Arizona is known for being hot, especially in July, other parents like Sonia Perala said the heat did not faze them.
“We’re used to the heat,” Perala told 12News as she waited for her daughter and three of her friends while sitting in her car with no AC on and her windows down. “I would be concerned for other kids that have to walk.”
The Maricopa County Department of Public Health has confirmed 18 people have died because of the heat, and 69 deaths are under investigation.
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https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/its-hot-being-out-here-record-breaking-heat-doesnt-stop-first-day-of-classes-for-valley-schools/75-efc8927e-2a05-4574-bbac-941d1a6ef531
| 2023-07-20T01:38:02
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Mitchell Taebel, top left, was charged with stalking Taylor Swift, seen here performing on the opening night of "The Eras Tour" at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona.
Mug, left, and John Medina, Getty Images, center
Taylor Swift performs onstage during night two of Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour at Nissan Stadium on May 6 in Nashville.
John Shearer/TAS23/Getty Images
FILE - Taylor Swift performs during the opener of her Eras tour in Glendale, Ariz., on March 17, 2023. Swift released "Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)." Swift re-recorded her sophomore country album, “Speak Now,” and has 22 songs, including six that were written during the album’s original era, but not recorded until recently.
LAPORTE — The felony stalking trial of a LaPorte County man accused of relentlessly pursuing Taylor Swift has been indefinitely postponed due to the alleged perpetrator's inability to assist in the preparation of his defense, according to court records.
Court records show Mitchell Taebel, 36, has been committed to the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction until the state agency determines Taebel is competent to stand trial.
According to court records, Taebel was found unable to understand the proceedings in his case following comprehensive examinations by Dr. John Heroldt and Dr. Reinaldo Matias.
Records show the stipulated motion for commitment — signed by attorneys for Taebel and the LaPorte County prosecutor's office — led to the cancellation of a pretrial hearing set for July 27, as well as the postponement of further legal action in the case.
Taebel, who has YouTube and Facebook accounts featuring Taylor Swift and claims to be running for president of the United States, is facing criminal charges based on allegations he traveled across the country to attempt to gain access to the 33-year-old artist and sent Swift threatening messages.
According to court records, Taebel allegedly identified himself as Swift's soul mate on social media in conjunction with violent imagery, including a bomb threat and video of someone shooting a gun at a firing range, to suggest what could happen if Taebel is unable to be with Swift, or if Swift continues dancing during her ongoing "Eras Tour" in a way Taebel finds objectionable.
Records show Taebel also allegedly gained entry May 5 to Swift's luxury condominium building in Nashville, and her concert venue in Nashville, until Taebel was identified as a security threat and removed from the building and the venue.
Police said Swift's management team obtained a temporary restraining order that was served May 13 to Taebel. The order was extended May 24 and Taebel is accused of violating the order by continuing to tag Swift in social media posts, including Taebel's 12-hour marriage proposal video.
"Taebel still maintains a delusion that he and the ARTIST will be married and, if elected president, that the ARTIST will be his first lady," charges say.
The Long Beach, Indiana, native is facing similar charges in a separate case where Taebel is accused of stalking and harassing a childhood acquaintance over several years.
Mitchell Taebel, top left, was charged with stalking Taylor Swift, seen here performing on the opening night of "The Eras Tour" at State Farm Stadium on March 17, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona.
FILE - Taylor Swift performs during the opener of her Eras tour in Glendale, Ariz., on March 17, 2023. Swift released "Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)." Swift re-recorded her sophomore country album, “Speak Now,” and has 22 songs, including six that were written during the album’s original era, but not recorded until recently.
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https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/crime-courts/alleged-taylor-swift-stalker-committed/article_d7def25c-264d-11ee-a5d8-03cafc647d03.html
| 2023-07-20T01:43:50
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HAMMOND — Multiple moments of contention erupted during School City of Hammond’s Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night.
At the beginning of the meeting, District’s CFO Eric Krutz updated the board with the financial report for June. Krutz told the board he had transferred operating referendum funds to balance the district’s health insurance and pension debt service funds, and he was presenting a resolution for the school board’s approval to authorize these transfers.
However, board member Cindy Murphy told Krutz the transfers shouldn’t have appeared in the financial report since they hadn’t been officially approved yet.
“It’s more about showing the public we’re in trouble here,” Murphy said, further telling Krutz that in future reports, she would like transfers to not appear until they have been voted on.
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“But that doesn’t match reality,” said Superintendent Scott Miller.
Krutz explained that as far as he was aware since he was the school district’s treasurer and CFO, he had the authority to make those transfers. Murphy agreed with him, but continued telling Krutz since the transfers had not been authorized, the health insurance and pension debt service funds should have still shown a negative balance.
“I understand that you want to balance at the end of June, but again it’s reality, we didn’t make what we’re supposed to do,” Murphy told Krutz.
“Well the reality is that as your CFO, I transferred that money,” Krutz replied, telling how he was now asking the board to keep the transfers in place on a longer-term basis. And if the board did not approve them, he would go back and transfer the money back into the operating referendum fund and the financial report would show a negative balance. The board later unanimously approved the transfers.
Another moment of disagreement came when Miller asked the school board to renew Hammond's agreement with Kelly Education to continue providing substitute teacher services. Miller told the board the district saw the number of filled substitute positions increase by 16 percentage points over the past year.
However, board member Carlotta Blake-King took issue with the renewal, given the district’s "razor-thin" budget and its stand-alone human resource department.
“It appears that we’re going to have two employers under the same roof, which absolutely makes no sense,” said Blake-King. She further went on to say the renewal was a “big ticket” item coming out of the educational fund, and it would be a “fiscal disaster” if Kelly Education's contract was renewed.
The contract with Kelly Education cost around $3 million, according to Miller.
Murphy urged her colleagues to renew the contract since the company was providing initiatives to substitute teachers the district couldn’t provide, and they were also on a time crunch, given classes start in three and a half weeks.
Miller also said the alternative was for the district to not approve the renewal, become the employer again and try to reemploy all the substitutes that were with Kelly.
The school board ultimately renewed the agreement.
Other actions the board took on Tuesday included confirming Dameca Harrison as the new principal of Hammond Central, approving a responsible bidder resolution ahead of November’s referendums and approving an agreement between Morton High School and Jedtv to broadcast athletic games. The agreement will see the district receive $10 per JEDtv subscriber.
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https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/education/hammond-school-argue-finances-subs/article_1c205eb6-2657-11ee-81df-6b0726b065ab.html
| 2023-07-20T01:43:56
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Indiana American Water has named a new vice president of operations.
The Greenwood-based utility, which supplies drinking water from Lake Michigan to many Northwest Indiana communities, selected Kari Britto for the role.
“Britto will help us to further enhance our customer service throughout the state and to drive operational and financial results,” said Indiana American Water President Matt Prine. “She brings 14 years of utility experience in a variety of positions, and her experience and knowledge will be a great benefit in this new role.”
She will oversee all operations in Indiana American Water’s service districts. Britto will work out of the company's corporate office in Greenwood and oversee the company’s treatment, distribution, and field service operations across Indiana.
A graduate of the University of Indianapolis with a master's degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University, Britto joined the statewide utility in 2009. She has worked her way up the ranks, most recently serving as senior manager of business performance.
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In that role, she managed teams and projects statewide, guiding her teams through regulations, internal policies and state statutes. She's also supported the utility's other business functions like finance and operations.
Indiana American Water is a subsidiary of New Jersey-based American Water, the largest investor-owned water utility supplying 1.4 million people across the country. It employs 6,500 people across the country and provides drinking water to 14 million people in 14 states.
The company invests an estimated $30 million through $34 million in infrastructure a year, which it funds through rate hikes like the one now under consideration by state regulators.
NWI Business Ins and Outs: Jet's Pizza and vegan restaurant open; Chase Bank closes; Crown Point Toys and Collectibles moves
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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…
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https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/indiana-american-water-names-new-vice-president-of-operations/article_627a8b1a-2671-11ee-b6f8-d7b509e1373f.html
| 2023-07-20T01:44:02
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The mayor’s race in Manchester now has three candidates with Ward 1 Alderman Kevin Cavanaugh filing paperwork Wednesday.
Cavanaugh joins Will Stewart and Jay Ruais. Alderman-at-Large June Trisciani, a former state senator, is also expected to jump into the race.
Cavanaugh was first elected to represent Ward 1 on the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in 2015, and served in the New Hampshire State Senate from 2017-2023, according to a news release.
“Raised in Manchester by a nurse and telecommunications worker, I learned the values of hard work and community service from my parents, which have guided me throughout my career,” he said in statement. “As mayor, I will work tirelessly to bring people together, ensuring that every student can thrive in our public schools, that all of our residents feel safe and included, and that everyone can earn a living wage to support their families right here in Manchester.”
As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, 93 Manchester residents had submitted paperwork to run in the city’s Sept. 19 non-partisan primary election. The general election will be held on Nov. 7.
Scott R. Elliott returned papers to run against Alderman Pat Long in Ward 3.
On Tuesday, Andre Rosa returned papers to run for Ward 11 alderman.
The window for candidates to file papers to run for office in the 2023 Manchester municipal election opened July 10. Declarations of candidacy will be accepted at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall during regular business hours until the filing period ends at 5 p.m. on Friday.
The following candidates all filed paperwork to run for office as of 5 p.m. Wednesday:
Citywide races
Mayor: Jay Ruais, Will Stewart, Kevin Cavanaugh
Alderman At-Large: Dan O’Neil, William Infantine, Joseph Kelly Levasseur
School Committeeman At-Large: Jim O’Connell, Peter Argeropoulos
Ward 1
Alderman: Chris Morgan, Kevin Sheppard, Bryce Kaw-uh
Moderator: Aaron Losier
Clerk: Calley Milne
Selectmen: Paul Allard, Jim Townsend
School Committeeman: Suzanne Potoma, Julie Turner
Ward 2
Alderman: Daniel Goonan
Moderator: Nicholl Marshall, Philip Garang Aguot
Clerk: Ryan Richman
Selectmen: Ronald Rose, Karen Hegner, Tyler Chase, Shannon Welsh
School Committeeman: Sean Parr
Ward 3
Alderman: Patrick Long, Scott Elliott
Clerk: Karen Soule
Selectmen: Stephen Meno, Michael Soule, Glenn RJ Ouellette, Molly McGee
School Committeeman: Karen Soule
Ward 4
Alderman: Christine Fajardo, Mark Flanders
Moderator: Craig Donais
Clerk: Marcelle Termini
Selectmen: Vanessa Blais, Brian Blanton
School Committeeman: Leslie Want
Ward 5
Alderman: Kathleen Paquette, Marcus Ponce de Leon, Richard Komi, Tony Sapienza
Selectmen: Sandy Eisenbach
School Committeeman: Jason Bonilla
Ward 6
Alderman: Crissy Kantor
Moderator: Louise Gosselin
Selectmen: Roger Gosselin, Donald Provencher, Susan Lord, Ernesto Pinder
Ward 7
Alderman: Ross Terrio, Patrick Long
Moderator: William Cote
Selectmen: Claire Roy
School Committeeman: Christopher Potter, Brian Cole
Ward 8
Alderman: Edward Sapienza
Moderator: James Gaudet
Clerk: Lisa Johnston
School Committeeman: Jessica Spillers
Ward 9
Alderman: James Burkush
Moderator: Anne Burkush
Clerk: Nancy Deol
Selectmen: Joan Flurey, Sat Deol
School Committeeman: Bob Baines
Ward 10
Alderman: Bill Barry, James Mara
Moderator: Marie King
Clerk: Heidi Hamer
Selectmen: Daniel Charlebois, Debora Petrowski, Donna McQuade
School Committeeman: Gary Hamer, Joy Senecal
Ward 11
Alderman: “Norm” Vincent, Russell Ouellette, Nicole Leapley, Andre Rosa
Moderator: Lisa Ouellette
Clerk: Michael Wolf
Selectmen: Pauline Janelle
School Committeeman: Gordon Haner, Elizabeth O’Neil
Ward 12
Alderman: Erin George-Kelly, Kelly Thomas
Selectmen: Carlos Gonzalez, Deborah Coyne, Jason Constant
School Committeeman: Carlos Gonzalez
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/local/kevin-cavanaugh-officially-files-to-run-for-manchester-mayor/article_2edc7245-42bb-555d-955b-094276bbad50.html
| 2023-07-20T01:44:54
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https://www.unionleader.com/news/politics/local/kevin-cavanaugh-officially-files-to-run-for-manchester-mayor/article_2edc7245-42bb-555d-955b-094276bbad50.html
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DUNCANVILLE, Ala. (WIAT) — Dozens of water skiers and hundreds of fans are in Duncanville all week for the American Water Ski Association Southern Regionals at LymanLand USA.
Tournament organizer Lyman Hardy said because of the scorching hot weather, he has taken steps to make sure everyone stays safe and hydrated.
“There’s lots of water and lots of Gatorade, and we make sure all the officials are drinking on a regular basis so they can do theirs,” Hardy said. “The contestants need it so they can perform and if they don’t stay hydrated, they can’t perform.”
Hardy told CBS 42 1,200 people are attending the ski competition. There are more than 250 skiers who are competing in several categories that include slalom, tricks and jump. Hardy said hotels are full and despite the hot weather, this event is good for the economy.
“Well, this is one of the biggest southern regionals we’ve ever had,” Hardy said. “We have like 250 skiers. Last year, it was 200. So we’ve seen an increase, and we have over 80 kids skiing this week. And that’s great because we want to help populate the sport.”
Skier Kim Pilcher from Columbus, Georgia, said she is having fun competing this week but isn’t taking any chances with the heat and is being careful.
“It takes a lot away and it drains you and you don’t want the heat exhaustion to set in and you want to be able to perform at your best,” Pilcher said. “So it’s important to eat right and stay hydrated.”
The ski competition is from Wednesday until Sunday. Winners advance and qualify to compete in the national championships in West Palm Beach, Florida, from Aug. 9-12.
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/heat-safety-precautions-taken-at-tuscaloosa-county-water-ski-competition/
| 2023-07-20T01:54:11
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https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/heat-safety-precautions-taken-at-tuscaloosa-county-water-ski-competition/
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LONG POND, Pa. — The racetrack is ready to go for the NASCAR Cup Series at Pocono Raceway in Monroe County.
"We are expecting our biggest crowd in over 11 years this weekend," said Ben May, Pocono Raceway President.
May hopes a new layout this year gives fans an even closer look at the races and the winners.
"We are on a 15-foot tall, 200-foot long elevated viewing platform that overlooks pit row, overlooks the cup series garage," May said. "We moved Victory Lane into the Paddock, as well, so that everybody that's coming to hang out with us on race weekend will be able to celebrate with all four winners."
May says 60 percent of the fans coming to the big race travel from out of state, giving businesses like Harmony Beverage along Route 940 in Blakeslee one of its busiest weekends of the year.
We have candy and lots of beer. The boys here have been really busy for the whole week stacking up," said Renee Celentano.
With a stockpile closer to the ceiling than the floor, Celentano expects bottles and cans to fly off the shelves quickly as people stop in to buy drinks.
"Everybody is really friendly when they come, especially people that come from other states that aren't locals here," Celentano said.
"Check the parking lot later. You'll see all different license plates out there. You'll get New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts obviously, Pennsylvania. They're coming from all over," said Murphy's Hideaway owner Michael Murphy.
After days of prepping food and taking pre-race catering orders, Murphy says all of his staff will be on the clock at Murph's Hideaway off Route 940 to make sure no customer goes unserved.
"So we have plenty of prep that had to get done for that. We have deliveries coming in every day this week. We got catering that we also do, so we have that going out this weekend, so it's a busy weekend for us," Murphy said.
The once 1,000-acre spinach farm that is now Pocono Raceway had more than 100,000 fans flock to the grounds last year.
Race officials say they are looking forward to passing that number this weekend.
Check out WNEP’s YouTube channel.
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https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/prepping-for-race-weekend-in-the-poconos-raceway-tricky-triangle-wnep-long-pond/523-50d1b699-25a0-44ad-84d5-3ebf999bf876
| 2023-07-20T01:55:59
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https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/monroe-county/prepping-for-race-weekend-in-the-poconos-raceway-tricky-triangle-wnep-long-pond/523-50d1b699-25a0-44ad-84d5-3ebf999bf876
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SCRANTON, Pa. — At just 40 years old, State Representative Joanna McClinton believes she is living an answered prayer, a prayer from her namesake, her grandmother.
"Joanna McClinton, who was a domestic worker, did not complete school, that this is likely an answer to prayers that she prayed because while it wasn't on my goal list, on my agenda, I recognize it means so much for women in the past whose shoulders I stand upon, and those women who are coming in the future," McClinton said.
The Democrat from southwest Philadelphia made history in February when she became the first woman to be elected speaker of the Pennsylvania House.
"So it's been almost five months, and it's been quite breathtaking. It's humbling, it's an honor. However, I recognize that for the time that I have it, I have a lot of hard work to do to make sure that there can be so many women that will follow," she said.
McClinton says there are joys to being the speaker, and there are challenges.
Her goal is to be fair to all of her colleagues.
"When we talk about changing the laws on Pennsylvania's books, everyone has to be heard. Everyone needs to be able to amend a bill or improve it. They have to be able to speak on behalf of our constituents. They are 203 of us, and all of us have the bosses back at home," she added.
McClinton was first elected to the state house in 2015.
The graduate of LaSalle University and Villanova Law School enjoys traveling around the commonwealth.
She recently visited the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and the Maternal and Family Health Services in Scranton to discuss resources for pregnant women and new moms.
"I use it as a learning experience to make sure everything we do in the chamber is not just a benefit for my own constituents, but for folks all across PA.," she explained.
McClinton is aware that while her election as speaker of the house is significant; it's what she does in the role that matters most.
"It means nothing to me if we cannot deliver to Pennsylvanians, and as now the speaker of the PA House, it's my priority, every day that I go to work, to make a difference in the lives of Pennsylvanians. To make sure that our policies that we pass will improve and enhance people's lives and better fund our public schools, and address needs that we are able to address for the moment that we are here," she said.
Speaker McClinton says she looks forward to returning to northeast Pennsylvania.
She wants her legacy to be that she served gracefully and that her leadership was respected on both sides of the aisle.
To see our full interview, head to WNEP's YouTube page.
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https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/rep-mcclinton-talks-about-new-role-in-harrisburg-joanna-pennsylvania-state-house-wnep/523-93e8dcfb-fc7b-4fd6-9601-dfe22b60d583
| 2023-07-20T01:56:05
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https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/rep-mcclinton-talks-about-new-role-in-harrisburg-joanna-pennsylvania-state-house-wnep/523-93e8dcfb-fc7b-4fd6-9601-dfe22b60d583
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Officer Tim Matson described in federal court Wednesday how a resilient weed helped to restore his will to live after his body was shattered by bullet wounds in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
Matson was shot in his head and body on Oct. 27, 2018, when he and other police officers charged into Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue to halt the massacre that left 11 worshippers dead. The SWAT police officer was hospitalized for months, endured off-the-chart pain and underwent 25 surgeries. He had to relearn how to walk.
“I was in a pretty dark place,” he testified, admitting to suicidal thoughts.
“I got to the point where I had enough, I was in constant pain, I knew I would never be the same,” Matson said. But in his yard, which had recently been weed-whacked, he found a weed in a bucket that was growing still.
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“Somebody tried to kill it,” yet it survived, he said. Matson realized then the importance of the support from his family and colleagues.
“I was like, man, it’s time to get to work, get my boots on the ground,” he said. He has tended the weed ever since, his “buddy” in resilience.
Robert Bowers, 50, was convicted in June for the killings that Sabbath morning, as well as for injuring Matson, other officers and worshippers — 63 counts in total. Jurors last week found him eligible for the death penalty and must next consider whether to put him to death or sentence him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
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At issue is whether the aggravating factors in the attack — those that make the crime especially heinous — outweigh mitigating factors, such as those that could be seen as reducing Bowers' culpability. Jurors heard a heavy dose of evidence Wednesday, from Bowers' trail of destruction to the long history of abuse in his own family.
A clinical psychologist who specializes in trauma recounted a Bowers family history filled with multigenerational mental illness and abuse.
Katherine Porterfield testified that she interviewed Bowers' mother, aunt and others who knew the family during his childhood, and reviewed decades of records. She cited numerous cases of mental and neurological disorders, substance abuse and suicide in Bowers’ extended family.
Bowers' father physically abused his mother when she was pregnant with him, Porterfield said. A neighbor reported to child protective services that Bowers' parents threatened to kill him as an infant, but investigators dropped the case after his mother told them she was getting a divorce.
Bowers' mother told Porterfield that she told him more than once she wished he’d never been born, saying: “I was a terrible mother. I could not care for him.”
Bowers' parents separated while he was still young, and his mother moved from home to home and relationship to relationship, sometimes staying with her parents, who had their own struggles. Her father was violent and her mother was mentally ill, took tranquilizers and abused alcohol.
Bowers' father and stepfather were both discharged from the military due to mental health diagnoses, and both were later charged with sexual offenses. Bowers' father killed himself.
“His family loved him, but there was very little ability of adults to protect him” and meet his needs, Porterfield said.
Bowers gave little indication he was paying attention to the testimony, often shuffling papers, in keeping with his detached demeanor throughout the trial. He told mental health analysts that he wished he had killed more Jews, according to earlier testimony.
Also Wednesday, other survivors of the synagogue attack told of its devastation.
Andrea Wedner, who was shot in the attack that killed her mother, 97-year-old Rose Mallinger, still carries gunshot shrapnel in her arm. She had to retire as a dental hygienist years earlier than planned due to her injuries. She has regained only partial use of her hand, which tires easily and is sensitive to cold and heat. The injuries are constant reminders of the attack.
She can't bring herself to attend services as regularly as she did with her mother, whom she misses dearly. “I’m haunted by what happened to me and by what I saw and what I heard that day,” she said.
Dan Leger told of his long recovery from severe intestinal and other injuries suffered in the shooting. He had to retire from his job as a hospital chaplain and said his injuries are a constant reminder.
Nevertheless, he and another survivor are trying to complete a study of the Talmud in honor of Jerry Rabinowitz, who was killed in the attack.
Also testifying were members of the families of Dan Stein and Cecil and David Rosenthal, who were among those killed.
"Words such as devastated, heartbroken, traumatized, they don’t scratch the surface," said Michele Rosenthal, sister of Cecil and David.
Sharyn Stein, widow of Dan Stein, said she and her husband “were a team.”
“My world has fallen apart,” she said.
___
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pittsburgh-synagogue-attack-survivors-testify-about-overcoming-physical-and-emotional-wounds/3607685/
| 2023-07-20T02:09:05
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/pittsburgh-synagogue-attack-survivors-testify-about-overcoming-physical-and-emotional-wounds/3607685/
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/video-shows-mass-shooting-during-vigil-in-philly/3608020/
| 2023-07-20T02:09:06
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/video-shows-mass-shooting-during-vigil-in-philly/3608020/
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Gov. Brad Little talks about a $300 million relief for Idaho Property Taxpayers during a press conference in Nampa, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Little was joined by House Speaker Mike Moyle, Rep. Jason Monks and Sen. Doug Ricks.
Gov. Brad Little talks about a $300 million relief for Idaho Property Taxpayers during a press conference in Nampa, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Little was joined by House Speaker Mike Moyle, Rep. Jason Monks and Sen. Doug Ricks.
Gov. Brad Little signs a ceremonial check for $300 million dollars, giving property tax relief to Idaho taxpayers, during a press conference in Nampa, Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
Gov. Brad Little talks about a $300 million relief for Idaho Property Taxpayers during a press conference in Nampa, Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Little was joined by House Speaker Mike Moyle, Rep. Jason Monks and Sen. Doug Ricks.
Gov. Brad Little signs a ceremonial check for $300 million dollars, giving property tax relief to Idaho taxpayers, during a press conference in Nampa, Wednesday, July 19, 2023.
NAMPA — Many Idaho residents can expect to see some long-awaited relief on their property tax bills this coming November as a result of new legislation and a budget surplus.
Gov. Brad Little on Wednesday morning at a home in Nampa announced that the state ended the fiscal year with nearly $100 million in budget surplus funds, which will be divided between relief for schools to use on bonds and levies and homeowners. This will be combined with other funding sources set aside for relief, coming to a total of about $300 million.
“That will make a big difference (for) Idahoans,” Little said.
Little was joined Wednesday by House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star; Rep. Jason Monks, R-Meridian; and Sen. Doug Ricks, R-Rexburg, all of whom negotiated the sweeping legislation during the 2023 session with Sen. Scott Grow, R-Eagle, who was not at the press conference.
HB 292 included what was known as a “surplus eliminator” that directed up to $150,000 in state budget surplus funds to property tax relief. With the current surplus, $50 million will go toward direct owner-occupied home property tax relief, and $50 million will be distributed to school districts in an amount based on average daily attendance to use to pay off bonds or levies or to put toward future construction needs.
As part of the legislation, tax bills will include the total amount subtracted from residents’ local property taxes and be labeled as “tax relief appropriated by the Legislature.” The total reduction will depend on the taxing district.
The state doesn’t set or collect property taxes, but the issue was pegged as a top priority for many lawmakers as property values in the state have skyrocketed in recent years. Grow said it’s anticipated the reduction for homeowners will be about 20% to 30% off the tax bill.
“The No. 1 complaint that I’ve received from constituents is the ever-increasing high property taxes, and they wanted some relief,” Grow said in a phone interview. “This is the first time that the state of Idaho has used state monies to give ongoing property tax relief to homeowners.”
Moyle encouraged those who are concerned about rising property taxes to attend their county’s budget hearings.
The two years prior, the state focused its large budget surpluses on income tax reductions and rebates.
Little attributed the recent years’ budget surpluses to increases in federal funding, a diversified economy, increased tax revenue from growth and keeping spending constrained. However, he highlighted other investments made in education and infrastructure.
“It’s common, kitchen-table economics,” Little said. “We don’t spend what we don’t have. We rein in government spending and the impacts of our investments are starting to show up.”
In the last two years, Idaho Democrats have criticized the revenue projection process the Legislature uses to set budgets. Assistant House Minority Leader Lauren Necochea previously told the Idaho Press that she felt it was used to “engineer a surplus that the governor can then tout, but it takes opportunities away from the Legislature to solve urgent problems for Idahoans.”
Ricks in an interview Wednesday lauded the state’s handling of its budget.
“In Idaho, we’re a thrifty state,” Ricks said. “It’s important for government to run and to provide essential services that are needed, not a lot of extra fluff in my opinion.”
He said it doesn’t matter that property taxes aren’t collected by the state, it’s all taxpayer money.
“It’s all taxes, it’s all coming out of your pocket one way or another, and so this helps redirect some of that back,” Ricks said.
The legislation also increased eligibility for a tax exemption for low-income homeowners known as the circuit breaker. It also eliminated March elections for school districts, which many districts opposed as it is the most widely used election date.
The bill was introduced late in the session, in early March, and passed quickly through both chambers with broad support; the House approved the bill with a 63-7 vote and the Senate passed it 32-3.
However, the governor initially vetoed the bill over concerns that the language in it potentially endangered bonding on several transportation projects.
The Legislature overrode the veto and passed trailer bills to address the bonding issue and another unintentional change to the funding source for public defense.
While homeowners can expect to see the relief on their November bills, it’s unclear when school districts can expect to receive their portion of the funds. Lawmakers and the administrator for the Division of Financial Management did not know when asked Wednesday.
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/around-300-million-to-go-toward-idaho-property-tax-relief-this-year/article_3c96cdc4-267a-11ee-9c5f-dbbfa6a0a954.html
| 2023-07-20T02:20:39
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/around-300-million-to-go-toward-idaho-property-tax-relief-this-year/article_3c96cdc4-267a-11ee-9c5f-dbbfa6a0a954.html
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Caldwell Mayor Jarom Wagoner swears in Robb MacDonald as the city’s new public works director as MacDonald’s family looks on during the city council’s meeting on Tuesday.
Caldwell Mayor Jarom Wagoner, right, and Robb MacDonald, second from right, pose for a photo with MacDonald's family following MacDonald being sworn in as the city's new public works director on Tuesday.
CALDWELL — The Caldwell City Council unanimously approved Robb MacDonald as the city’s new director of public works at its meeting Tuesday night.
MacDonald first joined the city as its assistant engineer before being promoted to the role of city engineer, said Caldwell Mayor Jarom Wagoner. His previous work was in the private sector, which gives him perspective on “opportunities to make things work, rather than putting up hurdles and roadblocks,” Wagoner said.
The current public works director, Brent Orton, submitted his letter of resignation and will be leaving at the end of July, Wagoner said. The city approves certain positions through an appointment process where the mayor opens the position to applications, presents their pick to the city council, and the council votes on it.
MacDonald told the city council, “I do feel like I’m qualified, and it will be my goal to do everything I can to successfully manage and oversee public works of the city: the water, sewer, and transportation system. Those are all very important to me and I want to see the city continue to grow in an organized and orderly fashion, and I want the city to be successful.”
Wagoner said he had received numerous letters of support from the staff that MacDonald currently oversees.
“That’s always great to receive … and (to see) how much they admire him and appreciate his leadership,” Wagoner said.
Councilman John McGee said he had witnessed MacDonald’s leadership skills outside of work as they serve together on the board of Heritage Charter School; MacDonald is the board chairman, and McGee is its vice chairman, McGee said.
MacDonald has helped the school navigate some difficult circumstances, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the death of its principal, McGee said.
“It was really Robb’s leadership throughout that that helped that little school make it through and continue to successfully educate a lot of Caldwell’s young people,” McGee said.
Following the council’s vote, Wagoner swore MacDonald in. His term will go to 2025, Wagoner said.
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/caldwell-hires-new-director-of-public-works-from-within/article_e5cf5168-2675-11ee-b913-333d284ca10d.html
| 2023-07-20T02:20:45
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https://www.idahopress.com/news/local/caldwell-hires-new-director-of-public-works-from-within/article_e5cf5168-2675-11ee-b913-333d284ca10d.html
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WEST ODESSA, Texas — Catherine Nease has been living in West Odessa her entire life.
"I am a native Odessan, born and raised," Nease said
As years have gone by, she's noticed many improvements that need to be made.
"We don’t have a lot of the amenities that you would have being in town, and of course we moved out here with the understanding that that would be a thing, so it’s been it’s own battle," Nease said.
Some of the suggested improvements even include necessities.
"Water’s an issue," Nease said. "This is indeed West Texas, we’re currently on a well. They’ve recently started running the water plant down through Tripp all the way down. We need to make the arrangements to have the city water available to us because they’re in oil field wells, we’re in droughts and we got to have a supply of water."
Another ongoing issue has been the roads.
"We need more stop signs, we need some road work, pay attention to your kids, your animals even, because people do take advantage of the fact we don’t have all the stop signs, it’s kind a free for all," Nease said.
With the West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department being a main emergency service for West Odessans, they have their concerns as well.
"They want to have better services, and all that is, you know, we would love to give it to them, but we would also love for them to support and help us, somewhere and other," Lieutenant Harden, a West Odessa volunteer firefighter said. "You know, we spend hundreds of hours within this department trying to fix, repair, replace a unit of vehicle, equipment."
"If we don't get any help, then, we can only do so much," Harden said.
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https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/west-odessa-residents-want-improvements/513-46d43f99-2ef3-43dd-a787-2aa52eb4bf12
| 2023-07-20T02:21:33
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https://www.newswest9.com/article/news/local/west-odessa-residents-want-improvements/513-46d43f99-2ef3-43dd-a787-2aa52eb4bf12
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Long COVID patient Mary Schultz and occupational therapist Kristin LaPorta work through a vision therapy test at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital on Wednesday.
HAYDEN ROONEY, Journal Star
Dr. Judith Burnfield, vice president of research at Madonna’s Institute for Rehabilitation Science and Engineering, speaks about what the facility is doing to help patients with long COVID.
The COVID-19 pandemic might not be raging like it once was, but the virus is still having an impact on many Nebraskans, including one local 73-year-old.
Mary Schulte is still fighting against long COVID, where symptoms persist for many months following the onset of an infection.
“(Symptoms) come and go,” Schulte said. “The worst ones, of course, are the brain fog, the problem with concentration, word-finding difficulty … and horrible fatigue. That just never goes away.”
Schulte is far from alone in this battle — a June pulse survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that 30% of Nebraskans who have had COVID-19 have had some form of long COVID.
Since February, Schulte has been at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital's new model system of post-COVID rehabilitation care. The model system combines clinical programming, research, mental health services and education to address the long-term impacts of COVID-19.
“Our program is driven by helping to restore the minds, the bodies and the spirits of these individuals and helping them to get back to being able to do what they want to be able to do,” said Dr. Judith Burnfield, vice president of research at Madonna’s Institute for Rehabilitation Science and Engineering.
In January 2022, the $7.5 million model system was brought to the Lincoln campus through public and private grants. Burnfield said the money is being used not only for research and education of the program, but for technology to help their patients.
Senaptec is one of the machines that is used to work on peripheral visions. During Schulte’s therapy session on Wednesday, she was instructed to sit down in front of the touchscreen and select icons as they appeared on the screens. Schulte’s therapy also included a Vectogram with polarized glasses to develop and strengthen simultaneous vision.
Before the pandemic, Schulte had never taken medicine or used a cane. She was first diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020 and had severe symptoms.
“The first time was horrible because it was that god-awful coughing that people described,” Schulte said.
A year later, she was diagnosed again with a more mild case, but one that left her with long-term symptoms. Her luck continued to go downhill as she was then diagnosed with breast cancer before having COVID-19 for a third time last year.
“It’s a year and a half, and I don’t see an end in sight,” Schulte said. “But, because of Madonna, I’ve seen improvement. I have made improvements and the goal is for me not to backslide.”
Jade Bertsch, a physical therapist, has been working with Schulte for six months.
“The things that she struggles with are very common for what other people are struggling with, too,” Bertsch said. “The progress isn’t fast, but it’s steady and she’s a very hard worker.”
Schulte is one of the nearly 1,000 individuals who have been rehabilitating from COVID-19 challenges at Madonna. For Schulte, her experience has given her hope for the future.
“I truly was floating down to an abyss before I came here,” Schulte said. “In many ways, they’ve saved me and brought me back.”
At Madonna, Schulte has been learning numerous ways to help improve her memory, brain fog and balance through language, cognitive and physical therapy.
“I can tell that there have been improvements, and it’s not just the physical improvements or the mental improvements,” Schulte said. “When I first started, I could no longer drive on the highway and I couldn’t figure out why. I thought I was losing my mind.”
That's a common theme among patients with long COVID, Burnfield said.
"They feel as though maybe they’re going crazy because nobody has been able to really pull together that picture of what’s happening for them,” Burnfield said. “To be able to understand and to learn and come to a place that knows long COVID and knows how to help that person rehabilitate has been a huge relief for many of these individuals.”
There are three key aspects to Madonna’s model system of care: clinical programming to address needs, community awareness and research.
“COVID is such a new disease, we don’t yet know as a country what are the best practices in being able to help people rehabilitate from long COVID,” Burnfield said. “One of the things that we’re doing is also starting to advance the science of understanding the impact of specific treatments."
After the form is completed, Burnfield said to print off the information to bring to a physician to help start the conversation. The current wait time is under a month from the time a referral is sent in to when individuals have their first visit.
As for Schulte, her therapy appointments are set to end this fall and she’s accepted that she will never truly be back to the way she was before having COVID-19.
“I know that there is not going to be a cure in my lifetime because of my age, and that’s OK,” Schulte said. “As long as there are improvements, and there have been improvements.”
For now, she’s focusing on the small victories and enjoying the simple things in life.
“I’m finally able to go back to reading,” Schulte said. “I used to read one book a week, and then COVID ripped that away.”
Schulte said she isn’t looking forward to ending her therapy at Madonna and she will miss the staff.
“I admire each and every one of them to do this kind of work because we are not the easiest people,” Schulte said. “Broken people are not the easiest people to fix and so I feel very fortunate.”
Long COVID patient Mary Schultz and occupational therapist Kristin LaPorta work through a vision therapy test at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital on Wednesday.
Long COVID patient Mary Schultz and occupational therapist Kristin LaPorta work through a vision therapy test at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital on Wednesday.
Dr. Judith Burnfield, vice president of research at Madonna’s Institute for Rehabilitation Science and Engineering, speaks about what the facility is doing to help patients with long COVID.
Long COVID patient Mary Schultz and occupational therapist Kristin LaPorta work through a vision therapy test at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital on Wednesday.
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/madonna-helping-patients-with-long-covid-improve-daily-lives/article_cedd4850-2677-11ee-8c52-b73432246f83.html
| 2023-07-20T02:23:33
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https://journalstar.com/news/local/madonna-helping-patients-with-long-covid-improve-daily-lives/article_cedd4850-2677-11ee-8c52-b73432246f83.html
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Bradenton man dies in Manatee County Jail after medical event, deputies say
A 58-year-old man incarcerated at the Manatee County Jail died on Tuesday after a medical event.
Deputies were alerted by other inmates at 10:58 a.m. that the man needed medical attention. They found Tony Reyes of Bradenton unresponsive near the shower. Officials called out a “MED STAT” and notified EMS at 11:01 a.m.
'I forgive you':2 sisters move past grief to help Manatee County man who killed their brother
Who are the Grenons?Bradenton family on trial, charged with selling bleach as COVID cure
Medical staff responded and tried resuscitating Reyes while using an AED until EMS arrived at 11:34 a.m. They continued life-saving measures, and he was transported to a local hospital by EMS at 12:03 p.m., where he was pronounced dead at 12:26 p.m.
Detectives said that the death is related to a medical event, and there are no signs of suspicious circumstances. An official cause of death will be determined by a pending toxicology and autopsy that’s scheduled for later this week.
Reyes was booked into jail on June 26 for violation of probation on drug-related charges.
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2023/07/19/bradenton-man-dies-in-manatee-county-jail-after-medical-event/70433054007/
| 2023-07-20T02:24:27
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2023/07/19/bradenton-man-dies-in-manatee-county-jail-after-medical-event/70433054007/
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Who are the Grenons? Bradenton family on trial, charged with selling bleach as COVID cure
The Grenons, a Bradenton family who sold bleach as an alleged COVID-19 cure, are on trial this week for fraudulent marketing and selling the product.
Mark Grenon, 65, and his three sons – Jonathan Grenon, 37, Joseph Grenon, 35, and Jordan Grenon, 29, sold the “Miracle Mineral Solution” as a cure for dozens of serious diseases and disorders.
They received more than $1 million from selling MMS as a treatment for ailments such as COVID-19, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, autism, Parkinson’s disease, and other serious medical conditions, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice.
'I forgive you':2 sisters move past grief to help Manatee County man who killed their brother
The trial began Monday with the Grenons representing themselves. They declined to make opening statements and pleaded not guilty, according to reports from the Miami Herald.
The defendants are accused of attempting to avoid government regulation and prosecution by posing as an online church named “Genesis II Church of Health and Healing” to sell the products to shield themselves from prosecution, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Southern District of Florida.
Did they sell bleach as a COVID-19 cure?
MMS was marketed as a cure for illnesses, like COVID-19. In August 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning telling consumers not to purchase or use MMS for any reason, explaining that when mixed with citric acid – as instructed on the label – the product became a powerful bleach.
Seeing a spike in energy bills?Here are 6 ways to save in Florida's record-breaking heat
According to the indictment, the four Florida men manufactured, promoted, and sold tens of thousands of bottles of MMS, “a chemical solution containing sodium chlorite and water which, when ingested orally, became chlorine dioxide, a powerful bleach typically used for industrial water treatment or bleaching textiles, pulp, and paper.”
The FDA received reports of people requiring hospitalizations, developing life-threatening conditions, and even dying after drinking MMS.
When were they arrested?
Jonathan and Jordan Grenon were arrested in 2020, while Mark and Joseph Grenon fled to Colombia. They were arrested and extradited several months later.
During the 2020 arrest, federal prosecutors executed a search warrant on Jonathan Grenon’s home. Officers said they found a backyard shed where the products were made. Officials seized chemical drums containing nearly 10,000 pounds of sodium chlorite powder, thousands of bottles of MMS, and multiple loaded firearms, according to the press release.
Did Trump endorse their "miracle" product?
Mark Grenon, the “archbishop” of the church, gained national notoriety in April 2020 when he sent President Trump a letter praising his "miracle" product. Grenon then took credit for Trump’s suggestion that injecting disinfectant into the lungs can cure coronavirus, but Trump later said he was being sarcastic.
What charges are they facing?
The Grenons have been charged with fraudulent marketing and selling MMS and defying federal court orders to stop selling the product. The indictment alleges that before marketing MMS as a cure for COVID-19, the Grenons marketed MMS as a miracle cure-all for dozens of other serious diseases and disorders, even though the FDA had not approved MMS for any use.
The indictment also charges the Grenons with criminal contempt. While the United States obtained court orders halting the Grenons’ distribution of MMS, the Grenons violated those court orders and continued to distribute MMS, according to court documents.
The Grenons also allegedly threatened the federal judge presiding over the civil case. They threatened that if the government attempted to enforce the court orders stopping their distribution of MMS, the Grenons would “pick up guns” and instigate “a Waco," according to court documents.
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2023/07/19/florida-family-on-trial-for-selling-bleach-as-covid-miracle-cure/70431477007/
| 2023-07-20T02:24:33
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/manatee/2023/07/19/florida-family-on-trial-for-selling-bleach-as-covid-miracle-cure/70431477007/
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Rain washes out Sarasota Babe Ruth 14-year-old's opening-round game in Babe Ruth regional
SARASOTA - The Sarasota Babe Ruth 14 All-Star team will have to wait a day to continue its journey to the Babe Ruth World Series.
Heavy rains on Wednesday postponed the opening-round game in the Southeast Regional between Sarasota and host Lawrenceburg, Tennessee. The washout means Scooter Gennett's team will have to play two games on Thursday. Sarasota will face Lawrenceburg at 10 a.m., followed by a game at 3 p.m. against Marshall Co Tennessee.
After that is a Friday game against Tallahassee, with Sarasota's final contest on Saturday versus Greenville North Carolina. Of the five teams in the region, only the overall winner advances to the Babe Ruth World Series. The Sarasota Babe Ruth 13 and 15 All-Star teams begin their regional play next week.
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/sports/local/2023/07/19/rain-washes-out-opening-regional-game-for-sarasota-babe-ruth-14s-team-will-play-2-games-on-thursday/70429391007/
| 2023-07-20T02:24:39
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https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/sports/local/2023/07/19/rain-washes-out-opening-regional-game-for-sarasota-babe-ruth-14s-team-will-play-2-games-on-thursday/70429391007/
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In the midst of summer monsoons, the holidays may be the last thing on your mind, but a local car club is gearing up for Christmas in July .
“We thought it would be a good idea to get a head start and do Christmas in July so we don’t need to push for toy donations at the end of the year. We don’t want to keep asking the community for toys every weekend during the holidays,” said Dennis Jordan, organizer of the upcoming show.
Like numerous clubs, civic groups, government agencies and businesses, Jordan is a long-time supporter of Ramon’s Miracle on 31st Street. A South Tucson tradition for more than 50 years, the annual Christmas Party was spearheaded by Ramon Coronado Gonzales until his death in 2020. Gonzales grew the party from a small backyard barbecue to a family-friendly celebration that provides 10,000 toys to children in need each December.
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Toy collection at the event offers a perfect opportunity for the family-oriented South Tucson lowrider club that Jordan organized to combine their love of cars with caring for the community.
“The Tucson car club community is very helpful and generous. Lots of us are from South side and growing up we may not have had everything we wanted, but we usually had what we needed. Now as adults we have the opportunity to give back and help out kids who really need it,” said Jordan.
At the upcoming show, the public can expect to view more than 50 classic cars and trucks, including SUVs, imports, muscle cars, low-riders, motorcycles and other vehicles. Jordan will showcase his 1966 Chevy Impala, a burgundy red classic featuring gold pin-striping and flakes that he refurbished himself. Trophies will be awarded in numerous classes, courtesy of Titan Transfer. A new, unwrapped toy will serve as entry for cars participating in the show and admission to the show.
“We are excited about the car show and continuing my dad’s legacy. He has been gone for almost three years now, and this Christmas party meant so much to him. We are grateful for everyone who helps to make it possible,” said Manuel Gonzales, Ramon’s son.
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https://tucson.com/life-entertainment/local/events/car-show-to-benefit-ramons-christmas-miracle/article_e924515a-25c7-11ee-9266-d7ef720fd8dc.html
| 2023-07-20T02:28:20
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https://tucson.com/life-entertainment/local/events/car-show-to-benefit-ramons-christmas-miracle/article_e924515a-25c7-11ee-9266-d7ef720fd8dc.html
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Coalition Against Retail Theft: The Tucson Metro Chamber has awarded $100,000 in grants to 11 businesses ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 as a part of the Chamber’s Coalition Against Retail Theft (CART) program. The Chamber received $100,000 in American Rescue Plan funds to provide local businesses with the resources to install fundamental crime prevention features such as lighting, security systems, technology enhancements, training, defensive architecture, property cleanup, signage and more.
The grant recipients are: Ironwood Financial, MagMod, RNR Tire Express, Mama Louisa’s Italian Restaurant and Catering, TMM Family Services, Lieder Digital, The Maverick, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, FORS Architecture + Interiors, Copper Spoke Cycles, and Sonoran Stitch Factory.
Tucson Airport Authority: Tucson Airport Authority Vice President and General Counsel Chris Schmaltz has earned the Accredited Airport Executive credential. The accreditation process involves testing, written requirements and a final interview. Less than 10% of airport executives worldwide have completed the work to earn this distinction.
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Golder Ranch Fire: Golder Ranch Fire Chief Tom Brandhuber has been recognized by the Southwest Regional Trauma Conference as this year’s Goodfellow Award recipient for making a significant impact on the local Emergency Medical Services system. Brandhuber leads the region in his work to reduce EMS off-load times. His work has helped reduce the out-of-service times for ambulances at hospital emergency rooms while waiting to turn patient care over.
Also, the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Golder Ranch Fire District for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2022. The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting.
Submit items to business@tucson.com; please use 'Biz Awards' in the email subject line
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https://tucson.com/news/local/business/business-awards-earned-in-tucson-and-southern-arizona/article_407c79c4-201d-11ee-88a6-ff4b1d9c3899.html
| 2023-07-20T02:28:26
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https://tucson.com/news/local/business/business-awards-earned-in-tucson-and-southern-arizona/article_407c79c4-201d-11ee-88a6-ff4b1d9c3899.html
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LEMHI COUNTY, Idaho — A wildfire discovered Wednesday afternoon in Lemhi County has reached an estimated 400 acres in the upper reaches of Hayden Creek, fire officials said.
The Hayden Fire is burning 33 miles south of Salmon and 20 miles northwest of Leadore. Officials with Salmon-Challis National Forest said the fire line is approximately 12 miles from Lemhi.
Fire officials said that the fire is producing a lot of smoke, visible to residents in Lemhi County, as well as parts of Idaho County and Valley County. As of Wednesday evening, no structures were threatened, according to forest officials.
The Hayden Fire is not contained and there is no estimation on a potential containment date.
The fire is being fueled by large trees, grass and timber. The forest service said that warm conditions along with gusty winds are expected for Thursday afternoon. Such weather conditions could potentially accelerate the spread of the fire.
The wildfire is being managed by a Type III Incident Commander. Salmon-Challis National Forest officials said the fire is being attacked from land and air. There are three crews, two engines and two helicopters battling the fire. Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) supported fire crews on Wednesday.
Firefighters are observing active fire behavior with active rates of spread. The Central Idaho Dispatch Zone is at HIGH Fire Danger. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/wildfire-lemhi-county-burns-400-acres-salmon-challis-national-forest/277-5d8342c9-7d27-4435-afbf-62a37994a449
| 2023-07-20T02:35:03
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/wildfire/wildfire-lemhi-county-burns-400-acres-salmon-challis-national-forest/277-5d8342c9-7d27-4435-afbf-62a37994a449
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SEATTLE — The Taylor Swift Eras Tour is landing in Seattle this weekend and the Emerald City is preparing to host massive crowds of fans from across the globe.
With two sold-out shows at Lumen Field, Seattle is expected to see more than 140,000 ticketed guests and many thousands more in the SODO area. KING 5 has even prepared a guide for what fans need to know about traffic and navigating the city. Seattle appears to be a popular destination for travelers who are crossing the state line and even international borders.
KING 5 connected with fans from far and wide who are coming to Seattle to see Taylor in concert.
A trio from Peace River, Alberta is making the 18-hour drive and say they’re equally excited to take in the American food and shopping they don’t have. “Like fast food and even Target!” said Myah Hills. Fans got the opportunity to buy tickets based of a lottery system, and their choices came down to Seattle and Denver.
Amelia from Costa Rica says her parents are originally from Oregon before they started a non-profit in Costa Rica.
“I was born in Costa Rica but we still have a lot of family in the northwest,” said Amelia.
When she got pre-sale for Seattle she called on her Aunt Kathleen and alerted her the family would be coming.
“I’ve been a fan of Taylor since the beginning and she’s literally been there in all of my moments so we had to see the tour.”
Caitlyn from Melbourne, Australia, felt a similar pull to the concert.
“I just had to get a ticket. Had to happen.” Caitlyn says she’s been to every single Melbourne show and can’t believe she’s crossing the globe by herself to see Swift perform in Seattle. “To get to see her in America is crazy!”
Sisters Patty and Maria bonded over a long haul trip to be a part of the tour in Seattle. Patty drove from Everett to El Paso Texas where she met up with her sister Maria who drove up from Mexico.
“I was at work and screamed, 'I got em!'” said Patty. The sisters met in the middle and drove all the way back to Everett together where they’re preparing to live their “Wildest Dreams” at the concert this weekend.
Nadia and her daughter Ines say they are coming to Seattle for the first time and couldn’t be more excited. “It would have been easier for us to got to Mexico, it’s closer, but my husband surprised us with Seattle.” Nadia is from Guatemala and says she couldn’t believe she and her daughter had the elusive Taylor Swift tickets. “I cried for like a week!”
Some cross-country fans are also headed to Seattle this week.
Megan and her fiancé Nate from Alexandria, Va., say they’re making it a family affair. Megan is originally from western Washington and Nate is from Pennsylvania.
“We actually chose Seattle for our wedding far before the Eras Tour was ever announced,” Megan said.
The perfect “Cruel Summer” started to unfold as Taylor announced she would be in Seattle the weekend before the wedding. “It felt like it was a star-aligning moment even though we are across the country.”
Erin is a busy middle school principal in Buffalo New York and admits she was juggling school duties and Taylor Swift fan anxiety as the lottery for tickets unfolded.
“I got this notification that I was IN!” Erin says a confirmation text message went to her husband's phone and that’s how he found out about the tickets to see Swift in Seattle. “He was like, 'Cool!' and I was like, 'I know!'”
A mom and her daughters are coming from Utah and say they’re most excited to make new friends with the bracelets they’re making. “We’re actually running out of some letters!”
Taylor Swift performs two shows at Seattle's Lumen Field July 22 and 23.
Tickets are sold-out with resellers starting at more than $1,000.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/taylor-swift-international-fans-seattle-eras-tour/281-62d3cad5-3781-4df8-ad37-032779f86b2c
| 2023-07-20T02:40:57
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/taylor-swift-international-fans-seattle-eras-tour/281-62d3cad5-3781-4df8-ad37-032779f86b2c
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Rick Edwards is "acting" police chief no longer.
In a statement released Wednesday, the city officially appointed Edwards to head the Richmond Police Department, which he has been running for nine months.
Edwards, a 24-year veteran of the department, had been serving as acting chief since the sudden removal of the former chief Gerald Smith, who resigned in October while under scrutiny over his handling of an alleged and uncorroborated mass shooting plot.
"You know like I told the team today, nothing really changes except for the first time in probably two and half years, I'll have an actual title instead of one that has 'acting' in front of it," Edwards said last evening, hours after the appointment was made public, recalling how he rose through the ranks and also served as an acting major in the department.
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"We're going to stick with the plan and do what the Richmond police department does best, which is continue to fight crime as we can and make sure that we're having a great relationship with the community and that's what we're out here today doing."
Congratulations to our new @RichmondPolice Chief, Rick Edwards!
— Mayor Levar M. Stoney (@LevarStoney) July 19, 2023
As Interim Chief, he has been an incredible leader for the City of Richmond. I look forward to continuing our work to serve the public and address the pressing public safety issues of our city. https://t.co/5mpjxb9Ayr
"The first thing on my agenda is to continue to build back our department. You know, after 2020 we lost a lot of officers, and we're still in the process of trying to get those officers back and to find the new people. One of the things that we've been really excited about is that we've been able to get some more recently retired officers, who still want to serve, and get them back into positions where they can be productive for us.
"That's priority number one, while still trying to tackle gun violence and make sure that we're continuing to have a great relationship with our community," he added.
Mayor Stoney described Edwards as having been “an incredible leader for the city of Richmond.”
"His almost 24 years with RPD have prepared him to meet the challenges our community faces. Rick understands that public safety is at its best when it involves members of the community and law enforcement,” said Stoney. “I can think of no one better suited to this role at this time than Chief Rick Edwards.”
Lincoln Saunders, the city's chief administrative officer, said that Edwards "brings decades of experience to this role and has a solid reputation throughout the region. We are excited about his leadership and his commitment to further improving our community."
Community outreach effort launched
The announcement naming Edwards lauded his nine-month tenure, including his efforts to increase transparency regarding police shootings and body-worn camera footage. Under Edwards, the city has begun releasing "critical incident briefings" when officers use their firearms.
Most recently, Edwards led the department through the mass shooting in June outside of the Altria Theater, where a man and his stepson attending a Huguenot High School graduation ceremony were shot to death. A suspect has been charged but police have said the investigation is still ongoing.
Edwards has reached out to the various communities in Richmond by holding regular neighbor walks, knocking on doors of residents and asking about their concerns and complaints. City Councilor Reva Trammell has lauded his leadership and ability to restore morale in an office deflated first by the protests in the summer of 2020, and later by the Dogwood Dell amphitheater controversy under chief Smith.
In his first appearance as a full-fledged police chief, Edwards took part in a community walk last night in the Brookside of town.
In the wake of recent resignations, Edwards has actively sought to encourage RPD officers to reverse course. To cadets and prospective recruits, Edwards has sold a job with the RPD as “honorable work” where “what you do matters.”
The city said that Edwards was picked after a nationwide search that involved panel interviews, one-on-ones and extensive background checks. The city used executive search firm PoliHire, who polled Richmond City Council and RPD staff as to “what the community of Richmond hoped for in a police chief.”
The posting received 26 applicants, and three candidates advanced to interviews, which were conducted in mid-July.
Panelists in the hiring process included City Councilman Mike Jones; James Minor of the NAACP; Pastor Robert Winfree of New Life Deliverance Tabernacle Church; James Millner, representing RVA PRIDE; and Carl Scott, representing Richmond’s newly formed local police union, the Richmond Coalition of Police.
Other panelists included VCU criminology professor William Pelfrey and members of Stoney’s administrative staff.
“Every candidate we interviewed was great, but Rick was exceptional,” Millner said. “His deep love for the city, his understanding of its diversity and his knowledge of the department make him the right choice for chief of police.”
Pelfrey said Edwards impressed in his interview in part by explaining how he would "do more with less," and by pitching a new version of the Richmond Police Department restructured around high-tech policing. He emphasized the importance of a forthcoming real-time crime center as a solution to the departments staffing woes, which remain severe. This spring, RPD had more than 150 job vacancies.
"He knows the department, he knows its successes, and he knows the things that have not gone well," Pelfrey said. "He's lived through some of the darkest moments of the police department. As a result, he would obviate the learning curve that someone from an outside agency would bring."
Criticism over policing of high-crime areas
Some of those darkest moments have come recently, in the wake of criticism about aggressive over-policing of high-crime areas. And internal affairs reports made public by The Richmond Times-Dispatch showed that the department disciplined its own officers for their heavy-handed response to protests in the summer of 2020, including officers who pepper-sprayed protestors in the face.
The commonwealth’s attorney’s office on Oct. 5, 2020, sought criminal charges for simple assault against two RPD officers, but a grand jury opted not to indict them.
Edwards has backed his officers, and consistently pushed for what he says is smarter, data-driven policing that can lead to quicker arrests and safer streets. RPD has installed “Flock” cameras, a brand of license plate recognition camera, throughout the city.
Edwards has also continued RPD’s “Operation Red Ball”, a program that hyper-focuses on Richmond’s vulnerable areas, like its public housing complexes, and culls lists of potential “shooters”. Shooters are identified by monitoring public housing residents on the Flock cameras, tracking social media and speaking with informants.
In April, Edwards said that technology is the future of the police department. It serves as an unbiased source, holds merit in court and can help limit the retraumatization of victims.
The approach has been hailed by Stoney, who called the crime-centers that process crime data a “force multiplier” in his state of the state address.
Em Holter and Patrick Wilson, of The Times-Dispatch, contributed to this story.
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https://richmond.com/news/local/government-politics/edwards-richmond-police-department-chief/article_90ae5202-266f-11ee-a4ca-ff2da01949ef.html
| 2023-07-20T02:44:31
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https://richmond.com/news/local/government-politics/edwards-richmond-police-department-chief/article_90ae5202-266f-11ee-a4ca-ff2da01949ef.html
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New details in Massillon Tigers football hazing probe: Player filmed after shorts removed
- A Tiger football player told police he was tackled by teammates during a break in practice in June.
- The teen said teammates wrestled with him and stripped off his shorts, leaving him naked from the waist down.
- The player told police the attackers were his friends and they did not mean to harm him. He and his mother asked police not to press charges.
MASSILLON ‒ A Tiger football player at the center of a hazing investigation told police he was "rushed" by some of his teammates and stripped naked from the waist down at a school practice facility.
The incident, which occurred late last month, was captured on video and shared with some students, according to police reports released Wednesday following a public records request by the Massillon Independent.
The documents offer new details about the investigation, which has led to the discipline of some football players and head football coach Nate Moore being placed on paid administrative leave. School officials asked police to investigate after a parent reported misconduct among players.
But the teen involved told police that while he was mad at the time, he "didn't feel any way towards his friends" after the incident. He and his mother also didn't want to pursue criminal charges, but understood the investigation would be reviewed by the Stark County Prosecutor's Office, according to the documents.
What do the Massillon police records say?
According to a narrative written by investigating officer James Riddell, the incident occurred June 26 during downtime at football practice on the indoor field at Paul L. David Athletic Training Center on the Washington High School campus, 1 Paul E. Brown Drive NE.
Massillon school administrators reached out to police the next day. There were other misconduct incidents involving multiple student-athletes but one stood out as possibly criminal, Superintendent Paul Salvino told the newspaper.
Since then, some football players have been punished for their roles in what Salvino likened to "horseplay" while other incidents remain under review.
Moore was placed on leave last week amid the district's internal investigation into why the players were left unsupervised.
Riddell reported that about half of a dozen or more players participated in a "game" where they rushed unsuspecting teammates, tackling them to the ground and trying to remove an item of clothing. Most of the teens pinned to the ground were able to wrestle away and lost no clothing while some lost a shoe or had their clothes tugged.
One player was unable to escape as his flip-flops and shorts were removed, leaving him naked from the waist down.
The incident was filmed on Snapchat by a player, the report said. The teen who took the video was interviewed by police and said he admitted to Moore that he recorded the incident. The video had been deleted from the student's phone. The report said Moore found the deleted video but there was no evidence the video was shared.
The video was taken into evidence and permanently deleted from the phone, the report said.
Six victims, 15 alleged participants identified
School officials reviewed surveillance footage from the indoor facility and provided a list of 15 potential suspects and six targets. All of the parents were contacted and police interviewed the victims and four of the alleged participants.
According to the report, those targeted said they didn't believe the actions of their teammates were malicious and none of them felt threatened. Many said they were friends and would likely be hanging out with each other, the report said.
Some of the victims also participated in the "game," the report indicated.
The player who was stripped of his shorts told police it was his birthday that day and he anticipated "birthday shots" administered by his fellow teammates. He described the birthday shots as getting tackled, hit, smacked, pinched or any kind of rough physical contact to celebrate his milestone.
He said it was normal other than his shorts being stripped. He told police he was upset at the time because he was made to lay there naked but later he wasn't forced.
"He stated it got out of hand, but he didn't feel any type of way towards his friends, and did not want them criminally charged as he does not fear them and they will continue to hang out," according to the police account.
The victim's mother told police she talked with her son the day it happened. They agreed it got out of hand and "it was stupid," and they did not want to pursue charges.
She told police the boys involved were all friends and would likely be at her house later that night to hang out. She said she "wished it was still 1980 when we didn't have to scrutinize youthful stupidity like this."
The report said all of the students allegedly involved admitted to tackling and wrestling with their teammate but no one admitted to pulling down his shorts or knowing who did.
They were advised surveillance video was being reviewed and criminal charges could be brought against them.
Coach Moore interviewed; second video emerges
Moore was interviewed by police and provided a second video recorded by another student, according to police records.
The video was sent to Moore by a booster club member. The booster club member told police he received it from a Washington High student. The student showed the video to her father, police said.
The father said his daughter received the video from another student and did not know if his daughter had shared the video. He later told police his daughter said the video was being passed around social media.
A day after the incident was reported, the police department received an anonymous tip that there could be four more victims and potentially more videos circulating. Police are investigating that aspect.
District advised halting Title IX investigation until police case wraps up
District officials, including the district's Board of Education attorney Melissa Bondy and the district security supervisor Jamey Palma, met with police via conference call on June 30.
The school asked if it could proceed with its investigation but was advised by police to wait until the city investigation was complete.
Bondy followed up with an email confirming their discussion with police, adding the school system understood there is an ongoing criminal investigation and it should pause from conducting a Title IX investigation.
She wanted police to confirm that district administrators can review surveillance video from the football facility on camp days in June to address employment as well as identify any student-athletes who may have been involved in non-Title IX code of conduct violations without law enforcement being present.
Bondy also said the district would turn over any videos with nudity to police and would not release the videos to civil investigators.
On July 11, Moore contacted Massillon police requesting to review the videos to ensure they were punishing the correct players, Patrolman Jason Smith reported.
Smith advised Moore he was not sure what videos the department held but they would likely would not be released. He told him to speak with Riddell.
Moore reportedly called dispatch again and inquired about the videos.
The same day a subpoena was issued for video evidence from the indoor facility and it was submitted by the district.
Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.
On Twitter: @aknappINDE
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https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2023/07/19/new-details-massillon-tiger-player-stripped-clothes-hazing-investigation-updates-news/70430954007/
| 2023-07-20T02:45:59
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Proposed Grand Canyon monument could turn 1.1 million acres into protected land. Here's what to know
FLAGSTAFF — About 200 people gathered at a public meeting on Tuesday in Flagstaff to talk about the proposed designation of a national monument near the Arizona-Utah border.
Supporters say the monument would protect tribal communities, heritage sites, wildlife and the watershed from the effects of uranium mining and human development. Opponents call the move an overreach by the federal government and a land grab that encroaches on private ownership in the area and could harm industries like cattle ranching.
“The threat of contaminating our water is real and current,” said Vice Chairman Edmond Tilousi of the Havasupai Tribe, one of many monument supporters to speak. “The pure water that flows through Havasupai village is under constant attack by uranium mining.”
The meeting, hosted by the U.S. Department of the Interior, was held after tribal leaders urged President Joe Biden to use the Antiquities Act to create the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument.
The proposed monument would encompass 1.1 million acres and would include an area in the Kaibab National Forest to the south of the canyon, as well as two areas to the northwest along the Mohave-Coconino County line, and to the northeast adjacent to the Kaibab forest.
It would also designate 12 Indigenous tribes associated with the canyon to help oversee the protected land.
“There’s such importance behind this for Hopi and many tribal nations, there’s an intimate connection we have with this,” said Hopi Tribe Chairman Timothy Nuvangyaoma. “We have to bring some protections here. I’m calling on our federal partners who are here in attendance today. You have a huge responsibility.”
The designation would honor the tribes' long-standing cultural ties to the Grand Canyon, tribal leaders said — Baaj Nwaavjo means “where tribes roam” for the Havasupai Tribe, and I’tah Kukveni means “our footprints” for the Hopi Tribe — and would protect the area by making permanent a 20-year mining ban imposed by then-President Barack Obama in 2012.
Supporters of the move include U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and U.S. Reps. Raúl Grijalva and Ruben Gallego, both D-Ariz., along with city councils from Flagstaff and Payson.
“Much like a human being, the waterways are arteries and veins carrying that lifeblood, to not only Arizona, but the entire world. It keeps life going,” Nuvangyaoma said. “Throughout history, native lands have been poisoned by mining and scarring. Those scars don’t heal.”
Protecting resources:Interior Secretary Deb Haaland talks with Arizona tribes at the Grand Canyon
Monument would block future mining
Part of the designation would make the 20-year mining moratorium permanent and prohibit new uranium mining in the area.
The public lands surrounding the Grand Canyon contain high concentrations of uranium ore. Mining has occurred in the area for decades and abandoned mines have harmed the environment, wildlife and humans in surrounding communities.
Uranium mining around the canyon has damaged sacred sites and polluted aquifers that feed the Grand Canyon’s springs and streams, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.
Pollutants from mining uranium can also contaminate aquatic ecosystems for hundreds of years or more, threatening downstream communities, fish and wildlife.
“Once our water is contaminated, there is no way of restoring it,” Tilousi said. “Our lives will change forever.”
Since the Grand Canyon is part of the Colorado River watershed, there is concern that pollutants could enter the river that provides water for millions of people downstream.
“These lands are indeed the watershed of the Grand Canyon, feeding its fragile springs and streams and ultimately the Colorado River itself,” said Linda Hamilton, executive director of Grand Canyon River Guides. “There is a direct hydrological connection. What happens above the rim affects everything below.”
By protecting the watershed from uranium mining, supporters say, the monument would also help protect the region's fragile flora and fauna. The area is home to endangered species like the California condor and humpback chub, as well as more than a dozen endemic species of plants.
But supporters of uranium mining in northern Arizona say extraction methods used today would not pose contamination risks like they did in decades past.
Uranium ore emits radon gas, and high exposure to this gas is associated with an increased chance of developing cancer. Epidemiological studies of uranium miners showed significant excess lung cancer. During the Cold War, uranium mining poisoned soil, water, and rocks on the Navajo Nation, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Since then, ventilation and other measures have been used to reduce radon levels in most affected mines that continue to operate, mining supporters say. In recent years, the average annual exposure to uranium miners has fallen to levels similar to the concentrations inhaled in some homes, according to a report from the United Nations.
Others are debating whether the proposed national monument, several miles from the Grand Canyon at its nearest point, would do anything to prevent contamination of the Colorado River watershed.
Critics say the proposal ignores local concerns
The bill introduced by Sinema would serve as a framework to work with the Biden administration if it formally proclaims the monument under the Antiquities Act, according to her office.
The legislation sets standards for the monument, including the formation of a tribal commission composed of one representative from each of the 12 federally recognized tribes associated with the Grand Canyon to help oversee the development of the monument.
But some local leaders and residents of northern Arizona oppose the designation of what would swallow more than a million acres of land in Coconino and Mohave counties.
“The move represents the Biden administration’s latest massive land grab effort and would have devastating impacts on Mojave County,” said Penny Pew, district director of Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz. “Designating another 1.1 million acres as a national monument would further reduce private ownership and harm hard-working rural Americans in Mohave County.”
Howard Ream is the mayor of Colorado City, a town of about 2,500 people at the Arizona-Utah border. He said local leaders on the Arizona Strip were left out of the conversation by the Department of the Interior.
“We want to preserve our lands, but we also want to enter in knowing how the lands are going to be managed,” Ream said. “Frankly, we don’t understand why so much of the acreage of Mohave County needs to be taken up in this monument.”
He asked the panel for a public meeting in his area, which would be part of the designation, rather than in a city miles from the proposed monument. Other county supervisors in Mohave County echoed Reams's concerns about being left out of the conversation.
A group of ranchers showed up to oppose the designation of the monument that they say encroaches on their private land and could threaten their livelihood.
“These guys have been stewards of the lands for many generations,” said Jim Parks, a former Coconino County supervisor. “Their families have been on this land. If they abuse the land, pretty quickly, they are out of business.”
They worry they will lose stewardship of federal lands leased for grazing or lose water rights. Chris Heaton, a sixth-generation rancher near Kanab, Utah, said a map of the proposal suggests he would lose private land.
According to the Grand Canyon Trust, an advocacy group, all lands within the proposed monument boundary are federal public lands, including national forest lands. No state, tribal or private lands would be included in the monument.
Two drafts of the proposal have already been released. A final draft is expected in the coming months.
Jake Frederico covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to jake.frederico@arizonarepublic.com.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can support environmental journalism in Arizona by subscribing to azcentral today.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2023/07/19/grand-canyon-monument-could-turn-1-1-million-acres-into-protected-land/70434865007/
| 2023-07-20T02:45:59
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Wildlife agency restores protection for Arizona's cactus pygmy-owl after long legal battle
Arizona's pygmy-owl will once more be protected under the Endangered Species Act.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Wednesday it would list the cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl as a threatened subspecies. The decision comes after nearly 17 years of legal battles to restore protection for the bird.
This pygmy-owl, a subspecies of the more widespread ferruginous pygmy-owl, is a 6- to 7-inch tall predator that inhabits portions of the Sonoran Desert, the south of Texas, and northeast and northwest of Mexico. In Arizona, the population of pygmy-owls, which are not migratory, declined close to extinction. The state currently has the smallest population of all territories.
The tiny raptor has been under federal protection on-and-off. The federal agency said it's "likely to become an endangered species in the foreseeable future."
In the last century, it fully disappeared from areas of Arizona and Texas that used to be part of its original territory, mainly due to urbanization. By 1997, biologists counted only 35 individual birds in Arizona.
That year the Fish and Wildlife Service declared the subspecies threatened, but homebuilders pushed back, arguing that protection in Arizona was not needed for the species to survive, given that it's also present in Texas and Mexico. The agency revoked the threatened status in 2006. Conservation groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity and Defenders of Wildlife, petitioned the agency to relist it and filed a lawsuit.
“The fierce little cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl needs our care and protection and after a long fight it finally got it,” said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "But it shouldn’t have taken this long or required multiple lawsuits to get here."
The nonprofit filed another lawsuit last month because the agency was six months past its legal deadline to list the bird.
Greenwald added that the federal agency is "badly broken" and needs new leadership to get back to "efficiently protecting species and addressing the extinction crisis.”
Imperiled species:4 pygmy-owls hatch at Phoenix Zoo as part of conservation program
Conservation status and land use
Despite the loss of federal protection, efforts to protect the population of pygmy-owls in Arizona has continued.
The 1997 listing of the pygmy-owl "created uncertainty about where and how (Pima County) could grow," said Adelita Grijalva, who chairs the Pima County Board of Supervisors.
In the early 2000s, the supervisors created the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan, a regional plan to balance development with natural and cultural resources conservation, and a Multi-Species Conservation Plan to comply with the Endangered Species Act. The county now owns more than a quarter million acres of sensitive lands.
With these plans, the listing of the pygmy-owl as threatened "will not result in land-use battles like those of the 1990s and early 2000s," Grijalva added.
"The pygmy owl will merely join the list of other endangered and threatened species whose habitat the people of Pima County protect and preserve through their Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan.”
The potential range of the bird includes Pima, Santa Cruz, Cochise and Yuma counties, though most of the observed nests are in the Altar Valley, northeast from Sasabe, as well as the Tohono O'odham Nation lands and Avra Valley. The Altar Valley Conservation Alliance, a collaborative organization of ranchers that works for watershed health and good land management practices, also developed a plan to contribute to the enhancement of pygmy-owl habitats.
Saguaros and mesquite woodlands are the primary habitat for the tiny raptor in Arizona.
In Sonora, Mexico, the owl populations are in "notable decline," although they are higher than those in Arizona, according to the USFWS analysis. In Texas, the pygmy-owl population is in the high hundreds and is "somewhat genetically isolated from the rest," according to the agency. This gives this population some resiliency. Areas in northeast and northwest Mexico have an estimated "tens of thousands of pygmy-owls."
Defining critical habitat for the owl
The first time the species was listed, the federal wildlife agency identified 731,712 acres of land in southern Arizona as pygmy-owl critical habitat, mostly by the side of streams, mesquite thickets, woodlands and desert scrub.
The agency said its biologists will propose new designated critical habitat "at a later date."
The designation is a "legal requirement that is not supposed to be delayed but may be," Greenwald told The Republic.
One of the changes that come with the listing is that Fish and Wildlife Service is required to develop a recovery plan for the species. The listing also provides additional protections against development where pygmy-owls live or in areas designated as critical habitat, and freezes up federal dollars for conservation under Section 6 of the Endangered Species Acts he added.
The Arizona Game and Fish Department opposed the listing during the public comment period, and added that it also opposed “any designation of critical habitat.”
“The designation of critical habitat will add undue regulatory burden on the Department and partners current and future conservation actions and increase regulatory burden for private landowners within the designated critical habitat area,” wrote the agency’s Assistant Director of Wildlife Management Division Clay Crowder.
Clara Migoya covers environmental issues for The Arizona Republic and azcentral. Send tips or questions to clara.migoya@arizonarepublic.com.
Environmental coverage on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust. Follow The Republic environmental reporting team at environment.azcentral.com and @azcenvironment on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
You can support environmental journalism in Arizona by subscribing to azcentral today.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-environment/2023/07/19/usfws-renews-protections-for-cactus-ferruginous-pygmy-owl/70433606007/
| 2023-07-20T02:46:05
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AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police are still seeing a major shortage in their department. To combat some of the staffing issues, Austin City Council is expected to take up bringing on what it calls a police reserve force.
This police reserve force would be used mainly during special events to help fill in gaps. But as the proposal's written now, it would also give Chief Joseph Chacon the right to call this team in any time he feels necessary.
According to KVUE's media partners at the Austin American Statesman, the reserve force would be made up of some retired police officers and that team could have up to 75 members.
They would only be able to act in a supplementary capacity to regular officers and wouldn't be able to assume full-time duties.
Councilmember Mackenzie Kelly said the department has around 330 vacancies right now, so this could do a lot address immediate staffing concerns.
"I believe that by initiating this program tomorrow, we will be in a better place public safety-wise, not just for the community during special events, but also for people visiting the city. As it stands now, when we have special events, officers are taken out of other parts of the city or they have to work overtime for those positions, which is taxing," said Kelly.
Kelly also notes these officers would all have to be certified by the State and would have all of their certifications reviewed before they become part of the reserve team.
"This program specifically is just for special events. And so the officers in the reserve program will be working barricades. They'll be trained back up to where they need to be. All of their certifications will be reviewed prior to them entering this program," said Kelly.
She said a program like this is a good one but things like police retention, recruitment and morale still need to be addressed with a four-year contract with the police union.
For this police reserve to become a reality, city councilmembers will need to approve it at Thursday's meeting.
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https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/austin-police-department-reserve-force/269-be8c8676-1c0c-4fd9-8cf9-8418e6c549ad
| 2023-07-20T02:48:24
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CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral’s beloved “Big John” is getting ready for surgery after Hurricane Ian gave the 6,000-pound statue a beating nine months ago.
The 28-foot statue is quite a few feet shorter now. The pole that held up Big John’s upper body is now jetting out from his head. His back is broken, cracked and twisted away from the plaza’s entrance.
“His head is on his butt,” said Valerie Kitchen, a Cape resident who remembers taking photos of Big John with her girlfriends when she first came to Cape Coral. “Oh my gosh, he looks crazy…I want him fixed!”
The fiberglass landmark stood at the Big John Plaza in Downtown Cape Coral for over 50 years. Big John has survived four hurricanes now, but after Ian…he’s in need of repairs.
“Big John helps people find us,” said Jodi Olszewski, the owner of Envy Salon. “We have to tell our customers we’re located in Big John’s plaza. You can’t miss him! He’s 100 feet tall!”
Elmer Tabor who owns the plaza said he had to concentrate on making sure his shops were up and running after the storm. Now that it’s been nine months, he’s shifting his focus to Big John’s damages.
“There’s a website, Roadside America. Interesting things to see, and do around the country, they’ve been following Big John forever,” said Tabor. “They called me a week after the hurricane and he said ‘Elmer you’ll never believe it, but we found the original mold for Big John! At a farm up in West Virginia’.”
Tabor said he’s expecting to ship Big John out in about a month to get refurbished and back in shape.
“He’s going to go away to a special spa, where he’s going to get all fixed up and lookin’ good when he comes back,” said Tabor.
Tabor said the repairs are estimated to cost $32,000, but he’ll do whatever it takes until Big John is back better than before.
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/07/19/cape-corals-iconic-big-john-statue-set-for-repairs-after-hurricane-damage/
| 2023-07-20T02:51:52
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https://nbc-2.com/news/local/lee-county/2023/07/19/cape-corals-iconic-big-john-statue-set-for-repairs-after-hurricane-damage/
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https://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/phoenix/2023/07/19/phoenix-clears-fifth-block-zone-homeless-encampment/12275249002/
| 2023-07-20T02:54:43
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https://www.azcentral.com/videos/news/local/phoenix/2023/07/19/phoenix-clears-fifth-block-zone-homeless-encampment/12275249002/
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LOOMIS, Calif. — A Loomis community group launched an effort to stop fentanyl sales in Placer County.
The local Lions Club partnered with businesses to put up an attention-grabbing banner that reads: "Selling fentanyl in Placer County may result in a murder charge." The banner hangs above Taylor Road near Webb Street.
95-year-old Morris Jack is part of the local Lions Club and has lived in Loomis for 35 years. He told ABC10 he's on a mission to wage a war against fentanyl "to keep the kids from dying."
It's a topic close to Jack's heart; he's met mothers at groups and town halls who have lost loved ones to fentanyl.
"Mothers came up to me and thanked me for having the town hall, and they each wanted to tell me the story of losing their kids. And I learned to cry with them," he said. "Now, I'm not a big cry baby, but I am very emotional about this war on fentanyl."
The banner's message is supported by Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire.
"This is another example of our community looking outside the box to help get the message out to teach children and community members about the dangers of fentanyl, but also to show dealers the danger of selling it in Placer County," said Stephanie Herrera, spokesperson for the Placer County District Attorney's Office.
The district attorney's office saw a 450% increase in fentanyl deaths from 2019-2021.
Earlier this month the Placer County District Attorney's Office announced the first fentanyl murder conviction in state history after a 15-year-old girl died from an overdose last summer in Roseville. The district attorney's office said the man convicted in the case is expected to be sentenced next month.
"We've got to give the district attorney a chance to put these people away," said Jack.
He hopes others will join in his mission.
"Stand up. Let's be counted. Let's save our kids. Let's graduate every class from 9th grade through senior," said Jack. "We can't have them dying."
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/banner-aims-to-stop-fentanyl-sales-placer-county/103-daccb3af-0bd6-46bd-aa2c-6f2181dfd8d6
| 2023-07-20T02:56:48
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SACRAMENTO, Calif — 25 years ago a group of Spanish speakers was formed in Sacramento with a goal of inclusivity and practicing their first language.
Now, they are celebrating a big milestone as they reach 25 years together after starting Club Los Manitos to socialize and speak in Spanish.
Since 1998, Hart Senior Center in Sacramento has been their place to be on Wednesdays.
"They invited me to come to this group... Everyone was so good. Since I don't drive, everyone would try to take me and bring me places. It was very beautiful," said Josefina Davila, the oldest member of Club Los Manitos
Davila is 100 years old. She says the group became her family after she lost her husband, who would translate for her.
Antonia Lopez, the president, believes the group was needed at a time when Spanish speakers felt the need to assimilate.
"It was understood or it was believed that in order to fit in you had to speak English. And of course, we do. We have to speak English, but that meant you had to give up your first language. I mean, as soon as you spoke the language, someone thought of you as undocumented or less than," said Lopez.
The one rule during the meet up is no English.
"They all have their own way of speaking Spanish, so I use to take my dictionary with me and try to find out what's going on. But nobody was using those words. Using other words because each Latin American country has their own way of saying things," said 85-year-old Rosalio Rodriguez, a member of Club Los Manitos.
Members have created a family environment, even during the pandemic when they needed each other the most.
The club has about 70 members but only 13 of them are from the original group. Several have passed away, but many have joined. A few even credit Los Manitos for the long years they lived.
"Find you a good friend and try to love them. Try not to offend anyone and spend your time happy. I've spent my time very happy," said Davila.
Vice Mayor Eric Guerra says the city of Sacramento presented a resolution to Los Manitos for 25 years of recognition. He says it shows how the city is creating a positive place for members of the Latin American community.
People can join the group by visiting the senior center on 27th Street.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-senior-group-25-year-milestone/103-aebb0bb2-1631-44c9-a3a9-d2e3c91588c5
| 2023-07-20T02:56:55
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-senior-group-25-year-milestone/103-aebb0bb2-1631-44c9-a3a9-d2e3c91588c5
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PLACER COUNTY, Calif — Bracing for wildfire season and figuring out the best way to perform evacuations was at the forefront of training for Cal Fire, Placer County and the Placer County Sheriff Wednesday.
This year was different with the location of exercise being on the east side this year. Normally, it’s on the west, but after Caldor and Mosquito fires, preparing for incidents in the Tahoe Basin has become more critical, according to Brian Estes, chief for the Cal Fire Nevada-Yuba-Placer unit.
“Wildfire season, while maybe a little delayed this year, is at our doorstep. At the higher elevations, things are looking relatively moderate, but you go down to the valley floors on either the east side or west side and things are burning,” said Estes.
Chief Estes estimates by the end of the month, the bigger and heavier fuels from California's extra rains this year will start to catch fire.
“Fire season is a much more credible threat in the high Sierra across the region. Certainly in the last ten years, the Tahoe Basin, the Truckee Basin has seen an increase in the threat from large damaging wildfires,” said Estes.
The Caldor Fire in 2021 destroyed 1,000 structures, damaged 80 more and hurt 21 people. The Mosquito Fire in 2022 destroyed 78 structures. As a result, preparing for incidents in the Tahoe Basin has become more critical.
It's why agencies are training to learn how they can better communicate with each other.
The Tahoe Basin has it’s own unique challenges they need to adapt to. The majority of residents don’t live in the area full time, so they might be unaware of their evacuation zone and plan.
“Tourism is a necessary fact of Lake Tahoe. It nurtures the economy of Lake Tahoe and Truckee, but we have to be able to deal and mitigate the increased hazards that come with traffic and increased amount of ignitions potentially and evacuations. And that’s a big part of what today is about,” said Estes.
The training will now be held annually on the east side moving forward.
WATCH ALSO:
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/cal-fire-and-placer-county-wildfire-season/103-56630332-10f1-4dea-8bf2-747bc55edd16
| 2023-07-20T02:57:01
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https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/wildfire/cal-fire-and-placer-county-wildfire-season/103-56630332-10f1-4dea-8bf2-747bc55edd16
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ORLANDO, Fla. — The speaker of the Florida House of Representatives said Florida’s insurance market was performing better than lawmakers expected when they passed a series of reforms last winter that were meant to stabilize the collapsing industry.
His upbeat sentiment was punctured – in part – by acknowledgements that Floridians were still reeling from ever-increasing prices as they waited for the reforms to truly take effect, which he said lawmakers should have been quicker to implement.
“Are we seeing price declines? No. Is it bad? Yes,” Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) said. “It’s going to continue like that until we continue to see fewer down arrows and more up arrows, but that’s happening as we speak.”
>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<
The “down arrows” included the price hikes and the pullout of Farmers Insurance and the cancellation of some AAA policies this month. Insurance industry insiders blamed Farmers for taking on too much risk too quickly for its troubles, which included a similar pullout in wildfire-prone California.
Renner pointed to Tailrow Insurance Company’s decision to enter the market as one of his “up arrows.” It was the first time a new insurance company entered, rather than quit, in years.
Other positive signs included private insurers’ decision to write more policies and more policies moving off the state-backed Citizens’ Property Insurance, which Renner attributed to a combination of the overall reforms and a specific law that prevents Citizens from writing a policy within 20% of a private insurance quote.
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“I think you could look at more aggressive steps to depopulate Citizens,” Renner said when asked what further steps lawmakers could take in 2024. “It wasn’t a fair market value [with the] government basically giving a subsidy.”
Insurance brokers have voiced concerns about the amount of risk Citizens has taken on, saying it has a fraction of the cash on hand it would need to cover another devastating storm. They also say it’s slowing down private insurers from reentering the market by undercutting the competition for otherwise ordinary homeowners.
The private insurance market is currently projected to crater in mid-to-late 2024, with competition rising and prices stabilizing and beginning to decline in 2025.
Read: Orange County looking into $30M pedestrian bridge to make tourist corridor intersection safer
Renner said he agreed with that assessment, but if progress isn’t made at the speed Florida’s leaders expect, lawmakers could go back to the drawing board to take additional action. He said he didn’t expect prices to go back to what they used to be, given the inflation the U.S. has seen over the past few years.
He added that he believes some early waves of progress will be seen after this year’s hurricane season if Florida doesn’t get hit by another major punch.
“All bets are off if we have a horrible hurricane season,” he said. “If we have a normal season, I think we’re going to continue to see positive developments, more up arrows and down arrows in the coming months… We can’t control what Mother Nature is going to do. That’s just a reality of living in Florida.”
Read: Coalition files lawsuit over state election system impacting felons’ right to vote
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.
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https://www.wftv.com/news/local/fl-house-speaker-theres-lot-positive-about-insurance-market-despite-farmers-pullout/EWJSMQONNVG2TPD42F4543B3PE/
| 2023-07-20T02:57:54
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — An inmate in the Washington County Jail suffered second-degree burns to his face, neck and chest after a different inmate threw a cup of hot water in his face, officials said.
According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, 39-year-old Josh Nealy returned his meal tray after finishing breakfast and asked to heat up a cup of water in the microwave, which authorities say is a “frequent and ordinary request.”
Moments later, Nealy threw the cup of hot water at another inmate who was returning their meal tray, officials said. Nealy then was restrained by deputies without incident.
The July 11 incident was caught on jail surveillance video and can be viewed here.
The victim was treated at a local hospital and is receiving additional care after being returned to the jail.
Nealy, meanwhile, was indicted on charges of first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon on Wednesday.
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https://www.koin.com/local/washington-county/video-inmate-throws-hot-water-into-another-inmates-face-causing-2nd-degree-burns/
| 2023-07-20T03:03:48
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https://www.koin.com/local/washington-county/video-inmate-throws-hot-water-into-another-inmates-face-causing-2nd-degree-burns/
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ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — Allegheny County police helped a woman make it to the airport on Wednesday.
Judy Horgan was taking her daughter, Susan, to the airport when she hit a pothole and popped a tire.
The mom and daughter were able to make it to police headquarters, and some officers helped them out.
Detective Rob Donovan changed Horgan’s tire and Officer Bobbie Bertalan drove Susan to the airport.
Detective Rob Donovan stepped up to change Horgan’s tire, while Officer Bobbie Bertalan jumped into action and drove Susan to the airport, so she didn’t miss her flight.
— Allegheny County PD (@AlleghenyCoPD) July 19, 2023
Great work by everyone involved! pic.twitter.com/FGHEbHDxuL
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https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/allegheny-county-police-help-woman-make-her-flight-after-flat-tire/76G5R25HTNCTDPFKDIIUELF65M/
| 2023-07-20T03:09:01
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https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/allegheny-county-police-help-woman-make-her-flight-after-flat-tire/76G5R25HTNCTDPFKDIIUELF65M/
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PITTSBURGH — Fans can get tickets to four different Pittsburgh shows for $80 through LiveNation’s Summer’s Live promotion.
The offer is valid from July 19 through Aug. 1, and applies to many select events at different local venues.
Many local shows are included in the promotion, such as Foreigner’s farewell tour, Gavin DeGraw, Boys Like Girls and Nickelback.
The $80 price includes all fees. Taxes will be added as applicable.
Click here for a list of shows included in the promotion.
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https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/get-tickets-4-pittsburgh-shows-80-with-livenation-summers-live-promotion/UGBFLTPEDBGVVPVTYKPX6CL2VU/
| 2023-07-20T03:09:08
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https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/get-tickets-4-pittsburgh-shows-80-with-livenation-summers-live-promotion/UGBFLTPEDBGVVPVTYKPX6CL2VU/
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PITTSBURGH — The federal trial of a 50-year-old truck driver convicted of killing 11 people at a Pittsburgh synagogue in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history is in its third and final phase, in which jurors must decide whether to sentence him to death.
The jury convicted Robert Bowers in June after three weeks of testimony about how he stormed the Tree of Life synagogue in October 2018 and shot anyone he saw. He killed members of three congregations that were sharing the building and wounded two worshippers and five police officers.
During the second phase of the trial, it took jurors only two hours to decide that Bowers was legally eligible for the death penalty. That led to the final phase, which is more emotionally taxing for jurors as they weigh whether sentence the man across the courtroom to die.
Here is a look at the final phase:
IS THERE ANY WAY TO PREDICT THE OUTCOME?
Given the overwhelming evidence, everyone including Bowers’ lawyers knew a conviction was all but certain.
The outcome of sentencing phases are notoriously unpredictable, though, because it only takes one holdout juror to prevent the unanimity required for a death sentence. Without it, a defendant automatically gets life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Jury selection is designed, among other things, to weed out those who say they could never sentence someone to die. But it’s not uncommon in such cases for juries to deadlock.
It happened at a federal capital trial this year for Sayfullo Saipov, who was convicted of killing eight people in 2017 by running them down with truck along a New York City bike path. A split among jurors meant Saipov got a life term.
If Bowers gets a death sentence, it would be a first at a federal trial during the presidency of Joe Biden, the first U.S. president to have opposed capital punishment prior to taking office. It would also be years before he would be executed, given appeals and a current moratorium on federal executions.
The most recent federal executions — there were 13 in the final months of Donald Trump’s presidency — were carried out by lethal injections of pentobarbital at an Indiana prison where federal death row is located.
WHY THIS FINAL STAGE?
This stage is meant to let jurors closely scrutinize Bowers to determine if he is truly the worst of the worst and therefore deserving of the death penalty.
During the sentencing stage, prosecutors and the defense are given more leeway to discuss Bowers’ wider life, much of which would have been ruled inadmissible earlier.
Most federal capital trials combine the eligibility and sentencing decisions in a second, final stage. But courts have discretion over whether to divide up the process.
WHICH SIDE FACES THE HEAVIER BURDEN?
Higher courts have said the presumption is that defendants should get life in prison, according to guides for death penalty lawyers on the Federal Death Penalty Resource Counsel website.
That puts the burden on the prosecution to prove Bowers’ actions were so depraved and his character so irredeemable that a death sentence is warranted.
Prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that aggravating factors counting in favor of Bowers’ execution outweigh any mitigating factors that might call for a life sentence.
WHAT ARE SOME AGGRAVATING FACTORS IN THE SYNAGOGUE SHOOTING?
The prosecution told jurors at the outset of the sentencing phase that Bowers killed people who were uniquely vulnerable, including a woman in her 90s and three people in their 80s.
“These were not victims who could run away or fight back. They were easy prey,” prosecutor Nicole Vasquez Schmitt said Monday.
Prosecutors have also emphasized that Bowers carefully planned the massacre. And they have been highlighting his antisemitism throughout the trial.
“He hated Jews and wanted to kill as many as he could,” Vasquez Schmitt told jurors this week.
WHAT ABOUT MITIGATING FACTORS?
Bowers’ lawyers have repeatedly argued that serious mental disorders and profound childhood traumas make him less culpable for the synagogue attack.
His attorney Elisa Long told jurors Monday that Bowers’ father took his own life after being charged with rape and that when Bowers was a child, his mother told him she wished he’d never been born.
Proving a defendant showed remorse is usually a critical mitigating factor. But that will be difficult in this case, given statements prosecutors say Bowers made to mental health analysts while in jail, including that he repeated antisemitic stereotypes and said he regretted not killing more Jews.
WHAT ABOUT THE VERDICT FORMS?
Verdict forms usually list all of the potential aggravating and mitigating factors. They can be lengthy. The one in Saipov’s case was 18 pages long.
The mitigating factors Saipov’s jurors accepted included that he wasn’t a leader of the terrorist group he expressed allegiance to and that he had family who condemned his actions but still loved him.
Among the aggravating factors they accepted was that he sought to terrorize the community.
HOW DOES THE JURY BALANCE THE FACTORS?
Jurors must be unanimous in accepting any aggravating factor using the high reasonable-doubt standard. A mitigating factor can be considered even if only one juror accepts it.
The U.S. Supreme Court has said jurors must unanimously find at least one aggravating factor before they can impose the death penalty. But they can find no mitigating factors and still opt for a life sentence.
In weighing all factors in deliberations, courts have instructed jurors not to decide the sentence simply based on whether there are more aggravating or mitigating factors. Ultimately, the weight jurors give to different factors is subjective.
WHAT ABOUT SURVIVORS AND VICTIMS’ RELATIVES?
Jurors have been hearing from them about the trauma Bowers inflicted.
On Monday, survivor Carol Black testified about her brother, 65-year-old Richard Gottfried, a dentist Bowers killed.
“It’s just such a huge void in our family, for him not to be here,” she said.
There are restrictions on what victims and relatives can say. Judges usually bar them from telling jurors they want defendants to die for their crimes.
Defense lawyers often have their client’s family members testify to try and persuade jurors that a defendant isn’t all bad, including by singling out some past act of kindness.
WHAT ARE SOME OTHER CONSIDERATIONS?
One could be the danger Bowers might pose if he goes to prison for life. Prosecutors often argue that even behind bars, a defendant could kill again, be it a fellow inmate or guard.
Defense attorneys sometimes seek to enter statistics that show those imprisoned for violent crimes aren’t necessarily prone to violence behind bars. Research on that point is inconclusive.
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https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/how-death-penalty-phase-pittsburgh-synagogue-gunmans-trial-might-play-out/RSY3QD6AD5BYPOL5I7A2BFNKGI/
| 2023-07-20T03:09:14
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https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/how-death-penalty-phase-pittsburgh-synagogue-gunmans-trial-might-play-out/RSY3QD6AD5BYPOL5I7A2BFNKGI/
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A public health alert has been issued for Never Any! brand ready-to-eat ham and cheese lunch kits with chocolate cookies because they could contain peanut residue, which isn’t declared on the product label.
The kits are no longer available for purchase, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service said it is concerned they could be in consumers’ refrigerators.
Products affected by the recall include 2.9-ounce plastic tray packages containing “NEVER ANY! UNCURED HAM & CHEESE LUNCH KIT” with a “Use By” date of Sept. 18, 2023. The kits include establishment number 645 inside the Canadian mark of inspection, and were shipped to retailers nationwide.
According to the alert, the undeclared allergen was notice when the establishment that makes the chocolate chip cookies notified the kit’s producer that the cookies could have peanut residue on them.
Anyone with a peanut allergy who have bought the kits are urged not to eat them, but throw them away or return them.
Consumers with questions about the alert can contact Maple Leaf Foods Inc. at 1-877-526-4520.
About the Author
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/public-health-alert-ham-cheese-lunch-kits-could-contain-peanut-residue/7EEGIGYZNZASBEG2QJA2EH73WQ/
| 2023-07-20T03:12:55
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https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/local/public-health-alert-ham-cheese-lunch-kits-could-contain-peanut-residue/7EEGIGYZNZASBEG2QJA2EH73WQ/
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HARRISBURG, Pa. — Thousands of people descended on Front Street in Harrisburg to take part in the 40th annual Harrisburg Mile. The annual race helped raise money for the Harrisburg YMCA.
Over 1,500 participants of all ages took part in the race. Each of them ran in various competitive and non-competitive heats throughout the evening.
“I’ve done this race for many years, way before I had a family, but now it’s really enjoyable to do it with my family," said Wendell Hoover, who ran the race with his two kids.
“It’s a lot of fun," said Morgan Roddy, who ran with her family and neighbors. "You can walk, you can run, you can be competitive or not competitive."
The Harrisburg YMCA also announced it would use a portion of the proceeds to raise money for the Broad Street Market, as it rebuilds from its devastating fire last week. Organizers said they would donate $1 for each who registered for the race.
Rosie Turner, the executive director of experience for the Harrisburg YMCA, says it’s important that the organization extends a helping hand to the historic market that means so much to the community.
“When we heard of the devastation of the fire, we knew we had to do something to help," said Turner. “The Broad Street Market provides a walking distance option for people who otherwise don’t have access to fresh and healthy food. It’s part of our mission to make sure people can take care of themselves and we share that mission with the Broad Street Market.”
Runners were happy to do their part to support the Broad Street Market on its road to recovery.
“It’s a tragedy with what happened, but we know that it will come back better than ever, and it’s great that some of the proceeds are going towards that," said Hoover.
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https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/harrisburg-mile-raises-money-for-broad-street-market-fire-recovery-community-harrisburg-dauphin-county/521-9110e311-f2d5-4897-a076-502a34c02275
| 2023-07-20T03:18:07
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https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/harrisburg-mile-raises-money-for-broad-street-market-fire-recovery-community-harrisburg-dauphin-county/521-9110e311-f2d5-4897-a076-502a34c02275
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Cheri Lynn Hayden, 54, of Rupert died Monday, July 17, 2023, at home. Arrangements are under the care of Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary, Rupert.
Doreen Welch, 81, of Kimberly died Sunday, July 16, 2023. Arrangements are under the care of Rosenau Funeral Home, Twin Falls.
Cynthia Bentzinger, 66, of Jerome died Monday, July 17, 2023. Arrangements are under the care of Farnsworth Mortuary & Crematory, Jerome.
Sheri Jeanne Blackwood, 73, of Filer died Monday, July 17, 2023, at home. Arrangements are under the care of White-Reynolds Funeral Chapel, Twin Falls.
Thomas Henry Heida, 74, of Twin Falls died Monday, July 17, 2023, at St. Luke's Magic Valley in Twin Falls. Arrangements are under the care of White-Reynolds Funeral Chapel, Twin Falls.
Laura Rachel Newell, 23, of Shoshone died Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at home. Arrangements are under the care of Farnsworth Mortuary & Crematory, Jerome.
Charles Andrus, 61, of Gooding died Wednesday, July 19, 2023. Arrangements are under the care of Farnsworth Mortuary & Crematory, Jerome.
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https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/article_3c687c24-25b9-11ee-a14e-afab4a04aa1a.html
| 2023-07-20T03:19:11
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https://magicvalley.com/news/local/obituaries/death-notices/article_3c687c24-25b9-11ee-a14e-afab4a04aa1a.html
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Oregon wildfire updates: Flat Fire grows to 12,756 acres, 224 Fire containment increases
Amid air quality warnings, teams continue to fight against a number of wildfires across Oregon. From the Willamette Valley and beyond, here are the latest updates on the fires.
Flat Fire grows to 12,756 acres
Continuing its spread, the Flat Fire grew to 12,756 acres Wednesday morning, according to a news release from fire teams.
Burning in the Oak Flat and Agness area of southwest Oregon's Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, the fire is about an hour east of Gold Beach and near the confluence of the Illinois and Rogue rivers. Its path spread toward Wild Horse Ridge up Lawson Creek on its west side Tuesday morning.
Closures in the area issued by Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest include roads, trails and part of the Illinois River. Those driving in the area should watch for increased fire traffic, the release added.
Additionally, a public lands closure was issued for the area Monday night. That closure includes the Illinois River and its trail and the northern half of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. The Rogue River remains open and accessible.
A red flag warning is also in effect throughout southern Oregon due to a mix of winds and low humidity.
Toward the north side of the fire, firelines are being strengthened by crews to protect the community of Agness. Structure protection groups are also in place working to protect buildings. The fire has threatened about 40 structures, teams have said previously.
“Last night, firefighters had successful burnout operations in the northwest section and these will continue today if conditions allow,” Wednesday morning’s release said. “Small burn-out operations enable firefighters to consume vegetation between them and the wildfire making firefighting safer and slowing fire spread protecting local communities.”
The Flat Fire started on its path Saturday, at Oak Flat Campground toward the mouth of the Illinois River. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to fire teams. As the fire grew, so did a smoke column becoming visible from Gold Beach to Grants Pass.
The team fighting against the fire has also grown. At least 516 firefighters and personnel from 17 crews are on the scene, alongside 10 engines and seven helicopters.
A community meeting will be hosted at 3 p.m. Wednesday in Agness at Agness Library Park.
Boulder Fire mop-up efforts finished
The 233-acre Boulder Fire in the Mount Hood National Forest has not grown in size. Teams finished 100% of mop-up Wednesday in both divisions, taking heat along the fire edge and cooling it down.
Repairs of roads that were damaged during the fire is the new focus, as crews continue to patrol for any hotspots. More than 395 firefighters have worked on the suppression efforts for the fire, which burned around Little Boulder Lake.
Fire officials are also asking for help in determining how Boulder Fire ignited.
"The Forest Service asks that the public recall any information, photography, or videos they may have from their visit to the area where the fire began on July 8. Any information can assist investigators in determining the cause of the fire. Please submit any information that could assist fire investigation efforts to SM.FS.R6TipHotLine@usda.gov."
Containment increases on the 224 Fire
The 224 Fire has not grown from 38 acres, but now sits at 50% containment. Located 5 miles southeast of Estacada, the North Fork Road leading up to the fire is closed to the public for the safety of teams.
All evacuations were lifted at 5 p.m. Tuesday night.
“Firefighters working on the ground today continue to complete fire lines and work from existing containment lines performing mop-up to keep the fire in check," the Oregon Department of Forestry North Cascade District added in an update. “Tonight, operations will work to mop-up into 75 feet of fire, where safety allows. This means extinguishing all hot spots to reduce the chance the fire spreads.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Haight Creek Fire
Southwest of Veneta, the Haight Creek Fire is estimated to have burnt over 40 acres. No evacuation orders have been issued and no structures or powerlines are threatened, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry.
“The biggest threat is to natural resources,” the department added in an update. “Crews worked overnight and continue into the morning as they try to put a fire line around the footprint to keep it as small as possible.”
Abigail Landwehr is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at alandwehr@gannett.com
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https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2023/07/19/oregon-wildfire-updates-flat-fire-224-fire-haight-creek-fire/70432206007/
| 2023-07-20T03:21:13
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https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/local/oregon/2023/07/19/oregon-wildfire-updates-flat-fire-224-fire-haight-creek-fire/70432206007/
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FORT WORTH, Texas — A North Texas atheist group is suing Fort Worth. Metroplex Atheists said the city violated its First Amendment right of freedom of speech.
The group applied to hang banner ads downtown for an Aug. 26 event.
Umair Kahn, president of Metroplex Atheists, said the event is a seminar on keeping religion out of public schools.
"The banner will say, 'keep God out of public schools,'" Khan said.
According to a court filing, the city claimed the event was not of, “sufficient magnitude," so the group was denied permission to hang the banners.
Ads are hung on poles owned by the city in the downtown area. They are managed by the downtown advocacy nonprofit Downtown Fort Worth Inc.
Khan said Metroplex Atheists did everything to meet the city's banner policy. He believes the group's banners were denied "purely on trumped-up claims nowhere in the policy to disguise their prejudice."
In a response to WFAA about the lawsuit, the city stated: “The City is aware of the lawsuit, believes that it acted appropriately and will defend its position in Court.”
Khan, and the court filing against the city, said Fort Worth hangs banners advertising events from Christian churches. He said he understands not everyone will agree with his beliefs, or that of his group. Khan defended his right to have his beliefs, and others' right to have an opinion about it.
He said, however, the Constitution is clear when it comes to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.
"Any attack on anyone's religious freedom affects all of our religious freedom," said Khan.
A constitutional law professor at SMU, Dale Carpenter, who is not involved in the case, said the city's "magnitude" argument may fall short.
"It may be very difficult for the city to maintain that position," Carpenter said.
Carpenter specializes in First Amendment law. He said Fort Worth's banner policy, which is open to the public, does not have a "magnitude" criteria for banners advertising events.
"This may be the kind of thing that was simply open to the judgement of whatever official was approving or denying these banner applications," Carpenter said. "That kind of discretion cannot be permitted to city officials because it can be used as a pretext, as a cover, for discrimination based on the ideas.”
Khan said he believes Metroplex Atheists have a legitimate case in court, but hopes Fort Worth will do what he believes is, constitutionally, the right thing.
Metroplex Atheists have been allowed to hang banners advertising for a similar event in 2019. Those banners, which said "in no God we trust," stirred controversy and prompted a response from then-Mayor Betsy Price.
Price said she disagreed with the group’s message but urged residents to respect its freedom of speech.
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/atheist-group-sues-fort-worth-discrimination-denying-downtown-banner-ads/287-158bf1ef-23f6-41b1-8713-08029837dd96
| 2023-07-20T03:22:34
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https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/atheist-group-sues-fort-worth-discrimination-denying-downtown-banner-ads/287-158bf1ef-23f6-41b1-8713-08029837dd96
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GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — Construction crews will be using explosives on East Andrew Johnson Highway Thursday morning, and officials say the work will impact traffic and make some noise in the immediate area.
According to a statement from Greeneville Police Chief Stephen Hixson, the work is happening at 10 a.m. Thursday on E. Andrew Johnson Highway between Serral Drive and Morgan Road/Harlan Street.
Hixson said disruptions in traffic flow can be expected and drivers should allow for extra time or plan an alternate route.
Residents in the surrounding area may hear or feel the blasts from explosives being used, Hixson said. Work is anticipated to take less than one hour.
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/traffic-to-be-impacted-on-e-andrew-johnson-highway-thursday-as-crews-use-explosives/
| 2023-07-20T03:27:53
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/traffic-to-be-impacted-on-e-andrew-johnson-highway-thursday-as-crews-use-explosives/
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WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — One person has been seriously injured in a crash in southwest Wichita Wednesday night.
According to Sedgwick County dispatch, they received a call at 9:31 p.m. for the report of a crash near the intersection of West MacArthur Road and South Seneca Street.
Dispatch says three cars were involved. One person was seriously injured, one received mild injuries, and three received minor to no injuries.
KSN has a crew headed to the scene. We will provide more information as it becomes available.
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https://www.ksn.com/news/local/one-seriously-injured-in-southwest-wichita-crash/
| 2023-07-20T03:32:58
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https://www.ksn.com/news/local/one-seriously-injured-in-southwest-wichita-crash/
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PHOENIX — If you spend just a few minutes with Jenn Ortiz, you’ll find her humor is quick to come out.
Even as Ortiz recalls finding out about her glioblastoma diagnosis in August of 2020, carrying through to now, as she carries around a device connected to her head designed to prevent cancer cells from splitting.
“It gets heavy, but that means you get good back muscles, you know?,” Ortiz said.
It’s been both wit and passion Ortiz has carried through nearly three years of fighting.
The Gilbert wife and mom is now fighting a recurrence of her glioblastoma tumor.
“The first diagnosis, I was told 12 to 15 months and I looked at my doctor and I said, ‘Not me. Maybe someone else, but it’s not taking me,'” Ortiz said.
She carries that same passion speaking on the 5th Annual Glioblastoma Awareness Day, not only for her, but for the more than 14,000 Americans who are expected to be diagnosed with glioblastoma this year and the 10,000 expected to die from it.
“We deserve more,” Ortiz said. “And I just don’t believe we have the advocacy, the media attention, the funding.”
Ortiz is a patient at the Ivy Brain Tumor Center in Phoenix and is enrolled in a clinical trial there. It’s one of several trials the center is working on.
“We at the Ivy Center hope to make this cancer a chronic disease instead of a fatal diagnosis for patients,” Shwetal Mehta, Ph.D., the Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Ivy Brain Tumor Center, said.
One trial specifically is working around a major hurdle in treatment: Getting drugs to the tumor.
“Because we have this extra layer of protection on the brain called the blood-brain barrier, you need more drug to really pass through the barrier and get into the tumor in the brain,” Mehta said.
The trial is using a microcatheter threaded through an artery to deliver drugs straight to the tumor in the brain.
Mehta and colleagues then test samples of the tumor to see how much of the drug made it to the tumor tissue.
“To then dissect it out and ask these deeper questions like, ‘How much drug is getting in there? Is it really enough? Is it hitting its target or not?’,” Mehta said.
The goal is to find answers for those continuing to fight.
“I have an amazing husband and amazing family,” Ortiz said. “And they’re going places and I’m not going to miss it,” Ortiz said.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
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https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/valley-mom-fighting-glioblastoma-doctors-fight-for-better-prognoses-for-patients/75-97227ce5-e215-438d-99bc-9014b67b8296
| 2023-07-20T03:39:59
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https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/valley-mom-fighting-glioblastoma-doctors-fight-for-better-prognoses-for-patients/75-97227ce5-e215-438d-99bc-9014b67b8296
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/lower-makefield-twp-residents-desperate-for-help-after-devastating-flood/3608069/
| 2023-07-20T03:40:42
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/lower-makefield-twp-residents-desperate-for-help-after-devastating-flood/3608069/
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Campground, home of 'slime wrestling' and lots of Bike Week bikers, wants to expand
Bikers looking for a place to camp out during major Daytona Beach events like Bike Week, may soon have space for hundreds more of their friends.
The owner of the Cacklebery Campground, home of "slime wrestling," at 560 Tomoka Farms Road wants to expand his operation from 400 campsites to 1,000. But he needs the property to be rezoned by the Volusia County government. The item will go to the county's Planning and Land Development Regulation Commission on Thursday.
The campsite provides space for RV and tent campers. But the campgrounds are only allowed to be active around the time of Speedweeks, the Coke Zero Sugar 400, Bike Week, and Biketoberfest, according to county documents.
The campground is across the street from Sopotnick's Cabbage Patch, a separate business.
Camping parties for Bike Week this year featured music, food, liquor, and special events ― including a "Ladies Pole Dancing Contest," a "Daisey Duke Contest" and a "Wet T-shirt Contest."
"We do slime wrestling. ... We order buckets of slime," said Ronnie Williams Jr., owner of the campground.
But it's not the slime that has the county concerned. County staff advised the planning board to send a recommendation of denial of the expansion plans to the county council, which will have the final say.
Williams is asking to rezone about 65 acres that would allow him to expand from 400 to 1,000 campsites ― with a maximum of 396 RV hook-up sites and 604 tent campsites.
The changes he's asking for would allow him to keep temporary buildings and vehicles on site outside of event times. Also, he is operating under a special exception that expires Oct. 1, 2028, and the changes would allow him to have camping around event times indefinitely.
The county's concerns include that the rezoning would change the property's focus from mostly agricultural to primarily commercial.
More development news:County Council approves 2 new residential projects in West Volusia despite pushback
"This proposed change would make the subject site the largest temporary campsite in Volusia County," according to the backup materials.
Williams disagreed that the main purpose of the land would change.
"It's going to be agricultural still 11 months out of the year," he said.
When it's not used for camping, the Cacklebery Campground is a grazing space for milk and beef cows, Williams said. The campground's name and the large rooster statue on the land are rooted in the land's agricultural background ― cacklebery is a slang term for an egg.
"It was an egg farm at one time," Williams said.
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https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2023/07/19/campground-for-daytona-beach-bike-events-seeks-big-expansion/70424133007/
| 2023-07-20T03:43:26
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https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/news/local/volusia/2023/07/19/campground-for-daytona-beach-bike-events-seeks-big-expansion/70424133007/
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Here's what is buzzing at the site of Eminem's childhood home
Detroit — What's that buzzing sound?
It's a new hive of buzz-y bees at the new Dresden botanical garden on Detroit's northeast side, one of more than two dozen locations across the city serving as a sanctuary for pollinators. The location of the new hive is in celebration of National Urban Beekeeping Day, a day seeking to bring public awareness to the ecological benefits of urban beekeeping.
"Today is a special day...it's National Urban Beekeeping Day, a day in which we founded to celebrate a day for urban beekeepers but also pollinators, to raise awareness on urban beekeeping. And I will say it's impact within the urban community, as far as food security, education and economic income as far as selling local raw honey," said Timothy Paule, Detroit Hives co-founder and director.
"Before this, there were no holidays celebrating urban beekeepers because it is pretty much a rural thing," Lindsey added.
Paule and his fiancé, Nicole Lindsey, co-founded the Detroit Hives nonprofit in 2017 with a mission to turn vacant lots into urban bee farms in Detroit.
The nonprofit has more than 50 hives set up at 27 locations across Detroit.
On Wednesday, they established their newest hive at the new Dresden botanical garden on Dresden Street on Detroit's northeast side, the site of the childhood home of Eminem, Detroit's famed rapper whose real name is Marshall Mathers. Eminem's home was demolished by the state of Michigan after a fire in November 2013.
More:Want a taste of Detroit? It's in the honey
The house was pictured blighted and boarded up on the cover of Eminem's eighth studio album, "Marshall Mathers LP 2," released in November 2013. It was pictured first in his third studio album "Marshall Mathers LP," released in 2000, with Eminem sitting on the steps the home on the cover.
It has been a year since Detroit Hive purchased the 5,000-square-foot lot and within a year, they were able to plant a garden full of wildflowers that provide nourishment to the over 467 different types of native bees in Michigan to contribute to the growth of pollinators in Detroit, Paule said.
"By planting this habitat, it will support our native bees and also our visiting pollinators like the monarch butterflies and also wasps. But with the honeybees, they can travel up to six miles and that's really great," Paule said.
Paule and Lindsey spent a few hours Wednesday cleaning up the garden from unwanted weeds and installing the new hive.
"What's special about those bees that we just introduced to the site is that they were from a swarm that we relocated in Dearborn and brought here to help with cross pollination, but also honey," Paule said.
Detroit Hive sells around 600 to 700 pounds of raw honey annually to local grocery stores and farmers markets, while reserving 80 to 100 pounds of honey for the bees. Each hive can produce about 60 to 50 pounds, Paule said, anything over 80 to 100 pounds is considered surplus and is sold locally.
With having this many hives, the bees get used to them being around and can distinguish their scent and voice, Lindsey said. The mission of using the empty greenery in Detroit, Detroit is one of the leading cities for urban beekeeping.
"Detroit is really helping out in that effort because of the abundance of green space, or you can also say vacant lots in the plant diversity," Paule said.
More:How to create a pollinator-friendly garden, habitat
Detroit Hive relies on volunteers to tend of the group's hives and gardens each week, Paule said. The group launched a fundraiser on Wednesday to raise $1,000 for the upkeep of its hives.
"We are raising funds to continue our mission on restoring or improving green spaces for people and pollinators," Paule said. "The reason why we say people and pollinators is because it's not just a space for bees, it's not just a space for the community. It's a space for both. You can both thrive and flourish and get along together."
slewis@detroitnews.com
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/19/detroit-hives-bees-eminem-marshall-mathers-urban-bee-farms-honey-national-urban-beekeeping-day/70425020007/
| 2023-07-20T03:45:46
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/07/19/detroit-hives-bees-eminem-marshall-mathers-urban-bee-farms-honey-national-urban-beekeeping-day/70425020007/
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$50K reward for tips leading to arrest in Southfield mail carrier robbery
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a $50,000 reward for tips leading to the arrest of two men wanted in connection with robbing a mail carrier Tuesday in Southfield.
The incident was reported around 12:13 p.m. near the entrance of the Wakefield apartments on Tiffany Drive, officials said in a statement.
The suspects were armed with a AK-47 pistol, sometimes known as a Draco, then fled on foot through the complex, according to the notice.
They are described as males in their late teens, around 5-foot-8, with slim builds, last seen wearing ski masks and hooded sweatshirts.
Investigators on Wednesday also released images of a newer model Mercedes-Benz sedan seen in the area of the robbery. It is possibly a silver or gray S 580 with a moon roof.Anyone with information is asked to call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1 (877) 876-2455.
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/07/19/50k-reward-for-tips-leading-to-arrest-in-southfield-mail-carrier-robbery/70435559007/
| 2023-07-20T03:45:52
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/07/19/50k-reward-for-tips-leading-to-arrest-in-southfield-mail-carrier-robbery/70435559007/
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Man charged in threat against Madison Heights business
A 25-year-old man has been charged in connection with threatening to shoot up a Madison Heights business last weekend, the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office said.
Jimmie Lee Lickman was arraigned Tuesday through 43rd District Court on a charge of making a threat of terrorism, a felony. Bond was set at $50,000.
Lickman was arrested Saturday. While at a Troy business that afternoon, he "allegedly made threatening suicidal and homicidal statements involving a Micro Center store in Madison Heights," the Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.
Officers spoke with managers, who decided to close the business for the day.
"Threats of violence disrupt life and the sense of safety of entire communities. I commend the individual who alerted authorities in this instance," Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said. "My office takes these threat seriously and will work to hold this person accountable."
Lickman remained in the Oakland County Jail on Wednesday night.
A probable cause conference is scheduled for 8 a.m. July 26.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/07/19/man-charged-in-threat-against-madison-heights-business/70435630007/
| 2023-07-20T03:45:58
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2023/07/19/man-charged-in-threat-against-madison-heights-business/70435630007/
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'Confused' traveler breached security at Detroit Metro Airport, halting screening
A traveler's confusion briefly shut down screening Wednesday night in part of Detroit Metro Airport, officials said.
Airport police took the traveler into custody for breaching a TSA security checkpoint in the McNamara Terminal, a Wayne County Airport Authority representative told The Detroit News.
"The incident temporarily halted the screening process and activated the breach gates in the terminal," according to a release.
After finding the traveler, officers searched the area with a K-9 unit and found nothing of concern, the airport authority said.
"The police department advised the traveler appeared confused and did not pose a security threat," the statement read. "He was ultimately cited and released."
Operations returned to normal in the terminal in Romulus.
Metro Airport saw more than 28 million passengers pass through gates in 2022, according to its website. In March, officials announced it had earned the Airports Council International's 2022 Airport Service Quality Award for “Best Airport of 25 to 40 million passengers in North America.”
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/07/19/confused-traveler-breached-security-at-detroit-metro-airport-halting-screening/70435618007/
| 2023-07-20T03:46:04
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/07/19/confused-traveler-breached-security-at-detroit-metro-airport-halting-screening/70435618007/
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Ex-Wayne County worker pleads guilty to stealing $1.7M in tax dollars
A former Wayne County Roads Division employee has pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiring to steal more than $1.7 million in taxpayer funds, officials announced Wednesday.
John Gibson, 54, was arrested in the case last year along with his supervisor, fellow county employee Kevin Gunn.
An investigation determined that between January 2019 and August 2021, Gibson and Gunn engaged in a scheme to use taxpayer dollars to make unauthorized purchases of generators and other power equipment from retailers in southeast Michigan.
The scheme involved 596 generators and other power equipment never supplied or used by the county.
The vendors submitted invoices for the items to Wayne County. Gunn instructed them to falsify the documents submitted to the Roads Division by instead listing items the vendors were authorized to sell to the county under their contracts, authorities said in a statement Wednesday. Roads workers approved and paid each vendor’s invoice with taxpayer funds.
"Next, Gibson took possession of the equipment, paid Gunn for the items, and resold the generators and other items for personal profit," according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit.
The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office started investigating in March 2021 and sought help from the FBI.
“The alleged actions of these individuals are nothing short of disgraceful,” said Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington. “To brazenly steal from hardworking taxpayers and fraudulently line their own pockets while holding positions of public trust make these crimes all the more deplorable. This case is another example of our strong commitment to working together."
Investigators with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, which secured a search warrant that led to uncovering the embezzlement scheme, also played a role in the probe.
“The brazen scheme to defraud Wayne County of nearly $2 million for personal gain is an affront to all Wayne County taxpayers," Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Wednesday. "The guilty plea today represents the combined investigative efforts that involved my office, and the offices of the Wayne County Executive, the Wayne County Sheriff, and the FBI. We can all be proud of the work that we have done to root out corruption and bring justice in this case."
Gibson pleaded to conspiracy to commit federal program theft, which carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Through his plea agreement, the Detroit resident faces an advisory sentencing guideline range of 18-24 months, federal court records show.
“Public officials are entrusted to use taxpayer money for its intended purpose, not for their personal gain. Today, Mr. Gibson is being held accountable for violating that trust,” said Devin J. Kowalski, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office.
Gunn, 64, of West Bloomfield Township pleaded guilty in January and awaits sentencing.
mhicks@detroitnews.com
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/07/19/wayne-county-roads-division-worker-pleads-guilty-embezzlement-scheme-john-gibson-kevin-gunn/70435491007/
| 2023-07-20T03:46:04
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https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/wayne-county/2023/07/19/wayne-county-roads-division-worker-pleads-guilty-embezzlement-scheme-john-gibson-kevin-gunn/70435491007/
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BALTIMORE — On Wednesday, Mayor Scott spoke about the current conditions of Baltimore City pools; eight of the 23 are closed.
“Safety is a big issue; it is unsafe to have pools open that are in need of significant repair, period," said Mayor Scott.
Many people are wondering why some of these details were not shared at the beginning of the summer and what is being done to get the pools reopened.
“I think it's that full transparency of communication that folks are really looking at, and I think by not doing that, we sort of stir up some of those concerns," said City Council President Nick Mosby.
Many people shared their frustrations.
“I just feel like they need to lock up the pools more and they shouldn’t put the water in," said Amyra James.
Others are wondering why repairs were not done sooner before the summer since the issues Patterson Park Pool has are not new.
“I think that when we look at the pool situation, it's just a symbolic representation of a bigger problem, and that's for decades and decades and decades of many maintenance issues, many problems, concerns many upkeep of our facilities have literally just been kicked down the road," Mosby said.
Mayor Scott said the pool will be closed as they work on completely remodeling it, like what was done to the pool at Druid Hill Park.
“The Patterson Pool and those who live in the neighborhood there and folks who come from all over to go to that pool deserve to swim and have fun in a adequate pool, not something that was built 50, 60, 70 years ago," said Mayor Scott.
Still, the question remains: if the pool has been closed all summer, why was the pool full of water?
Video WMAR-2 News photographers took Tuesday shows the Patterson Park Pool full of the same green water, but by Wednesday the pool was completely drained.
Some people are left wondering why it was not drained sooner.
“I think the question that many people are asking and one that I look forward to talking to Recs and Park about is when we know a pool is not going to be operational, has major issues, you know, what’s the policy? what’s the protocols to actually drain them to make them safer for, you know, wandering kids like we saw?" said Mosby.
Mayor Scott says the city is investing record amounts into the Department of Recreation and Parks to ensure pools and rec centers are state of the art.
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https://www.wmar2news.com/local/city-leaders-discuss-importance-of-safety-at-city-pools
| 2023-07-20T03:47:09
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https://www.wmar2news.com/local/city-leaders-discuss-importance-of-safety-at-city-pools
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AUSTIN, Texas — People living at Riata Apartments in northwest Austin hope police will catch what they believe are serial thieves.
Around this time last year, people living at the complex spoke with KVUE about people experiencing homelessness trespassing through a hole in the fence and stealing. That issue was fixed within a few days, but now residents said there is a new problem.
"We're hearing it more frequently now," said resident Laurie.
Laurie said numerous residents have posted about their cars being broken into on various days and the videos show what appears to be the same two people.
"So we're starting to notice that there's a pattern of it being the same individuals," said Laurie. "They're always wearing black masks."
The latest burglaries happened last week, July 14. In the Ring camera video shared with KVUE, you can see two men walking around in masks, checking cars.
"About 11 to 15 vehicles were hit," said Laurie. "I do have the proof of all those vehicles being hit."
In other photos, you can see the windows were busted out of several cars. Laurie's vehicle wasn't hit, but her camera caught them right outside of her place, trying to hit their next.
"It's very unsettling that I wake up in the middle of the night and have to keep checking my windows," said Laurie.
A bit earlier, on June 21, another group of vehicles was hit. Surveillance video shows again two men wearing masks, black hoodies, black pants and sneakers walking around the lots.
A Ring camera photo from February, when a gun was stolen, shows one suspect wearing the exact same outfit as the most recent case. This is all evidence Laurie said she's been trying to share with Austin police.
"What they did say is, 'This is not a high-priority case,'" said Laurie. "'It doesn't involve murder or rape, so we won't really be looking at this.' They would not look at my videos."
In an email sent to residents, Riata acknowledged it is working to fix the front gate and possibly get license plate readers to track every car coming in and out. Communications staff with the APD tell us they're looking into our request for more information.
Laurie just hopes to see something done before more cars are broken into and more property is stolen.
"I hope that we get more police involvement," said Laurie. "We need security here between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. because this is going to keep happening."
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/riata-apartments-car-breakins/269-32e79bff-379a-4fa0-87cc-226e1cf9689f
| 2023-07-20T03:48:53
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/riata-apartments-car-breakins/269-32e79bff-379a-4fa0-87cc-226e1cf9689f
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AUSTIN, Texas — City staff in Austin are taking a closer look at how to permanently ramp up safety near Rainey Street by Lady Bird Lake.
At Wednesday night's Downtown Commission meeting, staff with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department and the Trail Conservancy gave updates on the Rainey Street Trailhead project.
That project has already been approved, but they're looking at adding more permanent safety measures to it after multiple drownings in Lady Bird Lake nearby.
On Wednesday night, they talked about adding more permanent lighting and signage to the area, along with other pedestrian routes leading away from Rainey Street, so people aren't as tempted to use the trail after dark.
"We would like that alternative route that takes you away from the water, and if it's well lit and it looks like it's more inviting, people will choose that over a dimmer, less safe route," said Austin Parks and Recreation Director Kimberly McNeeley.
Once the commission signs off on those changes to the larger plan, they'll go to the full city council for approval.
In April, the City increased patrols in the area after the drowning deaths of Jason John and Jonathan Honey. Austin police will be out in the popular entertainment district, while more park rangers are set to be stationed along the trail.
“As a city, we recognize we need to do more to keep people safe in this area. We are moving quickly to do so and are reaching out to businesses on Rainey Street and other state agencies to partner with us in this crucially important effort. We also ask visitors to Rainey Street to drink responsibly and stay safe by staying together," interim City Manager Jesús Garza said after the changes in April.
In March, the City, along with the Parks and Recreation Department, added solar-powered lights and fencing ahead of South By Southwest.
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/safety-improvements-to-rainey-street-trail/269-cbd5b265-2805-4a6d-b867-936c7db42c47
| 2023-07-20T03:49:00
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https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/safety-improvements-to-rainey-street-trail/269-cbd5b265-2805-4a6d-b867-936c7db42c47
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An Allen Circuit Court senior magistrate has been promoted to judge after Gov. Eric Holcomb announced the appointment Wednesday.
Ashley Hand will replace Wendy Davis, who resigned to run for Indiana’s 3rd Congressional District seat. Since Davis’ resignation in March, Hand and Magistrate Jesus “Rick” Trevino have overseen court cases and administrative operations for the circuit court, according to Allen Circuit Court Administrator Anne Barton.
Barton said Hand was sworn-in and began her judgeship Wednesday afternoon. However, a formal swearing-in ceremony hasn’t had details set but is expected to happen in the near future.
Before becoming a magistrate in 2020, Hand was a partner at Beckman Lawson LLP of Fort Wayne, focusing on family law and civil cases such as employment discrimination and insurance claims.
She received her undergraduate degree in political science from Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne, which is now known as Purdue Fort Wayne. She earned her law degree from Indiana University McKinney School of Law and was admitted to the Indiana Bar Association in 2008.
Davis, who is expected to swear in Hand during a formal gathering, said the newly appointed judge is exactly what the court needs – a hard worker, someone with a good understanding of the law and the Constitution and a strong administrator.
“I have so much faith in her ability to take on this big court,” Davis said.
The Allen Circuit Court oversees civil, criminal and family matters, as well as three problem-solving courts, which focus on rehabilitating defendants willing to take steps to address the underlying causes behind their crimes.
Allen Circuit Restoration Court is an option for some defendants with mental illnesses. Allen Circuit Veterans Court is designed for honorably discharged veterans suffering from drug addiction.
The problem-solving courts also include Allen Circuit Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Court. It’s the most recent Allen County problem-solving court to be certified and is the state’s first court designed to address the challenges brought by offenders charged with felony drunk driving.
Davis said she believes Hand has a balance of knowledge and compassion that will help her be an especially good judge to oversee problem-solving courts.
Steve Shine, chairman of the Allen County Republican Party and local attorney, said he is glad to see a well-respected judge appointed to the position, adding that she is known for her thorough work. He said Holcomb could not have picked a better person for the job.
“The governor made a superb selection,” Shine said.
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https://www.journalgazette.net/local/courts/ashley-hand-senior-magistrate-named-to-circuit-court-bench/article_0c4f7aba-2659-11ee-a661-a75e3503d3ab.html
| 2023-07-20T03:51:28
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https://www.journalgazette.net/local/courts/ashley-hand-senior-magistrate-named-to-circuit-court-bench/article_0c4f7aba-2659-11ee-a661-a75e3503d3ab.html
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PORTLAND, Ore. — Small clusters of tents fill bridge underpasses in Portland’s Central Eastside. But in other, more populated areas, it’s hard to find one for a few blocks — perhaps a result of the city’s 90-day reset plan aimed at the Central Eastside. It started in January 2023, and the results were released this week.
While they may look encouraging on paper, people like Merlyn McConnell, a street janitor for Central City Concern, still see the worst of it.
“Human feces, glass, anything you can imagine — at its worst that's what's there,” he said referring to what fills his rolling trash can.
The city focused on cleaning up the district in response to business owners pushing for change after an increase in crime and homelessness.
"One of our employees on his way into our central kitchen was held up at gunpoint,” said Kim Malek, CEO and co-founder of Salt & Straw, during a meeting between business owners and city officials.
After the city focused on the area for three months, they reported the following results:
- Graffiti removal: 73,755 total square feet
- Campsite assessments: 836
- Unsanctioned camp removals: 321
- Portland Police response: 89 arrests, 23 stolen vehicles recovered and 19 firearms seized
- Pounds of trash removed by SOLVE: 4,963
- Area cleaned by the Portland Bureau of Transportation: 9,830 square feet
- Lighting improvements: 220 trees wrapped with lights and activated throughout the district
“It's really nice to see because the east side is an important creative place for a lot of people,” said Julian Gaines, a Portland fine artist who has a studio in the Central Eastside. “As critical as a number of us are with how things are out here it's cool to see the city try to be constructive and change it.”
Though for some people, like McConnell, there are certain things that will never change.
“Trash is just not going to go away. It's just not,” he said.
Clare Briglio, executive director of Central Eastside Together, a group that represents and supports businesses in that area, said in a statement:
“We appreciate the City of Portland’s efforts to address safety, cleanliness, and accessibility in our District. We’ve come a long way but are not there yet. It’s a work in progress, and we’re on the right track. Our businesses and residents deserve credit for their patience and passion during this time – our local economy has been hard hit, and they continue to show up and believe in this district.”
Mayor Ted Wheeler added in a statement:
“The Central Eastside 90-Day Reset brought forth a renewed cooperation between the City of Portland and the business community in the district. The Enhanced Service District set priority areas in the district for cleaning, graffiti removal, and increased lighting. The results are clear: a safer and cleaner community where residents and business owners have a hand in restoring their neighborhood."
The city of Portland is working to bring the 90-day reset model to other areas as well, something that was first attempted in Old Town last year.
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/central-eastside-90-day-reset-homeless-camp-results/283-55ce3220-8dad-4837-8898-e705cf6f44c1
| 2023-07-20T03:53:08
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/homeless/central-eastside-90-day-reset-homeless-camp-results/283-55ce3220-8dad-4837-8898-e705cf6f44c1
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ROANOKE, Va. – Friends are speaking out after a man died following a Downtown Roanoke apartment assault.
Police said the victim of the attack was Paul Wortham, but several of his friends said they knew him as Jay Wright.
Officers said that the suspect and victim got into a verbal fight in the lobby of the Parkway building on July 4 before it turned physical.
Friends said they were devastated to hear the news.
“He just lightened up anything,” friend Cary Leeth said. “He was certainly a very special person.”
Leeth said he and others met him at local restaurants. Fork in the Market was one of his favorites.
“Everybody liked him, and that’s what’s hard to believe,” Leeth said. “He didn’t have an enemy in the world.”
According to the search warrant, on July 4 he was punched, fell to the ground, then hit his head on the floor of the foyer. Police said he was taken to the hospital where he later died.
“He was in a coma, and he was in it for about eight days,” Leeth said. “Even some of my friends said we heard he may not make it, and nobody could get in to see him. We didn’t hear a word.”
Police said on July 4, the suspect left the scene but later returned and was interviewed by officers.
No one’s been charged in the case yet, but Leeth said it’s time for justice.
“I know a lot of people from a lot of these restaurants, establishments, whenever they have a court case, we will be there,” Leeth said.
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https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/20/friends-police-identify-man-who-died-after-downtown-roanoke-apartment-assault/
| 2023-07-20T04:10:39
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https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2023/07/20/friends-police-identify-man-who-died-after-downtown-roanoke-apartment-assault/
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NORMAL — The McLean County Unit 5 Board of Education accepted a $28,500 settlement agreement on Tuesday with a former employee who sued the district over allegations of harassment and retaliation.
In December 2020, LaNell Greenberg sued in federal court, saying she was exposed to "repeated comments and gestures of a sexually explicit nature" by James Harden, who had been the district's human resources director, and retaliatory conduct by then-Superintendent Mark Daniel in concert with Unit 5 board members.
In the lawsuit, Greenberg requested reinstatement of her position with all back-pay, employee benefits and pension benefits; an award of expected pay and all prospective lost benefits if a position were unavailable; and damages.
Of the $28,500 settlement she was awarded, $9,900 would go toward attorney's fees. According to the agreement, Greenberg would not be entitled to any additional benefits, including rehiring.
Greenberg alleged Harden made a number of comments and gestures of a sexual nature that were offensive to her and other female employees of the district.
Greenberg said that because of the failure of the district to impose consequences on Harden's conduct, she was forced to request a transfer from her position as administrative assistant to the superintendent and clerk of the school board to another role in the administration.
Greenberg also claimed she was exposed to harassment and retaliation after reporting unlawful employment practices by senior management personnel of Unit 5. The retaliation forced Greenberg to resign in 2018 after holding numerous teaching and administrative positions since the 2003-04 school year, according to the suit.
In January 2022, the district filed a motion to dismiss the suit and argued Greenberg failed to establish a hostile work environment or sexual harassment claim. The district also asserted that Greenberg failed to establish that the alleged harassment was based on gender.
Furthermore, Unit 5 argued the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals recognized that "occasional vulgar banter, tinged with sexual innuendo of coarse or boorish workers" generally does not create a hostile work environment that a reasonable person would find intolerable.
Some of Greenberg's allegations were dismissed but the court accepted that some of her allegations met the necessary definitions of harassment.
In another matter, the school board took a moment to address school safety after a parent spoke during public comment about the suspension of her son after he fought back against a bully.
Unit 5 board President Kelly Pyle said if the administration has not addressed a situation, she encourages people to come forward to resolve it.
"We review our policies regarding safety on an annual basis," Pyle said. "We continue to want to ensure that our schools are safe places for our students to be (and) for them to feel comfortable."
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/mclean-county-unit-5-settles-harassment-suit-for-28k/article_307dc19a-2699-11ee-b252-a31d8395b1df.html
| 2023-07-20T04:13:54
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https://pantagraph.com/news/local/education/mclean-county-unit-5-settles-harassment-suit-for-28k/article_307dc19a-2699-11ee-b252-a31d8395b1df.html
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SEATTLE — Details for Early Merch Day for Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in Seattle have been released by Lumen Field.
Early Merch Day will be open to all fans, with or without tickets, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on July 21. During that time, fans can purchase merchandise ahead of the show.
Early merchandise sales will be located outside the NW and S Gates. Fans will not be allowed to line up before 8 a.m. There will be limited on-site paid parking available. On Saturday and Sunday, merchandise sales will start at noon outside the stadium.
Here is a map of the merch locations:
Be prepared for hundreds of fans lined up to buy merch. Fans in most cities have waited hours to make a purchase.
Here are some other things to know about Taylor Swift's concerts in Seattle:
What is the timeline for concert days at Lumen Field?
6 a.m.: Lumen Field Parking Garage opens for pre-purchased parking passes (SOLD OUT)
10 a.m.: NW Box Office opens for customer service; no tickets available for sale
12 p.m.: Merch Trucks open for sales
1:30 p.m.: Event Center Box Office opens for customer service; no tickets available for sale
4:30 p.m.: Gates open
6:30 p.m.: Concert begins
How much are Taylor Swift tickets going for?
Swift's tour caused a meltdown on Ticketmaster's website when ticket registration began in November. The tour shattered the record for ticket sales for one artist in a day.
Ticketmaster sold more than 2 million tickets during the Verified Fan pre-sale, an unprecedented demand that caused outrage among fans and even some government officials.
Resale tickets on StubHub start at $983 for a seat with a limited or obstructed view. Tickets on SeatGeek and Vivid Seats both start at more than $1,200.
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/early-merch-day-taylor-swift-seattle/281-e775cecf-117f-46b0-9080-9455347cab4e
| 2023-07-20T04:16:42
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https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle/early-merch-day-taylor-swift-seattle/281-e775cecf-117f-46b0-9080-9455347cab4e
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DALLAS — A man has been arrested in connection to the deaths of three women who were all found with stab wounds in empty fields in recent months, Dallas police said.
Oscar Sanchez Garcia, 25, was arrested on Wednesday, July 19, and he faces three counts of murder, according to a police news release.
The news release said Garcia was identified as the suspect "through evidence gathered by detectives." More information about his connection to the case was not released.
The first woman's body, later identified as 60-year-old Kimberly Robinson, was found April 22, 2023, in the 200 block of Santa Fe Avenue near the intersection of North Corinth Street Road and East Clarendon Drive in southern Dallas.
Two months later, 25-year-old Cherish Gibson's body was found in the same spot. Gibson was last seen near an adult bookstore on Harry Hines Boulevard. The owner told WFAA that Dallas police pulled surveillance video from his store because Gibson's phone pinged outside the store.
And on July 15, the body of an unidentified woman was found in a field less than five miles away from the other two victims.
Robinson's daughter, Janetria Oliver, said she is grateful police have arrested the person responsible.
"My mother did not deserve that, and I’m so glad that he’s off the streets where he won’t be able to hurt anyone else," Oliver said. "I’ve also been praying for the other families involved. No one deserves for their life to be cut short like that, and we pray that full justice is served.”
Police had been investigating if their deaths were connected and on Tuesday, July 18, said that two of the women were involved in prostitution.
Police did not immediately release details into how they determined Garcia was the suspect in the three cases.
"This is what we've been praying for," Gibson's grandmother told WFAA.
Bekah Charleston, a sex trafficking victim, spoke with WFAA about the dangers of working in prostitution.
"When you dehumanize a person to the point that they become a commodity that means now you're just a product to someone that is to be paid for, used and discarded," Charleston said.
"You don't know how many women I know what have been either murdered by their sex traffickers or by their buyers that purchase them," she added.
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https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/arrest-made-deaths-three-woman-found-stabbed-empty-fields-dallas-texas/287-aedf05f2-329b-4f19-aa7a-8aff8c38596c
| 2023-07-20T04:18:59
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https://www.myfoxzone.com/article/news/local/arrest-made-deaths-three-woman-found-stabbed-empty-fields-dallas-texas/287-aedf05f2-329b-4f19-aa7a-8aff8c38596c
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A Mason City man was sentenced to more than eight years in prison in federal court on Tuesday.
According to court records, 28-year-old Michael David Dalluge pleaded guilty to possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in February.
Dalluge allegedly admitted he was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by law enforcement after a crash before he and the driver fled from Mason City police in the area of First Street Northwest. Dallluge was apprehended about a block away from the stop.
A backpack Dalluge was carrying was located between the crash site and where he was apprehended. It contained methamphetamine and a loaded, stolen High Point 9 mm handgun and a paper copy of his driver's license.
Dalluge was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. He was sentenced to 102 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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Dalluge was convicted of felony drug charges in 2019 and 2020. A press release from the U.S. District Court says Dalluge is from Mason City, but the original affidavit states his home address was in Ottumwa at the time of the incident.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jack Lammers and investigated by the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, Clear Lake Police Department, Mason City Police Department, Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement, and the North Central Iowa Drug Task Force.
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https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/mason-city-methamphetamine-gun-federal-prison/article_91922858-2645-11ee-a667-f7a5e56ca160.html
| 2023-07-20T04:20:02
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https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/mason-city-methamphetamine-gun-federal-prison/article_91922858-2645-11ee-a667-f7a5e56ca160.html
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A Winnebago County man who pleaded guilty to multiple sex crimes in May has received a special life sentence.
According to court records, 36-year-old Brandon Lee Bassett was convicted of third-degree sexual abuse, lascivious acts with a child and sexual exploitation of a minor on Tuesday. Each count is a class C felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The special life sentence is permissible under Iowa Code 903B for class B or C felonies. Bassett is eligible for parole at a future date as determined by the Board of Parole.
The crimes happened in April 2022 in Buffalo Center. The offenses took place in Buffalo Center.
The victim reported the assault to authorities Oct. 3, 2022. The child was interviewed at the Child Protection Center in Waterloo. The charges were brought against Bassett on Nov. 14 and a warrant for his arrest was served Nov. 21.
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https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/sex-abuse-sentence-life-iowa-winnebago-brandon-lee-bassett/article_cf62fd22-2598-11ee-8ee8-27d1194d4ee0.html
| 2023-07-20T04:20:08
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https://globegazette.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/sex-abuse-sentence-life-iowa-winnebago-brandon-lee-bassett/article_cf62fd22-2598-11ee-8ee8-27d1194d4ee0.html
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Downtown Mason City was bustling with activity Saturday as members and allies of the area's LGBTQ+ community gathered for the fifth annual Mason City Pride Festival.
The event was the best attended so far and was, according to organizers, a "day filled with love, celebration and inclusion."
Megan Markos, one of the leading organizers, said, "The support of the city itself was incredible, we had partners in the Chamber of Commerce and Visit Mason City, and the community support was incredible as well."
In partnership with local businesses, the festival sold buttons that earned buyers discounts and special offers throughout the day at establishments including Brix Wine and Whiskey, Wok N' Roll, The Corner, Mason City Brewing, Oak Leaf Comics, Happy Donkey and Lulu's. Cerro Gordo Public Health's booth at the park was staffed with medical professionals answering questions about testing, prevention, harm reduction, and sexual health.
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Pride Month is typically celebrated in June to commemorate the Stonewall Inn riots of June 1969, when police raids on lesbian and gay bars in Greenwich Village in New York City turned violent. Considered a watershed moment in modern LGBTQ liberation, the first pride marches were organized a year later and have spread since across the nation and world.
Organizers say that holding Mason City's event in July lets locals attend and learn from bigger and more established pride events such as those in Des Moines and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
The Rev. Le Anne Clausen de Montes helps coordinate the event, along with Mason City Voices for Inclusion, and said the community has been warmly welcomed. When asked to name the biggest obstacle toward LGBTQ inclusion in rural Iowa, de Montes answered in one word: "Bigots."
As anti-LGBTQ hate crimes and harassment continue to rise, de Montes said, LGBTQ youths deserve a place like the pride festival where they can learn "they have the support they need; the educational, health care and the mental health support ... (and know) that there is a community that welcomes them and wants to keep them safe and let them be who they are."
"It's appalling that these types of comments are being made by radical extremist group(s) that try to represent this as a Christian view ... that even young children are going to hell if they are LGBTQ-identifying. ... This has nothing to do with any kind of Gospel that Jesus taught."
The day proceeded with minimal disruption, save for an incident in which a protester walked on stage and unplugged sound equipment being used at the drag show. The protester was removed amid chants from the crowd of "No place for hate." No charges were filed.
Across from Central Park in a parking lot was a showing of around a dozen or more who described themselves as a "group of Christians," congregating for what they refused to be characterized as a protest, but a "love crusade" and prayer and worship circle.
The group obtained no permit from the city to conduct a protest, instead characterizing their gathering as "(To) be a light and speak the truth. We're not here to interfere, just to pray over what's going on," according to attendee Julie Billings.
"We aren't here to be confrontational, we're not here to judge. We aren't against the flesh, we're against the sin," said Billings, who also serves as chair of the Cerro Gordo County Republican Party.
Markos brushed it off, and described the detractors as an "irrelevant showing."
"(We had) way more supporters than agitators," Markos said. She said they enlisted a great group of 10 security volunteers who "really made everyone feel safe and really kind of steered away any type of negativity that could have happened."
The day's events culminated with a family-friendly drag show that featured performers from all over the Midwest.
Josie Whitehurst of Mason City said she was attending because she "believes in all forms of love, and I also grew up with a gay father, so I am here to support."
Hosted by Vlad Moon, the show included the drag performers known as "Prunella DeVille" and "Anjila Cavalier," a 35-year veteran of the art of female impersonation who was Miss Gay Iowa 1999.
"We just want to be comfortable and celebrate who we are with no drama. Period. We're not pushing our agenda onto anyone else, we just want to have our peace and our sanctity without being disturbed by anybody else," Cavalier said.
After performing the cheeky country tune "You Can't Pray the Gay Away," DeVille lamented: Since they (bigots) are gonna listen to the God that lives in them, you've got to listen to the God that lives in you. What they have to say means nothing to you. God doesn't make mistakes. ... God loves you and we all love each other."
Overall, the day's events were seen by attendees as a joyful celebration of inclusion. It was that and so much more for one Mason City couple.
Lillyth Alden said she was planning to propose to her partner, Katelyn Simpkins, three weeks ago.
Simpkins said, "We were actually supposed to be in Florida this week, but I had a vision, and it was a bad one, so I told her we're not going." The cancelled plans meant they could attend the pride festival for the first time, and it was during trivia in the park that Alden popped the question.
Simpkins, hand in hand with her fiancée, then summed up the Mason City Pride Festival as "the happiest day of my life. I feel the love."
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.
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https://globegazette.com/news/local/mason-city-pride-festival-lgbtq-drag-show/article_166998b8-24b1-11ee-a9b0-2743081ceddd.html
| 2023-07-20T04:20:14
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https://globegazette.com/news/local/mason-city-pride-festival-lgbtq-drag-show/article_166998b8-24b1-11ee-a9b0-2743081ceddd.html
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GREENEVILLE, Tenn. (WJHL) — A grand opening celebration was held Wednesday for Greeneville’s new Planet Fitness.
The celebration included live music and food.
Planet Fitness leaders say they’re thrilled to make their mark in the city of Greeneville.
“It’s really about being part of the community here,” said John Hrinda, Planet Fitness’s vice president of operations. “We want everyone to think of Planet Fitness as their second home to come and enjoy, workout, relieve some stress. Planet Fitness is known as a judgment-free zone. And what that means is everyone is welcome.”
The new Planet Fitness is located on West Andrew Johnson Highway.
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/grand-opening-held-at-greeneville-planet-fitness/
| 2023-07-20T04:24:05
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https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/grand-opening-held-at-greeneville-planet-fitness/
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NAMPA, Idaho — As communities across Idaho see rapid growth, there has been rapid growth in their property tax bills. The people who call the Gem State home have called on legislative and state leaders to do something.
An answer to that call came in the thick of the legislative session. Lawmakers passed House Bill 292, a bill that sends government dollars throughout Idaho to help chip away at property taxes.
If you check the fiscal filing, there is a multiyear projection on the assistance that HB 292 will provide. A minimum of $205 million will go out in year one, where we are now. Year two: a minimum of $122.5 million, and in year three: a minimum of $182.4 million. There is room for those numbers to go up depending on a few factors.
One of those factors for the current year was announced Wednesday.
“We’ve got a surplus,” said Idaho Governor Brad Little.
That means about $100 million is going to a big cause.
“It’s obvious that we needed to do something on property tax,” Little said.
The $100 million addition to property tax relief creates a grand total of $300 million dollars for the year. House Speaker Mike Moyle had his signature explanation cued up to help explain the variables of relief.
“The state of Idaho collects no property taxes, and the state of Idaho spends no property taxes," Moyle said. "That's all done at the local level. And in the next couple of weeks, you're going to see all these budget hearings by these locally elected officials setting those budgets. And if they're not careful with their budget decisions, they can suck up a lot of that the taxpayers won't see.”
“Like if you saw your taxes assessment notices this year, they gave you a number on the date when those hearings were going to happen. And I would encourage people to get there because we don't collect them. We don't spend. And those are all locally made decisions,” Moyle added.
There is a basic forecast that leaders shared in terms of relief for Idahoans. Senator Doug Ricks, chairman of the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee, explained.
“A lot of the numbers come back. The estimate and what we're figuring is hopefully around 10% to 13%. Um, but there is like what was mentioned a variation on that. So, we're hoping that that comes true and we're hoping that cities and counties don't raise their budgets and consume all that over the next few years,” Ricks said.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idaho-governor-announces-surplus-invested-into-property-tax-relief/277-abdc2977-cba0-488c-a1aa-32e50e1dac1a
| 2023-07-20T04:27:11
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idaho-governor-announces-surplus-invested-into-property-tax-relief/277-abdc2977-cba0-488c-a1aa-32e50e1dac1a
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ADA COUNTY, Idaho — Neighborhood associations and local communities in Ada County seeking to slow down vehicles passing through their area will soon have an easier way to go about it.
On June 14, The Ada County Highway District Commission voted in favor of an interim traffic calming policy that makes it easier to request speed mitigation structures like speed bumps and speed humps.
ACHD said the previous policy had individuals collect data to prove excessive traffic speed, traffic volume and perform a cut-through study.
"To see how many vehicles were actually just cutting through the neighborhood and it wasn't just, you know, your local residents," said Ryan Head, Deputy Director of Development and Technical Services for ACHD.
If there wasn't a lot of cut-through traffic, the neighborhood would have to pay for the traffic calming feature. But, with the new interim policy, the cut-through study has been eliminated altogether.
"We don't do that cut through study anymore and ultimately, ACHD pays for the improvements," Head said. "We recognize that if they're speeding in a neighborhood, they're speeding regardless of who it is and it's important to try and address that and address safety in the neighborhood."
Not only have they taken off the cut-through study portion of the policy, requesters will only have to prove either excessive speed or traffic volume not both.
"A cut-through study was really time intensive to for ACHD staff and so it does shorten up that process makes it a little bit easier," Head added.
People like Aaron Olson, a Boise resident who lives on W. Catalpa Dr., know the importance or speed humps in areas that have cars drive through the neighborhood over the speed limit.
"It would be 55 to 60 MPH and they would really rev it up and cut down this street," Olson said. "It was insane sometimes."
Once Olson's street got the speed humps, he said it was a huge difference.
"It's been night and day, the way that improved the neighborhood, it feels totally different here," Olson said. "I mean, you can see as people go by, they really are going 25."
ACHD said that the ultimate goal is to address speed and safety.
"People need to feel comfortable on their street, especially when you have the opportunity for children to walk out and play in the street or you really want to make sure that people are going the speed limit that's there," Head noted.
ACHD says they are also looking at making the process even easier, including dropping the petition threshold from 75% of signatures to about 60%.
ACHD is planning on doing public outreach in the coming weeks and release a more permanent policy sometime in August.
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/achd-makes-it-easier-to-get-speed-bump-on-your-street/277-0a3351a4-9020-46d9-8029-4e6199f644d8
| 2023-07-20T04:27:17
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/achd-makes-it-easier-to-get-speed-bump-on-your-street/277-0a3351a4-9020-46d9-8029-4e6199f644d8
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CALDWELL, Idaho — Law enforcement in Canyon County is cracking down after seeing a "resurgence" in gang-related crime.
On Tuesday, Caldwell police arrested two people they said were connected to at least five different gang-related shootings. Those were two of approximately 100 arrests that Caldwell police have made through a new operation that addresses gang-related crimes.
Operation Safe Streets is a specialized unit with a primary focus on gang activity; The program launched in April of 2023. In addition to the arrest, Caldwell PD has documented 10 new gang members via the operation.
"We've seen a resurgence in the gang activity for several months - even back into last year, quite frankly," said Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue. "And that's not unusual."
A resurgence that Sheriff Donahue said stems from several different factors.
"First of all, it's people that we, in the past, have put in prison for violent gang activity and drug trafficking, whether it's federal prison or state prison. Those people are getting out. They've completed their sentences, they're back on the street," Sheriff Donahue said.
"Secondly, their children have risen up into the ranks, and they're utilizing those younger generations to do criminal activity at their direction. And then third, you've got a high increase in population in this valley - in our county, especially," Donahue continued. "So that brings in more gang members from other areas who want to relocate here and see this as opportunities."
The Caldwell Police Department has also seen an increase in gang crime.
"We do have people coming out of prison, we do have people that are just not being held accountable by the justice system. So, they're getting out on a really early release or rider program," Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram said. "I've seen just in my tenure as the chief, criminals that are on parole or probation are committing a lot of our crime."
To help curb gang crime, the Caldwell Police Department created Operation Safe Streets.
"We're using data, we're using intelligence-based policing to really find out who these people are by building these relationships with our community members. Who in turn, are coming to us with solutions," Chief Ingram said.
Since April, the operation has resulted in 100 arrests, including aggravated battery, aggravated assault, drug possession with intent to distribute and felons in possession of firearms.
"My message to the community, we have a really good handle on the crime and the problem. We know who these bad actors are in the community - they're identified," Chief Ingram said.
The Caldwell Police Department is also part of the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force, which is headed by the FBI.
Chief Ingram said the task force heavily focuses on illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking.
"What do the gangs do here? Well, a large part - they sell drugs. That's what they do," Sheriff Donahue said. "They're very involved in drug trafficking and drug distribution, among other criminal activities. But that is promoted by and directed by the Mexican cartels."
Members of the federal task force are deputized by the FBI and the U.S. Marshal Service, giving them authority to expand their reach to address gangs.
"What happens is: you eliminate jurisdictional boundaries," Sheriff Donahue said. "They have ability and authority to go into the city, into the county, into the neighboring county, into the neighboring city - and even cross state lines to work with other law enforcement officials there."
It's something that Sheriff Donahue calls a force multiplier.
"This is really the pattern, a model that we can all build on," Sheriff Donahue said. "And it's absolutely necessary as we see this resurgence of gang activity. Again, local jurisdictions do not have the manpower to do it by themselves - you need that force multiplier."
A force that also includes the U.S. Attorney's Office, who the task force collaborates with in order to prosecute at the federal level - which could result in tougher sentences.
"You're taking out the hierarchy of the gangs, you're taking out the major players, you're taking out cartel members," Sheriff Donahue said. "That's what that brings to the valley, and that's our greatest tool here in Canyon County. It's our greatest tool in the Treasure Valley. It's really our greatest tool in the state of Idaho."
Earlier this month, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit, the Nampa Police Department, Caldwell Police Department, Canyon County Sheriff's Office, and FBI released a PSA about the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force:
The Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crimes Task Force was established in 2005, the partnership has led to more than 600 indictments.
Watch more Local News:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/canyon-county-law-enforcement-addressing-resurgence-gang-related-activity/277-9aa0c877-5c69-4fee-a151-2bb9036e1364
| 2023-07-20T04:27:23
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/canyon-county-law-enforcement-addressing-resurgence-gang-related-activity/277-9aa0c877-5c69-4fee-a151-2bb9036e1364
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BOISE, Idaho — City leaders and stakeholders from across the northwest filled the Boise Depot Wednesday for the Greater Northwest Passenger Rail Summit to discuss potential Amtrak service expansion through region.
Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner is in Boise for the event; city leaders throughout the Treasure Valley have been working together for months to bring Amtrak services to the local area.
Amtrak shut down the Pioneer Route - connecting Portland to Salt Lake City by way of the Treasure Valley - in 1997. KTVB previously reported Amtrak shut down the line after the route cost it nearly $20 million.
"We want to work together we see the benefit it is to all of us, not just individual cities," Caldwell Mayor Jarom Wagoner said. "A lot of the focus seems to be on the east coast, the higher density population areas. So, to get any kind of attention we can out in the west is a big deal."
The federal government earmarked $66 billion to improve and expand passenger train systems across the United States as part of the bipartisan infrastructure act. Before any existing, dormant, or proposed route or line can earn this money, Amtrak must first determine the cost of each of project. The federal government is conducting studies to determines the expected cost - only qualifying projects will event be considered for a study.
Federal dollars will pay for 100% of the initial study cost. They will also pay for 90% of the first year of operation and 80% of needed rail improvements.
Treasure Valley leaders - in tandem with Salt Lake City for a connected line - filed an application for a study in March; Amtrak will know is that application is approved for a study by winter, according to Amtrak spokesperson Marc Magliari.
"We're in a process that will get us those answers. It won't be quick, it likely won't be inexpensive," Magliari said. "There are lots of places that are asking for service. There are lots of places that would be a really tough nut to crack."
Reviving service to Boise - and the Treasure Valley - holds an advantage through the existence of previous Pioneer Route infrastructure. Additionally, Magliari points to booming populations between Boise and Salt Lake City.
"We're optimistic that Boise to Salt Lake City makes a lot of sense," Magliari said.
The federal government is still gauging interest in long-distance travel through the Treasure Valley - specifically connecting Boise to Portland. The priority of this rail revitalization won't be known until next spring, according to Magliari.
"This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon," Wagoner said. "I think it's definitely doable. And I think we definitely will see it come to fruition within the next few years."
It will take Amtrak and federal government at least a year, potentially two, before they have the necessary information to start offering funds to create, improve, or revive passenger rail lines, Magliari said.
Watch more Local News:
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/treasure-valley-leaders-pushing-passenger-train-service-amtrak-ceo-boise/277-f13eecd7-9fda-47f3-826f-fba3dd425607
| 2023-07-20T04:27:29
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https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/treasure-valley-leaders-pushing-passenger-train-service-amtrak-ceo-boise/277-f13eecd7-9fda-47f3-826f-fba3dd425607
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Citizens Property Insurance to hit 1.7M policies after other companies pull out, issue non-renewalsMan dies trying to save 7-year-old son caught in rip tide on Florida beach‘Not above the law’: Seminole County sheriff’s son arrested on fleeing, reckless driving chargesFL House Speaker: ‘There’s a lot of positive’ about insurance market despite Farmers pulloutDowntown Sanford visitors say their cars were unfairly towed
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https://www.wftv.com/news/local/controversial-new-rules-regarding-pronouns-lessons-race-approved-by-florida-board-education/3KEBBPZSCRHWJBMMGQ4EF6P6Y4/
| 2023-07-20T04:29:46
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https://www.wftv.com/news/local/controversial-new-rules-regarding-pronouns-lessons-race-approved-by-florida-board-education/3KEBBPZSCRHWJBMMGQ4EF6P6Y4/
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Citizens Property Insurance to hit 1.7M policies after other companies pull out, issue non-renewalsMan dies trying to save 7-year-old son caught in rip tide on Florida beach‘Not above the law’: Seminole County sheriff’s son arrested on fleeing, reckless driving chargesFL House Speaker: ‘There’s a lot of positive’ about insurance market despite Farmers pulloutDowntown Sanford visitors say their cars were unfairly towed
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https://www.wftv.com/news/local/moes-employees-across-central-florida-get-paid-after-weeks-without-paycheck/CNZQXRNOMRGYDIRQRDD2EVO67Q/
| 2023-07-20T04:29:52
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https://www.wftv.com/news/local/moes-employees-across-central-florida-get-paid-after-weeks-without-paycheck/CNZQXRNOMRGYDIRQRDD2EVO67Q/
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| 2023-07-20T04:33:05
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https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/1-billion-powerball-jackpot-winning-numbers-announced/3608072/
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