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ORLANDO, Fla. – A Michigan restaurant that has been feeding gourmet hot dogs to hungry Yoopers is now getting ready to open its first Florida location in Orlando.
Dusty’s Gourmet Dog House is opening up inside the Marketplace at Avalon Park, according to a news release.
[ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO THE FLORIDA FOODIE DIRECTORY]
Dusty’s is set to open inside the food hall in early August, the release said.
According to the company, the restaurant is being opened by Sean McCartney.
[TRENDING: What’s that smell? Tons of stinky seaweed covers Central Florida coast | 8 Central Florida shops where the chocolate flows | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
“I have enjoyed being a part of this family and pet-friendly community since the early 2000′s and have been looking for an opportunity to be able to bring a business close to home,” McCartney said in the release. “The Marketplace felt like a natural fit for this community-minded concept with a great menu.”
Dusty’s is based out of St. Ignace, Michigan — which is the only other location of the restaurant.
In addition to hot dogs, the menu also includes smash burgers, street tacos and an assortment of sides including tots, fries and mac and cheese.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/michigan-based-gourmet-hot-dog-spot-coming-to-central-florida/ | 2022-07-07T21:57:52 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/michigan-based-gourmet-hot-dog-spot-coming-to-central-florida/ |
WINTER PARK, Fla. – Central Florida’s list of fine cheese mongers is about to get a little longer with a new shop opening in Winter Park.
Simply Cheese is getting ready to open its doors at 2258 Aloma Ave.
[ADD YOUR BUSINESS TO THE FLORIDA FOODIE DIRECTORY]
The store bills itself as “A place for cheese lovers, cheese-thusiasts, novice cheesers, and everyone in between to enjoy simply, cheese.”
According to its social media, Simply Cheese is set to hold its grand opening on July 23 and 24.
[TRENDING: What’s that smell? Tons of stinky seaweed covers Central Florida coast | 8 Central Florida shops where the chocolate flows | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
The store’s website said the shop will boast 40 different cheeses along with olives, pickles and other items for cheese and charcuterie boards.
Check out the Florida Foodie podcast. You can find every episode in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/new-cheese-shop-coming-to-winter-park-heres-when-its-opening/ | 2022-07-07T21:57:58 | 1 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/new-cheese-shop-coming-to-winter-park-heres-when-its-opening/ |
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – As News 6 viewers expressed some concerns about their voter identification cards, we got results.
But the answers we found all started with a question from one voter in Seminole County who said his card didn’t include his apartment number.
[TRENDING: What’s that smell? Tons of stinky seaweed covers Central Florida coast | 8 Central Florida shops where the chocolate flows | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson said in this case, it simply meant the entire apartment complex can vote at the listed polling location, including the voter whose specific number wasn’t listed. And that’s if residents there choose to vote on election day.
“Your voter registration card is not required. It’s simply informational. Your zip code that was referred to, or your unit number, has no bearing on your right to vote,” Anderson said. “If you’ve got that card in the mail, that means you are a registered voter and you have the green light to go and cast your ballot.”
Anderson said while his office has received calls about general voting information questions, the lack of data listed on voter ID cards doesn’t appear to be a widespread concern among residents.
This comes after election leaders in Marion County said on Wednesday new voter information cards are being issued following a printing issue by an outside vendor impacting about 200,000 voters whose zip codes were listed incorrectly.
Back in Seminole County, election leaders said they’re working to make sure residents have a smooth voting experience, offering tips for new and seasoned voters alike.
“Make sure that your address is updated. If you’re voting by mail, make sure that your signature is updated. If you’re going to vote early, it doesn’t matter where you are in the county as long as you’re a registered voter,” Anderson said.
He said it’s also vital that voters are checking their voter information cards if they choose to vote on election day because their voter site may have changed due to redistricting. As a result, election officials have added two additional polling locations on election day.
“If you’re going to vote by mail, again you can bring it to us and your vote-by-mail ballot has to back to the supervisor of elections office by 7 p.m. on election night,” Anderson said.
In Seminole County, early voting runs from Aug.13-20. For more information, visit the supervisor of elections website. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/seminole-county-elections-supervisor-gives-general-voting-tips-reminders/ | 2022-07-07T21:58:04 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/seminole-county-elections-supervisor-gives-general-voting-tips-reminders/ |
ORLANDO, Fla. – The UCF Police Department said catalytic converter thefts are once again on the rise around the country and they are offering up a way to at least make it easier to get the crucial car part back if it’s stolen.
Next week, UCF police will host an event with a company called ProTechDNA and State Farm insurance to make catalytic converter engravings available to the University of Central Florida community.
[TRENDING: What’s that smell? Tons of stinky seaweed covers Central Florida coast | 8 Central Florida shops where the chocolate flows | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
ProTechDNA uses high-tech labels with microscopic dots, each etched with a PIN number unique to the vehicle owner. This makes it easier for law enforcement to return the property to the owner if it’s lost or stolen.
Earlier this year, two men were arrested by UCF police in connection with a rash of catalytic converter thefts on campus. The case mirrored a larger trend of thefts across Central Florida and the country.
Catalytic converters contain precious metals that can be more valuable than gold.
UCF police will host the event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, July 12 at Garage A on UCF’s main campus.
The first 100 students will get a free ProTechDNA package. Other students, as well as faculty and staff members, will be able to purchase a ProTech DNA package for $15. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/ucf-police-to-offer-catalytic-converter-engraving-to-help-with-thefts/ | 2022-07-07T21:58:10 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/ucf-police-to-offer-catalytic-converter-engraving-to-help-with-thefts/ |
ST PAUL, Minn. — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison on federal charges that he violated George Floyd's civil rights at the time of his death in May 2020.
The judge gave Chauvin credit for the seven months he already served, bringing his sentence moving forward to 245 months, or just over 20 years.
Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal charges back in December, admitting for the first time that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck — even after he became unresponsive — resulting in Floyd's death.
Chauvin spoke briefly at the sentencing hearing, where he told George Floyd’s family that he “wishes all the best” for Floyd’s children, though he did not issue a direct apology.
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Paul Magnuson spoke to Chauvin directly. "I really don’t know why you did what you did. But to put your knee on another person’s neck until they expire is simply wrong and for that conduct you must be substantially punished."
George Floyd's brother, Philonise, Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross and Derek Chauvin's mother all delivered victim impact statements before the ruling. During her remarks, Chauvin's mother said her son often put the Minneapolis Police Department before his family, and asked the judge to send Chauvin to a nearby federal facility.
John Pope also spoke at the hearing. As part of his federal plea deal, Chauvin admitted to using excessive force against Pope when he was 14 years old in 2017.
The plea deal called for Chauvin to serve his federal and state sentences at the same time and to be transferred from a Minnesota state prison to a federal prison, where experts say he likely will be safer and may be held under less restrictive conditions.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led Chauvin's prosecution in state court, called the sentence "another step of accountability on the road to justice," in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
He also thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office and Department of Justice for prosecuting Chauvin's case, writing "it was appropriate and right that they stepped in."
“In no uncertain terms, George Floyd should be alive today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement. “Chauvin’s use of excessive force and his failure to provide medical care resulted in Mr. Floyd’s senseless murder. Chauvin’s unlawful actions in a separate incident also resulted in injury to a 14-year-old child ... While no amount of prison time can reverse the tragic consequences of Derek Chauvin’s violent actions, we hope that this sentence provides some small measure of justice for the families and communities impacted.”
“Derek Chauvin abandoned his sworn oath to uphold the sanctity of life when he callously took George Floyd’s life and when he violently assaulted a 14-year-old child. Chauvin’s actions constituted a grave abuse of police authority and a clear violation of these individuals’ civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger in a statement. “To the victims, their families, and to the broader community: although the harm that Chauvin caused will never be erased, today’s sentence of more than 20 years in prison represents a measure of justice and accountability.”
In April 2021, a state jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder and third-degree murder in Floyd’s death, making him the first white police officer to be found guilty of murdering a Black man in Minnesota. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill handed down a 22 1/2 year sentence on those counts.
For his own safety, Chauvin, 46, had been held since his conviction in “administrative segregation” at the state's maximum security prison at Oak Park Heights. He's been largely confined to a 10-by-10-foot room, which he’s been allowed to leave for an average of one hour a day for exercise.
If Chauvin were in the general population of a Minnesota state prison, he'd be at risk of running into inmates he had arrested or investigated when he was a Minneapolis officer, said Rachel Moran, another law professor at St. Thomas. While he can’t totally escape his notoriety in a federal prison elsewhere, she said, he’s unlikely to encounter inmates with such a direct, personal grudge.
State prison populations are heavy on violent offenders, including people convicted of murder, robbery and rape, Heffelfinger said. Federal prisons also hold inmates with violent backgrounds, he added, but they're more likely to house nonviolent drug dealers, white-collar criminals and the like.
Assuming the bureau decides Chauvin is safe enough in the general population, he’ll have more chances to move about, to work and to participate in programming. Those opportunities would vary with the security level and the individual facility.
The three other former officers charged in connection to Floyd's murder, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, were all found guilty in federal court in Feb. 2022 on civil rights charges related to Floyd's death.
Lane has also pleaded guilty to a state count of aiding and abetting manslaughter, while Thao and Kueng face an October trial on state charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Watch more on the Trial of Derek Chauvin:
Watch the latest coverage on the death of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin in our YouTube playlists: | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b | 2022-07-07T21:59:28 | 0 | https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b |
Prosecutors on Wednesday charged a 30-year-old Lincoln man with first-degree sexual assault of a child, more than six months after a 15-year-old girl who had run away from home told police she was living with the man in his car, police said in court records.
Police found the girl traveling with Sheldon Edwards in January, but she didn't report sexual contact with the then-29-year-old at that time, Investigator Ben Pflanz said in the affidavit for the man's arrest.
The girl went missing from her home again in the weeks after the first incident, Pflanz said, and police again found her after she had fled from Edwards. She told investigators she "had been living with Edwards in his car and had sex with him regularly," Pflanz said.
Police found Edwards near 27th and Holdrege streets Monday and arrested him. He was taken to the Lancaster County jail.
Tom Casady's list of the 10 most infamous crimes in Lincoln history
Crimes of the times
This is simply one man’s perspective from the early 21st century (first written in 2010). I had to make a decision about crimes that occurred at locations that are inside the city today, but were outside our corporate limits at the time they occurred. I chose the latter.
Before beginning, though, I have to deal with three crimes that stand apart: the murders of three police officers in Lincoln. I’m not quite sure how to place them in a list. They all had huge impacts on the community, and on the police department in particular. Because these are my colleagues, I deal with them separately and in chronological order.
Patrolman Marion Francis Marshall
Shot in the shadow of the new Nebraska State Capital, Gov. Charles Bryan came to his aid and summoned additional help.
Lt. Frank Soukup
Marion Marshall was technically not a Lincoln police officer, so Lt. Soukup was actually the first Lincoln police officer killed on duty. One of his colleagues who was present at the motel and involved in the gunbattle, Paul Jacobsen, went on to enjoy a long career and command rank at LPD, influencing many young charges (like me) and leaving his mark on the culture of the agency.
Lt. Paul Whitehead
In the space of a few months, three LPD officers died in the line of duty. Frank Soukup had been murdered, and George Welter had died in a motorcycle crash. Paul Whitehead's partner, Paul Merritt, went on to command rank, and like Paul Jacobsen left an indelible mark at LPD and the community.
No. 1: Starkweather
The subject of several thinly disguised movie plots and a Springsteen album, the Starkweather murders are clearly the most infamous crime in Lincoln’s history — so far. One of the first mass murderers of the mass media age, six of Charles Starkweather’s 11 victims were killed inside the city of Lincoln, and the first was just on the outskirts of town. I didn’t live in Lincoln at the time, but my wife was a first-grader at Riley Elementary School and has vivid memories of the city gripped by fear in the days between the discovery of the Bartlett murders and Starkweather’s capture in Wyoming.
The case caused quite an uproar. There was intense criticism of the police department and sheriff’s office for not capturing Starkweather earlier in the week after the discovery of the Bartletts' bodies. Ultimately, Mayor Bennett Martin and the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners retained a retired FBI agent, Harold G. Robinson, to investigate the performance of local law enforcement. His report essentially exonerated the local law officers and made a few vanilla recommendations for improving inter-agency communication and training.
Now I know that many readers are mumbling to themselves “how obvious.” Hold your horses, though. It’s not quite as obvious as you might think. I had two experiences that drove this fact home to me. The first was a visit by a small group of journalism students. Only one member of the class had any idea, and her idea was pretty vague. You need to remember that the Starkweather murders were in 1957 and 1958 — before the parents of many college students were even born.
The second experience was a visit by a Cub Scout den. I was giving the kids a tour of the police station one evening. We were in the front lobby waiting for everyone to arrive. As I entertained the boys, I told the moms and dads that they might enjoy looking in the corner of the Sheriff’s Office display case to see the contents of Starkweather’s wallet — discovered a couple of years ago locked up in the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office safe. After a few minutes, one of the confused fathers asked me who Starkweather was, and why it was significant.
No. 2: Lincoln National Bank
On the morning of Sept. 17, 1930, a dark blue Buick carrying six men pulled up in front of the Lincoln National Bank at the northwest corner of 12th and O streets. Five of the men entered the bank, while a sixth stood outside by the Buick, cradling a machine gun. Observing the unusual events, a passerby called the police. The officer who responded, Forrest Shappaugh, was casually instructed by the machine-gun-toting lookout to just keep going, which he wisely did. Returning with reinforcements, he found that the robbers had already made good on their getaway, netting $2.7 million in cash and negotiable securities.
Ultimately, three of the six suspects were arrested. Tommy O’Connor and Howard Lee were convicted and sentenced. Jack Britt was tried twice but not convicted by a hung jury. Gus Winkeler, a member of Al Capone’s gang, winged a deal with County Attorney Max Towle to avoid prosecution in exchange for orchestrating the recovery of $600,000 in bearer bonds. The following year, Winkeler was murdered in Chicago, the victim of a gangland slaying. The final two robbers were never identified.
The Lincoln National Bank robbery stood as the largest cash bank robbery in the United States for many decades. It precipitated major changes at the Lincoln Police Department. Chief Peter Johnstone was rapidly “retired” after the robbery, the department’s fleet was upgraded to add the first official patrol cars, the full force was armed and a shotgun squad was organized. Forty-four years later when I was hired at LPD, the echo of the Lincoln National Bank robbery was still evident in daily bank opening details, and in the Thomspon submachine guns and Reising rifles that detectives grabbed whenever the robbery alarm sounded at headquarters.
No. 3: The Last Posse
My first inkling about this crime came when I was the chief deputy sheriff. One of my interns, a young man named Ron Boden (who became a veteran deputy sheriff), had been doing some research on Lancaster County’s only known lynching, in 1884. I came across a reference in the biography of the sheriff at the time, Sam Melick, to the murder of the Nebraska Penitentiary warden and subsequent prison break. Melick had been appointed interim warden after the murder and instituted several reforms.
Several years later, a colleague, Sgt. Geoff Marti, loaned me a great book, Gale Christianson’s "Last Posse," that told the story of the 1912 prison break in gory, haunting and glorious detail.
To make a long story short, convict Shorty Gray and his co-conspirators shot and killed Warden James Delahunty, a deputy warden and a guard on Wednesday, March 13, 1912. They then made their break — right into the teeth of a brutal Nebraska spring blizzard. Over the course to the next few days, a posse pursued. During the pursuit, the escapees carjacked a young farmer with his team and wagon. As the posse closed in, a gunfight broke out and the hostage was shot and killed in the exchange, along with two of the three escapees.
There was plenty of anger among the locals in the Gretna-Springfield vicinity about the death of their native son, and a controversy raged over the law enforcement tactics that brought about his demise. Lancaster County Sheriff Gus Hyers was not unsullied by the inquiry, although it appears from my prospect a century later that the fog of war led to the tragedy.
Christianson, a professor of history at Indiana State University who died earlier this year, notes the following on the flyleaf:
“For anyone living west of the Mississippi in 1912, the biggest news that fateful year was a violent escape from the Nebraska state penitentiary planned and carried out by a trio of notorious robbers and safe blowers.”
Bigger news on half the continent than the sinking of the Titanic during the same year would certainly qualify this murder-escape as one of the most infamous Lincoln crimes in history.
No. 4: Rock Island wreck
The Aug. 10, 1894, wreck of a Rock Island train on the southwest outskirts of Lincoln was almost lost in the mist of time until it was resurrected in the public consciousness by author Joel Williams, who came across the story while conducting research for his historical novel, "Barrelhouse Boys."
The wreck was determined to be the result of sabotage to the tracks, perhaps an attempt to derail the train as a prelude to robbery. Eleven people died in the crash and ensuing fire, making this a mass murder, to be sure. G.W. Davis was arrested and convicted of the crime but later received a full pardon. The story was told in greater detail earlier this year by the Lincoln Journal Star.
A historical marker is along the Rock Island Trail in Wilderness Park, accessible only by foot or bike from the nearest trail access points about a half-mile away at Old Cheney Road on the north, or 14th Street on the south.
Here’s the big question that remains unanswered: Was there really significant evidence to prove that George Washington Davis committed the crime, or was he just a convenient scapegoat? The fact that he received a gubernatorial pardon 10 years later leads me to believe that the evidence must have been unusually weak. If he was railroaded, then my second question is this: who really pried loose the tracks with the 40-pound crowbar found at the scene?
No. 5: Commonwealth
On Nov. 1, 1983, the doors to Nebraska’s largest industrial savings and loan company were closed and Commonwealth was declared insolvent. The 6,700 depositors with $65 million at stake would never be fully compensated for their loss, ultimately receiving about 59 cents on the dollar for their deposits, which they all mistakenly believed were insured up to $30,000 through the Nebraska Depository Insurance Guaranty Corporation, which was essentially an insurance pool with assets of only $3 million.
The case dominated Nebraska news for months. The investigation ultimately led to the conviction of three members of the prominent Lincoln family that owned the institution, the resignation of the director of the State Department of Banking and the impeachment of the Nebraska attorney general and the suspension of his license to practice law. State and federal litigation arising from the failure of Commonwealth drug on for years.
At the Lincoln Police Department, the Commonwealth failure led to the formation of a specialized white-collar crime detail, now known as the Technical Investigations Unit. At the time, municipal police departments in the United States had virtually no capacity for investigating financial crime and fraud of this magnitude, and we quickly became well known for our expertise in this area. The early experience served LPD very well in the ensuring years.
No. 6: Candice Harms
Candi Harms never came home from visiting her boyfriend on Sept. 22, 1992. Her parents reported her as a missing person the following morning, and her car was found abandoned in a cornfield north of Lincoln later in the day. Weeks went by before her remains were found southeast of Lincoln.
Scott Barney and Roger Bjorklund were convicted in her abduction and murder. Barney is in prison serving a life term. Bjorklund died in prison in 2001. Intense media attention surrounded the lengthy trial of Roger Bjorklund, for which a jury was brought in from Cheyenne County as an alternative to a change of venue. I have no doubt that the trial was a life-changing event for a group of good citizens from Sidney, who did their civic duty.
I was the Lancaster County sheriff at the time, involved both in the investigation and in the trial security. It was at about this time that the cellular telephone was becoming a consumer product, and I have often thought that this brutal crime probably spurred a lot of purchases. During my career, this is probably the second-most-prominent Lincoln crime in terms of the sheer volume of media coverage.
No. 7: Jon Simpson and Jacob Surber
A parent’s worst nightmare unfolded in September 1975 when these two boys, ages 12 and 13, failed to return from the Nebraska State Fair. The boys were the victims of abduction and murder. The case was similar to a string of other murders of young boys in the Midwest, and many thought that these cases were related -- the work of a serial killer. Although an arrest was made in the case here in Lincoln, the charges were eventually dismissed. William Guatney was released and has since died.
No. 8: John Sheedy
Saloon and gambling house owner John Sheedy was gunned down outside his home at 1211 P St. in January 1891. The case of Sheedy, prominent in Lincoln’s demiworld, became the talk of the town when his wife, Mary, and her alleged lover and accomplice, Monday McFarland, were arrested. Both were acquitted at trial. The Sheedy murder is chronicled in a great interactive multimedia website, Gilded Age Plains City, an online version that builds upon an article published in 2001 by Timothy Mahoney of the University of Nebraska.
No. 9: Patricia McGarry and Catherine Brooks
The bodies of these two friends were found in a Northeast Lincoln duplex in August 1977. Their murderer, Robert E. Williams, was the subject of a massive Midwest manhunt during the following week. Before his capture, he committed a third murder in Sioux Rapids, Iowa, and raped, shot and left for dead a victim who survived in Minnesota. He is the last man to be executed in Nebraska, sent to the electric chair in 1997.
No. 10: Judge William M. Morning
District Court Judge William Morning was murdered in February 1924. He was shot on the bench by an unhappy litigant in a divorce case. His court reporter, Minor Bacon, was also shot, but a notebook in his breast pocket deflected the bullet and saved his life.
Many other crimes
Choosing Lincoln's 10 most infamous crimes was a challenge. Although the top two were easy, the picture quickly became clouded. We tend, of course, to forget our history rather quickly. Many of the crimes I felt were among the most significant are barely remembered today, if not completely forgotten.
Some readers will take issue with my list. In choosing 10, here are the others I considered, in no particular order. They are all murders:
-- Mary O'Shea
-- Nancy Parker
-- Charles Mulholland
-- Victoria Lamm and Janet Mesner
-- Martina McMenamin
-- Regina Bos (presumably murdered)
-- Patty Webb
-- Marianne Mitzner
I also thought about the five murder-suicides in which a mother or father killed multiple family members before taking their own life. Though tragic, these crimes did not command the same kind of attention as the others, perhaps because there was no lengthy investigation, no tantalizing whodunit, no stranger-killer, nor any of the details that come out in the coverage of a major trial. | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-sexually-assaulted-teen-runaway-police-say/article_58509fe4-a20a-5260-ad39-7e5a02e7f43f.html | 2022-07-07T21:59:29 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/lincoln-man-sexually-assaulted-teen-runaway-police-say/article_58509fe4-a20a-5260-ad39-7e5a02e7f43f.html |
In its first year, the Nebraska State Patrol has deployed drones 185 times to assist in crash investigations and to monitor fires.
Gov. Pete Ricketts appeared at a Thursday morning news conference at the State Patrol headquarters to applaud its drone program, which he said will continue to make investigations more cost effective.
By hovering over a crash site, drone pilots are able to take photos and measurements of scenes where troopers ordinarily would've had to stand in the road with tape measures.
For @JournalStarNews: @GovRicketts outside the Nebraska State Patrol headquarters told reporters to “stay tuned” for news of a special session. pic.twitter.com/SuHiGltcRK
— Jenna Thompson (@jennavictoriat) July 7, 2022
Use of drones in investigations has reduced time on-site from 2.5 hours to 53 minutes, Ricketts said.
Closing a roadway costs Nebraska drivers $310 an hour, he said, and drones saved citizens $1.7 million last year by keeping traffic flowing.
Col. John Bolduc, superintendent of the State Patrol, said it hopes to grow the program substantially as it adds more pilots in the coming year.
"I want to congratulate the colonel and his entire team for continuing to look for ways to be able to serve the people of Nebraska, leveraging this new technology that will help keep people safer, help keep good people on the way to where they're going, and make our whole experience in Nebraska better," Ricketts said.
People are also reading…
The State Patrol has 32 certified pilots who have deployed drones not only in crash investigations, but also to capture images of fires, helping firefighters to locate the source of a blaze more effectively.
The program has 36 drones. Three have thermal cameras, which can help locate the hotspots of a blaze.
Each drone costs about $3,000, but thermal drones are $8,500.
Bolduc said drones eliminate the risk troopers face by being on the roadway during an investigation.
"Time on-scene is very important," Bolduc said. "Drone technology has assisted us in reducing that time on scene, which makes it ultimately safer for everybody involved in that event." | https://journalstar.com/news/local/watch-now-drones-have-reduced-time-spent-investigating-crashes-in-nebraska-officials-say/article_1eddcb1c-e207-589c-a203-180113b4d374.html | 2022-07-07T21:59:35 | 0 | https://journalstar.com/news/local/watch-now-drones-have-reduced-time-spent-investigating-crashes-in-nebraska-officials-say/article_1eddcb1c-e207-589c-a203-180113b4d374.html |
A Bronx man will spend nearly two decades behind bars after pleading guilty and being sentenced in the 2020 vicious beating of his ex-girlfriend with a nail-riddled wooden plank that left her partially blind and disfigured, prosecutors said.
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Thursday that James Fitzgerald, 55, was sentenced to 19 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder for the May 16, 2020 beating.
According to prosecutors, who cited court records, just before 6 p.m. on that 2020 day, Fitzgerald attacked his estranged 35-year-old girlfriend on the sidewalk in front of a fish market in Jamaica, Queens, where he knocked her to the ground, and repeatedly kicked and punched her multiple times in the head.
Prosecutors say that Fitzgerald ignored nearby eyewitnesses yelling for him to stop. Although he briefly walked away from the victim, he returned shortly after with a nail-riddled wooden plank he used to hit his estranged girlfriend in the face.
According to Katz, police arrived on the scene just as Fitzgerald was walking away. He was eventually arrested following a short foot pursuit.
Subsequently, Katz said police recovered the bloody wooden plank with the nails from the scene of the attack, as well as the victim’s broken teeth that were scattered on the sidewalk.
The victim was immediately taken to a nearby hospital. As a result of the violent, horrific attack, she suffered permanent loss of vision in her right eye, underwent numerous reconstruction surgeries on her face since she has been permanently disfigured due to a crushed orbital bone and several severe facial fractures.
News
Fitzgerald pleaded guilty on June 2 to attempted murder in the second degree. Aside from his prison sentence, he is also have to serve five years post release supervision, according to Katz' office.
Additionally, a full order of protection was issued on behalf of his victim.
“This defendant brutally attacked his former girlfriend nearly to death," Katz said. "It is a miracle that the victim survived, though she still faces years of physical and mental recovery due to severe sustained injuries. Following the defendant’s guilty plea last month, he has now been sentenced to prison for his heinous actions. I can only hope that the victim finds some solace in knowing that the defendant has been held accountable.” | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nyc-man-gets-19-years-in-prison-for-beating-ex-gf-with-nail-riddled-wooden-plank/3765565/ | 2022-07-07T22:01:10 | 1 | https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/nyc-man-gets-19-years-in-prison-for-beating-ex-gf-with-nail-riddled-wooden-plank/3765565/ |
BLOOMINGTON — The West Bloomington Revitalization Project has announced the return of the annual West Fest on Saturday, July 23.
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, volunteers, neighbors and visitors can celebrate west Bloomington with a free block party from 5 to 9 p.m. that night on Allin Street between Front and Washington streets, next to the WBRP building at 724 W. Washington St.
This year's event will feature a '90s theme, with food, a bounce house and inflatable obstacle course, live music, games, and a look at west Bloomington history.
A number of community groups will host games and activities and share information about their services, and free books will be available from the new WBRP Book Bike.
Live music will be performed by EJ Allen, Dylan Karraker, Kim & David (from the band Troublemaker) and DARĪUS.
The event is free, family-friendly and open to the community.
For more information, visit www.westbloomington.org/westfest. | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/west-fest-returns-to-bloomington-july-23/article_e4978e02-fe33-11ec-b138-af1f17c494c2.html | 2022-07-07T22:02:42 | 0 | https://pantagraph.com/news/local/west-fest-returns-to-bloomington-july-23/article_e4978e02-fe33-11ec-b138-af1f17c494c2.html |
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Two people were taken to a hospital after an early morning crash Thursday on the Garden State Parkway, State Police said.
Troopers responded to milepost 39.5 on the parkway's northbound side at 1:02 a.m., Trooper Brandi Slota said. Firefighters from the Bargaintown and Farmington volunteer fire companies responded.
A preliminary investigation determined a blue BMW had veered off the road before striking multiple trees and flipping over, State Police said.
One victim was able to remove themselves from the vehicle, leaving just the driver trapped with minor injuries. The driver was removed and turned over to Egg Harbor Township EMS.
One person died Thursday in a motor vehicle accident on the Garden State Parkway in southern…
The occupants' injuries were not life-threatening, Slota said.
Photos posted on social media by the Bargaintown company show heavy damage to the sedan's front end. Air bags could be seen deployed inside the car.
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Units remained on the scene in the early morning hours to provide light for a tow company to remove the vehicle from the woods.
The crash remains under investigation. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/parkway-crash-in-egg-harbor-township-injures-2/article_3c7a014e-fe08-11ec-b045-2f843b76f9f7.html | 2022-07-07T22:02:53 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/parkway-crash-in-egg-harbor-township-injures-2/article_3c7a014e-fe08-11ec-b045-2f843b76f9f7.html |
ATLANTIC CITY — A three-alarm fire that tore through five Boardwalk storefronts two weeks ago was likely caused by an electrical malfunction.
The blaze, which damaged businesses including jewelry and clothing stores June 24, remains under investigation, city spokesperson Andrew Kramer said Thursday.
Specifics about what started the blaze should be available once the investigation confirms a cause, Kramer said.
The fire started about 8:30 a.m. About 60 firefighters worked on scene off the beach at New York Avenue, near the Ripley's Believe It Or Not! museum, which avoided damage. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-boardwalk-blaze-may-have-been-sparked-by-electrical-problem/article_bb99ad10-fe32-11ec-bc26-2f3635c7ff72.html | 2022-07-07T22:02:59 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-boardwalk-blaze-may-have-been-sparked-by-electrical-problem/article_bb99ad10-fe32-11ec-bc26-2f3635c7ff72.html |
The South Jersey Lifeguard Chiefs Association racing season opens Friday as the Atlantic and Cape May county beach patrol teams will both have big events.
The five Atlantic County patrols meet in the 50th annual Captain Michael D. McGrath Longport Memorial Lifeguard Races at 6 p.m. at 33rd Avenue beach in Longport. Nine of the 10 Cape May County lifeguard teams will race at the 38th annual Cape May County Lifeguard Championships at 6:30 p.m. at Rambler Road beach in Wildwood Crest.
The lifeguard teams competing at Longport include the host patrol, Margate, Ventnor, Atlantic City and Brigantine. The three races are the doubles row, the swim and the singles row. The swim allows for three lifeguards from each patrol to compete.
Longport won all three races at the McGrath event last year to take the team championship.
"We have the first race, so it's always interesting to see who they (the patrols) bring," Longport's first-year Chief Tom Kresz said. "The competitors we put out there will give it their all."
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The Cape May County Championship's races are somewhat shorter. They include the doubles row, the open rescue board race, the open swim, the women's swim, the women's rescue board race, the singles row and the surf dash. There will be five lifeguards from each patrol in the surf dash, one of which will be a woman.
The nine teams include Ocean City, Upper Township, Sea Isle City, Avalon, North Wildwood, Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, Cape May and Cape May Point.
Wildwood Crest has won the team title of its home event twice in a row (2019 and 2021. The event was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic). Wildwood Crest Chief Bud Johnson said his patrol's team will be somewhat different this time. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/s-j-lifeguard-racing-season-begins-friday-in-both-counties/article_901692be-fe34-11ec-b1a7-d3d3c0909410.html | 2022-07-07T22:03:12 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/s-j-lifeguard-racing-season-begins-friday-in-both-counties/article_901692be-fe34-11ec-b1a7-d3d3c0909410.html |
Early in June, the Historic Preservation Commission received an application for authority to apply for permits to demolish several historic buildings in the Historic District, including the Albany Middle School. The plan of the applicant is to build a Living and Learning center on the site of Albany Middle School with a parking lot along the south side of Second Avenue.
At its economic height in the 1950s, ‘60s, and '70s, Albany understood itself to be a dynamic growing city. Like many cities that were optimistic about their future, Albany was less interested in its past and not especially interested in maintaining its older structures. As harder times arrived, there was even less incentive to maintain or preserve the city’s older built environment. Many of its historic buildings were abandoned, left to decay and eventually torn down.
Over the past decade, the nation has come to appreciate of value, versatility and economic value of historic buildings. Albany Middle School, the surrounding buildings and the nearby houses offer Albany a unique opportunity to be part of this new appreciation. The current prevailing wisdom in Albany is to tear down buildings with the hope that they will be replaced with new businesses. The typical roadblocks discouraging large renovation or preservation efforts have been identifying new uses for the buildings and finding investors willing to take on the challenge. But these roadblocks may not exist if the owner of the Albany Middle School can be persuaded to renovate rather than demolish.
Properly restored, adapted to the proposed new use, expanded with sympathetically designed additions and imaginative repurposing, the buildings and spaces surrounding the Albany Middle School could be the spark that might renew interest and investment in this section of the Historic District. It would also be a perfect fit with the city’s Downtown Revitalization plans.
There is no question that all of the structures that are part of the application are historic and contribute significantly to the district. The buildings are structurally sound and can be adapted to new uses. There is nothing to suggest that any of the buildings proposed for demolition cannot be successfully renovated at a cost comparable to new construction. Furthermore, the Albany Middle School building is to be a living/learning center. So the renovations do not have to meet the exacting standards of a medical care facility. In other words, there is no practical justification for tearing down the buildings.
If the buildings were preserved and properly renovated, both the properties’ owner and city would have a model for future similar projects in other parts of Albany. This past month, the renovation of Fort Valley High School was recognized for Excellence in Rehabilitation by the Georgia Trust. Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital has a unique opportunity to benefit from the prestige that a restoration project brings to Albany. Rather than demolishing the buildings and the opportunity, Phoebe should be persuaded to abandon its current plans and instead make the renovation of the Albany Middle School a significant historic preservation success for Albany. Please urge PPMH to restore the Albany Middle School. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/charles-capps-save-albany-middle-school/article_aff8b36c-fd3c-11ec-8ffe-731e65cc6ac2.html | 2022-07-07T22:03:12 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/charles-capps-save-albany-middle-school/article_aff8b36c-fd3c-11ec-8ffe-731e65cc6ac2.html |
The Ocean City Nor’easters men’s soccer team, which already had clinched the Mid-Atlantic Division title, had to settle for a 0-0 tie Wednesday with host Philadelphia Lone Star FC.
The tie left the unbeaten Nor’easters at 9-0-3 (30 points). Philadelphia Lone Star is 2-6-3 (9 points).
Ocean City goalie Felix Schafer recorded the shutout, lowering his goals against average to 0.66.
“We controlled large segments of the game and created a number of chances to put the game away but Philadelphia’s goalkeeper came up with some huge saves,” Ocean City coach Kevin Nuss said in a Nor’easters news release.
Nuss, who has had two stints as Ocean City’s coach, extended his unbeaten streak with O.C. to 19 games (13-0-6). The Nor’easters also extended their road unbeaten streak to 13 games, dating back to the 2019 season. The 2020 season was canceled due to the pandemic.
The Nor’easters host second-place West Chester United (7-3-2, 23 points) at 7 p.m. Sunday at Carey Stadium. West Chester, which has lost to Ocean City twice this season, is fighting for a playoff spot. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/unbeaten-noreasters-tie-lone-star-0-0/article_bb7dafd8-fe33-11ec-b761-07c002336107.html | 2022-07-07T22:03:18 | 1 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/unbeaten-noreasters-tie-lone-star-0-0/article_bb7dafd8-fe33-11ec-b761-07c002336107.html |
TIFTON — Thanks to $3.5 million worth of support from the United States Department of Education, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will help more students graduate from high school and enroll in college in years to come.
ABAC Director of Sponsored Programs Scott Pierce said two new five-year grants from the Office of Postsecondary Education will provide support for 139 students per year through the Upward Bound program. The program has been a vital part of ABAC and surrounding communities since 1977, motivating students to succeed for almost 45 years.
Upward Bound helps students get into college by providing tutoring, Saturday sessions to help with college readiness, a five-week college “simulation experience” in the summer for students in grades 9-12, cultural trips, and a summer bridge program for graduating seniors to get them ready for their first year in college. ABAC’s Upward Bound program operates in Atkinson, Ben Hill, Coffee, Irwin, Tift, Turner, Wilcox and Worth counties.
Pierce said the programs are an essential part of ABAC’s undergraduate mission.
“Nationwide, Upward Bound helps about 60,000 students a year,” Pierce said. “Our two new grants come in at a little under $700,000 a year. That’s a real commitment from the Department of Education to our area. It’s a very important program for us here in rural Georgia, especially in homes where neither parent pursued education beyond high school.
“Sometimes college just isn’t on the radar. It may seem out of reach. Upward Bound lets high school students see and experience higher ed. Once you get a sense of what it’s about, it seems more doable.”
“Upward Bound has not only helped me with my academic classes, it has also helped me to grow into a better person and connect with different people from surrounding counties,” Upward Bound student Kailyn Reed said. “Upward Bound has definitely helped me better prepare for the future. I’m so glad I joined this program.”
For more information on becoming a part of Upward Bound, interested persons should contact Sonya Alexander at salexander@abac.edu or at (229) 391-5144.
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accounts, the history behind an article. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/u-s-department-of-education-awards-abraham-baldwin-agricultural-college-3-5-million-in-upward/article_9a6c2504-fe33-11ec-9b2e-9f1748eb9770.html | 2022-07-07T22:03:18 | 1 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/u-s-department-of-education-awards-abraham-baldwin-agricultural-college-3-5-million-in-upward/article_9a6c2504-fe33-11ec-9b2e-9f1748eb9770.html |
OPENING CEREMONY: An isolated shower or storm can’t be ruled out, but better odds are on the opening ceremony for The World Games staying dry. It will be very warm and humid, though. Temperatures will be in the 80s through the ceremony, and the heat index will still be in the 90s through the start of the event. You can watch the Opening Ceremony LIVE right here on CBS 42. Coverage starts at 7 pm, and we’ll air the Opening Ceremony commercial free from 8-10 pm.
TONIGHT: Temperatures settle this evening into the mid 70s. Some patchy fog is likely to develop, especially after midnight.
FRIDAY: Another scorching summer day is likely, with highs climbing into the mid 90s and the heat index will climb between 105-110°. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop in the afternoon. Be sure to take breaks from the heat if you’re spending time outdoors.
WEEKEND PLANNER: More numerous storms are likely as a weak cold front pushes across the state. Some storms Saturday could produce heavy rain and gusty winds. Storms will likely linger into Saturday night and perhaps Sunday morning before some drier air moves in to kick off the new week.
SATURDAY STORMS: Storms are most likely Saturday afternoon into Saturday night, between 2PM Saturday and 2 AM Sunday. Storms will be capable of torrential downpours, gusty winds, and frequent lightning. For those attending outdoor events for The World Games, be sure to head indoors if you hear thunder or are advised to do so by World Games staff.
NEXT WEEK: Drier air moves into Central Alabama to kick off next week. That will help drop the heat index a bit, and we could see a small dip in temperatures as well. Rain chances will begin to trend back up by mid-week as the moisture returns to Central Alabama.
BEACH FORECAST: Hot and humid afternoons with scattered storms remains the seemingly unchanging forecast for Alabama’s beaches right now. The rip current risk remains limited through the weekend.
Storm Team 7 Day
Be sure to follow the CBS 42 Storm Team:
Follow Us on Facebook: Chief Meteorologist Ashley Gann, Meteorologist Dave Nussbaum, Meteorologist Michael Haynes and Meteorologist Alex Puckett | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/more-heat-and-storms-in-the-forecast-as-the-world-games-get-started/ | 2022-07-07T22:06:14 | 1 | https://www.cbs42.com/news/local/more-heat-and-storms-in-the-forecast-as-the-world-games-get-started/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Grab your friends and head to Mockingbird Station this summer! A new virtual reality experience has officially opened a new location in Dallas this summer.
Sandbox VR is a socially immersive gaming experience that gives players a unique combination of full-body motion capture and VR technologies that make you become anyone and can take you anywhere you want.
“We’re thrilled to open our newest location at Mockingbird Station,” Founder and CEO Steven
Zhao said in a news release. “Dallas is a particularly exciting city with its thriving economy, booming tech
industry, and diverse communities. We’re honored to be a part of its growth story!”
Officials say this location features four private rooms for VR gameplay, called “holodecks”. They also offer six uniquely immersive worlds for players to enjoy. Groups of up to six participants are allowed in this experience. Players are equipped with a VR headset, haptic vest, backpack and motion sensors on the wrists and ankles.
Sandbox VR is located at 5307 E. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 110. They are open during the following business hours:
- Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Friday – Sunday: 10 a.m. to midnight
For more information about Sandbox VR, click here. | https://cw33.com/news/local/new-virtual-reality-experience-officially-open-in-dallas-mockingbird-station/ | 2022-07-07T22:06:57 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/new-virtual-reality-experience-officially-open-in-dallas-mockingbird-station/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — An animal shelter in Carrollton is looking to help pet owners in South Dallas and rural parts of Texas get affordable access to veterinary services.
Operation Kindness has launched a new Community Initiative program to help pet owners in ‘veterinary deserts’. Officials say ‘veterinary deserts’ leave pet owners without access to veterinary services due to a lack of community clinics, high costs of services and an inability to be transported outside of their immediate area.
Through this program Operation Kindness will enhance its partnership with Spay Neuter Network to send out its mobile clinic to these high-priority areas without access to veterinary care.
“I’m very proud of the high-quality veterinary services we provide to the animals in our care. Now, this new program will allow us to take services to people in the community – meeting them where they are. Our goal is to assist 8,000 additional pets per year through community initiatives,” Ed Jamison, CEO of Operation Kindness, said in a news release.
Events through this program will be reflected on the shelter’s online calendar. | https://cw33.com/news/local/north-texas-shelter-operation-kindness-making-vet-access-more-affordable-accessible/ | 2022-07-07T22:07:03 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/north-texas-shelter-operation-kindness-making-vet-access-more-affordable-accessible/ |
DALLAS (KDAF) — Texas is earning top marks in the United States for its pathway to sustainability.
According to a new report from Site Selection Magazine, Texas is the most sustainable state in the nation and North Texas is one of the most sustainable metros in the country, ranking second overall (behind another Texas metro Austin, which ranked first overall).
The magazine made this determination based on the following criteria:
- The number of LEED-certified buildings (number & per capita, USGBC, May 2022)
- The number of Energy Star buildings 2022 (numbers & per capita, U.S. DOE)
- The number of green industry projects 2019-2021 (investments in “green industry” NAICS codes as defined by BLS; tally & per capita)
- Score in Frontier Group’s Shining cities report, April 2022
“After Sweden, the U.S., Spain, Germany and Finland fill out the top five countries. Texas, Illinois, New York and Arizona top our state measures, followed by California and Colorado in a tie for fifth. Among U.S. metros, we go back to Texas again to find Austin at No. 1, trailed by Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Cincinnati, the Washington, D.C. metro area (including Arlington, Alexandria and parts of three states) and metro Denver, where the air is rare and the vistas are plentiful,” the report says.
For the full report, visit Site Selection Magazine. | https://cw33.com/news/local/study-names-texas-the-most-sustainable-state-in-the-nation-in-2022/ | 2022-07-07T22:07:09 | 1 | https://cw33.com/news/local/study-names-texas-the-most-sustainable-state-in-the-nation-in-2022/ |
Man hit in holiday weekend Colorado River jet ski accident dies
The man who was struck by a jet ski along with three other people on the Colorado River Monday has died, according to the Bullhead City Police Department.
After the accident, Ricardo Aponte Almanza, 43, of Corona, California, was taken in critical condition to a trauma center in Las Vegas. He died Wednesday afternoon, police spokesperson Emily Fromelt said in a statement.
One of the other victims identified as Jose Rivas, 21, was also taken to a hospital. As of Monday, he was in critical but stable condition, according to Fromelt. An unidentified 34-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man were treated and released.
The driver of the jet ski, identified as Iridian Jazmin Basoco, 26, reportedly lost control and entered the swim-only area, hitting the three men and the woman.
Basoco was driving a rented jet ski from a Bullhead City business and she was wearing a business wristband that meant she had watched and understood a safety video as required by city law, according to police.
The Bullhead City Police Department was investigating the incident and waiting for blood test results as of Thursday. The results could take four to six weeks to come back from the lab, Fromelt said.
Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/07/07/man-dies-struck-jet-ski-colorado-river/10005693002/ | 2022-07-07T22:07:15 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/arizona-breaking/2022/07/07/man-dies-struck-jet-ski-colorado-river/10005693002/ |
16-year-old involved in Glendale police shooting released from custody
The 16-year-old who was taken into custody after Glendale police fatally shot a 15-year-old on Wednesday near 63rd Avenue and West Citrus Way has been released without charges.
According to Glendale police, both teens were inside a vehicle that police said was stolen. When officers found them and approached the vehicle, the 15-year-old driver told them there was a gun inside the car, police said.
Officers warned him not to reach for the gun as they were attempting to arrest him, but police said the teen struggled during his arrest and reached into the car for the weapon. At that point, an undercover officer not wearing a body camera shot the teen, Glendale Police spokesperson Sgt. Randy Stewart said.
It is unclear how many times he was shot.
Emergency personnel gave the teen CPR before taking him to a hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The 16-year-old who was taken into police custody without incident has been released without charges, according to Buckeye police.
Their identities were not released given they are minors, police said.
No officers were injured during the shooting, according to Glendale police.
Police said a weapon was found inside the car.
At least one other officer did have a body camera on and nearby building cameras will be examined by police, Stewart said. The Buckeye Police Department will carry out an independent investigation into the incident, he said.
Republic reporter Gloria Rebecca Gomez contributed to this report.
Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/glendale-breaking/2022/07/07/16-year-old-involved-glendale-police-shooting-released-without-charges/10007692002/ | 2022-07-07T22:07:21 | 0 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/glendale-breaking/2022/07/07/16-year-old-involved-glendale-police-shooting-released-without-charges/10007692002/ |
Man arrested on suspicion of causing crash that killed 11-year-old girl in El Mirage
El Mirage police arrested a man suspected of causing a crash that left an 11-year-old girl dead Wednesday in the area of El Mirage Road and Olive Avenue.
According to El Mirage police, Adrian Ballesteros, 28, of El Mirage, was arguing with his girlfriend as she drove a pickup truck traveling south on El Mirage Road. Ballesteros, who was in the passenger seat, pulled on the steering wheel making his girlfriend lose control of the truck, police said.
The vehicle traveled across the median and crashed with a car that was traveling northbound. The truck rolled over at least once, according to police.
An 11-year-old girl in the other car was ejected from the collision and pronounced dead at the hospital. The remaining occupants of the car — a 14-year-old girl, a 16-year-old girl and a 53-year-old woman who was driving — were taken to the hospital and were in stable condition, police said.
Ballesteros and his girlfriend had minor injuries and remained on the scene. He was arrested and booked on one count of manslaughter and five counts of endangerment, according to police.
Reach breaking news reporter Angela Cordoba Perez at Angela.CordobaPerez@Gannett.com or on Twitter @AngelaCordobaP.
Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today. | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/surprise-traffic/2022/07/07/police-arrest-man-suspected-causing-fatal-crash-el-mirage/10006540002/ | 2022-07-07T22:07:27 | 1 | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/surprise-traffic/2022/07/07/police-arrest-man-suspected-causing-fatal-crash-el-mirage/10006540002/ |
Merrillville-based NiSource, the parent company of NIPSCO and Columbia Gas, has launched chatbots and live chat, automated customer service tools that have become increasingly common online.
NIPSCO and Columbia Gas customers can direct their questions to bots, including inquiries on how to find payment locations, view electricity or gas usage or enroll in payment plans. The chatbots and live chat services are now available on the NIPSCO and Columbia Gas websites and apps.
NiSource said customers wanted to be able to get answers without calling call centers. The artificial intelligence-powered chatbots can answer frequently asked questions, such as how to report an electric outage, understand bill changes or find out about work taking place in their neighborhood.
The chatbots also can help users find financial support options, discover optional services and learn about COVID protocols.
Customers can be connected with live customer service representatives with the Customer Care Center if they have more complicated questions than a chatbot can handle.
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"At NiSource, we are dedicated to providing an enhanced and effortless experience for our customers," said Jennifer Montague, senior vice president and chief customer officer at NiSource. "Customers have continually asked for more options to handle their needs. The chatbots and live chat give them the ability to engage with us in the channel of their choice at their convenience."
NiSource has also recently launched mobile apps, pushed for more paperless billing and enabled stop, start and move service on the NIPSCO and Columbia Gas websites. It adopted a new conversational interactive voice response system that lets customers enroll in AutoPay, manage account details and explore budget billing options.
"Customer digitization is helping our customers get the information they need and make changes to their service at their convenience, Montague said. "As customers continue to request more digital options to do business, we will continue to look for additional enhancements to existing technologies." | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/nipsco-launches-live-chat-and-chatbots/article_e68ce862-15e0-58cc-b6d8-5c11da53e0ab.html | 2022-07-07T22:07:38 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/business/local/nipsco-launches-live-chat-and-chatbots/article_e68ce862-15e0-58cc-b6d8-5c11da53e0ab.html |
CROWN POINT — The Lake County Council plans to keep close tabs on the sheriff's jail spending after a judge last week authorized the sheriff to bypass the Lake County Commissioners and sign jail-related purchasing contracts on his own.
Lake Superior Judge Stephen Scheele said his reading of a state law directing the sheriff to "take care" of jail inmates in his custody gives Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. the authority to ink jail-related contracts without needing the consent of the county's three-member executive.
"The Lake County sheriff, and not the Lake County Board of Commissioners, has the authority to enter into contracts to take care of the Lake County Jail and the prisoners there," Scheele said in his June 30 ruling.
The commissioners immediately filed notice of their intent to appeal the decision based on a different state law giving county government contracting authority exclusively to the commissioners.
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They've also asked Scheele to postpone the effective date of his ruling until the Indiana Court of Appeals considers the case.
Scheele has scheduled a Monday hearing to evaluate the commissioners' request for a stay, according to court records.
Should the ruling take effect, however, Lake County Councilman Dan Dernulc, R-Highland, said the council will keep a watchful eye on the sheriff's spending through careful control of its annual appropriations for the county jail.
"We still have the purse strings. So he has to come in front of us," said Dernulc, who leads the council's jail spending subcommittee.
Councilman David Hamm, D-Hammond, agreed: "He can only sign a contract for the amount of dollars that we appropriate."
Both councilmen also observed the council already has in place strict spending categories for the jail, ranging from salaries and overtime to clothing and furniture, and any transfer of funds from one category to another also requires council approval.
Nevertheless, Councilman Al Menchaca, D-Gary, said the council probably should request copies of every contract signed solely by the sheriff to make sure taxpayer dollars are spent appropriately.
The legal clash between the sheriff and the commissioners stems, in part, from Martinez inking an agreement for Correctional Health Indiana Inc. (CHI) to continue providing medical care to inmates at the Lake County Jail, notwithstanding the commissioners' call for a top-to-bottom review of jail medical spending and a rebidding of the contract.
Records show the commissioners in December declined to approve the sheriff's proposed contract with CHI for 2022 inmate medical services at a cost of $6.1 million, a 5% increase compared to 2021, and 20% more than 2020.
According to court records, Martinez signed the 2022 contract with CHI anyway. But Lake County Auditor John Petalas declined to pay CHI under the sheriff’s contract because it wasn’t approved by the commissioners — prompting Martinez to file suit.
Dernulc said he recognizes there's friction between the sheriff and the commissioners. But he believes the commissioners have an appropriate role in contracting as the county executive, and he was surprised by the court's decision.
"The sheriff needed to find a remedy and he got his remedy," Dernulc said. | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-county-council-still-holds-purse-strings-on-sheriffs-jail-contracts/article_62872f95-0196-536b-b182-75980feaca81.html | 2022-07-07T22:07:46 | 1 | https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/lake-county-council-still-holds-purse-strings-on-sheriffs-jail-contracts/article_62872f95-0196-536b-b182-75980feaca81.html |
People around Mark Elliot Stool kept overdosing, authorities say.
The San Antonio man was indicted this week on charges that he provided fentanyl-laced drugs to at least four people, three of whom died of overdoses, at his home in a tony Lockhill Selma neighborhood.
The federal case, one of at least five like it in San Antonio since last year, comes amid the U.S. government’s crackdown on fentanyl and other opioids.
Court records show Stool, 65, was charged in June with drug possession with intent to deliver, but quickly made bail.
A federal grand jury indicted him Wednesday on four charges of distributing controlled substances resulting in death or serious bodily injury, two counts of possession with intent to distribute (both fentanyl and methamphetamine), and two counts of conspiracy.
An affidavit said San Antonio police and Drug Enforcement Administration agents began investigating Stool in May.
“During the course of this investigation, agents have learned of multiple individuals who have overdosed on fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin at Stool’s residence,” the affidavit said.
Stool told investigators that a friend of his, identified by the initials J.L., overdosed on Feb. 26, and that two other people he gave or sold drugs to also had died of overdoses. Another person survived after receiving Narcan, a prescription that counteracts opioid overdoses.
Lawyers for Stool were not available for comment Thursday.
Records show Stool had served deferred-adjudication probation for drug possession in 1997.
His parents, Newsom and Claudia Stool, were both doctors in other states before moving to San Antonio, public records show. His father, an orthopedic surgeon, died in 1990, and his mother retired in 2000. She’s listed in public records as the owner of the home where Mark Stool lives and where the overdoses allegedly occurred.
On June 10, undercover agents followed Stool as he left the house in his black Tesla, and had patrol officers stop him for traffic violations. Agents found him with baggies of substances that he said were methamphetamine and cocaine, the affidavit said.
“Stool advised agents that he is a distributor of cocaine and methamphetamine and that up to about three weeks ago he also distributed fentanyl,” the affidavit said.
Agents asked him about the death of J.L., and Stool allegedly said he sold methamphetamine to J.L. on the day he died. Stool said he and J.L. both ingested the methamphetamine and fell asleep. When Stool woke up later that day, J.L. appeared to still be asleep and unresponsive.
Stool left the house. When he returned, J.L. was in the same position, but had turned gray. Stool realized J.L. was dead and contacted the authorities, who pronounced J.L. dead at the scene, the affidavit said.
An autopsy found that J.L. died from the toxic effects of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Investigators found that meth recovered from the scene contained fentanyl.
Agents asked Stool if he knew of any other deaths related to narcotics that he had distributed.
Stool allegedly told agents about two more deaths — of a 25-year-old woman in March and a 66-year-old man in August — and the January overdose of a 23-year-old woman who survived after being given Narcan, the affidavit said.
guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Feds-charged-65-year-old-San-Antonio-man-after-17291130.php | 2022-07-07T22:09:21 | 1 | https://www.expressnews.com/news/local/article/Feds-charged-65-year-old-San-Antonio-man-after-17291130.php |
Sarasota County man sentenced to 3 years probation, $7k fine for threatening U.S. Congresswoman
A 67-year-old Sarasota County man was sentenced Wednesday to three years probation for sending a threatening email in 2019 to U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota.
U.S. District Judge Kathryn K. Mizelle also sentenced David G. Hannon to pay a $7,000 fine, attend substance abuse and mental health treatment programs, refrain from drinking alcohol, and have no contact with the Congresswoman.
Hannon entered a guilty plea in April to one count of threatening a federal official, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, at least a three-year supervision period, and a special assessment of $100.
Another threat from a local:Sarasota County man sentenced for making threatening phone calls to members of Congress
Meanwhile, in the city:Sarasota officials, Dr. Beach celebrate new law allowing local governments to ban beach smoking
Prosecutors recommended 10 months of imprisonment and a $5,500 fine as Hannon's conduct was deemed to be "offensive to our system of government" and "a heinous act of violence" against an elected official, according to court documents.
Mizelle ruled for a lesser sentence citing Hannon's remorse, a prior lack of trouble, and a probation officer recommending no prison time, among other reasons, according to reporting by the Tampa Bay Times.
Prosecutors said in a memorandum document that Hannon's misuse of email, his offensive tone and his conduct indicated he had no respect for the law and "even less respect for those who practice the Muslim faith."
Hannon sent an email threatening to shoot Omar and three other U.S. Congresswomen in the head following a televised press conference on July 16, 2019. Omar, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., were responding to former President Donald Trump's remarks for them to return to their "broken" countries, despite all being American citizens and three being born in the U.S.
The email, which had a subject line of, "(You're) dead, you radical Muslim," called the congresswomen of color "radical rats" and asked if Omar was prepared "to die for Islam."
When Omar's staff received the email, they immediately notified federal investigators, according to the memorandum.
Hannon is the second Sarasota County man to be sentenced for threatening Omar. Frank Anthony Pezzuto, 73, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison in March 2022 after he was found guilty of threatening members of Congress.
Court documents showed he made threatening phone calls to the offices of Omar, U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-California, and U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff, D-California, in 2020.
Gabriela Szymanowska covers the legal system for the Herald-Tribune in partnership with Report for America. You can support her work with a tax-deductible donation to Report for America. Contact Gabriela Szymanowska at gszymanowska@gannett.com, or on Twitter. | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2022/07/07/david-hannon-sentenced-3-years-probation-email-threat-united-states-representative-ilhan-omar/7829239001/ | 2022-07-07T22:10:35 | 1 | https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/local/sarasota/2022/07/07/david-hannon-sentenced-3-years-probation-email-threat-united-states-representative-ilhan-omar/7829239001/ |
ST PAUL, Minn. — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison on federal charges that he violated George Floyd's civil rights at the time of his death in May 2020.
The judge gave Chauvin credit for the seven months he already served, bringing his sentence moving forward to 245 months, or just over 20 years.
Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal charges back in December, admitting for the first time that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck — even after he became unresponsive — resulting in Floyd's death.
Chauvin spoke briefly at the sentencing hearing, where he told George Floyd’s family that he “wishes all the best” for Floyd’s children, though he did not issue a direct apology.
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Paul Magnuson spoke to Chauvin directly. "I really don’t know why you did what you did. But to put your knee on another person’s neck until they expire is simply wrong and for that conduct you must be substantially punished."
George Floyd's brother, Philonise, Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross and Derek Chauvin's mother all delivered victim impact statements before the ruling. During her remarks, Chauvin's mother said her son often put the Minneapolis Police Department before his family, and asked the judge to send Chauvin to a nearby federal facility.
John Pope also spoke at the hearing. As part of his federal plea deal, Chauvin admitted to using excessive force against Pope when he was 14 years old in 2017.
The plea deal called for Chauvin to serve his federal and state sentences at the same time and to be transferred from a Minnesota state prison to a federal prison, where experts say he likely will be safer and may be held under less restrictive conditions.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led Chauvin's prosecution in state court, called the sentence "another step of accountability on the road to justice," in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
He also thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office and Department of Justice for prosecuting Chauvin's case, writing "it was appropriate and right that they stepped in."
“In no uncertain terms, George Floyd should be alive today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement. “Chauvin’s use of excessive force and his failure to provide medical care resulted in Mr. Floyd’s senseless murder. Chauvin’s unlawful actions in a separate incident also resulted in injury to a 14-year-old child ... While no amount of prison time can reverse the tragic consequences of Derek Chauvin’s violent actions, we hope that this sentence provides some small measure of justice for the families and communities impacted.”
“Derek Chauvin abandoned his sworn oath to uphold the sanctity of life when he callously took George Floyd’s life and when he violently assaulted a 14-year-old child. Chauvin’s actions constituted a grave abuse of police authority and a clear violation of these individuals’ civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger in a statement. “To the victims, their families, and to the broader community: although the harm that Chauvin caused will never be erased, today’s sentence of more than 20 years in prison represents a measure of justice and accountability.”
In April 2021, a state jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder and third-degree murder in Floyd’s death, making him the first white police officer to be found guilty of murdering a Black man in Minnesota. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill handed down a 22 1/2 year sentence on those counts.
For his own safety, Chauvin, 46, had been held since his conviction in “administrative segregation” at the state's maximum security prison at Oak Park Heights. He's been largely confined to a 10-by-10-foot room, which he’s been allowed to leave for an average of one hour a day for exercise.
If Chauvin were in the general population of a Minnesota state prison, he'd be at risk of running into inmates he had arrested or investigated when he was a Minneapolis officer, said Rachel Moran, another law professor at St. Thomas. While he can’t totally escape his notoriety in a federal prison elsewhere, she said, he’s unlikely to encounter inmates with such a direct, personal grudge.
State prison populations are heavy on violent offenders, including people convicted of murder, robbery and rape, Heffelfinger said. Federal prisons also hold inmates with violent backgrounds, he added, but they're more likely to house nonviolent drug dealers, white-collar criminals and the like.
Assuming the bureau decides Chauvin is safe enough in the general population, he’ll have more chances to move about, to work and to participate in programming. Those opportunities would vary with the security level and the individual facility.
The three other former officers charged in connection to Floyd's murder, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, were all found guilty in federal court in Feb. 2022 on civil rights charges related to Floyd's death.
Lane has also pleaded guilty to a state count of aiding and abetting manslaughter, while Thao and Kueng face an October trial on state charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Watch more on the Trial of Derek Chauvin:
Watch the latest coverage on the death of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin in our YouTube playlists: | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b | 2022-07-07T22:12:12 | 1 | https://www.5newsonline.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b |
NORTON, Va. (WJHL) – In a letter to Ballad Health employees, company vice president Shannon Showalter announced that the system would be moving several Southwest Virginia employee positions and consolidating its skilled nursing program to another facility.
As part of that consolidation, the letter stated that Mountain View Regional Hospital would no longer have a skilled nursing facility.
The full letter can be found below:
“Consolidation of acute care services has improved our ability to provide more consistent coverage of our specialties,” the letter said. “While investing in expansion of primary care access at Lonesome Pine and emergency and acute services in Lee County.”
The move comes as part of a larger expansion at Norton Community Hospital, the letter said, and Ballad officials decided to move their skilled nursing program entirely to the Norton campus. Ballad Health has informed the Virginia Department of Health of their plans for the consolidation, according to the letter.
“As we have made these changes, the question about the future of Mountain View Regional Hospital has become more important to answer, given the excess capacity we have in our community,” the letter states. “As you know, Norton has two hospitals two miles apart. This is obviously not sustainable or the best use of the assets.”
Mountain View Regional Hospital’s website states that the skilled/long-term care unit is a 44-bed dual-certified unit that specializes in long-term and skilled care with services also in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation.
While addressing employees, Showalter stated that the system began discussion with Mountain Empire Community College and UVA-Wise to turn the Mountain View Regional Hospital’s Skilled Nursing Facility into a more beneficial facility that could contribute to the increasing supply of healthcare professionals in the area.
Showalter mentioned that none of the current workers at Mountain View will lose their jobs as a result of this relocation and all team members in good standing will have the opportunity to remain with Ballad Health in a similar role at one of the system’s other facilities.
The anticipated completion date for the transition is April 2023. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/ballad-health-to-consolidate-swva-hospitals-relocate-skilled-nursing-program/ | 2022-07-07T22:14:02 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/ballad-health-to-consolidate-swva-hospitals-relocate-skilled-nursing-program/ |
CLOVERDALE, Va. – UPDATE – 6:15 P.M.:
10 News has received more information about the pursuit in Botetourt County.
Sheriff Matt Ward with Botetourt County Sheriff’s Department has confirmed that there were two men in the vehicle, a White Mercedes, involved in the pursuit.
During the pursuit, the Sheriff said that the Mercedes ran off the road, and the driver then exited the vehicle and shot himself, taking his own life.
The Sheriff reported that the passenger was injured, but did not confirm to what extent.
Stay with 10 News as this breaking story develops
ORIGINAL STORY:
A vehicle pursuit has ended in Botetourt County.
Botetourt County Sheriff Matt Ward said that the situation began at 3:56 p.m. when they were alerted of a pursuit from Roanoke City traveling into their jurisdiction.
The person involved in the chase was armed, according to the sheriff.
The pursuit ended near Read Mountain Road and Downing Street in the Cloverdale area, deputies said, and traffic should avoid the area.
Deputies are asking parents that have children at Mini World to proceed to Read Mountain Road and Apple Tree Road, then to go down Downing street.
The Sheriff’s Department reports that they are still waiting on a medical examiner to arrive on the scene.
10 News confirms a white sheet covering a body in the road.
Stay with 10 News as this story develops. | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/07/breaking-vehicle-pursuit-ends-in-botetourt-county-roads-blocked/ | 2022-07-07T22:15:50 | 0 | https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2022/07/07/breaking-vehicle-pursuit-ends-in-botetourt-county-roads-blocked/ |
ST PAUL, Minn. — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison on federal charges that he violated George Floyd's civil rights at the time of his death in May 2020.
The judge gave Chauvin credit for the seven months he already served, bringing his sentence moving forward to 245 months, or just over 20 years.
Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal charges back in December, admitting for the first time that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck — even after he became unresponsive — resulting in Floyd's death.
Chauvin spoke briefly at the sentencing hearing, where he told George Floyd’s family that he “wishes all the best” for Floyd’s children, though he did not issue a direct apology.
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Paul Magnuson spoke to Chauvin directly. "I really don’t know why you did what you did. But to put your knee on another person’s neck until they expire is simply wrong and for that conduct you must be substantially punished."
George Floyd's brother, Philonise, Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross and Derek Chauvin's mother all delivered victim impact statements before the ruling. During her remarks, Chauvin's mother said her son often put the Minneapolis Police Department before his family, and asked the judge to send Chauvin to a nearby federal facility.
John Pope also spoke at the hearing. As part of his federal plea deal, Chauvin admitted to using excessive force against Pope when he was 14 years old in 2017.
The plea deal called for Chauvin to serve his federal and state sentences at the same time and to be transferred from a Minnesota state prison to a federal prison, where experts say he likely will be safer and may be held under less restrictive conditions.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led Chauvin's prosecution in state court, called the sentence "another step of accountability on the road to justice," in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
He also thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office and Department of Justice for prosecuting Chauvin's case, writing "it was appropriate and right that they stepped in."
“In no uncertain terms, George Floyd should be alive today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement. “Chauvin’s use of excessive force and his failure to provide medical care resulted in Mr. Floyd’s senseless murder. Chauvin’s unlawful actions in a separate incident also resulted in injury to a 14-year-old child ... While no amount of prison time can reverse the tragic consequences of Derek Chauvin’s violent actions, we hope that this sentence provides some small measure of justice for the families and communities impacted.”
“Derek Chauvin abandoned his sworn oath to uphold the sanctity of life when he callously took George Floyd’s life and when he violently assaulted a 14-year-old child. Chauvin’s actions constituted a grave abuse of police authority and a clear violation of these individuals’ civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger in a statement. “To the victims, their families, and to the broader community: although the harm that Chauvin caused will never be erased, today’s sentence of more than 20 years in prison represents a measure of justice and accountability.”
In April 2021, a state jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder and third-degree murder in Floyd’s death, making him the first white police officer to be found guilty of murdering a Black man in Minnesota. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill handed down a 22 1/2 year sentence on those counts.
For his own safety, Chauvin, 46, had been held since his conviction in “administrative segregation” at the state's maximum security prison at Oak Park Heights. He's been largely confined to a 10-by-10-foot room, which he’s been allowed to leave for an average of one hour a day for exercise.
If Chauvin were in the general population of a Minnesota state prison, he'd be at risk of running into inmates he had arrested or investigated when he was a Minneapolis officer, said Rachel Moran, another law professor at St. Thomas. While he can’t totally escape his notoriety in a federal prison elsewhere, she said, he’s unlikely to encounter inmates with such a direct, personal grudge.
State prison populations are heavy on violent offenders, including people convicted of murder, robbery and rape, Heffelfinger said. Federal prisons also hold inmates with violent backgrounds, he added, but they're more likely to house nonviolent drug dealers, white-collar criminals and the like.
Assuming the bureau decides Chauvin is safe enough in the general population, he’ll have more chances to move about, to work and to participate in programming. Those opportunities would vary with the security level and the individual facility.
The three other former officers charged in connection to Floyd's murder, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, were all found guilty in federal court in Feb. 2022 on civil rights charges related to Floyd's death.
Lane has also pleaded guilty to a state count of aiding and abetting manslaughter, while Thao and Kueng face an October trial on state charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Watch more on the Trial of Derek Chauvin:
Watch the latest coverage on the death of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin in our YouTube playlists: | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b | 2022-07-07T22:16:53 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b |
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — Deputies in Hernando County arrested a man who on two occasions was found with his pants unzipped and "fondling himself," the sheriff's office said in a news release.
Daniel Simpson, 28, has been charged with two counts of indecent exposure.
On July 2, a person called authorities to report an indecent exposure while she was at the Brooksville Cemetery. She told deputies that while she was visiting the gravesite with a friend she noticed a man, later identified as Simpson, who was partially dressed.
"The victim observed the male to have his pants down to his ankles and to be fondling himself, as he watched the victim," the Hernando County Sheriff's Office said.
However, when Simpson realized she saw him, he put on his clothes and took off from the area.
A day later, another woman who was at the post office on East Fort Dade Avenue called the sheriff's office to make a report about indecent exposure.
The woman reportedly told deputies when she was inside the post office, a man said "hi" to her. She ignored him and quickly left the building, the sheriff's office said. The woman looked back to make sure the man wasn't following her and noticed that his pants were unzipped and he was fondling himself.
The man was later identified as Simpson. The Hernando County Sheriff's Office obtained warrants for his arrest and was able to arrest Simpson on July 6.
Simpson remains in the Hernando County Detention Center on a $10,000 bond. Upon release, he will have to wear a GPS ankle monitor. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hernandocounty/man-partially-naked-brooksville-cemetery-arrested/67-c4c4c69d-4d0a-4ceb-ab00-fbc630ab8a04 | 2022-07-07T22:16:59 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hernandocounty/man-partially-naked-brooksville-cemetery-arrested/67-c4c4c69d-4d0a-4ceb-ab00-fbc630ab8a04 |
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Restoring and rebuilding our community's child welfare system has been the topic of conversation for years in the Tampa Bay region.
On July 1, a new child welfare agency, Children's Network of Southwest Florida took over in Hillsborough County after the state terminated the long-time contract with Eckerd Connects.
At the end of 2021, the Florida Department of Children and Families announced it would no longer keep Eckerd Connects as the lead agency across Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties.
It came after the Pinellas Sheriff launched an investigation into unsupervised kids sleeping in Eckerd offices because there was nowhere for them to go.
Children's Network, based in Fort Myers, will now be tasked with monitoring roughly 3,000 kids in the Hillsborough County foster care system who need, at the minimum, protection and safety.
CEO of Children's Network of Southwest Florida Nadereh Salim will be the lead on creating a whole new culture in a broken system.
"We came in with our eyes wide open. We knew it was a big challenge," Salim said.
Since March, Salim said she's been making trips to Hillsborough County to start to lay the foundation and build the infrastructure ahead of the official July 1 start. Children's Network's first priority is recruiting and retaining staff and foster parents.
Eventually, Hillsborough County will become its own chapter of Children's Network with its own CEO and board of directors.
10 Tampa Bay's Liz Crawford recently talked with foster parents in the county who are on the verge of quitting. They wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of losing their certification.
They described a familiar scenario — absent case managers who are burnt out and overworked. But it was the specifics that stand out — a little girl with a rotten tooth who can't get the court approval to visit a dentist, children sleeping in offices or cars when there are no beds available and one foster parent who traded the Hillsborough County system for the Pinellas County system because of how bad things had gotten.
"There are between 50 and 60 children who don’t have a place, a permanent place to go in the foster care system every night in Hillsborough right now," Robin Rosenberg said, the deputy director with Florida’s Children First, a statewide advocacy organization focused on the rights of children under the care of the state.
Salim says she's aware of the circumstances and she's heard the pleas of foster parents, staff, court representatives and birth families. She's already increased salaries for case workers and decreased the workload to address staff retention.
"That has really started to pay dividends even in this short amount of time, some folks had left, they’re coming back now because they see the wages are decent," Salim said.
The state legislature allotted more money in the 2022 budget to the child welfare system. Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties are seeing much of that as new agencies work to rebuild the foster systems left by Eckerd Connects.
10 Tampa Bay reached out to the Department of Children and Families about the allegations and asked specifically what the department did to help neglected children in the Tampa Bay region after the criminal investigation was launched into Eckerd Connects.
We still haven't gotten a response to our questions, but a spokesperson said to reach out to the Children's Network of Southwest Florida. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/new-agency-foster-care-system-hillsborough-county/67-0d88f423-87d2-47f8-b4d9-63659a0db367 | 2022-07-07T22:17:05 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/hillsboroughcounty/new-agency-foster-care-system-hillsborough-county/67-0d88f423-87d2-47f8-b4d9-63659a0db367 |
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The family of a man killed during a shooting in Winter Haven on July 4 wants help from the community to find who killed Demetrick Brown.
Winter Haven Police confirmed to 10 Tampa Bay, the 26-year-old was shot and killed at a pop up block party along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Brown's godmother told 10 Tampa Bay that he leaves behind two sons and a lot of family who loved him dearly.
"He was outstanding," said Brown's godmother, Sabrina Young said. "Laid back young man.
Winter Haven Police is asking for anyone who knows anything or has any video to come forward as they search for the shooter. Brown's family is asking the same.
"I was known to him as mom... We just really want to know because we just don’t know. We just don’t know who did it," said Young.
Young described Brown as a laid back guy who was loved by many.
"He has a village of people who played a part of the man he is," said Young." It’s closure and it helps you sleep better at night to know who is responsible for his death."
For anyone with information, contact Heartland Crime Stoppers or Winter Haven Police. These tips are anonymous could earn you $5,000 cash reward. | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/polkcounty/winter-haven-demetrick-brown-man-killed/67-e42d7644-1db5-400b-9a22-5a4cade0b737 | 2022-07-07T22:17:11 | 1 | https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/polkcounty/winter-haven-demetrick-brown-man-killed/67-e42d7644-1db5-400b-9a22-5a4cade0b737 |
HERKIMER, N.Y. – Crews were called in to repair a broken water main on South Caroline Street in the village of Herkimer Thursday morning.
Due to the work, all lanes were blocked on South Caroline Street between Sunset Avenue and Route 5 for a few hours.
The repairs were made and both lanes reopened just after 1 p.m. | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/south-caroline-street-in-village-of-herkimer-reopens-following-water-main-break/article_6988399c-fe05-11ec-bc8e-af2bdf7afcf3.html | 2022-07-07T22:17:24 | 1 | https://www.wktv.com/news/local/south-caroline-street-in-village-of-herkimer-reopens-following-water-main-break/article_6988399c-fe05-11ec-bc8e-af2bdf7afcf3.html |
ELMORE COUNTY, Idaho —
Elmore County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) received a report of a possible drowning in the upper South Fork of the Boise River near the Boise National Forest on July 1.
ECSO, Pine Featherville EMS, Elmore County Search and Rescue as well as a Saint Luke's Air Ambulance, responded to the incident.
Search and Rescue began attempting to locate the victim, a 44-year-old man, who’s name has not been disclosed at this time. The man had attempted to rescue a dog that was in distress due to the swift current, ultimately, the man and the dog had gone under, according to ECSO.
Search and Rescue efforts continued for the next four days and involved using boats, drones, and searching the riverbank by foot.
On July 4, ECSO was able to locate the body of the victim approximately half a mile down river from where he had gone under. They were able to get the body of the man out of the water with assistance from Ada County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team and he was transferred to the Elmore County Coroner.
ECSO would like to thank everyone who assisted in the search and their time to assist in helping find closure for the victim's family.
ECSO would like to remind people of the danger of recreation along the river with the fast current and debris that make for unsafe conditions in the South Fork of the Boise River.
Watch more Local News:
See the latest news from around the Treasure Valley and the Gem State in our YouTube playlist:
The Daily 7:
Sign up for the KTVB Daily 7 e-mail newsletter and never miss Idaho's top stories. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/apparent-drowning-victim-recovered-from-boise-river/277-d9e1b084-9a98-4c87-ac3d-0a590dc11edc | 2022-07-07T22:18:52 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/apparent-drowning-victim-recovered-from-boise-river/277-d9e1b084-9a98-4c87-ac3d-0a590dc11edc |
ST PAUL, Minn. — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison on federal charges that he violated George Floyd's civil rights at the time of his death in May 2020.
The judge gave Chauvin credit for the seven months he already served, bringing his sentence moving forward to 245 months, or just over 20 years.
Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal charges back in December, admitting for the first time that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck — even after he became unresponsive — resulting in Floyd's death.
Chauvin spoke briefly at the sentencing hearing, where he told George Floyd’s family that he “wishes all the best” for Floyd’s children, though he did not issue a direct apology.
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Paul Magnuson spoke to Chauvin directly. "I really don’t know why you did what you did. But to put your knee on another person’s neck until they expire is simply wrong and for that conduct you must be substantially punished."
George Floyd's brother, Philonise, Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross and Derek Chauvin's mother all delivered victim impact statements before the ruling. During her remarks, Chauvin's mother said her son often put the Minneapolis Police Department before his family, and asked the judge to send Chauvin to a nearby federal facility.
John Pope also spoke at the hearing. As part of his federal plea deal, Chauvin admitted to using excessive force against Pope when he was 14 years old in 2017.
The plea deal called for Chauvin to serve his federal and state sentences at the same time and to be transferred from a Minnesota state prison to a federal prison, where experts say he likely will be safer and may be held under less restrictive conditions.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led Chauvin's prosecution in state court, called the sentence "another step of accountability on the road to justice," in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
He also thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office and Department of Justice for prosecuting Chauvin's case, writing "it was appropriate and right that they stepped in."
“In no uncertain terms, George Floyd should be alive today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement. “Chauvin’s use of excessive force and his failure to provide medical care resulted in Mr. Floyd’s senseless murder. Chauvin’s unlawful actions in a separate incident also resulted in injury to a 14-year-old child ... While no amount of prison time can reverse the tragic consequences of Derek Chauvin’s violent actions, we hope that this sentence provides some small measure of justice for the families and communities impacted.”
“Derek Chauvin abandoned his sworn oath to uphold the sanctity of life when he callously took George Floyd’s life and when he violently assaulted a 14-year-old child. Chauvin’s actions constituted a grave abuse of police authority and a clear violation of these individuals’ civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger in a statement. “To the victims, their families, and to the broader community: although the harm that Chauvin caused will never be erased, today’s sentence of more than 20 years in prison represents a measure of justice and accountability.”
In April 2021, a state jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder and third-degree murder in Floyd’s death, making him the first white police officer to be found guilty of murdering a Black man in Minnesota. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill handed down a 22 1/2 year sentence on those counts.
For his own safety, Chauvin, 46, had been held since his conviction in “administrative segregation” at the state's maximum security prison at Oak Park Heights. He's been largely confined to a 10-by-10-foot room, which he’s been allowed to leave for an average of one hour a day for exercise.
If Chauvin were in the general population of a Minnesota state prison, he'd be at risk of running into inmates he had arrested or investigated when he was a Minneapolis officer, said Rachel Moran, another law professor at St. Thomas. While he can’t totally escape his notoriety in a federal prison elsewhere, she said, he’s unlikely to encounter inmates with such a direct, personal grudge.
State prison populations are heavy on violent offenders, including people convicted of murder, robbery and rape, Heffelfinger said. Federal prisons also hold inmates with violent backgrounds, he added, but they're more likely to house nonviolent drug dealers, white-collar criminals and the like.
Assuming the bureau decides Chauvin is safe enough in the general population, he’ll have more chances to move about, to work and to participate in programming. Those opportunities would vary with the security level and the individual facility.
The three other former officers charged in connection to Floyd's murder, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, were all found guilty in federal court in Feb. 2022 on civil rights charges related to Floyd's death.
Lane has also pleaded guilty to a state count of aiding and abetting manslaughter, while Thao and Kueng face an October trial on state charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Watch more on the Trial of Derek Chauvin:
Watch the latest coverage on the death of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin in our YouTube playlists: | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b | 2022-07-07T22:18:58 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b |
SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Mayor Nadine Woodward announced proposed changes to the city's camping and sit and lie ordinances that will limit when and where people are allowed to camp on city property.
The city's camping ordinance has not been updated since 2018 and the sit and lie ordinance has not been updated since 2014.
The current ordinance prohibits camping on city-owned public property when there is not enough shelter space. Spokane City Council recently announced an updated ordinance, but the mayor said she wants to take it a step further.
"We make it easy to be homeless," Woodward said. "I know that's not a popular thing for some people to hear, but these ordinances and their updates are not to push people around. It is to push them into assistance."
Under Spokane's current illegal camping ordinance, camping is not allowed on public property and a person cannot sit or lie on the sidewalk between 6 a.m. and midnight. However, the ordinance is also not enforced if there is no shelter space.
Both the city council and the mayor's proposals call for removing the blanket exemption "when shelter space is unavailable." Both also allow for enforcement at all times in some specified locations.
Both proposals would also enforce the camping ordinance in the following areas:
- Within 100 feet of railroad viaducts
- Within 35 feet of the Spokane River
- All city parks and city-owned property
Both proposals also have no effect on people camping on private or state-owned land, meaning the people camping in the lot near I-90 would be exempt from both ordinances.
Woodward's proposal, however, takes the ordinance a step further.
The mayor's proposes changes would expand enforcement to within a half-mile of city-supported congregate shelters, as well as within the boundaries of the Business Improvement District and the downtown police precinct.
This is the Business Improvement District boundary map:
Under Woodward's proposal, camping would be illegal in all colored zones on the map. That zone stretches from Cataldo Avenue to the railroad tracks near First Avenue and from Walnut to North Division. The downtown police precinct has a wider footprint.
Camping would be illegal in the orange-colored area, which stretches from the north bank of Riverfront Park to I-90, then from Sherman out to near Inland Empire Highway.
The mayor said her recommendations are a compromise with the council. However, City Council President Breean Beggs said Wednesday was the first time he heard of Woodward's recommendations. He added this is not the best way to get city council votes.
Beggs and councilmember Lori Kinnear's ordinance only limits where people can set up a tent on city-owned property. Restrictions include around railroad viaducts, in city parks and near the Spokane River.
"The mayor and the other council members care a little bit less about what the law is and they just really want to make a statement," Beggs said. "They want people to feel like something is going to be done."
Woodward told the community on Wednesday that Beggs and Kinnear's ordinance is not enough and more places downtown need to be restricted.
"That proposal does not go far enough," she said. "It doesn't include the downtown district and that's where we want to be able to see enforcement and improvement."
Beggs said those additions will make the ordinance unconstitutional, putting serious limits on where people can go. He added the mayor's recommended ordinance could push tents further into residential neighborhoods.
According to Beggs, he was not invited to the mayor's press conference, and if the mayor wants enough votes to get her ordinance passed, she needs to have a discussion with all other council members involved.
Beggs said she has not done that yet.
Both proposals will be discussed on Monday, July 11 in the Public Safety committee meeting.
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To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com. | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/spokane-homeless-camping-sit-and-lie-ordinance/293-6d800a2c-fbe9-4959-be04-529efa899641 | 2022-07-07T22:19:04 | 0 | https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/spokane-homeless-camping-sit-and-lie-ordinance/293-6d800a2c-fbe9-4959-be04-529efa899641 |
Detroiters mourn the loss of Tuskegee Airman Alexander Jefferson
Detroit — Mourners gathered Thursday to honor the life of a late Tuskegee Airman at the Charles. H. Wright Museum of African American History.
Alexander Jefferson, a former lieutenant colonel in the vaunted U.S. Army Air Corps group, died June 22 at the age of 100. He was one of the first African Americans to serve as a P-51 fighter pilot with the Red Tail, 332nd Fighter Group, 301st Fighter Squadron in Ramitelli, Italy, during WWII.
Viewers passed by as he lie in repose Thursday in the rotunda of the museum.
Jefferson, a lifelong Detroiter, reported to Tuskegee Army Air Field to begin flight training in 1943.
Jefferson was captured during his 19th mission by German troops and held for eight months from 1944-45.
He retired from active duty in 1947 and from the reserves in 1969. He was a teacher and school principal for decades in Detroit.
In the early 1970s, Jefferson founded the Detroit Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen in his basement. Miguel Thornton, a member, said: "The legacy is to keep the dream of the Tuskegee Airmen alive, introduce youth to aviation and aerospace."
The Tuskegee Airmen have been the subject of books, movies and documentaries highlighting their courage in the air and the doubts they faced on the ground because of their race, according to the Associated Press.
Members of the chapter on Thursday, dressed in blue and black suits, saluted the former airman.
Jefferson was honored by the city of Detroit in 2021 and given a key to the city on his 100th birthday. The city also rededicated Jefferson Plaza at Rouge Park, named after him and where he spent time as a child flying model airplanes.
“He was a young man who grew up as a boy on the west side and flew model airplanes at Rouge Park because he knew he wanted to grow up to be a pilot," said Rochelle Riley, director of arts and culture for the city. “This is a vital part of Detroit’s culture and history, and American history, and every child should learn it.” | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/07/07/detroiters-mourn-loss-detroit-native-and-tuskegee-airmen-lt-col-alexander-jefferson-charles-h-wright/7827971001/ | 2022-07-07T22:19:50 | 0 | https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2022/07/07/detroiters-mourn-loss-detroit-native-and-tuskegee-airmen-lt-col-alexander-jefferson-charles-h-wright/7827971001/ |
Marlboro Township trustees, Stark Parks address concerns over district's development plans
MARLBORO TWP. – Stark Parks officials should have a program in place for how they will manage the township's wildlife population before they move forward with a plan to develop a former 112-acre farm.
That was the message echoed by Marlboro Township trustees Thursday during a work session with Stark Parks Executive Director Dan Moeglin.
"A lot more wetlands creates more habitat for the deer, the turkeys and the geese that come over and eat the neighbors' crops," Trustee John Battershell said.
More:Why not both? Stark Parks hires both director finalists for executive director and deputy director
Disagreement over development plans
The work session came more than a year after the trustees passed a resolution opposing the idea to create a bike trail/walking path that would go through Marlboro Township.
Trustees expressed concerns at the time that a bike trail/walking path would intrude upon residents' private property. Robert Fonte, director of the parks district at the time, said the agency had no plans to build new recreational trails in the township.
Moeglin took over as director of Stark Parks in April.
He said he has been visiting with officials in municipalities within Stark County in an effort to introduce himself to the community and get feedback about the parks district's work.
One project trustees had concerns about was the development of a former farm.
The Stark County Park District purchased the former Bingham Farm in 2002. The property sits west of Marlboro Avenue NE, east of Osborne Avenue NE and north of Allen Drive NE.
Stark Parks intends to restore the prairie and wetland areas and add a parking lot and hiking trails that go around the property. Eventually, the parks district hopes to add an archery range and shelter.
But Marlboro Township trustees said they worry about extending the wetlands. Battershell said the intersection of Osborne Avenue NE and Allen Drive NE can be blocked by up to 2 feet of water after heavy rainfall.
"When I heard that was going to be wetlands, that frustrated me because you're taking over 100 acres of productive farm land out of production," he said.
Moeglin said the parks district used Clean Ohio funds to purchase the former farm property. One stipulation of the deed, he said, was that the land could be used for active agriculture purposes.
"We had to sunset the farming practices," he said.
Moeglin said that Battershell's suggestion for having a plan in place for managing the deer population was a good idea. It's better to be proactive about the issue, he said, than to wait until it becomes a problem.
He also said the parks district's board has told him they want to focus on improving the properties they already own rather than acquiring new ones.
"We need to take care of what we have," Moeglin said.
Removing trees at Quail Hollow
Another issue the trustees addressed was the need to cut down old trees along the roads alongside Quail Hollow.
"Every time there was a windstorm or snowstorm, the trees were falling across. They kept taking down the power lines," Battershell said.
Trustee Wayne Schillig said the issue been frustrating for officials because the trees are outside of township jurisdiction but continue to affect residents.
"One of the No. 1 things for a trustee is the fact that we're responsible for the health and well-being of our constituents," he said.
Moeglin said Stark Parks intends to take down some of these trees.
"My perspective is, I'd like to go and probably clear a 30-foot swath around the whole thing," he said.
He said the parks district is exploring the possibility of the trees being used as timber. This would help alleviate some of the costs of the tree removal, he said.
"If it comes in and there's no timber value, and it's just going to cost cash to do it, we'll do it, but it's going to take time," Moeglin said. "So we may have to look at sections and try to budget it."
Reach Paige at 330-580-8577 or pmbennett@gannett.com, or on Twitter at @paigembenn. | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2022/07/07/marlboro-township-stark-parks-discuss-issues-over-development-plans/7820977001/ | 2022-07-07T22:20:18 | 0 | https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/local/stark-county/2022/07/07/marlboro-township-stark-parks-discuss-issues-over-development-plans/7820977001/ |
ST PAUL, Minn. — Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 21 years in prison on federal charges that he violated George Floyd's civil rights at the time of his death in May 2020.
The judge gave Chauvin credit for the seven months he already served, bringing his sentence moving forward to 245 months, or just over 20 years.
Chauvin pleaded guilty to the federal charges back in December, admitting for the first time that he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck — even after he became unresponsive — resulting in Floyd's death.
Chauvin spoke briefly at the sentencing hearing, where he told George Floyd’s family that he “wishes all the best” for Floyd’s children, though he did not issue a direct apology.
Before handing down the sentence, Judge Paul Magnuson spoke to Chauvin directly. "I really don’t know why you did what you did. But to put your knee on another person’s neck until they expire is simply wrong and for that conduct you must be substantially punished."
George Floyd's brother, Philonise, Floyd's girlfriend Courteney Ross and Derek Chauvin's mother all delivered victim impact statements before the ruling. During her remarks, Chauvin's mother said her son often put the Minneapolis Police Department before his family, and asked the judge to send Chauvin to a nearby federal facility.
John Pope also spoke at the hearing. As part of his federal plea deal, Chauvin admitted to using excessive force against Pope when he was 14 years old in 2017.
The plea deal called for Chauvin to serve his federal and state sentences at the same time and to be transferred from a Minnesota state prison to a federal prison, where experts say he likely will be safer and may be held under less restrictive conditions.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who led Chauvin's prosecution in state court, called the sentence "another step of accountability on the road to justice," in a statement released Thursday afternoon.
He also thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office and Department of Justice for prosecuting Chauvin's case, writing "it was appropriate and right that they stepped in."
“In no uncertain terms, George Floyd should be alive today,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division in a statement. “Chauvin’s use of excessive force and his failure to provide medical care resulted in Mr. Floyd’s senseless murder. Chauvin’s unlawful actions in a separate incident also resulted in injury to a 14-year-old child ... While no amount of prison time can reverse the tragic consequences of Derek Chauvin’s violent actions, we hope that this sentence provides some small measure of justice for the families and communities impacted.”
“Derek Chauvin abandoned his sworn oath to uphold the sanctity of life when he callously took George Floyd’s life and when he violently assaulted a 14-year-old child. Chauvin’s actions constituted a grave abuse of police authority and a clear violation of these individuals’ civil rights,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger in a statement. “To the victims, their families, and to the broader community: although the harm that Chauvin caused will never be erased, today’s sentence of more than 20 years in prison represents a measure of justice and accountability.”
In April 2021, a state jury found Chauvin guilty of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree murder and third-degree murder in Floyd’s death, making him the first white police officer to be found guilty of murdering a Black man in Minnesota. Hennepin County Judge Peter Cahill handed down a 22 1/2 year sentence on those counts.
For his own safety, Chauvin, 46, had been held since his conviction in “administrative segregation” at the state's maximum security prison at Oak Park Heights. He's been largely confined to a 10-by-10-foot room, which he’s been allowed to leave for an average of one hour a day for exercise.
If Chauvin were in the general population of a Minnesota state prison, he'd be at risk of running into inmates he had arrested or investigated when he was a Minneapolis officer, said Rachel Moran, another law professor at St. Thomas. While he can’t totally escape his notoriety in a federal prison elsewhere, she said, he’s unlikely to encounter inmates with such a direct, personal grudge.
State prison populations are heavy on violent offenders, including people convicted of murder, robbery and rape, Heffelfinger said. Federal prisons also hold inmates with violent backgrounds, he added, but they're more likely to house nonviolent drug dealers, white-collar criminals and the like.
Assuming the bureau decides Chauvin is safe enough in the general population, he’ll have more chances to move about, to work and to participate in programming. Those opportunities would vary with the security level and the individual facility.
The three other former officers charged in connection to Floyd's murder, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane, were all found guilty in federal court in Feb. 2022 on civil rights charges related to Floyd's death.
Lane has also pleaded guilty to a state count of aiding and abetting manslaughter, while Thao and Kueng face an October trial on state charges of aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
Watch more on the Trial of Derek Chauvin:
Watch the latest coverage on the death of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin in our YouTube playlists: | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b | 2022-07-07T22:20:54 | 1 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/george-floyd/derek-chauvin-sentenced-federal-charges-george-floyd/89-8c484115-4678-4345-8039-2ca7a3ff067b |
RED LION, Pa. — Signs and flags emblazoned with the phrase “Let’s Go Brandon” and the stronger-language phrase it substitutes for aren’t an uncommon sight in Central Pennsylvania yards and on cars.
Flying a flag with the “F” word on it offends some, while others, like Melissa Low of Mount Wolf, are concerned about its impact on kids.
“No matter your political opinion, I don’t think it needs to be that vulgar,” she said.
One can debate whether the phrase is in bad taste, but there’s likely no legal basis to remove them.
Free speech does have some limits; for example, the Supreme Court has ruled obscenity is not protected.
“But what the Supreme Court means by obscenity in that context is not swear words. It’s hard-core pornography,” said Michael Dimino, a law professor at Widener Law Commonwealth.
The “F” word could qualify as obscenity in certain contexts if its use “appeals to the prurient interest,” meaning the language is overly sexual. In that context, displaying a sign with the “F” word could violate a Pennsylvania law banning the display of obscenity.
In the case of “Let’s Go Brandon” and the phrase it represents, the “F” word instead has a distinctly political meaning. Political speech is the most protected form of speech in the Constitution.
“It may be vulgar. It may be obscene. It may be hate speech,” said attorney Mark Scaringi of Scaringi Law. “But the slogan is protected by the First Amendment.”
After seeing a few such signs in Red Lion Borough, FOX43 reached out to borough officials. The borough solicitor said the speech would be protected even if residents complained, though one borough official said he had not heard of any complaints.
Just because the signs are legal, though, doesn’t mean they’re appreciated by neighbors.
“I think people do have a right to put what they want in their yard,” Low said. “But I just don’t feel that it needs to be vulgar and something that’s negative for the community.” | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lets-go-brandon-signs-obscenity-free-speech/521-78d5abf9-6eee-44f3-860d-49a3f11936ad | 2022-07-07T22:21:00 | 0 | https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/lets-go-brandon-signs-obscenity-free-speech/521-78d5abf9-6eee-44f3-860d-49a3f11936ad |
Two Dallas County residents are claiming big lottery prizes in recent wins.
The Texas Lottery announced Thursday that a Dallas resident claimed a $1 million scratch-ff prize. The winning scratch-off ticket of the game "Money" was purchased at a Beer & Wine Stop, located at 1418 North Duncanville Road.
The scratch-off game offers more than $122.9 million in total prizes, the Texas Lottery said, with overall odds of winning any prize in the game being one in 3.44, including break-even prizes.
On Wednesday, the lottery announced a Balch Springs resident claimed a $1 million Powerball prize for the June 27 drawing. The winning ticket was purchased at Elam Food Mart, located at 12300 Elam Road, in Balch Springs.
The second-tier winning Quick Pick ticket matched all five of the white ball numbers drawn (11-13-18-30-37), but not the red Powerball number (16).
Both winners requested to remain anonymous. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/north-texans-claim-lottery-prizes/3008862/ | 2022-07-07T22:23:22 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/north-texans-claim-lottery-prizes/3008862/ |
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday authorized state forces to apprehend and transport migrants to the U.S.-Mexico border, claiming the enforcement powers of federal agents and pushing the legal boundaries of the Republican’s escalating efforts to curb the rising number of crossings.
The federal government is responsible for enforcement of immigration laws, but for more than a year Texas has patrolled the border with an increasingly heavier hand.
Abbott stopped short of authorizing Texas troopers and National Guard members — who he has already deployed to the border by the thousands — to take migrants across the ports of entry and into Mexico. That disappointed former Trump administration officials who for months have pressured Abbott to declare an “invasion” and order state forces to forcibly take migrants out of the country.
But the action is still a significant and untested expansion of the normal powers of the National Guard and state police, who until now have turned migrants over to Border Patrol agents, and in some cases, made arrests on state trespassing charges. It raises questions over the training they have to detain and transport migrants and is likely to invite legal challenges.
Crossings are at or near the highest in about two decades. On the Texas border, U.S. authorities stopped migrants from crossing illegally 523,000 times between January and May, up from 417,000 over the same span a year ago.
In his release, Abbott said about 5,000 migrants were apprehended over the Fourth of July weekend.
Abbott has blamed the Biden administration and spent more than $3 billion in state funds on a massive border security apparatus, dubbed Operation Lone Star. Abbott also announced Thursday that he will be committing an additional $30 million to the border initiative, which is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. The state operation has not stemmed the flow of migrants.
“As the challenges on the border continue to increase, Texas will continue to take action to address those challenges caused by the Biden Administration,” Abbott said.
Officials with U.S. Custom and Border Protection did not immediately return requests for comment.
The announcement comes two days after former Trump administration officials and sheriffs in several South Texas called on Abbott to declare that the state is being invaded and use extraordinary powers normally reserved for war. Their plan involves a novel interpretation of the U.S. Constitution to have the National Guard or state police forcibly send migrants to Mexico, without regard to immigration laws and law enforcement procedures.
The idea has existed on the right fringes of the GOP for years but has gained traction among conservatives since Biden took office.
The Center for Renewing America, a conservative policy think tank led by former Trump administration officials, has been driving the effort and criticized Abbott’s order since it does not call for expelling migrants.
“That is critical. Otherwise, this is still catch and release,” the group said in a statement.
U.S. border authorities are stopping migrants more often on the southern border than at any time in at least two decades. Migrants were stopped nearly 240,000 times in May, up by one-third from a year ago.
Comparisons to pre-pandemic levels are complicated because migrants expelled under a public health authority known as Title 42 face no legal consequences, encouraging repeat attempts. Authorities say 25% of encounters in May were with people who had been stopped at least once in the previous year. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/abbott-authorizes-state-forces-to-apprehend-transport-migrants-to-border/3009096/ | 2022-07-07T22:23:28 | 1 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/abbott-authorizes-state-forces-to-apprehend-transport-migrants-to-border/3009096/ |
A former East Texas chief deputy pleaded guilty Wednesday to violating a prisoner’s civil rights by using excessive force on him, according to court documents.
Steven Craig Shelton was the second-ranked official in the Van Zandt County Sheriff’s Office when the Sept. 21 incident happened at the county jail.
During a plea hearing before a federal magistrate in Tyler, Shelton admitted that he struck a handcuffed and compliant suspect twice with his forearm. He said his action was born of frustration and was unjustified, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Under a plea agreement with prosecutors, Shelton faces up to almost four years in federal prison.
Sheriff Steve Hendrix resigned in April after indictments accused him and two deputies of lying about Shelton’s actions. Hendrix, whose attorneys contend is not guilty, still awaits trial. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/ex-van-zandt-chief-deputy-pleads-guilty-to-using-excessive-force/3008922/ | 2022-07-07T22:23:35 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/ex-van-zandt-chief-deputy-pleads-guilty-to-using-excessive-force/3008922/ |
Eligible Texas homeowners and renters can apply to receive help paying bills via the new Texas Utility Help program.
The program was announced Thursday by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
The statewide program aims to distribute funding to low-income homeowners and renters. According to TDHCA, applications may be submitted if one's household income is at or below 150% of Federal Poverty Income Guidelines and they meet other eligibility criteria.
Maximum household income is determined by the number of people in the household. Full eligibility criteria can be found at TexasUtilityHelp.com.
"We launched Texas Utility Help to make it easier for even more Texans to access and benefit from utility assistance programs," said Bobby Wilkinson, TDHCA executive director. "The new program uses a streamlined online application process, so any eligible Texas household can apply for both energy and water bill assistance in a single form."
Qualified applicants can receive help with late payments for electricity, natural gas and propane and up to $2,400 for future payments.
For water and wastewater help, qualified applicants can pay off their total past due payments and up to $600 for future bills.
Texas News
News from around the state of Texas.
Payments are issued directly to the utility company on the applicant's behalf.
TXUH has over $50 million to help Texas homeowners and renters in need. TDHCA is encouraging applicants to apply as soon as possible while funds are available.
For information and questions, you can reach TDHCA from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday at 855-566-2057. Help is available in multiple languages. | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/texas-utility-help-program-launched-to-help-texans-pay-bills/3008879/ | 2022-07-07T22:23:42 | 0 | https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/texas-news/texas-utility-help-program-launched-to-help-texans-pay-bills/3008879/ |
Bethlehem City Council is one step closer to enacting a conflict of interest ordinance.
At a Wednesday committee meeting, council members weighed an ordinance sponsored by Paige Van Wirt that seeks to limit council members’ ability to be influenced by outside interests.
“It’s important that our citizens understand we are voting free and clear of outside influence,” Van Wirt said.
If passed, the ordinance would require some elected officials to abstain from voting on or taking official action on matters “in which they have a financial interest.” Financial interest is defined as campaign contributions above $250, or more than 10% investment or ownership in a business or property. It applies to family members as well as the officials themselves.
The requirements would apply to council members, the city controller and appointed board members like the zoning hearing board and the historical conservation commission.
Contributions from Political Action Committee and union groups who contribute to candidates are exempt from vote recusal requirements, and some council members and members of the public questioned why.
“I’m not sure why they should get a bye,” said Bethlehem Hotel owner Bruce Haines, referring to unions and PACs.
Van Wirt said those groups are exempt because they represent a class or larger group of people, rather than an individual, business or small group that stands to financially benefit. Other council members said exempting PACs might be necessary to ensure potential candidates that lack the financial means to run can still do so.
Some PACs explicitly support under-represented candidates, member Rachel Leon said, like veterans or Latino people. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to ask candidates to recuse themselves from votes that concern their own identity, she said.
“On one hand I see why we should have no exemptions and I really agree with that, but on the other hand, I don’t want to discourage people from running because they don’t have the financial capacity,” Leon said. “When I ran it was very difficult and my family had to make a lot of sacrifices in order to do it, and I would not want to discourage anyone from running because they could not financially make it work.”
Some council members also considered how to prevent other kinds of undue influence over elected officials. For example, how could the city ensure that council members will not vote to financially benefit friends, neighbors or more distant family members?
But it’s impossible to codify all the subtleties of political power and influence, Van Wirt said, which is why the ordinance targets monetary influence specifically.
“It has to be money because there’s just no way to put into law the subtleties of various personal relationships,” Van Wirt said. “We’re trying really hard to not let perfect be the enemy of the good and useful.”
The ordinance also could face legal issues, solicitor Brian Panella said. He declined to go into detail at Wednesday’s meeting, citing confidential legal advice, but said a possible concern is restricting free speech.
“Any time that there’s an idea of restriction of speech, and a vote could be qualified as a restriction of speech, that is a red flag in my head,” Panella said.
Legal concerns played a part in the demise of a sweeping ethics measure that council considered in 2017. It would have created an ethics commission to review violations, publicly censure violators and call for their suspension or termination, and impose up to $1,000 fines.
Some of the measures proposed were duplicates of legal mechanisms already established by the statewide Ethics Commissions, according to former Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli.
City council will schedule another committee of the whole meeting on the ethics ordinance.
Morning Call reporter Lindsay Weber can be reached at 610-820-6681 and liweber@mcall.com. | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-nws-bethlehem-ethics-ordinance-committee-meeting-20220707-vyopkwghpnbeja7ymvm4yptj6e-story.html | 2022-07-07T22:26:59 | 0 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/bethlehem/mc-nws-bethlehem-ethics-ordinance-committee-meeting-20220707-vyopkwghpnbeja7ymvm4yptj6e-story.html |
Only one pool remains open in Whitehall Township after the Cementon Pool was closed indefinitely Thursday.
The township had previously limited hours at Cementon and Hokendauqua pools in part due to a shortage of lifeguards, opening them on alternating days.
Now, only the Hokendauqua Pool, 3051 S. Fifth St., is open but residents can use the facility noon to 7 p.m. all week, interim Recreation Bureau Chief Tony Cocca said.
The Jefferson Street Pool was previously closed due to disrepair.
The Whitehall Township Facebook page cited mechanical and safety issues with the pool as reasons for closing Cementon. Cocca said the issue is a suspected water leak and tests will determine if it’s to do with the pool structure or its pipes. The pool will remain closed for at least the next two weeks, he said.
Any events or activities involving the Cementon Pool will move to the Hokendauqua Pool, Cocca said.
On Facebook, community reactions ranged from disappointment in the decision to support for the township’s work.
“Whitehall has always done the best for its citizens. I applaud the staff,” user Sandra Hippert said in the Facebook group Whitehall, PA Neighborhood.
On a Facebook page for Whitehall Township, user Marissa Robbins asked, “Any chance of a refund for a pool pass? I realize that things happen outside of anyone’s control but that one location won’t really work for our family.” | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-whitehall-pool-closure-20220707-dogjg6h3hfbjbdnbzup3wvcruq-story.html | 2022-07-07T22:27:05 | 1 | https://www.mcall.com/news/local/mc-nws-whitehall-pool-closure-20220707-dogjg6h3hfbjbdnbzup3wvcruq-story.html |
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Park visitors no longer have to worry about dangerous levels of E. coli in Vancouver Lake, health officials announced Thursday.
Clark County Public Health lifted its E. coli warning for the lake after follow-up tests confirmed the water no longer had elevated levels of the harmful bacteria, which was first detected through routine testing in early June.
Health officials said they plan to continue monitoring the waters at Klineline Pond, Battle Ground Lake and Vancouver Lake throughout the summer.
However, even with E. coli levels subsiding, officials are still monitoring the ongoing “harmful” algae bloom at Vancouver Lake. While toxin levels haven’t reached high enough to warrant an advisory for it, changing weather and lake conditions can alter those levels during a bloom, according to the Clark County website.
Pet owners are being told to keep their furry friends from the water. Officials said small children are also at risk on the swim beach as they are more likely to accidentally swallow water.
Vancouver Lake Regional Park is open. Health officials have repeatedly stated that the water in the park’s restrooms and shelters was not affected by the bacteria and remains safe to drink.
For more information on what to avoid during a harmful algae bloom, visit the website. | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/vancouver-lake-warning-lifted-after-e-coli-levels-subside/ | 2022-07-07T22:39:04 | 1 | https://www.koin.com/local/clark-county/vancouver-lake-warning-lifted-after-e-coli-levels-subside/ |
PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey has signed legislation that attempts to reign in short-term rental properties that become a public nuisance in local communities.
Senate Bill 1168 allows local cities to establish regulations on vacation properties rented out through popular home-sharing services like Airbnb.
The bill requires short-term rental owners to obtain local licenses and permits.
These licenses can obligate property owners to provide cities with the following information:
- Name, address, phone number, and email address for the owner or owner's agent
- Address of the vacation or short-term rental
- Proof of compliance with transaction privilege tax licensure.
- Emergency contact information
- Acknowledgment of an agreement to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances
- Pay a fee not to exceed the actual cost of issuing the permit or $250, whichever is less.
SB 1168 additionally allows for permits to be suspended if a short-term rental has had at least three health and safety violations within a 12-month span.
Local governments can attempt to suspend a property's license for a single violation if that violation involves a felony offense committed at the residence, a wrongful death occurring on the property, or if a host intentionally houses a sex offender.
State Sen. J.D. Mesnard, R-Chandler, sponsored the legislation and said it attempts to target irresponsible hosts while allowing Arizona's short-term rental industry to continue to thrive.
"This meaningful compromise will help put a pause to misguided efforts to overregulate or outright ban short-term rentals in communities, which would threaten the state’s visitor economy and undermine Arizona’s record of supporting property rights,” Mesnard said in a statement.
Airbnb claims to have generated an estimated $87 million in taxes for Arizona between 2017 and 2020. The tech company says it's supportive of the signed legislation.
"SB 1168 is proof that elected officials and community stakeholders can come together to develop fair, sensible short-term rental rules that address community concerns and preserve the economic benefits of short-term rentals,” said John Choi, Airbnb's public policy director. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-governor-doug-ducey-approves-3-strike-rule-for-arizonas-rowdy-short-term-rentals/75-c405bc5d-1735-4835-a19a-79d36b924df0 | 2022-07-07T22:41:55 | 1 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-governor-doug-ducey-approves-3-strike-rule-for-arizonas-rowdy-short-term-rentals/75-c405bc5d-1735-4835-a19a-79d36b924df0 |
ARIZONA, USA — Republican Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday signed a massive expansion of the state’s private school voucher system, even as he faced a promised effort by public school advocates to block the bill and ask voters to erase it during November’s election.
The expansion Ducey signed will let every parent in Arizona take public money now sent to the K-12 public school system and use it to pay for their children’s private school tuition or other education costs.
Arizona already has the most expansive education options in the nation and will have the most comprehensive voucher system if the bill takes effect.
An estimated 60,000 private students and about 38,000 being homeschooled would immediately be eligible to take up to $7,000 per year, although a small number currently get vouchers. All 1.1 million students who attend traditional district and charter schools would also qualify to leave their public schools and get money to go to private schools. About a third already qualify, but only about 12,000 students statewide now use the system.
Ducey has championed “school choice” during his eight years in office. He signed a universal voucher expansion in 2017 with enrollment caps that was referred to the ballot by a grassroots group called Save Our Schools Arizona.
Voters soundly rejected the expansion by a 2-to-1 vote in the 2018 election, but advocates of what are formally called “Empowerment Scholarship Accounts” pushed ahead with new expansions anyway. The universal voucher bill passed with only support from majority Republican lawmakers in the legislative session that ended early on June 25.
Save Our Schools Arizona Executive Director Beth Lewis said her group will immediately file to refer the law to the ballot under a provision of the Arizona Constitution that allows opponents of new laws to collect signatures of 5% of eligible voters and block it until the next general election.
In this case, they will need to collect nearly 119,000 valid signatures, and proponents usually add a 25% cushion. They need to have those collected and turned in to the Secretary of State by late September to prevent the law from taking effect and put it on the November ballot.
“I have every confidence that we’re going to be able to refer HB2853,” Lewis said in an interview. “Our network of volunteers across the state are pumped and ready.”
Lewis and other public school advocates say vouchers take money from an already underfunded public school system, while proponents herald the program as letting parents choose the best education for their children.
Lewis said the price tag of the new voucher law could take away more than the new school funding lawmakers added this year, which neared $1 billion in ongoing and one-time cash.
“In a nutshell, this bill will siphon upwards of $1 billion from public schools every single year to unaccountable private academies, micro schools and homeschools,” Lewis said. “And we simply can’t let that happen.”
Many of the students in the voucher program are disabled. By adding current private and home-schooled students, she said anywhere from $400 million to $600 million would be “going out the window like overnight, with automatic eligibility on September 26.”
The Legislature’s budget analysts put the expansion costs much lower, at $125 million in two years, but acknowledge the figures are highly speculative and based on new costs, not the losses from public schools. Many private school students get money from a tax credit program, but those payments average much less than vouchers, so many are likely to switch.
Ducey has been touting the expansion on social media in the past two weeks, and touted mentions in conservative news outlets in a news release announcing the bill signing.
Ducey in a statement called the signing a “monumental moment for all of Arizona’s students. Our kids will no longer be locked in under-performing schools.”
Most of those underperforming schools, however, are in low-income areas with little access to private schools and whose parents rely on the local public schools, which have been underfunded for years.
He made no mention of the overwhelming rejection of the 2017 expansion or of the expected new challenge. Instead, he touted Arizona's lead in private school options.
“With this legislation, Arizona cements itself as the top state for school choice and as the first state in the nation to offer all families the option to choose the school setting that works best for them,” he said.
The voucher law contains no accountability provisions like testing that a few Republicans had sought. There’s also limited oversight of the funds distributed.
The program only applied to students with disabilities when it began in 2011 but has been greatly expanded over the years to cover many others, including students living on American Indian reservations, attending low-performing public schools and other groups.
The nearly 12,000 current students were awarded $196 million in the just-ended school year, according to data from the Arizona Department of Education. About $20 million of that has not yet been disbursed.
Parents get 90% of the state funds that normally go to their local public school to use for private school tuition and other education costs. Disabled students can receive up to $40,000 for specialized therapy.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today. | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-governor-doug-ducey-approves-biggest-us-school-voucher-plan/75-02b393d0-d871-4513-865a-3b330a71e364 | 2022-07-07T22:42:01 | 0 | https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/arizona/arizona-governor-doug-ducey-approves-biggest-us-school-voucher-plan/75-02b393d0-d871-4513-865a-3b330a71e364 |
SCRANTON, Pa. — Inside the Scranton Police Department lobby, a memorial stands honoring Patrolman John Wilding. On July 11, 2015, Wilding was running after three robbery suspects when he jumped over a wall and fell 15 feet. He later died from his injuries.
Now, new legislation would charge suspects with a felony when a police officer is hurt or killed during a foot pursuit.
Mary Wilding, John's mother, has worked with state and local officials on this bill and is thrilled to have it passed by state lawmakers.
"He did not get the full justice that he deserved. And so for him, for every other cop in Scranton — and he was proud to stand among the police — this is for them," Mary Wilding said.
"For a person to run from the police wasn't necessarily a crime. It is now a crime, and there's higher penalties for inflicting injury when you do so," explained Scranton Police Chief Thomas Carroll.
"It's a significant upgrade, and as a felony in the second degree with death or a felony in the third degree with serious bodily injury, it has that felony enhancement in addition to the other charges that can be charged for the underlying wrongdoing," said Lackawanna County District Attorney Mark Powell.
This bill was amended recently to include K-9s. If the animal is injured or killed by a suspect they are pursuing, that suspect can be held accountable to cover the costs of that police dog.
Scranton has six K-9s. Chief Carroll says they're an asset to the department but also an expense.
"There are people who attempt to inflict harm and do inflict harm on the canine itself. So it is reassuring to see that government recognizes it, and we are we have penalties for those offenders as well."
The passing of this bill is also timely. Next week marks seven years since Wilding died in the line of duty. His mother feels like he was the guardian angel to finally have this legislation passed in Harrisburg
"Sometimes, it was timing. Sometimes it was just not the right moment. I think this is the right moment; this is the right time."
The bill will now go to Gov. Tom Wolf's desk to be signed into law.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/bill-honoring-scranton-cop-goes-to-governor-john-wilding-state-law-scranton-police/523-2b388f06-27d9-4edb-80f2-c30ca30f9c4f | 2022-07-07T22:49:43 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/bill-honoring-scranton-cop-goes-to-governor-john-wilding-state-law-scranton-police/523-2b388f06-27d9-4edb-80f2-c30ca30f9c4f |
DUPONT, Pa. — It has taken William Clarke of Dupont a little more than a year to build what he calls his "veterans' appreciation trailer."
"I have the Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force, the Coast Guard, and of course, a lot of American flags. Even the tires are red, white, and blue on both sides to match everything up," Clarke said.
Clarke, a Vietnam veteran himself, wanted to create something to honor his family and all the men and women who have and are currently serving in the United States military.
"My dad, he served four years in islands in World War II. Uncle Joe, Uncle Leo, and Francis served in World War II. This is my veterans' appreciation trailer for all the men and women who served proudly defending this great country of ours."
Residents at the Dupont apartments say they enjoy the veterans' appreciation trailer. Some even say it brings a smile.
"It's very patriotic, and I give them man credit for all he does. He works on it a lot," said Peggy Krishak.
Krishak says many people have stopped to look at the appreciation trailer, with some making a second trip around the block.
"Then they go up there, and some of them have to turn around and come back. It's just very nice."
While the attention from the monument is nice, Clarke wants people to know that there are other ways they can appreciate their local veterans.
"What you do when you see a veteran, just thank them for their service. That means a lot to us."
Check out WNEP's YouTube channel. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/veterans-appreciation-trailer-honors-those-who-serve-dupont-apartments-service-members/523-d06d0c71-afb1-46fe-a980-2ff07bac749d | 2022-07-07T22:49:49 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/luzerne-county/veterans-appreciation-trailer-honors-those-who-serve-dupont-apartments-service-members/523-d06d0c71-afb1-46fe-a980-2ff07bac749d |
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. —
Starting next week, the second floor at 215 Pine Street in Williamsport will be home to UPMC Primary Care.
"The practice officially opens to patients on Monday, July 11," said UPMC Northcentral's Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Lopatofsky.
UPMC is merging its pediatric care facility in South Williamsport and its family medicine office in Duboistown. The two offices will now operate out of the new location in Billtown.
"We had a great supply of patients, and we were not able to meet their needs in the current environment, and we needed room for expansion," added Dr. Lopatofsky.
"The ability to have an updated space was very important and to be able to expand and bring on new providers in the future was very important," said Dr. Jessica Osman of UPMC.
The new UPMC care facility is 11,500 square feet, and it comes with 24 exam rooms. The hospital system tells Newswatch 16 that there is even more room in the building to expand into in the future.
"Eight pediatric rooms, and that includes a procedure room. There is also a telemedicine and lactation consultant room," added Dr. Osman.
"We will have a lot better handicap accessibility. Many of our patients are geriatric or in wheelchairs. So, we are just excited to have handicap-accessible bathrooms; we didn't have that in the other offices," said Dr. Michelle Cavanaugh of UPMC
Not only will this new facility bring on more patients, but it will also create more jobs. UPMC will be looking to hire a number of new positions.
"There have been several physicians in the community who have retired, and we have had a lot of patients trying to get into our office, and to accommodate that, we will need more providers," added Dr. Cavanaugh.
For more information on UPMC's new care facility in Williamsport, you can visit here.
See more Healthwatch 16 stories on YouTube. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/care-facilities-merging-in-lycoming-county-upmc-primary-care-williamsport/523-c2c1b832-ed23-4959-9bca-3f034076b4c0 | 2022-07-07T22:49:55 | 0 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lycoming-county/care-facilities-merging-in-lycoming-county-upmc-primary-care-williamsport/523-c2c1b832-ed23-4959-9bca-3f034076b4c0 |
DANVILLE, Pa. — Brian Shoop and his wife Melissa have been involved in direct sales for many years and have worked for multiple companies. In 2017, Melissa decided she wanted to start her own direct sales company involving coffee.
"Within a few months, there were a few hundred people who said we're in, we want to do this," Brian Shoop said.
The couple from Danville named the company "Java Momma."
"We call the baristas instead of consultants. We have about 3,000 nationwide who sell the Java Momma products. They have home parties or Facebook parties. We also have a shop here in Danville," Shoop said.
He said Java Momma's sales skyrocketed when the pandemic hit.
"We grew 25% month after month, so from 2019 to 2020 we grew 3.5 times. From 2020 to 2021 we grew 2.5 times larger," Shoop said.
Java Momma is known for its flavored coffee. The company carries more than 50 flavors at any given time and releases new ones each week.
Java Momma will actually be featured on a tv show this weekend. That show is called World's Greatest.
"They were doing a series on direct sales companies. So they interviewed a bunch of different direct sales companies and they chose us as the world's greatest direct sales company," he said.
The segment will air at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, July 9 on Bloomberg Television. Brian said he is excited for more people to discover Java Momma.
"No one knew we were here. They had heard of us but they didn't know what we did. People will come in and they don't know we're 20,000 square foot of production space doing coffees, teas, and cocoas and shipping them all over the country in just little old Danville," Shoop said.
Java Momma is located on Ferry Street in Danville.
See news happening? Text our Newstip Hotline. | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/montour-county/danville-coffee-company-to-be-featured-on-tv-show-worlds-greatest-java-momma-direct-sales-shoop/523-2268422d-95a1-48db-b3a8-e1572dbf93e2 | 2022-07-07T22:50:01 | 1 | https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/montour-county/danville-coffee-company-to-be-featured-on-tv-show-worlds-greatest-java-momma-direct-sales-shoop/523-2268422d-95a1-48db-b3a8-e1572dbf93e2 |
INDIANAPOLIS — IMPD is working on strengthening their relationship with the community, and Thursday they held an event at Castleton Mall to help with that.
"These are these intimate moments where we really get to break down those barriers and have conversations with the community," said Michael Wolley, IMPD North District Commander.
It was all part of IMPD Community Day Thursday. The annual event brought out hundreds of community members of all ages for a chance to get to know officers beyond the badge.
"It's an opportunity for our residents to come in, interact with officers, some of our equipment, play games eat foods, really great time," Wolley said.
"I wanted to get a lot of resource information so that I could provide resources to our families. And then, I wanted to bring my grandchildren so that they could experience the comfort and support of our IMPD officers," said Stephanie Jefferson, who lives in the area.
Jefferson is a a social worker on Indy's far east side who says gun violence is out of control.
"You hear, you see, and then a lot of my families have been touched by it," Jefferson said.
IMPD's community event comes just days after two children were shot at a July 4 cookout on the east side.
They are among 49 children to be shot so far this year and survive.
"We can't do it alone. We're all created to support one another and our officers are working hard. and we as citizens need to do our part to support them," Jefferson said. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/impd-hoping-to-make-connections-with-community-day-indianapolis-indiana/531-0cad23af-6237-4fbd-b2f5-9b8ed985e9b2 | 2022-07-07T22:52:24 | 1 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/impd-hoping-to-make-connections-with-community-day-indianapolis-indiana/531-0cad23af-6237-4fbd-b2f5-9b8ed985e9b2 |
INDIANAPOLIS — The California attorney general announced Thursday that California will restrict state-funded travel to Indiana and several other states over what he calls anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
“Make no mistake: There is a coordinated, ongoing attack on transgender rights happening right now all across the country,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “Blanket legislation targeting transgender children is a ‘solution’ in search of a problem. It is detached from reality and directly undermines the well-being of our LGBTQ+ community."
After lawmakers voted to override Gov. Eric Holcomb's veto of the bill prohibiting transgender girls from participating in girls school sports, that ban went into effect July 1.
The ACLU is suing IPS over the ban, so it is still possible an injunction could be put into place.
Below are the reasons and timelines for each state's inclusion on California's prohibited list:
Indiana
Indiana is being added to California’s state-funded travel restrictions list as a result of Indiana's passage of House Bill 1041, which was passed after the Indiana Legislature, on May 24, overrode the Indiana governor’s veto. House Bill 1041 repeals existing protections and prevents transgender women and girls from participating in interscholastic school sports consistent with their gender identity. Given the effective date for the new law, Indiana, pursuant to AB 1887, will be added to California’s travel restrictions list on July 1, 2022.
Arizona
Arizona is being added to California’s state-funded travel restrictions list as a result of Arizona's passage of Senate Bill 1138 and Senate Bill 1165. Both bills were signed into law by Arizona's governor on March 30. Senate Bill 1138 prohibits healthcare professionals from providing, and insurance companies from covering, gender-affirming care to minors. Senate Bill 1165 repeals existing protections and prevents transgender women and girls from participating in intramural and interscholastic school sports consistent with their gender identity. Given the effective dates for the new laws, Arizona, pursuant to AB 1887, will be added to California’s travel restrictions list on September 28, 2022.
Louisiana
Louisiana is being added to California’s state-funded travel restrictions list as a result of Louisiana's passage of Senate Bill 44, which was passed without the Louisiana Governor’s signature on June 6. Senate Bill 44 repeals existing protections and prevents transgender women and girls from participating in intercollegiate and interscholastic school sports consistent with their gender identity. Given the effective date for the new law, Louisiana, pursuant to AB 1887, will be added to California’s travel restrictions list on August 1, 2022.
Utah
Utah is being added to California’s state-funded travel restrictions list as a result of Utah's passage of House Bill 11, which was passed after the Utah Legislature, on March 22, overrode the Utah governor’s veto. House Bill 11 repeals existing protections and prevents transgender women and girls from participating in interscholastic school sports consistent with their gender identity. Given the effective date for the new law, Utah, pursuant to AB 1887, will be added to California’s travel restrictions list on July 1, 2022. | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana/california-restricts-state-funded-travel-to-indiana-over-law-banning-transgender-girls-from-girls-sports-holcomb-states/531-6e2fe847-10ff-4864-a4e7-a883d958459f | 2022-07-07T22:52:30 | 0 | https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/indiana/california-restricts-state-funded-travel-to-indiana-over-law-banning-transgender-girls-from-girls-sports-holcomb-states/531-6e2fe847-10ff-4864-a4e7-a883d958459f |
BRISTOL, Va. (WJHL) — The man who led one of this Bristol, Virginia’s most prominent African-American churches for more than six decades and preached his last sermon less than a month ago has died at the age of 90.
Rev. W.A. Johnson, who died late Wednesday, had pastored Lee Street Baptist Church since 1961, interim pastor Bishop Ronnie Wayne Collins told News Channel 11.
“He was a man of integrity, of vision and of carrying out the mission that Jesus Christ gave us to ‘go ye into all the world and make disciples,'” Collins said.
Collins said Johnson was active in the church up until just the last few weeks. He preached June 12 and entered the hospital June 15, his daughter Hope Ampudia said. She said while few people were aware of it, Johnson had been ill for about two years.
“His style in the pulpit was very positive — exciting,” Collins said. “He had the Bible in his hand, but he had it in his heart and it was just phenomenal watching him and the spirit of his ministry. He preached with power and authority. Anointing is what we called it.”
Johnson’s funeral arrangements are being handled by Clark Funeral Home and aren’t complete yet, but Collins said the church had what is called a “bell-ringing” ceremony at 1 p.m. Thursday.
“We invited community members and met at the church. I spoke briefly about Rev. Johnson’s life, we prayed, and then we rang the bell in his honor and put our flags at half-mast,” Collins said.
Teresa Brown hardly remembers life without Johnson in it. The Lee Street Baptist deaconess and longtime church secretary said she began attending as an elementary schooler, heading to Lee Street after attending early morning mass at the Catholic church.
She said despite his prominence, intelligence and powerful preaching, Johnson’s compassion for all people stood out to her above all.
“He showed up to visit my grandmother when she was sick and was never in a hurry to get away,” she said. “There was never a time when you called him that he didn’t show up.”
Brown said Johnson showed kindness to people who would “come in off the street and give him sob stories.”
“He would reach into his own pocket and give them money, and just listen to people,” she said. “We’d tell him to be careful and he’d say, ‘people are hurting, they need somebody to listen.’ He was right.”
Brown and her husband have been able to see their children, grandchildren and even their own 2-year-old great-granddaughter baptized by Johnson. She said people have called her about his passing from California, New Jersey, New York and around the country.
“He was not just my pastor, he ended up being my friend,” Brown said. “He’s got a legacy. Very intelligent man. I was talking to a friend today and said, ‘can you imagine the crowns that are waiting on him’ (in heaven).”
Ampudia said integrity was at the core of her father’s being. “Who you are behind closed doors, after you have taken off your mask, is the real person,” she said. “A man of God has one face — the face of the heavenly father.”
She said Johnson, whose favorite scripture was Philippians 3:14 (I press toward the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus”), believed that Christ followers should reflect God’s own glory.
Rev. Lester Lattany of Friendship Baptist Church in Johnson City called Johnson “a powerful man of God.”
Lattany said the two of them preached in each other’s pulpits several times and worked together on numerous community celebrations, including Martin Luther King Jr. remembrances and youth events.
“He will be missed,” Lattany said. “He would be considered a giant in the field of preaching ministry and church growth.”
He remembered speaking to Johnson at the funeral service for Lattany’s predecessor at Friendship, Rev. C.H. Charlton, in January 2020.
“I said he probably started pastoring at 16, and he laughed and said I was close.”
Collins said that through his many years of ministry, Johnson visited a couple dozen different countries, ministering and planting churches — “doing things that a true man of God would do, a worldwide visionary.”
Asked to think of a Bible passage that would sum up Johnson’s life and personality, Collins mentioned 3 John 1:2. “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospers.”
Johnson’s biography on the Lee Street website says that he grew up in the Hampton, Va. area and graduated from both Virginia Seminary and Chicago Theological Seminary.
In 1966, Johnson organized one of the first Head Start programs affiliated with Community Action Agencies in Virginia, with the Head Start program operating at the church for 25 years before it relocated. The church also opened its own child care center in 1990.
Johnson was moderator of the Schaeffer Memorial Baptist Association of Southwest Virginia from 1987-1989. He served as a board member of People Inc. and a trustee of Virginia Union University, another of his alma maters. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/carrying-out-the-mission-w-a-johnson-longtime-lee-street-baptist-pastor-dies/ | 2022-07-07T22:54:50 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/carrying-out-the-mission-w-a-johnson-longtime-lee-street-baptist-pastor-dies/ |
(WJHL) — A Navy seaman from Cumberland Gap who died in the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and was accounted for last year will be buried next week in Maryland.
According to the Navy, Seaman 1st Class William Brooks was stationed on the USS Oklahoma (BB-37), which was one of the first vessels hit during the attack. The ship was struck by several torpedos and had rolled over within minutes, trapping hundreds of sailors below deck. Brooks was among the 429 sailors who lost their lives. He was 19 years old.
The ship was righted in 1944 and the 429 sailors’ remains were recovered. However, only 35 were able to be identified. The remaining sailors were interred as “unknowns.”
In 2015, a policy change in the Department of Defense allowed the unidentified remains to be exhumed for DNA analysis with the goal of returning identified remains to their families. Since then, 355 have been identified.
Earlier this year, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced that Brooks was accounted for on May 19, 2021.
On Tuesday, July 12, Brooks will be flown into BWI Airport at 8:30 p.m. and escorted to the Singleton Funeral Home in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where a dignified transfer ceremony will take place. The public is invited to attend the ceremony and pay their respects after he is placed in the funeral home chapel. Organizations with color guards are welcome to bring their flags to the funeral home.
The route to the funeral home is Aviation Boulevard to Dorsey Road to Annapolis Road to Crain Highway to the funeral home.
Brooks will then be buried with full military honors next to his brother at 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 16 in Glen Haven Memorial Park, Glen Burnie, Maryland. His burial will be open to the public. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/cumberland-gap-sailor-who-died-in-pearl-harbor-to-be-laid-to-rest-in-maryland/ | 2022-07-07T22:54:56 | 1 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/cumberland-gap-sailor-who-died-in-pearl-harbor-to-be-laid-to-rest-in-maryland/ |
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn (WJHL)- A group of protesters is calling for a full investigation into allegations of mishandled rape cases by the Johnson City Police Department and the suspension of Police Chief Karl Turner.
People gathered Thursday outside of Johnson City’s city hall to protest in response to the alleged inconsistent handling of sexual assault cases, brought to public eye in a lawsuit filed by a former federal investigator who claimed she was fired by Turner in retaliation for repeatedly trying to build a stronger case against a man referred to in documents as “Robert Voe.”
The protest took place at the time of Johnson City’s first scheduled commission meeting since the lawsuit was filed June 23.
While the topic was not on the agenda, commissioners met in a closed-door meeting, ahead of the scheduled regular-called 6 p.m. meeting, to discuss the lawsuit and the allegations filed against the city, its police chief and three unnamed JCPD police officers.
“Our physical objective is to fill the chamber halls to capacity and whoever is left will be out here with signs,” said protest organizer Ben Putland.
Protesters sat inside the meeting when it began and lined the streets outside city hall to voice their concerns.
Signs posted outside of city hall are reminding protesters that disruption of the commission meeting is not allowed.
The group gathering to protest outlined four demands of city leadership:
- First – That Chief Turner is suspended pending a third-party investigation of the department’s handling of sexual assault cases.
- Second – To test any untested rape kits at JCPD
- Third – Diverting some department funds to programs helping sexual assault victims
- And last – to establish a community accountability board for police oversight
“It’s disgusting that we are going to have a department that operates with any slack or corruption. They are supposed to be guardians of our community. Sexual assault is one of the worst crimes you can commit, and we seem to have an absolute plague of it here,” said Putland.
Johnson City city manager Cathy Ball told News Channel 11 the city will pursue a third party, external investigation of the allegations made against the police department.
She made no mention of suspending Police Chief Karl Turner while that review takes place. | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/protesters-gather-in-johnson-city-calling-for-police-chiefs-suspension/ | 2022-07-07T22:55:02 | 0 | https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/protesters-gather-in-johnson-city-calling-for-police-chiefs-suspension/ |
Congressional candidate to host gun safety meeting
Congressional candidate Kathleen Brown will conduct a town hall meeting on school safety in Wichita Falls Thursday.
Guest speaker for the event will be Kathy Richardson of Ricochet Red’s Pistol Range who will speak on gun safety topics.
Brown said she was inspired to hold the meeting after the shooting at a Uvalde elementary school that ended the lives of 19 students and two teachers.
“We’ve got to do something because this has become an epidemic and we have to figure something out. Sometimes I feel like it’s better if I listen instead of talk and get an expert to talk,” Brown said.
She said the event will be live on her Facebook page with an option to participate in a QR code survey.
The meeting will begin with a candidate meet-and-greet at 6 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m. at the Stone Palace, 1211 Indiana Ave.
She said an auction at the event will help fund her campaign with a portion going to support the Communities in Schools program, which Brown said is no longer part of Wichita Falls public school because of budgetary constraints.
Brown is the Democratic nominee for Texas 13th Congressional District and will face incumbent Republican Ronny Jackson in the November general election. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/congressional-candidate-to-host-gun-safety-meeting/65368054007/ | 2022-07-07T22:57:27 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/congressional-candidate-to-host-gun-safety-meeting/65368054007/ |
Man barred from business after jumping into pool from roof
Christopher Walker
Wichita Falls Times Record News
Wichita Falls police barred a man from a business after he climbed onto the roof and jumped into a swimming pool.
According to WFPD spokesman Sgt. Charlie Eipper:
Police responded to the 3900 block of Kemp Boulevard Thursday morning at Leslie’s Pool Supplies for a check suspicious person report.
The caller told police a man had climbed onto the roof of the business and was seen jumping into a swimming pool. The caller told police they were worried the man might hurt himself.
The officer found the man after he climbed out of the pool and barred him from the property. An officer on-scene said the suspect has done this before.
Eipper said it is dangerous to trespass on someone’s property to swim in their pool and against the law. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/man-barred-from-business-after-jumping-into-pool-from-roof/65368862007/ | 2022-07-07T22:57:33 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/man-barred-from-business-after-jumping-into-pool-from-roof/65368862007/ |
Sheppard AFB adds $3.7 billion to Texas economy
Sheppard Air Force Base contributed $3.7 billion to the Texas economy in 2021, according to a new biennial report from the Texas Comptroller’s Office. The base also was responsible for 19,928 direct and indirect jobs. That number includes employment at the base and jobs that service the base.
Sheppard’s contribution is part of the military footprint that “has grown economically and is now contributing over $114 billion to the Texas economy,” the report said. Texas is home to 622,790 direct and indirect employees at its 15 military installations and Army Futures Command.
More:Sheppard welcomes incoming 80th Flying Training Wing commander
The report points out military installations still feel the effects of funding cuts from the Budget Control Act of 2011 and the state has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure to support military installations and their missions since a round of Base Realignment and Closure in 2005.
More:Progress 2016: Base, city partner up to improve, beautify main gate at Sheppard
The military economic impact and employment in Texas declined since a similar report issued for 2019-2020. At that time the impact was $123 billion with 633,892 direct and indirect workers. Impact related to Sheppard declined from $4.6 billion and direct and indirect employment declined from 22,323.
In 2020, Texas was named the No. 1 state in defense contract and personnel spending with $83 billion, according to the report.
More:County to partially fund BRAC strategic plan
Seven Texas cities received more than $15 million in Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grants in 2022 to assist communities impacted by BRAC. Wichita Falls was not one of the communities.
Sheppard is represented on the Texas Military Preparedness Commission by Darrell Coleman, former publisher of the Times Record News.
Brig. Gen. Lyle Drew of Sheppard is chair of the Texas Commanders’ Council, whose mission is to discuss common issues and interests with Texas installations and communicate ways to add military value to Texas installations | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/sheppard-air-force-base-adds-3-7-billion-to-texas-economy/65368699007/ | 2022-07-07T22:57:39 | 1 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/sheppard-air-force-base-adds-3-7-billion-to-texas-economy/65368699007/ |
Longtime Wichita Falls’ jeweler moving to new location
Through five generations, Nacol’s Jewelry Store has served Wichita Falls with quality service and merchandise.
This week, they announced they will continue to serve the local area in a bigger location just down the road.
Nacol’s will be relocating to 2510 Mallard Drive, between Samurai of Tokyo and Hunan restaurants.
Most recently, this building housed the Fiesta Mariachi restaurant.
Nacol’s owner and fourth-generation jeweler Jeff Nacol Turnbo said purchase of the building was a mutual decision of both their business and the Fiesta Mariachi family.
“It was a true honor to be able to purchase the building from the Fiesta Mariachi family. This mutual decision between both of us was a big decision and we are so grateful for the opportunity,” he said.
Nacol Turnbo added that the day they purchased the building was also special because it fell on his 35th work anniversary with Nacol’s.
“We have huge ideas for this new space which will give us a much bigger showroom floor to showcase our diamonds and beautiful collections,” he said.
Nacol’s has been in Wichita Falls since 1889 and is the oldest and largest jewelry store between Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.
The store has been at their current location at 3108 Kemp Boulevard for 37 years.
“We simply needed more space for some upcoming ideas we have, and this building will help us make these ideas a reality. What we will be doing is something that has never been done before in North Texas. We want to create a unique experience that you can only find here in Wichita Falls,” said Jesse Turnbo, vice president and fifth-generation jeweler.
Nacol’s plans to remodel the former restaurant building and open in the new location in the first quart of 2023.
“I’ve been working not only inside the store but also been baking and creating wedding cakes from my home bakery ‘Wonderfully Made’ throughout North Texas and Southern Oklahoma which will be a part of the store as well. This larger building will enable us to make those ideas come to life. Get ready, Wichita Falls! This is going to be exciting,” said Shelby Turnbo, wife of Jesse Turnbo and sales manager. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/wichita-falls-jeweler-moving-to-new-location/65369026007/ | 2022-07-07T22:57:45 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/wichita-falls-jeweler-moving-to-new-location/65369026007/ |
WF Police seeking help finding missing 15-year-old
Christopher Walker
Wichita Falls Times Record News
Wichita Falls police are asking the public for help find a missing teenage girl.
According to a press release:
The WFPD is searching for a missing 15-year-old white female, Kady Marie Aine. Kady is 5’02 and 110 pounds. She was last seen wearing a black hoodie, black pants, and black slides.
Kady is diagnosed with bipolar and schizophrenia.
Kady was last seen by her father on July 5 at about 8:30 a.m. when she was dropped off for school in the 1800 block of Rose Street. Kady did not enter the school.
If you have information on Kady’s location, please call the WFPD non-emergency number at 940-720-5000. | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/wichita-falls-police-searching-for-missing-teen/65368333007/ | 2022-07-07T22:57:51 | 0 | https://www.timesrecordnews.com/story/news/local/2022/07/07/wichita-falls-police-searching-for-missing-teen/65368333007/ |
A Virginia Commonwealth University professor is suing the university for discrimination, alleging she was demoted to a lower-paying position because she’s Black and was born in Kenya.
Muthoni Imungi, a professor in the school of social work, was removed from an administrative position to a job with a lower salary in 2020, according to the suit, which was filed last month in federal court.
Imungi, who continues to work at VCU, is suing for financial loss, mental anguish and damage to her career and reputation. She is demanding at least $75,000.
In the summer of 2016, Imungi joined VCU’s school of social work as its director of field education. After she began changing the field education program, her employees became unhappy, the suit alleges. Some asked that they no longer report to her. Tim Davy, who was interim dean at the time, declined the employees’ requests.
VCU hired a permanent dean, Beth Angell, in the summer of 2018. She, too, received complaints about Imungi, but she was more open to the complaints, the suit states. Angell, who was not named as a defendant, and a spokesperson for VCU declined requests for comment.
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In the fall of 2019, Imungi reported that she felt she was being treated differently than other employees. Angell suggested Imungi resign, the suit states.
A few months later, a faculty member in the school of social work used a racial slur during class, according to the suit, and someone vandalized a banner in the department that read “Black history is American history.”
VCU investigated, and Imungi spoke out publicly at a meeting, saying she was the only Black person in the school of social work’s leadership and that she had not been treated the same as her white colleagues, the suit asserts.
Angell thanked Imungi for her willingness to speak. “I am here to learn and try to do better,” Angell said, according to the suit. But in the weeks to come, Imungi says she was excluded from department meetings, including ones regarding diversity and inclusion.
In June 2020, Angell and an associate dean informed Imungi she was being removed from the director of field education role because she “was not a good fit,” according to the suit. She was given a teaching position, which did not include a $10,000 annual administrative supplement she used to earn.
Angell and school leadership moved quickly to replace Imungi, the suit states, filling her position with a person of limited experience while other positions sat open. Imungi has a doctorate and 12 years’ leadership experience.
Imungi filed an appeal with VCU’s Equity and Access Services on the basis of race and national origin discrimination, according to the suit. But it asserts that Angell indicated she would not be available for an interview until months later and declined mediation offered by the university.
In February 2021, Imungi filed a charge of race and national origin discrimination and retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate based on race, color or national origin.
Imungi, who remains a full-time professor in the VCU school of social work, has requested a jury trial. Angell recently was named a dean at the University of Michigan.
VCU is represented by an outside lawyer, W. Ryan Waddell, who specializes in Title VII cases. | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vcu-employee-sues-university-claiming-she-was-demoted-because-shes-black-and-kenyan/article_24730811-d64d-5fb1-bbc3-e7a70036c466.html | 2022-07-07T23:02:49 | 0 | https://richmond.com/news/local/education/vcu-employee-sues-university-claiming-she-was-demoted-because-shes-black-and-kenyan/article_24730811-d64d-5fb1-bbc3-e7a70036c466.html |
A federal magistrate judge in North Dakota has issued a multibillion-dollar judgment against a Mexican drug cartel blamed for the deaths of nine people in 2019.
The judgment by U.S. Magistrate Judge Clare Hochhalter totals more than $1.5 billion to the families who sued the Juarez cartel, an organization labeled by the U.S. government as a known drug trafficker. Under the federal Anti-Terrorism Act, such awards are automatically tripled, making the true amount $4.6 billion.
Maria Rhonita LeBaron and four of her children, ages 12, 10, and 8-month-old twins; Christina Langford; and Dawna Langford and her children, ages 11 and 2, were attacked about 90 miles south of the U.S. border on Nov. 4, 2019. One-hundred cartel gunmen split into two groups for the attack, during which hundreds of rounds were fired into three vehicles from a distance, according to court documents. The shooters then approached the vehicles and set fire to them, “a signature move” of the organization, the documents say.
Families of the victims filed civil lawsuits in 2020 that were later consolidated into one suit. LeBaron’s husband, Howard Miller, and Christina Langford’s husband, Tyler Johnson, lived in North Dakota at the time of the slayings.
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The people in the three-vehicle caravan were members of an offshoot Mormon community, according to The Associated Press. Survivors accused the cartel of attacking them in retribution for their public criticism and protests against the cartel.
Court documents state the end goal of the cartel through such acts of terror was to take back territory from a rival drug organization.
The Juarez cartel and its armed wing La Linea each is designated by the U.S. government as “a significant foreign narcotics trafficker,” court documents show. The legal action was brought under the Anti-Terrorism Act, and notice was served to the cartel through publication in Mexico newspapers.
Hochhalter during a weeklong trial in February heard testimony from witnesses and experts. One expert testified some of the victims survived the initial hail of gunfire and “were alive and conscious” when their vehicle was intentionally set on fire.
Burning is “arguably the worst way you can die,” said Dr. Sebastian Schubl, director of medical operations at the University of California-Irivne Health Administration. He added that LeBaron had the additional terror of being shot and unable to assist her children, who were still alive and able to see, feel and hear what was going on as the attackers poured fuel on the car and started it on fire.
“So you’re not only burning to death after being shot, but you’re also suffocating. You’re asphyxiating because there’s no oxygen left in the air. It’s just fire,” Schubl said.
The trial was held as a way to establish wrongful death and pain-and-suffering damages for the victims and their families. Court documents state children saw siblings die from gunshot wounds, and some, though injured by gunshots themselves, trekked in near-freezing temperatures to seek help. Family members later went to the scene to find their deceased loved ones.
It “was horrible, it was sickening,” LeBaron’s father, Adrian LeBaron-Soto, testified. “Me, my wife and family were forced to do the unconscionable -- collect our families' bones and ashes.”
The cartel did not respond to the published summons or have representation at the trial.
Hochhalter after hearing testimony said he’d never seen “a more horrific set of facts” and told family members he would “do justice” and “read the statute the way it was meant to be read.”
“I’m not afraid of big numbers at all,” he said. “There is no way that any big number is going to keep us from finding justice in this case.”
The Langford family’s tripled judgment was just more than $2 billion.
“The horror that my children experienced and my entire family has been through as the result of the Nov. 4, 2019, killing of (wife) Dawna Langford and my two children by the Juarez cartel will never, ever be made right,” David Langford said. “We went into a United States courtroom in North Dakota seeking some acknowledgement of and measure of justice for the trauma inflicted on our family and we received it."
The families can seek the judgment amounts through a process similar to that used by the victims of the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. government can freeze assets of terrorist organizations. The victims in this case would present their judgment to the U.S. Treasury Department, which holds such assets. It's unclear if the department holds any cartel assets. | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/4-6-billion-judgment-made-against-juarez-cartel-in-caravan-attack/article_f3b01af4-fe28-11ec-a011-8b690a861c9c.html | 2022-07-07T23:10:39 | 1 | https://bismarcktribune.com/news/local/accident-and-incident/4-6-billion-judgment-made-against-juarez-cartel-in-caravan-attack/article_f3b01af4-fe28-11ec-a011-8b690a861c9c.html |
SUTTER CREEK, Calif. — Two dogs rescued by firefighters from the frontlines of the Electra Fire in Amador County have been reunited with their owners, the Amador County Animal Response Team wrote in a Facebook post Wednesday.
According to Cal Fire's El Dorado-Amador Unit, two Doberman dogs were rescued from a property on Canyon View Drive in Amador County just feet away from the active flames of the Electra Fire.
The dogs were loaded into a Cal Fire truck by firefighters Emily Eymann and Jessica Moser, who escorted them safely out of the fire area, Cal Fire officials said.
The firefighters reunited the evacuated dogs with their owners at the Amador County Fairgrounds Wednesday evening.
The Amador County Animal Response Team wrote in a Facebook post, "There certainly were lots of smiles and happy dogs. These kinds of stories keep us doing what we do."
Watch More on the Electra Fire from ABC10: Electra Fire | Why firefighters light fires to keep wildfires at bay | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/dogs-rescued-electra-fire-reunited/103-e47ff226-0ab0-480e-b1df-f2926ecc1021 | 2022-07-07T23:13:28 | 1 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/dogs-rescued-electra-fire-reunited/103-e47ff226-0ab0-480e-b1df-f2926ecc1021 |
NORTH SAN JUAN, Calif. — A Texas man is dead and a woman and dog are injured after a Thursday morning crash in Nevada County, according to officials with the California Highway Patrol.
Officers were called to the scene of the single-vehicle crash on Tyler Foote Road just east of Oak Tree Road near North San Juan around 4:45 a.m.
Officers found a 2021 Ford Escape crashed into a tree after leaving the road for unknown reasons.
First responders say they removed two people from the car, including a 42-year-old woman who was severely injured. She was flown to Sutter Roseville Medical Center. Officers say she was driving the Ford Escape at the time of the crash.
A second person, identified as a 39-year-old man from Liberty, Texas, was removed from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say the man was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
A dog inside the SUV was also injured and taken to a veterinarian.
The crash is still under investigation and officers say drugs or alcohol are not suspected to be factors in the crash.
Watch More from ABC10: More pain at the pump? Man caught on camera switching gas pump nozzles in Roseville | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/grass-valley-nevada-city/man-killed-dog-woman-injured-crash-nevada-co/103-39c80b7b-65e7-4179-a4b8-7883bf547808 | 2022-07-07T23:13:34 | 0 | https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/grass-valley-nevada-city/man-killed-dog-woman-injured-crash-nevada-co/103-39c80b7b-65e7-4179-a4b8-7883bf547808 |
Arizona voters will not get a chance to constitutionally protect abortion rights, at least not this year.
The group Arizonans for Reproductive Freedom will not turn in the petitions for a ballot measure it has been gathering since May, its treasurer, Shasta McManus, told Capitol Media Services.
She said the petition circulators were able to get only about 176,000 signatures ahead of Thursday's deadline.
Backers needed at least 356,467 valid signatures to put the issue on the November ballot.
McManus said the organization will start putting together plans to seek a 2024 vote on the issue. Starting in November — the earliest petitions can be circulated for that election — should provide far more time to reach the signature goal, she said.
The measure would put a “right to reproductive freedom” in the Arizona Constitution, covering all matters related to pregnancy.
It would bar state and local governments from interfering with that right, which would range from contraception to elective termination of a pre-viable fetus, defined as one with a reasonable chance of surviving outside the womb with or without artificial support.
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It also would allow abortions at any stage of pregnancy “if necessary to preserve the individual’s health or life.’’ | https://tucson.com/news/local/abortion-measure-fails-to-make-arizona-ballot/article_d70ded6e-fdf5-11ec-a3ea-0370c5336edc.html | 2022-07-07T23:23:15 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/abortion-measure-fails-to-make-arizona-ballot/article_d70ded6e-fdf5-11ec-a3ea-0370c5336edc.html |
A Starbucks next to the University of Arizona campus is poised to become the first unionized location of the coffee chain in Tucson and the fifth in Arizona.
Baristas at the Starbucks in Main Gate Square, 814 E. University Blvd., voted 11-3 in favor of union representation on Wednesday.
If the vote is certified by the National Labor Relations Board, the workers will join Starbucks Workers United, which is supported by Service Employees International Union affiliate Workers United.
More than 180 of Starbucks’ 9,000 company-run U.S. stores have voted to unionize since December, according to Workers United. And in the past year, workers in 327 Starbucks stores across the U.S. have petitioned the NLRB to hold union elections, according to agency records.
Starbucks, which unsuccessfully challenged a successful union vote at a Starbucks in Mesa in February, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A group of 10 Tucson baristas informed Starbucks in April of their intention to hold a union vote in a letter to CEO Howard Schultz that alleged the company had engaged in “union-busting” tactics by the company.
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"We are proud to be the first store in Tucson to make this leap, and hope that many more stores will join us in our pursuit of creating a better workplace," Matthew Harrison, a shift supervisor at the Main Gate Square Starbucks and union organizer representing fellow baristas, said in announcing the vote.
Harrison said the company's anti-union tactics were the main driver of the Tucson baristas decision to seek union representation.
"It was their comments on unions and union workers, and just the overall divisiveness that corporate has decided to take over the issue," he said.
While no major workplace issues prompted the union drive, work-hour scheduling and pay have become issues recently, Harrison said, citing high inflation.
Harrison said he hopes Starbucks will voluntarily come to the bargaining table in Tucson, but that remains to be seen given the company's union stance.
"We're really hoping that the company is going to recognize that more and more stores are unionizing and that's not going to slow down," he said.
None of the new unions have begun contract talks with the company to reach collective-bargaining agreements with the company — a process that typically takes a year or more.
Contact senior reporter David Wichner at dwichner@tucson.com or 520-573-4181. On Twitter: @dwichner. On Facebook: Facebook.com/DailyStarBiz | https://tucson.com/news/local/business/baristas-at-ua-area-starbucks-first-in-tucson-to-vote-for-union/article_a1934480-fe1e-11ec-bc98-3ff33cb48f0a.html | 2022-07-07T23:23:21 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/business/baristas-at-ua-area-starbucks-first-in-tucson-to-vote-for-union/article_a1934480-fe1e-11ec-bc98-3ff33cb48f0a.html |
A woman was killed at an apartment complex on Tucson’s south side Tuesday night.
On July 5 just before 11:30 p.m., Tucson police arrived at an apartment complex, located at 1502 W. Ajo Way, west of Interstate 19, and found Angelica Marie Pinales, 38, dead with trauma injuries, police said.
Detectives believe Pinales was involved in an argument inside the apartment, police said. Detectives also learned that the apartment was associated with Pinales.
Anyone with information on the slaying is asked to call 911 or 88-CRIME.
Jamie Donnelly covers breaking news for the Arizona Daily Star. Contact her via e-mail at jdonnelly@tucson.com | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/woman-killed-at-south-side-tucson-apartment-complex/article_598bc58e-fe3e-11ec-9339-07c5227ee321.html | 2022-07-07T23:23:27 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/woman-killed-at-south-side-tucson-apartment-complex/article_598bc58e-fe3e-11ec-9339-07c5227ee321.html |
PHOENIX — Gov. Doug Ducey penned his signature Thursday to creating the most comprehensive system of private and parochial school vouchers in the nation, paving the way for a petition drive to have voters kill it — again.
"Our kids will no longer be locked in underperforming schools,'' Ducey said in a prepared statement.
"Every family in Arizona should have access to a high-quality education with dedicated teachers,'' he continued. "This is truly a win for all K-12 students.''
The Republican governor has said the law, which will allow any of the 1.1 million children in Arizona public schools to get what are called "empowerment scholarship accounts,'' will make the state the "gold standard for educational freedom.''
Ducey's blessing was never in doubt. He has signed every voucher expansion bill that has come to his desk since becoming governor in 2015.
But it's not the last word.
The petitions to force a public vote on the issue already were printed and signature gathering begins in earnest this weekend, said Beth Lewis, executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona.
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The organization of teachers and education groups has until the end of the day on Sept. 23 to gather at least 118,823 valid signature on petitions that would keep the new law from taking effect until the next general election. Because that date would be too late to put the issue on the November 2022 ballot, that effectively would put the whole program on hold until at least November 2024.
Lewis said a more permanent solution is needed, however.
"Arizona voters are absolutely exhausted with this nonsense,'' she told Capitol Media Services.
Voters previously quashed plan
What started out in 2011 as a program to provide an alternative to public schools for students with disabilities and special needs has grown as voucher supporters have succeeded in adding more and more categories.
The current law now provides vouchers that typically are in the range of about $7,000 to children from foster homes, military families, living on tribal reservations and attending schools rated D or F.
About 11,775 students currently get such vouchers.
The law Ducey signed would remove all the restrictions so any of the 1.1 million students in public schools could get public funding to attend a private or parochial school. Parents who home school also would be in line for those funds.
Lewis said the referendum drive should come as no surprise.
Lawmakers approved a large expansion in 2017. Her organizations got the signatures to put that plan on hold until the 2018 election, when voters quashed the legislation by a margin of 2-1.
House Majority Leader Ben Toma, R-Peoria, the architect of this year's plan, said what happened in 2018 is irrelevant.
He said some voucher supporters actually voted against that earlier plan specifically because it did not make all students eligible for vouchers. Instead, to get the votes, supporters had to agree to a cap of about 30,000 vouchers by 2021, a lid that would remain in place unless and until lawmakers decided otherwise.
More to the point, Toma said had the measure been approved, it would have been frozen in law. That's because the Voter Protection Act in the Arizona Constitution precludes lawmakers from repealing whatever has been enacted at the ballot and restricts alterations only to measures that "further the purpose'' of the original bill.
Lewis called Toma's explanation of the failure of voucher expansion in 2018 "complete hogwash.''
Cost estimates
The lobbying of state lawmakers to approve the measure featured a parade of parents and children who said they are doing a lot better in private schools. The public campaign is likely to follow the same script.
Lewis said that won't work for a simple reason: Nothing in the referendum would take vouchers away from students who already get them.
What the law would do is make more students eligible for the state dollars. That would include students whose parents already pay to send their children to private schools.
Estimates are that about 85,000 of these children would switch to state funding by the 2024-2025 school year at a cost of about $118 million a year.
That does not bother supporters of the plan, including the governor.
"Everybody listening that has a child when this law goes into effect will have access to their taxpayer dollars to send their child to the school of their choice,'' Ducey said Wednesday on KTAR before signing it.
"We're the No. 1 state for educational freedom,'' he said. "Other states are going to be following us.''
Lewis, however, rejected any argument that people who already send their children to private schools without a voucher effectively are being asked to pay not only for the service they are buying but the service they are not getting from the public schools. She said that's the way democracy works.
"We all pay into the system,'' Lewis said.
"Like because I don't use the fire system this year, I'm lucky enough to not use firefighters, I should give that money back?'' she continued. "That's nonsense.''
Issue of standardized tests
There is something else that could give voucher foes some ammunition.
An early version of the legislation would have required that students in private and parochial schools using these vouchers of state funds to take some standardized tests, similar to those already administered in public schools. The results, as in the case of public schools, would have been reported on an aggregate basis.
That requirement was removed from the final version by Rep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, who said what's happening at private schools is none of the government's business.
But voucher foes like Rep. Kelli Butler, D-Paradise Valley, said the fact that tax dollars will be flowing to those schools is precisely what gives the state an interest.
"We will not know if students are using our tax dollars — $7,000 is the typical award — if they're using that money to learn anything,'' she said during legislative debate.
Ducey waited until Thursday afternoon, the last possible day for him to act on legislation from the just-completed legislative session. That cut 10 days from the time that referendum backers have to get their signatures, as the deadline falls 90 days after the end of the session, regardless of when the governor acts.
Lewis said she's not concerned.
"We're teachers,'' she said. "We know how to plan behind the scenes and get ready.'' | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/quick-challenge-to-arizona-s-new-universal-vouchers-law/article_1e718b52-fdf6-11ec-a7fd-5b6a2b910344.html | 2022-07-07T23:23:33 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/education/quick-challenge-to-arizona-s-new-universal-vouchers-law/article_1e718b52-fdf6-11ec-a7fd-5b6a2b910344.html |
Tucson is about to get a full-fledged Cuban restaurant, serving up traditional dishes from the classic Cuban sandwiches to plates including the shredded beef and tomato ropa vieja and arroz con pollo — yellow rice with chicken and peas.
Mojo Cuban Kitchen & Rum Bar at 1929 E. Grant Road also will serve Cuban coffee and traditional desserts including guava pastelito stuffed pastries and stuffed churros when it opens in early August.
Mojo Cuban — pronounced mo-hoe after the classic Cuban marinade — is the brainchild of Cuban food fans Alison and Nick Schaffer, who spent nearly 18 years operating Jimmy John's sandwich shops in Tucson; Phoenix; Orange County, California; and their native Chicago.
Nick Schaffer said the couple moved to Tucson from Chicago in 2006 to take over the city's only Jimmy John's store, located near the University of Arizona.
"We flew into Tucson and fell in love with it," Schaffer said.
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Last year, the couple sold their nine Jimmy John's restaurants in Tucson and turned their attention to their Cuban food passion.
They bought the 3,000-square-foot building on the corner of Grant and North Campbell Avenue that had been vacant since its last tenant, the Caribbean restaurant Viva El Caribe Restaurant & Lounge, closed several years ago.
The Schaffers began an expansive renovation of the building that included a new roof, upgraded electric and gas and new heating and air conditioning units.
The restaurant can seat 100 inside and there's an outdoor patio and walk-up window for takeout and third-party delivery pickups.
Schaffer said Mojo Cuban Kitchen will fill a void in Tucson's culinary landscape, which includes a number of restaurants that serve Cuban dishes but none solely devoted to the cuisine.
"We're excited to do something creative," he said. "We love Cuban food and Tucson was ripe for that opportunity here. It's going to be a more modern, premium-casual environment."
Janet Balderas, former executive chef at Tanque Verde Ranch, will helm Mojo's kitchen with Cuban native Patricia Espinosa as her sous chef. Espinosa has been a fixture at Tucson Meet Yourself for years, hosting demonstrations in Cuban food.
Schaffer said the menu is a work in progress. He and his team drew some inspiration from a taste-testing trip last month to Miami and some of the country's best and most authentic Cuban restaurants.
Restaurants and bars that have opened in the Tucson area in 2022
Rudy’s “Country Store” & Bar-B-Q
2130 E Ajo Way
520-908-7397
Rudy’s specializes in all things barbecue from their popular brisket to smoked turkey breast, chicken, ribs and pulled pork. Meat is sold by the half-pound — ranging from $6.99 for sausage links to $10.99 for brisket — and sides are a la carte.
By the Bucket
2130 N. Kolb Road
(520) 771-6917
By the Bucket sells hot spaghetti to go in a bucket, meatballs, meatball subs, deserts and cold drinks.
Peace, Love and Pops
814 E University Blvd
(520) 372-7805
Home | Peace, Love, and Pops – Handcrafted Frozen Treats Tucson (peaceloveandpops.com)
Tooley's Cafe
299 S. Park Ave
The restaurant at 299 S. Park Ave. will reopen, after a six-year closure, on Friday, June 3, with the original breakfast and lunch menu that dates back to 1989.
Texas Burrito Company
1570 E. Tucson Marketplace Blvd
Suite 100
520-367-6050
This new restaurant on Tucson's south side is run by Jason Scott, who incorporates his Texan roots and barbecue into traditional Sonoran food.
Ren Bakery and Espresso Bar
4320 N. Campbell Ave., #43
520-389-8926
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Baked goods from muffins and danish to scones and cinnamon rolls that are used in Ren Coffeehouse nearby, and of course, espresso.
Tanna's Botannas
4426 S. Sixth Ave.
520-445-5875
Spicy candies and snacks are on the menu.
Squared Up Pizza
5870 E Broadway
520-519-2000
This pizza spot presents Sicilian pies like you get in New York. Their pies are in the traditional Sicilian square, with a thicker base and crunchy crust.
Frida's Cafe
5526 E Grant Road
520-367-4711
Menu items are inspired by the famous painter couple, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.
The Monica
40 E. Congress St.
520-645-1924
The Monica opened as an offshoot of El Charro Café. It is named for El Charro's founder Monica Flin and includes a market along with the restaurant.
BoSa Donuts
6872 E. Tanque Verde Road
520-526-2341
BoSa Donuts serves more than donuts and coffee. You can get lunch there with sandwiches and other drinks.
Bun Dock Vietnamese Noodle
3225 N. Swan Road, Suite 111
520-274-7419
The restaurant specializes in Vietnamese Bún (Vermicelli Salad Bowls)
Cruda Mariscos & Oyster Bar
31 N. Scott Ave.
520-207-0589
Cruda is the newest in a slew of opulent, Mexican-influenced restaurants across Tucson. It was opened by Danny Cordova in the space left when his first downtown venture, La Chingada, moved into the former location of the now-closed restaurant Cafe Poca Cosa.
Fullylove's
994 E. University Blvd.
520-534-7896
This lunch to late-night munchies spot has classic and vegan burgers and sandwiches and sides and a considerable dessert menu.
Guadalajara Grille
5955 W. Arizona Pavilions Drive
520-296-4221
This Mexican restaurant at 5955 W. Arizona Pavilions Drive is the third location for chef-owner Seth Holzman, which include Guadalajara Grill Mexican, 4901 E. Broadway, and Guadalajara Grill Fiesta, 750 N. Kolb Road. It has the same menu of classic Mexican food.
Midtown Vegan Deli and Market
5071 E. Fifth St.
520-849-5553
Tanya Barnett started her deli and market out of a desire to make veganism more accessible — for meat eaters and die-hard vegans alike. She asked vegans what ingredients they needed to find and placed them on her first order.
Ni Hao Tea
2800 N. Campbell Ave.
Ni Hao Tea, with this new location, serves Boba tea and smoothies.
The Century Room at Hotel Congress
311 E. Congress St.
520-622-8848
hotelcongress.com/family/century-room
Tucson's only jazz club, The Century Room borderlands jazz club and mezcal tasting lounge, is in the former Copper Hall banquet space at at Hotel Congress.
The Delta
135 S. Sixth Ave.
520-524-3400
The Delta officially opened on New Year’s Day. It is the downtown sister project of local favorite The Parish.
Tucsonans might recognize The Parish as a restaurant that transforms an Oro Valley strip mall into a shot of New Orleans. The Delta will feature the same Southern Hospitality it will be a bar with a grill menu instead of the Parish's gumbo.
Bata
35 E. Toole Ave.
Bata is owned by Tyler Fenton, who, with two siblings, also owns Reilly Craft Pizza and Drink. The menu will consist of foods touched by fire, whether being grilled, charred, flame dried or burned (on purpose).
Pacaws Wings & Things
6255 E. Golf Links Road
520-526-2857
facebook.com/pages/category/Food-Truck/Pacaws-Wings-Things-LLC-105721851726183/
Opened March 17.
Ceres owner's 'second wild child' fresh pasta restaurant Noodies is NOW OPEN
Editor's note: This story was originally published on March 8, 2022. Noodies opened on April 15, 2022.
Noodies! When owner Carolyn O’Connor says the word out loud, it sounds like a party, a celebration.
The name belongs to her new pasta restaurant, opening later this month, in the space formerly occupied by Bentley’s House of Coffee and Tea. Carolyn is totally re-imagining the place, complete with a mural painted by a friend who happens to experiment with abstract noodle shapes. There isn’t a better word for it than “fun.”
Noodies is a Tucson inheritance. But its lineage, like sister restaurant Ceres, comes from all over. If Ceres is inspired by the pastries and pasta of northern Italy, Noodies draws material from the checkered-tablecloth Italian-American of Syracuse, with some help by way of Hong Kong.
Syracuse is Carolyn’s hometown. It’s where she was pregnant, scrolling Pinterest, when the algorithm realized she needed more brightly-colored images of cha chaan teng — American-style diners in Hong Kong, where you can get condensed-milk French toast and macaroni soup. Those hues inspire the setting of Noodies today, if not the menu.
Though both restaurants share the foundation of Carolyn’s handmade pasta, Carolyn is clear that each restaurant is its own concept. “Ceres always felt like my baby. The first time going into something, everything was really new. Because of that everything feels so precious … Noodies felt almost like having a second child … Noodies is colorful; the food is a little more gluttonous and cheesy. I see it as a wild second child or something.”
While you will be able to get your favorite sauces from Ceres at Noodies — the tomato basil, the bolognese, the cacio e pepe — Noodies’ larger kitchen allows Carolyn to expand the menu. You’ll be able to add Italian sausage, meatballs and burrata to your order. Unlike Ceres’ lunch counter, Noodies will have both indoor and outdoor seating. Their menu will also offer sandwiches Carolyn misses from her hometown, like meatball subs and Italian grinders.
Though Carolyn never thought she would go into the restaurant business — her parents are in academics — her mother’s hospitality inspires Carolyn’s restaurants.
“My mom, she’s a really good cook, and she loves having a real dinner. She sets the table, puts out napkins, does all this stuff, makes a whole beautiful meal and a pie, tea and coffee, so she creates this whole experience for people, and it makes people feel so loved and appreciated. It’s also a legacy in my own family, taking care of people through food,” she said.
The “also” responds to Noodies’ more apparent legacy: Noodies is taking over the lease of her mother-in-law Jo Schneider’s first restaurant, Bentley’s, which occupied that space for over two decades. If Carolyn’s own mother gave her a love for feeding her community, Carolyn’s mother-in-law inspired her to make service her livelihood.
“Going into the restaurant business or being an entrepreneur was so different than what I expected (for my life). The trust (the Schneider family has) put in me, the support, how they’re always there for me, with anything. It’s such a testament to their kindness and generosity. I think Jo does that for a lot of people in this community, giving people a chance when maybe other people wouldn’t, and let them shine,” she said of Jo, who owns downtown’s LaCo.
At both Ceres and Noodies, Carolyn aspires to be that support system for her own employees. She hosts weekly tasting sessions for staff, where they all sample the specials, the soft-serve flavors and give feedback. “Everyone who works there respects everyone else and works really hard. It’s such a good thing for workplace morale. It’s very collaborative, so everyone feels really listened to,” Carolyn said.
“There’s two staff at Ceres who have been there since the day we opened,” she said. “They now know how to do everything. They’re more or less managing Ceres for the shifts, every day … I really wouldn’t have been able to take on the new project without them.”
Workers at Ceres have to be able to do it all: cook pasta and take orders and make espresso — because the space to work is tiny. Though the larger venue at Noodies allows for more specialization, people working in the front versus the back of house, Carolyn aspires for the restaurants to cross-pollinate.
“I have everyone try cooking lunch. I love it so much. It’s really fast … I think a lot of women, especially, are really intimidated to go into a kitchen and work in a line … I think giving people the chance who wouldn’t maybe necessarily think that’s a good fit for them, the opportunity to cook in a fast-paced place, and realize: I could be really good at this.
“We just started accepting resumes for Noodies. I’m not sure what the kitchen will look like, or the front of house. We wrote that all are welcome to apply. I really hope people will.”
Noodies
Location: 1726 E. Speedway
Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday-Monday.
For more information, check out their Instagram.
Tucson's new food truck park is tucked into a former gas station parking lot — and the food is incredible
Amber Donahue and Chris Frisch were running a thriving sports therapy business, traveling across the United States with elite athletes, when the pandemic hit.
“Overnight, our jobs were obsolete,” Amber said. “So we started thinking about businesses we could do that were pandemic-proof.”
As they traveled for work, through cities like Austin, Texas; Portland and Bend, Oregon; and Nashville, Tennessee, they noticed these cities each had food truck parks. They liked that the concept had a small footprint: it’s simply making a setting to bring together food trucks and the people who love them. And Tucson, the foodie city where their eldest daughter was recently hired as a high school teacher, didn’t have a food truck park yet.
“We thought we could bring something to this town we loved vacationing in so much,” Amber said.
After nearly a year of development, their new food truck park, The Pit, opened last weekend at 7889 E. 22nd St. “The property used to be a haunted Scooby Doo gas station,” Amber said.
“Remember the gas stations you see in the middle of nowhere? That’s what we walked into,” she said. “We gutted the whole thing and kept it bare: we have coolers full of drinks, a few snacks and decorated it with kitschy awkward family photos, just made it a place that is clean and comfortable.”
The station itself is used as a central bar to complement the sizable outdoor space they cleared of debris and turned into seating. They also built a stage for live music on weekends and have plans in the works to install misters and build more shade for the summer. Many of their materials were sourced from community donations, from families and local businesses.
“We want this to be a place people can come in the evening,” Amber said.
The business partners decided on a rotating food truck schedule so people who live in the area can experience a variety of different vendors. Harris Hotstuff, a made-to-order barbecue truck, is only set up on the weekends, while you can get Hermanos Tacos and Lebanese food truck Homemade Mediterranean during the week.
“The woman who runs Homemade Mediterranean is the hardest working person I know,” Amber said.
Amber and Chris will soon be adding a Jamaican food truck, and are looking for a pizza truck and a truck that does Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Filipino noodle dishes.
Though the two divorced seven years ago, they are involved co-parents. Last year, they bought homes near each other, both in the Catalina Foothills School District. “Our success is based on building a legacy for our children, which is something we both agree with, always,” Amber said.
When I visited, every single thing I tried stood out as one of the best meals I’ve eaten all year. I was amazed at the curated selection of food trucks.
When I asked co-owner Chris about it, he said that the park has a special culture. Everyone is super kind and they help each other out. “We open up in the mornings, Homemade Mediterranean locks up at night. Cuppa GoGo helps clean the bathrooms. We all pitch in,” he said.
The result is a tight community of vendors, each with outstanding customer service and even more special food.
The Pit is currently home to six regular trucks, with three more coming soon, and seven visiting trucks. Here’s what you can get:
Homemade Mediterranean
This Lebanese sandwich place, Homemade Mediterranean, is simply amazing. I will be going back to try every item on their curated menu. I ordered their koefte sandwich, which is a vibrantly spiced beef patty tucked into a pita that rivals Tucson’s best flour tortillas: thin and almost laminated in its flakiness, but with a slightly more bready texture. The condiments are also stars: slightly sweet, slightly umami pickle with parsley salsa and tomato.
They had an extra falafel lying around when I stopped by and they let me try that too: perfectly crunchy with a slightly softer inside, with a dusting of sesame seeds. In my humble opinion, Lebanese hummus is the best of the Mediterranean, and I can only imagine how yummy their falafel sandwich with hummus and tahini must be.
I also got a side of fries, which I habitually get alongside Mediterranean food. I need to research why the region has french fries down pat: somehow they get extra crunchy on the outside, with a custardy middle. Heavenly.
Homemade Mediterranean is open 12:30-9 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 12:30-6 p.m. Sunday.
Bemo’s Ol’ Joe’s
Stop by Bemo's Ol' Joe's and you might find the now-closed Hog Pit co-owner, Les Baxter, sitting in a folding chair, welcoming you with a big smile. He's teamed up with chef Donald Adkins to bring you a food-truck concept with a pared-down menu, but full-volume flavor. Donald insisted I try the tot-chos, which were over-the-top in exactly the best way.
Tot-chos consist of five layers. The base, of course, are tater tots — fried, not baked. Tots’ signature riced texture and substantial crust will hold up to the hearty toppings: first a layer of melted sprinkle cheese, then a generous portion of melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork, doused in sauce and finished with a serving of slaw. While each ingredient is indulgent, they are in such perfect ratio that each bite is in harmony. I loved this place.
On my way out of The Pit, I saw someone eating a chicken sandwich from Bemo’s. I asked her how she liked it. To my surprise, she puckered her face like she was about to come up with the worst insult she possibly could, and delivered one line: “I wish there was more sauce.”
Bemo’s Ol’ Joe’s is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
Hermanos Tacos
Trust me when I’ve said, I’ve eaten a lot of carne asada.
Hermanos has the real deal: succulent, a little chewy but tender, with a little crisp on some of the edges. The flour tortillas are thin, stretchy and just substantial enough to deliver the meat, pico and a splash of bright green salsa to your eager taste buds.
The one-man operation also makes impressive-looking raspados, as I witnessed from the woman who ordered in front of me, then hopped back in her truck, raspado in hand. I was so jealous.
This place is cash only, so keep that in mind.
Hermanos Tacos is open 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Other food trucks on the regular roster:
- Cuppa GoGo — Coffee with syrups and sauces made from scratch, open 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily
- Moncho's Mex — Tacos, burros, quesadillas and more Mexican favorites, open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday-Monday
- Harris Hotstuff — Made-to-order barbecue, open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Coming soon: Jamaican, Italian and sushi!
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter @Starburch | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/a-cuban-restaurant-is-opening-in-tucson-this-summer/article_7c490a88-fd61-11ec-a6b5-37eac79f3788.html | 2022-07-07T23:23:40 | 0 | https://tucson.com/news/local/subscriber/a-cuban-restaurant-is-opening-in-tucson-this-summer/article_7c490a88-fd61-11ec-a6b5-37eac79f3788.html |
Nearly 30 candidates are running in six newly redrawn Arizona House legislative districts — 16, 17, 18, 19, 21 and 23 — in the Tucson area, and voters will whittle down selections in the Aug. 2 primaries to determine who will be on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.
Voters in each party can vote for two candidates, and in races that are not competitive, the nominees will automatically advance to the general election.
Early voting for primaries began July 6. The last day to request a mail-in ballot is July 22. (These districts will be broken up into two stories with LD 19, 21 and 23 running soon in the Arizona Daily Star.)
District 16
Two Republicans and one Democrat will automatically advance in this race to the general election. District 16 covers portions of Maricopa, Pinal and Pima counties, sprawling from the northwest and moving southeast following Interstate 10 on down south to the western edge of Tucson.
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Teresa Martinez is the Republican incumbent who was appointed to fill the seat vacated by Rep. Bret Roberts, of District 11, after his resignation in September 2021. Martinez, a Casa Grande native, was the director of coalitions and Hispanic outreach for U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar. The other Republican nominee, Rob Hudelson, of Tucson, is a Navy veteran and pastor at Legacy Baptist Church.
Democrat Keith Seaman, of Casa Grande, is a lifelong educator and vice president of the Coolidge Unified School District Governing Board.
District 17
Five Republican nominees are facing off in this race, and two Democratic candidates will automatically advance to the general election. District 17 includes much of the northwest side, the far eastside and the Rita Ranch area.
The Republican nominees are:
Kirk Fiehler, of Tucson, is a constitutional conservative who is originally from the Chicago area and his family moved to Arizona when he was in junior high school. He grew up in Scottsdale and graduated with a bachelor's in business from Northern Arizona University, and worked in corporate business for more than 30 years. Currently, he is district manager for Jackson Hewitt Tax Service in Southern Arizona. According to his candidate website kirkfiehler.com, among his top priorities is strengthening the economy, securing the border and defending constitutional freedoms.
Rachel Jones, of Tucson, is a former teacher and business executive. Her candidate website jonesforarizona.com says "Our Arizona values have helped our great state thrive ...low taxes, the right to bear arms, and small government has made Arizona great. But now our Arizona values are under attack ... vaccine mandates ... stolen elections ... critical race theory .. .the Socialist Democrats in Phoenix are threatening our rights, families, and very way of life." She says she is part of the "Arizona Freedom Team", candidates who are conservative fighters in LD17, including fellow nominee Cory McGarr.
Cory McGarr, of Marana, is district manager of a Tucson pest control business. He moved from New Jersey to Tucson after a job promotion, and became involved with anti-abortion organizations and the local Republican Party, becoming a precinct committeeman. His candidate website mcgarrforarizona.com says he is "running for the state House to fix the broken election system, to eliminate fraud, and to ensure that something like the 2020 election never happens again." McGarr says "I'm a rock-solid defender of the Second Amendment."
Anna Orth, of Tucson, is a fourth generation Tucsonan. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona and Grand Canyon University with a master's in organizational psychology. She has a real estate license, and is a longtime business owner, most recently working as an organizational behavior consultant. She advocates strong and effective conservative leadership "to defend our constitutional rights and freedoms" including "clean up the election process, secure the border and repeal unlawful federal overreach." Her campaign website orth4azrep.com says she wants to do her part to ensure "Arizonans know their vote is safe and represented. There should be a 100% requirement to verify the citizenship of every person that votes and there must be a chain of custody and protection of it for every ballot."
Sherrylyn Young, of Tucson, is a retired OB-GYN physician who ran a small medical practice. She received a bachelor's from University of California-Los Angeles and a medical degree from University of California-San Francisco. She grew up in a poor family and was the first to graduate from high school. High scores on a California test led to a full college scholarship. Young has lived in the district for 38 years. Her candidate website syoungforaz.com says she is "a serious constitutional conservative, with experience in education, health care, and business." She supports medical freedom and says COVID-19 "has taught us how easily public health agencies promoting fear can hijack our medical freedom."
The Democrat nominees are:
Dana Allmond, of Marana, who is a retired Army lieutenant colonel and graduate of West Point Academy, and Brian Radford, of Tucson, who is a former special education teacher's assistant and a retired officer with the Department of Corrections. Allmond and Radford advance to the November general election.
District 18
One Republican candidate will automatically advance to the general election, and five Democrats, including an incumbent, are competing for votes in the primary to end up on the November ballot. District 18 covers the Catalina Foothills, Casas Adobes and a swath of Tucson north of Broadway, east of Country Club Road and west of Camino Seco.
Republican Linda Evans, of Tucson, a playwright whose musicals have been produced in Manhattan, was born and raised in Van Wert, Ohio, and she has lived in Tucson for 28 years.
The Democratic candidates are:
Nathan Davis, a native of Tucson, is a graduate of Pima Community College, University of Arizona and received a master's in international affairs from George Washington University. He is a Tucson Unified School District teacher, who left the classroom a year ago and now is filling in as a substitute teacher, so he can run his family's small interior and design business. His campaign website nathandavisaz.com says he will work "to reinvest in public education; support workers' rights and our small, local businesses; fight for bills that combat climate change; and protect legal abortion care in Arizona."
Nancy Gutierrez, of Tucson, has lived in Phoenix and Sierra Vista as a military spouse and in Tucson since 2007. She received a bachelor's from Northern Arizona University majoring in elementary education with an emphasis in math. She taught in Paradise Valley, Sierra Vista and since 2013 has taught yoga at Tucson High School. In 2017, she served on the board of the Tucson chapter of the National Organization for Women and was elected president in 2018. Her candidate website nancyforaz.com says she will work "to ensure that Arizona puts public education, teachers, staff and students as a priority." She supports reproductive freedom and care for all women, and is a sensible gun candidate who believes guns should never be allowed on any campus and loopholes must be closed for sales at gun shows.
Chris Mathis, of Tucson, is the incumbent and has lived in District 18 for 21 years. In December, he was appointed to represent District 9 after Rep. Randall Friese resigned. Mathis is a practicing attorney who teaches health-care law at the University of Arizona law school. He earned a master's in public administration from the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government, a master's in public health from the Harvard School of Public Health, and law and undergraduate degrees from the University of Illinois. His campaign website mathisforaz.com says "As a legislator, he is fighting back to protect voting rights, women's reproductive rights, and fully fund public schools and pay educators like the valuable professionals they are."
Kat Stratford, of Tucson, has lived in District 18 for seven years, and in Tucson since 2002. She works as a political consultant and field organizer. Her candidate website katforaz.com says the state "is facing an unprecedented climate crisis that will render much of our beautiful desert uninhabitable within 50 years. Families are still struggling to gain reasonable access to basics like healthcare, education and food assistance. Voting rights and reproductive rights are at stake in 2022. We need representation that will show up every day to fight for progress, to protect our civil liberties, and for a more equitable Arizona."
Charles "Charlie" Verdin, of Tucson, is the owner of Fangamer, a local video game merchandising company. He has lived in District 18 for 10 years and in 2017 he ran for the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 2. Verdin was born and raised in southern Louisiana and graduated from Nicholls State University with a bachelor's in mass communication. His campaign website charlieverdin.com says "Currently, Arizona ranks among the lowest in the country for teacher pay. Many of our best educators seek employment elsewhere while those who remain struggle to provide basic school supplies for their classrooms." He says investing in education builds a strong workforce, and "well-educated students become the workers, innovators, and entrepreneurs of tomorrow."
The top two Democrats in the primary will advance to the general election.
Further information on all candidates, including their nomination papers and financial disclosure statements, is available online at azsos.gov/elections.
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at cduarte@tucson.com or on Twitter: @cduartestar | https://tucson.com/news/local/voters-to-narrow-choices-in-primary-in-newly-redrawn-az-house-districts/article_979964e4-fbe1-11ec-8d47-3bbd6111b906.html | 2022-07-07T23:23:46 | 1 | https://tucson.com/news/local/voters-to-narrow-choices-in-primary-in-newly-redrawn-az-house-districts/article_979964e4-fbe1-11ec-8d47-3bbd6111b906.html |
BALTIMORE — The court will help pay the cost of the expert witnesses that Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby plans to call in her defense against federal perjury and mortgage fraud charges, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Expert testimony can be costly, and Mosby asked the court to foot the bill under the Criminal Justice Act, which requires federal court districts to carve out resources to support those accused of crimes who cannot afford an attorney or other elements of legal representation. If a person is eligible, more often than not they’re represented by the federal Office of the Public Defender. It’s up to a judge to decide when a defendant asks.
In an order issued Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Lydia Kay Griggsby found the “expert services” Mosby requested are “necessary” and that Mosby is “financially unable to obtain these services at this time to adequately prepare for trial.”
Griggsby found that Mosby, who makes a salary of about $248,000 a year from the city, has “sufficient financial resources at this time to contribute” to the funds the court authorized to pay for experts, and directed Mosby to reimburse the court over time. The order did not specify a timetable for repayment, nor an amount. Griggsby also ordered Mosby to advise the court by Aug. 5 whether she could afford the repayments, and to provide continuous updates every 30 days.
Defense attorney Andrew I. Alperstein, a former prosecutor who is not involved in Mosby’s case, said it’s common to incur expert fees of $10,000 or more, with some offering their services for a flat rate and others charging by the hour.
“Government funds exist in certain circumstances for individuals charged in recognition that the prosecutor has access to unlimited resources and the accused doesn’t always have the resources to keep up with the government,” Alperstein told the Baltimore Sun. “In rare circumstances where the defendant in federal court has been charged and gets a private attorney, the court will allow for funding of either the defense attorney, expert witnesses, investigators or other resources to make the process fair.”
To get a judge to approve the money, a person has to make a case for what they need and must show they may not be able to afford it, Alperstein said.
Mosby has portrayed herself as the victim of repeated investigations, beginning with the city inspector general’s probe into her travels — which the state’s attorney requested herself.
“They have combed every aspect of my life for the past two years, and this is where we are: hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt in attorneys’ fees,” Mosby told reporters on the steps of Baltimore’s federal courthouse on April 14.
Mosby, the city’s two-term elected prosecutor, is scheduled to stand trial Sept. 19. She is running for reelection in the Democratic primary election July 19.
Mosby is charged with two counts of perjury and two counts of making false statements on mortgage applications for a pair of vacation properties in Florida: an eight-bedroom rental near Disney World and a condo on the state’s Gulf Coast.
Prosecutors say she falsely claimed to have suffered financial hardship from the coronavirus to withdraw $90,000 from her city retirement savings under the Cares Act, Congress’s first pandemic relief package, and then used that money to buy the properties in Florida. She also allegedly lied about using the house as a second home to secure a lower interest rate and neglected to disclose a federal tax lien, according to the indictment.
“Simply put, the defendant’s perjury allowed her to leverage $90,000 in funds she should not have had access to in order to get two vacation homes,” prosecutors wrote in previous court papers.
After denying Mosby’s first attempt at having the charges against her dismissed on the grounds of vindictive prosecution, Griggsby has since allowed Mosby’s lawyers to go forward with a new argument: The two perjury charges should be dismissed because the federal government used ambiguous language in its guidelines for who was eligible for coronavirus relief.
While the motion marked a shift from personally attacking prosecutors to raising a legal challenge, the government filed a stern response describing her attorneys’ logic as dystopian.
The latest filing for dismissal bore the names of attorneys Gary Proctor and Lucius Outlaw, who joined Mosby’s defense team for free. Attorney A. Scott Bolden leads Mosby’s defense.
A legal defense fund was established for Mosby and her husband, Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby, about a year ago when it was revealed that federal prosecutors were investigating the power couple’s taxes.
As of March 15, the fund had received at least $14,352 in donations, according to a report from the city’s Board of Ethics.
The ethics board ordered Nick Mosby to quit accepting donations through the fund after it found he had violated city rules by taking money from two city contractors. Nick Mosby is appealing the board’s ruling. The board has no jurisdiction over Marilyn Mosby.
The Mosbys have used campaign finance money to help cover their legal expenses over the years. In her January filing, Marilyn reported spending nearly $48,000 on lawyers, including $37,500 with Reed Smith LLP, where Bolden is a partner.
The Maryland State Board of Elections found Mosby’s campaign spending did not violate election law. Even though officials approved that spending, future spending could result in a violation.
Marilyn Mosby did not report any legal expenses in her most recent campaign finance filing.
— Baltimore Sun | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/court-will-pick-up-tab-for-mosbys-witnesses/2022/07/07/53b1944c-fda6-11ec-a07f-799ab6d06557_story.html | 2022-07-07T23:24:39 | 1 | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/court-will-pick-up-tab-for-mosbys-witnesses/2022/07/07/53b1944c-fda6-11ec-a07f-799ab6d06557_story.html |
AUSTIN, Texas — The Falls on Bull Creek apartment complex, off of North Capital of Texas Highway, is home to residents who are chock full of complaints.
We looked over months of city code violations, ranging from having no water to issues with the actual structure of the buildings. According to the Austin Code Department, in their initial inspection, they found 42 violations in 30 buildings. Some violations include sheetrock off the ceilings falling, exposed wiring, and posts under the building having no lateral support.
Maintenance issues have caused a headache for resident Kara Kenny, who moved here with her partner 1.5 years ago.
“We really thought that this would be a great, great environment just to be active in,” said Kenny.
But now she lives in instability, not knowing what could go wrong in the complex next.
“This was about two weeks ago, a text that came from management, 'move your vehicles because the pavement is caving in,'” she said.
Her partner Joseph Woodworth said that’s not all.
“Mold issues, structural issues, we can’t even get our closet door fixed because the frame is not square,” said Woodworth.
They couldn't even count on water. According to city code inspections, residents went weeks and months without water working.
“The water main, when it broke in December, they charged the residents all of that, even though it was an issue with the city,” said Kenny.
Tarrent Miller has lived here for the better part of a year and said he finds it unnerving that the structures that the buildings are on top of are cracked. The Austin Code Department raised concerns about structure issues in many buildings.
“All the structures and supports are kind of uncared for, you could say,” said Miller.
The executive vice president of GVA Property Management, Laura Smith said they have a structural engineer addressing these issues. She said that since they took over in September of last year, they’ve spent over $800,000 in repairs.
PHOTOS: Code violations at the Falls at Bull Creek
They said when water went out in January, they provided water and food and added that residents were not charged more for water
Smith said residents were not given a text that the pavement was caving in, and that they had residents move their cars to make asphalt repairs.
No matter where the problems started, residents just want them fixed.
“The emotional toll is something that I’ll ever really completely recover from,” said Kenny.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/tenants-at-falls-on-bull-creek-raise-concerns-about-living-conditions/269-5701dabd-b2d2-4e20-93f4-3b3f4baef844 | 2022-07-07T23:25:01 | 0 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/tenants-at-falls-on-bull-creek-raise-concerns-about-living-conditions/269-5701dabd-b2d2-4e20-93f4-3b3f4baef844 |
BASTROP, Texas — A guilty verdict was declared last week for Freddie Lee Smith, a man involved in a 2015 murder-for-hire plot at the request of a former Austin police officer who wanted a woman dead because she was pregnant with his baby.
According to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office, a jury returned a capital murder guilty verdict after six hours of deliberation on June 30.
Officials said former officer VonTrey Clark hired Smith to kill a woman named Samantha Dean for $5,000 because she did not wish to seek an abortion for their child. Clark and Dean had reportedly had a sporadic relationship for more than six years.
Clark then reportedly had another friend, Kevin Watson, broker the deal to kill both her and the unborn baby. Dean, a former Kyle Police Department victims services counselor, was around seven months pregnant at the time of the murder and was planning to name their daughter Madeline.
Officials said the three men hatched an elaborate scheme, but their burner phone records, geolocation data and cellular forensic exams revealed their plans.
When search warrants and court orders were unsealed in July 2015, Clark fled to Indonesia. He was captured and extradited back to Texas.
Evidence reviewed at trial showed that Clark lured Dean to Bastrop under false pretenses to a vacant shopping center, which is where Smith shot her in the head. After Smith shot her twice, Clark then fired another shot into her body.
Officials added that Watson also participated in the planning of the crime and gave Smith a ride to and from the scene of the murder.
Clark pleaded guilty to capital murder in December 2019 and was sentenced to life without parole. Watson pleaded guilty to murder and is scheduled to be sentenced this month.
Paxton's office became involved in the case at the request of Bastrop County District Attorney Bryan Goetz. Assistant Attorneys General Jane Starnes and Tina Richardson have also assisted in the case, along with Legal Assistant Michael Roberts, Legal Assistant Angela Lopez, Lt. Missy Wolfe and Victim Assistance Coordinator Carolyn McGinley.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/third-guilty-verdict-declared-murder-for-hire-austin-police-officer/269-56b87409-849e-408d-a967-a0af373c0325 | 2022-07-07T23:25:07 | 1 | https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/texas/third-guilty-verdict-declared-murder-for-hire-austin-police-officer/269-56b87409-849e-408d-a967-a0af373c0325 |
CASSELBERRY, Fla. – The city of Casselberry is set to break ground on a new gallery that will expand the area’s art district next week.
Casselberry officials said a ceremony will be held at 8:30 a.m. on July 11 at 141 Quail Pond Circle in honor of the yet-to-be named gallery supplementing Lake Concord Park’s Art House.
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The new modern gallery will be used to house the works of regional, national and internationally renowned artists as well as to expand upon the city’s established visual arts experience, city officials said.
The expansion, which includes upgrading five parks and designing an additional one, was funded by the city’s major parks initiative funded through a $24 million bond referendum approved by residents in 2020.
City officials said it will be an extension of the Art House, established in 2002, which serves as “a creative hub for classroom learning, community outreach programming, and gallery space for both local and emerging artists.”
This new expansion comes after the Sculpture House, located diagonally across from the Art House, was created in September of last year to bring experimental art to Casselberry. The sculpture garden at Lake Concord Park further connects the different venues together, offering a lush green space full of oak trees and art as people wander from gallery to gallery.
“We’ve learned over the two decades that the visual arts are a cultural, social, and economic value to the community,” recreation manager Linda Moore said in a news release. “Displaying public art that is freely accessible in the different venues at Lake Concord Park gives the city a unique identity and stronger sense of place.”
Casselberry Mayor David Henson, City Manager Randy Newlon, Bert Fonesca, Wharton-Smith and Director of Public Works and Utilities Dr. Kelly Brock will be in attendance at the event.
Check out every episode of Riff On This in the media player below: | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/casselberry-expands-art-district-with-new-unnamed-gallery-space/ | 2022-07-07T23:25:19 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/casselberry-expands-art-district-with-new-unnamed-gallery-space/ |
DELAND, Fla. – Every Saturday through bowling season, the lanes at Sunshine Bowling Center in DeLand are packed with athletes from the Volusia County Special Olympics bowling team.
The sound of crashing bowling pins are nearly drowned out by the roar of clapping family and friends, cheering on their athletes.
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Vanessa Stark usually shows up early, ready to greet other bowlers as they walk through the door.
“I’m a ramp bowler. Ramp bowlers are on that side,” said Stark, pointing to the far end of the building.
Stark is legally blind and has problems with her back but she said she has rarely missed any of the weekly practices since she began Special Olympics play in 2016.
“It’s fun. It’s really fun to be here,” Stark said. “We give each other high-fives. It’s so exciting to see everybody come together and have fun.”
And for more than a decade, Anna Maria Filannino has been here too. Filannino is one of the volunteer coaches, but many of the athletes consider her family.
“She’s like a mother to us, like a grandmother,” Stark said. “She bends over backwards for us all the time. If we have a bad day, she’ll even call us to cheer us up.”
But Filannino has been missing from the lanes for the last few months. Her Saturdays have been spent at home recovering from surgery.
She is missed. In fact, Stark wanted to show her appreciation by nominating Filaninno for the weekly News 6 Getting Results Award.
“Everybody here loves her,” Stark said. “She has a heart for us in the Special Olympics. She doesn’t see our disabilities. She just sees us.”
Lisa Gall centers herself on the pins and winds up.
“This is for Coach Anna,” said Gall, hurling her blue and white marbled ball down the lane. “She’s always in our hearts and minds.”
Filannino said the athletes are on her mind, too, as well as the “wonderful memories” they shared in the form of photographs.
As she sits on her couch reflecting on her life, Filannino points to the walls, tables and entertainment center where dozens of pictures look back at her. As she recalls stories from her life, guests are able to see exactly who she’s talking about. It seems no one is left out.
“Here’s my bowling team when I became head coach,” said Filannino, pointing to a photo on the wall in a spare bedroom. “These are newspaper clippings... it’s a very big part of my life.”
Filannino taught special needs students for 26 years in New York before moving to Florida, where she continued for another 18 years before retiring.
“I want to be with them. They keep me young and they keep my whole spirit going,” Filannino said. “The doctor says I can’t do any lifting or anything like that for four or six weeks. Then I can go back.”
Paula Ouimette, Special Olympics Manager of Sports Administration, said the games rely on volunteers like Filannino and more are needed.
“She’s missed more than you could possibly imagine,” Ouimette said. “We can’t wait to have her back.”
Filannino hopes to make an appearance at practice next weekend and she should be back to coaching on a regular basis soon.
“You know God is good. He’s getting me back in shape because I guess He still has work that He wants me to do,” she said.
Ouimette said she understands why Filannino wants to get back soon—volunteering is easy and rewarding beyond words.
“These athletes make us better people. If you have a couple of hours a week to donate your time, I guarantee you that you will get back more than you give out.”
Volunteering opportunities in your area can be found through the Special Olympics website. | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/she-just-sees-us-volusia-county-special-olympics-bowlers-anticipate-coachs-return-from-surgery/ | 2022-07-07T23:25:26 | 0 | https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/07/07/she-just-sees-us-volusia-county-special-olympics-bowlers-anticipate-coachs-return-from-surgery/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — An award-winning LEGO artist is coming to Charleston, West Virginia, for the BrickUniverse LEGO Convention at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center on July 16 and 17.
Paul Hetherington is a Canadian LEGO artist who has won five Best in Show Awards at Brickcon in Seattle, Washington. Hetherington’s “Batman vs Joker Gothman Theater Showdown” was named 2016 LEGO Creation of the Year by Brothers-Bricks.
Hetherington has also been on national TV, and his displays have gone viral on the internet.
Paul Hetherington will have a massive live gallery of his LEGO exhibits at Charleston’s BrickUniverse convention. He will also be available to meet fans and sign autographs.
“Joker’s Funhouse” by Paul Hetherington. (Photo courtesy of the BrickUniverse LEGO Fan Convention) “LEGO Gaga” by Paul Hetherington. (Photo courtesy of the BrickUniverse LEGO Fan Convention)
To learn more about the convention or to buy tickets, visit the BrickUniverse website. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/award-winning-lego-artist-coming-to-charlestons-brickuniverse-convention/ | 2022-07-07T23:29:26 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/award-winning-lego-artist-coming-to-charlestons-brickuniverse-convention/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — Around Charleston, you might see some abandoned houses and would like for them to be torn down. However, the demolition process is extensive.
The Williams have been living on Charleston’s West Side for more than 30 years. They said when their neighbor moved out years ago, things started getting bad with drug abuse and homeless people.
“We’ve been waiting at least a couple years for it to come down,” Madison and Esther Williams said. “The city had come by and placed notices on the door. Like I said, it was pretty bad. The city was aware of it. Last time they had a fire on the other side, and they had to tear that down.”
In order to get houses demolished, there’s a 25-step process per city code and state regulations. It starts with the billing department assessing the house and finding its owner.
“Then we go into the house once that administrative warrant has been posted for 15 days, and they’ll assess the condition of the property and determine whether or not it needs to be demolished or it can be renovated and saved,” Kevin Baker, Charleston City Attorney said.
However, there are some exceptions to the process.
“If there’s an emergency, if a fire occurs, and the structure is at severe risk of falling down or falling into another home, something like that, then we can do an emergency demolition,” Baker said.
On average, it costs between $8,000 to $12,000 to demolish a house, and it could take three months to several years to get the project completed.
Even though the house is gone, the Williams said it is still not good enough.
“It doesn’t make the neighborhood any better,” they said. “It doesn’t make it inviting for anyone to move here when you had something like that sitting there and it doesn’t make you feel safe.”
Baker said most of the time the demolition process has already started when people think nothing is being done.
“The process to get it, and sometimes we can be six or seven months into it, and the neighbors don’t even know about it because there’s nothing they can see,” he said.
The city has around 125 houses that need to be demolished. They’ve demolished 19 houses in the past 30 days. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/city-of-charleston-in-the-process-of-tearing-down-abandoned-houses/ | 2022-07-07T23:29:32 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/city-of-charleston-in-the-process-of-tearing-down-abandoned-houses/ |
CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) Your last fill-up may have been slightly less than it was a couple of weeks ago, but is the trend short-lived?
“It is expensive. I drive a Honda Civic and it costs me normally about $30 to fill up and it cost me almost $60 to fill up this time,” explained motorist Amber Costello.
The price of gas has been top of mind in recent months as the cost of fuel climbed to levels that were painful for any budget.
“All the folks I work with have talked about gas prices. Everybody is trying to get out and travel and they have complained about it,” said Andy Cooke. He drives an electric vehicle and said the fuel prices haven’t been a problem for him personally.
Right now in Charleston, there are some gas stations along Corridor G with prices down to $4.69. That is lower than many people have seen in the Capital City in a while.
According to AAA, crude oil prices have fallen because of concerns that the US economy could be headed for a recession.
Some say the savings aren’t enough to relieve the pressure at the pump, even just going to and from work.
“It would have to take a lot. Thankfully I’m close. I don’t commute. But I feel for the people that commute,” Costello said.
Others are hopeful that there’ll be less expensive trips ahead.
“I’m glad to see the gas prices are coming down a little bit. My son is a Marshall student and we live in Nitro,” said Madonna Estep, Nitro, WV. “He will be commuting this fall and so I’m hoping that they’ll go down even more.” | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/gas-prices-fall-nationally-and-in-west-virginia/ | 2022-07-07T23:29:38 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/gas-prices-fall-nationally-and-in-west-virginia/ |
NITRO, WV (WOWK)—A man was arrested after allegedly running a stop sign and hitting a boy on a bicycle at 2nd Ave. and 21st St.
Nitro Police say that the driver fled the scene and drove toward Putnam County. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Department was told to be on the lookout for the vehicle.
Putnam County deputies say they started to pursue the vehicle around the Poca area. The driver pulled over without incident on Beech Hill Rd. and Poca River Rd.
The driver is charged with running a stop sign and leaving the scene in Kanawha County and fleeing in Putnam County.
His name has not been released at this time. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/man-arrested-in-putnam-county-after-hitting-boy-on-bike-with-vehicle-fleeing-scene/ | 2022-07-07T23:29:44 | 1 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/man-arrested-in-putnam-county-after-hitting-boy-on-bike-with-vehicle-fleeing-scene/ |
FLATWOODS, KY (WOWK)—A proposal to build a crematorium in a residential area has stalled.
Flatwoods Mayor Ron Fields says Thursday’s Greenup County Joint Commission meeting to discuss the proposed crematorium was canceled.
He says that the owners of the property at the end of Williams St. in Flatwoods say they have decided against subdividing it and that the other party that was applying for the crematorium has also withdrawn their application. | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/plan-to-build-crematorium-in-flatwoods-residential-area-stalls/ | 2022-07-07T23:29:50 | 0 | https://www.wowktv.com/news/local/plan-to-build-crematorium-in-flatwoods-residential-area-stalls/ |
HOUSTON — The mother of the baby found alone at a southwest Houston apartment complex Tuesday has been reported missing by family members, according to police
The mother has been identified as 33-year-old Dana McGowan. Police said she has been missing since Tuesday, the same day her 12-month-old son was found alone at an apartment complex on Wilcrest Drive and South Drive.
Family members reported McGowan missing Thursday after not being able to contact her. Residents have reported seeing her in the area of the apartment complex in recent days, according to police.
McGowan was possibly wearing a black tank top and black leggings the day she went missing. She is described as a Black woman who is about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs approximately 180 pounds.
Before McGowan was reported missing, Houston police held a press conference and said they have not been able to locate her.
The lead detective on the case, R. Blackmon, said she has been in contact with the father of the baby, who did not know the baby was alone at an apartment complex because he and McGowan are not together. Blackmon said neither the mother nor the father resides at the apartment complex, so how the baby got there remains a mystery.
The father has reportedly asked for custody of the child who is currently in Child Protective Services' custody.
The 12-month-old was found alone Tuesday at an apartment on Wilcrest Drive near Kinney Road by an employee and a resident of the apartment complex.
They called 911 and when police arrived on scene they attempted to make contact with the parents but had no luck.
The baby was taken to a nearby hospital for minor injuries where he was treated and released to CPS.
Blackmon said she went to the apartment complex on Wednesday and spoke with residents and employees, trying to gather as much information as possible to identify the child, but no one could provide any specific details on who the child was.
Blackmon said that's when the Houston Police Department Missing Person's Division released information to the media with hopes someone would come forward and claim the child.
At 5 p.m. Wednesday, Blackmon said she got a call from a family member who said the baby was her nephew. The woman was also able to identify the mother of the child.
This is currently an active investigation as police try to locate McGowan.
Blackmon said no charges have been filed at the time but she expects charges will be filed at a later date.
A judge on Thursday signed an affidavit giving CPS temporary custody of the child.
Another hearing is scheduled for two weeks.
If you have any information on McGowan's whereabouts, please call the HPD's Missing Person's Unit at 832-394-1840. Police said they want to interview her about her circumstances in this case.
Watch Thursday's update on the baby found alone below: | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/baby-found-alone-southwest-houston-apartment/285-6aca287b-abc4-4625-87d5-7a4907303216 | 2022-07-07T23:33:03 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/baby-found-alone-southwest-houston-apartment/285-6aca287b-abc4-4625-87d5-7a4907303216 |
ATLANTA — A metro Atlanta woman said she's fighting to prove to the federal government that she's alive.
Miranda Brannan is 27 years old, and the Internal Revenue Service keeps telling her she doesn't exist - for the past ten birthdays.
"They tell me I look pretty good for a dead person," she joked.
However, Brannan said the jokes about her death are getting old, and she's grown tired of going through the same process over the last decade.
"I've been really patient with it," she said, adding that it has all been frustrating.
She said she's almost died trying to fix the issue with the IRS.
"I would try to file with TurboTax and it would reject it every year -- the same issue -- saying that I was deceased," she said.
Brannan, a mother of 5, said the process has grown more troubling as she has never been able to claim her children as dependents.
That's not the only issue.
She's had trouble turning on her electricity, getting financing to buy a car, and now she can't get a loan to buy a house.
She said she needs help, so she turned to 11Alive's Kaitlyn Ross to get results, to get a taste of the process herself.
First was a call to the IRS with agents directing the issue to Tax Advocate. That service bumped the issue to Social Security, who passed the issue back to the IRS.
Brannan said she has been calling the same agencies for a decade and even files her tax papers in person just to prove she tried. Despite the effort, they're still rejected.
"I talk to the tax preparer, IRS, social security and everyone seems to be blown away," she said. "Even the attorney(s), I've talked to a few attorneys, none of them have heard of this situation."
Eventually, Brannan got a letter from the social security office proving that she's alive. But that may not be enough.
The IRS said the issue probably started with a data breach the agency suffered in 2014, Brannan said, but added she still has to jump through hoops to file.
Attorneys tell her they can fix it -- but it will cost her $10,000.
"They owe me money at this point, and I shouldn't have to pay to fix it," she said.
11Alive's Kaitlyn Ross contacted Congressman Drew Ferguson's Office. There's a specialist that works with federal agencies and they got in touch with Brannan Tuesday to say they're taking up her case.
Brannan tells 11Alive that she wants to believe the office can fit it -- but at this point, she's not holding her breath. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/metro-atlanta-woman-10-years-proving-irs-dead/85-65cd401b-e258-4680-998d-61096267e2a6 | 2022-07-07T23:33:09 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/metro-atlanta-woman-10-years-proving-irs-dead/85-65cd401b-e258-4680-998d-61096267e2a6 |
SAN ANTONIO — Central Texas is seeing the worst drought conditions it has seen in a decade. It’s causing rivers to slow to a crawl and the impact of that could be disastrous.
“We definitely have some concerns with where the water level’s going to get too later in the year, if we don't start getting some level of consistent rain,” said Shaun Donovan, Environmental Sciences Manager at the San Antonio River Authority.
There are places in south Texas right now where the flow of the river all but stops.
“There's been reports of the Frio River is at 0.0 CFS, so it's not, you know, it's not flowing at all right now,” Donovan said. “There was a lot of concerns and issues with the Guadalupe River, especially above Canyon Lake where they can't control the flow.”
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of Bexar County is in drought level D3, that’s out of four. Historically, this level, classified as Extreme Drought, has meant an increased risk of wildfires, severe loss of plant and wildlife, and very low river flows. The last time Bexar County was this dry was during the drought of 2011, when the entire state was at D4 – Exceptional Drought.
“Our treatment plants, whether it's, you know, most of that water is coming from SAWS, some of that water is coming from River Authority treatment facilities, helps mitigate those extreme ends of dry river conditions in our base and more so than a lot of other places.”
Shaun Donovan said the treatment plants in their system puts the San Antonio River in a better place than other rivers in the state, but it’s still not a good place.
“It's times like these, it's about mitigating loss,” he said. “Loss of habitat for fish, loss of fish themselves, loss of system productivity.”
He says the drought has created a vicious cycle: slowing the water and making it easier to evaporate in the intense summer heat. He says it also lowers the level of oxygen in the water.
“Fish need to breathe that dissolved oxygen. Muscles need to breathe that. Plants need dissolved oxygen,” said Donovan. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/rivers-in-a-vicious-cycle-of-drought-san-antonio-texas-rain-water/273-02adebf7-c7ce-4b4f-b6f5-8bbbfbb45f77 | 2022-07-07T23:33:15 | 1 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/rivers-in-a-vicious-cycle-of-drought-san-antonio-texas-rain-water/273-02adebf7-c7ce-4b4f-b6f5-8bbbfbb45f77 |
TEXAS, USA — The Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) confirmed to WFAA on Thursday that the state's juvenile detention facilities have stopped taking in youth due to critical staffing shortages.
The TJJD said the paused intake started last week. In a letter sent from the TJJD interim executive director to facility chiefs, the department said all five state secure facilities are implementing variations of their emergency operation planning.
The TJJD leader said the staffing problem is so severe it could lead to an “inability to provide even basic supervision for youth locked in their rooms.”
“This could cause a significantly impaired ability to intervene in the increasing suicidal behaviors already occurring by youth struggling with the isolative impact of operational room confinement,” the letter read.
As of May, the population hovered at around 570 youth – one of the lowest levels in the last decade, according to state records. A department spokesperson told WFAA on Thursday that there were 140 committed youth on the wait list to come to TJJD.
"TJJD is staying in close contact with Juvenile Probation Departments, to keep them apprised of the situation. The agency regrets that it had to take this action and recognizes that many county facilities also are struggling with staffing shortages reflective of the national staffing crisis," the TJJD spokesperson said in a statement.
TJJD said it is working to resolve the underlying issues and resume intakes as soon as possible.
More Dallas headlines: | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas-juvenile-detention-center-halted-staffing-shortage/287-1e12d0b2-7284-4561-b120-959a6d45cf3a | 2022-07-07T23:33:21 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas-juvenile-detention-center-halted-staffing-shortage/287-1e12d0b2-7284-4561-b120-959a6d45cf3a |
NBC10 is one of dozens of news organizations producing BROKE in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city’s push toward economic justice. Follow us at @BrokeInPhilly.
Children and teens in Philadelphia will be under a new summer curfew beginning Thursday, an effort by legislators to keep them safe and away from criminal activity amid rising violence.
Under the new rules, 16-17-year-olds must be off the streets by 10 p.m., moving up by two hours their prior midnight curfew. Children 14 and 15 already had a 10 p.m. curfew while those 13 and under must be in by 9:30 p.m. All are to remain off the streets until 6 a.m. the following day.
Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson proposed the bill in direct response to the city’s violence. The city controller’s gun violence tracker shows 22 minors have been killed and another 106 wounded in shootings this year.
“We are seeing our young people involved in more criminal incidents and criminal activity simply because they’re out late,” Richardson said.
The bill carves out exceptions for minors out for legitimate reasons, like work and errands, and for those who are with a guardian. There will be no fines for violators.
If a minors violate the curfew, Philadelphia Police Department officers will first attempt to reunite them with their families, Richardson said. If that’s not possible, officers will either take the children to one of two community evening resource centers or take them back to the police station to try to reunite them with their family there, she said.
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The resource centers currently open are the Community of Compassion CDC at 6150 Cedar Ave. and the Diversified Community Services-Dixon House at 1920 S. 20th St. They operate between 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. and offer activities like classes in financial literacy, yoga, photography and cooking.
“I think it’s sensible because there’s no reason for a child to be out past a certain time of the night,” Philadelphia resident and grandfather Adam Byrd said in reference to the curfew.
But despite their good intentions, research shows that curfews are not effective at reducing crime.
A 2016 review of studies on juvenile curfews published by the nonprofit Campbell Corporation concluded that, “The pattern of evidence suggests that juvenile curfews are ineffective at reducing crime and victimization.” While the review noted that the studies suffered from limitations that make it difficult to draw firm conclusions, it nonetheless concluded that “curfews are unlikely to be a meaningful solution to juvenile crime and disorder.”
Nonetheless, the new curfew in Philadelphia will be in effect until Sept. 29.
“We have to use every tool in our toolbox to protect our young people during the most violent time of the year,” Richardson said. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/broke-in-philly/modified-summer-curfew-to-take-effect-for-philly-minors/3293339/ | 2022-07-07T23:33:22 | 1 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/broke-in-philly/modified-summer-curfew-to-take-effect-for-philly-minors/3293339/ |
AUSTIN, Texas — On Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order that authorizes the Texas National Guard and the Texas Department of Public Safety to apprehend immigrants in the country illegally and return them to the border.
In a press release announcing the new order, Gov. Abbott blamed the Biden Administration's recent decision to end Title 42 expulsions and the remain in Mexico policy for "historic levels of illegal crossings." Abbott's office said 5,000 migrants were apprehended over the Fourth of July weekend and that there is an ongoing crisis that has "overrun communities" at the border and across the state.
"While President Biden refuses to do his job and enforce the immigration laws enacted by Congress, the State of Texas is once again stepping up and taking unprecedented action to protect Americans and secure our southern border," said Gov. Abbott. "The cartels have become emboldened and enriched by President Biden's open border policies, smuggling in record numbers of people, weapons and deadly drugs like fentanyl."
The Texas Democratic Party called Abbott's order "unlawful" and "bigoted," with Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa releasing the following statement Thursday evening.
"Today's bad-faith, unlawful political stunt of the day from Gov. Abbott is just as bigoted as all his others. The key difference is that today he's dabbling with the word 'invasion' – the same racist concept that fueled the 2019 El Paso shooter who drove hundreds of miles to specifically gun down Latinos.
"We need real leadership in this state ASAP: leadership that will work with Washington to create an orderly system of immigration that reflects our values, not buck the law in the hopes of getting a positive Fox News evening segment.
“Greg Abbott will continue to cower to the 4chan demands of the day just to shore up a few more votes from the Proud Boys in his next election. For the well-being of our state, and for the sake of the humanity of migrants seeking refuge in the United States – we must retire Greg Abbott this fall. We cannot afford to see how much more desperate and extreme his stunts will become.”
Abbott's announcement comes one day after reports that the U.S. Department of Justice has launched an investigation into alleged civil rights violations under his border operation, Operation Lone Star.
RELATED NEWS:
- Justice Department investigating Operation Lone Star for alleged civil rights violations, records show
- Gov. Abbott gives update from Eagle Pass, two days after dozens of migrants were found dead in semitruck
- Operation Lone Star contingent rehearsing for potential mass migration arrivals, Abbott says
- UT researcher's study finds sanctuary policies decrease crime
- Justice Department investigating Operation Lone Star for alleged civil rights violations, records show | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/abbott-texas-executive-order-border-apprehensions/269-d4f305ee-3a02-4906-8efe-4d5b27dad633 | 2022-07-07T23:33:27 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/texas/abbott-texas-executive-order-border-apprehensions/269-d4f305ee-3a02-4906-8efe-4d5b27dad633 |
DALLAS — Water utility crews spent Thursday afternoon trying to repair a water main break in a neighborhood in southern Dallas.
Neighbors became alarmed when water began shooting from a hole in the street along Lazy River Drive. Homeowner Donald Campbell said he woke up to loud sounds as the gushing water showered his home and flooded his vehicles.
“Thunder! Water. It was like boom! Rocks, coming all over top my house. I said something ain’t right,” Campbell explained as he watched the water flooding the front of his home.
Neighbors watched the water shooting from the street for several hours.
”I had the garage up too. I go into the garage, and water just flushed in,” Campbell said as the water continued shooting from the ground.
Dallas Water Utilities workers described the problem as a break in a six-inch water main.
The break wasn’t the only emergency on the street. Firefighters responded to a house down the block.
“This house was on fire, and so we saw the ambulances and the fire truck come. When they turned the water hydrant on to set it out, that’s when the water pressure sparked the water down there,” said neighbor Latoya Johnson.
Dallas Fire Rescue workers said the house fire was separate from the water main break.
Some areas along Lazy River Drive appeared to be buckling, as city crews responded to the water main break. Police helped block off the street until water utilities crews arrived.
“That’s a lot of water. I said why they don’t cut the water off. I’ve been waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting. I said well, don’t panic. Don’t panic,” Campbell explained.
After several hours, Dallas Water Utilities arrived with a backhoe. They used heavy equipment to plug the hole in the street and divert the water from shooting onto Campbell’s house.
Workers said they were trying to minimize shutting off water to any homes in the area while they made repairs.
“Have a lot of insurance. Please get the insurance,” Campbell advised as he watched city crews arrive.
The homeowner said he’s spoken to his insurance agency, and is confident it will investigate the damage. | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/water-main-break-flooding-dallas-home/287-3861e552-c21f-4f92-a346-8b7b5d6f7922 | 2022-07-07T23:33:33 | 0 | https://www.kens5.com/article/news/local/water-main-break-flooding-dallas-home/287-3861e552-c21f-4f92-a346-8b7b5d6f7922 |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/phl-airport-to-spend-millions-on-bathroom-upgrades-other-improvements/3293271/ | 2022-07-07T23:33:34 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/phl-airport-to-spend-millions-on-bathroom-upgrades-other-improvements/3293271/ |
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Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood. | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/sheriffs-deputy-shot-at-fireworks-glad-it-hit-me-and-not-someone-else/3293244/ | 2022-07-07T23:33:41 | 0 | https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/sheriffs-deputy-shot-at-fireworks-glad-it-hit-me-and-not-someone-else/3293244/ |
Some peoples’ pet peeve is people who want to tell you all about their pet peeves.
If you’re one of them, you might want to move on to something else, because I’m about to list mine. Well, at least as many of them as I can before I run out of space. Here goes:
♦ People who don’t properly separate their recyclables — or worse, don’t recycle at all. People who call and don’t bother leaving a message when you’re not around to answer the phone. Commercials with ringing doorbells that sound just like mine.
♦ License plates that aren’t positioned exactly in the center of the car. (That reminds me: People who don’t understand OCD.) Drivers that merge into the space in front of you when there isn’t enough room to do so safely. Drivers that don’t bother to use turn signals.
♦ Owners who tether their dogs in the back yard — and leave them there for hours. Having to explain things more than once (one of the reasons I don’t talk to many Bulldog fans).
♦ People who try to enter an elevator before the people inside have a chance to get out. Obese and out-of-shape football coaches who couldn’t run a wind sprint if their next meal depended on it. (Why are basketball and baseball coaches so much fitter?). Car manufacturers that can’t agree which side of the car the gas tank should be.
♦ Men out in public with their underwear on full display for the world to see. Companies with confusing and/or long-winded automated customer service platforms (are there any other kind?) when you call in with a problem.
♦ Air quotes. (I’m fairly certain I have never used them in my life. If you ever catch me using them, feel free to “kill me.”)
♦ Gossip. If it doesn’t directly affect me or my family, feel free to gossip in front of me because I don’t care, and I certainly won’t be paying attention.
♦ People who DON’T RETURN THEIR SHOPPING CARTS TO THE CORAL IN THE PARKING LOT WHERE SHOPPING CARTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RETURNED!
♦ Never meeting anyone with infinite wisdom. I don’t think they even exist. Everyone I know has finite wisdom.
♦ People who borrow things and don’t bother to return them. People who don’t say “thank you” when you do something nice for them.
♦ Sarcasm. (Just kidding.)
♦ Writers who go on about something just to reach a certain word count, again and again and again.
♦ Okra that isn’t fried. It’s the vegetable equivalent of a raw oyster.
♦ Littering. Seriously, if you were born after 1971, you shouldn’t even know what littering is because 1971 is when it was banned.
♦ People who don’t know that littering is a criminal offense. Or believe me when I tell them that it is. (I’ll give you a moment to check.)
♦ Undertakers should start tying the shoelaces of the deceased together. That way when the zombie apocalypse comes, it will be hilarious. This is a joke. The pet peeve is people who don’t watch “The Walking Dead,” because otherwise you would get it.
♦ The metric system, which is only used in this country by drug dealers and road races on Peachtree Street. For Americans traveling in Europe where the metric system is used exclusively, good luck figuring out how much you’re paying for gasoline when you’re buying it in liters and paying for it in European currency. (Maybe that’s what slide rules are for!)
♦ The hardest thing for me to say. No, it’s not “I’m sorry.” Nor “I was wrong.” It’s not even “I need help.” The hardest thing for me to say is “Worcestershire.” I don’t think I’m alone here.
♦ Shoppers who exceed the maximum number of items in the express checkout lane. Shoppers who wait until they’re asked to pay for their items before looking in their purse or wallet for their checkbook, coupons, or in some cases, exact change.
♦ Waiting for a table at a restaurant. Waiting for your number to be called at the driver’s license bureau. Waiting to board your plane that’s already so late that you’ll probably miss your connecting flight anyway.
♦ People who use too many words or take too much time to tell a story and/or get their point across. (When I think people have had enough time to finish and are still talking, my listening comprehension automatically — or maybe it’s instinctively — shuts off. Then I walk away. It’s a gift, really.)
♦ People who back into a parking space (as opposed to pulling in directly) when other people are waiting to find a space of their own. People who park diagonally across two (or more) parking spaces. People who text while driving — as well as any of the men in blue who don’t bother to enforce the law that says they can’t.
♦ Poor spelling. Especially when it’s so simple to correct. For instance, there’s Spellcheck, dictionaries, and third grade.
♦ Anything slower than it needs to be. Slow eaters. Slow talkers. Slow workers. Slow walkers — especially in the narrow aisles of the grocery store. Slow drivers — particularly on two-lane roads with a solid yellow line down the middle. Slow listeners. Slow-moving lines. Slow-moving traffic. Slow to get a joke.
I’m kidding. I don’t really have that many pet peeves. In fact, I only have one:
♦ People who can’t tell when I’m being sarcastic. | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/scott-ludwig-finding-a-loving-home-for-pet-peeves/article_5be12100-fe23-11ec-b9c5-df7c08ebc0bd.html | 2022-07-07T23:33:50 | 0 | https://www.albanyherald.com/local/scott-ludwig-finding-a-loving-home-for-pet-peeves/article_5be12100-fe23-11ec-b9c5-df7c08ebc0bd.html |
LOWER TOWNSHIP — The state Division of Fish and Wildlife wants the Sunset Beach Sportsmen’s Club off a tiny plot of land overlooking the Delaware Bay, but in the meantime, club members will still be able to order drinks at the bar.
The Township Council recently renewed the liquor license for the club, despite objections from the state. The vote was unanimous.
No one from state government spoke at the meeting, which multiple club members attended. Earlier this year, the state division sent the club a letter saying it had to vacate the property by May 1.
That matter will ultimately be up to a judge, township attorney David Stefankiewicz told council members at the meeting. But he said it does not seem to have any bearing on the council’s decision. He said he read a letter from the state on the matter, but described it as a “smokescreen.”
“It would seem to me that they do qualify for renewal of the liquor license,” Stefankiewicz said. “I understand there’s a landlord-tenant dispute.”
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Christopher Gillin-Schwartz, an attorney representing the sportsmen’s club, told the council the criteria for renewal of a club license are that the club has more than a minimum number of members and has been in possession of the clubhouse for at least three years.
“The clubhouse has been there since 1957, and the Sportsman Club is most certainly still in possession of that clubhouse,” he told council.
LOWER TOWNSHIP — For decades, the Sunset Beach Sportsmen’s Club overlooking the Delaware Bay…
Ed Clavan, the president of the club, told council the organization has been in existence more than 65 years and had a liquor license since 1976 without any problems.
“We operate the way all clubs should operate. We follow the rules and regulations. We pay our bills. We pay our taxes. We have 160-plus really nice people,” he said.
The license allows the club to sell drinks to members, but members of the public cannot stop by the club and buy alcohol. The state maintains the club is on public land, on a site formerly owned by a long-defunct magnesite plant that is now part of the Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area.
According to Gillin-Schwartz, the state knows that to get the club off the property, it needs either the consent of the members, which it will not get, or a court order.
He said Thursday the state Department of Environmental Protection has filed a landlord-tenant complaint, which he said is handled in small claims court.
A spokesperson for the DEP, under which the Division of Fish and Wildlife falls, did not immediately have information available about the issue Thursday. DEP officials in the past have declined to comment on the matter, citing active litigation.
The DEP objected to the renewal of the license last year as well.
Time to pay the dispatch bill
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP — The Township Committee on Wednesday approved a $345,000 emergency appropriation for dispatch services for police, fire and other emergencies.
“It was a mistake that was made in our budgetary process,” said Mayor Tim Donohue after the meeting. This year, the township moved to the Cape May County regional dispatch, in a shared services agreement approved last year. The change took effect this spring, with Middle officials touting both the expected cost savings and improved safety.
The resolution was read at the meeting but not discussed by committee members when it came to a vote.
After the meeting, Donohue said the township had budgeted money to dismantle its dispatch center and fund new training, as well as removing some salaries from the budget that were no longer needed, but failed to include funds to cover the payments to the county to use the service.
“On the other side of the ledger, we have to pay the county,” Donohue said.
In announcing the change in October, the township projected a savings of $264,000 this year, compared to the township continuing to operate its own dispatch for police, fire and emergency services. That amounts to about a penny on the tax rate for every $100 of assessed property value.
The county began the regional 911 call center in 2018 and, since then, Avalon, Stone Harbor, Wildwood Crest and Lower Township all have transferred their dispatch services to the county. Last summer, a lightning strike at Cape May City Hall fried the dispatch computers, accelerating that community’s move to the county system. Cape May had also served as the dispatch center for Cape May Point and West Cape May.
Crest neighbors fed up with shed
WILDWOOD CREST — Several residents of Columbine Road took their concerns about a new shed in the neighborhood to the Borough Commission on Wednesday, alleging it amounts to a commercial use in a residential area.
“It’s a complete eyesore,” one of the neighbors told borough officials. She and other speakers argued the shed would be used as a business, offering pottery for sale. “We clearly just want our neighborhood back. We have followed the chain of command and received nothing but runaround.”
The owner of the house, Allen Hirschmann, said later in the meeting that his wife, Susan Fox Hirschmann, grew up in the Crest and returned in 2021 after years of living out of state. She is an artist, specializing in pottery, and wanted the additional space to work.
“We didn’t put in as big a shed as we could, but it’s a substantial shed,” Hirschmann said. He said they have no intention of offering classes in the shed, or opening it as a shop, but do plan to add insulation so it can be used in the winter. She will offer the pottery for sale at galleries and shows, he said.
Hirschmann told the meeting he got borough permission before doing any work.
Officials said they would discuss the matter with the department heads.
“We’ll be back in touch with you very shortly,” Mayor Don Cabrera told the objecting neighbors.
Middle tightens shopping cart crackdown
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP — Business owners will have less time to collect wayward shopping carts under an ordinance unanimously introduced by the Township Committee on Wednesday evening.
A public hearing and final vote are planned for 6 p.m. Aug. 1 at Township Hall, 33 Mechanic St.
Last year, the township enacted an ordinance requiring businesses to do more to keep shopping carts on store property and to collect them from the community when they are taken off site. At that time, officials said public works crews were spending an inordinate amount of time collecting carts from roads, parks and waterways.
MIDDLE TOWNSHIP — A pair of abandoned shopping carts can be seen in the thick tangle of grow…
The township set a fine of $250 for the businesses.
The new ordnance gives business owners five days to collect a cart once notified by the township. After that, the township can dispose of the cart.
“We were giving 30 days for them to pick up the carts and we were just getting all these carts piled up. We cut that back to five days. So if they don’t pick them up in five days, we can get rid of them,” Mayor Tim Donohue said after the meeting.
The carts themselves can cost the stores $160 to $300. National statistics say about 2 million shopping carts are taken annually.
Healthy meal program for seniors
The Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County is offering seniors the chance to learn how they can prepare nutritious, low-cost meals for themselves.
Through a six-week program on Thursdays from July 14 through Aug. 18, Chris Zellers, a health educator and assistant professor at Rutgers, will show seniors how they can eat healthy affordably through live cooking demonstrations and sharing recipes, the Rutgers Cooperative Extension said Thursday in a news release.
"Nutritious home-cooked meals don’t need to feel overwhelming," Zellers said Thursday. "A few basic shopping and cooking skills can transform the way you eat at home.”
County seniors who attend four of the six lessons will be eligible for a produce box provided by LeGates Farm Market.
Each session will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at the Lower Cape Senior Center, 2612 Bayshore Road in the Villas section of Lower Township.
For more information, call 609-465-5115, ext. 3609.
Eric Conklin contributed to this report. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/lower-renews-liquor-license-for-club-the-state-seeks-to-evict/article_018e9218-fe15-11ec-b174-3f73b696d03c.html | 2022-07-07T23:34:05 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/lower-renews-liquor-license-for-club-the-state-seeks-to-evict/article_018e9218-fe15-11ec-b174-3f73b696d03c.html |
LOWER TOWNSHIP — The state Division of Fish and Wildlife wants the Sunset Beach Sportsmen’s Club off a tiny plot of land overlooking the Delaware Bay, but in the meantime, club members will still be able to order drinks at the bar.
The Lower Township Council recently renewed the liquor license for the club, despite objections from the state. The vote was unanimous.
No one from state government spoke at the meeting, which multiple club members attended. Earlier this year, the state division sent the club a letter saying it had to vacate the property by May 1.
That matter will ultimately be up to a judge, township attorney David Stefankiewicz told council members at the meeting. But he said it does not seem to have any bearing on the council’s decision. He said he read a letter from the state on the matter, but described it as a “smokescreen.”
“It would seem to me that they do qualify for renewal of the liquor license,” Stefankiewicz said. “I understand there’s a landlord-tenant dispute.”
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Christopher Gillin-Schwartz, an attorney representing the sportsmen’s club, told Lower Township Council that the criteria for renewal of a club license are that the club has more than a minimum number of members and have been in possession of the clubhouse for at least three years.
“The clubhouse has been there since 1957, and the Sportsman Club is most certainly still in possession of that clubhouse,” he told council.
Ed Clavan, the president of the club, told council that the organization has been in existence more than 65 years and had a liquor license since 1976 without any problems.
“We operate the way all clubs should operate. We follow the rules and regulations. We pay our bills. We pay our taxes. We have 160-plus really nice people,” he said.
The license allows the club to sell drinks to members, but members of the public cannot stop by the club and buy alcohol. The state maintains that the club is on public land, on a site formerly owned by a long-defunct magnesite plant that is now part of the Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area.
According to Gillin-Schwartz, the state knows that to get the club off the property, it needs either the consent of the members, which it will not get, or a court order.
He said Thursday that the DEP has filed a landlord-tenant complaint, which he said is handled in small claims court.
A spokesperson for the state Department of Environmental Protection, under which the Division of Fish and Wildlife falls, did not immediately have information available about the issue on Thursday. DEP officials in the past have declined to comment on the matter, citing active litigation.
The DEP objected to the renewal of the license last year as well. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/lower-renews-liquor-license-for-club-the-state-seeks-to-evict/article_47b9e118-fe27-11ec-bb5f-fb1f5a4a7d70.html | 2022-07-07T23:34:12 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/lower-renews-liquor-license-for-club-the-state-seeks-to-evict/article_47b9e118-fe27-11ec-bb5f-fb1f5a4a7d70.html |
An anti-segregation activist group is taking the governor and NAACP leadership to task a week before the NAACP National Convention comes to Atlantic City.
Building One America and the New Jersey Coalition Against Racial Exclusion, or NJ-CARE, are circulating an open letter to NAACP leadership demanding that Gov. Phil Murphy be disinvited from the convention. The groups say Murphy, a former NAACP board member, has not taken aggressive enough steps to integrate New Jersey schools or advance racial equality in education.
“We appreciate that Governor Murphy has a history with this great organization as a past board member and major donor, but that relationship cannot be allowed to excuse or obscure his inaction toward and opposition to school desegregation,” said the letter, which was addressed to NAACP President Derrick Johnson.
Activists from the groups have argued that a lack of diversity in New Jersey classrooms adversely affects students of color, creating a system of school segregation that limits their access to educational resources and future academic opportunities. They warn that the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on schools could worsen educational inequality across the state.
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NJ-CARE co-Chair Willie Francois III, a senior pastor at Pleasantville’s Mount Zion Baptist Church, wrote a similar letter in June addressed to New Jersey NAACP President Richard Smith.
Smith said he had received both letters and that he had shared them with Johnson. He said Johnson had told him the NAACP had “no intention of uninviting” the governor. He also defended the role of the New Jersey NAACP in advancing diversity in the classroom, citing its role in bringing a 2018 school segregation suit against the state.
ATLANTIC CITY The 113th annual NAACP National Convention will be taking place in Atlantic Ci…
“I can tell you, we were out first and foremost on this fight,” Smith said.
The 2018 lawsuit accuses the state of having segregated schools and putting its Black and Hispanic students at a disadvantage. The suit cites a 2017 UCLA study that indicated New Jersey was the sixth-most-segregated state in the U.S. with respect to Black students and the seventh-most segregated with respect to Hispanic students. The Latino Action Network is the lead plaintiff on the lawsuit and is joined by students and their guardians and other civil rights advocacy organizations, including the New Jersey NAACP. The case is being adjudicated by the Mercer County Superior Court.
The NJ-CARE letter cites the Murphy administration’s resistance to settling this litigation as an example of his failure to take strong action against school segregation.
“We know that Governor Murphy did not create this problem, but he has been given a golden opportunity to lead both legally and legislatively, that he has so far squandered with avoidance, resistance, and opposition,” the letter states.
When contacted for comment Thursday by The Press of Atlantic City, Governor's Office spokesperson Alyana Alfaro Post said the Murphy administration believed a “diverse classroom environment is critical for the education of every child in New Jersey.” She cited the administration’s Wealth Disparity Taskforce, initiatives to expand preschool education and Fiscal Year 2023 budget priorities as an example of its commitment to advancing racial equality.
Alfaro Post did not acknowledge whether Murphy had received the letter or whether he had any response to it.
More than a year ago, Atlantic City officials criticized a major retailer in its premier sho…
Murphy signed an act into law in January enabling school districts to explore the possibility of consolidating with neighboring districts, an effort both the Murphy administration and activists have described as something that could help integrate schools.
Building One America and NJ-CARE maintain the governor has still not acted with sufficient urgency or ambition and have demanded that Murphy meet with them to discuss their legislative agenda.
The coalition’s legislative proposal aims to create an “affirmative obligation” for the state and its schools to integrate. It focuses on, in part, empowering the state Department of Education to develop and enforce integration policies through a new Division of Equity and Inclusion. The department, with this new division, would report on how segregation impacts student outcomes; review how state laws around school districts’ residency requirements entrench segregation; explore how existing school choice programs can be used to advance integration; and set diversity goals for each school district in the state, as well as for charter and magnet schools. Organizers called for the amended passage of a bill introduced in the state Senate in January that would bring some of these changes to the Department of Education.
The coalition also asked that the state act to keep schools from withdrawing from a school district or a send-receive agreement, as it argues such efforts further segregation. The group asked that the school consolidation law enacted in January be amended so as to inhibit separations and further the equitable distribution of education resources.
Current and former NAACP branch presidents have had different reactions to the letter.
Atlantic City NAACP President Kaleem Shabazz called it "a little off base" and expressed support for the NAACP and the governor. He said Murphy has been a strong ally of the NAACP and an advocate for civil rights.
Atlantic City is hosting the annual NAACP Convention in July for the second time ever. The r…
Mo'Neke Ragsdale, a former president of the now suspended Camden branch of the NAACP, signed onto the letter, believing both the governor and the NAACP needed to do more about school segregation.
"We're fighting for justice, not because somebody was a former (NAACP) board member," Ragsdale said. | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/school-integration-activists-call-on-naacp-to-disinvite-murphy-from-convention/article_35a4d0d0-fe1a-11ec-8fac-cf7bf4434b50.html | 2022-07-07T23:34:18 | 0 | https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/school-integration-activists-call-on-naacp-to-disinvite-murphy-from-convention/article_35a4d0d0-fe1a-11ec-8fac-cf7bf4434b50.html |
ARLINGTON, Texas — Those excited to dive into the new Aquaman ride at Six Flags Over Texas will have to wait longer as the ride has been delayed yet again to a Spring 2023 opening.
Sharon Parker, Six Flags Over Texas park president, said the delay was due to supply chain issues and labor shortages, a problem plaguing industries across the country.
“Our guests have been eagerly anticipating the opening of AQUAMAN: Power Wave here at Six Flags Over Texas, the park’s 15th coaster,” said Parker in an emailed statement. “The construction process has faced unprecedented delays, much like other projects around the world, due to supply chain and labor issues. We understand that the delay is a disappointment for our guests and we appreciate their continued patience. We are able to confirm that AQUAMAN: Power Wave will open in spring 2023.”
Aquaman: Power Wave is a steel launch shuttle roller coaster themed after the titular DC superhero who rules over the underwater city of Atlantis. The ride was first announced in August 2019 and set for a 2020 opening before the COVID-19 pandemic caused its initial delay.
This ride is replacing the former Aquaman Splashdown ride near the park entrance. It will feature two 20-passenger boats and a turntable station to allow for one boat to be filled while another is going through the ride, making the line move faster.
The ride was constructed in 2020, and is 146.3 feet in height and can reach a maximum speed of more than 62 miles per hour, with a track length of more than 708 feet. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/six-flags-over-texas-aquaman-ride-surface-supply-chain-labor-issues/287-8de95e6f-23e5-419b-b221-b11b57bd09a5 | 2022-07-07T23:35:00 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/six-flags-over-texas-aquaman-ride-surface-supply-chain-labor-issues/287-8de95e6f-23e5-419b-b221-b11b57bd09a5 |
GARLAND, Texas — A 16-year-old girl was arrested for manslaughter after shooting her 18-year-old friend, while the two were live-streaming, Garland Police said Thursday.
On July 5, officers responded to an apartment in the 1700 block of Apollo Road. That’s when they found the victim, who they identified as Princess Omobogie, suffering from a gunshot wound.
Garland police said their investigation revealed Omobogie was using a cell phone to live-stream her friend, who was displaying two handguns. One of the two guns discharged, striking Ombogie, police said.
Omobogie initially survived and was transported to a local hospital, but died of her injuries just two days later.
Police are not naming Omobogie’s friend because she’s a minor. She was transported to the Dallas County Juvenile Detention Center.
Detectives obtained a copy of the live-stream video and the investigation is ongoing. | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/teen-arrested-for-shooting-friend-while-live-streaming/287-794e26f5-fa73-44e8-9a4c-29eba48ef916 | 2022-07-07T23:35:06 | 1 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/teen-arrested-for-shooting-friend-while-live-streaming/287-794e26f5-fa73-44e8-9a4c-29eba48ef916 |
DALLAS — Still recovering from the holiday weekend? Keep the good times rolling!
We've got another jam-packed summer weekend of events across North Texas.
You can catch a country show at Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas, a comedy show in Addison, and a three-on-three basketball tournament in Frisco. Plus, dozens of other options!
Here's what we got going on:
FRIDAY
From basketball to baseball to pro wrestling, this weekend has you COVERED when it comes to sports. WWE Smackdown is in Fort Worth on Friday night, the Rangers are in town against the Twins and the BIG3 basketball tournament at Comerica Center in Frisco features several former NBA players.
Friday's slate of concerts aren't bad, either. Here's the full rundown:
- Emo Nite Dallas at South Side Music Hall (Dallas)
- Parker McCollum at Dos Equis Pavilion (Dallas)
- Reality Gays Live! With Mattie and Poodle! at The Studio at The Factory (Dallas)
- Paul Varghese at The Kessler (Dallas)
- J.R. Brow at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub (Dallas)
- Ed Desabelle at Sundown at Granada (Dallas)
- My So Called Band at Granada Theater (Dallas)
- Walt Wilkins, Darden Smith and Bart De Win at The Post (Fort Worth)
- Carson Jeffrey at Tulips (Fort Worth)
- WWE Friday Night Smackdown at Dickie's Arena (Fort Worth)
- Steve "Mudflap" McGrew at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub (Fort Worth)
- Dirty Pool on the Honky Tonk Stage at Billy Bob's (Fort Worth)
- Young Frankenstein at Circle Theatre (Fort Worth)
- Jessica Kirson at Addison Improv
- Texas Clearwater Revival at Arlington Music Hall (Arlington)
- Texas Rangers vs. Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Field (Arlington)
- BIG3 Basketball at Comerica Center (Frisco)
- Prairie Playland Summer Nights at Traders Village (Grand Prairie)
- Texas Lottery Live with Super Kilo at Toyota Music Factory (Irving)
- Albert Lee at The Sanctuary (McKinney)
SATURDAY
Saturday night is all about the shows --both comedy and music. Hyena's in Dallas and Addison Improv both have comedy shows on the books Saturday night. There's also several concerts on tap, including Junior Brown at The Kessler and Devin the Dude at Granada Theater. And before we forget! You can get your day started with yoga at Poses on the Plaza at Toyota Music Factory in Irving. Then head on over to McKinney for the Downtown McKinney Margarita Stroll!
- Junior Brown at The Kessler (Dallas)
- J.R. Brow at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub (Dallas)
- Devin the Dude at Granada Theater (Dallas)
- Sing Kumba & Watusi at Sundown at Granada (Dallas)
- Stranger Things Night at House of Blues (Dallas)
- Nathan Hamilton + BettySoo at The Post (Fort Worth)
- Maddy Morphosis at Tulips (Fort Worth)
- Steve "Mudflap" McGrew at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub (Fort Worth)
- Kaitlin Butts on the Honky Tonk Stage at Billy Bob's (Fort Worth)
- Young Frankenstein at Circle Theatre (Fort Worth)
- Chad Cooke Band at Levitt Pavilion (Arlington)
- Texas Rangers vs. Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Field (Arlington)
- Jessica Kirson at Addison Improv
- Family Magic & Comedy with Mike Williams at Addison Improv (Addison)
- Frisco Fighters vs Quad City Steamwheelers at Comerica Center (Frisco)
- Camp Gladiator at Toyota Music Factory (Irving)
- Poses on the Plaza at Toyota Music Factory (Irving)
- Classic Cars for a Cause at Teresa's House Assisted Living and Memory Care (McKinney)
- Downtown McKinney Margarita Stroll (McKinney)
SUNDAY
Looking for a chill Sunday? We got you covered. Catch a comedy show or a Rangers game, all in the comfort of air conditioning.
- Steve "Mudflap" McGrew at Hyena's Comedy Nightclub (Fort Worth)
- Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin at Dickie's Arena (Fort Worth)
- Matt Hillyer & Walt Wilkins at The Post
- Twin Tribes w/ Wingtips, Nicole Marxen & DJ Culturegang at Tulips (Fort Worth)
- The Latin Breed Band at Levitt Pavilion (Arlington)
- Texas Rangers vs. Minnesota Twins at Globe Life Field (Arlington)
- North Texas Soccer Club vs San Jose Earthquakes II at Choctaw Stadium (Arlington)
- Jessica Kirson at Addison Improv
- BIG3 Basketball at Comerica Center (Frisco) | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/things-to-do-in-dallas-fort-worth-north-texas-this-weekend-laugh-like-a-hyena-in-dallas-sip-a-marg-in-mckinney-and-slam-dunk-in-frisco/287-a6ab419b-c128-4d58-b0a3-ed2c92943757 | 2022-07-07T23:35:12 | 0 | https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local/things-to-do-in-dallas-fort-worth-north-texas-this-weekend-laugh-like-a-hyena-in-dallas-sip-a-marg-in-mckinney-and-slam-dunk-in-frisco/287-a6ab419b-c128-4d58-b0a3-ed2c92943757 |
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